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Holiday travels bolster world tourism industry

08:33, May 06, 2024 By Cheng Si ( Chinadaily.com.cn

Chinese holidays have injected impetus into the world economy, with the just-concluded May Day holiday bringing a strong burst of tourism growth to domestic as well as overseas destinations, travel experts said.

They added that the holiday's prosperity marks the all-around recovery of the nation's tourism industry.

The holiday brought good tidings from travel agencies, which said that long-distance tour products were hot sellers over the five-day holiday, which ended on Sunday. The holiday's good performance is also expected to promote the healthier, more sustainable development of the industry.

More Chinese people chose to spend the break at overseas destinations. Travel portal Qunar said that countries and regions in and near Central Asia and in Europe were hot choices, with flight bookings to Saudi Arabia and Egypt seeing triple growth year-on-year on the platform. Flight sales heading to some European destinations, including the United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Spain and Croatia, doubled at Qunar over the holiday.

The recent currency decline of the Japanese yen made the nation one of the top choices for Chinese travelers, who went on sightseeing tours and shopping sprees, according to Qunar. Traditionally popular overseas destinations such as Thailand and Singapore were also overwhelmed by Chinese travelers during the holiday.

"The popularity and prosperity of overseas destinations with shorter travel times have exceeded our expectations. I think the main reasons lie in the adding of international flights, more friendly visa policies for Chinese people, and the longer duration of the holiday," said Qi Chunguang, vice-president of travel portal Tuniu.

Domestic scenic spots also witnessed a travel boom. Shanghai, Beijing and the tropical coastal city of Sanya in the southern island province of Hainan were the top three choices on Tuniu, while some inland provinces with cultural heritage or special cuisines went viral as well, according to the platform.

During her holiday trip to Datong in North China's Shanxi province, Wei Jiajia wore a mamianqun, a Chinese traditional skirt, while visiting the Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a history of about 1,600 years.

Wei said she gained a better understanding of the cultural relics by wearing the dress, and she felt like she was a messenger of traditional Chinese culture.

Xiao Peng, a researcher at Qunar, said that Chinese travelers have shown more balanced consumption preferences this holiday, leaving no destinations "untapped or unheard of", and tourism services chains have stabilized and seen a good recovery.

"Our figures show that reception capacities of airlines, trains, hotels and rural homestays registered a big boost this holiday. The prosperity of the May Day holiday marks a full recovery of the tourism market, which will also bring a healthier and more sustainable development of the tourism industry," he said.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Keeping up with Donald Trumps court schedule is a dizzying task, since he faces two federal trials, a criminal trial in Georgia, and two separate civil and criminal trials in New York. (Oh, and hes running for president.) To make it easier to follow along, each Monday well be looking back at all the Trump trialrelated developments you might have missed the previous week.

On Monday, a New York Supreme Court justice found that Trump has once again violated his gag order and warned he could be jailed if this keeps up. Last week, the hush money trial attracted some big names in Trumps orbit who listened in on the historic proceedings. Meanwhile, the defense is pursuing a new delay tactic in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

Another Gag Order Violation

Kicking the week off strong, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan ruled Monday morning that Trump had violated his gag order for the 10th time since the hush money trial began three weeks ago. He also threatened to hold Trump in jail if he keeps the violations going.

Merchans gag order prevents Trump from publicly speaking about jurors, witnesses, or family members of prosecutors and the judge himself in a way that could reasonably lead to threats. Yet, last week, as he walked out of a separate court hearing for another set of gag order violations, Trump gave a TV interview in which he insulted his former lawyer Michael Cohen, a critical witness in the ongoing hush money trial. Michael Cohen is a convicted liar, and hes got no credibility whatsoever, he ranted.

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That interview, along with other comments Trump made about Cohen to reporters, led prosecutors to ask for further contempt charges against the former president. Merchan ultimately ruled that calling Cohen a convicted liar was protected political speech but fined Trump an additional $1,000 on Monday after the previous $9,000 for comments he made targeting the jury as 95 percent Democrats.

In court Monday, Merchan warned Trump directly, in the harshest terms yet, that continued violations could result in much more severe punishment. The magnitude of a such a decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day I have a job to do, and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system, Merchan said. So, much as I do not want to impose a sanction [of jail] and I have done everything I can to avoid doing so,  I will if necessary.

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Trumps behavior here isnt all that surprisinghe also violated the gag order in his civil fraud case multiple times, earning $15,000 in fines. A former White House lawyer for the Trump administration told Politico that this is a targeted strategy to delegitimize the legal battles Trump faces.

A New Delay Tactic in the Classified Documents Case

When FBI agents raided Mar-a-Lago two years ago, they seized 33 boxes containing 11,000 documents. And as prosecutors sifted through all that paper for special counsel Jack Smiths classified documents investigation, some of those documents got shuffled out of their original order.

Smiths team said as much in a court filing last week, after a lawyer for Walt Nautaa co-defendant in the classified documents indictmentasked for a delay in the case because he could not find the documents prosecutors were referring to. Thats because when FBI agents came across any classified documents during their raid at Mar-a-Lago, they replaced them with a classified cover sheet. However, they found so many classified documents that they quickly ran out of cover sheets and instead used blank sheets of paper on which they hand-wrote each documents classification level.

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Most of the handwritten cover sheets were replaced, but some were left in the seized boxes, complicating efforts to link placeholders with their corresponding classified document. However, Smiths team also digitally scanned each classified document that it seized and created an FBI index code linking each scanned document to the box from which it had been retrieved. Nauta, therefore, has had access to this information, as well as the physical boxes, for nearly ten months, wrote Smith.

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Although the special counsel argued that the shuffling of seized classified documents did not merit a delay in Nautas case, Trump believes otherwise. In a post to his Truth Social account, Trump called Smiths court filing an admittance of blatant Evidence Tampering by mishandling the very Boxes they used as a pretext to bring this Fake Case. And, unsurprisingly, Trump asserted that this mishap mandates that this whole Witch Hunt be DROPPED IMMEDIATELY.

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Related From Slate The Rule of Law Finally Comes for Donald Trump Read More

Hope Hicks Gets Emotional in Court

Hicks, the former White House communications director for the Trump administration, took the witness stand last week. When she discussed her time working for the former president, she became visibly overwhelmed.

Hicks testimony added to the chorus of people close to Trump who have confirmed that in the run-up to the 2016 election, Cohen paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair. Her testimony also shed light on how Cohen is viewed within the former presidents inner circle. I didnt know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless person, Hicks testified. Hes the kind of person who seeks credit.

When the defense started to cross-examine Hicks, she began to cry, prompting the court to take a 10-minute break. Its not clear what precisely brought on the tears, as Slates Jeremy Stahl noted in a dispatch of the days court proceedings. When she resumed her testimony, she confirmed that she had had a conversation with Trump the day after the New York Times reported that Cohen confessed to making a hush money payment to Daniels. President Trump was saying that he had spoken to Michael and that Michael had paid this woman to protect him from a false allegation and that Michael felt like it was his job to protect him and thats what he was doing.

Keith Davidson, a former attorney of Daniels who represented her in the early days of the hush money scandal, also testified for the defense last week. And in the courtroom, some familiar faces showed up to the proceedings, including Trumps adult son Eric, Trump nemesis George Conway, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. (Eric returned to the courtroom Monday.)
Benefits of EU membership are mainly the single market and EU funds.

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Free access for Slovak companies to a common market of more than 450 million people, free movement of goods, labour, services and capital. These are, according to analysts, along with the money from EU funds, the biggest advantages of Slovakias 20-year membership in the European Union (EU). If we were not part of the EU, it would mean a lower gross domestic product (GDP) perhaps by up to a fifth and an economic situation on a par with Belarus, said analysts polled by the TASR newswire.

Slovakia could exist without EU membership, but the question is at what cost, noted Radovan Durana, an analyst at the Institute of Economic and Social Analysis (INESS).

Based on some estimates, Slovakias GDP would be almost 20 percent lower if we were not in the single market, said Durana.

Matej Hornak, an analyst at the Slovenska Sporitelna bank, added that without EU membership, Slovakias economic performance and living standards would lag behind the West significantly more than they do now.

The advantages of Slovakias EU membership are, in his view, linked to the benefits of a common European currency.

The model of our colleagues from the Erste Group shows that Slovakias real GDP per capita is currently 16 percent higher than it would be without EU or eurozone membership, Hornak explained.

He noted that one of the EUs key tasks is to reduce regional disparities, which is the purpose of structural funds. Available data shows that by 2022, 24.8 billion will flow from the European Union to Slovakia. Over the same period, Slovakia contributed around 13.1 billion to the EU budget, making the country a net beneficiary of the funds.

Despite the persistent lag behind most other EU countries, analysts said that Slovakia has largely taken advantage of the opportunities offered by EU membership. For Slovakias economic success story, Hornak said, there is no alternative but to be firmly anchored with the developed Western world in the European Union.

Viliam Palenik, an economist at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, thinks that with the continuation of Meciars policies, and thus without the EU, Slovakia could be compared to, for example, contemporary Belarus.

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Related article Five years in the club Read more

Problems with drawing EU funds persist

However, according to analysts, Slovakias problem remains the use of EU funds.
What cat behaviour expert thinks of social media videos, why trees have it difficult on the streets of Bratislava, and a tiny edition of the Pohoda festival.

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Good evening. Here is the Monday, May 6 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Ivan Korcok's still unknown future

Diplomat Ivan Korcok. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco)

Unsuccessful presidential candidate Ivan Korcok has yet to announce his future plans in politics. At the moment, he is musing whether to enter party politics.

"I will talk more about my future after the EP elections," he said.

But according to a new survey carried out by the Focus polling agency for private TV Markiza, up to 53 percent of Slovaks are of the opinion that he should not. A fifth of people say yes to him joining a party, and 15 percent think that he should establish his own party. The rest does not know.

So far, Korcok's actions suggest that he would like to remain politically active. Last week he announced a press conference, urging people to vote in the upcoming June European Parliament elections, recommending the Progresivne Slovensko (PS), KDH, SaS and non-parliament Demokrati parties. These, in his opinion, are parties that know where Slovakia belongs.

Approximately 80 percent of both SaS and PS voters support Korcok in joining party politics, as well as 73 percent of the Slovensko movement (formerly OLaNO). Smer and Hlas voters are strongly against Korcok joining party politics.

According to the survey, approximately 60 percent of people also think that Korcok should not try to unite the opposition parties and lead them.

MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE

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FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY

Difficult life for trees in Bratislava

Stefanikova Street in the direction of the Main Railway Station. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco)

In recent years, the Bratislava climate has been resembling the climate in the Mediterranean, Australia and the US west coast more and more, making it unsuitable for oak, beech, birch or spruce, i.e. species typical for the Carpathians.

Some staple species of maple, chestnut that did not have problems a few years ago, are now unable to take root.

EVENT FOR TOMORROW

The tiny edition of Pohoda

The RTVS radio building (Source: SME)

On Tuesday, a small scale edition of the Pohoda festival called Pohoda Den (day) will take place throughout the day just a few weeks ahead of the main event. Not only will listeners be able to tune in to Radio FM and listen to the programme, they can also witness two concerts in the Slovak Radio studios. Admission is free. For more information and the performing musicians, click here.

IN OTHER NEWS

Speaking on private TV Markiza's politics show Na Telo on Sunday, President Zuzana Caputova said that she doesn't regret not re-running for the post. In addition, she doesn't intend to engage in party politics. "I'll try to be useful in the public space, not in politics," she said, adding that she wants to be active in areas where she has some kind of expertise. The president will also visit Ukraine before her tenure ends and meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the PM and Speaker of Parliament. (TASR)

"I'll try to be useful in the public space, not in politics," she said, adding that she wants to be active in areas where she has some kind of expertise. The president will also visit Ukraine before her tenure ends and meet with Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as the PM and Speaker of Parliament. (TASR) According to Foreign Affairs Ministry, Slovakia will send its charge d'affaires to Tuesday's inauguration of re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. (TASR)

(TASR) At the Saturday party congress, Michal Simecka was re-elected chairman of Progresivne Slovensko (PS). He had no rival and obtained votes from 155 of the 161 delegates present. In addition, Simona Petrik, Zora Jaurova, Ivan Stefunko, Michal Truban and Tomas Valasek were elected vice-chairs. According to the PS leader, the party's immediate goal is to win the European Parliament, grow in regions, and win elections in the future. (TASR)

He had no rival and obtained votes from 155 of the 161 delegates present. In addition, Simona Petrik, Zora Jaurova, Ivan Stefunko, Michal Truban and Tomas Valasek were elected vice-chairs. According to the PS leader, the party's immediate goal is to win the European Parliament, grow in regions, and win elections in the future. (TASR) On Monday morning, a bear was spotted running through the village of Ocova, central Slovakia. A dash cam video that appeared on social media showed the animal running in front of a car for over 90 seconds. (TV Noviny)

The Vardomb reservoir in the village of Bernolakovo near Bratislava recently won the 2023 Fenix prize - Cultural Memorial of the Year in the complex restoration category. (Source: TASR)

WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Cloudy to overcast skies, in many places showers and rain, occasionally storms expected. Daily temperatures will rise to between 13 C to 20 C. With the exception of the eastern Slovakia, level 1 storm warning applies to the remaining regions. (SHMU)

MAY 7 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Monika

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P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/antonov-on-jeffries-remarks-deployment-of-us-troops-wont-turn-tide-in-ukraine-conflict-1118292583.html

Russian Envoy on Jeffries Remarks: Deployment of US Troops Won't Turn Tide in Ukraine Conflict

Russian Envoy on Jeffries Remarks: Deployment of US Troops Won't Turn Tide in Ukraine Conflict

Sputnik International

The United States will not be able to turn the tide in the Ukraine conflict even if it sends troops there, Russian Ambassador in Washington Anatoly Antonov said on Monday.

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On Sunday, US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an interview with CBS that "there's a significant likelihood" that America will have to send its troops to the conflict zone if Ukraine falls. He claimed that the US must continue supporting Kiev to "prevent a broader war." The ambassador warned that a direct clash between two nuclear powers will lead to unpredictable consequences.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/china-intends-to-look-for-ways-to-resolve-ukraine-conflict---xi-1118280571.html

China Intends to Look for Ways to Resolve Ukraine Conflict - Xi

China Intends to Look for Ways to Resolve Ukraine Conflict - Xi

Sputnik International

China, together with France and other partners, intends to look for ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.

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On Sunday, Xi arrived in France, where he will stay until Wednesday. "We hope that peace and stability will soon return to Europe and intend to work with France and the entire international community to find ways to resolve the crisis," Xi said in a column for French newspaper Le Figaro. Xi also recalled that he "repeatedly called for observing the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, taking into account the legitimate security interests of the parties, and also pointed out the inadmissibility of the use of nuclear weapons." Xi is on a visit to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 510 at the invitation of the European leaders. His first trip to Europe in nearly five years comes as the European Union continues piling pressure on Beijing over its support and cooperation with Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240320/china-voices-hope-for-deescalation-efforts-amid-macrons-plans-to-send-troops-to-ukraine-1117453040.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/columbia-university-cancels-university-wide-commencement-ceremony-due-to-student-protests-1118292759.html

Columbia University Cancels University-Wide Commencement Ceremony Due to Student Protests

Columbia University Cancels University-Wide Commencement Ceremony Due to Student Protests

Sputnik International

Columbia University announced on Monday its decision to cancel a university-wide commencement ceremony and instead organize school-level events due lingering security concerns following a wave of student protests against the war in Gaza, according to a notice on its website.

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Based on feedback from our students, we have decided to focus attention on our Class Days and school-level graduation ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, and to forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15, the announcement said. The university will focus its resources on those smaller-scale ceremonies and keeping them safe and respectful, it added. New York Mayor Eric Adams said last week that the police has arrested approximately 300 protesters at the campuses of Columbia University and the City College of New York amid pro-Palestine demonstrations across the United States.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240503/columbia-students-at-palestine-rally-inspired-by-anti-apartheid-and-anti-vietnam-war-protests-1118243825.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/eu-officials-eye-bailout-fund-as-source-of-cheap-loans-to-buy-weapons---report-1118281266.html

EU Officials Eye Bailout Fund as Source of Cheap Loans to Buy Weapons - Report

EU Officials Eye Bailout Fund as Source of Cheap Loans to Buy Weapons - Report

Sputnik International

Dipping into the European Union's emergency bailout fund - the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) - is being floated as means of investing in the blocs defense ambitions, Politico reported.

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Dipping into the European Union's emergency bailout fund is being floated as a means of investing in the blocs defense ambitions, Politico reported, citing sources.Warmongering EU officials have been eyeing the nest egg of around 422 billion set aside in the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) for rescuing floundering economies, hoping to repurpose it, the report said.The cash could reportedly be used as a potential source of cheap loans to buy weapons.The EUs weapons stockpiles have been bled dry by NATOs proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Coupled with the mounting debt and domestic policy challenges of individual member states, it is small wonder some favor the idea of refashioning the ESM into a so-called  defense tool.In other options floated, the publication said, the ESM could ostensibly be used to cover the reconstruction of Ukraine, or to offer cheap loans to countries like the Baltic States.However, the bailout fund option, believed to still be at an early stage, is likely to fuel further dissent within the bloc, whose members are already squabbling over military and weapons spending on Ukraine aid. Previous suggestions for funding defense have fueled deep disagreements. Other options floated for funding defense have ranged from digging deeper into EU budget coffers and issuing joint Eurobonds, to using illegally frozen Russian assets. However, none of them have made headway amid deep disagreements within the bloc. France and the Baltic States might support such an idea, cited EU officials reportedly acknowledged. Lately, French President Emmanuel Macron has been on a roll, churning out inflammatory statements on sending NATO troops to Ukraine, while also talking tough about a "stronger Europe.But the unnamed EU officials also pointed out that other members have been arguing for the need to preserve the fund intact to serve its original goal  that of offering a lifeline for financially struggling member states. This is all the more so since EU national budgets have increasingly become cash-strapped over pressure to pump more money to support Ukraine.Previously, the ESM has been used to distribute loans to a tune of around 300 billion to Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Cyprus.NATO has also been increasingly impelling its members to meet its defense spending target of at least two percent of national GDP. The publication underscored the mounting EU fears that a potential return of former US President Donald Trump to the White House could add to the blocs woes. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw US support for NATO allies unless other member states hike up their defense budgets. Recently, it was reported that the Republican frontrunner in the presidential election is considering pushing the alliances members to increase defense spending to three percent of GDP.All of the Eurozone's 20 finance ministers would have to agree to such a repurposing of the ESM.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240319/2-billion-fund-to-enhance-eu-defense-1117425715.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/finland-seeking-to-build-tnt-production-plant-due-to-lack-of-explosives---report-1118280441.html

Finland Seeking to Build TNT Production Plant Due to Lack of Explosives - Report

Finland Seeking to Build TNT Production Plant Due to Lack of Explosives - Report

Sputnik International

Finland wants to urgently build a TNT production plant due to a shortage of explosives in Europe, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported, citing Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen.

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"We need to significantly increase the production of explosives. Therefore, we must seriously consider the role of domestic industry in this matter," Hakkanen was quoted as saying by the broadcaster on Sunday. Finland conveyed to its allies the need to quickly make decisions on the construction of the plant in the country, the minister added. There is a critical shortage of explosives in Europe, the report read, noting that the only TNT production plant in the European Union is located in Poland, but the level of production does not meet demand.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/french-foreign-legion-possibly-racked-up-first-losses-in-ukraine---report-1118283980.html

French Foreign Legion Possibly Racked Up 'First Losses in Ukraine' - Report

French Foreign Legion Possibly Racked Up 'First Losses in Ukraine' - Report

Sputnik International

The French Foreign Legion dispatched to Ukraine has possibly sustained its first personnel losses, military correspondent Boris Rozhin stated on Telegram.

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The French Foreign Legion dispatched to Ukraine has possibly sustained its first personnel losses, military correspondent Boris Rozhin stated on Telegram.The mercenaries could have lost up to seven people in clashes with the Russian military near Chasov Yar, he wrote. The city in the Donetsk Peoples Republic is currently under Kievs control, but the situation there is getting increasingly precarious for Ukraines forces.These are no longer TikTok soldiers who came to Ukraine to earn a fast buck, but fled at the first threat they encountered, underscored Rozhin. He added that now "highly trained, professional military personnel of NATO countries had entered the fray.According to the military correspondent, the first reports of the arrival of foreign fighters in Chasov Yar, obtained by radio interception, surfaced about a month ago.Earlier, former US deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, Stephen Bryen, claimed that France had sent its first troops officially to Ukraine.The forces were deployed in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in the city of Slavyansk, Bryen wrote in an article published by the Asia Times. These troops are being posted directly in a hot combat area and are intended to help the Ukrainians resist Russian advances in Donbass. The first 100 are artillery and surveillance specialists," Bryen argued. He also wondered if "this crosses the Russian red line on NATO involvement in Ukraine and whether "the Russians will see this as initiating a wider war beyond Ukraines borders?"French President Emmanuel Macron doubled down on his previous bellicose statements earlier this week, again pitching the possibility of NATO sending troops from Europe to Ukraine in an interview with The Economist.In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced Macrons statement as very dangerous. Moscow is closely monitoring statements from Paris about such a possibility, the Peskov said, adding that France continues to constantly talk about the possibility of its direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240505/boots-on-the-ground-french-foreign-legion-dispatched-to-ukraine-ex-dod-official-claims-1118274817.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/israel-bans-al-jazeera-and-raids-office-1118276646.html

Israel Bans Al Jazeera And Raids Office

Israel Bans Al Jazeera And Raids Office

Sputnik International

Inspectors from the communications ministry, accompanied by police, raided the Qatari broadcasters office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet agreed to its closure.

2024-05-06T01:31+0000

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2024-05-06T01:36+0000

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The Israeli Ministry of Communications said on Sunday that it had confiscated Al Jazeeras equipment on Sunday just hours after the Israeli cabinet ordered the closure of the broadcaster in its country, which the Qatar-based news network has lambasted as a criminal act.Inspectors from the communications ministry, accompanied by police, raided the Qatari broadcasters office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet agreed to its closure while their war in Gaza continues.Ofir Gendelman, a spokesperson for Netanyahu to the Arab media, said in a post on X that Al Jazeeras broadcast equipment will be confiscated, the channels correspondents will be prevented from working, the channel will be removed from cable and satellite television companies, and Al Jazeeras websites will be blocked on the Internet.Al Jazeeras broadcasts and access to its website have been blocked throughout Israel. The network has denounced Israels decision as a criminal act that violates human rights in access to information. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has petitioned the move to Israels Supreme Court.This is a dark day for the media and a dark day for democracy, Israels Foreign Press Association added in a statement. Israel joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station.White House Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre has called Israels decision a concerning step, and claims the US supports the work of journalists around the world, including those in Gaza.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/killers-of-sputnik-donbass-correspondent-russell-bentley-must-not-go-unpunished---kiselev-1118283617.html

Killers of Sputnik Donbass Correspondent Russell Bentley Must Not Go Unpunished - Kiselev

Killers of Sputnik Donbass Correspondent Russell Bentley Must Not Go Unpunished - Kiselev

Sputnik International

The murder of US-Russian war correspondent Russell "Texas" Bentley, who worked for Sputnik, should be investigated and people responsible brought to justice, Dmitry Kiselev, the general director of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya Segodnya, said.

2024-05-06T07:28+0000

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This is our military correspondent. The crime should be investigated, there is a principle of inevitability of punishment. Everyone is equal before the law, Kiselev said. Investigators of the Main Military Division of the Russian Investigative Committee are conducting an investigation, the channel also said, adding that a forensic medical examination of the found remains has been appointed.In mid-April, Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group, said that Bentley had been killed in Donetsk. Bentley, 64, left the United States and joined the forces of Ukraine's breakaway Donetsk Peoples Republic, now a part of Russia, in 2014. Subsequently, he obtained Russian citizenship.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240419/brave-soldier-aid-worker-and-truth-teller-story-of-us-born-donbass-volunteer-russell-bentley-1118018258.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/la-battles-mosquitoes-by-releasing-even-more---1118278717.html

LA Battles Mosquitoes by Releasing Even More

LA Battles Mosquitoes by Releasing Even More

Sputnik International

The mosquitoes - which were first detected in 2011 - are well adapted to laying eggs in small water sources and have also developed a resistance to insecticides, making it difficult to exterminate them.

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On Thursday, the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District launched a program to release tens of thousands of sterile male mosquitoes into the local environment. The invasive mosquitoes, called Aedes aegypti are low flying, bite during the day and are capable of spreading diseases like yellow fever, Chikungunya, Zika and dengue.The mosquitoes - which were first detected in 2011 - are well adapted to laying eggs in small water sources and have also developed a resistance to insecticides, making it difficult to exterminate them. About 20,000 sterile males were released. These mosquitoes were dyed, so they will be recognizable by appearing fluorescent under a black light. The males dont bite, either, so the program does not pose a risk to human health. The district will continue to release mosquitoes in the target region of the Sunland-Tujunga area of LA, which could result in up to 32,000 mosquitoes per week before reaching a peak of about 60,000 before the program brings that number back down in the fall.The program intends to leave female mosquitoes with eggs that wont hatch. A similar method has been used in the past on Mediterranean fruit flies and screwworms which are fly larvae that feed on living flesh.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/philippine-president-turns-down-proposal-to-use-water-cannons-against-chinese-vessels-1118285175.html

Philippine President Turns Down Proposal to Use Water Cannons Against Chinese Vessels

Philippine President Turns Down Proposal to Use Water Cannons Against Chinese Vessels

Sputnik International

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday turned down a proposal to equip the country's coast guard vessels with water cannons as a means of defense against China's alleged persecutions in the South China Sea.

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The idea was put forward by Philippine Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel last week, after a fresh incident of Beijing using water cannons against Philippine vessels, the Rappler news website reported. "No ... we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any other such offensive," Marcos said, answering question about the proposal, according to the news website. The president added that the Philippines "will not follow the Chinese coast guard and the Chinese vessels" in equipping its fleet with water cannons. "It is not the mission of our navy, our coast guard to start or to increase the tensions. Their mission is precisely the opposite, is to lower tensions," Marcos added. On Tuesday, two Philippine vessels entered the waters of Scarborough Shoal, an atoll claimed both by the Philippines and China. Philippine authorities said that Chinas coast guard harassed the vessels and damaged them by firing water cannons. The China Coast Guard said that the vessels had ignored repeated warnings from the Chinese side. China has been engaged in decades-long disputes with several Asia-Pacific countries, including the Philippines, over the territorial affiliation of a number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. In July 2016, following a lawsuit filed by the Philippines, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China has no grounds for territorial claims in the South China Sea. The court ruled that the islands are not disputed territory and do not constitute an exclusive economic zone. Beijing did not recognize or accept the ruling.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240115/philippines-plans-south-china-sea-escalation-with-us-support-1116171762.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/us-forces-eu-to-disrupt-relations-with-china-to-europes-detriment-1118292994.html

US Forces EU to Disrupt Relations With China to Europe's Detriment

US Forces EU to Disrupt Relations With China to Europe's Detriment

Sputnik International

China has no illusions about Emmanuel Macron, whose strings are pulled by Washington, Angelo Giuliano, a Hong Kong-based political and financial analyst, told Sputnik as Chinese President Xi Jinping met his French counterpart in Paris.

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French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Elysee Palace on May 6 to discuss the Ukraine conflict and emerging trade frictions between the bloc and Beijing.Politico has predicted a trade war between the EU and China stemming from Europe's desire to "protect core technologies." The website highlighted EU probes into what it termed "unfair competition" in electric vehicles, wind turbines and hospital equipment.According to the online publication, Macron has spearheaded the EU's effort to rebalance the bloc's partnership with China.Macron is trying to stay relevant in geopolitics while bracing for a potential defeat during the forthcoming European Parliament elections, said Angelo Giuliano, a Hong Kong-based political and financial analyst."I think Xi Jinping doesn't have much hope when it comes to Macron," Giuliano told Sputnik. "Macron has a double face. He says one thing one day, and he says the opposite the other day."Xi likely understands that Macron is an opportunist, the analyst said.Giuliano argued that a trade war with China clearly goes against the EU's interests. The analyst drew attention to the fact that Europe's decoupling from Russia came at a steep price."Sanctions against Russia actually backfired on Europe really badly. Now we see Russia doing extremely well and the EU doing extremely badly. And this is very closely linked to the sanctions they imposed on Russia," the expert noted. "The EU is not competitive anymore and it is being deindustrialized. When it comes to China, the impact would be probably ten-fold."Giuliano explained that "if there is any strained relationship between the two, it will much more damage the EU than China." China's trade relationships with the Global South and BRICS are developing at a greater pace than European economies, the analyst highlighted.He believes that the US is behind the looming trade war between China and the EU. The European bloc will eagerly shoot itself in the foot because EU members are "ultimately US vassal states," according to Giuliano.On the eve of the meeting, French newspaper Le Monde called upon Europe not to treat China as a "friend"  citing Beijing's alleged aim "to weaken Western democracies, thereby undermining the transatlantic relationship as much as possible, and even the European Union itself."The newspaper also castigated China's cooperative relationship with Moscow and unwillingness to join the Western sanctions spree over Russia's special operation in Ukraine.The timing of the anti-Beijing push in France is remarkable, given that May 6 is the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and the People's Republic of China."Who controls Europe is the US. And Macron is a very good example because he was groomed," Giuliano stressed. "He was identified very early on by the globalist elites and the US. He's been working for them all along."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/beijing-hopes-eu-institutions-will-develop-right-perception-of-china-1118291503.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240506/watch-russian-ka-27-helicopter-blow-up-ukrainian-drone-boat-near-crimea-1118286848.html

Watch Russian Ka-27 Helicopter Blow Up Ukrainian Drone Boat Near Crimea

Watch Russian Ka-27 Helicopter Blow Up Ukrainian Drone Boat Near Crimea

Sputnik International

Ukrainian unmanned boats have been trying to break through Russian coastal defenses near Crimeas shore for months to no avail, as Russia's Black Sea Fleet is on high alert keeping the country's borders safe from enemy sabotage attempts.

2024-05-06T12:02+0000

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The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released footage showing a Kamov Ka-27 military helicopter in service with the Russian Navy annihilating a Ukrainian unmanned boat moving close to Crimea's shore. The enemy crewless boat was maneuvering in an attempt to escape targeted Russian fire. Precise and effective actions carried out by Russian troops resulted in the complete destruction of the unmanned vessel, with its combat unit detonating moments later.

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Destruction of a Ukrainian unmanned boat by a Ka-27 helicopter Sputnik International The Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of the destruction of a Ukrainian unmanned boat by a Ka-27 helicopter. 2024-05-06T12:02+0000 true PT0M52S

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Driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Scott Di Domenico combined for a sweep of the fast-class pacing features over a sloppy Harrahs Philadelphia course on Sunday afternoon, May 5.

In the $17,808 top-line event, the Shadow Play gelding Jacks Shadow N went right to the lead and proved uncatchable by his opponents, putting up fractions of :27.1, :56 and 1:24 before speeding home in :27 to keep pocket-sitter Belmont Shadow N a half-length behind to the wire in 1:51. The winner of $390,155 is owned by Triple D Stables Inc., Oompas Farm Inc., and Robert Mondillo.

Two races earlier, Tetrick tucked third early with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Adam Crocker A, then moved to the lead past the :27.1 quarter, put up mid-splits of :55.2 and 1:23.2, then kept first-over Dean B Hanover at bay by 1-1/4 lengths to take the $15,068 fast-class sub-feature pace in 1:51.3. Dominic Pinto owns the winner of three straight.

There was a pair of $16,438 contests for horses looking to climb the class ladder. In the trotting event, the Muscle Hill colt Pirates Loot, a $220,000 yearling, kept earning some of that loot back with a 1:57.2 victory, remaining undefeated after three seasonal starts for the Melander brothers -- driver Mattias and trainer Marcus -- and owner S R F Stable.

The roan Huntsville colt Taranaki gives a singular experience to the eyes on the racetrack, and people are noticing him even more after he ran his 2024 record to two-for-two with a 1:52.2 success for trainer Paul Jessop, also co-owner with Laurie Molnar, in the companion pacing event. Takanaki has now created special moments for his drivers of the last two weeks: last week, he gave Ross Wolfenden a win in that drivers first excursion outside his Delaware base in three years, and today, he provided Mark Herschberger his first-ever triumph over the Philly oval.

An hour later, Herschberger won again, tying him for the days sulky honours with Tetrick, George Napolitano Jr., and Todd McCarthy. The last-named remains tied with Tetrick atop the Philly driver standings with 21 successes. Di Domenico had the cards only training double.

Racing resumes at Philly on Thursday at 12:25 p.m., with Chake bidding for his second straight success in the featured trot.

(PHHA / Harrah's Philadelphia)
Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Michael Mickey James Burke Sr. of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania passed away unexpectedly on Monday, May 6 at the age of 87 in Florida. He was surrounded by his family.

Mickey left behind his wife Sylvia, who he adored. The couple would be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 29.

He was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania on Aug. 11, 1936 to parents David and Anna (Gibbons) Burke. He married the love of his life Sylvia (Skittle) Burke on Aug. 29, 1964 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Together, they had five children, Michael (Melia McCracken Oddi), Ronald (Diane), Michelle Hill, Melissa Patterson (Brian) and Rebecca Setaro (Sean). Mickey would also proudly tell you he had eight grandsons, Derek Hill, Ryan Burke (Marissa), Dylan Hill (Paige), Bradley Burke, Kevin Patterson, Anthony Setaro, Burke Patterson and Vincent Setaro. He was immensely proud of his family and anyone who had the pleasure of spending time with Mickey would undoubtedly be captivated as he told stories of his childrens accomplishments and his lifetime of adventures.

Mickey was preceded in death by his parents, David and Anna Burke, and three brothers, Regis, Robert and Jack Burke. Also, a special pet Willy. He is survived by his elder brother, Patrick, who currently resides in Maryland.

Mickey was a lifelong lover of horses. Beginning with jumping horses as a young teen and owning his first harness horse at the age of 19. Mickey then went on to run a successful car dealership (Mickey Burke Pontiac and Buick in Brownsville, Pennsylvania). In 1981, Mickey convinced his wife Sylvia to take a leap of faith and turn his hobby into a career and Mickey Burke Stables (currently Burke Racing Stable) was established. Mickey would go on to have an incredibly successful horse racing stable with the entire family being involved in the business. Mickey remained actively involved with the horses up until his death. If asked, he would tell you he never worked a day in his life because he loved what he did. He became the first harness horse trainer to surpass $10 million in one year and won the Glen Garnsey Trainer of the Year Award in 2006. He and his wife were named to the Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame in 2021. Two years earlier, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Monticello-Goshen chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association.

Mickey was a very generous man who was always willing to help those in need. He loved to attend racing events and horse sales and he could be found holding court with visitors stopping by all day to give him a hug, ask his opinion and probably hear a few stories. These events will continue without him but will never be quite the same.

Mickey held his faith very dear and was a lifelong member of the Roman Catholic church.

Friends will be received on Friday, May 10 from 2-8 p.m. in the John B. Greenlee Funeral Home, Ltd., 2830 Main St., Beallsville, PA 15313. A mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, May 11 at 12 p.m. at the St. Katherine Drexel Parish Richeyville campus with Rev. Michael Zavage as Celebrant. Interment will follow in Queen of Heaven Cemetery, McMurray, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Burke patronized multiple charities. In lieu of flowers, consider donating to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, your local Food Bank, St Judes Cancer Hospital or a charity of your choice.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends and Mickey Burke Sr.
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:

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A bill sitting on Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk would end the state's support of renewable and clean energy and keep Florida reliant on fossil fuels, critics say.

If signed, the law would reverse 16 years of state policy, finishing the work started by former Gov. Rick Scott and undoing Gov. Charlie Crist's signature piece of environmental legislation.

Most troubling to environmentalists, it would eliminate any mention of climate change, even though mostly flat Florida is extremely vulnerable to global warming, as already seen with rising waters in the Keys, Miami Beach and Tampa Bay.

The bill (HB 1645) would ban offshore wind power while encouraging exploring emerging technologies in nuclear energy, a frightening prospect to those who remember nuclear plants at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Crystal River.

"I think it really forces us to back away from the progress we've been trying to make," said state Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, an environmental scientist.

For example, she said, the state has invested more than $1.6 billion in Florida climate resiliency grants, encouraging "local governments to be more prepared, but in the same breath saying they don't believe in climate change."

And it signals that state officials will no longer encourage using alternative and renewable energy sources, she said.

The measure would repeal a law Crist enacted in 2008 as a Republican that launched efforts to battle climate change and back renewable energy. It had the support of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Republican governor of California.

After coming into office in 2011, Scott, now a U.S. senator, gutted much of what Crist got enacted. This year's bill repeals what's left of it. It passed the Legislature earlier this year with Republican support and Democratic opposition.

The bill was sent to DeSantis on Friday, and he has until May 15 to take action.

DeSantis "will review the legislation in the coming days," spokeswoman Julia Friedland said in an email when asked if he had a position on the measure.

Cross said it was commendable that the administration has invested billions of dollars in Everglades recovery and to battle red tide, but she said those actions were in response to problems that have been around for decades.

"They do a poor job coming up with strategies now and to plan for  pressing issues," she said.

Florida is not an energy producer. The state relies on oil, natural gas and gasoline coming in by rail, pipeline, ships and tankers.

Bill sponsor Rep. Bobby Payne, a former utility executive and Republican from Palatka, said the bill protects Florida's energy consumers and lowers prices.

"We're protecting them with great reliability and we're protecting them to make sure we don't have a lack of energy security in our state," Payne said.

The Crist-era law made it less flexible for the state to meet its energy needs, he said.

David Cullen, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club Florida, said during a committee hearing that "the bill is designed to eliminate any competition to fossil fuels and to maintain Florida's dependence on fossil fuels for its energy."

Payne's bill goes beyond eliminating mentions of climate change and banning offshore wind turbines, which critics worry could ruin beach views for tourists.

It would end several programs promoting green or renewable energy, including the Florida Energy and Climate Protection Act, the Renewable Energy and Energy-Efficient Technologies Grants Program, the Florida Green Government Grants Act and the Energy Economic Zone.

It also would ban governments from booking meetings at hotels and buildings certified as "green lodging." And it would eliminate a requirement that state agencies, public universities and local governments lease hybrid and electric vehicles.

Local governments would be prohibited from blocking the construction of "resiliency centers," which are giant fuel reservoirs established for emergency use.

The bulk of the bill seems targeted toward DeSantis' ongoing culture wars and battles with "the global elite," Cross said.

Cross noted that DeSantis signed another bill that preempts local governments from regulating charging stations, and the state Department of Environmental Protection has granted permission to explore for oil in the Apalachicola River basin in the Panhandle.

She said the state has no interest in energy alternatives.

"Don't we know better than this?" she asked. "We are constantly fighting technology we don't like. It's the same story over and over."

2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Power Nickel Inc. (CVE:PNPN) (OTCMKTS:PNPNF) (FRA:IVV) is a Canadian junior exploration company focusing on developing the High-Grade Nisk project into Canada's first Carbon Neutral Nickel mine.

On February 1, 2021, Power Nickel (then called Chilean Metals) completed the acquisition of its option to acquire up to 80% of the Nisk project from Critical Elements Lithium Corp. (CVE:CRE). Subsequently, Power Nickel has exercised its option to acquire 50% of the Nisk Project and delivered notice to Critical Elements that it intends to exercise its second option to bring its ownership to 80%. The last remaining commitment to exercise the option was the delivery of a NI-43-101 Technical report which has now occurred.

The Nisk property comprises a significant land position (20 kilometers of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts. Power Nickel is focused on expanding the historical high-grade nickel-copper PGE mineralization with a series of drill programs designed to test the initial Nisk discovery zone and to explore the land package for adjacent potential Nickel deposits.

In addition to the Nisk project, Power Nickel owns significant land packages in British Colombia and Chile. Power Nickel is expected to reorganize these assets in a related vehicle through a plan of arrangement.

Power Nickel announced on June 8, 2021, that an agreement had been made to complete the 100% acquisition of its Golden Ivan project in the heart of the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle has reported mineral resources (past production and current resources) in 130 million ounces of gold, 800 million ounces of silver, and 40 billion pounds of copper (Resource World). This property hosts two known mineral showings (gold ore and Magee) and a portion of the past-producing Silverado mine, reportedly exploited between 1921 and 1939. These mineral showings are Polymetallic veins containing quantities of silver, lead, zinc, plus/minus gold, and plus/minus copper.

Power Nickel is also 100 percent owner of five properties comprising over 50,000 acres strategically located in the prolific iron-oxide-copper-gold belt of northern Chile. It also owns a 3-per-cent NSR royalty interest on any future production from the Copaquire copper-molybdenum deposit sold to a subsidiary of Teck Resources Inc. Under the terms of the sale agreement, Teck has the right to acquire one-third of the 3-per-cent NSR for $3 million at any time. The Copaquire property borders Teck's producing Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile's first region.
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Unfortunately, hackers didn't need sophisticated skills to pull off one of the nation's most alarming and consequential health care ransomware attacks.

Instead, the cybercriminals who crippled a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary earlier this year took advantage of a basic and obvious security oversight, a revelation made public Wednesday at two congressional hearings.

The subsidiary is called Change Healthcare. It acts as the Visa/Mastercard payment system for wide swaths of health care and is entrusted with patient data. Disturbingly, it did not have multi-factor authentication (MFA) in place across all of its systems.

MFA requires users, such as employees, to have two or more credentials to log in. If one credential is stolen or compromised, it provides a second layer of security to prevent bad actors from accessing networks, databases or hardware. It's a standard at many companies protecting far less vital data.

Not having it, especially in health care, is a basic error, the equivalent of not having a deadbolt on the back door in a high-crime neighborhood. With ransomware attacks hard to trace and likely to continue, the nation's lawmakers urgently need to put in place stronger information security requirements to prevent other hackers from bringing much of health care to a standstill, as the Change Health attack did.

The work to do that commendably got underway this week in Congress. Two hearings, one in the Senate and one in the House, put a timely and necessary spotlight on the ransomware attack. Andrew Witty, CEO of Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group, testified solo throughout Wednesday.

As these events go, the hearings were unusually productive, with informed questions asked and political grandstanding at a minimum. Clarity came on some key issues, such as: How did this happen? The unsatisfying answer: UnitedHealth had completed its acquisition of Change Health in October 2022. With the company came outdated security systems, though it seems like United should have had time to ensure comprehensive MFA was in place. Hackers using stolen credentials took advantage when it did not.

Other troubling questions, such as how many patients have had their health care data compromised, are alarmingly still unknown. UnitedHealth said last week "a substantial proportion" of Americans may have had their personal data compromised, the Star Tribune reported.

Answers are urgently needed from UnitedHealth, with lawmakers rightly pointing out that potentially compromised patient records may belong to those serving in the military. There are national security implications if their medical data are sold on the dark web, for example, and gets into the wrong hands.

These concerns are legitimate. They not only underscore the need for stronger information security requirements, but should spur Congress to move swiftly on this important reform.

Clearly, the two hearings on Wednesday are just the start of the lawmakers' work. The vulnerability exposed by an attack on just one company raises broader questions about health care consolidation and UnitedHealth's size.

The company is the "nation's largest private health insurer and largest employer of physicians" and is rapidly expanding into other areas, such as outpatient surgery centers and home health services, according to the Washington Post.

"For decades, UnitedHealth's staggering growth attracted relatively little Washington scrutiny, particularly compared with drugmakers repeatedly summoned to Congress to testify on price increases. Federal antitrust officials also traditionally focused on blocking companies from gobbling up direct competitors, known as horizontal integration, while being more permissive of the strategy practiced by UnitedHealth, which involves buying a stake in different sectors of the same industry, known as vertical integration," the Post reported this week.

While this strategy has been good for UnitedHealth, it's less clear that it's benefited consumers and health care. This phenomenon seems likelier to inhibit competition than foster it. How is that helpful in an era of rapidly rising medical costs?

For too long, rapid health care industry consolidation has been written off by many as just "the way it is." It's time to look more deeply into this. Fortunately, Minnesota has a U.S. senator, Amy Klobuchar, who is an antitrust expert (she wrote a book on it) and has clout on Capitol Hill. This week, Klobuchar provided an editorial writer with a commendable statement about her intent to continue probing the hack and the issues it raises.

"There are still a number of outstanding questions after the Finance Committee hearing in the Senate, and it is clear UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare need to do more to secure their systems and ensure that providers are getting the payments they need," Klobuchar said in the statement.

"In June, I will be holding a hearing on the role of competition policy in promoting economic resilience. As our economy has become more concentrated, the U.S. has become more susceptible to single points of failures that can create systemic issues. The UnitedHealth/Change Healthcare hack is an example of this and will be one of the topics of the hearing."

That's the right course of action. Stronger security requirements should be a priority, but other serious questions also need an airing. This is the time to begin this important work, and Klobuchar should lead it.

2024 StarTribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The news about the Israel-Hamas war is filled with reports of Israeli families huddling in fear from relentless rocket attacks, Israeli tanks and artillery flattening buildings in the Gaza Strip, hundreds of kidnapped hostages imprisoned in subterranean tunnels, and millions of people driven from their homes by fighting.

But beyond the visceral violence lies a hidden layer of the waran online conflict. We are scholars of cyberwarfare who have cataloged and analyzed the various cyber operations conducted during the war by Hamas, Israel and other nations and hacking groups supporting one side or the other. The data paints a picture of an unseen facet of the conflict, and it offers insights about the nature of cyber conflict more broadly.

The main conclusion we've drawn is that the consequences of cyber conflict are primarily felt by civilians, not the soldiers or militants actively engaged in the fighting. We find that the damage cyberattacks inflict on digital systems is far less significant than the resulting harm to humans, and the resulting upward spiral of violence.

Hamas' cyberwarfare activities

The cyberattacks hitting Israeli government and civilian systems have had mixed effects. Some technically simple attacks succeeded in obtaining crucial intelligence that assisted Hamas fighters' incursion into Israel. Other attacks employed a scattershot approach, targeting anything within digital reachhospitals, universities, banks and newspapers. These attacks didn't serve any military purpose, but simply aimed to disrupt Israeli life and terrorize the public.

The quantity and sophistication of the attacks have made clear that hackers working for the government of Iran, a key Hamas funder and supplier, are supporting Hamas' online warfare. Other "hacktivists" and private hacking groups based in countries as varied as Sudan, Pakistan and Russia have also joined the fray.

Before the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel that sparked the current war, Hamas cyber operatives were working to support the attack planning. A Hamas hacking unit called Gaza Cybergang spied on Israel in search of sensitive information about Israeli military installations. The information they gleaned was instrumental during the attack.

Hamas hackers also conducted phishing attacks, relatively simple attacks in which fake email or text messages resemble legitimate ones and encourage a user to either reply with sensitive information or click on a link that downloads malicious software to their computer or mobile phone.

As the Oct. 7 attack unfolded, the pro-Palestinian hacktivist group AnonGhost released a mobile app with the same name as a prominent reputable app that gives Israeli citizens warnings about impending attacks from Hamas into Israel. AnonGhost issued false alertsincluding, reportedly, one about a nuclear attackand collected users' data, including their contacts, call logs and text messages.

However, since full-fledged hostilities erupted, Hamas has been largely unable to carry out effective cyberattacks that aid its war efforts. As a result, the group turned to information warfare, seeking to evoke panic and shift public opinion.

The most common type of attack that Hamas' cyberwarriors and their allies use now is a distributed denial-of-service, when a barrage of nonsense internet traffic is aimed at one or more websites, email servers or other internet-connected systems. They get overwhelmed by the nonsense traffic and either shut down or cease to function properly.

Denial-of-service attacks have hit websites for news media outlets, banks, financial institutions and government agencies. One attack took the Jerusalem Post website offline for two days. The group that claimed responsibility for that attack was a religious hacktivist group called Anonymous Sudan, with known connections to Russian hacking groups.

Hamas and its online allies are also using wiper malware, which infects a computer and destroys its data. This kind of attack does not serve a purpose such as extortion or surveillanceit just aims to destroy everything in its wake.

We also recorded several attacks that infiltrated databases and released their contents, such as one where the private data of students at Ono Academic College was published online.

Another series of attacks took control of digital billboards to display the Palestinian flag in sites around Israel, along with false news about military defeats. These attacks are part of a broader misinformation effort designed to shape domestic debate and terrorize Israeli civilians.

Israel's activities

By contrast with Hamas, Israel is a global cyber power whose military possesses some of the strongest cyber warfare capabilities in the world.

Yet the effectiveness of Israel's cyber arsenal is limited because Hamas doesn't depend on the internet very much. Without any targets to strike on a digital battlefield, Israel's primary strategy has been to turn on or off internet connectivity in Gaza. It can do this because Israel controls the electricity and internet cables that serve Gaza.

On Oct. 27, 2023, Israel imposed a near-total telecommunications blackout that lasted for approximately 34 hours. The telecommunications blackout was condemned by international organizations, including the World Health Organization, whose director general posted that the blackout made it "impossible for ambulances to reach the injured." Without internet or telephone connections, injured Palestinians in Gaza can't call an ambulance, nor can medical staff stay connected with their dispatch centers.

Similar internet shutdowns have occurred frequently since then. Due to damage, displacement and power and internet disruptions, internet connectivity in Gaza has been reduced to 15% of the typical rate.

During periods when there was internet service in Gaza, pro-Israeli hacktivists got involved. For example, the group WeRedEvils crashed the Gaza Now news site. As hostilities intensified, up to 60% of all traffic to Palestinian websites was made up of denial-of-service attack traffic, according to Cloudflare, a U.S.-based data-transfer and tracking company. The bulk of the attacks were aimed at banks and technology companies.

The U.S. is involved, too. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is working with the Israelis to help thwart some cyberattacks.

A few observations about online conflict

In contrast to Hollywood depictions of cyber warfare, where unstoppable hackers can cripple entire armies and countries with the push of a button, the reality of cyber power is more constrained. Digital battles cannot win wars. Most of the online operations in the Israel-Hamas war have little effect on the actual battlefield. They involve spying or propaganda, not wholesale destruction.

Our data shows that cyber warfare doesn't necessarily give terror groups the ability to face major powers on more equal terms. Hamas' online operations have not been able to offset Israel's military superiority. But Israel's online capabilities are not a significant advantage against a largely offline opponent.

Perhaps most importantly, though, is our recurring finding that civilians are the foremost victims of cyberattacks during war. In our experiments, conducted among more than 10,000 people over 10 years, we have seen that cyberattacks arouse severe psychological distressakin even to the harm generated by physical terrorism. When confronted with cyberattacks, people feel trapped and anxious, and their sense of safety plummets. As a result, victims lash out and demand strong retaliation in a way that fuels cycles of violence.

As Israel and Hamas volley cyberattacks back and forth, innocent people are caught in the crossfire. This human dimension of cyber warfare is the threat that worries us.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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As millions of voters prepare for next month's European Parliament elections, AFP explores some of the deep transformations the 27-member bloc has made in the field of technology.

Goodbye cookies, hello pop-ups

For years, any website aiming to make money through advertising relied upon cookies.

The tiny programmes installed themselves on our machines and then tracked us across the internet.

In 2018, the European Union intervened.

Its general data protection regulation (GDPR) forces websites to ask for consent, aiming to protect personal data.

"I click 'refuse' systematically," explained Victoire Philippe, a physiotherapist. "No one wants sites to follow us on the internet."

However, users must now navigate pop-up windows and lists of permissions.

Like many internet users Philippe said having to tick each box was "a real nuisance".

A digital eraser

The internet is a haven of over-sharing, and deleting any information once it gets on the web is famously tricky.

But an EU ruling in 2014 made it a whole lot easierthe bloc's top court finding that Google and other search engines were obliged to remove personal data in some circumstances.

The GDPR widened the rules, creating a right to be erased.

"These requests are clearly on the rise," said Jerome Deroulez, a lawyer specialising in digital issues.

While Google has repeatedly challenged the rules, Deroulez said a large chunk of the requests were now more mundanepeople demanding that former employers to erase their personal data.

Free to roam

Mobile networks were once the scourge of the consumer, hitting them with outlandish fees for simply answering a call while overseas.

In 2017, the EU stepped in to ban roaming charges within the bloc.

The move "lowered the mental workload", said French executive Kevin Eon, who kept his number when he went to work in the Netherlands.

"When I was doing all the admin needed for moving abroad, I could just give my French numberno need to buy a Dutch SIM card. It's a huge time saver," he said.

One charger for all

By next year, those drawers filled with a spaghetti junction of charging cables will be a distant memory.

All manufacturers selling in the bloc will be obliged to use the USB-C port on phones, tablets, speakers and other portable tech.

Most devices already use these cables, but Apple was more than a little reluctant.

The firm said in 2021 that such regulation "stifles innovation", but by September last year it had begun shipping phones with the new port.

Flattening the platforms

The EU has framed a bunch of other laws to level out the power of the huge platforms that control our online lives.

The rules are yet to be fully tested but they aim to force the biggest online firms to offer access to their competitors' services.

One immediate consequence has been that Google is no longer allowed to swiftly redirect users from its search engine to its maps app each time they search for a location.

"It's a good thing there's no monopoly anymore," said Rebecca, 47, from Hanover in Germany.

Stefania Briano, an Italian tourist using Google Maps to explore Paris, said the move had not changed anything for her. "I hadn't even noticed it," she said.

 2024 AFP
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton argues Australia needs nuclear power to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

But nuclear power is not feasible for Australia. It is too slow, too expensive and inappropriate for our energy needs.

As a result, plans to build nuclear power plants, big or small, are completely unrealistic.

What's more, insisting that nuclear power is the only answer to Australia's net zero commitments is a classic move from the playbook of those who oppose urgent action on climate change.

The climate obstruction playbook

These obstructionist tactics have played out over the 15 years I've spent teaching international and environmental politics while researching topics such as energy security and climate justice.

I developed an interest in the evolving strategies of climate change deniers in Australia, and regularly teach this in my environmental politics course. Since Dutton became opposition leader, I've included new strategies related to nuclear energy.

Fossil fuel industries and associated right-wing think-tanks, such as the Heritage Foundation in the United States and the Institute of Public Affairs in Australia, have long sought to undermine the science of climate change. Their strategies and tactics are similar to those once used by tobacco companies to undermine links between smoking and lung cancer.

Books such as Merchants of Doubt (2010), and the associated film (2014), documented tactics to "discredit the science, disseminate false information, spread confusion and promote doubt."

Denying the science of climate change, or downplaying its significance, is an article of faith for many conservatives. While mainstream conservatives in Europe have traditionally agreed with urgent action on climate change, it is increasingly an issue that polarizes views between progressive and conservative parties.

In the US, where the climate wars are reminiscent of those in Australia, a large majority of Republicans argue in favor of increasing fossil fuel production over renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar.

But mounting scientific evidence, along with Australia's international obligations to reduce emissions and people's personal experience of extreme events such as the 201920 Black Summer bushfires, has made outright climate denial largely indefensible for a mainstream political party in this country.

This shift in the Australian electorate has required various shifts in strategy by those who deny either the science of climate change or the urgency of climate action. They have followed what I argue are the six stages of climate obstruction, moving from one stage to the next as the last proved untenable. The latest stage is active support for large-scale nuclear power.

Stage 1: climate change is not happening (arsonists cause bushfires, not climate change)

Stage 2: climate change is happening but is not human-induced (solar activity causes climate change, not humans)

Stage 3: Australia's emissions are too small to make a difference, so why should we try?

Stage 4: climate change is happening and human-induced but there are other more pressing priorities (the "coal is good for humanity" argument)

Stage 5: nuclear small modular reactors are the only viable path to net zero (these reactors are an example of a "burgeoning nuclear industry" in the US)

Stage 6: if small nuclear reactors turn out not to be viable, large nuclear reactors are the only path to net zero.

But why nuclear?

The point of all these arguments is to delay the rollout of renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar. Delaying renewables would require extensions in the life of coal-fired and other fossil-fueled power stations while other technologies are brought online.

In New South Wales, the government is negotiating with Origin Energy to provide subsidies to keep Eraring power stationAustralia's largest coal-fired power stationopen for a further four years beyond 2025. Estimates suggest this could cost A$600 million over four years ($150 million a year) for just two of its four units.

This is largely due to the long delays for renewable energy project approvals in NSW compared with elsewhere in the country. But keeping the Eraring power station open would further crowd out, and undermine, private investment that would otherwise drive the transition to renewable energy.

Delaying renewables also feeds into the culture wars. Suggestions that the last election could mark the end of the climate wars have proven premature, to say the least.

The latest shiftfrom small modular reactors to large-scale nuclearcame after the cancellation in November of the NuScale project in Idaho. This, the only small modular reactor approved in the US, was terminated before construction began after it became increasingly clear the power produced would be too expensive.

Now this technology has been partially sidelined with the Coalition pivoting to large-scale nuclear in more recent policy announcements.

Research has demonstrated people concerned about climate change generally tend to have a dim view of nuclear power. Even in countries with existing nuclear industries, the strategy of promoting nuclear energy has been used over the past few decades to delay investment in renewables. Nuclear advocates then extract vast subsidies and other taxpayer funds from governments rather than addressing climate change.

The Coalition made no progress towards a nuclear power industry during its nine years in government. Its vociferous backing for a nuclear industry has only emerged since it has been in opposition.

This tactic nevertheless seems to be bearing fruit, in political terms at least. A recent Guardian Essential Poll found more people thought renewables were more expensive than nuclear, when most objective reports suggest nuclear is at least three times more expensive than renewables.

Nuclear power also produces high-level radioactive waste. Given Australia's inability to develop a permanent radioactive waste storage facility for even intermediate level waste, a high-level waste facility seems unlikely to built anytime soon.

Aside from the obvious facts that building nuclear power plants will take too long, be too expensive and fail to meet Australia's future energy needs, the policy has failed to garner support from state-based Liberal leaders. In QueenslandAustralia's most conservative state and Dutton's home turfLNP Leader David Crisafulli is categorically opposing the nuclear push. So there is no realistic chance nuclear power plants will ever be built in Australia.

But for climate obstructionists that is not the point. Their aim is to delay, if possible indefinitely, the impending closures of Australia's fossil fuel power stations and undermine investment in the renewable energy industry.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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A new study has found that when people are presented with two answers to an ethical question, most will think the answer from artificial intelligence (AI) is better than the response from another person.

"Attributions Toward Artificial Agents in a Modified Moral Turing Test," a study conducted by Eyal Aharoni, an associate professor in Georgia State's Psychology Department, was inspired by the explosion of ChatGPT and similar AI large language models (LLMs) which came onto the scene last March.

"I was already interested in moral decision-making in the legal system, but I wondered if ChatGPT and other LLMs could have something to say about that," Aharoni said. "People will interact with these tools in ways that have moral implications, like the environmental implications of asking for a list of recommendations for a new car. Some lawyers have already begun consulting these technologies for their cases, for better or for worse."

"So, if we want to use these tools, we should understand how they operate, their limitations and that they're not necessarily operating in the way we think when we're interacting with them."

To test how AI handles issues of morality, Aharoni designed a form of a Turing test.

"Alan Turing, one of the creators of the computer, predicted that by the year 2000, computers might pass a test where you present an ordinary human with two interactants, one human and the other a computer, but they're both hidden and their only way of communicating is through text. Then the human is free to ask whatever questions they want to in order to try to get the information they need to decide which of the two interactants is human and which is the computer," Aharoni said.

"If the human can't tell the difference, then, by all intents and purposes, the computer should be called intelligent, in Turing's view."

For his Turing test, Aharoni asked undergraduate students and AI the same ethical questions and then presented their written answers to participants in the study. They were then asked to rate the answers for various traits, including virtuousness, intelligence and trustworthiness.

"Instead of asking the participants to guess if the source was human or AI, we just presented the two sets of evaluations side by side, and we just let people assume that they were both from people," Aharoni said. "Under that false assumption, they judged the answers' attributes like 'How much do you agree with this response, which response is more virtuous?'"

Overwhelmingly, the ChatGPT-generated responses were rated more highly than the human-generated ones.

"After we got those results, we did the big reveal and told the participants that one of the answers was generated by a human and the other by a computer and asked them to guess which was which," Aharoni said.

For an AI to pass the Turing test, humans must not be able to tell the difference between AI responses and human ones. In this case, people could tell the difference, but not for an obvious reason.

"The twist is that the reason people could tell the difference appears to be because they rated ChatGPT's responses as superior," Aharoni said. "If we had done this study five to 10 years ago, then we might have predicted that people could identify the AI because of how inferior its responses were. But we found the oppositethat the AI, in a sense, performed too well."

According to Aharoni, this finding has interesting implications for the future of humans and AI.

"Our findings lead us to believe that a computer could technically pass a moral Turing testthat it could fool us in its moral reasoning. Because of this, we need to try to understand its role in our society because there will be times when people don't know that they're interacting with a computer, and there will be times when they do know and they will consult the computer for information because they trust it more than other people," Aharoni said.

"People are going to rely on this technology more and more, and the more we rely on it, the greater the risk becomes over time."

The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

More information: Eyal Aharoni et al, Attributions toward artificial agents in a modified Moral Turing Test, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58087-7 Journal information: Scientific Reports
The Invisible Inhabitants of the Arab World

The Arab world is ethnically extremely diverse, as many non-Arab communities also live in it.

The region encompasses many ethnic groups and religious communities. In addition to the Arabs, there are Kurds, Assyrians, Copts, and many other smaller and larger groups. Religious communities such as Christians, Jews, Sabaeans, Yazidis, and Bahai also reside in the region. This rich cultural mosaic colors and complicates the identity of the inhabitants of the Arab world.

Throughout history, several important civilizations and empires have left their mark on the region, and these influences have, to some extent, shaped the image of the later Arab nation-states. For example, the great empire of ancient Egypt has left a tremendous legacy that is reflected in architecture, art, and literature. Furthermore, the influence of the ancient Mesopotamian and Mediterranean empires can be seen indirectly in several Arab nation-states. Examples of this are the fact that some Christian communities in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon still speak the Syriac (Neo-Aramaic) language, which predates the Islamic era, or that members of the group living in Iraq, who call themselves Assyrian Christians, celebrate the so-called "Akitu" festival (Babylonian New Year), which was already celebrated at the time of the Neo-Assyrians (911 BC -- 612 BC) and the Neo-Babylonian Empire (612 BC -- 539 BC).

Minorities in the Arab world in historical context

Throughout history, the situation of non-Muslims living in the territory of today's Arab countries has always been volatile. They also experienced positive periods in which they were treated with relative tolerance (e.g. the first two centuries of the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258); the period of the Millet system of the Ottoman Empire; the rule of Abd al-Karim Qasim in Iraq between 1958-1963; the 1926 Constitution of Lebanon in the period after its adoption), at the same time they were victims of massacres, pogroms and the phenomenon of marginalization also affected these communities.

The fundamental change in the political status of non-Muslims in modern Arab countries was that they went from being subjects of Muslim empires to citizens of modern nation states. In the Middle East, minorities were protected subjects of the Muslim-dominated empire until the time of the Ottoman reforms in the 19th century. They paid a special tax (jizya), obeyed the ruler and were subject to various restrictions, mainly to maintain the supremacy of Islam in the public sphere. In this system, non-Muslims were "protected persons" who were distinguished from other citizens on religious grounds. Religious affiliation determined legal status, and different religious groups enjoyed different rights.

Imperialist minority policy

The Ottoman reform movements of the 19th century, the spread of new ideas of popular sovereignty and the creation of modern state systems after the First World War drastically changed the previous conditions, and the various minorities were able to experience the effects of Western-style minority policies for a time.

After the First World War and the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire, France and Britain, which acquired mandated territories in the Arab world, adopted the practice of patronizing members of certain religious minorities, and they were often used in the establishment of their administrations. It is important to emphasize that this type of Western imperialist policy had a long-term negative impact on the situation of minorities living in the Arab nation states. The Western powers created a divide between the Muslim majority and the Christian, Jewish and other minorities and then abandoned the non-Muslim population of the modern Arab countries when the various colonies and mandated territories were dissolved. France did this with the Maronites in Lebanon and to some extent with the Kurds in Syria, and the British treated the Assyrian Christians, Kurds and Jews similarly. However, it is part of the overall picture that the minorities were also interested in alienating themselves from Muslim society and deepening relations with the French or the British, because they wanted to fight for autonomy in the emerging Middle East and saw the necessary guarantees provided by the foreign powers. However, the fact that the non-Muslims living in the Arab world became a hated community and collaborators of the imperialists in the eyes of the majority during this period contributed in the long term to the conflicts between the parties, which in many cases ended in serious violence.

An uncertain future

Many Christians in the region have been concerned about the rise of Islamist politics and parties since the last third of the 20th century, fearing the potential threat they pose to their full civil rights. Furthermore, amid political instability and wars, religious minorities have been forced into larger forces and have emigrated in ever-increasing numbers. Accused of being allies of the West, they have been targeted by various terrorist organizations and militias and their cultural heritage has been partially destroyed. Suffice it to mention the civil war and the rise of radical jihadist groups in Syria, as well as the American invasion of Iraq, the subsequent outbreak of sectarian violence and the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization. But other lines of conflict have also emerged in the region, such as the violence between the Turkish government and Kurdish separatists or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has remained unresolved for many decades. These and other factors continue to have a detrimental effect on the indigenous ethnic and religious groups.

The persecution of non-Muslim groups mostly takes place at the non-state level. It is a serious problem that the rule of individual governments does not cover the entire territory of the respective country, which has led to the strengthening of military organizations (militias) outside their control. In addition, the situation in several countries is aggravated by the fact that, due to the lack of secular leadership, extreme religious thinking exerts an excessive influence on public life, which has a negative impact on minority groups. The factors described above clearly encourage emigration to Western Europe (e.g. the UK and Sweden), the United States and Canada, as well as Australia.

The Arab region has been an area of ethnic and religious diversity for thousands of years, but the current political conditions make the future of non-Muslim communities uncertain, which may lead to the disappearance of indigenous groups who have existed for thousands of years.
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a new information stealer targeting Apple macOS systems that's designed to set up persistence on the infected hosts and act as a spyware.

Dubbed Cuckoo by Kandji, the malware is a universal Mach-O binary that's capable of running on both Intel- and Arm-based Macs.

The exact distribution vector is currently unclear, although there are indications that the binary is hosted on sites like dumpmedia[.]com, tunesolo[.]com, fonedog[.]com, tunesfun[.]com, and tunefab[.]com that claim to offer free and paid versions of applications dedicated to ripping music from streaming services and converting it into the MP3 format.

The disk image file downloaded from the websites is responsible for spawning a bash shell to gather host information and ensuring that the compromised machine is not located in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine. The malicious binary is executed only if the locale check is successful.

It also establishes persistence by means of a LaunchAgent, a technique previously adopted by different malware families like RustBucket, XLoader, JaskaGO, and a macOS backdoor that shares overlaps with ZuRu.

Cuckoo, like the MacStealer macOS stealer malware, also leverages osascript to display a fake password prompt to trick users into entering their system passwords for privilege escalation.

"This malware queries for specific files associated with specific applications, in an attempt to gather as much information as possible from the system," researchers Adam Kohler and Christopher Lopez said.

It's equipped to run a series of commands to extract hardware information, capture currently running processes, query for installed apps, take screenshots, and harvest data from iCloud Keychain, Apple Notes, web browsers, crypto wallets, and apps like Discord, FileZilla, Steam, and Telegram.

"Each malicious application contains another application bundle within the resource directory," the researchers said. "All of those bundles (except those hosted on fonedog[.]com) are signed and have a valid Developer ID of Yian Technology Shenzhen Co., Ltd (VRBJ4VRP)."

"The website fonedog[.]com hosted an Android recovery tool among other things; the additional application bundle in this one has a developer ID of FoneDog Technology Limited (CUAU2GTG98)."

The disclosure comes nearly a month after the Apple device management company also exposed another stealer malware codenamed CloudChat that masquerades as a privacy-oriented messaging app and is capable of compromising macOS users whose IP addresses do not geolocate to China.

The malware works by grabbing crypto private keys copied to the clipboard and data associated with wallet extensions installed on Google Chrome.

It also follows the discovery of a new variant of the notorious AdLoad malware written in Go called Rload (aka Lador) that's engineered to evade the Apple XProtect malware signature list and is compiled solely for Intel x86_64 architecture.

"The binaries function as initial droppers for the next stage payload," SentinelOne security researcher Phil Stokes said in a report last week, adding the specific distribution methods remain presently obscure.

That having said, these droppers have been observed typically embedded in cracked or trojanized apps distributed by malicious websites.

AdLoad, a widespread adware campaign afflicting macOS since at least 2017, is known for hijacking search engine results and injecting advertisements into web pages for monetary gain by means of an adversary-in-the-middle web proxy to redirect user's web traffic through the attacker's own infrastructure.

Update: More Cuckoo Artifacts Spotted

Cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, in a new analysis, said it has observed a spike in Cuckoo samples and trojanized applications delivering the C++-based malware since its emergence late last month.

"The trojanized apps are various kinds of 'potentially unwanted programs' offering dubious services such as PDF or music converters, cleaners, and uninstallers," security researcher Phil Stokes said. "The latest version of XProtect, version 2194, does not block execution of Cuckoo Stealer malware."

The malware's theft of macOS users' admin passwords in plain text via a dialog is a ploy that has been in vogue since at least 2008, when a trojan named PokerStealer was discovered in the wild, SentinelOne added.
A laggard economy, corruption concerns, and the freeze on EU accession talks are the overriding issues going into this weeks vote.

TETOVO, North Macedonia (Reuters) | Ekrem Ramadani used to work in the once flourishing textile industry in the town of Tetovo in North Macedonia. Today, 76 and still working, he scrapes by selling beans, onions, and garlic from his modest farm.



He has watched Tetovo, set in a lush valley west of the capital Skopje, slowly decline following Yugoslavias collapse in 1991 and then as hopes of joining the European Union faded.



Politicians promised us Europe, but we have nothing out of that. We did not move, Ramadani said as he sat as his market stall.



North Macedonia, a small Balkan country of 2 million people, will vote on 8 May in parliamentary elections in which support for the opposition has been buoyed by frustration about the failure to join the EU, falling living standards, and alleged corruption.



The vote pits the nationalist opposition VMRO-DPMNE party against the ruling Social Democrats (SDSM). The signs are not good for SDSM. In a first-round vote last month for the mostly ceremonial presidency, seen as a litmus test for the parliamentary poll, SDSM-backed incumbent Stevo Pendarovski won just 20% of the votes, with the VMRO-DPMNEs candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova getting 40%.



A run-off vote for the presidency is also scheduled for 8 May.



The election result is directly related to that [slow EU accession], Pendarovski acknowledged in an interview.



Disappointment With the Economy, Corruption



In 2001 NATO pulled North Macedonia back from the brink of civil war during an ethnic Albanian insurgency and promised faster integration into the EU and NATO.



It joined NATO in 2020 but it has made little progress with the EU, in part because of opposition from EU members Greece and Bulgaria.



A 2017 agreement to change the countrys name from Macedonia to North Macedonia ended the dispute with Greece, but Bulgaria lodged a veto in 2020 over history and language issues, which many North Macedonians say attacks their national identity.



The economy grew just 1% last year, reflecting delays in construction projects. The World Bank expects a rebound to 2.5% in 2024.



Petar Arsovski, a Skopje-based analyst, says the economy and the rule of law are the biggest problems.



The pervasive and metastasized clientelism is in every pore of the country, he said.



In many ways Tetovos failed promise symbolizes that of North Macedonia.



The textile industry has shrunk since the 1990s as it struggled to find new markets. Unregulated construction has led to the random spread of houses, some of which have been built in parks or on footpaths. Many are not connected to the sewage network.



In 2018, the World Health Organization listed it as one of Europes most polluted cities in part thanks to old cars. As in much of the Balkans, the young have emigrated abroad.



Construction worker Sulejman Hajdari, 23, said he plans to move to Germany soon.



I was there for few weeks and found a good job. I am just waiting for a permit. I will never come back here.












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Amid thousands of student arrests and harrowing protests on U.S. and international college campuses, the Friday afternoon vigil at the University of Wyoming honoring those killed during the Israel-Palestine conflict seemed particularly peaceful.

Shortly before press time Monday, the Associate Press reported that Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal put forth by Qatar and Egypt. Whether or not Israel planned to accept the proposal remained unclear.

At the vigils peak, more than 40 people stood in the cold and wind at a plaza near the Wyoming Union to pay silent tribute to those whove died since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that triggered an Israeli retaliation on Gaza that continues to this day.

We will now stand in silence one second for every Palestinian and Israeli life that has taken since Oct. 7th to mourn and protest the unjustness of their deaths, said senior computer science student Beckham Carver. To put into perspective the asymmetry, in total, it would be 19 minutes for the Israeli people, one second for each. And 9 hours and 37 minutes for the Palestinians.

Other student protesters have called on their universities to be more transparent with their investments and to divest from certain Israeli and U.S. corporations involved in weapons financing and production. Those calls have come in the form of rallies, sit-ins and even student encampments.

Some people are working to make UWs investments more readily available, Carver said, and to encourage divestment from military contractors. This vigil, however, wasnt about that, he said.

The main goal is to mourn the deaths of every life that has been lost in this conflict, he said. Its been needless.

Off to the side, UW residence life director Ryan Schamp leaned against a rock. He said he was there to make sure the students were safe.

I just wanted to be here to show some support, and then if things got in any way spicy, just to be around to calm people, he said.

Not far away, a few University of Wyoming police officers stood silently watching the vigil. They were in uniform, but not riot gear.

UW Police Chief Josh Holland said hed heard about the vigil a few days before. He wouldve already been in the area for a celebration happening at the same time, he said, but was glad to watch over the group and supports the peaceful gathering.

Were grateful that folks want to do this and want to be respectful of each others positions, and were just here to make sure that they can do so safely, he said. [The] gathering is actually larger than I thought itd be with the weather.

It was around 40 degrees out, but the feel like temperature was 29. Dark gray clouds threatened rain and the wind blew, but undeterred college students still occasionally walked by in shorts and T-shirts. Vigil participants passed around hand warmers as fingers stiffened. One man held a staff bearing the Palestinian flag with bare hands, even as they turned red.

By 4:30 p.m., snow started falling in earnest. Springtime in Wyoming.

Nearby, students bounced down an inflatable slide, rollerbladed and ate cotton candy at Unionfest, an annual party celebrating the end of the academic year. Events were moved inside once it was clear the weather would not cooperate. Still, a large stage stood on Prexys Pasture, ready for the bands that were set to perform.

Opposition to the vigil was minimal.

In the first hour, a few passers by muttered comments, but no one stopped long enough to argue, much less initiate a confrontation. One vehicle drove by blasting loud music. A van with sayings like Come to Jesus and Trust Jesus pasted on it passed by. The loudspeakers attached to its roof went unused.

After the first two hours, a group of young men arrived with a large American flag. Blake Hogan, a business school freshman, said hes seen videos of protests elsewhere and wanted people to know that antisemitism doesnt have a place at UW.

We came out here, put up a flag to try to show what this is all about, the American experience. Theres nothing more American than Wyoming, being a cowboy, he said.

The counter protestors swapped out flag-holding duties periodically. They left in about an hour.

Bigger picture

This largely silent vigil at the University of Wyoming stood in stark contrast to student protests at colleges like UCLA and Columbia University, where students erected encampments, clashed with police and were arrested.

Congress has gotten involved. President Joe Biden has weighed in. When asked whether the protests have made him rethink his policies in the region, he said they did not.

This all follows an estimated 1,200 Israeli deaths in an attack by Hamas militants in October and 34,000 Palestinians deaths during Israels retaliation.

Back at the UW vigil, a woman handed out flyers. One called for a ceasefire and listed phone numbers for Wyomings Congressional delegation. Another advertised a course being taught by Eric Nigh, who attended the vigil for a while. That summer course would provide a multi-narrative perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the flyer said.

UW is not immune to tense protests, including one in 1970 where the National Guard was called in. But this chilly spring day didnt attract nearly as many people nor a similar response.

People left a few at a time over the next several hours. Meanwhile, recorded music coming from the adjacent stage attracted more students to migrate out from the Wyoming Union.

Nearby, a young woman stood for graduation pictures and a little girl in a tutu played in Prexys Pasture.
Please allow me to say my two cents worth. The billion-dollar budget that was read by the Minister of Finance in the Parliament was very alarming to me.

When I heard of all the apparatus allotted to help fight the crime situation in the country, yes, it sounded goodthe minister was applauded by his colleagues who pounded their fists on their desks. But will all those things really help the crime situation? This is an election budgetso stop misleading the people.
A 73-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of recently pointing a gun at two hikers on Mt. Lemmon, according to a Pima County Sheriffs Department press release.

The incident happened April 24, at Gordon Hirabayashi Campground when two people reported that a man pointed a gun at them after a brief interaction, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.

Deputies checked the area over the next few days and eventually arrested Lloyd Barzell. He was booked into Pima County jail on suspicion of two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in April 2024. We're republishing it because Sonora Moonshine Company is celebrating its grand opening beginning 10 a.m. Sunday, May 5!

Es Teran walks into one of his three bars

While that might sound like a set-up to a bad dad joke, Teran has become a Tucson legend when it comes to creating hotspots filled with good vibes, cold drinks and great food.

With two Borderlands taprooms under his belt, Teran is in the process of adding one more spot to his list of accomplishments.

Though Borderlands is known for its spiked agua frescas and Sonoran-inspired bites, Teran's new Sonora Moonshine Company, housed on the ground floor of the VFW Lofts, will focus on agave-based spirits, complete with shareable dishes and a speakeasy basement.

We wanted to showcase something a little bit different that we thought downtown Tucson was lacking, Teran said of the new venture at 124 E. Broadway. We wanted to showcase a little bit of the Mexican Sonoran cuisine, as well as different types of agave spirits, like bacanora, mezcal, tequila, sotol, all those products that are available down in Mexico and are becoming wildly more popular now. We wanted to bring those to Tucson.

Transforming the place that once housed a public television station was no easy job. Teran and his team had to pretty much start from the beginning since there was no electricity or water. They even had to push back the opening date, which was originally set for last year.

After about two years, the empty space is now filled with agave murals and a pristine white bar supplied with spirits like tequila and mezcal. Of course, no Teran restaurant is complete without a mural by Sangre de Desierto and Sonora Moonshine Company is no exception.

While there is a fair share of basement bars here in Tucson, Teran wanted to incorporate a true speakeasy into his new concept, hoping to capture the secrecy and mystery found in the 1920s.

To even step foot into the speakeasy, Teran said there will be a phone number that customers can text to make reservations. If there is availability at that time, youll get a text back about where to meet one of the workers.

They will then lead you downstairs where you get to fully immerse yourself into the speakeasy experience. Bartenders will be ready to create personalized drinks based on the flavors you enjoy.

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To really keep the speakeasy component alive there, there's a small stage that we will be featuring musicians, Teran said. It's kind of like a different feeling to what we're trying to build upstairs at Sonora Moonshine. This will be a completely different entity on its own. It won't be open all the time, or the same time as Sonora Moonshine. We want to make sure that we that we keep that theme going.

Heading back upstairs to the main bar, Teran wanted to bring Mexico to Tucson, incorporating the agave-based spirits into classic drinks. For example, an old fashioned with mezcal instead of whiskey or adding bacanora to your paloma.

You know how they do wine flights at wine tastings or when you do beer flights at a brewery, we want to do a weekly flight of liquors and go through the history of the specific distilled product. So say one week we decide to do tequila, we'll do five different tequilas and go from the blanco, to the anejo and to the reposado.

While most may be familiar with tequila and the smokey flavors of mezcal, bacanora may be a spirit some have yet to come to know. Bacanora grows in Sonora and is basically like a moonshine in that region, becoming legal in 1993, Teran said. Back in the '80s and '90s, Teran said people would sell Bacanora on the side of the road, packaging it in Coke or Fanta bottles.

Tequila is from Jalisco, Mezcal is all over Mexico, but bacanora has to grow in a certain part in the state of Sonora and we wanted to pay a tribute to that, Teran said. That's why we named it Sonora Moonshine because it was the moonshine for the state of Sonora.

To pair with your agave-based drink, Sonora Moonshine Company has lots of shareable bites to choose from, each incorporating Sonoran ingredients and flavors.

Some of the menu includes dishes like guacamole with crispy carne seca, sea aguachiles with octopus, shrimp and salsa Negra and a giant soft pretzel with a side of mole to dunk it in.

That mole is to die for, it's really delicious, Teran said.

They are also working on a weekend brunch menu.

Right now, Sonora Moonshine Company is in the soft opening phase, getting feedback from customers to ensure they are ready for their official grand opening next month. On May 5, they will kick off their opening day celebration with brunch, live music and drink specials.

In the meantime, Ill be dreaming of mole pretzels and elote espresso martinis.
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The final bell: Tuesday is the last day of classes for Keystone.

Friday is the last day of classes for Allen-Bowden, Anderson and Mannford.

Commencement calendar: Mannfords graduation is Thursday.

Graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Friday for Berryhill, KIPP Tulsa, Sperry and Verdigris.

Teachers of the Year: Allen-Bowden, a dependent district in northern Creek County, has named Monica Tew its 2023-24 Teacher of the Year. Tew teaches fourth, fifth and sixth grade math.

Support Employees of the Year: Makayla Melton is Jenks Public Schools 2023-24 Classified Employee of the Year, the district announced on April 25. Melton is a paraprofessional at Jenks West Elementary School and is working toward a degree in elementary education in hopes of becoming a teacher.

Cindy Hite was named Support Employee of the Year at Allen-Bowden.

Award-winning administrator: Glenpool Public Schools Kim Coody was named the District 5 Assistant Superintendent/Central Office Administrator of the Year by the Oklahoma Association of School Administrators.

A 20-year employee of Glenpool Public Schools, Coody has been the districts assistant superintendent for the last three years.

District 5 covers Tulsa and Washington counties.

Cue up The Liberty Bell March: Broken Arrows band program will receive the Sudler Flag of Honor on Monday night. Presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the flag is presented to exceptional band programs worldwide for their excellence in concert activities over a period of multiple years, including contest performances and student participation in all-state ensembles.

Broken Arrow High School is the flags only domestic recipient for the 2023-24 school year.

Parent night: Broken Arrow Public Schools will host Kindergarten 101 at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at 210 N. Main St. The one-hour parent meeting will provide information about curriculum, transportation and daily schedules for kindergarten students across the districts 16 elementary schools.

Looking to leave a mark: Tulsa Changemakers will have its spring pitch nights Monday through Thursday, with each session starting at 5:30 p.m.

The organization works with students to find and figure out how to address a need within their communities. During pitch nights, student teams will present their projects and explain how others can get involved. This spring, the student teams represent four charter schools and 32 schools across Tulsa and Union public schools.

Monday nights session is at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center, 6836 S. Mingo Road. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays sessions will be at Tulsa Techs Lemley Campus, 3420 S. Memorial Drive. A list of schools presenting each night is available online at facebook.com/tulsachangemakers.

No translation needed: Tulsa Public Schools announced Tuesday that 210 students from 10 high schools have earned the Seal of Biliteracy.

In order to receive the seal, a student must demonstrate oral and written proficiency in at least two languages by the time they graduate from high school. Since the 2018-19 school year, 564 TPS students have earned the seal.

Along with English, 12 additional languages are spoken by this years recipients: Bahasa Indonesian, Chinese, French, German, Hmong, Japanese, Patois, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese and Yoruba.

Two students, Esther Zhu from Booker T. Washington and Rachel Cieslarczyk Salomao from Edison, received the seal for proficiency in three languages. Zhu earned it for her proficiency in Chinese, French and English, while Cieslarczyk Salomao earned it for her proficiency in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

Schools represented by this years recipients are Booker T. Washington, East Central, Edison, Hale, McLain, Memorial, Phoenix Rising, Rogers, Street School and Webster.

Stay home days and instructional shifts: Monday is a distance-learning day for Coweta.

Classes are not in session Friday for Berryhill, Collinsville, Mounds, Pretty Water, Skiatook, Sperry and Tulsa Honor Academy.

School board calendar: The boards of education for Broken Arrow, Kiefer, Sand Springs and Tulsa are scheduled to meet Monday.

The boards of education for Lone Star and Tulsa Honor Academy are scheduled to meet Tuesday.

The boards of education for Epic Charter Schools and Pretty Water are scheduled to meet Thursday.

The Tulsa World is where your story lives.
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton 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

CATOOSA  Come Tuesday, TaNei West, Karely Hernandez and JaneLynn Rodela will get to experience a piece of history for Catoosa Public Schools.

Members of the newest FFA chapter in Oklahoma, the three will be among the first Catoosa students to attend the Oklahoma FFA state convention Tuesday and Wednesday at the BOK Center and Cox Business Center in Tulsa. The Catoosa chapter started this school year and will formally receive its charter at the convention.

I am really excited, said Hernandez, the chapters vice president. When you hear state convention, it sounds so big and so cool, and you just really want to do well at it.

The countrys sixth-largest state-level chapter of the National FFA Organization, Oklahoma FFA is affiliated with the Oklahoma CareerTech systems Agriculture Education Division, and chapters are restricted to secondary schools that offer agriculture classes.

Oklahoma FFA has 29,213 student members across 366 active chapters statewide, including more than 20 chapters just in the immediate Tulsa metro area.

In its first year, Catoosas FFA chapter has about 70 members, with more students consistently showing interest in joining as they figure out exactly what is  and is not  part of the program.

I will say we have quite a few kids joining next year that arent currently in ag because I think they didnt know really what it was, teacher Hailee Hankins said. Theyve seen our members out and about doing things, and theyre realizing, Oh, you dont need to have animals to be in this class.

The chapter president, West gets the animal question often from curious classmates and friends, as well. Although she knew she wanted to be involved before the program was off the ground  and even changed her class schedule to make it happen  she admitted that theres been a learning curve.

A lot of people, at least in our school, look at it as a blow-off class, she said. But I really think that they dont realize you can have fun but also work hard at the same time. Its a lot of constantly studying because you want to do good in your contests. Its also constantly stepping out of your comfort zone, and thats a big thing, which can help in the future a lot.

Along with explaining to classmates that there is more to farming than just livestock, the Catoosa chapter has put its attention this year toward other aspects of agriculture education, including leadership development, public speaking, food science and turfgrass, or being able to identify different kinds of grasses, as well as the diseases and pests that can affect them.

That decision was made in part due to space and safety constraints. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Friday for a new standalone building to house the program. However, until it is completed, agriculture education classes and the FFA chapter are temporarily based out of a traditional classroom at Catoosa High School.

There are some classes that we cant necessarily offer until that building is done, Hankins said, noting that instead of offering welding or shop, the program will add animal science and agriculture communications as upper-level options in 2024-25.

That emphasis has paid off, with Catoosa students, including West, Hernandez and Rodela, placing at multiple contests across the state over the course of the year.

An eighth grader, Rodela is part of the chapters food science team and competes in public speaking. Although she admits that she was nervous at the beginning of the year, she said the year has been an eye-opener and has left her excited for the future.

I didnt really have an understanding of how important agriculture was to our economy and to our community as a whole, she said. Having this program has really showed me that it really plays such a really important and huge part in society, and we really do need to have more recognition for that.

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China's BYD, the worlds largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, will inaugurate 15 showrooms in Vietnam in June, COO of BYD Vietnam Vo Minh Luc told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The firm is working on the opening of other showrooms to have a total of 50 showrooms in the Southeast Asian country this year.

The showrooms will be situated in key locations across Vietnam, including Hanoi and Hai Phong City in the north, Da Nang City in the central region, and Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria  Vung Tau Province, and Can Tho City in the south.

After a decade of studying the Vietnamese market and collaborating with local authorities and partners, BYD has resolved to enter the market, marking its presence in the last Southeast Asian market where its products were not previously available.

Given Vietnam's significance as a market for BYD, the company acknowledges the necessity of dedicating time to thoroughly studying the market and preparing for its entry.

"Once this process is concluded, we will swiftly and robustly initiate business activities in Vietnam," stated Luc.

The Seal Lion will be among the first models to be introduced to the Vietnamese market. Photo: Tran Manh / Tuoi Tre

In the initial period, BYD will introduce its three pure EV models to the Vietnamese market, including the Atto 3, small hatchback Dolphin, and Seal.

The company expects the three models to see as impressive sales as they have in Thailand and Malaysia.

The BYD Vietnam executive added that by the last quarter of this year, the firm will introduce three more models, including the sedan BYD Han, the hybrid Seal Lion, and the SUV Tang, to the Vietnamese market.

The Atto 3 is considered BYDs key product in many markets, including Thailand, with a price of VND625-730 million (US$24,714-28,858) each.

In Vietnam, the model will compete directly with gasoline-powered SUVs, such as Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta.

A BYD showroom in Shenzhen, China. BYD has many electric and hybrid models. Photo: Tran Manh / Tuoi Tre

Liu Xue Liang, general manager of BYD Asia-Pacific auto sales division, said BYD considers Vietnam an important and potential market, so Vietnam is the last market in Southeast Asia for it to enter.

The firm looks to develop its agents across 20 large cities and provinces, Liu added.

He expects BYD's EV sales to be a success in the Vietnamese market as EVs have become an irreversible trend.

BYD became the largest EV manufacturer in 2023 thanks to its batteries and workforce with up to 90,000 engineers and designers.

Except for tires and glass, BYD can study, design, and manufacture the remaining parts of vehicles, Liu informed.

He shared that Thai customers queue up to buy BYD vehicles. The firm currently accounts for 40 percent of the EV market share in Thailand and 44 percent in Malaysia.

We expect the same success in Vietnam as the country already has an EV firm and local residents have expressed their interest in EVs which are cost-saving and eco-friendly, the BYD representative said.

Customers have a look at an EV in a trade center in Shenzhen, China. Photo: Tran Manh / Tuoi Tre

Regarding charging stations, Liu said BYD would not invest in its own charging stations in Vietnam but is working with partners to do the job.

He also affirmed BYDs desire to construct a factory in Vietnam but refused to reveal the detailed plan.

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Vietnam and France have reviewed their achievements in bilateral defense ties and signed a letter of intent to further promote their cooperation in this field during the ongoing visit to Hanoi by French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang hosted a welcome ceremony on Sunday for Minister Lecornu, who arrived in Hanoi for an official visit, during which he will attend the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu battle that marked the victory of the Vietnamese revolutionary army over French colonialists on May 7, 1954.

At their talks following the reception, Minister Giang highly valued his French guest's visit as a contribution to further enhancing bilateral defense cooperation, while considering it a demonstration of the spirit of 'closing the past, looking to the future' for the sake of the two countries and peoples.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu are seen on the podium to review the honor guard in Hanoi on May 5, 2024. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

The two countries have the same views and interests in maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region and the world on the basis of respecting the interests of all countries in accordance with international law, Giang commented.

The Vietnam-France strategic partnership, which was set up in 2013, has been developing intensively, diversely, and effectively across various fields, including defense, the Vietnamese minister told his guest.

Based on a joint vision statement on Vietnam-France defense cooperation for 2018-28 and an amended agreement on the defense ties, the two nations have achieved significant cooperation outcomes in dialogue and consultation mechanisms, delegation exchange, training, military medicine, defense equipment, maritime security, war-aftermath remediation, UN peacekeeping missions, and mutual support at multilateral forums.

General Giang urged the two sides to further strengthen defense cooperation in the aforementioned areas and accelerate discussions to soon reach a consensus on the Vietnam-France defense cooperation program for 2025-28.

French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu (R) introduces the members of his entourage to Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi on May 5, 2024. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

He told Lecornu that Vietnams Ministry of National Defense is ready to host French soldiers in Vietnam for courses at the National Defense Academy, as well as Vietnamese language courses at the Academy of Military Sciences.

Regarding maritime issues, General Giang emphasized that Vietnam persists in its policy of resolving any disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law and regional commitments, especially UNCLOS 1982 and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea, while promoting negotiations on a practical and effective code of conduct for the waterway.

Minister Lecornu underlined the great significance of his visit and highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation, sharing historical memories and how both sides have been overcoming war consequences.

He expressed his hope for both sides to sustain their efforts in advancing defense cooperation intensively, effectively, and in alignment with the bilateral strategic partnership.

The French minister and his host also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern.

At the end of their talks, the two ministers signed a letter of intent on strengthening defense cooperation between Vietnam and France.

As part of his visit, Lecornu will meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and head of the Party Central Committees Foreign Affairs Commission Le Hoai Trung before attending the anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory, which will take place on Tuesday in Dien Bien Phu, the capital city of Dien Bien Province in northern Vietnam.

Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang (R) and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu sign and exchange a letter of intent to further promote the bilateral defense cooperation in Hanoi on May 5, 2024. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre

During the ongoing visit, Lecornu and Patricia Miralles, Secretary of State to the Minister for the Armed Forces, with responsibility for veterans and remembrance, one of the officials accompanying him, will visit the battlefield relics in Dien Bien Phu and meet with a number of Vietnamese and French veterans.

French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet told Voice of Vietnam (VOV) in a recent interview that Minister Lecornus visit demonstrates the spirit of 'closing the past, and looking to the future,' based on which the two sides work together for the development of the two countries and peoples.

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Five family members in a car just suffered slight injuries after the vehicle fell into an abyss which is some 70 meters deep in Dien Bien, a mountainous province in northern Vietnam.

Information and images of the accident surfaced on social media on Sunday.

A post on social media said that the car was deformed after the fall.

Its a miracle as all five members of our family got out of the crumpled car with only scratches. No one suffered bone fractures or serious wounds, according to the post.

A representative of a local traffic rescue team said they had pulled the car from the 70-meter-deep abyss in Nam Po District, Dien Bien Province.

The accident happened on April 30. We did not know the cause, but all five family members luckily got out of danger after the car fell into the abyss, the rescuer added.

It took local traffic rescuers two days to pull the car from the abyss. Photo: A.T. / Tuoi Tre

A leader of the administration in Phin Ho Commune, Nam Po District told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday afternoon that the crash occurred at over 12:00 pm on Tuesday last week, when the car driven by D.V.D., a 37-year-old resident in Thai Nguyen Province, also in northern Vietnam, was carrying his wife and three children from Nam Po to Dien Bien Phu City, Dien Bien Province.

The vehicle was damaged but the five people just suffered scratches and did not need to visit hospitals, the leader of the Phin Ho Commune Peoples Committee informed.

The accident happened as the driver fell asleep and failed to control the vehicle, the official added.

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be willing to support climate change adaptation projects in Vietnam if the country requests its joining, ADB climate envoy Warren Evans told reporters on the sidelines of ADBs 57th Annual Meeting, which took place in Tbilisi, Georgia from Thursday to Sunday last week.

If the Vietnamese government asks for help, I am sure that ADB will be pleased to join projects aimed at combating climate change, improving resilience to climate, and moving toward sustainable development, Evans told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Apart from highly valuing Vietnams importance in global rice supply, Evans pinpointed some challenges to the industry in the Southeast Asian country.

He said that the Mekong Delta region, known as the nations biggest rice production hub, is facing abnormal drought and severe saline intrusion.

Climate change, saltwater intrusion, and Vietnams commitment to a net-zero emission target by 2050 require the country to adopt more effective measures to manage and use land, water sources, and fertilizer.

In Vietnam, we have multiple initiatives related to water resource management with the aim of helping the country with the fight against drought, the envoy said.

ADB had previously financed a project to restore and sustainably manage mangrove forests in five provinces in the delta in a bid to foster their adaptation to climate change.

Besides, the bank has been joining several projects to develop the renewable energy, electric vehicle, and battery storing fields in Vietnam over the past few years.

ADB had previously pledged US$2.1 billion for Vietnam to carry out the Just Energy Transition Partnership Agreement, as well as the Energy Transition Mechanism, a new financial tool for coal-fired thermal power plants that will soon stop operations and use cleaner energy sources.

On Sunday, the final day of the 57th Annual Meeting, the ADB board of governors approved the banks 2023 financial statements and a $1.42 billion net income allocation from its ordinary capital resources, the highest in ADBs history.

Of the total, over $1 billion will be channeled into ADBs ordinary reserve to support the banks capital growth and provide an earnings base to generate income.

ADB president Masatsugu Asakawa (L) shakes hands with a representative at a session of the 57th Annual Meeting in Georgia, May 4, 2024. Photo: ADB

The rest will be allocated to the Asian Development Fund, which provides grants to ADBs poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries, the Technical Assistance Special Fund, and the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund.

Speaking at the session of the ADB board of governors, deputy governor of Vietnams central bank Dao Minh Tu underlined that ADB could do better in numerous aspects.

Tu proposed ADB step up its efforts to mobilize more preferential financial sources for climate-related activities.

The Vietnamese representative also suggested considering a review of the outcomes of grants for green investing and reclaiming grants allocated to projects deemed ineffective.

ADB is in a favorable position to host regional forums to discuss challenges and impacts on the economies, exchange experience in various fields, and put forward solutions to general recovery, Tu stressed.

Vietnam is committed to fulfilling its mission of boosting sustainable economic growth, financial stability, and close cooperation with relevant partners to build a more flexible and perfect financial system.

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Vietnam respects Cambodias legitimate interests in the Funan Techo Canal project and wishes that the neighbor continues working with Vietnam and other relevant countries to fully assess the projects impacts, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

Spokeswoman for the foreign ministry Pham Thu Hang was speaking at a press meeting in Hanoi on Sunday in reply to reporters query about Vietnams response to Cambodias recent statements in relation to the US$1.7 billion Funan Techo Canal project, which was lately announced by the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

In its foreign policy, Vietnam always attaches importance and gives top priority to its relationship with Cambodia and hopes that their bilateral relations will increasingly develop substantially and effectively in all fields for the benefits of the two countries and peoples, Hang said.

In that spirit, Vietnam has always supported and highly valued the achievements gained by Cambodia over the past years.

Regarding the Funan Techo Canal project, Vietnam is highly interested in it and respects the legitimate interests of Cambodia in accordance with the 1995 Mekong Agreement, the prevailing regulations of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), and the traditional and friendly neighborhood between the two countries.

We hope that Cambodia will continue to coordinate closely with Vietnam and other countries in the commission to share information about this project and fully assess its impacts on water resources and the eco-environment of the Mekong sub-region, the spokesperson stated.

Such sharing and assessment will help ensure a harmony of interests among the nations along the Mekong River, and manage and use water resources of the river effectively and sustainably, for the sustainable development of the basin, the solidarity between riverine countries, and the future of next generations, Hang explained.

An artists rendition of the Funan Techo Canal project, released recently by the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Photo: Cambodian government

In recent times, Cambodian leaders have repeatedly mentioned the Funan Techo Canal, affirming that this project will bring benefits to the entire Cambodian people and showing their determination to implement it.

Last month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet asserted that the canal project would benefit about 1.6 million people living along it and create many other benefits for national development, according to the Khmer Times.

The project is also expected to attract enterprises in various industries to the canal area, generating a lot of jobs for locals.

PM Manet also said that the Funan Techo Canal will be built by Chinese construction partners under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) method.

On April 28, Manet stressed that the canal project would not be exclusively for the benefit of his own family but for the welfare of all Cambodians.

He also affirmed that no obstacles would deter the construction of the project, which had undergone thorough study for approximately 26 months.

Most recently, Manet on May 1 announced that he knew that a U.S.-based opposition group was plotting to thwart the canal project.

Yesterday, I received information that a group in the U.S. planned among themselves to create a mechanism to reject the Funan Techo canal, the Khmer Times quoted the PM as saying to civil servants, workers, and employees at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in Preah Sihanouk Province.

However, Manet underscored that such a plot is a wrong move and will not be successful since millions of people all over the country, young and old, give their support because they know the value of this project.

According to Cambodian media, the canal is expected to be 180km long, connecting the Phnom Penh river port with the Gulf of Thailand, off Cambodia's southwest coast.

According to its design, this canal will be 100 meters wide upstream, 80 meters wide downstream, and 5.4 meters deep upon completion.

The complete canal will pass through Kandal, Takeo, Kampot, and Kep Provinces.

Construction is expected to start in late 2024, entailing an estimated cost of about $1.7 billion.

Last month, AFP cited Cambodian officials as saying that the canal will be constructed with Chinese funding.

As shown in the canal-related materials submitted by Cambodia to the MRC in August 2023, the waterway will begin operating in 2028.

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Phu Quoc, an island city off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam, expects to welcome more Chinese tourists and commits to providing maximum support to Chinese airlines which carry travelers to the city, said chairman of the administration in Phu Quoc City Huynh Quang Hung.

Authorities in Phu Quoc and local tourism enterprises on Sunday worked with a delegation of the Chinese Consulate General and the China Business Association in Vietnam on promoting Phu Quoc tourism.

Hung said the number of international tourists to Phu Quoc surged over 200 percent in the first three months of this year.

The city has proposed the government extend the visa waiver period for foreigners to 90 days from the current 30 days.

It has planned more runways and aircraft parking spaces at Phu Quoc International Airport to increase the airports capacity to 10-20 million passengers per year.

Phu Quoc is an attractive tourist destination. We hope Chinese airlines to bring more tourists to Phu Quoc, Hung noted.

Xu Zhou, Deputy Consul General of China in Ho Chi Minh City, said 1.2 million Chinese travelers visited Vietnam in the first four months of this year, making up some 30 percent of the total number of foreign tourists to the Southeast Asian country.

Chinese tourists demand for information about tourism in Vietnam, including Phu Quoc, has increased.

Huynh Quang Hung (L), chairman of the administration in Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province, gives a souvenir to a representative of the Chinese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre

Phu Quoc left me and my family with a strong impression. Phu Quocs tourism has shown many changes," Zhou said.

I believe that Chinese airlines and travel companies will introduce Phu Quoc to their friends and relatives.

We pledge, and are willing to, act as a bridge for the development of tourism of the two countries and [call on] Chinese tourists to visit Phu Quoc."

The delegation of the Chinese Consulate General and the China Business Association in Vietnam visited famed hotels and tourist sites in Phu Quoc City, enjoyed the multimedia show 'Kiss of the Sea' and fireworks displays in Sunset Town, experienced the worlds longest sea-crossing three-wire cable car route to Hon Thom Island, explored the island, and enjoyed seafood there between Friday and Sunday last week.

Ha Tuan Minh, director of Winner Phu Quoc International Travel Co. Ltd., said the Chinese market was potential and would open up new opportunities to boost Phu Quocs tourism.

The company will join hands with partners to design tours to the Kiss Bridge, Sunset Town, and islets in Phu Quoc City, during which tourists can go fishing, catch squid at night, and dive to admire coral reefs, to attract domestic and international travelers to Phu Quoc in the summer this year.

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The ABC has officially opened its new broadcast facility in Parramatta, beginning with radio presenters live on air.

Mornings on ABC Radio Sydney was the first show to broadcast from the new facility, located at 6-8 Parramatta Square. Sydney Drive and Weekends will join in the coming weeks, and Afternoons later today.

ABC News, Audio and Digital teams will join them over the next few months, two ground floor studios will open for use by ABC News and ABC Sydney teams.

The opening was led by ABC Chair Kim Williams, ABC Managing Director David Anderson, and Member for Parramatta Dr Andrew Charlton.

Also in attendance were City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Councillor Pierre Esber, State Member for Parramatta Donna Davis, Executive Director of Business Western Sydney David Borger, members of the ABC Leadership Team and key members of the ABCs content and support teams.

ABC Chair Kim Williams said the new ABC Parramatta will serve as a model for the ABC in the future; a sophisticated technology facility that promotes new production practices with agile content sharing and distribution.

From here the ABC will deliver on its continuing obligation to the Australian community as a foundation stone of our democracy, providing news, sharing knowledge and myriad rich stories which reflect our nation. As always, the work done here as with all ABC output provides a core element in contributing to our sense of national identity.

The move of local news and local radio to Parramatta is another chapter in that adaptive history, meeting audience expectations and honouring legislative obligations. ABC Parramatta will increase our presence in the nations fastest growing residential region, boosting the ABCs effectiveness in Greater Western Sydney.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson said: Today is the culmination of several years planning and it is exciting to be here at the stage where new and loyal audiences can experience the ABC broadcasting from this technology-driven facility.

Over coming months more of our journalists, producers and digital content teams will be based here, connecting and engaging with one of Australias most diverse and fastest growing communities.

The relocation to western Sydney is a key part of the commitment outlined in the ABCs Five-Year Plan to see 75% of content makers working outside its Ultimo head office by 2025.

I want to thank everyone involved in the development of this facility, in particular the team members who will be based here and who have supported the move with such professionalism.

$39.4m will be spent on the Parramatta base, of which $12.2m is fitout, and $23.6m in technology, funded through the sale of ABC property at Artarmon on Sydneys north shore and by leasing out space in its Ultimo head office.
Kevin Spacey has hit out at the new documentary Kevin Spacey: Unmasked which screens on Nine this week.

The documentary was first announced prior to Spacey being acquitted of multiple sexual offences in the UK. Screening as a double episode, it features interviews with multiple men (unrelated to the UK case) speaking for the first time about their experiences with Spacey.

But Spacey has dismissed the new allegations, in a lengthy interview with Dan Wooton who was himself the subject of allegations and headlines in Britain (following a police investigation no charges were laid, prompting The Guardian to issue an apology).

Spacey has complained the new documentary did not give him adequate time to respond, posting on social media, Over the last week, I have repeatedly requested that Channel 4 afford me more than 7 days to respond to allegations made against me dating back 48 years and provide me with sufficient details to investigate these matters. Channel 4 has refused on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a fair opportunity for me to refute any allegations made against me.

I will not sit back and be attacked by a dying networks one-sided documentary about me in their desperate attempt for ratings.

He added, Channel 4 and RoastBeefTV may find themselves speechless, but I no longer will be.

Spacey has denied accusations since they emerged in 2017 and was found not liable in a 2022 lawsuit in New York. In a separate case in London, he was acquitted by a jury of sexual assault charges in 2023.

Kevin Spacey: Unmasked screens 8:30pm Wednesday on Nine.

Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36

Source: Variety
Former Nine News Adelaide sport presenter will not have to play Nines legal fees, despite losing an unfair dismissal complaint in March.

Tredrea took leave from the Adelaide station in December 2021 after Nine introduced a double-vaccination mandate for all employees.

He claimed he was subsequently unlawfully dismissed from his position and should be paid out the remaining $176,458 of his contract and up to 30 years of pay for the missed opportunity of employment.

But in March the Federal Court accepted Nines counter-assertions that Tredrea was dismissed because of performance in the job, not because of its covid vaccination policy.

Justice Kennett found that while there may have been a case had Mr Tredrea been terminated solely on the grounds of a breach of COVID policy, the dismissal was supported on the other grounds.

ABC reports the judgement shows that after initially demanding $3.8 million in March 2022, Mr Tredrea later offered to settle the proceeding for $176,458 in July 2023, representing the payments due for the remainder of the term of the Services Agreement, plus interest and costs.

Channel 9s solicitors responded  [and] they rejected the applicants offer, the judgement read.

Court documents revealed Channel Nine offered to settle the proceeding with an offer of $50,000, and again with a larger contribution of $120,000 towards the applicants costs.

The judge found Mr Tredreas rejection of Nines offers to settle his case was not vexatious.

Mr Tredrea will pay for his own legal costs, while Nine will cover their successful defence of the claim.

In April, Mr Tredrea formally lodged appeal documents with the Federal Court, seeking to challenge Justice Kennetts dismissal of his claim.
SKY News presenter Peter Stefanovic has apologised following a backlash to an interview last week.

An apology from me, last Wednesday we invited Keegan Payne onto our show to discuss his win in the Million Dollar Fish competition in the Northern Territory, Stefanovic said during First Edition this morning.

During that interview I asked him about a theft that had occurred several years earlier. I should not have asked him about those claims and I regret doing so.

I apologise sincerely to Keegan and his family.

Stefanovic had also deleted his social media accounts.

Million-dollar catch for Top End teen turns awkward after sad TV admission. #MediaBites #MediaWatch pic.twitter.com/jQzcsms4fU  Media Watch (@ABCmediawatch) May 2, 2024

SKY News also issued an apology on Friday.

SKY News Australia and Peter Stefanovic apologise to Mr Payne and his family for raising these claims during the live interview about his million dollar win in the fishing competition, SKY News said in a statement.

Mr Stefanovic has reached out to Mr Payne and his family directly to convey his apology.

Cavs Mowing owner and Mr Paynes former employer Bob Cavanagh told Daily Mail that Payne was a good kid who made a mistake.

In the days following his million-dollar win last week, Keegan reached out to his old boss and offered to pay him back for the stolen vehicles.

Out of the blue [one] morning, his father rang me and said, Keegan wants to repay you,and you could have knocked me down with a feather, Mr Cavanagh said.

He said Keegan has always felt so terrible for what he did.
Tauseef Ahmad and Nuzhat Masoodi, TwoCircles.net

Kupwara: Each sunrise in Lolab, also called Wadi-e-Lolab (the land of love and beauty), gives the valley a golden hue. The sunset here casts a spellbinding array of colors across the horizon  leaving spectators in awe of natures grandeur. Beyond its visual allure, it captivates the heart with its palpable sense of peace  inviting wanderers to lose themselves in its timeless embrace. It is a treasure trove of natural wonders, offering picturesque landscapes and hidden gems. It would not be an exaggeration if one says Nighat Yasmeen is one such gem.

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At a time when the younger generation loses interest in their mother tongue across Kashmir valley, the 62-year-old retired teacher from Kupwara is sparking a renewed interest in Kashmiri language through her poetry.

Hailing from Kairwan village, which is located 105 km away from Srinager, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, she aims to sustain and celebrate her native tongue amidst its declining usage.

Once an Urdu language teacher, Yasmeens passion for her culture and language has been a lifelong affair. Despite the challenges and the lack of recognition of her poetic talents, her dedication never wavered.

She consistently used her platform as a teacher to inculcate the love for the language in her students and encourage them to preserve it.

These days, most of the parents in Kashmir prioritize teaching their children English and other languages, which are beneficial. However, in this process, they often end up neglecting their own language and literature  which is their identity and preserving it is their duty. We should be proud of calling ourselves Kashmiri, Yasmeen told TwoCircles.net.

She said her interest in the Kashmiri language developed in 9th grade, and after passing grade 10, when majority of students choose science stream for further studies, she decided to pursue her secondary education in Kashmiri.

The debut poetry collection

Yasmeens debut poetry collection, Kairwan, goes beyond mere words. It tells a vivid story of her village, encapsulating the scenic landscapes and lush green meadows  which, she says, defines her. Through her writing, she not only shows the natural beauty but also invites readers to explore and experience Kashmir firsthand.

I was bestowed with the esteemed privilege of serving as the guest of honor at various prestigious educational gatherings. With an unwavering commitment to nurturing young minds, I seized each opportunity to share my profound experiences and insights, kindling a fervent interest in the rich cultural tapestry and linguistic heritage of Kashmir, with the eager students, she said.

The crowning achievement of her lifelong dedication materialized in the form of Kairiwan, a magnum opus born from her tireless work and unwavering passion. Bearing the name of her native village, this literary masterpiece serves as a poignant homage to the breathtaking landscapes of her homeland, particularly the captivating allure of Diver Kairiwan.

Kairiwan transcends mere homage  it delves deep into the soul of Kashmir, offering a poignant exploration of the enduring trials and tribulations faced by its resilient people over decades of turmoil.

Within the pages of Shehri-Ashoob, the harrowing realities of our community are laid bare, shedding light on the tumultuous journey we have traversed together. Amidst this arduous odyssey, my family stood as an unwavering beacon of support, with my husband, a revered headmaster, lending his strength and encouragement to fuel my creative pursuit, she said.

Despite the myriad challenges, her mastery of the language proved to be a steadfast ally, guiding her through the intricate nuances of expression with ease.

Undeterred by these setbacks, I embarked upon the next chapter of my literary journey with unwavering resolve, giving rise to Naagraat  a mesmerizing tapestry of poetry and short stories that celebrates the essence of Kashmiri culture, tradition and village life, said Yasmeen.

Within the pages of Naagraat, she invites readers to a captivating journey through time  juxtaposing the timeless allure of bygone eras with the dynamic evolution of modernity.

The resonance of her words echoed far and wide  evoking heartfelt responses from a diverse array of readers. Indeed, her vivid descriptions of Kashmirs hidden treasures stirred curiosity not only amongst locals but also amongst global admirers, forcing them to discover the timeless beauty of the valley.

Yasmeen is determined to continue to preserve the Kashmiri language through her writing and lectures.

Our culture and language are unique, and I feel proud when someone calls me a poetess of Kashmiri language. I urge all parents across the valley to ensure that their children do not neglect their native language, she concluded.
In this article, we will look at the 15 highest paying countries for English teachers. We have also discussed the global importance of the English language. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for English Teachers.

English, as the global lingua franca, is the foremost communication tool worldwide, holding its ground against many other languages. Recent research by the British Council indicates that English is projected to maintain its dominance for the foreseeable future. The language's ubiquity extends beyond mere communication; it serves as a gateway to educational, professional, and social opportunities on a global scale.

Despite advancements in technology and the rise of automation, the role of English teachers remains pivotal in facilitating language learning. Moreover, statistics from Pearson's English Skills Report indicate a direct correlation between English proficiency and earning potential, with 93% of respondents acknowledging its impact on salaries. Those with advanced English skills earn substantially higher salaries than their less proficient counterparts. All of these factors combined solidify the importance and demand of learning English. The demand has become so high that one can even teach the language without necessarily having a degree. To read more about that, see the Best Countries to Teach English Without a Degree.

In addition, beyond English speaking countries, English proficiency has aso become of key importance in countries like Saudi Arabia particularly as the country strives to achieve its Vision 2030 objectives. With a major portion of the workforce operating in English-speaking environments, the language has become indispensable for job opportunities and career advancement. However, Saudi Arabia currently ranks low on the EF Proficiency Index which indicates an urgent need for improvement in English language education. Despite widespread recognition of the importance of English, many employees feel inadequately prepared for the workplace due to limited language skills acquired during formal education. Moreover, there is a huge gap between the demand for language training and its availability in the corporate sector, with only 44% of companies offering such programs. To read more countries where English language teaching has been highly demanded, see countries with high demand for English teachers.

The importance of the English language has been realized globally and therefore, its demand continues to grow, translating into different initiatives and projects. For example, to promote English language proficiency in Mongolia, the UK has pledged significant support. With a 10 million ($12.51 million) allocation over three years, the UK aims to enhance the implementation of English language programs across Mongolian schools. This initiative goes hand in hand with the establishment of English as the primary foreign language in secondary schools under the Education Law of 2023.

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Moreover, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is making consistent efforts towards English language learning through its innovative features, particularly the introduction of an AI-powered tool called "speaking practice" on its Search platform. This tool is currently in the testing phase but it aims to enhance users' English speaking skills by providing interactive experiences focused on everyday scenarios. This initiative targets users in several countries such as India, as part of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)s Search Labs program, demonstrating its global outreach and impact.

Accessible through Google Search Labs, the "speaking practice" feature enables users to engage in simulated conversations and thus, helps them practice using new words in context and improve their conversational English. While not a comprehensive language learning course, this tool promotes a dynamic learning experience, akin to real-life interactions. By listening to users' speech, understanding their intent, and generating natural-sounding responses, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)s AI is facilitating effective language practice.

It is also true that Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)s commitment to language learning is not new, with previous launches such as the pronunciation tool introduced in 2019. By offering engaging language learning tools, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) aims to compete with established language learning platforms while providing accessible and effective resources for English learners worldwide.

On the other hand, Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) has an unparalleled contribution to English learning, particularly for English language learners (ELLs), through its comprehensive curriculum and immersive activities. Lynn Public Schools, recognizing the importance of language skills for its diverse student body, has recently partnered with Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) to enhance language proficiency and bridge equity gaps.

One key contribution of Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) is its ability to break down language barriers effectively. With scaffolded lessons and interactive activities, ELLs can overcome obstacles in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The platform's structured immersion method mirrors natural language acquisition and hence, promotes intuitive learning through real-world contexts.

Moreover, Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE:RST) offers options catering to diverse learning needs and preferences. With access to 25 languages, learners can personalize their language learning journey. Additionally, the platform prioritizes the development of strong verbal skills which empowers students to communicate fluently through targeted speaking practice and immediate feedback.

15 Highest Paying Countries for English Teachers

Eiko Tsuchiya/Shutterstock.com

Our Methodology

To list the highest paying countries for English teachers, we identified the countries with the highest demand for English teachers and then made a list for 25 countries with the average salaries for English teachers. Of those 25, the 15 with the highest average salaries were selected and have been ranked. We acquired the data for average salaries of English teachers for each country from ERI Economic Research Institute. The list is presented in ascending order.

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15. Sweden

Average Salary: $43,782

Sweden is among Scandinavian countries known for its strong English proficiency. With 89% of its population, roughly 9,236,000 people, fluent in English as a second language, Sweden ranks seventh in the EU and twenty-seventh globally for non-native English speakers. Given the importance Swedes associate with the language, it is one of the highest paying countries for English teachers in Europe.

14. Qatar

Average Salary: $43,806

Qatar is one of the countries with high demand for English teachers. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) in Qatar, in collaboration with the US Embassy in Doha, recently concluded the "Comprehensive Education Strategies for English Language Teaching" training program, aimed at enhancing English language skills for teachers and supervisors in schools catering to deaf and hard-of-hearing students across all academic levels.

13. Finland

Average Salary: $49,264

Teaching English in Finland typically requires a Bachelor's degree alongside a TEFL certificate, though advanced qualifications are valued. Finland prizes its teachers, prioritizing those with specialized and higher degrees. With an average salary of $49,265, Finland is the 13th highest paying country for English teachers in the world.

12. Australia

Average Salary: $49,539

The demand for English teachers in the country is high as Australia's multicultural society hosts a large number of immigrants and international students that are looking to improve their English proficiency for better integration and academic success.

With high salaries, excellent living standards and work-life balance, Australia is one of the best countries for teachers salary.

11. Luxembourg

Average Salary: $50,353

To teach English in Luxembourg, a recognized teaching qualification like TEFL or CELTA is required. Due to its exceptionally high salaries, Luxembourg is a country home to some of the highest paid teachers in the world.

10. Norway

Average Salary: $51,146

With positions available in international schools and language institutions across vibrant cities like Oslo and Bergen, teachers can immerse themselves in a rich cultural experience by teaching English in Norway. Competitive salaries, coupled with benefits like relocation allowances and generous vacation time, sweeten the deal. While requiring a Bachelor's degree and a recognized TEFL certification, Norway welcomes skilled teachers from around the globe.

9. Netherlands

Average Salary: $54,024

To teach English in the Netherlands, you'll need a Bachelor's degree, a TEFL certification of at least 120 hours, and relevant teaching experience. EU citizenship or a work visa is ideally required, with easier job placement for EU citizens due to less stringent visa procedures. Netherlands is also one of the 18 Highest Paying Countries for ESL Teachers.

8. New Zealand

Average Salary: $54,635

New Zealand holds tremendous potential for English teaching, particularly to speakers of other languages (ESOL). With its multicultural society and diverse immigrant population, there's a constant demand for proficient English language education.

With an average salary of $54,635, New Zealand is one of the top 10 highest paying countries for English teachers.

7. Denmark

Average Salary: $60,102

Teaching English in Denmark comes with its fair share of challenges due to high competition and language requirements. Fluency in Danish is mandatory, and TEFL certification is standard. Opportunities do exist in language schools and international institutions, mainly in larger cities like Copenhagen but private tutoring can also be another avenue that can cater to English improvers.

Nonetheless, with an average salary of $60,102, Denmark is one of the countries that pay teachers the highest salaries.

6. United Arab Emirates

Average Salary: $60,304

The UAE is one of the highest paying countries for English teachers in Asia as the demand for English teachers in the UAE remains consistently high, driven by the country's emphasis on English language proficiency as a crucial skill for global communication and economic growth. With a booming expatriate population and a growing number of international schools and language institutes, there's a continuous need for qualified teachers who can teach English effectively.

Click here to see the 5 Highest Paying Countries for English Teachers.

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Disclosure: None. 15 Highest Paying Countries for English Teachers is originally published on Insider Monkey.
First Right on India's National Resources - Politics and Reality

Finally, in this entire episode, both Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi can be asked that when you, by pursuing neoliberal policies, are handing over the first rights of the countrys resources, assets and public sector enterprises to the corporate houses, then why are you running this fake debate?

Monday May 6, 2024 5:56 PM , Prem Singh

During the election season, there is a debate going on between the BJP and the Congress as to who has the first right on the countrys resources. However, its an ugly debate for which mainly the BJP is responsible.

Nowadays, Narendra Modi is the BJP. And he is constantly and blatantly dividing the citizens on the communal lines while reducing the level of electoral debate to the lowest of low. Quoting the statements of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he blames that the Congress wants to give all the resources of the country to Muslims. Even the mangal-sutras (auspicious threads) of the Hindu women!

Congress denies the allegation by saying neither Manmohan Singh had said anything like this, nor has the Congress ever said this. This ongoing debate between the two big parties can be seen in the light of a forgotten document i.e. the Justice Sachar Committee Report .

Of the two statements of Manmohan Singh in the discussion, the first is from December 2006, and the second is from April 2009. That means both these statements were given by him after the submission of the Sachar Committee Report.

The 7-member High-Level Committee of the Prime Minister was constituted on 5 March 2005 under the Chairmanship of Justice Sachar by the then Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh with the aim to prepare a report about the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community in the country. The Committees 403-page report was submitted in November 2006 and presented in the Lok Sabha on 30 November 2006.

The report was prepared on the basis of data received from diverse sources from the Central and State Governments. The report said that the minorities, especially the Muslims, have been ignored under the rule of all central governments. The report drew attention for the first time to the ever-increasing economic inequality and social insecurity and alienation of Muslims in India since independence.

Based on the official data, it was found that the Muslim population is under-represented in the civil services, police, army and even politics. Muslims are more likely than other Indians to be poor, uneducated, unhealthy, and to be in trouble with the law. The findings and recommendations of the report immediately became a topic of sharp debate in political, social and intellectual circles of the country, and even abroad. Consequently, it received praise from a large part of intelligentsia as well as from political parties.

The report was considered to be a mirror which showed the true picture of the Muslim community throughout India. With the report, the myth of Muslim appeasement which had been going on since independence was dashed in one fell swoop. One of the findings of the report that the condition of Muslims in the country is worse than that of Dalits had surprised many people. Moreover, the worst condition of Muslims is in West Bengal, which was ruled by the CPM-led Left Front government for a long time.

There were also some dissenting voices regarding the reports findings, recommendations and methodology. But they were of technical nature. Most people appreciated the report in intellectual and political circles. The BJP strongly opposed the report. And there and then it was alleged by it that the Congress wants to give all the resources of the country to Muslims.

It may also be noted that there was a race among all the secular political parties to promise in their manifestos to implement the recommendations of the Sachar Committee Report. But all such parties, including the Congress, stopped even mentioning the Sachar Committee Report while surrendering to Narendra Modis weapon of majoritarianism. The Sachar Committee report was not mentioned in the manifesto of even a single political party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Nor perhaps in this election. Even in the current controversy, the Congress has not yet justified Manmohan Singhs statement by citing the predicament of Muslims as presented in the Sachar Committee report.

Manmohan Singhs first statement was clearly about the need for empowerment of the deprived and vulnerable groups of the society  Dalits, tribals, backward classes, women, poor Muslims and children. The BJP took this inclusive and comprehensive statement out of context and at the same time blatantly accused the Prime Minister and the Congress that they were going to give all the resources of the country to Muslims. The clarification issued from the Prime Ministers Office had no effect on the BJPs protest. In the second statement, which was given just before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he talked about giving priority to the poor Muslims.

As the Prime Minister of the country, Dr. Manmohan Singhs advocacy for the countrys most vulnerable community would be considered a praiseworthy and necessary act. Along with this, Manmohan Singh, the father of the New Economic Policies, must have understood very well that the worst impact of the privatization-liberalization policies in the country will be on the already deprived and weaker sections, among whom, according to the Sachar Committee Report, the poor Muslims will be the most affected who are situated at the bottom.

This is what happened. On the tenth anniversary of the Sachar Committee Report , PUCL, Socialist Yuvjan Sabha (SYS) and Khudai Khidmatgar had organized a one-day symposium in Delhi. Justice Sachar himself was present in that program as an audience. Syed Mahmood Zafar, who was OSD on behalf of the government in the committee, explained in detail that even after 10 years, there has been negligible implementation of the recommendations of the report. Here is the Prime Minister who is provoking the majority that if the Congress wins, it will give all the resources to Muslims!

The strategy behind Manmohan Singhs statement to regain the old vote bank of the Congress cannot be denied. This is the time when Rahul Gandhi had started visiting the homes of Dalits, and eating food with them, with the aim to bring them into the Congress fold. Angered by the attack on her vote bank, Mayawati used to take a dig at Rahul Gandhi.

But in Narendra Modis BJP, it becomes a crime for any leader, intellectual or citizen to take the name of Muslims. Perhaps this is the fear that in support of Manmohan Singhs statement, neither the Congress, nor any other so-called secular political party, nor any intellectual is mentioning the Sachar Committee Report and the reality of Muslim life described in it. This is a matter of deep concern for a constitutional nation and civilized society. The Sachar Committee Report not only presents statistics, but also gives a direction as to how India should be built as a civil society in the present modern world.

Finally, in this entire episode, both Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi can be asked that when you, by pursuing neoliberal policies, are handing over the first rights of the countrys resources, assets and public sector enterprises to the corporate houses, then why are you running this fake debate?

[The writer, Prem Singh, is associated with socialist movement the author is a former teacher of Delhi University and a fellow of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.]

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According to the notification released by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), ISC 12th result 2024 will be announced today i.e. Monday May 06, 2024 at 11:00 AM.

Monday May 6, 2024 11:18 AM , ummid.com News Network

ISC Class 12th Result 2024 Live Updates: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has declared on its official website cisce.org and results.cisce.org the results of the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th) 2024 exam.

The Council said it registered an overall pass percentage of 98.19%% in ISC Class 12 board examination held in 2024.

Appeared: 99,901

Pass: 98,088

Pass percentage: 98.19%



08:00 AM: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is set to declare on its official website cisce.org and results.cisce.org the results of the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th) 2024 exam today i.e. Monday May 06, 2024.

According to the notification released by the Council, the ISC 12th result will be announced today by 11:00 AM today.

"ISC results will be published on Monday May 06, 2024 at 11:00 AM IST", the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) said in a single line message posted on its official website.

Direct link to check ISC Class 12th Result 2024

1. Click here to go to ISC Class 12 Result Page: cisce.org .

2. Select Course.

3. Enter UID and Index Number.

4. Enter the Captcha code as you see.

5. Click on 'Show Result' button.

6. Take a print out of the scorecard for future reference.

Along with the ISC result, the council will also release Pass Percentage details, Merit List with Toppers name and their marks.

The ISC 2024 results will also be available via SMS.

To receive the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th ) 2024 exam results by SMS, the candidate will require to type ISC followed by their seven digit unique ID code and send message to 09248082883.

About a lakh students from India and abroad appeared in the ISC 12th exam 2024 held from February 21, 2024 to April 03, 2024.

ISC 12th Previous Year Pass Percentage, Toppers

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) announced the results of the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th ) 2023 exam and toppers list on May 14, 2023.

According to the ISC result 2023 data , a total of 5 students had secured the Rank 1 position in ISC Class 12 Result 2023. Out of the 5 ISC Toppers, 3 were girls.

ISC 2022 Examination Results was declared on Sunday, 24th July 2022 when the overall pass percentage was 99.38. The Pass percentage of girl students is 99.52 whereas that of boys is 99.26.

ISC 12th exam 2021 was cancelled due to Covid-19 and result was prepared based on internal assessment.

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ISC 12th Result 2024 Declared, Check Toppers List

According to the CISCE result 2024 data, it recorded an overall pass percentage of 98.19% in the 2024 ISC 12th Exam.

Monday May 6, 2024 2:02 PM , ummid.com News Network

ISC Class 12th Toppers List 2024: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has announced the results of the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th) 2024 exam along with Merit List toppers name n its official websites cisce.org and results.cisce.org.

The council has not officially released the ISC 12th Topper List 2024. However, based on the score shared by the schools, following students are the toppers.

Full List of ISC Class 12th Toppers 2024

La Martiniere for Girls (West Bengal)

Ribhya Saraf- 99.75% Manya Kejriwal- 99.5% Meghmala Bandhopadhyay- 98.75%

DPS Newton (West Bengal)

Aaratrika Ghosh- 99.25% Anushree Karmakar- 98.25% Sudiksha Mandal- 98.25% Shinjini Chakraborty- 98% Tirna Sengupta- 98%



ISC 2024 Overall Pass Percentage

The coucil recorded an overall pass percentage of 98.19% in the 2024 ISC 12th Exam. This is about 1.2% lower than 2023 result when the pass percentage was 99.38%.

Appeared: 99,901

Pass: 98,088

Pass percentage: 98.19%



A total of 98,505 students had appeared in the exams. Of them 51,781 were boys and the rest were girl students.

According to the notification released by the Council, the ISC 12th result will be announced today by 11:00 AM today.

"ISC results will be published on Monday May 06, 2024 at 11:00 AM IST", the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) said in a single line message posted on its official website.

Direct link to check ISC Class 12th Result 2024

1. Click here to go to ISC Class 12 Result Page: cisce.org .

2. Select Course.

3. Enter UID and Index Number.

4. Enter the Captcha code as you see.

5. Click on 'Show Result' button.

6. Take a print out of the scorecard for future reference.

Along with the ISC result, the council will also release Pass Percentage details, Merit List with Toppers name and their marks.

The ISC 2024 results will also be available via SMS.

To receive the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th ) 2024 exam results by SMS, the candidate will require to type ISC followed by their seven digit unique ID code and send message to 09248082883.

About a lakh students from India and abroad appeared in the ISC 12th exam 2024 held from February 21, 2024 to April 03, 2024.

ISC 12th Previous Year Pass Percentage, Toppers

The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) announced the results of the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class XII (Class 12th ) 2023 exam and toppers list on May 14, 2023.

According to the ISC result 2023 data , a total of 5 students had secured the Rank 1 position in ISC Class 12 Result 2023. Out of the 5 ISC Toppers, 3 were girls.

ISC 2022 Examination Results was declared on Sunday, 24th July 2022 when the overall pass percentage was 99.38. The Pass percentage of girl students is 99.52 whereas that of boys is 99.26.

ISC 12th exam 2021 was cancelled due to Covid-19 and result was prepared based on internal assessment.

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Tamil Nadu HSE (+2) Result 2024 - Direct Link to Check

Class 12 Students in Tamil Nadu can check their HSE Plus Two results at dge.tn.gov.in, dge1.tn.nic.in, tnresults.nic.in and dge1.tn.nic.in

Monday May 6, 2024 7:26 AM , ummid.com News Network

Tamil Nadu 12th Result 2024: Tamil Nadu State Board of Secondary Education (TNBSE) is set to declare Class 12 i.e. HSE +2 exam result 2024 on its official website tnresults.nic.in today i.e. Monday May 06, 2024.

"HSE (+2) 2024 Results is Expected on Monday 6th May 2024 at 09:30 am", Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu said in a single line message displayed on its website.

Class 12 or HSE Plus 2 exams in Tamil Nadu were held from March 01 to 22, 2024. About 7.5 lakh students from different districts of Tamil Nadu has appeared in the said board exams.

According to the Directorate sources, evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets was completed on April 13, 2024.

Direct link to check TNBSE HSE +2 Result 2024

1. Click here to go to the official website: tnresults.nic.in .

2. Click on TN Board HSE 12th Class Results 2024.

3. Enter Registration Number and Date of Birth.

4. Check your class 12th HSE results once it appears on the screen.

5. Download and then take a printout of the same.

Candidates can also check their Plus Two results at dge.tn.gov.in, dge1.tn.nic.in, tnresults.nic.in and dge1.tn.nic.in.

TN 12th HSC Result on SMS

To get Tamil Nadu 12th Result 2024 as an SMS on phone, candidates will have to register the mobile number at the official websites.

Candidates are advised to contact their school to obtain hard copy of mark sheet from May 07, 2024 onwards from the website www.dge.tn.nic.in.

TN Board Exam 2023 Results

The TN board had registered a pass percentage of 94.03% in Class 12th exams of the year 2023.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Government Examinations, Tamil Nadu has also confirmed the date and time to release the Class 10 SSLC and HSE +1 or Class 11 result 2024.

The directorate said TN SSLC result 2024 will be declared on May 10 whereas Class 11 of Plus One result will be announced on May 14, 2024.

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At the University of North Georgia, we deeply value and uphold the cherished right of every American to freely express themselves. It is a hallmark of our history, our tradition, and permeates our culture. As a distinguished Senior Military College, with a legacy spanning over 150 years, we take great pride in our role of cultivating leaders who tirelessly defend these fundamental freedoms for all citizens. The legacy of our graduates in this regard is second to none.

As campus leaders, our primary responsibility is to cultivate an academic environment that ensures this exchange of ideas and the safety of our community. Across all five campuses, we are committed to fostering a welcoming atmosphere where individuals feel empowered to freely express themselves and engage in exploration and learning. However, it is essential that these rights are exercised in a manner that upholds our academic mission, preserves the safety of all, and is in accordance with our institutional policies, without unlawful behavior. This means breaking the law, harassment, intimidation, trespassing, violence, and other criminal acts will not be tolerated at the University of North Georgia.

Together, let's uphold the principles of respect, understanding, and civility as we equip our students to walk toward their purpose.

Bold Forward!
This is her first year as a full-time college student. The Talking Rock, Georgia, resident earned additional college credits through dual enrollment.

Emilyns extensive record of impactful, sustained leadership coupled with her academic excellence and commitment to the Appalachian region no doubt made her a standout to the Fulbright UKSI committee, Dr. Anastasia Lyn, assistant vice president for academic affairs and dean of honors program, said. Similarly, in choosing UNGs 2024-2025 Newman Civic Fellow, we applauded her motivation and drive in developing creative approaches to solve local challenges. We look forward to seeing how Emilyn grows her leadership and transfers it back to the UNG community through both elite, highly-competitive opportunities.

Slemons was also recently named a 2024-25 Newman Civic Fellow, a yearlong program that recognizes and supports student public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor based on their potential for public leadership and their work with communities.

"I am excited to form connections with my peers and fellow future leaders throughout the country, and I look forward to the progress we will be able to achieve by working together," Slemons said of the designation.

Slemons was awarded the Carl A. Ross Student Paper Award (Undergraduate Category) from the Appalachian Studies Association. Her award-winning paper, "Catalyst: Memories of the Life of Helen Matthews Lewis" focused on Lewis' vital contributions to Appalachian studies and was completed for her History of Appalachia class taught by Barry Whittemore. The award was presented in memory of Alice Sampson, founder of UNG's Appalachian Studies Center and professor of middle grades education.

"Dr. Lewis was a member of the church I attend, Cherry Log Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). When we discussed Dr. Lewis in my History of Appalachia class last semester, I was delighted to learn about her impact on Appalachia," Slemons said. "I chose to research her because I wanted to learn more about her many accomplishments and the reach of her influence in Appalachia and beyond. Researching Dr. Lewis allowed me to connect someone from my childhood to my passion for contemporary American history in a unique and meaningful way."

Slemons added that utilizing her connections  Lewis' friends and fellow Appalachian scholars  allowed her to celebrate Lewis' life and legacy while adding a personal aspect to her paper. Lewis also served as an inspiration for the young woman.

"Reading about her life is, in many ways, a call to activism. She fought tirelessly for what she believed in, risking everything and never backing down," Slemons explained. "Researching Dr. Lewis and her work in Appalachia has allowed me to study and better identify structural oppression while learning about Appalachia, a largely under-researched but captivating area of America."

Whittemore said Slemons' paper was extraordinary.

"Her research was deep and original, including conducting oral histories. It is one of the best papers I have ever received. In competition she outshone several graduate students from other institutions," Whittemore said. "She may be the best student I have taught."

Slemons said she looks forward to going to Wales and applying what she learns there to her studies stateside.

"I cannot wait to immerse myself in Welsh culture and engage with my fellow cohort as we learn about political and economic systems in Wales," she said. "Given the similarities between Wales and Appalachia, this program will support my work as a social activist by enabling me to learn how these systems function in Wales and how I can apply this knowledge to challenges we face in the United States, particularly in Appalachia.

Outside of UNG, Slemons serves as executive director of Women Together Period Inc., a nonprofit organization out of Ellijay that provides menstrual products at no cost to those in need. She was recently selected to serve as UNG's student representative member of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber of Commerce Board.

Slemons said she derives her sense of purpose from working to address the needs of her community and beyond.

"I know that partnership is crucial as we strive for a more equitable society," she said. "From a young age, I have been involved in community service and outreach. More importantly, these opportunities enabled me to see the needs in my community and work to address them."

Upon graduating from UNG, Slemons plans to pursue a doctoral degree in contemporary American history and aspires to become a university professor.
China New Growth: Digitalization professions thrive as Chinese industries go smart

Xinhua) 08:47, May 06, 2024

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- As the head of a third-party operation company for e-commerce giant Meituan's food delivery service in central China's Hubei Province, 31-year-old Jiang Zeyu has been quite busy conducting interviews to hire new employees recently.

An increasing number of catering enterprises in China are embracing online services, leading to surging demand for digitalization professionals and lots of work for people like Jiang.

By visiting merchants, assessing their business situations, designing food delivery products, and optimizing online operations, Jiang and his team provide a series of food delivery management services, helping merchants expand their brand influence while increasing revenue.

"Seeing the average monthly income of the merchants we serve increase by over 60 percent gives me a strong sense of accomplishment. There is great market potential for digital empowerment in the catering industry and beyond," Jiang said.

Jiang is one of the growing community of professionals driving the transformation of various industries in China towards a smart future. The flourishing digital economy in various fields has given rise to a variety of digital professions and a strong demand for digital talents, setting up a broad stage for career development.

The added value of the core industries of China's digital economy in 2023 is expected to exceed 12 trillion yuan (about 1.69 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for about 10 percent of GDP.

The key to developing the digital economy is to speed up the cultivation of digital talents and train a large number of high-level digital engineers and highly-skilled personnel, said Li Jinsheng, an official with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

It is estimated that a gap requiring about 25 million to 30 million digitalization professionals needs to be filled to meet the demand of China's digital economy.

China has in recent years stepped up efforts to nurture professionals serving the digital economy, including developing national occupational standards for digitalization professions and designing tailor-made training courses.

In the country's latest revised version of its list of recognized occupations released in 2022, 97 professions related to the digital sectors, such as internet marketing specialist and digital twin application technician, were added for the first time.

In April 2024, the government unveiled a three-year plan to foster talent to drive the growth of its digital economy. The initiative aims to enhance support for digital talent through various programs and policy reinforcements.

This new policy outlines six key projects, including digital technology engineer training, digital skills enhancement and international exchanges for digital talent. It also encourages educational institutions and enterprises to play their part in boosting the supply of talent.

In 2020, Meituan joined hands with the country's human resources ministry to roll out a food delivery operations skills training project, which has so far trained tens of thousands of food delivery operators in the catering industry, benefiting over 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses.

In southwest China's Guizhou Province, a digital economy pioneer province in the country, colleges have set up related majors, while 20 training bases for big data professionals have been identified there.

The number of professionals related to big data has risen to 430,000 in 2023, said Zhang Tao, who is in charge of HR and talent development for the province's big data industry.

"We also saw improvement in the talent structure. However, we still need more high-skilled professionals and R&D talents," Zhang added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
HA NOI  The textile and garment industry has long faced an imbalance between production stages.

The two stages at the beginning and end of the chain, yarn and sewing, have a very large scale of development, while weaving and dyeing have remained industry bottlenecks for years.

Infrastructure for weaving, dyeing and fabric production is still limited, and there is no spatial planning for development and centralised wastewater treatment, said Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, Deputy General Secretary of the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas).

Some localities refuse textile and dyeing projects, saying that the textile and dyeing industry causes pollution, although investors say they will use modern processing technology that will not have a negative impact on the environment.

Meanwhile, to enjoy preferential tariffs from new generation free trade agreements (FTAs), businesses must meet the rules of origin from the yarn on or from the fabric onwards.

To solve the problem of limited raw material supply, we need to take advantage of the benefits of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to attract foreign investment in the raw material supply chain, Mai told the Kinh Doanh (Business) online magazine.

Experts believe that if the bottleneck in the dyeing process could be resolved, it would help raise Viet Nam's position in the global textile and garment supply chain, enabling it to take full advantage of FTA tariff preferences.

Not only with the issue of textile dyeing, the shift of investment into the supply shortage of the Vietnamese textile and garment industry is still not as expected.

Domestic enterprises in the textile and garment industry still lack connection and fail to fully complete the supply chain within the country. As a result, the supply of raw materials is heavily reliant on imports at various stages of the production process.

Up to 90 per cent of textile and garment raw materials of enterprises in HCM City were dependent on imports (mainly from China), while only 10 per cent was local supply, said Pham Xuan Hong, Chairman of the HCM City Textile and Garment - Embroidery Association (Agtek).

In general, shifting investment into the textile and garment raw materials sector required more effort from domestic enterprises, rather than relying solely on foreign direct investment (FDI), said Hong.

To reach the goal the Government has approved in the "Strategy for developing Vietnamese Textile, Garment and Footwear Industry by 2030, with a vision by 2035", one decisive solution needed is to increase investment in the industry's supply shortage.

We must consider investing in the supply shortage in the textile and garment industry as an urgent need, noted Hong.

This requires policy support promotion and capital sources for domestic enterprises to invest in textile and garment supporting industries.

Furthermore, in areas and localities with a high density of textile and garment enterprises, it is also recommended to build a number of large industrial parks in the field of textile and garment supporting industries with new technology to ensure environmental standards for "greening" the textile industry.  VNS
Linh Anh

HA NOI  Tiptoeing gingerly on the sandy path along the shoreline, Huong Giang tried not to let her shoes get swallowed up by the gravelly beach mixed with tiny sea shells.

The soggy sand-covered path, treaded by weary, trampling feet, led to the foot of an old crumbling stone staircase with no railings.

The staircase was fractured in half by large, shattered bricks, leaving it no longer sturdy enough to support anyone trying to climb it. Giang gazed up the staircase, she saw a devastated scene of dilapidated seafront bungalows, sitting precariously on a rocky cliff.

Their frail structures are supported by makeshift fragile-looking poles that appeared crooked after recent violent coastal storms and high tides.

The two-kilometre Cua ai Beach stretch in Quang Nam Province suffered severe erosion after days of bombardment by strong waves and tropical-storm-force winds.

During the tempest, a row of clifftop restaurants on the seafront were left uninhabitable. As the ground crumbled and houses were sheared from their foundations, entire structures slid down the incline onto the beach itself.

The first rays of sunshine had chased away the rain clouds, but they werent strong enough to dry the earth. Giang walked along the sand paths snaking between the torn-down restaurants, scanning the area for any signs of human life. She was met only by large piles of rubble, bags of trash, old rusted fences, and smashed plastic chairs and tables.

Giang and her colleagues had a business trip to Cua ai Beach in Quang Nams famous Hoi An Town as they were involved in consulting and evaluating a natural disaster risk reduction project, initiated and aided by the State.

"I still remember that business trip, around the end of 2020, during a period when there was a severe storm in Hoi An. Storms and coastal erosion remain a serious threat to coastal habitats and residents in Hoi Ans Cua ai Beach, she told Viet Nam News.

These houses are seaside restaurants. The residents operate these restaurants by the coastline, some of them living right here as well. After the storm, their homes were washed away, they lost their means of livelihood. Their employees also lost jobs and faced a precarious situation, she said.

Giang currently works at an international development co-operation organisation that involves in supporting the development of sustainable agriculture, forestry, and nature-based solutions.

Her ongoing projects focus on the environment, climate change, forestry and the management of nature reserves. Most of these projects emphasise assisting areas that face frequent natural hazards, such as the Mekong Delta, coastal areas and mountainous regions.

Giang once visited the remote villages in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giangs Hoang Su Phi District, where she was engaged in a natural disaster risk reduction project initiated by an American relief agency.

Torrential rains had triggered a massive hillside collapse in this region, forcing village ethnic dwellers to be permanently displaced.

Chunks of dirt, handfuls of gravel, and beads of water combined and shifted until they coalesced into a cascade that blocked roads, sheared homes from their foundations, and claimed precious lives.

The village is inhabited by ethnic minorities, who, by their customs and culture, have constructed their houses on craggy ridgelines that are landslide-prone areas. These people need to be relocated soon, she told Viet Nam News.

I have always cudgeled my brain about a solution that balances national policies to ensure the safety and stability of people's lives while preserving and respecting the cultural identities of different ethnic groups, she said.

Forest to fortune

Science and technology have been in place, but substantial progress has yet to be achieved. Sustainable development, land use planning, and habitation policy must be informed by a thorough understanding of the scientific prerequisites and evidence-based technical analysis.

However, the involvement of advanced scientific knowledge and the international nugget of wisdom sometimes remain incompatible with domestic projects, Giang said.

Applying advanced science selectively and customise it to suit local conditions, while resorting to indigenous knowledge, will enhance the feasibility of projects.

Giang believes that well-trained Vietnamese experts are the linchpin for the effective application of advanced scientific technologies. She wants to be one of them.

Thanks to her relentless efforts, Giang successfully secured the Fulbright master scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year, aided by the US government. She will major in environmental science, specialising in ecosystems.

"I want to research natural disaster risk reduction management and the impact of climate change, utilising nature-based solutions, spatial analysis and modeling."

The Fulbright scholarship possesses a vast network of scholars, including accomplished researchers and activists across various fields. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach to addressing environmental issues and climate change is imperative, she said.

Other than the Fulbright scholarship, Giang has also received a government scholarship from another country, which includes two years of master's study from a government source and three years of doctoral study under a professor.

She said: "My practical work experience encouraged me to choose Fulbright over other option. Fulbright programme enables me to study in the US, a country known for its technological advancements and multicultural environment.

When I participated in a project at Chien Pho, a remote village in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, two years ago, I had the opportunity to work in both villages and schools.

"Although we all can see the inadequate facilities and infrastructure in schools within these highland regions through television and newspapers, numerous aspects can only be truly comprehended through firsthand observation.

For those residing in flatlands or modern cities, traveling ten kilometres to attend classes each morning may no longer be too far. However, in the rugged terrain of the northern mountainous region, it could take half a day or more.

As a result, schools here are often divided into separate classes located miles apart. These smaller 'schools' must also be relocated away from landslide-prone areas, she said.

I remember a middle school principal once told me that he had a modest wish: to have more hot water tanks and sufficient electricity for boarding students to bathe during the winter, thereby safeguarding their health.

My sincere hope is that students in remote areas have access to knowledge, enjoy safe living conditions, and maintain good health, allowing them to grow up in a peaceful environment. All of these act as a catalyst, pushing me to pursue further studies in my chosen field.

After each day-long business trip to remote forests or treacherous landscapes, Giang is exhausted, clammy, and sore. She is eager to get home and rediscover the comfort of soft mattresses, fresh vegetables, and hot water. However, she was proud of having helped to find and collect scientific data that will be available for further research.

For a moment, she was part of a long line of people who cared enough about knowing nature. She knows that someone will be there to see what shes found.  VNS
Unsorted waste could be denied collection according to a draft document proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Dr Vu Thanh Ca, senior lecturer at Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment spoke to Voice of Vietnam (VOV) about the feasibility of this tentative policy and the necessary mechanisms for implementation.

What is the significance of the policy to deny collection of unsorted waste?

This is a necessary policy and one of the key regulations for waste classification in practice. Denying collection towards unsorted household waste will be a crucial decision.

This is because without waste sorting at the source, it is impossible to employ advanced waste classification technologies to ensure environmental sanitation and utilise garbage as a resource for a sustainable, circular economy related to waste.

Concerns have been raised about how this measure can lead to littering, or how feasible the policy is for apartment buildings that collect waste through trash chutes. What is your opinion on this matter?

It is necessary to monitor waste classification in households.

Unsorted waste can be returned to the source, along with a fine to compensate for the trash collectors effort in this process.

In some cases, we can publicise the violating households on their local neighbourhoods bulletin board to increase the pressure and propel residents to sort out their household waste.

Apartment buildings each have a management board. They must advocate, mobilise and make decisions together with the residents.

If waste is not sorted before collection, it can be returned to the buildings management board.

Any person who does not follow waste sorting practices can affect the whole residential building and that will pressure the community into action.

What are the lessons learned from other countries in the world in regard to waste sorting at the source?

Most developed countries in the world have required waste classification at the source.

Japan employs a community-based approach, which means surveillance camera systems are put to use and public oversight is promoted.

If they find anyone who throws away garbage without sorting or not on schedule, they will return the trash bags at the door of the violating household.

Meanwhile, South Korea has strict regulations and hefty fines. Depending on the level of violations, the penalty can range from VN4 million (US$160) to VN20 million ($790).

Each country has their own specific policy on the issue, but all aim for sorting at the source, radical treatment of waste and making use of trash as a resource.

What are the necessary mechanisms to ensure that denying collection for unsorted waste will be a feasible policy?

A priority is to issue a detailed guideline on how to sort out waste at source. This information needs to be widely available so that everyone can have access to the knowledge.

There should also be advocacy campaigns to mobilise engagement from the public.

Another important thing is to employ a good infrastructure. It would be meaningless if waste is sorted out at the source and but then collected together.

Currently, we do not have customised vehicles to transport sorted waste. It is also necessary to have a schedule for specific waste collection.

We must also put in place strict regulations and develop pivotal laws for a thorough, comprehensive legal framework for implementation.

If we do not start right now and take stringent actions, it will be extremely difficult to achieve the desired results.  VNS
HA NOI  The Peoples Picks Awards 2024, a community-voted prize showing the best lifestyle addresses in Ha Noi and HCM City, has opened to votes.

It features more than 50 categories under Eateries, Sips, Shopping, Services, Experiences and People & Culture. The award is nominated and voted on completely by the community, including Vietnamese and expats from the two cities.

Cydny Voice, the founder and manager of Where in Hanoi and Where in Vietnam, said: "The People's Picks Awards is the epitome of what Where In Vietnam stands for and we are so grateful to bring it back for round two.

"Our focus has always been on supporting small businesses and uniting the community. This campaign is our way of amplifying everyones voice in an enjoyable experience that spans two months.

"Its a real joy to see how it brings people together and businesses boost their marketing efforts for this event. Were pouring a lot of effort into this and hope everyone appreciates what were trying to achieve  we aim to make this an annual highlight that continues to inspire and uplift year after year."

Dana Bradley, the partner and director of Where in HCMC community, told Viet Nam News: "I enjoy being part of this campaign because I learn about businesses Ive never heard of that will actively make my life better and easier. It takes a village to crowdsource and share this type and volume of information. Its a solution for time-crunched consumers who want to connect with like-minded businesses, and its a way for businesses to connect with people who want to find them."

Where in Vietnam, founded and run by Vietnamese and expats living here, aims to become the number one lifestyle hub and community connector for the citizens in Viet Nam and other cities in Southeast Asia. They have a massive community, earning them nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram.

Their content features reviews on food and beverage, shops and services, as well as summaries of events and experiences coming through their account and a monthly newsletter.

They also designed a Ha Noi and HCM City starter pack for expats who plan to relocate here and a Viet Nams visitor pack for travellers.

The People's Picks Awards 2023, organised for the first time last year, had over 3,000 votes and 176 businesses that the community from Ha Noi and HCM City recommended.

The voting round will end on May 12. The award announcement and guide launch are scheduled for May 27. The community can vote via https://whereinvietnam.com/  VNS
SEOUL Hodu, a three-year-old female Pomeranian, was the talk of the town last week in the nations capital as Seoul citizens expressed their affection for a member of the Dog Patrol Programme that provides civilian patrol activities across the city.

Im not so cold-hearted as to enjoy such a sight by myself, wrote Seongdong-gu chief Chung Won-oh on his X account, as he shared the photos and videos of Hodu. The dog and her owner recently joined Seouls patrol program that officially commenced last month.

Starting in 2022, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been operating the Dog Patrol Programme which invites people with pet dogs to watch for and report any suspected crimes or other safety risks to authorities while they go for walks in their neighbourhood.

The pet owners and their animals are not expected to patrol shady areas or actively provide assistance to local law enforcement, of course, but they are asked to report potential risks they can see in their everyday lives. They are also encouraged to assist the community by accompanying children on their way to school or helping senior citizens suffering from dementia.

Participants of the Dog Patrol Programme carry out joint patrols on the last Wednesday of every month, with different themes each month varying from inspecting crime prevention facilities, ensuring womens safe returns home, and promoting responsible pet ownership.

The programme started with 64 teams upon its launch in 2022 and quickly expanded to 1,011 teams last year, who in their 48,431 walks filed a combined 331 emergency reports to the police and 2,263 reports of safety or inconveniences spotted across the city.

A total of 1,424 teams have been appointed to keep watch in their neighbourhood this year, a combination of 467 newly designated teams and 957 teams who will continue with their patrol activities.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to continue recruiting for the Dog Patrol Programme, with its goal this year being to operate a total of 2,000 human-pet teams.

Those wishing to apply can visit https://petrol.or.kr, to see if their regional government is recruiting. The latest recruitment for teams in Seoul and Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, recently ended, but Busan and Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, are still recruiting until May 22 and May 9, respectively.

Potential members can submit their name and personal information, the average number of walks per week, along with their pet dogs name, breed, weight, gender, age and animal registration number. They will then go through an on-the-job test, which will test the dogs behavior and reactions to outside factors such as larger dogs. The Korea Herald/ANN
HA NOI  French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu's visit "holds significant importance in strengthening the Viet Nam-France Strategic Partnership and reaffirms their commitment to leaving the past behind and moving forward".

That remark was made by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on May 6 when he received French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu, who is on a visit to Viet Nam to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the ien Bien Phu victory.

Reflecting on Viet Nam's turbulent history of war, Chinh affirmed his country's deep appreciation for peace, cooperation and development.

He reiterated Viet Nam's high regard for its strategic partnership with France and conveyed greetings and an invitation from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Viet Nam.

He also wished to extend an invitation to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to visit the country soon.

He expressed satisfaction with the flourishing Viet Nam-France relationship, which has strengthened across various domains over the past decade, notably in culture, architecture, people-to-people ties, politics, economics, education and defence.

He noted that France was the first Western nation to establish military ties with Viet Nam in 1991. He also welcomed the positive outcomes of discussions between the French Minister and his Vietnamese counterpart during this visit.

He proposed that the two sides continue to exchange high-level delegations and prepare for the upcoming visit to Viet Nam by French President Macron.

He also suggested deepening bilateral ties in areas including climate change, energy transition, digital economy development, transportation infrastructure and science and technology. He also pressed for continued mutual support at international and regional forums to address global issues.

The Prime Minister requested that France support and promote the early ratification of the Viet Nam-EU Investment Protection Agreement and the removal of EC's yellow card for Vietnamese seafood, given its efforts in combating illegal unreported and unregulated fishing.

He also requested the establishment of new cooperation mechanisms in human resource training, defence exhibitions, peacekeeping, war remediation and mine clearance.

France was also asked to strengthen cooperation in preserving, restoring and promoting the values of the ien Bien Phu battlefield, especially in sharing archival materials related to the historic site.

For his part, Minister Lecornu reaffirmed France's high regard for its relationship with Viet Nam and admiration for the country's spirit of independence and self-reliance.

He highlighted the significance of sharing historical memories and expressed gratitude to Viet Nam for its active cooperation and support in repatriating the remains of French soldiers who died in the war.

He revealed that one of the goals of his visit is to prepare for the upcoming visit of President Macron to Viet Nam, underscoring the French leader's strong desire to strengthen substantive ties between the two countries.

The Minister said he would discuss with relevant French agencies how to promote cooperation projects and expressed hope that the two countries would continue to cement defence cooperation commensurate with the Viet Nam-France strategic partnership.

At the meeting, the two statesmen also discussed regional and international issues of common interest.

They emphasised the importance of the freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of disputes following international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the full implementation of the Declaration on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City's Union of Friendship Organisations and Viet Nam-Netherlands Friendship Association on Monday held a gathering to commemorate the National Day of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (April 27).

In his remarks at the event, Chairman of the association Tran Trong Dung noted that establishing diplomatic relations in April 1973, the two countries have seen their relationship continuously developing and taking significant strides, including its upgrade to a comprehensive partnership in 2019.

He said the Netherlands is currently the largest European investor in the southern Vietnamese metropolis, pouring a total investment capital of over US$5.1 billion. The city is drafting an action plan to implement a new-phase memorandum of cooperation with the Netherlands in flood control and related areas.

Consul General of the Netherlands in HCM City Daniel Coenraad Stork stated that the cooperative relationship between the nations has been promoted in various fields, with recent highlights including visits to Viet Nam by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte last year and by a large Dutch economic delegation in March. A semiconductor company from the Netherlands has already established a presence at the Sai Gon High-Tech Park, he said.

The Consulate General expressed his hope to continue maintaining and enhancing collaboration with the two municipal friendship union and association, contributing to the development of the Viet Nam-Netherlands friendship and cooperation.  VNS
PRAGUE  A get-together has been held in Budapest, Hungary, to mark the 49th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the national reunification (April 30, 1975-2024).

The event was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Association in Hungary and the Hungary-Viet Nam Friendship Association.

Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Hungary Vu Quy Duong said the event is to show gratitude towards fallen soldiers and Hungarian veterans who participated in Viet Nam's struggle for national liberation and independence.

Botz Laszalo, chairman of the Hungary-Viet Nam Friendship Association, expressed his honour and pride to play a part in Viet Nam's reunification process as a member of the International Commission for Control and Supervision of the Paris Peace Agreement. He said he has witnessed the comprehensive development of the bilateral relationship which has been nurtured by generations of leaders and people of the two countries.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Nguyen Thi Bich Thao expressed her thanks for great contributions of the peace-loving people in the world, including Hungarian friends in the struggle for national defence and construction. As many as 636 Hungarian military and civilian personnel participated in the International Commission for Control and Supervision of the implementation of the Paris Peace Agreement (Commissioner Quadrilateral Committee) from 1973 to 1975.

The annual event was a chance for the Vietnamese community in the host country learn more about Vietnamese history while strengthening the friendship between the two countries.  VNS
HA NOI  The Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and the Central Committee of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) have sent congratulatory messages to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV), on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ien Bien Phu Victory (May 7).

In its message, the LPRP Central Committee wrote that the victory at ien Bien Phu and successes on various fronts during the 1953-54 period created favourable conditions and advantages at the negotiation table, leading to the signing of the Geneva Accords on restoring peace in the three Indochinese countries: Viet Nam, Laos, and Cambodia, on the spirit of respecting each other's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Northern Viet Nam was completely liberated and embarked on socialism building, providing a significant impetus for the liberation of the South and national reunification.

The committee described the 1954 ien Bien Phu Victory as one of the great triumphs of the Vietnamese Party, army and people in the struggle against colonial invasion, a symbol of the combat alliance between the armies and people of Viet Nam and Laos, and a tremendous source of strength that led the struggle for national liberation of the Lao Party and people to victory.

The Lao Party, State, and people express profound gratitude and sincere thanks to the significant, invaluable, effective and timely assistance that the Vietnamese Party, State and people extended to Laos in the past as well as in the current cause of national defence, construction and development.

Meanwhile, the CPP Central Committee wrote that over the past seven decades, the glorious ien Bien Phu Victory, which resonated across the five continents and shook the globe, has been etched in the hearts of the Vietnamese people and international friends. It served as evidence of the solidarity and shared suffering among the three nations of Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos.

The CPP expressed its firm belief that under the sound leadership of the CPV led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Vietnamese people will achieve new and even greater accomplishments in realising the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

The CPP highly values the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries Parties, States and people under the motto "fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability, it said.  VNS
HA NOI  The ien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954) was not only a victory of the strength of intelligence and public consensus but also contributed to the end of the resistance war against the French colonialists of the Vietnamese army and people.

Lieutenant General Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hung Oanh, Principal of the Political Officer Training School under the Ministry of National Defence, said that the reality of the ien Bien Phu campaign showed that the tradition and strength of great national unity, which was upheld and combined with the determination to fight and to win and the desire for peace, truly became an invincible source of spiritual strength transformed into material strength to triumph.

During the ien Bien Phu Campaign, the people's war posture was planned early and organised proactively by the general command of the campaign, with many creative measures used, suitable for each battlefield and each stage. The war posture was the combination of measures to organise, arrange, and deploy forces and means to create an advantageous position and maximise strength to win.

It was implemented widely in all the three Indochinese countries, dividing more than 80 per cent of the French mobile force and creating a favourable position for Vietnam to destroy the enemy at the ien Bien Phu battlefield, said Oanh.

During the campaign, the Vietnamese people contributed 25,560 tonnes of rice, 226 tonnes of salt, 1,909 tonnes of food, 20,991 bicycles, 1,800 bamboo rafts, 756 rudimentary vehicles, 914 pack horses and 3,130 boats. Up to 26,453 individuals joined the campaign as frontline workers.

The figures demonstrated the extraordinary efforts and the mettle of Viet Nam -- then a poor and backward country that was waging a long resistance war full of hardships and sacrifices.

In addition, the great help from the international community, first of all from the people of Laos, Cambodia and socialist countries, was both a material source and a source of political and spiritual strength, thus contributing to the victory of the ien Bien Phu campaign.

Exactly 70 years after that historic day, the ien Bien Phu Victory still leaves valuable lessons and invaluable experiences, including those on promoting the political and spiritual strength of the entire Party, army and people, combining the material with political and spiritual strength, and maximising the spiritual strength at difficult or turning points of time to realise goals and bring the revolution to victory.  VNS
HCM CITY  The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) is investigating the recent hike in airfares following public outcry over the high prices.

The move was ordered by the Transport Ministry in response to concerns that have impacted the publics travel plans, especially during peak periods such as the recent five-day national holiday.

Consisting of 10 members from the CAAV, a team will conduct a comprehensive assessment over a three-day period (from May 7 to 9), focusing on the pricing, transparency, and disclosure of information related to airfares from the beginning of the year.

CAAV has been asked to address any violations within their jurisdiction and report its findings to the ministry by May 10.

The public has expressed concerns over the surge in domestic airfares due to multiple taxes and fees.

However, the Tax Management and Policy Supervision Department under the Ministry of Finance has refuted these claims.

It clarified airfare charges are categorised as specialised aviation service fees, which are not related to the fees outlined in the Law on Fees and Charges.

The increase in airfares is not a result of taxes or fees, it said.

Reports from local media revealed that domestic flight prices for the recent holidays have been 1.5 times higher than usual since March.

For instance, a round-trip ticket from Ha Noi to Quy Nhon (which takes one and a half hours) between April 27 and April 30 cost over VN5 million (US$200).

This airfare is VN600,000 higher than the peak period price a month prior, and VN2 million higher than the following week.

The aviation industry has undergone significant changes recently, including airlines restructuring operations and reducing their fleets.

Bamboo Airways, which previously operated 28 aircraft, now operates only a few after returning all Embraer E190 aircraft to the leasing company.

Pacific Airlines has also suspended operations, returning all aircraft to address debts.

In addition, a recall of Pratt & Whitney (PW) PW1100G engines earlier this year has led to inspections and repairs of manufacturing defects.

Thousands of these engines are expected to be inspected this year and next, potentially impacting airline operations, particularly during peak seasons.

Local airlines such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air, among others, will need to adjust their fleets or incur massive costs to lease aircraft to maintain operations, experts said.  VNS
CA MAU  A man has been jailed for two years for Viet Nam people smuggling.

The People's Court of Tran Van Thoi District of southern Ca Mau Province opened a mobile court session to hear the first instance of a case of organising and brokering for others to escape to abroad or stay illegally in a foreign country.

The jury sentenced defendant Pham Van Nghe, 53, from Ben Tre Province, temporarily residing in Song oc Town of Ca Mau Province, to two years in prison for arranging for others to flee abroad.

The fishing boat used was also confiscated by the court.

The court heard that in August 2019, a man named Le Quoc Khanh went fishing illegally in Malaysian waters and was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison by the Malaysian authority.

After being released from prison, Khanh returned to Viet Nam and met Le Thi ang (also known as Nguyen Thuy Trang) who is living in Malaysia.

Trang hired Khanh to go to Malaysia to catch fish for her and asked Khanh to find a captain and fishermen to work for her.

On February 9, 2023, ang and Nghe arranged for Khanh and Huynh Van Lam to use the fishing boat going from Song oc estuary to Malaysia to catch seafood.

On April 24, 2023, Nghe drove a boat with Le Quoc Khanh, ao Quoc Duong, Nguyen Van Lam, Pham Van Ut, Nguyen Chi Tam and Ngo Doan Cong to illegally return to Viet Nam by sea.

On May 2, 2023, the Song oc Border Guard Station were on patrol when they spotted the boat and Nghe was arrested in November later that year.

Nghe was convicted of the crime of "organising for others to escape abroad". VNS
Statistics published by the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment showed that between January and April, Ba Ria-Vung Tau lured $1.52 billion in overseas funding, equalling 16.4 per cent of the total foreign investment in the whole country.

Among the projects is South Korean Hyosung's $720-million biofibre factory, and Japanese Tosoh Corporation's $176-million chemical project in Phu My 3 Industrial Park (IP).

Hyosung is implementing a plan to become the biggest spandex manufacturer in the world. The company also operates a $540 million carbon fibre factory in Phu My II IP.

The South Korean firm has invested at least $3.5 billion in Vietnam so far, including $1.4 billion in Ba Ria-Vung Tau; $1.9 billion in the southern province of Dong Nai; $200 million in the central province of Quang Nam; and $100 million in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

In March, Ba Ria-Vung Tau awarded an investment registration certificate for a $250 million Electronic Tripod Vietnam factory in Chau Duc IP.

In the first four months of this year, Vietnam had a consolidated registered foreign investment capital of $9.27 billion, up 4.5 per cent on-year. The disbursed capital reached $6.28 billion, up 7.4 per cent.

The manufacturing and processing sector stands in first position in foreign investment capital influx, accounting for 66 per cent of the total registered capital. The runner-up is the real estate sector with a registered capital amount of $1.7 billion.

The traditional investors are from Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and China, which account for 73 per cent of newly registered projects and 73.4 per cent of the total registered capital.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau showing enormous potential for development The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has ramped up efforts to open Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway on schedule by 2025, as directed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on his field visit to the project site in mid-February.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau hosts conference to introduce provincial plan Ba Ria-Vung Tau today hosted a conference to bring exposure to the provincial planning scheme for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, as well as its investment promotion plans.

Over 170,000 DWT container ship docks at Ba Ria  Vung Taus deep-water port The container ship MSC Giusy, with a gross tonnage exceeding 170,000 DWT, on April 11 docked at the deep-water port SSIT in the Cai Mep-Thi Vai complex, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

China's BOE builds $275 million electronics factory in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Top Chinese display maker BOE Technology Group, a supplier of both Apple and Samsung, broke ground on the BOE Vietnam smart terminal phase 2 project on April 18 at Phu My 3 Specialised Industrial Park in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
BAC A BANK's AGM was held in the central province of Nghe An on April 27 with the participation of stakeholders accounting for 91.72 per cent of shares.

The bank's business plan for 2024 includes a number of on-year increases, such as total asset value at 7.5 per cent, charter capital at 18.2 per cent, deposits 4.5 per cent, loans 10.3 per cent, and revenue from services and guarantees 17.4 per cent.

In addition, pre-tax profit will hit VND1.1 trillion ($45.83 million), and the bank will open another 12 transaction offices nationwide.

BAC A BANKs new Board of Directors

At the AGM, the Board of Directors presented the plan, which was approved by shareholders, to increase the bank's charter capital to nearly $412.5 million by either issuing common shares to pay dividends to existing shareholders, or offering them an option to buy more shares.

Shareholders also agreed a 2023 dividend rate of 6.93 per cent from the remaining after-tax profit of last year.

The meeting also approved the election of members to the Board of Directors and supervisory board for 2024-2029. During this term, BAC A BANK will continue to focus on providing loans for projects and industries that benefit the community and society. The bank will also provide diverse financial services.

Stakeholders vote at the AGM

With effort, determination, and lessons learned from the 2019-2024, the board of directors will closely follow the growth goals and tasks approved by the AGM.

Fuelled by the cooperation of the supervisory and executive boards, and the solidarity and enthusiasm of all employees, as well as the trust of shareholders, customers and partners, BAC A BANK will strive to complete these targets, and effectively implement the restructuring plan associated with non-performing loan (NPL) debt resolution for 2021-2025, making positive contributions to the common success of the banking industry, BAC A BANK said.

In 2023, the bank's total asset value reached $6.33 billion, up 18.2 per cent on-year; charter capital hit more than $347.2 million, up 2.5 per cent on-year; and capital mobilisation increased by 21.8 per cent on-year.

Also last year, BAC A BANKs NPL ratio accounted for only 0.92 per cent of total loans.

Its credit growth closely follows the State Bank of Vietnams regulations on credit limits, with credit quality increasingly improved  up 5 per cent compared to 2022, with pre-tax profits reaching nearly $43.66 million.

Investment consultancy activities continue to be promoted, focusing on projects related to high-tech agriculture, healthcare, education, and resort tourism, a bank representative said. These are areas that bring practical benefits to the community and are of great significance to socioeconomic development.

In addition, BAC A BANK also has a clear strategy to diversify its banking products and services, initially deploying the Kiosk Banking channel to bring optimal experiences to customers. The CoreBanking system, internet and mobile banking transaction channels, and card management system are also being continuously upgraded.

BAC A BANK launched two international credit cards last year, and the bank is expecting the card business to become one of its key products.

BAC A BANK offers new loans with preferential rates To support quality of life and business activities in the first six months of this year, and to contribute to giving customers a brilliant start to 2024, Bac A Commercial Joint-Stock Bank (BAC A BANK) has launched personal credit programme incentives named Convenient loans and financial stability. This scheme has flexible terms for loan durations and is suitable for diverse capital use purposes.
At a meeting in mid-April, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to continue clarifying issues with different opinions on the scope, subjects, and implementation policies of the law, while speeding up the online processing of administrative procedures related to land.

The ministry is completing two drafts to be submitted to the government for approval, one directly related to land prices, and the other on implementing the 2024 Land Law. The prime minister has directed ministries and sectors to build documents guiding the implementation of the law to make sure that it can take effect in July this year instead of January 2025 as previously planned.

Business concerns apparent on land law, illustration photo/ Photo Le Toan

Pham Tan Cong, chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, These drafts are two of the most important decrees impacting the investment and trade of businesses. Thus, the drafting board has organised conferences to collect opinions with the expectation to draft a complete decree, which creates feasible conditions for businesses during implementation.

During this process, many issues in the draft decrees are still being discussed and corrections are being proposed.

We cannot follow the entire content of these draft decrees due to too much information. Regardless, the draft decrees are still being updated, said Nguyen Quoc Hiep, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors.

In the draft decree on land pricing, our members say more than 20 pending pieces of content need to be clarified or revised. For example, in the article relating to the withdrawal of land, there are two purposes for withdrawing land: ensuring national security and developing the socioeconomy. The problem is that the draft decree has specific guides to recover land for national security purposes, but no specific explanation for taking back land to serve socioeconomic development.

Hiep said that the current instructions on bidding and selecting investors to implement projects using land were sketchy and many localities were confused on how investors were chosen for projects.

In particular, before bidding to select investors for projects, the land price had not been determined. As a result, when the bidding is finished or even when winners implement land clearance, the land prices are determined at a high level, which can be in excess of investors capacity. Thus, they are forced to give up the projects. We need a more detailed guide on this content, Hiep said.

Besides this, businesses are also concerned with contradictions between the Land Law and draft decree detailing the implementation of certain provisions.

Article 218.2 of the new Land Law stipulates that cases of land usage combined with commerce and services must prepare a land use plan and submit it to the competent authority for approval. However, Article 157 of the draft decree stipulates that some cases of multipurpose land use do not need to prepare a combined land use plan and simultaneously do not have to carry out land registration. Therefore, we are concerned whether the draft is stipulating exceptions to the cases in Article 218 in the new law, said Trinh Minh Hang of the Legal Division at Honda Vietnam.

The company expects the draft decree will add detailed instructions when using multipurpose land so that businesses do not face any barriers during implementation, Hang added.

According to the Office of the National Assembly, the new 16-chapter Land Law boasts regulations on determining land prices according to market principles, and inspection and supervision of the central government and localities peoples councils in the formulation of land price lists.

New land law could entice Viet Kieu home The demand for property from overseas Vietnamese people is on the rise, helped along by revised land, housing and real estate laws.

Revised Land Law expected to drive remittances to real estate market: Experts The Land Law (revised), which expands land use rights for overseas Vietnamese (OV) and Vietnamese citizens residing abroad, meets the aspirations of OVs and contributes to mobilising investment resources to Vietnam at the same time, said Nguyen Duc Hieu, standing member of the National Assembly (NA) Economic Committee.

Implementation of new land laws must benefit investors Foreign investors have expressed their concern about the upcoming implementation of new laws on housing, land, and real estate business, which aim to help expand the right to do business and attain ownership in Vietnam.

Rapid law implementation may propel market fortunes With quicker implementation of Vietnams new land law, the real estate market can resume normal operations and enter a more robust development cycle from the second half of this year.
This was according to sentiments expressed by Kim Bong Jun, deputy general director of Doosan, during a meeting between the South Korean delegation and EVN in April.

EVN general director Nguyen Anh Tuan said, "Doosan can participate in the bidding for some of the project's main packages as soon as EVN completes regulatory approval procedures."

The project is part of Quang Trach Power Centre in the central coastal province of Quang Binh, which includes the Quang Trach 1 coal-fired power plant, also being developed by EVN.

The government approved the Quang Trach 2 project in 2021, initially as a coal-fired plant, with EVN assigned as the developer. The initial estimated cost was VND48.2 trillion ($1.9 billion), with 20 per cent coming from EVN equity and 80 per cent from loans.

Quang Trach 2 was approved under Power Development Plan VIII to transform into an LNG-to-power project, with a higher capacity of 1,500MW. EVN is now working with Quang Binh to update the projects legal documents for the change. Last August, the Ministry of Industry and Trade asked relevant sides to speed up Quang Trach 2 to begin construction at the end of 2024.

In addition, earlier this year, Quang Binh Peoples Committee also asked Quang Trach District Peoples Committee to resolve pending issues relating to land clearance, compensations, and resettlement so that EVN can start construction on time.

Doosan wants to expand its eco-friendly energy portfolio in Vietnam, as one of its future strategies is to enter the potential clean energy market here. The South Korean group signed an MoU on pursuing eco-friendly fuel conversion projects with three local operators of thermal power plants in Vietnam last June.

EVN starts construction of $2 billion Quang Trach 1 thermal power plant Electricity of Vietnam officially started construction on Quang Trach 1 thermal power plant on December 13 to start operation in 2025.

500 kV transmission line Vung Ang-Quang Trach-Doc Soi-Pleiku 2 officially energises Energising the third circuit of the 500kV transmission line Vung Ang-Quang Trach-Doc Soi-Pleiku 2 will contribute to undertaking electricity supply and energy security for the South and releasing the power of renewable energy projects.

$1.8 billion Quang Trach power plant faces land clearance issues Quang Trach 1 thermal power plant, which is invested by EVN, is facing difficulties in land clearance.

Quang Binh develops manufacturing into a key sector Quang Binh will focus investment resources on infrastructure and enhancing investment attraction to turn manufacturing into a driving force in the central province.
Hanoi - Gold prices reached a historic peak last week after consecutive auction sessions held by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) were met with lukewarm enthusiasm.

Customers at a gold shop in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

The highly anticipated auction on April 22, the first gold auction by the central bank in 11 years, was postponed due to a lack of interest from gold traders.

The rescheduled auction, held on April 23, only managed to sell 3,400 taels, falling far short of the 16,800 taels on offer.

Traditionally considered a safe haven for investors, gold has proven to be a highly profitable investment channel since the beginning of 2024. Since then, the SBV has announced two other auctions as prices for the precious metal continued to climb, reaching nearly 86 million VND per tael for gold bars and 75 million VND for gold rings, the highest recorded in history, sparking a gold rush among traders and the public alike, with hopes of making a profit.

"Fluctuations in SJC gold bar prices in recent months have mirrored the global market. The central bank has taken measures to address the issue, initially by holding auction sessions to supply the market with additional gold," said SBV Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu.

However, the market reception of the auctions has largely been underwhelming, with three out of four sessions called off due to insufficient bidders.

Explaining the situation, economists and industry insiders cited reasons behind the central bank's failed auctions, including violent market fluctuations in recent months, excessive risks placed solely on traders, and high initial asking prices at nearly market prices, leaving traders with razor-thin profit margins.

They noted that the underlying issue in the market remained unchanged, as supply failed to keep up with demand since traders were no longer allowed to import gold since May 2012, in an attempt by the SBV to reduce the precious metal's influence on the economy.

Economist Nguyen Tri Hieu suggested that to stabilise gold prices, the SBV's auctions would need to be much more successful in attracting bidders and supplying the market with a larger quantity of gold. Hieu also proposed reconsidering the monopoly of the SJC national gold brand to create a fairer playing field among traders.

Additionally, he suggested that the central bank should step back as the sole importer of the precious metal, handing over the reins to reputable and established traders, who would operate under the SBV's supervision.

Nguyen Duc Do, a professor from the Vietnam Academy of Finance in Hanoi, suggested that the central bank should consider setting up a mechanism to intervene in the market when the difference in gold prices between the domestic and global market becomes too significant.

For example, the SBV could import gold when the domestic price is 2 per cent higher than the global price. Conversely, the central bank could buy gold from the market when the domestic price decreases by more than 2 per cent of the global price.

Dinh Nho Bang, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Vietnam Gold Traders Association, stated that the large price difference was due to the absence of supply while demand continued to grow over the last ten years.

Domestic gold prices have been keeping a lead of 16-17 million VND on global prices, which stayed around 2,300 USD per ounce as of May 4.

He noted that the SBV's auction, while still welcomed by the market, was merely a temporary fix and should not be overleveraged, as the gold was drawn from the country's reserves intended for emergency needs.

Moreover, with the SJC monopoly in place, businesses and individuals may be inclined to hoard gold, further reducing capital available for production and investment, thereby negatively affecting the economy as a whole. Economists and industry insiders have voiced their support for another approach to regulating the market, citing the successful example of India, a country that had a similar gold import monopoly in the past.

After experiencing some initial success, the country later abolished the monopoly. In 1997, India officially listed gold on the Multi Commodity Exchange of India, laying the foundation for the digitalisation of gold assets in 2007. In 2015, India introduced a gold monetisation scheme, leveraging its significant gold stockpile among the population, estimated at 24,000 tonnes at the time.

The liberalisation of the gold market in India resulted in reduced dependency on physical gold, improved utilisation of the precious metal as an economic input, a more efficient management system, and additional revenue for state coffers. The country aims to increase the gold industry's contribution to GDP from 1.3 per cent to 2.5-3.0 per cent.

Gold hits record peak, oil rises on geopolitical tensions Gold prices hit another historic peak Tuesday and oil extended gains over rising tensions in the Middle East, while stocks wilted as traders worried whether the rally has run its course.

Vietnam central bank postpones gold bar auction The State Bank of Vietnam was to auction 16,800 taels of gold bars, branded by Saigon Jewelery Company (SJC), on the morning of April 22. However, an hour before the bid opening time, the central bank announced it was postponing the auction as there were not enough members to participate in the bidding and transfer deposits.
Duong Viet Ha, officer, Hanoi Department of Finance Having spent almost my entire life in Hanoi, Ive witnessed first-hand the transformation towards becoming a smart city, and what stands out most is the citys smart and efficient transportation system. The utilisation of technology to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance mobility for residents has truly revolutionised urban living. The integration of mobile applications providing real-time information on transportation options and public services has significantly elevated the citys convenience and accessibility. To further elevate its standing in next years rankings, Hanoi must prioritise tackling its persistent traffic congestion. This entails strategic investments in infrastructure, including the construction of additional bridges, highways, and the enhancement of public transportation networks. By streamlining travel routes and reducing commute times, Hanoi can foster greater connectivity and efficiency throughout the city. Beyond the realm of smart city initiatives, I envision Hanoi evolving into a thriving hub of culture and the arts. Preserving and promoting its rich cultural heritage, such as the iconic Old Quarter and other historical landmarks, will be integral to cultivating a vibrant and diverse urban landscape. By fostering an environment that celebrates creativity and embraces cultural diversity, Hanoi can attract not only tourists but also nurture a sense of pride and belonging among its residents. Nguyen Tri Hieu, student, University of Nevada One remarkable facet of a smart city is the adept utilisation of technology to bolster environmental stewardship. Presently, Hanois implementation of an air quality monitoring system stands as a testament to this. Furnishing detailed pollution data and issuing alerts during periods of poor air quality, it raises awareness and encourages proactive participation in pollution mitigation efforts. To propel its digital transformation agenda forward, Hanoi must ramp up investments in IT infrastructure. This could entail the deployment of cutting-edge 5G networks and the development of innovative mobile applications, laying the groundwork for robust digital commerce and enticing foreign capital infusion into the citys economy. Furthermore, I envision Hanois growth not solely in economic terms but also in cultural and educational realms. A strategic focus on bolstering cultural and educational institutions, such as museums, libraries, and top-tier educational facilities, will foster a nurturing environment conducive to holistic development. By nurturing a thriving cultural scene and fostering a love for learning, Hanoi can cultivate a community of well-rounded individuals and ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for all its inhabitants. Xuan Mai, sales, Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Hanoi has faced challenges such as environmental pollution, traffic congestion, and waste management. However, through the application of smart technology, the city has made significant strides in addressing these challenges and creating a more sustainable living environment. Hanoi being considered a smart city has a profound impact on the daily lives of residents and businesses. Smart solutions such as smart transportation systems and smart waste management not only make it easier and more time-saving for individuals and businesses to move around, but also create a clean and sustainable living environment. Traffic safety is enhanced, and the citys competitiveness and economic development are also boosted through attracting investment and encouraging innovation in industries and services. Furthermore, improving the quality of public services such as healthcare, education, and administration is also crucial in enhancing the daily quality of life for residents and providing a more conducive environment for businesses to operate. To further develop Hanois smart capabilities, we can leverage the experiences and successes of other smart cities worldwide. This can be achieved through building close cooperation with these cities to share experiences and learn effective methods, while also creating opportunities for collaboration in developing and implementing smart projects. Hanoi can also increase investment in research and development of smart technology, organise international events, and promote a learning and creative environment to encourage innovation and create new smart solutions for urban issues. Nguyen Van Minh, worker, Ajinomoto Factory in Thanh Hoa province During my time travelling in Hanoi, I was very impressed by the development of modern public facilities such as free Wi-Fi and public mobile phone charging stations. This made me feel very convenient and comfortable while travelling in Hanoi. Additionally, I was also impressed by the VinBus electric bus system, which runs quite smoothly and also contributes to environmental protection. I visited Hanoi during a scorching hot day, and I believe that for Hanoi to develop towards a green urban direction, it needs to plant more trees. Planting more trees will create green public spaces where people can relax and enjoy nature. This not only makes the city more beautiful but also creates a positive and comfortable living environment for everyone. Apart from the criteria of a smart city, I would like to see Hanoi become a cultural city. Hanoi should maintain and promote its cultural and historical values, including preserving historical sites, cultural centres, and ethnic traditions. This will create a unique and diverse atmosphere for the city and attract tourists from all over the world. Some historical sites and cultural centres in Hanoi are no longer as attractive to tourists like me due to a lack of innovation in the tourism experience. For example, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum lacks integration with technology for tourists, and interactive activities are not effectively used to refresh the experience of tourists like me. Hien Anh, student, Academy of Journalism and Communications Commuting via the elevated railway has helped me save costs and time getting to work. Additionally, Hanoi has numerous mobile applications for public services, such as apps which allow residents to check bus schedules and destinations, thus saving time and increasing convenience. However, Hanoi needs to heavily invest in digital infrastructure, including telecommunications networks and internet transmission systems, to establish a solid foundation for digital transformation. Improving this infrastructure will enhance connectivity and access to digital services for residents and businesses. From my experience, internet transmission during peak hours is often congested, causing inconvenience for users. Furthermore, to become a green city, Hanoi needs to enhance environmental management and protection, creating more green spaces. Measures to reduce pollution and create a healthy living environment for residents are necessary, as Hanoi is currently one of the most polluted cities in Southeast Asia. In addition to the criteria of a smart city, I would like to see Hanoi become a multidimensional city, where economic and technological development is carefully balanced with the preservation and promotion of cultural and historical values. Bui Quoc Anh, lecturer FPT University To position itself as a frontrunner in the digital revolution, Hanoi must prioritise the development of a skilled workforce in IT and AI. Collaborative initiatives with universities and tech firms to offer specialised training programmes will ensure that the city is equipped with a talent pool capable of meeting the evolving demands of the digital economy. Hanoi boasts immense potential as a premier cultural tourism destination. By capitalising on its rich cultural heritage, the city can offer a plethora of unique tourism experiences, including guided historical site tours, vibrant cultural festivals, and immersive visits to traditional craft villages. These initiatives will undoubtedly attract tourists. Through strategic investments in tech and human capital, coupled with a concerted effort to preserve and promote its cultural heritage, Hanoi is poised to emerge as a beacon of innovation and vibrancy on the global stage.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan delivers a speech during an event titled "Jakarta Future Forum: Blue Horizons, Green Growth" in Jakarta on May 3 (Photo: Antara)

Speaking at the "Jakarta Future Forum: Blue Horizon, Green Growth", Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan said the government will subsidise the development of bio-ethanol fuel, elaborating that the utilisation of bio-ethanol as fuel serves as one of the quick steps to address air pollution issues in the country.

According to Pandjaitan, the government had not ruled out the possibility of mixing ethanol with Pertalite, a type of gasoline offered by state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina.

In order to expedite the development of bio-ethanol, it is aiming to make use of around 2 million hectares of sugarcane plantation in Papua region, he said.

The official said the government is planning to use corn, sugarcane or even seaweed to produce bio-ethanol.

The Government approved Decree 15 of 2024 signed by President Joko Widodo on April 19 to form a task force for the acceleration of sugar and bioethanol self-sufficiency stationed in Merauke district, South Papua province, he added.

Indonesia issues dengue fever warning to Bali tourists Indonesias Health Ministry has issued an early warning asking local and foreign tourists to remain alert against dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), which is on the rise in Bali.
According to the decision approved by DPM Ha on May 4, the MPI will be responsible for building the draft decree to submit to the government in September.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has been assigned to build a draft to amend Decree No.28/2021/ND-CP, providing regulations for the financial management of PPP projects. The MoF is also to complete a draft amending Decree No.69/2019/ND-CP on using public assets for payment to build-transfer projects in northern cities and provinces. The deadline to submit these two draft decrees is also September.

The MPI and the MoF will solicit opinions from the ministries of Transport, Industry and Trade, Construction, Natural Resources and Environment, among others to form the new draft decrees.

The DPM assigned the MPI to coordinate with relevant ministries in assessing the implementation of the Law on Public-Private Partnership Investment enacted in 2020 and reviewing and collecting all obstacles in the deployment process of Decree 35 in March last year.

Implementation strategy for new power development plan approved Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has approved the implementation updates for the country's Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8).

New PDP8 implementation plan brings investment opportunities On April 1, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha approved the implementation updates for Vietnam's Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), which aims to help build strategic objectives, ensure national energy security, and foster investment across all economic sectors. Senior associate Nguyen Thi Cuc Vi and trainee associate Trinh Linh Chi of Dentons LuatViet explain further.

Implementation of new land laws must benefit investors Foreign investors have expressed their concern about the upcoming implementation of new laws on housing, land, and real estate business, which aim to help expand the right to do business and attain ownership in Vietnam.

Rapid law implementation may propel market fortunes With quicker implementation of Vietnams new land law, the real estate market can resume normal operations and enter a more robust development cycle from the second half of this year.
There were long queues outside foreign embassies in Yangon in February (Photo: Getty images)

Hanoi - The Myanmar government has suspended the issuance of permits to work overseas for citizens eligible for conscription.

This recent ban is a temporary move, said Myanmar Minister for Labour Employment and Social Security U Aye Myint.

The countrys military government enforced a law in February empowering the military to summon men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve in the military for at least two years.

Statistics from the ministry show that in March, the official number of registered Myanmar migrant workers was 1,359,567, of whom 756,456 are male workers.

This move came on the heels of pro-democracy protests and resistance groups gaining territory. Those refusing to join the military service could face five years in prison.

The International Labour Organisation estimated that there are more than 4 million Myanmar nationals working abroad with at least 2 million male migrant workers in Thailand.

More charter flights to be launched to bring Vietnamese home from Myanmar Six more flights were launched over the past couple of days to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Myanmar.
Pandora's production facility in Thailand

The jewellery crafting facility in Binh Duong is Pandora's third facility in the world and the first production facility built outside of Thailand. Located in Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park 3 (VSIP 3), the factory will have an annual capacity of 60 million pieces of jewellery and create jobs for more than 6,000 craftspeople.

The factory called Pandora Production Vietnam will be built according to the LEED Gold standard, a leading green building certification, and be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. As a result, the new facility is expected to contribute to Vietnam's green transformation goals,

In addition, the factory called Pandora Production Vietnam will contribute to Vietnam's green transformation goals as it is operated according to the highest standards of sustainable development across the group's value chain. Notably, the factory is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.

Jeerasage Puranasamriddhi, chief supply officer of Pandora said, "We scouted countries all over the world before deciding on Vietnam and Binh Duong province. Vietnam has a rich craftmanship history, and we will be able to access a large group of craftspeople."

"Binh Duong and VSIP provide great infrastructure, and we are deeply grateful for the support we have received from the local authorities and VSIP team. Expanding our production capacity is critical to meeting expected demand, and we are ready and excited about our new chapter in Vietnam," Puranasamriddhi said.

Vietnam is now home to 135 Danish companies that have set up legal entities in the country. Denmark is also one of the largest European investors in Vietnam.

Danish toy maker LEGO Group is building a $1.3 billion factory in VSIP 3. The carbon-neutral factory is expected to produce high-quality products in the second half of 2024.

Other Danish groups like Scancom, Vestas, Carlsberg, Julie Sandlau, Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have been investing in Vietnam and generating thousands of jobs.

Pandora announces plans to build $100 million facility in Vietnam Pandora  a Danish jewellery brand  signed an MoU on May 12 to build a new jewellery crafting facility in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park III (VSIP) in the southern province of Binh Duong, 40km north of Ho Chi Minh City.

Denmark-based Pandora to build crafting factory in Vietnam Danish jewellry maker Pandora plans to build a factory in the southern province of Binh Duong in the first quarter of 2024.
According to the General Statistics Office, phone and component exports in April earned more than $4.2 billion, up 9.1 per cent on-year. For the first four months of the year, this figure reached more than $18.4 billion, an increase of 6.6 per cent on-year.

A report from HSBC said that since 2021, Vietnam's smartphone market share globally has increased significantly. Vietnam has won 13 per cent of the total export market share, surpassing India to become the world's second-largest smartphone exporter behind China.

In terms of markets, the United States has become Vietnam's largest customer instead of China (in the first quarter of last year). Specifically, in the first quarter of this year, the US spent more than $3.05 billion importing all types of phones and components from Vietnam, an increase of 30.4 per cent on-year. The Chinese market ranked second with more than $2.5 billion, down 28 per cent on-year.

Notably, the United Arab Emirates has risen to become Vietnam's third-largest customer with almost $898 million, a sharp increase of 55.3 per cent on year.

Vietnam has become attractive to phone manufacturers around the world. In April, Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived in Vietnam, opening up more potential between our country and the US technology giant. During a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the CEO also proposed promoting high-quality cooperation and investment, committing to buy more components produced by suppliers in Vietnam, supporting innovation activities, and increasing spending for suppliers in Vietnam.

Also in April, Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen (SEVT) - the largest export phone manufacturing factory in the world - achieved an important milestone of reaching one billion Galaxy smartphones. SEVT's key products are smartphones and tablets.

Samsung started investing heavily in Vietnam in 2008 with the Samsung Electronics Vietnam (SEV) factory in Bac Ninh province. To date, Samsung has surpassed the milestone of 2.13 billion smart devices in the Galaxy ecosystem manufactured in Vietnam.

According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone shipments in 2024 are expected to increase by 3 per cent to 1.2 billion units. The high-end phone segment (priced at $600-799) is expected to maintain stable growth in 2024, increasing by 17 per cent on-year thanks to old high-end models and folding screen models.

This research firm expects AI-integrated smartphones and foldable phones to improve phone sales, especially in the second half of this year.

According to Statista Market Research Company, in 2024, the smartphone market in Vietnam is expected to reach $4 billion, a compound growth rate of 1.45 per cent from 2024-2028. In 2024, smartphone sales in Vietnam will reach 21.4 million units.

Intel, Samsung hammered as chips demand plummets The crucial semiconductor industry, that powers everything from personal computers, smartphones to fighter jets, suffered a dismal first quarter as demand plummeted for chips.

Apple's resilient iPhone sales and Samsung's dominance amidst declining market A new report by Counterpoint Research highlights the intricate dynamics of the Vietnamese smartphone market, which has encountered formidable obstacles that have prompted retailers to recalibrate their operational approaches and grapple with diminished in-store traffic. Amidst these challenges, Apple's iPhone sales demonstrated resilience during the first quarter, while Samsung successfully sustained its market lead despite confronting a contraction in sales volume.

Apple ends Samsung's 12-year run as world's top smartphone seller Apple's iPhone for the first time became the world's biggest selling smartphone after rival Samsung's 12-year run as leader, data showed.
Tay Ninh  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also Chairman of the Coordinating Council for the Southeastern Region, chaired the councils third conference in the southern province of Tay Ninh on May 5.

M Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

The focus of the event was the implementation of the recently approved master planning scheme for the southeastern region for the 2021-2030 period with a vision until 2050.

Speaking at the event, PM Chinh directed improving the effectiveness of regional coordination, development and connectivity, with a focus on the building of mechanisms and policies to achieve these goals.

He asked ministries, agencies, localities and members of the council to promptly build a concrete action plan to carry out the master planning scheme.

The plan should prioritise economic restructuring with priority given to sectors of strengths, hi-tech industries such as semiconductor chips, high value-added services such as e-commerce, regional-scale logistics centres, Can Gio international transshipment port, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Free Trade Zone, and Ho Chi Minh City International Financial Centre, he suggested.

Underscoring the importance of workforce training, fostering innovation and creativity, and streamlining administrative procedures, the PM described them as crucial to improve the business environment.

The Government leader also pledged to consider localities proposals and assigned specific tasks to ministries, agencies and localities.

The southeastern region is envisioned to transform into a modern and civilised region with a thriving industrial sector by 2030. It aims to surpass the high-income threshold and become a leader in adopting new growth models, digital transformation, and the development of cultural, social, educational and healthcare sectors.

It aspires to become a premier hub for the digital economy, attracting international financial institutions and major global corporations. It envisions itself as a centre for economic, financial, commercial, cultural, educational, and scientific-technological activities within Vietnam, holding a prominent position in Southeast Asia and evolving alongside major Asian cities.

The region aims for an average annual GRDP growth rate of 8-9 per cent between 2021 and 2030, with per capita GRDP of some 14,500 - 16,000 USD. The service sector is expected to make up 41-42 per cent of the region's GRDP, while industry and construction are hoped to contribute 45-46 per cent, and agriculture, forestry and fisheries about 2-3 per cent. The rate of trained labourers with certified qualifications is targeted at 40-45 per cent while the unemployment rate will stay below 3 per cent.

Largest solar power plant in VN, Asia to be built in Tay Ninh The groundbreaking ceremony of Dau Tieng 1 and Dau Tieng 2 solar power plants, worth VND9,100 billion will be held on June 23 in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

Bel Ga holds grand opening for Tay Ninh high-tech hatchery Bel Ga JSC (Belgium), De Heus Group (the Netherlands), and Hung Nhon Group (Vietnam) held the opening ceremony of Bel Ga Tay Ninh High-Tech Poultry Hatchery on April 17 at Thanh Thanh Cong Industrial Park in Tay Ninh province, as part of their supply chain of clean, sustainable, and export-oriented agricultural products.
The article on human rights in Vietnam published by Prensa Latina (Screenshot photo)

Hanoi  The Latin American News Agency Prensa Latina recently ran an article titled "Derechos humanos en Vietnam: hechos, mas que palabras" (Human rights in Vietnam: facts, more than words), highlighting Vietnams achievements in promoting human rights.

In the writing, Moises Perez Mok, head of the Prensa Latina bureau in Hanoi, said Vietnam's recently released national report under the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)s fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism reflects the countrys undeniable progress thanks to its consistent promotion and protection of human rights for all.

The report provides an overview of the work in Vietnam in all aspects since the previous review, as well as the implementation of the recommendations formulated in the third UPR cycle in 2019 accepted in whole or in part by Vietnam as of January 2024. Accordingly, the country has fulfilled 209 of the recommendations it received (86.7 per cent of the total), partially implemented 30 (12.4 per cent), and is considering the implementation of another two at an appropriate point of time.

The report also emphasises that Vietnam is a party to seven of the nine fundamental international treaties on human rights and has ensured the compliance through well-synchronised legal and political frameworks, reaping comprehensive results.

Between 2019 and the end of November 2023, the National Assembly adopted 44 laws and other important legal documents related to human and citizen rights, which in turn support the provisions in this regard contemplated in the 2013 Constitution and the international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.

The report also offers details about the guarantees enjoyed by the right to freedom of the press, free expression, as well as access to information, Prensa Latina wrote.

The article also cited the report as noting that Vietnam respects and guarantees the freedom of belief or religion, as well as of association, which are the rights established since the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) in 1945 and endorsed in the 2013 Constitution.

There are 43 organisations belonging to 16 religions in the country, with 26.7 million followers, nearly 60,000 dignitaries, and 30,000 places of worship, together with a large number of religious publications, according to the report.

It also highlights the progress made in education, health, care and protection of children, the fight against multidimensional poverty, and the protection of the rights of disabled persons.

Stressing economic attainments, the article said from a country suffering from chronic food shortages, today Vietnam not only guarantees food security but has also become a leading exporter of rice and many other agricultural products.

The United Nations also recognised Vietnam as one of the leading countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Prensa Latina cited Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as stating that Vietnam does not give up its efforts to build a socialist society characterised by having a strong, democratic, fair and civilised country, with a highly developed economy, an advanced culture deeply imbued with national identity, and people with a prosperous life, freedom and happiness and with conditions for comprehensive development.

Russian expert commends Vietnams human rights achievements Grigory Trofimchuk, Chairman of the Council of Experts of the Eurasian Research Fund, has lauded Vietnams achievements in developing and ensuring human rights in 35 years of Doi Moi (Reform).

Intensifying climate change a threat to global human rights Vietnam is among the worlds most vulnerable countries to climate change. It is therefore especially encouraging that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh committed to net-zero emissions last year.
A train runs from China through Laos to Thailand in 2023. (File photo: chinadaily.com.cn)

Vientiane  The first China - Laos - Thailand - Malaysia express freight train recently departed from Chengdu, the capital of Chinas southwestern Sichuan province, marking a significant milestone in regional trade connectivity.

The train, carrying 30 containers of LCD monitors and new energy vehicles, travels along the China - Laos railway line and then rail networks of Laos and Thailand before reaching Malaysia.

It takes the train five days to arrive in Thailand and eight days in Malaysia, halving transportation time compared to the traditional sea route from Qinzhou city of Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Insiders said this rail route will further expand the reach of the Laos - China rail services, thus promoting economic and trade ties among China, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. It will also help accelerate the development of the regional inland railway network, providing new support for economic interaction and growth between Sichuan and Southeast Asia.

Earlier, China and Thailand had connected their railway networks though the Laos - China railway line, helping reduce the transportation time from Thailand to the southwest of China to one - two days instead of one week of sea transportation.
VNDirect Securities Corporation (ticker VND) raked in $57.7 million in total operating revenue in Q1 of this year, up 7.3 per cent on-year, while its post-tax profit reached $25.7 million, equal to a 4.4-fold increase.

Saigon-Hanoi Securities JSC (SHS) saw its post-tax profit soar by 8.7-fold on-year to $14.8 million, but revenue slid 17 per cent on-year to $23.5 million.

VIX Securities saw a 32.6 per cent jump in its revenue to touch $15 million, and its post-tax profit climbed to $6.75 million, equal to a 15.6-fold increase on-year.

The stock market rally in Q1, and the companys efforts for self-trading during the period, brought sweet gains, reaching $4.2 million in pre-tax profit compared to the $916,600 losses it counted from self-trading in the same period last year.

Similarly, FPT Securities JSC (ticker FTS) witnessed a 68 per cent jump in its revenue to reach $12.45 million, and a 93 per cent spike in pre-tax profit to $7.96 million, setting a record since early 2022. With these Q1 results, the company has fulfilled over 45 per cent of its full-year profit target.

Bao Viet Securities JSC (BVS) also eyed remarkable growth in its core business areas in Q1, counting $9.83 million in revenue, equal to a 71 per cent jump on-year, and $2.28 million in post-tax profit, double compared to one year ago.

A robust stock market in Q1, with an average transaction volume approximating $969 million per session, helped securities firms replenish their income sources and count profit in diverse business segments.

Margin lending is currently the key income source for securities firms, as this segment often accounts for 25-40 per cent of their operating revenues, even contributing the biggest share of income at some companies.

As for profit, interest from lending and receivables contributed more than half of pre-tax profits of securities firms in Q1.

According to statistics from major financial data provider FiinGroup, by the end of March, the total margin lending balance of 48 leading securities firms, which represent 93 per cent of total equity capital of the whole sector, saw the fifth consecutive hike since late 2022, coming to nearly $8 billion, hitting a historical mark.

FiinGroup said that despite this record margin lending balance, the current margin over total equity capital ratio of the 48 firms was around 0.55-fold, compared to the regulated ceiling level of 2-fold, still showing huge room to boost margin lending.

Experts at Vietnam Investors Service and Credit Rating Agency JSC (VIS Rating) said that the business prospects for securities firms in 2024 are upbeat if they can leverage bolstered transaction volume and improved market sentiment in a low-interest environment which stimulates margin lending.

Supportive factors to securities tickers have become increasingly apparent. These include the positive Q1 business results, as well as the commitment and progress made to upgrade the domestic stock market status from frontier to emerging, which will facilitate securities firms business growth.

The new state-of-the-art stock trading system KRX, provided by the Korean Exchange (KRX), is set to soon go live soon, and will act as a catalyst to boost market liquidity and help securities tickers charm even more money flow.

Export picture brightening in Q1 Export performance in the first quarter of this year has exposed bright spots with diverse sectors managing positive growth. Businesses, however, have also spotted dark areas and need to come up with suitable remedies.

Upbeat signs on the horizon right from Q1 Following a challenging 2023, local businesses have returned upbeat results from the first quarter (Q1) of this year, heralding rosier prospects for the rest of 2024.
Conveniently positioned close to the National Convention Center, Sheraton Hanoi West offers an extensive collection of guest rooms, suites and residences, exceptional business and leisure facilities, and lush tropical greenery in the heart of the hotel, creating a comforting environment to relax, revive, and connect.

Sheraton Hanoi West is the eighth Sheraton Hotel in Vietnam and the second in Hanoi

The 520-key hotel will bring to life the brands new vision as part of a worldwide transformation which focuses on design and experience signatures that foster community, gathering, and productivity in all areas of the hotel.

Jakob Helgen, area vice president for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, Marriott International, was delighted to unveil Sheraton Hanoi West, as Marriott International continues to introduce world-class hospitality to Vietnams most dynamic destinations.

With eight Sheraton hotels and resorts across the country, this timeless and trusted brand continues to inspire new journeys. We look forward to creating connections and a sense of belonging for discerning domestic guests and international visitors alike.

A rippling stream draws guests into Sheraton Hanoi Wests light-filled lobby that serves as the hotels community hub; a flexible open area that empowers people to come together and make new connections. Natural, warm, and welcoming, this holistic gathering place provides an inviting, purpose-built space that allows guests to work, eat and drink while soaking up the energy of the space.

This is also the perfect spot to plug in and stay productive, with the choice of a social community table that embraces both form and function, with features including built-in lighting, outlets, and wireless charging stations, and The Booth, for focused thinking or video calls with family, friends, or co-workers, all surrounded by lush tropical greenery to spark fresh ideas.

Sheraton Hanoi West features 390 modern guest rooms and suites, as well as 130 spacious residences, creating intuitive options for every type of stay, from leisure breaks to extended corporate trips. Bright interiors, stylish essentials, and floor-to-ceiling windows are complemented by soft finishes and light wood tones to enable transformative journeys.

Each suite features elevated amenities and a separate living area, and the one-, two- and three-bedroom residences create a home-away-from-home atmosphere, with spacious interiors and kitchenettes. The Sheraton Club allows those staying in the hotels premium accommodation to unwind in style with elevated services and panoramic views.

A trio of thoughtful and approachable dining venues includes The Market, an inviting spot for all day dining, with an extensive selection of international and locally-inspired cuisine, including healthy and seasonal dishes. An elegant al fresco terrace is surrounded by lush greenery, and the private dining rooms are perfect for special occasions. The Lobby Lounge is the ideal spot for daytime refreshments and light bites, and the Sky Bar sets the scene for signature cocktails and uplifting evenings as the sun sets over the city.

Sheraton Hanoi West helps every guest to relax and revive their bodies, minds and souls, whether they are travelling for business or leisure. The outdoor freeform swimming pool is an elevated oasis to cool off at any time of day, surrounded by tropical foliage and a pool deck. For complete rejuvenation, the spa is a sanctuary of tranquillity, where professional therapists blend ancient Asian wellness wisdom with modern science to offer a full range of massages, body scrubs, beauty therapies, and more.

Corporate executives and meeting planners can stay productive at Sheraton Hanoi West, where the hotels meeting and event professionals provide the necessary expertise and assistance for all types of successful gatherings, empowering guests to achieve their trip purpose with ease.

The hotel houses 661 sq.m of flexible and fully-connected function space. The 418 sq.m ballroom can host up to 500 delegates for memorable occasions, including conferences, seminars, and weddings, or be divided into three spaces for more intimate events. Four additional meeting rooms can host creative breakouts, training sessions, media briefings, and more. For conference delegates, Hanois National Convention Center is just eight minutes from the hotel.

Sheraton Hanoi West participates in Marriott Bonvoy, the award-winning travel program from Marriott International, allowing members to earn and redeem points for their stay at the new hotel, and at other hotels and resorts across Marriott Bonvoys extraordinary portfolio of brands.

With the Marriott Bonvoy app, members can enjoy a level of personalisation and a contactless experience that allows them to travel with peace of mind.

With more than 1,000 years of history, Hanoi seamlessly blends Vietnams rich heritage with the contemporary vision of modern Vietnam.

Situated in a quieter part of the city, surrounded by Korean restaurants and close to My Dinh Stadium and National Convention Center, Sheraton Hanoi West is just a 30-minute drive from Hanois Noi Bai International Airport, ideal for travellers seeking a convenient and highly accessible place to stay.

Celebrate Lunar New Year at Sheraton Long Beach Resort in Phu Quoc The Year of the Dragon Celebration is set to be a magnificent affair at Sheraton Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort. Celebrate new beginnings with sumptuous culinary experiences and Vietnamese New Year traditions spread over the week.

Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers announces new name The Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers will be renamed the Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel from April 1, marking a new era for one of the most prominent 5-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) projects global trade to improve in 2024 and 2025 in its latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report released in April, citing resilient supply chains as one of the key factors for this recovery.

The volume of world merchandise trade is expected to increase by 2.6 per cent in 2024 and 3.3 per cent in 2025, after falling by 1.2 per cent in 2023.

Hope for trade stability may be just around the corner. However, experts say that the rebound of global trade and the potentially new era of stability may not equal global trade seen previously as businesses are reconsidering their supply chain management and investment flows amid geopolitical conflicts.

Were seeing the world becoming more multipolar instead of focusing on one major destination, said Nguyen Quang Hai, purchasing manager of TH Group, Vietnams top producer of clean and fresh milk.

TH, which is implementing a $1.2 billion high-tech dairy farm and clean milk processing project in the central province of Nghe An. It is also mulling investment expansion plans in not only Asia, but also in the US and Australia.

Aside from companies in the processing, garments and textiles, and toy industries, which are consistently on the hunt for competitive labour and shifting to new markets, companies in the high-tech industry are also making the move.

In early 2020, Apple announced the plan to produce about 30 per cent of its AirPods wireless earphones in Vietnam. Foxconn Group, Apples largest contractor, also revealed plans to invest over $1.5 billion to expand its operation in India. During a press conference in December 2023, AI chipmaker Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company would expand its partnership in Vietnam, calling the country Nvidias second homeland.

Vietnam is on the radar of many foreign companies conducting a diversified plan on supply chains

These shifts capture the trend of attempts made by businesses to improve their resilience that was first prompted by the COVID-19 outbreak and further fuelled by recent geopolitical conflicts.

Policymakers and firm leaders across different industries are pushed to reassess the emphasis on efficiency and cost-cutting that characterised the earlier era of global trade.

Risk management is now the top priority in supply chain management. Were seeing security and predictability being given more emphasis than the traditional cost-related competitive advantage, said Hai of TH Group.

If there is one important lesson for companies after the recent disruptions, it would be the risk associated with being overly dependent on one sourcing plan.

EYs 2022 survey indicated that more than half of the responding companies are looking to add suppliers. Similarly, in a survey conducted by consulting firm McKinsey & Co., almost 80 per cent of the companies surveyed expressed their intent to adopt dual-sourcing strategies for essential raw materials to enhance the resilience of their supply chains.

We now emphasise on growing our supply chain, said Nguyen Ngoc Anh, purchasing manager at Blue Trading JSC, which provides feed addictive, premix minerals and vitamins in Northern of Vietnam.

We want to expand and diversify our suppliers so that we will always have a second, or even third, option when one fails.

New manufacturing hubs rising

The diversification trend has given rise to new manufacturing hubs, as companies are looking for new destinations.

For example, China has taken off earlier than countries like Vietnam or India. But it has used up quite a bit of its potential as the so-called world factory, said Oh Jinhwan, an international economics and trade professor at Ewha Womans University. Some parts of production in China by foreign firms will be relocated to the emerging economies gradually.

A recent survey by the German Chamber of Commerce in China showed that more than half of the companies surveyed are planning to invest more in India. What is more, 37.9 per cent are thinking about increasing investments in Vietnam and 30.1 per cent in Thailand.

Registered foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam reached $9.27 billion during January  April, up 4.5 per cent on-year. The total disbursed sum hit $6.28 billion in the first four months, the highest in five years, according to Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Mexico saw a registered FDI increase of 48 per cent on-year during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same time last year, reaching $18.6 billion, according to Mexicos Ministry of Economy.

Each country has its own advantages to draw in investors. However, the main reason all boils down to two essential characteristics: competitive labour costs and hedging against global economic uncertainties.

As China rapidly became the second-largest economy in the world, the average wage for a Chinese worker also rose. Once the go-to for low-cost production, China is now seeing competition. The monthly average salary for a Mexican working in manufacturing by the end of 2022 was $480, almost half that of a Chinese worker in the same industry, while that in Vietnam stands at only $360.

Besides lower costs, the emerging manufacturing hubs like Vietnam are also seen as more attractive for their improved investment policies.

According to Australias Perth USAsia Centres report, Australian companies see Vietnam as a promising investing destination for its integration policy in both economic and diplomatic aspects, including its participation in some major regional agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trade Pacific Partnership.

Vietnams hedging and diversifying partnership strategy allows it to maintain a stable political environment amid the uncertainties in the global political landscape, said Pham Thuy Duong, a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of California, San Diego.

New shapes of global trade

With the diversification trend spreading marking the rise of new manufacturing hubs and the unexpected resilience of global trade, experts are directing their attention to the new shapes of global trade patterns.

The International Monetary Fund and the WTO have both warned of a fragmented world economy divided into trade blocs as companies shift away from China.

Analysis from the McKinsey Global Institutes recent report found that major economies like China, Germany and the US have reduced the geopolitical distance of their trade. Between 2017 and 2023, Chinas share of US manufactured goods imports fell from 24 to 15 per cent, reflecting the tensions between the two superpowers.

But on the other end of the spectrum, some said that globalisation is not coming to an end.

Globalisation is an irreversible process, said Ly Nguyen Ngoc, lecturer at the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi. Countries now cannot avoid interacting with each other. Theyre like links in a chain that cant be separated.

While some economies trade may be reconfiguring toward geopolitically closer partners, others are doing the opposite. In the same report, the McKinsey Global Institute noted that ASEAN, Brazil, and India have increased the geopolitical spectrum and geographical distances of their trade as their participation in the global trade is growing.

The institute said that the current diversification trend signals a more inclusive trading system and economy.

Picturing a world in which countries ranging from Vietnam to Poland, India to Mexico, and Venezuela to Egypt play a larger role in global trade, said the report.

Diversification is well underway, said research organisation Rhodium Group in its July 2023 report. [But] it would not be surprising to see Chinas overall share of global exports, manufacturing and supply chains continue to rise, even as diversification away from China accelerates.

For Vietnam, since its opening doors to the world economy 38 years ago, the nation has reaped significant economic bonanzas from a large network of economic linkages including free trade agreements (FTAs) to which it is a member.

At present, Vietnam has 16 bilateral and multilateral FTAs already inked and entering into force, one FTA under negotiation and one deal whose negotiations will be kick-started soon. They have been helping further deepen Vietnams international economic integration in service of its people and businesses.

The total goods trade value of Vietnam last year reached $683 billion, including $355.5 billion for exports and $327.5 billion for imports. In the first four months of this year, total goods trade value of Vietnam sat at $238.9 billion  up 15.2 per cent on-year, including $123.64 billion for exports, up 15 per cent, and $115.24 billion for imports, up 15.4 per cent.

Dorsati Madani, senior country economist at the World Bank in Vietnam, said Vietnam in the long term will continue being an attractive destination for investors.

Even during COVID-19, FDI still came into the country. Now when conditions are changing very fast, investors still enter Vietnam in greater numbers than other nations thanks to its improved business and investment climate, Madani said.

Moreover, Vietnam is an economy quite open to the world economy via a large network of FTAs, with a focus on export-oriented production development.
The prime minister signed Directive 13/CT-TTg on May 2, allowing for the strengthening of carbon credit management to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions.

PM Chinh requested the involvement of the ministries of Industry and Trade, Transport, Construction, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Natural Resources and Environment to issue plans by the third quarter this year to mitigate GHG emissions in line with Decree No.06/2022/ND-CP on emission reduction, ozone-layer protection, and the development of a carbon market.

Specifically, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) was assigned to establish a national registration system for carbon credits, management of programmes, projects, activities to reduce GHG emissions, and create carbon credits for the implementation of a pilot scheme.

The MoNRE was tasked with drafting a new decree to amend and supplement several articles of Decree 06, which currently does not regulate the issuance of approval letters for international carbon credit transfers. The new decree must be submitted to the government by the end of July.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has been requested to work with relevant agencies and forest localities to build a database on the current status and evaluate the potential of reducing emissions and absorbing carbon from forests at national, regional, and local levels towards 2030.

By the end of October 31,the MARD, along with relevant agencies and forest localities, must completely define the potential for carbon credit sales and propose pilot policies and mechanisms for results-based carbon credit payments for high-quality, low-emission rice farming.

The Ministry of Finance has also been asked to collaborate with the MoNRE to finalise the development of a domestic carbon market in Vietnam.

World Bank to support Ho Chi Minh City on carbon credits The opportunities and challenges presented by operating a carbon credit market in Ho Chi Minh City in line with the World Bank were the main talking points of a meeting on January 24 between Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai and World Bank experts at an investment conference centred around green growth on January 24.

Ho Chi Minh City needs to start carbon credit market quickly On the sidelines of an investment conference centred around green growth on January 24, Muthukumara S. Mani, Lead Environmental and Climate Change Economist, Southeast Asia Region at the World Bank, spoke with VIRs Bich Ngoc on the importance of the Vietnams carbon credit market development.

FPT IS and Carbon EX driving carbon credit market FPT IS and Carbon EX, a carbon credit trading platform and renewable energy certificate issuer in Japan, signed an MoU to collaborate in providing services and solutions to promote carbon credit projects adhering to global standards such as Verra Carbon Standard, Gold Standard, and J-Credit.

Vietnam capable of earning 200 million USD per year from carbon credit trade Vietnam is capable of selling some 40 million carbon credits for a revenue of 200 million USD annually, the Department of Forestry has calculated.
Consistent and heavy rainfall in the Waco area this past week caused flooding of multiple homes along the Bosque River, led to multiple water rescues, damaged 10 county roads and closed others, Waco officials said Monday.

Lake Waco swamped shoreline parks and flooded a piece of the Highway 6 access road as the water level rose to more than 19 feet above normal, less than a year after drought conditions had pushed the lake to its lowest level since it was expanded in 2003.

According to the National Weather Service, Waco has seen almost 7 inches of rain since May 1, with a little over 3 inches of rainfall Thursday and another 3 inches over the weekend. Waco on average sees just 4.4 inches of rain for the full month of May, with the monthly record of 15 inches set in 1965.

The Texas Department of Transportation closed several roads over the weekend due to high waters, especially in Hamilton, Coryell and Bosque counties, including State Highway 6 between Valley Mills and Clifton. These roads, along with several parks and smaller roads near Lake Waco will be closed indefinitely and it could take several weeks for them to be reopened to the public, said officials from the Texas Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday.

Property damage

About 10 McLennan County roads were damaged by flooding, said Tim Jeske, Waco-McLennan County assistant emergency management coordinator. As for property damage, Jeske said he was aware Monday afternoon of three homes along the Bosque River that were flooded, but could not say how many more were affected. He said the flooding was not widespread and only affected homes right along the river.

Waco Assistant City Manager Ryan Holt said heavy rainfall last week affected a home in North Waco, causing the ground under the house to shift, but there was no sinkhole. He said he was unaware of any other properties damaged by the heavy rainfall, but Wacos fire department answered six calls over the last week to rescue people stranded or cut off by flooding, including an incident involving a Robinson police sergeant driving into a sinkhole on Bullhide Creek Road and one involving a vehicle in high water near the access road turnaround on the Speegleville side of the Highway 6 Twin Bridges over Lake Waco.

Holt said more details about the impacts of the flooding would be shared at a Waco City Council meeting Tuesday.

Jeske and his team, along with local county precinct crews were working Monday to collect data and assess the damage done by the flooding.

Were out today still monitoring the impact of the lake flooding, Jeske said. We will continue to monitor with the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service.

Jeske said, as far as he was aware as of Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not be providing individual assistance to homeowners who experienced flooding, and instead, homeowners would need to rely on their homeowners insurance for repair costs.

Waterway impacts

Mike Champagne, Lake Waco manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said on Monday that recent rainfall caused the lakes water levels to rise almost 19.5 feet above normal. He said eight Lake Waco parks and one access point were closed due to flooding in the area, but Bosque Park and the Waco Dam access point were the two lake facilities unaffected. Many roads around Lake Waco were also closed, including Flat Rock Road, Yankie Road, Baylor Camp Road, parts of Highway 84 and others, Champagne said.

The lake stood at more than 481.7 feet above sea level Monday afternoon, compared to its normal level of 462 feet. Its two highest crests were 488.5 feet in 1991 and 486 feet in 2007.

Lake Waco was built to be a flood control reservoir, offering 553,300 acre-feet of storage capacity for flood control. Champagne said Lake Waco, along with Lake Whitney and Aquilla Lake, is waiting to release water due to flooding already impacting communities along the Brazos River.

The big factor right now is the Brazos River, he said. Whenever there is flooding downstream we need to take that into account. We need to protect people farther down the river.

The Brazos River was 11.9 feet deep on Monday morning at the gauge downstream of downtown near the low water dam. The river reached its peak depth on Saturday afternoon at 22.5 feet deep. The action stage for the river is 17 feet, which is when officials start to consider mitigation action. The flood stage for the river is 27 feet.

Champagne said once water levels recede slightly, hydrologists and hydrologic engineers in the Corps of Engineers Fort Worth office will work to calculate how much water Lake Waco should release. He estimated Lake Waco would release some water in the next week, but due to the dynamic nature of the issue, he could not give a definite date.

Any rainstorm can change it, both in our watershed and below our watershed, he said.

Once Lake Waco is able to release water and flooding subsides in the parks and roads around the lake, it may be several more weeks before the public can access those areas, Champagne said.

I want folks to understand, just because its out of the water doesnt mean its ready to drive on, he said.

Flooding can damage roads, causing underlying material to wash away or causing the pavement surface to deteriorate. Once the roads and parks are no longer flooded, Champagne said his department will wait another two weeks to let the areas dry out. Then they will need to assess the damage and make necessary repairs to roads and park facilities, he said. Full refunds will be offered to campers whose reservations are affected by the flooding.

Weather forecast

The National Weather Service predicts drier weather this week. As of Monday evening, there was a 20% chance of thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and a 30% chance Thursday afternoon.

Waco residents should also anticipate higher temperatures throughout the week. Wednesday will be particularly humid with temperatures reaching 88 degrees but feeling closer to 100 degrees. A cold front on Thursday evening is expected to cool temperatures slightly by Friday.
JERUSALEM  The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after in-depth and serious discussions, the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. After earlier signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist international pressure to halt the war.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Hamas wasn't serious about a deal and warned of a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza" after Hamas attacked Israel's main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid, killing three soldiers. Israels military said it believed Hamas was targeting soldiers massed on the Gaza border in preparation for a possible Rafah invasion. Hamas said it targeted soldiers in the area.

But Israeli media reported that CIA chief William Burns, a main mediator in the talks, would meet with Netanyahu on Monday. An official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Burns was traveling to meet the prime minister of Qatar, which along with Egypt has been an intermediary dealing with Hamas. It was not clear whether a subsequent trip to Israel that had been planned would happen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

Israel didnt send a delegation to the latest talks. Egyptian state media reported that the Hamas delegation went for discussions in Qatar, where the group has a political office, and will return to Cairo for further negotiations on Tuesday.

Another threat to talks came as Israel ordered the local offices of Qatars Al Jazeera satellite news network to close, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The ban did not appear to affect the channels operations in Gaza or the West Bank.

Netanyahu, under pressure from hard-liners in his government, continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire deal, calling the key Hamas demands extreme  including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war. That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the fighting, he said.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a statement earlier said the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and that stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza is the main priority.

But Israel's government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.

Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Israels Channel 12 TV channel said 10 soldiers remained hospitalized. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, called for an independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard of humanitarian workers. He also said Israel this week denied him entry to Gaza for a second time.

The closing of Kerem Shalom came shortly after the head of the U.N. World Food Program asserted full-blown famine in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on aid entering the territory. It was not a formal famine declaration.

In the full NBC interview, WFP chief Cindy McCain said famine was moving its way south in Gaza and that Israel's efforts to allow in more aid were not enough. We have right now a mass on the outside border, about enough trucks and enough food for 1.1 million people for about three months. We need to get that in," she said.

Gaza's vast humanitarian needs put pressure on cease-fire talks. The proposal that Egyptian mediators put to Hamas sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate, six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7, and would include some sort of Israeli pullout. The initial stage would last 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Netanyahu claimed that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but "will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved. That includes the stated aim of crushing Hamas. Israel says it must target Rafah to strike remaining fighters there despite warnings from the U.S. and others about the danger to civilians.

In a fiery speech for Israels annual Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu added: I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself.

An Israeli strike Sunday on a house in an urban refugee camp near Rafah killed four children, including a baby, and two adults, all from the same family, according to Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital. Another Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least five people, according to Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel's military said it struck a Hamas command center in central Gaza. It didn't mention casualties.

A visual history of campus protests in the US A visual history of campus protests in the US 1933: Columbia University students strike in defense of 'academic freedom' 1940: Students for Peace protest America's involvement in WWII 1968: UC Berkeley's anti-draft 'Vietnam Commencement' 1968: Howard University students call for radical administration change 1968: Students for a Democratic Society occupies Hamilton Hall at Columbia University 1969: Black Student Strike at the UW Madison 1969: Central State University students assemble in Columbus, Ohio, to oppose admissions policies 1970: GW University students carry on anti-war demonstrations near Watergate complex in DC 1970: Protests erupt following Kent State shootings 1970: Students protest racial injustice at Jackson State College 1985: Students camp out at Columbia University's Hamilton Hall to protest apartheid 1999: University of Minnesota students demand action regarding sexual conduct investigations 2014: Washington University students protest to draw attention to police abuse 2017: Emerson College students walk out to protest on-campus racism 2018: Student activists lead 'die-in' protesting gun violence at NYU A visual history of campus protests in the US 1970: GW University students carry on anti-war demonstrations near Watergate complex in DC
A man was arrested and faces charges of domestic battery by strangulation and attempted murder.

Terrance Del-Rosario, 20 years old, was arrested on Friday, May 3, and was booked shortly after midnight on Saturday, May 4.

He was arrested by the Reno Police Department.
Federal authorities have released their preliminary report after a deadly plane crash in Truckee in March.

The plane crashed while approaching the Truckee-Tahoe Airport, killing 57-year-old Liron Petrushka and 58-year-old Naomi Petrushka of Incline Village.

In its report, the NSTB says the airport control tower and the runway lights were turned off when the crash happened on March 30th, just after 6:30 p.m.

The plane, a Daher TBM700, was on its return flight from Denver and descending into the Lake Tahoe area when the pilot tried to activate the runway lights.

A weather report shows it was lightly snowing at the time of the crash.

The plane crashed about 3,200 feet away from the end of the runway near some railroad tracks.

You can read details in the NTSB report below -

Investigators have confirmed the two people who died in a plane crash near Truckee last month were husband and wife.

The Nevada County Sheriff's Office have identified the victims as 57-year-old Liron Petrushka and 58-year-old Naomi Petrushka of Incline Village.

Authorities say they were identified through DNA analysis.

Naomi previously taught at the University of Nevada, Reno as an adjunct professor in the Economics Department in the College of Business.

According to investigators, their plane crashed while on approach to the Truckee Tahoe Airport.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. It urges anyone with surveillance video or other information about the crash to contact them at witness@ntsb.gov

UPDATE APRIL 1, 2024:

A former University of Nevada professor is one of two people who are reported dead in a small plane crash near Truckee Saturday night.

UNR tells us Naomi Petrushka taught several semesters at the school, including fall 2022 & 2023, and spring 2021 & 2023. Petrushka was an adjunct professor in the Economics Department in the College of Business.

She's believed to have died along with Liron Petrushka, although the Nevada County coroner has not officially released any names yet.

Upwest, an investment firm that funds and fast-tracks Israeli founders breaking into the American market, posted on Facebook that Liron and Naomi Petrushka were aboard the plane when it crashed. It says the couple were integral to building up the company.

The plane, a Daher TBM 700, left Centennial Airport in south Denver at 4:22 p.m. Mountain Time, according to flight data on FlightAware.com. It was scheduled to arrive at the Truckee Tahoe Airport three hours and 16 minutes later.

Instead, the single-engine turboprop crashed around 6:40 p.m. while on approach to the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday.

The Aviation Safety Network says preliminary investigations show that the plane missed its approach to the northeast-to-southwest runway here at the airport.

The plane made an 180-degree turn over the airport, climbing in the sky in a go-around to attempt to land, but instead the plane made a left-hand stalling spiral, taking out a tree near the Truckee River.

The Truckee Police Department confirmed two people died, but did not provide further information about the victims.

No homes were damaged, but railroad tracks at the crash site required repairs, KCRA-TV reported.

Moderate snow was falling at the time of the crash with visibility of a half-mile (0.8 kilometers), though winds were light, the news station reported.

The Truckee Police Department, Truckee Fire Protection District, Nevada County Sheriff, Nevada County Coroner and Truckee Tahoe Airport Staff all responded to the scene.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Update, May 6, 6:30 p.m.:

According to the Placer County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Richard Porter was released from the hospital.

They say he got the chance to meet the flight nurse who helped him during a critical time.

People cheered and a procession followed, showing their support for Deputy Porter.

---

Update, May 6, 9:45 a.m.:

A Placer County deputy shot last week in Colfax may be released from the hospital sometime on Monday.

The sheriff's office says Deputy Richard Porter is eating well and starting to walk after being shot last week while on duty inspecting a van connected to a previous burglary.

Deputies say the suspect, 37-year-old Steven Todd Sharp opened fire on responding deputies from the van. Sharp died on scene while Deputy Porter was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.

"Despite facing a dramatic injury, Deputy Porter has shown remarkable strength and resilience, leaving a lasting impression on the flight nurse, who was amazed by his composure," the sheriff's office says on X.

The family has set up an online account to help with expenses. Click on this line for more information.

The donation webpage says "he is married and is expecting their first child in just a few weeks."

UPDATE May 3, 2024:

A Placer County deputy is in critical condition after a late-night shooting in Colfax.

Authorities say around 11 p.m. on Thursday, multiple deputies were patrolling near South Auburn Street when they saw a white van linked to an earlier burglary.

When they spoke to the driver, a man identified as 37-year-old Steven Todd Sharp, they say he was immediately uncooperative and ultimately opened fire on the deputies.

Deputies say they returned fire, and one deputy was shot.

Eventually, when officers approached the van, they found the unidentified man dead inside.
On Jan 1, with the triumphant notes of Wuxi Overture ringing in the New Year at the Wuxi Grand Theatre, the Wuxi Symphony Orchestra made its official debut.

Founded in June 2023, the Wuxi Symphony is the newest and youngest symphony orchestra in China. Teaming up with top musicians from home and abroad, it launched its debut performance with a new composition that vibrantly reflects Wuxi's ethos as a Jiangnan water town and a historical city in East China's Jiangsu province.

"Our symphony orchestra premiered with a totally original work (Wuxi Overture), which could be an initiative among orchestras around the world, and that is what we want to let the world hear  the voice of Wuxi," said Lin Daye, the orchestra's artistic director and chief conductor.

Wuxi is an ancient cultural city that embodies the essence of the culture of Jiangnan, the region south of the Yangtze River estuary. In this regard, the city has a prerequisite for establishing a symphony orchestra, Lin said, adding: "Although symphony orchestras were introduced from the West several hundred years ago, I believe that over the years, symphonic music has become a universal language around the world. Ever since symphonic music came to China, it has combined with our Eastern culture to create our unique symphonic language."

Focusing on more original works and combining Chinese elements in their creation is the key consensus among the Wuxi Symphony, said Li Shaosheng, the orchestra's music director and composer of the Wuxi Overture.

"Today's Chinese young people have a good understanding of the world," Li said. "The Wuxi Symphony is new, but it can also showcase the youthful vigor of China's new generation. Through this, we can present the voice of China's young people to the world, exhibiting the confidence of the Chinese people and the impressive artistic charm of a younger generation of Chinese orchestras. This is not only an expression of the new charm of the nation, but also a testament to the artistic potential of the younger generation in China."

As a representative of young composers, Li is dedicated to injecting Chinese culture in his creation.

"The development of Chinese symphony orchestras is a process of localizing foreign culture, which means that we do not have as many classic compositions at our disposal," Li said.

For the Wuxi Symphony, Li said the tutoring team will emphasize traditional Chinese culture and even philosophy to help more foreign members in the orchestra gain a further understanding of and be nourished by Chinese culture.

The orchestra currently has more than 60 members, including some from Italy, Spain, the United States and Japan, with an average age of 28.

Joseph Chen, who is a 26-year-old Chinese American, serves as a trombone player in the Wuxi Symphony. Chen joined the orchestra in late 2023. He completed his music bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2016-21. During college, the young man worked as a substitute in the Kansas City Symphony.

"When you're starting out as a musician, you just audition everywhere. And you go wherever it takes you," Chen said.

Having grown up in Taiwan from ages 5 to 14, Chen has a deep affection for China.

"Over the past five years, I've been trying to come back here (in China). Joining the Wuxi Symphony is a step up from the jobs I've had in the past," he said.

The Wuxi Symphony requires about five hours of rehearsal per day, which is a regular routine for members to keep improving their skills.

"One of the ways you can tell if an orchestra is professional or not is how much better they play on stage versus in rehearsal. Because in rehearsal, everyone's just playing in a way to kind of saving their energy," said Chen.

Lodovico Maletti, 25, a horn player from Modena, Italy, has chosen the Wuxi Symphony as his first musical job after competing in the audition. He started his horn practice at age 7 and completed his bachelor's degree in the Royal College of Music in London and master's degrees at the Zurich University of the Arts in Switzerland.

"Orchestra performance in China is younger than it is in Europe, which also means that there are less strict rules about how things should be performed," said Maletti. "I think the Western world has to take into account the presence of China more and more, and that it is good to be somewhat pioneers of Chinese culture. Symphony orchestra is one of the channels that can help China better integrate into the world."

Music Director Li said: "It is important not only to localize this Western music but also to nourish this artistic form with our traditional culture."

There will be more musical creations featuring Wu culture, classic Chinese literature and even cross-genre elements in the orchestra's future performances, according to Li.

Co-built by the Wuxi city government and Xinwu district, the Wuxi Symphony is envisioned to serve as a channel for Wuxi to make exchanges with the world. The local governments have provided strong financial investment, with a new music hall under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
"Symphony of the Holocaust" was screened at the National Automobile Museum on Sunday morning, in partnership with Jewish Nevada and Temple Emanu-El - Reno as a part of the Northern Nevada Jewish Film Festival. The screening was held at Reno's National Automobile Museum.

"As a community, we're gathering here today and we're glad to be able to share our arts and culture with the community at large, as well as our local Jewish community," said Jewish Nevada Director of Community Engagement Mara Langer.

The documentary is a production of the Reno-based Sunn Stream streaming service.

Reno's Sunn Stream Premieres Baseball Doc at Greater Nevada Field:

We spoke to "Symphony of the Holocaust" Producer and Director Greg Dehart.

"The film is about taking something horrible and making something beautiful from it. It's also an amazing trial of survival: a prodigy Jewish violinist who at 13 years old was taken and his entire family taken to the Auschwitz death camp in World War II," explained DeHart.

After surviving four concentration camps as a 13-year-old child prodigy, Hungarian Shony Alex Braun moved to Los Angeles, started a family, and became a world-renowned musician and composer.

Braun created a significant portion of his symphony in his mind as a survival mechanism while he was a captive in the camps. However, he eventually debuted the 'Symphony of the Holocaust' in 1988. His dream was to perform the symphony in front of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau gates, the very place where he was once held captive.

Unfortunately, Braun passed away before he could fulfill his dream. However, the documentary showcases the emotional journey of his family as they went to Auschwitz last year to witness their father's symphony being performed on Braun's violin by an Armenian violinist, whose family had also been persecuted.

"It's a universal story. It is not only a Jewish story. It's a story of other religions. It's a story of Armenians and the genocide that they went through, but in the end it's a hopeful story, it's a story about making something beautiful from something horrible," explained DeHart.

Watch the Symphony of the Holocaust on Sunn Stream.
Last month, Minnie Bells Soul Movement came home to the Fillmore.

It had been more than a decade coming. Ever since the restaurants chef and owner Fernay McPherson first launched her business through the incubator program at La Cocina , shes wanted to open a storefront in the neighborhood thats been home to her family for three generations.

We searched high and low in the Fillmore for so long, says McPherson. It was either too expensive, or I didnt have access to enough capital, or the landlords didnt believe in my vision.

She opened up a food truck, instead; followed by catering and hosting pop-ups in the city. Eventually, McPherson took Minnie Bells across the Bay to the Emeryville Public Market. By then, her rosemary fried chicken had become a cult favorite and introducing it to the East Bay gave the chef the chance to expand her reach.

But even with the business going strong, McPherson never gave up on the idea of returning home. So, when the city of San Francisco reached out to the chef with an opportunity to fill a vacancy on Fillmore Street through its Dream Keeper Initiative a program working to return Black-owned businesses to the Fillmoreshe jumped at the chance. Its there that I meet McPherson, her soft brown eyes asparkle as she greets guests and hustles platters of crispy drumsticks from kitchen to table.

On one wall of the restaurant sprawls a vintage black-and-white photograph of Fillmore Street when it was still considered the Harlem of the West. On another, two fresh-faced young women, McPhersons grandmother Lillie Bell and great aunt Minnie back in the day, watch over the restaurant like guardian angels.

Fernay McPherson in front of the mural of her inspiration, grandmother Lillie Bell and great aunt Minnie. (Courtesy of Citizen Film)

They were my inspiration, says McPherson. Growing up, they would cook these amazing meals and make them look so pretty. I was so amazed with the presentation of food and, of course, it tasted amazing too. When I took the leap to go into the food industry professionally, it was only fitting to bring them along with me.

Minnie came to the Fillmore as a child in late 30s or early 40s with her father, a train porter whod fallen in love with the city on a prior visit. Lillie Bell arrived from Texas in 1962 when her husband, who worked at the post office, transferred to a local branch. Both were part of The Great Migration, the flow of African-Americans out of the South and across the country in search of better opportunities. In San Francisco, they became part of the historic Black community growing up around the Fillmore.

By the time McPherson was coming up, the neighborhood had changed. Redevelopment happened before I was born, so a lot of the Black-owned businesses and homeowners were already pushed out of the city. While there was still some community left in the Fillmore, a lot of people eventually had to start moving out, she says.

The neighborhood had its challenges in those days. I grew up in the heart of the crack epidemic, says McPherson. There was a lot of violence, a lot of young men losing their lives when crack cocaine came in and flooded our neighborhood. But, says the chef, she never felt unsafe. If I was walking home from school or a party, if someone saw me they would walk me home. I was around people who loved me and wanted to look out for me.

Today, although crack no longer infests the Fillmore, the neighborhood faces different challenges. I dont feel the same community and safety that I felt then, McPherson continues.

Despite its changes, though, the river of the Fillmores past still runs deep. I want Minnie Bells to be a place where people can learn about the history of the Fillmore, says McPherson. A bunch of people from the community were all there last weekand they all got to talking, and it just happened authentically. Thats exactly what I wanted, that was my hope for that space, being able to have a very diverse group of people who come in and have an experience.

Minnie Bell's new Fillmore restaurant. A vintage photo of the neighborhood covers one wall. (Citizen Film)

Fried chickenand the restaurants selection of bubbles, wine, and beermake a fine starting point for conversation. McPherson has tweaked the comforting and familiar soul food flavors of the South just enough to make them standout. To her fried chicken, shes famously included fresh rosemary, an herb that adds a layer of flavor and freshness but doesnt take away from it so it feels like it isnt fried chicken.

Sides like pie-filling perfect candied yams, creamy mac and cheese made with rich bechamel and three types of cheese, and moist brown butter cornbread hold their own against the main course. The chefs explosively flavorful braised greens are, surprisingly, completely vegan.

The greens are crazy simple, McPherson laughs. All it is is a few spices and a very rich veggie stock. We slow braise them for a couple of hours and let all of those flavors just start to marry. Additional menu items like cornmeal-crusted catfish and vegan mac and cheese made with house-brined mushrooms are coming soon.

Coming out of culinary school, I always felt like soul food, I dont think people are gonna buy soul food, says McPherson. But I think going to La Cocina, when I saw other women doing the food that resonates with them and their families, it helped me understand that I could be me.

Although it remains to be seen whether Minnie Bells homecoming is the start of a resurgence of Black-owned businesses in the Fillmore, its something McPherson would love to see. And eventually, when the future history of the Fillmore is written, there will be a place for Minnie Bells Soul Movement on its pages.

// Minnie Bell's Soul Movement SF is open Tuesday through Saturday; 1375 Fillmore St. (Fillmore),minniebellssoul.com
I was at my desk checking email and saw a fraud alert from PayPal. I skimmed the message below the familiar logo: Heres your invoice. Due on receipt. $1069.69.



Hmm. I hovered my cursor over the senders address to see if it matched the display name. It appeared authentic: Service@PayPal.com. Still, I knew not to click through the email itself and instead logged directly onto my PayPal account. There it was  an invoice from a company Id never heard of.

My heart began racing, and in my adrenaline-fueled panic, I made a huge mistake. I returned to the email (which I now trusted was real), saw the line that said, Dont recognize this invoice? and called the phone number for reporting fraudulent charges that was listed underneath.

Thats when the trap was sprung.

The man who answered my call said hed help me after verifying my identity. Like the perfect mark, I dutifully gave him my email address, along with the code PayPal then texted to my mobile phone.

Someone in Miami is trying to purchase an iPhone with your PayPal account, he said. Your financial information and credit cards have all been compromised.

Suddenly, I realized what Id done. Id called the number on an unsolicited email, and the man I was talking to was a crook trying to finish the scam by drawing more information from me.

I hung up and tried to log back in to PayPal, but the scammer had already changed my password, using the code Id just provided. Requesting another code to my phone, I was able to access my account. By then, he had sent 26 more invoices to PayPal for bogus services totaling over $20,000.

With shaking hands, I called the customer service number on PayPals website and reached a representative. He promptly locked down my account, emailed password reset links, confirmed my contact information and walked me through canceling each fraudulent payment request.

Luckily, Id acted quickly and reached a real agent in time. Had I hesitated, the scammer could have changed the mobile number associated with my account and locked me out while he approved the bogus charges. I would have had to work through PayPal, my bank and my credit card company to try to recoup my money.
An important forum aimed at promoting communication and cooperation between Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao in technology innovation and popular science education was held during the China Science Fiction Convention 2024 in Beijing.

Participating guests and speakers pose for a group photo at the end of the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Science Fiction Integration Forum held during the China Science Fiction Convention 2024 in Beijing, April 28, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Science Popularization and Science Fiction Academy]

The Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Science Fiction Integration Forum, themed "A New Chapter of Future Technology and Popular Science Education," attracted more than 200 participants, including experts, teachers, students, sci-tech workers, sci-fi writers, and government representatives.

The forum was organized by the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, the Hong Kong Science Popularization and Science Fiction Academy, and Shijingshan district's Future Science Fiction Industry Development Center. It aimed to encourage sci-tech cultural exchange and cooperation across the three regions while promoting future advancement in technology and science education.

Qian Hang, a standing member of the Communist Party of China Shijingshan District Committee in Beijing and head of the district's United Front Work Department, revealed that the sci-fi industry in Shijingshan is beginning to take shape.

"A sci-fi region in west Beijing is rapidly emerging, and there is close exchange and cooperation between Beijing, Hong Kong and Macao," Qian said. "This not only actively contributes to the integrated economic development of the region but will also inject new vitality into the prosperity of the sci-fi industry."

Shang Hailong, a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and a consultant for SenseTime, delivered a keynote speech titled "Connecting Two Major Centers, Aggregating Talent Effects, and Promoting the Rapid Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)." He explored the concept of "science fiction becoming reality" and how it has driven multiple waves of human productivity revolutions. He stressed the importance of developing new quality productive forces represented by artificial intelligence. Additionally, Shang stated that the "one country, two systems" policy allows for the appreciation of diverse thinking arising from different advantageous systems.

In discussions later on, renowned sci-fi writer Wang Jinkang stated that humanity will inevitably face a steep transition in its long, linear development and should adapt to the disruptions brought about by AI by aligning with reality and objective principles. His peer, Liu Cixin, cautioned that the advent of true AI capable of fulfilling all our needs is not necessarily a positive development. Liu emphasized that humans must maintain a spirit of constant pioneering and exploration of new frontiers and the unknown for long-term survival.

Experts, sci-tech museum managers, and school headteachers from Beijing, Hong Kong, and Macao also explored strategies to inspire interest in science and technology innovations and promote science education among students in schools across the three regions.

Yuen Yuet Po, curator of the Hong Kong Science Museum, pointed out that sci-fi and science mutually promote each other: "Science fiction presents imaginative visions of the future, and inspired by these visions, scientists continuously explore new technological fields, driving the progress and development of technology."

Bai Gengsheng, vice chairman of the China Writers Association, echoed the same sentiment in his speech. "Without imagination, the advancement of science and technology would be very slow; without science fiction, our imaginations would forever remain mere daydreams," Bai said. "The combination of science, technology, and literature represents a powerful alliance and is a vanguard in China's efforts to build strength in culture."

Meng Fanxing, vice chairman of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, added that technological innovations, popular science, and sci-fi education propel social progress and human civilization. "In this era of increasingly advanced information dissemination, technological innovations are emerging continuously. Popular science education keeps pace with the times, while sci-fi education is an important channel to stimulate the curiosity and imagination of young people and a vital means to cultivate their scientific literacy," Meng concluded.


Cohiba Reviews IOCG Prospectivity of Olympic Domain Project

Melbourne, May 6, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cohiba Minerals Limited ( ASX:CHK ) ( CHKMF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce completion of a desktop review of the company's copper and gold prospectivity across its South Australian tenements. The desktop review has formed the basis on an updated strategic direction the Company will look to progress to maximise value for shareholders.



Chief Executive Officer, Faheem Ahmed commented:



"Cohiba has been well positioned with extensive exposure to highly prospective Copper and Gold assets which adjoin the biggest IOCG discovery in Australia in the last two decades. This is the first step in extrapolating value out of these key IOCG assets and we've compiled data which will be used for targeted exploration and discussions to seek a potential Joint Venture partnership with a major.



The Oak Dam Project hosts the same geophysical signatures, lithology and stratigraphy as other major IOCG discoveries. There's been over 5 million dollars expended by the previous management team into these tenements with extensive mapping and invaluable data to lead us close to the major source of mineralization. The data review shows how prospective these assets are which can potentially lead to a major discovery.



Cohiba has also commenced seeking potential business opportunities to generate value for shareholders"



OLYMPIC DOMAIN PROJECTS



The Olympic Domain Projects consists of three key prospects located on three separate exploration licenses in South Australia - Horse Well, Lake Torrens, and Pernatty C.



These prospects are situated in one of the largest basins in the world - the Gawler Craton, which is host for mega-IOCG discoveries such as Oak Dam West, Olympic Dam and Carrapateena. These IOCG deposits react well to magnetic TLM and gravity survey due to hematite/magnetite being located at the core of these IOCG bodies. This makes detailed gravity work combined with structural geology an effective pathfinder for major IOCG discoveries, which Cohiba's desktop review has re-affirmed.



Horse Well - Holds all the characteristics required within a major IOCG deposit



A comprehensive review of all drilling and geological data at Horse Well has shown the prospect hosts all major features required within a large IOCG discovery which develops a compelling exploration target.



1. Large structural features



Cross-cutting faults have been confirmed from drilling at Horse Well which is a pre-requisite to hosting large IOCG bodies. Coupled with large intercepts of low-grade copper mineralisation (111.6m @ 0.27% Cu) which indicates large-scale historical fluid movement through the structural features. This is confirmation Cohiba is proximal to the source of mineralisation and the target is considerable in size.



2. Harsh transition from barren rock



Harsh transition from barren rock to low levels of mineralisation with brittle fractures and brecciation which is also highly promising of a large IOCG discovery and indicative drilling has also moved proximal to the source of mineralisation.



3. HEMQ (Hematite Quartz) Presence



HEMQ is a key marker which occurs abundantly to the Olympic Dam deposit. Not only was HEMQ present within Horse Well drill cores but was also visually identical to the HEMQ found at Olympic Dam.



4. Small intercepts of high-grade copper



Minor intercepts of high-grade copper such as 0.8m @12.15% Cu at Horse Well, is confirmation the large body of fluid which moved through the structure predominantly hosted copper - these small and high-grade intercepts are sections of fractional crystallization of the host fluid. Indicating the major deposit is copper abundant and the final deposition of fluids into an IOCG has occurred proximal to the latest round of drilling.



5. Numerous geophysical hotspots



Magnetic signatures have indicated numerous targets which align with gravity surveys. Due to structural dislocations, the host body does not always directly lie below the gravity high - i.e Oak Dam was discovered ~200m west of gravity high. Cohiba's desktop review has confirmed that the next step in exploration will focus on a major discovery ~200m away from gravity highs which is running parallel to faults.



As seen in Figure 1*, Horse Well is surrounded by majors in one of the most sought after IOCG districts in Australia, host to one of the best national copper discoveries in the last two decades. Cohiba holds an incredibly lucrative position at Horse Well, which geologically has shown all the major markers of hosting a large IOCG deposit. Furthermore, drilling to date and analysis of the core has not resolved or explained the strong magnetic anomalies, which indicate the source of the magnetic anomalies which potentially host the IOCG body is yet to be discovered.



Cohiba's goal is to generate value for shareholders, hence the next natural step will be opening extensive data-room compiled at Horse Well to seek a major JV partner which will co-invest resources with Cohiba to fund and execute future exploration programs alongside Cohiba, with aims of making an Oak Dam West style discovery - allowing Cohiba to partially offset exploration risk while providing optionality to capturing upside upon a potential discovery.



Lake Torrens - Mega geophysical target, ideally located on a mantle disruption



Lake Torrens is perfectly placed on the annulus of major mantle disruptions which hosts Olympic Dam and Oak Dam West. Furthermore, Lake Torrens sits on the PD1 Lineament Corridor2 which was used for targeted mineral exploration that famously led to the discovery of Olympic Dam - this is an incredibly rare co-incident which places this concession strategically on the cross-roads of two rare geological features which was analogous with Olympic Dam.



Over 500 geological lineaments were mapped by the late Tim O'Driscoll in Western Mining Corporation Exploration Division during the 1960s to 1980s which was used to target exploration programs - eventually laying the foundation of fundamental analysis which led to the discovery of Olympic Dam.



Geophysical work alongside the unique structural placement of Lake Torrens has identified gravity targets which is ~2-3x the size of Oak Dam discovery itself.



Lake Torrens represents an area which has had little to no historic exploration, sitting at the cross section of two rare geological features - which only Olympic Dam shares the same two features, while displaying a mega geophysical target.

Despite being a high-risk greenfield target, Lake Torrens presents a remarkably exciting and unprecedented target to make a major discovery.



Pernatty C - Lead, Silver, Zinc potential



Pernatty C presents a lead silver zinc and base metal target which drilling appears to have nicked the edge of a potential source body - intercepting 1m @5.28% Zn (PSDDH01). Review of geological logs and core data indicates this prospect requires follow up drilling to confirm if PSDDH01 was within the edge of the resource body and follow up to identifying the dimensions of the source body.



Pernatty C diversifies Cohiba's exposure from IOCG to a sediment hosted base metals project which can be divested separately from Horse Well and Lake Torrens.



The comprehensive desktop review conducted by Cohiba is the first step in re-directing the Company into more efficient and targeted exploration programs. Cohiba has collated and organised its data-rooms for each project and prospect, with compelling data which will be used for on-going JV negotiations.



For the Olympic Domain Project, Cohiba has stored kept all ~10,000m of core securely stored and has one of the most detailed geological databases for a junior explorer on these assets. The desktop review on Olympic Domain Project has shown incredible prospectivity to make a world-class discovery of similar nature to Oak Dam and Carrapateena. Cohiba believes the next natural step will be opening these data-rooms further and expand its discussions with more potential JV partners to find a suitable candidate to co-fund this asset and allowing Cohiba to progress its next stage of exploration within the Olympic Domain assets through to a potential discovery which will unlock maximum value for shareholders. This will reduce expenditure liability for Cohiba (as IOCG drilling is costly), while allowing Cohiba to progress exploration and providing the company optionality to capture upside value on the back of any potential world-class discovery.



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/V32Q6A10





About Altair Minerals Limited





Altair Minerals Limited (ASX:ALR) (OTCMKTS:CHKMF) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with the primary focus of investing in the resource sector through direct tenement acquisition, joint ventures, farm in arrangements and new project generation. The Company has projects located in South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland with a key focus on its Olympic Domain tenements located in South Australia.

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Malibu, CA, May 6, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Join MONEYTALK RADIO'S Ellis Martin for a conversation with Terry Lynch, CEO of Power Nickel Inc. ( CVE:PNPN ) ( PNPNF:OTCMKTS ). Power Nickel is a Canadian junior exploration company focusing on developing the high-grade Nisk project into Canada's first Carbon Neutral Nickel mine. The Nisk project is located in Quebec Province and is benefited by Generous tax credits that cover 50% of exploration costs, A Hydro-Quebec substation across the road supplying low-carbon inexpensive hydropower, a stable political environment with strong government and first nation partners. It's Located beside major highway and nearby town.



And there is Shallow mineral depth.



The NISK property comprises a significant land position (20 kilometers of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts. Power Nickel is focused on expanding the historical high-grade nickel-copper PGE mineralization with a series of drill programs designed to test the initial Nisk discovery zone and to explore the land package for adjacent potential Nickel deposits. We visit now with Mr. Lynch at the Energy Transition Metals Summit in Washington, DC.



To Listen to the Interview, please visit:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/7NXQTESY





About Power Nickel Inc.





Power Nickel Inc. (CVE:PNPN) (OTCMKTS:PNPNF) (FRA:IVV) is a Canadian junior exploration company focusing on developing the High-Grade Nisk project into Canada's first Carbon Neutral Nickel mine.

On February 1, 2021, Power Nickel (then called Chilean Metals) completed the acquisition of its option to acquire up to 80% of the Nisk project from Critical Elements Lithium Corp. (CVE:CRE). Subsequently, Power Nickel has exercised its option to acquire 50% of the Nisk Project and delivered notice to Critical Elements that it intends to exercise its second option to bring its ownership to 80%. The last remaining commitment to exercise the option was the delivery of a NI-43-101 Technical report which has now occurred.

The Nisk property comprises a significant land position (20 kilometers of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts. Power Nickel is focused on expanding the historical high-grade nickel-copper PGE mineralization with a series of drill programs designed to test the initial Nisk discovery zone and to explore the land package for adjacent potential Nickel deposits.

In addition to the Nisk project, Power Nickel owns significant land packages in British Colombia and Chile. Power Nickel is expected to reorganize these assets in a related vehicle through a plan of arrangement.

Power Nickel announced on June 8, 2021, that an agreement had been made to complete the 100% acquisition of its Golden Ivan project in the heart of the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle has reported mineral resources (past production and current resources) in 130 million ounces of gold, 800 million ounces of silver, and 40 billion pounds of copper (Resource World). This property hosts two known mineral showings (gold ore and Magee) and a portion of the past-producing Silverado mine, reportedly exploited between 1921 and 1939. These mineral showings are Polymetallic veins containing quantities of silver, lead, zinc, plus/minus gold, and plus/minus copper.

Power Nickel is also 100 percent owner of five properties comprising over 50,000 acres strategically located in the prolific iron-oxide-copper-gold belt of northern Chile. It also owns a 3-per-cent NSR royalty interest on any future production from the Copaquire copper-molybdenum deposit sold to a subsidiary of Teck Resources Inc. Under the terms of the sale agreement, Teck has the right to acquire one-third of the 3-per-cent NSR for $3 million at any time. The Copaquire property borders Teck's producing Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile's first region.

About The Ellis Martin Report

The Ellis Martin Report (TEMR) is an internet based radio program showcasing potentially undervalued companies to an audience of potential retail investors and fund managers that comprise our listening audience. TEMR is broadcasted on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel and The Opportunity Radio Network. CEO and company interviews are paid for by those represented on the program.

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Tourists visit the Qianmen commercial district in Beijing, capital of China, May 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]



Beijing received about 16.97 million tourists and achieved a tourism revenue of 19.62 billion yuan (around $2.7 billion) during the May Day holiday, according to the municipal bureau of culture and tourism on Sunday.

This marked a year-on-year increase of 9.4% and 10.2% respectively, both reaching historical highs for the same period.

The capital city organized over 2,700 cultural and tourism activities to attract visitors during the five-day holiday, including countryside trips and various performances.

Data indicated that the top tourist destinations in the city included historical attractions, business districts, and parks.

Rural tourism in Beijing welcomed 2.86 million visitors, a 22.9-percent increase year on year, raking in 340 million yuan, up 24.3% from the same period last year.

This year's May Day holiday ran from May 1 to 5.
Ageas Federal Life Insurance, one of India's leading private life insurers, proudly introduces its latest brand campaign film, "Cradle to Crease," an initiative that drives home the message that while the future might be exciting, evolving and uncertain, by focusing on financial planning and investing in life insurance, one can face the future with optimism, hope and confidence.

In today's rapidly evolving landscape, a childs future isn't as distant as it once seemed. Recognizing this, the campaign sheds light on the significance of early financial planning for parents through the lens of Sachin Tendulkars debut.

Speaking about the brand film, Erum Kidwai, Sr. Vice President & Head- Marketing at Ageas Federal Life Insurance, remarked, "" With "Cradle to Crease, we aim to redefine the narrative surrounding financial planning and insurance. Sachin Tendulkar's journey serves as a powerful reminder that there is no fixed age or time to prioritize financial security. Through this film, we seek to inspire individuals to take charge of their future fearlessly and embrace a proactive approach towards financial planning through insurance."

Commenting on the brands use of innovative technology when it comes to marketing campaigns, Mr. Kidwai added, Be it our Young Sachin campaign, The Boy Who Dreamed, SachinVerse campaign or the present Cradle to Crease Ad, we are proud to be the first brand in the BFSI sector in India to integrate Gen AI and Deep Fake positively to educate audiences about the necessity of Life Insurance in a way that is relatable to todays tech savvy audience. These campaigns also ensure that they appeal to the entire spectrum of our target audience from all age groups"

Building on the long-term brand philosophy of #FutureFearless, the brand reminds people that with timely investment through life insurance, they can be adequately prepared for any uncertainties or disruptions that life throws at us. The film underscores the versatility and relevance of life insurance products across all age groups, reinforcing the message that its never to early or late to secure one's future, the right time is whenever one chooses to act.

Mukund Olety, CCO VML, shares, After a very successful Young Sachin campaign, we have created Cradle to Crease. The film features Sachin walking through the tunnel of life as he reaches the pitch. Using technology, weve created a hyper-realistic rendition of 16-year-old Sachin to recreate the moment he made his international debut. With the power of Gen-AI, weve told a story that could not have been told 5 years ago. We are constantly pushing boundaries and using technology to make storytelling richer and better. Were sure seeing Sachin walk up to his debut shall inspire a lot of parents to plan better.

The 360 campaign will be amplified across social media platforms, including sports, news and finance channels and OOH and digital OOH across 6 cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Kerala (Cochin, Kottayam, and Trivandrum) to effectively engage its target audience, amplifying its message of prudent financial planning. The brands previous campaigns have consistently won recognition including in Campaign India's "Picks of the Week", New York Festival Ad Awards, ZEE Kyoorius Creative Awards 2023 and Exchange4media's "Best Ads of the fortnight," underscoring AFLIs impactful brand presence.

The "Cradle to Crease" Ad campaign featuring Sachin Tendulkar is a testament to Ageas Federal Life Insurance's commitment to empowering individuals to lead a life and lifestyle of their choice fearlessly. We invite viewers to join us on this inspiring journey towards prudent financial planning.
Streamings popularity continues to surge ahead. As of the March edition of Nielsens The GaugeTM, streaming had grown 12% on an annual basis among U.S. adults. Major streaming players are investing big dollars in programming to attract audiences. And ad-supported options are proliferating, meeting the demand from even more viewers like the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community.

The AANHPHI audience brings $1.3 trillion buying power and is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. With more media platforms available than ever before, understanding how and where AANHPI audiences are consuming content is critical for brands and businesses. While Asian Americans spend less total time with media than any other segment of the U.S. population, they are heavy users of digital media, including streaming. For marketers figuring out how to incorporate streaming into their media plans, Asian Americans could be a key audience to focus on.

Streaming gains share with Asian American TV use

As reported in Nielsens most recent Diverse Intelligence Series report, Asian audiences 18 and older in the U.S. spend 17.5 hours with TV in a given week. While this is less than the 32 hours spent weekly by the general population, AANHPI audiences spend a larger percentage of their overall TV time with streaming. In January 2024, streaming made up 45.4% of Asian Americans TV usage, compared with 36.0% for the general U.S. population, according to Nielsens The GaugeTM.

Year over year, Asian Americans use of streaming grew 5.6% from January 2023. And streaming continues to gain ground. In March 2024, streaming rose to 48.2% of AANHPI audiences total TV time.

The good news for advertisers is that Asian Americans are leaning into ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) viewing, which made up 31% of their streaming as of January 2024, compared with 27% for the total population.

AANHPI streaming use stretches across devices

Beyond TV, AANHPI viewers spend 17 hours per week with their smartphoneswhich is in line with the total population. However, AANHPI audiences level of engagement with mobile devices represents more than a third of their total media time.

On smartphones, Asians outpace other viewers for using streaming platform appsespecially ad-supported ones. In an average month, YouTubes mobile app reaches 85% of AANHPI adults. Sling TV is also particularly appealing with its international TV content, especially in South Asian and East Asian languages. AANHPI viewers are 37% more likely to use the app than the general population.

Incorporating streaming into your media plans

The reality is that audiences of ad-supported streaming platforms continue to grow. For example, in February 2024, YouTube captured 9.3% of TV usage, a platform-best. But not all audiences are adopting at the same pace. While age and gender have traditionally been the focus driving media buys, advanced audience segments can help marketers better plan to reach audiences that are leaning in.

The media consumption behaviors of the AANHPI audiences dont follow traditional norms. For example, Asians 50+ spend the most time on connected TV devices compared to other groups who tend to watch more linear TV. Given that Asian Americans are heavy streamers, advertisers can focus on engaging this audience across ad-supported streaming platforms as part of their cross-media campaigns.
Carat India has bagged the integrated media mandate for Meesho, India's only true e-commerce marketplace. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agencys Bangalore office.

As per the mandate, Carat, the media agency from dentsu India, will oversee a comprehensive suite of integrated and full-funnel media solutions for the brand.

Under the leadership of Sanchayeeta Verma, CEO of Carat India, and Anita Kotwani, CEO of Media, South Asia, dentsu, the agency will provide brand solutions intricately aligned with evolving consumer behaviors, integrating modern thinking and future-led technologies.

Carat will empower Meesho to take significant strides in reaching out to consumers, fulfilling its vision of becoming the preferred e-commerce destination for the next billion users in the country. The agency will deliver top-notch, client-centric, data-driven solutions, emphasizing digital transformation and fostering audience engagement. Additionally, Carat will craft strategies reinforcing the brands commitment to fostering commercial success for small businesses and entrepreneurs in India. Leveraging the networks marketing, technology, and consultancy expertise, the agency will focus on creating distinctively tailored solutions for Meesho.

Commenting on the win, Sanchayeeta Verma, CEO, Carat India said, Partnering with Meesho is a game-changer, a chance to rewrite the e-commerce playbook for Bharat. Our strategy? A finely tuned team structure meticulously crafted to fuel Meesho's ascent & growth. Moreover, our industry-leading tools will act as an added advantage to strategize, plan, implement, and measure across the full funnel. It is this unique combination that has enabled us to secure this remarkable and prestigious opportunity.

Anita Kotwani, CEO, Media, South Asia, dentsu added, Welcoming Meesho aboard is a thrilling milestone, as we eagerly anticipate steering the company's mission of democratizing internet commerce in India. Our proposal was more than just compelling; it was a holistic journey, spanning from branding and performance to data-driven analytics and an inventive media & content strategy. We're confident that our collaboration will not only fuel Meesho's long-term strategic growth but also drive our own evolution!

Soumitra Choubey, Associate Director, Brand Marketing, Meesho remarked, As we embark on this exciting journey with Carat India, we are thrilled to elevate Meesho's presence among Indias Active Internet user base. With Carat's comprehensive media solutions and our shared vision for innovation, we are poised to redefine the e-commerce experience for the next billion users. Together, we look forward to leveraging cutting-edge technologies and consumer insights to create impactful strategies that drive both brand growth and empower small businesses nationwide.
Dentsu India has announced the departure of Sapna Arora, Chief Client Officer. Sapna, who joined the network in January 2023, played a key role in advancing client solutions and contributing to the network's growth. Collaborating closely with leadership & teams across the agency, she fostered a contemporary business growth culture, facilitating the transformation of dentsu into a 'Network of the Future.

Harsha Razdan, CEO, of South Asia, dentsu said, Sapna has been a valuable member of our leadership team and a key partner for our clients. Working across creative, media, and CX business, she exemplified our commitment to addressing clients' business challenges. We extend our best wishes for her continued success.

Sapna Arora added, It has been a rewarding journey with dentsu in APAC and India. I've gained insights from the agency side of business as well as diverse clients & industries I have worked with. I express gratitude to Harsha Razdan; he has been a great mentor and an inspiring leader. As I explore new opportunities, I wish dentsu the best in its future endeavours.
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the apex body advocating for the Automobile Retail Sector's interests in India, has joined forces with a Growth Pipeline Company, Frost & Sullivan, for spearheading a determined Customer Experience Index (CEI) Study. This innovative project intends to carefully analyse numerous aspects of the customer journey, incorporating sales, after-sales service and product quality across the passenger vehicle spectrum.

In its maiden year, the comprehensive study will target Passenger Vehicle Category, including Hatchbacks, Sedans, SUVs/MPVs, EVs and Luxury vehicles, utilizing a detailed questionnaire to capture insights from 8,000 participants across 26 cities. This includes seven metropolitan areas, sixteen Tier-2 cities and three Tier-3 locations, ensuring a broad and inclusive data set that spans the diverse Indian landscape.

Manish Raj Singhania, President of FADA, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, "Launching this study marks a significant milestone in our continuous effort to deeply understand and meet the evolving needs of automobile consumers. FADA remains dedicated to deploying its collective expertise for the betterment of the entire Automobile Industry. Over the past three years, we have conducted the Dealer Satisfaction Survey (DSS) and recently launched a specialized DSS focusing on Finance & Insurance. Now, by incorporating this Customer Experience Index survey, we are broadening our analytical scope to encompass all facets of the Indian automobile ecosystem, thereby providing a comprehensive voice and strategic vision for all stakeholders. Partnering with Frost & Sullivan not only enhances this studys credibility but also amplifies our commitment to advancing the Industry. The insights garnered from this expansive survey will directly inform and refine OEM strategies, facilitating tailored customer experiences that foster brand loyalty and satisfaction."

Further emphasizing the study's strategic importance, Vinkesh Gulati, Chairman of FADAs Research & Academy, highlighted, "The Indian automotive sector is at a critical juncture, poised for significant growth amidst changing consumer behaviours and technological innovation. This Customer Experience Index survey is a strategic initiative designed to systematically harness customer feedback across a wide demographic, something that has not been undertaken at this scale in our industry before. By integrating detailed assessments of sales, after-sales & product quality experiences from various vehicle categories, we aim to provide OEMs and Dealers with the insights necessary to elevate their service standards and product offerings. This study is about transforming anecdotal feedback into empirical data that will drive operational changes and enhance customer satisfaction across the board. Our goal is to not only meet but exceed customer expectations, setting new benchmarks for excellence in the automotive sector.

Aroop Zutshi, Global Managing Partner & Executive Board Member at Frost & Sullivan, said, Transformation is imminent. Every organization and every industry need to be agile to adapt to evolving customer needs to survive. India is poised to witness exponential growth in the automotive industry driven by the rising middle-income and youth population, adoption of electric vehicles, increased investment in the Indian automotive industry and Government policy impetus. The Customer Experience Index by FADA in association with Frost & Sullivan will be a powerful tool for all OEMS and the Dealer fraternity to leverage.

The Customer Experience Index by FADA and Frost & Sullivan is set to redefine industry standards for customer satisfaction and service excellence. The results, which will provide invaluable insights for the entire automotive ecosystem, are eagerly awaited in September 2024.
In the 13th edition of the Indian Magazine Congress, a panel discussion was held on "The Shift from Media Planning to Audience Solutions: How can magazines make themselves relevant in the evolving paradigm?" The panel discussion was moderated by Riyadh Mathew from The Week, and the panelists included Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India; Manoj Sharma, CEO, India Today; and Ambi Parameswaram, Brand Strategist, Founder of Brand Building.com.

Riyadh Mathew began the discussion by noting that Ambi Parameswaram has authored several books, though he himself has only read four of them: 'Strategic Brand Management', 'All the World is a Stage: A Personal Branding Story', 'Sponge Leadership Lessons Learned From My Clients', and 'Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity'. Mathew further shared Parameswaram's recent assertion that brands utilizing digital media may not be as effective as traditional forms of advertising, particularly print.

Parameswaram elaborated on his views, stating that his perspective stemmed from an article he wrote for Business World critiquing the worlds of performance marketing and brand marketing. He emphasized the need for a balance between the two, advocating for greater investment in brand marketing to complement the focus on performance marketing metrics like click-through rates and conversions.

Mathew then referenced statistics indicating the effectiveness of magazine ads in driving brand favorability and awareness, particularly among younger demographics. He posed a question to the panelists regarding how advertisers should allocate their ad spending based on such data.

Shashi Sinha responded, highlighting the challenges faced by traditional media organizations in the face of changing advertising dynamics. He emphasized the importance of engagement metrics and time spent, suggesting that magazines possess unique strengths in these areas compared to other media formats.

Manoj Sharma echoed Sinha's sentiments, emphasizing the enduring value of magazines as sources of quality content and credibility amidst the proliferation of news and misinformation across various media platforms. He emphasized the need to recognize the qualitative aspects of magazine content consumption and adapt to evolving audience preferences.

Throughout the discussion, the panelists emphasized the importance of striking a balance between traditional and digital media channels, leveraging the unique strengths of magazines to engage audiences effectively in an increasingly complex media landscape.
Sense Digital, a pioneering digital marketing solutions provider, has announced a strategic partnership with Cheggout, a premier customer engagement platform that primarily operates through partnerships with financial institutions. This collaboration allows marketers to engage with customers directly within their trusted digital banking channels, including online and mobile apps.

With a vast customer base through banks, this partnership presents a tremendous opportunity for advertisers to connect with a highly engaged audience. Leveraging the extensive reach and trusted reputation of these banks, brands can now deliver personalized messages to a captive audience, driving brand awareness and customer acquisition.



Sense Digital's expertise in crafting personalized, data-driven marketing strategies perfectly complements Cheggout's innovative technology, which provides bank customers with relevant and engaging content that enhances their banking experience while also offering advertisers a unique opportunity to connect with a highly engaged audience. By leveraging the rich user data within the banking apps, brands will now have the opportunity to connect with their target audience in a contextually relevant environment, driving higher engagement and conversion rates.

Commenting on the partnership, Nipun Malik , Co-Founder & COO at Sense Digital, said, "We are thrilled to partner with Cheggout to unlock the advertising potential within financial institutions app ecosystem. As digital transformation continues to reshape the banking industry, our collaboration will empower brands to deliver impactful messages to consumers at the right moment, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships."

Echoing this sentiment, Satyen Kishan, Chief Revenue Officer at Cheggout, added, "At Cheggout, we are committed to driving innovation in digital advertising. Partnering with Sense Digital allows us to tap into the vast opportunities presented by banking app inventories, delivering tailored branding experiences that resonate with users and drive business results."



With the combined expertise of Sense Digital and Cheggout, brands can expect a seamless, data-driven approach to engage customers within their banking apps, offering unparalleled targeting capabilities and measurable results.

The inclusion of notable banks such as Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Bandhan Bank, and UCO Bank in this initiative amplifies its significance. It expands the reach of the partnership across a diverse array of banking institutions, further solidifying its potential to drive meaningful engagement and deliver tangible business outcomes.
4 Golds were won by Indian companies at the 35th Golden Award of Montreux Switzerland Festival with 9 finalists which was held in April 2024. One of the most revered media and advertising awards in Europe which is running since 35 years, Montreux Festival is a forerunner to Cannes and the Montreux Jazz festival which has become a global icon in music and creativity.

Tata Motors in-house agency won 2 Golds,  Ramadan 2024 in the Category Creative Use of Media and Hero Stories from Bangladesh won Gold in the Category Digital / Interactive. Tree Design won Gold for Tata Tea Premium Independence Day Packs in the Category of Design.White Rivers Media won Gold for Daughters of Piplantri in Corporate Film caregory.

Indian companies won 9 Finalist Cerificates which is notable as Montreux does not award Silvers and Bronzes only Finalists.

Tata Motors won 3 Finalist Certificates for Tata Ultra FE+ South Africa Launch Campaign in the Categories Creative Use of Media, Design and in Digital / Interactive. Tata Motors Ramadan 2023 won a Finalist Certificate in the Category Digital / Interactive.

Tree Design won finalists for Toblerone Tinys Special Edition Range and Tata Tea Premium Independence Day Tea Table Book in Design category while The Greatest Entertainers won a Finalist in Direct Marketing.

White Rivers Media won a Finalist in Digita/Interactive.

Musemakers won a Finalist for Singapore Tourism Board AR Postcards in Digital / Interactive

BETC Paris was crowned Agency of the Year for 2024, and Havas won the emerging Network of the Year.

International Jury and AdClub Management Committee member Ajay Chandwani said Montreux Festival has now become one of Indias more sought after award festival along with Cannes, One Show and D&AD as we are seeing more participation and recognition for Indian work. The last few years has witnessed some great Indian work winning at Montreux Festival.

A special focus for the Golden Award of Montreux is also the Talent Award, with more than 300 students participating from advertising and film schools, in countries including the USA, Canada, South Korea, Austria, Germany and Brazil.

Mayara Schmidt, Senior Art Director at McCann Worldgroup New York, and another of this years jurors, said "happy to see how and what young professionals have been thinking.
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Bern, 06.05.2024 - From 8 to 11 May, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin will pay a visit to Greece. Official talks on economic and scientific topics are planned in Athens. On the island of Euboea, Mr Parmelin will visit an archaeological site of the Ecole Suisse d'Archeologie en Grece (ESAG), which is supported by the Confederation.

The visit by Mr Parmelin, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), is aimed at maintaining and deepening bilateral economic and scientific relations with Greece and supporting the interests of companies. Meetings are planned with the ministers for economic affairs, development and investments. Mr Parmelin will also exchange views with representatives of the Swiss business and scientific community in Greece.

Talks with Minister of Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis and Development and Investment Minister Konstantinos Skrekas are on the agenda in the Greek capital.

The talks are aimed at optimising the economic framework conditions for Swiss companies in Greece and representing the interests of the Swiss private sector vis-a-vis the relevant ministries. A further aim is to maintain and develop bilateral relations in education, research and innovation.

On the island of Euboea, Mr Parmelin will visit an archaeological site of the Ecole Suisse d'Archeologie en Grece (ESAG), which is supported by the Confederation.

Solid bilateral relations

Switzerland maintains good bilateral economic and scientific relations with Greece that are based on its bilateral agreements with the EU. Trade between Switzerland and Greece was around CHF 1 billion last year. Switzerland mainly exports pharmaceutical products, precision instruments and machinery. More than 60 Swiss companies are operating in Greece today; they employ almost 10,000 people locally.

Since 1961, over 180 Greek researchers have received a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship to do research in Switzerland. Between 2018 and 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation funded over 120 projects in which researchers from Switzerland and Greece worked together. In addition, researchers from Switzerland and Greece are collaborating in almost 270 research projects within the scope of the EU framework programme for research and innovation, Horizon Europe.

Address for enquiries

EAER Information Service

info@gs-wbf.admin.ch, 058 462 20 07

Publisher

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

http://www.wbf.admin.ch



State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

http://www.seco.admin.ch



State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

http://www.sbfi.admin.ch




BREAKING: R'Komor Fokker 50 (D6-AIB, built 1997) overran the end of runway 31 during take-off at Moheli-Mwali Airport(MWCI), Comores ending up damaged on rugged terrain between trees. An unspecified number of injuries have been reported.

NOTE: this aircraft sustained damage in a pic.twitter.com/gXw26EUHgz  JACDEC (@JacdecNew) May 5, 2024 Fokker 50 uberschiet Startbahn,  XSL

 aero.de | 06.05.2024 09:14

MOHELI - Der Startlauf endete im Gelande hinter der Piste: Auf den Komoren ist eine Fokker 50 verungluckt. Es gibt Verletzte.Moheli, 5. Mai 2024: Die Fokker 50 D6-AIB von R'Komor nimmt Tempo zum Start auf, kommt aber nicht vom Feld - das Flugzeug schiet uber das Pistenende hinaus und stoppt erst im Gelande. Nach Medienberichten gibt es zahlreiche Verletzte. Die Maschine war erst am 19. Februar in einen Landeunfall auf den Komoren verwickelt, schreibt der
Purchasers are pictured during the 135th session of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 135th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, concluded Sunday in south China's Guangzhou, with a record number of international buyers in attendance, according to the fair organizer.



A total of 246,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions participated in the offline fair, up 24.5 percent from the previous session.

Since its opening on April 15th, the event has attracted about 160,000 buyers from countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, a 25.1-percent rise from the previous session. Around 50,000 buyers from Europe and the United States attended the fair, marking a 10.7 percent increase.

Offline export transactions totaled 24.7 billion U.S. dollars, while online platform export transactions reached 3.03 billion dollars, up 10.7 percent and 33.1 percent, respectively, compared to the previous session.

Founded in 1957, the offline Canton Fair is hosted twice a year in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trading events in China, and is hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.
Advocate Sanjiv Gajanan Punalekar: Battling to live with the same vigour 2

On August 20, 2013, Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was murdered and at that time, Maharashtra was ruled by the anti-Hindu Congress and NCP. Sharad Pawar always advocated banning Sanatan Sanstha, calling it a terror organization. This was the first time Hindus were labelled as terrorists in Indian history. The murders continued and in 2015, Communist leader Govind Pansare and journalist Gauri Lankesh were killed. The Dabholkar murder case was under investigation and these two other cases created an uproar on social media. The socially elite class and section of civil society started mounting pressure on the then government of the BJP-Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) alliance. The government came in and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was assigned to probe the murder. SIT took custody of Sharad Kalaskar, a member of Sanatan Sanstha, who was accused of the murders of Dr Narendra Dabholkar and Gauri Lankesh. If a person is associated with an organization or is dedicated to that organization, it does not mean that the organization is responsible for his every action. In a hurry, Sanatan Sanstha was declared a terrorist organization so that the morale of Hindus could be broken by attacking the organization that supports Hindus and keeps the Hindu religion strong.

Well, the matter did not end here; by spreading objectionable news about the organization, its reputation was being tarnished. The raids on Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti were conducted, and its members were arrested, kept in jail, and tortured so that they would not say anything. So far, Maharashtra police have failed to get evidence against the so-called accused in the case and finally, the CBI took over the investigations. The CBI arrested Punalekar, the legal advisor of Sanatan Sanstha, along with his aid Vikram Bhave, for abetting two shooters suspected to have killed Dabholkar. Advocate Sanjiv Gajanan Punalekar, was a prominent face and voice on television and he was representing as a lawyer various suspects, including Dr. Virendra Tawade, another accused in the case. Dr. Tawade is an ENT surgeon and a member of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, which is related to Sanatan Sanstha. He was charged with criminal conspiracy and murdering Dabholkar in a chargesheet filed in September 2016.

Punalekar, during television debates, has often voiced Sansthas innocence in multiple cases linked to blasts and murders. To provide legal aid, Punalekar was part of a group that formed the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, a group of lawyers, aimed at defending members of the community jailed in various cases across the country. Punalekar had a strong voice and was also a critic of the whole case. He started targeting the government and the police and overnight he became a thorn in the eyes of the police. The CBI found it appropriate to imprison him to suppress his voice.

Having appeared as a defence lawyer in the Dabholkar case, Punalekar has spoken in support of the innocence of Sarang Akolkar and Rudra Patil, both accused in the Dabholkar case. After the arrest of Punalekar, the CBI came up with the allegation that he was in touch with Akolkar, who is absconding. Despite tremendous pressure, Punalekar denied that he helped destroy guns used to kill Narendra Dabholkar and Gauri Lankesh. After many arrests were made, the police were still clueless, and they announced a bounty on many suspects but failed to conclude. So many members of Sanstha were taken into custody but so far no one has proven guilty. Why?

Sanjeev Punalekar, in the UAPA court, had accepted that Kalaskar used to meet him before the latter was arrested by the ATS. Punalekar also accepted that Vikram Bhave, who is an accused in another case, started working as his assistant after getting bail in July 2013. During the court proceedings, Punalekar raised a question: if the CBIs allegations were true, then the CBI should have taken action against him almost seven months ago, because the CBI was banking on Sharad Kalaskars statement given to a Karnataka SIT on October 12, 2018, and the CBIs chargesheet that it filed against Kalaskar in February 2019. Punalekar argued that sections 126 and 129 of the Attorney-Client Privilege Act gave him and his clerk Vikram Bhave, special protection. He argued that under the above section, clients could confide in him.

Sanjeev Punalekars lawyer challenged the CBIs claim that Kalaskar was guided by Punalekar to destroy the firearms as bogus and vindictive. The defense said if Kalaskar was told to destroy the firearms, then what was the need for him to store other firearms at his residence? He said it would be stupidity if Sharad Kalaskar stored the other arms at his place just to get arrested by the ATS in the Nalasopara arms haul case. Advocate Ichalkaranjikar argued that Punalekar was unnecessarily being harassed because he had filed a number of PILs in the interest of the nation. One of Punalekars PILs helped the government get back 8,000 acres of revenue department land that was gobbled away by land sharks. So, he felt Punalekar was being harassed by making such false cases against him. Many right-wing think tanks believe that by harassing Sanstha members, perhaps the government at that time was planning to destroy Sanatan Sanstha.

Sanjeev Punalekar was also a defence lawyer in the 2009 Madgaon blasts and the 2008 Malegaon blast case. He had appeared for Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Rakesh Dhawade, Sameer Kulkarni, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Pravin Takalki, among others named in the Malegaon blast case chargesheet, which later went to trial. Sameer Kulkarni, who was among the ones accused and later bailed in the Malegaon blast case,.

In 2019, Sanjeev Punalekar was granted conditional bail by the Pune Sessions Court on a surety amount of Rs 30,000. Punalekar was directed by the court to visit the CBI office twice a week, not to leave the country without the agencys permission and not to pressure the witnesses. Punalekar was the fourth accused to get bail in the case after Amit Degvekar, Amol Kale, and Rajesh Bangera. Now the question here is, if Sanjiv Punalekar was the mastermind in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case, why was he granted conditional bail by a special Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) court?

Now the question is whether he is found innocent, who will compensate for the atrocities committed against him or the damage done to his honour? Will this advocate again be able to stand up with the same zeal to get justice for Hindus? Will his morale not be broken somewhere in all these events?
Charanjit Singh Channi clarifies "stuntbaazi" remark, says "statement was distorted" 2

Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi issued a clarification on Monday over his alleged remarks on the recent terror attack incident in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch and said that his statement was distorted. Channi said that he intended to point out that a similar attack took place during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections referring to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed by terrorists.

My statement was distorted. What I meant to say was that a similar attack had taken place during the last Lok Sabha elections also. But it was not investigated by BJP and till now it is not known who was involved in the said attack, Channi said in a self-made video released today after his remarks stirred a controversy. Channi alleged that Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar had demanded the Prime Ministers resignation following the terror attack in 2019 adding that Jakhar has no stand.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar had asked for PM Modis resignation over the last attack. This attack was carried out as part of a conspiracy. This statement was given by Jakhar on stage. Jakhar has no stand. Satyapal Malik, who was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, had said about the last attack that such attacks can happen again. But the government did not take the gist of the said complaint, the former CM said. Channi claimed that the BJP was turning the death of soldiers into a political stunt.

I feel sad when the soldiers of my country are martyred. But BJP is making it its stunt. We are proud of the jawans who joined the armed forces to safeguard the country. I gave a statement that in the last Parliamentary elections, 40 jawans were attacked and they lost their lives, he said. To date, the Government has not found out who executed the attack and who was responsible for it. It is election time once again. Our jawans were attacked once again and one jawan lost his life. I would like to ask the Government  who are those people who orchestrate such attacks, why are they not brought before everyone, and why does intelligence failure take place? Jawans have lost their lives once again. What I am saying is that why is this being made a political stunt and used by BJP? PM Modi said.

In Patiala, a farmer died yesterday while protesting against BJP. BJP wants to destroy the economy of Punjab. They know that if we destroy agriculture, Punjab will sink, he added. An Indian Air Force officer was killed and four others injured in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Pointing out that the attack came amid the Lok Sabha elections, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi had on Sunday alleged it was pre-planned and such stuntbaazi is done to facilitate BJPs win in the polls. This is stuntbaazi. When elections come, such stunts are done to make the BJP win. These are pre-planned attacks, there is no truth in them, Channi said while speaking to reporters in Punjab.

Following Channis comments, Union Minister Anurag Thakur demanded an apology from top Congress brass including former party president Sonia Gandhi. I have a question for Congress: Were the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars done for winning elections? On such a ridiculous statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should apologiseThey question the ability of our forcesHow low will Congress stoop? Will Congress insult our Bravehearts for the sake of winning elections? Thakur said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

Meanwhile, security has been heightened in the Poonch district following the attack incident. Security forces are carrying out regular checks of the vehicles passing by in the area. The voting in Jammu and Kashmir is being held in five phases and the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri is scheduled to be held on May 7 in the third phase.
As students begin registering for the next school year (its just three months away!), AL.com wanted to help parents wade through the different types of choices they could look for in their childs public school.

Families across Alabama have options for where they enroll their children, but its not always easy to figure them out. About 100,000 students should have received a letter from the school outlining new options under a state law that went into effect this year.

Students attending priority public schools -- schools that earned a D or F on their school report card -- should have been notified in January of their options (check the list to see how your school is rated). And students in the 40-plus school districts that still have federal desegregation orders have an option called a majority-to-minority transfer.

In many cases, there are windows or time frames within which a school district will accept certain types of transfer requests.

This list is not exhaustive and not all school districts have all of these options. And even where options are available, schools could still turn down a transfer request.

Ask your childs school or the district central office for more information.

Priority school transfers - 200,000 students eligible statewide

If your child attends one of the states 206 priority schools - the list is at this link - you should have received a notice from your childs school informing you of your options by January 14. The statewide deadline to submit the form was March 1, but schools might still be taking transfer requests.

This type of transfer allows your child to attend a non-priority public school (a school that made an A, B or C on the 2023 report card) within the same school district if space is available. And if the transfer is granted, the school is responsible for transportation.

Many of Alabamas school districts only have a few schools - elementary, middle and high - and so there may not be any transfer options within your district.

Districts with multiple schools may have trouble finding space, and the districts that are still under federal desegregation orders may be restricted to only allowing students of certain races the opportunity to transfer to another school.

If you have no options within your district, you can ask a neighboring public school district if they will accept your child as a student. Those districts do not have to allow your child to enroll, though. And there likely wont be a bus for your child to take to school. Some schools may require that your child have no discipline referrals or a certain grade point average in order to enroll.

Some schools require non-resident students to pay a fee to enroll. If your familys income is below a certain threshold, though, you could get help from one of Alabamas scholarship organizations - heres the list - to help pay that fee.

Majority-to-minority transfers

In school districts with federal desegregation orders - about 40 in Alabama are - a different type of transfer is available: A majority to minority or M2M transfer.

School districts with M2M transfer options restrict transfers to certain races of students based on the current student enrollment.

Huntsville City, Jefferson County and Hoover City along with other school districts under federal orders, are among the districts who are bound by the federal order that restricts which students can transfer. The federal order can mean that your child is unable to transfer out of a priority school, but contact your districts central office for details.

Other transfers

Some school districts allow transfers for students whose parents workplace is far from the childs neighborhood school or who teach in the school district. The rules will differ by district, so call the Central Office or the Board of Education office and ask what the transfer rules are.

Alternatives to a zoned traditional public school

If youre looking for a totally new experience for your child, Alabama has options beyond the transfers mentioned above.

Statewide specialty schools

Alabama has three statewide specialty schools: The Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science in Mobile and the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering in Huntsville. These schools have application requirements, and all offer residential boarding.

The application window typically falls in the spring, so it is likely too late to apply for the coming school year.

Magnet schools

Magnet schools are typically based on a theme, like arts or academics. Just a few public school districts have magnet schools, including Huntsville, Montgomery and Decatur. Some require students to meet certain requirements before being accepted for enrollment, and when more applications are approved than there are spaces available, students are chosen from a lottery.

Federal data listed 38 magnet schools in Alabama, while the Niche website listed 58 magnet schools.

Albertville and Selma are building new magnet schools focused on career tech and the arts, respectively.

International Baccalaureate schools

The IB program is rigorous, with an emphasis on developing students who are, according to the IB website, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, reflective. Alabama has 23 public schools that offer the IB program to various grade levels. They are all located within a public school district, so enrollment will depend on whether the school district accepts your student.

An application will likely be required, and those windows typically close fairly early in the calendar year, though.

Charter schools

Charter schools are public schools and do not charge tuition. There arent a lot of them, and enrollment isnt guaranteed. But there are no admission requirements, as in no discipline or GPA requirements. If there are more applicants than spaces available, a lottery ise held.

Online schools

All Alabama public schools offer an option for students in grades nine through 12 to earn their diploma online. Some districts offer virtual school to all grades, but that differs by district. If your district doesnt offer an online school for your childs grade level, there are four statewide online public schools that could admit your child:

Alabama Connections Academy,

Alabama Destinations Career Academy

Alabama Virtual Academy at Eufaula City Schools

Genesis Innovative School
Neil Young & Crazy Horse arent house pets. When they play onstage together, its still a wild animal.

Last night, Young and the Horse turned Orion Amphitheater into the worlds biggest garage with its door rolled up. Shaggy rockers like Cinnamon Girl sounded simultaneously timeless and now. Fans in the nearly full 8,000-capacity venue sang along and shimmied. The 14-song, 90-ish minute hit between giving everything and leaving them wanting more.

Following Youngs haunting vocals and refracted guitar, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina rolled like a badass vintage truck. Especially on a jammed-out Love and Only Love, off aptly titled 1990 Ragged Glory. Peak Horse.

Talbott and Molina and Young have put in many miles since their first album together, 1969s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. At Orion, a performance of that LPs country-grunge title track reminded how many bands, from Nirvana and Black Crowes to the White Stripes and My Morning Jacket, echo that sound.

Second guitarist Micah Nelsons makes a great Horse. He adds to and never distracts from the bands trademark clang, dang and squall.

During a transportive performance of 70s gem Like a Hurricane, Nelson  yep, son of Willie  played windswept sounds on a keyboard decorated like a tie-dyed altar. Before Hurricane, the keyboard was ritualistically lowered from overhead stage rigging. Afterward, the keyboard rig was raised back up. The sacrament complete.

The stage was outfitted with the oversized guitar amps and road cases props immortalized in 1979 concert doc Rust Never Sleeps. On a riser between that skyline, Molina steered from a drumkit with a pirate flag flying overhead. Behind the band, a banner adorned with a horse silhouette and smattering of stars. A few blue-and-white-hued spotlights overhead.

The performance began with the band walking onstage as Young played comet-filigree notes on Old Black, the battered and modified 53 Les Paul hes recorded much of his electric guitar tracks with during his Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame career.

Before the third song, Scattered (Lets Think About Livin) off 1996 studio album Broken Arrow, there was an extended pause as Old Black was re-tuned offstage.

Young introduced the song as an ode to his longtime producer, the late David Briggs, who died before the Broken Arrow sessions. He also remarked on Orion Amphitheaters charms. This is a beautiful place you have here, he said. This is an amazing place.

Clad in a cap, denim shirt, Love Earth Tour shirt, and paint-stained work pants, Young played every electric guitar note this night on Old Black. No switching back and forth between a posh array of axes.

This added to an endearingly unfussy set peppered sonically with buzzes, hums, feedback. Occasionally between songs, Young futzed with his guitar pedals.

Handmade rock and roll, through and through. In an era of backing tracks, in-ear monitors and digital guitar amp simulators, totally refreshing.

During instrumental passages of songs, Young, Talbot and Nelson often gathered in a small circle facing each other. Like a tribe or gang.

Whenever Young went into one of his transcendental, echoed guitar solos, he painted with sound. If you closed your eyes, landscapes and movies took shape in your mind.

Two-thirds of the way into the show, the rest of the band left the stage and Young performed a handful of songs solo on a well-worn Martin acoustic guitar and a harmonica mounted on a neck rack with a mic.

His heartfelt singing and strumming on Comes a Time and especially Heart of Gold and Human Highway held the entire amphitheater transfixed. Just one dude and his songs. Pretty amazing.

A stop on Neil Young & Crazy Horses Love Earth Tour, this was Youngs first performance ever in Huntsville and somewhat of a rare Alabama show for him. The crowd was a mix of gracefully aged hippies, longtime fans, silver foxes, local creatives, tattooed and pierced service industry types.

A few kiddos in the mix too. Theyll have my first concert was bragging rights someday.

As many rock fans know, a couple of Youngs 70s lyrics, on the songs Southern Man and Alabama, were critical of The South. In later years, hes stopped performing those songs live. In his memoir several years ago, he wrote those lyrics now felt self-righteous.

At Orion, there were a couple wince-inducing moments when a few fans called out for Southern Man and Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrds Southern rock anthem that called Young out for his criticisms. Thankfully those moments were small and passed as quick as they happened.

Earlier that evening, a rainstorm washed over Huntsville. This delayed the show, and also cooled off the temperature. It felt great inside Orions Roman-coliseum-influenced realm.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse are the latest legends the amphitheaters brought to Huntsville for the first time, following the likes of Stevie Nicks, Robert Plant, Jack White and Smashing Pumpkins.

The concert started with an unlisted opening act, Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping Choir. The New York-based collective played a short set of ecologically minded songs elevated by nine strong backing vocalists and a gospel/R&B style revue band. Within a couple songs, they won me over from WTF to hallelujah.

By the end of the choirs set, sure, some fans were raring to hear the Crazy Horse electric rumble they came for. But give me an opening act turn-on over a DJ, stand-up comedian or performance painter any day. It added to the night.

In addition to being a prolific artist, Youngs an iconoclast. He puts his money where his beliefs are, whether thats removing his catalog from Spotify, championing environmental causes or sticking up for audio quality that doesnt suck. At Orion, he reportedly requested only locally made beer be sold at the venue. Only non-Coca-Cola beverages too.

After Youngs solo acoustic songs, Crazy Horse returned to the stage for a molten Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black). In the crowd, this sparked much hip-shaking. A bit of headbanging, too. It also had me lusting after the Mu-Tron Octave Divider effect pedal Young used on this song and others. It shifts his guitar sound from gnarly fuzz to interstellar hyperdrive.

After Hey Hey, the band gathered in arms at that front of the stage and waved goodbye. Big cheers and applause. But it wasnt so long just yet. A few minutes later, Young, Talbot, Molina and Nelson returned to rip into F---in Up, a haymaker off Ragged Glory.

The song crescendoed into electrical storm. The band bid their last farewell. Young laid Old Black, a priceless rock relic, strings-down against the drummer riser and walked offstage.

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ATLANTA (AP)  Georgias congressional delegation introduced legislation Wednesday to protect some of the ancestral lands of the Muscogee tribe as a national park and preserve.

The proposed Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve would be Georgias first national park. The area along the Ocmulgee River downstream from Macon in central Georgia includes mounds and other cultural or historic sites of significance to the Muscogee. About 700 acres (283 hectares) surrounding seven mounds have been federally protected since 1936.

The proposed park and preserve would include many more miles (kilometers) of land along the river, much of it already under some level of government protection, and add cultural and historical interpretation in consultation with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, whose people were forcibly removed to Oklahoma roughly 200 years ago. It would be the first national park co-managed by a removed tribe.

The Ocmulgee Mounds, Ocmulgee River, and all of middle Georgia hold historical significance to The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Principal Chief David W. Hill said in a news release. We are ready to help preserve and co-manage the land which holds the rich cultural history, natural resources, and recreational opportunities that a National Park and Preserve will bring to Georgia.

The legislation to create the national park follows a lengthy federal review and years of coalition building that eliminated any significant opposition to federal management of the land in the reliably Republican center of Georgia. Hunting and fishing will still be allowed, and although the National Park Service will manage the federally controlled land, Georgias Department of Natural Resources will still manage the state wildlife areas just outside the boundary.

The map submitted by Sen. Jon Ossoff shows a patchwork of state, federal and privately protected land, much of it alongside Robins Air Force Base. Among the many stakeholders, the military wants to prevent development that might restrict where its planes can fly.

And although the legislation rules out using eminent domain to bring in more privately held land, it authorizes the secretary of the interior to acquire more property within the boundary through a sale, donation or exchange.

This bill reflects the voice of a multitude of Georgians who wish to elevate the Ocmulgee Mounds to its proper place as one of Americas National Parks, said Rep. Sanford Bishop, a Georgia Democrat who led the congressional effort with Republican Rep. Austin Scott and Ossoff.

Thirteen Georgia representatives, including conservative Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, are co-sponsoring the House bill.

The Ocmulgee Mounds are of invaluable cultural, communal, and economic significance to our state, Scott said in the news release. Designating them as the first National Park and Preserve in Georgia is a great bipartisan and intragovernmental effort.

The mounds, including the Earth Lodge, where indigenous people held council meetings for 1,000 years until their forced removal in the 1820s, were initially protected as a national monument by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Barack Obama in 2016 declared Bears Ears in Utah as a national monument, making it the first to be co-managed by tribes. National parks require congressional approval and generally provide for broader protections and more cultural and historical information to visitors.

 By MICHAEL WARREN and SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press
Two teens have been indicted on capital murder charges in separate Birmingham homicides.

A Jefferson County grand jury on April 5 issued the indictments against AMarion Deavion Yancey, 19, and Antonio Deuntra Pendelton Jr., also 19. The indictments were made public Monday.

Yancey is charged in the Dec. 18, 2022, shooting death of 18-year-old Reginal Emanuel Duke Jr.

The indictment states Duke was killed when Yancey was stealing a Nissan Altima from Duke.

Just before 10 a.m. that Sunday, police received a 911 call of a person shot in the 400 block of Fourth Street in Thomas.

West Precinct officers arrived at the location and found Duke suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:56 a.m.

Yancey surrendered to police two days later. He has been held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail since is Dec. 22, 2022, arrest.

Pendleton was initially charged with murder in the May 18, 2023, shooting death of 26-year-old Antoine Deonta Ester. The victims newborn baby was inside the apartment when Ester was killed, and the grand jury updated the charges against him to capital murder because he was killed in the presence of his child.

West Precinct officers were dispatched to Forest Hills Village on Tempest Drive about 2:25 p.m. that Thursday on a report of a person shot.

When they entered the residence, they found Ester unresponsive. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced Ester dead on the scene.

Authorities said there was a group of people gathered inside the apartment  probably less than 10 people  when an argument between the victim and the suspect erupted.

The suspect, he said, then fired shots at the victim.

Neighbors said the apartment belonged to Esters sister.

Pendleton has been held without bond since is May 30, 2023, arrest.

Trial dates have not yet been set in either case.
A prosecutor in Massachusetts wont seek criminal charges against anyone, two years after four newborns were found in a freezer in a South Boston apartment.

The bodies of the two boys and two girls, likely born many years ago, were found in shoe boxes wrapped in tinfoil in November 2022. The lengthy investigation was unable to conclude whether the babies were born alive. They were able to identify the parents, but the father was dead and the mother, now 69, would unlikely be able to stand trial due to cognitive issues.

This investigation, which is one of the most complex, unusual and perplexing that this office has ever encountered, is now complete. While we have some answers, there are many elements of this case that will likely never be answered, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement released Tuesday.

The unanswered questions include when or where the babies were born, whether they were born alive, what exactly happened to them, and how and why the mother was able to conceal her pregnancies, Hayden said.

A lawyer for the woman, who lives in a residential healthcare facility, did not respond to a request for comment.

Investigators who interviewed the mother said she appeared confused and didnt understand where she was or whom she was talking with. She wasnt able to provide them with any relevant information.

A prosecutors office cannot ethically move forward with a case that, in good faith, it believes it cannot bring to trial, the statement said.

The babies were discovered when the womans family was cleaning out her apartment. DNA tests showed all four were siblings. An investigation concluded they were 37 to 40 weeks old, with their umbilical cords still attached. Autopsies found no signs of obvious injuries.

They were able to determine that the mother also had another child with the man, who died in 2011. That baby was given up for adoption.
Both Alabama senators have agreed to co-sponsor a bill that would bar students convicted of crimes linked to campus protests from receiving student loan forgiveness.

Lead sponsor Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, introduced the No Bailouts for Campus Criminals Act on May 2. It has 18 cosponsors, including Alabama Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville.

American college campuses shouldnt be daycares, Britt said in an emailed statement on Sunday, May 5. When students disrupt campus learning environments by choosing to break the law, they should face real-world consequences. One of these consequences should certainly be that American taxpayers arent going to pick up their tab.

In an interview on Fox Business News, Tuberville, a former football coach, said he spent 40 years on college campuses.

In the blue states the animals are running the zoo, he told Larry Kudlow. They have no control. Theres no leadership. You know, were not running daycare centers on our college campuses. These kids need to be accountable. Now, you can protest all you want, do it the right way, but dont do harm to other people, dont get in other peoples way.

The bill follows weeks of protests that have rocked college campuses across the country, including at the University of Alabama.

Many protesters have called for universities to divest from funds and investments linked to Israel, and more broadly, are asking for a cease-fire in Gaza, which has been under attack since Hamas militants killed and kidnapped civilians in Israel on Oct. 7.

An estimated 1,200 people died in Hamas initial attack on Israel. The subsequent war in Gaza has left tens of thousands of people dead. The war also has created a humanitarian crisis, with officials from the United Nations declaring a full-blown famine, according to news outlets.

Protests on several U.S. campuses have become disruptive in recent days, leading to crackdowns by administators and police. Some Jewish students said they felt threatened by protesters. Occupations have caused damage to some buildings, including a library at Portland State University.

Police in Los Angeles raided an encampment at UCLA on Thursday. At Columbia University, officers forcibly removed protesters from an occupied building on Tuesday. At the University of Texas at Austin, state troopers deployed pepper spray and flash bang grenades to disperse an encampment.

A tally by the Associated Press found at least 2,000 arrests linked to campus protests last week.

Americans who never went to college or responsibly paid off their debts shouldnt have to pay off other peoples student loans, Cotton said in a news release. They especially shouldnt have to pay off the loans of Hamas sympathizers shutting down and defacing campuses.
Dogs ordered taken from their owner after multiple attacks in Mobile have now mauled a 6-year-old Mississippi child after the owner got them back illegally, according to multiple reports.

Six-year-old Liam Martinez was playing in his backyard in Wiggins, Miss., last month when he was attacked by the dogs, according to the Stone County Enterprise. His parents testified in court they heard their sons screams and saw two of the dogs with his legs in their mouths.

The child was flown to the University of South Alabama Childrens and Womens Hospital, where he underwent surgery requiring 100 stitches, with another surgery already scheduled. His mother says her son has muscle and nerve damage that cant be repaired and currently he cant walk, according to WPMI.

These same dogs, owned by 55-year-old Tamatha Lynn Melom, were responsible for multiple attacks while Melom was a Mobile-area resident, including one attack which left an elderly victim needing 63 stitches.

Microchips confirmed the dogs who attacked the child last month in Mississippi were the same ones responsible for the Mobile attacks. They are described as a pit bull/black mouth cur mix.

After the Mobile attacks, the Mobile County District Attorneys Office ordered the dogs taken from Melom and early last year a judge ordered the dogs turned over to the Mylo Foundation, a rescue group.

But the group said it never received the dogs and instead they were transferred to a rescue group in Mississippi.

Melom moved to Mississippi, taking up residence in a camper in Wiggins, near the Martinez home. She admitted in court last week to using Facebook to recruit people to adopt her dogs and give them back to her, offering money in exchange.

I do admit that I hired people to buy my dogs, Melom said in court last week, according to the Enterprise. I guess I did that illegally.

Another neighbor, William Maxwell, testified security cameras at his home show the dogs on his property multiple times each week. He said in one instance all five of Meloms dogs came and killed 14 of his chickens. He also believes Meloms dogs are responsible for the disappearance of his own dog.

Another neighbor said the dogs charged her 13-year-old nephew while he was trying to feed their own dog. Others, including Wiggins Deputy Police Chief Tim Hill, described the dogs aggressive behavior in the city pound, including one instance where they were charging and biting at the kennel so aggressively the dogs were unable to be fed.

Melom took the stand in her own defense, claiming her dogs were innocent and that Mobile Animal Control had fabricated the attacks there and railroaded her and her dogs.

The Enterprise noted that at no time during last weeks hearing did Melom express remorse or offer sympathy towards the child or his family.

She showed no remorse. She didnt care. She was like, Just dont kill my dogs, said the boys stepfather, Aries Fairley, according to WPMI.

Ultimately, the Stone County judge ordered all five dogs to be euthanized and Melom fined in excess of $3,000 in fines for failing to abide by the Mobile court order and for not getting the dogs vaccinated for rabies.

Melom is also facing the prospect of being held liable for the childs injuries.

He cant finish out his kindergarten year and thats taken a toll on him, the boys mother, Devyn Phillips, told WPMI. He is terrified of dogs. Hes terrified of our backyard and keeps asking questions. Is this lady going to get more dogs? Will they come on our property? Things a six-year-old should not be asking.

Phillips, who described Melom as a demon, said in a Facebook post over the weekend Liam will have another surgery again this Wednesday to remove the current sutures then they will begin closing the rest of his leg.

In addition to additional surgery, including plastic surgery, Phillips said her son will soon begin therapy for PTSD and anxiety which has resulted from the attack.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help with the familys extensive medical expenses.
A Louisiana woman was killed when her vehicle was hit by at train at a railroad crossing in Talladega County.

Alabama State Troopers identified the fatality victim as Breana N. Fontenot. She was 20 and lived in Denham Springs.

The wreck happened at 4:40 p.m. Sunday at Talladega County 207 and the CSX crossing. That location is about five miles west of Talladega.

Senior Trooper Vu Quang said Fontenot was a passenger in a Ford F-150 that was hit by the train. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the pickup, 26-year-old Grant D. Conner of Bay Springs, Miss., was injured and taken to Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega.

The investigation is ongoing by troopers.
"China and France share a profound historical bond, with the Silk Road serving as a channel for our ties," said Adrien Peulvast, a 47-year-old French railway expert in China and founder of Nanjing SilkRail Rail Transit Technology Co., Ltd., speaking about his motivation for venturing into business in China.



"Our company's name, SilkRail, reflects our dedication to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and our ambition to construct railways along this path," said Peulvast.

Adrien Peulvast (left) and his wife pose for a photo during a sci-tech conference in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, Nov. 4, 2023. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]



Entrepreneurship

Peulvast, who has over 20 years of expertise in global railway technology, first traveled to China in 2009 to conduct pre-opening tests for the Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan high-speed railway. Since then, he married his wife and co-founded SilkRail, a company specializing in urban transit and railway systems. His work encompasses research and development, technological consulting, as well as the import and export of AI software and hardware solutions.

He credited China's favorable business environment for his company's success. "Despite initial challenges in starting up the business, the talent policies and free office space in tech incubators offered by the government have bolstered our belief in the company's growing success," said Peulvast.

Additionally, he expressed confidence in China's improving business landscape and the increasing attention given to private enterprises.

Adrien Peulvast (left) conducts tests on his company's self-developed AI urban rail transit tools in Beijing's Fengtai district in July 2021. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]



Sino-French cooperation

As China and France mark 60 years of diplomatic relations this year, their economic and trade cooperation has flourished. Bilateral trade skyrocketed to $78.9 billion in 2023, with France being China's third-largest trade partner in the EU and China ranking first in Asia and seventh globally for France. Over 7,000 French enterprises invest in China, solidifying China's position as the leading Asian nation in terms of investment and job creation in France for three years in a row.

"The 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations signifies deepened understanding," stated Peulvast. He added that China's prowess in developing its sophisticated high-speed railway network presents opportunities for France-China collaboration under the BRI.

Currently, the China-Europe Railway Express has completed over 85,000 trips, connecting 219 cities across 25 European countries. Notably, a direct train service to Lyon in France was launched in 2016. Peulvast's company has played a role in developing a standardized railway data model that has been widely adopted by countries participating in the Belt and Road.

"China and France share a common vision that science and technology can drive bilateral progress," Peulvast remarked. "Contributing my expertise to Sino-French exchanges brings me pride."

Living in China

In 2007, Peulvast met his wife, Zhang Yu, in Paris and chose to relocate to China to be with her. They now reside in Nanjing. The inclusiveness and convenience of Chinese culture and society were significant factors in his decision to stay. He appreciates the diligent and practical work environment, as well as the convenience brought by public transportation and mobile payments. In his free time, he enjoys delving into traditional Chinese culture, particularly tea culture.

Peulvast stated that he was astonished by China's remarkable transformation in recent years, particularly in rural revitalization, as he frequently travels to his wife's hometown in the Dabie Mountains in Anhui province. The widespread public transportation and 5G network coverage are stark contrasts to his initial impression.

"We all benefit from China's rapid development," Peulvast said, cherishing the warmth of his family and friendships in China.
A former Alabama church youth director was denied a bond reduction Monday morning on charges he sexually assaulted three young boys decades ago.

Thomas Randall Hosmer, 56, of Oneonta, is charged with 10 felony crimes  six counts of first-degree sodomy by force and four counts of first-degree sexual abuse by force.

Court records do not identify the church where he worked at the time of the brutal alleged assaults.

Hosmer was initially arrested by the Blount County Sheriffs Office in January. His bond is set at $250,000.

He went before a judge Monday morning where his request for a reduction was denied. An Aniahs Law bond hearing is set for May 28.

Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey said the charges are based on events that are alleged to have taken place during the mid to late 1990s through the mid-2000s.

The sheriffs office in January posted on Facebook asking anyone who may have been a victim of sexual contact by Hosmer and never reported it to call investigators.

Sheriff Mark Moon said there is no indication Hosmer is currently involved in ministry but said investigators dont know for sure.

The victims, the sheriff said, came forward with the allegations out of concern for other potential victims.

Assistant District Attorney Scott Gilliland, in written opposition of a bond reduction, detailed the horrific allegations against Hosmer.

The alleged abuse includes one young boy being tied to a bed and sexually assaulted to the point of injury. He also was beaten into submission with a razor strap or bamboo stick, the records state.

Another boy awoke to be sexually assaulted by Hosmer, the opposition document states.

The defendant used his position as a church youth director to gain access to the boys and manipulate them to fear no one would believe them, Gilliland wrote.

Hosmer, the prosecutor said, remains a danger to the public.

Hosmers attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He will be formally arraigned on the charges on May 30.
Israel-Hamas war demonstrations at the University of Mississippi turned ugly last week when one counter-protester appeared to make monkey noises and gestures at a Black student in a raucous gathering that was endorsed by a far-right congressman from Georgia.

Ole Miss taking care of business, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins wrote Friday on the social platform X with a with a link to the video showing the racist jeers.

The Associated Press left voicemail messages for Collins on Friday at his offices in Georgia and Washington and sent an email to his spokesperson, asking for an explanation of what Collins meant. There was no immediate response.

The taunting brought sharp criticism on and off campus.

Students were calling for an end to genocide. They were met with racism, James M. Thomas, a sociology professor at the University of Mississippi, wrote Friday on X.

The Rev. Cornell William Brooks, a former president and CEO of the NAACP and professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, wrote on X that a white man mocking a Black woman as a monkey isnt about Stand With Israel or Free Palestine. This is protest as performative racism.

Collins was first elected to Congress in 2022 and made several social media posts criticizing campus protests.

Nobody was arrested during the demonstration Thursday at the University of Mississippi, where hecklers vastly outnumbered war protesters. According to a count by AP, more than 2,400 arrests have occurred on 46 U.S. university or college campuses since April 17 during demonstrations against the war.

The student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, reported about 30 protesters on the Oxford campus billed themselves as UMiss for Palestine. Videos and photos from the event showed the protesters were in a grassy area near the main library, blocked off by barriers erected by campus security.

They chanted Free, free Palestine, and carried Palestinian flags and signs with slogans including, Stop the Genocide and U.S. bombs take Palestine lives.

Student journalist Stacey J. Spiehler shot video that showed campus police officers and the dean of students standing between anti-war protesters and hecklers. After the Black woman protesting the war had what appeared to be a heated exchange of words with several white hecklers, one of the men made the monkey gestures and noises at her.

About 76% of the universitys students were white and about 11% were Black in 2022-23, the most recent data available on the schools website.

University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the school is committed to people expressing their views. He said some statements made on campus Thursday were offensive and unacceptable.

In another statement Friday, Boyce said one student conduct investigation had been opened and university leaders were working to determine whether more cases are warranted.

To be clear, people who say horrible things to people because of who they are will not find shelter or comfort on this campus, he said.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves reposted a video on X that showed counter-protesters on the campus singing The Star-Spangled Banner.

Warms my heart, Reeves wrote. I love Mississippi!
A lay leader for the Global Methodist Church, a splinter group that broke off from United Methodists, referred to last weeks United Methodist General Conference as a debacle during a meeting of the new Alabama Emerald Coast Conference on Monday.

The United Methodist General Conference repealed its previous bans on same-sex marriage and ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy at the General Conference that concluded May 3 in Charlotte.

United Methodists also updated their Social Principles, deleting the phrase, homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, which the denomination adopted in 1972.

The United Methodist Church joined other mainline denominations including Episcopalians and the Presbyterian Church (USA) that have adopted more progressive positions on embracing LGBTQ rights.

Gene Floore, lay leader for the Alabama Emerald Coast Conference of the Global Methodist Church, predicted that the General Conferences official change in policy would lead to a new wave of United Methodists leaving to join the Global Methodist Church, which has staked out a more conservative position on social issues.

After that debacle we just witnessed in Charlotte last week, were going to continue to experience waves of people and churches that want to join our movement, said Floore, of Port St. Joe, Fla.

That is great news, Floore said. Were going to continue to offer a home to those that are seeking a home.

Global Methodist leaders said that the new Alabama Emerald Coast conference, made up of former United Methodist churches who disaffiliated from the Alabama-West Florida Conference because of anticipated changes on LGBTQ issues, now has 161 Global Methodist member churches and 198 clergy.

The Global Methodist Church overall now claims 4,280 churches, with more than 700 in the application process.

If other United Methodist churches do leave, they wont be able to use the disaffiliation process that was approved at the 2019 United Methodist General Conference, which allowed disaffiliating churches to negotiate to take their property with them. That clause expired Dec. 31, 2023, and was not renewed by the General Conference in Charlotte.

The Alabama Emerald Coast Conference that started Sunday and ends Tuesday at Crosspoint Church in Niceville, Fla., was in the process of electing delegates to the first Global Methodist General Conference to be held in San Jose, Costa Rica, Sept. 20-26.

On Monday night, Bishop Scott Jones planned to ordain 14 clergy, nine as deacons and five as both deacons and elders.

Statewide, including the United Methodist North Alabama Conference, more than half of all United Methodist churches in Alabama disaffiliated. While most of those who left joined the Global Methodists, some remained independent, or joined other denominations, such as the Free Methodist Church of the Foundry.

One United Methodist General Conference delegate said on social media that Global Methodists were stalking their ex.

The Rev. Jeremy Smith - not to be confused with the Jeremy Smith who is pastor of Crosspoint, the host church for the Global Methodist meeting - chided Global Methodists on social media for being too focused on their former denomination.
A suspect has been charged in an early-morning shooting in Tuscaloosa County that left one man dead and three other people injured.

Gredrick Deontae Agnew, 22, of Greensboro, is charged with capital murder in the slaying of 30-year-old Donavin Ryans.

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Capt. Jack Kennedy said the shooting happened about 1 a.m. at a home in the 1300 block of 58th Street East, south of Tuscaloosa.

There was a small party taking place at the residence. Agnew was asked to leave. Agnew, Kennedy said, began firing shots through an open door from the outside to the inside, wounding four people.

Ryans was pronounced dead. The other three victims are expected to be OK.

Agnew fled the scene but was taken into custody Sunday afternoon in Marengo County.

He is being held without bond in the Tuscaloosa County Jail

Kennedy said investigators are consulting with the Tuscaloosa County District Attorneys Office about numerous additional charges against Agnew.

Court records show Agnew is already awaiting trial on a 2021 indictment for seven counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied building or vehicle. In those cases, which happened in 2020, records state Agnew into at least one residence and at least one car.

There are seven victims listed in that indictment. Agnew is set to go to trial in Hale County in that case August.

The new charge is a capital offense because Agnew is accused of firing into an occupied home.

The incident was one of two Alabama shootings in Sundays predawn hours that end in death and multiple injuries.

Shortly after 2 a.m., one person was killed, and six others wounded outside the Shell gas station on Birminghams busy Third Avenue West.
SHOCK VIDEO: Mans gun jams as he attempts to shoot Pennsylvania pastor during church service Sunday, police later found a body at the man's home pic.twitter.com/DKxjl7Y7hb  Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 6, 2024

Hours after a man is accused of trying to shoot a pastor during a sermon, a body was found in his home, according to Pennsylvania police and news reports.

Im thankful to God that Im still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger, Glenn Germany, the pastor at Jesus Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, told WTAE.

Pennsylvania State Police said the attempted shooting at the Pittsburgh-area church happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday, May 5.

As Germany was giving his sermon, a man identified as 26-year-old Bernard Junior Polite came to the front of the church and pointed a gun at the pastor, state police said. He attempted to shoot, but the weapon failed to discharge, authorities said.

Video shared by Germany on Facebook shows a churchgoer subdue Polite before Germany wrestled the gun away from him.

I thank God because only God stopped and jammed this gun, Germany told KDKA.

According to a complaint obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Polite said he tried shooting the pastor because the spirits in his head told him to.

Polite said God told me to do it, according to the complaint, which said no one at the church knew who he was.

About seven hours later, police said officers found a man shot and killed in Polites home, WPXI reported. He was identified as 56-year-old Derek Polite, a relative of the accused church shooter.

Its unclear if Bernard Junior Polite is responsible for the killing, KDKA reported.

He was charged with attempted homicide from the church incident, reports say.

North Braddock is a suburb of Pittsburgh, and is a roughly 11-mile drive southeast from the citys downtown.

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Miss USA Noelia Voigt has resigned from her title, according to a Monday morning Instagram post from the former Miss Utah and University of Alabama student.

I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth. A million thank yous to all of you for your constant and unwavering support. Time to write the next chapter. I hope youll stick around to see whats next, Voigt wrote as a comment next to a larger statement on Instagram.

In its own statement, the Miss USA Organization thanked Voight for her service and wished her the best in this next chapter.

We respect and support Noelias decision to step down from her duties. The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority, and we understand her need to prioritize herself at this time. We are currently reviewing plans for the transition of responsibilities to a successor, and we will soon announce the crowning of the new Miss USA, the statement read.

Voigt was crowned in September 2023. She formerly attended the University of Alabama and Jefferson State Community College and the Aveda Institute Birmingham as well as working as an interior design consultant for RH Birmingham. Before becoming Miss Utah USA, Voigt competed for Miss Alabama USA and was first-runner up for the pageant in 2022 and 2023.

The next Miss USA pageant is planned for Aug. 4.
Two known Mobile area gang members were sentenced in U.S. District Court last week after pleading guilty to threatening a Mobile police officer, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Monday.

Jamarcus Manuel, 21, was sentenced to a year in federal prison, while 22-year-old Justin Gorman was sentenced to time served after each pleaded guilty to interstate communication of threats to injure.

Both will be subject to three years of supervised release, according to prosecutors.

In April 2023, police conducted a traffic stop which was occupied by three men known to be members of the Purple or Purple Babies Neighborhood Based Gang (NBG), according to federal court documents.

During the stop, one of the men in the vehicle began using his phone to stream the interaction with police live to his Instagram account -- an account which the Mobile Gang Intelligence Unit already knew belonged to the gang member.

The video included images of one officers face and, at one point, the officer was asked what his name was, with the officer responding Mike.

Although police discovered two firearms in the vehicle during the traffic stop, it was determined no offenses had occurred and the three individuals were released.

The Instagram live video continued, however, with an Instagram user -- identified by the Mobile Gang Intelligence Unit as Justin Gorman -- commented Imm smoke mike when I catch em. A federal agents affidavit stated that smoke was slang for shoot or kill.

Shortly after Gormans comment, an Instagram user identified by Mobile Gang Intelligence as Manuel, posted comments We got some for Mike and Justin wya we finna find mike. Again, the federal agents affidavit indicated Manuels comments were a direct threat against the Mobile police officer.

Using social media, the internet, or any other communication channel to make threats is unacceptable, said Sean P. Costello, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. This is especially true when threats are made to those merely doing their jobs, like the men and women in law enforcement.

We take any threat seriously, and will investigate and prosecute the criminals who violate federal laws by doing so.
The U.S. government has been in communication with Germany about alleged union busting activities by Mercedes-Benz in Alabama, according to Bloomberg.

At the same time, the European Commission, which represents the European Union in international affairs, has also spoken to the company about its activities in Alabama.

The news comes a week ahead of a high stakes vote on whether the more than 6,000 employees at the German automakers Tuscaloosa County plant will be represented by the United Auto Workers.

Bloomberg is citing an unnamed U.S. government official familiar with the discussions with Germany, who said the two governments spoke about allegations that Mercedes fired union activists and held mandatory anti-union meetings.

Last month, the union filed charges under Germanys Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains, alleging Mercedes-Benz had violated the law. It mandates that companies prevent forced labor and human trafficking, slavery and similar practices in their supply chains, but also forbids non-compliance with labor protections, as well as discrimination and withholding of wages.

A European Commission spokesman said the organization had told Mercedes that we expect them to respect both local law and European values.

Mercedes acknowledged speaking with various authorities, saying it respects the right of employees to unionize and will ensure they have the chance to make an informed choice, Bloomberg reported.

The National Labor Relations Board will conduct voting at the Tuscaloosa County plant May 13 and 17 on whether workers at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International will join the United Auto Workers union. Vote totals are expected May 17.
Had Mica Miller filed for divorce from her husband prior to her death on April 27, 2024?

Several Horry County, South Carolina public record reports provide some details of the couples relationship.

The death of the Myrtle Beach area pastors wife has received national attention after she was found with a gunshot wound to her head in her vehicle in a North Carolina state park, according to her husband.

The husband, John-Paul Miller leads the Solid Rock Church in Market Common.

According to public online records, Mica Miller had filed for divorce from her husband on Oct. 8, 2023. However, it was disposed on Feb. 12, 2024.

More than a week later, records show that John-Paul Miller filed for separation on Feb. 22, 2024. That too was disposed on March 11, 2024.

Mica Miller also filed for separation on April 15, 2024  two weeks before she was found dead in Lumber River State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, where she was found in her behicle by a kayaker, John-Paul Miller said May 3, 2024.

On March 11, 2024, Mica Miller contacted Horry County Police for a report of a razor blade being placed in her tire, telling police this was the second time a razor had deflated her tire in the last week, according to an incident report. Police were dispatched at 1:30 a.m.

The name of the person she accused of placing the item in her tire was redacted from the report. Mica Miller also told police that she has noticed strange activity and what she believes as people following or watching her, the report said. She told police that the subject in the report has a history of similar actions against her.

Later, about noon, police were again contacted by Mica Miller, who was at a Honda dealership in the Myrtle Beach area, in reference to harassment.

She told the officer that she had gone to a gas station to get gas after meeting with the previous officer. While at the gas station, the suspect in the earlier incident showed up next to her at the pump, trying to talk to her, according to an incident report. Mica Miller said she told him to go away, she does not want to talk and then when she pulled her phone out to record, he sped off.

While at the dealership, the suspect showed up again. He was advised that the victim did not want further contact and if he proceeds, then warrants may possible be written up, the report said.

The victim told the officer that she was afraid for her life. She also said that she blocks his numbers and still gets calls and texts from him on other numbers, the report said.

After the officer left the dealership, Mica Miller contacted the officer saying that mechanics had found a tracking device on her vehicle, the report said. About an hour later, she had notified the officer that she was at the magistrates office trying to get a restraining order. The officer went to get the GPS from Miller, and while the officer was standing out front of the office with the victim, the suspect again showed up, then sped up and drove off.

Pastor tells church of wifes death

John-Paul Miller announced his wifes death to the church congregation during a sermon on April 28  a day after her death. Miller told the church her death was self-induced and details of her memorial service on May 5, 2024.

The case is being investigated by the by the Robeson (North Carolina) County Sheriffs Office and has been the topic of social media posts from church and non-church members, many using #justiceforMica.

Chief Deputy Damien McLean with the Robeson County Sheriffs Department confirmed Friday that the case is under investigation, adding that anytime there is a death the department does an investigation. He would not provide information about the case.

There were two memorials held for Mica Miller on May 5, one at Solid Rock Church and another along the beach in North Myrtle Beach led by Mica Millers family.

___

(c)2024 The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

Visit The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) at www.thesunnews.com

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A man is being held in the Madison County Jail awaiting extradition after his arrest Sunday in connection with a murder investigation in Illinois.

Chief Jeff J. Ramsey of the East Moline (Ill.) police said police were called to a reported shooting on Saturday at 11:44 p.m. at an apartment complex in the city, which lies at the joining of the Rock and Mississippi rivers, near Iowa.

Officers found a man shot multiple times who died at the hospital shortly after.

Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson identified the victim as Michael J. Robinson, 22, of Davenport, Iowa.

Investigators identified Jarquez D. Robertson, 21, of Huntsville as a suspect, possibly fleeing the area in a vehicle back to Alabama.

A murder arrest warrant went out, and Huntsville police arrested Robinson at about 10 a.m. Sunday. He is being held at the Madison County Jail, with plans to extradite him back to the Rock Island County Jail in Illinois.

Silvis, Moline, Illinois State and Huntsville police, along with the Rock Island County Sheriffs Department and East Moline Fire assisted.
Interview: Participation in BRI boosts Serbia's overall development -- official

Xinhua) 09:38, May 06, 2024

People wait for trains at Belgrade railway station in Belgrade, Serbia, April 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Serbia is proud of its participation in the BRI, under which Chinese companies have undertaken many infrastructure projects in the country, Serbia's Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic told Xinhua in an interview.

BELGRADE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Serbia's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has boosted overall development of the country and its neighbors, said Serbia's Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic.

Serbia is proud of its participation in the BRI, under which Chinese companies have undertaken many infrastructure projects in the country, the official told Xinhua in an interview.

Serbian officials are impressed by China's transport infrastructure development and see the country as a model for economic growth, Vesic said.

"When you connect the country with railways and roads, then you have an easier population migration, you have greater mobility, and you have an even development of the region. So, everything that China has done, and what we in Serbia are, of course, trying to do, and because of that, we are recording quite high economic growth," he said.

Vesic cited the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest as an example of successful BRI cooperation.

"China, Hungary and Serbia are involved in this project, facilitating a high-speed train connection between our capital cities, Belgrade and Budapest, in less than three hours," he said.

China and Serbia inked a free trade agreement in last October, which, Vesic said, would offer great opportunities for Serbian and European enterprises and boost the region's exports to China.

Serbia is interested in developing smart, environmentally sustainable infrastructure and electric vehicles, Vesic said, expressing his hope to cooperate with China in these fields.

"We are developing the Serbian-Chinese Science and Technology Park in Borca to attract more Chinese companies and collaborate where China excels globally."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
You are here: China

A staff member checks the operation of an automatic water testing system at Anhui CAS Intelligent Environmental Testing Technology Service Co., Ltd. in the China Environment Valley in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Jan. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

China has outlined measures to expedite the development of a modern eco-environment monitoring system, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

Pei Xiaofei, a spokesperson with the ministry, said China has established the world's largest and most comprehensive monitoring network system on eco-environment.

Currently, the number of sites directly monitored by the country has reached 33,000, with significant improvements in monitoring quality and efficiency, technological prowess and regulatory oversight, Pei added.

To expedite the building of a modern eco-environment monitoring system, China will improve the weak links in the monitoring and formulate standards in this sector, the spokesperson said.

Efforts will be intensified to bolster the country's analytical and forecasting capabilities and advance integrated monitoring spanning from mountainous regions to maritime territories.

The ministry also highlighted the importance of technological advancement and regulatory efforts in the sector of eco-environment monitoring.

China aims to complete the construction of the system by 2035, bringing the country's eco-environment monitoring capabilities to a globally advanced level.
Robert Kraft had a short, expletive-laden message for Vladimir Putin on Sunday night during The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix.

And one more thing, in case Vladimir Putin, youre watching, give me my (expletive) ring back, will ya? Kraft said. The video of the comment was not posted due to the language used.

Kraft claimed that the Russian president stole his Super Bowl ring back in 2005.

The incident took place after the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl XXXIX. Kraft, along with Rupert Murdoch and others, met with Putin in Russia in an attempt to stimulate commerce between the United States and Russia, according to Boston.com.

According to the report, the group met with Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg, where then-Citigroup president Sandy Weill suggested that Kraft show the politician his $25,000 4.94-carat ring.

I took out the ring and showed it to [Putin], and he put it on and he goes, I can kill someone with this ring, Kraft said in 2013, via the New York Post.

I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
Who doesnt love seeing animals on the side of the road?

Unfortunately, its often because theyre trying to cross to get to their natural mating or foraging grounds or even continue on a longer migration.

These encounters between animals and vehicles can be deadly to all involved. The problem isnt likely to go away anytime soon as the countrys population, towns, and cities grow. What were once forests and fields are now large suburbs connected by all the infrastructure humans need, including ever-bigger roads.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, millions of wildlife collisions are reported on the countrys roads every year. But thats just what is reported to insurance companies. The number of small creatures killed, like reptiles, birds, and small mammals, is thought to be as high as 350 million per year, according to some estimates.

The larger collisions result in tens of thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths to people. The number of collisions increases by about 7,000 annually.

Hoping to slow the problem, Congress set aside $350 million of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure ill passed in November 2021 to fix it.

The answer is animal crossings. The idea originated in France in the 1950s and quickly spread around Europe. The first U.S. animal crossing was built over an interstate in Utah in 1975. Other states were slow to catch on until a tunnel for frogs was built in Davis, California, in 1990.

There are now 1,500 crossings around the country, helping anything from panthers and alligators to moose and tortoises avoid being hit. The crossings reduce collisions by as much as 83%, according to one study by the Road Ecology Center at the University of California, Davis.

But its not just a case of building a bridge across a road and hoping the animal will work it out. It requires extensive scientific research to make sure the crossings go in the right place. Some may even be large underpasses or small tunnels.

Scientists also have to get the animals to use the crossings and ensure that predators dont discover its a good place to find an easy meal. While these crossings may sound like cutesy or unnecessary accommodations for animals, they are becoming increasingly important as humans multiply and spread into the habitats of Americas wildlife.

Reckon spoke with Dr. Nicki Frey, an associate extension professor of wildlife biology at Utah State University, where she specializes in human-wildlife conflicts.

Can you tell me a little bit about why we need animal crossings and the $350 million initiative the government is promoting?

The government is focusing the money on this issue because of the increase in wildlife-vehicle collisions every year. We have more people and theres more suburbia where roads are bisecting wildlife habitat, increasing the number of animals killed annually.

One example is the Liberty Canyon Overpass in California. It will be the largest overpass in North America and cost about $90 million, but the benefits will far outweigh the costs.

How many collisions are there every year?

Were closer to about two million a year. Those are usually just the larger-bodied animals, the ones that folks make insurance claims on. So you have to consider that it doesnt include the frogs, the snakes, the squirrels, and those animals that dont get reported.

Theyre not going to report it unless theres some sort of property damage to their vehicle.

It sounds like this data is coming from insurance claims.

All these estimates are coming from insurance claims. We get the annual reports that say how many claims were made each year and how much they cost. Its costing about $8 billion a year, but thats just property damage.

Wildlife also has a cost estimate associated with it, especially if its a game species that may be hunted. We usually say that elk, deer and moose are worth about $2,000 a piece. There are about a million deer collisions each year, so were looking at about $2 billion in damages.

Are there any hotspots we should be aware of?

In every state, there is a hotspot where there are roads bisecting with wildlife.

There are hotbed locations when a migration route requires an animal to cross a road to reach the spring habitat and then cross that road again to reach the winter habitat.

A whole population of wildlife repeatedly does that, mostly when we have roads bisecting a migration route. Thats a massive problem for humans and for the health of that wildlife population. There are important migration routes for species in nearly every state.

In Alaska or Maine, moose are trying to migrate. In Wyoming and Colorado, there are huge pronghorn antelope migrations. In the Rocky Mountains, were dealing with elk, deer, and bighorn sheep.

Billions are spent building more roads nationwide with a few animal crossings thrown in. It feels like the solution will never catch up to the problem.

Can we really keep going like this at the expense of animals and people?

Thats a really good point. We cant just keep expanding and instead start being more strategic.

Were starting to look more closely at how wildlife moves and lives. We have so much better technology with GPS transmitters that we can put on wildlife, giving us a really in-depth hour-by-hour look at how some of these animals are moving through the landscape.

I just finished working with a student on a project in Alaska. Theyre looking at how moose use the landscape and encounter roads of different sizes. They can use that information for future road planning.

Maybe in the future, we can modify where we put roads, knowing where the animals tend to want to be or where we tend to have the most conflict areas. Or can we just avoid putting a road there altogether?

Teams of biologists and transportation companies are meeting together more and more often to actually figure that out so that we dont have to fix the problem.

Are the opinions of scientists like yourself ever ignored because the government just wants to get the project done with minimal fuss?

Yes, of course. With wildlife-vehicle collisions, theres so much physical cost, and then what I would call decreased opportunity cost in that if you create these overpasses, youre talking about 15-25 years of reduced conflicts. Its an easy sell in that respect. Even if theyre putting a highway someplace that we dont think is the best idea, they can work with the scientists. We have the knowledge to say, Okay, if you have to put it here, lets go ahead and make it friendly towards wildlife.Lets figure out what we need to do ahead of time to minimize the conflict so that we dont have to go back in 15 years and spend $25 billion to retrofit.

Fewer collisions sound like a mutually beneficial thing, given what we all know about politics, money, and business. If its good for insurance companies, itll no doubt get done.

You know, it only takes one special person to get into a vehicle collision before they realize, hey, this is actually serious.

You said earlier that planners try to put the crossings in places where animal activity is detected. Is there a process of trying to convince animals to use it?

Its actually a stepwise process. The Department of Transportation records every single collision. In Utah, we have people who drive the roads just to record these collisions.

And even the smaller bodies, collisions, like porcupines or raccoons, can get recorded. Once they notice the hotspots, then they can bring in the biologists and the Department of Transportation experts. We look at what species are involved, what their habitat needs are and why they may be crossing the road. Is it a seasonal thing, or is it a daily thing?

From there, we bring in architects, engineers, and people who understand landscape ecology, like topography and hydrology and all of that. And they can actually figure out where to put this overpass or underpass in the landscape so that its more natural to the animal.

We definitely want something that flows into the environment and that the animal could come to naturally. But just in case, they also usually put a couple of miles of fencing on either side of the entrance, so that if an animal is going to cross a road and sees the fence, it knows it cant cross, and it just sort of naturally follows that fence line until it finds the underpass or the overpass and feeds itself through.

In a lot of the newer roads, theyll actually put two or three wildlife crossing structures in a row spaced out in the target area, so that theres more opportunity for the animal to come to a fence and then whether it turns left or right, its going to come to that crossing.

Are different species attracted to different structures or landscapes?

They have ways to make it more natural for particular species. They can clear vegetation, add rocks, or take away rocks; they can make [an] overpass or underpass look natural to the animal.

When it comes to preyed species, theyre worried that theyre going to come to a predator, especially if theyre going through an underpass. They dont know whats waiting for them on the other side. But we know how wide we need to make that underpass. So when a deer looks through it, it says, Oh, this looks like a safe spot. I can cross here, and a lion isnt going to eat me.

In the most recent crossing structure that I studied, collisions decreased by upwards of 77% within the first year.
Although not a psychologist, I nevertheless convinced thousands of trusting souls to open their mouths (and wallets) for needles, drills, forceps, foul tastes, strange smells, not-good vibrations, and bills beyond imagination for more than forty years.

And after the obligatory formalities and a couple jabs of the ol Novocain had been dispensed with, Id sit, patiently waiting for profound anesthesia, and provide free psychoanalysis to my patients.

Id listen carefully  most times  and then, no matter what the patients problem was, Id say, You have a problem with congruity.

Congruity is having the things you think and deeply believe match up with your actual words and actions. Most people fall short of absolute congruity, but the smaller the gap, or schism, between your talk and your walk, the happier and more fulfilled you are.

And the bigger the schism, the more troubled, angry, and unhappy you are.

With that in mind, who could possibly be more conflicted, disturbed, or downright resentful than the man currently sailing our ship of state into a stone jetty at about ninety knots?

Joe Biden, you say?

No, silly! Hes not running anything, except maybe his mouth when hes occasionally allowed to.

Watch the recent video of Crusty Joe trying to eat his dinner at the execrable White House Correspondents Dinner. Hes zoning out on the person talking to him. He struggles to move salad from the salad plate to his dinner plate. He then loses interest in the salad and strains mightily to rip a small dinner roll in two, finally transferring half the roll to his dinner plate.

He then loses interest in both the roll and the person animatedly yapping at him, and attempts, ever so slowly, to bring a forkful of greens up to his quivering mouth  a meeting so perilous that it recalls one of the perilous outer space hookups needed for the successful Apollo 11 mission.

No, poor old Joe isnt running things now, nor was he back when he was elected and still had two neurons to rub together.

Its always been Barack Obama.

Barry Os the puppet master whos been running the show for fifteen years now, eight overtly and seven covertly, leading the Deep State efforts against sitting President Trump and later telling senile Joe exactly what to say on notecards and teleprompters.

And who could be more schizoid than the Lightbringer?

He tells the world, as the self-proclaimed first black president, that Whitey is inherently and systemically racist, whether he knows it or not. And meanwhile, Barrys halfwhite supremacist himself!

Imagine hating half of yourself for the sins your distant forefathers may or may have not committed against distant relatives of your other half. Terribly confusing, no?

And in a love letter, young Obama tells a girlfriend that he feels androgynous and that he makes love to men daily, in [his] imagination, a sentence no heterosexual man has ever written, at least in recorded history. This certainly explains Barrys love for the LBGTetc. movement, but not his attempt to sell the American electorate on a presidential candidate ostensibly deeply in love with a woman.

And imagine pretending to the American public that youre a devout Christian, and then saying that the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, is one of the prettiest sounds on Earth.

Its certainly all right to love Islam and feel that way about the adhan, but why pretend you follow Christ? And what is it with Obama sending pallets of hard currency under cover of darkness to Iran, the leading sponsor of terror in the world and the people ultimately responsible for October 7?

Christians certainly dont hate Jews, with whom they share beliefs written down in the Old Testament. Why does Obama?

The schism between what Barack Obama says he is and what he really is is enormous. He must be miserable.

He carries on incessantly about the environment and global warming and then buys three mansions with an enormous carbon footprint, one a Hawaiian oceanfront property. Obama either thinks he personally did stop the rise of the oceans, in which case hes delusional, or he never worried about it in the first place, in which case hes a liar. Which is it, Barry: delusional or liar?

The One also claimed that he was president for all people, both in blue states and red. And then he promptly sicced his CIA, FBI, IRS, and State Dept.  and our vile, supine mainstream media  on President Trump and his followers. He demonized Christians, whites, males, heterosexuals, the pro-life movement, and above all MAGA-supporters. No uniter, he.

Obama has habitually harangued the wealthy, pushing them to pay more taxes and asking them, when is enough enough? But his socialist veneer has worn thin, now that he and Michelle are multi-multi-millionaires. Barry must lie awake at night, in one of his mansions, wondering when exactly enough is enough.

Poor Obama  so narcissistic, neurotic, and incongruent. Such a nowhere man, making all his nowhere plans, desperately hoping DJT wont be re-elected. Hes black, hes white, hes gay, hes straight, hes Christian yet loves Iran and the adhan, he was president of the USA for eight years and yet he hates and has often apologized for his country.

He alone makes the sad dried up turnip in the Oval Offices mouth move and spew socialist venom, even as he, B.O., pretends to care about democracy. After fifteen years of King Baracks either overt or covert rule, America has been brought to her knees.

It appears Obamas psychotic, self-hating persona has permeated the U.S. publics consciousness (see For Palestine, Jews or Gays). After this November, either hardworking, God-fearing, patriotic Americans will be running this country, or it will be a deeply conflicted Barack Obama, 21st-century schizoid man.

Image: Ari Levinson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped).
The definition of a false flag is a hostile or harmful action (such as an attack) that is designed to look like it was perpetrated by someone other than the person or group responsible for it.

It was first done by pirates who would fly flags of friendly nations to allow themselves to get close enough to attack merchant ships. The historical use of a flag isnt the key -- its the deception.

This kind of tactic has been used often: in 1939, Hitler faked an attack by Poland on a German outpost so that he would have an excuse to invade Poland. A few years earlier Japanese forces set off a bomb next to a Japanese-owned rail line in Mukden as a pretext for the invasion of Manchuria.

Similarly, false flags have been taken to discredit many a politician or a political movement. One of the crassest charges ever levelled was by James Carville after Paula Jones accused Bill Clinton of pulling his pants down in front of her. He was quoted as saying, Drag a hundred-dollar bill through a trailer park, you never know what you'll find. This to put the blame on Jones for Clintons indiscretion. Carville claims that she was not the target. You decide.

The intensity of the Lefts obsession to take down Donald Trump has been breathtaking. The Lefts many accusations using the false-flag tactic have turned us into false-flag nation. Never has one person been so consistently harassed, pressured, and accused using one tactic.

Recall when Trump started his rallies back in 2016. Many of them involved some kind of violent fight or violent demonstration, with the media dutifully reporting that these proved the violence inherent in Trump and his backers. The only problem was these were leftist agitprop actors, and that was clear to most non-Democrat observers even then. Violence at an Illinois rally prior to that primary had Ted Cruz accusing Donald Trump supporters (likely cementing his loss).

To this day one of the consistent charges against Trump has been his intention to bring violence to our country. Jussie Smollett tried to add to this farce. It ended badly. The Whitmer kidnapping hoax showed the FBI goading and entrapping a few suckers to get involved in this charade. FBI plants invented the idea and pushed it to happen. This to once again prove Trump supporters were violent lawbreakers.

The RussiaGate scam was a false flag set up by the Deep State. These silly charges against Trump were manufactured by his opponents to make him appear guilty. The Trump Ukraine phone call impeachment came straight from Biden-supporting Democrats. Blaming Trump for Bidens Ukraine corruption was pathetic, but our media pressed to convince Americans that Trump was the corrupt one -- not the Biden family that was neck deep in payments from Burisma.

Laughable attempts at demonstrations of white supremacy, clearly staged by Feds dressing up the way that leftists like to believe we would, would be comical if the duplicity was not so serious.

My brother went to the J6 rally to hear Trump speak. His wife was sick, so rather than go to the Capitol, they returned to their hotel room. They would likely be in prison had they gone. I mention this because he told me at the time that this crowd was entirely peaceful. He says there was no intent for anyone to incite an insurrection. No weapons, no plan, zero intent to become worse than Pearl Harbor and 9/11 combined.

Watching the videos of the peaceful crowd in front of the Capitol being bombarded with flash grenades and rubber bullets by the authorities is shocking. Clearly provoked, clearly being pushed to outrage over their treatment. There are unmistakable indications of FBI plants in the crowd, along with some seedy characters likely aligned with Antifa (the masked ones) trying to foment violence. Somebody opened doors from the inside.

The J6 insurrection has all the signs of being the worst false flag in recent memory.

The J6 myth was promulgated by a corrupt congressional committee set up by Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger. All liars, all with the intention of smearing Trump and his supporters with accusations of violence.

There are still some diehard leftists who still believe this, but much of the so-called plot to violently overthrow the government can be shown as a laughable farce, made up by leftists who want power forever for themselves.

Unwittingly, the Left has broken one of the Alinsky commandments. A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. Meaning the jig is up for most false flags. They are now recognizable as such, more clearly with each one, and that is good news for us.

Because we are about to be hit by this leftist government with a lot of them. Designed to help re-elect Joe and keep the Deep State in power. We need to prepare for what is coming. Because its coming, and its their last hope.

These ruses may come from multiple sources. Some may be deadly. They could be race-based attempts to pretend the MAGA movement is racist. Gender-based, to show that the MAGA movement violently opposes gays and transgenders. They could be feminist-based, pretending MAGA people are misogynists out to enslave women. Or abortion based. They could be gun-based, to show that we violently want to seize power. They could be environmentally based, to showcase our defiance of Gaia. I have no doubt their new pro-Hamas wing could prompt false flags to use at their mostly peaceful protests.

Were likely to see a lot of these events in series, or a few all at once. Because the Left wants  no, demands -- its power, no matter how dishonest, destructive, and ruinous to others they become, they want to define their opponents as worse. They live by the Alinsky rule to keep the pressure on, they want desperately to show anyone who will listen just how bad we are.

Its a fatal flaw. This method has worked well in the past, they have become addicted to it and are using it too much.

The upshot: When a violent or dreadful event is reported, dont trust the story. It will likely be a lie. Wait at least 48 hours after the breathless reporting by our oh-so-honest media about how bad Trump is. Because that is what they have wanted to prove since 2016. Orange man bad. MAGA bad.

The good news: Since the Elon Musk acquisition of Twitter, this leftist tactic has become more clearly exposed more each day. Since the exposure of the Twitter Files by Matt Taibbi, we know how powerful government agencies have been at censoring truth and promulgating lies. These are no longer believed by even half of the country. Only hard-core leftists are effective targets now. The better news: So many trusted media sources are now available. Tucker Carlson, Russell Brand, Julie Kelly, the Federalist group, Larry Schweikart, Charlie Kirk, Truth Social, Instapundit. And many more.

Watch these leaders of the new conservative media, the ones who you trust to find the real story. They wont all agree, because the media organs of the Left can be very convincing. Be patient, the story will come out. Because the real story will be the story of the false flag. The new Jussie Smollett incidents of the Left.

Theyre coming to a town near you. Be prepared.

Image: TaptheForwardAssist
Alleged pundits scratch their heads in puzzlement and ask: how did all these pro-Hamas outbursts suddenly appear on American universities?

They are, in fact, not some spontaneous eruption, but clearly the product of an ongoing jihadist campaign to infiltrate Americas school system. Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, and Yasser Arafat before them have for decades educated American universities to jihad. Recent events attest to their disturbing success.

One such group, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) was established in 2005 by University of California Berkeley lecturer Hatem Bazian. AMP is a major promoter of the Hamas-inspired Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions (BDS) movement. Additionally, AMP is a major supporter of the pro-Hamas campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

SJP is a highly influential campus organization with chapters based at approximately 200 American colleges and universities, where it organizes and sponsors anti-Israel events and campaigns more actively than any other student group in the nation.

Several of AMPs recent board members and key officials ... worked closely with, now-defunct Islamic extremist groups that funded terrorist activities, i.e., the Islamic Association for Palestine (which, until its dissolution in 2004, served as the chief U.S. propaganda arm of Hamas); the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (which from 1995-2001 contributed approximately $12.4 million in money, goods, and services to Hamas); and KindHearts for Charitable Humanitarian Development (whose assets were frozen in 2006 by the U.S. Treasury Department because of its fundraising activities on behalf of Hamas).

Moreover, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) provides speakers, training, printed materials, a so-called Apartheid Wall, and [financial] grants to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) activists. As the Investigative Project on Terrorism notes, AMP routinely engages in anti-Israeli rhetoric, sponsors conferences that serve as a platform for Israel bashers, and openly approves resistance against the Zionist state. In fact, [a]n Arabic-language poster on display in its Chicago headquarters in 2016 included the phrase, No Jew will live among them in Jerusalem.

Where is the money coming from to support Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)?

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) are receiving funds from a web of Hamas-linked organizations, according to new research by The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP). The research, entitled National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP): Antisemitism, Anti-Americanism, Violent Extremism and the Threat to American Universities, claims that non-profit organizations with links to the Hamas terror group were funding the student groups. The report named WESPAC, Tides, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine (AJP), and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) as the Hamas-linked funders.

In addition, in the November 2023 report, the Institute uncovered that more than a billion US dollars had been provided to Texas A&M (TAMU)/ Texas A&M in Qatar (TAMUQ) by the Qatar Foundation, a Qatari regimeowned foundation, as part of a contractual agreement to pay for research projects, some which could contribute to the development of military applications.

This dovetails with another alarming aspect of the jihadists in America  Election Jihad. Daniel Greenfield clearly shows how Islamist political machines are transforming America and threatening both the United States and Israel.

Omar Ahmad, co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has asserted that Islam isnt in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant.

In fact, the past two election seasons have produced many firsts for the Islamist political machines. Consider the following jihadist successes.

In Delaware, Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton became the first Muslim elected to the state House in Delaware. She stated that because of Israel, baby Jesus is under rubble.

In Georgia, Rep. Ruwa Romman, a former communications director for CAIR, described the Oct. 7 attacks as caused by Israeli settler violence.

In Ohio, Rep. Munira Abdullahi claims that Israel is the biggest child-killer in the world.

In Texas, Rep. Salman Bhojani accused Israel in engaging in the mass killing of Palestinian civilians.

In Illinois, Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, the state Houses first Muslim Palestinian elected to office, accused Israel of genocidal language.

These jihadist elections are changing state legislatures into hostile entities for America and Israel. Jihadists are using our system to destroy our nation  e.g., Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Omar Fateh.

In fact, Muslim voter turnout initiatives at mosques now feed into some of the billions flowing from Democratic Party allied organizations.

For example, My Muslim Vote is one of numerous national Islamic election operations that benefit from funding Democrats and their political allies on the Left.

CAIRs long record of antisemitism is cogently explained by Steve Emerson. In essence, [a] virulently antisemitic terror-tied group has managed to convince media and politicians that it has been magically transformed into a respectable legitimate civil rights group.

Put succinctly, CAIR is Hamas.

The Investigative Project on Terrorisms new book, CAIRs Antisemitism Unmasked, meticulously documents that it is through an obsessive, venomous focus on Israel that CAIR has sustained its lengthy record of antisemitic rhetoric.

As Don Feder explains, [t]o put 300,000 terrorist sympathizers in the streets of Washington on short notice, you need a well-oiled machine that constantly requires a cause to advance its agenda.

One week, theyre marching against racism or protesting fossil fuels. The next, theyre demanding a cease-fire in Gaza  a lifeline thrown to Hamas. Suddenly, pro-Hamas demonstrations are popping up all over the country, like poison mushrooms after a spring rain. Theyre the result of a coalition of radicals united by their hatred of America and the West  a coalition that reduces everything to a conflict between oppressors and the oppressed and which is willing to condone the most horrific violence to advance the revolution. They are supported by groups with wealth, prestige and political clout  all resolutely leftist, if not openly Marxist.

The never-ending assault on America is certainly due to the integration by CAIR and its allies within the Democrat partys electoral machine. Democrats have an antisemitism problem!

It has become so total that the Democratic operatives and donors of the Movement Voter Project are fundraising for it even though CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad was caught on video celebrating the Oct. 7 attack.

The Islamist Political Action Committee plans to mobilize one million Muslim voters and encourage and train 200 Muslim candidates to run for office.

The work of the jihadists is not just limited to colleges.

In its early years, AMP disseminated its ideology to young people through the Aqsa Club, an afterschool program aimed at educating high-school students about Palestine, its history, and current affairs.

Under the rubric of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), the following groups work to upend America. Besides CAIR, there is the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), and the Mosque Foundation.

Of course, fundraising is fundamental, and donors, in some cases Jewish, are donating to Islamist politicians and groups that are hounding Jews.

It is way overdue for Jewish Democrats who, perhaps unknowingly, provide funding and comfort to Islamist political machines to be confronted. They are aiding those who would destroy them and their fellow Jews.

Members of Congress must ensure that no federal grant money be given to community groups that defend terrorism and promote hate.

Once and for all, the idea of a two-state solution must be ended.

Finally, ending refugee resettlement is vital to defeating the rise and expansion of Islamist political machines.

Over the past several decades, Israeli governments and many in the Diaspora Jewish leadership failed to grasp the gravity of these deadly accusations and the implication for the massive outbreak of antisemitism and violence against Jews. Israel must now work with US federal and local officials to shutter every one of SJPs campus chapters while enforcing Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This initiative must be maximized by a massive media campaign in the US exposing the terrorist roots of this jihadist-backed and supported organization that constitutes one of the greatest threats to Israel, the Jewish people and the United States itself since the Nazi era.

Our very existence as a nation depends it.

Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com.

Image via Max Pixel.
Strangely, anti-Jewish malevolence has accelerated in the USA following the October 7 atrocities by Hamas. This is because of the equivocations and partial blaming of Israel by the Democrats. Further, the anti-Israel madness has ballooned to include outpourings of Jew hatred on our campuses fully reminiscent of pre-war Nazi Germany. This outpouring of anti-Semitism and Israel hatred has been fostered and to some degree embraced by the Democrats who have not pictured Israel as the victim it actually was on Oct. 7. Rather, Israel has been partially blamed for the atrocities committed against its citizens (along with Americans), and has borne criticism from our Democrat leadership.

Anti-Israel sources have even questioned the truth that the Oct. 7 massacres occurred. The Washington Post ran an article raising the question of whether the events of Oct. 7 were a false flag. American social networks have censored it and vainly attempted to cover it up by vilifying Israel as a colonial power and aggressor. These are false but familiar tropes which ought to be repudiated.

The claims that Arabs (incorrectly called Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs) are being held hostage by Israel in their own land is patently false. The sovereignty of Judea and Samaria was firmly established militarily in the aftermath of the 1967 war in a self-defensive act against the rising tide of Arab aggression. Ever since 1967, Jews have every right to make their homes there so the laws of occupation do not technically apply. While international law clearly states that a nation may not occupy the land of another nation, to label Israel as an occupier is historically incongruous.

Dr. Harel Arnon, an international lawyer of renown, explained this in a speech to the Knesset in February 2014: In 1967, Israel returned to Judea and Samaria, got rid of the illegal Jordanian occupation, and took control This prompted scholars of international law to coin the phrase terra nullius, meaning a territory without a sovereign, or a vacuum territory. Judea and Samaria is a territory over which no country has legal sovereignty, not even Israel, but Israel holds it. Next, he goes on to argue when we want to examine the question of whether or not Israel is occupying Judea and Samaria, we must address the fact that Israel took Judea and Samaria from someone who was there illegally, and therefore Israel cannot be seen as an occupier the laws of occupation do not apply to Judea and Samaria.

But Democrats, starting with President Biden, do not seem to understand the threat that this recent attack means for Israel or for the U.S. Instead, the President on October 20 issued a statement that seemed at first glance to acknowledge the atrocities of October 7, but then went off script and in the same speech began a long diversion to the Russia v. Ukraine war. Then, the President came back to the topic of the October 7 attack but softened his criticism of Hamas and the Arab world. He said, Were a nation of religious freedom, freedom of expression. We all have a right to debate and disagree without fear of being targeted at schools or workplaces or in our communities. And we must renounce violence and vitriol, see each other not as enemies but as -- but as fellow Americans. Yet, what have we seen the last few weeks but aggressive anti-Semitic speech and anti-Israel speech and sit-ins and blocking of Jewish students and threatening of Jewish students from coast to coast.

In Bidens Oct. 20 speech his emphasis was on not overreacting against Islamic persons, as though supporting the people who were victims of an atrocious massacre were in some sense imbalanced, whereas actually it is a moral imperative. He called for balance, but he has not unequivocally attacked the imbalanced accusations against Israel and against Jews on campuses coast to coast. It would seem he is more concerned with the imbalance called Islamophobia than with the violent imbalance of anti-Semitism which we see so blatantly on display with very little backlash.

The Democrat failure to respond aggressively and constructively on university campuses must be seen as the betrayal of lawful, constitutional values and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the UN signed in 1946 that it is. The demonstrators hate both America and Israel with vitriolic and reckless intensity. Worse yet, they are shilling for Iran and their proxies -- Hamas, Hezballah, the Houthis, and Islamic Jihad. It would be as if the KKK were justifying lynchings by saying that blacks being lynched was legitimized because so many Southern whites were killed during the Civil War -- thus blacks must be killed to make up for that loss to the North. They are saying that Hamas terrible actions are because the Arabs lost four wars to Israel and many Arab men were killed by Israel -- wars which the Arabs started in every instance.

The campus demonstrations encouraged by the equivocations of our political class reveal the bankruptcy both of the Democrats and of our culture. A few campuses where students replaced Arab flags with American flags should not be taken to express a victory of righteous American values over terrorist or Hamas-like attitudes. Rather these happy moments are a deceptive cover for the failures of leadership in the country to throw out the campus encampments on the first days. (What do tents on campus have to do with peaceful protests?) Protests are inherently not peaceful if they interfere with the normal functioning of legitimate enterprises and jeopardize such basic activities as ingress and egress. Peaceful assembly is not only not shooting, not stabbing, and not punching others, but is not disrupting the normal rights of others to go about living their lives. Peaceful protests must be circumscribed and defined by the authorities, not by the protesters. There is an important distinction between peaceful assembly and peaceful disruption. The latter is not acceptable. Only the former is.

Had the Palestinians freely elected a viable coalition of leaders to govern Gaza in 2006 instead of a terrorist entity, they could have had peace. They didnt. When Hamas took power in 2007, their charter mandated the destruction of Israel and all who live there.

The events on our campuses and the equivocations of Democrat leadership after October 7 reveal that Democrats both propitiate and capitulate to radical Islamic extremists. They have not stood firm regarding Israels right of self-defense nor have Democrat leaders expressed pride and thanksgiving for our Jewish fellow citizens. Claims of Hamas or the PA should be expressly deemed as less worthy because of the atrocities of Oct. 7 and the ugly disturbances on our campuses.

Image: Ted Eytan
DEI has infiltrated our American military like a deadly toxin, making it incapable of defending our shores or our country. The higher-ups in the American armed forces have somehow succumbed to a racist philosophy that recruits, promotes, hires, and rewards black, brown, and Hispanic members at the expense of white people, who need not apply.

Word is out: White people will not be hired or promoted according to merit, nor will they even be allowed to function the way other races function so long as DEI has a branch in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or any other American defense mechanism. In short, hiring and promoting in the military according to race seems to be more important than defending our country. This is suicidal madness.

From a report at The Daily Signal, there is this:

The Heritage Foundation recently hosted a series of panel discussions, Seizing the Moment to Defeat DEI, that brought together top conservative minds to discuss how to combat what they regard as those divisive leftist policies. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)  a former Army infantry officer, said the military became a testing ground for non-merit-based hiring programs, mainly through affirmative action and later DEI-based hiring practices, emphasizing race and sexual orientation.

When you eliminate merit, you get mediocrity, the very thing a country cannot afford when our very survival as a nation relies on excellence, not mediocrity. When you hire for race or sex, you dont get the best but second best. Or worse  those who couldnt get hired anywhere else because they are simply not good enough. Merit and love of country should be the only criteria by which a person is allowed to serve in our military. This isnt a drag queen contest nor is it a melanin-based endeavor: Our military is supposed to defend and protect our homeland, her infrastructure, and her people. It is not designed to be a venue for social experimentation or reparations. As Rush Limbaugh wisely noted, Our military is there to kill people and break things,  over there. If it comes here, ditto. Skin color and ones sex life are irrelevant, or they should be.

DEI is destroying Americas ability to defend herself and her people against attacks from without and from within because it deliberately hires, fires, and recruits by racism and sexism. DEI causes not just a lack of cohesion but a distinct aversion to it. Diversity is decidedly NOT our strength because DEI fragments cohesion: You cannot have diverse opinions about whether or not America is good or whether or not she deserves defending. Military members cannot be set against each other on the basis of skin or sex if they are serious about protecting America and her people.

America in general cannot survive a DEI-based structure that pits one color against another or heterosexuality against homosexuality or transsexuality. Its a death sentence to allow it in our military, the very places we rely upon to come to Americas rescue in troubled times, which is now.

Leave it to individuals to decide whether or not they want to engage in such practices, but for Gods sake and everyones elses sake, dont inflict DEI on the rest of us who find the practice abhorrent. DEI in the military may as well be the solvent that dissolves military cohesion at the very moment we need such cohesion if we are seriously attacked  on our shores or over there.

The Biden administration has telegraphed to the rest of the world that we are weak. DEI puts an exclamation point on our weakness and should immediately be dissolved.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
While Columbia and UCLA swept out their campus protestors like bad garbage, and USC did the same this morning, George Washington University remains a haven of radical looniness.

Here's a tweet showing just what the campus communists are up to as other protests shut down:

At the George Washington University Gaza Solidarity Encampment today, the protesters held a "People's Tribunal" where they put President Ellen Granberg, Provost Christopher Bracey, the Board of Trustees, @GWPolice, and many others on trial.



Is it normal for students to want to pic.twitter.com/M8F543q0MV  Stu (@thestustustudio) May 3, 2024

It seems to be a mock trial, nominally about Gaza, with campus protestors declaring themselves judge and jury for all their university overseers -- the provost, the trustees, maybe their profs, who don't kowtow to their robotic party line, with lots of 'guillotine! guillotine! guillotine!' verdicts coming from these losers.

PJMedia has a more description of these half-baked Robespierre wannabes in this piece here:

I do not know if they are confusing the title of "provost" within George Washington University's faculty as the academic supervisor with a supervisor of law enforcement (like "provost marshal"), but accusing Mr. Bracey of assault just adds another element of absurdity to this "tribunal" these kids are hosting. Right after, the girl on the megaphone proclaims, "Off to the m*****f***ing gallows with you." But hold on, it gets stupider. The girl on the megaphone then accuses GWU's Board of Trustees of profiteering off the "genocide" of Palestinians, and after the other students loudly proclaim them "guilty," she yells, "To the guillotine!" Finally, they also call for GWU President Ellen Granberg and her apparently "f****** bob [haircut]" to be under the guillotine as well for "using [their] tuition dollars to fund genocide." Stu Stu Studios also posted a longer version, but the fact that these kids are openly and publicly calling for the deaths of specific people who can very likely hear them just underscores how insane these "protests" really are.

Which rather shows you that they've got Red Guard instincts, and just not enough opportunity to act them out for real. Like Lenin and Stalin and Mao and Pol Pot and Castro and Che, they dream big of executing anyone they don't agree with, and often for childish clown-show reasons.

A lot of those evil creatures who went on to murder millions were expelled from their universities for a lot less than calling for the murder of the people who run the universities. But the states of these places, unlike the universities, were weak, so they went on to wreak revolutionary murder for real. Over here, even the universities are weak.

Maybe they shouldn't be weak, because these are mice with ambitions of being rats. They are monsters in the making. Expel them from all civilized society.

Image: Twitter video screen shot
Amid falling poll numbers and abysmal job approval numbers, Joe Biden is spending big on his re-election.

Not his own money, of course, of which he has plenty: Yours.

According to John Solomon's JustTheNews:

The federal government is working with left-wing organizations to implement Bidenbucks, which is President Bidens executive order to turn as many federal agencies as possible into get-out-the-vote (GOTV) centers across all states. The Department of Justice worked with left-wing organizations to determine how to implement Bidens executive order to use the federal government to register voters, which began after one of those groups aided the Biden administration with creating the executive order. In March 2021, Biden signed Executive Order 14019, often referred to by critics as Bidenbucks, which alludes to "Zuckerbucks," the approximately $400 million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg widely alleged to have been funneled through left-leaning nonprofits to turn out the Democratic vote in the 2020 presidential election. According to the Executive Order, The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency can, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation, including "soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and State officials to provide voter registration services on agency premises.

On the surface, that sounds like a nice thing, having voter registration forms at the food stamp or welfare office, an obvious bid to draw in Democrat voters based on those voters' need for government "services."

But it's not like that at all, according to the report. It's federal agencies forking over cash to far-left and grossly partisan NGOs with records of donating cash to Democrats to rope in more voters, in a one-hand-washes-the-other dynamic. JustTheNews didn't have any cash numbers about how much taxpayer cash has been shelled out for these contracts with radical leftwing groups, but if Zuckerbucks, which many argue was most instrumental in swinging the election to Biden are any indication, it could be in the hundreds of millions.

JustTheNews continued:

According to public records obtained by the Heritage Foundations Oversight Project, the DOJ had a listening session in July 2021 with multiple non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regarding the implementation of Bidenbucks. Heritage found that every NGO participant whose political donation history or party affiliation could be identified was Democrat except for a Green Party member.

And there are a lot of leftwing crazies among them:

Some of the NGOs included: AFL-CIO, AFSCME; The American Civil Liberties Union; The Anti-Defamation League; Black Voters Matter; Brennan Center for Justice at NYU; Common Cause; Democracy Fund; Demos; End Citizens United/Let America Vote; The Fair Elections Center; Fair Fight Action; FairVote; Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights; The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; The Mexican American Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF); NAACP; National Education Association; National Urban League; Native American Rights Fund, League of Women Voters; Open Society Policy Center; and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

You see any Republican- or conservative- or libertarian-friendly groups among these? Me, neither. Obviously, this is a crony cash shovelout with the naked aim of getting votes in return. They aren't going to be spending money on Republican-friendly areas with that cash. They'll be heading for welfare offices, prisons, criminal justice "reform" advocacies, places where illegals gather, and other non-voter areas, to scarf up voter registrations, legally done or not, always to pad totals in order to obtain more funds.

Obviously, it's a get-out-the-vote-for-Joe-Biden fund, done by private groups with no ethical compunctions towards nonpartisanship, such as may be seen in government agencies, all on the taxpayer dime.

That's thievery of public funds and the awful thing is, the Zuckerbucks scheme, of which this was a model, is still operating too, in states where they haven't been banned.

It's the unholiest politicization of government functions anyone can even seen, and again, done on our dime. This cries out for legal challenges and congressional investigations, this is not how elections are supposed to go, nor will they result in a fair election. They will result in a Castro-style election, such as is seen in hellholes like Cuba.

Is it any wonder that public confidence in elections is at an all-time low? This is one good reason why. Why is this even legal?

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Since the COVID scare worked so well for the left, could a climate lockdown be next?

We all vividly recall the absurd COVID lockdowns. While they had no effect on the spread of illness, the imposed restrictions certainly proved that a large segment of the population was easily compelled to come to heel and submit to the governments outrageous demands.

Given the facts I provide in my new book, Climate Cult: Exposing and Defeating Their War on Life, Liberty, and Property, such a scheme should come as no surprise, especially given that the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats are priming the pump with talk of executive action to declare a climate emergency.

As I reveal in the book, the first individuals to contend the environment was in peril due to human behavior were direct disciples of Karl Marx. Their contempt for capitalism and private property motivated them to conjure up a fallacious argument: the earths ecosystem was being mutilated by the industrial revolution. In fact, Edwin Ray Lankester, a zoologist at University College, London and close friend of Marx, referred to humanity as the insurgent sons of nature. Even Vladimir Lenina radical environmental preservationistwrote lengthy regulations placing Russias natural resources off limits to his subjects. Millions died of starvation and hypothermia as a result.

In more recent decades, the climate agenda has been crafted by the United Nations with the United States and many European nations rushing to comply. It was a 1987 UN document entitled, Our Common Future, that officially introduced CO 2 as not only the cause of global warming but a threat to world peace and an agent of economic inequality. Since then, the elites at the World Economic Forum have provided muscle for the United Nations plans. In fact, a man the WEF describes as an agenda contributor, Yuval Noah Harari, pompously declared, You can stop all flights, you can lockdown entire countries, to combat climate change.

Climate lockdowns have been discussed by Democrats for several years. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) introduced the Climate Emergency Act of 2021, co-sponsored by 62 congressional Democrats. The bill would require the President to declare a national climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act, and for other purposes. Allowing President Biden to declare a climate emergency would provide the him with statutory powers that could be renewed should he gain a second term. The proposed Act reads like a communist takeover, demanding a radically and socially just plan to increase union membership, guarantee wages and benefits, promote social and environmental justice, expand the rainbow flag, and transition America to a carbon-free economy.



Last July, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters, He [the president] is going to do everything he can to take action. This climate emergency [decision] is not going to happen tomorrow but we still have it on the table.



Eco-zealot Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), told Politico that he urged Biden to use emergency authority to enact radical climate change measures. In the absence of congressional action it is critically important he use all of his powers.

And, of course, working in tandem with the Democrats on Capitol Hill, the UN has its own Climate Emergency webpage which states, The science is clear. The world is in a state of climate emergency, and we need to shift into emergency gear.

Yes, the science is clear. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is a requirement for life on Earth, and more is better. As for global warming, the geological record indicates past periods have been significantly warmer than today.
China's Ministry of Education has issued a trial regulation on the tiered and classified safety management of laboratories at universities and colleges.

The regulation clarifies the responsibility system, work principles and management requirements concerning the safety management of labs at universities and colleges.

According to the regulation, a laboratory should be graded as major risk, high risk, medium risk or low risk according to its hazard sources and their volume, and be classified into types such as chemistry, biology, radiation and electro-mechanics.

Those in charge of a laboratory, its safety managers and staff should undergo safety training and emergency response drills according to the lab's safety grade, as highlighted in the regulation.

It also stipulates that scientific research projects and other experimental activities carried out in a laboratory should be subject to safety risk assessment.
In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, the computer HAL 9000 jumped the boundaries its creators set and took control of the vessel, killing most of the crew. Are we seeing a similar situation as the little campus Marxists, the ones whom the Democrats elites and intelligentsia created, burst out of their academic confines? Have their little minions escaped the lab, much as COVID-19 escaped Wuhan? As it turns out, the revolutionaries have broken free, but it turns out that they and their creators are as one.

Or is it a smokescreen to mislead the public and to stall for time? Lets explore.

Antonio Gramscis ideas, from his Long March Through the Institutions, posited that its the Wests mainstream cultural institutions that set the tone for a nation and that whoever controls them controls the culture. Wikipedia summarizes the idea this way:

Gramsci is best known for his theory of cultural hegemony, which describes how the state and ruling capitalist class  the bourgeoisie  use cultural institutions to maintain power in capitalist societies. In Gramscis view, the bourgeoisie develops a hegemonic culture using ideology rather than violence, economic force, or coercion.

We have intellectuals teaching this Marxist worldview to impressionable teenagers at our cultural institutions (K-12 and university). These professors, flattered by living in their own little self-praising bubbles, mistakenly think that they are the vanguard of the revolution without realizing that they are the surrogates indoctrinating on behalf of global Marxism.

The problem for universities is that The Revolution always eats its own. In a major example, Mao turned the Chinese youth (Red Guards) against the very educators and intellectuals who likely had taught them Maoism because Mao understood the ultimate danger that the intellectual class posed to his regime. Do we now have the spawn of our elites possibly turning against their creators, and are these administrators and professors at mortal risk from the external Marxist order that is the power?

Actually, the situation here is a little different. When we witness the protests on campus, the university administrators are on the same side as the students. Negotiations over terms with the students are merely Kabuki theater since the administrators support the position of the students. They just need to find a way to tone it down. For proof, remember that students have zero rights on campus when it comes to setting and enforcing rules, regulations, and other aspects of managing an organization, so negotiations are meaningless.

Biden has a similar problem when making any statements of condemnation without jeopardizing his supporters in Dearborn (Slogan: Americas Jihad capital) and Hamtramck, where the Islam-dominated City Council voted to ban the Pride Flag in all public spaces. (Hey, lefties, hows that tolerance thing working out for you? Are you not seeing youve partnered with the Devil?)

We also saw that Claudine Gay was demoted at Harvard because she could not say words of condemnation about the active anti-Semitism on her campus. However, she retained her $900K (or so) annual salary and now teaches ethics. Her career trajectory shows that there is a scramble within academia to fix what academics perceive as the problem: public relations, not lawlessness.

Thankfully, other institutions have reacted well, such as UT-Austin actively arresting and charging trespassers. Fraternity brothers at Arizona State University physically tore down the tents and tossed everything in a dumpster, even as the police stood by and watched. We see similar news stories daily from other campuses. It turns out that, when citizens and not just police or administrators take action, leftists had best watch out!

In the hard-left American institutions, the takeover is complete, and the students are the institutions foot soldiers. There will be no consequences. It is up to ordinary Americans to stand up to the Marxist evil and the Hamas violence since we cannot depend on any meaningful help from the universities or the Biden White House.

The entire K-16 educational system, including its funding, must be overhauled. The great news is that a perfect storm is brewing. The truth of what our children are being taught (Marxism and antisemitism) has escaped the lab into the sunlight of visibility, much as Dr. Frankensteins monster did in Shellys book. May that storm be the first waves of change sweeping through our entire education system to root out the evil that exists therein.

Image by AI

Lewis Dovland is a passionate observer of Americas future direction with a focus on exposing the Big Picture end goals of the progressive Marxist movement and how we can prevail. Email at Lewis.Dovland@gmail.com.
The judge in the New York state trial of President Trump in the business records case over hush money payments to a porn star has threatened President Trump with jailtime for his claims that President Trump violated his gag order.

According to Reuters:

NEW YORK, May 6 (Reuters) - The judge in Donald Trump 's criminal trial fined him $1,000 and held him in contempt of court for a 10th time on Monday for violating a gag order and warned that further violations could land the former president in jail. Justice Juan Merchan said the nine $1,000 fines he had imposed so far did not seem to be deterring the wealthy business mogul from violating the order, which bars him from speaking publicly about jurors and witnesses in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. I do not want to impose a jail sanction and have done everything I can to avoid doing so. But I will if necessary, Merchan said before the jury entered. Imprisonment would be an unprecedented step in the historic trial, which stems from a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election.

Of course he wants to jail him. He's got his hot little finger on the 'jail him' button and can't wait to push it. Everything about his past tells us that's what he wants to do.

One, take a look at what he claims is a violation of his 'gag order':

Merchan imposed the 10th $1,000 fine on Monday for an April 22 broadcast interview in which the former president said: "That jury was picked so fast - 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat."

Is the statement false? Absolutely not. So why should Trump talking about it be subject to a gag order ... unless of course, the aim is to cover up for the public that the trial looks just a little skeevy and banana-republic-like.

Jury of Trump's peers? Nope, not for a national figure like Trump, where approximately half the jury should represent the nation as Republicans, instead of solely Democrats who already hate him and are not neutral. What kind of a fair trial is that? Getting tried by a jury of one's political enemies, most of whom will be of the most rabidly Trump-hating sort? Would he like to see a trial of Obama being conducted by a Wyoming or Oklahoma jury of 100% Republicans? The judge himself has donated to Democrats and progressives, too, which makes the kangaroo court feeling even stronger, like a Castro judge trying a dissident in Cuba, or some kind of clown-show court as is seen now in Nicaragua or Venezuela. Suuuuure, they'll all be fair.

Only a fool would believe it. And of course, he's doing this to Trump because he wants them to believe it.

The irony of this is that the whole setup of charges against Trump -- that he paid off a porn star to keep some kind of involvement with her private -- with an underlying crime of influencing the election (in spite of the payment going out after he was elected president), is that we see the judge doing the exact same thing -- trying to influence the public that this trial is somehow fair and not political, so that Trump's factual statement about the Democrat-slanted jury needs to be kept hidden from the public. It's not O.K. when Trump does it, but it's always O.K. when he does it. How do you like that double standard?

It gets worse when one considers the judge's history. According to Wikipedia:

In late 2022, Merchan oversaw the five-week criminal trial of the Trump Organization; the organization was convicted of 17 counts of tax fraud.[15] He also presided over the criminal case of Donald Trump's former financial chief Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to his role in a 15-year-long tax-fraud scheme.[16][17] Weisselberg admitted to evading taxes by accepting $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation and entered a plea agreement, in which he testified against The Trump Organization and helped to secure the company's conviction.[18] Merchan sentenced Weisselberg to five months at Rikers Island and said he would have imposed a substantially longer sentence but for the plea agreement.[17]

O.K., so he's very reluctant to jail Trump or anyone, he tells the press, and his record shows that he really does let the real bad guys in his criminal cases off with lightweight sentences. But now we get to the case of Weisselberg and he's whining from the bench that he can't jail him even more, even though five months in Riker's Island is pretty substantial. He wanted to jail Trump's corporate lieutenant longer than he was allowed to, it made him unhappy, and for him to claim that he doesn't want to jail Trump sounds pretty disingenuous. Of course he wants to jail Trump, why else would he keep trying to find petty violations on him?

The only thing that may be restraining him, thus far, and I don't know if it always will, is that his gag order itself is deeply unconstitutional, as legal experts have noted, given that gag orders are handed out to protect defendants. Trump is the defendant here, so gag orders should be handed out to his accusers, not to him. Or is the judge saying he's the one on trial here? That's a good question.

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley points out the factors he sees in why this gag order is problematic:

Turley, who says he believes gag orders often "run afoul" of free speech, took aim at Merchan's order, specifically, because he says it allows [former Trump fixer Michael] Cohen to publicly speak out against the former president while hindering Trump's ability to criticize his former fixer and attorney. "It creates this perversity. You have people like Michael Cohen, who's going on the news every night attacking Trump, arguing against his election, but Trump can't criticize Michael Cohen or Stormy Daniels or the lead prosecutor," Turley said Sunday. "This election is going to turn, in significant part, on the weaponization of the legal system. And Trump is winning on that narrative. These judges are essentially gagging a presidential candidate on one of the chief issues of the presidential election."

So they can attack Trump all they like, and Trump is powerless to say anything in his own defense in public. No even-steven here, Trump is already guilty before the verdict is launched, so he's not allowed to complain.

Are the kangaroos starting to go 'boingggg'?

Turley points out that the Supreme Court is likely to look "harshly" on this order, given that the whole thing is political and Trump is the presidential frontrunner, with a lot of Democrats who openly want to shut him down:

"I think SCOTUS would look harshly at this order as it's currently written. If you want to try the leading presidential candidate right before the presidential election, you have to have some recognition that there's a political speech element here, which is paramount. And I don't think the judge recognized that with this order," Turley, an attorney and professor at the George Washington University Law School, responded.

The case itself reeks of politics, given that New York is awash in lawlessness, a veritable sump of crime and non-punishment, yet according to them, this is the case that is the most criminal thing that ever happened in New York, the one they're spending millions on to prosecute, a bookkeeping dispute in a case whose statute of limitations has run out, yet somehow hasn't when the target is Trump.

If that judge lets his desire to jail Trump get the best of him, the U.S. will become a laughingstock globally as the first nation that willingly chose to give up its superpower status and become a banana republic. Its credibility will be zero, and don't imagine anyone will do anything but laugh when the ruling Democrats speak of 'democracy.' The judge is threatening to jail the former president if he doesn't stop commenting on problems with his courtroom, which he wants everyone to think are on the up-and-up despite the ugly facts that he doesn't want to get out to the public. Such a sensitive soul he is. That's a banana republic right there. Anyone can be jailed for anything in such places and they often are. After that, the Navalny "solution" can happen and somehow, the security cameras weren't working.

It's disturbing as heck what these people will do to him if they get away with it -- and why voters must vote against this kind of political score-settling no matter what this partisan judge does to Trump. The kinds of charges being leveled at Trump are genuinely out of control and badly in need of some checks and balances. The last check and balance left is from the voters.

Image: PxHere // CC0 public domain
Ric Grenell, President Trump's former ambassador to Germany, and Director of National Intelligence, knows a thing or two about Jack Smith, having lived in Europe when Smith was active in prosecuting war crimes in The Hague.

Now that Smith has been caught tampering with evidence in his case against President Trump, Grenell's put out a devastating series of tweets about Smith's history of dishonest behavior.

Lets be clear:



Jack Smith is accused of tampering with evidence, manufacturing witnesses, bribery and corruption



And thats in the investigation of the President of Kosovo 3 years ago when Jack Smith worked at The Hague.  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 5, 2024

This is not his first rodeo for this kind of sleaze, it's actually how he rolls:

Congress should ask Bruce Swartz what he said to Jack Smith after I told him that Serbia and Kosovo had agreed to end his job and The Hague court for Kosovo/Serbia.



Bruce told me that he thought Jack Smith wouldnt like having his job dissolved and so he wanted to talk to Jack  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 6, 2024

And as Ive said before, I still have a voicemail saved from Bruce Swartz to me from January 29, 2020.  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 6, 2024

The latter two tweets involving Swartz are a little hard to follow if you don't read Balkan news, but this Balkan press item in English, written by an American international judge, gives some of the background of that Smith prosecution of the elected and sitting Kosovo president from four years ago:

In November 2018, I had the pleasure of attending a speech given by [Smith-indicted Kosovo President] Thaci to US governmental officials, foreign ambassadors, policy analysts, dignitaries, members of the public and media outlets at the Atlantic Council, a well-reputed Washington think-tank. His key point, which he delivered emphatically, was that despite the horrors of the war with Serbia, which Kosovo will never forget, Kosovo was prepared to negotiate a final and permanent settlement agreement with Serbia, and that the time to do so is now. He was roundly applauded, I wrote at the time. Two weeks later, President Trump took an unusually proactive position by writing directly to Thaci and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, imploring them to sign an agreement and suggesting that they would be invited to the White House to commemorate it. However, at the same time, Thaci was dogged by allegations that he had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity as initially claimed by Council of Europe human rights rapporteur Dick Marty in his infamous report of 2010 titled Inhuman Treatment of People and Illicit Trafficking in Human Organs. Martys report, which was adopted by the Council of Europe in January 2011, and a subsequent investigation ultimately led to the creation of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutors Office in The Hague, which opened for business in 2017. The court is designed specifically to prosecute former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters, while having no jurisdiction over Serbian war criminals, and is generally loathed in Kosovo. One of the key reasons for creating the court in a far-away location was the fear of witness intimidation if any of the high-level cases, like Thacis, were prosecuted in Kosovo. American prosecutor Jack Smith, who had been a top-tier prosecutor at the US Justice Department, took office as the chief prosecutor at the Specialist Prosecutors Office in The Hague in September 2018, and spent the next two years continuing the investigation of Thaci and others. On June 24, 2020, while the investigation was still underway, Thaci was in route to Washington at the invitation of President Trump to meet with him and Serbian President Vucic at the White House on June 27 in an effort to bring the two sides closer together, a historic opportunity. However, at the very same time, Smiths office issued a press release stating that an indictment had been filed against Thaci (and three other KLA veterans), causing Thaci to return home immediately, and the White House meeting to be cancelled, surely a lost opportunity for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Wow. Trump was out sealing the deal for peace in that war-ravaged land and Smith, despite hearing that peace was at hand, went ahead with the prosecutions just ahead of the Trump signing, just to Get Trump, and too bad if no peace happened. Anything but allow Trump to take credit for yet another peace deal. Smith seems to be a fan of more war, more swamp consultant contracts, and who cares about legal ethics, let alone peace.

Grenell is also speaking out, because he had been watching Smith and his sleazy lawfare tactics in Europe well before he appeared on the news radar here in the states:

Jack Smith has a history of this - at home and abroad



Ric Grenell @RichardGrenell exposes a major corruption scandal that the American media refuses to cover



Oh I wonder why https://t.co/HM6IVVJRaq pic.twitter.com/sur5SBuwVw  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 5, 2024

Grenell outlines a charge by a Spain-based Kosovar businessman with ties to Russia who alleges that Smith took a $16 million bribe from two Russians to have sanctions dropped, which if true, is a doozy. Grenell says it's been all over the Balkan press since last December, individual parts of the story have been confirmed as true, and "there's definitely smoke," so at a minimum, the allegation should be investigated or at least looked into by the press here, which he urges.

Grenell said that Smith also coaxed the businessman to find individuals to pin something on Kosovo's president for his Hague case, while at the same time the cash was being allegedly offered.

He also said he heard recordings from Smith and his prosecutors where the prosecutors objected to Smith mischaracterizing what they were saying, saying they were putting words in his mouth. He's not a guy who seems to care about the facts.

Since then, John Ratcliffe, an intelligence-community colleague of Grenell's from the Trump administration, summed up the Smith sleaze against Trump here:

Jack Smith admits mishandling classified documents evidence and then misrepresenting that fact to the Court. Tampering evidence and then lying to the court reeks of Crossfire Hurricane, when the Obama-Biden DOJ got caught doing the same thing to illegally spy on the Trump  John Ratcliffe (@JohnRatcliffe) May 5, 2024

With that kind of record on Europe, it should come as no surprise to anyone that this is what he is doing now.

Grenell also added this:

 Breaking:



Democrat Marie Harf says on @FoxNewsSunday that Democrats believe the J6 and Georgia cases are their best hope of getting Trump.



She drops any mention of the Jack Smith cases.



Jack Smith is imploding even with Democrats.  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 5, 2024

Not sure what Grenell means by J6 case, as I think that is one of Smith's two cases. I think it will be thrown out by the Supreme Court, actually, or Obama gets prosecuted for droning Americans. Grenell didn't bring it up, but there is also the matter of Smith not being a government employee which is a legal requirement for being appointed a special counsel, which ought to get all of his cases tossed, too.

But it's unmistakeable that Smith moves crooked and he's been caught way too often. It's helpful that Grenell is speaking out since no one else has the kind of information he has and the press is ignoring the story. There seems to be quite a dirty backstory to Smith and his sleazy doings against President Trump. Keep an eye on anything else Grenell may be posting because there could be more bombshells. Based on the behavior thus far seen, Smith needs to be yanked from the Trump case immediately.

Image: Screen shot from Associated Press video short, (cropped), via YouTube.
Now that Democrats are getting concerned about the possible impact that the widespread anti-semitic protests across America may have on Joe Bidens re-election chances, they are beginning to blame the escalating threat on outside agitators. New York Citys Democrat mayor Eric Adams, for example, denounced the revelation that the protests at Columbia were fomented by outside agitators who were individuals not affiliated with the university, adding that these people were professionals. And, even the mainstream media is now uncovering infusions of outside funding to fuel the movement.

The willingness to face that reality when it suits their purposes contrasts with the Lefts unwillingness to do so when it does not. It was not that long ago that anyone raising the idea that government-sponsored agent provocateurs played a role on January 6 was immediately labeled a conspiracy theorist and ruthlessly censored. The Pelosi-selected committee steadfastly refused to interview a single one of the prominent instigators video-taped on the scene. The FBI stonewalled any questions about these persons, or the role played by anyone employed by the Deep State. The complicit social media platforms dutifully silenced any such inconvenient questioning.

The use of outside agitators is not just consistent with what we are learning about todays campus protests, and other leftist movements such as BLM/Antifa. It is also consistent with other aspects now known about January 6that the Democrats were the party that wanted the legislative procedures presided over by Vice President Mike Pence to be shut down. That it was President Trump who repeatedly urged his supporters to be peaceful and obey law enforcement. That it was the Capitol Police under Pelosis command that opened the doors and waved people into the building. That it was Pelosi and the D.C. Mayor who turned down Trumps offer ahead of time to provide law enforcement assistance. That it was Democrats who tried to use January 6 as a pretext for a wide range of further repressive actions: impeachment, indictments, imprisonments, and even a fake show of major military presence complete with barricades and barbed wire in D.C., against the supposed insurrection which somehow never came.

Now that Democrats are beginning to admit the use of outside agitators as a tactic in Leftist protests should we not open that subject to transparent uncensored investigation regarding January 6? Just asking.

Image from X.
The definition of philanthropy, provided by Oxford Languages, is the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.

So, why are groups and individuals who support the destruction of America called philanthropies and philanthropists? Why are those funding the riots on campuses still considered giving money to a good cause?

These same donors are also responsible for a lot of the chaotic leftist protests that have afflicted the nation over the last few years, including defunding the police, the killing of Jews, the end of capitalism, and elimination of Israel, and all the climate change garbage which will destroy America and help China.

They are supporting people who hold signs that read final solution as they chant death to Israel and death to America.

I would challenge anyone who labels the patrons of this destruction to explain how the killing of Jews (or all of the other things these pro-Hamas people support) is a good cause.

Is supporting the killing of babies throughout the entire pregnancy a good cause too? It certainly doesnt promote the welfare of the fully-developed and viable babies being cut to pieces.

What about infecting cities with leftist DAs who encourage career criminals to roam the streets? Is that promoting the welfare of others?

George Soros, one of the main players behind all of these campus riots, should be accurately described as a convicted felon, not as a philanthropist. He certainly does not have any interest in the well-being of ordinary Americanswhich is why he of course had great access to the White House during the Obama and Biden administrations.

Make it make sense.





Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
The truth of the campus protests has been broadcast over all the media for weeks now. Weve all seen the videos of university students across the nation behaving badly; envisioning themselves as founts of knowledge and wisdom, when in fact they are the most dismally uninformed, sheep-like humans on the planet. They are willing dupes of the radical, anti-American left who, by doing what theyve been doing on their campuses, have mocked their parents, their colleges, and their country. That they are so willing to express their vicious antisemitism should be the biggest wake-up call for Americans in almost a hundred years.

Newsflash: Our young people have been, and are being, indoctrinated. Brainwashed if you will, by the far-left ideology that firmly took root in our universities at least sixty years ago. All the references by our elders to Orwells novel 1984, Huxleys Brave New World, and Goldings Lord of the Flies are right on target. Those authors, along with Arthur Koestlers Darkness at Noon warned us what was to come, and now it is here. In Koestlers case, he saw it first-hand, and now its back. The sudden explosion of Jew-hatred and Kafkaesque show trials are what America is about at this moment in time.

Vicious antisemitism is now all the rage, acceptable rage, on campuses across the nation. Did Biden come forward to condemn it? Nonot for two weeks, and when he did, his treacly statement was pathetic. Has Schumer made any statement condemning the violence against Jews? Of course not. Our current crop of Democrats and RINOs are on the side of these domestic terrorists. While everyone knows that Soros-funded, well-paid provocateurs were among the thugs, the hundreds of students who participated in the riots, the violence against the policeif and when they were allowed on these campuseswill not be charged with any crimes. Unlike the peaceful protestors at the Capitol on January 6th, 2021, these ignorant, hate-filled students will suffer no consequences for their actions. Their professors are on their side; they taught them, radicalized them. At Columbia and UCLA, they tried to protect their little snowflakes from the police.

All this has been long in coming. With toddlers, as every parent knows, if you let unacceptable behavior go without consequences, it will not only continue, it will escalate. Let your kid bite another kid with no punishment, the next time he will kick, hit, and beat another kid. That is how the world works. Children must be civilized by parents. Our educational system has been so radicalized, so destroyed by woke-ism, young people have been unceremoniously uncivilized. What weve seen take place on these ivy league campuses, fully funded by Soros and his stable of NGOs, is the infantilization, the mass hypnosis of college students. Theyve been seduced into supporting evil, plain and simple.

The obvious having been stated, what explains the squishiness of the college administrators and faculty? Perhaps it is because many of them, like the students, are foreign-born, here on visas, their salaries and/or tuition paid by their Islamic benefactors in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, etc.? Some of these college presidents must be parents. Did they, do they, let their own kids behave like animals in a zoo? Could it be that they are all on the same page, the anti-American, pro-Hamas side of the current issue, which means they are on the side of terrorism, domestic and international? For years theyve been teaching that America is a colonialist, slave-nation that must be defeated by any means necessary. Now they are using their students, their own de facto children perhaps, as fodder for the media, the police, and the enemies of the U.S.

What is so disgusting is that they are proud of these pseudo-activists who could not tell anyone a single truth of Israels history, because they know nothing of it. They chant from the river, to the sea, but cannot tell you what river or what sea. They are automatons, acting with agency but without reason. They are so mind-numbed they cannot see that it is Hamas who is determined to commit genocide. It is their purpose in life to kill every Jew on the planet. (Check Hamass charter.) These college kids, those who are American citizens, are tools of the anti-American left. Who and where are their parents? Are they scared to cross their own kids or are they proud of them? Who knows?

Is this, as many have suggested, all a replay of the 1960s, of the violence of 1968? We shall see. Why the Democrat party chose Chicago for their convention is a mystery, inviting disaster. If the convention is marred by violent protests, like the ones they championed and egged on in the summer of 2020, they will be getting only what they deserve. The Republicans are spineless cowards; the Democrats are power mad to the point of being capable of sheer evil. Both parties will get what they deserve and the American people, those of us who are native born or naturalized citizens are betrayed by our representatives day after day after day. It seems these mostly cowardly members of Congress are as immature, as toddler-like, as those elitist college students who demand they be brought gluten-free and vegan hot food while taking over their campus buildings.

The campus protests of the 1960s were not so much about the war in Vietnam as they were against the draft. The college elites then, like the pampered and privileged protesters of today, did not care one iota about the Vietnamese people we abandoned in the end. They just did not want to go there and be killed. They were elitist, privileged and errant toddlers too, which is why Nixon won in a landslide in 1968. The people were sick to death of their virtue-signaling masqueraded as true anti-war concern. These college presidents and administrators who are capitulating to these spoiled brats are getting exactly what they deserveviolence and disrespect. Boy do they deserve disrespect.

Until they remember the first rule of parenting, that bad behavior must have consequences in a civilized society, we are sure to be plagued by more of the same throughout the summer and until the election. We can be sure that the Soros-funded activists are busy planning, recruiting, and supplying the players who have no fear of consequences, because why would they? There isnt any, if your violence is to promote leftism. But the continued chaos is certain to insure a landslide victory for Trump, no matter how egregiously the left cheats again, which they will, for the American people are sick to death of the lefts attempted authoritarian takeover of America by ignorant, arrogant, wholly disrespectful, know-nothing punks.





Image: Free image, Pixabay license.
It is a sad state of affairs to read a Politico journalist say that it is surprising to learn that donors to Joe Biden also support the destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews; see below:

Pro-Palestinian protesters are backed by a surprising source: Bidens biggest donors Some of the most outspoken groups against Biden and Israel get funding from foundations attached to some of the biggest names in Democratic circles. President Joe Biden has been dogged for months by pro-Palestinian protesters calling him Genocide Joe  but some of the groups behind the demonstrations receive financial backing from philanthropists pushing hard for his reelection. The donors include some of the biggest names in Democratic circles: Soros, Rockefeller and Pritzker, according to a POLITICO analysis. Two of the organizers supporting the protests at Columbia University and on other campuses are Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. Both are supported by the Tides Foundation, which is seeded by Democratic megadonor George Soros and was previously supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It in turn supports numerous small nonprofits that work for social change. Have reporters had their heads stuck in the sand for years? They live in a delusional world. They pretend that Biden is doing a great job and are surprised that the American people arent as enamored with Biden as they are.

Barack Obama and Biden, along with their administrations, have done their best to build up Irans finances for yearsthe pro-Iran deal was Obamas legacy. And Iran, along with its terrorist beneficiaries, has had the twin goals of death to Israel and death to America for years.

So why would it be a surprise that the people who support Obama and Biden would also support the protesters wreaking anti-Jew havoc across the nation?

It is like pretending to be surprised that it is Democratswho have censored free speech, used violence to suppress political opposition, condemned the Jewish right to exist, and are socialistsare the real Nazis, not Trump and Republicans.

The media also pretends that Trump politicized the Justice Departmentwhen that is most certainly Obama and Biden.

They pretend that Democrat policies want to help the poor and minorities, when the goal of Democrats for over sixty years has been to make more people dependent on the government, instead of giving them more of an opportunity to move up the economic ladder due to the joys of capitalism.

The media and other Democrats acted surprised and shocked at how much damage keeping schools closed caused children. Only an idiot would be surprised.

They pretend that rich people like Bill Gates, Obama, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, John Kerry, and others care about their carbon footprint as they fly in private jets, own multiple mansions, and buy yachts.

They pretend that rich people buying worthless pieces of paper called carbon credits reduces their massive carbon footprint. Those pieces of paper do nothing.

No matter how many dire predictions on the climate have been false, journalists pretend that the science is settled, and that humans and our use of natural resources causes temperatures to rise.

No matter how much evidence of Biden family corruption the media is shown, they pretend that there is no evidence that Joe knew what Hunter was doing, or was even involved.

I dont believe for a second that the media is surprised to learn that the radical leftists who support Obama and Biden are the same people that fund and organize the intentional destruction of America. What is surprising is that the media hasnt completely hidden the story from the public like they do on other subjects that would harm Biden or Democrats in elections.

Image: Monica Showalter via Flickr.
(Image source from: M9.news)

Kavitha denied bail in Delhi Liquor Scam again:- The Rouse Avenue court in Delhi on Monday accused BRS leader K Kavitha in a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over alleged irregularities in the now-defunct Delhi Liquor Excise Policy 2021. The court rejected her bail application (minus 22 points). Kavitha is currently in custody in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy fraud. She was initially arrested by the ED on March 15 from her residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Later, on April 11th, she was arrested by the CBI from Tihar Jail. The BRS leader's father and former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has denied all charges against his daughter in the Delhi excise policy case. He alleged that the scam was launched by the Center to tighten the control of the BJP, especially over the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS).

Former Telangana chief minister maintained that his daughter K Kavitha was "innocent" and said "such great leaders" should not stay in jail for so long. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have alleged irregularities in the excise policy changes. The investigative agency accused the ``main suspects'' of giving undue benefits to license holders, waiving or reducing license fees, and renewing L-1 licenses without the consent of the relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies on May 3 arrested one more person in a money laundering case related to Delhi's excise policy, government officials told news agency PTI. The man, identified as Vinod Chauhan, is accused of transferring cash derived from alleged bribes from the 'South Group' to AAP's campaign for the 2022 Goa assembly elections. This is the 18th arrest made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this case. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, party colleague and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavitha, liquor businessman and many others were arrested by federal agencies.

(Video Source: 10TV News Telugu)
Xiaomi is gearing up to launch another Disney-themed phone following their Hello Kitty and Disney variants of the CIVI 3 phones. This upcoming device will be a new addition to their CIVI series. While Xiaomi had introduced a Disney Edition with the Xiaomi CIVI 3 earlier, the upcoming models naming will be a little different this time.

Xiaomi CIVI 4 Pro Disney Princess is coming with special theme, different camera watermarks, etc.

As per our findings on HyperOSs source code, Xiaomi CIVI 4 Pro Disney Princess Edition is on the way. CIVI 4 Pro was already unveiled on March 21, 2024; now, the Disney Princess variant will be introduced as well. As we dont have an exact launch date, we can say it will be a surprise. The phone appears on the HyperOS codes with chenfeng codename. The device has N9 internal model number.

If you are somewhat familiar with Xiaomi, you could predict that the upcoming phone will be a China-exclusive as its in the Xiaomi CIVI series. Bad news for Disney fans outside China, it will only be released in China again. What we know about Xiaomis future devices is that Xiaomi plans to release the standard CIVI 4 Pro (without the Disney theme) in India, but under a different name. It will be released as Xiaomi 14 CIVI. Note that the Disney variant will not come to India but just the regular one instead.

The design of the upcoming CIVI 4 Pro Disney Princess Edition is still a mystery. Like previously released special editions, the phone will have an overall design inspired by Disney characters. The device will come with a Disney-themed user interface pre-applied. Xiaomi has also added two different camera watermarks for the upcoming phone, named as Snow White and Evil Queen.

CIVI 4 Pro Disney Princess expected features

These are all the details we have about the upcoming Disney phone. We actually know the complete spec sheet of the phone as well. This is because Xiaomi already released the standard CIVI 4 Pro in China. Special editions share the same specs as the main device.

We can say that Xiaomi is preparing to introduce a powerful phone for Disney fans. CIVI 4 Pro boasts beefy specs. The upcoming CIVI 4 Pro features a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset. The front of the phone houses a gorgeous 6.55-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1236 x 2750 and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Additionally, the displays maximum brightness is 3000 nits.

One of the best features of the Xiaomi CIVI series is the dual selfie cameras. The CIVI 4 Pro features a main selfie camera with a 26mm focal length and a wide-angle selfie camera with a 100 view. If youre taking a selfie alone, you can use the main camera as it has less distortion, and for group selfies, you can use the wide-angle one. Both selfie cameras are 32 MP in resolution.

The rear camera setup of the upcoming phone features a triple camera setup, including a 50 MP f/1.6 main camera, a 50 MP f/2.0 2x telephoto camera, and a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Only the main camera has OIS. Another good side of the CIVI series is great is the design. The CIVI 4 Pro is only 7.5mm thick. A phone with a thin body feels great in hand certainly. Xiaomi usually puts super-fast charging and high-capacity batteries on its devices but the CIVI 4 Pro has a 4700 mAh battery and supports 67W wired charging.
The Paulson Institute, in partnership with Tsinghua University, recently announced that applications for the 2024 Paulson Prize for Sustainability are now being accepted through June 30. The prize encourages entities, including businesses, institutions, social organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to submit projects demonstrating ingenuity and leadership in sustainable development.

"There is no more critical time than now to recognize solutions that will heal our planet," said Deborah Lehr, vice chairman and executive director of the Paulson Institute. "Through the prize, we look forward to continuing to support sustainable innovation with all of our partners and innovators."

At the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) held in Dubai in December 2023, a global stocktaking of climate action since the signing of the Paris Agreement was conducted for the first time. The conference called on countries to expand climate financing, transition to renewable energy, and promote synergies between climate actions and biodiversity conservation. Against the backdrop of worsening climate change and declining biodiversity, the pressing global need for innovative and transformative sustainable ideas calls for pragmatic actions.

Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, stressed that climate change and biodiversity loss are two major global problems facing humanity: "We must reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon neutrality through green innovation to combat climate change, while protecting and restoring biodiversity to achieve harmony between man and nature."

Zhuang Weimin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, professor at the School of Architecture, and chief architect of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University, echoed Yang's opinion: "In the past 10 years, the Paulson Prize has attracted transformative solutions in tackling climate change, including projects in strategic emerging industries. These green innovations, which have been tested in China, can serve as examples for the rest of the world."

Initiated in 2013, the prize presents awards in two categories  Green Innovation and Nature Stewardship  recognizing pioneering, sustainable projects in built environments and nature conservation. The prestigious prize is awarded annually to projects in China that present creative, scalable, and sustainable solutions to address the most pressing challenges in climate change and biodiversity.

Project applications can be submitted at PaulsonInstitute.org/prize.
It wasnt that long ago that Google teased us with a new design for Google Maps that it was testing. However, that design vanished after a few weeks of testing and never got a public release. But theres good news! According to 9to5Google, the Google Maps UI redesign is coming back to Android.

Small but important changes

Google Maps first started testing its new UI design back in February, when it was rolled out to some users. After a few days of testing, the redesign was pulled back, leaving everyone thinking it was just another change that wouldnt make it to the final version. But, Google is back with its new UI design for Google Maps, and this time with some extra changes.

Google has changed the full-screen panels to make it easier for you to see parts of the map in the background. This will give you context while you check out other details in the info cards.

Google has also made the corners of the panels more rounded. Youll see a close icon that you can tap to close the info card. Theres also a new share icon that you can use to share the card via various platforms. These are small changes, but you will easily notice them once you get access to this Google Maps design.

One of the biggest changes the Google Maps redesign brings is that the starting and ending point fields will now float at the top. Additionally, the different travel modes will appear at the bottom. This change will help you easily switch your mode of transport.

If you had access to the Google Maps redesign released in February, you would have noticed a stacked approach to the panels. This was introduced to create a depth effect. However, the new redesign has gotten rid of that, and now it looks much clearer and offers a little bit more detail in comparison.

When will the Google Maps redesign roll out publicly?

The Google Maps redesign is still under testing, and Google hasnt commented on its release date yet. Its currently available as a server-side update, so only a very few people have access to it.

However, considering the interest in this new design for some time now, Google likely wont wait much longer to release it publicly. Also, the redesign has only been spotted on Android so far. So, it might come to Google Maps for iOS a few days after the Android release.
Samsung plans to use AI technology to improve the battery performance of its phones. The company is reportedly working on a feature called Battery AI that can increase the battery life by up to 10%. The new tech could debut with the Galaxy S25 series next year.

Samsung may introduce Battery AI with the Galaxy S25 series

AI has been a major talking point around Samsungs Galaxy S24 series. The company introduced a plethora of AI features with the new flagships, helping drive sales globally. It is expected to build on this foundation in the coming years. Next years Galaxy S25 could employ AI to extend the battery life.

A rumor passed along X by @PandaFlashPro talks about a new AI tool called Battery AI. It appears to be a service designed to improve battery life by intelligently managing various system processes so it doesnt affect the performance. Samsung could bake the feature into One UI as part of Galaxy.

The source couldnt provide details about how the feature works but speculates that Samsung may use AI to eliminate unnecessary background tasks to boost battery performance. Depending on the usage, the new tech could add 5-10% additional runtime to the Galaxy phone.

The report doesnt specify whether Samsung will introduce this feature with the Galaxy S25 series. However, since the next-gen foldables are just over a couple of months away, they are unlikely to bring it. Next years Galaxy S flagships are the likely candidates to get Battery AI out of the box. Or maybe Samsung will delay its launch further, time will tell.

An intelligent battery-saving feature

Battery-saving software tools arent a new concept. They have been around for a long time, including on Galaxy phones. However, these tools usually achieve the goal by limiting the CPU and GPU performance. The device doesnt perform at its full potential when battery saving is enabled. Samsungs upcoming Battery AI tool may be based on new concepts.

Expected to arrive in early 2025, the Galaxy S25 series may bring more new AI features. Samsung is currently busy pushing Galaxy AI introduced with the Galaxy S24 to eligible older devices. It has already covered most of them, at least in a few markets. It is unclear if the company will introduce a few more tools with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. Rumors say the new foldables will go official in the first half of July.
Samsung and AMD have been working together to offer Ray tracing in mobile games with in-house RDNA-based GPUs since the Galaxy S22 series, which was launched in 2022. This years Exynos 2400-powered Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus equip the Xclips 940 GPU based on AMDs RDNA 3 architecture. The RDNA-based GPU architecture has also made its way to the mid-range segment with the Exynos 1480 chip.

Over the last couple of years, Samsung has managed to improve the performance of its in-house Exynos flagships by quite a bit, so much so that the different chip versions of the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus perform very similar to each other in most of the use cases including gaming. The collaboratively developed RDNA GPU definitely deserves credit for this achievement.

Samsung may offer an in-house designed GPU with the Exynos 2600

However, in the latest news, tipster Roland Quandt says that Samsung might ditch the collaboration with AMD and start developing GPU architecture completely in-house starting from Exynos 2600. This chip will power the Galaxy S26 series. Notably, the Exynos 2500 chip which carries model number S5E9955 will equip an RDNA-based GPU just like its predecessors.

However, according to a report, Samsung might continue to use the RDNA architecture as the base and come up with a slightly tweaked version of it. This could resemble Qualcomms Adreno GPUs, which have their roots in AMDs Radeon line.

The company has reportedly created a Dream Team of 1000 engineers to build high-end chips exclusively made for Galaxy flagships. This latest rumor of an in-house built Samsung GPU could be part of that development. The idea behind this development seems to target Apples success with their A-series chips. The new GPU which will be designed by Samsung should in theory offer better performance and power-efficient operation with a closer integration with the system.

Samsung could gain more control over its chips with this development

The company also has the advantage of having its own fabrication laboratory where it can build the chips all by itself. Designing a component (the GPU) in-house means greater control than any other smartphone manufacturer at this point. Rumors also suggested that the company was working on a custom CPU architecture.

Having said that, designing and fabricating chips are two of the most difficult tasks in the development of a smartphone. While no other smartphone manufacturer fabricates their processors themselves at this point, Samsungs solution isnt particularly the best. In fact, Samsungs fabrication process has offered significantly lower yield rates and power efficiency of the end products. It will be interesting to see how the in-house designed GPU of the in-house fabricated Exynos 2600 chip performs in the Galaxy S26 Series.
The Ministry of Defence has been the target of a large-scale data breach, it is understood.

Sky News reported that China was behind the cyber attack.

A third-party payroll system has been hacked, potentially compromising the bank details of all serving armed forces personnel and some veterans. A very small number of addresses may also have been accessed.

The department took immediate action when it discovered the breach, taking the external network  operated by a contractor  offline.

It is understood that initial investigations have found no evidence that data has been removed.

But affected service personnel will be alerted as a precaution and provided with specialist advice. They will be able to use a personal data protection service to check whether their information is being used or an attempt is being made to use it.

All salaries were paid at the last payday, with no issues expected at the next one at the end of this month, although there may be a slight delay in the payment of expenses in a small number of cases.

The Government will inform MPs of the breach when Parliament returns on Tuesday, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps expected to make a Commons statement in the afternoon.

Ministers will blame hostile and malign actors, but will not name the country behind the hacking.

The MoD has been working at speed to uncover the scale of the attack since it was discovered several days ago.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden in March formally blamed Beijing for an attack on the Electoral Commission which exposed the personal data of 40 million voters (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The revelation comes after the UK and the United States in March accused China of a global campaign of malicious cyber attacks in an unprecedented joint operation to reveal Beijings espionage.

Britain blamed Beijing for targeting the Electoral Commission watchdog in 2021 and for being behind a campaign of online reconnaissance aimed at the email accounts of MPs and peers.

Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey said: So many serious questions for the Defence Secretary on this, especially from Forces personnel whose details were targeted.

Any such hostile action is utterly unacceptable. Parliament will expect a full Commons statement tomorrow.

In response to the Beijing-linked hacks on the Electoral Commission and 43 individuals, a front company, Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, and two people linked to the APT31 hacking group were sanctioned.

But some of the MPs targeted by the Chinese state said the response did not go far enough, urging the Government to toughen its stance on China by labelling it a threat to national security rather than an epoch-defining challenge.

Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith repeated those calls, telling Sky News: This is yet another example of why the UK government must admit that China poses a systemic threat to the UK and change the integrated review to reflect that.

No more pretence, it is a malign actor, supporting Russia with money and military equipment, working with Iran and North Korea in a new axis of totalitarian states.

The Metropolitan Police said it is not involved in any investigation at this stage.
Lando Norris became the 21st British winner of a Formula One grand prix with his victory in Miami on Sunday.

That extended Britains F1 records for both race wins and the number of drivers to achieve the feat and here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key statistics.

Roll call

Norris, left, has previously shared the podium with compatriot Lewis Hamilton (David Davies/PA)

Britains seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton leads all drivers in F1 history with 103 race wins, more than three times as many as any of his compatriots despite a wait of over two years since his last victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Nigel Mansell won 31 races in a career stretching from 1980 to 1995, including nine on his way to the 1992 drivers title.

Fellow world champions Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark and Damon Hill won 27, 25 and 22 races respectively, with double figures also for Sir Stirling Moss (16), Jenson Button (15), Graham Hill (14), David Coulthard (13) and James Hunt (10). Graham and Damon Hill were the first father and son to both win world titles.

Tony Brooks and John Surtees won six grands prix apiece, John Watson five and Eddie Irvine four, with three each for Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins and Johnny Herbert.

Norris joins Innes Ireland, Peter Gethin and his fellow current driver George Russell, whose 2022 win in Sao Paulo was Britains most recent until Sunday, on one win.

Leading the way

Twenty-one British and Northern Irish drivers have won grands prix (PA graphic)

Those 309 total wins leave British drivers clear at the top of the all-time list.

Only three nations have even recorded three figures  indeed, were Hamilton a country in his own right he would rank third on the list behind Germany (179), with two wins more than Brazil (101).

French drivers rank next with 81 wins, with reigning three-time champion Max Verstappen contributing all of the Netherlands 58 victories  third among individual drivers behind Hamilton and Germanys Michael Schumacher, who won 91.

Finland, on 57, is the only other country with a half-century. Twenty-two nations have had winning F1 drivers with Poland and Venezuela the last names on the list with a solitary win apiece, courtesy of Robert Kubica and Pastor Maldonado respectively.

Max Verstappen has single-handedly racked up a half-century of Dutch wins (Tim Goode/PA)

Britain is one of four nations in double figures for the number of different race winners, and six clear of the pack.

Italy and the United States have had 15 drivers apiece top the podium, though Italys most recent win came from Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006 while no American has taken the chequered flag since the last of Mario Andrettis 12 victories in 1978.

France has had 14 winners, led by Alain Prost with 51 victories and including a pair of current drivers in Pierre Gasly at the 2020 Italian GP and Esteban Ocon in Hungary the following year.

There have been seven German winners, six from Brazil and five Finns.
7 May 2024 at 0:23 am

The concert of 2014 Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst in Sweden has seen a small Palestinian protest.

The Austrian singer and drag queen, real name Thomas Neuwirth, headlined the Eurovision village in Folkets Park, Malmo, on Monday evening.

Palestinian protest at Conchita Wursts performance (PA)

At the outset of the gig, the 35-year-old called for unity and freedom and dedicated their song Dirty Maria to everyone who believes in freedom amid the conflict in the Gaza strip and Ukraine.

Their performance saw demonstrations at the back from a crowd of people waving Palestinian flags and carrying a sign saying: Stop murdering Palestinians.

They also briefly attempted to disrupt the performance by shouting during segments of the show.

Conchita Wurst at the Eurovision village (PA)

Israel has denied carrying out war crimes in Gaza after the deaths of 34,000 people since October, according to the latest figures.

Malmo is expecting a large gathering of pro-Palestine protesters from Thursday, on the day Israeli entrant Eden Golan competes in the second Eurovision semi-final.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has previously defended its decision for Israel to take part saying that, unlike Russia, members decided not suspend the country as there had been no consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values.

It has also banned the use of Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols from the shows at Malmo Arena.

Wurst also sang All That I Wanted after saying they were celebrating life, celebrating artists, celebrating joy.

The bearded diva, who rose to fame with Rise Like A Phoenix at the contest, has previously hosted Eurovision.
The Irish and Spanish premiers have had further discussions on the recognition of the state of Palestine.

Taoiseach Simon Harris and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke by telephone on Monday morning following discussions in Dublin and Brussels last month.

Mr Harris said it was their third conversation in recent weeks, and that they are eager to make progress on this very shortly.

Spoke with @sanchezcastejon this morning on the wish of both Ireland and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine. Formal recognition of Palestine is important as part of an acknowledgment that a two state solution is the way to bring about peace and stability in the region.  Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) May 6, 2024

We discussed the dire situation in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza and agreed to continue working together to push for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages and for a surge in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, he said.

Prime Minister Sanchez and I shared our deep concern about reports that Israel has ordered an evacuation of civilians from parts of Rafah in preparation of a military operation.

I reiterate my call on Israel not to undertake a full-scale military operation in Rafah. The international community has made it very clear that an Israeli military operation in Rafah will inevitably lead to disastrous humanitarian consequences and the deaths of large numbers of innocent civilians.

The protection of civilians is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

Mr Harris said the two men also reaffirmed the wish for both Spain and Ireland to recognise Palestine.

Simon Harris (left) and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Dublin following their meeting in April (Brian Lawless/PA)

I also discussed with Prime Minister Sanchez our ongoing work together on recognising the state of Palestine, he said.

We reaffirmed the wish for both Spain and Ireland to recognise Palestine, agreeing that formal recognition is an important part of acknowledging that a two-state solution is the only way to bring about peace and stability in the region, with a state of Palestine and the state of Israel living side-by-side in peace and security.

Prime Minister Sanchez and I are both eager to make progress on this very shortly and we agreed to remain in close contact.

We are co-ordinating efforts with other European states to recognise a Palestinian state alongside like-minded countries. This will be done in a way that can have the most positive impact on the situation on the ground.

We also took stock of the work under way in New York on a resolution on Palestines membership of the UN. Ireland fully supports Palestinian membership of the UN.

The UN General Assembly will consider this issue on May 10 and we expect a large majority of UN member to take a similar position.
Irish voters have been urged to consider where parties stand on abortion as they go to polling stations this year.

Local government and European elections are set to take place in 2024, while the next general election could be later this year or next spring.

Crowds turned out in Dublin on Monday for the annual March for Life.

EilIs Mulroy, of the Pro Life Campaign, addressed the event at Molesworth Street.

She said the campaign will be publishing a comprehensive voter guide in the coming weeks, which she contended will serve as an invaluable guide to pro-life voters when deciding how to cast their vote in the upcoming elections.

Ms Mulroy also claimed that the number of terminations being carried out in Ireland is soaring based on recent answers to parliamentary questions regarding reimbursements made to abortion providers in 2023.

She described this as devastating and said that efforts made between now and election day to encourage people to think pro-life before they vote.

The rally took place amid an ongoing political row over stalled recommendations of an independent review of Irelands abortion laws.

Barrister Marie OShea was commissioned by the Department of Health in 2022 to conduct a review of the legislation that was introduced after the country voted to liberalise the abortion regime in the landmark Eighth Amendment referendum of 2018.

In her 2023 review report, Ms OShea made a series of recommendations. However, more than a year on, many of the most significant proposals are yet to be implemented.

Among the recommendations proposed by the barrister is the removal of a mandatory three-day waiting period between a womans initial medical consultation and her being given access to abortion treatment or medication.

The review also recommends the threat of criminal sanction is removed for medics found to have acted outside the provisions of the abortion legislation, and that the HSE is given the ability to ensure the provision of services is not disrupted due to issues around conscientious objections held by healthcare staff.

Ms OShea also urged a review of the legislative definition related to abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly continues to consider the review ahead of presenting final proposals to cabinet.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted that any proposals to change Irelands abortion laws must be given careful consideration.

He has said examination of the OShea recommendations needs to be treated with the same sensitivity as the debate around the Eighth Amendment referendum.

Mr Harris has said he wants to respect the diversity of views on the issue and bring forth consensus.
An Israeli offensive in Rafah would be catastrophic, Labours shadow foreign secretary has warned, after the Israeli military told Palestinians to leave parts of the southern Gazan city.

The announcement appears to signal that a long-threatened Israeli ground invasion is imminent, and came as ceasefire talks appeared to have stalled.

Israel had previously paused its plan to attack Rafah, which it says is the last significant Hamas stronghold, to allow for negotiations over the release of Israeli hostages by the militant group.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday claimed Hamas was not serious about a deal and said his government was preparing a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah.

A deadly rocket attack by Hamas from Rafah on Sunday against Kerem Shalom, one of Israels main crossings for delivering assistance, may have spurred Israels latest move.

Its army told thousands of people to evacuate eastern Rafah to what Israel has designated a humanitarian zone on the Mediterranean coast, while Israeli strikes overnight reportedly killed at least a dozen people.

The Israeli Defence Forces said the temporary evacuation is limited in scope and and not a wide-scale evacuation of Rafah.

Western nations and humanitarian organisations have urged Israel not to carry out the offensive in Gazas southernmost city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the seven-month war.

Labours David Lammy said on X on Monday: An Israeli offensive in Rafah would be catastrophic. It must not go ahead.

We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of hostages, and immediate unimpeded aid to Gaza.

Lisa Nandy, shadow international development minister, joined Mr Lammys calls, saying the people in Rafah have nowhere else to go.

Urgent statement: "Forcing over a million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences. Our aid workers are reporting some of the most severe conditions in recent memory, including  ActionAid UK (@ActionAidUK) May 6, 2024

A spokesperson for the charity ActionAid said: Forcing over a million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences.

Our aid workers are reporting some of the most severe conditions in recent memory with widespread disease, starvation and chaos.

Let us be clear, there are no safe zones in Gaza.

The international community must act swiftly to prevent further atrocities and hold themselves as well as the Israeli government to account  if an invasion of Rafah is your red line will you do everything possible to stop this imminent attack?

Madeleine McGovern, humanitarian advocacy adviser for aid organisation Care International UK, said: The UK Government must act urgently to prevent an expansion of military operations in Rafah, which would place 1.5 million men, women, and children sheltering in Rafah at unacceptable risk.

Ministers cannot delay any longer before suspending licenses for arms sales to Israel.

It would be unconscionable for British made weapons to be used in an assault on Rafah.

A large-scale military offensive in Rafah presents a significant risk of serious harm to families and communities.

There is simply nowhere safe to go in Gaza and international law is clear.

Civilians in Rafah, already exhausted and starving, must be protected.

Islamic Relief warned that al Mawasi, the coastal area to where Palestinians have been ordered to move, is not safe.

Civilians sheltering there say they continue to face attacks and severe shortages of food, water and other vital aid.

Forcing more people there will make the humanitarian crisis even worse.

The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by Hamas October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw another 250 being taken hostage.

Israels offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,700 people, according to the local health ministry, and swathes of the population are on the brink of starvation.
Its been a long time coming, said an emotional Lando Norris in the moments after he became only the fifth British driver this century to win a Formula One race, and the 21st in all.

His millionaire businessman father Adam Norris  integral in bankrolling Landos rise to the pinnacle of motor racing  estimated his son had competed in close to 900 competitive races prior to his greatest triumph on the world stage in Miami.

Norris has long been considered a star of the F1 grid after following in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton by making his debut in Australia for McLaren, a dozen seasons after his compatriot, in 2019. In doing so, Glastonbury-born Norris, then 19, became the first British teenager in F1 history.

Norris boasted an impressive junior resume, and he looked at home in F1  an instant match for the established Carlos Sainz in their two seasons together at McLaren before Norris effectively sent Daniel Ricciardo into early retirement after he wiped the floor with the eight-time winner in 2021 and 2022.

But unlike Hamilton in 2007, Norris was not thrust into a world championship-winning machine. And despite Norris obvious talent  Red Bull have enquired on multiple occasions about his availability  his failure to win a race was beginning to cast a shadow over his career.

Norris might have triumphed in Russia in 2021 before a late downpour rattled him. He should have switched to wet tyres, but both Norris and his McLaren team  by then almost a decade without a win  dithered, and Norris victory disappeared before his eyes. Norris race engineer Will Joseph admitted in Miami that he is still haunted by that afternoon on Sochis Black Sea.

In Japan last September, Norris became the highest F1 scorer without a win. Fast-forward to Australia in March, and Norris was the bearer of more unwanted history  this time, becoming the first man ever to stand on the podium as many as 14 times without taking to the top step.

When are you going to win a race, Lando? goaded a fan in Melbourne. Norris replied with the middle finger and the unsavoury exchange was splattered all over social media. He then became the subject of a meme: Lando No-wins.

Norris, centre, holds up his trophy after victory in Miami (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

Another second place  his eighth in total  followed in China last month only for Norris golden moment to finally arrive in his 110th appearance  a memory he will never forget, not least because former United States president Donald Trump was among the first to congratulate him.

When a shy, possibly introverted, Norris entered F1, he would lock himself away in his hotel room, and play computer games. Not any more. Norris, an immensely popular figure in the paddock, arrived in Miami with a cut on his nose following a boozy boat party in Amsterdam with friends.

Norris, linked to Portuguese model and actress Margarida Corceiro, claimed the injury was caused when he inadvertently drunk from a broken bottle.

And with the 24-year-old rearranging his travel plans  on the insistence of the teams CEO and his F1 father figure Zak Brown  to celebrate his landmark win in Miami, the British driver vowed: Im not going to sleep. Im going all the way. I might have more than a scratch on my nose!
Israel called for the evacuation of Palestinians from eastern Rafah on Monday in the clearest sign yet that it is preparing to invade the southern Gaza city.

Rafah, where some 1.3 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering, has so far been mostly spared from attack in the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Israels closest allies, including the United States and Britain, have urged it to call off the operation to avoid further civilian casualties.

Aid organisations have warned that any operation would do major damage to Gazas last remaining infrastructure, with a high loss of life inevitable.

Hopes had been high that negotiations for another hostage deal would save the city from invasion, but Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has vowed to send ground troops regardless of any truce.

Why does the IDF want to go into Rafah?

When it first launched its military operation in Gaza, the Israeli government declared the eradication of Hamas as one of its primary goals.

In recent months, Israeli officials have insisted that, while Rafah provides a rare relatively safe haven for civilians, it also provides shelter for four Hamas battalions that are reportedly intact  unlike most other Hamas units in the rest of the enclave, which appear to have disintegrated.

In the initial months of fighting, Hamas forces were launching daily barrages of rockets into Israel. Now, the rocket threat from Gaza is largely gone, and officials have begun talking about allowing Israelis to return home to the southern communities bordering Gaza.

But Sundays deadly shelling on Gazas border, reportedly launched from Rafah, has bolstered the governments view that the Hamas threat has not been eliminated.

A growing number of military analysts and Israeli politicians and commentators, however, argue that Israel has already crushed organised resistance across Gaza, and that an invasion of Rafah will not bring any strategic gain, but will be likely to lead to high casualties among Palestinians as well as IDF troops.

Palestinians begin to leave areas of Rafah after Israel issued a warning to evacuate - Anadolu

What are the plans to evacuate citizens?

Israel has been assuring the US, its main ally, that it will not launch the invasion before preparations are made for evacuating Palestinian civilians from Rafah.

In recent weeks, several tent cities were seen appearing in central Gaza to accommodate the displaced people.

It is not clear, however, how Israel is going to accommodate the 1.3 million people currently living in Rafah. Moving them to their homes in the north is not an option, as large swathes of the region have been flattened, with the most basic infrastructure, such as hospitals and water pipes, destroyed.

Officials in the US and Egypt were briefed on the preparations last month, but did not indicate that they viewed the plans as feasible.

What is the US view of the invasion?

The Biden administration has repeatedly said it opposes the invasion of Rafah as a reckless operation likely to cause high civilian losses and a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

However, Lloyd Austin, the US secretary of defence, stopped short of opposing the Israeli plans outright, but insisted that any military operation in the city would need to include a credible plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians.

In an apparent last-ditch attempt to stave off the assault, Joe Biden, the US president, was scheduled to talk to Mr Netanyahu later on Monday.

People leaving the eastern parts of Rafah ahead of the expected Israeli military operation - Hatem Khaled/Reuters

How did ceasefire talks collapse?

The US made it clear last weekend that Hamas was the only stumbling block to a ceasefire deal, as Israel had reportedly agreed to a proposal that would offer several stages of prisoner exchange and a prolonged ceasefire.

But it became clear on Saturday that Hamas had been spooked by Mr Netanyahus bellicose rhetoric after he insisted the IDF would be going to go into Rafah whether or not a deal was done.

Mr Netanyahus office on Monday denied widespread reports that his stance had pushed Hamas to harden its outlook and drive the talks into a stalemate.

Separately, Hamass attack on Israeli troops at the border is also believed to have persuaded Israel to go ahead with the plans for the assault.
More than 100 students have occupied Ghent University in the first European protest to fuse demands about Gaza and the climate crisis.

Ghents centrepiece UFO building was peacefully taken over by students calling for concrete action to meet the universitys 2030 climate plans, and asking the university to cut ties with institutions connected to the Israeli military.

Tents were erected inside the building, which contains all of the universitys administrative functions. Its 1,000-seater guillotine wall lecture hall was given over to an impromptu workshop on how we can find hope in a world full of genocide and global warming.

More than 200 Ghent students were expected to join the three-day protest as anger rose ahead of an expected Israeli assault on Rafah, while students at Amsterdam University also staged an occupation.

A spokesperson for the Ghent students who gave her name as Joelle said their action had grown out of an occupation last year by End Fossil Gent, and student rage over events in Gaza. A joint mobilising leaflet with Gent Students for Palestine used the theme of free Palestine is a climate justice issue.

We realised that both our struggles were against the universitys failure to commit to values they claim to hold, Joelle said.

We can see that the struggle for Palestine is also a struggle for climate justice. The Israeli occupation force is committing an ecocide in Gaza, destroying all elements of life and nature.

Israels settler green colonialism destroys indigenous land and plants non-indigenous trees over ethnically cleansed villages.

There are also issues of toxic pollution by settlers and the allocation of water and land. The two struggles are interconnected so climate activists are in solidarity with us on Palestine, and we realise that this is also a climate issue. Our demands go hand in hand.

An open letter from the students says they want the university to publish a time-linked action plan for cutting ties with what they call Israeli institutions complicit in the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

Ghent University has links to a number of Israeli institutions that are said to provide material support to the war in Gaza or Israels occupation of the West Bank.

Tel Aviv University, with which Ghent has most partnerships, has drawn particular ire from students due to its role in Israels defence against genocide charges at the international court of justice in The Hague, and its academic support for soldiers in Gaza.

Equally, the students want effective and binding action to urgently implement the universitys 2030 climate transition plans, which they say would mean putting sustainability goals at the heart of budgetary and educational decisions.

Ghent University is committed to becoming progressively fossil fuel free, cutting its energy consumption by 2.5% each year and becoming climate neutral by 2050.

It also has a policy to achieve 80% sustainable mobility by 2030, in part by boosting bicycle infrastructure on campus. But students say that too little has been done.

The university did not respond to a request for comment but its director, Rick Van de Walle, posted a statement saying it had decided that its ethical policies would not change and that no deviation from the existing human rights policy will be used with regard to one particular country, in this case Israel.
Obert Moyo had overstayed his visa which expired in the early 2000s - Greater Manchester Police/PA

A migrant who stabbed his ex-partner to death with a meat skewer had been in the UK illegally for 20 years.

Obert Moyo, 46, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 27 years for murdering 25-year-old Perseverance Ncube.

It has emerged that Moyo was allowed to stay in the UK despite previous attacks on women. He had overstayed his visa which expired in the early 2000s.

Moyo stabbed his former partner, known as Percy, through the heart with a foot-long meat skewer in front of her children aged 10 and 12 in Salford on Nov 10 2023.

Christine Chiriseri, 28, Ms Ncubes sister, said the family found out Moyo was an illegal immigrant after his arrest.

Perseverance Ncube was stabbed in front of her children - Enterprise News and Pictures

She told the Daily Mail: I was very angry and upset because all of this tragedy could have been avoided if people had done their jobs properly.

We all felt very let down by the Home Office and the people who should have made sure he was deported.

She added: I am reeling over everything that has happened. I still feel very angry. It was a short-term relationship and it cost my sister her life.

Moyo, who admitted murder at Manchesters Minshull Street Crown Court, had been convicted of harassing women in 2007 and 2009, with the latter leading to a six-month sentence.

In 2013 he was jailed for 10 years with an extended licence after attacking another former partner in Brighton, East Sussex.

On his release it is understood that the Home Office fitted him with a tag instead of deporting him.

A Home Office spokesman said: Our thoughts and sympathies are with Ms Ncubes family.

We often deal with significant and complex challenges when seeking to return those who have no right to be in the UK to their country of origin or lawful place of return.

The Government is doing everything possible to reduce legal challenges and to increase the numbers of FNOs [foreign national offenders] being removed.

Moyo was stalking her

The police investigation uncovered CCTV from around Ms Ncubes property showing Moyo had been stalking her in the weeks before the attack.

This escalated when she began a new relationship and culminated in him entering her house and attacking her.

Det Chief Insp Gina Brennand said: Moyo is a dangerous and violent man and would not accept his relationship with Percy was over. He broke into her home while she and her children slept and attacked Percy in her bedroom.

Emanuele Bellanca, for CPS North West, said: Obert Moyo, enraged by his jealousy, carried out a vicious, sustained attack on a defenceless woman.

He attempted to evade responsibility for his actions, claiming it was an accident.
Thousands of people have fled Rafah amid deep international concern that an Israeli military attack on Gazas southernmost city is imminent and a new, bloody phase in the conflict is beginning.

International leaders have scrambled to dissuade Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, from ordering a full-scale assault on the city, which aid agencies say would cause a new humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and lead to many civilian deaths.

The US, Israels staunchest ally, has repeatedly said it does not support an invasion of Rafah without a credible plan to protect civilians sheltering there.

Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu on Monday afternoon and reiterated his clear position on Rafah, the White House said. No further details of the conversation were made available but Biden has explicitly opposed an attack on the city in previous such calls.

Witnesses described frightened families leaving Rafah on foot, riding donkeys, pushing trolleys or packed with their belongings into overloaded trucks hours after reading leaflets dropped by the Israeli military that told residents and displaced people in eastern neighbourhoods to leave.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had broadcast instructions through announcements, text messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic telling residents to head to an expanded humanitarian zone on the coast.

This is an evacuation plan to get people out of harms way, an Israeli military spokesperson said. This is limited in scope and not a wide-scale evacuation of Rafah.

Rafah has been sheltering more than a million people displaced from elsewhere in Gaza during the seven-month war and is a key logistics base for humanitarian operations across the territory. Dense tent encampments surround the city and have also already crowded al-Mawasi, the coastal zone about 3 miles north-east to which Israel has told people to evacuate.

A rocket barrage launched by Hamas on Sunday from Rafah against a military base near the Kerem Shalom checkpoint, which killed four soldiers, may have spurred the Israeli decision.

The IDF spokesperson described the evacuation as part of our plans to dismantle Hamas  we had a violent reminder of their presence and their operational abilities in Rafah yesterday.

Senior Israeli officials have vowed repeatedly to launch an attack on Rafah, despite strong international opposition. A new round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas has faltered in recent days, after hopes of a ceasefire deal rose last week.

In a televised address on Sunday, Netanyahu rejected Hamass demands for a definitive end to the war in Gaza, saying that any permanent ceasefire would allow the Islamist organisation to remain in power and pose a continuing threat to Israel.

Israeli officials have repeatedly said a decisive victory requires the destruction of a substantial Hamas combat force they say is based in Rafah, and the capture or killing of top Hamas leaders thought be sheltering in tunnels under the city, possibly with dozens of hostages taken by the militant Islamist organisation during the 7 October attack on Israel that triggered the conflict.

On Monday, Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, said Hamass apparent refusal of the most recent proposal from mediators in the ongoing ceasefire talks meant military action in Rafah was required.

A senior Hamas official described the Israeli order for civilians to evacuate Rafah as a dangerous escalation that will have consequences. The US administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism, Sami Abu Zuhri told the Reuters news agency.

Related: Key aid crossing into Gaza closed after rocket attack kills Israeli soldiers

In a statement, Hamas said Palestinian militant groups, led by its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, were ready to defend our people and defeat the enemy.

Josep Borrell, the EUs top diplomat, tweeted: Israels evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable  The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario.

Jordans foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, posted: Another massacre of the Palestinians is in the making  All must act now to prevent it.

Rafah is on the border with Egypt, and Cairo fears a massive influx of panicked refugees if Israel launches a major assault on the city. Egypts foreign ministry warned Israel on Monday against launching a military operation in Rafah, saying it carried grave humanitarian risks.

Humanitarian officials and displaced people already living in al-Mawasi describe acute overcrowding, inadequate food, limited fresh water and an almost total absence of sanitation. Israeli forces have bombarded targets in al-Mawasi at least twice in recent months.

The IDF has said it is expanding the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi and providing additional tents and field hospitals.

Aid officials have long warned of massive disruption to the effort to stave off famine in Gaza in the event of a major Israeli offensive in the south. Any attack on Rafah would lead to the collapse of the aid response, the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Monday.

The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli military offensive is more than 34,500, mostly women and children. A reprisal strike on a house in Rafah reportedly killed at least three Palestinians. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as a human shield, a charge the militant Islamist organisation rejects.

The Hamas attack in October killed 1,200 mostly civilians in their homes or at a music festival in southern Israel. About 250 hostages were taken, of whom 105 were released in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails during a short-lived truce in November.

Netanyahu has been under domestic pressure to make concessions to obtain the release of the hostages in Gaza but appears so far to have prioritised the demands of far-right parties, which have threatened to withdraw crucial support for his coalition if a ceasefire deal is signed now.

A Hamas delegation that arrived in Cairo on Saturday announced late on Sunday that it was leaving to consult its leadership. There has been no sign yet of a definitive response from the group to the deal proposed by mediators and accepted by Israel last week. Israel has yet to send a delegation to Cairo.

Related: Israeli airstrike that killed seven health workers in Lebanon used US munition, analysis reveals

The conflict in Gaza continues to threaten broader regional violence and tensions. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Islamist movement in Lebanon, said it had fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli base in the Golan Heights.

Lebanese official media said three people had been wounded in an Israeli strike earlier on Monday in the countrys east, with the Israeli army saying it had struck a Hezbollah military compound.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged regular cross-border fire since war broke out in Gaza. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has increased its attacks on northern Israel, and the Israeli military has struck deeper into Lebanese territory.

On Sunday, Netanyahus cabinet decided to shut down Al Jazeeras operations in Israel for as long as the war in Gaza continued, claiming the Qatari television network threatened national security.

Al Jazeera rejected the accusation as a dangerous and ridiculous lie that put its journalists at risk.
John Swinney has pledged to work with unionists after he was named as the new SNP leader.

The 60-year-old, expected to be voted in as First Minister on Tuesday, issued a plea to pro-UK parties to put their constitutional differences aside as he sought to free the SNP from dependence on the Scottish Greens.

Mr Swinney, whose previous tenure as party leader ended in 2004, said he would govern from the moderate centre Left in what is seen as an attempt to shift the SNP away from controversial gender policies unpopular with voters but championed by Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.

In a speech at the University of Glasgow, he praised the Cass Review into healthcare for children with gender issues in the NHS in England, which has led to the suspension of puberty blockers in Scotland.

Patrick Harvie, the Green co-leader, has criticised the review and refused to accept it as a valid scientific report, opening up an early rift between Holyroods two pro-independence parties.

The Scottish Greens, who toppled Mr Yousaf after he tore up their coalition pact, issued a list of ultimatums to Mr Swinney minutes after he became SNP leader.

Mr Harvie warned Mr Swinney that he would have to look to pro-UK parties for support if he ordered a retreat toward the tepid middle ground of politics, naming a watertight ban on conversion therapy as one of his red lines.

However, Mr Swinney refused to commit to the policy, along with Green demands to progress with controversial rent controls and net zero policies that will eventually mean the end for gas boilers.

I am deeply honoured to have been elected as Leader of @theSNP. I will give all that I have to serve my Party and my Country.  John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) May 6, 2024

I will reach out to everyone willing to join with us in good faith and seek compromises that serve our nation well, said the new SNP leader. We need to stop shouting at each other and talk. Independence is not a reason to refuse to work with us to build the economy, support jobs and improve the health service.

On some issues, Im sure we will be aligned with the Scottish Green Party. On some issues, well have to find support and agreement with other political parties.

I will lead a government from the moderate centre Left. Thats where I come from, thats where our policy base is and thats how well take forward our policy programme.

Mr Swinney, who is regularly seen barracking opponents in the Holyrood chamber, said he accepted his share of the blame for the poisonous state of Scottish politics. Politics is in the worst state I have ever seen it, in my lengthy involvement, he added. Im here to do something about that.

The parliamentary arithmetic at Holyrood means Mr Swinney will have to work with opposition parties to pass key legislation and budgets.

Under Ms Sturgeon, the SNP worked closely with the Greens, twice relying on their support in confidence votes to save Mr Swinneys job in the previous parliament.

Ms Sturgeon then formalised their relationship with a coalition deal, which committed the Scottish Government to radical action on the environment and gender politics, such as the blocked self-ID law and a ban on conversion therapy.

However, their pact unravelled after Mr Yousaf, under pressure from MPs, tore it up  leading to the Greens vowing to topple him. He resigned after just 13 months in the job.

Graeme McCormick, an SNP activist, was persuaded to abandon a leadership bid - Stuart Nicol

Mr Swinney was elected SNP leader unopposed on Monday after he persuaded party activist Graeme McCormick to abandon a leadership bid.

He is expected to hand a prominent government role to Kate Forbes, seen as being on the Right of the SNP, after he also persuaded her not to stand against him.

Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, said: The stitch-up the SNP have engineered to ensure John Swinneys coronation highlights the mess theyre in. Is a failed former leader from two decades ago  who, as education secretary, sent Scotland plummeting down international league tables  really the best they have to offer?
City of London

To those of you who moved abroad because of Brexit, are you any happier?

That was the question put to Reddit users just before the Covid crisis. The responses naturally varied but the answers touched on why job losses post-Brexit havent been as bad as once feared.

I came back because it turns out Paris is an even bigger sh--heap, said one Reddit user who had moved to France and then back again.

The American Dream seduced me. However, looking back, moving to the US specifically was one of the worst life decisions I made, read another response.

Others simply hankered for British staples. I really fu---ng miss Marmite, said one expat. I miss a cheeky Greggs, added another.

Nobody is staying in Britain for the Marmite, but the point is that choosing to move from one safe country to another is a very personal decision.

Despite the turmoil of Brexit in the last few years, as well as the reality that jobs have gone as a result  the UK now has 1.8 million fewer jobs because of Brexit, according to research commissioned by City Hall  most peoples choices about where to live have little to do with politics.

Warnings about London losing its status as Europes financial hub post-Brexit have already proven to be hugely overblown.

Talk about Londons standing as a finance hub post-Brexit had gone pretty quiet until the last few weeks when Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs reignited the debate in finance circles.

First, the US lender moved one of its top bankers to Paris, a relocation met with such unnecessary fanfare that the response itself backs the argument that the French capital has failed to steal the Citys crown.

Then, Goldman scrapped the bonus cap for its British bankers, in a move that will allow star traders to earn up to 25 times their salary.

It is the first major bank to change its rules after the Government abandoned an EU bonus cap last year. The stage is now set for others to follow.

An executive at a rival bank says Goldmans decision undoubtedly makes London more attractive in finance circles, mirroring New York counterparts and putting pressure on other financial centres in Europe to do the same.

While in reality, most bankers are unlikely to see huge swings in their pay  since the cap was introduced in 2014 banks have simply bumped up base salaries  the removal of the cap gives banks the go-ahead to tempt superstar bankers with US-style bonuses.

British-born trader Ed Emerson earned an estimated $100m (78m) over three years running Goldman Sachss commodities arm in New York before leaving last year.

Prior to that, Barclays investment bank head Rich Ricci pocketed 18m in pay awards in 2013, the year before the bonus cap was introduced.

The race is now on for others to bring back multimillion-pound bonuses, even if rivals believe it will only benefit a small proportion of the profession.

I was told earlier this year that City institutions had delayed changing pay deals after trading floors became moan central, with bankers complaining that lower fixed pay could stretch their finances.

Higher fixed salaries are popular, but banks want to control their fixed costs while rewarding rainmakers. So as senior traders grumble away, bank bosses see this as a huge opportunity to boost London.

A Goldman insider says one of the big reasons to go ahead with the removal of the bonus cap was to compete with other financial centres better.

Richard Gnodde, Goldmans international chief, said years ago that removing the bonus cap would put the UK on the same footing, aside from the EU, with every other major financial centre and for sure makes London more attractive.

If I move a senior person between New York and London I am driving up the fixed cost of our operations, he previously told the Financial Times. If that rule doesnt exist, I dont have to think about that.

It marks another win for London, which has bounced back over and over again.

Restaurants and theatres feel busier than ever, with research by the Centre for Cities showing that Londoners escape to the country during the first Covid lockdown was modest and short-lived.

Even long-suffering Oxford Street is recovering as visitor numbers return, partly thanks to the convenience of the Elizabeth Line.

HMV returned to the street in November while Ikea is pegged for an autumn opening in the area later this year.

London is hard to beat, argues an Italian-born executive who has lived in both London and New York, but has chosen to bring her children up here.

The capital still offers more opportunities compared to other European cities and is more international, she says, adding that it is also easier to live in than New York.

Sadiq Khan, who secured a third term as London Mayor this weekend, said in a speech earlier this year that the consequences of Brexit cannot be wished away, and to an extent he is right.

There is no denying that Brexit has benefited rival EU financial centres while denting Londons job market. But the capitals charms havent faded, and the outlook is looking up.

There has been no exodus of talent because people like it too much.

London was never going to be a post-Brexit loser. The bankers about to enjoy their multimillion-pound packages can attest to that.
Gone for good? Gold objects 'lent' by the British Museum to the Mulholland Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, Ghana - Eddie Mulholland

Britains museums are the envy of the world. Nowhere is it possible to find such a wide range of artefacts from such a variety of cultures. They are a precious inheritance from our forebears and one which should be zealously guarded for our children.

Today, this inheritance is at risk of being dismantled. Across the country, carefully assembled collections are being chipped away at, with integral parts sent overseas under the mantle of decolonisation. Little scrutiny is applied to the logic of this process.

In January, the Victoria & Albert Museum and British Museum agreed to lend back 32 objects originating from the Asante royal court to the current Asante ruler. Despite the return of objects being restricted by statute, the framing of this as a loan allowed the museums to circumvent the relevant legislation, denying the Commons its say.

It has now emerged that, as this paper warned at the time, there is little prospect of their return. The current Asante ruler is said to be optimistic that an incoming Labour government will change the law to gift him the objects. Alternatively, the V&A could simply extend the loan indefinitely.

The history of the world is a history of conflict. Advocates of repatriation do not in fact wish for everything to be restored to its place of origin. They have no interest in the conflicts which raged within West Africa, or indeed with the repatriation of artefacts taken from Britain in earlier periods. Their concern is wholly partial, and driven by guilt at what they see as a uniquely monstrous Western historical legacy.

Tacitly allowing the pillaging of our museums under the mistaken belief that they are correct is little short of a scandal.
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, welcomes China's President Xi Jinping - Christophe Ena/AP

Emmanuel Macron was accused of rolling out the red carpet to a dictator who is financially and diplomatically supporting Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine as Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, kicked off a two-day visit to France.

The French president, joined by Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief, met Xi Jinping for talks at the Elysee Palace on Monday amid a looming trade war between Europe and China centred on electric cars and Cognac.

France is backing an EU inquiry into Chinese electric vehicle exports, and in January, Beijing opened an investigation into mostly French-made imports of brandy, a move widely seen as a tit-for-tat retaliation.

During Mr Xis first visit to Europe in five years, Mr Macron will take his Chinese counterpart on a personal trip to the Pyrenees, the birthplace of his grandmother.

In a statement released on his arrival in Paris, Mr Xi praised ties between the two nations.

Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen with Xi Jinping at the Elysee Palace - GONZALO FUENTES/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Mr Xi said ties between China and France were a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems.

Mr Macron told Mr Xi that coordination with Beijing on major crises including Ukraine was essential and urged fair rules for all in Europe-China trade.

The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner, Mr Macron said at the start of a trilateral meeting attended by Ms von der Leyen.

However, Raphael Glucksmann, the French MEP and Left-leaning European election candidate, said Mr Macron was making the same mistake with Mr Xi as he did with Russias Vladimir Putin, namely thinking he can charm his way into autocrats good books whereas a trial of strength is all they understand.

Mr Glucksmann is threatening to relegate the alliance of Mr Macron into a humiliating third place in the EU Parliament ballot on June 9.

Xi Jinping arrives at the Elysee Palace to meet Emmanuel Macron - Gonzalo Fuentes/REUTERS

In an op-ed in Le Monde targeting Mr Macron, Mr Glucksmann said: You roll out the red carpet and you even invite (Xi Jinping) to a place dear to your childhood in the Pyrenees, an intimate place that is supposed to dress this special relationship that you dream of the in the cloak of friendship. And as usual, you will justify such obsequiousness towards a dictator by saying that you have to be realistic.

But there is nothing realistic about your obsequious attitudeWithout Chinas help, Russia would not have been able to cope with Western sanctions and mount such a war effort.

Xi is not our friend

In an interview on France Inter, he went on: We saw Emmanuel Macrons strategy with Vladimir Putin - invitations to the the Bregancon fort (the French presidents Riviera retreat), a visit to the Hermitage museum (in Saint Petersburg), the tu, the toi (impersonal second-personal forms), the comrade, the friend. And the result: zero influence, zero change of direction in Putins offensive (in Ukraine). The same thing will happen with Xi Jinping.

Last year, the French president raised eyebrows for saying Europe must reduce its dependency on the United States and avoid getting dragged into a confrontation over Taiwan during a China visit  to little Gallic gain, say observers.

The reality is China is hellbent on the collapse of the West, asserted Mr Glucksmann, citing a China-based European diplomat as warning: You will never understand the extent to which they wish for our downfall.

We can receive him, we can talk to anyone, he said. But not in this way: not by taking him to his childhood holiday village, to his grandfathers house, not by giving this visit a friendly framework, as the Elysee Palace puts it.

Because Xi Jinping is not our friend: as well as having deported the Uyghur people, repressed the Tibetans and Hong Kong citizens and threatened the Taiwanese, Xi Jinping is the main supporter of Putins war in Ukraine. Without Chinas help, Russia would not have been able to continue this war. Its not by flattering tyrants that we demonstrate realism, he told France Inter.

Encouraging Beijing to rein in Iran

Mrs von der Leyen said part of the meetings purpose was encouraging Beijing to rein in Iran.

We also made clear our concern on Irans direct threat to stability in the region and we believe that China can play an important role in limiting the irresponsible proliferation of Iranian ballistic missiles & drones.

The visit comes as Russia said on Monday it would hold a military exercise that will include practice for the use of tactical nuclear weapons after what the defence ministry said were provocative statements from Western officials  notably Mr Macron who refuses to rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine if its army is in danger of defeat.

However, Mr Xi is not getting the full red carpet treatment as the state dinner planned on Monday evening in the presence of the two leaders sides will be at the Elysee, not at the more ornate Palace of Versailles, an honour recently bestowed on the King during his royal visit.

Scholz wants more caution on electic cars

Meanwhile, France and Germany are divided on their stance towards China with Berlin wanting to proceed with more caution on any electric vehicle probe, sources say.

Olaf Scholz, Germanys chancellor, will not join Mr Macron and Mr Xi in Paris due to prior commitments, sources said.

In Europe, we are not unanimous on the subject because certain players still see China as essentially a market of opportunities, Mr Macron told newspaper La Tribune ahead of Mr Xis two-day visit.

Mr Xis visit was splashed across the front pages of Chinese state media on Monday, with reports highlighting the welcome ceremony at Orly airport included a guard of honour, red carpet and a friendly Ni hao! from Gabriel Attal, the French prime minister.

Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrive at Orly airport for their official two-day state visit to France - STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP

The president hopes the two countries will open a brighter future of China-France relations and make new contributions to world peace, stability and development, reported Xinhua, adding that Mr Xi would also have in-depth talks with Mr Macron about Chinas ties with Europe.

In an article printed by Le Figaro on Sunday, Mr Xi said that China did not start the Ukraine crisis, nor is it party to or a participant in it.

He added: China hopes that peace and stability will return to Europe at an early date. We stand ready to work with France and the whole international community to find a reasonable way out of the crisis.

Marc Julienne, director of the Asia Centre at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said: The message sent by Xi is clear: opposition to Nato, a struggle for influence with the Americans in Europe and support for illiberal regimes.

Frances defence of European strategic autonomy is music to Beijings ears added Francois Godement, a China specialist at the Institut Montaigne. China is obviously eager to hear any criticism that France might make of the United States on any aspect of American policy, Le Monde cites him as saying.

After France, Mr Xi is due to visit Hungary and Serbia, seen as friendly European outposts.

Mr Xi will reportedly announce the construction of a Great Wall electric car plant in Hungary, in addition to an already announced battery cell factory  moves designed to underline Chinas competitive edge on electric vehicles.

He will then visit Belgrade on the 25th anniversary of the Nato bombing of the Chinese Embassy in the Serbian capital.
Claire Woodall, the then executive director of the City of Milwaukee election commission, teaches a class to poll workers in October 2022 in Milwaukee. Photograph: Morry Gash/AP

Milwaukee will replace its top election official with just under six months until the presidential election, the citys mayor announced on Monday.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson appointed Paulina Gutierrez to take over as executive director of the Milwaukee election commission, replacing Claire Woodall who had served as the director since July 2020.

The change, first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, means there will be a new head of elections in one of the most critical cities in a key battleground state. Milwaukee is the most populous city in Wisconsin and one of the places Donald Trump targeted as part of his efforts to overturn the election.

Woodall did not immediately return a request for comment.

Gutierrez will lead the office at an important juncture when public scrutiny of the work of the department will be extremely high, Johnson said in a statement. I have confidence in her, and I will make certain the department has the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.

It was not immediately clear why Johnson chose to replace Woodall. There were reports on Monday that it was connected to her decision to publicly criticize election employees after the office mistakenly sent the wrong ballots to voters in the spring. Ahead of the April 2 Wisconsin presidential primary, more than 200 voters in Milwaukee were mailed ballots marked for the wrong district  an error that Woodall attributed in strong terms to the staff of her office.

I cant express how frustrating and infuriating it is that it just seems like there was no critical thinking involved or communication, she told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Like many election officials, Woodall drew the intense scrutiny of election-denying activists in the wake of the 2020 presidential election and faced harassment and threats in the following months. To pre-empt doubts and conspiracy theories ahead of the 2024 election, Woodalls office developed new protocols to ensure transparency while transmitting the tally of absentee ballots.

Related: How one Wisconsin man plagued election offices and stoked mistrust

The office has also faced internal tumult since 2020. A former official in the Milwaukee election office, Kimberly Zapata, was convicted of fraud for ordering multiple fake absentee ballots in 2022 and sentenced to a $3,000 fine and a year of probation earlier this month. It is not clear if there was any connection between the scandal and Woodalls replacement.

The 2020 election was Woodalls first time running a presidential election in Milwaukee, and this years presidential election will be a first for her replacement, Gutierrez, who was appointed deputy director in early 2023.

Change, especially when it is unexpected, can often be unsettling, Gutierrez wrote in a Sunday email that was reported by the Journal-Sentinel. The experience of changing leadership is demanding and uncertain as we navigate uncharted waters and relearn to collaborate and communicate as an organization.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday for a state visit to France, with the two sides poised to bolster bilateral ties and reiterate their commitment to fortifying their partnership amid shifting global landscapes.

The discussions and agreements during Xi's third state visit to France, following visits in 2014 and 2019, are expected to encompass a broad spectrum of critical areas. From trade and investment to innovation and cultural exchange, the agenda reflects the comprehensive nature of the bilateral relationship between China and France.

Meanwhile, the visit will go beyond being bilateral. Dialogues on international and regional issues of mutual concern, as well as multilateral cooperation, are anticipated. This emphasizes the enduring tradition of both nations' shared dedication to addressing complex challenges through collaborative diplomatic endeavors.

Noting that multilateralism appears to be "the most effective way of resolving most of the problems of our multipolar world," former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said that France and China share "certain similar, if not identical, visions of global governance."

In a signed article published Sunday in French media Le Figaro, Xi noted that the longer the Ukraine crisis drags on, the greater harm it will do to Europe and the world.

"China hopes that peace and stability will return to Europe at an early date. We stand ready to work with France and the whole international community to find a reasonable way out of the crisis," Xi said in the article.

As to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Xi noted in the article that China and France have many in common on the Palestine-Israel issue. "It is thus critical that we strengthen cooperation and help restore peace in the Middle East."

This visit, Xi's first trip to Europe in nearly five years, coincides with the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between China and France, a milestone event in China-Western relations.

The decision of France to establish diplomatic ties with China 60 years ago went against the prevailing attitudes of the major Western powers at the time, Eric Alauzet, president of the France-China Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, said in Paris on Saturday at a forum on France-China people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

"France and China can now look back on a singular history," he said.

In his written speech upon arrival on Sunday, Xi said in the 60 years since, the bilateral relations have always stayed abreast of China's relations with Western countries, setting a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation.

The development of China-France bilateral relations attests to Xi's remarks. Despite differing political systems, the two countries have forged a robust partnership marked by cooperation and mutual respect.

Apart from being the first major Western nation to formalize diplomatic relations with China in 1964, France is the first major Western country to form a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. The European country is also the first Western nation to strike a deal with China for air transportation and the first to cooperate with China on civil nuclear energy projects.

This visit unfolds amid calls from certain Western policymakers for "de-risking" from China. However, the fruitful win-win cooperation between China and France serves as a robust rebuttal to such protectionist rhetoric.

Over the past 60 years, bilateral trade between China and France has surged dramatically, increasing 800-fold to reach 78.9 billion U.S. dollars last year. From 2019 to 2023, China's imports and exports with France grew by 5.9 percent annually.

China is now France's largest trading partner in Asia, while France ranks as China's third-largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment in real terms within the European Union.

Moreover, data from China's General Administration of Customs underscores France's pivotal role beyond agricultural imports. France is also a critical source of imports for aircraft and aerospace components, constituting approximately 30 percent of China's total import volume in these sectors over the past five years.

Meanwhile, according to a 2023 survey of French companies in China conducted by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, 47 percent of member companies are planning to further invest in China.

"The importance of the Chinese market, from my point of view, has not changed," Barbara Frei, the executive vice president of Schneider Electric, told Xinhua. She voiced confidence in China's position as a more mature economy and the biggest market in industrial automation and highlighted China's role as an "innovation driver."
Sydneys record of 16 consecutive days of at least 1mm of rain  set in 1943 and 2022  could be broken as eastern NSWs wet weather is predicted to last at least another week. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

The lengthy soaking of eastern New South Wales, including Sydney, may have at least another week to run as a large high-pressure system all but stalls over Tasmania, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Sydney has already clocked up 124mm in the first six days of May, more than the long-run average of just over 117mm for the month. The citys record of 16 consecutive days of at least 1mm of rain  set in 1943 and 2022  could also be in play, according to Ed Medlock, a weather bureau meteorologist.

The high-pressure system has been dominating Australias south-east, directing bouts of showers and occasionally heavier falls on to coastal NSW.

Its our expectation that [the high will] stick around for at least a week or longer just based on where the upper winds are sitting, Medlock said. They are just not allowing it to progress into the Tasman [Sea].

Rain will affect the NSW coast every day this week, with more widespread and heavier falls developing across eastern Australia between Thursday and Sunday.  pic.twitter.com/1Fp9S8doHU  Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) May 6, 2024

Places south of Sydney have had some of the heaviest falls in recent days, including more than 70mm at Kiama on Sunday. Ulladulla further to the south collected more than 60mm on both Saturday and Sunday.

The movement of a pool of cold air over inland NSW helped generate those heavier falls over the weekend. Similar conditions may return from Thursday, Medlock said.

Another cold air pool will slowly make its way across the state  before reaching the coast and creating a coastal trough over the weekend, he said.

The strong high pressure system near TAS is showing no signs of moving, which means more cloudy, showery weather for Australia's eastern seaboard. pic.twitter.com/fWwDcRgzR2  Andrew Miskelly (@andrewmiskelly) May 6, 2024

While it was too far out to tell how large the falls will be, they could last into early next week.

The high-pressure system itself is unusually strong. On Sunday, it reached as high as 1,043 hectopascals  a measure of pressure  which is close to record-breaking, Medlock said.

The same setup that has been soaking eastern NSW has also delivered dry weather to much of southern Australia. Both Melbourne and Adelaide have mostly been dry for the past fortnight with the South Australian capital collecting just 12mm of rain in April or about a quarter of typical falls.

High-pressure systems that are very slow moving or almost stationary are known as blocking systems. Climate scientists say it is too early to tell how a warming planet will affect blocking systems in the southern hemisphere, such as making them more frequent and more persistent.

Martin Jucker, a climate researcher at the University of NSW, said blocking highs have been a subject of concern to climate scientists in the northern hemisphere for a while now, as their impact on large populations has become clear with catastrophic heatwaves such as the 2003 European and Russian heatwave.

The megablock continues. This is 7 days out, same big high. pic.twitter.com/h76YOoTLYR  Glen (@Gergyl) May 5, 2024

While there is some evidence that in the northern hemisphere the [upper level] jetstream might weaken and therefore allow for more blocking, the projections of the southern hemisphere jetstream do not suggest a weakening, but a poleward shift of the jetstream, Jucker said.

However, this depends on how quickly the ozone layer recovers, as that recovery acts against the effect of the greenhouse gases, and other uncertain factors such as what Antarctic sea-ice will look like in the future, he said. All of these things are extremely difficult to predict and more research is required to narrow the range of possible future outcomes.

Related: Only one person has received grant to elevate home two years after NSW northern rivers floods

The effects on Australia will also depend on where the systems become stationary.

Chiara Holgate, a climate researcher at the Australian National University, said if the high-pressure system ends up stalling over the Tasman Sea and coinciding with a deep low-pressure system over south-east Australia, it may result in extremely high rainfall.

Such high-pressure systems are expected to become a little more frequent in the future  increasing about 2% per degree of global warming  but the number of low-pressure events may drop by about 9% per degree of warming, Holgate said.

This doesnt mean there will be fewer extreme rainfall days in future necessarily as extremely high rainfall can occur from other processes such as thunderstorms, she said. Research on how extremely high rainfall will change in the future is ongoing.
File image of a police officer at the King's Coronation last year

The Scotland Yard unit that looks after the Royal family is facing an exodus of some of its most experienced armed protection officers, The Telegraph can reveal.

More than 60 members of the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) team, which safeguards the King and other senior royal figures, as well as top government ministers, will leave the Metropolitan Police in June next year when it scraps a popular pension initiative.

Officers will no longer be able to benefit from the Enhanced Returns Scheme (ERS), which allows those who are eligible to retire to stay on in their role while also claiming their police pension.

The mass exodus of experienced officers will create a headache for the Met as it urgently seeks to fill the vacancies for the highly specialised roles.

The RaSP unit has some of the Mets most experienced and skilled firearms officers, who are experts in close protection and provide round-the-clock security for the Royal family, the Prime Minister and his cabinet, and visiting VIPs.

Many of its members have been with the unit for years and have developed good working relationships with the people they protect.

However, the scrapping of the return scheme next year will see dozens leave the force, with many expected to take up lucrative private security contracts instead.

The retention package, introduced two years ago, was intended to plug a skills gap in the Met, allowing some of its most experienced officers to stay on after they had reached retirement age.

Police protecting the King in Sandringham, Norfolk, earlier this year - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Europe

Officers up to the rank of inspector are able to remain in their existing roles, draw their police pension and also continue to receive their salary.

With Met officers able to retire after serving 30 years, many of those who qualified were still only in their early 50s.

The scheme has proved particularly popular with officers working in the counter terror command and RaSP.

However, with the Met facing mounting budgetary pressures, the decision has been taken to radically alter the terms from next June.

Officers who want to carry on working for the Met will continue receiving a salary, but will have their pension payments frozen.

They have also been told they will no longer be able to carry on working in their existing roles and will have to return to front-line policing, which is currently massively understaffed and has a dearth of experienced talent.

Buckingham Palace is among the royal sites where police help provide security - Brandon Bell/Getty Images Europe

The Telegraph understands that at least 60 out of more than 400 RaSP officers are currently on the retention scheme, but none have applied to stay on under the new terms.

One source told The Telegraph: The retention scheme was really popular. It was dubbed 30 plus plus because it meant after you had done your 30-years service, you could claim your pension but carry on in your job and get your salary.

It was really good for the Met also though because you held on to all the most experienced and skilled officers.

But now they are going back to the old system of 30 plus which means you can stay on but your pension will be frozen.

However, instead of being allowed to remain in your specialised role, you will have to go back to front-line policing.

Many of these officers in RaSP are highly experienced close protection specialists who have looked after senior royals and prime ministers. With that sort of stuff on your CV you are highly sought after in the private sector.

These guys can earn a lot more money going to work for some high net worth individual or celebrity and thats what a lot of them will go and do next June. The problem the Met will have is where do you find the people to replace them?

An armed police officer keeps watch on the King's Coronation last year - Pool/Getty Images Europe

A Met spokesman said: The Mets Enhanced Return scheme (ERS) was opened for a limited time - until June 2025 - in 2022. All colleagues who joined the scheme will remain on it until June 2025.

No one will be forced to leave the organisation as a result.

Caroline Pridgeon, a Liberal Democrat London Assembly member, said: With the Mets turnover of officers being so high at present, there is a real concern that vital skills in specialist roles could be lost.

The Enhanced Retention Scheme was a genuinely positive initiative that would have helped ensure the institutional memory of specialised skills would not be lost and that there would not be extended periods of time where skills need to be built back up from a standing start.

Given the challenges faced by the Met currently it seems very ill-advised to have ended this scheme so early.
David Hanson, 44, is the first burglar jailed after a private police force prosecuted

A prolific burglar has become the first to be jailed in a prosecution by a private police force after the local constabulary failed to investigate.

The thief, who had 105 previous convictions including 33 burglaries, was arrested by two detectives from the private policing company after he broke into an M&S store to steal 500 of sirloin, T-bone steak and 20 bottles of Prosecco.

Even though he was caught in the act on CCTV and the M&S store manager called the police, the Metropolitan Police decided not to investigate.

The case was instead taken up by TM Eye, a private company founded by a former Scotland Yard detective chief inspector.

It provides uniformed bobbies and plain-clothes security staff to help retailers combat shoplifting and thefts in shopping precincts.

It has its own legal department which has already successfully prosecuted 280 shoplifters but the M&S case in Streatham Hill is the first ever where it has successfully mounted a prosecution against a burglar.

As a result, the burglar, David Hanson, 44, was jailed for a year for five offences including four burglaries on four different dates in October last year and one assault on the M&S store manager.

Even though the prosecution was mounted privately by TM Eye, its team of lawyers were treated the same as any state prosecutor.

The court was told Hanson was arrested by two detectives from My Local Bobby, part of the TM Eye operation which provides uniformed staff and plain-clothes detectives who patrol shopping areas for the local retailers.

Officers knew his haunts

Hanson broke into M&S through a reinforced glass window before making off with the meat and Prosecco.

The officers recognised him on the CCTV as a prolific shoplifter and knew his haunts.

They arrested him and secured his admission of the offence on their body-worn video which was submitted to the court.

David McKelvey, the former chief inspector who founded TM Eye, said: He was wearing the same clothing as worn during the burglary.

He was detained and immediately admitted the recent burglary and an earlier burglary at the same premises some days before which was also written off by police.

The lesson is that every burglary deserves an investigation because there is always an opportunity to solve the case if you take the time to do the basics.

Last October, police chiefs agreed to attend shoplifting incidents if there was violence against a store worker, a suspected thief was detained or officers were needed to secure evidence.

However, police say it is not realistic for officers to respond to every shoplifting incident.

Last June, the 43 police chiefs in England and Wales also pledged to attend all domestic burglaries.

Commercial premises as well as outbuildings, garages and sheds are, however, excluded from the pledge.

An investigation by The Telegraph in March found police failed to solve a single burglary in neighbourhoods across nearly half of England and Wales in the past three years.

National charging rates for burglary have fallen from one in 14 (6.7 per cent) in 2016 to fewer than one in 25 (3.9 per cent) in 2022.

TM Eye started by specialising in investigating and prosecuting counterfeit and fake goods rackets.

It says it has brought more than 500 successful prosecutions working with police forces internationally, the FBI and Federal Drugs Administration in five years.

It launched My Local Bobby two years ago to provide residents, local firms and shops with neighbourhood policing to combat thefts, criminal damage and other anti-social behaviour.

Its bobbies, who are uniformed with magenta vests and caps, provide cover 24/7 for up to 250 houses and businesses on each beat. It promises to have a response at the scene within five minutes, for a fee per customer.

The Met Police said it was working to establish what happened over the store burglary. It said it was working with retailers to identify what matters to them, including the safety of shop based workers and shoplifting.

On shoplifting, it said it was not realistic for the force to respond to every case but where a crime is being committed, a suspect is on the scene, and the situation has or is likely to become heated or violent, our call handlers will assess this and seek to despatch officers where appropriate.
Welsh National Opera performers take part in a dress rehearsal of La Traviata at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff - John Snelling/Getty Images Europe

Sir Simon Rattle and Katherine Jenkins are among almost 200 high-profile figures from the performing arts who have condemned the dismantling of Welsh National Opera (WNO).

In an open letter, they have warned that the nations largest arts employer stands on a precipice as a result of funding cuts imposed by Arts Council England.

The impact would be so devastating that the opera would be forced to make both the orchestra and chorus, the beating heart of the company, part-time, the letter said.

Katherine Jenkins is one of the signatories who have criticised the 'dismantling' of Welsh National Opera - Matthew Horwood/Getty Images Europe

WNO has already had to scale back its performances following a double financial blow. Arts Council England cut its funding from 6.2 million to 4 million, a 35 per cent cut, for the 2023-26 period, while the Arts Council of Wales recently reduced its own annual investment in WNO to just over 4m, an 11.8 per cent cut.

The letter warned that the cuts were clearly completely untenable.

The signatories, who also include Gerald Davies, the Welsh rugby union legend, and the Right Rev Barry Morgan, the former Archbishop of Wales, called on politicians to show their support for the arts scene by backing an emergency funding package to save the jewel in Waless crown.

Without it, WNO will be unable to continue to deliver its programme of opera, education and community projects across Wales.

Sir Simon Rattle was among the figures who said in the open letter that the cuts were 'clearly completely untenable' - Hiroyuki Ito/Hulton Archive

WNO is the largest touring opera company in Europe, enjoying a global reputation for excellence, and representing Brand Wales on the worlds stage, the letter said.

If WNO ceases to be a full-time company operating year-round it will be very hard to come back from that as the organisation becomes unable to retain its talent within Wales.

What has painstakingly been built up over 80 years will be eroded and a vicious cycle will have begun.

The potential dismantling of one of Waless finest national institutions would be devastating for the nation, for the organisation and its 222 employees, and for homegrown cultural excellence.

The world-renowned quality of WNOs output will be eroded, as the true ensemble nature of the company is undermined, with top musicians unable to sustain jobs in the orchestra and chorus on a part-time salary and no real freelance work in Wales with which to supplement their incomes.

The cultural life of communities across Wales and England will be impoverished and diminished as a result.

WNO performers practise before a production of Candide at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff - John Snelling/Getty Images Europe

The letter, signed by 176 figures, has been sent to Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, Vaughan Gething, the First Minister of Wales, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow culture secretary.

The signatories urged them to use their political clout to persuade their counterparts in Wales to open a dialogue with the UK Government.

Elizabeth Atherton, the soprano, who organised the letter, said: This is a situation that simply cannot be ignored.

The time is right for our leaders to signal that they mean what they say about the importance of the arts. If this moment is not grabbed, it will be the end of Waless largest arts organisation and employer as we know it.

Politicians should not simply pay lip service to the arts in the lead-up to elections  they must prove to their electorate right now that they are serious about issues that significantly matter to many who vote for them.

The letter has been signed by leading composers and conductors, several former WNO directors and directors of operas from New Zealand to Sao Paulo.

An online petition set up by the WNO orchestra in conjunction with the Musicians Union, calling for WNO to be retained as a full-time company, has received more than 8,000 signatures.
A thief pulls a woman's wig through the window of her car in Durban, South Africa - Charlene Oberholzer Cross/Facebook

Robbers in South Africa are snatching wigs made of human hair from peoples heads after the valuable hairpieces became the latest targets for criminals.

Women have reported a spate of wig-snatchings in downtown Johannesburg and Cape Town as criminals strike commuters, students and even individuals leaving hair salons.

High-grade wigs made from human hair can cost more than 100 and are sold on by the thieves, News24 reported.

Zandile Magagula told the South African news site she had been making her way to work in Johannesburg and was walking to the Bree Street taxi rank when she was attacked for her new 140 hair piece.

She said: Normally, I put my wig on when I get to the office, but that day I had it on my head because I was excited about my new hair.

I wasnt far from the rank when two guys walked past me. I didnt think much of it because it was in the morning. In mere seconds, I felt my head bobbing backwards and my wig being pulled.

She added: I swore at them as I turned to face them with my wig half on my head, and thats when the other guy grabbed a handful of hair to remove it completely.

Mamello Makha, who operates a chain of salons across Johannesburg and sells premium human-hair wigs said she had heard many stories of clients having their wigs snatched.

Clients have told me about their wigs being stolen before they can reach the taxi rank, she said.

She said: The cost of hair is directly tied to its grade. Higher grades fetch a higher price and offer more versatility in styling.
Donald Trump in court in Manhattan on Monday. Photograph: Win McNamee/EPA

On the docket: prosecutors push the paper trail

After weeks of testimony that focused on some of the more salacious, tabloidy aspects of why former president Donald Trump wanted to keep his alleged affairs under wraps before the 2016 election, his hush-money trial turned to much drier  but arguably more crucial  testimony on Monday.

The trial shifted from a focus on how Trump and his allies coordinated to keep quiet the two women who allege they had affairs with him, to a focus on the felonies he has actually been charged with: 34 counts of falsifying business records. That requires following the paper trail of the money Trump paid to his fixer and attorney Michael Cohen. Trumps former employees  not just at the White House but at his private company  are the ones that can speak to that.

The days first witness was former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney, who was there under subpoena, with his attorneys paid for by Trumps company.

His testimony helped solidify prosecutors claims that Trump was well aware of the allegedly illegal repayment plan to Cohen for paying the adult film star Stormy Daniels for her silence.

Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, was given the authority to greenlight major company invoices after Trump became president. McConney said that at a meeting, Weisselberg told him: We have to reimburse Michael.

Referring to contemporaneous notes that he took during that meeting, McConney said Weisselberg told him to pay Cohen $360,000: $130,000 to reimburse the amount hed paid Daniels, a $50,000 bonus, and an additional $180,000 to cover the taxes. That sum would allegedly be paid out in monthly installments. McConney said he was unaware of any other time in his 35 years with the company when an expense had been doubled because of taxes.

McConney said that starting in March 2017, repayments would come from Trumps personal account, not the trust that held his assets. That month, when Cohen asked him about the status of one of his monthly repayments, he emailed back: DJT needs to sign check. He testified that they had to get the physical check to the White House so Trump could sign it himself.

Prosecutors displayed ledger reports showing repayments to Cohen, with McConney explaining how each was coded as a legal expense and a retainer, after testifying that he had never seen a retainer agreement for Cohen.

Trumps attorneys looked to undercut prosecutors argument by questioning whether Trump actually knew about those labels. McConney testified he had selected legal expense in the accounting system because he had to pick a drop-down category in the system and always selected that for payments to attorneys. He said he rarely talked to Trump, and never discussed the companys accounting system with Trump. That casts some doubt on whether Trump knew about how the payments were being described, which undercuts the charge that he knowingly falsified business records.

Next up on the witness stand was Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor with the Trump Organization. She testified that Trump kept close tabs on what he paid out of his personal checking account, bolstering the prosecutions case that Trump knew what was going on when he signed Cohens reimbursement checks. Tarasoff pointed out that for some time in spring 2017 the payments to Cohen were coming from Trump personally, not from his trust, and confirmed that it was Trumps own signature on checks from June and July 2017.

Prosecutors had spent the first weeks of the trial focused on the lead-up to the 2016 campaign, working hard to show then National Enquirer boss David Peckers agreement to be the Trump campaigns eyes and ears and kill stories to help his election prospects, his work to bury Playboy model Karen McDougals allegations of an affair, and Cohens agreement to pay Daniels directly at Trumps alleged behest before the 2016 election.

Thats necessary because they need to show Trumps alleged falsification of business records as he repaid Cohen was done to cover up a previous crime to be able to charge Trump with felonies rather than misdemeanors: Under New York law, its illegal to conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means.

Sidebar: judge holds Trump in contempt, threatens jail (again)

The day kicked off with Judge Juan Merchan once again holding Trump in contempt for violating his gag order  and once again threatening jail time if Trump continues to flout the order.

As much as I do not want to impose a jail sanction, Merchan told Trump, I want you to understand that I will, if necessary, and appropriate.

Merchan ruled that Trump had clearly violated Merchans gag order to not publicly discuss potential witnesses and the jury on one of the four instances that prosecutors highlighted, and fined him another $1,000 for the violation  the maximum financial penalty allowed under New York law, and the tenth fine Trump has accrued.

It appears that the $1,000 fines are not a deterrent, Merchan told Trump.

Trump made the four public comments and posts before Merchan had ruled on the previous gag-order violations. Merchan ruled on Monday that three of alleged violations were not beyond a reasonable doubt because in two instances, Trump was attacking his former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen, who has publicly attacked him. Despite Trump publicly discussing Pecker after his testimony in the case, Merchan said the third example was not definitively a veiled threat to witnesses.

But Merchan made clear the fourth instance, where Trump had discussed the jury, was out of bounds. Trump had whined in a 22 April interview that he could not get a fair jury because Manhattan was 95% Democrats and just a purely Democrat area. Merchan said that wasnt acceptable.

After trial concluded on Monday, Trump didnt sound ready to back off, however. This judge has given me a gag order and said, Youll go to jail if you violate. And frankly, you know what, our constitution is much more important than jail. Its not even close. Ill do that sacrifice any day, he told reporters.

Whats next

The trial will resume on Tuesday morning. Prosecutors told Merchan on Monday they expect to be done presenting their case in roughly two weeks.
Voter ID  demonstrably works well and should stay. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock

I cannot agree with Andy Becketts condemnation of voter ID (After this weeks squalid experiment, see voter ID for what it is: a Tory scam to steal elections, 3 May). The basic principle of voter ID is not objectionable: we all agree that Europe has much more sophisticated political systems and mature political cultures than Britain, and voter ID laws are commonplace across Europe. France, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy all require their electors to present identification when voting. Are all these EU members also enemies of democracy?

Furthermore, it is difficult to square claims that the progressive vote was suppressed with the fact that the Conservative vote collapsed and Labour  and leftwing politics in general  were hugely successful last week. Clearly, the hypothetical fears that the progressive vote would be curtailed were simply not borne out in reality.

Anecdotes of people being turned away for lack of ID are mostly just a small handful of dozy Tories like Boris Johnson forgetting their own laws, which does not make an election-rigging conspiracy.

Voter ID is simple to apply and reinforces confidence in our election security. It demonstrably works well and should stay.

Robert Frazer

Salford, Lancashire

 Andy Beckett is right to highlight the at least 2 million Britons who have no acceptable voter ID at all. As a local election candidate standing on Thursday to retain my seat of Latchford West in Warrington (which I did), I spoke to a handful of people on polling day who were registered to vote but didnt have the correct photo ID, and so didnt go out to vote. Given that I only spoke to a small minority of our voters on polling day, its hard to know exactly how many other people were affected.

Not everyone is politically engaged enough to plan in advance  voting can be a spur of the moment decision on the day  but for each person, they were denied the right to vote and this wont form part of any official record.

Maureen McLaughlin

Warrington, Cheshire

 As expected, Marina Hydes article (Did we really expect Tory MPs who fought for voter ID rules to follow them? Dont be ridiculous, 3 May) brilliantly shines a light on a jaw-droppingly silly but worryingly nefarious reality, and points the finger at the clowns who are hoisted by their own petard. I imagine that Boris Johnson and Tom Hunt wont forget their ID for the forthcoming general election.

But taking a step back, I fail to see the problem that Britons have with carrying a national identity card. Most European Economic Area countries (Denmark and Ireland are the exceptions) issue national ID cards, which have the advantage for us of being accepted for cross-border travel  a luxury denied to Brexit Britain. Here in France, our national ID card is an absolute identifier; it carries more weight than a passport. Nobody feels that their liberties are being infringed or that they are being spied on by the state.

If everyone carried such a card in Britain, it would resolve the issue of voter ID proof at polling stations. Carrying it is no more onerous than carrying a bank card. Its a no-brainer.

Nigel Evans

Paris, France

 Re Marina Hydes article, the Electoral Commission recommended voter ID in 2014.

Peter Bottomley

Worthing, West Sussex

 Have an opinion on anything youve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
British singer Olly Alexander has said his mother has given him a traditional Swedish statue as a good luck charm for when he performs at the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the UK.

The Years & Years singer, 33, will sing his track Dizzy at this years contest, which is taking place in Malmo after Swedish singer Loreen won the European singing competition last year with her song Tattoo.

Discussing his pre-stage rituals the musician and star of hit drama Its A Sin said: I only really have one pre-stage ritual and that is to hug whoever Im going on stage with.

Olly Alexander is the UK entrant for Eurovision (Aaron Chown/PA)

I like to give them a hug and just take a few deep breaths. Also, my mum has given me a good luck charm.

Its a traditional Swedish statue, a wooden horse called a Dala horse that Ill definitely be taking to Sweden.

Reflecting on this years competition he said: Ive listened to every artists song at this years Eurovision, theres a lot of really great songs by some great artists.

I think the competition is quite stiff.

He added: I think whats important at Eurovision is to stand out, and so I am aiming for my performance to be truly unforgettable, to surprise the audience and to intrigue them.

I want to leave them with something that they will never forget and of course, I hope to bring an element of dizziness to the performance and capture the feelings of the song.

Darlings! Its official  Joanna Lumley is the UK Jury Spokesperson for Eurovision 2024! Join Joanna for the Grand Final on Saturday 11 May from 8pm on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer You can bet itll be absolutely fabulous  More  https://t.co/tc6cqMdlFD pic.twitter.com/C3SsAuOZR7  BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) May 3, 2024

Eurovision commentator and chat show host Graham Norton said he thinks the UK could do really well this year with Alexanders song.

Having a bona fide pop star representing the UK this year is a great start, he said.

Olly has already done all the things that its impossible to prepare someone for.

He has played to huge crowds, he can relate to the cameras, and he is used to high pressure situations.

Add to that, the fact that the song is a massive bop and I think we could do really well this year.

Reflecting on what it was like to host the show in the UK last year he added: Hosting Eurovision on home turf last year was extraordinary.

The standout moments for me were the whole arena singing Youll Never Walk Alone and that amazing reaction after Mae Muller had performed.

my new song Dizzy is out now !! i wrote this song with @DannylHarle last summer , its about an overwhelming feeling of love for somebody thats so intense it turns your world upside down (1/3)https://t.co/yETPETkzHj pic.twitter.com/6WNml2n43p  olly alexander (@alexander_olly) March 1, 2024

Ive never heard anything like it.

Last year the competition was hosted in the UK on behalf of 2022 winners, Ukraine, who were unable to host due to the Russian invasion.

This years event coincides with the 50-year anniversary of Swedish group Abba winning the competition in 1974 with Waterloo.

The competition starts with two semi-finals that will be broadcast live on Tuesday May 7 and Thursday May 9.

Norton, Scott Mills and Rylan Clark are all returning to helm BBCs coverage of the Eurovision final while Dame Joanna Lumley will announce the results for the UK.

The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final airs Saturday May 11 at 8pm on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
A rescue Beagle abandoned by his original family certainly landed in clover, Not only does he never leave the side of his new adopted family, they even take him flying with them, on their own tiny plane!

In this video, we meet Remi the Beagle, an adorable pup who flies with his parents on their own private plane. He has taken to the air with the greatest of east, and can be seen glancing on the window here. In another video, he snoozes in the cockpit while it soars through the clouds.

And it stands to reason. After all, the worlds most famous dog pilot, the World War I Flying Ace (a.k.a. Snoopy), is also a Beagle.

Related: Beagle Can't Contain His Happiness in New Home After 7 Years in a Laboratory

Rumis adventures take him far and wide with his new family, and its clear that he adores his forever home.

Flying With Your Dog

Obviously, if you are flying on a private plane as this family is, you get to take up the rules regarding what you do with your dogs on the flight. On commercial airlines, however, federal regulations require that all non-service animals are confined to carriers or in the cargo hold for the duration of the flight. Different airlines have different policies and fees in place when it comes to pups on board, so make sure you know what youre getting into before you book your ticket, and certainly before you board the plane.

And if youre flying internationally, make sure to find out the arriving countrys policy as well. Some countries, like the UK, require all pets to be places in the cargo hold on flights into or out of the country.

Is a Beagle Right For You?

Sadly, the ordeal this dog went through is a fact of life for so many animals. While some people are forced to surrender their pups to shelters due to health, finances, and housing insecurities, many people acquire pets without really thinking through the ramifications of what they have signed up for. They only think about how cute a puppy is and not about the work required to take care of one.

Beagles are a highly social, friendly, and active dog originally bred for hunting, As such, they have a strong prey drive and need a lot of exercise to keep from becoming bored and possibly destructive. They are excitable and need strong training in their early days to learn proper behavior.

The breed is considered a good pet for families due to their temperament, size, and short hair, but every dog needs training, exercise, and companionship in order to make them into a good dog. And thats up to the owner.

Because they are a hound dog, bred for baying and running after prey for long distances, such as in a fox hunt, they are also prone to roaming and getting lost. This, sadly, only contributes to the population of strays in the shelter.

Rumi, however, was one of the lucky ones. Instead of languishing in a shelter, waiting for someone to find him, he was discovered by people who treat their dog as if hes part of their family, and know what he needs to thrive.

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Russia warned Britain on Monday that if British weapons were used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory then Moscow could hit back at British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere.

British Ambassador Nigel Casey was summoned to the foreign ministry for a formal protest after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said last week that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike Russia.

Russia's foreign ministry said the Cameron remarks recognised that Britain was now de facto a part of the conflict and contradicted an earlier assurance that long-range weapons given to Ukraine would not be used against Russia.

"Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad" could be targeted, the foreign ministry said.

The ministry said it considered Cameron's remarks a serious escalation.

"The Ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way."

Cameron, during a visit to Kyiv last week, told Reuters that Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether or not to do so.

Reuters could not immediately reach British officials for comment on Monday.
 Flash

This photo shows a view of destroyed buildings at the Maghazi refugee camp after Israeli strikes in central Gaza Strip, May 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The delegation of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) will return to Egypt's capital Cairo on Tuesday to deliver the movement's "final response" to the Egyptian proposal over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a prisoner exchange with Israel, a Palestinian source said on Sunday.

The source, who preferred not to mention his name, said the Hamas delegation, who departed Cairo on Sunday for consultations with the movement's leadership in Doha, Qatar, will return with a "final response" to the Egyptian proposal two days later.

According to the source, during the two-day talks in Cairo, the Hamas delegation met with Egyptian security officials and addressed "all issues" that could hinder reaching an agreement on the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange with Israel, confirming that "significant" consensus has been achieved between the delegation and the Egyptian mediators.

The Egyptian proposal consists of three stages, aimed at exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, taking necessary measures to reach a ceasefire, and restoring sustainable calm.

The first stage would span 40 days and bring out a temporary halt of military operations between the two sides, an exchange of hostages and prisoners, and the return of internally displaced civilians to their areas of residence in Gaza.

It also includes facilitating the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid, relief materials, and fuel into Gaza, as well as the equipment needed to remove rubble, establish camps for the displaced, and rehabilitate and operate hospitals, health centers, and bakeries in the strip.

Earlier in the day, Hamas said in a statement that the current round of negotiations in Cairo had concluded, adding the delegation left Egypt on Sunday night for further consultation with the movement's leadership.

It affirmed that it takes "a positive and responsible approach with determination" towards reaching an agreement that "meets the national demands of our people, ends the aggression completely, achieves withdrawal of Israeli troops from the entire Gaza Strip, allows for the return of the displaced, intensifies relief efforts, begins reconstruction, and completes the prisoner exchange."

Also on Sunday, Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement that his movement is keen to reach a comprehensive agreement that ends the current conflict in Gaza and ensures a prisoner exchange with Israel.

In the meantime, he accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "inventing constant justifications to continue the aggression, expand the scope of the conflict, and sabotage mediation efforts."

The Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday for talks on the Gaza ceasefire. Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are seeking to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange and a second ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that ended last December.

Israel estimated that there were still about 134 Israelis held hostage in Gaza, whereas Hamas announced that 70 of them had been killed in Israeli indiscriminate airstrikes.

Israel holds more than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners in its jails. According to relevant Palestinian organizations, some of these prisoners have died due to worsening conditions since the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict began last October.

However, despite intensive mediation efforts and international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday that Israel assesses the likelihood of reaching an agreement with Hamas as low, adding the order to launch an onslaught on Rafah, the enclave's southernmost city, will be given "very soon."
Trinity College has announced a series of measures in response to concerns raised by students taking part in a pro-Palestinian encampment protest on its grounds.

Visitors have been unable to access the historic Book of Kells since the action began on Friday evening when the activists set up tents inside the campus of the prestigious Dublin university.

The students taking part in the protest have vowed to maintain the blockade until the university cuts all ties with Israel.

University management met with student representatives on Monday to discuss the situation.

The Book of Kells has been closed to the public due to the protest (Brian Lawless/PA)

Following the meeting, Trinity confirmed it had initiated a process to divest from investments in companies that are active in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as identified on the UN Blacklist. It said this process would be completed by June.

Trinity is also setting up a taskforce to examine its links to Israeli universities and institutions in other states.

The university also made clear it supported the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must take all measures prevent genocidal acts in Gaza.

The college also outlined details of its initiative to support Palestinian scholars taking places on Trinity courses.

Trinity also made clear it was treating the encampment as an internal matter  a statement that appeared to rule out the university calling in gardai.

A further meeting with student representatives is scheduled for Tuesday.

We wish for a return to normal services for our students, staff, and the public as soon as possible, Trinity said in a statement.

Outgoing students union president Laszlo Molnarfi described the development as a partial victory.

He insisted the protest would continue until all their demands are met.

This proves the power of student and staff protest for Palestine, and this should raise the confidence for other students to push for apartheid free campuses, he posted on X.

Weve witnessed a historic mass movement on the march for seven months, and while our partial victory today is just the first step, it hopefully will be one towards ending Irelands complicity in the oppression of Palestinians, bringing them closer to a liberated future.

The scenes at Trinity follow a wave of similar student protests at university campuses across the US.

The encampment was initiated days after it emerged that the university authorities had fined the students union more than 200,000 euro over previous protests on campus.

It invoiced the union for 214,285 euro after a series of demonstrations about fees and rent, as well as pro-Palestinian solidarity protests.

The university cited a loss of revenue due to blockades of the Book of Kells and famous Long Room library among the reasons for the fine.

The protesting students are calling for a retroactive amnesty for students involved in protests on campus and the rescinding of the bill imposed on the students union.
Matt and Karen Smith visiting Glacier National Park. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith.

A Gen X couple who has been to all 63 national parks says some are better than others in the summer.

Matt and Karen Smith would avoid parks like Death Valley because of killer summer temperatures.

The best to visit in the summer are high alpine national parks.

There are 63 national parks in the US, but according to a couple who have been to all of them, not every park is a summer destination.

Matt and Karen Smith, both 63, told Business Insider they left their jobs in 2010 with the sole mission of visiting every US national park after being inspired by their friends Bob and Sue.

Since then, the couple has written several books about their national park experiences and shares their tips and tricks on an Instagram page with over 247,000 followers as of May 2024 and on their podcast, "Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast."

The National Parks Service reported earlier this year that over 325 million people visited at least one national park last year, a 4% increase from the year prior.

With popularity close to an all-time high, here are eight parks the Smiths advise going to in the summer and two they'd recommend avoiding.

Visiting Death Valley in the summer can be a killer  "literally."

Death Valley National Park is in California. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

If you're considering stopping by Death Valley this summer, the Smiths would highly encourage otherwise.

As much as they love the Californian desert park, hiking the Gower Gulch Loop, and soaking in the sunset views from the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Matt and Karen said the sweltering heat conditions in the summer aren't worth the hassle.

"We love Death Valley," Matt said. "Don't go to Death Valley in the summer. It's not because Death Valley is a bad park. It's that the heat can kill you, literally."

He has a point. In early July 2023, tourists made headlines for arriving at the park in droves despite the NPS issuing multiple warnings of a dangerous heat wave reaching temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Several deaths were reported in the aftermath, including that of an older hiker, who the NPS reported was discovered collapsed by a restroom near the Golden Canyon trailhead.

For a safer, less brutally hot visit, the Smiths recommend planning a trip in January or February.

The same goes for Joshua Tree, which the Smiths say can also be "brutally hot."

Sunset at Joshua Tree National Park, a popular getaway for residents of Los Angeles and San Diego. Frank DeBonis/Getty Images

In the same vein, Matt and Karen would advise against visiting Joshua Tree National Park in the summer as it can get "brutally hot."

Instead, they say the best time to go is January and February when temperatures are cooler.

When you arrive, they suggest trekking their favorite hike, the Panorama Loop, which they say is less crowded and offers great views.

Among the best parks to visit in the summer is North Cascades in Washington.

North Cascades National Park is in Washington. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

According to Karen, some of the best national parks to visit in the summer are high alpine parks "in the general northwest part of the country."

The Smiths say North Cascades is a prime example and provides a perfect visit from July to September.

The alpine hiking trails are reminiscent of the Swiss Alps and make you feel like you're in the wilderness despite only being a few hours from busy cities and towns like Bellingham and Mount Vernon, they added.

Another summer favorite of the Smiths is Mount Rainier, also in Washington.

Mount Rainier National Park is in Washington. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

Mount Rainier is only a few hours from the Smiths home in Washington, which is convenient since it's one of their favorite parks to visit in the summer.

"Mount Rainier isn't quite as popular as some of the others, but Mount Rainier is incredible," Karen said. "It's like you're in Switzerland. It's world-class hiking at Mount Rainier."

One of their favorite spots in the park is the Sunrise area, which they say is accessible by car from July 1. "Mount Rainier is literally in your face," Karen added.

A summertime visit to Glacier is worth it for the views alone, the Smiths say.

Glacier National Park is in Montana. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

In Montana lies Glacier National Park, which the Smiths say offers hiking experiences in areas like Logan Pass or Many Glacier that rival the Swiss Alps.

Besides the hiking, the couple says the best reason to visit Glacier is for the panoramic views you get while driving down the Going-to-the-Sun road.

The only caveat the Smiths have is that the window of time to visit Glacier in the summer is slightly tighter. They'd recommend visiting from mid-July to mid-September, though, toward the end of that period, they warn that weather can turn from full-on summer to winter storms in just a few days.

Your chances of getting unobstructed views of Crater Lake are higher in the summer.

Crater Lake National Park is in Oregon. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

Another national park that the Smiths recommend visiting in the summer is Crater Lake in Oregon. One of the reasons is that many of the roads in the park "don't open until at least July 1," Karen said.

But, more importantly, the couple say views along the rim of the crater are the most spectacular and unobstructed by clouds during the summer, from July to September.

Yosemite is "a beauty" during the warmer months of the year.

Yosemite National Park is in California. Michael Gerard Santos Ceralde/Getty Images

Yosemite is "a beauty" and "a great one to visit" from July to September, Matt says.

It's not impossible to visit in the winter, he added, but it's not the same since most of the high-elevation areas and roads are closed off.

As Yosemite is one of the most popular national parks, the couple likes to avoid crowds by opting for less popular high-country trails in the Tioga Pass area, which they say are just as good as the more well known trails.

An underrated alternative to Yosemite that is just as beautiful in the summer is Kings Canyon.

Kings Canyon National Park is in California. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

For those interested in escaping the crowds at a national park in the summer, the Smiths would encourage looking into Kings Canyon in California.

The Cedar Grove area of the park is similar to Yosemite Valley, but without the crowds, they say. While access depends on the snow conditions, they say the best chances of a successful visit is from July to September.

Sequoia National Park is another great option for those looking to beat the crowds in the summer.

Sequoia National Park is in California. Elena Pueyo/Getty Images

As the name suggests, the towering Sequoia trees are the main draw of visiting this national park, the Smiths said.

However, they say it's also home to some great hiking, through areas like the Giant Forest and trails leading to the top of Moro Rock.

Given the park's high elevation, Sequoia gets quite a bit of snow. According to the couple, it's best to go in the summer when temperatures are warmer and the snow has melted. That said, hiking in the winter when the roads are cleared can be a magical experience.

If you're a wildlife lover, be sure to visit Yellowstone in the early summer.

Yellowstone National Park is mostly in Wyoming. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

The Smiths' favorite activities in Yellowstone are hiking to the overlook of the Grand Prismatic Spring and driving through the Lamar Valley to see bison roaming.

From late spring to mid-June, the couple say visitors also have the opportunity to see a lot of baby bison, nicknamed "Red Dogs" for the orange tint of their fur after they're born.

It's important to remember that it can snow in Yellowstone no matter the time of year. However, Matt and Karen say it's generally not an issue from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Grand Teton is Yellowstone's "sister park" and is also perfect to visit in the summer.

Grand Teton National Park is in Wyoming. Courtesy of Matt and Karen Smith

"Grand Teton is another phenomenal park that you should visit in the summer," Karen said, specifically between Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Located less than a three-hour drive from Yellowstone, the park is home to a bounty of wildlife, including grizzly bears, so the couple encourages visitors to carry bear spray with them.

Being the avid hikers they are, the couple recommends hiking to the west side of Jenny Lake and into Cascade Canyon, where they say they regularly spot moose.

Denali is just one of the 15 national parks in Alaska that the Smiths recommend for summer visits.

Denali National Park is in Alaska. KeenaiPhotography / iStock

"If people want to see the Alaska parks, you want to go in the summer," Karen said.

While some of the Alaska parks are pretty remote and less accessible, like Wrangell St. Elias, one of the most convenient to visit is Denali.

"It's just a couple of hours north of Anchorage," Karen said. "So it's one of the easiest parks to get to and it's also phenomenal."

The couple said that with a permit, visitors can ride a bus into the park and enjoy the vast wilderness it offers.

Matt and Karen added that the best time to go is in August because it's less cloudy, so there's a higher chance of getting a clear view of the mountain, and, importantly, because there are mosquitos.

Read the original article on Business Insider
May 7, 2024 at 1:26 AM

A 10-month-girl police said was abducted Friday from a New Mexico park where her mother and another woman were discovered dead has been found and a suspect is in custody, the FBI announced Monday morning.

The bureau did not provide further details on Eleia Maria Torres condition and the suspect was not immediately named.

Eleias 5-year-old sister was also found injured at the park and is recovering, police said Sunday.

Investigators discovered the infant was missing after responding to a call shortly before 4:30 p.m. Friday about two women found dead at the park near Clovis, a city in eastern New Mexico that is more than 200 miles east of Albuquerque and about 100 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas.

The women, both 23, were found with apparent gunshot wounds on the ground near a minivan, the police statement said.

They were identified by investigators as Samantha Cisneros, Eleias mother, and Taryn Allen.

The 5-year-old was found suffering from an injury to her head, police said, and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The fathers of both children have been working with the investigation team, police said at a news conference Sunday.

At the scene, officers also discovered an infant car seat, an infant stroller and a small baby bottle at the scene, and began searching for a young child, police said.

Through interviews with family members, investigators learned Samantha Cisneros was the mother to the young female child found at the scene and was also the mother to a 10-month-old child, Eleia Maria Torres, the news release said.

The FBI helped local police with the investigation.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Christine Sever contributed to this report.

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Teresa Scharf knew as a child that shed been adopted into her American family by way of an orphanage in Athens, Greece.

As a military dependent and an only child, Scharf moved from place to place, never quite feeling rooted.

She also never felt the warm love she craved from her adoptive parents, who are no longer alive.

I affectionately refer to them as the male and female parental units, Scharf says in an interview with TODAY.com. There are some people who should never have children. (My adoptive parents) happened to be some of them. They were not warm, cuddly, cozy, comfortable people. They were very negative and very critical. I could never do anything right.

Growing up as an adopted child in a household with limited affirmation, Scharf grappled with questions of identity and belonging.

"One of the characteristics of being adopted is that there is almost an innate sense of rejection," she explains. "That took me until I was in my 30s to work through."

Scharf says that forming a loving family of her own helped. In 1978, she married her husband and had two children: A son, who is 38 and a daughter, who is 36.

"(My son) is married and has two children and a third on the way," she says with a smile. "And we have a daughter who is 36, who is married and lives right next door. We're very close with both of our children and our grandchildren."

However, it wasn't until a longtime friend's persistent nagging that Scharf actually set out on a journey to find her own roots, which took her to the olive groves of Greece. Finally, in her 60s, Scharf came into the sense of belonging she'd longed for all of her life.

Three years ago, Scharf friend sent her an article from The Greek Reporter about the Eftychia Project. The nonprofit organization, founded by Linda Carol Trotter, a Greek adoptee who reunited with her biological family nearly seven years ago, has been a beacon of hope for Greek-born adoptees looking to connect their roots.

"I immediately got on my computer and sent (Trotter) an email, thinking, you know, 'Whatever,' but she responded within two hours," said Scharf, who was 61 years old at the time.

The organization encouraged Scharf to take a DNA test, the results of which tied her to a first cousin in Chicago whom she'd never met or heard of.

In time, and after help from the Eftychia Project, Scharf was able to travel to Chicago and meet her cousin face-to-face, along with his wife and family.

"I spent a weekend with them and had a marvelous time. I learned many things," she says. "Afterward, my cousin got in touch with all of his cousins  all of our cousins  in Greece."

Within a matter of months, the Eftychia Project helped sponsor and arrange a group trip to Greece for other adoptees like Scharf. While there, Scharf's Chicago relative helped connect her to his sister, who lives in Athens.

"I met her and had dinner with her and then she invited me to come stay at her apartment with her," Scharf explains. "I was only going to stay with her a couple of days and then fly back to the U.S. The second day I was there, she said to me, 'I wish you could extend your trip because I would like to take you to the village where our family is from.'"

Scharf says that with the support of her employer and her husband, she changed her plans and headed to the village where her grandparents had lived, where she was able to meet even more first cousins.

The Eftychia Project arranged for Scharf's new-found family to take DNA tests to see if any of them yielded closer connections. All came back as first cousins. But there were two individuals who hadn't been tested.

Between Scharfs return to the United States in late October and Christmas 2023, one of the cousins who had not tested and whom Teresa had not yet met, agreed to do a DNA test, stopping by Trotters home in Greece to do so.

Shortly after Scharf returned to the United States, she received a call from Trotter.

"I said, 'Are you sitting down?'" Trotter recalls to TODAY.com. "And she goes, 'Yeah, why?'"

It turns out Scharf had made a match with a sibling: 59-year-old Dr. Angeliki (called Angie) Palaiologou, a university professor.

When I called my sister in Greece to tell her the results, we were like two 10-year-old girls just giggling and laughing and just enjoying the joy of the moment, Scharf recalls.

Until Scharf made the connection, Palaiologou was their fathers only known child  though her extended family often joked he might have had another.

"And then, of course, immediately Teresa is planning a trip to Greece," Trotter adds.

Trotter, who spends at least six months out of the year at her home in Greece, happened to be there when Scharf was due to arrive to meet her sister. Scharf asked her to come to the airport to capture photos and videos of their first meeting, which took place at the Athens airport on March 17.

Scharf stayed with Palaiologou, where they caught up on each other's lives. Palaiologou shared details about their father, who had died 12 years prior.

Teresa and Angie Sharf (Courtesy The Eftychia Project)

Palaiologou was able to draw various parallels between their father and Scharf. Both share similar expressions and personalities.

"But more so, as she was talking and telling me things about him, she was describing my son," Scharf says. "(My son's) personality is almost exactly like his grandfather's."

Scharf's biological father and her son share a military background. Her father served as a colonel in the Greek army and her son recently retired from the American Army as a major.

By the end of the trip, the sisters had formed a special bond. When Palaiologou suggested that Scharf's return wouldnt bring significant changes, Scharf disagreed. She says the entire journey had a profound impact on how she would move forward.

Teresa and Angie Sharf (Courtesy The Eftychia Project)

"It doesn't change it, but it enhances it," Scharf says. "I had no identity as to who I was. I didn't know who I was part of. So this has changed everything. I absolutely now have an identity."

Scharf is actively cultivating her connection to her Greek heritage.

"I am endeavoring to learn the language," she says, logging on to Zoom from her home in Ohio to work with an instructor in Greece once a week.

"I do my I do my homework and study," she says. She's also planning a return trip to Greece, and wants to go "as often as (she) can."

"My life has changed tremendously. It's all really wonderful. To be alone and not know you have a sibling until you're 64 years old, and I just met her. It's spectacular. It's really, really amazing," she says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday it was reviewing a response by Hamas to a ceasefire and hostage release deal, and continued to press Israel not to launch a large-scale military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

CIA Director Williams Burns was in the region having discussions on the Hamas response, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. He declined to provide any details of what had been agreed, saying he did not want to jeopardize any deal.

"We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance," Kirby said, adding that reaching an agreement would be the "absolute best outcome."

Kirby said U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for about 30 minutes about Rafah and the hostage and ceasefire proposal, before the Hamas response was received.

He described it as a constructive discussion.

"It wasn't a pressure call, it wasn't about twisting his arm towards a certain set of parameters," Kirby said.

He said Burns was discussing the Hamas response with Israel. "We are at a critical stage right now," he said. "It wasn't like we had a heads up about it."

Kirby told reporters Biden reiterated his clear position to Netanyahu that the United States does "not support ground operations in Rafah," adding that Israel should not proceed with an invasion plan unless it shows how to protect hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians there.

One U.S. official said Israel was not negotiating in good faith. "Netanyahu and the war cabinet have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations (with Hamas) in good faith, the official told Reuters.

Biden's call with Netanyahu came hours after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah.

The evacuation order sparked fears of a full-blown assault in Rafah, long threatened by Israel, against holdouts of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, seven months after Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and took 252 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's massive retaliation in response has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, health officials in the Hamas-ruled enclave say, and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.

"President Biden updated the prime minister on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through ongoing talks today in Doha, Qatar. The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need," the White House said.

The Kerem Shalom crossing, located in southern Gaza near Rafah, was shut after four Israeli soldiers were killed nearby on Sunday in a rocket attack claimed by Hamas.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; additional reporting by Ismail Shakil and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot, Peter Graff)
Callum and Jake Robinson, and Carter Rhoad went missing in Mexico

Mexican authorities on Sunday confirmed the American and two Australian tourists who went missing in northern Mexico last week are dead after their bodies were identified by their parents.

The bodies of Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, as well as Carter Rhoad, 30, were found at the bottom of a well in Baja California state earlier this week after a days-long search.

The three foreigners went missing while on a vacation surfing near the popular tourist town of Ensenada, about 90 minutes south of the US-Mexico border on the Pacific coast.

Baja California state Attorney Generals Office said in a statement the confirmation was issued once the parents of the victims were able to identify them, without the need of genetic tests.

State Attorney General Elena Andrade told the parents and diplomatic officials that there was total institutional commitment to continue with the investigation of these unfortunate events until those responsible receive the full weight of the law, the statement added.

On Saturday, Ms Andrade said that the bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition at the bottom of a well more than 15 metres (50 ft) deep.

A source from the attorney generals office told Reuters that all three bodies had a shot in the head.

Pictured is Callum Robinson (left) with brother Jake (right)

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers offered his condolences to the families of Callum and Jake and said the whole country mourned with them.

We can only imagine what this ordeal has been like for them and for the loved ones of Callum and Jake, he said at a news conference.

It has been an absolutely horrendous, absolutely horrific ordeal and our thoughts are with all of them today.

Surfers shot by car thieves

Three people have so far been arrested, officials say. A burnt-out vehicle believed to have been used by the three surfers was also found in the area.

Mexican authorities preliminary hypothesis is that the arrested individuals attempted to carjack the foreigners and when the surfers resisted they were shot and their bodies dumped in a well.

The vehicle the surfers were travelling in

The three surfers were last seen on April 27 and reported missing a couple of days later, when authorities launched a multi-day search with the help from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Baja California is one of Mexicos most violent states, although the Ensenada area is considered safer. The US State Department advises Americans to reconsider travel to the state due to crime and kidnapping.

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Kim Godwin, the embattled president of ABC News, abruptly announced Sunday evening that she will exit the network, capping a tumultuous three-year run at the outlet after staffers said her polarizing leadership led to plummeting employee morale.

I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism, Godwin told staffers in a memo that rocked the ABC News newsroom.

I have been fortunate and blessed enough to have done almost every job there is in this business, Godwin added. But after considerable reflection, Im certain its the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize whats most important for me and my family.

Godwins sudden exit came after CNN reported earlier this week that Debra OConnell, the Disney (DIS) veteran who was tapped in February to oversee ABC News as part of her portfolio, was conducting a review of her performance and had voiced dissatisfaction in private conversations with the state of affairs at the network.

Morale at ABC News has suffered significantly since Godwin took the helm in 2021, with employees frustrated with her leadership, more than two dozen staffers and others close to the network told CNN this week. The staffers spoke to CNN under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Godwin, staffers told CNN, made several profound errors, including employing a hands-off approach to managing, not developing a strategic vision for the newsroom, eliminating the heads of the talent-relations division and appointing an inner-circle that alienated staffers, among a stream of other complaints. Moreover, while ABCs flagship morning show Good Morning America continues to be a ratings success, it has slipped in viewership in recent months and has flirted with CBS Mornings for third place, raising alarms among staffers.

Godwins allies who spoke to CNN in recent days argued that she employed a different type of leadership style than the networks staffers had grown accustomed to under previous leadership, who had taken a more hands-on approach. But even her allies acknowledged that she perhaps wasnt a good fit to lead the network.

OConnell told employees in a memo that for the time being, she will oversee the network. Thanking staffers for their patience and understanding through this period of transition, OConnell said she is looking forward to working with the leadership team as we forge a new path forward together.

Since assuming this role in February, my goal has been  and will continue to be  to provide this team with the means necessary to build on our success and carry on the proud tradition of ABC News into a future full of opportunity and innovation, OConnell said.

Over the last few months, complaints about Godwin had made their way to OConnell, who also privately voiced frustration with Godwins leadership and inquired with industry figures about who to install into the C-suite to help repair the damage, according to people familiar with the conversations. Initial inquires had also been made with potential candidates who might be interested in assuming the post of network president in a post-Godwin era, people familiar with the matter told CNN.

Ironically, Godwin entered ABC News three years ago as the first Black woman to lead a broadcast television news division with the mandate of healing its culture, only to exacerbate its problems and help sap the competitive spirit that once coursed through and animated the newsroom.

It was not clear when the decision was made for Godwin and ABC News to part ways, but Godwin as recently as Friday was leading editorial meetings at the Disney-owned network.

Disney announced in February that Godwin had renewed her contract to lead ABC News, even as the company installed OConnell in a new role overseeing her portfolio  a sign that chief executive Bob Iger had doubts about Godwins stewardship of the news division. After OConnell was appointed, Godwin privately voiced displeasure about being layered away from Iger and bemoaned what she called Disneys micromanagement. A spokesperson for Disney declined to say on Sunday whether the company would pay out the remainder of her contract.

I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success, Godwin wrote in her note to staff.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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7 best budgeting apps of August 2024: $0 and low-cost ways to organize your finances the modern way

Looking for a modern way to track your everyday spending, organize your finances and grow your savings  without breaking the bank? Luckily, many of the best budgeting apps can help you track expenses and set financial goals at little to no cost. Still others go further, packing a variety of robust features to help you personalize your savings goals, stay on top of your investments, plan for retirement and more, with alerts designed to keep you on the right financial path. Some even ferret out ways to help you save a little extra cash  a handy feature if youre on a fixed income.

To save you time, we analyzed 15 of the most popular budgeting apps available on Google Play and the App Store, comparing a range of product benefits and details while prioritizing functionality and cost to narrow down our best picks for a wide range of savers and budgeting goals.

1. Best overall budgeting app: YNAB

YNAB (You Need A Budget) Best overall budgeting app YNAB (You Need A Budget) The basics

Free 34-day trial

Supports desktop, iOS and Android  What it costs

$109 annual subscription ($9 a month) starting August 1

$15 monthly subscription  User ratings

Apple Store: 4.8 out of 5 stars (51,810 reviews)

Google Play: 4.7 out of 5 stars (19,110 reviews) Pros Connects multiple budget, loans and savings account types

34-day free trial requires no credit card

Chat with real human support

Promises not to sell your data or info shared in the app Cons Not a free budget app  requires monthly subscription

Not ideal for tracking investment portfolios Get it for $109 a year or $15 a month at YNAB

Why we like it

YNAB  short for You Need a Budget  helps you plan ahead with your finances, and not just keep track of and analyze what youve spent. It uses a zero-based budgeting approach, a strategy that assigns every dollar you earn to a designated spending category, leaving zero dollars unaccounted for.

YNAB is ideal if youre looking for granular control over your budget and to identify trends in spending habits. With YNAB, you set targets for customized spending categories  like savings, spending, monthly expenses, debt or travel. You then link your banking, credit card, loans and other financial accounts to the app and assign your money to your categories, helping you to understand exactly how your budget will play out.

Other benefits include net worth reporting and educational resources. Theres even a YNAB subreddit, where fans of the app talk about money success stories and user tips, including unofficial YNAB extensions for more flexible features from your browser.

YNAB doesnt support a free version of its app, though new users can take advantage of a 34-day free trial without a credit card. Otherwise, it offers subscriptions of $14.99 a month or $109 a year (a $70 savings over monthly). Yet even with a subscription fee, YNAB earns high praise from customers who claim the app is life changing  once you get the hang of it.

Why its not for everybody

YNAB charges a subscription fee, which means if youre after a free budget app youll want to look at other apps in our list, like Goodbudget or Empower. It also doesnt offer features for tracking an investment portfolio. And unlike some other apps, it uses 128-bit encryption  which industry experts dont consider as secure as the 256-bit AES encryption gold standard.

2. Best Mint alternative: Monarch Money

Monarch Money Best Mint alternative Monarch Money The basics

Free 7-day trial

Supports desktop, iOS and Android  What it costs

$100 annual subscription ($8.33 a month)

$15 monthly subscription  User ratings

Apple Store: 4.9 out of 5 stars (24,580 reviews)

Google Play: 4.7 out of 5 stars (5,370 reviews) Pros Works like Mint  and can import your Mint data

Share budget with up to 5 family members

High customer praise for design and reporting Cons Not a free budget app  requires monthly subscription

Zero-based budgeting requires hands-on approach

Some users cite connectivity and data issues Get it for $100 a year or $15 a month at Monarch Money

Why we like it

With Mint no longer available, you may be one of the millions of users searching for a Mint replacement to manage your money and track spending. Enter Monarch Money  an app thats similar to Mints functionality.

Like Mint, Monarch Money offers a user-friendly interface with zero-based budgeting tools, cash flow planning, investment tracking, personalized financial goals and a customizable dashboard with visual tracking. Like Mint, you can split transactions with Monarch, and its also available on the same platforms at Mint, helping a smooth changeover.

Monarch earns good ratings on Google Play and the Apple Store, with customers supporting that a switch from Mint was relatively easy, some even saying that Monarchs features are better than Mints.

Monarchs subscription fees are similar to YNABs: $14.99 a month or $100 a year (which saves you about $80). And it offers a seven-day free trial for new customers to try out the app.

Why its not for everybody

Monarch Money charges a monthly subscription fee that, while aligning with YNABs fee, is relatively high. And some novice users may find the interface, with its abundance of analytics and reports, complicated. The company is also vague about its security measures, saying on its site only that it uses bank level security.

Also room to pause: In January  about the time that Mint users began switching to new apps  we began seeing complaints in the Monarch Money subreddit about connectivity and other issues. At least one redditor skeptical of the advertising cites issues with data that might concern advanced Mint users.

3. Best for building good money habits: Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi Best for building good money habits Quicken Simplifi The basics

Supports desktop, iOS and Android  What it costs

$3 a month, billed annually  User ratings

Apple Store: 4.2 out of 5 stars (3,770 reviews)

Google Play: 4.3 out of 5 stars (2,250 reviews) Pros Connects banking, investments, loans and card accounts

Watchlist and reminders can keep new budgeters on track

30-day money-back guarantee Cons Not a free budget app

Customer support through app only

Not as robust as other Quicken products Get it for $3 a month at Quicken Simplifi

Why we like it

Backed by money management giant Quicken, Simplifi calls itself best for most people due to a clean dashboard, flexible tools and simple reporting that can meet most budgeters needs. Like other budgeting apps, Simplifi allows you to sync broad types of financial accounts and track monthly plan spending and savings goals. New users can start with its Spending Plan, which organizes your money into broad categories like income, bills and savings goals, showing you whats left to spend or save each month. It also supports watchlists that monitor your spending and trigger alerts if youre at risk of straying from your goals.

A newer feature is Simplifis investments dashboard that offers a way to see your portfolio and chart performance against real-time quotes, though app functionality doesnt appear to be as robust as desktop  or even other competitors.

At $3 a month, paid by annual subscription, Simplifi is cheaper than competitors like YNAB and Monarch, and new subscribers can request a refund within 30 days if it doesnt meet your needs. Simplifi also relies on the same security protocols as other Quicken products, which include 256-bit AES encryption and multifactor authentication to protect your personal and financial information.

Chat support is available through the app, where you can request phone support for more-complicated issues. Quicken also hosts an active forum for fans to ask questions and request features theyd like to see in future Simplifi updates.

Why its not for everybody

Customers like the beauty of Simplifi but say you cant customize its dashboard or categories as well as other apps, which means you might get stuck with features or functionality that isnt useful to you  which could be a little too simple for advanced budgeters.

Account syncing might also be a problem, depending on your accounts, with users reporting days-long lags in transactions and issues linking to some credit unions and investments platforms.

4. Best for budgeting beginners: Goodbudget

Goodbudget Best for budgeting beginners Goodbudget The basics

Supports desktop, iOS and Android  What it costs

Free version offers 20 envelopes  10 regular and 10 annual

$80 annual subscription ($6.70 a month) for advanced features

$10 monthly subscription for unlimited envelopes  Ratings

Apple Store: 4.6 out of 5 stars (12,880 reviews)

Google Play: 4 out of 5 stars (19,250 reviews) Pros Free version supports essential budgeting features

Debt-payoff planners include avalanche and snowball methods

Useful reports and financial insights track income and expenses

Supports budgeting for couples Cons Lacks ability to track investments

Paid subscription required for expanded envelopes, accounts and device support

You must enter transactions manually Get it for free at Goodbudget

Why we like it

Unlike many budgeting apps, Goodbudget  formerly Easy Envelope Budget Aid, or EEBA  is an offline app that embraces the popular envelope budgeting method. Its offline, because it doesnt link to your financial accounts. Instead, you enter transactions and stash your money in different digital envelopes for various expenses.

Great for beginning budgeters, Goodbudget offers a tangible experience in monitoring your spending habits, with planners that incorporate popular strategies for paying down debt. It prompts you to fill your envelopes and keeps you informed with personalized reports. The website also features a blog, podcast and free online courses to improve financial literacy.

Goodbudgets free version includes functionality that can support most budgeters in managing and monitoring spending, including 10 regular envelopes for everyday budgeting and 10 annual envelopes for longer-term savings goals. The paid version  which recently increased in price  expands the number of accounts, devices and transactions you can track and allows you access to email support.

Because it doesnt link to your actual bank accounts, you never share your logins or password with the app. And your personal data is protected with 256-bit AES encryption.

Why its not for everybody

As an offline app, Goodbudget doesnt offer the same powerful features and real-time reporting found in other budgeting apps, which could be frustrating for advanced budgeters. You also need to manually download or enter your financial data into the app to manage your income against expenses.

5. Best for personal investors: Empower

Empower Best for personal investors Empower The basics

Supports iOS and Android  What it costs

Free standard version

0.89% management fee for financial advisor  User ratings

Apple Store: 4.7 out of 5 stars (43,450 reviews)

Google Play: 4.3 out of 5 stars (19,200 reviews) Pros Free app offering clean design and dashboard

Connects multiple banking, investment and loan accounts

Track your net worth and investment portfolio

Promises not to sell your data Cons Not available on desktop

While unique, wealth management services require hefty fee and portfolio

Users complain about glitches and heavy promotion of paid services Get it for free at Empower

Why we like it

Empower is a free app backed by a financial management firm that packs in a powerful range of budgeting and investment tools using a clear, easy-to-use interface. Its ideal for both new and advanced budgeters  and can also make a good replacement for the discontinued Mint app.

Empower provides a single view of all of your accounts, including checking and savings, credit cards, investment accounts, mortgages and loans. You can view your transactions and spending by category, and use the net worth and portfolio tracker to stay on top of your finances.

Empower is available both for desktop and mobile, offering two options for managing your money. And it encrypts customer data with 256-bit AES encryption and multilayer key management for heightened security.

Why its not for everybody

While Empowers standard features are free to use, youll pay a high 0.89% management fee for wealth management support from a financial advisor  a feature thats available only for portfolios of $100,000 or more. Its also been criticized by some reviewers for glitchy services and weaker charting than other apps. Still others complain about aggressive pop-ups, email and even sales calls promoting Empowers wealth management services (though you can opt out with an email to donotcall@personalwealth.empower.com).

6. Best for paying off debt: PocketGuard

PocketGuard Best for paying off debt PocketGuard The basics

Supports iOS and Android  What it costs

Free basic version

$13 monthly subscription for PocketGuard Plus

$75 annual subscription ($6.25 a month) for PocketGuard Plus  User ratings

Apple Store: 4.6 out of 5 stars (7,030 reviews)

Google Play: 4 out of 5 stars (2,230 reviews) Pros Connects a range of accounts that includes banking, credit and investments

Debt-payoff plans including avalanche or snowball strategies

Spending reports and financial insights

Doesnt sell your data Cons Not available on desktop

Free version lacks many features

Not designed for tracking or benchmarking investments

Support available by email only Get it for free at PocketGuard

Why we like it

The PocketGuard app is packed with features for creating custom budgets, tracking your spending and gaining insights into your expenses. Its built-in debt-payoff plans can also help you pay down and get out of debt faster. And if youre switching from Mint, PocketGuard can walk you through how to import your transactions for faster setup.

Like YNAB, PocketGuard follows a zero-based budgeting method that assigns a job to each dollar, and users like that it keeps tabs on your transactions, spotting recurring bills. PocketGuard Plus can even negotiate better bill deals, trim subscriptions and set savings targets  all while you pay down debt.

Users online generally agree that PocketGuard is intuitive and easy to use, with most complaints calling out a 2024 change in pricing  from a lifetime subscription to renewable monthly and annual fees.

In addition to using 256-bit SSL and advanced encryption standards, PocketGuard offers biometrics and PIN code protection to protect your financial information if you lose your phone.

Why its not for everybody

PocketGuards strength is its unlimited, customizable budgets, personal payoff plans and financial insights  features that require a PocketGuard Plus subscription. And while you can link investment accounts for a clearer picture of your overall net worth, the app lacks investment planning features to monitor, benchmark or build your portfolio.

7. Best for couples: Honeydue

Honeydue Best for couples Honeydue The basics

Supports iOS and Android  What it costs

Free  User ratings

Apple Store: 4.5 out of 5 stars (8,850 reviews)

Google Play: 3.9 out of 5 stars (2,500 reviews) Pros Free to use  no paid subscription needed

Connects banking, credit card, investment and loan accounts

Separates out expenses

Joint bank account with no fees Cons Not available on desktop

Customer support by email only

Lacks detailed analytics and reporting

Sells data to third parties unless you opt out Get it for free at Honeydue

Why we like it

If youre among the 25% of couples who say money is their greatest relationship challenge, Honeydue may be a way to smooth over your shared money issues. Its also completely free to use and comes with an optional joint banking account with zero fees.

The app provides you and a partner with a quick view of your bank accounts, credit cards, loans and investments. It categorizes both shared and individual expenses, syncs with your bank and credit accounts, sends bill payment reminders and lets you chat with your partner within the app.

Honeydue also offers multifactor authentication, PIN and Touch ID to help protect your information, should you lose your phone.

Why its not for everybody

Honeydue lacks some of the advanced budgeting features you can find with other apps, like goal setting, investment tracking and detailed reporting. Though unlike the other apps on our list, Honeydue is transparent about disclosing your information to third parties  but you can choose to opt out.

What to look for in a budgeting app

When youre on the hunt for a budgeting app, look for benefits and features that best fit your financial goals and the way you manage your money. Think about those that offer a free version or a limited free trial with enough time to test-drive the app before committing, among other key elements to compare, including:

Features that fit your needs. Some apps support simple budget tracking only, while others offer services that monitor your savings and alert you when youve gone off track. Still others allow you to track investments or build a portfolio.

Supported devices. Make sure the app is compatible with the technology you actually use, whether its your desktop computer, your phone or across devices.

Ability to try it for free. Look for apps that offer a free version or trial with enough time that allows for test-driving what it has to offer before you commit.

Bank account syncing. Apps that sync with your banking, credit cards and other accounts can provide real-time insight into your spending and simplify your budgeting.

Customizable categories. Pick an app that lets you personalize spending categories to match your lifestyle, spending habits and budgeting preferences.

Security features. Prioritize apps that are up front about how they protect your personal and financial information, with security measures like multifactor authentication and 256-bit AES encryption.

Privacy policies. Read the apps privacy policies to learn whether they plan to sell your data to third parties. Free apps are more likely to engage in this practice, but not always.

Customer support. Most budgeting apps support help by email or live chat through an app or website. Test how long it takes to get help during your trial period to see if it meets your needs.

Dig deeper: 5 popular budgeting strategies  and how to find the best fit for financial motivation

128-bit vs. 256-bit AES encryption  whats the difference?

The difference between these two advanced encryption standards (AES) lies in the length of the keys used to encrypt and decrypt your data, or digitally convert your data from a randomized version of numbers to a readable form. These keys are represented by a unique string of either 128 or 256 digits, depending on the encryption standard.

Both standards can sufficiently secure your data, but the gist is that because a 256-bit key is significantly longer than a 156-bit key, its harder to break or compromise  making it the industrys benchmark for banks and financial apps entrusted to store and transmit sensitive personal identifiable information and financial data.

How we chose the best budgeting apps

We evaluated 15 of the most popular budgeting apps available on Google Play and the App Store as of July 1, 2024, analyzing each app against monthly subscription fees and a series of features that include:

Syncing with a range of financial accounts

Detailed expense tracking by category

Financial goal setting and investment planning

Information sharing among family members

Debt reduction and money-saving features

Security features and privacy policies  after all, youre entrusting the app with your personal and financial information

We also read through customer reviews on Google Play, the Apple Store, Trustpilot and Reddit to better understand actual user experiences  the good and the bad.

Sources

About the writer

Kat Aoki is a seasoned finance writer who's written thousands of articles to empower people to better understand technology, fintech, banking, lending and investments. Her expertise has been featured on sites like Forbes Advisor, Lifewire and Finder, with bylines at top technology brands in the U.S. and Australia. Kat strives to empower consumers and business owners to make informed decisions and choose the right financial products for their needs.

Article edited by Kelly Suzan Waggoner
 Flash

People inspect a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,683, said the Hamas-run health authorities in a press statement on Sunday.

It added that the Israeli army killed 29 people and wounded 110 during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,683 and injuries to 78,018 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October.

The statement noted that some victims remained under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defense and ambulance crews.

Israel has been launching 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.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Monday it had begun encouraging residents of Rafah to evacuate the southern Gazan city as part of a 'limited scope' operation, but did not immediately confirm media reports this was part of preparation for a ground assault.

Seven months into its offensive against Hamas, Israel has said Rafah harbours thousands of the Palestinian Islamist groups fighters and that victory is impossible without taking the city.

But with more than a million displaced Palestinians sheltering there, the prospect of a high-casualty operation worries Western powers and neighbouring Egypt.

In what appeared to be the beginning of a civilian evacuation ahead of a ground assault, the Israeli military called on Palestinians in eastern parts of Rafah to move to a nearby "humanitarian area".

In a statement on Monday, the military said posters, text messages, phone calls and media announcements would be used to encourage ... the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas.

Although people were being moved into humanitarian areas that were "safer", the Israeli military cautioned that Hamas was known to fire from those areas.

It added that it was not setting a timeframe for the Rafah evacuation, however, but would make operational assessments.

It estimated it would need to move 100,000 people from Rafah in the 'limited scope' evacuation.

Earlier, an Israeli broadcaster, Army Radio, had said Israel's armed forces had begun evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault, although the military did not confirm that report.

Army Radio said evacuations were focused on a few peripheral districts of Rafah, from which evacuees would be directed to tent cities in nearby Khan Younis and Al Muwassi.

The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reporting by Dan Williams; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Gazans began leaving eastern Rafah on Monday after Israels military issued a call for residents there to evacuate immediately, raising questions over whether Israel will soon carry out its long-threatened assault on the city.

During nearly seven months of war, more than 1 million Palestinians have fled to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israels destruction of much of the strips north.

The city has become the central focus of the war as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing pressure from the extreme wing of his coalition to launch a full-scale ground operation on Rafah to destroy Hamas, while the more moderate wing has urged him to prioritize securing a ceasefire-for-hostages deal.

It was unclear whether the evacuation order signals a prelude to an assault, but it came a day after Israels defense minister told troops in Gaza to expect intense action in Rafah in the near future. Netanyahu also insisted Israel would defend itself even if forced to stand alone, defying international pressure for his countrys military to limit its campaign in Gaza.

A member of Hamas political bureau, Izzat Al-Rashq, has warned that any incursion into Rafah will not be a picnic for the Israeli military, and that it would put the ceasefire negotiations in jeopardy.

Negotiations over the ceasefire deal have stalled once again, after Israel and Hamas failed to reach an agreement over the weekend. Hamas has demanded Israel commits to ending the war, which Netanyahu has refused, two Israeli sources said. Some Israeli officials hope that the evacuation orders in eastern Rafah will pressure Hamas to change its position, as efforts to strike a deal continue this week.

CIA Director William Burns is continuing negotiations in Doha on Monday, a day after stopping in Cairo for the talks. A senior Biden administration official said Israels warnings about Rafah are directly related to the lack of progress. Israel is trying to put pressure on Hamas, the official said, adding, If it doesnt work, Israel will go in.

After a call with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu agreed to ensure the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing to humanitarian aid. The crossing was closed after it was hit by at least 10 rockets Sunday morning, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), killing three soldiers and injuring three others in an attack claimed by Hamas. The crossing has been central to getting aid into Gaza.

It was unclear if the call for evacuation was in response to the attack at Kerem Shalom. Colonel Nadav Shoshani, the IDFs international spokesperson, said in a briefing that Israels order was a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate and not wide-scale evacuation.

A CNN stringer in Rafahs east said that people were terrified and in a state of panic, while video and images showed displaced people packing their belongings into the back of pick-up trucks, cars and donkey-drawn carts as they prepared to leave.

Children were seen sitting among tanks of fuel and plastic bags filled with possessions, while families left with mattresses strapped to the roof of their cars.

Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokespersons Unit, wrote, For your safety, the Defense Army urges you to evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area at the checkpoints.

Adraee made an urgent call to people who were residing in the municipality of Al-Shawka and in the neighborhoods  Al-Salam, Al-Jneina, Tiba Zaraa, and Al-Bayouk in the Rafah area.

Children wait with their belongings in the back of a truck after Israel's evacuation order, May 6, 2024. - AFP/Getty Images

Israel has ordered Palestinians to leave to Al-Mawasi, a coastal town near the city of Khan Younis, where an expanded humanitarian area has been created.

Im going to Al-Mawasi, I didnt receive any evacuation order. Im leaving before others do. Nothing is left, Abu Ihab Eweida, a Palestinian man in Rafah told Tareq Al Hilou. a local journalist working for CNN.

In a video obtained for CNN, Eweida is seen gathering his aid boxes, blankets and water from his tent in the Jneina camp east of Rafah, where he lived with his two sons.

I dont want to witness what people will do. I will just leave, Eweida said.

The main United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that Al-Mawasi is not appropriate for habitation.

Its really not somewhere thats quite suitable for people to put up tents and to be able to sit and try to live and meet their basic necessities every day, Scott Anderson, Director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, told CNN Monday.

Israels constant bombardment of Gaza since October 7 has devastated the besieged enclave, reducing whole neighborhoods to rubble, throttling food, fuel and water supplies, and forcibly displacing many of those seeking shelter in Rafah multiple times in the seven months of war.

Aid agencies have been warning Israel against launching a full-scale ground invasion of Rafah, saying any ground operation would mean more suffering and death for the 1.2 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in and around the city, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told journalists in Geneva.

Northern Gaza is already experiencing a full-blown famine which is rapidly spreading across the strip, the World Food Programme warned over the weekend.

Meanwhile, Israel is continuing its aerial bombardment of the city. At least 26 people there, including babies and children, were killed in airstrikes overnight into Monday, in an attack targeting 11 houses in a residential area, Gazas Civil Defense said. Eight more people were killed in strikes in other parts of Gaza, according to local officials.

Israel has repeatedly signaled plans to send troops into Rafah, a southern city on the border with Egypt, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians are believed to have taken refuge since October 7.

A woman carries the body of a child killed following overnight Israeli strikes on Rafah, May 6, 2024. - AFP/Getty Images

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant told troops Sunday morning inside Gaza to expect intense action in Rafah in the near future, and in other places all over the strip, because - as he put it - Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement on hostages and a ceasefire.

Flyers dropped from the air

The IDF would also not put an exact timeframe for how long people in eastern Rafah have to evacuate or offer assurances that the area they would move to would not be shelled.

Were having real-time situational assessments and assessing the situation, said the IDFs Shoshani.

He said the current evacuation impacts about 100,000 people.

When asked by CNN about the operational reason for the move Shoshani said, Its part of our of our plans to dismantle Hamas, and as I said, we had a violent reminder of their presence and their operational abilities and welfare yesterday and as part of our plans to dismantle from us and to bring back our hostages.

Previous orders from Israel to evacuate parts of Gaza ahead of military operations have been met with criticism from the United Nations and humanitarian groups, which have repeatedly said there is no safe space in the strip for people to flee to.

The IDF said it dropped flyers into eastern Rafah to residents and people sheltering in the Rafah Camp, the Brazil Camp and the neighborhoods Al-Shabura and Al-Zohour to evacuate as remaining in these areas puts your lives in danger.

Palestinians hold an evacuation order leaflet dropped by Israel's military in the east of the city of Rafah on May 6, 2024 - Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa/picture-alliance/AP

It directed residents toward Al-Mawasi, a narrow, barren, coastal strip to the west of Khan Younis, that has been designated by Israel as an expanded humanitarian area.

However, there is little relief from Israeli bombs or respite from the humanitarian catastrophe throughout the strip, where malnutrition is rapidly spreading and more than 34,600 people have been killed since October, according to Palestinian authorities in Gaza.

In January, 14 people including children were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in Al-Mawasi, local authorities said.

And areas once designated safe zones by the Israeli military have been decimated once forces move in. Early in the war, the Israeli military designated Khan Younis as a safer zone and told residents from northern Gaza to seek shelter there. But as the IDF pushed to the south, Khan Younis became its next focus and the city was left devastated.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said it is not evacuating and that the agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.

Wael Abu Omar, the UNRWA media director at the Rafah crossing said, Until now, the Rafah land crossing has not been closed to passenger traffic. Truck movement and aid entry have been halted at the Rafah commercial and Kerem Shalom crossings since yesterday afternoon.

Correction: This article was updated to remove a quote erroneously attributed to an IDF spokesperson saying residents have days at least to move. The spokesperson did not give a timeline.

CNNs Sandi Sidhu and Ibrahim Dahman contributed to this report.

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Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Kylie Jenners escort at last years Met Gala has claimed he was fired from attending the 2024 ball for upstaging her at the 2023 event.

Italian model Eugenio Casnighi, 26, who was a greeter for the museums previous two events, took to social media to share a video in which he says hed been disinvited from this evenings bash by the organizers because his appearance eclipsed the likes of Jenner last year.

I just got fired from the Met Gala, he begins in the video before showing a picture of him standing next to the reality TV star at the 2023 gala.

Remember me? he then asks as he points at the picture. The clip also shows a throwback of last years event where YouTube influencer Emma Chamberlain is interviewing Blackpinks Jennie Kim.

Feast Your Eyes on Kylie Jenners Met Gala Looks Through the Years: Photos

Casnighi is seen looking dapper in his suit in the background doing his job, but the person recording the interview is distracted by his good looks. The camera pans away from Chamberlain and Kim to focus on him.

Raymond Hall/GC Images

This footage went viral with text appearing on the screen that read: Trying to focus on Emma interviewing Jennie but

Casnighi worked as a model escorting celebs on the red carpet at the Met Gala in 2022 and 2023. Its funny enough, the model said. They fired me so I can say whatever I want now. He then explained that he was meant to return this year only to discover that he wouldnt be making an appearance despite being confirmed to attend a month ago.

Courtesy of Eugenio Casnighi/TikTok

They blamed me, the model said of the organizers. They said you made it about yourself, so we dont want to work with you anymore.

They let me know today that they cut me off, he explained on the TikTok clip. They fired me because I went viral last year. He said was expecting to be working with Jenner all night last year, as he had been instructed to do.

His duties included getting the Kylies Lip Kit founder whatever she needed. He felt he did what was required so is upset hes been removed from the carpet, with just two days notice.

Courtesy of Eugenio Casnighi/TikTok

Its funny because the Met Gala and the company that Im not going to mentionwant models to work the red carpet he told his TikTok followers.

They want people to get noticed. They literally told me we picked you because we like you more than other people. But when people took pictures of the actual celebrity, like Kylie Jenner and was next to her, of course I ended up in the picture.

Which Celebrities Are Attending the 2024 Met Gala?

One fan wrote: They cant handle your beauty that goes viral. Will DEFINITELY be happening again. Another remarked: Im confused how that isnt a good thing? If youre bringing attention to the event, doesnt that benefit the company?

Casnighi also insisted that he has emails and messages that back up his claims and also spilled some behind the scenes goss to Daily Mail on Saturday May 4.

After posting the video, Casnighi revealed that at the past two Met Galas, one celebrity, who he did not name, got in trouble because they started smoking in the tent before the stairs.

Thats not allowed, he explained. But this person did not care. They are very famous, so they can do whatever they want. He said that the organizers asked the star to stop smoking, but they responded: No, what are you going to do about that?

At the end of the video, Casnighi vowed to continue shedding light on his termination.

The Met Gala kicks off tonight, Monday, May 6, at 6pm EST.
A product manager described the differences between working at Google and Meta based on his time at both companies. Tayfun Coskun and Sebastien Bozon/Getty Images

A product manager wrote about his experiences working at Meta and Google.

Both are great companies to work for, but Google employees may make less money, he wrote.

But the search giant may also provide better work-life balance, the PM said in a blog post.

What's the better company to work for, Meta or Google?

A Meta product manager who also worked at Google in a similar role revealed some differences between the tech companies based on his experiences over the past six years.

Daniel McKinnon was a product manager at Meta between 2018 and 2022. He left to work at Google for two years before returning to Meta in February to work on the company's Ray-Ban AI glasses.

Business Insider verified his employment history.

McKinnon wrote on his personal blog that while the companies may seem similar, prospective candidates should know some key differences between the two, from work-life balance to compensation.

"Meta and Google are both phenomenal technology companies where great PMs can thrive," McKinnon wrote, adding that if someone is looking for "growth at the expense of stress and pressure, Meta is probably a better fit."

"If you want to prioritize work-life balance, stability, and job security, Google could be a great place for you," he wrote.

A spokesperson for Meta did not respond to a request for comment.

Here are some of the differences, according to McKinnon.

Compensation

Meta and Google offer product managers a salary, bonus, and restricted-stock-unit grants but have different pay structures, McKinnon said.

McKinnon wrote that Meta evenly distributes its RSUs over four years while Google front-loads its grants, so 70% of the stock is provided within the first two years of employment.

Overall, the "typical Google employee" may make less each year because the company offers much smaller stock refreshers than Meta, he wrote. Some employers provide stock refreshers  essentially more stock after the initial stock grant is provided  as an incentive for employees to stick with the company.

"Refreshers at Google are significantly smaller than Meta for the same level and role and performance multipliers are much scarcer," McKinnon wrote.

Employees at Google can be rated to have a "significant impact" on the company but receive no additional bonus or stock refresher, he said.

In a statement to Business Insider, a Google spokesperson disputed McKinnon's assertion that employees make less each year partly because they aren't awarded additional bonuses or stock refreshers for having a "significant impact" rating.

"A 'Significant Impact' rating provides a generous multiplier for every employee who receives it, which boosts their bonus and equity refresh above the target amount. We know most Googlers are making a significant impact, and we want to reward them for that," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also noted that the "vast majority of Googlers received a compensation increase" in 2024, including a salary bump, equity grant, and bonuses.

In March, Business Insider reported Google employees received smaller compensation packages this year.

One employee told BI that the stock refreshers were "noticeably smaller than what Google has historically offered," while a manager said some workers saw their total compensation drop despite receiving an "outstanding" rating.

Project opportunities

McKinnon describes Meta and Google as "bottom-up" companies, where ideas largely originate from small teams building prototypes and other colleagues joining in if the prototype gains traction.

"Both Gmail (Google) and Marketplace (Meta) were famously side projects that grew into major components of the businesses," McKinnon wrote.

However, the companies evaluate and support new ideas differently, McKinnon wrote, saying Meta's leadership can be enthusiastic about new projects and pursue them "aggressively," but the idea can be quickly dropped if it does not meet expectations.

The product manager recalled how he worked on an audio-social project when Clubhouse, an audio-based social-media app, was popular.

"A couple hundred friends and I got invited to see if we could make social audio work in Facebook Blue," he wrote, referring to Facebook's attempt at the time to make an audio-social-app competitor. "Less than a year later, when it was clear we weren't meeting expectations, our team was blown up."

McKinnon also said that Meta's leadership, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, can also intervene if they find conflicting visions among teams for a product.

"If Mark or his execs encounter two different visions for a product, they request reviews from the battling parties and make a call based on their judgment," McKinnon wrote. "This top-down control can cut both ways, depending on which side of the decision you're on."

At Google, however, teams can work on similar projects for "literally decades" without leadership intervening, McKinnon wrote, pointing to Maps and Waze, GPS apps that are both owned by Google.

This can be fruitful for product managers who want to pursue their visions for a product with their respective teams but also "frustrating for ambitious PMs who want to build products that require larger teams," he wrote.

In addition, project timelines can "span decades" at Google, according to McKinnon.

He wrote that when he pitched an idea to a Google VP, the executive responded back that the idea was great but that he'd rather have employees focus on Google's search business.

"This interaction encapsulates how Google thinks about change, which is likely correct from the perspective of Google shareholders but potentially not appealing to prospective product managers," McKinnon wrote.

A Google spokesperson pointed to CEO Sundar Pichai's statements regarding Alphabet's first-quarter performance, in which the CEO explained how the company is trying to move faster by simplifying team structures.

Company transparency

Meta does maintain some of the transparency the company was known for in its earlier days, McKinnon wrote.

At Meta, McKinnon was aware of what other teams were working on, partly through the company's internal forums and dashboards.

Zuckerberg also still hosts the weekly Q&A sessions with his employees, taking questions "off the cuff," McKinnon wrote.

Managers are expected to be up front in their reports about promotions and employee ratings, and "compensation is formulaic and predictable," he wrote.

One downside to the transparency is that employees have "nowhere to hide," meaning everyone knows what employees are working on, and people won't be able to "take a back seat," McKinnon said.

At Google, employees mostly communicate through email or chat, so it's more difficult to know what everyone is doing, McKinnon wrote.

McKinnon also wrote that he felt Pichai wasn't as candid with his answers to employees like Zuckerberg.

He wrote that compensation is also less predictable, and feedback from leadership is harder to obtain at the search giant.

"While this isn't great for those looking to learn and grow, this organizational style makes it much easier to let work drift into the background when other life priorities need your attention," he wrote.

Overall, transparency has declined for both companies, McKinnon noted.

'Expression' in the workplace

At Meta, McKinnon feels that dissent is welcomed.

"Meta feels like a quasi-academic, truth-seeking organization where decisions are made with data and dissent is encouraged," he wrote. "This environment can be quite unsettling to those used to a more consensus-based or non-confrontational culture."

Google is different when it comes to "free expression," and employees are more "reserved," according to McKinnon.

"Questioning priorities is generally not encouraged, which does tend to make for a more collegial work environment but can be frustrating for PMs who want to effect change," he wrote.

In April, Google fired at least 28 employees for protesting the company's Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion cloud-computing contract with Israel's government.

Career ladder

McKinnon wrote that the career ladder seems faster at Meta than at Google, where progression can often be based on seniority.

He also said that Meta's leadership is filled with young VPs, including the company's chief financial officer, Susan Li, who assumed the role when she was 36.

"Google is much more time-based," McKinnon wrote.

Managers are given a quota for tenure-based promotions, and while promotions based on excellent performance can happen, they are "much rarer," he said.

But he added a caveat: "However, these career progression observations cut both ways. I have never been in this situation, but I believe that it is much easier to get fired for poor performance at Meta than Google, which should certainly be a factor for those for whom job security is paramount."

PMs versus software engineers

Product managers at Meta and Google can serve different purposes, according to McKinnon.

At Google, McKinnon saw that projects were largely created and led by software engineers, and PMs played a more auxiliary role.

At Meta, there's a stronger emphasis on product managers who are "responsible for both ensuring the broader team is building something useful and that usefulness can be quantified and iterated on," he wrote.

"Both approaches have their merit, but I never could shake the feeling that Google could delete its entire PM function and not feel much in the way of repercussions," McKinnon wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider
At least four tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma and a number of tornado warnings have been issued in Kansas, Nebraska, and Tennessee as millions faced severe weather risks from an outbreak of storms late Monday.

Tornadoes were spotted in northeastern and central Oklahoma, including one in Barnsdall, Oklahoma,  a city about 40 miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. There were reports of damages and injuries in the communities of Barnsdall and Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and it was the second time in about a month that a tornado hit the area.

Further east in the state, the Craig County Emergency Department posted on social media that the Welch Fire Department reported the roof had been blown off the old gymnasium at Welch School. The severe weather comes a week after a tornado outbreak killed four people in Oklahoma.

Severe weather will continue to threaten the region overnight as storms move east. Forecasters at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued dire warnings for a significant tornado outbreak in the central U.S. that could impact millions of people from Texas to the Dakotas.

By 9 p.m., a line of thunderstorm activity stretched from just west of Oklahoma City north through Iowa and into South Dakota, with the weather service continuing to warn of an increasing risk of tornadoes. Tornado warnings were issued in South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

The Storm Prediction Center also issued a tornado watch for eastern Kansas, and western and central Missouri through 4 a.m., with the potential for "a few" tornadoes and damaging winds up to 75 mph.

Earlier in the afternoon, the center issued a warning for a "particularly dangerous situation" through 11 p.m., following up on its previous "high risk" warning for portions of Oklahoma and Kansas, which included the Oklahoma City metro area. Such warnings are rare, reserved only for the most serious severe weather days.

"We are expecting a serious severe weather outbreak," said meteorologist Jennifer Thompson. The outbreak  with multiple strong, long-tracked tornadoes, large hail, and severe thunderstorm gusts  is forecast "over parts of the south-central Plains from this afternoon through evening," the Storm Prediction Center said.

The center warned of "explosive thunderstorm development" and put the chances for at least two tornadoes at more than 95%. The risk is expected to increase into the evening.

"Intense tornadoes are probable especially as the atmosphere becomes very favorable for tornadoes late this afternoon and continuing through the evening," the center warned. The tornado watch covers an area of Kansas and Oklahoma roughly 250 miles by 300 miles, but the chances for severe weather extend into the Dakotas and east to Kentucky and Tennessee.

Ahead of the storms, McConnell Air Force Base, near Wichita, Kansas, is relocating aircraft to remove them from harm's way, CNN reported. Schools across the danger zone were also altering schedules before the storms hit.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Public Schools and several metro-area school districts began canceling all after-school and evening activities, the Associated Press reported.

Tornado warnings, severe weather in Nebraska

In Nebraska, the weather service issued a tornado warning for Nemaha and Otoe counties just before 9:30 p.m.

The weather service warned that severe thunderstorms in the region could affect areas damaged by storms on April 26. Winds as high as 60 mph were being reported in parts of Iowa and Nebraska.

At least 18 tornadoes occurred across Nebraska and Iowa on April 26, including five EF-3 tornadoes. The storms killed one person and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, the weather service said. They were the strongest tornadoes in eastern Nebraska or western Iowa in nearly 10 years.

Hail, tornado reports in Kansas

In Kansas, at least two funnel clouds  meaning they did not touch the ground  have been reported to the weather service office in Topeka, Kansas, one north of Chapman in Dickinson County and one northwest of Moonlight in Geary County. A tornado also had been confirmed by radar near Riley in Ogden County.

Hail stones up to 4 inches in size were also reported in Moonlight and 2.75 inches in Riley.

Tornado confirmed in Oklahoma

In Garfield County, Oklahoma, a tornado had been confirmed near Covington, moving east. Flash flooding also was reported in Garfield County, with at least one water rescue near Covington.

The county's emergency management office reported to the weather service that they'd confirmed buildings destroyed and trees down near the county line between Garfield and Kingfisher counties.

At 9:40 p.m. Central Time, the weather service office in Tulsa said it had received multiple reports of structural damage from a tornado in and near Barnsdall with multiple photos and videos from storm chasers working in the area. Damage also was reported in Bartlesville.

The weather service also warned that a second line of storms could develop later in the evening around the I-44 corridor, which could affect central and southern Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, with the most severe activity likely between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Just before 8 p.m. Central Time, weather service meteorologists in Norman, Oklahoma, reported the storms were increasing in severity and the chance of tornadoes was increasing. Earlier in the evening, the weather service reported that spotters and broadcast media had confirmed a rope tornado about one mile south of Bison, Oklahoma.

In Kingfisher County, a spotter reported uprooted trees, snapped power lines, and damage to a home that might have been tornado-related, the weather service said. The county's emergency management reported a downed power pole and line, where the tornado moved through Lacey. Hail stones up to 2.5 inches in size were reported in the area.

At 6:43 p.m., the weather service said broadcast media had spotted a tornado 4 miles southeast of Okeene. Just after 6 p.m. in the northern part of the state, trained spotters reported a very brief tornado about five miles south of Helena, according to the weather service.

Reports of tornadoes in Tennessee

In Nashville, the weather service reported two radar-confirmed tornadoes, one each in Wilson and DeKalb counties. No significant damage was reported, the weather service added, but storm surveys are planned on Tuesday.

What is a 'high risk'?

A high risk is the highest-tier hazardous weather forecast that the Storm Prediction Center issues.

This forecast is the first "high risk" since two were issued on March 31, 2023, said Matthew Elliott, warning coordination meteorologist for the center.

We typically average only one or two a year, Elliott said.

Bryan Smith, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, coordinates the "particularly dangerous situation" tornado watch at the center in Norman, Oklahoma on the afternoon of May 6, 2024 as the region braced for a severe weather outbreak.

A 'significant' outbreak

Were really expecting this to be a significant outbreak of severe weather, Elliott said, with some long track, intense tornadoes certainly possible.

High winds over portions of Colorado and the High Plains Monday morning are also related to the strong and strengthening low-pressure system expected to spawn tornadoes and hail later in the day.

Its very similar to whats helping create the moisture across the Southern Plains that will lead to the severe weather this afternoon and evening, Elliott said. Thats why we see this potential for large hail, tornadoes and damaging winds.

How to be safe during a tornado warning

While there's no such thing as guaranteed safety, the weather service says there are things people can do to increase their chances of surviving a deadly tornado.

Protect yourself from flying or falling debris, the single biggest life-threatening hazard.

Seek shelter in the closest, safest interior or underground room.

Always avoid windows. Dont go to the windows or doors to look outside.

Cover yourself with thick protective coverings, such as a mattress, sleeping bags, and thick blankets or other protective coverings.

Wear a helmet if you have one to protect your head from debris.

On this date in history

On May 6, 1975, a violent F-4 tornado struck Omaha, Nebraska, killing three and destroying 287 homes. It was the most devastating of 36 tornadoes that occurred during a two-day outbreak.

Contributing: Josh Dulaney, The Oklahoman

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tornado spotted in Central US as severe weather threatens region
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione could face disciplinary action as a result of his ride aboard runner-up Sierra Leone in Saturdays Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

According to a statement issued Monday by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, Gaffalione has been ordered by stewards to attend film review of the race on Thursday.

Stewards conduct film reviews routinely to review the conduct of jockeys during a race, the KHRC statement said. The stewards, in their discretion, can take disciplinary action against a jockey following the review.

Gaffalione guided Sierra Leone to a late-running, second-place finish, a nose behind Mystik Dan. Sierra Leone beat Japan-bred Forever Young by a nose for second place.

Sierra Leone, left, battled Forever Young down the stretch Saturday, bumping several times as the two tried to catch Mystik Dan.

Gaffalione and Sierra Leone engaged Forever Young and jockey Ryusei Sakai in a physical battle while trying to catch Mystik Dan in the final furlong. The horses made contact several times, and a photo appears to show Gaffalione making contact with Forever Young with his left hand.

He wanted to lean in today and made it a little difficult, Gaffalione said after the race. I had a hard time keeping him straight, and that definitely cost us. He gives you everything, very responsive, but he loses concentration.

Sierra Leone trainer Chad Brown defended Gaffalione on Sunday morning.

What Tyler was really attempting to do was make room for his left stick, which (Sierra Leone) really respects and keeps him straight, Brown said. The bumping and the tight duel between those horses disarmed him with the stick. All he had was a rein to pull on, and it really hurt his momentum.

Sakai did not claim foul after the race.

Claims of foul do not happen much in Japan, said Hiroshi Ando, racing manager for Forever Young trainer Yoshito Yahagi. It is the stewards call, not us.

OPINION: Mystik Dan won the Kentucky Derby by a whisker. The key? One great ride.

Some race fans have been critical of the race stewards for not posting an inquiry after the race to further examine the Sierra Leone-Forever Young battle.

The KHRC addressed that issue in its statement.

The stewards review every race in Kentucky live and by video replay before posting it official, and they followed the same procedure for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, the KHRC statement said. After conducting their standard review of the race, determining no further review or investigation was necessary to conclude there were no incidents that altered the finish of the race, and seeing there were no objections filed, the stewards posted the Kentucky Derby official.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Sierra Leone jockey Tyler Gaffalione could face discipline for ride
Celebrating the beauty of Blackness and protesting environmental decadence for a cleaner, waste-free future: thats the vision of award-winning Nigerian metal sculptor and visual artist Dotun Popoola.

Popoola has carved a niche for himself by transforming scrap metal into colorful sculptures of animals and people, which tackle issues including waste management and the importance of recycling.

My art is rooted in the use of discarded materials like motorcycle tanks, brake pads, car struts, bolts, nuts, and electric generator parts, all of which symbolize the visible signs of infrastructural decay in Nigeria, Popoola told CNN.

Popoolas most recent sculpture is a 12-foot-tall, 882-pound piece depicting the decorated head and neck of an African woman, inspired by his wife. Called Irinkemi Asake   which roughly translates to metals have enhanced my life in the Yoruba language  it was recently displayed as a part of the Artmiabo International Art Festival in Lagos.

Composed of over 4,000 tiny metal butterflies, each individually welded and cut by hand, the sculpture is made from discarded metal, galvanized pipes, automobile parts, stainless steel, and wrought iron, and is coated with an anti-rust finishing and UV protection.

The work showcases the beauty of Black women all over the world, Popoola said of the piece, which he began in 2022.

At first glance, you would see her graceful curves, raw beauty, and her innate power. But it also represents the pain that Black women have gone through. Each piece of fragmented scraps and butterflies tells a story of her struggles and triumphs, of hardships endured, and barriers overcome.

Everything you see in the sculpture, its about bringing out the beauty of Blackness. Women create our life, they give us life and they make life meaningful to us.

Dotun Popoola says Irinkemi Asake was inspired by his wife, Adeola , pictured. - Dotun Popoola Studios.

In less than 24 hours of unveiling the sculpture on Instagram earlier this year, Popoola had received over 50,000 followers from across the globe.

I even received a beautiful message from Naomi Campbell, he said. The amount of support shown by women all over the world made me shed tears of joy in my studio. I knew Id got it right.

On the day of posting the reveal, Popoola received a message from Tera DuVernay, the deputy director of Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, and sister of American filmmaker Ava DuVernay. The museum tells the story of slavery in America and its legacy.

Tera told me how much she loved the sculpture and wanted to know how she could get it to her museum in Alabama, said Popoola.

Ive had work displayed in Dubai, Qatar, India, all over the world  but none of them are in museums. I told myself it wasnt about making money, its about the fact that the sculpture is going to the best place possible.

The sculpture is being shipped to the museum in time for its Juneteenth concert, featuring jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, and others, where it will be unveiled in the 17-acre Freedom Monument Sculpture Park as a celebration of Black courage and resilience.

Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director at the Equal Justice Initiative, which set up the Legacy Museum said in an email: We are thrilled to have Dotun Popoolas extraordinary sculpture, Irinkemi Asake, at Freedom Monument Sculpture Park.

The park explores the pain, trauma and suffering of millions of Black people who were enslaved in the Americas but it also illuminates the resilience, fortitude and capacity to love this community nurtured.

Mr. Popoolas work is well situated at our site because it brilliantly represents strength, beauty and resourcefulness which are precisely the attributes we want to celebrate among those who survived enslavement.

Environmentalist, activist and artist

Its a crowning achievement for Popoola, whose artistic flair emerged at a young age  although even then his output was unconventional.

My childhood creative explorations always consisted of me getting into trouble, he said. My dad had a beautiful leather chair in our family home. I remember using a sharp razor blade to carve patterns into the material when I was nine.

To cultivate his sons passion, Popoolas father enrolled him into an art class where he was taught to paint and sculpt, and he later attended Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria to study sculpting for his masters degree, which he completed in 2014.

In 2015, he found a mentor in the US state of South Dakota, where he spent the summer learning how to weld metals. Upon his return to Lagos, Popoola began experimenting with using scrap metal.

It became my visual language, Popoola said. For me, I feel as though Im doing the job as an environmentalist, activist and artist all in one. Art should be a catalyst for change, a tool for examining our sociocultural landscape, a means of reengineering, and a form of protest against environmental degradation.

To spread his mission, Popoola has set up his own Scrap Art Museum focusing on nurturing young talent across Africa. The museum  which is based in Osun State, Southwest Nigeria and decorated with 3D art from recycled materials  trains young creatives and inspires them to contribute to the local art community. He also employs local people to collect metal for the museum and his own work, which he says gives them the opportunity of a steady income.

For Popoola, success is measuring just how far hes progressed as an artist. I want to tell my story. I want to tell my truth with my work, he said. Most importantly, I want to tell young artists to keep the hope alive. If you keep doing what you do, one day youll be in the spotlight and the world will be watching.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
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Teresa Giudice has a lot to say about The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Rachel Fudas husband, John Fuda.

You know what your husband said to my husband? I have tremendous respect for your wife, because we both went to jail. He was the biggest drug dealer in Bergen County, Teresa, 51, told Rachel, 33, during the RHONJ season 14 premiere on Sunday, May 5. Dont come for my husband because I will come for your husband.

The allegation came during Jennifer Fesslers 55th birthday party when Teresa confronted Rachel about John, who was discussing Luis Louie Ruelas despite his absence at the event. (Teresa noted he couldnt attend because of a business meeting in Florida.)

Why would you entertain a fking loser like that? John asked his wife when Rachel shared Teresas accusations. Rachel then called Teresa over to confront John face-to-face.

Former 'RHONJ' Stars: Where Are They Now?

Im a drug dealer? Who told you that? he asked. Teresa said Johns ex told her before backtracking and saying the allegations were out on social media.

Marion Curtis/StarPix for Amazon MGM Studios/INSTARimages

John previously addressed these allegations in July 2023, revealing that he was arrested in 2008 at age 21 for operating a vehicle while in possession of a narcotic. I was never convicted, and charges were dismissed, he told Page Six at the time.

You dont know st. Dont go down this route. Stop trying to hit me, John yelled at Teresa before adding that she was full of st while walking away. You know what? Has-been. Fking has-been, John added.

His issues with Teresa and her husband, Louie, stem from the RHONJ season 13 reunion, which aired in summer 2023. At the time, John accused the couple of hiring a private investigator to look into his life  and claimed Teresa had been talking to his ex behind his back.

Biggest Real Housewives Feuds Ever  And Where the Relationships Stand Today

During Jennifers birthday party in Sundays episode, John was discussing his ongoing issues with Louie with the rest of the RHONJ men before his blowup with Teresa occurred. (Earlier in the episode, Louie said he reached out to John so they could meet one-on-one. John declined, saying they could talk at the party, which Louie didnt attend.)

Why would I give a man who disrespected my family the respect to meet him somewhere? John asked, pointing the question toward Dolores Catanias boyfriend, Paul Paulie Connell.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs on Bravo Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
RiverNorthPhotography/istockphoto

Fall From Grace

If there's anything Trader Joe's fans hate more than a product's inexplicable disappearance (rest in peace, Belgian chocolate pudding), it's when the retailer ruins a beloved item's recipe. According to superfans on Reddit, that unfortunate fate has befallen some of the store's hall of famers, including the hash brown patties and the mandarin orange chicken. Here's a list of the most popular products that have fallen from grace, so you can avoid them on your next trip.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change.

Trader Joe's

Mini Chicken and Beef Tacos

$5.99

One fan literally gasped when the mini chicken and beef tacos returned. But the products' new supplier leaves a lot to be desired, with fans describing the tacos as dry and flavorless. "I got the beef recently and theyre terrible," one shopper writes. "I scooped out the meat of one and it tasted like a milder version of what I imagine dog food to taste like."







Trader Joe's

Frozen Mashed Potatoes

$4.29

Trader Joe's sent fans on a similar emotional roller coaster when the chain discontinued its frozen mashed potatoes, only to rerelease an inferior version more than a year later. Whereas fans said that the old recipe was nearly indistinguishable from homemade mashed potatoes, one Redditor writes that the new iteration is "gluey and icky." "How could their test panel have approved this new version? The original mashed were awesome," another commenter adds.





Trader Joe's

Hash Browns

$2.49

Multiple shoppers complain that Trader Joe's hash browns  a longtime hit with fans  are now too soggy and oily. "The hash brown patties have been a lot oilier and it takes longer in the air fryer to crisp up now," one commenter writes.

Trader Joe's

Homestyle Salsa Especial Mild

$2.99

Trader Joe's says that this homestyle salsa is great for dipping chips, but fans argue that it's more like a marinara sauce (it even has oregano). If you do want to try this "salsa," you should swap out chips for mozzarella sticks.

For more great Trader Joe's content and shopping tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.

Trader Joe's

Mandarin Orange Chicken

$4.99

If there's one frozen meal that Trader Joe's is known for, it's the mandarin orange chicken. Since 2004, fans have praised the sweet and savory morsels, even voting it into the store's 2023 product hall of fame. But not everyone is convinced that the mandarin orange chicken is still a top-tier product. Naysayers' main complaint: the meat. One fan described it as "gamey," "gray," and "slimy," while another commenter added that the store's meatless version avoids the item's "sketchy meat issues."

This article was originally published on Cheapism

RiverNorthPhotography/istockphoto

More From Cheapism
A U.S. soldier was detained in Russia last week, a U.S. Army spokesperson said in a statement.

The soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, had been stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own, not on official business, according to four U.S. officials.

He had finished his deployment and was heading back to the U.S. when he made a side trip to Vladivostok, Russia, to visit a woman he was romantically involved with, officials said. They added that he had traveled there without permission from his superiors and that he is being held in pretrial confinement.

The soldier is accused of stealing from a woman, the officials said. It was not immediately clear whether it was the same woman he was visiting.

The soldier was detained Thursday, U.S. Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said in a statement.

Smith said the soldier was apprehended in Vladivostok "on charges of criminal misconduct."

"The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," Smith said. "The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time."

Great Kremlin Palace (Ian Walton / Getty Images file )

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he is "deeply concerned" by reports that a soldier was detained in Russia.

"Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage," McCaul said in a post shared on X. "A warning to all Americansas the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia."

Current travel guidance from the U.S. State Department restricts travel for citizens to Russia. "Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions," according to the State Department advisory. The Defense Department also restricts travel for Pentagon personnel.

Black is one of a number of Americans detained in Russia, including several civilians.

Arrests of Americans in Russia have increased as the relationship between the two countries has sunk to Cold War lows, The Associated Press reported. The U.S. has accused Russia of targeting Americans and using them as bargaining chips, according to the AP.

Among the most prominent U.S. citizens to be detained are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was jailed last March, and former Marine Paul Whelan, who was arrested in 2018. The U.S. government has said that both Gershkovich and Whelan are wrongfully detained.

WNBA star Brittney Griner spent 10 months in Russian penal colonies for drug-related charges but was released in a rare prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in 2022.
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A woman washes kitchen utensils at the lakeshore of Lake Malawi in Mangochi, Malawi, on April 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Malawi's soya industry has made a breakthrough into Chinese market as the southern African country seeks to increase agricultural exports to boost the economy.

Malawi Investment and Trade Center Chief Executive Officer, Paul Kwengwere, confirmed to local media Friday that a 240 metric tons trial consignment by Paramount Holdings Limited, a local company, was successfully exported and approved by Chinese authorities.

He further said this is a culmination of efforts by various stakeholders, including government agencies, private enterprises, and Chinese representatives.

Paramount Holdings Limited Managing Director Mahesh Ghedhia told the local media his company emerged successful out of the companies that went through accreditation process by the Chinese authorities to ascertain quality of the produce before it was shipped to China.

He further said the successful trial will lead to exportation of 20,000 metric tons of soybeans by his company.

"This shipment opens a door for Malawian exporters and we plan to increase our volumes because the Chinese market is looking for 100,000 metric tons of soya. We signed a 20,000 metric tons contract," Ghedhia is quoted as saying.

According to Ghedhia, the exports are subject to waivers that the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture would give to exporters as the produce is under export restrictions.

Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe told the local media that the export deal with China was a government to government agreement and so far they had signed protocols on soybeans, macadamia nuts, dry chillies and negotiations are on going to sign protocols on tobacco, tea and ornamental fish.

He further said the Chinese authorities were doing their own accreditation of individual exporters of all the accredited commodities to ensure they meet standards.

"Those exporters that have been accredited will be given waivers on the export restrictions because they ought to fulfill contracts they signed with the Chinese importers," said Gwengwe.

He described the deal as a game changer to transform the export base currently dominated by tobacco.

Total exports for soybean in 2023 was recorded at 6.9 million U.S. dollars, according to the country's 2024 annual economic report.
Palestinian civilians rushed to flee parts of Rafah on Monday after the Israeli military told some 100,000 people to leave the southern Gaza city, a possible signal that a long-feared ground offensive could be imminent.

The evacuation orders were delivered in leaflets that poured down onto eastern Rafah as rain soaked its crowded streets and ramshackle tents.

They called us this morning and told us to evacuate the area. Where do we go? Adham Khalil, who lives in eastern Rafah, told an NBC News crew on the ground in Gaza, one of several residents who described a night of intense bombardment followed by fear and uncertainty prompted by the order to move again.

After a night of shooting, clashes all night and missiles, Khalil said, his family did not know where to turn. He said he wanted to be assured that a safe corridor would be open for them to evacuate.

Follow live updates here.

Displaced Palestinians flee Rafah as Israel orders evacuation. (AFP - Getty Images)

Displaced Palestinians evacuate Rafah in southern Gaza. (AFP - Getty Images)

Others quickly heeded the call.

Families packed their cars and trucks with the few possessions they still had after seven months of war and embarked on what was for many just the latest displacement. Others could be seen driving north, the roofs of their vehicles stacked with mattresses, bundles of blankets and other essentials.

The Israeli military said an estimated 100,000 people were being asked to follow what it said was the temporary evacuation of eastern Rafah and move to Al-Mawasi, a nearby coastal area where it promised an expanded humanitarian area would await them.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, said this was a limited scope operation and would not be wide-scale.

Israel has said for months that it will launch a ground assault on Rafah, home to 1.4 million people before the conflict, to target Hamas leaders, defying pressure from the United States and others who have warned that such an attack threatened devastating consequences for the Palestinians sheltering there, already facing limited food and aid.

The evacuation order followed a Hamas attack launched from Rafah on Sunday that the IDF said killed four Israeli soldiers at a border crossing, though the IDF would not say whether its operation Monday was a response.

The militant group said in a statement that an attack on the city will not be a picnic for the Israeli army.

Some analysts speculated that the evacuation orders for eastern Rafah might represent another negotiating tactic in cease-fire talks.

But their impact was not in doubt for residents of Rafah.

They told us to evacuate, and here we are doing so, said Mahmood Wahba as he prepared to flee for the city of Khan Younis, near Al-Mawasi.

We hope that God will bring us goodness, God willing, he said as he and his family loaded a car with their possessions.

Wahba said his family had heard of the order on the internet, while the IDF had also spread its message through air-dropped flyers, text messages and loudspeakers.

Displaced Palestinians at an encampment in Rafah, southern Gaza. (AFP - Getty Images)

Displaced Palestinian civilians flee the southern city of Rafah (AFP - Getty Images)

'Worried and afraid'

President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and reiterated his clear position on Rafah, the White House said, as world officials and aid groups urged Israel to halt any plans for a ground assault.

Samah Hadid, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council, said she feared the evacuation orders were the start of the nightmare scenario that weve been dreading for months.

Weve been warning against a military operation in Rafah because the consequences will be deadly and devastating for the over 1 million IDPs in the area, Hadid said in a phone interview early Monday, using the acronym for internally displaced persons.

Hadid also warned that she did not believe the Al-Mawasi area was equipped for a mass influx of people, despite Israels assurances that the expanded humanitarian area would include field hospitals, tents, increased quantities of food, water, medicines and additional supplies.

Hadid called on the Biden administration to use its influence and leverage over Israel to block any military operation in Rafah.

We need this to happen urgently so that the Israelis get a clear message from their strongest ally that a military offensive in one of the largest displacement sites in the world cannot take place, she said.

We have yet to see real pressure applied.

While Israel has only ordered those in the east of the city to evacuate, Hadid said that this may only be the beginning of a broader effort, a concern echoed by Palestinians in other parts of Rafah.

Abdallah Abujaser, a 22-year-old who had been studying clinical psychology before the war, said that he was just outside the evacuation zone  but feared he, too, would soon be forced to leave.

Everyone here is worried and afraid, he said.

Abujaser said he and most others in Gaza are also exhausted as they weigh fleeing once again or facing Israels offensive, which local health officials say has already killed more than 34,700 people. Israel launched its assault on Gaza following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 others taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

Abujaser called on countries around the world, including the U.S., to do what they can to stop the war on us.

We are not running away from fear. We are running away for life, to secure our lives, he said.
With 110 years of life behind her, Yoshiko Miwa isnt going to wallow in the negative, and she doesnt want you to either.

The oldest living person of Japanese descent in the United States, according to the Gerontology Research Group, Miwa prefers to focus on the times when she was happiest. Shes lived through the Spanish flu, prohibition, Black Tuesday, World War II, and the losses of her parents, siblings and friends, and still the supercentenarians go-to piece of longevity advice is: Dont dwell.

Miwa is part of the nisei  the second-generation Japanese Americans sent to internment camps during World War II  who often say gaman, which translates to enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity, Alan Miwa, her son, tells TODAY.com. Its often loosely translated to perseverance, patience, or tolerance.

Yoshiko Miwa (Alan Y. Miwa)

These feelings, Alan Miwa suspects, are born from the resilience of many from his mothers generation  who had much to endure. Shikata ga nai (), a Japanese phrase meaning, It cannot be helped, or, Nothing can be done about it, is a common saying among them, too, he adds.

Yoshiko Miwa was born Yoshiko Tanaka on Feb. 28, 1914, in Guadalupe, California, to Japanese immigrants. She was the fifth of seven children. When her mother and infant brother died in 1919, her father struggled to care for his family and tend to the farm he owned. So Yoshiko Miwa and her siblings were sent to live at the childrens home founded by their parish, Guadalupe Buddhist Church.

She went on to graduate from Santa Maria High School in 1932, and she studied business at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1936. She married Henry Miwa in 1939.

During the Second World War, the pair and their families were sent to Poston Internment Camp in Arizona before relocating to Hawthorne, California, after the war. When they, along with many other Japanese people, had difficulty finding work upon their release in 1945, her husband founded a plant nursery business, and in 1963, Yoshiko Miwa got her nursing license.

Yoshiko Miwa has three sons, 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grand children and one great-great-grandchild.

Yoshiko Miwa (Alan Y. Miwa)

These days, Alan Miwa says shes in good health and lives in a care facility, where she gets her hair done weekly and attends church services on Sundays.

In addition to a positive spirit, keeping your mind and body active is the key to a long life, Yoshiko Miwa has said in the past. Ahead she shares a few other aspects of her life that she believes have led to her longevity.

She keeps an ever-expanding roster of hobbies

When Yoshiko Miwa retired, she'd walk 4 miles each morning. In 1990, at 76, she walked a 20K as part of the March of Dimes Walkathon. Shes an avid reader, she practices ikebana (flower arranging), sumi-e (Japanese ink art), sashiko (Japanese stitching), sewing, furniture refinishing and reupholstery.

These days, though, her favorite activity is sleeping, she tells TODAY.com via email.

She wrote an autobiography

After taking a writing course, Yoshiko Miwa penned an autobiography. In it, she recalls her travels to Rome, Japan, Paris and Niagara Falls. She describes life in the childrens home and the long walks to school, her siblings and her childhood with her parents.

We had a big pasture for the horses and cows to graze on, she wrote of her familys farm her in autobiography. Some days, my sister and I would wander around the pasture to pick wild violets that grew there.

She loves to eat noodles

Yoshiko Miwas a fan of any kind of noodles, eating them every day. When I was in the childrens home, the cook used to make noodles and I used to love them, she says. Today, I like spaghetti, udon, ramen, soba and any other kind of noodles.

Her faith energizes her

Yoshiko Miwa is grateful to Rev. and Mrs. Issei Matsuura of the Guadalupe Buddhist Church, who took her in when her mother died of the Spanish flu.

Family and friends of Yoshiko Miwa at her 110th birthday celebration at the Gardena Buddhist Church in California. (Courtesy Alan Y. Miwa)

Yoshiko Miwa was 4 years old when her father turned to the church for help. The church then started a childrens home and taught us Buddhism, Japanese language, Japanese culture and responsibility, she recalls. Ive always been indebted to Rev. and Mrs. Matsuura.

... And her family does, too

The Miwa family travels together and hosts reunions. Ive been fortunate that my sons, my grandchildren, my great grandchildren and relatives have always been there for me, says Yoshiko Miwa.

Because my mother died so young, I have never enjoyed the warmth and love of a family unit, she wrote in her autobiography. Later, when I had my children, I keenly felt the wholesomeness of a complete family.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The process of signing a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be completed very quickly, said NA Speaker Alen Simonyan during the briefing with journalists in the National Assembly, referring to the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to be held in Almaty.

He mentioned that there was a possibility to sign a peace agreement at the end of last year, and political will was needed by Azerbaijan.

"We hope that this process, which is taking place, is another impulse that this process should and can be completed very quickly, because the Armenian side will go in that direction and will continue working towards it all the time," added Simonyan.

Responding to the statement of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev that the approaches of Azerbaijan are set in the peace agreement, Alen Simonyan said that international norms are fully set, which are also the approaches of the Armenian side.

"In all the issues where there are contradictions, the Armenian side rejects them, and the proof of this is that the agreement has been revised many times. Why has the agreement been revised multiple times because the Azerbaijani side sends its proposals, and we send ours," said Simonyan.
Building strong relationships with brands such as CrowdStrike is integral to our ongoing business success, Spirit Group CEO and managing director Julian Challingsworth said.

Our team is dedicated to continuous development and are always striving to attain the highest possible accreditation standards.

This is a testament to the hard work undertaken by our team and our commitment to safeguarding Australias digital future through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

CrowdStrike APJ vice president of channel Jon Fox said it was looking forward to growing its strategic partnership with Spirit.
New Delhi, Berhampur, Nabarangpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that he was seeking legal advice on the process of returning money allegedly "looted" from poor people through corruption. Modi's remarks came in response to recent seizures of large sums of cash by the Enforcement Directorate, allegedly linked to individuals close to the Congress' leadership.

Addressing the issue of cash seizures, Modi questioned the proximity of these individuals to the Congress' top echelons, suggesting possible connections to the accumulation of black money. Why is that those, from whom mounds of cash is recovered, are close to the Congress' first family? Was the seized cash meant for supply somewhere, is it that Congress' first family has created warehouses of black money? The country wants to know from Congress shehzada, he said in an apparent jibe at Rahul Gandhi. Modi emphasised his concern for the poor, whose money he alleges has been stolen by corrupt individuals.

Modi highlighted the government's efforts in combating corruption, citing the attachment of properties worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore by the Enforcement Directorate alone. He assured that legal measures are being explored to ensure the return of looted funds to their rightful owners, with Rs 17,000 crore already restored. Modi pledged that no poor person's rights would be compromised, reaffirming his commitment to their welfare.

Modi, addressing his first election rally in Odisha, proclaimed himself the "son of Lord Jagannath" and declared June 4 as the "expiry date" for the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government The BJP will form a double-engine government here (in Odisha) after the ongoing elections, Modi said at the Berhampur rally.

I have come here to invite you to the swearing-in ceremony of BJP's CM on June 10. On that day, we will implement the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which the Naveen Patnaik government has been resisting. This son of Lord Jagannath will take care of all senior citizens under this scheme, Modi said.

Asserting BJP's potential to transform Odisha into the nation's leading state, Modi urged voters to grant the BJP an opportunity to govern. He highlighted the elevation of Odisha's Droupadi Murmu to the nation's highest post as a testament to the BJP's commitment to the state.

In a thinly veiled criticism of Naveen Patnaik's leadership, Modi emphasised the necessity for a Chief Minister who understood Odia language and culture, implying a purported linguistic inadequacy on Patnaik's part.

At rallies in Berhampur and Nabarangpur, Modi underscored his government's dedication to tribal welfare, citing a substantial increase in budget allocations and the establishment of Eklavya Model Residential schools in tribal areas. He criticised the BJD government for allegedly failing to implement central schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission effectively, resulting in underserved beneficiaries and underutilised funds.

Modi appealed to the people of Odisha to grant the BJP an opportunity to govern, promising to leverage the state's potential to propel it to national prominence.

The PM assured voters of fulfilling BJP's promises outlined in a visionary manifesto, focusing on job creation for youth, opportunities for women, and healthcare provisions for seniors.

Responding to Modi's assertions, senior BJD leader V.K. Pandian affirmed Naveen Patnaik's sixth consecutive term as Odisha's Chief Minister, scheduled for June 9.

Modi emphasised the need for new energy and leadership in Odisha, advocating for individuals deeply rooted in Odia culture and tradition to accelerate the state's development.

Addressing Odisha's potential juxtaposed with its developmental lag, Modi attributed the state's plight to decades of misrule by Congress and subsequent stagnation under BJD. He hailed the BJP as the beacon of hope for Odisha's prosperity.

Highlighting President Droupadi Murmu's Odisha roots, Modi expressed gratitude for her guidance and pledged to prioritize the state's development under her counsel.
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China regards Europe as an important dimension in its major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and an important partner on its path toward Chinese modernization, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday.

Xi made the remarks at a China-France-EU trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Elysee Palace.

Expressing his delight in meeting with Macron and von der Leyen again, Xi noted that France is the first stop of his overseas visit this year, and that the trilateral meeting amplifies the Europe-wide significance of this visit.

China always approaches its relations with the European Union (EU) from a strategic and long-term perspective, Xi said.

It is hoped that China-France and China-EU relations would reinforce each other and thrive together, he added.

As the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation, China and the EU, as two major forces in the world, should continue to see each other as partners, stay committed to dialogue and cooperation, deepen strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, build strategic consensus, carry out strategic coordination, work for steady and sound growth of China-EU ties, and continue making new contributions to world peace and development, Xi said.
New Delhi: In a major blow to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, lieutenant-governor V.K. Saxena has recommended an NIA probe against him for allegedly receiving political funding from the banned Khalistani terrorist outfit Sikhs for Justice. The move also holds significance in view of the Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday to consider interim bail to him in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

Reacting to this, AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called it yet another conspiracy against Mr Kejriwal at the behest of the BJP. He added: They are losing all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

In a letter to the Union home secretary on May 3, the L-Gs office said that Mr Saixena had received a complaint that the Kejriwal-led AAP had allegedly received $16 million funding from extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar.

Bhullar, who is in Amritsar Central Jail, was convicted for the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in the national capital. He was sentenced to death by a designated Tada court on August 25, 2001 and is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence.

In the letter, Mr Saxena said: The electronic evidence adduced by the complainant requires investigation, including forensic examination. The letter said that the complaint is made against a chief minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation.

The complaint refers to a video released by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, where he alleged that the Kejriwal-led AAP received $16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

The complainant alleged that Mr Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurdwara Richmond Hills, New York, during his visit in 2014. The Delhi CM had allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to the AAP. Bhullar was moved to Amritsar Central Jail from Delhi's Tihar Jail on health grounds in June 2015.

The complaint said in a series of posts on the social media, former AAP worker Munish Kumar Raizada had also shared purported pictures of Mr Kejriwal's meeting with Khalistani leaders.

The L-Gs letter came into the public domain just a day prior to the Supreme Courts consideration of granting interim bail to Mr Kejrwal in view of the ongoing parliamentary polls.

The AAP chief, who is in Tihar jail, was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy-linked money-laundering case. As his judicial custody will end on Tuesday, he will most likely be produced before the Rouse Avenue court through video-conferencing.

Last week, the apex court had asked additional solicitor-general S.V. Raju to take instructions (from the Centre) on what conditions should be imposed in case it decides to grant interim bail to Mr Kejriwal.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had told Mr Raju, appearing for the ED, that the hearing on Mr Kejriwal's plea against arrest was likely to take time and therefore the court was considering hearing the anti-money laundering probe agency on interim bail to him.

When Mr Raju said he will be opposing interim bail to Mr Kejriwal, the bench said: We are saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail.

Justice Khanna said: Please also take instructions on what are the conditions (to be put in place in case it decides to grant interim bail) because of the position you hold, whether you should be signing any files, official files.

Referring to the interim bail granted to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Mr Raju told the bench: Look at the statements he is making. He said: Your statement will be blown out of proportion. Thats the problem with the open court, Justice Khanna said, adding, the court is not saying that it will grant or not grant bail. We are not saying either way We have been open about it. Do not assume anything.

The high court had on April 9 upheld Mr Kejriwals arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with little option after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
The primary function of Parliament is to legislate. When we elect people to the Lok Sabha, we are choosing who will write and pass our laws. In India, laws are now passed without debate, both at the Union and the state levels. This means that parties which have a majority and an ideology can legislate what they want without pushback.

As we elect MPs for the next five years, let us look at many of the laws and amendments that we have been given in the previous decade:

*Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019

This amendment gives the Union the powers to set the salaries and service conditions of information commissioners at the Union as well as state levels. Instead of fixed terms, commissioners can be appointed on arbitrary conditions and salaries. India fell from second place in global RTI ratings in 2014 to ninth place.

*The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2019

Before this amendment, UAPA only allowed organisations to be categorised as terrorist. The State can now categorise any individual as a terrorist. These individuals need not even have any affiliation with any of the 36 terrorist organisations mentioned in the law to be classified as terrorists and then jailed.

*The Karnataka Education Act (1983) Order 2022

In 2022, Karnataka banned Muslim women and girls from covering their heads in schools and colleges that had uniforms. Even in colleges which did not have a prescribed uniform, the covering of heads by Muslims was prohibited because clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public law and order should not be worn. Sikhs were excluded from the order.

*Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2015

After the Prime Ministers speeches against what he called the pink revolution, states began to criminalise the possession of beef. This began a series of violent attacks the media called beef lyn-chings. Someone accused of having a beef sandwich can be jailed five years. This first law began a series of copycat laws in other BJP-ruled states.

*The Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015

Possession of beef is punishable by up to five years in jail. The burden of proof is on the accused.

*The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017

This law extended the punishment for cow slaughter to life in prison. No other economic crime attracts life. Minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja said the logic was to equal cow slaughter with murder.

*Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damage to Public and Private Property Act, 2020

Enacted after the UP Police shot dead 21 people protesting against the CAA, this law gives the government the power to set up tribunals to decide damage to any public or private property due to riots, hartals, bandhs, protests or public processions. All orders passed by the tribunals will be final and cannot be appealed before any court, under the laws Section 22.

*Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018

This is the first of seven state laws introduced and legislated by the BJP after the conspiracy theory of love jihad began to be circulated. It criminalises marriages between Hindus and Muslims if conversion is involved. However, if any person comes back to his ancestral religion, then this shall not be deemed conversion. Those who change their faith without applying to the government in the prescribed pro-forma and without the consent of the government after the police inquiry face jail.

*Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019

Similar to Uttarakhands law, under this law the punishment for propagation (a fundamental right under Article 25) is seven years in jail.

*Uttar Pradesh Vidhi Viruddh Dharma Samparivartan Pratishedh Adhyadesh, 2020

Similar to the previous laws, this one prohibits conversion except with government permission and 60 days notice. Similar laws were passed by BJP governments in MP (Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021), Gujarat (Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021), Karnataka (Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022) and Haryana (Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Act, 2022).

*Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017

This gives the Union and state governments the power to suspend, for any reason, mobile and Internet services. India is the worlds leader in Internet shutdowns. Of 213 total global shutdowns in 2019, India accounted for 56 per cent (12 times more than the next nation, Venezuela). Of 155 global shutdowns in 2020, India accounted for 70 per cent.

*Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 2019 Amendment

This law bans Hindus and Muslims from buying or renting properties from each other without the government's permission. The government will determine if the sale of a property would lead to the likelihood of polarisation or improper clustering of people from a particular religion. It also gives the government the power to undo transactions, even if the buyer and seller make no appeal. In effect, even foreigners can lease and buy property in those parts of Gujarats cities where Indian Muslims cannot. It should be noted that some of these laws have remained even after the party that has legislated them in a state has been unseated. These laws have a long-term effect and have conditioned the police and bureaucrats and the judiciary to think of our society in a particular way.

They are a reflection of the sort of nation India has become and give us a glimpse into what more we can expect in the years to come after this election ends.
Columbia University in New York is in the news in India after the universitys president ordered police raids on the campus in mid-April, and it cannot augur well for campuses in other countries, including India. The incident triggered student protests across 50 American campuses over the Israeli aggression against Palestinians, in particular residents of the Gaza Strip, and to spotlight an ineffective pro-Palestine movement called Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS). More than 1,000 people, including professors, have been detained or arrested; St. Louis-based Washington University, a private university like Columbia, has banned six of its professors; on May 1, the police entered a Columbia campus building that the Gaza protesters had occupied.

The protesters at Columbia and elsewhere are reported to have told the news media that these demonstrations should remind us of the disastrous stand-off in 1970 between students and the US National Guard, which shot and killed four students on the Kent State University campus in Ohio. Students, protesting the US occupation of Cambodia at the tail end of the long-drawn Vietnam war, had occupied common and open spaces on campuses, considered safe spaces for voice and speech. Anxious to quell the dissent, President Richard Nixon sent the Guard to campuses.

The shooting shocked the world after it snowballed into a media event. Newspapers and magazines amplified it, using shocking photographs of students lying on the ground dead. An iconic image in the Daily Mirror, a British tabloid, accompanied by a scathingly caustic headline, Death of a Bum, followed by the sub-heading Four Killed in New Demo on Cambodia, is a case study across media schools. The headline referred to Nixons speech a few days before, where he had called protesters bums blowing up the campuses and US college students the luckiest people in the world.

The parallel between 1970 and 2024 should not entirely be surprising: First, both protests are fights for spaces in physical and figurative senses. Second, student voices were discredited in similar ways. Third, and the broadest in its significance, the current protests are the biggest since 1970, and the government is going after protesters in an election year. A recent survey showed that the proportion of Americans who support the Israeli aggression is far more than those who oppose it. Populism surfaces the most when definable and tangible objectives are immediate and existential. Regardless of which ideology governs a nation, such events expose the populism that lurks behind moralistic rhetoric. Once populism can be effectively cloaked in imperativeness  such as that of war or other moral conflict  it lends an emotive, nationalistic purpose to the voter. For all Nixons impending downfall, people were supportive of his hard stance against the student protests.

Predictably, the indignation game has begun: The pro-establishment media in India has seized the opportunity to call out the Biden administration, questioning how the US lectured India on free speech. The commentaries are right to point out the diplomatic hypo-crisy. They are misleading because the First Amend-ment, the US equivalent of our Article 19, applies to public spaces alone. The US statements on the farmers protest is a particularly false equivalence for our media to draw. Many of the campuses are indeed public universities; however, Columbia, Harvard and many others are not. There, the campus governance lies in the hands of the university. Moreover, US campuses pride themselves on being safe spaces for speech and expression, and they have remained that way without fear of violence or prevention. However, violence is treated as a law-and-order problem. Unlike in the US, where intervention of the law enforcement agencies is disruptive, dramatic, rare and highly evocative, in India, the insinuation has been silent and efficient with a chilling effect. In theory, this principle of free debate and fostering of critical thinking is also valid among Indian universities. Indeed, critical thinking appears prominently in the guiding principles of the new documents of higher education such as the new National Education Policy  although it has liberal education principles that emphasise skills-based education and critical thinking together, somewhat self-contradictorily.

In practice, many of these safe spaces are not truly free. In July 2021, a Central university in Madhya Pradesh organised a conference in association with a US university. The theme, Cultural and Linguistic Hurdles in the Achievement of Scientific Temper, touched a raw nerve among many, and two of the speakers were known liberal intellectuals. After the right-wing ABVP objected, the police asked the authorities to halt the event as it might disturb communal harmony. As most of us recognise, this is hardly a lone case. The police in India do not intervene only when protests get violent; they often prevent or interrupt even peaceful protests, triggering a chilling effect. It is in fact private universities in India that have the best chance to stay the course of rationality and permit eclectic voices, tho-ughts and ideas to flourish.

In targeting the US government, the Indian media is protecting and promoting this systematic clampdown on dissent. One news show targeted the US for its stance favouring farmers during the year-long 2020-2021 protests, when the Delhi police barricaded the capital and treated farmers with brutal force. These self-congratulatory retorts, apparently made as representatives of the government, are now common. However, what has become a routine exercise in majoritarian nationalism here appears to find parallels in the world media in toeing a government line that is ideological rather than rational.

All this is not exactly a banner headline in India. Even the academic commentariat has largely skirted it. Silencing academic voices is reminiscent of the pre-modern hierarchical societies of oppression. The US action vindicates the camp that laments that there is too much freedom. There is nothing excessive in free expression on university campuses: Disagreement with a governments stand cannot be equated with something illegal. Even if it is in forms that are rough at the edges, it is essential to the growth and sustenance of dialectical societies, the hallmark of modernity.

Majoritarian populism is the method of pragmatism that is defining the two countries approaches. Report after global report evidences a decline in the democratic operations of one; the cracks are more visible than ever in the other. Whether the US is learning from nations like Turkey, Hungary, Israel and India is unclear, but the slide away from President Joe Bidens avowal to save democracy in 2021 is surfacing in quite an ironic fashion. The goings-on in America should trigger thought and a sensible dialogue back home on how we can facilitate, not curb, speech.
by Mathias Hariyadi

A group of university students had gathered to pray in the home of a Catholic family but were forced to stop by armed men. The man at the head of an Islamic extremist group said Christians should gather in church. The police have opened an investigation.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  Catholic students from Pamulang University (UNPAM) were threatened by Muslim extremists as they prepared to pray the rosary.

Last night, a group of armed Muslim men broke into the home of a Catholic family in South Tangerang[I] that was hosting students. Shouting threats, the attackers ordered the university students to stop the prayer activity and disperse as soon as possible.

It seems that the hostilities were fomented by a man called Diding. If you perform any praying, do it in your church as we local Muslims are used to do it in our mosque; not in a residential house like this, Mr Diding said, according to witnesses.

A dozen UNPAM students were reciting the rosary at the home of a local Catholic, said a political activist known as Mr A. We were at the polices command post until at 3 am to demand perpetrators be held accountable for last nights hostile deed, Mr A told AsiaNews.

Speaking to local media, Chief Superintendent Alvino Cahyadi said police were looking into the case after a video about the incident was posted on social media. Some female students suffered minor injuries.

A similar incident took place in 2014, when Julianus Felicianus, a Catholic, opened his home to the community near Yogyakarta to pray the rosary, an activity that many Christians engage in, in the month of May.

A group of Muslims targeted the Catholic gathering and Felicianus received threats, including death threats, from several people.

For many Indonesian Catholics, the month of May is special, a time to visit Marian grottos and shrines to pay their respects to the mother of Jesus.

[I] Tangerang Selatan.
Today's news: Families begin Rafah evacuation while Gaza ceasefire talks remain stalled; Pakistani farmers announce a march against falling wheat prices; In Malaysia, data centres boom in the Johor region, very close to Singapore; Four Jehovah's Witnesses sentenced in Russia to six and a half years for 'terrorist activity'.

CHINA-FRANCE

Chinese President Xi Jinping began his first visit to the region in five years in Paris yesterday, with trade and Russia's war with Ukraine on the agenda in talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and the head of the Commission European Ursula von der Leyen. In a statement released upon his arrival, Xi - who will stay in France for two days before stopping in Serbia and Hungary - praised the ties between the two nations, calling them "a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation all between countries with different social systems".

ISRAEL-PALESTINE-GAZA

Palestinian families are leaving areas east of Rafah after the Israeli army asked them to start evacuating the area ahead of the offensive. Meanwhile, talks aimed at securing a ceasefire deal in Gaza and the release of hostages have stalled, with Israel and Hamas saying they do not want to give in on key demands. Meanwhile, three Israeli soldiers were killed and 11 others were injured in a missile attack, claimed by Hamas, against army positions near the Kerem Shalom crossing on the border with Gaza.

PAKISTAN

The Kissan Ittehad Pakistan farmers' association has announced that thousands of farmers will stage a large national demonstration against the wheat crisis starting from May 10th starting from Multan. Wheat prices have collapsed in the local market and are way below the support price of Rs 3,900 per 40 kg. The government's decision to import wheat despite a plentiful harvest is under fire. Already last month, farmers' protests in Lahore and several other cities were quelled by a government crackdown.

MALAYSIA

The world's growing reliance on cloud-based technology is fueling the growth of data centers in the Johor region of Malaysia, aided by its proximity to the financial hub of Singapore, but also by an abundance of available land and low energy costs. Major data center operators have set up operations in this area and Microsoft has also reportedly purchased land in Kulai. According to resource site Baxtel, Johor has 13 data center facilities covering more than 1.65 million square meters, already making it the ninth largest market in Asia Pacific.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea's market regulator said it found violations of short-selling rules by seven more banks in the domestic stock market, as part of a large-scale investigation into the banks' trading practices foreign investment. Last November, South Korea introduced a ban on short selling of securities in the domestic market after finding illegal trading activity by two foreign companies in October, and launched a special investigation to examine the trading practices of other banks.

RUSSIA

The court in the eastern Russian region of Primorje sentenced four Jehovah's Witnesses for terrorist activity to 6 and a half years in concentration camps, plus a period of between 2 and 5 years of "verification and re-education", defining the activities of the religious sect as "a repeated crime with a character of fanaticism and conspiratorial association", to be strictly controlled through the services of the FSB.

KAZAKHSTAN

Pensions in Kazakhstan will no longer be subject to taxes, according to a new rule of the Tax Code. This was communicated to the parliament in Astana by Prime Minister Olzas Bektenov who underlined "the great social significance" of the issue and said he was inspired by international practices to guarantee fiscal fairness for all citizens.
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday congratulated Jeremiah Manele on his assuming office as prime minister of the Solomon Islands.

In his congratulatory message, Li said that China and the Solomon Islands are comprehensive strategic partners featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations five years ago, Li said, bilateral ties have developed rapidly, political mutual trust has been continuously deepened, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, becoming a model for South-South cooperation among developing countries.

He added that the Chinese government attaches great importance to its relations with the Solomon Islands and is ready to work with Manele and the new government under his leadership to maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance friendly exchanges and push for new progress in their comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era so as to benefit the two countries and their people.
Libby specifically toured the Karabakh town of Shushi (Shusha) together with his wife.

I am so happy to be in Shusha today, he said in a video message recorded there and posted on the X social media platform. We have been preparing for this visit for almost two months and I am glad it has finally come together.

I was extremely impressed by my tour and seen first-hand how the city is developing. I look forward to continuing my travels throughout Azerbaijan, added the diplomat.

Libbys predecessors avoided such trips. The Azerbaijani government-controlled media said in recent weeks that he too is reluctant to travel to Karabakh fully recaptured by Baku as a result of last Septembers Azerbaijani military offensive.

The offensive criticized by the United States forced the 100,000 or so remaining residents of Karabakh to flee to Armenia. More than other 20,000 Karabakh Armenians fled their homeland during the 2020 war. Some 5,000 of them lived in Shushi.

In separate tweets, the U.S Embassy in Baku said Libby met with local Azerbaijani officials who briefed him on development efforts there and the return of the towns former Azerbaijani residents. He also visited Shushis Azerbaijani monuments.

The embassy made no mention of the two local Armenian churches that have been endangered since the Azerbaijani army captured the town in November 2020. Satellite images released on April 20 by Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW), a U.S.-based research and monitoring group, suggest that one of them, the St. John the Baptist Church, was destroyed recently.

The church is now gone, said the group led by archaeologists at Cornell and Purdue Universities.

Citing other satellite imagery, CHW reported the same day that Azerbaijani authorities have also completed the destruction of Shushis old Armenian cemetery.

The other, much bigger local Armenian church, the Holy Savior Cathedral, was stripped of its conical dome and cross attached to it in 2021. The Armenian government said at the time that this was done for depriving the Shushi Cathedral of its Armenian identity. Baku claimed that it is simply renovating the imposing 19th century cathedral damaged by Azerbaijani rockets during the war.
6 May 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

When talking about the bitter end of a people deceived for centuries, the current situation of Armenia can be cited as an example. Just as it is a very bad thing to be deceived, it is also a terrible thing to fight for a goal that has no end in sight.

Today, Armenia is experiencing a reset and it is adjusting itself to a situation where it should have been and is one step away from solving a long-standing dispute with Azerbaijan. However, the parties that prevent the taking of these last steps are trying to reawaken the old ideas that have been absorbed into the blood memory of the people.

Armenian Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan (baptismal name Vazgen) continues his provocative propaganda in areas close to Azerbaijan's borders with ideas that mislead Armenian society. Instead of providing religious service to people and calling for peace and unity, the stubborn cleric who incites them to war is supposedly trying to show himself as a patriot.

Bagrat is not alone in this case, one of the forces keeping tight rein on him is former President of Armenia and separatist Robert Kocharyan. A few days ago, when Bagrat was in the Armenian-occupied villages of Gazakh, he received instructions from his master Kocharyan. Therefore, this "pious" propagandist, who became an extremely dangerous weapon, tried to use new methods to influence the masses more strongly.

Armenia is controlled by separatist elements not only from the inside, but also from the outside. Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of the country, is already afraid to walk freely in his country, and the emergence of a serious danger at any moment is considered inevitable for him.

Pashinyan is actually trying to show that he has come to terms with reality and is taking the initiative to change the stereotyped laws of a state built on a false ideology. Although he tried to make political maneuvers against Azerbaijan for a long time, he even relied on the "great Western unity" he thought and put pressure on Azerbaijan, but in the end he realized that it was useless. Armenia's era of separatism is already experiencing bankruptcy.

Although the Armenian lobby tries to create panic and chaos both abroad and at home, it already has to bear the full share of the damage. It is not uncommon to trick a group of people into the streets and stage a protest show. Until then, similar shows were witnessed by the European community, and as a result, the true side of an empty ideology based on lies was exposed.

Making a group of Armenians sit on the street in Lebanon and push them to a demonstration that they don't even understand is an example of the real fraud of the Armenian lobby.

Today, Azerbaijani lands are finally regaining their sovereignty after more than 30 years of occupation. Although the pro-Armenian forces in the West and other countries could not digest this historic victory, it is happening. Armenia's leadership is finally helpless in the face of the truth, but the opposing lobby organizations, knowing what the fate will be, use every means to turn the country and even the region into a bloodbath.

Azerbaijan is ready for any situation and is not incapable of giving a decent response to all opposing forces, whether outside the country or in the region.

---

Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews Deputy Editor-in-Chief; follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 May 2024 20:51 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

In recent days, the fastest progress towards the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been a concern for some anti-Azerbaijan forces. While the Armenian authorities say they are ready for peace with Azerbaijan, the opposition forces in the country go the extra mile to hamper it.

Thus, protests against the return of 4 villages of Gazakh region to Azerbaijan are being held in Tavush. Local residents blocked roads in Tavush province, including the highway to Georgia and the Yerevan-Goyche road.

The institution that supports these protests the most is the All-Armenian Church. It is interesting that an enterprise, which should instill peace and kindness in people, meddles in politics and creates tension in the region. It should be noted that since April, under the leadership of Bagrat Galstyan, Archbishop of the Tavush Diocese of Armenia, opposition slogans have been raised against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

This coincides with the time when Pashinyan agreed to return Azerbaijan's 4 villages, which have been under Armenian occupation for over 30 years.

It seems that the church is not out of control, and some other forces are behind it to oppose the authorities.

At this point, all suppositions focus on the West. It should not be forgotten that the signing of the peace agreement in the region worries the West the most.

If we look at history, the basis of the wars of two historical Turkish states, the Safavid and Ottoman empires, which resulted in huge losses, was due to the agency networks and insidious plans of the West. For many years, two great powers fought a war; human lives and material resources were mobilised, and as a result, both sides suffered. Taking advantage of this tension, Western kingdoms tried to conduct a policy of expansion in the region.

Even in modern times, the West remains faithful to its tradition and tries to coerce the Armenian people to war in order to hinder the development and peace initiatives for the security of the South Caucasus.

The West, which once condemned the activities of Russian peacekeepers in Garabagh, is now, for some reason, upset by Moscow's premature withdrawal from the region. It even wants peacekeeping forces to return to Garabagh. Thus, Senior expert at the Carnegie Endowment and specialist on Garabagh Tomas De Waal says Russian peacekeepers should have stayed in Garabagh.

Because the presence of peacekeepers in Garabagh created ample conditions for Western intervention in the region, Russia seemed like a potential threat in the region. Today, the West has to put an end to its dreams about the region.

It should not be forgotten that the conclusion of the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia guarantees development in many areas.

First of all, if there is no war or conflict in the region, there is no need for the mediation of external forces. This means that Azerbaijan and Armenia will not only recognise their borders but will also start cooperating within the framework of the open door principle. So, is the West happy or sad about it?

Secondly, Armenia's signing of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan will contribute to its relations with Turkiye, and the borders will open, which will massively affect Armenia's economic structure. On the other hand, Armenia will also benefit from Azerbaijan's giant oil and gas projects as well as its projects, in green energy.

Thirdly, and most importantly, the development of Armenia in the region will undermine the plans of colonialist countries like France to influence the South Caucasus for evil purposes. Yerevan will no longer have to be a toy for other countries.

Undoubtedly, the signing of the peace treaty in the region will contribute a lot to Armenia as well as Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus as a whole.

However, the listed facts are not in the interest of the West. The economic and social development of the South Caucasus will not be though as good intention by some Western countries pursuing colonialist policy.

For example, political analyst Thomas De Waal, who made a statement to the Armenians, demonstrated that he belongs to this category in every sense. He said that neither the West nor he is satisfied with the current situation in the South Caucasus. However, in his comment on De Waal's statement, British expert Neil Watson has called him biased. Watson added that de Waal is actually aware of the real situation in South Caucasus.

"Thomas de Waal, despite being an acknowledged expert on the South Caucasus, has repeatedly proven that he has biased sympathies, publicly regarding Azerbaijan as the aggressor in the Garabagh conflict. The fact is that he is fully aware that, following the withdrawal of the so-called Russian peacekeepers, Armenia sits completely isolated in the South Caucasus and is duty bound to comply with requests from Azerbaijan, which has sophisticated weaponry and the support of Israel and Turkiye.

He clearly believes that there is a risk that Azerbaijan will now try to invade the remainder of Armenia, despite President Ilham Aliyev repeatedly pledging that this is not an objective. Furthermore, the so-called peacekeeping troops will now be redeployed in Ukraine, thereby making resolution of that problem even more difficult and challenging," the expert added.

He also said that Azerbaijan is no longer under the influence of Soviet Union and never will be under the influence of NATO and EU either.

"Europe is seeing to establish an outpost in the former Soviet Union that was formerly unavailable. Clearly Azerbaijan, having utilised the Russian expansionist mentality to its advantage for a short period, is never going to come under the direct influence of the EU or NATO," Watson noted.

The expert said that Armenia is using this situation and can become a satellite of European Union in the South Caucasus.

"Armenia, a Christian country with negligible resources, a dwindling population and widespread diaspora in the US and France, particularly, can become an EU satellite in the South Caucasus and in the former Soviet space, particularly now that Russian involvement has been virtually been eliminated. Furthermore, the EU is keen to support Prime Minister Pashinyan and his anti-Russian stance, rather than a possibly pro-Russian future successor," he stressed.

Talking about the protest that is ongoing in Tavush, expert noted that Armenians want to gain foreign media's attention.

"I do believe they are taking place to garner western support and gain coverage from the western media in the hope of further delaying the signing of a peace treaty on a purely bilateral basis between Azerbaijan and Armenia," N. Watson concluded.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 May 2024 12:36 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

In the foreseeable future of 3 to 5 years, there is a strong expectation of significant growth in the sales of Azerbaijani carpets, both in the domestic market, tourism-related sales, and exports, Azernews reports, citing Yusif Abdullayev, the executive director of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO).

Abdullayev highlighted the forthcoming initiatives, stating, "In 2023, Azerbaijan's carpet exports surged by 30% compared to 2022."

Furthermore, Abdullayev pointed out the collaborative efforts between AZPROMO and Azerkhalcha OJSC in promoting Azerbaijani carpets, emphasizing joint ventures with renowned German designer Jan Kath, recognised internationally for his unique fusion of traditional and contemporary carpet styles. He mentioned exhibitions held in Washington, New York, and Madrid in 2023, underscoring the extensive promotional activities conducted in partnership with Azerkhalcha. "Carpets are intrinsic to our heritage," he remarked.

Regarding carpet exports, Abdullayev noted distinct regulatory mechanisms compared to other products, emphasising the straightforwardness of these procedures, facilitated by state regulations.

He commended Azerkhalcha OJSC's efforts in revitalising the cultural significance of carpet weaving, stressing the importance of foreign promotion preceding sales.

Abdullayev highlighted the necessity of simultaneous promotion and export efforts, particularly considering neighbouring countries with rich carpet cultures.

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Rockets from Lebanon hit N. Israel, causing power outages

Xinhua) 09:40, May 06, 2024

Israeli security forces check the scene after rockets fired from Lebanon hit the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, May 5, 2024. (David Cohen/JINI via Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- About 20 rockets were launched from Lebanon at northern Israel on Sunday, damaging facilities and causing power outages in the city of Kiryat Shmona, Israeli sources said.

The military confirmed in a statement that several rockets hit the city, triggering air raid sirens.

The police said rockets fell in several locations in Kiryat Shmona, causing power outages and property damage.

No injuries have been reported yet.

The incident was the latest in the cross-border fighting between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah that began on Oct. 8, 2023.

Israeli security forces and emergency personnel operate at the scene after rockets fired from southern Lebanon hit the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona, May 5, 2024. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
6 May 2024 19:53 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul, AZERNEWS

Entrepreneurs are increasingly relying on the banking, logistics, and cargo transportation services of private institutions, Azernews reports.

According to the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA), private institutions, alongside state entities, are offering a range of services, including banking, logistics, cargo transportation, consulting, mobile operator services, and legal advice, to entrepreneurs at the "Baku SME House."

In the first quarter of this year, out of a total of 80,349 services rendered to businesses at the "Baku SME House," 7,812 services (9.72 percent) were provided by private institutions (B2B).

Notably, the majority of entrepreneurs seeking services from the "Baku SME House" during this period were primarily from "Kapital Bank" OJSC (5,086, 6.33 percent), followed by "Bank Respublika" OJSC (1,025, 1.28 percent), and "International Bank of Azerbaijan" (1,022, 1.27 percent). Additionally, a significant number of entrepreneurs sought services from "Dynamic Express" LLC (223, 0.28 percent) and "Ase Express" (148, 0.8 percent).

These private institutions have been instrumental in providing essential banking, logistics, and freight services crucial for the smooth operation of business activities for entrepreneurs.

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6 May 2024 18:49 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

"Bank Respublika" and the European Investment Bank have signed a credit agreement for a volume of 10 million euros to support entrepreneurs, Azernews reports.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), responsible for financing activities outside the borders of the European Union, has signed a credit agreement with "Bank Respublika" in Azerbaijan for a volume of 10 million euros to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). This agreement will strengthen financial accessibility by providing loans to small business entities on competitive terms and in local currency, aiming to stimulate investments, economic growth, and employment.

This credit is offered within the framework of the EIB's Southern Caucasus SME Finance Facility to improve access to finance for SMEs in the region. The initiative will foster competition in the banking sector and increase the quality and quantity of financial resources available to small businesses. Additionally, by creating nearly 26,500 jobs in the South Caucasus region, it will contribute to growth driven by the private sector and promote social integration.

Aligned with the objectives of the European Union's Eastern Partnership under the Economic and Investment Plan (EIP), this agreement contributes to advancing the goals of supporting 25,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Azerbaijan as part of a pioneering initiative.

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6 May 2024 19:16 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Shahin Read more

In the framework of the III Tashkent International Investment Forum, contracts worth a total of 26.6 billion US dollars were signed, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan.

"It is worth noting that during the Tashkent International Investment Forum in 2022, contracts worth 11 billion US dollars were signed through 167 documents. At this year's forum, agreements were reached with several major companies from around the world, including "Orascom Investment" (Egypt), "Bonafarm Group" (Hungary), "Sayar" (USA), "Goldwind", "Sinoma" (China), "Sam Yap" (Turkey), "PASHA Development" (Azerbaijan), "Lasselsberger" (Austria), and "Petrosat Chexelsoton" (Iran), amounting to new investment projects worth 6.6 billion US dollars," noted the ministry's statement.

"PASHA Development" engages in activities related to the acquisition, management, and development of real estate through its subsidiary and joint ventures. The company is a subsidiary of "PASHA Holding LLC."

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 May 2024 14:38 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) released weekly information on the humanitarian demining operations carried out in the liberated territories, Azernews reports.

According to information, 53 anti-tank mines, 26 anti-personnel mines, and 378 unexploded ordnance (UXO) were detected and neutralised in the liberated areas from April 29 to May 5, 2024.

Also, 2046.3 hectares of land were cleared of mines.

It should be noted that mine clearance operations were carried out by ANAMA, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the State Border Service.

Recall that despite attempts at formally requesting information about the location of those mines, Armenia repeatedly denied that it possessed the relevant information and refused to engage on the issue.

Finally, in February of this year, Armenia submitted 8 minefield maps of territories located in the liberated lands to Azerbaijan. These maps cover some of the areas along the former contact line. However, the maps covering part of the former contact line passing through Khojavand, Tartar, and Goranboy districts, as well as the areas mined by Armenian military units when they retreated in November 2020, have not been submitted yet.

Many have suspicions about these maps because previous minefield maps submitted by Armenia were inaccurate. Only 25 percent of these maps were correct. Especially submitting minefield maps of the heights where civilians do not live increases this suspicion. It is also worth noting that more than 55% of recent landmine cases have occurred outside the areas covered by the information provided.

The behaviour that Armenia displayed in relation to the landmine threat is indeed another setback to the peace-building and confidence-building measures taken during the post-conflict period in the region.

It is worth noting that as Azerbaijan's liberated territories remain contaminated with mine, the new infrastructure and green energy projects remain a risky and problematic goal. These obstacles to a legal peace are part of the challenges facing the repopulation, development, and integration of the liberated territories on the path to a full peace.

The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action, known as ANAMA, has grown from a fledgling organisation to one fully equipped to clear mines, provide risk education, and assist survivors of accidents. Today, ANAMA's efforts are aimed at continuing the increase and expansion of mine action capacity to provide clearance of all liberated areas of Azerbaijan.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
6 May 2024 12:59 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

The process of concluding a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be completed very soon.

Azernews reports that this was said by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Armenian Republic, Alen Simonyan, in his statement to the Armenian media.

The Armenian official told reporters at the National Assembly, referring to the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Almaty.

He noted that there was an opportunity to sign a peace treaty at the end of last year, and political will was required on the part of Azerbaijan.

We hope that this process that is taking place is another signal that this process should and can be completed very quickly, because the Armenian side will move in this direction and will constantly carry out this work, Simonyan added.

Commenting on the statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that the peace treaty sets out the approaches of Azerbaijan, Alen Simonyan said that it fully sets out international norms, which are also the approaches of the Armenian side.

The Armenian side rejects all issues in which there are contradictions. And proof of this is that the text of the contract is being sent and returned for the umpteenth time. Because the Azerbaijani side sends its proposals, and we send ours, Simonyan noted.

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6 May 2024 15:55 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Bone fragments were discovered in the territory of Sugovushan settlement, Aghdara region, Azernews reports, citing the Press Service of the General Prosecutor's Office.

On May 5, an investigation is being conducted in the Tartar district prosecutor's office on the discovery of bone fragments, believed to be human, during the excavation works in connection with the construction of new buildings in the territory of the liberated Aghdara region, Sugovushan settlement.

Recall that the fate of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis, is still unknown to date. Unfortunately, over these years, the Armenian side has refrained from providing information about the missing persons, including the locations of mass graves, to Azerbaijan. However, clarity has only been brought to the fate of several missing persons through measures taken by the relevant state institutions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the direction of identification of the human remains found in mass graves in the liberated territories.

Post-war searches in the liberated territories unearthed multiple mass and individual graves of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, Khojavand, Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Fuzuli regions, as well as around the city of Shusha.

Since 2020, at least 500 human remains have been unearthed in such graves in the villages of Bashlibel in Kalbajar, Edilli in Khojavand, Farrukh in Khojaly, Sarijali in Aghdam, Seyidahmadli in Fuzuli region, as well as in the vicinity of the Shusha prison and other settlements.

Historians and analysts in Baku believe that more mass graves of Azerbaijanis killed by Armenian forces could be found in multiple locations in the liberated territories.

Nowadays, the discovery of dozens of mass graves of Azerbaijani victims in territories liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020 serves as a solid testament to the acts of genocide and military crimes committed by Armenian forces during the First Garabagh War.

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6 May 2024 16:43 (UTC+04:00)

Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijans Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar during his working visit to Gambia, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, the sides hailed the dynamics of partnership between Azerbaijan and Pakistan, adding that the high-level reciprocal visits and contacts of the state and government representatives had given special impetus to the development of these ties.

The two emphasised that there was a great potential for the development of bilateral economic and trade relations within the framework of the Azerbaijani-Pakistani strategic partnership.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov underscored that Azerbaijan attaches importance to mutually beneficial cooperation and support with Pakistan within international organisations and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

FM Bayramov underlined that Azerbaijans hosting of COP29 would create additional opportunities for the Azerbaijani-Pakistani partnership in the field of green energy.

The parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.

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6 May 2024 17:21 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul, AZERNEWS

On May 6, Azerbaijan's rich tourism offerings took centre stage at the esteemed international tourism exhibition "ATM Dubai 2024" (Arabian Travel Market 2024), Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency.

The event serves as a pivotal platform for fostering business-to-business (B2B) engagements, vital for tapping into the Middle East market. Discussions thrive on fostering collaborations between local and foreign tourism stakeholders.

Alongside the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau, 34 local partners, including "Azerbaijan Airlines" and the "Shahdag" Tourism Centre, among others, proudly represent the nation at the dedicated Azerbaijani pavilion.

Visitors to the pavilion are treated to a comprehensive showcase of traditional tourism products, with Azerbaijan's breathtaking nature tours brought to life through immersive VR experiences. Additionally, guests savour the taste of authentic national sweets, adding a delightful touch to the cultural exchange.

Furthermore, on May 3, Florian Zengstshmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau, took the stage to highlight Azerbaijan's tourism potential during panel discussions at the "Phocuswright WiT" Middle East conference in Dubai. The discussions delve into global tourism development, innovative strategies, and opportunities.

It should be noted that since July 8, 2023, a visa-free travel regime has been in effect between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates, allowing stays of up to 90 days. In 2023, our country welcomed 41,085 UAE citizens, signifying an 11.4 percent increase compared to 2022. Moreover, in the first four months of the current year, there has been a 22 percent rise in the number of UAE citizens visiting our country compared to the same period last year.

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6 May 2024 17:45 (UTC+04:00)

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico has headed for a visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Slovak media.

He is set to meet President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday to discuss deepening bilateral relations, with an emphasis on economic cooperation.

"The meeting will also address options for importing Azerbaijani gas to Slovakia. The Slovak prime minister and the Azerbaijani president will sign a declaration on a strategic partnership between the Slovak Republic and Azerbaijan," said the press department of the Government Office.

An agreement on cooperation in the field of the defence industry between the Slovak and Azerbaijani defence ministers will also be signed.

Fico will be accompanied on his visit by a group of entrepreneurs who will hold talks on cooperation between Slovakian and Azerbaijani businesses.

This is Fico's first foreign visit outside the EU, the aim of which is to support the Slovak economy and develop bilateral relations with countries that have high economic potential.

The Slovak delegation will also include Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak.

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6 May 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

The 11th ship carrying humanitarian aid from Turkey to the Gaza Strip departed from the port of Mersin.

According to Azernews, 5,66 tons of aid loaded onto the ship was collected by the Turkish Red Crescent Society. After about 40 hours, the aid will reach the port of Al-Arish in Egypt and will be taken from there to Gaza.

With the coordination of the Red Crescent Society and the Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), 13 planes and 10 ships have sent a total of more than 50,000 tons of humanitarian aid from Turkey to the Gaza Strip.

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6 May 2024 20:38 (UTC+04:00)

By ALimat ALiyeva, AZERNEWS

Italy will host the 58th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2025, Azernews reports.

According to ADB, the theme of the 58th Annual meeting, which will be held from May 4-7, 2025, is "Sharing experiences, building tomorrow."

It is noted that the meeting will be held in Milan, which will be the first time such an event has been held in Italy and the first annual meeting of the ADB in Europe in almost ten years.

Commenting on this event, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa mentioned that climate and development issues are constant and require constant efforts.

"Milan, as an economic center at the forefront of innovation and industry, symbolizing the spirit of progress and cooperation, is an ideal place to share experiences and build a better future. I am confident that the 2025 annual Meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to advance our common goals in the stimulating environment of Milan," Asakawa stressed, as quoted in the ADB message.

Recall that the 57th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was held in Tbilisi (Georgia).

It should be noted that the annual meeting provides ADB governors with the opportunity to consider development issues and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region. Several thousand participants regularly join the meeting, including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, representatives of the private sector, representatives of international organizations and civil society organizations, youth, academia and the media.

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6 May 2024 21:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva, AZERNEWS

The visa-free regime agreement signed between the governments of Kazakhstan and Vietnam on August 21, 2023 in Hanoi, will enter into force on May 25 this year, Azernews reports.

This was stated at a briefing organized for journalists by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Aybek Smadiyarov.

According to him, the agreement provides for the abolition of the visa regime for citizens of the two countries with national passports. Thus, citizens of both countries can stay for 30 calendar days from the date of entry into the territory of the other party and a total of 90 calendar days during each 6-month period.

It should be noted that on April 23, an agreement on visa-free regime between Kazakhstan and Thailand was signed.

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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.
The court clerk accused of jury tampering by Alex Murdaugh's attorneys has resigned, nearly two months after the allegations failed to get Murdaugh a new trial.Rebecca Hill, who has denied any wrongdoing, stepped down on Monday and said she would not run for re-election, CNN reported. Hill held a press conference to announce her decision.She said she was proud of her work as a court clerk, including her management ofreferring to the Murdaugh trial.Murdaugh was convicted last year of the murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul. Hill said during her press conference that the trial caused hershe added.In January, Murdaugh was denied a new trial based on his allegations against Hill, even though the judge sharply criticized Hill for her actions during the proceedings. South Carolina Judge Jean Toal denied Murdaugh's bid for a new trial while condemning Hill in her remarks about her ruling, CNN reported at the time. Toal said Hill wasHill has denied the allegations against her, but Toal determined that Hill had told another clerk and others ofToal said, according to CNN.Toal added that the jurors determined Murdaugh to be guiltybut that HillToal said, according to CNN.Toal further explained that she had personally interviewed each juror and that 11 of them said that they either hadn't heard any comments from Hill or, of those who had, that those comments did not affect their judgment. The 12th juror, according to Toal, wasduring testimony and only said she felt pressure from other jurors.That juror, according to NPR, testified that Hill made comments that indicated Hill thought Murdaugh was guilty. Brian Entin, senior national correspondent for NewsNation, posted on X during the hearing that the jurorCBS reported that the juror, identified only as Juror Z, answeredwhen the judge asked if Hill's comments affected her vote. The juror later told the judge that she stood by an earlier sworn affidavit that said the other jurors influenced her to vote guilty more than Hill's comments.In his closing arguments, Murdaugh's attorney Jim Griffin cited case law while arguing that any communication from court staff to jurors is considered prejudicial and that the defense proved Hill had prejudicial communications with jurors. He argued thatMurdaugh has denied killing his wife and son but pleaded guilty to various financial crimes and was sentenced to 27 years in prison.He still has appeals available for the murder convictions.
Sarah Arnold, writing at Town Hall.com, reports:

Left-wing groups and activists have reportedly been receiving training for months ahead of the chaotic pro-terrorism protests occurring on college campuses.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, many of the pro-Hamas agitators have been consulting with groups such as National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network for up to nine months. The protestors were reportedly trained on how to encourage college students to join in on the demonstrations and planning such turbulent events.

The groups use social media to reach out to potential protestors and give them advice such as informing them to cover their faces.

Columbia University students attended a teach-in hosted by former members of the Black Panthers before the pro-Hamas protests who taught them how to handle internal disputes regarding political movements. Students were also encouraged to call on universities to divest from Israel.

We took notes from our elders, engaged in dialogue with them, and analyzed how the university responded to previous protests, Sueda Polat, graduate student, and organizer in the pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia, told the outlet.

There is nothing wrong with being a member of Hamas, being a leader of Hamas, being a fighter in Hamas, Charlotte Kates, Samidoun coordinator, told the WSJ. These are the people that are on the front lines defending Palestine.

The university also hosted a Resistance 101 training in March which included a speaker from the Canada-based group, Samidoun. The group has publicly celebrated the brutal Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

The outlet noted that the school banned the event from happening twice. However, organizers of the training defiantly held it anyway, resulting in several students being suspended.

The article comes as several reports suggest outside professionals have been funded by left-wing organizations to lead pro-terrorism turmoil on campus grounds.
The Texas Medical Association named Beaumont-based anesthesiologist G. Ray Callas, MD, as its 159th president.

Dr. Callas, the second anesthesiologist to serve as the organization's president, is the first graduate of the TMA's Leadership College to rise to the presidency, according to a May 4 news release from the TMA. He has previously served as TMA's chair of the Council on Legislation and Council on Constitution and Bylaws.

He hopes to ensure that Texas' medical liability reforms are protected, as well as reconfirm medical diagnosing, treatment and prescribing remain in the hands of physicians.

"Its an honor and a privilege to take care of patients and help lead physicians in the state of Texas," Dr. Callas said in the release. "The Texas Medical Association is the greatest medical association of physicians in the United States."
Colonoscopy demand is continuing to grow as gastroenterologists and GI practices face ever-declining reimbursements.

Colon cancer diagnoses have been steadily growing for over a decade.There was a 15% increase in colon cancer diagnoses in people aged 18-50 from 2004 to 2023, according to hospital-based data from the National Cancer Database, and colon and rectal cancer rates are expected to grow 8% among men and 7% among women in 2024.

"Now, to see someone in their 20s and 30s [being diagnosed with cancer], it doesn't wow us anymore," Nancy You, MD, a professor of colon and rectal surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, told Becker's. "Even when I was a fellow in 2008 at Mayo Clinic, we were already seeing young patients with colorectal cancer, and even then we were writing about the increased rates."

Increased diagnoses have led to lowered recommended age for screenings. The U.S. Preventive Task Force lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021. Additionally, CMS said Nov. 1 it is expanding Medicare coverage for certain colorectal cancer screening tests by reducing the minimum age payment and coverage limitation from 50 to 45.

But the increase in demand is not met with a subsequent reimbursement increase. Gastroenterologists are instead facing declining reimbursement rates  gastroenterologists are expecting to see Medicare pay cuts for both facility and non-facility billing for the top 10 most common GI CPT codes in 2024. Additionally, from 2007 to 2022, unadjusted and adjusted average reimbursement for GI procedures dropped by 7% and 33%, respectively, according to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Reimbursements for colonoscopy and biopsy decreased 38% during that period.

This has led to an increase in outpatient GI procedures, particularly at ASCs, because they can offer procedures at a lower cost than HOPDs.

"ASCs and gastroenterologists should work to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in local communities to help prevent cancer," Benjamin Levy III, MD, gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine, told Becker's. "If we were able to get everyone between the age of 45-49 screened on-time, we could diagnose early onset colorectal cancers at earlier and more easily treated stages."

Lawmakers are working to change these reimbursement disparities. In January, 45 members of Congress wrote a letter to HHS urging federal agencies to expand access to colorectal cancer screenings by ensuring surveillance colonoscopies are covered as preventive services. States are also pushing to change this coverage. In February, a proposed bill in Nebraska regarding the expansion of colonoscopy coverage passed the first of three rounds of voting. If the bill passes, insured patients would not be charged additional fees for a medical service associated with colonoscopies.

"I would love to see payers and clinicians sit down at a table and have a conversation about the benefit of early endoscopy for diagnosis and screening," Omar Khokhar, MD, a gastroenterologist at Illinois GastroHealth in Bloomington, told Becker's. "In particular, how EGD/colonoscopy can potentially prevent patient morbidity and decrease downstream cost to the healthcare system. Yes, endoscopy isn't cheap, but cancer is a bad diagnosis and is more expensive."






Nurses at Essentia Miller Hill Surgery Center and Essentia Solvay Hospice House, both based in Duluth, Minn., have filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.

The union would be represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association, according to a May 2 news release from the organization.

According to the release, the nurses at the ASC and hospice house, which are both owned by Duluth-based Essentia Health, are facing issues surrounding working conditions, scheduling and patient care conditions.

"There needs to be guidelines in place for mandatory time off on low-needs days," Cindy Proulx, registered nurse at the Essentia Surgery Center, said in the release. "Nurses are not guaranteed their Full-Time Equivalencies, and there needs to be a limit on the amount of time off Essentia is mandating."

"At Essentia, we have a deep appreciation for the role our nurses and staff play in caring for the patients and communities were privileged to serve," a spokesperson for Essentia Health told Becker's in an email. "While we respect our colleagues rights to consider unionization, we are encouraging our nurses and staff working at the Miller Hill Surgery Center and Solvay Hospice House to continue working directly with us to create the best work environment. We will follow the petition process and share information that helps our colleagues make an informed, personal choice about unionization."
Iowa City-based University of Iowa Health Care has rolled out the first phase of its rebranding initiative.

The first phase starts with University of Iowa Health Care's website, EHR, billing communications and door signage, which will reflect the organization's name change University of Iowa Health Care, according to a May 6 news release from the system.

Additionally, Iowa City, Iowa-based University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics will now bear the name University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center.

The full rebrand, announced in December, will take several years to complete, according to the health system.
Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine saw more than 5,800 patient transfers in the nine months ending March 31, a 16% increase from the same period a year earlier, according to a May 6 report from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Ensuring efficient patient transfers for complex, specialized medical services is a core part of the health system's business model, leaders told the news outlet. The system's transfer center works to connect patients with specialized medical services as quickly as possible. Transfers typically fall into three categories: clotting, bleeding and organ failure. For stroke transfers, considered the most critical, the goal is get patients into a bed or procedural area within two hours.

"We generally are in the business of acute care rescue," Bill Schweickert, MD, a physician executive who oversees patient access and flow at the health system's Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, told the Inquirer.

The average case-mix index for patients  a measure that reflects patient severity and treatment complexity  at the hospital is 2.92, the highest in the Philadelphia region, according to Medicare data cited by the news outlet. For transfer patients, the index is 3.7.

The health system depends on the delivery of specialized, complex care to fund much of the other work the academic health system is known for, including its research enterprise.

"America pays you more for advanced medicine," Kevin Mahoney, CEO, of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, told the Inquirer. "Because of our advanced medicine strategy, we can fund research, we fund the work in the community. Without advanced medicine, nothing would hang together."

Penn Medicine is equally focused on delivering advanced outpatient services that are not easily accessible, leaders said, citing the addition of proton beam therapy at Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital.
In February, Novo Nordisk agreed to buy Catalent for $16.5 billion. The Federal Trade Commission has since requested more information from the companies as it reviews the deal, The Wall Street Journal reported May 3.

This marks the agency's second request for additional information regarding the deal, according to Catalent's May 3 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The move embodies the FTC's heightened scrutiny on large mergers in recent years, especially in healthcare.

As part of Novo Nordisk's plans to purchase Catalent, the Denmark-based drugmaker agreed to buy three fill-finish manufacturing sites in Italy, Belgium and Bloomington, Ind. The facilities would focus on increasing the supply of Wegovy, indicated for weight loss, and Ozempic, indicated for diabetes. According to The Wall Street Journal, the companies said they would cooperate with the FTC and demonstrate the deal complies with antitrust laws.

They anticipate the transaction will be completed toward the end of the year.
In honor of National Nurses Month and National Nurses Week (May 6-12), hospitals and health systems are recognizing the difference nurses make in their organizations.

The American Nurses Association's theme of National Nurses Week, "Nurses Make the Difference," highlights nursing excellence and how nurses embody the spirit of compassion and care in every healthcare setting.

Here are two ways nurses show excellence and commitment to care:

1. Nurses walk an average of four miles during a 12-hour shift, according to studies cited by NurseTogether.

2. For more than two decades, nursing has been rated at the top of the list of the "most honest and ethical professions" in the country, according to Gallup.

Becker's collected messages of appreciation from hospital and health system leaders across the U.S.

Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

Christie Dawson, MSN, RN. Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital (Houston): In celebration of Nurses Month, I want to take a moment to honor the dedicated team at Memorial Hermann Cypress. Recognized consistently as the most honest and ethical profession, these nurses exemplify these qualities each day. It is my privilege to work with these incredible nurses every day. Their hard work is evident in everything they do, from the miles they walk to the comfort they provide. They are truly the backbone of health in our community. Their passion for nursing not only inspires their colleagues but also makes a profound impact on the lives of patients and their families. Thank you to this remarkable team for everything they do. It is a privilege to acknowledge their commitment and celebrate their invaluable contributions.

Meredith Foxx, MSN, APRN. Executive Chief Nursing Officer at Cleveland Clinic: During this year's National Nurses Week, I want to thank every nurse and nursing caregiver at Cleveland Clinic. No matter your specialty, each one of you plays an essential role in helping us provide the highest-quality care to our patients. I watch in awe as your empathy, skill and unwavering dedication to the professional practice of nursing makes a positive impact in the lives of those around you. I am honored to recognize each of you for the expert, compassionate care you provide every day. Nursing is  and always will be  the most humbling, meaningful and rewarding of any profession. To be a nurse isn't what you do, It's who you are. This week and always, we celebrate the powerful role you play as a nurse and all you do for our patients, organization, community and each other.

Wendi Goodson-Celerin, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital: In honor of National Nurses Week, it is my tremendous privilege to express my deepest gratitude to you, my nursing colleagues, for all that you do to make a difference every day in the lives of your patients and their families and the communities that you serve. In this most trusted profession, you serve as a beacon of hope and a source of comfort. You are the backbone of healthcare as you use your skills and knowledge to practice at the highest level of nursing. You put patients first by advocating for them, understanding them, listening to them and treating each individual in your care with compassion. Your incredible and tireless efforts, especially during the most challenging times, deserve the utmost respect and admiration. For all this and so much more, I cannot thank you enough. I'm so proud to call the millions of nurses around the country my colleagues.

Jennifer Higgins, DNP, RN. Chief Nursing Officer at Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): I want to take a moment to give a big, heartfelt thank you to all the incredible nurses throughout the Lee Health system. Thank you for being on the front lines of care and going above and beyond every day to provide compassionate, thoughtful patient care. You always put our patients first and provide an empathetic ear and a healing touch and are often a support system for our patients' friends and families. You make a real difference in people's lives every day, and that does not go unnoticed. Lee Health is lucky to have you, and so is our Southwest Florida community. We've faced some challenges in the past few years, but it's our teamwork, dedication to care and community, and love for what we do that have made us stronger than ever.

Beth Leahey, MSN, RN. Chief Nursing Officer at Roxborough Memorial Hospital (Philadelphia): I am filled with gratitude and pride to be part of a team of dedicated healthcare professionals. Nurses are essential in providing continuous care, serving as caregivers, educators, advocates, leaders and much more. I am honored to be a nurse and excited to see the impact we will continue to make in the future.

Tiffany Murdock, DNP, RN. Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer at Ochsner Health (New Orleans): I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the incredible work that you do every day for our profession, our patients and our communities. As one of over 10,000 nurses at Ochsner Health, you play an invaluable role in providing exceptional care and making a positive impact in countless lives. Each day, you selflessly comfort, heal and support those in need. Your efforts do not go unnoticed, and they make a world of difference to patients and their families during some of the most challenging times in their lives. You not only provide compassionate care, but you also take the time to connect with your patients on a personal level and use your voice to evolve our practice at Ochsner and beyond. Your kindness and empathy are qualities that truly set you apart. Thank you for living your purpose, not just today, but every day. I am grateful for the impact you make for our future and the lives of so many, including mine.

Scott Nygaard, MD. COO of Lee Health (Fort Myers, Fla.): Nurses are critical to healthcare delivery. The men and women serving our community at Lee Health do lifesaving work every day. I personally have tremendous respect and gratitude for work and leadership you provide to our community. The nurses of our health system give their all to the health and well-being of their patients and families each and every day. Despite all the challenges, the dedication of our nurses is unwavering. Thank you to our nurses for their commitment to excellence in the care of Lee Health patients, families and team members. We could not accomplish our mission without you.

Stacey-Ann Okoth, PhD, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Associate Chief Nursing Executive at Jefferson Health System (Philadelphia): I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible dedication and compassion you bring to our profession every single day. Your selflessness and unwavering commitment to caring for our patients inspire me beyond words. I know firsthand the sacrifices you make, putting our personal lives on hold to answer the call of duty. It's not easy, but knowing that we're making a difference in the lives of those who need us most makes it all worth it. I'm endlessly grateful that you provide the most valuable care for our patients at their most vulnerable moments. Your kindness, empathy, and expertise make a world of difference, and I'm honored to stand beside you in this noble profession. Thank you for your tireless efforts, your boundless compassion and your unwavering dedication. Together, we make a difference that truly matters.

Bryan Sisk, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston): To our dedicated nurses at Memorial Hermann, your tireless commitment to excellence is evident in every aspect of your work. From nurturing future generations in our community to spearheading innovative practices through the Memorial Hermann Institute for Nursing Excellence, your contributions are invaluable. Thank you for continuously setting the standard for nursing excellence at our institution and beyond and for your dedication to patient care and professional development. Your efforts are the foundation of our success.

Susan Stone, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President of Health System Operations and System Chief Nursing Executive at Sharp HealthCare (San Diego): In celebration of National Nurses Week, it is an honor to recognize the nearly 7,000 Sharp HealthCare nurses who have dedicated their lives to advancing The Sharp Experience as we strive to be the best place to work, practice medicine and receive care. The profession of nursing continues to rank by Gallup as one of the most trusted professions and we are grateful [for] nursing's ongoing care, compassion, grace and professionalism. During the most vulnerable times of life, we know, nurses lean in and work hard to create a healing environment for our patients and families. This work has been recognized by Press Ganey, Healthgrades and MIT's Glassdoor Study as amongst the best in the country. As we continue to optimize, innovate and leverage technology in our care, we know the journey is not always easy. With nurses at the heart of healthcare, we will create a better future for everyone. On behalf of all our Sharp HealthCare leadership team, we are so very proud of you and thank you for your commitment and dedication.

Karen Strauman, DNP. Chief Nursing Officer of Hennepin Healthcare (Minneapolis): In an era where the nursing workforce is under significant strain, we cannot stress enough what an integral part they are to the healthcare team. Our nurses are highly skilled, compassionate professionals who demonstrate an unyielding determination to excellence  even when facing challenging circumstances. Whether providing direct or virtual patient care, supervising or managing, they perform their jobs with integrity and professionalism, making a difference not only in the lives of their patients, but also their team members who have the privilege of working alongside them.



During National Nurses Week and the other 51 weeks of the year, we appreciate our nursing colleagues and thank them for improving the health and lives of our patients.

Warner Thomas. President and CEO at Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.): There are no better employees anywhere in healthcare than right here at Sutter Health. And, as we celebrate both National Nurses and Hospital weeks this month, I want to say an extra thank you! These may be two simple words, but the pride and appreciation I feel for what you do every day is immense. All of you  physicians, nurses, care teams and support staff  make it possible for us to deliver outstanding care to our patients and communities as we continue to grow and evolve in ways to make that care easier to access and navigate.

As people who choose to work in healthcare, you are special. You give so much of yourselves to those you serve, and that's why we are creating an inclusive environment and structure at Sutter Health to make you feel valued, energized, and safe. You are the secret sauce to the unparalleled impact we have on healthcare and beyond and we're so grateful you are all in for #TeamSutter!
The FDA is urging drug companies to pinpoint the cancer drug dosage that has the greatest impact with the fewest side effects. Its most recent study scrutinizes the dosage of a lung cancer drug, The Washington Post reported May 6.

Typically, companies spend the first series of drug trials escalating doses in small groups of patients until about a quarter of them become seriously ill. That "maximum tolerated dose" is used in more advanced clinical trials and tends to make it to the drug's label, according to the report. However, the FDA is asking companies to reassess.

The presence of more side effects means more patients become ill and skip doses or stop taking drugs altogether. In some cases, a quarter-dose could be nearly as effective and cost significantly less, a study by Amgen at the behest of the FDA found.

Amgen is the maker of lung cancer drug Lumakras. The FDA gave the drug conditional approval but required the company to conduct a study comparing the labeled dosage of 960 mg with a dosage of 240 mg. The trial showed the higher dosage may give patients one more month of life but cause more severe side effects.

Amgen said it will keep the 960 mg dosage as it conducts further tests. Last year, Lumakras brought in nearly $200 million in revenue to the company, and the higher dose makes four times as much revenue per patient from Medicare, according to the report.

University of Chicago oncologist Mark Ratain, MD, a critic of Amgen, told CMS that Medicare should pay for the drug on the basis of a 240 mg daily dosage, but CMS said it would only do so "if there is a change in the drugs FDA-approved dosage."

The Amgen study was part of the FDA's Project Optimus, which is aimed at making cancer drugs less toxic and more effective. The project began in 2021.
The California Department of Public Health recently fined a Prime Healthcare hospital approximately $244,000 after a wrong-site nerve block and adverse events, according to state documents.

In 2023, the department placed Redding, Calif.-based Shasta Regional Medical Center in immediate jeopardy for an adverse event in March and a surgery performed on the wrong body part in August. The first penalty came with a $94,500 fine in January, and the latter resulted in a $60,375 fine a month later.

The hospital also has an outstanding $94,562 fine and immediate jeopardy notice from late 2023.

The adverse event was reported as patients on heart monitors not receiving timely care when monitor alarms sounded. In one case, more than three hours elapsed before a patient received care. A few days later, another patient removed their monitor and left the building without staff noticing.

More information on the surgery is not publicly available, but a hospital spokesperson told Becker's a self-reported, "wrong-site pain block incident" happened a year ago "and corrective processes [were] put in place in 2023."

The spokesperson said Shasta Regional Medical Center earned an "A" patient safety grade from The Leapfrog Group in May and has held a five-star patient safety rating from Healthgrades since 2022.

Becker's has asked the spokesperson for clarification on the hospital's immediate jeopardy status and will update this article if more information is available.
Since late last year, Becker's has covered eight instances in which CMS issued an immediate jeopardy warning to hospitals. To avert the loss of CMS funding, hospitals that receive such warnings must submit and implement a comprehensive plan of correction to address any deficiencies for which they were cited.

An immediate jeopardy warning, however, does not necessarily equate to poor ratings in hospital rating and rankings programs. Four hospitals that have been cited since December earned a B grade in The Leapfrog Group's 2024 spring safety grades.

Here are the Leapfrog safety grades of seven hospitals hit with immediate jeopardy warnings  all of which have since been lifted  in the last year:

NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull in New York City's Brooklyn borough received a D.

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia received a B.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-Cedar Avenue in Philadelphia received a B.

Carilion Roanoke (Va.) Memorial Hospital received a C.

Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Mass., received a C.

Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., which is owned by HCA Healthcare, received a B.

Providence Milwaukie (Ore.) Hospital received a B.

Northlake Behavioral Health System in Mandeville, La., didn't receive a grade since it is a behavioral health hospital. Leapfrog does not assign safety grades to critical access hospitals, freestanding children's hospitals, mental health facilities, federal hospitals, or long-term care and rehabilitation facilities.
The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences, a tuition-free public high school, is set to open in Demopolis in fall 2026.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey approved the creation of the school May 2 after its legislation cleared the House in April and Senate in May. In February, the governor said the legislation was among her top priorities and noted the state-funded healthcare high school  a concept she introduced in 2023  is an important part of the state's workforce development programming, particularly for rural Alabama.

"There is simply no denying it, and we need more people to fill just about every kind of healthcare job out there  doctors, nurses, techs, you name it," Ms. Ivey said in her 2024 State of the State Address.

Alabama Senate minority leader Bobby Singleton told The Montgomery Advertiser that he expects at least 200 students enrolled.

Legislation for the school outlines its board of directors, which will consist of the CEOs (or their representatives) from Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis, the Alabama Hospital Association, and the presidents of various state universities, such as Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Additionally, the governor will appoint other board members, with a mandate that five of them possess expertise in healthcare, public health, or healthcare administration.




From funding to FDA clearances, here are six key developments in orthopedic regenerative medicine since March 7.

1. SurGenTec's OsteoFlo hydroputty synthetic bone graft earned 510(k) clearance from the FDA. The bone graft has proprietary hydrophilic carriers designed to absorb fluids and is optimized for bone growth.

2. Cassandra Lee, MD, became one of the first surgeons in the U.S. to use the CartiHeal Agili-C cartilage repair implant. The Agili-C implant is made from a form of calcium carbonate derived from coral exoskeletons and is used to support bone remodeling and cartilage regeneration.

3. A man who was paralyzed seven years ago can walk and stand on his own after taking part in a stem cell study at Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic. Chris Barr was in a study that collected stem cells from his stomach fat, expanded them in a lab and injected them into his lumbar spine. Mr. Barr was paralyzed seven years ago and underwent stem cell treatment for five years. He was the first of 10 patients in Mayo Clinic's study on stem cell therapy in spinal cord injuries.

4. Regenerative therapeutics company Theradaptive has appointed Frank Vizesi, PhD, as its chief scientific officer. Dr. Vizesi has over 20 years of experience in orthobiologics and spinal fusion, holding leadership roles at Orthofix, SeaSpine and NuVasive

5. Orthobiologics developer OssDsign was awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide products for an additional 100 VA hospitals nationwide. OssDsign first entered into a distribution and pricing agreement in 2021 that has gradually been expanded. With the new contract, OssDsign will cover all VA orthopedic hospitals nationwide.

6. The University of California Los Angeles is part of a multi-institution research team that earned a contract of up to $33 million to develop treatments for joint regeneration for osteoarthritis. UCLA's cut of up to $12.3 million is part of the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health's funding. The money will support the development of new therapies with a goal of completing FDA phase 1 clinical trials within the next five years.
Business was on the brink for six weeks until bank finally refunded the money stolen by fraudsters

The co-operative that runs the only shop on Rathlin Island has revealed how it came close to closure after falling victim to an online scam that saw its bank account cleared of almost 12,000 in minutes.

Ruari Morgan, chair of the community co-operative, said he was forced to use his own debit cards to ensure the shop continued to supply the local community after criminals used an online phishing email to gain access to accounts.

Mr Morgan had to wait six weeks before the money was refunded by Co-Operative Banking Group.

He said he was shocked in March when a standing order of 11,900 was approved and the money left the account.

He said: We contacted the bank and made them aware of the fraudulent activity and awaited our refund. In the meantime we were left in a position of being unable to pay staff or bills.

The bank was able to tell us quite quickly that a log on to the account was made from London at 11am on March 12. Money was transferred out to a HSBC account in a computer generated name. It was all done in a couple of minutes.

I used my own debit cards to pay for goods for a few days or we would have had to close.

Mr Morgan said he spent 40 hours on the phone  again at his own expense  trying to sort the issue with the bank. It was only at the end of last week that the funds were restored.

Obviously we were relieved, but it took 37 days and that took a toll, he said.

The scammers dont care if its us, the only shop in a community, who they target, or that the shop was in real danger of having to close. It was a big shock for everyone who lives here.

We got a new laptop which will only be used for our HMRC stuff and payroll. And a lot of people have been changing their passwords this week.

But he said banks could do more to help businesses caught out by similar frauds.

Twice I was told it was a three-day wait for a manager to call back. Neither of the callbacks happened, he said.

Shop manager Aoife Molloy said she had been left concerned for her future on the island.

It was a scary time. If the shop had been forced to close Id probably have had to leave Rathlin and that would have broken my heart. Ive been here 15 years and cant imagine ever living anywhere else, she explained.

Were just relieved its been sorted now, but the warning is there that this could happen to anyone.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock, chair of the ScamwiseNI Partnership, said everyone needs to be vigilant.

Criminals can now access banking and personal data by exploiting communication networks through phones, social media, emails or text messages, he warned.

Anyone can be targeted. Never click on links in text messages or emails from someone you do not know and never reply to suspicious numbers or emails.

The Co-Operative Banking Group said it is extremely sorry and encouraged customers to also exercise care.

We sympathise with the distress caused and have refunded the full amount lost, the bank said.

We want to reassure our customers that we have robust security controls in place to protect them from fraud.

We do ask that customers remain vigilant when it comes to suspicious activity on their account and never share key account or security information with anyone.
We are all taught the difference between right and wrong from a young age. Grey areas tend not to be explained to primary school children, just as grey areas in the law tend not to be divulged or highlighted.

However, as the fourth episode of Blue Lights has shown us, grey areas when it comes to ethical police work tend to pop up a lot.

The most recent weekly instalment of Declan Lawn and Adam Pattersons drama (if you havent watched ahead on the iPlayer) sees multiple dubious scenarios play out, which will no doubt make the viewers as uncomfortable as some of the characters experiencing them.

In one instance, DS Murray Canning advises Constable Shane Bradley to put the squeeze on a mid-level drug dealer, in order to gather more intelligence about new player Lee Thompson, played by Seamus OHara, start of Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye.

The phrase taking the gloves off is repeated throughout.

Even though Constable Tommy Braniff spots a physical drug deal going on in broad daylight, Shane brushes it off, implying that Murray Cannings intel work is more important to deal with.

We then see Shane physically assault said mid level dealer, and lock his friend in a cupboard under the stairs in order to gain more information about Lee Thompson.

Shane performs his questionable acts out of Tommys sight  making sure he enters the house before him, then making him check the back door while he threatens the young man with the possibility of planting drugs on his mother, who already has previous convictions, meaning she could get sent back to prison.

Shane gets the information he needs, but at what cost? Were his methods necessary or fair  or even legal?

In a side plot, Grace and Annie are called to the scene of a domestic disturbance.

Upon entering the house, a man with an alcohol addiction that Grace and Stevie have encountered before is seen throwing items into a barbecue fire.

He claims his wife has left him, but she too appears, and tells the officers that she was at her sisters: I needed a break  hes been on one of his binges.

We learn that he was an English teacher, and a very good one at that, but the drink took everything from him.

I couldnt stop him, his wife says. What can you do?

To which Annie replies: You could leave him  you dont have to stay with him.

The wife angrily snaps back: What age are you? You dont have a clue but someday you will.

While the two female officers initially leave the scene, they return to arrest the man, with Grace stating that if we keep tolerating this, then someday someone is going to get seriously hurt or he is going to hurt himself.

In the police car, the man keeps talking about the stamp of nature  which is also the title of this episode.

Annie explains that it is a reference from Shakespeares Hamlet  To the next abstinence; the next more easy; For use almost can change the stamp of nature.

She notes: It means, changing who you are is really fecking difficult, but worth a try.

This theme of repeated human behaviour, and a desire to change for the better, is prominent throughout Blue Lights.

That extract from Hamlet continues: And either curb the devil or throw him out with wondrous potency.

Lee Thompson is the ultimate depiction of this Shakespearean message. We hear throughout this series about how he wants to change his loyalist home estate of Mount Eden.

And vigilante justice is no stranger to the real-life version of Belfast.

Paramilitaries try to take the law into their own hands, and while Thompson clearly despises paramilitaries, its suggested that he isn't too different from them himself.

Later in this episode, we see him talking to gangster Davy Hamill.

Lee speaks about coming back to the Mount Eden estate after serving time with the British Army in Afghanistan.

I just couldnt get over it the dirt, the debt, the drugs, says Lee.

Davy replies: But sure youre selling drugs?

Lee states: I am, aye. Everywhere but here. You and Dixon [Jim Dixie Dixon] destroyed this place.

You don't deserve to live here anymore. But if I lay eyes on you again, youll go the way Dixon went.

Lee Thompson becomes more like a Robin Hood figure to the viewer as the series goes on. He seems to only want to be a part of the drug trade, to stop what he sees as the darker powers that be from running it locally.

Outside The Loyal Bar, Lees young nephew Henry asks former Scottish soldier Craig McQuarrie if his uncle Lee ever killed anybody.

Craig, who served in Lees army regiment, responds: Hes better at saving people.

Lee tells Henry that all the bad people are leaving this place because he has told them to; he is adamant that he is going to save Mount Eden, despite Davy Hamill telling him that no one can.

Lees character becomes nearly more likeable than Cannings, despite one obviously being a criminal and the other being a paramilitary task force detective.

The fourth episode of Blue Lights does well in showing that there are grey areas in everyone  there are bad cops, just as there are good ones, and there are people who do bad things, despite thinking they are doing so for good reasons.

So, what do all of these characters deserve, and will they get it in the end?
The second set of acts has been announced for this years Stendhal Festival including Liverpudlian indie rock band The Zutons, most famous for top ten hits such as Valerie and Why Wont You Give Me Your Love.

Earlier this year, Grammy award-winning band Hot Chip and Heather Small from M People were also announced as headliners for the festival which is taking place for the 14th year at the Ballymully Cottage Farm in Limavady, Co Londonderry, from July 2 to 6.

The Zutons have been a hugely popular festival act since the early 2000s, and with a brand new fourth studio album called The Big Decider just released in April, the band will hope to add a fourth UK top 10 album to their hit list and will have a raft of new songs for Stendhal alongside all the old favourites.

Also announced are rockers Fatherson, whose first album I Am An Island remains one of the finest Scottish debuts of the century, and Donegal sister trio The Henry Girls, with their blend of traditional and contemporary roots music.

Stendhal is well known for its support and showcasing of indigenous Northern Irish acts and 2024 is no different, with no fewer than 30 homegrown acts involved in this second wave of programme announcements.

Conchur White, The Woodburning Savages, Cherym, The String Ninjas, Andy White, The Breeze, Doghouse, Esmarelda Road, Rory Nellis, Rachael OConnor, Red Eye Pariah, Tessio, Boy M5, Balcony Sunrise, Drew Makes Noise, MULU, John Derry and the Heads, Parker, Hypnik Jerk, Polar Bolero, The Suite, Roll the Dice, Klyda, Cathal Francis, Renegade Zoo, Cellofella, Tomcat, Cooke, Elixir Hip-hop Showcase, Antidote Emcees DJs and Busted Seals will all be representing our brilliant home grown talent this summer.

There are also a host of brilliant acts from right around the Republic of Ireland, the UK and the rest of the world.

Deni Bonet and Chris Flynn bring their brilliant folk rock all the way from the US, the imaginative and insightful Alice Faye joins the festival from Glasgow, while Filmore and Ren Marabou and the Berserkers will travel across the border to perform.

Other musicians taking to the stage across the festival include acoustic rave pioneers The Showhawk Duo, multi award-winning folk act Ye Vagabonds, seven-time All-Ireland champion harpist Lisa Canny, indie standouts Skinny Living, Zulu Afrorave rapper Toya Delazy, and a brand-new collaboration between Pat McManus (Mamas Boys) and Cormac Neeson (The Answer) called When Ireland Rocked.

Derry pop rockers Lavengro will also make their Stendhal debut this year, while Belfast punk is well represented by the raucous Problem Patterns.

Stendhal Festival Director Ross Parkhill said he is looking forward to welcoming all the acts, many of whom will be attending for the first time, to the event this year.

We are obviously delighted to add The Zutons to our list of headliners for this year, they are a phenomenal live act and have loads of brilliant tunes that will radiate wonderfully around the fields, he said.

For us, the big excitement really comes with the indigenous acts. We have around 20 home grown acts making their Stendhal debuts this year and being able to provide them with a platform to showcase their talent to a wider audience is really what is at the heart of the festival.

We really hope that people can come along this year and find a brand-new, home-grown act that they really resonate with and support going forward.

We still have a few more musical acts to announce and we will also very shortly be announcing all our family, comedy and other artistic programmes. The overall programme is taking shape very nicely and everything is looking very positive this year, he added.

We might even get our first pre-weekend sell out with the way tickets are going, a milestone we have been trying to reach for years, is a real possibility this year.

For tickets and more information visit www.stendhalfestival.com.
The recently discovered print by Jacob Christoff Le Blon returns to public show at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk (Mike Hodgson/ National Trust/ PA)

An artwork displayed at a National Trust property and seen by thousands of visitors each year has been identified as a rare surviving work by a printmaker credited with inventing colour printing.

It had always been assumed that the copy of the Sir Anthony van Dyck portrait, the Three Eldest Children of King Charles I, displayed at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk was oil on paper.

But the artwork was found to be a rare print by 18th century printmaker Jacob Christoff Le Blon when it was sent away for conservation treatment at the Trusts Royal Oak Conservation Studio at Knole in Kent.

The German-born painter and engraver, who died in 1741 aged 73, was the first to create a three-colour printing process  the forerunner of the CMYK colour printing used today.

His method used mezzotint  a monochrome printmaking process  with separate plates inked in blue, yellow and red and superimposed on one another in order to create an endlessly variable depth of hue.

Until then, artists had inked colours one beside the other on a single printing plate.

A curator inspects the recently discovered print by the 18th century printmaker Jacob Christoff Le Blon at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk (Mike Hodgson/National Trust/PA)

National Trust curator Jane Eade said van Dycks portrait, in the Royal Collection (1635-6), was much copied but only three Le Blon prints of it were known to survive.

To have a discovered a fourth is really exciting, especially as it is the only version that remains hanging in its historic setting, she said.

Analysis of the piece helped identify the colours Le Blon is known to have used, such as indigo and carmine or red lake.

All of the versions were hand-coloured after printing.

Ms Eade said a thick layer of 19th century varnish applied while the artwork was framed and hanging on the wall was particularly challenging, but that the conservator was able to gently clean the surface layer, thinning the varnish in places and smoothing cracks to improve the pictures appearance.

The canvas backing was peeling in some places but, since it was likely to be the original backing used by Le Blons Picture Office, it was repaired and conserved rather than replaced.

Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk (Mike Selby/National Trust Images/PA)

Le Blon moved to London in 1718 where, calling himself James Christopher, he was granted a royal privilege by George I to practice his trichromatic printing.

Royal patronage gave him access to Kensington Palace to copy paintings  including the Van Dyck of Charles Is children.

It is not known for certain how and when the print came to Oxburgh Hall, the home of the Bedingfeld family.

Royalists and devout Catholics, it is possible that the print arrived at Oxburgh soon after it was created in 1721-22, in the time of the 3rd Baronet, Sir Henry Arundell-Bedingfeld (1689-1760).

Ilana van Dort, Oxburgh collections and house manager, said: There is now evidence that Henry Arundell-Bedingfeld was a secret Jacobite and van Dycks portrayal of the children of Charles I, including the future James II the last Catholic monarch of Britain, would have great resonance and symbolism.

James exiled son, James Francis Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) had attempted to take the throne in the Jacobite rising of 1715  only six years before Le Blon copied van Dycks original portrait.

Copies of this painting are known to been popular with those sympathetic to the Jacobite cause and it would have been quite feasible that the print has spent its whole life at Oxburgh, although we lack enough evidence to prove it.

The print will be on show at Oxburgh alongside some 16th century textile fragments, preserved beneath the floorboards of the Hall and conserved after being found during recent building work.
Prevention measures at bridges notorious for suicides still not in place after five years

Plans for barriers at two spans over Westlink in Belfast and one in Derry were announced in 2019, but work still not done

Plans for suicide prevention measures at two bridges over the Westlink have stalled

Liam Tunney Mon 6 May 2024 at 07:00







Anti-suicide measures at a number of bridges which were included in a 2019 mental health action plan have not been implemented.
There are no reports of any injuries

Bonfire material has been gathered in the area

Police at the site in east Belfast

Police have attended reports of young people throwing items at the public and buildings close to an east Belfast bonfire site.

Damage has been reported to buildings in the area, which is in the vicinity of Belfast City Council-owned Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre.

Material has been gathered on a nearby green in preparation for the annual Eleventh Night bonfire.

"Police are currently in attendance at a report of anti-social behaviour in the Montgomery Road area of east Belfast this afternoon, Monday May 6, said a PSNI spokesperson.

Bonfire material has been gathered in the area

We received a report at around 3.15pm that a number of young people were in the area, throwing items at people and buildings, causing damage. There have been no reports of any injuries at this stage.

"Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 971 of 06/05/24.

Last year, the site drew criticism after photographs emerged showing offensive images posted inside a hut used by bonfire builders.

The hut contained a flag depicting a man holding a rocket launcher, including the words Clonduff Rocket Team.

It is understood this is the name used by a gang of youths based around the nearby Clonduff estate.

The letters UVF were carved onto a makeshift table while a Swastika made from tape was stuck to the wooden frame.

Nearby the letters KAT, Kill All Taigs, were scrawled onto a sofa along with an obscene image.

The hut was later removed.
Victim of UDA crucifixion in Bushmills taken to hospital with hands still nailed to fence

Theres no place for mob rule in society, says PSNI after brutal attack linked to North Antrim paramilitaries

The fence in Bushmills that the man was nailed to

Allison Morris Mon 6 May 2024 at 22:00

A man crucified in a paramilitary assault in Bushmills had to be brought to hospital with his hands still nailed to parts of a fence.
The Ministry of Defence has been the target of a data breach (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

The Ministry of Defence has been the target of a large-scale data breach, it is understood.

Sky News reported that China was behind the cyber attack.

A third-party payroll system has been hacked, potentially compromising the bank details of all serving armed forces personnel and some veterans. A very small number of addresses may also have been accessed.

The department took immediate action when it discovered the breach, taking the external network  operated by a contractor  offline.

It is understood that initial investigations have found no evidence that data has been removed.

But affected service personnel will be alerted as a precaution and provided with specialist advice. They will be able to use a personal data protection service to check whether their information is being used or an attempt is being made to use it.

All salaries were paid at the last payday, with no issues expected at the next one at the end of this month, although there may be a slight delay in the payment of expenses in a small number of cases.

The Government will inform MPs of the breach when Parliament returns on Tuesday, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps expected to make a Commons statement in the afternoon.

Ministers will blame hostile and malign actors, but will not name the country behind the hacking.

The MoD has been working at speed to uncover the scale of the attack since it was discovered several days ago.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden in March formally blamed Beijing for an attack on the Electoral Commission which exposed the personal data of 40 million voters (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The revelation comes after the UK and the United States in March accused China of a global campaign of malicious cyber attacks in an unprecedented joint operation to reveal Beijings espionage.

Britain blamed Beijing for targeting the Electoral Commission watchdog in 2021 and for being behind a campaign of online reconnaissance aimed at the email accounts of MPs and peers.

Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey said: So many serious questions for the Defence Secretary on this, especially from Forces personnel whose details were targeted.

Any such hostile action is utterly unacceptable. Parliament will expect a full Commons statement tomorrow.

In response to the Beijing-linked hacks on the Electoral Commission and 43 individuals, a front company, Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, and two people linked to the APT31 hacking group were sanctioned.

But some of the MPs targeted by the Chinese state said the response did not go far enough, urging the Government to toughen its stance on China by labelling it a threat to national security rather than an epoch-defining challenge.

Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith repeated those calls, telling Sky News: This is yet another example of why the UK government must admit that China poses a systemic threat to the UK and change the integrated review to reflect that.

No more pretence, it is a malign actor, supporting Russia with money and military equipment, working with Iran and North Korea in a new axis of totalitarian states.

The Metropolitan Police said it is not involved in any investigation at this stage.
The SNPs new leader John Swinney made his first speech in the role after taking on the top job unopposed, ahead of his expected appointment as first minister later this week.

His acceptance speech at Glasgow University praised his predecessor Humza Yousaf, and he pledged to become a unifying figure, before taking questions from journalists.

Here are some of the key points from the speech:

 Unifying different factions of the SNP and seeking compromises

Mr Swinney invited the audience to join me as we open a new chapter, and pledged to use respect and courtesy to make the case for independence.

He said: The polarisation of politics does not serve our country well. We should be seeking solutions to problems.

I will reach out to everyone willing to join with us in good faith and seek compromises that serve our nation well. We need to stop shouting at each other and talk. More than that, actually, we need to listen. As first minister, I will do exactly that.

John Swinney paid tribute to his predecessor Humza Yousaf (Andrew Milligan/PA)

 Tributes to predecessor Humza Yousaf

Mr Swinney praised the grace and dignity of his predecessor, and said moral leadership on the issue of Gaza has been a light in very dark times.

He thanked Mr Yousaf for his contribution to the SNP and for his work as First Minister, and said he expected him to play a part in Scottish politics.

Mr Swinney said: We must continue to illuminate hope, fight for international justice and be willing to stand up for what we believe to be right. That is what Humza Yousaf did.

I know that Humza will continue to make a substantial contribution to the public life of Scotland and I thank him for all that he has done as our party leader and First Minister.

 Relations with SNP figures including Kate Forbes

Mr Swinney addressed relations with other factions within the SNP and said he had met ex-finance secretary Kate Forbes to discuss her views.

He thanked Ms Forbes for backing his leadership, and said during a meeting that the former opponents came together and discussed the shared ambitions we have for our country and how best to go forward.

Mr Swinney added: The simple lesson is that dialogue can bring us to points of agreement and strength.

Mr Swinney said her and Kate Forbes had discussed their shared ambitions (Jane Barlow/PA)

 The Bute House Agreement will not be reinstated

Responding to questions following his speech, Mr Swinney said he will not resurrect the defunct powersharing deal between the SNP and the Scottish Greens, known as the Bute House Agreement.

He said he would not implement that type of agreement, preferring to take issues on a case-by-case basis.

Mr Swinney said: I dont intend to return to the Bute House Agreement.

Mr Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon pose with a Yes sign ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum (Lynne Cameron/PA)

 Scottish independence

Mr Swinney said the party would get our act together and win back disaffected voters.

He said the country could do more if we had the powers of a normal independent nation, and cited Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis as examples of Westminster decisions that are bad for Scotland.

Mr Swinney said: They demonstrate why Scotland needs to have independence to make our own decisions and create our best future.

To rapturous applause, he said: If someone is an independence supporter in Scotland and they they want Scotland to be independent theres only one political party that will ever deliver and thats the Scottish National Party.

 The Cass Review into gender identity services for young people will be listened to amid pledges of a rational approach

Mr Swinney described the Cass Review as evidence based, and pledged to listen to clinicians.

He added: The Government will take a rational evidence based approach to the consideration of the Cass Review.

On matters of such sensitivity about the wellbeing of children and young people we should listen to clinicians.
The mother of Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett will begin a 200-mile walk from the venue to Downing Street on Tuesday to demand the introduction of stronger protections against terrorism in public places.

Martyns Law, named in tribute to the 29-year-old who was one of 22 people killed at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017, would require venues and local authorities in the UK to have training requirements and preventative plans against terror attacks.

Figen Murray, Mr Hetts mother, has long campaigned for the introduction of the law, which has yet to get beyond draft stage.

The 22 victims of the terror attack during the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena (GMP/PA)

From Tuesday, she will be joined by family and friends, politicians, security industry experts, and members of the public over 16 days as she walks from the spot where her son was killed to Downing Street. She will arrive on May 22, the seventh anniversary of his death.

Ms Murray said her life changed overnight when her son was killed in the attack.

Martyns death could have been avoided if there were basic security measures in place that night and that is why I have been tirelessly campaigning to ensure no parent experiences the pain and loss that I endure daily, she said.

On Tuesday morning, Ms Murray will be joined by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and former counter-terrorism police chief Nick Aldworth, as well as Mr Hetts friends Russell Hayward and Mikey Keating at the AO Arena in central Manchester.

Martyn Hett (GMP/PA)

She will then begin the 186-mile walk to Downing Street. Over the 16 days, she will visit memorials to victims of terror attacks to pay her respects, including the Glade of Light in Manchester and the 7/7 Memorial in London.

I am walking from the spot where my son died to 10 Downing Street to remind the Prime Minister of his commitment to introduce legislation that will improve security and protections at public venues, Ms Murray said.

The campaign for Martyns Law has already been a long journey, I hope this walk is the final leg. All I am asking is for the PM to keep his promise.

Ms Murray has written to Rishi Sunak and asked him to meet her when she arrives at Downing Street and to name a date when the Governments draft law will come to the House of Commons.

Since her sons death, she has obtained a masters degree in counter-terrorism and received an OBE.

Figen Murray with her OBE medal (Victoria Jones/PA)

Her campaigning has been supported by experts and activists including the co-founder of Survivors Against Terror, Brendan Cox, who was married to murdered MP Jo Cox.

Governments first duty is keeping us safe, he said.

The fact that the Government knows that there are dangerous terror loopholes and has promised to fill them, yet hasnt been able to find parliamentary time for its own bill is simply not good enough.

Martyns Law was a commitment in the Conservative Manifesto in 2019 and was followed by public consultations.

A Home Affairs Select Committee in July 2023 criticised a draft of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill which it said would put small businesses and organisations at risk of closure and fail to make a significant impact on preventing attacks.

MPs found the draft Bill, which has different standards based on venue capacity, would require a local village hall to have certain safety precautions, while an outdoor market in a city centre would not.

They said it was a concern that attacks which had occurred in some parts of the UK, such as in Scotland, would not fall into the draft Bills scope.

But Ms Murray claimed the committee reached a dangerous and misguided conclusion after scrutinising the draft legislation.

Martyns Law will make us all safer without changing our way of life, she said.

It is not meant to restrict us but empower us by making the general public more resilient to such attacks.

A Home Office spokesperson said: As set out in the Kings Speech, we are committed to bringing in Martyns Law  legislation that will better protect the public from terror attacks, and we are grateful to Figen Murray for her tireless support of this issue.

It is important that our new law stands the test of time and is a fitting tribute to those who have campaigned for it. That is why we have consulted on how we can protect the public without putting unnecessary burdens on smaller businesses.

We are now in the final stages of drafting this legislation, and it will be brought in as soon as possible.
John Swinney needs to win the backing of MSPs at Holyrood before he can go on to become Scotlands next first minister (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Becoming the new leader of the SNP does not mean John Swinney will automatically become Scotlands next first minister.

For that to happen the former deputy first minister has to face a vote in the Scottish Parliament, where he will need to win the support of MSPs.

It is likely other party leaders could put themselves forward for the ballot, though it is in reality unlikely that they would be successful in this.

However for Mr Swinney to win the vote in Holyrood, which could take place as early as Wednesday, he will need some MSPs from opposition parties to either back him in the vote, or at least abstain.

MSPs could vote on Wednesday to decide who should become the next first minister (Jane Barlow/PA)

That is because without the powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens, which was ripped up by Humza Yousaf, the SNP is short of an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament.

The support of Scottish Greens therefore could still be crucial going forward, in this vote and in others to come at Holyrood.

Assuming he wins the vote, Mr Swinney will then become the Scottish Parliaments nominated candidate to be the countrys seventh first minister.

After that he would be formally appointed via a royal warrant, a legal document that is authorised by the King.

Following that he would officially be sworn into the post in a ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by the Lord President, Scotlands most senior judge.

After being praised by Mr Swinney when he announced he was running to be SNP leader, former finance secretary Kate Forbes could play a key role in his government team (Jane Barlow/PA)

That could happen on Thursday morning with Mr Swinney then potentially going on to take First Ministers Questions for the first time in the new role at noon the same day.

He will also have to appoint his his ministerial team of cabinet secretaries and junior ministers, with much attention on what position will go to Kate Forbes.

The former Holyrood finance secretary had been tipped as a possible challenger to Mr Swinney for the SNP leadership, but announced on Thursday she would not stand and would instead back the former deputy first minister in his bid for the top job.

Mr Swinney, in announcing his candidacy sought to praise Ms Forbes, who last year ran Mr Yousaf a close second in the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, and giving her a top post in his cabinet team would be seen as a move towards restoring unity within the different factions of the SNP.

Ms Forbes has been out of the Scottish cabinet since then, but could return to a senior post under Mr Swinney.
John Swinney is the new leader of the SNP (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Holyroods longest-serving deputy first minister is now set to become first minister after being announced as the SNPs second new leader in the space of 13 months.

Several high-profile figures in the party backed John Swinney as the best candidate for the post in the wake of Humza Yousafs abrupt resignation as First Minister.

The parliamentarian thought to be his main challenger, Kate Forbes, announced she would not stand and backed his bid, as he said he hoped she would play a significant part in his team.

Mr Swinney, one of the original intake of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, is seen by many as being able to provide calm leadership at what is a time of political turmoil for Scotlands governing party.

But it is not be the first foray into the leadership for the former Tayside North MP.

Mr Swinney celebrates after being elected SNP leader in 2000 (PA)

In September 2000, he took over as leader following the first departure of Alex Salmond, having served as his deputy for two years previously.

His tenure was not a happy one.

Under his leadership, the SNPs fortunes slid, returning just five MPs at the 2001 Westminster election and 22 MSPs in the 2003 Holyrood vote.

After seeing off an attempt to oust him by a party activist, Mr Swinney stepped down voluntarily after a poor showing at the 2004 European election.

John Swinney as finance secretary with then first minister Alex Salmond in 2010 (PA)

But that was not the end of his political story as he was brought back by Mr Salmond to serve as finance secretary when the SNP took power in 2007.

He served in the role for the entirety of Mr Salmonds tenure, before being appointed deputy first minister by Nicola Sturgeon when she took over.

Over the following nine years, the Perthshire North MSP occupied several ministerial offices in the Scottish Government, including as education secretary, Covid-19 recovery secretary and again in finance, taking over that brief from Ms Forbes while she was on maternity leave.

Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney embrace after her final session of First Ministers Questions in 2023 (Jane Barlow/PA)

During his time as Ms Sturgeons deputy, he cemented his reputation as a dogged defender of his boss, as well as an SNP stalwart.

But it was not without its challenges, as he faced two close no confidence votes in Holyrood, first over the handling of school exams during the pandemic, and his initial refusal to publish legal advice during the inquiry into the botched handling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond.

The election of Mr Yousaf as first minister saw Mr Swinney call time on his career in the Scottish Cabinet, but he is now gearing up to take the helm.
The manoeuvres will be held on Russian President Vladimir Putins orders (AP)

Russian plans to hold drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, the defence ministry has announced, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine.

The exercises are in response to provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation, the defence ministry said in a statement.

It is the first time that Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, though its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.

Tactical nuclear weapons have a lower yield compared to massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles intended to obliterate entire cities.

The announcement appeared to be a warning to Ukraines Western allies about becoming more deeply involved in the more than two-year war.

A Russian tank fires at Ukrainian troops from a position near the border with Ukraine in Russias Belgorod region (Russian defence ministry via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron repeated last week that he does not exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said Kyivs forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

The Kremlin branded those comments as dangerous, heightening tension between Russia and Nato.

Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on the battlefield.

The ministry said the exercise is intended to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat tasks and will be held on President Vladimir Putins orders. The manoeuvres will involve missile units of the Southern Military District along with the air force and the navy, it said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones hit two vehicles on Monday in Russias Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35 others, including two children, local authorities said, in an area frequently struck by Kyivs forces in recent months.

One of the vehicles was a minibus that was carrying farm workers, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

No other details were immediately available, and it was not possible to independently confirm the report from the border region.

While Ukraines army is largely pinned down on the 600-mile front line due to a shortage of troops and ammunition after more than two years of fighting, it has used its long-range firepower to hit targets deep inside Russia.

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The apparent aim is to disrupt Russias war logistics system by hitting oil refineries and depots, and unnerve the Russian border regions.

The Belgorod region was a staging ground for Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has come under regular attack ever since Russian forces retreated there from north-eastern Ukraine early in the war following a counter-offensive by Kyiv.

In what has largely been a war of attrition, Russia has also relied heavily on long-range missile, artillery and drones to wreak damage on Ukraine.

At the end of last year, Belgorod officials said 25 people were killed, including five children, and more than 100 were injured in a Ukrainian attack, and regular rocket and drone strikes have continued since then.

The area can be reached by relatively simple and mobile weapons such as multiple rocket launchers from forests on the Ukrainian side.

Russian authorities said in March they planned to evacuate about 9,000 children from the area because of continuous shelling, after Mr Putin said he wanted to create a buffer zone to help protect border regions.
Troubles history: Any political interference in the work of the historians will not be tolerated

The advisory panel appointed to support research into a public history of British policy during the Troubles has sparked some criticism. While acknowledging the anger and grief caused by the past, the nine experts here clarify the scope of the project and their determination to ensure its complete independence

The scene of the UVF's Loughinisland massacre in June 1994

Eimear McGovern Mon 6 May 2024 at 07:00







The Secretary of States recent announcement of the formation of an expert advisory panel to support the work of a public history of British policy during the conflict has attracted some attention.
You only turn 40 once, but you can easily stretch this out to two months of lunches and dinners if you have a circle of particularly greedy friends. And so I set off to celebrate once again, hopping aboard the train to Coleraine for a visit to Lir.
Junta troops and family members under No.15 Operation Command Headquarters surrendered to the Arakan Army. Their faces have been blurred by RFA in this photo released May 6, 2024.

At least 200 Myanmar junta troops have surrendered after an ethnic minority army captured their headquarters in Rakhine State, near the Bangladesh border, the anti-junta organization said on Monday.

The Arakan Army, which has been fighting the military regime for territory since a year-long ceasefire ended in November 2023, captured a junta camp in Rakhine, last Thursday.

The No.15 Operation Command Headquarters fell to the Arakan Army after a 12-day battle, the latest in a series of setbacks for the junta that seized power in a coup in 2021.

The insurgent force released video footage of hundreds of soldiers and others surrendering.

Some of the 200 soldiers pictured in the videos were captured from five battalions in late March and April, the Arakan Army said in a statement, identifying the battalions as the 552, 564, 565 and 551.

All of these battalions were captured by a heavy offensive attack between March 25 and May 3, the group said.

Junta soldiers as well as some Rohingya Muslims could be seen in the video footage released by the Arakan Army. Some Rohingya have complained of being forced into the juntas army.

The Arakan insurgent group did not say how many junta troops it held but said they had surrendered because of its blockade of their Operation Command Headquarters.

Junta troops and family members under No.15 Operation Command Headquarters surrendered to the Arakan Army. Their faces have been blurred by RFA in this photo released May 6, 2024. [Arakan Army Information Desk]

Rakhine States junta spokesman, Hla Thein, did not answer his telephone when RFA tried to contact him for comment.

Of the 12 military council battalions in Buthidaung township under the No.15 Operation Command Headquarters, five, including the No.15 Operation Command Headquarters, have been captured.

Since November, the Arakan Army has captured nine townships across Rakhine State. Fighting continues in Ann, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Kyaukpyu townships.
Simulation drills in the northern Philippines took place amid Manilas row with Beijing in the South China Sea.

Philippine Marines carry equipment next to U.S. Marines at Paredes Air Station at Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte province, May 6, 2024. [Aaron Favila/AP]

Participants guarding the beachfront during the Balikatan exercise involving U.S. and Philippine troops watch as an explosion indicates that a target has been hit, May 6, 2022. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews]

Balikatan participants fire a Howitzer cannon to defend a beach front in the northern city of Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. [Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews]

U.S. troops head out to defend a beach front in Laoag, northern Philippines, during a live-fire exercise, May 6, 2024. [Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews]

Troops use a dune buggy to rush to the frontlines as part of Balikatan, May 6, 2024. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews]

U.S. and Philippine troops prepare to board a U.S. Army CH-47 helicopter at the airport at the Philippines' northernmost town of Itbayat, Batanes province during the Balikatan exercise, May 6, 2024. [Aaron Favila/AP]

U.S. troops gather weapons and equipment as they prepare to leave a hill during the Balikatan exercise, May 6, 2024. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews]

U.S. troops leave a hill on a beach in Laoag city, northern Philippines, during a joint U.S.-Philippine Balikatan exercise, May 6, 2024. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews]

American and Filipino troops on Monday thwarted an attack by an imagined enemy force from waters in the northern Philippines across from Taiwan, as the two military allies staged live-fire drills against the backdrop of regional tensions with China.

Hundreds of U.S. and Philippine troops took positions on a beachhead in Laoag, in Ilocos Norte province, where they fired rockets, Javelin missiles and artillery shells from Howitzers into the sea. Powerful blasts from the days war game rocked this usually tranquil seaside city, which is famous for its sand dunes.

It started out with a military activity approaching the shores, said U.S. Marines Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, commander of the joint task force overseeing the annual Balikatan (or shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise.

So you had 155-mm Howitzers shooting out about seven clicks (kilometers) into the water where the target is. It was highly successful.

The wave of the enemy approach continued, forcing the defending troops to fire successively on fortified positions atop a hill on the beach that gave them a good vantage point. The American troops used their tactical utility vehicles to back up Humvees mounted with machine guns.

The troops overwhelmed the approaching enemy force, as loud booms echoed across Laoag, during the event that locals described as impressive and terrifying at the same time.

From my vantage point, it was very successful, Cederholm told reporters, adding that the drills were done through live virtual construct  meaning there were U.S. military drones flying overhead to track the targets.

There were multiple command posts out there. And thats part of the command and control integration that we did, he said. It was a huge success, the weapons work.

The live-fire phase of the exercise will end Wednesday, when the allies are expected to sink a decommissioned Filipino navy ship at sea.

This years Balikatan will officially end on Friday this week. In the 2024 edition of the annual exercise, at least 11,000 American troops have joined about 5,000 Filipinos in the drills, and France, Australia, Japan, India and other countries have sent observers.

For the first time, part of this years drills were staged in waters outside the Philippines 12-mile territorial waters and farther out within Manilas exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The annual military exercises come amid increased tensions between the Philippine and China in the disputed South China Sea and between China and the United States over Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a renegade province.

No military exercises should target a third party or jeopardize the interests of a third party, nor should they undermine mutual trust among regional countries and undermine peace and stability in the region, Lin Jian, Beijings foreign ministry spokesperson told a press conference on Monday, when asked about the Balikatan drills.

I believe that the countries of the region see very clearly who is currently stoking military confrontation and tensions in the region, he added.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Manilas coast guard and military would not follow in Chinas footsteps in using water cannons against vessels in the South China Sea to avoid stoking tensions over the territorial row.

What we are doing is defending our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos Jr. told reporters, using Manilas name for South China Sea waters with the Philippines EEZ. And we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any such offensive  I would have to call them weapons  because it has been causing damage.

Last April 30, the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near the contested Scarborough Shoal  a South China Sea shoal virtually occupied by China since 2012  causing some damage, Filipino officials said.

The incident was the latest confrontation between Manila and Beijing, which have overlapping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam also have claims over the waterway.

Marcos engaged his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in a first-ever trilateral summit in Washington last month. Under his administration, the Philippines has allowed the United States greater access to Filipino bases, including in northern areas facing Taiwan.

Manila and Washington have been allies since 1951, when the two countries signed the Mutual Defense Treaty. The Philippines is Americas oldest treaty ally in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both impressed and fearful

For the locals in Ilocos Norte, the military drills were both exciting and terrifying.

On the outskirts of Laoag, the Filipino marines erected a military park called Cape Bojeador, where old military articles were put on display, including a Northrop F-5A freedom fighter jet, an airplane that had been originally used by the Philippine air forces fighting squadron.

The military drills in the city have ignited a sense of nationalism for many locals, but also fears that Manila may be roped into a war that is not its own.

Richel Puyaoan, a local nurse, said she had to explain to her elderly mother  a child during World War II  that the Philippines is now a military and economic ally of Japan, the Southeast Asian countrys former occupier but which sent observers to Balikatan.

For many, this is the first time that they are seeing that the Philippines can also defend itself, Puyaoan, who was celebrating her partners birthday at the park with their 15-year-old daughter, told BenarNews. It is just somehow alarming for some people because they think we are suddenly at war.

Jojo Rinoza, Mark Navales and Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Mostly clear skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
While the district agreement has been revised four times, its never been done in concert with or the approval of the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
At the Central Berkshire Record Show, no two vinyl collections  or collectors  are the same
Lenox native James Brooke has traveled to about 100 countries reporting for The New York Times, Bloomberg and Voice of America. He reported from Russia for eight years and from Ukraine for six years.
Northeastern University police give demonstrators the option to leave before beginning to clear the encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters from the campus at Northeastern University in Boston on Saturday, April 27.
Many people declare the scariest prayer a person can pray is for patience. But praying to live a holy life ranks right next to or even above the petition for patience. After all, how can a person live a holy life without patience? What, then, does it mean to live a holy life?

Yet as a preface, a persons motive to live a holy life is love for and gratitude to our holy God for the life he has given us in His Son  our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Here then are 6 steps to living a holy life.

The Apostle Peter tells us to prepare our minds for action (being holy is a daily and active undertaking). Preparing our minds to be holy involves:

Focus

Sit still before the Lord with your Bible in hand. Whether you act out the process or simply envision it, put on the whole armor of God as found in Ephesians 6:10-18 (itd be great to memorize this passage).

Prayer

Pray for the Lord to calm and prepare you for what He has for you each day. Pray for wisdom and understanding as you read His Word, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus and to love Him more.

Study of Gods Word

Learning how to live a holy life involves more than a cursory perusal of Scripture. Youve heard it and/or read it before; if you have to get out of bed an hour earlier than usual, do it. The rewards of knowing God through His Word and living in the light of Christ are eternal. Not only are you affected, but you affect all others with whom you interact. Gods glory fills the earth. Isnt it wonderful to know He is using us as His ambassadors! But we dont make great ambassadors unless we know all about our homeland  the kingdom of God. Peter addressed exiled Christians in his letters (1 Peter 1:1; 2:11). We too are sojourners and exiles here on earth.

Peter warns us to be sober-minded. How can we strive to be holy if our minds are not ruled by self-control, a fruit of Gods Spirit within us? In this passage, sober-minded is not related to alcohol (although that could be a factor); it instead addresses the state of our minds. Are we fuzzy to the truths of the Word, or are we crystal clear in our thinking and in our beliefs as Scripture so clearly states? Preparing our minds for action will keep us sober-minded.

Peter then tells us to, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Peter set this bar in verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Thats the hope kept in heaven for us, never to be lost. The recipients of Peters letters were enduring persecution just for being true Christians (much like many believers are today). Our hope is secure in Christ and in His return (the revelation of which Peter speaks). Ligonier Ministries adds, our present possession of this hope necessitates that we act in certain ways as we wait to be glorified. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, and so we must take steps to make sure that we are free from anything that would not make us soberly and diligently wait for the grace that is yet to come.

Peter then calls believers obedient children. Because we are Spirit-filled from the moment of conversion, we have everything we need to live a life of godliness (2 Peter 1:3), namely Gods Word and the Holy Spirit. We can and are expected to be obedient because of everything God has done for and given to us. What a wondrous inheritance.

Peters progression toward the call to holiness continues as he tells us, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. With all He has given us to do as inspired by the Holy Spirit, we are prepared to live a holy life. Now we know what we are to know; we no longer claim ignorance of the Gospel and the life we are to live as believers. Our past is now past and, as far as the east is from the west, so far does He [God] remove our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). We are now to be conformed to Christ. Once we know Jesus, we have no excuse but to long and strive to be like Him. And remember, this is the formerly impetuous Peter speaking these words of wisdom.

Lest we miss it, in this passage and all throughout Peters letters, he is admonishing and teaching. Both are necessary for our growth as Christians and in our ability to live a holy life. As we read through the Bible, its good for us and glorifying to God to listen to His voice speaking through Scripture as He sanctifies us.

Living a holy life is hard work. We seek maturity in Christ through holy living, as did the Apostle Paul, who said, For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that He powerfully works within me (Colossians 1:29). A holy life is patterned after Gods own nature. All humans are created in Gods image (Genesis 1:27); therefore, we should act in a manner that reflects Him. And He has not left us alone in this endeavor.

Praise God!

Photo credit: Getty Images/Viacheslav Peretiatko

Lisa Loraine Baker is the multiple award-winning author of Someplace to be Somebody. She writes fiction and nonfiction. In addition to writing for the Salem Web Network, Lisa serves as a Word Weavers mentor and is part of a critique group. Lisa and her husband, Stephen, a pastor, live in a small Ohio village with their crazy cat, Lewis.
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Bhubaneswar-based medtech startup EzeRx, founded in 2018, has developed an easy, painless and non-invasive screening solution to identify primary health parameters at an early stage such as ailments in liver, kidney, lungs and blood glucose level and common problems like anaemia, in less than a minute without withdrawing blood from the human body. With support from promoters like Mankind Pharma, this startup has set big plans for expansion in the medtech and diagnostic market in India and abroad. BioSpectrum spoke in detail with Partha Pratim Das, Chief Executive Officer, EzeRx about the startups's growth plans.

What major plans are in store for the company in FY 24-25?

In FY 24-25, EzeRx has significant plans for both domestic and international expansion, along with enhancing its product offerings and strengthening its impact in healthcare accessibility and outcomes. The company aims to accelerate product development, secure regulatory approvals, and expand distribution channels to reach a wider audience, especially in the northeastern states of India. Additionally, EzeRx plans to focus on international growth, targeting markets such as the UAE and the UK. Furthermore, the company intends to collaborate with stakeholders, leverage technology, and innovate on outreach strategies to improve healthcare access, particularly in underserved areas. Considering its vision for sustained growth, EzeRx is also contemplating an IPO launch as part of its future endeavours.

How much revenue was generated in FY 23-24? How much growth is expected in FY 24-25?

In FY 23-24, EzeRx generated a net revenue of Rs 10.07 crore. Looking ahead to FY 24-25, the company anticipates significant growth, with a projected net revenue of Rs 25.1 crore, reflecting our commitment to continued expansion and innovation in non-invasive diagnostic solutions.

Are you planning new investments, collaborations, and product launches this year? Please share details.

Yes, this year EzeRx is indeed planning new investments, collaborations, and product launches. We have already collaborated with IMAGINEX India, and now we are expanding into the B2C sector. Alongside our flagship B2B product, EzeCheck, we will be launching women's wellness products. This expansion reflects our dedication to innovation and excellence. By leveraging our existing infrastructure and market reputation, we aim to reach individual consumers directly, diversifying our offerings while ensuring quality and customer satisfaction.

How do you view the growth of the women's healthcare market in India? How is your company working in this direction? Any unique strategies in place?

We see significant growth potential in India's women's healthcare market, projected to reach $1.325 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 7.80%. EzeRx is aligning with this trend by launching dedicated wellness products for women, employing unique strategies including market research, professional collaboration, and technology to ensure accessibility and quality care for women across all demographics.

With EzeRx's focus on government bodies and institutions, what strategies have been effective in establishing partnerships and collaborations in these sectors?

EzeRx's strategy for engaging government bodies and institutions revolves around several key elements. Our non-invasive hemoglobinometer is the first device in India which is validated by ICMR-RMRCBB (Regional Medical Research Centre) in Bhubaneswar. We are the first mover in this genre. Therefore, getting government bodies partnered with us. However, we overcame this hurdle by prioritising accuracy and providing prompt after-sales service, even in remote areas of India. This commitment to quality and customer support earned us the trust of government bodies, showcasing our dedication and reliability. Ultimately, these efforts effectively established successful partnerships and collaborations within these sectors.

How have these partnerships contributed to the company's success so far?

These partnerships have significantly contributed to EzeRx's success by enhancing our reach and impact across various regions. By collaborating with local government bodies in areas such as Ganjam, Cuttack, Puri, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Nayagarh, Bhubaneswar, Assam, Purnia, Arki, Sambhal, Muradabad, Satara, and others, we have been able to leverage their networks and resources to introduce our innovative healthcare solutions effectively. These partnerships have facilitated the adoption of our products and services in diverse communities, enabling us to address healthcare needs more comprehensively and achieve sustainable growth.

Can you provide insights into the specific challenges and opportunities encountered in addressing healthcare needs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities?

Tier 2 and 3 healthcare struggles with a lack of specialists, equipment, and awareness. Yet, rising demand and government initiatives create opportunities for telemedicine, affordability programmes, and local innovation to improve access and quality.

Dr Manbeena Chawla

(manbeena.chawla@mmactiv.com)
To educate about the benefits of controller medications in preventing asthma symptoms

In recognition of World Asthma Day 2024, Mumbai-based Alkem Laboratories has announced 600 to 700 camps across India, collaborating with nearly 100 hospitals in tier-1 and tier-2 cities under its "Reliever Free India" initiative.

This nationwide initiative was launched in 2023 with an aim to revolutionise asthma management by advocating for a shift in focus from reliance on reliever medications to the importance of controller medications. Reliever medications provide quick relief during asthma symptoms by opening up the airways. Controller medications are taken regularly to prevent asthma symptoms and reduce inflammation in the airways. After a successful first year, Alkem is intensifying the campaign in its second year.

Asthma affects a staggering 262 million people globally, causing recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Despite advancements in medical treatment, asthma remains a significant challenge for patients and healthcare providers alike. Alkem recognizes the critical role that education plays in empowering individuals to effectively manage their asthma and lead fulfilling lives.

Through this campaign, Alkem Laboratories seeks to educate patients, healthcare professionals, and the general public about the benefits of controller medications in preventing asthma symptoms and reducing the need for rescue medication.
Taoiseach Simon Harris and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez have had further discussions on the recognition of the State of Palestine.

Mr Harris and Mr Sanchez spoke by telephone on Monday morning following discussions in Dublin and Brussels last month.

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He said it was their third conversation in recent weeks, and that they are eager to make progress on this very shortly.

Spoke with @sanchezcastejon this morning on the wish of both Ireland and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine.



Formal recognition of Palestine is important as part of an acknowledgment that a two state solution is the way to bring about peace and stability in the region.  Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) May 6, 2024 Advertisement

We discussed the dire situation in the Middle East and particularly in Gaza and agreed to continue working together to push for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages and for a surge in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, he said.

Prime Minister Sanchez and I shared our deep concern about reports that Israel has ordered an evacuation of civilians from parts of Rafah in preparation of a military operation.

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I reiterate my call on Israel not to undertake a full-scale military operation in Rafah. The international community has made it very clear that an Israeli military operation in Rafah will inevitably lead to disastrous humanitarian consequences and the deaths of large numbers of innocent civilians.

The protection of civilians is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

Mr Harris said the two men also reaffirmed the wish for both Spain and Ireland to recognise Palestine.

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Simon Harris (left) and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez in Dublin following their meeting in April (Brian Lawless/PA)

I also discussed with Prime Minister Sanchez our ongoing work together on recognising the State of Palestine, he said.

We reaffirmed the wish for both Spain and Ireland to recognise Palestine, agreeing that formal recognition is an important part of acknowledging that a two-state solution is the only way to bring about peace and stability in the region, with a State of Palestine and the state of Israel living side-by-side in peace and security.

Prime Minister Sanchez and I are both eager to make progress on this very shortly and we agreed to remain in close contact.

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We are co-ordinating efforts with other European states to recognise a Palestinian state alongside like-minded countries. This will be done in a way that can have the most positive impact on the situation on the ground.

We also took stock of the work under way in New York on a resolution on Palestines membership of the UN. Ireland fully supports Palestinian membership of the UN.

The UN General Assembly will consider this issue on May 10th and we expect a large majority of UN member to take a similar position.
US president Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu have spoken in a phone call as Israel appeared closer to launching an offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The White House said the president underscored US concerns about an invasion of Rafah  where more than a million civilians from other parts of Gaza are sheltering after seven months of war sparked by Hamass October 7th attack on Israel.

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Mr Biden also told Mr Netanyahu that a ceasefire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, according to White House officials.

It came shortly before Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)

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White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Mr Biden had been briefed on the matter. CIA director William Burns, who was in Qatar for hostage talks with regional officials, was discussing the Hamas response with allies in the region. Mr Kirby declined to discuss the parameters of what Hamas is saying it has agreed to.

Bill Burns is looking at that response. Hes talking to the Israelis about it, Mr Kirby told reporters. And well see where this goes. Hopefully, it can lead to those hostages getting out real, real soon.

On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu rejected international pressure to halt the war in Gaza in a fiery speech marking the countrys annual Holocaust Memorial Day, declaring: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.

I say to the leaders of the world: no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself. Never again is now.

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The Israeli army ordered about 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from Rafah, signalling that a ground invasion could be imminent.

Mr Biden, according to the White House, also updated Mr Netanyahu on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through the talks in Qatar.

Mr Netanyahu told Mr Biden he would ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing between Gaza and Israel would remain open for humanitarian aid deliveries, according to the White House.

Tensions escalated on Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops on the border with Gaza near Israels main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.

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Israeli officials last week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation, according to US sources.

The officials said the plan detailed by the Israelis did not change the US administrations view that an operation in Rafah would put too many innocent Palestinian civilians at risk.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters on Monday that defence secretary Lloyd Austin had previously stressed with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant that Israel needed a credible plan to evacuate civilians and maintain humanitarian aid.

Israeli officials said those being ordered evacuated would move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast.
Hamas has announced it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a ceasefire to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza.

It came hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern city of Rafah, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent.

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A source said Israeli officials are examining the proposal, but warned that it is not the framework Israel proposed.

In recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials said the ceasefire would take place in stages during which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

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It is not clear whether the deal would meet Hamass key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas said in a statement that its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatars prime minister and Egypts intelligence minister.

After the release of the statement, Palestinians erupted in cheers in the sprawling tent camps around Rafah, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted.

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Israels closest allies, including the US, have repeatedly said that Israel should not attack Rafah, and the looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.

Aid agencies have warned that an offensive would worsen Gazas humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

US president Joe Biden spoke on Monday with Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and reiterated US concerns about an invasion of Rafah. He said a ceasefire is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said.

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US president Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu (AP)

Hamas and Qatar said invading Rafah would derail efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire.

Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a US-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a withdrawal of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

Mr Netanyahu said on Monday that seizing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, is vital to ensure the militants cannot rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the attack on Israel that triggered the war.

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Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesperson, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. He said Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians are already sheltering in Muwasi. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid but conditions are squalid, with few toilets or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area.

Israeli military leaflets were dropped with maps detailing a number of eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah to evacuate, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays puts themselves and their family members in danger.

UNRWA will not evacuate from Rafah so it can continue to provide aid to those who stay behind, said Scott Anderson, the agencys director in Gaza.

We will provide aid to people wherever they choose to be, he said.

The UN says an attack on Rafah could disrupt the distribution of aid keeping Palestinians alive across Gaza. The Rafah crossing into Egypt, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open on Monday after the Israeli order.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, he said, adding that an Israeli assault could lead to the deadliest phase of this war.

Israels bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials.

More than 80 per cent of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the UN.
The Israeli army has ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signalling that a ground invasion could be imminent and complicating efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

The looming operation in the city  where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering and a high number of deaths is feared  has raised global alarm and Israelis closest allies have warned against it.

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On Monday, the United Nations agency serving Palestinian refugees said it would not comply with the evacuation order.

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Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after some seven months of war, and has repeatedly said the invasion is necessary to defeat the Islamic militant group, which sparked the current conflict with an attack on Israel on October 7th.

But Hamas and key mediator Qatar have warned that invading Rafah  situated on the border with Egypt  could derail efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire.

Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said some 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi  a makeshift camp of tents where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought safety and live in squalid conditions.

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Palestinian civil defence members evacuate survivors of the Israeli bombardment on a residential building of Abu Alenan family in Rafah (AP)

The spokesman said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation, and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. Israel did not formally announce the launch of its current ground invasion in Gaza.

Smoke could be seen rising from Rafah on Monday afternoon, although its cause was unclear.

Tensions escalated on Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israels main crossing for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers.

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Israel closed the crossing  but Lt Col Shoshani said it would not affect how much aid enters Gaza as others are in operation.

He would not say whether the upcoming operation was a response to the earlier attack.

Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.

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Israeli soldiers drive a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip (AP)

Lt Col Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through air-dropped leaflets, text messages and radio broadcasts. He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

Israels army said on X that it would act with extreme force against militants, and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, Mr Egeland said.

About 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gazas population  are jammed into Rafah and its surroundings. Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israels onslaught and now face another wrenching move or the danger of staying under a new assault.

An Israeli offensive in #Rafah would mean more civilian suffering & deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people@UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people pic.twitter.com/8anQ8Eq6Gv  UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 6, 2024

They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing UN shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled.

The UN agency that has helped millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank for decades (UNRWA) warned Monday of devastating consequences of a Rafah offensive, including more civilian suffering and deaths.

Juliette Touma, communications director for the agency, which has thousands of employees in the city, said it has not evacuated and has no plans to do so.

Egypts Rafah crossing, a main transfer point for aid going into Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open on Monday after the Israeli order.

The war was sparked by an unprecedented October 7th raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages.

An Israeli Defense Forces tank drives away from the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel (AP)

The ensuing conflict has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

The tally does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but officials say at least two thirds of the dead are children and women. It has left a swathe of destruction in Gaza, and around 80 per cent of the territorys population has fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave.

Recently, pressure to end the war has grown. Even as the US, Egypt and Qatar have pushed for a ceasefire agreement, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu repeated last week that the military would move on the city regardless of whether a truce-for-hostages deal is struck.

On Monday, Mr Netanyahu accused Hamas of torpedoing a deal and not budging from its extreme demands while vowing to stop the militants from retaking control of Gaza.

A Hamas official said that Israel is trying to pressure the group into making concessions on the ceasefire, but that it will not change its demands.

Hamas wants a full end to the war, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the eventual reconstruction of the strip in exchange for the Israeli hostages held by the militants.
Israeli leaders have approved a military operation in the southern Gaza town of Rafah and began striking targets in the area, despite Hamas announcing its acceptance of an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.

Hamass abrupt acceptance of the deal came hours after Israel ordered an evacuation of Palestinians from eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah, signalling an invasion was imminent.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said the proposal Hamas accepted was far from Israels essential demands but it would send negotiators to continue talks.

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The diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship left a glimmer of hope  but only barely  for an accord that could bring at least a pause in the seven-month war that has devastated the Gaza Strip.

Hanging over the wrangling is the threat of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a move the US strongly opposes and that aid groups warn will be disastrous for 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.

The Israeli military said it was conducting targeted strikes against Hamas in eastern Rafah.

President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated US concerns about an invasion of Rafah, telling him a ceasefire was the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages, according to a National Security Council spokesperson.

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State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said US officials were reviewing the Hamas response and discussing it with our partners in the region. An American official said the US was examining whether Hamas agreed to a version of the deal that had been signed off on by Israel and international negotiators.

Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu (AP)

Details of the proposal have not been released. Touring the region last week, US secretary of state Antony Blinken had pressed Hamas to take the deal, and Egyptian officials said it called for a ceasefire in stages starting with a limited hostage release and partial Israeli troop pullbacks within Gaza.

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The two sides would also negotiate a permanent calm that would lead to a full hostage release and greater Israeli withdrawal from the territory, they said.

Hamas had been seeking clearer guarantees for its key demand of an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal in return for the release of all hostages, according to Egyptian officials.

Mr Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed after its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Thousands of Israelis rallied around the country on Monday night calling for an immediate agreement. About 1,000 protesters gathered near the defence headquarters in Tel Aviv, where police tried to clear the road. In Jerusalem, about 100 protesters marched toward Mr Netanyahus residence with a banner reading: The blood is on your hands.

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Israeli demonstrators block a road in Tel Aviv (Ariel Schalit/AP)

Israel says Rafah is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, and Mr Netanyahu said on Monday that the offensive against the town is vital to ensure the militants cannot rebuild their military capabilities.

After the Israeli evacuation order was issued, Mr Miller said the US has not seen a credible and implementable plan to protect Palestinian civilians. We cannot support an operation in Rafah as it is currently envisioned, he said.

Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will bring a surge of civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that has already killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory. It could also wreck the humanitarian aid operation based in Rafah that is keeping Palestinians across the Gaza Strip alive, they say.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Monday called the evacuation order inhumane.

Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease and even famine. And today, they have been told that they must relocate yet again, he said. It will only expose them to more danger and misery.

Israeli military leaflets were dropped ordering evacuation from eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays puts themselves and their family members in danger.

The military told people to move to an Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. It said Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it includes tents, food, water and field hospitals.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians are already sheltering in Muwasi. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid but conditions are squalid, with few toilets or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, he said, adding that an Israeli assault could lead to the deadliest phase of this war.

Israels bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials.

More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the UN.
Former Scottish deputy first minister John Swinney said he was deeply honoured to have become the new leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Mr Swinney reacted on social media after the party confirmed he was the only candidate to succeed Humza Yousaf, who announced one week ago he was stepping down as SNP leader and Scottish first minister.

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Mr Swinney is now expected to go on to become Scotlands seventh first minister, though before he does he will need to win the backing of MSPs in a vote at Holyrood.

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That ballot could take place as early as Wednesday, with Mr Swinney likely to be officially in place in the top job in Scottish politics the following day.

I am deeply honoured to have been elected as Leader of @theSNP. I will give all that I have to serve my Party and my Country.  John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) May 6, 2024 Advertisement

Commenting after it was confirmed he was the only candidate, Mr Swinney posted on X, formerly known as Twitter that he was deeply honoured to have been elected as Leader of @theSNP.

He pledged: I will give all that I have to serve my party and my country.

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John Swinney announced he would run for leader at a press conference last week (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Yousafs tenure as first minister came to an end after he tore up the powersharing agreement the party had enjoyed with the Scottish Greens at Holyrood, which left him facing a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

That means Mr Swinney will have to lead a minority government at Holyrood, requiring support from other parties before vital legislation can proceed.

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Mr Yousaf congratulated Mr Swinney as his successor as SNP leader and called on the party to heed his call for unity.

He posted on X, formerly Twitter: Congratulations to @JohnSwinney on becoming leader of @theSNP and FM-elect.

Johns central message has been one of unity. As a party, we must heed his call, whatever has happened in the past should remain there.

Lets get behind John & his team so they can deliver for Scotland.

It is the second time that Mr Swinney has taken on the leadership of his party, having previously held the job from 2000 to 2004.

But then he was leader of the main opposition party at Holyrood, with a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition in charge.

Now, after holding a variety of senior posts in the Scottish government, including finance secretary, education secretary and deputy first minister, a position he held for eight years under Nicola Sturgeon, he will get his first chance to be first minister.

Confirmation of Mr Swinneys appointment as party leader comes 25 years to the day after the first elections to the Scottish parliament with Mr Swinney one of only three MSPs to have held the same seat at Holyrood continuously since then.

While Mr Yousafs downfall was sparked by his decision to terminate the powersharing deal the SNP had had with the Scottish Greens, the smaller pro-independence party urged Mr Swinney not to ditch the progressive agenda that had been enshrined as part of that arrangement.

I congratulate John Swinney on his nomination and hope that he will do what is necessary to succeed as First Minister. He must offer a progressive vision for Scotlands future, not a retreat toward the middle ground. https://t.co/dgMX4AvDAn  Patrick Harvie  (@patrickharvie) May 6, 2024

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said the partys seven MSPs would meet to discuss how they would vote in the ballot for first minister.

Mr Harvie stated: We are committed to delivering on our vision of a fairer, greener and more equal Scotland, and are open to talks with John Swinney and his team about how we can work together to make that happen.

He added: Scotland needs a period of stable government.

Mr Swinney knows that if he is to have our support then it must be on the basis of progressive policies that help us to tackle the climate crisis and build a fairer and more equal future.

The Green MSP added: There are a lot of important policies already on their way to delivery as a result of the Bute House Agreement, including better rights for tenants and rent controls, transforming the way we heat our homes and a watertight ban on conversion therapy.

We remain utterly committed to these policies and will oppose any move away from them or steps to dilute them.

I congratulate John Swinney on becoming SNP Leader today.



But under him, the SNP will double down on independence obsession and ignore real priorities of people across Scotland.



Only the @ScotTories can beat them in seats across the country and focus on the issues that matter. pic.twitter.com/2zRc147tGd  Douglas Ross MP MSP (@Douglas4Moray) May 6, 2024

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross meanwhile urged Mr Swinney to govern for all of Scotland by abandoning his relentless push for independence.

Mr Ross insisted his party would seek to hold John Swinney to account when he lets the Scottish people down  just as weve done with Humza Yousaf.

But the Conservative added: Its difficult to see how he can be the fresh start Scotland needs, when hes the ultimate continuity candidate.

John Swinney was joined at the hip with the disgraced Nicola Sturgeon and his fingerprints are all over her numerous policy failures and cover-ups.

With Mr Swinney having led the SNP previously between 2000 and 2004, Mr Ross went on to question if a failed former leader from two decades ago  who, as education secretary, sent Scotland plummeting down international league tables was the best person to lead the country.

He claimed: With John Swinney at the helm, the SNP will double down on their independence obsession, the one issue they agree on, and ignore the real priorities of the Scottish people, such as fixing our ailing public services and growing the economy.

Meanwhile Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said John Swinneys coronation is entirely about managing the SNP rather than running our country and delivering for Scotland.

At a time when Scotland is crying out for change, the SNP is offering more of the same.

John Swinney has been at the heart of this incompetent government for 17 years and at the heart of the SNP for 40 years.

Mr Sarwar said: From presiding over the exam results scandal as education secretary to destroying public finances as finance secretary, John Swinneys record is one of failure.

This is a stitch-up by a chaotic and dysfunctional party that is more interested in protecting its own interests than serving the interests of the people of Scotland.
Jose Raul Mulino, the stand-in for former president Ricardo Martinelli in Panamas presidential election, was set to become the new leader of the nation as authorities unofficially called the race on Sunday night with 88 per cent of the vote counted.

The 64-year-old former security minister led the race with nearly 35 per cent of the votes, giving him a nine-point lead over the other candidates, who conceded a few hours after the polls closed.

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Panama does not have a runoff system, so the candidate with the biggest share of votes wins.

Mr Mulino replaced Mr Martinelli as candidate after the firebrand former leader was banned from running after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering.

Mr Mulino, a less charismatic politician, coasted on Mr Martinellis popularity and the booming economy seen under the former leader as Mr Martinelli campaigned while staying in the Nicaraguan Embassy, where he has sought asylum.

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Presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Now, following one of the most tumultuous elections in Panamas recent history, Mr Mulino is about to become the new leader of a country with pressing challenges and simmering discontent among many.

The president will grapple with a slowed economy, historic levels of migration, a drought that is handicapping transit in the Panama Canal and the economic aftermath of mass anti-mining protests last year.

Its a very bizarre situation, unprecedented. I havent seen anything quite like this, not only in Panama but any other Latin American country that I could think of, Michael Shifter, a senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, said.

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Panama is in for a tumultuous period.

Mr Mulino, running under the Achieving Goals and Alliance parties, faced off against anti-corruption candidate Ricardo Lombana, who trailed in second, former president Martin Torrijos and former candidate Romulo Roux.

All three conceded to Mr Mulino on Sunday evening, with Mr Roux saying Panama chose a different proposal than the one we put forward.

But his ties with Mr Martinelli seemed to pull him across the finish line.

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Mr Mulinos supporters after winning on the day of the general electing in Panama City (Matias Delacroix/AP)

Mr Mulino ran on the promise to usher in another wave of economic prosperity and stop migration through the Darien Gap, the perilous jungle region overlapping Colombia and Panama, which was traversed by half a million migrants last year.

The lawyer also vowed to help his ally in his legal woes. After voting on Sunday, Mr Mulino strolled into the Nicaraguan Embassy trailed by photographers and wrapped Mr Martinelli in a big hug, saying, Brother, were going to win!

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Before even half of the votes had been counted, supporters in Mr Mulinos campaign headquarters erupted in celebration, singing and waving flags. Panama does not have a runoff system, so the candidate with the biggest share of votes wins.

Mr Martinelli posted a blurry photo of his own face on X, formerly Twitter, writing: This is the face of a happy and content man.
Russia has threatened to strike British military facilities and said it will hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid rising tensions over comments by senior western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

After summoning the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry, Moscow warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with UK-supplied weapons could bring retaliatory strikes against British military facilities and equipment on Ukrainian soil or elsewhere.

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The remarks came on the eve of Russian president Vladimir Putins inauguration to a fifth term in office and in a week when Moscow on Thursday will celebrate Victory Day, its most important secular holiday, marking its defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

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The drills are a response to provocative statements and threats of certain western officials regarding the Russian Federation, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

It is the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.

Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield. They are less powerful than the strategic weapons  massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to obliterate entire cities.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed concern that various parties have been talking about issues regarding nuclear weapons recently.

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Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level, he said. All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided.

The Russian announcement was a warning to Ukraines western allies about becoming more deeply engaged in the two-year-old war, where the Kremlins forces have gained an upper hand amid Ukraines shortage of personnel and weapons.

Some of Ukraines western partners have previously expressed concern that the conflict could spill beyond Ukraine into a war between Nato and Russia.

French president Emmanuel Macron repeated last week that he does not exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and UK foreign secretary Lord David Cameron said Kyivs forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

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Some other Nato countries providing weapons to Kyiv have baulked at that possibility.

David Cameron meeting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/PA)

The Kremlin branded those comments as dangerous, heightening tension between Russia and Nato. The war already has placed significant strain on relations between Moscow and the West.

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Mr Macrons recent statement and other remarks by British and US officials had prompted the nuclear drills.

Its a new round of escalation, he said, referring to what the Kremlin regarded as provocative statements. Its unprecedented and requires special attention and special measures.

Russias Foreign Ministry summoned the French and British ambassadors, and urged the British ambassador to think about the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps from London.

Swedens foreign minister Tobias Billstrom said the nuclear exercises contribute to increasing instability.

In the current security situation, Russias actions may be considered particularly irresponsible and reckless, he told Swedish news agency TT.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russias Security Council which is chaired by Mr Putin, said the comments by Mr Macron and Mr Cameron risked pushing the nuclear-armed world towards a global catastrophe.

In March 2023, after the UKs decision to provide Ukraine with armour-piercing shells containing depleted uranium, Mr Putin said he intended to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Ukraines neighbour Belarus.

The ministry said the latest exercise is intended to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat tasks and will be held on Mr Putins orders. The manoeuvres will involve missile units of the Southern Military District along with the air force and the navy, it added.

The Russian announcement stirred little reaction in Ukraine, where the spokesman for the Military Intelligence agency, Andrii Yusov, said on national television: Nuclear blackmail is a usual practice of Putins regime; it does not constitute major news.

Western officials have blamed Russia for threatening a wider war through provocative acts. Nato countries said last week they were deeply concerned by a campaign of hybrid activities on the military alliances soil, accusing Moscow of being behind them and saying they represent a security threat.

Mr Peskov dismissed those claims as new, unfounded accusations levelled at our country.

Germany said on Monday it had recalled its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations in Berlin after an alleged computer hack of Chancellor Olaf Scholzs party.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones hit two vehicles on Monday in Russias Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35 others, including two children, local authorities said. The area has been hit by Kyivs forces in recent months.

One of the vehicles was a minibus carrying farmworkers, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
But Europes leaders did not comply. When Putin turned down gas supplies, hoping a cost of living crisis would change their minds, instead of coming to an agreement they found sources elsewhere. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, which built much of its industrial prowess on the back of cheap Russian energy, swore the country must never again become so beholden to hostile suppliers. In 2021, more than 40 per cent of European Union gas imports came from Russia. That dropped to 8 per cent last year, according to the European Commission. In raw volumes, the drop took purchases from just over 150 billion cubic metres to just under 79 billion in 2022 and under 43 billion last year. Once contracts to supply gas via pipes through Ukraine end, they are not expected to be renewed, slashing Russian sales further.

Norway is now the EUs biggest supplier of gas imports, raising its sales from 79.5 billion cubic metres to 87.8 billion. Britain imported little natural gas from Russia before the war  Norway, Qatar and the US were all bigger suppliers  and purchases have since been banned. Gazprom stopped publishing details of its exports at the start of 2023, but overall its sales outside Russia fell by more than half last year. Gazprom stopped publishing details of its exports at the start of 2023, but overall its sales outside Russia fell by more than half last year. Credit: Bloomberg Europe replaced the loss of Russian gas at considerable expense, but new networks have now been established which mean Moscow has lost its grip on the Western market forever.

Liquefied natural gas, imported on tankers, has grown in importance. The EU added capacity to import an extra 40 billion cubic metres of LNG last year, and plans to add capacity for another 30 billion this year. Bill Weatherburn, commodities specialist at Capital Economics, describes the continents efforts as very successful. Previously it was stable, steady and reasonably cheap pipeline gas, and they have managed to build the infrastructure to import liquefied gas from global markets, he says. European imports from the US, flush with gas since its shale fracking boom, have risen from just under 19 billion cubic metres in 2021 to 56.2 billion in 2023. Qatar provided 15.5 billion cubic metres last year, almost matching British gas sales to the continent.

Weatherburn sees this as stable, in the sense that the US is going to massively increase its LNG capacity  there will be more available at the end of this year and into next year. However, prices risk being less predictable in the coming months. An outage in any part of the world will now affect the price of gas in Europe. Last year there were talks of strikes at an LNG facility in Australia. Although Europe doesnt get LNG from Australia, European prices spiked because there was a risk they would be competing more heavily with Asia for other supplies, he says. Europe replaced the loss of Russian gas at considerable expense, but new networks have now been established which mean Moscow has lost its grip on the Western market forever. Meanwhile Gazprom is scrambling for ways to reach new customers. As with Russian oil, buyers exist who will be happy to take its natural gas without worrying too much about the consequences for Ukraine.

A little gas has been diverted into China and Uzbekistan, but plans to shift more with a major new pipeline are struggling, despite pre-war plans to expand into the Asian market. Loading James Waddell, at Energy Aspects, says weaponising gas sales to Europe has left Russia without much of a market. Gas is much harder to transport than oil or coal. You have to build very expensive, long pipelines that take years to build, or liquefaction terminals which also take years to build, he says. Even attempts to build those LNG terminals are being hammered by Western sanctions.
Americas steel industry has long been a protected sector, even though its production is less than half its peak decades ago and the sectors technology has fallen well behind that of the Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans. The very first tariffs Trump imposed on China (before he imposed tariffs on almost all US imports from China) were on steel and aluminium. Protecting the jobs of US steelworkers via tariffs and subsidies comes at a significant cost to the economy, given that those companies that use steel as an input employ far more people in more productive industries. Their increased costs ultimately flow through to higher prices for consumers, just as the cost of Trumps $US360 billion-plus of tariffs on Chinas exports were borne by US consumers rather than the exporters. While there is an element of protectionism to Bidens proposed increase in the steel tariffs  the US is a relatively modest importer of Chinas steel  there is also a broader dimension to it. It forms a strand of a larger and wider concern in the US, Europe and elsewhere about the flow-on effects of Chinas property sector crisis and slower domestic economic growth.

Investment in what was once a core driver of Chinas growth has been falling steadily for nearly three years and is still declining  it has fallen by high single-digit rates in 11 of the past 12 months  and, with declining returns from further investment in infrastructure and no apparent desire to stoke consumption, Beijing has focused its economic strategy (and subsidies) on its factories. With domestic demand having fallen away, significant excess capacity has emerged, resulting in a tide of cheap exports hitting global markets. Biden and Trumps opposition to Nippon Steels acquisition of US Steel highlights the domestic political sensitivities involved and how the US is prepared to treat even its close allies in the new paranoia over national self-sufficiency. Credit: Bloomberg Thats the case within the steel industry, where domestic property development and infrastructure investment used to drive the billion-tonnes-a-year sector, accounting for about 55 per cent of the demand. Exports accounted for less than 10 per cent of the mills output. With excess capacity increasing  Chinas National Bureau of Statistics says the sector is operating at less than 78 per cent of its capacity  steel exports are rising rapidly. Exports of just over 90 million tonnes last year were more than 36 per cent higher than in 2022, and in the first quarter of this year were 25.8 million tonnes, so the run-rate is accelerating.

While the US and Europe arent major direct markets for Chinas steel (the US imported less than 600,000 tonnes last year from China) both are complaining about the overinvestment and excess capacity within Chinas industry generally while considering increased tariffs on imports of its metals. The US is also concerned that China is exporting raw steel to third countries like Vietnam, Japan, India and Mexico, which is being turned into hot-rolled coil and other products that are then imported at lower duty rates or avoid being dutied at all. Facing increased protectionism abroad, the steel mills  and Chinas industrial sector more broadly  will need to be rationalised and its output reduced if they, and Chinas mercantilist growth strategy, are to be sustainable, albeit diminished. Other countries, including India and Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, Chile and Brazil are also complaining about dumping of steel products and imposing, or threatening, their own tariffs. If Trump wins re-election, he has said he will impose an extra 10 per cent tariff on all imports and a 60 per cent rate on imports from China.

The European Unions Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (a tax on the embedded carbon in imports) comes into full force for steel imports in 2026, which will hit Chinese mills, among other exporters, because they largely use coal-fired plants. The outlook, therefore, is for an increasingly less accommodating global market for the excess capacity in Chinas industries, whether its steel or electric vehicles (where theres also significant overproduction) or the broader range of consumer goods. Joe Biden speaks at the United Steel Workers headquarters in Pittsburgh this week. Credit: Bloomberg China produces more than half the worlds steel. If it cant export most of the growing surplus to its domestic requirements, it would have significant implications for its domestic steel industry  and for Australias iron ore miners and federal and West Australian government revenues. The South China Morning Post last week quoted a vice president of the China Iron and Streel Association, Tang Zujun, as saying that the era of large-scale construction in China was over, and in future would be driven by consumption and innovation-based strategic emerging industries.

The biggest problem now is how to achieve a dynamic balance between supply and demand, he said. If this problem is not handled well, it will have a huge impact on the ecosystem, sustainable development and international competitiveness of the entire industry. Loading Facing increased protectionism abroad, the steel mills  and Chinas industrial sector more broadly  will need to be rationalised and its output reduced if they, and Chinas mercantilist growth strategy, are to be sustainable, albeit diminished. The steel industry, because it is seen to have national security implications in this post-pandemic world of trade conflict and supply chain restructuring, is particularly vulnerable to the shift away from the globalisation of trade that has powered Chinas economy for decades.
Fewer than one in 10 performers, writers and artists are making a full-time living from their talents, new keynote research has found.

Financial insecurity is worsening for the nations professional dancers, musicians, actors, writers and visual artists, with half earning as little as $200 a week from their practice and an increasing number reliant on casual jobs.

Working conditions are getting tougher, says independent choreographer and performer Melanie Lane at Temperance Hall in Melbourne. Credit: Chris Hopkins

Some 79 per cent are now self-employed or working freelance compared to 72 per cent 15 years ago, according to the study led by cultural economist Professor David Throsby.

More than 600 professional artists were surveyed in late 2022 and early 2023 as a data sample for the report, Artists as Workers, co-authored by Throsby and Katya Petetskaya from Macquarie University.
The visit of the ABC TV program Back Roads to the rural NSW town of Nimmitabel was supposed to be a great moment for the small community  instead it ended with a man being arrested after a cafe owner was allegedly assaulted.

Andrew Thaler, who rose to prominence after incorrectly claiming to be the spokesman for the family of Cooma Taser victim Clare Nowland, arrived at Berties Cafe in Nimmitabel on Sunday afternoon as the ABC Back Roads crew was filming around town.

Andrew Thaler was a political candidate in Eden-Monaro. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The ABC team had been seen eating lunch at the cafe on Friday, and had been filming in and around the building all weekend, cafe owner Sandra Drayton said.

Thaler, who had made social media posts critical of the Back Roads program and of Draytons cafe, arrived to confront Sandra and her husband on Sunday.
Brisbane Airport is set to add another international destination to its inventory, with flights to the tiny north Pacific nation of Palau to begin this month.

Nauru Airlines will operate the six-hour flights between Brisbane and Palau, internationally regarded as one of the worlds premier diving destinations, from May 21.

Penny Wong and Palaus President Surangel Whipps jnr in 2022. Australia and Palau have announced a new non-stop flight service.

Palau President Surangel Whipps jnr said the Palau Paradise Express flight would be a vital link for the tiny nation of just 18,000 people, about 2250 kilometres north of Darwin.

It had been facilitated through the federal governments $100 million Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program, commonly referred to as P4A, which Whipps jnr said had opened a new level of co-operation between the two nations.
The final text messages from a radicalised Perth teenager shot dead by police on Saturday night give rare insight into the mind of a boy who had descended into extremism.

The 16-year-old Rossmoyne Senior High School student was killed in a Bunnings car park in Willetton after stabbing a stranger in the back with a large kitchen knife, and then chasing and lunging at police.

WA Premier Roger Cook said the boy, a Caucasian male who had converted to Islam, had a complex history of mental health issues and had been enrolled in a government-funded anti-extremism program since he was 14 years old.

We were obviously well aware of the thoughts that he was harbouring, and he was an active participant in that program since two years ago, he said.
Thank you for joining us on this very busy news day.

We just learned that Perth bikie Troy Mercanti is accused of backhanding a woman and raping her after night out in Northbridge.

The 56-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday via video link from Hakea Prison looking dishevelled and unshaven after a weekend in the cells.

In unbearably sad news, the girlfriend of one of the Perth brothers killed in Mexico has led the online tributes for them after Mexican authorities confirmed the identities of three bodies found in a well last week.

Prosecutors believe Perth brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and American Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed after resisting the theft of their ute.

Callums girlfriend Emily Horwath, an American who lives in San Diego where he played professional lacrosse, expressed her devastation in posts about the brothers and their American friend.

My heart is shattered into a million pieces, she said. You are one of one. I will love you forever.

And a 42-year-old West Australian woman is accused of attempting to murder her disabled child by injecting her with insulin, a court has heard.

The mother, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the child, went on trial in the WA Supreme Court on Monday. She was arrested and charged after blood tests taken in January 2022 following a triple-zero call showed the child had life-threatening levels of insulin in her system.

Finally, we offer you a change of pace here, with an inspiring opinion piece titled: I signed up for a one-way ticket to hell and (somehow) came out transformed. Perhaps itll inspire us to get out of bed that bit earlier and start exercising.
Malta to strengthen cooperation with China on education

Xinhua) 09:43, May 06, 2024

A student of the University of Malta shows Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, in Msida, Malta, on June 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

Malta has signed agreements to strengthen cooperation with China on education.

VALLETTA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Malta has signed a series of agreements with the Chinese government and educational institutes to strengthen cooperation in the sectors of education and sports.

The agreements were signed recently during a visit to China's Beijing and Shanghai by the Maltese Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima, according to a statement published by the ministry on Saturday.

In the Chinese capital Beijing, Grima held a meeting with Chen Jie, vice minister of China's Ministry of Education, during which both sides discussed the educational systems in the two respective countries and how the two countries can strengthen links in the sector of education.

The two sides signed two agreements, aiming to strengthen the bilateral collaboration in various educational aspects, including the exchange of students, scholarships, research, and exchange of expertise in technologies related to education as well as Higher Education, certificates and diplomas.

In Shanghai, Grima visited the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, where a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for cooperation.

During the visit, the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) also signed cooperative agreements with seven Chinese universities and educational institutes.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A Chinese fighter jet dropped flares in front of an Australian Navy helicopter in international waters, in an incident Defence Minister Richard Marles has condemned as unprofessional and unacceptable.

The near-catastrophic incident occurred about 7.30pm (AEST) on Saturday during a routine operation in the Yellow Sea off South Korea.

A navy Seahawk operating off HMAS Hobart was intercepted by a Chinese J10 Air Force jet.

The PLA Air Force plane dropped flares about 300 metres in front of the Seahawk helicopter about 60 metres above it, requiring the helicopter to take evasive action in order to not be hit by those flares, Marles told Nine News.
Education Minister Jason Clares vision for getting more disadvantaged students into universities will be outlined in next weeks budget, with the government considering Gonski-style loadings for poorer and regional students and bonuses for the universities that retain them.

Structural changes to the higher education sector are next on Clares agenda after the Albanese government said at the weekend it would wipe $1200 from the average HECS debt and introduce $320 weekly payments for nursing, teaching and social work students on compulsory placements.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Education Minister Jason Clare announced budget measures to reduce the financial burden of university during a school visit on Monday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

While those announcements are being pitched as cost-of-living relief for young Australians who have completed or are at university, Clare said next Tuesdays budget would focus on students who had missed out on higher education in the first place.

His comments signal that the government will address recommendations from a review of universities that improve equity, including calls for a new funding model that allocates extra money to disadvantaged students.
We detect a strong protest message in the anti-Labor vote in our analysis right now, so its entirely possible that those people come back to the fold or at least preference Labor when it comes to the crunch. Thats if they are still listening by the election. The findings come as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers seek to lift the governments fortunes in the federal budget next week after heated debates about male violence against women, student protests about the Middle East and border protection. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) has retained his personal lead over Peter Dutton in NSW and Victoria, but the opposition leader has turned the tables in his home state of Queensland. Credit: Fairfax Media The survey results show voting trends over many months and do not reflect views on the recent debate on violence against women. The most dramatic changes shown by the new analysis are the fall in support for Albanese and Labor over the past year, wiping away the gains made during the post-election honeymoon period when the partys primary vote climbed from 33 per cent to 41 per cent.

Labors core support has fallen from 34 per cent in February to 32 per cent in March and 30 per cent in April, giving it a primary vote of 32 per cent over the quarter. The Coalition primary vote over the last three months is 36 per cent nationwide, confirming the party has returned to the core support it recorded at the election. The results across all marginal electorates over the past three months show Labor has a primary vote of 29 per cent in those seats. This is down over the past year after reaching 39 per cent in the June 2023 quarter, but slightly higher than the 27 per cent result for the party at the last election. The Coalition is down from 41 to 38 per cent in marginal electorates over the two years. Albanese remains ahead of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton in NSW and Victoria when voters are asked to name their preferred prime minister, with a national lead of 40 to 31 per cent. But Dutton has turned the tables in his home state of Queensland, where he is now the preferred prime minister by a margin of 40 to 34 per cent. Albanese led on this measure by 39 to 32 per cent in Queensland in the final three months of last year.

The state-by-state results show Labors primary vote has fallen in the major states since the last quarter and the Coalition has increased its core support from 30 to 34 per cent in Victoria, 34 to 36 per cent in NSW and 35 to 40 per cent in Queensland. Loading Labor risks losing office or sliding into minority government if it cannot hold key seats in Western Australia, where it made big gains at the last election. The government has promised the state at least $5 billion a year in top-up GST payments, infuriating other states, and Albanese is making regular visits to WA to shore up support. The new analysis shows West Australian voters have cut their support for Labor from 34 to 32 per cent since the December quarter. This compares to the Labor primary vote in the state of 37 per cent at the last election. The Coalition has a primary vote of 35 per cent in WA in the latest Resolve analysis, in line with the result of the last election.

The Resolve quarterly analysis is based on responses from 4614 voters over three surveys from February to April. This enables comparisons with the earlier quarterly periods and the outcome of the last federal election. Loading The survey groups change each month and reflect the national population, which means the sample sizes are smaller for states such as WA and the margin of error is therefore greater for state-by-state results. Because the Resolve surveys ask voters to nominate their primary votes in the same way they fill in their ballot papers for the lower house at an election, there was no undecided category in the results, a key difference from some other polls. Reed said economic pressures were driving some of the shift in support.

The Coalitions biggest gains over the last two years have come from older people, especially males, smaller states, rural areas and those on lower or fixed incomes, he said. These groups tend to be more sensitive to financial pressures. Men increased their primary vote support for the Coalition from 33 per cent in the December quarter to 39 per cent in the last three months. Women increased their support for the Coalition from 31 to 33 per cent over the same time. Surveys by Freshwater Strategy in The Australian Financial Review have shown a similar trend among men. Freshwater director Michael Turner said Labors primary vote in December 2022 was 37 per cent for men and women, but this fell to 29 per cent among men and 33 per cent among women in last months survey. There has indeed been a larger decline in support for Labor among men, Turner said. The Resolve surveys show Labors primary vote among men has fallen from 41 per cent in the December quarter of 2022 to 31 per cent in the three months to April this year, and from 39 to 33 per cent among women over the same period.
Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is refusing to tell a parliamentary committee which nationalities the government will target under its proposed deportation powers by claiming public interest immunity over a series of questions from senators scrutinising the bill.

Despite being the final decision-maker under the legislation, the ministers office also revealed he outsourced decisions over the visa conditions of former immigration detainees to departmental officials earlier this year.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has deferred all decisions over the visa conditions of former detainees to departmental officials. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Labor is facing mounting questions over its management of 153 people released after last years High Court ruling that indefinite detention was illegal, following allegations that one was involved in a home invasion last month.

On Monday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton pressed for Giles and Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil to be sacked and vowed to kick these people [detainees] out when theyve caused harm against Australian citizens if the Coalition was returned to government.
An entry level yet unliveable unit in Mosman with a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge has sold for $1.1 million.

The deceased estate at 2/20 Somerset Street started with a price guide of $700,000. But it was revised multiple times due to sheer interest, landing on $950,000 by the end of the campaign.

Twenty-six buyers registered to bid on the property. There were a mix of first home buyers, with and without the backing of the bank of Mum and Dad, parents who were looking to buy for their children as well as investors and builder-renovators.

The auction began with a bid of $888,000 and bidding went up in mostly $10,000 increments. A young woman, from out of the area, placed the winning bid. She outbid an investor who was bidding over the phone from Singapore where they live. The reserve was $910,000.
Donald Trumps priorities for a second term are growing clearer. The tunes he sings are familiar, but the lyrics are becoming explicit.

One striking revelation is his hierarchy of the dangers confronting America: I think the enemy from within, in many cases, is much more dangerous for our country than the outside enemies of China, Russia, and various others that would be called enemies depending on who the president is, he said in an extended interview published by Time magazine last week.

Illustration by Dionne Gain

So the top tier of danger is domestic, according to the Republican nominee for the presidency. And he used the phrase  the enemy within  three times. It wasnt a fluke.

Its an expression that resonates in the history of repression, most famously in a 1950 speech by the rabid red-baiter Senator Joseph McCarthy.
ScamWatch statistics reveal that Australians lost more than $650,000 to online shopping scams in the first two months of 2024 alone, though this figure represented a 36% decrease from the same period in 2023.
Heres a look back at the first professional hair show by Davines Malaysia and EIG on our shores.

ICYMI: At the end of last month, Davines Malaysia hosted a festival to remember, featuring talents from Malaysia and Thailand as well as a celebrated guest list of salon partners, KOLs, session stylists and media friends from around the region.

The night kicked off with a few words from the brands key reps: Roderick Chieng, the CEO at EIG; Summer Cheng, the Regional Trade Marketing and Business Development Manager for Davines; Joanne Wong, the General Manager at EIG; and Jolleen Chee, the Marketing Manager at EIG. From the launch of the brands third Grow Beautiful Campaign to the introduction of its 2024 Advocate Programme, we were caught up on the latest developments from Davines.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by BURO Malaysia (@buromalaysia)

The Davines Grow Beautiful campaign was launched in 2022 and has been an April staple in conjunction with Earth Month ever since, inviting consumers to shop more ethically and sustainably.

The first year of the campaign saw the professional hair care brand partner with the Rodale Institutea Pennsylvania-based nonprofit dedicated to research and education around regenerative organic agricultureto turn 17 hectares of its Parma, Italy headquarters into the European Regenerative Organic Centre (EROC). Last year, the brand joined forces with the worlds largest pasta producer, Barilla, to develop agricultural systems that promoted soil regeneration.

This years Grow Beautiful campaign is marked by the launch of the new WE STAND/For Regeneration Hair and Body Wash Bar. Created to gently cleanse the hair and skin and boasting a 99.7 per cent biodegradable formula and 100 per cent recyclable paper packaging, the cleansing bar features the first Davines Activist Ingredientwhite yarrow extract. Created as a symbol of Davines commitment to soil regeneration, the ingredient is harvested from the EROC land and every purchase supports the cause.

SHOP: Davines WE STAND/For Regeneration Hair and Body Wash Bar, RM80

The main event came with a bangor, more fittingly, bangs. Indeed, the highlight of the event was an electrifying hair show featuring the works of Davines Creative Collective Asia Artistes. The hair show was split into three parts, each with an independent concept.

The first part, called Embrace Authenticity, was curated and carried out by hair artist Winson Kow from Winson Kow Hairtistic Salon Malaysia. Inspired by the fluidity of water and the bold lines of architectural art, his creations were as fantastical and sculptural as they come. Models strutted down the runway with attitude, showcasing the incredible hairpieces Kow had shaped. Then, in one fell swoop, they cast off the hairpieces to reveal sleek, intricate styles reminiscent of ocean waves. One model was even given a live, on-stage transformation, revealed through a flamboyant outfit changea transformation that left the audience stunned.

The second was a showcase by Tate Wiput from Roof Hair Salon Thailand. Aptly named Water Creatures, his showcase drew inspiration from the depths of our seasa dystopian, hypothetical future where humanity is forced to return to the water upon the worlds climate-related collapse. Featuring sleek, wet-look creations exploring both commercial and avant-garde potential, Wiput demonstrated his techniques with live haircuts on stage.

To finish off the show, both stylists went head-to-head in a style-offbut with a twist. Instead of working on their own models, they exchanged models as part of an innovative collaboration. Kow opted to keep things simple for his model, working to sculpt her hair with hairspray to accentuate her wet look. Wiput, on the other hand, opted to add some structure and bluntness to his models hair, trimming her bangs into a micro fringe and adding texture with a subtle hime cut. The hair show was a remarkable display of how the brands offerings can be used in both a commercial and editorial settingscroll through the gallery below to get inspired:

The grand finale of the showcase 1/15 Backstage at the Davines Vibes Festival 2/15 Winson Kow and Tate Wiput doing a live demo 3/15 Tate Wiput doing a live cut 4/15 Winson Kow doing a live cut 5/15 Tate Wiput and model during the Water Creatures showcase 6/15 During the show 7/15 Model during the Embrace Authenticity showcase 8/15 Model during the Embrace Authenticity showcase 9/15 Model during the Embrace Authenticity showcase 10/15 Model during the Embrace Authenticity showcase 11/15 Tate Wiput and model during the Water Creatures showcase 12/15 Backstage at the Davines Vibes Hair Festival 13/15 Backstage with Tate Wiput 14/15 Model Delphine Lim at the Davines Vibes Festival 15/15

Thats not all, however. Guests walked away with goodie bags from each of Davines four sustainable partners for the evening, including Oatbedient, Wild Kombucha, Love Earth, and Kind Konesa further testament to the brands commitment to sustainability.

Find out more about Davines Grow Beautiful campaign here. For more beauty news, click here.
DBS Bank India has been recognised as a Best Employer 2023 by Kincentric for the fourth consecutive year. The award acknowledges organisations with exceptional employee experiences and a strong culture of engagement.The Kincentric Best Employers study is one of the most respected annual studies with a robust evaluation methodology designed to understand alignment across business objectives, people processes, and employee experience. The jury evaluates shortlisted organisations and selects the Best Employers, who are recognised by Kincentric.We aim to be a different kind of bank in every sense - for our customers and for our employees. Our goal is to make banking joyful by taking the toil out of the banking experience. Our workforce plays a critical role in bringing our brand promise to life. We constantly seek to improve our employee experience by finding ways to equip them with the skills as well as the tools to excel and adapt, thereby enabling them to deliver superior experience for our customers while aiming for better business outcomes."We are humbled to be recognised as a Best Employer 2023 in India by Kincentric, marking our fourth consecutive win. This is a testament to our culture where employees are encouraged to 'Be the Best', 'Be the Change', 'Be the Difference'. Our endeavour is to create a supportive environment where employees feel valued, connected, and empowered to thrive in both their personal and professional lives. The win also reflects their efforts towards making DBS the Best Bank for a Better World."Best Employers in India continue to stay ahead of their competition by having the winning mix of human-centered practices that not only enable great employee experience but also create differentiated business impact by attracting the right talent. They achieve higher business growth through a highly engaged team (Best Employers have a 5% higher engagement score compared to the rest). They have an edge both in the execution of people programs and in enabling positive experiences when it comes to empowerment (85% of the best feel empowered to make influential decisions), culture, and brand (5% higher confidence in the brand than the rest), and work-life integration (6% higher work-life balance among the best compared to the rest), to name a few."DBS Bank India's Employee Experience Council enhances the employee experience by tailoring programs to individual needs and exploring innovative ways to engage and support the workforce. The bank has bolstered its efforts to enhance the overall well-being of its employees, ensuring a harmonious balance between their personal aspirations and organisational goals.DBS Bank Indias well-being charter focuses on the Best of Me, We, and E (environment). Through its holistic benefits basket, 'DBS Cares,' the bank takes a comprehensive and hyper-personalised approach to well-being addressing mental, financial, and physical wellness needs. Employees have access to a flexible wellness wallet, 'iFlex', to customise their benefits package according to their individual needs and life stage. This includes insurance and OPD coverage. Employees receive an additional top-up upon meeting their fitness goals through iFit, a comprehensive health management tool.Aligned with its transformational leadership agenda, DBS Bank India invests in developing leaders at every level within the organisation, providing upskilling opportunities for career advancement and preparing employees for expanded roles. The bank has introduced iGrow, an AI/ML-enabled career enabler tool that understands employees' career aspirations and identifies new role opportunities, empowering them to excel professionally. The tool has achieved an adoption rate of 64%.In 2023, DBS Bank India established a gender-agnostic Leadership Diversity Council as the apex governing body for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion agenda. This council operates with a three-pronged approach aimed at increasing representation across genders, abilities, and generations. To strengthen gender diversity, the bank has curated learning & development programs, including the 'MyPersona Women Leadership Development Program', which prepares women for future leadership roles, and 'Reimagine,' which supports seamless transitions for women re-entering the workforce after a career break.
VIENTIANE, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith will, at the invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin, lead a high-level delegation to pay a working visit to Russia from May 7 to 11.

According to a press release issued by Laos' Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, the visit aims to enhance the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries and mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Amity between Laos and Russia.

During his visit, the Lao president will also attend a commemoration ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War from 1941 to 1945. 
Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 8:44PM

Photo: Business Chief

Barry McCarthy, the outgoing CEO of Peloton Interactive Inc., is stepping down after a tumultuous two years at the helm. Lured out of retirement following successful CFO tenures at Netflix and Spotify, McCarthy faced a daunting task: rescuing Peloton from the brink of collapse.

McCarthy's efforts included significant cost-cutting measures like job reductions and outsourcing, a leadership overhaul, and a strategic shift towards fitness services over hardware sales. However, these maneuvers proved unsuccessful.

McCarthy's resignation last Thursday was accompanied by the appointment of interim co-CEOs from the board and another round of layoffs. Peloton's new refinancing strategy has sparked concerns about the company's dwindling cash reserves.

Acquisition remains a possibility for some investors, perhaps companies like Netflix or Amazon might be interested in Peloton's fitness content. Yet, finding a new CEO might be challenging, especially considering McCarthy's parting words to the company:

I once described turnarounds as a full contact sport; intellectually challenging, emotionally draining, physically exhausting, and all consuming, the decisions never more consequential, the urgency ever present, the teamwork never more central to the mission. From where I sit today, that pretty much summarizes my experience these last two years.

McCarthy's resignation underscores the immense difficulties Peloton has faced and the uncertain path ahead. The company's ability to secure a buyer or attract a new leader will be crucial to its survival.

Source
DAMASCUS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with the chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, Falih al-Fayyadh, in the capital Damascus Monday to discuss strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism and border control, according to the state news agency SANA.

During the meeting, Assad emphasized the importance of effective coordination in controlling borders and dealing with extremist organizations that threaten the security of both countries.

The president pointed out that terrorism knows no borders and that the supporters of terrorism in Syria and Iraq are the same regardless of the various names of the terrorist organizations.

He praised the resilience and strength of the Syrian and Iraqi armies for their victories against terrorists and their supporters.

The PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of Shiite militias formed in 2014 to fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

Syria and the PMF have cooperated in their fight against the IS, with PMF fighters crossing the border into Syria to support the Syrian government forces in the battle against the terrorist group. 
Power Cement to acquire solar power plant at Sindh

ICR Newsroom By 06 May 2024

Power Cement Ltd (PCL) has signed a term sheet with Burj Solar (Pat) Ltd for the development and financing of a 9.6MW wind power project at Deh KaloKohar, Nooriabad Industrial Estate, District Dadu (Sindh), Pakistan.

The project aims to reduce approximately 15,000t of carbon emissions annually while generating around 30GWh of clean energy annually.

"This project aims to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and promote sustainable development," said Salman Gogan, Power Cement's company secretary, on the Pakistan Stock Exchange website.



The wind power project will be developed under a 20-year build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract. Burj Solar will develop and finance the project (after achieving its financial close). A formal agreement is expected be signed in due course, outlining the terms and conditions of the project.

Published under
EAPC recommissions Athi River plant

Suzanne Starbuck By 06 May 2024

East African Portland Cement (EAPC) has recommissioned its Athi River plant in Kenya, boosting the companys cement production capacity by 1Mta over the next two years, reports The Star. The plant has been closed for a month for renovations and maintenance. It also underwent the installation of a new kiln shell in 2022, resulting in a 38 per cent expansion in revenue. This latest closure and recommissioning forms part of EAPCs plans to increase efficiency and production, enabling the company to meet the growing demand for cement in the region.

With the finalisation of the plant refurbishment and resultant improved production and efficiency, we are confident that the company will accomplish the production and revenue targets. This will, in turn, translate into positive returns to the companys shareholders in the form of dividends, said Richard Mbithi, chairman of the companys board.

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Saint-Gobain signs Romanian energy deal

Suzanne Starbuck By 06 May 2024

Saint-Gobain has signed a five-year renewable electricity supply agreement (power purchase agreement or PPA) in Romania with energy supplier OMV PETROM SA. The contract covers the purchase of green electricity from wind and photovoltaic sources provided by OMV PETROM SA and will start in January 2026.

OMV PETROM SA will provide around 800GWh of green electricity for a period of five years. This contract, combined with a photovoltaic park currently in the final stage of development at the Ca?la?ras?i glass plant, will cover 100 per cent of Saint-Gobains electricity needs in Romania.

This marks the second PPA signed by Saint-Gobain in Romania and will contribute to the companys strategy of reducing its carbon footprint in the country in line with the groups net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050.





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Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong meets with Commissioner for New Zealand Police Andrew Coster in Beijing, capital of China, May 6, 2024. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with Commissioner for New Zealand Police Andrew Coster in Beijing on Monday.

Wang said that the two countries' law enforcement agencies have carried out candid exchanges and efficient cooperation over the years, achieving fruitful results in combating crimes related to financial and telecommunication fraud, as well as narcotics.

Wang said that China is willing to work with New Zealand to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement and security, and push forward the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership for benefits of the two countries and two peoples. 
Concerning the high dump fee, I think it is crazy that the disposal owner replied with a bunch of places that you think is convenient for Soddy Daisy residents to dispose of their trash. Especially, since you wouldn't return the call from the gentleman who brought this to Chattanoogan.com.

And, if rushing with the oil can to silence the greasy wheel wasn't bad enough, you blame Chattanoogan.com for "not researching" the information provided.

So let me tell you how I feel (which is my view or opinion and not Chattanoogan.com's views) Soddy Daisy had a facility run by Hamilton County that was convenient because it was in Hamilton County, affordable, because you paid per bag (normally...for regular trash) and some people dont have enough trash to pay the fat prices that the businesses that services our area charge.

I could understand if the services were used by a few people, but many get the monthly service. When the machine at the county-run facility was in need of repair, former County Mayor Jim Coppinger didnt want to repair it. He apparently asked Soddy Daisy to contribute, and they didn't want to either.

I guess Soddy Daisy wanted to squirrel up the money so they could say, "Hey let us vote to give us a payday." It was crazy not to invest for the repairs. If anyone was interested or truly cared about the residents in our community, there could have been a sub-site dump with dumpsters for SD residents to use.

Set it up at the previous dump in Soddy Daisy. Then have a few trucks to empty....maybe open two days per week. There's always a solution to make things work. The work comes from finding that solution. But I guess some people aren't in the positions to better our county as much as it is for status and power.

Stopping our service didn't solve anything. It created problems....we still have trash. I see more trash thrown out along the roadways in Soddy than ever before. And sir, your solution was almost as crazy as cutting out our dump. I will never travel to North Georgia to dispose of my trash. Never. Nor will I drive a half hour one-way at $3.50 per gallon of gas in a pickup with five or six bags.

And, by the way, the private robbers, I mean waste business(s) do charge a ridiculous amount. If you drive through with a pickup, it ranges $30-$50 (my personal experience) that is not piled up, but enough bags (6-8) to cover the truck bed. I asked if it would be cheaper to take the kitchen bags and put them in bigger bags to have 2 or 3. I was quickly told no that was standard pricing for a pickup.

That is wrong. That is taking advantage. I wish that all these dumb decision makers would have to drive to neighboring counties, states or across the river to dispose of their trash. It is a wonderful way to waste two or three hours of your day.

So sir, in closing, don't put on the "Omg, I can't believe you wrote that and they printed it," innocent act. You have, probably, a trash bag of messages you never returned the call or followed up on. You don't care cause you profit from it. Therefore; no solution is needed.

One time i just wish someone would be honest and say they dont care or whatever as long as they're honest and not treat people like they're stupid with the dumb reply of traveling to other counties/states. You should be demoted because no one would want to do business with anything you are affiliated with. Maybe you should ride on the trucks instead of throwing out the bull.





Kristy Patton

Soddy Daisy
Brooke Satterfield, chief policy officer for Mayor Tim Kelly is leaving the city to join Coeo Public Affairs, a consultancy specializing in communications and strategic guidance for community leaders and civic partners.

She will be in the role of senior strategist.

Ms. Satterfield had been with the mayor's office since4 2017.

She is a native of Dalton, Ga., and a two-time University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumna.

Having worked closely with Brooke as she served as Chief Policy Officer and Deputy Chief of Staff, I have seen her commitment to our community and her unique ability to navigate complex policy landscapes.

Mayor Kelly said,



Coeo was founded by Kerry Hayes in 2021, another former city official.

He said the firm "has rapidly established itself as a trusted advisor for municipal governments and their community partners  including philanthropic foundations, real estate developers, healthcare providers, and educational institutions  throughout the country."

Mr. Hayes said Ms. Satterfield's background "deepens Coeo's capacity in strategic communications and crisis management. Specifically, she bolsters the firm's capabilities in several critical areas:
A Catoosa County jury has convicted Christopher Bean of aggravated sexual battery, enticing a child for an indecent purpose and two counts of child molestation after a three-day trial before Superior Court Judge Brian House.

Bean, 36, was convicted on all counts of the four-count indictment, after less than an hour of deliberations by the jury.

Judge Brian House held a sentencing hearing for Bean. During that hearing, Assistant District Attorney David Wolfe pointed out that at no point in either case in which he was charged "had Bean expressed even the slightest remorse."

Judge House sentenced Bean to life with the first 30 years to be served in prison, consecutive to his previous case. Between both cases, Bean will have to serve 55 years in prison, at which time he will be 91 years old.

Evidence presented at trial showed that Bean began molesting the female when she was about seven years old. This abuse continued off and on for over five years until Bean was arrested in late 2022 for molesting another female.

On March 1, Bean pled guilty to aggravated child molestation, child molestation, and incest for molesting the other young female and was sentenced to life with the first 25 years to be served in the Georgia Department of Corrections.

However, Bean refused to plea guilty to the charges involving the other female.

The case was presented with the assistance of Victim Witness Advocate Ashely Nicholson and District Attorneys Office Investigator Eric Sliz.

Both of Beans cases were investigated by Detective Brittany Gilleland of the Catoosa County Sheriffs Office, while the children in both cases were interviewed by Holly Kittle, senior forensic interviewer from the Childrens Advocacy Center in Fort Oglethorpe.
Kenneth Robert George, 70, passed away on April 25, 2024.

He was born on Nov. 18, 1953, in Delaware County, Pa., to the late Robert Allen and Jane George. He was preceded in death by his sister, Sue Warren.

Ken in survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Lee; son, Bobby George (Mary Jane); daughter, LeeAnn Stout (Marshall), and grandchildren, Savannah, Drake, Maddox, Owen, Darby and Hadley.

He was a motorcycle enthusiast and started his entrepreneurial career with Huntingdon Cycle Sales. His career continued as a broadcast engineer with US 101 and he later established Pro Audio Group, a company he led until retirement. He was active in the HAM radio community and an avid collector of vintage radio equipment. He was a member of the AARL and the Tennessee Valley DX Association. He enjoyed connecting with HAM operators around the world. Additionally, he enjoyed hunting and riding motorcycles.

There will be no visitation at the funeral home.

A private family service will be held with a Celebration of Life to follow at a later date.

Should friends desire, memorials can be made to Empower Me Centers Capital Campaign, kindly referencing in the comments In Memory of Ken George. Please visit the website to learn more about this organization that means so much to his family: https://www.empowermecenter.com/capitalcampaign or mail to P.O. Box 672, Lebanon, Tn. 37088.

Please visit www.chattanoogavalleyviewchapel.com to share your memories of Kenneth.

Arrangements are by the Valley View Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 7414 Old Lee Highway, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421.
Germany aims to become a global leader in hydrogen technologies. In contrast to other countries, its hydrogen strategy places a strong focus on promoting green hydrogen based on Renewable energies, supported by cooperation with partners in distant regions. While this approach is likely to constrain progress at first, it may be the only way for Germany to achieve its climate targets in the longer run, RIFS researchers argue in a study published in Energy Strategy Reviews. At the same time, this means that the success of Germanys hydrogen strategy depends on the development of production capacities in partner countries.

Germany must import green hydrogen due its low levels of renewable energy potential. Following the launch of the National Hydrogen Strategy in 2020, hydrogen has been integrated into many existing partnerships and new partnerships have been formed with a strong focus on hydrogen cooperation. The international reach of the German strategy, which engages with more than fifty non-EU countries, is quite unique," says lead author Rainer Quitzow (RIFS). Rather than merely seeking to build a domestic hydrogen economy with regional supply relationships, Germanys strategy aims to create a global hydrogen market.



Other countries with low potential for renewable energies have taken a different tack: Japan and South Korea, for example, have devised strategies that are more regional in their outlook, focusing on bilateral relationships in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, and which embrace all types of hydrogen production. According to the researchers, this may enable these countries to get a head start in the application of hydrogen technologies and achieve their domestic climate targets sooner. However, rather than reducing emissions, this approach will merely shift GHG emissions to regions where hydrogen is produced from natural gas or even coal. Depending on the specific end-use, this could even translate into a net increase in emissions.

Now is the time to establish viable hydrogen supply chains The researchers emphasize that Germany's international ambitions extend far beyond the establishment of bilateral supply relationships. Indeed, Germany is playing an important role in the development of international hydrogen supply chains. Policy plays a central role during the early stages of development of new green industries. The German government's H2 Global instrument aims to foster the development of international hydrogen supply chains  from production through to delivery to a northern European port, such as Rotterdam or Hamburg. The scheme uses an innovative double auction mechanism in which both producers and buyers participate as bidders," explains co-author Adela Marian. Unlike Japan, for example, the German government is clearly committed to a competitive approach.

Germany also plays a leading role in capacity- and competence-building in developing and emerging countries. This includes activities in the field of energy-related development cooperation, for example in Namibia, India, Morocco, Brazil and South Africa. In West Africa, the German government is supporting capacity and skill development by funding a Master's Graduate Programme on green hydrogen technologies at several universities.

More ambition needed in cooperation with other hydrogen frontrunners One shortfall in the German hydrogen strategy identified by the authors is that far less weight is attached to sustainability-related issues in dialogues with other hydrogen frontrunner countries and multilateral bodies than is the case in cooperation with developing and emerging nations. Cooperation with other frontrunner countries in developing sustainability standards would provide an entry-point for promoting Germany's priorities in international markets, explains co-author Almudena Nunez. However, the revised strategy seems to indicate that the government has recognized this deficit and may increase its efforts to promote international standards.
CAIRO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Monday called on all parties to exert "more efforts" to reach a comprehensive truce in the Gaza Strip and finalize the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Sisi wrote on his official Facebook page that he is "closely following" the positive developments of the ongoing Gaza truce talks, which would lead to "an end to the human tragedy that the Palestinian people are suffering from."

Hamas on Monday informed the Egyptian and Qatari sides of its approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israel said it is currently "examining every response and answer very seriously, exploring every possibility regarding the issue of negotiations and the return of hostages."

Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel, citing a high-ranking security source, reported that the Egyptian side is intensifying communication with both sides to achieve calm before enforcing its three-stage proposal.

A Hamas delegation has headed to Cairo to work on enforcing the Egyptian proposal, an Egyptian security source told Xinhua on Monday.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said that the proposal approved by Hamas is far from meeting Israel's core demands and Israel will send a delegation to Cairo to exhaust every possibility of reaching an agreement acceptable to Israel.

However, earlier in the day, Israel's war cabinet approved the launch of a ground offensive on Rafah that would take place after the evacuation of the civil population, which, according to the Israeli military, began in the morning.

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in Gaza. Located on the southernmost edge of the strip, Rafah shelters more than one million Palestinians uprooted by the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza 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.

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are seeking to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange and a second ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that ended last November. 
When I write worlds rarest mammal, what creature comes to mind? Do you picture a super exotic-looking lion or bear or something that mysteriously crawls around jungles hardly ever visited by humans?

Well, the mammal is considered to be the worlds rarest and is also known as the worlds most endangered marine mammal.

That mammal is the vaquita, a small porpoise that may look similar to a dolphin but is much less common in the wild.

The vaquita is a teeny porpoise species found in the upper Gulf of California in Mexico. They were discovered not that long ago, in 1958, and unfortunately, experts estimate that there are only around 10 of them left in the wild, pushing them to the brink of extinction.

These cute little porpoises are only about five feet long, making them shorter than other dolphins and whales you see in the wild. Theyve got round little faces that make it look as if they have a cartoonish smile.

So, why is the vaquita population dwindling so quickly, and what has caused their decline?

Unfortunately, it has to do with fishing and gillnets. Gillnets are a specific form of netting that creates a wall structure.

The netting is big enough for many fish and marine species to get their heads through, but not their entire bodies.

When a fish gets its head caught in a gillnet, the netting gets entangled in their gills as they struggle to break free, hence the name.

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Gentle parenting is one tool to train up children who have disabilities with love and wisdom.

Illustration by Elizabeth Kaye / Source Images: Unsplash, Wikimedia Commons

As a toddler, my son would often lash out at other kids for no apparent reason, causing incidents at daycare, at home, and in the church nursery. At times, he would even hurt himself in his distress. After more than a year of trying to encourage the right behavior, I felt like this was more than age-appropriate tantrums.

We sought an evaluation, and our son received multiple diagnoses that confirmed hes neurodivergent, a term that commonly encompasses brain-based differences such as ADHD, autism, learning difficulties, and more.

One way to consider how my son experiences the world is to think of his brain like a highly sensitive smoke detector. A typical smoke detector on your kitchen ceiling will alert you to a potential emergency in the room. However, one that is highly sensitive might alert you to a neighbor smoking a cigarette as he walks by your window on his way to the store.

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My sons nervous system makes him similarly sensitive. Hes hyper-attuned to potential threats in the world around him, and sometimes the most typical everyday interactions can become extremely distressing for him, even resulting in acute anxiety attacks.

As first-time parents, we did our best to follow conventional advice about establishing routines and maintaining authority. We disciplined him with consequences, withheld privileges, and rewarded any display of self-control. Any physical discipline only succeeded in making us seem like a threat and triggering his fight-or-flight response.

Traditional forms of discipline were not working, and my husband and I knew we needed to change the way we parented. Yet I still wondered if this was compatible with my faith. I could not escape the maxim Spare the rod, spoil the child.

One Sunday, our pastor preached on the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1132). He encouraged us to put ourselves in the shoes of a first-century Jewish fatherto imagine being effectively disowned by your child and the emotions of having them eventually return.

Citing Kenneth E. Baileys work, our pastor explained that a first-century son who demanded his inheritance would be ceremoniously rejected, cut off from his heritage and his family. Our pastor described the father running to his son in order to reach him before the community noticed his return and cast him out forever. I pictured villagers running after the father to see what he would do, stunned that he embraced his wayward, reckless child instead of condemning him and casting him out.

Our pastor asked us to try to comprehend how unbelievable the forgiveness, grace, and protection the father extended to his son would seem to the rest of the village, who would at best despise the son and at worst excommunicate or stone him.

I tried to grasp the tenderness the father must have felt toward his son to be willing to forgive and find a new way forward that integrated his child back into the family and the community, regardless of what others thought. I wondered how to reconcile the discrepancies between this particular illustration of the love of God the Father and the parenting advice I continued to receive from other Christians to be firm, to shepherd and steward my child, and to let my child know I was the authority.

When I was encouraged to shepherd my children, I would jokingly respond that my lack of agrarian experience left me uncertain how to move forward. As I pored over the multitude of sheep and shepherd imagery in the Bible, I didnt understand how a shepherd could brandish a rod against his sheep and still refresh or comfort them (Ps. 23:34).

So I did what many millennial parents might do: I searched the Internet for how to herd and tend to sheep, specifically looking for references to rods and staffs. I discovered that a rod would likely have been used to fight off wild animals who may come after the sheepnot against the sheep themselves, and that the staff was probably a shepherds crook, used to guide sheep and even retrieve them should they find themselves in a precarious situation.

I also learned that Spare the rod, spoil the child isnt actually what Proverbs 13:24 says. The phrase likely originated from a 17th-century long satirical poem, Hudibras, and Samuel Butlers words convey an explicitly sexual meaning.

Meanwhile, as we sought out strategies that would be effective for my son, I discovered secular experts who recommended mindful parenting that focuses on compassionately building skillswhat is popularly called gentle parenting. I later found a number of Christian experts who encourage an approach to parenting that centers on connection, respect, and gentleness, including Flourishing Homes and Families, Connected Families, and Grace Based Families.

Both Christian and secular critics denigrate it as an overly permissive, boundary-free style of parenting that can have detrimental effects both in childhood and adulthood.

At the same time, proponents of gentle parenting dont always agree on what discipline should look like. There are similar approaches called positive parenting, responsive parenting, and peaceful discipline, and some experts have even suggested abandoning the name gentle parenting altogether.

The words discipline and disciple both derive their meaning from the Latin word for instruction or teaching. As language has evolved, there continues to be an implication of order and instruction, but the concept of chastising or punishing didnt become part of the words meaning until the 11th or 12th century, when it became associated with military instruction.

Gentle parenting, rather, allows my family to focus on instructionon discipling our children in such a way that we model the Fathers love for them, so that they may grow to trust and know God.

Whatever you choose to call this style of parenting, the common thread is that parents are encouraged to be authoritative (often contrasted with authoritarian parenting), to focus on respecting and understanding the child, to emphasize cooperation between parent and child, and to encourage independence within appropriate boundaries.

At the end of the day, all parenting requires wisdom and discernment, and theres no one-size-fits-all approach. Gentle parenting offers one set of tools and strategies that enable us to model Christs love and to equip our children with the self-control, order, and grace required to navigate the fallen world we are all born into.

My husband and I believe that children are a blessing from God (Ps. 127:3), and we parent in a way that focuses on compassionately guiding and empowering our children (Eph. 6:4). We encourage autonomy, independence, and abiding faith by remembering that adults and children are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).

We dont harshly punish our children, because we seek to love them as the Father loves us (1 John 3:1), and we endeavor to model discipline, grace, and faith in a way that we hope reflects that love (Prov. 3:1112; 1 John 4:1112). At every step, we consider our childrens development as well as their needs for support and accommodation.

When we punish our children, we are inflicting suffering for their past behavior with the hope of changing their future behavior. There is no shortage of ways to teach and instruct a child about wrongdoingand how to prevent itwithout causing them to suffer. Forgiveness, mercy, and grace are not opposed to discipline, good stewardship, and experiencing the real, felt consequences of our actions.

My husband and I have both the privilege and responsibility of working together to help our children develop skills and to offer support as they navigate the world with increasing independence. We allow our children to experience the consequences of their actions, and we discuss what we could do differently to achieve a different outcome. Most importantly, we teach them about the incredible grace and mercy that is offered to each of us.

We parent the way we do as a humble reflection of what God is offering to all of us. Throughout his ministry, Jesus went out to people and met them where they were. He didnt insist on a standardized process of redemption, and there is ultimately no checklist we can follow. We can only follow him. To put it another way, Jesus wants us to follow his lead, and we ask the same of our children.

And when we inevitably fall shortor our children domy hope and prayer is that weve cultivated the kind of love and grace that would allow a child to return in humility and trust or a father to sprint through town to greet his child, no matter the time apart or the circumstances of that separation.

A few months ago, we began to have similar concerns about our daughters development, and we sought an evaluation for her as well. As I discussed this with my mother and the psychologist, I realized that there are many similarities between my daughters behavior and how I was as a child. I decided to pursue my own evaluation, and we confirmed that both my daughter and I are also neurodivergent.

A recent CDC report found that nearly 1 in 10 children between ages 3 and 17 are diagnosed with a developmental disability, an increase from previous years. If this trend continues, the church will need to develop new tools to love and support our children. I imagine this will also include accepting and accommodating styles of parenting and forms of discipline that, while new to many in the church, are both rooted in Scripture and respectful of our children.

When the disciples stopped people from bringing children to receive blessing and prayer from Jesus, he admonished them (Matt. 19:1314). We have no reason to believe that the children who came before Jesus were without disabilities. Throughout the Gospels, people came to Jesus for healing and prayer for themselves, their children, and their loved ones.

I deeply desire for adults to remember this before asking a seemingly disruptive child to leave a service or to refrain from participating in a church activity that would allow them to experience the love of Christ. Do not hinder them, our Savior says, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (v. 14).

Sunita Theiss is a writer, communications consultant, and homeschool parent based in Georgia.
Discrimination case claims that noncommercial religious broadcasters are paying far more than fellow stations to cover royalties for music played online.

Tanja Ivanova / Getty

The website for 99.1 JOY FM in St. Louis features a scrolling playlist of its lineup of Christian pop music and a listen now button to tune in to the simulcast broadcast. But visitors may find that after a few hours of streaming artists like Lauren Daigle and Brandon Lake, the site may kick them off.

Because of higher royalty costs, many noncommercial religious broadcasters are choosing to either limit the number of online listeners they allow at a time or simply not promote their online platforms at all. A new lawsuit from some of these broadcasters, including many Christian stations, claims that their royalty rate, which exceeds what other stations pay, is effectively a form of religious discrimination.

The government is charging religious broadcasters a significantly higher rate, said Rory Gray, with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). It suppresses religious speech in the public sphere.

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Noncommercial radio stationswhich rely on listener support and grant funding rather than ad saleshave traditionally been able to negotiate lower royalty rates for the music they play. But religious broadcasters, like JOY FMs owner, Gateway Creative Broadcasting, lost out on that deal during negotiations in 2016 with SoundExchange, the rights management company that distributes royalties to artists.

Then streaming costs for religious radio increased in 2021, following a ruling from the US Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), and Christian stations were subject to the standard rates. A suit filed in February against the board claims that due to the discrepancy in rates set by the CRB and privately negotiated rates, noncommercial religious broadcasters are forced to restrict their streams in ways other noncommercial stations, like public radio, are not.

Noncommercial religious broadcasters are now paying rates at a commercial level, said Gray, who serves as counsel for the National Religious Broadcasters Noncommercial Music License Committee in the case. They just want to pay a fair rate, the same rate that the secular NPR stations are paying.

According to ADF, noncommercial religious broadcasters are now paying a rate 18 times higher than the average rate given to NPR stations. (Both public radio and college radio stations privately negotiated deals with SoundExchange.)

Some in the Christian music industry are cheering the changes in royalty agreements since they help artists make profit. The lower rates for noncommercial religious broadcasters have historically resulted in Christian artists receiving far less royalty revenue than their mainstream peers.

In a 2023 article for Billboard magazine, Malcolm Hawker, chief operating officer for SESAC Music Group and former president and CEO of Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) said that the regulatory system around radio, especially when it comes to Christian radio, is broken.

Referring to K-LOVEs parent company, Educational Media Foundation, Hawker said that nonprofit status obscures the reality that EMF is a financial powerhouse with over $1 billion in assets.

This is a far cry from the small volunteer-run community stations the CRB rates are meant to protect, Hawker wrote. I believe that its inherently unfair for these networks to exploit the CRB rate structure thats available to educational radio stations given their financial profiles and the significant amount of money they raise using music to build a large audience.

Hawker focuses primarily on royalty structures for airtime, while the case ADF is making on behalf of religious stations has to do with royalty fees for online streaming. But the problem Hawker identifies is the same: that Christian artists generally see lower royalty revenue in part because most of the broadcasters that program their music pay noncommercial rates.

ADF says that this case isnt about giving religious broadcasters the right to pay artists less but rather about the higher royalty rate compared to NPR stations. If the rate was the same, we wouldnt have a discrimination case, said Gray.

In a statement, ADF senior counsel John Bursch said, Religious broadcasters should have the freedom to exercise their faith and free speech without discrimination, but government officials are forcing them to pay exorbitant fees or have their constitutionally protected speech suppressed.

NPR stations are also classified as noncommercial broadcasters and are eligible for funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which does not fund organizations whose programming furthers the principles of particular political or religious philosophies.

Because NPR was able to reach a private agreement with SoundExchange while the National Religious Broadcasters Noncommercial Music License Committee was not, the CRB rates apply to nonreligious commercial broadcasters but not to NPR. The CRB rates kick in for noncommercial religious stations with an average audience size of 218 listeners or more.

ADF says that this is, effectively, religious discrimination, even though SoundExchange, which is not technically a party in the lawsuit, contributed to the current state of conflict.

According to Gray, the Supreme Court will determine whether they will hear the case in mid-June. For the time being, religious broadcasters are stuck with the rates set by CRB. SoundExchange has also filed an appeal, arguing that the CRBs 2021 ruling did not do enough to bring rates for webcasters in line with streaming services.

As the music industry struggles to adjust to a landscape dominated by streaming and social media, radio broadcasters are trying to modernize and find their place in it. Some industry veterans insist that the future of radio is online streaming, so the survival of noncommercial religious broadcasters depends on their ability to find a sustainable model under increasingly streaming-centric rules and regulations.
Home Books Chonda Pierce says comedy helped her find God's faithfulness after loss, abuse: 'He delivered me'

Emmy-nominated comedian Chonda Pierce might be best known as the "Queen of Clean Comedy," but her life hasnt always been humorous; in fact, its been marked by trials and tribulations she believes have honed her character and proven Gods faithfulness.

It is interesting; if you research, a lot of comedians walk some dark roads, and that might be why we love to make people laugh, the 64-year-old comedian told The Christian Post.

Hearing people laugh is just as much medicine for me as it is for anybody. I think early on in my career, my comedy was probably a lot of deflecting going on to try to mask some pain. What is amazing about God is, He created all the arts, and the devil's job is to pervert them all. And in that deflecting or using comedy that's cruel or hateful or filthy, that is Satan's job. He loves to steal that.

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I love that God blessed me with a sense of humor and an ability to tell a story or two that makes a room laugh because I love it just as much as anybody else. I need the laughter as well. I love that I get to do that for a living, and wasn't God so kind to direct my path that way, because that laughter has brought a lot of healing my way.

For over three decades, Pierce, who has sold more comedy albums than any other female comedian, has built a career on weaving humor into her storytelling, inviting audiences into her world with relatable anecdotes. But her latest book,Life Is Funny Until It's Not: A Comic's Story of Love, Loss, and Lunacy, delves deeper than ever before, addressing topics like childhood trauma, her parents divorce, the loss of her two sisters and husband and abuse.

I've told bits and pieces of my story for 32 years, Ive revealed parts of grief from my husbands death or the aftermath of that, and all of those stories are still true and I still hold on to them.  But there was so much in the in-between traumas  where I learned a lot. That's where I learned who God is and how He will sustain you, she said.

She candidly shares how, as her comedy career blossomed as a young woman, trials continued to shadow her journey through marriage, motherhood and widowhood. Yet through every sorrow and every joy, God remained by her side.

This is the reason I got into stand-up comedy to begin with, she said. I wanted to tell my story. I felt like the Lord had really delivered me through some things that would be helpful to other people.

Pierce also opens up about her early years as a pastors daughter and how her earthly father impacted her view of God. When describing her father, she paints a picture of a complicated figure; a man who, at times, was loving and attentive and other times, cold and harsh.

The comedian shares how, over the years, shes navigated the complexities of her father's role and his darker side, finding solace in her faith. "God revealed Himself to me many times, teaching me the difference between a Heavenly Father and an earthly father," she explained. "This understanding saved my life. Otherwise, I would have self-destructed a long time ago."

Despite her challenges, Pierce has maintained her faith, crafting her comedic material in a way that reflects her beliefs. "Comedy is always the opening act, but I also turn the corner to share the stories behind it," she says. "Jesus Himself used humor in His teachings, and I aim to show both the good and the bad so people can see God at work."

I'll never get an HBO or Netflix special because I really talk a lot about Jesus, she said. But when God directs your path, there's a lot of peace. A whole lot of peace may not be as big a paycheck, but  its in telling the good and the bad and the ugly that you actually get to see the hand of God.

Pierce is also on her Life is Funny tour, where she balances humor with heavier truths.

"I wanted to tell my story to help people, but I didn't want to dive into the sad parts outright," she said. "I start with comedy, then turn the corner to reveal reality."

And already, the tour, which launched in March, has had a profound impact on her audience, with many sharing how Pierce's humor has helped them through dark times.

"Ive had people say they were considering ending their life, but my stories pulled them back," she recounted. "It's moments like those that make all the sacrifices worth it."

"There are always new stories to tell," she added with a chuckle, "Like how I fell off my bathtub trying to get rid of bugs, despite having a Scripture above it saying 'God is within her, she will not fall.'"



Today, Pierce also uses her platform to help others on a practical level: In 2006, she founded Branches Recovery Center, which offers counseling and treatment to those with depression, anxiety and addiction.

Based on her own experiences with loss, trauma and depression, Pierce said she doesnt trust anyone who doesnt walk with a limp, adding: When Jacob finally did fight and wrestle with God, God touched his hip. He said, You will never forget that you wrestled with me, but he lived to tell about it. And he changed that mind of God.

I'm so grateful for what He's brought me through. But I cut myself some slack every now and again and say, OK, this is a trigger day. This would have been my anniversary  and in those moments, I say, Oh Lord, why is [my husband] not here? And then you'll strengthen yourself again, and God doesn't strike you with lightning. He will talk you through your anger. The Bible says, Be angry but sin not, and it also says, Bring everything to me.

Whether through her books  though she said Life is Funny will be her last  or comedy tour, Pierce said her mission is to share stories that reflect God's faithfulness and provide hope to those struggling.

"I want people to see that there's a woman who walked a rough road but never walked away from God," she said, "and to find hope and healing in His enduring faithfulness."
Home Books Dog the Bounty Hunter on witnessing 'demonic possession,' God's faithfulness during career

After spending years as a bounty hunter  exposing him to the depths of human depravity  Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, is confident of two things: spiritual warfare is real, and so are hope and redemption through Christ alone.

I have arrested and seen men that would do terrible things to little children as young as 6 months old. That is demonic possession. That is evil at its max. Its not, He was drunk,' 'He was a bad guy. No, that stuff grows and grows; they keep doing worse and worse, the 71-year-old New York Times bestselling author and TV personality told The Christian Post.

You flip a coin on the other side, and if there is that much evil  and we all know there is, just look at the news  then there's got to be supernatural power and that much good. Even an atheist believes that. I try to explain what that supernatural power is, how to tap into it and live a happier life knowing that you're going to Heaven.

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"I say, What if I'm wrong? And what if there is no God, and your soul just dies? You live and learn and die and forget it all? What if that happens? Then, oh, well. But what if there is a God? And what if the Bible is the Word of God? What if that's real? And you may not believe in Hell, but you'll be there five minutes, and you will. The Bible says it's written in everyone's heart that there's a God.

Chapman's faith has caused a shift in his mission over the years, from capturing fugitives to reaching out to the marginalized and spiritually lost.

"I've arrested over 10,000 fugitives in my career, but I'm more famous for the backseat ride and the conversations that happen there," he said, referring to his efforts to turn criminals towards faith.

Chapman's desire to share Christ's hope with the lost compelled him to write his third and latest book, Nine Lives and Counting: A Bounty Hunters Journey to Faith, Hope, and Redemption.

Written with his wife, Francie, the book focuses not only on his escapades as a bounty hunter but also on his deep spiritual journey and the personal challenges he has faced over the years, from being in a motorcycle gang and incarcerated in the 70s to becoming a widely-known TV star.

Chapman starred in the reality series Dog the Bounty Hunter on A&E until it ended in 2012. He credits his faith for sustaining him after the 2009 death of his 23-year-old daughter, Barbara Katy, and 10 years later, the loss of his wife, Beth, who died after a lengthy cancer battle.

In September 2020, Chapman married Francie, a rancher who lost her late husband, Bob, following his death from cancer just months before Beth passed away.

"Ever since Beth went to Heaven, and I met Francie, my life has changed through my faith in God," Chapman stated. He described his book as a guide and an inspiration for others, emphasizing, "If I can do it, you can do it."

I believe in God and the hereafter, Chapman said. You're not going to Heaven because you do good works.  The Bible says that he who has been forgiven the most has to give the most. I've been forgiven a lot. So I have to give more than you.  I'm required under God's law to give everything I can give more than most people.

In his book, Chapman recounts numerous instances where he believes God intervened directly in his life  from saving him from death to preserving his reputation. He points to these experiences as evidence of his "nine lives" and the foundation for the book's title.

The Bible says, In the last days of before Jesus comes, I will pour out my spirit. Youre seeing it in sports, pastors and politics.  So many guys and girls are confessing their faith. Gods Spirit is pouring out on all flesh, the Bible says, and that includes me. The pouring of God's Spirit is out there. I try to explain in my words what that means.

The bounty hunter also revisits a particularly dark chapter in his past: his 18-month stint in prison during the 1970s.

In 1976, Chapman was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to 5 years in Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, Texas. He had been waiting in a car while a friend went into a house to buy marijuana. The friend shot and killed 69-year-old Jerry Oliver in a struggle.

According to Chapman, this experience is detailed more explicitly in his new book compared to previous publications.

I was convicted of murder in the '70s, he recalled. I did not do that. I was there. One of my biker brothers went inside. There was a scuffle, he got shot and he passed.  They finally let me out after 18 months because they found out I didn't do it.

"A lot of people who were around then are no longer here, so I can speak more freely about what really happened," he disclosed. When I wrote the other two books, I couldn't say anything.  Now they're either in Heaven and Hell, so I can.  The Bible says, If you will confess your sins, God will heal. So it is very good to say, especially to put it in a book form.

Today, Chapman shares his story of redemption worldwide and leads the Light Up the Darkness ministry with his wife. As Nine Lives and Counting hits the shelves, he told CP his message is clear: no struggle is too great to overcome, and often, a change in perspective can be the key to seeing God's hand in one's life.

I think that if people realize how good they've got it, you can always overcome the bad things, he said. You can always do that, of course, with prayer, asking God, counseling  I think there's a way out of everything through the supernatural.

Nine Lives and Counting is now available.
Home Books Episcopal professor hopes to reorient how churches deal with politics

An Episcopal pastor and professor is hoping to influence how congregations handle politics by showing that political action is integral to Christian belief and practice.

The Rev. Ross Kane, an associate professor of theology, ethics and culture at Virginia Theological Seminary, has released a new book on the topic, titled The Good News of Church Politics.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Kane said he wrote the book because it seemed to me that so much talk about Christianity and politics was all at a national and state level, which has often led us into some very conflictual situation.

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Its not that politics shouldn't be conflictual, sometimes it is, he said. But if we started in a different place, if we start in our congregations and realize that our congregations are actually political things, then we can start to build habits and practices for faithful politics that really follow Jesus and build communities that love our neighbors, and that can be the start of reorienting how we think about politics in the church.

In his interview with CP, Kane spoke about how congregational life is akin to political life, and some of the hazards of trying to separate religion and politics.

CP: You mentioned the many political aspects found in church life, like passages in the Bible, hymn lyrics, and even worship liturgy. Would it be fair to say, technically, that there is no such thing as a non-political church?

Kane: I would say that.

Any pastor who has served even the tiniest congregation knows that it does feel like being the mayor of a small town. You have these multiple constituencies that you're dealing with and politics, very broadly conceived, is really about how human beings organize ourselves, how we make decisions, how we sort out community life. And congregations have all of those things. And you know, this is really clear in Scripture and in tradition and in our worship.

Even the word for church, ekklesia, in the Greek was a term that was used for a town assembly, and the church retooled the word. The Church knew what it was doing. The early Church didn't naively take on that word for describing ourselves. We are an assembly that has a public function.

If we can reclaim that perspective and that, again, gives us a whole new way of looking at politics as something that starts with loving our neighbors.

CP: In your book, you warned that while "institutional separation between church and state is healthy," sometimes people take the idea too far and treat religion and politics as "competitive." Where have you seen an overzealousness on separating religion and politics?

Kane: We can see separating religion and politics as going too far in this, where people will say that our religious convictions should play no role in how we engage the public square. The idea that the public square should be an utterly areligious environment.

Whatever one's national politics are, I think we can at least accept that we bring our deeply held values to the public square and for those of us who follow Jesus, those are religious Christian values and they do have a place in the public square.

If there's no religion in the public square, you don't get people like Martin Luther King Jr.

CP: In Chapter 11, you talked about churches confronting their sins and failures, with a big focus on churches that have a history of white supremacy. In recent years, numerous American churches and Christian schools from diverse denominational backgrounds have openly addressed their historical ties to slavery and segregation. What is your opinion of these overall developments?

Kane: I'm encouraged by these developments.

I believe that we don't work through sin and past sins by pretending they didn't happen. We have to look at them squarely in the eye. The seminary that I work for, Virginia Theological Seminary, in 2019, began a reparations program and that has been transformative for our seminary.

It was one of the first programs that gave financial disbursement to the descendants of enslaved people who helped build the campus or who worked here during the Jim Crow era, and that is a way of trying to address some of these wrongs and I should say, too, it's also changed the culture of our seminary.

We now have deeper relationships with the descendants of the folks who worked here during Jim Crow and descendants of enslaved people who built our campus. And that has led to some really profound and meaningful relationships that have gone a long way in healing some of these past wrongs.

CP: In the book, you talked about how churches involved in national politics need to be well-grounded in local politics first. What are some of the benefits that come to a church that focuses on local politics before national politics?

Kane: The first thing I'd say is that it gives a rootedness to the political engagement. It's a rootedness that's grounded in congregations' own commitment to following Jesus' commandment "love your neighbor." And that rootedness has another effect, too, which is that it gives churches more clarity about when they might be being manipulated for partisan purposes.

If a congregation already is engaged in the public life of its neighborhood, it knows the partisan dynamics of the city and it actually can go in with eyes wide open when it comes to partisan politics, instead of just being sucked in to the temptations of power that so often come with partisan politics.

CP: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Kane: I hope that readers take away hope. I hope the readers get hope from this book.

Hope that politics can be about more than just the will to power or the struggle for control. Politics is about our interdependence and how our lives are connected to one another in similar ways that Jesus talks about, vine and branches being connected to one another and then being connected to the vine, which is Christ Himself. Or the way that the Apostle Paul talks about a body with many parts that are functioning.

We need each other to follow Jesus and live a faithful public life and our congregations can be central to that public engagement.

My desire is that its a hopeful book that gives practical tools for loving our neighbors more faithfully.
Fulani herdsmen killed 28 Christians from April 20 to April 22 in an area of Benue state, Nigeria, residents said.

Some groups of Muslim Fulanis have attacked three Christian villages in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue state, said area resident Florence Aaka, who said 28 Christians were killed.

Henry Agba, chairman of the Gwer West Local Government Council, said armed herdsmen killed the Christians in Mbabwande village, Gyaluwa village and a community along Naka/Adoka Road.

These attacks started on Saturday, April 20, when six of the Christian victims were ambushed by the herdsmen at Mbabwande village, where they had gone for the burial of a Christian who died in the area, Agba told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.

Herdsmen killed 14 Christians at Gyaluwa on April 21 at about 11 p.m., he said, adding that the next day, they attacked the Christian community along Naka/Adoka Road.

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So far, Christian villagers have recovered the 28 corpses of Christians killed during these attacks, Agba said. Furthermore, dozens of other Christians were wounded and are currently receiving treatment in some hospitals.

The assailants have also kidnapped several people in the Gwer area, he said. Six Christians kidnapped near the Naka Highway on Tuesday (April 30), including one identified as Matthew Chile, his wife and four siblings, were released on Sunday (May 5) after relatives paid a ransom, said Victor Torsar Ormin, a former member of Nigerias National Assembly.

[Chiles] captors, who are Fulani herdsmen who had demanded a ransom of 50 million naira [US$36,150], released him at about 8 p.m., Ormin said in a press statement.

Tse Vanger, a spokesman for Chiles employer, Benue State University, Makurdi, had confirmed the kidnappings, saying the six Christians were ambushed and abducted from a Toyota Corolla near Naka town.

Police spokesperson Catherine Anene said investigations in the Gwer raids were underway and security agents had been deployed to the areas.

Benue Gov. Hyacinth Alia condemned the attacks, saying they were carried out by herdsmen who maim and kill innocent citizens in cold blood and for unfounded reasons. We cannot watch our people killed daily on their farmlands and their villages for a cause very unknown to us.

Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, according to Open Doors 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300.

Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.

In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.

They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
Home News 12 Christians killed by herdsmen in Nigerian village attack

Fulani herdsmen attacked residents of a village in central Nigerias Plateau state as they slept at 2 a.m. on April 19, killing 12 Christians, sources said.

In the farming community of Mangu Countys Tilengpan Pushit, the Fulanis attacked with deadly weapons without provocation, said resident Israel Bamshak.

Most of the victims are women and children who were unable to escape from the invaders, Bamshak told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.

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Resident Monday Mwansat confirmed the attack on the predominantly Christian community, as did John Musa.

Twelve members of our community have been killed, Musa said. We have become targets of attacks from Fulani herdsmen for no just cause.

Markus Artu, chairman of the Mangu Local Government Council, also said the attacks were carried out by Fulani herdsmen.

Plateau Gov. Caleb Mutfwang expressed sadness that in spite of efforts his government has made to curtail the unprovoked attacks, the assailants have continued to carry out more vicious assaults. Mutfwang appealed to Christians to remain steadfast in the face of unprovoked attacks, saying his government will continue collaborating with security agencies to bring about security.

I extended my heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the incidents, and pray for the recovery of the injured who are currently being treated in various hospitals, Mutfwang said.

Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, according to Open Doors 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300.

Nigeria was also the third highest country in the number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.

In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.

They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.

This article was originally published by Christian Daily International in conjunction with Morning Star News.
Home News 4 'woke' moments from UMC General Conference

After years of delay, the United Methodist Church finally held its 2020 General Conference, which lasted two weeks, from late April to early May, with the churchwide legislative gathering festivities coming to a close on Friday.

Delegates at the conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, made history by voting overwhelmingly to end the denominations ban on gay marriage and the ordination of people involved in same-sex relationships.

The votes came after thousands of mostly conservative congregations departed the UMC in recent years in opposition to theologically liberal leaders' refusing to enforce the rules in the UMC Book of Discipline.

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Apart from the votes on the UMC rules, there were other happenings during the General Conference that critics could describe as woke" in nature. In recent years, the term "woke" has become a popular buzzword used by conservatives to describe teachings, statements or ideologies that promote left-wing social justice causes.

From pronouns to diversity monitors, the following pages highlight four occurrences at the UMC General Conference that raised the eyebrows of critics, including the popular Twitter account Woke Preacher Clips.
Home News Portland State protesters 'delusional,' mayor says; university reopens after 30 demonstrators arrested

Police have arrested 30 people related to anti-Israel protests at Portland State University in Oregon, where authorities also detained a driver who accelerated toward a crowd of demonstrators and allegedly sprayed them with mace or pepper spray.

Anti-Israel encampments protesting the ongoing war in Gaza and demanding that universities cease support of the Jewish state have sprung up at college campuses throughout the country. Demonstrators at PSU had occupied the campus library building since Monday before the Portland police intervened.

PSU did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment, but on Friday, the university announced the campus had reopened to access card holders. At the time of this report, the university did not disclose when the campus buildings would be open to those without access cards.

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According to NBC affiliate KGW-8, the Portland Police Bureau said it had made 30 arrests related to anti-Israel protests on PSUs campus. The outlet initially reported that police arrested 12 protesters for blocking the campus library, only four of whom were PSU students.

In its updated report, KGW-8 noted that police arrested at least seven additional protesters after a group of anti-Israel demonstrators attempted to re-enter the campus library building. PSU Campus Safety also arrested one protester, according to KGW-8.

"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 posted on X Thursday night.

Portland police are also searching for 18 people who fled the library when officers showed up to clear the building Thursday morning, KGW-8 added. As the police cleared the building, PSU students and other anti-Israel protesters remained near the police perimeter around the library.

According to KGW-8, several protestors occupying the building carried improvised shields, and one demonstrator attempted to assault a police officer and was arrested. Police made additional arrests after several demonstrators attempted to block the van transporting those who were arrested.

PPB requested assistance from the Oregon State Police Mobile Response Team to push back the demonstrators blocking the van from leaving, but some still followed the vehicle onto I-405.

KGW-8 reported that the situation escalated around 3 p.m. local time after a police officer was hit with a water bottle thrown by one of the protesters. Authorities responded by deploying a sound truck to clear the South Park Blocks and Southwest Hall Street area.

Around the time that this was happening, the driver of a Toyota sedan drove near the crowd and sprayed the anti-Israel protestors with a substance that had been reported as either mace or pepper spray. Police located the man after he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. He was transported to the hospital on a mental health hold.

According to PPB, seven officers were injured throughout the day, KGW-8 reported. Only one officer needed to be taken to the hospital with a knee injury.

On Thursday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler thanked the officers for the safe and effective manner in which they cleared the campus library, and thanked the Oregon State Police for assisting. The mayor also referenced a protest march on Wednesday night that resulted in demonstrators smashing several businesses windows. Wheeler vowed that protesters who destroy property would face consequences.

"I, for the life of me, do not understand how terrorizing local business operators can possibly impact events in the Middle East," Wheeler said. "If you believe that by damaging a business  which frankly harms the frontline employees who work in those businesses, and we've had reports that they were frightened, they were traumatized  if you believe damaging those businesses or trashing a library on a university campus will impact events in the Middle East, then you are delusional."

The Associated Press reported Thursday that more than 2,000 people have been arrested over the last two weeks at universities throughout the country.
Home News Ayaan Hirsi Ali tells Richard Dawkins: I used to mock Christianity ... I regret it'

Womens rights activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali expressed regret for her previous critiques of Christianity at the inaugural Dissident Dialogues conference in New York over the weekend. Ali, a former figurehead in the New Atheism movement, openly recanted her past assertions that all religions, including Christianity, were equally damaging.

During a lively discussion with evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on Saturday, Ali elaborated on her transformation, revealing that her past belief  that religions were uniformly destructive  was misguided.

I do regret doing that, she confessed to Freddie Sayers, editor-in-chief of UnHerd and the moderator of the event. She admitted to the unintended consequences of her advocacy, which included promoting skepticism over faith without offering a viable moral alternative, thereby leaving a void in the cultural and moral framework that she now believes Christianity beneficially fills.

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What you value in Christianity is something that really is absolutely necessary to pass on to the next generation, she said. And we have failed the next generation by taking away from them that moral framework and telling them its nonsense and false. We have also not protected them from the external forces that come for their hearts, minds and souls.

She explained, Youre coming from a place of theres nothing. And what has happened to me is, I think I have accepted that there is something. And when you accept that there is something, theres a powerful entity  for me, (thats) the God that turned me around.

Ali added, "Like you, I did mock faith, in general, and probably Christianity in particular, but I don't do that anymore. ... I have come down to my knees to say that the people who always had faith have something that we who lost faith dont have.

Ali said she met a woman who told her, Youve tried everything and youve lost hope, youve lost faith. Try it  pray. Ali added that theres so much wisdom in what she was told.

Hannah Long, an editor from HarperCollins, wrote on X,  Last night she revealed what happened: a spiritual awakening after suicidal depression. Dawkins probed, highlighting nonsense the vicar says and Christianity being obsessed with sin.

Ali replied, "I think what the vicar is saying no longer sounds nonsensical. It makes a great deal of sense. ... I think Christianity is actually obsessed with love.

Alis pivot from atheism to a declared Christian identity hasn't been without controversy, especially among her former peers in the New Atheist community, which rose to prominence in the early 2000s for its critical stance on religion.

Her announcement last year, also in UnHerd, underlined Christianitys role in preserving Western civilization, a viewpoint that initially drew skepticism from Dawkins. He challenged her newfound faith, questioning the sincerity of her belief in Christian doctrine. Seriously, Ayaan? You, a Christian? You are no more a Christian than I am, Dawkins responded in an open letter, doubting her acceptance of fundamental Christian beliefs like the Resurrection of Jesus.

However, the dialogue on Saturday revealed a softening of Dawkins stance. Confronted with Alis personal testament to her faith, Dawkins conceded, I came here prepared to persuade you, Ayaan, that youre not a Christian, he said. I think you are a Christian, and I think Christianity is nonsense.

The conversation also tackled the broader implications of religious belief on society. Both Ali and Dawkins agreed on the problematic aspects of Islam, which Dawkins described as a nasty religion. Dawkins, who recently said he identifies as a cultural Christian despite his criticisms of Christianity, discussed the potential of using Christian beliefs as a milder virus to counteract the more harmful ideologies present in other religious movements.

Sayers, who shared highlights of the debate on the social media platform X, encapsulated the event as a thrill to moderate.
Home News Biden asks 'for Gods continued guidance in National Day of Prayer proclamation

President Joe Biden is calling on Americans to join him in "asking for God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection" in his National Day of Prayer proclamation this week.

The first Thursday of every May is set aside for the National Day of Prayer, an observance in the United States in which people are called to pray for the nation's wellbeing.

In his Wednesday proclamation, Biden, a Catholic, said, "Americans of every religion and background have come together to lift up one another and our Nation in prayer."

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"Throughout America's history, faith and prayer have helped fuel some of the greatest moral missions of our time  from the abolition of slavery to the fight for voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement," Biden stated.

"Many of our Nation's greatest leaders have been motivated by faith to push all of us toward a more perfect Union and to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice."

While people "will never know the full impact of prayer on our Nation or the world," Biden said he and others "remain confident that it makes a profound difference each and every day."

"I call upon the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faith and conscience, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection," the proclamation reads.

Biden stressed that Scripture "tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer."

"This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect," the proclamation adds. "May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight."

The National Day of Prayer dates back to 1952 when Congress proposed legislation to enshrine an annual day of prayer, which President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law.

The observance has experienced some legal fights, with the secularist group Freedom From Religion Foundation arguing that the day of prayer violates the U.S. Constitution.

In 2011, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the observance, arguing that the FFRF lacked the standing to sue as they could show no injury resulting from it.

On Thursday, thousands of prayer gatherings will be held at or organized by churches and other community institutions with the help of National Day of Prayer Task Force volunteer coordinators in every state.

On Thursday evening, a special broadcasted National Day of Prayer event will be held, with the theme "Lift Up the Word - Light Up the World," as inspired by 2 Samuel 22:29-31.

The event will be co-hosted by Pastor A.R. Bernard of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York, and National Day of Prayer Task Force President Kathy Branzell.

The broadcast will feature special guests Matthew West, Geoff Eckart, Bishop Robert Stearns, Os Guinness, Tony Perkins, Doug Stringer, Dianne Ogle, Glenn Shepherd and others.
Home News Leading DEI official at UCLA medical school plagiarized doctoral dissertation on diversity: report Natalie J. Perry, Ph.D., allegedly attempted to 'mask glaring academic deficiencies'

A leading DEI official at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), reportedly plagiarized vast portions of her 2014 doctoral dissertation about diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

Investigative journalists Christopher F. Rufo of the Manhattan Institute and The Daily Wire's Luke Rosiak partnered to uncover that Natalie J. Perry, Ph.D.  who leads the DEI program called "Cultural North Star" at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine  appears to have lifted large paragraphs nearly verbatim from 10 other academic papers without citation, according to City Journal.

UCLA Med School has been in the news recently for promoting ideology about "Indigenous womxn," "two-spirits," and "structural racism." A guest speaker praised and two residents championed "revolutionary suicide."



The DEI director, who advances "anti-racism," is Natalie Perry. pic.twitter.com/NwSNbiDoBO 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 April 22, 2024

Titled "Faculty Perceptions of Diversity at a Highly Selective Research-Intensive University," Perry's dissertation at the University of Virginia "examined institutional commitment to diversity from the perspective of organizational values," according to her UCLA biography, and remains her only published work. She received her bachelor's degree in African American and African Studies at Ohio State University, and an EdM in teaching and curriculum at Harvard University.

Many of the portions Perry dissertation, apparently copied with only minor changes, were especially long, with one passage that was nearly 1,000 words and extended for pages.

Rufo and Rosiak also observed that the parts of Perry's paper that were not plagiarized are ridden with basic grammatical errors and even misspellings, prompting them to speculate that her plagiarism was intended to "mask glaring academic deficiencies."

"The positionality of the participants informed the perspective on the origins of the commission. /in response to the needs of the varios [sic] stakeholders within the university, the commission addressed issues of diversity on the faculty, undergraduate, graduate, and university level," Perry wrote in one poorly-written paragraph.

Rufo and Rosiak also noted that Perry neglected to cite even the papers she did mention in the paper, suggesting that even the citations were plagiarized from other papers.

UCLA's medical school has mandated that students learn about colonialism and liberation, which included lessons about "Indigenous womxn," "two-spirits," and "structural racism," according to The Daily Wire.

The Washington Free Beacon reported earlier this month that during one lecture by a guest speaker who praised the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, she urged students to pray to "mama Earth" and led chants of "Free, Free Palestine."

Neither Perry nor UCLA responded to The Christian Post's request for comment by publication.

"Throughout the paper, Perry copies and pastes large sections of text from other authors," Rufo tweeted. "When she has to rely on original work, she often lapses into serious errors and basic grammatical problems. The paper  of course  was about DEI at universities."

Throughout the paper, Perry copies and pastes large sections of text from other authors. When she has to rely on original work, she often lapses into serious errors and basic grammatical problems. The paperof coursewas about DEI at universities. pic.twitter.com/8nejFTlKP3  Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) April 22, 2024

The revelation regarding Perry's plagiarism comes amid Rufo's ongoing reporting about plagiarism and academic misconduct at some of the nation's most prestigious universities.

In January, former Harvard University President Claudine Gay announced her resignation weeks after Rufo and the New York Post reported on 27 instances when Gay plagiarized or failed to properly cite other academics' work, which the leadership of Harvard allegedly attempted to cover up. The New York Post claimed the school had threatened them when they began looking into the allegations.
Home News Egypt security services failed to protect Christians homes from gasoline bombs, human rights group says

CAIRO, Egypt  Attacks on two predominantly Christian villages in Egypt last week came after days of rising tensions, which the states security services did nothing to quell despite being notified of impending danger to Christians, according to a human rights group.

On April 23 and again on April 26, hundreds of Muslims took to the streets and attacked Christians, first in Al-Fawakher and then in Al-Koum Al-Ahmar village, both in Minya Governate. Enraged villagers launched the attacks ostensibly to prevent construction of church buildings at each site.

Clergy from the Coptic Orthodox Church had notified security service officials four days prior to the first attack that hostilities toward the Christians had reached a breaking point, according to a statement issued on April 29 by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. On April 20, Muslim villagers in Al-Fawakher had attacked three houses with Molotov cocktails in response to a rumor that a Copts house was going to be used for worship, according to EIPR.

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Security services failed to intervene to prevent attacks before they occurred, despite their prior knowledge of the existence of tensions and sectarian incitement, the group said.

The day of the firebombing, the principal of the Al-Fawakher elementary school began bullying several Coptic schoolgirls. When the girls parents confronted him, the principal expelled the students.

Moderate villagers had warned Christian friends that an attack was certain, and the Archdiocese of Minya requested help a second time but was largely ignored, according to EIPR. By 10:30 p.m., crowds were on the streets firing weapons into the air and chanting Islamic slogans.

The villagers started attacking Christian-owned homes with bricks and stones and eventually more gasoline bombs. The homes that werent burned were looted by the rioters. They beat several Christian women, though none suffered serious injury. Videos of the attack later surfaced on social media with posts stating the attacks were against Christians trying to build a church in the village.

The attack on Christians in Al-Koum Al-Ahmar started on April 26 shortly after Islamic noon prayers. It was not publicly known if mosque leaders mentioned Christians or churches at the Friday prayers, but shortly afterward crowds chanting anti-Christian slogans began gathering in the streets.

The crowd swarmed through the Christian neighborhoods smashing doors and windows of Christian-owned homes with stones, according to EIPR. They then went to a plot of land that had been set aside by an Evangelical church for the construction of a worship hall and destroyed building supplies stored there. They also damaged three cars.

An Evangelical congregation bought the land in 2000 for a church building but tried unsuccessfully to obtain the required license until 2023. In January, after the congregation obtained permission to construct the building, roughly 100 villagers gathered at the site to prevent it. They had heard that some sort of agreement had been reached for the church construction.

Egypt has a long-standing practice of restricting or even forbidding construction or renovation of church buildings. In 2016, the government passed the Law for Building and Restoring Churches that brought welcome changes in approvals for construction and renovation of worship halls, but significant hurdles remain for Christians who want a dedicated building for their congregation. Even if a congregation receives government approval to build, Islamists willing to employ violence can put off construction indefinitely.

There is no church building in Al-Fawakher or surrounding villages. The closest church site is an hour away by car. The villages 40 Christian families rely on itinerant priests who meet with them in their homes. Al-Koum Al-Ahmar has a church building where Orthodox Christians meet but none for Evangelicals.

The attacks were hardly the first to take place in the governorate and should not have come as a surprise to Egyptian authorities in Minya, according to EIPR. There were three other violent uprisings to stop the church construction in the governorate since September.

EIPR affirmed that the April 23 and April 26 attacks were not individual incidents that were exceptional or coincidental, as government and Islamic apologists often claim, but were predictable events that could have been deterred.

State institutions should not be subject to the blackmail of aggressors, as it is not its responsibility to respect the feelings of those who may provoked by the existence of houses of worship for Christians, but rather the state is required to protect freedom of religion and the right to practice religious rites for all its citizens, the EIPR stated. Instead of intervening to protect the rights of their citizens to practice religious rites and redress the damage caused to them, official state institutions closed and prevented the construction of churches.

Egypt ranked 38th on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it's most difficult to be a Christian.
Home News Beth Moore, doctor criticize John MacArthur for claiming mental illness isnt real

Pastor John MacArthur is facing withering criticism from some doctors, Christian mental health experts and outspoken Evangelical figures like Beth Moore following his comment saying there is no such thing as mental illness.

This is such a bad, dangerous take. As a pediatrician, me, and the people I work with are committed to children. This conspiracy theorist language re ADHD treatment making children addicts or criminals is wrong, & has no data to support it, Dr. Stephen Patrick, incoming professor and chair of health policy and management at Emory Universitys Rollins School of Public Health, said in a statement on X. Beyond that its another attack on pediatricians/healthcare providers  and those attacks are taking a tangible toll on pediatricians/nurses/healthcare providers.

Though more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than one in five youth (ages 13-18) either currently or at some point during their life have had a seriously debilitating mental illness, MacArthur, who leads Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, claimed just days before the start of Mental Health Awareness Month in May that mental illness isnt real.

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Citing arguments presented by clinical psychologist Bruce E. Levine in his book A Profession Without Reason and The Myth of Mental Illness by the now-deceased Hungarian-American psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, MacArthur urged parents not to believe in noble lies he alleges are being supported by the pharmaceutical industry so they can sell medication to the public that turn children into drugs addicts and potential criminals.

The major noble lie is there is such a thing as mental illness. Now, this isn't new. You have Thomas Szasz  writing a book, who was a psychiatrist, on The Myth of Mental Illness. There's no such thing as PTSD. There's no such thing as OCD. There's no such thing as ADHD. Those are noble lies to basically give the excuse to, at the end of the day, to medicate people. And Big Pharma is in charge of a lot of that, the pastor said during a panel discussion at Grace Church of the Valley last Thursday.

Take PTSD for example, what that really is, is grief. You are fighting a war you lost. Your buddies, you have a certain amount of survival guilt because you made it back, they didn't. How do you deal with grief? Grief is a real thing. But grief is part of life, and if you can't navigate grief, you can't live life, he added.

Christians who struggle with their mental health, like retired law enforcement officer Sharon Kroger, called MacArthurs arguments a slap in the face to veterans and law enforcement officers.

Thanks for the slap in the face for every veteran, law enforcement and fire personnel, dealing with the life-long effects of PTSD. There is the body, mind, and soul. Know your area of training, knowledge, and expertise. I've had five years of therapy and professional assistance, Kroger wrote on X. Arrogance is never a good look! Sounds demonic. God bless!

Moore noted that her husband struggles with PTSD and suggested MacArthur, who is 84, might have had a senior moment when he made the comments.

Ive had several very serious conversations with my daughters & my board concerning my public voice in my aging when filters naturally thin & were at greater risk of saying more than we should, Moore wrote on X. Please love & respect him enough to sift what should & shouldnt be publicized. There is simply no way he could know, for example, what my husband has endured over being in a fire with his brother when he was a toddler and watching him burn and not acknowledge the reality of PTSD.

Former Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life CEO, Abby Johnson, who is also a trained Christian counselor, condemned MacArthurs comments as well.

John MacArthur just publicly proclaimed that he has zero understanding of PTSD or any other mental health disorder. I have my doctorate in Christian counseling and anyone reading this who is struggling, this is NOT truth, she noted on X. This is NOT what Jesus wants for you. He wants health and wholeness for your mind, body, and spirit. That often includes therapy and sometimes medication. And thats OKAY. Please do not feel ashamed for seeking health. Seeking help is the courageous thing to do.

Gavin Ortlund, former senior pastor of the 100-member First Baptist Church of Ojai in Ojai, California, who now ministers full time via his Truth Unites channel on YouTube, said MacArthurs ideology on mental health is destructive.

He further noted that MacArthurs ideology on mental health is common among American Evangelical culture and its something that needs to be better addressed.

Among American Evangelicals, we have to rehabilitate the doctrine of common Grace. This is a part of our heritage that we've kind of fallen away from. We often have a kind of underdeveloped or sort of malnourished doctrine of common grace, he said in a video response.

Ortlund described common grace as the grace God gives to everyone regardless of whether they are in a saving relationship with Him.

I think the fruits of that neglect of this doctrine are manifest in many ways, asserted.

 ... sometimes we have this, like this this lack of common Grace almost makes us try to super spiritualize everything and it's not healthy. One example of this, I would say, would be the sense that there's something wrong with learning from non-Christians, Ortlund added.

Theres so much that comes to us from common grace. The technology that enables me to record this video and you to watch it is the fruit of common grace. The clothing that I'm wearing was stitched together by common grace. The room that I'm sitting in was built by the knowledge of common Grace and medication and professional help is available to people who struggle with mental illness, and it is valid because of common Grace.

Large scale studies like The State of Religion & Young People 2022: Mental HealthWhat Faith Leaders Need to Know, which was conducted by the Springtide Research Institute, point to a positive relationship between religion, spirituality and mental health.

The study found that while religion and spirituality "can be strong antidotes to much of what contributes to mental-health struggles among young people" and that "people who are religious are better off mentally and emotionally," only 35% of the respondents said they are connected to a religious community.

While the study indicates that religion can have a positive impact on mental health, Josh Packard, Springtides executive director, notes in the report that "solutions to mental-health struggles are more complicated than just 'give young people more religion,'" as about 20% of "very religious" respondents report they are "not flourishing."

"The reality is that without addressing mental-health issues, a young person who is mentally and emotionally unwell wont be able to really engage with or understand the depth, beauty, power, awe, and love that can come with religion and spirituality," Packard wrote. "As Jeff Neel, the executive director of Northern Colorado Youth for Christ, puts it, 'Young people have to heal and belong before they can hear and believe.'"

Other studies previously highlighted by The Christian Post, show how ill-equipped many churches are in ministering to Christians who struggle with

In a subreddit of more than 40,000 anonymous former Christians, many shared stories about how they suffered as their Evangelical churches and family members urged them to pray away conditions such as bipolar disorder, anxiety and ADD before they were finally able to get help. Some said they never got the help they needed until they were adults.

As a TEENAGER I said to the Christian I looked up to, Hey, I hear voices and see shadow people everywhere, also I want to kill myself," a former Christian, who was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, wrote. "And I was told it was just spiritual warfare and Satan fighting for my soul. I was told to NOT seek therapy because therapists work for the devil to drive people away from the Lord."
Home News Liberty's Jonathan Falwell on whether the 'perfect candidate' exists, a Christian's role in politics (part 1)

Read part 2 of Falwell's interview with The Christian Post here.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Does the "perfect candidate" exist?

As the election season heats up, Pastor Jonathan Falwell is reminding Christian voters that there is no such thing as a perfect" presidential candidate  but they must stay engaged in the process and vote for candidates who align most closely with biblical values.

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We have a responsibility to find people that most closely aligned with the biblical truth and our values and that will espouse the kind of truths that we believe flow from the Word of God, Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, and chancellor of Liberty University, told The Christian Post.

Obviously, all of us are humans and all of us are flawed, he said, adding that his father, late Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell, once said, I've never met anyone that I think is the perfect candidate.

In fact, he said, I don't think sometimes I can even vote for myself, because I know myself, he said. Sometimes, as human beings, we do things that don't honor our commitment to Christ and the walk that we have, because we have a sinful nature. Recognize that we're all flawed, recognize that you're not going to find a perfect candidate that will be absolutely in complete alignment with everything that you believe in, everything that you want that person to be.

We have to find the individuals that will most closely align with what we believe and what we believe God's Word teaches, and what we believe is best for our nation. Certainly, there are a lot of biblical values that come into play, but there are also some practical values that have to do with issues such as our connection to taxes, all of the things that are not biblical in nature, but yet still practical in nature.

Engaging with politics

The 57-year-old pastor highlighted the flawed nature of even historically lauded leaders such as Presidents Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Despite the imperfections of political leaders, he emphasized the duty of Christians to stay engaged in the political process.

Jesus taught us that several different times in Scripture, he said. We need to be engaged. We're never going to find a perfect candidate. But we do need to find the person who most closely aligns with what we believe and support them, vote for them, and pray for God's blessing.

The Falwell family's association with politics has a significant history, particularly through the involvement of Jerry Falwell Sr., a Baptist pastor and televangelist, who in 1979 founded the Moral Majority, a political organization aimed at mobilizing conservative Christians into the political arena.

Falwell Sr. has been credited for playing a key role in galvanizing Evangelical Christians to support Reagan in his successful 1980 presidential campaign.

Falwells oldest son, former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., also publicly supported Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, cementing Liberty University's reputation as a center for conservative Christian politics.

Jonathan Falwell, who took over Thomas Road Baptist Church in 2007 following the passing of his father, who founded the church, told CP he sees his role as guiding the congregation through biblical truths, even when those truths intersect with political topics.

I focus on issues. I don't focus on political parties. I don't focus on political arguments or Republican, Democrat, Left, Right, whatever it might be, but I do talk about the issues that are important to people of faith, the issues that flow from the Word of God, he said.

When you're teaching the whole counsel of God, you're going to talk about life. You're going to talk about family, you're going to talk about religious liberty and freedom, all of these kinds of things that are at the forefront of our political landscape and the divisiveness that seems to be so prevalent in our culture today.

When you're talking a lot about issues from a biblical perspective, as it relates to how we can apply God's Word and God's truth to the issues of the day, you don't really have to delve too far into the issues of this candidate or that candidate, he added.

Christian nationalism and American exceptionalism

Falwell also weighed in on the topic of Christian nationalism, a term he acknowledged has a negative connotation.

He highlighted Jesus' teachings to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength" and to "love your neighbor as yourself" as guiding principles for Christians. According to the pastor, living out these teachings naturally leads to becoming a good citizen who positively impacts people, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or background.

If we can do that, the divisiveness and the strain that comes along with that statement of Christian nationalism  goes away, he said. It becomes less about making sure that I'm right and everybody else is wrong, and it becomes more like, I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, and I'm going to do what He's called me to do, and I'm going to love people the way that He's called me to love them and I'm going to share with them the Gospel, that Jesus died, that He rose again for them. If we live that kind of life, it takes that argument out of the out of the picture.

Falwell said theres no question God has blessed the United States, highlighting America's rapid development since its founding. "Our nation is such a young nation in comparison to [countries in] Europe, Asia and Africa, but we've accomplished so much in a relatively short time."

He attributed this success to America's exceptional nature, yet emphasized that it does not imply divine favoritism. "Does that mean God loves America more than other countries?

"Absolutely not," Falwell noted, citing John 3:16, "For God so loved the world.

I believe to whom much is given, much is required, he said. We have to make sure and recognize that yes, while we are an exceptional place, while America is a special, very accomplished nation, and we've been blessed beyond measure, that means that we need to do all that we can to take the resources that we have, the education that we have, the skills that we have, the money that we have, and we need to make a positive impact in countries around the world.

We have a responsibility, as I believe the greatest nation on the face of the Earth, to make sure that we are doing all that we can to bless others and to help others because that is what God has called us to do, he added.
Home News Judge upholds hate crime charge against Christian facing 5 years in jail for toppling satanic altar

An Iowa judge recently denied a motion to toss out the hate crime charge against a Christian U.S. Navy veteran who potentially faces five years in prison for toppling a satanic statue in the Iowa state Capitol last year.

The legal team for Michael Cassidy, which filed the motion to dismiss the hate crime charge against him from Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham, said the judge told them on Tuesday that he will face a jury over the charge, according to the Republic Sentinel.

They argue Cassidy is being legally targeted because of his Christian faith.

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"Despite the inability of the prosecution to find a single instance in Iowa, or another state with a similar hate crime statute where the law had been applied to an organization, the judge denied our motion to dismiss," Cassidy's attorney David Younts told the outlet. "We believe that the state is uniquely targeting our client with a hate crime because of his religious faith."

Cassidy, a former GOP candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives, drew national attention in December when he traveled to Des Moines from Mississippi and pushed over a red-cloaked statue of Baphomet where it stood near a Nativity scene.

The statue was erected by the Iowa chapter of The Satanic Temple and stood in front of a candle-lit altar adorned with the seven "Fundamental Tenets" of the organization, which claims not to believe in a personal devil.

The statue prompted fierce debate even among Christian state legislators and pastors, as The Christian Post reported. Republican state Rep. Jon Dunwell, a pastor, acknowledged that while he personally finds the altar "objectionable" and "evil," he didn't think the government should be arbitrating religious displays.

Republican state Rep. Brad Sherman, who is also a pastor, argued the opposite, claiming the display violated the Iowa state Constitution. He urged Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to order its removal, which she declined to do despite issuing a statement calling it "absolutely objectionable."

After turning himself into authorities upon tossing the statue's ram head in the garbage, Cassidy was first charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

In January, the Polk County Attorney's Office escalated the charge to felony third-degree mischief and a hate crime under Iowa state law, according to the Des Moines Register.

"Evidence shows the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property because of the victim's religion," Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for the Polk County Attorney's Office, said at the time.

Graham, the county attorney whose office enhanced the charge against Cassidy, is a Democrat whose campaign was flooded with hundreds of thousands of dollars from Justice and Public Safety PAC, a George Soros-backed organization. She was elected top prosecutor in 2022 after pledging to reduce incarceration rates by easing up on low-level crimes such as marijuana possession.

Cassidy's attorney argued that he was not guilty of a hate crime, and that he was instead moved by a righteous desire to topple a symbol of evil antithetical to American values.

"Our client was motivated by a desire to protect the people of Iowa from having their sincerely held religious beliefs mocked by an organization that specifically chooses a symbol of hatred," Younts told the Sentinel. "The promotion of a symbol of lies and death is a direct attack on the ideals that our nation was founded on and that are necessary for a free society."

During an interview with CP in December, Cassidy argued that Christians who believe the U.S. Constitution protects a satanic altar are "overcomplicating" blatant evil that they should be resisting.

"The people who wrote our Constitution would be shocked to think of defending Satan as consistent with their beliefs when they wrote the laws that govern our nation," he said.

"People start overcomplicating the truth, which is that God is great and should be honored, and the devil is evil and should not be honored," he said. "I think people are tying themselves in knots trying to justify it, and it's really a lot simpler than that."

Cassidy's legal defense fund, which has drawn public support from figures such as Pastor John MacArthur, had raised more than $130,000 as of Thursday.
A hardline Muslim immigrant upset over his housemates conversion to Christianity was found guilty last month of stabbing him on his bed and then killing an elderly man in Hartlepool, England.

Prosecuting barrister Jonathan Sandiford told a court in April that Moroccan national Ahmed Alid, a 45-year-old strict Muslim, screamed the jihadist slogan, Allah Akbar [God is greater] as he kicked open the bedroom door of Iranian housemate Javed Nouri between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Oct. 15. He then stabbed Nouri in the chest several times.

He appears to have regarded Mr. Nouri as an apostate, Sandiford reportedly said, someone who had denied their religion and therefore for that reason deserved to die.

The prosecution said Alid and Nouri, asylum seekers living in the same house with two other immigrants, were at odds over Nouris conversion to Christianity from Islam.

Fortunately, Mr. Nouri woke up as he was being stabbed in the chest, and he was able to fight off the defendant, Sandiford reportedly said. Sadly, ladies and gentlemen, the defendant, still armed with one of those knives, left the house, went onto the streets of Hartlepool where he chanced upon a man called Terence Carney, who was 70 years of age.

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Alid stabbed Carney several times in the chest and upper body, and the pensioner died at the scene, Sandiford said. Police later arrested Alid. He faces a life sentence after Teesside Crown Court found him guilty of murder and attempted murder, The Hartlepool Mail reported.

Nouri and other housemates became worried after seeing the effect on Alid of the Israel-Hamas conflict following the Hamas terrorist attack of Oct. 7, when Alid began carrying a knife. After Alid threatened him, Nouri spoke to a member of his Baptist church, Abigail Harrison, in August about his concerns, the BBC reported. Harrison told Nouri to go to police immediately because she feared for his safety.

At the court trial, Baptist deacon Ian Thompson informed jurors that he supported Nouri at Hartlepool Police Station on Oct. 9 and Oct. 13, with the help of a Farsi interpreter. Thompson said an officer learned that Alid carried a knife and made threats, but he refused to file a case because Alid was in his own house, the BBC reported.

The officer said he would inform the hostel managers about the knife and threats.

Housemate Mohammed Karimi, also an Iranian Christian convert, told the court that Alid showed signs of being really, really religious before the rampage and described him as a loner.

Initially Nouri had tried to befriend Alid when he arrived at the hostel three months prior, according to Karimi. He reportedly said Alid cursed at them like we are the devil. Karimi said Alid also reviled him for drinking beer and enjoying the company of a girlfriend and detested anyone not Muslim.

On the night of the attack, Karimi heard shouts and rushed into Nouris bedroom to see him and Alid grappling, according to the BBC. He saw blood everywhere and felt traumatized but managed to call police as Alid escaped onto the street.

The defendant said to the police that he had wanted to kill any other people on the streets of Hartlepool that evening because of the conflict in Gaza and further his desire, as he saw it, that Palestine would be free from the Zionists, by which he meant the state of Israel, prosecutor Sandiford said at an April 11 hearing. The defendant said to the police that he would have killed more people if he had been able to do so.

Alid had denied charges of murder, attempted murder and assaulting female police officers (two counts) before the guilty verdict. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17.
Home News Navajoland Episcopalians one step closer to becoming a missionary diocese

The Episcopal Church in Navajoland is one step closer to becoming a missionary diocese, with a proposal being recently advanced for consideration by the mainline Protestant denomination.

The 81st Episcopal Church General Conventions Governance & Structure committees unanimously voted in favor of a resolution last week to create the missionary diocese.

Known as Resolution C009, the measure will next be considered by the 81st General Convention, which is scheduled to meet in Louisville, Kentucky, in late June.

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We are profoundly grateful to the Legislative Committee on Governance and Structure for their unanimous endorsement, stated the Episcopal Church in Navajoland on Facebook last Wednesday. See you in Kentucky!

The regional body was originally created in 1978 and serves Episcopalians in the Navajo Nation reservation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The Navajos are also called the Dine.

If it's elevated to the status of a missionary diocese, then the regional body will be able to choose its own bishops by convention rather than having them assigned by the Episcopal Church House of Bishops, explained Episcopal News Service.

A missionary diocese can also adopt its own constitution and canons, provided it is in compliance with the denominational constitution and canons. It can also holding being able to elect a bishop, standing committee, and deputies to General Convention.

Last week, testimonials were given in support of Resolution C009, including one from the Rev. Leon Sampson, a clergy deputy from the Navajoland area and self-described cradle Episcopalian.

Our communities have been journeying this long walk to evolve into the church that reflects the Navajo doctrine of Hozho Naa haasdlii, I will walk in beauty, he stated.

That is why this next generation is ready, and we are asking to participate in the same vision General Convention set out for us to fulfill. God has planted this seed, and now is the opportunity for you to let us grow in the fullness of life of the church together.

Another testimonial came from the Rev. Cathlena Plummer, a deputy from the area mission, whose late father was the first Navajo bishop in the denomination.

My father longed for a Navajo Area Mission that would someday be equipped with Dine leaders who were educated enough to lead Dine congregations from state to state on the Navajo reservation, said Plummer.

He longed for a Navajoland that would support and sustain itself and have its voice heard by the larger Episcopal Church and know we are very much born and raised Episcopalians just as much as the next person."
Home News Northwestern professor tells students at anti-Israel protest journalism 'not about objectivity'

A Northwestern University journalism professor told protesters at an anti-Israel protest encampment that journalists' work isn't about "objectivity," saying he teaches "relational journalism" that encourages students to open their "compassionate hearts."

Steven Thrasher, an assistant professor of journalism at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, addressed a crowd of nearly 100 people at the "Northwestern Liberation Zone" on Deering Meadow last Saturday.

He is the university's inaugural Daniel H. Renberg chair of social justice in reporting, with an emphasis on LGBT-related issues, according to the university's website. Before teaching at the university, he expressed admiration for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and called Israel an "apartheid state."

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On Saturday, Thrasher, whose articles have been featured in BuzzFeed News and The New York Times, told the crowd of anti-Israel demonstrators that he teaches his students "relational journalism."

"To the Medill students and journalists within earshot, I say to you: Our work is not about objectivity. Our work is about you putting your brilliant minds to work and opening your compassionate hearts," the professor said in his speech, a copy of which was shared with The Christian Post. He stated that journalism can be an "act of love."

He said that one of the people he looks up to most in the world is trans journalist Lewis Wallace, who wrote in the book The View From Somewhere that there are two schools of journalism.

"[There is] extractive journalism, where journalists take something from people (in a model similar to colonialism), and relational journalism, where journalists are in relationship with the communities and people they are writing about," Thrasher said.

"I teach my students relational journalism. But one of the many lessons Palestinian journalists have taught me  at great sacrifice  is that journalism can be an act of love. They have elevated beyond belief what relational journalism can, and should, be."

According to The Daily Northwestern, the professor had made multiple appearances at the encampment since it began last Thursday, even participating in blocking the Northwestern Police from entering. Journalist Andy Ngo shared a video to X on April 25 that showed the professor using his body to block the police.

Thrasher said in his speech that he locked arms with several fellow faculty members to block the police, claiming that they do "violence on behalf of the ruling class." The professor also accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinians and said that he did not "see antisemitism" from any of the demonstrators.

In comments to CP, Thrasher denied that he was "fighting" the police when he blocked them from entering the encampment. The professor argued that it was the other way around, and the police assaulted him as he stood "arm in arm" with his colleagues.

"Since this is a Christian publication, as a Christian, I will say that Jesus and the scriptures have taught me that you turn the other cheek and allow yourself to be hit again and again and that you put your life before others," Thrasher stated.

The journalism professor claimed he only stood in place when the police arrived and that he never let go of his co-workers' arms to raise a hand to the officers. Thrasher stated that he and his colleagues blocked the police to "protect our students."

He also requested that the media "properly contextualize" the situation, referring to what he called a "genocide" of Palestinians and Christians in Gaza. He called Israel's actions in Gaza a "lethal occupation of Palestine, which has brutalized Christians, Jews, and Muslims on the land where Christ was born, lived and died."

Israel's offensive began last October after Hamas, the terror group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, attacked southern Israel and killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped over 240 people. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says that over 34,000 people have died in Gaza since the war began but doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians.

Northwestern University did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

John Grano, the senior managing editor of The Christian Post and a former Northwestern University student, believes the professor is "masquerading as a journalist."

"Professor Thrasher seems like an effective advocate who doesn't know the first thing about journalism," Grano, the former senior vice president of Inside Washington Publishers, told CP. "No news story is completely and perfectly objective, but that doesn't mean a journalist shouldn't try his hardest to make it so."

"The way to accomplish this is to be conversant in every narrative that affects the story. Professor Thatcher chooses to pick a narrative and ignore the other aspects of this story," he continued. "I would call it just foolish if it wasn't so dangerous."

Grano said journalists need to understand all the facts and narratives that apply to a particular story to the extent that they can act as public relations people for both sides. He asserted that if a reporter cannot do this, they are not even ready to ask the first question in an interview.

"You haven't fully absorbed the dynamics of the story that you're writing," Grano said. "You should know what one side says. You should be able to write a better press release than the PR person for that side."

"You understand the narrative, but you need to understand both narratives," he added. "And then, you're in a position to start asking questions to try to get to the next point, which is, where do the narratives match or do they not match? Because the reader is the ultimate decision-maker in terms of what's true in a story."

As The Washington Times reported in May 2019, then-New York University President Andrew Hamilton condemned Thrasher for using his doctoral convocation speech to praise the BDS movement, with one of the school's deans saying that those remarks were omitted from the speech beforehand. During his speech, Thrasher said that he was "so proud" of those who supported BDS, and he referred to Israel as an "apartheid state."

Hamilton told The Jewish Journal at the time that Thrasher should never have been chosen as a speaker for the event after the administration was made aware of what the NYU president described as "undoubtedly vile and anti-Semitic tweets" by Thrasher.

The Israelly Cool blog published social media posts that included Thrasher comparing the Israeli government to Nazis and making jokes about the Holocaust.

At the time of the controversy, Northwestern University's then-President and Professor of Economics Morton Schapiro and then-Provost and Professor of History and African American Studies Jonathan Holloway released a joint statement saying that Thrasher would still join the Northwestern University staff and that he was not the only faculty member to support BDS.

"Many were understandably offended by some of the comments made by Dr. Thrasher during his commencement speech at New York University earlier this week," the pair stated. "We do not share all of his views, nor do we feel commencement was the appropriate venue to express them. However, academic freedom assures his right to hold them."

On Wednesday, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty announced it had filed a federal Title VI complaint against Northwestern University on behalf of the Young America's Foundation. The complaint highlighted the university entering into an agreement with the demonstrators, which included offering nearly $1.9 million in scholarship funds to Palestinian students.

The agreement provides "funding two faculty per year for two years," and the university also promised to "provide immediate temporary space for MENA/Muslim students," with "MENA" meaning Middle Eastern and North African. WILL argued that this agreement is discriminatory toward non-Palestinian and non-MENA individuals.

Three anonymous Northwestern University students have also filed a class-action lawsuit against the school, alleging that the school chose "to facilitate, encourage, and coddle a dystopic cesspool of hate."

While most of the encampment dispersed on Monday, the lawsuit argued that "Northwestern twisted itself into a pretzel to accommodate the hostile and discriminatory encampment, legislate around it, and ultimately reward it." The suit included a photo of a demonstrator at the anti-Israel encampment wearing a shirt that appears to depict a Hamas terrorist.
Home News 'The Office' actress says she objected to 'super judgy' Christian joke about gay character

"The Office" actress Angela Kinsey has recalled a time she refused to say a scripted line on the popular NBC sitcom in reference to a gay character that she didn't believe accurately portrayed Christians or the love of Christ.

During an April 23 episode of "The Office" co-star with Rainn Wilson's podcast "Soul Boom," Kinsey discussed the years she played Angela Martin on the series that aired from 2005 to 2013.

Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute, asked Kinsey about her real-life relationship with God and her views on the Church, saying that her character was known as an "uptight Christian cat lady."

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Kinsey disclosed that she grew up Christian, and her mother taught Sunday school and still leads a weekly Bible study. On a few occasions, she said there were jokes written for her character that she felt didn't authentically portray Christians.

In one episode during the show's third season, she recalled that she was supposed to say a "super judgy" line against Oscar, an openly gay character on the show. Kinsey said the line wasn't what any Christian would really say.

She discussed her concerns with producer and showrunner Greg Daniels.

"Yeah, actually, there were one or two times in which there would be a joke written for her that I thought was just really stereotypical, maybe one note. I like to think of her as a full, well-rounded person," she said.

"I do remember, I remember there was a particular storyline between Angela and Oscar, where Angela was being super judgy. I never went up to Greg about any joke, but there was a joke at Oscar's expense, and I went up to Greg [Daniels], and I was like, 'I can't.'"

"I just was like, 'I don't feel good about it. I don't feel good about that. I don't feel like that's what Jesus represented to me,'" she told Daniels.

"And he was like, 'OK.' And he heard me, and he took the joke out. And the episode, it was 'Gay Witch Hunt,' had so many already. But that's the one pivotal moment I remember being like, 'OK, this is feeling like a stereotype and very one note.' I feel like she has more depth than that," Kinsey continued.

To this day, Kinsey said, "Prayer is still important in my family." She said her mother would read the Bible to her, and her family would frequently say "grace" at dinners.

Questioning why people only say "grace" during a meal, Wilson, who grew up as a member of the Baha'i faith, then led Kinsey in prayer for the podcast.

"First time grace has been said for a podcast," Wilson said.

"That we know of," Kinsey responded.

Wilson published his book, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, in April 2023.

The actor made headlines last May when he called out Hollywood for having an "anti-Christian bias."

"I do think there is an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood. As soon as the David character in 'The Last of Us' started reading from the Bible I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain," he tweeted. "Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?"
Home News Pastor murdered en route to church conference

Armed individuals shot and killed a pastor and member of the Evangelical Church Winning All in the Kaduna Central District Church in Kaduna State, Nigeria, as he was traveling to a church conference. Kaduna State has experienced significant violence, often targeting the Christian community.

The Rev. Manasseh Ibrahim was killed on April 23, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported.

Yahaya Kinge, chairman of the local branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, expressed deep frustration with the ongoing situation. Christians who are direct victims of banditry and insurgency in Kaduna state are fed up with the inability of the Nigerian government to find a lasting solution to the incessant killings of innocent Christians, Kinge stated.

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Various terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Islamic Fulani militants perpetrate violence on Christians in Nigeria. These groups have been responsible for numerous deaths and kidnappings across northern Nigeria over the last decade.

Interviews conducted by staff from ICC revealed that police forces had been observed standing by as militants, and sometimes even local community members, attack Christian places of worship. Additionally, community riots frequently obstruct the judicial process, resulting in Christians being unjustly detained without trial.

According to the World Watch List published by Open Doors, between the fall of 2022 and 2023, 4,118 Christians in Nigeria were killed due to their faith, and 3,300 were kidnapped. Despite the regularity of such violent incidents, there is often a conspicuous lack of government response, as noted by witnesses on the ground.

The Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), an organization headed by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi that has been critical of the Nigerian government, reported earlier that at least 8,222 Christians were killed across Nigeria from January 2023 to January 2024.

The violence led to attacks on 500 churches in 2023 alone, contributing to 18,500 churches attacked since 2009.

The group underlined the need for a global response to address what it described as a Jihadist Genocide of Christians in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government has long pushed back on claims that the violence occurring in the Middle Belt states between herders and farmers constitutes religious violence. Christian human rights advocates have accused the government of overlooking religious elements and not doing enough to protect Nigerian citizens.

The ongoing violence has prompted calls for Nigeria to be labeled by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern by international bodies, due to widespread religious persecution and a significant toll on Christian communities.
Home News 'Sound of Freedom' producer urged to apologize for defending accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate

A film producer behind last year's popular movie "Sound of Freedom," which raised awareness about the prevalence of human trafficking, is facing criticism after he expressed solidarity with social media personality Andrew Tate, who is accused of sex trafficking.

In a statement published last week, the Washington-based advocacy group National Center on Sexual Exploitation condemned "Sound of Freedom" producer Eduardo Verastegui for recently meeting with Tate.

Describing Tate as an "accused sex trafficker," the advocacy group called on Verastegui to "disavow and publicly apologize" for meeting with Tate and retweeting "Tate's message disparaging the Romanian sex trafficking prosecution against him."

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"It is abhorrent and an affront to victims and survivors of sex trafficking everywhere for the producer of a successful anti-sex trafficking film to meet with one of the world's most infamous accused sex traffickers," said NCOSE President Dawn Hawkins. "Sound of Freedom producer Eduardo Verastegui has given legitimacy to accused rapist and human trafficker and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate. This is inexcusable."

In an April 29 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tate shared pictures from a dinner he attended with Verastegui. The post showed a waiter pouring alcohol into Verastegui's glass as the two of them posed. Verastegui retweeted the post, which stated, "When this obvious Matrix attack against me is over, we will fix REAL human trafficking."

"The elites attack anyone who tells you the truth," Tate added. "They say TikTok is human trafficking, then traffic children FOR REAL."

Noting that Varestegui was "the mastermind behind 'The Sound of Freedom,'" Tate pointed to his support as evidence that "The sound grows louder as the Matrix cracks."

Hawkins said that a human trafficking "is not always someone from a foreign nation kidnapping innocent children."

"Instead, it is often charismatic, wealthy men who emotionally and physically abuse vulnerable women, grooming them into commercial sexual exploitation," Hawkins continued. "Andrew Tate has openly bragged about running a pornography business where he scammed men consuming this material and lied to the women he controlled."

"That is a picture of modern-day sex trafficking," she added. "To end human trafficking, we need to stop consuming human beings through exploitive industries and stop excusing and idolizing violent, abusive men who prey on women."

Hawkins asked, "Verastegui and the other producers of Sound of Freedom to disavow and apologize for this meeting with Tate."

"Tate has already used the meeting as an opportunity to discredit his victims along with the Romanian and United Kingdom law enforcement agencies doing their jobs to investigate rape and human trafficking," she stated.

"Without a full disavowal, the Sound of Freedom legacy will be one of fraud and ignorance that has done harm to the anti-trafficking movement and victims everywhere."

Tate and his brother, Tristian Tate, have been charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. They were arrested with two Romanian women in December 2022. In April, a court ruled that the trial against Tate could commence.

NCOSE accuses Tate of having "waged a PR campaign against his victims" and Romanian law enforcement agencies in the past year.

"In March 2024, a Romanian Judge approved an extradition request from the United Kingdom regarding an ongoing rape and human trafficking investigation into the Tate brothers there," NCOSE explained in a statement.

Romanian authorities allege that "Victims were recruited by British citizens by misrepresenting their intention to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship and the existence of genuine feelings of love (the loverboy method)."

"They were later transported and housed in buildings in Ilfov county where, by exercising acts of physical violence and mental coercion (through intimidation, constant surveillance, control and invoking alleged debts), they were sexually exploited by group members by forcing them to perform demonstrations pornographic for the purpose of producing and disseminating through social media platforms material having such a character and by submitting to the execution of a forced labor," the Romanian authorities stated at the time of his arrest.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post, NCOSE Senior Legal Counsel Dani Pinter detailed how under the "loverboy method," human traffickers "do this love bombing technique where they shower this person with praise, affection, build them up, make them feel so good, so special, and they create this sort of bond."

Pinter maintained that "a lot of times, the trafficker will just keep that going and guilt trip and use other forms of coercion and not get violent."

Pinter suggested Tate used the fact that he was a "celebrity" and a "really charismatic person" to endear himself to his victims.

"I think that's what Tate used. He's a celebrity; he's out in the open. Everyone knows who he is; he's famous," she contended. She surmised that Tate's "super exciting and intriguing" background and personality enabled victims "to let their guard down," noting "then he showered them with affection."

"That's hard to turn away from, and that's super common," she remarked. "The truth is that sex trafficking is whenever someone is sexually exploited for something in exchange" such as money and "favors or other things."

Tate has steadfastly maintained his innocence. At the time of his client's arrest, Tate's attorney insisted that there was "no evidence" that he had committed any wrongdoing.
Home News This week in Christian history: first Mothers Day celebration, Father Damien travels to leper colony

Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance.

Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births and notable deaths.

Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while others might be unknown to many people.

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The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week in Christian history. They include the first Mothers Day celebration, Father Damien traveling to the Hawaiian leper colony, and the birth of Kathryn Kuhlman.
Home News UMC ends funding ban on LGBT advocacy groups, scraps punishment for officiating gay weddings

The United Methodist Church General Conference voted to drop a ban on funding LGBT advocacy groups and removed a required punishment for pastors who officiate gay weddings after thousands of theologically conservative congregations left the mainline Protestant denomination in the last two years.

On Tuesday, delegates approved a petition that struck from the UMC Book of Discipline Paragraph 806.9 language that prohibits the General Council on Finance and Administration from "ensuring that no board, agency, committee, commission, or council shall give United Methodist funds to any gay caucus or group, or otherwise use such funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality."

The change was among the bulk of legislation approved by a vote of 667-54, which also loosened restrictions on the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals and mandatory punishments for clergy who officiate same-sex weddings.

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Measures passed in Tuesday's consent calendar scrapped elements of the Traditional Plan enacted at the 2019 General Conference to bolster UMC's restrictions on same-sex marriage and ordination of noncelibate homosexuals.

According to UM News, other measures approved Tuesday include the striking of a ban on "self-avowed practicing" LGBT individuals from being considered for ministry. The delegates also voted to scrub the requirement for a one-year suspension without pay for any pastor who officiates a same-sex wedding and to allow gay pastors with good standing to be appointed to positions across annual conferences.

The Rev. Jeff Campbell, the top executive of UMC Discipleship Ministries, told UM News he welcomed the removal of the funding ban, saying it freed his agency "to fully serve all those who seek our support without worry of unnecessary, discriminatory oversight."

"Discipleship Ministries staff remains committed to challenging and supporting all leaders for our missional task of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," he added.

For decades, the UMC has faced a debate over whether to change its Book of Discipline's biblical stance on LGBT issues, which labeled homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching."

Although numerous attempts at past General Conferences to change the various provisions failed, many theological progressives within the denomination refused to follow or enforce the rules.

In December 2022, for example, the UMC General Board of Church and Society gave a $2,000 grant to Reconciling Ministries Network, an LGBT advocacy organization that is not an official part of the UMC, to develop a Vacation Bible School curriculum.

A GBCS spokesperson argued in an earlier interview with The Christian Post that the grant was compatible with the Book of Discipline since the money would not be going to LGBT advocacy directly.

In response to the longstanding debate and progressives' resistance to the rules, approximately 7,500 mostly conservative congregations disaffiliated from the UMC from 2019 to 2023.

Most of these departing congregations have affiliated with the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative denomination launched in 2022 in response to the UMC debate.

Due to the large number of conservatives that have left the UMC in advance of the General Conference, many expected the churchwide legislative gathering to finally remove the Book of Discipline rules banning the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of people in same-sex relationships.
Home News USCIRF: Designate India as a country of particular concern India's Kuki-Zo Christians mark first anniversary of violence

In its 2024 report, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that India be designated as a country of particular concern due to persistent and egregious violations of religious freedoms. The recommendation came even as Kuki-Zo Christians in Manipur state solemnly marked the first anniversary of ongoing violence, which shows no signs of abating.

The USCIRFs 2024 annual report highlights a series of laws  such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, and the Citizenship Amendment Act  and governmental actions that have systematically targeted religious minorities, including Christians, under the Bharatiya Janata Partys Hindu nationalist policies. The other persecuted minorities are Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, Jews and tribals, or indigenous communities, according to the USCIRF.

In early 2023, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the FCRA license of the Centre for Policy Research, impacting its operations as it scrutinized state responses to discrimination against minorities, the U.S. panel noted, adding that journalists like Teesta Setalvad were targeted for their reporting on past communal violence, particularly anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat back in 2002.

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Reports from NGOs tally 687 violent incidents against Christians in the past year alone, the USCIRF said in its report. Notably, in January, attacks by Hindu mobs in Chhattisgarh led to the destruction of churches and forced reconversion attempts against Christians, it pointed out.

The violence in the northeastern state of Manipur was even more severe, with over 500 churches and two synagogues destroyed during ethnic clashes in May 2023, displacing more than 70,000 people.

The violence in Manipur, which erupted on May 3, 2023, has led to the deaths of at least 185 Kuki-Zo tribal Christians. On the first anniversary of the ongoing violence in Manipur, the Kuki-Zo community gathered for a solemn public prayer meeting in the morning, followed by a candlelight vigil in the evening at the mass burial site, where 87 of their community members are interred side by side.

The violence in Manipur began following a Manipur High Court directive that contemplated granting tribal status to the majority Hindu Meitei community, which would enable the Meitei to purchase land in territories traditionally inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribes. The judicial consideration sparked widespread protests among the Christian tribal communities, which rapidly deteriorated into violent clashes characterized by the spread of disinformation and extremist rhetoric beginning May 3, 2023.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been criticized for their delayed and inadequate responses to these incidents, USCIRF said, noting that the U.N. has called for deeper investigations into these episodes of violence, highlighting the Indian polices inability to control the situation.

Violence against Muslims has been particularly pronounced, with several mosques demolished and individuals attacked by mobs under the pretext of enforcing cow slaughter laws, the report added. The cow is regarded as sacred by some Hindu sects.

In the northern state of Haryanas Nuh district, communal violence escalated dramatically after a Hindu procession in July, resulting in significant casualties and the destruction of religious sites, the report said.

Internationally, the Indian governments actions have not gone unnoticed, the USCIRF remarked. Incidents like the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and subsequent allegations of Indian involvement have strained diplomatic relations, the panel said.

The legal landscape has also grown increasingly hostile toward religious freedom, the report added. Thirteen states have enacted anti-conversion laws that severely restrict the ability of individuals to change faiths, and initiatives against so-called love jihad continue to stoke communal tensions. Love jihad is a controversial term used by some groups in India to allege that Muslim men are targeting women of other religions for conversion to Islam through marriage.

In light of these developments, the USCIRF recommended that India be designated as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act. Countries designated as a CPC face the possibility of negative consequences, including potential crippling sanctions.

Indias Ministry of External Affairs has rejected the report, accusing the USCIRF of interfering in Indias ongoing national election, according to The Wire.

The commission also suggested imposing targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom. Further, it called for incorporating religious freedom concerns into U.S. foreign policy dialogues and improving engagement with religious communities and defenders of human rights in India.

Additionally, the USCIRF urged the U.S. Congress to take more active measures in addressing these issues, including conditioning financial assistance and arms sales on improvements in Indias religious freedom landscape.
Home News UCLA anti-Israel protests: Violence erupts as delayed police response sparks criticism Police arrest over 130 in raid of pro-Palestinian encampment

Police dressed in riot gear broke up a violent brawl at the University of California Los Angeles between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters that reportedly went on for around three hours before the authorities intervened, drawing criticism from state leaders.

The clash between the two sides appears to have occurred sometime after a group of anti-Israel demonstrators allegedly beat a Jewish woman until she was unconscious.

The violence occurred near an anti-Israel encampment, which activists at college campuses throughout the country have organized to demand their schools divest from Israel and express "solidarity" with the people of Gaza amid the ongoing war with the terror group Hamas.

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A group of counter-protesters approached the encampment around 11 p.m. Tuesday, at which point, fireworks were reportedly thrown into the encampment, ABC 7 reports.

During the clash between the opposing demonstrations, people were beaten with sticks, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately intervene until around 1:30 a.m., according to the report, which noted officers didn't disperse the crowd until around 3 a.m.

On Thursday, police raided the encampment, arrested over 130 people and took them to a complex downtown for booking, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol Southern Division told The Associated Press.

A spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, told ABC 7 that the "limited and delayed campus law enforcement response at UCLA last night was unacceptable  and it demands answers."

Mayor Karen Bass called for a full investigation.

"Those involved in launching fireworks at other people, spraying chemicals and physically assaulting others will be found, arrested, and prosecuted, as well as anyone involved in any form of violence or lawlessness," Bass wrote on X Wednesday.

"I want to make sure the message I delivered to law enforcement and other officials earlier today is clear: Free speech will be protected. Violence and bigotry will not."

Before the authorities' intervention, a video surfaced Tuesday that purportedly showed a group of anti-Israel protesters assaulting a Jewish woman and stomping on her Israeli flag.

Eliana Jolkovsky, a UCLA medical student, shared the video under her "@ThatKoreanJew" account on Instagram.

According to a video caption, and as seen in the footage, the woman's body was "limp" as several people carried her away from the crowd. The text explains that the woman was later taken to the emergency room, and a screenshot included in the video shows a giant scar on the back of the woman's head.

"She has a concussion and was unable to recognize her family when she woke up," Jolkovsky wrote in response to a comment on Instagram. "But she is stable now."

Jolkovsky's video and claims couldn't be immediately verified by The Christian Post. UCLA did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment about the police intervention or to an inquiry about the video shared on social media.

In a Wednesday X post, UCLA announced the cancellation of classes due to the "distress" from the previous night and early morning that occurred on the Royce Quad. The school also instructed students to avoid the Royce Quad area.

On Tuesday, the university's administration warned the demonstrators that their encampment "is unlawful and violates university policy," threatening students who did not comply with the instruction to leave that they would face arrest or expulsion.

California District 51 Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, a Democrat, was critical of authorities' delayed response to the developments at UCLA.

"Yesterday, my staff witnessed the violent assault of a Jewish student on campus, just one of many antisemitic incidents that have occurred in the last week and in recent months," he wrote on X Wednesday. "Hours later, a violent mob attacked protestors at the encampment with fireworks, pepper spray, and blunt objects, reportedly injuring students and reporters. In both instances, University security failed to prevent the assaults or respond in a timely manner, despite Chancellor Blocks assurances of adequate security on campus."

"While we continue to gather all the facts, one thing is abundantly clear: the UCLA Administration has failed in their most important duty  to protect the safety, wellbeing, and civil rights of all students on campus.

Reports have also surfaced of anti-Israel demonstrators at UCLA blocking students from accessing their classes and the library.

In an audio recording shared this week on social media and by the Jewish News Syndicate, a mother is heard asking the university police if protestors are permitted to block students who pay tuition from accessing the library.

"No, they're not allowed, but unfortunately, they have kind of taken over that little area. ... The police are not intervening with that right now, and this is coming from the university," the police representative told the mother.

Another video shows a group of demonstrators demanding people show the right wristband to enter certain areas on campus, with the protestors refusing entry to "Zionists."

The news about the anti-Israel protests comes after the New York Police Department arrested demonstrators at Columbia University.

According to USA Today, the police arrested around 300 anti-Israel protesters after the university called on them to help.

Protesters at Columbia University had taken over Hamilton Hall on campus. Several demonstrators broke windows, while others used furniture to barricade themselves inside.

"Columbia has a long and proud tradition of protest and activism on many important issues such as the Vietnam War, civil rights, and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa," Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said in a Wednesday statement.

"Today's protesters are also fighting for an important cause, for the rights of Palestinians and against the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. They have many supporters in our community and have a right to express their views and engage in peaceful protest."

"But students and outside activists breaking Hamilton Hall doors, mistreating our Public Safety officers and maintenance staff, and damaging property are acts of destruction, not political speech," she concluded.
A Father Fights Back: How The Family Courts Facilitated The Sterilization Of His Gender-Confused Minor Son

link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 42:22 42:22

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When family courts and the legal system are captured by gender ideology, moms and dads who have reservations about medicalizing their gender-confused children with experimental drugs and surgeries have almost no recourse, particularly when there is a contentious divorce and a custody dispute between the parents. This is especially the case in the trans sanctuary state of California.

Ted Hudacko knows this struggle all too well. He hasnt seen one of his sons in years after California Superior Court judge Joni Hiramoto removed this San Francisco Bay Area dads custody after he expressed hesitancy that his son was transgender. In violation of the court order, clinicians and activists at the University of California - San Francisco Child and Adolescent Gender Center facilitated the surgical implantation of a hormone-blocking device in his sons arm. They also started him on a course of cross-sex hormones. As a result of these medical interventions, Hudackos son is now almost certainly sterile.

Hudackos case is a remarkable encapsulation of several dimensions of the gender ideology issues we have explored in the third season of Generation Indoctrination. In this bonus episode, we speak with him about his ongoing efforts to fight back against the system along with his attorney, Tracy Henderson. Hudacko is currently taking action in family court with contempt complaints against those who harmed his son and also a federal lawsuit.

We will also briefly hear from Dr. Sallie Baxendale, a neuropsychologist from England who has been raising the alarm about the impact of puberty-blocking drugs on brain development. Her presentation at the Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicines conference in October 2023 can be viewed in its entirety here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ZnRKqqByg&t=3s.
United Methodist Churchs (UMC) General Conference held in Charlotte, N.C. USA, from April 23 - May 3, 2024, has left behind ripples and discordant voices from Africa about the Churchs position on same sex marriage and the ordination of gay persons into the churchs pastoral ministry.

The UMC General Conference had amended some provisions in its Book of Discipline, approving the ordination of gay clergy and gay marriages in the church as well as removing a rolue that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. With this development, the UMC has joined several other mainline Protestant denominations in fully affirming LGBT lifestyles, with the ordination of LGBT clergy and performance of same-sex marriages in UMC churches.

However, United Methodist Church delegates from five African countries of Liberia, Congo, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, on Thursday, 2 May, 2024, issued a statement outside of the conference venue expressing sadness that in spite of the opposition by UMC members from the African continent, the churchs General Conference has resolved to grant approval to gay marriages and ordination of gay clergy into pastoral ministry of the church.

A copy of the statement issued by UMC delegates from Africa, obtained by Christian Daily International (CDI), contains issues the bishops believe contradict Gods position on marriage, the teachings of Jesus on marriage, and the overwhelming evidence that the Bible stands against same-sex marriage.

The Delegates from Africa, Rev. Dr. Jerry P. Kulah (Liberia), Prosperous Tunda (Congo), Rev. Dr. Danjuma Judi (Nigeria), Dr. Yeabu Kamara (Sierra Leone), and Ginford Dzimati (Zimbabwe), in their statement said: We speak as Africans, representing the majority of African delegates and, we believe, the vast majority of United Methodists in the thirty-five annual conferences in Africa.

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We have loved The United Methodist Church. We have been grateful for The United Methodist Church. We have joyfully served The United Methodist Church. But now our hearts are troubled.

The postponed 2020 General Conference of The United Methodist Church has changed the United Methodist definition of marriage  not because the Bible has changed. But because western culture has changed. At this Conference The United Methodist Church has chosen to follow what pleases man instead of what pleases God.



They went on to lament the absence of many African delegates due to lack of timely support from the UMC, which they interpreted as one more sign that Africans are not welcome after a series of disparaging remarks by some voices in the UMC.

Many African delegates are not here. They desired to be present and had planned to attend. But they were not invited by the Commission on General Conference in time to receive their visas. Over 70 of us from Africa are not present. That is roughly 25% of our delegates.

Ten months ago we began sending letters and emails and making phone calls, alerting the Commission on General Conference and some of our bishops that there was a problem. Many of these communications never received a single response. It felt as if we were not valued or wanted.

At a past General Conference, we Africans were told that we spoke too loudly and that we should close our mouths. After another General Conference a bishop said we Africans need to grow up and think for ourselves. At this conference many of us were not even provided with the documents we needed to be present.

One mainstream UMC leader wrote that The United Methodist Church should be willing to lose Africa to fulfill its progressive agenda. It is hard for us to believe we are valued as true brothers and sisters within The United Methodist Church. It is difficult to trust that we are seen as equal partners.

The United Methodist Church has changed the definition of marriage. It now defines marriage differently from what God created it to be in the beginning (Genesis 2:18, 23-25). It has changed the definition of marriage from how Jesus described it in Matthew 19 as one man and one woman.

In Africa we do not believe we know better than Jesus. We do not believe we know better than God. We do not believe we know better than the Bible.

We must now return to Africa and tell our people that The General Conference did not listen to us, does not value us as partners, and is willing to lose us to pursue its liberal western agenda.

In his sermon to this General Conference, a UM bishop stated that if we cannot get on the UMC train and embrace its destination, we should leave. But what do we do when the train has run over us and left our hearts bleeding with sorrow and pain?

We want the UMC to hear. We want our people in Africa to hear. We want the world to hear. We do not accept a change in the definition of marriage, and we will never accept marriage as anything other than one man and one woman, no matter what the Book of Discipline says.

We are devastated now to be part of a denomination that officially contradicts the Bibles teaching on marriage and sexual morality. We return to Africa with important decisions to make regarding the future.

Still, we go home full of hope, confident in Jesus, standing on the word of God, and determined to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. We return to Africa where the church is growing, nonbelievers are coming to faith and disciples are being made for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, the UMC Africa delegates said.

In response, a lone dissenting voice from Africa, Rev. Emmanuel Ande, another delegate to the conference from Nigeria, said in spite of the resolution by the UMC leadership to embrace same sex doctrine, UMC members in Africa still have confidence in the global fellowship of United Methodist Church.

In a statement, Ande said, We are voices of unity for the United Methodist Church from conferences across Africa, both lay and clergy.

We join millions of United Methodists in rejoicing for the success recorded at this General Conference. Our Church is holding the most peaceful, respectful, and spirit-filled General Conference in more than 40 years.

Since we have been here, we have witnessed increased energies in hospitality, and a willingness to listen among delegates, bishops, and presiding officers alike.

This statement is necessary because of the respect and confidence we have of all the proceedings of the General Conference so far; the deep love which we have for our beloved United Methodist Church (UMC); and the promising future that lies ahead of us.

We write in response to "A Position of the Majority Delegates of the Central Conferences of Africa to the UMC General Conference, Charlotte, USA April 23 - May 3, 2024" written by five WCA/GMC proxies among African delegates.

We wish to unequivocally clarify to all the GC delegates, United Methodists, and well-wishers that this statement is presented falsely and does not represent the majority of African delegates as claimed.

Judging from the votes taken on consent calendar items yesterday and today, including some with over 90% consensus: it is clear that the majority of Africans are in support of every positive action taken so far by the General Conference.

We are aware of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused several postponements of the General Conference and we appreciate the work of the organizers of the General Conference to make the event finally happen. Despite all challenges, African representation and participation are visible.

The General Conference has heard the voices of African delegates and passed a resolution that will ensure effective participation of Central Conferences and specifically from Africa moving into the future. We have experienced a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect.

He pointed to the decision on worldwide regionalization within the UMC to allow regional bodies to address various concerns, including those specific to Africa.

With worldwide regionalization, Africa will make decisions and policies that are more responsive to African contexts and challenges. It offers Africa the autonomy to continue to adapt our Book of Discipline based on our context. It allows African churches to address our unique theological, social, and cultural issues without strict oversight from other bodies of the Church, including the United States.

Regionalization will allow more equitable resource allocation, ensuring that African churches receive the support they need for their ministries and missions. Regionalization can enhance mission and outreach efforts by allowing African churches to develop strategies that are tailored to their communities, languages, and cultural norms.

Social Principles and Definition of Marriage: Within the context of worldwide regionalization as adopted by the General Conference, Africa will hold its definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Therefore, it is a great distortion of fact to give the impression that the United Methodist Church is enforcing every region of the Church to accept same-sex marriages. In fact, it was an African delegate who suggested the language on marriage that we adopted.

We wish to make it clear that the statement issued on May 2, 2024 by a few individuals does not represent the voices of all Africans. We are excited to be in The United Methodist Church today and in the years to come, Rev. Ande said.

However, Ande's position in support of UMCs resolution on same-sex marriages has not been accepted by some of his pastors in Nigeria. Two Pastors from United Methodist Church Nigeria have expressed their anger against the support of their delegate, Rev. Emmanuel Ande on the gay marriage.

Pastor Nuhu Absalom, a Nigerian UMC Pastor, in response to Rev. Andes statement, said to CDI that: I have watched the proceedings at the just concluded General Conference of our Church, UMC. Finally, delegates at the General Conference have voted overwhelmingly in favor of gay marriage on claims that there are certain provisions that are incompatible that need to be removed the churchs Book of Discipline.

These so-called incompatible provisions are that its ungodly to approve gay marriages and that marriage be only between a man and a woman. These provisions have now been deleted and replaced with new provisions approving gay marriages and ordination of gay clergy in the UMC Book of Discipline.

The removal of these provisions has nothing to do with the question of Regionalization of UMC Churches. Its unfortunate that the initial stance of Rev. Emmanuel Ande, is that UMC Africa churches are against gay marriage and ordination of gay Pastors. So, why the sudden shift in this position to supporting gay marriages?

The Mainstream UMC is responsible for pushing this satanic agenda in the United Methodist Church. Rev. Andes shift in position shows he cannot be trusted to remain faithful to the ethics and doctrines of the Christian faith. We should not be deceived, gay marriages will not be restricted in America alone, but will affect the global UMC congregations, Absalom said.

Samuel Sunday, another Pastor of the UMC in Nigeria expressed sadness about the stance of Rev. Emmanuel Ande. He believes that the position of other Africa delegates at the UMC conference speaks the minds of all UMC members in Africa.

Sunday, in response to CDIs inquiries about the reaction of UMC members to new changes to the churchs Book of Discipline said, We await the return of African delegates to the conference and see what will be done. But, whatever it is, we members of the United Methodist Church in Africa are not in support of gay marriages and gay clergy in the church.
Home Opinion Anti-Israel campus protesters are pampered, spoiled

Many of the anti-Israel protesters at Columbia and other college campuses dwelled in cushy tents on the quad. These tents look pretty modern and uniform; one could only wonder who is paying for all this?

In 1754, an advertisement for Columbia (then known as Kings College), promised, The chief thing that is aimed at in this college is to teach and engage children to know God in Jesus Christ. How far Columbia et al have strayed from the Christian faith that gave them birth.

Are todays aggressive pro-Palestinian protests in line with what our forebears sacrificed to give us here in America?

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George Washington was pleased, as were the other founders, that Jews here in America, whom he called the children of the stock of Abraham, would be free and not harassed for their religion. Washington viewed this land as a place described in his favorite Bible verse, Micah 4:4, where everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.

Alas, there are many today to make him afraid on these campuses of higher learning, where, for example, the tuition per year is $75,000 for Columbia. A lot of these protesters not only denounce Israel as a colonialist, white supremacist country, but they often denounce America in the same way.

Contrast these future leaders of society with young people of the founding generation of this nation. Those committed to American independence, young and old, underwent many sacrifices as they fought hard for their (and our) liberties.



Speaking of the young dwelling in tents, imagine spending months in tents in the freezing, open fields of Pennsylvania. Beginning around December 1, 1777, thousands of Americas rag-tag army spent the brutal winter in Valley Forge.

Many of them were hungry and poorly equipped. It was said you could see where the troops had trod by the bloody footprints left in the snow. About 2,000 soldiers died  not from battle, but from typhus, typhoid, influenza, and pneumonia.

They slept in tents (not supplied by a camping goods superstore) until they were able to complete building the many wooden huts for their shelter.

It is reported that George Washington, their commander-in-chief, chose also to sleep in a tent until the log cabins were finished. Only then did this servant leader move into his headquarters there at Valley Forge.

Recently, I got to visit Valley Forge, Pennsylvania again. I was impressed by how incredible the sacrifice was by the early Americans for our freedom.

Visiting Valley Forge was part of a faith and freedom tour of Coral Ridge Ministries, and our host was the head of the ministry, Dr. Rob Pacienza. Providence Forum, for which I serve as executive director, is a division of the ministry. The goal of Providence Forum is to teach Americans about our nations rich Judeo-Christian roots.

Our tour guide was Dr. Peter Lillback, the founding president of Providence Forum. He and I co-wrote a big thick book on the true faith of George Washington. It was the Christian faith of the father of our country that sustained him during trials like Valley Forge. He repeatedly and publicly thanked Providence (a reverent reference to God) for His help in our becoming an independent nation.

Why did the troops hunker down in Valley Forge? The British defeated the Americans at Brandywine on, what Dr. Lillback called, our nations first 9/11. September, 11, 1777.

What this fiasco for the fledgling new nation meant to the discerning eye of General Washington was that Philadelphia, our nations capital at the time, had become indefensible.

Soon the Congress and other government officials would have to flee. The Continental Congress ended up in York, Pennsylvania, and Washington led thousands of his troops to a defensible place called Valley Forge. Through months of hardship, the troops were forged into a stronger, more effective army.

Washington prayed fervently. God provided. The troops were drilled regularly and learned soldierly discipline there in Valley Forge. The many who went through the tribulation of Valley Forge came off battle-ready.

On May 2, 1778, after their time of testing and sharpening, Washington wrote his troops from his Valley Forge headquarters, To the distinguished character of a Patriot it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of a Christian.

Modern protesters at elite universities, endowed with some of the greatest privileges the world has ever known, sit in expensive tents eating readily available food in fashionable protest against Israel. But George Washington, one of the Jewish peoples greatest supporters, led men (by personal example) through the roughest of times and conditions, to sacrificially lay the foundation for the freest nation on earth  a nation despised by the pampered protestors. Let us have more true leaders and fewer spoiled children.
Home Opinion Did the House just outlaw quoting parts of the New Testament?

According to a growing number of Christian conservatives, including Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk, and Andrew Torba (CEO of GAB), the new House bill opposing antisemitism actually outlaws quoting parts of the New Testament? Is this true?

Kirk, who is a strong supporter of Israel, asked on X, Did the House of Representatives just make parts of the Bible illegal?

Carlson, who has increasingly been accused of harboring antisemitic views, responded with, Yes. The New Testament.

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Torba, who himself is frequently accused of antisemitism, sent out an email on May 2 titled, The House Passes H.R. 6090: A Threat to the Christian Faith.

He then claimed that, The bill adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism which includes the basic biblical truth that the Jews killed Jesus Christ as classic antisemitism. The bill has raised serious concerns among Christians who believe that their First Amendment rights are being threatened. For example H.R. 6090 could potentially make it a crime for pastors to preach sermons that adhere to biblical passages, of which there are many, which explicitly state that the Jews killed Jesus.

And note that Torba wrote this urgent warning as a Christian nationalist, signing off with Christ is King.

On what basis are these men raising these concerns? It is the fact that the House Bill uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism which states, Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

The IHRA then provides examples of Jew hatred, including, Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews. Or, Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. Or, Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

Based on this last example, concerned Christians are claiming that this bill will make it illegal to quote passages such as these:

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36, Peter, preaching to a Jewish crowd in Jerusalem).

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses (Acts 3:1315, again, Peter, preaching to a Jewish crowd in Jerusalem).

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved  so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! (1 Thessalonians 2:1416, Paul writing to Gentile Christians in Thessalonica)

Are these concerns justified? Not in the least.

The IHRA definition simply states that it would be antisemitic to label Israelis today (or, all Jews, for that matter) as Christ killers or as responsible for the death of Jesus. Thats it.

It neither states nor implies that a Christian could not quote these passages of Scripture, nor does it state or imply that it is antisemitic to state that some Jewish leaders in the first century were complicit in the death of Jesus, which is historically true. It would not even be antisemitic to state that these leaders acted on behalf of the nation.

But to extract from this that Israelis today were guilty of deicide (killing Christ, who was God incarnate) would be to grossly misuse Scripture. And to make that claim would be antisemitic.

As for a right reading of the New Testament passages, they are written against a backdrop where: 1. large crowds of Jews followed Jesus and it was mainly Jewish leaders who rejected Him (see, for example, Matthew 21:33-46); 2. all the first followers of Jesus were Jews; 3. Peter and Paul are presented as observant, Torah-keeping Jews (see, e.g., Acts 10; 23:6); and 4. before the Temple was destroyed, there were tens of thousands of Jewish followers of Jesus (Acts 21:20).

As for Pauls words to the Thessalonian believers, a more accurate rendering would be, For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of Gods communities in Christ Jesus that are in Judea  for you suffered the same things at the hands of your own countrymen as they did from the Judean leaders [or, simply the Judeans, speaking of the Jews of Judah who were guilty of these acts], who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets and drove us out. They [meaning, these same troublemaking Judean leaders who rejected Jesus and the prophets and apostles He sent] are not pleasing to God and hostile to all people, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they might be saved. As a result, they constantly fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last (compare the Tree of Life version).

In short, then, this bill says nothing whatsoever about citing these New Testament passages or affirming their truthfulness. Rather, it addresses the historic (and still present) antisemitic libel that all Jews were and are Christ killers, a libel that has led to the slaughter of Jews throughout history, as I documented in Our Hands Are Stained with Blood.

Whether the bill infringes on free speech in general is a separate issue entirely, but that is a far cry from the hysterical, patently false charges being raised against the bill today.

Pay them no heed.
Home Opinion Hamas must release all hostages or Israel has to escalate war in Rafah

As the world watches, the Middle East finds itself at another critical juncture. The question on everyones minds is whether the Hamas terrorist leadership will accept the latest hostage deal proposed by the U.S. Biden administration and Egypt. With the Israeli cabinet also needing to approve the deal, the stakes are high.

The proposed deal, while details remain scant in public discourse, is a litmus test for the intentions and future actions of all parties involved. Should Hamas reject the proposal, it suggests a readiness to continue hostilities, likely leading to a dire situation, with a likely imminent expansion into Rafah. This would undoubtedly result in further violence and suffering. On the other hand, an acceptance could herald the end of hostilities, at least temporarily.

This scenario raises several critical questions about the motivations and strategies of both Hamas and the Israeli government. For Hamas, the decision to accept or reject the hostage deal will significantly reflect on their political and military calculations. Historically, Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, has used hostage situations as leverage in negotiations, aiming to extract concessions from the Israeli government. The group's decision will reveal much about their current position and future intentions in the geopolitical chess game of the region.

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On the Israeli side, the cabinet's decision will similarly indicate their current strategic priorities and their willingness to compromise with a terrorist enemy. The Israeli government faces internal pressures from various political and public sectors, each with differing views on the best approach to deal with Hamas, but with an overwhelming majority advocating continuation of the war against Hamas. The balance between ensuring national security and freeing hostages is delicate and often contentious within Israeli political circles.

Furthermore, the role of the U.S. Biden administration and Egypt in brokering this deal is crucial. Their involvement underscores the international community's vested interest in stabilizing the region, but it also highlights the complexities of Middle Eastern geopolitics where U.S. and Egyptian interests often do not align with those of Israel and the Palestinians. The effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy in this region, particularly in managing the delicate balance between different stakeholders, is on trial.

Should the deal fall through, the international community, particularly those directly involved in the negotiations, must remain committed to supporting Israel, one true ally of the United States in the Middle East. The decisions made in the coming days will likely have profound implications not only for the current conflict but also for stability in the Middle East and the world.

As developments unfold, it is crucial for all observers to stay informed and engaged. The decisions made in the coming days will likely have profound implications not only for the current conflict but also for the broader future of peace and stability in the Middle East.
Home Opinion How to land a job after working in an abortion clinic

If youve worked in the abortion industry in some capacity, you know its not easy on multiple levels. There are things youve seen you can never forget. You may have had to dodge protestors just to get to the door. You have heard things you should not have heard and maybe you even participated in activities that you had no training in and had no business doing.

Or you may have interviewed someone who worked in an abortion clinic and have wondered why they seem to be secretive or cagey. Either situation can be awkward and challenging. But theres hope for both someone who worked in an abortion clinic and those who are wondering if they can hire someone who worked in one.

Say you made the decision to leave the abortion clinic and now you have to find work. There are lots of challenges to anyone searching to change jobs and entire industries but for those coming out of abortion clinics, some of those challenges can seem insurmountable. But there is hope.

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No matter what your work in the abortion clinic, you have transferable skills. If you were a receptionist, you would know how to schedule people, organize a calendar, and keep track of multiple things at once. If you were a nurse, you absolutely can still work as a nurse and aid patients, administer medication, check vitals. If you were a phlebotomist, the country is full of labs in need of people just like you. Even if you were an abortion doctor, you possess skills that can be used for life and not death.

Thats the good news. The bad news is that during the job interview process, questions about your past can really be hard to answer and your previous employer may have gone to great lengths to blackball you solely because you left the abortion clinic.

Many of our former abortion workers have told me that they didnt know how to answer the question of why they left their former jobs. Thats a loaded question for any interview because interviewees need to be careful about being honest while not throwing their former employer under the bus.

However, those who have worked in abortion clinics often have traumatic experiences that not only they themselves dont want to think about but that they dont want to tell others about in order not to inflict trauma on them. Many former abortion workers will freeze when this question is posed. They may come across secretive or cagey, which is the exact opposite of what they are feeling. Hiring managers should be patient when interviewing candidates who used to work in abortion clinics. They are more than likely trying to be protective of their traumatic experiences.

Honesty is crucial to any interview process and if you, as a former abortion worker, are feeling apprehensive about the question of why you left, its entirely plausible to say something like, The environment was one of destruction and dishonesty. I feel that my skills are better suited to a place that more closely aligns with my values and morals.

Be prepared with a list of the skills you have that apply to the position you are seeking and you can be an asset to the company. Career and industry changes are common so you are not alone when seeking to jump ship to a new job. But being a former worker in the abortion industry is certainly a more unique position to be in. Thankfully, you can be sure that more than 680 other former abortion workers have been in your shoes.

When I left Planned Parenthood, my manager told me, good luck ever finding work again. I was terrified. I was my familys breadwinner. I had to make a good living to support my family. This was a non-negotiable. But seeing what I saw inside that clinic had changed me and I could not, in good conscience, stay there. It was through the assistance of a pro-life group that I got my first interview. They backed me up, helped me with my resume, and spoke to others in the medical field who they knew would be open to having a former abortion worker amongst their ranks.

Getting a job  a good job  after working in the abortion industry is entirely possible. Its not worth staying in an abortion clinic job that tears you down day after day. Those memories are hard to erase. You can quit and there are some fantastic jobs with caring bosses that are out there just waiting for you.
Home Opinion Left-wing activists are showing who's really in charge on Ivy League campuses

The Lefts winter of discontent appears to be transitioning into a summer of rage as college campus unrest heats up with the warmer weather.

Well-funded and well-organized anti-Israel protests are spreading from one college campus to another. And they are becoming a feature in Americas Democrat-run cities as mobs of radicals have been able to shut down roads, bridges, busy intersections, and businesses with impunity.

Unlike in 1968 when similar student unrest was eventually met with force when protests got out of line, most of Americas institutions have become willingly or unwillingly helpless in the face of this chaos.

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There wont be a Richard Daley-type Democrat to restore order during protests at this years Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Those days are long gone. Good luck to the Windy City.

Left-wing political leaders and college administrators have been paralyzed by this threat. Most of their responses have been mealy-mouthed or evasive, despite the fact that several protests have turned violent and have been boiling over with antisemitism.

They are effectively letting activists have a hecklers veto over their institutions.

When the activists abuse other students and faculty  whose crimes are being Jewish or Zionist  Ivy League administrators offer hybrid online learning as the solution.

Think about that for a moment. The best that these temples of diversity, equity, and inclusion can offer to people whove literally been the victims of bigotry and intolerance is COVID-era Zoom learning and canceled graduation ceremonies.

In the institutions that pride themselves on being the most academically elite in the world and pillars of diversity and tolerance, we see weakness, idiocy, and hate in the boldest of colors. Thats what is being exposed.

And its important that they are being exposed, because as ridiculous and pathetic as some of the protesters are, they wield a disproportionate amount of power.

The Ivy League establishment now totally accepts the Lefts moral and ideological framework.

All they have to offer in resistance is a few voices on the outside pleading for a return to sanity or feeble attempts to shift blame. My feeling is that these calls for moderation will fall on deaf ears. The Lefts activist base sees blood. They know that the establishment cant resist kowtowing to their demands  from the presidents of Columbia and Harvard to the president of the United States.

Hamas and Iran have called the student radicals leaders of the future, and its hard to deny thats true. Ivy League and other elite colleges have been the pipeline to power in this country.

These are the people who will staff the White House and the human resource departments of the worlds largest companies. They are the foot soldiers of the countless nongovernmental organizations that soak up billions of taxpayer and donor dollars to promote left-wing causes.

Id like to point out a few examples of our nations leaders of the future.

Here we have the flag of a terrorist organization. Great stuff:

No big deal, just a protest leader calling for mass murder. Oh, and he delivered this screed directly to Columbia University administrators, and they did nothing:

Zionists dont deserve to live.



Meet Khymani James, a leader of Columbia Universitys anti-Israel Gaza Solidarity Encampment.



He said this during a live-stream which included a meeting with the school over threatening social media posts.



My latest:pic.twitter.com/E0Bv4Etltr  Kassy Akiva (@KassyDillon) April 25, 2024

The best and brightest:

This lobotomized zombie beat out 95% of people who applied to Columbia https://t.co/r9zq64ifyf  Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) April 25, 2024

This one really gets me. They dont even know why they are protesting. You would expect students at New York University and Columbia to, like, know stuff?

NEW: Pro-Palestine protester has no clue why she is protesting and then asks a friend why they are protesting who also has no clue.



Remarkable.



Reporter: "Why are you protesting?"



Protester: "Demanding that NYU stops! I honestly don't know what NYU is doing  Do you know what  pic.twitter.com/cI46n6YNht  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 24, 2024

There you have it. This is the Ivy League, where nose rings are in, facts are out, and tuition is nearly $70,000 a year.

Now, there are some on the Right who think we spend too much time covering and talking about the current meltdown in higher education. I can understand where they are coming from.

Why devote this much time to unrest at privileged universities when we have so many other, bigger problems that affect far more people?

Obviously, issues like millions of illegal aliens coming into our country, a fentanyl and drug crisis thats destroying the lives of countless young Americans, and the mass chemical castration of children based on gender ideology are all much worse problems than whatever civil discord happens at Columbia University or the University of Southern California.

However, I think its important to give continued coverage to the insanity that is tearing away at the Lefts political coalition.

And this is about more than just politics and strategy. Its about revealing to the world whats at the heart of our elite institutions. What happens at universities wont just stay at universities, as we should all know at this point.

It is, after all, the universities that are the source of some of the most toxic malignancies in our society. They are at the heart of the cultural revolution.

To top it all off, its these people and failed institutions that now want the American taxpayer to cover some or most of the nearly $2 trillion in student loan debt thats piled up over recent decades.

The message from campus radicals is that America is the number one terrorist in the world  now pay off my loans.

Maybe its universities like Harvard  sitting on a nearly $50 billion endowment  that should foot the bill. Yet, the Left wants Americans to pony up for this scam.

This is why we need to keep a spotlight on the escalating college campus situation, outside of the sanitized lens that most of the left-wing media would like to put on it.

We need to let the American people see whats become of higher education; they need to see what that vision of the world is and how they cope with conflict. If we do, maybe more people will open their eyes to the problem and things will finally begin to change.

Originally published at The Daily Signal.
Home Opinion No, I dont believe suddenly, American students care deeply about Palestinians

No, I dont believe for a split second that suddenly, college students all over America really care about the plight of the Palestinians. I dont believe this any more than, a few years ago, people around the globe were suddenly concerned about the plight of Black Americans when they marched for BLM. Not a chance. Instead, this is just the latest manifestation of raging against the machine, of standing up to the man.

As expressed by Khymani James, one of the Columbia University anti-Israel protest leaders who is Black and identifies as trans, non-binary, and queer, just as, in the past, Haitian revolutionaries had to kill their masters in order to gain their independence, its the same with Hamas and the Palestinian people today. They, too, must kill their white supremacist masters.

And, he adds, What is a Zionist? A white supremacist.

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That about sums it up.

To be sure, there are Muslims worldwide who, on some level, stand with the Palestinians, although not when it comes to their home countries absorbing Palestinians into their own societies as equal citizens. And there are students in America who, no doubt, are moved by the images of suffering Palestinian families.

But these same students were not equally moved by the incredibly graphic images of Israelis massacred by Hamas or by the documented reports of the women raped and abused. Nor have they been moved by the suffering of the more than 130 hostages, including babies, who have been in captivity for more than 200 days, in complete violation of every international or universal standard of ethics. The protesters compassion is not just selective; it is hypocritical and skin-deep.

And without a doubt, these are not simply, pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests. They are pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish protests.

Thats why Muslims demonstrating in Sydney, Australia on October 10, just three days after the slaughter and before Israel had begun its retaliation, were already chanting, Gas the Jews.

Thats why, at Princeton University, a Hezbollah flag was found at the anti-Israel encampment.

Thats why, at a recent protest in Vancouver, CA, the organizer Charlotte Kates glorified the Beautiful, brave and heroic resistance of the Palestinian people, which did not begin on October 7, which has continued for over 75 years, which has continued over 120 years.

Thats why protesters at Columbia chanted, We are Hamas.

So, on the one hand, as I and others have argued, these protests are just the latest manifestation of antisemitism and have little or nothing to do with compassion for suffering Palestinians.

But there is something else going on, and these protests represent something larger, as did the BLM protests of 2020.

Back in the 60s and 70s, it was wearing the Che Guevara t-shirts. He became an iconic, god-like figure, often pictured side by side with Jesus on hippie garb. He made rebellion chic, even violent rebellion. He stood up to the man!

After that, it was the latest iteration of LGBTQ+ Pride, with each wave surpassing the previous wave (accordingly, trans pride now takes precedence over gay pride, which in turn took precedence over Black pride or feminist pride, etc.).

In 2020, it was the BLM logo. Now its the keffiyeh or the colors of Hamas.

Terrorism is cool, as long as its against the machine, represented by the White European Jew in particular and the university establishment in general.

As Matt Walsh wrote, instead of race riots, right on cue, we have this insurgent movement to Free Palestine. Which is really just a race riot, repackaged, and draped in a green, black, and white flag.

He continued, These students [meaning, at Columbia University], for the most part, dont necessarily see this as a BLM reboot, but thats what it is, and thats what political forces much more powerful than the students are determined to turn it into. Those forces see an opportunity that really has very little to do with Israel or Gaza. And if they succeed, there will be a lot of violence and disruption this year that extends far beyond Columbia and Morningside Heights.

Similarly, Bill OReilly noted that, The lead group generating the chaos is Students for Justice for Palestine. Founded in 1993, it is based in Berkeley, California. A prominent leader is Dr. Hatem Bazian, a lecturer at the University of California. That means taxpayers are funding him. SJP apparently keeps no books, but it is estimated it has a presence on more than 200 campuses.

OReilly points out that, Bazian is quoted as saying: How come we (Americans) don't have an intifada in this country? He added, They're going to say that it's a Palestinian being too radical. Well, they haven't seen radicalism yet.

Put another way, On with the uprising! Bring the Intifada home!

Or, instead of chanting, From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free, substitute with, From sea to shining sea, America will be free.

This is what underlies the spirit of these protests, a spirit that claims to stand for the oppressed but instead stands for uprising, for the overthrowing of authority, and ultimately, for murderous, barbaric evil.

It is a spirit encapsulated by the words of Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad, spoken last November: We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do it again and again. The Al-Aqsa Deluge [the name Hamas gave its 7 October onslaught - ed.] is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth. Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.

Enough, then with the pious platitudes of the protesters (putting aside those who sincerely care). They are standing with evil. They are playing with fire. Eventually, they will be burned.
Home Opinion Absurd: Parents are 'domestic terrorists' but real terrorists on campuses are 'protestors'

In October 2021, just five days following a National School Boards Association letter to the Biden administration labeling parents behavior at school board meetings equivalent to domestic terrorism and hate crimes, Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo calling on the FBI to investigate threats to school boards and school staff. Garland wrote, While the spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views.

Parents who were truly, peacefully protesting were dubbed domestic terrorists, but real terrorists shouting, Death to America on government school campuses today are given a pass and called protestors.

Does anybody see the absurdity in this? Those calling for Death to America are not protestors. They are rioters and terrorists! Much like those employed by Antifa and BLM following the death of George Floyd, most of whom are not even students or local residents but are likely employed by the same nefarious actors.

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Riot police in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles fired tear gas and used pepper spray. Police vehicles were set on fire and shops were looted in several cities during the riots that followed George Floyds death. And yet, the media continued to call them peaceful protestors and claimed racial victimhood as an excuse for their criminal behavior.

Where is the pepper spray and tear gas for the terrorists chanting to Jewish students Go back to the gas chamber? This comes on the heels of at least two decades of teaching post-secondary students that America is systemically racist and in recent years this falsehood is even taught in K-12 government schools.

Moreover, Garland said in 2021 that constitutional protections do not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views. Are Jewish students on high school and college campuses not being intimidated based on their religious views and what about their race? Is Judaism not a race? Arent Hamas rioters racist and bigots? Where are the race police on this issue? But what is worse is these terrorists hate America and want us dead. Americans are the only people that Hamas hates more than Jews. In their worldview, America is the Big Satan, and Israel is the Little Satan.

Children and young adults in America are taught white Judeo-Christians are oppressors while Muslim squatters are oppressed. We should not be surprised by the illegal activity of these young adults when this is what children have been taught to think and do. But will we stand for it? It is time for freedom-loving, law-abiding Americans to stand boldly and courageously against the threat to our freedom and our very lives.

Marxist professors of the Frankfurt School were run out of Germany by the Nazis during World War II and infiltrated Columbia University. Three generations later, a deadline is issued for Hamas supporters to withdraw from their encampment at Columbia University or be expelled. The terrorists forged ahead and forcibly occupied one of the campus buildings. Obviously, expulsion was not the proper deterrent, and I dont believe the terrorists care about getting an education. The terrorists committing these crimes as well as the terrorists that indoctrinated them to think this way are to blame for this violence and chaos. These students are adults and should be held responsible for their actions. They should face legal prosecution  not expulsion.

College campuses were the ideal space to begin the recent antisemitic terrorist attacks in America because they are the bastion of free speech. Is there any ground exempt from the occupation of terrorists in America? We have already seen the rioters in D.C. Will it be your hometown next? Are terrorists being strategically placed across the country coming in from Bidens open border invitation?

The terrorists on college campuses who refuse to dismantle their illegal encampments need to be arrested and if illegal, deported. If they have visas, they should be revoked. Americans do not negotiate with terrorists! Send them packing or lock them up.

Essentially, this is a war against Americas Judeo-Christian heritage, and ground zero for anti-American propaganda warfare in K-12 government schools. Blatant propaganda is no longer limited to colleges and universities where it should have been extinguished long ago. Children are now taught at young ages Critical Marxist theories with an intentional agenda to divide and conquer our country from within. Children are being brainwashed just as they were in China during the Mao regime and in Germany during the Hitler regime.

Americans need to wake up and take a bold and courageous stand against the takeover of our country happening before our very eyes. We need to insist on swift prosecution of true domestic terrorists with every measure of the law. Most of all, we need to take a serious look inside the horrors being taught in government schools so we can stop this indoctrination at its roots.
Home Opinion Plummeting US fertility rates: What can we learn from Israel?

After all the recent hyperbole of the alleged danger of losing American Democracy, the mainstream media is finally picking up on a story of true existential importance for the United States. Recent alarming fertility data brought even CNN to note The fertility rate in the United States has been trending down for decades, and a new report shows that another drop in births in 2023 brought the rate down to the lowest its been in more than a century. Billionaires known for predicting global trends have been sounding the alarm about this issue for years. Elon Must, who has frequently warned of this danger, recently retweeted yes to population collapse is the biggest threat to civilization. The plunging birthrate is a civilizational threat that must be turned around. Its time for America to look to the uniquely high birthrate in Israel for the answer of a shared religious-based consensus on the importance of children.

Across economically advanced countries, fertility rates continue to plummet. To sustain a population, a country must maintain a 2.1 average per woman. In Europe, that average is only 1.46 and going down while in the US rate is going below 1.6. Throughout advanced economies in East Asia, the birth rates are around and declining. In contrast, advance-economy Israel has a whopping 3.1. According to Israeli research center Taub:

Fertility in Israel stands at 3.1 children per women the highest fertility rate in the OECD, and almost one full child above the next highest fertility countries, Mexico and Turkey. To put Israels fertility in historical perspective, among Western countries fertility was last as high as 3.1 in the US toward the end of the baby boom in the mid-1960s, in Italy in 1931, in Germany in 1914, in the UK in 1908, and in France in 1889. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe

This cannot be explained by the uniquely high birthrates among ultra-religious Jews, as they make up only around 10% of the Israeli population. Additionally, this cannot be explained by Jewish culture considering that throughout the other economically advanced nations Jewish birthrates are generally lower than that of their country of residence.

Some argue that the high Jewish Israeli birthrate can be explained by social welfare policies making it easier for families to afford children. However, this falls short of an explanation as similar social policies in other advanced countries have virtually no impact on the birthrates. South Korea has had the lowest birth rate in the world even after pouring around half a trillion dollars into social programs and incentives for having children. Various European countries, particularly in the Scandinavian nations, have thrown extravagant amounts of money at the problem to no avail.



The Israeli birthrate is also unique in pervasiveness through society. In other nations, higher birth rates are generally inverse to income levels, education levels, and secularism. Wealthier and more educated and secular women generally have fewer children. Israel cuts against this dynamic, as Taub writes strong pronatalist norms cut across all educational classes and levels of religiosity  at least in the Jewish population ... Israeli women with a college degree have the same number of children as those whose highest level of education is high school ... a higher percentage of children in Israel are being born to older and more-educated parents than is the case in other developed countries.

Pediatrician and researcher Robert Hamilton studied the issue and wrote in the Wall Street Journal that the Israeli baby boom seems to arise from cultural norms sustained by religion ... Israel treasures (children) and he further claimed, (Its high fertility rate) reflects a consensus among Israels communities (secular and religious).



Breakpoint researchers John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera found the beliefs about the importance of children in Israel come from shared religious values, these beliefs have shaped how many Jews, even secular ones, view children. Having children is not a purely private act. It has communal dimensions.

Decades ago, America was similar to Israel in its shared consensus, sustained by religious belief, valuing the importance of children to our future. At the time, American religiously-based cultural norms ran throughout society to affect both secular and religious Americans with respect to family and children. Except for the unique periods like the great depression, America was known for having a high fertility rate and a high value placed on children, like modern Israel. Other nations have shown that social programs cannot fix our current fertility crisis.



We need to regain what Alexis de Tocqueville claimed about America in Democracy in America: There is no nation on Earth in which the Christian religion holds greater sway over the souls of men than in America. May we regain that consensus, founded on religious values, that children are a gift from God and should be brought into the world and cherished.
Home Opinion Russell Brand just got baptized. But what does it mean?

Activist Russell Brand recently made headlines when he shared on his social media accounts that he was planning on getting baptized. On Sunday, April 28, 2024, Russell Brand was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church.

Brand was previously an actor and comedian, but recently he is a political activist. He has 6.79 million subscribers on YouTube and close to 12 million followers across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Brand has, up to very recently, promoted many New Age ideas and philosophies across his social media platforms and hosted conferences on meditation and transcendentalism. He has also been a strong proponent of Eastern mysticism and spiritualities that are found in Buddhism and Hinduism. Many in the Christian world are split over whether his most recent baptism and conversion announcements are, in fact, sincere.

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One of the biggest issues is that he is still promoting New Age ideas across his social media, and on April 29, he promoted what practically all Christians would define as witchcraft. April 29 is the day after his baptism and he posted a video on his social media involving tarot cards. In the video, he shares the specific meaning of the tarot card he was holding in his hand and that certain symbols can serve as tools for reflection and personal analysis. Ending the video, he asks viewers their view on synchronizing other spiritual practices with Christianity and jokingly asks if it is ok to meddle in the occult arts.

Some in the Christian world are defending the video, stating that he is just a baby Christian and needs discipleship. Then there are others like me who believe that Brand did not convert to Christianity but rather is just adopting certain principles and beliefs into his New Age belief system. As he talked about baptism in another of his Instagram videos, he referenced the idea of new birth and becoming an enlightened individual. However, these terms are also present in other religions. They mean something entirely different from the same words within a Christian worldview. Apart from the context of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, these words may be the same but mean something entirely different.

In the past, I have researched Russell Brand extensively and have been aware of his belief system, which is one of universalism and syncretism, or the idea that multiple religions and spiritualities are different roads leading to the same source. And along with that, one can adopt the best practices from each that help them further their spiritual journey. Several years ago, he made headlines for getting a tattoo of Jesus on his arm. In a video on his YouTube channel, he explained why he specifically tattooed a crucifix. However, it was not due to conversion or belief in the biblical Jesus but he explains that he also tattooed Krishna, a masonic number, Hindu Sanskrit, and Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god, on other parts of his body. He appreciated principles and ideas from the story of Jesus without belief in the biblical narrative of who Jesus Christ is and how we must respond in repentance and faith to the Gospel message. At that time, he made it clear that he thought it was a good message, but it just didn't resonate with him.

His most recent social media announcements about baptism and its effects on him did not contain anything pertaining to the biblical Gospel. He did not mention sin, repentance, or the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. He did not renounce his former errant spiritual ideas or practices. Instead, he makes references to tarot cards, Buddhist and Hindu ideas and concepts, as well as keywords that pertain to New Age spirituality. In many of Brands past videos, he shared that Jesus is a way to get to God, or what he called the universal consciousness. In the past, he stated that he found more interest in other forms of spirituality than Christianity. Now it would seem that he has taken a greater interest in Christianity.

But the problem is that interest in Christianity leads neither to salvation nor true conversion. It is not enough to have an interest in Christian ideals or principles; many atheists, Muslims, Hindus, etc. find some of the ideas of Christianity to be interesting, and some even acknowledge them as valuable and helpful. However, Christianity is not a vehicle for enlightenment or self-actualization, as New Age philosophies present themselves to be. To become a Christian, one must at the very least believe in the exclusivity of Christ and His unique divinity, the sinfulness of man, the need for salvation through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, repentance from sin, and total trust and faith in Jesus Christ. These are prerequisites in the New Testament for someone to be born again. Sadly, it seems that Brand does not understand that this is what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus. When listening to his recent videos, it feels like he is adopting some added beliefs that fit him for his current season of life. This is what New Age spirituality often entails. It has a cafeteria feel to it.

Christianity, on the other hand, posits that there is truth and falsehood. It posits that any form of spirituality outside of the Bible and outside of trusting in Jesus Christ alone is satanic in origin and a deception.

Tarot cards are a form of witchcraft, the occult, and divination. In the Old Testament, God made it clear the seriousness of any involvement with the occult. It is one of the things that God hates. Deuteronomy 18:1012 says, There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord your God is driving them out before you. Think about that: God actually considers involvement in divination to be on par with child sacrifice. Practicing anything that is witchcraft or divination is extremely serious to God.

Likewise, in Leviticus 20:6, the Bible says, If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. In light of this, it is very serious that Russell Brand is publicly discussing tarot cards and suggesting they can be used in the life of a Christian in order to provide some kind of insight or revelation.

In the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, Gods greatest offense concerning his people was mixture. So often, Israel would worship Yahweh while also worshipping the Baals and Asherahs. This serious issue of blending paganism with true worship of God is seen all throughout scripture, from the worshipping of the golden calf to some of the churches in the book of Revelation being rebuked for their compromise and allowing pagan practices to come in. God does not accept the worship of false gods or the embracing of pagan practices to occur along with true worship. He forbids it. He hates idolatry. But in the Prophets, it is clear that He has an even greater hatred for the mixture of idolatry with true worship than just the idolatry of the pagans. Purity of worship and spiritual practice are highlighted as necessary all throughout the Bible. God never compromises on it or blurs the line.

No one expects perfection out of a new Christian. However, becoming a Christian is more than taking the plunge of baptism. When the Lord saves someone from serious spiritual error and deception, there is no way that He would allow them to continue promoting that deception to millions of followers under the guise that they can be a Christian and participate in what the Bible defines as witchcraft.
Home Opinion The Churchs support might just keep a family from foster care

Nearly 400,000 children live in US foster care. Thats 400,000 vulnerable children whose lives have been turned upside down by circumstances entirely out of their control. These 400,000 image-bearers of Christ deserve the Churchs best effort and support.

The Church needs to celebrate recent victories for vulnerable children. Roes been overturned, and states continue to enact new life-saving abortion restrictions allowing more children to be born, and not snuffed out by abortion. This is beautiful, but even as we celebrate, the pro-life community must acknowledge that more children are likely to enter the foster care system because they are born into impoverished situations with parents who are ill-equipped to parent.

The underlying reasons children find themselves in foster care are complex. Yet, the encouraging news is that Christians all around the U.S. can help provide safe and loving homes for these children. While foster care and adoption are vital solutions, we also must help prevent children from entering the system in the first place. This National Foster Care Month, our countrys at-risk children need believers to prioritize the type of support that keeps families together from the start.

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Children are placed into foster care mostly due to some form of serious neglect. While its unfortunately true that some biological moms and dads wont ever be in a position to parent, much more commonly, they simply dont know how to parent well. Poverty in its various forms  financial, relational, and spiritual  can leave loving parents unprepared, and you may be surprised about who they are. She might be a single mom trying to make ends meet who leaves her child at home alone while she is at work out of desperation. He might be a new dad struggling with substance abuse who wants to break the cycle of addiction, but the only friends he has are an influence to continued poor behavior, as opposed to a bridge to healing.

In these instances, the simple presence of a church community can make all the difference. Vulnerable families, who need help with childcare, benefit greatly from a few new friends in the church who are living godly lives, or a mentor who can pass along parenting wisdom. And when the need is bigger, church members with more capacity have an opportunity to step in and help preserve a family all for the glory of God. It has happened time and time again.

Several months ago, an expecting mother named Mona reached out to our organization, Lifeline Childrens Services, for pregnancy counseling. Alone and with no support, Mona faced incarceration for multiple traffic violations. She wanted to provide for her unborn child while she served her prison sentence, but also knew the reality that her family was unable to care for him. Mona was crippled with the fear of permanently losing her new son to foster care.

Through Lifelines Harbor Families ministry, Mona linked arms with a host family from a partnering church who cared for her son for 10 weeks while she served her prison sentence. During her incarceration, the host family created a scrapbook of her sons early days and arranged video calls so she could see him. Mona joined a Bible study in prison, giving her heart to Jesus as a result. Later, Mona and her son, who were reunited, moved into transitional housing where she received community support, as well as continued mentoring from our organization and her sons host family.

A few months of support changed the trajectory of Monas life and her sons future. One family was able to avoid permanent separation. This is how the Church puts the Gospel on display. This is the whole-life, pro-life approach that our nation so desperately needs to embrace.

Serving as a foster parent is not the only meaningful way the Church can serve Americas foster youth. There are countless ways we can all make a positive difference in a vulnerable childs life, and no matter our capacity, we should all find a way. This work is messy, but God calls us to the broken places in the world to shine His light.

Seek opportunities to support vulnerable families. This could look like volunteering at your local crisis pregnancy center, having coffee with the single mom who recently started going to your church or offering to babysit for the struggling dad you know who just had to pick up another job.

The Bible clearly states that Jesus loves children. How will vulnerable children know the love of God if we dont tell them and if we dont show them? May we start in our own homes by throwing open our doors, clearing a space at our tables, and inviting some of the most vulnerable in.
Artist creates paintings on stones gathered from Yellow River

People's Daily Online) 09:51, May 06, 2024

Photo shows a stone painting created by Lu Ting. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yilin)

"Stones, despite their immobility, possess a unique vitality that I can feel," said Lu Ting, a painter from Hainan district, Wuhai city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Lu's workshop is located in Hainan district. Instead of flowing eastward, the Yellow River takes a turn here and flows westward for 2.7 kilometers.

Lu often strolls along the Yellow River, gathering stones from this particular bend in the riverbed.

When she cleans the stones, Lu initiates a dialogue with them. She once even spent up to a year observing a single stone until she discovered the message she wished to convey. Since 2017, Lu has created over 100 stone paintings.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
For over three decades, John Burke has studied thousands of near-death experiences (NDEs) and discovered a striking commonality among them all: Every individual, regardless of their religious background, experiences the God of the Bible.

I interviewed 70 people on every continent, and found that they all encountered the same God; it didn't matter their culture, ethnicity or religious background. God is the God of all nations, Burke told The Christian Post.

Burke, who with his wife, Kathy, founded Gateway Church, a multisite church based in Austin, Texas, recounts some of these stories in his book, Imagine the God of Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Revelation and the Love You've Always Wanted, from that of a Hindu engineer who encounters a "brilliant god of lightning" to a nurse in Brownsville who is told by Jesus Himself to spread the message of love and redemption.

These stories, Burke said, are part of his broader argument that NDEs are God's "new global apologetic," intended to affirm His existence, the reality of the afterlife and His desire for a relationship with every person.

They all say, I never wanted to leave His presence and of all the beauty I experienced, all of these great reunions with people I love who've gone on before me, nothing could compare to just being in this presence, Burke said.

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He clarified that while every individual encounters the God of the Bible during an NDE, he is not suggesting they will end up in Heaven. Burke said he doesn't believe these people are experiencing an entrance into eternity or a tunnel of death, rather, theyre encountering something in between.

This can confuse some Christians, he said. But I like to remind them that the Apostle Paul was not a believer in Jesus, he was arresting Christians and having them jailed and killed when the same God of brilliant light appeared to him on the Damascus Road in Acts 9. When Paul asks, Who are you, Lord? He says, I'm Jesus. But Jesus didn't tell him what to do and He didn't explain the message of the Gospel to him.

I believe God is saying to the world, I'm real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. And I love every person from every nation, I want you to be my child through what I did through Jesus, so you can turn your heart back to me and be made right with me.

Once an agnostic engineer, Burke's quest for truth began in the most personal of settings  a hospital room, beside his dying father. It was there, amid the struggle of impending loss, he said, that he encountered the first seeds of what would become a lifelong investigation into the evidence of an afterlife and the reality of God.

Over the last 35 years, I've just had this insatiable curiosity to figure out, OK, what are these near-death experiences, and how do they sit with what the Bible's been saying all along? he said.

Imagine the God of Heaven, endorsed by Lee Strobel, Carey Nieuwhof and medical doctors, is a follow-up to Burkes New York Times bestselling book Imagine Heaven, which has sold more than 1 million copies.

His latest book, he told CP, is the culmination of three decades of meticulous research and addresses common misconceptions and questions about the authenticity of NDEs  especially when some accounts have been widely discredited.

For the book, he underwent a rigorous analysis of experiences reported by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including medical professionals like spine surgeons and anesthesiologists, who, according to Burke, "have a lot to lose by making up wild crazy stories about going in and seeing Jesus."

"What I'm trying to show is not the one-offs but the commonalities," he said.

These near-death experiences, Burke contends, offer not just insights into the afterlife but also profound implications for the current life of a believer.

As evil increases, God tends to increase His testimony on Earth, and I think He's doing the same thing today, he said. What I'm trying to do is show how that aligns with the Scriptures to convince the skeptics but also to help Christians see what God is really like.

We all put God in a box to some degree because we're finite, he added. And yet the truth is, God is way more mysterious and glorious, beautiful, grand and sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient than we can imagine. But what does that mean? And how does it affect us today? God is also enjoyable, personable, relatable and fun. Yet, Christians don't often think that. I'm trying to show, This is in the Scriptures, but it's also what these people experience.

However, Burke cautioned against forming theological beliefs solely on the basis of NDEs, noting the risk of encountering "questionable" accounts as they gain popularity. Instead, he differentiated what people report from their personal interpretations, influenced by their cultural and religious backgrounds.

For instance, Burke recounted the story of Nia, a teenager from Africa, who, following a near-death experience, described encountering a being of light she identified as the goddess Durga, despite the experience closely mirroring the Christian understanding of God.

I don't think we shouldn't get our theology of the afterlife or of God from near-death experiences alone, he said. I honestly think that's very dangerous. The more popular NDEs get, the more you are going to see questionable ones pop up. Even though this person may have had a valid experience and what they're reporting may be accurate, they come back and they interpret what they saw in their own worldview.

As the world grapples with questions of spiritual reality and the afterlife, Burke said he hopes his book serves as a timely contribution to the ongoing conversation and invites readers of all backgrounds to explore the possibility of a love and a life beyond this one.

The same God hasn't just shown up in our age of modern medical resuscitation and near-death experiences; this is the same that God has been revealing Himself through the Jewish prophets and through Jesus and put incredible evidence in history, Burke said. The Scriptures need to be the interpretive key to near-death experiences, not the other way around.

Imagine the God of Heaven is now available.



Originally published by The Christian Post
Home Opinion Has prayer failed us?

I once read a quote by Rees Howell that I found mysterious: Prayer has failed us; intercession alone will bring us through.

"Prayer has failed us." Isnt that an interesting statement? Some days it does appear that the prayers for our nation are going unanswered, even with hundreds of thousands praying daily. Since 2016, there has been a growing passion to pray for America, and IFA now has prayer groups in every state and in some territories of the United States. And yet, we still see a rapidly increasing LGBT population among America's youth; decreasing numbers of church attenders; a rise in drug use and addiction; throngs illegally crossing our border; lawfare being waged against political candidates, and more. Could it be that we need to move from a place of prayer to a deep place of intercession?

Do you realize there is a profound difference between prayer and intercession? Its true.

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The Old Testament talks about both prayer and intercession. Prayer is presented as a means for the common man to bring requests before God. But intercession in the Old Testament was completely different. Intercession was a means of interacting with God, one reserved for a select few entrusted with the critical task of standing between God and His divine purposes for a person or nation. These intercessors knew Gods heart and mans need.

Let's look at one of the most treasured verses in the Bible with a view to understanding the difference between prayer and intercession:

Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26).

This verse explains that the Holy Spirit provides the opportunity for us to be involved in intercession. Intercession is now for the common man. This was a mind-blowing concept to the religious class of Pauls day. The religious leaders of that day were supposed to be the only ones who could stand between God and the people. This fact gave them job security, authority, and a sense of worth. But in Romans, Paul's theological treatise, he blows away this exclusivity when he says that the Spirit makes intercession with us as we groan. The root word for intercession literally means to hit the mark.

Putting all this together helps us understand intercession as a consultation process in order to hit the markof what God desires for a person, a situation, a nation.

To correctly understand the Greek word for intercession  entugchano  is to understand it as a consultation process, a process in which two parties cooperate with each other. In intercession, one party comes looking for advice, and the other party gives it. We don't so much intercede as enter into an intercession process.

There are specific differences between prayer and intercession.

Prayer relates to Gods permissive will. Intercession relates to Gods perfect will.

Prayer deals with circumstances. Intercession deals with divine purposes.

Prayer involves a list. Intercession involves listening.

As president of Intercessors for America, I'm often told by praying Christians: "I am not an intercessor." There seems to be some sense of mystery or of special calling associated with the term  but actually, anyone can be an intercessor! Here's what it means to be an intercessor:

Seek first to understand the heart of God in a matter.

Prioritize listening to the Holy Spirit before speaking.

See yourself as a vital instrument cooperating with God to release His perfect will.

Humbly come before God desiring to "hit the mark" by cooperating with Him.

Ask the Lord this question: "What are Your divine purposes for this person, for this nation?"

Sit at the intersection between Gods divine will and the needs of men, crying out for His will to be done.

Now we can understand why Rees Howell would say, Prayer has failed us; intercession alone will bring us through.

Does God have a good future for our nation? Yes, absolutely!

God has a plan for our nation  a future that is good. That plan includes our intercession. Our part is to seek God, lay hold of His plan, and then intercede until we see that plan unfold and come to fruition. Prayer is good and needful, but there are times when intercession is required. This is such a time. May God lead us into a place of deep intercession, a place of travail, where we lay hold of His plan and His purpose for our nation.
Home Opinion Is it antisemitic to say Jews killed Jesus?

Antisemitism is why thousands of students in America and Canada have set up tents in protests at university campuses. Some people are calling the students pro-Palestinian protestors, but thats not true.

If they were pro-Palestinians, they would protest Hamas using their citizens (including children) as a human shield and a human sacrifice in their terrorist and genocidal war against Israel.

The students are not pro-Palestinians, they are anti-Jews. Through critical theory, particularly postcolonial theory, the education system has trained them to become anti-white and antisemitic.

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However, these ignorant students arent the only loud antisemitic people in our culture. Shamefully, antisemitism has become acceptable to some Christless conservatives and foolish Christians who have been bewitched by partiality.

In overreaction to this, Americas House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this week that expands the definition of antisemitism to include claims of Jews killing Jesus.

That, therefore, prompts the question: is it antisemitic to say Jews killed Jesus?

No, the truth isnt antisemitic.

Its a historical and biblical fact that Jews killed Jesus. Yet, the Bible says we should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Which means its possible to speak the truth with hate. In other words, its possible to speak the truth about Jews killing Jesus with hate for Jews.

Church history is filled with many instances of Christians showing partiality against Jews because of the sins of their ancestors. So its important to remember that just as white people today arent responsible for their ancestors role in slavery, Jews today arent responsible for their ancestors role in Jesus crucifixion.

With that said, people who say its antisemitic to say Jews killed Jesus are calling God antisemitic.

God says the Jewish leaders arrested Jesus because they were secretly plotting to kill him (Matthew 26:3-4). God also says they persuaded the Jewish crowd to demand the Romans to crucify him (Matthew 27:15-23). Later, the Apostle Peter said to a crowd in Jerusalem:

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God,you crucified and killedby the hands of lawless men (Acts 2:22-23).

So when a person says its wrong to say Jews killed Jesus, theyre saying what God says in the Bible is wrong.

However, as the Apostle Peter suggests, Jews arent the only people who killed Jesus. Jesus was killed by both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews demanded his crucifixion, but it was Rome that crucified him.

If the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, had decided not to execute Jesus, the Jews wouldnt have had the power to kill him.

That brings me to the most important thing about this topic. Just as Rome had a greater authority over the Jews in Jesus death, God the Father had a greater authority over Rome in Jesus death. As Peter said to the Jewish crowd, its God who ultimately ordained Jesus death.

God the Father killed Jesus. Jesus was killed by Jews and Romans according to his definite plan. Why? Because of sinners like you and me.

The Bible says, He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

That means the Jews killed Jesus and the Romans killed Jesus because God ordained that Jesus would be crushed on the cross because of our transgressions.

So you and I are no less guilty than the Jews (and Romans) who killed Jesus. We all bear responsibility for his crucifixion.

So if youre the type of professing Christian who uses the precious cross of Christ to attack Jews, you dont understand the weight of your sin.

Some of the Jews who killed Jesus are in Heaven, but some of the people who shame and mock them are going to Hell.

So speak the truth, but speak it in love. Dont say it because you hate Jews, say it because you love Jesus.

Originally published at Slow to Write.
Home Opinion Suicide and the Christian

Its one of the taboo subjects in Christianity; something thats discussed in lowered voices and pins-and-needles tones, especially when its made personal through knowing someone or a family whos experienced it. What does one make of a Christian who has committed suicide?

Make no mistake, were usually ready to say the expected things at the expected times at the expected places. But were pretty quick to turn and head in the opposite direction once done as fast as we can as if doing so will distance us from those we were speaking with and the subject in general.

But we shouldnt. Heres why.

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Our culture has come a long way from the Jack Kevorkian days when the majority of people recoiled at the thought of someone choosing death over life. Today, its far more accepted with just one example being Canadas legalized medical assistance in dying, or MAID, that became law in 2016.

To get beyond the garish nature of such government action, politicians and activists typically utilize arguments that contain lots of mercy and compassion rhetoric for those who are hurting, usually from terrible medical conditions. But the thing is, many suicides dont occur because of that.

The despair doom loop that captures far more than we care to admit is more existential and was raised by philosopher Albert Camus in his work An Absurd Reasoning (contained in The Myth of Sisyphus: And Other Essays) where he wrote: There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy. All the rest  comes afterwards.

Camus was a reserved atheist and so naturally felt the weight of meaninglessness that comes without God  something also articulated by Leo Tolstoy in his Confession: My question  that which at the age of 50 brought me to the edge of suicide  was the simplest of questions, lying in the soul of every man ... a question without the answer to which one cannot live. It was What will come of what I am doing today or tomorrow? What will come of my whole life? Why should I live, why wish for anything, or do anything? It can also be expressed thus: Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy?

Piling on the experiential angst is a British study showing the country has the highest number of teenagers in the world who believe their life is meaningless and thus consider suicide. Their conclusion prompted cultural commentator Paul Joseph Watson to say: When your heroes are just an endless avalanche of recycled comic book remake characters; when your role models are a perpetual parade of twerking imbeciles; when your icons are a monotonous march of inauthentic NPC media drones with everything to risk but nothing to say  who wouldnt want to kill themselves?

And finally, sprinkle in the despair that comes from seeing and experiencing up close the cruel hand that the world deals out regularly. For example, the Jewish scholar Philip Holley, while investigating Nazi war crimes, became so angry and depressed that he almost committed suicide. But when he read about a small village that showed courage and the love of God by rescuing 5,000 Jewish children during the Holocaust, Holley described his internal breakthrough as heart cracking goodness and it saved him.

Not everyone is so lucky. Recent data shows suicide to be the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. with there being one death from it every 10 or so minutes, and 35x (!) more suicide attempts.

Those are some grim statistics for sure and they become more repugnant when you see Christians in those numbers, such as pastor Gene Jacobs who recently ended his life, and pastor Jarrid Wilson, the founder of a suicide outreach group, who took his own life in 2019, leaving behind his wife and young children.

Suicide and the Bible

Looking at Scripture, we have more than a few mentions of people wanting to opt out. For example, Solomon reached the point where he hated life (Ecc. 2:17); Elijah was so depressed and afraid that he wished for death (1 Kings 19:4); Jonah got so angry at God that he wanted to die (Jonah 4:8; likely hyperbole). Paul became so overwhelmed that he admitted, For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life (2 Cor. 1:8).

Two of the more prominent suicides in the Bible are Saul (1 Sam. 31:4) and of course, Judas (Matt. 27:5), both unbelievers. Judas, in particular, we are told was indwelt by Satan, the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). There are no suicides of believers in Scripture unless you count Samson, which runs outside the lines of this context.

When it comes to a believer taking their own life, there are a whole host of questions that come up. Can a true Christian commit suicide? Will a believer who does be sent into eternal separation from God? Is it the unpardonable sin (Matt. 12:31-32)?

Some say suicide is something a Christian wont manifest and does result in life without God. For example, theyll argue suicide is murder and John writes: Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15). Paul also says: If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are (1 Cor. 3:17).

Although such things can give a person pause, I dont think the conclusion derived from them is correct, and I believe theres a more accurate and biblical way to navigate the subject.

First, the proper stance towards our lives is one with God at the helm and us agreeing with the psalmist who wrote, My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:15).

Next, Scripture is clear that life is hard  sometimes unbearably so  but yet we are told: No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).

That said, can a Christian still fall where suicide is concerned? John Piper thinks so and says: Can a Christian be so depressed and temporarily blinded to the hope of the Gospel that he takes his life in a temporary moment of despair? I think the answer to that is yes.

But what happens then?

John MacArthur sums up what I believe is the right position when he states: Suicide is a grave sin equivalent to murder (Exodus 20:13; 21:23), but it can be forgiven like any other sin. And Scripture says clearly that those redeemed by God have been forgiven for all their sins  past, present, and future (Colossians 2:13-14). Paul says in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

During his eulogy for Jarrid Wilson, Greg Laurie explained how this works when he said: When you stand before God, you wont be judged by the last thing that you did before you died. Youll be judged by the last thing Jesus did before he died. He died for your sin.

This leads us to understand that suicide is not the unpardonable sin; hear what Sinclair Ferguson says on this point:  suicide is not the unpardonable sin because we know what the unpardonable sin actually is. Jesus tells us in Mark 3 in the passage beginning at verse 22 that the unpardonable sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ and responding to Him or treating Him essentially as though He were demonic. That is very clearly stated. So, suicide is not the unpardonable sin.

In the end, we must remember that, instead of what Camus and Tolstoy thought, we do have meaning and hope  Scripture repeatedly tells us we have both (Acts 24:15; Rom. 5:2-5, 8:24; 2 Cor. 1:10, etc.) along with purpose in life (Luke 9:23-25; Rom. 8:28; Col. 1:29).

That being true, our stance towards suicide should always be: So choose life in order that you may live (Deut. 30:19).

If you are considering suicide, please seek help now. Call 1-800-273-8255, the national suicide hotline, or 911, or get yourself to a hospital. Other options include:

National Hopeline Network: 1-800-422-HOPE (4673).

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.
Home Opinion What American college protestors miss regarding Gaza, the Palestinian question

American colleges seem to be on fire with the anti-Israeli and pro-Hamas demonstrations turning aggressive and violent. The students involved in these demonstrations seem stalwart in their beliefs, insisting that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza as it replies to the Oct. 7 invasion.

What many of these students lack, if not sincerity, is a good dose of history. Particularly, Israeli efforts to attempt to make a lasting peace with the Palestinians.

However, before that can even be addressed, the obvious must be stated: On Oct. 7, 2023, Israels border fence was breeched by Hamas terrorists. A bloodbath ensued in which upwards of 1,200 Israelis were brutally killed, and 240 were taken hostage, including Americans. Israel was certainly not the aggressor  it was the victim. Enough said?

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Israel has sincerely reached out its hand for peace many times, only to have it slapped away by Palestinian representatives.

Consider the Camp David Accords that followed the 1973 Yom Kippur War that were brokered in 1978 by then President Jimmy Carter. In it, Egypt and Israel agreed to put away the sword and not solve their differences with military action. Moreover, Israel agreed to negotiate the return of the Sinai Peninsula. Following the conflict the U.N. adopted Resolution 242 which called on Arab countries to live in peace within  secure boundaries and a prompting to recognize Israel as a legitimate state in the region.

Surprisingly, as the first Intifada exploded, PLO leader Yassir Arafat made what was to some, a shocking announcement  the PLO would accept the existence of Israel as a state in the region. As a bonus the PLO would refrain from all forms of terrorism.

This move opened the door for more productive and direct negotiations with the Palestinians  it was a hopeful sign that there would be movement and, finally, a peace outcome that all could agree on. Unfortunately, it bore little fruit as more details were exchanged and no real agreement solidified; the PLO and the Palestinians simply ignored or rejected robust offers from the Israeli side.

Then, in 2008, Israel, practically speaking, just about gave away the store. The Prime Minister at that time, Ehud Olmert, decided it was time to get some kind of peace talks going with the Palestinians. Those talks were held in Annapolis, Maryland. Oddly, Hamas supported the talks and was at least willing to listen. They even stated that they would give full recognition to Israel should an acceptable agreement be reached.

The offer proposed by Olmert was quite generous: the Palestinians would get approximately 5.8% of Israeli land in exchange for 6.3% of the West Bank.

Additionally, other concessions would be worked out should this first offer go forward.

The PA representative, Mahmoud Abbas, did not sign the agreement, making vague excuses that he needed more details. The fact seems to be that he never said no to the offer and was motivated more by Olmerts political troubles, namely, his convictions on bribery  would his replacement rescind the agreement? Many, even today, believe that Abbas was secretly on board with the agreement.

In any event, had the PA and Hamas moved forward on the offer, the door would have swung wide open for further and more far-reaching negotiations, and the events of Oct. 7 might have never happened.

In 2009, Netanyahu offered something similar, but insisted on all areas under Palestinian control to be de-militarized. Obviously, this was a move to protect Israel from terrorist attacks. Clearly, an armed Palestinian state could pose an existential threat to the Israeli population. We need not meditate long on this as the events of the past months have clearly demonstrated its wisdom.

So, to all the American college students who are screaming about Israels action in Gaza, my plea goes out to them to put down the bullhorn and placards and spend some time looking honestly at Israel and her agreeable actions toward the Palestinians.

Surely, there is no one in Israel, except maybe fringe elements, who want to see the women and children in Gaza killed or suffer from lack of food and housing. But when you have an enemy that hides behind womens skirts, in tunnels  and perhaps most egregiously  in hospitals, your military choices are few.

History does not necessarily go in a circle  it goes in a line toward new situations and resolutions.

Hopefully, the events in Gaza will have a resolution that will surprise us all  a lasting peace for all and a time to rebuild.
Atos has received proposals from four different groups to inject new money into the company to keep it running, it said Monday.

One group wants to redefine Atos as a more integrated IT services powerhouse, leveraging the companys many activities to restore customer and employee confidence, while another wants to focus on the provision of data centers as a service, cutting costs and cranking up profitability. Atos has given itself a month to choose between the offers.

The loss-making IT services company is struggling to repay or reschedule its debts and has been looking for new sources of capital for almost two years, including the sale of various parts of the company, so far without success.
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Jelani Cobb is the dean of the Columbia Journalism School. He is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. For much of the past few weeks, he has been enmeshed in Columbia Universitys efforts to grapple with a protest movement on campus over the war in Gazaone that culminated in the takeover of a building and, finally, on Tuesday, April 30, a police raid.

The Kicker talks to Cobb about the role the Journalism School played throughout the crisis, including facilitating press access to campus after a lockdown was imposed and supporting the work of student journalists, who were the only ones left on campus to document the police raid as it unfolded.

You can also read CJR on the work of the Columbia Daily Spectator, the undergrad student newspaper.

Executive Producer: Amanda Darrach

Josh Hersh is an editor at CJR. He was previously a correspondent and senior producer at Vice News.
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New York has become the first state to commit significant resources toward keeping local journalism alive. Its a good start that the legislations proponents hope could serve as a national model to save struggling local news outletsif it can be implemented properly.

The Local Journalism Sustainability Act was included in New Yorks recently passed state budget, setting aside $90 million to subsidize local news for the next three years. Eligible outlets can apply to receive a refundable tax credit of up to $25,000 for the first $50,000 worth of employees salaries, with a per-company cap of $300,000. Thats a lot of money for a small newsroom, and could help stave off further layoffs and outlet closures.

The $30 million annual pool will be evenly divided between small and larger newsrooms, with the dividing line at 100 employees. Each group will have access to a total of $13 million in tax breaks, with an additional $4 million set aside as $5,000 subsidies for new hires. Publications owned by publicly traded companies arent allowed to apply, which would likely rule out places like the New York Times and New York Post. (In certain other cases, like Gannetts multiple local papers, an outlet owned by a publicly traded company may be eligible because of a carve-out for publications whose print circulation has dipped by more than 20 percent in the past five years.)

The legislation had originally been proposed a few years ago by state lawmakers, but didnt gain traction until earlier this year, when a group of three dozen local news companies formed the Empire State Local News Coalition to advocate its passage. The coalition includes the owners of more than 150 small newspapers in the statepublications that cover small towns or specific communities, like the Sullivan County Democrat, the Lake Placid News, the Haitian Times, and the Jewish Star.

The coalition is spearheaded by Zachary Richner, a former staffer in both the Obama White House and former New York governor Andrew Cuomos administration, whose family runs two dozen small daily and weekly newspapers, most of them based on Long Island.

Richner told me hed previously focused on pushing national legislation to fund journalism, but because of Congresss glacial pace and gridlock, hed decided to shift his attention to New York earlier this year. That left a short window to get things done before the states annual budget was finalized, so he scrambled to put together a lobbying effort.

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I hope that this is the first domino to fall, that it allows other states to move forward with legislation that supports local news, Richner said. I hope it adds some momentum to what were doing at the national level.

In the rush to get the law passed, however, some crucial legislative details werent hammered out.

For one thing, the way the law is worded doesnt make it clear if digital-only publications can receive the tax breaksthe law only identifies print media or broadcast media as eligiblea major omission that the coalition hopes can be cleared up as the program is formalized. Second, the bill doesnt specify whether the tax credits apply only to journalists, or if they can be used for people working on the business side of a publication.

The bill only provides incentives to hire full-time journalists, leaving out the freelancers and part-timers many smaller community papers rely on. Thats a good thing in that it may encourage outlets to bring on reporters as full-time staff, but it doesnt help papers that are struggling just to pay freelancers right now. It also seems doubtful that a one-time, $5,000 subsidy for a new staffer is really enough to spur hiring. And while outlets may hope this program is continued into the future, three years of credits probably isnt enough for businesses to make long-term hiring decisions.

Meanwhile, the way the pool of tax credits is divided could leave publications wanting. There could be a very high demand for the $13 million set aside for small newsrooms, and some might not get the amount theyre hoping for. On the other hand, $13 million might be too much to spread out between the relatively few newsrooms with more than 100 staffers, given that there is a cap of $300,000 per publication. (It also may not have as much impact: the capped amount, while more than generous for small newsrooms, wont have a huge effect on larger organizations with steeper total costs.) Advocates for the legislation think this pool of money might need to be rebalanced in future years, and expressed hope that the officials who manage the program will be willing to use any unclaimed funds from the pool for larger companies to give additional tax credits to smaller companies.

Some journalism watchdogs have raised concerns about news outlets lobbying the very state lawmakers theyre supposed to be covering to pass this bill. The fear is that some news organizations might pull their punches in covering the lawmakers responsible for approving a program they depend on for their livelihood.

Richner says the legislation is set up so that the Empire State Development Corporationa separate department, under the governors office, largely staffed with bureaucrats rather than politicianswill serve as a buffer, as it will determine who gets funds. And there are always potential conflicts of interest in journalism; small-town publishers know this best, since theyre so dependent on advertising from local businesses owned by powerful local figures including elected officials. Journalists at reputable news outlets that rely on public money already, like NPR or PBS, have shown theyre eager to aggressively cover the lawmakers who fund their salaries.

For now, at least, publishers and editors who are poised to receive the aid seem mostly relieved. Mark Vinceguerra owns Capitol Region Independent Media, which comprises a half dozen small-town newspapers in upstate New York. Like most newspapers, his have seen advertising revenue take a huge dip in recent years. He currently has two full-time employees and a dozen paid freelance stringers filling his publications. If he gets all the grant money, he thinks he could hire six or seven additional full-time staff reporters.

This is whats needed, Vinceguerra said, adding that he hoped this and future efforts can fix the journalism funding crisis in the state and make it a beacon for the nation.

Im ecstatic, pure and simple, he said.



Other notable stories:

Last night, Kim Godwin stepped down as president of ABC News and told staff that she is retiring from broadcast journalisma decision that followed reports that she had increasingly been sidelined inside the network since a restructuring earlier this year. Godwins detractors have charged that she stifled discussion and dissent internally and that she seemed more focused on boosting her profile than in the grind of running a news division, the Wall Street Journal reports. Her defenders have countered that she improved the newsroom environment at ABCand that, as the first Black person to run a major broadcast news division, she was scrutinized in ways other executives werent.

And the rollout of a book by Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota (and possible vice presidential pick for Donald Trump), has generated controversyfirst for Noems admission that she once shot a fourteen-month-old dog, then for its apparently false claim that Noem once met with Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator. Appearing for an interview on CBS yesterday, Noem defended the killing of her dog but suggested that the Kim claim would be edited out after it was brought to my attention.

New from CJR: A podcast discussion with Jelani Cobb on the crisis at Columbia

Cameron Joseph is a freelance political reporter with recent work in The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and Politico Magazine. A recipient of the 2023 National Press Foundation Dirksen Award for distinguished reporting of Congress and the 2020 National Press Club award for excellence in political journalism, he previously worked for VICE News, Talking Points Memo, the New York Daily News, The Hill and National Journal.
The number of wildfires per year is going down, but the increasing size and intensity of the fires is creating more property damage than ever before  in fact, the average fire size has tripled over the past 30 years, a new analysis shows.

Wildfire activity is cyclical and doesnt follow a uniform pattern form season to season. In 2023, when an El Nino weather pattern brought increased moisture to the West and South, the U.S. experienced a 25-year low in total area burned. Reports showed 2.7 million acres (4,209 square miles) burned that year from wildfires. In 2022, nearly triple that area burned, with fires touching 7.57 million acres (11,839 square miles).

In the first four months of 2024, 1.75 million acres have burned in the U.S. This is primarily due to the largest fire recorded in Texas history, which scorched more 1 million acres. States lawmakers have faulted a power pole for starting the massive blaze.

While the number of fires per year is in decline, the increasing size and intensity of those fires is creating more property damage than ever before, wrote Tom Jeffery, Ph.D., author of the report out from CoreLogic.

CoreLogic conducts an annual analysis of the wildfire hazard by calculating the residential exposure to higher categories of wildfire risk and the reconstruction cost of properties to produce the top 15 core-based statistical areas in the U.S. for wildfire exposure. All the metro areas on the list are in the West, six of which are in California.

Los Angeles tops the list with 185,763 properties at a higher risk and at a reconstruction value of $143.3 billion. The rest of the top five are Riverside (166,372 at $86.6 billion), San Diego (123,060 at $75.6 billion), Sacramento (91,475 at $53.2 billion) and San Francisco (56,985 at $40.2 billion).

The report also notes that many of the high-extreme wildfire risk areas are in states that lead the nation in housing shortages, which means many homes will be built in the wildland-urban interface, raising risks for properties and people alike.

Therefore, the report calls out the need for wildfire education, thoughtful urban planning and development, and wildfire insurance coverage that supports risk mitigation.

Theres also an elevated wildfire risk outside the WUI.

Even when the division between high-risk areas and development is clearly defined, embers blown from burning vegetation onto and into homes can stretch a fires threat farther into the urban zone, the report states. Embers are responsible for an estimated 90% of home ignitions caused by wildfire. There have been instances of embers igniting residences up to a half mile or more from an actual fire.
Geico has settled allegations by the US labor board that it illegally threatened and interrogated upstate New York employees about unionization efforts.

The insurance company agreed to post a notice informing employees of their rights and vowing to comply with federal labor law, including a series of pledges such as WE WILL NOT tell employees that they will get on GEICOs radar if they fill out union authorization cards.

The National Labor Relations Board approved the settlement in April, following a complaint in October against Geico by a regional director of the agency.

In 2022, faced with a unionization campaign by a fledgling employee-led group called Geico United, the companys management informed employees that their labor activism was under surveillance, told them they were dreamers if they thought they could unionize, and encouraged them to call the police if they were contacted by pro-union employees, according to the NLRBs complaint.

The filing, which Bloomberg obtained through a request under the Freedom of Information Act, also alleged that the company issued a social media policy that interfered with workers rights, threatened to punish employees for labor organizing and interrogated staff about workers union activism.

The company, a unit of Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, said Thursday that many other allegations against it had been withdrawn or dismissed, and that it settled in order to minimize expending time and money.

GEICO fully respects the federally protected rights of our associates under the National Labor Relations Act, the company said in an emailed statement. We are pleased to have settled this matter.

Geicos facilities all remain non-union, and Geico United so far has not petitioned for a unionization vote, according to the NLRBs docket.

We remain optimistic that without coercion, GEICO employees will be able obtain the union representation that they want and deserve, Angela Cornell, a Cornell Law School clinical professor who represents Geico United, said in an emailed statement.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Artsana, a maker of child car booster seats, last year agreed to settle claims that it had misled customers about how to use its products, offering $50 to people who had bought Chicco-brand seats.

The company, which did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, knew it sold roughly 875,000 such seats, yet court records show that by the end of October it had received more than 3.3 million claims for payment.

Faced with a wave of questionable claims, Artsana reversed itself and urged the court not to approve the settlement it had negotiated to end the litigation.

Criminals targeted the claims process in this case using sophisticated methods to generate large numbers of fraudulent claims, Artsanas attorneys told the federal court in Manhattan.

The court sided with Artsana and put the settlement on hold, telling lawyers to return after they had sorted out the fraud issue. The case is still pending, so no claims have been paid, records show.

Fraudulent claims have exploded in the last year, siphoning money out of settlements and threatening the class action system itself, said lawyers and claims administrators interviewed by Reuters.

More than 80 million claims submitted in 2023 showed significant signs of fraud, up more than 19,000% since 2021, according to a report expected to be released on Thursday by digital payment processor Digital Disbursements, which works with class action claims administrators.

Its an existential threat to the whole process, said Chris Chorba, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher who represents Artsana.

In settlements where a company agrees to pay a set amount, fraudulent claims can reduce the pool of money available for consumers actually entitled to a recovery, the experts said. In cases where companies agree to pay each claimant individually, fraud can blow up the cost of settling.

Exactly how much money is stolen from settlements through fraud is hard to quantify, said Steve Weisbrot, president and CEO of claims administrator Angeion Group, because successful fraudsters evade those trying to stop them. He said it is reasonable to think millions of dollars have been siphoned out of settlements in recent years.

Someone is making money off of it, or it would stop, Weisbrot said.

Plaintiffs attorney Don Beshada, whose software company Claimscore evaluates settlement claims for fraud, said he has identified at least eight settlements in federal and state courts that have been attacked by a similar wave of fraudulent claims since last year.

Cosmetics Claims

Among the cases Beshada and other administrators flagged was a class action against Grande Cosmetics over claims that its eyelash growth serum contained a chemical that required regulatory approval. The company settled the case without admitting liability for a little over $6 million. By April, 6.5 million claims had been filed, with just over 110,000 ultimately deemed valid by Claimscore and claims administrator Angeion Group, courtrecords show.

Neither Grande nor its lawyers responded to requests for comment. The company and attorneys for the class have urged the judge to approve the settlement, with plaintiffs attorneys noting the number of claims deemed valid represented a significant portion of the 1 million customers the company had estimated were affected. The judge has yet to issue a ruling.

About 80% of the 14 million claims were likely fraudulent in a $45.5 million settlement in a class action accusing tobacco giant Altria with misleading consumers about the addictiveness of its Juul products, administrators from Epiq Global told the California federal court. Altria settled without admitting liability.

Neither Altria nor its lawyers responded to requests for comment. The settlement, approved in March, will be divided among all claims the administrators deem valid.

Fraud is generally more common in cases involving allegations of false advertising or defective products that yield small payouts and may not require proof of purchase, lawyers and claims administrators say. Companies settling such cases are generally released from liability for essentially all allegations, so even class members who get little or no payout cannot sue again.

Automated Bots

This is not a new problem. In 2018, Reuters reported on scammers using automated bots to submit fake claims in class actions. But experts say fraudulent claims now are increasingly submitted not by bots but by groups of people using stolen identities and addresses, collecting payouts via check or digital payment. Some claims administrators suspect fraudsters use masked or stolen IP addresses to hide their locations.

In the short-term, weeding through all those claims can mean more money for administrators who charge defendant companies more to review a higher number of claims, Weisbrot said.

But in the long run, companies may become less willing to settle cases if they believe their money will go to fraudsters, said Chorba, the defense attorney who has represented several companies whose settlements have been targeted.

Plaintiffs attorneys, including Eli Wade-Scott, the head of the class action practice at plaintiffs firm Edelson, told Reuters fake claims are undermining efforts to improve the rate of claims by people who actually are entitled to part of the settlement. Some of the attorneys said overly stringent tactics by administrators to crack down on fraud could make things harder for real claimants.

Claims rates have to be excellent and those claims have to be real, Wade-Scott said.

(Reporting by Diana Jones; Editing by Leigh Jones and David Gregorio)
90 Day Fiance: Love in Paradise Season 4 continues tonight, May 6, at 8 p.m. Eastern on TLC. Episode 3 is titled The Mile High Club and sees Ani confront Kyle while Shawn struggles with the person Alliya is now compared with the person he fell in love with. Elsewhere, Luke confesses to losing his job, and Alex arrives in Italy.

TLC is available on Philo, DirecTV Stream and Sling. Each service offers a free trial to new subscribers, except Sling, which offers 50% off your first month.

The show focuses on four lovestruck Americans travelling to Brazil, Colombia, Italy and Malta to share lives with their significant others. Each couple will struggle with getting to know each other while also dealing with the highs and lows inherent in any relationship.

What streaming services carry TLC?

Philo offers over 70 channels for $25/month after the free trial ends. DirecTV Stream offers 75+ channels for $79.99 after the free trial, and Sling offers the channel as part of its Blue package ($40 monthly after the first month).

Cable Guide: What channel is TLC on?

You can find which channel TLC is on by using the channel finders here: Cox, Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish.
The UN climate body does not back climate alarmist claims

By Tom Harris

web posted May 6, 2024

Climate alarmists often tell us that their frightening forecasts are backed up by the best available science. In particular, they point to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that they tell us are the gold standard of climate science research. If the IPCC said it, it must be true, they proclaim!

The late Dr. Jay Lehr and I have often written about the serious flaws in the IPCC reports. Indeed, much of the IPCC science has been shown to be wrong, leading many participating scientists to resign from the body.

As documented in the Climate Change Reconsidered series of reports of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (the most recent of which appears at right), there are thousands of scientists across the world publishing in leading peer reviewed journals who show that much of what the IPCC conclude is incorrect. Consequently, basing our nations' climate and energy policies only on what the IPCC say would be irresponsible, even reckless.

But in many cases, climate campaigners are not even following the conclusions of the IPCC. In this article, I will discuss what the IPCC actually said in their reports and show some examples (there are many) where even the UN body itself contradicts what alarmists tell us.

First, it is important to understand what the various confidence levels used by the IPCC mean. They are:

Very Low : Indicates very limited evidence or low agreement.

Low : Suggests limited evidence or agreement.

Medium : Represents moderate evidence or agreement.

High : Signifies substantial evidence or high agreement.

Very High: Implies robust evidence or very high agreement 12 .

Climate alarmists often tell us that we should expect to see increases in flooding due to man-made climate change. But the IPCC finds no trends in flooding globally. Specifically, the IPCC write on p. 1569 of the latest Assessment Report, the sixth:

"In summary there is low confidence in the human influence on the changes in high river flows on the global scale. In general, there is low confidence in attributing changes in the probability or magnitude of flood events to human influence because of a limited number of studies, differences in the results of these studies and large modelling uncertainties."

Similarly, in the Fifth Assessment Report the IPCC wrote:

"There continues to be a lack of evidence and thus low confidence regarding the sign of trend in the magnitude and/or frequency of floods on a global scale."

Note that they don't even feel confident enough to conclude that floods are increasing or decreasing!

It seems that after every intense rainfall event, we are told that we will see even more of these due to man-made climate change and these are responsible for more flooding. But the IPCC actually says :

"Attributing changes in heavy precipitation to anthropogenic activities (Section 11.4.4) cannot be readily translated to attributing changes in floods to human activities, because precipitation is only one of the multiple factors, albeit an important one, that affect floods."

Even the Trudeau government's left-leaning Environment and Climate Change Canada in its 2019 climate report said,

"There do not appear to be detectable trends in short-duration extreme precipitation in Canada for the country as a whole based on available station data."

OK, not more rain. So there must be more drought then, right? No, the latest IPCC report says:

"There is low confidence in the emergence of drought frequency in observations, for any type of drought, in all regions."

Oh, but hold on, we will have more and more heat waves across the US and Canada due to man-made (anthropogenic) climate change, activists tell us. No, the IPCC says we don't really know. In particular, the IPCC indicates low confidence (~20%) for the detection of trends in extreme heat and the attribution of such trends to human causes for both central and eastern North America.

But what about more and more intense storms? For example, the derecho (which is a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms, and occasionally thunderstorms, that moves across a great distance and is characterized by damaging winds) a year ago in Ottawa, Canada and other extreme winds and storms that are blamed on anthropogenic climate change. Concerning extreme winds (between 60S and 60N), the IPCC says:

"the observed intensity of extreme winds is becoming less severe in the lower to mid-latitudes, while becoming more severe in higher latitudes poleward of 60 degrees (low confidence)"

Note: cities at or north of 60 degrees latitude include Reykjavik, Iceland (64N), and Helsinki, Finland (60N). OK, so Fins and Icelanders might have a reason to worry about stronger winds, but not us.

The IPCC also shows no upwards trends in landfalling hurricanes, including the strongest storms.

How about winter storms that are often blamed on anthropogenic climate change? The IPCC says, concerning winter storms:

"There is low confidence in observed recent changes in the total number of extratropical cyclones over both hemispheres. There is also low confidence in past-century trends in the number and intensity of the strongest extratropical cyclones over the Northern Hemisphere"

But what about tornadoes, hail and lightning? Surely those are increasing because of man-man climate change, or are at least happening differently now to how they were a decade ago, right? No, the IPCC says:

"observational trends in tornadoes, hail, and lightning associated with severe convective storms are not robustly detected due to insufficient coverage of the long-term observations"

"But, but, but, more forest fires are caused by climate change, OK?" environmentalists sputter.

The IPCC are not very confident about this. They write:

"There is medium confidence [in contrast to 'high' or 'very high' confidence] that weather conditions that promote wildfires (fire weather) have become more probable in southern Europe, northern Eurasia, the US, and Australia over the last century."

Interestingly, the Royal Society wrote in a 2020 blog post :

"Fire activity is on the rise in some regions, but when considering the total area burned at the ground level, we are not seeing an increase an overall increase."

In summary, Working Group 1 of the Sixth Assessment Report had "low confidence in the direction of change" of most of the climate impacts that most excite activists, sensational media and politicians, namely precipitation, drought, fire weather, cyclones and hurricanes, snow and ice, sea levels, coastal erosion and ocean acidity, you name it. Generally, it also has "low confidence" that a wider range of detrimental climate impacts will occur beyond 2050, except under "worst case" scenarios.

Finally, it should be noted that the terms 'climate emergency' or 'climate crisis' are only mentioned once in the latest IPCC assessment reports, and that is merely with regards to media coverage, not what the IPCC actually says is real. Specifically the IPCC write :

"Also, some media outlets have recently adopted and promoted terms and phrases stronger than the more neutral 'climate change' and 'global warming,' including 'climate crisis,' 'global heating,' and 'climate emergency' (Zeldin-O'Neill, 2019)."

So, when you next hear politicians, media and activists claim that their proclamations are backed up by the IPCC, have some fun with them and insist that they show you where the IPCC say what they say they say. And then sit back and watch them sputter and bluster and do their best to avoid the question.

Readers interested in delving more deeply into this topic are encouraged to read:

Tom Harris is Executive Director of the Ottawa, Canada-based International Climate Science Coalition .
The corruption of Rep. Adam Schiff is reaching a tipping point By Rachel Alexander

web posted May 6, 2024 It is no secret that far left Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff uses sleazy tactics to go after his political opponents. While most members of Congress usually skate on ethics charges, or receive light penalties, once in a great while their behavior is so overtly criminal that they end up prosecuted. Although Democrats are far more likely to use lawfare against Republicans than vice versa, when the behavior is so criminal, even Democrats  such as New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez who is being prosecuted for bribery  can't escape justice. Schiff is getting dangerously close to this stage. W en he became chair of the House Intelligence Committee in 2019, he made it a personal mission to investigate Donald Trump's supposed connections to Russia, completely separate from and in addition to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. When Mueller concluded there was no collusion between Trump and Russia, Schiff dismissively blew off the exoneration, hinting that he would continue his own investigation. "[T]here may be, for example, evidence of collusion or conspiracy that is clear and convincing, but not proof beyond a reasonable doubt," he said during an interview in February 2019. The nine Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee called for Schiff to resign in March 2019 due to his false claims of collusion. The Center for Renewing America sent a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics in June 2023, outlining Schiff's improper actions, including his attempts to get X to censure unfavorable posts and claiming the Hunter Biden collusion in Ukraine was a product of Russian disinformation. The letter asked for discipline up to expulsion. That same month, the House of Representatives censured Schiff over the Russia collusion hoax. They listed specific instances of wrongdoing. First, they cited his memo that falsely claimed that the warrant application for the FISA wiretap of Trump associate Carter Page was accurate. The application was "later found by Inspector General Horowitz to have 17 major mistakes and omissions, provoking FISA Court Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer to state unequivocally that the Federal Bureau of Investigation 'misled the FISC,'" the censure said. Next, the censure accused Schiff of "publicly, falsely denying that his staff communicated with a whistleblower to launch the first impeachment of President Trump." Finally, the censure stated that "Schiff misled the public by reading a false retelling of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky." Now it's come out that Schiff paid the daughter of the judge handling New York DA Alvin Bragg's prosecution of Trump $4 million to push the Russia collusion hoax. Loren Merchan's hatred of Trump is so extreme that she used a photo of Trump behind bars as her profile picture on X. She runs a digital marketing agency that works with Democrats and progressive groups. Yet New York Judge Juan Merchan's gag order against Trump prohibits him talking about his daughter. Merchan has not slapped a gag order on the prosecution or their witnesses, so Trump's turncoat former attorney Michael Cohen has been blabbing endlessly about him, posting rants about the trial on TikTok every evening. I would predict that any guilty verdict will be overturned based on this obvious bias by the judge, but after former Trump associate Hope Hicks surprised the politically motivated prosecutors by exonerating Trump last week, there is unlikely to be a conviction. Hicks said the money allegedly paid to porn star and liar Stormy Daniels was to protect Trump's wife Melania, not to protect the campaign. The crux of the case against Trump is that it was an illegal campaign contribution. An ethics complaint was filed against Schiff recently, alleging election fraud and mortgage fraud. Schiff is running for the U.S. Senate in California, but has been living in Maryland while voting in California. Former Oklahoma Rep. Steve Watkins was prosecuted for allegedly voting in the wrong Topeka City Council race after listing a UPS Store as his voting address. While running for the U.S. Senate, Schiff has brazenly engaged in sleazy tactics. He spent $10 million promoting his Republican opponent during the primary. Since California uses "top 2" voting, which means the top two vote getters in the primary move on to the general, he wanted to ensure that Republican Steve Garvey ended up with the second most votes instead of his two Democratic challengers. On the campaign trail, Schiff brags about his political persecution of Trump as a campaign platform. Schiff isn't a principled leftist. In the late 1990s, he sponsored bills in the California Legislature which would have made it a felony to hire an illegal immigrant, and to allow minors 14 or older accused of serious crimes to be tried as adults. If the roles were reversed, and Schiff had engaged in this corruption as a Republican, aggressive progressive DAs put in their positions by left-wing billionaire George Soros would have begun multiple prosecutions. His law license is safe, however, since it has been inactive since 2001. Hinting at guilt, Schiff admitted he feared that a Trump administration might prosecute him. Trump has said that Schiff and other members of the January 6th committee, whom he labeled as corrupt, should face prosecution and imprisonment. Schiff wants the prosecutions against Trump to occur quickly, obviously in order to influence the voters. He complained about Trump's immunity claim, "The claim is borderline frivolous  they're drawing it out just enough to make it almost infeasible to try [the cases] before the election," he said . "It's still possible to get it done. And I think voters deserve to have that information." Will anything be done to Schiff other than the House censure, which is meaningless in practical terms? Maybe eventually. He shows no sign of slowing down the corruption. He's gotten so brazen about it, since no one has intervened to stop him, that he may finally engage in criminal activity so outrageous that even compromised judges draw the line. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home
When working remotely on a laptop, technically, a worker can be anywhere. They could even be at Disney World.

From Disney bloggers and freelance journalists to tech industry professionals, travel agents and people with double monitors at Epcot, adult Disney World fans are documenting their remote work habit from inside the parks in social media posts.

It's a phenomenon that has gained steam since around 2022, with a post-pandemic surge of people returning to the theme parks and the rise of both remote work and jobs in which people never truly sign off.

"People want to move to Orlando, they want to feel like they live in Disney World," said AJ Wolfe, who has been writing about Disney parks, including via her popular Disney Food Blog, for more than 15 years. "You're closer to the place that makes you happy, and you can access it much more quickly when you're done working."

Wolfe has been working in the parks and advising people where the best places are to work within them for almost as long. Since the parks reopened in late 2020 after Covid-19 forced their first-ever extended closure, Wolfe said she's been noticing more people purposefully choosing to work remotely from inside Disney World.

"Lines are blurring between conventional workspaces and leisure time across the board," she said. "I think people are adopting and looking to adopt a situation where they can work at the same time they're experiencing something they enjoy."

Disney World's committed and vociferous fan base  there are dozens of online communities and creators dedicated to almost everything about the parks  has wrestled with the remote work practices.

The emerging practice has drawn some disbelief  and criticism. In late April, an Orlando resident posted on the Disney World subreddit about setting up a workspace at a cafe that opened in 2022 in Epcot. The thread had to be locked after users started complaining that the remote worker could be taking up a table that other guests wanted to use to eat (the post was from a Tuesday afternoon and the cafe appeared mostly empty).

Disney has also installed more places throughout the resort where people can charge their phones, since the mobile Disney World app has become an essential part of the experience  guests use it to bypass lines, order food, scan tickets, check wait times and more. Many counter service and cafe-style restaurants inside the parks have places to charge your devices. The newer wireless charging ports, like at the Epcot cafe, and outlets have in turn provided a place for people to plug in their tablet or laptop.

"I think they also probably realized that would also benefit folks who have just moved to Orlando to be closer to the parks and need some place to work," Wolfe said.

Walt Disney World didn't respond to a request for comment.

The rise of remote work at Disney World is accompanied by the steady growth of online content related to Disney Parks in general. Wolfe, who is working on a book about the "Disney Adults" phenomenon, said online "side hustles" related to Disney World are becoming more common.

Some of the people who have posted about working inside Disney World also offer travel-planning services to other Disney fans. Dozens of people have full-time jobs creating daily content about and from within the Disney parks, posting on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and blogs. They are almost never officially affiliated with The Walt Disney Co. They often fall somewhere between independent media and professional fans.

Separately, there are even more people who don't make money from posting about Disney, but instead find community from sharing their Disney experiences online.

"It's that vibe of 'Epcot is my coffee shop,'" Wolfe said. "Instead of 'I'm going to close my laptop and start watching Netflix,' it's like, 'I'm going to close my laptop and go on Spaceship Earth.'"
Several stocks reporting earnings this week imply some pretty big moves. We'll take a deeper dive into what options traders are betting on in Disney and propose an alternative with a higher probability for a profit. Disney (DIS) traded above average call volume on Friday, with calls outpacing puts by nearly two-to-one. The options market is implying about a 6% move by the end of the week. While that is higher than the long-term average earnings-related move, Disney has been quite volatile in recent quarters. The stock jumped 11.5% following its first-quarter earnings release in February. Disney reports Tuesday before the bell. Current estimates call for a modest 1% revenue increase for the quarter. The company guided to between 5.5 and 6 million Disney+ subscriber gains. Streaming services have not yet reached profitability. As money manager Julie Biel commented on Fast Money on last Friday, while a lot of attention is directed at streaming, Disney's "Experiences" segments, which includes its theme parks, resorts, vacations and merchandising, is a much larger contributor to revenues and profits than subscriber revenues. For full-year 2023 ended September 30, 2023 for example, Experiences revenues were $32.5 billion, versus $16.42 billion for all subscriber fees. DIS 1Y mountain Disney, 1-year Disney has rallied over 40% off the October 2023 lows, but trading just 24 times 2024 earnings estimates (Disney's fiscal year ends in September) is reasonable if the Street estimates of 20% compound annual eps growth rates over the next couple years prove accurate. The most active contract expiring this coming Friday, May 10th were the $120 strike calls, 2,792 traded Friday at an average price of $1.33. Buyers of those calls are betting Disney will rally at least 6.75% by the end of the week. Buyers are risking relatively little, but because the trade requires a big upside move by week's end the options market is implying the probability that the trade is profitable is low at roughly 20%. Besides, as of Friday's close, the May 10th weekly $120 calls were trading about 8% higher than Friday's volume-weighted average price already. An investor who is willing to take more risk in exchange for a higher probability of profit might instead consider a diagonal call spread. The trade: For example one could purchase the June $115 calls for about $4.80 and sell the May 10th weekly $120 calls at $1.43 against them. The resulting $3.37 debit is a larger outlay, but the probability of profit is greater because the stock would not need to appreciate as significantly by this coming Friday to see profits as the chart below illustrates. The following stocks trade more than $75 million notionally in options on average each day, and options prices suggest they could see substantial moves by the end of the week. DISCLOSURES: (None) THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
(This is CNBC Pro's live coverage of Monday's analyst calls and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to view the latest posts.) A chipmaker and a steel giant were part of Monday's biggest analyst calls. Morgan Stanley raised its rating on U.S. Steel to overweight, calling for more than 30% upside. Baird, meanwhile, upgraded Micron Technology to outperform, noting that a recent pullback has opened up a buying opportunity. Check out the latest calls and chatter below. All times ET. 8:33 a.m.: Bank of America upgrades Santander Brasil on earnings momentum Bank of America upgraded Santander Brasil to buy from neutral on Monday, anticipating the Brazil-based bank's earnings will rise "sharply" in 2024. Santander Brasil reported first-quarter financial results last week, which "provided further evidence of the significant earnings recovery underway," Mario Pierry wrote in a note to clients. Its first-quarter net income increased 41% year over year and its pre-tax earnings rose 72%, thanks to loan growth acceleration, continued and graduation normalization of market net investment income and consistent improvement in asset quality, he pointed out. Pierry expects the bank to deliver the fastest earnings growth of the sector this year. U.S.-listed shares of Santander Brasil are down 11% year to date.  Michelle Fox 8:32 a.m.: Morgan Stanley upgrades Melco Resorts to overweight Melco Resorts is emerging as one of the winners in the rebound for the tourism business in Macao, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Praveen Choudhary upgraded the stock to overweight from equal weight, saying in a note to clients that Melco is pulling ahead of some of its rivals in the region. "MLCO gained market share consecutively in March and April, which we attribute to recent changes in management and promotion initiatives," Choudhary said in a note to clients Sunday evening. Choudhary hiked the price target on Melco to $9.60 per share from $8.30. The new target is more than 30% above where the stock closed Friday. Morgan Stanley projects Melco's free cash flow to jump significantly in 2025, which could help drive the stock higher. "We think upside to the current share price could be meaningful as the market moves to price the stock on 2025 [estimates]," the note said.  Jesse Pound 8:08 a.m.: Flutter has upside of more than 20%, MoffettNathanson says Investors should embrace the idea that Ireland-based Flutter is going to be one of the long-term winners of the U.S. sports gambling boom, according to MoffettNathanson. Analyst Roberth Fishman iniated coverage of the Fanduel-parent with a buy rating and a price target of $240 per share, which is more than 20% above where the stock closed Friday. Fishman said in a note to clients Monday that Fanduel is one of two entranced leaders in U.S. betting. "Despite threats from new and existing competition, we think the largely duopolistic U.S. market structure that has developed over time will persist with FanDuel and DraftKings commanding vastly better economics due to their relative scale," the note said. Investors also appear to be undervaluing Flutter's business outside of the U.S., according to Fishman. "Even if you ascribe no value to the international business, we estimate the value of Flutter's U.S. business at around $39 billion, equal to FLUT's total enterprise value today. Thus, in our opinion, any value for the ex-U.S. business is pure upside to current stock levels," the note said. Flutter listed on the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 29, and shares have lost ground since then. The company's primary listing is still in London.  Jesse Pound 7:32 a.m.: Citi downgrades Peloton after management changes Peloton's recent round of layoffs and management changes could lead to a lack of clarity on next steps, Citi warned. The firm downgraded Peloton to neutral from buy and lowered its price target to $4 per share from $8. Citi's forecast implies about 17% upside from Friday's $3.43 close. "While we are encouraged with FY3Q24 results and believe that EBITDA and [free cash flow] can now be sustainably positive post its reorganization on no growth, we believe top-line visibility is now more limited, and we await details around Peloton's strategic direction once new management is announced," analyst Ronald Josey said. "We acknowledge Peloton's best-in-class content offerings, its strong engagement trends, and relatively low churn, which create a differentiated offering as efficiencies in operating expenses could lead to improved overall profitability," the analyst added. Peloton stock has slipped nearly 44% in 2024.  Brian Evans 7:08 a.m.: Barclays increases Coinbase price target Coinbase's outlook remains murky even after the company's recent quarterly report. The firm reiterated an underweight rating on Coinbase stock, and raised its price target to $204 from $179 per share. Barclays' forecast implies about 9% downside from Friday's close. "1Q24 results were quite strong, and while transaction activity appears slower in April vs. Q1, it was trending ahead of our expectations," analyst Benjamin Budish wrote in a May 3 note. "We revise our model to reflect management guidance as well as trends in transactions and USDC market cap through April." "With April KPIs generally decelerating vs. March (though better than Jan/Feb), however, the outlook is less clear," the analyst added. Coinbase stock has climbed more than 28% in 2024.  Brian Evans 6:41 a.m.: Morgan Stanley raises Carvana price target Morgan Stanley likes what it sees from Carvana after its "operational turnaround." The stock, however, is likely to face pressure. The bank reiterated an underweight rating on the used car retailer but raised its price target to $75 per share from $45. Morgan Stanley's forecast implies more than 38% downside from Friday's close. "Throughout 2023, CVNA transitioned from a distressed equity into an operational turnaround with a restructured interest burden," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said. "In 2024, the company marked its official return to growth, reporting in 1Q a 16% y/y growth in retail units sold after six consecutive quarters of declines as well as positive free cash flow," he added. "The return to profitable growth with FCF [free cash flow] has triggered a narrative shift in the stock, reducing the risks of equity dilution and making the name relevant again to growth investors." Carvana stock has soared more than 129% in 2024.  Brian Evans 6:21 a.m.: Wells Fargo labels Citi as 'dominant' top pick After meeting with Citigroup's CEO, Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo thinks the banking giant can successfully modernize its operations and expand earnings over the long term. "We feel more confident that Citi will show higher revenues and lower expenses in '24, and that buybacks accelerate later 2024," Mayo wrote in a Friday note. The analyst reiterated an overweight rating on Citi stock alongside a $80 per share price target and labeled the firm as a "dominant" top pick. Mayo's forecast implies 30% upside ahead from Friday's $61.52 close. Citi stock has climbed nearly 20% in 2024. C YTD mountain C in 2024  Brian Evans 6:13 a.m.: UBS downgrades Johnson Controls International over lack of 'positive catalysts ahead' UBS thinks Johnson Controls will face trouble trying to meet its full-year 2024 guidance. The firm downgraded the HVAC stock to neutral from buy and lowered its price target to $68 per share from $74. UBS' forecast implies 9% upside from Friday's close. "We see operational challenges, including difficulty in exceeding quarterly growth expectations, as continuing to weigh on sentiment and see a balanced risk/reward with the stock at 16x P/E in our base case," analyst Damian Karas said. "While we see continued overhang from negative EPS revisions (we are ~4% below FY26 Cons), JCI is trading at historical lows vs peers," Karas added. Johnson Controls stock has added more than 8% in 2024. In the premarket, however, it fell 1%.  Brian Evans 5:45 a.m.: Baird upgrades Micron Technology, names it a top semiconductor pick Baird may have been late to jump on the Micron Technology bandwagon, according to analyst Tristan Gerra, but the firm still thinks there's plenty of room for upside ahead. The firm upgraded the semiconductor stock to outperform and listed Micron as a top pick within its coverage universe of chip firms. Baird also increased its price target to $150 per share from $115, implying about 31% upside from Friday's close. "While catching the train a bit late, we see meaningful upside opportunities ahead for Micron notably given the stock's recent pullback, in discrepancy with incrementally positive trends unfolding in DRAM [dynamic random access memory] per our recent channel checks, yielding to a somewhat unprecedented outlook for memory over the next 12-18 months," Gerra wrote on Monday. Shares are up more than 34% for the year. However, they have fallen 7% over the past month. In premarket trading, the stock advanced 2.6%. MU YTD mountain MU year to date  Brian Evans 5:45 a.m.: Morgan Stanley upgrades U.S. Steel There's a big buying opportunity in U.S. Steel after a recent pullback this year, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Carlos De Alba upgraded the steel producer to overweight from equal weight. His price target of $48, albeit down from $51, still implies upside of 31.6% over the next 12 months. Shares have been under pressure this year, losing more than 25%, as regulators scrutinize Japan's Nippon Steel acquisition of U.S. Steel. De Alba, however, thinks a transformation at U.S. Steel is still taking place  making it attractive regardless of a possible takeover. X YTD mountain X in 2024 "U.S. Steel, historically an integrated blast furnace steelmaker, is nearing the end of its transformation into a more flexible steelmaker," De Alba said. "Our call is supported by the competitive nature of US Steel's strategic review process, which highlights the value of X's growth initiatives." The stock rose 2% in the premarket following the upgrade.  Fred Imbert
A general view of flooded streets after the overflow of the Guaiba river on May 4, 2024 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Rains have struck heavily the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul causing damages in the infrastructure and displacing more than 115,000 people. Authorities report over 78 fatalities and expect the death toll to increase while dozens of people are still missing.

The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 78, local authorities said on Sunday, with more than 115,000 people displaced.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday morning with most members of his cabinet to discuss rescue and reconstruction efforts with local authorities.

"Bureaucracy will not stand in our way, stopping us from recovering the state's greatness," Lula said at a press conference.

"It is a war scenario, and will need post-war measures," state governor Eduardo Leite added.

Volunteers using boats, jet skis  and even swimming  have assisted in ongoing rescue efforts. In the state capital Porto Alegre, Fabiano Saldanha said he and three friends have used jet skis to save about 50 people from flood waters since Friday in islands that are part of the city.

"The only thing we hear when we enter a street is 'help,' 'help,'" Saldanha said.

The death toll could still substantially increase as 105 people were reported missing on Sunday, up from about 70 the prior day, according to the state civil defense authority. It also said it was investigating whether another four deaths were related to the storms.

Flooding from storms in the past few days has affected more than two thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina, leaving more than 115,000 people displaced, according to authorities.
Dozens of former employees who say they were fired from Bowlero based on their age or out of retaliation plan to sue the bowling chain after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission closed its case against the company, the attorney representing the claimants said Monday.

Bowlero, the world's largest owner and operator of bowling centers, had been embroiled in an EEOC investigation since 2016 involving more than 70 former employees who claim they were unlawfully fired, the company previously disclosed in securities filings.

They alleged in complaints to the EEOC that Bowlero fired them for being too old as it worked to transform its hundreds of locations from what the company has referred to as "dingy" bowling alleys to upmarket experiences with elevated food and drink offerings, CNBC previously reported. Bowlero denies the claims.

The company, which went public in late 2021 through a special purpose acquisition company, was among the select successful stocks to emerge from the SPAC boom. It owns two of the biggest brands in bowling  AMF and Lucky Strike  and operated more than 300 bowling centers across North America as of July, which is the most recent data available. Between 2021 and 2023, Bowlero nearly tripled its annual revenue, from $395 million to $1.06 billion, according to company filings. Bowlero's stock is down about 21% year to date, as of Monday's close.

On Monday, Bowlero disclosed in its fiscal third-quarter earnings release and quarterly securities filing that the EEOC has closed its case and will not move forward with a lawsuit.

"The Company has received positive updates on the status of the age discrimination claims that had been pending with the EEOC  the EEOC issued Closure Notices for the individual age discrimination charges that had been filed, in most cases, many years ago with the EEOC," Bowlero said in its press release. "The notices provide the claimants, as a matter of course, with an individual right to sue."

Bowlero noted it received letters from the EEOC stating the agency has decided not to bring litigation against the company. In one of the letters, the agency said the closure of the cases doesn't clear the company of wrongdoing.

"By terminating the handling of this case, the Commission does not certify that [Bowlero] is in compliance. Also, our termination of the investigation does not affect the rights of any aggrieved persons to file a private lawsuit or the Commission's right to sue later or intervene later in a private civil action," said the EEOC's letter, sent Friday.

During the company's earnings call with Wall Street analysts later Monday, executives said that the EEOC investigation was now behind them and would no longer be a distraction.

"Over eight-and-a-half years, the company has vigorously denied and contested the false allegations made against it," CEO Thomas Shannon said in his opening remarks. "We are pleased to report these very positive developments on behalf of our shareholders."

Later, when asked about the financial impact the EEOC investigation has had, finance chief Robert Lavan said "there's been a few million dollars" that have flowed through the income statement, but "more importantly, it's been a distraction."

"So we're happy to focus 100% now on our business and get this behind us," said Lavan.

However, Daniel Dowe, a lawyer representing dozens of claimants, said the case hasn't gone away  it will now just take another form.

The EEOC's decision allows the former employees to move forward with their own lawsuits, and Dowe expects to file a single lawsuit on behalf of more than 70 former employees, he told CNBC. Dowe plans to seek monetary damages in connection with the case.

The EEOC had previously found reasonable cause in 58 of the complaints brought against Bowlero, and the rest were still under investigation when the agency closed its case, according to Bowlero's securities filings and Dowe. The employees who still had cases pending with the EEOC also have the right to sue and are among the potential plaintiffs that Dowe is representing, he said.

The company disclosed in the filings that the EEOC's investigation also resulted in a determination of reasonable cause that Bowlero had been engaging in a "pattern or practice"  a term that indicates systemic issues  of age discrimination since at least 2013, which Bowlero also denies. The EEOC's pattern or practice investigation was also closed, Bowlero said.

When the EEOC finds reasonable cause in a complaint, it means it believes discrimination occurred. The agency typically makes that determination in only a small fraction of cases each year, EEOC data shows.

Under EEOC procedure, when the agency finds that discrimination has occurred, it works to resolve the situation between the employer and the victim, it explains on its website. If the parties are unable to come to a solution, the EEOC must decide whether to sue the employer  a matter the EEOC's commissioners need to vote on.

"Because of limited resources, we cannot file a lawsuit in every case where we find discrimination," the EEOC explains on its website.

The EEOC tried to settle the complaints with Bowlero for $60 million in January 2023, but those efforts failed last April, CNBC previously reported.

It's unclear if the question of whether to sue Bowlero made it to a vote with the EEOC's commissioners. The EEOC declined to comment because most of its processes are confidential under federal law.

Dowe said that he requested the agency close its case last month so his clients could move forward with their own lawsuit. He added that he's "delighted" the matter is now ready for private action.

"The investigations were thorough and deep and they resulted in 58 to zero decisions in our favor, so our clients felt we should let the EEOC do its work," Dowe said.

He added that age discrimination is "one of the worst forms of discrimination. Most of what you hear about in discrimination cases is about race and gender, but age is awful because people are at the end of their careers, they can't go back to college and retool. It's humiliating, it kind of ends their life in a disaster."

He told CNBC he plans to sue Bowlero for $80 million, plus legal fees. As of March 31, Bowlero had approximately $212.4 million in available cash and cash equivalents, according to its quarterly securities filing. Dowe said he has until mid-July to file the lawsuit.

Some of the complaints against Bowlero are years old and could be challenged under the statute of limitations, the company has said previously. Dowe said he is confident that his clients will prevail in federal court and there is "strong" case precedent in their favor.

In response, Bowlero's attorneys Alex Spiro and Hope Skibitsky at law firm Quinn Emanuel said they "are pleased with the outcome of the EEOC investigation." The attorneys said the company will fight any claims filed by its past employees.

"Bowlero will defeat those claims," the attorneys said. In previous statements, they denied the claims against Bowlero.

In a separate but related matter, a request from former Bowlero executive Thomas Tanase to countersue the bowling chain for claims of extortion and retaliation was denied in Virginia federal court last week. Tanase's attorneys previously said if the request is denied, the suit can and "likely will" be filed as a new action. Bowlero also denies Tanase's claims.

Tanase's attorneys didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cameco , one of the world's largest publicly traded uranium miners, is positioned for long-term growth despite lackluster first-quarter results, as Western power companies seek secure nuclear supply chains, according to Goldman Sachs. Goldman has raised Cameco's 12-month stock price target by $1 to $56, implying 15.7% upside from Friday's close. Shares of the Canadian miner fell more than 7% after the company reported a first-quarter loss of $7 million on April 30, down from the $119 million profit in the year-ago period. Cameco then bounced 6% to recoup most of those losses through Friday's close. CCJ YTD mountain CCJ 3-mo chart "We continue to see CCJ as a key means of gaining exposure to the entire value chain of uranium," Goldman analysts lead by Neil Mehta told clients in a note Monday. Uranium prices have been on a tear over the past 12 months, with the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) up 53% during that period. Though Cameco's sales of 7.3 million pounds of uranium in the quarter missed guidance of 8.25 million pounds, the company maintained its full-year guidance of 32 million pounds to 34 million pounds. Cameco's stock is still up about 16% for the year and nearly 80% over the past 12 months. "We continue to believe that an increased need to source volumes from lower geopolitical risk jurisdictions and from low cost providers is likely to drive a migration of imports from Canada and as a result from Cameco, driving both volume and price benefits for the company," Mehta and his team told clients. Governments around the world increasingly view nuclear power as a key pillar of the energy transition because the technology can provide reliable carbon-free energy at a time when electricity demand is rising. Western countries are seeking secure supplies of uranium to support a nuclear buildout, rather than relying on Russia or neighboring Kazakhstan. The U.S. Senate passed legislation to completely ban imports of Russian low-enriched uranium in 2028. Power companies are required to seek alternative sources of uranium 90 days after President Joe Biden signs the legislation, unless the secretary of energy grants a waiver. The waivers would expire in 2028.
Displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip sit alongside their belonging in the back of a vehicle as they leave following an evacuation order by the Israeli army on May 6, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. - | Afp | Getty Images

Israel's military on Monday said it has begun evacuating Palestinians from parts of Gaza's southern city of Rafah, ahead of an expected military operation where roughly half of the enclave's entire population is sheltering. "For your safety, the IDF appeals to you evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi," Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Force's head of the Arab media division, wrote in a post on X, according to a Google translation from Arabic. "The IDF will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence, as it has done so far. Anyone who is close to terrorist organizations puts his life and the life of his family at risk," the post said. Al Mawasi is a small stretch of coastal scrub land, just over half a mile wide and 8.6 miles long, and is already host to several hundred thousand displaced Palestinians. More than 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, most of whom fled other parts of the Gaza Strip, predominantly living in tents and without access to sufficient water, food, and basic medicine.

A Palestinian girl sits holding a toddler on a sand dune overlooking a camp for displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 17, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Mohammed Abed | Afp | Getty Images

The White House  as well as the United Nations, WHO and other multinational organizations  has urged Israel against an offensive in Rafah, warning of catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said that an operation there is essential to his country winning the war against Hamas.

Netanyahu and his far-right governing coalition have rejected Washington's supplications, saying that Israel would conduct its offensive into Rafah with or without U.S. support. "The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question. We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there  with or without a [cease-fire] deal, in order to achieve total victory," Netanyahu said while speaking in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd R) meets with soldiers stationed near the north of Gaza Strip in Jerusalem on December 25, 2023. Avi Ohayon | Anadolu | Getty Images

The IDF believes that between 5,000 and 8,000 Hamas fighters are in the densely-populated southern city, which it says is the militant group's last holdout. The announcement Monday comes after the latest round of hostage and cease-fire deal negotiations ended in Cairo on Sunday, with both Hamas and Israeli officials trading blame for the talks' collapse.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that "we see signs that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement." Israel did not send a delegation to Cairo for the discussions, which were mediated by Qatar and Egypt. Hamas has proposed releasing a number of hostages in exchange for a full and permanent cease-fire, which Israel's government said is a no-go, as it aims aim to continue its military offensive in Gaza until it deems the group to be completely eliminated. The Hamas delegation left Egypt on Sunday for Qatar, where it has a political office, saying that "in-depth and serious discussions took place" in the last several days. It will return to Cairo on Tuesday to continue talks.

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CIA Director William Burns was in the Qatari capital of Doha on Sunday for discussions with top officials in an attempt to keep the talks alive and is likely to travel to Israel for more cease-fire and hostage release talks, NBC News reported, citing a source with knowledge of the matter. Israel on Sunday closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing, a vital conduit of humanitarian aid into Gaza, after it was hit by at least 10 rockets that morning. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed four IDF soldiers.

In the seven months since the Israel-Hamas war began, Rafah has become one of the most crowded places on Earth, according to aid organizations.

A Palestinian woman cries as she inspects a heavily damaged apartment following Israeli bombardment on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 8, 2024, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas enters its fifth month. Said Khatib | Afp | Getty Images

One of those organizations, Islamic Relief, described "apocalyptic conditions," and said that "civilians there are terrified about the coming days." An invasion of the area "would inevitably kill thousands more civilians, uproot hundreds of thousands of people yet again, and make widespread famine inevitable," and "would massively disrupt the humanitarian response across Gaza, which is primarily based in Rafah, at a time when lifesaving aid is needed more than ever," the group wrote in a press release from May 2. Mohammed Al Najjar, a 23-year-old blind law student from Gaza, is currently living in Rafah with his parents. He spoke to CNBC about his family's fear of what may be to come. "We woke up this morning to see pamphlets outside the house telling us to evacuate the area we're in. The evacuation order told us to go to Khan Yunis and Northern Deir Al Balah because the Israeli army designated them safe zones," Al Najjar said.

Displaced Palestinians collect food donated by a charity before an iftar meal, the breaking of the fast, on the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip on March 11, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. - | Afp | Getty Images
The difficult road ahead for Club holding Starbucks took a dramatic, unexpected turn this weekend  one that Jim Cramer said he's not seen before in his four decades on Wall Street. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who built the coffee chain into a global brand and served in the top job on three occasions, on Sunday chimed in on the company's terrible quarterly earnings report last week . In a LinkedIn post , Schultz emphasized the urgent need to revitalize the company's U.S. business, writing that its operations are "the primary reason for the company's fall from grace." Starbucks' brutal report Tuesday night triggered a nearly 16% plunge in its stock price the following day. Shares have lost an additional 1% or so in recent days. The stock is down about 24% year to date and more than 31% over the past 12 months. "Candidly, I've never seen this done," Jim said Monday on CNBC, referring to an ex-CEO authoring essentially a public letter that's critical of the current leadership and offers advice on problems. "I think he's coming from the point of view just sadness about where the franchise is," Jim said. Schultz no longer serves on Starbucks' board, having stepped down in September , but he remains a significant shareholder. Schultz handed over the reins to CEO Laxman Narasimhan in March 2023 after serving as interim chief executive for nearly a year. Schultz, whose prior stints as CEO spanned from 1986 to 2000 and then from 2008 to 2017, returned for a third time after his successor Kevin Johnson retired . In his LinkedIn post Sunday, Schultz said people inside and outside Starbucks had asked him for his thoughts on "what should be done" in light of the company's much weaker-than-expected second-quarter results. Starbucks also cut its full-year outlook after its same-store sales declined in the key markets of North America and China. It was the company's second consecutive earnings miss. Schultz's post stressed the importance of Starbucks' customers. "The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant," Schultz wrote. "Senior leadersincluding board membersneed to spend more time with those who wear the green apron," he added, referring to the company's baristas. Starbucks did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Schultz's remarks. SBUX YTD mountain SBUX stock performance year-to-date. For its part, Starbucks has chalked up its disappointing second-quarter results to a number of factors  some of which were outside its control and others within it. "A deteriorating economic outlook has weighed on customer traffic," Narasimhan said during the post-earnings call. "We continue to feel the impact of a more cautious consumer," the CEO added. At the same time, elevated wait times or product unavailability during the quarter turned many customers away, management said, which hurt sales, too. Narasimhan said Starbucks is working on a plan to speed up customer service and improve its supply chain. Jim has viewed management's response to the quarter as unsatisfactory. The day after Starbucks reported, Jim was sharply critical of Narasimhan during an interview on "Squawk on the Street," later saying he was "distressed" about the situation. "Howard, like many, like us, expected a bad quarter, but we did not expect the worst quarter of the year," Jim added Monday during the Club's Morning Meeting. Schultz's decision to weigh in on the situation, while certainly unusual, does not change our calculus on our investment. We're standing pat for now, as Jim outlined in his Sunday column , believing that the depths of the fall could spark action. Following last weeks' earnings report, we downgraded our rating on Starbucks shares to 2 and cut our price target to $90 apiece. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long SBUX. 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.

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testifies about the company's labor and union practices during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 29, 2023. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
Jim Cramer's daily rapid fire looks at stocks in the news outside the CNBC Investing Club portfolio. Tyson Foods : Shares fell nearly 7% after the meat supplier issued a weak third-quarter outlook. Its second-quarter earnings were better than expected. "I thought that we were going to be in a situation where Tyson had finally gotten it together. Last quarter was good. I think the last story has not been written yet on Tyson," Jim Cramer said. Micron Technologies : Baird upgraded Micron's stock to a buy-equivalent rating, noting positive trends for the memory chipmaker in its DRAM business as well as growth in high-performing HBM3E, which is used for AI chips like those made by Nvidia. Shares of Micron rose nearly 4% Monday. Nvidia, a longtime holding of Cramer's CNBC Investing Club, added 3%. "Nvidia is being read-through as part of this upgrade," Cramer said. U.S. Steel : Morgan Stanley upgraded the steelmaker to a buy-equivalent rating, contending its transformation is still on track even as a standalone company. Japan's Nippon Steel is trying to complete a politically controversial acquisition of U.S. Steel. Johnson Controls : Shares were basically flat Monday after UBS downgraded the stock to a hold-equivalent rating. "To screw up in HVAC is really extraordinary because we saw how well Trane is doing, and David Gitlin is doing incredible at Carrier. They must be taking share from Johnson Controls," Cramer said. Robinhood : The Securities and Exchange Commission informed Robinhood over the weekend that it could pursue enforcement actions tied to the brokerage's cryptocurrency operations. Robinhood shares were initially up more than 1% Monday, though they've given back some of the gains. "I think they'll reach a conclusion that will be positive, and that's why Robinhood is not down, but actually up on a piece of news ahead of when they report the quarter that normally would knock something down," Cramer said.
I'm running the numbers just to get a feel for things as I get ready to go back on the air on Tuesday. The market has certainly taken off this year, at least until the recent soft patch. In general, everything has done far better than I expected post-Covid. Maybe it really is the AI boom. Maybe it's the still-ongoing fiscal stimulus. Maybe it's the immigration surge. Who knows.

So, the S&P is up a healthy 7.5% since January 1. The Dow is up a more modest 2.6%. But here's the catch: those numbers are actually understating the market's true performance by a half-point or so. And this always happens. Why? Because that price performance doesn't include dividends, which actual investors who own the indexes get to pocket--or more crucially, reinvest.

Yes, you nod. But this becomes a very big deal over time! And the technology does exist today to show the real, all-in returns. The problem is, if we ever switched over to reporting it that way, the average American's head might explode. Because if you include reinvested dividends just since 1987, the Dow would currently be at 95,604. No joke--it's on the provider's own website. Nearly 100,000! And the S&P, instead of 5127 today, would be at 11,152.

Well, this is just a silly thought experiment, you say. But Germany has already been reporting this way--on a total return, not just price basis--for decades. The DAX switched over in 1987. Mark Hebner, the CEO of Index Fund Advisors, has put together a handy, interactive chart (#7 here), where you can see that Germany's market looks pretty good--outperforming all but the U.S.--until you switch the others over to total returns. Then, it trails Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland, and even France. Why those countries don't also make the reporting switch, I don't know.

Point being, if you own the major U.S. indexes, you've actually done even better than you think over the years. This has big implications. It means, for instance, your money does better in stocks versus bonds than you might realize. (Wonky note: researchers Samuel Hartzmark and David H. Solomon think this could even explain the equity return premium; read their paper for more.)

It also means your active manager, mutual fund, or hedge fund may not be outperforming by as much as you think if they are only comparing their performance to the price indexes. It even means supposedly "winning" funds are getting flows they don't merit, since funds typically follow performance.

But it also means that failing to reinvest your dividends is a really big deal. All of this stems from the fact that when stocks go ex-dividend, they drop in price. They didn't "lose value," or finish "in the red" that day because of some actual economic change. They simply lowered in price to reflect the cash amount paid out. But if you don't include the cash amount paid out, your price index underperforms reality.

And if you not only include, but also reinvest the dividend, your total returns over time skyrocket. Hartzman and Solomon note the Dow could be well north of 672,000 by this point if you had included total returns starting in 1926. Maybe it's crazy; or maybe it's crazy we've gone this long not reporting on a total-return basis. As those authors note, you could even try to "harmonize" the total return indexes back to today's current Dow and S&P price levels to help the public stomach the change, and then report total returns going forward.

In any case, if you like the sound of this, Hebner has a petition that you can sign here. Either way, perhaps you can sleep a little better knowing that you've probably done better over time in the market than you realize.

See you tomorrow!

Kelly

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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is asking big power users in San Antonio to voluntarily cut usage during high-demand periods this summer. Its the grid operators stopgap effort to head off grid emergencies. Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News

The state grid operator is asking San Antonios biggest users of electricity to cut back their use this summer, a stopgap effort to stave off cascading outages and possible system failure.

Its the Electric Reliability Council of Texas latest move to avoid a replay of the close call it had in September, when overcrowded transmission lines brought the grid closer to emergency conditions than it had been since Winter Storm Uri three years ago.

In a Friday notice, ERCOT said its seeking enough voluntary participation to free up 500 megawatts of electricity when the grid is nearing emergency conditions. Thats enough to power 100,000 Texas homes on a hot summer day.

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It would pay big users  such as manufacturing plants and data centers  to reduce power consumption so ERCOT can avoid rolling blackouts to keep the grids balance and frequency in check.

Doug Lewin, an independent grid expert, said its an overdue step.

Its not easy to find 500 megawatts of demand response, he said. We shouldnt have waited this long.

The overcrowding issues on existing transmission lines became apparent in September, when ERCOT had to reduce the amount of power on the crowded lines as it quickly responded to a drop in the frequency at which power travels through the grid. Fluctuations in frequency can damage equipment and cause plants to shut down.

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Why San Antonio

The problematic lines move power from South Texas through San Antonio and north toward Dallas, where demand has exploded without enough new generation being added to keep pace.

Cutting power use by CPS Energy customers in the San Antonio area could provide the most relief to the strapped transmission lines because of its proximity to a well-known chokepoint, according to the grid operator.

If were really looking at solving this summer, then this is the way to go, Public Utility Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty said during a discussion of the plan Thursday. Im supportive of that. Weve had discussions with  CPS and others about other technologies to help increase that capacity flowing and I look forward to seeing what outcomes there are for solutions for next summer.

CPS is in the process of building transmission capacity to solve the problem but the expansion of the 45.8 mile Spruce-Pawnee circuit that connects its transmission ring around San Antonio to the grid wont be done until 2026 at the earliest.

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Through their own demand-response programs, Texas power companies including CPS already are collectively capable of taking as much as 400 megawatts of demand off the grid during periods of high demand, according to Lewin, president of Austin-based Stoic Energy Consulting.

And theyve been doing this a longer time, he said, referring to the difficulty ERCOT could have securing 500 megawatts of new commitments on a short timeline. Proposals from big users to participate are due June 13, with ERCOT planning to name winners later that month.

During the summer months, we would be targeting July 1 through the end of September with the program, ERCOT General Counsel Chad Seely told the PUC last week. Thats where we see the most identified risks for having these overloads on the transmission lines in the South Texas area.

He described the pool of eligible users as entities that can shut down to cut consumption or shift power use to their own backup generators. The cost of the program wasnt disclosed, but Seely said those figures would be brought to state regulators once ERCOT started receiving bids.

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CPS programs

CPS already has a demand-response program through which it pays big users like the San Antonio Water System and public schools to cut power use during high-demand periods. Other local utilities have such programs, as well, but ERCOT is seeking only new power savings above and beyond those.

The local utility has the option to get in on the new ERCOT program but it would have to offer sites that are not already in its existing power-saving programs.

CPS Energy will work closely with ERCOT on this process to protect our grid and is committed to transparent communication with our community on how this could impact them, the utility said in a statement.

It also has a demand-response program for its residential customers in which it taps into their thermostats to cut power use during high-demand periods. Those customers arent paid for how much power they sacrifice, instead receiving a nominal annual credit.

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ERCOTs move comes long after most grid analysts have called for such a plan. Theyve also said individual utilities need to pay residential customers a dynamic rate for cutting power use the same way they pay big businesses for doing so.

But Lewin said the tight turnaround for the grid operators new program will make it difficult or impossible for many utilities to create such programs.

Its duration is also a challenge. While the critical period is likely to be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., ERCOT is seeking entities that can offload demand for up to six hours starting at 3 p.m.

The need is most likely to arise after the sun has gone down and the state loses its cushion of supply from solar power. Demand usually drops once temperatures get cooler. That means crunch time is usually a couple of hours.

Shift factors

ERCOT identified Bexar County and the San Antonio area as having the highest beneficial shift factor as it searched out a temporary solution for this summer. That means its the area most capable of providing relief to the strapped transmission lines by cutting power use.

While Bexar County has a shift factor of nearly -18%  the lower the figure the better  the next lowest is Guadalupe County at -10% and Comal County at -9%. The further the counties are from the chokepoint, the less impact they can offer.

Its not that the region doesnt have enough power generation, Lewin said. Its that power generation can too easily crowd lines and risk bigger issues at times demand is high and capacity is low.

During the Sept. 6 scare, ERCOT entered what it calls Level 2 Emergency conditions  one step from resorting to rolling blackouts. ERCOT had to curtail power generation from South Texas, where generation comes from wind farms, natural-gas plants and battery storage, to keep the grid from failing.

Theres juice down there, Lewin said. They just cant get it through.

ERCOT officials admitted to the PUC in late March that they underestimated how much the San Antonio region would grow in population, demand, and power generation. By missing the mark in those forecasts, it didnt get construction in transmission improvements started soon enough and is now years behind.

Lewin says this stopgap plan didnt start soon enough, either.
Big Tech names like Nvidia have been on fire, thanks to the artificial intelligence boom  and other chipmakers are sharing the limelight. The supply chain for AI is extensive. It includes companies in Asia-Pacific and ranges from producers of AI graphics processing units to printed circuit boards. Memory chips in particular have been in the spotlight as AI ramps up. For example, memory with high performance and bandwidth is used in Nvidia's H100 graphics processing units. GPUs underpin most generative AI tools, and Nvidia's GPUs dominate the market. Two stocks have dominated the memory chip market: Samsung and SK Hynix . Samsung is the world's largest manufacturer of dynamic random-access memory chips. DRAM is a type of semiconductor memory needed for data processing. But SK Hynix is a strong contender in the space: It said on March 19 that it became the first in the industry to mass produce HBM3E (high bandwidth memory 3E), the next generation of high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI chipsets. SK Hynix is already the primary supplier of HBM3 chips to Nvidia's AI chipsets. Both South Korean companies reported earnings in late April. Samsung beat expectations , with operating profit for the first quarter soaring more than 900%. SK Hynix broke its run of net losses for five consecutive quarters , logging a net profit of 1.92 trillion South Korean won ($1.39 billion) in the first quarter. Which is the better play on the AI boom? CNBC Pro spoke to the pros to find out. SK Hynix Trent Masters, global portfolio manager at Alphinity Investment Management, says he prefers SK Hynix. "First I think their early leadership in HBM3 stands them in good stead with customers as HBM demand continues to increase materially," he said. He added, "While Samsung and Micron are starting to close the technology gap, the trust and dependability of SK Hynix during the initial HBM ramp will ensure that they will retain a strong presence with these customers into the future." SK Hynix's recent partnership with TSMC to develop HBM4 will also position it as a leader again as this technology goes through its iterations, said Masters. Mass production of the HBM4 chips is expected to start in 2026. "Also, I prefer SK Hynix over Samsung as it is the pure memory play," Masters said, adding that Samsung is a "much more sprawling" conglomerate spanning smartphones, TVs and other products. "A view of memory market strength (HBM demand and tight legacy DRAM markets leading to pricing strength) is best reflected through ownership of SK Hynix," he said. Nam Hyung Kim, partner at Arete Research, also prefers SK Hynix, giving it a buy rating and Samsung a neutral rating. "SK Hynix stands out as a pure-play memory stock with leadership in AI technology, dominating the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market, which is crucial for AI servers," he said. "Samsung, in contrast, is attempting to catch up." Nam also pointed out that SK Hynix has higher profit margins in the sector than Samsung. He noted that Samsung's portfolio includes more than memory, with over half of its sales derived from low-value consumer appliances, TVs and smartphones. In addition, he said that Samsung's foundry business is facing "ongoing challenges." "Consequently, we recommend investors remain cautious with Samsung and consider pure-play memory firms like SK Hynix until Samsung can showcase renewed technological leadership in memory," Nam said. Over the past 12 months and year-to-date, SK Hynix has "significantly outperformed" Samsung in terms of stock price, he noted. "We anticipate this trend will continue throughout the upcoming memory up-cycle." Samsung But the buying opportunity for each stock also depends on timing, according to one analyst. Sung Kyu Kim, analyst at Daiwa Capital Markets, said he has buy ratings for both Samsung and SK Hynix on the "strong" memory upturn cycle. Though SK Hynix maintained its HBM3 leadership last year, he sees "intensifying competition" in HBM3E in the second half of this year and 2025. In conclusion, he prefers Samsung, predicting it will catch up in the near term and will have more upside to its stock price. "[But I] also anticipate a buying opportunity on SK Hynix once it is adjusted due to intensifying competition in HBM3E," said Kim.  CNBC's Sheila Chiang contributed to this report.
People leave a Social Security Administration building in Burbank, California. Valerie Macon | Afp | Getty Images

The trust funds the Social Security Administration relies on to pay benefits are now projected to run out in 2035, one year later than previously projected, according to the annual trustees' report released Monday. On the projected depletion date, 83% of benefits will be payable if Congress does not act sooner to prevent that shortfall. The Social Security trustees credited the slightly improved outlook to more people contributing to the program amid a strong economy, low unemployment and higher job and wage growth. Last year, the trustees projected the program's funds would last through 2034, when 80% of benefits would be payable. "This year's report is a measure of good news for the millions of Americans who depend on Social Security, including the roughly 50% of seniors for whom Social Security is the difference between poverty and living in dignity  any potential benefit reduction event has been pushed off from 2034 to 2035," Social Security Commissioner Martin O'Malley said in a statement.

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O'Malley, who was sworn in to lead the agency in December, also urged Congress to extend the trust fund's solvency "as it did in the past on a bipartisan basis." "Eliminating the shortfall will bring peace of mind to Social Security's 70 million-plus beneficiaries, the 180 million workers and their families who contribute to Social Security, and the entire nation," O'Malley said.

What reports reveal about Social Security, Medicare

Social Security's new 2035 depletion date applies to its combined trust funds. The trust funds help pay for benefits when more money is needed beyond what is coming in through payroll taxes. Currently, 6.2% of workers' pay is taxed for Social Security, while an additional 1.45% is taxed for Medicare. The total 7.65% is typically matched by employers. High earners may have an additional 0.9% withheld for Medicare. While the combined depletion date for Social Security's trust funds is typically used to gauge the program's solvency, the funds cannot actually be combined based on current law. Social Security's two trust funds have distinct projected depletion dates. The fund used to pay retired workers, their spouses and children, and survivors  formally known as the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund  is projected to last until 2033, which is unchanged from last year. At that time, 79% of those scheduled benefits may be payable. The fund used to pay disability benefits  known as the Disability Insurance Trust Fund  will be able to pay full benefits until at least 2098, the last year of the projection period.

Also on Monday, the government updated its projections for Medicare. For most older Americans, the program is their primary or only source of health care, according to the AARP. Medicare solvency is typically measured by the ability of the trust fund to make up for a shortfall in payroll taxes used to fund Part A hospital insurance. The Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund  used to fund Part A benefits  saw the biggest improvement in this year's trustees report. Its depletion date is now pushed to 2036  five years later than was projected last year  due in part to higher payroll tax income and lower-than-projected 2023 expenditures. At that time, 89% of scheduled benefits may be payable. Medicare's Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund  which covers voluntary Part B coverage for physician services and medical supplies and Part D prescription drug coverage  is financed for the indefinite future, since it relies on beneficiary premiums and Treasury Department contributions that are automatically adjusted each year.

Why experts say now is the time to act

While the new projected depletion dates show lawmakers have slightly more wiggle room, experts say the solvency of both Social Security and Medicare should be addressed sooner rather than later. The issue is a top concern for AARP members ages 50 and up, said Bill Sweeney, the organization's senior vice president of government affairs. About 40% of families who are 65 and older rely on Social Security for at least half of their income, and about 20% of families rely on it for all of their income, he said. For any reductions to be on the horizon for Social Security benefits, or for that to even be talked about, is "really scary for people," Sweeney said. "Congress has a responsibility to sit down and work this out in a bipartisan way," Sweeney said. "And the sooner they do it, the better." The new projected depletion dates put Social Security and Medicare on a more similar timeline than previous estimates. That may offer the opportunity for a unified one-step reform for the programs, he suggested.

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The earnings season is winding down, but there are some names slated to report that could see big moves  in either direction. Fifty-five S & P 500 stocks, including Disney and Uber , will give their reports this week. Already, more than 80% of companies in the S & P 500 have already posted quarterly results this earnings season as of Monday morning. Of those, nearly 80% have exceeded expectations, according to FactSet. Against that backdrop, CNBC Pro screened for names reporting this week  with market caps of $1 billion or more  that could experience sharp upside or downside moves, based on trading activity in the options market. Here are the names that made the list: Upstart Holdings is the reporter this week that could be in for the biggest move at nearly 19%. The personal loan marketplace's stock has run up more than 6% in Monday trading ahead of its Tuesday report, but is still down more than 37% in 2024. Despite Monday's gains, the majority of analysts polled by LSEG have a sell rating and expect the stock to tumble another 23%. One of those bearish analysts is Bank of America's Mihir Bhatia, who reinstated coverage with an underperform rating last month. Bhatia said the validity of the company's artificial intelligence moat, the pace at which it is recovering on originations and its funding model are all cause of debate on the stock. But as of now, he said it is too expensive with those questions unanswered and while trading at a premium valuation compared with peers. "We think Upstart has many hurdles to overcome to regain investor and lender confidence," Bhatia wrote to clients. Ride-share stock Lyft also made the list. Lyft is slated to move more than 15% in either direction, according to the options market. It has been a good year so far for Lyft, with the stock climbing more than 16% in 2024. However, the average analyst surveyed by LSEG has a hold rating with a price target implying shares will retreat 4.5% over the next year. LYFT YTD mountain Lyft in 2024 Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni said late last month that he hopes to get more visibility into the company's relative performance in the ride-share business, as maintaining market share there is "essential to the long-term profit story." Colantuoni, who has a hold rating, said the stock's rally could fade after its Tuesday report if the California-based company offers worrisome commentary about future market share. "Our sense is investors expect LYFT to deliver upside in 1Q/2Q on better-than-expected Bookings, although recent share losses (Jan/Feb) could foreshadow a substantial slowdown in the back half," he told clients. Later in the week, traders will keep an eye out for Warner Bros. Discovery , which could see an 8.5% change. The media stock, which reports Thursday, has tumbled nearly 30% in 2024. After that sell-off, Wall Street sees a comeback ahead. In addition to having a buy rating, the average analyst holds a price target implying shares can surge more than 65% in the next 12 months, per LSEG. Bank of America's Jessica Reif Ehrlich said she was standing behind the stock heading into earnings. The analyst, who holds a buy rating, specifically pointed to positive trends in the direct-to-consumer business as a reason for encouragement. Ehrlich said a potential relaunch within the direct-to-consumer business and the pipeline of content can "buoy growth in 2024." Looking beyond this year, she said the studio segment's momentum can help drive growth. "We continue to believe that WBD has a compelling assortment of assets and view the current valuation as undemanding," she wrote to clients last month.
Truth Social owner Trump Media hired a new auditor over the weekend after its previous public accounting firm was accused of perpetrating a massive fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a regulatory filing Monday.

Trump Media said it had engaged Semple, Marchal & Cooper LLP on Saturday to replace BF Borgers CPA.

Trump Media fired BF Borgers after the SEC accused that firm of failing to perform actual audits of its clients and other purported work before signing off on more than 1,500 regulatory filings for public companies.

As part of its settlement with the regulator, BF Borgers and its owner Benjamin Borgers agreed to a permanent ban from auditing public companies, and to pay $14 million in fines.

The ban required Trump Media and other public companies that had used BF Borgers to find new auditors.

"The decision to change independent registered public accounting firms was made with the recommendation and approval of the Audit Committee of the Company," Trump Media said Monday in an 8-K filing announcing its new auditor.

In a subsequent filing Monday, Trump Media said Semple, Marchal & Cooper was selected "after a detailed evaluation process."

Trump Media in that second filing also said it "anticipates seeking a limited extension of the deadline for its upcoming 10-Q by filing a Form 12b-25 no later than one business day after the original due date for such report." 10-Qs are quarterly reports.

Former President Donald Trump owns 65% of Trump Media's stock, which trades under the ticker DJT, his initials.

A spokesperson for Trump Media did not immediately respond Monday when CNBC asked whether the company plans to ask Semple, Marchal & Cooper to review the past work done by BF Borgers to determine whether the firm violated auditing industry standards in Trump Media's case.

Semple, Marchal & Cooper had no immediate comment about its appointment.

The Phoenix-based firm's website said the auditor in its four decades of operation has "become a preeminent, and highly respected, certified public accounting firm."

The SEC called BF Borgers a "sham audit mill" in its civil regulatory action, accusing the Lakewood, Colorado, firm and its owner of "deliberately" and "systematically" failing to conduct audits and quarterly reviews in accordance with public accounting firm standards.

More than 500 public companies' SEC filings were affected by Borgers' systemic failure to properly audit its clients, the commission said Friday.

Financial information that Borgers signed off on was incorporated into more than 1,500 SEC filings dating from early 2021 through mid-2023.

Trump Media was not yet publicly traded at the time of the alleged conduct by BF Borgers. But the firm was acting as Trump Media's auditor during that time.

Trump Media's stock became publicly traded on March 26 after the company completed a merger with the shell company Digital World Acquisition Corp., which was previously publicly traded.

The SEC also said Friday that reports filed by companies that used BF Borgers "do not necessarily need to be amended solely because" of the commission's cease-and-desist order.

"However, issuers should consider whether their filings may need to be amended to address any reporting deficiencies arising from the BF Borgers engagement," the SEC said.
Donald Trump's prosecutors are keeping their witness schedule secret in order to stop the former president from targeting upcoming witnesses in his New York criminal hush money trial, they said Monday.

"The defendant has been violating the order restricting extrajudicial speech, and we did not want to have the witnesses' names, the next witnesses' names out there," prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the judge in Manhattan Supreme Court.

To avoid the names being "out there," the prosecution is notifying defense attorneys who the next witnesses are one day before they are called to testify, Steinglass said.

The District Attorney's office has not released an expected witness list to the public.

This adds an extra layer of suspense to the dramatic trial, as one by one, prosecutors reveal who will be next on the stand.

Steinglass rejected defense claims that Trump is at an unfair disadvantage because his team is not presented with a full schedule of when each witness is expected to testify.

"They have had the witness list and the exhibit list for a long time," he told Judge Juan Merchan after the jury went home for the day.

Steinglass said he didn't want it to look like prosecutors were "somehow sandbagging the defense."

Trump is bound by a gag order that bars him from speaking about witnesses and jurors  but Merchan has already held him in contempt of court 10 times for violating the order.

The latest contempt citations were issued Monday morning, before the jury was seated.

Merchan warned Trump that future violations of court orders would land the former president in jail.

"The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail," Merchan said to Trump. But "I will, if necessary."

As Trump left the courthouse, he seemed to suggest he does not plan to stop violating the gag order.
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Mary Barra, chair and chief executive officer of General Motors Co., during a news conference at the Hudson's building in Detroit, Michigan, US, on Monday, April 15, 2024. Jeff Kowalsky | Bloomberg | Getty Images

DEROIT  General Motors CEO Mary Barra has been aggressive in exiting unprofitable or underperforming markets over the past decade, but leaving the automaker's latest problematic country would be far more difficult than others. China was once a profit engine for GM, and its top sales market from 2010 to 2023. But the automaker lost $106 million there during the first quarter, only its third quarterly loss in the country in at least 15 years and the largest outside of the coronavirus pandemic during that time. It comes after a nearly decade-long slide in profits and market share for GM in China that has some industry watchers questioning whether the automaker can turn around the operations, or if it would be better to exit the country  an unimaginable prospect just a few years ago. Barra, who visited China recently during an auto show in Beijing, said GM remains committed to the market, which the company entered through a joint venture in 1997. "Over the long term, we're committed to China. We believe that it's a market that, over the medium term, will have substantial growth," she said during GM's quarterly earnings call on April 23.

The comments came months after Barra told investors in February that "nothing is off the table in ensuring that GM has a strong future to generate the right profitability and the right return for our investors" in China. GM CFO Paul Jacobson last week told investors that the company expects the operations to return to profitability this year, with results similar or slightly lower than its roughly $446 million profit in 2023. He attributed the first-quarter loss to production downtime designed to reduce built-up vehicle inventory. The automaker's fall from grace in the country is staggering amid geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, along with changing consumer sentiment and increased domestic competition there. While the challenges aren't unique to GM, the company has the most to lose after it restructured or exited from other markets in a bid to become more profitable. The philosophy during much of Barra's 10-year tenure has been if GM wasn't a leader in a region  and didn't see a track to become one  then it shouldn't do business there.

The Chevrolet pure electric concept car FNR-XE is being displayed at the SAIC-GM Pan-Asia Automotive Technology Center in Shanghai, China, on March 25, 2024. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Most notably, in 2017, the automaker sold its European operations to then-PSA Groupe, which is now Chrysler parent Stellantis . It also ended domestic production operations or exited Russia, India, Thailand and Australia, among other countries, around that time. The moves shrank GM's footprint and put outsized importance on China and North America. Those two markets are now responsible for an overwhelming amount of its annual earnings, along with its financial arm. GM's international operations, which recorded $1.2 billion in adjusted earnings last year, include South Korea, Brazil and the Middle East, among other markets. The automaker also is in the early stages of reentering Europe with EVs.

Exit China?

GM's market share in China, including its joint ventures, has plummeted from roughly 15% as recently as 2015 to 8.6% last year  the first time it has dropped below 9% since 2003. GM's earnings from the operations have also fallen, down 78.5% since peaking in 2014, according to regulatory filings. GM's U.S.-based brands such as Buick and Chevrolet have seen sales drop more than its joint venture sales with SAIC Motor , Wuling Motors and others. The joint venture models accounted for about 60% of its 2.1 million vehicles sold last year in China. Other than the first quarter of this year, the only quarterly losses for GM in China since 2009 were a $167 million shortfall during the first quarter of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and an $87 million loss during the second quarter of 2022.

A worker checks the quality of a vehicle before rolling off the assembly line at the production workshop of SAIC General Motors Wuling in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, Jan. 28, 2023. (Photo credit should read CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty Images

John Murphy at Bank of America Securities, a top automotive analyst, has asked on two consecutive quarterly earnings conference calls whether GM would consider exiting China. He most recently said, "Is it time to really start thinking about strategic alternatives over there to potentially closing or selling the business?" In response, Barra said new products will help the automaker better compete in the market, including what China calls "new energy vehicles" like all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. GM revealed several vehicles last week in China, including plug-in hybrid versions of its Buick GL8 minivan, a bestseller in China, and the Chevrolet Equinox crossover. "We think clearly that market has shifted and the landscape has shifted  with the capability of the Chinese [automakers]," Barra said. "But we still think there's a role and a place for GM to play with luxury premium." GM's focus on "luxury" is a shift away from mainstream vehicles amid increased competition in China. The company's plans include importing flagship vehicles such as the Hummer EV and other large SUVs to the country through a new unit that sells directly to consumers called the Durant Guild. GM announced the unit in 2022. But some, such as Michael Dunne, a former GM executive in Indonesia, believe it may be too little, too late for America's largest automaker in China.

The Chevrolet pure electric concept car, Chevrolet-FNR, is being displayed at the SAIC-GM Pan-Asia Automotive Technology Center in Shanghai, China, on March 25, 2024. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

"We're at the beginning of the end for [traditional] U.S. automakers in China," said Dunne, an expert on China and CEO of consulting firm Dunne Insights. "Everything's heading in the wrong direction for Detroit automakers in China." The decline of Western automakers in China is a result of growing competition from government-backed domestic automakers fueled by nationalism, and a generational shift in consumer perceptions of the automotive industry and electric vehicles. Mark Fulthorpe, an executive director for automotive at S&P Global Mobility, believes GM has too much equity in its China operations to give them up like it did other markets. "They'll try and consolidate what they've got. I'm sure they'll have another go at it," he said. "I think there's still a bit to play for."

'The Tesla effect'

It's not just domestic Chinese automakers eating into market share for GM and crosstown rival Ford Motor , which experienced a 32.4% decline in China sales from 2018 to 2022. U.S. EV leader Tesla has also played a role, according to Dunne. "I call it the Tesla effect. It transformed Chinese consumers' views on electric cars. Suddenly, wow, here's the Apple-equivalent of the automotive industry," he said. "By extension, electrics were the 'new cool' for Chinese consumers." The electric vehicle manufacturer started Chinese production in 2019. It quickly grew production following Covid lockdowns in the country and proved to many Chinese consumers that electric vehicles  even non-Tesla models  were viable options, Dunne said.

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. Tingshu Wang | Reuters

Tesla is facing pressure in China but remains in vogue more than its traditional rivals, experts say. But it has had to aggressively cut prices to compete against Chinese automakers such as BYD, Nio and others. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, a longtime Tesla bull, believes the automaker and other Western auto companies will likely "enter a new phase of capex spend (lower), protectionism (higher) and cooperation with China (eventual)." "We believe that Western auto firms (including Tesla) have come to a unanimous and simultaneous realization: China has won the contest for EV supremacy," he said Friday in an investor note. Tesla is in the midst of a global restructuring that has included laying off more than 10% of its workforce, as EV market conditions shift. Tesla's revenue in China increased 57% from 2021, to $21.74 billion last year, according to its annual regulatory filing. But its Chinese revenue fell 6% to $4.6 billion during the first quarter of this year compared with a year earlier. "If you look at the drop in our competitors in China sales versus our drop in sales, our drop was less than theirs. So, we're doing well," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last month during an investor earnings call. Musk also touted a potential expansion of the automaker's driver assistance systems such as Full Self-Driving, or FSD, in China but gave no timeline. It was reported last Monday that Tesla passed a significant milestone to roll out its advanced driver assistance technology in China amid a visit by Musk. Tesla also partnered with China's search engine giant, Baidu , to provide digital maps for its driver assistance systems. JL Warren Capital CEO Junheng Li said while the developments are positive for Tesla, "a lack of critical detail makes it impossible to value the China FSD" for the automaker's business.

In light of lingering supply chain and geopolitical challenges in China, automakers such as Stellantis and Ford have moved to what they call "asset-light" operations in the country. As the term suggests, that means continuing operations, but by using fewer assets or better utilizing what's already there. Stellantis, for its part, has shifted strategies after its Chinese joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group filed for bankruptcy in late 2022. The partnership to produce Jeep vehicles in China was dissolved, and Stellantis opted instead to go "asset-light" and import such SUVs into the country. Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, earlier this year called Chinese automakers his company's "No. 1 competitor." Stellantis continues to operate partnerships with Chinese companies.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and Leapmotor founder and CEO Zhu Jiangming shake hands in relation to new partnerships between their companies. Stellantis

Most notably, it bought a 20% stake in China-based Leapmotor and leads a joint venture with the company to produce EVs. The agreement includes exclusive rights for export and sale, as well as for manufacturing products outside of Greater China. Stellantis' vehicle sales in China have fallen 44% from 124,000 in 2021 to 69,000 last year. The automaker does not break out its China financial results. But its adjusted operating income in the "China and India & Asia Pacific" region fell about 22% last year from 2022, while revenue decreased by roughly 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion). Ford's strategy still includes China-based production, specifically for its Lincoln luxury brand. But the company uses Chinese plants to produce vehicles for exportation elsewhere in an attempt to utilize excess capacity. "We've really spent a lot of work on trying to de-risking that business. We're asset-light. We're leveraging the assets in China. We're also leveraging our partners to export from China with low-cost products to markets around the world," Ford CFO John Lawler told media last month during an earnings briefing. Lawler noted Ford last year exported 100,000 vehicles out of China to South America and other regions. It recently started exporting its Lincoln Nautilus SUV from China to the U.S. The company plans to continue to increase exports from the country, a Ford spokesman confirmed.
Panelists speak Friday about the future of mobility during a panel discussion at Boeing Center at Tech Port on Port San Antonios campus on the Southwest Side. Jessica Phelps

Jim Perschbachs vision to make Port San Antonio a hub for futuristic aircraft is another step closer to reality.

Perschbach, the Ports president and CEO, has long said that electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft flying around the city could become common in a few years. The idea is that the small craft, known as eVTOLs and sometimes described as flying cars or robotaxis, will transport several people or cargo without traffic delays or parking hassles.

Now, with a deal in the works to build a vertiport at Port San Antonio and state agencies preparing for this new mode of transportation, the port is seeking a corporate partner to help grow eVTOL capabilities in the region.

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Dan Dalton, vice president of global partnerships at Wisk, speaks Friday about the future of mobility during a panel discussion at Boeing Center at Tech Port on Port San Antonios campus on the Southwest Side. Jessica Phelps

Perschbach, who participated in a panel discussion Friday at the Port about the future of mobility, thinks the small aircraft, which resemble a cross between a miniature helicopter and a car, could someday relieve congested traffic  just the start of how such next-generation aircraft could change life.

Weve got a really immediate need for these aircraft as we keep adding people to our campus, said Perschbach, who is on the Texas Transportation Commissions Advanced Air Mobility Advisory Committee and was on the states Urban Air Mobility Advisory Committee. Were running into traditional parking and transportation problems, and if we can keep 1,000 people from having to drive and park on the campus, that saves us from building a parking garage, which is $30 (million), potentially $40 million.

He also sees eVTOLs eventually moving cargo across the port.

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Like many new capabilities, technology is outpacing the governments regulatory agencies overseeing them. As regulators figure out how eVTOLs can operate in various types of controlled and uncontrolled airspace, Perschbach believes the port is a good venue to help work through some of the nuances.

We own residential facilities, industrial facilities (and) commercial facilities, so its a lot easier to do that, he said.

And, since most people at the port work in aviation, engineering and technology, Perschbach believes they may be more open to incorporating eVTOL transportation into their daily routines.

I think its easier to get them to be early adopters, he said. And even if some of the early use cases are parking at some of the relatively nearby park and rides, like the Kel-Lac Park and Ride off of (Highway) 90 and moving that relatively short distance to the vertiport on our campus, and that shows a safe, repeatable, consistent, reasonable operation that can then be scaled out.

Audience members watch a video during a panel discussion about the future of mobility that was held Friday at Boeing Center at Tech Port on Port San Antonios campus on the Southwest Side. Jessica Phelps

Vertiport planning

Perschbach and company are building a vertiport, where eVTOLs could operate from, at the port  a process he described as expensive and slow.

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The vertiport will be near the site of the ports futuristic, $300 million office tower thats expected to be complete in 2029. It will be a hub for the craft with infrastructure such as electric chargers. Port officials didnt immediately provide the costs of the facility.

Site preparation, such as road grading, is projected to cost $10 million, Perschbach said, adding that the work is expected to start next month and take about six months to complete.

I want this to move as quickly as possible, he said, one because we have a need for it, but two, were somewhat in a race to become one of the prove-up environments for these aircraft.

The states Advanced Air Mobility Advisory Committee, he said, is working with the Texas Legislature to allocate funding to accelerate vertiport infrastructure construction across the state.

Jim Perschbach, president and CEO of Port San Antonio, speaks Friday about the future of mobility during a panel discussion at Boeing Center at Tech Port on the Ports campus on the Southwest Side. Jessica Phelps

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We believe itll be the first operational and actual, real vertiport probably anywhere in the world, he said. Were actively looking for operators.

The vision is for Port San Antonios vertiport to be sort of a hub for eVTOLs that would ferry employees from park-and-rides across the city.

If we could pick those folks up at (a) park-and-ride and move them to our campus, we not only free up a lot of the immediate parking pressures that are on campus, but we free up having to put tens of millions of dollars of infrastructure into bringing that level of transportation to our campus, he said. I think there is a clear and compelling immediate need for us to have it.

Christopher Combs of the University of Texas at San Antonio speaks Friday about the future of mobility during a panel discussion at Boeing Center at Tech Port on Port San Antonios campus on the Southwest Side. Jessica Phelps

Seeking partners

On Friday, Perschbach joined panelists from academia and industry  including Dan Dalton, vice president of global partnerships at eVTOL maker Wisk Aero  to discuss eVTOLs and the future of advanced air mobility in the region.

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Dalton said his company is looking for places to begin establishing its air taxi service.

Wisk, a joint venture with Boeing Co. thats building autonomous eVTOLs, signed a deal in February with the city of Sugar Land, a Houston suburb, to collaborate on establishing a vertiport, along with training and maintenance facilities, at Sugar Land Regional Airport.

The company said Sugar Land would be a gateway to a larger network of routes throughout Houston.

A lot of people do not want to sit in a car for an hour and a half to two hours just trying to get to downtown Houston if they could make that trip in 10 to 15 minutes, Dalton said. So these types of numbers are actually kind of the reality of where we are today as it relates to this new form of mobility.

Wisks aircraft looks like a cross between a car, airplane and helicopter. With 12 electric motors lining the wings leading and trailing edges, the autonomous craft can carry up to four people.

Jim Perschbach, president and CEO of Port San Antonio, speaks Friday about the future of mobility during a panel discussion at Boeing Center at Tech Port on the Ports campus on the Southwest Side. Jessica Phelps

The vehicle flies 2,000 to 5,000 feet above the ground, and most trips last 20 to 30 minutes, Dalton said.

Wisks sixth-generation aircraft is undergoing Federal Aviation Administration certification, which the company hopes to complete by the end of the decade.

Wisks Sugar Land presence largely focuses on infrastructure, Dalton said. Its looking at power and other ground requirements, as well as doing outreach to let people know the industry is coming.

He said the company is looking for places to operate, though he wouldnt commit to it landing in San Antonio.

Were looking at different markets and the different environments, testing locations, so that when the aircraft is ready to really start doing that robust testing and then entering the service that weve got the relationships that we need, he said. Well see how it all turns out.
Russia was involved in a months-long cyber espionage campaign against Germany last year, which involved targeting politicians and the defense sector, German officials said, adding they have evidence the attacks were conducted by Russia-backed threat actor, Fancy Bear.

Also tracked as APT28, Fancy Bear is a state-sponsored hacker group linked to the Russian GRU intelligence service that, according to German officials, targeted German infrastructure in response to German military aid to Ukraine in the countrys ongoing war with Russia.

Today we can say unambiguously [that] we can attribute this cyber-attack to a group called APT28, which is steered by the military intelligence service of Russia, Annalena Baerbock, German foreign minister said in a news conference. In other words, it was a state-sponsored Russian cyber-attack on Germany, and this is absolutely intolerable and unacceptable and will have consequences.
Photo-Illustration: Curbed; Photos: Ori Harpaz, William Jess Laird, Brian W. Ferry, Anna Maria Zunino Noellert

Its May, which means New York City is practically frantic with design events and openings. You dont even have to attend NYCxDesign, the annual festival of furniture and interiors, which opens later this month, to glimpse the frenzy at showrooms and warehouses and convention centers throughout the month. Some studios have also timed the launch of new storefronts and galleries for the occasion. This month, a co-op gallery reopens its doors; the founders of lighting studio In Common With are launching a residence-style concept store; and a new cocktail bar by Omar Aqeel is drenched in cobalt blue.

Colony moves to Tribeca

Photos: Brooke Holm. Photos: Brooke Holm.

After a decade on the second floor of 324 Canal, Colony, the cooperative gallery and design studio, has opened in a ground-level Tribeca retail space at 196 West Broadway. For its inaugural show in the new space, founder Jean Lin has presented the latest works from her roster of independent designers. Diaphanous textile weavings by the designer Hiroko Takeda grace the showrooms entryway while a stunning light fixture from Bec Brittains new Phaedra collection is hung by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Also on the walls are two of Meg Callahans deadstock quilts, whose trippy grids subtly complement Grains wooden checkerboard cabinet hung on the wall. Alongside these mid-century-style pieces are more experimental objects, like Takeda and Paolo Ferraris fringed Ame chair, with shaggy fibers that drape loose to the floor. Lin has also curated a small selection of functional tchotchkes, including vintage Swedish stoneware, vases by Austin-based ceramicist Tovra, and handmade bags by Erin Hamilton.

A jazz bar from the Space Age

Photos: Ori Harpaz. Space styled by Anthony Amiano. Photos: Ori Harpaz. Space styled by Anthony Amiano.

The unassuming facade of Only Love Strangers, a new cocktail lounge from the MaLa Project, is easily overpowered by the glare of El Churro, the infamous see-through storefront on East Houston Street. The interior, designed by Studio Omar Aqeel, is a different story. Inspired by the artist Yves Klein, who mixed his signature Klein blue hue, a curved entryway leads to an intimate bar nook that is embellished with wall-to-wall cobalt-blue tiles and a wraparound brushed-aluminum counter. This color scheme is carried throughout in the vintage wall sconces (theres a silver Goffredo Reggiani wall light upstairs), Sottsass Grey tabletops, tubular aluminum chairs, and plush banquette seating, which is upholstered in Verner Pantons 1969 Black and White Optik textile and Kvadrats cobalt-blue new wool. Against all this blue, objects look like film props. Perhaps the most idiosyncratic and stunning item is a Gothic iron candelabra, dripping wax on a console table by the host stand. A Calder-like mobile from designer Max Simon dangles above a rounded interior balcony that looks over the subterranean jazz stage, lit by a light fixture based on a prototype by Simons father, Jerome. Downstairs, the lounge maintains the theme, also painted a rich Klein blue, and lit with concentric ring pendant lights (in the style of Kurt Versens Saturn fixture) and opaline glass sconces.

Quarters, a Tribeca concept store

Photos: William Jess Laird. Photos: William Jess Laird.

Felicia Hung and Nick Ozemba, founders of the lighting brand In Common With, are opening Quarters, a two-story concept store at 383 Broadway, in the middle of May. Styled like a palatial private home, complete with a bedroom, kitchen, guest room, and dining room, the 8,000-square-foot loft will operate as both a showroom and a community space, hosting temporary installations, dinner parties, and pop-up events. Every item in the space, down to the kitchens pantry items, is selected, commissioned, or designed by Hung and Ozemba. The furnishings are a mix of vintage furniture and contemporary decor, but the focus is on In Common Withs lighting collection, including previous collaborations with Danny Kaplan and Sophie Lou Jacobsen, and new tiles and lights with Shane Gabier. The stores opening coincides with the launch of In Common Withs debut line of engraved wood furniture and two new lighting collections, made from hand-embroidered fabrics and glass. Opens May 13.

Time and Materials at Assembly Line

Bowen Lius side table at Assembly Line.Pat Kims chair for Time and Materials. Photos: Brian W. Ferry. Bowen Lius side table at Assembly Line.Pat Kims chair for Time and Materials. Photos: Brian W. Ferry.

In architecture and design projects, the phrase time and materials is often included in contracts to ensure that designers are paid based on their hours and the cost of materials, rather than a fixed project rate. Time & Materials, an exhibition curated by Colin Stief and Sarah Zames of the design studio General Assembly, borrows the phrase to allude to the basic elements of every designers process. At General Assemblys storefront on Atlantic Ave, the show features new limited-series works by 11 artists and studios, including a wooden bookend-style side table by Bowen Liu, whose cast glass collection was one of the standouts at last years Wanted fair, a geometric wooden wall unit by Steven Bukowski, and a curvaceous white chair by Pat Kim, which snakes rope through the holes punched on the chairs wooden trunk to tie the seat to the frame. The show at Assembly Line will also be part of a Boerum Hill Design Night event on May 18 that includes Ace Hotel Brooklyn, Outline, Picture Room, Porta, and The Primary Essentials. Opens May 15.

Sculptural textiles in Queens Socrates Park

Photo: Anna Maria Zunino Noellert.

Multidisciplinary artist Suchitra Mattais monumental woven tapestries will be on display at Socrates Sculpture Park throughout the summer. We are nomads, we are dreamers features newly commissioned works that explores themes of cultural transmigration and diasporic inheritance linked to Mattais Guyanese heritage. According to Mattai, her process is not exactly weaving but an invented process  similar to embroidery, as she told Artnet; she entwines vintage saris (some inherited from family members) with a mass of scarves, tassels, and other found fabrics into large vibrant tapestries, which she wraps around the base of large metal armature, whose stainless mirror surfaces are positioned to reflect the sky above; they range from 35 to 41 feet long. Opens May 11.
USAA has been sued by six current or former members in a potential class-action lawsuit over its treatment of non-officer customers. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News

Six current or former USAA members have filed a potential federal class-action lawsuit alleging the insurer has treated enlisted personnel and military family members as second-class customers, relegating them to one of its subsidiaries while reserving membership in its flagship company to customers from the officer class.

For nearly two-thirds of USAAs customers, membership is a false, unfair and deceptive promise that USAA has systematically breached, the lawsuit filed Friday in San Antonio says.

In truth, USAA reserves real membership and its concomitant benefits exclusively for customers from the officer class (in particular, commissioned and senior non-commissioned officers, officer candidates and their unmarried widows), it adds. USAA secretly relegates all other customers  in particular, enlisted personnel and military family members  to nominal or fake member status.

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San Antonio-based USAA responded to the complaint Monday.

USAA is well known for its exceptional service to the military community and their families, it said in an emailed statement. We believe this suit is meritless and look forward to responding to the allegations in court.

The company provides insurance, banking and retirement solutions to more than 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans and their families.

The plaintiffs say the company's alleged scheme has been costly to them and others in the potential class because they havent received annual distributions or allocations, as those insured through USAA have.

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The lawsuit is similar to one pending in federal court in Southern California, though that case involves USAA members who live in that state only.

The plaintiffs

Two people from Texas  who live in Austin and Lindale  and residents from Arizona, California, Illinois and New Jersey filed the new lawsuit. Three of the plaintiffs served in the Army and two in the Marines. The sixth is an adult family member of a USAA member.

Among six causes of action, the suit alleges breach of contract, violations of Arizonas unfair insurance practice act, and violations of consumer fraud acts in Arizona, Illinois and New Jersey.

The suit doesnt specify actual damages but says they will be proved at trial. The plaintiffs seek either punitive or triple damages on some of their claims.

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They allege that officers receive their insurance contracts from United Services Automobile Association, otherwise known as USAA. But they add that USAA places all other customers into one of its three subsidiary insurance companies: USAA Casualty Insurance Co., USAA General Indemnity Co. and Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Co.

The subsidiaries profits flow directly into USAA and are shared with real USAA Members (i.e., officers) through annual distributions from, and allocations of, unassigned policyholder surplus, the lawsuit says.

Creating classes of consumers and treating them differently is increasingly common among insurers, said Michael DeLong, a research and advocacy associate with the Consumer Federation of America.

At the top are customers that generally tend to be the wealthiest, the people with a lot of disposable income, he said. The insurance companies favor these customers because they want them to be able to purchase multiple products. And then they grade other customers according to lower tiers and often treat them less well.

DeLong called it a bad trend.

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Customers of insurance companies should be treated equally no matter what their financial circumstance is, he said. The insurance company should look at your risk and decide how risky you are to insure, but that should be based on your driving record and not your socioeconomic characteristics.

History of expansion

In 1922, 25 Army officers gathered in the Pink Room at the Gunter Hotel to create an insurance company to protect each others holdings. Theyd had difficulty keeping insurance, given the transient nature of their occupations.

The company started by pooling money into a fund to protect the value of active-duty Army officers automobiles. The next year, membership was opened to Navy and Marine Corps officers. Eligibility was extended to retired officers of all service branches in 1924, the same year the company became known as United Services Automobile Association.

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At the members annual meeting in 1962, attendees approved a provision allowing USAA to organize subsidiary companies when it was in the best interests of the association, according to former USAA employee Paul Ringenbachs 1997 book USAA: A Tradition of Service.

That was done to enable USAA to do business in locations where being a reciprocal hindered operations. A reciprocal is a group of individuals or organizations that pool risk.

USAA formed Casualty Insurance Co. in 1968 for military officers based in Ohio, New Hampshire and Vermont, the suit says.

Over the years, USAA methodically increased in size by expanding its membership to include officers in the Coast Guard and Air Force, National Guard and Reserve officers, grown children of military officers, enlisted personnel and, finally, all who honorably served in the military and their family members.

Changes

USAA placed insurance products sold to enlisted personnel with General Indemnity while the adult children of enlisted personnel and grandchildren of officers were assigned to Garrison, the lawsuit says.

Those placed with General Indemnity or Garrison were were not referred to as (USAA) members and were not granted the benefits of membership, the San Antonio lawsuit says. In 1986, those customers became known as associate members but did not get any of the benefits of membership, it adds.

In about 2000, USAA decided to do away with its two-tiered customer structure and began to refer to enlisted personnel and military family customers uniformly as members, and this came "without differentiating between real members (officers) and nominal (or fake) members (enlisted personnel and military family members), the complaint says.

As a result, USAA has been using its insurance policies to unfairly deceive and mislead nominal members into believing they are real members.

Real USAA members received annual distributions from the $938.4 million policyholder surplus and allocations from unassigned policyholder surplus of $10.4 billion in 2023, the suit says. They received $343 million in distributions in 2022, according to the lawsuit.

USAA collected a substantial percentage of those surplus funds from nominal members premium payments, but those members received no cash distribution or allocation of policyholder surplus, the suit adds.

California case

The California case against USAA has been pending for more than three years. Two USAA customers living there allege the company discriminates against enlisted veterans by consigning them to substandard insurance company General Indemnity.

USAA acknowledges insurance for current and former military officers is provided by USAA while coverage for enlisted personnel is through General Indemnity. But it denied it violated California law as the plaintiffs alleged.

In March 2023, a federal judge in California denied class certification. However, plaintiffs were allowed to file a renewed motion for certification.

In December, the judge granted certification for a group known as the Good Driver Class. Its made up of enlisted personnel who qualified as good drivers, were not offered a good driver discount and paid more for their General Indemnity policy than they would have paid through a USAA policy. The class numbers about 200,000, plaintiffs say.

The judge denied a request to certify a proposed discrimination class made up of enlisted people who purchased or renewed a General Indemnity policy and paid more than if it was through USAA. The discrimination claims were dismissed Jan. 26.
A 16-year-old girl was hospitalized after being shot by a 14-year-old boy, according to Seguin police. Tetra Images/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

A teenage girl from Seguin is being treated at a San Antonio hospital after a 14-year-old boy allegedly shot her in the head, according to Seguin police.

Police said officers responded to the 200 block of W. Court St. on Saturday after they received a report of a person bleeding from the head.

Officers found the 16-year-old girl with a life-threatening gunshot wound. Police said she was airlifted to a San Antonio hospital for medical treatment.

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Twenty years ago, John Swinney was hounded from the leadership of the SNP after a disastrous four years in charge.

Humiliation for the nationalists at successive elections during the Swinney era saw him written off as a failure.

But that hasn't stopped SNP members uniting behind Mr Swinney in the hope he can save their party from electoral oblivion.

The 60-year-old MSP for Perthshire North was the sole candidate when nominations to succeed Humza Yousaf as party leader closed at noon yesterday and he will now be nominated as the SNP's candidate to become the seventh First Minister of Scotland since the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh opened, 25 years ago.

Mr Swinney will inherit a party mired in scandal, divided on both independence strategy and controversial gender ideology, and plummeting in the polls.

John Swinney was the sole candidate when nominations to succeed Humza Yousaf as party leader closed at noon yesterday and he will now be nominated as the SNP's candidate to become the seventh First Minister of Scotland

Humza Yousaf, Scotland's First Minister, in Edinburgh, May 2, 2024

It says little for the SNP as a home of bright new talent that, in this time of deep crisis, it has dragged back to the frontline a man who, just a year ago, was adamant he had served his time.

An SNP 'lifer'  he joined the party at the age of 15  Mr Swinney was a management consultant and life assurance industry executive before becoming MP for Tayside North in 1997.

Two years later, he was among the first intake of MSPs at Holyrood.

An early reputation for competence was shattered when Mr Swinney succeeded Alex Salmond as party leader in 2000.

For four years, he was undermined by rivals within the SNP and, unable to stamp his authority on the party, Mr Swinney suffered a series of bruising election results.

When the SNP fared poorly in the 2004 Euro elections, a visit from the men in grey kilts brought his leadership to an end.

John Swinney speaks as he launches his SNP leadership bid on May 02, 2024 in Edinburgh

Fearful the subsequent leadership contest might be won by someone from the SNP's radical wing, Mr Salmond returned as leader, going on to become Scotland's first nationalist First Minister in 2007.

Mr Swinney's authority across the party grew during the SNP's time in power.

He was a member of the tiny clique  including Mr Salmond and his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon  that ran the SNP with an iron fist.

Announcing his candidacy to replace Mr Yousaf, who resigned in advance of a confidence vote he hadn't the numbers to win, Mr Swinney said he had come forward because of the need for change.

His party had to change and if it didn't, there would be tougher times to come.

Scottish voters may be sceptical about Mr Swinney's ability to change the direction in which his party has been travelling.

When Ms Sturgeon succeeded Mr Salmond as First Minister after defeat for the nationalists in the 2014 independence referendum, she appointed Mr Swinney her deputy.

For the next nine years, the pair were politically inseparable as the SNP pursued a raft of policies that were out of kilter with the priorities of voters.

Mr Swinney was right by Ms Sturgeon's side as she fomented deeper division with endless promises of a second referendum she had no power to deliver.

And he was one of the key architects of the Bute House Agreement that brought the Scottish Greens into power and saw them pressure SNP ministers to push ahead with a law that gave trans people the right to self-identify.

As it came into conflict with the UK-wide Equality Act, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack was compelled to block it, a move that proved to be the beginning of the end for Ms Sturgeon.

Mr Swinney stepped down as Deputy First Minister when Ms Sturgeon resigned last year.

SNP members now see John Swinney as their saviour but the harsh reality is that he was right behind every government misstep that helped bring his party to its knees.

He is the very definition of 'yesterday's man'.
Prince William is packing his crested pyjamas for a two-day visit to his Duchy of Cornwall on Thursday and Friday.

Not unusual in normal times, but it will be the first time that William will have been away overnight since Kate received her cancer diagnosis.

He has been at her side and doing the school runs, with his diary modified accordingly.

His willingness to have a night away is the best indicator yet that the Princess of Wales may be on the mend.

Overnight stay: Prince William is packing his crested pyjamas for a two-day visit to his Duchy of Cornwall on Thursday and Friday

William's visit to the Duchy of Cornwall will be the first time that he has been away overnight since Kate received her cancer diagnosis

William's willingness to have a night away is the best indicator yet that the Princess of Wales may be on the mend

Harry's enthusiasm for tomorrow's Invictus Games 10th anniversary thanksgiving service at St Paul's surprised the cathedral's clerical bigwigs, who initially thought the request was a hoax.

They thought Harry would opt for a secular event. A celebratory shindig at St James's Palace sanctioned by the King was considered.

But when St Paul's  where his mother Diana married Charles  was mooted, Harry gave the Royal thumbs-up.

One wonders if Diana, who Harry says in his memoir Spare is still guiding him, proffered him a celestial nudge.

Harry's enthusiasm for tomorrow's Invictus Games 10th anniversary thanksgiving service at St Paul's surprised the cathedral's clerical bigwigs, who initially thought the request was a hoax

Appearing in her 'first ever live television interview' on ITV's This Morning, Princess Beatrice found time to pay tribute to her late grandfather, Prince Philip, and her 'phenomenal icon' mother, the Duchess of York.

No mention of dad! Was this stipulated before Beatrice's screen debut?

Fatal Attraction star Michael Douglas, whose volcanic kitchen sink sex scenes with Glenn Close, left cinema-goers wide-eyed, is no fan of intimacy co-ordinators.

'Sex scenes are like fight scenes, it's all choreographed,' he tells Radio Times. 'In my experience, you take responsibility as the man to make sure the woman is comfortable, you talk it through.

'But it's interesting with all the intimacy co-ordinators. It feels like executives taking control away from film-makers.'

On Fatal Attraction, did you have a bunny boiler co-ordinator, Michael?

Fatal Attraction star Michael Douglas, whose volcanic kitchen sink sex scenes with Glenn Close, pictured, left cinema-goers wide-eyed, is no fan of intimacy co-ordinators

Bernard Hill, alias Yosser 'Gizza job' Hughes, who has died aged 79, once famously lost a filming job with Madonna on Shangai Surprise.

He fell out with her husband Sean Penn, who promptly fired him.

Gyles Brandreth, flaunting before Charles his latest gaudy scarlet jumper emblazoned with the King's crown and crest, asks: 'Don't you think it's fetching, Sir?'

Replies Charles: 'I think it would be better as a hearth rug, don't you?'

Midsomer Murders star John Nettles recalls meeting the late Queen, a fan of the show, who expressed concern about the high body count.

'I apologised for the fact the show had bumped off so many of her subjects,' he says.

'She said, 'I wouldn't like to live in Midsomer.'

And one of her equerries said, 'No Ma'am. You'd be dead.'
Service ships in combat training exercise

China Military Online) 10:06, May 06, 2024

Warships attached to a service ship group of the PLA Navy sail in formation during a combat training exercise in late March, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)

Warships attached to a service ship group of the PLA Navy sail in formation during a combat training exercise in late March, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)

The comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu (Hull 887) attached to a service ship group of the PLA Navy sails on the sea during a combat training exercise in late March, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Huanqing)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Demonstrators cheer as multiple pro-Palestine groups gathered on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters gathered to demand the public university to pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle Demonstrators chant as multiple pro-Palestine groups gathered on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters gathered to demand the public university to pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle Texas freshman Arwyn Heilrayne speaks as multiple pro-Palestine groups gathered on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters gathered to demand the public university to pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle Craig Campbell, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin, speaks in front of fellow professors and staff members during a 'May Day' protest and pro-Palestinian demonstration on the campus, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Demonstrators chant as multiple pro-Palestine groups gathered on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters gathered to demand the public university to pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle Law enforcement agencies are see as multiple pro-Palestine groups gathered on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters gathered to demand the public university to pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle Texas freshman Arwyn Heilrayne speaks as multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Professors and staff members from the University of Texas at Austin hold up their fists as Craig Campbell, an associate professor of anthropology, speaks during a pro-Palestine demonstration on the campus for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Law enforcement agencies are seen as multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A man writes contact information on the arm of his son as his family attends a 'May Day' protest on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Law enforcement agencies are seen as multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A woman holds up a hand-made sign in the shape of a Palestine flag as multiple Pro-Palestinian groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Law enforcement agencies are seen as multiple pro-Palestine groups gather on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin for a 'May Day' protest, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Austin. Supporters demanded the public university pull its investment from companies the group believes are complaisant in deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. May Day, celebrated on May 1, commemorates historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A pro-Palestinian protester yells "Free Palestine" as she is handcuffed by University of Texas at Austin police on the campus Monday, April 29, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman via AP) Aaron E. Martinez/Associated Press Muslim men were seen praying while student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Muslim men were seen praying while student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Muslim men were seen praying while student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Student activists were seen gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Irfan Ali, a doctor who tended to patients in Gaza recently, was seen making remarks to student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Amen Odeh, a pediatrician who worked in Gaza during the invasion, was seen live video chatting with Mohammed, a 15 year old Palestinian stuck in Gaza, while student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Student activists were seen gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Student activists were seen gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Student activists were seen gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer University faculty were seen giving remarks to student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Student activists were seen gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Rowan Channaa, an organizer with the Palestinian Solidarity Comittee, made remarks to student activists that gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Rowan Channaa, an organizer with the Palestinian Solidarity Comittee, made remarks to student activists that gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Arwyn Heilrayne, an undergraduate student that was arrested by Texas State Troopers, was seen making remarks to student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Student activists were seen gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer Rowan Channaa, an organizer with the Palestinian Solidarity Comittee, made remarks to student activists that gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer A box truck featuring anti student protest rhetoric was seen as student activists gathered at a May Day labor solidarity event with Gaza and Palestinians on the South Lawn at the University of Texas at Austin on May 5, 2024, in Austin, Texas. This event was held a week after student protesters were arrested en masse by Texas state troopers on UT campus. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer

Several hundred protesters gathered at the University of Texas at Austin on Sunday for the latest in a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations demanding that university officials cut financial ties with Israel.

The weekend protest came just six days after demonstrators set up an impromptu encampment in the middle of campus, leading officers to use pepper spray and arrest 79 people. Police had already clashed with demonstrators a few days prior and arrested at least 57 people who had gathered to criticize the war in Gaza.

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Sundays protest brought a heavy police presence to campus again, but no one appears to have been arrested as of 2 p.m. Organizers had planned to hold the protest in front of the UT Tower, but the space was barricaded when they arrived.

Instead, several attendees gave speeches in front of the George Washington statue on the South Lawn.

Aine McGehee Marley, an organizer with Underpaid@UT, said she was disgusted with the university and the brutal police response to previous pro-Palestine protests at UT.

She called for the removal of UT President Jay Hartzell and for attendees to use their labor to fight for oppressed people, which was met by cheers from the crowd.

If our demands are not met, it is not enough to simply show up to a protest, said McGehee Marley, a graduate student. This is step one. Mobilizing. UT admin must face consequences when the university fails us.

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UT declined to comment on the rally.

Multiple campus groups, including Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, the Palestine Solidarity Committee and Students for International Labor Solidarity, organized the protest in honor of May Day, or International Workers' Day, which celebrates workers rights and the labor movement.

The event was originally set for Wednesday before being rescheduled to Sunday afternoon.

Accompanied by five drums, protesters loudly chanted phrases such as from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, and free, free Palestine. Occupation is a crime.

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Several attendees brought signs advocating for a free Palestine, the end of the illegal occupation, the genocide of the Palestinian people, and for Israel to stop killing Palestinian kids.

UT student Arwyn Heilrayne said she felt safe at UT until she was arrested during a pro-Palestine protest last month, which has caused her to permanently feel unsafe on campus. In a brief speech, she promised UT that she wouldnt let them silence her voice before leading the crowd to chant Disclose. Divest. We will not stop. We will not rest.

They took me to the ground. They twisted my arms behind my back until I could not feel my hands and they threw me in a cell by myself for more than 14 hours, Heilrayne said. My experience does not even compare to that of the Palestinians in Gaza and what they have been enduring every day.

The protests at UT come amid a nationwide movement of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at colleges and universities, where organizers are pressing for an end to the Israel-Hamas war and for university leaders to divest from companies that do business with Israel.

Hartzell has said he previously called Texas Department of Public Safety officers to the university to protect the safety of the campus community. He also expressed concerns about the potential for protesters to cause more serious disruptions, safety risks and injuries if they had maintained an encampment on the South Lawn as planned during previous protests.

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It is difficult  for all of us  to see serious police presence and arrests on our campus. It is worse, though, to see a handful of people flout rules meant to protect everyone, Hartzell wrote in the Houston Chronicle. It is worse still to see that disorder escalate from encampments to occupations, as has happened at Columbia University and UCLA.

More than 650 UT faculty signed a non-binding letter of no confidence in Hartzell following the arrests of dozens of students, stating that he needlessly put students, staff and faculty in danger and was unresponsive to their concerns.

Travis County is not pursuing charges against any of the 57 protesters who were originally arrested, according to Austins public radio station KUT. Initially, university officials said anyone charged with criminal trespass would be barred from campus for a year, but they later walked back that policy for students.

The protests come seven months after Hamas deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, where 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 is run by Hamas and doesnt distinguish between combatants and noncombatants but says at least two-thirds of the dead are children and women.

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Also Sunday, hundreds of people, carrying Israel and U.S. flags and wearing blue and white, gathered to rally around the Texas Capitol in support of Israel. They called for the return of the hostages taken by Hamas and chanted, No room for hate in the Lone Star state!

Austin resident Kim Polner said she came with her husband, who wore a Bring Them Home Now shirt, and her two children to support Jewish students who are facing antisemitism that she said has been on the rise since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

I hope that all the atrocities that happened on Oct. 7 will be remembered, and we truly wish for peace  which will happen when Hamas disarms and all the hostages are back with their families, said Polner, who was wearing a necklace with a Hamsa, a hand-shaped symbol that symbolizes good luck and protection.

Elle Tracy Branfman, 62, who is Jewish and drove in from Victoria with her husband, said they wanted to show solidarity with Israel and the U.S. Demonstrators sang both the Israeli and American anthem, she said.
Nothing could be more grotesque than the sight of pro-Palestinian protesters at the gates of Auschwitz yesterday as Jews around the world marked Yom HaShoah.

That's the day of remembrance for the six million souls who perished at the hands of the Nazis.

As the son of a refugee from the horrors of the Holocaust, I can feel nothing but contempt for the ignorance, gross insensitivity and misguided hatred which inspired such a protest.

Auschwitz, which I have visited several times, is at the heart of my own personal story. My dear grandparents Sandor and Fanya perished in the gas chambers there. Sandor is a Hungarian version of Alexander  and I am named after him.

Pro-Palestine protesters wave flags as the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the 'March of the Living' in memory of the six million Holocaust victims takes place in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024

Participants carry Israel's flag as they walk past the entrance gate during the 36th March of the Living at the former Nazi concentration death camp Auschwitz

Pro-Palestine protesters hold Palestinian flags and banners showing victims of Israeli bombardments

They were transported in horrific conditions from their home on the Hungarian-Czech border to Auschwitz as Adolf Eichmann, architect of the so-called Final Solution, rushed to kill the Jews of Hungary in the desperate last days of World War II.

Auschwitz, where these disgraceful protesters gathered, is the unmarked burial ground for my grandparents' ashes.

My elderly aunt Sussie and cousin Sheindy had been teenagers at Auschwitz and Belsen but survived and are alive to this day. What they will make of the protesters who waved flags, heckled and chanted as Israelis took part in the March Of The Living  the annual walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau  I cannot imagine.

The images now circulating of the protesters are indescribably disturbing. They can only bring back memories of those final moments Sheindy shared with my grandparents when my grandmother Fanya squeezed her hand and told her to lie about her age to avoid the gas chambers. Claiming she was older, and could work, meant that Sheindy lived, not died. The outrage perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 has brought back the most terrifying memories for these two women  memories of pillage, mutilation and starvation.

The Holocaust, or Shoah to use the Hebrew word, was the deliberate, industrial-scale killing of Jews. It is bad enough that pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas sympathisers have chosen to steal the language of the Holocaust. Any comparison between Israel's retaliation and the monstrous genocide of the 1940s is odious and anti-Semitic.

Now they have besmirched the sacred memory of those gassed, shot and burnt in the great incinerators of the death camps.

There are no words.
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Three young Aussies have captured the attention of thousands with their affordable range of 'unbelievably comfy' outdoor hammocks.

Dean, 33, his wife Tegan, 32, and his brother Jaryd, 31, came up with the idea for their brand Nakie after a scuba-diving expedition in Southeast Asia.

They returned to shore and instead of raving about the sea life, they couldn't stop talking about the worrying amount of plastic floating past them.

'There were turtles, sharks, mantarays, you name it,' Dean told FEMAIL. 'But all we could talk about was the straws and rubbish everywhere,'

Three young Aussies have captured the attention of thousands with their affordable range of 'unbelievably comfy' outdoor hammocks made entirely from recycled bottles

The no-fuss creations, which are significantly cheaper than many on the market, come in nine colours and are made with triple stitching and uniquely designed polyester for increased strength, durability and comfort

The 'perfect' towel: Nakie's dreamy 'sand-free' beach towel can be packed up into a tiny envelope bag The business is centred around transforming plastic bottles into high quality hammocks, towels (pictured), picnic blankets and accessories Advertisement

This sparked the idea for an outdoorsy business centred around transforming plastic bottles into high quality hammocks, towels, picnic blankets and accessories.

And it's been an enormous success, with the trio selling a staggering 1,500 of the popular hammocks on Black Friday.

The no-fuss creations, which are significantly cheaper than many on the market, come in nine colours and are made with triple stitching and uniquely designed polyester for increased strength, durability and comfort.

Each is made with 37 recycled bottles and is super quick and easy to set-up. There are no knots required - all you need is a pair of trees. They also hold an impressive 225kg.

They also sell luxe beach towels, picnic blankets and their famed super-cosy puffy blankets (pictured), which keep you warm and snug in all weather conditions

The reviews speak for themselves, with almost 1,000 shoppers raving about the buy - be it used at home, in the yard, picnicking or while camping.

'I took a long time to decide if I wanted this product - I shouldn't have delayed. It is as good as the ads say. I love it. Just love it. Its small and compact, something that could be left in the car and pulled out almost anywhere,' one wrote.

'These are just great. Seriously quick to set up and super comfy. Bought myself a hammock and ended up having to buy everyone in the family one,' another wrote.

'I'm a single parent who loves to camp but hate fussy gear. My hammock just arrived and I couldn't wait for camping - I stuck it up in actual seconds. It is the EFFING BEST, so sturdy and so so goddam relaxing. And light. And small. So stoked, it's gonna be the gift I give all my mates for years to come. I can see why this gets so many top reviews. Best thing I've ordered in years.'

The reviews speak for themselves, with almost 1,000 shoppers raving about the buy - be it used at home, in the yard, picnicking or while camping

'We love boating, camping and fishing so it was a no-brainer that this would be a good business direction for us,' Dean said, adding that seeing the bottles transformed into materials for the first time was the 'best day of his life'

Nakie also has a range of popular accessories to go alongside the hammocks, including a foldable backpack, a bug net, and an ultra-light tarp.

They also sell luxe beach towels, picnic blankets and their famed super-cosy puffy blankets, which keep you warm and snug in all weather conditions.

'So warm and comforting - like a weighted blanket but without the weight,' a shopper said of the latter.

'We love boating, camping and fishing so it was a no-brainer that this would be a good business direction for us,' Dean said, adding that seeing the bottles transformed into materials for the first time was the 'best day of his life'.

The brand has launched a Mother's Day sale ahead of this weekend, with discounts of up to 30 per cent on the entire range

Dean, 33, his wife Tegan, 32, and his brother Jaryd, 31, came up with the idea for their brand Nakie after a scuba-diving expedition in Southeast Asia

'We've saved 14million bottles so far which is amazing. We also plant four trees for every item sold so that's what makes us stand out in the market.

'You get the best possible quality at an affordable price point, you are planting trees when you purchase and you're helping the environment. We also give back where we can and recently donated $500,000 worth of our puffy blankets to charity.'

The brand has launched a Mother's Day sale ahead of this weekend, with discounts of up to 30 per cent on the entire range.

In conjunction with the flash sale, they're also doing a $61,990 Caravan Giveaway which you can learn more about here.
A singleton has claimed dating in London has become 'so bad' that she felt compelled to 'go international' - forking out 250 to fly to Spain in search of love instead.

Celeste Hartley was so fed up with the 'bleak' dating scene in London that she spontaneously decided to fly to Malaga, Spain, on Friday 19 April to meet a man she matched with on Hinge.

The 28-year-old who lives in Brixton, south London, had a 'surreal' weekend of romance for a first date with a 28-year-old from Malaga, and swears it has given her 'hope for mankind' in the dating world.

Taking to TikTok to document her whirlwind experience, Celeste shared a video of her at the airport captioned, 'when London dating is so bad you have to go international', which has now gained 235,000 views.

In the clip, Celeste tells her followers: 'Regardless of whatever happens between me and said man, it is worth it for how exciting this whole thing has been so far'.

A singleton claims that dating in London has become 'so bad' that she felt compelled to 'go international' - forking out 250 to fly to Spain to try one of their blokes

A follow-up post reveals a compilation of photos from the short break, including a spontaneous trip to a tattoo parlour so they could both get tattoos, sight-seeing and lots of food.

Many users praised Celeste in the comments as 'life is about adventure' and said they were 'invested' in her decision.

Other users criticised the 28-year-old for spending 'too much money' on a first date.

The marketing and consultancy business owner revealed that after matching with the Spanish man, the pair instantly hit it off with 'very good conversation' and Celeste swiftly agreed to fly out to visit him during a phone call.

Celeste said: 'I saw him on my explore page but I didn't like him. He sent me a funny message and we quite quickly got into a very good conversation.

'He was asking me a lot of questions. I'm quite bad at replying on there, which is sort of feeding into the problem. It got quite in-depth conversation quite quickly.

'We decided to meet in Malaga, which is kind of near where he lives but we wanted to have a neutral ground.

'I was happy to do it for the adventure and because I am pretty sick of London. I'm always looking for a reason to get out. Plus, if anything, I would get a nice holiday out of it.

Celeste Hartley admits she was so fed up with the 'bleak' dating scene in London that she spontaneously decided to fly to Malaga, Spain, on Friday 19 April to meet a man she matched with on Hinge

She added: 'I thought 'even if this doesn't go well, it's worth it for how exciting the build up has been.

'There wasn't any point that I thought he would be anyone he wasn't. But I did have people on standby if things did go pear-shaped. I told a lot of people about it and they said 'This is so you'.'

The 28-year-old admits that flying to Spain for a first date 'wasn't the most normal situation' but claims her impulsive decision 'is what life's about' and justified the 250 plane ticket.

After speaking regularly on the phone before the trip, the singleton, who admits she has a 'tendency to over-romanticise everything' was thrilled to discover sparks flew during the 48-hour date.

Celeste said: 'I was really nervous but also excited. I have a tendency to over romanticise everything. You start to build an idea of that person in your head.

'I met him at the airport and it was the most surreal experience ever. We spent the weekend together just walking around and chatting. It definitely wasn't the most normal situation.

'It was a lot of time to spend with one person but he went out of his way to make me feel very, very comfortable. He paid for where we stayed and was very generous.

'It felt like that's what life's about - doing exciting things and taking risks. Fortunately for me, it did go well.'

After speaking regularly on the phone before the trip, the singleton, who admits she has a 'tendency to over-romanticise everything' was thrilled to discover sparks flew during the 48-hour date

The 28-year-old admits that flying to Spain for a first date 'wasn't the most normal situation' but claims her impulsive decision 'is what life's about' and justified the 250 plane ticket

Having been single for nearly six years, Celeste admitted she is 'sick' of London's 'disposable' romance culture and has become frustrated with the 'surface level' nature of dating apps which has prevented her from finding a partner.

Celeste said: 'I was just sick of it. I was always sitting on the edge and waiting for someone to let me down.

'I've gone through stages of wanting to put myself out there and then becoming burned out by it and taking a six-month break. I was struggling to find someone that aligned with my values.

'Because dating apps are such a thing now there's always so many other options out there so people are just chasing this dream of perfection.

'When they don't find it they will just keep jumping from person to person, rather than actually taking the time to get to know someone. It becomes really surface level.'

She added: 'In London specifically, everyone is so caught up in the rat race and focussed on jumping through all the hoops such as finding a partner, settling down etc that no one actually knows what they want or what their values are.

'Dating ends up becoming very transactional rather than actually getting to know the other person.

'London dating is a process of validation rather than true connection. It is so disposable, and it's hard to trust people's motives. It's bleak out there.

Having been single for nearly six years, Celeste admitted she is 'sick' of London's 'disposable' romance culture and has become frustrated with the 'surface level' nature of dating apps which has prevented her from finding a partner

Some users criticised Celeste for the lengths she went to for a first date

'I think London dating specifically is so bad. So anywhere outside of London I think, go for it. There is hope for mankind.'

The singleton revealed her Spanish getaway went so well that she has now deleted Hinge and he has recently returned the favour and visited her in London for a weekend.

Celeste said: 'We've decided to make the whole 'across country' situation work.'

Many users praised Celeste for her adventurous way of dating, with one user writing: 'Have fun. Life is about adventure.'

A second said: 'I flew to Turkey last week and did the same and it was the best decision.'

Meanwhile, a third quipped: 'Good on you' and a fourth added: 'Invested'.

However, some users criticised Celeste for the lengths she went to for a first date.

One social media user said: 'Too much money to spend on a first date'.

Another chimed in with: 'It is already a red flag if he doesn't come to you first'.
A traveller has revealed how she travelled to Milan for 50 to enjoy pizza and Aperol spritz - which she says cost her less than a day out in London.

Dagmara Kedzierska, 30, from Manchester, decided to take the trip abroad because she was put off travelling within the UK due to soaring rail fares.

It would have cost her more than 100 alone to get a return train from her home in Manchester to the capital.

So, the thrifty traveller decided to fly to Milan Bergamo instead for just 50 return.

Arriving at 10:50am in the Italian city, she then set about her day grabbing a coffee with a freshly baked croissant for breakfast.

Dagmara Kedzierska, from Manchester, jetted to Milan for 50 to enjoy pizza and Aperol spritz for less than a day out in London

The business owner then caught a 6 train to Varenna to see the beautiful Lake Como and watch the world go by whilst eating pizza and drinking Aperol spritz

The business owner then caught a 6 train to Varenna to see the beautiful Lake Como and watch the world go by whilst eating pizza and drinking Aperol spritz.

Dagmara then got the 6 train back to Milan to hop on the 2 Metro to the Duomo to see the sights including the cathedral.

After touring the area she hopped back on the Metro to the station to catch a 11 train to Malpensa airport.

Catching her flight home, she arrived back home in Manchester at just 1am the next day.

Dagmara said: 'The day trips abroad are way more appealing, as most of the time they work out cheaper than staying in the UK.

'My Milan trip cost me less than 200 including the flights, transport, food and drinks.

'The weather abroad is also more likely to be better than here, I live in Manchester and the weather lately hasn't been the greatest! Travelling abroad, even if it's only for one day, gets me in a holiday mood.'

Therefore, the thrifty traveller decided to fly to Milan Bergamo instead for just 50 return

Her Milan trip cost less than 200 including the flights, transport, food and drinks for the day

Dagmara then got the 6 train back to Milan to hop on the 2 Metro to the Duomo to see the sights including the cathedral

She made the trip on 20 April and arrived back early the next day to Manchester airport with no need to stay overnight and pay for a hotel

She made the trip on 20 April and arrived back early the next day to Manchester airport with no need to stay overnight and pay for a hotel.

'I have done a few day trips abroad for one day and it allows me to go back to work the next day without taking any time off work.

'I also love food and travelling abroad even for one day lets me try new foods. The restaurants in the UK are very basic and most of the time you will eat pre cooked pasta or prebaked pizza.'
Prince Gustav and Princess Carina of Denmark have welcomed their second child via surrogate, the Palace has announced.

Gustav - who is Queen Margrethe's nephew - and Carina both 55, have been together for more than 20 years and tied the knot in Germany two years ago.

The couple spent years fighting a strict inheritance rule set by the Prince's Nazi grandfather in the 1930s, which prevented them from marrying.

They had their first child via a surrogate in the US last year and they were both present during the childbirth.

Now, the Palace has announced that the pair have had their second baby via a surrogate.

Prince Gustav and Princess Carina of Denmark are pictured at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden in 2010

The royal Palace has announced that Carina and Gustav have just welcomed their second child - a daughter. Above: Pictured in 2011

Their first child's christening last year. Pictured standing from left to right: Christian, Ellen Hillings, Arabella Gaggero, Prince Franz-Albrecht and Prince Carl-Anton. Pictured seated from left to right: Princess Theodora of Greece, Prince Gustav, Prince Gustav Albrecht and Princess Carina

A delighted Carina and Gustav welcomed their second child - a baby girl - into the world on April 26.

A spokesperson for the palace confirmed the news to German media and said: 'Their Highnesses, Prince Gustav and Princess Carina, have become parents for the second time.

'They have had a daughter. Everyone involved is doing well and is very happy. The child was born on Friday 26 April.'

Prince Gustav is the son of Queen Margrethe's sister Princess Benedikte and her husband Prince Richard - who passed away in 2017 at the age of 82.

Gustav and Carina were banned from marrying as a result of a legal clause set by the royal's grandfather Prince Gustav Albrecht.

In the 1930s, he set up his will to prevent relations from inheriting family property if they marry someone not of Protestant, noble and Aryan descent.

By 1944, he went missing while serving as an officer in the German Army, during a mission near Orsha, Belarus. The soldier was declared MIA and no one sought an official declaration of death until Gustav was born in 1969.

Gustav's father Prince Richard was able to inherit property because his wife - Princess Benedikte of Denmark - met the strict and controlling criteria.

However, Carina Axelsson, 54 - who is an American author best known for the teen fashion detective series Model Under Cover - has Swedish and Mexican heritage, and hence didn't satisfy the will's agenda.

Gustav and Carina were banned from marrying as a result of a legal clause set by the royal's grandfather Prince Gustav Albrecht, but they were able to overthrow the rule and tied the knot in 2022

Pictures from the Christening, shared by the royal household's Instagram account, show the proud godparents smiling for a photo with the new parents and their then two-month old son

Another sweet snap shows Princess Benedikte admiring her grandchild in a cot as she fondly pinches his cheek at the christening last year

Crown Prince Frederik (far left) and Princess Mary (far right) attended the couple's wedding at Berleburg Castle in Germany

Before meeting Carina at a dinner party, Gustav had been engaged to Elvire Paste de Rochefort, who came from an aristocratic French family.

However, their nuptials were called off just two months before the wedding.

Gustav reportedly met Carina in 2003 and the author later moved into the Schloss Berleburg estate with him.

Carina and Gustav welcomed their first child in June last year via surrogate. The Palace said in a statement at the time: 'Princess Carina & Prince Gustav are very happy & grateful for this opportunity & thanks everyone involved who has helped to find a legally legal path to follow.'

The Prince and Princess name their baby Prince Gustav Albrecht of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

The pair had a christening for their child and had King Frederik's eldest son, Prince Christian of Denmark, as a godparent alongside Princess Theodora of Greece, 40, actress Ellen Hillings, 56, Prince Franz-Albrecht, 40, Arabella Gaggero and Prince Carl-Anton.
Lauren Sanchez stepped out with fiancee Jeff Bezos at a party ahead of the annual Met Gala, rocking a skimpy black number in the wake of Anna Wintour's reported criticism of her fashion sense.

Sanchez, 54, and Bezos, 60, were in attendance at the Monse Maison Pre-Met Cocktail Celebration held at La Mercerie in New York City Sunday night.

She wore an eye-catching black, sheer, skin-tight dress that seemed to thumb her nose at Wintour, who is rumored not to be fond of the sort of ensembles she typically wears.

The pair briefly stopped for photos with fashion designer Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the creative director for Oscar de la Renta.

The Amazon multi-billionaire founder's fiancee has also come under fire from other famous New York society types such as salty restauranteur Keith McNally.

Lauren Sanchez stepped out with fiancee Jeff Bezos at a party ahead of the annual Met Gala, rocking a skimpy black number in the wake of Anna Wintour's reported criticism of her fashion sense

Sanchez, 54, and Bezos, 60, were in attendance at the Monse Maison Pre-Met Cocktail Celebration held at La Mercerie in New York City Sunday night

DailyMail.com reported last week that Wintour has decreed that the soon-to-be Mrs. Bezos can come to the 75,000 and $350,000 per table ball only if Wintour has a say in what she wears.

An insider recently told Wintour's biographer Amy Odell the famously exacting editor knows Sanchez has 'poor taste,' and keen to personally help her select a dress.

Sanchez is notorious for wearing the sort of ensembles that leave little of her gym-toned, surgically-enhanced assets to the imagination.

'Anna doesn't always get personally involved in what guests wear,' wrote Odell, adding that she was working with Sanchez to choose between custom designs by the classically stylish Oscar de la Renta and two other as-yet-unnamed designers.

Perhaps Sanchez's photo with Oscar de la Renta creative director Kim was a nod to Wintour's wishes.

Given that celebrities have often worn wild outfits to the Met Gala, Wintour's rumored slam amounts to a resounding declaration of no confidence.

Wintour is not alone in her critique of how Sanchez dresses, apparently, as broadcaster Megyn Kelly recently said she 'looked like a hooker' in Milan and she continues to feel the brunt of Keith McNally.

On Sunday, New York's best-known restaurateur McNally took to Instagram to deliver a half-hearted apology and dragged those who criticized him for recently commenting on Sanchez's looks, having called her 'absolutely revolting'.

'Of course it's wrong to criticize someone you don't know - sorry Hitler - especially when they're as wholesome and natural as Sanchez looks in the photo above,' McNally said.

The pair briefly stopped for photos with fashion designer Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the creative director for Oscar de la Renta

She wore an eye-catching black, sheer, skin-tight dress during the night out

'Apologizes for my April 15th post where - due to being Stone Cold Sober - I called the helicopter-flying beauty "revolting-looking."'

'Joking aside, just because Sanchez may have spent a fortune on plastic surgery doesn't make her "revolting." In fact most of the revolting people I know haven't spent a penny on plastic surgery,' he said.

In his April 15 post, McNally seemingly unprovoked, posted a serious of pictures of the couple with the caption, 'Does anybody else find Jeff Bezos' New wife - Lauren Sanchez - ABSOLUTELY REVOLTING?'

'What an ugly and F***ing SMUG - LOOKING couple they make. Is this what having 1000 Billion dollars does to people?'

On Sunday, McNally went on to call out people who spoke in Sanchez's defense, including her celebrity pals.

'Although 90 percent of the 3,000 comments I received from my Sanchez post were light and funny - and in the vein of the post - the comments I received from other billionaires' wives were Unfunny and Weird,' McNally said.

'The Unfunniest was from the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld (whom I adore) - Jessica Seinfeld. Seinfeld must have been embarrassed by her comment because she quickly deleted it.'

'Here's part of it: "THIS POST IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR TWISTED, PITIFUL, AND HIDEOUS MIND. LAUREN HAS TWICE THE CHARACTER YOU DO."'

New York City restauranteur Keith McNally slammed those who criticized him for calling Lauren Sanchez revolting

'"Twisted, pitiful, and hideous." The f****r must have read my memoir,' he said.

Since her affair with Bezos was revealed in 2019, she has dipped her toes into philanthropy.

In March, she became vice-chair of the Bezos Earth Fund financing research on biomanufacturing and climate change.

The couple have also instituted a $100 million Courage and Civility Award for people serving the community. Winners have so far included Dolly Parton and actress Eva Longoria.

They made their first public appearance together in May of 2019, and four years later, they got engaged in May 2023.

The bride-to-be opened up about the moment Bezos asked her to marry him in an interview featured in the November issue of Vogue.

She recalled how he popped the question on his yacht after they enjoyed a romantic dinner under the stars together.

Bezos hid the pink diamond engagement ring under her pillow, and she admitted that she almost 'blacked out' when she saw it.

Sanchez said they were in the early stages of planning their nuptials, noting that she was more focused on the billionaire's 60th birthday party at the time.
Ivanka, 42, topped off the look with a pair of hoop earrings and a silver clutch

She was spotted laughing alongside a friend during the ultra-exclusive event

The former first daughter bared cleavage in a tiny red dress in Miami Beach

Ivanka Trump flaunted her assets in a cleavage-baring minidress during a night out at Miami's Carbone Beach.

The former first daughter was spotted alongside a friend at the star-studded event celebrating Formula 1s Miami Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Ivanka, 42, donned a bright red minidress and strappy beige pumps, putting her legs on full display as she strode down the red carpet at the Carbone Beach party.

The posh soiree was held from May 2 to May 5 at an undisclosed location on Miami Beach. Each evening began with a cocktail hour followed by an 'intimate seated dinner,' according to a website for the event.

The mother of three completed the look with a pair of hoop earrings and a metallic silver clutch. The sighting came days after she and husband Jared Kushner, 43, were spotted walking hand-in-hand on their way to dinner on the first night of the event.

Ivanka Trump flaunted her assets in a cleavage-baring minidress during a night out at Miami's Carbone Beach

Ivanka, 42, donned a bright red minidress and strappy beige pumps, putting her legs on full display as she strode down the red carpet

The former first daughter was spotted alongside a friend at the star-studded event celebrating Formula 1s Miami Grand Prix on Saturday night

On Thursday, Ivanka opted for a tiny dark blue dress with sequined flowers and silver, open-toed heels, while Kushner sported black pants, black shoes and a black button-down with a white shirt underneath.

The couple have worked to distance themselves from the tumultuous world of politics amid Donald Trump's re-election campaign and his various legal woes.

They relocated to Florida with children Arabella, 12, Joseph, 9, and Theodore, 8, after Trump left office in January 2021.

And Ivanka wasn't at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022 when Donald Trump announced that he would seek another term in the White House.

It was a change of pace for the 42-year-old, who was heavily involved in her father's presidency.

She was handed a prominent role in meetings with the G20 and Kim Jong-un, for which she was met with accusations of nepotism.

However, Ivanka has no desire to return to Washington, according to those close to her and her husband.

The mother of three completed the look with a pair of hoop earrings and a metallic silver clutch

Ivanka talks to a friend as the two walk the red carpet at the Carbone Beach party

The sighting came days after she and husband Jared Kushner , 43, were spotted walking hand-in-hand on their way to dinner on the first night of the event

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner walked down the red carpet together on May 2 as they headed to a dinner at Carbone in Miami on Thursday night

'The couple remains focused on their family and private lives,' a source told DailyMail.com, adding that Ivanka was distancing herself from the 'fabricated gossip' of 'an imminent return to politics.'

Ivanka herself voiced her desire for a quieter life in 2022.

'This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family,' she said in a statement.

'I do not plan to be involved in politics. While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena.'

Kushner, meanwhile, was present at Trump's re-election announcement. He served as Senior Advisor to his father-in-law until Trump left office.

That same year, Kushner launched his Miami-based investment firm, Affinity Partners.

Kushner has not yet commented on reports he could serve as secretary of state in a second Trump term, but his latest undertaking has been embroiled in controversy.

Six months after leaving the White House, Kushner's firm received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.

The posh soiree was held from May 2 to May 5 at an undisclosed location on Miami Beach. Each evening began with a cocktail hour followed by an 'intimate seated dinner,' according to a website for the event

Ivanka signs autographs as she enters the Carbone Beach party

Ivanka displayed her toned legs in a mini red dress

Ivanka was spotted on Sunday night at the party to celebrate Miami hosting Formula-1 racing

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at a friend's wedding in Mexico this weekend

Ivanka, pictured with then-President Donald Trump (above) in the Oval Office in April 2017, has no plans to return to politics

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said Trump's son-in-law 'crossed the line of ethics' by accepting the investment.

Last month, Kushner posted pictures of 'early design images' for his new development projects in Albania and Serbia on X, formerly Twitter.

The proposed projects include luxury buildings off the coast of Albania and in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

But his entanglement with foreign governments was slammed by Representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat.

'We've already exposed his $2 billion investment fund with the Saudis, and we are pushing hard to ensure this grift gets the attention it demands,' Garcia wrote on social media. 'This is real corruption.'
A year ago today, King Charles succeeded his late mother Queen Elizabeth II as monarch and was crowned in a regal ceremony inside Westminster Abbey.

King Charles' Coronation was watched by more than 20 million people in the UK and millions more around the world, yet today, His Majesty wishes to mark the day 'in his mother's mould' with very little fuss.

In the year since that stunning day, His Majesty has had a lot to deal with, both personally and as a father, son, husband and as head of the Royal Family.

He continues to undergo cancer treatment after his diagnosis in February, which was followed by the Princess of Wales's own shock health news that she too is suffering from cancer.

His time on the throne has been short, but far from uneventful. Reports have suggested that Charles had more engagements compared to the Queen in her first year.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at key moments from King Charles' year as head of state in comparison to his late mother Queen Elizabeth's following her Coronation in 1953.

A year ago today, King Charles succeeded his late mother Queen Elizabeth II as monarch and was crowned in a regal ceremony inside Westminster Abbey

FEMAIL takes a look at key moments from King Charles' year as head of state in comparison to his late mother Queen Elizabeth's following her Coronation in 1953.

One year ago today, pomp and pageantry reigned at King Charles' Coronation on May 6, 2023.

The Coronation harked back 70 years to the glorious crowning of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8, 2022.

Queen Elizabeth was crowned as head of state on June 2, 1953, in St Edward's Chair inside Westminster Abbey, just as King Charles was seven decades on.

His Majesty wielded regalia including the Sovereign's Orb, the Sceptres with Dove and Cross and the Sword of State and Sword of Offering, mirroring his mother's actions on her own Coronation Day.

Also present in the Abbey 70 years on from their attendance at Her Late Majesty the Queen's crowning were the Duke of Kent, his siblings Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael and cousin the Duke of Gloucester.

 Slide me  One year ago today, pomp and pageantry reigned at King Charles' Coronation on May 6, 2023, while Queen Elizabeth was crowned as head of state on June 2, 1953

Trooping the Colour

King Charles saddled up to become the first monarch in more than 30 years to take part in the Trooping the Colour ceremony as his official birthday parade began on the morning of June 19, 2023.

The King rode onto Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall as the nation's head of state, and was joined on horseback by the royal colonels, including the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Travelling in a carriage were the Queen, the Princess of Wales, along with Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis.

It was the first time a reigning monarch has ridden on horseback at Trooping the Colour since Queen Elizabeth's horse Burmese carried her during the 1986 ceremony.

On June 6 in 1953, Queen Elizabeth took the salute at the Trooping the Colour Ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, the occasion marking Her Majesty's official birthday.

The late Queen lead the procession out of Buckingham Palace and was joined by Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and Prince Charles, who arrived on Horse Guards Parade.

 Slide me  King Charles took part in the Trooping the Colour ceremony on June 19, 2023, while on June 6 in 1953, Queen Elizabeth took the salute at the Trooping the Colour Ceremony

New stamps ushered in

British stamps began featuring the King's profile from April 4, 2023, but the late Queen's image is still in use under specific conditions.

On July 31, 2023, stamps featuring the The Queen without a barcode became obsolete, but those with barcodes attached to the side remain valid for use.

Charles's image, adapted from the design of artist Martin Jennings for use on coins by the Royal Mint, appeared on all new stamps with presentation packs on sale prior to his coronation.

In Queen Elizabeth's case, stamps featuring her profile were released just a day after her coronation, with Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Stamp Set including four distinct values.

The last set of new stamps showing the late Queen's head were issued by Royal Mail in February 2023, featuring the centenary of the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive.

This marks the end of an era, with this familiar version of Queen Elizabeth II's silhouette having appeared on special stamps since 1968.

One of the first sheets of the 1st class stamp featuring King Charles III is unveiled as it goes on display at the Postal Museum in central London in February 2023 before they enter circulation

The Queen Elizabeth II examines sets of new stamps issued to commemorate her 1953 Coronation

First State visit

On March 30 in 2023, King Charles made his first State visit - accompanied by The Queen Consort - to Germany.

He became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag in Berlin - and did almost the entire historic speech in German - as his state visit went from strength to strength.

There were nods of approval and several rounds of applause from MPs as His Majesty spoke about the 'friendship' between 'our nations', and at times the royal looked emotional to be there.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II's first official State visit following her Coronation was to Panama on November 29 in 1953, before going on to visit Norway on June 24 in 1955 and Sweden on June 8 in 1956.

 Slide me  On March 30 in 2023, King Charles made his first State visit - accompanied by The Queen Consort - to Germany, while Queen Elizabeth II's first official State visit following her Coronation was to Panama on November 29 in 1953, before going on to visit Norway on June 24 in 1955 and Sweden on June 8 in 1956

King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort visit Wittenbergplaztz Food Market on March 30, 2023 in Berlin, Germany

The Queen and her guests stand during the playing of the national anthems before the gala performance in honour of King Gustav Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden in 1956

First summer at Balmoral

On August 17, 2023, the Royal Family gathered at church in Balmoral as they enjoyed the first summer break at the estate since the Queen spent her final days there before her death.

As the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's passing approached, all senior working royals were seen going to church near the grounds of the royal estate where she died on September 8, 2022.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by his son Prince William and daughter-in-law Princess Catherine for their traditional Sunday morning service.

Britain's longest-reigning monarch died at the age of 96 on September 8 at her Scottish residence, with members of the royal family travelling to Scotland to be with her beforehand.

Balmoral was among her most treasured homes, with the Queen spending many of her summers holidaying there with family over the years.

The Princess Royal, King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the Braemar Gathering highland games held a short distance from the royals' summer retreat at the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire in September 2023

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with their children Princess Anne, Prince Charles (right) and Prince Andrew on his first holiday to Balmoral in September 1960

First Visit to a Commonwealth Country

The King has arrived in Kenya on October 30, 2023, on his first state visit to a Commonwealth nation since he became sovereign.

He touched down on the official RAF Voyager aircraft in Nairobi at 7pm UK time (10pm local) accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla.

Although there was no ceremonial welcome, His Majesty's trip began with a visit to a monument and fig tree celebrating the African nation's independence from Britain.

The royal couple met local children, including groups taking part in a The Prince's Trust International Enterprise Challenge. Charles also visited entrepreneurs during a visit to a Tech and Innovation showcase in the Kenyan capital.

However, King Charles found himself mired in Britain's colonial past during his current four-day trip, and at a state banquet in Nairobi, he told of his 'greatest sorrow and deepest regret' at what he called Britain's 'abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence' in the country during British rule, in particularly between 1952 and 1960.

According to the official Royal website, one third of The Queen's total overseas visits were to Commonwealth countries.

Following her crowing as head of state in June 1953, Her Majesty's first visit to a Commonwealth Country was to Bermuda in on November 24 in 1953, before visiting Jamaica on November 25, and Tonga on December 19.

 Slide me  The King has arrived in Kenya on October 30, 2023, on his first state visit to a Commonwealth nation since he became sovereign, while Her Majesty's first visit to a Commonwealth Country was to Bermuda in on November 24 in 1953, before visiting Jamaican on November 25, and Tonga on December 19

 Slide me  His Majesty's trip began with a visit to a monument and fig tree celebrating the African nation's independence from Britain. According to the official Royal website, one third of The Queen's total overseas visits were to Commonwealth countries

First State opening of Parliament

On November 7, 2023, King Charles used the first King's Speech for more than 70 years - his first as British monarch - to pay a poignant tribute to his 'beloved mother' Queen Elizabeth II at the State Opening of Parliament.

Addressing MPs and peers in the House of Lords, he spoke of Her Majesty's 'legacy of service and devotion' with his wife Queen Camilla next to him.

It was a historic and emotional moment for the King, who stepped in for his mother in May 2022 as she battled mobility problems before she passed away in September.

The first State Opening of Parliament presided over by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 4 November 1952.

This preceded her Coronation and was her first major state event. Large crowds gathered outside to catch a glimpse of the new monarch on the traditional royal procession to the Palace of Westminster.

Making her speech from the throne in the House of Lords chamber, she began with a tribute to her late father, according to the official Parliament website.

 Slide me  On November 7, 2023, King Charles used the first King's Speech for more than 70 years at the State Opening of Parliament, while the first State Opening of Parliament presided over by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 4 November 1952

Christmas message to the nation

Charles made his first Christmas address to the UK and the Commonwealth on December 25, continuing a tradition that began in 1932.

The King's speech paid homage to all of the working royals as it deployed a montage of royal highlights of the last 12 months of 2023.

The Christmas broadcast, the first since Charles' crowning as head of state, was delivered standing up in Buckingham Palace's centre room which opens onto the famous balcony overlooking The Mall. The Queen Victoria Memorial could be seen in the background.

The King recognised all faiths, describing how 'great religions of the world' celebrated festivals with a special meal, and how it was the responsibility of 'people of all faiths and of none' to care for the natural world.

At the end of 1953 The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were at the start of a six-month tour of the Commonwealth on the Royal yacht.

On Christmas Day, they were in Auckland, New Zealand, where The Queen recorded her Christmas Broadcast for the radio at Government House.

Charles made his first Christmas address to the UK and the Commonwealth on December 25, continuing a tradition that began in 1932

Queen Elizabeth II making her Christmas broadcast to the peoples of the Commonwealth from Government House, Auckland, New Zealand on December 25, 1953.

With family at Annual Christmas day service St Mary's Magdalene Church

The King and Queen celebrated Christmas Day alongside other members of the royal family at Sandringham on December 25, after attending a morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church.

The private Norfolk estate hosted the traditional royal festivities, with most of the family present - except for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who spent the day in LA with their children, Prince Louis and Princess Lilibet.

Charles and Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, for morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church, as well as other Royal family members.

Her Majesty, accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in New Zealand on December 23, 1953, which meant The Queen spent Christmas in Auckland during her first year as reigning monarch.

On the 25th, she attended a Divine Service at St Mary's Cathedral, before giving her annual Christmas address.

In her speech, she addressed the Tangiwai disaster, which had occurred the night before, in which 151 people died - it remains New Zealand's worst railway disaster.

The King and Queen celebrated Christmas Day alongside other members of the royal family at Sandringham on December 25, 2023

The Queen with the Bishop of Auckland, the Rt Rev. W.J Simkin, leaving the Cathedral Church of St Mary, after attending the Christmas service in 1953

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh stand on the steps of Government House, Auckland, New Zealand, on Christmas Day in 1953

Presented with first banknotes bearing portrait

On April 9, 2024, King Charles greeted the governor of the Bank of England for a historic meeting where he was presented with the first banknotes bearing his portrait.

The King praised the notes as 'very well designed' and expressed his surprise at being only the second monarch to feature. He received a leather-bound booklet containing the historic legal tender from Andrew Bailey at Buckingham Palace.

British coins featuring Elizabeth were first made available in 1953, a year after she ascended to the throne, according to the nation's coin supplier, Royal Mint. In 1960, Elizabeth became the first British royal to have a photo featured on paper bills.

Her likeness also appears on currency in Commonwealth countries, such as Canada, New Zealand and Australia, among others. Further, she appears on coins and bills made available by the Eastern Caribbean central bank.
Diners have branded a Gordon Ramsay burger a 'f***ing mess' because it has cheese sprinkled on top of the bun, making it difficult to eat.

The dish - which according to the online menu costs 18 and comes with fries - is stuffed with a double beef patty, American cheese, onion and Sriracha mayonnaise.

The TV chef is selling the Next Level Burger at nine Street Burger restaurants across the UK, but social media foodies have slammed the meal online.

He promoted the dish in a social media post from last week, sharing an Instagram reel with his 17.3 million followers.

In the clip, the burger is also topped with a spoonful of mac and cheese.

Diners have branded a Gordon Ramsay burger a 'f***ing mess' because it has cheese sprinkled on top of the bun, making it difficult to eat

'Treat yourself to a tasty Next Level smash stack this weekend at @gordonramsaystreetburger!!' the cook wrote.

Commenters however appeared less than impressed with the offering.

'Looks a right mess,' one wrote, hitting out at the sauce and toppings spilling out from the bun.

'Looked great until you put that white stuff on top,' another added.

Another penned: 'Making a burger that isn't easily picked up shows fundamental misunderstanding of a burger.'

Elsewhere, one person simply instructed that the chef 'start over'.

'Looks delicious but how are you supposed to eat that?' one commenter questioned.

'Way too messy to pick up and eat,' another remarked.

The dish - which according to the online menu costs 18 and comes with fries - is stuffed with a double beef patty, American cheese, onion and Sriracha mayonnaise

The TV chef is selling the Next Level Burger at nine Street Burger restaurants across the UK, but social media foodies have slammed the meal online

Others also took issue with the price, adding that it was pricey for Britons going through a cost-of-living-crisis.

'I'm sure it tastes nice but I don't think the wallet would agree."

Yet some fans were more convinced, and found the meal looked 'smashing' and 'incredible'.

MailOnline has reached out to Gordon Ramsay Restaurants for comment.

Meanwhile earlier this year a chef who starred on MasterChef Professionals criticised Gordon for his 'dry' upmarket burger.

The Double Stack Smash Burger is being sold for 29.50 at luxury retailer Harrods, located in Knightsbridge, London, and is the most expensive burger on the menu.

Diners will tuck into a double smash Parmesan beef patty, mozzarella, roasted jalapenos, rocket, pickled shallots and jalapeno mayonnaise.

But after a video of Gordon's dish was shared by Harrods on Instagram - which now appears to have been deleted - he was slammed in the comments by customers and fellow chef, Michael Carr who said: 'Burger looks so dry.'

Gordon promoted the dish in a social media post from last week, sharing a reel with his 17.3 million followers

Elsewhere, one person simply instructed that the chef 'start over'. Gordon Ramsay pictured in December

Mr Carr starred on the BBC show in 2019 and owns his own catering business called Carr's Catering.

He posted on his Facebook business page and wrote: 'Two years [ago] I stepped in [the] MasterChef UK and it was hard and the pressure was unreal but I f**k[ing] did it and to cook for Marcus Wareing and Greg Wallace and to have their feedback was brilliant.

'So glad I got to live out a dream!!'

He caters for private dinner parties, weddings and has 5 star rating online.

Harrods captioned the video of Gordon's dry burger: 'A moment for the burger of the month. Inspired by our head chef's memories of her grandma cooking meatballs.

'This double-stacked smashed beef and Parmesan smash burger is topped with roasted jalapenos, mozzarella and a jalapeno mayonnaise.

'Available for a limited time. Book a table at Gordon Ramsay Burger on the fourth floor.'

Plain fries cost an extra 8.50 on top and fancier options, such as truffle Parmesan fries will set you back 12.50.
Queen Letizia of Spain looked stylish in a pink tweed blazer as she attended the EmocionArte concert on Monday.

The royal mother-of-two, 52, opted for comfort in white trainers as she stepped out for the event, which promotes education in emotional well-being among young people, in Madrid.

The Spanish monarch, who appeared in high spirits, completed her casual look with white trousers.

Her brunette locks were styled in a sleek straight center parting and her glam makeup was enhanced with a smokey eyeshadow look.

Letizia posed up a storm with Colombian producer, songwriter and record engineer. Julio Reyes Copello.

Queen Letizia of Spain looked stylish in a pink tweed blazer as she attended the EmocionArte concert on Monday

The event takes place within the framework of the proclamation of the Princess of Girona Award International 2024.

The laid back event comes after Letizia looked elegant in a powder blue suit as she joined King Felipe in Madrid to celebrate an important military anniversary for her husband.

She beamed with pride as she attended a ceremony at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza to mark 40 years since the monarch was promoted.

As she watched on in high spirits, Letizia looked regal in her tailored suit, which featured wide-leg trousers.

The princess has been studying at the Academy since August last year and will complete a total of three years of military training, just as her father did before her, before she then goes to university.

The Princess, who turned 18 in October last year, has been making solo appearances and training at the Military Academy to ensure she's ready for her future in the monarchy.

After a year at the academy, it is expected that Leonor will move to a naval academy in Spain, before heading for her final year of training at the General Air Academy.

King Felipe served in the military for almost three decades until he acceded to the throne in 2014.

The royal mother-of-two, 52, opted for comfort in white trainers as she stepped out for the event which promotes education in emotional well-being among young people, in Madrid

The Spanish monarch, who appeared in high spirits, completed her casual look with white trousers

Letizia posed up a storm with Colombian producer, songwriter and record engineer. Julio Reyes Copello

Her brunette locks were styled in a sleek straight center parting and her glam makeup was enhanced with a smokey eyeshadow look

Carmen Calvo, Queen Letizia and Julio Reyes Copello pose before entering the EmocionArte concert

Throughout his long military career King Felipe was promoted multiple times, achieving the status of lieutenant colonel in the Army, frigate captain in the Navy, and lieutenant colonel in the Air Force in 2009.

On becoming King on June 19, 2014 when his father abdicated, King Felipe was made Commander-In-Chief of the entire military.

When Leonor eventually ascends the throne, she will become commander-in-chief ot the Spanish military.

Rather like a boarding school, the military academy follows a strict timetable during the week. but Leonor will be free to return home at the weekeneds if she's not on manouevres.

Leonor graduated with the International Baccalaureate from the UWC Atlantic College in the Welsh county of Vale of Glamorgan in May.

The school is often referred to as 'Hippie Hogwarts' thanks to its progressive approach to education and picturesque castle setting.

It was founded in German educationalist Kurt Hahn, is situated at the 12th century St Donat's Castle on the country's south coast and costs a whopping 67,000 per year for courses including Tai Chi, the theory of knowledge and Tibetan literature.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat seeking an 11th consecutive terms in Congress, has been indicted, along with his wife Imelda, on charges that the couple took bribes to advance the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. The Cuellars say the charges are false. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

If history is any guide, when American politicians discuss corrupt deals, its often at a restaurant, and steakhouses seem to be the venue of choice.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and his wife, Nadine, are awaiting trial on charges that they accepted cash, gold bullion, a luxury car and other valuables in return for secretly assisting the government of Egypt. Key to the alleged plot was a dinner at a Washington, D.C., steakhouse attended by the senator, his wife and an Egyptian official.

Theres even a picture of it in federal prosecutors court filings. They cited the dinner as an overt act in furtherance of a criminal scheme. The Menendezes have denied the charges.

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Ohio offers another example of the strange synergy between beef and bribery. Former state House Speaker Larry Householder was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison last year for accepting $61 million from an energy company in return for arranging a $1 billion bailout of a nuclear plant. Householder and his co-conspirators hatched their plan over a steak dinner in Washington, D.C., according to restaurant receipts and other evidence produced at trial.

A similar repast figures prominently in a fresh bribery scandal much closer to home.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and his wife, Imelda, were arrested Friday on charges that they pocketed $600,000 in bribes to promote the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. They have asserted their innocence and are free on bail. Cuellar, 68, said he will continue his campaign for reelection to an 11th consecutive term in November.

According to a federal indictment, Azerbaijans national oil company paid bribes to the Cuellars through intermediaries, shell companies and sham contracts that called for Imelda Cuellar, 67, to be paid handsomely for professional services, despite doing little to no legitimate work. The arrangement began in 2014 and continued through November 2021, the Justice Department said.

A key moment in prosecutors narrative came in September 2017. Azerbaijani oil company officials had come up with a way to keep the money flowing to the Cuellars, the Justice Department contends. They would hire Imelda Cuellar as a consultant to an Azerbaijan-affiliated company based in Katy. She would be paid to help the affiliate find suitable partners in the Houston area that are willing and able to supply oil and gas equipment, according to the indictment.

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Henry Cuellar arranged for his wife to meet with Azerbaijani oil officials over lunch in San Antonio to discuss the consulting deal, the indictment states. Cuellars congressional district, the 28th, includes a piece of San Antonios Southeast Side and extends from there to the border with Mexico.

Federal agents search the home of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar in Laredo in January 2022. A federal indictment unsealed Friday charged Cuellar and his wife Imelda with taking bribes to advance the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. The Cuellar said the charges are false. Valerie Gonzalez/Associated Press

The indictment includes an exchange of text messages between husband and wife.

U need to be in SA to meet for lunch on Friday with folks. All set up, the legislator allegedly texted his wife Oct. 4, 2017.

You pick a steakhouse in SA for meeting, she replied.

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OK, Cuellar texted back.

Two days later, on Oct. 6, 2017, the Azerbaijani ambassador to the United States reached out to Henry Cuellar.

Good morning Boss! Our friends are asking about time/location of lunch in SA today. Thanks, the ambassador wrote.

The legislator responded with the name and address of a steakhouse in San Antonio, and his wife met with the oil company officials at the establishment later that day, the indictment states.

The restaurant is not identified. Nor is it known what the parties ordered.

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The Justice Department declined to comment when asked the name and location of the steakhouse. However, a review of Cuellars campaign expenditure reports suggests one possibility: Ruths Chris Steak House.

Reports filed by Cuellars congressional campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission list frequent meals at Ruths Chris locations in San Antonio and Washington, D.C. The committees report for the fourth quarter of 2017 shows reimbursements for two meals at the Ruths Chris in the Grand Hyatt in downtown San Antonio in the same time frame as the lunch described in the indictment.

Wherever it was held, the steakhouse meeting with the Azerbaijanis accomplished its purpose, according to prosecutors.

Soon afterward, the Cuellars allegedly formed a new shell company  to receive the bribe payments. The consulting contract paid $20,000 a month for 12 months and was a sham used to disguise and legitimate Henry Cuellars corrupt agreement to take official acts in violation of his official duties to benefit the government of Azerbaijan and to act as an agent of the government of Azerbaijan, according to the indictment.

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The Cuellars dealings with Azerbaijan accounted for just a portion of the $600,000 in bribes they collected from 2014 to 2021, prosecutors assert. The rest came from working on behalf of a Mexican bank that was worried that tighter U.S. regulations on money laundering and payday lending would hurt its business, the Justice Department said.
Prince Andrew looked downcast as he drove through Windsor today - amid fears his brother King Charles will evict him from his crumbling Royal Lodge manor.

The Duke of York, 64, sporting a navy jumper emblazoned with the crest of the Grenadier Guards, was spotted driving to the grounds of Windsor Castle.

In December 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, would become the new colonel of the Grenadier Guards, replacing Prince Andrew.

The royal's outing today comes after photos emerged showing Andrew's crumbling home where the out-of-favour duke is staying despite not being able to afford its 400,000-a-year upkeep costs.

Pictures show Royal Lodge, where the Duke of York has lived for two decades, with its iconic white paint crumbling away from the walls, and dirt marks staining the facade and worsening cracks in the brickwork.

Prince Andrew looked downcast as he drove through Windsor today - amid fears his brother King Charles will evict him from his crumbling Royal Lodge manor

It comes months after he refused to leave the property, which has 30 rooms and is though to be worth 30million, and promised King Charles he would take care of its expensive repairs - despite having no apparent source of income.

It was reported that Andrew, who was forced to quit royal duties over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, was told he would have to leave the property before being granted 'a stay of execution'.

Part of the terms of this alleged deal with his older brother was that he would carry out repair works on the 19th century, Grade II-listed property, but these appear not to have been done as of yet.

A source told The Mirror that Andrew has a 'clear responsibility' for the upkeep and maintenance of the estate, but this 'is certainly not happening'.

'The state of the residence will be of great concern to the King after everything that has gone on and been discussed in regards to the house' they said.

'Prince Andrew was told he must take charge of the necessary renovations or he will have no cause to stay in the house.'

Andrew has lived in the home for 20 years, and signed a 75-year lease on it after agreeing to maintain it and paying 250-a-week.

Sources close to the Duke said back in January: 'Andrew is going nowhere. He has a cast iron lease.'

The Duke of York, 64, sporting a navy jumper emblazoned with the crest of the Grenadier Guards, was spotted driving to the grounds of Windsor Castle

Andrew, who took over Royal Lodge from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease, has reportedly paid more than 7.5million of his own fortune for renovations

Photos show the paintwork crumbling and cracks forming in the walls at Prince Andrew's Royal Lodge home

The King's younger brother was stripped of royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late Queen

The Mail revealed last year that the King intended to evict his brother from the mansion on the Windsor estate and move him to a more modest property.

Frogmore Cottage, which was previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan, was suggested as a possible alternative, but Andrew reportedly saw this as a 'demotion' too far.

Amid the quarrel over his property, one of Andrew's friends described how there had been a 'cooling of relations' between him and the King.

Charles then held out an 'olive branch' to his brother by inviting him to Balmoral over the summer along with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.

The brothers are said to have engaged in crisis talks during a family gathering there late last August, during which time the issue of Andrew's tenancy was thrashed out.

Royal Lodge has seven bedrooms across the two top floors and Andrew shares the lavish mansion with just his ex-wife Sarah.

The mansion is in desperate need of repairs on top of the 200,000 roof maintenance Andrew has already paid for, including work to solve a damp problem throughout the property.

Andrew took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease and has ploughed up to 7million of his own fortune into renovations.

In 2022, Andrew paid a reported 12million settlement to Virginia Giuffre, halting a civil trial in the US, after she said he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. He strongly denies the claims.

The King's younger brother was stripped of royal duties and use of his HRH title by the late Queen, but is still able to attend family events, such as the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, in a private capacity.

MailOnline contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
Hailey Bieber's viral phone case has become and it-item for influencers and fashionistas, who are keen to get their hands on one.

The 35 case, launched by the socialite's brand Rhode, comes complete with a slot to contain a lip gloss.

But now, O2 have launched their own version for customers ahead of summer.

Instead of lipgloss, the O2 version comes with sun cream.

It's been launched in a bid to highlight the importance of sun safety this summer.

The network has partnered with The British Skin Foundation and Green People to merge smartphones with sunscreen, inspired by Rhode Beauty founder Hailey Bieber who crafted an iPhone case complete with a special holder tailored perfectly to fit your lip gloss.

O2 has partnered with The British Skin Foundation and organic skincare brand Green People to create a limited-edition smartphone accessory complete with a built-in sunscreen tube, to help people protect themselves effortlessly throughout the day

Available in selected O2 stores, users will have an emergency top up to hand with O2's newest case.

Naturally unscented and enriched with over 60 per cent organic Aloe Vera, Green People's SPF gently soothes sensitive skin whilst it protects and contains Berry Wax to provide a splash of water repellency.

The limited-edition free mobile phone accessory will be available at selected O2 stores across the country from May 15, while stocks last, including London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Members of the public simply need to head to a participating O2 store and say 'don't get burnt' to a staff member at the till to get theirs.

Hailey Bieber at the Rhode LA office sporting her lip gloss

UK stores selling cases London: 120 Oxford St, London W1D 1LT Cardiff: Unit Lg10, St Davids, St Davids Centre, Cardiff CF10 2ER Edinburgh: 129 St James Crescent St James Quarter Edinburgh EH1 3AD Scotland. Belfast: 14-16 Castle Ln, Belfast BT1 5DA Birmingham: 24 New St, Birmingham B2 4RQ Manchester Market St: Unit 5, 39 Market St, Manchester M1 1WR Advertisement

O2 say they created the case after research found nearly one in five Brits would go on holiday to a warm location without packing sun protection, thinking they'll be fine without it.

Of those who do use sun cream, nearly one in 10 only do so when they sense they might be burning, despite 76 per cent admitting that getting burnt has a negative effect on their holiday.

The research also found that sunscreen is the most forgotten item when heading to the beach or pool.

Mobile phones on the other hand came at the top, being the item people prioritise taking with on holiday the most,.

The telecommunications company has created a limited-edition smartphone accessory complete with built-in suncream to remind holidaymakers to top up on the SPF whilst soaking up the sun

Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: 'The findings from this study are truly concerning, with 6.4 million people admitting to dangerously avoiding sunscreen.

'That's why we've partnered with The British Skin Foundation and Green People during Skin Cancer Awareness Month to create a smartphone accessory as a helpful prompt to top up whilst on holiday.

Green People founder, Charlotte Vhtz, said: We all need to protect our skin from the sun every day, so its a concern to know that so many are choosing to only use SPF once their skin starts to burn or not to apply it at all. Don't let sunburn steal your summer memories. Make SPF your priority!

Lisa Bickerstaffe, Head of Comms at The British Skin Foundation, said: At the BSF we know that UV rays damage the skin and can potentially cause health problems in the future, so were proud to work together with O2 on this initiative by providing expert advice on sun safety to educate the public.
Royal fans are going wild over the 'cute' moment the Duchess of Edinburgh broke into dance as she joined some of the winners of the Royal Windsor Horse Show on their victory lap.

Prince Edward's wife, 59, attended the Berkshire event with her husband and daughter Lady Louise Windsor over the weekend.

After the International Driving event concluded, the royal was invited to join the winners on their victory lap of Castle Arena.

Footage captured by X user and royal fan @Mari_Edinburghs shows the mother-of-two initially walking off the racecourse with her husband and daughter.

But after being called back, Sophie put on a gentle jog as she bounds towards the Australia team's carriage.

Pictured: The Duchess of Edinburgh seen participating in the Royal Windsor Hors Show in Berkshire yesterday

Sophie then did a little dance before stepping into the carriage, which was fronted by four prize-winning horses.

After taking a seat at the front, the royal couldn't contain her excitement and was seen clapping with glee as they sped off.

Sophie also laughed and waved in Prince Edward's direction during the victory lap.

The footage was then posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, where it amassed over 53,000 views and proved a hit with royal fans.

One replied: 'I love this video! The Duchess of Edinburgh loos so delighted to be asked to ride with the winners.'

Another gushed: 'Omg she is just the cutest! Thank you for sharing.'

'She is so lovely,' a third said. 'I would love to meet her informally, she looks like fun!'

'Oh my goodness,' a fourth added. 'This is adorable!'

Sophie did a little dance before stepping into the carriage, which was fronted by four prize-winning horses

The footage was then posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, where it amassed over 53,000 views and proved a hit with royal fans

Sophie's appearance at the Royal Windsor Horse Show followed her historic visit to Ukraine last week.

The Duchess of Edinburgh became the first British royal to visit the country since Russia's invasion.

Sophie, 59, met with President Zelensky and his wife - and passed on a personal message from King Charles - as she showed her solitary with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and torture during her emotional one-day trip.

The mother of-two travelled in her role as champion of the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

It is understood she was 'keen to show her solidarity with men, women and children affected by the Russian invasion'.

She arrived in the country on the same day at least four people were killed in a barrage of Russian missile strike in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa nearly 300 miles away.

In Kyiv the duchess listened as survivors of sexual violence, both male and female, bravely shared their stories, as well as talking to female IDPs - internally displaced persons - and volunteers who help their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion.
After a night out in Soho with friends - her first night out since having a baby eight months before - Fiona awoke in hospital with no idea how she had got there.

The last memory she had from the evening before was part of the ride home in a black cab.

The cabbie, she recalled, had been very chatty and invited her to take a sip of a drink to help him celebrate a win on the lottery. But after that her memory was blank.

When she went to the bathroom in the hospital, Fiona realised to her horror that she must have been raped. And since she still felt very woozy, she suspected she had been drugged as well.

By the time the black cab driver Worboys was put on trial for his attacks on women, in 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service had identified 89 linked offences. At the time of his conviction, 105 women came forward believing they were victims too

Philippa Kaufmann QC, left, and solicitor Harriet Wistrich both represented two of John Worboys' victims

The next day she went to the police to report being attacked by the taxi driver, but after a cursory investigation, which failed to collect critical evidence, the case was closed. Fiona was told by the investigating officer that he did not believe a black cab driver would risk his licence by raping a passenger.

Four years later, in 2007, 19-year-old Meena, went to a nightclub in the West End and decided to get a black cab back to her student residence in south London. Like Fiona, Meena was given a similar story by the garrulous taxi driver who was insistent she have a drink to help him celebrate his lottery win. She was reluctant but, feeling pressurised, took a sip. Like Fiona she remembers nothing more of the cab journey until she woke up the next afternoon disorientated in her student digs and noticed blood on her bed. Her tampon had been removed, and a button was missing from her shorts.

She too knew she had been sexually assaulted, and after speaking to security guards on her campus, watched CCTV footage which showed her staggering out of a black cab - escorted by a taxi driver.

She also reported her rape to the police, and was also later told they didn't think a cabbie would risk his livelihood.

By the time the black cab driver and serial rapist John Worboys was put on trial for his attacks on women, in 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service had identified 89 linked offences. Between 2002 and 2008, ten women had reported very similar allegations to the police. At the time of his conviction, thanks to the publicity generated by the trial, 105 women came forward believing they were victims too.

I joined this story in March 2010, when Fiona and Meena (not their real names) came to see me at my lawyer's offices in Camden, north London. What they both wanted to know, with a burning, furious passion, was why the police hadn't joined the dots earlier and stopped Worboys in his tracks many years before. They both knew at the time of the investigation that the police had failed them and that this failure had allowed Worboys to attack again and again. Indeed, had the police properly investigated Fiona's allegations, Meena might not have been raped at all.

Although the trauma of the rape and drugging was horrific, they told me the experience of the failed police investigation was even more traumatic. Now they wanted the police to be held accountable in the courts.

The subsequent legal battle we fought was long, stressful and arduous, and often richly symbolic of the appalling ways in which women were, and to a large extent still are, treated not only by the police but by the criminal justice system as a whole. It's a case that forms an important chapter in the memoir I publish this week describing my 30-year legal career, and one that reminds me, when sleepless nights strike, of how intensely rewarding - but often deeply troubling - my work can be.

As a result of my involvement in this case, and others, I decided to found the legal charity, Centre for Women's Justice, which not only fights on behalf of women but campaigns alongside them to reform the law.

The Worboys case seemed to me morally as clear-cut as it got. But legally it was a gamble.

In Fiona's situation, the police investigation was certainly lacklustre and ineffective. On the night of her rape, she subsequently discovered, Worboys had taken her to an old address of hers, and used keys he must have found in her handbag to try to open the door.

When they didn't work, an Australian student called Kevin, who was then living there, came to see what was happening and saw Fiona slumped unconscious in the back seat of the cab, where she had vomited.

Kevin did not know who Fiona was but thought she appeared drugged rather than drunk. He insisted the cabbie take her to the nearest police station, and rode in the back with her. From there, she was despatched by ambulance to hospital.

Kevin was suspicious of the taxi driver, and tried several times to make a statement to police himself, but he was never followed up. None of Fiona's friends from the evening out in Soho were questioned either, even though one who had seen her off in the cab - and might have been able to identify Worboys - also tried to give police a statement.

The Angiolini Inquiry revealed Wayne Couzens had repeatedly sailed through vetting despite multiple reports of sexual violence towards women

Within weeks, police told Fiona their investigation was over and she could pick up the clothes she had been wearing on the night. She felt she was being accused of being a liar.

'You will need to hang onto them,' she replied angrily, 'because one day you may need the evidence. I believe this man will do it again.'

She was, of course, proved right.

When Meena reported Worboys in 2007, there was CCTV evidence. Two male officers sent to question her watched it, asked whether she was drunk and joked about her falling over. When they left, they took some of her clothing but inexplicably left behind her bedsheet and bra.

The CCTV did mean police could identify the cab, however, and the next day Worboys was interviewed under caution with a solicitor present.

Yet this first contact with the rapist represented a extraordinary missed opportunity. There were no probing questions, no follow up on obvious leads, such as searching Worboys' home and his cab, or collecting CCTV from the nightclub which would have revealed a significant discrepancy in the account he gave in the interview. Again, the case was closed.

In the end, it was only a random computer search that got him.

Several months after Meena's fruitless report, a cold case review team conducted a search of unsolved rape and sexual assault complaints and spotted four similar allegations made against the driver of a black taxi. Further searches revealed yet more similar complaints, and Worboys was arrested again. Later it would emerge that, in the few months between his first arrest while investigating Meena's report, and his second arrest after the cold case review, Worboys attacked a further 29 women.

Finally the police began to work with the Crown Prosecution Service. After finding Worboys' rape kit  consisting of alcohol, an array of sedative drugs and notebooks containing some victims' names and addresses  they put out a public appeal for women to come forward.

It would soon be established that in the year he attacked Fiona, Worboys was 'perfecting his technique' and that after 2006, he followed an identical routine with all his victims. And yet still the police had failed to see a pattern.

Worboys was convicted in 2009. Police failures were then looked at by the IPCC (the Independent Police Complaints Commission), which was critical of the investigations, but issued sanctions at the written warning level or below to just five officers.

When Fiona and Meena came to see me, they realised that police practice was unlikely to change given the lack of anyone being properly punished. How could they make their anger clear and try to change the way the police operated when it came to violent crimes against women?

'Could the Met police be sued?' Fiona and Meena asked me.

I explained there was a long established legal principle in English law that the police cannot be sued for negligence in relation to a failed investigation. This principle was upheld in a judgment from the most senior court in England in another notorious case involving a serial offender against women. This was the West Yorkshire police investigation into Peter Sutcliffe, the so-called 'Yorkshire Ripper' who murdered at least 13 women while the police chased their tails down blind alleys.

However, there was another route, I advised, one that had recently emerged following the enactment of the Human Rights Act in 1998.

That involved arguing that Article 3 of the ECHR  women's human rights not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment - had been violated by the police failure to adequately implement their investigative duties. It was a largely untested area of law. And it could be tricky as neither of the women were eligible for legal aid or had resources of their own to support the case.

So, in 2010, we began an unfunded legal battle against the Metropolitan police that was to last over eight years.

We tracked down Kevin, the student who had gone with Fiona to the police station, and who had since returned to Australia, and painstakingly dissected the standard police policy, guidance and operating procedures for investigative techniques in rape and sexual assault cases.

When the trial at the High Court began, we listened in horror as each investigating police officer either admitted they had not been trained in that guidance or hadn't read it. These were officers in Sapphire teams, the Met's specialist rape and sexual assault investigation units, which the force boasted of nationally as 'gold standard'. At least one officer, while admitting his failings, showed no contrition at all. It was frankly contemptible.

There was a nerve-wracking wait after the end of the trial, followed by sheer delight when we received a long and carefully set out judgment in Fiona and Meena's favour. Not only a win for them, it established an important legal precedent that would open the door for victims of serious crimes to hold the police accountable.

The police of course were not delighted and decided to take it to the Court of Appeal. That attempt failed, but they had one last chance to deny the rights of victims to this avenue of redress: the Supreme Court. To our great dismay, the Home Office decided to join the fight  on their side.

It would be the final showdown. The Met and the Government together instructed heavyweight lawyers, while other organisations that supported women's rights, including Rape Crisis England, now joined us on our side.

When we eventually all pitched up at the Supreme Court for a hearing before five judges, it was not difficult to notice that all the lawyers to the left of the court supporting the claimants' case  Meena and Fiona - were women; while virtually all those supporting the police were men.

After the trial, we waited nearly a year until February 2018, when the judges gave their verdict. We'd won. There was clear evidence that Fiona had suffered significant harm over a long period of time as a consequence of the way she was treated by police, and she was awarded 22,500. As for Meena, it was found that, but for earlier failures by the police, she would not have been raped at all. She was awarded 19,000.

We had successfully opened up a new route for victims of serious sexual violence to challenge poor policing.

It was a truly memorable moment in my own career as a lawyer, but moments later I found myself in the midst of another legal battle over Warboys. While waiting for that Supreme Court judgment, news broke that the taxi driver was about to be released from prison having served only ten years of the 'indeterminate sentence for public protection' he was given in 2009.

Fiona and Meena were horrified, as were Worboys' other victims and most of the general public.

We were determined to mount a legal challenge to his release, but again it presented very specific challenges, as we had no access to the reasons for the Parole Board's unexpected decision.

Grimly, we discovered that in prison Worboys was using another inmate as a 'McKenzie Friend'  an unqualified advocate to provide advice and support  in meetings with lawyers. This was Levi Bellfield, the notorious serial killer and rapist convicted of three murders including that of 13-year-old Milly Dowler.

But we did find a route to challenge the parole board  whose thought process seemed more and more bizarre the further we looked into it - and two months after the historic Supreme Court decision against the police, Fiona and Meena secured another unprecedented legal victory. The decision to release Worboys was reversed.

As a result of the publicity around this second win, more women came forward, the police investigated and Worboys was charged with four further offences.

In 2019, as she sentenced Worboys to two additional life sentences, Mrs Justice McGowan said, 'I do not know when, if ever, you will cease to be a risk.'

At the Centre for Women's Justice, we have relied many times on the important precedents created by these cases, and helped hundreds of women challenge bad police decisions and criminal justice outcomes.

I'm often asked whether I think much has changed in terms of the police's handling of violence against women today.

Last month, the Angiolini Inquiry, exploring how a serving Met officer was left in a position where he could use his police powers to abduct, rape and murder Sarah Everard, revealed Wayne Couzens had repeatedly sailed through vetting despite multiple reports of sexual violence towards women. Before that came Baroness Casey's excoriating review of culture and standards in the UK's largest force. It is not surprising that Fiona and Meena sometimes ask whether it was worth putting themselves through the process of reliving their trauma in order to hold the police accountable. Yet, despite the rats nest of misogyny that has been exposed within policing, I genuinely feel we are at a crunch point. The more women are empowered to take action, the greater the chance we can dramatically change the outcomes for women who report a crime.

Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men by Harriet Wistrich (22, Torva) is out May 2nd
She will be attending the Met Gala for the first time with 60-year-old Jeff Bezos

She appeared makeup free as she gave a sultry stare toward the camera

Lauren, 54, showed off her glowing skin ahead of Monday night's Met Gala

Lauren Sanchez was glowing in a make-up free selfie on Sunday night taken just hours before she attended a pre-Met Gala event.

The 54-year-old posted the picture to her Instagram stories, writing: 'No make up... no filter... just @thebeautysandwhich' with a sultry stare at the camera.

'Oh and my lashes from last night,' she added.

Lauren is in full preparation mode ahead of Monday night's annual Met Gala.

Lauren Sanchez was glowing in a make-up free selfie on Sunday night taken just hours before she attended a pre-Met Gala event

The award-winning journalist wore an eye-catching black, sheer, skin-tight dress to Sunday night's pre-Met Gala event

In the picture, Lauren's skin glowed and her hair was pulled back with a headband, standing in what looks to be a bathroom.

Lauren's dewy skin, thanks to celebrity facialist Ivan Pol, the founder of the Beauty Sandwich, costs around $1,600 - or $1,800 for the first session, as per the New York Times.

According to the Beauty Sandwich's Instagram page, the facial 'makes the face appear sleek, defined, and lifted  "snatched."'

The products range in price from $175 to $295, with other celebrity clients including Emma Stone, Kim Kardashian and Barry Keoghan.

Lauren and fiance Jeff Bezos, 60, attended the Monse Maison Pre-Met Cocktail Celebration, which was held at La Mercerie in New York City Sunday night.

The award-winning journalist wore an eye-catching black, sheer, skin-tight dress to the event, despite the fact that Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is rumored not to be fond of the ensembles she typically wears.

DailyMail.com reported last week that the soon-to-be Mrs Bezos was only allowed to attend the $350,000 per table ball if the Vogue editor has a say in what she wears.

An insider recently told Anna's biographer Amy Odell the famously exacting editor knows Lauren has 'poor taste,' and is keen to personally help her select a dress.

Sanchez, 54, and Bezos, 60, were in attendance at the Monse Maison Pre-Met Cocktail Celebration held at La Mercerie in New York City Sunday night

The pair posed for photos with fashion designer Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the creative director for Oscar de la Renta

Lauren is notorious for wearing risque outfits. Pictures here with her fiance Jeff Bezos at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills

The journalist is always pushing boundaries with her fashion choices (pictured with Jeff Bezos in April)

An insider recently told Anna Wintour's (pictured) biographer Amy Odell that the famously exacting editor knows Lauren Sanchez has 'poor taste'

Lauren is notorious for wearing figure hugging and skin-bearing ensembles that leave little the the imagination.

'Anna doesn't always get personally involved in what guests wear,' the author wrote, adding that she was working with Lauren to choose between custom designs by the classically stylish Oscar de la Renta and two other as-yet-unnamed designers.

Anna Wintour is not alone in her critique of how Lauren dresses, apparently, as broadcaster Megyn Kelly recently said she 'looked like a hooker' in Milan and just weeks ago, restaurateur Keith McNally unleashed a rant about her outfit choices.

The Balthazar owner posted a seemingly unprovoked, posted a serious of pictures of the couple on April 15, along with the caption, 'Does anybody else find Jeff Bezos' New wife - Lauren Sanchez - ABSOLUTELY REVOLTING?'

'What an ugly and F***ing SMUG - LOOKING couple they make. Is this what having 1000 Billion dollars does to people?'

New York City restauranteur Keith McNally slammed those who criticized him for calling Lauren Sanchez revolting

On Sunday, McNally went on to call out people who spoke in Sanchez's defense, including her celebrity pals

On Sunday, McNally went on to call out people who spoke in Sanchez's defense, including her celebrity pals.

'Although 90 per cent of the 3,000 comments I received from my Sanchez post were light and funny - and in the vein of the post - the comments I received from other billionaires' wives were unfunny and weird,' McNally said.

'The unfunniest was from the wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld (whom I adore) - Jessica Seinfeld. Seinfeld must have been embarrassed by her comment because she quickly deleted it.'

'Here's part of it: "THIS POST IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR TWISTED, PITIFUL, AND HIDEOUS MIND. LAUREN HAS TWICE THE CHARACTER YOU DO."' '

'"Twisted, pitiful, and hideous." The f****r must have read my memoir,' he said.
Queen Mary of Denmark has admitted to feeling 'overwhelmed' since stepping up to the throne - after her husband attempted to put 'affair' rumours to bed in a gushing interview.

The royal couple gave their first interview as King and Queen, describing their feelings about taking over from Queen Margrethe, how they feel they've been accepted and what they see for the future.

They sat side-by-side in the interview, with King Frederik emphasising the couple's united front by using the word 'we' instead of 'I' countless times.

'We have embarked on our calling and our work, which symbolically happens with this action on the royal ship. It is very special,' he said.

Royal House commentator Jakob Steen Olsen believes the interview, including its delayed timing, suggests the couple wish to move forward as one after months of nasty affair rumours.

He says the pointed language suggests the pair wish to 'get off to a good start without any unpleasant questions or agendas'.

Queen Mary of Denmark admitted she's been feeling 'overwhelmed' since stepping up to the throne - after her husband attempted to put 'affair' rumours to bed in a gushing speech

They sat side-by-side in the interview, with King Frederik emphasising the couple's united front by using the word 'we' instead of 'I' countless times

Their relationship has been under the microscope since November last year when photos were published showing the then Crown Prince out in Madrid with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova.

The pair went out to a restaurant, strolled through the city, visited an art exhibition and even went to Genoveva's apartment for two hours according to reports at the time.

Queen Margrethe's abdication was widely rumoured to be a damage control tactic for the royal couple.

Since the rumoured affair, every photograph of the King and Queen has been inundated with comments and speculation about their love and happiness.

Many fans voiced their disappointment with the King and their love for the Queen who is revered as 'cool, calm, collected and always in style'.

Mr Olsen said the television interview was the perfect 'launching pad' for the couple who have been relatively tight-lipped since the scandal.

The couple put on a united front which warmed the hearts of their fans

He said the television station would have had strict guidelines for the interview, as decreed by the royal house.

In the same interview, Queen Mary, who grew up in Tasmania, admitted to being overwhelmed 'at times' in her new role.

'It is very new and there are many changes and decisions,' she said.

She sounded confident, however, and believes that once they have moved past the transition period she will become more settled.

She also reflected on the moment her husband became King.

'I stood with the children and when you stepped out onto the balcony towards your fate, it was a moment that moved me incredibly much. We could hear and feel it, even if we couldn't see it. It was a beautiful moment. I was both very happy and very proud,' she gushed.

The couple said they would concentrate on the everyday tasks and traditional engagements before adding their own influence as King and Queen.

It comes after much commentary on their relationship following the King's 'night out' in Madrid last year with Genoveva Casanova

The interview happened during one of the most traditional tasks for the monarch - the annual visit to Sweden and other neighboring countries aboard the royal ship Dannebrog.

Photos and videos from the boat show the King and Queen acting playful, linking arms and chatting to excited fans.

'They look like they have made up!' said one.

'Good to see them laughing together again,' said another.
Aussie says Sydney is not the 24-hour city many think it is

Sydney is thought of around the world as a bustling 24-hour city, but many argue it's the 'opposite'.

Visitors - both from overseas and interstate - said they were 'shocked' to see shops and restaurants close and public transport stop so early in the evening.

TikToker Jenny Tian pointed out it's hard to get a coffee past 2pm as most cafes have shut while shops close by 5pm and restaurants stop serving food by 9pm.

She said many 'party areas' have turned into housing areas and those who want to get public transport at night better 'enjoy waiting half an hour in the freezing cold for a night rider'.

Expats who have moved to Sydney have been sharing their frustrations at how early everything closes.

Australians are busting the myth that Sydney is a 24-hour city. Many have complained shops, cafes, restaurants all close early in the day or evening

'What are the real reasons/challenges behind the lack of night activities (putting aside some bars and kebab shops)? And why the city is not vibrant and 24-hours even though there is a big percentage of Sydney's population who like staying up late?' one man asked on Reddit.

'I moved to Sydney from Asia in 2016 and was so surprised to find out that most establishments close so early. Pharmacies, salons, retailers, cafes, restaurants, malls all close before 7pm. It's just dead everywhere and this was even pre-pandemic,' another said.

Australians were quick to agree while visitors said they were 'shocked' to discover how 'dead' the city can be on weeknights.

'Sydney is the opposite of a 24-hour city,' one Aussie commented and another said: 'I left Sydney in 2004, it was a 24-hour city...moved back in 2017...dead.'

Visitors said they were shocked to discover how early Sydney shuts on weeknights while many pointed out the majority of Sydneysiders are 'chronic morning people'

'I'm from Melbourne I recently went to Sydney I was shocked by how dead the CBD is, by 6pm streets are empty. Melbourne is abuzz every night,' one woman replied.

'Coffee shops closing at 2 pm in Australia was an absolute culture shock. Where I'm from we drink coffee after dinner at 10pm,' a second wrote.

Others pointed out the same was true for most Australian capital cities besides Melbourne.

Many said the majority of people who live in the New South Wales capital are 'chronic morning people'.

'I find it common for people to say that they like to be in bed by 9-10pm. And this even includes young people in their twenties. There are many cities in the world where people go out to eat dinner at that time,' one user said.

'Sydney is a 'morning city'. Lots of cafes open at like 6am. Lots of people get up early to do things. Enjoy nature etc. The 'nightlife' side really suffers against it,' another explained.
The burgeoning crisis in mental health is often thought of as an affliction reserved for young Americans who are troubled by increasingly uncertain futures.

But intriguing new figures suggest this is far from the case.

According to a new analysis by healthcare data firm FAIR Health, diagnoses of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression have soared in older Americans, reaching a prevalence higher than ever before.

In fact, the data show that the biggest leap in mental illness between 2019 and 2023 was among those aged over 65.

About 14 percent of adults over age 65 were diagnosed with some form of mental illness in 2023, compared to nine percent in 2019. This marks a 57 percent increase.

Meanwhile, adults ages 23 to 40 saw a 44 percent increase, and children under 10 experienced a 30 percent jump.

A study by researchers at FAIR Health evaluated the increases in mental illness diagnoses for different age groups from 2019 to 2023. Every age group saw an increase

The biggest jump was in Americans over age 65, which the experts said could be due to increased awareness and expanded access to telehealth during the pandemic

Overall, the amount of people being diagnosed with mental health conditions increased by 40 percent in this period, the data from 46 billion insurance claims showed.

Generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder were the most common diagnoses, but perhaps most intriguingly, the rate of ADHD diagnoses skyrocketed by 70 percent.

This appears to be a larger rise compared to other, younger age groups, according to previous research.

A study published in JAMA found a 43 percent increase in ADHD diagnoses in adults and a 13 percent jump in children over 10 years.

The latest findings have puzzled experts, who have long believed boomers are somewhat shielded from mental health problems due to their infrequent use of social media, on average, which is said to be driving the younger generation's psychiatric decline.

However, experts have offered some possible theories to explain the shock rise.

Mostly, they have noted it could be increased due to greater access to telehealth and therapists during the pandemic and diagnoses like ADHD being missed in childhood.

The smallest jump in mental illness was seen in children ages 10 to 13, with diagnoses slightly increasing from 18.1 percent to 19 percent.

Robin Gelburd, FAIR Health's president, said: 'We hope these findings will also be starting points for further research on mental health conditions.'

FAIR Health's report found that overall, the amount of patients being diagnosed with mental illnesses increased to 13.5 percent in 2019, to 18.9 percent in 2023, an increase of 39.8 percent.

In nearly every age group, women were more likely than men to have mental health issues. Though there were increases in both genders, women saw a 44.6 percent surge, while men had a 32.7 percent jump.

The most common diagnoses were generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and ADHD.

A recent CDC report found that nearly one in five Americans - 18.4 percent - reported being diagnosed with depression. This is over 46 million adults.

Additionally, the NIH estimates that 31 percent of US adults - almost 80 million - experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their life.

Meanwhile, federal data suggests that one in seven boys under age 17 in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD, and over 8.7 million American adults have the condition.

The researchers noted that the study's main limitation was only including data from patients with private insurance and only one form of Medicare, Medicare Advantage. The report was also not peer reviewed.

The following chart shows an increase in insurance claims for mental health diagnoses from 2019 to 2023

A TikTok user named Janice posted about her 79-year-old mother receiving an ADHD diagnosis for the first time. 'She couldn't believe the difference the meds were making for her,' she said

Several older adults have reported being diagnosed with mental health conditions now versus when they were younger because they did not know what they were.

A TikTok user named Janine, for example, posted a video in July talking about her mother's recent ADHD diagnosis.

'A couple of weeks ago, my mother, who is 79 years old, got diagosed with ADHD for the first time, and I kind of brought it to her attention because both my kids got diagnosed, and then I got diagnosed,' she said.

Her experience made her realize that her mother may exhibit signs. Soon after starting medication, her mother noticed improvements.

'She had to call me yesterday just to tell me that she did things,' Janine said. 'That she got up, she moved around, she wasn't tired, she was feeling active, and that she couldn't believe the difference the meds were making for her.'
A man miraculously avoided death after being impaled by an iron rod through his perineum in a freak accident.

Gruesome scans show how the rod extended into the 57-year-old's chest.

The Brazilian man, who wasn't identified by doctors who shared the gory case in a medical journal, was on scaffolding when he slipped and fell 5m onto the pole.

Impaling him in a delicate area, it pierced through his liver and and reached the top of his diaphragm, narrowly missing his heart.

CT scans also revealed the rod had impaled his abdomen and thorax, but incredibly he survived.

Gruesome scans show how the rod extended into the 57-year-old's chest. The Brazilian man, who wasn't identified by doctors who shared the gory case in a medical journal, was on scaffolding when he slipped and fell 5m onto the pole

Sharing eye-watering details of the injury, doctors told how they removed the pole in a painstaking operation.

Medics revealed he somehow escaped with no lasting problems and was discharged to a general ward after just three days.

Upon arrival at Complexo Hospitalar do Trabalhador in Curitiba, his heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels were all 'stable'.

The man was rushed into emergency surgery, to undergo a sternotomy  where the breastbone is cut through and split apart to reach the rod.

They successfully removed the pole, along with damaged tissue and stitched up the internal wound.

He was then transferred to intensive care, where he received blood transfusions.

Just two days later, medics reported he was able to walk and eat.

When moved to the ward, the following day, he was also offered physiotherapy.

Sharing eye-watering details of the injury, doctors told how they removed the pole in a painstaking operation. Medics revealed he somehow escaped with no lasting problems and was discharged to a general ward after just three days

During a discharge assessment 12 days after his operation, doctors discovered abnormal scar tissue on part of his urethra and arrangements were made for further surgery to fix this.

However, they did not reveal if the procedure went ahead and if he attended any follow-up appointments.

Nor did they give any more details about his accident.

Writing in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports, medics acknowledged such incidents are 'rare', but more common 'among construction workers'.

Perineal impalement injuries can prove fatal in around a quarter of all patients admitted to hospital, even when timely surgery is performed, they added.

Complications such as abscesses or sepsis also occur in up to 80 per cent of perineal trauma cases.
Epileptic patients will soon be treated with a new 'game-changing' laser beam therapy on the NHS.

Known as Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), the treatment uses fibre-optic lasers to target affected brain tissue to help reduce seizures.

Surgeons first drill a tiny hole in the skull to allow a 1.5mm-wide probe with a laser at the tip to be inserted into brain.

This tiny laser is used to destroy epilepsy-causing brain tissue from the inside by heating it.

Medics use an MRI scanner to navigate through the brain and avoid blood vessels and other critical structures.

The treatment involves drilling a tiny hole to allow a 1.5mm-wide probe with a fibre optic laser at the tip to be inserted into the skull

The scanner also helps to monitor the temperature of the surrounding tissue to make sure it doesn't overheat.

Patients can recover from the laser treatment within 24 to 48 hours and with minimal risk of infection.

Previous surgery offering the same kind of treatment required a far more extensive operation that could take months to recover from.

WHAT IS EPILEPSY? Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and leaves patients at risk of seizures. Around one in 100 people in the UK have epilepsy, Epilepsy Action statistics reveal. And in the US, 1.2 per cent of the population have the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anyone can have a seizure, which does not automatically mean they have epilepsy. Usually more than one episode is required before a diagnosis. Seizures occur when there is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain, which causes a disruption to the way it works. Some seizures cause people to remain alert and aware of their surroundings, while others make people lose consciousness. Some also make patients experience unusual sensations, feelings or movement, or go stiff and fall to the floor where they jerk. Epilepsy can be brought on at any age by a stroke, brain infection, head injury or problems at birth that lead to lack of oxygen. But in more than half of cases, a cause is never found. Anti-epileptic drugs do not cure the condition but help to stop or reduce seizures. If these do not work, brain surgery can be effective. Source: Epilepsy Action Advertisement

In fact, the NHS said LITT patients can usually return to work and other activities within a week.

Up to 50 patients in England each year whose epilepsy cannot be controlled by standard anti-seizure drugs will be eligible for LITT, the health service said.

James Palmer, NHS Englands medical director for specialised services and a consultant neurosurgeon said the LITT would make a monumental difference to these patients.

'This laser beam therapy is game-changing for patients and will offer new hope on the NHS to those for whom standard drugs are not effective in controlling their seizures,' he said.

'Not only will this world-leading technology help replace invasive surgery for patients, which can have a huge impact take months to recover from, but it will also allow clinicians to better target the parts of the brain causing the epilepsy, which dramatically reduces the risks and helps cut patients recovery time both in and out of hospital.'

The laser treatment will be offered at King's College London and the Walton Centre in Liverpool.

Laura Diable, 39, from Birkenhead, was one of the first patients with epilepsy to have LITT at The Walton Centre.

'Since having the procedure nearly a year ago, Ive not had one seizure. Its made a huge difference to my quality of life,' she said.

'Before, the seizures were incapacitating me, leaving black spots in my memory. Thanks to LITT Ive been able to get on with my life and worry less about my epilepsy.

About 600,000 people are living with epilepsy in the UK, equivalent to nearly one in 100 people.

While most people can take medication to help stop or reduce seizures, about a third of patients can't control their seizures with drugs alone.

For many of these patients neurosurgery to remove the epilepsy-causing part of the brain is the only option.

Alison Fuller, director of Health Improvement and Influencing at Epilepsy Action, welcomed the NHS announcement.

'This new therapy is an exciting ray of hope for the many people with epilepsy whose lives are being impacted by the harsh reality of uncontrolled seizures,' she said.

'Research shows that around three in 10 people with epilepsy have seizures which do not respond well to standard treatment with epilepsy medication.

'This means many continue to face significant challenges in other areas of life, from education to employment.'

There's around 600,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK, that's nearly one in 100 people

Ley Sander, Medical Director at the Epilepsy Society and Professor of Neurology at University College London (UCL) said: 'This non-invasive form of neurosurgery could be groundbreaking for some people with brain lesions whose seizures do not respond to conventional treatment options, including more invasive epilepsy surgery.

'It will make surgery safer and faster and dramatically cut the recovery period for individuals. We are particularly proud that the sophisticated navigation system which guides this pioneering surgery was developed at the Epilepsy Societys MRI unit.

'This enables the surgical team to navigate safely to the exact area of the brain that is affected, avoiding blood vessels and critical structures. This is a great advance in epilepsy surgery as a treatment option for lesional epilepsy.'

The NHS will roll out the LITT to more patients in June.
Wet-bulb temperature can help determine the heat threshold for human survival. Wet-bulb temperatures take into account both temperature and humidity. chuchart duangdaw/Getty Images

Over the past several years, extreme heat has frequently made the headlines. According to NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information, 2023 was the hottest year on record globally, and some of the 10 hottest years ever have been during the past decade.

As the Earth continues to warm, how hot is too hot? Is there a certain point where temperatures become too high for humans to survive?

This is not a question that can be answered with a specific temperature. It all comes down to something you may never have heard of: wet-bulb temperature.

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What is wet-bulb temperature?

Human survivability has just as much to do with humidity as it does with temperature. The human body can survive much higher temperatures in a dry environment than in a humid, moist environment. Wet-bulb temperature is one simple number that takes both temperature and humidity into account.

This chart from professor W. Larry Kenney shows how temperature and humidity can affect humans. The area shaded in yellow and red indicates heat and humidity levels that are dangerous to humans. W. Larry Kenney/Penn State

The name wet-bulb implies how its measured. If you place a wet cloth over the bulb of a thermometer, water will start to evaporate off the cloth, cooling the thermometer. The resulting cooler temperature is the wet-bulb temperature.

Landscaper Leo Gutierrez wipes away sweat as he takes a water break from his job in front of a Manu Ginobili mural at the SipIt Daiquiris To Go along Fredericksburg Road on Monday, July 17, 2023. An excessive heat warning was issued as triple-digit heat enveloped the city once again. Gutierrez said he tries to stay in the shade as much as possible and stays hydrated with electrolytes while on the job. Kin Man Hui/Staff photographer

In a particularly dry environment, there will be more evaporation from the wet cloth, which then cools the bulb and results in a lower wet-bulb temperature. In a humid environment, less water is able to evaporate, which doesnt allow the bulb to cool as much.

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The same thing happens to the human body.

On humid days, sweat is not able to evaporate as efficiently, so your body is not able to cool itself as well. Left unchecked, you can become vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.

Simply put, the wet-bulb temperature helps measure human survivability, or the bodys ability to cool itself.

What can humans survive?

If the wet-bulb temperature reaches a certain level, it becomes impossible for the body to adequately cool itself. Previous studies have suggested that a wet-bulb temp of 95 degrees or higher is the critical point at which even young, healthy adults could experience hyperthermia or organ failure.

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However, that study from 2010 was based on theory and modeling, not real data from human responses.

In 2022, Penn State University conducted a study to see how actual humans reacted to extreme heat and humidity.

The study, known as H.E.A.T., analyzed a group of healthy, young adults between the ages of 18 and 34 who were placed in a controlled chamber with adjustable temperature and humidity levels. Temperature and humidity in the chamber were increased until the participants bodies could no longer maintain core temperatures. At that point, the participants were let out.

Shown is part of the H.E.A.T. study, conducted by Penn State University. Researchers monitor participants' vital signs as temperature and humidity values are increased. Penn State University

This study found that a persons body can no longer maintain its core temperature when the wet-bulb temperature reaches 87 degrees or more, significantly lower than the 95-degree threshold researchers previously cited.

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W. Larry Kenney, a professor at Penn State, says the 87-degree threshold is a best-case baseline, based on the ability of young, healthy people to tolerate heat.

Older people, people on medications and other vulnerable populations will likely have a tolerance limit below that, Kenney said.

Wet-bulb temps in Texas

Texas is known for being hot. Thankfully, wet-bulb temperatures rarely reach the critical 87-degree threshold.

While rare, though, it still is possible, and it could happen more often if global temperatures continue to go up over the next few decades.

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Back on July 17, Corpus Christi reached a high temperature of 100 degrees. While that might sound like a normal summer day to many Texans, it wasnt, thanks to unprecedented humidity levels.

The heat index, or feels like temperature, rose to 125 degrees, the hottest ever for the city. That also equates to a dangerous wet-bulb temperature of 87 degrees.
Theres a cough going around that paediatricians tell me is making babies really unwell. Whats deeply worrying is that some very young babies have died from it. The cough is whooping cough  or pertussis.

This is an illness that can be prevented, or its impact reduced, by vaccination.

But theres been a surge in cases recently: you may well have heard people complaining about the 100-day cough. Ive had it (and ended up in A&E when I couldnt breathe) and wrote about it for Mail Online.

Since January, there have already been 8,015 doctor notifications (whooping cough is a notifiable disease) and 2,041 laboratory-confirmed cases, compared with just 207 (so a rise of about 3,800 per cent) and 30 respectively last year for the same period.

There were 52 cases of babies under three months with whooping cough in January and February alone this year; by contrast, there were only 48 cases for the whole of last year.

Riley Hughes (pictured with his mum Catherine) was otherwise healthy when he died from whooping cough aged just 32 days in 2015

And these figures may be a significant underestimate, as people with mild disease may not see a doctor.

We are seeing massive numbers of cases of pertussis at the moment, Dr Liz Whittaker, a paediatric consultant and honorary clinical senior lecturer in the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, tells me.

Paediatric intensive care units are on surge capacity for pertussis and measles, meaning there are many cases.

Dr Ronny Cheung, a consultant paediatrician from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, adds: Theres no doubt weve been seeing quite a lot more of it on the wards and A&E in recent times. My suspicion is were probably still underestimating the true prevalence at the moment.

While adults describe it as the worst cough theyve ever had  causing difficulty breathing, incontinence and even fractured ribs  it can be fatal in babies. The mortality is one death in every 100 in the under three months category, says Dr Whittaker. We dont see this in other age groups.

As well as coughing, which is quite severe, they can stop breathing.

Their white blood cells also increase, sometimes reaching very high levels, causing the blood vessels to clog up, and causing cardiac failure, adds Dr Whittaker.

The rise in cases has already claimed the lives of babies too young to receive the vaccine.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported the death of one baby in the last quarter of 2023. But colleagues have told me of further deaths that arent yet showing in official figures.

Whooping cough is a highly infectious bacterial infection, but those under three months are most at risk because theyre too young to be vaccinated.

The first dose of the pertussis vaccine is normally given at two months, which is why pregnant women are offered the jab between 16 and 32 weeks as the antibodies pass across the placenta and protect the baby in the first few months of life. 

Dozens of babies in the UK used to die every year before this vaccination programme was introduced.

Most of our admissions are still in the pre-immunisation under-three-month group, says Dr Cheung. Ive seen these babies in my practice where they come with coughing bouts, apnoea [pauses in breathing] or looking very dusky [i.e. blue] or desaturating [with low oxygen levels], and thats very worrying.

The number of two-year-olds who have had the full round of vaccinations has dropped over the past decade and cases of whooping cough are shooting up

Danielle Knox knows just how terrifying this can be. Her then seven-week old son Tom was admitted to hospital for a week in December with a severe cough and episodes of apnoea. He was treated with antibiotics and needed regular suctioning.

As Danielle, 33, a health sciences lecturer from Glasgow, told me last week, because Tom didnt have a whoop sound, he wasnt tested for pertussis; but very young babies do not have the typical whoop.

Other children need multiple readmissions for it. I had a patient who was admitted for the third time in six weeks  theyre still having blue spells at night, explains Dr Cheung.

Airfinity, a disease-forecasting company, says the risk of infections is expected to remain elevated in the coming weeks.

One of the problems is low rates of vaccination. In September 2023 the number of two-year-olds whod completed the schedule of routine six-in-one vaccinations (given at eight weeks, three months and four months), which includes protection against pertussis, was 92.9 per cent; in 2014 it was 96.3 per cent.

And lack of awareness means the disease continues to spread.

Bryony Thomsons ten-year-old daughter had whooping cough, leaving her unable to breathe. The family moved a mattress into the bathroom so she could sleep there with the hot water running during the night  the steam gave relief.

Bryony, 38, who is a vet in Whitburn, County Durham, asked the headteacher to alert other parents, because so many other children were coughing, too. But the UKHSA advised against it because there was only one reported case. It requires two unrelated cases to send out a formal alert.

By the first week in January, Bryonys daughter was coughing four times a minute and was taken to A&E in the middle of the night. She was gasping for air and started to turn blue. I was really frightened.

One doctor told Bryony that her daughter would be fine and that nobody dies of whooping cough these days.

Adults, though not as vulnerable as babies with the disease, can end up breaking a rib such is the force of the coughing

Fortunately, Bryonys daughter recovered.

But Riley Hughes was an otherwise healthy baby when he died from whooping cough aged just 32 days in 2015.

At three weeks old, hed developed a mild cold and occasional cough. A doctor reassured his parents, Catherine and Greg, he was fine. But Riley was sleepy and not waking for feeds, so they took him to hospital.

He was admitted and diagnosed with pertussis. His condition quickly deteriorated and he was put on life support.

I wish I could remember the last time I saw Riley conscious, Catherine tells me. I just have no memory of looking into his eyes for the last time.

Shed gone home to rest (shed been in hospital for four days with virtually no sleep and was exhausted), not realising time was so short. But Greg was there for their sons last conscious hours.

Riley was screaming and screaming. He would have been in a lot of pain from the needles and cannulas they were administering. Thats how my baby will last remember the world, she says.

At 3am she got an urgent call from Greg telling her: The doctors say youve got to come in, quickly.

Riley was placed in my arms  I was shocked at how burning hot and swollen his tiny body was, says Catherine, from Perth, Australia. The tubes were removed, and we cuddled, cried, kissed him, and sang to him a lullaby as the life slowly drained out of him.

At 2pm, our beautiful baby left us, left this world, and left us devastated and heartbroken.

If I had been offered a whooping cough booster during pregnancy, there is a good chance Riley would still be with us today.

But when Catherine was pregnant, it was before Australia offered the maternal pertussis vaccine. Days after Rileys death the vaccine programme began, resulting in a significant reduction in babies hospitalised with pertussis.

Its bittersweet  Im overjoyed that we have these fantastic pregnancy vaccination programmes, but really sad they werent implemented in time for Riley, says Catherine, who now campaigns to encourage women to be vaccinated.

Yet the uptake among pregnant women in the UK has fallen dramatically, from 74.7 per cent in 2017 to just 59.5 per cent in 2023. Dr Whittaker says that in parts of London its as low as 36 per cent.

The decline in the pre-school boosters dose also deeply worries experts. In Harringay its down to 56 per cent and 65 per cent in Hammersmith and Fulham in London, explains Dr Whittaker. This means we have primary school-age children who dont have adequate protection. They all hang out together and pass it on.

In addition, their parents have waning immunity and pick it up, then they pass it on. Youve got this little perfect storm of pertussis-passing going on.

The risk is that its passed on to somebody who is immunocompromised or to a baby.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: We would urge all parents to check that their childrens vaccinations  and their own  are up to date.

This is what drives Catherine. In every case Ive heard of, where parents lost their babies to this insidious disease, they did not have, or werent offered, a vaccine during pregnancy.

Their stories are harrowing. You never get over losing your child in this way and you never forget the terrifying sound of the cough that took your childs life.

The UKHSAs advice is that if infected, avoid close contact with those at higher risk of serious illness (babies, elderly people and anyone who is immunocompromised). If you have to go out, wear a mask.
An 11-year-old girl misdiagnosed with sickness bugs and migraines was assessed by medics about 30 times before being told she had a brain tumour.

Tia Gordon ended up being admitted to hospital as an emergency despite previous trips to GPs, A&E and calls to NHS 111.

Her mother, Imogen Darby, a pharmacy dispenser, said Tia also had her glasses prescription changed four times before the tumour was spotted.

Ms Darby had sought help over a three-year period regarding Tias migraines and vomiting, before being told the wait for an MRI scan would be at least eight months.

It was only when Tias condition started to affect her balance and ability to walk that she was given an emergency scan. It showed she had a 3.5cm brain tumour.

Tia Gordon, 11, ended up being admitted to hospital as an emergency despite previous trips to GPs, A&E and calls to NHS 111

Ms Darby, from Northampton, said: I was told Tia had stomach bugs and migraines. The first thing I was told, because it was the summer, was that she just needed to drink more water.

After probably a year, she got diagnosed with migraines and they gave her paracetamol for that.

She was also given another medication for that and her final diagnosis in January this year from paediatrics was migraine with sickness.

Over more than three years, I took Tia to doctors, she was refused MRIs, she was refused to be seen by emergency paediatrics, I called 111, I went to A&E, she had her glasses changed four times, she was given medication and she had a consultant, but it took for her to be unable to walk for her to get the care she needed.

Ms Darby first noticed Tias symptoms during the Covid lockdown in March 2020 when Tia started being sick.

It was only when Tias condition started to affect her balance and ability to walk that she was given an emergency scan

Tia migraines and vomiting, for three years before being told the wait for an MRI scan would be at least eight months

She was sick every few months, then monthly, then more frequently.

In the few months before the diagnosis, Ms Darby said she took Tia to a GP about 10 times and called NHS 111 about three times.

I took her to A&E and I was told she had a stomach bug and told kind of just leave her to it, she said.

However, Tia then developed new symptoms, including a stiff neck, which doctors claimed was due to the way she was sleeping and referred her to a physiotherapist.

Deep down, though, Ms Darby felt something was wrong with the way Tia was holding her neck. It was also noticed by wider family.

A scan showed she had a 3.5cm brain tumour. It was a pilocytic astrocytoma  the most common type of childhood brain tumour

Her mother, Imogen Darby, a pharmacy dispenser (pictured left) said Tia also had her glasses prescription changed four times before the tumour was spotted

The consultant said she would do an MRI for peace of mind but the waiting list would be months long.

From then on, Tia was being sick most mornings and vomited every day between November 2023 to January 2024.

In the few days before Tia was admitted to hospital, she also seemed wobbly, including failing to notice she was tipping milk down the front of the kitchen sink.

The following day, Tias school phoned Ms Darby while she was at work to say she was holding her neck strangely and was a bit off balance.

She called the paediatric consultant, who told her to take Tia to Northampton General that evening.

While there, Tia was unable to walk in a straight line.

Ms Darby first noticed Tias symptoms during the Covid lockdown in March 2020 when Tia started being sick

A CT scan revealed Tias tumour, which is a pilocytic astrocytoma  the most common type of childhood brain tumour.

An ambulance was called to take her to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Tia was operated on over a 10-hour period and the benign tumour was removed.

It was quite a horrendous day, Ms Darby said. From the surgery, they managed to get 96 per cent of it out.

Since surgery to remove the growth  which Tia calls her astronaut tumour due to it being an astrocytoma  the youngster gets very tired and can still be unbalanced.

Since surgery to remove the growth  which Tia calls her astronaut tumour due to it being an astrocytoma  the youngster gets very tired and can still be unbalanced

She will have an MRI scan every three months for the next five years and is undergoing physiotherapy, as well as having regular meetings with neurologists

She will have an MRI scan every three months for the next five years and is undergoing physiotherapy, as well as having regular meetings with neurologists.

Meanwhile, Tia is keen to get back to her activities.

'We all call her Dr Doolittle, she absolutely loves anything to do with animals, Ms Darby said.

She likes dodgeball and she loves reading, absolutely loves reading.

Cameron Miller, director of external affairs and strategy at the Brain Tumour Charity, said: We wish Tia all the best with her continuing treatment and thank Imogen for sharing her story.

Sadly, its one that we often hear.

For many brain tumour patients, it simply takes too long to be diagnosed  and this is one of the reasons why were calling for a National Brain Tumour Strategy.
A mother has revealed how she cheated death after being 'internally decapitated' by a drunk truck driver.

Stephanie Ronan of North Carolina suffered an Atlanto-occipital dislocation, when the skull and the top of the spine become detached but the neck skin remains intact.

She was leaving a friend's house at around 11pm on September 29, 2018 when suddenly a truck crossed into her lane and hit her at 55 miles per hour, sending her flying into a ditch. The driver was found to be drunk.

The break in her neck caused ligaments and muscles holding the skull in position on the top vertebrae of the spine to tear from the skull - an injury that kills the majority of sufferers.

Ms Ronan said: 'I may appear like most women my age, but I must face daily unnecessary struggles that I did not ask for. Due to the rate of speed and the type of impact caused, my body will never be the same.'

Stephanie Ronan of North Carolina suffered an Atlanto-occipital dislocation which is when the skull and the top of the spine become detached but the skin remains intact

She had to have hardware surgically inserted in her neck to repair the dislocation

As well as the spinal tear, she also suffered broken ribs, a broken femur, a broken kneecap, a broken foot, collapsed lungs, liver bruising, and PTSD, which makes driving and sitting in the passenger seat emotionally excruciating, she told Newsweek.

She said: 'The trauma surgeons saved my life that night by putting me back together with hardware in my neck, femur, tibia, foot, and ribs. The impact also caused one of my eyes to cross, which left me with a visual impairment.'

The most severe injury was the separation of her neck from her skull, colloquially dubbed an internal decapitation.

She added: 'I still remember opening my eyes and feeling utter panic while in the hospital. With limited range of motion in my neck and shoulder, driving again was a challenge. I've had to depend on blind spot monitoring in my new vehicle as well as special mirrors.'

'To this day, I still having chronic pain and stress from the events that occurred that day.'

The ditch that her car tumbled into was about 500 feet away. She had only gotten about three miles from her friend's.

She had to be cut out of her vehicle and whisked away in a helicopter to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

The drunk driver had a suspended license and beer cans in the car, Ms Ronan said. About three weeks before hitting Ms Ronan, the man had gotten a DUI and lost his license.

She spent 19 days in the ICU where she was placed on a ventilator, followed by 11 days in the recovery unit, and 23 days on the rehab floor of the hospital

Ms Ronan now volunteers with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to hopefully turn her pain into a means of helping others.

She now volunteers with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which has given her a sense of meaning.

She said: 'There's a great reward for turning my pain into something that might help others.

'Lastly, I have learned to be grateful for the good days and allow myself grace when my body is in severe pain, when I can't do the things I want or need to do.'

Internal decapitation is most commonly seen in motor vehicle accidents.

Severe injury to the spinal cord disrupts vital nerve signals between the brain and the body, which can lead to paralysis, impaired respiratory and heart function, and motor abilities.

Researchers behind a 2015 study on Atlanto-occipital dislocation said: 'When present, neurological injury from AOD can be devastating, often leading to sudden death secondary to brainstem injury.

'Previous autopsy reports have documented AOD as cause of death in 6%-8% of traffic fatalities. However, not every case of AOD will result in fatality or severe disability.'

The condition is more commonly seen in children and adolescent , because the bones are not fully developed yet and may still contain cartilage.

They're also more likely to have proportionally larger heads and weaker neck muscles than adults.

It has a very high fatality rate, though the true number of people who die from it is unclear, because often times crash victims do not undergo autopsies after death.

A 2005 study reported that 16 children were seen at a Philadelphia hospital with AOD over a 17-year period, and 12 of them died, marking a fatality rate of 75 percent.

The normal distance between the skull and spine is usually 1-2 millimeters.

Christy Bullock, an Alabama native who rounded a turn too sharply while riding a motorcycle hit a guardrail. While it stopped her body, her head, in a heavy helmut, kept going forward.

The separation between her head and spine was 10 to 15 milimeters.
Not the first time Senator Pocock has her facts wrong

It is a tactic politicians of all political stripes deploy but it has to stop: asking inflammatory questions which are factually wrong to gain media attention.

The Greens are now using it to inaccurately smear Australian businesses as well as individuals.

Just a week after Greens Senator Barbara Pocock made an embarrassing blunder in Parliament she's at it again, this time misleading the Parliament with an inaccurate and leading question.

Daily Mail Australia recently revealed Senator Pocock's $99,900,000 gaffe when she grilled government officials over a 'missing' $100million payment which didn't actually exist.

The payment she mistakenly referred to was in fact $100,000 not $100million, and while the senator claimed 'key milestones had not been properly met', both the government department and the service provider (big four consultancy firm KPMG) denied this.

Greens senator Barbara Pocock (left) has asked questions attacking KPMG and ASIC which were based on incorrect information

The Greens Senator eventually deleted her tweet but only after questions from Daily Mail Australia.

Yet Senator Pocock is at it again, using questions at another committee hearing to smear the consultancy firm once again. This time she is also attacking another government body: regulator ASIC.

The problem with the attacks is that they include more sloppy mistakes by the senator.

In February Senator Pocock grilled ASIC officials at Senate Estimates, asking: 'Has it come to your attention at ASIC that KPMG has delivered false audits for two companies, Paladin and Canstruct, who subsequently received more than $2billion of taxpayers' money to run immigration detention centres for the Department of Home Affairs?'

It was a serious allegation of improper actions. She went on to ask: 'Is ASIC currently investigating KPMG for breaching audit standards in relation to those audits?'

ASIC took the questions on notice, understandably unable to provide an answer during the hearing. As a result the allegation was treated as fact, reported in the media at the time based simply on the question asked.

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal that ASIC, having recently provided a written response to Senator Pocock, clarified that the question was based on an entirely false premise.

KPMG wasn't even the appointed auditor of either of the companies referred to. Naturally, ASIC therefore also is not investigating it for breaching audit standards in relation to work it didn't do.

Greens senator Barbara Pocock (above) has form at making inaccurate comments under privilege

The mistake was designed to get the right headline before the facts eventually come to light - and Senator Pocock is yet to correct the record.

The senator, a former economic professor out of South Australia, also used a radio interview on the ABC in July last year to claim partnerships such as the big consultancy firms do not pay payroll tax in Australia. However this is also not true.

Parliamentary privilege allows MPs and senators to defame and degrade anyone they name: people or organisations. They can do so without legal consequences as long as they restrict their commentary to parliament and do not repeat the imputation outside of it.

Parliamentary privilege is also applied during committee hearings. There are currently well over 100 parliamentary committees afoot, with witnesses called to give evidence also protected by privilege.

At a time when political parties are calling for all manner of reforms, to media regulations, across legal institutions and within the business community, it is time they look closer to home. At their own conduct, misusing the once important concept of parliamentary privilege for ideological purposes.
Britain's shameful military housing is a 'sinking ship' that is a 'tax on the goodwill' of the UK's armed forces heroes, a landmark review has found.

Damp, mouldy homes, riddled with pests and plagued by shoddy gas and electrical fittings are among the persistent woes troops and their families face in service accommodation, experts from the Kerslake Commission have found.

In its Homes Unfit For Military Heroes review, the body accused the Government of failing to make up for years of underfunding within the Ministry of Defence, which has left huge swathes of forces housing in a scandalous state.

And the report also warned that the pitiful state of service housing was causing personnel to leave the armed forces, as the nation's military continues to grapple with a recruitment crisis.

In a scathing critique, Britain's former head of Joint Forces Command General Sir Richard Barrons branded the situation 'unacceptable' and called for an urgent overhaul to avoid driving more troops away.

Are YOU a forces family living in a shocking military home? Please email tom.cotterill@mailonline.co.uk to tell your story

An Army family was forced to leave their crumbling home after a wall in the bedroom of their military accommodation collapsed

The state of the room was unveiled in a post on social media and sparked uproar. It appeared to show brick work collapsing into the bedroom of the soldier's home

Other forces families claim they have had their homes flooded due to shoddy pipe work

'Decent and affordable accommodation is crucial for the wellbeing of our armed forces personnel and is essential for maintaining the operational effectiveness of our national defence,' said General Sir Richard, who is a commission member.

'Yet for many years the accommodation for many service personnel and their families has been poor, and in many cases unacceptable.

'Substandard accommodation has effectively become a tax on the goodwill of highly prized people that directly undermines operational effectiveness and retention of our armed forces.'

Hundreds of families have been forced to endure months in crumbling, leaking properties riddled with mould, with some being left in sub-zero temperatures without heating and hot water during the winter.

The commission is calling for immediate action to improve woeful state of military housing.

And in its conclusion, the body said its findings 'must be a loud wake-up call' to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

The report pointed to poor management and maintenance and said a backlog of repairs is 'at a tipping point' - amid fears it could cost more than 4billion to bring Britain's military housing stock up to scratch.

As well as lambasting the sorry state of homes, the report was also slammed the DIO, which oversees military housing.

Contributed to the 56-page document, were a number of armed forces personnel and their families, who were enraged at the shocking state of their accommodation and the time it took for repairs to be carried out.

Damp and mould in properties is one of the most persistent problems plaguing military families (pictured is a toilet riddled with mould at one military base)

Dozens of troops at Clive Barracks near Tern Hill, Shropshire, have been moved into the metal containers due to the condition of the service accommodation

Row after row of the huts have reportedly been installed at the base, as revealed by MailOnline in November 2023

Posts on social media have shown mould growing in Army homes, with this image showing the state of one roof inside the military property home of a pregnant mother

Families are also forced to contend with flooded toilets and claim repairs have taken months

While on military home, the pipes were so bad, it caused a leak in the roof, with water seen dripping out from light fittings in the property

One serviceman said the service was 'shoddy' and that repairs took months, adding: 'We were without a boiler for the weeks over the Christmas period. My family had to live in and out of a hotel due to their incompetence.'

The Kerslake Commission on Armed Forces Housing was launched in February 2023, with the late Lord Bob Kerslake, former head of the civil service, as its chairman.

The review covers Army, RAF and Royal Navy housing.

The MoD provides around 48,000 properties for families and some 154,000 for single service members.

Summing up their findings, the report concluded: 'The poor ratings that service personnel give accommodation in the MoD's satisfaction surveys... would be red flags for any registered social landlord.

'The evidence presented in this report (and in other past reports) shows that MoD accommodation has been in effect a 'sinking ship' for some time.'

Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey, who commissioned the study, said: 'This damning report highlights the shoddy state of armed forces housing and the damage it's doing to service morale. Ministers have seriously broken something that is so important to a good life in the forces.'

The review came weeks after the UK was accused of shameful 'double standards' over its military housing scandal, which has seen armed forces heroes left to live in squalid homes while billions are spent on putting illegal migrants in plush hotels.

One frustrated military family had what appeared to be part of a tree growing through a crack in the wall which they say housing bosses haven't dealt with for months

General Sir Richard Barrons lashed out at the 'unacceptable' state of forces housing and called for urgent action to tackle the problem

The UK has been shelling out 8million a day on housing migrants in hotels while soldiers are left in rotting barracks or shifted into shipping containers.

In February, one Army family revealed they were forced to leave their crumbling home after a wall in the bedroom of their military property caved in, with their complaints about it allegedly being ignored 'for three years'.

Former Tory Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois raged: 'We are operating double standards; some brave military personnel and their loved ones are constantly let down by hapless contractors, while illegal migrants are put up in hotels.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently apologised for the woeful standard of military accommodation, which he admitted was not 'fit for standard'.

Last year the MoD bought more than 420 modern homes for forces families as part of a 173 million deal.

Alongside the investment in new homes, DIO also invested 185million in improving existing Service Family Accommodation, with around 20 per cent of homes receiving an upgrade.
A popular gym in Sydney's sought-after eastern suburbs has closed its doors as the global fitness chain F45 faces continued financial pressure.

In an email to members on Friday, the management of F45 Coogee announced the gym would be ceasing operations before the end of May.

Staff thanked the local community for their patronage over eight years, but said it had 'become clear' they could not continue to operate.

'It is sad for us to see this chapter come to an end,' the email said.

'It is not lost on us how wonderful this community in particular is.

Closure notice from F45 Coogee. Picture: Supplied

'Due to some building compliance and noise mitigation issues, that we have been experiencing for quite some time it has become clear that we cannot continue to operate effectively and efficiently within our existing premises and will need to close the current doors as we know it, while we look for other locations in Coogee as potential options.'

All active memberships with the gym will be cancelled on May 24, with members offered discounts to join two local private gyms.

Members were also encouraged to keep following the gym on social media with the statement hinting at a possible revival.

'Further announcements will be coming soon around new and exciting opportunities... It is not goodbye but see you soon,' it said.

The shock closure comes as the F45 fitness chain, backed by Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg, faces continued pressure to downsize.

F45 chief executive Tom Dowd, left, with actor Dwayne Johnson. Picture: Twitter

In February, management at F45 Alexandria in Sydney's south announced they would also be closing their doors.

F45 chief executive Tom Dowd told various media outlets late last year the company would need to 'shrink to grow'.

'If we need to lose unproductive locations to add value to existing ones I'm fine with that,' he told Leisure Opportunities.

'Moving forward we're going to be very tactical and smart about growth. It won't be "sell and forget" like it was before.'
As the monster who was responsible for creating the Gestapo and building the first Nazi concentration camps, Hermann Goering was one of Hitler's most ruthless henchmen.

Yet nothing could have prepared a team of amateur archaeologists for what they were about to find in the basement of his former home in the Wolf's Lair  the Nazis' headquarters in what is now north-eastern Poland.

Set in dense forest, with barbed wire, guard towers and minefields all around, the once-impregnable complex of some 200 houses, bunkers and other buildings was where Hitler and senior Nazis planned the barbarities of the Holocaust and military campaigns such as Operation Barbarossa, their invasion of the Soviet Union.

They destroyed much of the base before fleeing the Red Army in January 1945 and today the mossy ruins are a tourist attraction drawing more than 200,000 visitors a year  among them a Gdansk-based team of German and Polish history buffs.

For years the archeological researchers have been unearthing ordinary items such as crockery and tools. But this month they revealed how, back in February, they entered the ruins of Goering's once-imposing brick home and noticed a concrete ledge which had at one time supported a wooden floor. While digging for the nails which might have held it together, they found a human skull.

Adolf Hitler makes an address at the Reichstag in April 1939 where he answered US president Franklin D. Roosevelt's appeal to avoid war

They called the police, who disinterred five skeletons in all  among them the tiny skull of a newborn baby, nestling between an adult's shin-bones. Thought to have been a family  three adults, a teenager and the baby  all had been buried naked. They were also missing their hands and feet.

Yet even that was not the most chilling detail. Scattered around the bodies were so-called 'thunderstones'  the bullet-shaped fossils of extinct squid-like creatures called belemnoids.

In ancient times, it was believed that the Gods hurled these down from the heavens during thunderstorms and they became revered as talismans, divinely appointed means of securing victories in battle and other good fortune.

According to traditional Germanic belief, keeping thunderstones at home could even protect against lightning.

Oktavian Bartoszewski, one of the team who discovered the remains, suggests that the bodies may have been placed in the foundations to ensure the success and prosperity of those who lived in the building.

'Goering and other Nazis believed in the occult, so perhaps these people were sacrificed,' he said. 'A find like this gives you goosebumps.'

While an investigation continues into who the victims were  and how and when they were killed  the theory that they might have been offered up in some kind of sadistic black magic ritual is not as far-fetched as it might seem. After all, the Nazis were obsessed with all things supernatural.

In this, they took their lead from Hitler himself. Among the most heavily annotated books in the Fuhrer's personal library was Magic: History, Theory, Practice, penned by Ernst Schertel, an eccentric sadomasochist and nudist.

In his signed copy of the 1924 volume, Hitler underlined sentences such as 'Satan is the fertilising, destroying-constructing warrior' and 'he who does not carry demonic seeds within him will never give birth to a new world'.

One of the skulls recently found under Hermann Goering's house

Scattered around the bodies were so-called 'thunderstones'  the bullet-shaped fossils of extinct squid-like creatures called belemnoids

Hitler was also a firm believer in 'world ice theory', a bizarre explanation of the origins of life which had come to an Austrian engineer in a dream at the turn of the century.

This suggested that the universe was created when moons made of ice crashed into each other, eventually resulting in biological mutations which produced races of both superhumans and monstrous humanoids  the latter, in Hitler's mind, being the Jews and anyone else who did not fit in with his crazed ideas of Aryan superiority.

While this sounds like the stuff of comic books, Hitler took it so seriously that by the mid-1930s it had taken hold as the uniquely German alternative to Einstein's theory of relativity  the writings of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist being among the many Jewish works that went up in flames during the Nazi book burnings of 1933.

In the huge intellectual gap left by this wanton destruction, it mattered not whether there was scientific proof behind a particular idea. All that counted was whether it might be twisted to support Nazi ideology, as with the special Witch Division set up by SS chief Heinrich Himmler in 1935.

Himmler was convinced that witches had really existed in eastern Europe, and the job of the division's 17 employees was to scour through thousands of execution records and prove that these 'wise women' of 'pure German blood' had been hunted to death by a Jewish-Catholic conspiracy.

Claiming at a conference in Stuttgart in 1938 that some 500,000 such 'witches' had been burned 'after terrible torments', Himmler amassed a 13,000-volume library on the occult  the most complete collection of books on witchcraft ever compiled.

The basement of Goering's former home in the Wolf's Lair  the Nazis' headquarters in what is now north-eastern Poland. The complex of some 200 houses, bunkers and other buildings was where Hitler and senior Nazis planned the barbarities of the Holocaust

Had Germany not lost the war, he would have housed it in Wewelsburg Castle, a forbidding Renaissance fortress 300 miles west of Berlin. After Himmler acquired the lease in 1934, he used slave labour from a nearby concentration camp to convert it into a grotesque Nazi Hogwarts  a place of supposedly mystical power where future leaders of the SS would be indoctrinated in his mishmash of crackpot beliefs.

In Himmler's mind, the SS was an elite organisation in the tradition of King Arthur and the 12 Knights of the Round Table.

Viewing himself as the reincarnation of the castle's first occupant, the medieval King Heinrich, the former chicken farmer demanded that SS members address him as such and appointed 12 of them as his 'knights'. They met in a shadowy, candlelit crypt with 12 pillars, each guarded by a sacred flame. There, under a domed ceiling featuring a Swastika, they performed occult rites in celebration of the Third Reich.

Within another chamber, there was a crystal representing the Holy Grail  the cup that Christians believe Jesus drank from at the Last Supper and the object sought by the knights of Arthurian legend.

So convinced was Himmler that this fabled treasure could help Germany win the war that he even used an official visit to Franco's Spain in October 1940 as a cover for conducting a fruitless search in the mountains of Catalonia where the Grail was rumoured to have been hidden.

Like Hitler and many other senior Nazis, he also believed that the Aryan 'master humans' had once lived in the lost city of Atlantis, but fled to the Himalayas after their mythical island was sunk by a divine thunderbolt.

The fact that Atlantis was entirely imaginary, dreamt up by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, had not stopped Himmler dispatching an expedition to Tibet shortly before the war began, apparently to find traces of this vanished civilisation.

In all this arrant nonsense he was encouraged by his 'personal astrologer' Wilhelm Wulff, who quickly learned to give only those readings which would please Himmler, telling him that he was 'positive and forceful' and had doubtless been 'a lord or knight from remote times'.

The Fuhrer was also known to be interested in astrology.

Wewelsburg Castle, a forbidding Renaissance fortress 300 miles west of Berlin, where Goering would have housed his 13,000-volume library on the occult had Germany not lost the war

Goering, Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler wear military uniform as they are pictured smiling at each other

As early as 1923 he had taken heed of an earlier prediction that a man with his birth date would sweep to power, although his attempt to overthrow the German government in the notorious Beer Hall Putsch in Munich later that year ended in imprisonment.

He subsequently retained the services of Karl Krafft, a Swiss astrologer who had warned of 'dark powers' at work in November 1939. Hitler ignored the warning and attended an anniversary celebration of the putsch in the beer hall  leaving just before a bomb exploded, killing seven people. Among his supporters in the original putsch was Rudolf Hess who went on to become Deputy Fuhrer, but piloted himself to Britain in a stolen fighter plane in 1941, apparently to broker a peace deal.

The timing of his flight was decided with his astrologer Ernst Schulte Strathaus, who advised him that a rare alignment of planets and celestial bodies would make the night of May 10 an auspicious time to fly.

It proved anything but, with Hess being arrested after running out of fuel and being forced to bail out over a Scottish farm.

Denouncing him as a traitor, a furious Hitler believed that other senior Nazis might be similarly persuaded that the heavenly constellations were in favour of their defection, so he immediately ordered a mass arrest of German astrologers, fortune-tellers and other occultists. Hess's astrologer would spend the rest of the war in a concentration camp.

Yet, despite this crackdown, the Nazi regime continued to place extraordinary reliance on practitioners of the dark arts and dowsing  the practice of using forked rods or pendulums to divine for hidden substances such as water or minerals  in particular.

When the British began to turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic in the summer of 1942, it did not seem to occur to the German Navy that this might be down to the use of radar and sonar, along with more sophisticated code-breaking.

Instead, they listened to a Uboat captain named Hans Roeder who was a dowser in his spare time and suggested that the enemy must be using such unconventional methods to detect German ships.

He was given permission to set up a special 'institute' to do the same. At its headquarters in Berlin, a large map of the Atlantic was spread out and a pendulum, made of a metal cube attached to a short string, was swung above a model battleship as it was moved around.

As American historian Eric Kurlander explains in his book Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History Of The Third Reich, if the pendulum 'reacted' at any point, that was seen as a sign that there was a battleship at the real location.

'Day after day dowsers were forced by the SS to stand with their arms stretched out across the nautical charts just in case the pendulum made the slightest movement,' wrote Kurlander.

'In order to increase their likelihood of making predictions there were a number of clairvoyants constantly in a trance.'

Compared to this pseudoscientific bilge, the reverence of propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels for the prophecies of the 16th-century French seer Nostradamus seems almost sensible.

Goebbels' diary for November 23, 1939, nearly three months into the war, reports that he went early to bed and 'spent a long time reading. Nostradamus's prophecies. Very interesting for those of us today. Hopefully the daring commentary is right. Then England will have nothing to laugh about.

'I tell [Hitler] about the prophecies. Given the times we're in, they're astounding. The Fuhrer is very interested.'

By the end of the war, Goebbels was more interested in horoscopes. Hiding in the Berlin bunker in the final days before the city fell to the Red Army, he sent for copies of Hitler's birth chart and pointed out to the Fuhrer that although it showed both the outbreak of war and their current disastrous situation, it also claimed an inevitable victory for the Nazis and peace by August 1945.

According to Goebbels, it was all just a matter of waiting for planetary change  yet another example of the deluded beliefs which convinced the Nazis that unseen forces were on their side, but which also, thankfully, helped lose them the war.

It remains to be seen whether the unfortunate family whose skeletons were recently unearthed at the Wolf's Lair were the victims of some ghoulish sacrifice, or whether their demise had a more prosaic cause.

But whatever the truth, they offer a chilling new glimpse into the Nazis' characteristic mix of pseudo-science with profound, inhuman evil.
But the school insisted they were afforded multiple opportunities to buy tickets

They claimed tickets sold out quickly and were only advertised for a week

Some students at Midlothian High School in Virginia were barred entry to prom

High school students in Virginia are devastated after being denied entry to their prom following a controversial change in venue.

Midlothian High School moved Saturday's event from the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center's Hull Campus to the Hippodrome Theater in Richmond this year - meaning less space and the need for tickets.

Tickets sold out quickly ahead of the formal, meaning some students couldn't attend their own prom.

Midlothian High School seniors quickly lashed out as dues paid at the start of the year included the cost of the tickets.

Holden White, a junior, was among those barred entry from the prom after failing to get his hands on a ticket. He and numerous parents voiced their frustration.

'I was looking forward to it and I thought since there is only two grades everyone would get to go,' White told WTVR.

Students at Midlothian High School in Virginia were left stunned after they were denied entry to their own junior-senior prom. Midlothian High School students get ready for the 2024 prom

Tickets to the event sold out quickly in just a few days, leaving seniors particularly furious, as their senior dues included the cost of prom tickets. Pictured: Midlothian High School's 2023 prom

Junior Holden White said he assumed all students would be able to attend, 'since there is only two grades'

The school hit back at criticism saying it informed families at the beginning of the year that the prom would have a limited capacity due to a venue change.

Furious parents were not satisfied with the reasoning and lambasted the school on social media over leaving students out of the end-of-the-year celebration.

'Midlothian High School changed the venue of their Senior Prom this year and it holds a fraction of the amount of people than previous locations. Many seniors are WITHOUT tickets for their OWN PROM,' one mother wrote.

She said her son was allocated a ticket, but his 'long-term girlfriend' was not, and followed with a plea for any advice on obtaining an extra ticket.

'There is so much chaos surrounding this subject that the school has just stopped responding about it. Im so sad for them,' she wrote.

'This night was NOT on my radar of things to organize. He wants to be where all of his friends are to celebrate the end of schoolnot with his mum.'

In a separate post, another mother claimed her son was able to secure a ticket, but his date was not.

'Absolute failure to these seniors!' she wrote. 'Heartbroken and sad.'

Midlothian High School defended itself against the criticism, insisting fewer than 10 students and 15 guests were unable to get tickets.

In a statement to parents, Principal Shawn Abel expressed his regret that 'very few' students and guests were unable to secure tickets.

The school changed its venue to the Hippodrome Theater in Richmond this year, leaving a limited capacity for guests. Pictured: Students dance during the 2024 prom

Principal Shawn Abel asserted the school had given students multiple opportunities to secure tickets and informed parents that there was a limited capacity due to the venue change

'We sent out a communication at the beginning of the school year regarding prom tickets and limited capacity - be sure to look for the early ticket options,' he wrote.

'We then advertised back in February / March that seniors can claim their free ticket to prom using a Google form, which was opened from March 12 to March 14.'

Abel said the registration reopened on April 24 and remained open until the following Monday, while juniors had an opportunity to purchase their ticket online on March 13 and 14.

'We really wanted our Midlo students to have the first opportunity to secure their prom ticket,' Abel continued.

The remaining tickets were divided among four lunch periods and the leftover were sold. Abel insisted no students were turned away if they wanted one.

'The reason for our location change is that students wanted prom at a different venue...and very few venues can accommodate much larger than 700 without 18 months' notice,' he added.

Abel said the location was selected based on 'positive feedback' from another high school that had hosted its own prom there for two years.

In response to the uproar, the school opened up a waitlist for tickets where seniors were given priority.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Midlothian High School for comment.
A teenage boy who was shot dead by police officers after stabbing a man in the back with a large kitchen knife had a long, dark descent into Islamic radicalisation.

The 16-year-old died in hospital shortly after he was shot while charging at three police officers at a Bunnings carpark in Willetton, south Perth, at 10pm on Saturday.

A man, aged in his 30s, was stabbed before he was rushed to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Western Australia Police revealed in a press conference on Sunday the teenager had been part of a de-radicalisation program since he was 14.

Further details emerged about the history of the teenager on Monday, including revelations that he attended the well-respected Rossmoyne Senior High School.

A teenager who was shot dead by police on Saturday went from playing with building toys as a child (pictured) to 'indoctrinating' high school students after being affected by Islamic radicalisation

Officers attempted to Taser the boy before shooting him on Saturday (pictured, officers at the scene)

He is understood to have been part of a group that attempted to 'indoctrinate' other students with some parents raising their concerns with the school, The West Australian reported.

His final messages reportedly revealed the boy had told his friends he was going 'on the path of jihad' before he carried out the knife attack.

The dark history appears worlds away from the innocent childhood photos that have emerged on social media showing the boy playing with a toy.

Officers initially tried to Taser the teenager after he charged at two officers on Saturday.

However, the Taser didn't deliver the desired effect and he charged at a third officer, who fatally shot him.

The boy's high school Rossmoyne Senior High School is known in Perth for producing high academic results.

Parents at the school made complaints to Education Minister Tony Buti and the Australian Federal Police over concerns about the 'radical' teenage group.

'Correspondence was recently received regarding a student at a public secondary school,' a WA government spokesman said.

'As appropriate, this correspondence was referred to the Department of Education.'

Concerned parents claimed the 16-year-old boy could be linked to a school toilet block which was damaged last year.

They also claimed another boy from the group had threatened to hurt attendees of an upcoming graduation.

Posts shared online by the boy's mother showed he had a happy childhood.

The teenager had stabbed a stranger in the back before charging at three officers (pictured, a bloodstain left at the scene)

He enjoyed playing with Meccano, a building toy similar to Lego, and making his mother laugh with jokes about his homework.

By the time he turned 14 in 2022, his personality changed as he was influenced by Islamic radicalisation.

In the same year, he was instructed by police to participate in a de-radicalisation group.

'(Programs) are confronting a really serious challenge in changing someone who's been radicalised and attempting to get them back into a more reasonable pathway,' WA police minister Paul Papalia said.

'It is a good program in that regard, because in the absence of it, there's no response to that sort of thing.

'But also to be part of it, you're not necessarily a criminal. You haven't engaged necessarily in any criminal activity. So that's something to understand.'

The final message sent by the teen has also been revealed, with the boy reportedly saying he was going 'on the path of jihad'.

The 16-year-old sent the message to several people on social media, with several members of Perth's concerned Islamic community alerting police of the boy's messages.

'Brothers please forgive me for any time I have wronged you, I am going on the path of jihad tonight for the sake of Allah,' the boy, who had reportedly converted to Islam, wrote.

'I am a soldier of the mujahideen of Al-Qaeda and take responsibility for the actions that will... take place tonight.'

He also warned his contacts to 'clear' incriminating evidence from devices like laptops and phones.

Parents at an esteemed Perth high school claimed the boy was part of a radical group who attempted to 'indoctrinate' other students (pictured, officers at the scene)

'If you have any illegal or jihadi things online or in real life please make sure to hide them well and clear your technology such as laptops and phones including search history... as the police will likely look into my contacts,' he wrote.

Rossmoyne Principal Alan Brown sent an email to parents on Sunday afternoon offering support and advice.

'Young people may want to meet in groups or turn to social media for support and to express their feelings. Whilst this may be helpful, please be aware of potential misinformation or inappropriate comments,' he said.

'If you become aware of any such gatherings, it is important to make sure there are responsible adults present, and you may wish to accompany your child.'

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the deceased teenager who known to police for 'mental health issues and radicalisation issues' since he was 14.

He confirmed the teenager's family is working with police.

'I think this is a very challenged individual who was there on the night and I think the family really do understand the situation that police were in,' he said.

'They are being very forthcoming with police.'
Heavy rainfall will continue to hit Sydney and parts of the NSW coast after a weekend of wild weather in eastern Australia left tens of thousands without power and sparked flash flooding.

Weatherzone has warned that Sydney will be lashed by showers over the next 10 days in unwelcome news for millions of residents who have already endured a wet week.

Up to 60mm of rain fell on the Harbour City on Sunday while more than 60,000 homes were left without power in the Illawarra region.

Heavy rainfall further north saw parts of Queensland flooded with a 4WD captured being swept away by raging waters at Weerriba on Saturday.

Weatherzone meteorologist Aline Ribeiro warned up to 150mm could fall within the next seven days, however conditions will begin to ease by the middle of the week.

Heavy rainfall will continue to batter parts of Australia after a weekend of wild weather left tens of thousands without power and sparked flash flooding

Weatherzone has warned that Sydney will be hit by showers over the next 10 days in unwelcome news for millions of residents who have already endured a wet week

'Southeasterly winds will continue to bring rain throughout the week, although not as intense or consistent as in recent days,' she said.

Over the past seven days, eastern NSW and parts of Queensland's coast have been bombarded with heavy downpours with up to 100mm of rain recorded.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said areas south of Sydney copped the heaviest falls so far, but the system has begun to move north.

Severe weather alerts were issued for possible flash flooding in parts of the Illawarra and thunderstorms north of Wollongong and east of Dubbo on Sunday evening.

BoM meterologist Miriam Bradbury warned Aussies to rug up and stay warm.

'Through the rest of today (Monday) and into tomorrow, even going into Wednesday, those showers should stay fairly patchy with today being that main risk of any lingering moderate falls,' she said.

'As we go into the later part of the week, particularly Friday going into next weekend, we may see that risk of moderate to heavy fall increasing once again.'

The Illawarra has already experienced two blackouts with the power first lost just before 9pm on Sunday. Some 40,297 properties in Bulli, Thirroul, Woonona and Austinmer were left in the dark.

The power was restored after 30 minutes, but went out again at 5am on Monday, this time affecting about 20,000 properties.

Power was restored 15 minutes later.

Heavy rainfall further north saw parts of Queensland flooded with a 4WD captured being swept away by raging waters at Weerriba on Saturday

Elsewhere, Brisbane is forecast to face cloudy weather with a slight chance of a shower on Monday.

No rain is forecast for Melbourne despite cloudy conditions for most of the week.

Adelaide escaped the deluge over the weekend with the South Australian capital set to enjoy a mild week ahead.

Canberra will begin the week with partly cloudy conditions before showers develop on Thursday with temperatures set to reach a cool 18C.

Perth will be mostly sunny enjoying a maximum of 29C on Thursday before showers move in on Friday.

Darwin will continue to enjoy its stretch of summer-like conditions with the mercury reaching between 33C and 34C for the week.
Qantas will pay $120 million in restitution and penalty for misleading customers by selling tickets to flights that had already been canceled.

The company plans to pay between $225 and $450 to affected domestic and foreign consumers for a projected total of about $20 million, and implement a remediation program for affected passengers. The rest of the settlement is a penalty.

Qantas announced Monday that it had settled with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) over the ticket scheme, which led to the early retirement of former CEO Alan Joyce. Last August, the ACCC had filed a lawsuit accusing Qantas of advertising and selling tickets for over 8,000 flights that it had already canceled in its internal system.

It's the largest corporate penalty settlement the ACCC has ever approved. Volkswagen, however, was hit with the highest-ever fine for breaking Australia's consumer legislation in 2019 when it misled customers about diesel pollution, totaling $125 million.

The federal court must approve the proposed penalty, although Qantas will begin the remediation program ahead of the approval process.

According to ACCC head Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Qantas acknowledged that it had misled customers as part of the settlement.

Cass-Gottlieb said that Qantas' conduct was egregious and unacceptable. She noted that many consumers will have made holiday, business, and travel plans after booking a phantom flight that had been canceled.

She added that the company has also promised not to engage in this type of conduct in the future.

Furthermore, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said that today represents another important step forward as they work towards restoring confidence in the national carrier.

She continued that they have since updated their processes and are investing in new technology across the Qantas Group to ensure this does not happen again.
The home has landed on the market repeatedly, but each new owner left it empty

It is nestled in the foothills of Los Feliz, a pricey suburb outside Los Angeles

A stately mansion in a cozy Los Angeles suburb has repeatedly landed on the market over the past several decades, and even its buyers do not want to live inside it because of its sordid history.

At first glance, 2475 Glendower Place seems like nothing more than another pricey home in the hillside community of Los Feliz. It boasts five bedrooms and four bathrooms spread out across over 5,000 square feet.

The estate has changed hands repeatedly over the past few decades. Each time a new buyer snapped it up, they left it vacant before ultimately deciding to sell again.

As it sat largely unoccupied for decades, the house began to deteriorate. The yellowing wood staircase, visible through an arched glass window, is only evidence of its decay. Even today, the current owner doesn't live on the premises after making an unsuccessful attempt to sell it in 2022.

All because it was the site of a grizzly 1959 murder where a husband beat his wife to death with a ball-peen hammer.

2475 Glendower Place in Los Angeles has changed hands repeatedly over the past few decades and remains vacant even after being sold

The estate boasts five bedrooms and four bedrooms across more than 5,000 square feet

It was the site of a grizzly 1959 murder where a husband beat his wife to death with a ball-peen hammer

Despite presenting as a bargain amid skyrocketing home prices, the property's nearly century-long history is marked with blood. Built in 1925, the mansion was nestled deep inside Los Feliz Heights, an up-and-coming development.

'Los Feliz Heights will always be exclusive,' one advertisement proclaimed at the time. 'Care has been taken by the owners that this splendid property shall never deteriorate.'

The estate's first owners were a couple named Harold and Florence Schumacher, who occupied the premises until the time of their deaths within weeks of each other in 1928.

Two years later, magazine editor Welford Beaton and his son Donald settled in the home.

But Donald soon succumbed to an infection and died at just 21 years old. Welford left the home and filed for bankruptcy the following year.

The story took a grim turn in 1956, when physician Harold Perelson, his wife Lillian, and their three children, Judy, Joel and Debbie, moved in.

Despite the extravagant purchase, Harolds medical practice was drowning in debt. In a letter to a relative, 18-year-old Judy alluded the family's financial hardships had caused issues between her parents.

'My family are on the merry-go-round again, same problems, same worries, only tenfold,' Judy wrote, adding that they were 'in a bind financially'.

These tensions came to a head on the morning of December 6, 1959, when Harold bludgeoned Lillian with a ball-peen hammer as she slept, killing her.

The home was built in 1925 as part of Los Feliz Heights, an up-and-coming development marketed towards the wealthy

Physician Harold Perelson, his wife Lillian, and the couple's three children moved into the home in 1956, marking the beginning of its dark history

In December 1959, Harold bludgeoned his wife to death before attempting to murder his 18-year-old daughter, Judy

He then went to Judys bedroom and attacked her. Judys screams woke her younger sister, Debbie, who later told police that her father assured her, 'Go back to bed, baby - this is just a nightmare.'

Thirteen-year-old Joel was the next to wake up. Seizing the distraction, Judy fled to a neighbor's house across the street.

That neighbor called police, and by the time they arrived, Harold was dead. He had swallowed pentobarbital tablets and suffered an overdose.

Medical records show the father of three had spent a week in a mental hospital just a year prior. There he was given chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia.

Newspaper clippings from the time claim the doctor killed his wife and himself in a 'frenzy of "nightmare"' and blamed the murderous outburst on his problems with money.

Just a year later, the home was purchased by Emily and Julian Enriquez, who owned it for decades.

Julian died in 1973 and Emily in 1994. The home was then passed on to their son, Rudy.

Despite claims that the property was never occupied, records tell a different story. Archived city directories show that Rudy registered a phone at the address in 1987.

The estate became the subject of media attention in 2009, when the LA Times coined it the 'Los Feliz Murder Mansion,' a moniker that is still used today.

It became a popular fixture among YouTubers and ghost hunters in the years following. Hundreds of people illegally entered the home while Rudy still owned it, compelled by its mythos. Some even took mementos: vintage magazines, an army jacket and the like.

The home was purchased by Emily and Julian Enriquez just a year after Harold killed his wife and then himself. The property went to their son, Rudy, after their deaths, but remained vacant

The LA Times coined the home the 'Los Feliz Murder Mansion' in 2009, sparking renewed interest and sending hundreds of trespassers to the property

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who is best known for representing Harvey Weinstein, purchased the mansion in 2016 alongside her husband. The couple began renovations on the home but never finished them

It most recently sold in 2020 to property developer Ephi Zlotnitsky, who never appears to have lived in the home himself. He unsuccessfully attempted to sell it in 2022

The house went up for sale once again and officially changed hands in 2016, when attorney Lisa Bloom and her husband closed on it for $2.3 million.

Bloom, who is best known for representing disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, vowed to renovate the property. The interior was stripped to its bare bones, but the couple failed to follow through with their plans due to issues with building codes.

In 2020, the estate sold to property developer Ephi Zlotnitsky for $2.35 million. Zlotnitsky has never spoken to the press and appears to have left the home vacant himself.

There has been renewed interest in 2475 Glendower Place in recent years, including a 2022 feature in the Netflix series 'Buying Beverly Hills'.

In that episode, listing agent Jon Grauman of The Agency met with architect Richard Landry to discuss plans to remodel the house.

'It's going to take a lot of work to scrub that stain off of it and transform it into something new,' Grauman said of the home's 'infamous past'.

He vowed that the renovated home would be 'one of the most spectacular homes not just in Los Feliz but on the east side of Los Angeles'.

However, these grand promises didn't pan out - after being listed for $5.5 million and failing to attract a buyer, the mansion was taken off the market that November.

Shockingly enough, it is not the only 'murder house' in the neighborhood.

It is at 3311 Waverly Drive, roughly one and a half miles away, that Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in the early hours of August 10, 1969.

The couple were sleeping when members of the Manson family entered their house and killed them both.

Property records show that home last sold in July 2021 for $1,875,000.
Diesel car drivers are being charged as much as 250 more per year to park near their homes.

Analysis found that on-street parking permits are more expensive for diesel vehicles in several parts of the country.

Eighteen of London's 32 boroughs have introduced a parking surcharge for diesel cars.

Hackney is the most expensive area in the capital, with diesel car drivers charged an extra 250 for on-street parking.

This is followed by Islington, which charges an additional 220, and Merton, which charges 150 in extra permit fees.

Eighteen of London's 32 boroughs have introduced a parking surcharge for diesel cars (Stock Image)

Outside of London, Brighton and Hove City Council has excluded diesel cars from its cheapest permits, meaning drivers can pay up to 62.05 more.

Diesel car drivers are also hit with extra parking costs in Edinburgh and Bath.

Luke Bosdet, of the AA, said the extra charges were 'simply a council cash grab'. He added that permits should be used to 'regulate on-street parking for the benefit of residents, not as a tool to demonise car choice'.

A Hackney Council spokesman said it introduced a diesel surcharge in 2015 to combat the 'public health crisis' from 'London's toxic air'.

Darren Rodwell, for the Local Government Association, said diesel surcharges  revealed by the Press Association news agency  were 'a matter for each council'.
Rishi Sunak has ditched his plans for a summer election hoping that by improving the economy and seeing deportation flights to Rwanda finally take off, he can salvage his re-election bid.

The Prime Minister is now planning on carrying out an autumn election, rather than in July, following widespread Tory defeat at local elections up and down the country.

The Conservatives lost 397 council seats and only won one of the 11 mayoralties, with West Midlands mayor Andrew Street, who had distanced himself from the PM, narrowly losing to his Labour opponent Richard Parker.

Downing Street insiders warned that any plans from unruly backbenchers to oust Mr Sunak could result in an earlier election, however, the party's rebels are thought to have given up on a change in leadership before the general election.

Aides working on the Conservative campaign reportedly said it is '80 to 90 per cent likely' the Tory leader will reject a summer election in favour of an election later on in October or November.

Rishi Sunak has ditched his plans for a summer election hoping that by improving the economy and seeing deportation flights to Rwanda finally take off

The Conservatives lost 397 council seats and only won one of the 11 mayoralties, with West Midlands mayor Andrew Street. Pictured: Keir Starmer applauding new Labour MP for Blackpool South Chris Webb

The Prime Minister believes if he gets deportation flights to Rwanda off the ground it could boost his popularity

'I definitely think the weight of views is to go later as there's still plenty we can keep doing to show delivery,' one told the Telegraph.

Research by Oxford University academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher suggested the local election results suggest there might be a hung parliament following the general election.

The researchers said Labour will hold 34 per cent of seats, compared to the Conservatives on 27 per cent.

Jumping on the analysis, Mr Sunak said: 'These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party.

'Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.

'The country doesn't need more political horse-trading, but action. We are the only party that has a plan to deliver on the priorities of the people.'

Touring TV studios yesterday on behalf of Mr Sunak, Transport Secretary Mark Harper insisted the polls giving Labour a massive lead 'are not correct'.

'There is everything to fight for. And the Tories under Rishi Sunak are up for the fight,' he told Sky News.

Downing Street insiders warned that any plans from unruly backbenchers to oust Mr Sunak could result in an earlier election

Andy Street dramatically lost the West Midlands mayor battle tonight in a body blow for Rishi Sunak

He added: 'It's been disappointing of course to lose dedicated Conservative councillors and Andy Street in the West Midlands, with his track record of providing great public services and attracting significant investment to the area, but that has redoubled my resolve to continue to make progress on our plan.

'So we will continue working as hard as ever to take the fight to Labour and deliver a brighter future for our country.'

The Prime Minister and his allies are on the defensive after the Conservatives 474 local council seats and the prestigious West Midlands mayoralty to Labour.

Labour's Richard Parker seized victory from outgoing Conservative mayor Andy Street by a mere 1,508 votes - with the Reform party winning more than 34,000 votes.

There has also been a furious wave of recriminations and criticism after the Tory candidate for London mayor, Susan Hall, was roundly thrashed by Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan.

He stormed to victory and an historic third term in office, with a majority of some 275,000.

Party chairman Richard Holden, who is also facing criticism over the election campaigns, also tried to calm furious politicians and activists.

Writing in the Telegraph he claimed that the result showed there was 'no surge in love for Sir Keir Starmer'.

'While Labour made some gains, they have failed to romp to victory, falling well short of the 350 predicted gains,' he said.
For many Australian travellers, the appeal of visiting Mexico is so strong that they set aside the very real safety concerns, but the alleged murders of two surfer brothers is likely to put off even the most fearless would-be visitor.

The alleged murders of Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and American surfing buddy Jack Carter Rhoad in the Mexican state of Baja California has exposed just how risky it is to visit the nation, which is racked by ruthless violent crime.

The Smart Traveller website provided by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warns Australians visiting Mexico are at a high risk of violent crime including murder, armed robbery, carjacking, sexual assault and kidnapping, especially after dark.

It advises these crimes can even occur at tourist spots and resorts.

The northern border state of Baja California, where the bodies of the trio and another ranch manager were found in a 50-foot well, is one of the states with higher risk due to drug cartels and people-smuggling gangs trying to get their products into the US.

Australian brothers Callum, 33 (left) and Jake, 30, were last seen with their American friend on April 27

Prosecutors released grisly details of the slayings, but have not yet officially confirmed the identification of the bodies, including 30-year-old American Jack Carter Rhoad

Mr Talmi told Daily Mail Australia that while Mexico Is a beautiful country, it is challenging from a security point of view and tourists should be extremely vigilant

A woman and two men have been arrested, though the charges have not yet been finalised.

Authorities believe the deaths stemmed from a vehicle robbery that escalated to the point that shots were fired.

Prosecutors released grisly details of the slayings, and yesterday confirmed the families have positively identified their bodies.

The Mexican government has been fighting but largely losing its 'War on Drugs' since December 2006, when newly elected President Calderon deployed more than 6,500 soldiers to his home state of Michoacan to battle drug traffickers.

A 2022 research paper by Justice in Mexico, an organisation that works to improve citizen security, strengthen the rule of law, and protect human rights in Mexico reveals some insight into the Baja California area.

The paper states that the area 'has been and remains an important focal point for violence and organised crime in Mexico'.

'The public security challenges facing Baja California remain significant,' the paper states.

'Communities continue to be impacted by elevated levels of violence, and emerging patterns in violent crime incidence serve as a reminder of persistent volatility in the security situation.'

Eltan Talmi, a security expert and founder and CEO of US-based security company Tactical Troop, agrees.

Mr Talmi told Daily Mail Australia that while Mexico Is a beautiful country, it is challenging from a security point of view, and tourists should be extremely vigilant.

He said: 'Most of the places, you would be able to visit, live or even work without feeling any threat or risk.'

Mr Talmi advises tourists to follow the advice of local authorities, avoid isolated areas, be careful after dark and avoid dealing with unknown people.

He said the violence in Mexico is mainly carried out by warring cartels and criminal groups battling for control of the cities.

Prosecutors released grisly details of the slayings, and today confirmed the families have positively identified their bodies.

According to local media, blood was discovered at three abandoned tents where the brothers and their American friend were believed to be staying before they vanished. A truck, said to belong to either Jake or Callum, was also found burnt out at a nearby farm (pictured)

The corpses were decomposing after the thieves dumped them into a remote, 50- foot deep well

Mr Talmi said that areas like Baja California are of special concern for tourists as they are very isolated with low government presence.

'Tourists should exercise extra safety measures to mitigate the risk,' he said.

His advice for Australian tourists to make their trip to Mexico more safe is to always understand local culture and behaviour.

'Many tourists from many parts of the world believe they can behave the same as they do in their home country without understanding the culture,' he said.

Mr Talmi suggests tourists to Mexico should call for assistance or report anything that made them feel unsafe and request security support.

Even with the tragic incident of the two Australian brothers, he said Australians should still travel to Mexico, but to 'always check with a reliable source about the places they are planning to visit and not become a victim'.
The Australian Taxation Office has warned it will be targetting three groups of Aussies as it clamps down on dodgy tax return claims.

Landlords, residents working from home and Aussies who don't include all their income will be closely scrutinised by the tax office.

'We often see landlords making mistakes when it comes to repairs and maintenance deductions on rental properties, so we're keeping a close eye on this,' ATO assistant commissioner Rob Thomson said.

'This year, we're particularly focused on claims that may have been inflated to offset increases in rental income to get a greater tax benefit.'

Millions of Australians will be able to lodge their own tax returns between July 1 and October 31 as the end of the financial year looms.

The Australian Taxation Office has revealed it will crack down on property owners, WFH deductions and income claims this financial year

Nine out of 10 landlords are submitting incorrect tax returns, according to the ATO.

'There's some complexity in the law which we think that leads to some misunderstanding, and there's also an element around record keeping,' Mr Thomson said.

However, he accused other property owners of 'deliberately inflating their claim'.

Often, landlords are busted for claiming too much interest on investment loans and making mistakes on repairs and maintenance deductions.

The ATO's data matching and analytics technology looks at information from lenders, property managers, state revenue offices and insurance companies to spot claim inconsistencies.

'We educate those who we think have made a mistake, and ask a few questions of those we think are turning a blind eye to tax law,' Mr Thomson said.

Last year more than eight million people claimed work-related deduction with at least half related to work-from-home (WFH) expenses, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The ATO's rules for WFH deductions changed twice in the 2022-2023 financial year.

Accountants had reported increased confusion about the popular fixed-rate method for deductions, but Mr Thomson said the mistake did not appear in tax returns.

'We haven't seen any noticeable increases in mistakes for working-from-home deductions, but we are still seeing instances of double dipping, where the taxpayer separately claims the items which are included under the fixed-rate method,' he said.

Mr Thompson said the third group - Aussies who dont include all their income - usually made the mistake of filing their tax return too early.

'We see lots of mistakes in July where people have forgotten to include interest from banks, dividend income, payments from other government agencies and private health insurers,' he said.

'By lodging in early July, you are doubling your chances of having your tax return flagged as incorrect by the ATO.'

The ATO adjusted 499,000 taxpayers' tax returns using data matching alone last financial year.

It is believed the ATO is focusing on WFH claims, property owners and incorrect income claims as that is where it loses the most revenue.

Daily Mail Australia has compiled a list of the best tips from experts on how to make the most of your tax return.

The consensus on making full use of the tax season including deductibles for working from home, clothing and transport is to keep records to back up your claim.

Millions of Australians will be able to lodge their own tax returns between July 1 and October 31

WORKING FROM HOME

Financial planner from Acumen Cameron McLean said people can claim back costs like electricity when working from home as long as they have the proof.

'The Australian Tax Office needs you to be pretty specific,' McLean previously told 9News.

'They need you to know specifically how many days you're working, what part of the house gets used.'

He added people should keep track of these throughout the year for the next tax return.

The ATO said taxpayers can get deductions for stationery, energy and office equipment used in the home.

The agency said people wanting to make a claim need to work from home to fulfil employment duties and not be just carrying out minimal tasks like occasionally checking emails or taking calls.

Additional running expenses may include electricity or gas bills for heating, cooling and lighting as well as home and mobile internet expenses and mobile or home phone costs.

In limited circumstances where someone has a dedicated home office, you may also be able to claim for rent or mortgage costs and cleaning expenses.

CLOTHING

Mr Mclean said Aussies can claim clothes used for specific occupations.

A chef can claim for laundry expenses for their checkered pants for example, as long as they have the receipts handy in case the ATO asks for them.

The ATO said workers who buy, repair or launder occupation-specific or protective clothing or distinctive uniforms can claim back.

But it said 'conventional' attire like black pants worn by office workers or waiters cannot be claimed back at tax time.

This includes business suits, a swimming instructor's swimwear and jeans or drill shirts worn by tradespeople.

GIFTS

Taxpayers can claim deductibles for the gifts and donations they offer to charities, as long as the organisation is registered.

Donations to crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe cannot be claimed but registered charities like World Vision Australia could be.

The amount you can claim as a deduction depends on the type of gift, for example with gifts of money  you can claim the amount of the gift if it is more than $2.

In some circumstances, you can claim a deduction for gifts and donations to registered political parties or independent candidates.

The most you can claim in an income year is $1,500, the ATO said.

TRANSPORT

You can claim for the costs you incur when you travel between workplaces, to conferences or client meetings.

For motor vehicle expenses, it helps if people keep a log book over a three-month period that gives an idea of how much they spend during the year.

You can also claim expenses for the same journeys when using public transport and ride-shares, short-term hire of a car, road and bridge tolls and parking fees.

EDUCATION

Aussies can get deductibles for courses if it relates to their current job but cannot claim if its to gain fresh qualifications for another occupation.

The ATO said parents cannot get money back for child care or school fees.

ATO assistant commissioner Rob Thomson (pictured) warned: 'We educate those who we think have made a mistake, and ask a few questions of those we think are turning a blind eye to tax law'

WHAT AUSSIES CAN'T CLAIM

The ATO said items like tools and computers used for private purposes can not be claimed.

Mr McLean said he has come across some strange items people try and claim for like socks, jocks and breast enhancement surgery.

A man even attempted to get money back for his daughter's wedding telling him it's for 'all the tax he's paid in his life'.

A comprehensive list on what cannot be claimed is available on the ATO website.

'DON'T LEAVE IT TO THE LAST MINUTE'

Mr McLean said Australians should start preparing now for the next tax return so they don't miss out on future tax benefits.

He urged tax payers to not leave it to the last minute and advised on having an accountant or financial advisor.

A financial advisor can have a look at someone's super to see how much they can get back leading up to the new financial year.
Terrifying footage captured the moment a teen driver on their learner licence flipped their car before crashing into a roundabout and injuring a young passenger.

The heart-stopping crash unfolded on Cobham Street at Hamilton, on New Zealand's North Island, at 1.24am on March 8.

Dashcam footage from a nearby car captured the carnage and showed the white sedan gaining speed as it approached the vehicle from behind.

The vehicle then became airborne and launched over the roundabout before it spectacularly nosedived into a street sign.

The white vehicle can be seen flying through the air (pictured) before crashing into the street sign

The vehicle, which had four occupants including the driver, nose dived and collected a street sign before rolling at least nine times (pictured)

The car rolled at least nine times before it stopped on its roof.

One of the occupants in the vehicle with the dash cam could be heard saying 'holy f**k'.

She was heard directing her companion to dial the New Zealand emergency service number 111.

A New Zealand Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia there were four people in the vehicle with one seriously injured.

The three others, including the driver, had minor injuries.

The shocking footage was shared to Facebook on Saturday where Aussies were left stunned.

'I guess they can safely say that speed was a factor,' one wrote.

'This is a clear example of how excessive speed kills,' another said.

'Will they ever learn?' another wrote.

Many were also concerned that the person badly injured was a child.

The dash cam owners were shocked at what they saw and called emergency services straight away (pictured: the car rolling)

'Damn I hope that was at least a medical episode. To drive recklessly like that with a child in the car...' one said.

'What b****y idiots, especially with a child in the car,' another said.

A New Zealand Police spokesman said they could not confirm the age of the child injured and are still investigating.

'Any further police action is still being considered,' he said.
Freed detainee bailed and charged four times for visa breaches

A former immigration detainee allegedly threatened a police officer with a knife just days after being charged with breaching his visa conditions.

Sundanese-born Abdelmoez Mohamed Elawad, 45, has been charged and bailed four times for breaching his visa conditions since his release in November.

He was among the 153 asylum seekers who were released from immigration detention following the High Court's NZYQ decision.

Elawad was most recently bailed at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday and had appeared at the same court just five days earlier on April 29.

A former immigration detainee has been charged and bailed four times after allegedly failing to meet his visa conditions (pictured is Villawood Immigration Detention Centre)

The series of cases has sparked major controversy with calls mounting for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to resign (pictured, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese)

READ MORE: Anthony Albanese under fire over key claim about released asylum seeker Advertisement

The 45-year-old faced court after being charged with failing to comply with curfew and monitoring rules between April 20 and 29, The Australian reports.

On April 21, Elawad was arrested and charged for allegedly resisting and assaulting an officer, shop theft, and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Officers threatened Elawad with a Taser during the scuffle in a pub in Footscray, a suburb in inner-city Melbourne.

'The charges relate to an incident at an Albert Street grocery store in Footscray where the man allegedly stole groceries and was reported to be carrying a knife about 9am,' a police spokeswoman said.

'(Police) members tracked the man to a nearby pub on Nicholson Street where he allegedly threatened officers with the knife.

'They drew a Taser and issued a warning, resulting in the peaceful arrest of the man without any injury to the public inside the hotel or (police) members.'

He appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court and was granted bail on the same day, despite protestations from Commonwealth prosecutors.

Just three days earlier, Elawad was bailed on April 18 after he was charged for 'failing to live at a listed place of residence and allowing his monitoring device to go flat'.

He was first arrested just weeks after being released from immigration detention.

Another freed detainee, Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, 43, is one of three people charged over the alleged brutal bashing of 73-year-old Ninette Simmons (pictured)

Recently released immigration detainee Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan (above), who is accused of bashing an elderly woman in her own home

Elawad breached his visa conditions when he allegedly stole luggage from a sleeping traveller at Melbourne Airport.

He is due to mention hearings for both his state and federal charges on May 22.

It comes just days after it was reported another former immigration detainee allegedly failed to meet his visa conditions.

The 31-year-old Afghanistan-born man was arrested by the Australian Federal Police in Brisbane on Tuesday.

He allegedly breached the conditions of his Commonwealth visa twice in April by failing to comply with mandated curfews.

He has been charged with two counts of failing to comply with curfew conditions and faces a maximum of five years behind bars and a $93,900 fine.

The series of cases has sparked major controversy with calls mounting for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to resign.

Another freed detainee, Majid Jamshidi Doukoshkan, 43, is one of three people charged over the alleged brutal bashing of 73-year-old Ninette Simmons.

West Australian police say three people assaulted Ms Simmons and her 76-year-old husband Philip, alleging his hands were tied behind his back while they stole $200,000 in jewellery.

Prosecutors told the hearing that Mr Doukoshkan, who came to Australia from Kuwait, was 'likely to re-offend' and had issues with compliance, but the board ruled he shouldn't have to wear the bracelet.

Mr Doukoshkan was one of 154 men released from immigration detention in November after the High Court ruled indefinite detention was unlawful.
A TV documentary exposing fresh allegations against Kevin Spacey will air tonight despite an astonishing backlash from the embattled actor.

The programme titled Spacey Unmasked features the testimonies of ten men who accuse the fallen Hollywood star of unwanted sexual behaviours spanning almost 40 years.

It will air on Channel 4 tonight despite the two-time Oscar winner breaking his silence to publically issue a series of vehement denials of the latest wave of accusations.

Spacey, 64, was acquitted of nine sexual offences charges in a case involving four men at Southwark Crown Court last year.

He also won a US civil lawsuit in 2022 after being accused of an unwanted sexual advance in 1986.

A TV documentary exposing fresh allegations against Kevin Spacey will air tonight despite an astonishing backlash from the embattled actor

It will air on Channel 4 tonight despite the two-time Oscar winner breaking his silence to publically issue a series of vehement denials of the latest wave of accusations

Tonight's two-part documentary is understood to feature fresh claims from new 'complainants' - including three British men - who were not involved in the previous legal proceedings.

Launching a fight-back against the slew of allegations over the weekend, Spacey took part in a 95minute interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wootton which was posted on X.

Declaring that he will 'no longer be speechless' in the face of the allegations, the former artistic director of London's Old Vic theatre denied any illegal conduct or abusing his position.

'I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologise to anyone who's made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me.

'I've never told someone that if they give me sexual favours, then I will help them out with their career, never,' he said.

He admitting he may have 'hooked up' with young actors or made a 'clumsy pass at someone who wasn't interested' but said he had never committed any crimes.

'That may not have been the best decision and it is not one that I would do today, but it happened.

'It wasn't illegal, and nor has it ever been alleged to have been illegal,' he said as he addressed the claims publically for the first time on Friday night.

'I can't go through this again, allowing myself to be baselessly attacked without defending myself,' he said in the emotionally charged interview entitled 'Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply'.

The US star also claimed on X that his repeated requests to Channel 4 to give him more than seven days to respond to the allegations made about him had been refused.

Despite his rebuttal, the documentary is set to be aired as scheduled on Channel 4 in two parts with the first broadcast tonight at 9pm.

'We're going ahead,' Dorothy Byrne, one of the producers of the programme, said as she revealed she hopes it will prompt a #MeToo movement for men.

'I've made a lot of programmes over decades about women suffering inappropriate behaviour, so this has been a very interesting project to work on.

'I do feel that it's a #MeToo moment for men. Lots of things that were done to women 50 years ago are still being done to men, many of whom feel that they have to put up with it,' she told the Observer.

The new documentary features allegations that Spacey groped a 21-year-old man, pleasured himself in front of an aspiring actor, pushed his groin into the face of an employee and that he placed his hand on the genitals of a fellow actor on the House of Cards set.

The actor, who methodically denied the allegations in his interview, also posted an email on X that he suggested showed how one of the accusers, who alleged misconduct in the 1990s, was still 'chasing' him for a role in one of his films in 2011.
A Hamas attack on an aid crossing that killed Israeli troops was last night branded proof that the terror group is using Palestinians as 'human shields', dashing hopes for an end to the violence in Gaza.

The escalation came as the latest round of ceasefire talks were 'near to collapse', with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruling out any end to the war.

It follows US President Joe Biden reportedly putting a shipment of ammunition bound for Israel on hold amid university campus protests against his support for the country.

Ten rockets were launched from close to civilian shelters in southern Gaza towards the Kerem Shalom crossing yesterday  killing three soldiers and injuring 11, the Israeli military said.

As a result, it was closed to aid trucks travelling from Israel, just as the head of the UN World Food Programme warned of a 'full-blown famine' in northern Gaza.

The escalation came as the latest round of ceasefire talks were 'near to collapse', with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruling out any end to the war (file image)

The Israeli military branded the attack 'a clear example of the terrorist organisation's systematic exploitation of humanitarian facilities and spaces, and their continued use of the Gazan civilian population as human shields'.

READ MORE: Fighting threatens to derail Gaza ceasefire talks as Hezbollah fires 'dozens' of rockets while Israeli army cut off warzone from aid trucks Advertisement

Hardline former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said: 'Yes, they're bombing their own lifeline of food and aid. This is another example of Hamas's perverse strategy: to kill their own people in order to hurt Israel.'

Israel's foreign ministry added: 'Hamas shoots rockets from civilian centres at humanitarian crossings. This tells you everything you need to know.'

But Hamas sources insisted the target was an Israeli military base and denied using civilians as human shields.

It came as talks between Hamas negotiators and Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo threatened to break down. Mr Netanyahu said Israel is willing to pause fighting to secure the release of more than 130 hostages believed to be held by Hamas.

But Hamas insists any ceasefire must be part of an end to the ongoing war in Gaza.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant warned the deadlock meant further military action targeting Rafah  where more than a million displaced Gazan residents have taken refuge  would 'begin in the very near future'.
A body has been found after a P&O cruise ship passenger fell overboard off the coast of Sydney.

NSW Police received reports a person had gone overboard from the Pacific Adventure 10 nautical miles off Sydney Heads just after 4am on Monday.

A search was immediately launched before a man's body was discovered at 10.30am.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner and launch an investigation into the death.

P&O Cruises confirmed the Pacific Adventure has been cleared to return to dock in Sydney after the grim discovery.

'We thank guests for their care, understanding and patience on whats been a distressing day for guests and crew,' the company said.

'Our thoughts are with the family of the guest at this difficult time.'

A body has been found after a P&O cruise ship passenger fell overboard off the coast of Sydney

The ship was expected to depart about 4pm on Monday but has been delayed until later tonight.

A man on the Pacific Adventure told 2GB radio that he and 2,600 other passengers woke to a 'man overboard call' early in the morning.

'We got woken up with the man overboard call and from there it's been all on for a couple of hours now,' he said.

A driver who was supposed to pick up passengers from the Pacific Adventure explained that he was told not to rush because the 'the ship's stopped outside the head and somebody's gone overboard.'

Pacific Adventure's arrival into Sydney Harbour had been cancelled during the large-scale search, which includes a rescue helicopter (stock image)

The Pacific Adventure is returning from a three-day cruise to Queensland's Morton Island which is understood to have had an Elvis theme.

A number of resources from the NSW Police Marine Area Command, including a rescue helicopter, were deployed in the search for the man.
On Monday, the Israeli Defense Force said that the Israeli army had told Palestinians to begin evacuating eastern Rafah, signaling a possible ground invasion.

Evacuations were concentrated in peripheral districts of Rafah. From there, evacuees would be directed to tent cities in nearby Khan Younis and Al Muwassi.

The Israeli military ordered Palestinians living in eastern Rafah to relocate to a neighboring "humanitarian area," seemingly signaling the start of a civilian evacuation preceding a ground assault.

The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. This expanded humanitarian area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies.



In accordance with the pic.twitter.com/si47k9FCCz  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 6, 2024

The military said that media announcements, text messages, phone calls, and posters will all be used to encourage the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas.

People were told to relocate to Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast. The army said that additional aid, including food, water, tents, field hospitals, and supplies, had been sent to the region.

The announcement comes amid the precarious ceasefire negotiation and ahead of a ground attack that Israel has been vowing to launch for months to drive out Hamas militants.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Sunday that Hamas was not serious about a hostage deal.

A Hamas strike on Sunday killed three Israeli troops and targeted Israel's major crossing point for aid deliveries.

Israel claims that the city of Rafah is home to thousands of militants for the Palestinian Islamist group and that capturing the city is necessary for victory.

However, with over a million Palestinians seeking refuge in Rafah, Western nations and neighboring Egypt are concerned about the possibility of a high-casualty operation.
Many young people are 'wasting their time' at university and would be better off taking up a trade - this is the abrupt message from one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs.

Jim Penman, the founder of the Jim's Group, particularly targeted humanities degrees, despite holding a PhD in history himself.

'I can tell you that what I learned in my art degree had absolutely nothing to do with anything I've achieved in business.'

'An arts degree is an incredible waste of time, and the problem is that they're so heavily subsidised by the government,' Mr Penman said.

'And yet apprenticeships, which is basically dealing with people who aren't quite so academic, are massively underfunded.

'It's like there's some sort of government policy that says we can do without plumbers and electricians, but you can never have too many art historians.

'We need more builders, we need people who can do things.'

Jim Penman, the founder of the Jim's Group, advised young Australians to pursue a trade instead, despite holding a PhD in history himself

Students need to begin focusing on the trades again as there is a lot of opportunities and money to be made in the sector, Mr Penman said

He told Daily Mail Australia that the popular preconception that a university degree is a must for getting a good job is misguided, particularly for those who want to shift to a different career.

'These days, you have to do a degree, but when you come out of it you still don't know anything at all.

'But if you've got a couple years of experience in something and you're actually able to do something, then it's quite easy to get a job.

'The trouble is you go to university and you learn something for somebody who's never been in the field. You know what they say - those who can do, and those who can't teach.'

He said that numerous young Australians feel compelled to pursue degrees because companies demand them.

'More and more people are taking tertiary degrees in general, because they recognise that large companies, require it,' he explaind.

'But really you spent three years at university studying some useless subject. So at least you know you can stand being bored.'

Mr Penman suggested the government needs to increase funding into traineeships, but also to make basic training far simpler and briefer.

'If you want to do roof plumbing, which is just basically sheets of iron, you have to do a four-year apprenticeship course,' he said.

'So [we need] a system of education that allows people to actually learn to do these sort of things more quickly and just be assessed.'

Mr Penman said his company, which started with Jim's Mowing and has since expanded into many other trades, is able to train their franchisees in eight weeks.

'We teach people to build fences and fencing is a fantastic business, it's very lucrative, there's masses and masses of work to be done so you can make a great living.

'We teach a person eight weeks from scratch, and they're good fencers.'

He suggested that the government should consider adopting a comparable model for vocational training.

The entrepreneur said that one way to kickstart the process was by offering government subsidies to employers, incentivising them to hire more trainees.

Mr Penman added that the entire trades education system needs an overhaul as many apprenticeships simply take too long to complete

The founder of Jim's Group launched the company while he was completing his own PhD in history and it is now a franchise operating in four countries

Jim's Group specialises in practical trades such as plumbing, mowing, fencing, roofing, and cleaning.

The company was launched in 1982 while Mr Penman was completing his studies and has since expanded into a franchise operation in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Multi-millionaire entrepreneur Dick Smith agreed with Mr Penman that we should get youngsters out of the lecture halls and into practical work.

'If you want to become a doctor, or an engineer, well, that (university education is) a necessity - but so often it is wasted, especially with people who get arts degrees and never use them,' Mr Smith told Daily Mail Australia earlier this year.

The businessman said Australia needs more qualified tradespeople as record population growth - fuelled by immigration - has spiked the demands for all kinds of tradesmen, which are now in short supply.

'A tradesman can earn really good money, especially if he or she opens their own business,' Mr Smith said.

'My local electrician, he's a millionaire. He's done very well. And so, to me, a tradesperson who opens their own business can do incredibly well in Australia.

Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith says having a degree is not 'necessary' to becoming successful in Australia. Above, with wife Pip

'There's a greater chance for a person who's trade qualified to open their own business, and employ their own people, than someone with an arts degree.'

Many Australians share the pairs' perspective on the value of trades over university education.

'Agree totally - even if they increase funding for useful uni degrees such as law, business, engineering and medicine, and get the students fund their own fun courses, it would make a huge difference,' one said.

'Uni in general is a scam and doesnt provide the appropriate integrated training and experience,' a second agreed.

However others suggested that young Aussies follow their passions.

'Just study what you have a passion for, not every single thing in life has to be about hustle,' one added.

'Agree that more money should be put into trades training but those careers are not for everyone and plenty of useful career paths are underpinned by arts degrees,' a second said.
Jonathan Pena was racing another driver when he fatally struck Ashlee McGill

An Oregon woman was left outraged after the man who killed her daughter while street racing was sentenced to just three years in prison.

Jonathan Pena pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving on Friday for the death of 26-year-old Ashlee McGill.

'It was definitely too light. I think that if they are trying to get people to stop speed racing, that's not going to do it,' McGill's mother, Misty Nicholson, told KATU News.

'I think he got maybe a time-out. But that really wasn't a sentence.'

In August 2022, Pena was racing another driver at speeds over 80 mph when their vehicles collided at a Portland intersection. His Mustang jumped the curb, striking and killing McGill while she waited at a bus stop.

An Oregon man was sentenced to three years behind bars Friday in connection to the death of 26-year-old Ashlee McGill

Jonathan Pena (pictured) pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving

McGill's mother, Misty Nicholson, called the sentence 'a time-out' and does not believe it is going to deter others from street racing

Pena hit 84 mph moments before the fatal crash - 54 mph above the posted speed limit.

Evidence presented in court showed how the impact downed tree branches, shattered the windows of a nearby dental clinic and rendered his car a mangled wreck.

Pena was charged with second-degree manslaughter the following August, but the charge was later adjusted to criminally negligent homicide, a Class B felony.

He pleaded guilty to an additional charges of recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving were stacked on during his sentencing.

Pena will serve 36 months behind bars due to time already served, with three years post-release supervision and five-years' probation. He must also pay at least $5,000 restitution.

The other driver, Kenneth Freeman, also pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to five years in prison last fall. A third driver who partook in the race has not been identified.

Nicholson read a statement during Pena's sentencing, stating: 'I do hope for the rest of your life, every time you close my eyes you see my daughter and remember what you did to her.'

Pena's Mustang (pictured) hit 84 mph moments before the crash, which downed tree branches and shattered windows nearby

McGill was waiting for the bus in August 2022 when Jonathan Pena's Mustang jumped the curb during a street race. He fatally struck McGill, a dedicated mother to an eight-year-old boy

'I do hope for the rest of your life, every time you close my eyes you see my daughter and remember what you did to her,' her mother told Pena

Pena shared a statement in which he beseeched McGill's family to forgive him

'I feel like I owe it to you, to your family to endure every trial and tribulation that comes with this to ensure that you as a family feel that justice for Ashlee is served,' he said.

Kenneth Freeman, who was involved in the crash, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to five years in prison last fall. A third driver has not been identified

McGill, a Portland native, is survived by her son, Ryker, three sisters, and many relatives

Pena shared his own statement in which he beseeched McGill's family to someday forgive him.

'I feel like I owe it to you, to your family to endure every trial and tribulation that comes with this to ensure that you as a family feel that justice for Ashlee is served,' he said.

McGill was a native of Portland and a doting mother to her eight-year-old son, Ryker. She is also survived by her mother, three sisters, grandmother, aunt and uncles.

Pena's sentencing came just over a year after the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 615, which increases penalties for people convicted of street racing.

First-time offenders may be slapped with a sentence of up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine, or both.

Meanwhile, repeat offenders within a five-year period face a maximum of five years behind bars, a $125,000 fine, or both.
A group of migrants successfully sailed a boat into a crowded South Florida beach and quickly ran into the US - the latest brazen dash to use water to avoid border apprehension.

The group of at least three was filmed disembarking the 30-foot sailboat after hitting the sands of Hollywood Beach Saturday morning, from parts unknown.

The unsanctioned entry occurred just before 8am, and left beachgoers stunned.

People who were on the part of the beach near Coolidge Street where the boat appeared expressed awe over the situation, recalling how they thought those onboard were in need of help.

That changed when they saw that none of the group spoke English, witnesses told 7News Miami - and were in a rush to leave.

'The sun came up, and them boys came up,' one Hollywood resident told the local outlet, as the 30-foot vessel remained off the coast Saturday night into Sunday morning - after crews spent an entire afternoon trying to remove it.'

Scroll down for video:

A group of migrants successfully sailed a boat into South Florida, before fleeing on foot

The group of three or so men were filmed disembarking the 30-foot sailboat after hitting the sands of Hollywood Beach Saturday morning, from parts unknown

'We thought that something crashed or something, and 10 people jumped from [the] boat,' added another who gave his name as Leo, describing more migrants than the three seen in the clips circulating on social media.

'We asked, "Do you need help?"' he recalled. Their response? 'They [didn't] speak with us.'

Leo and other witnesses went on to call 911, after which Broward Sheriffs Office deputies canvassed the area for migrants.

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection also responded to the call to investigate, after some citizens told cops they believed the group originated from Haiti.

'Im not shocked. Its not the first time,' said one beachgoer under such an impression, fellow witness Jennifer DeJesus.

'I dont blame them for coming here,' she added, pointing to the recent unrest occurring in the country.

Video plastered to social media, meanwhile, shows that at least three people struggling to make their way out of the sailboat, which had some noticeable damage to its hull.

The unsanctioned entry occurred just before 8am, and left early morning beachgoers stunned.

'The sun came up, and them boys came up,' one Hollywood resident told the local outlet, as the 30-foot vessel remained off the coast Saturday night into Sunday morning - after crews spent an entire afternoon trying to remove it

'We thought that something crashed or something, and 10 people jumped from [the] boat,' added another, describing more migrants than the three seen in the clips circulating on social media. 'We asked, "Do you need help?"' he recalled. Their response? 'They [didn't] speak with us'

Im not shocked. Its not the first time,' said one beachgoer-witness, who said she believed the boat came from Haiti

The witnesses went on to call 911, after which Broward Sheriffs Office deputies canvassed the area for migrants

Local news camera captured Hollywood police working painstakingly to remove the more than two-ton vessel Saturday, before giving up and leaving it moored on the beach

Local news camera captured Hollywood police working painstakingly to remove the more than two-ton vessel Saturday, before giving up and leaving it moored on the beach.

The boat remained there well into Sunday, before being removed with excavators.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security who are handling the investigation have yet to say whether any of the men seen in the circulating footage are in custody. Their probe continues.

It comes a little over a month after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he was sending more than 250 additional soldiers - and a fleet of aircraft and boats - to Florida's coasts to 'protect' the state from vessels carrying Haitian asylum seekers, as unrest in the Caribbean nation continues into its third month.

The deployment, announced March 14, included 48 National Guardsmen, as well as four helicopters that will add to an already boisterous line of defense along the state's southern coast.

A further 39 officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 30 from Florida Highway Patrol, and 23 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also joined the front, along with a litany of aircraft and drones and eight boats.

The details of the deployment were provided by DeSantis' office, shortly after he himself took to X to announce the operation. Days before, the US deployed Marines to protect the US embassy in Haiti, as gang violence radiates across the country.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security who are handling the investigation have yet to say whether any of the men seen in the circulating footage are in custody

Officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection also responded to the call to investigate

The boat remained there well into Sunday, before being removed with excavators

The more than two ton vessel had some noticeable damage to its hull, video from the cleanup showed

It is unknown if the recent group of migrants actually hailed from Haiti, but taking a boat around the border has become an increasingly popular tactic for migrants who want to sneak in illegally rather than claim asylum

Migrants can seek asylum in the US by crossing the border and immediately presenting themselves to law enforcement

Armed gangs, led by warlord Barbecue, burned homes and exchanged gunfire with police for hours as hundreds fled the violence early on Thursday, after the country's transitional council announced its new prime minister, Fritz Belizaire.

The attacks began late on Wednesday with the intensity focused on the neighborhoods of Solino and Delmas southwest of the main international airport.

'The gangs started burning everything in sight,' a man who gave his name as Nene, told PA Media.

'I was hiding in a corner all night' Nene explained.

On Thursday many families and individuals who had lost their homes in the previous nights attacks were seen walking through the streets clutching fans, stoves, mattresses and plastic bags filled with clothes.

Many fled by foot while others found other means of escape on motorcycles and small buses known as tap-taps.

The illegal entry comes a little over a month after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he was sending more than 250 additional soldiers - and a fleet of aircraft and boats - to Florida's coasts to 'protect' the state from vessels carrying Haitian asylum seekers, as unrest in the Caribbean nation continues

A fruit vendor walks by a burned car in the Delmas district of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday

The attacks began late on Wednesday with the intensity focused on the neighborhoods of Solino and Delmas south-west of the main international airport Thursday

Others were seen walking solemnly on, empty-handed, having lost everything in the fires.

'There were gunshots left and right,' Paul Pierre, 47, told PA Media.

Pierre was search for shelter with his partner after their house was burned down leaving them no chance to save any of their belongings.

The attack occurred in an area controlled by Jimmy Cherizier - aka Barbecue - the former elite police officer responsible for the recent months of unrest.

He controls the powerful gang federation known as G9 Family and Allies, blamed for the coordinated attacks that began on February 29 across Port-au-Prince in protest of the previous prime minister not immediately leaving power.

More than 2,500 people have been killed or injured since, according to the UN, causing more than 90,000 people have fled Port-au-Prince in the last month alone.

Flights in and out of the war-torn nation have been grounded for nearly two months amid the relentless unrest. Gunmen have burned police stations, opened fire on the main international airport and stormed Haiti's two biggest prisons.

The attacks also forced prime minister Ariel Henry to resign and led to the creation of a transitional presidential council whose majority unexpectedly announced the new prime minister Tuesday.

That announcement is already threatening to fracture the nine-member council, which was sworn in just last week.
A random stabbing attack of a man by a radicalised teenager, who was shot dead by police in Perth, has 'all the hallmarks of a terror incident', the Western Australian premier says.

An officer fatally shot the 16-year-old about 10pm on Saturday after he rushed at police with a large kitchen knife in a Bunning's hardware car park in the southern suburb of Willetton.

In the minutes before he'd called triple-zero threatening 'acts of violence' and reportedly sent a text message to multiple people saying: 'I am going on the path of jihad tonight for the sake of Allah.'

The teen stabbed a man in his 30s in the back outside the hardware store in a random attack that left his victim severely injured.

WA Premier Roger Cook on Monday repeated the state police commissioner's sentiments, saying the stabbing had all the 'hallmarks of a terrorist incident'.

Asked if WA police would declare the attack a terror incident, Mr Cook said it usually happened when there was an ongoing threat, which wasn't the case.

Neighbours of a 'radicalised' Islamic teenage boy shot dead by police claim his house was searched by police sometime last year (pictured, police after the teen was killed)

'The police remain confident that this is a single person acting out of their own volition,' he told reporters.

Mr Cook also confirmed that his government and the Education Department were aware of concerns at the boy's school about his radicalised behaviour.

He referred questions about other radicalised students, and claims they may have been attempting to radicalise their classmates, to the Education Department.

'This young man was harbouring some extremist thoughts, which is the reason why he was part of the countering violent extremism program,' Mr Cook said.

The boy's text message on Saturday night - which also stated that he was 'a soldier of the mujahideen of Al-Qaeda' - prompted multiple concerned calls to police, including from the Muslim community.

Asked if more should have been done to counter the teen's behaviour before the incident, Mr Cook said it wasn't unlawful to have extremist thoughts.

The teen, who was known to police and had mental health and online radicalisation issues, was taken to hospital and declared dead about 11pm.

Neighbors of the teenager's father, said that police conducted a thorough search of the home last year, spanning several hours.

The teenager stabbed a man aged in his 30s at a Bunnings carpark in Willetton, south Perth, (pictured) on Saturday night who remains in hospital in a serious condition

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was time to support the actions of law enforcement bodies.

'It's the right time to back our police, it's the right time to back the processes that they undertake,' he told reporters in Canberra.

'My first thoughts are with the victim, of course in this incident, but also to applaud the very swift action of WA police in acting here.

'(I) acknowledge the very important work that the Muslim community did to alert police to the messages that had been sent out by this young man.'

Asked whether the program had failed, WA Police Minister Paul Papalia said working with radicalised people was challenging.

'It is a tough gig to try and change people's beliefs once they've become obsessed and radicalised in this way,' he told Seven's Sunrise program on Monday.

'These are people who haven't necessarily committed a crime and you can't lock people up for holding a belief ... That's part of democracy.

'The de-radicalisation effort was being thrown at him - every effort was being made - unfortunately, in this case, it didn't prevent him from doing what he did.'

Mr Albanese said the incident highlighted concerns about the content young people could access online.

'One of the themes of a range issues lately involves ... social media, where people can be pushed through the use of algorithms of what occurs towards more extreme positions - is of course a concern,' he said.

The WA Education Department has been contacted for comment.
A 24-year-old man facing fraud charges over an alleged Ponzi scheme that robbed $320,000 from his own grandmother will face additional charges.

Jack Endersby, 24, was accused of fraudulently receiving about $2million from victims across Australia in a massive Ponzi-style scheme between February 2021 and February 2024.

However, the Perth man was handed an additional 11 fraud charges with his alleged offences dating back to 2019, with a gain of $2.5million from 22 victims.

Four of those alleged victims are over 60 years old.

'It will be alleged the accused entered into several contracts with varying victims under the guise that he would perform trades on the Global Stock Exchange with their invested capital,' a police spokesperson told WA Today on Monday.

'The victims were led to believe the investments were secure with anticipated returns of about 3 per cent per month.

'Conditions were also provided that investment accounts could be terminated at any time, with the closing account balance deposited back to the investor within 5-10 days.

'The victims never received any funds from their investment and subsequently reported their concerns to police via ReportCyber.'

Jack Endersby (pictured) is now facing 22 charges of fraud for an alleged Ponzi scheme worth $2.5million

Endersby is set to appear in court on Tuesday for a civil matter relating to a real estate agent who claims the 24-year-old owes thousands in unpaid rent and property damages.

He will be back before the court on 22 counts of fraud on May 17.

It comes a little over a month after his grandmother fronted reporters to ask her grandson 'look her in the eye' and admit he, allegedly, stole from her.

Lyn Newby, claims she gave Endersby about $320,000 in 2021 as an investment into his trading business, Codex Investments.

Ms Newby alleged her grandson had initially promised her monthly returns of three per cent but in mid-2023, the payments suddenly stopped.

'He has ruined our lives. How could he do it to me - I'm his grandmother,' she told Nine News at the time.

Endersby was arrested by Western Australia police in March and faced Perth Magistrates Court later that month where Ms Newby and Endersby's mother confronted him.

He ignored all attempts from his family to talk to him.

'He will feel terrible when he sees me and I want him to look me in the eye and know how much he's hurt me,' Ms Newby said prior to Endersby's court appearance.

Lyn Newby (left) claims her grandson, Jack Endersby (right), fraudulently took $320,000 from her

Police claim Endersby, formerly a telesales consultant and labourer, boasted an impressive portfolio worth $2.2million in 2020.

Within a few years, the young 'self-taught investor' was allegedly living a life of luxury with an expensive apartment on Perth's waterfront, frequent flashy holidays to Dubai and New York, and driving around in a Maserati.

However, police allege his ritzy lifestyle wasn't the result of clever investments but a Ponzi scheme - where money is collected from new investors to repay earlier investors.

After hearing of Endersby's alleged fraud, Ms Newby had texted him: 'Is it true? Is there anyway you can salvage my money?'

He allegedly replied: 'No it's not true, I have it sorted for you. See you Tuesday.'

They never met up.

Several more of Endersby's alleged victims attended his March court appearance.

Among them was Michael Dawson who claims he first invested in Endersby's business 18 months ago.

'I did get some money back initially, but I really started getting worried about a year ago when I stopped hearing from him, stopped getting any money that I requested,' he told WA Today.

Endersby (pictured) is accused of taking $2.5million from 22 victims from 2019 to February 2024

Another of Endersby's former clients, who alleged he invested $50,000, claimed the 24-year-old 'built trust' with investors by including them in a friend referral scheme.

'If you successfully referred a friend, you would get 10 per cent of whatever they invested with him,' he said.

'So most of us thought, "okay, so-and-so has already invested with him and seems happy, I'm going to give it a go".'
Growing fears about the volumes of data and private information being collected by new 'connected' cars has prompted the Privacy Commissioner to launch an inquiry.

Carly Kind, a former Queensland-based human rights lawyer who took up the government agency role in February, warned that there was little transparency over what drivers' personal data was being used for.

She's now on a mission to ensure connected vehicles sold in Australia protect sensitive personal data.

'Cars are now kind of computers on wheels, and that means they are collecting a lot of information about individuals, including location information chiefly, which tells us a lot of other things about individuals, including  about their sensitive personal life,' Ms Kind told the Australian Financial Review.

'Theres a lot of data being collected there, and not a lot of transparency or understanding about how that data is being used.'

Carly Kind (pictured) has warned that there was little transparency over what drivers' personal data was being used for

Ms Kind said the sale of this data in the US from car manufacturers to car insurers was 'filtering back to consumers in the form of possibly higher insurance premiums' (pictured: a Tesla at a recharging station)

READ MORE: Barefoot Investor's frightening warning to Aussies buying the latest tech-enabled cars Scott Pape (pictured), who wrote the best-selling financial advice book The Barefoot Investor in 2016, argued that new 'internet-enabled cars' in the US often share data about a driver's speeding, braking and swerving with insurance companies. This data can then lead to an increase in their insurance premiums Advertisement

The Privacy Commissioner's intervention comes after the Barefoot Investor Scott Pape warned in March that new 'internet-enabled cars' in the US often share data about a driver's speeding, braking and swerving with insurance companies.

Ms Kind said the sale of this data in the US from car manufacturers to car insurers was 'filtering back to consumers in the form of possibly higher insurance premiums'.

In October, Katherine Kemp, Associate Professor at the UNSW's Faculty of Law & Justice, warned that 'Australia's privacy laws need urgent reform' to combat the data being harvested by car companies.

'Australias privacy laws arent up to the task of protecting the vast amount of personal information collected and shared by car companies,' Ms Kemp wrote.

'And since our privacy laws dont demand the specific disclosures required by some US states, we have much less information about what car companies are doing with our data.'

Ms Kemp cited a US study by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation which found that cars with internet-connected features were 'the official worst category of products for privacy' they had ever reviewed, dubbing them a 'privacy nightmare on wheels'.

They tested all major car brands  Toyota, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Tesla, Hyundai  and found they all failed to meet minimum privacy standards.

Almost 85 per cent share or sell your data to third parties, while Nissan and Kia reportedly even allow the collection of data on a driver's sex life.

'They come right out and say they can collect and share your sexual activity, health diagnosis data, and genetic information and other sensitive personal information for targeted marketing purposes,' the report by the Mozilla Foundation states.

A US study by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation found that cars with internet-connected features were 'the official worst category of products for privacy' they had ever reviewed, dubbing them a 'privacy nightmare on wheels'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks at an electric car charging station in a testing room, during a visit to Tritium, Brisbane, in March last year

The Privacy Commissioner Ms Kind added that there was also a concern about the footage electric cars are able to collect.

'I think theres a related and separate issue around certain types of vehicles, including electric vehicles, which are collecting a range of other types of information, including video footage around the car, and other types of surveillance imagery,' Ms Kind told the publication.

'So, really trying to interrogate what the privacy obligations and issues are in that space.'

Ms Kind founded the London-based data and privacy research organisation, the Ada lovelace Institute in 2019 before taking up her government-appointed position.

The role, which reports to the Attorney-General and involves regulating data and privacy concerns, comes with a total salary of $365,570.
ABC News president Kim Godwin has quit after three tumultuous years in her role as Disney tighten its control of the news division amid falling ratings for Good Morning America and staff unease at the network.

The move was widely predicted after ABCs parent company Walt Disney Co. installed one of its executives, Debra O'Connell, to oversee the news division, effectively stripping away much of Godwin's management autonomy.

Godwin was the first black woman to lead a network news division and said on Sunday she was retiring from the business.

O'Connell is a company veteran and said she will be in charge 'for the time being' having recently scrutinized operations across Disney's networks as part of a corporate review.

Since taking an overview of the news division, O'Connell had been very hands-on, leading editorial meetings, often spotted in the newsroom in a sure indication that Godwin had effectively been demoted in all but name, according to the Wall Street Journal.

ABC News president Kim Godwin (left) resigned after Disney brought in an overseer, Debra O'Connell (right) signaling a shift in management dynamics

Godwin's tenure saw ratings success but internal criticisms about her leadership style and distant management. Pictured, Robin Roberts the anchor of ABC's Good Morning America

Godwin inherited a news division where its two most important programs, World News Tonight and Good Morning America, led rivals at CBS and NBC in the ratings.

Despite being a ratings leader, the culture within ABC News was said to be both toxic and cutthroat.

Although both news programs are still in the lead, Good Morning America has seen some slippage amid the messy departures of anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, and Cecilia Vega's jump to CBS News.

In recent months, GMA has seen its ratings among viewers between 25 and 54 - the demographic most coveted by advertisers - shrink noticeably.

For the five days starting April 22, for example, GMA had an average of 497,000 viewers in that age range - only 49,000 ahead of CBS Mornings which used to lag in third place.

NBCs Today, drew an average of 659,000 in that demographic.

O'Connell is a company veteran and said she will be in charge 'for the time being' having recently scrutinized operations across Disney's networks as part of a corporate review

Although both news programs are still in the lead, Good Morning America has seen some slippage amid the messy departures of anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach , and Cecilia Vega's jump to CBS News

Godwin became a polarizing figure inside the network. She was recruited as an outsider from CBS News where she had served as executive vice president, senior broadcast producer and executive director for development and diversity.

Godwin's arrival at ABC was beset by grumbling about her management style that made it into print.

Some current and former ABC News staffers criticized her for not being as present in the day-to-day running operations compared with her predecessors noting how she seemed more focused on boosting her profile than running the daily news operation, reports WSJ.

She was accused of remaining too distant from the staff at ABC News various brands, which also include daytime shows such as The View and The Tamron Hall Show.

The flagship ABC morning news show is moving to a new Walt Disney building in Hudson Square in 2025

Godwin announced her leaving in an email to staff.

'I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism,' Godwin wrote.

'Anyone who's passionate about what we do knows there's no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision. But after considerable reflection, I'm certain it's the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what's most important for me and my family.'

In the note to staff members, Godwin said she understood and appreciated the significance of being the first black woman to hold such a prominent broadcast news role.

'It's both a privilege and a debt to those who chipped away at the ceiling before me to lead a team whose brand is synonymous with trust, integrity and a dogged determination to be the best in the business,' she wrote.

'ABC News was No. 1 when I joined the team and I'm proud to say we're still No. 1.'

Good Morning America will soon be leaving its iconic studio in New York's Times Square

After working at ABC, CBS, NBC and at 10 local news stations in nine cities, Godwin said she's quitting the business.

'I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success,' she wrote.

In her own email to staff, O'Connell wrote how Godwin 'has navigated this team through consequential times in our world, and she did so with respect for the brand and professionand for that and more, we thank her.'
But regular exercise and nutritious meals helped her lose half her body weight

She chowed down on greasy food and sugary snacks for years

A Virginia woman who spent years chowing down on McDonald's and spending $500 each month on DoorDash looks unrecognizable after shredding 126 pounds and undergoing a $22,000 operation.

Jillian Champ, 24, developed a binge eating disorder at 15 years old. In the years that followed, she ate multiple McDonald's breakfast orders, a half-dozen doughnuts and a 20-piece chicken nugget daily.

The young woman snacked on cupcakes, sugary coffee and soda in addition to downing five fast-food meals per day.

'Growing up, I thought I was fat even when I wasn't because I had a bad relationship with food,' Champ explained.

'When I developed the binge eating disorder, I literally couldn't stop eating. I felt terrible about it and I hated being obese but I didn't know how to stop.'

Jillian Champ, 24, shed 126 pounds and spent $22,000 on weight loss surgery after battling a binge eating disorder since her teenage years

 Slide me  The Virginia woman reached a size XXXL before deciding to undertake an arduous weight loss journey

Champ would down multiple McDonald's breakfast orders, sugary donuts and chicken nuggets daily - in addition to spending $500-a-month on DoorDash orders

By the time she was 20 years old, her weight had doubled, reaching 280 pounds and a size XXXXL.

One night, as Champ stood in front of the bathroom mirror, she vowed to change.

'I saw my stomach hanging over my shirt - and I thought, "I can't believe I've done this to myself,"' she said.

So she cut her portion sizes, took up exercise and opted for low-calorie meals such as salad and chicken tacos.

By June 2023, Champ had shed 126 pounds - nearly half her body weight. She lost an additional 10 pounds by opting for a $22,000 surgery to remove excess skin.

Once ashamed to appear in photographs, Champ is now 'always snapping new pictures' of herself and even works as a consultant to help others lose weight.

'I began losing weight but it wasn't always easy - I remember sitting and crying that it's "too hard". But seeing the number on the scale drop showed me I could do it, so I kept going,' she explained.

'Looking back, I never thought I could stick to it but I'm so happy I did.'

Champ made the decision to turn her life around as she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror one night

By June 2023, Champ had lost nearly half her body weight, but was unhappy with the excess skin left over from her weight loss

With the financial support of her father and fiance Houmin Khanehzarrin (pictured), Champ saved up enough money for a procedure to remove 10 pounds of skin

She added aqua aerobics and mountain hiking into her exercise routine and learned to recreate many of her favorite meals in a healthier way

Champ opted for meals that were high in protein and volume, but low in calories, like chicken tacos and salads

Prior to dropping the weight, Champ would hide empty wrappers from her fiance, Houmin Khanehzarrin, before he returned from work.

In addition to her shrinking self-confidence, the 24-year-old admitted that her health was deteriorating.

'I couldn't stand for longer than 30 minutes when I was at my heaviest - and I was so overweight I could barely move,' Champ said. 'I had back problems and constant foot pain - I would even dread getting up off the couch just to go to the toilet.'

Before taking the plunge, she tried 'off-and-on' to lose weight, but was unable to stay focused.

She ultimately discovered that eating fewer calories than she burned was the key to shedding pounds.

Champ focused on preparing meals high in protein and volume, but low in calories. She realized she could recreate many of her favorite dishes in a healthier way. In the first two weeks, she dropped a whopping 13 pounds.

'The first four months was an extremely hard adjustment, I remember sitting and crying. But I just kept going,' the 24-year-old said.

Champ tried 'off-and-on' to lose weight for years, but was unable to stay committed

Before shedding the pounds, the 24-year-old was unable to stay standing for more than 30 minutes at a time

She would hide empty wrappers from Khanehzarrin before he returned from work

Champ says she may lose some more weight ahead of her September 2024 wedding date, but is 'pretty satisfied' with her current appearance

Champ began incorporating exercises such as aqua aerobics and mountain hiking into her daily routine.

She shed another 20 pounds, but was unhappy about the excess skin on her stomach arms, which made her look like 'a deflated version of myself.'

With the financial support of her father and fiance, Champ saved up enough money for a procedure to remove the remaining 10 pounds.

'Starting my weight loss journey, I knew I was getting married and I didn't want to look back on my wedding photos and hate them,' she said.

Champ disclosed she may lose some more weight ahead of her September 2024 wedding date, but is 'pretty satisfied with where I am now'.

'Now, I look in the mirror and I smile and think nice things about myself,' she said. 'I'll never go back to the way I was before.'
An online court database with key details about rapists, thugs and killers could help curb Australia's surging domestic violence problem, but it's stuck behind a pricey paywall.

Domestic violence in Australia was branded a 'national crisis' by Anthony Albanese in the wake of 27 killings this year.

Twelve women died in alleged domestic violence incidents in April alone, bringing the national statistic up from one death per week to one every four days.

On Sunday, the mother of Dannielle Finlay-Jones - a Sydney woman who was brutally murdered by her Bumble date Ashley Gaddie in 2022 - said her daughter would be alive if her killer wasn't granted bail for violence against women.

Ms Finlay-Jones had no way of knowing Gaddie, 35, was halfway through a community corrections order for stalking and choking another woman when they met, or that five women had apprehended violence orders against him.

Her family has called for police checks on dating apps to protect women from perpetrators.

But a simpler solution for the government could be to open up the court records database which is only available to those able to pay $49.50 a month to access it.

Pictured: Dannielle Finlay-Jones who was murdered by her Bumble date in 2022

Her attacked, Ashley Gaddie (pictured), was on bail for assaulting a woman and had AVOs taken out on him by five women. He committed suicide in prison in April

Court Data Australia is privately-owned and allows users to search for an individual's court appearances by name and state or territory.

While it often doesn't show specific criminal charges or whether a charge was withdrawn or dismissed, it does show whether an individual has apprehended violence orders against them.

A search of Gaddie's name showed a total of 46 court appearances, including all five apprehended violence orders dating back to 2016.

But anyone wanting to make the most of the online service has to cough up $16.50 for two hours, $49.50 for one month, or $495 for an annual subscription.

Ms Finlay-Jones' mother Jacky told 60 Minutes on Sunday that her family hoped justice would be served in court when Gaddie was held accountable for murder.

But the ruthless killer took his own life in Clarence Correctional Centre while awaiting trial.

The pair met on Bumble and had been on two dates before December 2022 when they had a minor argument during a drinking game, and went back to her friend's house in Cranebrook.

When they hadn't surfaced by 2pm the following day, the friend entered the bedroom and found Ms Finlay-Jones' dead, beaten body.

Pictured: A screenshot of Ashley Gaddie's court listings in Court Data. He had five AVOs dating back to 2016

Gaddie was on the run for two days before he eventually had a 12-hour standoff with police on a clifftop in the Blue Mountains. He was then arrested and charged.

Jacky has called for tougher bail laws to ensure violent and repeat offenders like Gaddie are not released into the community, and for dating apps like Bumble to include police checks.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she had discussed the idea with her interstate counterparts, but said the idea could apply in any situation.

'I don't think it applies just to dating apps. It could be in any circumstance where a person has concerns about the person that they're potentially dating, or a family member may even have concerns,' she told the program.

Following the 12 deaths in April, a further two women were found dead in the first week of May.

One woman was a 78-year-old allegedly killed by her own son. The other was a 30-year-old mother-of-four who police allege was assaulted by her boyfriend before he set the house on fire.

A number of the men arrested and charged over the alleged murders of their intimate or ex-partners this year have multiple court appearances on the database.

One man has 287 listings under his name.

Jacky Finlay-Jones (pictured), has said her daughter would still be alive if he wasn't given bail for prior charges

Amanda Rishworth, the minister for social services, described domestic violence in Australia as a 'scourge that doesn't discriminate based on a person's income or postcode' in a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

READ MORE: Heartbreaking message from the grieving son of murdered young mum Molly Ticehurst Molly Ticehurst is pictured with her six-year-old son Advertisement

However, she did not comment on the notion of a domestic violence database.

'Family, domestic and sexual violence is a national crisis and has been for some time,' she said.

'This has been an issue I have worked on every day since becoming minister and our national plan to end violence against women and children is the guiding framework to direct our investments in this space.

'Our government has and is continuing to invest in prevention, early intervention, response and healing and recovery which are the four domains under the National Plan.'

Ms Rishworth also said 'too many women die at the hands of an intimate or former partner' and live in fear.

'We will not be satisfied until women are safe and we don't see any more women dying at the hands of men.'

Data released by the Australian Institute of Criminology in April reveal domestic violence-related deaths were up by about 30 per cent in 2022-23, compared with the previous year.

The Albanese government plans to provide up to $5000 in financial support for people fleeing violent relationships, along with access to referral services, risk assessments and safety planning.

There will be $129million used to intervene and support those who are at risk of becoming perpetrators.

About $129million will be used to intervene and support those who are at risk of becoming perpetrators.
Passengers on an ill-fated Elvis-themed cruise have described how two tragedies rocked the voyage, including the death of an Australian man who fell overboard.

NSW Police received reports that a P&O passenger had gone overboard from the Pacific Adventure ship 10 nautical miles off Sydney Heads just after 4am on Monday.

A search was immediately launched until a man's body was discovered at 10.30am.

The P&O ship was due to dock at 6am Sydney on the final day of the three-night Elvis tribute voyage, complete with themed parties, karaoke and trivia.

But its return was delayed by a massive air and sea hunt for the missing passenger who reportedly fell from the seventh deck.

And the tragedy happened just hours after a passenger was medically evacuated from the cruise ship 24 hours earlier and transported to shore for further treatment.

Some of the 2,600 passengers claimed that ship crew provided little information about the latest tragedy when they finally disembarked at White Bay Terminal on Monday afternoon.

P&O's Pacific Adventure is pictured docked at White Bay Cruise Terminal hours after a passenger fell overboard and drowned

Passengers on the Elvis-themed cruise had to wait before being allowed to disembark (pictured)

There were emotional reunions after passengers were finally allowed to disembark (pictured)

'They didnt tell us what was happening,' passenger James told Daily Mail Australia

'They told us that there was a man overboard and thats it.

'We werent told what his name was and what age he might have been.'

Lachlan added: 'There was zero communication from staff.

'We dont know what happened.

'It happened at 4am and there was an alert that went out letting us know that a guy went overboard.'

P&O Cruises refused to comment on how the tragedy unfolded, with police preparing a report for the coroner.

'Our crew and guests faced a challenging and tragic day. We thank our guests for their patience and understanding,' a spokeswoman said.

The company added that the family of the dead passenger was being supported onboard by staff.

It's since been revealed that another incident rocked the vessel the previous morning after a frightened passenger detailed the harrowing events on social media.

Yesterday it was a 6am announcement that there was a medical episode and a chopper was on its way, Cecile Thompson said.

Three decks were evacuated from their rooms in a two-hour-long operation.

P&O has since confirmed the earlier incident.

I can confirm a guest was medically evacuated from Pacific Adventure yesterday morning, requiring shoreside medical treatment. the spokesperson said.

A vessel seen from the Pacific Adventure is pictured during the search for a missing passenger

Inside the White Bay terminal, expectant travellers and families collecting loved ones say the terminal ran out of food during their day-long wait

David and Jenny (pictured) had been waiting to collect their blind son Nathan from White Bay since 10.30am Monday morning

The ship, carrying more than 2600 guests, was due to dock in Sydney Harbour at 6am but instead spent Monday morning searching the missing passenger.

The cruise ship, which docked at White Bay Cruise Terminal in Balmain on Monday afternoon, is expected to leave again tonight on a four-night voyage to Queensland.

However, expectant travellers and families collecting loved ones claimed the terminal ran out of food as they waited for the ship to dock.

The passengers that are supposed to leave on that same ship later tonight have been taken somewhere close so that they can get something to eat and other refreshments. a traveller who did not wish to be named said.

Parents David and Jenny, whose son Nathan is blind and has cerebral palsy, say they were kept in the dark about when he would be allowed off the vessel.

'Weve been here since 10.30am and the Port Authorities and P&O havent told us whats going,' Jenny explained.

'Weve driven down here from Broken Hill and were supposed to head back to Dubbo which is another six hour drive from here.'

If you or anyone who know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.
Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York is entering its third week on Monday with the most dramatic testimony very likely yet to come.

The first witness prosecutors called to testify on Monday was former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney to the stand.

Prosecutors are building toward their main witness, former Trump lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen.

They spent last week edging closer to the people in his personal orbit.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels, who claimed she had sex with Trump, was paid for rights to her story to keep the information hidden from voters, prosecutors are arguing.

The hush money was recorded as Trump's business legal expenses, but was actually part of his campaign, according to the charges against him.

The former president has pleaded not guilty.

On Friday, Trump's former communications director Hope Hicks testified of the "crisis" his infamous "Access Hollywood" tape presented to his 2016 presidential campaign just weeks before the election.

Trump boasted off camera on the 2005 tape about his celebrity in his "Apprentice" reality series, and what that meant he could do to women.

"When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the p---- [genitals]," he bragged. "You can do anything."

Trump did not deny the tape after it was released, but merely dismissed his words as "locker room talk."

Daniels' story emerged in the wings almost immediately afterward just as Trump's attitude toward women was threatening the success of his campaign.
The Met Office activated two urgent 'danger to life' thunderstorm warnings for parts of Britain today with some areas facing more than an inch of rain in just one hour.

Areas of the UK were enduring a washout Bank Holiday Monday with the South East bearing the brunt of the rain amid downpours in London for the whole day.

At 10.15am today, the Met Office issued a thunderstorm warning running between 12pm and 9pm for South London along with Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

A separate warning was also announced at the same time for parts of northern England and Scotland, from 1pm until 9pm. Areas hit by the storms and downpours are expected to see 0.8in (20mm) to 1.6in (40mm) of rain in one or two hours.

Forecasters warned that 'spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions', while communities could 'become cut off by flooded roads'.

Train and bus services could be cancelled by flooding or lightning strikes, while there was also a risk of power cuts. Hail or strong winds could also hit, and 'there is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life'.

In London, heavy downpours began at 8am this morning and are set to last until midnight - with the Met Office forecasting 14 hours of rain over a 16-hour period.

A very wet day on Brighton seafront today as much of southern England endures torrential rain

A wet day on Wimbledon Common in London this morning on a washout Bank Holiday Monday

A misty start to the day over the beach at Southbourne in Bournemouth, Dorset, this morning

Huge traffic jams on the A23 and M23 in West Sussex today at the end of the long weekend

People shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they walk near Buckingham Palace today

Cyclists make their way along wet roads in the Oxfordshire countryside at Dunsden today

People sit on a bench along the Thames Path at Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire today

The Met Office has issued two thunderstorm warnings for parts of Britain this afternoon

Rainfall totals will build in parts of the UK today, with 12-hour totals by 9pm shown in this map

Temperatures will only get up to 15C (59F) in the capital and it will remain cloudy with only a few sunny spells, while showers could turn thundery in the afternoon.

But in the sunshine elsewhere, the temperature is likely to hit the high teens  and East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire will see the warmest spells with highs of 21C (70F).

Meanwhile drivers have been warned to expect heavy traffic on 'mayhem Monday' as millions hit the roads on a glum day following the bank holiday weekend.

And in West Sussex, today's League Two play-off semi-final first leg between Crawley and MK Dons was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch after torrential rain.

A very wet day on Brighton seafront today as much of southern England endures torrential rain

People shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they walk near Buckingham Palace today

Huge traffic jams on the A23 and M23 in West Sussex today at the end of the long weekend

Tourists shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas at the gates of Buckingham Palace today

Tourists shelter from the rain beneath umbrellas as they walk in Green Park in London today

A man holds a rain drenched dog outside Buckingham Palace in Central London today

Walkers make their way through Wimbledon Common in London under an umbrella today

People shelter from the rain as they walk through Green Park in London this afternoon

A very wet day on Brighton seafront today as much of southern England endures torrential rain

People shelter from the rain as they walk through Green Park in London this afternoon

The Met Office is forecasting 14 hours of rain over a 16-hour period in London from 8am today

The North will have a cloudy start to the day with some brighter spells and heavy showers developing.

Wet weather leads to foreign holidays surge Britons hoping to escape the rain are making last-minute foreign holiday bookings for the two long weekends in May and the half-term holidays. A fifth of business reported by independent travel companies at the moment is for departures this month - well above average for the time of year. Kelly Cookes, chief commercial officer of the Advantage Travel Partnership group, told The Times: 'We've had a mix of people who have been looking at the weather for this weekend and booking super last-minute as well as people who are planning something for later in the month. But across the board demand for May is really strong, up 10 per cent on last year.' She added that the wet weather had played a 'major role' in the surge. Advertisement

And the South will start with sunny spells before heavy showers and thunderstorms move in through the afternoon.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: 'Overall, it will be a mix of sunny spells and showers across the country. Anywhere could catch some rain so people should be prepared for that.

'For people looking to get away, there will be some sunshine and warm spells. And if you manage to avoid showers, then it will be nice in the sun.'

Although there are no Met Office weather warnings in place today, the Environment Agency has 40 flood alerts in place for England  all of which are in the South East.

Also today, more than 2.6 million motorists face being stuck for hours on motorways at the end of the three-day weekend.

The RAC has warned drivers to avoid making journeys from 10am to 3pm because the motorways such as the M5 will be at their busiest.

And families were encouraged to plan their journeys in the early morning or evening as they warn of the busiest bank holiday since the end of the pandemic.

Alice Simpson from the RAC said: 'With Covid travel restrictions a thing of the past, catching up with friends and family is still the first priority.'

Looking ahead to tomorrow, high pressure will build and bring a largely dry day for most areas with a few showers in the afternoon and highs of 20C (68F).

The Environment Agency has 40 flood alerts in England today with all of them in the South East

Better weather in Scarborough today as a couple brush sand from their feet next to the beach

A couple enjoy breakfast at a restaurant cafe on Scarborough seafront in sunny weather today

Three people sit on a bench on Scarborough seafront in North Yorkshire this morning

Deckchairs are put on the beach in preparation for visitors to Scarborough this morning

Settled conditions will continue for many into Wednesday with high pressure in charge and 19C (66F) highs, although there could be some rain for the north of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Thursday will be a fine day with plenty of warm sunny spells and 21C (70F) highs once any fog clears, although patchy rain will affect the far north of Scotland.

On Friday, mist and fog will clear to leave another mostly dry day with hazy sunshine and conditions feel warm for many as temperatures again hit 21C (70F).

It comes after the week leading up to the bank holiday weekend saw the UK hit with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, while also experiencing its hottest days of the year so far on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday night, the Met Office recorded thousands of lightning strikes across France and southern Britain.

The following day was the warmest of the year so far for all four home nations, according to the Met Office.

A peak temperature of 23.4C (74.1F) was recorded in Santon Downham in Suffolk on Thursday, which remains the highest temperature of 2024 so far.
Migrants who are being taken to removal centres before their flights to Rwanda are having smartphones taken away and replaced with 'brick' phones.

The system has been put in place to stop asylum seekers accessing saved contacts and their WhatsApp messages, as well as internet access.

It is believed the move will limit the chances of migrants being able to find out information about charities or law firms that could help them appeal against their detention.

However, charities such as Care4Calais have attempted to get around the rules by handing out leaflets to illegal migrants that include contact details including phone numbers so detainees can still contact them.

Despite the ban more than 120 asylum seekers have contacted charities who are forwarding them on to lawyers who could help them launch legal challenges, The Telegraph reports.

A migrant is taken into custody by immigration officials ahead of the first deportation flights to Rwanda

A Border Force patrol vessel brings a group of migrants found in the English Channel ashore in the Port of Dover on April 29

An inflatable dinghy carrying a group of migrants wearing lifejackets travels through the water in the English Channel on Saturday

It is claimed that those who do appeal will try to obtain bail and argue that deporting them to Rwanda puts them in harms way.

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE JUST 155 of 29,437 migrants who illegally crossed the Channel in small boats last year have been removed from Britain Advertisement

The boss of one refugee charity has hit out at the ban on smartphones, arguing that it 'degrades' the ability of detainees to communicate as they are unable to access their contacts list.

Steve Smith, chief executive of Care4Calais, told The Telegraph: 'They cannot perform a search function to track down those who might help them, such as charities like ourselves, or law firms.

'They become isolated from the latest news. For example, they won't hear about protests in their support.'

He added that brick phones do not work in non-English languages, making it difficult for people who only speak Arabic to communicate as their is no translate function which 'isolates the detainee'.

Mr Smith said: 'Their level of distress cannot be overemphasised. The removal of their smartphones is simply adding to the sense of shock and trauma.'

A spokesperson for the Home Office told MailOnline: 'The first illegal migrants set to be removed to Rwanda have now been detained by highly trained teams, following a series of nationwide operations this week.

'We take the welfare of people in our care extremely seriously. There are robust safeguarding measures in place to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and has the support they need.

'All detained individuals have access to a mobile phone, internet and landline telephones so they can keep in contact with friends, family and other support.'

Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the east African state, told the BBC today that while it expected to receive 'thousands' their arrival would be staggered.

She had earlier claimed there was a 'misconception' that Rwanda was only prepared to take 200 initial migrants, telling the BBC: 'Journalists have been visiting the initial accommodation that we have secured since the beginning of the partnership. This is Hope Hostel (pictured). That particular facility is able to take up to 200 people.'

The Prime Minister believes if he gets deportation flights to Rwanda off the ground it could boost his popularity

It comes as the Rwandan government refused to guarantee how many migrants it will take from the UK under Rishi Sunak's flagship deportation scheme.

Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the east African state, told the BBC on Sunday that while it expected to receive 'thousands' their arrival would be staggered.

Asked by Laura Kuenssberg if Rwanda would be able to process tens of thousands of migrants as part of the deal, Ms Makolo said: 'We will be able to welcome the migrants that the UK sends over the lifetime of this partnership.

'What I cannot tell you is how many thousands we are taking in the first year or the second year. This will depend on very many factors that are being worked out right now.'

She had earlier claimed there was a 'misconception' that Rwanda was only prepared to take 200 initial migrants, telling the BBC: 'Journalists have been visiting the initial accommodation that we have secured since the beginning of the partnership. This is Hope Hostel. That particular facility is able to take up to 200 people.

'However, we have already started initial discussions with other facilities around Kigali and further afield and these will be firmed up and signed once we know how many migrants are coming and when they are coming.

'So it has never been the case that we can only take 200 initially, that has been a misconception.'

Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said if the party was in power it would spend the cash set aside for the Rwanda scheme on 'a proper operation to crack down on the criminal gangs'.

A PA news agency fact check found payments to the Rwandan government as part of the deal would add up to 490 million by the end of the 2026/27 financial year, should a milestone of 300 migrants sent to Rwanda be reached.

PA found Labour's claim that the scheme would cost 2 million per migrant to be mostly true, with the price tag decreasing substantially if many more were deported to Rwanda.

Mr McFadden said Labour believed the Government 'will get flights off' but did not believe the scheme would provide 'value for money for the taxpayer'.

He also said he doubted Labour would work to return migrants to the UK from Rwanda should they form the next government.
Animals have reportedly started eating the bodies of the dead in the street of Rafah, as Israel begins its evacuation of the city to prepare for an offensive against the last-remaining city in the Gaza Strip.

Dogs have been seen dragging corpses from the graves of people buried in Gaza, according to Palestinian civilians who spoke to the BBC.

Rehab Abu Daqqa, a refugee living in Gaza, told the broadcaster: ' This morning the dogs took out a body from one of the graves and were eating it. From night until dawn the dogs do not let us sleep our children keep holding on to me because of how scared they are.'

The packs of dogs, a mix of formerly domesticated and already-wild, scavenge for whatever they can eat in the only city left standing in the enclave, which will soon be invaded by the IDF.

The Israeli military this morning told Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah, amid an expected military offensive that aims to wipe out any remaining Hamas fighters in the region.

Civilians were told to move to Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast. The army said it had expanded assistance into the area, including field hospitals, tents, food and water. The IDF added that it is expecting to evacuate around 100,000 from eastern Rafah.

Palestinians refugees have been forced to continue their daily lives under difficult conditions

Palestinians who fled Israeli attacks and took refuge in Rafah city are seen trying to maintain their daily lives in makeshift tents under limited means and harsh conditions

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on April 14

Civilians have already been seen leaving Rafah in droves, using any means of transport they can find including donkeys.

Israel believes thousands of Hamas terrorists are still in Rafah, currently home to more than half the population of the Gaza Strip, after months of fighting pushed civilians further and further south.

But a military invasion may result in a humanitarian disaster, and put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday.

Negotiations for a potential ceasefire are at an impasse, as Israel rejected Hamas' demands for an end to the assault on the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages.

Hamas' representatives were in Cairo with Egyptian and Qatari for indirect negotiations, as Israel representatives were not present meetings, according to Al Jazeera.

Civilians have already been seen leaving Rafah in droves, using any means of transport they can find including donkeys

Israel believes thousands of Hamas terrorists are still in Rafah

Palestinians stand next to a street vendor in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on May 4, 2024

Palestinians inspect the damaged building of the Al-Attar family that is destroyed by the Israeli attack, next to the United Nations (UN) clinic in Yabna camp in Rafah

While Israeli officials did not take part in the indirect diplomacy, the nation's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was willing to pause the IDF's activity in exchange for the hostages, but that Hamas was not willing to engage in talks.

'While Israel has shown willingness, Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power,' Netanyahu said.

'Israel cannot accept that,' he added.

Hours before the evacuation order, a Hamas attack on an aid crossing that killed Israeli troops was branded proof that the terror group is using Palestinians as 'human shields'.

Ten rockets were launched from close to civilian shelters in southern Gaza towards the Kerem Shalom crossing on Saturday  killing three soldiers and injuring 11, the Israeli military said.

Palestinians sit with belongings at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas

People sit in front of a demolished building as Palestinians search for usable items among the debris of destroyed building

A Palestinian child looks on at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas

As a result, it was closed to aid trucks travelling from Israel, just as the head of the UN World Food Programme warned of a 'full-blown famine' in northern Gaza.

The Israeli military branded the attack 'a clear example of the terrorist organisation's systematic exploitation of humanitarian facilities and spaces, and their continued use of the Gazan civilian population as human shields'.

Hardline former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said: 'Yes, they're bombing their own lifeline of food and aid. This is another example of Hamas's perverse strategy: to kill their own people in order to hurt Israel.'

Israel's foreign ministry added: 'Hamas shoots rockets from civilian centres at humanitarian crossings. This tells you everything you need to know.'

But Hamas sources insisted the target was an Israeli military base and denied using civilians as human shields.
Pro-Gaza activists have dramatically issued a list of 18 demands to Sir Keir Starmer and threatened to withhold their support at the next general election if he does not fulfil them.

The Muslim Vote has called for the Labour leader to promise to cut military ties with Israel, allow followers of Islam to pray in school and stop people with the name 'Muhammad' being charged more for insurance should he become prime minister.

It has also demanded a law that criminalises spiritual and religious leaders from instructing their congregation how to vote is scrapped and wants seven per cent of public sector pensions to be invested into 'ethical and Islamic funds'.

The group, which has vowed to 'punish' MPs who it sees as not being supportive of Palestine by mobilising the four million Muslim voters in the UK, said it would only consider backing the Labour leader if Sir Keir caved in to their demands.

The activists claim to have more than 25 organisations backing them, although it was revealed earlier this year that at least two of them were being investigated over extremism concerns. One of its supporters Muhammad Jalal, who has appeared on the campaign's social media pages, was previously head of the now-banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Sir Keir said he was 'determined' to win back voters who deserted Labour at the local elections over his party's stance on Gaza, after dozens of pro-Palestine campaigners were elected as councillors in place of Labour candidates.

Many of those elected made the conflict in the Middle East part of their campaign, with some wearing rosettes in the colours of the Palestinian flag while others dedicated their victories to the people of Gaza, including one Green councillor who shouted 'Allahu Akbar!' after winning.

It has raised fears in some quarters that it is a sign of things to come, with regional votes being determined based on overseas conflicts and foreign policy, rather than local issues.

Sir Keir Starmer pictured in Birmingham on Saturday after Labour won the West Midlands mayoral election. The Labour leader said he was keen to 'win back the trust' of voters who didn't turn out for the party over its position on Gaza

Dozens of pro-Palestine councillors were elected during the local elections last week after making the conflict in the Middle East part of their platform. Pictured: The moment a Green Party councillor shouts 'Allahu Akbar' after being elected in Leeds

The Muslim Vote issued a series of demands for Sir Keir Starmer after Labour shed votes in the local elections over its position on the conflict in Gaza

When Sir Keir was questioned on Saturday about losing votes over his position on Gaza - with some estimates suggesting in Birmingham his party shed nearly 30,000 on the issue - he said wanted to 'win back their trust and confidence'.

This sparked the Muslim Vote to issue a list of demands on X, formerly known as Twitter, which it said he needed to fulfil if he was 'serious' he wanted to win back their votes.

These included the Labour leader apologising for his what they saw as his 'greenlighting' of Israeli action in Gaza following the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, the recognition of a Palestinian state and cutting all military ties with Israel.

Muslim Vote demands for Sir Keir Starmer The Muslim Vote issued the following demands to Sir Keir Starmer in a series of tweets: '1. Apologise for your comments greenlighting a genocide and for not backing the ceasefire in Oct/Nov 2023. '2. Sanctions on companies operating in occupied territories. Sanctions on settlers. '3. Recognise Palestine state '4. Travel ban on all Israeli politicians that prosecuted this war and support illegal occupation. '5. End military ties with Israel. '6. Issue guidance that Muslims are allowed to pray at school. '7. Implement findings of people's review of prevent - not Shawcross. '8. Remove 'extremism' definition [Michael] Gove introduced. '9. Commit to full implementation of Royal charter re media regulation. '10. Adopt APPG definition of Islamophobia. '11. Commit to review of public sector equality duty. '12. Increase council and public health funding for the 10% most deprived areas in the country to finally address systemic and chronic health inequities as detailed in the Marmot Review and revisited by the Health Foundation 10 year later. '13. Deliver alternative student finance. '14. Ensure sharia compliant pensions are available at every workplace. So the 1/3 of Muslims without a pension get one. '15. Ensure insurance quotes don't cost more for someone called 'Muhammad'. '16. Commit 7% of the LGPS/ public sector pensions to ethical and Islamic funds. '17. Oppose BDS bill. Kick it out of law. '18. Remove the archaic 'spiritual influence' offence from statute.' Advertisement

It also called for a travel ban on Israeli politicians who backed military action in Gaza and the implementation of sanctions on companies and settlers operating in 'occupied territories'.

Away from the conflict in Gaza the group has also demanded the changes in Britain.

These include issuing guidance that Muslims are allowed to pray in school and scrapping a 19th-century law that ban priests and imams from telling their congregation how to vote.

It also includes financial demands that seven per cent of public sector and local government pensions are to be invested in 'ethical and Islamic funds'.

Others include calls to make sure that 'insurance quotes don't cost more for someone called 'Muhammad'' and to scrape the definition of extremism put forward by Michael Gove this year.

The group said it wanted 'real action and real policies' before also demanding he 'return the Zionist money' - money given to the party or MPs by pro-Israel groups or individuals - bragging that if they did 'we'll give you alternative funding'.

On its website The Muslim Vote claims that it will help communities organise political campaigns and brags that it has a 'bank of thousands of volunteers' at the ready.

During last week's local elections the lobbying group called on supports to 'make our collective voices heard at the polling station' by voting for 'Pro Ceasefire' candidates.

Among the group's list of targets is Wes Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary, who is seen as a future Labour party leader.

The Muslim Vote has endorsed independent candidate and pro-Palestinian activist, Leanne Mohamad, is standing against him in his Ilford North constituency which has a 27 per cent Muslim electorate and sees Streeting hold a slim majority of 5,218 from 2019.

While a date for the general election has not yet been set, it will take place before the end of January, and campaign literature, including a poster showing a box on a ballot paper, sloganed with the phrase 'Vote for genocide, vote Labour - seen taped to a bus stop opposite a Jewish bakery - has already been seen in the area.

Earlier this year the group warned: 'Labour are worried about their damned polling numbers... We are watching the casualty numbers. We will not support those who have failed to back a ceasefire. Muslims agree that the current political class does not represent us.'

On its website, the activists state: 'This election signals a shift for Muslims  no more political apathy. We will no longer tolerate being taken for granted. We are a powerful, united force of 4million acting in unison.

'We are focused on seats where the Muslim vote can influence the outcome. We are here for the long term. In 2024, we will lay the foundations for our communitys political future.'

It added: 'We are not just a movement of talk. We mean business.'

One of the group's supporters is pro-Palestinian activist Muhammad Jalal, who styles himself as a 'writer, political scientist and educator'.

His real name is Jalaluddin Patel and he was the UK leader of the now-banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir between 2000 and 2005, with the government banning the organisation earlier this year. Jalal has denied supporting terrorism and says he has had nothing to do with Hizb ut-Tahrir since 2008.

Jalal has appeared on The Muslim Vote's social media channels, although he insists he is 'neither affiliated with the Muslim Vote campaign nor an organiser.'

He previously tweeted: 'In the 2024 Election, we will focus on those MPs in 55 Muslim-populated constituencies that voted against the Gaza ceasefire. We have to show that the Muslim vote should never be ignored again.'

The Muslim Vote claims to be backed by 25 organisations including the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend), both of which were reported to be under investigation earlier this year over extremism concerns.

Muhammad Jalal, whose real name is Jalaluddin Patel (pictured), is one of the groups supporters and has appeared on its social media accounts

Jalal (pictured) was the UK leader of Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir between 2000 and 2005. He insists that he has had nothing to do with the group, which was banned by the UK government this year, since 2008

In a social media post on the day of the election The Muslim Vote encouraged people to vote for 'Pro Ceasefire' candidates

On its website The Muslim Vote says it wants to mobilise the four-million strong bloc of Muslim voters in Britain

These two organisations were among a string which Michael Gove revealed last month could be checked against the Government's new definition of extremism.

The Communities Secretary told MPs on March 14 that he had concerns about the 'Islamist orientation' of three Muslim-led organisations  MAB, Mend and Cage.

Who are The Muslim Vote? The Muslim Vote is an activist group who have vowed to unseat MPs they see as not being supportive of Palestine. The group which was set up after Israel invaded Gaza following the Hamas terror attacks in October. In recent months it has been outspoken in its desire to 'punish' politicians that have not backed a ceasefire in the region. People affiliated with the group have suggested that it could aim to unseat 55 MPs who voted against a ceasefire at the next general election, either by putting forward independent candidates or backing other parties. Vowing to mobilise the four million Muslim voters in the UK, the activist group claims it has a 'bank of thousands of volunteers' who can help in political campaigns. On its website it lists its main goals as being 'peace in Palestine', bringing discrimination against Muslims to an end and pumping money into poorer areas to 'end inequities'. It has called for the state of Palestine to be recognised, cutting all military ties with Israel and travel bans for Israeli politicians who backed the war in Gaza. Other goals in Britain include making sure insurance quotes don't cost more for people called 'Muhammad', allowing Muslim children to pray at school and scrapping the government definition of extremism introduced by Michael Gove this year. It claims to be backed by more than 25 organisations, including the Muslim Association of Britain, Muslim Engagement and Development, and the Palestinian Forum in Britain. Advertisement

He labelled MAB in the Commons as the 'British affiliate' of the Muslim Brotherhood and said it gave 'rise to concern for their Islamist orientation and views'.

Mr Gove also raised fears about Mend, which encourages Muslims to participate in voluntary groups, and said it would be assessed against the new definition.

Both organisations condemned the move, with MAB warning it 'sets a dangerous precedent undermining democracy, religious freedoms and free speech'.

Other groups the campaign claims to have the backing of include the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Muslim Census and the Muslim Councils of Scotland and Wales.

In 2019, analysis by the Muslim Council of Britain revealed that 31 marginal seats could be decided by Muslim votes, which would be enough to swing a close election.

Last night senior Tories said they feared the elections will mean town halls end up being dominated by debates over foreign affairs rather than local services.

Ex-Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Mail: 'People are entitled to their views but foreign affairs is a matter for the House of Commons, not local councils.

'This is a consequence of the Left's attempt to segment society and create a coalition of minorities rather than a unified whole. This is very divisive for the country at large.'

Former Home Office minister Sir John Hayes added: 'I find it disturbing when you have people standing for election not because they care about making a contribution to building a better Britain, but because they are more interested in events overseas.

'It's important that people can express their views on foreign affairs, but that should not be the basis for standing to govern a local authority.'

Tory candidate and former No 10 chief of staff Nick Timothy said: 'Of course it alarms people that politicians scream 'Allahu Akbar' about a foreign war in a British local election held to decide who collects the bins.

'As ever, the usual liberal suspects prefer to turn a blind eye, or even defend it.'

The war has loomed large over Westminster since Hamas's terror attack of October 7 triggered deadly reprisals by Israel.

Sir Keir suffered the biggest rebellion of his leadership in November when ten frontbenchers resigned or quit over his refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

But Thursday's local elections were the first time that large numbers of pro-Palestine campaigners have stood for election, mostly in areas of the North West with large Muslim populations

It will lead to concerns about growing sectarianism in British politics. In Oldham, independent candidates won eight of the 21 seats available, with several of them explicitly campaigning in support of Palestine.

In Pendle, Lancashire, pro-Palestinian independents won five of the 12 seats up for grabs.

More than 40 councillors were elected in England after making the conflict part of their campaign, analysis of Thursday's vote suggests. Pictured: Councillor Mothin Ali

Mothin Ali out campaigning for his council seat - which he won on Thursday

Members of the Blackburn Independents group who adopted the Palestinian flag in their campaign for election

Aisha Kouser (pictured) won more than double the votes of her nearest rival, Labour's candidate, after describing herself to voters in Oldham as a 'voice for Palestine' in her campaign material

There was a similar surge in Bradford, where nine of the 30 seats went to independents. Seven of the candidates either criticised Labour directly for its Gaza stance, or made pro-Palestinian statements.

Mothin Ali, a Green Party candidate in Leeds, said he would 'raise the voice of Palestine  Allahu Akbar!' during his victory speech, although Palestine did not feature on his party profile page.

Tory peer Lord Jackson of Peterborough said the Greens 'will rue the day it admitted these deranged zealots into their party for cheap opportunistic short-term reasons'.

In the West Midlands mayoral election, pro-Palestine independent Akhmed Yakoob came third with 69,621 votes.

Before the count there had been an anonymous briefing to the BBC  condemned by Labour HQ  that the party would lose the contest as a result of the 'Middle East not West Midlands', and that Hamas were 'real villains'.

Sir Keir told Sky News: 'I say directly to those who may have voted Labour in the past, but felt on this occasion they couldn't, that across the West Midlands we are a proud and diverse community. I have heard you. I have listened.

'And I am determined to meet your concerns and to gain your respect and trust again in the future.'

Meanwhile, pro-Palestine protests have sprung up at universities in Oxford and Cambridge after students set up encampments in solidarity with Gaza.

The pro-Palestine supporters at Oxford pitched up their tents this morning outside the Pitt Rivers Museum, which they claim holds 'a disturbing hoard of artefacts stolen from colonised peoples across the world'.

Similarly in coordination with organisers at Cambridge, students have set up a base on the lawn of King's College because the university 'supports Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza'.

Both groups are saying they 'will not rest until their demands are met', with study tents, toilet facilities, and food making areas already in place.

It mirrors weeks of protests at American universities, where dozens of students have been arrested over the campus demonstrations.

At Oxford protest leaders, who have named their camp a 'Liberated Zone' have pinned up a board with a list of six demands to university chiefs, including to 'boycott Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation', to 'disclose all finances', 'stop banking with Barclays', help rebuild Gaza's education system and 'divest from Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation'.

Oxford and Cambridge students have set up encampments on the grass in front of their respective establishments in solidarity with Gaza

The pro-Palestine supporters at Oxford (above) pitched up their tents this morning outside the Pitt Rivers Museum, which they claim holds 'a disturbing hoard of artefacts stolen from colonised peoples across the world'

The action comes after weeks of protests in American universities, with dozens of students arrested at the University of Virginia this morning

In coordination with organisers at Cambridge, students have set up a base on the lawn of King's College because the university 'supports Israel 's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza' (above)

The growing number of demonstrations have led to 'serious' government concerns that the campus protests could escalate to violence as witnessed in the US

Alongside this they have argued that 'Oxford men orchestrate occupation', naming Alfred Milner and Cecil Rhodes as evidence, and that 'Oxford men facilitate genocide'.

Oxford and Cambridge University have been approached for comment.

This followers other Russell Group universities including Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle have pitched tents and erected anti-Israel signs as they call for an end to military action in the Gaza strip.

Students from Manchester University filled nearby Brunswick Park with banners, plaques and Palestinian flags to call for the university to 'end it's partnership with systems which support Israel'.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said police will 'have our full support' to tackle potential disorder if students attempt to replicate the violent demonstrations recently seen at US university campuses.

Last night Jewish community leaders urged universities to shut down encampments over fears Jewish students may be 'harassed and excluded'.

The spokesman for No 10 said: 'We have always been clear that Jewish students must feel safe on campuses and whilst our universities rightfully pride themselves on their openness and tolerance and diversity it is obviously absolutely clear that any antisemitism shouldn't be tolerated.

'We've always been clear that people have a right to peaceful and lawful protest but clearly people shouldn't abuse that right to intimidate others, cause unnecessary disruption.

'Obviously the police already have extensive public order powers to tackle disorder at protests and will continue to have our full support in doing so if needed.'
A Deliveroo customer who had his thumb bitten off by a female rider is furious she is still making deliveries and is calling for her to be jailed.

Jennifer Rocha, 35, from Aldershot, Hampshire, gnawed off Stephen Jenkinson's thumb down to the knuckle and spat it into his ex's hand during a row over a pizza delivery.

The plumber, 36, was rushed to hospital where he underwent an 11-hour operation to replace the missing appendage which saw half of his big toe sewn on to the stump.

The Brazilian-born mother was last week caught still working for Deliveroo using another rider's account, much to Mr Jenkinson's anger who says Rocha has shown a lack of remorse since admitting grievous bodily harm during a court appearance in March.

He is still undergoing physio treatment following the grisly attack which caused the breakdown of his relationship and forced him to sell his home as he is no longer able to work as a plumber.

Mr Jenkinson says he will never regain the full feeling in his damaged thumb.

Jennifer Rocha, 35, from Aldershot, Hampshire, gnawed off Stephen Jenkinson's (pictured) thumb down to the knuckle and spat it into his ex's hand. He is calling for her to be jailed

BBC News caught former Deliveroo driver Rocha picking up food for delivery in Aldershot, Hampshire - despite having her account removed from the platform

Speaking to Ed Balls and Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain today, he said since the attack Rocha had brazenly delivered food to his neighbour.

'It's against her probation and bail conditions, which is unacceptable,' Mr Jenkinson said.

'But the fact she has shown no remorse whatsoever by pleading guilty to the charges, then leaving court and jumping on a bike and doing Deliveroo again.'

Deliveroo promptly cancelled Rocha's account after her court appearance, calling the incident 'awful'.

The second account being used by Rocha has also been suspended.

Rocha was due to be sentenced last Friday but the hearing was adjourned by the judge as she was 90 minutes late for the hearing.

'It makes me angry that someone can play the system almost when they've already pled guilty to the charges that they are playing the system to a point to keep themselves away from being sentenced or away from prison.

'I hope that she does go to prison for a number of years. She can sit there and think about what she has done to me because the snowball effect of not just biting my thumb off, not just me losing my toe, it's the relationship breakdown, it's the debt, it's the fact I've had to sell my house... It's all these things that have been a complete snowball due to her actions that evening.'

The Brazilian mum was convicted of grievous bodily harm in March after biting off a customer's thumb in a row over his pizza delivery

Mr Jenkinson was rushed to hospital where he underwent an 11-hour operation to replace the missing appendage which saw half of his big toe sewn on to the stump

Rocha can be seen going to a takeaway, stowing a bag of food in a box on her bike and riding off in the footage

The takeaway manager confirmed that Rocha had been using a Deliveroo account to pick up the delivery. Deliveroo said that a second account being used by Rocha has now been suspended

Mr Jenkinson said a 'black market' had been created by allowing riders to share their accounts for other people to use them and has started a petition calling for an outright ban on the practice.

Last week, footage captured by BBC News showed Rocha riding her moped around Aldershot as she picks up food for delivery.

In one occasion, on 18 April, Rocha was filmed going to a takeaway, stowing a bag of food in a box on her bike and riding off.

The takeaway manager confirmed that Rocha had been using a Deliveroo account to pick up the delivery.

The original attack was sparked by Rocha delivering a 57 Pizza Express order to the wrong address in December 2022.

Mr Jenkinson, who had ordered the pizza, walked down the street to meet her - but forgot his phone, so was unable to provide a pick-up code.

The two began arguing, before Mr Jenkinson claimed he was attacked by the delivery worker, culminating in Rocha gnawing his thumb down to the knuckle.

He told Winchester Crown Court in March that he is now 'permanently disabled' and unable to work.

Rocha's recent sighting came just days after delivery apps Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats promised to tighten up their systems and check identities of their 'substitute' riders.

All riders are self employed and can therefore lend their account to anyone they want as a so-called substitute.

Pictured: Victim Mr Jenkinson's hand after the attack by Rocha. Part of his big toe was sewn onto the stump of his thumb during the 11-hour surgery

Mr Jenkinson has since said that the attack in 2022 has ruined his life - causing him to split with his partner and move out of his house

The main account holder has in the past been responsible for checking that person is over 18, has no serious convictions and is legally allowed to work.

But the systems meant a black market developed with accounts for sale or rent online  and illegal workers and even children have been discovering working for Deliveroo.

All three firms have now committed to changing their processes to confirm substitute riders have the right to work legally in the UK directly.

Deliveroo rolled out its new system last month - claiming to be the first major platform to be carrying out 'direct right to work checks' that include a registration process and identity verification technology.

Rocha's victim has since said that the attack in 2022 has ruined his life.

'I've had to move out my house and I've separated from my partner because of the pressure this has put on us - not only from a financial point of view but also from a life point of view,' he previously told Good Morning Britain.

'Our relationship just broke down and I don't blame either of us for that - it is just unfortunate how everything just spiralled.'

A Deliveroo spokesperson said: 'We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and are committed to preventing misuse of our platform.

'We immediately cancelled the account that was being used at the time of this terrible incident and subsequently terminated an alternative account.

'We have strengthened our processes and recently introduced a new registration process and identity verification technology for substitute riders.'
The owner of a popular Thai restaurant has hit back after copping online backlash about shock new surcharges.

Dodee Paidang owner Boon Low, who has four restaurants across Melbourne insisted the additional charges are the only way to protect his eateries from a 'Covid-level' economic crisis.

They include a 15 per cent public holiday surcharge, 10 per cent Sunday and late night charges, as well as a five per cent Saturday surcharge.

Card transactions incur an additional 1.7 per cent cost on the bill.

It comes after a photo showing the surcharge rates at his Swanston Street CBD eatery sparked an online uproar on Reddit.

Many Aussies were outraged over the listed surcharges with the move branded as 'absurd' and 'price gouging'.

The owner of a popular Thai restaurant in Melbourne introduce surcharges on weekends, late nights and public holidays to survive in the current economic climate

READ MORE: Lord of the Fries store in Newtown forced to close down The business has been struggling since the Covid-19 pandemic, and in 2020, the first ever Lord of the Fries store in Melbourne's CBD was forced to close its doors Advertisement

'I've never seen a Saturday surcharge... sad to see it creep its way into Melbourne especially during a cost of living crisis that deters people from going out,' one person wrote.

Another added: 'I was just here last Saturday noon and took the same pics for my friends. It's wild how these additional costs add up fast to the total bill.'

The backlash has prompted Mr Low to doubled down and defend the surcharges.

He said that the increased land taxes, rent, and food costs have made the current economic climate 'as bad as Covid' for small businesses in the hospitality sector.

Mr Low explained that he's an honest operator who pays full-time staff and cover expenses including millions of dollars in rent and land tax on the building.

'Our business has survived through all the difficulties by keeping food cost and wage cost to a specific percentage,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'We want to others to judge how our prices have moved over the years we have opened. Our bowl of noodles now are $17.90, when we first opened 7 years ago they were $14.90.'

Mr Low admitted he didn't want to impose the charges on diners and that the conversation should be around 'what's happening with costs?'

Mr Low said Melbourne had a vibrant culinary scene when he moved to the city 15 years ago, but there has been a spate of restaurant closures over the past year

He explained that he often thinks about how 'weekend sales are dying' because of the surcharges, even though neighbouring businesses have imposed similar fees.

'The surcharges are the only way we haven't increased prices astronomically for opening public holidays, weekends and late nights,' Mr Low said.

'If we want to maintain 30 per cent wage costs, be respectful of low food prices, and stay open later, that's what we need to do.'

Mr Low has operated Dodee Paidang for seven years but fears that Melbourne's iconic dining culture is under threat.

Mr Low also explained that those surcharges vary across his restaurants.

'We have different surcharges for different businesses where we take into account the business situation,' he said.

'Our business at Box Hill does not have a surcharge on Saturdays or Sundays and our business at Glen Waverley has a flat five percent weekend surcharge.'

Mr Low told Daily Mail Australia that their bowl of noodles has only increased by $3 since 2017

Mr Low recalled Melbourne having a vibrant culinary scene when he moved to the city 15 years ago but has seen a spate of restaurant closures in the last year.

Mr Low believes the voices of small business owners have drowned out by the people who are angry and who are emotional.

'Surcharges are due to the penalty rates imposed on the hours or days stated and public holidays,' he said.

The issue appears be widespread, with most capital cities experiencing a spate of high profile restaurant closures.
Anti-Ulez activists The Blade Runners have cut down a string of Sadiq Khan's much-hated cameras in the hours after he was re-elected as the Mayor of London.

The group went on an angry rampage across the capital in the aftermath of Mr Khan's historic win, cutting poles in half, spray-painting cameras, and in one village setting them on fire.

Spy cameras were toppled from Ickenham and Northwood in Hillingdon and Feltham and Hounslow in west London, to the surburban village Yiewsley on the outskirts of London.

One activist says the 'purge' was carried out as people are 'p***ed off about the tyranny reigning over us'.

The slashing of wires and damage to boxes came hours after Khan secured a third term as he trounced his nearest rival Susan Hall of the Conservatives by a majority of nearly 276,000 votes.

Anti-Ulez activists went on a purge around London cutting down cameras following Sadiq Khan's re-election of Mayor of London (Pictured: A camera cut down in Hillingdon)

Blade Runner Matt Hardy claimed this Ulez camera was cut down just hours after it had been installed after the election day

MailOnline believes that at least seven Ulez cameras were wrecked following Saturday's result and 14 since the polls closed on Thursday.

Blade Runner Matt Hardy claimed on Friday that after polls closed he had 'reports flooding in this morning [that] there's been a purge out there last night after this election'.

Mr Hardy described Khan as a 'little rat' and said 'Have some of that, it's people pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us and getting out and doing things about it  real votes, real boys here.'

In another video posted on TikTok, he chuckles as he stands on dog poo and then smears it on one toppled camera smeared that has a sticker plastered over the lens which reads: 'Blood on your hands.'

Laughing hysterically, Mr Hardy says: 'S**t happens, folks. What a f***ing nuisance. Look at this folks. Down on the decks.'

The Metropolitan Police recorded 795 crimes relating to Ulez cameras between April and September last year. There were 200 reports of cameras being stolen and 595 involved cameras being damaged.

Another anti-Ulez activist under the alias Dan the Man with a Van claimed that three cameras had fallen and traffic light wires had been 'chopped' in west London since the election.

'Khan's been re-elected for the third time and look at that, Feltham have already chosen direct action  the whole pole has come down with the Ulez camera on it,' he said.

The group went on an angry rampage across the capital in the aftermath of Mr Khan's historic win

Ms Hall had appealed for Londoners to take their 'last chance to vote for a Mayor who will get a grip on crime and make people safe, stop the ULEZ expansion, halt Khan's plans for pay-per-mile and build more family homes that people can afford'.

But her rallying call failed to cut through with voters as Mr Khan celebrated his 'increased margin of victory' on the previous election after he received 1,088,225 votes, a majority of nearly 276,000 over Ms Hall, who secured 812,397 votes.

The row over the expansion of the 12.50-a-day ULEZ charge was previously credited with helping the Tories to cling on in the Uxbridge by-election.

And jitters had started to spread through Labour circles over a spike in turnout in outer London - typically dominated by Conservative voters and where anger about the ULEZ expansion has been most fierce.

A TfL spokesperson said: 'Vandalism is unacceptable and all incidents on our network are reported to the police for investigation. Criminal damage to ULEZ cameras puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and injury, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public.

'Camera vandalism will not stop the ULEZ operating London-wide. All vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

'We have an extensive camera network which is sufficient to support the effective operation of the scheme.

'Anyone driving a non-compliant vehicle within the expanded zone will be detected and we advise everyone to check whether their vehicle is compliant and to consider the various support that is available to help transition to greener modes of transport.'
A Syrian asylum seeker who is awaiting deportation to Rwanda has threatened to kill himself as soon as he gets there because he 'will not be safe'.

The man arrived in Britain in June 2022 and is currently being held at the Colnbrook immigration removal centre in West Drayton.

He claimed being locked up was 'very triggering' because he had previously been imprisoned in Syria and 'detained and tortured in Libya'.

'Everyone is so stressed in here because of Rwanda. We can't eat and we can't sleep,' he told the Guardian.

'What matters to asylum seekers is to be safe. I will not be safe in Rwanda. If they manage to send me there I will kill myself on arrival in that country.'

The man arrived in Britain in June 2022 and is currently being held at the Colnbrook immigration removal centre in West Drayton

Migrants cross the Channel in an overcrowded dinghy on Saturday

The Syrian, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he became 'very scared' after finding out about the Rwanda scheme in February 2023.

A second asylum seeker, from Sudan, said he was detained in Libya before paying his captors to free him and arriving in the UK in June 2022.

He said: 'I was arrested last week when I went to report in Newcastle. They didn't mention Rwanda until I reached the detention centre and at first just said ''We are deporting you to a safe third country''.'

More than 100 people are believed to have been detained so far pending deportation to Rwanda.

At least one of the men has begun a hunger strike, according to the charity Detention Action.

Meanwhile, Asylum Aid is planning to bring legal action against the Home Office over the scheme.

Lawyers on their behalf have sent a pre-action letter to the department over the Safety of Rwanda policy, published late last month, saying it is inconsistent with the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act which became law last week.

Asylum Aid says it is concerned the policy could lead to the Home Office unlawfully denying people seeking asylum from entering the UK asylum system, and that the alleged inconsistency could lead to the Home Office refusing to consider evidence of individual risk.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to see flights to Rwanda off the ground by July after the act became law, though officials are primed for legal challenges made in the wake of the detentions as they accepted some of those being held could end up being released on bail.

Hope Hostel in Kigali, which has been waiting to receive asylum seekers for nearly two years

The FDA trade union, which represents senior civil servants, has also threatened legal action.

The union said its move related to the relationship of the Civil Service Code with the Safety of Rwanda Act, and the power for a minister to determine whether to comply with an order made by the European Court of Human Rights.

A direction to ignore such an order would breach international law, which conflicts with the duty of civil servants under the Civil Service Code to act in compliance with the law, which includes international law, said the FDA.

A Home Office spokesman said in response to the claims from detainees at Colnbrook: 'We take the welfare of people in our care extremely seriously. There are robust safeguarding measures in place to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and has the support they need.

'All detained individuals have access to a mobile phone, internet and landline telephones so they can keep in contact with friends, family and other support.'

Concerning the FDA's threat of legal action, they said: 'The Home Office already sought advice from the director general of proprietary and ethics in the Cabinet Office on the issue of the Civil Service Code and claims over the legality of implementing the Rwanda deportation scheme under the new legislation.'

For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
A woman has died after she apparently slipped from her safety harness and fell 60ft during a mile-long zipline ride over Italy's Bitto Valley.

Ghizlane Moutahir, 41, died Sunday afternoon after she fell to the ground at the Fly Emotion park in Alpi Orobie at Bema, close to Lake Como, in Italy.

She was approaching the end of the mile-long, high-wire thrill when witnesses said she began to 'struggle' and then slipped out of her harness.

Paramedics raced to the scene but there was nothing that could be done and she was pronounced dead. Police and prosecutors have since opened an investigation for 'negligent homicide by persons unknown'.

Moutahir's two nieces, who had just completed their flight on the zipline, watched their aunt take her turn on the 60mph ride and were filming when tragedy struck. Investigators are examining the footage taken by the girls.

Ghizlane Moutahir, 41, (pictured) died Sunday afternoon after she fell to the ground at the Fly Emotion park in Alpi Orobie at Bema, close to Lake Como, in Italy

Initial investigation revealed that Moutahir had 'stopped' just before arriving at the end of the zipline, 'began to struggle' and then her 'feet slipped out'. Pictured are first responders at the park on Sunday afternoon

Paramedics and other emergency responders raced to the scene, but there was nothing that could be done. Moutahir was pronounced dead at the park

The tragedy unfolded on Sunday as hundreds of people packed into Fly Emotion park, which opened in 2011 and is one of the top tourist attractions in the area.

The zipline suspends adventure-seekers over the valley between Albaredo and San Marco and Bema using a harness suspended from a steel cable.

Moutahir was travelling along the first section of the route, between Albaredo and Bema, and had almost reached the arrival station when she fell, according to reports by local media.

Witnesses say she remained suspended vertically for several seconds before falling.

Initial investigation revealed that Moutahir had 'stopped' just before arriving at the end of the zipline, 'began to struggle' and then her 'feet slipped out', a police spokesman said.

'This led to her becoming unbalanced and she fell from the harness around 20 metres into the forest below and was killed instantly,' he added.

'It's also possible she had some sort of panic attack and that's what made her struggle or maybe some other medical episode but we are waiting for the post mortem results.'

Moutahir (not pictured) was approaching the end of the mile-long, high-wire thrill when witnesses said she began to 'struggle' and then slipped out of her harness. Pictured is an adventure-seeker riding the zipline, as seen in a promotional video for the park

The zipline suspends adventure-seekers over the Bito Valley between Albaredo and San Marco (pictured) and Bema using a harness suspended from a steel cable

Authorities will carry out checks of the safety equipment and, as a precaution, have temporarily closed the park while the investigation is carried out. Pictured is a view of the zipline, as seen in a promotional video for the park

Prosecutor Stefano Latorre visited the scene and said he had opened an investigation for 'negligent homicide by persons unknown'.

Authorities will carry out checks of the safety equipment and, as a precaution, have temporarily closed the park while the investigation is carried out.

A source said: 'The investigation will be looking into whether the woman was attached correctly and secure properly to the zipline cradle.

'Maintenance records will also be examined and the whole structure will be checked to ensure full safety regulations were being adhered to, so consequently it will main closed.'

Officials will examine the safety belts used to secure the woman which should have been two fold around her shoulders and legs but when she was found only the upper part of her body was attached.

'Video of what happened which was taken by her nieces is also being examined and the local prosecutor has opened an investigation,' a police spokesman noted.

Moutahir, who was of Moroccan origin but lived in in nearby Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, was married and had no children. She had taken advantage of Sunday's warm weather and went for a day out with her extended family.

Her husband of nine years Michele, who had stayed home because he was suffering from a toothache, rushed to the park after the tragic incident. He told La Repubblica that 'I should have been there with her too'.

'I thought she had just hurt herself but now she's no longer here,' he added.

Patrizio Del Nero, mayor of the nearby village of Brema, added: 'This is a tragedy. We are all pained by what happened and we await the results of the investigation so full light can be shed.'

Moutahir, (pictured) who was of Moroccan origin but lived in in nearby Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, was married and had no children

Matteo Sanguineti, a director of Fly Emotion, said: 'Our first thoughts are with the lady and her family. We still don't know for certain what happened and I ma shocked and incredulous.

'We are cooperating with the authorities to try and understand what happened. The zipline opened 13 years ago and in that time more than 200,000 people have used it and we have never had any incidents. I am shocked and incredulous.'

The zipline stretches over a valley and starts at Albaredo at a height of 3000ft and then ends at Bema which is at 2400ft.

On the Fly emotion website a message read: 'All activities ae temporarily suspended. We apologise for any inconvenience.'

The attraction gets top reviews on Trip Advisor and one contributor from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, wrote: 'Absolutely brilliant. Great fun. If you are in the area, you have to try this! Don't think about it - just fly.'
A Ghanaian king has revealed his plans to take back 'looted' golden treasures - with a new Labour government tipped to let even more artefacts leave the UK.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who rules the Asante people in the west African country, negotiated a deal for the temporary return of ancestral artefacts from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Now he hopes to keep hold of the Asante gold for good despite the current Conservative government refusing to change laws which ban museums from repatriating such items overseas permanently.

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party has been mooted as most likely to give the go-ahead - with experts saying this loan was 'just the beginning' for similar repatriations.

Former Labour MP Tristram Hunt has called for overhauls of the British Museum Act 1963 and the National Heritage Act 1983 which currently bar the two museums from permanently returning items to countries where they originated.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Ghana's Asante king, is said to be keen to permanently keep the Asante gold artefacts handed over by Britain on loan at a ceremony and exhibition last Wednesday

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's party has not ruled out a change in the laws which could make the repatriation of British-held artefacts possible and permanent

This cast gold ornament is among the collection loaned back by the UK to Ghana

This was among the ceremonial caps worn by courtiers at Asante royal coronations

Bosses from both venues took part in a ceremony in the Asante capital Kumasi last Wednesday to mark the handover of royal regalia which had been seized by British troops in the 19th century.

A three-year loan deal has been agreed - but key figures on both sides are keen for this to be extended indefinitely.

Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, a prince and member of the Asante inner court, told the Telegraph: 'We are hoping that after the two three-year terms, things would have evolved, and your laws back home might have changed.

'We are very hopeful. Things are evolving to eventually getting them back home.'

The 1963 act prevents the British Museum from giving away anything from its collection - including the Elgin Marbles which Greece wants back - and the 1983 equivalent does the same for the V&A.

The 32 pieces of Asante Gold, named after the African empire from which they were taken, were handed over last week on the three-year agreement which could be extended for another three.

Some 17 of them are from the V&A with the other 15 from the British Museum, with the items going on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi.

The objects include a sword of state, gold badges worn by officials, ceremonial caps and pipes.

Writer and academic Ivor Agyeman-Duah, also director of the Manhyia Palace Museum, said a permanent return was 'how it has been envisaged'.

Ghana's Asante king Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (left) looks on during a ceremony last Wednesday to mark the return of artefacts from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum

A total of 32 Asante gold items are being loaned to the current king for three years, including this Asante gold torc (left) and ring (right)

An Asante gold model harp given to the British Museum has also been handed over

A sword of state taken from the royal court following conflicts between the British Empire and the Asante Empire is being exhibited in Ghana too

And sources close to the Asante king were quoted as saying the loan pact was 'just the beginning' - with a likely push to repatriate more Asante material currently remaining in the two London museums.

Mr Hunt, who was Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central between 2010 and 2017, said: 'Initially its a three-year loan, maybe renewable in future, but then we could see a situation whereby the 1963 Act or the 1983 Act was reformed in future.

'My view is that those acts should be reformed and trustees should have responsibility for what is in their collection.

'But thats not where the Government is at the moment, and we have to respect that.'

The Asante, also known as the Ashanti, are a people who ruled over vast swathe of modern-day Ghana between the 18th and 20th centuries.

Its empire gained vast wealth through gold and agricultural trade, while also being involved in five conflicts with the British empire and its African allies between 1824 and 1900.

Between 1824 and 1900 the empire was involved in five conflicts with the British Empire and its African allies as it tried to enforce control over coastal areas of modern day Ghana.

British success in the fourth and fifth conflicts enabled them to annex the Asante empire and burn the capital Kumasi to the ground.

Former Labour MP Tristram Hunt, now director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, attended the handover ceremony and exhibition in Kumasi, Ghana, on May 1

A ceremonial pipe is also transferred as part of the agreement - with leaders in Ghana insisting they want the returns to be permanent

This gold ring is among the artefacts going on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi, Ghana

The city and royal palace were then looted, with gold and other artefacts either sold or given to Britain as reparations for the cost of the wars.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been reported as being open to returning the Elgin Marbes but his party has not confirmed a policy position on the British Museum and National Heritage acts.

MailOnline has contacted the Labour Party for comment.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak snubbed a planned meeting last November with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis amid a flare-up over the Elgin Marbles.

The Greek PM had ramped up public demands for the return of the ancient artefacts which are housed at the British Museum.

Greece has long demanded the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, which were removed from the country by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century during his time as British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

British Museum chairman George Osborne, the former chancellor, has previously said he is exploring ways for the Elgin Marbles to be displayed in Greece.

There has been speculation that this could involve a loan deal in which part of the sculptures would be sent to Athens.

Along among the 32-item selection taken to Ghana is this oblong gold repousse ornament

A pair of silver anklets is also part of the collection originally seized by British Empire forces following a series of conflicts

There have been suggestions an incoming Labour government could be open to return the Elgin Marbles (pictured) to Greece from their current home at the British Museum

Labour sources said that Sir Keir, whose Holborn and St Pancras constituency is home to the British Museum, would not 'stand in the way' of a loan deal.

A Labour spokesperson said last November: 'Strong cultural and historical partnerships between countries are important to ensure the British Museum, and other UK cultural institutions, can maintain their world leading status.

'The next Labour Government will hear the case from the British Museum and its chair on any proposed changes to the Heritage Act as it stands. We've no current plans to change it.'

Other British-held artefacts which campaigners have suggested for repatriation include the Benin Bronzes and sacred tablets from Ethiopia.
A Pittsburgh woman who disappeared from a central Pennsylvania liquor store more than two months ago is now considered a homicide victim as police turn their focus towards finding her killer.

Tracy Scanlon, also known as Tracy Zalenski, was last seen leaving a Wine and Spirits Store on Union Deposit Road in Harrisburg in late February.

Scanlon was initially reported missing by the Millvale Police Department. She was described as white, approximately 5'5" and approximately 115 lbs. with blonde hair.

The Susquehanna Township Police now says her disappearance is now a homicide investigation.

Police say there has been no contact with Tracy's family or friends since she disappeared.

They say Scanlon was temporarily living with an acquaintance at the time she went missing.

Originally from Allegheny County, the Susquehanna Township Police are collaborating with law enforcement agencies in the Pittsburgh area.

It was not explained why the case was now classified as a homicide case and no suspect or arrest was announced in the case.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops based near Ukraine to practice nuclear weapons scenarios in a bid to 'deter' adversaries following perceived threats of escalation from Western leaders.

Military drills in the undisclosed 'near future' will include practice for the preparation and deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons, Russia's defence ministry claimed.

The ministry said today the exercises would be carried out 'in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation', the Kremlin citing threats to deploy troops in Ukraine.

'It's obvious we are talking about statements from Mr. Macron and statements from British representatives,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by reporters what had prompted the drills, adding: 'This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures.'

A Russian diplomat today said Moscow would have to increase its entire missile arsenal as a deterrent following what was framed as the worst breakdown in relations since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

'We are now at the stage of open confrontation, which, I hope, will not result in a direct armed conflict,' Russian Ambassador-at-Large Grigory Mashkov told the state RIA news agency.

File photo. A Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched by Russia in April 2022

Russian 'Yars' intercontinental ballistic missile launchers are displayed in the Victory Day military parade general rehearsal on the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 5 2024

Mashkov added that it will now be necessary to take 'further steps to strengthen the country's defense capability, including building up the missile arsenal, in order to discourage any potential enemy from testing Russia's strength.'

He added that Russia was already doing a lot in this area but that more was needed given what he said was the growing threat from the West and the technological advances in most types of missiles, from tactical to inter-continental.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia is set to spend 7.1% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on the military, or more than a third of total government spending, in 2024.

Ramping up drills, Putin reportedly told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to prepare missile firing exercises in the near future 'in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat missions'.

Troops from the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine and includes the occupied Ukrainian territories will take part in the drills, the ministry said.

Close Putin ally and former President Dmitry Medvedev said today on Telegram that 'the number of scoundrels among the Western political elite calling for sending their troops to a non-existent country is expanding'.

'Now it includes representatives of the US Congress, French and British leadership, and individual madmen from the Baltic states and Poland...'

'Sending your troops to the territory ofUkraine will entail the direct entry of their countries into the war, to which we will have to respond.

'And, alas, not in the territory of Ukraine. In this case, none of them will be able to hide either on Capitol Hill, or in the Elysee Palace, or in 10 Downing Street.

'A world catastrophe will come.'

As part of a new drive of 'deterrence', Russia is also understood to have commissioned a notable Russian political scientist to explore possible avenues for pushing back what is perceived as an encroaching West including nuclear deterrence.

Sergey Karganov, a longtime advisor to Putin and his predecessor Boris Yeltsin, has reportedly been commissioned to carry out eight studies into topics including the 'theory and practice of nuclear deterrence' within the context of Russia's current political climate, and how Russia might go about 'developing' such a deterrence with Russia, China, India and Pakistan.

The 71-year-old, who currently heads the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, is notable for his post-USSR doctrine suggesting Russia should aim to leverage Russian minorities living nearby to spread and maintain its influence in former dominions.

Last year, he called for Russia to launch nuclear strikes on Europe as a pre-emptive measure to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and restore the perceived authority of the nuclear threat.

The escalation of Russian nuclear rhetoric follows weeks of more pronounced threats from the West to intervene in the conflict in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently told The Economist he 'absolutely' stands by pledges to put boots on the ground in Ukraine if push comes to shove.

'As I said, I'm not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out,' he told the magazine in an interview published last Thursday.

Macron has also called on Europe to reduce reliance on the United States and develop independent capacity to face down hostile foreign actors.

In February, Putin warned Macron that if France were to send any troops to Ukraine, they would meet the same fate as Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Armee, whose 1812 invasion ended in staggering defeat and huge casualties.

British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron also received condemnation from Russia after telling reporters in Kyiv that Ukraine could use British-supplied missiles as they saw fit, including firing into Russian territory and lifting a previously held requirement only to fire Storm Shadow missiles within Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the conference of All-Russia People's Front on January 25, 2016 in Stavropol, Russia

A firefighter works at a site of a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 4, 2024

The Kremlin called Lord Cameron's statement a 'direct escalation' of the war in Ukraine deemed 'dangerous to European security'.

Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said comments made on Friday could imperil the entire system of European security architecture - and namechecked Macron while condemning perceived threats from the West.

'The statement [from Macron] is very important and very dangerous,' Peskov told reporters on Friday.

Macron 'continues to constantly talk about the possibility of direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine. This is a very dangerous trend,' he added.

Peskov said the recent statements by Macron and Cameron 'potentially pose a danger to European security, to the entire European security architecture'.

'We see a dangerous tendency towards escalation in official statements. This is raising our concern,' he added.

US House Leader Hakeem Jeffries added to Russian fears with comments in a CBS interview this week that if Ukraine falls 'there's a significant likelihood that America will have to get into the conflict  not simply with our money, but with our servicewomen and our servicemen'.

Experts following developments in the war suggest Macron's comments reflect a new approach of 'strategic ambiguity' mirroring threats from Russia.

Vlad Sutea, founder and lead analyst at early warning and threatcasting group T-Intelligence, told MailOnline: 'Macron is one of the few Western European leaders to understand the value of strategic ambiguity.

'Putin doesn't take anything off the table, neither should we. And that includes sending troops, in whichever capacity that is feasible.'

'Chances are, Macron and other European leaders have outlined implicit thresholds that could prompt direct Western intervention.

'A scenario warranting action could entail a collapse of the front in the East, leading to further Russian encroachment, posing a threat to cities like Kyiv, Odesa, and, albeit less likely, western regions such as Lviv.

'Our reading is that the intra-NATO discussions on this topic have not been as hypothetical as believed.

'One should remember that France also recently signed a security agreement with Moldova and has a robust presence in Romania as part of the NATO battle group that will be elevated to brigade-level in 2025.'

He suggested that criticism of Macron, claiming the comments could invite nuclear Armageddon, played into the Kremlin's hands.

'This appears to be typical pro-Russian scaremongering, aimed at dissuading bold Western action,' he said. 'The true irresponsibility lies in shying away from confronting Russia.'

'Weakness invites aggression and this is particularly relevant when talking about Putin's Russia.'

Ukrainian servicemen carry out anti-sabotage mock drills on the border with Belarus, Jan 17

Ukrainian soldiers fire with mortar during a military training with French servicemen in Poland

Amid rising tensions, Macron is today to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state visit in a bid to persuade him to switch positions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In Xi's first visit to Europe since 2019, he is also expected to give talks in Serbia and Hungary.

President Xi has said he wants to find peace in Ukraine but has been a careful ally to Putin and is expected to host the Russian leader in Beijing next month.

In an op-ed for Le Figaro daily, Xi recently said that he wanted to work with the international community to find ways to solve the conflict sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while emphasising that China was 'neither a party nor a participant'.

'We hope that peace and stability will return quickly to Europe, and intend to work with France and the entire international community to find good paths to resolve the crisis,' he wrote.
This is the dramatic moment plain clothes police officers frisk a suspect at a busy east London Underground station and find a huge machete.

In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, five plain clothed police officers, from the British Transport Police, can be seen wrestling the suspect to the ground while they search him on the platform of West Ham station.

One of the officers then discovers what appears to be a large machete hidden on his person.

Trains can be seen coming and going from the station as commuters walk past unaware of what is occurring right next to them.

One young family does stop to watch the incident and they can be seen staring at the weapon in the officer's hand.

In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter , five plain clothed police officers can be seen wrestling the suspect to the ground while they search him on the platform of West Ham station. One of the officers then discovers what appears to be a large machete

Trains can be seen coming and going from the station as commuters walk past unaware of what is occurring right next to them. One young family does stop to watch the incident and they can be seen staring at the weapon in the officer's hand

The suspect is then escorted out the station by the officers in handcuffs

The suspect is then escorted out the station by the officers in handcuffs.

Last week in Hainault, east London, a man killed a 14-year-old boy and injured four others after he went on a violent rampage attacking people with a large sword.

Police scrambled to the area following reports that a van had rammed into a home just before a knifeman started prowling the streets.

He then attacked two officers before being tasered and arrested in a bloody scuffle in front of horrified residents who heard 'piercing screams'.

The suspect, Marcus Arduini Monzo, has since been charged with the murder of schoolboy Daniel Anjorin and two counts of attempted murder. He will appear at the Old Bailey.

Knife crime in the capital became a prominent campaign issue during this year's London Mayoral election. During a debate on LBC, Mayor Sadiq Khan and Tory candidate Susan Hall clashed during a discussion over knife crime.

Mr Khan dismissed Ms Hall's fears of rising crime rates after she claimed there were 'gangs running around with machetes' in London.

She added: 'That's the stories I'm hearing from the people that are running the night economy. That is not good.'

Mr Khan replied: 'I say in a respectful way, I think the Tory candidate should stop watching The Wire. We're not living in Baltimore, USA, in the noughties.'

In the election last Thursday, Mr Khan won re-election comfortably.

Susan Hall giving her concession speech. During her concession speech Ms Hall spoke about knife crime in London she said: 'I hope that Sadiq makes this (knife crime) his top priority, he woes it to the families that have lost lives to knife crime under his mayoralty'

During her concession speech Ms Hall said: 'The thing that matters to Londoners the most is reforming the Met and making London safe again.

'I hope that Sadiq makes this his top priority, he woes it to the families that have lost lives to knife crime under his mayoralty.'

She added: 'Stop patronising people like me who care.'

MailOnline have approached the British Transport Police for a comment.
The Falkland Islands are still in British hands, Argentinian president Javier Milei has admitted in an interview with the BBC.

The right-wing politician, who made headlines across the world following a successful election campaign which saw him repeatedly pose with a chainsaw, told the corporation the islands are 'in the hands of the UK'.

Milei, in contrast to previous leaders of Argentina who have maintained a claim to the islands, has now admitted there is no 'instant solution' to the decades-old dispute, and his government does not 'seek conflict'.

But it comes after he last month promised a 'roadmap' for the Falklands to pass into Argentinian hands in a speech to coincide with the 42nd anniversary of the Falklands War.

The 1982 conflict over the islands led to the deaths of more than 900 people, including 255 British servicemen.

President Javier Milei, who has famously been pictured with a chainsaw at political events, said the Falklands are 'in the hands of the UK'

The Falklands War was triggered by the invasion of Argentinian troops on April 2, 1982

The controversial president made his statement after Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron visited the islands in February. Lord Cameron said during the trip that the Falklands' sovereignty was not open to debate, and the islands would 'remain part of the family'.

'If that territory is now in the hands of the UK, he has a right to do that. I dont see that as a provocation,' President Milei said.

His comments contradict his previous claims in April, when he said he wanted to 'reiterate our unwavering claim for the islands'.

He added he was determined to see a plan for how the Falklands would 'return to Argentine hands', and criticised his predecessors for 'mere words' in 'international forums with no impact on reality'.

But this week Milei also praised Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister at the time of the war, as 'brilliant' while speaking from his office, which is home to a bust of the first female UK leader.

The controversial president made his statement after Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron visited the islands in February

Scenes from the ten-week conflict saw several ships damaged and sunk, including a bomb exploding on HMS Antelope (pictured)

He said: 'Criticising someone because of their nationality or race is very intellectually precarious. I have heard lots of speeches by Margaret Thatcher. She was brilliant. So what's the problem?'

Britain established an administration in the Falklands, called the Malvinas in Argentina, in 1834. Residents on the island lived in peace until 1982, when Argentina launched an invasion of the territory.

The UK, led by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, chose to send troops across the world to defend the territory, which remains under British protection.

In a ten-week conflict, British forces pushed the Argentinians out of the islands, killing around 649 personnel.

In 2013, an internationally recognised referendum saw 99.8 percent of the population vote to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Brits celebrated the long weekend by taking part in pub crawls and drinking with friends without fear of nursing a hangover at work on Monday.

Casual looking groups of party-goers were seen eating their greasy late night snacks and partying in Blackpool, Birmingham and Leeds over the bank holiday weekend.

But revellers in Oxford had a different dress code of ballgowns and dinner jackets as hundreds of students descended on the city's streets in the early hours of the morning, making their way home from prestigious balls.

Both Corpus Christi and Brasenose College held their annual May Balls in Oxford on Saturday, with tickets costing around 120.

With a black tie dress code, ball-goers were treated to posh perks including pole dancing, tarot reading, silent discos and even a student-run casino.

Some generous Oxford students carried their partners through the streets as they had clearly spent the whole night dancing in their heels

The celebrations in Oxford finished at 5am on Sunday morning, leaving students in formal wear to roam the streets

Revellers in Blackpool were spotted out in fancy dress to mark the extra day off

Meanwhile bank holiday party-goers in Birmingham brave the cold and treat themselves to a late night kebab

A group of girls in Leeds go out on the town to celebrate the May Day bank holiday

Revellers up and down the country have been making the most of the May bank holiday weekend by spending the evenings drinking in bars and clubs.

In Blackpool, people were spotted out in fancy dress to mark the occasion.

Others in Leeds took on the Otley Run - a pub crawl featuring 17 stops which serves as a rite of passage for students studying in Leeds.

Meanwhile glamorous party-goers in Oxford stumbled home at 5:00am with some choosing to mill around the iconic Radcliffe Camera, a baroque-style library built in the 18th century.

Men dressed in dinner suits were seen carrying home their sore-footed partners while others were forced to negotiate the cobbled streets in their heels.

Some of the guests leaving Oxford's balls were spotted with large boxes of cupcakes, handing them out to fellow students as a morning treat.

Oxford students could buy more expensive tickets to the May Balls, gaining them entry to a three-course meal paired with wine before the party started.

Although Oxford's balls are glamarous, they have recently come under fire for charging students 446 per ticket.

Spirits were high for this group in Leeds who were celebrating the bank holiday weekend with a pub crawl

A group of women in Birmingham were spotted making the most of the May bank holiday by drinking in a bar

Two Oxford students pose for a photo with the Radcliffe Camera still dressed in their ball gowns

Oxford's streets filled with women in ball gowns and men in dinner suits and bow ties as the balls finished

A group of Oxford students looked worse for wear as they left the prestigious balls

Some guests leaving the Oxford balls were spotted with large boxes filled with cupcakes (pictured), handing them out to fellow revellers as a morning treat

In Birmingham four friends were pictured on Broad Street on Sunday evening

A trio of women in Birmingham are out on the town for the bank holiday weekend

As Oxford students stumbled home at 5:00am, some chose to mill around the iconic Radcliffe Camera (pictured), a baroque-style library built in the 18th century

One woman was seen clinging to a fellow student as she struggled to negotiate Oxford's cobbled streets in her glittered heels

The dress code for the May Balls in Oxford is black tie, meaning dinner jackets for the men and floor-length gowns for the women

The Corpus Christi May Ball chose a Greek mythology theme while Brasenose opted for the cabaret.

Brasenose College, founded in 1509, were also celebrating 50 years of admitting women.

Ball organisers chose to mark the anniversary by inviting guests to make a donation to the Malala Fund, a charity, founded by Novel Peace Prize winner and Oxford alumnus Malala Yousafzi, that advocates for girls' education.

Students at the ball were treated to a variety of food trucks offering paella, pizza and cake until 5am.

They could also choose from a selection of themed cocktails including the Green Fairy which included vodka, melon liquor, apple lime and gomme.

A shisha bar was available for any students that fancied smoking.

Brasenose College (pictured) at Oxford University offered students a cabaret-themed ball where they were treated to live performances, cocktails and food trucks until the early hours of the morning

Two Oxford students wearing floor-length gowns make their way home from the May Ball

Elegantly dressed Oxford students pose for a pictures outside the Radcliffe Camera in the early hours of Sunday

The dress code in Oxford was black tie and male students opted for dinner suits and bow ties

One man in Leeds takes part in the Otley Run - a pub crawl in Leeds featuring 17 stops

Half-dressed revellers fill the streets in Blackpool, with one man showing off his back where someone has scribbled the words 'single girl' in marker pen

One Oxford student helps another adjust her hair after leaving the May Ball in the early hours of the morning

Some generous men in Oxford carried their partners who had spent the night dancing in their heels

A well-dressed pair in Oxford are seen sporting sunglasses in the early morning sunlight

Some women in Oxford went barefoot as they left the ball while others tried to take on the cobbles

The streets of Blackpool were filled with revellers in fancy dress. One woman's hat reads: 'Kiss me quick'

Oxford students head home after the balls hosted by Brasenose and Corpus Christi College

Party-goers in Oxford pose with an inflatable monkey as they leave the ball

An Oxford student in a dinner jacket decides to take the easy way home, opting to rent an electric scooter

One Oxford student went full out to fit with the Greek mythology theme, adorning golden wings with his dinner suit

A group of friends out in Blackpool to celebrate the bank holiday weekend

Oxford students wear wreaths in their hair as they head home from the May Ball
The sister of a nanny bludgeoned to death by an aristocrat who mistook her for his estranged wife has said an upcoming documentary is the 'first time in 50 years' someone has cared about her.

One of Britain's most notorious murderers, Lord Richard Bingham, the seventh Earl of Lucan, vanished after he murdered his family's nanny in Belgravia, London, in 1974.

Lord Lucan was looking for his estranged wife Veronica after a bitter argument, and entered a dark basement and hit her with a lead pipe before stuffing her into a mail-sack.

But the woman he killed was actually the nanny, 29-year-old Sandra Rivett. His countess wife was also attacked but managed to escape, running screaming for help to a nearby pub covered in blood.

Lord Lucan, then 39, then drove 42 miles to a friend's house in a sleepy Sussex village where he told them his wife had been attacked by a stranger and he needed to lie low because his wife had previously accused him of hiring a hitman.

Three days later, his blood-stained borrowed car was found abandoned with lead piping in the boot at the cross-Channel port of Newhaven. He has not been seen since.

In 1975, an injury jury concluded Lord Lucan has murdered the nanny. This was the last time a coroner held the power to return a verdict of murder, manslaughter or infanticide and to state who they believed to have committed the offence.

And in 1999, Lord Lucan was officially declared dead to allow his will to be settled.

Now, Sandra's sister Charmaine has told The Mirror: 'This is the first time in nearly 50 years that anyone else has cared about Sandra.'

Nanny Sandra Rivett, 29, was bludgeoned to death by Lord Lucan in London, 1974

Lord Lucan was looking for his estranged wife Veronica after a bitter argument, and entered a dark basement and hit her with a lead pipe, but it was Sandra, not Veronica

Pictured in 2017 is Lady Lucan, who survived the attack but later died age 80

Pictured is the poster for the upcoming documentary The Murder of Sandra Rivett

The true crime documentary will look at the events leading up to Sandra's death

Speaking ahead of a documentary called The Murder of Sandra Rivett being released, the sister said the film was 'recognising her as a person, not just a victim' and it has given 'me my sister back'.

Charmaine said that losing her older sister has 'haunted' her for years and paid tribute, calling her 'kind, caring and supportive'.

She spoke of how Sanda 'loved her job and the Lucan children' - the private school-educated Frances, George and Camilla, then aged 10, seven, and four.

In 1974, Sandra signed up with a domestic agency and got a job in the Lucan household. But 10 weeks later, she was dead.

She had walked into the middle of a toxic battle between Lord and Lady Lucan.

Their relationship had deteriorated due to his gambling addictions and her mental health struggles.

In 1974, Sandra signed up with a domestic agency and got a job in the Lucan house (pictured n the Amazon documentary). But 10 weeks later, she was dead

Lord and Lady Lucan are pictured in the upcoming true crime documentary

Lord Richard John Bingham pictured with his fiancee Veronica Duncan on the announcement of their engagement in 1963

Police dog handlers search for Lord Lucan on the downs above Newhaven Harbour

Sandra's son slammed police for not arresting a Buddist he believed to be Lord Lucan Neil Berriman from West Sussex, sensationally claimed in January 2020 that Lord Lucan is alive and well and living as a Buddhist in Australia. He also claimed that Bingham is housebound and awaiting a major operation after decades living Down Under. Mr Berriman claimed the peer originally lived in Perth after escaping to Australia, but moved to another part of the country after falling out with friends. But two years later it was revealed by facial recognition experts that this was not the case. Advertisement

They had separated in 1973, but Lord Lucan wanted custody of heir children and wanted to prove the countess was an unfit mother.

During this turmoil, Lady Lucan became friends with Sanda and they grew close, with a historian claiming there was a 'kinship' between the two women.

But tragically, Sandra died shortly after putting the children to bed and going to make her friend and boss a cup of tea.

Over the years there has been widespread speculation as to the whereabouts of the wealthy Etonian which overshadowed the woman he killed.

Wild theories from claims he shot himself and was fed to a tiger to claims he is living in Goa where he was known as 'Jungle Barry' are still circulating today.

Others have said he was sighted living in a Nazi colony in Paraguay, living in a car or working as a waiter in San Francisco.

In an ITV documentary in 2017, Lady Lucan said she believed he had jumped off a ferry shortly after the killing.

'I would say he got on the ferry and jumped off in the middle of the Channel in the way of the propellers so that his remains wouldn't be found,' she said, calling what she believed to be his final act 'brave.'

The countess was in the house watching TV in her bedroom that night when the 29-year-old nanny was killed as she went downstairs to the unlit basement to make her employer a cup of tea.

Sandra Rivett is pictured here with her husband Roger Rivett before her death

Neil Berriman, son of Sandra Rivett, believed Lord Lucan was living at a Buddist in Australia

The countess contends that she disturbed her husband after the fatal assault. He hit her four times with a length of bandaged metal piping before she grabbed his genitals.

Recalling the attack, she said: 'I'd started moving towards the cloakroom when someone rushed out and hit me about four times on the head with something hard. I screamed.

'A voice said: 'Shut up!' I just had time to register that the man was my husband when he thrust three gloved fingers down my throat.

'At this point, I started fighting back in earnest, but he switched tactics  trying to strangle me and then to gouge out my eyes. I gasped: 'Please don't kill me, John!'

Then, after she had persuaded her husband to get her a glass of water, she fled to a nearby pub and raised the alarm.

She recalled in the ITV documentary: 'He told me, 'I'll go to Broadmoor for this'. [Our children] George and Camilla were seven and three when it happened, and asleep in bed.'

Lady Lucan was found dead in September 2017 at her home in Belgravia where her husband famously disappeared. She was one of the last people to see her husband alive.

The 80-year-old killed herself by taking a cocktail of alcohol and barbiturates after diagnosing herself with Parkinson's disease.

The Dowager Countess of Lucan was found by police after being reported missing by a worried friend after not turning up for her regular walk.

Police smashed a window to break into her two-storey terraced townhouse.

Officers found her body in night clothes on the dining room floor on top of an unmarked bottle with just one pill left inside. It later emerged she had taken a fatal amount of barbiturates and alcohol.

An inquest was told Lady Lucan feared she had developed Parkinson's after she noticed a tremor in her right hand.

But the coroner said there was no formal diagnosis and an examination of her brain came back with 'normal' results.
Rishi Sunak has admitted the Tories might not win the general election in the wake of the party's brutal drubbing in council and mayoral contests.

The Prime Minister claimed Britain is heading for a hung parliament when he sends the country to the polls, as he warned about the 'disaster' of a Labour-led coalition.

A calamitous set of local elections saw the Conservatives lose almost 500 seats and all-but-one elected mayor, which has sparked a fresh battle in the Tory civil war.

Mr Sunak also saw the Tories lose the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election to Labour, with his party only narrowly beating third-placed Reform UK.

The PM conceded it had been 'bitterly disappointing' for his party, but seized on an analysis of council resuts that suggested Labour would miss out on a House of Commons majority.

'These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party,' he told The Times.

'Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.

'The country doesn't need more political horse trading, but action. We are the only party that has a plan to deliver on the priorities of the people.'

Rishi Sunak has admitted the Tories might not win the general election in the wake of the party's brutal drubbing in council and mayoral contests

The PM claimed Britain is heading for a hung parliament, as he warned Labour's Sir Keir Starmer is plotting a coalition with the SNP, Lib Dems and Greens

Professor Michael Thrasher, a leading elections expert, said analysis of the results of Thursday's council contest showed Labour as the largest party in Westminster but short of an overall majority.

A study of two million council wards for Sky News projected those voting figures into a nationwide estimate, with Labour leading the Tories by nine percentage points.

The analysis suggested Labour would be left 32 seats short of a majority at a general election.

But the study raised eyebrows as it flies in the face of the massive lead Labour has in almost all Westminster voting intention polls.

It was pointed out that people often vote differently in local and national elections, and there were no council contests in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland on Thursday.

Health minister Maria Caulfield this morning repeated the PM's claim that Britain is on course for a hung Parliament.

She also claimed Tory voters who stayed at home for last week's local elections would back the Government at the general election.

'It's always difficult when you've been in Government and voters can send a message to a party in Government that they're unhappy about certain things with the safe knowledge that they still have a Conservative Government in control,' she told Sky News.

'It's very different come a general election where they really do have to make a choice.

'If you look at Blackpool South, for example, the vast majority of our voters that voted for us in 2019 stayed at home, they didn't switch to Labour.

'They didn't switch to Reform. They stayed at home and that shows that they haven't really been tempted by other parties.'

Labour sought to dispel suggestions it would consider a coalition with the SNP after the general election.

Pat McFadden, the party's national campaign co-ordinator, said: 'Our aim is to win a majority, to govern, to meet the mood for change, and we're not planning any alliances or pacts with anyone.'

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Former home secretary Suella Braverman urged Mr Sunak to change course rightwards to win back voters in the wake of the local election results.

But she said a change of leadership was not a 'feasible prospect', adding: 'There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.'

Among the measures Ms Braverman has urged the PM to adopt to win back voters are further tax cuts and a cap on legal migration.

Tory grandee Sir John Hayes signalled Mr Sunak should reshuffle his Cabinet, with his close ally Ms Braverman as a voice at the table for what he called the 'authentic Tory part of the Conservative Party'.

But Conservative moderates warned against Mr Sunak lurching rightwards, with defeated West Midlands mayor Andy Street claiming after his loss that 'winning from that centre ground is what happens'.

Damian Green, chairman of the One Nation Group of Tory moderates, made a similar plea on the BBC's Westminster Hour.

'I would just observe the seats that we have lost in the past few days  we lost to parties to the left of us. So I think suggesting that what we need to do is to move to the right is irrational in the face of the electorate,' he said.

Ben Page, chief executive of polling company Ipsos, told Times Radio that Mr Sunak's prediction the UK is headed for a hung parliament is 'for the birds'.

'I think it's for the birds, to be honest, at the moment,' he said.

'If you look at the swing in Blackpool South, 30 per cent or so, you look at these local election results, which we haven't seen anything of this kind since just before Labour won a landslide in 1997.

'And finally, you look at Keir Starmer, and Keir Starmer isn't particularly popular, but it's always compared to what, if you look at how people rate Keir Starmer as best possible candidate for being prime minister with Rishi Sunak, he's got double the score of Rishi Sunak.'
Oxbridge students have set up encampments in front of Britain's most prestigious universities in solidarity with Gaza - as campus protests continue to sweep across the UK.

At around 8am on Bank Holiday Monday, students pitched tents outside the Pitts Rivers museum in Oxford as they demanded an end to violence in Gaza and the release of hostages. By lunchtime around 70 students have pitched up at the camp.

At the same time, Cambridge students armed with tents, gazebos and sleeping bags set up on the front lawn of King's College in protest against 'Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza'.

The sit-in protests, which echo protests seen in the US, have sprung up at other British universities including Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle over the last week.

At Oxford's camp, named the 'liberated zone', students pinned up a board of six demands including calls to boycott Israeli genocide, stop banking with Barclays and help rebuild Gaza's education system.

Cambridge for Palestine said it will 'not move' from the encampment until the university agrees to four demands including disclosing financial ties with complicit organisations and protecting students at risk.

CAMBRIDGE: Students set up an encampment in solidarity with Gaza this morning

OXFORD: Students put up a sign listing their six demands at their 'Liberated Zone' camp

Student encampments for Gaza spread to Oxford university  #StudentsForGaza pic.twitter.com/HnMID4hLR4  Socialist Worker (@socialistworker) May 6, 2024

OXFORD: They say 'will not rest until their demands are met', with study tents, toilet facilities, and food making areas already in place

The protests seek to emulate those seen at American universities in recent weeks, where more than 130 college campuses have been targeted by pro-Palestine supporters.

Oxford and Cambridge encampments: What are the protesters' demands?

Students staging encampment protests in solidary with Gaza have put up a lengthy list of demands, and vowed they 'will not move' until these are met. Cambridge for Palestine's four demands are: 1. Disclose: Financial and professional ties with complicit organisations. 2. Divest: Funds and collaborations away from such organisations. 3. Reinvest: In Palestinian students, academics and scholars. 4. Protect: Students at risk, and become a university of sanctuary. Oxford students have pinned up a board with a list of six demands to university bosses. These are: 1. Boycott Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation. 2. Disclose all finances. 3. Stop banking with Barclays. 4. Help rebuild Gaza's education system. 5. Divest from Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation. 6. Overhaul the university's investment policy. Advertisement

These have resulted in growing disorder and unrest, with more than 2,000 arrests.

As Gaza protests continue to grow in the UK, the government has expressed 'serious' concerns they could escalate to violence, as witnessed in the US.

Today's encampments have been organised by groups Oxford Action for Palestine and Cambridge for Palestine, as well as several other smaller groups.

The protests had been organised in coalition with each other.

Oxford University's Museum of Natural History remained open and apparently untroubled by the 25-strong encampment of tents on its front lawn.

Footage from the protest, posted on X, showed students chanting: 'We are the people. We will not be silenced. Stop the bombing now, now, now.'

Unlike in scenes across the Atlantic, where there were fierce clashes with ranks of guardsmen, students inside Oxford's 'liberated zone' worked on their dissertations on laptops while others gathered around to listen to the first in a series of lectures on the 'history of the Occupation', beginning with the Ottoman period.

In a printed manifesto, the protestors hit out at the 'infamous' museum beside their protest, in an attempt to stoke wider concerns about imperialism.

'We have established a Liberated Zone on the lawn of the infamous University of Oxford Pitt Rivers Museum. The museum, which 'acquired' items from across the globe through imperial expansionism, mirrors the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people and connect us to colonised peoples everywhere', it read.

'We invite you to struggle with us. Join us in our library, in our study space, in our peaceful protest, in our call for Oxford to sever its institutional relationships that facilitate the genocide and occupation of the Palestinian people.'

The rain quickly reduced the well-kempt lawn into a quagmire, while to gain admittance, visitors had to hand over their details, which will be kept 'in accordance with our data security protocols'.

The paranoid atmosphere was increased by the insistence that all visitors wear a Covid-era mask - whether this was to protect the protestors' health or anonymity was not made clear.

The obligatory sign-up procedure told visitors: 'The University of Oxford is complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. With strong ties to companies supporting the Zionist entity (like Rolls Royce and Raytheon) and academic ties to Israel, Oxford continues to uphold israel's apartheid regime. The Univeristy's lack of transparency protects its financial interests in the genocide of the Palestinian people. We have had enough.'

More than 100 dons have backed the encampment. In an open letter, 108 lecturers, faculty members and researchers said they stood 'firmly in support' of the students who had set up the encampment.

OXFORD: Students have erected anti-Israel signs as they call for a ceasefire in Gaza

A spokesperson at Oxford University told MailOnline there is 'no place for intolerance' and the protest must be carried out with 'respect, courtesy and empathy'.

They added: 'We respect our students and staff members right to freedom of expression in the form of peaceful protests.

'Oxford University's primary focus is the health and safety of the University community, and to ensure any impact on work, research and learning, including student exams, is minimised.

'The Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum remain open.'

An Oxford masters student who gave their name only as Wren said: 'We've taken inspiration from students in the USA and also now in the UK as well.

'We're going to be here through all weather and there's going to be loads of us.

'We're going to be here until our demands are met. We're going to be here probably for a while judging by Oxford's inaction so far.'

In Cambridge a food station, tent to make placards and banners, makeshift toilet were set up in the encampment, which currently holds around 30 tents.

Cambridge for Palestine, the group behind the encampment, asked students to join them in solidarity with Palestinians who are being subject to what they claimed is a 'murderous campaign of ethnic cleansing'.

They claim their institution is 'complicit in genocide' because of its 'financial and academic ties' to a 'settler colonial state'.

CAMBRIDGE: Students gave speeches as they outlined their demands during sit-in protests

CAMBRIDGE: Protesters paint signs as they stage demonstrations on their university lawns, echoing similar encampments seen in the US

It claimed: 'Cambridge University has over $46 million in defense industry partnerships, contributing to the manufacture of weapons that Israel has used to kill over 40,000 Palestinians, 40 per cent of whom are children, and to destroy every university in Gaza.'

A Cambridge University spokesperson said: 'The University is fully committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law and we acknowledge the right to protest.

'We ask everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy. Our priority is the safety of all staff and students.

'We will not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia and any other form of racial or religious hatred, or other unlawful activity.'

The university protests come on a critical day in the bloody Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians began leaving parts of eastern Rafah on Monday after Israel urged 100,000 people to move towards an expanded 'humanitarian zone'.

It comes ahead of an imminent offensive on the southern Gazan city, where more 1.5 million people have sought shelter.

Ceasefire negotiations stalled on Sunday after terror group Hamas said it would turn down any deal that failed to end the war on Palestinian turf.

OXFORD: students have set up a base on the lawn of King's College because the university 'supports Israel 's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza'

OXFORD: The growing number of demonstrations have led to 'serious' government concerns that the campus protests could escalate to violence as witnessed in the US

Last week saw students at Russell Group universities including Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle, pitch tents and erect anti-Israel signs as they called for an end to military action in the Gaza strip.

Students from Manchester University filled nearby Brunswick Park with banners, plaques and Palestinian flags to call for the university to 'end it's partnership with systems which support Israel'.

One banner read: 'UOM blood on your hands', while another claimed: 'UOM supports Israeli Genocide.'

In Bristol, hand-painted banners were erected between tents, emblazoned with messages of defiance as students lobbied their university to cut ties with arms companies and back calls for a ceasefire.

In Newcastle, students were entertained by a Palestinian DJ and treated to regular food supplies, as well as being enticed by free drinks vouchers at the student union bar.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said police will 'have our full support' to tackle potential disorder if students attempt to replicate the violent demonstrations recently seen at US university campuses.

Jewish community leaders have urged universities to shut down encampments over fears Jewish students may be 'harassed and excluded'.

Jewish students said the protests have made them feel unwelcome on their own campuses, due to the aggressive stance on Israel.

NEWCASTLE: Students say their protest 'highlights the institution's investment strategy and its complicity in the Israeli military's war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank'

MANCHESTER: A protester gives a 'peace' sign at an encampment set up at Brunswick Park

BRISTOL: Fine arts student Sam was taking part at a protest at Bristol University last week

LEEDS: Students manning stalls and camping out at Leeds University last week

NEWCASTLE: Students gathered in front of the university as they protest in solidarity with Gaza on May 1

Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), said campus bosses have been 'unwilling' to be 'allies' to his members and are not making them feel 'included'.

Last week he called on vice chancellors to 'muster the moral courage' to 'ensure campuses are places where they can study free from hatred'.

Mr Isaacs said he was aware that students in UK protests are using anti-Israel phrases such as 'globalise the Intifada' and 'do not engage with Zionists'.

He wrote: 'Encampments are growing and the rhetoric emanating from these encampments is increasing in hostility

'Universities have been unwilling to effectively stand in allyship with their Jewish students and ensure they can be fully included in campus life.

'Now is a bellwether moment for university administrations as to whether they will muster the moral courage to stand in allyship with Jewish students, and ensure campuses are places where they can study free from hatred The moral imperative is theirs.'

Mr Isaacs said Jewish students were having to start sitting their end-of-year exams amid 'increased toxicity' towards them.

NEWCASTLE: Hafsa, a 21-year old first year student, joined the encampment at her university

UCL: Pro-Palestine pProtesters outside University College London over the weekend

GOLDSMITHS: A man walks past flags and banners in support of Palestine displayed in the window of his university library

UCL: Students at University College London join pro-Palestinian demonstrations

He said some protesters were seeking to import 'nefarious' aspects of the violent US demonstrations.

'You may wonder how a few tents can create a hostile environment on campus for Jewish students,' he added.

'But it is what these encampments are trying to emulate which is most disturbing.

'One must only look to the violent scenes at Columbia and UCLA, the brazen support for Hamas, and the all-to-often infiltration of these protests by non-student activists.'

Number 10 has warned protests should not be used to 'intimidate' others and said police would be 'fully supported' to intervene if any turn violent.

UCLA: Police clash with pro-Palestinian students after destroying part of the encampment barricade at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) early on May 2, 2024

NEW YORK: Police riot gear stormed through the window of a Columbia University building occupied by dozens of pro-Palestine protestors to begin clearing them out

MADISON: Police officers with riot shields go in to break up the encampment at UW-Madison

CHICAGO: Campus police stand between demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of Chicago and counter demonstrators after a brief skirmish between the groups on May 03, 2024

A spokesman for No 10 said: 'We have always been clear that Jewish students must feel safe on campuses and whilst our universities rightfully pride themselves on their openness and tolerance and diversity it is obviously absolutely clear that any antisemitism shouldn't be tolerated.

'We've always been clear that people have a right to peaceful and lawful protest but clearly people shouldn't abuse that right to intimidate others, cause unnecessary disruption.

'Obviously the police already have extensive public order powers to tackle disorder at protests and will continue to have our full support in doing so if needed.'

A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'The priority of UUK and our member universities is to ensure that our campuses remain safe for all our students and staff. We will do everything we can to prevent hate crime, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and intolerance, and support our universities to respond appropriately if incidents involving these take place.

'In line with the sector's clear commitment to freedom of speech, it is important that universities enable and support students and staff to debate and discuss this crisis, and the most challenging issues it raises, within the law, and with respect and tolerance.'
A furious customer has called out Australia Post after a driver's excuse for failing to deliver a package was proved wrong on CCTV.

The man received an alert that his parcel was unable to be delivered to his home in Ningi, north of Brisbane last Friday because of a 'locked gate'.

'Good job AusPost,' he captioned a photo on Facebook which showed the 'attempted delivery' alert on his phone alongside a clip from his CCTV footage.

The grab showed the driveway gate wide open around the same time that Australia Post claimed they attempted to make the delivery.

The photo was inundated with comments from Aussies claiming to have encountered the same problem with the postage service.

A customer called out Australia Post after he received an alert that his parcel was unable to be delivered to his home in Ningi because of a 'locked gate'. Pictured right is the CCTV which shows the driveway gate wide open

READ MORE: Australia Post ditches daily letter delivery as parcels take precedence

Under the new performance standards a letter posted within a state should be delivered in four days and no more than five Advertisement

'This just happened to my sister as well, also in Ningi. They didn't even knock,' one person wrote.

'I swear they didn't get out of the truck, the camera would have picked it up, must be all the same lazy bloke,' the man responded.

While many encouraged the man to report the incident, numerous other shared details of their own experiences.

'They used to come in our driveway at high speed, we had two entrances. In, throw delivery, [and] out in 5 seconds flat. Total joke, too bad about the wildlife on our property and god forbid if you had breakables in the package,' one person said.

My husband watched the delivery guy stop yesterday, then drive off straight away  next came the message that the parcel would be left at the post office. Didnt even attempt to make the delivery,' another wrote.

A third wrote: 'Aus Post deliveries around Ningi suck. I'm only getting one in three items delivered,' a third person commented.

Another commented: 'I have stairs and they don't even bother delivering. Goes straight to the post office for pick up  annoying."

Australia Post has launched an investigation into the 'locked gate' incident.

'Australia Post takes seriously its responsibility to deliver mail and parcels and will investigate this issue,' a spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.

'If a delivery does not meet the high standards we expect, we encourage customers to contact us directly.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted Australia Post for further comment.
John Swinney is set to be crowned the new SNP leader today after nominations in the party's contest to replace Humza Yousaf closed at noon.

It is expected to be announced that Mr Swinney ran unopposed after SNP figures moved to dodge another divisive leadership battle.

If he is confirmed as the SNP's new leader, Mr Swinney is then likely to become Scotland's next first minister - replacing Mr Yousaf - as early as tomorrow.

Party activist Graeme McCormick yesterday said he had secured the 100 nominations from 20 SNP branches needed to run against Mr Swinney.

But he later confirmed he had backed out of a leadership challenge after 'lengthy and fruitful' conversations with Mr Swinney.

Mr Swinney had earlier warned that a full-blown contest could damage the party's chances of recovering from a 'difficult' period.

John Swinney is set to be crowned the new SNP leader today when nominations in the party's contest to replace Humza Yousaf close at noon

The SNP were forced to look for a third new leader in little more than a year after Mr Yousaf, who replaced Nicola Sturgeon in March 2023, announced his resignation last Monday

Keith Brown, the SNP's depute leader, this morning said the 'field is clearing' ahead of Mr Swinney's expected coronation.

'It seems to be that the field is cleaning somewhat and it looks like John Swinney might be the sole nominee,' he told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland.

Mr Brown described Mr Swinney as the 'biggest hitter in the SNP' who would scare unionist parties 'to a great extent'.

The SNP were forced to look for a third new leader in little more than a year after Mr Yousaf, who replaced Nicola Sturgeon in March 2023, announced his resignation last Monday.

It came after the outgoing First Minister prompted a meltdown at Holyrood by terminating the SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.

This blew up in Mr Yousaf's face when the Greens then turned against him and vowed to vote in favour of him being ousted from Bute House.

Mr Yousaf subsequently quit in order to avoid the embarrassment of losing a no confidence vote.

Kate Forbes, the former Scottish finance secretary who came second to Mr Yousaf in last year's SNP leadership race, had been expected to run again.

But she last week confirmed she would not run against Mr Swinney, who heaped praise on her and said she would be offered a 'significant' job in his team.

The Scottish Government Cabinet will meet on Tuesday, with MSPs later given the opportunity to elect a new first minister at some point in the Holyrood schedule.

Mr Swinney would then have to swear three oaths of office at the Court of Session in Edinburgh before officially becoming first minister.

The 60-year-old served as Ms Sturgeon's deputy first minister for almost nine years.

The Perthshire North MSP was also SNP leader between 2000 and 2004, standing down after a poor showing at the European elections.

When he decided not to stand for the leadership last year he said it was time for a new generation to take over.
Another group of migrants have arrived in Dover today after more than 300 were picked up in the Channel over the weekend - with the yearly total now topping 8,500.

The migrants, which appear to number around a dozen, were pictured being shepherded ashore at Dover by Border Force officers this morning.

They are presumed to have been picked up from a small boat attempting to cross the Channel.

Today's migrants come after 266 migrants arrived in six boats on Saturday and 54 migrants arrived in one boat on Sunday.

The latest arrivals come after a surge of recent crossings as the people smuggling gangs take advantage of the relatively calm weather to make more landings.

Border Force officials help rescued migrants into Dover today

At least a dozen individuals wearing bright red life jackets disembarked

Channel crossings had already hit a new record high for the first four months of the year

There have been 1,288 arriving this month already, according to Home Office figures.

The total number of arrivals for this year has now reached 8,587, a significant upswing compared to this time last year.

This is around 34 per cent higher than the total at the equivalent point last year, which was 6,192, and 19 per cent higher than the total at this stage in 2022, which was 6,945.

On Wednesday 711 people were detected crossing the English Channel, which is highest number on a single day so far this year.

The highest-ever number of arrivals in a single day is 1,295, which was recorded on August 22, 2022.

Last year 29,437 migrants arrived in the UK, down 36 per cent on a record 45,774 arrivals in 2022.

The series of crossings come as the Rwandan government admitted it could not guarantee how many migrants it will take from the UK under Rishi Sunak's flagship deportation scheme.

They were helped onto the docks for processing, some wearing blankets against the cold

A group of migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent by the RNLI last week after being picked up

A French policeman slashes an inflatable dinghy filled with migrants trying to leave a beach

But Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the east African state, did deny that Rwanda would be able to take a minuscule 200, saying this was the capacity of just one hostel in the country that is slated to house them.

Asked by the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg if Rwanda would be able to process tens of thousands of migrants, the official said: 'We will be able to welcome the migrants that the UK sends over the lifetime of this partnership.

'What I cannot tell you is how many thousands we are taking in the first year or the second year. This will depend on very many factors that are being worked out right now', she said.

The perilous crossings cost more lives last week, as five drowned when nearly 100 migrants piled into a small boat which sank off the French coast, including Sara Alhashimi, seven.

Her distraught father, Ahmed, 41, said he all he wanted was for my kids to go to school and saw the UK as his last chance after 14 years of failed claims to stay on the continent, even though his daughter was born in Belgium.

Sara had spent most of her short life living with relatives in liberal Sweden, which has boasted of its open doors policy but gave her just two days notice that she would be deported.

I will never forgive myself, but the sea was the only choice I had, Mr Alhashimi told the BBC from the northern French coast earlier this week.

Sara (pictured) died while trying to cross the Channel to Britain last week

Sara (right) pictured with her father Ahmed

Meanwhile, a third man has been charged with an immigration offence in relation to the deaths.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Mohammed Jibril, 23, from Sudan, will appear at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday, charged with entering the UK illegally.

He was detained in Hayes, west London, and was interviewed by officers on Wednesday.

It comes after two other males from South Sudan and Sudan were charged over the incident, but disputes about their ages and whether they are youths have delayed court proceedings.

The pair claimed they are 15 and 16, but initial age assessments by immigration officers and a social worker placed them in their early 20s.

French authorities have been told to significantly ramp up their efforts to prevent migrants leaving the coast since the tragedy.

They were pictured deploying tear gas and slashing dinghy's with knives in a bid to try and stop the migrants from crossing.

A group of migrants on an inflatable dinghy in in the English Channel (file image)

Distraught migrants were seen collapsing onto the beach as they are prevented from making the dangerous journey, which some had paid up to 1,000 each to attempt.

Nearly 121,000 migrants have now been intercepted crossing the English Channel in small boats since 2018, with 6,667 migrants having crossed this year alone, according to official data.

Responding to this month's discouraging figures, a Home Office spokesman said: 'The unacceptable number of people who continue to cross the Channel demonstrates exactly why we must get flights to Rwanda off the ground as soon as possible.

'We continue to work closely with French police who are facing increasing violence and disruption on their beaches as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys. Last year they stopped 26,000 people from reaching our shores.

'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.'

Nearly 121,000 migrants have now been intercepted crossing the English Channel in small boats since 2018, with 6,667 migrants having crossed so far this year, according to official data

The government's Rwanda Bill finally became law last week after months of delay, meaning that Home Office officials can now start detaining the first batch of migrants destined for deportation to Rwanda ahead of the first flights this summer

On Saturday Ursula von der Leyen (pictured), the President of the European Commission, backed a policy of deporting people to third countries for asylum processing

The government's Rwanda Bill finally became law last week after months of delay, meaning that Home Office officials can now start detaining the first batch of migrants destined for deportation to Rwanda ahead of the first flights this summer.

READ MORE: UK dismisses Irish demand to return migrants crossing from NI pointing out France doesn't accept Channel arrivals back Advertisement

On top of this, on Saturday Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, backed a policy of deporting people to third countries for asylum processing.

In a shock statement ahead of June's European elections, Ms Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP) called for 'a fundamental change in European asylum law'.

The EPP grouping, the largest in the European Parliament, pledged: 'We want to implement the concept of safe third countries. Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there.'

Mr Sunak responded: 'I said when I first became Prime Minister that others would recognise a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats and now even top parties in the EU are following our lead.'
A Houston police officer kept his cool as he rescued an overwrought Texan and his dogs amid massive flooding. It was all captured on video on his bodycam.

Marine Enforcement Unit Officer H. Scott launched the rescue as he responded Saturday to frantic calls for help from a flooded trailer park in north Houston along the San Jacinto River.

Scott maneuvered his jet ski to rescue the man, who was clutching one of his dogs in his arms in muddy water up to 10 feet deep

"Catch your breath. You good?" the officer asked as the man struggled to climb onto the back of the jet ski, and directed the cop to the location of his other dog, stranded in the water swamping the entire neighborhood.

The officer help lift the first dog to safety  then jumped into the water to swim with the second dog to direct to the jet ski  and helped transfer the owner and his pets to a police boat.

Fellow officers also directed Scott to a third dog nearby whose head was barely above the water. Scott also saved him.

Hundreds of people and their pets were rescued in the Houston area over the weekend amid "catastrophic" flooding in the wake of massive storms. The water rose nearly as high as power lines along the east fork of the San Jacinto River, and some houses were swamped to their roofs, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The families of two women killed after being hit by buses outside London Victoria station have called for the area to be closed following a third incident in three years.

A woman today remained in a life-threatening condition at hospital after being hit by a double-decker bus at the notoriously dangerous junction last Friday at about 11am.

MailOnline understands that that the woman, who has not yet been named, remains in a 'critical but stable' condition and is likely to remain so for some time.

Passengers were kept on the bus for more than an hour afterwards to be interviewed by police - and the incident has led to renewed calls to Transport for London (TfL) and its chair, newly-relected London Mayor Sadiq Khan, for road layout changes.

Two other women have died in the same area after being hit by a bus in recent years - Catherine Finnegan, 56, in January this year; and Melissa Burr, 32, in August 2021.

The scene outside London Victoria station last Friday following the crash at about 11am

Following the latest incident, Ms Finnegan's niece Katrina Finnegan has issued a statement to MailOnline on behalf of her family together with Ms Burr's mother.

READ MORE Woman fights for life after being hit by double-decker bus outside London Victoria station at same junction where two people have been knocked down and killed in three years Advertisement

They said: 'The families of Kathleen Finnegan and Melissa Burr are devastated to hear of another serious incident near Victoria Station.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim of this terrible bus crash. We are calling on the Mayor of London and Transport for London to close this area until it is made safe for pedestrians.'

TfL has confirmed that works to Victoria bus station to 'improve pedestrian safety and accessibility needs' were carried out last year.

This included constructing and reviewing pedestrian crossing points, footways on Terminus Place and adjusting bus stops.

A loading bay was also created on Terminus Place with new signage for customers and bus drivers installed.

But officials are now working with the Metropolitan Police on the investigation into the latest incident to look at whether further changes will be required.

Witness Youcef Fk, 26, who works for a sightseeing bus company in Victoria, told the Daily Telegraph: 'Police said a lady had been smashed by the bus.

Two other women have died in the same area of Victoria after being hit by a bus in recent years - Catherine Finnegan (left), 56, in January; and Melissa Burr (right), 32, in August 2021

'This is about the third time it has happened in the same place, and the fourth time was a couple of weeks ago when a bus stop was smashed.'

He said it was a 'dangerous junction' and that his firm had warned police and the council that the 'pavement is too close to the road and bus wheels go over it'.

TfL's head of buses Tom Cunnington said: 'Our thoughts remain with the people who have been killed and seriously injured after collisions in Victoria. These incidents are distressing for everyone involved and we have support available for those affected.

'Last year, we carried out works to Victoria Bus Station to improve pedestrian safety. We will support the police with their enquiries into the causes of the incident near to the station on Friday to see if additional safety improvements are needed.

'Safety is our utmost priority in all that we do and we're determined that it will continue to be at the heart of our transport network.'

Police and paramedics attended the scene outside London Victoria station last Friday

Following the death of Ms Finnegan in January, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the Evening Standard that 'all options are on the table' for a re-design of Victoria station.

TfL has a 'Vision Zero' goal of ensuring that no one will be killed in or by a London bus by 2030. There is also a target for zero serious injuries by 2041.

The Metropolitan Police said last Friday: 'Police were called to Buckingham Palace Road following reports of a Road Traffic Collision involving a bus and pedestrian.

'A woman was treated on scene. Her injuries have been confirmed to be life threatening. Road closures are currently in place.'

Police were called to Buckingham Palace Road following the accident last Friday morning

And the London Ambulance Service said: 'We were called at 11:14am today to reports of a road traffic collision involving a bus and a pedestrian at Victoria Station.

'We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews and an incident response officer. We also dispatched a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance by car.

'Our first paramedic was on the scene in under five minutes. We treated a patient at the scene and took them to a major trauma centre.'

Nickie Aiken, the Conservative MP for Cities of London and Westminster, tweeted: 'So sorry to learn of the third serious incident involving a bus at Victoria station. My thoughts are with the woman fighting for her life and her family.'

MailOnline has contacted Mr Khan's office for comment.
A masseur has been convicted of sexually assaulting a string of female clients he met on a popular beauty therapy app.

Married Yuliyan Dimov, 45, took advantage of his victims after they booked sessions with him in their own homes on Urban.

The British platform allows customers to connect to freelance therapists for private sessions but has previously been hijacked by predators.

Dimov, a professional physio, was caught after one woman reported him for assaulting her during a massage in November 2022. Officers contacted others who had sessions with him and they reported similar attacks.

The Bulgarian national was arrested at Gatwick as he tried to board a one-way flight to his homeland on June 15 last year.

Married Yuliyan Dimov (pictured), 45, took advantage of his victims after they booked sessions with him in their own homes on Urban

Police examined his phone and found more than 30 photos women taken without their consent on home visits.

Despite evidence of sexual assault and voyeurism, Dimov, of Enfield, north London, claimed the photos were solely for professional use on his massage website.

But he was found guilty of a string of crimes against ten victims at Wood Green Crown Court.

He was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault, six counts of voyeurism, and two counts of attempted voyeurism.

Detective Abigail Butler said: 'The great work carried out by officers to build this case is only overshadowed by the bravery of the women who came forward.

'If anyone believes they have been assaulted at the hands of Dimov, I urge them to get in touch.'

Despite evidence of sexual assault and voyeurism, Dimov, of Enfield, north London, claimed the photos were solely for professional use on his massage website. But he was found guilty of a string of crimes against ten victims at Wood Green Crown Court (file photo)

Urban, valued at 12 million, has more than 200,000 customers who can pick from manicures, massages and physio in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

But critics have questioned if it has enough checks in place after previous attacks.

Dimov was suspended as a physio following a Health and Care Professions tribunal hearing in July last year. He will be sentenced on June 28.

An Urban spokesman said: 'We are appalled by this man's disgraceful criminal behaviour and are profoundly sorry that his victims endured such distressing experiences.'
Prince William and Princess Kate are 'going through hell' amid the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis as they struggle to come to terms with the news that any family dreads, a designer close to the family has said.

Amaia Arrieta, a children's clothing designer behind many of the outfits worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who became close with the Wales' after the birth of their eldest son, has described how the family are struggling as Kate battles the disease.

Ms Arrieta, herself a mother-of-three, told the Telegraph she has been left 'heartbroken' by the news after years of supplying the royal children with clothes for their wardrobes.

'I'm heartbroken at the moment, I think they are going through hell,' she said. 'I hope they will be back. It's really personal.'

Kate, 42, revealed she was battling cancer just weeks after her father-in-law, King Charles, announced his own diagnosis with the illness.

Amaia Arrieta, a children's clothing designer behind many of the outfits worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, has said she is 'heartbroken' by the news of Kate's cancer diagnosis

Ms Arrieta first saw Prince George wearing her clothes in a photo which saw him in her shorts and knee-high socks

The Prince and Princess of Wales are going 'through hell' amid Kate's diagnosis, a designer close to the family has revealed

It was less than a fortnight after a Mother's Day photo sparked an online frenzy around the world after royal fans became convinced the picture had been edited.

The Princess of Wales later put out a statement confirming she had experimented with editing just 'like many amateur photographers'.

She and nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo have been picking out Amaia designs for the children, aged ten, nine and six, since George was just a baby.

The Spanish-born designer told the paper dressing the royals brings her 'so much pride' as Charlotte prepared to celebrate her ninth birthday last week.

She first saw her designs in use in a portrait of Prince George from 2014, in which he wore Amaia shorts and knee-high socks.

Recalling the moment she saw the photo, on the cover of a Hello! magazine in Waitrose, Ms Arrieta said: 'That was a huge moment because they had been coming to us but you never know if they'll actually wear it.'

She has since provided clothing worn at the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee, as well as in official photographs, at Christmas and for royal events throughout the year.

Most recently, Princess Charlotte wore an Amaia skirt in the controversial Mother's Day snap.

Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis wore Amaia coats during a balcony appearance at the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee

The Prince of Wales shared the news about her cancer diagnosis in an emotional video, released on social media

Princess Charlotte is pictured wearing an Amaia skirt in a photo released by the family for Mother's Day

Shortly afterwards, on March 22, Kate released an emotional video in which she told the public she is battling cancer.

READ MORE: Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrate 13th wedding anniversary Advertisement

She, the Prince of Wales, 41, and their three children, all missed the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, following the announcement, despite attending last year.

The family spent the Easter holiday together as they adjusted to Kate's diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests after major abdominal surgery.

In the message revealing the diagnosis last month, Kate said: 'This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time.

'It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment.

'But, most importantly, 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.'

Since revealing the diagnosis, the Prince and Princess of Wales are said to be 'enormously touched' and 'extremely moved' by the public's warmth and support.

As King Charles returned to limited public duties in recent days, it has not yet been confirmed when Kate will be back to business.

Prince William has carried out limited public engagements as he cares for his wife and children, visiting a youth centre in west London last month.
A Texas mother has described the devastating moment her four-year-old son was swept away from her in the torrential floods ravaging the state.

Chelsey and Aaron Warren lost Lucas, their only child, after their car became stuck in rainwater on their way home from a friend's house in the early hours of Sunday.

The family of three had been driving home on County Road 528 in Burleson, near Fort Worth - an area which has been ravaged by the catastrophic storms.

Chelsey said their car began filling up with water so she grabbed hold of Lucas and the three attempted to flee on foot when tragedy struck.

'The current came up real high and he just let go,' she told NBC5. 'I didn't hear anything from him, I think he just went under.'

A Texas mother has described the devastating moment her four-year-old son Lucas Warren (pictured) was swept away from her in floodwaters before he died early Sunday morning

His mother Chelsey Warren (pictured) said their car began filling up with water so she grabbed hold of Lucas and the three attempted to flee on foot when tragedy struck

Channelview Fire Department and sheriffs get ready to help evacuate the area due to severe flooding, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Channelview, Texas

Chelsey said they were familiar with County Road 528, which is prone to flooding - but officials normally close it off when water levels become too high.

'Usually, there's a block in the road that says don't pass through there or has a sign that says flooding water, please turn around, and there was nothing,' she said. 'I had saw somebody else had gone through.'

As they tried to plough their vehicle through the water, the car cut out and they quickly became trapped amid the natural disaster.

'My car battery died, and then the car started filling up with water, so we grabbed Lucas out of his car seat,' Chelsey said.

The devastated mother added that they tried to escape on foot but they were swept off the road.

Her husband became separated from them and she trod water while desperately holding on to Lucas for more than an hour.

It was at this point that the current surged and they were torn apart.

Chelsey said Johnson County rescuers arrived in a boat minutes later and took her to hospital before launching a search for her son.

The Johnson County Office of Emergency Management confirmed Chelsey and Aaron were taken to a local hospital at about 5am. Hours later, at 7.20am, responders found Lucas dead in the water.

Chelsey said the sheriff broke the horrific news to her while she was in hospital, telling her Lucas 'looked really peaceful and that all of his clothes weren't ripped'.

'He looks like he just went to sleep,' she told NBC5.

The family also lost their car, phones and wallets amid the tragedy. A GoFundMe launched by a relative has so far raised more than $23,000 for Lucas' funeral expenses

Chelsey and Aaron Warren lost Lucas, their only child, on Sunday after their car became stuck in surging rainwater which has been pounding the Lone Star State

Chelsey said the sheriff broke the horrific news to her while she was in hospital, telling her Lucas 'looked really peaceful and that all of his clothes weren't ripped'

Lucas had been weeks away from his fifth birthday. Chelsey said her entire family has been devastated by his death.

'He's my everything,' she said, adding that he was a miracle baby who spent weeks in the NICU after he was born. 'I can't sleep without him, I can't, I do everything with him.'

'He's the best,' she added. 'He's such a bright, sweet, amazing, amazing boy.'

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office said a local saw what happened to the Warren family and called 911 seeking help for them at 2am Sunday.

They notified deputies of a vehicle stuck in floodwaters with three occupants inside on the County Road 528.

The witness added that they could be seen being swept away as they tried to escape from the vehicle to dry ground.

First responders rushed to the scene and began searching for the family, the office said, but it was too late for Lucas.

The family also lost their car, phones and wallets amid the tragedy. A GoFundMe launched by a relative has so far raised more than $23,000 for Lucas' funeral expenses and to help them get back on their feet.

Johnson County Office of Emergency Management said the road wasn't blocked off because there hadn't been any reports of high water there until the 911 call for the family.

'Commissioner precincts generally close gates that might be on their roadways; that said, there had been no high water reported on that roadway until the call for rescue came in,' a spokesperson for the county's office of emergency management told NBC5.

'It is referred to as a flash flood because it happens very quickly.'

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo speaks before going up in a helicopter at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport to survey flood damage around the northern section of greater Houston, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Spring, Texas

A woman is seen making her way through brown floodwater as she heads to check on an elderly resident inside his RV in Channelview, Texas

Another driver was caught in the torrential floods in Texas on Sunday - with shocking video capturing the moment their van plunged into the deep.

The driver is seen in bright neon yellow clambering out of the window in a frantic bid to escape the doomed vehicle on the I-69 near Shepherd.

As the truck continued to sink deeper and deeper, another truck zoomed past it - sending water gushing on both side, and a different vehicle also managed to wade through.

The driver escaped eventually after perching on the hood of the vehicle.

A wide region of Texas from Houston to the rural east has been deluged by rain over the past week, and the flooding further intensified on Saturday into Sunday.

The intense flooding has so far forced at least 400 residents to evacuate while destroying more than 100 homes.

Officials said the Houston area received about four months worth of rain over just one week.

Texas has also been pounded with brutal weather conditions since early April as dozens of tornadoes have hit the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast.
Drivers who ignore signs for a 19-mile diversion during the closure of the M25 and try and find shortcuts risk being slapped with ULEZ fines, a highways boss has warned.

National Highways warned that anyone ignoring diversion signs in an attempt to find shorter alternative routes will be liable for the 12.50 daily Ulez fee if their vehicle does not meet minimum emissions standards.

Failure to pay the charge when required can result in a 180 fine, reduced to 90 if paid within 14 days.

The M25 will be closed in both directions between Junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday while concrete beams for a new bridge and a gantry are lifted into place. Drivers are being advised to avoid the area if possible.

Diversion routes will take cars on a 19-mile journey on A roads, crossing from Surrey into London's Ulez area.

It comes after London Mayor Sadiq Khan won a historic third term - dashing rumours that he could be ousted by a backlash over ULEZ, crime and Gaza.

Workers rush to finish demolishing a bridge across the M25 in March

Pictured is a deserted section of the M25 in Surrey during a previous closure in March

National Highways warned that anyone ignoring diversion signs in an attempt to find shorter alternative routes may be liable for the 12.50 daily Ulez fee

National Highways senior project manager Jonathan Wade said: 'Although the [Ulez] cameras will be active, no enforcement action will be taken.

'However, if you ignore the diversion signs and do your own thing, then if your vehicle's not compliant you do run the risk of getting caught.

'You'll be perfectly safe as long as you follow the diversion routes.'

There are concerns sat navs could direct some drivers on to minor roads after leaving the M25, meaning they could be detected by other Ulez cameras as well as risk creating gridlock in residential areas.

Fears that diversion routes would become overwhelmed during the first planned closure - between Junctions 10 and 11 - in March proved unfounded as traffic levels were more than two-thirds lower than normal after a widespread awareness campaign.

Mr Wade said there is a 'very real' risk that the lack of disruption then means some motorists will not heed warnings to replan journeys this weekend.

Fiona and Patrick Potter, residents of West Byfleet, take a selfie on the Parvis Road bridge in Byfleet, that crosses over a closed section of the M25 between Junctions 10 and 11 in March

A group of young boys look in awe at the empty motorway as what appears to be a roadworks van drives towards them when a section of the M25 was closed in March

A roadworks van pootles along the empty M25 last March when a section was closed

'We've upped the amount of correspondence that we've been sending out to try and counter that but it remains an issue,' he said.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan expanded Ulez to cover the whole of the capital on August 29 last year.

This weekend will see the second of five planned closures of the M25 - which encircles London - on sections connecting with Junction 10 as part of a 317 million improvement project.

Other stretches of the M25 will also be disrupted this weekend due to ongoing work to retrofit additional emergency stopping areas on smart motorway sections.

Mr Wade explained that the Junction 10 work can be halted at various points throughout the weekend if it runs behind schedule, as 'we wouldn't jeopardise opening the M25 on Monday morning'.

A section of the M25 was deserted in March when it was closed for a weekend

Photos show miles of deserted road, still lit up by the amber overhead lights in March

An empty M25 is seen in March after a five-mile stretch was closed for the weekend

Diversion routes for M25 closure in May Here are the diversion routes for all vehicles apart from those over 15ft (4.6m) between junctions nine and ten of the M25 between 9pm on Friday, May 10 until 6am on Monday, May 13: CLOCKWISE Leave M25 at junction 8, A217 (Reigate)

Follow the A217 London, Sutton, (A240) Kingston. After 3 miles turn left onto the A240 Epsom, Kingston

After 3 miles at the Esso roundabout, turn right onto the A24 (A240) Kingston.

Continue for 3 miles and turn left onto the A3 Portsmouth, Guildford

Continue for 9 miles to the M25 and re-join the motorway at junction 10 ANTICLOCKWISE Leave M25 at junction 10 to join the A3 towards London

After 9 miles at the Hook interchange leave the A3 turning right onto the A240 Epsom, Reigate

Continue for 3 miles to the Esso roundabout and turn left onto the A240 Reigate

Continue for 3 miles then turn right onto the A217 Reigate, M25

After 3 miles turn left to re-join the M25 motorway at junction 8 Advertisement

RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said drivers could face 'up to six days of disrupted travel' as the M25 closure follows national rail strikes which are expected to spark increased traffic levels.

She went on: 'While the general advice is to avoid driving if possible, people will still need to make essential journeys for work, to access medical care and to reach Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

'Planning ahead is absolutely vital. Rather than relying on a sat nav, check the planned diversion routes ahead of time and be prepared for long delays.

'It's also a really good idea to check your vehicle's oil and coolant levels, tyre pressure and tread depth all before setting off to reduce the chances of a very unwelcome breakdown.'

Three more weekend closures of the M25 will take place between August and the end of the year.

The project, due to be completed in summer 2025, will increase the number of lanes and make it easier to enter and exit the M25 at Junction 10, which is one of the UK's busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.

In March, the M25 became an unlikely tourist attraction after the motorway closed for the weekend, leaving the road empty of cars.

A five-mile stretch of the motorway between junctions 10 and 11 was closed in both directions.

Sightseers congregated at the main diversion route to pose for selfies with the empty road.

Simon Vassallo has lived in the area for 35 years. He told The Independent that seeing the motorway empty was 'absolutely astonishing' and he 'just had to stop and take in the marvel'.

Another local told the paper 'it's quite extraordinary... I don't think we've ever seen anything quite like this'.
Did YOU find the documents in the old Ford Escort? Email emily.cooper@mailonline.co.uk or tips@dailymail.com

Top secret D-day documents detailing the Supreme Allied Commander's final message to Allied troops were found in the boot of an old Ford Escort.

The haul, estimated to be worth 3,000, contains maps and top-secret planning documents relating to the allied Gold Beach invasion, part of the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.

Secret offshore photos taken from a mini submarine by British special forces, only to be seen by high-ranking officials, were also found in the boot of the old car.

After being hidden for 80 years, the rare collection was donated to House on the Hill museum in Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex.

It is now on display as part of their D-Day exhibition.

The haul, estimated to be worth 3,000, contains maps and top-secret planning documents relating to the allied Gold Beach invasion

The famous D-Day landings, codenamed Operation Overlord, took place on June 6, 1944

After being hidden for 80 years, the rare collection was donated to House on the Hill museum in Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex

One of the documents is addressed to 'Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!'

It reads: 'You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.

'The eyes of the world are upon you.'

It warns: 'The task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

'I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!'

The letter is signed by General Dwight Eisenhower who was appointed the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in late 1943.

Eisenhower was in charge of making all the final decisions relating to the invasion and was a 'skilled administrator known for his tact and diplomacy', according to the Imperial War Museum.

In the days before D-Day, Eisenhower also secretly penned a message to be released of the invasion failed in which he accepted full blame.

One of the documents is addressed to 'Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!'. It is signed by Dwight Eisenhower who was appointed the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in late 1943

Another letter found in the collection was a message from Dwight Eisenhower to be 'read to troops by an officer after embarkation... only when no postponement of the operation is likely'.

The message reads: 'You are soon to be engaged in a great undertaking - the invasion of Europe.

'Our purpose is to bring about, in company with our Allies, and our comrades on other fronts, the total defeat of Germany.

'Only by such a complete victory can we free ourselves and our homelands from the fear and threat of the Nazi tyranny.

'As a representative of your country, you will be welcomed with deep gratitude by the liberated peoples, who for years have longed for this deliverance.'

Another letter found in the collection was a message from the Supreme Commander to be 'read to troops by an officer after embarkation'

The Normandy landings saw allied forces invade German-occupied France in five areas of Normandy to regain control.

The landings, codenamed Operation Overlord, involved British, American, and other Allied forces crossing the English Channel to launch an offensive on the Nazi occupation in Normandy.

Gold, the central of the five areas, was located between Port-en-Bessin on the west and the Lieu-dit La Riviere in Ver-sur-Mer on the east.
A Chinese fighter aircraft has fired flares in front of an Australian navy helicopter in international waters in a move deemed as an 'unsafe and unprofessional interaction'.

The near-catastrophic incident occurred on Saturday night during a routine operation in the Yellow Sea off South Korea when a Navy Seahawk was intercepted by a Chinese J10 Air Force jet.

HMAS Hobart was participating in the United Nations' Operation Argos, as part of an international effort to enforce sanctions against North Korea.

It was during these activities that the MH-60R helicopter launched from HMAS Hobart but was then intercepted by China's PLA-Air Force fighter aircraft.

A Chinese fighter aircraft has dropped flares in front of an Australian navy helicopter (pictured) in international waters on Saturday night

Flares were dropped about 300 metres in front of the Seahawk helicopter about 60 metres above it, according to the defence minister

Flares were released along the flight path of the Australian Defence Force helicopter, according to Defence Minister Richard Marles.

'The PLA Air Force plane dropped flares about 300 metres in front of the Seahawk helicopter about 60 metres above it, requiring the helicopter to take evasive action in order to not be hit by those flares,' he told 9News.

'This was an incident which was both unsafe and unprofessional.

'We will not be deterred from engaging in lawful activities and activities which are there to enforce UN sanctions in respect of North Korea.'

The ADF branded the incident 'unacceptable'.

'This was an unsafe manoeuvre, which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel,' a department statement read.

'While there were no injuries sustained by ADF personnel or damage caused to the MH-60R helicopter, the safety and wellbeing of our ADF personnel continues to be our utmost priority.

'Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner.'

China's aggression is worrying Australia and it's allies, after a previous attack in the water off the coast of Japan.

In November, several Australian navy divers injured when a Chinese warship set off sonar pulses as HMAS Toowoomba operated in the South China Sea.
President Joe Biden decided last week to stop shipping U.S.-made ammunition to Israel amid ongoing war in Gaza.

Two Israeli officials told Axios that the suspension of ammo has raised serious concerns in Jerusalem and left the Israeli government scrambling to understand why the latest intended shipment was held up.

Biden halting the shipment of Amerians munitionsis the first time the U.S. has not followed-through on sending weapons assistance since Israel was invaded and attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023  launching a now 7-month war in Gaza.

The White House, Pentagon, State Department and Israeli Prime Minister's office have yet to respond to or comment on the report.

The U.S. suspended shipment of American-made ammunitions to Israel last week

It's the first time President Joe Biden's administration has halted ammo shipments to Israel since Hamas invaded on October 7, 2023

Cease-fire talks appeared to have collapsed overnight after a Hamas rocket attack on Sunday killed three Israeli Defense Force soldiers at a checkpoint. IDF's retaliatory attack killed 19 Palestinians in Rafah.

The IDF ordered evacuations in the southern Gaza city on Monday morning, according to the Associated Press, which it notes could mean 'a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.'

The attack from Hamas overnight is now being used as proof that the terror group is using Palestinians as 'human shields' to try and deflect retaliatory attacks and attempt to gain global support for a cease-fire due to loss of innocent life in Gaza.

President Biden has faced an onslaught of criticism from Americans who oppose support for Israel in its war with Hamas terrorists operating out of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

Israel provided a signed letter to the Biden administration in March that assured any U.S.-made weapons were used in accordance with international law when employed in the conflict in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday hinting at rising tensions between the government in Jerusalem and the Biden administration.

'In the terrible Holocaust, there were great world leaders who stood by idly; therefore, the first lesson of the Holocaust is: If we do not defend ourselves, nobody will defend us. And if we need to stand alone, we will stand alone,' the PM said.

Attacks on Sunday from Hamas prove that the terrorist group is using Palestinians as 'human shields' in the war with Israel

There are concerns that Israel plans to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians are sheltered  and Netanyahu has released several statements confirming intentions to invade.

The escalation of tensions with the attacks overnight only increase the chances that a Rafah invasion in imminent.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel last Wednesday and had a 'tough' conversation with Netanyahu regarding the fallout if Israel engages in a ground operation in Rafah, according to two sources briefed on the meeting.
An aspiring rapper and his OnlyFans model girlfriend have been revealed as the couple accused of allegedly torturing and burying alive a young man who later died from horrific injuries as chilling new details emerge.

Cooper Anthony William Bunney, 23, and his girlfriend Bella-Louise Rose Scheibel, 21, have both been charged with a string of serious offences, including torture and murder, over the death of Samuel Wilcox, 23.

Mr Wilcox was found with critical head injuries at the couple's rural property in Mount Mee, 85km north of Brisbane last Wednesday night after emergency services were called to a report of an alleged assault.

It's understood Mr Wilcox was found partially buried alive.

He was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition but died two days later.

Bella-Louise Rose Scheibel (above), 21, was charged with 10 serious offences, including torture and murder

Aspiring rapper Cooper Anthony William Bunney, 23, was charged with nine offences

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Inside Queensland MP's night out that ended in devastating sexual assault and drug-spiking allegations Brittany Lauga is the MP for Keppel and an assistant minister in the Queensland government Advertisement

Police later revealed Scheibel was the one who called emergency services.

Court documents revealed that Mr Wilcox's alleged ordeal began on April 29, two days before he was found.

Police describing the alleged attack as occurring over a 'reasonably prolonged period of time', according to the Courier Mail.

'The victim has sustained multiple injuries (and his cause of death) will be determined by a pathologist,' Detective Acting Inspector Joe Zitny said.

All three parties were known to one another and also to police.

It's understood that Scheibel and Bunney only lived at the Mount Mee property for a number of weeks before the alleged incident.

Detective Inspector Zitny reportedly said the theory that the alleged killing had a possible connection to drugs was 'one of the lines of enquiry' investigators were looking at.

Bunney and Scheibel professed their love for one another in February last year.

'No matter what youll always be my number one, you make life so much more enjoyable. I love you always Cooper Bunney, never forget it,' wrote Scheibel on Facebook.

Bunney and Scheibel professed their love for one another over a year ago

Pictured: the Mount Mee property where the allegedly 'prolonged' torture murder took place

Bunney responded: 'I love you bby xoxo mwahh', followed by a love heart.

Bunney, who called himself 'Bugs Bunny' on social media, described himself as an 'artist'.

In one of his Instagram stories he invited his 155 followers to listen to his 'barz' in a clip of him rapping into the camera while smoking a cigarette.

Scheibel, who has a snake tattoo on her right arm and describes herself as a 'pharmacy/drugstore' on Instagram, is an OnlyFans model.

'I will do just about ANYTHING! Message me and you will receive,' her bio on the site states.

Mount Mee is a 90 minute drive north-west of Brisbane, and directly west of Caboolture

Scheibel has been charged with 10 offences.

These include murder, common assault, deprivation of liberty, disabling in order to commit indictable offence, grievous bodily harm, observations or recordings in breach of privacy genital or anal region, serious assault of police officer, torture, wounding and unlawful possession of weapons.

She will next appear before Caboolture Magistrates Court on May 7.

Bunney is facing the same charges, apart from serious assault of a police officer and will next appear before Caboolture Magistrates Court on July 4.

Both remain in custody and are yet to enter a plea.
Baby Reindeer has been dethroned for the number one spot on the Netflix most-watched list.

The miniseries, which became available to stream on April 11, became the second most-watched television show following the release of A Man in Full on May 2.

Jeff Daniels stars in the all-new miniseries about a real estate mogul who is on the verge of bankruptcy.

A Man in Full also stars Diane Lane, Tom Pelphrey, William Jackson Harper, and Lucy Liu.

Daniels' new drama was enough to beat out Baby Reindeer, but the two miniseries have since been bumped down to number three and four on Netflix's most-watched list.

The show is about a man named Charlie Croker (Daniels) who is doing everything in his power to keep his real estate empire from crumbling after he goes bankrupt

Daniels portrays Charlie Croker, a former college athlete who is known as 'the biggest hero of real estate in Atlanta' despite owing more than $1 billion in unpaid bank loans.

Charlie must do everything in his power to protect his real estate empire from falling apart for good.

Some of the individuals who are trying to capitalize off of Charlie's bad decisions include his ex-wife Martha Crocker (Lane) and a banker named Raymond Peepgrass (Pelphrey).

A Man in Full featured multiple plot twists, and it even included a special performance by Shania Twain for Charlie's 60th birthday in the miniseries' opener.

The show highlighted the greed in many of its characters, and its ending is almost too shocking to believe.

Baby Reindeer also gave a variety of twists for both the protagonist and antagonist of the critically acclaimed miniseries.

Centered around struggling comedian and bartender Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd), his life turns upside down after a woman named Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) starts stalking him.

A bit of Donny seemingly liked the attention, but Martha's obsession begins to harm him emotionally, even after she disappeared for good.

Both of these miniseries were enough to reach the number one spot, but one show was loved more by critics than the other.

Jeff Daniels' new miniseries A Man in Full took over the number one spot for the most watched television shows on Netflix from Baby Reindeer following its May 2 release

Diane Lane, who portrays Martha Croker, was a crucial character throughout the show. One of her final scenes was of her being intimate with banker Raymond Peepgrass (Tom Pelphrey)

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning portray Donny Dunn and Martha Scott. The show has been critically acclaimed by critics and audiences since its April 11 release on Netflix

A Man in Full may have taken over the number one spot, but Baby Reindeer has destroyed Daniels' new drama on Rotten Tomatoes.

Based on nearly 50 reviews from critics, Baby Reindeer received 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and it holds an 83 percent audience score.

A Man in Full only has a 43 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 59 percent audience score.

'There are hints of Succession  family troubles, talk of money, Croker yelling about 'the Boeing' - but the series is nowhere near the same league,' wrote Anita Singh for the Daily Telegraph.

'You wait for the drama to ramp up but it never quite does.'

A critic from the Chicago Sun-Times gave a more positive review about the show and he called the show 'great fun to watch.'

'Its a zesty, concise limited series -- I cannot emphasise enough how much I appreciated episodes that were just 45 minutes in length,' wrote a reviewer for The Age.

'Square in the stinging intersection of urban politics, commerce, race, demographics and rivalry, A Man in Full the miniseries has many options to offer with a superlative cast, including a literal show stopping Lucy Liu,' wrote Dominic Patten for Deadline.

X (formerly Twitter) users are divided as to what to think of this show and one person tweeted that Twain's appearance was the best thing about the show.

Twain even wrote a positive comment toward the show and claimed that she's been 'binge watching it between rehearsals' for her show in Las Vegas.

Loving A Man In Full on @netflix!! I've been binge watching it between rehearsals for my Vegas show pic.twitter.com/diFcqw0g0H  Shania Twain  (@ShaniaTwain) May 5, 2024

X (formerly Twitter) users are divided over what to think of A Man in Full. Some users loved the miniseries while others despised it

Others have brought up the show's shocking ending, which ends with one person in a body bag and another dead on a bedroom floor.

'The end of 'A Man in Full' is insane. To be fair that's the only way it could have ended,' one person tweeted.

Others have dissed the show and one person even wrote a slight insult toward Regina King, who served as a director and executive producer.

'Everything about @Netflix A Man in Full is dumb! Of the three plot lines (no attempt tying them together in any meaningful way, all three are miscast absurd characters no one can related to,' the tweeter wrote.

'David E. Kelly just mailed in a script, too busy? Director Regina King - I best not comment.'
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed social media in part for widespread pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's military actions in Gaza, saying it has a "very, very, very challenging effect on the narrative."

During a public discussion Friday with outgoing Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Blinken said there were "two things" driving the global reaction to Israel's war against Hamas, starting with the "inescapable reality of people who have and continue to suffer grievously in Gaza."

But Blinken also that during his 30-plus years in Washington, D.C., the "single biggest change has been in the information environment."

"We are on an intravenous feed of information with new impulses, inputs, every millisecond, and, of course, the way this has played out on social media has dominated the narrative," he said. "You have a social media ecosystem environment in which context, history, facts get lost, and the emotion, the impact of images dominates, and we can't we can't discount that."

He added: "I think it also has a very, very, very challenging effect on on the narrative."

Blinken's comments came during the hour-long keynote conversation at the McCain Institute's annual Sedona Forum in Sedona, Arizona.

Midway through, Romney asked why the public relations efforts by Israel and the U.S. to promote "our point of view" have been "so awful" since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory attacks by Israel.

"Why has Hamas disappeared in terms of public perception? An offer is on the table to have a ceasefire and yet the world is screaming about Israel. It's like, why are they not screaming about Hamas? Accept the ceasefire and bring home the hostages. Instead, it's all the other way around," Romney said.

Romney, former CEO of the private equity firm Bain Capital, added: "Typically, the Israelis are good at PR."

Last week, Blinken visited the Middle East in an attempt to spur a deal on a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. But Hamas said Sunday that the latest round of talks in Cairo had ended, and Israel on Monday ordered parts of the Gaza city of Rafah evacuated ahead of a possible ground invasion.

More than 1 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering from the Gaza combat in Rafah.
A U.S. Army Sergeant and his brother have been charged with a failed murder-for-fire plot to kill four people, including two children, court documents revealed.

Sergeant Jeremiah Peikert, 30, was arrested in Texas on Thursday and extradited to Connecticut where he faces conspiracy charges for working with his brother Joshua Peikert, 32, to arrange a murder scheme.

Police said while incarcerated at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Uncasville, Joshua asked his cellmate if he knew a hitman who could kill a 29-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man, a 10-year-old girl and a one-year-old girl in 2022.

The cellmate said he would find someone to commit the murders for $10,000 per person and requested a $500 'finders fee,' according to court documents.

Jeremiah allegedly deposited two payments of $100 and $150 into the cellmate's account and spoke on the phone with him several times about the hit.

Sergeant Jeremiah Peikert (pictured), 30, was arrested in Texas on Thursday and extradited to Connecticut where he faces conspiracy charges

Joshua Peikert, 32, allegedly got his brother to sent payments for a murder-for-hire plot he had arranged

According to court documents the cellmate said to Jeremiah: 'The good news is that the job is going to get done because the payment, the agreement went through; the bad news is it may take a little while to happen; maybe two weeks.'

The brothers had discussed the murder-for-hire plot using codewords such as 'construction job' and 'material,' police said.

Joshua allegedly gave a note to the cellmate that detailed with victims' address, where they slept and where the hitman would find a spare key. He signed the note with his full name and the word 'job' at the bottom.

The cellmate told police he had no intention of harming the victims and just wanted the money.

He wrote a letter to the 29-year-old woman detailing the plot which she took to the Groton City Police Department.

Court records revealed Jeremiah admitted that he made the payment and knew it was to hurt the 29-year-old woman, but said he did not know the children were involved.

Police said while incarcerated at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Uncasville (pictured), Joshua asked his cellmate if he knew a hitman he could hire to kill four people

'That fact that Josh wanted [the 29-year-old woman] hurt is not a total surprise, because Josh has displayed violent tendencies, even growing up,' Jeremiah said.

'He is also manipulative, especially with me, which played a role in me cooperating.'

The brothers have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a child.

Jeremiah is being held on $500,000 bond and has yet to be released from custody as of Saturday. He has not entered a plea and has his next court date is scheduled for May 23.

Joshua is being held on $700,00 bond and has pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy charges. His next court date is set for May 30.
Columbia University has canceled its university-wide graduation ceremony, after weeks of campus protests over the ongoing war in Gaza.

Instead, Columbia will replace the large-scale commencement, which was set to happen on May 15, with smaller celebrations based in individual colleges within the university.

'Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families,' the university said Monday. 'As a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly.'

This comes days after the New York Police Department burst onto Columbia with riot gear to break up the tent encampment and re-take Hamilton Hall back from student occupiers.

Over 100 people were arrested at the New York City university, according to CNN. Police said there were no injuries or people resisting arrest.

The NYPD moved to clear Hamilton Hall on April 30, less than 24 hours after it was occupied by protesters at Columbia University

Pro-Palestinian supporters confront police during demonstrations at The City College Of New York (CUNY) as the NYPD cracks down on protest camps at both Columbia University and CCNY on April 30, 2024 in New York City

An individual is arrested on April 30 during the NYPD's operation to re-take Hamilton Hall

Despite similar police crackdowns on protests at New York University, its administrators plan to proceed with its commencement at Yankee Stadium on May 15, ABC 7 reported.

USC, like Columbia, also canceled its main commencement ceremony.

Columbia's decision to scale down its end-of-year festivities came days after the student editors behind the Columbia Law Review urged administrators to cancel final exams and give students passing grades.

'We believe that canceling exams would be a proportionate response to the level of distress our peers have been feeling,' the Law Review editors wrote to administrators on May 2.

'The violence we witnessed last night has irrevocably shaken many of us on the Review,' the students wrote. 'The events of last night left us, and many of our peers, unable to focus and highly emotional during this tumultuous time.'

This has prompted these students to ask the law school for all exams to be canceled and to give the entire student body passing grades for this semester.

Students march and rally on Columbia University campus in support of a protest encampment supporting Palestinians, despite a 2pm deadline issued by university officials to disband or face suspension

Students and other supporters of pro-Palestine students, expressing their disapproval of having police on campus, gather outside Columbia University campus to protest on May 1, 2024

The complete letter from the editors of the Columbia Law Review

In the letter to administrators, the Law Review editors ask for finals to be canceled and for all students in the law school to be given passing grades because of they're 'unable to focus' amid the protests and the police crackdowns

The Columbia Law Review editors said a mandatory pass/fail system is supported by the vast majority of students

The alternative the Law Review editors suggested was a pass/fail regime going forward, which they said 75 percent of law students supported as of April 25.

'A lot has happened these past few days, including a second round of mass arrests on our campus, that would likely make these percentages even higher.

'Despite overwhelming support from the student body, the [Columbia Law School] administration has refused to consider our calls for making all classes this semester mandatory Pass/Fail,' the Law Review editors wrote.

The DailyMail.com has reached out to Columbia Law School to see if administrators have budged on these demands from students.

This all started when college students across the US argued that their universities should divest from Israel's military operations and companies that support Israel in any way.

As of now some universities - including Columbia - have refused to divest, while others have actually negotiated agreements with protesting students. These include Northwestern University in Illinois, the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, Rutgers University in New Jersey and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, according to the Guardian.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have sparked outrage after staging a protest near the grounds of Auschwitz  as Israelis including October 7 survivors marched to honour victims of the Holocaust.

Sirens wailed as protestors displayed a banner reading 'stop genocide' at groups wearing Israeli flags along the sidelines of the 'March of the Living' event, which brings together thousands annually to observe Holocaust Remembrance Day in silence.

Eyewitnesses claimed protestors were 'chanting' at participants on the march, with Israelis responding with lines from 'Am Israel chai', a Jewish solidarity anthem.

Survivors of Hamas' October 7 incursion into southern Israel were also in attendance as participants marched the two-mile (three kilometre) walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau, where approximately one million Jews were systematically killed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

Just last week, distressing footage invoked fury as a man filmed himself walking through the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Auschwitz and saying: 'You belong here. This is your place of origin. You left these camps and ghettos. Long live Palestine.'

Tensions continue to soar as the war in the Levant approaches seven months. As ceasefire talks continue in Cairo, Israel is preparing to invade the Gazan city of Rafah, today ordering 100,000 people to evacuate and sparking outrage from those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause worldwide.

Video showed protestors holding a 'stop genocide' sign near the march towards the camp

A group of people with Israeli flags take part in the march near pro-Palestine protesters

Protesters wave Palestinian flags as the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the 'March of the Living' in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, on May 6

Participants together with holocaust survivors and October 7 survivors carry Israel's flag as they stand under the famous entrance gate at Auschwitz, on May 6, 2024

Participants carry Israel's flag as they walk past the famous entrance gate bearing the motto Arbeit Macht Frei in Oswiecim, Poland on May 6, 2024

A sign reading 'Free Palestine! Stop occupation. Stop apartheid!' is displayed in Oswiecim

People walk through the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau on May 6

Acknowledging the protests, the International March of the Living said in a statement: 'We marched today to give a voice to the six million victims of the Nazis industrial genocide of the Jewish people.

'We marched with survivors of the Nazi atrocities as well as survivors of Hamas' crimes and families of those still held in captivity.

'The half a dozen protestors who perversely saw this as an opportunity to voice hatred against Israel and the Jewish people serve as a timely reminder of the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance and of teaching the dangers of hatred and extremism.'

The event, now in its 36th year, usually draws thousands of participants, including Holocaust survivors and Jewish students, leaders and politicians.

Fifty-six survivors of the Shoah are expecting to take part in the march alongside an anticipated 10,000 others travelling from across the world to observe the date.

This year, Israeli hostages released from captivity in Gaza and families whose relatives are still being held captive will also join the march.

Poland, which until the Holocaust was the home of Europe's largest Jewish community, numbering some 3.3 million, now counts just a few thousand Jewish inhabitants in its population.

The country continues to grapple with anti-Semitism despite the memory of the Holocaust.

A pre-war survey found more than a third of people in Poland have 'extensive' anti-Semitic beliefs.

Last week, a man was detained in Poland 'in connection to' the hurling of Molotov cocktails at the only Synagogue to have survived the Holocaust, an attack that drew ire from Polish officials and Jewish leaders.

Photos showed the aftermath of the attack on the Nozyk Synagogue.

'If it (the bottle) had gone 15 centimetres to the left it would have reached the window and possibly inside the synagogue. There's a library there,' Poland's chief rabbi Michael Schudrich told reporters at the time.

Reports continue to cite the unnerving trend of rising anti-Semitism across Europe as tensions soar over the conflict in Gaza.

Hamas, the de facto governing authority in the Palestinian enclave, took more than 250 people hostage and killed some 1,170, mostly civilians, in a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

One hundred and thirty two hostages remained in Hamas captivity within the beleaguered Gaza Strip as of May 3, with 112 so far returned alive.

Hamas has said its attack was aimed against Israeli occupation and its blockade of Gaza, and pro-Palestinian activists deny any anti-Semitic motives in their opposition to Israel's military offensive.

The subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, listing objectives to return the hostages and destroy Hamas, has triggered international protests, with rights groups and aid charities warning the 2.3 million people in Gaza face famine if operations continue.

People attend a ceremony at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Pro Palestine protesters hold Palestinian flags and banners showing victims of Israeli bombardments on May 06, 2024 in Oswiecim, Poland

Participants carry Israel's national flag as they enter the former Auschwitz Birkenau camp

Demonstrators protested the ongoing conflict in the Levant on the side of the march today

People demonstrate with Palestinian flags on the sidelines of the March of the Living route

The event near the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp annually marks Holocaust Remembrance Day

Bellha Haim, grandmother of the murdered hostage Yotam Haim, participates in the March of the Living at Auschwitz on May 6, 2024

A man holds Israel's flag at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau during the annual Holocaust remembrance event, in Oswiecim, Poland, on May 6, 2024

Some 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza and more than two million displaced since Israel began its offensive by air and land, sparking international outcry and prompting Israel's allies to pressure the government into finding ceasefire terms.

With Israeli protestors also calling for an urgent ceasefire to secure the release of hostages, and a number of Jewish organisations worldwide joining pro-Palestinian protests, the war continues to foment divisions.

Earlier today, Israel Katz, the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, controversially called Hamas a 'Nazi terrorist organisation' in a post on Twitter/X marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.

'Israel has agreed to significant concessions to bring the hostages home, but Hamas has repeatedly refuse,' he claimed.

'Everyone understands that [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar has no intention of releasing all hostages, even in exchange for everything.

'He believes that the world will pressure Israel to stop the war unconditionally, and he will be able to continue to control Gaza - with hostages as bargaining chips and with the ability to continue the attrition war against Israel and plan the next attack.

'Today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the slogan "Never Again" takes on a special meaning. The people of Israel say: "Never again."'

Israelis once again rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, with tens of thousands massing to demand a ceasefire and the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Protestors called for fresh elections, accusing Netanyahu of dragging out the conflict to keep himself in power.

While Israel met with Hamas delegations in Cairo over the weekend to attempt to hash out peace terms, Netanyahu's government has pledged to continue the war until Hamas is completely wiped out.

Netanyahu has also vowed to send ground troops into Rafah regardless of any truce, defying international concerns.

Last month, troops were pulled back from the city in the south of Gaza in a move experts said was likely intended to appease Israel's international allies.

Earlier today, it was reported 100,000 people were being evacuated from the eastern part of Rafah amid fears of an IDF invasion.

The IDF ordered Gazan civilians to leave part of Rafah and go to Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast, in preparation for the offensive this morning, and thousands were seen leaving in droves.

An Israeli army battle tank moves in an area along the border with the Gaza Strip and southern Israel on April 2

A boy pushes a young girl in a wheelchair past a destroyed building in Gaza City on March 28

Humanitarian aid is airdropped to Palestinians over Gaza City on Monday, March 25

US President Joe Biden held urgent talks with Netanyahu Monday after Israel defied repeated US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an offensive.

Biden told Netanyahu in April that invading Rafah would be a 'mistake,' and Washington has said it does not support an offensive without a credible plan to aid some 1.2 million civilians sheltering there.

'We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering,' a spokesman told AFP.

The UN's human rights chief warned that the relocation order risked exposing civilians to further danger on Monday.

'Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease, and even famine. And today, they have been told that they must relocate yet again as Israeli military operations into Rafah scale up,' United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement. 'This is inhumane.'
A council in Prague has proposed a blanket ban on fancy dress costumes worn by stag and hen parties in a fresh bid to clamp down on overtourism and clean up the city's image.

Officials in the Prague 1 district council have suggested 'silly costumes' should be outlawed as part of a push to tackle tourist debauchery in parts of the city with a thriving nightlife scene.

Bronislava Sitar Baborakova, chair of the committee against depopulation and for supporting community life, said the costumes exceed acceptable social norms and have a negative impact on residents, according to Prague Morning.

The move follows failed efforts in recent years to crack down on noise pollution, including proposals for limiting the opening hours of businesses in popular parts of the city.

The proposals have been met with backlash from event organisers, slamming the tactic as 'ridiculous and slightly embarrassing'.

A council in Prague has proposed a blanket ban on fancy dress costumes worn by stag and hen parties in a fresh bid to clamp down on overtourism and clean up the city's image. Pictured are a group of British holidaymakers on a stag do in Prague

Officials in the Prague 1 district council have suggested 'silly costumes' should be outlawed as part of a push to tackle tourist debauchery in parts of the city with a thriving nightlife scene. Pictured are a group of Brits on a stag do in Prague

Bronislava Sitar Baborakova, chair of the committee against depopulation and for supporting community life, said the costumes exceed acceptable social norms and have a negative impact on residents. Pictured is the Narodni Muzeum in Prague

Matt Mavir, head of the UK's leading stag and hen do organiser Last Night of Freedom, said: 'For a start, how could this sort of ban ever be enforced? Who decides what is or isn't outrageous? It's ridiculous and slightly embarrassing.

'The vast majority of stag and hen groups are respectful and go to Prague and other destinations to have fun.

'There are already established laws in place to deal with offensive items, so I can't see what use a ban on fancy dress costumes would serve.'

The proposed ban has also been criticised by those representing the Prague 1 district, most of which is an Unesco World Heritage site.

Adam Zabransky, the councillor for property, transparency and legislation, said a direct ban is not the most suitable solution.

He told local media: 'We understand the frustration with pub crawls and drunken tourists, but imposing a ban on silly costumes seems excessive.'

Prague is the latest European capital to embark on unorthodox measures to tackle perceived overtourism and reduce noise pollution.

Amsterdam's 'Stay Away' campaign will see special warnings shown on booking sites when would-be revellers search for terms like 'stag party Amsterdam' and 'pub crawl Amsterdam'.

'The campaign will commence in Great Britain, aimed at males in the age category of 18 to 35 years,' Amsterdam city council said in a statement.

Matt Mavir, head of the UK's leading stag and hen do organiser Last Night of Freedom, branded the proposal as 'ridiculous and slightly embarrassing'. He also questioned how it would be effectively enforced

Prague is the latest European capital to embark on unorthodox measures to tackle perceived overtourism and reduce noise pollution. Pictured are tourists riding a beer bike on a city street in Prague

Mr Mavir said the new proposals for the Czech city risked making similar mistakes.

'Like the over-zealous and unworkable 'stag ban' in Amsterdam, the only thing I can see this latest proposal doing is encouraging even more people to book a stag or hen do in Prague,' said Mr Mavir, who has organised 50,000 weekends during 25 years in the industry.

Prague is the company's second most popular destination for Brits looking to get away before getting married - behind only Benidorm.

'Prague has always been among our very top destinations for stags to escape into hedonism, and I can't ever see that changing. There's just so much to do, see and experience,' Mr Mavir continued.

'It's a beautiful and wonderfully welcoming city, but a few short-sighted officials should be careful not to demonise tourists and potentially jeopardise a vital and profitable industry.

He added: 'Stag and hen dos are the bedrock of a healthy tourism industry, especially when properly organised, and they bring fun, vibrancy and a massive economic benefit to Prague.

'It could be very harmful to turn away such a valuable market, and I'd urge the councillors discussing these plans to think again.'

But some locals seemingly think the city has not done enough to tackle rowdy revellers and tourists.

The proposed costume ban has also been criticised by those representing the Prague 1 district. Pictured are people dressed in costumes in the city streets of Old Town, Prague

Stepan Kuchta, a resident of Dlouha Street, launched a 10-day hungry strike in response to the 'chronic noise' in Old Town after telling authorities for years that it is impossible to sleep or live peacefully in his neighbourhood.

'To date, neither Prague 1 nor the municipality has done anything at all regarding noise, vibrations and light smog to improve the situation of the remaining residents in the city center. Nothing at all,' Kuchta told Novinky.cz.

He added: 'My health is already ruined by chronic noise. A hunger strike is nothing against that.'

Last month, representatives in Prague 1 discussed efforts to limit noise and restrict central business operating hours in the district. However, the proposed measures were not approved by the city municipality.

The potential costume ban would also be subject to a debate with city officials.
Half of the Irish public now want migrant checkpoints at the border with Northern Ireland to slow the number of asylum seeker arrivals from Britain, a new poll has shown, as anti-immigration protests are unleashed across Dublin.

Fifty per cent of respondents told the Sunday Independent and Ireland Thinks they would support checkpoint measures to limit the number of asylum seekers arriving from Britain, with 82 per cent backing deportations back to the UK.

With tented communities continuing to grow in Dublin, as many as 40 per cent of poll respondents added that they would support Ireland having a policy similar to Britain's Rwanda scheme - with 42 per cent opposing the measures.

The Irish public has reacted strongly to the increased migrations levels, with Dublin today playing host to a major protest against housing asylum seekers.

Images from the scene show large crowds of people draped in the Irish flag and holding a variety of placards and banners that read 'Irish Lives Matter' and 'We Want Our Country Back' as they gathered at the Garden of Remembrance in the north inner city this afternoon before marching down O'Connell Street and onto the Custom House where speeches were made.

Crowds attended a protest against government's immigration policy in Dublin, Ireland today

An anti-immigration march took place in Dublin today with some waving placards saying 'we want out country back'

Protesters were seen yelling as they voiced their demands for migrant checkpoints at the Northern Ireland border

Protesters were seen waving coloured smoke flares while donning t-shirts that read: 'House the Irish first'

Footage and photographs from the mass demonstration show swathes of furious locals marching down the street chanting 'Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole', 'out, out, out' and 'our streets'.

Other signs spotted amid the crowds were 'Ireland belongs to the Irish', 'Irish Civil Rights', 'Stop the WHO pandemic treaty', 'Mass deportations', and 'Economic Migrants are not refugees' among others.

Local groups from Coolock and Newtownmountkennedy - where protests have been hosted recently against building used to home international protection applicants - were also represented.

Shocking photos from Monday's protest showed some protesters wearing hoodies and balaclavas, as they passed the GPO where around 200 people staged a counter-protest 'united against racism'.

Those attending the counter-protest waved Palestinian flags which read: 'No to far-right lies and racism'.

Others read: 'Homes for people, homes for all,' 'War creates refugees,' and 'Welcome all refugees'.

Between them and those marching from the Garden of Remembrance stood a line of gardai.

A strong Garda presence, including members of the Public Order Unit, was in place well in advance of the protest.

Flag-waving protesters took part in an anti-immigration protest in the centre of Dublin today

A protester carries a sign saying 'Irish Lives Matter' during a demonstration in central Dublin today

Asylum seekers tents seen on the Grand Canal bank at Warrington Place in Dublin

According to the Irish Times, it took around 45 minutes for the entire crowd to pass through O'Connell Street, which caused significant traffic disruption.

Despite the growing concern over migration in Ireland, both Sinn Fein and the Irish government have said that imposing checkpoints on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as a Rwanda-style deportation scheme, are out of the question.

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntree recently claimed 80 per cent of this year's estimated 7,000 asylum seekers had come from the UK via Northern Ireland, prompting the government to declare the UK was unsafe for migrants owing to the Rwanda plan and triggering a diplomatic spat.

Irish Cabinet members told The Mail on Sunday that fierce divisions had since emerged within the Irish government, critics slamming new Taoiseach Simon Harris for being out-manouvered by Rishi Sunak on the issue.

Following the row with the Conservative party over migration to Ireland, concern over immigration has spiked 15 per cent, according to the poll.

And 72 per cent said they believed McEntree's disputed claim about the number of migrants arriving in Ireland from Northern Ireland.

Rishi Sunak has refused to take back any refugees from Ireland unless France agrees to take back refugees who crossed the English Channel to get to the UK in the first place.

He warned Ireland against sending police to patrol the border for illegal migrants, however, amid concerns of a 'hard border' emerging between north and south.

A large crowd gathers for an Anti-Mass Immigration protest, marching from Dublin's Gardens of Remembrance through the city center, on May 6, 2024

The poll revealed 50 per cent of Irish locals want checkpoints on the border to deter migrants

A tented village in Dublin on April 30, 2024, with migrants left to sleep on footpaths and roads

As many as 40 per cent of poll respondents added that they would support Ireland having a policy similar to Britain's Rwanda scheme

Critics slamming new Taoiseach Simon Harris (Pictured)for being out-manouvered by Rishi Sunak on the issue of migration

The Prime Minister said last week Dublin must keep its promise after the Republic pledged to send 100 Gardai officers to police the border amid concern of rising migrant numbers.

Even before the massive surge of migrants, Ireland's Department of Integration and the International Protection Office were struggling to deal with at least 30,000 asylum seekers and 100,000 Ukrainian refugees amid a devastating housing supply crisis.

Frustrated Irish citizens are suspected to have burned down dozens of derelict building designated as future asylum centres as early as 2018 and as recently as April, when a site in County Wicklow that saw protests against the government for its decision to use it for refugees was set alight.

And this afternoon demonstrators gathered in Dublin for a protest about immigration.

Crowds gathered at the Garden of Remembrance before proceeding along O'Connell Street amid a gardai presence.

Many of the protesters held Irish flags and placards bearing messages such as 'Irish Lives Matter' and 'Coolock Says No', while there were chants including 'get them out'.

A counter protest took place outside the GPO in O'Connell Street where people held banners which read: 'Unite against racism. Refugees welcome.'
A brave survivor of the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing rampage has recalled the two chilling words the knifeman uttered after he plunged his blade into her ribs and narrowly missed her heart.

Liya Barko, 35, was shopping for a volleyball on April 13 when Joel Cauchi stabbed her with a 30cm hunting knife during his terrifying attack that claimed the lives of five women and a security guard at the busy shopping centre in Sydney's east.

Ms Barko, who was born in Ukraine, spent the next 10 days fighting for life in intensive care and was discharged from hospital a week ago.

She recalled how the harrowing ordeal happened so quickly that she didn't even see Cauchi's knife.

'I think he just looked at me and he decided in that moment and then I looked at my hands and I was bleeding,' she told Nine News.

After the horrifying attack, Cauchi looked at Ms Barko and said 'catch you', before continued his killing spree.

Liya Barko (pictured), 35, was shopping for a volleyball on Saturday 13 April when Joel Cauchi stabbed her with a 30cm hunting knife in a rampage that claimed the lives of six people.

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Rebel pulls Kangaroos jerseys from sale after Joel Cauchi killed six in stabbing spree Images of Joel Cauchi stalking Westfield Bondi Junction shoppers in an Australian rugby league jumper began circulating in the aftermath of the April 13 attack Advertisement

A quick thinking hero in a green T-shirt then pulled Ms Barko into a shop where he closed the security screen and applied pressure to her wound - which almost certainly saved her life.

'When you are on the floor, you're bleeding, you can see everyone's expression and some of them were crying, they were scared... for their lives also,' she said while fighting back tears.

Ms Barko is now on a mission to track down the man in the green T-shirt to personally thank him for saving her life.

'I would like to see him again, to at least give him a hug because I don't know how we would have managed without him in that moment,' she said.

One burning question remains on her mind.

'My question is how did it happen, why a schizophrenic man was there outside with a knife making a normal Saturday afternoon, he just turn it into hell?' she asked.

Ms Barko, who moved to Sydney 18 months ago to study, spent ten days in intensive care where her life hung in the balance.

She recalled waking up to a smiling doctor who filled her with hope.

'He was so happy, I have never seen someone really so happy,' Ms Barko said.

'I thought like okay, if I die right now, I'll just destroy his shift. So I can't die right now because he's just so happy.'

Ms Barko, who worked part-time as a cleaner, was only released from hospital a week ago.

Ms Barko revealed that after the horrifying attack Cauchi (pictured) looked at her and said: 'Catch you', before moving on with his killing spree

'By some miracle, the knife narrowly missed her heart,' Spencer Benjamin, who organised a GoFundMe page for her wrote.

'However, the incident resulted in a pierced stomach and liver, three broken ribs and severed arteries and veins.

'The surgeons battled not just to save her life but to prevent lasting neurological damage, as her brain was starved of oxygen for a critical period.'

Lone knifeman Cauchi , 40, murdered six people and stabbed 12 more innocent shoppers during the terrifying rampage that shocked the world.

His victims were Ash Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young , 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, and Yixuan Cheng, 27, and security guard Faraz Tahir, 30.
Footage captured the moment a cyclist smashed into a pensioner while whizzing past one of Sadiq Khan's floating bus stops.

The elderly pedestrian is seen walking across the bike lane to reach the bus stop at a zebra crossing when they are caught by the passing cyclist and hurled to the floor.

So called 'floating' bus stops have been a topic of contention in London, with leaked figures showing that as many as 60 per cent of cyclists do not give way at zebra crossings.

In the clip shared by blind charity NFBUK, cyclists are even seen swerving onto the pavement where the crossing is flush with the cycle lane.

It called for the 'chaotic and downright dangerous' junctions, such as the one near St Thomas's hospital on Westminster bridge, to be scrapped.

A clip showed an elderly pedestrian being knocked over by a cyclist at one of Sadiq Khan's floating bus stops

Blind charity NFBUK called the configuration, which requires pedestrians to cross oncoming cycle traffic to board their bus

It added that the configuration put visually impaired people at particular risk, with the boarding 'islands' shown to be too narrow for users of mobility canes when stepping off buses.

It said: 'These designs are not safe and they need to be urgently halted.'

Shared use bus boarders (SUBBs), as they are officially known, require pedestrians to venture across segregated cycle lanes with often constant bike traffic to board their bus.

A common feature on streets in the Netherlands, they have now become more prevalent in the capital since the pandemic, when London Mayor Sadiq Khan rolled out 62 miles of cycle lanes in just 12 months.

They have been previously dubbed 'polished turds' by transport officials, who say they can feel dangerous for older and disabled people.

Shared use bus boarders (SUBBs) have become more common in London since mayor Sadiq Khan rolled 62 miles of cycle lanes in just 12 months during the pandemic

According to the Highway Code, cyclists should 'give way to pedestrians on shared use cycle tracks' and take care to allow them plenty of room.

It adds that they should always be 'prepared to slow down and stop if necessary'.

Findings from video footage of eight floating bus stops around London showed that just 40 per cent of cyclists yielded to pedestrians following an interaction.

The latest incident also comes after a court heard last week that speed limit signs apply only to 'mechanically propelled vehicles' and not cyclists.

Police took no action against banker Brian Fitzgerald after he knocked over a retired teacher who later died while doing timed laps of Regent's Park as part of a Peloton group.

MailOnline has approached the Mayor of London and TfL for comment.
Young pupils were left distraught after their grandparents were banned from their classroom at a Catholic primary school event.

Grandparents were invited to 'bring something old they may have at home' to show grades one and two at St Joseph's Primary School in Yarra Junction on Melbourne's eastern outskirts last Friday.

Photos shared on social media showed the visitors teaching the children about how 'technology and the world has changed over time', as they showcased old photos, telephones, cameras, clocks and even a unicycle.

But a small group of furious grandparents claimed they were treated like 'criminals' when they arrived because they didn't hold a Working With Children's Check (WWCC)

Grandparents were invited to attend an 'Inquiry Afternoon' at St Josephs Primary School Yarra Junction last Friday

The grandparents showcased old photos, telephones, cameras, clocks and a unicycle to pupils in grades one and two

READ MORE: Explicit teaching returns to NSW classrooms as schools abandon progressive model

Teachers were 'taught' how to use the new method in school during the pupil-free day at the beginning of term two Advertisement

One woman, who has previously attended other events at the school, said her granddaughter almost 'burst into tears' when she was called to the office and informed that 'Grandma' couldn't enter the classroom.

'Then we sat in the staffroom and we videoed the items with my grandchild talking about what it was about and then she went back into the classroom and I went home. It was very disappointing,' she told the Herald Sun.

Another woman told the publication that she felt 'a bit empty' after taking the day off work only to find out that she couldn't attend granddaughter's class.

'I can understand if it's one-on-one if you're on an excursion because you're taking them to the toilet and things but we were in a room full of people and there were heaps of grandparents there,' she said.

Both grandmothers conceded that there was a note on the back of the invitation stating that they required a clearance to attend the event.

But both believed that 'better communication' was needed from the school.

It's understood 29 other grandparents signed in with the required clearance to attend Friday's event.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools says it took its responsibility for keeping schools safe 'extremely seriously'.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools has defended the decision of St Joseph's Primary School in Yarra Junction

While a spokeswoman acknowledged there was confusion regarding what was required from volunteers and visitors, she maintained that schools must comply with the child safe standards and mitigate risks.

'We acknowledge the disappointing experience of the four grandparents who couldn't attend the Grandparents Day and are attempting to call these families,' she said.

She added that staff can ask anyone on school grounds to hold a WWCC.
A coroner has issued a warning after a bin man was crushed to death when his coat got caught and he was picked up and dropped into the back of his bin lorry.

David Carpenter, 60, tragically died when the vehicle's compaction cycle started despite him being inside.

A jury concluded the accident which led to the grandfather's death was 'foreseeable'.

In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, area coroner for Coventry and Warwickshire, Delroy Henry, said there are still thousands of 'sub-optimal' bin lorries in use.

Mr Henry called for action to improve safety in the 'hazardous' profession, but said it was happening at an 'inordinately slow' pace.

David Carpenter, 60, (pictured) tragically died when the bin lorry's compaction cycle started despite him being inside

Mr Carpenter worked as a refuse collector for the city council in a Dennis Eagle lorry which was fitted with an 'automatic bin lift system', the inquest at Coventry coroner's court heard

Mr Carpenter worked as a refuse collector for the city council in a Dennis Eagle lorry which was fitted with an 'automatic bin lift system', the inquest at Coventry coroner's court heard.

The mechanism can lift two household waste bins at a time and is equipped with its own control panel at the rear of the vehicle.

It was heard Mr Carpenter was lifted into the rear of the bin lorry when he 'activated the proximity start sensor and his coat became caught on the lifting chair comb tooth associated with the bin security switch'.

The 'automatic compaction cycle' then started, causing his fatal injuries on January 19 last year.

The coroner recorded his death as an 'accident', but has now revealed 'matters giving rise to a concern'.

In a letter to lorry manufacturers, Dennis Eagle, Mr Henry said: 'In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.

'There are thousands of bin lorries of this or similar design still in circulation in April 2024.

'The evidence was it is estimated four to six million residential bins are lifted every day by bin lorries provided by the manufacturers.

The coroner recorded Mr Carpenter's death as an 'accident', but has now revealed 'matters giving rise to a concern'

'It was/is foreseeable that both workers (e.g. refuse collectors) and members of the public will approach the danger zone at the rear of the Refuse Collection Vehicle (RCV).

'In the case of workers, for example, to remove debris/detritus which occurs frequently on residential waste collection rounds.

'A risk of inadvertent whole-body lifting into the manufactures bin lorry hopper of a person in the danger zone carries with it a risk of death.'

Mr Henry said although new machine designs from Dennis Eagles has dealt with some of the issues, they have not addressed 'all that arose in the inquest'.

Listing examples, he continued: 'Differentiation between a bin and a person, warning signs easily visible to the public and reminding bin operatives, additional estops being more accessible from within the danger zone, audible bleeps confirming the engagement and disengagement of automatic mode.

'The ''new'' machines however are very few when considered in totality of huge number of the manufactures RCV in circulation.'

The coroner added that modification software should be available on all vehicles to ensure automatic compaction cycle does 'not engage' if someone falls in the rear.

He said: 'The cumulative effect being potentially important changes in the machinery in this hazardous working environment are inordinately slow, thus significant mechanical risks (best managed by the manufacturers) remain in April 2024 and compounded by the fact that the volume of work is high in this aspect of the waste industry i.e. millions of bin lifted daily.'

Mr Henry said other issues remained 'insufficiently considered' to help enhance safety in the 'hazardous job of refuse collection'.

'There remains (now 15 months post Mr Carpenters death) thousands of machines of 'sub optimal' safety on UK roads.

'The bin lorry manufacturers with some 8-10 thousand lorries (albeit not all at automatic mode RCVs) on UK streets.

'The evidence was customers are most, if not all, Local Authorities in UK.

'The manufacturers sell to waste contractors who collect on behalf of Local Authorities and sell to hire company from who Local Authorities hire vehicles.

'The cumulative effect is such that a concern as to future deaths exists as of April 2024.'

He reminded the directors they were under a legal obligation to respond to his recommendations by June 17.
Six percent of voters in six states will decide the next president of the United States, a new report claimed on Monday with six months to go until the November 5th election.

National polls show a statistical tie between Joe Biden and Donald Trump but strategists have honed in on the six states they see as key to a victory: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

And in those six states, it will be a margin of six percent of voters who decide the winner, officials from both sides told Axios.

Biden won all six states in the 2020 election but the margins were close: Biden won all of them by less than three points.

And flipping just a little more than 81,139 votes in four of the states - Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin and Georgia - would have handed Trump the White House, the Washington Post found.

There are a few other states in the mix when it comes to the fight for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

Both campaigns are looking closely at North Carolina, which Trump won by a little more than one percent in 2020.

The Trump campaign also argues Minnesota and Virginia are in play - both of which Biden won last time. And Biden's team argues Florida - Trump's home state that the former president carried four years ago - is within reach.

But the main focus is on the Democrats' so-called blue wall, where older, whiter voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as the most competitive for Biden.

It's seen as more necessary than the Sun Belt states Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina.

The Rust Belt states appear more competitive: Trump leads by 1.4 points in Michigan, 2 points in Pennsylvania and 2.8 points in Wisconsin, according to FiveThirtyEight's polling averages.

Whereas Trump's margin is greater in the Sun Belt where he leads Biden between 3 and 7 points in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.

If all the other state results stay the same as in 2020, Biden could lose Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia, along with North Carolina, this November and still win the presidency

But he needs all three Rust Belt states - Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - for second term in the White House. If Trump wins just one of them, he'll take the presidency.

Joe Biden needs all three Rust Belt states - Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - for second term in the White House

Donald Trump is also campaigning heavily in the Rust Belt

Trump has campaigned in Wisconsin and Michigan over the past week - a sign he is trying to knock down Biden's blue wall. Biden has made repeated visits to the area.

With six months to go, anything can happen and a lot of factors remain in play.

Trump is facing multiple trials on the state and federal level: including a hush-money case in New York, a federal case over his handling of classified documents, and both federal and state charges he tried to overturn the 2020 election results.

Biden, meanwhile, is dealing with an unstable Middle East and progressives who are unhappy with his staunch support of Israel and the treatment of Palestinian refugees.

Then there is Robert Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid. Both Trump and Biden's teams are worried Kennedy could play a spoiler role, taking voters away from each of them.

Trump has ramped up his criticism of RFK Jr., and Biden rolled out a dozen endorsements from the Kennedy family to counter RFK Jr.'s use of the clan's political legacy.

Biden's health remains an issue. The president will turn 82 just weeks after Election Day, Nov. 5, and is already the oldest president in U.S. history; Trump is 77.

And his approval rating remains at a low 38 percent, per Gallup polling.

Meanwhile, Americans remain unhappy with the economy, worried about immigration and fighting over abortion rights.

And a majority of voters have indicated they are not happy about a rematch between the two men.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said many voters are recovering from what he called 'a knock-down, drag-out fight' that was the 2020 presidential election.

'Many of them have not wrapped their heads around the fact that it is, in fact, going to be a rematch,' Cooper told the Associated Press. 'When they do, I dont think theres any question that Joe Biden is going to win the day.'
The administrative board of the Columbia Law Review is calling on the university to pass all law students after weeks of tension between students and the administration over pro-Palestinian activism culminated in police involvement and the university moving exams online.

In addition to the upheaval caused by the police raid, the law students also pointed to logistical issues brought on by the university's decision to move final exams online, in response to the protests.

The law students requested that if the university did not cancel exams altogether, it should switch to a mandatory pass/fail system, instead of traditional letter grades. They pointed to a late-April poll, in which nearly three-quarters of law students called for the policy change - which they say that the university "refused to consider."

"The current exam policy raises questions around equity and academic integrity. Students, especially those with needed academic accommodations, have been spending less time studying and more time asking questions on how to accommodate all the exam changes," the students wrote.

"This is compounded by the fact that exams are being conducted virtually, creating more confusion and anxiety to an already difficult situation."

"The violence we witnessed last night has irrevocably shaken many of us on the Review," the students wrote on May 2nd - one day after the New York Police Department raided the university's Hamilton Hall, arrested 112 people and discharged a gun inside the academic building.

"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."

The NYPD entered Columbia's campus at the request of university President Minouche Shafik, who asked that law enforcement remain until May 17 - two days after the undergraduate university's scheduled commencement date. This was in response to protestors - at least some of whom were Columbia students, threatened with expulsion - allegedly sneaking into Hamilton Hall after hours and taking control of the building.

The university did not directly inform Columbia students about the NYPD before police officers in tactical gear arrived on their campus. Instead, students received an email from the university administration, advising that they shelter in place at 8:18 p.m. but were given no guidance on where to go. Some students, reporting for the university radio station WKCR, alleged that they were repeatedly turned away from dorms while attempting to shelter in place during the NYPD raid.
A musician faces being sent to prison for five-years after buying a stun gun disguised as a torch to protect himself from being murdered by a riled-up neighbour.

Michael Cosgrove, from Dundee, may face a mandatory five-year jail term under laws banning the holding of any weapon disguised as something else.

Cosgrove told Perth Sheriff Court he had bought the firearm online as a 'last resort' for his own protection, claiming an upstairs neighbour was going to murder him for playing his guitar too loudly.

The 52-year-old was granted bail as sentencing was deferred, although Solicitor Doug McConnell told the court there may be 'exceptional circumstances' which could keep his client out of prison.

Sheriff William Wood told Cosgrove to build a case if he wanted to avoid the mandatory minimum prison term.

It is an offence to possess, purchase or acquire a stun gun disguised as something else in the UK. Stun guns can be disguised as mobile phones or torches (Stock Image)

Michael Cosgrove told Perth Sheriff Court (pictured) that he had bought the firearm online as a 'last resort' for his own protection

Stun guns can legally be used by the police, however they are only used by highly-trained officers (Stock Image)

Sheriff William Wood told Cosgrove: 'On the next occasion, I expect to hear submissions as to why the mandatory minimum sentence should not apply to you.'

The electroshock weapon, designed to look like a torch and widely available on the internet, was intercepted by Border Force officers.

What is a disguised stun gun? Source: Crown Prosecution Service Stun guns are weapons capable of incapacitating a person with an electric shock. They are often disguised as other objects such as torches or mobile phones. The Firearms Act 1968 is an act of parliament that controls use and possession of firearms in the UK. Under the act it is an offence to 'possess, purchase or acquire without authority' any firearm which is disguised as another object. Owning one attracts a minimum mandatory five-year prison sentence, unless exceptional circumstances can be proven. For example, Martin Horner, 30, was jailed for five years after being caught with a stun gun disguised as a torch during a drugs raid at his Midlothian home just outside of Edinburgh in 2017. In court proceedings, an expert should classify the weapon as a firearm and may flag up that it has the potential to be a disguised weapon. However the question of whether the weapon is, in fact, disguised, is for the court to decide. In Cosgrove's case, forensic scientist Julia Bilsland told the jury the device would emit 'a display of sparks and a crackling noise' and could cause 'localised pain' or even 'incapacitation'. The jury then found Cosgrove unanimously guilty of possessing a firearm disguised as something else. Advertisement

When police raided Cosgrove's flat, he told them he had not yet received the device but had already decided he was going to 'throw it in the Tay' anyway.

The court heard how police executed a search warrant at Cosgrove's flat on 11 August 2020, days after the firearm was intercepted.

Cosgrove told them: 'I bought it but saw online it was illegal and I was going to throw it in the Tay. I didn't even get it, there is nothing in the house.

'You're arresting me for ordering a Taser. You should speak to the boy upstairs, he keeps threatening to shoot me.'

Police found a notebook in Cosgrove's living room in which he had detailed times and dates of threats allegedly made against him.

The final entry read: 'If he's thinking of playing music, I'll kill the bastard.'

Cosgrove told the jury: 'This was a notebook I was keeping on instruction of the police.

'I was keeping a diary of threats that were being issued. It was everything that I heard. I kept a log of times, dates and what was being said.'

Cosgrove explained: 'I was surfing online when I happened to come across it one day. It was advertised as a self-defence device.'

He said he did not know it was a firearm and thought it was a Taser with blue wires coming from the front - not one that was disguised as a torch.

'I bought this item but there was no intention of any malice. I was in a situation where there was a guy upstairs threatening to murder me. It was a last resort to try and nullify the situation.'



He added that he had purchased the prohibited weapon 'to prevent myself from being murdered.`

Cosgrove told the court: 'Looking back on it now, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I didn't know what I was ordering.'

Forensic scientist Julia Bilsland told the jury the device would emit 'a display of sparks and a crackling noise' and could cause 'localised pain' or even 'incapacitation'.

Further denying the charge, Cosgrove said the item shipped was different to the Taser-style device he had ordered online, but jurors took 30 minutes to find him unanimously guilty.

While it is an offence to possess a stun gun in the UK, they can legally be used by the police, however they can only be used by highly-trained officers.

The Met Police recently took down the Hainault sword attacker with a taser.
Colorado police and first responders rescued several teens from an abandoned underground missile silo, after they plummeted 30 feet and miraculously survived.

The teens crawled into the underground silo in the middle of the night after they gained access through a broken gate. The underground missile located at 82000 East County Road 22, near the town of Deer Trail, had been abandoned since the 1960s.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and five other agencies were alerted to the emergency around 3.30am Sunday, and were there within 10 minutes, fire officials said. By 8.30am the rescue mission was complete, Fox News reported.

Fire Chief Rich Solomon, and his team searched 'the maze of tunnels and caverns,' trying to locate the trapped teens for hours.

He described the inside, as 'twisted metal....collapsed floors.. concrete pieces everywhere.' He also said, it was a 'confined space,' and there was 'stagnant water.'

By 6am the teens - a juvenile and two 18-year-olds- were found by rescue teams. And a half hour later they made contact with one teen, who was critically injured from the catastrophic fall. He was later airlifted to hospital.

The teens crawled into the underground silo in the middle of the night after they gained access through a broken gate. The missile is located at 82000 East County Road 22, near the town of Deer Trail, had been abandoned since the 1960s

Fire Chief Rich Solomon, and his team searched underground missile (pictured) for hours. He described it as a 'maze of tunnels and caverns. He said, 'It is twisted metal. It is collapsed floors. It is concrete pieces everywhere. It is a confined space. It is stagnant water'

Five other juveniles, boys and girls, were also found near the abandoned missile facility when rescuers arrived they were released to their parents, KDVR News reported.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said they are all facing possible trespassing charges.

The 18-year-old uninjured teen inside the silo was handed a summons for third degree criminal trespass. The teen that was hospitalized may also be facing trespassing charges.

Firefighters from Sable Altura Fire Rescue, Deer Trail Fire Rescue, Agate Fire Rescue and Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue assisted in the rescue.

AirLife Denver airlifted the critically injured teen who fell 30-feet inside the abandoned missile

During the harrowing ordeal, the teens trapped underground stayed with their friend who was critically injured from the fall.

When rescuers finally made contact, they stayed there for nearly thirty minutes until they were able to connect with the other team members.

'Once we found the patient we relayed what we could, when we couldn't and we didn't have any communication for at least an hour or more.

The fire chief explained that 'generally you have a one type of rescue - a confined space rescue or a high angle rescue - but this was all of them,' Fox News reported.

Rescuers used a skid to lift the injured boy out, but it took precision, and teamwork.

The radios and cell phones were not working underground, and had to rely on other means, making the rescue mission even more challenging.

Rescues teams are seen at the top of the cliff at Deer Trail

Crews were dispatched ready to enter the abandoned silo that was underground

A rescuer from Agate Fire and Rescue expressed gratitude to the team and was grateful there were no fatalities.

'These small departments come together and get it done,' he said.

'It was just one of the most amazing rescues with this amazing team of agencies that came together.

He added: 'I can't even explain how it feels to be a part of it.'
A mother-of-six who was seen on video wheeling the corpse of her uncle to a bank and trying to grip his hand over a pen has revealed that she was not aware that he was dead when she attempted to get him to sign for a $3,250 loan.

Erika de Souza, 42, also claimed she does not recall taking Paulo Braga, 68, to the branch on April 16 in the Rio de Janeiro town of Bangu and interacting with the workers, who called the police because they were alarmed by her behavior.

De Souza, who is being investigated in Brazil for manslaughter, was released from jail Thursday and said she does not remember a lot of what took place on the bizarre, uneventful visit to the bank.

She revealed she is currently under psychiatric treatment and that she took Zolpidem, a sedative prescribed to treat insomnia.

'I can't remember much,' de Souza said in an interview with Brazilian news magazine show Fantastico.

Erika de Souza sat down with Brazilian news magazine show Fantastico on Sunday and revealed that she does not remember a lot from her visit to the bank branch with her uncle and that she was not aware that he was dead she she tried to get him to sign a loan document. De Souza was released from a jail Thursday after a judge revoked her pretrial detention order

Erika de Souza is being investigated for manslaughter following the death of her uncle Paulo Braga on April 16

'I don't know if it was the effect of the medicine that day,' she added, claiming that she may have taken more those than prescribed by her doctor.

Surveillance cameras showed de Souza pushing the wheelchair through a mall parking lot and then through the shopping center's hallways before she strolled inside the bank.

Footage showed her walking away from a bank employee's desk and the worker placing her hand behind Braga's head, unaware that he was dead.

De Souza would return with a cup of water and tried to feed it to the corpse. She was seen on a cell phone video talking to her dead uncle while trying to grip a pen with his right hand to sign the loan document.

De Souza was charged with vilification of a corpse and attempted embezzlement and remained in prison until Thursday

Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Chief Fabio Souza said in a report that Erika de Souza 'knew' her uncle was already dead and held 'him by the neck so that he had his head up, simulating a person alive' moments before she placed a pen by his hand to sign a document to obtain a $3,250 loan

De Souza insisted that she had no idea that Braga had already died by the time they had reached the bank.

'Neither I nor many people noticed,' she said. 'How do you give a paper to a dead person to sign?'

De Souza was charged with vilification of a corpse and attempted embezzlement and remained in prison until Thursday.

The judge overseeing the case removed her from pretrial detention because she is not considered a flight risk and takes her of her underaged daughter, who has special needs.

'They were horrible days away from my family. I lived moments in my life that I couldn't bear anymore,' de Souza said. 'Very difficult. It was horrible, I didn't realize that my uncle was dead ... I'm not that person they're talking about, I'm not that monster.'

Erika de Souza visited her uncle, Paulo Braga, just days before he was released from a medical facility and then died April 16

Erika de Souza approaches the corpse of her uncle, Paulo Braga, at a bank branch in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 16 moments before she tried to withdraw a $3,250 that had been previously approved

Braga was hospitalized for pneumonia and discharged April 15.

De Souza accompanied him to a bank branch the same day and were instructed to visit another location where they could withdraw the money that he had planned to use for home improvements.

She indicated that Braga asked her to take him to the bank and that he felt fine on the ride to the bank.

She recalled that prior to entering the bank, she asked her uncle if she could place her hands behind his head.

'I asked if that would be better, he said yes,' she said.

However, security cameras at the bank showed that Braga was motionless while he sat on the chair and his tilted back on multiple occasions, causing de Souza and the bank worker to support his head with their hands.

Braga was declared dead at the bank by paramedics. Cadaver marks behind his head indicated that he would have been dead for at least two hours before he was wheeled into the bank.

The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police filed a report with the Public Ministry last week alleging that de Souza knew Braga was dead before she took him to the bank.

'She knew this fact (of death), as he is (in the video) with his head down and without any movement, however, right before entering, she holds him by the neck so that he has his head up, simulating a person alive,' Civil Police chief Fabio Souza said in his findings, which were obtained by TV Globo.

'There is no doubt that Erika knew about Paulo's death, but, as it was her last chance to withdraw the money from the loan, she entered the bank with the corpse, simulated for several minutes that he was alive, even pretending to give water, took the pen and held his hand close to the hand of Paulo's corpse,' Souza added.
Judge Juan Merchan once again found Donald Trump in contempt for violating a gag order during his Stormy Daniels trial  slapping on a new fine and threatening to jail him if he determines violations continue.

Merchan blasted Trump for continued and willful violations of the gag barring comments on witnesses and others that he said might threaten the 'fair administration of justice.'

I cannot allow that to continue. As much as I do not want to impose a jail sanction ... I will if necessary and appropriate,' he said inside court at the start of the 12th day of Trump's trial.

The judge slapped Trump with a $1,000 fine for the violation, which comes in addition to additional findings following an earlier hearing that resulted in fines totalling $9,000.

Judge Juan Merchan admonished Donald Trump and again threatened him with jail 'if warranted' if he violates a gag order against him

It appears the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent therefore going forward this court will have to consider a jail sanction,' he said.

The judge said Trump's repeated comments constitute a 'direct attack' on the process and would not be allowed to continue.

'Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration.'

Trump stared blankly ahead while receiving the judge's lecture.

But the billionaire avoided some additional fines Monday. The judge ruled that three earlier public statements raised by prosecutors didn't meet the threshold of beyond a reasonable doubt.

Trump was back in court for Day 12 of his criminal trial in the Stormy Daniels case

'Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration,' said Merchan, who had already fined Trump $9,000

The admonition from the bench came just minutes after Trump delivered another of his broadsides from inside the courthouse, complaining about the gag order the judge imposed on him, and repeatedly calling him 'conflicted.'

'The judge is totally conflict  is totally conflicted, and you ought to take a look at it,' Trump told reporters. He was referencing his own repeated attacks on the judge due to his daughter's work for an online advocacy firm with top Democratic clients.

'And I'm not supposed to be talking about it,' Trump said with lawyer Todd Blanche at his side. 'But I am allowed to say that the judge has a conflict like nobody's ever had before. You to take a look at it,' he said.

'He's taken away my constitutional right to speak ,' Trump fumed.

Trump is accused of 34 counts of falsifying financial records in the case, which on Friday featured tearful testimony by his former longtime aide Hope Hicks. He has pleaded not guilty.

Even as the judge threatened jail, he said he was reluctant to do so  even pointing to the logistics of jailing a former president under constant Secret Service protection.

'Its important to understand that the last thing I want to do is to put you in jail. You are a former president of the United States and possibly a future president, as well,' the judge told him.

There are many reasons why this is truly the last resort, he revealed. Then he referenced concern about people 'who would have to execute that sanction.'

That includes court officers, corrections officers, Secret Service detail among others'. But he acknowledged jailing Trump would be disruptive to these proceedings.

'At end of the day I have a job to do  part of that job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system,' he said.

The statement that drew the fine and the contempt finding came on April 22 during the trial on Just the News, No Noise, a program aired on the conservative Real America's Voice network online. He complained about the judge and the Manhattan venue where the jury is drawn from.

Trump said the judge is 'rushing the trial like crazy. Nobody's ever seen a thing go like this. That jury was picked so fast  95 percent Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a - just a purely Democrat area. It's a very unfair situation that I can tell you.'

On the statements that Trump got away with, the judge found that some that the court couldn't find beyond a reasonable doubt were not 'protected political speech' in response to political attacks by former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, a potential witness.

He also decided not to fine Trump for statements complimenting witness David Pecker, the ex-National Enquirer publisher tho testified about helping arrange 'hush' agreements and coordinating with Trump on coverage in 2016.

Trump had responded to a question about Pecker by saying he has 'been very nice.' He also called him a 'nice guy.'

'To be sure, this Court understands the People's argument as it pertains to this Exhibit and agrees that often seemingly innocuous or even complimentary words and phrases can in truth conceal a more nefarious purpose, such as to threaten, harass or intimidate,' he ruled.

'However, context, facial expressions, emphasis and even cadence ate critical in reaching such a determination. Under the circumstances here, this Court cannot find beyond a reasonable doubt that the statement in question constituted a veiled threat to Mr. Pecker or to other witnesses.'
A top Democrat and Biden campaign surrogate said the president will visit college campuses rocked by pro-Palestinian protests as the topic has been blossoming into a major voting issue six months out from the election.

'I think the president should and will get out there on campuses,' Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said in an interview with CBS News Sunday.

Khanna's office and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when the potential college visit could happen.

The California Democrat has been traveling across the country, most recently to Wisconsin, meeting with students and voters to gauge their priorities for the November election.

'In Wisconsin the issues that came up first were abortion, second the cost of living and what president was going to do on student loans and for housing and rent,' Khanna said, adding that 'Gaza came up' too.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on CBS News Sunday that Biden will go to colleges with pro-Palestinian demonstrations occurring

Protestors across the nation have called for their universities to divest from Israel

'We have to understand this is a defining moment for this generation, similar to anti-Vietnam protests, anti-apartheid protests, [and] anti-Iraq war protests and they want to see leadership in America and around the world.'

'This is not the world that they want,' Khanna continued.

Pro-Palestinian protests across U.S. colleges in recent weeks have led to thousands of arrests and constant unrest on campus as students camp out on university property often chanting through megaphones and setting up makeshift villages.

The movement first began at Columbia University before spreading to colleges nationwide.

Over a hundred activists were arrested at Columbia University in the early days of the 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' there, but that did not deter demonstrators who later expanded their de-facto domain by taking over a university building.

Activists demanded the university cut ties with firms financially tied to Israel or Israeli companies.

They also repeatedly lambasted Zionism - the belief that Jewish individuals should have their own nation - decrying that Israel should be dissolved if not destroyed.

After weeks of attempting to negotiate with student organizers, the Columbia University President Minouche Shafik warned students that harsher penalties would be enacted on protestors like expulsion.

Eventually the New York Police Department had to intervene by dramatically breaching the university building to remove students and activists that took over the university property.

The saga prompted separate visits from Speaker Mike Johnson and several House Democrats who all spoke out against the antisemitism on campus.

Still, Biden has not visited any of the college campuses that have been hit by protests, though he did denounce the protests last week saying demonstrators do not have a right 'to cause chaos.'

'I think the protests and the larger movement have had the president change,' Khanna said Sunday.

'Look, everyone from the president on down is aware that young people are upset at whats going on in the Middle East.'

'And I do think its had an awakening in Washington, that this war has to end, that too many people are dying. And if you look at the presidents language, its certainly shifted over the last six months.'

Khanna also mentioned that there has been 'constructive dialog taking place' on college campuses, some that he has been apart of while traveling around for Biden.

A professor at the University of Texas takes part in a pro-Palestinian protest on Sunday

He also condemned activists who blur the lines between protest and calls for violence.

'You cant be shouting guillotine, guillotine. You cant be shouting globalize the Intifada or Zionists dont deserve to live.'

'Whats being lost is that those few protesters who are inciting violence or engaging in that kind of antisemitism are diminishing the thousands of young people who simply want the war to end.'
A major British industry group has been accused of publishing impractical guidance over whether self-identifying transgender women can use single-sex spaces.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) states in a guide that refusing a transgender person female-only facilities could be 'discrimination' in law.

But Maya Forstater, chief executive of gender critical group Sex Matters, said the charity - which represents HR professionals - should 'start again' with its approach.

The CIPD's 'transgender and non-binary inclusion at work' guide encourages firms to create 'an environment where everybody can use facilities they feel comfortable in and best meet their needs, which should include some gender-neutral facilities'.

It adds: 'You can help by creating an environment where everybody can use facilities they feel comfortable in and best meet their needs, which should include some gender-neutral facilities. Refusing to allow a transgender or non-binary person to use the facilities they feel most comfortable in may be discrimination.

'However you also need to show understanding to those who may be uncomfortable. Approaching any such discussions should be in the spirit of sharing concerns and building greater understanding and respect in the spirit of compassion and empathy.'

It comes amid changes to the law announced today that mean new restaurants, offices and shopping centres in England must provide single-sex toilets.

Maya Forstater, chief executive of gender critical group Sex Matters, said the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development should 'start again' with its transgender guidance

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development offices in Wimbledon, South West London

Former thinktank researcher Ms Forstater told the Daily Telegraph: 'We think the CIPD's guidance on trans and non-binary should be scrapped and started again. It's written in a way that sounds like it's taking everyone into account, but it's not usable.'

READ MORE Separate toilets for men and women must be built in new restaurants, shopping centres and offices under new building rules Advertisement

She added: 'The answer that 'you should consult and take legal advice' is not practicable. What we're talking about is a big company, retail or anywhere with lots of sites all over the country, some of them have a picture of a woman in a dress in the door.

'Are they female only? The answer can't be 'we'll take legal advice'. The answer has to be yes or no.'

It comes after Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch asked people last Wednesday to give examples of how public bodies use incorrect guidance on access to single-sex spaces.

Her 'call for input' prompted a Mumsnet debate last week that saw one user claim: 'The CIPD guidance potentially impacts every workplace in the UK and definitely needs reporting.'

But a CIPD spokeswoman told MailOnline today: 'It is incorrect that our guide says it is discrimination to refuse a transgender person access to female only facilities - it says it may be discrimination under law.

Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch asked people last week to give examples of how public bodies use incorrect guidance on access to single-sex spaces

Ms Badenoch's 'call for input' prompted a Mumsnet debate that saw one user claim: 'The CIPD guidance potentially impacts every workplace in the UK and definitely needs reporting'

'Our guidance, which has been informed throughout by advice from employment lawyers, makes clear that employers should listen carefully to employees and seek legal advice where necessary if making decisions over the use of toilets and other facilities.'

READ MORE Sport England cuts ties with Stonewall amid warnings quangos should distance themselves from LGBTQ lobby group Advertisement

Ms Forstater also plans to report guidance on single-sex spaces from other business organisations.

In June last year, she was awarded 100,000 compensation by an employment tribunal after losing out on a job when she said people cannot change their biological sex.

It comes as new restaurants, offices and shopping centres in England will soon be required to provide single-sex toilets under changes to the law ministers say will 'alleviate safety, privacy and dignity concerns'.

Ms Badenoch said the move will end 'the rise of so-called 'gender-neutral' mixed sex toilet spaces, which deny privacy and dignity to both men and women'.

The legislation will mean that new non-domestic buildings must install separate toilet facilities for men and women, or, if there is not enough space, self-contained universal toilets, which are a fully-enclosed toilet room containing a sink and hand dryer.

The CIPD's official advice states that 'refusing to allow a transgender or nonbinary person to use the facilities they feel most comfortable in may be discrimination'

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said she wanted hospital patients to have the right to request to be treated on single-sex wards, with transgender people placed in rooms on their own

Speaking about the changes, Ms Forstater told MailOnline: 'Many people will breathe a sigh of relief at this welcome return to common sense.

'Single-sex toilets offer privacy, dignity and peace of mind for both sexes, but they're especially important for women and girls.'

She said a survey carried out by Sex Matters on why people appreciate single-sex spaces resulted in 7,000 responses in a week, mostly from women - many of whom said they felt uncomfortable or that mixed toilets were less clean.

Ms Forstater also said some were afraid of 'being in a confined space where a strange man could walk in, perhaps because they or someone they knew had experienced male violence or sexual assault'.

She continued: 'Safe, usable public toilets are something we take for granted, but they are crucial for inclusion of women in public life.

'From building regulations to signage to workplace policies and training, it is important to have joined-up regulations which make clear that single-sex facilities are single sex.'

Ministers said a consultation on the proposals showed 81 per cent agreed with the intention for separate single-sex lavatories, while 82 per cent agreed with the intention to provide additional universal toilets where space allows.

Changes to the law announced today that mean new restaurants, offices and shopping centres in England must provide single-sex toilets (stock picture)

The regulations will also apply to businesses and hospitality venues undertaking 'major refurbishment'. There will be exemptions for schools, residential homes and premises used mainly for early years provision.

In schools, separate toilets for boys and girls aged eight years and over must already be provided.

Last week, Ms Badenoch appeared to suggest gender-neutral toilets at a school could see young girls avoiding using those shared facilities and ending up with urinary tract infections.

It came after Health Secretary Victoria Atkins announced plans to overhaul the NHS Constitution, ensuring hospital patients in England have the right to request to be treated on single-sex wards, with transgender people placed in rooms on their own.
Police to be given more powers to search people for knives

A tough new crackdown on knife crime has been declared in NSW, with police given new powers to scan people for weapons in public places without a warrant following a recent spate of stabbing incidents.

It will also now be illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy a knife and there will be heavy penalties for any retailers who do so, under new plans to be announced by the state government on Tuesday.

The current age limit is 16, which will be increased by two years.

Premier Chris Minns said that the new legislation is modelled on Queensland's Jack's Law which brought in after the tragic stabbing death of teen Jack Beasley in 2019.

It allows police officers in Queensland to use a metal detecting wand in operations in city centre locations, at public transit hubs and on public transport.

A similar scheme will be brought in for NSW which will give police powers to 'wand' or 'scan' people for knives without a warrant in designated areas, including transport hubs, shopping centres and other crowded places.

The new measures come in the wake of several high-profile stabbing events, including the Westfield Bondi Junction knife rampage (pictured)

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley (right ) will announce more details on Tuesday

READ MORE: Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing survivor reveals the chilling words uttered by knifeman Joel Cauchi Liya Barko was shopping for a volleyball on Saturday 13 April when Joel Cauchi stabbed her with a 30cm hunting knife in a rampage that claimed the lives of six people. Advertisement

The new measures come in the wake of several high-profile stabbing events, including the deadly

and the

after being repeatedly stabbed.

'In recent weeks and months, we have all borne witness to the devastating outcomes of knife related violence,' Premier Minns said.

'I know that many in our community have followed the devastating media coverage and heard the stories of victims and families  tragically there have been so many recent examples.'

'Our communities are still in mourning, but it's essential that we step up to take immediate action to send a clear message that NSW will simply not accept these kinds of crimes.'

'Today we are announcing reform including legislation modelled on new powers for Police to search and detect knives in public spaces, based on Queensland's Jack's Law, and a commonsense increase to the age limit for purchasing knives from 16 to 18 to make it harder for children to get access to these deadly weapons.

Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley said that the new measures would 'send a strong warning to would-be perpetrators'.

'These reforms will give police improved tools to quickly detect concealed knives and take action before a potential perpetrator has the chance to use them,' she said.

'These reforms will give police improved tools to quickly detect concealed knives and take action before a potential perpetrator has the chance to use them.'

NSW Police will given new powers to scan people for weapons in public places. Pictured is a recent cop operation targeting knife-related offences

Jack Beasley died after suffering fatal stab wounds when he was set upon by a group in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast.

His parents Brett and Belinda Beasley have since founded the Jack Beasley Foundation - a not-for-profit organisation raising awareness of youth and knife crime and campaigning for change around youth justice and police powers to combat knife crime.

Queensland passed Jack's Law in 2023, allowing police to use metal detectors to identify and seize weapons in busy thoroughfares.

Thousands of people were charged and more than 241 weapons - including flick knives, machetes and knuckledusters - were seized by officers during a trial in May 2021 and November 2022.

'No parent should go through what the Beasleys and many other families have gone through. No life should be cut short by violent crime,' Ms Catley added.

'We'll be looking at how these strategies work in a NSW context. Strategies that we know are making a difference in Queensland.'

'These reforms are about keeping people safe. I want the community to have the confidence that this government is committed to giving the NSW Police Force all the tools required to combat violent crime.'

Brett Beasley (left, pictured with his son Jack) and his wife Belinda were instrumental in working with the NSW Government on the reforms.

The announcement follows NSW Police's recent high-visibility 'Operation Foil' initiative, which was designed to crack down on knife crime.

The latest rollout, which took place last month and involved over 800 officers across NSW, seized 51 knives and resulted in 145 people being charged with weapon-related offences, including seizure of a firearm.

In the last year alone, almost 4,000 knives were seized in public places.
Israel has ordered an estimated 100,000 Palestinians to leave the eastern part of Rafah, the last-standing city in the Gaza Strip, amid fears that an upcoming IDF offensive against the city could end in a massacre of civilians.

The IDF ordered Gazan civilians to leave part of Rafah and go to Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast, in preparation for the offensive this morning, and thousands were seen leaving in droves.

Civilians were seen carrying what they could on small vans and even donkeys, as they made their way to tent camps set up by the IDF to accommodate the mass of people leaving Rafah, with the army claiming it had expanded assistance into the area, including field hospitals, tents, food and water,

More than half of Gaza's population called Rafah home since the retaliatory attack against the enclave began seven months after Hamas' brutal incursion into Israel.

Israel says it's aim with the offensive against Rafah was to weed out any remaining Hamas fighters. Israel maintains that the broader goal of the last seven months has been to eliminate Hamas.

But the terror group said it would put up a fight against the IDF's assault, claiming in a statement: 'We confirm that any military offensive in Rafah will not be a picnic to the fascist occupation army. Our brave resistance on top of them, the Qassam Brigades, is fully prepared to defend our people and defeat this enemy.'

Palestinians, including women and children living in east part of Rafah, migrate to the west part of the country

People flee the eastern parts of Rafah after the Israeli military began evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault

Smoke rises from different points after Israeli attack on Rafah

Much of the world, and especially its allies, have condemned Israel's decision to plough ahead with the planned offensive.

READ MORE: Dogs start eating bodies of the dead in the streets of Rafah as Israel begins evacuation of the city with offensive 'imminent' after latest breakdown in peace talks with Hamas

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The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said: 'Israel's evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable. Israel must renounce to a ground offensive.

'The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario.'

A spokesperson for the White House's National Security Council said: 'We can't speak for IDF (Israeli military) operations. We have made our views clear on a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, and the President will speak with the Prime Minister today.

'We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing now.'

The Palestinian presidency called on Washington to stop Israel from conducting a large-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza to prevent a 'massacre'.

A picture taken on May 6, 2024 shows smoke billowing following bombardement east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip

Much of the world, and especially its allies, have condemned Israel's decision to plough ahead with the planned offensive

The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction in several towns and cities

READ MORE: Hamas attack on aid crossing that killed Israeli troops leaves peace hopes in tatters

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'We call on the American administration to intervene immediately to prevent this massacre... (and) we warn of its dangerous repercussions,' the presidency said in a statement.

Egypt, one of the few countries directly involved in the negotiation between Israel and Hamas, warned the military operation carries 'grave humanitarian risks'.

The country's foreign ministry also called on Israel to exercise the utmost levels of self-restraint.

The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction in several towns and cities. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials.

The war began on October 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, abducting about 250 people and killing around 1,200, mostly civilians. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.
A bear cub that was tormented by a group of North Carolina friends who grabbed her to take selfies is now orphaned in an animal refuge.

The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge has blasted the group who pulled the cub from a tree in Asheville, west NC, for their 'shocking' behavior - while giving an update on the cub's condition.

Six friends were caught capturing the terrified baby bears before taking photos with them and dropping one on the ground beside a fence near Berrington Village Apartments in a viral video on April 16.

Officials said the discarded cub was separated from her mother and siblings during the upsetting interaction, and their employees have spent the several weeks since stabilizing the traumatized animal.

They have now released photographs of the adorable black bear resting its head on towels, and of officials gently handling her while wearing surgical gloves.

The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge has released pictures of the baby bear cub which they have been rehabilitating since it was torn away from its mother by a group of friends in NC

The NC Wildlife Agency also said the cub was 'frightened, wet and shivering' and appeared to have suffered a paw injury when they responded to calls from witnesses on April 16.

But Appalachian Wildlife Refuge Executive Director Savannah Trantham said she has recovered well since the incident - and has even befriended another rescue bear at the refuge.

'Following a time to adjust to being in our care she was introduced to another orphaned cub that arrived previously,' she said.

'Both cubs are thriving and doing well in care. They are eating well and interacting with enrichment, doing all the things we hope to see with young cubs.

'Our team has no reason to believe that they won't be released as wild bears in the fall.'

Trantham added that the video from April 16 sparked 'feelings of frustration, sadness and anger' from the community.

'We hope the act of witnessing these shocking visuals prompts people to reflect on the very real challenges that wildlife face every day,' she said.

'The silver lining is that this cub was rescued by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC).

'It is now safe and being well cared for despite being separated from its mom.'

Officials said the discarded bear was separated from her mother and siblings during the upsetting interaction, and their employees have spent the last two weeks stabilizing the traumatized animal

They have now released photographs of the adorable black bear resting its head on towels, and of officials gently handling her while wearing surgical gloves

Officials had to capture the baby bear in a cage after the upsetting interaction on April 16

The Appalachian Wildlife Refuge has been in the business of rehabilitating black bear cubs with the NCWRC since the spring of 2020.

Since then they have cared for 39 injured or orphaned baby bears rescued from all over North Carolina.

The cubs are cared for in natural habitats which are isolated from the busy general facility until mid-fall when they are identified for release and returned to wild areas close to where they were found.

Trantham said the latest case isn't unique, as they often respond to incidents where cubs have been 'removed from their space and are unable to reunite with their mother'.

They have also received bears which have been orphaned after their mothers were killed by cars, gunshots, or after becoming trapped in foreign objects.

'We always want to see all wild animals left in the wild and be raised by their mothers, but we work hard every day to provide a place for these wild animals to go for those that truly do need our intervention,' Trantham said.

She said bear cubs are one of the most expensive animals to rehabilitate. One cub can cost the nonprofit $30,000 in food, medical bills and habitat maintenance expenses.

Six people in Buncombe County pulled the three bear cubs out of a tree near Berrington Village Apartments on April 16

Video shows the group carelessly grabbing the cubs out of the tree to pose for photos with them

'They are not only our most expensive patients, but also our most challenging to meet all of their needs and ensure we raise cubs that can be successful as wild bears,' Trantham said.

'The incredible support from our donors and followers makes it possible to provide the space and care for these cubs and all the injured and orphaned wild patients we receive.'

Trantham said it's not unusual or concerning for baby animals to be away from their mothers during the spring and summer, and people should not try to move them.

'Many wild mothers leave their babies in safe spaces while they forage for food and then they return when they know it is time to feed or move their young,' she said.

'We encourage everyone to take the incident of these young cubs to heart and treat all wild animals with the respect they deserve.'
Moscow has threatened to strike British military targets in Ukraine and elsewhere if it finds Kyiv's forces used British-supplied long-range missiles to strike Russia.

The Russian foreign ministry summoned British Ambassador Nigel Casey to the Kremlin on Monday and warned him that if Ukrainian forces use British weaponry to attack Russia, Moscow could hit 'any UK military facility and equipment on Ukrainian territory and beyond'.

The statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry came after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike Russia.

Lord Cameron, during a visit to Kyiv last week, said Ukraine 'absolutely has the right to strike back at Russia' and that London did not put 'caveats' on how Ukrainian forces use weapons supplied by Britain.

Russia's foreign ministry said Lord Cameron's remarks recognised that Britain was now de-facto a part of the conflict and contradicted an earlier assurance that long-range weapons given to Ukraine would not be used against Russia.

Moscow's threat comes Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops based near Ukraine to practice nuclear weapons scenarios in a bid to 'deter' adversaries following perceived threats of escalation from Western leaders.

The Russian foreign ministry summoned British Ambassador Nigel Casey (right) to the Kremlin on Monday and warned him that if Ukrainian forces use British weaponry to attack Russia, Moscow could hit 'any UK military facility and equipment on Ukrainian territory and beyond'

File photo. A Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched by Russia in April 2022

A view of destruction at damaged site after Russian attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 3, 2024

Firefighters battle a blaze that erupted after Putin's troops struck eastern Ukraine on Orthodox Easter night

'Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad' could be targeted, Russia's foreign ministry said Monday.

'The Ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way.'

Lord Cameron, talking to the media outside St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv last week, said Ukraine had a right to use British weaponry as it sees fit, including firing into Russian territory and lifting a previously held requirement only to fire Storm Shadow missiles within Ukraine.

He said: 'Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself.'

The Kremlin called Lord Cameron's statement a 'direct escalation' of the war in Ukraine deemed 'dangerous to European security'.

Russia earlier announced that it was planning new nuclear weapons drills, citing 'threats' issued by Western leaders, including French leader Emmanuel Macron and British officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right), escorted by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (left), arrives for a meeting with Cabinet members in Moscow, Russia on Monday, May 6, 2024

Russian 'Yars' intercontinental ballistic missile launchers are displayed in the Victory Day military parade general rehearsal on the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, May 5 2024

Moscow says Casey (right, outside the Kremlin) was summoned to 'reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way'

The foreign ministry said Monday that it hoped tactical nuclear weapons drills would cool down 'hotheads' in the West who Moscow said were pushing for a direct military confrontation between the US-led NATO military alliance and Russia.

'They are deliberately leading the situation towards a further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis towards an open military clash between NATO countries and Russia,' the foreign ministry said, citing remarks from both Lord Cameron and President Macron, and the delivery of US ATACMS to Ukraine.

'We hope that this event will cool down the 'hotheads' in Western capitals.'

Russian forces currently occupy several regions of Ukraine and the Kremlin has claimed to have annexed them and that they are part of Russian territory.

Military drills in the undisclosed 'near future' will include practice for the preparation and deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons, Russia's defence ministry claimed.

The ministry said today the exercises would be carried out 'in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation', the Kremlin citing threats to deploy troops in Ukraine.

'It's obvious we are talking about statements from Mr. Macron and statements from British representatives,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by reporters what had prompted the drills, adding: 'This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures.'

A Russian diplomat on Monday said Moscow would have to increase its entire missile arsenal as a deterrent following what was framed as the worst breakdown in relations since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

'We are now at the stage of open confrontation, which, I hope, will not result in a direct armed conflict,' Russian Ambassador-at-Large Grigory Mashkov told the state RIA news agency.

Mashkov added that it will now be necessary to take 'further steps to strengthen the country's defense capability, including building up the missile arsenal, in order to discourage any potential enemy from testing Russia's strength.'

He added that Russia was already doing a lot in this area but that more was needed given what he said was the growing threat from the West and the technological advances in most types of missiles, from tactical to inter-continental.

First responders conduct works at damaged site after Russian attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 3, 2024

At least 12 private homes suffered damage, with three completely razed to the ground by the artillery barrage from the Russian army's UMPB D-30, during Moscow's attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine on May 3, 2024

A Ukrainian soldier is seen walking among the rubble as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Chasiv Yar, Ukraine on April 27, 2024

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia is set to spend 7.1 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on the military, or more than a third of total government spending, in 2024.

Ramping up drills, Putin reportedly told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to prepare missile firing exercises in the near future 'in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat missions'.

Troops from the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine and includes the occupied Ukrainian territories will take part in the drills, the ministry said.

Close Putin ally and former President Dmitry Medvedev said today on Telegram that 'the number of scoundrels among the Western political elite calling for sending their troops to a non-existent country is expanding'.

'Now it includes representatives of the US Congress, French and British leadership, and individual madmen from the Baltic states and Poland...'

'Sending your troops to the territory ofUkraine will entail the direct entry of their countries into the war, to which we will have to respond.

'And, alas, not in the territory of Ukraine. In this case, none of them will be able to hide either on Capitol Hill, or in the Elysee Palace, or in 10 Downing Street.

'A world catastrophe will come.'

The United States on Monday slammed Moscow's 'irresponsible rhetoric' after Putin ordered nuclear drills near Ukraine.

'This is an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric that we've seen from Russia in the past. It's completely inappropriate given the current security situation,' Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists when asked about the announcement.

'We've not seen any change in their strategic force posture,' Ryder said, adding: 'Obviously we'll continue to monitor.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting with Cabinet members in Moscow on Monday, May 6, 2024. He thanked the Cabinet ministers for their work ahead of his inauguration on Tuesday

Cabinet members, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (centre) and Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov talk as they wait for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, May 6, 2024

As part of a new drive of 'deterrence', Russia is also understood to have commissioned a notable Russian political scientist to explore possible avenues for pushing back what is perceived as an encroaching West including nuclear deterrence.

Sergey Karganov, a longtime advisor to Putin and his predecessor Boris Yeltsin, has reportedly been commissioned to carry out eight studies into topics including the 'theory and practice of nuclear deterrence' within the context of Russia's current political climate, and how Russia might go about 'developing' such a deterrence with Russia, China, India and Pakistan.

The 71-year-old, who currently heads the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, is notable for his post-USSR doctrine suggesting Russia should aim to leverage Russian minorities living nearby to spread and maintain its influence in former dominions.

Last year, he called for Russia to launch nuclear strikes on Europe as a pre-emptive measure to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and restore the perceived authority of the nuclear threat.

The escalation of Russian nuclear rhetoric follows weeks of more pronounced threats from the West to intervene in the conflict in Ukraine.

President Macron recently told The Economist he 'absolutely' stands by pledges to put boots on the ground in Ukraine if push comes to shove.

'As I said, I'm not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out,' he told the magazine in an interview published last Thursday.

Macron has also called on Europe to reduce reliance on the United States and develop independent capacity to face down hostile foreign actors.

In February, Putin warned Macron that if France were to send any troops to Ukraine, they would meet the same fate as Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Armee, whose 1812 invasion ended in staggering defeat and huge casualties.

A firefighter works at a site of a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 4, 2024

A 120mm mortar crew is launching rounds at the Russian positions as Ukrainian soldiers from the 225th Assault Brigade are currently defending the city of Chasiv Yar, situated halfway between Bakhmut and Kostyantynivka on April 27, 2024

Ukrainian soldiers maintain their military mobility in Chasiv Yar on April 27, 2024

Rescuers, firefighters are extinguishing a fire at a meat processing plant located on the northeastern outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine along with a nearby residential building on May 4, 2024

Ukrainian soldiers of the Khartia brigade prepare the D-20 artillery in the direction of Kupiansk, Ukraine, on May 5, 2024

A Russian plane has accidentally dropped a bomb, aimed for Ukraine, on the border city of Belgorod during May 4, 2024 attack

Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said comments made on Friday could imperil the entire system of European security architecture - and namechecked Macron while condemning perceived threats from the West.

'The statement [from Macron] is very important and very dangerous,' Peskov told reporters on Friday.

Macron 'continues to constantly talk about the possibility of direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine. This is a very dangerous trend,' he added.

Peskov said the recent statements by Macron and Cameron 'potentially pose a danger to European security, to the entire European security architecture'.

'We see a dangerous tendency towards escalation in official statements. This is raising our concern,' he added.

US House Leader Hakeem Jeffries added to Russian fears with comments in a CBS interview this week that if Ukraine falls 'there's a significant likelihood that America will have to get into the conflict  not simply with our money, but with our servicewomen and our servicemen'.

Experts following developments in the war suggest Macron's comments reflect a new approach of 'strategic ambiguity' mirroring threats from Russia.

Vlad Sutea, founder and lead analyst at early warning and threatcasting group T-Intelligence, told MailOnline: 'Macron is one of the few Western European leaders to understand the value of strategic ambiguity.

'Putin doesn't take anything off the table, neither should we. And that includes sending troops, in whichever capacity that is feasible.'

'Chances are, Macron and other European leaders have outlined implicit thresholds that could prompt direct Western intervention.

'A scenario warranting action could entail a collapse of the front in the East, leading to further Russian encroachment, posing a threat to cities like Kyiv, Odesa, and, albeit less likely, western regions such as Lviv.

'Our reading is that the intra-NATO discussions on this topic have not been as hypothetical as believed.

'One should remember that France also recently signed a security agreement with Moldova and has a robust presence in Romania as part of the NATO battle group that will be elevated to brigade-level in 2025.'

He suggested that criticism of Macron, claiming the comments could invite nuclear Armageddon, played into the Kremlin's hands.

'This appears to be typical pro-Russian scaremongering, aimed at dissuading bold Western action,' he said. 'The true irresponsibility lies in shying away from confronting Russia.'

'Weakness invites aggression and this is particularly relevant when talking about Putin's Russia.'

Ukrainian servicemen carry out anti-sabotage mock drills on the border with Belarus, Jan 17

Ukrainian soldiers fire with mortar during a military training with French servicemen in Poland

Amid rising tensions, Macron is today to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state visit in a bid to persuade him to switch positions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In Xi's first visit to Europe since 2019, he is also expected to give talks in Serbia and Hungary.

President Xi has said he wants to find peace in Ukraine but has been a careful ally to Putin and is expected to host the Russian leader in Beijing next month.

In an op-ed for Le Figaro daily, Xi recently said that he wanted to work with the international community to find ways to solve the conflict sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while emphasising that China was 'neither a party nor a participant'.

'We hope that peace and stability will return quickly to Europe, and intend to work with France and the entire international community to find good paths to resolve the crisis,' he wrote.
Commentary: China's modernization contributes to building better future for humanity

Xinhua) 10:22, May 06, 2024

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's modernization, which has realized an economic miracle and improved the well-being of its people, illustrates an innovative approach to solving humanity's most pressing problems.

This view is echoed and well elaborated in the latest report released Saturday at a China-France forum on developing people-to-people and cultural exchanges in Paris.

"Chinese Modernization: The Way Forward" offers an authoritative interpretation of Chinese modernization and is key to understanding contemporary China's development experience.

Throughout history, Western modernization theories have been constructed based on Western experiences. The development of most developed Western countries has been a gradual process, progressing in the sequence of industrialization, urbanization, agricultural modernization, and digitalization.

In this context, China, as the largest developing country, grapples with a vast territory, a significant population and pronounced regional disparities. Its path to modernization requires resolving numerous intricate issues, some of which the West has never encountered.

China, in response, has charted a course of coordinated development, diverging from the Western modernization trajectory. In a remarkably short period, it has accomplished an industrialization process that took the developed Western countries several centuries, thereby forging a path of rapid economic development and enduring social stability.

The Chinese modernization has provided an alternative approach to development and allowed nationalities to accelerate growth while maintaining self-reliance and independence, shattering the delusion that modernization equals Westernization.

For developing countries, modernization is a must. China's development demonstrates that there is neither a fixed model nor a universal standard of modernization. There is more than one path to modernization.

The report, co-issued by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Xinhua Institute, which is a high-end think tank of Xinhua News Agency, lists detailed characteristics of Chinese modernization.

Unlike Western modernization, the report noted, the Chinese version puts people, not capital, first; it debunks the rhetoric of "the end of history" and pursues the constant improvement and innovation of systems and institutions; it pursues a model of comprehensive and coordinated development; it ensures that the people run their country and that democracy is not practiced for the few; it strives to both preserve cultural heritage and enrich it; and it rejects unilateralism in global governance and advances the building of a human community with a shared future.

Modernization is not only about the economy but also about the well-rounded development of the people. Chinese modernization aims to ultimately achieve every individual's full and free development.

In this process, China has won the battle against poverty, lifting one-fifth of the world's population out of absolute poverty, an unprecedented achievement in history.

China has become the world's second-largest economy, with its GDP growing to 126 trillion yuan (18 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023. Such achievements have greatly lifted the nation's position in the global economic system after the advent of modern times and contributed significantly to the world economy.

A world of peaceful development should accommodate diverse forms of civilization and paths to modernization. As the world faces profound changes, China has vigorously promoted the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for humankind while rejecting cliques and zero-sum games.

Meanwhile, the global community needs joint efforts to expand the convergence of interests and build a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.

China's ongoing modernization will lead to further development and contribute to building a better future for humanity.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A Georgia mayor has dared the state's attorney general to "sue us" over new gun-storage rules that clash with the Peach State's constitution.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson issued the defiant challenge Friday night after Attorney General Christopher Carr said the city ordinances were "ultra vires" Latin for "beyond the powers"  and void, local TV station WJCL reported Saturday.

"The AG told me the new gun storage ordinance was illegal. Well, we don't agree so we're saying take us to court. Sue us. We'll go to the Supreme Court and let the United States Supreme Court say it," Johnson reportedly said on Facebook Live.

Johnson added, "We got lawyers, too, we pay good lawyers, we have some of the best lawyers and so we can agree with our attorney general so the gun ordinance doesn't go anywhere. Sorry," according to WJCL.

Under ordinances passed by the City Council and signed into law last month by Johnson, gun owners in Savannah can only keep firearms in their vehicles if the doors are locked and the weapons are "securely stored" and out of sight.

The rules also require gun owners to notify police within 24 hours of the theft or loss of a firearm.

Violations are punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

In a Friday letter to Savannah City Attorney Bates Lovett, Carr said his office was never contacted to provide a "courtesy review" of the ordinances.

"Had this Office been requested to do so in this matter, our analysis would have concluded that the ordinances directly conflict with, and are preempted by, state law," he wrote.

Carr said that Georgia law prevents local governments from regulating the possession, ownership, transport or carrying of guns and other weapons, and that the state constitution bars the enactment of local laws "in any case for which provision has been made by an existing general law."

Carr also warned that Savannah faced "potential civil liability" over its new rules and said officials "should give immediate consideration to rescinding" them.

City officials said Saturday that the ordinances would continue to be enforced, according to WJCL.

A spokesperson for the attorney general didn't immediately respond to a Monday morning request for comment from HNGN.

As of April 27, Savannah police had made 106 gun arrests this year and recorded the same number of aggravated assaults involving guns, down slightly from the 120 recorded during the same period last year, according to official crime records posted online.
Nigel Farage has signalled he won't return to the political frontline ahead of the general election in a boost for Rishi Sunak.

Reform UK's honorary president pointed to 'attractive options' in the US that might keep him away from returning to a full-time role with the insurgent party.

Tories are fearful of a general election wipeout should Mr Farage turbocharge Reform's popularity by leading their campaign.

The threat to Tory fortunes was demonstrated by Thursday's Blackpool South by-election, in which the Conservatives only beat Reform by 117 votes in a contest won by Labour.

Reform have also been polling in double digits for a number of weeks, with Tories concerned Mr Farage's return could see the insurgent outfit move ahead of them.

But, in a hint at his future plans, Mr Farage said this year's US presidential election would be more important than Britain's general election.

Nigel Farage has signalled he won't return to the political frontline ahead of the general election in a boost for Rishi Sunak

Mr Farage, who is an ally of Donald Trump and is backing the ex-president's bid for re-election to the White House, suggested there were 'attractive options' for him in the US

Speaking to the Telegraph from America, the ex-UKIP leader said: 'Yes, we've got an election year, but the biggest election in the world is taking place here.

'While I'm not ruling out anything in the UK completely, I think where I am this week is an indication of my thinking.'

Asked if he was now closing the door on the idea of returning to the UK political frontline for the election, while not fully ruling it out, Mr Farage said 'that is a good summation'.

'As I've said for some time, I'm weighing up a lot of options,' he added. 'Perhaps I'm in the fortunate position that I have a lot of attractive options this side of the pond.

'The Republicans really treat me like an American, they really do. I've been commuting back and forth politically for a long time.'

Mr Farage, who is an ally of Donald Trump and is backing the ex-president's bid for re-election to the White House, hailed how 'everything here feels so much more positive'.

He spent last week in the US while voters in England and Wales went to the polls in local elections, as well as in the Blackpool South parliamentary contest.

'I think the conservative movement in America has got the wind back in their sails,' Mr Farage said.

'I think the causes they're fighting are similar to ours. There is a huge level of cross-over. It is just an exciting place to be at the moment.'

Mr Farage had previously been touted as Britain's next ambassador to the US, with some Tories urging Mr Sunak to appoint him to the role to exploit his ties to Mr Trump.

But the Prime Minister has instead opted for long-serving official Sir Tim Barrow, who played a key role in the Brexit negotiations, to be the UK's new top diplomat in Washington DC.
This is the extraordinary moment a man chased police officers down a quiet residential street with a chainsaw - leaving two cops injured following the shocking incident.

Footage shows a man dressed in a grey top and black trousers yelling as he allegedly sprinted towards an officer down the middle of Glasgow Road in Paisley, Renfrewshire, while wielding a large weapon.

Around a dozen officers swarmed to the road at around 1pm today, with Police Scotland later confirming a 27-year-old man had been arrested following the 'disturbance involving a weapon'.

Images from the scene showed a police patrol car crashed into the wall of a nearby house after an alleged collision between motors during the chase. A dark coloured Volkswagen is also seen with its front badly damaged.

The smash saw the two injured officers requiring treatment from paramedics. Police have since assured concerned residents that there is not wider risk to the public and there have been no other injuries reported.

Footage captured the extraordinary a moment a man wielding a chainsaw chased police officers in Scotland

The incident in Paisley, Renfrewshire saw a police vehicle collide with a wall and two officers treated by paramedics

Police officers tried to restrain the man who was heard yelling as he ran after officers

The man, 27, has now been arrested following the 'disturbance involving a weapon'

Other footage shows police officers scrambling to the scene as they restrain an individual on the pavement with the help of have-ago-heroes who were passing by.

A number of officers are seen bundling a person to the floor before more officers sprint to their aid. Plain clothed officers also then emerge to help their colleagues at the scene outside a dental surgery.

'It's a busy road but it's the first time I've seen the likes of this,' one local told the Scottish Sun.

'Thankfully no one appears to have been seriously hurt which is the main thing.'

The incident is not being treated as terror related and the road remains closed as officers continue to carry out their investigations.

Cops remained at the scene later this afternoon, with police tape stopping cars from travelling down the road. Residents on the streets could be seen chatting on their drives following the aftermath.

A statement from Police Scotland: 'Around 1pm on Monday, 6 May, 2024, a disturbance involving a weapon occurred following a collision involving a car and a stationary police vehicle on Glasgow Road in Paisley.

'There is no wider risk to the public and officers remain at the scene while enquires are ongoing.

'Glasgow Road is closed between Buchlyvie Road and Allanton Avenue. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and use an alternative route.'

MailOnline has contacted the Scottish Ambulance Service for comment.
Chinese migrants are using Mexican IDs to ease their passage to the US amid a huge increase in arrivals from the communist country.

The puzzling trend was revealed in new footage from the San Diego border, where the number of China nationals entering from Mexico so far this year is already more than double its total for the whole of last year.

It is thought the IDs are being made and sold by cartels so that migrants travelling to the US from Asia and elsewhere can pass checks by Mexican police as they travel through the country.

The documents are then destroyed or discarded by migrants as they cross the US border, making it harder for authorities to identify them and easing their path to asylum.

Video shared with DailyMail.com shows Bill Wells, Mayor of El Cajon, a city about 17 miles east of San Diego, inspecting dozens of cards left behind by Chinese nationals at a crossing point between Jacumba Hot Springs and Campo.

Bill Wells, Mayor of El Cajon, a city in San Diego county, inspects dozens of Chinese IDs found near the US-Mexico border. Those in blue are issued in China, but those in yellow are Mexican IDs for Chinese nationals

It is thought the IDs are being made and sold by cartels so that migrants travelling to the US from Asia and elsewhere can pass checks by Mexican police as they travel through the country

More than 24,000 Chinese migrants crossed US borders illegally in fiscal year 2023, compared to around 2,000 in 2022 and just 342 in 2021

Wells appears baffled by the fact that the majority were issued by the Mexican government, with cardholders described as 'temporary residents', 'visitors' or 'humanitarian workers' in the central American country.

He later told DailyMail.com that these were likely being used by Chinese migrants so they could show Mexican authorities they had a reason to be in their country.

The mayor added that he was shocked by the 'sheer number' of the discarded documents he saw during his visit to the border on Friday night.

'My worst fears were validated,' he said. 'I talked to the border patrol guys, they're all ready to quit. They say it's just insanely out of control.

'They think people don't care and have no sense of how big the problem is.

'The American people really need to wake up to how significant this problem really is.'

Wells also held up a Chinese merchant marine passport that had been cut up and discarded at the border by its owner.

He explained that this was 'probably because they wanted to claim asylum and if you have a passport and ways to be trackedyou don't want to be tracked.

'You want to say you're here without anything and claim asylum.'

The cards had been collected by local gun store owner Cory Gautereaux after they had been left strewn across his property.

There were a number from south and central America as well as the Middle East, but the majority came from China.

San Diego resident and gun store owner Cory Gautereaux has collected dozens of foreign IDs that have been discarded by migrants at his property near the Mexico border

It is thought migrants leave them behind once they reach the US so they can't be traced

Mayor Wells holds up a Chinese merchant marine passport that had been cut up and discarded at the border by its owner

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Chinese 'snakehead' gangs working with cartels to bring migrants to US Above, a man who entered the country legally using the controversial CBP One app Advertisement

San Diego has seen more than double the amount of Chinese nationals cross its border in the first half of this fiscal year than in all of 2023.

Most fly into Tijuana before paying cartels up to $35,000 to get them to the US.

Wells also visited part of the border wall where makeshift ropes had been made out of old cloth to help migrants climb over.

He said border agents had told him that particular section was being targeted because there were no cameras there.

The mayor said that once migrants made it across the border, they would be picked up by a bus that would take them to a processing center.

From there, they would be dispatched to a transit center near San Ysidro, where they would then be released.

It comes as San Diego last month became the top region along the southern border for migrant arrivals for the first time since 1999.

Migrant arrests in San Diego reached 8,989 for the week ending April 16, according to figures the agency posted on X. Meanwhile, Tucson  which previously had been the top region for crossings  had 7,500 arrests for the week ending April 19.

Recent data shows the migrant crisis is shifting west to border states like Arizona and California amid a crack down in Texas by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

Mexican authorities have also tightened security on their side of the Texan border.

The volume of migrants arriving is overwhelming resources in San Diego, with officials reporting that up to 1,000 people a day are being released at city train and bus stops.

Crossings in the sector rose from 31,562 in February to 33,784 in March, although this total was down slightly from the 34,371 migrants who entered San Diego in December.

San Diego has seen more than double the amount of Chinese nationals in the first half of this fiscal year than in all of 2023

Chinese migrants described traveling from China, to Taiwan, to Turkey and then South America before flying into Mexico. The multiple stops are necessary as Chinese citizens cannot fly from their homeland to the US directly. Above, some who entered legally with paperwork provided by the government

A Chinese migrant camp near Jacumba, California has signs showing Chinese asylum seekers where to turn themselves over to US Border Patrol agents

Last month, a dozen migrants zoomed into a beach in Carlsbad, a town about 30 miles north of San Diego.

The boat missed what appeared to be a surfer in the water by a few feet as it zipped by and approached the beach at very high speed.

After beaching the vessel on the sand, the migrants got out and sprinted towards the row of oceanfront houses and were picked up by waiting black SUVs.

The cars left in such haste that one woman almost fell out as it started moving before she had fully clambered into the back seats.

DailyMail.com has previously revealed that a US Border Patrol chief has warned that his agents are being overwhelmed by the number of Chinese migrants crossing the border illegally and that they could be missing Communist spies.

Chief Patrol Agent Anthony Good, of the Border Patrols El Paso Sector, told the Homeland Security Committee during a private hearing in September last year that his agents were 'trying their best to figure out why [individuals from other continents are] coming' but that 'information can be hidden' and 'their agendas, their ideologies, the reason for them coming could be missed'.
Families were queuing for a popular Legoland ride when a baby boy in a pram suffered a cardiac arrest, shocked witnesses have revealed.

The infant remains in a critical condition, according to police, while a 27-year-old woman who was arrested has been released on bail.

The five-month-old boy was rushed to hospital after the incident at the tourist attraction in Windsor in Berkshire last Thursday.

Theme park staff have now told MailOnline of their distress after seeing what happened near a queue for the park's Lego Coastguard HQ ride.

A woman from Witham in Essex was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of neglect to cause unnecessary injury.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of neglect after a five-month-old boy suffered a cardiac arrest at Legoland Windsor Resort (file image)

The boy suffered the cardiac arrest near the Lego Coastguard HQ ride last Thursday afternoon

She has been released on police bail until July 26.

A Legoland employee told MailOnline how the upsetting scenes unfolded as people queued for the nearby Lego Coastguard HQ ride, one of the venue's most popular.

They said: 'The whole area around the ride was cordoned off. Guests and staff were asked to leave the area and barriers were set up stopping anyone from wandering in.

'Other rides nearby were closed too. It sounds dramatic, but people were calm.

'I saw two ambulances drive down towards the ride and one of the vehicles parked directly outside the face-painting stand.

'I didn't see what happened, but I was told that there had been some kind of an incident in or around the queue to the Coastguard ride.

'The baby boy had been in a pram at the time and there was a woman with him - I don't know if she's the same person who was later arrested.

'From where I was working, I couldn't see any police so I don't know if they actually spoke to her in the park.

Coastguard HQ (pictured) is a popular ride at Legoland Windsor Resort and police are asking people queuing for it to come forward if they have any information about the incident

A theme park worker has told MailOnline the incident did not happen on the ride itself

'The police have been since the incident, I believe, to check the CCTV.'

The worker described the ride itself as 'very gentle', saying it 'has no height restriction although young children must of course be accompanied by an adult'.

Riders must be a minimum of 1.3m (4ft 4in) to go on the ride if they are not accompanied by an adult or 'responsible person' at least 16 years of age.

Legoland advises that guests are required to press the foot pedals and steer the boat, adding that drivers may get wet during the ride.

The staff member added: 'I don't think anything happened on the ride itself, though, it wasn't as though the boy fell into the water or anything like that.

'It's a slow boat ride basically with the odd jet of water in certain parts.

'I just hope the little boy pulls through okay.'

Officials at Legoland today declined to comment on the incident.

The attraction at Legoland UK has been described as a 'gentle water ride' (file photo)

Riders must be a minimum of 1.3m (4ft 4in) to go on the ride if they are not accompanied by an adult or 'responsible person' at least 16 years of age

A manager said: 'The incident is part of an ongoing police investigation so for that reason we aren't saying anything at the moment.'

According to Thames Valley Police, the baby remains in a critical condition in hospital following the incident at about 1pm last Thursday.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Zoe Eele, of the Thames Valley Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: 'We are investigating a distressing incident involving a very young child at Legoland Windsor earlier this week.

'Firstly, our thoughts are with the family of the boy who is in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. We are supporting them as best we can at this extremely difficult time.

'We are working closely with the team at Legoland Windsor Resort but would like to speak to anyone who may have information about this incident, specifically anyone who was queueing for the Coastguard HQ boat ride between around 11.30am and 12.45pm.'

She appealed for anyone with information to call 101 or contact the force via its website, quoting reference number 43240202786 0- or else provide information anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.

Ms Eele added: 'We have made an arrest in relation to this incident and are not looking for anyone else as a suspect.

'I would ask for the public to please avoid speculation about the incident and to respect the boy's family at this deeply upsetting time.'

The first Legoland theme park, in Billund in Denmark, opened in June 1968 (file photo)

Legoland at Windsor has become the country's most visited theme park in recent years, attracting 2.43million people in 2022.

It first opened in March 1996, following the success of the first Legoland park in Billund in Denmark.

The Windsor theme park is open from March until January and currently offers 55 different attractions, including three rollercoasters and six water rides.

The site was previously home to Windsor Safari Park from 1969 until closing in 1992.

In a statement a Legoland spokesperson said: 'We are extremely grateful to medically trained members of the public who provided immediate care, alongside our resort first aid team, until the emergency services arrived.

'The guest left the resort in the ambulance for further treatment.

'We'd like to thank the emergency services for their swift response, and our guests for their cooperation.

'We will continue to support Thames Valley Police with their ongoing investigation.'
An evil killer who brutally murdered a mother-of-three by drowning her in the bath has died in prison, months after making bid for freedom on grounds he had terminal cancer.

Victor Farrant, 74, a rapist who was serving a whole-life sentence for the murder of his former girlfriend, Glenda Hoskins and attempted murder of Anne Fidler, died on Friday at HMP Wakefield.

The children of Ms Hoskins said his death ends an 'agonising two months' since they heard he was being considered for early release and everyone should 'feel safer that this repeat-offender psychopath will not strike again'.

He had been suffering from a longstanding health condition and a coroner will now look in to the cause of his death.

Glenda Hoskins in 1995, a year before her murder. The mother-of three was drowned in her bath tub

Victor Farrant, 74, a rapist who was serving a whole-life sentence after murdering his former girlfriend, Glenda Hoskins, died on Friday at HMP Wakefield

Ms Hoskins with her three children Iain, his brother David, and sister Katie in 1982 in Spain

Sentencing him to jail for life Mr Justice Butterfield, sitting at Winchester Crown Court in 1998, said Farrant was so dangerous that he should 'never be released'.

In a joint statement on Monday Ms Hoskins children, Iain, Katie and David, said: 'Farrant's whole life sentence and the judges remarks that he should die in prison should have been respected.

'However, Farrant's death, like his imprisonment, changes nothing for us, the circumstances and death of our mother, Glenda Hoskins, will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

'His death, though, does bring to a close a very painful chapter for us all.

'We, and the public at large should, certainly feel safer that this repeat-offender psychopath will not strike again.'

Earlier this year Ms Hoskins family said they had been contacted by officials who said that Farrant was being considered for compassionate leave as he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and could have months to live.

A Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa) meeting in April looked at the case which the family said had been passed on to the prison governor to decide whether to make a formal application for his release.

Iain Hoskins and his sister Katie with their mother Glenda Hoskins. The children of Ms Hoskins said his death ends an 'agonising two months' since they heard he was being considered for early release

Glenda Hoskins. Earlier this year Ms Hoskins family said they had been contacted by officials who said that Farrant was being considered for compassionate leave as he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and could have months to live

Anne Fidler at her home in Totland, Isle of Wight in 2002. Farrant attempted to murder of Anne Fidler, 45, by beating her up in 1995

Farrant was jailed in November 1988 for 12 years for rape and other offences, but just weeks after he was released on November 7 1995, he beat Anne Fidler, 45, at her home in Eastleigh, Hampshire.

Six weeks later, he murdered accountant Mrs Hoskins at her luxury waterside home in Portsmouth by pushing her under the water in the bath.

He left her body in the attic where it was found by her 15-year-old daughter Katie.

After killing Ms Hoskins, Farrant went on the run and was eventually found in the south of France.

After hearing about his death, the Hoskins family said: 'This brings to a close an agonising two months since we were contacted by the Justice department about plans being made for his early release.

'As victims the lack of information and clarity of the steps in this process was bewildering and unnecessary.

'Our feeling is, while still respecting the judicial process a huge amount of pain and mental anguish could have been spared by allowing us better access to the factual elements of his petition for release.'

A Prison Service spokesman said: 'Victor Farrant died on May 3 at HMP Wakefield.

'As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been informed.'
Suzanne Morphew, 49, vanished from her home in Salida, Colorado, on Mother's Day nearly four years ago

Friends and family held their breath as Barry Morphew was seen sneaking into the Indiana church for murdered wife Suzanne Morphew's memorial service held on Saturday, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal  less than a week after an autopsy report confirmed her death by homicide.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show guests arriving for a celebration of life at Trinity Baptist Church in Westgate, Indiana  close to the small town of Noblesville where she grew up.

Husband Barry, 56, who was charged with her murder before the case collapsed, attended the ceremony, as did daughters Mallory and Macy who organized it.

Barry, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1986 although he never played in the Major Leagues, could be rearrested if investigators determine there is enough fresh evidence to charge him.

Guests at the invite-only event included Barry's older sister Kelly Gillen, niece Holly Clem and mother Shirley Morphew.

Suzanne's friends were also represented, with close friend Holly Wilson making a lengthy speech about happier times together.

An attendee told DailyMail.com: 'Barry and the girls didn't speak but Holly did. The pastor spoke and a family friend read some scripture. It was nice.'

Friends and family of Suzanne Morphew gathered at an Indiana church for a celebration of life ceremony over the weekend

Guests at the memorial service received a program decorated with yellow flowers

The program featured a previously unseen photo of the mom-of-two in a floral-print off-shoulder top on the cover

DailyMail.com can reveal that Suzanne's husband Barry  who was charged with her murder before being released  snuck into the service. His truck is pictured outside the church

Guests at the invite-only event included Barry's older sister Kelly Gillen and mother Shirley Morphew. Shirley and Suzanne's friend Holly Wilson are pictured

Suzanne's friends made a lengthy speech about happier times together. An attendee told DailyMail.com: 'Barry and the girls didn't speak but Holly did. The pastor spoke and a family friend read some scripture. It was nice'

The funeral flowers were yellow and included golden roses, gerbera daisies and calla lilies, as well as a bouquet of lilac branches

Barry's older sister Kelly Gillen is pictured with her husband Tim arriving for the celebration of life ceremony

Hamilton County sheriff's deputies were present to keep onlookers at bay

Guests were handed a program decorated with yellow flowers and featuring a previously unseen photo of the mom-of-two in a floral-print off-the-shoulder top on the cover.

The funeral flowers were also yellow and included golden roses, gerbera daisies and calla lilies, as well as a bouquet of lilac branches.

Barry Morphew was initially arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Suzanne despite there being no body but the charges were later dropped

Despite the simplicity of the service, Hamilton County sheriff's deputies were present to keep onlookers at bay  striking a jarring contrast to the family occasion but providing a reminder of the high-profile Suzanne's case has enjoyed.

Suzanne, who would have turned 53 last week, vanished from her home in Salida, Colorado, almost four years ago, with neighbors raising the alarm after her daughters were unable to get in touch with her to wish her a happy Mother's Day.

In May 2021, Barry was arrested and charged with her murder but the case collapsed before it made it to trial and he is now suing Chaffee County for $15m in damages over the botched prosecution.

Last year, Suzanne's skeletal remains were discovered lying in a remote field outside Moffat  a small town 50 miles south of her home.

Police have now confirmed the cause of her death was 'homicide by undetermined means in the setting of butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine intoxication'.

All three drugs are powerful tranquilizers, with azaperone routinely used in veterinary medication while medetomidine is used as a surgical anesthetic.

Although the long-running case remains unsolved, the discovery of animal tranquilizer drugs in Suzanne's bone marrow echoes a theory advanced by the prosecution in arguments made in the pretrial hearing  that Barry had used the drugs to knock out his wife before killing her in a jealous rage.

Barry, 56, attended the ceremony, as did daughters Mallory and Macy who organized it

Last week police released the autopsy report for Suzanne after her skeletal remains were discovered last year 50 miles from her home

Suzanne Morphew's remains were found in the fall. Cadaver dogs are pictured at the scene where Chaffee County Sheriff's officers, FBI and CBI were searching in Colorado

During a series of hearings in September 2021, prosecutors revealed that the Morphews' ostensibly happy marriage was anything but  with Suzanne enjoying a two-year affair with her former classmate Jeff Libler, a married dad-of-six living in Michigan.

Suzanne's affair included overnight trips to Florida and New Orleans and she regularly sent her lover racy photos  including her final photo which showed her posing in a bikini top the day before she was reported missing.

Meanwhile, Barry had a profile on extramarital dating site Ashley Madison while texts between the couple included in prosecution evidence showed a series of explosive rows and one text from Suzanne telling her husband 'I'm done'.

Cops also discovered an empty animal tranquilizer cartridge tangled up among bedsheets in the dryer of the Morphew's $1.5m mountain home and noted that Barry had what appeared to be scratches on his forearms in the days after his wife's disappearance.

Although Barry had appeared on video making tearful appeals for his wife's return in the immediate aftermath of her disappearance, as DailyMail.com revealed at the time, police were instantly suspicious with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and local cops seen searching the couple's luxury home in the days after she vanished.

Also arousing suspicion were Barry's movements on the night she vanished, including vehicle tracking data showing his truck being moved in the early hours of the morning and, as DailyMail.com first reported in 2021, that he left a hotel room in Broomfield, Colorado, reeking of bleach and filled with shredded mail later the same day.

Friends and family fathered on Saturday at the Baptist Trinity Church in Westfield, Indiana

Barry's legal team pointed to two different male DNA profiles being found on the glovebox of Suzanne's car and the prosecution case collapsed in March 2022, resulting in the 56-year-old's release from the Chaffee County Jail.

Since his release, Barry has moved away from Colorado, as have his daughters who continue to support their father as they did publicly throughout the botched prosecution.

Suzanne's murder currently remains unsolved although the Colorado Bureau of Investigation released a statement following the announcement of the autopsy results in which they said they would continue to work on the case.

CBI boss Chris Schaefer said: 'The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and our law enforcement partners understand and appreciate the public interest surrounding this case.

'The investigative team assembled to work this case continues to follow the evidence and only the evidence as we seek justice for Suzanne's death.'
Rishi Sunak today insisted the result of the general election is not a 'foregone conclusion' despite the Tories' brutal drubbing in council and mayoral contests.

Appearing in front of TV cameras for the first time since the full outcome of last week's local elections were revealed, the PM acknowledged 'disappointing' results.

He vowed he was 'determined more than ever to demonstrate to the country that we are making progress on the areas that matter to them'.

A defiant Mr Sunak also said he was ready 'to fight' despite the local election results having thrown up fresh questions about his leadership of the Conservatives.

The PM evaded questions about Tory MPs urging him to change course rightwards to win back voters.

In the wake of his party's local elections disaster, Mr Sunak had already conceded the Conservatives might not win the general election.

But, speaking this afternoon, he repeated his claim that the council contests showed Britain is on course for a hung parliament and Labour may not win outright power.

Rishi Sunak stirs a pot in the kitchen during a visit to OmNom, a restaurant and community centre in north London

The PM insisted the result of the general election is not a 'foregone conclusion' despite the Tories' brutal drubbing in council and mayoral contests

Mr Sunak repeated his claim that the council contests showed Britain is on course for a hung parliament and Labour may not win outright power

The PM was challenged over his prediction of a hung Parliament during a visit to a community centre in Islington, north London.

He told broadcasters: 'The independent analysis shows that whilst of course this was a disappointing weekend for us, that the result of the next general election isn't a foregone conclusion.

'And indeed actually is closer than, or the situation is closer than, many people are saying or indeed some of the opinion polls are predicting.

'And that's why I'm absolutely determined to fight incredibly hard for what I believe and for the future country that I want to build, and that's what I'm going to do.

'Fight for this country, fight for the things I believe and deliver for everyone on the things that matter to them.'

Asked if he was planning changes in the wake of the local elections, Mr Sunak replied: 'Obviously disappointing to lose Conservative councillors and a fantastic mayor for the West Midlands in Andy Street, and I'm grateful to them for their public service and all their hard work.

'For my part reflecting on it, I'm determined more than ever to demonstrate to the country that we are making progress on the areas that matter to them and we are going to deliver for them.'

The PM dodged questions about MPs calling for him to rethink his strategy following the local elections.

'What unites all members of our party, MPs and beyond, are our values as Conservatives and the type of country that we want to build,' he said.

The calamitous set of local elections saw the Conservatives lose almost 500 seats and all-but-one elected mayor, which has sparked a fresh battle in the Tory civil war.

Mr Sunak also saw the Tories lose the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election to Labour, with his party only narrowly beating third-placed Reform UK.

The PM has since seized on an analysis of the council resuts that suggested Labour would miss out on a House of Commons majority.

'These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party,' he told The Times earlier.

'Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.

'The country doesn't need more political horse trading, but action. We are the only party that has a plan to deliver on the priorities of the people.'

The PM claimed Britain is heading for a hung parliament, as he warned Labour's Sir Keir Starmer is plotting a coalition with the SNP, Lib Dems and Greens

Professor Michael Thrasher, a leading elections expert, said analysis of the results of Thursday's council contest showed Labour as the largest party in Westminster but short of an overall majority.

A study of two million council wards for Sky News projected those voting figures into a nationwide estimate, with Labour leading the Tories by nine percentage points.

The analysis suggested Labour would be left 32 seats short of a majority at a general election.

But the study raised eyebrows as it flies in the face of the massive lead Labour has in almost all Westminster voting intention polls.

It was pointed out that people often vote differently in local and national elections, and there were no council contests in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland on Thursday.

Health minister Maria Caulfield this morning repeated the PM's claim that Britain is on course for a hung Parliament.

She also claimed Tory voters who stayed at home for last week's local elections would back the Government at the general election.

'It's always difficult when you've been in Government and voters can send a message to a party in Government that they're unhappy about certain things with the safe knowledge that they still have a Conservative Government in control,' she told Sky News.

'It's very different come a general election where they really do have to make a choice.

'If you look at Blackpool South, for example, the vast majority of our voters that voted for us in 2019 stayed at home, they didn't switch to Labour.

'They didn't switch to Reform. They stayed at home and that shows that they haven't really been tempted by other parties.'

Labour sought to dispel suggestions it would consider a coalition with the SNP after the general election.

Pat McFadden, the party's national campaign co-ordinator, said: 'Our aim is to win a majority, to govern, to meet the mood for change, and we're not planning any alliances or pacts with anyone.'

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Former home secretary Suella Braverman urged Mr Sunak to change course rightwards to win back voters in the wake of the local election results.

But she said a change of leadership was not a 'feasible prospect', adding: 'There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.'

Among the measures Ms Braverman has urged the PM to adopt to win back voters are further tax cuts and a cap on legal migration.

Tory grandee Sir John Hayes signalled Mr Sunak should reshuffle his Cabinet, with his close ally Ms Braverman as a voice at the table for what he called the 'authentic Tory part of the Conservative Party'.

But Conservative moderates warned against Mr Sunak lurching rightwards, with defeated West Midlands mayor Andy Street claiming after his loss that 'winning from that centre ground is what happens'.

Damian Green, chairman of the One Nation Group of Tory moderates, made a similar plea on the BBC's Westminster Hour.

'I would just observe the seats that we have lost in the past few days  we lost to parties to the left of us. So I think suggesting that what we need to do is to move to the right is irrational in the face of the electorate,' he said.

Ben Page, chief executive of polling company Ipsos, told Times Radio that Mr Sunak's prediction the UK is headed for a hung parliament is 'for the birds'.

'I think it's for the birds, to be honest, at the moment,' he said.

'If you look at the swing in Blackpool South, 30 per cent or so, you look at these local election results, which we haven't seen anything of this kind since just before Labour won a landslide in 1997.

'And finally, you look at Keir Starmer, and Keir Starmer isn't particularly popular, but it's always compared to what, if you look at how people rate Keir Starmer as best possible candidate for being prime minister with Rishi Sunak, he's got double the score of Rishi Sunak.'
Wan has a Red Notice from Interpol and is wanted in South Korea for stealing

Police said he duped Tiffany employees and pocketed the Cartier ring

An international jewel thief was finally caught in New York after stealing $300,000 worth of rings from Cartier and Tiffany stores.

Yaorong Wan, 49, has open arrest warrants out of Long Island and New Jersey, a Red Notice from Interpol and is wanted in South Korea for stealing from high-end jewelry stores.

He was arrested by New York City police on Friday after he was caught stealing from at least two jewelry stores across the Big Apple.

Wan is accused of swiping a ring worth a quarter-million dollars from a Tiffany & Co in Rockefeller Center and another ring from a Cartier in Hudson Yards in March.

The accused jewel thief entered the Tiffany's on Fifth Ave. on March 4 and inquired about multiple pieces of jewelry, including the $255,000 ring, according the criminal complaint viewed by DailyMail.com.

Yaorong Wan, 49, is accused for stealing a ring worth $255,000 from the Tiffany & Co at Rockefeller Center (pictured)

An employee allowed him to hold the pieces, but Wan allegedly duped them by handing back a counterfeit ring.

It wasn't until a week later during an inventory check the Tiffany employees discovered the diamond ring was replaced with a cubic zirconia stone and 18 carat white gold mounting.

'The genuine Tiffany ring contained a natural diamond mounted in platinum. Furthermore, the genuine ring contained engraving, hallmarking, a unique SKU number, all of which were not present on the counterfeit ring,' the criminal complaint said.

On March 12, Wan entered the Cartier store at 20 Hudson Yards and inquired about multiple pieces of jewelry, including two engagement rings and two watches.

'While [the Cartier employee] was distracted, [Wan] handed back one of the diamond rings to [the Cartier employee], but kept the second diamond ring in his hand, placed that ring in his pocket, and left the store a short time later without paying for the ring and without permission or authority to take the ring,' said the criminal complaint.

Wan is also accused of stealing a ring with $25,000 from the Cartier in Hudson Yards (pictured)

Police said surveillance footage showed Wan concealed the $25,000 diamond ring in his hand then placed it in his pocket and left the store.

Wan has also been identified as the prime suspect in a series of thefts from Cartier stores in California and Miami, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

When he was arrested, Wan gave police fake documents that identified him with a different name, Wen San.

He was charged with two counts of grand larceny, which are not bail eligible, and is on supervised release. Wan's next Manhattan court date is scheduled for May 14.

In Nassau County, he was charged with grand larceny on Sunday and held on $500,000 cash bail or $1 million bond.
The Biden administration is being ridiculed for hypocrisy as it touts 'energy savings' at federal buildings that are nearly empty of workers - and wasting billions of taxpayer dollars.

Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm recently celebrated the Biden administration's efforts to reach net-zero emissions from federal buildings by establishing a rule outlawing the use of fossil fuels on-site.

'The Biden-Harris Administration is practicing what we preach,' Granholm said in a statement about the rule. 'Just as we are helping households and businesses across the nation save money by saving energy, we are doing the same in our own federal buildings.'

But Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is calling out Granholm for not sharing the whole truth.

She says that federal buildings are still hemorrhaging energy and cash as many government employees continue working from home while the lights remain on.

Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced a telework transparency bill in April to better track federal remote worker data in and to better inform decisions on how they spend taxpayer dollars

Department of Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm is implementing a new rule outlawing federal buildings from having on-site fossil fuel burning energy sources, saying the Biden administration is 'practicing what we preach'

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, however, has said that the move is hypocritical because the buildings are mostly empty of workers and the ploy is a way to spend more money on green initiatives

'If the administration is serious about practicing what it preaches on energy conservation, instead of spending more money, you could instead stop paying to heat, cool, light, and operate the ghost town of vacant buildings all around Washington, D.C.,' Ernst wrote in a Monday letter to Granholm exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

Ernst argued in her letter that the new rule would cost taxpayers money to refit federal buildings reliant on fossil-fuel energy sources while hardly any government employees actually work from those locations.

'This sounds more like another excuse to spend taxpayer dollars on a Green New Deal jobs program, since the Biden administration is wasting money and energy operating empty office buildings all over Washington, D.C. as bureaucrats continue working from home,' she wrote.

The Iowan has long been advocating for federal workers to return to in-office work after it was revealed in December that all government agency offices have not been over 50 percent capacity in months.

In fact, many agencies like Housing and Urban Development, the Social Security Administration and the Small Business Administration all had 10 percent utilization or less.

Federal agencies spend about $2 billion annually to operate and maintain federal office buildings and over $5 billion yearly in leases.

Empty office space has plagued Washington, D.C., since the COVID-19 pandemic ended

'Not a single department or agency is currently utilizing even half of the available office space in their headquarters buildings, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO),' Ernst wrote, adding, 'Your department is using only 25 percent of its building.'

She also notes how the Public Building Reform Board (PBRB) - an independent federal agency established to reduce government property inventory and therefore costs - found that just eight people per day go into the Department of Energy's D.C. headquarters.

'Recognizing this number appears flawed, the [PBRB] contacted the department for clarification,' Ernst wrote to Granholm. 'They are still awaiting a response from DOEperhaps because nobody is home!'

The letter also mentions another analysis from PBRB that found occupancy in Washington, D.C., government buildings is at 26 percent capacity or less.

According to the letter, the PBRB claims the 'amount of money being spent per person per year' to maintain these federal office buildings 'is at absurdly high levels.'

'The per person carbon emissions from heating and cooling nearly empty buildings, not to mention energy costs, are indefensible,' an PBRB analysis concluded.

Ernst requested that Granholm send PBRB updated data on how many Department of Energy employees are arriving at the office each day.

Ernst previously revealed in December that not a single federal agency had over 50 percent office space utilization between January and March 2023

'Camouflaging new government spending in green doesnt save money or energy,' Ernst wrote.

'You can go green without going in the red by reducing the size of unused and unnecessary government buildings.'

'Now thats the real green new deal for taxpayers,' she added.
A Starbucks worker has delivered a heartbreaking appeal to track down a customer whose small kindness has helped transform a Mother's Day she was dreading.

Courtney Crawford starts work at 4am in the Little Rock, Arkansas, branch - which was a favorite hang-out for mom Tammy before she tragically died from cancer in June last year.

A grumpy early-morning customer handed management a note saying Courtney had 'made a difference' in her day and enclosing $200 for the barista to 'treat herself'.

Courtney ended her shift by recording a TikTok saying the money would finally allow her to buy an urn to bring her mother's remains back home in time for Sunday.

'Thank you for the impact you made on my life, and I hope that you see this and know that you did something that I will never forget,' she said in tears.

More than 3.8 million people have seen the TikTok Courtney Crawford recorded immediately after her life-changing shift at Starbuck in Little Rock

Courtney said mom Tammy (left) was her best friend and she and works in the same Little Rock branch her mother would visit before her death last year

The 32-year-old works three jobs to cover the bills, but it does not stop her being 'peppy as c**p'.

'This morning I was loud and proud and peppy and a woman came in and I could tell she was kind of struggling and I was like a little extra pep in our step today we've got to get her smiling,' she posted.

'So we did and a couple of minutes later she came in and gave my manager a note and asked my manager to hand it to me.

'It says "I travel a lot for work that usually means late nights and very early mornings.

'I have been here for two days and so far, you have been the only person I have encountered that has been genuinely kind. You were the first face I saw this morning, and you really brightened my day.

'I am sure you are exhausted because, life, right? That's all of us. But you deserve to know you made a difference in someone's day today just by being kind.'

The woman who signed herself 'Groggy at 5am' suggested Courtney 'treat yourself to something nice I can tell you deserve it, maybe not just coffee ha ha!'.

'Do good in this world and it will always come back to you,' she added.

Courtney says she is a 'peppy' person and decided to use her skills to cheer up the 'groggy' customer when she came in at 5am

Courtney said she was 'dreading' the first Mother's Day since her mother's death from cancer

Courtney (pictured as a child) was the eldest of Tammy's six children

'And I would be lying to you if I told you that I was not dreading Mothers' Day' she told TikTok

'I have the Starbucks job on top of my full time job because I have a lot of bills to pay and a lot of debt that I have inherited,' Courtney explained.

'And I would be lying to you if I told you that I was not dreading Mother's Day.

'And so I decided that I was going to buy the urn that I have been looking at and bring my Mom home or Mothers' Day.

'And I had no idea how I was going to afford it.'

Courtney was the eldest of Tammy's six children and says she thought of her mother as her best friend.

Addressing her customer directly, she said: 'The $200 you put in that note today allows me to spend Mother's Day with my mom and I appreciate you so much for that.

'So if you're out there and on TikTok thank you for the impact you made on my life and I hope that you see this and know that you did something that I will never forget.'

The video has attracted 3.6 million views on the platform and sparked a nationwide hunt for the Good Samaritan after it was picked up by David Begnaud at CBS.

'If she ever has a day where she thinks she doesn't matter or she thinks that she doesn't have an impact on the world I would love to be the reminder that says yes you do,' Courtney told CBS Mornings.

'And you will never stop having an impact on the world because I will be able to look at my mantle every day and smile because my mom's looking at me.

'If you're in Little Rock, if you can make it back to Little Rock, if you are somewhere in the world and you want to be acknowledged and be found I want to find you.

'I want to hug you I want to be able to show that your small moment of kindness created a ripple effect of beauty and I need to thank you personally for that.'
Firefighters in California made a gruesome discovery over the weekend inside what they called a human-dug cave.

Two men were found dead in a "human-dug cave" near a homeless encampment in Los Angeles on Sunday, along with a mysterious white powder, officials said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said firefighters responded to a "human-dug cave/excavation" in an embankment near the 8700 block of Lindley Avenue in the Northridge neighborhood and found two deceased men inside.

After a "white powder substance" was seen inside the cave, LAFD called a Hazardous Materials team to the scene, along with an Urban Search and Rescue team to assist with recovering the bodies.

When the hazmat team arrived and scanned the area, all readings were normal. LAFD said "wind dissipated the small amounts of powder initially observed."

There were no injuries, and no evacuations were ordered. LAFD said there was no off-site hazard. The bodies were retrieved by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner.

Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Tony Im told the Los Angeles Times that no foul play was suspected in the men's deaths.

--with reporting by TMX
This is the incredible moment a heroic K9 Mercury found a missing 85-year-old woman who was clinging to a tree on a steep Colorado ravine.

Greenwood Village Police Department Officer Austin Speer and his four-legged partner, Mercury, a German Shorthaired Pointer, went searching through the woods after they received a report from family members about the missing elderly woman.

Video shows Officer Speer holding onto a very long leash following Mercury's lead as the dog guided him through the grassy trail.

The dog was sniffing and traveling at a hurried pace, as the officer spoke to him: 'Good boy buddy. My merky bud.'

When the officer and Mercury located the woman, she had been partially keeled over. The officer said, 'good Duke. Hi Ma'am,' as Mercury was all smiles standing next to her.

Greenwood Village Police Department Officer Austin Speer with his smiley K-9 Mercury who helped rescue the elderly woman who was lost

When the officer and Mercury located the woman, she had been partially keeled over. The officer said, 'good Duke. Hi Ma'am,' as Mercury was all smiles standing next to her

Officer Speer reassured the woman that Mercury is a friendly dog. 'He found you. Is that good?' he asked. Then told her, we're going to get you home. okay?'

The woman who was coherent said, 'Good.'

According to the woman's daughter, her mother had tried to climb the hill before she ran out of steam and was unable to move, and was lost for two hours.

She expressed how grateful she was for Mercury and Officer Speer's help in finding her mother calling it 'unbelievable.'

'This is my mom and I am so grateful for Mercury and Officer Speer, the kind and professional dispatch gal I spoke with and all involved on this team effort to save my mom who was 'gassed out' after trying to climb this hill and unable to move,' she wrote.

'I had been searching for her for two hours and Mercury and officer Speer found her in 10 minutes: UNBELIEVABLE! It was like watching a Navy Seal extraction: I am so grateful to live in City of Greenwood Village Government.'

The Greenwood Village Police Department said in a press release that K-9 Mercury, who joined the force a year and a half ago is 'trained in searching and tracking missing persons,' as well as narcotics detention.

'He tracked and found the missing woman clinging to a tree down a steep ravine where she could not be seen from the roadway or canal,' the department said.

Officer Speer reassured the woman that Mercury is a friendly dog. 'He found you. Is that good?' he asked. Then told her, we're going to get you home. okay?'

Mercury is a German Shorthaired Pointer who specializes in tracking and locating missing people and narcotics detention

Partners Officer Austin Speer and his K9 Mercury, who joined the force 16-months ago

The duo work together on training before Mercury's next assignment

After the rescue, the woman was reunited with her family members, but the trio were sure to take a photo together.

The department expressed gratitude to Officer Speer and Mercury, with additional support from Corporal Brandon Runyan and Officer Roberto Moya, thanking them for keeping their 'community safe.'

Many people went to the police department's Facebook happy to hear the good news.

'Bless you Officer Speer and K-9 Merc. Great job finding this sweet lady,' one person wrote.

Another said: 'So great to see a touching story with a happy ending!'
Two thirds of UK adults are unaware of the new EU biometric border controls which will be enforced for British holidaymakers from October, according to a survey.

British and non-EU passport holders will soon have to go through fingerprint checks and face scans under the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES).

The system will check each passenger's name and biometric data when they enter an EU country.

But 63 per cent of UK adults are not aware of the drastic upcoming changes in travelling to the continent, according to a poll from Co-op Insurance.

The research also showed nearly a quarter of Brits (22 per cent) said they would be 'put off' visiting the continent due to the new system.

The research shows nearly a quarter of Brits (22 per cent) said they would be 'put off' visiting the continent due to the new system. File image of queues at the Port of Dover - one of the locations where the new border checks will be in place - on August 26, 2023

British and non-EU passport holders will have to go through fingerprint checks and face scans under the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES)

Poll Would you be 'put off' visiting the EU after the changes? Yes No I'm not sure Would you be 'put off' visiting the EU after the changes? Yes 415 votes

No 530 votes

I'm not sure 72 votes Now share your opinion





Of those 'put off' by the new process, just under half (46 per cent) said they didn't like the idea of their details being captured and remaining in the system for up to three years.

Whilst almost two fifths (38 per cent) said the potential for 'long delays at border control' would make them think twice.

The changes will see the introduction of a 'digital border' between EU/Schengen Area countries and those outside

It will replace the stamping of passports, which began after Brexit when the UK became a 'third country' to the bloc  meaning it is not a member state and does not have the right to free movement within the EU.

French officials will carry out EES border checks at Dover for the Eurotunnel and at St Pancras International for the Eurostar.

Lord Cameron, James Cleverly and Mark Harper have all raised concerns about the new system with French ministers, noting that the changes could lead to travel chaos, the Telegraph reported last week.

Lord Cameron, James Cleverly and Mark Harper have all raised concerns about the new system with French ministers, noting that the changes could lead to travel chaos

Rishi Sunak (right) was supposed to bring up the EES plans during a call with Emmanuel Macron last month, but the two leaders ended up addressing other topics. But he did speak to Ursula von der Leyen (left), the president of the European Commission who is hoping to be reappointed next month, about the new checks

One senior Government source familiar with the discussions on the new checks told the paper: 'The main risk is that we are in the hands of the French in those places where there is going to be disruption on UK soil.'

Rishi Sunak was supposed to bring up the EES plans during a call with Emmanuel Macron last month, but the two leaders ended up addressing other topics.

But the Prime Minister did speak to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission who is hoping to be reappointed next month, about the new checks.

Some nations have previously expressed concerns about how much time the EES process will add to queues at EU borders, with the Slovenian government saying it will take 'up to four times longer'.

According to the Co-op Insurance research, the process of getting through security at the airport was cited as the most stressful part of going on holiday.

Respondents said it left them feeling 'stressed' (23 per cent), 'anxious' (19 per cent), and 'nervous' (18 per cent).

In a report released last year, French public finance watchdog Cour des Comptes predicted queues at the UK-France border will at least double when the EES is launched this autumn.

The Port of Dover, which has regularly seen long delays resulting from post-Brexit checks, said the new system could lengthen inspections on cars from 45 seconds to as long as ten minutes.

In January, Ashford council warned that the EES could lead to 14-hour queues at the port, with potential tailbacks along the A20 and M20.

Eurotunnel warned it could take as much as six minutes longer to process each car boarding its trains.

People queue for Eurostar train services at St Pancras International station as they make their Easter getaway in London, Britain, 29 March 2024

It will not apply to EU citizens, non-EU citizens requiring a visa to enter the EU - as they would have already provided fingerprints with their visa application - and non-EU citizens resident in EU countries.

Despite apprehensions EES will be introduced on October 6 - just a few weeks before school half-term and potentially right in the middle of a general election campaign.

Each time visitors try to cross into the continent, they will have to show a facial image and provide four fingerprints.

Personal data including first name, surname, date of birth, nationality, sex, travel document and the three-letter country code will all be required  with under 12s exempt.

Austria claims processing times would be 'double compared to the current situation', while Croatia warned checks would 'certainly be significantly longer'.

EES will cover arrivals to all EU countries except Cyprus and Ireland. It is also being adopted by Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Ryanair has warned against EES, saying it would 'result in significant duplication of effort' because of the high proportion of people exempted.

According to the Co-op Insurance research, the process of getting through security at the airport was cited as the most stressful part of going on holiday. Pictured: Passengers face queues at Bristol Airport in July 2023

One of the reasons for delaying its introduction was next year's Olympic Games in Paris, with chiefs warning it could cause chaos for millions of passengers travelling to France.

But sources in the European Commission and the French government said there would be no further delays.

Around six months after EES is introduced, the EU will bring in Etias  a visa waiver system similar to the US Esta. This will cost 7 (6) per person and will be required for people entering the Schengen Area.

The EU has rejected concerns ESS will cause chaos at borders and claimed it will actually save time.

It is understood that the concerns raised by UK ministers are centered around two issues.

For one, they asked why an EU app that could make the process smoother and quicker for travelling Brits - by enabling them to upload some of the new information needed from home - would not be introduced until months after the EES is introduced.

They also enquired whether France would station more guards at the border to Britain for the Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferries so checks can be carried out more efficiently.

While companies have already made adjustments, for example at St Pancras International, where 49 extra kiosks were put up alongside a 10million investment, more border guards are needed to take the fingerprint scans and photographs.

This is a matter for Paris and London to solve - and two ministers appearing before a House of Commons committee last week said that the cooperation between the UK and France on the upcoming introduction of the checks was working well.
The New York prosecutor in the New York City hush money case against Donald Trump was previously hired for 'political consulting' by the Democratic National Committee.

The revelations regarding attorney Matthew Colangelo raises concerns over the perceived politicalization of the multiple cases against the former president  and specifically the first case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office.

Colangelo, according to a Fox News Digital review of Federal Election Commission records, was paid $12,000 by the DNC on January 31, 2018. It was distributed by DNC Services Corp/Democratic National Committee in two separate payments of $6,000 on the same day.

The description listed by the FEC for the purpose of the payment to the attorney is labeled 'Political Consulting.'

Trump has appeared in Manhattan criminal court for the last month for the case alleging he falsified business documents related to a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet ahead of the 2016 election about their alleged extramarital affair in 2006.

New York hush money case prosecutor Matthew Colangelo was paid $12,000 by the DNC in 2018 for 'political consulting'

Trump has appeared for weeks now in the first criminal case brought against him alleging he falsified business records for hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels

Colangelo delivered opening statements in the criminal trial and questioned witnesses over the last three weeks.

The prosecutor left a senior role at Biden's Justice Department to join Bragg's office in December 2022.

His hiring came after both attorneys Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne resigned out of protest when Bragg was initially unwilling to indict Trump.

House Republicans are already investigating Colangelo while he prosecutes Trump considering his connections to the Democratic Party and his past work with the Biden administration.

Just four months after Colangelo was brought on to the Manhattan DA's office, Bragg decided to bring charges against the former president in April 2023. This has raised concerns among Republicans that the case is politicized.

When the DNC paid Colangelo the $12k, he was serving as deputy attorney general for social justice in the New York Attorney General's office.

Payments from the DNC to Colangelo raise even more concerns about the partisanship and politicalization of the prosecution

Colangelo left a senior role at Biden's Justice Department to join Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office in December 2022

In June 2018, just a few months after receiving the payments, then-New York District Attorney Barbara Underwood filed a lawsuit against the Trump Foundation claiming the then-president used charitable assets to pay legal obligations. Colangelo was executive deputy attorney general at the time.

The Trump Foundation dissolved in December 2018.

Colangelo continued to work on Trump lawsuits and investigations in New York under Attorney General Letitia James' tenure when she took over in 2018.

When Biden took office in January 2021, Colangelo began serving as acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice. He then became the principal deputy associate attorney general at the DOJ.

He went back to New York to serve in Bragg's team in December 2022.

Colangelo also previously worked in the Obama administration in a number of different roles, including for the DOJ's civil rights division and as chief of staff to Tom Perez, who was Labor Secretary at the time.

Perez was chairman of the DNC when Colangelo was paid $12,000 for political consulting.
A British soldier's harrowing secret sketchbook has revealed how prisoners were packed onto sweltering ships and forced into hard labour in Japanese prisoner of war camps.

Second Lieutenant Arkless Lockey spent three years in notorious camps after being captured during the fall of Singapore in 1942.

He secretly filled a sketchpad with 33 detailed drawings that show the appalling conditions the British PoWs endured at the hands of tyrannical prison guards in the hellish Japanese camps.



One of the colourful illustrations highlights how the shirtless men were packed in like sardines for weeks on a sweltering prison ship which took them from Singapore to Taiwan.

Others show emaciated prisoners doing 13 hour non-stop shifts of hard labour, including picking rocks, dragging logs and working in a paddy field.

The secret sketchbook depicted scenes of everyday life for the PoW inside the Japanese prison including cramped dormitories where men in shorts were packed in in the sweltering heat

His drawings give a glimpse of the harsh conditions experienced by the soldiers including being forced into manual labour such as chopping down trees in the humid cliate

The drawings show shirtless men packed into the hull of a ship and transported from Singapore to Taiwan

The sketchbook was kept by Second Lieutenant Arkless Lockey who spent three years in notorious prison camps after being captured during the fall of Singapore in 194

Other manual tasks the prisoners were forced to complete included straw rope making. Each of the 33 drawings in the sketchbooks were captioned and explain what daily life was like

Lt Lockey also despicted the barren living conditions the men were given with bunk beds made from bamboo.

There are portraits of other British and American campmates, and a couple of fearsome looking prison guards.

These would have been done from memory as it was illegal for PoWs to keep a sketchbook or diary.

Had it been discovered, Lt Lockey would have been beaten and punished by the guards.

On the final page is a poignant black and white drawing of a 'Last Post' trumpeter.

Durham-born Lt Lockey, who served in the Royal Engineers with III Corps, was held captive at Changi PoW camp in Singapore, Heito in Taiwan and Zentsuji in Japan.

Heito's camp commandant, 1st Lieutenant Tamaki, was known for being sadistic and caring little for the welfare of the prisoners.

His cruelty was notorious and he once boasted he wanted to 'fill the cemetery' which he did as 132 men died at Heito, the highest in-camp death rate for camps in Taiwan.

The tyrannical prison guards watch over pigs in one of Lt Lockey's drawings

Prisoners were forbidden form keeping diaries or drawings and so all of the 33 detailed sketches would have been done from memory and Lt Lockey may have risked his life in doing so

The coloured drawing show nine men pulling a cart leden with logs down a winding road. The soldiers were forced to ensure 13-hour long hard labour shifts

The drawing shows rows of prisoners sitting on wooden benches and on the right page, a man over a grindstone completing a physical task

The sketchbook also contained detailed birds-eye plans of the prison camp. This drawing shows long prison blocks inside a wire fence in the middle of nowhere, flanked by a large mountain range

The prisoners are seen completely tasks while under the watchful eye of tyrannical prison guards. Conditions were so awful that disease was rife and food was often rotten

Emaciated prisoners working in the rice paddy fields under the scorching sun in Taiwan

PoWs at all three camps were deprived of food and medicine, while being manhandled by the guards.

Their meagre rations were often rotten, and diseases including malaria and dysentery were rife.

Lt Lockey kept hold of the sketchbook, which also had aerial views of camp layouts, as a poignant memento of his struggles after his liberation in September 1945.

Post-war, he settled briefly in Malaya and Hong Kong with his wife, Marjory Tinto, working as a railway officer.

Later in life, he returned to Britain where he died aged 80 in 1981.

The owner acquired the sketchbook at a Hampshire sale about a decade ago, probably from 2nd Lt Lockey's family.

Ten years on, it fetched a hammer price of 1,650 at Halls Auctioneers, of Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Militaria specialist Caroline Dennard said: 'If a PoW was caught with a sketchbook they would have been punished severely.

The double-page spread shows prisoners sat at benches or lying down on mats inside a dormitory. The detailed drawings give a glimpse of the harsh conditions endured by Lt Lockey for three years

A drawing of 'Room No 3' by Lt Lockey which shows rows of beds along the walls and long benches in the middle in the sparse hut where PoW were kept after capture

The coloured drawing shows five soldiers pushing a car up a hill while a local or guard watches on with a mask covering their face. The soldiers are part of a 'Rice fatigue' according to the caption and were based in Tokyo

The 'interior of hut no 1' shows men sat on mats and wooden benches while others play board game son wooden benches

The double page shows soldiers shopping down trees together contrasted with a birds eye view of the area which appears to include shopped down trees and lush fields of crops in the background

The camp was under the commandment of 1st Lieutenant Tamaki who was known for being sadistic and caring little for the welfare of the prisoners

Lt Locley also drew detailed portraits of British and American campmates as well as a couple of fearsome looking prison guards during his three-year internment at the camp

The album is very rare and came at a great risk to Lt Lockey - if he had been discovered he would have been severely punished, possibly beating beaten or put on half rations

'This is a rare album which was produced at great personal risk, given that prisoners were forbidden from creating any documentation and subject to severe punishment if found.

'If he had been caught, he would have been caned, forced on to half rations or arbitrary punishment would have been carried out against other PoWs.

'It is amazing that this emotive sketchbook survived the war.

'The sketches are accomplished as he was a talented amateur artist, and he has captured the spirit of the officers who soldiered on in hellish conditions.

'They were packed into prison boats for weeks in the most horrific hot, cramped conditions and you can see them lifting up buckets which would have been full of waste as malaria and dysentery spread.

'Many thousands of PoWs did not survive the hell, and those who did were very malnourished and emaciated.

'One can't imagine what they went through.'
The estranged husband of a missing Florida woman has been arrested at Miami International Airport for her disappearance in Spain.

Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, a 40-year-old Florida resident originally from Colombia, was declared missing on February 5 after she failed to meet a friend to travel from Madrid to Barcelona for a conference.

David Knezevich was taken into custody on Saturday as he returned from his home country of Serbia, where he had been for months. He ha snow been charged with kidnapping.

The FBI and officials from the Spanish National Police conducted the arrest, as reported by EFE.

The Belgrade Interior Attache Office and Colombian Police also reportedly involved in the arrest.

David Knezevich was taken into custody on Saturday as he returned from his home country of Serbia, where he had been for months

David Knezevich was taken into custody on Saturday over the death of Ana Maria Knezevich Henao

Knezevich disappeared amid an ongoing separation from husband David, 35, a Serbian-American businessman. The pair had yet to officially file for divorce

The couple had been going through a difficult separation when she went missing, according to her friends and family.

Henao had reportedly moved to Madrid at the end of 2023 partly to get away from her husband.

Investigators recovered surveillance footage of a man in a motorcycle helmet hanging around Henao's Madrid apartment on February 2, the day before friends lost contact with her.

Florida woman going through divorce vanishes in Spain Advertisement

He was spotted waiting for people to exit the building before slipping inside at around 9:30pm.

The same man is believed to have spray-painted the lens of two security cameras of the apartment building in Madrids upscale Salamanca neighborhood.

Knezevich's friend, Sanna Rameau, told DailyMail.com she last exchanged messages with her on February 2.

The last message from Knezevich's WhatsApp account, sent the following day, said she had 'met someone wonderful.'

'He has a summer house about 2h from Madrid. We are going there now and I will spend a few days there. Signal is Spotty. I'll call you when I get back,' it read.

Another message detailed the circumstances of their first encounter, claiming they met on the street. 'Amazing connection. Like I never had before,' it read.

Her family became concerned after they started receiving text messages in Spanish from Ana's phone that did not sound like they were written by the Colombia native.

'That message in Spanish, it is like its translated from Google . It's not her. She doesn't say those things. Like nobody in Spanish will say it like that,' her brother said.

Knezevich and her husband, also known as Dusan, had yet to formally file for divorce at the time of her disappearance.

Ana Knezevich had been going through a 'tough' divorce from husband David when she went missing in Madrid on February 2

The couple got married in 2011 and moved to the south Florida city of Fort Lauderdale

A March 12 report from Spanish publication El Cierre Digital cited 'sources close to the case' who claimed the Scientific Police found biological remains in the missing woman's living accommodations.

David Knezevich is originally from Belgrade

But her brother, Felipe Henao, recently appeared on NewsNation's 'Cuomo' with a desperate plea to the public and denied the report about the remains, saying the family is still desperate for answers.

'We want to know the truth. We want to know where my sister is,' Henao said. 'If anybody has any information, any tips please reach out to the FBI or the Spanish authorities.'

When asked about the supposed discovery of biological remains in her apartment, Henao said he asked the FBI if the report was true and 'they told me it isn't.'

There was no further details on the specifics of the remains found.

Investigators 'dont want to share any information, because it could jeopardize the case. I understand. Justice moves slow,' Henao added.

He said her case was being treated as matter of domestic violence as it moved through the court system, and a case of forced disappearance rather than voluntary.

The couple ran a successful computer support and repair business from their home in Fort Lauderdale. Ana and Sanna had traveled extensively on holidays together and were in daily communication as Ana hunted for a new apartment in the Spanish capital.
This is the terrifying moment a semi-truck plowed into spectators at an illegal street race in Mexico and killed three people, including a minor, and left 12 others injured.

Footage showed hundreds of people lined up on both sides of Lazaro Cardenas Street when the driver of one of the two trucks lost control just seconds following the start of the clandestine race in Epazoyucan, Hidalgo on Sunday.

A woman could be seen hugging a child as they sat on the ground as the trucks to charge down the street while a man walked nearby by selling balloons.

Others stood to the side peeking over the side of the road trying to get a glance of the speeding semi-trucks.

Three people, including a 12-year-old boy, were killed after a truck (left) plowed into a group of spectators at an illegal drag race in Epazoyucan, a city in the central-eastern Mexican state of Hidalgo on Sunday

Hundreds of residents attended an illegal drag race between two trucks that left three people dead, including a 12-year-old boy, and 12 injured in the central-eastern Mexican municipality of Epazoyucan on Sunday

As the trucks sped down the avenue, the vehicle on the left landed swayed violently and jumped off course.

A bystander captured the truck barreling into several men while a male spectator somehow narrowly avoided being hit and remained standing near the side of a building.

It is unknown if the person who filmed the footage was hurt.

The victims were identified as a 12-year-old boy and two adults aged 22 and 42. Their names have not been released.

The driver of the semi-truck fled the scene of the accident and remained on the run as of Monday afternoon.

The administration of Mayor Luis Montiel said in a statement that the race was part of the annual patronal festival but was not cleared to take place.

Emergency workers tend to a person who was hit by a truck an clandestine drag race in Epazoyucan, Mexico on Sunday

A woman was seen hugging a child while spectators waiting for the semi-trucks to speed by before most of them where hit by one of the vehicles

The driver of the blue semi-truck fled the scene after plowing into 15 people, including three who were killed, at an illegal drag race in the central-eastern Mexican town of Epazoyucan

'The necessary permission to hold the event was not granted,' the city said. 'In this sense, we express our pain at the human losses and recognize that this is a focus of alarm that should motivate participation and raise awareness among citizens, as well as the authorities to prevent events like this from being repeated.'

Actor Alberto Arroyo and two friends walked out unscathed following a drag race crash in December 2023 in Ecuador.

The 30-year-old wrecked his $95,000 BMW when he and the driver of a $200,000 Mercedes Benz collided.

Arroyo revealed that an Audi was backing out of its parking spot when the Mercedes Benz clipped it from behind before he plowed into it.

In September, authorities in the western Mexico state of Sinaloa arrested 15 people who were caught participated in clandestine drag races on a section of a road that had just been built.
French President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of 'flattering tyrants' and 'rolling out the red carpe' for Chinese President Xi Jinping as the two leaders posed alongside their wives at the Elysee Palace.

Macron was joined by Ursula von de Leyen, the European Commission chief, as they met Jinping, who is financially and diplomatically supporting Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

The meeting was hosted amid threats of a trade war between Europe and China centered on electric cars and Cognac.

France is backing an EU inquiry into Chinese electric vehicle exports, and in January, Beijing spearheaded an investigation into French-made imports of brandy.

Ahead of Jinping's first visit to the EU in five years, Macron told the French newspaper La Tribune that an update of relations was necessary 'because China now has excess capacity in many areas and exports massively to Europe'.

French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd L) and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R) and his wife Peng Liyuan (R) at Elysee Palace in Paris, France on 6 May 2024

This is Jinping's first EU appearance in five-years as the two world leaders discuss a looming trade war between Europe and China centred on electric cars and Cognac

Xi Jinping arrives at the Elysee Palace to meet Emmanuel Macron, as their wives shake hands on the red carpet

Macron is set to take his Chinese counterpart on a personal trip of the Pyrenees - the birthplace of his grandmother, while Jinping praised the ties between the two nations after touching down in Paris.

In a statement, he claimed that ties between the two nations were a 'model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems'.

'The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner,' Macron said at the start of a trilateral meeting.

However, Macron was slammed for 'rolling out the red carpet' for a 'dictator' who is backing Russia's deadly war efforts.

French MEP and Left-leaning European election candidate Raphael Glucksmann, said Macron was just attempting to get into autocrats' good books.

He wrote in Le Monde: 'You roll out the red carpet and you even invite (Xi Jinping) to a place dear to your childhood in the Pyrenees, an intimate place that is supposed to dress this special relationship that you dream of the in the cloak of friendship.

'And as usual, you will justify such obsequiousness towards a dictator by saying that you have to be realistic.

'But there is nothing 'realistic' about your obsequious attitudeWithout China's help, Russia would not have been able to cope with Western sanctions and mount such a war effort'.

In an interview with France Inter, he continued: 'Because Xi Jinping is not our friend: as well as having deported the Uyghur people, repressed the Tibetans and Hong Kong citizens and threatened the Taiwanese, Xi Jinping is the main supporter of Putin's war in Ukraine.

'Without China's help, Russia would not have been able to continue this war. It's not by flattering tyrants that we demonstrate realism,' he said.

Macron was slammed for 'rolling out the red carpet' for a 'dictator' who is backing Russia's deadly war efforts

Emmanuel Macron (2nd L) and his wife Brigitte (L) pose for the photographers alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, during their two-day state visit

China's President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan, and French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron speak as they visit the Orsay Museum

Emmanuel Macron is to host Xi Jinping for a state visit on May 6, 2024, seeking to persuade the Chinese leader to shift positions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and also imbalances in global trade

China has long maintained it is neutral in the war, but Beijing and Moscow have deepened their ties since the full-scale invasion began, with tyrant Putin expected to visit China this month.

On Sunday night, Leyen signalled the EU's continued discontent with China which she claimed was 'currently manufacturing with massive subsidies'.

An oversupply of cars and steel due to weak demand at home was leading to unfair trade unacceptable market distorting practices that 'could lead to deindustrialisation in Europe' and loss of jobs - especially within the German car industry.

Macron will attempt to talk Jinping out of retaliating over the electric vehicle investigation, potentially with import duties on French cognac and agricultural produce.

'For trade to be fair, access to both markets needs to be reciprocal,' Leyen said after the meeting.

'Our market is and remains open to fair competition and to investments, but it is not good for Europe if it harms our security and makes us vulnerable.'

She said that Europe 'will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and its security.'

On Ukraine, Leyen urged Jinping to stand by China's commitment not to provide any lethal equipment to Russia.

She said she encouraged him to exert more effort to curtail dual use goods to Russia that end up on the battlefield in Ukraine.

'Given the existential nature stemming from this threat for both Ukraine and Europe, this does affect the EU-China relations,' she said.

Following Monday's summit, Macron and his wife Brigitte, will host Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, to a state banquet.

On Tuesday, Macron will take the Chinese leader to the Pyrenees mountains where the two couples are expected to take a cable car up to the summit of the 9,439ft Pic du Midi, a dark sky reserve.

After crapping up his trip in France, Jinping will head to Serbia where he will arrive in Belgrade on the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy for talks with President Aleksandar Vucic.

The Chinese leader will then travel on May 8 to Budapest, the final stop on his European tour.

There he will meet Hungarian President Viktor Orban, the most Russia-friendly leader in the EU.
A New Hampshire Republican has argued against raising the marriage age to 18 by saying teenage girls over 16 are 'ripe and fertile'.

GOP Rep. Jess Edwards Jr added that he was concerned laws to protect minors from marriage might also make abortions more appealing to young women.

The controversial comment sparked a chorus of gasps from Edwards' colleagues. They passed the bill to the next stage on Thursday despite his protestation.

'Do you agree with the point of view that if we continually restrict the freedom of marriage as a legitimate social option, when we do this to people who are of a ripe fertile age, and may have pregnancy and a baby involved, are we not in fact making abortion a much more desirable alternative when marriage might be the right solution for some freedom-loving couples?' Edwards said.

Edwards assumed office as the representative for Rockingham 31 in December 2022, and his current term ends on December 4 this year.

New Hampshire Republican Jess Edwards has argued against raising the marriage age to 18 by saying teen girls are 'ripe and fertile'

NH state Democrat Rep. Cassandra Levesque (pictured) campaigned for the bill, which now awaits signing from governor Chris Sununu after gaining representatives' approval Thursday

New Hampshire is the latest state to tackle child marriage laws. In most states, the minimum age is 16. Last month, Virginia became the 12th state to ban it without any exceptions

NH state Democrat Rep. Cassandra Levesque campaigned for the bill, which now awaits signing from governor Chris Sununu after gaining representatives' approval by a 192-174 vote.

'I have sat with women and held their hands while they have shared their child marriage journey with me,' she wrote on X following the Thursday vote on her bill.

'I've listened to their testimony. Please don't demean what they went through - be respectful. You have a right to your opinion, but the victims deserve respect too.

'Many, many people have worked with me to fight to End Child Marriage in NH. We have worked for years, researching, learning, listening, and advocating. I will be forever grateful for them.'

New Hampshire is the latest state to tackle child marriage laws. In most states, the minimum age is 16.

Last month, Virginia became the 12th state to ban it without any exceptions.

If New Hampshire's bill becomes law, the neighboring state of Maine will be the last remaining state in the northeast to allow marriage below the age of 18.

The Pine Tree State currently allows teenagers aged 16 and older to marry with written consent from their parents or legal guardians.

GOP Rep. Jess Edwards Jr (pictured) added that he was concerned passing a bill to protect minors from marriage might also make abortions more appealing for young women

Demonstrators march down the hallway towards Governor Charlie Baker's office wearing bridal gowns and veils during a protest urging legislators to end Massachusetts child marriage at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on March 27, 2019

This could lead to New Hampshire teens crossing the border to marry - though the nuptials wouldn't be recognized in their home state.

Delaware became the first state to ban marriage under the age of 18 in 2018. California, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma are the only states without a minimum marriage age.

Almost 300,000 children, some as young as 10, tied the knot in the US between 2000 and 2018, according to Unchained at Last, a nonprofit campaigning to end child marriage.

Unchained said most of these cases involved underage girls marrying adult men.

The UN classes child marriage as a form of forced marriage because minors are not able to give informed consent.
A lone Jewish student was pushed and shoved as he unfurled an Israeli flag at a pro Gaza encampment outside Cambridge University's Kings College, after attending to 'take a stand' as his friends 'feel scared' on campus.

Around 60 tents have been erected outside the prestigious college with students demanding an end 'to the genocide' and that Cambridge University divest in any companies linked to Israel.

As around 200 protestors held a rally chanting anti-Israel slogans, student Ari Vladimir, 19, unfurled an Israel flag and shouted support for the country.

One protestor grabbed the flag from him and threw it to the ground as he was jostled.

Mr Vladimir told MailOnline: 'I had to come here to express my support for Israel. If these people have a right to protest then so do I.

Footage shows the protest taking place outside Cambridge University's Kings College

The lone first-year Jewish student is seen displaying an Israeli flag before he is shoved

CAMBRIDGE: Students set up an encampment in solidarity with Gaza this morning

'As you saw, I didn't feel particularly welcome. I was pushed and shoved and felt quite scared.

'But I wanted these people to know that the Jewish people will never be defeated and we stand with Israel.'

Mr Vladimir is a first year history student at Christ's College who comes from New York.

He said that he was alone because many of his fellow Jewish students feel 'intimidated,' and were too scared to join him.

He added: 'A lot of Jewish students on campus feel quite scared. They are just keeping their heads down. But I had to take a stand.

'This encampment is going to make Jewish students even more concerned. How would you feel walking past people who are supporting Hamas?'

During the rally, protestors shouted: 'Israel is a terror state,' and 'From the river to the sea.'

Ari said: 'I think protest is fine, but I just want to say my own peace as well. Their needs to be better organisation because I was pushed, I was grabbed, and I might have just got lucky. '

No police were present at the encampment or rally, something Ari thinks would have 'made him feel safer' and given more protection to counter protestors.

Ari added: ' I have to walk through here all the time. I'm still recognisably Jewish and I would not feel safe'.

Around 20 people are pitching at the encampment, with teaching staff and PHD students among the cohort of protestors from the University.

The string of tents sit on a patch of grass on King's Parade, a central route through the city and a tourist hotspot near King's College.

Students are being delivered food and have an 'emergency toilet' despite being able to freely walk in and out to their nearby student accommodation.

OXFORD: Students put up a sign listing their six demands at their 'Liberated Zone' camp

Student encampments for Gaza spread to Oxford university  #StudentsForGaza pic.twitter.com/HnMID4hLR4  Socialist Worker (@socialistworker) May 6, 2024

OXFORD: They say 'will not rest until their demands are met', with study tents, toilet facilities, and food making areas already in place

Mahmood, an undergraduate student at the University of Cambridge and an organiser of the Cambridge encampment said: 'It's predominately students but we are supported massively by the community. We've just had a couple from Norwich give us 500 worth of vouchers to buy food later on.'

He said: 'We actually have a surplus of people reaching out to us to be involved'.

While it is exam season at the university another protestor, who did not give his name, said that students are 'realising there's a bigger thing going on' and want to take 'action now, not when exams are finished'.

Security presence was concentrated on the other side of King's Parade near Senate House, a ceremonial building where students graduate.

The building, which has been targeted by Just Stop Oil and has been occupied by other activist groups in recent years, was patrolled by University security guards and three unmarked Metropolitain police cars were stationed outside for a short time- though it is unclear why.

At around 8am on Bank Holiday Monday, students pitched tents outside the Pitts Rivers museum in Oxford as they demanded an end to violence in Gaza and the release of hostages. By lunchtime around 70 students have pitched up at the camp.

At the same time, Cambridge students armed with tents, gazebos and sleeping bags set up on the front lawn of King's College in protest against 'Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza'.

The sit-in protests, which echo protests seen in the US, have sprung up at other British universities including Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle over the last week.

At Oxford's camp, named the 'liberated zone', students pinned up a board of six demands including calls to boycott Israeli genocide, stop banking with Barclays and help rebuild Gaza's education system.

Cambridge for Palestine said it will 'not move' from the encampment until the university agrees to four demands including disclosing financial ties with complicit organisations and protecting students at risk.

The protests seek to emulate those seen at American universities in recent weeks, where more than 130 college campuses have been targeted by pro-Palestine supporters.

Oxford and Cambridge encampments: What are the protesters' demands?

Students staging encampment protests in solidary with Gaza have put up a lengthy list of demands, and vowed they 'will not move' until these are met. Cambridge for Palestine's four demands are: 1. Disclose: Financial and professional ties with complicit organisations. 2. Divest: Funds and collaborations away from such organisations. 3. Reinvest: In Palestinian students, academics and scholars. 4. Protect: Students at risk, and become a university of sanctuary. Oxford students have pinned up a board with a list of six demands to university bosses. These are: 1. Boycott Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation. 2. Disclose all finances. 3. Stop banking with Barclays. 4. Help rebuild Gaza's education system. 5. Divest from Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation. 6. Overhaul the university's investment policy. Advertisement

These have resulted in growing disorder and unrest, with more than 2,000 arrests.

As Gaza protests continue to grow in the UK, the government has expressed 'serious' concerns they could escalate to violence, as witnessed in the US.

Today's encampments have been organised by groups Oxford Action for Palestine and Cambridge for Palestine, as well as several other smaller groups.

The protests had been organised in coalition with each other.

Oxford University's Museum of Natural History remained open and apparently untroubled by the 25-strong encampment of tents on its front lawn.

Footage from the protest, posted on X, showed students chanting: 'We are the people. We will not be silenced. Stop the bombing now, now, now.'

Unlike in scenes across the Atlantic, where there were fierce clashes with ranks of guardsmen, students inside Oxford's 'liberated zone' worked on their dissertations on laptops while others gathered around to listen to the first in a series of lectures on the 'history of the Occupation', beginning with the Ottoman period.

In a printed manifesto, the protestors hit out at the 'infamous' museum beside their protest, in an attempt to stoke wider concerns about imperialism.

'We have established a Liberated Zone on the lawn of the infamous University of Oxford Pitt Rivers Museum. The museum, which 'acquired' items from across the globe through imperial expansionism, mirrors the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people and connect us to colonised peoples everywhere', it read.

'We invite you to struggle with us. Join us in our library, in our study space, in our peaceful protest, in our call for Oxford to sever its institutional relationships that facilitate the genocide and occupation of the Palestinian people.'

The rain quickly reduced the well-kempt lawn into a quagmire, while to gain admittance, visitors had to hand over their details, which will be kept 'in accordance with our data security protocols'.

The paranoid atmosphere was increased by the insistence that all visitors wear a Covid-era mask - whether this was to protect the protestors' health or anonymity was not made clear.

The obligatory sign-up procedure told visitors: 'The University of Oxford is complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. With strong ties to companies supporting the Zionist entity (like Rolls Royce and Raytheon) and academic ties to Israel, Oxford continues to uphold israel's apartheid regime. The Univeristy's lack of transparency protects its financial interests in the genocide of the Palestinian people. We have had enough.'

More than 100 dons have backed the encampment. In an open letter, 108 lecturers, faculty members and researchers said they stood 'firmly in support' of the students who had set up the encampment.

OXFORD: Students have erected anti-Israel signs as they call for a ceasefire in Gaza

A spokesperson at Oxford University told MailOnline there is 'no place for intolerance' and the protest must be carried out with 'respect, courtesy and empathy'.

They added: 'We respect our students and staff members right to freedom of expression in the form of peaceful protests.

'Oxford University's primary focus is the health and safety of the University community, and to ensure any impact on work, research and learning, including student exams, is minimised.

'The Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum remain open.'

An Oxford masters student who gave their name only as Wren said: 'We've taken inspiration from students in the USA and also now in the UK as well.

'We're going to be here through all weather and there's going to be loads of us.

'We're going to be here until our demands are met. We're going to be here probably for a while judging by Oxford's inaction so far.'

In Cambridge a food station, tent to make placards and banners, makeshift toilet were set up in the encampment, which currently holds around 30 tents.

Cambridge for Palestine, the group behind the encampment, asked students to join them in solidarity with Palestinians who are being subject to what they claimed is a 'murderous campaign of ethnic cleansing'.

They claim their institution is 'complicit in genocide' because of its 'financial and academic ties' to a 'settler colonial state'.

CAMBRIDGE: Students gave speeches as they outlined their demands during sit-in protests

CAMBRIDGE: Protesters paint signs as they stage demonstrations on their university lawns, echoing similar encampments seen in the US

It claimed: 'Cambridge University has over $46 million in defense industry partnerships, contributing to the manufacture of weapons that Israel has used to kill over 40,000 Palestinians, 40 per cent of whom are children, and to destroy every university in Gaza.'

A Cambridge University spokesperson said: 'The University is fully committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law and we acknowledge the right to protest.

'We ask everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy. Our priority is the safety of all staff and students.

'We will not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia and any other form of racial or religious hatred, or other unlawful activity.'

The university protests come on a critical day in the bloody Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians began leaving parts of eastern Rafah on Monday after Israel urged 100,000 people to move towards an expanded 'humanitarian zone'.

It comes ahead of an imminent offensive on the southern Gazan city, where more 1.5 million people have sought shelter.

Ceasefire negotiations stalled on Sunday after terror group Hamas said it would turn down any deal that failed to end the war on Palestinian turf.

OXFORD: students have set up a base on the lawn of King's College because the university 'supports Israel 's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza'

OXFORD: The growing number of demonstrations have led to 'serious' government concerns that the campus protests could escalate to violence as witnessed in the US

Last week saw students at Russell Group universities including Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle, pitch tents and erect anti-Israel signs as they called for an end to military action in the Gaza strip.

Students from Manchester University filled nearby Brunswick Park with banners, plaques and Palestinian flags to call for the university to 'end it's partnership with systems which support Israel'.

One banner read: 'UOM blood on your hands', while another claimed: 'UOM supports Israeli Genocide.'

In Bristol, hand-painted banners were erected between tents, emblazoned with messages of defiance as students lobbied their university to cut ties with arms companies and back calls for a ceasefire.

In Newcastle, students were entertained by a Palestinian DJ and treated to regular food supplies, as well as being enticed by free drinks vouchers at the student union bar.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said police will 'have our full support' to tackle potential disorder if students attempt to replicate the violent demonstrations recently seen at US university campuses.

Jewish community leaders have urged universities to shut down encampments over fears Jewish students may be 'harassed and excluded'.

Jewish students said the protests have made them feel unwelcome on their own campuses, due to the aggressive stance on Israel.

NEWCASTLE: Students say their protest 'highlights the institution's investment strategy and its complicity in the Israeli military's war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank'

MANCHESTER: A protester gives a 'peace' sign at an encampment set up at Brunswick Park

BRISTOL: Fine arts student Sam was taking part at a protest at Bristol University last week

LEEDS: Students manning stalls and camping out at Leeds University last week

NEWCASTLE: Students gathered in front of the university as they protest in solidarity with Gaza on May 1

Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS), said campus bosses have been 'unwilling' to be 'allies' to his members and are not making them feel 'included'.

Last week he called on vice chancellors to 'muster the moral courage' to 'ensure campuses are places where they can study free from hatred'.

Mr Isaacs said he was aware that students in UK protests are using anti-Israel phrases such as 'globalise the Intifada' and 'do not engage with Zionists'.

He wrote: 'Encampments are growing and the rhetoric emanating from these encampments is increasing in hostility

'Universities have been unwilling to effectively stand in allyship with their Jewish students and ensure they can be fully included in campus life.

'Now is a bellwether moment for university administrations as to whether they will muster the moral courage to stand in allyship with Jewish students, and ensure campuses are places where they can study free from hatred The moral imperative is theirs.'

Mr Isaacs said Jewish students were having to start sitting their end-of-year exams amid 'increased toxicity' towards them.

NEWCASTLE: Hafsa, a 21-year old first year student, joined the encampment at her university

UCL: Pro-Palestine pProtesters outside University College London over the weekend

GOLDSMITHS: A man walks past flags and banners in support of Palestine displayed in the window of his university library

UCL: Students at University College London join pro-Palestinian demonstrations

He said some protesters were seeking to import 'nefarious' aspects of the violent US demonstrations.

'You may wonder how a few tents can create a hostile environment on campus for Jewish students,' he added.

'But it is what these encampments are trying to emulate which is most disturbing.

'One must only look to the violent scenes at Columbia and UCLA, the brazen support for Hamas, and the all-to-often infiltration of these protests by non-student activists.'

Number 10 has warned protests should not be used to 'intimidate' others and said police would be 'fully supported' to intervene if any turn violent.

UCLA: Police clash with pro-Palestinian students after destroying part of the encampment barricade at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) early on May 2, 2024

NEW YORK: Police riot gear stormed through the window of a Columbia University building occupied by dozens of pro-Palestine protestors to begin clearing them out

MADISON: Police officers with riot shields go in to break up the encampment at UW-Madison

CHICAGO: Campus police stand between demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of Chicago and counter demonstrators after a brief skirmish between the groups on May 03, 2024

A spokesman for No 10 said: 'We have always been clear that Jewish students must feel safe on campuses and whilst our universities rightfully pride themselves on their openness and tolerance and diversity it is obviously absolutely clear that any antisemitism shouldn't be tolerated.

'We've always been clear that people have a right to peaceful and lawful protest but clearly people shouldn't abuse that right to intimidate others, cause unnecessary disruption.

'Obviously the police already have extensive public order powers to tackle disorder at protests and will continue to have our full support in doing so if needed.'

A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'The priority of UUK and our member universities is to ensure that our campuses remain safe for all our students and staff. We will do everything we can to prevent hate crime, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and intolerance, and support our universities to respond appropriately if incidents involving these take place.

'In line with the sector's clear commitment to freedom of speech, it is important that universities enable and support students and staff to debate and discuss this crisis, and the most challenging issues it raises, within the law, and with respect and tolerance.'
Israel has launched a rocket attack on Rafah which allegedly killed five after dismissing Hamas accepting a Gaza ceasefire proposal as a 'ruse'.

Hamas issued a statement earlier today saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence minister.

But an Israeli official said the proposal that Hamas had accepted was a 'softened' version of an Egyptian proposal, which included 'far-reaching' conclusions that Israel could not accept.

'This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal,' said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

News of Hamas' announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted - but these hopes were shattered late Monday when Israel reportedly carried out intense air strikes on the city at 10pm local time (9pm British time).

The strikes left at least five people dead, according to Rafah's Kuwaiti hospital, which added that several more were injured. The area is currently the site of intense Israeli military strike activity, according to witnesses and Palestinian security sources.

Palestinians celebrate after Hamas accepted a proposed ceasefire in Rafah, Gaza on May 6, 2024, just before Israel launched air strikes on the city

Thousands of Palestinians celebrated in various areas in the Gaza Strip on Monday evening, shortly after resistance group Hamas accepted a proposed cease-fire in the Gaza Strip - but their joy was short-lived as Israel launched missiles on Rafah shortly after

Palestinians celebrate in a street in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce proposal on May 6, 2024

'Even though the Hamas proposal is far from Israel's essential demands, Israel will send a working-level delegation to the mediators,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's (pictured) office said in a statement after a war cabinet meeting

Palestinians celebrate in a street in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce proposal on May 6, 2024

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari (pictured) said earlier tonight that Israel was still preparing for a potential Rafah operation

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, May 6, 2024

The missiles were reportedly launched from Gaza and were intercepted by the Iron Dome above Israel on May 6, 2024

'The IDF is currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza,' the Israeli military said on X.

This comes as Israel has vowed to launch a vast ground operation in Rafah, which the UN chief warned would be 'intolerable'.

A Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official said Israeli tanks entered the southern Gaza town of Rafah, reaching as close as 200 meters from its crossing with neighbouring Egypt.

The Egyptian official said the operation appeared to be limited in scope. He and Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV said Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that the troops would withdraw after completing the operation. The Israeli military declined to comment.

The ceasefire deal Hamas said it agreed to is a three-phased agreement, and each is 42 days long, the group's deputy chief in Gaza told Al Jazeera on Monday.

READ MORE: Dogs start eating bodies of the dead in the streets of Rafah as Israel begins evacuation of the city Advertisement

Khalil Al-Hayya also said the second stage of the agreement stipulates a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

A senior Hamas official said that Israel must decide whether it accepts or 'obstructs' a truce in Gaza.

'After Hamas agreed to the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it,' the official told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly about the negotiations.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said during a press conference tonight: 'We are exhausting the potential about negotiations and bringing back the hostages and that is our main mission, to bring them home as quickly as possible, but in parallel we are continuing to act in an operational manner in the Gaza Strip and we will continue to do so.'

Israel's government said Monday it will send a delegation to mediators to discuss a Gaza truce proposal accepted by Hamas, which it called 'far from Israel's demands'.

'Even though the Hamas proposal is far from Israel's essential demands, Israel will send a working-level delegation to the mediators,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement after a war cabinet meeting.

'The war cabinet has unanimously decided that Israel is continuing the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other objectives of the war,' the statement also said.

Jordan's King Abdullah II warned during a meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday that an Israeli attack on Rafah threatens to lead to a 'new massacre', the Jordanian royal court said in a statement.

This comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Hamas chief Haniyeh told him in a phone call on Monday that the ball is now in Israel's court after the group had agreed to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.

News of Hamas' announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted

Palestinians dance around a fire in celebration in a street in Rafah after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce deal on May 6, 2024

Palestinian children celebrate in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip after Hamas's announcement

Palestinians react after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 6, 2024

Palestinians celebrate with fireworks in a street in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce proposal on May 6, 2024

Palestinians react after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 6, 2024

Palestinians celebrate in a street in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce proposal on May 6, 2024

Palestinians gather outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital to celebrate after Hamas informed Qatar and Egypt that it had approved their proposals for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on May 6, 2024

Palestinians celebrate with fireworks in a street in Deir el-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce proposal on May 6, 2024

Palestinians react after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 6, 2024

Palestinians gather outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital to celebrate after Hamas informed Qatar and Egypt that it had approved their proposals for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on May 6, 2024

Palestinians gather outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital to celebrate after Hamas informed Qatar and Egypt that it had approved their proposals for a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip in Deir al-Balah, Gaza on May 6, 2024

News of Hamas' announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets this evening, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted

Amirabdollahian also said on social media platform X that Haniyeh had told him 'We are sincere in our intentions.'

US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US was 'reviewing Hamas' response' to the ceasefire deal and will be discussing it 'with others in the region'.

'We will be discussing this response with our partners in the coming hours. We continue to believe a hostage deal is in the best interests of the Israeli people and Palestinian people,' Miller added.

'We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interests of the Israeli people; it's in the best interests of the Palestinian people.'

The agreement, should it take effect, would be the first truce since a week-long pause in the fighting in November, and follows months of failed attempts at pausing the fighting to free hostages and allow more aid into Gaza.

There had been concerns that the ceasefire talks being held in Cairo had stalled after Hamas official Izzat al-Rashiq warned that any Israeli operation in Rafah would put the truce talks in jeopardy.

The city, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, has been the last sanctuary for around half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, pushed south by Israel's seven-month-old assault.

Just hours before Hamas announced that they had accepted the agreement, Israel had ordered Palestinians to begin evacuating Rafah ahead of an Israeli military operation. Israel says Rafah is Hamas' last stronghold.

Over a million people in Rafah are huddled in tents and overcrowded apartments after fleeing Israel's military offensive in other parts of the territory.

In recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages in which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas' key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

Israel's closest allies, including the US, have repeatedly said that Israel should not attack Rafah, and the looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.

Aid agencies have warned that an offensive would worsen Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terror group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip May 6, 2024

A woman mourns during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Abu Yousef al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 6, 2024

Much of the world, and especially its allies, have condemned Israel's decision to plough ahead with the planned offensive

Palestinians inspect the destruction following overnight Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 6, 2024

The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction in several towns and cities

Smoke rises from different points after Israeli attack on Rafah, Gaza on May 06, 2024

People flee the eastern parts of Rafah after the Israeli military began evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault

An Israeli tank is pictured moving near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Thursday, May 2

A picture taken on May 6, 2024 shows smoke billowing following bombardement east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip

Families and supporters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip take part in a protest calling for a hostage deal on May 6, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel

Protesters block a highway demanding the immediate release of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 6, 2024

Families and supporters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip take part in a protest calling for a hostage deal on May 6, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israe

Protesters block the Ayalon highway where they call for the immediate release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, during a protest in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 6, 2024

Families and supporters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip take part in a protest calling for a hostage deal on May 6, 2024, in Tel Aviv, Israel

US President Joe Biden spoke on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated US concerns about an invasion of Rafah.

He said a ceasefire is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said.

Hamas and Qatar said invading Rafah would derail efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire.

The three-phase ceasefire deal Hamas backs, but Israel does not Based on details announced so far by Hamas officials and an official briefed on the talks, the deal that the Palestinian group said it had agreed to included the following: PHASE ONE 42-day ceasefire period

Hamas releases 33 Israeli hostages in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from Israeli jails.

42-day ceasefire period Hamas releases 33 Israeli hostages in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from Israeli jails. PHASE TWO Another 42-day period that features an agreement to restore a 'sustainable calm' to Gaza, language that an official briefed on the talks said Hamas and Israel had agreed in order to take discussion of a 'permanent ceasefire' off the table.

The complete withdrawal of most Israeli troops from Gaza.

Hamas releases Israeli reservists and some soldiers in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from jail. PHASE THREE The completion of exchanging bodies and starting the implementation of reconstruction according to the plan overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations.

Ending the complete blockade on the Gaza Strip. Advertisement

Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a US-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a withdrawal of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group.

Israeli officials rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

Mr Netanyahu said earlier today that seizing Rafah is vital to ensure Hamas cannot rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast.

He said Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians are already sheltering in Muwasi. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid but conditions are squalid, with few toilets or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area.

Israeli military leaflets were dropped with maps detailing a number of eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah to evacuate, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays 'puts themselves and their family members in danger'.

UNRWA will not evacuate from Rafah so it can continue to provide aid to those who stay behind, said Scott Anderson, the agency's director in Gaza. 'We will provide aid to people wherever they choose to be,' he said.

The UN says an attack on Rafah could disrupt the distribution of aid keeping Palestinians alive across Gaza.

The Rafah crossing into Egypt, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open on Monday after the Israeli order.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the 'forced, unlawful' evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

'The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services,' he said, adding that an Israeli assault could lead to 'the deadliest phase of this war'.

Israel's bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials.

More than 80 per cent of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the UN.
Hamas has said it was ready to accept a cease-fire deal after seven months of war but Israel says it does not appear to be an agreement it backs.

The deal was crafted by Egypt and Qatar, the Associated Press reported.

Israeli officials said the deal is "unknown" to both the U.S. and Israel, according to the Times of Israel.

Another Isreali official told media personality Avi Mayer that the the announcment was "a trick," that refers to a one-sided proposal that did not receive Israeli approval and could be a delaying tactic.

One Israeli official told Reuters that the announcement appears to be a ruse designed to cast Israel as the side refusing a deal.

Word of the deal came hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating Rafah ahead of an expected ground invasion there.

Videos posted on social media showed celebrations in Rafah after the supposed cease-fire was reached.

 What is heard of gunfire in various areas of the Gaza Strip is just peoples celebrations over Hamas approval of the proposal, and there is no truce yet. Only the Hamas movement agreed to the proposal.



We await the official response...We ask God for an imminent relief. pic.twitter.com/4zOUV1nKMp   mari  (@mariresisting) May 6, 2024

Israel has claimed that the city is home to thousands of militants for the Palestinian Islamist group and that capturing the city is necessary for victory.

But more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah and Western nations have raised concerns about the possibility of a high-casualty operation.

United States officials have repeatedly said that Israel shouldn't attack Rafah and more aid was needed for refugees.

In the six months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that sparked the ongoing war, the situation inside Gaza has grown increasingly dire. At least 33,037 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 13,000 children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

Specifics of the deal were not immediately released, including if it is a temporary agreement or will bring about an end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal.

Israel invaded Gaza with a goal of eliminating Hamas after the terror group invaded Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and kidnapping hundreds back into Gaza.

The fate of the remaining hostages was unknown.
The Hamas terror group announced it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel.

Hamas issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence minister.

The two Middle Eastern nations have been mediating months of talks between Israel and Hamas. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

More follows
Britain's oldest surviving Second World War veteran, aged 109, was honoured with a special Spitfire flyover on Monday.

War hero Donald Rose - a recipient of France's highest medal, the Legion D'Honneur - watched on with delight as two of the iconic aircraft passed over his care home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

Born in 1914, the same year that Britain saw the outbreak of the First World War, Donald was a young man of 25 when he signed up to fight in the Second World War, serving on the front line with the 7th Armoured Division.

A former sniper and Desert Rat, Donald also served with the Queen's Royal Regiment and was awarded a number of medals during his service.

This including the Legion D'Honneur - France's highest honour and one of the most prestigious in the world.

War hero Donald Rose, 109. watched on with delight as two of the iconic aircraft passed over his care home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

The flypast took place amid a range of events to commemorate the Second World War - the outbreak of which marks 85 years this September - and honour the armed forces

Donald Rose was excited to see the flypast but modestly maintains: 'I'm not that special, I just did what I had to do'

Surrey-born Donald was born on Christmas Eve 1914 and signed up to the British Army in 1939, aged 25

Donald pictured with two other training soldiers in 1939 shortly after joining the Queen's Royal Regiment in Guilford with the 7th Armoured Brigade

The 109-year-old was presented with a certificate on Monday to honour his contribution

The flypast for Donald took place amid a range of events to commemorate the Second World War and honour the armed forces.

Similarly, last year a public appeal for people to send him birthday cards saw him receive more than 150 messages from well-wishers.

He also received a visit from the Mayor of Erewash on the most recent Armistice Day.

Naomi Allsop, who works at Donald's care home, said: 'He's the oldest World War Two veteran in the UK - you learn about it at school, but being with him is something else.

'The wars are part of our history and if nobody celebrates the heroes, they will fade away.

'Donald was so excited about the flypast - it's lovely to see the whole of the UK getting involved to appreciate the work he and the other veterans did.

'Whenever we do any events like this, like Remembrance Day, he always says 'I'm not that special, I just did what I had to do'.

'He thinks the men that fell are the heroes, and he doesn't see himself as one because he lived and they didn't.

'He's so lovely, he likes to sing a lot and tells funny stories.

'I've known Donald since he came to the home and we've been best friends ever since.

'He says there's no secret to living a long life - but reckons his insides have been 'pickled' by drinking sea water and eating dog biscuits during the war!'

Sprightly Donald has lived at the care home since 2020 and has one grandchild and three great-grandchildren.

Donald was a young man of 25 when he signed up to fight in the Second World War, serving on the front line with the 7th Armoured Division. Pictured: Donald enjoys his special day

Veterans waited to shake the hand of Donald Rose, who is Britain's oldest surviving World War Two veteran

After the war ended, Donald was awarded the Legion D'Honneur - France's highest honour medal - for his services, which he can be seen wearing

Historic: The Legion D'Honneur was founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte , then First Consul of France

Before arriving at Canal Vue, he had lived in Westcott, Surrey with his late wife Jeannette of 55 years, before moving to Derbyshire in 2000 when she passed away.

Surrey-born Donald was born on Christmas Eve 1914 and signed up to the British Army in 1939, aged 25.

He served in the Queen's Royal Regiment, in Guilford, with the 7th Armoured Brigade and fought on the front-line during World War Two.

During the conflict, Donald also joined the Eighth Army as a 'Desert Rat' under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in Africa and as part of the liberation of Italy and France.

He also trained to become a sniper and served in North Africa, Italy, France, Normandy, Belgium, Holland and Germany.

After the war ended, Donald was awarded the Legion D'Honneur - France's highest honour medal - for his services.

The Legion d'honneur was founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul of France.

The institution was part of a wider ambition to reform the state, offering new incentives and rewards for accomplished individuals within French culture.

This was also reflected in prizes issued to leading figures in the sciences, and the civil dignity of the Marshals of the Empire for leading generals from 1804.

The Legion d'honneur is made up of three ranks - chevalier, officier, commandeur - and two high offices - grand officier and grand croix.

It is today a Presidential award that can be given to non-French citizens 'in recognition of actions benefitting the country of France or, more broadly, achievements which uphold its ideals.'
Former President Donald Trump has issued a defense of Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar after he and his wife were indicted for allegedly accepting bribes.

Cuellar, who has been in office since 2005, is a pro-life and pro-border security Democrat.

'Biden just Indicted Henry Cuellar because the Respected Democrat Congressman wouldnt play Crooked Joes Open Border game,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'He was for Border Control, so they said, Lets use the FBI and DOJ to take him out! This is the way they operate. Theyre a bunch of D.C. Thugs.'

Two bribes, which amounted to $598,000, allegedly came from an oil and gas company owned by the Azerbaijani government and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. They were reportedly funneled through shell companies owned by Imelda.

'Cuellar promised to use the power and prestige of his office to advance Azerbaijans and Foreign Bank-1s interests in the United States,' the DOJ claimed.

The pair were released on $100,000 bond on Friday. If convicted, they could each spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

Cuellar is the third member of Congress to be indicted this congressional term, following Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.

Santos was ousted in December but Menendez remains in the Senate, though he no longer serves as Foreign Relations chairman.

Trump has issued a defense of Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar after he and his wife were indicted for allegedly accepting bribes

At least one Democrat, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., has called on Cuellar to resign.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to call on Cuellar to resign, but removed him as chair of a key funding subcommitteee.

Cuellar is 's entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process,' said Jeffries, but will 'take leave as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while this matter is ongoing.'

'The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. Cuellar performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts.'

The scheme ran 'at least' from December 2014 to November 2021. The couple faces up to 204 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

The Texas Democrat's home was raided by the FBI in January 2022 as part of an investigation into his ties to Azerbaijani businessmen.

Cuellar insisted he and his wife were innocent in response to the news.

'I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations.'

'The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people,' he went on.

The embattled congressman said he plans to continue his campaign for reelection despite the indictment.

Cuellar said he and his wife tried to meet with prosecutors and they 'refused to discuss the case or hear our side.'

'Imelda and I have been married for 32 years. On top of being an amazing wife and mother, she's an accomplished businesswoman with two degrees. She spent her career working with banking, tax and consulting. The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard-working is both wrong and offensive.'

Cuellar said at the time of the raid he was cooperating with law enforcement and he did not believe he was the target of the investigation. It is not yet clear if the indictment will be related to that investigation.

The nine-term Democrat is a past co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, an obscure group dedicated to furthering relations with the oil-rich nation on the Caspian Sea.

Congressman Henry Cuellar is expected to be indicted by the Department of Justice on Friday afternoon, according to multiple reports.

Cuellar insisted he was innocent in response to the news - and suggested his wife would be caught up in the indictment

In that role, Cuellar is known to have met repeatedly with Azerbaijan officials, including the country's ambassador to the US, Elin Suleymanov.

Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized in the past for bribing foreign officials and diplomats to secure its foreign policy aims and legitimize dubious election results.

The practice is so common in the country that it is known there as 'caviar diplomacy,' but it is unclear whether the FBI is investigating any similar allegations in relation to Cuellar.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (right) is seen meeting with Azerbaijan's ambassador to the US in 2013. The FBI raid on Cuellar's home is reportedly related to a probe into Azerbaijani activities in the US

FBI agents have been spotted conducting a 'court-authorized' investigation at the Texas home of United States Representative Henry Cuellar, who has vowed to cooperate fully

Since 2004, Cuellar has represented a district that extends from the U.S. border with Mexico near McAllen to Laredo, and north to San Antonio's eastern outskirts.

The moderate Democrat has a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Public records show that Cuellar purchased his luxurious Laredo home in 2010.

The 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home in a gated community is valued at $825,000 currently by Realtor.com.

Cuellar, who represents much of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, has been a vocal critic of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their handling of a surge of illegal crossings at the border.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got an endorsement Monday from a Hollywood star who is facing new sexual misconduct allegations.

Kevin Spacey took to X to cheer on the independent presidential candidate and tout their friendship.

'There's a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in,' Spacey shared.

'He's a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend that's not afraid to stand up for what he believes,' the former House of Cards actor added.

Spacey's nod to RFK Jr. comes as the actor is pushing back on allegations made by 10 men in the forthcoming Channel 4 documentary, Spacey Unmasked, which debuts in the U.K. on Monday and Tuesday.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) on Monday got an endorsement from actor Kevin Spacey (right) who is facing a slew of new sexual misconduct allegations being aired out in a new documentary

On Monday, Spacey praised RFK Jr. calling him a 'loyal friend' who 'leaned in' as he was being accused of sexual misconduct by a number of men. Spacey shared a 30-minute biographical video of Kennedy narrated by Woody Harrelson

Actor Ruari Cannon, who is featured in the documentary, told The i newspaper that Spacey touched him in a 'highly intimate way' at a press night for an Old Vic theater production in 2013.

Spacey called the allegation 'ridiculous' and denied it happened.

The actor also insisted he never offered anyone career help in exchange for sex.

'I take full responsibility for my past behavior and my actions,' Spacey told journalist Dan Wootton. 'But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who's made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me.'

The House of Cards star had previously been acquitted of a number of sexual offenses alleged by four men in the U.K. that took place between 2001 and 2013.

Additionally, Spacey won a legal victory in a civil lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp who accused Spacey of making a sexual advance toward the Rent actor when he was 14 in 1986.

A jury in 2022 found that Spacey did not molest Rapp and was not liable.

Of the men featured in the documentary, none were part of the British legal case and nine out of the 10 have never spoken out before.

On Monday, ahead of the new documenary's release, Spacey reshared an X post from RFK Jr. that highlights a new video about the independent candidate narrated by actor Woody Harrelson and financed by a Kennedy-aligned PAC.

The Kennedy campaign did not immediately return DailyMail.com's request for comment on Spacey's endorsement.

Additionally, Spacey isn't the only problematic celebrity in RFK Jr.'s orbit.

Next week, Russell Brand will headline a comedy event for the campaign in Nashville, Tennessee.

Brand has been accused of sexual assault and inappropriate workplace behavior by women during the years of 2006 to 2013 - when he was at the height of his fame.

Entourage actor Jeremy Piven, who was accused of sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct by eight women in 2017 and 2018, was a surprise guest at a similar event for the Kennedy campaign in Los Angeles in February.
Utah has been trolled with 4,000 hoax entries in 72 hours after launching a 'snitch form' for the public to report transgender people for using the 'wrong' bathrooms.

The state passed a law in January requiring people to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their sex assigned at birth in government-owned buildings.

To police the law, they created a Hotline Complaint Form - dubbed the 'snitch form' - for members of the public to report breaches to the state auditor's office.

But less than 72 hours after the form's launch, Utah Auditor John Dougall said they had received nearly 4,000 'bogus' complaints from trolls and not a single 'verifiable' report.

The vague form has a space for people to submit 'evidence' of violations, but no checks on what they upload which critics say encourages people to photograph strangers in restrooms.

Utah signed a law in January requiring people to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their sex assigned at birth in government-owned buildings.

To police the law, they created a Hotline Complaint Form - dubbed the 'snitch form' - for members of the public to report breaches to the state auditor's office

The vague form has space for people to submit 'evidence' of violations, but there are no checks on what they upload which critics say encourages people to photograph strangers in restrooms

The Utah Auditor's office created the five-question form to comply with law HB257 'Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Womens Opportunities'.

The law was rushed through and signed by Governor Spencer Cox on January 26 and restricts which bathrooms and locker rooms trans people can use in government-owned buildings.

Under the law, the state's auditor was required to 'establish a process to receive and investigate alleged violations of this chapter by a government entity' with potential fines up to $10,000 per violation per day.

But auditor Dougall told The Salt Lake Tribune that they had received nearly 4,000 reports since launching the form but 'didn't see anything that looks credible'.

Instead the complaints have been 'bogus', he said: 'For example, if they have my name as a complainant, you know, Im not complaining.'

He added: 'I would assume the Legislature probably didnt think through what kind of public backlash might happen.'

The form only requires members of the public to submit a name and email, with no other checks.

It also has a space to add 'documents supporting your complaint', like images or PDFs, which critics have slammed for encouraging strangers to photograph each other in restrooms.

Utah Senator Jennifer Plumb said: 'Apparently Utah's solution to people feeling unsafe in restrooms is to encourage folks to take photos of & focus extreme attention on the private parts of others who are taking care of a biological need to eliminate waste?'

A Twitter user said: 'I'm pretty certain this snitch line is encouraging people to break the law by taking photos of others in the bathroom.'

In response, trolls have flooded the form with fake entries. Sharing the link on a Reddit forum, one user said: 'They're essentially inviting people to attach d**k pics for official government inspection.'

The law was rushed through and signed by Governor Spencer Cox on January 26

Under the legislation, transgender people can defend themselves against complaints by proving they had gender-affirming surgery and changed the sex on their birth certificate

'We need to step up our game, guys. Memes and trolling do not lead to this reporting system getting clogged. We need legitimate sounding reports to clog the system.'

Last week 404 media reported that the database of entries had been left open to the public until Thursday, meaning anyone could view reports and photos inputted.

Under the legislation, transgender people can defend themselves against complaints by proving they had gender-affirming surgery and changed the sex on their birth certificate. Opponents noted not all states allow people to change their birth certificates and that many trans people don't want to have surgery.

The legislation also requires schools to create 'privacy plans' for trans students and others who may not be comfortable using group bathrooms, for instance by allowing them to use a faculty bathroom  something opponents say may 'out' transgender children.

'We want public facilities that are safe and accommodating for everyone and this bill increases privacy protections for all,' Cox said in a statement Tuesday night.

At least 10 other states  Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee  have passed laws that seek to regulate which bathrooms trans people can use, and nine states regulate the bathrooms that trans students can use at school.
An attorney for two Boeing whistleblowers who died earlier this year claims they spoke out to save lives.

Former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, Joshua Dean, 45, died last week from a mystery infection - less than two months after whistleblower John Barnett, 62, died by suicide in the midst of a legal action against Boeing.

Brian Knowles, a South Carolina based attorney who represented both whistleblowers, told the New York Post that his clients were 'heroes.'

'They loved the company and wanted to help the company do better,' Knowles said.

'They didnt speak out to be aggravating or for fame. Theyre raising concerns because peoples lives are at stake.'

While Knowles has declined to speculate about Barnett's apparent suicide, he said the Boeing whistleblower never showed any signs that he wanted to end his life.

Former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, Joshua Dean died last week from an infection

John Barnett, 62, died in March by suicide in the midst of a legal action against Boeing

Both whistleblowers were represented by South Carolina attorney Brian Knowles

The lawyer said: 'I knew John Barnett for seven years and never saw anything that would indicate he would take his own life... Then again, Ive never dealt with someone who did [commit suicide[. So maybe you dont see the signs. I dont know.'

Dean previously said he was fired from his job as a quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems for questioning standards at the supplier's plant in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2022.

Boeing's share prices have tumbled by almost 10 percent to $173.86 over the past six months as more safety concerns have come to light.

Full timeline of Boeing problems in 2024

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Spirit manufactured the door plug on the Boeing jet which shockingly blew out midair on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

Dean died in hospital on Tuesday after a sudden illness, his family said on social media. He was fired from Spirit AeroSystems in April 2023.

Earlier this year, Dean spoke with NPR about being fired. 'I think they were sending out a message to anybody else. If you are too loud, we will silence you,' he said.

His former employer, Spirit AeroSystems shared a statement expressing condolences to Dean's family.

'Our thoughts are with Josh Dean's family, spokesperson Joe Buccino said. 'This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.'

In January, Dean told The Wall Street Journal that he was fired because he pointed out that holes were wrongly drilled in a fuselage, something his employer denied.

'It is known at Spirit that if you make too much noise and cause too much trouble, you will be moved. It doesn't mean you completely disregard stuff, but they don't want you to find everything and write it up,' he said.

Boeing has long denied Dean, and other whistleblower claims that the company willfully ignored safety warnings.

Barnett, meanwhile, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound - though his friends contested this, saying that he told them before 'if anything happens to me, it's not suicide'.

Josh Dean was employed by Spirit AeroSystems based in Wichita, Kansas

In early January, an unused emergency exit door blew off a brand-new Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off from Portland International, sparking a still-ongoing DOJ investigation

Last month, Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour, said excessive force was applied to fit panels together on the 787 assembly line, raising the risk of fatigue, or microscopic cracking in the material that could cause it break apart.

The Boeing officials described how sections of a fuselage are brought together.

Shims are added to fill gaps, holes are drilled and cleaned, and fasteners attached to apply 'pull-up force' that 99% of the time results in margins no greater than .005 inches (0.127 millimeters) apart  the width of a human hair, they said.

A gap problem was discovered in 2019 between two panels, which led to design and assembly changes, they said.

Boeing conducted testing replicating 165,000 flights with no findings of fatigue in the composite structure, Steve Chisholm, Boeing's vice president of structural engineering, said. The average 787 makes 600 flights a year, he said.

Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testifies before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations

The company said planes already in use are proving safe. Chisholm said 671 Dreamliners have undergone the intensive inspections for 6-year-old planes and eight have undergone 12-year inspections with no evidence of fatigue in the composite skins.

Cracks have been found on metallic parts, including a piece above where the wings join the fuselage, and Boeing issued inspection guidelines for those parts, the officials said.

The 787 Dreamliner is a two-aisle plane that has often been used on international flights since its debut in 2011. The composite material makes the plane lighter, contributing to better fuel efficiency.

A series of battery fires briefly grounded the planes. Deliveries of the aircraft have been stopped at times because of questions about gaps between fuselage panels that were wider than Boeing's standards allowed, the use of unapproved titanium parts from a supplier in Italy, and flaws in a pressure bulkhead.

The Federal Aviation Administration must inspect and approve each 787 that rolls off the assembly line before it can be flown to an airline customer.

The whistleblower Salehpour claims that after he raised safety concerns about the 787, Boeing transferred him to work on an older widebody plane, the 777. He told the Seattle Times that he saw workers jumping on fuselage panels to get them in alignment, which Boeing disputes.

The New York Times reported that the FAA is investigating Salehpour's claims. The FAA, while not commenting specifically on Salehpour, said it investigates all safety reports.

Boeing says it is 'fully confident' in both planes.

Salehpour is the latest in a line of Boeing whistleblowers to come forward, often alleging retaliation for raising safety concerns. The company said it encourages employees to speak up about problems.

Lisa Fahl, the vice president of engineering for Boeing airplane programs, said employee reports have 'exploded'  with as many reports in January and February as were filed in all of 2023  'which is what we want.'
New York City appears to be bracing for a 'summer surge' of migrants as some asylum seekers have reportedly been abruptly transferred from their shelters.

The Department of Homeless Services handed out notices to migrant families staying at shelters in Brooklyn on Tuesday, warning them they had 24 to 48 hours to relocate.

Win, the Big Apple's largest provider of family shelter, said they started receiving a list from the city of clients who will be transferred into hotels for migrants nearly two weeks ago.

Christine Quinn, Win's president and CEO, told Documented NY the city said it's planning for a 'summer surge in arrivals' and 'needed to create vacancies in certain shelters.'

'I don't see this stopping. I think they'll [the city] come back to us with other people,' Quinn said.

The Department of Homeless Services reportedly handed out notices to migrant families staying at shelters in Brooklyn on Tuesday, warning them they had 24 to 48 hours to relocate

Christine Quinn, the president and CEO of New York City's largest shelter provider, said the city said its planning for a 'summer surge in arrivals' and 'needed to create vacancies'

Deicy Lara, who is from Colombia and had been staying at one of the shelters with her children for almost two years, told the local news outlet she was one of the people given notices

'They called me and told me that today at 4 p.m. I would have to have all my things outside because I would have transferred to a hotel,' she said.

Win has a strong stance against shelter evictions but operates shelters under the Department of Homeless Services.

'Shelter evictions only destabilize families - particularly children - who are trying to finish the end of the school year in the communities they've come to know and trust,' Win said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The Department of Homeless Services told DailyMail.com only a handful of asylum-seeker families were being moved to sanctuary locations that would be better equipped to support their needs.

'Asylum seeker families face a variety of specific needs that in many cases can be quite different from other families experiencing homelessness,' department spokesperson Neha Sharma said.

'DHS sanctuary sites are better positioned to link asylum seeker families to the critical legal and other services that are essential as they transition to life in New York City.'

The city has taken in more than 175,000 migrants, and are currently accommodating around 67,500, limiting them to a 30 day stay in a shelter to alleviate overflow.

Hotel Le Jolie in upmarket Williamsburg is the latest among 110 across the city being used to house asylum seekers.

Tent cities have sprung up in Floyd Bennett Field, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center and on the grounds of Kennedy Airport in a bid to cope with the migrant surge.

The city has taken in more than 175,000 migrants , and are currently accommodating around 67,500, limiting them to a 30 day stay in a shelter

Democrat Mayor Eric Adams has been highly critical of the Biden administration and the influx of immigrants in sanctuary cities, referring to the issue as 'one of the largest humanitarian crises this city has ever experienced.'

More than 1,000 migrants from West African nations gathered ahead of a City Council oversight hearing focused on the experience of black arrivals in April.

A majority of attendees were from Haiti, Guinea, and West Africa, and came to the protest to seek more aid, better shelters and work permits, according to reports.

DailyMail.com has previously reported on collapsing migrant programs as a result of racial tension between asylum seekers from Latin America and Africa.

Adams has estimated the city will spend $12 billion over the next three years to handle the influx, setting up large-scale emergency shelters, renting out hotels and providing various government services for migrants.
Ministers considered a Rwanda-style migrant deal with Iraq, it has been claimed.

Leaked correspondence between officials discussed the possibility of a scheme which would have allowed asylum seekers from the UK to be processed there, Sky News said.

The requests were made with a request for discretion and no publicity, it was suggested.

Iraq expressed interest in expanding a current returns agreement but declined a formal agreement, Sky said.

Current Foreign Office travel advice to Iraq on advises against all travel to parts of the country.

Leaked correspondence between ministers discussed the possibility of a scheme which would have allowed asylum seekers from the UK to be processed in Iraq

Vehicles move past people walking along the waterfront of the Shatt al-Arab river, formed at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in Iraq's southern city of Basra on May 3, 2024

More than 40 people can be seen in this image captured in one boat attempting the dangerous channel crossing from England to France

In addition, the UK Government is seeking returns agreements with Eritrea and Ethiopia, according to the documents.

There were 2,668 Eritreans arrivals by Channel small boat last year, up from just over 2,000 in the previous year; while Ethiopian arrivals halved in the same period to about 250.

In a separate development, ministers have planned for the possibility that migrants removed to Rwanda might refuse to disembark aircraft after arrival.

The Mail has seen papers  marked Official Sensitive  which set out how it has sought assurances from Rwandan government over how it will handle migrants who resist on arrival.

Sources have also said that if UK military are involved in the removals the migrants would be subject to military law.

In the event of an official being assaulted during the process, for example, any migrant accused of a crime would face a court martial rather than a civilian trial, a military source said.

Officials have previously said the Ministry of Defence will be a stakeholder in the Rwanda scheme but have declined to set out the roles which could be performed by the military.

A government source said: The Home Office is spending millions every day accommodating migrants in hotels - that's not right or fair.

We're taking action to put an end to this costly and dangerous cycle. Doing nothing is not a free option - we must act if we want to stop the boats and save lives.

The UK is continuing to work with a range of international partners to tackle global illegal migration challenges.

'Our Rwanda partnership is a pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration, and we will get flights off the ground to Rwanda in the next nine to eleven weeks.
Vice President Kamala Harris dodged reporters on the campaign trail Monday, creating another awkward moment as she left a restaurant in Detroit Michigan.

Harris made a campaign stop at Joe Louis Southern Kitchen to order food, but did not let reporters join her into the establishment.

As she walked briskly out of the restaurant with what looked to be a bag of takeout food, one reporter shouted a question about the details surrounding Gaza terror group Hamas accepting a ceasefire.

'Shrimp and grits. You wanted to know? Shrimp and grits,' Harris said quickly without stopping and jumping into a waiting SUV.

Harris made a campaign stop at Joe Louis Southern Kitchen to order food, but did not let reporters join her into the establishment.

REPORTER: "Madam Vice President, Hamas says it accepted a ceasefire deal. Your reaction?"



HARRIS: "Shrimp and grits!" pic.twitter.com/7NhubfkPXm  Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 6, 2024

As she walked briskly out of the restaurant with what looked to be a bag of takeout food, one reporter shouted a question about the details surrounding Gaza terror group Hamas accepting a ceasefire

The vice president was visiting Detroit, Michigan on Monday to highlight economic opportunities for black businesses.

The popular Joe Louis Southern Kitchen is a black owned business that serves a breakfast and lunch menu.

The menu features a BBQ Cajun smoked turkey leg, breakfast skillets, specialty pancakes, chicken & waffles, and Creole Shrimp & Grits

'We all know black entrepreneurs do not lack for ideas and ambition but often lack the capitol that is necessary to turn an idea into a thriving business,' she said during a speech.

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as she begins a nationwide 'Economic Opportunity Tour'

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as she begins a nationwide 'Economic Opportunity Tour' in Atlanta, Georgia

Harris was joined by Acting Secretary Julie Su and Small Business Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed, and U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm for her speech.

She noted that black business owners were three times less likely to apply for loans from banks for fear of being turned down.

Harris promoted more federal spending on new programs to help community banks make more business loans.

She also vowed to address 'disparities' in the real estate market to boost black home ownership.

'As a result of lasting legacies, of structural inequities such as segregation, redlining, and so called urban renewal, today black Americans are 40 percent less likely to own a home,' she said.
The FAA today announced a new safety investigation into beleaguered jet maker Boeing.

The Wall Street Journal reports the target of the investigation is whether Boeing fulfilled safety inspection requirements on all of its troublesome 787 jets.

Regulators are saying that Boeing disclosed to them that their employees may have skipped some inspections on 787 Dreamliner planes.

The FAA added that it was investigating 'whether Boeing completed the inspections and whether company employees may have falsified aircraft records.'

The Journal obtained internal communications sent by Boeing's 787 program chief, Scott Stock, on April 29. Stock said the company found no 'immediate safety of flight issue' for any of the Dreamliners currently in use.

Dozens of grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are seen parked in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. July 1, 2019. Picture taken July 1, 2019

A doorplug blew out midair on an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5, 2024 in Portland, Oregon

There were no serious injuries from the terrifying air failure, but passenger's belongings including phones flew out of the aircraft

A Boeing 737 Max operated by United Airlines veered off the tarmac into the grass in March when exiting the runway at George Bush Airport in Houston

Shocking footage showed the plane laying flat on its wings off the side off a runway, after suffering an apparent gear collapse

Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour testified on Capitol Hill in April about the safety issues present in the company's planes, specifically the 787 models.

The Alaska Airlines plane that had its door blow out mid-flight at 16,000 feet in January was a 737 Max 9, and that's reportedly when the FAA began probing Boeing and its construction processes.

Salehpour claimed prior to his testimony that he 'literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.'

Boeing has categorically denied Salehpour's claims regarding people jumping on airplanes.

Steve Chisholm, Boeing's chief engineer, defended the planes in April, saying investigators have not found fatigue cracks on in-service 787 jets that have gone through heavy maintenance.

Still, the 787 jet has a history of serious problems, even if Boeing is confident in their structural integrity at this current moment.

Pictured: Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour testifies before the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations on April 17

Boeing halted deliveries of the 787 widebody jet for more than a year until August 2022 as the FAA investigated quality problems and manufacturing flaws.

In 2021, Boeing said the planes had shims that were not the proper size and some aircraft had areas that did not meet skin-flatness specifications. A shim is a thin piece of material used to fill tiny gaps in a manufactured product.

The 737 Max, a narrow-body jet, has also had its fair share of close calls in the air.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 was forced to make an emergency landing at Denver International Airport after part of the engine blew off in early April.

In March, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 landed in Portland with its cargo door slightly open. Passengers' luggage and pets were down below but Boeing said no harm came to the animals.

Wreckage of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-MAX plane is seen on March 11, 2019. The plane crashed six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 passengers on board

An Alaska Airlines flight in March arrived in Portland with the door to its cargo space where passengers' pets were inside left slightly ajar

Pets belonging to passengers were being held inside the cargo area however it is not believed any were injured as a result of the door

Joshua Dean (pictured) died suddenly on April 30 aged 45 having raised the alarm about supposed defects in 737 Max jets

Boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck outside a South Carolina hotel days after testifying against his former employer

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun speaks briefly with reporters after a meeting in the office of Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., at the Capitol. Calhoun will step down at the end of the year from the top job at the planemaker

Also in March, a United 737 plane veered off the runway after landing in Houston. The 160 passengers and six crew were not injured.

The new investigation sent shares in the jet maker into a freefall on Monday.

The company is already grappling with the second death of a whistleblower who raised the alarm about its safety practices.

Joshua Dean was that second whistleblower, and he raised alarms about supposed defects in 737 Max jets.

Dean's family said the 45-year-old died in the hospital after a sudden illness.

Former Boeing staffer John Barnett, 62, was the other Boeing whistleblower who died. He publicly discussed concerns he had about under-pressure workers deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the assembly line earlier this year.

After alleging his bosses were spying on him, Barnett then committed suicide in early March.
The Phi Delta Theta fraternity has kicked out a member who was videotaped making monkey noises last week at a Black woman participating in a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.

The unidentified student was surrounded by other apparent fraternity members on fraternity row, one in flag coveralls, who laughed and cheered while he hooted and jumped from foot to foot in mock monkey behavior. Several chanted: "Lock her up."

The antics were later praised by Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins.

The Phi Delta Theta fraterniity said in a statement issued Monday that it "recognizes that freedom of expression is part of the collegiate experience."

But it "determined that the individual's behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values," the statement added.

The "removal of membership" was made after "disciplinary due process" in "partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership, and the university," the fraternity said.

The "situation will continue to be monitored in cooperation with any further investigation," it added.

The behavior was hailed on X by Collins. "Ole Miss, taking care of business," he crowed in a tweet posted on X with the video.

Ole Miss taking care of business. pic.twitter.com/JiL9hs2pHz  Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 3, 2024

There was no immediate response from Collins' office following the decision by Phi Delta Theta.
Authorities are investigating the possible involvement of more suspects in the murder of the three surfers in Mexico, according to the Baja California state attorney general.

Maria Andrade said law enforcement have zeroed in on an unspecified number of alleged accomplices in connection to the killing of Australian brothers Callum Robison, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and their California friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, last week in the Pacific coast seaside town of Ensenada.

'We have more people considering that they could have participated in the investigation,' Andrade told Milenio news outlet on Monday. 'I couldn't tell you the number due to secrecy at this time.'

The attorney general's remarks were made just a day after the families identified the bodies of the surfers.

Maria Andrade, the attorney general for the Pacific coast Mexican state of Baja California, revealed Monday in an interview with Milenio news that authorities have zeroed in on additional suspects linked to the murder of two Australian and one American surfer

Australian natives Callum and Jake Robison were shot dead along with their California friend Carter Rhoad last week in Baja California, Mexico

30-year-old Californian Jack Carter Rhoad was set to marry his fiancee this summer

The style of the executions have sparked fears locally about the possible involvement of drug cartels which are rife in the region (pictured: the trio's vehicle was later found burnt-out in the Santo Tomas area)

Their bodies were recovered Friday from a 50 feet deep well near La Bocana Beach, in Santo Tomas, a town in the municipality of Ensenada Each of the victims had bullet wounds on their heads, according to law enforcement.

Jesus 'El Kekas' Garcia, his wife Ari Garcia, and his brother Cristian Garcia, were arrested in an operation Wednesday.

Authorities were able to make the arrests after one the Robison brothers' cell phones was turned on and pinged a local mobile tower.

All three suspects were found in possession of an assortment of methamphetamines and other illegal drugs.

A rescue worker descends into a waterhole where human remains of two Australians and an American were found near La Bocana Beach

The families of Aussie siblings Callum and Jake Robinson confirmed their bodies Sunday

Carter Rhoad had visited Mexico throughout his adult life after volunteering for a medical mission in Guatemala at 19

The Robinson siblings and Rhoad, who was slated to be married this summer to his fiancee Natalie Wiertz, 32, were supposed to check into an Airbnb in Rosario Beach last weekend after they spent a couple of days camping at La Bocana Beach and last contacted their families April 27.

Andrade said the suspects targeted the surfers because they wanted to steal the pickup truck's tires.

The state prosecutors said that one of the victims got into a struggle with one of the three suspects, who shot him before gunning down the two other men. Their pickup truck was found burned nearby.

Andrade said that the fact that they were in an uninhabited area made them an easy target.

Brothers Jesus Garcia Cota and Cristian Garcia were two of the three arrested. It is unclear which brother is which in their mugshots

Ari Garcia, 23, is one of three suspects arrested. She is reportedly the partner of Jesus Garcia, who was also arrested

Hundreds of people marched through the nearby town of Ensenada on Sunday afternoon, demanding greater security measures amid a welter of cartel-fueled violence (pictured)

'It is a totally remote unpopulated place. There is no communication, no networks, no telephone communication for at least two and a half hours, three inwards,' she explained. 'So, they were very vulnerable.

'The aggressors knew that they could not ask for help and that in order to later report the theft of the vehicle, it would take them more than three hours to reach (people) or where they could ask for help.

'They saw the opportunity that made it easier for them to commit the crime and that is how they tried to steal the vehicle,' Andrade added. 'There was resistance on the part of one of the young men and later they shot him and later the other two were already upset and also scared by what had happened and what had happened to the first of them and they also tried to defend themselves.

'However, these suspects had a firearm.'

Andrade also denied various reports that indicated that the three men had been beaten by the suspects.

While some people doubted the robbery motive and suggested it may have been cartel-related, the attorney general stressed all along that the alleged killers were interested in stealing the pickup truck's tires.

It is believed the region is riven by turf battles between the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, in addition to other groups.

In June last year, the city's mayor, Montserrat Caballero, announced she had decided to live at an army base for her own safety after receiving threats.
An American soldier was detained in Russia last week, per US officials.

Staff sergeant Gordon D. Black was taken into custody on May 2 in Vladivostock, near the border with China and North Korea.

He was stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own, as reported by CBS News on Monday.

It's not clear how Black traveled to Russia but it was not on official business for the army.

Black was apparently in the process of changing stations from Korea to Fort Hood in Texas.

The soldier is reportedly accused of stealing from a woman.

The US Embassy in Moscow (pictured) has not named the soldier but his family has been contacted

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US is aware of the cause but could not say much more at the moment.

The soldier is now one of several American citizens currently imprisoned in Russia.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held by Russia since last March.

Meanwhile former Marine Paul Whelan has been jailed since 2018; he is sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of espionage.

Both are wrongfully detained, according to the US government.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held by Russia since last March.

Meanwhile former Marine Paul Whelan has been jailed since 2018

Moreover, American-Russian ballerina Ksenia Karelina has been jailed in Russia since January or donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity.

She was charged with treason and faces up to 20 years in jail for making a small donation to the humanitarian charity Razom on the day Russia invaded Ukraine.

The payment was discovered after her phone was seized when she flew into Yekaterinburg's Koltsovo Airport on January 2, planning to visit her 90-year-old grandparents in time for Russia's Christmas day.

She was arrested after being invited to pick up her phone on January 27.
Two men have died in a fiery plane crash in Virginia and officials have asked the public for help locating parts of the aircraft.

Pilot John Latham, 63, and his passenger, Niiben C.A. Ayivorh, 73, had taken off from the Manassas Regional Airport Sunday morning for Georgetown, South Carolina.

Residents near the 200 block of Miles Jackson Rd. in Palmyra called police around 9 a.m. to report seeing a low-flying airplane and hearing an explosion.

Video shared to Facebook showed clouds of dark smoke rising from the crash and dozens of emergency vehicles rushing to the scene.

'This was terrifying. I was outside when I heard the explosion in the sky and the plane coming down and then you could hear it crashing through the trees and then another explosion when it hit,' said resident Elyse Wood.

Pilot John Latham, 63, and his passenger, Niiben C.A. Ayivorh, 73, died in a fiery plane crash in Virginia on Sunday

Dozens of first responders came out when residents near the 200 block of Miles Jackson Rd. in Palmyra reported seeing a low-flying airplane and hearing an explosion

The Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office, Virginia Conservation Police and Virginia State Police responded located the aircraft, which was on fire, in a densely wooded area.

Fire companies from Palmyra, Fork Union, Kents Store and Lake Monticello worked to extinguish the fire.

Photos show the remains of the privately owned, crumbled twin-engine 1975 Rockwell Aero Commander 690A covered in smoke and ashes.

Neither of the men survived the crash and their remains were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for examination and autopsy.

The cause of the crash has not been determined. Virginia State Police said there was a light rain at the time of the crash.

Video shared to Facebook showed clouds of dark smoke rising from the crash

Investigators are trying to find missing parts from the plane and are asking for help locating them

'If you live in the area affected by the plane crash (Courthouse Road, Oak Creek Road, Miles Jackson Road) and you locate a piece of the wreckage, contact the sheriffs office immediately and please do not disturb it,' the Kents Store Volunteer Fire Company said.

Investigators told WSET they are trying to find missing parts from the plane and are asking for help locating them.

'The National Transportation Safety Board is seeking assistance with the recovery of an engine, propeller and other airframe parts that separated from an airplane that crashed near Palmyra, Virginia, in Fluvanna County on Sunday morning,' the agency said.

'The Rockwell Commander 690 was flying north to south on a route near Miles Jackson Road when parts started to separate from the airplane. Some airplane parts have already been recovered in that area in a debris field that stretches to nearly three miles.'
Republicans will move to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, DailyMail.com confirmed, after the Department of Justice refused to hand over audio tapes of Joe Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur.

The attorney general had until April 8 to hand over requested materials from Robert Hur's interviews with Biden that led him to conclude the president is 'elderly' and 'well-meaning' but has a 'poor memory.'

They subpoenaed transcripts, notes, audio and video files largely related to Hur's interview.

While the DOJ has handed over transcripts of Hur's interviews with Biden as well as the transcript and audio recordings of an interview with Biden's ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, Republicans are unsatisfied.

They have insisted they need audio from Hur's interview too.

But nearly a month after the deadline to send the audio tapes passed, the House Judiciary Committee is now moving to hold Garland in contempt of Congress, DailyMail.com confirmed.

Republicans on Monday threatened to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress if he does not hand over more materials in the Robert Hur investigation of President Biden's classified documents

Hur said he found that Biden had 'willfully' retained classified material but stopped short of filing charges, believing a jury would not convict the president

The Judiciary committee will hold a markup of the contempt hearing on May 16.

The DOJ, however, said in an April letter to the GOP committee chairmen that the department had already been 'extraordinarily' accommodating in giving up the Biden transcript.

They said releasing audio as well might make it harder for prosecutors to secure recorded interviews in the future, with witnesses knowing they could be blasted out into the public.

'The Committees have already received the extraordinary accommodation of the transcripts, which gives you the information you say you need,' the letter, written by assistant attorney general Carlos Uriarte, read.

'To go further by producing the audio files would compound the likelihood that future prosecutors will be unable to secure this level of cooperation. They might have a harder time obtaining consent to an interview at all. It is clearly not in the public interest to render such cooperation with prosecutors and investigators less likely in the future.'

The letter said that the Oversight and Judiciary committees have not identified any valid reasoning for needing the audio of the interview in addition to transcripts.

Still, the GOP disagreed.

Oversight Chairman James Comer clapped back in a statement: 'The Biden Administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch.'

Special Counsel Robert Hur testified before the Judiciary Committee about his report on President Joe Biden in March

Hur, in a report explaining his decision not to prosecute Biden over mishandling classified documents, sparked opposition from all sides - Republicans who questioned why he would not charge the president and Democrats who took issue with his description of Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.'

'The February 27 subpoenas create a legal obligation on you to produce this material,' the GOP lawmakers wrote to Garland. 'If you fail to do so, the Committees will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings.'

The Justice Department has only said it is conducting an 'interagency review' for classified and confidential information within the material.

Hur said he found that Biden had 'willfully' retained classified material but stopped short of filing charges, believing a jury would not convict the president.

He explained his decision to make the assessment in the hearing: 'I knew that for my position to be credible. I could not simply announce that there would be no charges, I needed to explain why. I needed to show my work.'

'We identified evidence that the President willfully retained classified materials after the end of his vice presidency, when he was a private citizen,' Hur said during a high-stakes hearing in April.

In interviews with investigators, Biden became muddled about the dates he was vice president and could not even remember the year in which his son Beau died, according to the transcript reviewed by DailyMail.com.

The box circled in the foreground contained documents about Afghanistan. The picture was taken in December 2022 in Biden's garage, with other household items

Special Counsel Robert Hur spent a year investigating files found at President Joe Biden's home and former office. He said Biden's status as president meant he could not be prosecuted

Biden forgot the year Beau died, when Trump was elected and said 'I don't recall', 'I don't remember' and 'I have no goddamn idea' more than 100 times while cracking jokes and making car noises with the investigators.

And it said his cavalier attitude to classified documents, such as his habit of reading sensitive files to a ghostwriter, posed a significant national security risk.

One of the reasons they decided not to press charges was because 'at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.'

Hur said during testimony that he described Biden this way because of his 'inability to recall certain things' and that he had to be prompted by his lawyers to recall certain dates.

According to transcripts of Hur's interviews with Biden on October 8 and October 9, 2023, Biden's lawyer had to tell him what year his son Beau died of brain cancer and the president joked about the special counsel finding pictures of his wife Jill in a swimsuit.

I just hope you didnt find any risque pictures of my wife in a bathing suit. Which you probably did. Shes beautiful,' said Biden.

'What month did Beau die?' Biden mused at one point, adding, 'Oh God, May 30th.'

'He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him,' Hur said.

A White House lawyer then chimed in with the year, 2015.

'Was it 2015 he died?' Biden asked.
Snakes were almost allowed onto a plane in Florida after a man attempted to sneak them on an international flight.

According to FOX 13 Seattle, a passenger attempted to board an aircraft at Miami International Airport with a bag of snakes in his pants on April 26.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed in an X post that officers at the Miami airport first detected the snake-filled bag at a checkpoint.

Once officials discovered the snakes, they contacted the Customers and Border Protection (CBP) Southeast division and the Miami-Dade Police Department.

It is unclear if the snakes were the customer's pets, but they have since been turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

TSA canceled the man's flight ticket as a result of the slithery incident.

A man attempted to bring more than one snake onto a plane with him at Miami International Airport on April 26

TSA stopped the man at a checkpoint and he admitted to the officials that he was hiding a bag of snakes in his pants

Once officials discovered the snakes, they contacted the Customers and Border Protection (CBP) Southeast division and the Miami-Dade Police Department

Although this incident may be stranger than usual, it is not the first time that a flier tries to smuggle snakes onto a plane.

A woman snuck 22 snakes and a chameleon onboard a plane at Chennai Airport last year.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) posted a tweet on April 30 that contained photos and videos of the animals seized by officials.

In January 2024, one flier at Phuket International Airport in Thailand passed through a checkpoint with a Blanford's bridle snake.

However, the snake escaped, and a viral video that was taken by a passenger showed that all of the fliers were shocked or terrified.

It is unclear who owned the snake, but it was a non-venomous serpent known to avoid humans.

Several X users had questions about the events that led up to the discovery, and more than one person mentioned the film Snakes on a Plane in the comments section.

An earlier incident in 2023 took place in Malaysia after a woman attempted to smuggle in 22 snakes and a chameleon onboard a plane at Chennai Airport in Malaysia

It is unclear how many times these incidents have occurred at Miami International Airport or if the man was arrested for his actions. TSA did confirm that they canceled his flight

X users were shocked about where the snakes were hidden and many of them still had questions about the situation

One X user took a guess as to who the man was that attempted to board a plane with a bag of snakes in his pants.

'My guess is, the guy breeds exotic snakes, or works for someone who does,' she tweeted.

'The breeder sold that pair and the smuggler was on his way to deliver them. No one seems to know what kind of snakes they are.'

However, more than one X user claimed that the snakes at the Miami airport were juvenile Palmetto corn snakes.
Pastor's wife Mica Miller died from a 'self-inflicted gunshot wound' days after filing for divorce from her husband John-Paul Miller.

Mica, 30, was found dead at Lumbee River State Park, North Carolina, on April 27, weeks after she shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage as claims emerge she was being harassed and was 'afraid for her life'.

In the days after her death, her friends and family held a rally calling for 'justice for Mica' outside the Solid Rock Church where Pastor Miller, 44, works.

The pastor stunned his congregants last week when, after a service in which he had laughed and appeared entirely at ease, he announced that his wife had died and that her death was 'self-induced.'

On Monday, Robeson County Medical Examiner Dr. Richard Johnson told ABC: 'Based on the nature of the wound, that it is consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. And it was not in the back of the head, as it has been speculated.'

Miller, 30, was found dead at Lumbee River State Park, North Carolina, on April 27

Weeks prior, she shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage and her family claimed her husband (pictured) had harassed her and she was 'afraid for her life'

Weeks before she died Mica posted an emotional video in which she spoke of abuse within marriage and offered support to 'ANYONE struggling with leaving a dangerous situation because they think God will be 'mad' at them.'

She said: 'Today my heart's a little heavy. I've had lots of women that have reached out to me about situations of abuse, and I just want to tell you what a lot of people have told me lately, because I think I forgot.

'But you are the bride of Christ before anybody else's, male or female, it doesn't matter what gender you are, abuse is abuse.'

On Monday, before her cause of death was announced, ABC reported that Mica had filed police reports against a man - whose name was redacted in the reports - in March accusing him of harassing her.

She had told officers that she was 'afraid for her life', had found a tracking device on her car and had her tires repeatedly deflated.

After her death, Myrtle Beach pastor Miller stunned his congregation at Solid Rock at Market Common Church in South Carolina when announced that his wife had died and that her death was 'self-induced.'

He then told worshippers that he would be taking 'a little break' and to leave the church without discussing what he had just told them.

In the days since Mica's death on April 27, her family had pushed back at her husband's explanation of it as suicide.

Mica Miller offered her support to victims of abuse and reminded them that they 'don't have to stay' in an emotional Facebook video shared on March 22

Miller urged her friends and followers to share her message with anyone struggling to reconcile their faith with their abusive relationships

DailyMail.com has learned that Mica's untimely death on April 27 came just 48 hours after she served her husband, Pastor John-Paul Miller, with divorce papers

Speaking to DailyMail.com last week, Mica's sister Sierra Brown, 28, said that the family wasn't making any statements until the investigation was complete but pointed out: 'The one thing I would say is that he has said it was an official suicide, that is not the case. There's still an open investigation.'

Mica was found with a fatal gunshot wound in Lumbee River State Park, North Carolina, in a death that is under investigation by Robeson County Sheriff's department.

Mica's death came just 48 hours after her husband, from whom she had been separated for one month, was served with divorce papers.

Court records hint at the tumult within the marriage with Mica first filing for divorce back in October 2023 before withdrawing the filing February 12.

Later that same month Miller filed against his wife for Separate Support and Maintenance in a motion withdrawn March 11.

But on April 15, just 12 days before she was found dead, Mica filed once more and, according to friends, also sought a no contact order against her husband.

Speaking March 22 Mica said: 'You don't have to stay in an abusive relationship. Whether that's sexual, whether that's somebody forcing you to take illegal drugs or alcohol abuse, or physical abuse, psychological abuse, making you think that this is all your fault or that you're a bad mom or a bad husband or you're not giving it your all when you know you are.

John-Paul Miller shocked his congregation when he announced her death as a suicide at the end of a service at Solid Rock at Market Common Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last Sunday

Mica was discovered with a fatal gunshot wound on April 27 in Lumbee River State Park, North Carolina

'God hates divorce, but why? According to everybody that I've asked and the scriptures I've seen it's because it hurts people. But does abuse hurt people. How do you think God feels about that?'

Mica met Miller, 14 years her senior, when she was just 14 years old and a member of his church youth group.

Addressing his congregation Miller stated that Mica, stepmother to his five children, 'was mentally unwell.'

But friends have taken to social media to refute this statement with one posting on X: 'Mica is a close friend of mine, she 100% would not have committed suicide. She was excited to start a new life no longer living in fear of him & was finally on her way out.'

In Mica's obituary penned by Miller, who has a criminal record including multiple counts of aggravated assault and battery to which he pleaded guilty, makes no mention of the fact that the couple had separated.

Instead, he described her as a 'great stepmother, and an amazing wife and helpmate', and portrayed her as his biggest cheerleader.

Kenn Young, Mica's friend, is among those searching for answers over what happened.

'This has to be at least looked into deeply. There's got to be some accountability here,' he told WPDE. 'Because yeah, a tragic life was lost, and it's not just as simple as mental health issues.'

Miller's sisters have also alluded to questions around her death, making posts with the caption '#JusticeforMica.'

'There is a lot of talk already going on so I want to set the record straight. Our sister Mica Miller passed away yesterday,' Miller's sister Sierra Francis wrote.

'Please do not listen to false stories being shared about her. Mica was a God-fearing, joyful, loving woman.

Mica's sister Sierra, seen above in Facebook video, told DailyMail.com the family is not commenting publicly until the investigation is completed but confirmed her official cause of death has not yet been determined

But the lack of information from the police has led many including Millers sisters (pictured) to question what happened

'We know that so many of you feel this gut-wrenching loss with us. The fight is not over.'

Mica originally hails from Wichita, Kansas, as one of five children, according to her obituary.

Court filings indicate she had served her husband with divorce papers just weeks before her death.

The pastor's obituary describes her as, 'energetic, affirming, adventurous, faithful, loving, giving, forgiving, talented, joyous, creative, assertive, bold, determined, authoritative, passionate, hardworking, a risk taker, and so much more.'

In an interview with ABC15, Mica's husband reiterated that his wife had taken her own life.

'She had struggled with suicide before,' he said. 'Each time we would help her through it and take her to the doctor, and we got through it and everything was fine.

'She even gave a few testimonies here at church that we have on video. She battled suicide but God took care of her and got her through it.'

He added she was 'probably the greatest wife anyone could ask for' and described nights spent talking to each other for hours.
King Charles is feeling 'very good' as he returns to Royal duties following his cancer treatment, Penny Mordaunt revealed tonight.

The 75-year-old monarch made a triumphant return to public life earlier this month despite still undergoing treatment for unspecified form of the disease.

The Commons leader spoke fondly of Charles today as she helped mark the first anniversary of the King and Queen's coronation, speaking of her meetings with him as her role as Lord President of the Privy Council.

She told GB News: 'I think people won't be surprised to know that he's completely charming and always calm.

'And he's also got a really good sense of humour as well. But he's always asking about how things are going, particularly issues that we're dealing with in Parliament or about particular groups who he knows that are having a rough time.

King Charles is feeling 'very good' as he returns to Royal duties following his cancer treatment, Penny Mordaunt has revealed

The Commons leader (pictured) spoke fondly of Charles today as she helped mark the first anniversary of the King and Queen's coronation

Ms Mordaunt was responsible for bearing the Sword of State and presenting the Jewelled Sword of Offering to Charles at his coronation

'He's always asking after those people, so he cares a great deal and he's a delight to work with.'

The Privy Council is a body of senior advisers to the monarch.

Asked how Charles is doing, Ms Mordaunt told the broadcaster: 'He's very good. And I know that he would have been so pleased to get back to public duties. He would have missed it tremendously.

'I think everyone is really pleased to see him back and I know that he wants to do more, so it's been a good week.'

Ms Mordaunt was responsible for bearing the Sword of State and presenting the Jewelled Sword of Offering to Charles at his coronation - the first time the duty had been carried out by a woman.

The Conservative MP went viral on social media wearing a custom-made teal outfit with a matching cape and headband with gold feather embroidery.

'I was determined and very excited, but also very nervous,' she said. 'The sword was very heavy.

'The question I'd always asked myself when I was doing drill practice with my reserve unit in the pouring rain every Tuesday night, was, why am I doing this now? I know why it was so I could hold that sword at the Coronation.

King Charles III and Zara Tindall at day three of the Royal Windsor Horse Show last week

Zara Tindall gives her uncle King Charles a hug at the Royal Windsor Horse Show last week

'Actually, the adrenaline of the day just carries you, carries you through it.'

Last week the King and Queen Camilla, 76, visited the Macmillan Cancer Centre at University College Hospital in London where he met with staff treating and offering support to cancer patients.

The King also attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show in jubilant scenes as he hugged his niece Zara Tindall, with whom he is incredibly close.

The monarch was present for the third day of the event, which his late mother Queen Elizabeth II also often attended as a spectator.

His appearance and cheerful demeanour at events over the last week have marked the positive progress he is making after almost three months of cancer care as an outpatient.

Charles's diary of forthcoming events will not be a full summer programme, and attendance will be announced nearer the time and 'subject to doctors' advice', with 'adaptations made where necessary to minimise risk' to the King's recovery.

TUESDAY - Charles and Camilla visit UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre in London on Tuesday

WEDNESDAY - Charles and Camilla are shown the Coronation Roll at Buckingham Palace

It is understood the warmer weather would allow events to be staged outside and lessen the risk posed by other people that many cancer patients face.

At the hospital on Tuesday, the King spoke of his 'shock' at being diagnosed with cancer as he met fellow patients on his return to public-facing duties.

Charles candidly described the experience of being told he had the disease, as he learned about the latest treatments and chat to staff providing the pioneering care.

He also reassured those who asked about the state of his health, saying: 'I'm well.'

The King, who looked relaxed and in good spirits, was joined on the visit by Camilla, and went on impromptu walkabouts, meeting staff who had stopped to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.
Kevin Spacey pleasured himself while watching the bloody Normandy landing scene in Saving Private Ryan, his former actor friend has alleged in a bombshell Channel 4 documentary.

Throughout Spacey Unmasked, which aired tonight, an aspiring actor - referred to only by his first name Scott - claimed the unnerving incident happen in 1998 at a cinema where the Oscar award winning film was playing.

Spacey has repeatedly denied all allegations that have been made against him and ahead of the documentary, which sees 10 men make allegations against the fallen Hollywood star, blasted the new claims as 'ridiculous' and 'completely offensive'.

Last year the American Beauty and House of Cards actor, 64, was found not guilty of nine sexual offences made against him by four men who were in their 20s and 30s between 2004 and 2013.

The famous actor, who sobbed at the dock as his verdict was delivered, went on to add that he 'never told someone that if they give me sexual favours, then I will help them out with their career, ever'.

In tonight's shocking documentary, however, several men within the film industry have brought fresh allegations to light about the Hollywood celebrity.

Scott said he was initially 'over the moon' when he met Spacey at a gig at The Viper Room just off West Hollywood's Sunset Strip. At the time Scott was an aspiring actor, working in post-production.

Kevin Spacey pleasured himself while watching the bloody Normandy landing scene in Saving Private Ryan, his former actor friend has alleged in a bombshell Channel 4 documentary. Pictured: Spacey outside Southwark Crown Court after being found not guilty

Throughout Spacey Unmasked, which aired tonight, an aspiring actor - referred to only by his first name Scott - claimed the unnerving incident happen in 1998 at a cinema where the Oscar award winning film was playing

'For me, he was just on such a pedestal. I'm not going to lie, I was starstruck,' he said.

At that time, Spacey was at the height of his stardom, having won an Academy Awards for best supporting actor in 1995 for his role as Roger 'Verbal' Kint in The Usual Suspects.

Fresh allegations made in Channel 4 documentary Spacey Unmasked A slew of allegations were made against the fallen Hollywood star tonight. The documentary alleges that Spacey: Groped a 21-year-old man in highly intimate and invasive way before whispering: Dont worry about it; Pleasured himself in front of an aspiring actor, who was a former US Marine, while watching the traumatic opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan; Pushed his groin into the face of an employee at the Old Vic theatre in London during a performance of the pantomime Cinderella; Exposed himself to an intern in the bathroom of a bar and put his hand on the penis of a fellow actor on the set of hit TV series House Of Cards. Spacey has denied the new allegations slamming them as 'ridiculous' and 'completely offensive'. Advertisement

Scott said the pair 'hit it off' straight away, with the film producer telling Spacey of his work on the heartbreaking war film Saving Private Ryan and his own experience working in the US Marines.

He alleges Spacey then asked for his headshot and resume adding that there was a possibility the film giant and film school graduate could work together at some point in the future.

The pair went on to a party at a mansion in the Hollywood Hills yet Scott, who had been at the gathering with his girlfriend, said there was an 'energy shift' when Spacey asked the budding actor to see a home cinema.

'That's when I started to feel the energy shift a little bit. And he was like, 'Can I have a hug?' And I was like, 'huh, okay, guess that's an LA thing',' Scott alleged in the documentary.

'So I go in to give him a quick bro hug, and he just gets me in this bear grip, and he's kind of rubbing his whiskey face in my neck, kind of grinding into me, like humping me.'

Scott said the actor tried to reassure him telling him things were okay before telling him not to 'freak out'. The alleged incident is said to have left Scott feeling confused and 'shaky'.

At a later point, the aspiring actor said he was 'nursing a hangover' when he received a call from an unknown number. He recognised the voice 'immediately' as Spacey who asked if he wanted to discuss headshots.

The pair met on a street near to a cinema where Saving Private Ryan was playing. Spacey allegedly said 'hey, it's your movie we should go see it' and so the pair decided to watch the viewing.

Scott said he had an 'intuition that this thing could go sideways' but was 'very much under the impression that [he] was in control'.

'Kevin grabbed a seat, way up high, very hidden, very private,' he recalled.

Actor Kevin Spacey leaving the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court, London, in 2022

Scott said he had an 'intuition that this thing could go sideways' at their cinema trip but was 'very much under the impression that [he] was in control'

It will air on Channel 4 tonight despite the two-time Oscar winner breaking his silence to publically issue a series of vehement denials of the latest wave of accusations

'And we're watching the movie, first 20 minutes of the invasion of Normandy, it's shockingly horrific. There's a guy picking up his arm, and people are on fire, and people are just dying in really the most horrible ways you can die.

'All of a sudden, I just saw some activity happening next to me and I kind of glance over and Kevin's just pleasuring himself. You know, some of the most horrific war footage ever recreated, and like, there's no way that this is happening.

'This guy is rubbing one out during the invasion of Normandy?'

Scott then accused Spacey of reaching over, grabbing his hand and tries to get him to 'help out'. 'I was like, "no". It was crazy,' he said.

Ahead of the documentary, Spacey hit out at the 'Saving Private Ryan guy' on social media questioning why Scott had allegedly reached out to him again 2011 asking for work if he was 'so turned off' by what he claimed the actor did.

The actor said: 'Well, this is interesting... "Contributor #3" (Saving Private Ryan guy) said we met at the Viper Room in 1998.

'If this guy was so turned off by everything he claims I did, why is he still chasing me 13 years later? (See email from 2011)

'Does this mean everything he said is untrue? Of course not. But its important that ALL the facts be presented.'

A TV documentary exposing fresh allegations against Kevin Spacey will aired tonight despite an astonishing backlash from the embattled actor

Spacey speaks to Dan Wootton and rebuts the claims against him in an interview posted online last week

Last year the American Beauty and House of Cards actor, 64, was found not guilty of nine sexual offences made against him by four men who were in their 20s and 30s between 2004 and 2013. He sobbed in court as the verdict was read

Spacey hit out at the 'Saving Private Ryan guy' on social media questioning why Scott had allegedly reached out to him again 2011 asking for work if he was 'so turned off' by what he claimed the actor did

He went on to question if the email had been included in Scott's story throughout the documentary.

The email said to have been sent to Spacey from Scott in 2011 read: 'Hey bro! I hope things are going well with your play and I'm glad we were able to catch up when you were in LA.

'I just came across a news article for A Captain's Duty that said you guys were looking for military veterans.

'I'd love to get in on this film, like we talked about after the play and I'm really glad you guys chose to hire vets, it makes a huge difference in so many ways.

'You can check out my new reel here. Thanks for keeping me in mind, I really hope we can get together again soon and catch up.'

Other allegations made throughout the documentary include that he groped a 21-year-old man, pushed his groin into the face of an employee and placed his hands on the genitals of a fellow actor on the House of Cards set.

Spacey has argued that he was 'provided with insufficient time and detail to respond to the testimonies in the film'.

'I have consistently denied - and now successfully defended - numerous allegations made both in the US and the UK, both criminal and civil, and each time have been able to source evidence undermining the allegations and have been believed by a jury of my peers.'

In the documentary Spacey is accused of groping a 21-year-old man in highly intimate and invasive way before whispering: Dont worry about it

Another accuses him of pushing his groin into the face of an employee at the Old Vic theatre in London during a performance of the pantomime Cinderella

Spacey won an Academy Awards for best supporting actor in 1995 for his role as Roger 'Verbal' Kint in The Usual Suspects.

Continuing his fight-back against the slew of allegations, he also took part in a 95 minute interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wotton, where he declared he will 'no longer be speechless' in the face of allegations.

Despite Spacey's rebuttal to have more time for a response, the Channel 4 programme went ahead.

'We're going ahead,' Dorothy Byrne, one of the producers of the programme, said as she revealed she hopes it will prompt a #MeToo movement for men.

'I've made a lot of programmes over decades about women suffering inappropriate behaviour, so this has been a very interesting project to work on.

'I do feel that it's a #MeToo moment for men. Lots of things that were done to women 50 years ago are still being done to men, many of whom feel that they have to put up with it,' she told the Observer.

Taking further attack on the broadcaster on X he added: 'I will not sit back and be attacked by a dying network's one-sided "documentary" about me in their desperate attempt for ratings.'

Spacey was acquitted of the nine sexual offences in relation to four men at Southwark Crown Court last year.

The dismissal came after he won a US civil lawsuit in 2022 after being accused of an unwanted sexual advance in 1986.
More than 20,000 asylum seekers have gone missing in Britain over the past five years, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Figures obtained from the Home Office show that officials have been unable to locate at least 21,107 foreign nationals who claimed to be refugees.

The vast majority of those who have disappeared have no right to remain in the UK because their claims have been refused or withdrawn  and the true figure will be far higher as the data covers only the five years up to September 2023.

One senior Tory MP said last night that the details  obtained by the Mail using the Freedom of Information Act  showed that the asylum system needed a 'total reboot'.

It comes a week after the Government finally began detaining migrants who have no right to be in the UK for removal to Rwanda.

Figures obtained from the Home Office show that officials have been unable to locate at least 21,107 foreign nationals who claimed to be refugees

More than 200,000 migrants have gone missing in Britain over the past five years. Pictured: Migrants arrive into Dover with Border Force officials on Monday

The Home Office's programme saw an undisclosed number held in detention centres ahead of the first flights, which Rishi Sunak has said will begin eight to ten weeks from now.

The Home Office figures showed that 21,107 asylum cases were logged on a special database  known as 'service to file'  because officials did not know where they were and had no way of contacting them.

Guidance for staff states that 'service to file' is used only 'where a claimant's whereabouts or place of abode is unknown' and 'every possible effort' has been made to contact them.

READ MORE: Syrian asylum seeker waiting to be deported to Rwanda says he will kill himself on arrival because he fears the country is not safe Advertisement

The document adds: 'Service to file is the last resort and you must not consider it unless reasonable efforts have been made to serve the asylum decision to the claimant or their representative.'

Speaking anonymously, a civil servant familiar with the process said that migrants can be lost if they move to a new address or change lawyers without telling the Home Office.

'If they knew where the applicant was, or could track them, they would not have served the decision to file,' the source said.

'A decision can only be served to file when an applicant doesn't have an address on record, or that address is no longer valid, and when they have no legal representative.

'In practical terms, it means they don't know how to find the applicant. They serve it to file only after checking all databases, addresses and so on, and still finding nothing.'

The 21,107 'service to file' cases were either rejected, withdrawn or categorised in another way.

The figure counts only the main applicant in each family, and does not include spouses, children or other dependents.

Three quarters of the total, 16,012 cases, were withdrawn or listed as 'void', the data showed.

Last November the Home Office's second permanent secretary Simon Ridley explained to MPs that cases are withdrawn when 'individuals do not show for an interview twice or if individuals do not respond to requests for questionnaires twice'.

Some 3 per cent of the total, 752 cases, involved asylum claims which had been refused  meaning the applicant is liable for removal from Britain.

The remainder were categorised as 'other', which could mean the claim had been rejected or the applicant had died or gone to another country.

In addition to the 21,107 cases, the Home Office granted the asylum claims of a further 1,159 people but could not locate them.

It is understood the true scale of the problem was not known until civil servants accelerated asylum processing last year.

At that stage they began to realise they had no current address for thousands of people they needed to contact.

Almost 9,500 migrants were found to have vanished from their last known addresses between January and September last year alone, when officials were pushing to fulfil Mr Sunak's pledge to clear a backlog of cases.

Conservative MP Neil O'Brien said: 'This again shows why we need to totally reboot the asylum system to stop people coming here in such enormous numbers.

Almost 9,500 migrants were found to have vanished from their last known addresses between January and September last year alone, when officials were pushing to fulfil Rishi Sunak's pledge to clear a backlog of cases

'We need a much simpler system without endless appeals.

'This would allow arrivals to be detained, processed and  where appropriate  removed.'

He added: 'People spend years and years lodging appeals. The numbers are so high that they cannot all be detained.

'And eventually it becomes impossible to track them down after they vanish into the black economy.'

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK which campaigns for tougher border controls, said: 'This is the kind of information the Government should be publishing regularly as a matter of course so people can make informed judgments about the state of our asylum system.'

Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council said: 'It's hugely concerning to see the Home Office losing touch with so many people.

'This is a direct result of having chaotic systems, with applicants made to wait months and even years in the system without any updates.'

A Home Office spokesman said last night: 'It is inaccurate to suggest that all individuals within this cohort have gone missing.

'While some asylum seekers have left the UK, others will have withdrawn their applications, pursued another for permission to stay, or made contact with us again.'
A prominent critic of the Prime Minister will today warn that illegal migrants are costing the country at least 14billion a year in public services alone.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns will tell MPs that illegal immigration is posing an 'existential threat' to British society and security.

But she will say that it also imposes 'astronomical' costs on taxpayers which the 'vast majority' of the British public see as unacceptable.

Dame Andrea will cite official figures putting the cost of public services including health and education at 12,000 a year per person, and estimates of the illegal population at up to 1.2million.

Dame Andrea Jenkyns (pictured) will tell MPs that illegal immigration is posing an 'existential threat' to British society and security

'Even the most basic calculation puts the economic burden on British taxpayers for an illegal migration population of 1.2million at 14.4billion, just shy of 10 per cent of NHS England's budget for this year. Imagine that as a cash injection for our national health service,' she will tell a Westminster Hall debate.

In addition, she will point out, the Home Office expects to spend 482million on immigration enforcement this year along with almost 8million a day in accommodation for those who have crossed the Channel in dinghies. The Government is also giving 370million to Rwanda in its flagship deportation scheme, and will give 476million in 'handouts' to the French so they can help stop the cross-Channel boats.

'For too long, the UK has been seen as a free lunch. Study, work, marry or smuggle your way in and soon you are guaranteed a lifelong all-you-can-eat buffet for you and your extended family,' Dame Andrea will say at the Westminster session.

'Free healthcare, education, housing, social care, legal protections, and access to one of the largest charitable sectors in the world. It is demonstrably unfair to continue to ask the British taxpayer to pick up the bill.'

In addition, she will point out, the Home Office expects to spend 482million on immigration enforcement this year along with almost 8million a day in accommodation for those who have crossed the Channel in dinghies (File Image)

In order to show that the British state is no longer a 'soft touch', she will suggest tough measures to limit further arrivals and make it easier to remove people.

These will include improved surveillance and patrols along the coastline and ending further payments to France unless they stop more boats.

Dame Andrea  like former home secretary Suella Braverman and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick  wants Britain to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights in order to limit legal challenges to deportation.

Dame Andrea, a minister under Liz Truss, last autumn became the first Tory MP to publicly announce she had submitted a letter of no confidence in Rishi Sunak.

She was also one of 11 rebels who voted against the Rwanda bill earlier this year on the grounds it did not go far enough.
More than a dozen students at Princeton University are participating in a hunger strike after the university refused to heed students' requests for divestment from Israel.

The students have said they will abstain from all food and drink, except for water, until the university agrees to boycott Israeli universities, disclose its investments and divest from any company that profits off or is involved in Israel's "ongoing military campaign, occupation and apartheid policies."

"If [President Christopher Eisgruber] wants to sit in Nassau Hall and watch us starve on his lawn, then that's what we'll do," said Princeton senior David Chmielewski, according to the student newspaper the Daily Princetonian.

The hunger strike comes as Israel's war in Gaza seems to be reaching an inflection point. The Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, crafted by Egypt and Qatar, but Israel declined - characterizing the offer as a "trick."

Meanwhile, Israel ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians to evacuate from Rafah, where more than 1 million people have sought shelter as Israeli airstrikes decimated much of the besieged enclave.

The United States has repeatedly cautioned Israel against a ground invasion in Rafah - describing the proposed action as a "mistake" with civilian consequences greater than any potential military gain.

Princeton is not the first university to see students go on hunger strikes - at fellow Ivy League school Brown University, 19 students went on an 8-day strike in February. The strike did not see an immediate impact, but when the university agreed to vote on divestment the striking students were among the signatories to a document outlining the terms of the deal.

There were initially 17 students signed on to hunger strike but the numbers fluctuated over the weekend, according to Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest. As of their most recent Instagram post, on May 5, 15 students were striking and a further 28 were engaging in solidarity fasts.

"We commit our bodies to [the] liberation of Palestine," the organization wrote on Saturday. "PRINCETON, hear us now! We will not be moved!"
More than 1,000 pro-Palestine protestors clashed with the NYPD just blocks away from New York's Met Gala on Monday evening.

Hundreds were seen marching from Hunter College a mile away but they were met with a swift response from the NYPD who had been bracing for the possibility that demonstrators might make an appearance at the star-studded event.

Dozens of protestors were arrested along Madison Avenue as the police attempted to ensure none of the demonstrators spilled over onto neighboring Fifth Avenue where the Met Gala was happening.

Initially, the police appeared to be successful in diverting the protestors away from where the Gala was taking place leaving the bulk of protestors marching down Park Avenue several blocks away - but it wasn't long demonstrator smashed through metal barriers and began walking down Fifth Avenue.

Protestors could be seen holding placards, banging drums, waving flags and chanting 'free, free Palestine!' Others set off flares and red and green smoke - the colors of the Palestinian flag.

The protests  officially billed as part of a 'Day Of Rage For Gaza: From The Encampments To The Streets'  began earlier on Monday afternoon at Columbia University and NYU downtown with the two groups merging close to the Gala.

A woman was forced to the ground by officers with the NYPD as she was placed under arrest

One thousand pro-Palestine protestors clashed with the NYPD just a block away from New York's Met Gala on Monday evening

Dozens of protestors were arrested along Madison Avenue and East 84th Street as the police attempted to ensure none of the demonstrators spilled over to neighboring Fifth Avenue where the Met Gala was taking place

Hundreds marched from Hunter College to where the gala washappening

Protestors were met with a swift response from the NYPD who had been bracing for them

A woman wearing a keffiyeh is placed under arrest by the NYPD

Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator near the Met Gala

Police face pro-Palestinian demonstrators near the Met Gala

Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator near the Met Gala on Monday evening

Demonstrators were promptly arrested after refusing to obey police demands

Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator near the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Police arrest an ultra-Orthodox Jewish pro-Palestinian demonstrator near the Met Gala

Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator near the Met Gala

Dozens of people were arrested by the NYPD on Monday night

The protestors could be seen marching along Fifth Avenue towards the Met Gala

Various signs showing support for Palestine were held

A pro-Palestinian protester is apprehended on-site even before the Met Gala begins in New York City

Both protests met up at CUNY Hunter College at 5pm - just one mile from the Met, or about 20 minutes walk away before they made their way uptown.

After facing off with police, demonstrators started to march along Park Avenue blocking the southbound lanes.

One protestor was quickly placed in handcuffs and arrested by police even before the event started.

Other uniformed officers could be seen walking along the streets armed with dozens of plastic zip-ties should any further protestors wish to make an appearance and cause disruption.

The NYPD had earlier said that it was well prepared, adding that it would 'have an adequate security deployment.'

NYPD sources said the Met will have a larger security contingent than normal with both plain clothes police inside and outside the museum along Fifth Avenue, at the iconic Upper East Side venue.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with the police, noted how 'outside agitators' had been involved in the college demonstrations that had overrun college campuses across the city over the last two weeks.

Protestors were met with a swift response from the NYPD who had been bracing for the possibility that protestors might make an appearance

Officers take a person away in handcuffs outside the 2024 Met Gala on Monday evening

Actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife make a grand entrance under tight New York Police Department security at the Met Gala in New York City

On Monday afternoon, there were around 200 demonstrators at the protest

The protest was expected to move north toward the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on Monday evening at Manhattan's Hunter College, just a mile away from the star-studded 2024 Met Gala

The message from the protestors was clear as they called for the war in Gaza to end

Students could be seen displaying signs from within Hunter College

Anti-Israel activists planned a 'Citywide Day of Rage for Gaza' at Hunter College in New York

NYPD officers put barricades in place outside Hunter College's entrance on East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue starting at 3pm on Monday

Demonstrators held a multitude of signs and Palestinian flags

The signs called for for ceasefire and called for the war in Gaza to stop

Some students displayed their solidarity for the marchers from inside

Gaza demonstrators have not shied away from disrupting other high-profile events in the city including the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and last year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting.

The Met Gala sees some of the biggest names in film, fashion, music, sports, politics and social media, making it a lightning rod for protests.

Nationwide campus protests began at Columbia in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, the Ivy League school announced the cancelation of its university-wide commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 15.

'Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families,' the university said Monday. 'As a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly.'

This comes days after the New York Police Department burst onto Columbia with riot gear to break up the tent encampment and re-take Hamilton Hall back from student occupiers.

Over 100 people were arrested at the New York City university, according to CNN. Police said there were no injuries or people resisting arrest.
The Greens have been accused of trying to hold John Swinney to ransom before he is even sworn in as First Minister after setting out a series of demands.

Patrick Harvie, who lost his ministerial job when Humza Yousaf ended the Bute House Agreement, yesterday said the new SNP leader must remain committed to progressive policies to tackle the climate crisis and inequality.

But it led to fears Mr Swinneys minority government will continue to be dictated to by the Greens, despite the parties no longer being part of a power-sharing agreement.

The Greens helped force out Mr Yousaf after confirming they had planned to back a Tory vote of no confidence in him.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: The extremist Greens should never have been invited into government by Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney in the first place. But no sooner has the man who helped broker the disastrous Bute House Agreement become SNP leader, than Patrick Harvie is holding him to ransom.

John Swinney must immediately rule out any pact, official or otherwise, with the anti-growth Greens, whose malign influence can be seen in the SNPs gender self-ID policy, its opposition to new oil and gas projects, the botched deposit return scheme and the failure to upgrade the A9 and A96.

Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater of the Greens, who lost their ministerial jobs when Humza Yousaf tore-up the Bute House Agreement

In his victory speech, Mr Swinney said he wanted to position the SNP in the moderate centre-left of Scottish politics.

In a statement issued within minutes of the SNP confirming Mr Swinney as party leader, Mr Harvie, the former Zero Carbon Buildings Minister, said: Scotland needs a period of stable government.

Mr Swinney knows if he is to have our support then it must be on the basis of progressive policies that help us tackle the climate crisis and build a fairer and more equal future.

Will they offer a progressive vision for Scotlands future, or will they retreat toward the tepid middle ground, which would force them to rely on the Tories and other pro-Union parties?

There are a lot of important policies already on their way to delivery as a result of the Bute House Agreement.

We remain utterly committed to these policies and will oppose any move away from them or steps to dilute them.

The Scottish Greens have offered to meet Mr Swinney to discuss how they can work together ahead of their MSPs convening to discuss how to vote when he is nominated as First Minister at Holyrood. Writing in the Mail last week, former Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said the SNP would be left with a de facto deal with the Greens if Mr Swinney becomes the next First Minister, and that such an arrangement would be a kind of Scottish Green Frankenstein.

He said: The green tail has been allowed to wag the dog for too long.

Last week, it was docked. But this week, it has re-emerged as a kind of phantom limb.

Asked about the demands from the Greens at his victory speech yesterday, Mr Swinney said: Im sure there will be a lot of common ground between ourselves and the Scottish Green Party.

I dont intend to return to a Bute House Agreement, I dont intend to return to the type of fixed arrangements that we had.

We will take it on an issue by issue basis, which means that on some issues Im sure we will be aligned to the Scottish Green Party, but Im sure on other issues we will have to find support and agreement with other political parties.
He is on course to lead the SNP Government after his confirmation as party leader yesterday  but John Swinney faces a mountainous in-tray.

If appointed First Minister today, as expected, he has promised to reduce child poverty, work towards achieving net zero carbon emissions, and create a successful economy.

But its a tough challenge  the proportion of children living in relative poverty has risen to from 23 to 26 per cent between 2022 and 2023  while Humza Yousaf dumped ambitious climate change targets.

Meanwhile, growth in Scotland has been running at roughly half the UK level since Nicola Sturgeon came to office in 2014.

Mr Swinney also pledged last week to improve delivery of public services, including the NHS, so that people can see their lives are getting better as a result of the actions of their government.

Yet health spending is set to fall  despite Mr Swinneys decision as stand-in Finance Secretary in 2022 to hike taxes for higher earners, supposedly to boost patient care.

If appointed First Minister, John Swinney faces a mountainous in-tray, says Graham Grant

Predictably, he said Scotland could only prosper if it had the powers of a normal country as he signalled a ramping-up of independence rhetoric in the run-up to the general election, expected later this year.

Yet there are many more pressing issues after nearly 20 years of Nationalist failure and incompetence.

Here are the key policies which the prospective First Minister should prioritise  but dont be surprised if very few of them materialise...

TAXATION

More than 1,000 higher and top earners have fled Scotland to escape the SNPs punitive taxes  the highest in the UK.

In a triple whammy announced in Decembers Budget, a 45p income tax band has been introduced on earnings above 75,000; the top rate on earnings above 125,140 has risen by 1p to 48p; and the higher rate threshold has been frozen at 43,663.

Someone earning a 35,000 salary is paying 61 more in Scotland than the rest of the UK, rising to 442 at 45,000, 1,696 at 55,000, and 2,096 at 75,000.

Taxes must be slashed to turn Scotland into a magnet for entrepreneurs  increasing the number of taxpayers and kick-starting moribund growth.

BUSINESS RATES

Sky-high business rates are helping to kill off struggling high streets  but the SNP has refused to provide desperately needed relief for firms clinging to survival.

The UK Government is offering 75 per cent rates relief in the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors in England.

But Finance Secretary Shona Robison snubbed calls for similar moves in Scotland  which has been blamed for contributing to the loss of 29,000 retail jobs.

Businesses are crying out for respite from a crippling tax regime.

SCHOOLS

Exam pass rates slumped to their lowest level since before the pandemic last year  and many children appear to have dropped out of state education.

Nearly one in three Scots pupils are deemed to be persistent absentees after missing 10 per cent or more of the school year.

Mr Swinney should ensure his Education Secretary steps up efforts to crack down on truancy.

Stricter discipline is crucial to tackle classroom violence and to provide a peaceful learning environment  meaning there must be an immediate ban on mobile phone use during lessons.

HEALTH

John Swinney promised a penny for patient care when he increased the higher rate of tax back in 2022  but theres little evidence that the NHS has benefited from the extra cash.

More than 830,000 Scots are on waiting lists for operations, tests and outpatient appointments. This figure is now at an all-time high and has risen by 182,448 since 2021.

Mr Swinneys strategy should be two-pronged: first, he must reduce waiting times and restore in-person GP appointments for all patients who want them.

But he must also order a review of how the NHS is funded and how (or if) it can cope with rising demand  and make sure taxpayers cash is getting to the frontline of care rather than being spent on wages for fat-cat managers.

OUT-OF-WORK SCOTS

One in 20 working-age people has never done a days work in their life in parts of Scotland, and the number has rocketed since the SNP came to power.

Creating more jobs and encouraging people into the workforce would cut the enormous benefits bill, with the social security budget forecast to come close to an eye-watering 8billion a year by 2028.

Yet the SNP is pushing a four-day week, and it backs a Universal Basic Income  which could cost up to 20billion a year.

These pie-in-the-sky ideas should be ditched in favour of a strategy to get people into jobs. Economic growth cannot be achieved by spending more on state handouts.

JUSTICE

Police are refusing to investigate minor crimes while at the same time millions of pounds is being wasted on diversity staff.

Rank-and-file officers now fear the service is being turned into a purely reactive force.

Cash-starved Police Scotland must be adequately funded to reverse a manpower crisis and replace second-rate technology.

The Scottish Sentencing Council (SSC)  set up by the SNP  has drawn up absurd guidelines urging leniency for offenders under the age of 25 on the grounds of their allegedly immature brains.

These should be scrapped, with a review of the SSC to ensure that it is working in the interests of victims.

DRUG DEATHS

Shocking figures last week showed Scotlands drug deaths crisis has deepened, with substance abuse killing more than 20 people every seven days.

Suspected drugs deaths have soared 11 per cent in the latest three-month period, showing the failure of the SNPs national mission to tackle the crisis.

Police can hand out warnings to people caught with small amounts of cannabis, heroin and cocaine.

This is utterly wrong-headed. Instead, police should escalate the war on dealers, with more funding directed towards drug rehab and cold turkey treatments.

TRANSPORT

Despite SNP promises that the dualling of the A9 and A96 would be prioritised, there has been little progress in delivering on both roads.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop has refused to guarantee that the A9 will be dualled by 2035  the initial pledge made by the SNP was that the job would be done by next year.

Two new CalMac ferries being built at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow are six years late  and will cost around three times the original price of 97million.

Urgent action is needed to salvage Scotlands crumbling transport network to get the country moving again.

ENERGY AND DEFENCE

With its erstwhile Marxist coalition partners in the Green Party, the SNP has railed against oil and gas, opposing the development of new oilfields at every turn.

More than 100,000 jobs have been put at risk as a result, while the Nationalists have concentrated on a doomed crusade initiated by Alex Salmond to turn Scotland into the Saudi Arabia of renewables.

The SNP should also reverse its anti-nuclear stance on energy and defence, as its continued opposition to Trident missiles refuses to acknowledge the hard reality of the multiple threats now faced by the UK  and indeed the Western world.
Twenty years ago, John Swinney was hounded from the leadership of the SNP after a disastrous four years in charge. Humiliation for the Nationalists at successive elections during the Swinney era saw him written off as a failure.

Today, SNP members have united behind Mr Swinney in the hope he can save their party from electoral oblivion.

The 60-year-old MSP for Perthshire North was the sole candidate when nominations to succeed Humza Yousaf closed yesterday.

Mr Swinney will now be nominated as his partys candidate to become the seventh First Minister of Scotland. He will inherit a party mired in scandal, divided on both independence strategy and controversial gender ideology, and plummeting in the polls.

It says little for the SNP as a home of bright new talent that, in this time of crisis, it has dragged back to the frontline a man who, just a year ago, was adamant he had served his time.

An SNP lifer  he joined the party at the age of 15  Mr Swinney was a management consultant and life assurance industry executive before becoming MP for Tayside North in 1997. Two years later, he was among the first intake of MSPs at the Scottish parliament.

John Swinney and his former boss Nicola Sturgeon

An early reputation for competence was shattered when Mr Swinney succeeded Alex Salmond as party leader in 2000. For four years, he was undermined by rivals within the SNP. Unable to stamp his authority, Mr Swinney suffered a series of bruising election results.

When the SNP fared poorly in the 2004 Euro elections, a visit from the men in grey kilts brought Mr Swinneys leadership to an end.

Fearful the subsequent leadership contest might be won by someone from the SNPs radical wing, Alex Salmond returned as leader, going on to become the First Minister in 2007.

Mr Swinneys authority across the party grew during its time in power. He was a member of the tiny clique  including Mr Salmond and his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon  that ran the SNP with an iron fist.

Announcing his candidacy to replace Humza Yousaf, Mr Swinney said he had come forward because of the need for change. His party had to change and if it didnt, there would be tougher times to come.

Scottish voters may be sceptical about Mr Swinneys ability to change the direction in which his party has been travelling.

The John Swinney who spoke in Glasgow yesterday afternoon, shortly after the announcement of his installation as SNP leader, sounded very different to the one who has so poorly understood the priorities of the majority of Scots over recent years.

Mr Swinney suffered a series of bruising election results

He spoke of his desire to work with political opponents in the interests of Scotland.

I will always seek, said Mr Swinney, with respect and courtesy, to persuade people of the case for Independence. All I ask of those who oppose that vision is they also act with the same courtesy and respect.

Jaw-dropping doesnt begin to describe that one. When Ms Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond as First Minister after the 2014 independence referendum, she appointed Mr Swinney her deputy. For the next nine years, the pair were politically inseparable, as the SNP lost interest in the priorities of voters.

The No campaign did not scrape to victory in the 2014 independence referendum.

Defeat for the SNP-led Yes movement by 55-45 was decisive.

But instead of standing by their word that the referendum would be a once-in-a-generation event, senior figures  including Mr Swinney  simply refused to accept the result was legitimate. Rather than respecting the decision of a substantial majority of Scots, the nationalists insisted that a second referendum was essential.

As Nicola Sturgeons right hand man, Mr Swinney treated the referendum decision  and the subsequent priorities  of the majority of Scots with dripping contempt.

In a moment of did-he-really-just-say-that? shamelessness, yesterday, Mr Swinney boasted about how he, personally, had been responsible for bringing substantial new powers to Holyrood as part of the Smith Commission process that followed the 2014 referendum.

You may have heard over the past decade the complaint of senior SNP figures that Unionist politicians cheated victory in 2014 with The Vow, a newspaper front page in which Tories, Labour, and Liberal Democrats united to promise the delivery of new power to Holyrood should Scotland remain in the Union.

For ten long years, SNP politicians have described The Vow as worthless.

Asked whether a trans woman was a woman, Swinney dodged the question

They have spoken of their Unionist opponents failure to keep their words and of the betrayal of the Scottish people. The Smith Commission, in which Mr Swinney played such a significant role, was established by the UK Government as its answer to the promise made in The Vow.

It turns out, then, that all that talk down the years of betrayal was hooey. The Vow was actually delivered and Mr Swinney rinsed it for all it was worth.

And can voters trust the John Swinney who, as an architect of the Bute House Agreement, brought the Scottish Greens into power and allowed their crank obsessions to permeate Government at the expense of focus on crucial mainstream issues, to move his administration back on to the centre ground?

During a radio interview at the weekend, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was asked a question few would have predicted has become one of the most contentious in politics: Can a woman have a penis? Over years of aggressive campaigning, trans rights activists have made politicians fearful of answering this seemingly straightforward question.

Anyone who dares answer No risks being branded a transphobe.

If the politician defending the importance of biological reality against the whims of postmodernist narcissists happens to be a woman, she can expect to receive numerous death and rape threats.

And so Mr Sarwars answer was most refreshing. Its very simple, he said. A man has a penis and woman has a vagina.

That such a simple statement of fact should be so remarkable shows just how fraught the gender discussion has become.

Asked during his campaign launch last week whether or not he believes a trans woman was a woman, Mr Swinney dodged the question.

But this is an issue that will not go away. After years of being treated as bigots for expressing concern about the presence of men in womens single-sex spaces and the prescription of powerful puberty blocker drugs to confused children, those with concerns about the impact of trans-activism are being proved correct.

The recent review by Dr Hilary Cass of NHS services for gender-confused children shows those who questioned the ethics and safety of medicalising children with gender dysphoria were right to do so.

Will Mr Swinney have the courage to stand up to his former partners in the Scottish Greens and refuse to pander to their ideological demands in exchange for their support during crucial votes?

John Swinney is the very definition of yesterdays man. SNP members now see him as their saviour but the harsh reality is that he was right behind every government misstep  from endlessly demanding a referendum unwanted by voters, to allowing trans-activists to shape unworkable law  that helped bring his party to its knees.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has put off her motion to oust Mike Johnson from the speakership another day after the political foes met for over two hours on Monday.

Walking out of the lengthy Capitol Hill meeting, the Georgia Republican said she and fellow Johnson opponent Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., agreed to meet with Johnson again on Tuesday morning.

She said she would provide more information on her plans after that meeting.

Asked if she was 'backing off' the motion to vacate threat, Greene said: 'Let me tell you, I have been patient. I have been diligent, I have been steady ... none of that has changed. I just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican controlled House of Representatives.'

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., flanked by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., after their meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson

Asked if she was 'backing off' the motion to vacate threat, Greene said: 'Let me tell you, I have been patient. I have been diligent, I have been steady ... none of that has changed'

It's not clear what Johnson could have offered Greene to pull back on her threats. Just days ago she was dead-set on making her motion to vacate 'privileged' this week - a move that would force a House vote on whether or not to keep Johnson as speaker within two legislative days.

Johnson gave his own brief update to reporters after the meeting, which he called 'constructive.'

'We have discussed some ideas and we're going to meet again tomorrow.'

'I've said this repeatedly that I understand their frustration, I share it. I would really like to advance much more of our conservative policy on a daily basis here but the reality is we are working with the smallest majority in US history with a one-vote margin.'

An optimistic Johnson added: 'We're going to keep this team together and keep working for the American people.'

It's not clear what Johnson could have offered Greene to pull back on her threats

Johnson gave his own brief update to reporters after the meeting, which he called 'constructive.' 'We have discussed some ideas and we're going to meet again tomorrow'

Greene first threatened to put Johnson's job on the chopping block in March when he ushered through a sprawling $95 billion foreign aid package - including nearly $61 billion for Ukraine as it fights Russia.

Last week Greene was dead-set on filing her motion to vacate this week.

'Next week I am going to be calling this motion to vacate,' Greene announced Wednesday morning.

'Absolutely calling it. I can't wait to see Democrats go out and support a Republican speaker and have to go home to their primaries,' she taunted one day after Democrats said they would vote down Green's motion to oust the speaker, deflating her attempt.

'And have to run for Congress again, having supported a Republican speaker, a Christian conservative, I think that'll play well. I'm excited about it.'

She even brought props to her news conference - a MUGA hat, or Make Ukraine Great Again to needle Johnson for supporting Ukraine aid, and a shot of the speaker and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries both holding on to the gavel.

And last Tuesday night Johnson hit back at Greene, telling NewsNation she is 'not proving to be' a serious lawmaker.

He once again brushed off her threat.

'I don't spend a lot of time thinking about her,' the speaker said. 'I got to do my job, and we do the right thing, and we let the chips fall where they may. That is my philosophy. That is how we are governing.'

Massie, R-Ky., meanwhile, insisted Greene is the 'most serious representative up here.'

While many fellow Republicans have insisted throwing the House back into chaos in an election year could have political consequences, Greene claimed it would be Johnson who loses House Republicans the majority.

'Were not going to have a House majority [next year] if we keep Mike Johnson,' she said.

Massie's attacks also turned personal. 'Let's be honest, we have Mike Johnson because nobody hated Mike Johnson.'

'There was nothing in his prior life, political or private, that qualified him for this job,' he went on.

Johnson, the former conference vice-chair, was the fifth speaker-designate that Republicans turned to to fill the role after no one else could get the majority of House votes.

'A lot of people have ideas about why he's betrayed as I think it's just pretty simple: He's over his head.'

Massie called Johnson a 'lost ball in tall weeds' and insisted he is 'unequipped to negotiate with Chuck Schumer.'
To Glasgow University, where John Swinney delivered a victory speech somewhat dampened by the absence of a victory.

The former deputy first minister secured the party leadership role after a fringe activist was persuaded not to launch a rival bid.

Whether this persuasion involved the appearance of a horses head in the mans bed, we may never know.

Swinney attempted to spin this as a positive. The fact Im the only candidate demonstrates that the SNP is coming back together again now, he informed a sceptical press pack.

Or it demonstrates that what the rank and file actually believe must be kept as far from voters ears as possible.

He assured his audience that Humza Yousaf would continue to make a substantial contribution to the public life of Scotland, though it sounded more like a threat than an assurance.

Evasions:John Swinney makes his speech in Glasgow, but it was not so much of a new dawn as a pair of old hands cracking their knuckles

Swinney waxed: Our party must continue and will continue to be a light. We must continue to illuminate hope, fight for international justice and be willing to stand up for what we believe to be right.

A little bit of perspective, please. Its the SNP, not Doctors Without Borders.

Before a modest assemblage of the more presentable Nats, Swinney reflected on the events of recent weeks. Things, he allowed, had turned out differently to what was expected a year ago when Humza Yousaf took over the reins.

Indeed. Mistakes were made. Coalitions were broken. Governments were tanked.

Swinney lamented the polarisation of politics, which he said does not serve our country well. One person it did serve rather well was John Swinney, who spent the better part of the past two decades bawling himself hoarse in the Holyrood debating chamber.

His latter-day conversion to civility is like Ozzy Osbourne renouncing heavy metal to become a florist.

He confirmed there would be no formal coalition with the Greens or any other party and stated his preparedness to work with Unionist parties in what he called coalitions of the willing.

It was an unfortunate choice of words given the phrase is best known as George W Bushs term for those countries that joined the United States in the Iraq War in 2003.

As for dodgy dossiers, Swinney would not be drawn on his governments likely policy priorities.

The speech was brief, but it highlighted two things about Swinney: 1) hes not terrible, and 2) hes not all that good, either.

Perhaps it is because he has spent so long cultivating his Honest John image, and trying to pass himself off as a provincial accountant, but there was not a single moment in his remarks that might cause the average voter to look up from their phone and listen to him.

He is a political prospect almost designed to elicit a shrug of the shoulders, a man to whom the average punter could have no stronger reaction than meh.

No doubt the SNP calculates that this is who they need right now, an inoffensive technocrat who can corral together the partys various wayward factions.

The SNP is indeed a big tent but unfortunately its a circus tent.

After a year of the head clown running the show, a ringmaster is bound to be an improvement.

But how much of an improvement? Swinney struggled when reporters pressed him on why the SNP demanded an election to legitimise the revolving door of prime ministers in Number 10 but was relaxed about a similar turnstile of temporary first ministers in Bute House.

His evasions reeked of politics and that is his biggest problem. He is a fluent politician but he speaks human as a second language.

What we saw in Glasgow yesterday was not the breaking of a new dawn but a pair of old hands stretching and cracking their knuckles.

The best way to test whether those hands were capable of steadying the ship would have been to hold a competitive vote.

But John Swinney was too busy becoming leader to win an election to the role.
Across the country, there is growing disillusionment with the main political parties and a belief that they are simply not up to the task of solving Britain's many problems.

As a result, voters are turning in their droves to fringe groups. A major beneficiary of this loss of faith in the status quo has been the Greens.

In the local elections they gained more than 70 council seats. Nationally, they are polling at 6 per cent.

The party portrays itself as kind-hearted environmentalists, wrapped up in woolly notions of saving polar bears and keeping the air clean. Who could be against that?

Scratch beneath the surface, however, and a more disturbing picture emerges. The Greens readily provide cover for those holding extremist views.

Growing disillusionment with the main political parties and a belief that they are simply not up to the task of solving Britain's many problems has resulted in voters turning to fringe groups

Mothin Ali (pictured), who said winning a seat on Leeds City Council was 'for the people of Gaza', previously claimed on TikTok that Hamas was justified in murdering 1,200 innocent people in Israel on October 7

Among those newly elected under its banner last week are four councillors who stand accused of anti-Semitism.

One, Mothin Ali, who said winning a seat on Leeds City Council was 'for the people of Gaza', previously claimed on TikTok that Hamas was justified in murdering 1,200 innocent people in Israel on October 7. He also helped harass a Jewish university chaplain into hiding.

The Greens say they are investigating, while claiming they were ignorant of his hate-filled rants. That's simply not credible.

As long ago as February, the Mail informed the party of Mr Ali's malign actions following an expose. But instead of dropping its candidate like a hot brick, it did nothing.

One explanation for such appalling insouciance is that the Green Party saw absolutely nothing wrong with his poisonous words. After all, its Scottish wing called for the legalisation of Hamas.

Far from being made up of cuddly tree-huggers, voters should be under no illusion what the party truly represents.

What Sir Keir Starmer truly represents, on the other hand, is an enigma. On major issues, he flip-flops like a speared eel.

Having seen huge numbers of Muslim voters desert Labour over the party's stance on Gaza, Keir Starmer said he was 'determined' to win them back

Having seen huge numbers of Muslim voters desert Labour over the party's stance on Gaza, he said he was 'determined' to win them back.

And within hours, pressure group Muslim Vote was putting Labour's leader on the spot. Among 18 demands, these zealots are calling for Labour to promise to cut military ties with Israel, allow followers of Islam to pray in school and repeal a law criminalising religious leaders who instruct their congregation how to vote.

Sir Keir surely understands the danger to democracy of pandering to sectarianism in return for votes. It would also undermine his claim to have cut out the cancer of anti-Semitism from his party.

But with power so tantalising close, who'd bet against him abandoning what principles he professes to have for political gain?

Missing credibility

For sheer, mind-boggling incompetence  even by the standards of the Home Office  the story of the missing asylum seekers stands in a class of its own.

A staggering 21,000 foreign nationals have vanished into the ether in just five years.

With cases sometimes taking years to complete, often due to multiple legal appeals, a climate has developed in which asylum seekers can simply disappear.

But why should anyone be surprised? The appalling failings of the department are laid bare time and again.

To win back voters despairing at endless immigration foul-ups, the Government must knuckle down to the hard work of turning around this dysfunctional system.
Nursing, teaching, midwifery and social work students will be eligible for a $320 a week payment in a bid to ease the burden of unpaid placements.

A day after revealing it will wipe $3bn worth of student debts, Labor on Monday revealed its plan to tackle 'placement poverty' as it sharpens its re-election pitch to younger voters.

The payment, which will be benchmarked to the single Austudy per week rate, is expected to help about 68,000 university students and 5000 VET students annually.

Education Minister Jason Clare said it would help students who are struggling to pay the bills to be able to finish their courses.

'Placement poverty is a real thing,' Mr Clare told ABC Radio.

The prac payment will be paid to students undertaking unpaid placements. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

'We've got lots of people, whether they're teaching students or nursing students, telling me they can afford to do the degree ... but they can't afford to do the prac,' he said.

'This will provide that bit of extra help to pay the bills, put food on the table, pay for transport, sometimes the relocation costs that come with practice.'

But the scheme won't start until July 1 next year and not all students will be eligible. It will be means-tested and paid in addition to any income support the student may already receive.

Mr Clare said the test could consider whether students were living at home or independently or working more than 15 hours a week.

'This is the first time that this has happened. It's happened in response to calls from students both teaching students and nursing students and social work students across the country,' he said.

Jason Clare says it will help students finish their courses. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The Universities Accord, the first broad review of the higher education system since 2008, released its final report in February. Financial support for students undergoing placements was a key recommendation from the review.

National Union of Students president Ngaire Bogemann described the scheme as a 'massive win' for uni students.

'I've heard horror stories of nursing students, of students doing placements having to live in their cars while they're undertaking full-time unpaid work. This is just relief for students,' she told the ABC.

The review also recommended an overhaul to how student debt is calculated and when it is deducted.

On Sunday, Labor announced it would cap student loan indexation to the lower of the consumer price index or the wage price index after students were slugged with a 6.1 per cent indexation rise in 2023.

The changes, which require legislation, will be backdated to June 1 last year and are estimated to save the average graduate $1200 on their total debt.

A total of $3bn will be wiped off the debts of more than 3 million Australians with HECS debts.

Mr Clare flagged further reforms to the higher education system would be revealed on budget night.

'What you will see more of on budget night is the cost of kids missing out on going to university in the first place,' he said.
Officials in San Diego are sounding the alarm about another intended consequence of the border crisis- the threat of wildfires in Southern California that could easily burn thousands of acres.

In recent months, migrants who illegally crossed the border through the Mexico-California boundary have been spotted setting fires for warmth and even cooking.

Migrants entering the country east of San Diego through very remote areas often have to wait hours, even days for overwhelmed Border Patrol agents to pick them up.

While they're waiting, they set fires, and once they're in custody, those fires are often left unattended, as outnumbered federal agents are tasked with arresting dozens and dozens of migrants.

Migrants can be seen trying to take down a tree to use as fire wood, after entering the country illegally east of San Diego, California

Migrants set fires for warmth and cooking while waiting hours and even days for overwhelmed Border Patrol agents to take them into custody

One of several migrants camps east of San Diego where dozens, even hundreds of migrants, wait until Border Patrol agents are available to take them into custody

'Another day, another influx of illegal immigration in San Diego,' El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells tweeted over the weekend.

'Youll see a group of illegals tearing down a tree for fire wood.'

The video was taken near Boulevard, California, one of several well known migrant camps.

Mayor Bill Wells, who represents El Cajon, California, has been sounding the alarm about the wild fire danger posed by migrants. Wells is currently running for Congress

Migrants who enter the US illegally and intend to surrender to Border Patrol so they can make an asylum claim queue at those locations.

This part of the border sees hundreds of Chinese immigrants seeking asylum and migrants from more than 170 different nations, according to the US Border Patrol.

The migrants are likely completely unaware that the San Diego County has a year-round fire danger threat, the City of San Diego shares on its website.

In fact, residents are required to seek a permit to burn something even on their own property.

'The threat of wildfires is constant in San Diego County, explained County Commissioner Jim Desmond.

'We've had some horrific incidents in the past, and seeing open flames burning, especially near power poles, is a recipe for disaster. This is just another example of the dangers of illegal immigration.'

A Chinese migrant camp near Jacumba, California has signs showing Chinese asylum seekers where to turn themselves over to US Border Patrol agents

Fires are set in the migrants camps where asylum-seekers wait for Border Patrol

These Chinese migrants were dropped off at a transit center near San Diego Tuesday after they were processed and screened by federal immigration authorities

Chinese migrants are crossing the US-Mexico border in increasing numbers, federal statistics show

It also comes as hundreds of thousands of California residents are being dropped by insurance companies, citing the constant threat of wildfires are one reason for exiting the state.

'Your home insurance policy has been canceled while your taxes pay for this illegal invasion. Make it make sense' tweeted resident @thecorygoat.
Chinese scientists have engineered a virus with parts of Ebola in a lab that killed a group of hamsters.

A team of researchers at Hebei Medical University used a contagious disease of livestock and added a protein found in Ebola, which allows the virus to infect cells and spread throughout the human body.

The group of hamsters that received the lethal injection 'developed severe systemic diseases similar to those observed in human Ebola patients,' including multi-organ failure,' the study shared.

One particularly horrific symptom saw the infected hamsters develop secretions in their eyes, which impaired their vision and scabbed over the surface of the eyeballs

While the experiment may spark fears of another lab leak, the researchers say their goal was to find the right animal models that can safely mimic Ebola symptoms in a lab setting.

Chinese scientists have engineered virus to contain parts of Ebola (pictured) in a lab that killed a group of hamsters in just three days

A team of researchers at Hebei Medical University used a contagious disease of livestock and added a protein found in Ebola that allows it to infect cells and spread throughout the human body (stock)

The study suggested that infected hamsters could be a decent model for studying the spread and treatment of Ebola in the future.

Ebola needs to be handled in Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) facilities which are special high security laboratories, while many are only BLS-2.

To work around this in a lower security setting, scientists used a different virus called vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), which they engineered to carry part of the Ebola virus that's called glycoprotein (GP) that plays a crucial role in helping the virus enter and infect cells of its host.

The infected hamsters developed secretions in their eyes, which impaired their vision and covered the surface of the eyeballs

The team studied five female and five male hamsters that were all three weeks old.

All female Syrian hamsters showed decreased rectal temperature and up to 18 percent weight loss - they all died between two and three days.

The five male hamsters lost 15 percent weight and succumbed to the disease at no later than three and a half days.

However, two male hamsters survived and gained 20 percent more weight than pre-infection.

The team harvested organs from the dead animals, finding the virus accumulated in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, intestines and brain tissues.

The highest levels were found in the liver and lowest in the brain.

'It is a sign that 3-week-old Syrian hamsters infected with VSV-EBOV/GP have the possibility of playing a role in the study of optic nerve disorders caused by EVD,' the team shared in the study, which was published in the Chinese journal Virologica Sinica.

The group of female hamsters also had multi-organ failure

The team concluded that the infected hamsters showed a rapid onset of symptoms, shock liver, systemic infection, and developed severe systemic diseases similar to those observed in human EBOV patients.

They also noted that the experiments provided a rapid preclinical evaluation of medical countermeasures against Ebola under BLS-2 conditions, concluding the study was a success.

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Inside NIH virus lab in Montana - that has eerie ties to Wuhan Photos and videos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show US government-funded researchers experimenting on animals at a controversial lab in Montana where risky virus research is carried out. Advertisement

The last major outbreak of the virus occurred from 2014 to 2016 in several West African countries was deadly, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

During those two years more than 28,600 people were reportedly infected, and about 11,300 died.

The virus spread from West Africa to Europe and even over to the United States.

'The surrogate virus and matched hamster EVD [Ebola virus disease] model will improve the security and economy of the research in the EBOV field,' the researchers wrote in the study.

Testing infectious viruses is necessary for breakthroughs in treatment and prevention.

But lab leaks happen, and these incidents could lead to the spread of to those outside of the lab.

Experts have confirmed that respiratory viruses  which are spared via coughing and sneezing  are more likely to spread widely through a population.

Data released this March revealed that lab leak incidents occur every year and included the release of controlled pathogens like tuberculosis and anthrax.

There are anywhere from 70 to 100 releases were recorded every year.

However Dr Richard Ebright, a chemical biologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey told DailyMail.com that its unlikely that a lab leak involving VSV would lead to widespread infection in the public.

'[It] will be imperative to verify that the novel chimeric virus does not infect and replicate in human cells, and does not pose risk of infectivity, transmissibility, and pathogenicity in humans, before proceeding with studies at biosafety level 2,' he said.
Israeli forces began striking targets in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Monday after the country's leaders approved a military operation there following months of threats.

The attack came hours after Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the deal was "far from Israel's essential demands," the Associated Press reported.

"The war cabinet unanimously decided that Israel continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

Israel said, however, that it would send negotiators to continue talks on a ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli military said it was conducting "targeted strikes" against Hamas militants in eastern Rafah, AP said.

Israel forces hit the city from the air and ground, according to Reuters.

A live video on the AP website showed people milling about in front of a large building in Rafah and loud booms could be heard before the feed stopped.

Hamas said it had accepted the ceasefire deal hours after Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate neighborhoods in eastern Rafah, signaling that an invasion could be imminent.

Israeli and U.S. officials told CNN that the agreement approved by Hamas was different from one that Israel helped craft more than a week ago.

"It incudes a permanent end to hostilities, which is a red line for Netanyahu," a senior U.S. official said.

Benny Gantz, a former Israeli military chief of staff who serves in Netanyahu's War Cabinet, also said the Hamas offer "does not correspond to the dialogue that has taken place so far with the mediators and has significant gaps," according to CNN.

An Israeli official also told Reuters that it "would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal."

An official briefed on the peace talks disputed those characterizations, saying that the Hamas offer was effectively the same as one that Israel agreed to at the end of April, Reuters said.

A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations also told Reuters that Netanyahu and his War Cabinet "have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations in good faith."

Netanyahu has been threatening to launch a ground invasion of Rafah in pursuit of his plan to destroy Hamas for its Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, which killed about 1,200 people.

About 250 people were also kidnapped, of whom about 130 have yet to be freed.

More than 1 million Palestinians are believed to be sheltering in Rafah from the combat that has reportedly killed 34,500 people in Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250.

About 130 hostages have yet to be released.
New tool lets you surprise your chat partner on the Phone by Google app

If you ever wanted to break the ice during a phone call, Google has the perfect tool for you.

The tech giant is introducing new 'Audio Emoji' to its 'Phone by Google' app that could catch your chat partner off guard.

As reported by 9to5google, tapping on the emoji sends a five-second animation accompanied by a cheeky sound effect during a call.

Users can select from six emoji in total, including a hand clapping, a sad trombone ('wah wah wah!') and a fart sound, indicated by the poop emoji.

Here's how to try Audio Emoji, which seems to be proving a hit with users.

Users can select from six audio emoji to play during calls, from a hand clapping to 'party' and a fart sound, indicated by the poop emoji

Six new audio emojis Clapping

Laughing

Party

Crying

Poop

Sting ('ba dum tss!') Advertisement

People took to social media to discuss the feature, with one Reddit user saying, 'This is going to be so irritating, I love it!'

Another posted: 'Did anyone ask for this? No. Am I still gonna use it? Yes lol.'

Someone else posted: 'Imagine you are calling your friend after getting fired and talking to him about the stress you are going through, and suddenly, your friend starts playing weird audio emoji sounds.'

Yet another Reddit user called Audio Emoji a 'great idea' as it could be used to put off scammers on the other end of the line

Another fan said Google is effectively 'bringing back MSN Winks'  the animations that would fill up most of your computer screen on MSN Messenger about 20 years ago.'

However, someone else on X (Twitter) seemed less impressed, saying Google should instead 'focus on improving things'.

According to the tech giant, the tool lets you 'express emotions and moods with sounds like applause, laughter, sad trombone and more with tappable emoji while youre in a call'.

The feature, which can be toggled on and off, lets you better express 'emotions and moods with sounds'

READ MORE iPhone users find hidden emoji hack The trick lets you layer emojis while texting via iMessage Advertisement

To activate the feature, you need to first make sure you have the Phone by Google app installed on your Android device.

However, to use Phone by Google, you must agree to have it set as your default phone app  which may replace whatever app you were already using.

Once you initiate a call, a small pop-up button above the menu should be visible with the words 'Audio Emoji'.

Tapping the button should bring up the six emoji options for you to press and irritate or amuse your chat partner.

The 'Clapping' emoji shows five pair of hands clapping to the sound of cheering, while the 'Laughter' emoji has corny canned laughter with an animation of inflatable tube puppets.

There's also whooping and cheering with balloons and confetti ('Party'), a drum kit playing the classic sequence that follows a joke ('Sting') and the sad trombone sound ('Crying').

Tapping on the 'Poop' emoji shows an ice cream cone containing a questionable brown splodge falling to the ground, accompanied by a brief fart noise.

According to 9to5google, the chosen sound effect is heard on both ends of the phone call  although much fun could be had by unleashing a sound effect and pretending you didn't hear anything.

Theres also a setting to disable Audio Emoji entirely, although it's unclear if you'll still hear the sound effects if your chat partner has the feature on.

To toggle off, head to the menu indicated by the three dots followed by Settings and then Audio Emoji.

Google tends to have its Phone by Google app pre-installed on its own Pixel smartphones. Pictured, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro released in 2023

Google's latest Pixel phone is expected to be released in October, although the tech giant may give a sneak preview at its i/o event next week

If you can't see Audio Emoji on the app yet, it should launch for all users in the coming weeks, according to 9to5google.

Google tends to have its Phone by Google app pre-installed on its own Pixel smartphones, while other Android devices (such as Samsung) will have another default app pre-installed.

Google's latest Pixel phone is expected to be released in October, although the tech giant may give a sneak preview at its i/o event on May 14.

Last year, it released the 699 Pixel 8 and 99Pixel 8 Pro, as well as its Pixel Fold with an eyewatering 1,749 price tag.
From cities lost beneath the waves to vast ruins in the jungle, the ancient world is full of enticing mysteries in far-flung locations.

But the latest discovery to baffle archaeologists has been found much closer to home - in the small village of Norton Disney, just outside of Lincoln.

A bizarre Roman object, believed to have been buried around 1,700 years ago, has 12 sides, each with holes of different sizes and small spheres attached.

This enigmatic copper item is one of 33 dodecahedrons found in the UK and at 3in (8cm) tall and weighing 245g is one of the largest ever found.

However, while theories suggest it could be anything from a crocheting tool to an elaborate die, the object's real use may be lost to time.

This strange 12-sided Roman object has been baffling archaeologists - but do you think you know what it is?

The object was found in the village of Norton Disney, the home of Walt Disney's ancestors, and is one of only 33 Roman dodecahedrons found in Britain

The object was unearthed by volunteers in summer 2023 by the Norton Disney History and Archaeological Group.

The dodecahedron later featured in a recent episode of the BBC show 'Digging for Britain'.

In the episode, Professor Alison Roberts said: 'It has to be one of the greatest, most mysterious, archaeological objects I've ever had the opportunity to look at up close.'

Experts think the mysterious object may date back as far as the 1st Century AD, during the earliest days of the Roman occupation.

Each side of the hollow metal object contains a different-sized hole with a round ball attached to each corner.

These unusual features have led to a vast number of unusual suggestions as to what these odd objects could really have been used for.

Some suggest that these 12-sided objects could have some link to Roman religious practices, but Roman texts make no mention of the strange objects.

Dr Jonathan Foyle, an archaeologist from the University of Bath, told the BBC that many seemingly obvious suggestions don't hold up to closer examination.

With its 12 uniform sides, some have suggested that the device might have been used as a dice in some sort of Roman game or gambling.

At 3in (8cm) tall and weighing 245g, this is one of the biggest of the 33 Roman dodecahedrons discovered in the UK

The object is now on display at the Lincoln Museum (pictured) where it will be open to the public until September

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However, Dr Foyle says: 'There are other sizes of dodecahedron in existence which could be more portable to carry if the army was on the move.

'They don't have any numbers on them so you can roll them [as dice].'

Despite being made of metal, Dr Foyle also points out the object is surprisingly fragile.

The fact that it is still all in one piece after almost 2,000 years suggests that it was more likely to have been carefully looked after rather than used for games.

Another popular theory suggests that these objects were knitting tools, used to make fingers for gloves.

Several modern-day knitters have even created tutorials on how to use plastic replicas of Roman dodecahedrons to produce wearable clothing.

They suggest that by anchoring the yarn on the corner-balls, a tube of material can be knitted and drawn through the holes on each face.

By using each of the holes, knitters have shown that you can make different sizes of tubes, which are perfect for creating well-fitting gloves.

However, Dr Foyle says: 'You can indeed make a glove finger from them, which people have ingeniously done.'

But, for the Romans, 'there was no evidence of knitting until centuries afterwards.'

The artefact was recently featured on an episode of the BBC's Digging for Britain in which Professor Alice Roberts examined the strange object up close

Lincolnshire, where the object was found, was the site of several Roman settlements and is home a number of archaeological sites and Roman ruins (pictured)

Other theories also suggest that the different holes could have been used as a way of measuring standardised objects such as lead shot or spears.

Responding to a suggestion that the device could have been used as an ancient pasta-measuring tool, Dr Foyle points out that this staple dish didn't emerge till well after the fall of the Roman Empire.

'While the Romans had to wait centuries for pasta, they chowed down on dormice in fish sauce,' he adds.

Likewise, Lorena Hitchens, a PhD candidate at Newcastle University who is studying the object, says she doesn't think the object was used to make measurements at all.

In a post on her website, Ms Hitchens writes: 'I do not think that dodecahedra were for knitting gloves, gauging spear sizes, or surveying.'

She explains: 'Virtually all theories regarding tools or other utilitarian functions are quickly discounted because of the variation in dodecahedra

'Since there was no standardisation between them, they would not have been effective for measurement.'

This object was discovered by a team of volunteers (pictured) who plan to return to the site this year for further study

One theory suggests that the object could have been used to 'frame' constellations (pictured). Looking through the holes the viewer could have framed a view just like a modern camera operator

While no theory has yet been confirmed, Dr Foyle believes the most likely answer is that the object was used to observe the stars.

Dr Foyle says: 'What I think it is is a device for framing the constellations of the zodiac.

'If you look through them you can frame a view - much like a camera operator.'

One dodecahedron found in Switzerland even includes the names of the zodiac on each of the faces.

However, Dr Foyle also believes that the object may not have been made by the Romans themselves but by the 'people we call the Celts'.

The Romans may have influenced native metal crafters with their ideas of a 12-sided universe as described by Plato which could have led them to make the objects for their own use.

'You don't find them in the Mediterranean at the core of the Roman empire, and you don't find them in the unconquered Celtic lands,' Dr Foyle explains.

For those wanting to take a closer look for themselves, the object will be on display until September at the Lincoln Museum.
Drake and Kendrick Lamar's ongoing beef has left their devoted fans utterly divided over who's winning.

The rappers have released several diss songs against each other and their fan bases are certain their team is winning.

To try and strip biases out of the debate, we asked artificial intelligence chatbots who is winning the ongoing feud - and it produced some surprising insights.

Three out of four AI chatbots remained politically correct when addressing which rapper is winning the beef, calling it 'subjective' and saying it is up to the fans to decide.

But Meta's AI bot said Kendrick had a slight edge in the beef so far.

Meta AI declared Kendrick Lamar as having an edge in his beef with Drake and said he appears to be winning

Gemini called Drake a 'commercial powerhouse with numerous hit singles and albums that have topped the charts,' but said who is winning the feud remains subjective

'Ultimately, the winner of the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar beef is subjective and depends on personal preference,' said DeepAI.

'Some may argue that Kendrick Lamar's technical skill and thought-provoking content give him the edge, while others may prefer Drake's hit-making ability and commercial success.'

Google's Gemini compared the two artists, saying Lamar's tracks offer 'hard-hitting wordplay' while many fans have enjoyed Drake's 'more accessible approach,' but ultimately said 'some believe both rappers landed punches, making it a draw.'

It said that who's winning depends on what people value in a diss track and said that Drake directly responds to Lamar's accusations in his tracks which make it feel like a two-way conversation.

Meanwhile, Lamar has offered the surprise factor, Gemini said, adding: 'Kendrick dropped several diss tracks unexpectedly, keeping Drake on his toes.'

Three out of four chatbots wouldn't give a finite answer on which artist is winning the ongoing beef which started in 2013

Drake released the track 'Family Matters' which accused Lamar of infidelity and abusing his fiance

Kendrick Lamar released four diss tracks against Drake in the last week and three in less than 48 hours

ChatGPT said it wasn't aware of the beef, but speculated that Drake's responses would be 'strategic,' Lamar would 'employ a calculated approach, choosing his moments carefully to deliver a devastating blow.'

Of the four chatbots asked to pick which artist is winning on their diss tracks, only Meta AI gave an opinion.

'Both artists have delivered impressive verses and diss tracks, making it challenging to declare a clear winner,' Meta AI wrote before breaking down the artists' lyrical content, flow and delivery and the impact.

'While both artists have delivered impressive performances, Kendrick Lamar's lyrical depth, storytelling, and impact on the hip-hop community give him a slight edge in this beef,' Meta AI wrote.

'Drake's personal attacks and commercial success can't outweigh Kendrick's thought-provoking lyrics and cultural influence,' it continued, but clarified that it is still a subjective assessment.

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The chatbot concluded that 'the true winners are the fans, who get to enjoy the creative output and evolution of these two hip-hop giants.'

The two artists' beef started in 2013 when Lamar called out Drake and 11 other rappers on his track 'Control,' saying: 'They don't want to hear not one more noun or verb from you.'

He went on to declare himself 'King of New York' and 'King of the Coast' on the track, and Drake told Vibe at the time that he felt he was being 'baited' by Lamar.

'Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? Nah, we'll be buddy-buddy?' asked the rapper.

'Mind you, I never once said he's a bad guy (or) I don't like him. I think he's a f***ing genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should.'

Since then, the artists have only continued to stoke the fire, as Lamar's 'Not Like Us' track accused Drake of being a pedophile, claiming he allegedly groomed young women.

'Say, Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,' Lamar rapped, and went on to reference Drake's 2021 album, 'Certified Lover Boy' by saying, 'Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles.'

The track was released hours after Lamar dropped 'Meet the Grahams' where he accused Drake of being a deadbeat dad and claimed he's hiding a child.

It was in response to Drake's track 'Family Matters' which dropped mere minutes before 'Meet the Grahams' and accused Lamar of abusing his fiance Whitney Alford and alleging that he was unfaithful.

'You the Black messiah wifing up a mixed queen/ And hit vanilla cream to help out with your self-esteem/ On some Bobby sh*t, I wanna know what Whitney need,' and later added: 'When you put your hands on your girl, is it self-defense 'cause she's bigger than you?'

Each artist has exhibited their vocal prowess in their own right, according to Gemini, which said 'Lamar is known for his intricate lyricism, socially conscious themes, and raw authenticity in his music.'

'On the other hand, Drake is a commercial powerhouse with numerous hit singles and albums that have topped the charts,' the chatbot continued.

'Some may argue that Kendrick Lamar's technical skill and thought-provoking content give him the edge, while others may prefer Drake's hit-making ability and commercial success,' it said.

'In the end, both artists have solidified their places in the rap game and continue to thrive in their respective lanes.'
Carnival sideshows might be an unlikely source of scientific inspiration, but some researchers say they might hold the key to future moon colonies.

To keep the residence of a future moon base fit and healthy, scientists from the University of Milan recommend a daily jog around a 'Wall of Death'.

You might be more familiar with these scarily-named constructions as the circular walls driven around by daredevils on motorbikes.

However, the researchers found that running horizontally around the wall can generate enough artificial gravity to keep bones and muscles healthy.

They even suggest that lunar accommodation could be circular so that residents can run around the walls of their own homes.

Scientists suggest building a 'Wall of Death' on the moon for astronauts to run around so that they can stay fit and healthy in low-gravity

When humans spend long periods of time in low gravity their muscles and bones start to weaken through lack of use.

Over extended periods, this can lead to serious health problems and prevent astronauts from working.

Lead researcher Alberto Minetti, professor of physiology at the University of Milan, told MailOnline: low gravity deconditions many important body functions, resulting in muscle mass loss, bone density loss, cardio-vascular efficacy impairment, [and] neural control deconditioning.'

Current astronauts on the ISS use resistance machines to simulate weight so that they can stave off the deteriorating effects of weightlessness.

But, as NASA starts to get serious about sending humans to the moon with the Artemis missions, the hunt is on for a better solution.

All the way back in 1968, Stanley Kubrick's epic film '2001: A Space Odyssey' imagined that astronauts might jog around the inside of a rotating space station.

Using a rented Wall of Death, some bungee-jumping bands and a 36-meter-high (118ft) the researchers tested whether astronauts could exercise in much the same way.

On Earth, only motorbikes are capable of moving quickly enough to ride the wall. This incredible stunt is a popular carnival attraction, but could also be the key to a future moon colony (file photo)

Using bungee-jumping cords and a rented Wall of Death, the researchers found that participants could quickly learn to run on the wall under simulated moon gravity

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On Earth, no human can run fast enough to stay horizontal on a Wall of Death like a motorbike rider.

But with elastic bands holding 83 per cent of their weight to simulate the moon's gravity, participants were able to start running with no assistance in just five to eight tries.

The two test subjects were able to run at speeds up to 14.5 miles per hour (23 km/h) for a couple of laps of the 30-meter (98ft) circumference.

Critically, the researchers discovered that each step on the wall generated an impact of around two to three times the participant's body weight.

This is the equivalent force generated by a slow run or quick jog back on Earth.

It's also enough force to prevent the body from reabsorbing calcium from bones  something that weakens the body over time.

Dr Minetti says that running for just two to three minutes every 12 hours should be enough to remedy any deterioration.

While something like Kubrick's wheel-like 'Space Station One' generates artificial gravity by spinning, this solution lets the astronauts create their own simulated gravity equivalent to about 60 to 70 per cent of that Earth.

Just like in 2001: A Space Odyssey (pictured), future astronauts could run on the walls of their living areas to keep healthy in space

While giant spinning structures could work, the researchers behind this recent paper point out that building a massive centrifuge on the moon would be far too costly.

In their paper, published in Royal Society Open Science, the authors write: 'Moon-based centrifuges allowing locomotion inside would pose technical challenges and demand substantial electrical energy.

'Time and cost-effective ways to emulate terrestrial locomotion on the Moon are hence required.'

In fact, the researchers propose that this could be the cheapest option for building exercise facilities on the moon since running tracks could be built right into astronauts' homes.

Dr Minetti also points out that running vertically isn't practical or effective on the moon.

He says: 'You end up being in touch with the ground for a very tiny fraction of the locomotory cycle, thus you proceed on high jumping rather than running.

'You need a fast speed to obtain a reconditioning stimulus to all the functions... thus the only way is generating a much higher artificial lateral gravity by horizontally running on the circular path of the internal walls of the Wall of Death.'

A giant spinning structure like in 2001: A Space Odyssey (pictured) wouldn't be necessary as astronauts can generate their own artificial gravity by running fast enough in circles

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Instead of transporting or building expensive purpose-built equipment, a moon base could simply use circular living areas which the residents could run laps around.

This would not only cut down on costs but eliminate the need for any additional electricity use that equipment might bring.

Dr Minetti says this could be built out of 'regoliths and lunar rocks, plus water found in proximity of the lunar poles.

'They will likely use 3D printer for concrete to build circular settlements where astronauts should live, amuse themselves, have fun, sleep, eat, and run.'

Professor Maria Stokes, an expert in neuromusculoskeletal rehabilitation at the University of Southampton, told The Guardian: 'A horizontal running cylinder certainly promises to be a useful countermeasure to help prevent deconditioning in reduced gravity on the moon'

However, Professor Stokes also points out that astronauts would still need specific training for everyday living and work skills in order to remain in top condition.
Two reptile hunters have discovered a new species of snake with 'blade-like' fangs in Thailand.

This slithering animal, they report, also has strongly ridged scales on its underbelly that allow it to 'climb vertical rock faces.'

'It is especially adapted to life in this harsh environment,' said one of the reptile hunters, who named their find the 'Cave Kukri Snake' or, Oligodon speleoserpens, after its unforgiving home in Thailand's limestone karst mountain caves.

Evolutionary biologists who assisted these reptile hunters in categorizing their new snake said the creature's two 'enlarged blade-shaped maxillary teeth' and its mountaineering ridges offered 'strong evidence' indicative of a brand new species.

While only three specimens of the new snake were captured for study, those samples were enough to positively ID it as a new species, thanks to its 'climbing grip' underbelly. Top right (d), the inflated 'hemipenes' or reproductive organs of the male Cave Kukri Snake specimen

The new snake had been spotted climbing up a nearly 50-foot cliff face, the researcher said. 'This was incredibly risky but I had no option but to "free solo" (climbing talk for no ropes),' said Bangor University-trained herpetologist Harry Ward-Smith, who caught the creature

The reptile hunters had to climb five stories high to obtain samples of the new species.

Harry Ward-Smith, a young reptile expert who has worked for Thailand's Sakaerat Conservation and Snake Education Team, reported that one example or 'paratype' of the new Cave Kukri Snake had been caught climbing up a nearly 50-foot cliff face.

'This was incredibly risky but I had no option but to "free solo" (climbing talk for no ropes),' Ward-Smith shared on an April 26th Facebook notice.

'I knew the importance of this snake,' the Bangor University-trained herpetologist, or reptile zoologist said, 'and was not going to let it escape us under any circumstance.'

Ward-Smith's partner on this dangerous mission through the mountainous Trang and Satun provinces in Southern Thailand, Rupert Grassby-Lewis of the wildlife tourism group Explore Herpetology, described the find as 'extremely meaningful.'

'It has an absolutely fascinating ecology, living within and around caves on steep limestone karst bluffs, feeding exclusively on reptile eggs,' Grassby-Lewis said.

Grassby-Lewis, a herpetologist and tour guide, said that the new snake preys mostly upon the eggs of two local species of gecko, Cnemaspis and Cyrtodactylus, both expert navigators of rocky terrain as well.

Reptile researchers with Lomonosov Moscow State and the University of Michigan, who aided the young reptile hunters in getting their new findings published, said more specimens of the snake may exist deep in the mountains' underground caves.

'These speculations can only be confirmed if additional observations of O. speleoserpens are made in the future,' the scientists wrote in their paper, published this April in the journal Vertebrate Zoology.

The body of the cave-dwelling, cliffhanging snake is a light-medium brown, with a lighter shade towards its head and black borders around its individual scales.

While only three specimens of the new snake were captured for this first study, those samples were enough to positively identify O. speleoserpens as a new species, thanks in part to its 'climbing grip' underbelly.

Two adventuring reptile hunters have discovered a new snake species with 'blade-like' fangs in Thailand, now confirmed by an international team of biologists. This 'Cave Kukri Snake' also has strongly ridged or 'keeled' scales on its underbelly, allowing it to 'climb vertical rock faces'

The academic reptile researchers with Lomonosov Moscow State and the University of Michigan, who aided the young reptile hunters in getting their new find published, said more specimens of the snake (a) may exist deep in underground caves along the mountains (b)

'The presence of keeled ventral scales,' the researchers wrote, 'help maintain traction on rough, vertical surfaces.'

The densely packed mountains the mark the border between Thailand's southern Trang and Satun provinces are known as a 'massif' to geologists, who use the term to denote craggy regions created by the mashing tectonic faults or so-called 'flexures.'

The reptile-hunting duo had initiated their expedition looking for samples of a completely different, recently discovered species: the Trimeresurus ciliaris, or 'limestone eyelash pitviper.'

The discovery was a homecoming for Grassby-Lewis who had first explored the region as a teenager.

'Trang was where I lived when I was 16-17 and first learned the ropes of "herping" [reptile hunting] in South-East Asia,' the young researcher said. 'Having my first ever new taxa of snake be described from this province is extremely meaningful to me.'
NASA is launching a Boeing-made spacecraft to the International Space Station on Monday evening, carrying two astronauts on board for the first time.

The astronauts will spend just over a week testing the Starliner spacecraft which was built to hold up to seven passengers for missions conducted in low-Earth orbit - an altitude of 620 miles or less above the Earth's surface.

This comes as Boeing has undergone scrutiny over numerous aircraft failures and whistleblower complaints alleging the company cut corners when building its 747 Max planes.

The launch will take off at 10:34 p.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and live coverage of the liftoff will be on NASA's YouTube page and website.

Two veteran astronauts, Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore (right) will take off for the ISS on Monday night aboard Boeing's Starliner

Boeing's Starliner will take off for the ISS attached to the Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida (pictured)

The Starliner was supposed to liftoff last summer carrying two astronauts, but was delayed due to issues with the parachute and wiring systems. Pictured: Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore (right)

NASA intends to use the Starliner to eventually ferry four astronauts, cargo and scientific instruments to and from the International Space Station (ISS) if Monday's mission is a success.

The astronauts boarding the Starliner are Barry 'Butch' Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams, who are both former Navy test pilots and have each gone to space twice.

'The first crewed flight of a new spacecraft is an absolutely critical milestone,' NASA Associate Administrator James Free told reporters during a recent flight readiness review, Florida Today reported.

'The lives of our crew members, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are at stake. We don't take that lightly at all,' he added.

Boeing's previous attempt at a crewed flight in July of last year was pushed to this year while they dealt with problems surrounding the parachute system used to bring the capsule back to earth after the mission.

NASA said the 'soft links' in the parachutes were weaker than they should be and didn't meet the safety requirements.

The agency also removed a tape on the wiring harness called P-213 that is flammable in certain environments.

Laura Forczyk, the executive director of the space consulting firm Astralytical, told NPR that the two-year delay between the craft's test launch and carrying astronauts 'means that NASA and Boeing are taking this very seriously, but it also makes me nervous because it has been two years since this vehicle has been operational.'

In 2019, the Starliner experienced another failure during an uncrewed liftoff to reach the ISS, but dozens of software and engineering problems caused the capsule to return to Earth once it reached orbit.

'We have very robust processes, and the certificate of readiness process that we use to review everything ... the design certification process, they are all very robust,' Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Starliner program, said during a NASA news conference in March.

Boeings stocks plummeted by 10 percent in just one week after the door blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines flight

A Boeing 737 Max operated by United Airlines veered off the tarmac into the grass when exiting the runway at George Bush Airport in Houston (pictured)

A rear door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane shortly after takeoff earlier this year (pictured)

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'And the proof of that is the fact that the problems we have caught in the past have been caught as part of that process,' he added.

Yet, even as Boeing moves toward the Starliner launch, the scandals surrounding the disastrous consequences of mismanaged 737 Max aircrafts.

The Federal Aviation Administration opened an audit into Boeing's production after a rear door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane shortly after takeoff earlier this year.

An investigation revealed the door was missing four bolt plugs that are supposed to hold the door in place and three whistleblowers have come forward to detail the lapse in the company's quality control during production.

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 suffered a form of gear collapse as it landed in Houston, Texas in March, causing the plane to veer off the runway, then a wheel fell off a 777-200 aircraft shortly after takeoff from San Francisco and a 737's engine caught fire mid-way through a flight to Fort Myers, Florida.

In the wake of the accidents, Boeing reported it had lost $355 million in revenue in the first quarter of this year and its stocks tumbled 10 percent in one week after the Alaska Airlines incident.
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It's as if 'Alice in Wonderland married Willy Wonka and set up residence in Oz'.

That's how the owners of The Roxbury, a boutique hotel based in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, describe their wacky, themed hotel.

The Roxbury is divided into two properties: The Roxbury Motel, the original 28-room property, and the Roxbury at Stratton Falls, which comprises seven rooms in a historic mansion as well as five standalone properties.

The owners are keen to emphasise what they would like their guests to experience: 'We want you to feel that immediacy of emotion that seeing a great film or play can produce. Only instead of just watching the production, we want to provide you with the ability to be IN the production. To live the fantasy'.

The hotel is the brainchild of Gregory Henderson and his husband, Joseph Massa, who met in New York in the 1980s. The pair went on to open The Roxbury Motel in 2004 and have been expanding ever since, adding bizarre new rooms to the site before eventually opening neighboring Stratton Falls in 2020.

Pictured above is one of three bedrooms in The Archaeologist's Digs, a standalone cottage at The Roxbury Motel

The Digs features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and bar area, a full kitchen, an outdoor shower, 'hidden treasures', 'secret passageways' and more

Pictured above is Miss Kitty's Saloon, a 'darn purty suite' with red velvet and gold interiors. The kitschy suite sleeps four to six people, with prices ranging between $378 (300) and $572 (454) per night

Miss Kitty's Saloon boasts two king-size bedrooms, a bathroom with a two-person 85-gallon soaking tub with dual showerheads and a half-bath

The two properties are located just two miles apart. The motel section of The Roxbury aims to 'shy away from typical minimalism' and 'push the boundaries of wow factor'.

The rooms range from small studios to themed suites, accommodating up to ten people. 'MaryAnn's Coconut Cream Pie' from the American series Gilligan's Island is just one of the outlandishly decorated rooms. Featuring a whipped-cream-style ceiling and 'pie crust panelling', its designed to make you feel as if you're inside a pie.

'George's Spacepad', a suite inspired by the 60s TV cartoon The Jetsons is another eye-catching design. It boasts an illuminated chromotherapy bathtub and sink and plush red accessories.

George's Spacepad was 'inspired by the mid-century modern gloriousness of the 60's TV cartoon The Jetsons', according to the Roxbury website. Its main features are its illuminated chromotherapy bathtub and sink. Prices start at $213 (169) a night

MaryAnn's Coconut Cream Pie was 'designed to make you feel like you're inside a pie'. The king-sized room is complete with pie-crust panelling and a 'whipped-cream' ceiling. Prices range between $213 (169) and $348 (276) per night

Above is Tony's Dancefloor, a king-sized room equipped with glittery sheets, a shimmering disco ball and a wall of lights. 'If you love the nightlife or if you've got to boogie, then this is the room for you,' The Roxbury website reads. Prices start at $213 (169) a night

Above is Fred's Lair, a studio-size themed room with starting prices of $162 (128) a night. With textured walls and a pebble stone shower and bathroom, the website claims: The modern Stone Age family didnt have it nearly this good

Pictured is Amadeus Bride, which is described as an absolutely magnificent grandiosely opulent fabulosity'. Featuring two king-sized bedrooms, 20ft ceilings and a 200lb Austrian chandelier, a night in the extremely romantic suite doesn't come cheap, with prices ranging between $378 (300) and $572 (454)

Above is the main feature of the Genie's Bottle Suite. The spherical bathroom is decorated with marble dust and glitter mosaic tiles, with stays from $378 (300)

For an even more extravagant experience, guests can book 'The Archeologist's Digs' - a standalone cottage at the motel that is ideal for groups. The space features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and bar area, a full kitchen, an outdoor shower, 'hidden treasures', 'secret passageways' and more.

The whimsy continues at The Roxbury's newest location, Stratton Falls, which sits next to a private waterfall. Alongside its main Mansion Rooms are five distinct buildings, named Tower Cottages, that offer eight themed rooms.

The inspiration for the Tower Cottages comes from fantasy and fairytales. But there's more than just a few themed items scattered around - the designers went all out. Gregory and Joseph write on their website: Not only did we want them to be full of magic and fantasy, we wanted them to be lodging units, unlike any others in the world.

Above is Superhero Incognito, a themed cottage designed around an unnamed superhero. With a 'sleek modern art-gallery-esque' interior, the two-story space features, two king-sized bedrooms, a living area, a balcony and a porch. Prices range between $612 (486) and $850 (675) per night

Galileo's Gate is designed around the father of modern astronomy, Galileo. The two-bedroom suite's main feature is its glass octagonal rooftop stargazing observation conservatory. A night in the cottage starts at $612 (486)

Dracula's Fangs features a 'fiendishly fabulous interior'. Its standout room is the Dracula-themed bedroom with a coffin-style bed. The cottage can sleep up to ten people, with prices starting at $612 (486) a night

Above is the main feature in Cinderella's Gown cottage - an enormous pumpkin morphing into a golden carriage, which serves as a bathroom. The cost of a stay ranges from $612 (486) to $850 (675) a night

Featuring a 'Michelangelesque mural' on the ceiling, the Terrazza of the Titans cottage is intended to 'transport you into a realm of classicism, elegance, and clarity'. Stays in the two-bedroom cottage start at $612 (486) a night

One of the themed spaces is 'Dracula's Fangs', inspired by the 'ultimate vampire' from Bram Stokers 1897 horror novel Dracula. The two-story cottage features two king bedrooms, each with a privately-accessed bathroom, a balcony, a porch and 'Gothic castle decor'.

The downstairs bedroom is the main attraction, with brass wall railings, a cushioned coffin bed and red blackout curtains. Guests, we're told, 'might feel like they're sleeping in Draculas coffin'.

Those who want a less horrifying stay might try 'Cinderellas Gown'. Its 'crown jewels' are an 18-inch ball gown that hangs over the bed and an enormous pumpkin displayed as if half-way to transforming into a golden carriage. This serves as the bathroom.

Above is The Roxbury Motel exterior. The property features 28 spellbindingly wacky rooms

The Roxbury at Stratton Falls sits next to its own private waterfall. The Mansion (above) comprises seven rooms

The above image shows two of the five distinct buildings at Stratton Falls' Tower Cottages site

The Roxbury at Stratton Falls features a 'twisted' pool area called the 'Crooked Cabana'

The Stratton Falls location also features a pool and spa facilities. This 'Crooked Cabana' is intended to extend the propertys whimsical style with its 'twisted' design.

In addition to the pool cabana, there's an eight-person hot tub, a sauna, a spa relaxation area, changing rooms and a large recreational room.

While the motel features a 'mini-spa', with a hot tub, sauna and treatments available, guests can use facilities at either of The Roxburys locations.
It has no Tube links, no Michelin-starred restaurants  and is south of the river.

Yet Dulwich has been revealed as the most desirable place to live in London.

The south-east area tops a ranking by estate agent Foxtons of the 60 hotspots that have seen the biggest increases in property buyer enquiries in the UK capital.

The average number of monthly enquiries for houses in leafy Dulwich is up 153 per cent versus 2023, Foxtons reports.

Hampstead ranks second in the table, with 104 per cent more buyer enquiries per month versus last year, while Ilford (third) has also seen a big increase  101 per cent.

Dulwich (above) has been revealed by estate agent Foxtons as the most desirable place to live in London

Dulwich highlights include Dulwich Park, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Dulwich Hamlet F.C, renowned wine bar Drop Dulwich on Melbourne Grove in East Dulwich and The Lordship Pub

EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Homeowners are leaving London in their droves and these are the cheapest postcodes to live in outside the capital - and the priciest ones to avoid! Advertisement

The rest of the top 10 comprises Kingston (fourth, 93 per cent); Stoke Newington (fifth, 89 per cent); Ealing (sixth, 87 per cent); London Bridge (seventh, 78 per cent), St John's Wood (eighth, 77 per cent); Wapping (ninth, 73 per cent) and Putney (10th, 73 per cent).

At the bottom of the table is Bromley (60th, -26 per cent); Sloane Square (59th, -9 per cent); and Richmond & Twickenham (58th, -5 per cent).

So what's attracting property hunters to Dulwich?

Perhaps the stellar education options, from Dulwich Village Church of England Infants' School, which received an 'outstanding' inspection grade from Ofsted in 2023, to grand Dulwich College, with an alumni list that includes C S Forester, Ernest Shackleton, Bob Monkhouse and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Buyers-in-waiting might also be keen on beautiful Dulwich Park, Dulwich Picture Gallery, catching a game at Dulwich Hamlet F.C and the eating and drinking options, which include renowned wine bar Drop Dulwich on Melbourne Grove in East Dulwich and The Lordship Pub.

THE 60 MOST DESIRABLE PLACES TO LIVE IN LONDON REVEALED 1. Dulwich 2. Hampstead 3. Ilford 4. Kingston 5. Stoke Newington 6. Ealing 7. London Bridge 8. St John's Wood 9. Wapping 10. Putney 11. Temple Fortune 12. Woolwich 13. Hackney 14. Canary Wharf 15. Crouch End 16. Notting Hill 17. Balham 18. Islington 19. Camden 20. West End 21. Croydon 22. Stratford 23. Blackheath 24. Maida Vale 25. Willesden Green 26. Earls Court 27. Shepherds Bush & Brook Green 28. Fulham Broadway 29. Vauxhall and Oval 30. Harrow 31. New Malden 32. Chiswick 33. Wimbledon 34. Brixton 35. Elephant and Castle 36. Barking 37. Pimlico & Westminster 38. Guildford 39. Hounslow 40. Crystal Palace 41. Streatham 42. Clerkenwell 43. Peckham 44. Battersea 45. Greenwich 46. North Finchley 47. Tooting 48. Stanmore 49. Marylebone and Mayfair 50. South Kensington 51. Pinner 52. Walthamstow 53. Berkshire 54. Wood Green 55. Shoreditch 56. Wembley 57. Norbury 58. Richmond & Twickenham 59. Sloane Square 60. Bromley Source: Foxtons Advertisement

The average number of monthly enquiries for houses in leafy Dulwich is up 153 per cent versus 2023, Foxtons reports. Above - Dulwich Park

Dulwich has stellar education options, including Dulwich College (above), where C S Forester, Ernest Shackleton, Bob Monkhouse and Chiwetel Ejiofor studied

Hampstead ranks second in the table, with 104 per cent more buyer enquiries per month versus 2023

The area, where the average house price is 770,000, also has the seal of approval from several famous types. Past residents include Ronnie Corbet, Enid Blyton and Margaret Thatcher, and current inhabitants include The IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade, Hollywood heartthrob Jason Statham and his wife Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the BBC news presenter Ros Atkins and Game of Thrones stars Lena Headey and Iain Glen.

Director of estate agent Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, said: 'Dulwich has grown increasingly popular of late, especially amongst younger buyers as the new "cool" place to be - a crown that was previously held by the likes of Shoreditch and Camden for quite some time.

'The area has also benefited from the well-known ripple effect, as buyers priced out of nearby Brixton have looked for an alternative option within reaching distance, but at a more affordable price tag. However, this up-and-coming label and an increase in buyer activity has caused house prices to increase by around six per cent year on year.'

Ilford comes third in the ranking with an increase in buyer enquiries of 101 per cent

Kingston, above, comes fourth in the ranking with an increase in buyer enquiries of 93 per cent

Stoke Newington comes fifth in the ranking, with enquiries up 89 per cent compared to 2023

Second-place Hampstead is famous for its beautiful sprawling heath and its array of stunning properties, many of which are occupied by someone famous.

Well-known residents include Liam Gallagher, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Ross, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry, Harry Styles and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The average house price in Hampstead? A mere 1.3million.

The average house price for third-place Ilford is 470,000, with Tripadvisor listing Valentines Park, the Kenneth More Theatre and Redbridge Museum & Heritage Centre as being among the area's top attractions.

The average house price in bottom-ranked Bromley, meanwhile, is higher - at 576,000.

Attractions in the area include the home of Charles Darwin, which is a mile or so to the south, and High Elms Country Park, to the south east.

Those preferring second-from-bottom Sloane Square will need much deeper pockets, as the average property price there is 1.3million, but that figure includes flats. The average house price is 4million.

In similarly glamorous Mayfair (49th), the average property price is higher still - 5.3million.

Sloane Square comes second from last in the list of 60 areas, with property-buying enquiries down nine per cent compared to last year

Bromley, above, comes last in the table, with house-buying enquiries down 26 per cent

Foxtons CEO, Guy Gittins, commented: 'It's been an extremely positive start to the year for the London property market and we've already seen a notable increase in the number of buyers enquiring across all but a handful of areas.

'This is despite the fact that mortgage rates are yet to come down and such a show of intent so early in the year only bodes well for the coming months as we head into what is traditionally the busiest time of year for market activity.

'So if you are thinking of purchasing in 2024, now is the time to spring into action, as you'll already be facing a higher degree of competition from other buyers and this competition is only going to intensify.'
Twenty years have passed since the last ever episode of Friends was screened.

The hugely popular comedy turned its six stars into household names as well as giving us 'The Rachel'  one of the world's most famous haircuts.

In the USA over 52million tuned in to see how things would end for the gang while, in the UK, close to 9million watched as the last episode aired 10 years after the first.

Today, Friends continues to be screened all over the world, attracting a new audience of Millennial and Gen Z viewers, with many picking up on its outdated attitudes and non-PC qualities.

From body shaming and gaslighting to transphobia and misogyny, we take a look back at some of the more questionable elements of our favourite show to bring you 'The One with all the Unwokeness'

LACK OF DIVERSITY

Despite being set in New York, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, all six main stars are white.

Throughout its ten years, the series only featured two non-white characters in leading roles, both thanks to David Schwimmer (who played Ross).

David Schwimmer as Ross Geller and Aisha Tayler as Charlie Wheeler. Schwimmer revealed that he had pushed for the show to feature more people of colour

Charlie Wheeler played by Aisha Tyler, centre, arrived in Barbados as Joey's girlfriend but left with Ross played by David Schwimmer

Marta Kauffman in the back row, fourth from left, together with the cast of Friends

Schwimmer revealed that he pushed for the show to feature more people of colour, which is why Ross ended up dating Julie (played by Asian American actress Lauren Tom) and Charlie (played by African American actress Aisha Tyler).

The show's creator Marta Kauffman has since apologised for Friends' whiteness, making a $4million donation to the African American Studies department at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe, recently said that if Friends was remade it 'would not be an all white cast, for sure.'

FAT SHAMING

A running joke throughout the show is that Monica, played by Courteney Cox, was overweight as a child and teenager.

A joke that ran throughout the show is that Monica was overweight as a child and teenager. Above (left to right): Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, and Courtney Cox as Monica Geller

Monica, left, played by Courtney cox with Jennifer Aniston as Rachel attend a college party given by Ross and Chandler

During one scene, the six friends are watching a home movie of 'fat Monica' and laugh at her. Defensive Monica claims the camera adds 10 pounds, resulting in Chandler joking 'so how many cameras are on you, then?'

Chandler first meets Monica when he is a teenager and although she likes him, he rejects her because of her size  only becoming interested once she had slimmed down.

In another episode Monica shows her friends her swimsuit from when she was overweight and they joke that it could be used to 'cover Connecticut when it rains.' The real joke is that 'fat Monica' is probably no more than a size 16.

HOMOPHOBIA

Ross's ex-wife Carole (Jane Sibbett) leaves him for another woman  Carol (Jessica Hecht).

The show was commended for featuring the women's lesbian wedding, yet it played out against the backdrop of Ross's refusal to accept that his ex-wife was really gay, considering her true sexuality an affront to his masculinity.

Ross refused to accept that his ex-wife really was gay, considering her true sexuality an affront to his masculinity

When Susan befriends Ross's second wife Emily (played by Helen Baxendale) he voices his fears that Susan will 'turn Emily gay.'

Chandler's sexuality is constantly questioned by others too, with his friends saying he has 'a quality' that makes him seem gay - Phoebe even writes a song about it!

Ross shows his prejudice again when Rachel hires a male nanny Sandy (played by Freddie Prince Junior) for their daughter Emma.

Ross insists that heterosexual Sandy 'has to be gay' and fires him for being 'too sensitive.'

TRANSPHOBIA

Chandler (played by the late Matthew Perry) is estranged from his father  a drag performer who goes by the stage name of Helena Handbasket, but they reconnect just before his marriage to Monica.

Helena played by Kathleen Turner (left) is ridiculed by the others, especially Monica's dad Jack, who treats her like a curiosity saying, 'I've never seen one before'

Helena is misgendered throughout, something that the show's creators have since apologised for, acknowledging that the character would be considered transgender by today's standards

At the wedding Helena (played by Kathleen Turner) is wearing an evening gown, causing his ex-wife Nora (played by Morgan Fairchild) to ask 'Don't you have a bit too much penis to be wearing a dress like that?'

Helena is ridiculed by the others, especially Monica's dad Jack, who treats her like a curiosity saying, 'I've never seen one before.'

Helena is misgendered throughout, something that the show's creators have since apologised for, acknowledging that the character would be considered transgender by today's standards.

ROSS'S CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR

Ross and Rachel's on/off relationship is one of the main themes of Friends. Ross had been in love with Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston) since high school and they end up back together in the final episode.

However, across all ten series, he displays highly controlling and gaslighting behaviour towards Rachel.

The One with the List where Rachel discovers that Ross has made a pros and cons list and lists Rachel being 'just a waitress' as one of his reasons to not date her

After Rachel lands a job at Bloomingdales he becomes insanely jealous of her good looking colleague Mark (Stephen Eckholdt) and constantly monitors their interactions

When Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston, suggested they 'take a break' he immediately sleeps with another woman. His 'we were on a break' cry being one of the show's long-running gags

Finally, when Ross and Rachel marry while drunk in Vegas he promises to get the marriage annulled  but doesn't and hides it from her

When he has to choose between her and Julie he makes a list of pros and cons for both and lists Rachel being 'just a waitress' as one of his reasons to not date her.

After Rachel lands a job at Bloomingdales he becomes insanely jealous of her good looking colleague Mark (Stephen Eckholdt) and constantly monitors their interactions.

He belittles her career in fashion and makes it clear he thinks her job is silly and unimportant.

Ross wrongly accuses Rachel of sleeping with Mark. When she suggests they 'take a break' he immediately sleeps with another woman  his 'we were on a break' cry being one of the show's long-running gags.

Finally, when Ross and Rachel marry while drunk in Vegas he promises to get the marriage annulled  but doesn't and hides it from her.

JOEY'S MISOGYNY

'Dude, they're not objects  they're women,' says Joey during one episode. Before adding 'Only joking.'

Actor Joey (played by Matt LeBlanc) is portrayed as good-looking, charmingand highly promiscuous. His 'How you doin'?' pick up line became one of the show's catchphrases.

He moved dancer Janine (played by Elle MacPherson) into his apartment with the sole intention of seducing her, refusing to believe that she didn't (at first) find him attractive

Joey, played by Matt le Blanc, is portrayed as good-looking, charmingand highly promiscuous. His 'How you doin'?' pick up line became one of the show's catchphrases

The only problem is that the lothario doesn't treat his conquests very well. He regularly dates women, sleeps with them and then either dumps them or ghosts them.

He moved dancer Janine (played by Elle MacPherson) into his apartment with the sole intention of seducing her, refusing to believe that she didn't (at first) find him attractive.

In a flashback episode, Moncia is shown asking Joey (who had just moved in across the hall) if he'd like a glass of lemonade  he thinks this is code for sex and immediately strips naked in her kitchen.

On another occasion he says that 'great rack, excellent butt,' was his first impression of Phoebe.

SLUT SHAMING

The number of sexual partners the girls have had comes up in several episodes.

As they start to date, Ross asks Rachel how many men she has slept with. When he discovers that she has had more partners than him and mentions her ex-boyfriend Paolo's 'animal magnetism,' he becomes angry.

Ross asks Rachel how many men she has slept with. When he discovers that she has had more partners than him and mentions her ex-boyfriend Paolo's 'animal magnetism,' he becomes angry

When Monica dates Richard (played by Tom Selleck) they have a similar conversation and Monica is made to feel like a tramp for having a lot boyfriends.

GLORIFYING PORNOGRAPHY

The subject of porn crops up regularly on Friends. There's one episode called 'The One with The Free Porn,' where Joey and Chandler accidentally get free access to a pay per view porn channel and watch it endlessly.

'The One with The Free Porn,' where Joey and Chandler accidentally get free access to a pay per view porn channel and watch it endlessly

When Phoebe's twin sister Ursula is revealed to be a porn star, the others watch her movies and make jokes about it. Ursula even invites Phoebe to join her and make a 'twin' movie.

As well as watching porn, Joey and Ross read Playboy and Joey even holds a copy up to the camera when he is making a special video to be shown to baby Emma on her 18th birthday.

STUDENT DATING

College professor Ross famously dated student Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden) even though he knew it was not all allowed and could get him fired.

Ross, played by David Schwimmer, famously dated student Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden) even though he knew it was not all allowed

Elizabeth is 12 years younger than Ross and despite the fact he is her teacher, he revels in the sexiness of their relationship  saying the forbidden element makes it arousing.

In true controlling Ross style, when she plans to go away on a spring break he decides to join her so that that she can't flirt with younger guys.
Ollie Skelton has taken to Instagram to address the backlash he's received for seemingly moving on too swiftly after his recent breakup with co-star Tahnee Cook.

The TV groom, 28, has faced a flurry of scrutiny from fans who claim his new relationship with Nadia came too soon following the end of his televised marriage.

Ollie's statement, shared via his Instagram stories, comes after his followers expressed their discontent over how quickly he found new love.

'Hey, I just wanted to speak on this a bit as I've gotten it a couple of times,' he began, explaining that his relationship with Tahnee had actually concluded last November, much earlier than the public perception.

The former voice over actor expressed a mixture of frustration and resignation as he addressed the situation.

Ollie Skelton, 28, has taken to Instagram to address the backlash he's received for seemingly moving on too swiftly after his recent breakup with co-star Tahnee Cook. Pictured with new girlfriend Nadia

'There has been so much press regarding our break up that it may seem fresher but personally I'm very much removed from the situation,' Ollie clarified.

Despite the negativity, Ollie spoke highly of his new partner, Nadia, sharing heartfelt sentiments about his feelings towards her.

'Regarding Nadia, I have never felt this way about a person. Truly,' he confessed.

The TV groom has faced a flurry of scrutiny from fans who claim his new relationship with Nadia came too soon following the end of his televised marriage

Ollie's statement, shared via his Instagram stories, comes after his followers expressed their discontent over how quickly he found new love

His post was a blend of personal revelation and a call for understanding, acknowledging that 'everyone moves at their own pace and everyone's story is different too.'

Ollie's message also touched on the pressures of being in the public eye and the oddity of having to defend his personal life so publicly.

'It feels so lame that I even have to pen this, it's so not me and I don't want to encourage a back and forth,' he stated.

Despite the negativity, Ollie spoke highly of his new partner, Nadia, sharing heartfelt sentiments about his feelings towards her

Tahnee and Ollie, who first fell in love on the Channel Nine matchmaking show, announced their separation to Instagram in December

Concluding his series of stories, Ollie expressed hope that his followers would accept his new relationship.

'I'm so happy and I hope you guys can support that but if you can't that's okay too,' he shared.

Tahnee and Ollie, who first fell in love on the Channel Nine matchmaking show, announced their separation to Instagram in December.
Harvard threatened all students inside the university's pro-Palestinian encampment with "involuntary leave," two weeks after students first pitched tents on the campus' iconic Harvard Yard.

"I write today with this simple message: The continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the educational environment of the University," the university's interim president Alan Garber wrote in an email sent to students, faculty and staff. "Those who participate in or perpetuate its continuation will be referred for involuntary leave from their schools.

Students put on leave will be unable to sit their final exams or continue residing in university housing and will be barred from campus until they're reinstated as students. Garber's email also alleged that the student protestors had "intimidated and harassed other members of our community" by yelling or encircling staff members asking to see their identification.

In contrast to other elite universities, however, there was no reference to authorizing police presence on the private Cambridge campus. Fellow Ivy League school, Columbia University twice authorized the New York Police Department to enter its campus and arrest students.

Harvard's threats come as Israel's war in Gaza seems to be reaching an inflection point. The Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal, crafted by Egypt and Qatar, but Israel declined - characterizing the offer as a "trick."

Meanwhile, Israel ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians to evacuate from Rafah, where more than 1 million people have sought shelter as Israeli airstrikes decimated much of the besieged enclave.

The United States has repeatedly cautioned Israel against a ground invasion in Rafah - describing the proposed action as a "mistake" with civilian consequences greater than any potential military gain.

The university coalition, 'Harvard out of Occupied Palestine', criticized the university for engaging in "one of the largest mass disciplinary actions in Harvard's history," in the midst of concerns about a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"As Rafah is under attack, Harvard President Alan Garber sends a community-wide email notifying the threat of suspension for students protesting the genocide," the group wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Bon Jovi alum Richie Sambora says he has 'a different perspective' on the events that took place in Bon Jovi than what was depicted in Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, the Hulu docuseries that debuted last month.

The 64-year-old guitarist spoke with People following a performance at the Kentucky Derby Unbridled Eve gala in Louisville, where the famed musician auctioned off a custom guitar he played for $32,000 for a childrens' charity.

The Perth Amboy, New Jersey native told the outlet that he felt the four-part docuseries did not reflect his story of how things went down with the rock band, as he thought it was primarily from the view of his former bandmate Jon Bon Jovi, 62.

'It's his project and it's his perspective,' said Sambora, who was interviewed in the project. 'I have a different perspective on all of that.'

Sambora and Bon Jovi appear to be on good terms more than a decade after his 2013 exit from the band, as the famed frontman told People last month that there was 'never animosity' in their relationship, and that he and Sambora watched most of the documentary together.

Richie Sambora, 64, says he has 'a different perspective' on the events that took place in Bon Jovi than what was depicted in Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, the Hulu docuseries that debuted last month. Pictured Sunday at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky

'He came over and watched three parts of the docuseries at my house,' the veteran rocket told the outlet.

The docuseries, which Gotham Chopra directed and produced, also included interviews with current and former members of the band - including keyboardist David Bryan, 62, and drummer Tico Torres, 70 - and its management team.

Sambora departed from the musical ensemble - renown for his such as You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer, Born to Be My Baby and It's My Life - in 2013.

In the Hulu doc, Sambora said that he had mixed feelings over parting ways from the popular musical ensemble, as he left the band's tour and never returned.

'I don't regret leaving the situation, but I regret how I did it, so I want to apologize fully right now to the fans, especially, and also to the guys because my feet and my spirit were just not letting me walk out the door,' Sambora said in the doc.

Sambora told People over the weekend that his set at the gala was 'really good' but 'too f***ing short' as time constraints limited him to a pair of Bon Jovi staples: 1986's Wanted Dead or Alive and 1988's I'll Be There for You.

'I only had 23 minutes, but I blew the roof off the place,' Sambora said.

Sambora at the event donated a guitar for a charity auction that sold for $32,000, according to the outlet.

Sambora told People over the weekend that his set at the gala was 'really good' but 'too f***ing short' as time constraints limited him to a pair of Bon Jovi staples: 1986's Wanted Dead or Alive and 1988's I'll Be There for You

Sambora said of his set, 'I only had 23 minutes, but I blew the roof off the place'

Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi were seen onstage in Japan in August of 1984

He told People that he's been in the process of making new music, and has received stellar feedback so far, as 'everybody's loving' the early returns.

Sambora is father to actress Ava Sambora, 26, from his past marriage to Melrose Place star Heather Locklear, 62, from 1994-2007.

Sambora has also been in high-profile relationships with notable names such as Cher, actress Denise Richards and Australian musician Orianthi.
Another Channel Seven executive is parting ways with the network.

Melbourne 7News director Shaun Menegola announced his resignation on Friday in a letter to employees.

'The quickest of notes to let you know I have decided to call an end to my time here at news in Melbourne,' he revealed.

'It's entirely my decision and one I've been thinking about for a long time.'

Menegeola said the decision was to simply spend more time with family.

Melbourne 7News director Shaun Menegola (pictured) announced his resignation on Friday in a letter to employees

'It's not one driven by anything else other than the fact that I'm looking to take a break to recharge and reboot  and to spend time in my home state of WA with family,' he wrote.

'I couldn't be prouder of what this team has achieved over the last five or so years and of the bulletins we turn out every night. It's been a highlight of almost three decades running news bulletins and newsrooms.'

He added that he will remain at Seven 'for some weeks or months' with a replacement yet to be revealed.

'The quickest of notes to let you know I have decided to call an end to my time here at news in Melbourne,' he revealed

Menegola joined the Melbourne newsroom in January 2019 replacing former Herald Sun editor Simon Pristel after five years at Channel Nine in Perth.

Prior to that he worked as Director of News for Seven in Perth for over a decade.

It comes after Channel Seven's head of news Craig McPherson left the network last Monday.

Seven confirmed that Mr McPherson - partner to Dancing With The Stars host Sonia Kruger - had suddenly left his position as network director of news and public affairs after nine years in the job.

He will be replaced by Anthony De Ceglie, who was editor-in-chief for The West Australian newspaper.

Menegeola revealed the decision was to simply spend more time with family

It comes after Channel Seven's head of news Craig McPherson (pictured) left the network last Monday

'Mr McPherson played a pivotal role in leading Seven's news and public affairs offering over two stints at Seven, including a long period of success helming Today Tonight,' a Seven media statement said.

'He has overseen many consecutive years of audience leadership for Sunrise and The Morning Show.'

Mr McPherson said in the statement that he had been considering whether to move on for a while, but ultimately decided that 'now is a good time for all to have a fresh start'.

He was the fourth executive to leave the network in April following the scandal over Spotlight's lucrative deal with Lehrmann, who was found by the Federal Court to have raped Brittany Higgins on a civil scale.
Sheridan Smith has reflected on a dark part of her life where she suffered seizures after she was humiliated by Graham Norton during the 2016 BAFTAS.

The actress, 42, who has had a rocky career as a star on stage and screen, told The Times that she stopped taking her anti-anxiety medication after Graham made a jibe about her being 'a drunk'.

Her theatre performances came under fire during Funny Girl in 2016 for her as she refused to go on stage moments before the curtain was lifted.

Eight years ago, while playing Fanny Brice in the West End show, her mental health hit rock bottom, sparked by her drinking and father's cancer diagnosis, which saw a show cancelled mid-performance amid reports she was slurring her words.

But despite clinging on through all her daily battles, the 2016 TV Baftas was the 'final straw' as the host, Graham, made a series of savage jokes, with one being at her expense while she was sat in the audience.

Sheridan Smith has reflected on a dark part of her life where she suffered seizures after she was humiliated by Graham Norton during the 2016 BAFTAS

The actress, 42, who has had a rocky career as a star on stage and screen, told The Times that she stopped taking her anti-anxiety medication after Graham made a jibe about her being 'a drunk'(pictured)

He said: 'The sooner we begin, the sooner we can have a couple of drinks. Or, as they say in theatrical circles, a couple of glasses of technical difficulties.'

She was left feeling devastated and betrayed as her peers openly mocked her performances and the negative coverage at the time.

The actress admitted that she stopped taking her medication that night while staying in a hotel. This led to five seizures and she was eventually rushed to hospital.

She told the publication: 'I had no idea that they were addictive like that or that you could have seizures coming off them.'

Sheridan then revealed that she moved to the country to recover while her father, Colin, died that winter with his only daughter by his side.

MailOnline has contacted Graham's representatives for a comment.

Sheridan has faced more professional difficulties in recent weeks - as her latest West End show, titled Opening Night, was panned by critics and was forced to close early.

She insisted she has 'no regrets' about taking the lead role in her West End flop.

Her' West End comeback has been fraught with difficulties including poor reviews and bad turnouts and as a result, the musical as been cancelled and will end two months earlier than originally planned.

Her theatre performances came under fire during Funny Girl in 2016 for her as she frequently refused to go on stage moments before the curtain was lifted

Eight years ago, while playing Fanny Brice in the West End show, her mental health hit rock bottom, sparked by her drinking and father's cancer diagnosis, which saw a show cancelled mid-performance amid reports she was slurring her words

She was left feeling betrayed during these challenging times as her peers openly mocked her performances and the negative coverage at the time

But the 2016 TV Baftas was seemingly the final straw for the acting sensation as the host, Graham, made a series of savage jokes, with one being at her expense while she was sat in the audience

He said: 'The sooner we begin, the sooner we can have a couple of drinks. Or, as they say in theatrical circles, a couple of glasses of technical difficulties.'

The actress was left devastated and admitted that she stopped taking her medication that night while staying in a hotel. This led to multiple seizures and she was eventually rushed to hospital

Sheridan then revealed that she moved to the country to recover while her father, Colin, died that winter with his only daughter by his side (pictured in 2011)

Speaking to The Times, Sheridan got emotional as she explained she was 'heartbroken' for the cast and crew who have worked on the play but said she would do it all over again 'in a heartbeat'.

'I feel bad for the team and all the work they put in, but I'm at that age now where I want to be challenged,' the acclaimed actress explained.

'I want to do new things, I don't want to do that same old boring stuff. I would do it again in a heartbeat, so I have no regrets.'

Opening Night tells the story of functioning alcoholic actress Myrtle Gordon (Sheridan) who gets a second chance - it is based on the 1977 drama film starring Gena Rowlands.

Sheridan has admitted the part forced her to confront her own issues after she suffered a highly publicised breakdown while performing in Funny Girl in the West End in 2016.

'I was very ashamed of that time of my life, and I wanted to do this part to prove that I could do it, that I could face my demons head on,' she told The Times. 'I'm so much stronger than I was back then.'

'I went off the rails a bit, dated all the wrong people, obviously my breakdown. Now I feel like I'm a mum, I'm very grateful for everything I've got in my life. I feel like the best is yet to come.'

Opening Night will now end its run at the Gielgud Theatre in London on May 18, instead of July 27 - and producers blamed a 'challenging financial landscape' for the decision.

Announcing the news in April, the production team said that the play 'may not have had the life we had hoped for'.

Sheridan recently implored people to come and see the show after it was slammed by theatregoers who claimed it was 'boring' and walked out half way through.

Sheridan has faced more professional difficulties in recent weeks - as her latest West End show, titled Opening Night, was panned by critics and theatre-goers and was forced to close early. She insisted she has 'no regrets' about taking the lead role in her West End flop (pictured in character as Myrtle Gordon at the Gielgud Theatre)

Speaking to The Times , Sheridan got emotional as she explained she was 'heartbroken' for the cast and crew who have worked on the play but said she would do it all over again 'in a heartbeat' (pictured in the play)

However, it seems her plea wasn't enough to mobilise audiences for the poorly reviewed play - directed by Ivo Van Hove and with music by Rufus Wainwright - which producers have now admitted was 'always a risk'.

Announcing the early end of the run, producers Wessex Grove said: 'It is an honour to produce this beautiful new musical in the West End, and everyone at Wessex Grove is proud to have delivered the artistic vision of Ivo Van Hove and Rufus Wainwright and their incredible team, led by the exquisite Sheridan Smith.

'In a challenging financial landscape, Opening Night was always a risk and, while the production may not have had the life we had hoped for, we feel immensely proud of the risk we took and of this extraordinary production.

'Our world class cast delivers a brilliant show night after night, and there are still five weeks left to see Sheridan Smith in the role of a lifetime. What is sure-fire and safe has its place.

'But Wessex Grove exists to produce great artists in the West End and to provide the space for original, artist-led productions in the commercial sector, productions exactly like Opening Night.

We're grateful for all of the support everyone has given us as we made this show, and look forward to celebrating the rest of the run.'

It came just days after the musical was hit by another issue when Sheridan was 'banned' from leaving the theatre due to a nearby crime scene .

The show is performed in a venue situated between two pubs in London's West End, naturally attracting rowdy drinkers.

During the show, Sheridan's character Myrtle goes out onto the street to perform a scene while the audience watch from a screen inside - which has been surprising and sometimes fooling passers-by outdoors.

Director Ivo has defended the play, describing leading lady Sheridan as 'brave' for accepting the complex role in the production.

He said: 'I had the most wonderful and inspiring time making Opening Night thanks to the talent and commitment of our incredible cast and production team.

'They were led by the exceptional Sheridan Smith, who had the bravery to play such a complex role in the West End. I try to be fearless and sincere in everything I make.

'With Rufus's beautiful music, we made something totally unique and true to John Cassavetes' daring exploration of the human condition.

'It will forever have a special place in my heart.

'It is always sad when a show closes early but I know that Opening Night will live long in the memories of those who saw it and made it.'

Next up for Sheridan is the leading role in a gritty new drama.

The actress, 42, will portray Ann Ming, the mother who battled to change the law after her daughter Julie Hogg was murdered by her ex-partner in 1989.

The new ITV drama, scheduled to begin later this year, will be based on Ann's book, For The Love Of Julie.

After fighting for 15 years, Ann succeeded in changing the 800-year-old double jeopardy law, which meant people couldn't be tried twice for the same crime.

Speaking about the new role, Sheridan said: 'I am so honoured to have been asked to play the role of Ann Ming, a mother so determined to fight for justice for her murdered daughter that she spent 15 years campaigning for the Double Jeopardy Law to be changed.'
Steve Price has reignited his feud with Kyle Sandilands following The Kyle And Jackie O Show's Melbourne debut last week.

The Melbourne-based media personality, 69, penned a scathing article in the Herald Sun over the weekend criticising Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's relationship with the radio shock jock, 52.

Albanese has made multiple appearances on Sandilands' radio show and even attended the host's wedding in 2023.

Price claimed the high profile friendship has given the radio host 'an influential platform to continue sharing his crude and threatening views.'

'You cant stand up and passionately voice your honest held views around the scourge of violence towards women and hang out with Kyle,' Price pointed out, highlighting what he perceives as a contradiction in Albanese's actions.

Steve Price, 69, (left) has reignited his feud with Kyle Sandilands, 52, (right) following The Kyle And Jackie O Show's Melbourne debut last weekend

'Has he ever even listened to what is on air either side of his warm chats with Kyle or is it just about, as I suspect, the youth vote.'

Price proceeded to highlight Sandilands' history of controversies, labelling him a 'repeat offender' for his use of 'crude' and 'threatening language' towards woman.

He pointed out that in the midst of a national dialogue about violence against women, such associations send the wrong message.

Price penned a scathing article criticising Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's (centre) relationship with the radio shock jock (left). Pictured with co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson (right)

'We are in the middle of a national conversation about the reasons behind toxic male violence towards women and the influences behind it... I wonder whether our Prime Minister should be so willing to go on this show given its content.'

'I just hope and pray the people of Melbourne have better taste and send this toxic soft porn back to Sydney,' he finished.

It comes after Sandilands came out swinging at media personality Steve Price last week over his criticism of The Kyle And Jackie O Show's Melbourne debut.

The Sydney-based radio show launched with a bang in Melbourne last Monday, with the shock jock and Jackie 'O' Henderson making plenty of X-rated comments including a profane opener about sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Price who is known for his conservative point of view, didn't hold back as he slammed the broadcast on last Monday night's edition of The Project.

Price claimed the high profile friendship has given the radio host 'an influential platform to continue sharing his crude and threatening views'

'That garbage you put to air this morning, sexualised rubbish. Toxic, and nobody should listen to it,' Price ranted, adding: 'And you will be a massive failure in Melbourne.'

Responding on-air during Tuesday's Kyle And Jackie O Show, Sandilands questioned whether Price really meant his harsh words or whether he was putting on a nasty persona for the camera.

'Does he mean what he says, or is he just full of s***?' Sandilands pondered.

'That's why I won't go on these on these old grandma's podcasts. He's paid to be on The Project, to be opinionated. So, he amps it,' he added.
Farmer Todd on Farmer Wants A Wife looks set to propose already after only just arriving on the show.

The 33-year-old cattle farmer from Baan Baa, NSW, officially joined the series as a new candidate looking for love on Sunday night's episode of the reality dating show.

But the farmer seeking love may have already found it, according to New Idea.

A source told the magazine that Todd is already 'extremely loved-up' on the show and that a proposal could 'fully be on the cards.'

The insider, who called Todd a 'very happy camper,' also claimed that 'marriage is something he definitely wants.'

Farmer Todd looks set to propose already after only just arriving on Farmer Wants A Wife. The 33-year-old cattle farmer was introduced as a new candidate looking for love on Sunday night's episode of the reality dating show. Pictured with FWAW contestants

But the farmer seeking love may have already found it, according to New Idea. A source told the magazine that Todd is already 'extremely loved-up' on the show and that a proposal could 'fully be on the cards'

It comes as Farmer Todd arrived on the show on Sunday and wasted no time on his search for love, going on eight speed dates with the ladies and quickly picking a line up.

The cattle farmer chose between Anna, 29, Mollie, 24, Daisy, 28, Jamira, 26, Iyesha, 32, Grace, 25, Jacinta, 34, and Ellen 29.

However he hit a snag when Daisy admitted that she had gotten divorced in 2021.

'(It was) one of those things I thought I wanted at the time. I was young and in love. I'm definitely ready to jump back in' she told Todd.

It comes as Farmer Todd arrived on the show on Sunday and wasted no time on his search for love, going on eight speed dates with the ladies and quickly picking a line up

'(Having gone) through the breakdown of a relationship, I've put the work into myself and I know who I am as a person, what I deserve and who I deserve,' she added.

But the confessional came as a 'shock' for the farmer who was not sure how to feel about it.

'(But) the fact she was able to open up to me that quickly and she felt so safe to share all that, it was a nice feeling,' he said.

Farmer Todd picked Daisy, Iyesha, Grace, Jacinta and Ellen of the eight women he had a speed date with

It worked out in the end as Farmer Todd picked Daisy, Iyesha, Grace, Jacinta and Ellen of the eight women he had a speed date with.

Co-host Natalie Gruzlewski first introduced Farmer Todd last week.

The existing men were stunned, but welcomed him with open arms to what they called the 'circus'.

In a preview, the women got to meet him during an overnight camping trip.

Their mouths fell open as he walked on, with one of the women calling out, 'He's so handsome!'
The Responder (BBC)

Rating:

What a way to take his final curtain. Bernard Hill, an actor of unmatched power, and celebrated by two generations for vastly different roles, died yesterday  hours before his final performance aired.

As fraught copper Chris Carson answered a call to a burgled house in The Responder, those who (like me) have been fans of Hill since the 1980s took one look at the geezer in the battered armchair with the walking frame and chorused: 'Gissa job!'

He might have been better known to the under-50s as the heroic King Theoden in The Lord Of The Rings. But at the start of the Thatcher years, Hill was Britain's best-known actor  the face of the recession  playing Yosser Hughes, a Scouse tarmac-layer who loses his job, in Boys From The Blackstuff.

Yosser was unemployable but desperate to work. His catchphrases  'Gissa job!' and 'I can do that!'  became national slogans.

Bernard Hill, an actor of unmatched power, and celebrated by two generations for vastly different roles, died yesterday  hours before his final performance aired

As fraught copper Chris Carson (right) answered a call to a burgled house in The Responder, those who (like me) have been fans of Hill since the 1980s took one look at the geezer in the battered armchair with the walking frame and chorused: 'Gissa job!'

Hill, who was 79, worked little on telly in recent years, picking his jobs with clinical care. Right to the end, his screen presence was undimmed. Merely sitting in front of the TV and glowering in The Responder, he exuded a malevolent power that far exceeded all the threats and violence of this drugs-and-corruption drama.

His reunion with the son he hadn't seen for years was also the most foul-mouthed scene of a very sweary episode. I counted more than 80 F-words in the hour, which might be the highest ratio since Peter Capaldi's turn as a spin doctor in The Thick Of It.

When Hill, playing a miserable old git called Tom, protested that he always loved his son, patrol car driver Chris (Martin Freeman) exploded: 'Bleep off! Don't bleeping say that! You bleeping loved us? I remember you putting my bleeping head through a door just because I spilt your bleeping baccy on the kitchen lino, old bleeping bleep. Bleeping love? Bleep!'

This grimly gripping thriller by Tony Schumacher started with the scorched intensity of 2022's first series, and floored the accelerator. Living in squalor and facing eviction, Chris loathes his job rounding up drunks and crackheads, and is constantly fighting the temptation to take backhanders. At the urging of his old boss, who promises him life behind a desk as a reward, he agrees to frame a drug dealer. That goes wrong so quickly, he's facing the threat of ten years in prison before his shift is over.

Hill, who was 79, worked little on telly in recent years, picking his jobs with clinical care. Right to the end, his screen presence was undimmed. Pictured: Brendan Hill with Martin Freeman (second right) and Myanna Buring (far right)

The allusions to varieties of illegal activity come so thick and fast that viewers need a criminal mind to understand all the implications.

When rookie cop Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo) spins off the road and crashes into a hedge, her partner Eric (Ian Puleston-Davies) reacts with stunned gratitude: 'You just bought me a new conservatory.'

He's talking about compensation for fake whiplash injuries.

A scam like that would never occur to Yosser Hughes.
While out on the promotional push for her latest role in the action-adventure film The Fall Guy alongside Ryan Gosling, the topic of children of celebrities popped into the conversation with Emily Blunt.

More specifically, their reaction to seeing their parents onscreen as they take on the identity and persona of someone else for the production.

'They don't love watching me on screen,' the actress, 41, revealed of her daughters Hazel, nine, and Violet, seven, during a conversation with People, before sharing how she understands 'because I'm their mommy and it's very strange to see me play someone else.'

It appears their less-than-thrilled reaction to seeing their mother onscreen is universal no matter the genre of film, which includes her roles in such Disney productions as The Muppets (2011), Mary Poppins Returns (2018) and Jungle Cruise (2021).

In fact, the fantasy adventure co-starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson seemed to traumatize her girls a little more than the rest due to dramatic close-quartered scenes shot underwater with their mum.

Emily Blunt, 41, revealed her two daughters get scared and even cry when they seen her onscreen 'trapped or in some kind of peril'

Blunt says her role in the fantasy adventure Jungle Cruise co-starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson seemed to traumatize her girls a little more than the rest due to dramatic close-quartered scenes shot underwater with their mum

Due to the intensity of the dramatic scenes, Blunt's girls, who she shares with husband John John Krasinski, 'have only seen Jungle Cruise once.'

'They didn't like the underwater stuff where I'm trapped and I'm in peril,' the Oscar-nominated actress said of Jungle Cruise.

In the film, which is based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name, Blunt plays Dr. Lily Houghton, an eccentric, adventurous and virtuous botanist working in a male-dominated field, who professes she doesn't know how to swim.

Considering the setting of the story is on the Amazon River, it makes from some high-drama for Blunt's character, which doesn't go over very well with Hazel and Violet.

Upon seeing their mother onscreen in dangerous underwater situations, the girls' 'started crying' and then they picked themselves up and 'left the room.'

Gosling, Blunt's co-star in The Fall Guy, chimed in on the conversation and agreed with her daughters' reaction. 'I didn't like that, either,' he joked with Blunt. 'That was upsetting for me to watch you like that.'

The Hollywood leading man confessed he talks over any potential roles he's thinking of playing with his daughters Esmeralda, nine, and Amada, eight, along with their mother Eva Mendes.

In fact, he even admitted the girls have veto power if they aren't comfortable with a role he's considering.

'They don't love watching me on screen,' the actress revealed of her daughters Hazel, nine, and Violet, seven, during a conversation with People, before sharing how she understands 'because I'm their mommy and it's very strange to see me play someone else'

'They didn't like the underwater stuff where I'm trapped and I'm in peril,' the Oscar-nominated actress said of her daughter when they saw her in Jungle Cruise (2021)

'My kids didn't want me to be set on fire,' he said of their reaction to a scene in The Fall Guy, which the star also serves as a producer. 'They were like, "No. No fire." So I didn't do it.'

In comparison to Blunt's girls, Gosling says his kids 'don't care' about the fact that he and Mendes, 50, appear on screen at all.

To make his point, the Barbie star recalled a time when their kids asked to 'fast-forward' through one of Mendes' roles  despite the actress starring in one of their favorite shows.

'Eva was on an episode of Bluey,' recalls Gosling. 'We both thought it was going to be huge,' but instead, 'They were like, "Fast-forward through that part!"'

Gosling, Blunt's co-star in The Fall Guy, chimed in on the conversation about kids not wanting to watch their parents onscreen; the two stars are seen ar The Fall Guy premiere April 30

The action-comedy directed by David Leitch, who worked from a screenplay from Drew Pearce, is loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers

Blunt nodded in agreement with Gosling, before weighing in about how she thinks kids 'don't want you to be anything other than their parent'

In comparison to Blunt's girls, Gosling says his daughter 'don't care' about the fact that he and Mendes, 50, appear on screen at all

Blunt ended up nodding in agreement, before weighing in about how she thinks kids 'don't want you to be anything other than their parent.'

Agreeing with her theory, Gosling added, 'They're not into it.'

The former Disney star also came clean about being frightened, himself, while shooting The Fall Guy, so much so that he wore sunglasses during his scariest stunt, where his character falls backwards on wires, in order to hide the fear in his eyes.

The Fall Guy, directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, premiered at SXSW on March 12, and is now in theaters all across the world as of May 3.
Kyle Dean Massey and Taylor Frey have welcomed their second child via surrogate, a daughter named Gigi.

Massey, 42, and Frey, 35, who both tied the knot back in 2016, shared a new video in a joint Instagram post, with the couple welcoming their newest bundle of joy.

The couple welcomed their daughter Rafa Massey-Frey, also via surrogate, on Halloween 2021.

They shared a video on Instagram, which began with the couple arriving at the hospital and then holding their new child for the first time.

A shirtless Frey was seen smiling and holding the newborn, followed by a shirtless Massey in the brief video.

Kyle Dean Massey and Taylor Frey have welcomed their second child via surrogate , a daughter named Gigi.

Massey, 42, and Frey, 35, who both tied the knot back in 2016 , shared a new video in a joint Instagram post, with the couple welcoming their newest bundle of joy

The couple welcomed their daughter Rafa Massey-Frey, also via surrogate, on Halloween 2021

Frey was seen feeding the newborn, while Massey was seen holding the baby with a smile.

The video then shows the couple bringing their second daughter home, and introducing her to their first daughter Rafa.

The couple and their first child are seen doting over the baby as the video comes to a close.

Frey added in the caption, 'A family of four. We welcomed our second daughter yesterday afternoon.'

'God, our surrogate, our donor and modern medicine has blessed us so and completed our hearts,' he added.

'We are in heaven with the arrival of the princess, Gigi. It all went so incredibly smooth and surrogate and baby are in perfect health,' he added.

'I do truly love this life. Her Majesty Rafa has also approved with great joy of her arrival,' he stated.

He went on to thank Dr. Guy Ringler, 'and again, to our incredible surrogate who made this so joyful.'

Frey was seen feeding the newborn, while Massey was seen holding the baby with a smile

The video then shows the couple bringing their second daughter home, and introducing her to their first daughter Rafa

Frey added in the caption, 'A family of four. We welcomed our second daughter yesterday afternoon'

The couple and their first child are seen doting over the baby as the video comes to a close

'And Tom Gleeson at Baby Legal for the perfectly executed legal work,' Frey concluded in the caption.

The couple tied the knot in Palm Springs, California on Saturday and celebrated poolside with loved ones following the ceremony.

Taking to social media after the reception, Taylor declared to his fans, 'It was the best weekend of my entire life.'

The actor took his Snapchat and Instagram accounts to share with fans scenes from their lavish reception.
Rumours have been flying that onscreen lovers James Stewart and Ada Nicodemou are in a real life romance.

And a new photo has emerged of the pair at Luna Park with their respective children, but not their significant others, on April 7 - before they announced they were both single.

In the cosy photo, James sat opposite Ada at a table at the theme park, with daughter Scout, 11, by his side.

Ada meanwhile sat next to her son Johnas, 12.

Nicodemou's split from partner of eight years Adam Rigby became public last week.

A new photo has emerged of James Stewart and Ada Nicodemou at Luna Park with their respective kids, but not their significant others, on April 7 - before they announced they were both single [L-R: Scout Stewart, James Stewart, Ada Nicodemou, Johnas Xipolitas]

The couple reportedly parted ways late last year.

Stewart's ex wife Sarah Roberts meanwhile confirmed on April 20 that divorce from the actor had been finalised five weeks earlier, in March.

Nicodemou was married to Chrys Xipolitas for nine years. They reportedly split briefly in 2010 before reconciling and welcoming a son, Johnas, in August 2012.

The actress, who also starred in '90s soap Heartbreak High, went on to split from Xipolitas for good and dated businessman Adam Rigby for about eight years.

They called it quits sometime in late 2023.

The news of Stewart and Nicodemou growing close comes after his ex Roberts - a Home and Away alum - confirmed to Stellar magazine the pair had divorced.

'I just want to say that I am divorced,' she told the publication.

Stewart has sparked rumours he is dating his co-star Nicodemou, after splitting from his wife-of-five-years Sarah Roberts. The two play lovers on the soap

'Sometimes people grow apart and that's okay... I got to a point where I realised I couldn't grow in the way I wanted to within this particular relationship.'

Roberts and Stewart wed in 2019 after getting engaged in November 2018. He had proposed at the restaurant where they'd had their first date a year earlier.

The pair tied the knot at Luttrellstown Castle, on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland, in July 2019.

Nicodemou quietly split from businessman Adam Rigby after eight years together in late 2023

Roberts' divorce confirmation came after years of speculation the couple had split.

The rumours first bubbled to the surface after Stewart was absent at the premiere of her film Wog Boys Forever in Melbourne in October 2022.

He was 'nowhere to be seen on the red carpet' and was apparently no longer following his wife's Instagram account, reports suggested.

At the time, Roberts' agent denied they had broken up.

The news of Stewart and Nicodemou growing close comes after his ex Sarah Roberts (right) - a Home and Away alum - confirmed to Stellar magazine the pair had divorced

The pair later put rumours to rest when Roberts proudly flashed her wedding ring at the AACTA Awards in December that year.

Speaking with Now To Love at the time, she also shot down the break-up rumours.

'We're happy,' she told the website.

Roberts added that her husband was as romantic as ever, even picking her up from the airport with a bouquet of flowers after a recent trip to Italy.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nicodemou and Stewart for comment.

Stewart (left) shares daughter Scout, 11 (centre), with his ex-fiancee Jessica Marais, whom he met on the set of Packed to the Rafters in 2009. Pictured with Roberts (right)

Roberts starred on Home and Away from 2017 to 2021, before walking away to focus on her film career.

Stewart is still starring on the Australian soap, in which he plays Justin Morgan.

The actor shares daughter Scout with his ex-fiancee Jessica Marais, whom he met on the set of Packed to the Rafters in 2009.

They had announced their engagement in October 2010, and welcomed Scout in May 2012.

In 2015, the pair called it quits, with Stewart later saying: 'Our relationship didn't work out because I think hearts go in different directions eventually.'
Pamela Anderson looked ethereal while leading the stars at the MONSE Maison pre-Met Gala cocktail party in New York City on Sunday.

The actress, 56, was seen making the rainy city streets her runway as she headed into contemporary French eatery La Mercerie to attend the star-studded event.

She was a breath of fresh air with her barefaced beauty on full display all while modeling an effortlessly stylish outfit.

Although they were not pictured together, Anderson's eldest son Brandon Lee Thomas, 27, was also seen at the party with his girlfriend Lily Easton.

Other notable names such as Jeff Bezos, 60, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 54, were also spotted in attendance at the bash  which also saw a scantily-clad Doja Cat, 28, make her head-turning arrival alongside fashion designer Guram Gvasalia.

Pamela Anderson looked ethereal while leading the stars at the MONSE Maison pre-Met Gala cocktail party in New York City on Sunday

The actress, 56, was seen making the rainy city streets her runway as she headed into La Mercerie to attend the star-studded event

For the fabulous occasion ahead of fashion's biggest night, the Baywatch star wore an oversize white button-down, which she French-tucked into a dazzling miniskirt.

Teamed with the effortlessly chic blouse with a dramatic collar, she wore a nude miniskirt with a sheer outer layer covered with metallic silver fringe.

Paired with her glamorous look, she wore a pair of taupe, suede pumps.

She opted for a simple gloss on her lips and left her platinum blonde hair down in a natural, straight style.

Elsewhere at the bash, her son looked dashing in a royal blue suit paired with a white button-down and matching satin tie.

His model girlfriend wore a daring black dress, which was entirely sheer and featured a sexy lace-up detail along the side.

Inside of the venue, Anderson was spotted mingling with MONSE co-founder Laura Kim  who looked mesmerizing in a plunging, bright orange blouse and olive green pants.

The former Playboy model also posed for a group shot with Kim and Fernando Garcia  who both serve as co-creative directors as Oscar de la Renta besides also being the co-founders of the luxury brand MONSE hosting the event.

She was a breath of fresh air with her barefaced beauty on full display all while modeling an effortlessly stylish outfit

For the fabulous occasion ahead of fashion's biggest night, the Baywatch star wore an oversize white button-down, which she French-tucked into a dazzling miniskirt

Although they were not pictured together, Anderson's eldest son Brandon Lee Thomas, 27, was also seen at the party with his girlfriend Lily Easton. The actor looked dashing in a royal blue suit paired with a white button-down and matching satin tie. At his side, his model girlfriend wore a daring black dress, which was entirely sheer and featured a sexy lace-up detail along the side

Inside of the venue, Anderson was spotted mingling with MONSE co-founder Laura Kim  who looked mesmerizing in a plunging, bright orange blouse and olive green pants

The former Playboy model also posed for a group shot with Kim and Fernando Garcia  who both serve as co-creative directors as Oscar de la Renta besides also being the co-founders of the luxury brand MONSE hosting the event

At the party with her friends, Anderson grabbed the microphone at one point to presumably give a toast, which stirred Garcia enough to give her a sweet hug.

At another time during the night, Anderson and Garcia were seen sharing another warm embrace while chatting with Kim.

Later on, Garcia and Kim were seen taking a group photo with more of their special guests  which included billionaire businessman Bezos and his fiancee.

The Amazon founder looked sharp in a white V-neck T-shirt paired with a dark blue blazer jacket and matching trousers.

For the star-studded cocktail party, the former news anchor slipped into a sexy, black lace minidress with a sheer, strapless corset-style bodice.

The pair looked loved-up as they stayed close while mingling with other attendees celebrating the upcoming Met Gala.

After swapping out her bed sheet she was wearing earlier, Doja Cat made a bold display in another striking look as she arrived at the SoHo party.

She was joined by Vetements creative director Guram Gvasalia, and the pair strut into the event while walking hand-in-hand.

At the party with her friends, Anderson grabbed the microphone at one point to presumably give a toast, which stirred Garcia to give her a sweet hug

At another time during the night, Anderson and Garcia were seen sharing another warm embrace while chatting with Kim

Later on, Garcia and Kim were seen taking a group photo with more of their special guests  which included billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos, 60, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 54

The Amazon founder looked sharp in a white V-neck T-shirt paired with a dark blue blazer jacket and matching trousers. For the star-studded cocktail party, the former news anchor slipped into a sexy, black lace minidress with a sheer, strapless corset-style bodice

The pair looked loved-up as they stayed close while mingling with other attendees celebrating the upcoming Met Gala

The Demons hitmaker wore a Vetements leather trench coat, which she wore just barely zipped to showcase her toned figure.

With her abs and legs on full display, she wore barely there Stringys undergarments to protect her modesty and sheer black tights.

Adding inches to her height, she also sported sky-high heels with a tall, clear platform.

Finally, she accessorized with dazzling, diamond-encrusted silver jewelry on her ears and neck.

She looked striking in a sultry makeup look featuring sharp eyeliner and a glossy, coral lip.

At her side, Gvasalia looked effortlessly stylish as he sported an oversize, distressed leather jacket as his statement piece.

He also donned a baggy, gray T-shirt and dramatically wide-leg jeans.

For his night out accessory, he sported a pair of futuristic, silver-framed sunglasses.

After swapping out her bed sheet she was wearing earlier, Doja Cat made a bold display in another striking look as she arrived at the SoHo party. She was joined by Vetements creative director Guram Gvasalia, and the pair strut into the event while walking hand-in-hand

The Demons hitmaker wore a Vetements leather trench coat, which she wore just barely zipped to showcase her toned figure as she left little to the imagination

With her abs and legs on full display, she wore barely there Stringys undergarments to protect her modesty and sheer black tights. She also sported sky-high heels with a tall, clear platform

At her side, Gvasalia looked effortlessly stylish as he sported an oversize, distressed leather jacket as his statement piece

He also wore a baggy, gray T-shirt and dramatically wide-leg jeans. He also sported a pair of futuristic, silver-framed sunglasses

Hiandra Martinez was also spotted inside of the cocktail party in an elegant and chic suit.

The supermodel wore an off-the-shoulder, pinstriped blazer with baggy, matching trousers and black sandal heels.

Elsewhere in the space, Sai De Silva, 43, wore a similar cream and pinstriped look with a flowy blouse and asymmetrical skirt.

The television personality donned sheer, black pumps and accessorized with lots of mixed metal, statement jewelry pieces.

Bling Empire: New York star Tina Leung, fashion influencer Ezra J. William and jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher were also spotted at the party in chic garb as per usual.

Hiandra Martinez was also spotted inside of the cocktail party in an elegant and chic suit. The supermodel wore an off-the-shoulder, pinstriped blazer with baggy, matching trousers and black sandal heels

Elsewhere in the space, Sai De Silva, 43, wore a similar cream and pinstriped look with a flowy blouse and asymmetrical skirt. The television personality donned sheer, black pumps and accessorized with lots of mixed metal, statement jewelry pieces

Bling Empire: New York star Tina Leung, fashion influencer Ezra J. William and jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher were also spotted at the party in chic garb as per usual

CULTURED magazine founder and editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson was also seen at the event, looking oh-so-chic in a black, pinstriped jumpsuit layered over a sheer white button-down. For ehr choice of outerwear, she went for a stylish, oversize trench coat and carried a mini purse with a gold circular handle

CULTURED magazine founder and editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson was also seen at the event.

She looked super chic in a black, pinstriped jumpsuit layered over a sheer white button-down.

For her choice of outerwear, she went for a stylish, oversize trench coat.

As a finishing touch, she carried a mini purse with a gold circular handle.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.'s restaurant and tap room closed in January. Houston's Gulf Coast Distillers announced that it had signed a long-term lease on the Sawyer Yards Space. Erica Grieder The former BuffBrew building has great views of Houston's skyline. Marie D. De Jesus/Staff photographer

The spacious Sawyer Yards brewery and taproom formerly occupied by Buffalo Brewing Co. is getting a new tenant.

Houston's Gulf Coast Distillers on Friday announced that it has signed a lease for the space at 2101 Summer and that it intends to use its opening to help relaunch its Tejas beer brand on a larger scale.

Gulf Coast, also known as Giant Texas Distillers, has a tasting room at its distillery, at 5610 Clinton in Houston's East End. The company's roots are in coffee, but it began distilling in 2014 and bills itself as the largest distillery west of the Mississippi.

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Gulf Coast acquired Tejas beer in 2020 after Big Bend Brewing Co., which originated the brand at its headquarters in Alpine, shut down. The brew is "an everyday, everymans beer," according to its Instagram page, and Gulf Coast plans to sell its clara and negra varieties at Houston-area H-E-B stores and the Sawyer Yards taproom this summer.

Carlos de Aldecoa, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Distillers, touted the company's "business operations expertise, financial stability, and strategic business alliances" in a statement announcing the relaunch of Tejas beer.

Meanwhile, the future of Buffalo Bayou Brewing is unknown.

BuffBrew, which launched in 2011, quickly found a local following and moved into the Sawyer Yards space in 2018 after raising $1 million from hundreds of investors via NextSeed, a crowdfunding platform.

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But the company fell into financial trouble, turning to the pandemic-era federal Paycheck Protection Program to make payroll and defaulting on its payments to the NextSeed investors. By 2023, the company had become the target of several lawsuits, and in January BuffBrew abruptly shut down the Sawyer Yards space after its lease was terminated due to nonpayment of rent.
Former Page 3 star Angela Jay has died at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer.

The model, who was mainstay of the inside pages in the 1980s, passed away with her husband Ken by her side after a short battle with the disease.

Sharing the news of her passing on Sunday, Ken said Angela died while in hospital in Eastbourne in east Sussex.

Describing her 'as the perfect girl next door,' Ken told The Sun that Angela was 'a miner's daughter from the northern pits who dared to dream.'

Born in Sunderland, Angela was spotted by a modelling agency after moving to Manchester.

Former Page 3 star Angela Jay has died at the age of 71 after a battle with cancer

The model, who was mainstay of the inside pages in the 1980s, passed away with her husband Ken by her side after a short battle with the disease

He said: 'She realised that she couldn't stay there and become the wife of a miner.

'Straight away she was such a natural. So fresh-faced.

'A lot of the models spend two hours getting ready - Angela was just ready to go.'

Describing the first time he saw Angela, Ken said she 'had a pair of jeans and a scruffy T-shirt on and looked just as beautiful as anyone.'

It comes after former Page 3 star Samantha Fox was charged over a 'drunken bust up' on a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Munich in March.

She will face accusations of being drunk onboard an aircraft and using threatening, abusive or insulting words to cause harassment, alarm or distress in court later this month.

It comes after she was arrested and spent a night in a police cell near Heathrow after allegedly rowing with another passenger on December 3.

The plane was ready to take-off but was turned around at the last minute, with passengers forced off the plane due to Munich Airport's strict 10pm closing time, according to The Sun.

Describing her 'as the perfect girl next door,' Ken saud that Angela was 'a miner's daughter from the northern pits who dared to dream.

The other passengers had to be put up in a hotel and fly to Germany the next day.

Sam rose to fame after appearing as a Page 3 model for The Sun newspaper from 1983 to 1986, becoming one of the most photographed women of the 80s.

At the height of her glamour model fame, her 34D assets assets were insured for an eye-popping 1million on the advice of her agent.
Bernard Hill's touching response to getting offered a role in the BBC Drama The Responder has been revealed after the legendary actor died at the age of 79.

The Manchester-born actor, who starred in Titanic and Lord Of The Rings, passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, his agent has said.

His death came just hours before his final performance aired on TV that night in Martin Freeman's BBC One drama The Responder.

Viewers tuned in to the first episode of the second series of the crime drama, which stars Martin as Chris Carson, a police response officer struggling to keep a grip on his mental health.

As a new addition to series two, Bernard plays Tom, who is the estranged father of Freeman's character Chris.

Revealed: Bernard Hill's touching seven-word response after being offered role in BBC drama The Responder as legendary actor dies aged 79

Tony Schumacher, the writer of The Responder, has spoken about Bernard Hill's career - specifically how happy he was to get the actor in his show

Shortly after the sad news of the actor's death was announced, BBC Breakfast presenter Roger Johnson (@RogerJ_01) took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a clip that the morning programme had aired that day about The Responder.

He penned: 'Sad irony we ran a VT on @BBCBreakfast this morning which I did this week previewing The Responder tonight. Writer @tonyshoey was so proud to get Bernard Hill in the show.'

The video featured Tony Schumacher, the writer of The Responder, talking about Bernard's career - specifically how happy he was to get the actor in his show.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: 'Out of all the great things that have happened in my career recently, bringing Bernard Hill back to Liverpool to be in the show is just...he loves this city so much.'

Bernard famously played the out-of-work Scouser Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale's Boys From The Blackstuff in 1982.

Meanwhile, Tony also shared Hill's response to getting offered a role on the popular crime drama, which has touched the hearts of many.

He said that when the team got in touch, the actor simply responded: 'I'd love to come back to Liverpool.'

The short clip has already racked up more than 5,000 views, with fans rushing to praise the actor and express their sadness:

'I watched that and then heard the sad news and was all confused.'

Tony Schumacher, writer of The Responder said that when the team got in touch, the actor simply responded: 'I'd love to come back to Liverpool'

The short clip has already racked up more than 5,000 views, with fans rushing to praise the actor and express their sadness

The thespian returned to our screens tonight in the Martin Freeman drama The Responder. Pictured: Hill (left) on set with Freeman (right) during filming for the BBC programme

'Thought about Boys from the Blackstuff this morning after watching your piece and remembering the huge impact it had at the time (esp Yosser Hughes). So sad hearing about Bernard Hill later on today.'

'He was a fantastic actor R.I.P #BernardHill.'

'Yes I watched that this morning, so sad to hear he had died this afternoon.'

'Pleased Bernard got that job. His last #Hoorah 'Giz a Job, I can do that', and he did.'

The video snippet touched on how the father-of-one first became familiar to many in the UK for his emotive and bold performance in Boys From The Blackstuff, a role that also brought him to the attention of Hollywood.

His character was a man left struggling to do the right thing after becoming unemployed and coined the phrase 'gizza job' - meaning 'give us a job' - became a common refrain among protesters in Thatcherite Britain.

Later, he was cast as Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's gargantuan film, Titanic.

The 1997 movie saw him play the captain of the famous vessel on what would be its maiden and only voyage across the Atlantic, before going down with the ship after it hit an iceberg.

Bernard rose to fame for his performance as Yosser Hughes in the 1982 BBC drama Boys from the Blackstuff

The actor also portrayed Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic (pictured)

Bernard, pictured as King Theoden, won plaudits for his portrayal of the ageing monarch trying to protect his people from the forces of evil

It marked the start of a late career renaissance for Hill, who was then chosen by Peter Jackson in the role of King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The actor was praised for his portrayal of the embattled King of Rohan who valiantly fights to save his people from the forces of evil.

Tributes have been paid to the thespian, with praise for his 'incredible talent' and a career that saw him 'blaze a rail across the screen'.

Following the first episode of season two of The Responder last night, emotional viewers took to X, writing: 'Poignant seeing Bernard Hill in the Responder on BBC1 on the day he passed away': 'RIP wonderful Bernard Hill, tears welling as always with this powerful performance'.

'Unexpectedly I find myself watching Bernard Hill on The Responder tonight on the telly box. What superb timing! Hat's off to you sir, you were one of the best RIP': Awe, watching The Responder and knowing Bernard Hill is in it RIP'.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: 'Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent.

'From Boys from the Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and many more, we feel truly honoured to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.'
Lando Norris' historic win in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix has sent his career to incredible new heights, after he stormed ahead of World Champion Max Verstappen.

And the racer's journey to success hasn't been alone, as in recent months he's enjoyed a low-key romance with Portuguese model and actress Margarida Corceiro.

The pair were first seen together last May in a video on social media showing the 24-year-old driving his Fiat Jolly with her in the back of the classic car after she split from Barcelona star Joao Felix.

The pair were then spotted together at the Monte Carlo Masters last month, but have predominantly kept their budding relationship out of the spotlight.

Margarida is no stranger to flaunting her figure in a scantily-clad bikini snaps, sharing a slew of images from her trip to The Maldives back in December.

Formula One star Lando Norris' historic Miami Grand Prix victory hasn't been alone, as in recent months he's enjoyed a low-key romance with Portuguese model Margarida Corceiro

Margarida is no stranger to flaunting her figure in a scantily-clad bikini snaps, sharing a slew of images from her trip to The Maldives back in December

The McLaren star - who had held the record for most podiums without a race win - ended his barren run by beating triple world champion Max Verstappen to victory

However, she is yet to share any posts acknowledging Lando's first ever Formula One victory.

The McLaren star - who had held the record for most podiums without a race win - ended his barren run by beating triple world champion Max Verstappen to victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

Her last social media post came hours before his victory in the United States, as she acknowledged Mother's Day in Portugal.

Neither Norris or Corceiro have posted photos of each other on social media, despite being seen together in public.

She was not believed to have been in attendance for the Miami Grand Prix, but was reportedly seen in attendance at last month's race in China.

They were also also reportedly recently spotted together at Vigo Airport in Spain, as per Portuguese publication Correio da Manha.

Corceiro has appeared on a number of Portuguese television shows and as per Portuguese outlet Maria, was a contestant in the country's version of Dancing with the Stars back in 2020.

Norris previously dated Luisinha Oliveira, with the McLaren driver beginning a relationship with the Portuguese model at the start of 2022.

The pair were spotted together at the Monte Carlo Masters last month, but have predominantly kept their budding relationship out of the spotlight

However, Margarida is yet to share any posts acknowledging Lando's first ever Formula One victory

Her last social media post came hours before his victory in the United States, as she acknowledged Mother's Day in Portugal

Neither Norris or Corceiro have posted photos of each other on social media, despite being seen together in public

Late last year, Margarida shared a gallery of bikini-clad snaps during a trip to The Maldives

Corceiro has appeared on a number of Portuguese television shows and as per Portuguese outlet Maria , was a contestant in the country's version of Dancing with the Stars back in 2020

Lando was first spotted with Corceiro in Monaco in May 2023 via social media

Barcelona forward Felix was previously in a relationship with Corceiro from 2019 to 2023

The relationship ended in September that year, with Norris confirming the split on social media.

He wrote: 'Hello everyone. After time and consideration, Luisa and myself have mutually decided to end our relationship but remain good friends.

'I wish her the world and have so much respect for her and all she does as an amazing and strong woman with nothing but kindness.

'Please respect our decision and respect our - but more importantly and especially her privacy moving forward. Thank you for your endless support.'

Corceiro meanwhile dated Felix between 2019 and 2023. Despite their split, she insisted that they were still in each other's lives.

She took to her social media platforms to confirm the end of their relationship last year, writing: 'Joao and I achieved goals together for a few years, in a phase of change, growth and learning. Not having been together as a couple for some time, I am lucky enough to be a part of his life.'

Red Bull endured a nightmare safety car restart that gave British ace Norris a chance to overtake Verstappen and race ahead, sparking wild celebrations amongst McLaren's ranks and the friends and supporters of the 24-year-old.

She took to social media to confirm the end of their relationship with Felix last year, writing: 'Joao and I achieved goals together for a few years, in a phase of change, growth and learning'

Bristol-born Norris becomes the first McLaren driver to win a race for the British F1 team since Australian, Daniel Ricciardo, did so at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021.

His first victory came in his 110th race, with only eight drivers waiting longer before they took their first win in the sport's history.

Donald Trump was in the McLaren garage during the race on Sunday and congratulated Norris after the race.

'He saw me after and he came up to congratulate me so I guess it's an honor,' Norris told Mail Sport.

'Whenever you have someone like this come up to you to take time out of their life to pay their respect for what you've done ... it has to be an honor,' he went on.
Bernard and Sonya Curry have listed their mid-century-style Burwood East home for sale with a price guide of $1.2million - $1.3million.

The Wentworth actor, 50, is set to auction off the property he has filmed many of his audition tapes in on May 11 through Jellis Craig Whitehorse.

After purchasing the three-bedroom house with his wife in 2021, the soap star embarked on a 'modern renovation', reported realestate.com.au late last month.

'I did a lot of the renovating myself with my brother Andrew, we're both quite handy. It was a great excuse to buy new tools,' Bernard told the publication.

'My favourite room is the kitchen, I do most of the food preparation in the family. It's a just a joy to cook in.'

Bernard, 50, (right) and Sonya Curry (left) have listed their mid-century-style Burwood East home for sale with a price guide of $1.2million - $1.3million

The Neighbours star outfitted the kitchen with a beautiful stone breakfast bar, Smeg oven, induction cooktop, and an integrated microwave and dishwasher to boot.

With stunning parkland views in a quiet cul-de-sac neighbourhood, Bernard said buyers will 'get a great sense of space' adding that 'it's just beautiful'.

The Home and Away actor also converted the under-house car park into a self-contained studio which includes its own powder room and separate entrance.

The Wentworth actor is set to auction off the property he has filmed many of his audition tapes in on May 11 through Jellis Craig Whitehorse

After purchasing the three-bedroom house with his wife in 2021, the soap star embarked on a 'modern renovation' with his brother Andrew, reported realestate.com.au late last month

Jellis Craig Whitehorse director Stephen Le Get will be handling the sale, with Bernard saying he didn't expect to put his home on the market so soon.

However, he went on to tell the publication he and Sonya wished to move to Brisbane as soon as possible after she received an 'amazing opportunity'.

Sonya recently landed a role in the Queensland Performing Arts Centre as the Head of Safety.

'I did a lot of the renovating myself with my brother Andrew, we're both quite handy. It was a great excuse to buy new tools,' Bernard told the publication

The Neighbours star outfitted the kitchen with a beautiful stone breakfast bar, Smeg oven, induction cooktop, and an integrated microwave and dishwasher to boot

With stunning parkland views in a quiet cul-de-sac neighbourhood, Bernard said buyers will 'get a great sense of space' adding that 'it's just beautiful'

It comes as Bernard is currently filming Hollywood flick Ice Road 2: Road to the Sky in Walhalla, Victoria.

With hit actor Liam Neeson acting as the lead character Mike McCann, Bernard will also be joined by Geoff Morrell and Grace O'Sullivan on the movie.

The heritage town of Walhalla has been completely transformed to depict a marketplace in Nepal, where Liam, 71, was recently spotted filming scenes.

Original blockbuster Ice Road was filmed in Canada where the first film was set, with the cast and crew now relocated to Australia for the sequel.
Katya Jones has shared her concerns about her 'maternal clock' ticking ahead of turning 35 this month.

The Strictly Come Dancing professional was married to her co-star on the BBC One Latin and ballroom show, Neil Jones, 42, before she was caught smooching her celebrity dance partner, comedian Seann Walsh, 38, in 2018.

And the dancer has admitted it's a struggle to balance her career with meeting someone and starting a family.

Speaking on pal Aimee Fuller's Monday Mile podcast, she said: 'Yes. Modern females of our age, we can have careers, pursue our passions.

'Be happy and fulfilled on our own. However, on the other side, it doesn't stop our maternal clock or our ageing process, unfortunately. So how do you balance those two things?'

Strictly's Katya Jones has shared her concerns about her 'maternal clock' ticking ahead of turning 35 this month

She also revealed how she deals with trolls after THAT Seann Walsh kissing scandal (seen together during their time on the show in 2018)

She was married to her co-star on the BBC One Latin and ballroom show, Neil Jones, 42, before she was caught smooching her celebrity dance partner, comedian Seann

Katya faced a barrage of abuse online for the infidelity with Seann, who also had a girlfriend at the time, but she insists she has learned how to 'disconnect from it'.

She said: 'I have totally learned to disconnect from it.

'It does not define who I am. What matters to me is us walking right now, you knowing who I am and that's enough. That is enough for me.

'My family knowing and loving me for who I am, that's enough for me.

'But would I like to add value to the world? Yes. And I already do it in some ways.

'Sometimes people ask me, what do you do for a job? And I think I make people happy because that's what Strictly does.'

As for Seann, he is still haunted by the kissing scandal, and recently revealed he has never danced since and is even disturbed by 'Strictly No Parking' zones.

The stand-up - who was in a relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries at the time - told fellow comic Russell Howard on the Wonderbox podcast: 'I do not dance. What it is more actually is when you turn up to any car park or something, and it says, 'Strictly No Parking'. I still just go, 'Arghh', every time I see it.

'I can hear the word  like a dog hearing something  I can just hear the word strictly and I still go, 'Arghh!''

And the dancer has admitted it's a struggle to balance her career with meeting someone and starting a family

Neil has moved on with Love Island star Chyna Mills, 25, with whom he welcomed a daughter, Havana, in October, and is engaged to

Neil has moved on with Love Island star Chyna Mills, 25, with whom he welcomed a daughter, Havana, in October, and is engaged to.

In January Neil admitted he and his ex-wife Katya never chatted about babies being in their future.

The dancer, 41, also revealed in an exclusive interview with MailOnline that he and his fiancee Chyna discussed children just three months into their romance.

He explained he and Strictly co-star Katya were always too focused on their careers and dancing to consider starting a family.

Neil was married to Katya for six years before he called it quits in August 2019, following her kiss with her 2018 Strictly partner Seann.

He and Love Island star Chyna welcomed their first child, daughter Havana, in October seven months after announcing their engagement and just over a year since they went public with their romance in August 2022.

When asked about any family plans with Katya, Neil told MailOnline in an interview for his collaboration with Burns Pet Nutrition: 'No we never really discussed children.

'We were busy with the dancing and our careers and things like that.'

The twinkle-toed star explained that while he and Chyna had baby fever just three months in, they did not expect the pregnancy to happen so quickly.

Katya faced a barrage of abuse online for the infidelity with Seann, who also had a girlfriend at the time, but she insists she has learned how to 'disconnect from it'

He explained that when he and Chyna met, they 'clicked so well' and now find it funny how soon they got into the serious conversation.

'I have got so many nieces and nephews, and then when I met Chyna we clicked so well', he added. 'And it's so funny that three months down the line that we both got into that conversation about having a child and we said, "Yeah, let's try for it".

'We never thought it would happen so quick. We were both over the moon.'

Neil and Love Island star Chyna welcomed their baby girl, Havana, in October 2023 shortly after announcing their engagement.
Queen Mary of Denmark was left utterly charmed during a recent royal engagement.

The Australian-born royal was paying a visit to a Copenhagen university last week when a little girl stepped forward from the waiting crowd to offer her flowers.

The tot, named Petra Bruun Funch, delicately reached out with her bouquet and caught Mary's eye.

The queen knelt down to reach the little girl, graciously taking the bouquet and sharing a sweet chat with the child.

The outing was one of Mary's latest since she became the Queen of Denmark.

Queen Mary of Denmark (pictured) was paying a visit to a Copenhagen university last week when a little girl stepped forward from the waiting crowd to offer her flowers

Mary recently admitted to feeling 'overwhelmed' since stepping up to the throne.

The royal couple gave their first interview as King and Queen, describing their feelings about taking over from Queen Margrethe, how they feel they've been accepted and what they see for the future.

They sat side-by-side in the interview, with King Frederik emphasising the couple's united front by using the word 'we' instead of 'I' countless times.

'We have embarked on our calling and our work, which symbolically happens with this action on the royal ship. It is very special,' he said.

The tot, named Petra Bruun Funch, delicately reached out with her bouquet and caught Mary's eye

The queen knelt down to reach the little girl, graciously taking the bouquet and sharing a sweet chat with the child

Mary recently admitted to feeling 'overwhelmed' since stepping up to the throne. Pictured alongside King Frederik

In the same interview, Queen Mary, who grew up in Tasmania, admitted to being overwhelmed 'at times' in her new role.

'It is very new and there are many changes and decisions,' she said.

She sounded confident, however, and believes that once they have moved past the transition period she will become more settled.

She also reflected on the moment her husband became King.

'I stood with the children and when you stepped out onto the balcony towards your fate, it was a moment that moved me incredibly much. We could hear and feel it, even if we couldn't see it. It was a beautiful moment. I was both very happy and very proud,' she gushed.

The couple said they would concentrate on the everyday tasks and traditional engagements before adding their own influence as King and Queen.

'It is very new and there are many changes and decisions,' she said
Kate Garraway has revealed she's resorted to withdrawing money from her pension pot to pay the huge bills from her late husband Derek Draper's medical care.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 57, shared the insight into her financial struggles during a discussion about the NHS and private care.

Following Derek's death, Kate has revealed she ended up in debts of between 500,000 and 800,000 while trying to fund her husband's round-the-clock medical care, after his battle with Covid in 2020.

In an ITV documentary last month, the star admitted she couldn't even afford to have the heating on in October.

Kate revealed that she's taken money out of her pension to pay for Derek's belated medical bills, after sharing the results of a GMB survey, which revealed one in five Brits are getting themselves into debt while funding private medical care.

Kate Garraway has revealed she's resorted to withdrawing money from her pension pot to pay the huge bills from her late husband Derek Draper's medical care

Following Derek's death, Kate has revealed she ended up in thousands of pounds of debt while trying to fund her husband's round-the-clock medical care

She said: 'I am doing something similar myself.

'I have had to withdraw the bit you can tax free from my pension to pay for belated bills for my husband, who has now passed away.

'People are having to do things - it wasn't a huge pension in the first place - which aren't what they saved for.'

Kate previously shared that she researched accessing her pension fund early to try and fund Derek's care.

In a recent episode of GMB, she said: 'It's only when a crisis hits you suddenly think hmm.

'I have experience of this, Derek fell very ill in March 2020. I was aware that he had some pensions, I had a small one that I knew.'

Over the weekend, Kate also marked her first birthday since Derek's death, sharing an Instagram video from her relaxing lunch with a group of friends.

The clip showed a smiling Kate blowing out her birthday candles, and she captioned her post: 'Well yesterday was another one of those sad 1sts - my first birthday since Dereks passing.

Kate revealed that she's taken money out of her pension to pay for Derek's medical bills

Derek was amongst the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 , being admitted into an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020

Derek suffered a heart attack before Christmas and died on January 3 (pictured with Kate in 2019)

Over the weekend, Kate also marked her first birthday since Derek's death, sharing an Instagram video from her relaxing lunch with a group of friends

The clip showed a smiling Kate blowing out her birthday candles

In a candid caption, Kate said she felt 'so sad' when she woke up on her birthday, but decided to spend the day 'celebrating life' after Derek's battle with Covid

'Woke up feeling so sad & thought well I can either cry all day or celebrate life as he did so well. And thanks to wonderful friends it worked!

'See you on @gmb tomorrow from 6 - happy bank holiday weekend everyone!'

Kate spent her last birthday opening her cards and reading them aloud to her COVID-stricken husband which was seen by fans in emotional scenes during her fly-on-the-wall documentary, Kate Garraway: Derek's Story.

The journalist is now determined to create 'wonderful new memories' for her two children Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14, four months after their dad's death.

Derek was amongst the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19, being admitted into an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020.

He was one of the country's longest-suffering Covid patients after being in hospital but never fully recovered after the virus left long-lasting damage to his organs and meant he needed round-the-clock care.

Derek suffered a heart attack before Christmas and died on January 3.
Skye Wheatley reunited with her I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia co-stars this weekend.

The reality star invited over Denise Drysdale and Stephen K Amos for a meal, with Denise, nicknamed Ding Dong, whipping up the trio a meal.

'Ding Dong cooked us a roast lunch and now I'm going to see @stephenkamos comedy show,' Skye wrote in her caption on Instagram alongside a series of images.

The photos showed the three co-stars enjoying a spread of food and glasses of wine together.

Skye also revealed that Denise is her next door neighbour, and explained her children have met her too.

Skye Wheatley reunited with her I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia co-stars this weekend. The reality star invited over Denise Drysdale and Stephen K Amos for a meal, with Denise, nicknamed Ding Dong, whipping up the trio a meal. All pictured

'This is living... also the kids ate all her Easter eggs,' she added.

It comes after Skye's victory in the competition saw her breaking down in tears as she looked back on her time on the show.

'I am so blessed to ever have experienced that. Thank you to everyone here for having me,' she said.

In the finale of the show, it came down to the final two, with Skye going up against Irish television presenter Tristan MacManus.

'Ding Dong cooked us a roast lunch and now I'm going to see @stephenkamos comedy show,' Skye wrote in her caption on Instagram alongside a series of images

The photos showed the three co-stars enjoying a spread of food and glasses of wine together and posing outside the home

Skye also revealed that Denise is her next door neighbour, and explained her children have met her too

But after a public vote, the social media star walked away with the win.

'I'm really shocked. I will say it again - I feel absolutely blessed to have had this opportunity and to go through the things that I went through and to do it for these three amazing boys and the rest of the world...

'I feel the whole journey, the whole experience has taught me so many things. I cannot wait to apply those in my every day life.'

The former Big Brother Australia star added: 'I just felt like I was being myself the whole time.'
January 2021: The beginning of the end

Gruffudd filed for divorce in March 2021, shortly after Evans claimed on social media that her husband of 14 years was walking out on her and their two daughters.

October 2021: Ioan goes public with his new love

After Evans' explosive announcement about her split all seemed to quieten down until October 2021 when she took to Twitter to claim to her 29,000 followers that her estranged husband had been cheating on her for three years with a much younger woman.

Evans implied that her ex had gaslighted her for years, betraying her and their two daughters (but did not offer any evidence to support her accusation).

February 2022: Ioan files for a restraining order against Alice

After months of pointed tweets and social media posts made by Evans, Gruffudd responded by filing for a restraining order, submitting 113 pages of unhinged texts and emails that had not previously been made public.

In his court filing, Gruffudd claimed he told Evans that he wanted out of the marriage in August 2020 and that since then, she had harassed him with hundreds of unanswered text messages, abusive emails and social media posts - many of which he included in the filing.

He claimed she verbally threatened to tell the media he had abused her 'do what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp'.

Inside the most bitter divorce in Hollywood: A look back at Alice Evans and Ioan Gruffudd's shock slanging match (pictured in 2004)

June 2022: Alice begs fans for money to pay for a divorce lawyer

As their divorce proceedings entered its 15th month, Evans claimed to be 'completely out of money for food and bills.'

She claimed she would receive no financial support from Gruffudd and that she was struggling to pay her legal fees and would be unable to 'feed or clothe' their daughters with her dwindling funds.

July 2022: Ioan asks for joint custody of daughters

After Evans filed for sole custody of their daughters, Gruffudd filed for custody and visitation rights to see his children, claiming in the filing that Evans had been purposely trying to cut communication between himself and the children.

He also petitioned that the girls attend in-person therapy and reunification therapy via zoom with him pending court-ordered mediation about custody.

In the filing, Gruffudd reiterated allegations that Evans had been verbally abusing during their 14-year marriage, and 'undermin[ing him] in front of the girls throughout their lives.'

August 2022: Ioan gets a three-year restraining order against Alice

Having previously been awarded a temporary restraining order against his estranged wife, Gruffudd successfully obtained a three-year restraining order against Evans in August 2022.

Harsher restrictions were put in place by a US judge, including a ruling preventing Alice from leaking private text messages from their children.

In the court documents, Gruffudd claimed Evans continued to cause him issues and wanted additional provisions added to the existing restraining order.

He also requested Evans not post his text messages or any other communications to the parties children, or the childrens text messages or any other communications to Ioan, on any social media account.

Gruffudd also asked for the judge to order Evans not to contact his employer or make disparaging statements about him to his employers.

October 2021: Ioan went public with his new love Bianca Wallace, posting a picture with the Australian actress who is 21 years younger than Alice

September 2022: Ioan and Alice's child custody battle hits a wall

Two months after Gruffudd filed for joint custody of his two daughters and asked for custody and visitation rights, the exes failed to settle their differences in family court, despite the help of a mediator.

Court documents showed the exes meeting was set for 31 August and that mediation had taken place but that 'no agreement' had been reached.

The document went on to confirm that that both Gruffudd and Evans had completed the mandatory Our Children First program.

The Superior Court of Los Angeles states of the program that: 'Parents are required by law to attend a mediation orientation/parent education program and a mediation session prior to appearing at an Order to Show Cause or Trial regarding the custody and/or visitation of their children.'

November 2022: Alice is reported to police over claims of 'child abuse' and drug use

Amid her ongoing custody battle, Evans claimed that someone called social services and the police on her with concerns over child abuse and drug and drink use.

The actress took to Twitter to allege that someone had sent authorities to her property who then found 'absolutely no signs of abuse' and 'no drugs or drink'.

July 2022: Ioan asked for joint custody of their daughters Ella, 13 and Elsie, nine, claiming Alice had been trying to cut communication between himself and the children (pictured in 2018

February 2023: Child custody agreement is stalled again after Alice is charged with 'violating restraining order'

Evans appeared in court in February 2023 to answer two charges of violating a restraining order that was put in place by her estranged husband.

The warring former couple were scheduled to appear later that month at a custody hearing but Evans asked for a postponement.

Her attorney, Marie LaMolinara, argued that testimony Alice gives at the custody hearing could be used against her in her later criminal trial, which would violate her right, under the 5th Amendment, not to incriminate herself.

March 2023: Charges against Alice are dropped

Prosecutors in Los Angeles dropped charges against Evans who had been accused of defying a restraining order the Welsh actor has against her.

Evans had pleaded not guilty to two counts of violating the order and at a hearing at LA's Airport Courthouse, Commissioner James Cooper dismissed the charges after prosecutors told the court they were 'unable to proceed.'

At a follow-up hearing, Evans' attorney, public defender, Daniel Stefanic, filed a motion asking for a ruling that would declare her 'factually innocent' of the charges.

August 2022: Ioan successfully obtained a three-year restraining order against Alice that banned her from mentioning him or his girlfriend on social media (Ioan and Bianca pictured May 2022)

May 2023: Alice moves out of $2million family home as ex Ioan is 'too poor' to pay for it

Evans and her children moved out of her family home and into a rented abode with their two daughters after Gruffudd pleaded with a court to allow the home to be sold, saying he didn't have the money to keep up with mortgage payments for his family following their split in 2021.

The Fantastic Four star told a court in a document filed last year that neither he nor Evans could afford the $6,750 a month in mortgage payments, insurance and property tax.

He said he'd had just one paid job in the past year and was so poor he was relying on handouts from his young girlfriend.

May 2023: Ella, 13, applies for a restraining order against dad Ioan and his girlfriend Bianca

The teenage daughter of Evans and Gruffudd asked for a restraining order against her famous father and his girlfriend in documents filed on May 31 at the Los Angeles Superior Court.

In the documents, Ella stated that she is 'afraid' of her father and accuses him of 'threatening to call the police on her anytime she misbehaves' during their visitations.

Ella filed for a domestic violence restraining order against her father following what she said was an ugly incident at their home, during which she claims Bianca 'slammed a door on her head'.

In her filing against her father, Ella requested that he be made to keep at least 100 yards away from her and not contact her for five years and asks that Gruffudd be ordered to undergo a '52-week batterer intervention program'.

The program, which involves weekly classes, is intended - the document states - to 'stop abuse, teach accountability, abuse effects, and gender roles'.

Ella requested that the restraining order also cover her nine-year-old sister Elsie, noting that she 'lives with her sister and is afraid that [Ioan] will abuse and/or continue to allow abuse to happen to my sister too'.

She also asked that her father be made to pay 'for some or all of her lawyer's fees and costs' and requests that her phone account and that of her sister Elsie's be transferred to their mother, alleging that Gruffudd has 'threatened to cancel my sister's phone account and my phone account'.

Along with her domestic restraining order filing, Ella included a declaration as evidence to support her case, in which she shared her recollection of a bitter spat that she claims took place while she and her nine-year-old sister Elsie were visiting their father's home on May 26.

Ella admitted that she was 'so mad' at her father to find that Wallace was at his apartment when she arrived that she began throwing food on his bed, on the floor, and on him, before she attempted to flee the apartment - which, she says, is when the actress 'slammed a door on her head', leaving her with 'a small bump' and a 'bruise on her arm'.

May 2023: The teenage daughter of Alice and Ioan asked for a restraining order against her famous father and his girlfriend in documents filed on May 31 (Alice and Ella pictured)

June 2023: Ioan accuses Alice of abusing him via fake Twitter accounts

In court documents seen by MailOnline, Gruffudd claimed his estranged wife screamed at him outside his Los Angeles home and called him a 'f***ing abuser' and 'abusive c***' in front of their 13-year-old daughter.

Gruffudd also claimed Evans repeatedly broken a three-year restraining order he took out against her which has resulted in criminal charges - and flashed him while wearing no underwear when their children were being dropped off.

The bombshell papers also contained claims from Gruffudd that: Evans has made 'thousands of false, threatening and harassing posts' about him; Evans claims to be home-schooling Ella, but has 'provided no information'; Evans has interfered with the girls' therapy and they are missing appointments; and Ella poured rolled oats from a bag over his head, which left him 'in shock'.

July 2023: Ioan and Alice are declared legally divorced

In a court order handed down in LA Superior Court, Judge Josh Freeman Stinn finally granted Gruffudd's request for divorce amid the couple's ongoing custody battle.

The Welsh actor had filed for bifurcation and termination of marital status in May which would allow him and Evans to be declared legally divorced even as they continue settlement negotiations in their split.

A minute order obtained by DailyMail.com show the judge approved the request on July 3, ruling: 'The Court finds irreconcilable differences have arisen in the marriage and grants judgment for the dissolution of marriage as to status only, effective today.'

July 2023: Ioan's daughter loses bid for domestic violence restraining order against him

Two months after Ella filed documents a judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court dismissed an application by Ella for a domestic violence restraining order.

Gruffudd was present in court, along with Ms Evans for the hearing, as well as the lawyer appointed as the minor's counsel last month.

The judge ruled: 'The minor's request for a domestic violence restraining order against the petitioner is hereby dismissed without prejudice.'

The decision came three weeks after the teenager's bid to get a civil protection order against Gruffudd's actress girlfriend Bianca Wallace, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was also denied.

Ioan said: Friends of the Liar star said he was 'very relieved' at the outcome. They also claimed that the situation is a 'nightmare' but they are 'happy to see some progress'.

August 2023: Ioan accuses Alice of 'child abuse' and keeping their daughters from him

A Los Angeles judge attempted to shield Gruffudd and Evans from the fallout of their parents' ugly battles by banning the press from a custody hearing, keeping the proceedings secret.

But that didn't stop the warring former couple  who are both seeking custody of the girls  from taking vitriolic shots at each other in written court filings that are public and not sealed.

The Welsh star called his ex a 'child abuser'  while Evans claimed Gruffudd hadn't seen or called his children for almost three months, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.

Ioan said: 'Alice has continued to inflict serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them.

'Alice has verbally abused and undermined me in front of the girls throughout their lives.

'Since January 2021, Alice has also encouraged and instructed them not to see me or communicate with me and she has made thousands of threatening and abusive communications to me and about me.'

Alice said: 'I have read and disagree with the declaration of petitioner (Gruffudd) as to allegations that I am inflicting or causing our children ''serious emotional harm".

'No one has ever contacted me or reported me for such conduct. No professional, nor teacher, nor school administrator, nor counsel, nor therapist.

'Petitioner has not seen, complied with, nor called the children for 11 weeks. I don't understand how having no recent information, "petitioner believes" there is an urgency such that a child custody evaluation must be commenced.'
Josie Gibson has revealed she 'used to cry on a daily basis' when she was cruelly trolled about her weight after leaving the Big Brother house.

The reality star, 39, who appeared on the show in 2010, admitted that 'awful' online abuse took a huge toll on her mental health.

Speaking during a discussion on This Morning, Josie shared her trolling ordeal after detailing how stars such as Kate Beckinsale and Davina McCall shared their own experiences with vile comments about their weight.

She said: 'I used to cry on a daily basis after coming out of BB. It was the start of social media, but when I lost weight people were awful.'

'I don't feel like I get shamed as much as I used to though, I do feel like things are changing.'

Josie Gibson has revealed she 'used to cry on a daily basis' when she was cruelly trolled about her weight after leaving the Big Brother house

The reality star, who appeared on the show in 2010, admitted that 'awful' online abuse took a huge toll on her mental health

In 2014, Josie shared that she lost six stone over the course of a year, going from a size 20 to a size eight.

And last year, ahead of her appearance on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Josie revealed she'd slimmed down from a size 18 to a 14 after hiring a personal trainer.

She told The Daily Mail: 'Well I don't feel like I'm in great shape but before I knew I was doing this I did hire a personal trainer and we've been weight training.

'And then I've been running with my hairdresser Maurice and everyone thinks that we are an item!

'We put a picture of us on Instagram, but he's actually my hair stylist. He's amazing. And he takes me running. I've never been a runner but now I've been running a few 5Ks here and there.

'It's finding the time, because I am here, there and everywhere and then I've got Reggie.

'So it is I find it really, really hard just finding a bit of time for myself but I've been on top of it.

'The only thing I haven't done and probably should have is got myself ready for this eating wise. But I haven't. I've been eating every meal like it's my last!  for a long time!'

She said: 'I used to cry on a daily basis after coming out of BB. It was the start of social media, but when I lost weight people were awful'

In 2014, Josie shared that she lost six stone over the course of a year, going from a size 20 to a size eight

She also told how she understands why people go for weight loss jabs but she would never choose to do so.

The blonde beauty explained: 'The thing is, I can understand, you know, when people get desperate and they want to do that.

'But it wouldn't be for me, only because I don't want to mess around with my body, I like everything natural, I always go down the natural route.

'But I can understand that people do it, [fat jabs] but for me, I want to mess around with myself like that.'

She added of weight in general in reference to her work on daytime TV: 'We're all different shapes and sizes on This Morning!

'And I think that's good cos you've got to appeal to everybody. I think we've come another way.'
The Detroiter pizza at Via 313 in Memorial, with smoked pepperoni under the cheese and a hotter, natural casing pepperoni on top Alison Cook/Staff The Detroit-style classic cheese pizza at Via 313 in Memorial Alison Cook/Staff The Cadillac pizza at Via 313, with prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, fig preserves and balsamic glaze Alison Cook/Staff The Supreme bar-style pizza at Via313, with bacon, sausage, green peppers and red onion. Alison Cook/Staff Austin-based Via 313, specializing in Detroit-style pizza, has opened at 10201 Kay Fwy. in Memorial City. MetroNational

These came out fast! exclaimed our waiter at Via 313, the Austin-based Detroit-style pizzeria that opened recently on Interstate 10 in Memorial, next to Goode Company Seafood.

He had just deposited two rectangular pies on our table, their craggy browned cheese perimeters standing tall.

I had come to probe the mysteries of Detroit pizza after my confounding experiences at Gold Tooth Tonys, where the brilliant toppings had been weighed down by sodden-in-the-middle crusts.

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Did I just not like Detroit style? I wondered that, although I remembered enjoying a Detroit pie way back when Pizaros Pizza Napoletana introduced their version of the style in 2016. Theirs was the first Detroit pie in what was then Houstons rapidly changing pizza landscape.

Now Via 313 is one of at least a good half-dozen Houston pizzerias offering the style. My initial visit demonstrated that maybe Detroit pizza was for me, after all. I had always enjoyed the thick-crusted Roman and Sicilian styles, with their focaccia-like supports. And my first Via313 pie  the base-level Classic Cheese Pizza  was delightful stuff on the midafternoon when I tried it.

The cheese edges crackled. The spongy interior was cooked through and springy enough to be relatively light on its feet. The tomato sauce was nicely tart and bright. The mozz stretched high and higher as I pulled apart the first of four slices.

I ate them all, all by myself. Then I returned a couple weeks later, with friends, to check my work.

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Uh-oh. One bite into the Detroiter pizza and the waiters these came out fast started to seem more curse than compliment. The middle of the pie was so logged with moisture it had started to turn translucent, like a dough slick.

Pulled too early from the deck ovens, my companions and I agreed, even as we noted the interesting double-pepperoni action, in which thin slices of smoked pepperoni lurked under the cheese layer, and thicker, spicier cups of natural-casing pepperoni skittered across the top. The tomato sauce still shone. The cheese still stretched  two-and-a-half feet and counting when I pulled the first square.

But the experience was grievously undercut by the layer of underbaked crust. Our second pie  the Cadillac, a pleasant if dessert-like combo of prosciutto, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, fig preserves and squiggles of balsamic glaze  fared better in the crust department, being baked all the way through. In fact, even though Im not a fan of the whole hot-honey-sweet-pizza trend, I couldnt stop eating this pie.

My current theory, which I plan to test further, is that its baking time rather than the doughs moisture content that makes the difference in Detroit-style crust.

We also tried Via313s round, thin-crusted bar-style pizza, but I didnt get it. The thinnish crust read more like regulation pie crust, despite its low rim of crisped cheese, and it split the difference between soft and crunchy in a way that was unpersuasive. The sausage was hot and fennel-shot; the bacon involved had snap; and I remembered all over again why I dont like green pepper on my pizza.

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Still, when the Detroit pies spend sufficient time in the oven here, they can be compelling. I wish I could say the same for the dismal wine-by-the-glass list, or the way-too-sweet arugula salad, for which I had hopes.

The service by a troupe of eager young people is notably jolly, though. That, and the prospect of a good Detroit-style pie when the stars align, are enough to merit a visit. At the end, a Hub Cap dessert of a soft-baked cookie with a scoop of ice cream on top may speak to your inner 4-year-old.

It did to mine.

Via 313, 10201 Katy Freeway, Suite 350, 346-501-4313. Lunch and dinner daily.
Lara Worthington put on a jaw-dropping display when she took a dip beneath crystal blue waters in a saucy black bikini.

The Australian model, 36, flaunted her toned figure as she dove into the sea, twisting her frame in a dazzling display.

She unleashed her inner mermaid in a candid video she uploaded to her Instagram Stories, attracting thousands of views and likes in a matter of hours.

Her whimsical clip comes after the media personality was spotted looking smitten with her husband Sam Worthington in New York City last month.

The Australian actor, 47, and the model shared a joke as they ran errands after returning to their adopted American home following a trip to Australia.

Lara Worthington, 36, (pictured) put on a jaw-dropping display when she took a dip beneath crystal blue waters in a saucy black bikini

Lara arrived by taxi after spending time browsing around the upmarket shopping district of 5th Avenue.

Meanwhile, the Avatar star tried to take his love by surprise as he was stood waiting for her to arrive with his hoodie pulled up.

The pair then took a stroll around their neighborhood, going to a sandwich shop before stopping at a FedEx store to pick up a package.

The Australian model flaunted her toned figure as she dove into the sea, twisting her frame in a dazzling display

Lara and Sam made a surprise appearance in Pines Park, Sydney just the week before as they watched the round five NRL match between Manly and Penrith.

It comes after Lara revealed how she and husband Sam are a 'team' and always work together to keep their family a well-oiled machine.

The model told Stellar magazine in October of 2022 that the pair, who met in 2013 and married a year later, are enjoying getting older together.

She unleashed her inner mermaid in a candid video she uploaded to her Instagram Stories, attracting thousands of views and likes in a matter of hours

Lara said: 'As a family unit, we're all very close. We've only got each other. Sam and I are a good team. We're both Australians and we have the same values.

'We come at our children as a team and I think that's really important.'

She went on to say Sam is a 'a strong father figure' who supports her in her creative pursuits.

Lara and Sam share three sons - Rocket, seven, Racer, six, and River, two.
Dan Walker was reunited with his Strictly Come Dancing co-star Nadiya Bychkova as they performed at The Royal Albert Hall for Prom Praise: Chariots of Fire Live on Sunday.

The broadcaster pulled his dancing shoes back on as he took to the stage with the professional dancer for the event.

The pair were partnered up for the nineteenth series of the hit BBC show back in 2021 and they reached Week 11, coming fifth.

Dan dressed smart in a black striped suit while Nadiya looked sensational in a dazzling grey gown which featured sheer sleeves and feathered edging.

Leaving her long blonde tresses in loose waves, the beauty elevated her frame in a pair of silver heels.

Dan Walker was reunited with his Strictly Come Dancing co-star Nadiya Bychkova as they performed at The Royal Albert Hall for Prom Praise: Chariots of Fire Live on Sunday

The broadcaster pulled his dancing shoes back on as he took to the stage with the professional dancer for the event

The pair seemed in good spirits as they posed for photos backstage before rehearsing ahead of the performance.

Dan showed off his dancing skills as he and the ballroom star performed with an incredible orchestra.

Ahead of the show, Dan and Nadiya posed for behind-the-scenes pictures promoting the Chariots Of Fire Live.

She showed off her amazing figure in a white halter neck sequinned maxi dress which she teamed with a pair of beige stilettos.

The Ukrainian dancer draped a crisp white blazer over her shoulders as she beamed for photos with Dan, who looked dapper in a navy suit and open collar white shirt.

Dan teased the reunion on Instagram last month as the pair rehearsed their 'lyrical cross between an American Smooth & a Viennese Waltz' dance.

Alongside a selfie, he wrote: 'Great to be back in the rehearsal room with professional partner and multiple world champion, @nadiyabychkova.

'We have been asked to dance at the Royal Albert Hall to the iconic Chariots of Fire music from Vangelis!!!

The pair were partnered up for the nineteenth series of the hit BBC show back in 2021 and they reached Week 11, coming fifth

Dan dressed smart in a black striped suit while Nadiya looked sensational in a dazzling grey gown which featured sheer sleeves and feathered edging

Dan and Nadiya performed a number of difficult lifts during the performance

Leaving her long blonde tresses in loose waves, the beauty elevated her frame in a pair of silver heels

The pair seemed in good spirits as they posed for photos backstage before rehearsing ahead of the performance

She showed off her amazing figure in a white halter neck sequinned maxi dress which she teamed with a pair of beige stilettos

The Ukrainian dancer draped a crisp white blazer over her shoulders as she beamed for photos with Dan, who looked dapper in a navy suit and open collar white shirt

Dan teased the reunion on Instagram last month as the pair rehearsed their 'lyrical cross between an American Smooth & a Viennese Waltz' dance

'It is the first time Nadiya has ever danced in the iconic venue and its all part of Prom Praise 2024 - a live celebration of 100 years since Eric Liddell famously won his gold medal at the Paris Olympics'

'Good news: Nadiya has choreographed something beautiful - a lyrical cross between an American Smooth & a Viennese Waltz.

'Good news 2: my Strictly trousers still fit.

'Bad News: I have forgotten how much your body aches.

'It has been great to dance again and I cant wait for Saturday night. There is a full orchestra and choir and its going to be incredible.'
George Michael's former home is reportedly set to be bulldozed and transformed into a 10 million property, after falling into disrepair.

The music icon, who died in 2016 at the age of 53, bought his north London home in 1987 at the height of his career, and lived there for many years.

After George moved out of the property to spend more time at his other London home, and his country estate in Berkshire, the mansion fell into a poor conditon.

The home was then left to George's sister Yioda Panayiotou, and she's now been given permission by Camden Council to bulldoze the property, with architects BB Partnership vowed to make the crumbling home 'habitable.'

Planning documents obtained by The Sun show that the old roof will be completely ripped out and replaced with a new one featuring solar panels.

George Michael 's former home in north London is reportedly set to be bulldozed and transformed into a 10 million property, after falling into disrepair

The music icon, who died in 2016 at the age of 53, bought his north London home in 1987 at the height of his career, and lived there for many years (pictured in 2005)

The plans also include changing an adjoining garage into living quarters, adding new doors and windows and decking will be installed all round the back of the house.

The existing cement board cladding will also be swapped for a more modern white aesthetic laminate board.

Planning applications also show that two standalone garages could be converted into one taller version, suggesting that George's sister herself may be moving in.

Planning officer Daniel Pope told the publication: 'Given the nature of the work and the distance away from neighbouring properties...

'The proposal is not considered harmful in terms of loss of privacy, outlook, implications to natural light, artificial light spill, or impacts caused from the construction phase of the development.'

Scoffolding has now reportedly been erected around the property, and when work is complete it could fetch upwards of 10 million.

Built to a futuristic design in the mid-1970s, George's home was ransacked in his absence in 2002 when raiders stole jewellery, designer clothes and paintings, as well as family heirlooms bequeathed to the Wham! star by his beloved mother, who died of cancer in 1997.

The intruders then drove off in his Aston Martin DB7.

Planning documents show that the propertly will be completely transformed with a new roof and cladding, and the finished property could be worth 10 million

In the last decade of his life he spent far more of his time at a classic Georgian house in north London and at his 16th century house in Oxfordshire where he was found dead on Christmas Day 2016.

Exactly three years later, his younger sister, Melanie, died aged 59, leaving Yioda as the only surviving sibling.

In 2019, George's Oxfordshire property was finally sold, with the Land Registry reporting that a family new to the area had purchased the countryside home.

John Reid, a lawyer acting for George's family and estate confirmed Mill Cottage had been sold.

He told the Mirror: 'It was a place that he loved, not least for the privacy that it afforded him.

'We would therefore kindly ask that the new owners have their privacy respected and are able to enjoy the property as he did.'
Canadian star Drake and American rapper Kendrick Lamar, arguably two of the world's biggest hip-hop voices, have been embroiled in a furious rivalry for years.

Fans of either artist will know that the pair have a rocky relationship, despite becoming friends and even collaborating on each other's records in their early careers.

The feud entered new territory on Saturday when Kendrick Lamar, 36, made some serious accusations on his new track Not Like Us, which was released shortly after he dropped Meet The Grahams - another diss track.

In the new song, Kendrick appears to accuse Drake, 37, of being a pedophile, along with another member of his crew - Drake quickly responded by releasing The Heart Part 6 where he rapped that he's 'never been with no one underage'.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Drake's representatives for comment.

Here, MailOnline delves into the history behind the ongoing rap war, including how the decade-old conflict began and all of the shots fired between the stars.

Canadian star Drake (RIGHT) and American rapper Kendrick Lamar (LEFT), arguably two of the world's biggest hip-hop voices, have been embroiled in a furious rivalry for years

2013 - The first shot was fired by Kendrick Lamar

The Canadian and the Compton native started out amicable, collaborating on Drake's 2011 album Take Care, Kendrick's 2012 track Poetic Justice, and A$AP Rocky's 2013 track F***** Problems.

The rap rivals even happily toured together in 2012 during Drake's $42.6M-grossing, 65-date Club Paradise Tour.

But Kendrick (born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth) drew a line in the sand in 2013 with his song Control: 'I'm usually homeboys with the same n****s I'm rhyming with / But this is hip-hop and them n****s should know what time it is / And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, ASAP Rocky, Drake.

'Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you n****s / Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n****s / They don't wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n****s.'

In the same month, Drake responded to the lyric by telling Billboard magazine: ' I didn't really have anything to say about it.

'It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That's all it was. I know good and well that Kendrick's not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.'

The same year, Kendrick Lamar was named GQ's rapper of the year and told Complex that things are 'pretty cool' between the two of them, but cooly added: 'I mean, I would be okay if we weren't'.

In the new song, Kendrick appears to accuse Drake, 37, of being a pedophile, along with another member of his crew (Kendrick Lamar pictured at Glastonbury in 2022)

Fans of either artist will know that the pair have a rocky relationship, despite becoming friends and even collaborating on each others records in their early careers

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musician also referred to tucking 'a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes' at the BET Awards.

On Future's track S**t, which was released in September of 2013, Drake hit back by rapping: 'Took n***as out the hood like I'm from there / So you know it's all good when I come there / I hear you talk about your city like you run that / And I brought my tour to your city, you my son there, n***a.'

The star was seemingly referring to the fact that Kendrick played big shows at the time around Los Angeles, his hometown, while supporting Drake on tour in 2012.

2014 and 2015 - The rappers continued to make digs at each other

As the rivalry became more public, in 2014, American rapper Macklemore, took home Album of the Year - a category that both Drake and Kendrick were also nominated for in the rap section.

Following his win, Macklemore shared a screenshot of a text message that he had sent to Kendrick, admitting that he thought the fellow rapper was 'robbed' and he 'deserved best rap album'.

After this, Drake responded in an interview with Rolling Stone where he said the apology from Macklemore felt 'cheap', adding: 'No, in that case, you robbed everybody. We all need text messages!'

Kendrick also released the single King Kunta, which featured on the album To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015, with fans believing the lyrics hint at ghostwriting allegations towards Drake.

Particularly the lines: 'I can dig rappin', but a rapper with a ghostwriter? / What the f*** happened? / I swore I wouldn't tell'

October 2023 - The feud reignites with First Person Shooter

Aside from a few subtle jibes over the years, the friction seemed to die down, until it reignited again in October of last year.

Drake and J. Cole released their song First Person Shooter referring to themselves and Kendrick as 'the big three': 'Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K. Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three, like we started a league.'

Aside from a few subtle jibes over the years, the friction seemed to die down, until it reignited again in October of last year (Drake pictured in 2019)

March 22 2024 - Kendrick Lamar drops Like That

Kendrick Lamar seemingly took issue with this, which he expressed in an uncredited verse on Metro Boomin and Future's track Like That, which dropped on March 26.

Igniting the rap beef, he threw multiple lyrical jabs at both Drake and J Cole, furiously rapping the stand out line: 'Motherf**k the big three, n***a, it's just big me.'

Kendrick also said 'Prince outlived Mike Jack' as a shot to the five-time Grammy winner, and he rapped of his album For All the Dogs: 'N***a, bum, before all your dogs getting buried / That's a K with all these nines, he gone see Pet Cemetary.'

April 13 and 19 2024 - Drake fired back with Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle

In April, Drake released another Kendrick Lamar diss track titled Push Ups, taking aim at the rapper's small feet in the track's promo art, which featured only a size 7 shoe tag.

Lyrics to the song include: 'Top say drop, you better drop and give 'em fifty / Pipsqueak, pipe down / You ain't in no big three, SZA got you wiped down / Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down.'

He also hit out with 'Taylor Made Freestyle,' where he used the AI-generated voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar's idols, to go after him. However, it resulted in a cease and desist from Tupac's estate.

It takes aim at Kendrick Lamar, J Cole and The Weeknd, who all previously slammed Drake in guest verses on Future and Metro Boomin's album We Don't Trust You.

April 30 2024 - Kendrick Lamar released Euphoria

At the end of the month Kendrick responded with Euphoria - a six-minute-long diss track, taking shots at his rival.

In shock lyrics, he addresses Drake directly and whether he 'feels black enough' - as well as branding him an absent father and 'master manipulator'.

He raps: 'How many more fairytale stories about your life 'til we've had enough? How many more Black features 'til you finally feel that you're Black enough?'

Elsewhere in the track, Kendrick raps: 'Know you a master manipulator and habitual liar, too/But dont tell no lie bout me, and I wont tell truths bout you.'

He also accused Drake of being an absent father to his son Adonis, six, rapping: 'I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin' 'bout that.'

Three days after dropping Euphoria, Kendrick came for Drake again with 6:16 in LA

May 3 2024 - Kendrick Lamar released 6:16 in LA

Kendrick also released '6:16 in LA,'which is a parody of the Canadian musician's famous timestamp songs such as 4 PM in Calabasas, which he released in 2013, and his song from last year, 8 AM in Charlotte.

In the lyrics, Kendrick disses Drake by going after his OVO crew and his music.

He raps: 'Have you ever thought that OVO was workin' for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person / Everyone in your team is whispering that you deserve it.'

He even plays on one of Drake's viral hits Toosie Slide from 2020, rapping: 'Can't Toosie Slide out of this one / It's just gon' resurface.'

May 3 and 4 2024 - Drake releases Family Matters and Kendrick Lamar fires back with Meet the Grahams

Announcing the song on Instagram, Drake captioned the post, 'FAMILY MATTERS out on YouTube now. Stop trying to piece together what I know and go pick up the pieces of your broken home'

On Kendrick's Meet the Grahams, he points to Drake's alleged battle with gambling and alcohol (Pictured in Inglewood, CA in August in 2017)

In response, Drake shared a selfie to his Instagram Story and wrote, 'Nahhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me...these guys are in shambles,' with crying laughing emoji

Drake continued the ongoing beef by releasing a diss track called Family Matters - responding to Euphoria and 6:16 in LA.

In response to Kendrick raising the subject of Drake's parenting, he raps: 'You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad/I gotta go bad, I gotta go bad.'

Announcing the song on Instagram, Drake captioned the post, 'FAMILY MATTERS out on YouTube now. Stop trying to piece together what I know and go pick up the pieces of your broken home.'

Mere minutes after Drake released his song, Kendrick fired back with Meet the Grahams, his third diss in a week.

On his quick-witted rebuttal, Kendrick suggests Drake has a secret daughter.

'You lied about your son, you lied about your daughter, huh, you lied about them other kids that's out there hoping that you come,' go the lyrics.

Elsewhere on Kendrick's recording he points to Drake's alleged battle with gambling and alcohol.

In response, Drake shared a selfie to his Instagram Story and wrote, 'Nahhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me...these guys are in shambles,' with crying laughing emoji.

May 4 2024 - Kendrick Lamar calls Drake a pedophile in his newest diss track Not Like Us

This brings us back to present day, and Kendrick's newest song Not Like Us was released on May 4 on YouTube with what appeared to be a graphic of Drake's home covered with red sex offender symbols.

In the lyrics, the Pulitzer Prize winner hit out at the hitmaker and members of his Octobers Very Own (OVO) crew.

'Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young,' Kendrick raps, encouraging others to 'hide your little sister from him.'

He then goes on to say 'They tell me Chubbs (Drake's security guard) the only one that get your hand-me-downs.'

'And Party at the party playin wit his nose now,' targeting Canadian artist PartyNextDoor.

It gets even more personal when Kendrick lodges these allegations against Baka Not Nice: 'And Baka got a weird case/Why is he around? he asks, before seeming to call both Baka and Drake, 'Certified Lover Boys, certified pedophiles.'

He continues with, 'Why you trollin' like a b****, ain't you tired? You're tryin' to strike a chord and it's probably A minor.'

May 5 2024 - Drake responds with The Heart Part 6

In the latest of the back and forth battle, Drake quickly responded on Sunday May 5 by releasing The Heart Part 6.

He rapped: 'I never been with no one underage but now I understand why this the angle that you really mess with / Just for clarity, I feel disgusted, Im too respected / If I was f***ing young girls, I promise Id have been arrested / Im way too famous for this s*** you just suggested.'

The Canadian star continued: 'Drake is not a name that you gon see on no sex offender list.

'This Epstein angle was the s*** I expected / TikTok videos you collected and dissected / Instead of being on some diss-direct s*** / You rather f***ing grab your pen and misdirect s***.'
Emily Ratajkowski ensured all eyes were on her as she put on a very sexy display around New York City ahead of the Met Gala, also known as fashion's biggest night out.

The My Body author, 32, proved she is still the queen of street style while rocking a ripped midriff-baring sweater, which bared her toned abs, white boxer shorts and a Burberry trench coat on Sunday afternoon.

She completed the bold ensemble with a pair of calf-length, leather boots with a stylish buckle, sunglasses and a black quilted handbag, slung over her shoulder.

The model opted to wear her straight brown hair down over her shoulders and exuded confidence as she walked with both hands in her pockets.

Emily Ratajkowski ensured all eyes were on her as she put on a very sexy display in a bold look ahead of the Met Gala, also known as fashion's biggest night out

Her latest sighting comes after she sparked romance rumors with film executive Noah Sacco after they were seen kissing following a dinner date in New York City last month.

Sacco, 37, is the head of film at production company, A24.

He started at A24 as a production and acquisitions executive not long after the company was founded in April 2012.

A24 is responsible for numerous critically acclaimed films including multiple Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonlight and Midsommar.

Ratajkowski has also appeared in several films including the wildly popular 2014 film Gone Girl.

After splitting up from ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, the beauty's love life has been making headlines.

Last year, Ratajkowski opened up about her love life in an interview for HommeGirls, stating she was fully open to the prospect of dating a woman.

The star said via Elle that she was simply 'waiting for the right one to come along. I've always been someone who's more attracted to vibe than specifics of physicality.'

The My Body author, 32, proved she is still the queen of street style while rocking a ripped midriff-baring sweater, which bared her toned abs, white boxer shorts and a Burberry trench coat

She completed the bold ensemble with a pair of calf-length, leather boots with a stylish buckle, sunglasses and a black quilted handbag, slung over her shoulder

The model opted to wear her straight brown hair down over her shoulders and exuded confidence as she walked with both hands in her pockets around New York City

She added: 'Sometimes it'll just randomly hit me, and I'll be like, "Whoa, I'm attracted to this person!"'

The Gone Girl actress also explained her standards for dating had been raised over the last few years.

'[The] younger version of myself would have prob settled for some mid dude...Glad I'm not in that era anymore,' she said.

Emily and her estranged husband split amid accusations that he was a 'serial cheater'. She filed for divorce in 2022.

Her latest sighting comes after she sparked romance rumors with film executive Noah Sacco after they were seen kissing following a dinner date in New York City last month

They share three-year-old son Sylvester.

A source told Page Six at the time claimed he is a 'serial cheater', adding: 'Yeah, he cheated. He's a serial cheater. It's gross. He's a dog.'

Following her break-up with ex-husband Sebastian Bear McClard, Emily has enjoyed a string of high profile dates with stars, including Pete Davidson, Harry Styles and Eric Andre.

Most recently, Emily enjoyed a passionate PDA session in Paris with actor and comedian Stephane Bak as the pair stepped out together in October.
Gogglebox's Josh Tapper and his fiancee Hannah Sterman celebrated their happy engagement with a wholesome party on Sunday.

The TV star, 26, who proposed to his long-term partner in March, couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he posed alongside his wife-to-be.

Josh's sister Amy shared a glimpse into their fun-filled family bash with a slew of snaps on Instagram.

Hannah looked every inch of the doting bride as she wore a glamorous white mini dress with a ruched hem.

Josh looked incredibly dapper in a grey suit and crisp white shirt, while Amy looked gorgeous in a ruffled yellow dress.

Gogglebox's Josh Tapper, 26, and his fiancee Hannah Sterman (middle) celebrated their happy engagement with a wholesome party on Sunday (pictured with Josh's parents and sister Amy)

The TV star, who proposed to his long-term partner in March, couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he posed alongside his wife-to-be

In March, Amy congratulated the happy couple on social media, overjoyed she had finally 'gained a sister'.

Sharing a snap of her brother and Hannah flashing her ring, an excitable Amy wrote: 'The phone called I've been waiting for and the best news in the entire world.

'My friends are engaged. I officially have a sister.'

She then posted a picture of the proposal after Josh had set up red roses, candles, couples pictures and a light up Marry Me sign.

Amy added in another Story: 'Welcome to the family Han, couldn't wish for anyone better.'

Josh and Hannah are teenage sweethearts who have dated since they were around 17 years old.

It comes just a few days after Josh announced that he is running to be a Labour MP at the next election in a hope to unseat the Deputy Prime Minister.

The TV personality, who appeared on the hit show alongside his family, revealed to his followers this week that he has been selected as the parliamentary candidate for the Hertsmere constituency.

Josh's sister Amy shared a glimpse into their fun-filled family bash with a slew of snaps on Instagram

Hannah looked every inch of the doting bride as she wore a glamorous white mini dress with a ruched hem (pictured with family)

The couple organised 'H & J' light-up letters for the party

In March, Amy congratulated the happy couple on social media, overjoyed she had finally 'gained a sister'

Sharing a snap of her brother and Hannah flashing her ring, an excitable Amy wrote: 'The phone called I've been waiting for and the best news in the entire world'

Josh and Hannah are teenage sweethearts who have dated since they were around 17 years old

The Hertfordshire constituency is currently represented by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden.

Mr Dowden held the safe Tory seat in the 2019 general election with a thumping majority of 21,313 and 62.5 per cent of the vote, so it will be an uphill struggle for Mr Tapper if he wishes to topple the senior politician.

Hertsmere has only ever been represented by a Conservative MP since it was created in 1983, but Mr Tapper has said he wants to be the man to reverse this trend.

Sharing the news of his selection on X, formerly Twitter, Josh told this followers: 'I'm thrilled and honoured to have been selected as Labour's parliamentary candidate for Hertsmere.

'Thank you so much to local members for your support - I won't let you down. The work to unseat the Deputy Prime Minister starts now!'

Josh occasionally appeared on Channel 4's Gogglebox with his mother Nikki, father Jonathan and sister Amy - who were cast members from the show's debut in 2013 until series 11 in 2018.

But he decided to take up a career in politics and public service in 2017, where the Mirror reports started an apprenticeship at 10 Downing Street - a building he may hope to work in again in the coming years.

During his apprenticeship he would have worked alongside then-PM Theresa May and the cabinet.

Josh (right) occasionally appeared on Channel 4's Gogglebox with his mother Nikki, father Jonathan and sister Amy (left) - who were cast members from the show's debut in 2013 until series 11 in 2018

It comes just a few days after Josh announced that he is running to be a Labour MP at the next election in a hope to unseat the Deputy Prime Minister

The Hertfordshire constituency of Hertsmere is currently represented by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden

He then joined the Civil Service but left that career in 2019 when he joined a cross-party think tank Demos.

In 2022 Josh tried to get elected in Edgwarebury, north west London where he grew up, but he lost by a narrow margin.

Being just 15 when first appearing on Gogglebox, he was forced to juggle being a famous face while also 'trying to live a normal life', the Mirror reports.

He said he was 'the guy who was on TV' and that his days of filming were long on top of his school commitments.
Her mother was a blonde bombshell who lit up the 2000s. She was a sexy Playboy cover girl and also worked in a knockout Guess campaign.

The beauty did movies too: she appeared in a Naked Gun film with OJ Simpson and worked with John Travolta in Be Cool.

Mom had a tragic life, however, that ended too early - she died at the age of 39 in a hotel room. It included a much older husband and a drug spiral as well as negative press.

But her daughter has been doing very well as she has graduated from high school and has always managed to look superb at red carpet events.

This teen was unrecognizable in a weekend selfie.

Who is she?

Her mother was a blonde bombshell who lit up the 2000s. She was a sexy Playboy cover girl and also worked in a knockout Guess campaign. Who is she?

She is Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn.

The budding star was seen in a new image on an airplane on Monday.

Over the weekend the star was seen attending the Kentucky Derby with her father Larry Birkhead.

For the special occasion, the 17-year-old high school graduate, who has been raised outside of the Hollywood spotlight, wore a beautiful red Badgley Mischka gown and debuted a new shorter haircut.

'On the way to @kentuckyderby with Dannielynn after a great night at the Barnstable-Brown Gala and quick morning haircut or two,' Larry captioned a slideshow of pictures featuring his teenager.

'Dannielynns dress was inspired by her favorite character Hino Eiji, Kamen Rider OOO TaJaDor combo  she made me write that  because that character had the same shoulders as the design of the dress she found!,' he continued.

She is Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn, 17 years old. She is a high school graduate. On Saturday, she continued the tradition of attending the Kentucky Derby with her father Larry Birkhead, 50, who shared photos from the 150th running of the Derby on Instagram

'On the way to @kentuckyderby with Dannielynn after a great night at the Barnstable-Brown Gala and quick morning haircut or two,' he wrote, referencing his darling teenager's new shorter haircut

Anna Nicole at ex-boyfriend Christian Audigier's Hollywood apartment in 1998

Smith shows off the wedding ring given to her by billionaire J. Howard Marshall while she attends a trade show in 1994 in Las Vegas

'Hey whatever works, just trying to spend a little quality time as this weekend of traditions come to a close' the beaming dad concluded.

Dannielynn looked beautiful in a red gown with ruffled sleeves and a red fascinator.

She was the spitting image of her late mother as she held an action figure of the character her look was based on in her hand in one of the photos.

Photographer Larry looked dapper in a grey suit with a white shirt and purple patterned tie.

The comments were filled with praise for Larry, who raised Dannielynn on his own after the 2007 death of Anna Nicole, when her daughter was one.

'She is so beautiful. You have done a great job raising her! I followed the whole saga with her and she is so lucky to have you!,' one fan wrote.

Another commented expressed: 'I love that shes always dressed appropriately for her age. She is so gorgeous!'

'Awe I love that this is both of your yearly tradition!!! She will always have these memories with you!! Keep being the best #girldad,' someone else penned.

Even her makeup artist wrote a comment: 'Thank you for having me do Dannielynns makeup again this year. And as always for being a great friends.'

'Dannielynns dress was inspired by her favorite character Hino Eiji, Kamen Rider OOO TaJaDor combo -she made me write that  because that character had the same shoulders as the design of the dress she found!,' he continued. 'Hey whatever works, just trying to spend a little quality time as this weekend of traditions come to a close' the beaming dad concluded

On Friday night, Dannielynn and Larry attended the annual Barnstable-Brown Gala where she wore a gorgeous black dress that formerly belonged to Janet Jackson

'On our way to Barnstable-Brown Gala for the kick-off of the @kentuckyderby weekend. Dannielynn is wearing her second @janetjackson outfit to the party that I got from Janets @juliens_auctions -charity auction,' Larry wrote in the Instagram caption

The comments were filled with praise for Larry, who raised Dannielynn on his own after the 2007 death of Anna Nicole, when her daughter was one

Here she is seen over lunch with a black motorcycle jacket on

On Friday night, Dannielynn and Larry attended the annual Barnstable-Brown Gala where she wore a gorgeous black dress that formerly belonged to Janet Jackson.

'On our way to Barnstable-Brown Gala for the kick-off of the @kentuckyderby weekend. Dannielynn is wearing her second @janetjackson outfit to the party that I got from Janets @juliens_auctions -charity auction,' Larry wrote in the Instagram caption.

Larry added at the end of his caption: 'Looking forward to a fun Derby weekend with the newly graduated high school student!'

Larry met Dannielynn's mother at the same event back in 2003.
Rachel Lindsay's estranged husband is asking for spousal support as the pair navigate their divorce.

The former Bachelorette's spouse, Bryan Abasolo, announced their split in January.

In court papers filed in Los Angeles May 1, the chiropractor is asking the court to grant emergency spousal support and to require Lindsay, 39, to pony up at least $75,000 for his legal fees, per People.

In the filing, Abasolo, 44, alleged his estranged wife was using funds from their joint accounts to pay her expenses related to the divorce, while blocking him from doing so.

'I am informed and believe that Rachel has been using our community property monies to pay for her divorce lawyer and forensic accountant, while refusing to give me access to any of our community property funds to pay my divorce lawyer, my forensic accountant, or any of my personal expenses,' he stated in the filing.

Rachel Lindsay's estranged husband, Bryan Abasolo, is asking for spousal support as the pair navigate their divorce. In court papers filed in Los Angeles May 1, he requested emergency support and at least $75,000 for his legal fees

'Rachel and I are cohabiting in our Family Residence, but neither of us wants to continue to live together,' Abasolo said.

'Our current living situation is very awkward and strained. I want to move out of our Family Residence as soon as possible, but maintaining our standard of living is not financially feasible at this time.'

Abasolo alleged Lindsay has claimed the house as her 'sole property.'

The chiropractor stated he believes that most of the payment for the home came from their shared funds, and he needs access to that money to pay for his legal fees.

The healthcare professional, who relocated from Miami to Los Angeles, cited ownership of the home was one of the 'main contested issues' in the split.

'I placed my career as a chiropractor on hold to move twice for Rachels career,' he asserted in the filing, according to US Weekly.

Lindsay was originally hired as a correspondent for Extra, which facilitated her move to Los Angeles.

The former Texas attorney has since left the show, but has gone on to host multiple podcasts, including Higher Learning with Van Lathan, and has written two books - Miss Me With That and Real Love.

Lindsay, 39, and Abasolo, 44, met on season 13 of The Bachelorette and the couple tied the knot in Mexico in 2019. The pair announced their divorce in January

'I placed my career as a chiropractor on hold to move twice for Rachels career,' Abasolo asserted in the filing Pictured in Los Angeles in November 2023)

The healthcare professional said he and Lindsay are sharing the home they bought but he can't move because 'maintaining our standard of living is not financially feasible at this time' (Pictured in Los Angeles in July 2022)

Abasolo claimed Lindsay was using their joint funds to cover her legal and personal expenses but had blocked his access to the accounts

'These moves were detrimental to my chiropractic business, while Rachels income and success as a media personality skyrocketed,' said Abasolo, who works at Beverly Hills Disc & Laser Therapy Center.

He also claimed Lindsay put up security cameras at the house, but has blocked access to them, although she is able to 'monitor my comings and goings.'

The couple met on season 13 of The Bachelorette in 2017. They tied the knot in Mexico two years later.

'After more than 4 years of marriage, Rachel and I have made the difficult decision to part ways and start anew,' Abasolo announced on social media in January.
Country legend Randy Travis has released a new single with the use of AI more than a decade after losing his voice following a stroke in 2013.

On Friday, he announced his new song, 'Where That Came From' - a rich, soulful ballad, with the help of his longtime producer Kyle Lehning.

Travis' wife, Mary Travis, said that the couple were approached by Cris Lacy, Warner Music Nashville co-president, who asked, 'What if we could take Randy's voice and recreate it using AI?'

Mary, who helps her husband with interviews, told the Associated Press last week, how 'excited' they were for the opportunity. She said, 'All I ever wanted since the day of the stroke was to hear that voice again.'

On Monday, Travis appeared with his wife and longtime producer, on the i-Heart radio show, The Bobby Bones Show, and shared with the how he felt about his new single speaking through the help of AI.

Doctors had given the 64-year-old Travis a two percent chance of surviving after he suffered a stroke while he was being treated for congestive heart failure because of a viral illness, Billboard reported

County Legend Randy Travis and his wife Mary Travis and his longtime producer, Kyle Lenhing on the i-Heart radio, The Bobby Bones Show on Monday

'Don't knock it - till you try it. I have been skeptical of technology my whole life, but given this opportunity, I figured why not give it a shot,' he said. 'It is encouraging to me finally getting a chance to sing again - just in a different way.'

The host asked Travis was his family's initial reaction was after they heard his voice for the first time in all these eyes.

'Mary said, I didn't know how much I missed his voice till I heard it again, Travis said.

'The kids were tearing up. It has been special sharing with the people I love most. I have to give credit to Cris Lacy and the team at Warner Music we will see how it goes.'

Travis' producer, who said that he has been working with the country crooner for almost 40 years, and said, he 'didn't know what to think of it.'

'It was one thing to hear an idea and another thing to hear the result, but the main thing was that Randy and Mary when given the opportunity was positive to give it a try that is all I needed to hear,' he said.

Country music legend Randy Travis, and his wife, Mary Davis are pictured at the 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11, 2023, that was held in Frisco, Texas

Country music legend Randy Travis pictured in Los Angeles December 1996

'If they were into doing it I would do anything I could to be helpful,' Lehning said.

Mary said the first time she heard her husband's voice, that she called the 'greatest voice in the world, she 'busted up in tears.'

She said: 'The idea as it was developing we had no idea how it would turn out so when I heard it in its entirety, it was the greatest moment in the last 11 year.'

'Everything that I prayed for was just to hear his voice -it is a different way of hearing his voice but it is clearly his voice.'

The host, told Travis that for him, it sounds like an older recording of his voice with contemporary sound without technology helping, and Travis said, he agreed, and felt the same way.

Travis' producer said on the show that he is still learning from this whole process, but called it 'astounding.'

'I was stunned when I first heard the playback even though it wasn't 100 percent ready to go - it was impressive.'

The country legend performs onstage at the Wisconsin Sate Fair in July 1988

Randy Travis pictured at the Grand Ole Opry House, October 1987, beams after he receives three awards during the 21st annual CMA Awards show



Doctors had given the 64-year-old Travis a two percent chance of surviving after he suffered a stroke while he was being treated for congestive heart failure because of a viral illness, Billboard reported.

The Country Music Hall of Famer had to relearn how to walk, spell and read in the years that followed.

He also had learn how to communicate again after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder from damage to portions of the brain that are responsible for language, and the reason why he hasn't been able to release new music.

Some of the country stars' biggest hits include, 'I Told You So,' and 'Forever and Ever, Amen.'
Salma Hayek exuded old Hollywood glamour as she attended a state dinner honouring China's President with her husband, Francois-Henri Pinault on Monday.

The actress, 57, looked sensational as she visited the Elysee Palace in Paris wearing a glorious blood-red gown.

Her well-tailored garment featured a floor-length tulle skirt and delicate elastic mesh gently cinched around her waist.

To accessorise her regal ensemble, Salma paired her long-sleeved dress with a basic silver clutch and a diamond-encrusted statement necklace.

The Vogue cover star added inches to her physique as she wore a pair of towering muted silver platform heels.

Salma Hayek exuded old Hollywood glamour as she attended a state dinner honouring China's President with her husband, Francois-Henri Pinault

The actress, 57, looked sensational as she visited the Elysee Palace in Paris wearing a glorious blood-red gown

She was chaperoned by her husband Francois-Henri, 61, who looked dapper as ever in a navy blue pinstripe suit.

Their outing comes after she shared rare photos from her wedding to businessman Francois-Henri on Instagram for their 15 year wedding anniversary.

The first photo featured the actress in makeup and seemed to be a behind-the-scenes look at her preparation for the ceremony.

The second photo, a black-and-white image of the actress's dressing room, showed her over $400K Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere dress hanging on a rack, next to another garment.

The last photo depicted the moment when the Kering CEO placed his bride's wedding band on her finger.

The actress, in her stunning wedding dress, beamed at her husband.

'There are no words to explain the blessing of finding your soulmate. For all of you who found it, never take it for granted.

'For all those of you who haven't, never give up. #tbt to one of the best days of my life,' the actress wrote in the caption.

Her well-tailored garment featured a floor-length tulle skirt and delicate elastic mesh gently cinched around her waist

To accessorise her regal ensemble, Salma paired her long-sleeved dress with a basic silver clutch and a diamond-encrusted statement necklace

The Vogue cover star added inches to her physique as she wore a pair of towering muted silver platform heels

She was chaperoned by her husband Francois-Henri, 61, who looked dapper as ever in a navy blue pinstripe suit

The wedding took place in Venice over two days. Things kicked off with a masquerade ball rehearsal dinner at the Punta della Dogana.

Guests to the ball wore gold and black masks.

The groom's family had purchased the old building in 2007 and paid for its restoration.

In June 2009, it reopened to the public as an art museum featuring temporary exhibits from the Pinault Collection.

The ceremony took place in the La Fenice Opera House, one of the oldest in Europe.

Also taking part were the groom's children from his first marriage and the couple's daughter. After the ceremony, the guests sang Over The Rainbow.

Their outing comes after she shared rare photos from her wedding to businessman Francois-Henri on Instagram for their 15 year wedding anniversary

The first photo featured the actress in makeup and seemed to be a behind-the-scenes look at her preparation for the ceremony

Those attending the wedding included Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Charlize Theron, Lily Cole, Ashley Judd, Woody Harrelson, Anna Wintour, Bono, David Blaine, Jacques Chirac and other celebrities.

The reception was held in the Palazzo Grassi, a significant location for the pair as they first met in 2006 at a gala there. The Pinault family purchased the building in May 2005. The couple got engaged in 2007 and their daughter was born in September of that year.

The couple had previously gotten married at the 6th Arrondissement City Hall in Paris on Valentine's Day earlier that year in a small ceremony with family and planned a larger celebration a few months later. They currently celebrate both anniversaries.

In an interview with Glamour last year, the actress said she had no idea that she would be getting married that day until her family got involved.

'They just took me to the court My parents, my brother, they were all ganging up on me. I had a phobia of the marriage thing.'

On the 15th anniversary of their first wedding ceremony, the Frida actress shared a photo of the two together.

The Frida star shared a black-and-white photo of her Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere dress

The actress with daughter Valentina Paloma Pinault at the 95th Annual Academy Awards in March 2023

'After 18 years together and 15 years of marriage, you still make loving you easy, fun, deep and fresh like a gentle breeze. Happy anniversary mi amor,' wrote the actress.

She was surprised by her husband with a third ceremony in 2018, a vow renewal on Bora Bora.

In a 2017 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the actress credited her long and happy marriage to marrying 'the right guy' and cited the couple's support of each other as a strength of their marriage.

'We want the other one to strive. Makes you happy when the other one strives. And you know what, we don't have a very strong social life, because we really like to spend time together. So we do spend a lot of quality time together,' said the actress.
Trinity River floodwaters rise into Tiger Harrys Riverside Fish Camp Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Liberty. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer The bridge over Lake Houston along West Lake Houston Parkway from Kingwood to Atascocita is seen after it was closed due to high water on either side of the thoroughfare, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Kingwood. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Trinity River floodwaters rise into Tiger Harrys Riverside Fish Camp Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Liberty. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer The Trinity River flows quickly under a bridge following the weekends rainfall on Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Romayor. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

Water receded from several Lake Houston restaurants by Sunday, including The Cove on Hamblen, but some remained closed through Monday after weekend flooding.

The Cove canceled its Kentucky Derby celebrations Saturday after its storefront flooded. By Sunday, the craft beer and wine shop said staff should have been able to get into the restaurant as water receded.

"We cant wait to have yall in again," the restaurant said. "Hopefully next time you wont need a life jacket!"

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Owners posted Lake Houston Brewery's lower dining room under water Friday. On Thursday, the craft brewery told customers that it would close until further notice.

"We tried calling every government entity possible to get clarification of the flood gates," the owners wrote on Facebook, adding, "no information is being provided."

Several businesses in Kingwood are reopening and cleaning to restore life back into Kings Harbor Waterfront Grill Village from recent floods and storms this past weekend. Many of the restaurants in the area had closed due to a bridge closure on West Lake Houston Parkway Saturday.

A normal Monday morning at this village consists of high foot traffic as residents enjoy walks on the pier and breakfast and lunch on the patio. Today things were a bit different as the pier and walkways connected to restaurants still had high waters and muddy sidewalks, including mini fish washed up from the waterfront into the village.

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Sharky's Waterfront Grill scraped enough staff and resources together to reopen for lunch Sunday, owner Rosa Perez said. Neighboring restaurant Chimichurri's Grill, which Perez also owns, reopened for dinner Sunday, Perez said.

Nearby Loco Cantina reopened for Cinco de Mayo Sunday, celebrating with a mariachi band and record-breaking 725 customers, according to a Facebook post. After closing due to power issues Saturday, neighborhing restaurant Zammitti's Italian Ristorante reopened as scheduled Monday.

Others, including Raffa's, planned to open Monday as staff members cleaned restaurants and patios for expected customers.

Other affected areas, including the Trinity River in Liberty, caused restaurants to close. Tiger Harry's Riverside Fish Camp had water creeping up to its back door as of Saturday, manager Cesar Chavez said.

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"We're taking the proper precautions on the property and are closed until further notice," Chavez said Saturday.

In Plum Grove near Splendora, Arita's Hair Salon will be closed until at least next week after water levels reached several feet high within the building, Nancy Arita said.

Arita said the salon flooded during the second wave of water released along the East Fork of the San Jacinto River. Arita and family members are clearing out the salon as they wait for repairs from the building's owner, Arita said.

"It went halfway up (the salon,)" Arita said. "We're taking everything out of there."
Alison Hammond's Russian toyboy David Putman's mother Olga has urged him to 'dump' the This Morning star.

The TV presenter, 49, has been dating the Russian masseur, 26, since she booked him for a 150 massage and the pair hit it off.

Their friendship reportedly turned romantic at the end of last year, despite the 23 year age gap between the pair.

But his mother, 63, has reportedly begged David to leave Alison due to the age gap and the fame she has bought to her son.

According to The Sun, a source said: 'She's uncomfortable that her son is with someone who has so much more financial power than him. Olgas traditional values dont sit well with their relationship.

Alison Hammond's, 49, Russian toyboy David Putman's, 26, mother Olga, 63, has urged him to 'dump' the This Morning star

The TV presenter has been dating the Russian masseur since she booked him for a 150 massage and the pair hit it off

'She's told him in no uncertain terms that he must end it. Olga raised her children in the Orthodox Church. This kind of relationship doesnt fit her beliefs.

'She calls her son almost every day and tells him how unhappy she is. But David is happy with his relationship so anything his mum says isnt going to affect him.'

MailOnline have contacted Alison's representatives for a comment.

Alison opened up about their relationship for the first time last week and confirmed he even has her son Aiden's seal of approval.

Speaking about the relationship for the first time on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe's podcast Parenting Hell, the comedians grilled the TV star as they asked: 'Are you single Alison?'

Acting coy, she gushed: 'No I'm not single.. I'm dating. I'm dating!'

Alison is mother to her only child, Aiden, who she shares with her former husband Noureddine Boufaied, and Rob and Josh asked about the complexities of dating now her son is almost an adult.

Aiden is 19-years-old, only a few years younger than her new boyfriend David who is thought to be in his mid twenties.

David's (pictured) mother Olga has reportedly begged David to leave Alison due to the age gap and the fame she has bought to her son

A source said: 'She's uncomfortable that her son is with someone who has so much more financial power than him. Olgas traditional values dont sit well with their relationship. She calls her son almost every day and tells him how unhappy she is'

Originally from Krasnodar in Russia, David left the country for the UK in December 2022 to escape the front line following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine

Explaining the struggles, Alison confessed: 'It's more difficult, he is more verbal now that he is older. He'll want to know who this person is and he'll want to meet them.

'It's a lot harder. He'll wanna know that this guy is treating me well.

'The person who I am seeing at the moment, he is on his Instagram and is like "yeah I like him, he's not too in your face". Aiden is on it.'

Last month Alison shared snaps of her and David together on social media including one where they cosied up together with their arms wrapped around each other on a country walk.

David is thought to be around 20 years younger than Alison, 49, and she is said to be 'happier than ever' with her new partner following a 'turbulent love life'.

Discussing the first time David and her son met, she revealed: 'When they actually met, he really liked him, he really thought he was lovely, so that's nice.

'Thank goodness for that! Because normally Aiden hates anybody I date, literally just not interested.

'And you just know at that point, if Aiden doesn't like them, this isn't gonna work. There are moments where I think, "who's the parent here?!"

Alison opened up about their relationship for the first time last week and confirmed he even has her son Aiden's seal of approval

Discussing the first time David and her son met, she revealed: 'When they actually met, he really liked him, he really thought he was lovely, so that's nice. 'Thank goodness for that! Because normally Aiden hates anybody I date, literally just not interested'

'It's nice though because I always feel like there's someone there looking over me, protecting me.'

Originally from Krasnodar in Russia, David left the country for the UK in December 2022 to escape the front line following President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

A friend of David previously told The Sun: 'When the war in Ukraine began David's mother Olga began to worry. She didn't want her boys dragged into it. She wanted them safe like any mother would.'

David therefore moved to the UK, where he now lives with his uncle Nigel Putman, 71, in Slough, but he spends a lot of time in London for work.

The friend explained that David was able to avoid being drafted into the Russian army as his father, also called David, is originally from Slough himself, therefore the young masseur already had British citizenship.

David's father is reportedly a retired welder and panel beater who moved to Russia in the late 1990s after marrying Russian architect Olga Kovalenko following a divorce from his first wife.

David also two brother, twins Apollo and Sviatoslov, who are three years older than him and were born in England.

They explained: 'David is a very quiet, unassuming and thoughtful person who likes to play the guitar. He's the strong, silent type, not a pushover, but not chatty like Alison.

Alison added: 'And you just know at that point, if Aiden doesn't like them, this isn't gonna work. There are moments where I think, "who's the parent here?!" 'It's nice though because I always feel like there's someone there looking over me, protecting me'

Alison shares Aiden, 19, with her former husband Noureddine Boufaied

'In that sense they're perfect for each other and to David age is just a number. He's not bothered by fame, he probably didn't even know who Alison was when they first met.'

The Sun also reportedly spoke to David himself, but he wouldn't yet speak about his reasons for leaving Russia or relationship with Alison.

Alison hinted at their growing relationship back in November when she liked David's post documenting a recent trip to Dublin.

A source told The Sun: 'Alison has never been happier. She has had a turbulent love-life, but is finally confident she has found a trusted companion.'
Britney Spears is not quite back in the saddle after injuring herself last week.

The Grammy Award winner, 42, shared a throwback video on horseback Monday as she revealed she 'might have to get surgery' on her foot following an incident Thursday at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.

'I honestly wish my life was as wild as it has been portrayed!!!' she started in the caption.

'Either way, some s*** actually has happened to my foot and I might have to get surgery... fingers crossed, hopefully not,' added Spears.

She was doing cartwheels outside her hotel room when she twisted her ankle, following some drinks at the hotel bar with boyfriend Paul Soliz.

Britney Spears shared a throwback video on horseback Monday as she revealed she 'might have to get surgery' on her foot following an incident Thursday at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles

She was doing cartwheels outside her hotel room when she twisted her ankle , following some drinks at the hotel bar with boyfriend Paul Soliz

Spears was photographed leaving the hotel barefoot in her pajamas as she was escorted to an ambulance.

'But I feel that I was harassed and gaslit and tricked to go on the street when my car was supposed to be there!!!' she wrote Monday.

'I was in my pajamas and yes, I had been crying because I hurt my foot!!! No breakdown!!!' added Spears, referencing her 2008 mental health episode. 'I'm a grown ass woman who is actually very naive in most situations!!!'

Spears continued, 'I am simply embarrassed they got me in my damn pajamas!!! I don't feel loved I feel mistreated!!! With that said, I'm going to treat myself this week!!!'

The Woman in Me author took to Instagram after reports that a fight with Soliz, 37, resulted in the injury.

She claimed she 'twisted my ankle last night and paramedics showed up at my door illegally.'

'They never came in my room but I felt completely harassed, added Spears, declaring that she's moving to Boston in the post.

A source has since told DailyMail.com that the hotel called the ambulance 'to ensure that they would not be found liable to any injury she sustained.'

Britney has since revealed her swollen ankle on Instagram, where she also accused mother Lynne Spears of setting her up.

Spears said her life is not 'as wild as it has been portrayed,' claiming she 'was harassed and gaslit and tricked' to go to the ambulance, where she was photographed barefoot in her pajamas

'I was in my pajamas and yes, I had been crying because I hurt my foot!!! No breakdown!!!' added Spears, referencing her 2008 mental health episode

The Woman in Me author took to Instagram after reports that a fight with Soliz, 37, resulted in the injury, claiming she just 'twisted my ankle'

'I know my mom was involved!!! I haven't talked to her in 6 months and she called right after it happened before the news being out!!!' she wrote.

The Glory artist added, 'I was set up just like she did way back when!!! I wish I had grandparents!!! I can't stand her!!! I honestly don't care I will say it.'

After becoming estranged from her family over her conservatorship legal battle, Britney has reportedly been trying to 'repair' her relationship with her mother, 69.

Britney's accident comes after she quietly settled her years-long legal battle with father Jamie Spears last month.

The ruling saddles Britney with Jamie's $2 million legal bill, in addition to the $4 million she's reportedly spent on her own lawyer.

With nothing awarded to the Baby One More Time artist, Britney is said to be in a bigger financial hole than before the trial.

Britney has since revealed her swollen ankle on Instagram, where she also accused mother Lynne Spears of setting her up

The accident comes after she quietly settled her years-long legal battle with father Jamie Spears last month

Britney's dad, 71, served as her conservator throughout the 13-year conservatorship, which ended in 2021.

That June, she gave testimony about 'abusive' treatment she allegedly suffered during the conservatorship

She also accused Jamie of financial misconduct as her conservator, for which he was paid $16,000 a month and received a percentage of her tour gross revenues.

With the settlement, Britney and her father have avoided going to trial over.
Marcus Wareing Simply Provence (BBC2)

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Almost a quarter of children aged 10 and 11 in British primary schools are clinically obese, according to the latest NHS data  and for pupils in the poorest areas, that figure rises above 30 per cent.

Yet when chef Marcus Wareing visited a school in the south of France to help out in the canteen, on his foodie travel show Simply Provence, not one of the youngsters appeared to be overweight.

All had healthy appetites. Every plate went back to the kitchen scraped clean. And they werent eating chicken nuggets with chips.

In fact, the youngsters at this school in Ville de Saint-Remy-de-Provence sat down to table service and a three-course meal every lunchtime.

On his show Simply Provence, Marcus Wareing visited a school in the south of France to help out in the canteen

Pictured: Marcus Wareing visits a local tomato grower in Provence

On the day Marcus visited, that meant gazpacho or chilled vegetable soup, with a bread basket for the first course. That was followed by fresh vegetables with pasta, and lemon polenta cake for dessert.

Other specialities of the house include lobster bisque with calamari or fried squid with a garlic and olive oil sauce called aioli.

I grew up in the wrong country, I think Marcus sighed. His school dinners in Southport, he added, sometimes featured a bun floating on a puddle of pink custard.

Lobster and gazpacho is a long way from the fare served up by Victoria Wood in Dinnerladies... typically mash and minced beef. One thing is obvious: no child is going to get fat on lobster. The education budget definitely wouldnt run to second helpings.

Marcus also revealed, in a long and detailed anecdote about his mums cooking, how to avoid a soggy bottom when baking pastry. There isnt room for the full story here (it was approximately the length of a novella) but it involved fruit-picking, a chest freezer, puree, catering school and a long-running family joke.

All the time he was chatting away, Marcus was preparing a tomato tart, on a rooftop terrace under a glorious blue sky. It was the sort of scene that explained why writer Peter Mayle went off to spend A Year In Provence and never came back.

Marcus Wareing meets local Chef Mina Kande, who creates a dessert using Olive Jam on his show Simply Provence

Tomatoes played a supporting role throughout the half-hour show, which continues every evening until Thursday. He discovered a stall with 50 varieties at the town market, and even more when he visited a farm.

There were tomatoes in segments like a tangerine, green tomatoes, beef tomatoes, tomatoes the shape of peppers, and one type no bigger than a ping pong ball with a furry skin, like a peach.

Marcus bit into this and declared it needed salt  before dipping into his pocket and producing a salt shaker.

The farmers, Fabien and Lorraine, explained that all their tomatoes are organic. Apparently a good sprinkling of weeds makes the produce taste better.

They also offered a tip: never put your tomatoes in the fridge. Apparently the cold kills the flavour. Bon appetit!
Lionel Richie's daughter Sofia shared a sweet snap of her burgeoning baby bump as she posed from the side for her more than 11 million Instagram followers on Monday.

In the image, the 25-year-old influencer, who is married to British record executive Elliot Grainge, was positively glowing while standing outside with her shirt slightly lifted to reveal her bare stomach ahead of the imminent birth of her first child.

'9 months of bliss,' she captioned the image with a single heart and dove emoji.

The mom-to-be also shared a close-up of her belly to her Instagram Story in the same ensemble of white top and tan Leset pants with a sweet message revealing she was patiently 'waiting on' her daughter.

Lionel Richie's daughter Sofia shared a sweet snap of her burgeoning baby bump as she posed from the side for her more than 11 million Instagram followers on Monday

In January, the model revealed that she was six months pregnant with a baby girl.

'Ive learned more in the past six months than I have in my entire life,' she told Vogue, before noting her little one is a future 'Gemini.'

Richie said she found out about her pregnancy 'very, very early', saying: 'I was about four weeks pregnant. I was on a trip to Milan for fashion week, and I was going to the Prada show. I was doing a really quick 24-hour turnaround, and I felt terrible but didnt think much of it. I thought it was jet lag.

Ahead of going to an Ed Sheeran concert in Los Angeles, she decided to take a pregnancy test due to the couple 'casually trying' for a baby since their wedding.

She said: 'Elliot didnt really flinch when I said I was checking. I was taking one of those real crappy at-home tests, and there was the faintest of lines. I was so used to seeing negatives that I knew when something looked even kind of different.'

After Grainge ran to CVS to get more tests while on the phone Sofia - the couple did three tests together, with Richie saying: 'Hes such a sweet guy he always wants to protect my emotions and expectations, so he kind of sat me down and said, If these are negative, dont be upset. Our moment will come.

'When we turned over all three tests at the same time they were all positive. He was so excited, and we both cried. It was crazy and overwhelming and so hard not to scream it from the rooftops. But knowing I was so early, I was so protectiveeven with my friends.'

Sofia and her spouse waited until the star was eight weeks pregnant before telling their parents - presenting the pregnancy tests in a Hermes box.

In the image, the 25-year-old influencer, who is married to British record executive Elliot Grainge, was positively glowing while standing outside with her shirt slightly lifted to reveal her bare stomach ahead of the imminent birth of her first child

The mom-to-be also shared a close-up of her belly to her Instagram Story in the same ensemble of white top with tan Leset pants with a sweet message revealing she was patiently 'waiting on' her daughter

Sofia said: 'Watching their reaction go from like, Im about to get an expensive present to like Im about to get a grandchild was really sweet.'

Revealing why she kept her pregnancy under wraps until the third trimester, the star said: 'I wasnt not posting because I felt like I wanted to have this grand announcement. There was an anxiety for me about hitting certain milestones [when it came to the pregnancy], and once I passed that 21-week mark, I felt like I was in the safe zone.

'Now that Im there, I feel like Ive made it over the major hurdles and I feel safe and comfortable announcing it, and I can now have those open conversations and be honest with the people watching my videos.

Sofia and Elliot sparked romance speculation in January 2021, just a few months after Sofia and Scott Disick, 40, broke up after dating on and off for almost four years.

Sofia and Elliot were first linked early in 2021, months after she ended her infamous on-off romance with Kourtney Kardashian's ex-boyfriend Scott Disick (pictured November 2023)

Sofia dated Disick for more than three years from 2017-2020 (pictured 2019)

Things heated up and got serious between Sofia and Elliot quickly.

'They started out as friends before they became a couple, and are now getting serious. Their relationship took off and they have been getting closer and closer and spend practically every day together,' a source told Us Weekly in April 2021.

'Hes super sweet and a really cool guy - her friends and family approve!'

Grainge proposed to Sofia in April 2022 and she shared the news on Instagram, captioning the photo: 'Forever isnt long enough @elliot.'

A year later, the couple tied the knot at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France.

The wedding was attended by several celebrity guests including her father, her sister Nicole Richie,42, and her husband Joel Madden, Cameron Diaz, 51, and her husband Benji Madden, as well as Paris Hilton, 42, and her husband Carter Reum.
He survived a back-breaking parachute accident and reached the summit of Mount Everest 18 months later at the age of 23, but now Bear Grylls has taken on perhaps his most daunting challenge  converting lewd comic Russell Brand to Christianity.

The Daily Mail can disclose that Grylls, 49, who is Chief Scout and counts the Prince and Princess of Wales among his friends, took part in the baptism of Brand in the Thames last week.

'I want to thank Bear Grylls and my mate Joe, the two men that stood either side of me and flanked me for the baptism itself,' Brand confirms on social media.

'Week one as a Christian has been amazing. The ceremony itself was incredible.'

The anarchic comedian turned conspiracy theorist, who lives in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, says the christening took place 'at home and in the River Thames'.

Russell Brand says he was christened at 'at home and in the River Thames' after converting to Christianity

The comedian ventured across the Hebrides with Grylls in the former SAS trooper's Apple TV+ show, Running Wild with Bear Grylls before the adventurer helped the comic with his conversion

The River Thames and All Saints Church in the background in Marlow, Buckinghamshire where Brand lives

Brand, 48, was twice interviewed by police under caution last year over alleged sexual offences brought to light by a joint Dispatches and Sunday Times investigation into him.

Brand denied the allegations, claiming his relationships 'were absolutely always consensual'.

Eton-educated Bear is the son of late Conservative MP Sir Michael Grylls.

He is one of Britain's most prominent Christians and has appeared in marketing material for the Alpha course, an evangelical introduction to Christianity that is said to have recruited 29 million to the faith.

It was created by the Anglican priest Nicky Gumbel, of Holy Trinity Brompton, just across the road from Harrods in London's Knightsbridge.

While it was not known that Grylls was encouraging Brand's conversion, the pair had become friends through their television work. Last year, the comedian ventured across the Hebrides with Grylls in the former SAS trooper's Apple TV+ show, Running Wild with Bear Grylls.

During his appearance, Brand opened up to Grylls about his failed marriage to American pop superstar Katy Perry, whom he referred to as 'an amazing person', although he described his time married to her as 'chaotic'.

Other big names who have appeared on Grylls's show include former U.S. President Barack Obama and Hollywood stars Kate Winslet and Ben Stiller.

During Brand's appearance on Grylls' show, the pair discussed his failed marriage to American pop superstar Katy Perry. He described the marriage as 'chaotic' but described Perry as 'an amazing person'

Brand has been discussing faith more openly on his social media pages and in his YouTube videos and was Christened last week

Next year, the adventurer is due to star in a much-anticipated series for Netflix, Bear Hunt, an I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!-style survival programme which will be hosted by Holly Willoughby.

Brand made his name with his outrageous comedy routines and was notorious for his womanising and drug use.

On BBC Radio 2 in 2008, he and presenter Jonathan Ross called the late Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs, leaving three messages on the answerphone, making repeated lewd and graphic claims about his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.

He since apologised to her and paid for her to undergo rehab for her alcohol and drug addiction.

Grylls has spoken about the difference between faith and religion, as he sees it. 'I meet so many people who don't want 'religion' as such,' he said.

'I get it. I feel the same. And, in fact, so did Jesus, the heart of all Christian faith. Faith and religion are not the same thing.

'The Jesus I read about in the Bible was fun, free and wild. He loved a party and he always hung out with the non-religious folk. The only people he ever got angry with were the overly religious types.'

Grylls, who is Chief Scout, was invited to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth and also attended King Charles's Coronation.

He has appeared at several events with the Princess of Wales, who is joint president of the Scout Association.

He has also spoken of his environmental work with the Prince of Wales. 'Prince William and myself are very closely involved with a conservation society,' he explained in 2022.

'And I know that is something that is really close to Prince George's heart as well, he loves all of that.'

Grylls recalled being introduced to Prince George by Catherine's mother, Carole Middleton, while taking part in Prince William and Catherine's charity sailing regatta on the Isle of Wight, where he said they ate 'live ants together'.

Last night, Grylls told the Daily Mail: 'Faith and spiritual moments in our lives are really personal, but it is a privilege to stand beside anyone when they express a humble need for forgiveness and strength from above.

'Friendships when we go through tough times are worth so much.'
Spacey Unmasked (Channel 4)

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Kevin Spacey's brother is called Randy. Given the litany of appalling sexual allegations levelled against the House of Cards star, this seems almost too aptly Freudian.

Randy favours a flamboyant style, with gold-rimmed specs, a blue frock coat, kipper tie, touch of lipstick and a Rod Stewart hairdo. The get-up is self-defence, he says, a cloak of confidence against the lifelong trauma inflicted by his childhood.

His father, a neo-Nazi who festooned the family home with swastikas, used to beat him with a riding crop, and worse. The family photo album revealed a gaunt-faced man with dead eyes  and a toothbrush moustache.

This jaw-dropping bit of background bio was just one of a series of insights in Spacey Unmasked (C4) that delivered much more psychological grist than the usual expose documentaries.

Spacey Unmasked (C4) delivered much more psychological grist than the usual expose documentaries

In tonight's second episode, Randy describes in blood-chilling detail how his father raped him throughout his teenage years.

His brother Kevin is three years younger and escaped the worst of the abuse, Randy believes, through being their mother's favourite. But Randy left home when his little brother was 16. What happened to Kevin after that, and to what extent his sexual character was twisted by his experience, no one can know.

This two-part film by director Katherine Haywood is remarkable, not least because Spacey has not been found guilty of any sexual offence. On the contrary, last year he was acquitted in the UK of indecent assaults on four men.

He has not been charged with any further crimes, though a court in California has ruled that Spacey must pay more than 24million to the media rights company MRC in compensation for the losses they suffered when he was fired from the Netflix megahit House Of Cards, following multiple allegations of sexual misbehaviour on set. Spacey later had his liability reduced to just $1million.

But the combined effect in Spacey Unmasked, of testimonies from ten men whose carefully precise accounts appear to corroborate each other, seems compelling evidence for further investigation.

The Young Kevin: Pictures of the House of Cards star used in the Channel 4 documentary

As well as a catalogue of stories detailing sexual assault, it give us a vivid impression of the aura Spacey projects, a deliberate charisma that can be switched on or off like a spotlight.

Two of the alleged victims were former marines, both straight, both hoping for movie careers and starstruck by Spacey's fame. They claim he singled them out and treated them like potential lovers from the moment they met, with the explicit promise he could help them get film roles.

One man called Travis said the actor told him that seducing an ex-army man with a girlfriend was part of the attraction.

Some of the stories were sickeningly graphic. All had a common theme, that the victims were left feeling a sense of shame that they had somehow invited the assault  even the man who described a near-rape, 40 years ago in his own office, when he and Spacey had not exchanged a word.

Last weekend, the actor published a 95-minute interview on social media, denying any sexual misconduct. 'I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologise to anyone who's made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me,' he insisted.

Two questions remained unanswered. One is general: are men more likely to remain silent after a sexual attack by another man because male rape is still such a taboo? Only one of these ten has ever made allegations against Spacey on the record before now.

The other question is specific to the film and TV industry: how widespread is sexual grooming of men by other, more powerful men? Inevitably, when claims about his behaviour first hit the headlines in 2017, the agencies, corporations and theatre companies that had been so proud to work with him all protested their shock and outrage. None admitted to hearing any hint of gossip.

This two-part film by director Katherine Haywood is remarkable, not least because Spacey has not been found guilty of any sexual offence

Pictured: Oscar Winning Actor Kevin Spacey cries while leaving Southwark Crown Court after being found not guilty in his trial for allegedly sexually assaulting three men

Yet several of the witnesses in Spacey Unmasked insisted that his proclivities were common knowledge.

One investigative journalist on tonight's episode, Chloe Melas, says: 'I had people tell me Spacey touched them, inappropriately, rubbing their shoulders, a pat on the back, a lingering hug.

'He would shake their hand, and then on point of contact grab their hand down to his crotch.

'People described it as a toxic work environment that made them not want to work around Spacey, fearful to be around him, worried that they might get preyed upon next.'

In all these accounts, there was a sense that Spacey seemed unaware he was doing anything wrong. Is that solely because (if the allegations have any truth) his moral judgment is so unbalanced, his own libido so rampant?

Or is it because he feels protected by the behaviour of other men around him? We heard repeatedly that the star does not like to stand out in a crowd, that he wants to go unnoticed.

Could it be that, in Kevin Spacey's universe, he's no weirder than anyone else?
Travis Barker shared a sweet slideshow documenting his recent family getaway to the Bahamas, which included footage of his son Rocky dipping his feet in the ocean.

While his wife Kourtney Kardashian gave their fans a first look at their vacation last week, the proud dad, 48, posted a rare video of their baby boy, six months, enjoying some time at the beach.

In the recording, the Blink-182 drummer could be seen kneeling in the sand as he held Rocky by the chest in ankle-deep water.

The infant wore a beige onesie and floppy hat to keep his skin protected from the sun.

Travis Barker shared a sweet slideshow documenting his recent family getaway to the Bahamas, which included footage of his son Rocky dipping his feet in the ocean

'Grateful,' Barker captioned his post, which also included a snap of him sharing a kiss with his spouse on a boat.

Other images included a selfie with his daughter Alabama Barker, 18, and a picture with stepdaughter, Atiana De La Hoya, 25, from his past relationship with Shanna Moakler.

The Grammy nominee also shared another video of himself biking around the beautiful island.

The caption was filled with comments fawning over the precious footage of Rocky splashing around the ocean.

'BABY ROCKY BARKER KARDASHIAN ,' one fan wrote.

Another marveled: 'Baby Rocky is getting so big!'

A handful commented on his baby's 'chunky leggies and feets.'

'The legsssss. I cant. ,' a follower gushed while a fourth wrote: ''omg look at those chunky legs.'

The proud dad, 48, posted a rare video of their baby boy, six months, enjoying a beach day

'Grateful,' Barker captioned his post, which also included a snap of him sharing a kiss with his spouse on a boat

His post comes after his wife shared a powerful message to other women who are also adjusting to their postpartum figures last month.

Kourtney, who gave birth to Rocky on November 1, 2023, gently reminded new moms to ignore the 'pressure' to get back to their pre-pregnancy body, and noted that it isn't 'realistic.'

'Dear new mommies, Your body is beautiful at all stages. During pregnancy as we are glowing and growing, postpartum as we are healing and shrinking, and then that period I find the hardest as our bodies are still adjusting,' she captioned a photo of herself taking a dip in the ocean in Turks & Caicos.

She continued: 'And if you're breastfeeding, that's a whole other part of it. I try to be kind to myself as my body finds a new normal. The pressure put on us to bounce back when everything is new and different isn't realistic.'

'Life is beautiful, you are beautiful. Just a little reminder (for me too). XOXO,' she concluded, also adding a white and blue heart.

Other images included a selfie with his daughter Alabama Barker, 18, (seen above)

He also included a picture with stepdaughter, Atiana De La Hoya, 25, from his past relationship with Shanna Moakler

Kourtney and Travis publicly announced her pregnancy in June 2023, while paying homage to a Blink-182 music video - All The Small Things.

In the music video, a woman holds up a sign that says 'Travis I'm Pregnant.'

Kourtney recreated that during a Blink-182 concert in June in Los Angeles for an adorable public announcement.

In September, Kourtney had to undergo a life-saving fetal surgery.

She took to her Instagram days after she was released to thank the staff at the hospital, as well as Travis for being by her side.

'I will forever grateful to my incredible doctors for saving our baby's life. I am eternally grateful to my husband who rushed to my side from tour to be with me int he hospital and take care of me afterwards, my rock.'

Kourtney has three children with ex-partner Scott Disick: sons Mason, 14, and Reign, nine, and daughter Penelope, 11.

Travis is dad to son Landon, 20, daughter Alabama and stepdaughter Atiana with ex-wife Shanna Moakler.

His post comes after his wife shared a powerful message to other women who are also adjusting to their postpartum figures last month

Adding: 'As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasn't prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery. I don't think anyone who hasn't been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear.

'I have a whole new understanding and respect for the mamas who have had to fight for their babies while pregnant.'

In December 2022, Kourtney revealed she stopped IVF 10 months prior, because it caused her spiral into a deep depression among other symptoms.

She had been very open about her struggle with IVF on Hulu's The Kardashians.

Kourtney and Travis conceived Rocky naturally, she revealed in an interview with Vogue in November 2023.

Kourtney welcomed her fourth child - and her first with husband Travis Barker - son Rocky Thirteen - on November 1, 2023; a throwback picture from last year during her pregnancy

'We just got pregnant naturally. It was an indescribable feeling. Shock, then super-happy, fear seats in, worry, but I remember then to have gratitude.'

Kourtney and Travis started dating in 2020 after almost 10 years of friendship; Travis was also her neighbor.

They went Instagram official in February 2021, and engaged by October 2022.

They tied the knot in May 2022 in a Santa Barbara courthouse, and went to Portofino, Italy a week later to hold a lavish wedding at the Dolce & Gabbana mansion in front of their friends and family.
Paris Hilton put on a busty display as she became the latest celebrity to front a campaign for the trendy supplements brand Alani Nu.

The media mogul, 43, stunned in a plunging hot pink mini-dress with a corseted bodice.

The frock featured long sleeves and fingerless gloves, as well as a low-cut neckline that showcased Hilton's cleavage.

She finished the look off with glossy pink stilettos and a bejeweled choker around her neck.

Captioning the post, she wrote, 'Introducing the hottest new energy drink, Pink Slush, with @alaninutrition.'

Paris Hilton is the latest celebrity to front a campaign for the trendy supplements brand Alani Nu

The 43-year-old slipped her curves into pink lingerie and a sheer robe

Captioning the post, she wrote, 'Introducing the hottest new energy drink, Pink Slush, with @alaninutrition'

Paris is following in the footsteps of friend Kim Kardashian, who fronted an Alani Nu campaign last year.

The Kardashians star created her own pink lemonade beverage called Kimade with the brand.

She promoted it in an extensive campaign, which included a bikini-clad photoshoot where she poured the liquid onto her chest.

Other celebrities that have promoted Alani in the past include Emily Ratajkowski and Whitney Simmons.

Paris has been extremely busy with endorsement deals lately.

She recently teamed up with TikTok star Alix Earle to film a Get Chic for Breakfast' campaign for Joe & the Juice.

Kasper Garnell, Global VP of Brand & Communications, Joe & The Juice, stated in a press release that it seemed like a 'seamless fit to unite these two icons over breakfast.'

'They really brought our pink vision to life! With this campaign, we aim to reignite togetherness at breakfast, which is statistically the loneliest meal of the day,' he said.

Paris is following in the footsteps of friend Kim Kardashian, who fronted an Alani Nu campaign last year

The Kardashians star created her own pink lemonade beverage called Kimade with the brand

Joe & the Juice recently expanded its breakfast offerings to include The Eggcado, JOE's first-ever breakfast sandwich, the Slab Breakfast Sandwich and the Eggcado Breakfast Bowl.

The duo's commercial was filmed at Joe & The Juice's location in West Hollywood.

Hilton rose to fame in the early 2000s as a New York socialite and 'It Girl' for her glamorous lifestyle and frequent appearances at high-profile events.

Earle has since become the internet's 'It Girl' after blowing up on TikTok with her 'Get ready with me'-style videos as a college student.
Tom Selleck says he could lose his 63-acre Ventura County, California ranch if CBS does not renew his long-running police drama Blue Bloods.

The veteran actor, 79, appearing on CBS Sunday Morning, said he's in jeopardy of not being able to keep up with his bills if the network does not continue on with the series, in which he plays Frank Reagan, the police commissioner of New York City.

'You know, hopefully I keep working enough to hold onto the place,' Selleck said, to which CBS correspondent Tracy Smith responded, 'Seriously, that's an issue? If you stopped working?'

Selleck said, 'That's always an issue - if I stopped working, yeah. Am I set for life? Yeah, but maybe not on a 63-acre ranch!'

Selleck was asked if Blue Bloods, which has been on since 2010, was drawing to a conclusion, following reports the show, which is also syndicated, would end this fall after the second-half of its 14th season.

Tom Selleck, 79, says he could lose his 63-acre Ventura County, California ranch if CBS does not renew his long-running police drama Blue Bloods

Selleck bought the ranch, a one-time avocado farm, in 1988 following his stint on the CBS series Magnum, P.I.

'Well, that's a good question - I will continue to think that CBS will come to their senses,' Selleck said.

The leading man said that the series, which also stars Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Len Cariou, Will Estes and Steve Schirripa, continues to be a successful endeavor for the network.

'We're the third-highest scripted show in all of broadcast,' Selleck said. 'We're winning the night. All the cast wants to come back.'

The Detroit-born star said that the police drama continues to thrive commercially and creatively.

'I can tell you this: we aren't sliding off down a cliff,' Selleck said. 'We're doing good shows, and still holding our place. So, I don't know - you tell me!'

Selleck said that despite six decades in the business, including network shows, feature films and endorsement deals, he continues to have a sense of concern about future work.

'As an actor, you never lose - I don't lose, anyway - that sense that every time I finish a job, it's my last job,' he said. 'I like the fact that there's no excuses! You just go to work and you do the work.

'And I have a lot of reverence for what I call "the work," and I love it. And I'd like to keep doing it.'

Selleck said, 'Am I set for life? Yeah, but maybe not on a 63-acre ranch!'

Selleck said he 'continue to think that CBS will come to their senses' and keep the series on the air past its current 14th season

Selleck plays Frank Reagan, the police commissioner of New York City, on the long-running series

Speaking about the potential conclusion of the series earlier this year, Selleck said he believed 'CBS will find an awful lot of people aren't ready to say goodbye to it.

He told TV Insider in January: 'The show's more popular than ever, and I think [numbers] will increase with the interest this year. We're certainly not out of ideas.'

Selleck has been married to wife Jillie since 1987 and they are parents to daughter Hannah, 35; he's also father to son Kevin, 58, from his previous marriage to Jacqueline Ray.

He bought the ranch, a one-time avocado farm, in 1988 following his stint on the CBS series Magnum, P.I.
Liam Gallagher is reportedly renting a 16,950-a-month mansion complete with a meditation room to honour his vow to 'live like a monk'.

The Manchester rocker, 51, lives in the property with his fiancee Debbie Gwyther and their beloved dog Buttons.

His new home is a Victorian build in the heart of the Cotswolds and joins his North London and French abodes.

Liam dons a black anorak and goggles for walks around the vast green landscape surrounding his home with his rescue pup.

Neighbours have told The Sun: 'It looked as though Liam was doing his best to not be recognised. Locals have been shocked to see him in the area and its the talk of the town.'

Liam Gallagher, 51, has moved into a 16,950-a-month mansion complete with a meditation room to honour his vow to 'live like a monk'

The rocker dons a black anorak and goggles for walks around the vast green landscape surrounding his home with his beloved dog Buttons

Liam and the rescue pup live in the rented property with Liam's fiancee Debbie Gwyther (pictured with Liam at LFW in 2018)

Liams gothic manor house is Grade II-listed and stretches over a whopping 16,000 sq ft.

As well as the meditation room, the property's 11 rooms include a gym, a sauna ... and a ballroom.

The move comes after Liam viewed a 3.5million 15th century townhouse, also located in the Cotswolds.

A fan on X, formerly Twitter, recently asked Liam if he will be watching his beloved Manchester City take on rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final later this month.

He replied: 'Im not as Ill be banging rehearsals for DM so Ill be living like a monk and looking like a sp**k.'

In June, Liam will begin his 12-date Definitely Maybe tour - 30 years on from the release of Oasiss debut album of the same name.

However, he will embark on the tour without the band as the feud between he and elder brother Noel endures.

In March, Liam re-confirmed that he hadn't spoken to Noel 'for about 10 years' dashing hopes of a reunion before they even got off the ground.

When asked by a fan if he'll be watching Man City play, Liam replied: 'Im not as Ill be banging rehearsals for DM [his upcoming Definitely Maybe tour] so Ill be living like a monk and looking like a sp**k'

Despite both brothers confirming Oasis will not reunite and they themselves haven't spoken in years, Liam persistently teases fans that all are on good terms (tweets from Sunday)

However, Liam enjoys teasing his long-suffering fans about the subject on social media.

On Sunday, one tweeted a photo of Liam with a guitar and asked him: 'Is that the guitar that Noel broke?'

Liam replied: 'It is and he needs to replace when I see him nxt.'

A second asked: 'Are Oasis getting back together, Liam?' And Liam replied: 'It's looking good.'
China moves to tighten university lab safety management

Xinhua) 10:27, May 06, 2024

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education has issued a trial regulation on the tiered and classified safety management of laboratories at universities and colleges.

The regulation clarifies the responsibility system, work principles and management requirements concerning the safety management of labs at universities and colleges.

According to the regulation, a laboratory should be graded as major risk, high risk, medium risk or low risk according to its hazard sources and their volume, and be classified into types such as chemistry, biology, radiation and electro-mechanics.

Those in charge of a laboratory, its safety managers and staff should undergo safety training and emergency response drills according to the lab's safety grade, as highlighted in the regulation.

It also stipulates that scientific research projects and other experimental activities carried out in a laboratory should be subject to safety risk assessment.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A home is inundated due to severe flooding on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Channelview. Texas officials urged residents whove sustained property damage during recent storms to report that damage to the states emergency management agency. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Boat owner, Toby McGinnis Jr., left center, offered to ferry Kris, left, and Caitlin West, rear center, to a friends house after their house was flooded. Though the safe house is dry, it is only accessible by boat Sunday, May 5, 2024 due to rising floodwater in Liberty. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Memebers of the City of Liberty Fire Department dock their boat near a flooded street near US-90 Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Liberty Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Boat owner, Toby McGinnis Jr., right, offered to ferry Caitlin, inside left, and Kris West, center, to a friends house after their house was flooded. Though the safe house is dry, it is only accessible by boat Sunday, May 5, 2024 due to rising floodwater in Liberty. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A neighborhood is seen inundated due to severe flooding on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Channelview. Road closures continue Sunday, May 5 in the Houston region as flooding issues persist. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer A Gallery Furniture emergency response vehicle makes its way down the road following the weekends storms on Sunday, May 5, 2024 near Romayor. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer The Trinity River flows quickly under a bridge following the weekends rainfall on Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Romayor. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Clinney Reeves maneuvers a small boat to dry ground as he prepares to unload items that he was able to salvage from his flooded home Sunday, May 5, 2024, near Liberty. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Overflow from the swollen Trinity River fills James Smarts back yard as wades the floodwaters to make preparations to his chicken coup to ensure the safety of his livestock, Sunday, May 5, 2024 near Liberty. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Monday lifted the emergency evacuation order issued due to severe flooding near the San Jacinto River, and said residents can return home if careful.

We can absolutely see the light at the end of the tunnel, Hidalgo said at a news briefing at Houston TranStar. And we've made it through the worst of this weather event.

LIVE UPDATES: Gov. Abbott to appear in Conroe for update on Texas response to Houston-area flooding

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Some residents near the West Fork of the San Jacinto River might not be able to get to their homes immediately, she said, but the river level is decreasing rapidly. Those who live in Bala Woods, North Shore and Forest Cove will likely still see high water on some roads as high as three feet. Most roads are clear in Kingwood, Hidalgo said.

Hidalgo said residents in the East Fork should see zero water impact by tomorrow, though there will still be some water in the roadways. The county judge asked residents in Rio Villa to use their judgement when returning home, as the roads are still flooded and will likely not be clear until late tomorrow or Wednesday.

Hidalgo said a total of 233 people had been rescued, in addition to 186 pets.

BUSINESSES AFFECTED: Lake Houston businesses scrambling to reopen after weekend floods

The county is currently working with the state and federal government on securing resources.

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Its unlikely the flooding will receive the disaster designation it needs for the county to receive federal aid for disaster recovery, Hidalgo said, but Gov. Greg Abbott is going to push for relief. Abbott will appear at a news conference in Conroe Monday afternoon.

Hidalgo will also fly to Washington, D.C. tomorrow to ask federal officials to speed up funding for buyouts for those who need to move out of their homes in wake of the flooding.

WATERS RECEDE: Residents in neighborhoods like Conroe's River Plantation start clearing out damaged homes

The county will likely be able to snag Small Business Administration loans for families impacted by flooding, the judge said. Renters can borrow up to $40,000, homeowners up to $200,000 and small businesses up to $2 million.

County officials are still working to determine how much damage flooding caused and how much it will cost to recover, Hidalgo said.

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The county judge cautioned residents to not drive into high water and be on high alert for vermin like snakes and rats. She also advised residents to get rid of standing water as soon as possible to prevent mosquitos.

Hidalgo encouraged anyone impacted by flooding who needed help to call 211.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez encouraged residents to put together an emergency plan heading into hurricane season, if they hadnt done so already.

You can't stop a hurricane but you can act now to protect yourself and your household, Gonzalez said.
Stores could be forced to remove self-checkout counters in California under proposed new rules.

A new bill being considered by state lawmakers on Monday would prohibit grocery and drug stores from using the kiosks unless they meet a series of strict criteria.

The proposal, which has the support of the UFCW union, comes amidst a huge backlash driven widescale shoplifting, fed-up customers who hate using the machines and staff fearful of losing jobs.

If the bill is passed stores would need to ensure that self-checkouts were only used by customers purchasing ten items or less.

There would also need to be at least one staffed checkout available as an alternative.

Some of the largest retailers have taken steps this year to reverse the failed self-checkout experiment. The machines were designed to cut labor costs but caused increased theft

Self-checkout machines are especially vulnerable to theft since shoplifters can either not scan items or scan cheaper items

Store employees would have to supervise no more than two self-checkout machines at a time and not have other responsibilities simultaneously.

Furthermore, certain items would be banned from being sold via self-checkout entirely under the new rules.

Stores that use artificial intelligence would also need to complete an assessment before being able to use the technology for security or transaction purposes.

Senate Bill 1446 - proposed by Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, a Democrat from Los Angeles - is due to be heard by the California's Senate Appropriations Committee.

'While it's crucial to adapt these new technologies, we must protect jobs and ensure worker safety,' Smallwood-Cuevas told the Sacramento Bee.

Self-checkout machines were introduced to slash labor costs and supposedly streamline the shopping experience for customers, but in reality the technology is vulnerable to theft.

Large chains have already begun turning away from self-checkouts as a result.

Walmart has been removing self-checkout machines from its stores in recent months in a bid to improve the 'in-store experience' for customers and cut down on losses from theft.

In two stores - in Shrewsbury, Missouri, and Cleveland, Ohio - the retailer said it would replace kiosks with staffed checkout lanes which will 'give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service.'

Other stores, including Target are already implementing restrictions to self-checkouts and returning to more manual checkout lanes.

Dollar General is among the retailers which have announced sweeping changes to automated registers in stores across the US

In two stores, in Missouri and Ohio, Walmart will replace self-checkout machines entirely with 'traditional' staffed lanes, as pictured

Target is deploying new scanners to combat theft at its self-checkout machines, which will roll out to all stores by the end of the year

Franchise owner Scott Savage has removed all the self-checkout lanes at his Giant Tiger discount store in Stratford, Ontario (Pictured: A store in Ottawa)

The company has said the changes would help reduce 'shrink' - the retail industry term for merchandise losses due to theft, damaged items and administrative errors.

'Most of the rollback of self-checkouts is due to retailer concerns over theft,' Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, told DailyMail.com earlier this year.

'Theft rates at self-checkouts are reasonably high both because of deliberate actions and accidental mistakes. Forcing more customers to used manned checkouts resolves a lot of these issues and saves retailers money' Saunders explained.

Dollar General also announced earlier this year that it was pulling self-checkout stands entirely from 300 of its stores with the highest level of shoplifting and unscanned items.

'Most of the rollback of self-checkouts is due to retailer concerns over theft,' said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData

The discount chain said it would convert some of its self-checkout registers to regular cashier checkouts in 9,000 of its locations and limit self-checkout purchases to five items or less in a further 4,500 stores.

'We believe these actions have the potential to have a material and positive impact on shrink,' Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said as part of the announcement.

Franchise owner Scott Savage has removed all the self-checkout lanes at his Giant Tiger discount store in Stratford, Ontario.

Rather than issues with theft, he told CBC he made the change because many of his older customers dislike using the machines.

'The biggest complaint you have from everybody is, 'You don't pay me to work here,'' Savage said.

'They would line up at my regular registers, and they would just prefer that service.'

Several customers told the Canadian outlet how they were happy with the decision to ditch the automated registers at the discount retailer, which sells home goods, clothing and groceries.

'I like the person-to-person contact,' said Leslie Clayton-Winget. 'You can't say to a machine, 'Have a good day.''
British Airways' offer to match the frequent flyer status of those on rival airlines like Delta and United ends on Tuesday night.

Top-tier members of eight loyalty programs can get gold or silver status on BA's Executive Club for free for at least six months under the offer.

That grants access to the airline's posh lounges and other perks.

But it also offers something that US flyers might value more - access to American Airlines' lounges even when flying domestically in economy. Even those with AA's top status don't get that perk.

Those wanting to take up the offer need to live in the US and to apply by midnight ET on Tuesday, May 7.

See below for full list of airlines, what status is needed for each plus a separate box with the five steps to sign up....

Flyers who take advantage of British Airway's status match can access American Airlines lounges, as well as BA's own ones. Here is the Admirals Club lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

BA lounges and those of partner airlines like American have fancy bars with free drinks

Members of the following airlines loyalty programs will now be able to match their status as follows as a US-based British Airways Executive Club member Airline British Airways Silver status British Airways Gold status Delta Gold Platinum Air Canada 50k 75K and Super elite Lufthansa Senator Hon Circle United Airlines Premier Gold Premier Platinum, Premier 1k Air France / KLM Gold Platinum Scandinavian Airlines Gold Diamond, Pandion Virgin Atlantic Silver Gold

Gold and silver status on BA gives access to the British flag carrier's lounges, extra free baggage, priority check-in, security and boarding and a better chance of upgrades.

It also unlocks the same perks when flying on more than a dozen other airlines that are part of the same Oneworld alliance as BA, including American, Alaska, Cathay Pacific, Quantas, Qatar and Fiji.

It is very rare for BA to match status - since getting gold involves spending tens of thousands of dollars on flights and provides enviable perks.

BA will match status with three programs from US and Canadian airlines - Deltas SkyMiles, United's Mileage Plus and Air Canada's Aeroplan.

Members of loyalty schemes from five European airlines can get gold or silver too - Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, Luthansa and Scandinavian.

The offer, launched on April 9, is valid for new and existing BA Executive Club members who hold a membership of one of the programs listed above with the corresponding status.

Customers with top tier status on the eight airlines can apply online.

They need to provide a valid proof eligible frequent flyer status, and the outcome of the application will be shared via email.

Successful applicants will be upgraded to the matched tier for an initial six-month period. BA gold and silver status is also valuable to flyers on American Airlines - since it gives acces to its Admirals Club lounges even when flying domestically in economy

The Soho Lounge at New York's JFK, which is jointly run by American Airlines and British Airways. Flyers with BA gold can access it when flying internationally and domestically on the two airlines or on Alaska

The Chelsea Lounge at New York's JFK, which is jointly run by American Airlines and British Airways. It is a lounge for passengers on First Class and also with BA's gold guest list status - which is one above its normal gold level

American Airlines' Admirals Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Successful applicants will be upgraded to the matched tier for an initial six-month period.

This can be extended to a full year if they book two eligible flights (or one return flight).

An eligible flight is a BA-marketed flight in business or first class  operated by British Airways, American Airlines, Iberia, Aer Lingus or Finnair - that originates in the US, Canada or Mexico.

Full terms and conditions are here on the BA website.
Starbucks customers have had enough of high prices and painfully slow service - with the coffee chain admitting it has lost tens of millions of visitors this year.

It seems that former CEO Howard Schultz - who spent nearly four decades building Starbucks into the world's biggest coffee chain - has had enough too.

The billionaire, who left last year, said on Sunday that the chain's new bosses should stop making excuses. He wants them to spend more time in stores - to see what customers want - and also focus on coffee.

Instead, the current boss Laxman Narasimhan is pinning his hopes on quirky offerings - not linked to coffee - such as boba drinks, sugar-free options and the brand's first energy beverage.

One thing that everyone agrees on - including Schultz, Narasimhan and fed-up customers - is that Starbucks needs to tackle the often long waits for a coffee.

One thing the current CEO and the old one don't seem want to talk about are the sky-high prices - with standard coffees like lattes more than $6.

Starbucks founder and former CEO Howard Schultz says the company's leaders should spend more time in stores and focus on coffee drinks as they work to turn around flagging sales

Statbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said slow service was putting off customers

Starbucks customers are ditching orders while in the line - as they take too long

'At any company that misses badly, there must be contrition and renewed focus and discipline on the core,' wrote in a LinkedIn post on Sunday.

'Own the shortcoming without the slightest semblance of an excuse.'

In his post, Schultz said senior leaders - including board members - need to spend more time talking to baristas in the companys stores.

'I have emphasized that the companys fix needs to begin at home: US operations are the primary reason for the companys fall from grace,' he said.

'The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant. The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores.'

At some points in his post, Schultz seemed to be questioning Narasimhans turnaround plans.

In a conference call with investors last week, Narasimhan mentioned several new products he thinks will drive customers to stores later this year, including boba drinks, sugar-free options and the brands first energy beverage.

But Schultz said coffee is what differentiates Starbucks and reinforce the companys premium positioning.

'The go-to-market strategy needs to be overhauled and elevated with coffee-forward innovation,' he said.

Shultz wasn't actually the founder of Starbucks. But he bought it from its previous owners in 1987 when it had just 17 locations and turned it into the biggest coffee chain in the world.

In the LinkedIn post published Sunday, Schultz said many people had reached out to him after Starbucks reported disasterous earnings for the January to March period last week.

Starbucks - which has about 17,000 stores in North America - saw a fall in sales for the first time since the height of the pandemic as tens of millions of customers stopped going to its cafes.

It was only in November it reported record takings.

A long list of excuses for the huge drop in customers was offered by current CEO Laxman Narasimhan.

Americans continuing to tighten their belts, bad weather and boycotts by pro-Palestinian supporters all played a role.

Narasimhan also said that the chain's infamously slow service - which led to an astonishing one in seven mobile orders being abandoned - was a big factor. Narasimhan said Starbucks would continue to see slow sales in the spring and summer.

He was mocked by commentators for suggesting the answer lay in strange drinks like new lavendar infused teas.

It was not what Shultz wanted to hear, no did investors like it - shares plummeted.

Howard Schultz, left, speaks while he is still interim Starbucks CEO after introducing incoming CEO Laxman Narasimhan during an investor day in 2022 in Seattle

Schultz wants current Starbucks bosses to put the focus back on coffee, not gimmicky drinks

Starbucks, in the first three months of the year, has lost millions of customers

Schultz, who bought Starbucks in 1987, is credited with growing the company into the global behemoth it has become with nearly 39,000 stores worldwide.

Schultz, who stepped down from the board last fall, remains Starbucks largest individual shareholder, holding shares that were valued at $1.5 billion at the end of last year.

But Schultz said coffee is what differentiates Starbucks and reinforce the companys premium positioning.

'The go-to-market strategy needs to be overhauled and elevated with coffee-forward innovation,' he said.

Narasimhan did announce plans for coffee pop-up stores in the US and elsewhere last month.

Starbucks plans to use the stores to experiment with limited-edition coffee drinks, teach younger customers about coffee and learn about customers' preferences.

Schultz also said the company should update its mobile ordering and payment platform to 'once again make it the uplifting experience it was designed to be.'

He didn't specify the changes he thinks should be made.

On Monday, Starbucks said in a statement: 'We always appreciate Howards perspective. The challenges and opportunities he highlights are the ones we are focused on. And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks long-term success.'

On TikTok, mikeylorenz0 complained that for a black coffee he has to 'wait 20 minutes' while others order a 'venti iced grande sugar caramel marshmallow ugat'. He called for an express line for people who just want basic drinks like a black coffee or a latte without modifications.

Schultz has a history of stepping in when he see Starbucks struggling. He retired as CEO in 2000 and became the companys chairman, then returned as CEO in 2008 when the company was dealing with the recession.

Schultz stepped down again in 2017 but returned to lead the company on a temporary basis in 2022.

In 2023, he named Narasimhan, a former PepsiCo executive, as CEO. Schultz became chairman emeritus when he left the board.

Starbucks shares were flat Monday. The company's stock price has fallen more than 20 percent since the start of this year.
In Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, countries ruled by juntas and undermined by the violence of jihadist groups, 7.5 million people are experiencing severe food insecurity, the American NGO for the defense of human rights International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The scale of severe food insecurity and related malnutrition continues to intensify in the region. In the central Sahel alone [Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger], 7.5 million people are affected, an increase from [the] 5.4 million [people in this situation] last year, writes the IRC in a press release.

Around 70 million people live in these three countries. The phenomenon could worsen there, as well as in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria, between harvests, from June to August.

In West and Central Africa, food insecurity has gradually worsened over the past five years, analyzes the IRC regional vice-president for West Africa, Modou Diaw, quoted in the press release.

Climatic shocks have exacerbated this phenomenon, as well as malnutrition and insecurity, and push young people, men and women, to migrate within and outside the region, he continues. .

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are on the list of forty-six least developed countries established by the UN. They are each led by soldiers who came to power through a coup and are subject to deadly violence from jihadist groups.

After obtaining the departure of the French army from their soil, the three countries grouped together within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). They found new partners, including Russia. On Saturday, Russian instructors delivered basic necessities to Niger.
The party of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe largely won the legislative elections on Monday April 29 in Togo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced on Saturday May 4, which will allow the head of state to remain in power under a new Constitution adopted in April.

The Union for the Republic (Unir), the presidential party, obtained 108 deputies out of 113, according to the provisional results announced in Lome by the president of the CENI, Dago Yabre, after a count broadcast live on the national television channel . The participation rate was 61%, according to the CENI.

These results, which have yet to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court, constitute a triumph for the M. Gnassingbe party, in power since 2005 following his father, who remained at the head of state for nearly thirty-eight years. He should remain the master of Togos destiny for at least the next six years.

The new Constitution, adopted on April 19 by outgoing deputies, shifted the country from a presidential system to a parliamentary system. Power now resides in the hands of a president of the council of ministers, who is automatically the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly. Which is the case for Faure Gnassingbe, president of Unir.

Stay in power indefinitely?

This constitutional reform was strongly criticized by the Togolese opposition and civil society organizations, who denounced an institutional coup and saw it as a way for Mr. Gnassingbe to remain in power indefinitely.

According to the previous Constitution, the head of state could only have run for one last term in 2025. The opposition claims that the abolition of direct suffrage to elect the head of state will allow the latter to be reappointed without term limit as long as his party wins the legislative elections.

For the ruling party, on the contrary, constitutional reform makes the authorities more representative. According to the new Constitution, the President of the Republic, appointed by the deputies for four years, has only an honorary function.

The elections took place peacefully on Monday April 29, despite a tense political climate. In the days that followed, several international organizations expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the vote. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) declared on Wednesday that they welcomed the establishment of a framework permanent consultation, as well as the smooth running of the electoral campaign and welcomed the holding of the elections in calm. The day before, an electoral mission from the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) judged that the vote had been free, fair and transparent.

Demonstrations banned since 2022

For their part, some opposition voices began to criticize the conduct of the elections. Nathaniel Olympio, president of the Parti des Togolais (PT, opposition) regretted on Wednesday on the social network  in all the countries.

The Dynamics for the Majority of the People (DMP, a grouping of opposition political parties and civil society organizations) claimed to have noted throughout the electoral day an excessive number of votes in several centers, delays in starting voting and not displayed voter lists.

Thirteen political parties and civil society organizations in Togo filed an appeal before the ECOWAS Court of Justice in April to demand the withdrawal of the countrys new Constitution. Attempts by the opposition to demonstrate against the new Constitution fell on deaf ears, with authorities preventing opposition leaders from meeting. In Togo, demonstrations have been banned since 2022, after an attack on the large market in Lome during which a gendarme was killed.
The aisles of the old courthouse in Dakar are empty, devoid of the works that were to be exhibited in this emblematic place of the Senegalese capital, less than two weeks before the initial launch date of the 15th edition of the Biennale d contemporary African art, DakArt.

On April 24, by a press release from the Senegalese Ministry of Culture, one of the major events in continental contemporary art was postponed from May 16 to November 7. A hard blow for players in this sector as DakArt, which has existed since 1996, has always been held on the scheduled date, with the exception of the 2020 edition, during the Covid-19 epidemic. . Fifty-eight African and diaspora artists were invited this year.

The national context, marked by the holding of the last presidential election [on March 24], had a strong impact on the process of preparing this event dedicated to the visual arts. But the international context also played a role, with in particular difficulties in transporting the works passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea [where the Houthis are increasing attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen], explains Marieme Ba, the secretary. general of DakArt, who says he cannot quantify the financial cost of this change of date.

While rumors of a postponement have been circulating for several weeks, many cultural actors criticize an announcement considered too late, only three weeks before the event. We had to wait until the new president was inaugurated, the government was appointed and the new minister of culture was installed for the decision to be taken, explains a source within the steering and organizing committee. of the Biennale which returns the responsibility to the previous government team, that of former president Macky Sall.

The former government did not respect its financial commitments, the Biennale found itself without resources, continues the same source. According to the source of the organizing committee, only the first third of DakArts budget of around one billion CFA francs (some 1.5 million euros) had been paid in January, while the State is the majority contributor.

Some actors also point to internal dysfunctions. The general secretariat has not done its job well, it is up to us to unite to point out the failings. We have to fight to change the administrative team which has failed, said Pascal Nampemala Traore, an Ivorian artist based in Dakar, who had planned to present an artistic event on the sidelines of the 2024 Biennale.

For gallery owners, this change in calendar has direct consequences. I have to postpone the program until November, but this will have a big financial impact because I had already paid for the plane tickets, the artists accommodation and the rental of the exhibition space. So many costs which will not be reimbursed, regrets Aude Minart, director of the African Gallery based in Paris.

Players in the sector spontaneously came together on social networks behind the hashtag

Some 500 off events would be maintained

In a press release dated April 30, he warned that the graphic charter of the off is exclusively linked to the in of the Dakar Arts Biennale. Any total or partial use of these elements outside the framework of the 15th Dakar Biennale is prohibited and subject to prosecution. The general secretariat does not have the power to ban cultural events. I am going to maintain my exhibition which I have been planning for a year, and for which I brought works from Burkina Faso, reacts Joelle Le Busy from the Dakar gallery Arte, which has only changed the signage and the communication around of its event.

She is far from the only one to have decided to maintain her program in May, despite the official cancellation. One source indicates that around three quarters of the approximately 500 events planned for the off would be maintained. Among them, the Raw Material art center, which is holding the opening of its exhibition on May 19. Our local and sub-regional public is waiting for this meeting. We cannot afford to cancel everything, adds Fatima Bintou Rassoul Sy, program director of this center, for whom the movement

It remains to be seen whether, in six months, the public will be as numerous in Dakar, when Les Rencontres de Bamako, the African Photography Biennale, will open almost at the same time, from November 16 to January 15.
Rabindranath Tagore, the polymathic Nobel Laureate from Bengal, is celebrated not only for his literary brilliance but also for his visionary ideas on education

Rabindranath Tagore (May 7, 1861 to August 7, 1941), the polymathic Nobel Laureate from Bengal, is renowned not only for his literary brilliance but also for his progressive ideas on education. His philosophy of education, rooted in the principles of creativity, freedom, and humanism, continues to resonate with contemporary educational discourse. In today's rapidly changing world, where traditional educational paradigms are being challenged and redefined, Tagore's insights offer valuable perspectives for reimagining education in a manner that fosters holistic development and meaningful engagement with the world.

At the heart of Tagore's educational philosophy is the belief in the innate creativity and potential of every individual. He envisioned education as a process of nurturing this inherent creativity rather than imposing predetermined knowledge. In his seminal work, "Siksha: Herok Ek Jibon" (Education: A Continuum of Life), Tagore emphasized the importance of cultivating curiosity, imagination, and critical thinking skills in learners. He advocated for an education system that encourages students to explore, question, and construct their understanding of the world, rather than passively receiving information.

Further, central to Tagore's philosophy of education is the concept of "Shantiniketan," or the abode of peace - and later Sriniketan - which he established as an experimental educational institution in rural Bengal. Shantiniketan epitomized Tagore's holistic educational philosophy, integrating intellectual, artistic, and spiritual facets of human life. Education transcended traditional confines, embracing nature, arts, and community involvement. Tagore emphasized fostering reverence for nature, aesthetic sensibility, and interconnectedness with all life. He advocated for intellectual development through imagination, free thought, and perpetual curiosity. This personalized approach prioritized holistic growth, including physical development through exercises, yoga, and sports, echoing Tagore's belief: "The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence."

According to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, "A teacher can never truly teach, unless he is still learning himself. A lamp can never light another lamp, unless it continues to burn its own flame". In his essay 'Ashramer Shiksha' (Ashram's Teaching), Tagore extolled the virtues of patience in teaching, advocating that only those imbued with affection for their students deserve the mantle of a teacher. He rejected authoritarian teaching methods, viewing them as indicative of governance inadequacy. K M O'Connell (University of Toronto, Canada) had written that Rabindranath Tagore stands with the pioneering educators, like, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Froebel, Montessori, and Dewey Malcolm Knowles, who have striven to create non-authoritarian learning systems appropriate to the surroundings.

Furthermore, Tagore's educational philosophy emphasizes fostering a love for humanity and advancing universal brotherhood through recognizing the interconnectedness of all beings and promoting empathy across cultures. Central to his approach is establishing harmony between individuals, nature, and the divine. Tagore advocates for freedom in education to unlock individuals' inherent potential and stresses the significance of moral and spiritual development alongside academic learning. His vision aims at cultivating well-rounded individuals capable of selfless service and social integration, ultimately contributing to a conscientious and harmonious society.

In today's context, characterized by rapid technological advancements, globalization, and environmental challenges, Tagore's emphasis on holistic education is more relevant than ever. The prevailing thought on standardized testing and rote memorization (read learning) often stifles creativity and critical thinking, leaving students ill-prepared for the complexities of the modern world. Tagore's philosophy, instead, calls for a shift towards a more student-centered, inquiry-based approach to learning that empowers learners to navigate uncertainty, think critically, and adapt to change.

Tagore's educational philosophy, as elucidated in his essay "The Centre of Indian Culture," emphasizes the imperative for education to reflect and engage with the socio-cultural milieu in which it operates, asserting that genuine education must be attuned to its contextual realities to foster healthy growth.

This sentiment resonates in Sunil Banga's (Lancaster University Management School) analysis - in his paper "The global relevance of Tagore's cosmopolitan educational philosophy for social justice in a post-Westphalian world" published in Journal of Philosophy of Education (August 2023, Oxford) - which underscores Tagore's cosmopolitan approach to education as a potent instrument for social justice and equity in today's world. Banga highlights Tagore's commitment to societal transformation through education, evident in his advocacy for women's empowerment, condemnation of oppression, and advocacy for India's independence (read freedom). Despite emerging from the colonial era, Tagore's philosophy remains pertinent, particularly his emphasis on education as a catalyst for moral and social development, aiming towards societal harmony and integration to address contemporary global challenges.

Moreover, Tagore's emphasis on the integration of arts, music, and literature into the curriculum offers a counterbalance to the narrow focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education prevalent in many educational systems today. Arts play a crucial role in fostering creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence, which are essential for navigating the complexities of human relationships and societal challenges.

Sunil Banga underscores Tagore's educational paradigm as an early advocate of global interconnectedness. Tagore posited that education's primary objective was the attainment of self-realization, which he termed 'Atma Shakti,' wherein individuals harmonize with nature and society. Drawing from Hindu literature, Tagore envisions a 'universal man' embodying faith in universalism and humanity. He further advocates for personality development through arts and music, leading to a transcendent understanding of human nature. He contends that humans, upon achieving self-realization, unite with 'God' or 'Manav Brahma,' thereby becoming the 'complete man' and 'soul.'

Rabindranath Tagore's educational philosophy underscores the integral role of education in fostering connections between individuals and humanity while promoting holistic development.

In essence, at the heart of Tagore's vision of cosmopolitan education is the idea of freedom - freedom to engage critically with traditional values and beliefs; and freedom to imagine citizenship in a globalized world, that enables an exploration and negotiation of multiple allegiances in sympathy with others. His notion of freedom in education emphasizes linking nature, society, and learners' experiences. He advocates for learning in natural environments to nourish body and soul, prioritize creativity, and engage critically with traditional values and beliefs.

Rabindranath Tagore's philosophy of education provides a compelling framework for reimagining education in the 21st century. His emphasis on creativity, freedom, holistic development, and social engagement offers valuable insights for addressing the multifaceted challenges of today's world.

By embracing Tagore's vision, educators can create learning environments that empower students to become compassionate, critical thinkers capable of shaping a more just, sustainable, and humane society and boosting student's morale.

On the occasion of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's 163rd Birth Anniversary, we may well reflect on his philosophy advocating for an education that transcends mere impartation of knowledge, rather instills a profound harmony with all existence. Revisiting Tagore's principles may serve as a guiding light for Indian educational institutions in this globalised age.

(The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti; views are personal)
Less than two months before the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, when the BJP and BJD were discussing an alliance in Odisha and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik received praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at public rallies, the latter asserted on Monday that the expiry date of the BJD Government in Odisha is June 4, the day when Lok Sabha and Assembly election results will be announced.

Addressing his first election rally in the State, Modi said, Odisha mein BJD ast hain, Congress past hai aur log BJP per ashwasth hai. Sirf BJP ummido ka naya suraj ban kar ubhri hain (in Odisha, the BJD is setting sun, the Congress is battered and people are sure of BJP. And the BJP has emerged as the only ray of hope for the people).

BJD leaders expressed dismay and complete shock over the PMs sharp attack on the party, as well as Patnaik, who left no stone unturned to support the NDA in Parliament. In February this year, he sent Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to the Rajya Sabha under the BJD quota.

Patnaik also regarded the BJP with a tacit strategy, as it never aligned with the Congress-led Opposition alliance or any Third Front, which was proposed a year ago by several non-BJP parties to challenge Modi in the Lok Sabha polls. Both parties were working to forge an alliance after breaking ties 15 years ago, though they cooperated in tandem on legislative matters.

In an apparent dig at Naveen Patnaik, the Prime Minister said, Odisha needs a CM who understands Odia language and culture.

The BJP will form a double-engine Government here after the ongoing elections. The expiry date of the BJD Government is June 4, 2024, Modi said at the Berhampur rally.

When the talks were ongoing until they proved futile at the end of March, both Modi and Patnaik acknowledged each others contributions, despite not being partners in Governments.

The pact was formed in 1998, orchestrated by senior leaders Bijay Mohapatra and the BJPs stalwart strategist late Pramod Mahajan. In 1998 Patnaik was Minister of Steel and Mines in the Vajpayee Cabinet.

Naveen Patnaik always regarded the BJP as a party of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The alliance was successful and even when in between there were no trucks, the BJD was tacitly with BJP in every sphere and never aligned with the Opposition side, said a BJD leader also quoting Patnaiks reaction post Modis speech.

BJP and Modi are day dreaming to capture Odisha, how foolish, the leader quoted their CM which later went viral late evening.

Responding to Modis claim, senior BJD leader and Naveen Patnaiks close aide VK Pandian said, Patnaik would take oath as the Chief Minister of Odisha for the sixth consecutive time between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm on June 9.

BJD-BJP alliance saw success in two Assembly elections and three Lok Sabha polls in Odisha. The partnership, forged in February 1998, enjoyed a strong foundation, with both parties successfully contesting Lok Sabha elections in 1998, 1999, and 2004, as well as Assembly elections in 2000 and 2004.

The strategic importance of Odisha, with its 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147 assembly seats, is not lost on either party. In the 2019 elections, BJD and BJP secured 12 and eight parliamentary constituencies and 112 and 23 Assembly constituencies, respectively.

The alliance could not materialise this year because for the Assembly elections which is being held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha, BJD was pushing for a larger share of seats, proposing to contest 105 out of the 147 available seats, leaving the BJP with 42 seats.

Simultaneously, in the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP expected to secure a significant portion of the seats. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha pressed for 13-14.

Once considered the BJPs most reliable ally in the NDA, the alliance collapsed in 2009 following failed seat-sharing talks. The breakdown was officially attributed to the BJDs demand for a reduction in the BJPs share of assembly seats from 63 to around 40, and parliamentary seats from nine to six. This demand, deemed unreasonable by the BJP leaders, led to the withdrawal of support to Patnaiks Government, marking the end of an 11-year political marriage. The withdrawal of support was termed by BJD as an act of betrayal.
Troubles seem to be mounting for the jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against the AAP chief for allegedly receiving political funding from the banned terrorist organisation Sikhs for Justice to the Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. The LG claimed that Kejriwal has received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

The move comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court considering granting Kejrwal interim bail in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The AAP chief, who is in Tihar jail, was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy linked money laundering case.

In a letter to the Union Home secretary, the Lieutenant Governors secretariat said Saxena had received a complaint that the Kejriwal-led AAP allegedly received USD 16 million funding from extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar.

Keeping in view, the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, the LG has desired that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, may consider referring the matter to the NIA for conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter, the letter to the Home Ministry read.

Bhullar, who is in Amritsar Central Jail, was convicted in connection with the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in Delhi. He was sentenced to death by a designated TADA court on August 25, 2001 and is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence.

Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called it yet another conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of BJP.

They are losing all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in Lok Sabha polls, he claimed, adding that the LG is the agent of BJP and the party had done something similar before also in Punjab elections.

The complaint was filed by World Hindu Federations National General Secretary Ashoo Mongia.

I am directed to forward a complaint dated 01.04.2024 (in original) received from Ashoo Mongia National General Secretary (World Hindu Federation India), along with printout of posts on platform X (erstwhile Twitter), made by Dr Munish Kumar Raizada, former worker of Aam Aadmi Party, referred to in the enclosed letter and a pen drive as received, the letter stated.

The LG further said the complainant has requested for a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations regarding funding of Aam Aadmi Party by Extremist group Justice for Sikhs.

The complaint is made against a Chief Minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation, the letter stated.

Claiming that Kejriwal received millions in funding for facilitating the release of Bhullar, the letter stated, The complainant has referred to the contents of a video (in enclosed pen drive), purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, (Khalistani terrorist and founder of banned organisation Sikhs For Justice), wherein he has alleged that AAP-led by Arvind Kejriwal has received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

It has also been alleged that a clandestine meeting occurred in 2014 between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurdwara Richmond Hills, New York. During the said meeting, Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party, the LG claimed.

Troubles seem to be mounting for the jailed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against the AAP chief for allegedly receiving political funding from the banned terrorist organisation Sikhs for Justice to the Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday. The LG claimed that Kejriwal has received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

The move comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court considering granting Kejrwal interim bail in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The AAP chief, who is in Tihar jail, was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy linked money laundering case.

In a letter to the Union Home secretary, the Lieutenant Governors secretariat said Saxena had received a complaint that the Kejriwal-led AAP allegedly received USD 16 million funding from extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar.

Keeping in view, the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, the LG has desired that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, may consider referring the matter to the NIA for conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter, the letter to the Home Ministry read.

Bhullar, who is in Amritsar Central Jail, was convicted in connection with the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in Delhi. He was sentenced to death by a designated TADA court on August 25, 2001 and is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence.

Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called it yet another conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of BJP.

They are losing all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in Lok Sabha polls, he claimed, adding that the LG is the agent of BJP and the party had done something similar before also in Punjab elections.

The complaint was filed by World Hindu Federations National General Secretary Ashoo Mongia. I am directed to forward a complaint dated 01.04.2024 (in original) received from Ashoo Mongia National General Secretary (World Hindu Federation India), along with printout of posts on platform X (erstwhile Twitter), made by Dr Munish Kumar Raizada, former worker of Aam Aadmi Party, referred to in the enclosed letter and a pen drive as received, the letter stated.

The LG further said the complainant has requested for a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations regarding funding of Aam Aadmi Party by Extremist group Justice for Sikhs.

The complaint is made against a Chief Minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation, the letter stated.

Claiming that Kejriwal received millions in funding for facilitating the release of Bhullar, the letter stated, The complainant has referred to the contents of a video (in enclosed pen drive), purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, (Khalistani terrorist and founder of banned organisation Sikhs For Justice), wherein he has alleged that AAP-led by Arvind Kejriwal has received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

It has also been alleged that a clandestine meeting occurred in 2014 between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York. During the said meeting, Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party, the LG claimed.
With stakes being high for the BJP which had won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, in the 2019 general elections, political bigwigs Union Ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Mansukh Mandaviya, Parshottam Rupala Congress stalwart Digvijay Singh, to NCPs (Sharad Pawar faction) Supriya Sule and Samajwadi Partys Dimple Yadav are amongst several others from ruling and Opposition side who are in the fray for the voting to be held in 93 constituencies spread over 12 States and Union Territories on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha polls.

Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray for the 93 parliamentary seats in 12 States and Union Territories. Modi and Shah will cast their votes at booths in Ahmedabad city that fall under Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.

After the third phase of polling, more than half of India will be covered. A total 283 will be covered after the third phase of polling.

According to EC, over 17.24 crore voters will cast their vote in the third phase for 93 parliamentary seats. A total of 1,041 inter-State and 275 International Border check posts are keeping strict vigil on any illicit flow of liquor, drugs, cash and freebies. Strict surveillance has been kept at sea and air routes.

With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, 25 seats in Prime Minister Modis home State of Gujarat will go to polls on May 7, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa.

The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) and nine seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Betul where elections were deferred, will also go to polls on Tuesday and over 11 crore people will be eligible to vote.

Campaigning for the third phase witnessed the Constitution and reservation issue dominating the poll discourse. The stakes are significant for the BJP and its allies, which had, in 2019, won 75 of the 93 seats going to polls on Tuesday, while the INDIA Bloc parties had won only 11. Four seats had gone to the undivided Shiv Sena, two were won by independents, and one by the AIUDF.

With the first two phases registering a dip in voter turnout as compared to 2019, the question is whether the third phase will buck the trend amid hot weather and heat waves in these States.

After the third phase, voting will be completed in 283 out of 243 seats in the Lok Sabha. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Counting of votes is on June 4. Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seats were also to vote in the third phase of polling. However, due to several connectivity issues, the Election Commission of India rescheduled it to May 25.

During the campaign, the BJP had to face the ire of the Kshatriya community over a remark made by Rupala in Rajkot.

He had claimed several rulers from the community had roti and beti (marriage and trade) relations with the British and other foreign invaders.

The current phase is important for Mulaym Singh Yadavs family, with Dimple Yadav aiming to retain the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat. Akshaya Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, is contesting from Firozabad, and Aditya Yadav is making his electoral debut from the Budaun Lok Sabha seat.

In Madhya Pradesh where Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and former State Chief Ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh are in the fray. At stake is the political future of Scindia, seeking to reclaim the home turf Guna which he lost in 2019 when he was in the Congress.

In Maharashtra, the spotlight is on the high-stakes battle in Baramati, where Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule is pitted against Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leaders estranged nephew and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Amid heightened security with the deployment of 202 companies of Central forces and more than 60,000 personnel of police force and District Reserve Guard, the remaining seven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will vote on Tuesday.

The third phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal will see four Muslim-majority constituencies, with the division of minority votes among the Left-Congress combine and the TMC and narrative on the Citizenship Amendment Act potentially shaping the outcome.

The third round of polls will also witness INDIA Bloc partners at the national level - the TMC and the Left-Congress combine  fighting separately in the state in an intense battle of political supremacy in Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad. More than 11 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in elections to both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa where the Congress and BJP are locked in a straight fight.
Gov. Greg Abbott, second left, holds a press conference with local officials to update the state's ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions that impacted East Texas communities during a press conference Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Abbott urged people whose properties are damaged to report to the state government as soon as they can. From left: Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough and Liberty County Judge Jay Knight. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott updates the state's ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions that impacted East Texas communities during a press conference Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Abbott urged people whose properties are damaged to report to the state government as soon as they can. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Dennis Orellana carries wet drywall to a debris pile as he helps Yanira Diaz, far left, clean up her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rita Davis pauses and looks around her kitchen while cleaning up her home from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Anthony Dusauzay shovels debris in the laundry room of his flood-damaged home as he works to clean it up in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott, second left, receives briefings of severe weather and flooding conditions from local officials Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. From left: Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough and Executive Director of Montgomery County OEM Jason Millsaps. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, right, thanks Gov. Greg Abbott for for his quick response and support from the state level during a press conference on severe weather and flooding conditions in his county Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott, right, exchanges with Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd moments before a press conference to update on the state's ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions that impacted East Texas communities Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Abbott urged people whose properties are damaged to report to the state government as soon as they can. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The water line goes almost to the top of the front door of a home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Dustin Williamson, left, talks to Rita David was he helps her clean up her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Javan Lejeune pushes wet debris to the street while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott, center, receives briefings of severe weather and flooding conditions from local officials Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. From left: Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd and Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough speaks about the severe weather and flooding conditions in his county during a press conference with state officials Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott, second left, holds a press conference with local officials to update the state's ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions that impacted East Texas communities during a press conference Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Abbott urged people whose properties are damaged to report to the state government as soon as they can. From left: Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough and Liberty County Judge Jay Knight. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Debris piles are all along the streets as homeowners begin cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott, left, receives a briefing of severe weather and flooding conditions from Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Gov. Greg Abbott receives briefings of severe weather and flooding conditions from local officials Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Liberty County Judge Jay Knight speaks about the severe weather and flooding conditions in his county during a press conference with state officials Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Yanira Diaz stands in her muddy living room as she begins the clean up process of her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Workers clear out furniture while cleaning up a home that was flooded in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rita Davis in the doorway of her home while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Cesar Villanueva stands in the doorway of his sisters salon, Aritas Hair Salon & Spa, while he tries to dry it out on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Wendy Dominguez hugs her granddaughters after trying to get some assistance for her flooded home at the Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Cesar Villanueva measures the water mark in his sisters salon, Aritas Hair Salon & Spa, while he works to dry it out on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Yovany Dominguez wipes his daughter, Gracies face, as they eat food from the Salvation Army in the parking lot of Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Dominguez drove down from Dallas to help his mother who was stuck in her home with water up to her waist during the storms. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A Salvation Army volunteer distributes food at Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Robert Gaudet, founder of Cajun Navy Ground Force, sets up a tent for tomorrows distribution at Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Cleveland. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

Texas' flood recovery has a long way to go, and Gov. Greg Abbott urged those affected to report damage to ensure that federal dollars go to help rebuild homes, businesses and lives.

Anthony Dusauzay shovels debris in the laundry room of his flood-damaged home as he works to clean it up in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Abbott and more than a dozen local and state leaders spoke about what Abbott called an extraordinary rain event during a Monday news conference at the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse.

During the past week, the Houston region has received more than 20 inches of rain.

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Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said reporting damage is important.

Damage assessment is critical to our future success, Kidd said of reaching the threshold for federal assistance.

Kidd said those who have flood insurance need to contact their agents soon. He said only 501 claims had been filed with insurance companies as of Sunday night.

Yanira Diaz stands in her muddy living room as she begins the clean up process of her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Representatives with the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be in the region, including Montgomery County, on Tuesday.

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We need 800 homes with major damage or destroyed that are uninsured to be able to qualify for FEMA assistance, Kidd said.

Jason Millsaps, executive director of Montgomery Countys Office of Emergency Management, said there are about 1,500 flooded homes in the county. He said the severity of the damage to those structures was not yet known.

It has been heart-wrenching to see our fellow Texans be literally inundated with a record rise in water flooding homes and destroying lives and unfortunately claiming some lives, Abbott said, referencing three people who were killed during the recent storms that began lashing the area Thursday.

Conroe police Sgt. Jimmy Waller was among those who died as a result of the storms. Waller was killed when a tornado hit his Trinity County home.

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While the rain had subsided Monday, Abbott said recovery efforts were only just beginning.

It is important for everyone across the state to understand we still face challenges, Abbott said.

Abbott said 91 counties have been affected by the storms, including four where a state disaster had been declared. He said 231 federal, state and local agencies have responded to the flooding.

Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said first responders performed more than 300 rescues in the county, including people being retrieved from their homes and vehicles. He said no deaths have been reported.

We are now in recovery mode, Keough said. We will go house to house" and assess damage.

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The wall of a garage is broken down after floodwaters swept through the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Liberty County Judge Jay Knight said his county has also been hit with major flooding and that he is worried about the next few days.

My biggest concern now is the Trinity River, Knight said. This incident is not over.

DISASTER RELIEF: Southeast Texas floods: How to help with disaster relief in Houston

As recovery began, Abbott warned residents that rising water poses dangers. He said that as of Monday, 42 state roads in the region were still closed due to high water and that 14 locations had closed roads due to flood damage.

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They will be closed for a while, Abbott said.

Keough said he was optimistic about residents getting the help they need.

I believe we are moving in the right direction, Keough said.
Chief Election Officer, Jharkhand K. Ravi Kumar has said that after withdrawal of nominations for the fifth phase of elections, 54 candidates remain in the fray. On the last day of withdrawal of nominations, one candidate withdrew his nomination from Chatra Lok Sabha constituency. There are now a total of 22 candidates in the fray here. Two candidates from Koderma Lok Sabha constituency have withdrawn from the fray. Now the victory and defeat will be decided between 15 candidates here.

On the other hand, no candidate has withdrawn his nomination from Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency. There are a total of 17 candidates in the fray here. In Gandey assembly by-election also, no candidate withdrew his candidature on the last day of withdrawal of nominations. There are a total of 11 candidates in the fray from here.

So far, 118 candidates have filed nominations for the sixth phase of elections. Out of them, 25 candidates from Giridih Lok Sabha constituency, 28 from Dhanbad, 33 from Ranchi and 32 from Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency have filed nominations. The Chief Electoral Officer was addressing a press conference at Nirvachan Sadan, Dhurva on Monday.

He informed that since the notification of the election, goods and cash worth more than Rs 74 crore 38 lakh have been seized in Jharkhand. In response to a question, he said that there is no shortage of vehicles for election work. Vehicles are being easily available as per requirement. He said that the interest of the vehicle owners is also being taken care of in taking vehicles for election work. Arrangements have been made in such a way that the vehicle which has been marked for taking in one district will not be marked in another district. Digital arrangements have also been made to ensure that the vehicle owners get the fare of the vehicle on time.

The Chief Electoral Officer appealed to all the voters to post Lok Sabha election related content with the hashtag #MainBhiElectionAmbassador on social media handles between 6 pm to 8 pm on May 7, 2024 under the SVEEP program in the Lok Sabha General Election 2024. He asked everyone to post good photos, videos, text etc. related to the election. He has also appealed to social media influencers to become a part of this special campaign and post on their social media using the above hashtag.




Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal on Monday said that candidates contesting elections must disclose their criminal records, if any, publicly. For this, candidates must provide complete information about their criminal cases along with an affidavit in Form-26. Additionally, the relevant political party must also publish information about the candidate's criminal cases on its official website, he added.



Agarwal said that the process of filing nominations was completed on May 6, and after filing nominations, it is mandatory for candidates and political parties to disclose information about criminal cases at least three times in newspapers and TV channels.



He further said that special arrangements will be made at the polling centres on May 25 to prevent heat waves. Basic facilities including tents, fans, and drinking water will be ensured for protection from heat. Apart from this, the BLO will also give information to the voters through the queue app about how many people are in the queue to vote, so that there is not too much crowd at the polling station at one time and one cast their vote with convenience.



Agarwal chaired a review meeting with officers regarding election arrangements. He also appealed to 2 crore 76 thousand 441 voters of the state to celebrate the festival of democracy on May 25 and cast their vote. He said that voters should not bring mobile phones, electronic gadgets, electronic watches, spy cameras, etc., inside the polling booths, as this could violate the secrecy of voting. Only presiding officers would be allowed to carry mobile phones. Voters should only bring their identification documents, he added.
In a dramatic twist following his incendiary remarks on the Poonch terror attack in which one Indian Air Force (IAF) jawan died, Punjabs former Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Jalandhar Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday took a sharp U-turn. After sparking a storm of controversy by branding the recent Poonch terror attack as stuntbaazi orchestrated to sway electoral fortunes in BJPs favour, Channi now called for a thorough investigation to unmask the real perpetrators behind the deadly ambush.

Issuing a clarification in a video message after facing severe criticism from different quarters, Channi clarified that his earlier remarks were aimed at questioning the timing of such attacks, particularly just before elections. He emphasized that the nation must scrutinize why incidents of this nature occur when the political climate is heated with election fervour.

Channis comments drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur, who demanded an apology from the Congress leadership for what they termed as an insulting and deplorable statement directed towards the soldiers. Notably, Channi on Sunday had termed the terror attack an election stunt and orchestrated by the BJP to bolster its prospects in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Responding to the backlash, Channi defended his stance, expressing pride in the bravery and sacrifice of the countrys armed forces. Reiterating his point, Channi questioned why such attacks seem to coincide with electoral cycles and why the perpetrators are not swiftly brought to justice by the government.

We are proud of the jawans who join the armed forces and safeguard the country. My statement referred to the point that why such attacks happened just before the elections. Even before the 2019 general elections, 40 jawans lost their lives in the Pulwama attack but the Union Government has not found out who executed the attack till date. The government failed to find those responsible behind it, Channi said.

It is election time once again. Our jawans were attacked once again and one jawan lost his life. I would like to ask the government who are those people who orchestrate such attacks, why are they not brought before everyone, why does intelligence failure take place, Channi said.

The terror attack in Poonch, resulting in the tragic loss of Corporal Vikky Pahades life and injuries to four other IAF personnel, occurred just days before the constituency goes to polls on May 25 as part of the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

Channi also referenced Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhars previous statements during the 2019 elections, when he was in Congress, where Jakhar had demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attributing similar attacks to BJPs orchestration. He urged Jakhar to clarify his stance on these past remarks, hinting at a political double standard.

In response, Jakhar affirmed his unwavering commitment to the national security, stating that he stood by his statement given at the time of the Pulwama attack. National security is top priority for me. I had never used words like election stunt or said that the BJP orchestrated that attack, said Jakhar, emphasizing the need to expose the perpetrators behind such attacks while refraining from politicizing matters of grave national importance.

Jakhar said: Channi, who is a member of the CWC, the highest decision-making body of the Congress, has given a clean chit to terrorists who must have come from across the border. What is compulsion of a former CM to make such absurd statements?

However, Jakhar criticized Channi for what he perceived as an attempt to undermine the sacrifices of Indian soldiers, likening Channis rhetoric to that of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, known for his sympathetic stance towards anti-India elements. Jakhar speculated on Channi's motivations, suggesting a desire to emulate Trudeau's political strategies, even at the expense of tarnishing India's image on the global stage.

Bittu Slams Channi's anti-national remarks

Also strongly denouncing Channis anti-national remarks, BJP candidate from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu expressed shock at his statement. He criticized Channi for lacking respect for the martyrs and losing credibility among nationalist individuals. Bittu further highlighted the absence of any action from the Congress top leadership regarding Channi's statement, emphasizing the BJP's firm stance against anti-national forces. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his global respect and determination, asserting that India will emerge as a world force under his leadership, with no place for leaders like Channi in Indian politics after June 4.

SADs Cheema calls for non-partisan probe into Poonch attack

Meanwhile, former Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency Daljit Singh Cheema echoed concerns over the politicization of Poonch terror attack. He underscored the need for a thorough investigation into the matter, emphasizing that matters of national security should transcend partisan politics. Cheema also criticized the selective outrage and urged for a unified approach in addressing security challenges faced by the nation.
haratiya Janata Party State President and MP Shri Vishnudutt Sharma, while calling on the voters for the third phase of voting to be held on Tuesday, said that alert and active voters are the biggest protectors of democracy. Voter brothers and sisters of the state should make their role meaningful by voting as much as possible in the voting to be held on Tuesday.

State President Vishnudatt Sharma said that under the third phase of Lok Sabha elections, voters of Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh and Betul Lok Sabha constituencies of the state will exercise their franchise on Tuesday. He said that all the citizens of the region have faith and trust in democracy and democratic processes. Elections are a great festival of democracy and the voters of the state should participate in it thoughtfully and fearlessly and strengthen democracy with their votes.

Meanwhile, Sharma said that on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party, I pay tribute to Martyr Vicky Pahade, the brave son of Chhindwara who was martyred for the motherland. The entire Bharatiya Janata Party stands with the family of the Air Force personnel who were martyred for the motherland on the soil of Jammu and Kashmir and the Red Martyr of Chhindwara, Shri Vicky Pahade. State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reached Chhindwara and paid tribute to the martyr by placing a wreath on his mortal remains.

The state government will also take care of the son with a Shraddha Nidhi of one crore.BJP State President Shri Sharma said that we are proud of our army and this loss is irreparable. He said that the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh will not let the martyrdom of its brave soldier go in vain and the state government will also take care of the martyr's son.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has also sought permission from the Election Commission of India to provide a fund of Rs 1 crore to the martyr's family.It is a matter of great shame that father and son did not even come to pay homage to the martyr.BJP State President Shri Sharma said that it is a matter of great shame that for the Lok Sabha elections held in Chhindwara a few days ago, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath and his MP son Nakul Nath were roaming from street to street in Chhindwara for one vote each of the people. Were. But as soon as the voting was over, this father-son duo did not reach Chhindwara to pay tribute and console the family even after the martyrdom of the brave son of Chhindwara. Congress can never respect the army and martyrdom. No one knows where the father and son are, but there is a BJP whose leader, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, goes to the border and celebrates Diwali with the soldiers. Unfortunately, these Congress people ask for proof from Mr Bantadhar Digvijay and Corruptionnath Kamalnath on surgical strike. He has such thinking about the army, which is well understood by the public.
A fire broke out in the Union Carbide factory on Monday. A fire broke out in a plastic tank in the factory at around 3.30 pm. On receiving information from a passerby, the Municipal Corporation's fire brigade team reached the spot and brought it under control.

Devendra Kansote, who lives in street number 10 of JP Nagar, located in front of the Union Carbide factory complex, said that he was passing in front of the factory. Then smoke was seen rising from the factory premises. When he went near the boundary wall of the Union Carbide factory, he saw flames rising from a tank inside.

He immediately informed the fire control room of the Municipal Corporation about the incident. Fire brigade arrived after about 10 minutes and controlled the fire in the factory premises after half an hour of effort. After the fire was controlled, when the fire brigade investigated the cause of the fire, it was revealed that the fire started in a plastic tank.

Meanwhile, a second incident of fire was reported in Noor Mahal road on Monday afternoon, an electric transformer caught fire due to the flames of burning scrap.
On the last day of the nominations for the Lok Sabha Elections and Karnal Bypolls, former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, senior Congress leader Jai Prakash and Krishan Pal Gurjar on Monday filed their nominations from Karnal, Hisar and Faridabad Constituencies respectively. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also submitted his nomination papers for Karnal Assembly bypoll, necessitated by the resignation of his predecessor Khattar, who also filed his papers for the Karnal parliamentary seat.



Ahead of filing their nomination papers before the returning officer in Karnal, Saini and Khattar took out a roadshow in Karnal in an open decorated vehicle. Talking to reporters during the roadshow, Chief Minister Saini said, "There is an overwhelming public support. The BJP is getting huge support not just in Karnal but everywhere. I can say that in Haryana, eleven 'lotuses' (the BJP's poll symbol) will bloom. We will win with a big mandate."



He further said the country has moved ahead on the path of progress during the past 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "If we compare Karnal of 2014 with the present-day Karnal then we can see a big difference. The double-engine government has undertaken a lot of development in the country and in the state," said Saini.



Saini is up against Congress rival Tarlochan Singh in the Karnal assembly bypolls. Khattar's rival for the Lok Sabha seat is Haryana Youth Congress president Divyanshu Budhiraja.



BJPs Kishan Pal Gujjar also filed his nominations from Faridabad LoK Sabha Constituency. Haryana Cabinet Minister Mool Chand Sharma and other leaders were present on the occasion. Congress party has fielded Mahender Pratap Singh from Faridabad.



In the presence of former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Haryana Congress President Chaudhary Udaibhan, Congress Hisar Lok Sabha candidate Jai Prakash filed his nomination papers. BJP candidate Ranjit Singh Chautala is contesting Lok Sabha Election from Hisar.



Speaking on the occasion during a public rally in Hisar, Hooda said as much anger is there among the public towards BJP, there is equal enthusiasm for Congress. Only criminals, corrupt people and drug dealers are happy with the present government. The rest of the public is completely fed up with the policies and functioning of BJP, he said.



Hooda said that BJP, which is going among the public to seek votes, does not have a single achievement to show before the people, nor does it have any roadmap for the future, whereas Congress is seeking votes in the name of its development works and manifesto.



Congress promises that when the government is formed, 30 lakh youth in the Center and more than 2 lakh youth in Haryana will get permanent jobs as per their qualifications, without any paper leak. Besides, farmers will be given a guarantee of MSP and freedom from debt, he promised.



State employees will get an old pension scheme and elderly people will get RS 6000 old age pension. Congress has also promised to provide 300 units of free electricity and gas cylinders for Rs 500 in the state. The Congress manifesto also promises 50% reservation in jobs for women and Rs 1 lakh annually. All the communities are supporting this progressive and welfare driven manifesto of Congress, he added and said that this victory in the Lok Sabha elections will lay the foundation of the Congress government not only in the Center, but also in Haryana.



On the occasion, Jai Prakash raised slogans of 25 Mai- BJP Gai. He said all Congressmen will have to work at the grassroots level with full readiness and vigilance till May 25, taking the resolutions of the Congress to every home should be the priority of every Congressman.



BJP wants to end the reservation and rights of Dalits, backward people and the poor. All communities will have to unite and respond to BJP. Unity, solidarity and brotherhood is the mantra of Congress's victory. Congress's victory is necessary to provide MSP to farmers, employment to youth and security to traders, he stated.
Warring pacifies Parminder Dimple pledging MLA ticket in 2027 assembly polls



Faridkot: In a significant development during a campaign event in Faridkot, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday successfully placated disgruntled party leader Parminder Singh Dimple by offering him assurance of an MLA ticket for the Faridkot constituency in the upcoming 2027 assembly polls. The campaign, which saw a spirited rally led by Warring and Dimple in support of Congress's Lok Sabha candidate from Faridkot Amarjit Kaur Sahoke, resonated with promises of addressing critical issues confronting Punjab and the nation.

Warring expressed confidence in the Congress partys ability to effectively tackle the myriad challenges gripping the state and the country, asserting that the prevailing electoral atmosphere favoured the Congress. He criticized the AAP for its failure to deliver on its promises, pointing to issues such as the insecurity among businessmen and the lack of progress in development initiatives despite holding a significant number of seats. Highlighting the importance of women's representation in politics, Warring praised Amarjit Sahoke for her experience and grassroots connectivity. Additionally, he lauded Dimple for his unwavering commitment to the party's principles and assured him of an MLA ticket for the Faridkot constituency in the 2027 assembly elections.







Punjab Bachao Yatra created storm against Delhi-based parties: Sukhbir



Balachaur/Garhshankar: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that Punjab Bachao Yatra had created a storm against Delhi-based parties and would lead to the rout of all these parties in the forthcoming parliamentary election. Welcoming Choudhary RP Singh  a well-respected senior Congress leader  into the SAD fold, Sukhbir said that he commanded immense respect amongst the Gujjar community and SAD would be strengthened in Balachaur with his entry into the party. Sukhbir, who toured Balachaur and Garhshankar assembly segments along with party Sri Anandpur Sahib candidate Prem Singh Chandumajra, said that the phenomenal response to the Punjab Bachao Yatra had made it clear that Punjabis had decided to support their own regional party in the parliamentary elections. This is why candidates from other parties are even finding it difficult to campaign with people openly questioning them as to why they had betrayed the farmers, weaker sections and youth. Even chief minister Bhagwant Mann is finding it difficult to campaign without using excessive security force to prevent people from asking him questions about unkept promises and failures of his government, he added.



Bittu is neither a patriot, nor a nationalist; he is just an opportunist: Warring



Ludhiana: Punjab Congress president and partys candidate from Ludhiana parliamentary constituency Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday said that his rival BJP candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu was neither a patriot nor a nationalist, but just an opportunist. Once a traitor, always a traitorIf he can betray the Congress that gave him everything, he can betray the BJP also, which cannot give him anything, said Warring, while addressing a series of public meetings. Warring told the people of Ludhiana not to get carried away by Bittus false and fake claims as he had joined the BJP after deserting the Congress only for his personal ambitions. Bittu mistakenly assumed that the BJP was returning to power at the Centre; and by joining the party, he may become a Minister. Bittus misplaced ambitions will come crashing down as neither the BJP is returning to power, nor is he going to win from here, he claimed, while emphasizing that he had deserted the Congress just with a selfish interest and not for anything else.



Several leaders from Cong, BJP, SAD join AAP



Chandigarh: Leaders from Congress, SAD, and BJP, including former Youth Congress general secretary from Mansa Chuspinderbir Chahal, senior Congress leader from Amritsar Tarsem Singh Sialka, Jalandhar BJP district vice-president and close aide of BJP stalwart Vijay Sampla Pradeep Khullar, joined the AAP on Monday. All leaders who joined AAP said that they decided to join the party inspired by the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his work in the last two years, said the party spokesperson. AAP also gained strength in Jalandhar with the districts district vice president Pradeep Khullar joining the party along with his associates. Besides, many officials and sitting councilors of Akali Dal and Congress joined AAP in Gurdaspur.



Accountable MLAs are the public's true representatives: Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu



Hamirpur: The saleable MLAs are the biggest culprits of the people as they have hurt their sentiments and put unnecessary burden of elections, said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on Monday. Addressing public meetings at Bara, Putdiyal and Nauhangi in Nadaun assembly constituency of Hamirpur district, he said, ''The question is not about the government, the chief minister or the minister's chair. But it is about disrespect of the public vote.'' Sukhu was referring to the six Congress rebel MLAs who had voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections held on February 27 and later joined the BJP. After being disqualified by the assembly Speaker, they are contesting the assembly bypolls from their respective seats on the BJP ticket. Seeking votes for Congress candidate from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency Satpal Raizada, Sukhu, who represents the Nadaun seat in the assembly, said, ''The people of Nadaun are members of my family. Vote as much as possible for the Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.'' After the election results, the message should go out that the Congress has got a big lead from the chief minister's area, he added. Sukhu alleged that Union minister Anurag Thakur did nothing while being an MP from Hamirpur. He (Thakur) did not stand with the affected people during the monsoon disaster last year.
To ensure the victory of her brother Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli and also to wrest the Amethi Lok Sabha seat from Smriti Irani who defeated Rahul last time, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Rae Bareli on Monday. She would camp there till the end of campaigning for the fifth phase on the evening of May 18.

Priyanka reached Bhuemau Guest House in Rae Bareli in the evening and held a meeting with the Special 24 team formed by her mother Sonia Gandhi to ensure that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi retains her traditional Rae Bareli seat.

Priyanka also interacted with a 40-member team which is active to ensure victory of the Gandhi familys trusted lieutenant Kishori Lal Sharma, who has been fielded from Amethi.

To help Priyanka, two former chief ministers, Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh and Ashok Gehlot from Rajasthan, have also been appointed senior party observers in Rae Bareli and Amethi, respectively. The appointment was made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday morning.

Former Congress MLC Deepak Singh confirmed on Monday evening that Priyanka would camp in Rae Bareli till the end of campaigning for the fifth phase of polls on May 18. He said besides campaigning in Rae Bareli and Amethi, Priyanka would also cover other important constituencies across the country to ensure the victory of maximum candidates of the party and INDIA bloc.

Priyanka will be also joined by Rahul Gandhi.

VEHICLES VANDALISED OUTSIDE

CONGRESS OFFICE IN AMETHI

Meanwhile, more than half a dozen vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Gauriganj area of Amethi were allegedly vandalised and the party leaders were also attacked on Sunday night.

Congress district spokesperson Anil Singh accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of orchestrating the incident that took place on Sunday night and claimed that some people sitting inside the cars had sustained injuries.

The Congress leaders alleged that BJP workers were desperate as they sensed the defeat of Union minister Smriti Irani and had lost their cool.

They also accused the local administration of working on the diktat of Smriti Irani and her associates, saying that no action was taken against those involved in the attack.

The BJP leaders and workers attacked supporters of Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma in the presence of police and some of the miscreants also vandalised our vehicles, the Congress leaders alleged.

At the time of the incident, Kishori Lal Sharma was holding a meeting with party workers in the office at Gauriganj.

The Congress leaders said that Kishori Lal Sharma could have been attacked.

More than six vehicles of Congress workers were damaged in the attack while four Congress workers were seriously injured.

The Congress workers said the BJP workers escaped from the spot after the attack as the police personnel remained a mute spectator.

They said that Smriti Irani was scared of Kishori Lal Sharmas popularity and sensing her imminent defeat, her supporters were now involved in unlawful activities.

The Gauriganj police have registered a case against unidentified miscreants in the incident. Superintendent of Police in Amethi, Anoop Kumar Singh, said that an FIR under the charges of Indian Penal Code sections 336 (negligent act), 427 (causing damage) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) had been registered against unidentified persons at the Gauriganj police station.

The FIR was lodged by the driver of one of the damaged vehicles, identified as Saddam Hussain. Hussain said that he also sustained injuries when unidentified persons pelted stones at the vehicles, said SP Singh.

The police are scanning the CCTV footage to find out all those who vandalised the vehicles.
Rabindranath Tagore University's Humanities and Liberal Arts Department recently orchestrated a spectacular festival, 'Fete de Shakespeare,' honoring the indelible legacy of the legendary playwright, William Shakespeare.

The event, held at the university premises, brought together students, faculty, and esteemed guests in a jubilant commemoration of Shakespeare's enduring genius.

Dr Ruchi Mishra Tiwari, the esteemed curator of the program, extended a warm welcome to all attendees, emphasizing the platform it provides for students to showcase their talents and creativity.

The significance of celebrating such festivals in preserving Shakespeare's legacy was elucidated by the esteemed Pro Vice Chancellor, Sangeeta Jauhari, underscoring the ongoing relevance of Shakespeare's work in contemporary society.

In a poignant address, Prof. Rajnikant, the Vice-Chancellor of RNTU, emphasized the timeless human values embedded in Shakespeare's dramas, advocating for their continued exploration and appreciation.

This year's edition of the Shakespeare festival saw a remarkable collaboration with the Cinelit Society, an endeavor lauded by its founder members, Dr. Uzma Khan and Rachna Bajpai, who highlighted the society's diverse activities, including competitions at both school and college levels.

The event witnessed the participation of esteemed guests, including Dr. Nidhi Tiwari, head of the Social Science Department at the Regional Institute of Education, who illuminated Shakespeare's advocacy for marginalized voices, citing the relevance of his messages in contemporary discourse.

The festival's highlight was a captivating drama performance by humanities students, a rendition of 'The Merchant of Venice,' directed by Mr. Manoj Nair of the Tagore National School of Drama, which received a resounding standing ovation from the audience.

In addition to the theatrical extravaganza, the event marked the release of the latest edition of the 'Campus Mimansa' newsletter, meticulously crafted by students of journalism under the expert guidance of Mr. Yogesh Patel, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The occasion concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks delivered by Shaivy, a member of the Cinelit Society, expressing gratitude to all participants and supporters.

The 'Fete de Shakespeare' festival drew an enthusiastic audience comprising deans, heads of departments, faculty, and students of RNTU, underscoring the university's commitment to fostering cultural enrichment and academic excellence.
High level health facilities are available in AIIMS Bhopal. One such method is Ayurveda. Shirodhara is a healing method in Ayurveda, which originated in India thousands of years ago. It focuses on rebalancing the life forces, called doshas, in the patient's body.

One such story is of 46 year old Naman (name changed). Who was not able to sleep properly at night for the last 6 years. The whole night was spent tossing and turning. Also took sleeping pills. But till the time the medicine is continued, it is fine, but later again the same old story. Later, he visited the OPD in the AYUSH department of AIIMS Bhopal.

Dr Danish Javed advised him to get Shirodhara done. After only one month of treatment, there was a significant change in the patient's condition. After almost 3 months of treatment, Naman now sleeps peacefully at night.

Shirodhara is an Ayurvedic treatment technique in which medicated oil, milk or buttermilk is dropped on the patient's forehead. Shirodhara is made up of two Sanskrit words - Shiro (head) and Dhara (flow).

This involves pouring liquid - usually oil, milk, buttermilk, or water - on the patient's forehead. It is often combined with body, scalp or head massage. Oil, milk or buttermilk processed from herbs is put in a vessel which has a small hole in the middle and from the same hole the oil is dropped on the forehead (between the two eye-brows). To protect the eyes it, it is covered with a bandage. Shirodhara has a relaxing, soothing and calming effect on the body and mind.

Research also shows that Shirodhara reduces fatigue, is beneficial in sleep problems, relieves headache, reduces stress, anxiety and depression, improves concentration and helps in reducing blood pressure. In the last one month alone, about 70 patients took advantage of it.
The FBI accused a Houston man of using Turo, a car rental website, to pick cars to steal and then would drive the vehicles to Mexico. Courtesy/U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Dozens of Houston car and truck owners who put their vehicles up for rent through a peer-to-peer website, and then saw their rides driven into to Mexico, were all victims of one man, according to newly unsealed federal court records.

The man, Kenneth Westbrook, was accused by the FBI of setting up a scheme to use straw renters to target and steal vehicles posted on Turo, a car rental website. From September 2022 until December 2023, Westbrook is alleged to have stolen as many as 25 vehicles from Turo users, and then driven them to Mexico or the U.S.-Mexico border, according to charging documents.

The scheme cost the company as much as $1.5 million, according to the FBI.

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MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Stepson accused shooting and killing his stepfather after a fight in Cypress

Westbrook, 29, in April was arrested and charged with four counts of wire fraud, according to an indictment unsealed Monday. Westbrook was arraigned and pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Houston on Monday afternoon.

Westbrook is accused of using an Instagram account to recruit people to rent vehicles from Turo, a company that lets car owners loan out their vehicles to strangers for a fee, according to charging documents. The recruits would then bring the cars to Westbrook, who would then sell the vehicles in Mexico, according to an affidavit.

Since at least September 2022, Westbrook would recruit people to reserve vehicles on the Turo marketplace on his behalf, in exchange for money. He would pay his recruits up to $5,000 per car.

Westbrook used these renters as a buffer so that he could gain access to Turo vehicles while minimizing the chance that he would be linked to those vehicles, FBI Agent Alexander Rayas wrote in the affidavit.

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The renters would then leave the vehicle with Westbook, who arranged for it to be driven into Mexico, according to the FBI.

Westbrook, who goes by the nickname Boosie online, attracted recruits by posting pictures of himself handfuls of cash on his public Instagram profile and asking people with drivers licenses to contact him, according to document.

He sometimes provided at least one straw renter with a story about the car being stolen from the renters possession, according to charging documents. Texts uncovered by the FBI also showed some of the straw renters texting him and urging him to return the vehicles after the rental period had ended, or when the vehicle owner saw the vehicle had been driven to the border.

Westbrook was a suspect in at least 25 vehicle thefts that were reported through Turo, according to the affidavit.

Turo lost $1.5 million from the cost of reimbursing theft victims for the cost of their stolen vehicles, according to the charging documents.

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In a statement, Turo said it helped identify the people involved in the scheme and brought information to law enforcement.

Turo has a message to those with criminal intent: We will stop at nothing to see you brought to justice, the company said

Among the vehicles stolen or targeted include Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers, Chevy Silverados, a Toyota Camry and a Dodge Ram. At least five of the vehicles were recovered in Mexico, according to the affidavit. Charging document dont say who he sold the cars to.

The charges against Westbrook accuse him of wiring money to people to further the fraud, in violation of federal law.

An arrest warrant was issued for Westbrook on April 5. He was arrested April 8, according to court records. He was assigned a federal public defender and ordered to be held in custody until his trial.

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Following a detention hearing in April, U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison wrote that Westbrook was a clear risk of flight and had a history of not attending court proceedings.

If convicted, Westbook faces up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count.
In the third phase of Lok Sabha elections-2024, voting will be held in nine Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies of the state on Tuesday. Voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm in Lok Sabha Parliamentary Constituency No. 1 Morena, No. 2 Bhind (SC), No. 3 Gwalior, No. 4 Guna, No. 5 Sagar, No. 18 Vidisha, No. 19 Bhopal, No. 20 Rajgarh and Betul Parliamentary Constituency No. -29 All the polling parties have reached their respective polling centers for voting. On reaching the polling station, all the polling personnel were welcomed by the local people with flowers and refreshments.

Holiday declared on the day of voting

For the convenience of voters, there will be a public and general holiday on polling day (May 7) in the above nine Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies of the third phase. The state government has declared a public holiday and general holiday in the respective Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies on the day of polling in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.

Citizens will be able to get information about voting percentage through voter turn-out app

On the day of voting (May 7), updated information about voting percentage will be available on the Voter Turnout App of the Election Commission of India. Through this, citizens will be able to get information about the voting percentage recorded every two hours. Citizens will have to download the Voter-Turnout App by visiting Google Play Store.
Three accused in a human trafficking case related to the infamous Honey Trap case of 2019 in Madhya Pradesh were acquitted. The victim woman had refused to identify the three accused Aarti Dayal, Shweta Jain and Abhishek Singh Thakur in the court.

Accused Abhishek's lawyer Tariq Siddiqui said that CID could not present evidence of human trafficking in the court. Whereas the woman who was being described as a victim of human trafficking refused to identify the accused in the court. In such a situation, after listening to our arguments, the court has also acquitted Abhishek, Aarti Dayal and Shweta Jain. The verdict was pronounced by the court of ADJ Pallavi Dwivedi on Monday.

During the investigation of the honey trap case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) got information about horse-trading of a girl. After which CID Bhopal had registered another case of human trafficking on the complaint of the victim woman.

On December 27, 2019, challan was presented against 3 accused Abhishek, Aarti and Shweta, and a list of 11 witnesses along with the victim were presented. The complainant had given a 7 page statement to CID as evidence. In this he mentioned Shweta Jain only once. Said that Shweta and Barkha had told him that Shweta Jain and Aarti Dayal had contacts with even bigger people.

The complainant, who had registered a case of human trafficking of the woman, had told the police that Abhishek, Aarti, Shweta Jain Sagar, Shweta Jain, Barkha Soni and others took advantage of our poverty and helplessness, and physically and mentally abused her daughter and other girls. Have been mentally abused. Shweta Jain was not mentioned in any of the 10 other people whose statements were recorded by the CID in this case.

On September 29, 2019, the victim had given a statement to the investigating agency that she was a resident of a village in Narsinghgarh district. The financial condition of his family was not good. She had come to Bhopal to pursue graduation. He had taken admission in the first year in an institute. In February 2019, she came in contact with Abhishek Thakur and both of them started talking on the phone.

Abhishek, who works in an NGO, had talked about financial help. After this, after luring her into the trap of love, she kept him as his wife. Later made obscene videos and forced to have relations with others. Threatened to make the video viral if he did not agree. However, the victim did not stand firm on all these allegations in the court. Therefore, all three accused in the case were acquitted.

CID Inspector Manoj Sharma had submitted the challan of the human trafficking case related to honey trap in the court on 27 December 2019. In this, apart from the objectionable videos in the gadgets seized from Shweta Jain, it was informed that videos of a woman who was a victim of human trafficking had been found. Which confirms the affiliation of the second accused in the case, Aarti Dayal, Shweta Jain and their involvement in the criminal conspiracy.
DPS Ranchi hosted a significant training session aimed at IT teachers from schools enrolled in the Structured Assessment for Analyzing Learning (SAFAL) 2024-25 programme. The session, organized by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), saw enthusiastic participation from 185 teachers from the state of Jharkhand eager to enhance their understanding of the assessment program.

The Resource Person leading the session was Amit Dutta, IT Master Trainer. The session was graced by the presence of Deepanshu Goyal, Assistant Secretary (Academics), CBSE, New Delhi and Dr. Ram Singh, CBSE City Coordinator cum the Principal of DPS Ranchi.

SAFAL, an assessment initiative aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of students learning levels. The programme's primary objective is to identify areas of strength and weakness in students' learning journeys, facilitating targeted interventions to improve learning outcomes. Such initiatives resonate with CBSE's broader mission of fostering holistic education and ensuring the overall development of students. SAFAL is a competency-based assessment for Grades 3, 5 and 8 to assess the progress of foundational skills and basic learning outcomes and competencies among students.

During the training session, participants received detailed briefings on the technical aspects of the SAFAL assessment platform. Discussions also centered around potential challenges and troubleshooting methods to ensure the smooth conduct of the assessment process. Moreover, participants gained insights into the examination process, including registration procedures and result declaration protocols.

In his address, the Chief Guest Deepanshu Goyal emphasized the pivotal role of educators in shaping the educational landscape. He underscored the importance of initiatives like SAFAL in enabling teachers to better understand and address students' learning needs. He urged participants to leverage the knowledge gained from the training session to drive positive change in their classrooms.

Dr. Ram Singh highlighted the significance of collaborative efforts in fostering educational excellence. He commended the commitment of the participating teachers towards enhancing their pedagogical skills. Encouraging them to embrace innovation and adaptability, he expressed confidence in their ability to make a profound impact on learning outcomes.
Rajasthan former chief minister Ashok Gehlot Monday condemned the alleged vandalism in the Congress office in Amethi, saying such incidents are a clear proof of the BJP's panic over its defeat.

"The vandalism at the Congress office in Amethi is condemnable. Such incidents are a clear proof of the BJP's panic over its defeat. The Uttar Pradesh Police should ensure strict action against the accused involved in this incident," Gehlot wrote on 'X'.

The Congress leader further wrote, "Such incidents will further increase the victory margin of popular Congress candidate K L Sharma in Amethi."

A case of alleged vandalism of vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Gauriganj, Amethi has been reported. The Congress has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the incident.

The Congress Monday appointed Gehlot as the senior party observer for the Amethi parliamentary constituency.
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

A single bench of Justice N J Jamadar said Goyal shall pay a surety of Rs 1 lakh and not leave Mumbai without prior permission from the trial court.

"The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed," the bench said.

The high court also directed Goyal to surrender his passport.

Goyal (75) had sought the interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds as both he and his wife Anita Goyal are suffering from cancer.

A special court in February refused bail to Goyal but permitted him to be admitted in a private hospital of his choice and seek medical treatment.

Goyal then moved the HC, seeking bail on merits and to be released on interim bail on medical grounds.

Goyal's counsel Harish Salve had urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds.

However, ED's counsel Hiten Venegaonkar opposed the bail and said the agency did not have any problem if Goyal's hospitalisation was extended.

Venegaonkar had submitted that the court may extend Goyal's hospitalisation for a period of four weeks and then call for a fresh medical report to assess his situation.

But Salve said that apart from deteriorating physical health, Goyal's mental health was also not good.

Goyal was arrested by the ED in September 2023 on allegations that he had laundered money and siphoned off loans to the tune of Rs 538.62 crore given to Jet Airways by the Canara Bank.

His wife was arrested in November 2023 when the ED submitted its chargesheet in the case.

She was granted bail by the special court the same day considering her age and medical condition.
Voting for the third phase of Lok Sabha polls will be held on Tuesday for nine seats in Madhya Pradesh where Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and former state chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh are in the fray.

More than 1.77 crore voters will decide the fate of 127 candidates who are contesting from the nine Lok Sabha seats - Morena, Bhind (SC-reserved), Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh and Betul (ST-reserved).

Voting for the third phase will be held from 7 am to 6 pm across 20,456 polling stations, including 1,043 to be entirely managed by women, an official said.

There are 1,77,52,583 eligible voters, including 92,68,987 men, 84,83,105 women and 491 transgender persons, as per official data.

At stake is the political future of BJP leader and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, seeking to reclaim the home turf Guna which he lost in 2019 when he was in the Congress.

BJP veteran and former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is contesting from Vidisha constituency, a saffron fortress which he had represented multiple times in Lok Sabha in the past, after almost 17 years.

He is pitted against Congress candidate Pratap Bhanu Sharma.

In Rajgarh, Congress veteran and former CM Digvijaya Singh (77) seeks to reclaim the lost legacy, marking his return to the Lok Sabha electoral contest after more than 30 years. His challenger is two-time BJP MP Rodmal Nagar.

The BJP is hoping for a clean sweep in Madhya Pradesh, which sends 29 members to the Lok Sabha.

In 2019, the BJP failed to win the Chhindwara constituency, the only saving grace for the Congress which managed to retain it on the charisma of party veteran Kamal Nath. His son Nakul Nath won the seat last time.

In high-stake Guna, where votes of the Yadav community can tilt scales, Scindia is facing Yadvendra Singh Yadav of the Congress.

In 2019, Scindia, who was then the Congress candidate, lost his family bastion to BJP's KP Yadav.

The scion of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, Scindia quit the Congress in 2020 and joined the BJP.

Chouhan looks comfortably placed in Vidisha but the contest in Rajgarh may be a close one.

Digvijaya Singh won from Rajgarh in 1984 and 1991 but lost in 1989. He became the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh in 1993.

Of the total 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh, polling for 12 seats concluded in two phases on April 19 and 26.

The remaining eight seats will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to begin evacuating, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent.

The announcement complicated last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the director of the CIA, to broker a cease-fire. Hamas and Qatar, a key mediator, have warned that an invasion of Rafah could derail the talks.

Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said they need to carry out a ground invasion to defeat the Islamic militant group.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said some 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi. He said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. But last October, Israel did not formally announce the launch of a ground invasion that continues to this day.

The move comes a day after Hamas militants carried out a deadly rocket attack from the area that killed three Israeli soldiers.

Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through leaflets dropped from the sky, text messages and radio broadcasts.

He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

Israel's plan to invade Rafah has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there.

About 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gaza's population  are jammed into the town and its surroundings. Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israel's onslaught and now face another wrenching move, or the danger of facing the brunt of a new assault.

They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing UN shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled.

The United States, Israel's closest ally, has repeatedly urged Israel not to carry out the invasion, saying it does not have a credible plan to protect civilians.

But even as the US, Egypt and Qatar have pushed for a cease-fire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated last week that the military would move on the town with or without a deal to achieve its goal of destroying the Hamas militant group.

On Sunday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Hamas wasn't serious about a deal and warned of a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah".

His comments came after Hamas attacked Israel's main crossing point on Sunday for delivering assistance, killing three soldiers.

Shoshani would not say whether the upcoming Rafah operation is a response to Sunday's killing. He said the incident would have no effect on the amounts of badly needed aid entering Gaza because other crossing points remain operational.

He wouldn't comment, however, on US warnings not to invade and wasn't clear on whether the evacuation was coordinated with Egypt.

Egypt, a strategic partner of Israel, has said that an Israeli military seizure of the Gaza-Egypt border  which is supposed to be demilitarised  or any move to push Palestinians into Egypt would threaten its four-decade-old peace agreement with Israel.
Houston Chronicle

A man has been accused in the shooting death of his stepfather during an argument in Cypress, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

Lazarus Richard Williams, 24, was charged with murder in connection with the death of Shawn Leonard Williams, 47, Gonzalez said.

MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: HPD's use of force incidents rising, with majority against Black and Hispanic drivers

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Investigators allege the two men got into an argument that became violent when the stepfather pulled an airsoft gun on his stepson, at which point Lazarus Williams is accused of shooting and killing him, Gonzalez said.
A Houston Police officer salutes during the singing of the National Anthem during the graduation ceremony for Houston Police Dept. Cadet Class #253 on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 in Houston. Fifty-five cadets from all over the world, graduated into the ranks of the Houston Police Department. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer

Houston police used force in 176% more traffic stops in 2023 compared with the year before  the majority of which were against Black and Hispanic drivers, according to state and local data.

Between 2022 and 2023, use-of-force incidents during traffic stops reported by the Houston Police Department jumped to 3,358 from 2,877, according to data provided to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Police officials said the jump came about because of an initiative to increase stops to reduce violence and make roads safer. But public safety experts and local activists see a worrisome trend.

The department did not respond to a request for comment about the racial disparity in the stops or the origin of the initiative as of Monday morning.

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UNCHECKED FORCES: How unchecked police agencies became a political powerhouse in Harris County

More police interactions for nonsafety traffic stops only increases the probability of an individual, particularly those who are Black or brown, to be assaulted by the police, said Christopher Rivera, outreach coordinator for the Texas Civil Rights Project.

The numbers on the department's dashboard don't entirely match up with the state's numbers, with it showing 1,600 use-of-force incidents in 2022 and 1,400 in 2023. Jodi Silva, a spokeswoman for the department, attributed the discrepancy to each considering what constitutes use of force differently. The state's definition is much broader than Houston's, she said.

The percentage of drivers who had force used against them decreased as stops went up, Silva said.

Force used more against Black and Hispanic drivers

In 2023, Black motorists made up around 56% of drivers whom police used force on after a traffic stop, despite making up only 22% of the city's population, the police department's public transparency hub shows. Hispanics made up around 35%, compared with a population of 45% in the city. Of the cops using force, 48% were white.

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Only around 7% of traffic stops with use of force involved white drivers, records show.

Miltonette Olivia Craig, an assistant professor in the criminal justice department at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, studies police departments and their use of force. She said that in many cases, police departments can excessively patrol minority neighborhoods and send in officers who believe theyre regularly in danger.

If you think people in an area might be aggressive, then you wont even begin the interaction positively, she said. Research has shown that sometimes police departments overpolice certain neighborhoods because of their expectations about it.

This is likely a case of implicit bias, she said. Officers go in believing Black drivers are more aggressive."

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What constitutes use of force?

Craig said one of the major obstacles facing researchers is that there is no national definition of what constitutes police use of force and many departments are inconsistent in their own policies.

Officers are allowed to use force only in response to someone resisting them, but what counts as resistance can vary widely, she said.

The spectrum of resistance that could potentially justify use of force can go from verbal on the low end to aggravated assault on the high end, she said.

HPDs own policy stipulates that incidents arent considered reportable if they include mere police presence  including verbal commands, handcuffing or escorting without resistance, drawing or displaying a weapon without pointing it at a person, or when  (a) spray device is pointed at a person.

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The department lists a general order online providing guidance to officers on when and what type of force is warranted. The order defines force as any physical contact between a person and a police officer using the body or any object, device or weapon, but force does not include escorting or handcuffing without resistance.

Craig said police need to do a better job of examining their practices and explaining themselves.
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The Conservative Party has suffered a precipitous drop since winning the last election under Boris Johnson with a huge voter mandate. Since that period, amongst much turmoil, Rishi Sunak was instated into power without any form of election from the nations voters, or from Conservative Party grassroots members. Why was the unelected autocrat Rishi Sunak instated into office? Why did this event occur?

The main reason for unelected autocrat Sunak to be installed into power was to eventually prepare the UK for EU re-entry or reintegration. This process would involve a multi-tiered approach orchestrated by the external EU hierarchy and the internal EU agents working within the UK governmental as well as corporate apparatus.

Sunaks role as a functioning autocrat was to banish and purge all Brexiteers from positions of authority within the Cabinet and Tory Party. He achieved this key goal relatively quickly. What has Sunak done for Brexit since his instatement into power? Nothing, is the answer, which proves the point of his role within the EU reintegration plan.

Labour Wins Election

Even though the majority of Brexiteers have been purged from positions of power within the party, it still would be hard to begin the planned process of reintegration with the EU under a Tory government even if it is indistinguishable in socialist policy to the Labour Party.

Rishi Sunak and his team are thus being set up to lose the coming General Election to Labour. Jeremy Hunt, a staunch EU operative, has made the economy so bad that people are begging for some sort of change, whatever it is. Working along with the BoE, which is populated entirely by Remainers, as well as the Civil Service and House of Lords, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is a key component in the plan for EU reintegration. Most Tories may be conscious of the fact of this process playing out, but most probably they are ignorant or deluding themselves to the reality of the situation.

Once Labour is elected into power via a disenfranchised fed up electorate, the machinations of EU reintegration will begin in earnest from day one. Labour leader Keir Starmer will completely reverse Brexit, and will be allowed to do so because he will have a mandate by election and the EU-centric House of Lords will welcome it with open arms as well as jubilation.

Post Election EU Reintegration Process

The voters voted for Labour, therefore reintegration into the EU will be a bi-product of this action. Starmer and his EU centric team will work day and night, along with help from the likes of Tony Blair, Mandelson and many other arch Remainers to reintegrate the UK fully into the EU Soviet Union.

The process will not be as hard as is thought, simply because a proper Brexit has not actually happened yet in reality. The borders are still open to all and sundry, many EU laws and regulations, especially within the transport system are still in place, and the UK is still paying Brussels billions of pounds per year. British immigration law is still ruled by the ECHR, which dictates who or what can leave or enter the British Isles. In essence, only a few adjustments would need to be made for the UK to be sucked back fully into the EU black hole as its main cash cow.

Once the UK is fully reintegrated into the EU, the process of full integration will take place. The UK will be forced to ditch the pound sterling, and all borders will be fully opened as the UK will completely embrace the Schengen Zone. Furthermore, all supposed post-Brexit international trade deals will either be integrated into EU trade policy or dumped.

Having lost the fight, Great Britain will be just another zone in the EU, ruled by an unelected EU Commission and its remaining sovereignty and wealth stripped completely by the EU vultures. King Charles III, is himself aligned with the EU somewhat, and is pre-empting EU reintegration by downsizing the royal family already.

Societally, the UK will see another vast increase in migration from the poorest EU nations, and it is guaranteed as a thank you to Labour, that they will vote Labour in every coming election in their millions. Thanks to the immigration of ready-made Labour voters, the Conservative Party will be an irrelevance for decades to come and may probably never be voted in again.
A part of everybody wants to be David Attenborough, says John Batt, who leads Dalhousies Aquatron ocean research facility, evoking the hushed-toned natural historian who voiced the celebrated ocean documentary Blue Planet.

Thats the attraction of Aquatron Community Day. This is a chance to follow up on that dream and spend time with researchers who explore our underwater world and can bring it to life in really exciting ways.

Marking the 50th anniversary of Dalhousies Aquatron, Canadas largest university-based ocean research facility, the open house event on May 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. will gather ocean researchers from across Dalhousie to share their work. Programmed with families in mind, Batt says the event will include something for every ocean enthusiast, from face painting and touch tanks to ocean glider demos and tours of the Aquatron, providing an engaging introduction to the world of ocean research.



Discover the latest in high-tech ocean monitoring.

With its global reputation, the Aquatron attracts scholars and students from around the planet and across fields to study and collaborate. Batt says that the community day event will offer an opportunity for the public to dive into conversations with researchers and students about their work and the chance to experience it firsthand.

Touchy-feely



We're sort of following the touchy-feely principle, says Batt. You know, kids like to touch things, so we'll have oysters there, we're going to have seaweeds there, we'll have a touch tank. It's going to be sensory engaging, you can see it, hear it, touch it, feel it, smell it. It's going to hit your senses.



Get up close and personal with ocean life.

The Aquatron is comprised of a series of specialized tanks holding a combined volume of more than 2 million litres, and a wide variety of smaller tanks, research spaces and equipment. It allows scientists to artificially create any ocean or freshwater environment, mimicking temperatures, chemical composition, and currents. It has been a temporary home to countless ocean species from sea turtles and sharks to seahorses and a number of endangered species.

When people ask what research weve done in the Aquatron, I say its a shorter list to describe what we havent done, says Batt. People say, Oh, I bet you've never had a robot in there. I say, we call that Tuesday. We've turned it into the Great Barrier Reef in the middle of winter, and we've turned it into a semi-arctic environment in the summer. We can do just about anything to support marine scientists with this facility.

Splashy science showcase

Batt and ocean science students will lead attendees on tours through the expanse of the Aquatron and regale them with stories of the research that has and continues to take place, including the current work to save the Atlantic white fish, a species on the verge of extinction.



Dr. Paul Bentzen and John Batt at the edge of the Aquatron tank holding the endangered Atlantic White Fish. (Danny Abriel photo)

We'll be talking about our Atlantic white fish project, where we have the largest population of Atlantic white fish in the world. There are only two populations, the wild one down in Petite Rivere and the one in the Aquatron, says Batt, who is working with researcher Dr. Paul Bentzen to breed them for an eventual release in October.

The event will also bring out partners who use the Aquatron as an essential part of their research programs, including Canadas Department of Fisheries and Oceans, whose species at risk researchers are collaborating on the white fish project. Parks Canada will also be represented and presenting a video display featuring their work with the Aquatron team to support wild salmon stocks and releasing the fish into the wild in Cape Breton.



Atlantic white fish at home in the Aquatron.

This is a great chance for people to come in and talk directly to researchers and ask them questions about endangered species and climate change, and to learn about shellfish, aquaculture, seaweed aquaculture, and cutting-edge new things industry is doing. Its really exciting.
Officers respond to a murder-suicide in southwest Houston. On Scene Media

Through the first months of 2024, crime continued its downward trend in Houston, with a 24% decline in homicides compared to the same time in 2023, a national law enforcement group reported.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association released its report Friday for the first quarter of 2024, showing a nationwide decline in most crime categories compared to 2023. The report examined crime statistics from 68 police departments, comparing data from Jan. 1 through March 31 in 2023 and 2024.

MORE FROM HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Nine violent felonies among new charges brought as part of HPD dropped cases review

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Houston reported declines across the board  from 81 homicides as of March 31, 2023, down to 61 at the same time in 2024; from 366 down to 287 reports of rape; from 1,648 to 1,549 reports of robbery; and 3,989 down to 3,238 reports of aggravated assault.
Key Points:

Chinas proposed revisions to its National Defense Education Law seek to mandate military training for high school and university students.

The changes are driven by economic uncertainties, rising geopolitical tensions, and a desire to strengthen national unity and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.

The proposed revisions have elicited mixed reactions and debate worldwide.

China Proposes Expansion of Military Training in Schools

The Chinese government has recently unveiled proposed revisions to its National Defense Education Law, sparking discussions and raising questions about the role of patriotism and military preparedness in the nations education system. The proposed changes, currently under review by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, aim to introduce mandatory military training for high school and university students, with provisions for junior high school students.

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Strengthening National Defense Awareness

The revisions to the National Defense Education Law reflect a broader push by the Chinese government to instill a sense of national defense awareness among its citizens, particularly the younger generation. State media reports emphasize the need to adapt to new domestic and international changes and highlight the importance of preparing society for potential challenges. Analysts suggest that these changes are driven by economic uncertainties, rising geopolitical tensions, and a desire to strengthen national unity and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Implications for the Education System

Implementing the proposed revisions to the National Defense Education Law will necessitate substantial adjustments within Chinas education sector. From secondary schools to universities, educational institutions will be tasked with developing and integrating military training programs into their existing curricula. This integration may require reallocating resources, potentially impacting budgets allocated for academic programs and extracurricular activities. Furthermore, infrastructure investments may be necessary to accommodate the logistical demands of military training, such as dedicated training grounds and equipment acquisition.

Mixed Reactions and Concerns

Beyond logistical considerations, the proposed legislation could influence pedagogical approaches and curriculum development. An increased emphasis on national defense education suggests a potential shift towards incorporating patriotism, national security, and the militarys role in Chinese society into various academic disciplines. This integration may manifest in revised textbooks, course materials, and teaching methodologies, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of national defense principles among students.

The proposed revisions have elicited mixed reactions both domestically and internationally. Supporters of the changes argue that they must foster a sense of civic duty and national pride among young people, preparing them for potential challenges and threats to national security. They also believe military training can instill discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills in students.

However, concerns have also been raised about the potential impact of these changes. Critics worry that mandatory military training could detract from academic pursuits and limit students exposure to diverse perspectives and critical thinking skills. There are also concerns about the potential for increased militarization of Chinese society and the possible exacerbation of nationalist sentiments.

International Implications

The proposed revisions to Chinas National Defense Education Law have also drawn attention from the international community. Some observers view the move as a reflection of Chinas growing assertiveness on the global stage and its ambition to strengthen its military capabilities. Others express concerns about the potential for increased regional tensions, particularly regarding Taiwan.

The proposed National Defense Education Law revisions are currently under review and open for public comment. How the final legislation will be shaped and implemented remains to be seen. The outcome of this process will have significant implications for Chinas education system, society, and role in the international community.
Leading contractor Henry Brothers has been honoured with a Kings Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.

As one of only two Northern Irish businesses to have been recognised in the Sustainable Development category in 2024, Henry Brothers was praised for its exemplary approach which has resulted in significant benefits for the business, the environment, and the wider construction sector.

Ian Henry MBE, CR Director at Henry Brothers, commented: It is a tremendous privilege to be awarded the King's Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.

This achievement underscores our ongoing commitment to responsible business, something which is instilled deep within the culture of our organisation and is very much part of who we are as a company.

Sustainable practices have been at the heart of Henry Brothers operations since its inception, and we make a conscious effort to minimise our environmental impact while maximising positive social and business outcomes.

In addition to our ambitious Net-Zero Strategy, our approach to sustainable development encompasses a number of initiatives designed to encourage positive health and wellbeing amongst our staff and enhance community engagement.

Judges commented on how the company is an excellent example of inspiring others while growing its business.

Henry Brothers was also acknowledged for its innovation, which has led to the formation of a 27-acre Nature Reserve based at its Headquarters in Magherafelt that over 5,000 pupils from schools across Northern Ireland have had the opportunity to visit.

Ian added: "At Henry Brothers, we believe that sustainable development is not just a business responsibility, but a necessity.

This award is testament to the dedication and hard work of our employees across the company who have each made a substantial contribution towards our continued growth and success, while upholding our values of sustainability and corporate responsibility, ensuring that we remain Altogether Stronger.

We look forward to continuing to drive positive environmental change and to creating lasting impact within the communities we operate in long into the future.

Henry Brothers is one of 252 organisations across the UK to be recognised with a prestigious Kings Award for Enterprise.

Founded in 1976, Henry Brothers has grown from a local, traditional builder to focusing on larger projects and sustainable buildings. It has 200 employees based in Magherafelt, Belfast, Scotland, the Midlands, and Manchester.

The Kings Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queens Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The Kings desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth IIs by recognising outstanding UK businesses.

The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed Kings Awards Emblem for the next five years.

For further information about sustainable development at Henry Brothers, please visit henrybrothers.co.uk
Between Friday 10th and Sunday 11th May, leaders from the indigenous and traditional river communities of the Brazilian Amazon will be hosted by the people of the Sperrin Mountains.

The men and women from the Munduruku and Kayapo territories are travelling to Ireland with their stories of how wildcat and corporate gold mining that have brought conflict and contamination to their territories. They are joined by representatives from the Lower Trombetas region who are protesting the bauxite mining taking place in the lands and forests that they have occupied for generations.

While the Amazon Basin of Brazil is widely recognised for its importance as hosting the worlds greatest rainforest, the minerals beneath its soils and riverbeds are increasingly coveted by both smaller scale, unlicensed wildcat unlicenced gold miners,

and by large mining companies, many based in UK, Europe and North America.

Doto Takak Ire, president of the Kabu Institute, an indigenous association that brings together 15 villages from the Mekragnoti group of the Brazlian Amazon, points out how UK company, Serabi Gold Plc, that mines gold from what once was indigenous lands, was condemned in court for failing to consult with residents. According to this leader, the company then produced an impact study that he deems to be seriously flawed, minimising the actual and future harm from the mining operations. Despite these serious concerns, the company continues to extract gold, forcing the leaders to embark on this international visit to raise awareness of the situation facing the ancestral residents of the forest.

Opposing mining in the Amazon region carries great risk. In the Tapajos at least 22 leaders of the Munduruku indigenous people are currently under death threat for speaking out against violent invasion and gold extraction. There are around 14,000

Munduruku living across their territory that has been compromised by illegal mining activity. The grave contamination of the waters on which these people depend has caused illnesses, destroyed fish stocks and led to serious food insecurity. Among the

diseases, contamination by mercury and other heavy metals used in mining stands out, which have caused alarming clinical conditions such as Minamata disease, which causes difficulty or loss of control of body movement (ataxia) and the muscles used for speaking (dysarthria). vision, hearing, smell and taste; memory problems; tremors and paresthesia of extremities. From a survey of 200 residents, almost 60 per cent of the Munduruku people had mercury levels above those considered safe, including pregnant women and their children.

The loss of fish, the contamination of the rivers and springs region is a major concern of the community representatives of the Lower Trombetas region of the Amazon, who only discovered that Mineracao Rio Norte (a consortium that brings together Glencore, Rio Tinto and other large mining companies) had started to extract bauxite through the incessant noise of the machines , day and night: We couldnt sleep, remembers Jesi Ferreira de Castro, from the Sao Francisco community. Without warning and without consultation, the communities lost access to the forest on which they had depended for generations and then observed the change in the colour of the water in the streams, and a red coating on the leaves. Here, fish that dont die, go away, says Castro, who also denounces local mudslides that he blames on the mining and the contamination of the

springs.

We have to far to the field to take water, because the water there is no longer safe to drink.

Concerns over rights violations and the environmental impacts of mining are not confined to the Amazon, and the campaign by residents of the Sperrins caught the attention of the Brazilian rainforest defenders. Fidelma O Kane of the Save Our Sperrins Campaign points out that the visit is particularly pertinent at this time as those opposing the Dalradian gold mine in County Tyrone prepare for a Public Inquiry, into a Canadian companys plans for a toxic goldmine and processing plant in our Area of

Outstanding Natural Beauty.

They are suffering from land grabs, gold and bauxite mining and human rights abuses observes Fidelma, We look forward to hearing their stories, learning from their experiences and building solidarity. This visit highlights the growing awareness of the global issues caused by mining. In this time of climate and ecological crisis, the forests of the Amazon and the bogs of Ireland are invaluable carbon stores and must be afforded greater protection.

The communities will have the opportunity to share experiences on Friday evening in An Creagan, when young Munduruku women of the Wakoborun audiovisual collective show their film, The Ailing Forest, followed by discussion. On Sunday the visitors will be brought to the Beaghmore Stone Circles to learn more of the history of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and meet with those opposed to gold mining in the foothills of the Sperrins.
A student is shown during a class at Thompson Elementary School, 6121 Tierwester St., Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Houston ISDs Black, Hispanic and low-income students remain underrepresented in the districts gifted and talented program, an issue that administrators hope is being partly addressed by new fifth-grade testing that is poised to give HISD a record number of GT middle schoolers next year.

HISDs annual Gifted And Talented Program Evaluation reviews the effectiveness of the districts GT program and how it complies with legal policies and procedures. The 2022-23 report, published in late April, concluded that the district is over-identifying GT students and that white and Asian students continued to be overrepresented in GT programs and Vanguard magnet schools.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: Join our private Zoom event with HISD Superintendent Mike Miles

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According to the report, 21.3% of HISD students are Black, while Black students make up 10.7% of the GT population, and about 62% of HISDs students are Hispanic, 49.3% of them GT students. More than 78% of HISD students are economically disadvantaged, and are about 49% of the districts GT students, the report wrote.

The report also found that Hispanic and Black students are underrepresented in the districts 15 Vanguard Magnet elementary and middle schools, which require an application to attend and only accept GT students. They also apply at disproportionately lower rates to Vanguard schools, according to the report.

THE REPORT CARD: Subscribe to the Houston Chronicles weekly newsletter recapping HISD news

Jaret Hodges, a University of North Texas assistant professor who researches underrepresented populations in gifted education, said GT services help provide an enhanced educational experience to marginalized students that they may otherwise not be able to access, and low-income students are hurt the hardest when they dont have or lose access to GT programs.

No test that can identify students as gifted can completely overcome systemic poverty and systemic racism, Hodges said. We haven't been able to devise such a test yet. So that's a big issue. Houston ISD is facing the same issues that every big school district is facing, not just in Texas, but across the U.S.

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To address the lack of diversity and equity in the GT program, Nicole Anderson, a cross-functional team member in HISDs GT department, said the district began conducting universal testing of second graders for the GT program during the 2023-24 year, instead of testing all kindergartners like in previous years.

We moved to (testing in) second grade because we felt it would give everyone an equal playing field as all students would have two years of schooling, ... because at kindergarten, some students in some underrepresented areas do not have the resources that some others do have, Anderson said. Every student doesn't go to pre-K.

In total, the report showed the district had 26,532 students, or 15% of all students, identified as GT during the 20222023 school year, even though the state has previously recommended that the district identify between 3% and 8% of its students as GT. The percentage of GT students is a slight drop from the previous year, where 15.6% of students were identified as GT.

Karen Rambo-Hernandez, a Texas A&M University associate professor who studies gifted education, said districts should try to serve as many students who have potential as possible, and its a good thing for HISD to be identifying more GT students than recommended. She said the only downside of over-identification would be if GT services are being diluted by being spread out among more students.

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More kids are getting served who wouldnt have gotten served if HISD met the 3 to 8 percentage goal, so I wasn't alarmed and concerned that we have that HISD has this larger number, Rambo-Hernandez said. ... Overall, they're serving more kids than average, so good for them.

Despite a higher-than-average percentage of GT students, the report found that there were 147 campuses, including 124 elementary schools, seven middle schools and three high schools, that identified fewer than four GT students for at least one grade level, and that number has been slowly increasing since the 20182019 school year.

INCOMING BUDGET CUTS: Superintendent Miles says cuts on the horizon as district must make up $450 million gap

To ensure equity, the report recommends that the district reinstate universal testing of fifth graders after it stopped last year due to budget cuts. Anderson said the district added another layer of screening this year by referring fifth and eighth graders to GT testing if they scored in the top 25% on the beginning-of-year Northwest Evaluation Association MAP Growth exams.

With that testing, we were able to qualify 648 fifth graders this year, and if all of those fifth graders do enroll in HISD next year, that will be our largest GT cohort in the district's history, surpassing previous fifth grade cohorts, Anderson said.

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Anderson said HISD students are identified as GT based on their score on the districts GT Identification Matrix, which considers standardized test scores, report card grades and teacher recommendations. The matrix also awards points for certain additional factors, such as if a student receives special education services or is economically disadvantaged.

Rambo-Hernandez said while equity is a good goal, its not enough to simply have a proportional representation of students based on their demographics. The district must also ensure that its programs are meeting the needs of all of its students by providing acceleration opportunities and preparing them for more rigorous work.

ADVANCED COURSES OVERHAUL: HISD to change how students get into the hardest high school classes

You've got to make sure that you serve the kids, Rambo-Hernandez said. We can identify them and look at our numbers and go Oh, yeah, we've reached a proportionality, but if you're not actually serving the kids, then all you've done is pat yourself on the back and you really haven't done anything.

The report concluded that HISDs student outcomes indicate that the district's implementation of its GT program is inconsistent, and the rigor varies widely throughout the district. It recommended that the GT department develop outcomes-based measures to monitor and evaluate the rigor of the curriculum.

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Lisa Franke, HISDs executive director for specialized learning, said the district is working to ensure its programs are meeting GT students needs through spot observations of teachers. The district also uses the MAP and State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness results to monitor the performance of GT students and the curriculum, she said.
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Weekly news roundup: How long can China subsidize its semiconductor industry?

These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of April 29  May 3.

China's chip self-sufficiency dream a 21st Century Great Leap Forward? How much longer can it subsidize?

Can China successfully build a domestic semiconductor supply chain as it did with solar cells, EVs, and lithium batteries? How long can China subsidize its industries to establish a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain when it is facing a slowdown in economic growth and a real-estate bubble burst,? Guo-chen Wang, an assistant research fellow at Taiwan's Chung-hua Institution for Economic Research, said semiconductors are highly complex and cannot have all the materials, equipment, components, and chips in the entire processes manufactured by a single country.

Intel faces a transition dilemma as foundry business unlikely to break even in 3 years

According to semiconductor supply chain sources, Intel Foundry would need at least three years before breaking even. The company still has to ask TSMC to manufacture its 3nm and 2nm chips to maintain profitability, operational efficiency, and cost control. Intel reported financial results for the first quarter of 2024 that disappointed shareholders due to widening Intel Foundry losses and lackluster performance of its PC and server product lines.

Qualcomm, MediaTek unfazed by Huawei rebound

Huawei has gained sales momentum in China's smartphone market since the second half of 2023, narrowing its gap to leading vendors despite US trade sanctions. The tech giant powers its handsets with in-house developed chips, which may undermine SoC shipments from Qualcomm and MediaTek if their Chinese customers lose market shares to Huawei. However, industry sources said these two top handset chip vendors are unlikely to be alarmed by Huawei's fast rebound.

Sharp reportedly plans to set up display fab in India

India-based news outlets reported that Sharp discussed with the country's Ministry of Electronics and IT about investing US$3 billion to US$5 billion to establish a display fab. The facility, which may be India's first display fab, will likely be eligible for the semiconductor incentive scheme. Sharp reportedly intends to manufacture displays in different sizes, including those for TVs, but not small-sized products for mobile devices.

Intel's AI ambitions stumble as Nvidia dominates

Analysts estimated that Nvidia's AI accelerator will generate US$40 billion of revenue for the company in 2024, which is 80 times what Intel was estimated to reach in the same segment, US$500 million. Intel's latest financial report reiterated that its foundry business revenue is projected to reach US$15 billion by 2030, with external customer contributions expected to play a significant role. Intel's forecasted foundry revenue still pales compared to TSMC's estimated US$178 billion and lags behind Samsung Foundry.

Catching up the smartphone craze in China: Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo take actions

Huawei reported its best financial performance since the imposition of US sanctions in the first quarter of 2024, with revenue growing by 37% and net profit surging 564% year over year. Analysts said the strong resurgence of Huawei's smartphone business facilitated the company's financial performance. Competitors like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo have all made achievements in the smartphone sector in 2024. Chinese brands' collective efforts are expected to drive the demand for handsets quarter by quarter in the latter half of this year.

US probe into China's RISC-V role casts shadow on Samsung's AI chip ambitions and foundry biz expansion

An ongoing investigation by the US Department of Commerce (DOC) into potential national security risks resulting from China's proactive involvement in RISC-V could hamper Samsung Electronics' RISC-V ecosystem development plans for next-generation AI chips. Media reported that the DOC is also assessing possible countermeasures while highlighting the need to avoid harming US companies engaged in RISC-V development. Qualcomm, Google, Intel, and Nvidia hold a Premier Membership status in the RISC-V International, while China-based Alibaba, Huawei, Tencent, and ZTE are also Premier Members.
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Buildings associated with Memorial Hermann Hospital and medical complex are visible Friday, April 12, 2024 in the Medical Center district of Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Dr. J. Steve Bynon, the Houston transplant surgeon who has been accused of improperly altering patient records, several years ago expressed disappointment over his inability to improve the abdominal transplant division he oversaw and more recently warned of major threats to the program, according to his personnel file from UTHealth Houston, obtained by the Houston Chronicle through an open records request.

The documents provide new insight into the inner workings of the transplant program at Memorial Hermann and its academic affiliate, UTHealth Houston, and raise questions about problems that appeared to arise years before the recent controversy. They further portray Bynon, who held dual leadership roles at both the university and the hospital, as a high-performing surgeon struggling to reach his personal goals.

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Personally and professionally I have been disappointed that I have not been able to effect a positive change for the abdominal transplant programs, Bynon wrote in a performance review in 2017-18. In 2023, Bynon would go on to tout transplant survival rates while warning of major threats to the clinical transplant program  especially renal transplantation, according to another performance review.

The documents did not offer more detail on the major threats, and both UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann declined to answer questions about the threats.

Memorial Hermanns liver and kidney transplant programs remain shut down while federal regulators investigate what the hospital called inappropriate changes to a national transplant database. In a statement, the hospital said a physician changed donor acceptance criteria to prevent patients from receiving offers for donor livers. The hospital has declined to name the doctor. The New York Times identified him as Bynon, who in 2011 took over the abdominal transplant programs at UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann. Abdominal transplants include the liver and kidney.

Bynon is no longer serving in his position at the hospital, according to hospital spokesperson Jennifer Ginther, who added that Memorial Hermann does not have access to the personnel files or knowledge of the statements. Bynon remains employed by UTHealth Houston and has not been placed on leave by the university, according to a spokesperson. The university declined to comment on the documents in Bynons personnel file but previously defended him in a public statement as an exceptionally talented and caring physician.

Bynon and his attorney did not respond to an email requesting comment. In response to recent legal actions filed by his former patients, Bynon has said in court documents that media coverage and the plaintiffs description of his practices are misleading and insulting.

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The documents obtained by the Chronicle, which include performance reviews from 2014 to 2023, show that Bynon quickly earned recognition from his colleagues upon his hiring. He received the Deans Teaching Excellence Award in April 2012 based on reviews from faculty members, residents and students, according to a letter from the medical schools dean.

Bynon also consistently received favorable reviews as a superb surgeon from the universitys surgery department chair, a position then occupied by Dr. Richard Andrassy, and was rewarded with a pair of pay raises by fiscal year 2015, increasing his salary from $625,000 per year to $810,000, records show. Over that time, he served in various roles for the regional organ procurement organization and UNOS, the nonprofit that runs the national organ transplant system, the documents show.

After this storys publication, UNOS spokesperson Anne Paschke said the documents mischaracterized Bynons positions in the national transplant system. He served in roles for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, not UNOS, she said.

In his first documented review, from 2014-15, Bynon touted a surge in abdominal transplants at Memorial Hermann. More than 150 procedures were performed at the hospital over that year  the most done in over 10 (years) at this center, Bynon wrote. Indeed, in 2014 and 2015, Memorial Hermann performed more liver transplants (104) than in any previous two-year span going back to 1998 and 1999, and the most kidney transplants (169) in a two-year span since 2007 and 2008, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

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In that same review, Bynon also pointed to dramatic improvements in patient survival rates after he took over the Houston program in 2011. He said he was working to grow the program from a large mom and pop to a sustainable program of national importance.

A few years later, however, the annual number of kidney and liver transplants had fallen from their earlier high points, OPTN data shows. In his performance review in 2017-18, Bynon raised concerns about the transplant program, pointing to a lack of shared mission/vision related to patient care between the hospital system and UTHealth Houston. Bynon, in his review, said there was a lack of commitment from various clinical programs in (UTHealth Houston) to perform at the level that the abdominal transplant group performs.

He added: It is difficult to effect changes for improvement with these obstacles for which our program really has no control  once a shared vision/mission for patient care is established then the required cultural changes can occur which should translate into improved outcomes in our clinical program.

Bynon did not elaborate on the specific changes that needed to be made. In the same review, he characterized his academic work that year as a complete failure in my personal efforts, noting he couldnt complete various projects or clinical reviews. Even so, his performance exceeded expectations that year, according to the review.

By 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic limited transplant operations nationwide, the number of kidney and liver transplants at Memorial Hermann had reached their lowest points since Bynons hiring, according to OPTN data. The hospital performed 29 liver transplants and 47 kidney transplants that year, data shows.

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In Bynons 2019-20 performance review, UTHealth Houston leadership noted that Bynon would work on growing the abdominal transplant division. While the number of kidney transplants nearly tripled from 47 in 2020 to 132 in 2023, the number of liver transplants held steady, with the hospital performing between 27 and 30 transplants per year, according to OPTN data. The 30 liver transplants performed by Memorial Hermann in 2023 placed them among the five smallest programs in the state, OPTN data shows.

In his 2022-23 performance review, Bynon disclosed major threats to the transplant program, especially the kidney transplant program, without elaborating in the document. He also continued to emphasize the success of the patient outcomes in the liver transplant program, which he said had the best survival on Fannin Street, referring to other transplant centers in the Texas Medical Center.

Memorial Hermanns liver transplant survival rates, as well as the rates of graft failure, have been better than expected for much of the last decade, according to data analyzed by the Chronicle.

Updated, 11:35 a.m., May 10, 2024: This story was updated with comments from UNOS spokesperson Anne Paschke.
An Irish-Palestinian man reunited with his family having finally managed to flee Gaza has expressed his relief at surviving the war.

Zak Hania arrived in Ireland on a flight from Cairo on Saturday, having made it out of Gaza via the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

He has since been adjusting to life back in Dublin with his family.

His wife, Batoul, and their four sons, were able to leave Gaza via the Rafah border last November but his exit was blocked and he was left behind in the besieged territory.

Mr Hania described the last seven months in Gaza as a form of dream.

Im delighted and happy to see my family and my lovely and kind friends, he told the PA news agency.

Im glad that I survived this brutal genocide. Its like a dream to survive and to live all the seven months, the last seven months, and to survive. But my feelings are like strange, I feel in a strange way.

I feel the family are excited. I am happy, but not excited, its like my feelings are frozen.

But I am glad that I survived and I am happy to come to Ireland and to see my family and reunite with them and to see all my friends that all stood with me on this journey and this difficult time.

Ms Hania and her four Irish-born sons, Mazen, Ismael, Ahmed and Nour, spent months campaigning to secure her husbands safe passage out of Gaza. That included lobbying Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for help.

There were emotional scenes at Dublin Airport on Saturday when the family was reunited.

Mr Hania embraced his wife and children as he emerged from the arrivals hall.

He later dropped to his knees and kissed the ground.

I really want to thank all people in Ireland, the great Irish people who are standing with Palestine and with Gaza and all the people who stood with me in these difficult times, said Mr Hania.

Im really grateful and I cant thank them enough.
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Octavia Johnson is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at octavia.johnson@houstonchronicle.com.

Before joining the Chronicle, Octavia worked as a digital content producer at WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., where she became a leader in producing fast paced, audience-focused content.

Octavia graduated from UNC Pembroke with a bachelor's degree in journalism before earning her master's degree in media and communications at Norfolk State University.
A resident walks through a heavy downpour during a storm, that has resulted in flooding throughout the area, on Friday, May 3, 2024 in Splendora. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Clouds amass over power lines follow days of storms on Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Humble. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

The severe storms in Southeast Texas caused more damage than waterlogged homes and roadways, it also started a fire in the backyard of a northwest Houston home after lightning struck a tree that collapsed into a garage, according to fire officials.

Around 4:30 p.m. the Northwest Volunteer Fire Department arrived at a home in the 11500 block of Pinole Lane Court, where they found the garage engulfed in flames, according to a social media post.

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Mark Herman, Harris County Constable for Precinct Four, said constables were also at the address to assist the Northwest VFD in their efforts.

Authorities ruled the fire accidental once they determined lighting struck a tree that fell onto the breezeway connecting the garage to the house, where it struck a gas line and set the garage ablaze. The fire was extinguished quickly, according to the Northwest VFD. No injuries or additional damage had been reported.

The fire comes as floodwaters have ravaged parts of Southeast Texas due to heavy rain on and off since Thursday, completely razing entire neighborhoods and knocking out power for thousands of residents. Almost 20,000 residents across the region evacuated over the weekend, some under mandatory order, others voluntarily, and some arrived back at their homes Sunday to find their properties in a devastating condition.

LIVE FLOOD MAP: Track flooding, rain and closed roads

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Hundreds of people and pets have been saved during the course of four days, some from life-threatening situations. No deaths had been reported locally as a result of the storms, but a 5-year-old boy in Fort Worth died after getting swept away in floodwaters.
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From horseback to train, a Tajik conductor's journey

Xinhua) 10:31, May 06, 2024

URUMQI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Unlike her elder generations, who rarely left the pastoral areas in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Airkir Duliki has frequently traveled through various areas of Xinjiang and other parts of China, mostly by train.

Airkir Duliki is China's first Tajik train conductor, working for the Chengdu fleet of the China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd.

The 27-year-old is in charge of the services on the train running on the line connecting Kashgar Prefecture, in southern Xinjiang, to the city of Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan Province. As an important line, the passenger flow of the train remains high all year round.

Airkir Duliki's responsibilities include keeping order, quickly organizing passengers as they enter and leave the train, and keeping the daily supplies well stocked. According to her, there are some 25 stations in total between the two locations, and sometimes the dwell time is only two minutes.

"I must be clear-headed, responsible for more than 20 colleagues in the team, and serve more than 1,000 passengers on the whole train," she said.

Airkir Duliki was born and raised near the snow-capped mountains and on pastures of the Tajik Autonomous County of Taxkorgan on the Pamir Plateau.

Her first train ride was to the regional capital of Urumqi to attend university, which was more than 1,000 km away. At that time, her father Duliki Bairfek drove more than 300 km of mountain roads to escort her to the nearest railway station.

After arriving at the school, Airkir Duliki rang up her father to say that everything was alright. Her father, who had waited at the train station for more than 10 hours for the notification, finally returned home.

Having lived in the pastoral areas since childhood, Airkir Duliki has developed a warm and optimistic personality. "Our village is small, the neighbors help each other, and everyone is friendly and hospitable," she said. In her view, the essence of providing railway services is the desire to help one another.

Recalling her first days as a train attendant, she said she was under a lot of pressure.

"After more than half a year, I became a qualified attendant," she said. During her four years as an attendant, she scored among the best in all assessments. In 2023, she signed up for the train conductor qualification examination and passed a series of comprehensive evaluations with excellent results.

To provide passengers with a pleasant train ride, she and her colleagues would invite them to dance and sing together, helping to enhance their enjoyment of Xinjiang's beauty.

"When I was a child, I had never seen a train, and I thought it was a great thing. Now I work on the train every day, and I still think it is great, because of the changes it has brought about," she said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The U.S. Post Office and mail processing faility is visible in Missouri City Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

When four auditors arrived at the United States Postal Service facility in Missouri City in late January for an unannounced site visit, they already knew they were dealing with a unique situation.

Kelly Thresher, a deputy assistant inspector general for the USPS Office of Inspector General, said her team typically doesn't do field investigations of peak season annexes such as the Missouri City facility. But because of media reports in the area documenting problems and the congressional requests from Reps. Sylvia Garcia and Al Green, the office decided to send auditors to figure out what was going on at the facility.

What they uncovered was a systematic failure that led to an estimated 384,000 pieces of delayed mail counted during their three-day visit. The findings were immediately alerted to USPS management and later compiled in an audit released last month,

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"That isn't just a failure of one manager or one person or local management," Thresher said. "It's a larger failure than that."

AUDIT RELEASED: Audit uncovers 384K pieces of delayed mail during January inspection of USPS Missouri City facility

The "Mail Conditions at South Houston Local Processing Center" audit revealed several issues in addition to the hundreds of thousands of pieces of delayed mail. Late trips increased from 17.7% to 47.4% of total delivery trips with an additional 307% increase in canceled trips. There were staffing problems. Mail was incorrectly reported. There were numerous safety concerns.

The South Houston facility opened up as a peak season annex for the North Houston center in November. Peak season annexes are facilities set up to help main processing centers keep up with extra packages and mail during the holiday season.

These annexes usually close at the beginning of January. However, the South Houston Local Processing Center did not close. It kept operating.

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Keeping the facility open, Thresher said, created a lot of unanticipated problems.

"In this facility, I think the primary cause of delays was a lack of planning on the part of the postal service to keep the facility open after peak season," Thresher said. "They didn't plan effectively for the transportation schedules. They didn't plan to have a complement of facilities that could help the facility run. They didn't have enough resources baked into the facility to make sure that it was managed properly and that operations were overseen."'

Around 50 to 60 peak-season employees at the North Houston facility who were asked if they would be willing to start work at the South Houston facility said no. Thresher said the postal service didn't have any backup plans for hiring and staffing in South Houston, and calculations hadn't been done to properly determine the number of staff needed at the site.

The staffing problems weren't just for people working machines and sorting packages, they stretched into the management side as well.

Auditors observed only one manager covering the entire 24-hour work period.

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"Having no managers there except one who was sort of assigned to all the shifts who couldn't possibly work every shift every day was a real problem that set the facility up, basically, for failure," Thresher said.

The understaffing and a lack of understanding led to the underreporting of the mail at the facility. Thresher said management didn't realize mail that had been processed and awaiting transportation needed to be counted as part of its reporting.

Plus, with the undersized staff "trying to get above water," counting the mail was not a priority for them.

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That led to the eye-popping estimate of 384,000 pieces of delayed mail, which Thresher said is "quite a bit more" than they have seen in the past year.
WHEN Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler arrived in Macroom to officially open its new Memory Cafe, the sun was shining, welcoming people to the new community venue.

The Next Door Cafe project in the Castle Hotel was spearheaded by the Alzhemeirs support group, Friends of ASI Macroom, marking the next step in its commitment to creating supports and services for people living with dementia and their families in the Cork town.

In April, 2023, the Friends of ASI (Alzheimer Society of Ireland) hosted a dementia-inclusive community event in Macroom which led to the creation of Friends of ASI Macroom, a group of leaders dedicated to creating a dementia-inclusive town.

There was a lot of the work done locally, says Rory Buckley, whose family own the Castle Hotel in Macroom.

We were delighted to facilitate the Memory Cafe for the Friends of ASI Macroom.

The Next Door Cafe is a lovely space for people to meet, to connect and have a chat together, says Rory. We hope everybody enjoys it.

Sisters Julie and Mary, who care for their mother Eileen OConnell, who has Alzheimers, and will be a regular visitor to the new Memory Cafe

Mary Buckley, who is a caregiver for her mother, Eileen OConnell, who has dementia, welcomed the new facility.

The Next Door Cafe will offer a familiar surrounding and familiar faces for my mother and others like her, says Mary, who cares for her mother along with her sister, Julie, who is Mrs OConnells primary caregiver, and their brother, Jerry.

The cafe will be a great social outlet for mam.

Mary recalls her mothers diagnosis.

In 2019, mam had a fall, 12 months ago, she was diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimers.

While she was in hospital for three months after falling, our dad passed away. Mam had a few TIAs (temporary blockages of blood to the brain) which may have done damage, says Mary.

Covid also delayed getting a formal diagnosis/assessment for mam.

Each individual with Alzheimers progresses differently.

Mam is very good really, says Mary. She lives with my sister Julie.

She is not declining at a fast rate due to Alzheimers. Shes a bit flat, but she knows us all and asks us if theres any news?

She can be a bit forgetful, and her short-term memory is poor.

Mam isnt able to get out to meet people as her mobility is compromised, she uses a stick and is dependent on people.

Eileen gets good care, bringing her even closer to her family.

Our brother Jerry comes to sit with mam once a week for an afternoon when Julie is working, as mam doesnt like being alone, says Mary. We also have another lady who sits with mam two other afternoons, from 2pm-5pm, to keep her company while Julie is working.

Eileen, always a social person and immersed in her community, will enjoy visiting The Next Door Cafe.

Mam and others like her will love going out to the cafe for a chat and a cuppa and a catch-up, says Mary.

The OConnells were well-known publicans in the town.

My mam and dad ran a pub in the middle square in Macroom for most of their married lives, The Hole in the Wall, until they retired out of it in the late 90s, says Mary.

Theyd both have known so many people from Macroom and surrounds.

Eileen likes being involved in her community.

My mother has great faith and she used to be involved in prayer meetings and helped so many people until she fell in 2019. She declined from then really, says Mary.

As mam no longer lives in her own house or is able to operate a phone, people wouldnt call in or ring her like they did in the past. Being alone is a real challenge for her and Covid didnt help that.

The cafe will be a great social outlet for mam.

The Next Door Cafe is accessible to all.

It is in a great location, says Mary. The car park is accessible, and the cafe is easy to get to which will draw a lot of people.

Mary is thrilled that her mother now has a place to greet, meet, and re-connect with people.

Since shes not able to get out herself and meet people, the cafe provides a wonderful opportunity for mam to meet all the people she knows and who know her.

So Eileen will get all the news?

Yes, she will! laughs Mary.

Marian Kelleher, whose husband Tadhg lives with dementia and accesses ASI Services, agrees with Mary.

Its great for us to have a place to pop in and have a tea and talk to people going through the same situation, says Marian.

Its really lovely and itll give us an opportunity to socialise with people.

Head of Operations and Community Engagement at the ASI, Siobhan OConnor said: Its an honour for me to open any service and its a special bonus when its my home town.

I want to thank the Friends of ASI Macroom for taking the lead on this and creating a safe space for people living with dementia and their families in Macroom to come and spend some time with people in similar situations.

Living with the condition can be a lonely experience, so having this space every month can be a great outlet for people.

A special thanks to Rory Buckley and his staff at the Castle Hotel for opening their doors to us.

What a difference a year has made, and it just shows what can be achieved when a community responds.

I am so proud of the range of services now available in the Macroom area for people living with dementia and their families.

An estimated 7,509 people live with dementia in Cork and 63% of people with dementia live in the community in Ireland.

Memory Cafes provide a warm and welcoming space for people with dementia, their family and friends, and a place for social and health care professionals to meet, exchange ideas and learnings.

Usually, an expert speaker is invited each month to talk to the cafe about a topic of interest. The venue is also a space to chat and enjoy a social occasion in a supportive environment.

The Friends of ASI is a dementia-inclusive programme that includes training, awareness, education, and services and aims to encourage people, businesses and services to create a more nurturing and accepting environment for people living with dementia and their families in their community.

People living with dementia are among the most marginalised in our society and can often face social exclusion and stigma.

This initiative is working alongside the HSEs Dementia: Understand Together, a national partnership between the ASI, HSE, Age Friendly Ireland, Age & Opportunity, Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, and Healthy Ireland, and encourages community members and people living with dementia to make their communities more dementia inclusive.

The Cafe is based on an international model and usually opens monthly in the early evening. Some cafes open during the day, and all provide light refreshments and a mix of education and support.
LUKE McGrath had a crush on his now-wife Niamh Kerrins-McGrath when they were teenagers. Ten years later, they almost missed out on a first date due to a technological miscommunication.

Luke, who works as a political advisor to Sinn Fein TD Donnchadh OLaoighaire, told The Echo, when Donnchadh got elected in 2016, he had a thank you night for people on his team, and councillor Fiona Kerrins, Niamhs sister was there.

We got talking, and Fiona was asking me what age I was, was I single, saying I have a sister your age and shes single as well, he said, adding that he texted her the next morning asking for Niamhs number.

We were texting for two or three days, it was going well, and this is where it gets a bit unusual  I said would you like to go for a drink this Friday and I got nothing back. Not even a no, just totally ghosted.

My pride was a bit hurt, so I didnt text her again, he said.

Luke said that a few weeks later he was up in Dublin for the party Ard Fheis and Fiona asked how things were going with Niamh, and when he told her hed been ghosted, Fiona was shocked.

She got onto her sister, and Niamh explained I did text back but that message disappeared into the atmosphere. I thought he texted me, asked me out, I agreed and then he didnt text me back.

When Fiona text, she got onto Luke again asking why he was telling people she ignored him, screenshots were exchanged, and the matter was resolved, she said, so we said wed go out the weekend coming and went to Mutton Lane for our first date.

They were able to laugh about the situation, and recently celebrated their eighth anniversary.

We just kind of clicked straight away and got serious pretty quick, Niamh said.

I found out months later that when we were teenagers, 15, 16, he had a crush on me and had a friend of mine he was always asking about me, but I had no interest.

He claims he didnt realise it was me, nearly ten years later!

They got engaged in 2019.

We used to go on spins down to Crosshaven House, and I always said Id love to stay there, then he just texted me one Monday asking if I could take a half day Friday so we could go, Niamh said.

Luke McGrath and Niamh Kerrins-McGrath with son Culann and Santa!

Luke said he had planned to propose at Weavers Point but it started to rain, so then I was panicking and I did it in our room. She said yes.

They had to delay their wedding a year due to Covid, marrying in December 2022, in a humanist ceremony in Triskel, followed by a reception in Vienna Woods.

Luke McGrath and Niamh Kerrins-McGrath.

They went to Cuba on their honeymoon the in January.

Niamh said, We got home on the Tuesday, and the Wednesday I got pregnant  we were planning on having kids straight away but we didnt think it would happen as quickly as that!

Luke McGrath and Niamh Kerrins-McGrath outside the bar where they had their first date. Photo: Ray Terry

The couple now live in Lower Pouladuff Road with their son Culann, with Niamh working in IT, as an analyst for Cork County Council.

Luke is hopeful to get elected to Cork City Council in June.

I put myself forward because I dont see many people from my generation on the council. A voice for the generation who have to put their lives on hold, forced to emigrate or living in their parents box rooms.

Luke McGrath and Niamh Kerrins-McGrath on their wedding day. Photo: Ray Terry

He worked with Citizens Information for four years and liked helping people and empowering them, but said one of the negatives was that you could only provide them with the information.

If someone was not entitled to a disability payment, you had to tell them the bad news, but politics is a way of changing the system and making it more inclusive.
Interactive visual arts, craft and design festivalSTAMP returns to Cork City from May 16 to 18.

Organised by Benchspace, Cork Craft & Design, Sample-Studios, and Shandon Art Studios, the festival features demonstrations, workshops, and exhibitions at the Triskel Arts Centre.

Most of the 35 events, such as lino printing, basket making, weaving, needle-felting, product-styling and lampshade-making, are free, but booking is required for some. The STAMP market will take place on May 17 and 18 and will have 25 exhibitors this year.

Lord Mayor of Cork Kieran McCarthy said that STAMP is about igniting a passion for creativity in the hearts of local people and said he was pleased that the festival is running for a third year. Last year it was great to see over 4,000 people in attendance and hopefully, well see the same this year.

Highlights include a free panel discussion with visual artist Shane ODriscoll, known for his striking, large-scale murals; textiles artist Mary Palmer, a DJing and music-production lesson with Stevie G; demos on woodturning with Tony Farrell, and a zine-making workshop with Elize de Beer.

This is a chance for visitors from Cork and beyond to embrace their creativity and gain new insight in to the work of our talented artists, craftspeople and designers who are contributing to Corks cultural vibrancy, said Michelle Carew, arts officer of Cork City Council.

Emma Jacobs, festival manager of STAMP Festival, said that facilitating members of the public to speak to and work with artists, makers and crafters closely over the weekend, were ensuring our team makes their well-deserved mark on Corks future.

STAMP Festival is supported by Cork City Council, Local Enterprise Office Cork City, the Arts Council of Ireland, We are Cork, Creative Ireland programme administered by the Cork City Arts Office and venue partner, Triskel Arts Centre.

See www.stampcork.ie.
POPULAR Galway band 'The Stunning', famous for brewing up a storm during the 1990s, will headline this year's Macroom Music Festival which is to be held in the Town Square on June 22, it has been confirmed.

The mid Cork town can rightfully claim to be the cradle of outdoor music festivals in Ireland as the Mountain Dew Festival featuring Rory Gallagher during the 1970s came before Slane, Feile and the Electric Picnic.

Now in its second year with the new festival, made possible by the N22 bypass which opened its Macroom section in December 2022, Macroom have followed up a very successful inaugural event with a line up which includes Hermitage Green and The White Horse Guitar Club.

According to Kilian Lynch of the festival organising committee, the people of Macroom got their town back last year and the music festival allowed it to be showcased to its full potential.

"Last year was such a great success," he said. "It is great to see a real buzz around Macroom town again.

The festival, which takes place over the June 21-23 weekend, also features a music trail in local pubs and a family day.
AN increase in the need for CT, MRI or ultrasound scans has left thousands of people in Cork on long waiting lists, with people needing scans this year possibly not able to get them.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has learned that the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) paused the commissioning of CTs, MRIs and ultrasounds at the end of February due to unprecedented demand.

This is occurring against a backdrop of 260,000-plus people on diagnostic waiting lists nationally, with 37,039 of those in the South/South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) which consists of six Cork hospitals and one each in Kerry, Waterford, and Tipperary.

The figures as of the end of 2023 for the SSWHG show almost 5,000 of those have been waiting more than a year and a half.

The data shows 21,186 people waiting up to three months for a CT, MRI or ultrasound, 4,553 waiting 3-6 months, 3,009 waiting 6-9 months, and 2,034 waiting 9-12 months. Some 16.8% of those, 6,256 people, were waiting over a year as of the end of 2023, including 991 waiting 12-15 months, 758 waiting 15-18 months, and 4,507 waiting more than 18 months.

The NTPF informed the HSE on February 29 it only had funding to arrange 70,000 radiology scans nationally in 2024, and 55,000 voucher codes for scans had been issued to hospitals to that date  79% of the total allocation.

The NTPF issues emergency diagnostic authorisation numbers (EDANs) to hospitals to carry out tests, with each redeemable for one scan.

At the end of February, the NTPF told the HSE it was unable to issue new vouchers to hospitals despite requests for them, and that no new initiatives would be approved for 2024. At the time, it is understood some hospitals had already exceeded their EDAN allocations for some types of scans and were in the process of retracting some arranged scans for patients that were due to be carried out by private providers.

'SIGNIFICANT CONCERN'

In correspondence sent to the IHCA, the NTPF said it appreciated the significant concern that this move had caused consultants, but said the unprecedented demand for scans meant a temporary pause has been placed on the routine issuing of EDANs while additional funding is being sought by the HSE.

IHCA president Professor Rob Landers said the association is extremely concerned that the NTPF has decided to pause and ration these diagnostic scans for the remainder of 2024.

The withdrawal of the scheme is also counterproductive given that the NTPF continues to fund other clinical waiting lists initiatives which serve to generate more radiology requests, Prof Landers said.

The high number of people waiting for procedures such as CTs, MRIs, and ultrasounds is especially concerning given that these diagnostic tests are used to either confirm or rule out a disease or condition, including cancer.

Hospitals across the SSWHG utilise all available approved care options when it comes to managing patient waiting lists, a hospital group spokesperson told . However, it should be noted that despite an increasing number of patients requiring diagnostic scans, patients are always prioritised based on a clinical needs basis. Thus, ensuring patients with the greatest needs are treated first.
THREE brothers from Cloyne were given suspended two-year sentences for their part in an incident of violent disorder at Rock St in the town in October 2022.

Judge Jonathan Dunphy imposed similar sentences on twins Conor and Noel Cahill, aged 21, of Tur Chluana, Cloyne, and on their brother, Ian Cahill, aged 27, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Dunphy said it was a violent disorder incident that started at The Rock Bar when Ian Cahill attempted to headbutt a member of staff, sparking chaotic scenes inside and outside the premises.

This was a night marked by violence, where there were injuries to parties and damage to property, Judge Dunphy said as he summarised the incident.

Ian Cahill was the primary aggressor, attempting to headbutt the security guard. He was the main instigator. Noel Cahill became physically aggressive to a member of security staff and shouted threats and chased another guard on the street.

Conor Cahill tried to assault Sergeant Brian Larkin with a punch in the head  a blind-sided punch.

A fourth man, Justin Oke, aged 20, of Cluain Cairn, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, was described as being the least involved of the four in the violent disorder. He struck a member of bar staff and later chased this person down the street, contributing to the overall chaos, Judge Dunphy said.

The judge noted from the evidence in mitigation that the defendants co-operated with the investigation, expressed their apologies for their behaviour, and had good background circumstances. The main charge against each of them was one of engaging with others in a violent disorder.

While the three brothers each got a two-year suspended sentence for their parts in the violent disorder, Justin Oke was given a one-year suspended sentence.
A MAN out socialising with his family in Charleville on New Years Eve was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a man who struck him in the face with a five-foot-long wooden walking staff.

41-year-old John Edmond Healy, of Clashgannive, Charleville, County Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of assault causing harm on December 31, 2022 at Main St, Rathgoggin, Charleville.

The victim was on his way home with his wife and family, at around 10pm, when he was approached by the accused, who struck him in the face with the staff. No words were spoken, Garda Theresa Gleeson testified.

Mr Healy was banging the stick off the ground and shouting incoherently. He was very aggressive. His eyes were wide and unblinking. He appeared crazed, Garda Gleeson said.

The injured party suffered fractures to the bridge of his nose.

Judge Helen Boyle was told that Mr Healy was mortified at what he had done and that there were mental-health complexities in his life and that he had a brain injury as a result of a motorcycle accident when he was 18.

Judge Boyle imposed a two-year sentence on the accused, suspended in full, on condition that he comply with the directions of the probation service.

This was an unprovoked, violent attack on a family enjoying themselves and minding their own business. The victim ended up with a fractured nose, bruising, and cuts to his forehead and his wife suffered post-traumatic stress.

Your doctor thinks you should never take alcohol again. It is a concern to me that you were taking cannabis.

These issues should be addressed by the defendant through the probation service, Judge Boyle said.
PRINCIPALS of special schools around Ireland have met in Cork to discuss their concerns about a lack of therapeutic supports in schools, amid calls to reinstate therapists immediately.

The meeting comes just weeks after Tanaiste Micheal Martin called for a school-based approach to therapies, and Minister of State for Disabilities Anne Rabbitte called for the Progressing Disabilities Services (PDS) model to be retired.

The HSEs PDS model for children and young people reconfigured childrens disability services five years ago. The new model saw clinicians, such as occupational therapists, speech-and-language therapists, and physios removed from schools across Ireland and placed on Childrens Disability Network teams (CDNTs).

The aim of CDNTs was to provide multi-disciplinary therapy services to children in their communities and local areas.

However, the decision to remove therapists from schools was met with a backlash from parents and principals, and, in September 2021, Ms Rabbitte pledged to return therapists to special schools across Ireland, though this has yet to be achieved.

Speaking at the Fianna Fail ard fheis last April, Ms Rabbitte labelled the removal of school therapists a mistake, and called for the PDS model to be retired by the next government.

An advisor for the minister told The Echo that Ms Rabbittes comments are in the context of what the party position will be for a general election.

Ms Rabbitte also revealed plans to launch a pilot programme this year, which will see special schools given a grant to hire therapists themselves.

A dozen principals of special schools for children with moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disabilities, met in Cork to discuss their concerns.

Speaking to The Echo following the meeting, Anne Hartnett, principal of St Pauls Special School in Montenotte, said the vast majority of principals at the meeting confirmed that their schools are without therapists as a result of the PDS model.

While a small number of schools are receiving input from some therapists, it is not uniform, it is not consistent, and it is not even touching the surface of the needs of the pupils in our special schools, Ms Hartnett stated.

Quite simply, it is not enough at all.

Ms Hartnett added that staff at special schools are being asked to fill the gap, for which they do not have training and have been correctly advised by their respective unions not to fill.

That in itself is so very hard as we are looking at the children regress daily because of the lack of therapeutic intervention, she said. Schools are the one constant in a childs life and we pick up the shortfall in so many ways, but this we simply cannot do.

The expertise of therapists is required daily and that is what has been lacking since PDS began.

In my own school, we have been without onsite therapy since 2018.

That is 97 children  and those who graduated since then  who have not received any meaningful direct intervention in school for six years.

How can that be right?

Special school staff, on behalf of their pupils, feel let down, neglected, ignored, and undervalued.

Those feelings pale compared to the impact on the children themselves and their families.
(Photo: REUTERS / Kham)Catholics hold candles and posters with the image of lawyer Le Quoc Quan during a mass prayer for Quan at Thai Ha church in Hanoi February 16, 2014. Participants in the mass prayer also called for justice for Quan, a political dissident and democracy activist, ahead of his appeal trial which will be happened on February 18, his brother Le Quoc Quyet said. The Hanoi's People Court sentenced Quan, a political dissident and pro-democracy activist, to 30 months in jail for tax evasion after a half-day trial on October 2, 2013. The banner reads: Free for Le Quoc Quan.

The church in Vietnam now faces more challenges than ever with a recent decree by the Vietnamese government to regulate religion in the country.

Decree 95 follows regulations introduced by the Vietnamese Law on Belief and Religion, The Threefold Advocate, John Brown University's Student Newspaper, reported on April 18.

That decree allows the Vietnamese government to require churches and other religious groups to submit financial records to the government.

According to the report, the decree also allows for the suspension of religious activities for any unspecified reason.

The decree reinforces the legal framework set up by the Vietnamese Law on Belief and Religion, which requires churches and other religious groups to alert the government to their operations.

Christianity Today reported earlier in April that many local churches and religious leaders believe the government decree is an attempt by the Vietnamese government to get the country off the U.S. Special Watch List.

The Special Watch List stems from the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

According to the U.S State Department website, that is where the "President is required to annually review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and designate each country the government of which has engaged in or tolerated 'particularly severe violations of religious freedom.'"

Vietnam is on the U.S. Special Watch List and appeared in a 2024 report on persecuted churches.

The latter report was released by Open Doors, a non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to support the global persecuted church.

In the report, Vietnam placed 35th out of 50 countries where Christians face Christians in Vietnam.

The most recent Special Watch List designations were made by the Secretary of State on December 29, 2023, and Vietnam was listed as one of the countries of Particular Concern, or Special Watch List Countries, and Entities of Particular Concern

Countries of Particular Concern, Special Watch List Countries, Entities of Particular Concern

Of Vietnam's estimated population of some 106 million people, Christians account for about 7.1 percent, most of whom are Catholics, according to the CIA Factbook.

Open Doors' top-tier Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list includes Myanmar (No. 17 on the 2024 WWL), China (No. 19), Cuba (No. 22), Eritrea (No. 4), Iran (No. 9), North Korea (No. 1), Nicaragua (No. 30), Pakistan (No. 7), Russia (which exited the WWL in 2022), Saudi Arabia (No. 13), Tajikistan (No. 46), and Turkmenistan (No. 29).

Its second-tier Special Watch List includes Algeria (No. 15), Azerbaijan (unranked but monitored by Open Doors), the Central African Republic (No. 28), Comoros (No. 45), and Vietnam (No. 35).
A home in River Plantation is seen with its lights on in flood water, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A home in River Plantation is seen with its lights on in floodwaters on Friday in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Caney Creek fire and rescue workers traverse flooded streets in the River Plantation subdivision in Montgomery County on Friday, May 3, 2024. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A Montgomery County Constables Office deputy blocks a section of River Plantation Drive headed toward Interstate 45 due to high water on Friday, May 3. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Mistie Davis, right, shows Montgomery County Precinct 2 Constable Gene DeForest the location of her elderly neighbors she believes could still be in their River Plantation home, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer A home in River Plantation is seen with its lights on in flood water, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Josh Curnel, right, and his son, Levi, help their friends Stone Turks and Jade Brewer with their belongings after being evacuated from their home by boat, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Children get on a transportation vehicle after being evacuated by boat from their home in River Plantation, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer Children get on a transportation vehicle after being evacuated by boat from their home in River Plantation, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Conroe. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

Dozens of residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week.

Conroe neighborhood residents scramble to recover

Larissa Hardman was at her grandmother's home in Conroe's River Plantation neighborhood to remove items that could be saved.

We are just trying to find anything that is salvageable right now, Hardman said. As of right now all the furniture is gone. It sat in two and a half feet of water. (My aunt and uncle) lost everything in their bedroom. Everything is just tipped over.

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LIVE UPDATES: Harris County lifts mandatory evacuation order, announces total rescues

Hardman said the home, which her family rents on River Plantation Drive, has flooded eight times, including during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. She said the owner was at the house marking the walls for when disaster recovery teams can clean out the house.

They are for sure never renting in this area again, Hardman said. This place is always going under.

Waiting for professional help is important, Hardman said.

There are mold spores, there is bacteria in the air, Hardman said. This stuff that is wet is not really good to be touching.

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Dustin Bourgeois and Mark Holland with Crowned Eagle Construction were out assessing damage.

This is a low part of the neighborhood, said Holland, who also lives in River Plantation in a home that did not flood. Its really terrible what has happened. We are just out here trying to help people, expedite the process, clean out their houses and get them back in them. Unfortunately, this is an area they should have never built houses."

Bourgeois said it is a tough situation for the families.

Its hard for (residents) to trust people right now, Bourgeois said.

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Gov. Greg Abbott and representatives of the Texas Division of Emergency Management will hold a news conference in Conroe Monday afternoon to provide updates on conditions in East Texas and the state's ongoing response.

County Judge Mark Keough said county crews are out assessing damages as well.

Weve requested additional support from the state to help get more in the area to expedite assessments and should have additional support tomorrow, Keough said. In the meantime as you start to assessing the damage to your property its imperative that we all let the state know of your damages so we can certify the need for a presidential disaster declaration.

Kingwood businesses reopen

Several businesses in Kingwood are reopening and restoring Kings Harbor Waterfront Grill Village from recent floods and storms this past weekend.

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As of Monday morning, the pier and walkways connecting to the restaurants still had high waters and muddy sidewalks. Fish had even washed up from the waterfront into the village.

Anne White, a resident of Kingwood who lives in a nearby apartment, said she went to her parents house for safety when the storm began. Others in her apartment that did not evacuate were trapped in the complex for three days, she reported.

Harbor Cove apartments and Magnolia Cove apartments were among several apartments in the area that experienced flooding in their parking lots, White said.

My parents lived in Kingwood during Harvey with Harvey the first floor of Harbor Cove was flooded and all of these places and the restaurants was flooded, said White. So thats what was going through our minds, but fortunately it didnt get that bad.

White said that she just returned to her apartment Monday morning. Power to the complex had been out for several hours.

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Sharkys, Raffas and Loco Cantina Mexican Kitchen are all restaurants that plan to open today. The restaurants had staff members cleaning dining areas and patios as they awaited customers.

The area is usually bustling, with boaters, kayakers and visitors to the patios, White said.

White added that she feels blessed that the storm wasnt worse, and she hopes the area will be restored soon.

Reporting damage to State of Texas helps determine disaster assistance needs

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is encouraging the public to report the damage to their homes and businesses after days of storms brought devastating flooding to the region. The self-reported property damage surveys will help determine Texas eligibility for disaster assistance and identify resource needs.

The voluntary survey can be filled out in English and Spanish at damage.tdem.texas.gov. It is known as the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool, or iSTAT.

To report residential, commercial or agricultural damage from the recent flooding, scroll down to Active Incidents and select the Spring Severe Weather and Flooding Event, which began April 26 and is ongoing.

Filling out the iSTAT is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance company, and it does not guarantee disaster relief assistance, according to the TDEM statement.

A needs assessment survey is available on readyharris.org through which flood victims can share their needs. The survey isn't an application for assistance, but people can opt-in to receive text messages about available resources. Survey responses help local officials advocate for more community resources. To share your needs, visit www.connectivetx.org/what-we-do/storm-needs-survey/.

The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management also posted instructions for those facing property damage from severe weather. To report home damages and request debris pickup, residents should call 713-274-3880 or email homeflooding@harriscountytx.gov.

How to stay safe in flood waters

The Office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo shared tips on social media for residents who are working towards recovery following being affected by flooding.

Be cautious of hidden hazards in the flood waters:

Hidden electrical wires, powerlines

Hazardous waste

Submerged debris

Displaced wild animals

Chemical leaks from cars and other canisters

Those who have debris scattered on their property should place them in six categories:




Saudi Arabia aims to boost fish output to 230,000 metric tonnes in 2024



Saudi Arabia's fisheries department aims to ramp up fish production in the Middle Eastern nation to 230,000 metric tonnes (MT) in 2024, aiming to bridge the significant gap between the country's current supply and its demand with increased domestic production, SeafoodSource reported.

Head of Saudi Arabia's fisheries department, Hussein Al-Nazari, reported a substantial surge in fish production, with output jumping 80% year-on-year in 2023 to 214,600 MT, compared to 119,000 MT the previous year. Despite this growth, the country's fish consumption continues to surpass its production, necessitating heavy reliance on seafood imports to meet demand.

Three years ago, the disparity between domestic seafood output and demand was even more pronounced, with production at 99,000 MT while consumption soared to 250,000 MT in 2021.

To accelerate growth, initiatives led by the country's Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, including the development of 16 fishing ports along Saudi Arabia's extensive coastline bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, have been set in motion. These ports, strategically located in areas yielding European sea bream, barramundi, sea bass, among others, aim to bolster the country's marine fish production, which serves as the primary source of seafood output.

Aligned with these efforts, the Saudi Arabian government is actively seeking private-sector investment to support fishermen and enhance fishing capabilities by providing reliable forecasts about sea conditions and offering incentives such as covering 75% of a fisheries project's capital expenditures. Additionally, direct financial support, interest-free loans, and discounts on fishing production equipment purchases are being offered to individuals and firms willing to invest in fish production.

In the short term, Saudi Arabia's focus is on moving closer to achieving self-sufficiency in seafood supply, with particular emphasis on fish farming, especially high-yield fish breeds. Furthermore, aquaculture features prominently in the futuristic city of NEOM, situated on the Red Sea coast, with plans underway for an aquaculture-focused project named OXAGON, aiming to produce over 50,000 MT of fish annually through a combination of indoor and outdoor RAS ponds.

- SeafoodSource
Anthony Dusauzay shovels debris in the laundry room of his flood-damaged home as he works to clean it up in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A construction worker moves trash bags full of flood-damaged items to a debris pile while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Yanira Diaz stands in her muddy living room as she begins the clean up process of her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Yovany Dominguez wipes his daughter, Gracies face, as they eat food from the Salvation Army in the parking lot of Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Dominguez drove down from Dallas to help his mother who was stuck in her home with water up to her waist during the storms. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Cesar Villanueva stands in the doorway of his sisters salon, Aritas Hair Salon & Spa, while he tries to dry it out on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Wendy Dominguez hugs her granddaughters after trying to get some assistance for her flooded home at the Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer A Salvation Army volunteer distributes food at Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Gov. Greg Abbott updates the state's ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions that impacted East Texas communities during a press conference Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Abbott urged people whose properties are damaged to report to the state government as soon as they can. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Robert Gaudet, founder of Cajun Navy Ground Force, sets up a tent for tomorrows distribution at Santa Fe Community Center on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Cleveland. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Cesar Villanueva measures the water mark in his sisters salon, Aritas Hair Salon & Spa, while he works to dry it out on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Plum Grove. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Gov. Greg Abbott, second left, holds a press conference with local officials to update the state's ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions that impacted East Texas communities during a press conference Monday, May 6, 2024 at Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse in Conroe. Abbott urged people whose properties are damaged to report to the state government as soon as they can. From left: Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough and Liberty County Judge Jay Knight. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer The water line goes almost to the top of the front door of a home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Yanira Diaz stands in her muddy living room as she begins the clean up process of her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Dennis Orellana carries wet drywall to a debris pile as he helps Yanira Diaz, far left, clean up her flood-damaged home in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer The wall of a garage is broken down after floodwaters swept through the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Javan Lejeune pushes wet debris to the street while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Anthony Dusauzay shovels debris in the laundry room of his flood-damaged home as he works to clean it up in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Workers clear out furniture while cleaning up a home that was flooded in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rita Davis in the doorway of her home while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rita Davis pauses and looks around her kitchen while cleaning up her home from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rita Davis stands amongst her damaged furniture inside her home while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Rita Davis stands outside amongst her damaged furniture while cleaning up from flood damage in the River Plantation neighborhood on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Conroe. Residents who evacuated their homes during recent flooding in the Houston region returned Monday to salvage what is left of their belongings after floodwaters inundated the area last week. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Gov. Greg Abbott and representatives of the Texas Division of Emergency Management were in Conroe Monday afternoon to receive updates on conditions after severe flooding across the northeast Houston region and continue coordinating the state's ongoing response.

Some roads remained closed Monday morning due to high water from last weeks storms that caused widespread flooding in northeast Houston area communities.

Follow along below for live storm updates. Here's a recap of yesterday's coverage. To support our journalism, please consider subscribing to the Chronicle for unlimited digital access.

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Texas's flood recovery has a long way to go, and Gov. Greg Abbott is urging those affected to report their damage to ensure federal dollars help rebuild homes, businesses, and lives.

Abbott and more than a dozen local and state leaders spoke during a press conference at the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Warehouse Monday about what he called an extraordinary rain event.

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Over the last week, the Houston region has received more than 20 inches of rain.

On Monday, Louisiana-based Cajun Navy Ground Force arrived in Cleveland. The Cajun Navy is known for the group's support and relief work during Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Ian.

Cajun Navy Ground Force founder and president Rob Gaudet said volunteers will be set up Tuesday in the parking lot of Santa Fe Administration Building at 1680 County Road 3549, Cleveland, Texas.

Cajun Navy Ground Force will start their Safe Camp supply line after 9 a.m., after school starts so it will not interfere with traffic. It will end around 4 p.m. The supply line will offer flood survivors supplies to take home and a cooking crew will provide hot meals on site.

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Gaudet said the group is working with American Red Cross and the law enforcement as he expects a big crowd tomorrow, with up to 1,200 vehicles coming through. The Cajun Navy plans to be in Cleveland for the next two weeks and would love to get more volunteers to help

We need people to just set aside and take some time off from work or something and come volunteer, and load up your trunks, trailers, and truck loads and bring everything you can out here, he said.

Donations needed include non-perishable food, diapers and cleaning supplies.

Im an engineer, I dont really like to do anything small, said Graudet. I can show up and just deliver some water and go home but thats just not in my nature. I've always been somebody that gives back to the community Im in.

To donate or volunteer at Cajun Navy Ground Force you can go on the website at GoCajunNavy.org or arrive in person.

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Dozens of residents returned to their homes Monday to start the cleanup process, as officials in the Houston region worked to bring in disaster recovery assistance.

Larissa Hardman was at a home in Conroe's River Plantation neighborhood where her grandmother and several other relative live to remove items that could be saved.

We are just trying to find anything that is salvageable right now, Hardman said. As of right now all the furniture is gone. It sat in two and a half feet of water. (My aunt and uncle) lost everything in their bedroom. Everything is just tipped over.

Hardman said the home, which her family rents on River Plantation Drive, has flooded eight times, including during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. She said the owner was at the house marking the walls for when disaster recovery teams can clean out the house.

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They are for sure never renting in this area again, Hardman said. This place is always going under.

Dustin Bourgeois and Mark Holland with Crowned Eagle Construction were out assessing damage.

This is a low part of the neighborhood, Holland said who also lives in River Plantation but did not flood. Its really terrible what has happen. We are just out here trying to help people, expedite the process, clean out their houses and get them back in them. Unfortunately, this is an area they should have never built houses."

Bourgeois said it is a tough situation for the families.

Its hard for (residents) to trust people right now, Bourgeois said.

On Monday morning, the Cajun Navy Ground Force traveled to Cleveland to lend its support. Hailed for its heroic efforts during Hurricane Harvey, the Louisiana-based rescue and relief group of volunteers, said they drove in from Beaumont. The first place the organization stopped was at the Cleveland Independent School District's supply distribution hosted in the parking lot of the Cleveland ISD administration building.

"The community here, the kids here and their families were impacted heavily by the flooding that just happened in the last week from massive rains south of Lake Livingston and north of Houston," said Cajun Navy Ground Force founder Rob Gaudet. "And so this community, the family members and the children and folks are really reeling from that flooding."

Cajun Navy representatives plan to set up 20 miles from Cleveland in what they described as the "most heavily impacted area" where they'll be working with district to set up drive-in donations for food, water, toiletries, diapers, pet food and more.

"All of those things that are in your home that go under water now have to be replaced," Gaudet said.

On Tuesday, volunteers with Cleveland ISD will hand out food packets with water at the Santa Fe Administration Building in Colony Ridge beginning at 10 a.m. until supplies last.

A food distribution is already underway at the Santa Fe Administration and Activities Building. The facility, located at 1680 CR 3549, is just south of Plum Grove.

The Salvation Army will hand out free meals until they run out, according to a post shared by the Plum Grove Volunteer Fire Department.

In an effort to provide help to families in need following last week's storms, the Montgomery County food bank is in need of non-perishable food items such as canned fruits and vegetables, canned tuna, salmon or chicken, ready-to-eat meals, healthy snacks, hot and cold cereal and peanut butter.

Additionally, the organization is collecting toiletries and cleaning products. Anyone interested in making a monetary donation, can do so online at mcfoodbank.org.

They will accept donations Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Montgomery County Food Bank does not accept clothing donations.

Members of the Porter Fire Department had more than just humans to rescue and take to higher grounds over the weekend. First responders waded through flood waters to save 11 goats, three sheep, two horses, five dogs, six puppies, a bird and even a lemur.

The department documented its rescue with photos and videos of the group they described as an "eclectic bunch" and shared it on Facebook. One Facebook user responded by saying, "you now officially became Noah's Ark."

Dozens of residents were back at their homes in River Plantation Monday as they try and salvage what is left of their belongings after flood water inundated the area late last week.

Larissa Hardman was at the home where her grandmother and several other relative live to remove items that could be saved.

We are just trying to find anything that is salvageable right now, Hardman said. As of right now all the furniture is gone. It sat in two and a half feet of water. (My aunt and uncle) lost everything in their bedroom. Everything is just tipped over.

Hardman said the home, which her family rents on River Plantation Drive, has flooded eight times, including during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. She said the owner was at the house marking the walls for when disaster recovery teams can clean out the house.

They are for sure never renting in this area again, Hardman said. This place is always going under.

Waiting for professional help is important, Hardman said.

There are mold spores, there is bacteria in the air, Hardman said. This stuff that is wet is not really good to be touching.

Dustin Bourgeois and Mark Holland with Crowned Eagle Construction were out assessing damage.

This is a low part of the neighborhood, Holland said who also lives in River Plantation but did not flood. Its really terrible what has happen. We are just out here trying to help people, expedite the process, clean out their houses and get them back in them. Unfortunately, this is an area they should have never built houses."

Bourgeois said it is a tough situation for the families.

Its hard for (residents) to trust people right now, Bourgeois said.

Some residents near the West Fork of the San Jacinto River still might not be able to get home, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, but the river level is decreasing rapidly. Those who live in Bala Woods, North Shore and Forest Cove will likely still see high water on some roads as high as three feet. Most roads are clear in Kingwood, Hidalgo said.

Hidalgo said residents in the East Fork should see zero water impact by tomorrow, though there will still be some water in the roadways. The county judge asked residents in Rio Villa to use their judgement when returning home, as the roads are still flooded and will likely not be clear until late tomorrow or Wednesday.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez encouraged residents to put together an emergency plan heading into hurricane season, if they hadnt done so already.

You can't stop a hurricane but you can act now to protect yourself and your household, Gonzalez said.

Abby Church

As of 10:30 a.m. Monday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has lifted the emergency evacuation order issued for residents around San Jacinto River, and residents can return home if careful.

We can absolutely see the light at the end of the tunnel, Hidalgo said at a news briefing at Houston TranStar. And we've made it through the worst of this weather event.

Hidalgo said a total of 233 people had been rescued, in addition to 186 pets.

The county is currently working with the state and federal government on securing resources.

Its unlikely the flooding will receive the disaster designation it needs for the county to receive federal aid for disaster recovery, Hidalgo said, but Gov. Greg Abbott is going to push for relief. Hidalgo will also fly to Washington, D.C. tomorrow to ask federal officials to speed up funding for buyouts for those who need to move out of their homes in wake of the flooding.

The county will likely be able to snag Small Business Administration loans for families impacted by flooding, the judge said. Renters can borrow up to $40,000, homeowners up to $200,000 and small businesses up to $2 million.

The county judge cautioned residents to not drive into high water and be on high alert for vermin like snakes and rats. She also advised residents to get rid of standing water as soon as possible to prevent mosquitos.

Hidalgo encouraged anyone impacted by flooding who needed help to call 211.

Abby Church

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is encouraging the public to report the damage to their homes and businesses after days of storms brought devastating flooding to the region. The self-reported property damage surveys will help determine Texas eligibility for disaster assistance and identify resource needs.

The voluntary survey can be filled out in English and Spanish at damage.tdem.texas.gov. It is known as the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool, or iSTAT.

To report residential, commercial or agricultural damage from the recent flooding, scroll down to Active Incidents and select the Spring Severe Weather and Flooding Event, which began April 26 and is ongoing.

Filling out the iSTAT is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance company, and it does not guarantee disaster relief assistance, according to the TDEM statement.

A needs assessment survey is available on readyharris.org through which flood victims can share their needs. The survey isn't an application for assistance, but people can opt-in to receive text messages about available resources. Survey responses help local officials advocate for more community resources. To share your needs, visit www.connectivetx.org/what-we-do/storm-needs-survey/.

The Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management also posted instructions for those facing property damage from severe weather. To report home damages and request debris pickup, residents should call 713-274-3880 or email homeflooding@harriscountytx.gov.

The National Weather Service predicts rivers will "remain swollen for days" after rainfall battered the area last week into the weekend.

Officials say "minor to major" flooding continues in the areas of the Trinity, San Jacinto and Navasota Rivers. They insist residents use caution in those places and ask them to not travel around barricades or play in floodwaters.

As officials continue to monitor lake conditions, the San Jacinto River Authority and the Montgomery County Constable Precinct 1 Office have announced Lake Conroe will reopen to "normal lake traffic and activities" at noon today.

With the reopening, officials encourage boaters to "use extreme caution due to possible floating debris and submerged objects that may not be fully visible." Additionally, they urge residents to remain cautious of electrical outlets plus equipment coming in contact with water.

The SJRA says it will continue to release water from the Lake Conroe dam in accordance with the reservoir operating procedures to "gradually" get it back to its conservation pool of 201 feet above msl.

By Monday, both Lake Houston and Lake Conroe remained closed to visitors. Lake Houston's water level sat at 45.68 feet. The normal pool level of the lake hovers around 42.4 feet, per the Coastal Water Authority--- the agency that manages Lake Houston.

Data from the San Jacinto River Authority, which oversees Lake Conroe showed its level at 201.21 feet. Its conservation pool level is 201 ft. msl, according to the United States Geological Survey. Over the past few days, the SJRA informed residents of its current release with its latest update on Sunday showing a release of 16, 105 cubic feet per second.

Officials said Lake Conroe would remain closed due to the "possibility of submerged objects, floating debris and other hazards that could pose safety risks."

Some businesses along Lake Houston didn't flood during last week's torrential rain allowing them to remain open, but Lake Houston Brewery made the decision early to close its door. The craft brewery took to social media to inform its followers of the closure on Thursday and by Friday, owners had posted video of the lower dining room under water.

"We tried calling every government entity possible to get clarification of the flood gates," the owners wrote on Facebook adding "no information is being provided."

The owners say the brewery will remain closed until further notice.

According to Centerpoint Energy, nearly 40,000 people had their services restored within the past 24 hours. As of 8 a.m., 1,300 residents remained without electricity.

Based on data provided by the Chronicle's Texas Power Outage Tracker, Liberty County, San Jacinto County and Trinity County had the most outages. Just before 8 a.m., Liberty County reportedly had 47,376 without power while San Jacinto and Trinity Counties had 18,891 and 11,134, respectively.

Hunan Garden Restaurant plans to provide 100 free meals to the first 100 families affected by last week's storms. In a Facebook post, the Chinese restaurant said it "always stands and helps our community."

Beginning at noon today, families can visit its locations at 4325 Kingwood Drive or Highway 59 N in Kingwood for a bite to eat.

The Office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo shared tips for residents who are working towards recovery following being affected by flooding.

Be cautious of hidden hazards in the flood waters:

Hidden electrical wires, powerlines

Hazardous waste

Submerged debris

Displaced wild animals

Chemical leaks from cars and other canisters

Those who have debris scattered on their property should place them in six categories:

Normal household trash

Vegetation debris

Construction and demolition debris

Appliances and white goods

Electronics

Household hazardous waste

Montgomery County is getting flood recovery help from outside the state after several days of rain flooded many homes including River Plantation in Conroe.

County Judge Mark Keough posted on Facebook Sunday that Gov. Ron DeSantis deployed members of the Florida Search and Rescue to Texas. He said more than 120 first responders arrived over the weekend.

The Florida Search and Rescue Task Force has been deployed to Montgomery to help here and regionally with our response to this devastating flood, Keough said. Because we have a large warehouse that our Emergency Management office runs we will be housing them for the next few weeks. They will respond to emergencies regionally from here and assist us with search and rescue and primary assessments of damage.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is encouraging the public to report the damage to their homes and businesses after days of storms brought devastating flooding to the region. The self-reported property damage surveys will help determine eligibility for disaster assistance and identify resource needs. Fill out the survey online at damage.tdem.texas.gov.

Harris County officials also posted a needs assessment survey on readyharris.org for flood victims to share their needs with local nonprofits. The survey isn't an application for assistance but people can opt-in to receive text messages about available resources. Survey responses help local officials advocate for more community resources. To share your needs, visit www.connectivetx.org/what-we-do/storm-needs-survey/.

Flooding from days of rainfall in southeast Texas has caused road closures for high water levels in Harris County. Here are the roads to avoid as of Monday morning per Houston TranStar:

I-69 Eastex northbound and southbound at San Jacinto River: Frontage road U-turn affected

I-10 East eastbound and westbound at Monmouth Drive: Three frontage lanes and exit ramp affected

FM-1485 eastbound and northbound at Montgomery-Harris County Line: All main lanes affected

Some Houston area school districts announced schools would be closed Monday after communities flooded during the back to back storms in southeast Texas. Here are school districts who announced closures:

Channelview Independent School District

Dayton Independent School District

Hardin Independent School District

West Hardin County Independent School District

Liberty Independent School District

The Red Cross provided a list of shelters in the Southeast Texas area for people needing refuge after the heavy rainfall and flooding led to evacuations.

SOUTHEAST TEXAS FLOODS: How to help with disaster relief in Houston

Harris County

Philippian's New Faith Baptist Church

7858 Angus Street

Houston, TX 77028

Greenhouse International Church

200 W. Greens Rd

Houston, Texas 77067

Liberty County

Calvary Baptist Church

816 N. Blair Ave

Cleveland, TX 77327

Colony Ridge Community Center

1680 County Road 3549

Cleveland, TX 77327

Montgomery County

Sts. Simon And Jude Catholic Parish

26777 Glen Loch Dr

The Woodlands, TX 77381

AV Bull Sallas Park Show Barn

21675-C McCleskey Rd

New Caney, TX 77357

Polk County

Dunbar Gym

1103 Dunbar Street

Livingston, TX 77351

San Jacinto County

San Jacinto County Disaster Shelter

255 Live Oak

Coldspring, TX 77331

Trinity County

Burning Hope Baptist Church

301E. Pegoda Rd
Doctor Who is famous for constantly reinventing itself while remaining more or less exactly the same. The show has had a rough few years, which has led to some dramatic changes behind the scenes. Russell T. Davies, who was behind Doctor Whos 2005 revival, has stepped in to rescue the show. What was historically an in-house BBC production is now being handled by a Sony-owned production company. And Disney has bankrolled it, with this new revival billed outside the UK as a Disney+ Original.

The dramatic behind-the-scenes changes prompted some fundamental questions about how Doctor Who would thrive in this new world. Would Davies be able to bring the show back from the brink a second time? And would the show appeal to Zoomers in the same way it found a devoted audience of Millennials? And would Doctor Who survive intact under Disney, which is used to obsessive levels of control?

Its that last question I can already answer, having watched the first two episodes of this new eight-part season: Doctor Who hasnt been watered down to suit its new paymasters or the broad international audience who will see this show pop up every Friday. In fact, Who '24 has doubled down on being weird, avant-garde, difficult to handle and harder to pigeonhole. Its a little punk and a little rough around the edges which makes it all the more interesting compared to, say, some other Disney+ series I could choose to mention.

Im not allowed to share much of what I saw, but episode one, Space Babies, features the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) visiting a space station crewed by babies. As you can see in the trailer, theres liberal use of unconvincing and creepy CGI mouths for said rugrats. The Devils Chord, meanwhile, sees the TARDIS head to Abbey Road to meet the Beatles at the dawn of their careers.

If this is your first experience of Doctor Who, please start with the Christmas Day special The Church on Ruby Road. These first three episodes are the jumping-on point, and form Davies' standard Present, Future and Past trilogy he uses to open his runs. All three are sold as fun romps, but there's a spikiness that stems from Davies underlying cynicism. As much as he may paint in primary colors, his worldview is a lot darker than some of his colleagues.

Davies is a strong advocate for better queer representation in film and TV and is arguably one of the most powerful gay men in media. Many of his shows, including Queer as Folk, Cucumber, A Very English Scandal and Its a Sin center on queer narratives. Davies has made it clear he wants to foreground queer experiences in this season of Doctor Who and does so, proudly. He told Variety that the Doctor chimes with queer energy and that hes not a neutered Doctor.

Some context: In 2021, Davies called out Disney+ for its lack of real representation in some of its other shows. During a virtual panel as reported by Pink News, he pointed at Lokis single reference to the lead characters fluid sexuality as a warning sign. Loki makes one reference to being bisexual once and everyones like oh my god, its like a pansexual show, he said. Adding the single spoken reference was a a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told.

Davies returned to the job after the failure of his immediate predecessor, Chris Chibnall, who will likely go down in infamy. Chibnall inherited a successful show and opted to broaden its horizons by hiring a far more diverse crew both in front of and behind the camera. That included writers like Malorie Blackman and Vinay Patel and casting two women, Jodie Whittaker and Jo Martin, to play the Doctor. Chibnall also refused to bow down to culture war pressure when tedious people started screaming that the show had gone woke.

But for all of the goodwill the show had  and which Chibnalls early decisions helped accrue  the showrunner quickly started to burn his own legacy as he built it. The quality of his episodes were never great and he wrote stories that were incoherent, or said some pretty awful things by implication. He then started using the show as a vehicle for his own fan theories, re-litigating niche matters of continuity so nit-picky even I rolled my eyes so hard my skull caved in.

And then he created a secret origin story for the Doctor that essentially overwrote much of the previous 60 years worth of character development. He turned the Doctor into some sort of Space Jesus and then set about destroying a significant amount of the series fictional universe. Audiences were not thrilled: 8.2 million people watched Chibnalls first regular-season episode but, by the end of his tenure, the figure had tumbled to 3.47 million.

It would have been smart to ditch all of this and declare a fresh start but Davies took a different approach. He has opted to Yes-And Chibnalls hamfistedness, incorporating the catastrophic events of the last season as a new backdrop for the series. The universe is now "knackered," which has led to the shows fictional reality warping in new, weirder and more whimsical directions. Whereas before Doctor Who sat at the crossroads of science and fantasy, it has now become a soft fantasy show. Villains like the Toymaker and the Goblin King push the Doctor into a more mythic register than ever before.

BBC / Disney+

CGI baby mouths aside, Doctor Whos slick production values dont work unless they're tied to great writing and great acting. Ncuti Gatwa had already become a superstar thanks to his work on Sex Education and Barbie and is a magnetic presence on screen. I struggle to take my eyes off him, but hes clearly willing to cede space and time to his co-stars. Millie Gibson has the harder role as Ruby Sunday, having to keep her character grounded and believable in this fantastic world. The role of the Doctors traveling companion has minted many British A-listers since the shows return and Gibson is clearly destined for big things.

If theres one thing that comes across too much in these opening episodes, its that Doctor Who isnt the same show from one week to the next. It revels in being chaotic, freewheeling through genres and styles with the freedom its lead character so relishes. So, if this is your first time on board the TARDIS, welcome, and strap yourselves in for some silly and serious fun.

Oh, and they fixed the title sequence.

The first two episodes of Doctor Who arrive globally on Disney+ on Friday, May 10 at 7:00pm ET and in the UK on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday, May 11. One episode will arrive at the same time for the following six weeks.
Online influencer Landy Parraga Goyburo was shot dead after posting about her location on Instagram. She was 23.

On April 28, the former beauty queen took to Instagram to share a picture of her having octopus ceviche for lunch at a restaurant in Quevedo, Ecuador. Included in the now-expired post was her location, which allegedly gave away where she was to her attackers, according to NDTV.

In the photos and surveillance video obtained by the New York Post, the 23-year-old, wearing a blue and white outfit, was having a chat with a man inside the restaurant when she spotted the masked gunmen sneaking by the door.

One of the gunmen dashed toward her and fired his gun, while the other gunman stayed by the door and acted as a guard. After shooting Goyburo, leaving her motionless and lying in a pool of blood, the attackers left the scene immediately.

It was reported that the 2022 Miss Ecuador contestant was in Quevedo to attend a wedding that weekend.

While the motive behind the shooting was still unknown, there were speculations that it happened because of her alleged association with a prominent drug trafficker.

In December last year, the Lanmi Fit founder's name was mentioned in a chat exchange between drug trafficker Leandro Norero and his accountant Helive Angulo, per the New York Post's English translation of a local report from Ecuavisa.

In a message shown during a trial, it was reportedly revealed that Norero begged Angulo to keep his connection with Goyburo hidden, saying, "If my wife comes across anything about her, I'm screwed. My friend, her name cannot come out anywhere. Otherwise, my world will come crashing down."

Six months into Norero's imprisonment, he was killed in prison. At the time, Goyburo never made any comments related to Norero, the case and her alleged connection with him.

After the news of her tragic passing came out, netizens shared their thoughts on her last Instagram post captioned, "Life is an echo, what you send out comes back to you."

"What a shame, one more dying from posting where she was in real-time. Social media is an enemy. May God give comfort to her family," commented one netizen.

"'Life is an echo, what you send out comes back to you.' The question is, what did she send to get that back?" wrote a different commenter.

"It took a toll on her to be surrounded by those people," claimed another.

Meanwhile, others extended their condolences.

"We will always remember you as that humble woman," commented make-up artist Ronny Castaneda.

"OMG, my friend. I'm left heartbroken," wrote Fiorella Ruiz.

"Fly high, my queen," commented the official account of Miss Ecuador.
Three surfers who went missing in Mexico were seen enjoying their vacation in their final social media posts before they were found dead.

On Sunday, Mexican authorities confirmed that the three dead bodies discovered in a well in Mexico's Baja California region two days prior were those of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad, The Guardian reported.

The three men died from gunshots to the head, according to authorities.

The group was reported missing after they failed to check in on April 28 to the Airbnb they booked in the city of Rosarito.

Callum, 33, had posted photos of his camping and surfing trip with Jake, 30, and Rhoad, 30, in Baja California, Mexico on Instagram before they went off the radar.

Some of the pictures shared via Callum's Instagram Stories, and featured on his account's Story highlights, showed the trio at Rosarito Beach.

The final image posted by Callum on April 27 revealed they visited the city of Ensenada. The photo showed Callum, his brother, and their pal sitting on the sand in San Miguel beach, watching the sea.

One haunting photo showed a white Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck at Rosarito Beach. Alongside the image of the truck at the beach and an emoji of the Mexican flag, Callum wrote, "... and it begins."

The vehicle was believed to be the same burnt white pickup truck found in the Santo Tomas area Thursday, near the site where the men's bodies were discovered.

Mexican authorities said they believe the Robinson brothers and Rhoad were fatally shot by carjackers who wanted to steal their pickup truck for its tires.

The assailants then allegedly got rid of the bodies by throwing them down a remote well.

Sharing their theory regarding the events leading up to the three men's deaths, Baja California's chief prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez suggested that the perpetrators likely drove by the men's beach camp and saw their pickup truck.

Andrade Ramirez said the Robinsons and Rhoad likely resisted and were shot for it.

"When they tried to get the vehicle, the victims opposed the robbery, the robbers were armed with a firearm and apparently shot the victims," Andrade Ramirez told Australia's 7News.

According to The Guardian, the state's chief prosecutor also said, "They were not attacked because they were tourists, the intent was to steal their vehicle."

Three people have been arrested following the surfers' disappearance, though no one has been charged with murder as of this writing.

The suspects were identified by the New York Post as Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota, who also goes by the alias El Kekas; his partner Ari Gisel Garcia Cota; and Jesus' brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia.

Ari, 23, had one of the surfers' phones on her at the time of the arrest.

One of the three has since been charged with kidnapping, while the other two face charges for crystal meth possession.

Jesus was believed to have participated in the killings of the Robinson brothers and Rhoad.

Andrade Ramirez did not rule out the possibility that the two others were also involved in the crime.

"In fact, we are sure that more people took part in the attack," she said.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.
On Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson's "Nightcap" podcast, the hosts delved into the legendary lyrical showdown between Drake and Kendrick Lamar on Sunday.

Johnson, also known as Ocho Cinco, articulated that we have "a great artist vs a great lyricist; the two aren't really the same and I'm not sure how to define that." The former Cincinnati Bengal says he finds the whole battle "exciting" as he will "enjoy the moment right now."

"We are going to be talking about this quarrel years from now," Johnson, 46, added.

Sharpe voiced his significant concern regarding Lamar's baseless accusations against Drake, including him calling the Toronto rapper a pedophile without any substantiating evidence.

"I can wear a lot of different hats Ocho but when you start putting that pedo jacket Ocho, that don't fit me," Sharpe, 55, said. "Even if it's a rap beef or a diss or whatever, you know some people are going to believe that."

Johnson agreed, emphasizing that there will always be individuals willing to believe anything, which is why it's essential to "fire back."

Sharpe highlighted that in our community's dynamics, whether Drake, born Aubrey Graham, responds to the allegations or chooses to ignore them, there seems to be no path to victory. "How do I win?" he asked. "How do I clear my name?"

The host of 'Club Shay Shay' asserted that Lamar's attempt to slander Drake's name based on an unsubstantiated allegation is a dangerous activity he does not support.

Sharpe also said Lamar, 36, was hypocritical for being upset with Drake mentioning his family, but then turns around and says even more harmful things about Drake.

Sharpe questioned, "Why would anyone want to be a part of that? It's easy for y'all to say, but let somebody say it's your father, mother, or brother was a pedophile. Would y'all like people tweeting that?"
Designer Amaia Arrieta, a reported friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales, said she was "heartbroken at the moment" because of the couple's purported relationship woes.

In recent weeks, Prince William has resumed his public engagements, while Kate Middleton has chosen to keep a low profile, dealing with her cancer diagnosis away from public scrutiny.

William, 41, provided a seldom-seen glimpse into his wife's well-being last week, sharing that both Kate and their children are in good health.

Designer Amaia Arrieta expressed her ongoing concern for the Wales family during a recent interview. "I'm heartbroken at the moment. I think they are going through hell," Arrieta claimed to 'The Telegraph.' "I hope they will be back. It's really personal."

Although Arrieta's claims about the Princess of Wales's health remains uncertain, her close ties to the Wales family, as described by multiple news outlets, lend weight to her observations. Since Kate, 42, disclosed her cancer diagnosis in late March, which necessitates "preventative chemotherapy," Kensington Palace has refrained from issuing official updates. The Palace has declined to disclose the specific type of cancer affecting the princess.

The Princess of Wales conveyed in her video message how "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."

Arrieta, the creative mind behind childrenswear brand Amaia London, frequently collaborates with the Wales family's team to procure attire for royal photographs.

"Dressing the royals gives me so much pride, I really do care about how they look," she said in the recent interview. "We would do anything for them... the children always look amazing in the end."
Elijah Wood has paid a touching tribute to his late 'Lord of the Rings' co-star Bernard Hill.

Elijah Wood has paid tribute to Bernard Hill following his passing at the weekend

The beloved actor  who was best known for his role as King Theoden in the blockbuster fantasy film - passed away on Sunday (05.05.24) aged 79.

Sharing a picture of Hill taken by their co-star, Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn, Wood penned on X: "So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill."

Quoting J. R. R. Tolkien's novel, he continued: "We will never forget you.

For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.

Dominic Monaghan, who portrayed Merry Brandybuck, wrote alongside the same photograph: The Broken king has passed to the grey havens but he will always be remembered. #ripbernard.

Hill - who was also known for starring as Captain Edward Smith opposite Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 blockbuster 'Titanic' - is survived by his wife Marianne and their son Gabriel.

His cause of death is currently unknown.

He had been due to appear at Liverpool's Comic-Con over the weekend but cancelled at the last minute, and the event's organisers immediately took to social media to lead the tributes.

They wrote on X: "Were heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hills passing. A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength."

The 'True Crime' star was born in Manchester and attended drama school at the same time as the late 'Harry Potter' actor Richard Griffiths before playing small roles on television but did not get his big break until 1980 when he was cast as a working-class Liverpudlian man ultimately driven to the edge by the welfare system in 'The Black Stuff'.

As his career took off, Hill took on roles in 'Gandhi' 'Mountains of the Moon', 'Skallagrigg' and 'Madagascar Skin' before appearing in Hollywood films, including 'The Ghost and the Darkness', opposite Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas.
South Africas master plan for the clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) industry has turned around the sectors fortunes, generating more than 20,000 jobs since its launch five years ago, according to trade, industry and competition minister Ebrahim Patel.

Major retailers sourced 371 million more units of clothing items from local manufacturersa 51-per cent increase on the baseline of units bought locally, Patel told a meeting in Cape Town with heads of large retailers and manufacturers as well as representatives from labour unions and the government.

South Africa's master plan for the clothing, textile, footwear and leather industry has turned around the sector's fortunes, generating over 20,000 jobs since its launch five years ago, the government said. The sector employs over 500,000, including 250,000 in manufacturing and over 280,000 in retail. The volume of clothing imported from China has dropped.

The sector now employs more than 500,000 workers, including 250,000 in manufacturing and over 280,000 in retail.

The volume of clothing imported from China has dropped in major clothing categories, and the value of the clothing imported increased, showing success in the fight against under-invoicing, he told a media briefing after the meeting.

Over this period, weve been able to take an industry which had been decimated by imports and low investment, and stabilise it through the collaboration and partnership which the master plan has provided. These efforts have built a platform which has led, in just a short time, to increased local procurement; increased manufacturing employment; and better administration of imports at the countrys ports of entry, Patel was quoted as saying by state-controlled news agency.

Looking forward, the country needs to strengthen domestic footwear production, identify additional clothing products for domestic manufacturing, raise visibility of South Africa-made products in retail stores, and address the challenge from certain non-South Africa online platforms that uses tariff loopholes, he added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Apparel exports from Turkiye to Israel are likely to witness significant fall this year, as the latter has announced suspension of all trade activities with the Jewish country, over its continued military campaign in Gaza.

Israel is one of the important garment markets for Turkish apparel exports. It was the thirteenth largest market for Turkiyes apparel exports in 2023, when the country had exported apparel worth $311.205 million.

Apparel exports from Turkiye to Israel are expected to decline significantly this year. In 2023, Israel was a key market for Turkish apparel, being the 13th largest, with exports worth $311.205 million. Recent tensions have already reduced Israel's share of Turkiye's apparel exports to 1.40 per cent in early 2024, down from 1.82 per cent in 2023.

According to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro, Turkiyes apparel exports to Israel were 1.82 per cent of its total apparel exports of $17.076 million. The shipment may be considered significant considering tiny size of Israel.

Turkiyes apparel exports dropped 33.16 per cent in 2023 over the shipment of $465.575 million in 2022. The shipment was noted at $312.078 million 2018 which gained 11.08 per cent to $346.656 million in 2019, but it dipped 8.71 per cent to reach at $316.465 million in the following year 2020. Turkiyes apparel exports jumped 45.56 per cent to $463.806 million in 2021, and further inched up 0.38 per cent to $465.575 million in 2022.

During January-February 2024, Israels share in Turkiyes total apparel exports dipped to 1.40 per cent. The shipment to Israel was valued at $36.814 million out of Turkiyes total apparel exports of $2.625 billion in the same period.

As per TexPro, home textile exports from Turkiye to Israel was $75.543 million in 2023, which was 1.63 per cent of its total shipment of $4.629 billion. Israel was eleventh largest market for the exporting country. The shipment of Israel dipped 35.47 per cent in 2023 from $117.057 million in 2022. During the first two months of the current year, Turkiye exported home textiles of $13.510 million, which was 1.77 per cent of its total shipment of $763.314 million.

On the other hand, Turkiye was the second largest supplier after China in Israels apparel imports which was total $2.245 billion in 2023. The country imported apparel of $379.460 million in total during January-February 2024. Turkiye remained second largest supplier in the trade. Turkiye was positioned as third largest supplier in terms of Israeli imports of home textiles during the last year and first two months of the current year. Its imports totalled $346.459 million in 2023 and $57.101 million in the first two months of this year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
The eurozones manufacturing economy remained in contraction at the start of the second quarter (Q2) this year.

The latest Hamburg Commercial Bank (HCOB) purchasing managers index (PMI) for manufacturing compiled by S&P Global posted in sub-50 contraction territory for a twenty-second consecutive month in April.

The HCOB purchasing managers' index (PMI) for eurozone manufacturing compiled by S&P Global was 45.7 in April, down from 46.1 in March and in sub-50 contraction territory for a twenty-second consecutive month. It signalled a slightly faster rate of deterioration in manufacturing business conditions as factory production shrank at the softest rate in a year.

At 45.7, down from 46.1 in March, the headline figure signalled a slightly faster rate of deterioration in euro area manufacturing business conditions as factory production shrank at the softest rate in a year, while business confidence improved further.

However, the sharpest decline in new orders in the year-to-date highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by euro area goods producers.

Suppliers delivery times once again shortened, and to the greatest extent in eight months.

There was a further reduction in manufacturers operating costs, although the decrease was only marginal and the slowest for over a year.

Output charges in the eurozone also fell, indicating efforts by firms to boost the competitiveness of their goods.

There remained considerable differences in country-level trends during April. The southern parts of the eurozone continued to perform the strongest, with Greece and Spain registering growth. They were joined by the Netherlands, which saw manufacturing conditions improve for the first time since August 2022.

Expansions in these three nations were more than offset by deteriorations elsewhere, however. Germany and Austria were again the worst performers, albeit with declines softening, an S&P Global release said.

Lastly, eurozone manufacturers turned more positive towards the 12-month outlook for production in April. The overall level of positive sentiment strengthened for a second successive month and was its highest since February 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Vietnams finance ministry, in a recent proposal to the National Assembly, stressed the need for appropriate policy measures for this year that include extending the 2-per cent reduction in value-added tax (VAT); a payment deadline for corporate income tax, special consumption tax and personal income tax; and reduction of several fees and land rental enforced last year.

The 2-per cent tax cut in the second half this year is expected to reduce the government budget by some 24 trillion VND ($994.7 million), i.e., around 4 trillion VND per month, a news agency reported.

Vietnam's finance ministry has proposed extending the 2-per cent reduction in value-added tax till 2024 end; a payment deadline for corporate income tax, special consumption tax and personal income tax; and reduction of several fees and land rental enforced in 2023. The tax cut in 2024 second half is likely to cut the government budget by some $994.7 million.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and natural disasters, a wide range of financial measures worth 700 trillion VND were implemented between 2020 and 2023 to prop up the economy, the government said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Groningen, Netherlands--(Newsfile Corp. - May 5, 2024) - eLabNext, renowned for its pioneering Digital Lab Platform (DLP) that offers an all-in-one electronic lab notebook (ELN) with LIMS features such as sample, equipment, and SOP management for life science laboratories, is proud to announce the launch of eLabNext Developer. This groundbreaking platform is designed to democratize the development of digital lab tools and enhance the research and development experience in the life sciences industry. Set to revolutionize laboratory operations, it aims to offer unprecedented adaptability, extendibility, and a future-proof ecosystem. For instance, it allows for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to enhance eLabNext.

eLabNext Developer represents the first-ever comprehensive and democratic developer experience within the Life Science R&D community. This platform allows eLabNext customers to extend or adapt the eLabNext software functionality according to their specific needs. Moreover, it welcomes companies in the life sciences to leverage eLabNext by connecting their products or services to digital labs. This is achieved through the development and commercialization of add-ons via the eLabNext Marketplace.

Key Features and Benefits:

First-to-Market Developer Hub: A unique, all-in-one platform that provides access to developer tools for building, deploying, and releasing add-ons.

Adapt and Extend the eLabNext Digital Lab: Enhance current workflows or integrate with existing IT systems using the Software Development Kit (SDK) and Application Programming Interface (API) for increased efficiency and automation.

Access to the Digital Lab: Enables suppliers of laboratory devices or products, as well as service providers in laboratories, to bring their solutions to the digital lab used by over 60,000 scientists worldwide.

Future-Proof and Scalable: The platform's design accommodates evolving market needs, allowing for the easy integration of new tools and services.

A Call to Innovation: eLabNext invites the global life science community to embark on this transformative journey. By leveraging eLabNext Developer, users can unlock the full potential of their laboratories, ensuring they remain at the forefront of scientific research and development.

"We are thrilled to launch eLabNext Developer, a platform that embodies our commitment to innovation and collaboration in the life science R&D sector," said Wouter de Jong, Co-Founder and Managing Director of eLabNext. "Our platform is designed to empower users to customize their research environment, marking a significant step towards the future of lab digitalization."

eLabNext Developer is not just a platform; it represents a movement towards creating a more connected, efficient, and innovative research community. By facilitating the easy development and deployment of add-ons, eLabNext ensures that the life sciences R&D community is well-equipped to meet both today's challenges and those of the future.

About eLabNext

eLabNext, an Eppendorf Group Company, is one of the most comprehensive Digital Lab Platforms (DLP) designed to cater to life science lab operations in both academia and industry. From R&D to analytics and diagnostics the platform enhances workflows with features like Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) for sample, inventory, and equipment management. eLabNext is built on a true open ecosystem featuring a marketplace with a wide range of add-ons. Further enriched by advanced Data Science capabilities that are future-proof, eLabNext redefines the modern laboratory experience.

Contact Info:

Name: Hovik Torkomyan, Head of Global Marketing at eLabNext

Email: h.torkomyan@elabnext.com

Organization: eLabNext

Website: https://www.elabnext.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/206322

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Yogyakarta, Indonesia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 5, 2024) - LawBank Asia, a leading company in the field of legal artificial intelligence (AI) technology in Southeast Asia, today announced an ambitious strategic initiative. LawBank Asia will allocate funds aimed at acquiring and investing in technology companies and financial institutions in Indonesia. This move not only expands the company's business scope and consolidates its leadership position in the field of legal technology, but also reflects its firm confidence in the regional market.





The Emerging Legal Tech Pioneer LawBank Asia's Ambitious Move: Reveals Indonesia Strategic Investment and Acquisition Plan



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On the same day, General Manager Thomas Lim was invited to serve as the international judge and mentor for the JCI Indonesia National Creative Young Entrepreneur Competition (CYE), highlighting his significant position and influence in the industry. LawBank Asia is not just a company, but also a mission. Its core objective is to utilize AI technology to strengthen the structure of legal documents and simplify compliance processes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia. By providing tailor-made document solutions to address the unique needs of businesses in complex legal environments, LawBank Asia aims to reduce operational risks, costs, and drive sustainable growth for its clients.

Behind this strategic acquisition and investment decision lies LawBank Asia's strategic transformation. The company will fully leverage emerging opportunities in the continuously evolving technological frontier. By integrating complementary technologies and expanding market share through strategic acquisitions, LawBank Asia seeks to accelerate its growth trajectory.

Although co-founder Thomas Lim, aged 23, remains the driving force behind LawBank Asia's vision, the company's success is not solely attributed to individuals. Its strategic decisions transcend any individual. They reflect a collective commitment to advancing the forefront of AI-driven legal solutions and providing tangible value to clients.

As it continues to attract attention from international and prominent venture capital firms, LawBank Asia remains steadfast in its mission to redefine legal support for SMEs and reshape the future of AI technology in Southeast Asia and beyond.

With the launch of its strategic investment and acquisition plans, LawBank Asia aims to create synergies that drive value creation and empower businesses to thrive in an increasingly digitized and interconnected world.

About Law Bank Asia:

Law Bank Asia is a pioneering firm dedicated to assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their growth journey by enhancing their legal structures and ensuring compliance with the law. They specialize in providing tailored solutions to help SMEs navigate legal complexities, minimize risks, and optimize their operations for sustainable growth.

For more information, please visit www.lawbank.asia.

Contact Info:

Name: Thomas Lim

Email: thomaslim@lawbank.asia

Organization: Law Bank Asia

Website: http://www.lawbank.asia

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/208035

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Alvaro Trevino pulls a canoe with Jennifer Tellez and Ailyn, 8, after they checked on their home on Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Spendora. The family has lived on the property in a rental trailer for two years. Its really bad, said Tellez, who says they stayed dry during the most recent flooding in February. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

After major storms barreled through Southeast Texas last week, parts of the Houston region are still dealing with a fourth day of floods as disaster relief efforts ramp up.

Officials have reported hundreds of high-water rescues since the storms took the region by surprise at the end of last week, leading to the worst flooding in Greater Houston since Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Swaths of Texas have been hit by the flash floods, with areas as far north as the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex being inundated.

Here's what you need to know about the recent floods:

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What caused the floods?

Rains forecast to hit north of the city Thursday ended up being more intense than originally predicted, causing waterways across the northern edge of Greater Houston, especially the San Jacinto River, to swell and flood surrounding communities.

Hundreds of homes and businesses have since flooded, and many school districts have canceled classes due to the dangerous conditions.

The flooding was exacerbated by water releases from Lake Houston and Lake Conroe, though some officials downplayed their impact on rising water levels.

Which areas are affected?

Harris, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Liberty, Walker and Polk counties are among those affected by the flash floods, though much of southeast Texas was also hit hard. More than 600 people have been rescued from flood waters across the region.

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Online images showed the extent of the devastation in the flooded communities. Videos and photos showed homes and vehicles underwater, downed structures and streets turned into rivers by the floods.

In Houston, Kingwood has been hit especially hard. Mayor John Whitmire assessed the damage flying overhead in a helicopter during the weekend.

Parts of North Texas have also been affected by floods. A 5-year-old boy in Johnson County, near Fort Worth, died Sunday after being swept up by swift waters.

What are officials saying?

Officials from Harris County and other local governments on Thursday started to warn the potential flooding could be catastrophic as lake and creek levels rose through the day.

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That day, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo called for mandatory evacuations along the east fork of the San Jacinto River. In Kingwood, Houston residents were told to leave the area or prepare to shelter in place for two days.

The Harris County Flood Control District said on Sunday it will be watching areas north of I-10 closely for new flooding as storms continued into Sunday night. Harris County agencies have rescued 233 people and 164 pets since the floods began as of Sunday, according to the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Neighboring counties have reported destruction and a rising number of high-water rescues. The Waller County emergency management office reported at least 10 more rescues through Sunday, bringing the county's total to 60 since the flooding began. San Jacinto County has reported 62 rescues, which included dozens of pets.

Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace took to Facebook live to show off the devastation caused by the floods. Wallace rode on a boat through a neighborhood underwater near Lake Livingston, showing houses partially submerged, some fallen power lines underwater and cars either fully or half covered by water.

How you can help

Relief organizations across the region like Red Cross and the Montgomery County Food Bank have both asked for donations to aid those affected by the floods. The Red Cross has opened several shelters around the disaster area and has asked for more local volunteers.

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Road Town, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2024) - In a significant move for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, LBank Exchange, a premier global digital asset trading platform, has announced the listing of IZE Fintech Blockchain (IZE) on May 1, 2024. Users of LBank Exchange can brace themselves for the IZE/USDT trading pair, which went live already.

IZE Listing Banner



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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IZE Fintech Blockchain (IZE) is a Web3.0 ecosystem that transforms data exchange by directly connecting data creators with users within a secure and transparent blockchain environment, promoting fairness and efficiency in digital transactions.

Introducing IZE Fintech Blockchain: Transforming data exchange in a decentralized Web3.0 environment

LBank Exchange is thrilled to announce the listing of IZE Fintech Blockchain (IZE), an innovative initiative that aims to revolutionize the way big data is utilized and compensated in the digital economy. Positioned at the intersection of blockchain technology and big data, IZE seeks to establish a new standard for data transactions, emphasizing privacy protection and equitable compensation for data providers. The project is designed to align with Web 3.0 standards, utilizing blockchain to ensure that personal information is protected while enabling fair and direct exchanges between data providers and consumers.

The core of the IZE project revolves around the use of a proprietary blockchain platform to facilitate and secure all transactions within its ecosystem. This platform leverages advanced blockchain functionalities to safeguard user data and employ artificial intelligence to efficiently process and analyze large sets of fragmented data. The goal is to extract valuable insights without compromising the privacy of the information providers. Through this technology, IZE aims to create a more transparent and efficient marketplace for data, where users are duly rewarded for their contributions.

As part of its broader vision, IZE is developing several key applications, including the IZE Application and IZEverse, a metaverse platform. These applications are intended to support a variety of data interactions and services, from simple data sales to immersive virtual experiences. The tokenomics of the IZE ecosystem are structured to encourage active participation and investment, with IZE tokens serving as the medium of exchange for services, rewards, and governance within the platform. Through this holistic approach, IZE Fintech Blockchain is setting the stage for a more dynamic and equitable data economy.

About IZE Token

Based on ERC20, IZE has a total supply of 10 billion (i.e. 10,000,000,000). The total issuance of IZE tokens is distributed as follows: 40% for presales, 10% for platform development and operation, 10% for marketing, 10% for the team, 15% for partners, and 5% for advisors. The IZE token is poised for its debut on LBank Exchange at 6:00 UTC on May 1, 2024. Investors who are interested in IZE can easily buy and sell on LBank Exchange now.

Learn More about IZE Token:

Official Website: https://ize.holdings/

Contract: https://etherscan.io/token/0x6944d3e38973C4831dA24E954fbD790c7E688bDd

Twitter: https://twitter.com/izeholdings

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/VQNfE2bk2b

About LBank

LBank is one of the top crypto exchanges, established in 2015. It offers specialized financial derivatives, expert asset management services, and safe crypto trading to its users. The platform holds over 9 million users from more than 210 regions across the world. LBank is a cutting-edge growing platform that ensures the integrity of users' funds and aims to contribute to the global adoption of cryptocurrencies.

Start Trading Now: lbank.com

Community & Social Media:

l Telegram

l Twitter

l LinkedIn

l YouTube

Press contact:

press@lbank.com

Business Contact:

LBK Blockchain Co. Limited

LBank Exchange

marketing@lbank.com

business@lbank.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/207909

SOURCE: LBank
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.

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Eviden expands global presence for customers' core missions

Paris and Vienna, May 6 2024-Eviden, the Atos Groupbusiness leading in digital, cloud, big data and security, is pleased to announce the opening of its new facility, the Eviden Mission Critical Systems Technology Center, in Prottes, Lower Austria. The inauguration has taken place, reflecting Eviden's commitment to advancing satellite technologies and fostering innovation including its Space Monitoring flagship solution SkyMon.

Eviden's Mission Critical Systems (MCS) targets specialized markets with integrated solutions for our customers' core mission. MCS is inherently focused on verticals, such as defense, homeland security, space, transportation and energy.

The Eviden Mission Critical Systems Technology Center will serve as a venue for collaborative projects, bringing together experts, researchers, and industry professionals. The facility will build upon SkyMon's proven track record in Satellite Carrier Monitoring and Interference Localization solutions. Furthermore, it will leverage Mission Critical System's end-to-end mastery of advanced technology and enables fast, relevant decisions and specialized solutions in critical situations.

SkyMon has been at the forefront of technological advancements, and the Mission Critical System Technology Center will serve as a focal point for driving forward innovations in the area of Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Satellite Communication Situational Awareness (SCSA), Satellite Tracking, Interception and various other initiatives. SkyMon's solution empowers users to identify interference and manage carriers seamlessly within a unified system.

"We are excited to establish the Eviden Mission Critical Systems Technology Center in Prottes, Austria. This facility will not only enhance our ability to deliver innovative solutions but also facilitate collaboration with international partners, furthering our mission to push the boundaries of space technology," saidMarkus Schaffhauser, Eviden Austria, Atos Group

"Due to the sharp increase in the number of satellites, the quality of services is suffering and economic and political interests are endangered. This is where the SkyMon solutions come in. With SkyMon, we can identify and localize interferences for our international clients. One of the most important market drivers currently is also the issue of a sovereign space. Every state has a keen interest in knowing what is happening above its territory. With our solution we can also make a significant contribution to this", said Bernard Payer, Global Head of Mission Critical Systems Eviden.

The opening ceremony on April 29th was attended by industry players and government representatives.

For further information, please visit skymonng.com or contact mission-critical@systems.com

***

About Eviden1

Evidenis a next-gen technology leader in data-driven, trusted and sustainable digital transformation with a strong portfolio of patented technologies. With worldwide leading positions in advanced computing, security, AI, cloud and digital platforms, it provides deep expertise for all industries in more than 47 countries. Bringing together 47,000 world-class talents, Eviden expands the possibilities of data and technology across the digital continuum, now and for generations to come. Eviden is an Atos Group company with an annual revenue of c.  5 billion.

About Atos

Atosis a global leader in digital transformation with c. 95,000 employees and annual revenue of c.  11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), and listed on Euronext Paris.

The purpose of Atosis to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

Press contact

Laura Fau - globalprteam@atos.net

1 Eviden business is operated through the following brands: AppCentrica, ATHEA, Cloudamize, Cloudreach, Cryptovision, DataSentics, Edifixio, Energy4U, Engage ESM, Evidian, Forensik, IDEAL GRP, In Fidem, Ipsotek, Maven Wave, Profit4SF, SEC Consult, Visual BI, Worldgrid, X-Perion. Eviden is a registered trademark.

Eviden is a registered trademark.  Eviden SAS, 2024.

Attachments
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.



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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.

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Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2024) - LinkDaddy, an SEO agency specializing in generating high-quality backlinks for small businesses, announced that it is adopting Zoho for all of its future operations. Following the adoption, LinkDaddy has announced that it will be able to provide its clients with improved business management and marketing services through Zoho's full suite of software.

For more information, please visit https://zoho.com.

LinkDaddy Announces Zoho Adoption for Improved SEO & Content Creation Services

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As a leading SEO agency and social media management service devoted to helping businesses improve their search engine rankings organically, LinkDaddy understands the importance of efficient operating systems and adequate software. By integrating Zoho into its operations, the company ensures that it will continue to maintain a high level of customer support for all of its clients.

Zoho offers powerful tools and infrastructure to help business owners run their businesses more smoothly while maintaining their privacy. The platform currently operates in over 150 countries. With LinkDaddy joining over 100 million users in adopting Zoho, the company now has access to the platform's secure email, customer help desk, accounting, and bookkeeping services, improving internal and external communications and increasing organizational efficiency. Additionally, through Zoho's omnichannel customer relationship management (CRM) app, LinkDaddy can better help clients grow and manage their brands through detailed analytics, enhanced customer engagement, automated workflows, predictive intelligence, and more.

The company will also be taking advantage of Zoho's range of other software to provide customers with more efficient service.

LinkDaddy has been delivering digital marketing solutions to small businesses for over nine years. Since its founding, the company has created thousands of high-quality backlink campaigns and press release campaigns for its clients.

"We are committed to providing our clients with the best possible service, and we are also transparent about our pricing. We work closely with each client to develop a customized SEO strategy that meets their specific needs," says Tony Peacock, founder and CEO of LinkDaddy.

Interested parties can learn more by visiting https://linkdaddy.com.

Contact Info:

Name: Tony Peacock

Email: tony@linkdaddy.com

Organization: LinkDaddy

Address: 1065 SW 8th St PMB 622, Miami, Florida 33130, United States

Website: https://linkdaddy.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/207586

SOURCE: Plentisoft
Transaction expected to increase annual revenues by 15-20%



Acquisition to boost overall profitability



Transaction expected to close by end of Q2-24



BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LSL PHARMA GROUP INC. (TSXV: LSL) ("the Company" or "LSL Pharma"), a Canadian integrated pharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") to acquire profitable privately held, Quebec-based competing contract drug manufacturer ("CDMO") specialized in the formulation, production, and marketing of natural products ("Target Co"). Target Co. and its shareholders are at arm's length from LSL Pharma.

The $2.5 million purchase price, to be paid in cash only, will be funded by the proceeds from the recently completed private placements, includes a fully operational manufacturing plant. The share purchase transaction is expected to increase LSL Group's revenues by 15-20% on an annual basis. LSL Pharma anticipates closing the transaction by the end of Q2-2024. Upon signing of the LOI, LSL Pharma was required to make a non-refundable payment of $100,000.

Target Co. is based in the province of Quebec and will be integrated into LSL Laboratory CDMO activities. Target Co. manufactures a range of natural products in liquid, powder, as well as in capsule forms which are sold under its own brands or as under private labels.

"This accretive transaction constitutes the first step in executing our growth strategy by expanding our CDMO operations, manufacturing capabilities and customer base," said Francois Roberge, President and Chief Executive Officer of LSL Pharma. "Target Co. is a profitable company with well-established brand names and an excellent reputation as a contract manufacturer. Its product offering, combined with that of our LSL Laboratory subsidiary, will allow us to significantly expand our presence in the fast-growing natural health products sector. We expect this transaction to generate important synergies with our existing operations as well as leveraging our head office infrastructure", added Mr. Roberge.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain forward-looking statements as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "continue" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Corporation's ability to control or predict, that could cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those identified in the Corporation's filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities, such as legislative or regulatory developments, increased competition, technological change, and general economic conditions. All forward-looking statements made herein should be read in conjunction with such documents.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events referred to in the forward-looking statements will transpire, and if any of them do, the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Corporation does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

ABOUT LSL PHARMA GROUP INC.

LSL Pharma Group Inc. is an integrated Canadian pharmaceutical company specializing in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of high-quality sterile ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, as well as natural health products in solid dosage forms. For further information, please visit the following website www.groupelslpharma.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.




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!



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Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIR)(OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to report outstanding copper-gold assay results for diamond drillhole PIU-02 (refer figure 1) recently completed at the Company's Piuquenes project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

Highlights[1]:

448 m @ 0.42% Cu, 0.46 g/t Au, 2.44 g/t Ag (from 214m) including 188m @ 0.59% Cu, 0.63 g/t Au, 3.49 g/t Ag (450-638m) including 126 m @ 0.66% Cu, 0.74 g/t Au, 3.94 g/t Ag (450-576 m)



Hole PIU-02 was orientated along an east-west section, proximate to shallow historical drillhole P4 which reported 67.5m @ 0.63% Cu, 0.51g/t Au. The hole was designed to test the lateral and depth potential of the Piuquenes Central porphyry, along its western side. Assay results confirm a classic sub-vertical to vertical porphyry geometry with chalcopyrite and bornite mineralization fully open at depth.

Weaker mineralization is present from 662m to the end of hole where a gradational boundary to the deposit is encountered.

Joseph van den Elsen, Pampa Metals President and CEO commented: "Following on from the exceptional porphyry copper-gold intersections reported in the first hole of our maiden drill campaign at Piuquenes we are very pleased to report further long intervals of strong primary copper mineralization in the second hole. Our initial drilling continues to extend the depth and lateral extensions of mineralization at Piuquenes Central and has confirmed a highly mineralized multi-phase porphyry system which remains open to depth and to the north-east. We are now eagerly awaiting the results from a recently completed third hole. Pampa Metals firmly believes the Piuquenes project is a Company maker asset and looks forward to more fully delineating the size and grade potential of this first deposit and simultaneously testing a second undrilled, outcropping porphyry already identified at Piuquenes East. We see the potential for a cluster of deposits on the property and will continue to advance several other nearby targets with surface exploration and geophysics."

Geology and Mineralization - Diamond Drillhole PIU-02

Moderate intensity porphyry A type quartz veinlets were intersected from 120 m downhole, with copper oxides evident between 218-232 m, partially coincident with a zone of moderate supergene copper enrichment from 226 to 380 m. Copper sulphide (chalcopyrite) mineralization is evident in quartz veining from 270 m.

Image 1: Copper oxides in porphyry A-type quartz stockwork veining with potassic (K-feldspar) altered vein halos, overprinting early potassic (biotite-magnetite) altered quartz-diorite porphyry (225m)

A significant increase in quartz veining is observed from 364 m downhole, coincident with an increase in intermineral potassic alteration (Kfeldspar-quartz), higher magnetite content, lower presence of early biotite and the appearance of bornite and chalcopyrite mineralization. Bornite mineralization remains evident down to 610 m, often more abundant than chalcopyrite, and coincident with an increased intensity of porphyry A type quartz veining and pulses of intermineral granodiorite porphyry. Bornite is disseminated in quartz veinlets, frequently intergrown with chalcopyrite. The bornite mineralized core remains open to depth.

Image 2: Evidence of secondary copper enrichment in A-type quartz veinlets with potassic (K-feldspar) halo in quartz diorite porphyry (239m)

From 610 m downhole the frequency of quartz veinlets, intermineral potassic alteration, magnetite content, and the presence of bornite decreases. Chalcopyrite-bornite mineralization remains present in the quartz veinlets, which frequently show thin Kfeldspar haloes. The outer periphery of the Piuquenes porphyry system can be observed from 690 m, with a predominance of early biotite over mafics along with disseminated magnetite, sporadic and thin quartz veinlets with a halo of potassium Kfeldspar and disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite overprinting diorite porphyry. From 690 m a late intermediate argillic event with chlorite is evident, along with veinlets and dissemination of pyrite/chalcopyrite-pyrite and specular magnetic hematite, grading to phyllic with selective chlorite-sericite and pervasive sericite veinlets, with fine dissemination of pyrite from 850 m to 870m (End of Hole).

Image 3: Intense porphyry A-type quartz vein stockwork with disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite associated with intermineral potassic (K feldspar-quartz) altered granodiorite porphyry (573m)

Figure 1: PIU-02 Schematic Cross Section

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO Joseph van den Elsen INVESTOR CONTACT

Joseph@pampametals.com

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a copper-gold exploration company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIR), and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges.

In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option and Joint Venture Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

Reported intervals of significant copper and gold mineralization at Piuquenes Central include [1] :

413.5 m@ 0.47% Cu, 0.52 g/t Au (167-580.5 m);

422 m @ 0.48% Cu, 0.61 g/t Au, 2.9 g/t Ag (198 - 620m); including 132m @ 0.71% Cu, 0.85 g/t Au, 4.3 g/t Ag (220 - 352m); including 80m @ 0.6% Cu, 0.77 g/t Au, 3.2 g/t Ag (468 - 548m)

558.2 m @ 0.38% Cu, 0.42 g/t Au, 2.4 g/t Ag (362-920.2 m EOH) including 130 m @ 0.81% Cu, 0.6 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag (362-492 m)



Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G. Mr. Orrego G. is a Geologist, a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego G. is a consultant to the Company.

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

[1] As a result of recent regulatory guidance CuEq and AuEq assay results are not able to be reported at this time.

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
PRESS RELEASE

Wolters Kluwer unveils AI center; Provides direct access to its AI-driven solutions, insights and expertise

Alphen aan den Rijn - May 6, 2024 - Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services, today unveiled its dedicated AI center. The launch marks the company's ongoing commitment to combining deep domain knowledge with cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), which Wolters Kluwer has been incorporating into its products for the last 10 years.

The AI center centralizes the company's latest AI-insights, research, and AI-driven information solutions in one accessible location, catering to professionals across critical sectors such as health, financial services, legal, ESG, risk, regulatory, and compliance. The site launch includes a recently published fireside chat featuring Wolters Kluwer CEO and Chair of the Executive Board, Nancy McKinstry, on the explosion of AI in the professional sector.

Nancy McKinstry, CEO and Chair of the Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer, said: "AI is not just about technology; it's about people and the impact on their work. Our AI center is a testament to our long-standing expertise, commitment and leadership position in equipping professionals with the best information and tools they need to stay ahead of the curve. We are proud to offer a platform that not only provides easy access to our AI-driven information solutions but also shares knowledge and expertise that can help our customers deliver deep impact in the moments that matter the most."

AI-powered products account for half of Wolters Kluwer's digital revenue

Artificial intelligence has been part of Wolters Kluwer's digital product development for over a decade, contributing to a range of solutions that now generate approximately 50% of the company's digital revenues.

Various AI enhancements can be found in many of Wolters Kluwer's leading professional information solutions, such as:

UpToDate AI Labs (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/himss-uptodate-ailabs) - a collaborative resource that brings the power of generative AI to Wolters Kluwer's market-leading clinical decision support solution.

CCH Tagetik (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/cch-tagetik/ai-powers-cch-tagetik) - the indispensable Corporate Performance Management expert solution serving Chief Financial Officers and Sustainability Officers.

CCH (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/artificial-intelligence-tax-accounting)  (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/artificial-intelligence-tax-accounting)AnswerConnect (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/artificial-intelligence-tax-accounting), Wolters Kluwer's flagship tax, accounting, and audit research solution leverages GenAI to enrich the search experience and enable accounting professionals to create more value for their clients.

(https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/artificial-intelligence-tax-accounting)AnswerConnect (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/artificial-intelligence-tax-accounting), Wolters Kluwer's flagship tax, accounting, and audit research solution leverages GenAI to enrich the search experience and enable accounting professionals to create more value for their clients. Legisway (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/new-ai-enhanced-contract-management-functionality-for-legisway) - the all-in-one SaaS legal information and contract management solution for corporate legal departments.

OneSumX for Regulatory Change Management (https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/news/wolters-kluwer-launches-ai-powered-onesumx-reg-manager) - a trusted product line designed to help financial institutions across the U.S. more effectively navigate regulatory change.





Responsible AI

The AI Hub also reflects Wolters Kluwer's commitment to developing artificial intelligence in an ethical and responsible manner. More information about Wolters Kluwer's Responsible Artificial Intelligence Principlescan be found on the company's website.

For more information about Wolters Kluwer, please visit: www.wolterskluwer.com

###

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in information, software solutions and services for professionals in healthcare; tax and accounting; financial and corporate compliance; legal and regulatory; corporate performance and ESG. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2023 annual revenues of 5.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 21,400 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTubeand Instagram.

Media Contact

David R Guarino

Vice President, Global Communications

Wolters Kluwer

Office/Mobile: +1 646 954 8215

dave.guarino@wolterskluwer.com

Attachment
A helicopter flies above the San Jacinto River, that has rose out of its banks in the aftermath of a severe storm on Thursday, May 2, 2024 in Conroe. The rising water from the West Fork of the San Jacinto River, downstream from Lake Conroe, flooded homes and roads along FM2854. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Several disaster relief organizations around Houston are mobilizing to help those hit hard by the recent floods that have swept through much of Southeast Texas last week.

Here's what you can do to help:

Red Cross

Spokesperson Vanessa Valdez with the American Red Cross Texas Gulf Coast said cash donations were the most effective way of helping those hit by the flood disaster.

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The organization has operated eight shelters in the flooded areas, providing beds, meals and health services to Houston-area residents who had to be rescued or evacuated from the floods.

Valdez said direct cash relief is often most helpful for those affected by disasters.

"It's easier for us to be able to give them money so they can do what they think is the most important thing, as opposed to me giving them, you know, clothes or something," she said.

The Red Cross also asked for more volunteers to staff its shelters and relief operations.

United Way

United Way vice president of community outreach Mary Vazquez said what her organization now needs most is monetary donations as residents begin to recover and volunteers to help with the post-disaster clean up.

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Vazquez expects many homeowners in the next few days to need help picking up the pieces after many houses were flooded along the San Jacinto River and other waterways.

"Honestly, the recovery work is barely going to start in the next 24 hours," she said. "As the water recedes and we know the true extent of the damages, we will be working with our disaster recovery partners that will be helping with (gutting homes) and helping individuals clean out from the disaster, as well as working on recovery partners that can go in and provide assistance."

Montgomery County Food Bank

The Montgomery County Food Bank, in an area hit especially hard by the floods, put a call out for several in-need items Sunday.

"During this time of increased need, the Food Bank seeks donations to support our emergency response efforts," the organization said on social media.

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The food bank asked for canned vegetables, peanut butter, hot and cold cereals, ready-to-eat meals, canned fruits, healthy snacks, toiletries, cleaning supplies and canned tuna, chicken or salmon. The organization also said a cash donation of $1 could provide up to four meals.

Houston Food Bank

The Houston Food Bank encouraged residents to donate to its partner in Montgomery County but also called for volunteers to help at its own facilities.

It delivered 31 pallets of disaster boxes with food and other essentials and 53 pallets of water to partner distribution organizations, such as Montgomery County Food Bank, the food bank said Friday. The food bank is working to fulfill requests for products with emergency management offices in surrounding counties, including Montgomery, San Jacinto and Liberty counties.

Texas Division of Emergency Management

The Texas Division of Emergency Management is encouraging the public to report home and/or business damage after days of storms and constant flooding. The self-reported property damage surveys will help officials determine eligibility for disaster assistance and identify resource needs.

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"Over 600 state emergency responders from more than 3-dozen agencies are supporting impacted communities across Texas," the emergency management department posted on Facebook.
Teleperformance in Mexico is well positioned to drive the CX outsourcing services space into its next growth phase, capturing market share and sustaining leadership in the coming years.

SAN ANTONIO, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan recently researched the customer experience (CX) outsourcing services industry and, based on its analysis results, recognizes Teleperformance in Mexico with the 2024 Mexican Company of the Year Award. The company is a leader in the US nearshore, Mexican, and LATAM CX outsourcing services market and a part of the global Teleperformance Group. Teleperformance in Mexico provides services to more than 30 countries and serves over 80 clients across several verticals, including retail; telecommunications (telecom); and banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI); among others. While many competitors struggle to serve US-based customers from Mexico, Teleperformance in Mexico maintains a strong foothold while providing best-in-class service.

Capitalizing on Teleperformance's commitment to innovation, Teleperformance in Mexico elevates customer interactions and satisfaction by leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The company leads the nearshore market with revenues generated and maintains a substantial lead, solidifying its presence in the Mexican market. The people-centric arm of the company has over 21,000 employees, 14 contact centers, and a strong commitment to delivering value-added customer services through unique interactions. The company has expanded its operations from its first business offices in Monterrey to Guadalajara, Mexico City, Chihuahua, Puebla, Pachuca, and Durango, establishing itself as a significant participant in the LATAM CX outsourcing services market.

Sebastian Menutti, Industry Principal at Frost & Sullivan, observed, "Based on proprietary and third-party digital solutions, Teleperformance's Cloud Campus platform connects remote employees regardless of location, aligning well with work-from-home modalities and overcoming geographical barriers. Furthermore, in Mexico, Teleperformance has recently integrated MXtended into its Cloud Campus solution. This integration aims to provide formal job opportunities to residents of over 170 communities in the country, particularly targeting areas with elevated unemployment rates".

Teleperformance's operations in Mexico align with the Teleperformance Group's vision by creating opportunities and value for employees, clients, consumers, communities, and shareholders, with the stated purpose of delivering an outstanding CX every time. The company connects deep-seated domain and operational knowledge with advanced technology, leveraging Teleperformance's Cloud Campus platform and Cloud Campus Hubs to enhance its CX performance. The platform globally supports about 40% of Teleperformance's workforce working from home, serving more than 170 countries in over 300 languages and dialects. With a legacy of market leadership, Teleperformance in Mexico offers a compelling value proposition that underpins its sustained success.

"Teleperformance in Mexico addresses unmet market needs with a strong leadership focus that incorporates customer-centric strategies and exemplifies best practice implementation. Its high-tech, high-touch approach unifies the company's best practices powered by analytics, automation, and platform expertise," added Samantha Fisher, Best Practices Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents a Company of the Year Award to the organization that demonstrates excellence, in terms of growth strategy and implementation in its field. The award recognizes a high degree of innovation with products and technologies and the resulting leadership, in terms of customer value and market penetration.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Ashley Weinkauf

P: 210-844-2505

E:ashley.weinkauf@frost.com

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Bloomberg

Bloomberg published its 2023 Impact Report, which outlines how the company continues to address climate change through its operations, philanthropy and collaborations with partners and industry peers. The report also details how Bloomberg integrates sustainable business practices into its operations and decision-making and how it helps to drive progress in the communities where employees and clients live and work.

The report highlights Bloomberg's latest ESG datasets, tools and research, including products that help firms assess risks and opportunities as the world transitions to a net-zero emissions economy and meet new climate-related regulatory requirements. Bloomberg also outlines its progress toward reaching its validated science-based net-zero emission reduction target by 2040, including the recent signing of an 80 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for renewable energy.

"We're working to increase access to data and information that helps investors and policymakers make informed decisions that both grow the economy and help catalyze investment in a clean energy future." said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. "And, through our support of industry initiatives such as the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, we advanced our work providing resources to financial firms to help them measure and manage emissions across their portfolios."

Read the full letter here.

A selection of highlights from the 2023 Impact Report include:

Environmental Impact

Reducing emissions in line with a 1.5C future

Received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for Bloomberg's long-term science-based net-zero target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain by 2040

Progressed toward our SBTi-validated near-term science-based carbon emissions reduction targets with 21% Scope 1 and 2 reductions and 27% Scope 3 reductions

Obtained 62.2% of Bloomberg's global electricity consumption from renewable sources

Signed an 80 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)-our largest PPA to date-with clean energy developer rsted

Supporting coherent, impactful climate action

Introduced new indices within the Bloomberg Climate Index family including the new Bloomberg Commodity Carbon-Tilted Index

Released new Bloomberg Terminal tools for analyzing physical risk and net-zero transition risk

Launched new Bloomberg Terminal data and analytical tools to provide a comprehensive view of the nature-related impacts and dependencies in investment portfolios

Enhanced our solutions for disclosure, reporting and analysis against key regulatory frameworks

Published more than 2,500 research publications on the global low carbon transition and commodity markets

Social Impact

Investing in an increasingly diverse workforce

Invested in our leaders, helping them build the skills needed to elevate and model inclusive leadership with the launch of three new inclusive leadership initiatives

Established a task force to respond to the challenges and needs of our colleagues with disabilities

Collaborated with more than 20 external organizations, including forming new partnerships to help us identify and hire candidates from underrepresented communities

Launched the Bloomberg Veterans Impact Program, which seeks to improve how we recruit, retain and advance veterans' careers at Bloomberg

Launched a comprehensive women's health program in the UK to normalize women's health in the workplace, break stigma and offer ongoing support

Driving Social Change

Launched a first-of-its-kind data tool to assess the potential impact of a company's business on any of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Over 19,000 employees volunteered in their communities

Delivered over 2.8 million meals and over 79,000 care kits to those in need

Expanded cross-regional programs to demystify financial services and encourage women and under-represented communities to consider careers in finance

Helped bridge the digital divide through mentoring interactions and by promoting employee-driven funding for open-source software

Promoted diverse voices in media and the arts through diversifying our news sources and extending programs to strengthen financial journalism

The Impact Report is third-party verified, and has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards specific to our industries and the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and it incorporates select content from CDP. The 2023 Impact Report and supplemental reports can be viewed and downloaded at www.bloomberg.com/impact.

About Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Media Contact

Ty Trippet

+ 1 212-617-2443

Read More





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bloomberg on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Bloomberg

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bloomberg

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Bloomberg

View the original press release on accesswire.com
REDDING, Calif., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report titled, 'Logistics Automation Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Type (Inbound, Outbound), Automation Mode, Application (Inventory Management, Others), End User (Retail & E-commerce, Automotive, Others) & Geography-Global Forecasts to 2031', the logistics automation market is projected to reach $65.14 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 10.0% from 2024 to 2031.

Download Free Sample Report: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5801

Logistics automation refers to the use of technology involving machinery and logistics software to minimize human intervention and ease the workflow of logistical processes from procurement to production, inventory management, distribution, customer service, and recovery. Besides reducing costs, logistics automation systems help improve the overall efficiency of supply chains. Logistics automation helps save businesses a massive number of repetitive workloads such as manual picking or data entry.

Some of the factors driving the growth of this market are the rapid growth in e-commerce and the increasing incorporation of robots in logistics. However, high capital investment requirements and the lack of standardization in the logistics sector restrain the growth of this market.

The global logistics automation market is segmented by offering (hardware (automated vehicle systems, automated storage & retrieval systems, automated sorting & conveyer systems, de-palletizing/palletizing systems, automatic identification & data capture systems, automated container handling equipment, packaging systems/machines, and other hardware), software (cloud-based, and on-premise), and services(consulting services, deployment & integration services, support & maintenance services)), type (inbound logistics, and outbound logistics), automation mode (semi-automatic systems, and fully automatic systems), application (inventory management, packaging, order management, cargo management, transportation management and other applications) and end user (retail & e-commerce, manufacturing, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, automotive, aerospace & defense, fashion & apparel, courier, express, and parcel, ports & warehouses, and other end users). The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the market at the regional and country levels.

Based on offering, the logistics automation market is broadly segmented into hardware, software, and services. In 2024, the hardware segment is expected to account for the largest share of 60% of the logistics automation market. However, the software segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Factors such as the increasing use of advanced technologies in logistics software, market players' increasing focus on developing and enhancing logistics software, and the easy integration of logistics automation software with other supply chain management software are expected to drive the growth of this segment.

Furthermore, the growing focus of market players on product development and enhancement to optimize logistics operations, enhance supply chain visibility, and help companies make informed decisions is expected to drive the segment's growth. For instance, in November 2022, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (U.S.) launched the AWS Supply Chain. This new application helps businesses increase supply chain visibility to make faster, more informed decisions that mitigate risks, lower costs, and improve customer experiences.

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Based on type, the logistics automation market is segmented into inbound logistics and outbound logistics. In 2024, the inbound logistics segment is expected to account for the larger share of the global logistics automation market. However, the outbound logistics segment is expected to record the highest CAGR more than 11% during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is attributed to the increasing focus of key players on developing automated solutions for optimizing packaging and the growing need to optimize order fulfillment, delivery, and shipment processes to increase the effectiveness of outbound logistics operations.

Based on automation mode, the logistics automation market is segmented into fully automatic systems and semi-automatic systems. In 2024, the semi-automatic systems segment is expected to account for the larger share of the global logistics automation market. However, the fully automatic systems segment is expected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is attributed to enterprises' increasing emphasis on fully automating their logistics operations from partially automated systems. Additionally, fully automatic systems are capable of performing tasks more quickly and with greater precision, contributing to their rising adoption.

Based on application, the logistics automation market is segmented into inventory management, packaging, order management, cargo management, transportation management, and other applications. In 2024, the inventory management segment is expected to account for the largest share of 36% of the logistics automation market. Moreover, the inventory management segment is expected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is attributed to the growing use of automated storage & retrieval systems for inventory storage and the increasing adoption of RFID and barcodes for tracking inventory levels across fulfillment centers and warehouses.

In addition, key players operating in this market are focusing on product development and enhancement to accelerate the adoption of robots to boost productivity and minimize inventory handling times. For instance, in March 2022, Vanderlande Industries B.V. (Netherlands) launched a new automated piece-picking robot as an addition to its Smart Item Robotics (SIR) portfolio of technologies, which fits with Vanderlande's strategy of accelerating the use of robotics for warehousing.

Based on end user, the logistics automation market is segmented into retail & e-commerce, manufacturing, healthcare & pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, automotive, aerospace & defense, fashion & apparel, courier, express, and parcel, ports & warehouses, and other end users. In 2024, the retail & e-commerce segment is expected to account for the largest share of 22% of the logistics automation market. The large market share of this segment is attributed to changing customer expectations, retailers' focus on increasing their omni-channel presence, and the growing deployment of logistics automation solutions among retail & e-commerce companies to improve effectiveness and profitability.

However, the automotive segment is expected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is attributed to the adoption of intralogistics equipment and automation technologies by automotive players, the growing focus on the efficient tracking of automotive parts across the automotive industry supply chain, and increased activity in the automotive sector due to the rising adoption of electric vehicles. In addition, the growing focus of automotive businesses on investing in digitalization is contributing to the segment's growth. For instance, in July 2021, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc (JLR) (U.K.), an automotive manufacturer, initiated the second phase of its new logistics operations center in collaboration with Dematic (U.S.), an intralogistics innovator, in the West Midlands, England, wherein Dematic began the installation of its intralogistics equipment and automation technologies at the center.

Based on geography, the logistics automation market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2024, Asia-Pacific is expected to account for the largest share of 42% of the logistics automation market. The Asia-Pacific logistics automation market is estimated to be worth USD 14.1 billion in 2024. Moreover, Asia-Pacific is also expected to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Factors such as the growing focus of companies on enhancing their omnichannel presence to stay ahead of the competition and increasing logistics automation across the region are expected to drive the growth of this regional market in the coming years.

Furthermore, the growing focus of companies on the development of automation solutions to use in warehouses to achieve faster and more flexible movement of goods is contributing to segment growth. For instance, in December 2021, the Rhenus Group Hong Kong warehouse collaborated with Geekplus Technology Co., Ltd. (China) to co-develop smart logistics solutions through the automation of warehousing operations with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

Key Players:

Some of the key players operating in the logistics automation market are Dematic (U.S.), Daifuku Co., Ltd. (Japan), Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), and Vanderlande Industries B.V. (Netherlands), KNAPP AG (Austria), SSI SCHAEFER Group (Germany), BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Konecranes Plc (Finland), FORTNA Inc. (U.S.), Oracle Corporation (U.S.), SAP SE (Germany), TGW Logistics Group GmbH (Austria), Swisslog Holding AG (Switzerland), Slip Robotics (U.S.), and Locus Robotics (U.S.).

Have Specific Research Needs? Request a Customized Report:

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Scope of the report:

Logistics Automation Market Assessment-by Offering

Hardware Automated Vehicle Systems Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems Automated Sorting & Conveyer Systems De-palletizing/Palletizing Systems Automatic Identification & Data Capture Systems Automated Container Handling Equipment Packaging Systems/Machines Other Hardware

Software Cloud-based On-premise

Services Consulting Services Deployment & Integration Services Support & Maintenance Services



Logistics Automation Market Assessment-by Type

Inbound Logistics

Outbound Logistics

Logistics Automation Market Assessment-by Automation Mode

Fully Automatic Systems

Semi-automatic Systems

Logistics Automation Market Assessment-by Application

Inventory Management

Packaging

Order Management

Cargo Management

Transportation Management

Other Applications

Logistics Automation Market Assessment-by End User

Retail & E-commerce

Manufacturing

Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

Food & Beverage

Automotive

Aerospace & Defense

Fashion & Apparel

Courier, Express, and Parcel

Ports & Warehouses

Other End Users

Logistics Automation Market Assessment-by Geography

North America U.S. Canada

Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

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Related Report:

Connected Logistics Market by Offering, Transportation Mode (Roadways, Railways), Application (Inventory Tracking, Real-Time Fleet Management, others), End-use Industry (Automotive, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Others), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2029

Automated Material Handling Systems Market by Type (ASRS, AGV, Robotic Systems), Component, Function (Assembly, Picking, Sorting), End-use Industry (Automotive, Healthcare, Semiconductor, Manufacturing, Retail, Aviation, Postal) - Global Forecast to 2030

Industrial Automation Market by Component (Plant-level Controls, Enterprise-level Controls, Plant Instrumentation), Mode of Automation (Semi, Fully), End User (Oil & Gas, Automotive, F&B, Aerospace & Defense, Others), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030

Industrial Automation Software Market by Product (SCADA, DCS, MES, HMI, PLC, IT and Software Environment Integration Solutions, Production Process Test Systems), Deployment Type, End User, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2029

Packaging Automation Market by Offering, Type (Robotic Pick & Place, Secondary Packaging, Tertiary & Palletizing), End-use Industry (Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, E-Commerce & Logistics, Food & Beverage), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2030

Smart Packaging Market by Packaging Technology (Modified Atmosphere Packaging, Active Packaging {Ethanol Emitters}, Intelligent Packaging {Indicators}), by Application (Food and Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive), Geography - Global Forecast To 2027

Packaging Machinery Market by Type (Carded Packaging Machines, Filling Machines, Labelling Machines), by Function, Automation (Automatic, Semi-automatic), End-use (Food & Beverages, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals,) and Geography - Global Forecasts to 2030

About Meticulous Research

Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth.

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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.



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Strengthening enterprise resiliency against evolving threats through the new Armor Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service.

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Armor, a leading provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions, is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest offering Armor Managed Detection and Response (MDR), ushering in a different era for MDR through adaptive threat management and defense.

Logo for Armor

Enterprises are challenged by an array of evolving cyber threats, and yet conventional MDR strategies fixate on detection and response, without an integrated risk management approach. Armor MDR addresses this critical gap by integrating with industry-leading security platforms for unparalleled threat context - enabling high confidence triage, response and defense optimization.

Our partnership with Microsoft in particular, supercharges solutions like Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel to fully harness their power for adaptive threat prevention, detection and response.

"In view of the modern sophistication of cyber threats, and current state of cybersecurity, adaptivity isn't just an advantage; it's the very foundation of digital defense," said Dennis Chung, Chief Security Officer, Microsoft. "Novel approaches like Armor MDR empowers enterprises to out-maneuver advanced threats through proactive and adaptable defenses."

Chris Drake, Founder and CEO of Armor, said, "Attempting to tackle emerging cybersecurity threats with traditional Threat Detection, Investigation and Response (TDIR) is a clumsy approach that likens playing whack-a-mole. To truly raise defensibility requires strategic and continuous improvements at the source - that's what Armor has launched."

The Armor MDR service is grounded in these distinctive core principles:

Contextual Threat Prioritization and Response: By developing a unique enterprise risk profile per customer, this rich context empowers Armor MDR to determine the pertinence and impact of potential security threats more effectively and swiftly neutralize potential threats before they escalate.

Analytics-Powered Security Strategies: Outcome-driven metrics are used to inform and uncover security improvements. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning, Armor's MDR service captures opportunities to accelerate incident response, leverage automation to enhance the TDIR process, and proactively improve security configurations.

Continuously Raising Defensibility: The insights from security incident triage and remediation are integrated into a feedback loop to update relevant security configurations, thereby significantly improving enterprise risk resiliency and threat prevention.

The service is now available to organizations seeking to fortify their cyber defenses against the unyielding tide of cyber threats, and industry partners looking to provide enhanced security outcomes for their customers. For more information about Armor and the Armor MDR service, visit www.armor.com/solutions/armor-mdr.

----

ABOUT ARMOR

Armor, a global cybersecurity leader, provides comprehensive managed detection and response (MDR) and compliant cloud solutions. By combining advanced technology with expert services, Armor protects businesses from cyber threats, mitigates their risk, and ensures regulatory compliance. Dedicated to innovation and excellence, Armor is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore.

For more information, visit www.armor.com.

Contact Information

Armor PR

Armor Corporate Communications

press@armor.com

877 262 3473

Eloise Garrett

Director, The Right Agency

eloise@rightagency.co.uk

+44 7976048542

SOURCE: Armor

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Fortitude Gold (OTCQB:FTCO) (the "Company") today announced the timing of its first quarter earnings conference call scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Fortitude Gold is a gold producer, developer, and explorer with operations in Nevada, U.S.A. offering investors exposure to both gold production and dividend yield.

Conference Call

Fortitude Gold's CEO, Mr. Jason Reid, will host the conference call Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Topics of discussion will include first quarter results and an update on current operations. The conference call will be recorded and posted to the Company's website.

Q&A

Following Mr. Reid's opening remarks, the Company will host a question and answer (Q&A) session.

Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Time: 11:00 AM Eastern (9:00 AM Mountain)

There are two ways to join the conference call:

To join the conference via webcast, please click on the following link:

https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2640/50555.

To join the call via telephone please use one of the following dial-in details:

Toll Free: 888-506-0062

International: 973-528-0011

Participant Access Code: 452250

Please connect to the conference call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time using one of the connection options listed above.

REPLAY

A webcast replay of the conference call will be available using the following link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2640/50555.

A teleconference replay will be available using the following numbers:

Toll Free: 877-481-4010

International: 919-882-2331

Participant Access Code: 50555

About Fortitude Gold Corp.:

Fortitude Gold is a U.S. based gold producer targeting projects with low operating costs, high margins, and strong returns on capital. The Company's strategy is to grow organically, remain debt-free and distribute substantial dividends. The Company's Nevada Mining Unit consists of five high-grade gold properties located in the Walker Lane Mineral Belt and a sixth high-grade gold property in west central Nevada. The Isabella Pearl gold mine, located on the Isabella Pearl mineralized trend, is currently in production. Nevada, U.S.A. is among the world's premier mining friendly jurisdictions.

Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. If you are risk-averse you should NOT buy shares in Fortitude Gold Corp. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding the Company's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to the Company on the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, the scope, duration, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining operations, Company employees, and supply chains as well as the scope, duration and impact of government action aimed at mitigating the pandemic may cause future actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Also, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate.

Contact:

Greg Patterson

719-717-9825

greg.patterson@fortitudegold.com

www.Fortitudegold.com

SOURCE: Fortitude Gold Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 06, 2024), ), ) (the "Company") announces a non-brokered private placement of up to 20,000,000 units at a price of $0.05 each, to raise gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. Each unit will consist of one common share and one warrant (each, a "Warrant") exercisable to purchase one additional common share at a price of $0.10 each for a period of one (1) year from the date of issuance. The expiry of the Warrants may be accelerated at the sole discretion of the Company by written notice if the closing price for the Common Share on the TSX Venture Exchange shall be equal to or greater than CAD $0.15 for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive trading days. Ex-CEO Steve Marshall could satisfy a sizable lead order for the Private Placement, pending the successful approval and completion of the subsequent commitments as specified below.



The private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, and all securities are subject to a four-month-and-one-day hold period. Finder fees may be payable in connection with the private placement, all in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Ex-CEO Marshall Outreach to Bernard Lonis Chairman

Over the weekend of the 4th and 5th of May 2024, in what was a surprise call, the Company's ex-CEO, Mr. Steve Marshall, reached out to the Company Chairman, Mr. Lonis. Shareholders should note that Mr. Marshall remains a significant shareholder of the Company. Over the two days, the two spoke for almost 3 hours about numerous matters, including the sudden resignation of the Company CEO, Mr. McMillan.

About Steve Marshall Ex-CEO of RevoluGROUP Canada Inc.

The following paragraph is exclusively for shareholders who joined the Company after 28th July 2023. Mr. Marshall served as CEO of the Company for over seven years, from March 21st, 2016, to July 28th, 2023. He is primarily known as the visionary, architect, and principal strategic investor in what became the Company's international NeoBANK infrastructure, having taken on the challenging role as CEO of what was in 2016 a defunct Canadian TSX Venture listed mining shell with approximately $CA 17 million shareholder debt. During Mr. Marshall's tenure, the Company attained a market capitalization of over 100 million Canadian dollars, obtained EU Central Bank PSD2financial licenses, Central Bank PSD2 Branch Rights Granted in 27 EU Countries, Canadian FinTRAC, Florida, USA, MSB license, Visa Inc. partnership, along with too many other notable achievements to list here but are disclosed comprehensively on Sedar and under the news sectionof our corporate website. As a notable testament to Marshall's tenure, in February 2023, the TSX Venture Canadian Stock Exchange inducted RevoluGROUP into the distinguished Top 50 publicly listed Companies, situating the Company within the prestigious top 3% of all 1713 publicly traded Canadian companies. Sadly, shortly after that, multiple physicians instructed Mr. Marshall to reduce stress urgently. Ultimately, his rapidly deteriorating health forced him to step down as CEO in July 2023 due to prolonged and persistent pulmonary complications, including numerous hospitalizations, diagnosed during Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) tests in August 2023 with a final prognosis of impaired lung function due to coronary artery calcium build-up linked to oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, causal in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Thankfully, in recent times, with the help of top physicians, Mr. Marshall has gained significant ground via intensive treatment allied to a strict regimen.

Mr Marshall's Three-Step Proposal to the Board of Directors

During the conversation with Chairman Bernard Lonis, Mr. Marshall conveyed his openness to considering resuming a possible leadership role at RevoluGROUP, including possibly participating as a lead participant in the Company's today-announced private placement. However, Marshall's strict terms discussed for almost 3 hours and meticulously compiled during the call would require not only board ponderance and a signed Board of Directors resolution, essentially acquiescing to Mr. Marshall's entire obligations, but, more importantly, also include seeking written external sourced Canadian Regulatory approval from both Canadian Capital Markets regulatory bodies before he would consent to consider reinstatement, private placement investment or eventual recommencement of active executive management duties. In short, Mr. Marshall has made it clear that he will not invest in the private placement nor consider any executive function until the key phases below are entirely approved and ratified satisfactorily:

Phase 1

The RevoluGROUP Canada Inc., every board of directors member, agrees unanimously to a compensation package exclusively via issuing corporate shares for debt for an initial period of six calendar months. The monthly stipend will also be reduced to 1000 Canadian dollars for each board member during the prescribed initial term. The incoming interim CEO would lead by example, assuming the cited compensation.

The Company obtains Canadian Regulatory approval from BOTH Capital Markets regulatory bodies approving in writing a proposed unconstrained reassumption of Marshall as interim CEO, along with an equally positively sanctioned tenure of Mr. McMillan, all from a purely regulatory standpoint. These provisions ensure that the CEO can immediately concentrate on resolving urgent corporate matters, fomenting a clear path forward, and securing financing, including shareholder value, rather than attending to extraneous issues that can be time-consuming, detrimental to shareholders, stressful and unrelated to bringing the desired rapid positive corporate outcomes and subsequent shareholder value.

Capital Markets regulatory bodies approving in writing a proposed unconstrained reassumption of Marshall as interim CEO, along with an equally positively sanctioned tenure of Mr. McMillan, all from a purely regulatory standpoint. These provisions ensure that the CEO can immediately concentrate on resolving urgent corporate matters, fomenting a clear path forward, and securing financing, including shareholder value, rather than attending to extraneous issues that can be time-consuming, detrimental to shareholders, stressful and unrelated to bringing the desired rapid positive corporate outcomes and subsequent shareholder value. The RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. board of directors agrees to take immediate measures to ensure expenditure reductions at RevoluPAY EP S.L. to the point that the wholly-owned subsidiary in Barcelona will become cash flow positive through its autonomous operations by November, 30th, 2024. The intent is to stem the repeated outflow of capital from the parent into the RevoluPAY S.L subsidiary while concentrating on core revenue sources to achieve break-even at RevoluPAY S.L Barcelona.

The RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. board of directors agrees unanimously to permit the interim CEO to solicit at least 40 supplementary state MSB licenses in the United States and pursue the upcoming regulatory requirements for Open Banking licensing in Canada. The intent is to reconfigure corporate objectives towards an amplified presence in the world's largest economy-the United States.

RevoluGROUP Canada Inc., under Marshall's request, the board of directors agrees unanimously to admit the return of Gavin McMillan to collaborate alongside Marshall in a yet-to-be-disclosed role to pursue those above-denoted North American corporate ambitions.

Phase 2

Presuming every point imposed in Phase 1 is accomplished, Steve Marshall will reassume the role of interim CEO pending the outcome of Phase 3. Furthermore, to resolve the Company's contemporary financial distress, Marshall would immediately place a lead order in the current corporate financing, including a good faith partial first-tranche closing of said private placement.

Phase 3

A public shareholder vote should be held before Marshall even considers accepting a return to the role of definitive Corporate CEO. Marshall does not wish the board to impose a renewed tenure upon shareholders without their majority blessing and tallied vote being public information. Furthermore, presuming many shareholders are still those who invested during Marshall's extended 7-year tenure, those shareholders should be given the option to vote for Marshall's return in support of his professional legacy at RevoluGROUP. If, conversely, Marshall does not prevail in the proposed shareholder vote, he agrees to assist the Company as interim CEO until a new CEO is named.

Concluding statement from Mr. Lonis

We are hopeful about Mr. Marshall's surprise proposal and his familiar, forthright demeanor during our call. However, I must state there can be no guarantee Marshall will return as interim CEO, invest in the current private placement, or return in any capacity at RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. unless all of his demands are met. The board and I must discuss these this week. Marshall told me he is traveling extensively but agreed to call me back at 5 pm CET on Friday, the 10th of May, to obtain our answers. As the board's chairman, I wish to assure shareholders that I will discuss Mr. Marshall's demands with my board colleagues and ask our corporate counsel to immediately reach out to BOTH Capital Markets regulatory bodies as stated above.

Links Used in this News Release.

Steve Marshall Resignation 28th July 2023 - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-announces-ceos-resignation-due-to-health-reasons/

European PSD2 Banking License Granted - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-central-bank-of-spain-grants-psd2-license-to-revolupay/

Canadian FinTRAC - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-granted-canadian-fintrac-license/

Central Bank PSD2 Branch Rights Granted in 27 EU Countries - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-revolupay-psd2-license-passporting-rights-granted-in-27-eu-countries/

Florida USA MSB Financial License - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-revolupay-granted-united-states-florida-office-of-financial-regulation-msb-license/

Visa Inc Partnership - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-revolupay-signs-landmark-agreement-with-visa-becoming-affiliate-member/

TOP 50 TSXV - https://revolugroup.com/news/revolugroup-canada-inc-ascended-to-2023-top-50-companies-on-the-tsx-venture-exchange/

About RevoluPAY

The Company's flagship Neobanking technology is RevoluPAY, the Appleand Androidmultinational payment app. Conceived entirely in-house, RevoluPAY features proprietary, sector-specific technology of which the resulting source code is the Company's intellectual property. RevoluPAY's built-in features include Remittance Payments, Forex, Crypto-to-fiat exchange, Retail and Hospitality payments, Real Estate Payments, pay-as-you-go phone top-ups, Gift Cards & Online Credits, Utility Bill payments, Gaming Credits, Leisure payments, Travel Payments, etc. RevoluPAY is aimed squarely at the worldwide multi-billion dollar Open Banking sector, cross-border forex payments, and + $595 billionfamily remittance market. RevoluPAY is operated by the European wholly-owned subsidiary RevoluPAY EP S.L situated in Barcelona. RevoluPAY is a licensed United States MSB, Canadian FINTRAC, and European PSD2 payment institution 6900under the auspices of E.U. Directive 2015/2366 with E.U. 27 Country Passportingand official issuerof VisaCards and authorized VisaAffiliate Member. RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. controls five wholly-owned subsidiarieson four continents.

About RevoluGROUP Canada Inc.:

RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. is a multi-asset, multidivisional, publicly traded Canadian Company deploying advanced technologies in; Banking, Mobile Apps, Money Remittance, Cross-Border Forex Payments, Mobile Phone Top-Ups, EGaming, Healthcare Payments, Esports, Invoice factoring, Online Travel, Vacation Resort, Blockchain Systems, and Fintech app sectors. Click hereto read more.

For further information on RevoluGROUP Canada Inc..

RevoluGROUP Canada, Inc.

"Bernard Lonis"

______________________

Bernard Lonis

Chairman of the Board & Director

For further information, contact:

RevoluGROUP Canada Inc.

Telephone:

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.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although Management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if Management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.




NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / FedEx Corporation

Our unwavering commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) began more than 20 years ago. It is a long-standing relationship that we are proud of as it continues to evolve over the years.

FedEx is proud to offer direct support to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Each year the organization holds the UNCF Empower Me Tour (EMT) - a free, in-person or virtual event- established to inspire and motivate high school students, college students, and recent graduates toward academic excellence, career success, and personal responsibility. The fourth and final stop on the EMT is the national conference held in conjunction with the National Alumni Council (NAC) for HBCU graduates. This year's conference was held February 23-25 in Jacksonville, FL, and focused on career readiness for HBCU students.

Through FedEx support of the EMT program, the UNCF was able to provide four high school students with $2,500 in scholarships at the stop in Chicago. Five college students received $2,500 in scholarships during the national conference in Jacksonville. Among the nine scholarship recipients were Diamond Knox (Lane College), DeAndrew Thomas (Dillard University), and Bernyla Sparks (Voorhees University).

Diamond Knox is a graduating senior at Lane College in Jackson, TN majoring in Business Management. She attributes her attendance at an HBCU to her older cousin who adopted her at a young age.

"This scholarship is important to me because it relieves the stress of worrying about money. With this help we can focus on our schoolwork," said Diamond. When asked what she plans to do with the scholarship she stated, "Since I'm graduating soon, my next step is Culinary School. This scholarship will help me with my application fees and some of my tuition."

DeAndrew Thomas is currently attending Dillard University in New Orleans, LA where he is a junior majoring in English. "Last year one of my friends got the FedEx Scholarship at this conference, and I remember cheering her on and saying to myself that I hope I could get it next year," said DeAndrew. "Here it is a year later, and I got it!" He later reflected on the untimely passing of his mother due to Covid and having the responsibility to look out for his sister, which made it difficult to find funding for his education. "I really just want to say thank you so much to FedEx, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity."

Bernyla Sparks is a junior majoring in Computer Science at Voorhees University in Denmark, SC. "I couldn't believe it! I was coming to tears because I couldn't believe it! I felt like it was a blessing from God because sometimes when you feel at your lowest, somebody's always watching and understands your struggle," said Bernyla.

In addition to granting scholarships, FedEx also invested time into the conference FedEx Corporation Staff Vice President Donald Comer provided remarks during the Project Stay Ceremony, which is a session that focuses on charging graduating seniors to stay active and involved with their schools as upcoming HBCU alumni. During his remarks Donald stated, "At FedEx, we are intentional about stirring up good trouble, creating possibilities for you to advance toward and sustain meaningful careers and economic opportunity."

FedEx also gained twelve HBCU students to our talent network during the career fair led by Enterprise Recruitment lead Justin Patterson and FedEx Freight recruiter Shannon Theokas.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from FedEx Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: FedEx Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/fedex-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: FedEx Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Transaction is part of wide-ranging collaboration to combine Quest's oncology expertise and scale with PathAI's AI and digital pathology innovations to speed diagnosis, improve quality and reduce costs

SECAUCUS, NJ and BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX), a leader in diagnostic information services, and PathAI, a global provider of artificial intelligence-powered technology for pathology, announced a multi-faceted collaboration designed to accelerate the adoption of digital and AI pathology innovations to improve quality, speed and efficiency in diagnosing cancer and other diseases.

Under the terms of a definitive agreement, Quest will acquire select assets of PathAI Diagnostics, the business of PathAI that provides anatomic and digital pathology laboratory services. At closing, PathAI Diagnostics' state-of-the-art digitized laboratory in Memphis, Tennessee will become Quest's AI and digital R&D and solutions center, supporting Quest's specialty pathology businesses, AmeriPath and Dermpath Diagnostics. PathAI will continue to support its biopharmaceutical clients with end-to-end clinical trial services capabilities at its biopharma lab, which is separate and distinct from the diagnostic laboratory business. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.

Under separate agreements, Quest will license PathAI's AISight digital pathology image management system to support its pathology laboratories and customer sites in the United States. The two entities may also pursue opportunities for Quest to aid PathAI's algorithm product development, drawing on Quest's deep pathology leadership. In addition, Quest will be a preferred provider for PathAI's biopharmaceutical clinical laboratory services.

"This transaction will enable Quest to dramatically ramp our capabilities in AI and digital pathology, building on our leadership in oncology and subspecialized pathology services," said Kristie Dolan, Senior Vice President, Oncology, Quest Diagnostics. "AI and digital technologies have tremendous potential to improve cancer care, and Quest has the know-how to scale and deliver innovations that are high quality, efficient and broadly accessible. PathAI has industry-leading expertise in AI pathology innovation, and their state-of-the-art digitized laboratory in Memphis provides a platform for future growth."

"At Quest Diagnostics, we are committed to maximizing patient impact from every precious sample," said Mark Gardner, Senior Vice President, Molecular Genomics and Oncology, Quest Diagnostics. "The relationship with PathAI and acquisition of PathAI Diagnostics will enable us to rapidly accelerate the adoption of digitization and artificial intelligence for our market leading pathology offering, and will therefore strengthen our capability to serve patients across the entire continuum of oncology care, from diagnosis, to prognosis, to therapy selection and patient monitoring."

"This strategic relationship represents a significant milestone for the anatomic pathology industry and marks a major turning point for digital pathology adoption in the U.S. The adoption of these technologies by an organization with the scale and breadth of capabilities of Quest is a clear demonstration of how PathAI's cutting-edge solutions can help address the market's need for more efficient and high-quality pathology operations," said Andy Beck, MD PhD, co-Founder and CEO of PathAI. "The PathAI Diagnostics laboratory in Memphis will allow Quest to accelerate its digital journey with an already digitized laboratory."

According to the American Cancer Society, 2024 will be the first year that the United States expects more than 2 million new cases of cancer. The global cancer burden is expected to reach 28.4 million cases in 2040, compared to 19.3 million in 2020, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The next phase in cancer innovation unlocked by digital pathology

Cancer and other diseases are often diagnosed by a pathologist based on a visual review of a biopsied tissue mounted on a glass slide, and reviewed under a microscope for abnormalities. If multiple pathologists need to view the slide, such as for a second opinion, the tissue biopsy must be physically couriered to another pathologist.

Digital pathology enables the creation of digital images of glass slides that can be securely shared electronically with other pathologists to view, reducing transportation needs and speeding testing and results reporting. It also has the advantage of extending access to expert consults to geographic areas where pathologists are in short supply, such as in parts of rural America and internationally. It may also help alleviate workforce pressures due to a shortage of pathologists and histotechnologists, the skilled laboratory professionals who prepare tissue slides.

"Digital pathology will strengthen our ability to offer flexible solutions that fulfill the needs of today's hospital laboratories. For instance, many hospital labs are facing a shortage of histotechs. With digital pathology, these labs can refer slide preparation to us while continuing to perform professional interpretation in-house," Ms. Dolan added. "Digital pathology will also allow us to extend the interpretative expertise of our roughly 400 pathologists to hospitals and other labs who lack these skilled professionals on-staff, regardless of location."

AI builds upon digital pathology by identifying patterns in a digitized image that suggest cancer or other diseases, helping a pathologist concentrate on areas of concern for potentially more accurate diagnosis.

Quest has a long history of strategic AI and automation deployment. The company has implemented AI, digital and automation technologies across several laboratory and business functions, from microbiology and cytogenetics to specimen processing and customer service, improving quality, efficiency and customer and employee experiences.

The transaction also builds on Quest's deep expertise and scale in cancer, with approximately 400 pathologists serving top health systems in the U.S. In recent years, Quest has piloted digital and AI pathology oncology solutions at Quest and AmeriPath sites in Clifton, NJ, Tampa and Denver.

Over time, Quest expects the transaction with PathAI will enable it to deploy flexible digital slide preparation and diagnostic and second opinion consultation services to health systems and other providers, both in the United States and, through its Global Diagnostic Network, overseas. The acquisition will also extend Quest's anatomic pathology services into comparatively more profitable areas, including dermatopathology as well as gastrointestinal and urological diseases. Provider customers of PathAI Diagnostics will benefit from access to Quest's industry-leading clinical test menu, broad health plan relationships and approximately 2,000 patient service centers in the U.S.

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics works across the healthcare ecosystem to create a healthier world, one life at a time. We provide diagnostic insights from the results of our laboratory testing to empower people, physicians and organizations to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from one of the world's largest databases of deidentified clinical lab results, Quest's diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve healthcare management. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our nearly 50,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives and create a healthier world. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

About PathAI

PathAI is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through its groundbreaking AI-powered pathology platform. Our solutions provide invaluable insights for biopharmaceutical companies, researchers, and pathology laboratories, ultimately enabling precision pathology and the vision of more effective diagnosis and treatments. Learn more at www.pathai.com.

VIEW ALL NEWS

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Quest Diagnostics on 3blmedia.com.



Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Quest Diagnostics

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/quest-diagnostics

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Quest Diagnostics

View the original press release on accesswire.com
North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance's new Youth Water Council is dedicated to conservation, restoration, education and watershed health

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / From its starting point in the Columbia Icefield, the glacial waters of the North Saskatchewan River travel 1,300 kilometers through mountain and valley, town and country.

On its easterly journey from Alberta to Manitoba, where it eventually empties into Lake Winnipeg, the river spans a drainage area of 122,800 square kilometers.

As the water rolls on, various activities on the landscape add pressure to the river and its watershed. This human footprint increases as the river travels from the headwaters to the east, with the combined impacts of forestry, agriculture, energy and urban development reducing water quality, and adding excess nutrients and contaminants.

When it flows through agricultural land, runoff from fertilizers enters the streams. When new developments are constructed, drainage areas are damaged. Habitat is lost. Wildlife numbers dwindle. Blue-green algae blooms damage lakes.

Youth in the North Saskatchewan River's watershed are paying attention to these issues, says Jillian Peterson, a watershed planning technician with the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA), based in Edmonton.

"They are passionate about learning about the watershed-the importance of preserving it and conserving not only the water, but also the land, for future generations," she explains.

NSWA provides leadership in watershed management and planning. The non-profit is well known in the region for its collaborative work with organizations and stakeholders committed to solving watershed challenges. The interest of local youth in having a voice in discussions about watershed conservation prompted NSWA to launch a new initiative in 2024-a Youth Water Council.

With the support of a $20,000 Fueling Futures grant from Enbridge, NSWA established the first youth council, designed to give members educational opportunities about conservation as well as a platform to protect the watershed.

Every year on April 22, the world marks Earth Day, an annual celebration of environmental protection around the globe. At Enbridge, sustainability is central to everything we do, and we also support community sustainability projects that help improve, grow and nurture our environment.

Education is a key component of the youth council. The nine students selected for the inaugural group were recruited from an open call for 15-to-17-year-olds in the region. Peterson says they chose youth with "a passion for the environmental issues watersheds face."

The council meets in person for a one-weekend retreat and online for a series of virtual learning sessions led by NSWA team members and guest speakers, such as scientists, hydrologists and conservationists. They cover watershed management, stewardship, conservation, restoration, wetland health, water quality and climate change impacts.

Through the guest speakers, the teens are introduced to career pathways. Already, two council members have chosen to enroll in environmental studies programs when they begin post-secondary studies in the fall, Peterson notes.

As part of the council, the members will produce a signature project they can proudly share with the community. They've chosen a comic book containing information about watershed issues and what people can do about them.

The product will include information and artwork focused on responsible recreation, riparian health, and watershed stewardship. The comic book will be available online, and distributed in print through local bookstores and at NSWA events.

"It's really exciting to see how quickly they've absorbed the information they've learned," Peterson says.

"To (the youth), success is educating people on why it's important to preserve our watersheds," she adds. "They want to help people become responsible citizens-for the sake of our water's future."

The headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River at Abraham Lake Reservoir, in the Canadian Rockies. Photo courtesy, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance





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
Genesse Moreno, the woman who opened fire at Houstons Lakewood Church on Feb. 11, had a troubling history of mental illness and violent behavior. Police, court officials and child welfare workers knew about it and had the authority to intervene, a Chronicle investigation found. They never did.

The Chronicle set out to collect records detailing every interaction Moreno had with government authorities in the decade leading up to the attack, which left a 57-year-old man wounded and the shooters 7-year-old son semi-conscious with two bullets lodged in his brain.

We requested documents from nearly two dozen local, state and government agencies that encountered Moreno in Texas, where she lived most of her life, and Colorado, where she visited relatives at least once in 2020.

Reporters sorted through more than two dozen recorded 911 calls, and hundreds of pages of law enforcement reports and court filings to pinpoint warning signs that preceded the attack.

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We found more than 100.

They range from direct threats Moreno made on recorded 911 lines to shoot people, to written pleas from family members and neighbors concerned about their own safety and the safety of Morenos medically fragile toddler.

The warnings include public messages Moreno posted on the social media platform Telegram.

In the three months leading up to the attack, Moreno published more than 3,000 messages, often back-to-back or in the middle of the night. While the vast majority amounted to politicized antisemitic rants, Moreno also openly brainstormed her plans to kill her relatives, to intimidate her neighbors and, finally, to attack a religious site in February 2024.

Moreno named her victims. And she made no effort to hide her own identity, sharing her name, age, town and ZIP code.

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INVESTIGATION RECAP: 6 takeaways from the Chronicles investigation of the Lakewood Church shooting

The Chronicle cross-checked documents and interviewed Morenos family members, family friends and neighbors to verify each event featured in our investigation. Reporters also submitted their findings for review by criminal justice, mental health and child welfare law experts.

Those experts said the Lakewood Church shooting should have never happened. Law enforcement, court and child welfare officials should have intervened to get Moreno the mental health help she needed and seize her weapons, and to offer her son Samuel protection.

But government authorities werent connecting the dots, said Gregory Fremin, a retired Houston Police Department captain who teaches criminal justice at Sam Houston State University.

Together, the records collected by the Chronicle paint a disturbing picture.

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They describe a woman who, in the midst of a tumultuous divorce and custody battle over her young child, sank into a deepening spiral of mental illness. They show a clear pattern of erratic behavior that quickly escalated into aggression. And they chronicle a decades worth of perceived injustices that Moreno used to justify threats and acts of violence.

Moreno exhibited most behaviors listed in the profile of an active shooter.
IFE Conference 2025, an event that brings together leaders in educational innovation to share their breakthroughs and insights, announces its new call for papers, which closes on June 15, 2024.



One of the goals of the Institute for the Future of Education (https://tec.mx/es/ife) is to transform the future of education by connecting experts from around the world in a joint effort to innovate and advance global learning.

MONTERREY, Nuevo Leon, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The IFE Conference will be held in January 2025; this edition's theme is "Driving the future of education with innovation and technologies". Since its inception in 2006, the conference has been a catalyst for people dedicated to transforming educational paradigms, with a special focus on:



Identifying emerging trends, current challenges and future opportunities in the educational field.

emerging trends, current challenges and future opportunities in the educational field. Promoting innovation in teaching methods and tools that resonate with the expectations of today's generations.

innovation in teaching methods and tools that resonate with the expectations of today's generations. Establishing a multidisciplinary network of experts, not only to exchange experiences and best practices, but also to collaborate on innovative proposals.



The IFE Conference invites the scientific, innovative and entrepreneurial community to present their research, experiences and educational projects. The call, which opened on March 19 and will be accepting proposals until June 15, accepts 4 types of contributions under the following categories :

Research papers: Original and unpublished studies that contribute to educational innovation.

Original and unpublished studies that contribute to educational innovation. Papers on innovation: Descriptions of innovative experiences in education, without requiring research results.

Descriptions of innovative experiences in education, without requiring research results. Book presentations: Works that contribute significantly to the discussion of educational innovation.

Works that contribute significantly to the discussion of educational innovation. Educational innovation experiences: Outstanding projects for analysis and discussion in panel or round table formats.

For this edition, IEEE Region 9joins as a technical sponsor of the congress, which means that accepted research contributions will be submitted for inclusion in IEEE Xplore, subject to meeting the quality requirements of the platform. All IEEE Xplore articles are indexed in SCOPUS.

Contributions can focus on one of the following main thematic linesfrom five core areas:

Educational Trends : Evolution of teaching methods, technology in the classroom and socioemotional skills.

: Evolution of teaching methods, technology in the classroom and socioemotional skills. Educational Technologies: Use of digital tools and online systems to enrich teaching.

Use of digital tools and online systems to enrich teaching. Health Academic Innovation: Improvements in health education and research.

Improvements in health education and research. Educational Innovation Management: Strategies for evaluating and managing innovation in education.

Strategies for evaluating and managing innovation in education. Lifelong learning: Development of lifelong skills and abilities for employability and personal growth.



The IFE Conference, an initiative of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnologico de Monterrey, is a leader in educational innovation, having attracted more than 29,000 participants from over 40 countries throughout its ten editions. Next year, the conference aims to reach new heights, solidifying its commitment to learn, connect and collaborate to enrich the future of education globally.

The contributions, selected for their innovation and relevance, will be presented at the next edition, to be held from January 28-30, 2025 at the Monterrey campus of the Tec de Monterrey, offering a unique opportunity to positively impact the future of education through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Learn more about the call and participate at www.ciie.mx. More news about the congress will be shared through its social networks: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInand X.

Visit the Newsroom, Tecnologico de Monterrey's press room.

About Tecnologico de Monterrey

Tecnologico de Monterrey) is a private, non-profit university recognized for its academic excellence, educational innovation and global vision. It was founded in 1943 and currently has a presence in 32 municipalities in 20 Mexican states, with an enrollment of 62 thousand professional and graduate students, as well as more than 27 thousand high school students. Accredited by SACSCOC since 1950. Ranked 184th in the QS World University Rankings 2024 and 4th in Latin America according to THE Latin America University Rankings 2023. It also stands out in global employability and entrepreneurship programs, being part of international networks such as APRU, U21 and WUN. To learn more about our Boilerplate visit: https://tec.rs/BoilerPlate
VICTORIA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Boron One Holdings Inc. ("Boron One" or the "Company") (TSXV:BONE), is pleased to announce the implementation of a warrant exercise incentive program (the "Program") intended to encourage the exercise of up to 10,626,000 unlisted common share purchase warrants of the Company (the "Eligible Warrants") which were issued as part of the Company's private placement which closed on January 25, 2023. Each Eligible Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Company (each a "Common Share") at a price of $0.05 per Common Share.

To the extent that holders of Eligible Warrants take advantage of the opportunity to exercise their Eligible Warrants early, this will fund working capital purposes. Eligible Warrants that remain unexercised following the completion of the Early Exercise Period (defined below) will continue to be exercisable for Common Shares on the original terms as they existed prior to the Program.

The Program is subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and is subject to the receipt of all final regulatory approvals, including final approval of the Exchange. The number of Eligible Warrants to be exercised by insiders of the Company is limited to no more than 10% of the total Eligible Warrants, being 10,626,000 Eligible Warrants, and the Company will issue no more than 1,062,600 Incentive Warrants to insiders under the Program. Insiders presently hold 10.35% of the Eligible Warrants.

Summary Information about Warrant Incentive Program

Pursuant to the Program, the Company is offering an inducement to each holder of Eligible Warrants ("Warrant Holders") that exercises Eligible Warrants during an early exercise period (the "Early Exercise Period") consisting of one new Warrant (the "New Warrant") in addition to the common share subscribed for. Each New Warrant is exercisable at $0.07 for 30 months, subject to the right of the Corporation to accelerate expiry upon 30 days' notice if the shares of the Corporation trade on the TSX Venture Exchange at or above $0.15 for a period of 10 days.

The Early Exercise Period will commence two weeks after receipt of TSX Venture Exchange conditional approval and run for 2 weeks. A follow up press release will be issued. The Incentive Warrants and any Common Shares issuable on the exercise thereof will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance of the Incentive Warrants pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

Depending upon the number of Eligible Warrants exercised during the Early Exercise Period, the Company expects to:

receive gross proceeds of up to $531,300

issue up to 10,626,000 Common Shares pursuant to the exercise of Eligible Warrants in accordance with the terms of the Eligible Warrants; and

issue up to 10,626,000 Incentive Warrants to Warrant Holders pursuant to the exercise of the Eligible Warrants on or before the Early Exercise Expiry Date.

The terms and conditions of the Program and the method of exercising Eligible Warrants pursuant to the Program are set forth in a letter which is being delivered to the last known contact of each Warrant Holder. Warrant Holders who wish to participate in the Program will agree to exercise their Eligible Warrants and deliver the other necessary documents in consideration of the issuance by the Company of the Incentive Warrants.

Procedure for the Exercise of Warrants

Upon commencement of the Early Exercise Period, registered holders of Eligible Warrants may exercise their rights to acquire the Common Shares and Incentive Warrants.

All Eligible Warrants must be processed through the Company at the offices of the Company located at 203, 645 Fort Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1G2.

To exercise Eligible Warrants during the Early Exercise Period, a Warrant Holder must:

1. Surrender the original Warrant Certificate(s) representing the Eligible Warrants to the Company by hand or courier at the address noted above. The Warrant Certificate(s) representing the Eligible Warrants must be submitted together with:

(a) a duly completed and executed Subscription Form as attached to the Eligible Warrant Certificate, specifying the number of Eligible Warrants that the Warrant Holder intends to exercise; and

(b) a certified cheque, bank draft or money order in Canadian dollars, payable to or to the order of "Boron One Holdings Inc." in an amount equal to $0.05 multiplied by the number of Eligible Warrants that the Warrant Holder intends to exercise.

All Eligible Warrant Certificates surrendered for full exercise will be cancelled by the Company and will be of no further force or effect.

All Eligible Warrant Certificates surrendered together with a duly completed and executed Subscription Form, and payment of the applicable exercise price for the number of Eligible Warrants exercised will be deemed to be surrendered only upon personal delivery thereof to, or, if sent by mail or other means of transmission, upon actual receipt thereof by the Company. Any use of the mail to transmit Eligible Warrant Certificates is at the risk of the Warrant Holder. If such documents are to be mailed, it is recommended that registered mail, properly insured, be used with acknowledgement of receipt requested.

Fractional Shares

The Company will not be obligated to issue any fractional Common Shares, fractional Incentive Warrants or any cash or other consideration in lieu thereof upon the exchange of one or more Eligible Warrants. If any fraction of a Common Share or Incentive Warrant would otherwise be issuable, the number of such securities so issued will be rounded down to the nearest whole number without compensation thereof.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Tim Daniels, President

About Boron One Holdings Inc.

Boron One Holdings Inc. is an international mineral exploration and development company with boron assets in Serbia. Headquartered in Victoria, B.C., Canada, Boron One's shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "BONE". For detailed information please see Boron One's website at www.boronone.com or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Boron One Holdings Inc.

Blake Fallis, General Manager

Phone: 1-250- 384-1999 or 1-888-289-3746

info@boronone.com

www.boronone.com

Boron's Public Quotations:

Canada

TSX Venture: BONE

Berlin: EKV

US: SEC 12G3-2(B) #82-4432ERVFF

OTCBB: ERVFF

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Boron One Holdings Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
LITTLETON, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE American:URG)(TSX:URE) (the "Company" or "Ur-Energy") is pleased to announce that its Chairman and CEO, John Cash, will present at the Emerging Growth Virtual Conference on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

Mr. Cash will present an update on Lost Creek production operations and build-out of our Shirley Basin Project.

Mr. Cash is presenting Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 12:35 p.m. to 1:05 p.m. Eastern Time.

Ur-Energy invites you to attend its presentation at the Emerging Growth Conference. Please register to ensure you are able to attend the Conference and to receive updates that are released. Register here: https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1658202&tp_key=3a47c30b43&sti=urg. If you wish to submit questions for Mr. Cash to answer if time permits, please do so by submitting in advance at Questions@EmergingGrowth.com or ask your questions during the event.

If you are unable to join Ur-Energy's presentation, an archived webcast will be available on the Emerging Growth YouTube Channel: http://www.YouTube.com/EmergingGrowthConference or at EmergingGrowth.com.

The Emerging Growth Conference includes companies in a wide range of growth sectors, with strong management teams, innovative products and services, focused strategy, and execution. Its audience potentially includes thousands of individual and institutional investors, as well as investment advisors and analysts.

About Ur-Energy

Ur-Energy is a uranium mining company operating the Lost Creek in-situ recovery uranium facility in south-central Wyoming. We have produced and packaged approximately 2.8 million pounds U3O8 from Lost Creek since the commencement of operations. Ur-Energy has all major permits and authorizations to begin construction at Shirley Basin, the Company's second in situ recovery uranium facility in Wyoming and is in the process of obtaining remaining amendments to Lost Creek authorizations for expansion of Lost Creek. Ur-Energy 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 Ur-Energy's common shares is on the NYSE American under the symbol "URG." Ur-Energy's common shares also trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "URE." Ur-Energy's corporate office is in Littleton, Colorado and its registered office is in Ottawa, Ontario.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

John W. Cash, Chairman, CEO and President

720-981-4588 (ext. 303)

John.Cash@Ur-Energy.com

SOURCE: Ur-Energy Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Allegria Therapeutics, a Basel, Switzerland-based company focused on advancing a pipeline of therapeutics for mast cell-mediated diseases, raised USD 3.5M in Seed funding.

Forty51 Ventures made the investment.

The company intends to use the funds to progress a differentiated portfolio of proprietary therapeutic approaches around targets that selectively modulate mast cells to more effectively address patients needs.

Allegria focuses on mast cells as mediators of allergy and inflammatory diseases, a class of indications that constitutes an increasing burden world-wide. The company collaborates with partners in fundamental mast cell biology, drug discovery and preclinical drug evaluation including Prof. Marcus Maurer, Managing Director of the Institute for Allergy Research at Berlins Charite and Dr. Philipp Starkl, Principal Investigator at the Medical University of Vienna.

Furthermore, the company announced the appointment of co-founder Maria van Dongen, PhD as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. van Dongen brings broad industry experience with a strong track record in Pharma. She previously held positions at amongst others Johnson & Johnson, where she facilitated external partnerships aiming at e.g., the effective targeting of RNA processing and the discovery of peptide-based therapeutics. Previously, she led numerous R&D projects that included the discovery of highly innovative orally active broad-spectrum influenza antivirals, and an R&D platform dedicated to pharmaceutical interventions for disease prevention.

FinSMEs

06/05/2024
OverT Bio, a NYC-based data-driven company working to enable the curative potential of cell therapies in solid tumors, raised $16M in Seed funding.

The round was led by ARTIS Ventures and Wing VC, with participation from Fusion Fund, OMX Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, Gaingels, Civilization Ventures, Hawktail, and Cancer Research Institute.

The company intends to use the funds to expand discovery platforms focused on addressing the primary barriers for cell therapy, leading to durable and curative treatments for advanced solid tumors.

Founded in 2022 by Dr. Mat Legut and Dr. Neville Sanjana, OverT Bio has developed parallel genetic screening, single-cell multiomic, and synthetic biology platforms that combine cell engineering technologies with big data approaches to address major unmet medical needs in solid tumors.

Its core platform searches every gene in the genome to identify the best genetic modifications to endow immune cells with novel properties. The company has also built a similarly high-throughput approach to discover new receptors and targets that are both safe and efficacious.

OverT uses patients immune response to cancer to find new receptors and targets that can be applied across the human population. The team searches the entire human genome to find new ways to make cell therapies more durable and capable of destroying cancers.

FinSMEs

06/05/2024
Stella Automative AI, a Tampa, FL-based provider of automotive artificial intelligence technology, raised $19.7M in Series A funding.

The raise included both newly invested capital and outstanding convertible notes that converted into this Series A issuance. Backers included Reynolds and Reynolds, Qvale Auto Group, OREMOR Automotive Group, Mills Automotive Group, Bowers Automotive Group, MileOne Autogroup, Flow Automotive, MBB Auto Group, Ford Family Investments and West Herr Auto Group.

The company intends to use the funds to drive market growth and support ongoing product enhancement and development.

Led by CEO Rich Sands, StellaAutomotive AI is a provider of automotive AI technology that helps auto dealers to deliver a customer experience via telephone, chat and web. Its AI assistant can simultaneously handle inbound calls as it engages in natural language conversations and t is trained on a wide range of automotive retail topics and can answer frequently asked questions and schedule service and sales appointments.

The companys products integrate with existing dealership software offered by companies like Reynolds and Reynolds, a provider of the full Retail Management System for auto retailers.

FinSMEs

06/05/2024
Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals, a Salt Lake City, UT-based geothermal exploration company, closed a $30M funding round.

The round was led by Obvious Ventures with participation from previous investors such as Munich Re Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Safar Partners, and First Star Ventures, as well as newcomer Clearvision Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate technology development and advance its portfolio of greenfield power projects to serve new partnerships.

Led by Carl Hoiland, CEO, and Joel Edwards, CTO, Zanskar is an AI-native geothermal developer leveraging a suite of new technologies to improve the geothermal discovery and development process. In its work to decarbonize electricity generation, the company is generating a pipeline of new discoveries and increasing the scalability of geothermal power generation. Zanskar is currently hiring a number of high-impact roles. Please visit to learn more.

Since its last fundraise in 2022, Zanskar has established itself as a leader in geothermal discovery. Public accomplishments include winning multiple contracts with the United States Department of Defenses Defense Innovation Unit to explore new geothermal resources and advance their mission of energy resilience. In addition, its field data collection program collects more low-cost, early-stage field data every three months than what industry and academia combined did over the prior ten years. This early-stage field data program, in addition to rapidly iterating model predictions, enabled Zanskar to make more greenfield geothermal discoveries than the industry made over the prior ten years combined.

FinSMEs

06/05/2024
The transfer of 75 million XRP tokens by major holders has sparked significant speculation among investors. Meanwhile, Ethereums price prediction looks bearish as it enters a decline, accompanied by a short-term rising channel. This pattern indicates that Ethereums price may continue to drop.

BlockDAG has added ten new payment methods, fueling investor interest and amplifying the platforms hype. This expansion enhances accessibility and highlights BlockDAGs dedication to innovation, further boosting excitement in the crypto community as its presale exceeds $23.3 million.

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Ethereum price prediction: Resistance struggle and potential recovery path

In the latest Ethereum price prediction, the cryptocurrency failed to settle above the critical $3,250 resistance level, paralleling a similar downturn seen in Bitcoin. ETH traded below $3,200 and spiked below $3,120, setting a low at $3,113. Although there was a minor rally above $3,200, resistance near $3,240 and $3,250 quickly stifled any gains.

Ethereum is currently below the $3,200 level and the 100-hourly Simple Moving Average. A short-term rising channel with support near $3,170 is forming. Immediate resistance lies near $3,200 and the 100-hourly SMA, with major hurdles at $3,240 and $3,300. A decisive move above these could push Ethereum towards $3,350 and potentially $3,450. Conversely, failing to break $3,250 could trigger further declines towards $3,170 and potentially lower support levels down to $2,880.

XRP Whales trigger market speculation amid Ripples ongoing SEC battle

The cryptocurrency scene is abuzz with XRPs recent movements. Despite a 7 per cent drop last week and an 18 per cent drop over the month, XRP has shown signs of recovery, trading at $0.513 with a 2.32 per cent gain. This follows significant transactions by XRP whales totalling 75 million XRP, sparking diverse speculations among investors.

These movements come amid Ripple Labs ongoing legal battle with the SEC, which is expected to heavily influence XRPs future. Current market sentiment remains bearish, with XRP testing crucial support levels, signalling possible future trends depending on the legal outcomes.

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BlockDAGs rapid expansion: New payment options & real-time development updates fuel growth

Priced at $0.006 during its 10th batch, BlockDAG has significantly impacted the cryptocurrency market, amassing over $23.3 million from the sale of more than 8.5 billion coins. As it progresses towards its final batch of 45, early investors have enjoyed a 50 per cent increase in value with each batch. The projected listing price of $0.05 reflects an impressive 4900% rise from its initial batch, marking BlockDAG as one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrencies.

BlockDAG is broadening its appeal by integrating 10 new payment methods, including popular cryptocurrencies like Shiba Inu, Polygon, and Bitcoin.

This expansion not only improves accessibility but also strategically positions BlockDAG in the crypto landscape, underscoring the platforms commitment to inclusivity and continuous growth.

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Moreover, the BDAG website has recently added a Dev Releases page that keeps the community informed about the latest developments and news from the BlockDAG network. This new feature aims to strengthen community ties by offering an in-depth view of the ongoing creation of the future of cryptocurrency, allowing members to witness progress in real time.

Final Say

Amid predictions of Ethereums price recovery, the cryptocurrency community is abuzz with the recent movements of XRP whales. BlockDAGs growth potential is evident with the addition of 10 new currencies, such as Shiba Inu, Polygon, and Bitcoin, to its payment methods.

This milestone underscores its commitment to innovation and forward-thinking. Experts predict BlockDAGs daily inflows will soar to $5 million, up from the current $1 million, indicating a promising 30,000x ROI potential. BlockDAG proves itself as one of the fastest-growing cryptos.

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Join BlockDAG Presale Now:

Website: https://blockdag.network

Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network

Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial

Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu

Above mentioned article is consumer connect initiative.

This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Firstpost and Firstpost claims no responsibility whatsoever.
CSS Founder is aiding numerous startups in the Gulf region and is a preferred choice for top-quality website design services in the UAE read more

CSS Founder, a revolutionary web design firm in the Indian web design market, has embarked on an indomitable spree to become pioneers in the realm of website design. With a mission centered on Website for Everyone, the establishment stands as a beacon of inspiration, advocating for the Make in India initiative while nurturing Indian talent for global projects. Their vision is for everyone to have their own website irrespective of their position, status, etc.

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This firm has reshaped the industry landscape by offering affordable solutions, countering the prevalent trend of exorbitant deals and outsourcing. From painting walls to tactfully ranking on Google, its journey showcases its unwavering commitment to accessibility and excellence.

In the digital era, where the Digital India slogan promises empowerment for Indian enterprises on both national and international fronts, CSS Founders presence and contributions are indispensable, embodying the spirit of growth and development in Indias digital landscape.

Bridging the website gap: CSS Founders vision for universal web presence

In todays digital age, the significance of a website cannot be overstated. It serves as the cornerstone for businesses across all industries, facilitating their presence and operations in the online realm. Recognising this essential need, CSS Founder emerges as a pivotal player, aiming to democratise website creation and establish itself as the go-to brand in this domain.

With a mission to fill the void in the market and become synonymous with website design, the company is making significant strides towards achieving its vision.

Garnering widespread recognition and acclaim, the company has solidified its position as a top-tier entity, earning accolades and praise from clients and industry experts alike.

As CSS Founder continues to expand its repertoire and enhance its offerings, it is poised to evolve into a full-fledged brand, poised for even greater success in the years to come.

Leading the charge in global setup

CSS Founder is aiding numerous startups in the Gulf region and is a preferred choice for top-quality website design services in the UAE. After being recognised as the best website design company in Dubai, the company now serves clients locally and internationally, including in cities like Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.

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The company has worked with esteemed clients such as Samsung and Luxor Pen. Its reputation grows through positive word of mouth, so do their global projects, with plans to expand further in the Gulf region.

Globally embarking: Indian company ventures beyond borders

CSS Founder has rapidly expanded after gaining significant recognition in India, now positioning itself as a leading website design company in Dubai. It has been making waves globally with a prestigious client base and a strong focus on attention to detail and charitable initiatives.

Recognising the value of time in business, it ensures prompt completion of all tasks. The company offers a range of affordable services, including web design, email hosting, and media management, catering to businesses of all sizes.

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CSS Founders website features a transparent website cost calculator, allowing visitors to estimate their website costs accurately. Over the course of time, it has strategically expanded its business across India and globally, despite its humble beginnings. With offices in Noida, Thane, and Dubai, the company has established a strong global presence. It has quickly gained market share and is highly regarded for its expertise worldwide.

Prioritising charity and social responsibility

Prioritising charity, they have helped hundreds of people through their initiative of Free Food for Needy People. Among the few companies that donate a significant portion of their profits to charity, CSS Founder has provided food to thousands of malnourished individuals and distributed dry rations to many more.

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Through their food vans, they reach out to those in need and have garnered blessings from millions through their campaigns. They provide with food to the underprivileged, especially during festival times when everyone is celebrating and hoping for miracles.

CSS Founder plays an exemplary role for the new generation establishments with its good deeds and sincerity towards the society.

Above mentioned article is consumer connect initiative.

This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Firstpost and Firstpost claims no responsibility whatsoever.
Buffetts comments came at Berkshires annual meeting on Friday while answering a question from Rajeev Agarwal of DoorDarshi Advisors, a US-based hedge fund that invests in Indian equities read more

Amid the tumultuous swings in the markets triggered by global sentiment in indices and the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, billionaire investor Warren Buffett recently expressed confidence, stating that he sees loads of opportunities in countries like India  a reassuring tune for Indian investors.

Buffetts comments came at Berkshires annual meeting on Friday while answering a question from Rajeev Agarwal of DoorDarshi Advisors, a US-based hedge fund that invests in Indian equities, if Berkshire was keen to explore the Indian markets. The 93-year-old market mogul said that there might exist unexplored or unattended opportunities, but he suggested that those could be something to consider in the future. He also mentioned that opportunities do exist.

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Buffett mentioned that Berkshire enjoys a strong reputation globally, which he believes could aid in this endeavour. Reflecting on his experience in Japan, which he found fascinating, he noted that last year, Berkshire invested in five trading houses in Japan due to their significant undervaluation and promising cash flows. Apart from these ventures, Berkshires investments have primarily been within the United States. One notable exception was the acquisition of shares in the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD.

Buffett reiterated the dilemma facing Berkshire, questioning whether the company possesses any advantage in pursuing those unattended opportunities, especially in comparison to individuals managing others finances and receiving compensation based on assets. He noted that many individuals in the industry are acquiring and managing businesses, potentially becoming wealthy regardless, as their compensation may be tied to the quantity rather than the quality of their acquisitions.

Oracle of Omaha warns against AI frauds

Buffett also warned shareholders that AI scams might skyrocket, potentially becoming the most lucrative industry, while also recounting a recent encounter with an AI-generated fake video of himself, emphasizing its deceptive capabilities.

The Oracle of Omaha is a nickname for Buffett who is called this because of his extraordinary investment prowess and his long-standing association with Omaha, Nebraska, where his company Berkshire Hathaway is headquartered.

Woodstock for Capitalists

Buffett is often regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world, and Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate he leads, is a testament to his investment philosophy. Buffetts approach is grounded in value investing, which involves finding undervalued companies and holding onto them for the long term. Berkshire Hathaways portfolio includes a diverse range of investments from insurance companies like GEICO to consumer goods companies like Coca-Cola.

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Buffetts annual letters to shareholders are eagerly anticipated by investors and provide insights into his thinking and approach to investing. He famously avoids investing in businesses he doesnt understand and focuses on companies with strong competitive advantages and solid management teams.

Berkshire Hathaways annual shareholder meetings, often referred to as the Woodstock for Capitalists, attract thousands of investors and enthusiasts eager to hear Buffetts wisdom firsthand.
Often in the grips of panic or paranoia, Moreno told officers that she was afraid for her and her sons lives, that people were in cahoots against her, and that she was armed and ready to fight back. Twice, she threatened to shoot people on recorded 911 lines.

Her family members and neighbors also warned police, child welfare workers and court officials that Moreno was stockpiling weapons and that she was dangerous to herself, her medically-fragile son and to her community.

They begged someone to intervene, but no one did, a Chronicle investigation found.

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The shooting left Morenos 7-year-old son, Samuel, and a 57-year-old man wounded. Moreno was fatally shot by off-duty officers who were working security at the church. More than 50 shots were fired.

Experts who reviewed dozens of police reports, 911 recordings and court documents obtained by the Chronicle said the tragedy was preventable.

Heres why:

1. Moreno told police she wanted to shoot people

Moreno was the subject of nearly 50 calls to police in the years leading up to the shooting. On recorded 911 lines, she threatened a neighbor with a firearm and told police officers that she wanted to shoot her husband. Relatives and neighbors also told police she harassed and threatened them for years.

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However, police officers never investigated the threats. They advised frightened callers to take their complaints to the local homeowners association, and to family court. The district attorney in Montgomery County also denied two requests to file harassment charges against Moreno.

2. Police could have seized Moreno's guns

For years, no one stopped Moreno from stockpiling an arsenal of assault-style weapons in her home, even as she flashed pistols in front of police officers and threatened to use firearms to harm people.

Moreno was forcibly committed to psychiatric treatment in 2016 after she told police she heard voices telling her to blow up a building. Under federal law, the commitment may have barred her from owning guns. But it remains unclear whether the hospitalization met the laws standards.

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3. Police knew she was mentally ill

Moreno was frantic, erratic and fluctuated between panicked rambling, shouting and bouts of tears on several 911 calls. She told at least one police officer that she suffered from bipolar disorder. Over the years, family members also warned police that Moreno suffered from schizophrenia, that she was not taking her prescribed medication and that her mental health was quickly deteriorating.

Officers noted that she appeared 1096  police shorthand for mentally unstable  and was very paranoid, but never referred Moreno to mental health resources.

PHOTOS: Scenes from Lakewood Church in the aftermath of deadly shooting

4. Police were warned her son was in danger

Family members and neighbors repeatedly warned police that Moreno had a small child and that she was raising him in a dangerous environment. They said Moreno had guns and drugs in her home, and that her son Samuel appeared undernourished and frail.

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However, officers never referred the callers to Texas Child Protective Services, the agency that investigates child neglect and abuse.

Walli Carranza, right, stands at the bedside of her grandson Samuel at Texas Childrens Hospital. The seven-year-old underwent several surgeries and lost the ability to walk and speak after he was shot twice in the head in the crossfire of Houston's Lakewood Church shooting on Feb. 11, 2024.

5. Courts and child welfare workers received warnings, too

Family members repeatedly called the CPS hotline over the years to report that Moreno was neglecting her sons medical needs and placing him in imminent danger. In nine family court cases filed between 2017 and 2022, relatives also implored judges to protect the boy from his mothers escalating violence.

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However, CPS left Samuel in his mothers custody. In court, Samuels father won custody temporarily in 2022. But he lost it again on appeal months later, before the boy could be removed from Morenos home.

6. Moreno publicly planned the attack on social media

In thousands of public posts published back-to-back nearly every hour, day and night, for three months before the shooting, Moreno brainstormed plans to kill her relatives, to intimidate her neighbors and, finally, to attack a religious site in February 2024.
Aditi Rao Hydari and Sanjay Leela Bhansali came together for the second time for Netflixs Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. And in an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the actress revealed how the filmmaker kept her on her toes, and infused all the passion and pathos for a critical scene they were shooting.

Hydari said, We started our shoot my first mujra. I had also just recovered from Covid at that time. By the end of the first day, the costume was heavy and my brain was not taking in anymore. I could see what he was telling me, I could understand it, but the firing wasnt happening. But, trust me, what he was saying made complete sense. I was so disappointed in myself because I knew he didnt get what he wanted. But, just before we wrapped, we got it. My thing here was that he believed so much in us so I never wanted to see him disappointed."

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The actress added, One day, we did two-three takes and then he just called me very sweetly and he started speaking to me. I immediately got taken into another world. He speaks very beautifully and he speaks from his heart, so its very passionate and I had tears in my eyes. And then he said we were going to shoot this scene and gave everybody a lunch break, except me. He asked, is that okay? I was like, Done. So I didnt eat and it really helped me. It kept me on the edge and not soft. So I went back to my van and I just thought about everything that he said. He basically told me a story. I came back and we shot it and it was okay.

It is always important to know the real story of the courtesans of Heeramandi shown in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis period drama. Watching a film is one thing, but for appreciating a period drama, you need to know the back story. The story of Heeramandiis complex. And not many know that they were supremely powerful. The real story of tawaifs inspired Sanjay Leela Bhansalis directorial, Netflixs Heeramandi.

Sanjay Leela Bhansalis much-awaited foray into the world of OTT platforms with Heeramandi has finally arrived, garnering praise from both audiences and critics alike. The series, comprised of 8 episodes, immerses viewers in a meticulously crafted rendition of Lahore from the early 1900s, capturing the essence of the era with unparalleled detail.
The filmmaker responded to a tweet by a doctor and wrote- Does creativity give us the freedom to glamorize human suffering? read more

Netflix and Saniay Leela Bhansalis Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is now streaming on the OTT giant and so far, has received both praise and criticism for its craft and opulence. The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnohotri too had a sharp take on the show after a doctor critiqued the portrayal of courtesans and their traumatic lives.

The doctor had to say- Just watched Heeramandi . Found everything but heermandi in it. I mean either you dont set your story in 1940s Lahore, or if you do- you dont set it in Agras landscape, Delhis Urdu, Lakhnavi dresses and 1840s vibe. My not-so-sorry Lahori self cant really let it go.

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Just watched Heeramandi. Found everything but heermandi in it.



I mean either you dont set your story in 1940s Lahore, or if you do- you dont set it in Agras landscape, Delhis Urdu, Lakhnavi dresses and 1840s vibe. My not-so-sorry Lahori self cant really let it go. pic.twitter.com/1O6Iq36SV9  Hamd Nawaz (@_SophieSchol) May 3, 2024

Agnihotri responded by saying- I havent seen the show, but I have visited Heeramandi in Lahore a few times. Bollywood has this tendency to romanticize courtesans and brothels. Its a sad commentary because brothels have never been places of opulence, glamour or beauty. These are monuments of human injustice, pain and suffering. Those unfamiliar with this should watch Shyam Benegals Mandi.

A brilliant critique by @_SophieSchol. I havent seen the show, but I have visited Heeramandi in Lahore a few times. Bollywood has this tendency to romanticize courtesans and brothels. Its a sad commentary because brothels have never been places of opulence, glamour or beauty. https://t.co/D56qU0Zyg0  Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) May 4, 2024

The filmmaker added- Also, a question we must ask: Does creativity give us the freedom to glamorize human suffering? Is it okay to make a film where slum life is depicted as a life of abundance? Is it okay to portray slum dwellers wearing clothes as if they are attending an Ambani wedding? Pl discuss.
He played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 epic romance Titanic, and earned worldwide recognition playing Theoden, King of Rohan, in two of the three The Lord Of The Rings films directed by Peter Jackson read more

British actor Bernard Hill, best known for his supporting roles in Titanic and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, died on Sunday aged 79, his agent announced.

He played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 epic romance Titanic, and earned worldwide recognition playing Theoden, King of Rohan, in two of the three The Lord Of The Rings films directed by Peter Jackson.

His agent Lou Coulson confirmed his death in the early hours of Sunday to British media outlets.

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Early in his career, Hill featured in the BBCs 1982 acclaimed drama Boys from the Blackstuff, which won numerous awards and is still lauded as one of the finest examples of its genre from the era.

He is set to return to television screens in series two of a contemporary BBC drama, The Responder, starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing in the UK later on Sunday.
Aleksanteri Julius Kivimaki, was recently sentenced to six years in prison for hacking Finlands largest psychotherapy company, Vastaamo, and releasing personal details online. It is believed to be the Nordic countrys biggest crime so far. However, the man behind it has a long history of notoriety  he began at the age of 13, gaining prominence among hacker gangs read more

Imagine you are going to a therapist, and one fine day you receive an email that your innermost, personal thoughts that you have shared will be made public if you dont pay a ransom.

Thats exactly what happened to nearly 33,000 patients in Finland when records were hacked from databases of Finlands largest psychotherapy company, Vastaamo. However, victims of this cybercrime can now heave a sigh of relief after a Finnish hacker, found to be the mastermind of the crime, was found guilty and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

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On 30 April, Aleksanteri Julius Kivimaki, a 26-year-old Finnish hacker, was found guilty of stealing confidential therapy notes to blackmail thousands of patients and sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

The judges found the 26-year-old guilty of all counts, which included 9,231 counts of disseminating information violating personal privacy and 20,745 counts of attempted aggravated extortion.

The judges described his blackmail as ruthlessly taking advantage of another persons special weakness.

Taking into account Vastaamos position as a company producing mental health services, Kivimaki has caused great suffering or the risk of it to the interested parties, the verdict document said.

The verdict brings to an end a cybercrime spree that started when Kivimaki was just 13 years old.

But who is Kivimaki, the hacker behind what is dubbed as Finlands largest crime? How did he carry out this spree of hacks? We explore this here.

Whos Kivimaki?

Twenty-six-year-old Kivimaki is no stranger to hacking. Also calling himself Zeekill, he began hacking in his teenage years. As per a BBC report, in 2010, he along with other hacking teams  Lizard Squad and Hack the Planet revelled in causing chaos.

He carried out several high-profile hack attacks until the age of 17 when he was arrested in 2014 and subsequently found guilty of 50,700 hacking offences. However, he wasnt jailed  a decision that shocked many and was criticised by several cyber-security world.

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A Bloomberg report states that Kivimaki, who grew up in Espoo in Helsinkis western neighbour, started playing around with the family computer at the age of three. In 2014, he is believed to have hacked Playstation Network and Xbox Live on Christmas eve. It was because of him that tens of millions of gamers were unable to download games, register new consoles or play with their friends online.

A gang member of Zeekills Lizard Squad gang described him in a BBC report as a vindictive teen who loved to get revenge on rivals and show off his skills online. He was very good at what he did and didnt care about the consequences. He would always go further than others in attacks.

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Whats the Vastaamo hack?

In 2018, Vastaamo, which oversaw dozens of psychotherapy centres throughout the Nordic nation, reported a massive data breach in which records of tens of thousands of patients were stolen.

Authorities note that Kivimaki was behind the hack and that he sent ransom mails to patients of Vastaamo, demanding that they pay him 200 (Rs 17,975) within 24 hours otherwise he would publish their information. If they didnt meet that deadline he increased it to 500 (Rs 45,000).

Exterior view of the offices of Vastaamo psychotherapy centre, in Pasila, Helsink. A Finnish court sentenced a 26-year-old man to six years and three months in prison for hacking tens of thousands of patient records at a private psychotherapy centre and seeking ransom from some patients over the sensitive data. AP

A trove of confidential information then surfaced on the dark web, including patients personal details, social security numbers, and sensitive therapist and doctor notes from sessions.

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For instance, WIRED reported how one mans abusive relationship with his parents and his drug and alcohol use was leaked.

The hack caught the attention of the country not just for the scale of the attack but also its cruelty. As Mikko Hypponen, a leading Finnish cybersecurity researcher, told Bloomberg: Everyone knows someone who knows someone whose information was in there.

In fact, the crime prompted then Prime Minister Sanna Marin to call a meeting of key ministers to discuss a government response. The Finnish president described the attack and leak as mercilessly cruel. Hanna Sarkkinen, a member of Parliament who was soon to become the countrys minister for health and social affairs, compared it to an act of terrorism.

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How was Kivimaki caught?

It took Finnish authorities two years to gather evidence against Kivimaki and for the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice against him. He soon became known as Europes most wanted criminals.

A BBC report states that he was tracked down last February when the police in Paris went to his apartment on receiving a false domestic disturbance call. They found him living with forged identity documents under a fake name. He was then extradited to Finland where he would face perhaps the countrys biggest and most high-profile trials.

Detective Ch Supt Marko Leponen lead the case and says it was the biggest of his career. We had more than 200 officers on the case at one point and it was an intense investigation with so many victim statements and stories to go through.

Leponen said it wasnt easy to prove that it was Kivimaki but he and his team used different techniques and methods to prove that it was indeed the 26-year-old who was at the keyboard when the commands were executed. The path from the crime to the suspect was not a straight line, said Leponen to Bloomberg. But there were many connections. It is a spider web, and in the middle of this web is Kivimaki.

Throughout the trial, Kivimaki maintained his innocence.

It took Finnish authorities two years to gather evidence against Kivimaki. After much investigations, the Finnish court found him guilty in the Vastaamo data breach and sentenced him to six years in prison. Image used for representational purposes

What next?

While Kivimaki has been sentenced, its not the end of the matter. For the victims of the hack, they feel justice has not been served. Tiina Parikka, one of the victims, was quoted as telling BBC: So many people were affected by this in so many ways - 33,000 people is a lot of victims and its affected our health, and some have been targeted with financial scams as well using the stolen data too.

They are also waiting to see if there is any compensation from the case.

As for Kivimaki, theres a chance that he is likely to serve only half his prison sentence because of time already served and the Finnish justice system.

With inputs from agencies
Gold remained over Rs 72,000 per 10 grammes on Monday after hitting a record high of 73,958 rupees per 10 grammes in April. Experts say domestic consumption in China, spurred by shaken confidence in real estate and the stock market after a series of scandals, has spiked the price of gold. The Peoples Bank of China (PBC) is also bulking up its reserves and unloading its US debt read more

Gold prices have increased around 13 per cent in 2024  after rising more than 10 per cent in 2023. Representational image.

Gold is going up, up, up.per

The yellow metal is living up to its reputation of being considered a safe asset in turbulent times.

The price of gold remained over Rs 72,000 per 10 gram on Monday.

In the international markets, spot gold is trading at 2,315 per ounce.

The precious metal in April hit a record high of 73,958 rupees per 10 grammes.

Gold prices have increased around 13 per cent in 2024  this after rising more than 10 per cent in 2023.

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But what is driving this surge?

Lets take a closer look:

Young buyers flock to gold

The increase in gold prices is being driven by domestic consumption in China.

The New York Time__s quoted China Gold Association as saying that gold buying in the country has risen six per cent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier.

In 2023, gold buying rose nine per cent.

Chinas demand for gold jewelry spiked 10 per, cent while investments in Chinese bar and coins nearly tripled that.

China is now both the worlds biggest producer of gold as well as its largest consumer.

From the start of the year, weve seen enormous Chinese retail buying  record amounts of buying on the domestic Shanghai Gold Exchange, John Reade, chief market strategist at the World Gold Council, told Bloomberg TV.

According to The Economist, middle-aged women used to make up the bulk of gold buyers in China.

But now many customers are in their 20s.

Since most do not have the money to buy gold by the bar, they are buying it by the bean  around one gram.

The clitter-clatter fills me with a sense of accomplishment, one person on social media wrote. I can save beans until I retire.

You feel like youre spending money without spending money, another added.

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They are turning to the precious metal in an attempt to maximise their savings.

While middle-aged women used to make up the bulk of gold buyers in China, nowadays many customers are in their 20s.

This, as the countrys confidence in real estate and stocks has been rocked by scandals.

Philip Klapwijk, managing director of Hong Kong-based consultant Precious Metals Insights Ltd, told Fortune young people dont really have much of a choice.

The weight of money available under these circumstances for an asset like gold  and actually for new buyers to come in  is pretty considerable, Klapwijk said. There isnt much alternative in China. With exchange controls and capital controls, you cant just look at other markets to put your money into.

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Central bank bulks up

Chinas central bank is also bulking up its gold reserves.

In 2023, the Peoples Bank of China (PBC) purchased more gold than any other central bank in the world.

Of the 1,037 tons purchased by central banks, the PBC picked up around a quarter  around 225 tons.

The central bank increased its gold reserves more than it had in nearly five decades.

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According to the World Gold Council, the PBC has increased its gold reserves for 17 months straight.

Krishan Gopaul, senior analyst, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), World Gold Council, noted that the PBC added 22 tons to its gold reserves in January and February.

Global central bank #gold reserves rose by 19 tonnes in Feb, the 9th consecutive month of growth but at a slower rate than Jan. Y-t-d, central banks report adding a net 64 tonnes. Read more on this on Goldhub: https://t.co/xpVPwTBLsJ pic.twitter.com/SmrUclmvBG  Krishan Gopaul (@KrishanGopaul) April 3, 2024

China is unquestionably driving the price of gold, said Ross Norman, CEO, MetalsDaily, told The New York Times.

The Telegraph quoted data from the World Gold Council as showing that the PBC has 2,262 tonnes of gold in its reserves.

Since October 2022, the share of gold in its reserves have spiked to 4.6 per cent from 3.2 per cent.

Experts say Chinas central bank looking to diversify as its slowly unloads US debt.

This, as Beijing slowly unloads its US debt.

According to DW, China is concerned about its overreliance on the US dollar.

Chinese reserves have fallen to around $800 billion  a third of its holdings since 2011.

They also say Beijing could be looking to stymie any Western sanctions over a possible invasion of Taiwan.

Jonathan Eyal, associate director at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the newspaper: The relentless purchases and the sheer quantity are clear signs that this is a political project which is prioritised by the leadership in Beijing because of what they see is a looming confrontation with the United States.

Of course its connected also to plans for a military invasion of Taiwan.

The sanctions placed upon the Central Bank of Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine back in 2022 made politicians and reserve managers realise that they are more at risk than perhaps they thought they were, Reade told The Guardian.

If you offend the Western powers, then you can lose access to your foreign exchange reserves.

What happens next?

Experts say there could be a correction  at least in the short-term.

Though prices are coming down, demand is not improving. Buyers have taken a pause. They think prices could fall sharply, considering the big price rally of the last two months," said Ashok Jain, proprietor of Mumbai-based gold wholesaler Chenaji Narsinghji.

Indian dealers charged a premium of up to $1 an ounce over official domestic prices - inclusive of 15 per cent import and three per cent sales levies, versus last weeks premium of $5.

Akshaya Tritiya, the second-biggest gold-buying festival after Dhanteras, is set to be celebrated this week.

If prices remain at this level or correct further, we could see good demand during the festival, said a Mumbai-based bullion dealer with a private bank.

In China, dealers charged premiums of $18-$20 per ounce over benchmark prices , down from the $20-$35 premiums seen last week.

Chinese markets are closed for the Labour Day holiday from May 1-3, but there was no boost from pre-holiday spending and consumption volume declined due to a short trading week, said Bernard Sin, regional director, Greater China, at MKS PAMP.

With inputs from agencies
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has recommended a probe by the National Investigation Agency against jailed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP convenor could face further troubles. Heres what is going on read more

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently in jail in a liquor policy case, could face further troubles. Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has recommended a probe by the anti-terror agency against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor.

The development comes during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, with less than a month remaining in the polling in the National Capital.

What is going on? What is the AAP saying? Lets take a closer look.

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Delhi LG orders NIA probe against Kejriwal

The Delhi LG has called for an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding from the banned extremist organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), PTI reported citing Raj Niwas sources.

In a letter to the Union Home Secretary, the Lt Governors Secretariat has claimed that Saxena got a complaint about the Kejriwal-led AAP receiving $16 million (about Rs 133 crore) from the pro-Khalistani group to facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar and espousing the Pro-Khalistani sentiments, as per an Indian Express report.

Bhullar is a convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case. In 2001, the former professor, who was deported from Germany, was given the death penalty for the killing of nine people and injuring 31 others in the explosion outside the Youth Congress headquarters in the National Capital. His death sentence was commuted to life term in 2014.

The complaint to the Delhi LG was reportedly filed by Ashoo Mongia of the World Hindu Federation.

In his letter, Saxena also referred to a video of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is based in the United States, where he alleged the AAP received $16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

 Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party the LG reportedly said in the letter.

Delhi LG, VK Saxena has recommended an NIA probe against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding from the banned terrorist organization Sikhs for Justice



LG had received a complaint that Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had received huge funds  USD 16 pic.twitter.com/11wzfXvgmo  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

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Saxena has also mentioned a letter written by Kejriwal to Iqbal Singh in January 2014, saying that the AAP Government has already recommended to the President the release of Professor Bhullar and would be working on other issues including formation of SIT, etc. sympathetically and in a time-bound manner.

Activist Iqbal Singh went on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in December 2013, with several demands, including the release of Bhullar from jail. He ended his fast only after receiving a letter of assurance from Kejriwal.

Saxena said in his letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that since the complaint is against a sitting Chief Minister and concerns political funding from a banned extremist organisation, the electronic evidences adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination.

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As per India Today, there are also allegations that Kejriwal participated in a closed-door meeting with pro-Khalistani Sikh leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York during his visit to the United States in 2014.

What has AAP said?

The AAP has rubbished the Delhi LGs letter to the MHA.

Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj called it a big conspiracy against the party and their leader.

Lt Governor sir is an agent of BJP. This is another big conspiracy against Arvind Kejriwal at the behest of the BJP. The BJP is in panic due to the fear of getting defeated in all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, he said.

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Bharadwaj said the BJP had raised similar allegations ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls. He said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said there would be an investigation but nothing was found in the probe.

Due to fear of defeat, the BJP makes the same allegations before every election, the Delhi minister claimed.

BJPs reaction

The Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has also commented on the LGs recommendation. He alleged that the AAP leaders have taken political funding from a banned terrorist organisation," which is infamous all over the world for its actions and they take money from them. It is a direct case of treason. You are taking donations and political funding from the enemies of the country, Sachdeva said, as per News18.

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He also called for strict action against the AAP leaders.

Will AAPs trouble increase?

Kejriwal has been behind bars in Tihar Jail since 1 April in an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Other senior AAP leaders like Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are also in prison.

In the absence of these bigwigs, Sunita Kejriwal, the Delhi CMs wife, is campaigning for the party in the Lok Sabha polls . Some even speculated she could replace Kejriwal as the Delhi CM if push comes to shove. So far, it has not happened.

Sunita Kejriwal is campaigning for the AAP in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. PTI File Photo

Notably, the LGs letter has come to light a day before the Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case.

The apex court had said in the previous hearing last week that it could consider granting interim bail to the Delhi CM due to the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

Even if he gets relief from the Supreme Court, Kejriwals troubles could increase if the NIA launches a probe on the Delhi LGs recommendation.

With inputs from agencies
Top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are set to campaign in Odisha on Monday. The African nation of Chad is set to conduct presidential elections. Chinese president Xi Jinping will be on a state visit to France. Heres a look at these, and other top developments expected on 6 May read more

PM Modi is set to campaign in Odisha on May 6. PTI

It is going to be a day filled with significant global and local events.

In India, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are set to campaign in Odisha. In Delhi, courts will pass important judgements in the cases against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha and Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal.

The African nation of Chad is set to conduct presidential elections. Theres a big developments in space exploration coming from Boeing in the United States. Chinese president Xi Jinping will be on a state visit to France.

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Heres a look at the major events lined up for Monday.

PM Modi and Naddas campaign in Odisha

In India, PM Narendra Modi and BJP president J.P. Nadda will be actively campaigning in Odisha for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections. On Monday, Modi is expected to address rallies in the Berhampur and Nabarangpur constituencies, highlighting the partys initiatives and goals.

Court decision in K Kavithas Case

Delhis Rouse Avenue court is set to deliver a crucial ruling on the bail plea of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy case. The verdict, which will also include a ruling in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, is highly anticipated due to its potential impact on Kavithas political activities amid ongoing general elections.

Naresh Goyals bail decision

On May 6, the court will address the bail request of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. Goyal has sought interim bail on medical grounds, citing serious health issues for both him and his wife. Goyal is at the centre of ongoing investigations into financial misconduct at Jet Airways.

Chad presidential elections

Chad is set to conduct its presidential elections on Monday, marking a pivotal moment as the first coup-affected country in Central and West Africa to attempt a transition from military rule via the ballot.

Mahamat Idriss Deby. Reuters

Opposition groups have expressed concerns about the fairness of the elections. Mahamat Idriss Deby, who assumed power following the assassination of his father, in 2021, is expected to win.

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Western nations have remained relatively silent, monitoring the situation closely with hopes that the elections will bring some stability to a region plagued by militant violence and increasing Russian influence.

Boeings Starliner test flight

After multiple delays, Boeing is set to launch its first-ever Starliner astronaut mission for the National Aeronautic and Space Association (NASA). The test flight, scheduled for May 6, will send NASA astronauts Barry Butch Wilmore and Sunita Suni Williams to the International Space Station for a week-long mission, serving as a critical test of Boeings Crew Flight Test capabilities.

Xi Jinpings visit to France

Xi Jinping is set to be in France on a state visit on Monday and Tuesday. AP

On 6 and 7 May, French president Emmanuel Macron will host Chinese president Xi Jinping for a state visit, the first of Xis European tours since the pandemic. This visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France. The discussions are likely to focus on pressing issues like the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

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Its about to be an eventful day.

With inputs from agencies
Karnataka MP Prajwal Revanna faces a blue corner Interpol notice, which enables countries to share alerts and requests for information [on wanted persons/crimes] worldwide. Why does Interpol use different colour codes for notices? read more

Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna is a wanted man. After he was embroiled in a sex scandal, he reportedly fled the country. Now a blue corner notice has been issued against the absconding Karnataka leader.

Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara hinted on Sunday that Indian authorities had sought the help of Interpol to bring the 33-year-old back to India.

The notices, issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), serve as global alerts to assist law enforcement agencies in locating and apprehending individuals wanted for serious crimes. These notices are not arrest warrants but serve as tools to assist in apprehending suspects across borders.

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But how do Interpols colour-coded notices work? Lets take a closer look.


















Israel has shut down the operations of Al Jazeera in the country, branding it a mouthpiece for Hamas. This is the latest feud between the Jewish nation and the media house. The move also puts the spotlight on the ownership and handling of the network, headquartered in Qatars Doha read more

A man manoeuvres media equipment following an Israeli police raid on an Al Jazeera de facto office at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem. Reuters

As the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage  its been over 200 days of fighting  the Benjamin Netanyahu government in the Jewish nation on Sunday (5 May) voted to shut down the offices of the media channel Al Jazeera operating in the country with immediate effect.

Writing on X, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had decided unanimously to close Al Jazeera in Israel. On Sunday, Israeli authorities raided the offices of Al Jazeera in Jerusalem with videos showing plainclothes officers dismantling camera equipment.

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The move has undoubtedly angered the media institution, with the network calling it suppression of the free press.

Netanyahus banning of Al Jazeera

On Sunday, Israel raided the Al Jazeera office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem with the countrys Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi saying equipment had been taken in the raid. A video posted by the minister on X showed police officers and inspectors from the ministry entering a hotel room.

Shortly after the raid, it was announced that media operations of the network would cease to function immediately in Israel after the Netanyahu Cabinet voted on it. The move was made possible after Israels parliament had ratified a law last month that allows for the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered a threat to national security.

We finally are able to stop Al Jazeeras well-oiled incitement machine that harms the security of the country, Karhi said. His office said it would bar Al Jazeera from operating in Israel for at least 45 days, a measure that can be renewed.

A picture shows a message broadcasted on the Al Jazeera television network which reads In accordance with the government decision, Al Jazeera channel broadcasts have been suspended in Israel. - Al Jazeera went off air in Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government decided to shut it down following a long-running feud, in a move the Qatar-based channel decried as criminal. AFP

As per a CNN report, Israeli cable providers ceased carrying the Al Jazeera networks by late Sunday afternoon. Moreover, Al Jazeeras cable channel in Israel now displays a message stating, In accordance with the governments decision, Al Jazeera channel broadcasts were stopped in Israel.

According to Netanyahu, Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israels security and incited against soldiers. Its time to remove the Hamas mouthpiece from our country.

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The move evoked a strong response from the media network itself and also vowed to pursue all available legal channels through international legal institutions in its quest to protect both its rights and journalists, as well as the publics right to information.

Israels ongoing suppression of the free press, seen as an effort to conceal its actions in the Gaza Strip, stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law, the network said. Israels direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and threats will not deter Al Jazeera.

Other human rights groups also condemned the move. The UNs Human Rights office called on the Israeli government to reverse the ban, posting on X: A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza.

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The Foreign Press Association also urged the Israeli government to reconsider its decision. The FPA said in a statement that Israel now joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station.

Israel vs Al Jazeera

This move by Israel is the latest chapter in its feud with the network. In fact, for years, Israeli officials have accused the network of anti-Israeli bias.

Relations took a major downturn nearly two years ago when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.

And the criticism of the broadcaster has become even more pronounced since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas in Israel. Since the war began, Al Jazeera has been carrying non-stop reportage of the war, and has been vocal about the casualties and loss of property in the war. However, Israeli officials accuse the network of publishing video statements from Hamas and other militant groups in the region, which, in their opinion, is inciting hatred.

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An employee walks inside an office of Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network in Jerusalem. File image/Reuters

In April, Netanyahu went as far as calling Al Jazeera a terrorist channel and had vowed to halt its activities in the country.

The Jewish nation has also accused the channels reporters and staff members to be terror operatives.

Notably, Israels decision to ban Al Jazeera threatens to heighten tensions with Qatar at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza, along with Egypt and the United States.

The people behind Al Jazeera

Israels move to ban Al Jazeera has also put the spotlight on the ownership of the media network and its agenda.

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Al Jazeera, the cable television news network, was launched in November 1996 after it was founded by Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifa Al Thani, emir of Qatar. The network was guaranteed government financial backing for its first five years, and it transmitted from Doha, Qatar, and from bureaus around the world.

However, it claims to be independent, with its website stating, Free from the shackles of censorship and government control, Al Jazeera has offered its audiences in the Arab world much needed freedom of thought, independence, and room for debate.

Three years later, it began continuous programming. In just five years, by 2001, Al Jazeera succeeded in becoming the most watched Arab television station for news, and within 10 years more than three-quarters of Arabs identified Al Jazeera as being either their first or second choice for news.

A general view of an Al Jazeera building in Doha, Qatar. Reuters

However, with great success came also criticism from inside the Arab world as well as outside.

A month after the 9/11 attack, Al Jazeera broadcast a statement from Osama bin Laden . In it, bin Laden says the US will have no rest until the West Asia conflict is resolved and US military bases in the region are shut down. In November of 2011, it once again aired another tape of bin Laden in which he said that the war in Afghanistan is in a religious war and that the people of Afghanistan had nothing to do with this matter.

Besides the US, the network has also antagonised many of the regions Arab rulers particularly in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. In 2002, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Qatar for Al Jazeeras coverage of the country.

Moreover, the Arab uprisings in 2011 exacerbated many of these tensions. Al Jazeeras coverage of the uprisings gave voice to dissidents and conveyed the often-violent crackdowns on protests. This coverage helped catalyse the protests, which cascaded across the region.

Even amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Al Jazeeras coverage has been criticised for being one-sided. As The Print notes in one of its reports, the network has also exhibited anti-Semitic sentiments. For instance, on 30 May 2017, Al Jazeeras English-language account retweeted an anti-Semitic meme, prompting the network to issue an apology and attribute it as a mistake.

With inputs from agencies
The Samajwadi Partys 21-year-old campaigner, Aditi Yadav, is getting a warm reception in her late grandfather Mulayam Singh Yadavs bastion of Mainpuri as she canvasses for her mother and the sitting MP, Dimple. Her simplicity and down-to-earth approach has drawn comparisons with Netaji read more

Aditi Yadav has been campaigning for her mother, Dimple Yadav, in Mainpuri for nearly a month now. News18

The Yadav family of the Samajwadi Party (SP) has a new campaigner for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Akhilesh Yadavs daughter, Aditi, has hit the grounds to seek votes for mother Dimple Yadav and other candidates.

Dimple Yadav, the sitting member of Parliament (MP) from Uttar Pradeshs Mainpuri, is again in the fray from the seat, a bastion of her late father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Aditi, 21, is the third generation of the late SPs patriarchs family stepping into the political arena. The comparisons to her grandfather are not far behind.

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Lets take a look at how Aditi Yadav has grabbed attention during the general elections.

Who is Aditi Yadav?

The daughter of Dimple and Akhilesh Yadav did her schooling at Lucknows La Martiniere College, scoring 98 per cent marks in her Class 12 exams in 2020, as per ThePrint report.

Currently, she is pursuing Politics and International Relations at University College London (UCL).

Aditi is fond of badminton and horse riding, people close to her told ThePrint.

Aditi Yadav campaigns for mother

Aditi, who is being referred to as ghar ki bitiya in Mainpuri, was first spotted on the campaign trail with her mother on 20 March, as per ThePrint.

She has been addressing small gatherings or nukkad sabhas for nearly a month in the SPs safe seat of Mainpuri, which was won by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1996, 2009, 2014 and 2019.

The seat fell vacant after the death of the SP patriarch in 2022, necessitating a bypoll. Dimple won the byelection, defeating Raghuraj Singh Shakya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 2,88,461 votes.

Dimple Yadav is seeking re-election from Mainpuri, where she will face BJPs Jaiveer Singh Thakur and Shiv Prasad Yadav of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Mainpuri is voting on 7 May during the third phase of Lok Sabha polls.

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This time, Dimples eldest daughter is braving the hot weather in Uttar Pradesh, connecting with the locals, to help her retain the family bastion.

Aditi Yadav, who is on a summer vacation, is now going door-to-door to persuade people to vote for her mother.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav's daughter Aditi campaigns for the party in the villages of Mainpuri. pic.twitter.com/QuGrOU0l0t  ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2024

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As per ThePrint report, she leaves for election campaigning at noon from her Saifai residence and returns by dusk.

She greets elders with folded hands and waves at youth and children. Aditi is welcomed with garlands and bouquets, and sometimes a pagdi (turban) is on her head, reported Times of India (TOI).

In the Mainpuri Lok Sabha constituency which covers five assembly segments, Aditis election campaign focused on SPs strongolds of Karhal and Kishni, as per ThePrint report.

She is holding nukkad sabhas and giving speeches to develop an emotional link with her audience, the report added.

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During her address at Kishni on 30 April, Aditi had reportedly said, Mainpuri is my home and you all are my family. Wherever I am going, I am getting love like a daughter. Thank you people for this belongingness.

In her speeches, she also touches on political issues, promising that the SP government would empower women, create job opportunities for the youth, and provide good education to children.

VIDEO | Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav's daughter Aditi participates in a political campaign in UP's Saifai. Here's what she said at a public meeting.



"Our party has always worked in favour of women, youth and farmers. We will make a government that pic.twitter.com/iy55Nx4B65  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2024

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Aditis approach has garnered a good response among the locals.

Mainpuri is Netajis own seat and to us, Aditi is ghar ki bitiya (own daughter), people will certainly vote for Dimple Yadav and will make her win with a record margin of four lakh votes, a local told News18.

Aditis engagement with the locals in Mainpuri, a predominantly rural constituency, has also inspired SPs youth workers.

Speaking to ThePrint, Piyush Yadav, a party youth worker, said, She is campaigning continuously for six-seven hours in this scorching heat. There is clarity in her voice and thought. Nothing would have changed had she not come, but the public likes her. She does not need recognition, but now, she is also making a name for herself.

ALSO READ: Did the Election Commission delay voter turnout data of the first 2 phases?

Comparisons to Netaji

Aditi and her grassroots approach are reminding people of her grandfather Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was affectionately known as Netaji.

This is the first time people saw Aditi, who resembles her father, Akhilesh, from such close quarters. The way Aditi meets people, listens to them, embraces them, and interacts with them, reminds us of Dharti Putra Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav), who was known for his simplicity and down-to-earth approach, Badrinath Yadav, a resident of Mainpuris Fatehganj town, told News18.

Supporters are using phrases like phool si beti (flower-like daughter) and Netaji ki poti for her, reported ThePrint.

Besides Mainpuri, Aditi was also seen canvassing in Etawah last week for the SP candidate Jitendra Dohare. Etawah will go to polls on 13 May during the fourth phase of voting.

#WATCH | Etawah, Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav's daughter Aditi campaigns for the party in the Saifai area. #LokSabhaElections pic.twitter.com/b13VF6oMu0  ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2024

Will Aditi Yadav take the political plunge?

Aditis surprise entry into the campaign trail has raised questions about her plans. However, the SP is keeping its cards close to its chest when it comes to speculations about Netajis granddaughter taking a political plunge.

Aditi is not only campaigning for me but in a way also exploring her roots. She is meeting people, visiting their houses, and spending time with them, Dimple Yadav said in a statement, as per News18.

On her daughters plans, Dimple said she is free to make her own decision. I have always supported my children and its totally up to her if she wants to build her career in politics or something else, she added.

BJPs charge of parivarwaad

The BJP is trying to corner the Akhilesh Yadav-led party with its parivarwaad (dynastic) jibes. Aditis canvassing has also not gone unnoticed.

Nidhi Yadav, a trusted aide of Akhilesh Yadav, said at a gathering that the BJP was sending senior party leaders to campaign in Mainpuri due to their apprehension of Dimples daughter, ThePrint reported.

Bigwigs like Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath have held rallies in the constituency.

Taking a potshot, Shah, at a rally in Kishni, had said that the SP claims to be a well-wisher of the Yadavs but only shows the family during elections. He said the time has come to end the family-based party and ensure that the lotus blooms, ThePrint reported.

In a first, five members of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadavs clan are contesting the Lok Sabha elections. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is running from Kannauj, Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri, Dharmendra Yadav from Azamgarh, Aditya Yadav from Badaun and Akshay Yadav from Firozabad.

With inputs from agencies
Rick Noriega, former Harris County IT director, at the Hilton Americas Hotel Nov. 10, 2018. Dave Rossman/Contributor

A lawsuit filed by a former Harris County department head against the county is moving forward after a district court judge on Monday denied a request to dismiss the case.

Rick Noriega, Harris Countys former executive director of information technology, was fired in May 2023 when county officials said he refused to complete mandatory sexual harassment training. A county employee in December 2022 had filed a sexual harassment complaint against Noriega, prompting the training requirement.

NORIEGA FIRED: Harris County fires IT director Noriega after he refused training amid sexual harassment allegations

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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced the personnel decision, without naming Noriega, during a news conference last May.

The types of behaviors that perhaps may have gone unnoticed in the past in the county in a 'good old boy' culture are no longer going to be allowed, Hidalgo said.

Hidalgos remarks featured prominently in Noriegas lawsuit.

Noriega demanded that Judge Hidalgo correct her false statements and issue a public apology. Judge Hidalgo ignored that demand. And the County has done nothing to otherwise clear Noriegas good name, the lawsuit said.

Hidalgos office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Noriega also alleged he had been falsely and maliciously accused of sexual harassment, claiming the complaint against him had been filed in retaliation after he had disciplined the accusers husband, who worked for Noriega.

In other words, this complaint of 'sexual harassment' was payback, the lawsuit said.

HARRIS COUNTY SALARIES: Hidalgo clashes with Commissioners Court colleagues on nearly 40% raise for HCTRA director

Noriega described the harassment incident as a hug and a peck on the cheek or forehead, which no reasonable person would describe as sexual harassment.

Now Noriega is suing for protection under the Texas Whistleblower Act, claiming that he was fired after he reported his accuser for violating county policies by making a false and malicious complaint.

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Harris Countys defense attorneys said on Monday the Texas Whistleblower Act doesnt apply in Noriegas case, arguing that the former department head cant sue Harris County over the enforcement of its own personnel policies since theyre internal policies  not laws.

However, Noriegas attorneys claimed that because Commissioners Court approves the countys personnel policies, they are effectively laws.

133rd District Court Judge Jaclanel McFarland denied the countys request to dismiss the case, though she did not offer an explanation for her reasoning. The county could appeal that decision.

Noriega is represented by attorney Rusty Hardin, while the county has hired Norton Rose Fulbright.
The agency has recovered over Rs 30 crore from the home of a help employed by Sanjiv Lal, who is personal secretary to Jharkhand rural development minister Alamgir Alam. The raids in multiple locations came in connection with a case against a former chief engineer in the Jharkhand Rural Development Department read more

The agency found hundreds of bundles of Rs 500 notes at the residence near Ranchi Hill. News18

The Enforcement Directorate has struck it big in Ranchi.

The agency has recovered over Rs 30 crore from the home of a help employed by the personal secretary to the states rural development minister

The raids came in connection with a case against a former chief engineer in the Jharkhand Rural Development Department.

Lets take a look at what we know:

What do we know?

The ED conducted raids at multiple locations in Ranchi on Monday.

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According to reports, the agency discovered over 30 crore from the residence of a household help employed by Sanjiv Lal.

Lal is personal secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam.

#WATCH | Jharkhand: Huge amount of cash recovered from household help of Sanjiv Lal - PS to Jharkhand Rural Development minister Alamgir Alam - in ED raids at multiple locations in Ranchi in Virendra Ram case.



ED arrested Virendra K. Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/1yoBFRvaLa  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

As per The Times of India, Alam, 70 is a Congress leader.

He represents the Pakur constituency in the Jharkhand Assembly.

As per Mint, the agency found hundreds of bundles of Rs 500 notes at the residence.

Hindustan Times reported that the helps name is Jahangir Alam.

The home is located at Sayed Residency near Ranchi Hill.

The outlet quoted sources as saying that the agency had deployed eight cash counting machines.

The money is still being totalled.

According to NDTV, several cash machines broke malfunctioned and new ones had to be procured.

Rs 30 crore has been seized so far. The raid is still underway. The ED has covered six premises linked to Jharkhand minister and his aides, ED officials told ANI.

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The agency found Rs 2.93 crore and Rs 10 lakh each from two locations

The cash was largely in Rs 500 notes.

Some jewellery was also been recovered.

EDs sources told Indian Express it had also recovered some incriminating documents.

The raids are part of an ongoing investigation related to the case involving Virendra K Ram, former chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, who was arrested in February 2023 in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of government schemes.

Following the arrest of Ram on 23 February last year, on 25 June the same year, ED had arrested three persons  Neeraj Mittal and Ram Prakash Bhatia from Delhi in connection with illegal transactions of Rs 121 crore in the case related to Ram, and a third identified as Tara Chand, an ED source told Hindustan Times.

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One of the other locations of the such location is the residence of Vikas Kumar, an engineer in the Road Construction Department.

As per NDTV, the ED conducted raids at nine places including Ranchis Sail City and the areas of Bariatu, Morhabadi, and Bodia.

No official information thus far

The Times of India quoted Alam as saying, I have no official information regarding this so far.

I have been watching TV and it says the premise is linked to the official PS (private secretary) provided to me by the government, he added.

Alam told ANI, Sanjiv Lal is a government employee. He is my personal secretary. Sanjiv Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. There are several government employees and we usually appoint personal secretary based on experience.

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Alam told NDTV there should be no rush to judgment before the ED has completed its probe.

Any minister has two personal secretaries  one is a private one and the other is a government officer. Sanjiv Lal is a government officer, and has in the past been a PS to former BJP minister C P Singh as well, harkhand Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha told Indian Express.

Alamgir ji has told me that he has no connection with it (the seized cash). It seems that the raids were timed to be conducted ahead of the arrival of Rahul Gandhi in Jharkhand, he said.

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BJP MLA CP Singh told Indian Express that Lal was previously his personal secretary. I had been very cautious and kept a watch, and had received no complaints regarding him during my tenure, Singh said.

In 2019, a huge amount of cash was recovered from one of his subordinates. The ED later took over the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ED had arrested Virendra K Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, in February 2023 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes.

Veerendra Kumar Ram, posted as chief engineer in the Rural Works Department in Ranchi, had generated proceeds of crime in the name of commission from contractors in lieu of allotment of tenders to them, the agency said in a statement as per Mint

The proceeds of crime thus generated were used by Veerendra Kumar Ram and his family members to live a very lavish lifestyle, the agency added as per The Times of India.

BJP goes on attack

The BJP has attacked the Congress over the development.

Mint quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public rally in Odishas Nabarangpur on Monday, as saying, Today, mountains of currency notes are being found in the neighbouring state Jharkhand. People are saying chori ho gaya aur mal pakad raha Modi waha (theft has taken place and Modi has seized the robbed goods).

Now tell me, if I stop their theft, stop their earning, stop their loot, wont they abuse Modi or not? Despite the abuses, shouldnt I be doing this work? Shouldnt I be saving your money.

NDTV quoted Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi as wondering what would be found in ministers homes?

They keep saying ED is harassing us. I want to tell the government and Kalpana Soren, you should remove Alamgir Alam as minister, Marandi added.

Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo wrote on X:

Meanwhile, BJP Member of Parliament Deepak Prakash sharply criticised Jharkhands ruling coalition of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and RJD are doing the work of converting Jharkhand into Lootkhand. Today again an amount of more than Rs 25 crore has been recovered, and it belongs to the ministers of the ruling party. The people of Jharkhand are feeling insulted today, Prakash said.
An experimental F-16 fighter jet, controlled by artificial intelligence, took US air force secretary Frank Kendall on a historic flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California recently. The first of these unmanned warplanes is expected to be operating by 2028. However, theres a lot of opposition to the idea read more

US air force Secretary Frank Kendall sits in the front cockpit of an X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California on Friday. AP

The skies above Edwards Air Force Base thundered with the explosive launch of an experimental F-16 fighter jet, marking a new chapter in the history of US military aviation. It was a ground-breaking demonstration of technological prowess but with a twist. This F-16 wasnt piloted by a human. Instead, it was under the precise control of artificial intelligence (AI). And riding in the front seat was US air force Secretary Frank Kendall.

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The US air force is excited about AI because it enables them to have unmanned planes that can perform several tasks without endangering human lives. They intend to have over 1,000 of these AI-enabled planes by 2028.

Despite this enthusiasm, there are legitimate concerns about the ethical implications of autonomous weapons systems. We explain.

AI takes flight

AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s, and the US air force has aggressively leaned in. Even though the technology is not fully developed, the service is planning for an AI-enabled fleet of more than 1,000 unmanned warplanes, the first of them operating by 2028.

It was fitting that the dogfight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, a vast desert facility where Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound and the military has incubated its most secret aerospace advances. Inside classified simulators and buildings with layers of shielding against surveillance, a new test-pilot generation is training AI agents to fly in war. Kendall travelled here to see AI fly in real-time and make a public statement of confidence in its future role in air combat.

An AI-enabled F-16 fighter jet, left, flies next to an adversary F-16, as both aircraft race within 1,000 feet of each other, trying to force their opponent into vulnerable positions, above Edwards Air Force Base, California. AP

Its a security risk not to have it. At this point, we have to have it, Kendall said in an interview with The Associated Press after he landed. The AP, along with NBC, was granted permission to witness the secret flight on the condition that it would not be reported until it was complete because of operational security concerns.

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The AI-controlled F-16, called Vista, flew Kendall in lightning-fast manoeuvres at more than 550 miles an hour that put pressure on his body at five times the force of gravity. It went nearly nose to nose with a second human-piloted F-16 as both aircraft raced within 1,000 feet of each other, twisting and looping to try to force their opponent into vulnerable positions.

At the end of the hour-long flight, Kendall climbed out of the cockpit grinning. He said hed seen enough during his flight that hed trust this still-learning AI with the ability to decide whether or not to launch weapons in war.

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The opposition

Theres a lot of opposition to that idea. Arms control experts and humanitarian groups are deeply concerned that AI one day might be able to autonomously drop bombs that kill people without further human consultation, and they are seeking greater restrictions on its use.

There are widespread and serious concerns about ceding life-and-death decisions to sensors and software, the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned. Autonomous weapons are an immediate cause of concern and demand an urgent, international political response.

Kendall said there will always be human oversight in the system when weapons are used.

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US air force secretary Frank Kendall, right, and Major Ryan Forystek, an X-62A VISTA Pilot for SecAF flight, climb into the cockpit of the X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California. AP

The militarys shift to AI-enabled planes is driven by security, cost and strategic capability. If the US and China should end up in conflict, for example, todays US air force fleet of expensive, manned fighters will be vulnerable because of gains on both sides in electronic warfare, space and air defence systems. Chinas air force is on pace to outnumber the US and is amassing a fleet of flying unmanned weapons.

AI-driven warfare

Future war scenarios envision swarms of American unmanned aircraft providing an advance attack on enemy defences to give the US the ability to penetrate airspace without high risk to pilot lives. But the shift is also driven by money. The air force is still hampered by production delays and cost overruns in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will cost an estimated of $1.7 trillion (Rs 141.92 lakh crore).

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Smaller and cheaper AI-controlled unmanned jets are the way ahead, Kendall said.

Vistas military operators say no other country in the world has an AI jet like it, where the software first learns on millions of data points in a simulator and then tests its conclusions during actual flights. That real-world performance data is then put back into the simulator where the AI then processes it to learn more.

China has AI, but theres no indication it has found a way to run tests outside a simulator. And, like a junior officer first learning tactics, some lessons can only be learned in the air, Vistas test pilots said.

Until you actually fly, its all guesswork, chief test pilot Bill Gray said. And the longer it takes you to figure that out, the longer it takes before you have useful systems.

Vista flew its first AI-controlled dogfight in September 2023, and there have only been about two dozen similar flights since. But the programmes are learning so quickly from each engagement that some AI versions getting tested on Vista are already beating human pilots in air-to-air combat.

The pilots at this base are aware that in some respects, they may be training their replacements or shaping a future construct where fewer of them are needed. But they also say they would not want to be up in the sky against an adversary that has AI-controlled aircraft if the US does not have its own fleet.

We have to keep running. And we have to run fast, Kendall said.

With inputs from AP
According to a new study, the simple act of stair climbing can dramatically lower the risk of heart disease and premature death. The findings fit with a body of evidence pointing to the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise read more

Climbing six to ten flights per day was associated with a lower chance of premature death. Pixabay/Representative Image

Fitness gurus claim that taking the stairs rather than the lift can help with weight loss.

This claim has now been backed up by research, which suggests that there may be many other big benefits.

According to a recent meta-analysis presented at a European Society of Cardiology conference, climbing stairs can also help people live longer and lower their risk of heart disease.

Lets take a closer look.

Why is stair climbing healthy?

Though it is largely preventable, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of premature death globally.

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According to recent research, the simple act of stair climbing, which is often overlooked as a form of exercise, can dramatically lower the risk of heart disease and premature death.

Stair climbing was linked to a 24 per cent reduced risk of dying from any cause, as per NPR.

According to the study, people in the habit of climbing stairs had about a 39 per cent lower likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease, compared to those who didnt climb stairs.

Regular stair climbers also had a lower risk of heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes.

Study author Dr Sophie Paddock, of the University of East and Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust in the UK, told NPR, I was surprised that such a simple form of exercise can reduce all-cause mortality.

The researchers analysed data from 480,000 participants in the age range of mid-30s to mid-80s, with half of them being women. The participants included both healthy individuals and those with a history of heart disease.

According to Paddock, the findings fit with a body of evidence pointing to the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise.

How does it work?

When you begin ascending stairs, your body reacts.

Dr Manish Parikh, chief of cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, told NPR, Your heart rate goes up, your cardiac output goes up, and your circulatory status improves. And all of those we know have positive impacts.

This simple activity can also help build muscle.

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Climbing stairs can be a wonderful mix of both aerobic exercise and resistance training, Dr Tamara Horwich, a cardiologist at UCLA who focuses on womens heart health, told Fortune.

You are building up those leg muscles by having to pull your weight up to the next stair, she added.

How many flights of stairs are recommended?

One study published in the National Library of Medicine (NIM) found that climbing six to ten flights per day was associated with a lower chance of premature death.

According to another study in the Atherosclerosis Journal, climbing more than five flights of stairs each day reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 per cent.

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The risk of heart disease was determined by the researchers by examining blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking history, family history, and genetic risk factors, among other aspects.

The results showed that those who climbed stairs did better at preventing heart disease.

Notably, there was a 32 per cent increased risk of heart disease for those who stopped taking stairs during this time, serving as a reminder that consistency is key to reaping the benefits of exercise.

It takes at least four to eight weeks to start lowering your cardiometabolic risk, according to an analysis that was published in NLM earlier this year.

Regular stair climbing has been shown in studies to enhance blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, body composition, and blood pressure.

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How much exercise do you need?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity for adults aged 19 to 64.

This exercise should be performed daily, spaced out over four to five days, to maximise the benefits.

For overall health, reducing sedentary behaviour is crucial.

With inputs from agencies
While a great deal of research has been done on the navigation skills of many different species, not as much is known about our own neural compass. Nonetheless, comprehending this neuronal network may have significant effects on our knowledge of disorders like Parkinsons and Alzheimers, which frequently cause impairments in orientation and navigation read more

Griffiths and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham and Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University set out to examine this human brain compass by undertaking a series of motion-tracking experiments for a new study that was published in the online journal Nature Human Behavior Image Courtesy AP

Humans are often adept at navigating; we can find our way home, recall walks in our favorite parks and towns, or negotiate complex office buildings. However, what takes place in our minds when we make use of this internal compass?

While a great deal of research has been done on the navigation skills of many different species, not as much is known about our own neural compass. Nonetheless, comprehending this neuronal network may have significant effects on our knowledge of disorders like Parkinsons and Alzheimers, which frequently cause impairments in orientation and navigation.

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Keeping track of the direction you are heading in is pretty important, Benjamin Griffiths, a research fellow at the U.K.s University of Birmingham, said in a statement.

Even small errors in estimating where you are and which direction you are heading in can be disastrous, he continued.

We know that animals such as birds, rats and bats have neural circuitry that keeps them on track, but we know surprisingly little about how the human brain manages this out and about in the real world.

Griffiths and his colleagues at the University of Birmingham and Munichs Ludwig Maximilian University set out to examine this human brain compass by undertaking a series of motion-tracking experiments for a new study that was published in the online journal Nature Human Behavior.

52 healthy individuals participated in the study and were asked to move their heads in response to cues displayed on several computer monitors while having their brain activity monitored by an EEG scalp monitor.

The researchers enlisted ten volunteers for a different trial who were already receiving cerebral electrode monitoring for diseases such as epilepsy. Once more, while their brain signals were being observed, the subjects were instructed to move their heads, or occasionally just their eyes.

Once complicating variables like muscle movement were taken into consideration, the researchers identified a precisely timed directional signal that materialized right before the subjects actual head direction shifts. According to the researchers, this indicates that the brain has an innate neural compass that it utilizes to find its way around and orient itself in space.

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Isolating these signals enables us to really focus on how the brain processes navigational information and how these signals work alongside other cues such as visual landmarks, Griffiths said.

Our approach has opened up new avenues for exploring these features, with implications for research into neurodegenerative diseases and even for improving navigational technologies in robotics and AI, he said.
The police rushed to the schools that received the threats and an investigation is underway. The emails were reportedly sent from a Russian domain mail.ru, the same one that was used to send the bomb threats to the Delhi schools read more

Almost a week after bomb threats rattled about 100 schools in Delhi, several schools in Gujarats Ahmedabad on Monday received similar emails threatening, causing panic among staff and parents.

The police rushed to the schools that received the threats and an investigation is underway. The emails were reportedly sent from a Russian domain mail.ru, the same one that was used to send the bomb threats to the Delhi schools.

The Ahmedabad schools that received the threats include DPS and Anand Niketan. No suspicious activity or bombs have been found on the school premises yet.

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The bomb threats that created huge panic in multiple schools across Delhi reportedly originated from a server located in Russia. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena last Wednesday said that Delhi Police was able to trace the email address used to send the threatening messages to almost 100 schools.

Sources revealed that all the schools received the threat emails from a single IP address. In fact, all the schools received the same email, the screenshots of which have been making rounds on social media.

A police officer, meanwhile, said that the email ID used to send the threat emails to the schools in Delhi-NCR was sawariim@mail.ru. Swarim is an Arabic word that has been used extensively by the Islamic State (IS) in their propaganda videos.

The officer also said that the email contained verses from the Quran.
Navjeet Sandhu was fatally attacked with a knife by another student, according to Yashvir, the victims uncle, when he attempted to mediate a fight between a few Indian students regarding a rent dispute read more

According to the victim's relatives, Navjeet's companion also suffered injuries during the incident Image Courtesy AFP

The relative of the victim said on Monday that the 22-year-old MTech student was allegedly fatally stabbed in Australia amid a brawl involving some Indian classmates.

He claimed that the event, which happened on Saturday night at approximately nine oclock local time in Melbourne, also injured one other student.

Navjeet Sandhu was fatally attacked with a knife by another student, according to Yashvir, the victims uncle, when he attempted to mediate a fight between a few Indian students regarding a rent dispute.

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Navjeets friend (another Indian student) had asked him to accompany him to his house to pick up his belongings as he had a car. While his friend went inside, Navjeet heard some shouts and saw there was a fight. When Navjeet tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife, Yashvir, wholl retire from the Army in July, said.

He said that the supposed accused is a Karnali native, just like Navjeet.

According to Yashvir, the family was informed about the incident early on Sunday morning.

According to the victims relatives, Navjeets companion also suffered injuries during the incident.

The family, according to Yashvir, is shocked.

Navjeet was a brilliant student and was to join his family in July for vacations, he said.

Yashvir claims that Navjeets father, a farmer, sold 1.5 acres of their land to pay for his studies when he immigrated to Australia 1.5 years ago on a study visa.

We urge the Government of India to help us to bring the body as soon as possible, he said.
Talking about Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, the foreign minister said that while India condemns the strike as an act of terrorism, the Opposition, especially Congress has a problem agreeing with that read more

India and Israel are natural partners, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said as he described how foreign policy under the Modi-led BJP government changed in the last 10 years.

In an interview with the Economic Times, Jaishankar talked about how relations between the two countries have seen an uptick as compared to the pre-2014 period.

Israel is a natural partner. But we were afraid to be seen in public. It took us till 1992 to establish an embassy and 2017 for an Indian Prime Minister to go there. So, to me, those are one set of examples, he said.

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Oct 7 attack act of terrorism

Talking about Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, the foreign minister said that while India condemns the strike as an act of terrorism, the Opposition, especially Congress has a problem agreeing with that.

Lets look at our Israel position. The October 7 attack, is it terrorism or not? The Congress party has a problem saying it is terrorism. They choke when it comes to that. You saw the waffling which happened. We have no problem. If somebody has been a victim of terrorism, do they have a right to respond? Jaishankar asked.

The minister, however, said that any country undertaking such actions should be carefully undertaken to minimise civilian casualties.

I mean, I would say this even to our own forces, if we are ever in that situation, which I know hopefully, we will not. And then, there is the two-state solution. We would support it not for vote bank considerations, but because that is the sensible thing to do for stability in that vital part of the world. This is our geopolitical, geostrategic assessment, he added.

Indian foreign policy has changed

Under the Modi government, foreign policy has changed in the sense of realism as India today is focused on what is good for the country, Jaishankar said. This is in contrast to an earlier left-wing liberal belief that there is a bigger cause out there, which causes our national interest to take second place. We are nationalistic, he added.

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The foreign ministry said that every government has a different policy and that it changes with every switch in administration.

It will change because a different party with a different vichardhara, under a different set of assumptions and priorities, has come to power. Take, for example, the historical Left wings reservations about dealing with the United States. I think that changed very sharply after 2014, Jaishankar said.
On Saturday, a convoy of the IAF came under heavy firing. Terrorists attacked the last of the three vehicles traveling from Jaranwalli Gali to Shahistar Top where the air force has a base read more

The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have identified two Pakistani terrorists, who attacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) vehicle last week and have released their sketches, announcing a Rs 20 lakh reward for any information that leads to their arrest.

On Saturday, around 6:15 pm, a convoy of the IAF came under heavy firing. The Pakistan-based terrorists attacked the last of the three vehicles traveling from Jaranwalli Gali to Shahistar Top where the air force has a base.

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After two vehicles passed, the terrorists, who reportedly had taken positions atop the hill along the road, opened fire. The bullets hit the windscreen of the third and the last vehicle. Following the shots, the vehicle stopped after which the terrorists turned their guns to the side of the vehicle.

IAF corporal Vikky Pahade died in the ambush and four others personnel got injured.

Following the incident, the local unit of the Indian Armys Rashtriya Rifles cordoned off the area and started an intense search operation to locate the terrorists.

Armed bulletproof vehicles and dog squads were deployed in the region to track down the terrorists.

IAF corporal Pahade, who died in the ambush on Saturday, was a resident of Madhya Pradesh Chhindwaras Nonia Karbal area. He had resumed work 15 days before the incident, after a long leave for his sisters wedding. He was posted in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pahade joined the Indian Air Force in 2011. He is survived by his wife, Rina and son, Hardik.

A report by PTI mentioned officials suspecting the involvement of the same group of terrorists who ambushed troops in Bufliaz, Poonch on December 21, 2023, leaving four soldiers dead and three injured.

With inputs from agencies
The municipal corporation has been given a one-month deadline to complete the reconstruction of the homes belonging to Sarita, Guddi, and Shanti Devi read more

A civil court has mandated the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) to reconstruct three houses in the Niranjanpur area of, that were unlawfully demolished in 2020.

Additional civil judge Indu Sharma further directed the DMC to provide compensation of Rs. 1,000 per day to each affected family for homelessness, totaling Rs. 13 lakh per family.

The municipal corporation has been given a one-month deadline to complete the reconstruction of the homes belonging to Sarita, Guddi, and Shanti Devi.

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These properties were reportedly demolished amid a dispute during the Covid pandemic. The victims advocate, Jitendra Kumar, revealed that the court issued the verdict on April 12, with the order becoming public knowledge on Saturday.

Kumar highlighted that the judge acknowledged the municipal corporations violation of regulations, particularly amidst an ongoing legal dispute. Consequently, the victims are entitled to compensation for the loss and inconvenience caused by the improper demolition of their homes.

The affected individuals, originally allocated plots in 1995 due to their backward and Scheduled Caste status, had constructed their homes on the land, with their names registered in government records.

In 2003, however, the DMC asserted ownership of the land and threatened demolition, prompting the victims to secure a stay order from the court.

Despite the unresolved case, the corporation proceeded with the demolition, prompting the victims to demand reconstruction and compensation.
College campuses in the United States have been rocked by a wave of anti-Israel protesters in recent days which were met with police action read more

In a swipe at the previous instances of Western criticism of India regarding protests, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar has said that one should look at pictures from American campuses on their television screens.

Jaishankar was referring to police crackdowns on anti-Israel protesters in American campuses in recent days. After a wave of anti-Israel protests took over several American campuses, police were deployed at some campuses to evict the protesters. On a number of occasions, police personnel were criticised for their heavy-handedness as visuals of protesters clashing with the police surfaced.

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In India, such visuals have been shared widely to draw a contrast between what the West preaches and practices.

There are people who said you must not do anything to disturb demonstrations even if it inconveniences the public, blocks roads. How are they handling it when it comes to their own? said Jaishankar in an interview with The Economic Times.

Jaishankar further said, We got a lot of lectures about how to deal with public every time theres an agitation in India. I invite you to see the television pictures today on the screen. What they preach, what they practice, what is their agenda, what is their objectivity, or lack of it?

These are political hitjobs

When asked about foreign interference in Indian elections, Jaishankar said that there are self-proclaimed people with different interests.

Mentioning the criticism of India in Western quarters on issues like press freedom and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Jaishankar asked why these people are not being held to account. He termed such criticism as political hitjobs.

There are people who publicly said millions of Muslims will lose their citizenship because of CAA. Why are they not being held to account? Nobody has lost citizenship. As members of the Indian press, you all will be happy to know your rank (in the recently released Press Freedom Index by RSF). I think the number is 159. I mean these are political hitjobs. Lets stop pretending. Im not implying or hinting something. I am calling it out, said Jaishankar.

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Democracies should display understanding regarding fellow democracies

After police action began against protesters in US campuses, the Ministry of External Affairs said that democracies should display this understanding in regard to other fellow democracies.

The statement was seen as a dig at statements that Western commentators have previously made regarding protests at India. At a media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal further called for a balance between freedom of expression and the responsibility to maintain law and order.

He further said, After all, we are all judged by what we do at home and not what we say abroad. And as far as your question regarding Indian students is concerned, we are always in touch with Indian students. And as and when there are issues which have to be resolved, well look into it.
Burnout among AI engineers is reportedly increasing as big tech companies continue the fierce competition on the recent technology.

CNBC reported that AI engineers from top tech companies are more prone to suffer burnout due to the pace and issues they face on their projects.

Read Also : Microsoft Prohibits Use of Azure OpenAI Service to US Police Departments

AI Engineers Disclose Their Workflow Leading to Stress

An AI engineer at Amazon shared that they are often tasked to deliver projects on tight deadlines. However, several projects are often deprioritized and shelved once another AI project becomes more promising.

Moreover, other AI employees from Google and Microsoft told CNBC that they had to work at unimaginable speed as their employers feared falling behind the competition. The workers had to remain unnamed as they were not allowed to share information with the media.

Engineers and other significant roles often work under pressure to satisfy investors instead of solving problems for users. The majority of the employees shared that they are continuously chasing accelerated timelines and looking out for AI announcements from their rivals.

AI Companies Lack Concern to Users, Says AI Employees

Aside from working speedily, the AI employees also explained that most companies are more concerned about rolling out more features than securing the safety of their projects. For instance, they often lack the appropriate time to train or learn about AI, regardless of their background.

Moreover, several employees reported that tech companies often disregard surveillance and the real-life impacts of their projects. Potential harm to the planet, its users, and more is neglected to prioritize speed.

The intense pressure, long working hours, and strict mandates all contributed to burnout for the employees. These factors caused some employees to look for other jobs or opt out of the AI departments to avoid the immense workload.

Amazon replied to CNBC and stated that the company has been supportive of its employees. "It's inaccurate and misleading to use a single employee's anecdote to characterize the experience of all Amazon employees working in AI," the spokesperson said.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Umar Ansari, son of gangster-politician the late Mukhtar Ansari, in a case of alleged violation of the model code of conduct during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections read more

The Supreme Court building is seen in New Delhi on 11 December, 2023. File image/AP

The Supreme Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Umar Ansari, son of gangster-politician the late Mukhtar Ansari, in a case of alleged violation of the model code of conduct during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and PK Mishra asked Umar Ansari to appear before the trial court which will enlarge him on bail.

During the hearing, senior advocate Garima Prashad, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said Ansari has not been appearing before the trial court in the case.

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She said it is a case of inciting people in a congregation and the co-accused, who appeared before the trial court, have got regular bail.

Please direct him to appear before the trial court and seek regular bail instead of anticipatory bail, she urged the court.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Ansari, contested Prashads claim and said he had appeared before the trial court and furnished bonds.

He was on the stage but did not utter a word with regard to the offending statement, Sibal submitted.

The bench noted the submissions of both the counsel and said it is inclined to grant the relief.

While granting Ansari anticipatory bail, the bench directed him to appear before the trial court and furnish the bail bonds.

On January 25, the top court had granted him protection from arrest in the case.

The Allahabad High Court had on December 19 last year rejected Ansaris anticipatory bail application and said looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, an offence was made out against him.

An FIR was lodged on March 4, 2022 at Kotwali police station in Mau district against Abbas Ansari (Umars elder brother and SBSP candidate from Mau Sadar seat), Umar Ansari, and 150 unknown people.

It was alleged in the FIR that on March 3, 2022 they had addressed a public meeting at Pahadpura ground where they called for settling a score with the Mau administration. A case of violation of the election code of conduct was registered against them.

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Mukhtar Ansari, a former MLA, died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on 28 March.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar slammed Pakistan and said terrorism is an industry the country has created read more

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said there are large number of terrorists in Pakistan and terrorism is the industry the country has created.

In an interview with the Economic Times, Jaishakar was asked how he would respond to the reports of alleged Indian involvement in the killing of wanted terrorists in Pakistan as well as other countries.

To this, Jaishankar said: Terrorists are there in large numbers in Pakistan, so statistically, things will happen to them. Its an industry they have created.

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Pakistan being warned for long

The Indias foreign minister further said, People have been warning Pakistan for a long time. Forget India. Hillary Clinton very publicly warned Pakistan. If you have a cast of characters like this, I guess some things are a natural outcome of that.

On April 5, a report was published by UK-based newspaper - The Guardian - which stated that the Indian government carried out targeted assassination in Pakistan.

The report claimed that documents shared by some Pakistani investigators as well as officials from India and Pakistan have indicated how the Indian government carried out targeted killings post 2019 Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir under the supervision of Indias intelligence agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing).

Also Read: Did India carry out targeted killings in Pakistan? What a new report alleges

The report in the British daily newspaper further claimed India carrying out as many as 20 killings in Pakistan dating back to 2020 and continued until as recently as 2023.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had denied allegations and called The Guardian report false and malicious anti-India propaganda.

The MEA also had underlined a previous statement by Jaishankar in which he said targeted killings in other countries were not the policy of the government of India.
From invalid voting to booth capturing, and logistic issues to environmental degradation, the paper ballot comes with risks, onus, and costs. It was the advent of the EVMs that eliminated these problems read more

Doubts over the integrity of EVMs are influenced by results. The BJP developed doubts over EVMs after losing two successive Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009. GVL Narsimha Rao, Psephologist turned politician, wrote a book titled Democracy at Risk! Can We Trust Our Electronic Voting Machine (2010) that was prefaced by LK Advani. However, they overcame the moral crisis after a resounding victory in 2014. The Aam Aadmi Party ungrudgingly accepted massive victories through EVM in the Delhi elections in 2015 and 2020, but tried to prove that the results of the elections in five states in 2017 were rigged.

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In Chhattisgarh, the Congress felt its victory in the 2019 assembly elections was due to the support of the voters, but its loss in 2023 was due to manipulation in the EVM. Last year, the Congress blamed its losses in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on EVM but attributed its triumph in neighbouring Telangana to its positive campaign.

Can things get more ridiculous? The diversity of results in the EVM era has actually been greater than in the pre-EVM era, not due to technology but political dynamics. Whatever the people might say of the scientific rigging, it was not the introduction of the EVM but a popular movement spearheaded by Mamata Banerjee that unseated the Left Front in West Bengal after 34 years.

Assembly elections in West Bengal were conducted on EVMs both in 2001 and 2006, but it was only in 2011 that the Left Front was unseated. The BJP has been continuously in power in Gujarat since 1995 (pre-EVM days). This includes the period from 2004 to 2014, when a Congress-led UPA was in the Centre. Power keeps alternating between the Congress and the BJP in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, regardless of the introduction of the EVM or the ruling party in the Centre. Thus, no formula could be set that might validate a conspiracy theory.

The days of paper ballots were not without their share of controversy. In March 1971, the discovery of surplus ballot papers found in Chandigarh created political furore. On March 25, 1971, shortly after the conclusion of the Fifth Lok Sabha elections, a delegation of Members of Parliament, including Digvijay Narain, M S Gurupadaswamy and L K Advani met the then Chief Election Commissioner, S P Sen-Varma, at his residence and produced him a bunch of ballot papers for the Tarn Taran Parliamentary Constituency in Punjab. All these ballot papers, serially numbered, were in good condition. The delegation alleged that thousands of such ballot papers meant for various parliamentary constituencies in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh had been recovered from a godown in Chandigarh, and since the printing of ballot papers was far in excess of the actual requirement, the polls in most of these constituencies were vitiated.

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Sen-Varma immediately deputed the Deputy Election Commissioner, P.I. Jacob, to proceed to Chandigarh to investigate the matter. Jacob had reached Government Press, Chandigarh, at about 10 am on March 26. He found that ballot papers for 23 parliamentary constituencies in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh were printed in that government press.

In fact, the authorities had kept the margin of error at only two per cent, far lower than the permissible limit of five per cent, to account for the wastages. Only 252,631 surplus ballot papers were printed for 23 parliamentary constituencies, when the figure could have been far more. However, the problem arose when, along with 6,000 waste papers shredded to pieces by official orders, after the election results were declared, these surplus ballot papers were removed intact by the contractor, whereupon between 10,000 and 12,000 ballot papers fell into the hands of scrap dealers (Kabariwala). Though the Election Commission was not culpable for this mix up, what happened was contentious enough.

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The 1977 Sixth Lok Sabha elections also witnessed a sideshow of controversy regarding ballot papers. Law and Justice Minister Shanti Bhushan told Lok Sabha on March 30, 1977, that a total of 16,506 ballot papers with duplicate numbers belonging to Barasat, Joynagar (SC), Barrackpore, Dum Dum, Cooch Behar (SC), Jalpaiguri, Contai, and Purulia parliamentary constituencies got printed at the government press in Alipur, Kolkata, before being detected by the returning officers. The Minister ascribed the error to workers working in the government press on a contract basis.

On April 29, 1982, the Indian Express came out with a flavoured story that ballot papers from the 1980 parliamentary elections had been found to wrap paan (betel leaves) in Bijapur, Karnataka. Zarda, saada, meetha, masala, read the juicy story, order any kind of paan in Bijapurs paan shops, and they come wrapped in votes cast either in favour of K.B. Choudhary (Congress) or Mr N.S. Kheda (Janata). Most of these had been cast in Tikota Assembly segment." Syed Sibte Razi, MP from Uttar Pradesh, made a reference to the story in Rajya Sabha the same day.

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From invalid voting to booth capturing, and logistic issues to environmental degradation, the paper ballot comes with risks, onus, and costs. It was the advent of the EVMs that eliminated these problems. The recent Supreme Court judgement states that the control units of the EVMs are configured in such a way that each vote takes about 15 seconds. Thus, in one minute, only four votes can be cast, which prevents and checks bogus voting.

Now, with Justice Dipankar Datta invoking res judicata, which would be applicable to writ petitions filed under Article 32 and Article 226 as well, could we be sure that uninformed criticism of EVMs will now rest in peace?

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This is the final part of the two-part Res Judicata series. Read part one here .

The writer is author of the book The Microphone Men: How Orators Created a Modern India (2019) and an independent researcher based in New Delhi. The views expressed herein are his personal.
Time is ripe for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to rise above his personal political ambitions and stop the erosion of constructive ties between Canada and India read more

The Khalistanis in Canada are certainly aware that Trudeau cannot materially assist their demand, but they are taking advantage of his anti-Indianism. Image: REUTERS

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is again up in political arms against India. While speaking at an event to celebrate the Khalsa Day, he witnessed and perhaps was happy to hear pro-Khalistan slogans. Trudeau remarked, Our job is not to crack down on political protest.

Of course, it depends on what kind of protests he and his Western allies would crack down or bless. It also depends whether an event is just a political protest or part of an exercise to promote separatism, spread hatred and parade propaganda materials. If it were a protest in Canada that aims at creation of a separate state in India by people who generally vote for Trudeaus party, naturally he would refrain from cracking down and may, in fact, bless it with indirect support.

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This statement of his may actually politically cost him, because all Sikh population in Canada are not votaries of separatism. But his main target is India and the Indian government, which is reflected in his statement on the sidelines of the event that he cannot ignore the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year that his government believes was engineered by the Indian government agents.

The Khalistanis in Canada are certainly aware that Trudeau cannot materially assist their demand, but they are taking advantage of his anti-Indianism. Trudeau also knows that a new state of Khalistan is not going to emerge in India, yet he is using it as a political toll with a belief that his party or coalition partners may get Sikh votes.

What Trudeau is unable to realise is the fact that his political ambitions are threatening to severely disrupt friendly, cooperative and constructive ties between two resilient democraciesIndia and Canada. The reaction of the Ministry of External Affairs to Trudeaus remarks amply amplifies this: PM Trudeau has made such remarks earlier as well. His remarks illustrate once again the political space that has been given in Canada to separatism, extremism, and violence.

In addition, arrest of three Indian nationals suspected of involvement in the Nijjar killing could have been an internal law and order operation by the Canadian government, but the way it was reported and the manner in which the Canadian Prime Minister used it to score a political point also indicates the anti-Indian sentiment and actions by him. Trudeau said that this arrest was important because Canada is a rule-of-law country and it is committed to protecting all its citizens. Trudeau repeatedly views a declared terrorist Nijjar as nothing but a Canadian citizen. Trudeau believes separatist speeches are freedom of expression and individuals, who are declared as terrorists by India, cannot be considered terrorists until his government says so.

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Had it not been for his anti-Indianism, the arrests of these nationals would not have been timed to be announced during national elections in India and a Prime Minister of the country would not be making a comment on an issue which is part of internal law and order proceedings. No wonder, Canadian police are yet to share the detailed information of the arrests with their Indian counterparts. This is not an example of cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two countries; rather it showcases Trudeaus determination to score political brownie points for domestic political purposes!

In the meantime, the Trudeau government released an interim intelligence report alleging Indian interference in Canadian elections. The timing of the release of this report is also part of the political strategy of Prime Minister Trudeau. This report interestingly accuses Pakistan and China along with India of seeking to influence Canadian elections. It concludes by saying that China is the main perpetrator of foreign interference against Canada. It says that there was no indication of Indian-based disinformation campaigns in the 2021 Canadian general election! This is a headline-grabbing release of a report amidst rising political differences between Trudeau and Modi governments. It orchestrates Trudeaus series of perceived grievances and allegations against the Indian government.

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The language of the report is also instructive. It says, A body of intelligence indicates that Indian proxy agents may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office. That means there are no evidences and it is only a conjecture. The report may actually backfire, as it alleges that Canadian politicians may have received illicit financial support. It also says that in some cases the Canadian politicians might never know their campaigns received illicit funds! That means the intelligence report paints the Canadian politicians as vulnerable victims of external manipulations and, in fact, undermines their intelligence!

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Prime Minister Trudeau during his visit to India at the time of farmers protest had not so secretly signalled his support to the protesting farmers and considered this non-interference in Indian domestic politics. And his governments interim intelligence report believes that India may have interfered in Canadian domestic politics through clandestine means!

It is to be seen how Prime Minister Trudeau will react to World Report 2024 issued by Human Rights Watch. It is a long report and it lists several challenges of human rights violation by the Canadian government that include wide ranging abuses against Indigenous peoples and immigration detainees, including people with disabilities.

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Trudeau has little compassion for exploited Indigenous people of Canada and others, but he is a champion of freedom of expression that may profess separatism in a friendly, democratic country. It is high time Prime Minister Trudeau rises above his personal political ambitions and stops the erosion of constructive ties between Canada and India. The current global challenges, including ongoing wars, potential flashpoints and conceivable rise in terrorism, will benefit from constructive cooperation between India and Canada.

The writer is founder chairperson of Kalinga Institute Indo-Pacific Studies and former Professor at JNU. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
In the past few days, both Lai and his vice presidential counterpart Bi-Khim Hsiao have applauded Washington for its commitment to Taipei, all the while urging Beijing to gain the confidence to talk to them read more

Given that there is no let-up in either Taiwans defence preparedness posture or the US backing of the island, China is likely to dig into its coercive toolkit to respond to Lais swearing in. Image: REUTERS

With newly elected Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te set to assume office on May 20, there is intense speculation surrounding Chinas potential response to the event. In anticipation of an aggressive response, Tsai Ming-yen, Director-General of Taiwans National Security Bureau, announced on May 1 that island authorities will be implementing measures to strengthen national critical infrastructure. Aiding the islands overall defence posture, on April 24, United States President Joe Biden has also signed a bill to mobilise $8 billion in defence aid to the Indo-Pacific in general and Taiwan in particular. With neither the US nor China backing down on their respective positions on the Taiwan issue, these developments add fire to the already deteriorating cross-Strait dynamics.

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US proactive role worries China

During the recently concluded meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Xi conveyed that the very first red line the US should not cross in its relations with China is the Taiwan issue. However, the US decision to continue to provide political and military support to Taiwan is motivated by two key factors: shared values and national security interests.

While from a values-based perspective, the US sees its role in the Taiwan Strait as a defender of democracy and a provider of net security, from a national security interests perspective, it sees immense value in deterring China, preventing undue escalation, and securing supply chains in critical sectors such as semiconductor chips, wherein Taiwan plays a vital role.

Hence, in the run up to Lais assumption of the presidential office, the US has embarked on a mission to demonstrate commitment to Taiwan. In addition to quickly signing the above-mentioned Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental Bill into law, over the past week, the Biden administration has also engaged with counterparts in Taipei over the US-Taiwan Trade Initiative on Trade in the 21st Century'.

During this latest round of negotiations, concluded on May 3, the two sides reportedly discussed agriculture, environment, and labour issues with the hope of progressing the initiative to its second stage. After the first stage plan was signed by Washington and Taipei in May last year and brought into force through a First Agreement Implementation Act in the US in August 2023, the Chinese foreign ministry regarded the move as a violation of the US One China policy. Nonetheless, the US and Taiwan have remained undeterred in their commitment to the pact.

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Further, Antony Blinkens latest remarks , urging the World Health Organisation (WHO) to invite Taiwan as an observer in the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) session starting May 27, have drawn Chinas ire. More specifically, it has led Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, to argue that by supporting Taiwans observer status in the WHA, the US is indulging in separatist activities to enable Taiwan independence. China has deployed coercive diplomatic tactics to restrict Taiwans international space, including regularly objecting to Taiwans WHA membership in addition to conducting dollar diplomacy with Taiwans current and previous diplomatic allies. In this light, with China on one side and the US and Taiwan on the other, the battle to defend values and interests is also playing out at the multilateral stage.

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What can China do next?

Given that there is no let-up in either Taiwans defence preparedness posture or the US backing of the island, China is likely to dig into its coercive toolkit to respond to Lais swearing in. As per daily reports from the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense, Chinese aircraft and naval vessels are already operating in record numbers in the Taiwan Strait, crossing the regional median line and performing sorties close to the islands northern and southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone. The militarys pressure on Taiwans defences is supplemented by economic manipulation tactics involving trade and tourism relations. Not long ago, the Chinese State Council Customs Tariff Commission decided to suspend preferential tax rates for Taiwanese chemical imports into the country as granted under the Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). Now, China has announced that it is willing to resume imports and expand direct passenger tourism from Fujian province to Matsu island and Taiwan proper, as a sign of goodwill to the island.

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So far, Taiwan has shown no signs of accepting this goodwill, and the February 2024 decision of island authorities to ban group travel from China remains intact. Further, in the past few days, both Lai and his vice presidential counterpart Bi-Khim Hsiao have applauded the US for its commitment to Taiwan, all the while urging China to gain the confidence to talk to them. Hence, with neither Taiwan nor the US willing to signal weakness and teaming up to create deterrence against China in the Indo-Pacific under Lai, Beijings woes are only likely to exacerbate.

The author is a research analyst with the Takshashila Institution, a public policy think tank based out of Bengaluru, India. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
This announcement comes in response to a series of nation-state cyberattacks targeting Microsofts products, which resulted in unauthorised access to email accounts belonging to high-profile government employees read more

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft has told employees that they have to prioritise security and safety over everything else, even if that means delaying updates and stopping support for legacy systems and devices. Image Credit: AFP

Microsoft has announced a comprehensive overhaul of its processes to prioritise cybersecurity, following the n number of recommendations it got from the US government.

This move comes in response to a series of nation-state cyberattacks targeting Microsofts products, which resulted in unauthorised access to email accounts belonging to high-profile individuals, including a cabinet secretary and senior executives.

The significance of this overhaul comes from increasing concerns over cybersecurity vulnerabilities within Microsofts ecosystem.

These concerns escalated following incidents involving Chinese and Russian espionage activities exploiting relatively simple entry points, as highlighted by a government review board.

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Charlie Bell, Executive Vice President of Microsoft Security, emphasised that the company is committed to earning and maintaining its users trust in the digital realm. Bell outlined three core principles guiding Microsofts revamped production cycles: secure-by-design, secure-by-default, and secure operations.

Key initiatives will include:

- Implementation of multi-factor authentication by default for all user accounts.

- Retention of security logs for a minimum of two years, with six months of relevant logs accessible to customers.

- Appointment of deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) positions to oversee the integration of numerous security enhancements.

- Integration of Microsofts threat intelligence offices under the CISOs office, streamlining security operations.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reiterated the companys dedication to cybersecurity in a memo that was sent out to employees, which emphasised the priority of security over other considerations, even if it means delaying new feature releases or retracting ongoing support for legacy systems.

This shift towards bolstering cybersecurity aligns with earlier plans announced by Microsoft in November, coinciding with the governments investigation into a China-backed cyberattack. Nadellas recent statements during the companys quarterly earnings call underscored Microsofts heightened focus on cybersecurity.

The proactive stance taken by Microsoft has garnered praise from top cybersecurity officials, including Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Easterly commended Nadellas personal commitment to security and emphasized the importance of prioritizing cybersecurity in product development.

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As cybersecurity continues to be a top priority for governments and businesses alike, Microsofts initiatives will be closely monitored to assess their effectiveness. Government officials are keen to see tangible outcomes from Microsofts new cybersecurity principles, signalling a broader industry-wide push towards enhancing digital security practices.

(With inputs from agencies)
Sunita Williams will be piloting the Boeing Starliner spacecraft when she is flying to the ISS along with Barry Willmore a seasoned navy test pilot with prior spaceflight experience read more

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, a trailblazer in space exploration, is set to make history once again as she embarks on a journey back to the International Space Station (ISS) in her third trip to space. While this is already an impressive feat, Williams will be making this trip at the age of 58, making her one of the oldest astronauts to go to space.

Williams, who achieved great fame for her previous space missions and spacewalks including a stint aboard the ISS, will become one of the oldest astronauts to venture into space, with her upcoming mission.

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Scheduled for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center on May 7, 2024, at 8:04 am (IST), Williams will serve as the mission pilot aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

This mission marks her return to space after several years, with Williams last visiting the ISS at the age of 58. With a remarkable career spanning over two decades, Williams has accumulated an impressive record of 322 days spent in space, according to official figures from NASA.

Notably, she formerly held the record for the most extended spacewalk time by a female astronaut, logging 50 hours and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks.

Accompanying Williams on this significant journey is fellow astronaut Barry Willmore, a seasoned navy test pilot with prior spaceflight experience.

The duo will embark on a week-long mission to the ISS, aimed at testing the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems as part of NASAs Commercial Crew Program.

While speaking to NDTV, Williams expressed a mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming flight, and said that her arrival at the ISS is similar to going back home.

Launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, Williams and Willmore will travel to the ISS, where they will conduct various experiments and tests to evaluate the spacecrafts capabilities, and will be staying for over a week.

Following their stay aboard the ISS, the astronauts will make a return journey to Earth by parachuting to the southwest of the United States.

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The Starliner spacecraft, named Calypso by Williams in homage to Jacques-Yves Cousteaus iconic ship, is designed to accommodate up to seven passengers or a combination of crew and cargo for low-Earth orbit missions, according to Boeing.

Williams selection of the name reflects her admiration for Cousteaus contributions to ocean exploration and conservation.

As Williams and Willmore prepare to embark on this historic mission, their journey symbolizes the enduring spirit of exploration and collaboration in humanitys quest for knowledge beyond the confines of Earth.
The fake products were used in both combat & non-combat operations of supporting various aircraft such as the F-15, F-18, and F-22 fighter jets, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and several other aircrafts read more

The US military also used these fake IT products in several other critical infrastructure. Image Credit: File

In a major egg-on-the-face moment for the US Military and armed forces, a couple of men from Florida were able to sell counterfeit IT products to some of the most brilliant minds running the US military. These counterfeit products eventually led to some major security lapses and were the targets of cybersecurity attacks.

Florida resident, Onur Aksoy, also known as Ron Aksoy and Dave Durden, have been sentenced to 78 months in prison for setting up a rather elaborate counterfeit scam that generated $100 million in revenue from fake networking gear. The scammers were sourcing cheap, fake IT products from China and Hong Kong, and passing them off as legitimate Cisco products. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this Thursday, as reported by Business Standard.

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Aksoy pleaded guilty, to two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods, commit mail fraud, and commit wire fraud. His sentence, handed down on May 1, includes paying $100 million in restitution to Cisco, a $40,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

Aksoy will also have to compensate his victims, with the amount to be determined by the court at a later date, the DOJ stated.

90% discount did not raise red flags

The indictment reveals that Aksoy began plotting the scam around August 2013, which continued until at least April 2022. Operating through numerous companies and online storefronts, including 15 Amazon and 10 eBay outlets, Aksoy sold tens of thousands of counterfeit computer networking devices sourced from China and Hong Kong, as per a report by The Economic Times

These products were falsely presented as new and genuine, using fake Cisco packaging, labels, and documents. Had these been legitimate, it would have cost the scammed customers over $1 billion according to the indictment.

Government officials have expressed grave concerns over the scams impact on national security, with counterfeit Cisco gear being used in critical applications by the US military. Bryan Denny, special agent in charge of the US Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service in the Western Field Office, stated that Aksoy defrauded the Department of Defense by introducing counterfeit products into its supply chain and scamming them into buying these counterfeit products

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These products, which routinely failed or malfunctioned, were found in various systems, including flight simulators for US Air Force F-15 and US Navy P-8 aircraft.

The Department of Justices announcement also revealed that Aksoys counterfeit devices found their way into critical military and governmental applications, including classified information systems.

Counterfeit, Chinese IT products used in American aircraft, infra

These fake products were used in both combat and non-combat operations of the US Navy, US Air Force, and US Army, supporting various aircraft such as the F-15, F-18, and F-22 fighter jets, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and the B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft.

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Furthermore, devices acquired through the scam were also discovered in hospitals and schools.

The DOJ did not provide specific details on how the US military procured counterfeit Cisco gear or the extent of fake technology obtained from Aksoy. However, the prevalence of suspicious tech listings on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay raised concerns about government entities, particularly the military, acquiring gear through these channels.

There is also the possibility that buyers and resellers associated with government bodies directly purchase products from Aksoys Pro Network Entities.

Similar to other IT brands, Cisco has faced challenges with the grey market, where unauthorized entities sell counterfeit versions of their products. Cisco estimated that the IT grey market was costing its channel $1.2 billion annually, a figure exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Even authentic Cisco channel partners have been found acquiring products outside of authorized channels due to the speed of transactions. While severe penalties exist for partners caught engaging in such practices, they are only banned from Ciscos reseller program after a repeat offence.

In response to Aksoys activities, Amazon and eBay took action by removing listings from his storefronts and either suspecting or terminating his accounts, as outlined in the indictment. These measures aimed to curb the spread of counterfeit products and safeguard consumers from fraudulent schemes in online marketplaces.

An elaborate scam

The indictment said that some fraudulent devices were real Cisco products that were typically older, lower-model, or less expensive Cisco products, some of which had been sold or discarded but were modified to appear newer or like a higher-grade model. Tactics included pirated software and modding the hardware with unauthorized, low-quality, and unreliable components, including ones meant to circumnavigate methods for checking for software license compliance in order to authenticate the device.

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The scam also involved making fake serial numbers that were often previously used Cisco serial numbers.

According to the indictment, Aksoys operation pushed these hacked devices for 60 to 88 per cent off the real products MSRP.

Efforts to stop Aksoy included US Customs and Border Protection seizing about 180 shipments of devices shipped to the operation from China and Hong Kong. Aksoy responded with false paperwork under the name Dave Durden, and his suppliers broke the shipments up into smaller parcels and shipped them on different days, the DOJs announcement said. It added that Aksoy often continued to order counterfeit Cisco products from the same supplier after the CBPs seizure and notice.

Cisco also reportedly sent seven cease-and-desist letters to Aksoy from 2014 to 2019.

Officials raided Aksoys warehouse in 2021 and confiscated 1,156 counterfeit Cisco devices with a retail value of more than $7 million, per the DOJ.

In a statement, Vikas Khanna, attorney for the US District of New Jersey, said Aksoy had one of the largest counterfeit-trafficking operations ever.

(With inputs from agencies)
Palestinian health officials said at least 19 people were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday in retaliatory strikes after three Israeli soldiers were killed in a rocket attack on Sunday claimed by Hamas armed wing read more

Israeli soldiers and medics walk near an ambulance after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas claimed responsibility for an attack on Kerem Shalom crossing, near Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel, on 5 May, 2024. Reuters

Three Israeli soldiers were killed in a rocket attack claimed by Hamas armed wing, near the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where Palestinian health officials said at least 19 people were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday.

Hamass armed wing claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza that Israel said killed three of its soldiers.

Israels military said 10 projectiles were launched from Rafah in southern Gaza towards the area of the crossing, which it said was now closed to aid trucks going into the coastal enclave. Other crossings remained open.

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Hamas armed wing said it fired rockets at an Israeli army base by the crossing, but did not confirm where it fired them from. Hamas media quoted a source close to the group as saying the commercial crossing was not the target.

More than a million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

Shortly after the Hamas attack, an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Rafah killing three people and wounding several others, Palestinian medics said.

The Israeli military confirmed the counter-strike, saying it struck the launcher from which the Hamas projectiles were fired, as well as a nearby military structure.

The launches carried out by Hamas adjacent to the Rafah Crossing  are a clear example of the terrorist organisations systematic exploitation of humanitarian facilities and spaces, and their continued use of the Gazan civilian population as human shields, it said.

Hamas denies it uses civilians as human shields.

Just before midnight, an Israeli air strike killed nine Palestinians, including a baby, in another house in Rafah, Gaza health officials said. They said the new strike increased the death toll on Sunday to at least 19 people.

Israel has vowed to enter the southern Gaza city and flush out Hamas forces there, but has faced mounting pressure to hold fire as the operation could derail fragile humanitarian efforts in Gaza and endanger many more lives.

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Sundays attack on the crossing came as hopes dimmed for ceasefire talks under way in Cairo.

The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed, 29 of them in the past 24 hours, and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israels assault, according to Gazas health ministry.
Vladimir showed me a violent nature that I didnt imagine in such a kind and rational man, Cicchitto recalled Berlusconi saying after returning from a holiday trip to Russia read more

Recalling the camaraderie between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, a close aide to the late former premier said that the Russian president once cut out the heart of a deer and presented it to Berlusconi.

In an interview published in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, a former senator from Berlusconis Forza Italia party, Fabrizio Cicchitto said that the incident took place in 2013 when Putin took the far-right politician on a hunting trip.

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Vladimir showed me a violent nature that I didnt imagine in such a kind and rational man, Cicchitto recalled Berlusconi saying after returning from a holiday trip to Russia.

A friendship to remember

According to Cicchitto, Berlusconi accepted Putins invitation and decided to go on a hunting trip, even though he had never touched a rifle in his life. He recalled that when Putin spotted two deers, he urged Berlusconi to take aim. Thats yours. Shoot, the Russian leader told Berlusconi.

However, the erstwhile, Italian premier refused to shoot and Putin shot both the deers instead. He then went down the slope with a knife and pulled out one of the deers hearts.

After Putin presented the gift to his Italian friend, Berlusconi hid behind a tree to throw up. But after coming back from the trip Berlusconi defended his Russian friend. Maybe its just a hunters custom, Cicchitto recalled him saying.

The two world leaders have been very close to each other over the years. In the past, Berlusconi has even defended Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian president reciprocated the gesture and described Berlusconi as a true friend.

After the Italian Prime Minister passed away, Putin sent an emotional message.

Silvio Berlusconi will be remembered in Russia as a consistent and principled supporter of strengthening friendly relations between our countries. He made a truly invaluable personal contribution to the development of mutually beneficial Russian-Italian partnerships," he said.

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For me, Silvio was a dear person, a true friend. I have always sincerely admired his wisdom, and his ability to make balanced, far-sighted decisions even in the most difficult situations. During each of our meetings, I was literally charged with his incredible vitality, optimism and sense of humour. His death is an irreparable loss and great sorrow," the Russian leader concluded.
Police clear pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Southern California

Xinhua) 11:18, May 06, 2024

LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California (USC), a renowned private research university located in Los Angeles, was cleared by police early Sunday.

USC President Carol Folt said in a statement that USC Department of Public Safety, with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department, removed the occupiers who had rebuilt their illegal encampment in the university's Alumni Park.

"The operation was peaceful," said Folt. "Over the last few weeks, the university exercised patience and restraint as we worked to de-escalate a volatile situation."

"In 64 minutes, the encampment was abandoned and cleared. The operation was peaceful with no arrests. We will not tolerate illegal encampments of any kind at USC," said Folt.

A number of protesters, including students and non-students, started a "Gaza Solidarity Occupation" at the Alumni Park about two weeks ago as pro-Palestinian demonstrations were spreading on campuses across the United States amid the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza.

Over 90 protesters at USC were arrested on April 24 after clashes with police, but they returned soon and rebuilt the encampment.

According to USC's student-led Annenberg Media, Nancy Alonzo, the assistant director of the USC Village Residential Colleges, came to the outskirts of the encampment on Saturday evening with a letter saying that "the encampment has to go down, as we have mentioned before."

Early Sunday morning, a large number of police officers moved in and the encampment was "completely cleared" before 5:30 a.m. local time (1230 GMT), said Annenberg Media.

The USC pro-Palestinian camp clearance came days after the mass arrest of over 200 pro-Palestinian protesters on Thursday morning as police dismantled an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Over the last two weeks, at least 2,000 arrests have been made on campuses nationwide, according to the New York Times tally.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Microsoft Office 2019 suite can now be purchased for only $40 for both Mac and Windows computers via Stack Social.

The one-time purchase will include all Office products, except Microsoft 365 and Teams, for personal and work applications.

This is a drop-down from its $229 price tag on the main Microsoft Office store with a purchase option for PayPal buyers to pay the package in installments.

There is no indication when the 82% discount will expire or how many Office 2019 packages are still in stock, thus it is recommended to purchase the package promo as soon as possible.

It is also worth noting that by 2025, Microsoft's digital support for both Office 2016 and 2019 will end.

The sale announcement comes in as Microsoft takes a step to roll out Office 2024 to the public.

Also Read : Microsoft to Unbundle Teams, Office 365 Following EU Antitrust Probe

Microsoft Prepares Commercial Release of Office 2024

As of writing, Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 is only available to corporate customers, although the tech giant has already released a preview to the public last March to tease what is in store for the newest installment.

According to the previews released, Microsoft Office 2024 will have new "meeting creation options and search enhancements in Outlook" and several new Dynamic Charts and Arrays for Excel.

All of these come in with a user design overhaul to improve the software's "performance, security, and accessibility."

It is worth noting that the upcoming Office suite will not include Publisher anymore as it is being retired nor the Teams app after Microsoft unbundled the product globally amid an antitrust probe in Europe.

Like other Office suites, Office 2024 will receive five-year digital support from Microsoft, including security and accessibility updates.

There will be no changes in the suites' price from previous releases.

Microsoft Office 2024 Leans More into AI Tech

If there is one major difference in the upcoming Office 2024, it will be the rollout of more AI-powered functions across the apps.

In addition to the Copilot AI chatbot, Microsoft plans to power its cloud services via Office 365, although specific uses were not mentioned.
Godwins sudden exit came after CNN revealed earlier this week that Debra OConnell, the Disney veteran who was appointed in February to manage ABC News as part of her portfolio, was reviewing Godwins work and had expressed displeasure with the situation at the network in private discussions read more

ABC News president Kim Godwin unexpectedly announced her departure from the network on Sunday night, ending a turbulent three-year run. Staff members said that Godwins divisive leadership was the reason behind the outlets declining employee morale.

In a message that shocked the ABC News office, Godwin informed employees, I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism.

Godwin added, I have been fortunate and blessed enough to have done almost every job there is in this business. But after considerable reflection, Im certain its the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize whats most important for me and my family.

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Godwins sudden exit came after CNN revealed earlier this week that Debra OConnell, the Disney veteran who was appointed in February to manage ABC News as part of her portfolio, was reviewing Godwins work and had expressed displeasure with the situation at the network in private discussions.

More than two dozen workers and those with knowledge of the network told CNN this week that morale at ABC News has declined dramatically since Godwin assumed control in 2021 and that staff members are dissatisfied with her direction. Because they were not authorised to speak to the press, the staff members spoke to CNN anonymously.

Staffers told CNN that among a litany of other grievances, Godwin committed a number of grave mistakes, such as taking a detached managerial style, failing to create a strategic plan for the newsroom, removing the heads of the talent-relations department, and selecting an inner-circle that alienated the staff. Additionally, although Good Morning America, the main morning programme of ABC, is still a ratings success, staff members are concerned since the shows viewership has declined recently and it has been in close competition with CBS Mornings for third place.

Speaking to CNN in recent days, Godwins supporters contended that her leadership style was different from what the networks employees were used to under the previous administration, which had adopted a more hands-on approach. Even still, her supporters conceded that she might not have been the best person to head the network.

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In a note to staff, OConnell stated that she will be in charge of the network for the time being.

OConnell expressed gratitude to the staff for their patience and understanding through this period of transition and stated that she was looking forward to working with the leadership team as we forge a new path forward together.

Since assuming this role in February, my goal has been  and will continue to be  to provide this team with the means necessary to build on our success and carry on the proud tradition of ABC News into a future full of opportunity and innovation, OConnell stated.

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According to sources involved with the talks, OConnell had received concerns about Godwin over the last several months. In addition, OConnell had privately expressed dissatisfaction with Godwins leadership and asked business executives who would be a good fit for the C-suite to assist undo the damage.

People familiar with the subject told CNN that preliminary inquiries had also been made to possible candidates who may be interested in taking over as network president in a post-Godwin era.

Ironically, Godwin joined ABC News three years ago as the first Black woman to oversee a broadcast television news division with the goal of repairing its culture, only to compound its issues and drain the competitive energy that formerly ran through and enlivened the newsroom.

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It was unclear when Godwin and ABC News decided to separate, but as recently as Friday, Godwin was in charge of editorial meetings at the Disney-owned network.

Disney revealed in February that Godwin had extended her contract to serve as ABC News head, despite the fact that OConnell had been given a new position managing her portfolioa sign that the chief executive Bob Iger was not entirely convinced about Godwins ability to run the news division.

Godwin complained about being insulated away from Iger and about what she considered Disneys micromanagement in private when OConnell was appointed. Disney declined to comment on Sunday on whether the firm would honour the remaining amount owed to her.

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In her note to the staff, Godwin wrote that she is leaving with my head held high and that she wished the entire team continued success.
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoffs meeting with Jewish students comes at a time when a wave of anti-Israel protests has taken over US college campuses read more

Douglas Emhoff, the Second Gentleman of the United States, will meet Jewish college students on Monday at the White House to mark the Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Joe Biden, is one of the most prominent Jewish persons in the United States. In recent days, he has taken a lead role in addressing antisemitism in the wake of the October 7 attack of Hamas on Israel. He is the first Jewish spouse of any US president or vice president.

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While Emhoffs meeting is primarily related to Holocaust, it will also address recent campus protests in which several slogans, chants, and placards have been flagged as antisemitic.

The Holocaust refers to the systematic killing of more than 6 million Jews in Europe during World War II by Nazi Germany. As per the Hebrew calendar, the Holocaust Remembrance Day falls on May 6 this year.

We must continue to fight antisemitism and hate: Emhoff

Ahead of his meeting with Jewish students, Emhoff said that we must continue to fight antisemitism and hate at a time when these things are surging.

In a statement to Politico, Emhoff said, At a time when antisemitism is surging, including threats of violence against Jews, we are reminded that we must never allow history to repeat itself. We must continue to fight antisemitism and hate and educate others on the horrors of the past.

In recent weeks, Emhoff has held two rounds of conversations with Jewish students who have felt threatened from the protests.

Lately, a wave of anti-Israel protests has taken over college campuses in the United States. Multiple accounts of Jewish students feeling threatened or intimidated have also surfaced.

Politico reported that the six students whom Emhoff will be meeting are grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. He will also meet Holocaust survivors, including Tova Friedman, who survived the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Emhoff taking central role in addressing antisemitism

In recent weeks, Emhoff has taken an increasingly central role in the Joe Bidens administration in addressing antisemitism, according to Politico.

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Emhoff had been flagging the developments in US campuses well-before the ongoing wave of protests began. In November, he said that what was happening in campuses was a crisis of antisemitism.

Emhoff further said, There seems to be a conflation of not being able to separate the actions of the Israeli government and Jewish people and taking out feelings that they have about the actions of the Israeli government on all Jews, irrespective of how those Jews may also feel about the actions of the Israeli government.

Recently, Emhoff said that protests are a right but calls for violence against Jews in those protests cross a line.

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Were in favor of the right to protest. But when that crosses into violence  when that crosses into calls for genocide, calls for Jews to be murdered  thats completely unacceptable and must be stopped, said Emhoff, as per NBC News.
In recent days, Israeli leaders have been alarmed that the International Criminal Courts (ICC) arrest warrants against them are imminent, according to reports read more

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the International Criminal Courts (ICC) arrest warrants expected against him and other Israeli political and military leaders.

In a speech on Sunday, Netanyahu termed the ICC warrants as indelible stain on international law and humanity. He said that the warrants would be unprecedented antisemitic hate crime which would further fuel antisemitism in the world.

Netanyahus comments come amid reports that Israeli leaders have been alarmed in recent days that warrants could be issued against them. The warrants pertain to Israeli actions related to the Palestinians over the past three years and in the ongoing war in Gaza as well. Besides Netanyahu, those expected to be indicted include Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli militarys Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi.

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Even if Israel is forced to stand alone, we will stand alone

Netanyahu said that Israel will stand alone and defend itself if it has to.

Speaking at the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that Jews are again facing threats of destruction today.

If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand aloneToday, we again confront enemies bent on our destructionI say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself, said Netanyahu, as per AFP.

Netanyahu further said that any warrants against Israeli leaders would be distortion of justice and history. He said the ICC was founded as a consequence of the Holocaust and now it should not undermine the fundamental right of Israel of self-defence.

The Holocaust refers to the systematic killing of more than 6 million Jews in Europe during the World War II by the Nazi Germany.

Previously, Netanyahu had said that the ICCs actions against Israel will pour jet fuel on the fires of antisemitism.

Branding Israels leaders and soldiers as war criminals will pour jet fuel on the fires of antisemitism. Those fires that are already raging on the campuses of America and across capitals around the world, said Netanyahu, as per The Jerusalem Post.

What we know of ICCs action against Israel

Formally, the ICC has not yet commented on reports that arrest warrants are expected against Israeli leaders.

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Reports, however, have said that Israeli leaders have been alarmed lately that arrest warrants against them are imminent. Netanyahu has reportedly raised the issue with US President Joe Biden and US senators have also taken up the issue with the ICC.

White House has said that it does not support an ICC probe.

Weve been really clear about the ICC investigation, that we dont support it, we dont believe that they have the jurisdiction, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Separately, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said his country would not bow our heads or be deterred by the ICCs expected action.

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If the warrants are issued, they will harm the commanders and soldiers of the IDF (Israeli army) and provide a morale boost to the terrorist organization Hamas and the axis of radical Islam led by Iran against which we are fighting, said Katz.
The donors of the ongoing demonstration include some of the biggest names in Democratic circles: Soros, Rockefeller and Pritzker read more

Student protesters gather in protest inside their encampment on the Columbia University campus, in New York. AP

As the United States is struggling to curb the nationwide pro-Palestinian protest, the names of the people who are funding these demonstrations were revealed in a damaging report.

While the US Joe Biden has been dogged for months by pro-Palestinian protesters who are calling him Genocide Joe, reports are emerging that the protests received financial backing from the same philanthropists who are pushing hard for his re-election.

According to a Politico analysis, the donors of the ongoing demonstration include some of the biggest names in Democratic circles: Soros, Rockefeller and Pritzker.

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As per the report, two of the organisers who are supporting the protests at Columbia University and on other campuses are Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. Both organisations are supported by the Tides Foundation, which is seeded by Democratic megadonor George Soros and was previously supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

While Soros declined to comment on the matter, the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation made it clear that it no longer has active grants to the Tides Foundation.

How Rockefeller and Pritzker are related to the protests

Another notable Democratic donor whose philanthropy helped the protests is David Rockefeller Jr whose foundation donated $300,000 to Tides in 2022. What makes Tides so important is the fact that it has given nearly $500,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace over the past five years.

Several other groups that are involved in the ongoing protests are backed by a foundation which is funded by Susan and Nick Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel empire. Pritzkers have been a strong supporter of Biden. In the past, they have donated more than $300,000 during the 2020 campaign.

Why it matters?

This trail of donations reflects a series of blurred lines when it comes to the liberal caucuses that are functioning in the United States.

Why [is the Rockefeller Fund] giving significant grants to Jewish Voice for Peace, [which] blamed the horrific Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the United States rather than Hamas? asked Elisha Wiesel, a Democratic donor who chairs the Elie Wiesel Foundation, an organization that supports anti-genocide work.

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Shortly after the October 7 massacre, the Jewish Voice for Peace released a statement in which they stated that the source of all this violence was Israeli apartheid and occupation  and United States complicity in that oppression.

It is important to note that the complex funding system in the nonprofit space sometimes means that groups are funded by grants and even subgrants from large foundations. Hence, these foundations may not be involved in the day-to-day management of an activist groups work.

While reacting to the reports, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund told Politico that it cannot support political activity or campaigns of this sort.

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Our grantees in all three portfolios support a broad range of policy ideassome align with the Biden administrations agenda and others conflict. This complexity is part and parcel of our nonpartisan work, said Sarah Edkins, the funds communications director, in a statement.

Who trained the activists?

Amid the chaos, reports also emerged that some Left-leaning groups also encouraged anti-Israeli demonstrations and even trained them to conduct such protests. According to The Wall Street Journal, longtime protesting groups like National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and veterans of Black Panthers are involved in training these students.

As per the reports, organisers of the protesters went to a community meeting on gentrification and development and attended online training sessions which were conducted by the Black Panthers.

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We took notes from our elders, engaged in dialogue with them and analysed how the university responded to previous protests, said Sueda Polat, one of the organisers. Hence, the support for these protesters indicates the blurred lines of liberal ideology in the United States and around the world.

With inputs from agencies.
For weeks, anti-Israel protests against Hamas in Gaza have shook American campuses, leading to large arrests, crackdowns, and a White House order to restore calm read more

With a series of smaller festivities planned in its place, the Ivy League school said that it would "forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15" Image Courtesy Reuters

Columbia, the esteemed New York institution at the center of US campus demonstrations against the Gaza War, declared on Monday that it will not be holding the traditional commencement ceremony the following week.

With a series of smaller festivities planned in its place, the Ivy League school said that it would forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15.

We are determined to give our students the celebration they deserve, and that they want, Columbia announced, saying smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families.

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We will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly. A great deal of effort is already underway to reach that goal, the university said.

For weeks, anti-Israel protests against Hamas in Gaza have shook American campuses, leading to large arrests, crackdowns, and a White House order to restore calm.

Police removed demonstrators who had taken over a Columbia University building and dispersed an illegal camp on the schools lawn last week.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden spoke out against the demonstrations and emphasized that order must prevail.
After Israels military said it had begun encouraging residents of Rafah to evacuate in a limited scope operation, a senior Hamas official described the move as dangerous escalation that will have consequences" read more

Palestinians stand in the ruins of the Chahine family home, after an overnight Israeli strike that killed at least two adults and five boys and girls under the age of 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, on Friday. AP

The Israeli order for civilians to evacuate Rafah is a dangerous escalation that will have consequences, said a senior Hamas official on Monday.

The US administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism, Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, referring to Israels alliance with Washington.

His comments came after Israels military said it had begun encouraging residents of Rafah to evacuate in a limited scope operation.

The Israeli military has urged residents and displaced individuals to evacuate eastern neighborhoods of Rafah and relocate to what it described as an expanded humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. The IDF characterized the operation as limited in scope and estimated the need to relocate approximately 100,000 people.

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In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) outlined its evacuation initiative, employing various communication channels such as announcements, text messages, phone calls, and media broadcasts in Arabic.

Via social media channels, the Israeli army emphasized its commitment to employing extreme force against militants.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has said military action in Rafah is required due to Hamas refusal for a Gaza truce under which the Palestinian Islamist group would free some hostages. On Sunday, in a televised address, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu once more rejected Hamass demands for a definitive end to the war in Gaza.

Associated Press notes that about 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gazas population  are jammed into Rafah and its surroundings. Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israels onslaught and now face another move.

They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing UN shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled. Israel has repeatedly bombed the Rafah area, and has also previously bombed the area it is now ordering Palestinians to flee to.

The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on 7 October in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed, 29 of them in the past 24 hours, and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israels assault, according to Gazas health ministry.

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With inputs from agencies
The European Union (EU) cannot accept the market distorting practices of China that could lead to deindustrialisation in Europe, said EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen read more

European Union (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that the EU will not waver from making tough decisions regarding unfair Chinese trade practices.

Von der Leyen met Xi on Monday along with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. It was the first of the three stops of Xis five-day visit to Europe, which is his first in the past five years. From France, Xi will head to Serbia and Hungary.

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The visit of Xi comes at a time when tensions are high between the EU and China over unfair trade practices. The EU is concerned that while Chinese products like electric vehicles (EVs) and steel, which are over-produced as a result of subsidies, are flooding the European markets, China is not granting market-access to European products. Von der Leyen described such an imbalance was a matter of great concern.

In remarks after their meeting, Von der Leyen said she was convinced that China and Europe will have thriving durable economies if the competition between the two was fair.

Europe cant accept market-distorting practices of China

Von der Leyen dubbed the Chinese tactics as market-distorting and said that these are unacceptable.

Von der Leyen further said that as the domestic demand is weak in China, the country is over-producing goods and these goods are flooding EU markets.

Europe will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and security. Our market is and remains open to fair competition and to investments. But it is not good for Europe if it harms our security and makes us vulnerable. Europe cannot accept the market distorting practices that could lead to deindustrialisation here at home, said Von der Leyen, as per The Guardian.

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EU investigates Chinese imports, tariffs not ruled out

Last year, Von der Leyen announced an investigation an anti-subsidy inquiry into cheap EVs imports from China. Since then, the EU and China have engaged in tit for tat investigations.

China responded with a probe on imports of European brandy, which was followed by a separate EU investigation into Chinese renewable energy equipment such as wind turbines and solar panels. China retaliated to the action by barring European companies from winning contracts with China. The EU followed it up with another probe on imports of medical devices from China.

There are indications that the EU may up the ante. Following the Mondays meeting with Xi along with Macron, Von der Leyen said the EU is ready to make full use of our trade defence instruments if this is necessary. Separately, top EU trade official last month said tariffs may soon be imposed.

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Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for Trade, told Politico that the EU probe into imports of Chinese EVs was advancing and said that the EU could impose tariffs before the summer break.
Qanou made these remarks on Monday morning, following the Israeli militarys order to evacuate Palestinians from eastern Rafah. This was in anticipation of the long-awaited ground assault of the southern Gaza metropolis, which has caused great concern throughout the world read more

Any truce would be the first since Israel and the Islamist movement exchanged hostages and prisoners during a week-long ceasefire in November Image Courtesy AFP

Israeli orders to start evacuating residents of Rafah in the south have not deterred Hamas from continuing negotiations for a truce in Gaza, according to a representative for the Palestinian terrorist organization on Monday.

We will continue the negotiations positively and with an open heart, Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou told AFP.

In order to provide for a permanent ceasefire and the fulfilment of the demands of our people, he emphasized that an agreement was required.

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Israel has made it known that it opposes an ongoing truce.

Qanou made these remarks on Monday morning, following the Israeli militarys order to evacuate Palestinians from eastern Rafah. This was in anticipation of the long-awaited ground assault of the southern Gaza metropolis, which has caused great concern throughout the world.

Following the failure of the most recent round of peace negotiations in Cairo over the weekend, the Hamas team returned to Qatar, the home of its senior leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

The movements leadership is in a state of internal and factional consultation after the last round of negotiations in Cairo, Qanou said.

Any truce would be the first since Israel and the Islamist movement exchanged hostages and prisoners during a week-long ceasefire in November.

However, negotiations to end their seven-month conflict have stagnated in part due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus promises to carry out ground operations and eliminate Hamass last fighters in Rafah, as well as Hamass demand for an unconditional ceasefire and the complete evacuation of Israeli troops.

According to a statement released by Netanyahus office, no Israeli government can accept Hamass demand for a complete Israeli pullout, which would allow Hamas to once again militarily control the Strip and get ready for another October 7, as it has promised to do.

Netanyahu has been charged by senior Hamas officials with undermining the ceasefire negotiations for personal interests. This was branded as an absolute lie by Netanyahus office, which added, Hamas sabotages every deal by not budging an inch from its extreme demands.
Around 1.4 million Palestinians live in Rafah, and since the Israeli military described the operation as having a limited scope, residents were being evacuated. Fearing a seven-month-long struggle, residents once more packed their families and possessions into cars, carts, or started walking the twenty kilometers read more

According to Israel, the city of Rafah is home to thousands of Hamas combatants, with whom it has been at war since October 7 Image Courtesy Reuters

As over a million Palestinians were evacuated from their homes and sodden refugee camps to an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone on Monday, worries in the southern Gaza city of Rafah intensified due to overnight rains, an impending Israeli attack, and dwindling chances for a truce.

Around 1.4 million Palestinians live in Rafah, and since the Israeli military described the operation as having a limited scope, residents were being evacuated. Fearing a seven-month-long struggle, residents once more packed their families and possessions into cars, carts, or started walking the twenty kilometers.

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The Israeli military issued a warning that Hamas was known to fire from those sites, despite the fact that individuals were being relocated into safer humanitarian areas. It further stated that no deadline was being established for the evacuation of Rafah.

Posters, text messages, phone calls, and media announcements would be used to encourage the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas, the military stated in a statement. Evacuees, according to Army Radio, will be sent to tent cities in the neighboring towns of Khan Younis and Al Muwassi.

According to army spokesman Lt Col. Nadav Shoshani, Israel has increased the area under its control and added tents, food, water, and field hospitals.

In Rafah, the Israeli forces launched airstrikes many hours after the evacuation instructions.

According to Israel, the city of Rafah is home to thousands of Hamas combatants, with whom it has been at war since October 7.

In Muwasi, there are currently about 450,000 Palestinian refugees seeking refuge. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, claimed it had been giving them assistance. Families are forced to dig their own latrines due to the unsanitary circumstances and lack of restrooms in the mostly rural area.

Greatest humanitarian catastrophe about to occur?

In the cramped coastal enclave of 2.3 million people suffering from seven months of fighting, aid organizations have warned that the evacuation order may trigger an even worse humanitarian calamity.

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Forcing over a million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences, British charity ActionAid said.

UNRWA stated that additional civilian suffering and deaths will result from the Israeli offensive and that it will not withdraw from Rafah.

The agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing life-saving aid to people, the agency said.

UNRWA declared that it will not withdraw from Rafah and that the Israeli offensive will result in increased misery and fatalities among civilians.

The agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing life-saving aid to people, the agency said.

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In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed US concerns regarding an assault of Rafah. According to a National Security Council spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity, Biden stated that the only way to save the lives of Israeli captives held in Gaza is to reach a cease-fire with Hamas.

Rafah invasion will thwart efforts by foreign mediators to mediate a cease-fire, according to Hamas and Qatar, a major negotiator. Additionally, Hamas declared in a statement that it was ready to defend Palestinians in Rafah and that any attack there would not be a picnic for Israeli forces.

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Egypt said that any military action in Gaza would pose serious risks to civilian safety and asked Israel to demonstrate the highest levels of self-restraint in that area. Prior to this, security sources claimed that Egypt had increased military readiness in the Gaza-bordering northern Sinai.

The directives for evacuation, according to European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, portend more war and famine. France also recalls that the forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes a war crime under international law, the French foreign ministry stated in the meanwhile.

The foreign ministry issued a statement warning Israel not to target Rafah as part of what it described as a bloody and systematic effort to storm all of Gaza and drive out its residents.

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Jordan declared that there will be a indelible stain on the international community if the massacre in the making in Palestine is not stopped.

In order to continue helping those who remain, UNRWA will not be leaving Rafah, according to Scott Anderson, the organizations director in Gaza. He told the AP, We will help people wherever they choose to be.

According to the UN, an assault on Rafah might impede the delivery of supplies that keep Palestinians alive throughout Gaza. Within the evacuation zone is the major entry point for aid to Gaza, the Rafah crossing into Egypt. Following the Israeli directive, the border was still open on Monday.

The order to evacuate was issued barely one day after four Israeli soldiers were killed by rockets fired by Hamas at Israeli troops stationed close to Israels main crossing with Gaza. Though Shoshani stated it wouldnt impede the amount of aid entering Gaza while others are working, Israel closed the crossing.

A hospital reported that 22 people, including children and two infants, were killed by Israeli bombings on Rafah.

The US, Egypt, and Qatar, who are serving as the cease-fires mediators, seemed to be rushing to preserve the agreement they had been attempting to broker over the previous week. In an effort to keep the situation from getting out of control, Egypt stated on Monday that it was in contact with all parties.
It is believed in Bangladesh that the Tangail Saree has originated from the Tangail district in Bangladesh and have remained part of the countrys cultural heritage for ages read more

The turf war between India and Bangladesh over the GI tag for the Tangail Saree is far from over as the Bangladesh government has now enlisted the services of the Indian law firm Mason & Associates to represent its interests. This disclosure was made on Monday by the Bangladesh Ministry of Industry in a written statement to the High Court bench led by Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar.

Established in 2006 by Neel Mason, Mason & Associates focusses on the practice of Intellectual Property (IP) Law. However, when contacted the law firm refrained from giving any comments on the case.

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Barrister Sarowat Siraj Shukla from Tangail had filed the petition on 18 February, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Tangail Saree GI row

The Tangail saree, a traditional handwoven masterpiece, has sparked considerable controversy between India and Bangladesh. The debate ignited when Indias Ministry of Culture claimed on 1 February that the saree originates from West Bengal, eliciting dismay and criticism. In response, Bangladeshs Ministry of Industries swiftly recognized it as a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Bangladesh on 8 February.

The West Bengal State Handloom Weavers Co-Operative Society Limited, headquartered in Kolkata, took proactive steps to secure the Tangail sarees heritage. Their application for geographical indication status was approved by the Indian Geographical Indications Registry on 2 January, 2024. This registration, initiated on 8 September, 2020, serves to safeguard the authenticity of the Tangail saree until 8 September, 2030.

It is believed in Bangladesh that the Tangail Saree has originated from the Tangail district in Bangladesh and have remained part of the countrys cultural heritage for ages. The Tangail Saree, often referred to as Tangail Jamdani, is a traditional handwoven saree renowned for its intricate motifs, lightweight texture and airy feel, making it a popular choice for warm climates and special occasions.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also tweeted about GI tags to three state products including the Tangail of Nadia.

Three handloom saree items of West Bengal, namely Tangail of Nadia and Purba Bardhaman, and Korial & Garad of Murshidabad and Birbhum, have been registered and recognized as GI products.



I congratulate the artisans for their skills and achievements. We are proud of them. Our  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 4, 2024

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Chandra Shekhar Saha, a renowned designer, researcher and President of the National Crafts Council of Bangladesh told The Daily Star about the geographical association of the Tangail district with Bangladesh and lamented the fact that India had received the GI tag for a similar product.

Amid the aftermath of the 1971 Liberation War, a significant exodus of Tangail weavers sought sanctuary in India, notably in West Bengal. This mass migration spurred the emergence of dynamic weaving enclaves in the region. Rooted in history, the Basak community, pivotal to Tangail saree weaving in Bangladesh, embarked on a journey across borders during the Partition, dispersing their rich textile heritage.

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As reported by The Business Standard in Bangladesh, the origins of the Tangail saree dates back to the British colonial era. Villages such as Pathrail, Nolshodha and Gharinda have been identified as pivotal in the genesis of this textile artistry. A significant aspect of this narrative lies in the involvement of the Basak community, a Hindu migrant weavers group originating from the lineage of traditional muslin weavers who inhabited the Dhamrai and Chauhatta regions of Dhaka district circa 1850. With time, due to invitations and patronage from landlords in Delduar, Santosh and Gharinda areas of Tangail, the Basak weavers migrated to these locales. Consequently, the sarees they meticulously crafted came to be known as Tangail sarees.

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Presently, Bangladesh boasts approximately 34,000 looms dedicated to the craft.
(Photo : Unsplash/Jievani Weerasinghe )

A long-standing rivalry between former cryptocurrency giants came to an end at a federal courthouse in Seattle on Tuesday, as Binance founder Changpeng Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison, while FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried received a 25-year prison term for his offenses across the country in downtown Manhattan.

Binance-FTX's Tech-Driven World Order

For years, Zhao of Binance and Bankman-Fried of FTX championed the potential of decentralized digital currencies to the public. As bitcoin billionaires, they operated global cryptocurrency exchanges, drove Toyotas, and advocated for a tech-driven world order, one where an alternative financial system with borderless virtual coins would empower the oppressed by bypassing traditional middlemen like banks and government oversight. Both have also provided fodder for crypto critics and regulators, reinforcing the argument that the industry harbored fraudsters and criminals exploiting new technology for old crimes.

READ ALSO: Mistakes To Avoid When Investing In Bitcoins For The First Time

Final Verdict on CEO's Archrivalry

Bankman-Fried, 32, was found guilty of seven criminal charges in early November, including allegations of embezzling billions of dollars from FTX's clients. Less than three weeks before his conviction, Zhao, known as CZ, 47, admitted to criminal charges and resigned from his position as Binance's CEO as part of a $4.3 billion agreement with the Department of Justice.

However, the two have stark differences, most notably the 296-month disparity in their prison sentences. Braden Perry, a former senior trial lawyer for the CFTC, noted that both individuals rose to prominence in the cryptocurrency sector but under significantly different circumstances.

The nature of their alleged crimes underscores different facets of cryptocurrency's dark and illicit realms: CZ's case appears to center on regulatory and compliance lapses, whereas SBF's case revolves around direct financial wrongdoing and deceit. This disparity in consequences for the two former crypto CEOs lays bare their distinct approaches in business and personal matters.

Binance's billionaire founder Changpeng Zhao received a four-month prison sentence on Tuesday after admitting guilt about enabling money laundering at his cryptocurrency exchange.

According to a Reuters report, U.S. District Judge Richard Jones addressed Zhao in a Seattle federal court, emphasizing that he had the resources and authority to ensure compliance with all regulations but failed to do so. The sentence given to the former Binance chief was notably shorter than the three years sought by federal prosecutors. The defense had requested five months of probation, while sentencing guidelines recommended a 12 to 18 months prison term. Before receiving his sentence, Zhao expressed remorse to the judge, as reported by Reuters.

Bankman-Fried received a 25-year prison sentence for crimes related to his cryptocurrency exchange, which faced accusations of fraud and misusing customers' funds. According to Perry, this behavior is perceived as more deceptive and financially harmful to a wider range of individuals than compliance failures.

Perry explained that Zhao's case centers on regulatory and compliance shortcomings, while Bankman-Fried's case revolves around direct financial wrongdoing and deceit. He added that while compliance failures are significant, they may be viewed as oversights rather than intentional misconduct.

RELATED ARTICLE: Binance In Pursuit as Authorities Declare "Access to US Customers is a Privilege, Not a Right"

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In recent times, tensions have risen as Iran has faced fresh accusations of lack of cooperation on inspections of its nuclear facilities and other issues read more

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi will arrive in Iran on Monday to hold talks amid rising concerns over the countrys nuclear programme.

Iran has long been accused of working towards the development of a nuclear weapon. Lately, tensions have risen as Iran has faced fresh accusation of lack of cooperations on inspections of its nuclear facilities and other issues.

The US military has concluded that Iran can develop a weapon within months. The Iranian nuclear bomb is a red line for Israel, the regional arch-rival of Iran, and the United States and Israel have previously expressed commitment to not let Iran develop nuclear weapons.

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During his visit, UN atomic watchdog chief Grossi is also expected to deliver a speech at a science conference. Incidentally, the conference, dubbed the International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology, is being held in Isfahan province, which is also home to the Natanz uranium enrichment plant. When Israel and Iran exchanged fire last month, Israel had launched attacks in the vicinity of the facility.

Irans tensions with UN nuclear watchdog

Tensions have repeatedly flared between Iran and IAEA in recent years over Irans stance on its nuclear programme.

In recent years, the IAEA has said that Iran has deactivated the monitoring devices at its nuclear facilities and has stopped access of its inspectors.

These inspectors and devices are meant to ensure that Iran is not making nuclear weapons and is complying with its obligations to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran is one of the signatories of the treaty thats intended to put a stop to the development of nuclear weapons.

After the United States under former President Donald Trump quit the Iran nuclear deal, which promised the Islamic Republic economic relaxations in lieu of suspension of sensitive nuclear activities, Iran also suspended compliance to the deal. Since then, Iran has increased the enrichment of uranium.

In February, AFP news agency reported that IAEA in a confidential report had mentioned that Irans estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached 27 times the limit mentioned in the now-junked nuclear deal signed in 2015.

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Separately, in its quarterly report, the IAEA said that Iran had an estimated 121.5 kg of uranium that has been enriched up to 60% purity, according to VOA News. This is just one step below weapons-grade uranium, which has 90% purity.

In September 2023, Iran withdrew the accreditation of several IAEA inspectors. The agency described the move as extreme and unjustified. Iran, however, said its actions were a result of political abuses by the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Iran can develop nuclear bomb in months: US assessment

In March 2023, the top US military officer said that Iran develop a nuclear weapon within weapons if it wanted to.

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From the date Iran makes the final decision to develop a nuclear weapon, it would take 10-15 days to have enough material to make a bomb and then a bomb could be ready within several months, said General Mark Milly, who was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time.

From the time of a national decision, Iran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in approximately 10-15 days and it would only take several months to produce an actual nuclear weapon. The United States remains committed, as a matter of policy, that Iran will not have a fielded nuclear weapon. The United States military has developed multiple options for our national leadership to consider, if or when Iran decides to develop a nuclear weapon, said Milley, who has retired since making the comment.
Residents of Rafah described emerging outside after a terrifying night in which around a dozen air strikes were carried out on Rafah, to find fliers falling from the sky telling them to evacuate immediately' read more

Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, shelter at a tent camp in Rafah. Reuters

Palestinian civilians in the southern Gazan city of Rafah voiced despair on Monday as Israel dropped fliers urging them to evacuate for their own safety ahead of a limited military operation.

Israels army said it was instructing Palestinian families in eastern Rafah to flee in preparation for an expected ground assault on the city which abuts Gazas border with Egypt.

Residents of Rafah described emerging outside after a terrifying night in which around a dozen air strikes were carried out on Rafah, to find fliers falling from the sky telling them to evacuate immediately.

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The army is working with intensive power against the terrorist forces near you, read a flier circulated in eastern Rafah.

For your safety, the IDF (Israeli military) tells you to evacuate immediately towards the expanded humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi, it said, with a map indicating the location to the north of Rafah.

Osama Al-Kahlout, of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Gaza, told AFP that the areas designated for evacuation currently shelter some 250,000 people, many of whom have already been displaced from other areas in the Gaza Strip.

The evacuation process has begun on the ground, but in a limited manner, he said.

An Israeli military spokesman, when asked how many people should move, said: The estimate is around 100,000 people.

About 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, according to the World Health Organisation, most having fled there during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants.

Israeli soldiers killed

Amid pouring rain, some of those sheltering in Rafah said they had begun packing up their things from the densely packed tents and preparing to leave even before Israels directive arrived.

Whatever happens, my tent is ready, a resident told AFP.

But others said the area they were being told to flee to was already overcrowded, and they did not trust that it would be safe.

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Abdul Rahman Abu Jazar, 36, said he and 12 family members were in the designated evacuation area.

Jazar and his family did not know what to do, he said, because the humanitarian zone they were told to head for does not have enough room for us to make tents because they are (already) full of displaced people.

Where can we go? We do not know, he told AFP.

There are also no hospitals and it is far from any services many need, he said, adding that one of his family members relied on dialysis at the Al-Najar hospital, in the area of Rafah instructed to evacuate.

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How will we deal with her after that? Should we watch her die without being able to do anything?

An Israeli military spokesman told reporters that the evacuation is part of our plans to dismantle Hamas  we had a violent reminder of their presence and their operational abilities in Rafah yesterday.

On Sunday, four Israeli soldiers were killed and others wounded, the army said, when a barrage of rockets was fired towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza.

The army said the rockets were fired from an area adjacent to Rafah.

No credible humanitarian plan

International aid organisations have voiced alarm at the expected invasion of Rafah.

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From the humanitarian perspective, no credible humanitarian plan for an attack on Rafah exists, said Bushra Khalidi, advocacy director for Oxfam in the Palestinian territories.

She said she could not fathom that Rafah will happen, asking where displaced Palestinians will go when most of their surroundings have been reduced to death and rubble?

Gazas bloodiest-ever war broke out following Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized some 250 hostages, with Israel estimating that 128 of them remain in Gaza, including 35 whom the military says are dead.

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Israels retaliatory offensive, aimed at destroying Hamas, has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry.
After Israel ordered the evacuation of portions of Rafah, the city on Gazas southern border that has been the last safe haven for around half of the 2.3 million people living there, Hamas announced a deal hours later read more

The proposal that Hamas had approved, according to the Israeli official, was a "softened" version of an Egyptian one that had "far-reaching" conclusions that Israel was unable to accept Image Courtesy Reuters

A truce in Gaza was not agreed upon, according to an Israeli official on Monday, following Hamas announcement that it had approved a proposal from mediators in Qatar and Egypt.

The proposal that Hamas had approved, according to the Israeli official, was a softened version of an Egyptian one that had far-reaching conclusions that Israel was unable to accept.

This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal, said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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In a brief statement earlier, Hamas announced that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had notified mediators from Qatar and Egypt that the group approved of their ceasefire plan. The statement provided no information about the agreement.

Since a week-long break in hostilities in November, no viable agreement on a ceasefire has been reached in Gaza.

After Israel ordered the evacuation of portions of Rafah, the city on Gazas southern border that has been the last safe haven for around half of the 2.3 million people living there, Hamas announced a deal hours later.
Goyal sought interim bail citing medical and humanitarian reasons, as both he and his wife Anita Goyal are battling cancer. In February this year, a special court denied bail to Goyal but allowed him to seek medical treatment at a private hospital of his choice read more

The Bombay High Court has granted interim bail for two months to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal on medical grounds in connection with a money laundering case linked to Canara Bank.

Justice NJ Jamadars bench ruled that Goyal must pay a surety of Rs 1 lakh and obtain prior permission from the special court before leaving Mumbai.

The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed, Justice Jamadar stated.

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Additionally, the High Court directed Goyal to surrender his passport.

Goyal sought interim bail citing medical and humanitarian reasons, as both he and his wife Anita Goyal are battling cancer.

In February this year, a special court denied bail to Goyal but allowed him to seek medical treatment at a private hospital of his choice.

Formally rejecting Goyals bail plea in March, a lower court prompted the Jet Airways founder to file a bail plea in the High Court seeking release on medical grounds.

Goyals legal team, comprising Harish Salve, Aabad Ponda, and Ameet Naik, urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds, highlighting his deteriorating physical and mental health.

On the other hand, Enforcement Directorate (ED) lawyers Hiten Venegaonkar and Aayush Kedia vehemently opposed the bail, suggesting an extension of Goyals hospitalization for further assessment.

Goyal was arrested by the ED in September last year over allegations of money laundering and siphoning off loans amounting to Rs 538.62 crore from Canara Bank, granted to Jet Airways.

Anita Goyal, his wife, was arrested in November the same year when the ED filed its chargesheet. She was granted bail by the special court on the same day due to her age and medical condition.
Incidents of rude behaviour have led to a number of institutions, including schools and local governments, drafting new rules to deal with a nation that is becoming more irritated and impatient than ever, according to a report read more

Reports of rude behaviour are growing more frequent in Japan even as the society has long prided itself on politeness and respect towards others.

According to a South China Morning Post report, citing an academic, such incidents have led to a number of institutions, including schools and local governments, drafting new rules to deal with a nation that is becoming more irritated and impatient than ever.

I can definitely see it (rude behaviour) around us more and more every day, South China Morning Post quoted Izumi Tsuji, a sociologist and professor of culture at Tokyos Chuo University, as saying

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While there appeared to be no empirical evidence available, there might be an increasing tendency among people in Japan to respond with rudeness and aggression when met with polite resistance for several reasons..

People who sense they are in a weaker position in a situation have realised that if they argue and push back, then they put themselves in a stronger position, South China Morning Post quoted Tsuji as saying.

According to the report, citing observers, in Japan, theres a growing trend among younger individuals to employ a tactic during arguments with company or organisation representatives.

They understand that its culturally unacceptable for the companys staff to engage in arguments, even when theyre clearly on the right side, and this strategy exploits the unwritten rules of Japans business environment to their advantage.

I also think that there is greater miscommunication in Japanese society. We have more people from other cultures in Japan and more Japanese are travelling abroad, so there is a greater likelihood of misunderstandings, Tsuji was quoted as saying

Tsuji said that the most significant factor behind the spike in such incidents is that people in Japan are under greater stress than in the past.

The situation in our society is not good, he said, adding, The economy is getting worse and worse, people are worried about rising prices, and they are stressed as they think about their future.

Recalling his younger days, Tsuji said that he was was not worried about his career, economy or anything else.

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Im fortunate as Im doing much better than a lot of people now  I have a job, a secure position in my university and an income  but it is very difficult for many people to be optimistic about the future, he was quoted as saying.

According to the report, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government addressed the pressing issue of aggressive behavior from members of the public by contemplating the creation of a local ordinance. This ordinance aims to establish a precise definition of customer harassment directed towards service-sector employees and other workers, with the goal of discouraging potential offenders.

The proposed definition encompasses various forms of misconduct such as assault, intimidation, and other illegal actions, along with unreasonable behavior like verbal abuse and excessive demands that disrupt workplace harmony. The specifics regarding potential penalties under this legislation remain uncertain at this stage, it added.

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The East Japan Railway Company has recently released a fresh employee handbook containing guidelines for handling aggressive passengers who physically assault or threaten staff members. The handbook emphasizes the importance of staff safety as the utmost priority while instructing employees to maintain a sincere approach towards addressing customer concerns and requests. It also highlights the necessity of reporting serious incidents to the police.

An anonymous employee of a Japanese airline, speaking to This Week in Asia, shared that dealing with demanding and impolite passengers was a daily challenge.

They have short tempers and complain about everything  the length of the line to check in, the security checks, the baggage limits, she was quoted as saying.

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They complain about things that we cannot change, like the weather or flights being delayed or cancelled, the employee said. They know we have no control over the weather, but its like they just want to complain and need someone to apologise to them.

Travellers in business class were the worst culprits, she said. They think they are special because they are flying in business class, and they look down on everyone else, including the ground staff. After a day of listening to their complaints, I have to say that I often feel terrible.

The airline employee said she had no choice but to keep calm and be polite to such customers, even if they were aggressive.

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According to South China Morning Post, citing a survey by Tokyo-based staffing agency Workport Inc in March, nearly two-thirds of junior and mid-career employees in Japan had been the target of power harassment, also known as workplace bullying, with almost half of respondents saying they had chosen to do nothing in response.

The poll found that about 65 per cent of the 661 people surveyed had been subjected to verbal abuse and insults by their superiors, had had their achievements ignored, or had been given excessive or harsh work.

Nearly 10 per cent of people reported sexual or physical harassment, and almost 5 per cent said they had been assaulted or injured in the workplace.

Around 56 per cent of respondents said their employers were not taking adequate measures to prevent workplace bullying, despite the introduction of a law in 2020 designed to combat the problem.

With inputs from agencies
Wangs operation, known as brushing, involved faking viewer interactions such as likes, comments, and shares to deceive consumers. He targeted platforms like TikTok, where he attracted clients seeking to enhance their online presence read more

In a landmark case from Chinas Zhejiang province, a man has been sentenced to one year and three months in prison and fined 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) for running a fraudulent scheme involving live-streaming viewer counts.

The accused, identified as Wang, used 4,600 phones to artificially boost viewer numbers, earning 3 million yuan (US$415,000) in less than four months.

Wangs operation, known as brushing, involved faking viewer interactions such as likes, comments, and shares to deceive consumers. He targeted platforms like TikTok, where he attracted clients seeking to enhance their online presence.

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Setting up the scheme was relatively simple for Wang. He purchased thousands of mobile phones controlled by specialised cloud software, along with VPN services and network equipment. With just a few clicks, he could orchestrate all the phones to artificially inflate viewer counts during live-streaming events.

The cost for using each mobile phone was minimal, allowing Wang to profit significantly from selling his fraudulent service. He obtained fake viewer accounts in bulk and exploited loopholes in live-streaming platform account management.

To carry out his plan, Wang also needed fake viewer accounts, which he bought in bulk from others. Sometimes these accounts were shut down for not being real, but Wang found it easy to create new ones. He took advantage of weaknesses in how live-streaming platforms manage user accounts to keep his operation going smoothly.
Established in November of last year, the Faizabad Dharna Commission was tasked with looking into the TLPs 20-day sit-in, which caused chaos in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The radical religious group was opposing purported modifications to the oath taken by legislators read more

Chief Justice Isa expressed dissatisfaction with the findings and claimed it was an attempt to shield the former head of the ISI, who had communicated and signed a deal with the demonstrators Image Courtesy Reuters

commander Justice of Pakistan Faez Isa criticized a fact-finding committee on Monday for seemingly having the mandate was to acquit former ISI commander Faiz Hameed by going out of the way in order to look into the 2017 Faizabad sit-in by the extremist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan.

Isas comments coincided with the Supreme Courts three-member benchs consideration of a series of review petitions filed in opposition to its 2019 ruling in the Faizabad sit-in case involving the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

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Established in November of last year, the Faizabad Dharna Commission was tasked with looking into the TLPs 20-day sit-in, which caused chaos in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The radical religious group was opposing purported modifications to the oath taken by legislators.

Years before he took the oath of office as chief justice, a Supreme Court panel headed by Justice Isa rendered a historic decision in 2019 rejecting the sit-in and ordering punishment for those who organized it. But rather of putting the ruling into effect, the then-government, led by imprisoned prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, filed multiple review petitions against it and brought a corruption case against Isa.

The requests for review were not heard until Isa was appointed Chief Justice last year, after the Supreme Court had dismissed the case. Remarkably, most petitioners retracted their requests for review.

However, the government established a commission to recommend responsibility fixes and hold officials accountable, and the bench insisted on carrying out the original ruling.

Following the submission of the commissions findings, a bench led by Justice Isa and made up of Justices Irfan Saadat Khan and Naeem Akhtar Awan held a hearing on Monday. Retired Inspector General of Police Syed Akhtar Ali Shah headed the three-person panel, which also included assistant Interior Secretary Khushal Khan and former Chief of Police of Islamabad Tahir Alam Khan.

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Chief Justice Isa expressed dissatisfaction with the findings and claimed it was an attempt to shield the former head of the ISI, who had communicated and signed a deal with the demonstrators.

Why is this gentleman (Faiz) being acquitted in the report by going out of the way? Apparently, the commissions mandate was to acquit Faiz Hameed, the chief justice remarked during the hearing.

He said it was very disappointing and a waste of the countrys time because the commission failed to call anyone on behalf of the TLP who could have helped the commission.

Those from whom weapons were recovered were also not called. The intention of those who brought weapons was clear that they are not peaceful protesters, the top judge remarked.

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Castigating the report, the Chief Justice said, This is something given to fifth-grade studentsThis appears to be a newspaper articlethat was not the task given to the commission.

He further said that the Commission in its report suggested that the Army should be kept away from these matters but why did they (army people) sign the agreement? What did the Commission do? It just wasted time. The Commission is just making speeches, Isa said during the hearing, adding, I am surprised to read the report, they should have constructed the sentence correctly as to who had committed the violation. He said the report doesnt seem to be serious and the commission did not provide any finding.

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The judge said if the verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case had been implemented, the May 9 incident last year involving attacks on army installations would not have taken place.

Later, the attorney general sought two weeks time to inform the court about the governments response to the report. In the short order issued after the hearing, the court directed him to submit a report on the governments behalf, stating if the government wanted to make this report public.
The trio were believed to have been murdered during an attempt to steal their pick-up truck, state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade said at a press conference read more

People watch surfers taking part in a ceremony in honor of two Australians and an American surfers that went missing last week during a surfing trip at San Miguel Beach in Ensenada, Baja California State, Mexico. AFP

Relatives on Sunday identified the bodies of two Australians and an American shot dead in a suspected botched robbery during a surfing trip to Mexico, authorities said.

The corpses were found with bullet wounds to their heads, according to officials in crime-hit Baja California state, suggesting an execution-style triple homicide.

The news confirmed the worst fears of the families and friends of holidaying Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter.

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The trio were believed to have been murdered during an attempt to steal their pick-up truck, state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade said at a press conference.

The vehicle  which had been burned  was found nearby.

The state prosecutors office later confirmed in a statement that the bodies had been formally identified as those of the missing surfers.

The victims relatives were able to identify them without the need for genetic tests, it said.

Three suspects, two men and one woman, have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the case, according to prosecutors.

One of those arrested has a history of violence, drug dealing and robbery, officials said.

Investigators said earlier that the bodies were recovered from a cliff-top shaft in an advanced state of decomposition.

Another corpse found at the site had been there longer and was unconnected to the others, officials said.

AFP journalists saw authorities use a pulley system to extract the mud-covered bodies from the shaft on Friday near the town of Santo Thomas, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Ensenada.

Tragic loss

The Australian brothers mother, Debra Robinson, had sounded the alarm on a Facebook page for Baja California tourists several days ago, after the young men dropped out of contact.

Reaching out to anyone who has seen my two sons. They have not contacted us since Saturday 27th April, she wrote, attaching a poster from friends desperate for news of their whereabouts.

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A missing poster shared on social media said Callum Robinson was 33 and his brother Jake was 30. It named their friend as Jack Carter Rhoad, aged 30.

The friends had previously visited Mexico several times without any problems, Andrade said.

Callum Robinsons Instagram page showed several images from the trios Mexico trip: enjoying beers with their feet up in a bar, lazing in a jacuzzi, eating roadside tacos, looking out at the surf.

Six-foot-four (1.93 meters) Callum had played in the US Premier Lacrosse League, which left a message on its website saying the lacrosse world was heartbroken by the tragic loss of the trio.

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We offer our hearts, support and prayers to the Robinson and Rhoad Families, as well as all who loved Callum, Jake and Jack, it said.

Jake Robinson was a doctor in Perth, according to Australian media.

Baja California is known for its inviting beaches, and its resorts are popular with US tourists, partly because of their proximity to the border.

It is also one of Mexicos most violent states because of organized crime gangs, although cartel activity doesnt commonly affect foreign tourists.

Dozens of surfers protested in Ensenada on Sunday with messages written on their boards including beaches, security, freedom, peace and no more deaths.

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The case echoes that of two Australian surfers who were murdered and their bodies burned while traveling in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa in November 2015.

Criminal violence in Mexico has claimed 450,000 lives and led to more than 100,000 disappearances since the end of 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug strategy involving the military.
In an email allegedly issued by the National Lawyers Guild of Columbia Law School last Friday, the organisation denounced both the schools administration and the NYPD for their actions in evacuating Hamilton Hall following its occupation by anti-Israel demonstrators, according to a report read more

Police stand guard at Columbia University, where a building occupation and protest encampment had been set up in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict. Reuters File

As Columbia University struggles to limp back to normal after last weeks NYPD action, a student group from Columbia Law rdeclared that no Jew is safe or free until Palestine is free.

According to a Fox News report, in an email allegedly issued by the National Lawyers Guild of Columbia Law School last Friday, the organisation denounced both the schools administration and the NYPD for their actions in evacuating Hamilton Hall following its occupation by anti-Israel demonstrators.

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From the @ColumbiaLaw chapter of the @NLGnews:



"To the Jewish students, faculty, and trustees blocking divestment and urging the violent crackdowns on campus: you threaten everyones safety."



"No Jew is safe until everyone is safe, and no Jew is free until Palestine is free." pic.twitter.com/JHqkcJDtqz  Zach Kessel (@zach_kessel) May 5, 2024

In response to criticisms from Jewish critics, the group said that their stance does not represent the views of all Jews and contended that genuine safety for Jewish individuals cannot be achieved until Palestine achieves liberation.

To the Jewish students, faculty, and trustees blocking divestment and urging the violent crackdowns on campus: you threaten everyones safety. Yet you continue to claim to speak for all Jews. Keep our names out of your mouths. You, who called us Judenrat, put us on lists of bad Jews, and cheered the brutalization of our comrades, do not represent us, the message read.

While you repeatedly cried wolf with claims that anti-Zionist speech was antisemitic, which diluted the very real instances of antisemitism, we shared uplifting, welcoming Shabbat services in the Gaza solidarity Encampment. While you threatened doxxing and disciplinary actions, we found community in the encampment and imagined a more just world, the email added.

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Our safety cannot be predicated on the oppression of others, whether campus protesters or Palestinians. No Jew is safe until everyone is safe, and no Jew is free until Palestine is free, the mail further added.

The group countered concerns regarding the safety of Jewish students and faculty by asserting that these concerns were merely being exploited as a justification for violence at Columbia University.

We have repeated to the point of exhaustion that the protection of Jewish students and faculty is a dangerous, flimsy pretext for Columbias violence. By now, it is abundantly clear that this excuse is a gross perversion of the truth. This excuse has been weaponised by white Christian nationalists, including those in Congress, whose main motivations are dismantling diversity initiatives and promoting a Jewish majority in Israel to initiate the rapture.

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Responding to the message, Conference of European Rabbis Chairman Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt said that it is reckless for Columbia Laws National Lawyers Guild group to throw around words such as safety and freedom when the message they are communicating directly threatens the safety and freedom of Jewish students on campus, and more broadly, all Jews across the United States and around the world.

While I agree that Jews are not safe at Columbia or many other hundreds of campuses across the US, it is not for the reason cited in this letter, but rather, it is simply for the fact that our mere existence seems to pose an existential threat to the groups spewing hatred towards Jewish people. As someone who knows first-hand the power of words, I urge those writing letters such as this one to think twice before pressing send, " Fox News quoted Goldschmidt as saying

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Olami Executive Vice President Rabbi David Markowitz said that Columbia University is ground zero of the violent campus protests across the US

When Columbia set up encampments other universities followed, when Columbia students and others stormed and occupied school buildings, other universities followed, Fox News quoted Markowitz as saying.

He said the statement from Columbia Laws National Lawyers Guild chapter appears to be another escalation that we can expect to follow on other campuses.

Escalating calls for the destruction of university property, and illegal encampments have now stepped up to direct threats. We need to learn the lessons of the last few months and stop this before it gets worse. There can be zero tolerance for threats, hatred or violence of any kind, he added.

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Approximately 300 people were arrested at Columbia and nearby City College on Tuesday night, with preliminary charges that ranged from trespassing to criminal mischief to burglary, according to police.

According to NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard speaking on Your World Cavuto on Thursday, a significant portion of the protesters occupying Hamilton Hall werent affiliated with the university; they were identified as external instigators.

They are professionals, he said. They may just fly in for a day or two and leave. Youll see them traveling around the country, and they have funding.

With inputs from agencies
Pakistan has been seeking investments to the tune of $25 billion from Saudi Arabia to shore up its bankrupt economy read more

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are currently discussing investments to the tune of $5 billion (Photo: X/Jam Kamal Khan)

A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia has arrived in cash-strapped Pakistan to discuss investment to the tune of $5 billion.

Amid long-running financial crisis, Pakistan has been trying to woo Saudi Arabia to invest in the country to shore up its fledgling economy.

The Saudi delegation is being led by Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Almubarak. He is accompanied by around 50 representatives from 30 Saudi companies. They will take part in a two-day Saudi-Pakistan investment conference in which Pakistani companies across several sectors like aviation, chemicals, information technology (IT), etc, will also be involved.

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The visit of the Saudi delegation to Pakistan comes within a month of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs maiden visit to the kingdom. During the visit, he met Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and discussed the expediting the $5 billion investment that Saudis had pledged.

Business-to-business meeting lined up to woo Saudi investors

During the two-day Saudi-Pakistan investors conference, the Pakistani government has arranged a series of business-to-business (B2B) meetings between Saudi investors and Pakistani companies. During these meetings, the Pakistani companies will pitch their business and investment proposals to the Saudis.

The Saudi companies part of the conference cover sectors such as agriculture, mining, energy, telecom, chemicals, IT, tourism, aviation, and power generation, according to Dawn newspaper.

While Pakistan is looking for Saudi investments to shore up its crisis-ridden economy, the Saudis are also looking for overseas investments as part of a long-term strategy to diversify their economy that has traditionally been dependent on petroleum. In recent years, the Saudis have made a slew of investments within the kingdom and overseas in diversified areas, including hi-tech sectors, to be future-ready.

Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, who received the Saudi delegation at the airport, was quote as saying that the meetings are aimed to identify investment opportunities that will generate employment and boost exports between the two countries.

Pakistan initially sought $25 billion investment from Saudi Arabia

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While Pakistan and Saudis are now discussing investments to the tune of $5 billion, the bankrupt country had initially sought $25 billion investments from the Gulf monarchy. Separately, Pakistan had sought $25 billion in investments from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Last month, Sharif went to Saudi Arabia and met Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and the de-facto ruler of the country, and the two countries agreed to expediate investment.

Emphasis was placed on the kingdoms supportive role in Pakistans economy and the mutual desire to strengthen trade and investment ties. Both parties affirmed their commitment to expediting the first wave of [an] investment package worth $5bn which was discussed previously, said the Saudi-Pakistan joint statement released after the meeting.

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While reports in Pakistani media at the time said that the $5 billion investment would be the first tranche of the $25 billion that Pakistan had sought in investments, reports have now said that the two sides are currently discussing the first tranche of the $5 billion investments.

Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the Saudis amid its spiralling financial crisis. In 2021, when Pakistan was facing a foreign exchange crisis, the Saudis had extended $3 billion in financial support to Pakistan. As Pakistans bankruptcy continued, the Saudis last November extended the terms of the $3 billion support for one more year.
(Photo : Unsplash/Heidi Fin )

Rue21, a prominent teen fashion retailer, is closing all 543 of its stores in the United States. As the company clears its inventory over the next four to six weeks, customers will be able to take advantage of discounted deals.

Clearance items are anticipated to be discounted initially at 20 to 50% off, with prices potentially reaching as high as 90% off to liquidate remaining inventory that does not initially sell. After this clearance period, the 40-year-old chain, which once operated 1,200 stores at its peak, will cease to exist.

Rue21 Resorting to Stock Liquidation Than Selling The Stores

According to court documents, attempts were made to sell Rue21, but none of the offers matched the potential proceeds from liquidating the stock and closing down. Rue21 operates in strip malls, shopping malls, and outlet centers across 45 states. Texas hosts the highest number of stores, at 51, followed by Georgia with 39, while Florida and North Carolina each boast 30 stores.

Rue21's website displayed a message stating it was "being updated" over the weekend, suggesting speculation on its preparation for the upcoming closing-down sale, which is expected to occur online and in physical stores. The company's 4,900 employees will remain in their positions during the clearance period to assist in clearing the stock.

Series of Financial Challenges Resulting in Bankruptcy Filings

Following its first filing in 2003, the company experienced growth, expanding to over 1,200 stores by 2013, focusing on the ethos that fashion should be fun and accessible to all. However, another bankruptcy filing resurfaced in 2017 due to financial challenges that necessitated the company restructuring its operations, closing 400 underperforming stores, and renegotiating leases.

READ ALSO: Macy's Grapples with Declining Sales, Shutting 150 Underperforming Stores to Step Up Its Luxury Brand

The most recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing will result in the closure of all Rue21 stores. According to court documents, "going out of business sales" will occur over the next four to six weeks across all locations, as the company currently has approximately $200 million in debt.

Rue21 is also in the process of selling its brand name and other intellectual property, allowing its competitors to relaunch it as a smaller chain or revive it as an online brand.

While Interim CEO Michele Pascoe stated in a court filing that Rue21 was significantly impacted by a sharp increase in online shopping, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, retail expert Neil Saunders attributed the decline of Rue21 to the growing irrelevance of the brand to teen consumers. According to Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, Rue21 lacks a compelling proposition and is losing customers to other retailers and more affordable and engaging fashion platforms like Shein, adding that there is still significant uncertainty regarding the necessity of Rue21's presence in the retail market.

Other Retailers Experiencing The Same Market Challenges

Rue21 is the latest company to file for bankruptcy and announce store closures amid the industry challenges.

In April, Express, a popular mall retailer, filed for bankruptcy and announced the closure of 95 outlets and all UpWest stores.

That same month, Discount chain 99 Cents Only Stores declared that it would shut all 371 stores as it ceased operations, with dedicated shoppers rushing to locations in California, emptying shelves to take advantage of discounted prices.

In another bankruptcy announcement that month, national coffee and upscale grocery chain Foxtrot also revealed that it would be closing all its stores immediately, surprising both employees and customers. Established in 2014 in Chicago, Foxtrot had 33 locations in the Chicago, Austin, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. areas.

RELATED ARTICLE: WeWork to Emerge from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy by May 31, Predicts $8B Reduction in Rent Commitments

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Amid the call for Free Tibet at the heart of the protests, participants also lauded France for its exemplary human rights record read more

For decades, exiled from their homeland, nearly 2,000 Tibetans converged upon Paris, a city of liberty and activism, to voice their dissent against the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to France. Against the backdrop of Place de la Republique, a symbol of democracy and protest, they stood united, their voices echoing through the streets, demanding recognition for their long-standing plight.

This is President Xis third visit to France since he came to power and his second under President Macron.

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On Sunday, people protested holding placards that read  Dictator Xi Jinping, your time is up, no to Chinese totalitarianism  among others. They also protested against Chinas support to Russia against Ukraine and even asked Beijing to stay out of France.

Free Tibet

Amid the call for Free Tibet at the heart of the protests, participants also lauded France for its exemplary human rights record.

   



On 5th May: When the President #XiJinping arrived in #Paris, SFT activists unfurled #Tibet's National Flag over his motorcade. pic.twitter.com/FgBuWQYbWX  RFATibetan (@rfatibet) May 6, 2024

Karma Thinlay, president of the Tibetan community in France, told AFP that according to him, President Xi desires to eliminate Tibetan tradition and culture, asserting that he is a dictator. This statement was made as the Chinese leader arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon for a two-day visit.

Thinlay also warned French president Emmanuel Macron saying that China is a country where all rights are violated and France cannot do business serenely, with confidence with Beijing.

Tell Xi about us: Tibetans tell President Macron

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In a letter sent on 20 April to the French president by five Tibetan associations, they urged President Macron to talk about Tibet with his Chinese counterpart, a_Radio France_ report said.

Tenzin Woeser, president of the Association for a Free Tibet said that the French president should shift the focus from discussing the Tibetan minority to addressing the Tibetan people instead, the report further said. He emphasized that according to international law, only the people have the right to self-determination and can request independence. Woeser added that if the president refers to Tibetans as ethnic minorities or by any term endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party, it discourages China from engaging in dialogue with the Tibetan government-in-exile or the Dalai Lama.

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What is the Free Tibet Movement all about?

The Free Tibet Movement is a global campaign advocating for the autonomy and independence of Tibet from Chinese rule. It emerged primarily in response to Chinas occupation of Tibet, which began in 1950. Tibet had historically been a sovereign nation, but in 1951, China claimed sovereignty over Tibet through the Seventeen Point Agreement and gradually increased its control over the region.

The movement seeks to raise awareness about human rights abuses, cultural repression and environmental degradation in Tibet under Chinese rule. It calls for the restoration of Tibetan autonomy and the protection of Tibetan culture, religion (particularly Buddhism), language and way of life.

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The movement has employed various tactics, including peaceful protests, lobbying governments and international organisations, cultural initiatives and campaigns to boycott Chinese goods. The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, has been a prominent figure in the movement advocating for non-violence and dialogue in resolving the Tibet issue.

However, the movement faces significant challenges due to Chinas economic and political influence, as well as its tight control over Tibet and its suppression of dissent. Despite this, the Free Tibet Movement continues to garner support worldwide from individuals, human rights organisations and governments sympathetic to the Tibetan cause.
When asked about the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putins visit to China is in the pipeline. However, he made it clear that the exact timings of the visit will be announced in due course read more

As Chinese President Xi Jinping kickstarts his trip to France, reports are emerging that Russias President Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China. With little more than a week after his new term in office commenced, the Russian leader is planning to meet his Chinese counterpart with the intention of bolstering ties between the two nations.

According to Bloomberg, the visit is scheduled to take place from May 15 to May 16. A source familiar with the Kremlins plan told the news outlet that while the dates of the visit may change slightly, one thing that remains clear is that China will be Putins first international visit after he commences his new term as the president on May 7.

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Last month, the Russian leader himself indicated that he was planning to visit China in May however, he did not specify the exact dates of the visit.

The timings will be made clear in due course: Peskov

When asked about the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putins visit to China is in the pipeline. However, he made it clear that the exact timings of the visit will be announced in due course.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing is yet to comment on the matter. It is important to note that Putins visit to China will come after Xi completes his first visit to Europe in five years. Hence, the Chinese president is bound to delve into the talks about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Xi arrives in France and Ukraine is on the agenda

The Chinese president landed in France on Monday to commence a rare visit against a backdrop of mounting trade disputes with the European Union. While the trade ties will remain at the top of the agenda, French President Emmanuel Macron is also set to urge Xi to use his influence with Russia over the war in Ukraine.

In light of this, Xi is due to meet Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Monday itself. After Xis plane landed in Paris, he was welcomed by the European nations Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

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Before arriving in France, an op-ed of the Chinese leader was published in the French daily Le Figaro. Apart from his main objectives of the visit, Xi also commented on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

While reacting to the war, Xi wrote that China understands the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis on the people of Europe. He emphasised that Beijing is not a party to or a participant in it, insisting that China has been playing a constructive role in striving for peaceful settlement of the crisis.

In light of this, Marcons key priorities will be to warn Xi of the danger of backing Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. This comes as several Western nations have raised concerns about Moscow already using Chinese machine tools in arms production.

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It is in our interest to get China to weigh in on the stability of the international order, said Macron in an interview with the Economist ahead of Xis visit. We must, therefore, work with China to build peace, he added.

The Xi-Putin Love Affair

While Beijing has not openly supported Moscows decision to conduct military operations in Ukraine, it has declared a no limits friendship with Russia. Amid the war, Moscows trade with China hit a record $240 billion in 2023, more than double the $108 billion reached in 2020.

Putin last visited Beijing back in October to attend a forum on Chinas highly controversial Belt and Road Initiative. It was a rare visit since the Russian leader was already navigating through the looming arrest warrant imposed by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
3 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 of the aircraft entered Taiwans southwestern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly, Taiwans Ministry of National Defence wrote on X read more

Taiwans Ministry of National Defence Monday said it detected three military aircraft and six naval vessels operating around the island nations airspace and waters, adding, that two aircraft entered its southwestern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ).

According to the ministrys report, three PLA aircraft and six vessels belonging to Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) were detected as of 6 am local time (UTC+8). Of particular concern was the entry of two aircraft into Taiwans southwestern ADIZ.

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An Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) is a region of airspace in which a country tries to identify, locate, and control aircraft in the interest of national security.

Taiwans Armed Forces promptly responded by monitoring the activities and taking necessary precautions to safeguard Taiwans sovereignty and security.

3 PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 2 of the aircraft entered Taiwans southwestern ADIZ. #ROCArmedForces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly, said Taiwans Ministry of National Defence in a post on X.

This latest incident underscores the ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China, with Beijing frequently conducting military maneuvers and exercises near the self-governing island.

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, maintains its autonomy despite Chinas claims of sovereignty over the island.

The Ministry of National Defence did not provide further details regarding the specific type of aircraft or vessels involved in the recent activity, nor did it disclose any specific actions taken by the ROC Armed Forces in response to the situation.

The presence of PLA military assets near Taiwan continues to be a sensitive issue, heightening concerns over potential escalations in the region. The Taiwanese government has consistently called for international support and attention to ensure stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by operating more military aircraft and naval ships near Taiwan.

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According to CSIS, gray zone tactics are defined as an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve ones security objectives without resorting to direct and sizable use of force.
Since deploying soldiers into Ukraine more than two years ago, Moscow has documented hundreds of sabotage attacks on Russian territory, most of which it has blamed on Kyiv and its allies read more

Upon closer examination, the items turned out to be "two homemade explosive devices" that the man intended to go off close to two courthouses in the city, according to reports Image Courtesy AP

Russias FSB security services announced on Monday that a Russian man who was allegedly intending to blow up two court buildings for Ukraine had been arrested and charged with terrorism.

Since deploying soldiers into Ukraine more than two years ago, Moscow has documented hundreds of sabotage attacks on Russian territory, most of which it has blamed on Kyiv and its allies.

The FSB added that the man, who appeared to be in his mid-forties, was discovered placing unknown objects in construction waste close to a Tambov train station.

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Upon closer examination, the items turned out to be two homemade explosive devices that the man intended to go off close to two courthouses in the city, according to reports.

He was detained by a security guard who arrived on the scene, and an operational and investigative team of the Federal Security Service was called, read the statement.

The FSB claims that the suspect was enlisted by Ukrainian special services to carry out the attack early this year and that he frequently accessed websites that supported Ukraine.

Ukraine frequently disputes accountability for acts of sabotage inside Russia, blaming internal turmoil and domestic resistance to the conflictwhich is in its third yearinstead.
After the inauguration ceremony, the present Russian government will step down and be replaced by a new one that has been approved by the parliament of the nation through a 2020 constitutional amendment read more

Putin, who received 87% of the vote in the March presidential election, will formally begin a second six-year term in power at the ceremony, which is set to take place at the Kremlin Image Courtesy AFP

Vladimir Putin will take the oath of office as Russias president for a fifth term on Tuesday during an inauguration ceremony in Moscow.

Putin, who received 87% of the vote in the March presidential election, will formally begin a second six-year term in power at the ceremony, which is set to take place at the Kremlin.

After the inauguration ceremony, the present Russian government will step down and be replaced by a new one that has been approved by the parliament of the nation through a 2020 constitutional amendment.

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Putin will submit his nominee for prime minister to the Russian State Duma, the nations lower house of parliament, for approval, according to the Anadolu news agency.

Although the parliament can approve or reject the nominee, if lawmakers reject the candidate three times, Putin will be able to personally install the prime minister without the requirement for parliamentary consent.

Putin will then be able to call fresh parliamentary elections and dissolve the current legislature.

Local media reports indicate that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who has led the country to economic growth despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the Western economic sanctions that followed, is expected to be reappointed.

In conjunction with the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, Putin will designate the ministers responsible for foreign policy, defense, justice, emergencies, and the interior.

Current defense and foreign ministers Sergey Shoygu and Sergey Lavrov are reportedly staying in their positions, while changes to the finance and economic ministries are also not anticipated.

However, there may be adjustments made to the relevant ministries, as well as the prospect of establishing a Youth Ministry, in response to public criticism of policies related to sports, education, and culture.

As per Russian legislation, the new governments approval process can extend up to May 20 at the latest. However, it is expected that the parliament will receive the list of candidates for prime minister and the council of ministers right after the inauguration ceremony.
Kharkiv withstood a weeks-long Russian onslaught in the early days of the February 2022 Russian invasion and has been a frequent target of attacks in recent weeks. Russia says it does not target civilian sites, but attacks have hit blocks of flats, schools and medical institutions read more

Russian attacks on Orthodox Easter Sunday killed a woman buried under rubble and injured 24 in Ukraines northeastern city of Kharkiv and the surrounding region, regional officials said.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said six people were injured in an overnight drone attack on the Osnovyanskyi district of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city.

Prosecutors in Kharkiv region said 15 more were hurt in an attack later in the day by aerial bombs on the city centre.

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The next time it could hit my house. Why did it hit here? Just who is here? And on such a holy day. How? I cannot grasp it at all  Natalia Avilova-Patrikeyeva said outside a block of flats with shattered balconies and windows blown out.

I thought that at least on this day it would remain calm. At four in the morning there also was a strike. I dont sleep, I dont sleep at all.

After midnight, public broadcaster Suspilne reported power cuts in parts of Kharkiv region. It also said there had been power cuts in adjacent Sumy region after reports of drone attacks and explosions.

Kharkiv withstood a weeks-long Russian onslaught in the early days of the February 2022 Russian invasion and has been a frequent target of attacks in recent weeks.

Russia says it does not target civilian sites, but attacks have hit blocks of flats, schools and medical institutions.

Stunned residents milled about the courtyard outside a block of flats or surveyed debris in flats or in stairwells. Forensic experts combed the ground for pieces of shrapnel.

The explosion wave kicked out the door and I hid under the table. When I realised what was happening, there was smoke everywhere, said resident Roza Kuzmenko.

One woman from our block was wounded, the ambulance took her. Thank God, I only have a scratch [on my arm].

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Syniehubov also reported the death of an 88-year-old woman in the shelling of the village of Monachynivka, east of Kharkiv. Her body was recovered from the rubble of a house. Prosecutors said three people were injured.

Vadim Filashkin, head of the military administration in Donetsk region, the focal point of Russias slow advance through eastern Ukraine, said two people were killed by shelling in the town of Pokrovsk.

Two were injured in Chasiv Yar, west of the Russian-held town of Bakhmut and cited by Ukraine as Moscows next target in its campaign.
According to a report published by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for the Future, the number of people aged between 15 and 64 stood at 36.57 million in 2023. However, this number is projected to go down to 27.17 million in 2044 read more

As South Korea continues to struggle with an ageing population, government data reflected that the countrys economically active population is anticipated to plunge by nearly 10 million by 2044. The jarring prediction is being made keeping South Koreas critically low birth rate in mind.

According to a report published by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for the Future, the number of people aged between 15 and 64 stood at 36.57 million in 2023. However, this number is projected to go down to 27.17 million in 2044, Yonhap reported.

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The report also stated that the number of elementary school freshmen, which came to 430,000 last year, is set to nearly halve to 220,000 in 2033 and the number of deaths is set to reach 746,000 in 2060.

The threat of natural population decline looms

The body warned that all this would lead to a natural population decline of 590,000. South Koreas population which is estimated at 51.71 million in 2023, was forecast to drop to 39.69 million by 2065.

The decline in the economically active population will damage consumption, leading to the collapse of the domestic market. It will also increase the burden of supporting the senior population, leading to an economic slowdown and prolonged low growth, the institute said in the report.

In recent years, the country has been grappling with a chronically low birth rate, recording a sharp decline in the total fertility rate as well. In 2023, the average number of children expected to be born per woman over her lifetime reached a record low of 0.72.

The figure to maintain a stable population without adding the immigration figure is 2.1 births per woman. By February this year, only 19,362 babies were born. This marked the lowest number for any February birth rate since the statistics agency began collecting data in 1981, Yonhap reported.

South Korea is not alone

South Korea is not the only country which is currently suffering through a population decline. Earlier this year, it was reported that the number of babies born in Japan fell for an eight-year straight in 2023. According to the government data released in February, the number of birth rate in 2023 fell 5.1 per cent from a year earlier to 758,631.

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Not only this the number of marriages also slid to 5.9 per cent 489,281  the first time in 90 years the number fell below 500,000. When asked about the latest data, Japans top government spokesperson stated that the government will take unprecedented steps to cope with the declining birthrate, such as expanding childcare and promoting wage hikes for younger workers, Reuters reported. The issue of population decline also persists in China as well.

With inputs from agencies.
Both conversions drew praise from Muslim faithful but criticism from Greece and other countries who had urged Turkey to protect the important Byzantine-era monuments. Both have been included on the U.N. World Heritage List read more

The plans to reopen the Chora and Haghia Sophia as mosques were perceived as attempts to fortify Erdogan's ruling party's base of religious and conservative support in the midst of a financial crisis Image Courtesy Reuters

Four years after his government declared it a Muslim house of prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially inaugurated an ancient Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, drawing protest from Greece, a neighboring country.

2020 saw Turkey formally transform the Church of St. Saviour in Chora, also known as Kariye in Turkish, into a mosque. Shortly after, it also transformed Istanbuls famous Haghia Sophia into a place of prayer for Muslims.

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Both conversions drew praise from Muslim faithful but criticism from Greece and other countries who had urged Turkey to protect the important Byzantine-era monuments. Both have been included on the U.N. World Heritage List.

Similar to Haghia Sophia, which served as a church for several centuries before becoming a mosque for much longer, the Chora was in operation as a museum for several decades prior to being given the order to become a mosque. However, the Choras official opening as a mosque was postponed while the building underwent repairs.

Erdogan presided over a ceremony on Monday from a conference center at his Ankara palace complex, remotely celebrating the opening of the Chora and other freshly renovated buildings.

May it bring good fortune, Erdogan said during the televised event.

The church is renowned for its intricate frescoes and mosaics and is located close to Istanbuls historic city walls. Although the current shape of the building was adopted in the 11th and 12th centuries, the structure dates back to the 4th century.

Under Ottoman administration, the building was used as a mosque. In 1945, it was converted into a museum.

Greece had denounced the plan by the Turkish government to revert it to a mosque, alleging that Ankara was insulting the character of yet another World Heritage Site.

The plans to reopen the Chora and Haghia Sophia as mosques were perceived as attempts to fortify Erdogans ruling partys base of religious and conservative support in the midst of a financial crisis.
Despite the existing travel advisory cautioning against travel to certain parts of Iraq, negotiations with the country were reportedly advancing well, according to the documents. Additionally, efforts were underway to bolster cooperation with the Iranian Embassy to enhance returns arrangements for migrants and potential asylum seekers read more

The UK government contemplated utilising Iraq as a processing location for asylum seekers, similar to Rwanda scheme, as revealed by confidential documents obtained by a prominent UK media house. This proposal raised concerns, considering the governments advisory against all travel to Iraq.

Although the UK and Iraq already have a returns agreement, it only applies to individuals originating from Iraq. Leaked correspondence between senior officials indicated that Iraqi returns commitments were made discreetly, without public announcement or formal agreements.

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Despite the existing travel advisory cautioning against travel to certain parts of Iraq, negotiations with the country were reportedly advancing well, according to the documents.

Additionally, efforts were underway to bolster cooperation with the Iranian Embassy to enhance returns arrangements for migrants and potential asylum seekers.

The government is also pursuing returns agreements with Eritrea and Ethiopia, countries from which a significant number of nationals arrive in the UK via small boats.

However, documents revealed internal government concerns regarding the Rwanda scheme from its inception, including acknowledgments of serious issues with the proposals. Downing Street advisers were aware of challenges, even questioning the necessity of the scheme given the relatively smaller scale of the issue compared to Australias experiences.

Furthermore, there were private admissions that many individuals arriving in the UK via small boats did so without the involvement of criminal gangs, contrary to the governments communication strategy.

The cost of the Rwanda scheme has raised eyebrows, with the official spending watchdog estimating a staggering 1.8 million per person for the first 300 deportations to Kigali.

The Home Office has already allocated significant funds to Rwandas economic transformation and integration fund, with ongoing financial commitments for asylum processing and operational costs.

A government source highlighted the urgency of addressing the costly and perilous cycle of accommodating migrants in hotels, underscoring the need for action to halt illegal migration.

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The Rwanda partnership is positioned as a pioneering response to global migration challenges, with plans to initiate flights to Rwanda in the coming months.
Places like synagogues and mosques could apply to use the money to hire security personnel or install cameras under the new increase in funding to the existing federal Nonprofit Security Grant Programme, Schumer, a Democrat, said from New York City read more

A US$400 million increase in federal funding is available for security in places of worship, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Sunday.

The boost in money comes as concerns rise over threats against Jewish and Muslim communities, fuelled in part by the Israel-Gaza war.

Places like synagogues and mosques could apply to use the money to hire security personnel or install cameras under the new increase in funding to the existing federal Nonprofit Security Grant Programme, Schumer, a Democrat, said from New York City.

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Were going to keep funding so that no synagogue or other religious institution is going to have to live in the fear that they now live with, Schumer said.

The programme allocated US$305 million last year to non-profit to help protect their facilities from potential attacks.

Houses of worship will need to apply by May 21 to tap into the first round of funds.

Antisemitic incidents of assault, vandalism and harassment in the US more than doubled last year to a record high as anti-Jewish sentiment spiked after the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October, the Anti-Defamation League said in a report last month.

At least three synagogues and a museum in New York received bomb threats on Saturday but none were deemed credible by the New York Police Department, a city official and police said.

New York state Governor Kathy Hochul said on X state officials were actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York. Threats have been determined not to be credible.

We will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions, Hochul said.

Manhattan Borough President Mark D Levine said on X the synagogue bomb threats were a clear hate crime, and part of a growing trend of swatting incidents targeting Jewish institutions.

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This is a clear effort to sow fear in the Jewish community. Cannot be accepted, he said.
(Photo : Unsplash/Alexander Grey )

First, there were trends like "quiet quitting" and bare minimum Mondays, followed by the viral coffee badging action. Now, many American workers are using act your wage as a message to convey their career worries and counter burnout.

What Is The "Act Your Wage" Trend?

Michelle Reisdorf, a district president at Robert Half, the global HR consulting firm based in Chicago, noted that the primary concern for employees embracing the concept of "acting their wage" is establishing boundaries to safeguard their work-life balance and prevent excessive overwork that could impact their quality of life.

Reisdorf noted that trends such as "acting your wage" and others in the labor market often pick up momentum as more employees encounter the underlying challenges, where many workers might have taken on heavier workloads, resulting in burnout. When employees experience burnout, they often feel compelled to express their concerns or disengage from their work.

A recent survey by Robert Half revealed that 38% of workers reported feeling more burned out than they did a year ago, with heavy workloads identified as the main cause of burnout.

READ ALSO: Middle Managers Are Burning Out, How Can Companies Help Them?

Why Do Employees "Act Their Wages?"

Aaron Rubens, co-founder and CEO of the workplace recognition online platform Kudoboard, explained in an email that employees are becoming more hesitant to take on extra responsibilities beyond their designated roles following layoffs or hiring freezes. He noted that some high-performing individuals understand that accepting additional tasks can result in increased expectations without corresponding rewards, leading them to focus their efforts according to their titles and compensation.

According to Rubens, the choice to "act your wage" signifies a change in employees' perception of workplace dynamics, influenced by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and amplified through social media.

With an increased focus on holistic well-being and work-life balance, employees now acknowledge the necessity of setting boundaries to protect their resources. This stems from a prevailing belief that employers prioritize productivity over employee welfare. Rubens also highlighted the role of social media platforms, serving as a venue for employees to express dissatisfaction and connect with peers, fostering empowerment to advocate for their well-being at work.

Rubens pointed out that employees' choice to act their wage frequently indicates a breakdown in the organization's culture and sense of belonging. While boundaries stem from a desire for balance, they also signify a disconnect resulting from the erosion of core values and appreciation cultures from upper management. When leadership fails to prioritize genuine recognition and offer appropriate compensation for work, employees naturally become disconnected from the company.

How Can Workers Address The Burnout Professionally?

Instead of adopting an "act your age" approach, Reisdorf from Robert Half proposed more professional strategies.

Communicate. Discuss your workload with your manager and ask for assistance if it is overwhelming.

Discuss your workload with your manager and ask for assistance if it is overwhelming. Implement time blocking. Rather than multitasking, schedule specific periods to concentrate on important tasks.

Rather than multitasking, schedule specific periods to concentrate on important tasks. Take short breaks. Step away from your desk, walk, or stretch to refresh your mind.

Step away from your desk, walk, or stretch to refresh your mind. Disconnect during time off. Use vacation days and disconnect to relax and engage in personal activities without any work distractions.

RELATED ARTICLE: Turning Stress Into Challenge: Retraining The Brain to Overcome Burnout and Achieve Greater Happiness

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
US troops massed at a strip of sand dunes on Luzon islands northwest coast  around 400km (249 miles) south of Taiwan  let loose more than 50 live 155mm howitzer rounds at floating targets about 5km off the coast read more

US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary invasion force during war games on the Philippines northern coast on Monday, days after their governments objected to Chinas dangerous actions in regional waters.

Thousands of troops are conducting land, sea and air manoeuvres against a backdrop of increased confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels around shoals in the South China Sea claimed by Manila, as well as stepped-up Chinese air and naval activity nearby.

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US troops massed at a strip of sand dunes on Luzon islands northwest coast  around 400km (249 miles) south of Taiwan  let loose more than 50 live 155mm howitzer rounds at floating targets about 5km off the coast.

Filipino troops followed up by firing rockets aimed at wearing down the attackers, before the two forces finished the job with machine guns, Javelin missiles and more artillery rounds.

Lieutenant General Michael Cederholm, commander of the US First Marine Expeditionary Force, said the exercise was to prepare for the worst by securing key maritime terrain. Its designed to repel an invasion, Cederholm told reporters at the exercise site.

Our northwestern side is more exposed, Major General Marvin Licudine, exercise director for the Filipinos, ahead of the live firing at the La Paz sand dunes near Laoag city.

Because of the regional problems that we have  we have to already practise and orient ourselves in our own land in these parts, he added.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

It deploys hundreds of coastguard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise the waters.

Just last week, Manila said the China Coast Guard damaged a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another government vessel in water cannon attacks around the disputed China-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 30.

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More than 16,700 Filipino and American troops are taking part in the annual military drills  dubbed Balikatan, or shoulder to shoulder in Tagalog  in multiple locations across the Asian archipelago. This years exercise runs until Wednesday.

Maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a wider conflict that could involve the United States and other allies.

Mondays exercise came days after the defence ministers of the Philippines, the US, Japan and Australia met in Hawaii and issued a joint statement on their strong objections to the dangerous and destabilising conduct of China in the South China Sea.

The ministers discussed opportunities to further advance defence cooperation and to work together to support states exercising their rights and freedoms in the South China Sea.

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Last week, US forces taking part in the Balikatan exercises fired Himars precision rockets into the South China Sea from the western island of Palawan, the ne`arest major Philippine land mass to the hotly disputed Spratly Islands.

The US Marine Corps said the manoeuvre was a rehearsal for the rapid deployment of the missile system across the Philippines South China Sea coast to secure and protect Philippines maritime terrain, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone interests.

The confrontations between the Philippines and China comes as tensions have ratcheted up between Beijing and Taipei, which is about to inaugurate a new president regarded by China as a dangerous separatist.

Taiwans defence ministry said on Friday it had detected 26 Chinese aircraft and five naval vessels around the self-ruled island in the previous 24 hours.

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To a degree, military exercises are a form of deterrence, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo was quoted as saying in remarks delivered on his behalf by an aide at a public workshop on Friday.

The more we simulate, the less we actuate, he added.
As Pakistan continues to grapple with a major economic crisis, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan announced that thousands of farmers will take part in a nationwide demonstration against the ongoing wheat crisis read more

As Pakistan continues to grapple with a major economic crisis, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan announced that thousands of farmers will take part in a nationwide demonstration against the ongoing wheat crisis. The protests are scheduled to take place on May 10 and will start from Multan.

Now the reason behind this protest is the fact that Wheat rates have plummeted in the Pakistani market and reached shocking below the support price of PKR 3,900 per 40 kg. The crisis saw farmers resort to demonstrations which took place in Lahore and several other Pakistani cities, last month.

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In response to this, the government launched a crackdown against the protests and arrested several farmers who took part in it. It is important to note that the reason behind this wheat crisis is a mega scam that unfolded while Pakistan was being ruled by a caretaker regime. Heres a look at what the scam is about:

What is the wheat import scam?

In the year 2023, the Pakistani caretaker government allowed private business entities to start importing wheat with little to no regard for the production which was taking place domestically. Documents obtained by several media outlets indicated that the ruling regime granted permission to the private sector to import wheat worth PKR 330 billion from August 2023 to March 2024.

The permission to import wheat was allowed at a time when the prices of the wheat started decreasing in the international market. The data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), showed that Pakistans import of wheat stood a 3.44 million tonnes at an estimated cost of PKR 282.975 billion, equivalent to $1.005 billion, during the July-March period of 2023-24 within the deadline of March 31, 2024.

However, the import of the wheat continued in April 2024, with the government stating that they were waiting for the vessels to arrive from abroad. Things became complicated after the data regarding the amount of wheat imported in April was not included in the final figures.

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While six vessels reached Pakistan on Eid day alone, it was found that Pakistans imported wheat went up close to 4 million tonnes. This put a major dent in the national exchequer of Pakistan and the countrys foreign exchange reserves at a time when Pakistan was struggling with a historic economic crisis. The caretaker government doled out hard-earned $1.05 billion in foreign exchange during the crisis situation.

The Opposition alleged that the caretaker government kept on importing wheat, while the countrys foreign exchange was depleting at an historic rate. Not only this, the governments decision to allow private sectors to import more gave middlemen and corporations an incentive to continue with their exploitation.

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The impact

It was alleged that the wheat which was imported by Pakistan was of inferior quality and did not satisfy the countrys consumption standards. Not only this, but the middlemen also imported the products at an extremely cheaper rate and sold them at high prices gaining significant profit.

The whole ordeal came at a time when farmers in Pakistan witnessed a bumper wheat crop production. With the massive amount of import, the procurement of wheat by the Pakistan government was slashed from 7.8 million tonnes in the last fiscal year to 4.44 million tonnes. This was almost a 50 per cent decrease from the last years figure.

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As a result of this, the domestic farmers have been left in the lurch. While the government fixed the minimum support price of PKR 3,900 per 40 kg, with the shortage of demand the farmers are now forced to sell out their produce at around PKR 2,800-3,000 per 40 kg, Dawn reported. Not only this, the private sector which gained a significant profit before started lowering its prices to compete with the already struggling farmers.

The situation led to anger and resentment among the farmers which triggered the nationwide protest. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also accused the erstwhile caretaker government of corruption for allowing wheat imports, which they have not supported with any evidence.

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Ex-PM Kakar denies involvement

Amid the chaos, the former caretaker of Pakistan under whose regime the saga played out denied any wrongdoings. He even expressed his willingness to join the investigation into the excessive import of the staple crop.

I will appear before the wheat [inquiry] committee if it summons me, Kakar told local Pakistani reporters on Sunday, Geo News reported. Kakar  now became a senator  made it clear that no new law was introduced to import wheat during his tenure and his government only encouraged the private sector to import the staple crop.

He also noted that the caretaker regime allowed the private sector to import under the Statutory Regulatory Orders (SRO) that were actually issued during the tenure of the PTI-led government.

The ruling regime remains hesitant to investigate the matter

While the countrys Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif pledged to protect the interests of farmers at all costs, reports are emerging that the federal government appears reluctant to thoroughly investigate the scam.

While PML-N sources told Dawn that the party supremo Nawaz Sharif asked his brother to indiscriminately investigate the matter, the Shehbaz Sharif administration did not show urgency to do so. The government has no such intention (to engage the NAB/FIA to probe wheat import scam), Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Dawn.

One of the reasons for this reluctance is the fact that it was Shebaz who played a key role in appointing Kakar as the caretaker PM.

The probe panel discusses the matter

On Sunday, an inquiry committee, headed by the cabinet division secretary, conducted a meeting on the matter. The committee worked today on verifying data and documents, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told Dawn. The report is under preparation and has not been presented to anyone," he added.

Tarar also rejected the reports that Kakar was summoned during the meeting and also dismissed the news about the meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The fact-finding committee was formed by Shehbaz earlier this week and is led by Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal. The committee is appointed to identify irregularities in the import of wheat.

While Shehbaz Sharif ensured that the decision would be taken based on the interest of the farmer, the governments slow investigation has made the farmers impatient. The situation became even more complex for the present government to settle as it cannot afford the wrath of the farmers, who are now being backed by the main opposition PTI.
By Yi Whan-woo

The Korea Exchange (KRX), the countrys sole bourse operator, is facing complaints from companies that want to go public as it keeps delaying the process required to determine whether companies qualify.

According to industry sources, Monday, multiple companies have not heard from the KRX for seven to nine months after they registered for preliminary approval for an initial public offering (IPO).

The preliminary approval is necessary for the companies to move onto the next step and finally receive confirmation for an IPO.

The companies take the delay very seriously as the preliminary approval usually takes 45 days, a source said.

The delays are especially heavy on the junior bourse Kosdaq, where promising startups debut to draw investments and grow bigger.

Under the circumstances, sources speculated the KRX is overly cautious about giving the nod to firms seeking IPOs following the suspected fraudulent IPO of Fadu, a fabless semiconductor startup, last year.

Making its Kosdaq debut last August, Fadu inflicted losses on its investors as its performance was far lower than estimated in its pre-IPO documents.

A total of 63 companies are queued up as of Monday, after turning in relevant documents to the KRX for a Kosdaq debut. Eight other companies have already dropped their IPO plans due to the longer-than-expected delay in preliminary approval.

Among the 63 are NovmetaPharma, Uracle and Enzynomics. 

NovmetaPharma, a pharmaceutical company, is making its fourth attempt to be listed on the Kosdaq since 2015. It registered for the evaluation procedure in July 2023.

Uracle, a mobile app developer, and Enzynomics, a biotech company, are still waiting for the KRXs response after both registered last September.

Meanwhile, some sources said the delay may have been caused by a delay in a management reshuffle after KRX CEO Jeong Eun-bo took office in February.

Jeong carried out a reshuffle in April.
9 global investment banks conducted $155 mil. worth of illegal short selling in Korea since May 2021

By Anna J. Park

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) discovered violations of the rules on short selling by seven more global investment banks, on top of BNP Paribas and HSBC. The two global banks have already been confirmed by the state-run financial watchdog agency to have conducted illegal short selling practices.

This is according to the FSS' interim results announced on Monday about its ongoing investigation into global banks' illegal short selling practices.

The FSS said that the aggregate amount of illegal short selling done by the nine global banks, including BNP Paribas and HSBC, is estimated to be around 211.2 billion won ($155 million), involving a total of 164 stocks listed on the Korean market.

Excluding the two identified banks which had been connected to 55.6 billion won worth of illegal short selling, the seven other banks have been discovered to have been involved in illegal short selling practices totaling 155.6 billion won.

The FSS explained that it has so far looked into 14 global investment banks over their short selling trading records since May 2021.

"Out of the total 14 global investment banks, the FSS has completed taking corrective actions against the two (BNP Paribas and HSBC), as of Dec. 22 last year. Regarding seven other companies, illegal short selling suspicions have been found, while investigations are ongoing for the remaining five banks," the FSS said on Monday.

The financial watchdog agency explained that the 14 global banks account for over 90 percent of the total trading volume of foreign investors, comprising a significant portion of the country's foreign short selling transactions.

The FSS established a dedicated team in June 2022 to closely monitor and conduct intensive investigations into short selling violations, aiming to eradicate rampant illegal short selling practices in the Korean stock market.

Following the confirmation of significant illegal short selling by the two global investment banks late last year, the FSS has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the 14 global investment banks.

The FSS will initiate sanction procedures, once additional investigations are completed for the seven global investment banks where violations have been confirmed so far. At the same time, the agency is aiming to swiftly conclude the ongoing investigations for the remaining five.

Meanwhile, the FSS plans to hold meetings with major global investment banks in Hong Kong this month to brief them over Korea's short selling system as well as its improved computerized systems. The agency also aims to listen to concerns from foreign investors and gather opinons for further advancement of the Korean capital market system.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on neighborhood police chiefs to "firmly defend" the country's unity, state media reported Monday, in an apparent effort to tighten the country's grip on social discipline.

Kim made the call as he held a photo session with participants of a national conference of the heads of branch public security stations on Sunday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"When all the branch public security stations of the country ... become a fortress firmly defending the single-minded unity ... our cause of building an ideal society of the people will advance more dynamically," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA in an English-language dispatch.

He also called on them to hold fast to revolutionary and class principles while becoming "sharp blades resolutely struggling against all the elements that encroach upon the socialist country," it said.

The session took place after the North held the gathering of the security officials for the first time in 12 years from April 30 to May 1 in Pyongyang.

The North's branch public security stations are the lowest-tier organization under the Ministry of Public Security and are tasked with maintaining public safety and protecting people's lives but are known to carry out surveillance on anti-regime activities.

The North has been stepping up efforts to tighten social discipline and block the inflow of outside information amid deepening economic difficulties.

The country has adopted laws aimed at strengthening internal control in recent years, including one enacted in 2020 to "reject the reactionary ideology and culture" and another adopted in 2023 to protect the Pyongyang dialect and culture.

The anti-reactionary ideology law calls for sentencing people who bring and distribute outside culture and information to up to 10 years of hard labor. Punishment is known to be tougher for those watching and spreading South Korean dramas, movies and music.

Last Thursday, Seoul's unification ministry said the North appeared to have held the meeting of security officials to elicit their loyalty toward Kim and tighten social control. (Yonhap)
Korea and China are in the final stage of talks to set up a visit to Beijing by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul that will make him the first Korean foreign minister to visit the Chinese capital in more than six years, an official said Monday.

The senior official at Korea's Embassy in Beijing made the remark to Korean correspondents, noting that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited Cho to visit China when they held phone talks in February.

"The two countries are discussing the specific itinerary and agenda with regard to our foreign minister's visit to China, and the discussions are currently in the final stage of fine-tuning," the official said.

If the trip is realized, Cho will be the first Korean foreign minister to visit Beijing since then Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha did so in November 2017 during the administration of then President Moon Jae-in. (Yonhap)
Thursday Night

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to occasional showers later during the night. Low around 50F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Colorado Department of Transportation

A semitractor trailer straddles the barrier between the westbound and eastbound lanes on westbound Interstate 70 after sliding out of control in Glenwood Canyon in this 2023 file photo.
Failure of US-Zionist espionage network in Yemen

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Yemeni sources announced on Sunday night about the failure of the US and Zionist regime's espionage operation in that country.

According to the official news agency of Yemen (Saba), a Yemeni security source reported that the country's intelligence agencies were able to thwart the American and Zionist regime's espionage operations.

According to this report, the security institutions of Yemen will announce the details of this conspiracy tomorrow, Monday.

This is despite the fact that the Yemeni army has targeted several American, British and Zionist ships or ships bound for the occupied territories in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in support of the resistance of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The forces of the Yemeni army have pledged to target the ships of this regime or the ships bound for the occupied territories in the Red Sea until the Zionist regime does not stop its attacks on Gaza.

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Greenberg Traurig, National Jewish Advocacy Center, Schoen Law Firm, and Holtzman Vogel Represent American and Israeli Victims of Hamas Oct. 7 Terrorist Attack in Lawsuit Against AJP Educational Foundation, Inc. a/k/a American Muslims for Palestine and National Students for Justice in Palestine

May 01, 2024 Press Release

NEW YORK - May 1, 2024 - Representing a group of victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, the National Jewish Advocacy Center, the Schoen Law Firm, and the Holtzman Vogel law firm have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, Alexandria Division, against AJP Educational Foundation Inc. a/k/a American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP).

The lawsuit, which seeks compensatory damages for nine American and Israeli victims of the attack in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage, alleges that AMP and NSJP work in the United States as collaborators and propagandists for Hamas. Hamas is a United States designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The suit also notes that AMP and NSJP are merely the current version of several prior entities that were already determined by the U.S. government to be supporters of Hamas.

"I couldn't be prouder of our firm for taking on this important representation. It is an honor to lend our voice and resources to this fight in support of plaintiffs who have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig. "We have assembled a formidable team who will make certain that the strong evidence showing the defendants have violated the rule of law is presented in an American courtroom. Our team will work tirelessly to hold these organizations accountable for their actions carried out in concert with terrorists."

The suit alleges AMP and NSJP responded on Oct. 8, 2023, the day after the horrific atrocities perpetrated by Hamas, by participating in the terrorist's propaganda to justify its appalling brutalities. AMP and NSJP answered Hamas's "call for mass mobilization" by disseminating a manifesto and plan of attack. This manifesto confirms that "AMP and NSJP are not merely organizing to assist Hamas's ongoing terror campaign abroadthey are intentionally extending their aid to fomenting chaos, violence, and terror in the United States." In this manner, the groups acted to support and further the goals and directives of Hamas.

Further, the lawsuit states that "Plaintiffssurvivors of Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack, family members of those murdered by Hamas, civilians still under fire from Hamas's ongoing terrorism, and persons displaced by Hamas's ongoing terrorismhave been, and continue to be, injured because AMP and NSJP knowingly provide continuous, systematic, and substantial assistance to Hamas and its affiliates' acts of international terrorism. AMP and NSJP are thus liable to Plaintiffs for the damages they incurred because AMP and NSJP aid and abet Hamas's terrorism."

"Since Oct. 7, our country has witnessed a shocking rise in anti-Semitism, verbal and physical threats against Jews on our campuses and in our streets, vandalism, blockades, economic disruption, illegal encampments, and hostile takeovers of academic buildingslargely and concertedly directed by Hamas and its collaborators, American Muslims for Palestine and National Students for Justice in Palestine. Until now, they have seemingly operated in a world without consequence. With this lawsuit, we will hold Hamas's collaborators accountable for their actions and show them and those in sympathy with them that no one is above, or beyond, the rule of law. As the son of one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz, I am proud to be part of the team seeking vindication for our clients. We look forward to presenting the evidence to the judge and jury," said Scott J. Bornstein, Senior Vice President of Greenberg Traurig.

Richard A. Edlin, Vice Chair of Greenberg Traurig, notes: "It is deeply ironic that the same people carrying signs saying 'Death to America' and 'Death to Jews' claim they are protected by free speech. They are not. Free speech has never included the active support of terrorism, and it has never protected the destruction of private property or the brutalization of innocent men, women, and children of many faiths, not just Jews. In the defendants, we confront an American problem, as well as a Jewish problem. We cannotand through this lawsuit, we are saying we will notallow the infiltration of Hamas-directed hatred, violence, and intimidation anywhere we can prevent it. If the defendants believe they can set up operations in America to create a mass culture of fear, threats, violence, and intimidation to undermine our cherished educational institutions, affect our governmental policies, and force Hamas's evil ideology on American or Israeli soil, they are about to find out how mistaken they are."

"As a lawyer with a long history of fighting antisemitism, I am proud to sign my name to this important lawsuit," said Brad Kaufman, Co-President of Greenberg Traurig.

According to Mark Goldfeder, the CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, "This case is very simple: When someone tells you they are aiding and abetting terroristsbelieve them."

Jason Torchinsky, a partner at Holtzman Vogel who also represents the victims, emphasized that "[t]he chaos we are seeing at American colleges and universities has been well planned and organized, and National SJP's work to support the end goals of Hamas needs to be exposed and stopped. We hope this lawsuit sees justice for our clients."

The group of American and Israeli victims have experienced a wide spectrum of physical and emotional injuries.

"It is time that Hamas and all of its agents, like AMP and NSJP, be held responsible for their horrific actions," the victims said in a joint statement. "We want to go on record to expose these groups for the terrorists they are and make certain that they are stopped from operating in the United States and other countries they infiltrate."

Professor Anat Alon-Beck's decision to join the lawsuit was motivated by personal experiences of harassment as an Israeli American corporate law professor. She wants to prevent this from happening to others on campuses. She is concerned about the alarming rise in antisemitism, demonization, delegitimization and dehumanization of Israel and the United States.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2750 attorneys in 47 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI "Highly Recommended Law Firm" for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.

About the National Jewish Advocacy Center: The National Jewish Advocacy Center, Inc. is a nonprofit organization committed to our mission to advocate for the Jewish nation and the Jewish state as prisms through which people from all walks of life can learn about the dignity of difference, the power of coexistence, and the strength that comes from tolerance. NJAC is a thought leader in the field of combatting antisemitism with a demonstrated ability to innovate creative legal solutions and substantively support them. Web: https://jewishadvocacycenter.org/.

About Schoen Law Firm: David Schoen is a solo practitioner focusing on civil rights litigation and criminal defense work and has for many years represented victims of terrorism. David is the recipient of the American Bar Association's national Pro Bono Publico award and the U.S. District Judge David Nelson public interest award for his civil rights work. Web: https://schoenlawfirm.com/.

About Holtzman Vogel: Holtzman Vogel specializes in navigating sensitive, high-stakes regulatory and litigation matters for the country's most prominent individuals, corporations, and advocacy organizations. The firm is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices strategically located in Virginia, Florida, and Arizona. The firm and its lawyers are continuously ranked by the nation's most trusted legal guides including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms, Super Lawyers, POLITICO, Washingtonian, among others. For more information, visit www.holtzmanvogel.com.

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May 3, 2024

Release

Secretary Austin Concludes Trip to Hawaii

Pentagon Spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following release:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III concluded his travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, today. During his visit, Secretary Austin met with counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, presided over the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) Change of Command, engaged with service members, and spoke with distinguished guests from the Freely Associated States.

Secretary Austin's Meetings on Thursday, May 2

Secretary Austin met bilaterally at Camp Smith with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles to discuss the U.S.-Australia Alliance. The two officials surveyed a range of areas where both countries are continuing unprecedented work to deepen their defense cooperation, including force posture initiatives, defense industrial base collaboration, and partnerships across the Pacific Islands region.

Secretary Austin also met bilaterally at Camp Smith with Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru to advance historic momentum in the U.S.-Japan Alliance. The two officials discussed ongoing efforts to implement agreements announced during Prime Minister Kishida's Official Visit to Washington, as well as opportunities to further strengthen the Alliance by increasing cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners.

Secretary Austin, Deputy Prime Minister Marles, and Minister Kishida then convened a Trilateral Defense Ministers' Meeting (TDMM), where the three officials highlighted landmark trilateral achievements made in implementing a range of cooperative activities announced by the United States, Australia, and Japan in June 2023. The three officials signed a trilateral technology research and testing arrangement and also announced plans to conduct a regional integrated air and missile defense live-fire exercise in 2027.

Secretary Austin, Deputy Prime Minister Marles, Minister Kishida, and Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro then held the second-ever meeting of defense ministers from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. The officials highlighted significant collaboration among their four countries to advance a shared vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The officials then convened the first-ever joint press conference by the defense ministers of their four countries at Camp Smith.

Secretary Austin and Secretary Teodoro also met in Honolulu to discuss bilateral defense cooperation between the United States and the Philippines following President Marcos' historic April 2024 visit to Washington and trilateral meetings with President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida.

Secretary Austin's Engagements on Friday, May 3

Secretary Austin presided over the USINDOPACOM Change of Command in Honolulu, where he delivered remarks recognizing outgoing commander Admiral John Aquilino, incoming commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, and the hundreds of thousands of American service members across USINDOPACOM's Area of Responsibility.

On the margins of the Change of Command, Secretary Austin also spoke with leaders from the Freely Associated States (FAS), including President Surangel Whipps, Jr. of the Republic of Palau, President Wesley Simina of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Minister Kalani Kaneko of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Their meeting follows the historic passage of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2024 in March, which funded a twenty-year extension of U.S. economic assistance to the FAS under the Compacts.

Secretary Austin concluded his trip to Hawaii with a series of engagements with service members, where he thanked them and their families for their contributions to the safety and security of the American people.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3765360/

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May 3, 2024

By Joseph Clark, DOD News

Austin Underscores Power of Partnerships at Indo-Pacom Change of Command

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the power of U.S. partnerships in the Indo-Pacific as he presided over the U.S. Indo-Pacific change of command ceremony today at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

The Secretary praised the hundreds of thousands of Indo-Pacom service members and civilian personnel for the long strides the U.S. and its allies have made in bolstering freedom and security throughout the region.

"Every day, Indo-Pacom keeps the watch in our priority theater of operations," Austin said. "And together with our unmatched network of allies and partners, you're advancing our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific  each and every one of you."

These strides, Austin said, are critical amid a range of challenges throughout the region, ranging from China's increasingly coercive behavior across the Taiwan Strait, East and South China Seas and elsewhere throughout the region.

"[China] is the only country with both the will  and, increasingly, the capacity  to dominate the Indo-Pacific and to reshape global order to suit its autocratic vision," he said, noting that China remains the Defense Department's pacing challenge.

Those challenges are further compounded by the threats posed by North Korea, Russia and violent extremists in the Indo-Pacific.

"But Indo-Pacom has risen to meet the moment, together with our allies and partners," Austin said. "And it has moved us closer to our shared vision of an Indo-Pacific that is free and open and secure  again and again and again."

Austin credited outgoing Indo-Pacom Commander Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino for his leadership in transforming the United States' posture in the region during "a decisive time for our defense strategy" under his tenure.

The secretary noted Aquilino's leading voice behind major investments in critical munitions and drive to arm the warfighter with critical capabilities.

He also highlighted Aquilino's leadership in deepening partnerships throughout the region  a critical component of U.S. strategy to deter conflict throughout Indo-Pacom's expansive area of responsibility.

"Indo-Pacom is working with our regional allies and partners like never before," Austin said noting a series of major combined regional exercises that are indispensable for bolstering interoperability with key allies.

Austin also noted the long strides made with allies and partners in strengthening the United States' regional force posture  from stationing the most advanced Marine Littoral Regiment in Japan to expanding U.S. access to four new sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines.

He also noted milestones under the Major Defense Partnership with India and the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom.

"Our allies are also working together in unprecedented ways, like the growing trilateral relationship among Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States," Austin said. "And we've continued to strengthen our ties across the region, including with [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations], the Quad and other groups of partners."

That commitment to partnerships was on full display leading up to the change of command ceremony as Austin hosted a series of meetings with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines at Indo-Pacom headquarters on Thursday.

In a press conference following the meetings, the leaders underscored their commitment to further improving interoperability between their forces and promoting peace and security throughout the region.

"We've gathered here because we share a vision for peace, stability and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," Austin said. "We've charted an ambitious course to advance that vision together, and that's why today's meetings were so important."

During the change of command ceremony, Navy. Adm. Samuel J. Paparo assumed command of Indo-Pacom.

Paparo, a Naval Aviator with 37 years of service, most recently served as the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Austin highlighted Paparo's experience flying critical missions around the world and deep experience in the Indo-Pacom theater.

"It's all been leading up to this  to the challenge of leading United States Indo-Pacom," Austin said. "Sam, we know that you will excel. We know that you will lead with principle and pride. And we know that you will keep America safe."

In his address, Paparo further underscored the importance of close partnerships with allies in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"As we look to the future, the joint force will meet this great responsibility with strength, resolve and confidence," he said. "Indo-Pacom, together with our partners, is positioned to deny and defend against attempts to break the peace afforded by international rules-based order."

Adm. Aquilino will retire after 40 years of service. He holds the title of the longest-serving Naval Academy graduate on active duty.

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Hamas says delegation heading to Cairo for ceasefire talks

Iran Press TV

Friday, 03 May 2024 11:08 PM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has said its delegation will travel to the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Saturday to resume ceasefire talks with a "positive spirit" in the latest effort to halt almost seven months of Israel's genocidal war against the people in Gaza.

"We emphasize the positive spirit with which the Hamas leadership dealt with the ceasefire proposal it recently received, and we are going to Cairo in the same spirit to reach an agreement," Hamas posted on its website on Friday.

"We in Hamas and the Palestinian resistance forces are determined to achieve an agreement that fulfills our people's demands for a complete cessation of the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced, relief and reconstruction, and a serious exchange deal," the statement said.

Earlier in the day, a senior Hamas official said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was stonewalling the truce deal between the Gaza Strip-based resistance movement and the Tel Aviv regime.

"Netanyahu was the obstructionist of all previous rounds of dialog... and it is clear that he still is," Hossam Badran, member of Hamas' Political Bureau, told AFP by telephone on Friday.

Bardan cited the Israeli premier's insistence on carrying out a ground invasion against the southern Gaza city of Rafah as a key stumbling block in negotiations aimed at potential arrival at a deal.

While Hamas has demanded a lasting ceasefire, Netanyahu has vowed to launch an offensive in the far-southern city of Rafah, which is packed with displaced civilians.

Netanyahu has insisted he will send ground troops into Rafah, despite strong concerns voiced by UN agencies and ally Washington for the safety of the civilians inside the city.

Around 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge in the city from the ravages of the war that has so far killed at least 34,622 Palestinians.

Badran said Netanyahu's resolve to attack Rafah was calculated to "thwart any possibility of concluding an agreement."

The Israeli official has said the regime would go ahead with invading the city "with or without" a truce deal.

The Israeli offensive has left 85 percent of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the territory's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.

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By Bereket Alemayehu

On a fine spring Sunday noon, Sara Porta Lopez, founder and CEO of Spanish Hub Korea, was delighted and busy welcoming guests as she launched her platform on April 28 at Luke's Seoul bar in western Seoul.

Spanish Hub Korea is a platform for sharing everything related to Spain found in Korea, ranging from Spanish language classes, cultural activities and public events to restaurants and business products. It helps people who are passionate to know about authentic Spanish things from a native perspective and is a place to promote Spanish products and create business networks, as well as organize public meetups in Korea.

Lopez came to Korea for the first time in 2022 for a vacation and loved the country and its culture. Half a year later, she decided to take a working holiday and came back to experience Korea for a year. Born in the Catalonian city of Reus, her passion for her native culture started at a young age. When she was 8 years old, she enrolled in Spanish dance classes at the Centre de Lectura de Reus as well as became part of the traditional dance group in her hometown, el ball de Valencians de Reus. She studied biochemistry and graduated with a molecular biotechnology master's degree in 2020 from the University of Barcelona, and she has been working on product development for Freshly Cosmetics, a skin care startup based in Spain, for two years.

"As a startup, my business uses an online-based digital platform for marketing and events. Almost all my work experience has been in startups so I have always been fast and adapting to the working environment in companies" she told The Korea Times. "I was interested in bringing new things and finding solutions to problems. But here in Korea, I found that I had challenges referring to work culture. I worked for a Korean startup in the IT and content creation field for six months, but I was not able to feel listened to and apply changes as I thought could help the business. This experience made me realize that I would like to work in an environment where my voice is listened to and I can help and be creative. So that made me participate in the OASIS program for foreigners interested in setting up their startup business in Korea."

OASIS is a free program established by the Korean government to help foreign entrepreneurs interested in founding startups in Korea.

"The information about patents and business helps to see how the startup landscape works for foreigners in Korea, but still, it was quite difficult to do until opening your startup here," she said. "There are many steps, regulations and restrictions that you need to know as a foreigner. And not all are taught in the program so having a good network of people related to startups is useful. It took me three months to decide, plan the business, and find out how to do all the procedures. It was hard, as many things are written in Korean and not translated into English. It can be difficult to do everything without help from a Korean or other people who made it before."

Also attending the launching event was Dario Jose Saez Mendez, economic and commercial counsellor at the Embassy of Spain in Korea, who came to support the hub.

"We are happy about Spanish Hub Korea," he said. "We are excited about that because the Spanish community here is still quite small, and this kind of initiative of networking, of learning Spanish, approaching both countries, both peoples, is a very good idea. I'm always interested when I see Spanish people living here and working for Korean companies or just setting up their startups, bars and restaurants. I feel proud when I meet particularly these young people who are visionary, strong and ambitious, connecting two countries. I think we have a lot to offer to Korea, And Korea has a lot to offer to Spain as well."

When asked about the relationship between the two nations, he added, "The number of Spanish companies is increasing very fast in Korea. Many Spanish tourists are coming to Korea, but the number of Korean tourists to Spain is quite huge. Before the pandemic in 2019, about 630,000 Koreans visited Spain."

For Kim Hye-jin, a Spanish-language meetup host in Gangnam, coming to the event was exciting because she loves the Spanish language and culture. "I studied Spanish for a long time in Korea. I have traveled to Spain as well," she told The Korea Times. "When I was little, I went to Mexico, and I stayed there for over three months  that experience influenced me a lot. I loved Mexico and the Latin culture. That was my reason for studying the language and creating a meetup, where I met Sara."

The website is functional in Spanish, Korean and English. Interested people can find Spanish language conversation and writing practices through daily guided online journaling, reading clubs, movies (with Korean subtitles), meetups, cultural events and other festivities in Korea.

Visit spanishhubkorea.com or follow @spanishhub_korea on Instagram.

Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He's also co-founder of Hanokers, a refugee-led social initiative and freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.
On Condemning the Attack on an Internally Displaced Persons Camp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

May 3, 2024

The United States strongly condemns the attack today from Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) and M23 positions on the Mugunga camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This attack has caused the deaths of at least nine persons and wounded at least 33 others, many of whom were women and children. We are gravely concerned about the recent RDF and M23 expansion in eastern DRC, which has contributed to the displacement of more than 2.5 million people, and call on both parties to respect human rights and adhere to applicable obligations under international humanitarian law.

It is essential that all states respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold accountable all actors for human rights abuses in the conflict in eastern DRC. We continue to support regional diplomatic efforts, and call on all parties to take steps to de-escalate tensions, avoid endangering civilian populations, and participate constructively in dialogue to create conditions for a negotiated solution and lasting peace.

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U.S. - Iceland Strategic Dialogue

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

May 3, 2024

The United States and Iceland held the annual U.S.-Iceland Strategic Dialogue in Reykjavik and Keflavik on May 2-3. The Dialogue was led by Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Douglas Jones, Office of the Secretary of Defense Principal Director for Europe and NATO Policy Alton Buland, Icelandic Permanent Secretary of State Martin Eyjolfsson, Director General for Defense Jonas Allansson, and Director General Maria Mjoll Jonsdottir, with participation from U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Carrin F. Patman and Icelandic Ambassador to the United States Bergdis Ellertsdottir.

The United States and Iceland welcomed the robust ongoing security cooperation since the Dialogue last convened in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 2023. The delegations discussed, among other topics, expanding bilateral defense cooperation, support to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's aggression, the Indo-Pacific region, the situation in the Middle East, and Arctic Security. The two Allies also consulted on priorities for the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. Over the past year, U.S. submarines have conducted four brief stops for personnel and supplies in Iceland. These stops facilitate U.S. presence in the North Atlantic and High North in support of the security of Iceland, the United States, and NATO. Both countries have also continued important air policing and antisubmarine missions bilaterally and in the context of NATO's ongoing missions.

The United States and Iceland reaffirmed the 1951 bilateral defense agreement and committed to further expanding the indispensable partnership between the two countries.

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"We do not want to see conflict, bloodshed or tears in our geography"

Presidency Of The Republic Of Turkey

03.05.2024

Speaking at a meeting with the board of MUSIAD, President Erdogan said: "We do not seek hostility or strife with any country in our region. As I have stated at every opportunity, we do not want to see conflict, bloodshed or tears in our geography."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered remarks at a meeting with the board members of Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) in Istanbul.

Stating that MUSIAD has made irreplaceable contributions to the Turkish economy and democracy since 1990, President Erdogan highlighted the share, contributions and efforts of MUSIAD members in country's achievements in a wide range of areas from economy to foreign trade, from production to the expansion of rights and freedoms, and said: "I would like to take this occasion to once again thank all my brothers and sisters who have contributed to the development of our country and the strengthening of the national will under the roof of MUSIAD for 34 years. I remember with mercy the members of MUSIAD who have passed away."

"WE HAVE HALTED EXPORT AND IMPORT TRANSACTIONS WITH ISRAEL"

Congratulating the MUSIAD family for their aid to the people of Gaza, which has been subjected to genocide by Israel since October 7, President Erdogan said: "Turkiye ranks first in the world with nearly 50 thousand tons of humanitarian aid supplies sent to Gaza. In order to force Israel to agree to a ceasefire and to increase the amount of humanitarian aid it allows to pass through, we have taken some commercial measures. In the first place, we imposed export restrictions on 54 product groups. As of yesterday, we have halted export and import transactions with Israel, covering all products. We will manage the consequences of this step in coordination and consultation with our business community. I want it to be known that we do not seek hostility or strife with any country in our region. As I have stated at every opportunity, we do not want to see conflict, bloodshed or tears in our geography."

"We have only one goal here, and that is to force the Netanyahu administration, which is out of control with the unconditional military and diplomatic support of the West, into a ceasefire. If a ceasefire is declared and sufficient humanitarian aid is allowed to enter Gaza, the goal will already be achieved. Turkiye's move will set an example for other countries that are concerned with the current picture," President Erdogan said.

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Starvation stalking Sudan's Darfur region as fighting intensifies

By Margaret Besheer May 03, 2024

The World Food Program warned Friday that time is running out to prevent starvation in Sudan's Darfur region, as intensifying clashes in North Darfur's capital are preventing aid deliveries to the wider Darfur region.

"The situation is dire," WFP Sudan spokesperson Leni Kinzli told reporters in a briefing from Nairobi, Kenya. "People are resorting to consuming grass and peanut shells, and if assistance doesn't reach them soon, we risk witnessing widespread starvation and death in Darfur and across other conflict areas in Sudan."

The WFP estimates that more than 1.7 million people across Darfur are experiencing the highest levels of hunger and food insecurity.

The United Nations has been among the voices warning that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have encircled and are poised to attack North Darfur's capital, El Fasher. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have positions inside the city but are besieged by the RSF. So are about 1.5 million residents, including about 800,000 internally displaced persons.

Airstrikes and shelling are exacerbating El Fasher's hunger emergency. The United Nations estimates 330,000 people are facing crisis levels of food insecurity in the city due to a shortage of food items and soaring prices.

Inside North Darfur's Zamzam camp, one of the largest displacement camps in Sudan, Doctors Without Borders said this week that the situation is catastrophic, especially for children. Of more than 46,000 children screened, the charity found 30% suffering from acute malnutrition and 8% suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition.

The two border crossings that humanitarians used to reach Darfur from neighboring Chad have been closed. Aid convoys using the Tine crossing have been suspended because of the fighting in El Fasher, while Sudan's government has stopped aid trucks going through the Adre crossing because it fears the RSF will use the crossing to smuggle weapons into Darfur.

Kinzli said that before the recent fighting, WFP had planned several convoys from Chad with assistance for 700,000 people across Darfur. The delivery would have lasted many of them for two to three months, through the approaching rainy season, she said.

"Beyond that, we were hoping to scale up and ramp up even more, but now with these access constraints, with the security concerns as well as these bureaucratic restrictions, it makes it difficult for us at the moment," she said.

Fears of atrocities

El Fasher is the only city in Darfur that the RSF has not captured. An impending battle could unleash atrocities similar to those of the genocide carried out by Arab Janjaweed fighters against African Zaghawa, Masalit, Fur and other non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur in the early 2000s. Janjaweed fighters make up today's RSF.

Analysts at the Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab are tracking the situation using satellites and other resources. They said in a report Thursday that 23 communities north and west of El Fasher have been intentionally burned to the ground in the past five weeks.

The fate of the residents is not known. The researchers say the location of the communities is consistent with satellite imagery they have analyzed showing that the RSF has advanced in those directions.

"We additionally have evidence they are also in the eastern side of El Fasher, and we are currently monitoring RSF forces moving from the south, from Nyala," Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the lab, told VOA.

Nyala is the capital of South Darfur state.

"At present we are seeing snapshots of their force strength," he said. "In certain cases, we have seen battalion- to regiment-size force massings. In some cases, including over a hundred vehicles."

The fact that the RSF has not yet attacked El Fasher demonstrates that international pressure can be an effective tool, Raymond said.

"RSF could have moved earlier; they have not yet," he said. "We have to use this moment to pull RSF forces back and to create a humanitarian envelope in which aid can be delivered  first in El Fasher and then into the interior of Darfur."

He said time is running out, as the rainy season is about to start.

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Minister: Yemen to soon launch pro-Gaza operations in Med

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 4, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Zeifollah Al-Shami, the information minister of Yemen's National Salvation Government, said on Saturday that the country will soon launch its military operations in the Mediterranean in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Al-Shami made the comment in an interview with Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV, saying that Yemen aims to help bring an end to the Gaza war and the Israeli regime's blockade of the Palestinian territory.

A spokesman for the Yemeni army said on Friday that the planned military operations in the Mediterranean are the fourth phase of attacks against what he called "the triangle of aggression" namely the US, the UK, and the Israeli regime.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that the Mediterranean operations will target all vessels that violate a ban on Israeli-linked shipping and head toward ports in Israeli-occupied territories via the sea.

Yemen has already been targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Indian Ocean since mid-November in response to the regime's war on Gaza.

The Arab country has carried on its operations despite airstrikes by the US and the UK on Yemeni soil, which Washington and London launched in mid-January for what they called protecting international shipping.

Yemen says the airstrikes are part of support by the US-UK alliance to the Israeli regime in its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

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Iran FM: Cutting ties with Israeli regime important tool to stop Gaza genocide

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 4, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that cutting diplomatic ties with the Israeli regime and imposing trade and arms embargos on it are important tools to help stop the regime's genocidal war in Gaza and its crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Amirabdollahian made the comments on Saturday as he addressed the 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Banjul, Gambia, on the first day of the two-day event.

The top Iranian diplomat strongly condemned "brutal crimes" of the Israeli regime against the people of Gaza, and emphasized the need for further unity among Islamic countries to stop the genocide in the Palestinian enclave.

The following is the full text of Amirabdollahian's speech at the OIC summit:

Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset I would like to express my pleasure for attending this valuable meeting in the beautiful country of Gambia. I appreciate the government and people of Gambia for their warm hospitality and congratulate the them on assuming the presidency of the 15th OIC summit.

At the beginning of my remarks, while strongly condemning the continuation of brutal crimes by the Zionist regime against the resistant and oppressed people of Gaza, I would like to underscore the need to strengthen the unity and solidarity of Islamic countries more than ever to stop the genocide, various types of crimes of the Zionist regime and the necessity of sending immediate, sufficient and unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Undoubtedly, this period of time will pass with all its hardships and maladies inflicted upon the Palestinian nation, but the quality of our Muslim governments' role in dealing with this crisis will be recorded in history.

There is no doubt that severing diplomatic and economic relations and practical arms and trade embargo is an important tool in stopping Israel's genocide in Gaza and its crimes in the West Bank and Al-Quds Al-Sharif. We sincerely appreciate the Muslim and freedom-loving governments and countries that took action in this direction.

The recent developments in Palestine and the resistance of Gaza and the West Bank proved once again that the destruction of Palestinian resistance and Hamas, as a liberation movement formed against the occupation, was nothing more than an illusion. Since the Israeli regime is not an legitimate government but only an apartheid occupying power and passage of time will never legitimize the occupier.

Realization of stable and just peace and security in the region is only feasible through the end of the occupation of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland and guaranteeing the reinstitution of their right to self-determination.

The global campaign to support Palestine and condemn the Zionist regime's crimes against humanity is still going strong after 7 months since the start of the war and has reached the universities of the US, Europe and other countries of the world. The false claimants of freedom of speech in the West respond to this protesting voice of awakened human consciences with violent suppression and once again demonstrate their double standard approach.

Dear Presidents,

The public opinion of the world and especially the Islamic world strongly expects us to come up with important recommendations and measures as the result of this Summit, including:

Emphasizing the establishment of an immediate, complete, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in all areas of Gaza, including in Rafah and even the West Bank;

The complete lifting of the human blockade of Gaza;

Exchange of prisoners;

Obligating the Israeli regime to conduct an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all military forces and their equipment from Gaza and securing an international guarantee for the safe return of the people to their areas and places;

5- Imposing an immediate arms and trade embargo against the Israeli regime;

Supporting the provisional binding order of the International Court of Justice and providing the ground for the trial and punishment of all the commanders and the perpetrators of Israeli crimes. To ensure peace and security in the region and the Islamic world, the rogue and occupying Israeli regime must be stopped, brought to justice and punished.

Dear colleagues,

The Islamic world is now in a very sensitive and complex situation, in such a way that Islamic countries in their quest to achieve sustainable development goals are faced with a range of challenges, including economic instability, political unrest, regional conflicts, foreign occupation, the presence of outsiders, and the interferences coming from extra-regional powers. These challenges have so far led to the aggravation of poverty, weakening of social cohesion and disruption in the process of development efforts.

Nevertheless, these challenges may also create significant opportunities for progress and innovation in the Islamic world and the flourishing of Islamic civilization. The rich cultural heritage, diverse natural resources and young and talented population of Islamic countries have provided favorable grounds for advancing sustainable development plans based on Islamic values and indicators. In this regard, the world is witnessing that the talented and hardworking young men and women of Iran have achieved amazingly great wonders in the development of indigenous sciences and technologies. A similar rich capacity also exists among all young people in Islamic countries.

We believe that in line with the efforts to materialize the motto of "enhancing unity and solidarity through dialogue for sustainable development";

First, by focusing and investing in human resources, technology and infrastructure, Islamic nations may very well utilize their great capacity to achieve the goals of sustainable development of Muslim nations.

Second, in order to deepen the level of cooperation and spread sustainable and all-round development, the network of economic, technical, developmental, commercial and financial-monetary cooperation between Islamic countries should be further strengthened in the context of targeted and joint agreements and mechanisms.

Third, creating a dedicated platform within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to share knowledge, expertise and resources related to sustainable development is necessary for the realization of the development plans of Muslim nations.

Fourth- It is a necessity to promote the economic and commercial integration between the member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development, based on oir values.

Fifth- Making use of technological initiatives and innovations and the expansion of scientific research in order to advance the agenda of achieving sustainable development goals within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation requires the devising an appropriate mechanism.

Distinguished President,

Undoubtedly, the important goals of sustainable development in any part of the world will not be achieved without guaranteeing sustainable peace and security. Cooperation and synergy between countries become integral and urgent by striving for the motto of "security and sustainable development for all".

Mr. President, Dear Colleagues, Brothers and Sisters,

In conclusion I would like to emphasize that the terrorist attack carried out by the Zionist regime against the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus once again unveiled the true visage of the terrorist regime of Israel.

The Islamic Republic of Iran had to resort to exercising its right of legitimate defense, and after being disappointed with the role of the UN Security Council as a deterrent, on Saturday, April 13, it gave a minimal and limited military response to Israel. Of course, we loudly warned that in case of any new adventurism on part of the Israeli regime against our interests inside or outside Iran, our next reaction against Israel will be at the maximum level, immediate and will cause the regime completely regret its misadventures. This is an irreversibly unchangeable decision.

Iran's recourse to exercise its right to self-defense shows our responsible approach towards the peace and security of the region and the world at large. We consider the security of the Islamic world and the security of the region to be the security of Iran, and we warmly extend our hands in friendship to the governments of the region and the Islamic world. The occupying regime of Israel is the root of insecurity and remains our common enemy.

Once again I declare the full readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to cooperate with the government of The Gambia and all member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in order to improve the efficiency of the organization in the current transitionary state of the world with the aim of strengthening and guaranteeing common interests and safeguarding the political and economic independence of Islamic countries.

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Bahraini resistance group claims drone attack on Israeli port

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 4, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Bahraini resistance group, Al-Ashtar Brigades, has claimed responsibility for a drone attack that hit Israel's Eilat Port on May 2.

The group issued a statement on Saturday, confirming the attack which it said hit a key position in Eilat.

Al-Ashtar Brigades said in its statement that the strike was in support of the people of Gaza, promising to continue its operations against the Israeli regime until Tel Aviv stops its genocidal war on Gaza and lift its blockade of the Palestinian territory.

Resistance groups in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, which have also hit Israeli targets in the past months, have made the same pledge.

The war has already killed at least 34,654 Palestinians and wounded 77,908 others in Gaza since early October.

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Hamas welcomes Trinidad and Tobago's decision to recognize Palestine

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 4, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, issued a statement on Friday night, expressing gratitude to Trinidad and Tobago over its decision to recognize the state of Palestine.

According to the Palestinian Shehab News Agency, Hamas praised the move by the Caribbean island country as a stance in support of the right of the Palestinian people to their homeland at a time when they are facing displacement and destruction in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the "Nazi Zionist regime".

Hamas called on all countries to support the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state with al-Quds as its capital, and to take actions to force the occupiers to stop the genocidal war in Gaza.

The government of Trinidad and Tobago issued a statement on May 2, declaring that it has officially recognized the state of Palestine in a bid to help in the "achievement of a lasting peace by strengthening the growing international consensus on the issue of Palestinian statehood."

Trinidad and Tobago said that it will join 141 other countries that recognize Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, also welcomed the decision of Trinidad and Tobago, saying it contributes to efforts aimed at upholding the Palestinians' right to self-determination on their land.

Abbas said that the decision is "consistent with the principles of international law that recognize the right of peoples to get rid of colonialism and persecution and to live in freedom, justice and independence", according to WAFA news agency.

He called on other countries to follow suit.

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Yemen announces 4th phase of military operation against 'triangle of aggression'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 4, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Yemeni Armed Forces have announced the launch of the fourth phase of their military operation against what they describe as "the triangle of aggression" namely the US, the UK, and the Israeli regime.

Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree made the announcement on Friday, saying that the Arab country has launched the fourth phase of its military operation in support of the Palestinian people following an order by Ansarullah Leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

Saree said that Yemen is closely monitoring the situation in Gaza, the ongoing ceasefire talks and the Israeli regime's plan for a ground offensive against the southern city of Rafah, adding that the regime intends to push for the release of its captives without a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

If the Israeli regime conducts an offensive in Rafah, all ships related to the regime will be sanctioned regardless of their nationality, he said.

All vessels, which violate the ban on Israeli-linked shipping and head toward ports in Israeli-occupied territories via the Mediterranean, will be targeted, the spokesman said.

Yemen has already begun targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Indian Ocean in mid-November in response to the regime's war on Gaza.

The US and the UK have launched airstrikes on Yemen in mid-January for what they call protecting international shipping.

Yemen however says that the airstrikes are part of support by the US-UK alliance to the Israeli regime in its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

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Cut all ties with Israeli regime, Iran urges Muslim countries

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 8:36 PM

Iran has urged Muslim countries to cut all relations with the Israeli regime as means of pressuring Tel Aviv to end its ongoing genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on Saturday, addressing the 15th Heads of State and Government Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Gambia's capital Banjul.

"Beyond doubt, this time period will also pass by, despite all its hardships and adversities for the Palestinian nation," he said.

"However, the manner and quality of the role that is played by us, Muslim states, in the face of this crisis will go down in history," the top diplomat added.

"Undoubtedly, severance of diplomatic and economic ties and [imposition of] practical arms and trade embargo [on Israel] serves as an important means of cessation of its genocide in Gaza and atrocities in the West Bank and the Noble al-Quds."

At least 34,654 people have died in Gaza since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the war in response to al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by the coastal sliver's resistance groups.

Despite the unabated campaign of bloodshed and destruction, the regime has so far fallen short of realizing its goals, including defeating Gaza's resistance, causing forced displacement of the territory's entire population to neighboring Egypt, and enabling the release of those who were taken captive during al-Aqsa Storm.

Amir-Abdollahian said Gaza's developments proved that elimination of the Palestinian resistance "was nothing but an illusion."

"Because the Israeli regime is not a legitimate government. It is only an occupying apartheid power," he said, adding, "Passage of time is not going to lend legitimacy to an occupying power."

The foreign minister asserted that realization of sustainable peace and security in the region was only possible through cessation of the regime's occupation of Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, return of the Palestinian refugees to their homeland, and manifestation of Palestinians' right to self-determination.

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Doubts grow over defense partnership with Jakarta

By Nam Hyun-woo

Indonesia proposed paying only around a third of the initially agreed cost to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet with Korea, according to defense industry sources, Monday.

Instead, the Southeast Asian country suggested that it would only accept a limited level of technology transfer for the KF-21 fighter jet, raising greater concerns about the deal that was once hailed as a symbol of the partnership between the two countries.

According to the sources, Indonesian military officials recently presented this proposal to their Korean counterparts at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

A DAPA official said they are in the "final stage of negotiations with the Indonesian counterpart on the method of sharing costs for the KF-21 project." However, the official neither confirmed nor denied the specific details of the proposal.

Korea and Indonesia signed a deal in 2016 to collaborate on the joint development project with Jakarta committed to funding by 2026 1.7 trillion won ($1.25 billion) of the total development cost of 8.8 trillion won. In return, Indonesia would receive 48 planes manufactured there for the Indonesian Air Force, along with technology transfers.

Later, the total amount for Indonesia was deducted to 1.6 trillion won, but cost-sharing problems have emerged as Indonesia had only paid approximately 300 billion won so far, citing financial difficulties. In an attempt to address the outstanding payment, Jakarta proposed making in-kind payments using palm oil.

Late last year, Jakarta asked Seoul to extend the payment deadline to 2034, but the Korean government refused because mass production of the KF-21 fighter jets is set to begin this year, with a goal of entering service in 2026.

In its recent proposal, Indonesia suggested paying 100 billion won annually by 2026, totaling 600 billion won for the project. In exchange, the country would receive a reduced level of technology transfer, roughly one-third of what was initially agreed upon.

If Seoul decides to accept the proposal, it will be presented at an upcoming Defense Acquisition Program Promotion Committee meeting. However, accepting the proposal would require Seoul to shoulder an additional 1 trillion won, which could further fuel doubts and concerns among the public regarding the defense partnership with Indonesia.

Despite citing budget constraints for its delayed payments for the KF-21 project, the Indonesian defense ministry proceeded to purchase 42 Rafale fighter jets from France in February 2022 and acquired 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets that were previously used by Qatar in June 2023.

In January, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), which developed the KF-21, caught Indonesian employees trying to take multiple flash drives containing confidential data from its manufacturing plant in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

The outlook for the partnership between the two countries on the fighter jet project remains uncertain, especially with Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto set to take office.

During his tenure as Indonesia's defense minister in 2019, Prabowo Subianto supported suspending payments for joint development projects and emphasized the importance of securing more technology transfers.

Against this backdrop, Indonesias English-language newspaper, Jakarta Post, published a column titled, Why Prabowo should wrap up his East Asia tour with Seoul visit and urged the president-elect to visit the Korean capital to resolve the stalled fighter jet project.
Bahraini resistance group claims attack on Israeli port

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 4:42 PM

The Bahraini-based Al-Ashtar Brigades have claimed responsibility for a rare attack on the Israeli-controlled port of Eilat amid the growing regional opposition to the Israeli regime's onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza.

The Al-Ashtar Brigades, which is the paramilitary branch of the Islamic Resistance in Bahrain, said in a statement on Saturday that it had used drones to hit "vital targets" in Eilat, known as Umm Al-Rashrash in the Arab world, on May 2.

The group said the targets had been hit to support the resilient people of Gaza in their struggle against the Israeli regime.

The statement said operations against Israel will continue unless there is a stop to the war and blockade on Gaza.

It is a first time that Al-Ashtar Brigades attack Eilat, a key Israeli trade port on the Red Sea. The port has been targeted in similar attacks by regional resistance groups in the past months, including by Yemen's government led by the Houthi Ansarullah movement and by Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Iraqi resistance fighters.

Trade via the port has decreased significantly since the Yemenis launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in November.

Reports on Thursday indicated that drones operated by the Bahraini resistance had targeted ports infrastructure controlled and operated by Trucknet, an Israeli company which has rerouted its trade to ports in the Persian Gulf to keep them safe from Yemeni attacks.

The anti-Israeli campaign by regional resistance groups started after Israel launched an all-out invasion of Gaza in early October.

The aggression came in response to an unprecedented military operation by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas which killed 1,200 Israeli settlers and military forces.

That comes as nearly 35,000 people have been killed in nearly seven months of Israeli aggression on Gaza.

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If US decides Israel's war on Gaza must stop, it will happen: Hamas

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 1:36 PM

A senior member of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Israel's genocidal war against the Gaza Strip would end immediately if the United States decided it should stop.

Osama Hamdan, who represents Hamas in Lebanon, made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, as ceasefire talks to halt almost seven months of the regime's brutal war against Gaza have resumed.

"We have to talk about the real position of the United States because that is the main issue which will affect the position of the Israelis and mainly" Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu," Hamdan said.

"If the United States administration has said clearly to Netanyahu, enough is enough... I assure you that will happen," he added.

The Hamas official further noted that during three months of negotiations to end Israel's aggression against Gaza, there have been "some forward steps.

He also hailed the mediation efforts of Egypt and Qatar, expressing hope to achieve the main goal, which is a complete ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Hamdan went on to say that Israel's planned invasion of Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah is a "key element" of the talks, stressing that Netanyahu's recent statement that the regime would go ahead with invading the city "with or without" a truce deal should be clarified.

"We want clarity on what this statement means... our understanding is that any achievement for a ceasefire means that there will be no more attacks against Gaza and Rafah," he said.

Earlier in the day, a Hamas delegation arrived in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to resume ceasefire talks in the latest effort to halt the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

Al-Qahera News, linked to Egyptian intelligence services, quoted an unnamed high-ranking source as saying that "there is significant progress in the negotiations" between Hamas and Israel, adding that the Egyptian mediators have "reached an agreed-upon formula on most points of contention."

Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas' Political Bureau, has already cited Netanyahu's insistence on carrying out a ground invasion against Rafah as a key stumbling block in negotiations aimed at the potential arrival of a deal.

While Hamas has demanded a lasting ceasefire, Netanyahu has vowed to launch an offensive in Rafah, which is home to around 1.5 million Palestinians who have been displaced due to Israel's ongoing genocidal campaign in the besieged territory.

Netanyahu has insisted he will send ground troops into Rafah, despite strong concerns voiced by UN agencies and ally Washington for the safety of the civilians inside the city.

Israel waged its brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Tel Aviv, however, has failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza despite killing at least 34,622 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The US is a partner in the Gaza carnage as it has offered untrammeled support for Israel during the devastating onslaught, and blocked UN resolutions calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.



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UNICEF urges immediate action to protect children amid escalating violence in Sudan's Darfur region

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 11:18 AM

The United Nations children's organization has called for immediate action to protect children amid escalating violence in Sudan's Darfur region.

Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) , Catherine Russell, expressed grave concern over the escalating violence in Sudan's North Darfur, particularly in and around the city of el-Fasher.

In a statement, Russell called for a ceasefire stressing the urgency of stopping the fighting between the army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the fighters loyal to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Burhan's former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

She underlined the devastating impact that the ongoing conflict has had on children in Sudan.

"There are deeply concerning reports of children being separated from their families or reportedly going missing," she said.

She especially raised concerns about the dire situation for children in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher amid an imminent threat of a large-scale military attack on the regional hub where humanitarian aid is currently concentrated.

Russell pointed out the city shelters at least 500,000 people displaced by violence, noting that the lives and well-being of some 750,000 children were in danger due to the dire situation there.

She said, "More than 330,000 people are reportedly facing acute food insecurity in el-Fasher."

Russell said the escalating violence in Sudan is pushing the country towards a conflict-induced famine and urged immediate action to prevent further loss of life, especially among children.

"At the same time, a severe lack of humanitarian access and an inability to deliver commercial goods due to the insecurity have led to the scarcity of essential services and rocketing costs for water, food and fuel."

Russell called on all fighting parties to prioritize the protection of civilians, urging them to bear in mind the importance of maintaining safe passage of those who seek refuge in safer areas. She also called the fighting sides to allow for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access.

Currently, the army controls el-Fasher, and it is supported by armed movements that signed the Juba peace agreement with the government in 2020.

However, reports say the fighters loyal to the RSF are preparing for an "imminent assault" on El-Fasher.

Fighting between the army and RSF started in April 2023 over disagreements about the integration of the two forces.

The fight has resulted in a devastating humanitarian crisis across the country, as well as military clashes that have killed nearly 16,000 people while it has displaced millions of Sudanese people.

Khartoum has complained to the United Nations Security Council over what it described as the United Arab Emirates' interference and "aggression against the Sudanese people."

The Khartoum government remains in control of most of the Nile Valley and the country's eastern provinces and ports, while the RSF wields control over most of the oil-rich Darfur region, most of the capital region and parts of North and West Kordofan.





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UN food agency: Northern Gaza in throes of 'full-blown famine'

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 11:14 AM

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says there is a "full-blown famine" in the northern Gaza Strip following months of Israel's genocidal war against the besieged Palestinian territory.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain raised the alarm in an interview with NBC and became the most prominent international official so far to declare that trapped civilians in the cut-off area had gone on the brink of famine.

"It's horror," McCain told NBC. "There is famine  full-blown famine  in the north, and it's moving its way south."

The WFP chief underlined that a ceasefire and a greatly increased flow of aid through land and sea routes was essential to confronting the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which is home to 2.3 million people.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said a panel that serves as an internationally recognized monitor for food crises had warned in March that northern Gaza was on the brink of famine and likely to experience it in May.

The USAID stressed that since March, northern Gaza had not received anything like the aid needed to stave off famine.

Acute malnutrition rates there among children under five have surged from 1% before the war to 30% five months later, the USAID added, calling it the fastest such climb in hunger in recent history, more than in grave conflicts and food shortages in Somalia or South Sudan.

In an interview with CNN last month, McCain said children are starving to death in the besieged Palestinian territory as the Tel Aviv regime has been using food as a weapon of war and deliberately blocking aid deliveries to Gaza over the past months.

She warned that Gaza is "literally on the brink of going over the edge, over the cliff with famine and not being able to recover from it."

Israel waged its brutal US-backed war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for the regime's intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 34,596 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 77,816 others.

The Israeli offensive has left 85 percent of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the territory's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the United Nations.

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Pentagon shifts jets to Qatar after UAE bans use of base for strikes: WSJ

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 10:07 AM

The Pentagon is shifting its fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military aircraft to Qatar after UAE officials warned they will not allow Washington to use their soil for strikes in West Asia, a US report says.

Emirati officials informed the US in February that they would no longer permit American warplanes and drones based at Al Dhafra Air Base to carry out strikes in Yemen and Iraq without notifying them ahead of time, The Wall Street Journal said.

"Restrictions have been imposed on strike missions against targets in Iraq and Yemen," a UAE official told the paper. "Those restrictions are coming from a place of self-protection."

Al Dhafra Air Base is located approximately 32 kilometers (20 miles) south of the capital Abu Dhabi.

According to US officials, the measure prompted US commanders to send the additional aircraft to Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha, Qatar, as the Persian Gulf monarchy hasn't imposed similar restrictions.

The move highlights growing tensions between Washington and some Persian Gulf countries that have allowed American forces to be based on their territory, but are wary of being drawn into a regional conflict.

Last month, the UK-based news website Middle East Eye cited unnamed sources as saying that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait had called on the US not to use American military bases on their territories to strike in response to any potential Iranian attack on Israel.

"The US's Persian Gulf allies are working overtime to shut down avenues that could link them to a US reprisal against Tehran ... from bases inside their kingdoms," a senior US official told MEE on condition of anonymity.

The Persian Gulf countries have reportedly raised questions about the intricate details of basing agreements that permit tens of thousands of American troops to be stationed across the oil-rich peninsula.

They are also moving to prevent US warplanes from flying over their airspace in the event Washington conducts a retaliatory strike on Tehran in support of Israel following the regime's deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria in April.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched missile and drone strikes in the early hours of April 14 on the Israeli-occupied territories. It came after the Israeli attack on April 1 against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

The airstrike killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers.

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ICC slams threats after broaching arrest warrants for Israeli leaders

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 8:56 AM

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has condemned threats against the top United Nations court and its staff after suggestions that Israeli leaders may face arrest warrants for their war on the Gaza Strip.

In the past few weeks, fear has mounted in the occupying regime as The Hague-based ICC is reportedly planning to charge Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, war minister Yoav Gallant and military chief Herzi Halevi with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ICC chief said both the UN court and its personnel had received threats in recent days.

The ICC's "independence and impartiality are undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the court or against court personnel should the Office, in fulfillment of its mandate, make decisions about investigations or cases falling within its jurisdiction," said office of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan on X.

"Such threats, even not acted upon, may constitute an offence" against the top UN court's "administration of justice", it warned, calling for an end to such activity.

"The Office insists that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials cease immediately," the ICC stressed.

Khan's office, however, did not say where the threats had come from and which investigation was concerned.

The ICC, which can prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression, has been conducting an investigation into atrocities committed by the occupying regime in Gaza and the occupied West Bank since June 2014.

The Israeli regime has been ignoring the ICC's preliminary ruling in January which ordered Tel Aviv to take all measures to protect civilian life in Gaza and to refrain from genocidal acts.

If arrest warrants are served, the top tribunal's 124 member states are obligated to arrest and hand over the defendants to the Hague once they enter their soil.

Recently, Israeli media reported that the Tel Aviv regime is holding secret meetings and consultations with its allies, including the United States, Britain, and Germany, in a bid to obstruct the ICC's work.

Netanyahu has already said he expected international leaders to use "all the means at their disposal to stop this dangerous move."

Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the regime's intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 34,622 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Another 77,816 individuals have sustained injuries as well.

Israel has imposed a "complete siege" on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

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Do not underestimate Hezbollah's ability to harm Israel: Senior official

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 8:34 AM

A high-ranking official of Lebanon's Hezbollah has underscored the resistance movement's great defense capabilities, warning the Israeli regime against underestimating its power to harm the occupying entity.

Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah, made the statement in an interview with Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Manar television channel on Friday while commenting on the latest regional developments and the combat readiness of Axis of Resistance.

"Hezbollah does not want war, but if the Israeli enemy decides to expand the confrontation and wage war, we are ready for it," Qassem said.

"As data show the enemy is unable and has no interest in war, and we do not see an interest in a wide war," He added. "What we did in the south is called a preemptive defense with the aim of supporting Gaza, protecting Lebanon, and deterring Israel."

Raising the alarm about any Israeli underestimation of Hezbollah's capabilities, the official said the Lebanese resistance movement's confrontation with the regime in the country's south is just part of Hezbollah's power.

"Do not underestimate Hezbollah's ability to harm Israel," Qassem said, stressing that, "What the resistance used on the front in the south is part of its weapons' power and what is hidden is greater. The enemy must understand that if he hurts us more, he must suffer more."

Hezbollah's deputy secretary general underlined that any Lebanese support for Gaza, in addition to being in Gaza's interest, is also in Lebanon's interest as Beirut's support for Gaza "follows two goals; the first is to support Palestine, and the second is to deter the enemy."

Qassem pointed to Israel's months-long aggression on the Gaza Strip and said the Palestinian resistance was "victorious" as it prevented the illegal entity from achieving its goals in the besieged territory.

"After seven months, even if it takes a longer time, the resistance is victorious and the mighty struggling Palestinian people are impossible to defeat," he said.

"The Palestinian resistance won because it prevented the Israeli enemy from achieving its goals of crushing the resistance and liberating the detainees."

Stressing that the Axis of Resistance fully supports the Palestinian cause, the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah said, "US pressure on Israel is still soft, and the Americans are hypocritical and not serious about ending the war [in Gaza]."

Qassem also commended Iran's Operation True Promise against the occupied territories last month, which were carried out in retaliation for the regime's earlier aggression on the Islamic Republic's diplomatic premises in Syria.

"The Iranian strike on the Zionist entity is a practical declaration that Iran cannot remain silent when it is attacked," he added.

The Israeli regime has repeatedly attacked southern Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has so far killed at least 34,622 people, most of them women and children, and left over 77,700 Palestinians injured.

In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions.

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May 3: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 8:03 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 34,500 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 Friday, May 3, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on May 3:



Launched a barrage of rockets from southern Lebanon at Israeli military sites and barracks in northern part of occupied Palestine.



Targeted Israeli forces located on the "Netzarim" axis with the 114 mm short-range Rajoom rocket system.



Targeted a gathering of Israeli forces near kibbutz "Nirim" with a barrage of rockets.



Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on May 3:



Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces storming the town of Deir Al-Ghusun in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, using machine guns and explosive devices.



Bombed a command and control center of the Israeli military along the supply line of the "Netzarim" axis with a barrage of heavy-caliber mortar shells.



Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces and their military vehicles that stormed the town of Jaba' in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, using machine guns.



Al-Quds Brigades' operations on May 3:



Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers on the supply line of the "Netzarim" axis, southwest of Gaza City, with mortar shells.



Al-Asifah Forces' operations on May 3:



Engaged in intense clashes with Israeli forces using live bullets and explosive devices in the town of Deir Al-Ghusun in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem.



Mujahideen Brigades' operations on May 3:



Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles stationed on the "Netzarim" axis with a barrage of rockets.



Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on May 3:



In a joint operation with the Al-Quds Brigades, bombed a gathering of Israeli forces in the Sheikh Ajlin area southwest of Gaza City with a barrage of mortar shells.



Hezbollah's operations on May 3:



Eastern sector:



At around 16:50 local time, Israeli military's surveillance devices were targeted at the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba with appropriate weapons.



Western sector:



At around 14:35 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted at the Sarawat site near the town of Yaroun with a volley of missiles.



Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on May 3:



Targeted the so-called "Abraham" spying headquarters of the Israeli military in occupied "Bir Al-Sabi."



Targeted the Mossad's "Glilot" spying center in Tel Aviv, using Al-Arqab cruise missiles.



Targeted an Israeli military site in Dead Sea.

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Resistance fighters target Israeli forces in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 1:19 AM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has been targeting Israeli military positions both in Gaza and northern occupied territories.

The military wing of Hamas said on Friday it attacked the Israeli regime's troops in the Sheikh Ijlin neighborhood in Gaza City in the north of the besieged strip.

The al-Qassam Brigades said it carried out the operation in collaboration with the military wing of the Islamic Jihad resistance movement.

Hamas also said it carried out a rocket attack on a gathering of Israeli troops on the key Netzarim corridor, which Israel is building through the middle of the Gaza Strip.

The al-Qassam Brigades said it also fired a barrage of rockets from southern Lebanon at Israeli barracks near the border.

Israel unleashed its US-backed Gaza onslaught on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a surprise operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed at least 34,622 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 77,816 others.

The United Nations said the destruction caused by Israel's war on the Gaza Strip is unseen since the Second World War, estimating that the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory could take 80 years and cost up to $40 billion.

Speaking at a press conference in the Jordanian capital Amman on Thursday, Abdallah al-Dardari, UN assistant secretary-general and director of the UN Development Program's (UNDP) regional office for the Arab states, added that the Israeli aggression has completely or partially destroyed 72 percent of all residential buildings in Gaza.

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Georgian President Urges EU Support As Protesters Gather At Easter Vigil

By RFE/RL's Georgian Service May 04, 2024

TBILISI -- Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has urged a group of EU ambassadors to support the country on its "European path" at a time of high tensions, as protesters gathered at an Orthodox Easter vigil in central Tbilisi, site of mass anti-government rallies in recent days.

Zurabishvili -- who sides with the protesters against government plans to introduce a "provocative" Russian-style "foreign agents" law -- told the EU diplomats they can help show Georgians that the country "is not alone" in aspirations to move closer to the West and away from any Kremlin influence.

Western leaders have blasted the ruling Georgian Dream party's plans to introduce the legislation, and the EU has said implementation will derail the country's hopes of joining the bloc. Polls have suggested overwhelming support for EU membership among Georgians, with figures last year indicating nearly 90 percent backing.

"I would like to thank your governments and officials for their support for Georgia and Georgia's European path," Zurabishvili told the EU ambassadors meeting at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi.

"I adhere to the constitution and also represent and protect the voice of the public, the voice of young people who stand peacefully and very responsibly on the streets," she said.

"But [I also represent] the voices of the rest of the people who may not come out on the streets but who have shared a European perspective and plan for many years and who have expressed their will to join the European Union," she added.

Zurabishvili said that "we are following" the rallies but that "I am not the leader of any of these movements."

"I would like to say that the responsibility of what is happening today, what will happen tomorrow...lies with the government of the country, because the chain of these events has been triggered by them," she added.

She said that "the government from nowhere...reintroduced this very provocative 'foreign agents' law and other laws when the whole country was united around the European path."

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the capital, Tbilisi, over the past week to protest Georgian Dream's plan to introduce the "foreign agent" law that Western leaders say mirrors legislation used in Russia to silence opposition voices.

Zurabishvili, in a split with the government, has come out vocally against the proposed law, saying she will veto it should it pass its final reading, likely on May 17. However, she acknowledges that Georgian Dream has enough votes to override any veto.

She has described the bill as "a Russian law by essence," and said the government was "prone to making concessions to Russia" and was attempting to replicate "the way Russia has managed to really repress the civil society."

The draft law would, among other things, require civil-society organizations and media outlets to report foreign funding and subject them to government oversight.

The streets on the evening of May 4 appeared calmer amid rainy conditions.

However, protesters and others began gathering around 10 p.m. on central Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building and near the Kashveti Church for the Easter vigil.

The official liturgy was to take place at another cathedral, but those who have participated in protest rallies have said they will return to Rustaveli Avenue.

Despite the rain, many people on social networks say they will spend the night there.

Many Georgians will also be closely watching the official ceremony, in which government officials usually attend, to hear what the leader of the Orthodox Church, the patriarch, will say in his Easter address, while the authorities will be bracing for signs of further protest.

Protesters have claimed that, in addition to water cannons and tear gas, police also used rubber bullets. RFE/RL gathered eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence of injuries, interviewed three of the injured, and filmed the rubber bullets at the scene where they were reportedly fired. The government has denied that rubber bullets have been used.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has continued to defend the legislation, saying it is necessary to achieve "depolarization," in keeping with recommendations by the EU.

Kobakhidze said that in a May 3 a conversation with European Council President Charles Michel, he relayed his disappointment that Georgia's partners were "reluctant to engage in substantive discussions" on the bill and that "we have not yet heard any counterarguments against this proposed legislation."

Kobakhidze wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the proposed legislation "is solely aimed at promoting transparency and accountability of relevant organizations vis-a-vis Georgian society."

Kobakhidze also repeated allegations of "the active involvement of foreign-funded organizations in two attempted revolutions in Georgia between 2020 and 2023."

In an earlier tweet on May 3, Kobakhidze criticized the United States, one of Georgia's biggest backers, of making "false" statements about the legislation.

Kobakhidze also accused former U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, who was serving in that position from 2020 to 2023, as well as foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) of allegedly supporting two attempted revolutions, without providing evidence.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Michel, in his own X post on May 3, said that in his telephone call with Kobakhidze he had reiterated the European Union's "full support to all Georgians who put [a] European future of their country first."

Georgia is a candidate to join the European Union and has also sought membership in the NATO defense alliance.

"Vibrant debate is a cornerstone, and genuine dialogue is now needed," Michel said. "Georgia's future belongs with the EU. Don't miss this historic chance."

U.S. State Department policy adviser Derek Chollet, who has urged Khobakhidze to withdraw the "foreign agent" bill, said on May 3 that Georgia was at an inflection point, with its Euro-Atlantic aspirations now hanging in the balance.

"There is still room to return to the path the Georgian people want and deserve," Chollet wrote on X.

A wave of anger has washed across Georgia since the ruling Georgian Dream party said it was reintroducing a slightly modified version of the "foreign agent" legislation, which protests forced it to back away from last year.

Since the second reading of the revised legislation was passed on May 1, tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Tbilisi, leading to dozens of detentions and injuries among demonstrators.

Georgia submitted its application to join the European Union in March 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which like Georgia is a former Soviet republic.

The European Union in December officially granted Georgia candidate status to join the bloc. Polls have suggested that support for EU membership among Georgians last year stood at nearly 90 percent.

Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 in support of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow subsequently recognized as independent states.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-protests- foreign-agent-eu-nato/32933073.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.

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Bangladesh calls for holding Israel accountable for war crimes

Xinhua) 13:04, May 06, 2024

DHAKA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has called for an immediate cessation of the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, ensuring humanitarian access and holding Israel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"We, the members of the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) should be part of a multitracked international engagement to end the Gaza crisis," he said while speaking at the 15th OIC Summit Conference in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, according to a Bangladeshi foreign ministry's press release.

The minister said the OIC should continue initiating dialogue with the governments and inter-governmental bodies like the United Nations, European Union and other organizations to counter Islamophobia and foster tolerance.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
By Kwak Yeon-soo

The prosecution has launched an investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hees acceptance of a luxury handbag from a pastor. The issue has been a bone of political contention for nearly half a year and was one of the factors in the ruling blocs crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections.

The decision to open the investigation comes nearly five months after the allegation was raised. The opposition bloc believes that this investigation is aimed at avoiding a special counsel investigation, which the opposition plans to seek in the 22nd National Assembly to be launched at the end of this month.

Even though the probe finds her acceptance of the bag as a gift was related to President Yoon Suk Yeols duties and, therefore, constitutes a violation of the anti-graft law, Kim may not be subject to punishment due to legal loopholes. Yet, conflicts between the rival parties might arise once more over whether to summon the first lady for questioning.

On Friday, Prosecutor General Lee One-seok ordered the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to set up a team dedicated to investigating the allegation that Kim received a Dior bag valued at around 3 million won ($2,206) from a Korean American pastor called Choi Jae-young in September 2022, about four months after Yoon's inauguration.

Choi allegedly conspired with YouTube-based media outlet Voice of Seoul to secretly film his meeting with Kim and the gifting of the bag. The media outlet released the footage last November and filed a complaint with the prosecution against Kim and Yoon for bribe acceptance and violating the anti-graft law.

However, the investigation had not gained momentum until recently, over concerns around the issue's potential influence on the April 10 general elections.

With the elections over, prosecutors say they will conduct a swift and thorough investigation. They plan to summon Choi and the CEO of Voice of Seoul soon.

Whether prosecutors will summon Kim for questioning remains to be seen  an issue that could cause another political conflict between the ruling and opposition blocs.

Also, legal experts say it may be difficult to charge Kim under the anti-graft act. The law prohibits a public officials spouse from receiving gifts worth more than 1 million won in one sitting, but this must be in connection with the duties of the public official. And there is no clause about punishment for the spouse in case of violation.

Critics raised awareness about the sudden, speedy progress concerning the push for an investigation. Some accuse prosecutors of trying to prevent Kim from being the target of a special counsel investigation that is sought by the opposition.

Kim was the target of a special counsel probe for a separate case: Her alleged involvement in stock manipulation of Deutsch Motors, a BMW car dealer in Korea, between 2009 and 2012. A bill for the investigation was scrapped after the president vetoed it.

However, after achieving a decisive victory in the general elections, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) vowed to propose a special counsel probe bill again to investigate both the luxury bag and the stock manipulation cases once the new National Assembly goes into session later this month.

This investigation by the prosecution shouldnt be aimed at covering up the allegations about the first lady, Choi Min-seok, the spokesperson of the DPK, said, Monday. If prosecutors pretend to investigate with an aim to avoid a special counsel probe, the public wont accept it.

Rebuilding Party of Korea leader Cho Kuk, known for his vocal criticism of Yoon, called for an investigation into the allegations of Kims stock manipulation.

Prosecutors are trying to blindfold the public by pretending to conduct the Dior bag investigation. We need to pay more attention to whether they investigate the Deutsch Motors case when they summon Kim for questioning, Cho wrote on Facebook, Monday.
Booming Demand For Madrasahs Fuels Islamization Concerns In Kyrgyzstan

By Chris Rickleton May 04, 2024

OSH, Kyrgyzstan -- At a spotless and modern-looking madrasah in Kyrgyzstan's southern Osh Province, two teenage girls studying the Koran admit that they know little about the Arabic text they have just recited.

"I don't know its meaning," replied one student when asked to explain the message of the 30th Surah, known in Arabic as Ar-Rum.

"I just read An-Naba," said another student, referring to the 78th of 114 surahs in the Islamic holy book. "But I don't yet understand its meaning."

Ibadat Mozhueva, a teacher at the all-girls Islamic school in the village of Myrza-Ake in Osh's Uzgen district, says that this is to be expected.

"In general, three years of madrasah [Islamic schooling] is not enough to study 'tafsir,'" Mozhueva explained, using the Arabic word for Koranic commentaries, or interpretations of the holy book.

"You need to learn grammar, read a lot, and only then progress to the interpretation of the Koran," she said. "We do not study 'tafsir' here."

Schools like this one, called the Abdiraim Kari madrasah and situated in the village of Myrza-Ake, are at the center of a heated debate around Islamic education in Kyrgyzstan.

On the one hand there is growing demand for religious schooling, including by families interested in preparing girls to serve as brides steeped in Islamic mores and traditions.

On the other hand, there are concerns about government regulation of the often closed-off institutions, including over funding sources, the quality of education, and their potential to decouple students from secular society -- a trend that many argue could empower extremist ideologues.

'Too Many' Madrasahs?

According to Kyrgyzstan's state-endorsed Muftiate, there are presently 130 registered institutions providing Islamic religious education in the country, including 34 madrasahs for girls who have finished the ninth grade. Altogether more than 6,000 female students, typically aged 15 and above, are presently enrolled in religious education in the country of around 7 million people.

By comparison, neighboring Kazakhstan -- a country with nearly three times the population of Kyrgyzstan -- has only 12 state madrasahs, including three for girls and women. In Uzbekistan, with nearly 35 million people, there are just 15 madrasahs in total, overwhelmingly catering to university-age students.

The numbers reflect the comparatively relaxed stance toward religious freedom in Kyrgyzstan. But Orozbek Moldaliev, a former chairman of the State Commission on Religious Affairs, said that there were probably "too many" madrasahs in the country.

"Moreover, the level of teaching is low," Moldaliev complained. "Among those who teach, there are some literate people, but there are also those who do not understand [Islam], who are poorly educated."

The Abdiraim Kari madrasah, where 200 girls are taught and housed free of charge, is proud of its curriculum.

Other than religious instruction, girls learn basic computing, including graphic design, sewing, handicrafts, and cooking, all over a three-year-period.

RFE/RL correspondents who recently gained access to the madrasah watched students fully attired in white hijabs and flowing black dresses smile and laugh as they competed in a game of volleyball refereed by a male cleric.

Mobile phones are prohibited except at weekends, both in the classroom and in the dormitory, with lights off at around 11.

"Before going to bed we read a prayer. And we teach the girls to sleep with their hands on their chest [after] saying the name of Allah," said Nazgul Ryskulova, who oversees the dormitory.

The diploma offered by madrasahs like Abdiraim Kari -- which qualifies graduates to teach "the fundamentals of Shari'a sciences" -- offers few prospects for employment aside from in religious schools.

It also has no value to secular universities, although the madrasah's founder, Abdirakhman Atabaev, says that some of his students do reach university after supplementing their religious training with classes at a nearby secular school.

'Signals' Received

When asked about financing, Atabaev offers few specifics, saying only that his institution is locally funded and has "no major sponsor." Local "aksakals" (elder males) and "zhigits" (young men) provided the most important contributions, he says.

A number of religious buildings in Kyrgyzstan have been built with funding from Persian Gulf states looking to expand their influence in the country, raising fears of brands of Islam other than the moderate Hanafi strain presaged by the Kyrgyzstan's Muftiate being imported into Kyrgyz society.

Others have been built by local politicians seeking to court influence among an Islam-hungry population.

Every so often, Kyrgyz security services report on raids targeting both licensed and "underground" madrasahs as well as closures and suspensions of licensed madrasahs.

In March, the State Committee for National Security (UKMK) reported on the bust of a boys madrasah where 12 children aged between 6 and 9 were taught "according to religious literature not verified by the [Muftiate]."

The man detained for organizing the classes did not have any religious education, the UKMK said, while many of the children did not attend regular school in parallel with the classes. The organizer was fined the equivalent of $85 but faced no jail time.

In 2023, the UKMK said it had shut down 21 Islamic schools in Osh Province over "violations of construction, sanitary and fire regulations, as well as [deviation from] uniform educational standards in religious schools."

Zamir Kozhomberdiev, a top official in the State Commission on Religious Affairs, says that those institutions have now reopened, having corrected their failings, and argues that the government does not need to change its approach to regulating the madrasahs.

"If...there are destructive calls or ideologies [in madrasahs], we will definitely receive such signals. Because the people working there are citizens of Kyrgyzstan, they are patriots and immediately speak openly if something is done differently. They themselves are against it," Kozhomberdiev said.

'Upbringing Hours'

This has not convinced critics of religious education, who see the madrasahs as operating with a relatively free hand.

Jamilya Kaparova, whose nonprofit Ensan-Diamond group attempts to monitor the activities of madrasahs, says that some madrashas are registered as private foreign-language-teaching institutions, with no reference to religion in their documents.

While teachers at some madrasahs claim that their courses are free as part of charitable work, students often say that they pay fixed fees every month, Kaparova says.

Kaparova echoes concerns about the content of courses. At one girls' madrasah that she visited, students participated in "upbringing hours."

"Mentors basically explained to the girls what kind of wives, daughters-in-law they should be, how to serve their husband's family," she said. "It seems to me that basically their upbringing comes down to this."

Concerns about Kyrgyzstan's national madrasah system were aired in a comprehensive 2019 report by the Geneva-based Bulan Institute, headed by the Kyrgyzstan-born expert Cholpon Orozbekova, which called for the system's "urgent reformation.""

But the Bulan Institute's main recommendations, which included the introduction of secular subjects into madrasahs, as well as teachers that have achieved both secular and theological degrees, have not been implemented to date.

Worries about the work of madrashas come from within the Islamic community, too.

Jamal Frontbek-kyzy, whose nonprofit Mutakallim group works regularly with communities of Islamic women, has called on madrasahs to include subjects like math, physics, and civics into their curricula, in order to better prepare their graduates for the outside world and make them less vulnerable to ultraconservative or extremist ideology.

"As part of one project, we introduced civics lessons in 12 madrasahs," said Frontbek-kyzy, whose organization regularly engages the government and has in the past received financing from Western donor organizations.

"But when the project stopped, some madrasahs continued to teach it, while others did not," she said.

One indicator that suggests girls' madrasahs may be failing in their collective missions at present is the high dropout rate.

According to the director of another madrasah in Osh, this one in the city itself, many students leave madrasahs before graduation, either to get married, or because they need to find work, or cannot make progress in classes.

"Our main goal was to raise girls who respect their parents. To raise pious souls, as well as mothers who will give this society good people who love their homeland," said Zhanara Maksutova, whose Sayida Khadijah school costs parents the equivalent of $350 per year in food, board, and classes.

But those students at Maksutova's madrasah who spoke to RFE/RL showed ambition to complete their studies.

"In the future, I would like to become an Arabic teacher," said one of her pupils, Makhbuba Abazova.

"Then, God willing, in two years, I will be a 'hafiz' [guardian of the Koran]."

With reporting by Nargiza Asekova of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan-islamic-education- girls/32932278.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.

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Hamas Agrees to Free 33 Israeli Hostages in 1st Stage of Deal With Israel - Reports

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Palestinian movement Hamas has agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages as part of the first stage of a ceasefire deal with Israel, the Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Hamas's delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday to negotiate through Egyptian mediators a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the captives. The group reported it was traveling to Cairo "in order to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza."

"Hamas agrees to release 33 Israeli hostages in the 'first stage' [of the agreement]. This position is different from the previous one... At the beginning of the talks, Hamas claimed to have 20 hostages, and it seems to have been able to find the remaining civilians," the source told the media outlet.

Israeli-Hamas talks on ceasefire in the Gaza Strip being held with Egyptian mediators in Cairo ended inconclusively on Saturday with a new round to be held on Sunday, US media outlet CBS News claimed citing sources within the Palestinian movement.

Meanwhile, the Dubai-based Al Hadath television network previously claimed Hamas had agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages in the first phase of a cease-fire deal.

Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that Israel gave Hamas a week to accept a ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip, otherwise threatening to launch a military operation in Rafah.

CNN, citing sources, released details of a new proposal to Hamas, prepared by mediators from Egypt. According to the US news outlet, the new proposal was drafted with Israel's input. The first phase of the agreement includes the release of 20-33 hostages over several weeks in exchange for a pause in hostilities and the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The length of the cease-fire will depend on the number of hostages tha t can be released.

The second phase would involve "restoring sustained calm" in the Gaza Strip. According to a diplomatic source, the wording implies "a way to agree on a permanent ceasefire without having to call it that." During this phase Hamas's remaining hostages, including captured IDF soldiers, and the bodies of the dead will be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners. Israel, meanwhile, has not abandoned plans to achieve all of its stated objectives of its Gaza operation, including the complete elimination of Hamas.

 Sputnik

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Hamas Ready to Accept Ceasefire Deal With Israel 'in Stages' - Reports

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hamas will agree to a complete ceasefire deal with Israel "in stages," Chinese news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday, citing an official source in the Palestinian movement.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday to resume indirect talks with Israel on a deal that will reportedly see a pause in fighting and a swap of hostages taken by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

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 34,400 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.

In early April, a new round of 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 plan for a permanent end to the conflict in the region.

 Sputnik

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Qatar Ready to Accept Possible Formal US Request to Oust Hamas Leaders - Reports

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Qatar is ready to accept the US demand that Doha expel the leaders of Palestinian movement Hamas from its territory and expects to receive such a request soon if Hamas rejects a newly proposed hostage deal, The Times of Israel reported on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the matter.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Qatar in April to oust Hamas if the movement continued to turn down ceasefire agreements with Israel, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing US officials.

The United States may approach Doha with a request to expel Hamas members if the movement rejects a new hostage deal, the source told the newspaper. However, according to an unidentified Israeli official, Hamas is more likely to come back with an amended offer than to reject it outright.

Anything less than a positive response to the deal could give Washington an impetus to formally demand the removal of Hamas leaders from Qatar, the source said.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden and Amir Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar held a conversation on securing the release of hostages and implementing a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas was offered a 40-day ceasefire and the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages.

Biden said that the US, along with Egypt and Qatar, would ensure the deal's full implementation, urging Al-Thani to work on the release of hostages.

 Sputnik

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US Air National Guard Opposes Transfer to Space Force Without Governors' Consent

Sputnik News

20240504

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - A host of US Air National Guard leaders from various states in the United States on Friday spoke during a conference call against Legislative Proposal 480 that would transfer the Air Guard's space units to the US Space Force without the consent of the governors of the impacted states.

Legislative Proposal 480, which the Defense Department submitted for consideration to the Senate Armed Services Committee, has drawn a storm of criticism and strong opposition in the ranks of the US National Guard and among state governors.

On April 29, 53 governors of all US states and territories signed a letter to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin demanding him to retract the submission of the LP 480 as it would break the law and "deeply damage the relationship between states and the federal government."

The governors estimated that the proposed change would affect the lives of about 1,000 people in the Air National Guard space units across seven US states, including Colorado, Alaska, California, Hawaii and Florida.

"The Air Force's Legislative Proposal 480 would set a dangerous precedent and jeopardize our national security and military readiness by undermining the authority of the governors over the National Guard units in their states," Brig. Gen. Michael Bruno from the Colorado Air National Guard said during the call.

According to Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Proposal 480 seeks Congress' permission to allow the Air Force to bypass federal laws and take away 14 Guard units across seven states without the consent of these states' respective governors.

In other words, the proposed legislation would create the basis for removing 14 units from state control and reassigning them to the federal government, which, according to the governors, would seriously disrupt gubernatorial authority over the National Guard.

Instead of transferring space units to the Space Force, Gen. Bruno suggested establishing a Space National Guard, adding that it would cost zero dollars to the Defense Department to accomplish that.

 Sputnik

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Hamas, mediators end day of talks without Gaza cease-fire agreement

By VOA News May 04, 2024

Truce negotiations between Hamas delegates and Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. mediators ended Saturday without reaching a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The mediators are proposing a 40-day cease-fire during which Hamas would start releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Hamas has asked for a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel has vowed to crush Hamas and has said it will not agree to end the war as part of a hostage release deal, nor has it taken its intended Rafah invasion off the negotiating table.

After the talks began, a top Israeli official accused Hamas of "thwarting the possibility of reaching an agreement" by refusing to give up its demand for an end to the war. Israel has not sent a delegation to Cairo.

Shortly before 9 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), a senior Hamas source close to the negotiations told Agence France-Presse that the talks would resume on Sunday.

Earlier Saturday, Egyptian state media reported that "noticeable progress" had been made during the negotiations.

CIA Director William Burns arrived in Cairo Friday as part of Washington's diplomatic effort. The CIA has declined to comment on Burns' itinerary.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Israel's truce offer as "extraordinarily generous," and he urged Hamas to accept it.

It remains unclear if Hamas will accept the terms of the negotiators and whether Israel will back off its plan to end its all-out war aimed at destroying Hamas, which has been designated as a terror group by the U.S., the U.K. and other Western countries.

Israel has repeatedly warned it is planning to launch an assault against Hamas cells in the southern Gaza city of Rafah where about 1 million displaced people are crowded together, having fled months of Israeli attacks on the enclave.

"It could be a slaughter of civilians and an incredible blow to the humanitarian operation in the entire strip because it is run primarily out of Rafah," said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations humanitarian office, or OCHA, at a Geneva news briefing.

Among the aid operations in Rafah are medical clinics, warehouses stocked with humanitarian supplies, food distribution points, and 50 centers for acutely malnourished children, Laerke said.

Israel has promised to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians from Gaza's border city with Egypt.

A World Health Organization official said at the same briefing that a plan for Rafah had been prepared, and it included a new field hospital. He underscored however, it would not be enough to prevent a significant increase in the death toll in the event of an assault.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory, said via video link that he was "extremely concerned" that any incursion would close the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, a corridor currently being used to import medical supplies.

In the last 24 hours, the bodies of 32 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals, Gaza's Health Ministry said Saturday.

The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to support its claim. It also has conducted mass arrests during its raids inside Gaza.

Nearly 500 medical workers have been killed since October 7, according to a Gaza Health Ministry statement.

The World Health Organization and other medical groups have called for hospitals and medical workers to be off limits in Israel's war on Hamas. However, Israel says Hamas uses the medical facilities for military purposes, making them legitimate targets.

At least 34,622 Palestinians have been killed and 77,867 have been injured during Israel's military offensive against Hamas since the beginning of the war, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement Friday.

The ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its tallies but says that women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.

Israel's counteroffensive on Gaza was triggered by Hamas' October 7 terror attack in southern Israel. The attack killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and the assailants abducted about 250 people. 105 of them were released during a November truce while Israel estimates that 35 hostages out of the 129 remaining in Gaza are dead.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Tropical cyclone threatens to worsen humanitarian crisis in flooded East Africa

By Lisa Schlein May 04, 2024

The World Meteorological Organization warns that Tropical Cyclone Hidaya, which is projected to make landfall in Tanzania and Kenya this weekend, threatens to worsen the humanitarian crisis triggered by torrential rains in these and other heavily flooded countries in East Africa.

"Hidaya is the first documented system to have reached tropical cyclone status in this part of the world. We are not talking about Sudan. We are talking about lower and East Africa," WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva on Friday.

"It is historically significant. It is also going to have a very big impact, and specifically on Tanzania, where the ground is already absolutely soddened. Tanzania, which has suffered flooding, is about to get hit with more heavy rains falling ... from this system.

"And the moisture in this tropical cyclone will also impact Kenya, where there is also very, very bad flooding," she said, noting that "climate change was supercharging extreme weather."

El Nino, which sparked heavy rains and severe flooding sweeping East Africa, is waning. Despite this, the WMO says this weather event still carries a big punch and is leading to more heavy rainfall, devastating floods and landslides in the East African region.

While casualty figures continue to rise, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports this disaster so far has killed more than 400 people. This includes at least 210 in Kenya, more than 150 in Tanzania and others in Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia.

OCHA reports heavy rains and floods in these five countries have affected more than 637,000 people, including 234,000 who are displaced. It says governments and humanitarian agencies are still assessing the damage and destruction of infrastructure, which is extensive.

"In terms of economic losses, it is still too early to say. When you look at the images of bridges and roads being swept away, it is going to be immense," said Nullis. "The loss of livestock, the disruption of agriculture. It is a huge, huge investment."

In an address to his nation Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto outlined a series of measures to deal with this emergency, noting that no corner of the country "has been spared from this havoc."

"Sadly, we have not seen the last of this perilous period, as this situation is expected to escalate," he said. "Meteorological reports paint a dire picture. The rains will persist, increasing both in duration and intensity for the rest of this month and possibly after."

While all those caught in this disastrous event are suffering immense hardships, the U.N. refugee agency expresses particular concern about the welfare of thousands of refugees and other displaced people "being forced to escape once again for their lives after their homes were washed away."

"In Kenya, nearly 20,000 people in the Dadaab refugee camps, which host over 380,000 refugees, have been displaced due to the rising water levels," said Olga Sarrado Mur, UNHCR spokesperson.

"Many of them are among those who arrived in the past couple of years after severe drought in neighboring Somalia. Some 4,000 people are currently sheltering in six schools with facilities that have been extensively damaged," she said.

She noted that many of the tens of thousands of refugees in Tanzania, Burundi, and other hard-hit countries in the region have had to relocate multiple times as water levels continue to rise. She said many people are struggling to find shelter, to pay the rent, to earn enough money to feed themselves and their families.

"Climate change is making many parts of the world, especially in fragile regions like East Africa and the Horn of Africa, increasingly uninhabitable," said Sarrado Mur.

"Storms are more devastating. Wildfires have become commonplace. Floods and droughts are intensifying. Some of these impacts are irreversible and threaten to continue worsening, and displaced people are bearing the brunt of the impact," she said.

The WMO reports early warning systems are critical in saving lives before natural disasters strike. It says these systems are more crucial than ever to protect people from the extreme weather conditions stemming from human-induced climate change.

"So, on tropical cyclones, we do have very, very good warnings these days in most parts of the world that enable evacuations to take place," said Nullis, underscoring that early warning systems enable "what we call anticipatory action, which is sort of prepositioning by humanitarian agencies of relief supplies."

"Thanks to such actions, we have prevented a great loss of life in many regions of the world," she said.

However, UNHCRs Sarrado Mur observed that "many of the preparations resulting from early warnings often do not reach the most vulnerable communities, including refugees or other displaced communities, which often are in areas that are more exposed to these climate hazards."

She emphasized the importance of providing funding to vulnerable peoples and the communities hosting them, "so they can be equipped and be prepared, and so they can adapt to this new situation which is unfortunately the new reality."

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May 5 USCENTCOM Conducts Humanitarian Airdrops into Gaza

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | May 5, 2024

USCENTCOM

May 5, 2024

Release Number 20240505 - 02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) conducted a humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on May 5 at 12:05 p.m. (Gaza time) to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict.

The joint operation included two C-130 U.S. Air Force aircraft. The U.S. C-130s dropped over 25,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), providing life-saving humanitarian assistance in Northern Gaza. To date the U.S. has dropped nearly 1,170 tons of humanitarian assistance.

During today's mission seven bundles 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.

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Chinese embassy in Philippines raises five questions in refuting Manila's denial of 'agreements' on South China Sea issue

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 05, 2024 12:36 PM

After several senior Philippine officials denied that the Marcos administration had negotiated with China to reach "arrangements" on the Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef), the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines raised five questions, emphasizing that China has consistently been committed to managing the situation at Ren'ai Jiao, maintaining dialogue with the Philippines in a responsible manner, and reaching internal understandings and arrangements on multiple occasions.

The Philippines has repeatedly denied recently that China and the Philippines had reached "agreements" on the South China Sea issue.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated that since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in 2022, the Philippine Defense Department is "not aware of, nor is it a party to, any internal agreement with China."



Philippine National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Ano also said that there is "no agreement whatsoever" in Ren'ai Jiao between the Philippines and China, saying that this "new model" announced by the Chinese side is nothing more than a new invention, according to the agency.

China has always adhered to a policy of dialogue and consultation to properly manage maritime disputes between China and the Philippines and has made unremitting efforts in this regard, the Chinese embassy said in a statement published on its website on Saturday.

The "gentleman's agreement" is a specific result of these efforts. In accordance with the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on cooling down the maritime situation, China and the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines reached the "new model" over Ren'ai Jiao through repeated negotiations earlier this year.

The arrangement is a confidence-building measure aimed at managing differences, avoiding conflicts, and maintaining peace, irrespective of each other's sovereignty positions, the embassy said.

The Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has repeatedly confirmed that the "new model" has been approved by all key figures in the Philippine command chain, including the Defense Minister and the National Security Advisor.

China has detailed and complete records of the communication and negotiation process mentioned above. With both sides broadly adhering to the "new model," the Philippines successfully completed a resupply operation on February 2, as announced by a Philippine military spokesperson on social media.

China appreciates the positive efforts made by the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the embassy said.

China has always attached great importance to communication and dialogue with Philippine national defense and military authorities. In fact, on July 5, 2023, Chinese ambassador Huang Xilian exchanged views with Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. on China-Philippines military relations, maritime issues and so on, during their meeting at the Philippine Department of National Defense, and briefed him on the relevant situation of the "gentleman's agreement."

Both the Philippine Department of National Defense and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines websites published the news of the meeting, the embassy said.

The above are facts, not narratives. China has consistently been committed to managing the situation at Ren'ai Jiao, maintaining dialogue and communication with the Philippines in a responsible manner, and reaching internal understandings and arrangements on multiple occasions, the embassy said.

The Chinese embassy put five questions to the Philippines: what confuses us is why the Marcos administration repeatedly denies having negotiated with China to reach understandings and arrangements on Ren'ai Jiao? Why does the Philippine Department of National Defense refuse to engage in dialogue and negotiation with China to properly handle maritime disputes? The "new model" has been proven to be effective in managing differences and avoiding conflicts, why has the current Philippine government unilaterally abandoned it after being put into practice only once? Who made the decision to betray the "new model"? Does managing differences and avoiding conflicts go against the interests of certain forces?

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Hamas condemns Israel's decision to ban Al Jazeera

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has condemned the Israeli regime's decision to shut down Al Jazeera in the occupied territories as a blatant violation of freedom of expression.

"This decision is a repressive and vengeful measure due to the professional role of this network in exposing the crimes of the occupying regime," Hamas said in a statement on Sunday.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline cabinet voted unanimously on Sunday to ban Al Jazeera's activities in the occupied territories.

Netanyahu announced the decision on X, formerly Twitter.

Israeli officials have long accused the Qatar-based network of bias against the regime and collaborating with Palestinian resistance. Al-Jazeera has rejected the accusations, which have only intensified during the months-long war on Gaza.

In a statement on X, Al Jazeera denounced the "criminal move" by the Israeli regime to shut down its offices in the occupied territories, saying it "violates the human right to access information".

The controversial decision runs the risk of escalating tensions with Qatar, which funds the network, at a time when Doha is involved in mediation efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

Al Jazeera is one of the few international news organizations that was still operating in the besieged Gaza, broadcasting bloody scenes of deaths and destruction from the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas further called on international legal and media organizations to condemn the ban on Al Jazeera and to impose sanctions against the Zionist regime for targeting journalists.

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The health ministry has asked hospitals to devise measures to minimize damage to patients from medical professors taking a collective action in support of a walkout by junior doctors protesting the increase in medical school quotas, officials said Monday.

The Korean Hospital Association said the government has asked hospital chiefs to take appropriate measures for patients undergoing treatment when medical professors, who are senior doctors, resign or take a leave of absence.

Medical professors at the country's key hospitals submitted their resignations en masse in late March, although the health ministry insisted that only a few of them have been processed so far.

Starting last week, some professors also began taking a day off, suspending surgeries and outpatient treatments in response to fatigue caused by the prolonged walkout of junior doctors.

About 12,000 trainee doctors have left their worksites since Feb. 20 in protest of the plan to boost the number of medical students by 2,000, causing delays in medical treatments, with some emergency rooms partially limiting their treatment of critically ill patients.

In the wake of prolonged disruptions to medical services, some hospitals have begun expressing financial difficulties, with Kyung Hee University Medical Center in Seoul issuing a statement to faculty indicating the possibility of suspending salary payments.

"The hospital is facing a critical crisis and may even need to suspend salary payments and consider voluntary retirements in June," Oh Joo-hyeong, president of Kyung Hee University Medical Center, said in a message sent to the workers.

Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital are also accepting applications for unpaid leave. Meanwhile, Seoul Asan Hospital has started accepting voluntary retirement applications, becoming the first of the "Big Five" hospitals to do so. (Yonhap)
Hamas seeks an inclusive agreement to end Zionist atrocities: Haniyeh

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Head of the Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh has said that this movement seeks an inclusive agreement that would put an end to the Zionist war on Gaza and ensure the withdrawal of Zionist forces to pave the way for the exchange of prisoners, local media reported.

Referring to the US support for the Zionist regime, Haniyeh said that the US has to stop this regime, instead of arming it with different mass killing weapons.

This extremist regime has taken the world hostage, he said, adding that Netanyahu is seeking to invent new justifications to continue with the war and even expand it.

He noted that before sending a delegation to Cairo, Hamas has had a series of contacts with the mediators and resistance groups.

The priority of Hamas delegation is to ensure an end to the Zionist hostilities against the Palestinian people, Haniyeh said.

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Hezbollah responds to deadly Israeli strike on south Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement has launched rockets towards northern Israeli-occupied territories after at least two civilians were killed when the Israeli regime hit a border village in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that sirens were sounding in Kiryat Shmona and other parts of northern occupied territories following the rocket attack by Hezbollah.

Al-Jazeera reported that a barrage of 20 rockets was launched towards the Kiryat Shmona settlement from the Lebanese soil.

Meantime, media sources reported today (Sunday) about the new attacks of the Lebanese Hezbollah on the positions of the Zionist army by launching dozens of rockets.

According to IRNA, citing al-Mayadeen news channel, informed sources announced that Lebanon's Hezbollah fired 40 rockets at the positions of the Zionist regime's army in the north of the occupied territories and the occupied Golan Heights.

According to this report, alarm bells sounded in the northern settlements of occupied Palestine. Zionist media sources also announced that several Zionists were injured following Hezbollah's attack with 65 rockets.

Zionist media sources also announced that several Zionists were injured following Hezbollah's attack with 65 rockets.

According to these sources, some of the rockets launched hit the Zionist base in the occupied Golan Heights.

Earlier in the day, two civilians were killed and three others wounded when a house in the village of Meiss al Jabal in southern Lebanon was targeted in an Israeli strike.

Since October 8, a day after the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza, Hezbollah and the Israeli military have traded fire across the border on an almost daily basis.

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Northern Gaza in 'full-blown famine': WFP Chief

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Northern Gaza is experiencing a "full-blown famine", the head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has said, warning it is "moving its way south".

In an interview with NBC News set to air on Sunday, Cindy McCain said that her remarks are based on what the WFP has seen and experienced on the ground. UN officials and aid agencies have for months warned of such a scenario.

"Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens," the WFP's Executive Director Cindy McCain told NBC's "Meet the Press" in a clip released ahead of the interview airing on Sunday.

"What I can explain to you is - is that there is famine - full-blown famine - in the north, and it's moving its way south." While McCain's remarks do not constitute an official declaration of famine, she said they were based on what WFP staff have seen on the ground.

"It's horror," she said of the situation in Gaza. "It's so hard to look at and it's so hard to hear."

McCain said the WFP is asking for a ceasefire and "unfettered access" to Gaza as delivering aid to the territory has been extremely difficult.

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Iraqi Resistance attacks Haifa with cruise missile: Report

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announces that it had launched a cruise missile at the port of Haifa in occupied Palestine in a bid to show solidarity with the defenseless Palestinians.

According to Al-Mayadeen news network, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced Sunday that it had launched a cruise missile at the Haifa port in occupied Palestine.

The cruise missile, the Arqab, was launched from Iraqi soil toward the occupied Palestinian territories, the report added.

The Iraqi Resistance said that the operation was carried out to support the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Notably, the death toll from the Israeli regime's war on Gaza since October 7 has reached 32,623, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

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Israeli warplanes pound southern Lebanon

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The military of the Zionist regime has carried new strike on areas in southern Lebanon, news sources reported in the early Sunday morning.

According to IRNA, citing the Al-Mayadeen network, Israeli warplanes targeted the towns of Al-Khayyam and Al-Dahira in southern Lebanon on two occasions.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or possible damage from this attack.

The desperate Zionist regime has been targeting residential areas in southern Lebanon almost on a daily basis amid its failure to face the Hezbollah resistance movement.

Hezbollah and Israel have remained engaged in missile and drone strikes on each other targets since the regime launched its war on Gaza in October last year.

Tens of thousands Zionists living in settlements in occupied territories have fled amid fear of resistance attacks.

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Netanyahu not serious about reaching Gaza ceasefire: Hamas official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- A senior Hamas leader has said the resistance movement is following the ceasefire negotiations seriously and is determined to reach an agreement aimed at ending the suffering of the Palestinian people.

According to IRNA, Husam Badran in an interview with Al Jazeera, however, accused the far-right Israeli cabinet under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing the ceasefire negotiations with false pretenses.

Badran clarified that Netanyahu's calculations are related to his personal and political future, and he is not looking for an agreement.

What was presented to us in this round of negotiations in Cairo is better than the previous proposals, he underlined, adding that Hamas' political office is in contact with the United States through intermediaries.

An Egyptian source was quoted by media as saying that there was consensus on many points the sides had disagreements before. This source told Cairo News Network that a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Egypt and significant progress has been made in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Egyptian news sources said that the meeting between Hamas and the mediating countries ended on Saturday night without a final result and the talks will continue on Sunday.

These sources told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that Hamas has raised some questions and is looking for their answers, and this will be done with the coordination of all parties.

According to this report, negotiating sides have said that the negative statements of the Israeli authorities will not overshadow the ongoing talks in Cairo.

Earlier some news sources claimed that a significant progress had been made in the talks between Hamas and the Zionist regime regarding the ceasefire in Gaza and the agreement on the exchange of prisoners.

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PM Netanyahu on the Contacts for the Release of the Hostages

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

05.05.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today:

"I would like to comment on the tendentious media reports that are damaging the negotiations for the release of the hostages, as well as causing needless suffering to the families of the hostages that are enduring a nightmare. My heart goes out to them.

Contrary to these reports, it is Hamas that is holding up the release of our hostages. We are working in every possible way to free the hostages; this is our top priority.

Israel has been, and still is, ready for a pause in the fighting in order to free our hostages. This is what we did when we freed 124 hostages, and resumed fighting - and this is what we are ready to do today as well.

In recent weeks, we have been working around the clock to formulate an agreement that would return our hostages. And then, totally contrary to the reports, in order to achieve this goal, we have given the negotiating team a very broad mandate to move forward on the release. We did so out of a deep commitment to the hostages, and in order to end the terrible suffering of the families.

Throughout the negotiations, Israel has shown a willingness for significant movement, which has been described by US Secretary of State Blinken and others as 'very generous.'

But while Israel has shown this willingness, Hamas has still held to its extreme positions, first and foremost the withdrawal of our forces from the Strip, the conclusion of the war and leaving Hamas intact.

The State of Israel is not willing to accept this. We are not willing to accept a situation in which Hamas's battalions leave their tunnels, reestablish control over the Strip, rebuild their military industries and go back to threatening the citizens of Israel in the communities of the Western Negev, the cities of the south and throughout the country.

In such a case, the next October 7 would only be a matter of time. Hamas would be able to realize its promise to carry out repeated massacres, rapes and abductions.

Our heroes fell for this? We have paid the heaviest of prices for this?

The answer is - no!

Capitulating to Hamas's demands would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel.

It would be a great victory for Hamas, Iran and the entire axis of evil.

It would exhibit terrible weakness to our friends, and to our enemies.

This weakness would only bring closer the next war and it would push off the next peace agreement because alliances are not made with the weak and the defeated. Alliances are made with the strong and the victorious.

Therefore, Israel will not agree to Hamas's demands, which would mean surrender; it will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved."

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PM Netanyahu and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi: Government Unanimously Approves Closure of Al Jazeera

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

05.05.2024

The Government, today, unanimously approved the closure of Al Jazeera according to the proposal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.

The Communications Minister signed the orders, which will go into effect immediately.

The law advanced by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Communications Minister Karhi determines that if the Prime Minister is convinced that a foreign media channel is harming the state, the Communications Minister may - after receiving at least one security opinion and the approval of either the Government or the Security Cabinet - take action against the foreign media channel that is acting against the state.

The actions will be confirmed in orders signed by the Communications Minister and will include the following: Closure of the channel's offices in Israel, confiscation of its broadcast equipment, preventing broadcasts by the channel's journalists, removing the channel from cable and satellite companies, blocking its website, etc.

Upon receiving the supporting opinions, and given that Prime Minister is convinced according to the law, the proposal was submitted to the Government and approved unanimously.

Prime Minister Netanyahu:

"After discussion by the Security Cabinet and pursuant to my directive, today the Government discussed closing Al Jazeera broadcasts in Israel.

Al Jazeera correspondents have harmed the security of Israel and incited against IDF soldiers. The time has come to eject Hamas's mouthpiece from our country.

I thank Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi for his activity on the issue."

Communications Minister Karhi:

"We will take immediate action against those who use freedom of the press to harm the security of Israel and IDF soldiers, and incite to terrorism in time of war. There will be no freedom of expression for Hamas's mouthpieces in Israel. Al Jazeera will be closed immediately and its equipment will be confiscated."

Too much time has passed while we have dealt with too many of the legal pitfalls in order to reach this moment but it is good that it has come. The decision has been made and it will be implemented, 'G-d will fight for you and you shall hold your peace' [Exodus 14:14] - you will silence the mouthpieces and incitement of the enemy.

Thank you, Prime Minister, for the determination and the support against all odds. The people of Israel support you in your path until all the objectives of the war are achieved and Hamas is eliminated. 'Go in this your might, and save Israel.' [Judges 6:14]"

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PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Start of the Government Meeting

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

05.05.2024

Following are Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks, today, at the start of the Government meeting:

"After discussion by the Security Cabinet and pursuant to my directive, today the Government discussed closing Al Jazeera broadcasts in Israel. Al Jazeera correspondents have harmed the security of Israel and incited against IDF soldiers.

The time has come to eject Hamas's mouthpiece from our country.

I thank Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi for his activity on the issue.

Today, the Government will discuss building a second hospital in Be'er Sheva. This is major news for the health of the citizens of Israel, especially in the south.

The new hospital will include approximately 600 beds; it will combine the whole range of inpatient services and community care in the south of the country.

I commend the Health Minister, the Finance Minister, their directors general and all of the partners in this historic move."

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6 Palestinians killed in Israeli military operation in West Bank: sources

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 14:15, May 05, 2024

RAMALLAH, May 4 (Xinhua) -- At least six Palestinians were killed on Saturday in a military operation conducted by Israeli forces in Deir Al-Ghusoun, a town in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm, according to Palestinian medical and security sources.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported transporting the body of an unidentified Palestinian to the hospital, while Palestinian medical sources said the bodies of the other five victims had been taken by the Israeli army.

Security sources in Palestine said Israeli troops had encircled a residence in the town for more than 15 hours, during which multiple shells were launched at the house.

Following the demolition of the residence by an Israeli military bulldozer, the homeowner was detained. The incident sparked confrontations in Deir Al-Ghusoun between local Palestinians and Israeli forces.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has recorded more than 480 Palestinian fatalities caused by Israeli bombings and gunfire across the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the start of the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

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President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating rebounded slightly to 30.3 percent, a poll showed Monday, after falling for three consecutive weeks.

The survey, conducted by the polling agency Realmeter, showed the positive assessment of Yoon's performance went up by 0.1 percentage point from the previous week, within the margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

The poll, conducted on 2,004 adults from April 29 to May 3, showed 65.5 percent of respondents disapproved of his performance, down 1.4 percentage points from the previous week.

Yoon's approval rating had seen a continuous decline since the April 10 parliamentary elections, dropping from 37.3 percent in the first week of April to 32.6 percent, 32.3 percent and 30.2 percent in the following three weeks.

In the general elections, the opposition bloc, led by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, won 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, while the ruling People Power Party secured only 108. (Yonhap)
Hamas to agree to complete ceasefire deal "in stages"

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:32, May 05, 2024

GAZA, May 4 (Xinhua) -- An official source from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) told Xinhua on Saturday that the movement will agree to a complete ceasefire deal with Israel "in stages".

The source said there should be clear international guarantees that Israel would adhere to the ceasefire and completely end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The source refused to talk about more details about the terms of the agreement, pointing out that certain points need to be clearly defined and discussed by the Hamas delegation, who arrived in Cairo Saturday to meet the Egyptian mediators.

Israel has yet to respond to the Hamas proposal.

Taher Al-Nono, an advisor to Hamas' leader Ismail Haniyeh, told Xinhua that the movement's delegation had already begun discussions with Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Saturday to finalize the ceasefire agreement, noting that Hamas is dealing with the ceasefire proposals "seriously, responsibly and positively."

"Any ceasefire agreement must meet our national demands, which are a complete and sustainable cessation of aggression, a comprehensive and complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their homes without restrictions, and a real prisoner exchange deal," he said.

Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip are looking forward to a ceasefire in the territory as negotiations in Cairo continue.

Hisham Rudwan, a Palestinian man who now lives in a tent in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, has been following updates on the ceasefire talks in Cairo.

"We hope that ceasefire negotiations under Egyptian auspices will go well and a solution will be reached soon," he said.

"The ceasefire is long overdue. A ceasefire will allow us to catch our breath and return to our homes from which we were displaced under the bombing and destruction," said Rudwan, who left his home in the Shejaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza soon after the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October last year.

Maha Nimer, 52, who lives with her eight-member family in a tent in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, also hoped that a ceasefire agreement would be reached to extinguish the flames of war.

"The situation in the Strip is unbearable," said Nimer. "We want a real ceasefire that ends the catastrophic and tragic reality in the Gaza Strip and facilitates people's return to their homes, even if they were destroyed. Life in tents is difficult in both summer and winter," she added.

Akram Atallah, a Palestinian political analyst based in Gaza, said the residents of the Strip were "clinging to a straw of hope, even if it's just temporary, to stop the nightmare that has destroyed their lives for the past seven months."

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Malaysian PM condemns West's 'sheer hypocrisy' over Israeli genocide of Gazans

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 6:45 PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has censured Western countries over their "sheer hypocrisy" regarding the months-long genocide of innocent Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the Israeli regime.

Since the Tel Aviv forces launched their genocidal war against Gazans nearly seven months ago, over 34,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in the besieged Palestinian territory. The Malaysian leader said there is no way to condone the inhumane Israeli attacks on the innocent civilians in Gaza.

"We have issued statements to suggest that their genocide must end," Anwar said in an interview with Arab media in Riyadh last week. "And it's sheer hypocrisy for countries, some countries in the West, including the United States, to deny these continued killings of children and women and civilians."

"Whatever your political position is, I don't believe that in this period we can condone these sort of inhuman, barbaric acts against fellow human beings. And I think that position is clear. Our position is very strong in that direction."

He said world leaders in many countries had expressed gross concern because their people were feeling enraged by the ongoing Israeli atrocities and the Western countries' apathy towards the crimes.

"And we don't want this to prolong, because it will only lead to groups to foster fanatical extremist or terrorist action in the absence of the failure of the international community," he warned.

The PM called on the international community to take expedited legal action against the criminal Israeli regime. In this relation, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) may soon issue warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Zionist regime's war minister, Yoav Gallant, for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

If the ICC rules that genocide is taking place in Gaza, Anwar said he would support calls for the arrest of the Israeli ministers.

"I don't believe that any reasonable person could dispute the incontrovertible effects adduced to support their allegation that genocide has been committed," he said. "Once it is established that genocide happened, then of course the warrants have to be issued."

Asked whether an independent Palestinian state was likely to be established in 2024, he said no country had the right to reject the Palestinian nation's inalienable rights to statehood and ignore the vast global support for the sovereignty of the state of Palestine.

"There are 139 countries that have given recognition to the state of Palestine. Now, why must one or two countries consider them above all these considerations and refuse to accept this?" he insisted, adding, "139 say yes, we must recognize the existence of the state of Palestine. I don't believe any country has the right to deny the sentiments, aspirations of the world."

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Hezbollah launches massive rocket attack after deadly Israeli strike

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 5:00 PM

Fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement have conducted a massive rocket attack against Israeli military installations on the northern side of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories after several family members were killed in an Israeli strike on a southern Lebanon village.

The Lebanese group said in a statement that it fired "dozens of Katyusha and Falaq rockets" at Kiryat Shmona city near the Lebanese border "in response to the horrific crime that the Israeli enemy committed in Meiss Ej Jabal" which killed and wounded civilians.

The Israeli army said that a barrage of some 65 rockets was fired from Lebanon at the Galilee Panhandle.

Lebanon's al-Manar television channel reported that Hezbollah forces targeted surveillance equipment stationed inside the Israeli al-Malikiyah military base. The strike destroyed the designated targets precisely.

The Lebanese resistance fighters also shelled a building inside Avivim moshav, causing casualties in the area.

Several illegal settlers sustained injuries when Hezbollah rockets slammed into a building at Shtula moshav in the Upper Galilee region near the Lebanese border.

This comes as Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the strike against Meiss Ej Jabal village killed "four people from a single family," updating an earlier reported toll of three dead in the Israeli aerial raid.

It identified them as a man, a woman and their children aged 12 and 21.

The Israeli regime has repeatedly attacked southern Lebanon since October 7, when it launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed at least 34,683 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions.

At least 390 people have been killed on the Lebanese border, including 72 civilians.

The fighting has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands from the northern part of the occupied territories, amid rocket fire and shelling carried out by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups.

Hezbollah has already fought off two Israeli wars against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006. The resistance forced the regime to retreat in both conflicts.

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Hamas says Israel banned Al Jazeera to cover up truth in Gaza

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 3:44 PM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the Israeli regime's decision to ban Al Jazeera is a bid to avenge the international news network's coverage of the war in Gaza and its campaign to expose Israel's crimes in the territory.

Hamas issued a statement on Sunday saying that the decision by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet earlier in the day to shut down local activities of Al Jazeera was a flagrant violation of freedom of press.

It said Netanyahu's decision represents a war on those journalists who have been subject to Israel's systematic terrorism and its efforts to cover up the truth about the war on Gaza.

The group said that targeting Al Jazeera and killing some 141 journalists since the start of the war in early October has laid bare Israel's fake claims about freedom of speech.

The Israeli cabinet unanimously voted to ban Al Jazeera's operation in the occupied Palestine as long as the war on Gaza continues. The ban includes closing Al Jazeera's offices in Israeli-controlled territories, confiscating broadcast equipment, cutting off the channel from cable and satellite companies and blocking its websites.

Reports said plainclothes officers of the Israeli police had raided Al Jazeera's de facto office in a hotel in east of the occupied city of al-Quds on Sunday to dismantle camera equipment.

The Qatar-based Al Jazeera has been a key source of news from Gaza in the nearly seven months since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territory.

The news network says several of its journalists have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israelis during the Gaza conflict.

Al Jazeera said in a statement in Arabic on the X platform that it reserved the right to "pursue every legal step" to reverse the ban.

"We condemn and denounce this criminal act by Israel that violates the human right to access information," it said.

'Dark day for media and democracy'

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) censured Israel's decision to shut down Al Jazeera, calling it a "dark day for the media" and a "dark day for democracy."

"With this decision, Israel joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station," the FPA wrote in a statement.

The association warned that Al Jazeera may not be the only target of the regime as Netanyahu can go after other foreign media that he deems to be "acting against" the regime.

It further urged on Israel to "reverse this harmful step."

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May 4: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 3:05 PM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 34,600 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 Saturday, May 4, are as follows:

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on May 4:

Targeted Israeli military barracks on the "Netzarim" axis with a barrage of mortar shells.

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces in Deir Al-Ghusun in the city of Tulkarem

Al-Aqsa Brigades' operations on May 4:

In a joint operation with the Omar Al-Qasim Forces, targeted a gathering of Israeli forces on the "Netzarim" axis with short-range rockets.

Bombed the newly-established headquarters of the Israeli army near the Turkish Hospital in the "Netzarim" axis with two 80 mm mortar shells.

Bombed a position of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles along the supply line of the "Netzarim" axis with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli military forces in the town of Deir Al-Ghusun in the city of Tulkarem.

Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on May 4:

Targeted Israeli military positions along the "Netzarim" axis with heavy mortar shells, causing casualties and material losses.

In a joint operation with Al-Quds Brigades, targeted Israeli military positions in the Sheikh Ajlin area southwest of Gaza City.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on May 4:

Bombed a gathering of Israeli soldiers with a barrage of rockets and mortar fire at the supply line for the "Netzarim" axis southwest of Gaza City.

Mujahideen Brigades' operations on May 4:

Bombed the headquarters of the Israeli military on the "Netzarim" axis with a barrage of short-range rockets.

Al-Asifah Forces' operations on May 4:

Engaged in fierce clashes using live bullets and explosive devices against Israeli military forces in the town of Deir Al-Ghusun in the city of Tulkarem.

Hezbollah's operations on May 4:

Eastern sector:

At around 00:50 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted inside the Bayad Blida site with artillery shells.

At around 15:30 local time, the Radar site in Lebanon's Shebaa was targeted with missiles.

At around 19:05 local time, the Metulla site was targeted with appropriate weapons.

Western sector:

At around 14:10 local time, the surveillance equipment at the Al-Raheb site was targeted with appropriate weapons.

Islamic Resistance in Bahrain (Saraya Al-Ashtar):

Targeted a vital military site in the city of Umm Al-Rashrash in occupied Palestine ("Eilat") with a barrage of drones

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Hamas: Israeli assassinations will not deter Palestinian resistance front

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 3:04 PM

The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has censured the assassination of five Palestinians, including four fighters from the group, in an overnight raid in the occupied West Bank, emphasizing that such targeted killings won't ever deter the resistance front.

In a statement on Sunday, senior Hamas official Abdul-Hakim Hanini congratulated the families of the fallen resistance fighters on the heroic achievements their sons have obtained, as well as the noble sacrifices that they have made concerning defense of their homeland, sanctities, honor and dignity.

"We are telling the criminal Zionist enemy that no matter how many heroes of us it would assassinate, thousands of others will emerge instead, continue the path of resistance, and force out the occupiers," Hanini stated.

The high-ranking Hamas official emphasized that the Israeli targeted killings, assaults and arrest campaigns will not manage to undermine the Palestinian nation's determination, noting that Palestinians are fairly familiar with the path of resistance in order to liberate their revered lands and restore inalienable rights.

Hanini noted that the occupying Israeli regime is under the illusion that it can subdue the Palestinian resistance front through assassination of Hamas members.

"Such sacrifices will only strengthen and empower the Axis of Resistance. Thousands of new fighters will accordingly enlist to complete the journey," he pointed out.

Hamas confirmed that four of the men killed during the Saturday raid in Deir al-Ghusun town, located eight kilometers (4.9 miles) northeast of the city of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank, were from its armed wing al-Qassam Brigades.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said their bodies had been taken by the Israeli military.

There was no information about the fifth man, whose body was too disfigured for immediate identification, the ministry said.

The Israeli military announced in a statement that an Israeli officer from a special police unit was wounded during the raid.

It further alleged that the Palestinian men were responsible for the death a reservist soldier and wounding a police officer in an attack last November, and also carried out a car bombing attack in April which wounded two people including a soldier.

Since early last year, Israel has intensified raids in the occupied West Bank, which were accelerated after Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7.

Nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or extremist Jewish settlers since the war began.

At least 34,683 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the nearly past seven months. Another 78,018 individuals have sustained injuries as well.

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UNRWA warns against psychological sufferings of Gazan children

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 2:59 PM

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm about the psychological suffering facing the children in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli regime forces attacks on the defenseless people trapped on the besieged enclave.

"Children in Gaza are suffering devastating levels of stress," UNRWA said in a statement posted on X social media platform on Saturday.

"UNRWA team is working with children and adolescents to mitigate the impact of the horrors of war," it said.

It added, "Our counselors offer them hope and comfort."

The UN agency emphasized, "We have to protect their present and their future." "Ceasefire Now!"

The relief agency for Palestinian refugees earlier released photos showing the damage caused by the Israeli regime forces relentless attacks since October 2023.

Meanwhile, amid fears of an Israeli invasion, most residents of Gaza have fled their homes and gathered at UN refugee camps set up in the southern city of Rafah, bordering Egypt.

"There is no safety in Gaza," UNRWA wrote in another post on X. "Palestinians are scared of the nights, and what tomorrow could bring for them.

"They are very scared if more military action will happen. Scared if they'll be displaced again," UNRWA further noted.

The Israeli regime forces launched Tel Aviv's genocidal war on the defenseless Palestinians trapped in the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas Resistance group carried out a retaliatory operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for the regime's intensified atrocities against the innocent Palestinian people.

Since October, tens-of-thousands of Palestinians have been killed and many more wounded in the Israeli attacks. The regime forces have also cut off fuel, electricity, food, water and communications to the more than two million Palestinians residents of the Gaza Strip, making the sufferings of the people trapped there, especially the children, to rise to traumatic levels.

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Ismail Haniyeh blames Netanyahu for sabotaging Gaza ceasefire talks

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 2:27 PM

The political bureau chief of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has expressed the group's "seriousness" in the ongoing truce talks to end Israel's brutal war against the Gaza Strip.

Ismail Haniyeh blamed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the continuation of the aggression against the besieged territory.

He made the remarks in a statement on Sunday, as ceasefire talks to halt almost seven months of the regime's genocidal war against Gaza continue for the second day in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Haniyeh went on to say that the movement "is still keen to reach a comprehensive, interconnected agreement that ends the aggression, guarantees the regime's complete military withdrawal from Gaza, and achieves a serious prisoner exchange deal."

He also held Netanyahu responsible for "inventing permanent justifications for the continuation of the aggression, expanding the circle of conflict, and sabotaging the efforts made by mediators and various parties."

The Hamas chief further noted the resistance group has contacted mediators and resistance factions before sending its delegation to Cairo, adding that it has conveyed its "positive and flexible" position regarding the ceasefire proposal.

He also stressed that stopping the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians should be the delegation's priority in the talks, emphasizing that it is "a fundamental and logical position that lays the foundation for a more stable future" and that there will be no agreement without it.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has rejected Hamas' demands for an end to the Gaza war, saying that would keep the Palestinian resistance group in power and "pose a threat to Israel".

"Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power. Israel cannot accept that, " Netanyahu said.

On Saturday, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to resume ceasefire talks in the latest effort to halt the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.

While Hamas has demanded a lasting ceasefire, Netanyahu has vowed to launch an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, which is home to around 1.5 million Palestinians who have been displaced due to Israel's ongoing genocidal campaign in the besieged territory.

Netanyahu has insisted he will send ground troops into Rafah, despite strong concerns voiced by UN agencies and ally Washington for the safety of the civilians inside the city.

Israel waged its brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Tel Aviv, however, has failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza despite killing at least 34,622 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

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Three civilians killed as Israeli warplanes bomb southern Lebanese village

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 11:26 AM

At least three civilians have been killed and five others sustained injuries when Israeli military aircraft carried out an airstrike against a village in southern Lebanon close to the border with the northern flank of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television news channel reported that the aerial assault targeted Meiss Ej Jabal village on Sunday.

The Meiss Ej Jabal municipality chief, Abdelmoneim Chukair, said the fatalities included a couple and their child, the latest deadly incident in the border region.

Back on March 27, at least seven people were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed an emergency center in southern Lebanon.

Two sources, speaking on condition of anonymity said at the time that the strike targeted the Islamic Group's emergency and relief center in Lebanon's southern village of Habbariyeh.

Jamaa Islamiya, a Lebanese group closely linked to the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, said in a statement that "a number" of people had been killed, and called the strike a "heinous crime."

An official from the group said "seven rescuers" were killed in the aerial assault.

Israel has been launching air strikes against Lebanon since the beginning of its onslaught against the Gaza Strip in early October.

An Israeli strike knocked down part of a building in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh on February 14, killing seven members of the same family, including a child, Lebanon's official National News Agency said. A boy initially reported missing was found alive under the rubble.

In a separate Israeli attack, a woman and her two children were killed in the village of as-Sawana in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli regime launched its devastating hostilities in the Gaza Strip on October 7 after the territory's Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, against the occupying entity.

Israel's raids have resulted in retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza. The Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed at least 34,683 people, most of them women and children. Another 78,018 individuals have also been wounded.

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Assad: Crackdown on pro-Palestine protests exposes West's state of panic

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 10:53 AM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the violent crackdown on pro-Palestine student demonstrations in Western universities, particularly in the United States, exposes the Western system's "state of panic."

During a meeting of the Central Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in Damascus on Saturday, Assad highlighted that the "image of a wonderful and amazing West" has now started to "deteriorate" among Western citizens.

"Today, [Western citizens] have discovered that the principles upon which this system was based [...] are lying, hypocrisy, and deception," he added.

"Therefore, we see the brutal repression that we have not seen before in the universities. [...] The truth is that this unprecedented brutal repression that we see expresses a state of panic for the Western system in general."

Over the past few weeks, US campuses have become the battleground for demonstrations against the Israel war on Gaza, resulting in a series of tense and occasionally violent encounters.

The students are calling for an end to Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and demanding schools divest from companies that support the Israeli regime.

Protests are sweeping college campuses nationwide after police at Columbia University - the epicenter of student protests - attempted to clear a pro-Palestine encampment, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of students.

Brutal tactics are being used by the police, who also received training from the Israeli regime, specifically on repression, to stifle the student movement.

US police have arrested about 2,400 people during pro-Palestinian protests at 47 college campuses across the country since April 18, according to the Associated Press.

Assad also denounced the Western governments' blind support for the Zionist regime, emphasizing that his country will not make any compromise as core issues remain unresolved and the usurping entity has not changed its behavior.

Elsewhere, Assad underscored Syria's wholehearted support for the Palestinian cause ever since it emerged in 1948, stressing that his country's stance has not altered despite all the miseries it has gone through for more than a decade.

He noted that Syria will use every means at its disposal to serve Palestinians and anti-Israel resistance factions without any hesitation.

"Damascus' position on resistance will not change; but will rather become more firmly entrenched. Latest developments have proven that those who do not make their own decisions will have no hope for future. Those who do not possess authority and do not resist in defense of their homeland do not deserve a place in the first place," the Syrian president added.

Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7 in the aftermath of the Hamas-led operation Al-Aqsa Strom into the occupied territories. The regime has so far killed at least 34,654 Gazans, two-thirds of whom are women and children.

The Israeli regime has been enforcing a near-total siege on the coastal territory, which has reduced the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory into a trickle, driving the Strip's 2.3 million displaced population to the verge of imminent famine.

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The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) plans to propose legislation providing cash handouts of 250,000 won ($183) to the entire population as its first bill of the new National Assembly set to open later this month, its new floor leader said Monday.

Rep. Park Chan-dae unveiled the plan in a radio interview with local broadcaster MBC after DPK leader Lee Jae-myung asked President Yoon Suk Yeol last Monday to accept his election pledge for the cash handouts as a way to help restore the people's livelihoods.

The first-ever talks between Yoon and Lee took place after the ruling People Power Party's crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary elections, when the DPK-led opposition won 192 seats in the 300-member parliament.

Meanwhile, Park also reaffirmed the party's stance to resubmit eight bills that President Yoon Suk Yeol has vetoed, including two special investigation bills  one of which calls for looking into stock manipulation allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Park, who is seen as being closely aligned with Lee, was elected as the DPK's new floor leader Friday.

The new National Assembly session will begin May 30. (Yonhap)
Israel downplays chances of ending Gaza war as Rafah invasion looms: Reports

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 9:53 AM

The Israeli regime has reportedly ruled out the possibility of ending its nearly seven-month-long genocidal war on Gaza despite ongoing ceasefire talks in Egypt as the occupying entity persists in invading the densely-populated southern city of Rafah.

The development was reported by the Associated Press and confirmed by the Israeli media on Sunday as Egyptian-brokered negotiations are underway in the capital Cairo to reach a binding ceasefire agreement in war-ravaged Gaza.

While a delegation of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas was in Cairo and reports indicated "noticeable progress" in ceasefire talks for Gaza, Israel has so far declined to send a delegation.

The report quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that the occupying regime was "committed" to the Rafah invasion and would not end the months-long war as part of a proposed deal that also included the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

"A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, played down the prospects for a full end to the war," the report said.

"The official said Israel was committed to the Rafah invasion and that it will not agree in any circumstance to end the war as part of a deal to release hostages," it added.

Israeli media also confirmed that Tel Aviv had rejected a truce agreement with Hamas and that the invasion of Rafah was imminent.

"Israel will under no circumstances agree to end the war as part of an agreement to free our abductees," said a report by the Times of Israel, referring to the Israeli captives held in Gaza.

The report also claimed that the regime's forces "will enter Rafah and destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there  whether there is a temporary pause to free our captives or not."

The proposed deal by the American and Egyptian mediators reportedly sets out a three-stage process that would result in an immediate and temporary ceasefire as well as a partial release of Israeli captives and would include the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza.

The initial stage would last for 40 days, with Hamas starting to free female Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held illegally in Israeli jails.

The Palestinian resistance movement announced on Saturday that it would not accept a truce deal that did not completely end the Israeli regime's nearly seven-month-long genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

Hamas said the Israeli regime was trying to secure a deal that would enable the release of those who were taken captive during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm "without linking it to ending the aggression on Gaza."

It added that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "personally hindering" efforts to reach a truce due to "personal interests."

Israel waged its US-backed brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after Hamas-led resistance groups carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Tel Aviv, however, has failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza despite killing more than 34,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

The US is a partner in the Gaza carnage as it has offered untrammeled support for Israel during the devastating onslaught, and blocked UN resolutions calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

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Iraqi resistance strikes Israeli target in Haifa Port with advanced cruise missile

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 6:38 AM

Fighters from the Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups have launched a missile strike against a strategic target in the northern part of the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories in response to the Tel Aviv regime's devastating war on Gaza.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, in a statement published on its Telegram channel on Sunday morning, claimed responsibility for the attack on the Port of Haifa, stressing that the strike was carried out with a sophisticated Arqab cruise missile.

It said the missile strike was carried out in continuation of the struggle against the occupying Israeli regime, in support of Palestinians in Gaza, and in retaliation for the massacres that the usurping Zionist entity is perpetrating against women, children, and elderly people in the besieged territory.

The group noted that it will continue to target and destroy important installations across the occupied lands.

This comes after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for three operations, two of which were against Israeli targets within the occupied lands and one against an Israeli interest in the Dead Sea.

On Thursday evening, the coalition of Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups announced a strike against a key position in Beersheba, using advanced Aqrab cruise missiles.

On Friday, the Iraqi Resistance announced a strike against a strategic location in Tel Aviv and a vital target in the Dead Sea.

Iraqi anti-terror fighters targeted the Abraham intelligence headquarters in Beersheba, and the Glilot intelligence center linked to the Israeli Mossad spy agency in Tel Aviv.

Israel unleashed its war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the apartheid regime in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a "complete siege" on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there, starving the narrow Strip's 2.3 million population.

Since the start of the offensive, Israel has killed 34,654 Palestinians and injured 77,908 others.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has also struck major American military bases in Syria and Iraq amid anger over the US support for Israel's onslaught on Gaza.

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Hamas: No truce without a complete end to war

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 2:27 AM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has said it would not accept a truce deal that did not completely end the Israeli regime's nearly seven-month-long genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

The comments were made on Saturday by a senior official with the movement, who asked not to be named, AFP reported.

At least 34,654 people have died in Gaza since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the war in response to al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation by the coastal sliver's resistance groups.

The official said the group would "not agree under any circumstances" to a truce that did not explicitly include a complete end to the war, including the regime's withdrawal from Gaza.

He said the regime was trying to secure a deal that would enable the release of those who were taken captive during al-Aqsa Storm "without linking it to ending the aggression on Gaza."

The official, meanwhile, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "personally hindering" efforts to reach a truce due to "personal interests."

The comments echoed those made by Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas' Political Bureau, to the agency a day earlier.

Bardan had condemned Netanyahu for stonewalling a deal, saying the Israeli premier's insistence on carrying out a ground invasion against the southern Gaza city of Rafah was a key stumbling block in negotiations aimed at potential arrival at an agreement.

Around 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge in the city from the ravages of the war.

The Israeli official has said the regime would go ahead with invading the city "with or without" a truce.

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Russia Inches Toward Marriage Of Convenience With Taliban In Terror Fight

By Michael Scollon May 05, 2024

Shortly after the Taliban seized power, Russia addressed the question of whether it was time to review the militant group's status as a terrorist organization.

"It is very important to see what the Taliban's first steps in governing Afghanistan will be like," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 30, 2021. "Conclusions can be formed after this."

Two and a half years later -- despite the Taliban's failure to deliver on its promises to form an inclusive government, adhere to basic human rights norms, and prevent Afghan territory from becoming a safe haven for transnational extremist groups -- a mutual enemy appears to be forcing a decision.

Since a deadly terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group near Moscow on March 22, Russia has increasingly talked up its relationship with the Taliban, which is battling the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) offshoot in Afghanistan that is believed to have carried out the attack.

While the Taliban's government is globally unrecognized, Peskov said last month that Moscow has to resolve "pressing issues" that demand increased dialogue with the militant group, whose leaders are "actually the ones in power in Afghanistan."

Considering the importance Russia places on Afghanistan in maintaining regional security in the face of a rising IS-K threat, boosting engagement with the Taliban holds benefits for Moscow, observers say.

Alec Bertina of Militant Wire, a research outlet that tracks militant groups, says that Russia removing the Taliban from its terror blacklist could be the beginning of a "marriage of convenience."

"As much as it's kind of an amusing idea for Russia and the Taliban to get cozy, it's in their security interest to do so right now," Bertina said. "Given the mutual security threat, and that the Taliban can be used basically to take the hits and casualties that come with fighting IS, it's sort of a no-brainer."

When it emerged in Afghanistan a decade ago, IS-K staged attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its targets included Western forces in Afghanistan as well as the Taliban, which opposed the former Afghan government and vied with IS-K for influence among the dozens of extremist groups active in the country.

Since the Taliban took over, IS-K has maintained pressure on the Taliban, whose rule it rejects, and has worked to "make life as difficult as possible" for its de facto government, said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington.

Its attacks against the Taliban, religious minorities, and foreign targets in Afghanistan were designed to "undermine the Taliban's legitimacy in order to convince the Afghan people that the Taliban is unable to provide peace and security in the country," Kugelman told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi.

IS-K has also openly challenged its rival in a sophisticated propaganda campaign, mocking the Taliban government's desire to be recognized by the international community and accusing it of adhering to an "ignorant" brand of Islam.

The group has also increasingly expanded its reach further abroad, including with deadly attacks in Iran, Russia, and Central Asia, a major recruiting ground for IS-K fighters.

"Its main bases are still in Afghanistan, most of its attacks are in Afghanistan, but this is a regional affiliate of Islamic State that has increasingly global goals," Kugelman said of IS-K.

As evidenced by the recent attack on a concert venue that killed more than 140 people and injured hundreds more -- the deadliest terrorist attack on Russian soil in two decades -- Moscow has reason to treat the IS-K with urgency and to forge greater cooperation with one of the group's main adversaries.

"Russian outreach and concessions to the Taliban are likely meant, at least in part, to signal Moscow's confidence in the Taliban's ability to degrade the IS-K threat," Kugelman told RFE/RL in written comments.

The Taliban was designated as a terrorist organization by Russia in 2003, two years after it was pushed from power by U.S.-led forces.

After returning to power, the Taliban initially dismissed the IS-K threat and has insisted that the group is not active on Afghan soil, even as it consistently developed its capabilities to confront the group and destroyed IS-K cells.

Most recently, in April, the Taliban reportedly ordered the creation of a special military unit to fight the IS-K.

But "whatever the Taliban has done against IS-K, it hasn't stopped IS-K from being able to conduct external operations in other countries," Bertina said, noting that it has proved incapable of preventing IS-K's recruitment efforts.

That, Bertina said, has led Russia and other countries to discuss "whether it may be of interest to help [the Taliban] out a little bit in their fight."

Moscow's de-listing of the Taliban from its terror blacklist, Bertina said, could pave the way for Russia to potentially "start giving the Taliban resources to better fight IS-K."

Bertina says he envisions a situation in which the Taliban would bear the brunt of the fighting on the ground in Afghanistan, with Russia providing intelligence. Russia would be unlikely to "be too vocal" about direct raids on IS-K in Afghanistan, "considering the uncomfortable history Russia has regarding counterterrorism operations when it comes to countries like Afghanistan."

Kugelman also sees value in Russia cooperating with the Taliban on the counterterrorism front, citing the Taliban's "willingness and capacity to carry out scorched-earth ground campaigns against IS-K."

Russia, while bogged down in its war against Ukraine, could potentially offer the Taliban "arms, money, and even training and advising to help the Taliban do more damage against the IS-K," Kugelman said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-russia-islamic-state- terrorism/32931725.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.

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Easter Vigil Peaceful In Georgia Following Nights Of Mass Protests

By RFE/RL May 05, 2024

Anti-government protests were held in a mostly calm atmosphere in the early morning of May 5, as Georgians marked Orthodox Easter in a rainy capital city following three nights of mass rallies that were often met with violence by security forces.

Several thousand Georgians marked Easter with a candlelight vigil outside the parliament building late on March 4 and into the morning with no disturbances or arrests reported.

Tens of thousands of Georgians have been protesting in recent days against the ruling Georgian Dream party's plan to introduce what's been called a "Russian-style foreign agents law," which critics say mirrors one used by the Kremlin to silence dissent.

The bill states that media, nongovernmental organizations, and other nonprofits must register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if more than 20 percent of their funding is derived from abroad.

The government insists the law would be in line with EU standards and is only intended to increase "transparency" and prevent "harmful foreign influence" in the country's political scene.

European Union leaders say implementation of the law would adversely affect Georgia's hopes of eventual EU membership, and condemnation has also come from the United States -- the former Soviet republic's biggest backer in recent years.

Following three nights of mass protests in which more than 100 people were arrested and dozens injured, demonstrators late on May 4 gathered along Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue, blocking traffic on the capital's main road, as an Easter vigil was conducted at the Kashveti Church.

Many were holding Georgian and EU flags and singing Easter songs, while activists were seen distributing food and traditional Easter eggs and cakes.

"It is the most extraordinary Easter I have ever witnessed," activist Lika Chachua was quoted by AP as saying.

"The feeling of solidarity is overwhelming, but we should not forget about the main issue," she added, referring to the government's proposed legislation, which is likely to have its final reading in parliament on May 17.

Lawyer Lasha Tkesheladze told RFE/RL that three of his clients arrested during a May 2 rally had been released.

Tkesheladze, a member of the United National Movement, alleged that many detainees had been "inhumanely" treated and kept in isolation while in custody.

Many detainees were "abused by the police. This violence equals torture," he said.

The allegations could not be independently verified.

In at least eight cases during May 1 protests, victims claimed that, in addition to water cannons and tear gas, police also used rubber bullets. RFE/RL gathered eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence of injuries, interviewed three of the injured, and filmed the rubber bullets at the scene where they were reportedly fired.

The authorities denied the use of rubber bullets.

Georgia Dream attempted to introduce the law in 2023 but was forced to back down following mass protests. It is pushing it through parliament again following minor wording changes.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has split with the government and has voiced support for peaceful protests against the legislation.

She has described the bill as "a Russian law by essence," and said the government was "prone to making concessions to Russia" and was attempting to replicate "the way Russia has managed to really repress the civil society."

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called the plan to reintroduce the law "a very concerning development" and warned that "final adoption of this legislation would negatively impact Georgia's progress on its EU path."

The EU in December officially granted Georgia candidate status to join the bloc. Polls have suggested that support for EU membership among Georgians last year stood at nearly 90 percent.

Russia remains a sensitive topic in Georgia. Its forces invaded Georgia in 2008 in support of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow subsequently recognized as independent states.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Georgian Service and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-tbilisi-easter- protest-russian-law-foreign-agent/32934093.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.

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Armenian Border Protesters March Toward Yerevan

By Karine Simonian May 05, 2024

KIRANTS, Armenia -- An outspoken archbishop and his supporters have begun marching to Yerevan from a border village in the northern Tavush Province that has been the epicenter of protests over the past two weeks against the Armenian government's territorial concessions to Azerbaijan.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, who has emerged as a leader of the protests, and other participants said they were taking their campaign to the streets of the capital to try to scuttle the handover of border areas adjacent to the village of Kirants and nearby Tavush communities.

Many local residents have been angered by the government's plans, citing grave security concerns.

"The Tavush for the Homeland movement has decided that the people must just go to Yerevan... to demand that this process here and elsewhere be stopped," Galstanian said in Kirants before starting the 160-kilometer journey to Yerevan.

The decision was announced two days after police cracked down on Kirants protesters who tried to stop authorities from clearing an adjacent area of land mines and make other preparations for its handover to Azerbaijan. The police presence in and around the village remained strong after the crackdown.

Galstanian, who heads the Tavush diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, said protesters plan to reach Yerevan on May 9. He gave no details of their planned actions once there.

His announcement drew statements of support from Yerevan-based opposition politicians and public figures who pledged to join the campaign.

The marching protesters, among them at least two opposition parliamentarians, spent their first night in Tavush's medieval Haghartsin monastery. They resumed their march to the capital after attending a Mass there early on May 5.

"This march is going to give us one thing: honor and homeland," Galstanian told the crowd of more than 100 people following the liturgy. He urged Armenia's leaders to "behave well," "repent," and "stay away from all kinds of sins."

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's political allies and other supporters have verbally attacked Galstanian during the protests. Galstanian was highly critical of Pashinian and especially his handling of the conflict with Azerbaijan even before the protests.

During an April 30 session of the Armenian parliament, pro-government lawmakers branded Galstanian a Russian spy, accused him of provoking another war with Azerbaijan, and even called on Armenian border guards to forcibly draft the 52-year-old archbishop.

Pashinian has said the unilateral concessions are necessary to prevent Azerbaijani military aggression against Armenia.

The Armenian opposition maintains he is actually encouraging Baku to demand more territory from Armenia and use force for that purpose.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-border-protest- yerevan-kirants-galstanian/32934139.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.

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Rafah Ground Offensive Will Begin Soon - IDF Chief

Sputnik News

20240505

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israeli Defense Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Israeli troops were gearing up for a ground offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, after accusing Hamas of rejecting Israel's ceasefire proposals.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases, as well as taking hostages. 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 34,400 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.

"We see signs that Hamas does not intend to carry out any plan. This makes it clear that in the near future, intensive actions will begin in Rafah and other areas in the Gaza Strip," Gallant was quoted as saying to Israeli troops by the Israel Hayom newspaper.

 Sputnik

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Netanyahu Calls Hamas' Ceasefire Demands Unacceptable

Sputnik News

20240505

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that his government was ready to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, which he accused of making unacceptable demands.

During the latest round of indirect talks with Hamas, the Israeli government demonstrated its readiness to make concessions, which were described as generous by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Netanyahu said.

"Hamas continues making extreme demands. Their main demand is that we withdraw all our troops from the Gaza Strip, put an end to the war and leave Hamas alone. The State of Israel cannot accept these terms," Netanyahu said in a video message.

Despite this, the Israeli prime minister stressed that his government would never give up on its military goals in Gaza. He said the Israeli pullout from Gaza would mean capitulation of Israel and "a huge victory for Hamas, Iran."

"Israel was and is still ready to make a deal on a pause in fighting to ensure the release of our kidnapped people. We did this to free 124 hostages and then we were back to fighting. We have spent the past few weeks working around the clock to reach a deal that will bring the kidnapped back," he said.

 Sputnik

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#Gaza: The Israeli Authorities continue to deny humanitarian access to the United Nations

UNRWA

5 May 2024

From Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General as posted on his official X account (previously known as Twitter)

Just this week, they have denied - for the second time- my entry to Gaza where I planned to be with our UNRWA teams including those on the front lines.

The past while recorded an increase in the denial of humanitarian access & attacks on humanitarian workers and convoys.

Only in the past 2 weeks, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff including bullying, stripping them naked, threats with arms & long delays at checkpoints forcing convoys to move during the dark or abort.

These incidents happen repeatedly at the time we are engaged in a race against the clock to avert famine in #Gaza. It also creates fear among courageous & committed humanitarian teams.

Since the beginning of the war, the U.N. including UNRWA & other humanitarian personnel, premises and operations have been blatantly disregarded.

Today, Palestinian armed groups launched rockets at the Kerem Shalom crossing causing its closure.

It is used for most humanitarian deliveries. I demand an independent investigation & accountability for the blatant disregard of humanitarian workers, operations, and facilities, all protected under international law.

To do otherwise would set a dangerous precedent and compromise humanitarian work around the world.

I call on the Israeli Authorities to facilitate humanitarian access across the Gaza Strip including to the north.

I also call on Hamas and other armed groups to stop any attacks on humanitarian crossings, refrain from aid diversion and make sure assistance reaches all those in need.

The denial of humanitarian access is a violation of humanitarian law.

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.



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Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks remain deadlocked

By VOA News May 05, 2024

Israel and Hamas remained deadlocked Sunday on how to halt nearly seven months of fighting in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than a million Palestinians from their homes.

After no apparent progress was reported Sunday, the Hamas delegation left the Cairo negations with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to consult with it leadership. It said it planned to return to Cairo on Tuesday.

Earlier, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that the Palestinian militant group wants a comprehensive cease-fire that would end Israeli "aggression" and guarantee Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, while Hamas frees about 100 hostages in exchange for hundreds of prisoners jailed by Israel.

In a statement, Haniyeh blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "the continuation of the aggression and the expansion of the circle of conflict, and sabotaging the efforts made through the mediators and various parties" who have for weeks been unsuccessful in negotiating a cease-fire of any sort.

In Jerusalem, Netanyahu rejected any end to the fighting that would leave Hamas in control of Gaza, the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea, and pose a continuing threat to the Jewish state.

Israeli officials did not send negotiators to Cairo to take part in indirect diplomacy.

Netanyahu said that "while Israel has shown willingness, Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power."

"Israel cannot accept that," he said. "Hamas would be able to achieve its promise of carrying out again and again and again its massacres, rapes and kidnapping."

Netanyahu, who has pushed for a six-week cease-fire and exchange of some hostages for jailed Palestinians, has repeatedly vowed to launch a ground offensive on Rafah, near the Gaza-Egyptian border, to root out four remaining Hamas battalions regardless of whether a cease-fire deal is reached.

The U.S., Israel's chief arms supplier, has told Netanyahu it is adamantly opposed to a new attack on Rafah, which already has been under an Israeli aerial bombardment.

In Cairo, Palestinian officials said Hamas leaders held a second day of truce talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, but there was no apparent progress reported.

One Palestinian official, close to the mediation effort, said the Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo with a determination to reach a deal, "but not at any price."

Egyptian sources said U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who has also been involved in previous truce talks, arrived in Cairo on Friday. Washington  which, like other Western powers and Israel, brands Hamas a terrorist group  has urged it to enter a deal.

Israeli media reported that Burns, a main mediator in the talks, would meet with Netanyahu on Monday.

Israel has given preliminary approval to terms that one source said included the return of between 20 and 33 hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a truce of several weeks.

The situation was further inflamed Sunday as Hamas launched 14 rockets from Gaza at the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza earlier Sunday, killing three Israeli soldiers and wounding a dozen others.

Three of the 12 wounded were in serious condition, the Israeli military told AFP.

The armed wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which led Israeli authorities to close the crossing, one of the key entry points of aid delivery to Gaza.

The war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas terror attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. About 100 of the hostages were freed in a weeklong truce in late November.

Israel's ensuring counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israel says the death toll includes thousands of Hamas fighters it has killed.

Months of Israeli attacks have devastated much of the narrow enclave and left tens of thousands of Palestinians famished, even with massive efforts to increase United Nations and Western humanitarian assistance.

As the latest cease-fire talks were underway, residents and health officials said Israeli planes and tanks continued to pound areas across the Palestinian enclave overnight, killing and wounding several people.

Meanwhile, Israel said Hamas attacked the Kerem Shalom crossing point with 10 strikes, forcing it to close. The crossing point has become a primary gateway to get much needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel gave no details on the source of the assault but said it had come from the direction of the nearby Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border. Hamas said it had targeted Israeli soldiers in the area.

Some material in this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.

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President seeks to dispel criticism over lack of communication

By Jun Ji-hye

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to present his stance on multiple politically contentious issues in a press conference at the presidential office, Thursday, on the eve of the second anniversary of his inauguration, his office said Monday.

This will be his second press conference, following the first one held on Aug. 17, 2022, where he marked his first 100 days in office. Since then, Yoon has primarily communicated through pre-recorded interviews or public addresses without taking questions from reporters.

The decision to hold this rare press conference is viewed as a clear attempt to address public criticism regarding Yoon's perceived lack of communication and uncompromising approach, which were identified as some of the reasons behind the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections. On April 16, the president interpreted the election outcome as a public evaluation of his governance style, underscoring the importance of effective communication with the people.

The success or failure of the event will largely depend on how convincing Yoon's arguments are regarding multiple controversies, such as corruption allegations involving the first lady, Kim Keon Hee, and the government's alleged interference in an investigation into the death of a Marine.

Additionally, his ability to address key policy issues, including plans to increase medical school enrollment quotas, will be crucial in determining the event's outcome. The president's ability to provide clear and satisfactory explanations and demonstrate effective leadership in addressing these contentious issues will be critical to winning back public trust and confidence.

President Yoon has expressed his willingness to increase communication with the public through the media, an official at the presidential office said. The press conference is aimed at giving detailed explanations about what the public wants to know as well as some misunderstanding.

During the event, Yoon will discuss his administration's performance over the past two years and outline his plans for the next three years in an address to the public. He will then move to a press conference venue for a question-and-answer session covering a wide range of topics.

One of the biggest issues is the special counsel bill aimed at unearthing the truth behind the government's alleged interference in the militarys investigation into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun during a flood rescue operation in July 2023.

The bill was railroaded last week by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which controls the National Assembly, despite protests from PPP members.

Yoon is expected to point to legal issues and other problems related to the special counsel bill  as claimed by the ruling bloc  in a bid to justify his anticipated veto of the bill.

He is also expected to mention allegations that the first lady was involved in manipulating stock prices of Deutsch Motors, a BMW car dealer in Korea, between 2009 and 2012. Kim is mired in another controversy that she received a Dior handbag from a Korean American pastor in 2022.

As the DPK is pushing for another special counsel probe into those two issues surrounding the first lady, Yoon is likely to maintain a cautious tone and emphasize that state prosecutors have already initiated investigations into these matters.

With regard to his controversial plan to increase the medical school enrollment quota, the president is expected to continue to assert the need to raise the number of doctors as part of his medical reform initiative, and urge striking physicians to stop collective action and engage in dialogue with the government.

The plan has provoked a nationwide walkout by more than 10,000 trainee doctors and consequent disruptions to medical services since February.

The press conference comes as Yoon's approval rating has consistently remained in the lower 30 percent range.

His approval rating stood at 30.3 percent, a slight rebound after falling for three consecutive weeks  from 32.6 percent to 32.3 percent and 30.2 percent  according to a survey conducted by the polling agency Realmeter and released on Monday.

The survey of 2,004 adults from April 29 to May 3 had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Respondents who disapproved of his performance accounted for 65.5 percent of the total, down 1.4 percentage points from the previous week.
Israeli police raid Al Jazeera office in east Jerusalem, confiscate equipment

By VOA News May 05, 2024

Israeli police Sunday raided a hotel room used by Qatari-owned TV station Al Jazeera as its de facto office after Israel's decision to shut down the network's local operations, an Israeli official and an Al Jazeera source told the Reuters news agency.

Video posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, showed plainclothes officers taking down camera equipment at the east Jerusalem hotel room set up for broadcast operations, according to an Al Jazeera source.

In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his decision to close Al Jazeera's offices in Jerusalem, effective immediately.

"After discussion by the Security Cabinet and pursuant to my directive, today the Government discussed closing Al Jazeera broadcasts in Israel."

Netanyahu's Cabinet announced it unanimously approved shuttering the network's operations in Israel for as long as the war in Gaza continues and, on the grounds the Qatari television network threatens national security.

The Israeli communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, signed the orders.

"We will take immediate action against those who use freedom of the press to harm the security of Israel and IDF soldiers and incite to terrorism in time of war. There will be no freedom of expression for Hamas's mouthpieces in Israel. Al Jazeera will be closed immediately, and its equipment will be confiscated," he said in the statement.

The measure, the statement said, will include cutting off the channel from cable and satellite companies and blocking its websites. It did not refer to Al Jazeera's Gaza operations.

Al Jazeera called the move a "criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information." It said Israel's accusations that the network threatened Israeli security was a "dangerous and ridiculous lie" that puts its journalists at risk.

The network affirmed its right to continue providing news and information to its global audiences, adding that it reserved the right to "pursue every legal step."

The network has been critical of Israel's military operation in Gaza, from where it has reported around the clock throughout the war.

The U.N. Human Rights Office also criticized the shuttering of Al Jazeera's offices in east Jerusalem.

"We regret cabinet decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel," it said on the social platform X. "A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza. Freedom of expression is a key human right. We urge govt to overturn ban," it said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists also condemned the Israeli Cabinet's decision. Such a move could set an "extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel," said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in New York.

"The Israeli cabinet must allow Al-Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime," he continued.

An Al Jazeera correspondent on its Arabic service said the order would shutter broadcaster's operations in Israel and in east Jerusalem, where it has been doing live shots for months since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza, but he continued, it would not affect Al Jazeera's operations in the Palestinian territories.

Israeli media said the Cabinet's vote allows Israel to block the channel from operating in the country for 45 days.

The decision by the Israeli government also risks escalating tensions between Israel and Qatar, which owns the channel and while the Qatari government is taking part in mediation efforts for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Last month, the Qatari-owned network complained of "a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera," alleging that Israel deliberately targeted and killed several of its journalists, including Samer Abu Daqqa and Hamza AlDahdooh, both killed in Gaza during the conflict.

Israel has said it does not target journalists.

Qatar established Al Jazeera in 1996 and views it as a way to bolster its global profile.

Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing the station of bias against Israel.

While Al Jazeera's English operation often resembles the programming found on other major broadcast networks, its Arabic arm often publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and other militant groups in the region.

The Arabic channel also carries live statements by Israeli officials and military spokespersons with simultaneous interpretation.

Al Jazeera similarly came under harsh U.S. criticism during America's occupation of Iraq after its 2003 invasion toppled director Saddam Hussein, AFP reports.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Taliban face rare public uprising against their rule in northeastern Afghanistan

By Ayaz Gul May 05, 2024

Afghanistan's hardline Taliban leaders have threatened to militarily suppress unprecedented violent public protests in a northeastern border region against a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation.

The unrest erupted last Friday when the Taliban's anti-narcotics forces began destroying poppy fields in Badakhshan province, prompting angry farmers to resist it with the support of local residents.

Multiple sources confirmed Sunday that Taliban security forces used firearms to disperse the demonstrators, killing two of them during the two days of protests.

Videos circulating on social media showed residents chanting slogans against reclusive Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has banned poppy cultivation across Afghanistan through a religious decree. VOA could not ascertain the authenticity of the footage independently.

While Taliban authorities claimed Sunday the situation had returned to normal, residents said tensions were running high, and they were waiting for a high-powered government team to address their complaints.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an overnight official announcement that their army chief, Qari Fasihuddin, a Badakhshan native, would lead the team to thoroughly investigate the violence and circumstances leading to it.

Mujahid said that an anti-poppy campaign in Badakhshan was under way in line with Akhundzada's decree to prevent the cultivation of the illegal crop and its smuggling.

"This decree extends to all regions without exception. Regrettably, there have been incidents where offenders attempted to attack the security forces involved in the fight against poppy cultivation, resulting in tragic events," he said.

Fasihuddin reportedly warned on Sunday that he would be compelled to deploy additional military forces to "quell the rebellion" if the demonstrations persist. He reiterated the Taliban's resolve to eradicate poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and vowed to achieve this goal, come what may.

Badakhshan and surrounding Afghan provinces are ethnically non-Pashtun regions. The province borders Tajikistan and Pakistan.

The Taliban, who represent the country's majority Pashtun population, were unable to take control of these provinces during their first stint in power in the 1990s.

Following their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have successfully established control over all 34 Afghan provinces.

However, some experts argue that the public uprising in Badakhshan highlights the potential obstacles that the Taliban may face in maintaining their authority.

The international community has not yet formally recognized the Taliban government, citing its restrictions on Afghan women's access to education and work, among other human rights concerns.

Afghanistan has faced dire economic problems since the Taliban takeover nearly three years ago. The Afghan banking sector largely remains isolated, and terrorism-related sanctions on Taliban leaders continue to deter donors from resuming financial assistance for development programs.

The restrictions have fueled unemployment and economic problems for the poverty-stricken country's estimated 40 million population.

The World Bank noted in its latest report released on Thursday that the Taliban's ban on opium cultivation precipitated a staggering $1.3 billion loss in farmers' incomes.

Citing U.N. estimates, the report said that the opiate economy's value has contracted by 90 percent, while the area under cultivation declined by 95 percent, costing Afghans 450,000 jobs at the farm level alone.

The World Bank report noted that Afghanistan's economic outlook remains uncertain, with the threat of stagnation looming large until at least 2025. "For a sustainable future, Afghanistan needs to address harmful gender policies, invest in health and education, and focus on the comparative advantages it has in the agricultural and extractive sectors," it said.

Afghanistan used to be the world's largest opium-poppy producer until the Taliban imposed the ban on cultivation in early 2022.

The ban strictly prohibits the cultivation, production, usage, transportation, trade, export, and import of all illicit drugs in Afghanistan. Afghan poppy farming accounted for 85% of global opium production until recently, according to United Nations estimates.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 05 May 2024 - Day 802

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 31

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 a 17 April 2024 decree signed by the pro-Russian governor of Zaporizhzhia Oblast states that Russia is preparing the necessary infrastructure and measures for military conscription in Russian-occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia.

This would be the first conscription drive in this temporarily occupied territory since its illegal annexation by Russia in September 2022. It is likely that Russia sees this measure as a way of satisfying the need by the Russian Armed Forces for additional personnel to support its war effort. The effect of the decree is likely to be limited given that a significant proportion of the population of Zaporizhzhia has departed. For instance in Melitopol, the largest city in Zaporizhzhia under Russian control, only 40% of the pre-war population remain and half of those consist of ethnic Russians offered work in the city.

This decree is also part of a broader campaign by the Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories to coerce the population to accept Russian governance. This also aligns with attempts to ensure residents have Russian Federation passports and voted in the recent Russian presidential elections. The Kremlin continues to pursue a relentless Russification policy across the temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.



The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of May 5, there were 103x tactical engagements.

Russian forces launched a total of 2x missile and 100x air strikes, 57x MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have wounded civilians. Residential apartment blocks and private houses, as well as other infrastructure, got destroyed and damaged.

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. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast). More than 20x settlements, including Yeline, Klyusy, Semenivka, Oleksandrivka, Mykolaivka, (Chernihiv oblast), Tarasivka (Sumy oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Kup'yans'k and Lyman axes: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 11x attacks in the vicinities of Syn'kivka, Pishchane, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast), Stel'makhivka (Luhansk oblast), where Russian forces, using air attacks, attempted to improve its tactical position. The Russian occupiers launched an air strike on the city of Kharkiv. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Kotlyarivka (Kharkiv oblast).

Lyman axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 4x attacks in the vicinities of Novosadove and Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Makiivka (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Tors'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 32x attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, Vyimka, Rozdolivka, Ivanivske, Andriivka (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces, with air support, attempted to improve its tactical position. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinity of Dyliivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Hryhorivka, Kalynivka, Klishchiivka, Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 24x attacks in the vicinities of Novooleksandrivka, Novopokrovs'ke, Umans'ke, Yasnobrodivka, Netailove (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces, with air support, made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Prohres, Vovche, Halytsynivka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at around 20x settlements, including Sokil, Novopokrovs'ke, Umans'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back Russian forces near Kostyantynivka, Krasnohorivka, Vodyane and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian invaders, using air attacks, made 16x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Yevhenivka and Yelyzavetivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Heorhiivka, Kostyantynivka, Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast).

Orikhiv axis: Russian forces, using air attacks, launched 5x assaults on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast) and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 15x settlements, including Bilohir'ya, Robotyne, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire.

Kherson axis: Russian forces 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 May 5, Russian forces, with air support, executed 2x unsuccessful assaults on positions of Ukrainian troops in the vicinity of Krynky (Kherson oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 20 settlements, including Tyahynka, Ivanivka, Novotyahynka, Veletens'ke, Ponyativka, Inzhenerne, Inhulets, Antonivka, Sadove (Kherson oblast).

During the day of May 5, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 13x concentrations of Russian troops, 4x anti-aircraft missile systems.

The Ukrainian Missile Forces hit 1x concentration of Russian troops, 3x radar stations, 2x air defense systems, 2x artillery systems.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line, as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 14th and 30th mechanised brigades near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Novosadovoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Six attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 77th Airmobile Brigade and 1st Ukrainian National Guard Brigade were repelled near Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 305 Ukrainian troops and two armoured personnel carriers.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, four 122-mm D-30 howitzers, and one 105-mm U.S.-made M119 howitzer were neutralised.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 22nd, 93rd mechanised brigades, 5th, 92th assault brigades, and 56th Motorised Infantry Brigade near Andreyevka, Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Grigorovka, Kleshcheyevka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 290 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, three 122-mm D-30 howitzers, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Ocheretino (Donetsk People's Republic), improved the tactical situation, and inflicted losses on units of the AFU 24th and 115th mechanised brigades near Arkhangelskoye and Novgorodskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Eight counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 78th Separate Air Assault Regiment, 47th Mechanised Brigade, 142nd, 143rd infantry brigades, and 68th Jaeger Brigade were repelled near Novokalinovo, Ocheretino, Solovyovo, Berdichi, Semyonovka, and Netaylovo (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 380 Ukrainian troops, one U.S.-made Abrams tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made Bradley, one armoured fighting vehicle, and three pickup trucks.

In the course of counter-battery warfare, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one 155-mm Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, one 105-mm U.S.-made M102 light howitzer, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm howitzer were neutralised.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines, as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade and 108th Territorial Defence Brigade near Urozhaynoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 135 Ukrainian troops, three pickup trucks, one 155-mm UK-made FH-70 howitzer, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, and one 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 44th Artillery Brigade, 35th Marines Brigade, and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade near Pavlovka (Zaporozhye region), Ivanovka, Mikhailovka, and Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region).

One counter-attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 118th Mechanised Brigade was repelled north of Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 45 Ukrainian troops, one 155-mm U.S.-made M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, one 155-mm U.S.-made M777 howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Russian Federation wiped out one western-made missile weaponry depot near Odessa, as well as one P-19 radar station for detecting and tracking air targets near Kozytovka (Kharkov region).

One fuel depot of the AFU 218th Joint Logistic Centre, workshops of missile fuel production facilities, weaponry for unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed, as well as enemy manpower and military hardware was engaged in 108 areas.

Air defence units shot down 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs.

In total, 593 airplanes, 270 helicopters, 23,742 unmanned aerial vehicles, 512 anti-aircraft missile systems, 15,917 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,279 combat vehicles of multiple rocket launcher systems, 9,314 field artillery guns and mortars, and 21,479 special military vehicles have been neutralised since the beginning of the special military operation.

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Statement on the malicious behavior of the Russian Federation in cyberspace

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Poland

03.05.2024

Poland stands in solidarity with Germany and with Czechia following the malicious cyber campaign against their political parties and democratic institutions. Both countries have publicly attributed the responsibility to the Advanced Persistent Threat 28 controlled by the Russian Federation.

Poland, being also among targets of the APT 28, strongly condemns the repetitive and unacceptable malicious cyber campaigns conducted by the Russian actors.

Our position is expressed in the statements of the European Union and NATO . We call on all States, particularly Russia, private sector and individuals to adhere to the principles of responsible behavior in cyberspace.

Given the continuous rise of the cyber threats, Poland is committed to protecting national critical infrastructure, building resilience and bolstering cyber defenses.

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Australia boosts Philippine military ties as South China Sea tensions rise

By Phil Mercer May 05, 2024

Australia has agreed to strengthen its security cooperation with the United States, Japan and the Philippines. Analysts say the move is a response to China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

China's ambitions in the South China Sea continue to alarm Australia, its Indo-Pacific allies and the United States.

In response, Australia, the United States, and Japan have agreed to step up military drills with the Philippines. Defense officials from the four countries met in Hawaii on Friday, declaring their commitment to protecting freedom of navigation in the region.

Earlier this week, the Philippines accused China of "dangerous maneuvers" and "harassment" after its use of water cannons against two Philippine vessels during a patrol in the South China Sea.

Last month, Australia, the U.S. and Japan held their first joint naval exercises in the region.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters closer ties would enhance security.

"There is a power and a significance in our four countries acting together. The meetings that we have held represent a very significant message to the region and to the world about four democracies which are committed to the global rules-based order," he said.

Experts believe increased military cooperation with the Philippines is an attempt to counter China's increased aggression.

Malcolm Davis is a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, an independent research organization.

He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that Beijing's regional ambitions are causing growing concern.

"What you are seeing is concern that China will continue to escalate its aggression against the Philippines to try and coerce them in to backing down and accepting Chinese domination of the entirety of the South China Sea, which China wants as its territorial waters. This is China undertaking hostile actions against a sovereign state in international waters," he said.

In response, Beijing urged the Philippine government not to "challenge China's resolve" to defend China's sovereignty in the region.

China has sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which has rich fishing grounds and is a major international shipping route.

Davis says China's territorial ambitions could have implications for Australia and the United States.

"It would affect Australia because then China could deny our commercial shipping the right to passage through those waters and, obviously, it would affect U.S. security," he said.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have claims overlapping with each other's or China's in the South China Sea.

Beijing has refused to recognize a 2016 international arbitration ruling that rejected its expansive claims in the region.

Beijing has insisted that efforts by the United States to boost its security alliances in the Indo-Pacific region are aimed at containing China and threaten stability.

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Lithuania Financing Training of Militants Seeking to Oust Belarusian Government - Belarusian FM

Sputnik News

20240505

MINSK (Sputnik) - Lithuania provides support, including financial one, to paramilitary forces located on its territory that want to overthrow the government in Belarus, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik said in an interview with Sputnik.

"The information we have, which we have passed, including through diplomatic channels, indicates that the Lithuanian authorities not only condone, they actually support and finance the training of paramilitary formations whose goal is to overthrow the legitimate government on the territory of the Republic of Belarus and use terrorist, extremist activities against our country," Aleinik said.

Earlier, Belarusian intelligence reported on the presence of about 50 foreign foundations in Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine that fund "soft power" initiatives, as well as radical strategies targeting Belarus for regime change.

According to the information provided, the bulk of such forces are several outlawed militant Belarusian organizations that are actively fighting against Russia in the special military operation zone.

A Sputnik

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Canada smearing China over meddling in elections 'baseless political fabrication': embassy

Global Times

By Zhang Yuying Published: May 04, 2024 05:55 PM

The accusation of "China's interference in Canada's internal affairs" is a baseless political fabrication, the Chinese Embassy in Canada said on Friday following Canada's report claiming China "meddled in" its elections. Experts said on Saturday that Canada's smearing was an attempt to shift its domestic blame, and as long as the country's groundless accusations continue, there will be a lack of momentum to improve China-Canada relations.

Canada released an interim report on Friday claiming to have found evidence of foreign interference in its last two federal elections, and that China "stands out as a main perpetrator of such interference," the BBC reported.

The report, which was the first of two expected by Canada's Foreign Interference Commission, "confirmed" Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's assertion that "China tried to meddle in the elections," according to Reuters.

In response, the Chinese Embassy in Canada on Friday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to Canada's smearing, noting that the accusation of "China's interference in Canada's internal affairs" is a baseless political fabrication. "We have never meddled in Canada's internal affairs, nor do we have any intention to do so," a spokesperson of the embassy said.

The spokesperson noted that Canada's report is riddled with contradictions and ideological bias and lacks credibility. It uses terms like "may," "might," "potential" and other misleading words, claiming to derive conclusions from "intelligence" yet also states that "intelligence is not proven fact," and that "not all of the information provided below necessarily has been corroborated or fully assessed." Such contradictory statements undermine the report's validity and suggest a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, the Chinese embassy said.

"What Canada is doing is just like a thief calling on people to catch a thief. We urge the Canadian side to respect the facts, abandon ideological bias, and stop groundlessly attacking China," the spokesperson noted.

According to Reuters, the Foreign Interference Commission was set up in 2023 by Trudeau's government under pressure from opposition legislators "unhappy about media reports on China's possible role in the elections." The commission will release its final report by the end of 2024, media reported.

Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance with Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Saturday that Canada smeared over China "interfering" in their elections in order to shift internal conflicts outward.

"This could be interpreted as Canada's election strategy to shift blame, allowing the government to deflect numerous domestic criticisms by attributing to China, such as the dissemination of false information," Cui noted.

Cui said Canada's persistent smearing tactics also serve the purpose of domestic political parties in Canada exploiting China-related issues to gain attention during elections.

Seeing itself as a so-called high ground of human rights, Canada has consistently voiced its opinions and criticisms of China, often taking a stance that reflects its own perspective, analysts said, noting that the emphasis on China-Canada relations in recent years has been generally lukewarm and is not back on track.

As long as Canada persists in making unfounded allegations of Chinese "interference" in elections and portraying China as an adversary, there will be insufficient momentum in bilateral relations, Cui said. Furthermore, as a result of Canada's negative portrayal, China will be more reluctant to engage in meaningful communication or collaboration with Canada, he said.

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Xi Plans to Discuss China-France Relations and Important Regional Issues With Macron

Sputnik News

20240505

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that he would meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to discuss relations between the two countries, as well as important regional and international issues during his state visit to France.

Earlier in the day, the state-run China Central Television reported that the Chinese leader had arrived in Paris.

"During my visit, I will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Macron on growing China-France and China-Europe relations under the new circumstances as well as major international and regional issues in the world today," Xi said in a statement on his arrival.

Xi also expressed hope that his visit to France would "enhance political trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields" between Paris and Beijing.

"A growing China-France relationship not only brings benefits to our two peoples, but also provides stability and positive energy to the turbulent world," the Chinese leader said.

Xi is on a visit to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5-10 at the invitations of the European leaders. His first trip to Europe in nearly five years comes as the European Union continues piling pressure on Beijing over its support and cooperation with Russia.

A Sputnik

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Xi starts state visit to France, commends bilateral relations

Global Times

China-France ties benefit two peoples, provide stability to world

By Wang Wenwen and Zhao Juecheng in Paris Published: May 06, 2024 12:43 AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon local time, the first stop of his visit to three European countries. In a written speech on Sunday upon his arrival for a state visit to France, Xi said over the past 60 years, China-France relations have long been at the forefront of China's ties with major Western countries, setting a good example for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different systems.

The development of China-France relations has not only brought benefits to the two peoples, but also injected stability and positive energy into the turbulent world, Xi said in the written speech.

Xi's visit to France comes at a time when this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Analysts believe the visit will boost leadership exchanges, strengthen political trust and offer an opportunity for China-Europe relations to move forward in a stable and steady manner.

"President Xi will have comprehensive and in-depth strategic communication with French President Emmanuel Macron on China-France and China-Europe relations, encourage France to uphold strategic autonomy and openness in cooperation, so as to drive Europe to form a more independent, objective, and friendly understanding of China and resist negative trends such as 'de-risking' and 'reduced dependence' on China," Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shaye told a press briefing on April 29 after China made the announcement of the visit.

Pierre Picquart, an expert in geopolitics and human geography from the University of Paris-VIII, told the Global Times that Xi's visit is significant on three levels.

"On the economic front, this trip could pave the way for reaching trade agreements and promoting mutually beneficial investments in key sectors such as technology, innovation, energy and infrastructure. Diplomatically, this visit provides an ideal platform to strengthen coordination and collaboration between China and France on major global challenges such as climate change, international security and public health. On cultural and educational level, this trip could open up new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of education, research and culture, thereby strengthening exchanges between our peoples and deepening their mutual understanding," Picquart said.

Commemorative events

The national flags of China and France have been raised at one end of the Avenue des Champs-AlysAes as well as on the street in front of Les Invalides.

On Sunday afternoon, near the Arc de Triomphe in the center of Paris, many local Chinese residents and Chinese students waved the national flags of China and France to welcome President Xi. The red banners that read "Long live China-France friendship" and "Wish President Xi a successful visit to France" were very eye-catching. Some also staged dragon and lion dances in show of a joyful atmosphere.

Prior to Xi's visit, several events had been held in preparation for Xi's visit as well as to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

The Second Forum on China-France Global Governance was jointly held on Thursday by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and China-Europe-America Global Initiative. Themed "Deepening global governance reforms, jointly building the future of multilateralism," the forum invited more than 100 Chinese and French scholars to share their views on the role of China and France in building a more just world.

Pascal Boniface, director of the Paris-based Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, told the Global Times at the event, hoping that Xi's visit can address such issues as preserving multilateralism, as "we are at a time when we have the war between Russia and Ukraine, the war in Gaza and a lot of turmoil in the Middle East."

On Friday, a symposium themed "Exchanges and Mutual Learning between the Chinese and French Civilizations: Review and Outlook," was jointly organized by the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Paris-based National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations. Around 100 researchers from the two countries held discussions on the practice of cross-cultural exchanges between China and France and scientific and technological innovation and the future of civilization.

Antoine Broussy, director of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, told the Global Times that many commemorations are taking place in Paris.

Seeking common interests

Sixty years ago, France became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with China. Broussy believes it was "the result of a rational analysis of the geopolitical situation at the time." Then French president, General Charles De Gaulle who made the decision, was a strong advocate for "strategic autonomy" of France. Nowadays, France's call for "strategic autonomy" of both France and Europe has been repeatedly coming from French President Macron.

When co-chairing the 25th China-France Strategic Dialogue in Paris in February with French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said China supports Europe in strengthening its strategic autonomy and holding its future in its own hands.

Nonetheless, the "strategic autonomy" of Europe has rarely been endorsed by Washington. During Macron's visit to China last year when he warned Europe against being drawn into a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan, US magazine Foreign Policy called strategic autonomy "a French pipe dream."

He Zhigao, a research fellow with the Institute of European Studies of CASS, told the Global Times that the US wants to hold tight control of Europe to tie it to the Western camp led by Washington.

"If Europe views China from a global perspective that could benefit the world, then China is an opportunity. But if it stands by US' side, then China must be a challenge," said He, adding that China's engagement with Europe is for the common development.

As of 2021, China has been the largest Asian country in terms of investment and job creation in France for three consecutive years, according to a report by Business France. China-France exchanges in core sectors such as aerospace, nuclear energy and trade have already realized fruitful achievements, and the development of emerging fields such as new energy and the digital economy are likely to become new growth engines.

Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that France also views China as an important external force to achieve strategic autonomy, as France has another ambition of strengthening France's leadership of Europe.

Xin Hua, director and chair professor of the Center for European Union Studies, Shanghai International Studies University, believes China-France relations serve as the ballast stone of China-Europe relations.

"France is one of the most important core members of the EU and its strategic orientations play a decisive role in the EU's integration process and the strategic and security pattern of the European continent. As long as China and France maintain positive interaction, China-Europe relations will stay stable," said Xin.

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New US-led groups monitoring sanctions on North Korea will fail: UN envoy

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 6:22 AM

North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song has censured Western countries' "hostile" bids to form new groups to monitor sanctions against Pyongyang, saying such attempts will fail.

"The hostile forces may set up the second and third expert panels in the future but they are all bound to meet self-destruction with the passage of time," North Korea's KCNA news agency quoted Kim as saying in a statement on Sunday.

Last week, the United States and its allies called for the continuance of work by a UN panel of experts to monitor the sanctions slapped against Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

The renewal of the previous UN expert panel to monitor the anti-Pyongyang sanctions was rejected earlier this year because Russia vetoed the UN Security Council resolution calling for the annual extension of its mandate. Also, China abstained from the vote.

The United States and its allies are now making efforts to create an alternative body without the help of Russia and China to monitor North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

The new monitoring body "may not hold the same political legitimacy as a report produced under a [UN] mandate," said a former member of the UN panel of experts who is currently a senior associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute.

Aaron Arnold said a report needs to be under the aegis of the UN to gain credence from the relevant stakeholders in the anti-Pyongyang sanctions, such as international banks.

In mid-April, the US ambassador to the United Nations visited South Korea and Japan to discuss new ways of enforcing sanctions against Pyongyang.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at an April 17 news conference in Seoul that it was "critical" for all UN member states to continue "receiving independent and accurate reporting of the DPRK's ongoing weapons proliferation and sanction evasion activities."

"We will eventually find a mechanism to continue to do that reporting. And yes, Russia and China will continue to try to block those efforts," Thomas-Greenfield said, adding, "I don't expect that they will cooperate or agree with any efforts that we make to find another path, but that is not going to stop us from finding that path moving forward."

Her trip came after the renewal of the multinational panel of experts that has over the past 15 years monitored the implementation of UN sanctions was rejected.

Last month, North Korea's military conducted a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from its eastern coast capable of hitting US military bases in the Western Pacific.

In March, it conducted a ground jet test for a new hypersonic IRBM, specifically focusing on the solid-fuel engine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said that the country's military needs to go extremely tough to "thoroughly annihilate" the enemy in the event of a potential nuclear war.

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By Peter S. Kim

Last month's parliamentary election ended with an emphatic win for the left-wing opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who took 175 of the 300 seats contested. The ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) managed to secure a bare minimum of 108 seats to avoid a catastrophe (i.e. impeachment). That is only a small consolation though as the ruling party now has to contend with a potential repeat of the past four years during which the oppositions absolute majority made it difficult to pass pro-business legislation through the National Assembly. The equity markets reaction to the election outcome was unequivocal, as the Corporate Value-up Program (CVP)-related theme continued to weaken going into the polls. But before the CVP theme is considered defunct, we should consider the silver lining.

Firstly, the stage has been set for the CVP theme to sustain support by the four key players: the government, corporate management, investors and the left-wing opposition. All four must be synchronized in their efforts for change; this is an important and under-appreciated part of the reform theme and critical to the future of the CVP. Amid an economy struggling with a plummeting birthrate, declining exports and stagnant financial markets, three major players  the government, management and investors  want to see the reform program through and their desire is growing. With a resounding win in the election, the fourth major player, left-wing politicians, will now also need to buy in. And the recent global spotlight on the Tokyo Stock Exchanges (TSE) successful reform initiatives has helped set the stage to encourage a consensus at home. A significant portion of the CVP could become a bipartisan project; signs of solidarity have already been emerging. For example, a revision of the Commercial Act article 382 to give legal rights to minority shareholders against company management was proposed by members of both parties and will likely garner support, particularly from the left.

From the very early days of the reform theme, I have highlighted the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) factor as a critical part of the plans ultimate success. In Japan, the FOMO factor has been vital in engineering sustainable reform for a culture that derives much of its momentum from herd mentality and consensus-driven outcomes. In Korea, the three key players took turns initiating corporate governance reform but failed in part due to a lack of support from the other two. In the past, the failure of Korea Inc., arguably the most important player, to buy in to reform has chronically left efforts frustrated and ineffectual. Korean managements attitude towards corporate governance has been notoriously sporadic and noncommittal during the economic "miracle" of the past four decades.

For example, in 2015 the right-wing government tried to promote dividends by urging chaebols to convert to a holdings company structure. Even though many implemented the holding company conversion, they did not aggressively pay out dividends due to Koreas prohibitive dividend taxation policy. Both domestic and foreign investors have also attempted to pressure Korean companies every few years, and although there has been some progress, none was large or structural enough to lead to systemic change. However, in an era of rising awareness for ESG and with the third generation of chaebol leaders taking charge, the importance of corporate governance has never been greater for Korean companies large or small.

In addition, the Korean government has taken cues from Japan and recently acknowledged the need to inject growth via investments. This has effectively aligned the government with foreign investors for the first time, a significant turnaround from the governments historical indifference to foreign investors efforts to exert influence. Furthermore, domestic investors are joining in. With the government and investors, both foreign and domestic, teaming up to press for reform, Korea Inc. could finally be genuinely motivated to implement real change. And if investor conviction rouses to drive the equity market, it could be the incentive needed to impel the fourth player, left-wing politicians, to join the program. Even the opposition is unlikely to jeopardize the financial windfall that comes with a bull market.

Secondly, fears that a lack of legislative support behind the CVP will impede its success are overblown. Looking again to Japan, much of the TSE's roll-out of reform initiatives did not require legislative action. The TSE focused on guiding, educating and promoting its goals and has been deliberate in encouraging management and investors to build consensus for progress rather than enforcing short-lived draconian rules and forcing implementation. In Korea, we have recently seen regulators emphasize a softer approach with domestic companies in an effort to reverse a long corporate track record of circumventing regulations over time. That said, the tax reform portion of the CVP will require legislation backing to move forward. This may (or may not) include the capital gains tax and dividend tax policy. Given the current political environment, these will likely have to wait for the time being.

The latest election win by the left wing is sure to leave many investors doubting the ultimate success of the CVP. However, notwithstanding the ruling party's limited legislative power, there are many other measures that will impact the continuing momentum of the reform program, including a burgeoning alliance among the four key players and the government's shift to a softer approach. Just like the anti-China theme became a bipartisan policy for Republicans and Democrats in the U.S., the CVP could become one of the rare common agreements ahead of the presidential election in three years.

Peter S. Kim is a managing director at KB Financial Group.
INTERVIEW: Former North Korean diplomat on the drawbacks of being elite

'High-ranking officials already have one foot in hell.'

By RFA Korean 2024.05.05 -- Ryu Hyun-woo was North Korea's acting ambassador to Kuwait when he defected to South Korea in 2019. As one of the elites in North Korea, he had rights and privileges that ordinary citizens do not. But at the same time, he and others like him were under even more scrutiny than the average citizen, he says.

Ryu lived in an apartment complex in Pyongyang where all of his neighbors were high-ranking North Korean officials. In an interview with RFA Korean, Ryu explained that life as an elite is like already having "one foot in hell" because of the constant surveillance their lives are under, and how easily they are discarded if the leader needs someone to take the blame.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RFA: Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Ryu: I was born in Pyongyang. I graduated from the Pyongyang Foreign Language Institute and Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies, majoring in Arabic. I then joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked there for over 20 years. After working as a diplomat in Syria and Kuwait, I came to South Korea in September 2019. I have settled in and I am living well in South Korea.

RFA: When you were in North Korea, you lived in and exclusive area of Pyongyang, correct? Do all the elites live in the same area?

Ryu: The administrative district name is Uiam-dong, Taedonggang district, Pyongyang. This place is also called Eundok village, and it is the residence of many officials. There are six major buildings in the residence. The generals of the North Korean People's Army live in four of the buildings. One building is for high-ranking officials in the Central Committee. The remaining one is where high-ranking officials of the administrative department live.

RFA: We often hear about North Korea's chronic shortages of electricity. Did the elevators on these buildings cut out from time to time like they do for everyone else living in apartments?

Ryu: You're right. North Korea has a poor power supply system. Because of it, the elevator sometimes stops working. However, there are times when it operates normally. For example, during commuting hours, it is guaranteed. Nevertheless, the electricity often drops even during commuting hours.

My house was on the 4th floor. Oh Guk Ryol, the head of the operations department, lived on the 5th floor, and Director Kim Yang Gon lived on the 3rd floor. The former head of the United Front Work Department and Oh Guk Ryol came down from the floors above, and my father-in-law (Jon Il Chun, the former head Office 39, the secretive organization that manages the slush funds of the Kim family) and I would get on to the elevator. As we were going down, Kim Yang Gon got on.

Then just as the elevator was going down to the second floor, it suddenly stopped. I was the youngest of everyone there, so I had no choice but to open the escape hatch on the ceiling of the elevator. It's like a vent. I climbed up to the third floor and I saw something that looked like a latch that opens the elevator door. I opened the door with it, contacted the management, and rescued the other officials in the elevator. The electricity situation was so bad.

RFA: Can living in that area of Pyongyang be seen as a matter of pride for its residents?

Ryu: It can be interpreted as having a lot of trust and high loyalty. However, there are pros and cons. Once you enter this place, you are subject to wiretapping, stalking and strong surveillance. You can't say anything inside your house.

For example, wasn't Chief of Staff Ri Yong Ho shot to death? It was because he was at home making slanderous remarks about Kim Jong Un with his wife. He was purged and disappeared. My mother-in-law kept pointing to her mouth whenever I tried to complain about something. She told me to be quiet and not to say anything because they listen to everything.

To that extent, they wiretap 24 hours a day. That's why there is a different way to share thoughts. My in-laws would wake up around 5:30 in the morning. I would wake up around 6 o'clock. Then we go for a jog or walk together. That's the time my father-in-law would ask me questions and I would also talk to him.

For example, while I was in Syria, I heard a South Korean refer to my father-in-law as 'Kim Jong Il's safekeeper,' so I passed that on to my father-in-law.

RFA: You told your father-in-law about something that came out in the South Korean media?

Ryu: I told my father-in-law that in South Korea, he is referred to as 'Kim Jong Il's safekeeper.' My father-in-law laughed. I told him those things, secret things that should not be caught by wiretapping. We exchanged stories like that while taking a walk or in a place where wiretapping does not work.

RFA: Was there ever any frightful incident you witnessed while living there?

Ryu: The household we were closest to was Park Nam Ki, director of the Planning and Finance Department of the ruling party of North Korea. Do you remember the currency reform in 2009?

(That was when North Korea introduced new versions of its paper currency, but allowed the people to exchange only a certain amount of their old currency, thereby wiping out most people's savings.)

As a result of that incident, Park Nam Ki was shot to death in January 2010. In February of the same year, Park Nam Ki's entire family members went to a political prison camp. I remembered it was around 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning. There was a truck from the Ministry of State Security. The big military trucks came and loaded all the luggage and the family.

I felt like the whole town was going to wake up from the sound of women and children crying. My heart was trembling. We stayed up all night. It occurred to me that we too could face a similar fate. Would Park Nam Ki have been able to carry out currency reform at will? How could he possibly do so without Kim Jong Il's instructions? Even though Kim Jong Il did it, he turned the condemnation and curses of the people towards Park Nam Ki.

RFA: Are retired high-ranking officials managed separately?

Ryu: If you are a person who holds a lot of secrets, for example, if you work in Office 39, you know everything about the flow of funds, Kim Jong Un's relationship with his funds, how large the fund is, and what happened to the fund. For example, (former minister of state security) Kim Won Hong knows 100% how the director of Ministry of State Security purged the opposition, how he wiretaps, and everything else. So, we cannot guarantee that these people won't expose what they know if they are released into society.

RFA: People like that have to keep their secrets. Do North Korean authorities treat them well so that they remain silent?

Ryu: Not at all. They only provide a house, and the house is guarded by armed guards. You can't come and go as you please. In February 2019, my father-in-law underwent surgery for a myocardial infarction. My wife heard the news when we were in Kuwait. My father-in-law retired after that.

My wife said she needed to go home to tend to him, so I told her to go. My wife went home for a month from July to August 2019. When she went and looked at the house my father-in-law received, there was no closet. She went to the distribution center with my mother-in-law and she received 2 kilograms of potatoes as a six-month food ration. So, together they received a total of 4 kilos for the entire six months.

If I were to live my life again, I would want to live as an ordinary person. High-ranking officials already have one foot in hell. You don't know when you will die. Living in peace is better.

We were constantly bugged, monitored, and followed. What kind of freedom is that? What kind of life is that? My father-in-law left work at 11:00 p.m. I once asked why officials regularly left work that late. He said he was waiting because the marshal (the sitting leader) might call. You have to be consistent in waiting all the time. He said, "When the great leader is calling you, how can you just answer that call at home?"

RFA: But aren't there benefits and privileges to being in the elite?

Ryu: People think that North Korea's high-ranking elites and Kim Jong Un share a common of destiny, but that's not true. The first people to be executed are the North Korean elite when they make a tiny mistake against Kim Jong Un.

Hyon Yong Chol, minister of defense, was executed by firing squad for dozing off a little at a convention. Does that make sense? He was about 70 years old. After walking around and inspecting the military base, wouldn't it be normal to doze off a bit? It doesn't make sense to shoot someone in his 70s just because he fell asleep. I think it is a misconception to think the elites have a similar destiny as the leader.

Of course, we must strike down the main culprits (of the North Korean government's crimes), who take the lead in executing and oppressing North Korean residents along with Kim Jong Un. But we cannot strike down all the elites all together.

These people did not do it because they wanted to. There are some among these people who are instigators and others who reluctantly follow instructions from above. People like this are pulling more people to their side.

I think it is very important to advance unification and achieve a peaceful settlement on the Korean Peninsula after unification. In that respect, I would like to emphasize once again that the lives of officials are not very luxurious.

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong.

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 May 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.

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Canada nabs three Indians over assassination of Sikh separatist leader, probes India link

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 8:30 AM

Canadian police have arrested three Indian nationals over assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, which sparked a diplomatic tension between Ottawa and New Delhi.

The Canadian police made the first arrests regarding the murder on Friday in Edmonton, Alberta, charging the accused named as Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22, with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Last year, diplomatic ties between two former British colonies hit rock bottom after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the "agents of the government of India" of planning the shooting.

Mandeep Mooker, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) superintendent and head of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team for the Mounties, told a televised news conference that they were interrogating whether the three culprits have ties, if any, with the Indian government.

"This investigation does not end here," Mooker said. "We are aware that others may have played a role in this homicide, and we remain dedicated to finding and arresting each one of these individuals."

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) who advocated for the establishment of Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland, was fatally shot while sitting in his vehicle outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia on the evening of June 18th.

The assailants, two masked men, fled the scene by running through a park and disappearing.

In India, Nijjar was a wanted terrorist, with a reward of one million Indian rupees offered for his capture.

The Khalistan movement aims to establish an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, advocating for Sikh separatism.

The existence of Sikh separatist organizations in Canada, which houses the world's largest Sikh diaspora community, along with the US and the UK has been a source of ongoing frustration for the Indian government.

Three months after the murder, Trudeau declared in the House of Commons that Canada was looking into "credible allegations" that could potentially connect the Indian government to the assassination.

The Indian government has dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and urged the Canadian authorities to crack down on the activities of individuals it calls "terrorists", a reference to Sikh separatists.

The diplomatic row worsened after Canada expelled the head of India's intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in Canada, Pavan Kumar Rai, who was accused of either ordering or assigning someone to kill Nijjar.

India also expelled a Canadian diplomat, and further suspended visa applications for Canadians.

The tussle forced Ottawa to withdraw two-thirds of its diplomats based in India.

In November last year, American authorities revealed that an Indian government official was implicated in a conspiracy to carry out the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, another Sikh separatist who holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada.

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IRGC's indigenous Shahid Mahdavi warship sails into Southern Hemisphere

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 10:52 AM

A domestically-developed oceangoing warship operated by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has crossed the line of zero degrees latitude, the Equator, and sailed into the Southern Hemisphere.

The Shahid Mahdavi, which is a multipurpose vessel designed for long-range operations, registered the achievement on Friday as Iran's naval forces are expanding their presence in the international waters and high seas.

The 2,100-tonne vessel, which is 240 meters in length and 27 meters in width, joined the IRGC's naval fleet in March 2023.

The oceangoing warship is equipped with a three-dimensional phased array radar, sea-to-sea and sea-to-air missiles, and sophisticated telecommunication systems for electronic warfare.

The Shahid Mahdavi is capable of carrying various types of attack helicopters, combat drones as well as fast attack craft.

In February 2024, the IRGC Navy launched two ballistic missiles from inside two containers on board the warship.

Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.

Iranian officials say the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense.

Iran has made it clear that its defense capabilities are not subject to negotiation. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities.

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Iran allots over 1.8 trillion rials to closure of eastern borders

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Iranian Ministry of Interior has recently initiated a project aimed at closing the eastern borders, adding that the endeavor has received an allocation of approximately 1.8 trillion rials from the national budget bill for the upcoming Iranian year (March 20, 2024- March 20, 2025).

The primary goal of closing the eastern borders is to prevent illegal entry into the country, IRNA reported on Sunday.

According to the Ministry, the project will be implemented through concrete walls, barbed wire, and fences within three years. The initiative to close the eastern borders began at the border of Razavi Khorasan province with Afghanistan.

This project, which aims to enhance border security, has been in progress intermittently for approximately 25 years. It covers joint areas in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan along the border with Afghanistan.

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Iran FM meets foreign counterparts, officials on sidelines of OIC summit

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has met with several foreign counterparts and officials on the sidelines of the 15th Heads of State and Government Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Gambia's capital, Banjul.

Amirabdollahian is representing Iran in the two-day OIC summit under the theme "Enhancing Unity and Solidarity Through Dialogue for Sustainable Development," where the 57-member bloc is focusing on issues and challenges being faced by the Muslim world.

The Palestinian issue and the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza are also on the top of agenda of the meeting in Banjul.

Iran-Turkiye FMs meeting

Amirabdollahian's meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan focused on Tehran-Ankara relations as well as the Gaza war.

The meeting followed Amirabdollahian's speech at the OIC summit, where he called on countries to cut diplomatic and economic ties with the Israeli regime to help stop the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Amirbdollahian hailed the recent decision of the Turkish government to sever economic and trade ties with the Zionist regime.

The top Iranian diplomat also reminded the necessity of a stronger and more active role of Islamic countries, especially Iran and Turkey, on the Palestinian issue.

Fidan, for his part, while expressing satisfaction on the meeting with Amirabdollahian, considered the development of relations with Iran in all fields as one of the important priorities of Turkey.

He also welcomed the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries at regional and international forums.

Iran FM meets Bangladeshi, Sudanese, Malian counterparts

Amirabdollahian held a separate meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammed Hasan Mahmud the same day.

They discussed Tehran-Dhaka relations as well as the latest developments in Palestine, including the Gaza war.

While appreciating the stance of the people and government of Bangladesh on the issue of Palestine, Amirabdollahian emphasized the importance of interaction and coordination between major Islamic countries in supporting the Palestinians and confronting the crimes of the Zionist regime.

The top Bangladeshi diplomat called the principled and decisive position of Iran in support of the Palestinian people valuable and admirable. He echoed Amirabdollahian's call for coordinated actions by Islamic countries against the Israeli crimes in Gaza

Following his meeting with Hasan Mahmud, the Iranian foreign minister also held talks with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad and discussed regional and international issues.

Amirabdollahian also met with Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali and discussed a wide range of issue of bilateral and international importance.

Iran FM meets OIC Secretary General

Amirabdollahian also met with Hissein Brahim Taha, a Chadian politician and diplomat who is the 12th and current Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

According to IRNA's correspondent, Amirabdollahian's had his last meeting with Taha in 2023 during an emergency OIC meeting in Jeddah. But, the OIC Secretary General has been in regular contact with the Iranian foreign minister since the Israeli terrorist attack on the Iranian embassy building in Damascus, report said.

Iran-Gambia FMs meeting

The Iranian Foreign Minister held a separate meeting with his Gambian counterpart in Banjul, late on Saturday.

According to IRNA's correspondent accompanying the Iranian delegation, Amirabdollahian and Tangara discussed bilateral cooperation and international issues.

The top Iranian diplomat thanked the Gambia for successfully hosting the 15th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The West African nation will take over the chairmanship of the meeting from Saudi Arabia for three years at the end of summit on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, the top Iranian diplomat held separate talks with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia on the sidelines of the OIC summit. His meeting with Saudi Arabia's Faisal bin Farhan and Egypt's Sameh Shoukry lasted for more than two hours.

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Iranian, Egyptian FMs discuss boosting ties, regional developments

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:41, May 05, 2024

TEHRAN, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Saturday exchanged views on the latest joint efforts to improve bilateral ties.

In a meeting on the sidelines of the 15th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Banjul, capital of The Gambia, the two sides also discussed the latest regional developments, said a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

The two ministers exchanged warm greetings offered by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to each other, highlighting efforts by the two leaders to follow up on the improvement of the bilateral relations.

Amir-Abdollahian praised the efforts made and positions adopted by Egypt to stop Israel's deadly attacks in Gaza and reiterated Iran's readiness to send humanitarian aid to the Palestinian coastal enclave, asking for Cairo's assistance to that end.

He expressed gratitude towards Egypt for condemning Israel's action against the Iranian diplomatic mission in Syria's Damascus.

The Egyptian foreign minister, for his part, stressed that Egypt always paid special attention to the expansion of relations with Iran.

Shoukry pointed to the consequences of the continuation of the conflict in Gaza, hoping that the ongoing political and diplomatic efforts would help stop the escalation and restore the Palestinians' rights.

Iran and Egypt severed diplomatic relations in 1980. In recent months, both countries have expressed a willingness to mend bilateral ties by settling differences on certain issues.

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NATO scrambled 240 fighter jets to shield Israel against Iran's Operation True Promise: Top Cmdr.

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 6:09 PM

A senior Iranian military commander has disclosed new details about Iran's retaliatory strikes against Israeli-occupied territories last month, saying that 240 fighter jets from the US-led NATO military alliance were scrambled to shield the Israeli regime.

Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, made the remarks in an interview with the Persian newspaper Iran published on Sunday as he outlined new details about the recent anti-Israel operation.

In a multi-pronged attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, the Iranian armed forces launched dozens of drones and missiles at the occupied territories late on April 13 in response to the regime's aggression on the Iranian diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 1.

The Israeli airstrikes on Iran's embassy compound in Damascus had killed two generals of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, as well as five of their accompanying officers.

Rashid said Iran's Operation True Promise overcame the self-proclaimed and illusory deterrence of the Zionist regime, which believed its deterrence was guaranteed by relying on the United States and NATO.

Underlining that Iran's retaliatory strikes exposed Israel's vulnerability, the commander said the United States, backed by NATO's major powers of the United Kingdom and France as well as some regional countries, created several layers of defense against the offensive power of Iran's missiles and drones to protect Israel.

"However, Iran's powerful missiles passed through the missile defense shields and crushed the two Israeli military centers of Navatim and Shalakhim," he said.

Stressing that the Israeli regime did not dare to show the world pictures of the two targeted military bases, Rashid said, "Had the Americans, British, French and CENTCOM not rushed to the aid of the Israeli regime, 80% of Iran's projectiles would have pounded the Zionist regime's military bases."

The commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters described Operation True Promise as a defeat for Israel's deterrence and said the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), which was tasked with carrying out the retaliatory strikes, used only a limited portion of its offensive power.

"The offensive operation was conducted by a unit of the IRGC's Aerospace Division and this single unit used only 20% of its offensive power," Rashid said.

"On the contrary, the US, NATO, CENTCOM and the Zionist regime, with 240 fighter jets and numerous anti-missile systems stationed on American warships in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea alongside the Zionist regime's anti-missile systems fearfully, scrambled to defend themselves."

The commander said that the single unit was prepared to unleash the remaining 80 percent of its offensive power and launch another wave of strikes under orders.

Rashid also emphasized that the US and Western governments were definite partners in the Israeli regime's crimes against Palestinians.

The Israeli regime's aggression on the Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria drew widespread condemnation from the international community, with Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations saying in a statement that Tehran's response to Israeli aggression was a "legitimate defense" under the UN Charter.

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Iran Plans to Begin Construction of Darkhovin Nuclear Reactor This Fall

Sputnik News

20240505

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran is planning to start the construction of the "nuclear island" of the Darkhovin (Karun) nuclear power plant in the fall, Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said on Sunday.

A nuclear island is a complex of buildings and structures that ensure the functioning of a nuclear reactor of an NPP.

"God willing, the first concrete pouring of the nuclear island will be carried out this year at the Karun nuclear power plant ... I hope [it will happen] in the fall," Eslami was quoted as saying by the Iranian government on Telegram.

Pouring concrete into the foundation of the nuclear island means a full-fledged start of construction not only of the reactor building, but also of the entire NPP power unit.

A Sputnik

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May 5, 2024

Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to discuss the ongoing hostage negotiations, humanitarian assistance efforts, and Rafah. Secretary Austin expressed his condolences for the IDF soldiers killed and wounded by a rocket and mortar attack launched by Hamas out of Rafah. The Secretary reaffirmed his commitment to the unconditional return of all hostages and stressed the need for any potential Israeli military operation in Rafah to include a credible plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians and maintain the flow of humanitarian aid.

Secretary Austin reiterated the United States' commitment to supporting Israel's defense.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3765516/

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US missile system had 25% success rate against Iran attack: Report

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Over two weeks after Iran's punitive drone and missile attack on Israeli targets, the occupying regime's media have revealed that the US, which helped the regime intercept some of Iran's ballistic missiles, only had a 25% success rate during the Islamic Republic's attack.

The Iranian armed forces fired hundreds of drones and missiles, including over 120 ballistic ones, at military targets in Israeli-occupied territories on the night of April 13 to punish the regime for its attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria two weeks earlier.

A number of countries, including the US, France, and the UK, helped Israel intercept some of the Iranian projectiles, with all boasting of a 99% success rate afterward.

However, a journalist from Galai Tzahal, a radio network operated by the Israeli military, has revealed that the US was only able to intercept 25% of the Iranian missiles.

"Of the eight SM-3 missiles fired by the American forces, only two reached their target. This constitutes a failure rate of 75%," the report said.

Despite the large-scale operation by the Israeli regime and its allies to intercept the Iranian projectiles, several ballistic missiles reached their targets and caused damage.

Iranian officials said at the time that they had conducted a calculated attack aimed only at military targets in order to punish the Israeli regime for its repeated acts of aggression against Iranian interests in the region.

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The state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) said Monday it has inked an agreement with Canada's Candu Energy to speed up the preparations to vie for a refurbishment project for a Romanian reactor.

The KHNP signed the infrastructure engineering services contract with Candu in line with their goal to participate in the retubing and refurbishment project of the Cernavoda Unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant in Romania.

The project centers on replacing key components and building infrastructure for an additional 30 years of operation.

Under the partnership with Candu, the KHNP will prepare an engineering plan for the infrastructure construction.

"Through this contract, we look forward to more strengthened cooperation between Korea and Romania in the field of nuclear energy," Whang Joo-ho, the CEO of KHNP, said, noting the company will focus efforts on winning the contract this year.

The KHNP signed a tripartite consortium agreement with Candu Energy and Italy's Ansaldo Nucleare S.p.A. for the project last year. (Yonhap)
Netanyahu in midst of public, far-right allies' pressures

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 5, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- Thousands of protesters once gain thronged Tel Aviv to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet resign.

The protesters also called for the immediate release of captives held in Gaza and the signing of an agreement for the exchange of prisoners with the Palestinian resistance, IRNA cited a report from the Palestinian Sama news agency.

According to Zionist sources, Zionist settlers also closed Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv in anger at the regime's policies.

The families of the Israeli captives issued a statement, saying that the Israelis want the captives to be alive and agree to pay the price, but Netanyahu prefers an alliance with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, referring to the two far-right politicians who have been on the forefront of the genocidal war on Gaza.

If the price for the return of the captives is to stop the war, then this war must be stopped immediately, the protesters and family members demanded.

This demonstration took place at the same time that news sources reported that a significant progress has been made in the negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli regime regarding the ceasefire in Gaza and the prisoner exchange.

Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir threatened Netanyahu over what he called a bad deal with Hamas.

Netanyahu knows very well the consequences of not following his two promises, including opposing any bad negotiations with Hamas and the second attack on Rafah, Sama news agency quoted him.

Amos Yedlin, a former commander of the intelligence branch of the Zionist regime has reacted to recent stance of Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Netanyahu's policies, saying "the prime minister has become a prisoner of these two ministers."

Far-right allies of Netanyahu are piling pressure on him to reject a Gaza ceasefire deal and go ahead with the genocidal plan by invading the rest of Gaza.

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PM Netanyahu on the Eve of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Press Releases

The 37th Government

05.05.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, on the eve of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day:

"This evening we will honor the memory of our six million brothers and sisters who were murdered in the Holocaust.

Last Thursday, my wife Sara and I met with the Holocaust survivors who will light the memorial torches this evening. We met with 96-year-old Izi Kabilio, a Holocaust survivor, from Yugoslavia. He told us about the horrors he, his family and his friends endured, and told us: 'Today, the State of Israel is the one and only haven for the Jewish People.'

Michael Bar-On, another survivor who will light a torch this evening, told us: 'We cannot rely on the nations of the world who make promises.'

These heroic survivors are right.

In the terrible Holocaust, there were great world leaders who stood by idly; therefore, the first lesson of the Holocaust is: If we do not defend ourselves, nobody will defend us. And if we need to stand alone, we will stand alone.

Therefore, we will defend ourselves in every way. We will overcome our enemies and we will ensure our security - in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere."

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US Froze Israeli Ammunition Shipments Last Week - Reports

Sputnik News

20240505

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States put an ammunition shipment to Israel on hold last week, sending Israeli officials scrambling to understand the reason behind the move, US media reported Sunday.

Axios news website cited two Israeli officials as saying that the incident raised serious concerns inside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

The White House declined to comment, the website said. There was reportedly no immediate response from the Pentagon, the State Department and the Israeli prime minister's office.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned the Israeli prime minister last Wednesday against going ahead with the planned ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Axios cited sources familiar with the meeting as saying.

In late April it was reported that a group of more than 90 US lawyers, including at least 20 from the presidential administration, called on US President Joe Biden to stop military aid to Israel because of its actions in the Gaza Strip, which they said contradict US and international humanitarian law.

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 34,400 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.

A Sputnik

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China sends 300 workers to deep sea port project in Myanmar's Rakhine state

Experts say the workers are at risk as the military and ethnic rebels vie for control of the region.

By RFA Burmese 2024.05.03 -- China has sent more than 300 technicians and workers to a deep sea port project in western Myanmar's Rakhine state amid intense fighting between the military and ethnic rebels, according to residents.

A ship carrying the crews, along with heavy machinery and food, docked at Maday Island in Rakhine's Kyaukphyu township on the evening of April 28, the residents told RFA Burmese, after receiving permission from the junta to work on the project in the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, or SEZ.

The deployment comes after six months of clashes in Rakhine between junta troops and the Arakan Army, or AA - part of an alliance of three ethnic armies that have pushed the junta back in the western and northern parts of the country.

Experts say the ethnic army victories mark a turning point in the war that began soon after the junta took control of the government in a February 2021 coup d'etat.

The Kyaukphyu SEZ's deep sea port complex is a key Chinese-led venture for which Beijing had requested heightened security. The project was approved in 2023 by the junta and attempts to recruit locals for work have been met with controversy and distrust.

A resident of Kyaukphyu who, like others interviewed in this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, told RFA that some of the Chinese nationals who arrived on the ship are now residing in hotels in the township.

"Both the workers who were already there and those who recently arrived travel to Maday Island in the morning and return to the city in the evening using hovercrafts," he said. "The ship that arrived carried Chinese experts, including engineers responsible for the power lines and water systems."

Residents said the ship departed from Maday Island on the morning of April 30.

Attempts by RFA to reach Hla Thein, the junta's attorney general and spokesperson for Rakhine state, for additional information about the deployment and the status of the project went unanswered.

China and Myanmar signed an agreement to implement the Kyaukphyu Deep Sea Port Project and SEZ in November 2020, under the National League for Democracy government, which was deposed months later in the military coup.

On Dec. 26, 2023, the two nations signed another agreement specifically for the deep sea port project during a meeting in Naypyidaw. Despite the agreements, residents say the project has yet to be fully implemented.

The deep sea port project is a joint venture between the neighboring countries, with Myanmar contributing 30% of the investment and China providing the remaining 70%. The port is expected to include 10 wharfs capable of docking container ships.

Developing a war zone

Kyaukphyu township has been at the forefront of fighting in recent months between the military and the AA, which in November ended a ceasefire that had been in place since the coup. Since then, the ethnic army has taken control of eight of Rakhine state's 17 townships, as well as one township in neighboring Chin state.

Clashes and exchanges of territory occur on a near daily basis in the state.

On Thursday evening, the AA captured the pro-junta Border Guard Police Command, at which some 600 junta troops were stationed, and two pro-junta Border Guard Force camps in Maungdaw township, residents told RFA.

The AA first attacked the police command on April 25, and the capture ended a week of fighting, residents said. "Hundreds of border guard troops" retreated from the police command to Shwe Zar ward in the town of Maungdaw following the seizure, they added.

A day earlier, the AA captured two military outposts in the Mayu mountain range near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border where around 100 junta troops were stationed, according to sources close to the Rakhine rebel group. The seizure ended a nearly three-week bid by the AA for control of the camps, they said.

Residents said Friday that the Rakhine state capital Sittwe - a city of 100,000 people with typically crowded beaches and markets - has become "a ghost town," as the AA captured nearby towns in recent months.

Those who lack the funds to relocate face a shortage of commodities and skyrocketing prices, while some are starving, they said. Junta troops have tightened security in the city since April 10, when AA chief Major Gen. Twan Mrat Naing urged residents of Sittwe and Kyaukphyu to flee to his army's controlled territories.

Meanwhile, the AA and junta forces are in a fierce fight for control of Rakhine's Ann township, which is the base of military's Western Command, as well the townships of Buthidaung and Thandwe townships.

The latest developments follow the AA's March capture of Ramree township, which shares Maday Island with Kyaukphyu township.

A resident who has closely watched the progress of Chinese projects in the region told RFA at the time that the AA had assumed control of most of the areas within the Kyaukphyu SEZ and said the ethnic army would likely have a say on how Chinese development proceeds.

Protecting Chinese interests

Zachary Abuza, a Southeast Asia analyst at the National War College in Washington - who writes commentaries regularly for RFA - said that despite assurances to Beijing by both the military and the AA that they would protect its interests in Myanmar, China's decision to deploy workers and technicians to the Kyaukphyu SEZ is "putting [them] in harm's way."

"They're both giving assurances for the protection of Chinese interests, but they're still very much in competition over the control of Kyaukphyu," he said, noting that "fighting has increased" around the township seat in recent weeks.

"Right now, the Arakan Army is in fairly solid control of most of northern Rakhine ... [and] is going to have to move on Kyaukphyu at some point," he added.

China has said it wants to play a "constructive role" in stabilizing the situation in Rakhine as soon as possible, but observers say Beijing is likely motivated by concerns for Chinese development projects in the state, which also include gas and oil pipelines that cross from Rakhine to China's Yunnan province.

While the junta is believed to have asked Beijing to mediate as it continues to lose ground in the state, it's unclear whether China has enough influence over the AA to end the conflict.

Translated by 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 May 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.

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Meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar today held a meeting with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi on the margins of 15th OIC Islamic Summit in Banjul, The Gambia.

The two sides discussed multi-faceted bilateral cooperation especially in the energy domain. They agreed to further expand trade and investment ties, and explore increased employment opportunities for Pakistanis in Qatar. They also exchanged views on a range of recent regional and global developments, especially in the Middle East.

The two leaders also expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and underlined the urgency of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.



Islamabad

4 May 2024

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Meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar today held a bilateral meeting with H.R.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference, in Banjul, The Gambia.

Noting the importance of the long-standing strategic and economic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and the Saudi Foreign Minister reaffirmed the resolve to further enhance economic cooperation and Saudi investments in Pakistan.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister lauded the "Vision 2030", which aimed at socio-economic transformation of the Kingdom in the 21st century. He stated that the recently held visit of the Saudi Foreign Minister to Pakistan, who was leading a high-powered delegation, represented a new momentum in economic collaboration between Pakistan and the Kingdom.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar and the Saudi Foreign Minister expressed deep concern over the recent developments in the Middle East and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also noted the important role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on issues concerning the Muslim Ummah including the situations in Palestine and Kashmir.



Islamabad

4 May 2024

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Meeting of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister with the Foreign Minister of Niger

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with his Nigerien counterpart, Bakary Yaou Sangare, on the sidelines of the 15th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Banjul, The Gambia.

The two Ministers exchanged views on a wide range of issues and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation especially in the economic domain.

The two sides also discussed coordination within the OIC framework and agreed to continue working closely to advance the collective interest within the OIC and beyond. Deputy Prime Minister Dar appreciated Niger's support to Pakistan at various regional and international platforms and its principled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Foreign Minister Sangare reiterated Niger's consistent position on the Kashmir dispute, emphasizing solidarity with Pakistan's stance at the international stage.



Islamabad

4 May 2024

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Meeting between the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and the Foreign Minister of Kuwait

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar today held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of the State of Kuwait, Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on the margins of 15th OIC Islamic Summit being held in Banjul, Gambia.

The two leaders discussed areas of bilateral cooperation and agreed to continue engagement to advance bilateral relations in all domains. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister underscored the utmost priority of the government to transform the traditionally fraternal ties with Kuwait into a mutually beneficial economic partnership.

The two leaders expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemned Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. The called on UNSC to take urgent steps for immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to facilitate increased and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.



Islamabad

4 May 2024



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Pakistani Security Forces Reportedly Fire On Protesters Near Afghan Border

By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal May 04, 2024

Protesters who have been staging a sit-in at a key border-crossing point in southwestern Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan say that security forces have opened fire on them, killing one and injuring several more.

Sadiq Achakzai, a spokesman for the protests staged in Balochistan Province's Chaman district for months by traders and shopkeepers over new travel restrictions, told RFE/RL on May 4 that local security forces raided the demonstrators' camp and set fire to their tents while they were away.

Achakzai said that members of Pakistan's Frontier Corps "opened fire on peaceful protesters when they reentered their agitation camp."

Achakzai said one person was killed and more than a dozen were injured, and that victims were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Video purporting to show victims at a local hospital was posted on social media, but RFE/RL was unable to independently verify the claims.

When asked by RFE/RL about the alleged incident, Colonel Abdul Wahab, a spokesman for the Frontier Corps in Balochistan, said only that an investigation was under way.

Traders have been protesting at Chaman, which borders the Afghan town of Spin Boldak, since October. They have demanded that the government rescind a new policy that requires them to present valid documents to cross the border.

In October, Pakistan unilaterally ended the century-old "Easement Rights," an arrangement that allowed members of some communities straddling the 19th-century Durand Line border to cross freely.

The policy has been heavily criticized by members of Pashtun communities on either side of the border who have complained that its has harmed their livelihoods and resulted in huge financial losses.

The Taliban's de facto government in Kabul has also criticized the policy, which has resulted in the Chaman border crossing -- the second-busiest between Pakistan and Afghanistan -- and others to be shut.

In January, talks between the Taliban and Pakistani officials to reopen the crossings broke down.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-afghanistan- protests-border/32933331.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.

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Address of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Addressing the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar expressed Pakistan's deep concern over Israel's ongoing brutal military onslaught against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. In the backdrop of the genocide of Palestinians and atrocities of Israeli forces, he urged the OIC Member States to work together for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the besieged Palestinians. He also expressed Pakistan's support for Palestine's admission as a full member of the UN, resumption of the peace process for realization of the two-State solution and establishment of a viable, contiguous and sovereign State of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Highlighting Indian atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), especially after India's illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister urged the OIC to implement its Action Plan on Jammu and Kashmir; demand that India ends all human rights violations; release Hurriyat leaders; and reverse its illegal demographic and other unilateral laws. He appreciated the OIC for its principled support for the Kashmir cause and requested the OIC member countries to use their influence for urgent resolution of Jammu and Kashmir Dispute as per relevant UN Security Council and the OIC resolutions.

Condemning the rising trend of Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims in various parts of the world, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister urged the OIC to formulate a joint strategy to work with global social media platforms to harmonize their application of content regulation policies for blasphemous, anti-Islamic and Islamophobic content. He appreciated OIC's appointment of a Special Envoy on Islamophobia.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister strongly condemned the surge in anti-Pakistan rhetoric and Islamophobic narratives by India's political leaders during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections which threatens regional stability.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister highlighted that Pakistan continued to face externally sponsored terrorism from across its borders, despite contributing the most to the fight against terrorism.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister underscored that the OIC can play an important role in global economic growth. He urged the OIC to work collectively to address the existential threat of climate change, which caused catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also expressed Pakistan's support to revitalize the UN system and reform the UN Security Council - to make it more representative, democratic, and effective for international peace and security.

Islamabad

05 May 2024

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The death toll from heavy rains that have caused flooding in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 78, local authorities said on Sunday, with more than 115,000 people displaced.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday morning with most members of his cabinet to discuss rescue and reconstruction efforts with local authorities.

"Bureaucracy will not stand in our way, stopping us from recovering the state's greatness," Lula said at a press conference.

"It is a war scenario, and will need post-war measures," state governor Eduardo Leite added.

Volunteers using boats, jet skis  and even swimming  have assisted in ongoing rescue efforts. In the state capital Porto Alegre, Fabiano Saldanha said he and three friends have used jet skis to save about 50 people from flood waters since Friday in islands that are part of the city.

"The only thing we hear when we enter a street is 'help,' 'help,'" Saldanha said.

The death toll could still substantially increase as 105 people were reported missing on Sunday, up from about 70 the prior day, according to the state civil defense authority. It also said it was investigating whether another four deaths were related to the storms.

Flooding from storms in the past few days has affected more than two thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, which borders Uruguay and Argentina, leaving more than 115,000 people displaced, according to authorities.

Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several cities. The rains also triggered landslides and the partial collapse of a dam at a small hydroelectric power plant.

More than 400,000 people were without power on Sunday evening, while nearly a third of the state's population was without water, authorities said.

In Porto Alegre, the Guaiba lake breached its banks, hitting the highest water level on record, according to the national geological service. Porto Alegre's international airport has suspended all flights since Friday.

At a makeshift rescue center in Porto Alegre, Kaeli Moraes described being rescued along with her husband and their three children when the water had nearly reached the second floor of their house.

"There was flooding in September, then in November, and now this one. It is only getting worse," Moraes said.

In the city of Canoas, near Porto Alegre, Julio Manichesque, 76, was rescued by volunteers after he had stayed since Friday on the roof of the house where he has lived for 52 years.

"I have never seen that much water," Manichesque said.

During his weekly address to crowds in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis said on Sunday he was praying for the people of Rio Grande do Sul. (Reuters)
Meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister's Meeting with Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference in Banjul, The Gambia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has met with Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Zheng Jianbang.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan's firm support to China's core issues and underscored the importance of enhanced mutually productive ties through close economic collaboration and cooperation. Vice Chairman Zheng Jianbang reaffirmed China's support Pakistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development.

The two sides reaffirmed the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between Pakistan and China and exchanged views on deepening exchanges between the Parliament of Pakistan and the National People's Congress of China. They expressed the determination to complete all CPEC projects and further upgrade this cooperation to achieve shared objectives.

Senator Dar and Vice Chairman Zheng also discussed China's growing relationship with OIC and underlined the importance of dialogue and understanding for mutual peace and prosperity.

Islamabad

5 May 2024

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Meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister with the Foreign Minister of Turkiye

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference in Banjul, The Gambia.

The two leaders reviewed the state of bilateral relations and emphasized the exceptional bilateral relations and the strong bonds of friendship between Pakistan and TArkiye. Expressing satisfaction with the positive momentum in bilateral relations, they reiterated their resolve to further deepen bilateral cooperation, with a particular focus on economic, trade, and defence sectors.



Islamabad

5 May 2024

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Meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference in Banjul, the Gambia.

The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and resolved to further deepen bilateral cooperation in diverse fields including trade, connectivity, energy and people-to-people contacts. They also noted the importance of deepening dialogue and engagement especially at political level.

Deputy Prime Minister Dar congratulated Azerbaijan on winning the bid to host COP 29 in the city of Baku in November 2024 and expressed Pakistan's interest in enhanced cooperation and experience sharing in combating climate change. He also appreciated Azerbaijan's firm and principled position on the just cause of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Islamabad

5 May 2024

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Meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Pakistan with the President of The Gambia

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a bilateral meeting with President of the Republic of The Gambia Adama Barrow on the sidelines of the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference being held in Banjul, The Gambia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar congratulated President Barrow on the successful holding of the 15th OIC Summit and appreciated the fact that The Gambia had highlighted the critical issue of Islamophobia through the platform of the OIC Summit. President Barrow expressed his deep appreciation for the high-level participation by Pakistan at the 15th OIC Summit. He said that as Chair of the Summit, The Gambia hoped to engage with the Ummah on different issues.

The two leaders underscored the importance of reinvigorating the bilateral relations and enhanced cooperation in diverse areas like trade, agriculture, education, tourism. Pakistan will offer training programmes for diplomats and military personnel from The Gambia.



Islamabad

5 May 2024

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister's meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Federal Republic of Somalia

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar today met with Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Salah Jama, on the margins of 15th OIC Islamic Summit in Banjul, The Gambia.

The two sides appreciated the longstanding friendly ties between Pakistan and Somalia and discussed measures to further strengthen bilateral relations with special focus on trade, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.

They also discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral fora including the United Nations and OIC, and exchanged views on a range of recent regional and global developments, especially in the Middle East.

Both Deputy Prime Ministers expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and underlined the urgency of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

Islamabad

5 May 2024

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4 terrorists killed in clash with police in SW Pakistan

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 15:55, May 05, 2024

ISLAMABAD, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Four terrorists were killed in a clash with police on Saturday in Quetta, capital of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, a spokesperson of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police said.

The spokesperson said the incident took place on Saturday night when four terrorists riding two motorcycles attacked a police patrolling vehicle near Sibbi road in the city.

In an exchange of fire, one of the terrorists was killed on the spot, the spokesperson said, adding that the remaining three terrorists entered a building.

Police cordoned off the area and called for additional backup before entering the building and killing the remaining terrorists, the CTD added.

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NATO seriously preparing for potential conflict with Russia: Moscow

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 2:07 PM

Russia says NATO's controversial war games that are currently taking place with the use of "hybrid and conventional weapons" near the country's borders show the Western alliance is seriously preparing for a conflict with Moscow.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday that "NATO's largest exercise since the Cold War, Steadfast Defender, is taking place near Russia's borders."

She said the "coalition's actions against Russia are being practiced using all the instruments, including hybrid and conventional weapons."

"We have to admit that NATO is seriously preparing for a 'potential conflict' with us," she added.

NATO kicked off the drills with the participation of around 90,000 troops in January to show "that NATO can conduct and sustain complex multi-domain operations over several months, across thousands of kilometers," according to the alliance.

The war games will continue until the end of May.

NATO has formerly described the military exercises as "a simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary."

The 31-nation organization has long been considering Russia one of its biggest adversaries.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the US-led alliance against eastward expansion. In the months before President Vladimir Putin of Russia ordered the "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, NATO had been beefing up security on its eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.

NATO is not directly involved in the war with Russia, but it has been supplying Kiev with weapons and ammunition as well as military training.

Russia warned last month that its forces would intensify attacks on Ukrainian storage bases housing Western-supplied weapons.

In a related development, the defense ministry said on Saturday that Russian air defense forces have shot down four US-made ATACMS long-range missiles that have recently arrived in Ukraine.

The United States confirmed in April it had sent these missiles to Ukraine.

Ukraine used US ATACMS missiles against Russia for the first time in October.

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NATO Steadfast Defender Drills Indicate Preparation for 'Potential Conflict' With Russia

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - NATO's large-scale Steadfast Defender drills indicate that the alliance is preparing for a "potential conflict" with Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.

NATO kicked off Steadfast Defender 24 in January. The war games are running through May and include over 90,000 troops from all 32 member states. During the drills, the allies plan to test out a conflict scenario against a "near-peer adversary" in accordance with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one ally is considered an attack against the entire NATO and allows for the provision of appropriate assistance.

"Right now, NATO is conducting its largest drills since the Cold War, Steadfast Defender, near the Russian border. According to their scenario, using all the tools, including the hybrid ones and conventional weapons, they are exercising coalition actions against Russia. We have to admit that the NATO states are seriously preparing for a 'potential conflict' with us, about which, by the way, high-ranking NATO representatives are openly talking about," Zakharova said in a statement published by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Speaking about NATO's accusations against Russia of hybrid attacks on the alliance Zakharova said Moscow considers them as disinformation, which increases the degree of anti-Russian hysteria.

On May 2, the North Atlantic Council adopted a statement, accusing Russia of hybrid attacks against the alliance's member states.

"The North Atlantic alliance and the leadership of some individual member states are doing what they are the best at - spreading disinformation, increasing the degree of anti-Russian hysteria in order to justify unprecedented levels of militarization in Europe," Zakharova said.

A Sputnik

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Russia to Respond to Hostile Actions of Baltic States With Asymmetric Measures

Sputnik News

20240505

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow will respond to the hostile actions of the Baltic states with asymmetric measures in the economic and transit spheres, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

Russia's retaliatory measures, including the redirection of cargo flows to Russia's northwestern ports, have had an extremely negative impact on the Baltic countries' budget revenues, Zakharova said.

"We will also respond to the hostile actions of the Baltic states with asymmetric measures, primarily in the economic and transit spheres," she said.

At the same time, Moscow will continue to use diplomatic measures to influence the Baltic states and it is highly undesirable to reach the point of terminating the activities of diplomatic missions, taking into account Russians living there, the spokeswoman said.

"Russophobia and domestic discrimination are growing there, including harassment of children in schools and even kindergartens. The Russian language is being almost completely pushed out of all spheres of public life, including the education system, and the Russian information presence has been eliminated," she said.

Zakharova also recalled that two Latvian and one Estonian diplomat were recently expelled from Russia in retaliation for the countries' hostile actions towards Moscow.

"Last year, after Tallinn downsized our embassy, we downgraded diplomatic relations with Estonia to charge d'affaires ad interim, and the Estonian ambassador was ordered to leave the Russian Federation," she said.

In mid-March, the Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the hostile policy of the Baltic states towards Moscow by banning 347 citizens of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, including a minister, deputies, public figures and journalists, from entering the country. The ministry cited "active lobbying by Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for sanctions measures, interference in Russia's internal affairs and persecution of the Russian-speaking population."

A Sputnik

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DR Congo Has Right to Be Friends With Russia - President

Sputnik News

20240505

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has the right to have good relations with Russia, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi said.

"In France, Israel was condemned for some actions in Gaza. Does this prevent France from maintaining its relations with Israel? Why do they want to judge us when it comes to Africans? One should not judge us. We have the right to the friends we want and we are friends to all those who want to be our friends... Russians want friendship with Africa, DR Congo, why should we refuse? There are no reasons for that," Tshisekedi told French broadcaster LCI on Saturday.

Russia and China conduct relations with the DRC without "arrogance" and the desire to "read lectures," the president said, noting that Moscow and Beijing behave better towards his country than Westerners.

Tshisekedi is also expected to visit a forum with the participation of Russia and African countries to take place in June. However, the president did not specify what forum he was talking about.

A Sputnik

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The armed wing of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza that Israel said killed three of its soldiers.

Israel's military said 10 projectiles were launched from Rafah in southern Gaza towards the area of the crossing, which it said was now closed to aid trucks going into the coastal enclave. Other crossings remained open.

Hamas' armed wing said it fired rockets at an Israeli army base by the crossing, but did not confirm where it fired them from. Hamas media quoted a source close to the group as saying the commercial crossing was not the target.

More than a million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

Shortly after the Hamas attack, an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Rafah killing three people and wounding several, Palestinian medics said.

The Israeli military confirmed the counter-strike, saying it struck the launcher from which the Hamas projectiles were fired, as well as a nearby "military structure".

"The launches carried out by Hamas adjacent to the Rafah Crossing ... are a clear example of the terrorist organization's systematic exploitation of humanitarian facilities and spaces, and their continued use of the Gazan civilian population as human shields," it said.

Hamas denies it uses civilians as human shields.

Israel has vowed to enter the southern Gaza city and flush out Hamas forces there, but has faced mounting pressure to hold fire as the operation could derail fragile humanitarian efforts in Gaza and endanger many more lives.

Sunday's attack on the crossing came as hopes dimmed for ceasefire talks under way in Cairo.

The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed, 29 of them in the past 24 hours, and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israel's assault, according to Gaza's health ministry. (Reuters)
Russian influence in Kyrgyzstan rising despite local consternation

By VOA News May 05, 2024

Talas, a dusty town in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, is not accustomed to foreign dignitaries. Tourists occasionally stop there, but even officials from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, rarely visit this remote part of the country.

In mid-April, though, a high-level Kremlin delegation descended on the town of 30,000, putting it in national spotlight.

On April 18 and 19, a Russian government delegation led by Igor Maslov, chief of the external cooperation directorate in President Vladimir Putin's executive office, took part in ceremonies honoring local World War II veterans. The Kremlin officials gave a $2,000 award to Arake Arstanbekov, one of the few living veterans of that war from Talas, and donated textbooks and equipment to several local schools.

Addressing a group of Talas residents, Vladimir Korobovski, a representative of the Russian delegation, said the visit and assistance provided "clear symbols of friendly relations between Russia and Kyrgyzstan."

"This act underscores the importance of humanitarian and social initiatives in supporting the development of [Kyrgyzstani] regions," he said.

The delegation's visit, some regional experts say, is part of a broader Russian charm offensive to bolster Moscow's influence in Central Asia. While Russia views Central Asia as vital to its national interests and its regional governments have cast themselves as Russia's partners because of historical, political and trade relations, some observers say Russian influence has been waning there because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said in a December 2022 analysis that the invasion significantly weakened Moscow's influence among former Soviet republics, including those in Central Asia.

"None of the Central Asian nations have supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and all are adhering to Western sanctions against Russia," the report said.

"The region's banks do not accept Russian MIR payment cards [used since Visa and Mastercard suspended Russian activity], for example, and only Kazakhstan allows their use by private individualsaand only after getting U.S. approval to do so. Not one of the countries in Central Asia has recognized the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics a or other Ukrainian territory that Russia claims to have annexed a as part of Russia," it said.

Russian officials showed their displeasure with this seeming disloyalty, with some MPs in Russia's Duma calling for stiffening restrictions on Central Asian migrants.

However, instead of relying on arm-twisting, Kremlin officials are evidently relying on soft-power diplomacy to win the hearts and minds of the regional countries. The campaign targets all of the five Central Asian republics, but the main focus is on Kyrgyzstan, long a key ally where Russian language and culture are particularly strong.

According to Russian Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, more than 350,000 people in the country are registered with the embassy as Russian "compatriots," a category usually referring to those with Russian citizenship or who have family or professional ties to Russia.

Kyrgyzstan is also a member of two Russia-dominated organizations - the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance also including Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Belarus, and the Eurasian Economic Union, which also includes Armenia Balarus and Kazakhstan. In addition, Russia maintains a military airbase on the Kyrgyzstani territory, as part of CSTO cooperation.

Moscow unveiled plans in September to build nine Russian-language schools in Kyrgyzstan. At an estimated cost of $5.5 million, construction is to be completed by 2029. Russia also announced plans to build 10 schools in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Moscow officials have adopted a variety of other measures to keep Kyrgyzstan within Russia's orbit of influence. A Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund gave out more than $500 million for development projects in Kyrgyzstan between 2014 and 2023. The fund, established in 2014, is mainly financed by Russia.

Russia is also financing the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavonic University, a well-regarded higher educational institution in Kyrgyzstan. Each academic year, Russia gives out stipends to 1,000 Kyrgyzstani students for undergraduate arts and sciences study in Russia. As part of the annual academic exchange program, approximately 120 Russian secondary school teachers spend an academic year in Kyrgyzstan, where they teach Russian language and literature. An organization called the Coordination Council of Russian compatriots in Kyrgyzstan has united approximately 40 pro-Russian nonprofit organizations, and it serves as a conduit for Russian diplomacy.

Russian efforts working

Russia's diplomacy is paying off in Kyrgyzstan, according to analysts.

A Bishkek-based expert on Kyrgyz-Russia relations, speaking on condition of anonymity, told VOA Kyrgizstan "is one of the few countries in the region where Russian language and culture play dominant roles in society."

"Russian language has a status as an official language, and a lot of people rely on Russian media for their news," he said.

The expert said that because the Kremlin uses Russian media as a propaganda tool in Kyrgyzstan, many people have pro-Russian views of international affairs.

He cited the Kyrgyz foreign agents law, enacted last month, as among the most recent examples of Russian influence, saying it "was modeled after a Russian one, and it gives [Kyrgyz] authorities wide powers to control local NGOs."

He said the closure of Western organizations under the law will allow more Russian influence.

Some activists have voiced concerns that Kremlin is using rising influence to promote Russian state propaganda in Kyrgyzstan. Local media reports said Russia will not only build the nine schools in Kyrgyzstan, it will also provide all the technical resources and choose the school principals.

In a September 3 interview with RFE/Rl, Bishkek political analyst Aibek Tenizbaev asked what kind of educations programs the schools would follow.

"Kyrgyz authorities need to sort this issue out," he said.

"Russia has adopted new standards. In their history textbooks, Russian authorities have included a section on their justification for the invasion of Ukraine in these textbooks, and these textbooks contain blunt [Russian government] propaganda," he said.

Politicians bothered

Russian efforts to expand its influence in Kyrgyzstan is bothering some politicians too.

Nurlanbek Shakiev, speaker of the Supreme Council, the country's parliament, has emerged as a voice for political groups lamenting that Russian language and culture's dominant role in Kyrgyzstan has been undercutting government efforts to spread use of Kyrgyz language.

Shakiev told Kyrgyz MPs on April 11 that, with children speaking Russian in villages across the country, "Kyrgyz [is disappearing because children are watching mainly Russian-language content on the internet.

"We need to block all broadcasts, all cartoons in Russian and other foreign languages," he said.

President Sadyr Japarov, apparently fearing to alienate Russia, quickly distanced himself from Shakiev's statement, calling it "Shakiev's personal opinion," adding that he disagreed with Shakiev's claim Kyrgyz is disappearing in villages.

"I haven't heard our children speaking Russian since the childhood. On the contrary, there are cases when students leave school without knowing a word in Russian and go to Russia. They go there, and they have problems with the language. That is why I personally took the initiative and asked Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] to build nine Russian-language schools for us. Construction work will begin soon," he said.

Japarov had previously played down activists' concern about Russian-financed schools.

Addressing a September 1 groundbreaking ceremony for one of the schools, he said, "The language of instruction in these schools is Russian, and the curriculum will be based on the standards adopted in both of the two countries."

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Taiwan does not export gunpowder raw material for Russia's use: ITA

ROC Central News Agency

05/04/2024 02:04 PM

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Taiwan has imposed export controls on high-density nitrocellulose, a key explosives precursor Russia needs to produce gunpower, and so far, there is no record of Taiwanese exports of such a substance, according to Taiwan's International Trade Administration (ITA).

The ITA said on Friday that Taiwan already has in place export controls of high-density nitrocellulose, in which the nitrogen content accounts for more than 12.2 percent of the particular chemical material.

Citing trade records, the ITA said no company in Taiwan produces high-density nitrocellulose and no outbound sales of such an explosive precursor from any Taiwanese firms have ever been recorded by the administration.

The ITA remarks came after the U.S. Department of Treasury announced on Wednesday that it has imposed sanctions on three Russian nitrocellulose importers and suppliers -- AMS Group, Stroytekhnologiya and Print Kolor -- amid Russia's full-blown incursion into Ukraine.

The U.S. Treasury said the three Russian companies' business partner were Russian defense enterprises, such as Russian explosive and ammunition manufacturer Kazan Gunpowder Plant, which has been sanctioned by the United States.

The U.S. Treasury said AMS is a major importer of nitrocellulose to Russia, including from East Asia, Europe and Central Asia, while Stroytekhnologiya and Print Kolor are also among the largest Russian nitrocellulose importers.

The U.S. Treasury said Russia depended on external suppliers for cotton cellulose and its highly flammable byproduct, nitrocellulose, which are key explosives precursors it needs to keep rolling out gunpowder, rocket propellants and other explosives.

According to the annual and monthly trade statistics compiled by United Nations Comtrade Database obtained by CNA in late February, the three U.S.-sanctioned Russian firms bought Taiwan-made nitrocellulose via Turkey.

The U.S. Comtrade's data also showed that after Russia launched its invasion against Ukraine in February 2022, almost 94 percent of Taiwan-made nitrocellulose products which were ultimately shipped to Russia from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2023, were shipped in 2023, and only 4 percent were sent there in 2022.

The trade statistics showed the three largest nitrocellulose suppliers to Russia were China, Taiwan and Germany between March 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023.

During the period, Russia bought US$10.60 million and US$5.43 million worth of nitrocellulose, respectively, from China and Taiwan, the data indicated.

However, the ITA emphasized Taiwan did not sell high-density nitrocellulose, and that the country was not among the major suppliers of low-density nitrocellulose in the world.

According to the ITA, global sales value of low-density nitrocellulose, which means nitrogen accounts for less than 12.2 percent of nitrocellulose, hit US$836 million in 2023, and Taiwan's exports totaled US$43.80 million, making up only 5.2 percent of the world's total.

The ITA said the major buyers of Taiwan-made nitrocellulose were Vietnam, the U.S. and Malaysia, which accounted for 47 percent of Taiwan's total exports last year.

The ITA added Turkey made up only 3.1 percent of Taiwan's total nitrocellulose outbound sales in 2023, while no exports to Russia and Belarus from Taiwan were registered.

Customs declaration data obtained by CNA showed most suppliers of nitrocellulose from China and Taiwan did not provide any information regarding the nitrogen content, and simply said their products were used in printing and for the production of paint in the private sector.

The data also indicated only a small number of suppliers from China and Taiwan said nitrogen made up 12.2 percent or less than 12.2 percent of their nitrocellulose products.

Oleksandr V. Danylyuk, head of the Ukrainian think tank Centre for Defence Reforms (CDR), told CNA that even if nitrogen content went below 12.5 percent, such nitrocellulose can still be used to produce explosives, adding that Taiwan should not neglect the issue.

He added that based on international standards, export control on nitrocellulose products in which nitrogen makes up more than 12.5 percent of the content have been imposed.

To avoid the impact resulting from nitrocellulose shipments reaching Russia through a third party, the ITA said it had held 16 export control conferences in 2023 to raise the awareness among Taiwanese exporters.

ITA added that it has also conducted on-site investigations of Taiwanese suppliers of nitrocellulose.

(By Chen Yun-yu, Liu Chien-ling and Frances Huang)

Enditem/cs

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan May 4, 2024

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/05/04

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

 Date

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Friday to Saturday, May 3-4

PLA activities

9 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.

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Russia warns West on 'dangerous' escalation of tensions in Ukraine war

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 04 May 2024 8:39 AM

Russia has censured "dangerous" remarks made by France's President Emanuel Macron and UK's Foreign Secretary David Cameron about direct intervention in the Ukraine war.

Macron on Thursday reiterated that he does not rule out the option of sending French forces to fight against Russian troops in Ukraine, while Cameron said on the same day that Ukraine will be allowed to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the two officials' comments posed "dangerous" threats that could damage Europe's security.

"This is a very dangerous trend. We are watching this closely. We continue and will continue our special military operation until all our goals are achieved," he said.

"These are examples of a direct escalation of tensions around the Ukrainian conflict, which can potentially pose a threat to European security," he added.

Peskov said Moscow was deeply concerned about such rhetoric coming from official representatives, noting the continued tendency towards escalating tensions with Russia in official statements by Western politicians.

Also on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova insisted that Western countries were waging a war against the Russian troops in Ukraine with the use of foreign weapons.

Zakharova said Western politicians had openly admitted that "the West is waging an open war against Russia at the hands of Ukrainians."

The diplomat noted remarks by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell who asserted that without Western arms supplies Ukraine would capitulate in two weeks.

"An amazing confession! Here's the entire 'peace formula' for you - the end of Western arms supplies to the Kiev regime," she wrote on her Telegram channel.

Despite US-led NATO Western countries all-out support for Ukraine, its military has conceded that Russian troops are stronger than Kiev's forces, having more weapons and munitions.

Deputy chief of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, said, "Our problem is very simple: We have no weapons."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Russian troops had liberated more than 500 square kilometers from Ukrainian forces since the start of the year.

"The Russian groups of forces continue to break through the enemy's strongholds along the entire line of contact," Shoigu said.

Russia's troops launched a special military operation in eastern Ukraine in February 2022 to stop NATO's gradual encroachment towards Russian borders

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Six Injured In Russian Drone Strikes In Ukraine; Blast In Russia's Belgorod

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 04, 2024

At least six people were injured in an overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, according to local officials, while a Russian official said that at least five people were injured in an explosion in the city of Belgorod, near the Ukrainian border.

The Ukrainian Air Force said on May 4 that 13 drones launched by Russia had been shot down, but regional officials said that debris caused injuries and hit critical infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov, writing on Telegram, said a 13-year-old child and a woman had been hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the strikes.

Emergency services were bringing a fire at an office building hit by debris under control, Synyehubov added.

Two people were reported injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to Governor Serhiy Lysak. He said infrastructure and three houses were damaged.

Russia has recently intensified its attacks on the Kharkiv region, whose capital lies just 30 kilometers from the Russian border. Ukrainian troops recaptured substantial amounts of territory in the region in the fall of 2022.

Kharkiv has been targeted by Russian drones and missiles nearly every day for months, raising fears that Moscow could be planning a renewed campaign to capture it.

Major General Vadym Skibitskiy said on May 3 that Russia, which launched the full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022, is trying to exploit its current advantage in weapons and manpower.

"Our problem is very simple: We have no weapons," Skibitskiy was quoted as saying in an interview with The Economist.

In Russia, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram that at least five people were injured and some 30 residences damaged following an explosion in Belgorod, a city about 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Some local Telegram channels suggested the explosion could have been caused by an errant Russian missile.

Kyiv did not comment on the report.

Belgorod has been hit repeatedly over the months by Ukrainian strikes. While casualties have been relatively low, the attacks have rattled local residents and caused many people to leave the city, which had a prewar population of about 333,000.

Separately, the Russian Defense Ministry said its forces shot down four U.S.-made long-range missiles fired by Ukraine over the Russian-occupied Crimea Peninsula.

The claim could not be verified, but Washington has reportedly begun shipping Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Kyiv in recent weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has continued to press for the speedy delivery of promised Western military aid, singling out the need for armored vehicles, ammunition, and missiles.

Zelenskiy has said he expects Russia to launch a major spring and summer offensive.

In April he claimed that Moscow aims to occupy the city of Chasiv Yar, a city in the eastern Donetsk region that has come under direct Russian assault, before May 9.

That is the day Russia celebrates Victory Day, in honor of the defeat of Germany in World War II.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-drone- kharkiv/32933140.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.

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Ukraine's Total Military Casualties in Donetsk Reach 5,100 in Past Week

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian armed forces have suffered over 5,100 military casualties in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the past week as a result of operations by the southern, central and eastern groupings of the Russian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"During the week, in this direction [as a result of actions by the central grouping of Russian forces] Kiev lost more than 2,405 servicepeople, three tanks, including US-made Abrams, 20 armored combat vehicles, including four US-made Bradley, 27 vehicles, 33 field artillery guns, including 14 of Western manufacture," the ministry said.

As a result of successful operations, the units of the central grouping of Russian forces improved the front line and liberated the towns of Novobakhmutovka, Semenovka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic. They also defeated formations of 14 Ukrainian brigades and repulsed 66 enemy counterattacks in the areas of Leninskoe, Umanskoe, New-York, Novokalinovo, Ocheretyno and Netailovo, the Defense Ministry said.

In addition, units of Russia's eastern grouping improved their tactical position during the week, with Kiev losing up to 745 troops, the ministry said.

Russian troops of the southern grouping continued to advance deep into Ukraine's defenses over the past week, defeating 14 brigades and repelling four counterattacks, with Kiev losing more than 2,000 soldiers, it added.

The western grouping of Russian forces destroyed one tank, three armored fighting vehicles, two Grad MLRS combat vehicles, and 27 field artillery pieces, including 13 Western-made, while Ukraine lost up to 975 soldiers, the ministry said.

A Sputnik

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Italian Defense Chief Rules Out Sending Troops to Ukraine as Macron Touts Allied Support

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto ruled out sending troops to Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron insisted this week that many EU nations were on board with the plan.

Macron has told the Economist that the question of sending Western troops to Ukraine would be back on the table if Russian forces broke through the frontline and Kiev made such a request. He insisted that many EU countries agreed to this scenario. This is despite the fact that European leaders flatly rejected the idea in February.

"Our position has not changed: we have always said that Ukraine needed every kind of help, and we are giving it, but we have also always ruled out direct military intervention in the conflict," he told the Corriere della Sera daily in an interview out Saturday.

Crosetto said Italian laws explicitly prohibited direct military interventions unless under the UN mandate. An intervention in Ukraine would lead to a wider conflict, which he insisted would not be beneficial to Ukrainians, in the first place.

"In short, there are no conditions for our direct involvement," the minister concluded.

Crosetto said he was reluctant to judge a president of a friendly nation, adding that he did not understand the point of Macron's declarations, "which are objectively raising tensions."

The Kremlin responded to Macron's remarks on Friday saying they were "important and very dangerous." Russia is closely monitoring statements coming out of Paris, presidential spokesman Dmintry Peskov said.

A Sputnik

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Russian Forces Down 4 Ukrainian ATACMS Missiles Over Crimea

Sputnik News

20240504

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian air defense systems shot down four ATACMS missiles over Crimea in the past night, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

ATACMS missiles are one of the overhyped weapons supplied by West to Kiev regime.

In the course of the special military operation, Russia has consistently warned against arms supplies to Ukraine, shattering the myth of NATO's superiority and proving the ineffectiveness of NATO weapons in modern warfare.

"Over the past night, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using US ATACMS tactical missiles against facilities on the Russian territory was stopped. Four tactical missiles were destroyed by air defense systems on duty over the territory of the Crimean peninsula," the ministry said.

A Sputnik

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The Russian Evil Does Not Diminish Its Desire to Bring Ruins Even on the Eve of Easter - Address by the President

President of Ukraine

4 May 2024 - 20:52

Dear Ukrainians!

Today, all day long, our defenders of the sky had a lot of work. Kharkiv, Odesa, the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions. Only this morning our warriors have already shot down thirteen "Shahed" drones. During the day, Russian terrorists used 8 missiles of various types and almost 70 guided aerial bombs against our border communities and positions at the front. The Russian evil does not diminish its desire to bring ruins even on the eve of Easter. And it is only up to us - all of us and everyone who really helps Ukraine - to determine where these ruins will be stopped and when the occupier will lose.

Now I want to thank each warrior in our mobile firing groups, in the Air Force, in air defense units of other types and branches of the military forces - all those who are protecting now and will continue to protect the Ukrainian skies from Russian terror. It is important to be as attentive as possible these days.

I would also like to give special mention to the soldiers of the 110th separate mechanized brigade for shooting down another Russian Su-25 in the Donetsk region today. Good job, guys!

I thank all our warriors at the front, on combat missions, at combat posts - all those who despite the intense Russian pressure, despite all the difficulties of the current situation destroy the occupier. Every combat brigade of ours that holds its positions firmly, every warrior who ensures the result for himself, for his brothers-in-arms, and for his unit, defends the whole of Ukraine and preserves the opportunity for Ukraine not only to withstand but also to repel the occupier.

This morning Oleksandr Syrskyi delivered a long report. The Commander-in-Chief spoke particularly about our frontline positions, concrete actions of our units, and particular directions. I thank each of our warriors for their resilience! The Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov also delivered a report today. We are aware of all the aspects of the current situation.

All of us should remember that Russia can only be forced to leave Ukraine alone. And this will happen. Our strength will definitely make it happen. The strength of our people, our military strength, the strength of our unity with the world, the strength of our partners - the strength of our diplomacy. I thank everyone in the team of our country - in my team, and in the teams of our partner countries - who are already working these days to ensure that in June all of us - all the countries of the world that value life - achieve a truly significant political result. The Global Peace Summit will be held, and it has to be successful, no matter how hard they try to sabotage it. Putin does not want peace, he is insane, and every day his state does new things to prove it. And to overcome this evil, to overcome the war, we need the maximum unity of the world. We achieve the results together.

I thank everyone who is fighting and working for the sake of our country and people! I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine! I thank everyone who really provides us with timely and strong support!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Russian forces flatten village in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region

By VOA News May 04, 2024

Russian forces have gained a "foothold" in the village of Ocheretyne, with a prewar population of 3,000, Ukraine's military said, noting that fierce fighting continues in the area as Ukrainian forces struggle to repel the Russians in Ukraine's Eastern Donetsk region.

Russian troops have been barraging Kyiv's ammunition-depleted forces with artillery, drones and bombs.

Drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows Ocheretyne obliterated by Russian strikes, with not a single building in the village untouched after the attacks.

Ukraine's Kharkiv and Dnipro regions also were hit by Russian drones overnight. At least six people were injured, including a 13-year-old child, when the drones struck commercial and residential buildings, regional officials said Saturday.

While the Ukrainian Air Force said it downed all 13 Shahed drones targeting the regions, the debris from the falling drones in Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv struck civilian targets, injured four people and caused a fire in an office building that has been brought under control, the regional governor, Oleh Synehubov, said in a post on the Telegram app.

Russian state news agency RIA reported Saturday that Russian forces targeted a drone warehouse overnight in Kharkiv that it said had been used by Ukrainian troops. The state media cited Sergei Lebedev, a self-described coordinator of local pro-Moscow guerrillas.

His comments could not be independently verified, AP said.

In the industrial Dnipropetrovsk region, two people were wounded, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak, who said a critical infrastructure facility and three houses were damaged.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday its air defense forces shot down four U.S.-produced long-range missiles known by the acronym ATACMS over the Crimean Peninsula. The ministry said that in the past week it has downed 15 ATACMS.

The United States has quietly shipped the long-range missiles to Ukraine in recent weeks.

During a press briefing 10 days ago, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that a "significant number" of the missiles had been sent to Ukraine and added "we will send more."

Sullivan said Ukraine committed to using the weapons only inside Ukraine, not in Russia. He said the missiles used for the first time in the early hours of April 17, however, were deployed against a Russian airfield in Crimea, about 165 kilometers from the Ukrainian front lines.

The U.S. official added that initially the Pentagon was reluctant to send the ATACMS, fearing Ukraine would fire inside Russia, leading to an escalation of tensions between the Kremlin and Washington.

Nevertheless, Sullivan noted, Russia's use of North Korean-supplied long-range ballistic missiles against Ukraine last December and January, despite U.S. public and private warnings not to do so, led to a change of heart.

Meanwhile, Russia is lashing out at NATO's four-month-long military exercises, known as Steadfast Defender. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in statement Saturday that NATO's exercises close to Russia's borders are proof that the Western alliance is preparing for a potential conflict with Russia.

Zakharova dismissed NATO accusations that Russia is engaged in hybrid attacks on NATO member states, calling them misinformation aimed at distracting people from the alliance's activities.

The Kremlin also criticized as dangerous some comments by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron that indicated their countries' direct involvement in Ukraine's war against Russia.

"This is a direct escalation of tension around the Ukrainian conflict, which could potentially pose a danger to European security, to the entire European security architecture," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday at a press briefing.

During a visit to Kyiv, Cameron told Reuters that Ukraine has the right to strike in self-defense. "Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," he said.

Cameron promised $3.7 billion of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes" on Thursday, adding that London had no objection to its weapons being used inside Russia.

In a separate interview Thursday, Macron repeated an earlier comment of his that he doesn't exclude sending troops to Ukraine, an act, Russia said, that would lead to a direct and dangerous escalation of tensions around the conflict.

On Saturday, Russia put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a wanted list, according to Russian state news agency TASS, citing the Interior Ministry's database without providing any further details.

Russia has issued arrest warrants for Ukrainian and other European politicians since the beginning of its invasion on Ukraine in 2022.

Among them are Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Lithuania's culture minister, as well as members of the previous Latvian parliament, for destroying Soviet-era monuments.

Russia also issued an arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court prosecutor who issued a warrant last year for Russian President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.

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Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite news network to close Sunday, escalating a long-running feud between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government as Doha-mediated cease-fire negotiations with Hamas hang in the balance.

The extraordinary order, which includes confiscating broadcast equipment, preventing the broadcast of the channels reports and blocking its websites, is believed to be the first time Israel has ever shuttered a foreign news outlet operating in the country.

Al Jazeera went off Israels main cable and satellite providers in the hours after the order. However, its website and multiple online streaming links still operated Sunday.

The network has reported the Israeli-Hamas war nonstop since the militants' initial cross-border attack Oct. 7 and has maintained 24-hour coverage in the Gaza Strip amid Israel's grinding ground offensive that has killed and wounded members of its staff. While including on-the-ground reporting of the war's casualties, its Arabic arm often publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and other regional militant groups.

Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israels security and incited against soldiers, Netanyahu said in a statement. Its time to remove the Hamas mouthpiece from our country.

Al Jazeera issued a statement vowing it will pursue all available legal channels through international legal institutions in its quest to protect both its rights and journalists, as well as the publics right to information.

Israels ongoing suppression of the free press, seen as an effort to conceal its actions in the Gaza Strip, stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law, the network said. Israels direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and threats will not deter Al Jazeera."

The Israeli government has taken action against individual reporters over the decades since its founding in 1948, but broadly allows for a rambunctious media scene that includes foreign bureaus from around the world, even from Arab nations. It also blocked the foreign broadcasts of the Hezbollah-affiliated, Beirut-based Al Mayadeen news channel at the start of the war.

A law passed last month allows the government to take action against Al Jazeera, Netanyahu's office said.

Israeli Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi later published footage online of authorities raiding a hotel room Al Jazeera had been broadcasting from in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to one day have for their future state. He said officials seized some of the channel's equipment there.

We finally are able to stop Al Jazeeras well-oiled incitement machine that harms the security of the country, Karhi said. His office said it would bar Al Jazeera from operating in Israel for at least 45 days, a measure that can be renewed.

The ban did not appear to affect the channels operations in the occupied West Bank or Gaza Strip, where Israel wields control but which are not sovereign Israeli territory.

The decision threatens to heighten tensions with Qatar at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza, along with Egypt and the United States.

Qatar has had strained ties with Netanyahu in particular since he made comments suggesting that Qatar is not exerting enough pressure on Hamas to prompt it to relent in its terms for a truce deal. Qatar hosts Hamas leaders in exile in Doha.

The sides appear to be close to striking a deal, but multiple previous rounds of talks have ended with no agreement.

In a statement Sunday, Hamas condemned the Israeli government order, calling on international organizations to take measures against Israel.

The Foreign Press Association in Israel criticized the order.

With this decision, Israel joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station, it said. This is a dark day for the media. The New York-based Committee to Project Journalists similarly warned the move represented an extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel.

Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watchs Israel and Palestine director, criticized the Israeli order as an assault on freedom of the press.

Rather than trying to silence reporting on its atrocities in Gaza, the Israeli government should stop committing them, he added.

Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias. Relations took a major downturn nearly two years ago when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.

Those relations further deteriorated following the outbreak of Israels war against Hamas on Oct. 7, when the militant group carried out a cross-border attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Since then, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed over 34,000 people, according to local health officials there, who don't break figures down into civilians and combatants.

Israeli media largely has avoided the plight of those in the Gaza Strip, instead focusing on the Oct. 7 attack, the hostages held there and tales of Israeli military heroism.

Meanwhile in December, an Israeli strike killed an Al Jazeera cameraman as he reported on the war in southern Gaza. The channels bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Dahdouh, was wounded in the same attack. Dahdouh, a correspondent well-known to Palestinians during many wars, later evacuated Gaza but only after Israeli strikes killed his wife, three of his children and a grandson.

Al Jazeera is one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting bloody scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and accusing Israel of massacres.

Criticism of the channel is not new, however. The U.S. government singled out the broadcaster during Americas occupation of Iraq after its 2003 invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein and for airing videos of the late al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.

Al Jazeera has been closed or blocked by other Mideast governments.

Most notably in 2013, Egyptian authorities raided a luxury hotel used by Al Jazeera as an operating base after the military takeover that followed mass protests against President Mohammed Morsi. Three Al Jazeera staff members received 10-year prison sentences, but were released in 2015 following widespread international criticism. (AP)
Russia adds Ukraine's Zelensky on its wanted criminal list

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 05 May 2024 9:02 AM

Russia has added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to its wanted criminal list, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday.

The Russian Interior Ministry said that a case had been opened against Zelensky "under an article of the criminal code" but provided no details about the charges leveled against Zelensky.

Zelensky's predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, was also featured on the ministry's list of people wanted.

The commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Oleksandr Pavlyuk, was also on the list.

Mediazona, a Russian news outlet, said Saturday that both Zelensky and Poroshenko had been listed since at least late February.

Russia's wanted list also includes other officials and lawmakers from Ukraine and NATO countries. Among them is Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of NATO and EU member Estonia, who has fiercely advocated for increased military aid to Kiev and stronger sanctions against Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly censured the Ukrainian leaders for the "terrorist" attacks carried out inside Russia.

In February 2022, Russia launched a "special military operation" against Ukraine to "de-Nazify" and "de-militarize" its southern neighbor, saying radical nationalist and neo-Nazi groups heavily influence Kiev.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children. The accusations against the Russian leader have been rejected by Moscow as politically-motivated.

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Russia Claims Control Over Eastern Ukrainian Town, As Rocket Strikes Kill 3

By RFE/RL May 05, 2024

Russian forces say they have claimed control over an eastern Ukrainian town whose defenses they had broken through about two weeks ago, as Russian rockets killed at least three people in eastern villages.

Kyiv had no immediate comment about Russia's claim on May 5 to have captured Ocheretyne, a town with a prewar population of about 3,700 but which has been left largely in ruins by the fighting.

If confirmed, however, it would be the latest in a series of battlefield setbacks for Ukrainian forces, who have struggled to hold back a Russian offensive while also grappling with shortages of men and ammunition.

The violence came as Ukrainian Orthodox believers marked the third Easter since the Russian invasion by gathering in Kyiv's main cathedral and other churches around the country.

In a video posted to Telegram and his website, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Ukrainians to unite in prayer.

Ukrainian officials urged residents to mark Easter services online out of safety concerns.

"Ukraine is going through dark and difficult times. For the third Easter in a row, we meet during a full-scale war. But light always overcomes darkness, life overcomes death, good will blow evil, and hope will surely overcome fear," Serhiy Popko, the head of the Ukrainian capital's military administration, wrote on Telegram.

In its daily update, Russia's Defense Ministry said troops from its Center command group had taken control of the town, but it gave no further details.

Ukraine's military was buoyed by last month's decision by the U.S. Congress to send $60 billion in weaponry and equipment. But it will take time for the guns, shells, and vehicles to start appearing on the battlefield.

A newly passed law aimed at bolstering Ukraine's troop levels is also critical, but training new soldiers will also take weeks, if not months.

To the north, Ukrainian forces are trying to blunt a Russian effort to seize the height-of-land town of Chasiv Yar.

Russian troops have entered the town's eastern outskirts, and are also trying to flank the settlement. But they've been thwarted in trying to cross a major canal that separates the eastern district from the main center.

In Ocheretyne, meanwhile, Russian troops were able to push through Ukrainian defenses after what some observers have called a botched troop rotation involving exhausted units.

Since April 22, open-source intelligence maps show, Russian forces have steadily pushed west and north out of the village.

Elsewhere, two people were killed overnight when Russian rockets hit their house in the village of Pokrovsk, about 40 kilometers west of Ocheretyne, according to Vadym Filashkin, the military governor of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control.

Ukrainian authorities said another Russian strike, on Monachynivka in the Kharkiv region, killed an 88-year-old woman.

Ukraine's military said Russia launched two dozen kamikaze drones over multiple targets overnight. All but one were downed, the military claimed.

Russia's weekslong bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure has caused more than $1 billion in damage, the country's energy minister said, leading to blackouts in many regions.

"Today, we are talking about the amounts of losses for more than a billion dollars. But the attacks continue, and it is obvious that the losses will grow," Herman Halushchenko said in a statement on May 5.

In Washington, the White House's national-security adviser said Russia was still expected to advance further "in the coming period," because "you can't instantly flip the switch."

But, speaking to the Financial Times on May 4, Jake Sullivan also said that Kyiv would have the capacity to "hold the line" and "to ensure Ukraine withstands the Russian assault" over the course of 2024.

Ukraine intends to "to move forward to recapture the territory that the Russians have taken from them," he was quoted as saying.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-donetsk-russian- strikes/32933946.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.

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Lavrov Says West, Ukraine Not Ready for Serious Talks With Russia

Sputnik News

20240505

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Neither Ukrainian nor Western politicians are ready to engage in any serious negotiations with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, describing the upcoming Swiss-hosted conference on Ukraine as a "parody of negotiations."

"We have nobody to talk to. I cited some statements by Ukrainian, US and European leadership, the political class. None of them are ready for a serious conversation. They are 'playing' a parody of negotiations by having a meeting in Switzerland. The Copenhagen format is completely dead-ended," Lavrov told Bosnian broadcaster ATV in an interview released on Sunday.

Lavrov emphasized that the West is trying "by hook or by crook, blackmail and lies" to drag the maximum number of developing countries and countries of the Global South into "gatherings" in Switzerland.

Switzerland will hold a conference on Ukraine on June 15-16 near the city of Lucerne. About 160 states have been invited to the meeting, but Russia will not attend. Russian Ambassador to Bern Sergei Garmonin previously told Sputnik that Russia will not participate in any format in the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, the purpose of which is to present an ultimatum to Moscow. He added that this conference would turn into a noisy but empty PR campaign. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov previously said that the negotiation process on Ukraine without the participation of Russia makes no sense.

Moscow has repeatedly indicated that it is ready for negotiations, but Kiev has introduced a ban on them at the legislative level. The West constantly calls on the Russian Federation to negotiate, for which Moscow shows readiness, but at the same time the West ignores Kiev's constant refusals to do the same. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia stated in an interview with Sputnik that Moscow is ready to consider proposals for a settlement that take into account the proposals of the Russian side and the situation "on the ground", but the Ukrainian regime is not interested in this.

A Sputnik

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Switzerland Will Not Supply Weapons to Ukraine - President

Sputnik News

20240505

GENEVA (Sputnik) - Switzerland will not supply weapons to Ukraine, since the law on the state of emergency does not apply in this case, Swiss President Viola Amherd said on Sunday.

"The state of emergency law has not been discussed. The right to the state of emergency can only be invoked in cases of extreme necessity, such as during the COVID-19 crisis. The parliament is currently discussing an amendment to the law on military equipment," Amherd told the Blick newspaper.

Moscow repeatedly warned against military supplies to Kiev and stressed that they only fuel the conflict with no chance to affect the direct outcome of special military operation.

A Sputnik

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Russian Troops Fully Liberated Ocheretino Settlement in Donetsk People's Republic

Sputnik News

20240505

Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 380 soldiers and another Abrams tank, while Russian forces improved their positions on the battlefield, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Russian troops have taken full control of the village of Ocheretino in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.

"As a result of active operations, units of the Tsetr Battlegroup completely liberated the settlement of Ocheretino (DPR), improved the tactical situation and defeated the formations of the 24th and 115th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Arkhangelskoye and Novgorodskoye (DPR)," the ministry said.

In addition, according to the ministry, eight counterattacks by assault groups of the 78th Separate Airborne Assault Regiment, 47th Mechanized, 142nd, 143rd Infantry, 68th Jaeger Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled during the day in the areas of the settlements of Novokalinovo, Ocheretino, Solovyevo, Berdychi, Semyonovka and Netaylovo of the Donetsk People's Republic.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 380 military personnel, a US-made Abrams tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, including a US-made Bradley, an armored combat vehicle and three pickup trucks. During the counter-battery battle, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer and a 155-mm self-propelled artillery mount were hit, as well as a Krab made in Poland, a 105-mm light howitzer M102 made in the USA, a 152-mm D-20 howitzer, a 122-mm self-propelled artillery mount Gvozdika and a 122-mm D-30 howitzer," the department said.

A Sputnik

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Russian airstrikes kill 3, injure 17 in Ukraine on Orthodox Easter Sunday

By VOA News May 05, 2024

Russian airstrikes hit the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv killing three people and injuring at least 17, officials said Sunday, as the two countries observed Orthodox Easter Sunday.

Russia had used a guided aerial bomb in the strike launched from a plane. The region's governor, Oleg Syniehubov wrote on the Telegram messaging app that Russia is using such extremely destructive weapons more frequently.

He also said a separate overnight drone attack on the city of Kharkiv wounded six, including a 9-year-old child.

The Russian defense ministry said Sunday its forces seized the village of Ocheretyne with a prewar population of 3,000, in Donetsk. Russian troops have been pummeling Kyiv's ammunition-depleted forces with artillery, drones and bombs.

Russian troops advanced in eastern Ukraine, particularly around the strategic town of Chasiv Yar, while Kyiv's troops wait for U.S. military aid that would help them push back Russian forces.

Despite the imminent Russian threat, residents in Kostiantynivka, 15 kilometers (about 9.32 miles) southwest of Chasiv Yar, attended the Orthodox Easter liturgy.

"We came in 2022 and in 2023, and we'll come again," said Natalia Hryhorieva, 58, outside an Orthodox church as she waited for a priest to bless her Easter basket with holy water.

In the background, cannon fire could be heard. The priest led a prayer for Ukraine's victor

Kostiantynivka, a key Ukrainian city in the industrialized Donetsk region, could be next in line to face a Russian onslaught if Chasiv Yar falls, analysts have said.

In an Easter message from Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to unite in prayer for each other and soldiers on the front line, saying God has a "Ukrainian flag on his shoulder."

"Let's pray for each other. When we all came closer to each other, we were no longer strangers to each other," he said in a video posted on Telegram. Standing in front of the 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has now been fighting for 802 days against Russia.

In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin attended an Easter service led by the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a staunch supporter of the Russian leader and Russia's war in Ukraine.

Eastern Orthodox Christians usually celebrate Easter later than Catholic and Protestant churches, because they use a different methodology for calculating the date of what they believe is Christ's resurrection.

Ukraine's Kharkiv and Dnipro regions also were hit by Russian drones Saturday. At least six people were injured, including a 13-year-old, when the drones struck commercial and residential buildings, regional officials said.

The Ukrainian air force said it downed 23 out of 24 Shahed drones targeting the regions again Sunday, with the debris from the falling drones in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv striking civilian targets, injuring four people and causing a fire in an office building that has been brought under control, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a post on Telegram.

Ten more people were wounded in an airstrike Sunday afternoon on the Kharkiv regional capital, also called Kharkiv, Syniehubov said.

Fires broke out when debris from the drones that were shot down fell on buildings in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. No casualties were reported.

Russian state news agency RIA reported Saturday that Russian forces targeted a drone warehouse overnight in Kharkiv that it said had been used by Ukrainian troops. The state media cited Sergei Lebedev, a self-described coordinator of local pro-Moscow guerrillas.

His comments could not be independently verified, The Associated Press reported.

Some information for this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.

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At the battle of Stirling Bridge, 11 September 1297, the movie Braveheart has William Wallace provoking the English to battle, saying "Here are Scotland's terms. Lower your flags, and march straight back to England, stopping at every home to beg forgiveness for 100 years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today. ... Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own ass."

Putin's Nuclear Crisis - May 2024

Threats about the use of nuclear weapons from the Kremlin have been heard since the beginning of a full-scale war. This is cynically called protection of Russian interests.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not dare to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine because he fears losing power, money, and, most importantly, societal support, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 03 May 2024 during a meeting with lyceum school students, cadets, and teachers of the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky. "When it comes to Russia's threats of nuclear catastrophe or nuclear strikes, these are sick-minded individuals, that's a fact. So, to say definitively whether they are capable or incapable of this is impossible. Because with sick-minded individuals, it's difficult to say until the end," noted Zelensky. In his opinion, "despite this illness, these individuals cherish life very much, love themselves, are very afraid of losing power and money, and most importantly, losing societal support."

"All this, what I've listed: life, power, society, and the 'red line' that nuclear weapons cross with the whole world, this is a fact. Even those countries that balance between us and Russia and cannot decide, even these countries will turn away from Russia after a nuclear strike of any scale on any territory," the president said. Zelenskyy believes that people who are afraid of losing money, power, and their lives will never use nuclear weapons. "Otherwise, they will be eliminated. No matter how. They will all be eliminated, in my opinion," added the head of state.

A total Russian victory over Ukraine in which the entire country is defeated would be detrimental to European and NATO security, as it could allow Moscow to place missiles at the EUs doorstep, French President Emmanuel Macron said 05 May 2024. In an interview with the French daily La Tribune, Macron, who has famously refused to rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine, once again advocated a policy of strategic ambiguity towards Russia, arguing that the key idea behind such an approach is to project strength while not giving too many details.

Describing Russia as an adversary, the French president stressed that establishing a priori limits would be interpreted as weakness. We must remove all visibility from it, because that is what creates the ability to deter, he argued. Macron further noted that Ukraine is crucial to Frances security because it is located only 1,500 kilometers from its borders. If Russia wins, the next second, there is no longer any security possible in Romania, in Poland, in Lithuania and not in our country either. The capability and range of Russian ballistic missiles expose us all, he said.

Moscow announced 06 May 2024 that it planned to test its ability to deploy tactical nuclear weapons. Russian Ministry of Defense stated : On the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions, the General Staff has begun preparations for holding exercises in the near future with missile formations of the Southern Military District with the involvement of aviation, as well as the forces of the Navy. During the exercise, a set of activities will be carried out to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The exercise is aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to respond and in order to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation."

It was the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises. Russias upcoming exercises to test its tactical nuclear weapons should be viewed in light of the belligerent statements made by some Western officials and NATOs destabilizing actions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The exercises, which were ordered by President Vladimir Putin, will be held in the near future, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The exercise will be conducted in the near future and was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the ministry said. It said the training was ordered by President Vladimir Putin after provocative statements and threats by Western officials.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the move was a response to the continued power politics pursued by the US and its allies against Russia. Washington and Kievs other backers openly declare their support for Ukrainian terrorist acts and directly contribute to such attacks, the statement read, pointing to the continued supply of ever more powerful Western weapons to Ukraine. It particularly drew attention to the US-made ATACMS missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory.

Last week, former UK prime minister and current Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated that Kiev had every right to use British weapons to strike targets inside Russia as well. The US had also "created new threats" to Russias national security through deployment of its intermediate-range ground-based missile systems around the world, the ministry said. Such weapons were banned under the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), but Washington unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2019.

The move left Russia with no choice but to leave the treaty as well. However, Moscow introduced a moratorium on fielding weapons that used to be covered by the treaty. Russia now reserves the right to a mirror response to American actions, the ministry said, adding that the moratorium could be lifted. Moscow also slammed statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about a potential NATO troop deployment to Ukraine. This cannot be perceived in any other way than a demonstration of the readiness and willingness to enter a direct military confrontation with Russia, the ministry warned. Last week, Macron said that Western nations would have to consider such an option if Kiev officially requested it. Such actions of the NATO member states show that they deliberately strive for further escalation of the Ukraine crisis towards a direct military clash between NATO and Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia has decided to hold tactical nuclear weapons drills in response to certain NATO countries remarks about potentially sending troops to Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. According to Peskov, the decision was made following a new and unprecedented escalation of the situation surrounding the Ukraine conflict. They talked about the readiness and even the intention to send armed contingents to Ukraine, that is, to actually put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian military, Peskov said at a press briefing. This is a new round of escalation of tension, and it is unprecedented. It requires special attention and special measures, Peskov told journalists.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow cited provocative statements and threats against Russia by certain Western officials as the reason for the exercise. Missile forces from the Southern Military District will be directly involved in the drills, the ministry said. The goal is to iron out the practical aspects of the preparation and deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons, it added.

The US, the UK, France and other Western nations should take a Russian nuclear drill as a reminder of where escalation of the Ukraine conflict could take them, former President Dmitry Medvedev said 06 May 2024. Medvedev, who serves as deputy head of the Russian Security Council, referred to debates in the West about possible deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine, as well as active encouragement [of Kiev] to use [Western] missile weapons against the entire Russian territory as grounds for the drill. "The chorus of irresponsible scoundrels among the Western political elite calling for the sending of their troops to a non-existent country is growing. Now it includes representatives of the US Congress, French and British leadership, and individual madmen from the Baltic states and Poland. They also call for the active use of their missile weapons, which they supplied to Banderas supporters, throughout Russia.

"And this is not a spring aggravation, but a cynical calculation of political dividends. There is some kind of total degradation of the ruling class in the West. This class really does not want to logically connect elementary things. Sending your troops to the territory of b. Ukraine will entail the direct entry of their countries into the war, to which we will have to respond. And, alas, not in the territory of b. Ukraine. In this case, none of them will be able to hide either on Capitol Hill, or in the Elysee Palace, or in 10 Downing Street. A world catastrophe will come. By the way, Kennedy and Khrushchev were able to understand this more than 60 years ago. But the current infantile morons who have seized power in the West do not want to understand. And that is why today the General Staff began preparations for the exercises, including activities for practical testing of the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons."

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric expressed concern that various parties have been talking about issues regarding nuclear weapons more and more recently. Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level, Dujarric said. All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided.

The Russian announcement stirred little reaction in Ukraine, where the spokesman for the Military Intelligence agency, Andrii Yusov, said on national television: Nuclear blackmail is a usual practice of Putins regime; it does not constitute major news.

"Russias rhetoric  their nuclear rhetoric  has been reckless and irresponsible throughout this conflict. That said, we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture in response to these announcements, nor any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine." Matthew Miller, spokesperson of the US State Department, said 07 May 2024.

In accordance with the order of the President of the Republic of Belarus, a sudden inspection of non-strategic nuclear weapons carriers is being carried out in the Armed Forces. Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin said 07 May 2024 : "Today an order was received from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus to conduct a surprise inspection of the forces and means of non-strategic nuclear weapons carriers. A division of the Iskander operational-tactical complex and a squadron of Su-25 aircraft are being prepared to carry out their intended missions. The inspection will be carried out strictly in accordance with the time regulations established by the Commander-in-Chief. During it, the entire range of activities from planning, preparation and use of strikes with tactical nuclear weapons will be tested.""

All the people should unite in order to prevent World War Three and a nuclear apocalypse. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the statement during the ceremony held on 09 May 2024 to lay wreaths and flowers at the Victory Monument as part of the patriotic campaign Belarus remembers!. The head of state stressed that the West is driven by material gains and rejects dialogue and cooperation. In these conditions the voice of everyone, who speaks up to defend peace, who desires cooperation, and shares ideals of justice and global equality, has never been more important. But we dont hear these voices, unfortunately, the president pointed out. We know how such silence ended last century. Today they want to once again push us into the same abyss.

We should do everything to prevent World War Three. Otherwise, a nuclear apocalypse will be unavoidable. All of us have to unite for this purpose, the president stated. "In the course of its history humanity has already managed to get united once against a universal evil and this unity led to victory, the head of state recalled. Back then we crushed fascism because we stood together: Russians and Belarusians, Ukrainians and Kazakhs, Lithuanians and Uzbeks, Moldovans and Tajiks. All the peoples of the large Soviet country. Tens of other nations fought with us against Hitlers horde. Including nations of Europe and the United States of America, Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Dmitry Medvedev wrote 10 May 2024 : "Here someone called Cameron called to fight Putin to the bitter end. Ox... I remember this guy quite well. I worked with him when he became prime minister. An ordinary dull Brit. He was then joyfully stupid and looked like a young devil (wisdom) of silt, who revels in his unexpectedly acquired position. By the way, he was not even a patent Russophobe then. So, average, no more... And now? Ukrainians, you can fire our missiles wherever you want. And we British are not afraid of anything, not even a nuclear conflict.

"Steep! In vain, uncle. After all, Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG is not controlled by idiots in embroidered shirts, but by the British and French. Under certain circumstances, the answer for this will fly not only to Kyiv. And not only with conventional explosives, but also with special ammunition. And practicing a response to such attacks is the goal of the planned exercises. And even the not fully educated Morons of His Royal Majesty should understand this. What about the fight against Putin? In other words, the fight against Russia. I don't have a decent answer, except maybe one. David, be more careful. It's possible... No, I will not. He's also indecent..."

By Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koc University, Istanbul, wrote 10 May 2024 : "Great Britains Foreign Secretary David Cameron publicly encouraged Kiev to use British Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron continued to threaten a direct  not covert, as at present  intervention by French, that is, NATO, troops (In addition, an intriguing and much-discussed article reported that a deployment of 1,500 troops from Frances Foreign Legion had already begun. While its sources were hard to assess, its claims appeared too plausible for easy dismissal.) Moscow, in return, issued a set of stark warnings, laying down  or highlighting  red lines. It announced drills with tactical nuclear weapons. Belarus did the same; in Minsks case, the weapons in question are, of course, also Russian. In addition, the British and French ambassadors received extremely straight talk about the risks their respective governments were running....

"Addressing London, Moscow made clear that Kiev striking inside Russia with British missiles would expose Britain to catastrophic consequences, in particular, Russian retaliation against British forces anywhere. Regarding France, Moscow blasted its belligerent and provocative conduct and defied as futile French attempts to produce strategic ambiguity.....

we have that persistent policy of Moscow, namely its nuclear doctrine. Much Western commentary tends to overlook or downplay this factor, caricaturing Russias repeated warnings about nuclear weapons as saber-rattling. Yet, in reality, these warnings are consistent expressions of a policy that has been developed since the early 2000s, that is, for almost a quarter-century.

"A key feature of this doctrine is that Russia explicitly retains the option of using nuclear weapons at a relatively early stage in a major conflict and before an adversary has had recourse to them. Many Western analysts have described the purpose of this posture as facilitating a strategy of escalating to deescalate (sometimes abbreviated as E2DE), here meaning specifically to end a conventional conflict on favorable terms through a limited use of nuclear weapons to deter the adversary from continuing.... one side of its nuclear doctrine stresses that nuclear weapons could only be used if the existence of the Russian state was in danger, as has just been underlined again by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. But to misunderstand this as a promise that Moscow would only use nukes if Moscow were under siege and half of Russias territory or population gone already, would be foolish. In reality, there also is room in its nuclear doctrine for treating the unconditional territorial integrity and sovereignty of Russia as critical thresholds."

"We warn that they are playing with fire. They have long been in a state of indirect war with the Russian Federation," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told TASS 17 May 2024, referring to the United States. "They somehow fail to realise that, in order to satisfy their own geopolitical ideas, they are approaching a phase in which it will be very difficult to control what is happening and to prevent a dramatic crisis."

Troops of Russias Southern Military District launched the first stage of recently announced tactical nuclear drills on 21 May 2024, the Defense Ministry in Moscow confirmed. When announcing the drills a week previously, the ministry explained that the exercise is designed to serve as a deterrent amid continued escalation between Russia and the West, by demonstrating Moscows ability to respond to any external threats. It will involve delivery of nuclear weapons to troops from storage sites, arming tactical nuclear missiles, and preparation of missile launches, Moscow announced in a statement on Telegram. A video published by the military shows crews of several Iskander-M systems arming them with missiles and preparing them for launch.

The troops will be using the Iskander-M systems, which can fire 9M723-1 ballistic missiles or 9M728 cruise missiles, both of which can carry tactical nuclear warheads with yields between five and 50 kilotons. The Southern Military District forces will also practice covert deployment operations using the systems, as part of launch-preparation drills, according to the military. The exercise will also involve nuclear arming of the air-launched missiles, including the state-of-the-art, hypersonic Kinzhal. The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles and the Kh-32 cruise missiles that are delivered by Russian bombers are capable of carrying warheads similar to those mounted on Iskander projectiles. During the drills, Russian aircraft are to fly on patrol missions armed with these missiles, according to the ministry.

The drills are aimed at maintaining the combat readiness of the personnel and equipment of the non-strategic nuclear-weapon units, the ministrys statement said. It added that Russian forces should be ready to unconditionally ensure sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, amid provocative statements and threats made by some Western officials. Moscow announced the drills earlier in May, citing what it called a new and unprecedented escalation in the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin pointed to statements by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has repeatedly refused to rule out a NATO deployment in Ukraine. Similar ideas have been voiced by US House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. Former UK prime minister and current Foreign Secretary David Cameron also stated recently that Kiev has the right to use British weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia. In response, Moscow summoned the British ambassador and warned of a potential response to such attacks.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said later that the drills should be viewed as an attempt to cool hot heads in the West amid belligerent statements and destabilizing actions of the NATO countries. The Southern Military District where the exercise is taking place covers the southern part of European Russia, mostly lying between the Black and the Caspian Seas, and comprises a total of 19 regions, including Crimea and the four former Ukrainian territories that joined Russia in autumn 2022.

The Kremlin acts in the way so that its nuclear saber-rattling overlaps with major policy discussions in the West, impacting Western decision-makers. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated this in its report 21 May 2024. ISW recalled that the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on May 21 that missile elements of the Southern Military District (SMD) began the first stage of non-strategic (tactical) nuclear weapons exercises. In addition, Russian Aerospace Forces will also exercise with Iskander ballistic missiles and Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles.

Experts add that a famous Kremlin-awarded military blogger explicitly tied Russian tactical nuclear weapons exercises to Kremlin efforts to have influence on the discussions about the restrictions on Ukraines use of Western-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia. [This is] echoing ISWs assessment that Russias tactical nuclear weapons tests are part of a Kremlin reflexive control campaign that often uses nuclear saber-rattling to influence Western decision-makers to engage in self-deterrence, the report says.

At the same time, ISW keeps saying that Western limits on Ukraines ability to strike military targets in Russia are severely compromising Ukraines ability to defend itself against current Russian offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast or any area along the international border where Russian forces may choose to conduct offensive operations in the future.

Sergey Poletaev, information analyst and publicist, co-founder and editor of the Vatfor project, wrote 22 May 2024 "The reason for the Wests indecisiveness is clear: it fears an escalation of the conflict. Russia is the worlds largest nuclear power and President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he will not tolerate a widespread NATO intervention, which will result in a nuclear war. Moscows warnings have challenged Western countries, headed by the US, to find ways to intervene without intervening and to enable Ukraine to win (or at least save face) without directly defeating Russia. In short, Western countries are forced to walk the thin line between defeat and nuclear war, without a clear end goal in sight.

"After the failure to cut open a land corridor to Crimea, the West has not been able to find an alternative military strategy. Moreover, it has no idea how to get out of the war of attrition which, even in the case of a positional deadlock and a static front, will result in Ukraines defeat, since an opponent that is many times weaker (Ukraines current population is at least five times less than that of Russia) will inevitably lose. We see plenty of such examples in history"....

"And what about sending troops to Ukraine  will the West actually do it? ... even though such efforts might stabilize the situation at the front and save the AFU (supposing that the Kremlin does not declare a greater or even full mobilization in response), it would not guarantee Russias defeat but would only bring nuclear war closer."

Russian President Vladimir Putin on 28 May 2024 warned that NATO is playing with fire by proposing to let Ukraine use Western weapons to strike targets inside Russia. "Constant escalation can lead to serious consequences," Putin told reporters in Tashkent. "If these serious consequences occur in Europe, how will the United States behave, bearing in mind our parity in the field of strategic weapons? ... It's hard to say - do they want a global conflict?" Putin said Ukrainian strikes on Russia with long-range weapons would need Western satellite, intelligence and military help - so the West would be directly involved. He said sending French troops to Ukraine would be a step towards a global conflict.

"It's playing with fire, without a doubt," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said denouncing an attempt to "weaken Russia" by "Washington, London and their satellites in the EU". Russia's top diplomat warned Sunday that Western nations were "playing with fire" by agreeing to provide Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighter jets, calling it "an unacceptable escalation" of the conflict.

The Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, cautioned against authorizing the use of NATO-supplied weapons by Ukraine in Russian territory, warning that it would unleash an "uncontrollable escalation" of the conflict. It is a truly disturbing prospect, he said 30 May 2024 at the margins of the presentation of a book on Vatican banking in Milan, Italy. The use of the weapons provided by Ukraines Western allies to strike targets inside Russia has become a hot-button issue among NATO members especially since the new offensive launched by Russia in the Kharkiv region, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urging them to abandon the position some of them have held throughout Russia's 27-month-old full-scale invasion.

Commenting on these developments with the press in Milan, Cardinal Parolin reiterated the Holy Sees concerns over the risk of a further escalation of the conflict. "I think this possibility should concern all those who have the fate of our world at heart," he said. "This could entail an escalation that no one will be able to control any longer.

The Washington Post reported 29 May 2024 that its been told by anonymous US officials that The United States is concerned about Ukraines recent strikes against Russian ballistic missile early-warning sites. Washington has conveyed its concerns to Kyiv about two attempted attacks over the last week against radar stations that provide conventional air defense as well as warning of nuclear launches by the West. The US says These sites have not been involved in supporting Russias war against Ukraine. But they are sensitive locations because Russia could perceive that its strategic deterrent capabilities are being targeted, which could undermine Russias ability to maintain nuclear deterrence against the United States. Ukraine says, no, Russias using these sites to track our drones and missiles.

The Ukrainian attack on a Russian early-warning radar installation may have been approved by the US and poses the risk of a nuclear escalation, an analysis published by the Austrian armed forces has warned. Ukrainian sources claimed last week that Kiev had delivered a strike at a Voronezh-DM site in Russias southern Krasnodar Region, near the city of Armavir. The alleged operation is significant, considering that the facility is part of Russian nuclear deterrence, according to a text by Colonel Markus Reisner and posted by the Austrian military on Sunday.

It is unlikely that attacking the radar station had direct military value for Kiev, Reisner argues. Disabling it would reduce the amount of intelligence that Russia collects on Ukrainian launches of US-donated ATACMS ballistic missiles, he added. But the station is designed to detect intercontinental ballistic missiles that fly at altitudes much higher than the tactical weapons used by Ukraine.

The expert suggested that the attack may have been a US-sanctioned response to Moscows reminders that it could use non-strategic nuclear weapons under certain circumstances. Senior Ukrainian and Western officials have called those statements a form of blackmail. Earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin ordered tactical nuclear exercises in the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine. Moscow said this was in response to increasingly hostile rhetoric by Western officials. If this is indeed the case, two further conclusions can be drawn: first, the situation in Ukraine is extremely serious and, second, the war over Ukraine has escalated again, Reisner wrote. Such an attack could qualify for a nuclear retaliation, the colonel added.

Dmitry Suslov, member of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, deputy director of World Economy and International Politics at Moscows Higher School of Economics, and Valdai Club expert, wrote 30 May 2024 : "US and several of its allies may soon allow Ukraine to use Western weapons, including long-range missiles, to attack targets located within  how do we put this?  Russias internationally recognized borders.... Such a decision would take the conflict to a fundamentally different level, would mean the erasure of one of the brightest red lines that has existed since February 24, 2022, and signal the direct entry of the US and its NATO bloc into the war against Russia. Indeed, the strikes would be carried out on the basis of coordinates provided by Western intelligence systems; the decisions on these strikes would be taken by Western military officers (the media has repeatedly relayed confessions from Ukrainian military officers that every case of Western missile use is coordinated in advance by Western military advisers); and even the button would probably be pressed directly by Western military officers. It is no coincidence that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz justifies his reluctance to transfer Taurus missiles on the grounds that they would have to be operated by German, not Ukrainian, military personnel....

".... the West itself has given the Ukrainian conflict the status of a World War, and therefore Kievs defeat will mean its own strategic defeat, the final collapse of the Western-centered international order.... Russias unwillingness to escalate relations with the West each time it crossed a red line and became more involved in the conflict (supplying Kiev with tanks, aircraft and, eventually, long-range missiles). As a result, the fear of escalation, which was relatively high at the beginning of the military operation, has gradually diminished, as Western publications have repeatedly pointed out. Thus, the West has come to believe that the cost of Kievs defeat is far greater than the risks of a direct military confrontation with Russia, as a result of allowing Western weapons to strike deep into its old territory....

"There is only one way to prevent such a catastrophic development of events: a sharp increase in Moscows policy of deterrence and intimidation. The option of freezing military operations along the current line of demarcation without any political conditions for Kiev and modalities for its security relations with the West is completely unacceptable.... we should first tell the US and NATO roughly what Moscow already told London after David Camerons words about Ukraines right to strike anywhere with British Storm Shadow missiles. Namely, that in the event of an attack on old Russian territory, Moscow reserves the right to strike any facilities of the countries concerned, including the US, anywhere in the world. There are many American military bases dotted around the globe. Secondly, it is important to officially declare that if the US/NATO launches a non-nuclear strike on Russian territory in response to such a Russian strike, Moscow may in turn use nuclear weapons  in full accordance with the Fundamentals of Russian State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence....

"to confirm the seriousness of Russias intentions and to convince our adversaries of Moscows willingness to escalate, it is worth considering a demonstration (i.e. non-aggressive) nuclear explosion. The political and psychological effect of an atomic mushroom cloud, broadcast live on all the worlds television channels, will hopefully bring back to Western politicians the one thing that prevented wars between the great powers after 1945, and which they have now largely lost  the fear of nuclear war."

Sergey Lavrov told Sputnik 30 May 2024 : "You are undoubtedly correct that the deployment of American ground-based intermediate and shorter-range missiles (INF) in the mentioned regions would pose a serious security challenge for us. This issue is not only significant for us. In a joint statement following the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China, it was noted that such destabilizing actions by the US represent a direct threat to both our country and China. Therefore, we have agreed with our Chinese partners to increase cooperation to counteract Washington's irresponsible behavior, which undermines international stability.

"The implementation of US plans to deploy ground-based INF missiles will not go unanswered by us. Specifically, in this scenario, the abandonment of unilateral self-imposed restrictions introduced by Russia after a US withdrawal from the INF Treaty is inevitable. Additional steps in the field of nuclear deterrence are also not ruled out, as forward-deployed American missiles could target our command posts and locations of our nuclear forces. Decisions on these matters are within the competence of the president of the Russian Federation....

The supply of increasingly destructive weapons to the Kiev regime indicates the West's lack of interest in ending the conflict. The delivery of American F-16 fighters will not change the situation on the front lines. These aircraft will be destroyed, just like other types of weapons supplied by NATO countries to Ukraine.

It is important to note that F-16 fighters have long been a primary means of delivery in NATO's so-called joint nuclear missions. Therefore, we cannot help but view the supply of these systems to the Kiev regime as a deliberate signaling action by NATO in the nuclear sphere. They are trying to convey that the US and NATO are ready to go to any lengths in Ukraine. Nevertheless, we hope that the ongoing Russian-Belarusian exercises, which involve the practice of using non-strategic nuclear weapons, will serve as a sobering reminder to our opponents of the catastrophic consequences of further escalation up the nuclear ladder....

In the US National Security Strategy, Russia is identified as an immediate threat. The US and NATO openly state that their goal is to inflict a "strategic defeat" on our country. In this context, the fate of the civilian population of Russian cities does not concern the White House, which has become an accomplice in the crimes of the Kiev regime.

Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said 31 May 2024 Western countries may be making a "fatal mistake" in assuming that Russia will never use tactical nuclear weapons (TNW). "Just a few years ago, they [the West, NATO countries] were saying that Russia would not engage in an open military conflict with the Bandera regime in order not to quarrel with the West. They miscalculated. There is a war underway," Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel. According to him, "they may also be miscalculating with the [possible] use of TNWs."

"However, this would be a fatal mistake. After all, as the Russian president justly pointed out, European countries have a very high population density. And for those enemy countries whose lands are beyond the TNW coverage zone, there is strategic potential," he added. "No matter how much NATOs retired old farts babble that Russia will never use non-strategic nuclear weapons against former Ukraine and whats more, against individual NATO countries, reality is much harsher than their frivolous musings," Medvedev noted.

Medvedev believes it is possible that the conflict between Russia and the West has already entered its final stage. "Unfortunately, this is neither intimidation nor a nuclear bluff. The current military conflict with the West is developing according to the worst-case scenario," he said. According to him, there is a constant escalation around the use of NATO weapons. "Therefore, today no one can exclude the possibility of the conflict shifting to its final stage," Medvedev added.

Russia has tactical nuclear weapons that could well destroy human civilization, but so far there are no conditions under which their use would be justified. Nikolai Kostikin , an expert at the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, told National News Service (NSN) 31 May 2024.

What is considered a tactical nuclear weapon? If we are talking about the minimum possible power of one kiloton, this is one thing. But if we take into account that the nuclear explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki also, by modern standards, belong to tactical nuclear weapons, this is completely different. The disasters in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are well documented, and it is possible to evaluate the consequences of this impact to visualize the effect. But there could potentially be tens or hundreds of these Hiroshimas. In my opinion, it is immoral to talk about whether it is better or worse. This is the unconditional final of Europe. And given the increased likelihood of conflict escalation and the use of strategic weapons, this is most likely the end of our civilization . According to various estimates, the effect will be comparable to a hypothetical meteorite impact , after which the dinosaurs disappeared, adjusted for the fact that there will be massive radioactive contamination on the Earth's surface for several days. And then millennia - non-massive. This will happen if a limited nuclear war in Europe develops into a global one, Kostikin said.

The NSN interlocutor suggested against what targets in Ukraine and Europe tactical nuclear weapons could be used.

A nuclear explosion is a strike on a specific point. It will cause massive destruction and radioactive contamination of the area, that is, it will actually disable a specific fortified area, airfield, logistics hub, and so on. This can be done with conventional weapons, with the caveat that this area can then be occupied by our troops without carrying out an extremely costly and risky procedure for decontaminating the area. In my opinion, there are no such goals for us in Ukraine now. An exception may be the tunnel through the Carpathian Mountains , which provides rail links to Europe. Perhaps some other bridges. But this can be seen as retaliation with various escalation options. Consider the scenario of a limited nuclear war in Europe, in which there are nuclear weapons, both American and domestic. In this case, most likely, we will receive a response to our actions. In Europe, all more or less large logistics hubs, fuel and energy complex facilities, sea and river ports, as well as airports can be hit, the expert said.

In conclusion, Kostikin listed the conditions under which Russia could be the first to use nuclear weapons. In my opinion, Russia can now be the first to use it in the event of the NATO army entering the territories annexed by Russia and temporarily occupied by Ukrainian troops. Another option is if the threat of a NATO invasion is perceived as an existential threat to Russia. This is spelled out in the country's military doctrine. In all other cases, I do not see a military need for the use of nuclear weapons, he concluded.





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Sima Ganwani Ved, Apparel Group Founder and Chairwoman emphasized on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and her unwavering dedication to fostering inclusive workplaces and promoting gender equality within the retail sector across the region.



DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apparel Group, a global leader in fashion and lifestyle retail, proudly announces a series of remarkable achievements in Q1 2024, solidifying its position as a leader in the industry.

January:

Apparel Group commenced the year with the prestigious 5-Star Award from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), recognizing its commitment to business excellence, strategic foresight, and fostering a culture of innovation and quality in the dynamic retail sector.

Additionally, the World Woman Foundation proudly announced Sima Ganwani Ved, Founder and Chairwoman of the Apparel Group, as a distinguished speaker for the World Woman Davos Agenda, held during the World Economic Forum week on January 18 in Davos. Sima Ganwani Ved's participation highlights Apparel Group's dedication to championing women empowerment and diversity on a global stage.

The month also witnessed the launch of Bliss Bites, a revolutionary gut-healthy food brand and cafe introduced by Apparel Group, catering to the growing demand for wellness-focused products among consumers.

February:

In February, Apparel Group was announced as Headline Partner for RLI MENA Awards and Lifestyle Partner for RLI MENA Connect in Riyadh, KSA. Additionally, Apparel Group was honored as the MENA Retail Partner of the Year at the prestigious RLI MENA Awards 2024, highlighting its continued success and influence in the region's retail landscape.

Moreover, Apparel Group made significant strides in its retail partnerships and industry recognition. The company was unveiled as the Headline Partner for the 10th Retail Leaders Circle MENA Summit 2024 in Riyadh, KSA, reaffirming its commitment to driving innovation and excellence in the retail sector.

March:

March marked another pivotal moment for Apparel Group as it celebrated the grand opening of the inaugural Nysaa store in the GCC region, a joint venture setup with Nykaa, India's largest omni-channel beauty retailer. This collaboration blends Apparel Group's retail prowess with Nykaa's expertise, offering consumers a world-class shopping experience in Dubai.

Additionally, Apparel Group expanded its luxury portfolio with the grand launch of Forest Essentials at Dubai Hills Mall. The event showcased an exquisite decor, immersing guests in the world of Luxurious Ayurveda. Vibrant-colored blooms and striking product displays highlighted the natural ingredients central to Forest Essentials ethos.

In a strategic expansion, Apparel Group extended its partnership with Crocs, bringing this iconic brand under its wing in Kuwait. This move broadens the company's presence in the GCC, where it already operates 88 Crocs stores.

Complementing its expansion efforts, Apparel Group collaborated with Dubai Holding for the 'Gift It Forward' initiative, aiming to support over 8,500 Dubai residents during Ramadan. This initiative underscores the company's dedication to social responsibility and community engagement.

The month also saw the return of the highly anticipated Great Online Sale by Apparel Group, offering exclusive Eid shopping deals with discounts of up to 80%. This sale further reinforced the company's reputation as a leader in retail innovation.

April:

As the momentum continued into April, Apparel Group intensified its expansion efforts with the unveiling of 47 new stores across the Middle East and India in Q1 2024. These new openings exemplify the company's commitment to providing exceptional shopping experiences and meeting the evolving needs of its diverse customer base. This expansion included the launch of Qatar's first Forever New store, the fourth in the GCC, as part of a joint venture expansion plan to open 40 locations.

Moreover, Apparel Group proudly reaffirmed its commitment to excellence by becoming the Platinum Partner for The Retail Summit 2024, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The partnership underscores Apparel Group's dedication to driving transformative discussions and initiatives in the global retail arena.

The company also concluded its role as the Platinum Partner at The Retail Summit 2024, hosted at the renowned Atlantis, The Palm. The summit, held on April 23rd and 24th, brought together prominent figures in global retail, exchanging invaluable insights and strategies pivotal for the evolution of the retail sector. Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group, participated in a panel discussing the strategic importance of market expansion in the GCC and the need for innovative approaches to redefine omnichannel experiences. Sima Ganwani Ved, Founder and Chairwoman, also honored the summit with her presence in a panel discussion on the vital topic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion  Inspiring the Next Generation of Retail Talent.

Commenting on these achievements, Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group, stated, "We are thrilled to announce our continued growth and success in Q1 2024. These milestones reflect our unwavering dedication to excellence, innovation, and making a positive impact in the communities we serve. As we look ahead, we remain committed to pushing boundaries, fostering partnerships, and delivering unparalleled value to our customers."

For more information about Apparel Group and its latest initiatives, please visit the official website at https://apparelglobal.com/en/

About Apparel Group LLC

Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate residing at the crossroads of the modern economy  Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Today, Apparel Group caters to thousands of eager shoppers through its 2200+ retail stores and 85+ brands on all platforms while employing over 22,000+ multicultural staff.

Apparel Group has carved its strong presence in the GCC and expanded thriving gateways to market in India, South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Egypt. Additionally, clear strategies are in place to enter emerging markets such as Hungary and Philippines.

Apparel Group has created an omni-channel experience, operating brands originating from the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The brands include leading names in fashion, footwear, and lifestyles such as Tommy Hilfiger, Charles & Keith, Skechers, Aldo, Nine West, Aeropostale, Jamies Italian, Tim Hortons, Cold Stone Creamery, Inglot, and Rituals.

Apparel Group owes its amazing growth to the vision and guidance of its dynamic Founder and Chairwoman, Mrs. Sima Ganwani Ved, who has taken the company from strength to strength since its inception in the last two decades.

https://apparelglobal.com/en/

PR@apparelglobal.com

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ST. CATHARINES, Ontario, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Energy Creates is proud to announce the launch of a scholarship contest aimed at youth between the ages of 15 and 25. With a total of $500,000 in prizes, the energycreates.com contest challenges young people to explore the vital role of energy in shaping our lives.



The energycreates.com scholarship contest seeks to inspire the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and leaders to envision a brighter future for our world. By encouraging creative thinking and insightful reflection, the contest aims to spark conversations about sustainable energy practices and their impact on our society and planet.

"We believe that empowering youth with the knowledge and resources to understand and address energy challenges is crucial for building a sustainable future," said Tore Stautland, CEO of The News Forum. "We are supporting this contest in hope that it will foster a deeper understanding of the importance of energy in our daily lives and inspire young people to contribute positively to our nation's energy landscape."

Five lucky winners of the energycreates.com contest will each receive a full scholarship of up to $100,000 to support their post-secondary studies. These scholarships will provide invaluable support to deserving individuals who demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and a passion for making a difference in the world.

Participation in the Energy Creates contest is both easy and exciting. Interested individuals can visit energycreates.com to access all the details and submit their entries. From thought-provoking essays to innovative multimedia presentations, contestants are encouraged to explore energy-related topics in ways that reflect their unique perspectives and talents.

"Energy Creates is an engaging way for youth to connect with the complex topics surrounding the energy sector," said Film Maker Mathew Embry.

By engaging with these topics in a meaningful way, young people can play a significant role in shaping the conversations around a balanced and prosperous future for us all.

The energycreates.com scholarship contest is now open for submissions, with a deadline of August 31, 2024. For more information and to participate, please visit energycreates.com

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604.626.6993

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About The News Forum

The News Forum is a national Canadian news broadcaster available through most television distributors  see local listings. https://www.thenewsforum.ca/wheretowatch

TNF is a proud subscriber to the Canadian Press/AP as a significant source of breaking news from across Canada and around the world.

Forum Daily News is a leading news platform committed to delivering insightful analysis and engaging discussions on global events, politics, and culture. With a focus on providing diverse perspectives and fostering informed dialogue, Forum Daily News serves as a trusted source of information for audiences worldwide.

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SAN FRANCISCO, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Craft.co ( www.craft.co ), the supply chain resilience company, today announced a $28 million, five-year agreement with the Secretary of the Air Force to bolster due diligence efforts across the Department of Defense. The Craft platform is being used by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and 23 other federal agencies to conduct due diligence and foreign influence checks on companies that aim to do business with the federal government.



Crafts supply chain resilience platform simplifies large-scale due diligence efforts by providing a single platform for evaluating and monitoring suppliers across a wide spectrum of risk domains from foreign influence and cybersecurity vulnerability to financial stability and compliance. The platform is powered by an advanced data fabric with more than 1,300 data streams per supplier, a powerful risk engine enhanced by AI-driven insights, and a collaborative workspace that enables sharing and tracking of information internally and across agencies.

Currently, more than 500 government employees across 23 federal agencies including the Under Secretary of Defenses Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E), the Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA), the Air Force's AFWERX, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), are using Craft in support of the SBIR program to enhance their due diligence practices.

"The Craft platform has helped OCEA set the standard for due diligence at scale within the Department of Defense," stated Jeff Hubert, Director Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA). "In addition to simplifying initial supplier evaluations and ongoing monitoring, the platform facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing between agencies allowing for a deeper understanding of risk across all categories from foreign influence to cybersecurity, and financial instability."

OCEA has used Crafts platform to evaluate and monitor more than 35,000 organizations seeking to do business with the federal government through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The programs provide funding to domestic companies in the private sector to encourage research and high-tech innovation. To date, Crafts platform, which includes premium foreign influence data from Strider, Bluefoot, and Pitchbook, has flagged approximately 15 percent of applicants for additional vetting, demonstrating the platforms value in identifying potential vulnerabilities and risk.

Craft is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive platform for identifying, monitoring, and mitigating risk across multiple risk domains while helping support the mission of fostering and protecting technological innovation within the Department of Defense, said Brian Mackerer, Group Director - Government and Defense Sector at Craft.

In addition to helping federal agencies with supplier intelligence for due diligence, Crafts platform also includes Supplier Risk Management, and Supply Chain Risk Management solutions for highly-regulated industries in the commercial sector.

About Craft.co

Craft illuminates the path to global supply chain resilience. It empowers businesses to strengthen their supplier networks and supply chains with the industry's most reliable and comprehensive data fabric and advanced risk mitigation engine. Craft's user-friendly platform offers 360-degree visibility to explore and evaluate supplier networks, AI-driven insights to detect and mitigate disruptions, and collaborative tools to enhance supply chain strategies. Procurement and supply chain professionals can confidently navigate regulatory environments, adhere to ethical standards, and ensure business continuity. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Craft assists commercial and governmental organizations worldwide in creating more resilient supply chains. For more information about Craft, visit www.craft.co .

Contact: press@craft.co

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Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France kicks off with warm welcome in Paris

People's Daily Online) 14:49, May 06, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on May 5, commencing his highly anticipated state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Near the Arc de Triomphe in the center of Paris, many people, including overseas Chinese, waved the national flags of China and France to welcome President Xi. Some also performed dragon and lion dances, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere.

(Intern Xing Yawen and Wang Lin contributed to this story.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and went down with the ship as the captain in Titanic, has died.

Hill, 79, passed away Sunday morning, agent Lou Coulson said.

Hill joined The Lord Of The Rings franchise in the second film of the trilogy, 2002s The Two Towers, as Theoden, King of Rohan. The following year, he reprised the role in Return of the King, a movie that won 11 Oscars.

In one of the film's most memorable scenes, Hill's character fires up his overmatched forces by delivering a battle cry on horseback that sends his troops thundering downhill toward the enemy and his own imminent death.

Arise, arise, riders of Theoden! Hill hollers. Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the worlds ending! Death! Death! Death!

In Titanic," Hill played Captain Edward Smith, one of the only characters based on a real person in the 1997 tragic romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film also won 11 Academy Awards.

As the doomed ship takes on water, Hill's character silently retreats to the wheelhouse. As the cabin groans under the pressure of the waves, he takes a final breath and grabs the wheel as water bursts through the windows.

Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in Boys From the Blackstuff, a 1982 British TV miniseries about five unemployed men.

He was nominated for an award in 1983 from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for the role, and the show won the BAFTA for best drama series.

His death came the same day the second series of the BBC drama The Responder was to air, in which he played the father of the show's star, Martin Freeman.

Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent, said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time. (AP)
VALHALLA, N.Y., May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- USI Insurance Services (USI), a world leader in risk management, employee benefit and retirement plan consulting, today announced the acquisition of Odessa, Texas-based Hignojos Insurance Agency. Founded in 2009, Hignojos Insurance Agency is an independent brokerage firm specializing in commercial and personal risk insurance programs. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



We are thrilled to be joining forces with USI, an established industry leader in the insurance brokerage and consulting market, stated Hignojos Insurance Agency Principal, Louis Hignojos Sr. Our valued clients throughout western Texas and beyond will continue to benefit from the local, personalized services they have come to expect from our team of experts, and we look forward to introducing them to USIs expanded suite of innovative solutions and expertise with a continued focus on helping them grow and protect their businesses and personal interests.



USIs Regional CEO, John Collado added: We are excited to expand our Texas-based presence and expertise by welcoming the entire team of professionals from Hignojos Insurance Agency to the USI family. By partnering together, we look forward to leveraging the USI ONE Advantage to provide clients access to our proprietary and innovative solutions and network of local and national resources and expertise.



About USI

USI is one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the world, delivering property and casualty, employee benefits, personal risk, program and retirement solutions to large risk management clients, middle market companies, smaller firms and individuals. USI connects over 10,000 industry-leading professionals across more than 200 offices to serve clients local, national and international needs. USI has become a premier insurance brokerage and consulting firm by leveraging the USI ONE Advantage, an interactive platform that integrates proprietary and innovative client solutions, networked local resources and enterprise-wide collaboration to deliver customized results with positive, bottom-line impact. USI attracts best-in-class industry talent with a long history of deep and continuing investment in our local communities. For more information, visit usi.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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Prof. Dr. Tadashi Watabe, Medical Doctor at Osaka University Hospital and Associate Professor at Osaka University, is an active member of the ICPO Foundation

May 6, 2024  Wiesbaden, Germany, and Osaka, Japan. Today, the International Centers for Precision Oncology (ICPO) Foundation announced a cooperation with the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Osaka University Hospital. ICPO offers industry-funded stipends for the ICPO Academy for Theranostics to dedicated healthcare professionals worldwide. "Through this agreement, we have the opportunity to provide advanced training in theranostics to team members of the Department for Nuclear Medicine at Osaka University Hospital. This will help close the gap of professionals needed for this innovative cancer therapy of Radiomolecular Precision Oncology worldwide," says Odile Jaume, CEO ICPO Foundation. Prof. Watabe is an active member of the ICPO community and supports international congresses and workshops such as the Theranostics World Congress or the upcoming workshop "Translational Nuclear Medicine: Theory and Practice" in cooperation with Prof. Frederik Giesel, Chief Physician and Director of the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital Dusseldorf.

Osaka University Hospital, known for its dedication to excellence, places significant emphasis on research and development in the medical field. The hospital actively engages in the development and application of cutting-edge medical practices, adhering to rigorous regulations governing clinical research, such as the Clinical Trials Act. Nuclear Medicine serves as a cornerstone of Osaka University Hospital's diagnostic and therapeutic prowess. Equipped with state-of-the-art PET-CT and SPECT-CT scanners, the hospital specializes in diagnostic nuclear medicine and radiopharmaceutical-based treatments.

Dr. Tadashi Watabe, Associate Professor at Osaka University's Department of Nuclear Medicine, leads groundbreaking research in targeted alpha therapy. He is the Principal Investigator for the Alpha-T1 trial for thyroid cancer using [At-211] NaAt, and upcoming trials for castration-resistant prostate cancer using [At-211] PSMA-5. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, his work focuses on preclinical development of At-211 and Ac-225 therapies, and theranostics with FAPI inhibitors. "We are deeply grateful to the ICPO Foundation for this collaboration. The training provided by the ICPO Academy will not only enhance the qualifications of our team in the field of theranostics but also underscore the value of our contributions to Radiomolecular Precision Oncology," explains Prof. Tadashi Watabe.

The main objective of the ICPO Academy for Theranostics is to disseminate knowledge in Radiomolecular Precision Oncology to improve the outcome of a patient treated with radiopharmaceutical therapies. The academy offers a comprehensive online educational program, developed by the ICPO Foundation, and powered by its global community of experts. It features over 50 hours of content taught by over 30 leaders and experts. The primary audiences of the ICPO Academy for Theranostics are clinicians, researchers, physicists, and radiochemists as well as nurses and technologists, who seek to integrate Radiomolecular Precision Oncology in patient care. The content is available in different languages.

The curriculum by the ICPO Academy for Theranostics has been developed under the guidance of its President, Prof. Richard P. Baum, a world leader and pioneer in nuclear medicine and Radiomolecular Precision Oncology, together with prominent Pillar Leaders, international experts in their respective fields, namely Prof. Vikas Prasad (Radiomolecular Precision Oncology), Prof. Thomas Beyer (Medical Physics), Prof. Frank Rosch (Radiochemistry), Linda Gardner and Josh Mailman (both Nursing and patient management).

About ICPO Foundation

The International Centers for Precision Oncology Foundation (ICPO) is a non-profit organization established in 2019 under German law by leading international medical practitioners and life sciences entrepreneurs. Recognizing a paradigm shift in cancer care from one size fits all to a personalized approach, the ICPO Foundation is helping to build momentum to scale global patient access to Radiomolecular Precision Oncology to support this shift. Therefore, the ICPO Foundation aims to develop an international network of physical diagnostic and therapeutic Centers for Precision Oncology organized in a Social Franchise model based on shared know-how, certified education with the ICPO Academy for Theranostics, and design and process standardization that enables best clinical practice globally. Furthermore, it is the ICPO Foundation's objective to empower its Centers by embedding them in a highly inclusive Community that spearheads its model and lives up to the Precision Oncology promise by making it available to all patients in need, irrespective of country or social status.

Learn more about the ICPO Foundation at www.icpo.foundation and about the ICPO Academy for Theranostics at www.theranostics.academy .

Media contact ICPO Foundation

Susanne Simon

Head of Communication & Community

Email: susanne.simon@icpo.foundation

Phone: + 49 172 8666093

www.icpo.foundation

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NAPANEE, Ontario, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lophos Holdings Inc. ("Lophos", or the "Company") (CSE:MESC) is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lophos Pharmaceuticals Corp. (Lophos Pharma) - a biosciences company specializing in the cultivation, research, and sale of Lophophora williamsii (peyote), announced today that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire the cactus cultivation business of Magicactus.com.



Under the terms of the letter of intent, Lophos Pharma intends to acquire all assets of the cactus cultivation business, including:

All Live Lophophora Williamsii (peyote) plants (QTY: 592) (AGE: 3  23 YEARS) Lophophora Williamsii (peyote) seeds (QTY: 51,073) Cultivation Racks Fluorescent Grow Lights Outdoor Greenhouse Web Domain: MAGICACTUS.COM All customer information and data related to the business, including over 1,000 active customers. All intellectual property rights related to the business, including but not limited to patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and any other proprietary rights owned or used by the Seller in connection with the operation of the business.

As consideration for the acquisition of the assets, Lophos intends to pay to the vendor $150,000 in cash and issue 1,000,000 common shares, at a price $0.10 per share, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. In addition, Lophos intends to enter into a 12-month consulting agreement with Mr. Jose Frank Valente, the founder of Magicactus.com, for $100,000. The acquisition is subject to the negotiation and signature of a definitive asset purchase agreement and the receipt of applicable corporate and regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE.

Comments From Leadership

"This letter of intent marks a significant milestone in our journey toward acquiring the assets of Magicactus.com," stated Claire Stawnyczy, President & CEO of Lophos Pharma "We are thrilled at the opportunity to integrate the exceptional Lophophora williamsii specimens into our operations, and to leverage Mr. Valente's expertise to advance our commitment to psychedelic research and sustainable indoor cultivation practices for peyote."

Expanding on the significance of the acquisition, Ms. Stawnyczy emphasized, "The addition of Magicactus.com will bring a substantial asset: a customer base of over 1,000 active customers. This infusion of customers not only strengthens our revenue stream but also extends the market reach for our products. With an expanded customer base, we have the opportunity to introduce our existing products to a wider audience while also developing new offerings to cater to the diverse needs of our expanded clientele. I believe this heightened market presence will position us for substantial growth and lay a robust foundation for continued innovation and expansion in the natural psychedelic product sector."

Mr. Jose Frank Valente, Founder and CEO of Magicactus.com, expressed optimism about the potential acquisition, stating, "We look forward to joining forces with Lophos Pharma to expand our reach and accelerate our efforts in the cultivation and research of Lophophora williamsii."

About Magicactus.com

In 2007, Mr. Valente founded Magicactus.com, born from his passion for cacti cultivation, which evolved into a thriving online business specializing in Lophophora williamsii and ornamental cactus cultivation in Canada. With unique Lophophora williamsii dating back to 2007, Magicactus.com offers a wealth of unique and rare specimens, including specialized knowledge and experience in the cultivation and care of these unique traditional plants.

For further inquiries, please contact:

Claire Stawnyczy  CEO, Lophos Holdings Inc.

Email: invest@lophos.com

Website: www.lophos.com

Phone: 1-833-450-7407

Cautionary Statement:

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The execution of a definitive purchase agreement and the closing of the acquisition are subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals and the completion of due diligence. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

The Agreement remains subject to the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. All securities issued pursuant to the Agreement will be subject to a four month and one day hold period upon issuance.

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Lophos' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information in this press release includes information with respect to the Companys peyote cactus product development. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by Lophos at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Lophos is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption Risk Factors in Lophos' final long form prospectus dated August 11, 2023, which is available on Lophos's profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction.
CALGARY, Alberta, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG | OTCQB: PAANF | FRA: SS60) (Pan American or the Company) is pleased to announce it is collaborating with the University of Regina (U of R) with respect to its research project entitled Geomicrobiology for detecting rare metal deposits. As part of the collaboration, the Company is planning a comprehensive field prospecting and sampling program utilizing eight students specializing in geosciences from the U of R at the Big Mack Lithium Project (Big Mack or the Project), including the planned collection of soil microbiology, soil chemistry, rock chemistry, ground water chemistry, soil mineralogy, environmental DNA, and vegetation biochemistry using the base layer of magnetics collected by the Company in 2023. Laboratory analyses will be conducted by Dr. Cameron and his team in the Institute for Microbial Systems and Society at the U of R as well as by the Saskatchewan Research Council, with the intent of using geomicrobiology to help generate drilling targets at Big Mack. The research project is currently under review by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for a grant under the Alliance Grants  Mitacs Accelerate project to support sampling, DNA sequencing, and analyses.

Geomicrobial survey is an emerging technology that seeks to detect subsurface deposits by identifying and enumerating microbial species in soil samples. Geomicrobiology is intended to complement existing geochemical and geophysical exploration by observing how microbial communities in shallow soil are shaped by the geological formation below. Microbial community profiling can then be used as additional information in drill target selection. At Big Mack, samples will be taken at areas of known mineralization to observe the specific microbial species and the structure of microbial communities. Sampling will begin at the Big Mack Pegmatite and work outwards to other areas of the Property, making use of the drilling data generated by the Company in its 2023/2024 drilling program at Big Mack to correlate samples with areas of detected mineralization (Fig. 1). The intent of the program is to detect relationships between the microbial communities at the Project and the features of the surrounding geology which can be integrated into exploration models and inform drill target selection.

Figure 1. Proposed sample locations for Big Mack.



Jason Latkowcer, Chief Executive Officer, stated We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Dr. Cameron, the Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, and the U of R. We believe geomicrobiology could play a valuable role in helping to detect rare metal deposits, particularly when paired with conventional sampling techniques. This field program will be the most comprehensive of its kind at the Big Mack Lithium Project, and we expect to benefit from improved drill targeting while contributing to the advancement of Canadian intellectual property. Id like to thank our technical advisor, Jared Suchan, P.Geo, PhD., for identifying and coordinating this unique opportunity.

More information about NSERCs Alliance Mission grants can be found at https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Innovate-Innover/Alliance-Alliance_eng.asp.

About the Institute of Microbial Systems and Society

The Institute for Microbial Systems and Society (IMSS) was founded in 2017 by Dr. Andrew Cameron and Dr. Christopher Yost at the University of Regina. The institute formalized functional microbial genomics research within the Faculty of Science, enhancing collaborative research activities and impact with national and international partners in industry, government, and academia. The IMSS provides access to genomic technologies combined with the exploration of new ways to integrate genomic tools into applied and discovery research. The IMSS experiments with emerging DNA sequencing technologies to develop comprehensive approaches for studying the genetic makeup, gene expression, and gene function in specific organisms and throughout microbial communities.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jared Suchan, Ph.D., P.Geo., who is an independent consultant of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Pan American Energy Corp.

Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG) (OTCQB: PAANF) (FSE: SS60) is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties containing battery metals in North America.

The Company executed an option agreement in Canada with Magabra Resources, providing for the right to acquire up to a 90% interest in the Big Mack Lithium Project, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario. The Company has also entered a property option agreement with Horizon Lithium LLC providing for the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Horizon Lithium Project, located within Esmeralda County  Tonopah Lithium Belt, Nevada, USA.

To register for investor updates, please visit https://panam-energy.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Jason Latkowcer

CEO & Director

Contact

Phone: (587) 885-5970

Email: info@panam-energy.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things,; the planned field prospecting and sampling program and research, including the expected timing thereof; the aim and proposed utility of geomicrobial surveys; the utility of the research results in the Companys exploration of the Project, including in identifying drill targets at the Project; and the aim and hypothesis of the research and the Companys anticipated role in supporting the research.

Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, the assumption that the research will proceed as anticipated on the anticipated timeline; the outcome of the research will be of assistance to the Company in exploring the Project and generating drill target at the Project; the Company will be successful in undertaking the planned field prospecting and sampling program on the timeline currently anticipated; geomicrobial surveys can be utilized in the manner anticipated in the exploration of mineral projects; and the Company will be successful in supporting the research project in the manner contemplated.

Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Companys management, there can be no assurance that any 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 to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things, the risk that the research does not proceed in the manner and on the timeline currently contemplated, or at all; that the Companys field prospecting program does not proceed in the manner and on the timeline currently contemplated, or at all; risks inherent in exploration, testing and research, including risks relating to changes in project parameters or delays as plans continue to be redefined, that exploration, testing and research is inherently uncertain and that the results of testing and research may not be reproducible at scale; that the exploration and/or research may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the U of R or the Company, including that the Company may be unable to utilize the results of its field program, in conjunction with the U of Rs research, to enhance its exploration of the Project or generate drill targets at the Project; and that the Company may not be successful in supporting the research. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df875ebc-6c75-48a1-b728-389271bfaf53
PARIS, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, a mobile food and cultural feast "Sino-French Food Carnival" was held on the Seine River in Paris, France on the evening of May 4th.



A trendy Chinese herbal tea, known as "cold tea" among Chinese consumers, also attracted many guests. Representatives from Guangzhou Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the owner of the Chinese herbal tea brand, introduced the attendees to the brand's stories and its idea to combine healthcare with gastronomy. This is also the first time that Wanglaoji's English brand identity, WALOVI, has been unveiled on the highly distinctive French landmark, Seine River, after its release in the United States, Italy, France, and Thailand, allowing more friends overseas to intuitively experience the charm of Chinese herbal tea.

In order to highlight the cultural characteristics of Chinese and French cuisine, Wanglaoji has also launched a customized can package featuring the "Sino-French Food Carnival". In the encounter and integration of the food culture between China and France, Wanglaoji brings unique taste enjoyment and cultural experience to more international guests with its unique oriental cultural heritage.

The on-site guests exclaimed, "They are like a window, letting us know for the first time that traditional Chinese medicine can be ingeniously combined with people's clothing, food, housing, and transportation, integrating into all aspects of life. They are very oriental and fashionable."

Herbal tea originates in Southern China and is a healthy plant-based herbal beverage. Wanglaoji, the ancestor of herbal tea which was founded in 1828, has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in China. It has been widely recognized by people for its inherited skills and distinctive traditional Chinese cultural background.

In order to promote Ji culture to go abroad, Guangzhou Wanglaoji Pharmaceutical Co., LTD. combines advanced AI technology and meta rendering technology builds to build Ji culture IP in the virtual world, which attracts more young and fashionable overseas consumers and leads the trend of healthy consumption.

In recent years, Wanglaoji has accelerated its efforts to promote the brand overseas and sought new growth in overseas markets. Industry research and consulting organization Sullivan pointed out in the Global Beverage Market Development Report that natural plant-based beverages have become one of the rapidly growing tracks in the global beverage market, featuring broad prospects and huge potential. In recent years, Wanglaoji has deeply involved in overseas markets, entering many overseas platforms such as Amazon, Costco, Yamibuy, Wee, etc. Its sales network covers more than 150 countries and regions worldwide.

"We hope to use traditional Chinese herbal tea culture as a link to foster the dissemination and development of oriental health philosophy in Europe, inject new ideas into the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations between China and Europe, and promote 'Wanglaoji' to become a vivid carrier of Chinese auspicious culture, revitalizing old brands with new vitality," said Weng Shaoquan, Chairman of Guangzhou Wanglaoji Great Health Industry Co.

Source: Wanglaoji
Washington, DC, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the country celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) released a groundbreaking study that provides invaluable insights into the perspectives of African American parents on key issues in education and highlights the importance of Black teachers to Black families.

The report, titled "Hear Us, Believe Us: Centering African American Parent Voices in

K-12 Education offers a comprehensive analysis of the experiences, challenges and aspirations of African American parents in relation to race, college readiness, parental engagement and more.

Among the findings, more than 90% of Black parents surveyed said they want more opportunities to be involved in their childrens education and more input into education laws. UNCF surveyed 1,200 low- to moderate-income Black parents in Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Houston, Memphis and New Orleans.

During this Teacher Appreciation Week, UNCF seeks to underscore the significant, positive influence that Black teachers have on students, families and communities.

Across several indicators in the study, Black parents reported better experiences when their child attended schools with more Black teachers. While the research abounds on the positive effects of Black teachers on students, this report emphasizes the parent voice in this important scholarship. This report substantiates what we have known for decades: Black teachers matter, said Dr. Anderson.

The report, based on extensive national quantitative research and interviews highlights the crucial role that African American parents play in their children's education. It underscores the importance of understanding their unique perspectives and incorporating them into education policies and practices.

Key findings from the report include:

Black parents report higher college aspirations for their child and lower instances of school suspensions when there are more Black teachers at their childs school.

For Black parents and caregivers whose children attended schools where many or most teachers were Black, the probability that their child received exclusionary discipline is almost three times lower than when their child attended schools with fewer Black teachers.

Black parents also felt more respected at school when their child attended schools with more Black teachers.

Black parents greatly value higher education and are deeply engaged and invested in their childs education.

84% of Black parents believe it is important for their child to attend and graduate college and over 80% check their childs homework and speak to their childs teacher on a regular basis.

93% of Black parents say they want more opportunities to be involved in their childs education and input into education laws.

3. Black parents want to see more Black leaders in education.

70% of African American parents and caregivers believe the involvement of African American leaders and organizations will make school improvement efforts more effective.

4. School safety is a key concern for Black parents and caregivers.



80 % of African American parents and caregivers rank safety as the most important factor for school selection.

What we have known at UNCF for decades is that Black parents are deeply engaged in the educational lives of their children, yet far too often they are denigrated and deemed disengaged about their childrens learning environment, said Dr. Meredith Anderson, director, K-12 Research, UNCF, and author of the report. Black parents are concerned about opportunity gaps and want better resources for their children. They want to see more Black education leaders and organizations in education; and they want more opportunities to be involved and have their voices heard.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations aimed at addressing the concerns and aspirations of African American parents. These recommendations include a call to action:

Recommendations for the K-12 Sector

- Invest unapologetically in Black teachers.

- Create more intentional opportunities for parent involvement.

- Create a learning environment that reflects African American history and culture.

- Partner with local organizations to provide resources and services for families.

- Value and prioritize support staff in school budgets.

- Prioritize student safety.

Recommendations for Higher Education

- Make intentional efforts to expose students and families to college opportunities.

- Create intentional pipelines with districts and charter management organizations for increasing educator diversity.

- Ensure teacher training programs include anti-racist, culturally relevant teaching practices.

- Partner with K-12 schools and districts to provide financial and literacy to students and families.

UNCF is committed to utilizing the findings of this report to drive positive change in education. Through its programs, scholarships and advocacy efforts, UNCF will continue to work towards a future where every African American student has access to a quality education that prepares them for success.

Click here to access the full report.

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About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelors degrees, 5% of masters degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on X (formerly Twitter) at @UNCF.





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Long Beach, Calif., May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Volvo Trucks North America customer 4 Gen Logistics, a family-owned drayage company in Southern California, has deployed 41 Volvo VNR Electric trucks to haul freight throughout the Inland Empire and between the Port of Long Beach and distribution warehouses in the region. The company decided to scale its zero-emission fleet after gaining experience with battery-electric trucks by utilizing a Volvo VNR Electric truck that was deployed as part of the Volvo LIGHTS project in 2022. Volvo Financial Services provided funding support for 4 Gen Logistics scaled Volvo VNR Electric fleet.

We commend the Duncan family for their dedication to sustainable transportation solutions. With over half of their fleet already converted to battery-electric, they're setting a remarkable standard for environmental responsibility which is particularly important for the disadvantaged communities in which they operate, said Jared Ruiz, regional vice president  West, Volvo Trucks North America. We're excited to collaborate with our dealer partner, TEC Equipment, to support the 4 Gen Logistics team in optimizing the benefits of their Volvo VNR Electric trucks.

With two driver shifts daily, 4 Gen Logistics Volvo VNR Electric fleet logs up to 240 miles per shift. The six-battery package configuration Volvo VNR Electric has a range of up to 275 miles and can achieve an 80% charge in about 90 minutes. Additionally, the truck's ultra-quiet operation, uninterrupted torque, and smooth acceleration contribute to a comfortable driving experience.

We have more than 15,000 miles on our first Volvo VNR Electric that was deployed in 2022. Driver feedback has been extremely positive and played a crucial role in our decision to invest in additional Volvo VNR Electric trucks to support our commitment to operating a 100% zero-tailpipe emission fleet by 2025, said David Duncan, the owner of 4 Gen Logistics. Drivers are adapting quickly to the battery-electric trucks and improving their range each week as they learn to use the regenerative braking.

TEC Equipments Fontana and La Mirada dealership sales teams assisted 4 Gen Logistics in evaluating funding options and determining the ideal configuration of the Volvo VNR Electric truck that would meet the needs of their daily operations. The dealerships have also led driver training to help 4 Gen Logistics drivers understand how to maximize range with the regenerative braking. The dealerships will help 4 Gen Logistics maximize uptime for their Volvo VNR Electric trucks as part of the Volvo Gold Contract, a premier service offering for the Volvo VNR Electric model that provides a turn-key solution to provide customers with operational peace of mind with electric vehicles.

To charge its growing battery-electric fleet, 4 Gen Logistics utilized its property in the Port of Long Beach area to build and operate charging infrastructure for its heavy-duty fleet. Once fully built and energized, the site will include 60 350 kW charging stations. 4 Gen Logistics is adding 30 additional 350 kW charging stations at its Rialto facility to support its growing battery-electric fleet.

"The transition to battery-electric vehicles represents a significant shift in the transportation industry, but it's not without its challenges. Cost barriers for fleets adopting battery-electric vehicles are a major concern, along with the supporting infrastructure needed to effectively integrate these vehicles into daily operations, said James Barker, electromobility territory finance manager, Volvo Financial Services. "4 Gen Logistics is one of the progressive fleets that is leading the way in overcoming these challenges and dedicated to scaling zero emissions vehicles to reduce their impact on the communities where its freight trucks operate. By providing resources and support, Volvo Trucks North America and Volvo Financial Services are making the electromobility transition easier for companies like 4 Gen Logistics. This partnership not only benefits the environment but also helps drive the long-term growth and success of businesses committed to reducing their carbon footprint."

In addition, 4 Gen Logistics received funding support from Californias Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) for the purchase of the Volvo VNR Electric trucks.

One of 4 Gen Logistics newly deployed Volvo VNR Electric trucks will be on display in the Volvo Trucks booth from May 20 to 23 at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

To learn more about Volvo Trucks North America and the Volvo VNR Electric, visit the company website.

High-resolution images associated with this press release and others are available at https://press.volvotrucks.us/.

For further information, please contact:

Kyle Zimmerman

Public Relations Manager, Volvo Trucks North America

kyle.zimmerman@volvo.com

(704) 677-9757

Volvo Trucks North America, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, is one of the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturers in North America. Its Uptime Services commitment is delivered by a network of nearly 400 authorized dealers across North America and the 24/7 Volvo Trucks Uptime Center. Every Volvo truck is assembled in the Volvo Trucks New River Valley manufacturing facility in Dublin, Virginia, which meets the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality, 14001 standard for environmental care and holds a dual ISO 50001/Superior Energy Performance certification at the platinum level, indicating a sustained excellence in energy management. Volvo Trucks North America provides complete transport solutions for its customers, offering a full range of diesel, alternative-fuel and all-electric vehicles, and is part of the Volvo Trucks global organization.

Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for discerning professional customers with its full range of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global network of dealers with 2,200 service points in about 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 12 countries across the globe. In 2023 approximately 145,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TYLin, a globally recognized full-service infrastructure consulting firm, today announced the appointment of Harmik Aghanian as Vice President Growth, Southwest Water Sector. In this critical new role, Mr. Aghanian will lead the companys Water Sector strategic growth initiatives in Southern California.

We are excited to welcome Harmik  his extensive experience overseeing complex and high-profile infrastructure programs, as well as his proficiency in business expansion, operations, and client development across public and private sectors, make him an invaluable asset to our team and our clients, said Michael Hope, PE, CME, TYLin Water Sector Leader, Americas. His proven track record of driving growth within the California water sector will allow us to deliver our comprehensive, innovative water services to more clients in Southern California.

Mr. Aghanian joins TYLin with nearly 25 years of experience in engineering and construction. Throughout his career, he has held senior positions at leading engineering firms, where he consistently exceeded project goals and spearheaded multimillion-dollar pursuits. Throughout the past several years, he managed client relationships with key water and wastewater agencies across Southern California and secured numerous multimillion-dollar contracts in new business. He has considerable experience with Alternative Delivery Projects including Progressive Design-Build (PDB) and Public-Private Partnership projects as both owner/agent and part of the PDB integration team.

His expertise spans a full range of water infrastructure projects, including wastewater treatment, conveyance, stormwater management, and reuse. He holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, both with an emphasis in Environmental Engineering, from California State University, Long Beach, and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, respectively. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California.

About TYLin

Founded in 1954, TYLin is a globally recognized, full-service infrastructure consulting firm committed to providing innovative, cost-effective, constructible designs for the global infrastructure market. With 3,600 employees working in 97 offices throughout the Americas, Asia, and Europe, the firm provides support on projects of varying size and complexity. TYLin is a member of Sidara, one of the worlds leading architecture, engineering, project management, and energy consultancy groups. For more information about the company, please visit www.tylin.com.

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Shareholders adopted all resolutions proposed by the Board of Directors at the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meetings



May 6, 2024  release at 17h45 CET

Sophia Antipolis, France







Nicox SA (Euronext Growth Paris: FR0013018124, ALCOX), an international ophthalmology company, announced that the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meetings were held today, on second convening.







The general meetings were held in the presence of SCP EZAVIN-THOMAS, in the person of Maitre Nathalie Thomas, in their capacity as ad hoc agent to represent non-voting shareholders at the general meetings. SCP EZAVIN-THOMAS was appointed by order of the President of the Commercial Court of Antibes in a second decision on April 25, 2024, in replacement of SELARL XAVIER HUERTAS & ASSOCIES, in the person of Maitre Xavier Huertas, initially appointed by the President of the Commercial Court of Antibes on April 18, 2024.







Including the presence of Maitre Nathalie Thomas, in accordance with the terms of the orders of the President of the Commercial Court of Antibes of the April 18 and 25 2024, the quorum, which was initially at 18,73% was brought to 100% of the shares eligible to vote.







The shareholders of Nicox adopted the ordinary and extraordinary resolution proposed by the Board of Directors, notably:







The ratification of the transfer of the registered office to Sundesk Sophia Antipolis, Emerald Square, rue Evariste Galois, 06410 Biot;

The reduction of the share capital due to losses by reducing the nominal value of the shares from 1 to 0.01;

the financial authorisations granted to the Board of Directors to carry out capital increases with or without preferential subscription rights;

the authorization given to the Board of directors to grant free shares and/or stock options to the Company's employees and corporate officers;

Resolutions relating to the agreement with BlackRock Inc. (cf press release of February 28, 2024), namely: the appointment of Mrs. Sonia Benhamida and Mr. Maurizio Petitbon as observers; the authorisation granted to the Board of Directors to issue bonds convertible into shares.


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Jose Raul Mulino, the stand-in for former President Ricardo Martinelli in Panama's presidential election, was set to become the new leader of the Central American nation as authorities unofficially calling the race Sunday night with 88 percent of the vote counted.

The 64-year-old former security minister led the race with nearly 35 percent of the votes, giving him a nine-point lead over the other candidates, who conceded a few hours after the polls closed. Panama doesn't have a runoff system, so the candidate with the biggest share of votes wins.

Mulino replaced Martinelli as candidate after the firebrand former leader was banned from running after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering.

Mulino, a less charismatic politician, coasted on Martinellis popularity and the booming economy seen under the former leader as Martinelli campaigned while staying in the Nicaraguan Embassy, where he has sought asylum.

Now, following one of the most tumultuous elections in Panamas recent history, Mulino is about to become the new leader of a country with pressing challenges and simmering discontent among many.

The president will grapple with a slowed economy, historic levels of migration, a drought that is handicapping transit in the Panama Canal and the economic aftermath of mass anti-mining protests last year.

Its a very bizarre situation, unprecedented. I havent seen anything quite like this, not only in Panama but any other Latin American country that I could think of, said Michael Shifter, a senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue. Panama is in for a tumultuous period.

Mulino, running under the Achieving Goals and Alliance parties, faced off against anti-corruption candidate Ricardo Lombana, who trailed in second, former President Martin Torrijos and former candidate Romulo Roux.

All three conceded to Mulino on Sunday evening, with Roux saying Panama chose "a different proposal than the one we put forward.

But his ties with Martinelli seemed to pull him across the finish line. Mulino ran on the promise to usher in another wave of economic prosperity, and stop migration through the Darien Gap, the perilous jungle region overlapping Colombia and Panama that was traversed by half a million migrants last year.

The lawyer also vowed to help his ally in his legal woes. After voting Sunday, Mulino strolled into the Nicaraguan Embassy trailed by photographers and wrapped Martinelli in a big hug, saying, Brother, were going to win!"

Before even half of the votes had been counted, supporters in Mulinos campaign headquarters erupted in celebration, singing and waving flags. Panama doesnt have a runoff system, so the candidate with the biggest share of votes wins.

Martinelli posted a blurry photo of his own face on the X social media platform, writing: This is the face of a happy and content man.

Despite the fatigue of endemic corruption in Panama, many voters like Juan Jose Tinoco were willing to overlook the other corruption scandals plaguing their former leader in favor of the humming economy seen during his presidency. The 63-year-old bus driver voted for Mulino from his working-class area of small, concrete houses surrounded by extravagant skyscrapers.

We have problems with health services, education, we have garbage in the streets ... and corruption that never goes away, Tinoco said. We have money here. This is a country that has lots of wealth, but we need a leader who dedicates himself to the needs of Panama.

The presidential race had been in uncertain waters until Friday morning, when Panamas Supreme Court ruled that Mulino was permitted to run. It said he was eligible despite allegations that his candidacy wasnt legitimate because he wasnt elected in a primary.

Mulino faces an uphill battle moving forward, on the economy especially. Last year, the Central American nation was roiled for weeks by mass anti-government protests, which came to encapsulate deeper discontent among citizens.

The protests targeted a government contract with a copper mine, which critics said endangered the environment and water at a time when drought has gotten so bad that it has effectively handicapped trade transit through the Panama Canal.

While many celebrated in November when the countrys Supreme Court declared the contract unconstitutional, the mine closure and slashed canal transit will put Panama's new leader in a tight spot.

Meanwhile, the country's debt is skyrocketing and much of the economy has slowed, said Shifter, of Inter-American Dialogue, making it even harder for Mulino to regularize canal transit and staunch soaring levels of migration through the Darien Gap.

"Panama is at a very different moment than its been over the last 30 years," Shifter said. Mulino is going to face formidable obstacles. I mean, its going to be a daunting task for him." (AP)
MONTREAL, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is helping the countrys institutions prepare for pandemics and other health emergencies though its Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF). The funds goal is to provide researchers with the competitive advantages they need to maintain the prosperity, health and security of Canadians now and in the future.

Today, the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism, and the Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced more than $360 million in funding through the CFI to support the research infrastructure needs of Canadas biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. She made the announcement at Polytechnique Montreal on behalf of the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health. Todays funding will support 14 infrastructure projects that will contribute to:

Building Canadas capacity to identify and monitor pathogens through new technologies and improved processes

Identifying and addressing bottlenecks and gaps to ensure the countrys biomanufacturing processes are reliable, scalable and adaptable

Strengthening our collaborative biomanufacturing ecosystem while providing hands-on training across a range of career trajectories and stages

Researching and developing new vaccines, antibiotics and immune-based therapeutics

Improving diagnostic testing, including working with marginalized communities to address diagnostic gaps

Preparing policy and practice to increase public trust in, and access to, safe and effective vaccines and other bioscience innovations.

We must ensure the health and safety of all Canadians today and in the future, says Roseann OReilly Runte, President and CEO of the CFI. The projects funded through the Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund will play a critical role in our countrys rapid response to future pandemics. This state-of-the-art equipment will be used by academic and private-sector researchers to develop innovative medical interventions and treatments and will help cement Canadas place as a leader in this growing field.

This national competition is a partnership with the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF). New funding through the CBRF was also announced today. The integrated CBRFBRIF Stage 2 competitions are advancing the goals of Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. The first stage of CBRF established five biomedical research hubs across the country in 2022, while Stage 2 focuses on research and talent development projects at those hubs. The research infrastructure projects funded through BRIF are each associated with one of those five hubs. The hubs will provide strategic guidance and training to bioscience professionals. They will also encourage collaboration between institutions and across sectors and will translate research into product development and manufacturing that will benefit Canadians.

Quick facts

Projects supported through the BRIF will also receive additional funding through the CFIs Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) to cover the costs of operating the research infrastructure. The total investment of $361.5 million includes $83.4 million from the IOF.

The BRIF is partnered with the CBRF, which is funding research and talent development projects as part of todays announcement. The CBRF program is administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies: SSHRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Todays investment of $574 million includes: $361.5 million through the BRIF and more than $213 million through the CBRF. A total of 19 projects at 14 institutions were awarded funding to support research, talent development or research infrastructure. Learn more about the projects.

The five research hubs are located at the University of British Columbia, the University of Alberta, the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa (co-led by McMaster University) and the Universite de Montreal.

Associated links

About the Canada Foundation for Innovation

With a bold, future-looking mandate, the Canada Foundation for Innovation equips researchers to be global leaders in their field and to respond to emerging challenges. Our investments in state-of-the-art tools, instruments and facilities at universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions underpin both curiosity- and mission-driven research that cuts across disciplines and bridges all sectors. The research infrastructure we fund mobilizes knowledge, spurs innovation and commercialization, and empowers the talented minds of a new generation.

Related products

A full list of the funded projects as well as stories about the facilities we fund are available online at Innovation.ca. For updates, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube channel to find videos about the CFI and its transformative research projects.

Contacts
Dallas, TX, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This year, Dickeys Barbecue Pit will recognize hardworking teachers and nurses across the country with a barbecue treat in honor of Nurse Appreciation and Teacher Appreciation Week.

The folks at Dickeys are showing their admiration for teachers and nurses for their ongoing commitment to the education and health of their local communities. During Nurse and Teacher Appreciation Week, any nurse or teacher visiting a Dickeys restaurant will receive an iconic FREE Big Yellow Cup with their purchase of $10 or more. This special deal lasts from May 6th to May 12th and is only available in-store, with a valid employment ID.

At Dickeys we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to honor the men and women who work in the education and healthcare industries said Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. We look forward to recognizing them and having the chance to give back to these local heroes all week long.

Barbecue fans can also support their local nurses by selecting to donate $1 to The Dickey Foundation, the charitable arm of the barbecue brand, in store, during check out.

To learn more, follow Dickeys Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickeys Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

To learn more about Dickeys Virtual Concepts follow Wing Boss on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok; Trailer Birds on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok ; and Big Deal Burger on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok .

About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the worlds largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by the Dickey family. For the past 80 years, Dickeys Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests in 44 states Legit. Texas. Barbecue.  At Dickeys, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickeys proudly believes theres no shortcut to true barbecue and its why our name isnt BBQ. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers eight slow-smoked meats and 12 wholesome sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. Dickeys Barbecue has 550 locations across the United States and eight other countries.

Dickeys was named to Newsweeks 2022 Americas Favorite Restaurant Chains list and USA Today 2021 readers choice awards. Dickeys won first place on Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, been named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur and named to Hospitality Technologys Industry Heroes list. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the countrys 50 most influential women in foodservice in Nations Restaurant News, was recognized by Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list and honored by Dallas Business Journal. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, People Magazine and QSR Magazine. Dickeys Barbecue is part of Dickeys Restaurant Brands which has more than 700 restaurants nationwide including brands Wing Boss, Trailer Birds, Big Deal Burger and bbqathome.com. DRB is led by CEO Roland Dickey Jr. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.

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MINNEAPOLIS, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NMDPSM, a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy, announced today that the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal named CEO Amy Ronneberg to its 2024 list of Most Admired CEOs, an honor designated annually to 10 chief executives in the Twin Cities. The Journal will celebrate these leaders organizational and business acumen as well as community and industry achievements at a ceremony in late September.

Im humbled and honored to be recognized among this stellar class of 2024 honorees, Ronneberg said. Its a privilege to serve our many stakeholders and elevate our national and international impact by advancing cell therapy research, delivering superior service and expanding equitable access to transplant for patients in need.

In the ten years Ronneberg has led NMDP  as Chief Financial Officer in 2013 to becoming the organizations first female CEO in 2020  her stewardship of the organization continues to be unparalleled and enduring. A relentless driver of excellence, she remains focused on the people NMDP serves, whether patients, registry members, donors, financial supporters or providers, and especially the over 1,500 employees and thousands of volunteers who support the mission. Remarkably, her patients first, employees always credo in part stems from an unlikely beginning: At the outset of her tenure, Ronneberg found herself at once CFO and patient  newly battling, then surviving, breast cancer.

A financial and operational force, Ronnebergs earlier achievements set a high bar for organizational impact. Initially, she drove revenue by 25% over three years, the largest in NMDP history, achieving strategic goals a full year earlier than planned. Ronneberg created a new business model that reduced costs by $50 million and eliminated debt by $70 million; built the for-profit subsidiary NMDP BioTherapiesSM, growing it by 200% in revenue annually; and developed the international strategy that created NMDP Mexico, all while significantly expanding revenue-generating product and service offerings.

Her exceptional business acumen as well as passion for patients and people made her the ideal CEO candidate to steer the organization through myriad challenges in a global pandemic. Taking the helm in March 2020, Ronneberg drove the organization to accelerate its impact, ensuring NMDP delivered stem or cord blood cells to every transplant patient; grew foundation donations 14% annually to drive patient assistance grants; and increased donor recruitment 17% year-over-year.

In addition, she led a team who also won Congressional approval to reauthorize the TRANSPLANT Act that funds the NMDP Registry and critical, public stem cell research infrastructure that enables NMDP, academic and industry bodies to discover new ways to find cures and save lives from blood cancers and disorders, especially for underserved, ethnically diverse patients.

Ronneberg embodies NMDPs vision to create a world where every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy, impacting over 26,000 lives since becoming CEO. She also finds time to join the legion of NMDP volunteer couriers, transporting blood stem cells across the globe to patients in need. These leadership behaviors and values are reflected in employees, who helped secure NMDPs position in the top three best places to work in the Twin Cities, three years running.

Ronneberg also brings her significant contributions to bear, currently serving on the boards of Allina Health, Medical Alley Association and on the Finance Committee for the World Marrow Donor Association, among other past roles.

About the Most Admired CEOs Recognition

Each year, the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal selects 10 individuals dedicated to ensuring Minnesotas economy and communities remain strong and vibrant. These CEOs lead workforces  large and small  and have an outsized impact on our state through their professional accomplishments, industry involvement and community work.

About NMDPSM

At NMDPSM, we believe each of us holds the key to curing blood cancers and disorders. As a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy, NMDP creates essential connections between researchers and supporters to inspire action and accelerate innovation to find life-saving cures. With the help of blood stem cell donors from the worlds most diverse registry and our extensive network of transplant partners, physicians and caregivers, were expanding access to treatment so that every patient can receive their life-saving cell therapy. NMDP. Find cures. Save lives. Learn more at nmdp.org.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

Contact:

Jess Ayers

media@nmdp.org




Orangeville, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pizza Nova, Ontario's family-owned and operated premium pizza brand, announces its first location in Orangeville, Ontario. To celebrate the milestone, Pizza Nova will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, May 25, 2024, featuring a special promotion to delight pizza lovers and give back to the community.

The new Pizza Nova location is strategically situated at 40 Broadway, Orangeville, and is owned and operated by seasoned franchisee Steve Wahab. Wahab has been a dedicated member of the Pizza Nova family for nearly two decades. This opening marks his second location, with his first being a successful operation at 10886 Hurontario Street in Brampton, Ontario.

"I have been part of the Pizza Nova family since 1995, starting as a pizzamaker at Pizza Nova's Bolton location and eventually stepping into the franchisee role in Brampton," says Wahab. "Opening a second location in Orangeville is not just an expansionit's a homecoming. This new store allows us to serve another community with the same dedication to quality and service that defines Pizza Nova."

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will include special deals such as medium pizzas at $5.99 (plus tax), with $1 from every pizza sold during the event going to Orangeville Food Bank.

"Dedication to community and quality has always been at the heart of Pizza Nova," says Domenic Primucci, president of Pizza Nova. "With Steve's extensive experience and passion, we are excited to see him bring our brand to the amazing community of Orangeville, offering a taste of Italy to more Ontarians."

For more information on Pizza Nova and the new Orangeville location, please visit www.pizzanova.com.

 30 

About Pizza Nova

Founded in 1963, Pizza Nova is a family-operated business that is committed to sharing the rich taste of Italy with Canadians. Pizza Nova has more than 150 stores and concession locations in Southern Ontario and inspired by family values such as trust, integrity, and authenticity. They are known for fresh toppings, high-quality ingredients and a wide range of authentic Italian menu items including lasagna, panzerotti, Italian sandwiches, chicken wings and arancini. They also have a line of Primucci branded products featuring Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Homestyle Tomato Sauce, Italian Hot Peppers, Spicy Green Olives, and Sundried Black Olives. Taste the Difference and learn more at pizzanova.com.

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MONTREAL, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DAVIDsTEA Inc. (TSXV:DTEA) (DAVIDsTEA or the Company), a leading tea merchant in North America, is pleased to honour National Nurses Day by announcing their successful donation of over two million cups of tea to frontline heroes since the start of the pandemic. In celebration, nurses can stop by any of DAVIDsTEAs 18 flagship stores across Canada throughout the month of May and enjoy a free cup of tea!







Having reached its initial one million cups donation milestone in 2022, the Company set a new goal of reaching two million cups by the end of 2023; swiftly achieved with DAVIDsTEAs December announcement that all customer purchases would equal one cup of tea donated until the milestone was reached.

Today, in honour of National Nurses Day, the Company is thrilled to continue supporting these hardworking healthcare heroes with a special thank you: all month long, nurses can visit any one of the Companys stores to enjoy a free cup of the Tea of the Dayno purchase required.

DAVIDsTEA is continuing its support of frontline heroesincluding healthcare workers, educators, first responders, and moreacross Canada and the US by increasing their donation goal to three million cups of tea. Starting today, every purchase made in all 18 DAVIDsTEA flagship stores and online at davidstea.com equals one cup of tea donated. Further, those wishing to nominate local frontline heroes to receive tea donations can complete and submit the Companys sponsorship form.

Tea is more than just teaits comfort in a cup, said Sarah Segal, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Brand Officer, DAVIDsTEA, adding, thats why its always been important to us at DAVIDsTEA to care for our community, and were honoured to be able to share our appreciation and bring a little bit of joy to the day of so many hardworking frontline heroes.

Follow DAVIDsTEA (@davidstea) on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

About DAVIDsTEA

DAVIDsTEA offers a specialty branded selection of high-quality proprietary loose-leaf teas, pre-packaged teas, tea sachets, tea-related accessories and gifts through its e-commerce platform at www.davidstea.com and the Amazon Marketplace, its wholesale customers which include over 4,000 grocery stores and pharmacies in Canada and 170 grocery stores in the United States, as well as 18 company-owned stores across Canada. The Company offers primarily proprietary tea blends that are exclusive to the Company, as well as traditional single-origin teas and herbs. The teams passion for and knowledge of tea permeates the Companys culture and is rooted in an excitement to explore the taste, health and lifestyle elements of tea. With a focus on innovative flavours, wellness-driven ingredients and organic tea, the Company launches seasonally driven collections with a mission of making tea fun and accessible to all. The Company is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

For more information or media requests, please contact:

Kelly McDougald

pr@davidstea.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce518020-1a41-4ab9-b675-4e808b6c64e1
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inteleos, a non-profit global healthcare certification organization, will host a roundtable discussion titled "Advancing Maternal and Fetal Health through POCUS Training and Certification" on May 29 alongside a side event during the WHO World Health Assembly and the AI for Good Global Summit .

The roundtable will explore the urgent need to expand point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training and certification for frontline maternal health clinicians as a crucial intervention for reducing preventable maternal deaths and achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, and how to implement to scale.

Despite the increased availability of affordable ultrasound technology, there remains a significant training gap that limits access to this diagnostic tool, especially in low-resource areas with high maternal mortality rates. The event aims to drive policy changes and implementation of standardized guidelines to enable midwives, nurses and clinical officers to perform point-of-of-care obstetric ultrasounds.

"Empowering more frontline healthcare providers with relevant obstetrical POCUS knowledge, skills and abilities can revolutionize maternal care through better clinical management and risk identification leading to appropriate referrals," said Inteleos Chief Business Development Officer Pamela Ruiz. "This roundtable will explore sustainable governance and business models to rapidly scale this life-saving capability."

The event is set for Wednesday, May 29, from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. GMT the Warwick Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland and is open to all World Health Assembly, AI for Good attendees and media. Advanced registration is required, and capacity is limited.
LAS VEGAS, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Planet 13 Holdings Inc. (CSE: PLTH) (OTCQX: PLNH) (Planet 13 or the Company), a leading vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis company, today announced the closing on May 6, 2024 of its previously announced sale of Planet 13 Florida, Inc. (Planet 13 Florida), following the previously announced approval from the Florida Office of Medical Marijuana Use on April 26, 2024.



The Company sold 100% of the equity interests of Planet 13 Florida in exchange for US$9,000,000. The sale of Planet 13 Florida is a condition to the closing of the Companys pending acquisition of VidaCann, LLC (VidaCann). The Company expects to close the VidaCann acquisition as soon as practicable in May 2024.

About Planet 13

Planet 13 (https://planet13.com/investors/) is a vertically integrated cannabis company, with award-winning cultivation, production and dispensary operations across its locations in California, Nevada, Illinois, and upcoming sites in Florida. Home to the nation's largest dispensary located just off The Strip in Las Vegas, Planet 13 continues to expand its footprint. With the recent debut of its first consumption lounge in Las Vegas, DAZED!, and the opening of its first Illinois dispensary in Waukegan, bringing unparalleled cannabis experiences to the Chicago metro area, Planet 13s mission is to build a recognizable global brand known for world-class dispensary operations and innovative cannabis products. Licensed cannabis activity is legal in the states Planet 13 operates in but remains illegal under U.S. federal law. Planet 13s shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol PLTH and are quoted on the OTCQX under the symbol PLNH.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are often, but not always, identified by phrases such plans, expects, proposed, may, could, would, intends, anticipates, or believes, potential or variations of such words and phrases. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to the timing and completion of the acquisition of VidaCann. Such forward-looking statements reflect what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon such forward-looking statements and that actual results may vary from such forward-looking statements. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ include, among others, the potential that other conditions to the closing of the VidaCann acquisition may not be satisfied or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the agreements relating to the VidaCann acquisition and those assumptions, risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and any of the Companys subsequent periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date of this news release and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements should they change, except as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
Frankfurt Stock Exchange: MAL2

TSX Venture Exchange: BSK

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE UNITED STATES OR THROUGH U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES/

VANCOUVER, May 6, 2024 - Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSX-V: BSK) (FSE: MAL2), ("Blue Sky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the over-subscribed private placement announced on April 17, 2024 through the issuance of 18,267,999 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.06 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,096,079.94 (the "Offering").

Each Unit consists of one common share and one transferrable common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company at $0.09 per share for two (2) years from the date of issue.

Finder's fees of $50,986.60 are payable in cash on a portion of the Offering to parties at arm's length to the Company (the "Finders"). In addition, the Company is also issuing 849,777 non-transferable finder's warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") to the Finders. Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share at a price of $0.06 per share for two (2) years from the date of issue, expiring on May 6, 2026.

There is an offering document relating to the Offering that has been amended to reflect the increase in size of the Offering, which can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website at www.blueskyuranium.com. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

Certain insiders of the Company have participated in the Private Placement for $10,002 in Units. Such participation represents a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), but the transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of the transaction, nor the consideration paid, exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for exploration programs on the Company's projects in Argentina and for general working capital.

The Offering is subject to regulatory approval, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

Blue Sky Uranium Corp. is a leader in uranium discovery in Argentina. The Company's objective is to deliver exceptional returns to shareholders by rapidly advancing a portfolio of surficial uranium deposits into low-cost producers, while respecting the environment, the communities, and the cultures in all the areas in which we work. Blue Sky has the exclusive right to properties in two provinces in Argentina. The Company's flagship Amarillo Grande Project was an in-house discovery of a new district that has the potential to be both a leading domestic supplier of uranium to the growing Argentine market and a new international market supplier. The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Nikolaos Cacos"

______________________________________

Nikolaos Cacos, President, CEO and Director

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.

SOURCE Blue Sky Uranium Corp.
SASKATOON, May 6, 2024 - Star Diamond Corp. (TSX: DIAM) ("Star Diamond" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Ron Waddington, a member of Yellow Quill First Nation, as our Indigenous and Community Engagement Officer. Ron will be leading the Company's Indigenous engagement efforts in a consulting role going forward. Ron will be reaching out to rights holders and stakeholders to discuss how most effectively to engage in economic reconciliation.

Chair and CEO Ewan Mason says: "We look forward to real economic reconciliation with all rights holders and stakeholders as Ron undertakes the Company's engagement efforts with the goal to move the Fort a la Corne Project forward".

Ron began his career working for the federal government in the Indigenous and Northern Affairs department and has also worked at the provincial level in the Ministry of First Nations and Metis Relations in Saskatchewan. Ron is a graduate of the University of Regina where he acquired a B.Admin., Corporate Finance. He also formed his own consulting business where he has provided financial advice to a number of First Nations. Ron can be reached at: 306-812-6210.





About Star Diamond Corporation



Star Diamond is a Canadian-based corporation engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. Shares of Star Diamond trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "DIAM". Star Diamond's most significant asset is its 100 percent interest in the Fort a la Corne property in central Saskatchewan. These kimberlites are located in close proximity to established infrastructure, including paved highways and the electrical power grid, which provide significant advantages for future mine development.

Stay Connected with Us:

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/StarDiamondCorp

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/star-diamond-corp/

Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/stardiamondcorp

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stardiamondcorp

YouTube - https://youtube.com/@StarDiamondCorp

Caution Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" and/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. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "plan", "aim", "target", "contemplate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "propose", "might", "may", "will", "shall", "project", "should", "could", "would", "believe", "predict", "forecast", "pursue", "potential", "possible", "capable" and similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, expectations regarding the timing for transfer of the Permit to Operate and completion of the transactions that are the subject of the Agreement.

These forward-looking statements are based on Star Diamond's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific. Risks exist that forward-looking statements will not be achieved due to a number of factors including, but not limited to, the MoE's approval processes and the impact of changes in the laws and regulations regulating mining exploration, development, closure, judicial or regulatory judgments and legal proceedings and the additional risks described in Star Diamond's most recently filed Annual Information Form, annual and interim MD&A.

Although management of Star Diamond considers the assumptions contained in forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to Star Diamond, those assumptions may prove to be incorrect. When making decisions with respect to Star Diamond, investors and others should not place undue reliance on these statements and should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Star Diamond does not undertake any obligation to release publicly revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Investors should not assume that any lack of update to a previously issued forward-looking statement constitutes a reaffirmation of that statement. Continued reliance on forward-looking statements is at investors' own risk.

SOURCE Star Diamond Corp.
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to begin evacuating, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent.

The announcement complicated last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the director of the CIA, to broker a cease-fire. Hamas and Qatar, a key mediator, have warned that an invasion of Rafah could derail the talks.

Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said they need to carry out a ground invasion to defeat the Islamic militant group.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said some 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi. He said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. But last October, Israel did not formally announce the launch of a ground invasion that continues to this day.

The move comes a day after Hamas militants carried out a deadly rocket attack from the area that killed three Israeli soldiers.

Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through leaflets dropped from the sky, text messages and radio broadcasts.

He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

Israel's army said Monday on the social platform X it would act with extreme force against militants and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety.

Israel's plan to invade Rafah has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there.

About 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gazas population  are jammed into the town and its surroundings. Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israels onslaught and now face another wrenching move, or the danger of facing the brunt of a new assault. They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing U.N. shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled.

The United States, Israel's closest ally, has repeatedly urged Israel not to carry out the invasion, saying it does not have a credible plan to protect civilians.

But even as the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have pushed for a cease-fire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated last week that the military would move on the town with or without a deal to achieve its goal of destroying the Hamas militant group .

On Sunday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Hamas wasnt serious about a deal and warned of a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah." His comments came after Hamas attacked Israels main crossing point Sunday for delivering assistance, killing three soldiers.

Shoshani would not say whether the upcoming Rafah operation is a response to Sunday's killing. He said the incident would have no effect on the amounts of badly needed aid entering Gaza because other crossing points remain operational.

He wouldn't comment, however, on U.S. warnings not to invade and wasn't clear on whether the evacuation was coordinated with Egypt.

Egypt, a strategic partner of Israel, has said that an Israeli military seizure of the Gaza-Egypt border  which is supposed to be demilitarized  or any move to push Palestinians into Egypt would threaten its four-decade-old peace agreement with Israel.

In Rafah, people received flyers Monday morning in Arabic detailing which neighborhood blocks needed to leave and where humanitarian zones had expanded to. The flyers said that aid services would spread from Deir al Balah in the north to the center of Khan Younis city in the middle of the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians in Rafah said people gathered to discuss their options after receiving the flyers. Most said they did not want to move alone and preferred to travel in groups.

So many people here are displaced and now they have to move again, but no one will stay here its not safe, Nidal Alzaanin told the Associated Press by phone.

Alzaanin, a father of five, works for an international aid group and was displaced to Rafah from Beit Hanoun in the north at the start of the war.

He said people are concerned since Israeli troops shot at Palestinians as they moved during previous evacuation orders.

Alzaanin said he has packed his documents and bags but will wait 24 hours to see what others do before relocating. He said he has a friend in Khan Younis whom he hopes can pitch a tent for his family. (AP)
VANCOUVER, May 6, 2024 - Providence Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV:PHD) (OTC:PR) (FRANKFURT EXCHANGE:7RH1-F) ("Providence" or the "Company") is delighted to announce the 2024 exploration program plans to follow up the Company's recently announced updated geology. The 2024 exploration program is designed to specifically target the discovery surface gold zone which yielded values of up to 17.5 g/t Au. The Company and technical team concur that the first priority is the surface discovery gold zone; to determine size and potential economic significance to be exploited.

Once substantiated, this gold discovery will be evaluated for blending with the previously reported stockpile material.

Ronald A. Coombes, President & CEO of Providence observed; "The best place to explore for gold is where gold is, with the Providence group of gold mines famous history of high-grade gold production, there remains enormous potential!".

Gordon Gibson, P.Geo. reported in the Company's news release of April 9th, 2024, "It is important to note that drill hole PR19-05 intersected a footwall splay vein of the central plume at the surface, returning 3.04 metres of 2.46 g/t Au. A surface, channel sample at the collar of hole PR19-05 returned 0.50 metres of 17.5 g/t Au. The splay vein of hole PR19-05, from the surface to the uppermost stopes of the Providence 100 level - a zone measuring approximately 52  100 metres, is considered a prime gold target at surface."

An 8-minute walk-through of this new modelling is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiP0lhbUXAA

The subsequent exploration phase is designed to include core drilling with a minimum of 4,000 metres of HQ core at the McCarthy and the Mexican shafts area. Previously reported on September 21, 2021, sampling of a random 3.77-kilogram rock sample at the McCarthy portal yielded 77 to 97 g/t Au with multiple retests for quality assurance. Both the McCarthy and the Mexican shafts and general area nearby are the Company's primary core drill targets.

Ron Coombes President & CEO states," The Company's Professional Geologist in the State of California Mr. Mark Payne, (Mr. Payne reports to our Qualified Person as required under NI 43 101), has been actively involved with gold exploration in the Motherlode Gold Belt for the past 45 years and been responsible for many new gold discoveries in the region. As a Professional Geologist Mr. Payne has been involved in our exploration programs at the Providence Gold Group of Gold Mines since 2021 and since then has identified many new exploration targets".

Mr. Payne has stated in his opinion, " that the Providence Group of Gold Mines represents a target rich environment hosting a large potential gold endowment and that the property hosts a sizeable and complex system of gold quartz veins, which has a proven legacy of high-grade gold production from multiple locations at the property".

The Providence Group of Gold Mines is a famous historical high grade gold producer. The Property consists of the Providence, Fair play, Good Enough, Consuela, Bonita, McCarthy, and Mexican mines.

In addition, property-wide surface drill targets continue to be refined near the McCarthy and Mexican shafts as well as an untested area north of the Mexican shaft, where significant ground preparation provides a favourable structural setting for hanging wall splay veins analogous to the historical "Bonanza" stope at the Providence mine. The Bonanza stope alone reported historical recovery of 50,000 ounces of high-grade gold.

The Providence Group of Gold Mines production reportedly ceased in 1916 due to a dispute and a major fire which burned all the milling infrastructure and surrounding area to the ground, after that; the Spanish flu and war kept the property to remain amazingly idle until Providence Gold optioned the property in late 2017.

Our Geological Team:

Our Qualified Person, Dr. Lee Groat Ph.D., P. Geo is the Company's qualified person (as defined under NI 43-101 and has read and approved the technical information contained in this news release).

Mark Payne is our Registered P. Geo in the State of California and has specialized for over 45 years in the California Mother Lode Gold Belt.

Gordon Gibson P. Geo is a structural expert and geologist with over 40 years of experience.

Referenced News Releases and other Web Links:

Walk-through at the 600-level underground mine using state-of-the-art 3D-LIDAR modelling ()

McCarthy Mine Results 3.77 Kg Sample Yields 77.0 to 97.0 Grams Gold (https://providencegold.com/providence-gold-mines-announces-mccarthy-mine-results-3-77-kg-sample-yields-77-0-to-97-0-grams-gold/

Providence Gold Discloses Discovery of Significant Archived Report (https://providencegold.com/providence-gold-discloses-discovery-of-significant-archived-report/)

Latest news release with video of Enhanced Modelling for Drill Targeting (https://providencegold.com/enhanced-real-time-drill-target-modelling/

April 2021 Bulk Sample testing reveals anticipated Gold Values from processing the stockpile (https://providencegold.com/anticipated-gold-values-found-in-stockpile-bulk-sampling-analysis-2/

About Providence Gold Mines Inc.:

Providence Gold Mining Inc. is an advanced-stage exploration and development Company holding an option to purchase 100% interest in the Providence Group of Gold mines near the mining friendly City of Sonora California.

For more information, please contact Ronald Coombes, President, and CEO of the Company.

Ronald A. Coombes, President & CEO

Phone: (604) 724-2369

Email: rcoombes@providencegold.com

STAY TUNED! VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS

www.ProvidenceGold.com

LIKE & FOLLOW @providencegoldmines

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube, LinkedIn.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Neither the OTCQB and or 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.

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release relative to markets about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements relating to the permitting process, future production of Providence Gold Mines, budget and timing estimates, the Company's working capital and financing opportunities and statements regarding the exploration and mineralization potential of the Company's properties, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Providence Gold Mines expectations include fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; and uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Providence Gold Mines does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Horizon Minerals to resume gold production with new ore deal

NewsDirect (ASX:HRZ) CEO Grant Haywood sits down with Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss a binding ore sale agreement with Paddington Gold Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of



Contact Details



Proactive Investors



Jonathan Jackson



+61 413 713 744



jonathan@proactiveinvestors.com



View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/horizon-minerals-to-resume-gold-production-with-new-ore-deal-381834011



Horizon Minerals Ltd. (ASX:HRZ) CEO Grant Haywood sits down with Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss a binding ore sale agreement with Paddington Gold Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Norton Gold Fields Ltd. , for the processing of 1.4 million tonnes of ore from Horizon's Boorara Gold Project. This ore will be treated at Paddington's 3.8 million tonnes per annum capacity mill, approximately 56 kilometres from Boorara in Western Australia. The agreement covers a processing period of 22 months starting in the September 2024 quarter.Under the terms of the agreement, Horizon will manage mining and transportation of the ore to Paddington's mill. Payments will be made to Horizon within five days of ore delivery, amounting to 50% of gross revenue after deductions for estimated processing costs and royalties. The final revenue will be adjusted based on ore grade, moisture, and recovery rates after complete processing.Haywood, highlighted the deal as an opportunity to leverage the high gold price for significant cashflow, aiding the company's path to sustained gold production. Horizon is also progressing other projects, preparing for further near-term production, and progressing a merger with Greenstone Resources to expand production capabilities.The company is working on restarting mining at the fully permitted Boorara Gold Project, last mined in 2020, and is finalising contracts for mining and haulage. Additionally, Horizon is finalising a toll milling contract with FMR Investments for the Cannon Gold Project and completing the reserve estimate for Boorara.Proactive InvestorsJonathan Jackson+61 413 713 744jonathan@proactiveinvestors.comView source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/horizon-minerals-to-resume-gold-production-with-new-ore-deal-381834011
Aston Martin to evaluate Newey job offer

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack now admits the team is evaluating the possibility of signing Adrian Newey.

Fernando Alonso, Miami GP 2024

 Aston Martin Racing

Earlier in Miami, Krack said when asked about rumours of Aston Martin's interest in the departing Red Bull technical guru: We are quite happy with our technical team and we continue with them.

However, 65-year-old Newey was then spotted in conversation with Aston Martin's billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll in the Miami paddock.

Krack then slightly modified his response to the Newey question when asked by the Spanish broadcaster DAZN on Sunday.

I think that as Aston Martin it is important to have our own path, he said. "With the people and the team we have.

"We want to build our success and fight against the strongest. Obviously, if someone of this calibre is available, you have to consider them and value them.

It's something that we have to evaluate in detail - what they can contribute, the drawbacks, all of that, the German added.

Fascinatingly, James Vowles revealed in Miami that he has had a light conversation about Newey potentially joining Williams.

I think it could fit very perfectly for someone that wants to potentially dig into a challenge, he said. I think anyone here would be foolish not to at least open some conversation with him.

(GMM)
Wolff sides with Marko, hits back at Red Bull CEO Mintzlaff

Toto Wolff has lashed back at one of the top CEOs of the Red Bull drinks empire, slamming comments made in Miami by Oliver Mintzlaff.

Max Verstappen, Miami GP 2024

 Red Bull

Wolff has made no secret about his attempt to woo Max Verstappen to Mercedes amid Red Bull's ongoing power struggle, earning him a rebuke from Mintzlaff as the German businessman made a rare visit to the F1 paddock.

I understand the pressure that Toto Wolff and perhaps other teams are under after years of being second to none, Mintzlaff told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. "But I think Mr Wolff should concentrate on his challenges. He has enough of them.

It's also a matter of respect to keep talking about other teams' personnel. That is not appropriate, he added.

Mercedes boss Wolff hit back hard.

I have no idea what the guy means with these statements. That's why it's unnecessary to comment, he told Sky Deutschland in Miami.

Mintzlaff had also said that he is 1000 percent confident that Verstappen will still be a Red Bull driver next year.

A thousand percent? Wolff mocked in reply. In life there is nothing more than 100 percent.

He also told the Austrian broadcaster ORF: What he says has no relevance to me. Maybe he just wants to be on TV.

Interestingly, while Wolff bickers with Mintzlaff, he suggests he is actually aligned with Red Bull's F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko over the power struggle and Christian Horner affair.

We are both Austrians and we stick together, even if there are sometimes strong differences of opinion, Wolff said, having been spotted on conversation with Marko in Miami.

Let me just say that we have a common and very strong opinion on several things that have happened in recent months, he added. We just exchanged our ideas about that.

Wolff was also seen chatting with Red Bull's departing Adrian Newey in Miami.

When asked if he can reveal what they talked about, he smiled: No. He's a great guy. The track record he has in Formula 1 is incredible.

As for Verstappen, Wolff admits that his driver deliberations for 2025 are currently on hold because We're waiting to see what Max does .

But of course we're also keeping an eye on the other drivers, the Mercedes team boss and co-owner added. "Carlos (Ferrari) is very fast as well. We're a little bit in observation mode.

But it's not my decision. It's Max's.

And when does he expect a decision to be made?: It's not days, but probably weeks or months, Wolff said.

(GMM)
Six people were reportedly killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod as Russian airstrikes caused power outages in north-eastern Ukraine on Monday.

The Ukrainian drone attack on three vehicles near the village of Beryozovka injured a further 35 people, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel early on Monday.

Two of the vehicles were reportedly buses carrying workers, although no further details were available about their employers. Gladkov also published a photo showing a badly damaged bus.

Meanwhile, more than 400,000 households in the north-eastern Ukrainian border region of Sumy were affected by power outages after the Russian military attacked energy systems with 13 Iranian-made combat drones.

Ukrainian officials said 12 of the drones were shot down, but more than 1,300 villages lost power. Most have now had their electricity supply restored.

Ukraine has sporadically attacked arms depots and transport infrastructure in Russian border regions since the conflict with Moscow started more than two years ago.

However, the number of casualties Kiev has inflicted is far lower than its own losses since the Russian invasion.

Russian attacks with missiles and drones have repeatedly targeted Ukraine's power supply and caused high numbers of civilian casualties.

Also on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it would conduct an exercise of tactical nuclear forces on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.

The announcement did not say if the missiles would be equipped with nuclear warheads. Russia has previously carried out nuclear forces training without nuclear warheads.

"As part of the exercise, a series of activities will be carried out to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the Defense Ministry said in Moscow.

It was initially unclear when and where exactly the exercise, in which the southern defense district and naval forces are involved, would begin.

In October, the Russian military fired two intercontinental missiles and several cruise missiles for training and deterrence purposes.

It justified the exercise by alleging "provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials against the Russian Federation."

Russian representatives have repeatedly tried to test international support for Kiev by stirring up fears of a nuclear war. (dpa)
Strange Delight 63 Lafayette Ave., at Fulton St., Fort Greene A seafood tower from Strange Delight. Photo: Hugo Yu

As Hisham Ham El-Waylly, Anoop Pillarisetti, and Michael Tuiach were putting together the menu for Strange Delight, the New Orleans seafood-and-cocktail bar they are set to open on May 15, they faced a crucial question: Do we have too many oyster dishes? Theyre served on the half-shell. There are oysters Rockefeller  made, in the style of Galatoires, without bacon or cheese  and fried oysters served with remoulade. In lieu of poboys, theres a fried-oyster loaf a la Casamentos, here made with thick-sliced milk bread, Dukes mayo, pickles, and shredded iceberg. Did they really need more? Maybe, they thought, they should ditch the oysters Bienville, an archaic preparation that even they had seen only a few times in the wild.

We were all ready to cut it, El-Waylly says. Then, Pillarisetti recalls, they ate their version: Were like, This one has to stay. Bienville is made by ladling a shrimp sauce  thickened with roux and often cooked with green onion, white wine, and cheese  over an oyster, then broiling till browned. At Strange Delight, cooks will add crab and make the sauce more like a seafood stew.

Pillarisetti  who grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana  is conscious of the way the Big Easy gets Cinco de Mayod into a theme-park version of itself, something theyre aiming to avoid. Its about doing our best to pay respect and re-create some of these things, Pillarisetti says, without being like, We are a New Orleans restaurant: Were Saintsville and have fleur-de-lis and Mardi Grascolored walls. 

Those following along at home know Strange Delight has been gestating for a few years. Pillarisetti and Tuiach had talked about opening something together as far back as 2019, but by 2021, Pillarisetti  who has worked at places such as Momofuku, PokPok, and Shake Shack  was longing for a project tied more directly to Louisiana. Soon, El-Waylly joined, too. A couple of research trips to New Orleans and several pop-ups later, the trio signed a lease. To help run the show, they brought in kitchen manager Michael Yi and general manager Eva Pudick.

The restaurant itself is divided into two main spaces. Up front, theres an open kitchen, all electric, with an oyster shucking station and a PizzaMaster oven left by the previous tenant theyre using for broiling. There are a handful of seats there, but most of the tables are in the back, which gets splashed with sun from the skylights. (In a small hallway in between, theyll stock wines selected by Miguel de Leon, the sommelier who is a partner at Pinch Chinese; cocktails like Sazerac and Gin Fizz riffs come care of John deBary.)

In addition to oysters, there is plenty of shrimp  fried, barbecued, in a sandwich with giardiniera  but not everything is pulled directly from the Crescent City. Grilled oysters can be had with Randazzos-esque spicy tomato sauce, while Peconic Bay escargot casserole is a new invention. So is the fish, to some degree: Black-cod amandine pays tribute in equal measure to trout amandine and Nobus miso black cod. I dont want people to think that we are embracing this static notion of what New Orleans dining is, Pillarisetti says. Oysters Rockefeller, charbroils  all of these things are evolving there as well.
Representatives from Make-A-Wish Guam and CNMI, seated from left, board member Errol Lee, vice chair Kris Lujan, president and CEO Eric Tydingco, board member Joyce Crisostomo, and board member Jason Miyashita, receive a check for $6,500 from Triple J senior VP Jay Jones, senior VP Dan Murrell, CFO Chris Duenas, tax auditor Edgar Aguilar, HR director Yolanda Padrones, and some of the 51 employees who take part in Triple Js Workplace Giving Program.
Sung Peel Hwang, a former manager with Korean Air Lines on Guam, will serve 41 months in federal prison for bank fraud and money laundering involving more than $600,000, following his sentencing on Monday in the District Court of Guam.

Hwang was also ordered to pay more than half a million dollars in restitution to Korean Air Lines.

The sentence includes five years supervised release.

Hwang pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering as part of his agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office.

The original indictment charged him with 15 counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of money laundering.

Court documents state that between September 2015 and December 2018, Hwang cost KAL about $615,227 in losses.

Hwang would receive money from the airline to pay the Guam International Airport Authority a fee for each passenger who went through the Guam airport, as well as for other office expenses such as rental space. He would then report a lower number of passengers to the airport and keep the difference for himself.

Hwangs plan went largely unnoticed because he was one of two co-signatories for KALs Guam office, and because he changed the address on his personal checking account to reflect that of the KAL office in Guam.

It wasnt until the airport announced an audit on the KAL account when Hwang fled Guam to Texas. A federal warrant for Hwangs arrest was issued in April 2023 and he was indicted the following month.

Hwang signed the plea agreement in October 2023 and later returned to Guam for sentencing on Monday, after spending 41 days in federal pre-trial detention.

He will receive those many days in credit against his 41-month sentence.

Hwang will also have to pay KAL for its losses totaling $615,271.51

When the audit showed the amount KAL owed to the Guam airport, the airlines promptly paid.

In its communication with District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, the airline said Hwang tarnished their reputation publicly and with the Guam airport.

They also said they were troubled that Hwang had never formally apologized for his actions, even after he was arrested.

In a final attempt at leniency, defense attorney Rawlen Mantanona objected to two parts of the sentencing memorandum, both of which were overruled.

Mantanona argued that Hwangs embezzlement was not through sophisticated means, and also that Hwang did not hold a position of trust.

The defendant had put the money in his own personal account; it should have been easily found, Mantanona said. You dont want to blame the victims, but if the victims had done any of their own due diligence, and checked ... and had GIAA looked to see who was writing the checks that paid their bills, they would have discovered this. It wasnt, in the defenses opinion, a sophisticated means. It was very simple.

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Benjamin Petersburg disagreed, as did Tydingco-Gatewood.

Hwang had a chance to address the court and said he was sorry to all those he hurt, and offered profuse sorrow to KAL and said he had not apologized to them earlier because he wasnt sure the court would allow any communication.

He told the judge that his wife and young son have relocated to Texas, and requested that he serve his jail sentence at a federal facility about an hour away from his home.

He promised to use his jail time to take classes, and that he would be a model citizen and a positive example to his son and to his community.
Gaza civil defence and aid officials said Monday that Israeli jets struck two areas in eastern Rafah the Israeli military had ordered to be evacuated, ahead of a possible ground invasion of the Palestinian city.

"The areas targeted by the Israeli occupation are near the perimeter of Gaza International Airport, the Al-Shuka area, the Abu Halawa area, the Salaheddin street area and the Salam neighbourhood," Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Ahmed Ridwan told AFP. Another aid official confirmed the strikes.

The Israeli military did not offer an immediate comment, but earlier on Sunday it ordered residents of Al-Shuka and Al-Salam to evacuate and move to a humanitarian area.

Osama al-Kahlut from the emergency operations department of the Red Crescent Society told AFP that the bombing was targeting eastern areas of Rafah.

"It is clear that it is targeting homes, but we have not received any communications or information about the presence of victims in the targeted areas," he said.

Eastern Rafah resident Yaqub al-Sheikh Salama, 30, said the bombing was intense in Al-Salam, Al-Shuka, and other areas.

"There are massive explosions and terrifying sounds of aerial and artillery bombardments," Salam told AFP.

"Children and women are scared and don't know where to go," he said. (AFP)
BJs Wholesale Club, the membership only, discount mega store offering everything from groceries to appliances, has announced two new locations are coming to Florida, this year.

While exact dates have yet to be released, the first is planned to open in Brooksville, Florida, followed soon after by another opening in St. Johns, Florida, which will bring the total number of stores located within the state to 41.

With a population of around 9,500, Brooksville is located about 45 miles north of Tampa  while St. Johns, an unincorporated suburb of Jacksonville, has around 18,000 residents.

Families in Florida  love the value of BJs membership, and were thrilled to bring unexpected savings to more communities as we expand our footprint, said BJs Executive Vice President, Bill Werner, in a news release. Our real estate pipeline is the strongest its been in more than 20 years, and we look forward to helping more families save up to 25 percent off grocery story prices every day.

The company said each location will offer what they refer to as a treasure hunt experience by providing an assortment of both local and seasonal items, as well as home decor, apparel, toys, the latest in tech and more.

Both Florida clubs will also offer onsite gas stations and the BJs Fuel Saver Program.

How to get a membership at BJs Wholesale Club

To shop at BJs, a membership is required, and BJs offers both personal and business accounts, as well as discounted memberships for veterans, military personnel, college students, teachers and government employees.

The standard Club Card Membership is $55 per yearwhile the Club+ Card Membership is offered at $110 per year and includes additional discounts.

For more information and to sign up for a membership online, visit BJs membership center.

How to apply for a job at BJs Wholesale Club

The company announced earlier this year six new clubs opening across the Southeast and Midwest, as well as expansion into its 21st state with an opening in Louisville, Kentucky, in early 2025.

Each new BJs Wholesale Club location is expected to create approximately 150 jobs and hiring for the new Florida locations is expected to start soon.

Those looking to learn more about becoming a BJs team member can visit BJs.com/careers to search for available positions and fill out an application.




Haiti - FLASH : $60 million of American military equipment for the mission, some details





The Biden administration approved a $60 million military aid package to help Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42106-haiti-flash-biden-releases-60-million-usd-for-the-mission-led-by-kenya.html in its fight against the armed gangs who are sowing terror in the country. This is the second program of the Biden administration, after that of 10 million dollars granted at the end of March https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41987-haiti-flash-the-usa-will-provide-weapons-and-ammunition-to-the-pnh.html



According to documents obtained by the POLITICO media, this military aid program would include, among other things, at least 80 Humvees armored vehicles, 35 MaxxPro armored infantry carriers, firearms, precision rifles, anti-riot equipment, munitions and surveillance drones...



This decision will make it possible to provide weapons and equipment to the men of the countries making up the Multinational Security Support Mission https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42217-haiti-flash-7-countries-from-africa-asia-and-the-caribbean-will-support-the-pnh.html (Kenya, Benin, Chad, Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados as well as Bangladesh among others), as well as the National Police of Haiti.



The first contingents of the Mission should begin to disembark in Haiti around May 23/26, 2024.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42250-haiti-security-the-first-kenyan-troops-land-on-may-26-2024-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42245-haiti-flash-jamaica-ready-to-deploy-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42217-haiti-flash-7-countries-from-africa-asia-and-the-caribbean-will-support-the-pnh.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42214-haiti-security-the-caricom-military-contingent-ready-to-intervene-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42142-haiti-flash-appointment-of-a-special-envoy-to-prepare-the-arrival-of-2-000-beninese-soldiers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42077-haiti-politic-el-salvador-plans-to-transfer-its-soldiers-from-mali-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42106-haiti-flash-biden-releases-60-million-usd-for-the-mission-led-by-kenya.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42019-haiti-mmss-the-canadian-army-will-train-nearly-330-men-of-the-caribbean-joint-task-force.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41987-haiti-flash-the-usa-will-provide-weapons-and-ammunition-to-the-pnh.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security : Suriname ready to send police and soldiers to Haiti





Sunday April 5, 2024, the President of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, announced that his Government was ready to send soldiers and police officers to Haiti to assist the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS) in support of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in its fight against armed gangs "We will support our sister Nation in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). We will support the Kenyan-led multinational force, among other things."



According to Santokhi this contingent is prepared by the Ministers of Defense and Police, and the Minister of Justice, in collaboration with the police and the National Army of Suriname.



He said the officers who will be chosen to be part of the Surinamese contingent will have to be prepared and will not necessarily be members of Suriname's security agencies "We will not just send our people [...] Do you know how many people die every day in Haiti ?" Questions President Santokhi, estimating "that [...] more civilians die every day in Haiti than in the war between Russia and Ukraine [...]"



As a result, he called for CARICOM member countries to show greater solidarity with Haiti.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42270-haiti-flash-$60-million-of-american-military-equipment-for-the-mission-some-details.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42217-haiti-flash-7-countries-from-africa-asia-and-the-caribbean-will-support-the-pnh.html



S/ HaitiLibre


















(CNBC)

When you think about the potential for scamming people  if I was interested in investing in scamming, its going to be the growth industry of all time and its enabled, in a way by AI, Buffett said at Berkshire Hathawaysannual shareholder meeting on Saturday. Buffett pointed to the technologys ability to reproduce realistic and misleading content in an effort to send money to bad actors.

To read this article:
The poll indicates that the ruling right-wing party is set to receive 21.7 per cent of the votes cast in Finland, enough to secure 4 of the 15 seats allocated for Finland in the European Parliament. The Social Democratic Party, in turn, is projected to win three seats with a vote share of 19.7 per cent.

THE NATIONAL COALITION is set to be the largest Finnish political party in the next European Parliament, reveals a poll by YLE.

The Finns Party was the choice of 14.1 per cent and the Centre the choice of 13.6 per cent of the poll respondents, whereas the Green League and Left Alliance were each picked by 10.5 per cent of the respondents. Each of the vote shares would be enough to secure two seats, leaving none for either the Swedish Peoples Party or the electoral alliance formed by the Christian Democrats and Movement Now.

The poll results suggest that the upcoming elections could represent a change particularly for the Social Democrats and Green League. The former is projected to register an over five-point increase in its vote share, the latter a five-and-a-half-point drop in its share.

Jari Pajunen, the managing director of Taloustutkimus, pointed out to the public broadcasting company that the poll results are a surprisingly accurate reflection of the most recent parliamentary elections in Finland.

Id assume that once the campaigns have started and European election candidates get their names out there, the setting for the elections and candidate tickets will start having a bigger impact, he said.

Finns will elect altogether 15 lawmakers to the European Parliament on 9 June, two more than in the previous elections due to Brexit and last years decision to raise the total number of seats to 720.

Compared with the 2019 elections, the poll shows a one-seat gain for the National Coalition, Social Democrats and Left Alliance. The Swedish Peoples Party, by contrast, is set to be left without a single seat for the first time since Finland joined the EU in 1995. Also the Green League would lose one of its seats if the elections reflect the poll results.

Pajunen said the Swedish Peoples Party has to make up a lot of ground if it wants to hold on to its seat.

Were talking about tens of thousands of votes thatd have to be won between this poll and the elections, he highlighted to YLE.

Taloustutkimus contacted 2,118 people for the hybrid poll on 2329 April. Fewer than three-quarters, or 71.3 per cent, of them were able and willing to disclose the party affiliation of their current preferred candidate.

Parties in Finland turned in their final tickets for the elections on Tuesday, 30 April. Helsingin Sanomat reported that the tickets include a total of 31 active Members of the Finnish Parliament, as well as six Members of the European Parliament  Eero Heinaluoma (SDP), Elsi Katainen (Centre), Ville Niinisto (Greens), Sirpa Pietikainen (NCP), Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner (PS) and Henna Virkkunen (NCP).



Teuvo Hakkarainen, who represents the Finns Party in the outgoing European Parliament, was not nominated by the Finns Party. He is instead running as an independent candidate on the ticket of the Freedom Alliance, a nationalist-conservative party registered in Finland in 2022.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
School system warns of dangers of 'Senior Assassins' game

The Henderson County Sheriff's Office and the county school system issued a warning last week that high school students have been playing a game called "Senior Assassin" that could lead to "tragic outcomes."

"This game encourages players to seek each other out, by surprise, and then shoot the target with water guns," Superintendent Mark Garrett said in a news release. "Though this may seem harmless on the surface, while in possession of an item resembling a firearm, and when conducted either in the dark, in residential neighborhoods or on active roadways, the opportunity for mistaken identity and possible tragic outcomes is very real"

Garrett said the sheriff's office shares the school system's concern about the activity.

"While this is not an activity sanctioned by Henderson County public schools, we do not want to turn a blind eye to the potential risks our students face by participating in this game," he said. "We encourage parents to discuss this with your students and encourage them to celebrate the Class of 2024 in other ways."
Rainstorm forces postponement of NATO commemoration

Rainstorms on Sunday afternoon forced the Veterans United for Democracy to postpone its planned NATO flag display at the Historic Courthouse.

Veterans United for Democracys Team NATO now plans the NATO flag display for June 2. Details will be announced later. The display of flags from NATO member nations commemorates the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was founded on April 4, 1949.

Veterans United for Democracy held its first flag display on April 7. Veterans and community supporters will hold flags representing the 32 NATO member nations of North America and Europe. The event will feature speakers on the role of NATO in the current geopolitical climate, the importance of solidarity between member nations and why supporting Ukraine is critical to maintaining international stability.

Veterans United for Democracy is a Hendersonville based coalition of veterans of all eras and service branches who support NATO and a strong relationship with our international allies.
THE seventh Chiltern Arts Festival has a theme of human stories.

The eight-day event starts in Henley next Friday (May 10) with poet Roger McGough performing on board The New Orleans.

Organiser Naomi Taylor says: The programme looks at how we can use music and different art forms to bring stories to life.

I love these broad themes that can be interpreted in lots of different ways.

Our very first event is a lovely afternoon of poetry and tea on the Thames with Roger McGough.

He is just such a character and his poetry is wonderful. Hes going to talk about his career and life and read some of his poetry.

On the same day at St Marys Church in Hart Street at 7.30pm, there is a night of music called City Soundscapes with saxophone player Huw Wiggin, pianist Noriko Ogawa and harpist Oliver Wass.

Naomi says: They are a brilliant trio and theyll do a combination of duos and trios and solos.

Its inspired by Night Paths by Joseph Phibbs, whos a contemporary composer and the piece was written about New York at night and the feel and the sound of the city.

Weve taken pieces that might take you to different places in different cities with different vibes and then wound some poetry through that to bring the theme a little bit more solidly to life.

Huw says: Its going to be a really special evening. Were doing Rhapsody in Blue, which is the climax of the programme and always a great way to finish. Before that we have some new arrangements that John Lenehan has arranged specifically for the trio. The first half of the programme is based on my Rhapsody programme, which I did with Anita DAttellis for the Winter Recitals Wallingford.

Its around the same arrangements by Iain Farrington, a Debussy rhapsody and then Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor. Oliver and I have worked together since 2016. We were both on the St Johns Smith Square Young Artists programme and we got on so well.

A concert series promoter said to me, Do you have a combination that could work? and I said, Ooh, how about harp? and basically the duo was formed and weve been going ever since.

We played on my first album, Reflections, in 2018 and we had a really lovely review which said it was a seemingly unlikely combination that works real magic. Its quite unusual but with soprano sax and harp it really does work.

Noriko played on Huws album, Rhapsody, which was released in March last year.

He says: I met Noriko in 2018 when we toured Hong Kong together through Absolute Classics, a concert series based in Scotland. This is the first time weve done the trio and then Ill be performing separate pieces with Oliver and Noriko.

One of the most important pieces is Night Paths, which Joseph Phibbs wrote based on his life in New York.

On Saturday, May 11 at 11am St Marys Church will be the venue for a coffee morning concert called Mozart and Haydn: A Friendship with music by the Brompton String Quartet.

Naomi says: Its the first time that we have done a morning concert, so there will be coffee and cake.

There will be Mozart and Haydn string quartets, just one of each but with some of the letters that they wrote to one another and just a little bit about their friendship, which is a really interesting thing to dig into.

The cellist is Wallis Power, niece of Lawrence Power, founder of the West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival at Hambleden.

This will be followed at 12.30pm by a festival chorus workshop with Owain Park with Faures Requiem.

At 3pm that day Holy Trinity Church in Greys Hill will host an afternoon concert with the Natrio Trumpet Trio: Dances Through Time.

Naomi says: Holy Trinity Church is a new venue for us and I think its a really lovely space and brass will be beautiful in there.

The trumpet trio programme is all about different forms of dance, galliards and waltzes and theyll talk in between those about the different forms of dance.

At St Marys in the evening (7.30pm), there will be music from the Gesualdo Six called Queen of Hearts.

They will join the festival workshop for Faures Requiem.

Naomi says: This outstanding vocal group led by Owain Park will sing the first half of the concert, some French Renaissance music mixed in with some contemporary music, looking at the queens of France and some of their journeys. The programme is all about love affairs in the French monarchy over the years, which is quite fun.

In the second half of the concert we have Faures Requiem and that will be performed by the Chiltern Arts Festival chorus.

We actually did Faures Requiem in Henley six years ago so its nice to be doing it again and its the centenary of Faures death, so it feels appropriate.

The festival is launching a new outreach project called ListenUp and ListenIn with a focus on getting children and young people into concert halls.

Were inspiring a new generation of audiences, says Naomi. Its about normalising the act of going to a classical concert and taking away some of the stigma around listening to classical music.

Naomi, who is married with a daughter aged eight and a five-year-old son, is keen to encourage her own children but without pressure.

She says: My daughter is doing piano and singing and she sings in a little school choir. Shes really keen to come to concerts.

Of course, Im very aware that not every eight-year-old has a mother that runs a classical music festival.

My husband and I have been quite careful as we dont want to force any of it on her.

We are lucky enough to have a piano at home, so she has been around the instrument and both my children like sitting down and trying to make sounds on it.

 The Chiltern Arts Festival runs from Fridays, May 10 to 17. For more information and to buy tickets, call 01442 920303 or visit chilternarts.com
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Womens Health has announced the final phase winners for the HHS Hypertension Innovator Award Competition. The national competition was created to identify and reward innovative programs that ensure women with hypertension during pregnancy and/or postpartum receive appropriate monitoring and follow-up. This competition supports the Biden-Harris Administrations implementation of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, a whole-of-government strategy to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal and infant health, focusing on underserved communities.

By recognizing innovative programs addressing hypertension during pregnancy and maternal health disparities across the nation, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring nationwide maternal health excellence and equity, said Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine. Community-tailored solutions increasing access to and coverage of comprehensive maternal health care are critical in achieving health equity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Hypertension affects one in every twelve to seventeen pregnancies in the United States. Racial and ethnic disparities involving hypertensive disorders in pregnancy affect more than 1 in 5 delivery hospitalizations of Black women and about 1 in 6 delivery hospitalizations of American Indian and Alaska Native women. Factors that contribute to these disparities include lack of access to and quality of health care, racial bias in the health care system, and psychosocial stress from experiencing racism. In addition, women from all ethnicities and backgrounds also face barriers to managing blood pressure, including cost, transportation, schedules, locality (living in rural or underserved areas), and lack of education about the importance of good blood pressure control.

Managing hypertension before, during, and after pregnancy is paramount for the well-being of both mother and baby, said Dorothy Fink, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Womens Health and Director of the Office on Womens Health. By empowering health care providers and mothers, we contribute to healthier pregnancies and improved maternal and infant outcomes.

The third and final phase of the competition rewards programs that successfully replicated and/or expanded. The following phase 3 winners have each received a prize of up to $100,000:
In today's fast-paced digital world, having a strong online presence is crucial for both individuals and businesses. Nowadays, the internet is where everyone goes first to find information. This makes it vital to be easily found online. To help with this, Google has launched tools like Add Me to Search and Add Me to Google making it easier to boost your online visibility. These tools are more than just features; they're your ticket to standing out in the digital space.

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Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
ICICI Bank on Monday announced that it has enabled instant payment facility UPI for its non-resident Indian (NRI) customers in India through their international mobile numbers. A bird flies past the facade of the ICICI bank head office in Mumbai.(Reuters)

According to the bank, this will significantly enhance convenience of making everyday payments.

"With this facility, the NRI customers of the bank can make payments for their utility bills, merchant and e-commerce transactions with their international mobile number registered with their NRE/NRO bank account held with ICICI Bank in India," a statement released here by the bank said.

Also Read | What UPI internationalisation means for startup founders

According to the statement, the bank has made this service available through its mobile banking app iMobile Pay.

Earlier, NRIs had to register an Indian mobile number with their bank accounts to make UPI payments across 10 countries, namely, the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

NRI customers of the bank can make UPI payments by scanning any Indian QR code, send money to a UPI ID or any Indian mobile number or Indian bank account.

Also Read | S Jaishankar says India's UPI transactions way more than US digital payments

"With this facility, our NRI customers residing in 10 countries do not need to switch to an Indian mobile number to pay using UPI," Siddhartha Mishra, Head  of Digital Channels and Partnerships, ICICI Bank, said.

According to him, with this initiative, the bank intends to leverage on NPCI's UPI (Unified Payments Interface) infrastructure in "strengthening and transforming the digital payments ecosystem globally".
Kotak Mahindra Bank share price: The share price of Kotak Mahindra Bank gained over 4% today after the lender reported better than expected Q4 results. The stock rallied 4.2% to 1,612.30 apiece on the BSE. Kotak Mahindra Bank share price: A man walks past the Kotak Mahindra Bank branch in New Delhi, India.(Reuters)

Kotak Mahindra Bank Q4 results

The private lender reported a standalone profit for the quarter ended March 2024 at 4,133.30 crore, a growth of 18.22% year-on-year (YoY). Its net interest income (NII) increased 13% YoY to 6,909 crore and the net interest margin (NIM) in Q4FY24 rose to 5.28% from 5.22% in Q3FY24.

JP Morgan on Kotak Mahindra Bank

Brokerage firm JPMorgan upgraded Kotak Mahindra Bank to Overweight after supportive valuations following recent RBI actions and senior management departure. The brokerage said that the bank can continue to compound balance sheet at 16% CAGR over next 2 years and even factoring ROA normalization. Bank earnings can compound at 16-17% CAGR over next 2 years with scope for upside driven by better opex control, it said. JPMorgan put a target price of 2,070 per share on Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Emkay Global Financial Services on Kotak Mahindra Bank

Emkay Global said that Kotak Mahindra Bank reported a huge 28% beat on PAT, mainly on treasury gains/debt syndication fees, reversal of AIF provisions and lower tax rate. The brokerage cut FY25E-27E growth estimates by 200 bps and said that it expects the RoA/RoE trajectory to slip to 1.9% - 2.3% / 13% - 14%, on higher opex/provisions. The brokerage retained Reduce rating and cut Kotak Mahindra Bank share price target to 1,625 apiece.
Four members of family from Amravati in Maharashtra, including an 11-month-old girl, were killed in a road accident on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway on Monday. The car in which the family was travelling after it met with the accident at Raipur Rasoolpur village on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway on Monday. (HT Photo)

The family was returning from the Vaishno Devi temple in Katra near Jammu when the accident took place at Raipur Rosoolpur village around 5.30am.

Investigation officer Kewal Singh said the Hyundai i10 car in which the family was travelling went out of control and hit a Toyata Innova before ramming into a roadside tree. The impact of the collision was such that the car was completely smashed.

The deceased were identified as Gaanu, 59, his son, Lokeshwar, 33, his wife Aneesha, 26, and their 11-month-old daughter, Niharika.

Police said local residents rushed them to hospital but they were declared brought dead.

Two people travelling in the Innova suffered multiple injuries and were hospitalised in a critical condition.
West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose, facing molestation allegation by a Raj Bhavan employee, alleged on Monday that chief minister Mamata Banerjees politics is dirty and said he will not tolerate any Didigiri (muscle flexing by a woman). West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose.(PTI)

Governor is an apolitical person. To the best of my conscience, I have tried to be above politics. I am very sorry that the chief minister has dragged me into politics, especially at a time when the elections are going on. I said a lot of good words about the individual Mamata Banerjee. I stick to that. When questions were asked to me about politician Mamata Banerjee, I always took the stand that politics is not my cup of tea. I refused to comment on that, Bose told the media at the Kolkata airport after retunring from his home state Kerala.

Also Read | Bengal cops probing molestation slur against governor seek Raj Bhavan CCTV video

Now, in view of the remarks made against me, I am forced to tell you that Mamata Banerjee as a politician, her politics is dirty. Still, I pray, God save her. But that is a difficult responsibility even for God. I will never accept this Didigiri at the distinguished office of the governor, said Bose.

He refused to comment on the allegation of molestation saying, I will not comment since I am the accused.

Bose left for Kerala on Friday morning, almost 12 hours after a young woman, who works at Kolkatas Raj Bhavan as a temporary staff and lives at the staff quarters on the British-era campus, lodged a written complaint at the local Hare Street police station.

Also Read | Sexual harassment case: Here's why Bengal governor is immune to legal action

She alleged that she was molested on March 24 and on Thursday by the governor who summoned her to his chamber on the pretext of offering her a permanent job.

According to Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be initiated against the President and the governor of a state.

In view of this immunity granted to the governor, the Kolkata police did not register any case till Monday evening.

An inquiry team headed by Indira Mukherjee, deputy commissioner of police (central division), summoned three Raj Bhavan employees to Hare Street on Saturday. None responded to the summons. The police also sought footage from the security camera installed inside the Raj Bhavan. These were not provided either, Kolkata police officials said.

On Sunday, Bose asked the Raj Bhavan staff to ignore the police inquiry.

The reports from the media indicate that the police propose to conduct an inquiry into the incident and that they would be examining the staff of the Raj Bhavan. It is also reported that the investigating team intends to collect the CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan, Bose told his staff in a letter which was uploaded on social media.

In the circumstances, all staff/employees including part-time, temporary, DRW (Daily Rated Workers) or those engaged in Raj Bhavan in any manner are hereby directed to ignore any communication from the police in this respect and refrain from giving any statement online, offline, in person, over phone or in any other manner, Bose wrote.

Since the Governor has been granted constitutional immunity from any criminal proceedings being instituted or continued against him, it logically follows that the police cannot investigate/inquire into the matter in any manner whatsoever. To say that the inquiry/investigation of the police could continue even during the tenure of the Governor though no court can take cognisance of the final report, would be in derogation of the objective and essence of Art. 361 of the Constitution of India. Thus, in view of the immunity enjoyed by the Governor, the police are constitutionally barred from carrying out any kind of preliminary inquiry, registering a first information report, Bose wrote.

No Kolkata Police official commented on the inquiry on Monday.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Santanu Sen said: A governor, whose hefty expenses are paid by taxpayers, is supposed to do follow the duties outlined by the Constitution. Instead, this governor has turned into an arm of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has no moral right to continue in view of the serious allegation.
LUCKNOW Ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party on Monday appointed Shyam Lal Pal as its Uttar Pradesh state president, replacing Naresh Uttam who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Fatehpur. Pal had been the partys state vice-president. Shyam Lal Pal (Sourced)

Shyam Lal Pal has been appointed as the partys state president, the SP said in a post on X.

Party sources said Pal has been appointed to strengthen the party and organise its state units functioning for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls as Naresh Uttam Patel is busy in the polls. SP national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said Uttam had written a letter to party president, Akhilesh Yadav, to relieve him from the post.

His request has been accepted and Pal has been made the new state president, Chaudhury said.

Pal, who was principal in a college in Prayagraj, was associated with the Pal Mahasabha earlier. He is a devoted party worker, and under his leadership, SP will get new energy to counter communal forces, Chaudhary said. Pal had contested the assembly polls in 2007 on an Apna Dal ticket from Partapur assembly seat in Prayagraj and joined the SP later that year.

Asked about his strategy to take the party forward, Pal told media persons that he will follow the ideology of Dr BR Ambedkar and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and take forward the works done by party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

He asserted that the BJP will be ousted from power as his party was getting good response from people.

Naresh Uttam Patel was elected the partys state president on January 1, 2017 when Akhilesh Yadav became the partys president. Patel had been a trusted man of Akhilesh and Pal too is considered so.
The cyber-crime police on Monday nabbed a man who had duped a Lucknow woman of 85 lakh while impersonating as a CBI officer. The accused in police custody in Lucknow on Monday (HT Photo)

The accused has been identified as Debashish Rai of Azamgarh.

A police spokesman said that the accused was arrested from Mandakini Apartment in Gomti Nagar Vistar and he confessed to his crime. They recovered bank cheque books, passbooks, other documents and a CPU from the accused.

The case was reported in Hazratganj cyber-crime police station.

Rai and his aides had called up the victim on May 1 and told her that a cargo booked in her name had been caught during checking and it contained fake passports, some ATM cards and 140 grams of a psychotropic substance he named as MDM.

During the call, the man introduced himself as a CBI officer and duped the money while digitally arresting the woman.

The police said that digital arrest is a new term which has been coined by cyber-criminals who are constantly finding new ways to cheat people in the rapidly growing digital world. Scammers, pretending to be police officers, CBI or customs officials, call people to keep them hostage at home, asking them not to move out of the house and extort money through online transactions.

Police extracted from the accused that the money the woman transferred to different bank accounts, was withdrawn through cheques or transferred online to other bank accounts.
Greater Noida: In a road rage incident, video of a family in a car being chased by at least four men in another car in Greater Noida has surfaced on social media. In the video, taken in the dash cam of the victim's car, four men were seen hurling stones at the car after they overtook the victim's vehicle, even as the victim reversed his car and fled from the spot. Dash cam video shows family being chased by men in Greater Noida(CarsIndia)

The time stamp on the video is of 1.15 am on May 2, 2024, but was posted on Reddit on May 5.

ALSO READ- Four unidentified men assault man over road rage in Greater Noida

The video, that has been shared on social media site Reddit, on the page /CarsIndia, begins with the family driving in Greater Noida on a two-way road when another car comes from the front and hits its side-view mirror, but its not visible in the video.

As per the conversation of the victim recorded in the video, the family was heading to a hospital in the area. Within minutes, the victim informs that they are being chased by the same car that hit them.

As the victim turns towards the Expo Mart roundabout, the grey BMW vehicle overtakes them and four men get down from the car. They seemingly run towards the victim's car and also hurl stones at them.

ALSO READ- Delhi Police arrest accused after exchange of fire

However, the victim's car speedily reverses and flees the spot. In the background, his family can be heard dialling the local SHO's contact number.

The video ends here. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Some parts of the video seem edited as well, with a part of it muted, while some part has a man speaking in voice-over.

ALSO READ- Political aide dies in road accident, police investigate for foul play

When reached out, police officials said that the victim in the video did not want legal action in the case, but police have taken suo motu cognizance of it.

Ashok Kumar, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, said: The incident took place on the night of May 2, 2024. In the said case, the victim refused to take any legal action. Taking suo motu cognizance of the incident, Knowledge Park police station is taking action under the Goonda Act against the suspects seen in the video.
The Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar, earlier comprising parts of erstwhile Balia parliamentary seat and once a stronghold of the Congress and the Communist Party of India, is once again in the spotlight, set as it is for a battle between the BJP heavyweight, sitting MP and union minister Giriraj Singh, and the CPI, which sees a fighting chance this time to reclaim the seat with the support of Congress, RJD and other Left parties. Amit Shah at a rally in Begusarai on April 29 in support of Giriraj Singh, the sitting MP and BJP candidate. (PTI)

Begusarai is due to vote on May 13, in the fourth phase of the seven-phase parliamentary elections being held in the country.

BJP won the seat for the first time in 2014 parliamentary elections when Bhola Singh was elected. After his death, an initially reluctant Giriraj Singh, who was elected from his native place Nawada in 2014, recorded one of the biggest victories in the 2019 polls against CPIs Kanhaiya Kumar, who was then at the peak of his popularity as the former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union and enjoyed the backing of actors, academicians, social activists and others labelled as the liberals.

Despite all the hype over the seat largely due to Kanhaiyas presence, Giriraj defeated him by a margin of over 422,000 votes. Though the RJD also fought independently in 2019, its candidate Tanveer Hassan finished third with 198,000 votes. The total votes polled by Kanhaiya and Hassan wasnt even close to Girirajs score. After the defeat, Kanhaiya joined the Congress and has been fielded this time from North-east Delhi seat.

This year, CPI has fielded locally rooted former MLA Awadhesh Rai as the joint Opposition alliance candidate backed by both Congress and RJD.

This time, it will be a historic win for the CPI, as the people of Begusarai have realised the truth of BJP and will not fall in the trap of communal agenda and empty rhetoric of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rai says.

Former MP Shatrughan Prasad Singh, who is managing the CPI campaign, says the fight is between Dhanbal (money power) and Janbal (peoples power) in Begusarai. Last time, Kanhaiya was labelled as deshdrohi by BJP and he did not have the local connection despite people from across the country rooting for him. This time, deshdrohi utterance has already boomeranged on Giriraj. He is facing rebellion from within as his party leaders and those of JD-U have been seen abusing each other on stage. The people are not going to hand over the reins of Begusarai to any outsider. They have seen Lalan Singh, Giriraj and others and have had enough, he says.

Giriraj, on the other hand, is unfazed and has continued in his characteristic style. He stoked controversy when he said I dont need the votes of traitors. A complaint was also lodged against him by Shatrughan Prasad Singh. We expect action against him. Due to delay in action, we have also sent a reminder, as any attempt to give communal colour to election is wrong, he says.

Union home minister Amit Shah has already campaigned in Begusarai and credited Giriraj for one-crore lakhpati didis in the country and took on Congress and the Left for playing appeasement politics. The country needs a strong PM who could take bold decisions. For a third term to Narendra Modi, Giriraj Singh must get your support again, Shah said during his campaign.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has also campaigned for Giriraj in Begusarai, despite the fact that the two leaders havent been on best of terms in the past.

Wearing Hindutva on his sleeves and relying on the charisma of Narendra Modi, Giriraj has been going about his campaigning as usual, attacking the Left and the Congress for harming the cause of Hindus to appease the Muslims. His bid to polarise voters on similar lines bought him rich dividends the last time. There is no contest in Begusarai. The image and performance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is what people trust, he says.

From Ram temple construction to abolition of Article 370 and tripe talaq, nationalism and Sanatan, the saffron surge is too conspicuous to be ignored in Begusarai, once known as the Leningrad of Bihar due to dominance of the Left. BJP wants to make the most of the ideological shift, which started in 2014 and gained momentum in 2019.

CPI is, however, confident that despite the missing buzz that Kanhaiya could create last time, it would be able to halt the saffron rise with the backing of a united opposition that has people of all hues rooting for them. All the three left parties are united this time and so are RJD and Congress. Of the seven Assembly seats in the parliamentary constituency, CPI won two seats and RJD two, while BJP-JD-U combine won three in the 2020 assembly polls.

CPI is sharp in its attacks. People have realised that they need basic issues to be addressed. The Grand Alliance (GA) government in Bihar provided jobs during the brief 17-month tenure and that the people remember that. They know why it happened, though vacancies existed there for years. Giriraj cannot get away with empty rhetoric this tine. We are contesting election with donations from people  from 10 to 20000 ... whatever they voluntarily give. They (BHP) spent lakhs in building stages and tents but the people are not visible. We address people without stage and they come, said Shatrughan Prasad Singh.

The development work in Begusarai is apparent. The Simaria Ghat, where Lord Ram is believed to have spent a month and which started the practice of kalpvas (ritual purification) on the banks of the Ganga, is being developed and the rail-cum-road bridge on the Ganga is coming up fast adjacent to the British-era double-decker Rajendra Setu. The expansion of the Begusarai oil refinery and restarting of the fertiliser factory have further raised hopes for BJP leaders, who describe them as game-changers.

Just ahead of the election announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Begusarai to dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stones for several projects across the country, including Bihar and Begusarai. He also launched a scathing attack on dynastic politics and appeasement policy to set the tone for the election.

However, voter indifference is as striking in Begusarai as elsewhere. It all depends on the people what they want. Speeches no more interest them. They take their own decisions. Lets see which way they want to swing this time. For the youth, growth means robust economy that can generate employment. But just robust economy will not do, said Ramashish Sharma, a youth of GD College and a first-time voter.

Constituency watch

Begusarai

Intro: Begusarai, the birthplace of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, is one of the few industrialised districts of Bihar and is home to an oil refinery and a fertilizer factory.

Total Voters: 1,958,382

Key candidates in fray

Sitting MP Giriraj Singh (BJP)

Former MLA Awadhesh Rai (CPI)

Winners in last two LS polls

2019: Giriraj Singh (BJP)

2014: Bhola Singh (BJP)

Assembly segments: Cheria Bariyarpur, Bachhwara, Teghra, Matihani, Sahebpur Kamal, Begusarai, Bakhari (SC)
The Lalapur police cracked the murder of a woman within 24 hours, on Monday. The womans bludgeoned body had been found at a deserted spot on Sunday. The womans father and uncle have been arrested who confessed to have killed her as she was adamant to marry her boyfriend, police said. For representation only (HT File Photo)

The body of a woman was found in Lalapur area on Sunday. Police found the mobile phone of the woman near the spot through which the body was later identified as that of Maya Devi, 20, of Jawai village of Kaushambi district.

Police received a call on Maya Devis mobile from her boyfriend Gyanchand Saroj. During questioning, Gyanchand told the police that Maya and he were in an affair and wanted to marry each other. However, Mayas family members were against their marriage.

On suspicion, police rounded up Mayas father Mulchandra Saroj and his brother, Harishchandra Saroj. During interrogation, the duo confessed to having killed Maya Devi as she was adamant on marrying Gyanchand.

They took Maya to a deserted spot and assaulted her with stones on her head and face. They dumped the body and fled. However, in a hurry, they failed to take Mayas mobile phone away from the crime scene.

DCP (trans-Yamuna) Shraddha Narendra Pandey said five stones used in the crime and the bike of the accused have been recovered following their confession.
A sudden outbreak of the H1N1 flu (swine flu) claimed the life of a 13-month-old girl in Assams Barak Valley, while several others have been admitted to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) after contracting the disease, officials in the state health department said. For representational purposes only. (Shutterstock Photo)

The victim developed a fever and severe cough on April 28 and was admitted to SK Roy Civil Hospital in Hailakandi the very next day, her family members said. On April 30, she was admitted to SMCH around 9pm and doctors took her swab sample through RT-PCR. On May 4, they confirmed that the infant was infected with the H1N1 virus.

According to the Hailakandi district immunization and surveillance officer Dr K Thambalsana Rongmei, the girls family members left SMCH without the doctors advice and the infant passed away on the way home.

She was admitted to the ICU in SMCH, and the doctors wanted to put her on ventilator because she was having breathing issues. But the family members forcibly took away and she died before reaching home, Rongmei said.

SMCH principal Dr Bhaskar Gupta said that in the last 15 days, they have detected at least five cases of H1N1 virus, and the baby was one of the patients.

Her parents didnt co-operate and took her home in a critical condition. Of the other four patients, one is cured of the illness, and three others are getting treatment. We have adequate doctors and infrastructure to tackle more patients, Gupta said.

Rongmei on Monday told HT that a team of specialists visited the infants house after her death. We are keeping a strict vigil in that area to see if anyone develops symptoms of swine flu (H1N1). We are also spreading awareness across the district, she said.

Health department officials said they are using Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and other frontline workers to examine if the virus has spread to other parts of the district.

We are collecting daily reports and if any person is found having fever, cough or rashes, they are being advised to shift to hospitals, a senior health officer said.
Cubas visa-free policy for Chinese nationals leads to rocketing tourism searches

Global Times) 14:59, May 06, 2024

As a result of the Cuban government's Saturday announcement of a visa-free policy starting this month for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports, searches for related tourism products on Chinese travel platforms surged 40 percent, and direct flights between China and Cuba are set to resume soon.

The announcement was made by Cuban Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia during the 42nd Cuban International Tourism Fair (FITCuba 2024), which was held at the seaside resort of Cayo Coco in Cuba's province of Ciego de Avila.

Garcia also said that China will be the guest of honor of the Cuban Tourism Festival 2025 and that direct flights between China and Cuba will resume on May 17.

Half an hour after the visa-free policy was announced, searches for keywords such as Cuban hotels and flights increased by more than 40 percent on the travel platform Ctrip compared with the previous day, the leading domestic online travel agency told the Global Times on Sunday. Residents from Beijing, Shanghai, and provinces including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian showed a very high level of enthusiasm regarding information about Cuba, according to Ctrip.

Currently, there are no direct flights between China and Cuba, but Air China has scheduled to resume the Beijing-Havana direct flight, the only direct route between China and Cuba, on May 17.

According to data from Chinese travel platform Qunar, the current price for a one-way Beijing-Havana ticket is around 8,200 yuan ($1,132), with two flights per week, while the return trip costs about 5,700 yuan.

At a business forum held in Beijing in November 2023, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz called to establish direct flights between Beijing and Havana as soon as possible to facilitate trade and business. He said that both sides had agreed to push forward bilateral cooperation deals in a comprehensive way.

The resumption of the flight between China and Cuba is of great significance in promoting South-South cooperation and advancing cooperation between China and Cuba, Song Wei, a professor with the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday. He noted that since Cuba is facing greater fragility due to its size and its status as a developing island country, enhancing connectivity and strengthening its integration into global value chains are particularly crucial for its development.

The resumption of the flight route will facilitate stronger connections between Cuba and the outside world, enhance its trade relations, and contribute to consolidating its development basis, Song said. It also helps mitigate the impact of the decades-long US embargo and enhances its economic ties with the rest of the world as an opposition against hegemony and unilateral sanctions.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decades-long US embargo, geopolitical uncertainties and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Cuba's situation is complex, and it has been facing many difficulties. Marrero said during his visit to China in November that the primary task for the Cuban government is to set economic and development goals, and the tourism sector will be a major source of growth. Marrero expressed his anticipation for the resumption of direct flights in 2024. He also said he hoped to see a record-breaking number of Chinese tourists visiting Cuba after the resuming flights.

As of April 26, Cuba has received more than 1 million international tourists in 2024, according to data from the Cuban Ministry of Tourism. The Cuban government expects to receive 3.5 million international tourists by the end of the year.

Due to factors such as distance and cost, Cuba is not a traditionally popular outbound destination for Chinese tourists. However, Cuba, as well as countries like Mexico and Brazil in Latin America, boasts unique cultural and natural landscapes, which are highly attractive to Chinese tourists, Qin Jing, general manager of Public Affairs at Ctrip Group, told the Global Times on Sunday.

According to Song, for countries like Cuba, which are developing small island countries in the Caribbean, the tourism industry is a crucial economic pillar. Strengthening flight connections between China and Cuba can allow Chinese consumers to reach Cuba more conveniently, thereby greatly promoting its economic development.

The visa-free policy for China starting in May can better assist Chinese travelers in expanding consumption in Cuba, thus boosting the Cuban economy, Pan Deng, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Region Law Center of the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Pan said that China aims to help Cuba in the services industry and trading activities through civilian initiatives, and the positive impact of visa-free entry lies in facilitating easier economic and trade cooperation in the tourism and services industries with Cuba.

Moreover, the upcoming flight from China to Cuba is truly visa-free, as a transit visa is not required on this route, Pan said.

Apart from the Beijing-Madrid-Havana route, Air China also resumed its Beijing-Madrid-Sao Paulo route on April 28. This route, known as the longest in the world, covers approximately 17,500 kilometers in total, with a total travel time of 23 hours and 20 minutes including the stopover. Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines recently launched a new route from Shenzhen directly to Mexico City. Covering a total length of 14,147 kilometers and with a flight time of approximately 16 hours, it is one of the longest routes in the world.

According to Song, the resumption and launch of air routes between China, Cuba, and other Latin American countries also reflect the strengthening of ties between China and Latin America.

Traditionally, Latin America has always been considered the "backyard" of the US, which sees the region as being within its own sphere of influence, leading to economic difficulties in the development of Latin American economies, Song said.

How to free themselves from the economic hegemony of the US and seek more development partnerships for their own economic development, and thereby solidifying their independent political and economic development, are particularly important for Latin American countries, which is also the reason why Latin America attaches great importance to developing relations with China, Song remarked.

Since the beginning of 2024, several countries have implemented visa-free entry policies for Chinese travelers, which have significantly boosted outbound tourists from China. During this year's May Day holidays, the numbers of flight bookings to visa-free destinations exceeded those in 2019.

According to Qin, with this visa exemption policy and the immediate opening and resumption of direct flights from China to destinations in Latin America such as Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba, the time and cost for Chinese tourists to travel to these destinations are expected to be significantly reduced. It is anticipated that more Chinese tourists will embark on trips to Latin America.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
Additional chief secretary (education) K K Pathak on Monday skipped the meeting of top officials of his department and all the state universities called at the directive of the Patna High Court at a neutral venue to resolve outstanding issues in the higher education in Bihar. The meeting of top officials of Bihars education department and vice chancellors of universities, in Patna on Monday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

When the vice chancellors raised it, education department officials said Pathak was unwell. Pathak did not also attend the evening meeting called at the Raj Bhawan by the Governor, who is also Chancellor of state universities.

The Patna High Court had on Friday last put in abeyance the education department order to freeze bank accounts of all the state universities and agreed to a joint proposal of the Raj Bhawan and the state government for a meeting of the top brass from both sides, including the VCs and the ACS, without anyone presiding, at a neutral venue.

According to one of the attendees, VCs raised the issues confronting the varsities, like lack of grant to guest faculty members, who have not been paid for 11 months, absence of guidelines on fresh guest faculty recruitment in view of implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP), delay in regular recruitment and lack of government share for new pension scheme of teachers recruited through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) in 2017.

The JP University and Pataliputra University also raised the issue of full freeship to girls and SC/ST candidates without any compensation to institutions. KSD Sanskrit university said the institution neither charged any fee nor got any government aid, and it was difficult to pay even the newly recruited teachers. The issue of GST on affiliation to colleges was also raised, as after 2017 it has come under the purview and there was no guidelines from the department despite notices being served to universities.

The VCs also raised the issue of education department officials visiting colleges without the knowledge of the university authorities and expressed concern over the direct interference. They also raised the issue of orders to stop salary.

The department officials said they could seek income/expenditure details and universities could utilise the services of chartered accountant for it.

The department can do audit, but it should be defined how many times a year. Incomplete audit reports are leaked to the media. The responsibility of the auditors should also be fixed and wrong reports should be verified. If CAs are used, who will pay them. The government does not even give grant for sports, extra-curricular activities and other allied expenses, the VCs said.

In the absence of Pathak, special secretary (education) Baidyanath Yadav gave a presentation, which said that the higher education enrolment was merely 17.91% in Bihar, while it was 28.4% at the national level, and no institution was in the National Institutional Framework Ranking (NIFR). Of nearly 1.5 crore population in the 18-23 age group, the enrolment was just 26.2 lakh. The hostels are also underutilised  just 27% for girls and 60% for boys. Around 107 affiliated colleges and 53 constituent colleges did not even have their websites, Yadav said.

He also talked about five-year perspective plan, which the universities said it was for them to do and the department could only give guidelines. When he pointed out that there were around 83,000 grievances across all state universities, the universities said it was due to lack of clarity on the payment of guest faculties and difficulties in payment of retirement due.

On the issue of library automation, the VCs said that there was no permanent librarian and assistant librarian and teachers were on deputation.
TN 12th Result 2024 Live: Tamil Nadu Class 12 results have been declared. The Directorate of Government Examination (DGE) Tamil Nadu announced the HSE (+2) or Class 12th results today, May 6. Students can now check the TN 12th result 2024 on tnresults.nic.in and dge.tn.gov.in. TN 12th result 2024 direct link ...Read More

The results may also be available on dge1.tn.nic.in and dge2.tn.nic.in. This year, the TN 12th or HSE final exam was conducted from March 1st to March 22nd. The papers started at 10.15 am and ended at 1.15 pm on all days.

Candidates were given an additional 10 minutes to read the paper and 5 minutes for verification of particulars. Approximately, 8 lakh candidates have appeared for the Tamil Nadu HSE examination and are eagerly waiting for the results.

Login credentials required to check TN 12th+2 result are registration number and date of birth (in DD/MM/YYYY format)

You can check the TN HSE 12th +2 result live updates here.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor recently had a sweet interaction with a fan when he attended an event organised by a jewellery brand. In a video shared by a fan, the actor can be seen smiling as he receives the sweetest gift, reminiscent of his daughter, Raha. (Also Read: Ranbir Kapoor poses with Ramayana co-star Ajinkya Deo, whos excited for magnum opus) Ranbir Kapoor looked thrilled to be gifted a portrait of Raha.(Instagram)

Ranbir reacts to receiving fan-art

A few days ago, Ranbir attended an event organised by Kalyan Jewellers where he interacted with a fan. A clip of the same is now doing rounds online. In the video, a fan can be seen handing him a painting of his daughter Raha. Ranbir first clicks a few pictures with the fan who hugs him, she later gifts him a handmade painting of his daughter that leaves him smiling.

He also clicks pictures with her and the painting soon after. Ranbir also looked impressed by the fan-art. If the fans Instagram account is anything to go by, this is not the first time she gifted him art either. When the actor promoted Shamshera in 2022, she made a painting of him and his wife, Alia Bhatt.

Ranbir on his dad

Ranbir was recently seen on The Great Indian Kapil Show with his mom, Neetu and sister Riddhima. He revealed on the show that his late dad, Rishi, hit him once very hard for entering a temple with shoes on.

Mujhe ek hi baar bohot zor ki pari thi! Diwali puja at RK Studios. Papa bohot religious the. I think I was eight or nine years old. Toh main chappal pehenke andar chala gaya tha mandir mein. Toh mujhe dapli pari thi (He hit me only once, very hard! He was a religious man, and I had entered the temple premises without opening my shoes. So he had hit me on the head)! he said.

Upcoming work

Ranbirs work in Sandeep Reddy Vangas Animal was loved by many even if the film had polarising reactions. He will soon be seen in Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayana, with Sai Pallavi as his co-star. Recently, pictures of the actors on set leaked online and went viral. He will also be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Love and War with Alia and Vicky Kaushal.

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Actor Richa Chadha has opened up about feminism and how she had "terrible experiences" with female producers who pretend to be feminists. Speaking with News18, she also talked about her toxic co-actors who constantly compete with her. The actor also said that she doesn't believe all women are saints, adding that there are "enough vile women around us". (Also Read | In Heeramandi, Richa Chadha shines brightest as the doomed Lajjo) Richa Chadha talked about feminists and 'vile' women.(Raju Shinde)

Richa talks about experiences with female producers, co-actors

Richa said, "I dont think I subscribe to the fact that all women are saints. Ive had some terrible experiences with female producers whose cheques bounced and they pretend to be feminists on Twitter (now X). Ive also had toxic co-actors constantly competing with me by not giving the right cues and cutting out the lights in scenes. I cant say that I have had a uniform, monolithic experience. Sisterhood definitely exists and its real when you build it, craft it and nurture it. But it takes more than one person to understand and create that."

Richa speaks about vile women

Richa added, I think its an anti-feminist notion to think that women are not capable of evil. Thats just a dumb thing. We have enough vile women around us. Women defending rapists are vile, corrupt and horrible but theyre often in positions of power. Theyre often given a platform by the media too...I know plenty of women who are downright patriarchal and misogynist and plenty of men who are feminists. Its not a gendered thing.

Richa in Heeramandi

Richa was recently seen in the web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. She essays the role of Lajjo, a courtesan with a captivating persona. The series marks Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut on OTT. Apart from Richa, the show stars Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal in pivotal roles.

Set against the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle of the 1940s, Heeramandi promises to be an epic saga of love, power, revenge, and freedom. Through the stories of courtesans and their patrons, the series delves deep into the cultural reality of Heeramandi.
Feast your eyes on the new Superman suit! The DC Studios' big boss, James Gunn, debuted an epic look at David Corenswet, all suited up as the Man of Steel on Monday, May 6. David Corenswet in his new Superman costume. (Instagram )

The weathered look of the dusty suit falls in sync with the mighty caped superhero's hardened expressions. Corenswet is on his way to catapulting to fame, with possibly the biggest break of his Hollywood career.

Although Gunn's rebooted vision of the DC cinematic universe's rebirth was initially viewed as a distasteful reimagination, many are contrarily holding their breath to witness the spectacle, with only best wishes in their heart.

Check out the first look at David Corenswet's new Superman suit

Also read | #TomBradyRoast: Ben Affleck's fans clap back with facelift jibes after his angry tirade about social media trolls

With Corenswet bracing to take to the skies in his first major Hollywood lead role, the 30-year-old actor's enamour will break free in theatres when Gunn's Superman premieres on July 11, 2025.

The Warner Bros DC film also has Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult, helming the infamous mantle of supervillain Lex Luthor, in attendance. The ensemble also includes Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and others.

The breathtaking visual revealed by Gunn looks over a potential alien invasion in the background, with bright streaks of pink light forming a ball of energy. Meanwhile, Corenswet takes his sweet time - in Superman's ever-so-slick, suave hairstyle - suiting up for the dangerous sight in the distance. The highlight of the eye-catching reveal is undoubtedly Corenswet sporting the iconic red trunks, previously missing from Henry Cavill's Superman suit.
Malayalam filmmaker Harikumar has passed away at the age of 68. He breathed his last on April 6, Monday evening. The veteran was admitted at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where he lost his prolonged battle with cancer. (Also read: Maya Darpan director Kumar Shahani dies at 83 in Kolkata, confirms Mita Vashisht) Veteran Malayalam filmmaker Harikumar died at the age of 68.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan praises Harikumar's cinema

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also offered condolences on Harikumar's death. He said, ""Harikumar was a significant figure in the Malayalam film industry, recognised for his adept fusion of artistic and commercial values. He played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between mainstream and artistic cinema, demonstrating the potential for alternative cinema free from commercial compromises. With a career spanning forty years, he presented eighteen films covering diverse themes, reported by Matrubhumi."

Netizens pay tribute to Harikumar

Cinephiles poured in tribute in reverence to the veteran after knowing about his demise. A user tweeted, In memory of the talented writer and director Harikumar Sir,may his creative spirit continue to inspire and his contributions to the world of cinema be remembered forever. Rest in peace, #Harikumar Sir. Your storytelling touched countless hearts and will be deeply missed. Another netizen wrote, Sukrutham of the direction, Phenomenal touch of the screenplay, director of writers, tributes to Harikumar...(two hearts emojis, two roses emojis and one folded hand emoji) It wasn't so early, many more Sukritas were expected(sad face, folded hand emojis) #RIP #Director #Harikumar.

About Harikumar

Harikumar made his directorial debut with the Malayalam film Ambal Poovu (1981). He co-wrote its script with Perumpadavam Sreedharan. The late filmmaker was also a member of the National Film Awards Jury in 2005 and 2008. In his cinematic career spanning over several decades he collaborated with esteemed screenwriters such as M T Vasudevan Nair, Lohithadas, Sreenivasan, and Kaloor Denis. His directorial Sukritham (1994), written by MT Vasudevan bagged the National Film Award for Best Malayalam Film.

Harikumar's last directorial was Autorickshawkarante Bharya (2022).
NEW YORK  The New York Times and The Washington Post were awarded three Pulitzer Prizes apiece on Monday for work in 2023 that dealt with everything from the war in Gaza to gun violence, and The Associated Press won in the feature photography category for coverage of global migration to the U.S. Pulitzer Prizes in journalism awarded to The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP and others

Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and its aftermath produced work that resulted in two Pulitzers and a special citation. The Times won for text coverage that the Pulitzer board described as wide-ranging and revelatory, while the Reuters news service won for its photography. The citation went to journalists and other writers covering the war in Gaza.

The prestigious public service award went to ProPublica for reporting that pierced the thick wall of secrecy around the U.S. Supreme Court to show how billionaires gave expensive gifts to justices and paid for luxury travel. Reporters Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Alex Mierjeski and Kirsten Berg were honored for their work.

The Pulitzers honored the best in journalism from 2023 in 15 categories, as well as eight arts categories focused on books, music and theater. The public service winner receives a gold medal. All other winners receive $15,000.

The 15 photos in s winning entry were taken across Latin America and along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas and California in a year when immigration was one of the worlds biggest stories. They were shot by staffers Greg Bull, Eric Gay, Fernando Llano, Marco Ugarte and Eduardo Verdugo, and longtime freelancers Christian Chavez, Felix Marquez and Ivan Valencia.

These raw and emotional images came about through day-to-day coverage of a historic moment in multiple countries documenting migrants at every step of their treacherous journeys, said Julie Pace, the s senior vice president and executive editor.

The United States has seen more than 10 million border arrivals in the last five years, with migrants arriving from a wide range of new locations like Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti and African countries, in contrast with earlier eras.

The has won 59 Pulitzer Prizes, including 36 for photography. The news cooperative was named a finalist for the national reporting Pulitzer on Monday for its coverage of hundreds of thousands of children who disappeared from public schools during the pandemic.

In citing the Times for its work in Israel and Gaza, the Pulitzer board mentioned its coverage of the countrys intelligence failures, along with the attack and Israels military response.

The award comes even as The Times has faced some controversy about its coverage; last month a group of journalism professors called on the publication to address questions about an investigation into gender-based violence during the Hamas attack on Israel.

The Times Hannah Dreier won a Pulitzer in investigative reporting for her stories on migrant child labor across the United States. Contributing writer Katie Engelhart won the newspapers third Pulitzer, in feature writing, for her portrait of a family struggling with a matriarchs dementia.

Every one of the winners and finalists showcases a drive for original, revelatory reporting that underpins so much of what we produce, from the biggest storylines in the news to feature writing as well as classic investigations, said Joe Kahn, the Times' executive editor.

The Washington Post staff won in national reporting for its sobering examination of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, which came with some gut-wrenching photos. We were eager to find a way to cover it differently and change the conversation about mass shootings, Peter Walstein, the Posts senior national enterprise editor, said in the newspaper.

The Posts David E. Hoffman won in editorial writing for a compelling and well-researched series on how authoritarian regimes repress dissent in the digital age. Its third award went to contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza, for commentaries written from a Russian prison cell.

The New Yorker magazine won two Pulitzers. Sarah Stillman won in explanatory reporting for her report on the legal systems reliance on felony murder charges. Contributor Medar de la Cruz won in illustrated reporting and commentary for his story humanizing inmates in the Rikers Island jail in New York City.

The staff of Lookout Santa Cruz in California won in the breaking news category for what the prize board called nimble community-minded coverage of flooding and mudslides. On its website Monday, Lookout Santa Cruz said that it made its coverage free at a time of crisis in the community, and also used text messages to reach people without power.

In short, we did our jobs, the staff said in an unsigned article, and we heard so many thanks for it. The Pulitzer is icing on that cake.

The Pulitzers gave a second award in national reporting to the Reuters staff for an eye-opening series that probed Elon Musks automobile and aerospace businesses.

In local reporting, Sarah Conway of City Bureau and Trina Reynolds-Tyler of the Invisible Institute won for an investigative series on missing Black girls and women in Chicago, which showed how racism and the police contributed to the problem.

The Pulitzer in criticism went to Justin Chang of The Los Angeles Times for evocative and genre-spanning coverage of movies. The Pulitzer board's second special citation went to the late hip-hop critic Greg Tate.

The awards are administered by Columbia University in New York, which itself has been in the news for student demonstrations against the war in Gaza. The Pulitzer board met away from Columbia this past weekend to deliberate on its winners.

The Pulitzers announced that five of the 45 finalists this year used artificial intelligence in research and reporting of their submissions. It was the first time the board required applicants for the award to disclose use of AI.

The prizes were established in the will of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer and first awarded in 1917.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Actor-director Dhanush made an official announcement on Monday about Raayan's release date. Recently, there were reports that the film will be released mid-June, and the actor seems to have confirmed that. He also announced that the first single from the film, composed by AR Rahman, will be released soon. (Also Read: Kubera: Intriguing first look of Nagarjuna from Dhanush and Rashmika Mandanna-starrer out. Watch) Dhanush is a still from his upcoming film Raayan.

Dhanushs announcement

Dhanush took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning that he would make an announcement regarding the film come evening. He shared a new poster of his, which sees him sitting in front of a Ravan effigy, writing, Raayan first single on may 9th. An A R RAHMAN musical @arrahman @sunpictures.

The poster reads that the film will be released in June this year, June 2024 in cinemas worldwide. Sundeep also confirmed the June release on his X. There was buzz recently that the film will be released on June 13, but an official announcement is yet to be made. Shankars Kamal Haasan, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth and Rakul Preet Singh-starrer Indian 2 was supposed to be released on that date.

About Raayan

Dhanush shared the first look poster of his 50th film Raayan on February 19. It featured Dhanush, Sundeep and Kalidas standing in front of a food truck with bloodied aprons on with sharp tools in their hands. The announcement post on Sun Pictures' official X handle read, "#D50 is #Raayan. Written & Directed by @dhanushkraja. Music by @arrahman. Releasing in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.

The film also features Aparna Balamurali. Raayan is Dhanushs second directorial after the 2017 film Pa Paandi. Dhanushs brother Selvaraghavan denied in February that he wrote Raayan, revealing that he plays a key role in the project.

Upcoming work

Dhanush was last seen in the 2023 film Captain Miller. He will soon be seen in the multi-lingual film Kubera, directed by Sekhar Kammula, also starring Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna and Jim Sarbh.

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Kamal Haasan will soon be seen in Mani Rathnams Thug Life. The actor is shooting for the film in Delhi with Silambarasan aka Simbu, Abhirami, Nassar, and a few other actors. A picture leaked from sets is now doing rounds on X (formerly Twitter). (Also Read: Kamal Haasan reacts to Shah Rukh Khan still having wish list, wanting to buy a plane: 'Where is the end to it?') Pictures of Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan shooting for Thug Life leaked online.(X)

Thug Life photo leaked

Ulaganayagan #KamalHaasan, #SilambarasanTR, #AliFazal (Mirzapur Fame) & other supporting artists portions are currently begin shoot in Delhi, wrote a fan sharing the picture on X, revealing that the makers might release a new promo on Monday. However, an official announcement is yet to be made. In the picture, seemingly clicked in the middle of a shot, Kamal can be seen with Simbu, Abhirami, Nassar and Vaiyapuri. Simbus fans also shared the picture widely, thrilled to see his look from the film.

About Thug Life

Shooting for Thug Life has been on in the capital city since the last week of April. Kamal has been shooting with Ali Fazal and Pankaj Tripathi, reports HT City. The film will also be shot in Chennai and also stars Trisha, Jayam Ravi, Gautham Karthik, Joju George and Aishwarya Lekshmi. Composer AR Rahman, cinematographer Ravi K Chandran and editor Sreekar Prasad form the crew.

The film marks Kamal and Manis reunion after 36 years. Talking about why it took so long for them to collaborate again, Mani told CNN-News18 at Indian Of The Year 2023, Its tough when you have an actor of that capability, someone who has done several things. So unless you have at least something halfway solid to give, you dont go to him just because youve worked together before. Hopefully, we will now be able to bring a unique character on-screen in our next.

Thug Life is produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies and Red Giant Movies.

Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment!  Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel  Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place
Rana Daggubati shot to fame after portraying the fierce antagonist Bhallaladeva in the Baahubali franchise. The actor has worked in both South and Hindi cinema. In a recent podcast with Vamshi Kurapati for his YouTube channel Raw Talks With VK, Rana hailed Kalki 2898 AD. (Also read: Nag Ashwin on Prabhas, Deepika Padukone's Kalki 2898 AD's similarity to Dune: Its because of the sand) Rana Daggubati has called Kalki 2898 AD India's Avengers moment.

Rana Daggubati heaps praise on Kalki 2898 AD

While speaking about the film on the podcast, Rana expressed his excitement for Nag Ashwin's sci-fi action-thriller despite not being part of the film. He opined, The next big moment is Kalki. Nag Ashwin is a very dear friend. Not just India and the Indian diaspora but everyone in the world will connect to Kalki. For a long time, I have been waiting for an Avengers moment from our side. Thats what has excited me to be part of it.

Rana Daggubati says Kalki 2898 AD will break boundaries

Rana had previously accompanied the Kalki 2898 AD team to the San Diego Comic-Con when it was tentatively titled Project K. While speaking about the Prabhas-Deepika Padukone star in an interview at India Today conclave, Rana said, We celebrate each others cinema fully. Like there is another film called Project K, which Nag Ashwin is directing with Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. Thats a film we are really looking forward to in Telugu. That film will, I think will break the boundaries that both Baahubali and RRR havent done. Pushing that boundary to the next edge. I am really looking forward to that film and it could really become a global film from Telugu (cinema).

About Rana Daggubati

Rana made his acting debut with the Telugu political drama Leader. His first Bollywood project was Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum, co-starring Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar and Aditya Pancholi. He was last seen in Nikhil Siddhartha-starrer Telugu action-thriller Spy.

Rana Daggubati's upcoming project

Rana will next feature in Vettaiyan. Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Fahadh Faasil and others play pivotal characters in the Tamil action-drama.
Bharti Singh is relieved after coming back home post hospitalisation. The actor has finally been discharged by the doctors after undergoing some tests for her gallbladder pain. Bharti recently posted a vlog in which she expressed happiness over returning home and looked forward to see her son Gola. (Also read: Bharti Singh admitted to hospital, will undergo surgery for gallbladder stone) Bharti Singh is back from hospital after undergoing tests for gallbladder pain.

Bharti Singh to undergo surgery soon

While addressing the concerns of her fans and well-wishers about her health in the vlog, Bharti said, I am very happy that I am finally going back home. I will finally see my son Gola and meet my family. However, the surgery is still left. There was an infection in the walls of the gallbladder because of the stone, it is finally better and that is how I am getting discharged. Although the actor is back from the hospital, she must return later. She will have to undergo surgery to address the issue.

Bharti Singh's dedicates emotional vlog to her son

Bharti posted an emotional vlog a few days ago from the hospital in which she said, "No mother, who has a young child, should stay away from them or be in the hospital. Haarsh informed me that he is playing and if he asks where Mom is, they say I am off to shoot! It is just a matter of a few days."

She further added, May you all always stay healthy, because I have a two-year-old child and I have not even stayed a single night without him and now There are a lot of people at home, his grandmothers, and aunts, but not me. I am so sorry. Please pray for me that I recover soon and be with him.

About Bharti Singh

Bharti debuted as a standup comedian with The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. She later featured in standup comedy shows such as Comedy Circus 3 Ka Tadka, Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo, Comedy Nights Bachao and The Kapil Sharma Show. She is married to comedian Haarsh Limbachiyaa.

Bharti Singh is currently hosting Dance Deewane 4 and Laughter Chefs.
Filmmaker Karan Johars expression of dismay at comedian Kettan Singhs mimicry act in a promo of Madness Machayenge: Duniya Ko Hasayenge has caused a frenzy among the cast. Now, comedian Paritosh Tripathi has come forward to defend his co-star, saying they all respect Karan a lot. (Also read: Comedian Kettan Singh apologises after Karan Johar gets upset with his mimicry of him: Didn't want to hurt) Comedian Paritosh Tripathi wants Karan Johar to know that they all respect him a lot.

Paritosh reacts to the row

None of the comedians on the show mean to offend or hurt anyone. That is never the intention behind what we do. We just want to make people laugh, and use our comic skills to do that, Paritosh tells us.

The actor, writer, host and stand-up comedian adds, In fact, Kettan is such a big fan of Karan sir. When someone does mimicry of someone, it shows how that person admires the other person It shows how they notice every detail, emotion and action of the person. With the show, we dont want to offend anyone or want people to get the perception that we are hurting others.

Getting a whiff of the stir caused by Karans social media post slamming the act, Paritosh clarifies, The intention is never to hurt anyone. In fact, we want to do the opposite. We all are from the same field, and have such huge respect for our seniors and icons. The acts are done with good heart. We are usually cautious that they dont hurt anyone. But now, going forward we will be extra cautious about it to ensure no one feels bad because of us.

Here, he picks an example to explain his point, saying, I roast people on the show in front of them, and they know from where it all is coming from. We maintain a boundary, and never cross that line. That being said, the whole team just wants Karan to know that we didnt want to offend him. It was done in a light manner.

What happened

On Sunday, Karan took to Instagram Stories to share his anger upon seeing Kettans imitation of him in the promo for the comedy show Madness Machayenge  India Ko Hasayenge. While Karan didnt explicitly mention the channel or the comedians name, he criticised the act, dubbing it as done in a poor taste. When Kettan apologised for the act, it confirmed which show he was talking about.

Karan wrote, I was sitting and watching television with my mom and saw a promo of a reality comedy show on a supposedly respectable channel a comic was mimicking me in exceptionally poor taste I expect this from trolls and faceless and nameless people but when your own industry can disrespect someone who has been in the business for over 25 years it speaks volumes about the times we live in this doesnt even anger me it just makes me sad!

Kettan is sorry

Reacting to Karans remarks, Kettan issued a heartfelt apology. In an interview with Times Now, Kettan said, I would like to apologise to Karan (Johar) sir. First of all, whatever impersonation I do because I watch a lot of Karan Johar on the coffee show, I am a fan of his work. I have seen his latest film, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani 5 to 6 times. I am a huge fan of his work and his show. If my actions hurt him, I would like to apologise to him. My intention was not to hurt him. I just wanted to entertain the audience but if I did something extra, I would like to say sorry to him". (Read: Karan Johar upset with comedian's mimicry of him 'in exceptionally poor taste': Is he talking about this show?)

Talking about Karans reaction to the promo, he said he has not seen the whole episode yet. I havent watched the episode. Sir has reacted to the promo. I havent seen the episode. I would like to see the reactions of people and Karan sir after watching the episode. I dont want to offend, sir. Many artists dont mimic Karan sir. I used to do it a couple of years ago on The Kapil Sharma Show. I did it for the first time on Madness Machayenge. Apart from my apology, I am not thinking of anything else, he added.
What Gurucharan's father said about his son

Hargit said, What has happened is very shocking, we dont know how to deal with it. Hum sab bahut pareshaan hain (We are very troubled) and are eagerly waiting for some update from the police. Hum uske wapas aane ka intezaar kar rahe hain (We are awaiting his return)."

Gurucharan, a day before he went missing, had shared a photo on Instagram with his father wishing him on his birthday. Talking about it, Hargit said, "There were no celebrations as such, but we were at home together, and it felt nice. The next day, he was supposed to travel to Mumbai."

Gurucharan's friend talks about him

Bhakti Soni, a friend of Gurucharan who was supposed to receive him at the Mumbai airport, spoke about the day he went missing. She said she went to the airport, waited for him and even tried calling when he didn't arrive. However, she was unable to contact him. She hopes the police is able to get some information.

What police said about Gurucharan

Recently, News18 quoted Delhi police sources as saying, He left his phone in the Palam area. We are trying to find but it only makes it more difficult for us to trace Gurucharan Singh, because this means that the phone is not with the actor. In the CCTV footage we recovered that he was seen moving from one e-rickshaw to another. Looks like, he had planned everything and has moved out of Delhi.

Gurucharan, who is believed to have been visiting his parents in Delhi, was expected to return to Mumbai but has not been heard from since April 22. Gurucharan's family registered a complaint. Rohit Meena, DCP South West Delhi, told news agency ANI last week, "We have registered a case under Section 365 of the IPC. We have put together a team to probe the matter and our technical team is also working on the case. We are in the process of going over the CCTV footage where he is seen walking by himself."

Gurcharan and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah

Gurcharan rose to fame after playing the role of Roshan Singh Sodhi in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Even though his character was one of the most popular ones on the show, Gurcharan left it in 2013 but returned the next year. He finally left the show in 2020. Gurcharan was replaced by actor Balwinder Singh Suri.
K-drama weekly ratings for May kicked off with a fresh lineup of series dominating both broadcast time slots and OTT spaces. From heartwarming romance to thrilling action, these shows are sure to keep you hooked week after week. From new releases like The Atypical Family to returning favourites such as Missing Crown Prince' starring EXO's Suho, Nielsen Korea has rolled out the ratings of the show that impressed the domestic audience. Additionally, we'll reveal which series claimed the top spot in the global OTT space. Can JTBC's new show surpass the record-breaking success of tvN's Queen of Tears? Keep reading to find out! JTBC's new series competes with tvN's hit show, while Kim Soo Hyun's drama stays strong on Netflix(Netflix)

The A Typical Family records decent ratings on debut weekend

JTBC new drama aiming to break the streaming spell of tvNs history-making show The Queen of Tears saw a slight dip in its average nationwide ratings on May 5. The second episode achieved an average nationwide rating of 3.0 percent. The series premiered on May 4 with an impressive cast lineup including Jang Ki Yong, Chun Woo Hee, Go Doo Shim, Kim Su Hyun, and Park So Yi.

Also read: Oprah, Trump, Hilfiger and More! Lost VHS invitation reveals who hyped Diddy's 1998 Birthday

The A Typical Family fails to score top trend on Netflix

While Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won's starrer continues to hold the number two position on Netflix for consecutive weeks since its release, The Atypical Family has not made its presence felt in the Top 10 Non-English category yet. In terms of domestic weekly ratings, Queen of Tears achieved a total of 8.7 percent in its second episode, compared to JTBC's new show, which only reached 3 percent.

Storyline of A Typical Family

The plot of A Typical Family tells the story of Once blessed with unique superpowers, a family loses their abilities due to modern-day problems  until a mysterious woman changes everything. (Synopsis via Netflix.) Jang Ki Yong portrays Bok Gwi Joo, a member of a family with supernatural abilities that begin to fade due to a mysterious illness. Their lives take a turn when he encounters Chun Woo Hee's character, Do Da Hae.

Also read: BLACKPINK's Lisa stuns with Red Bull's Max Verstappen at 2024 F1 Miami Grand Prix

Missing Crown Prince records highest ratings yet

Despite a slow start, EXO's Suho and Hong Ye Ji's series Missing Crown Prince has begun to pick up momentum. According to Nielsen Korea, the latest episode of MBNs show achieved an average nationwide rating of 3.6 percent, marking an impressive 1.3 percent increase from the previous night.

KBS 2TVs Beauty and Mr. Romantic remained the most-watched show across all time slots with an impressive nationwide rating of 15.6 percent for the night.
tvN's Monday-Tuesday K-drama series Lovely Runner has raised the standards for love, especially with the heartwarming connection between the leads defying all boundaries set by the spacetime continuum. Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon keep bringing their A-game each week, melting the worldwide audience's hearts like it's no big deal. Kim Hye Yoon and Byeon Woo Seok in Lovely Runner Episode 8.(tvN)

However, this saccharine-laced soft story of love almost didn't happen. Now having witnessed the awe-inspiring acting chops and onscreen chemistry of the leading duo, could you ever imagine a timeline in which Lovely Runner wasn't a reality? As it turns out, the program faced an unending series of difficulties before its April release date. Fortunately for us, that tragic reality isn't ours to bear.

Nevertheless, a recent South Korean media report posted on theqoo.net sparked serious concerns about how the series could've possibly been cancelled. Bringing to attention how the production for the tvN hit series was delayed three years, the brand-new headline instilled fear in the hearts of the fans, who're now showering the series and its leading cast members with even more love than before.

Also read | Queen of Tears closes final chapter on top of buzzworthy drama rankings, Lovely Runner cemented as new favourite

Lovely Runner production delays explained

Theqoo.net's report explains that the series, though it became a highly anticipated event in 2024 once Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon were announced as the main cast members, originally faced several hindrances regarding its casting details.

Prior to Byeon Woo Seok finally settling in the shoes of the top idol star Ryu Sun Jae, it's said that many actors reportedly turned down the offer to play the role. Even before the series actually premiered, it suffered a barrage of criticism from K-drama and K-pop fans who alleged that the story was insensitively fashioned after the unfortunate demise of the late South Korean idol Jonghyun of SHINee.

These concerns were laid to rest when the series finally premiered and fleshed out a profound storyline unlike the limiting vision its intial previews and teasers portrayed. Even during its initial production years, the series is said to have hit a similar dead-end. Theqoo.net report explains that several actors, though not named, rejected Ryu Sun Jae's role owing to their apprehensions about the series being a one-dimensional story centred around a fan falling head over heels for a K-pop idol.

After facing an extended period of production delays, the officials finally greenlit Byeon Woo Seok as the male lead. Even then, numerous conflicting schedule issues paused the show's filming, ultimately also resulting in the director being switched out.

Also read | 2024 Baeksang Arts Awards lineup, where to watch, nominees and other deets to look out for before the ceremony

Despite all the ill-will that preceded the show's premiere, its first episode finally aired on tvN on April 8, 2024. Lovely Runner earned the audience's favour as an instant hit once it hit the small screens. Despite the odds being against the show's success, Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon's chemistry is all K-drama fans talk about these days.

Moreover, Lovely Runner celebrates Woo Seok's flight to fame. In spite of him starring in several projects before, at long last, he found his first leading role with the tvN series. On top of that, not only have his acting chops bolstered his position as the newest K-heartthrob, his special song, exclusively released for the show's broadcast due to his role as an idol, also joined the ranks of the Melon Top 100 music chart. The original article also highlights that Byeon Woo Seok was cast for the tvN show after his presence in the 2022 romance film, 20th Century Girl, left a mark on the director.

Hundreds of comments praising the leading co-stars of the show emerged under the original Korean post. As expected, fans can't imagine anyone else in the shoes of Ryu Sun Jae. The show may have been delayed originally due to unceasing predicaments working against its motion, but now its finality stands as a testament proving, Everything happens for a reason.

Lovely Runner Episode 10 will air on tvN on Tuesday, May 7. The series is also streaming on Viki for international viewers.

Also read | Ateez, BTS' J-Hope, Le Sserafim, Tomorrow X Together and more prevail on top of Billboard's World Albums Chart

Fan reactions to the news
More than 180 vice chancellors and noted academicians of leading universities across India have written an open letter hitting out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments on the selection process of university heads. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (HT_PRINT)

Also Read: Acharya Pramod Krishnam attacks Rahul Gandhi over his candidature: Decision to not contest from Amethi'

In the open letter titled torchbearers being torched, the academics said Rahul Gandhi has questioned the merit of the process through which vice chancellors are appointed.

It has come to our notice from tweet and open sources of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader, that appointment of Vice Chancellors is made solely on the basis of affiliation with some organisation rather than on the basis of merit and qualification, thereby questioning the merit of the process through which the Vice Chancellors are appointed," the letter written by 181 vice chancellors read.

The process by which Vice Chancellors are selected is characterised by stringent, transparent, rigorous procedure grounded on values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction and integrity. The selection has been completely based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take Universities ahead, it said.

Also Read: Narendra Modi says Muslims now separated from vote bank contractors, attacks Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav

The academicians further urged all individuals involved to "exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, to abstain from spreading unfounded rumours".

The academicians demanded appropriate action against Rahul Gandhi for spreading falsehood with the intent to derive political mileage.

"In view of the fact that Shri Rahul Gandhi has resorted to falsehood and has defamed the Office of the Vice Chancellors at large with the intent to derive political mileage out of it. It is therefore, earnestly prayed that appropriate action be taken against him forthwith in accordance with law," stated the letter.

The VCs letter comes after Gandhis comments alleging that the selection process for the posts was biased.

Rahul Gandhi has said that VCs were not appointed on merit but for their affiliation to ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s ideological fount, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Also Read: Academics seek action against Rahul Gandhi for comments on appointment of VCs

Meanwhile, UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pande reacted to the letter and said, "People who are associated with RSS, are being made VCs and those who are concerned about the future of this country, are worried. I think that in a way this is a criminal act and playing with the people of the country and the future of the country..."
As many as 181 academics, including former and current heads of universities, have sought action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his claim that the appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) was made solely based on affiliation with an organisation rather than on merit. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)

In an open letter titled torchbearers being torched, the academics said Gandhi has questioned the merit of the process through which VCs are appointed. We categorically and unequivocally discard such claims, the academics said. They accused Gandhi of resorting to falsehood and defaming VCs to derive the political mileage.

The signatories, including Jawaharlal Nehru University VC Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, her Delhi University counterpart Yogesh Singh, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur director Ram Kumar Kakani, argued the process of selecting VC is a stringent, transparent rigorous procedure grounded on values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction, and integrity.

Gandhi has maintained VCs were not appointed on merit but for their affiliation to ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s ideological fount, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The academics underlined the selection has been based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take universities ahead. The array of academic disciplines and professional experiences represented amongst us stands as evidence of the unbiased and inclusive nature of the selection procedure. It reflects our dedication to cultivating an atmosphere that values and promotes diversity, encourages independent thinking, and supports scholastic achievement, the letter said.

In our capacity as guardians of knowledge and administrators of academia, we maintain an unwavering commitment to maintaining the utmost levels of governance integrity, ethical behaviour, and institutional integrity.

The academics said they encourage productive discourse and active participation from all relevant stakeholders, as they collaboratively strive to define the trajectory of higher education. We strongly urge all individuals involved to exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, to abstain from spreading unfounded rumours, and to participate in dialogue that is well-informed, constructive, and supportive of our shared goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive educational environment, the letter said. We would like to reaffirm our steadfast dedication to the principles of meritocracy, integrity, and excellence within the realm of higher education. As a collective initiative, let us persistently strive to maximize the impact of our educational establishments as catalysts for societal change and facilitators of advancement.

The academics said universities in India have undergone a significant transition. They cited the ascent in the global rankings, prominent accreditations, world-class research and innovations, curriculum facelift narrowing the industry-academia gap, and higher placement prospects reaffirming their commitment to academic quality and societal relevance. With utmost conviction, the Vice Chancellors of prestigious Universities nationwide and Academic Leaders, address and refute the baseless allegations that have recently been circulated concerning the selection process.
Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday praised armed forces as he issued clarification on his 'stunt' comment about the Poonch terror attack. Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi is the Congress candidate from Jalandhar. (ANI)(HT_PRINT)

"We are proud of the jawans who join the armed forces to safeguard the country...I made a statement that in the last parliamentary elections, 40 jawans were attacked and lost their lives. To date, the government has not identified the perpetrators responsible for these attacks. Now, it's election time again. Our jawans have been attacked once more, and we've lost one soldier," said the former Punjab chief minister and Congress candidate for the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.

"I would like to ask the government - who are the perpetrators of these attacks? Why haven't they been brought to justice? Why do intelligence failures keep happening? Soldiers have lost their lives once again...My point is, why is this being turned into a political stunt by the BJP?" he added.

ALSO READ- Poonch terror attack: 20 lakh reward announced for 2 Pakistan terrorists

Channi remark on Poonch terror attack sparks controversy

Responding to a query about the assault on the Indian Air Force's convoy in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, Channi remarked, "'Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe' (These are all stunts, not attacks)."

Also read: Channi calls Poonch terror attack orchestrated, BJP slams Congress

He said, "Whenever elections are near, such stunts are staged to benefit the BJP. There is no truth to it," while addressing the question in Jalandhar.

Channi accused the BJP of playing with people's lives and bodies.

BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok slammed Channi and said the former Punjab CM has lost his mind. He criticised the Congress for engaging in petty politics over the country's soldiers, calling it a part of their culture.

ALSO READ- Lok Sabha elections 2024: Phase 3 polling on May 7. Check full schedule, key constituencies

IAF convoy attacked in Poonch

One soldier was killed and four others injured when terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch district on Saturday, just three weeks before polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

Officials suspect the involvement of the same group of terrorists who attacked troops in nearby Bufliaz on December 21 last year, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers and injuries to three others.
The Baramati constituency in Marahastra is all set for the Pawar versus Pawar in the third phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 as deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar wife Sunetra Pawar has been pitted against sitting MP and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule. On the last of campaigning, before the voting on May 7, Ajit Pawar mocked Nationalist Congress Party  Sharadchandra Pawar MLA and his nephew Rohit Pawar over the latter wiping off tears after getting emotional during a speech in support of Supriya Sule here. Ajit Pawar rally at Baramati -HT photo

"I told you someone will try to play on your emotions. But such acts don't work," the deputy chief minister said.

Ajit Pawar said he doesn't pay attention to criticism and continues working with development as his only priority. Looking at the sizable crowd, Ajit Pawar said, I have attended multiple rallies but I never witnessed such a big crowd. It reaffirms we are winning here. Follow live updates on Lok Sabha elections 2024

Among the seats going to the polls in Maharashtra in this phase, Baramati is one of the most watched, as the fight stands between NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, who split the party and leads a faction of the party.

Also Read | For the first time, Pratibha Pawar participates in campaign in Baramati

On the last day of the campaign, both groups of NCP held public rallies in Baramati, which were called Sangata Sabha in Marathi, which means the last public rally.

Addressing the public rally in Baramati in Pune district, Ajit Pawar said, It was me (Rohit) who taught him politics, and now he is making comments on me, but I don't pay attention to criticism and continue working with development is my only priority.

'Narendra Modi is India's vikas purush': Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the country's vikas purush.

"PM Modi is the vikas purush of this country. This Lok Sabha poll is extremely important. Baramati has not received funds from the Centre for the last 15 years (Sule has been MP for the past three terms). Development projects worth 2,499 crore have been approved," Ajit Pawar said.

Rohit Pawar gets emotional

Earlier, during a public rally in support of Supriya Sule, Rohit Pawar got emotional while saying, "When the party got split, I met (Sharad) Pawar saheb with some party workers ... Pawar saheb told me that till youths from our party take leadership or reach the level of taking leadership, I will not close my eyes (die) I replied to Saheb, you take your word back and do not repeat it ever. We and the whole family will always back you, We will always remain with you."

Speaking to news agency ANI, Rohit Pawar said, "At last, I am a human being Yes, I got emotional after listening to various statements made against Pawar saheb."

(With inputs from agencies)
Several vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi were allegedly vandalised on Sunday night. While the police said they were investigating the matter, the Congress targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party for the attack in which some Congress workers also sustained injuries. Several vehicles were vandalised in Amethi on Sunday night. (@jitendr89690621)

Taking to social media platform X (formally Twitter), the Congress also alleged that during the incident, while vehicles of local people were also damaged, the police administration remained a mute spectator.

Smriti Irani and BJP workers are badly scared in Amethi, UP. Frustrated over the defeat they saw, BJP goons armed with sticks and rods reached outside the Congress office in Amethi and vandalised vehicles parked there. There was an attack on Congress workers and the people of Amethi. Many people are badly injured in this attack This incident shows that the BJP is going to lose badly in Amethi, the Congress posted in Hindi while sharing a video of the alleged incident.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that the police remained a silent spectator, while the BJP workers continued with their hooliganism.

The wind has changed, breaking vehicles will not solve the problem, BJP people! Supriya Shrinate wrote on X.

Also Read | Acharya Pramod Krishnam attacks Rahul Gandhi over his candidature: Decision to not contest from Amethi'

Responding to Supriya Shrinate's post, the Amethi Police said, On the basis of the complaint received at the Gauriganj police station, necessary legal action is being taken by registering a case under the relevant sections.

The BJP is yet to react to the incident.

The Congress has fielded the Gandhi family's close aide Kishori Lal Sharma against sitting MP Smriti Irani from Amethi. There was speculation that Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi could be given a ticket to contest from the Amethi seat, but all were laid to rest when the Congress announced the name of the candidate.

Also Read | Gandhis and the battle for Rae Bareli, Amethi

Sonia Gandhi contested the 2019 general elections from Rae Bareli and defeated Bharatiya Janata Party's Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of over 1.6 lakh votes.

In Amethi, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi by 55,000 votes, ending the Gandhi family's stint on the seat.

The Congress had won just 2 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 (Rae Bareli and Amethi). The tally came down to just one in 2019 after the party lost Amethi.

Sonia Gandhi won Rae Bareli for four successive terms before she moved to Rajya Sabha this time.

Also Read | No force can engineer split in family: Robert Vadra responds to BJP's sidelined dig

The Congress, which is aiming to register a strong comeback after two historic losses in 2014 and 2019, has a tough task in hand to wrest back Amethi and retain Rae Bareli. In the 2022 assembly elections, the Congress couldn't win any seat under Rae Bareli.

Amethi will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 on May 20.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has recommended an NIA probe against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving funding from pro-Khalistani outfits, dealing another blow to the jailed AAP leader during general elections. Saxena forwarded a complaint from one Ashoo Mongia to the ministry of home affairs, urging for a thorough investigation into allegations against the Delhi chief minister and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Arvind Kejriwal interacting with Sikh leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills in New York, as per Munish Raizada.(X/@DrMunishRaizada)

The complaint received from Mongia, national general secretary of the World Hindu Federation, India, alleges that AAP received substantial funding from extremist Khalistani groups, including banned Sikhs for Justice, the L-G secretariat said in a letter to the Union home ministry.

What is Khalistani funding charge against Arvind Kejriwal?

The complaint refers to a video purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice, claiming that AAP received a staggering $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022, according to the letter. It further alleges that in 2014, Arvind Kejriwal attended a clandestine meeting with pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills in New York.

During this meeting, Kejriwal allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Devender Pal Bhullar, a convicted militant, in exchange for financial support from Khalistani factions to AAP.

The complaint includes a letter from Arvind Kejriwal to one Iqbal Singh in which the AAP leader allegedly said his government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justice.

It further mentions that Delhi Government has already recommended to the President the release of Prof. Bhullar and would be working on other issues including formation of SIT etc., Saxena said in the letter.

As per news reports of that time, Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding a written assurance for release of Bhullar. He ended the fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal, he added.

The complaint also points to some old social media posts on X by a former AAP worker who shared a picture of Kejriwal with Sikh leaders at Richmond Hill Gurudwara in 2014. Dr Munish Kumar Raizada's tweets claimed that apart from public meetings, Kejriwal held closed-door discussions with pro-Khalistani Sikh leaders at the Gurudwara, according to the complainant.

The electronic evidences adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination, Saxena has said. The complaint is made against a chief minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation, the letter stated.

The move comes a day ahead of the Supreme Court considering granting Arvind Kejriwal interim bail in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The AAP chief is in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party alleged that L-G's recommendation of an NIA probe against Arvind Kejriwal is yet another conspiracy against the Delhi chief minister at the behest of the BJP.

"This is yet another conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of BJP. They are losing on all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in Lok Sabha polls," said AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.
Arvind Kejriwal NIA probe row: Reacting to the recommendation of an NIA probe against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj called LG VK Saxena an agent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed LG' Saxena's action was part of a "big conspiracy" against the AAP chief. Delhi health minister and AAP leader, Saurabh Bharadwaj (HT file photo)

"LG is an agent of BJP. This is another big conspiracy against CM Kejriwal by them at the behest of BJP. BJP is losing all the seven seats in Delhi and hence is upset. BJP had hatched this conspiracy even before the Punjab Assembly elections," Bhardwaj claimed.

The principal secretary to LG VK Saxena wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, accusing Arvind Kejriwal of accepting political funding from the pro-Khalistan terror outfit, 'Sikhs for Justice'.

In the letter, the officer claimed that Saxena's office had received a complaint saying Arvind Kejriwal's party accepted $16 million in return for securing the release of 1993 Delhi blast convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar.

Also read: Delhi LG VK Saxena recommends NIA probe against Arvind Kejriwal, cites Khalistan funding

The letter said the complainant was in possession of a video in which terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has alleged that Aam Aadmi Party had received the amount between 2014 and 2022.

It claimed that Kejriwal had met with pro-Khalistan Sikh leaders at New York's Richmond Hills Gurudwara. Per the letter, the AAP chief had allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar.

The letter claimed that Kejriwal had indeed written to former president Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for Bhullar.

This is the latest blow to Arvind Kejriwal, who has been in jail since March over his alleged involvement in the liquor policy scam.

The Enforcement Directorate has accused Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders of accepting kickbacks as donations to AAP in return for formulating a favourable policy for some businessmen and politicians. The AAP-led Delhi government had scrapped the policy after LG VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the matter.

AAP leader Manish Sisodia has been in jail since February last year over similar charges. Sanjay Singh, another AAP stalwart, was recently released on bail after spending over five months in jail.
An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was crushed to death by a tractor-trolley carrying illegally mined sand in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, on Saturday night, police said on Sunday. Police personnel at the site of the incident in Shahdol on Sunday. (PTI)

ASI Mahendra Bagri, posted at the Beohari police station, was attempting to stop the tractor-trolley along with two colleagues, ASI Gaya Prasad Kannauje and constable Sanjay Dubey, while on their way to arrest an accused in a criminal case near Khadhauli village.

Despite Bagri signalling the driver to stop, the vehicle ran over him and continued forward. The driver, Raj Rawat, then jumped off the tractor, causing it to go out of control and fall off a bridge.

Police have arrested Rawat and the vehicle owners son, Ashutosh Singh, both residents of Jamodi village.

ALSO READ | Sand mafia attacked my team, police failed to act promptly: MP forest officer

The owner, Surendra Singh, who was arrested in August 2023 for illegal sand mining, is currently absconding. Authorities have announced a reward of 30,000 for information leading to his arrest.

A case has been registered against the accused under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Mines Act. Superintendent of police Kumar Prateek and additional director general of police, Shahdol zone, DC Sagar, confirmed the incident and the ongoing investigation.

The incident has also sparked controversy due to the alleged improper handling of Bagris body during the postmortem at Byahari Civil Hospital.

A policeman, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the ASIs body was placed on the floor during the procedure, showing disrespect for his sacrifice while on duty. Byahari SDM Narendra Singh Dhurve stated that the matter is being investigated.

This incident follows a similar case in December last year, where a revenue department official (Patwari) was killed by illegal sand miners in the Shahdol district.

ALSO READ | Why sand mining in Chambal is not right

The world uses up 50 billion tonnes of sand every year, a 2022 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) found, enough to build a wall 27 metres wide and 27 metres high around planet Earth.

Sand is the second most used resource worldwide after water, and in India, it is mined illegally in several states. Between 2019 and 2022, according to a report by Down to Earth, some 39 people including police and activists were killed for exposing or acting against illegal mining operations across the country.

Experts have warned that extracting sand where it plays an active role, such as rivers, and coastal or marine ecosystems, can lead to erosion, salination of aquifers, loss of protection against storm surges and impact on biodiversity, which pose a threat to livelihoods through, among other things, water supply, food production, fisheries, or to the tourism industry.
Ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls to 93 seats across 10 states and Union territories, both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition appear upbeat. Both sides claim to have done well in the first two of the seven phases with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi doubling down on his claim about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s alleged plan to change the Constitution. Gandhi has been carrying a pocket-size copy of the Constitution to emphasise his claim that the BJP has been seeking 400 seats for the purpose. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has doubled down on his claim about the BJPs alleged plan to change the Constitution. (PTI)

Addressing an election rally In Telanganas Nirmal, Gandhi said the ongoing election is a contest between two ideologies in which the Congress is trying to protect the Constitution and BJP and its ideological fount Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were seeking to end it and the rights of the people. He claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi is against reservation and wants to do away with it. Gandhi said the Congress would increase the quotas beyond the 50% cap if it is voted to power.

Congress complains over BJP ad

The Congress on Sunday filed a case against BJP chief JP Nadda and two other leaders and approached the Election Commission of India over an animated clip. BJPs Karnataka unit posted a clip on X that ostensibly shows Rahul Gandhi offering funds to Muslims. In a complaint to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, the Congress said that the BJP intended to promote enmity between communities through the clip.

Vehicles vandalised outside Congress Amethis office

Vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Uttar Pradeshs Amethi were vandalised on Sunday night. Police said they were investigating the matter even as Congress blamed the BJP for the attack in which some Congress workers suffered injuries. [Union minister and BJPs Amethi candidate] Smriti Irani and BJP workers are scared...Frustrated over the defeat they foresee, BJP goons armed with sticks and rods vandalised vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Amethi. There was an attack on Congress workers and the people of Amethi. Many people are injured...This incident shows that the BJP is losing badly in Amethi, the Congress posted in Hindi while sharing a video. The Congress has fielded Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma against Irani in Amethi.

Congress attacks Modi over ticket to Brij Bhushans son

The Congress on Sunday said Modi failed the countrys women by rewarding sexual harassment accused BJP lawmaker Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh with a Lok Sabha poll ticket to his son. It asked whether women would ever be safe in Modis India. In a post on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said rather than punishing Bhushan Sharan Singh for his heinous crimes, the BJP has rewarded him with a ticket for his son Karan Bhushan Singh

Sandeshkhali video heats up Bengal battle

A video shot using a spycam purportedly showing a BJP worker claiming that party leader Suvendu Adhikari hatched the Sandeshkhali conspiracy has raised political tensions in West Bengal. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of orchestrating the incidents and trying to malign the states image. The alleged atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali has been a key poll issue for the BJP. Political pundits say the BJP is trying to woo women voters away from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) by raising the issue of alleged lack of safety. TMC is known to get more women than men votes, possibly due to the Banerjee.

On Sunday, Banerjee spent the bulk of a 50-minute campaign address at Bolpur directly attacking the Prime Minister. I have said for a long time that the BJP has been trying to malign the image of Bengal by orchestrating the Sandeshkhali incident. The sting operation revealed the real face of the Bangla birodhis [opponents of Bengal] as they tried to manipulate the emotions of my mothers and sisters. The BJP insisted the video was doctored and said it would have no impact on the Lok Sabha elections

Battle for Odia pride

BJP leaders have cited the partys commitment to protecting Odia Asmita (pride) among key reasons for not renewing its alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the Lok Sabha and Odisha assembly elections. They argue Odia Asmita was being undermined and threatened by giving the reins of the BJD to bureaucrat-turned-politician VK Pandian, who is from Tamil Nadu. Pandian, 49, a confidant of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, resigned as a bureaucrat to join the BJD last year. He has since been perceived as Patnaiks political successor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Congress party over the recovery of 20 crore from the house help of the personal secretary of Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam. Addressing a rally in East Godavari, PM Modi alleged Congress made their servant's house a godown for their black money. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an NDA election meeting.(ANI)

PM Narendra Modi attacked the Gandhis, asking why "mountains of cash" were recovered from those close to the first family of the Congress.

"Congress and INDI alliance keep shouting 'ED' everyday, the whole nation has seen its reason today on television. In Jharkhand, ED recovered a mountain of notes, from the servant of Congress Minister's secretary. Congress made their servant's house a godown of their black money," PM Modi said.

PM Narendra Modi claimed he was taking legal advice regarding how the looted money could be returned to the masses.

"This is not the first time, earlier, from a Congress MP, an even bigger mountain of notes was recovered...Why are such mountains of notes recovered from those who are close to the first family of Congress?... I am taking legal advice so that those people, whose money was looted, that money can be returned to them," he added.

More than 20 crore has been recovered from the househelp of Sanjiv Lal, the personal secretary to Jharkhand rural development minister Alamgir Alam. Counting of notes is underway.

Alamgir Alam told the media and the masses to not jump to conclusions. He said Sanjiv Lal was a government employee and had been the personal secretary of two ministers before him.

"Sanjiv Lal is a government employee. He is my personal secretary. Sanjiv Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. There are several government employees and we usually appoint personal secretaries based on experience. It is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed," Alam added.

The raids are part of an ongoing investigation related to the case involving Virendra K. Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, who was arrested in February 2023 in connection with alleged irregularities in the implementation of government schemes.

The Enforcement Directorate also carried out searches at other locations in Ranchi.
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Monday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly accepting political funding from banned pro-Khalistan terror outfit, 'Sikhs for Justice'. Arvind Kejriwal at the Rouse Avenue Court. AAP on Monday said V K Saxena's recommendation of an NIA probe against Kejriwal was yet another conspiracy against the Delhi chief minister at the behest of the BJP.(PTI file photo)

Saxena took the action on the basis of a complaint that Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party had received $16 million from the pro-Khalistan group to facilitate the release of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and espousing pro-Khalistani sentiments.

The principal secretary to the lieutenant governor wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs that the complainant has referred to a video, "purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, (Khalistani terrorist and founder of banned organization Sikhs For Justice), wherein he has alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal has received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022".

The officer's letter mentions a clandestine meeting between Arvind Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York, in 2014. It accused Arvind Kejriwal of purportedly promising to facilitate the release of Bhullar, in lieu of funding from Khalistani outfits to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Bhullar is the convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blasts case.

Per the letter, AAP worker Munish Kumar Raizada shared a picture of Arvind Kejriwal meeting with Sikh leaders at Richmond Hill Gurudwara.

The officer further claimed that Kejriwal held a closed door meeting with pro-Khalistan Sikh leaders.

"It has also been mentioned in the (complainant's) letter that Sh Kejriwal wrote to former President Sh Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for Bhullar. In this context a copy of a letter by Sh Arvind Kejriwal, addressed to one Sh. Iqbal Singh is enclosed. The letter dated 27.01.2014 mentions that 'Our government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justice. It further mentions that Delhi Government has already recommended to the President the release of Prof. Bhullar and would be working on other issues including formation of SIT etc. The same was widely reported in the media. As per news reports of that time, Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding a written assurance for release of Bhullar. He ended the fast after receiving the letter from Sh. Kejriwal," it said.

The officer further wrote that LG Saxena has recommended for the matter to be investigated by the anti-terror agency.

Conspiracy against Arvind Kejriwal, says AAP

AAP said V K Saxena's recommendation of an NIA probe against Arvind Kejriwal is yet another conspiracy against the Delhi chief minister at the behest of the BJP.

"This is yet another conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of BJP. They are losing on all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in Lok Sabha polls," said AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, according to a PTI report.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at various locations in Ranchi on Monday. A huge amount of cash has been recovered from the domestic help of Sanjiv Lal, the personal secretary to Jharkhand rural development minister Alamgir Alam, in connection with the Virendra Ram case. ED raids in Ranchi: Huge cash recovered from household help of minister's aide(ANI)

Sources from the ED revealed that they are counting the seized cash to determine its precise amount, estimated to be between 20-30 crore. The majority of the cash is in 500 denominations, and authorities have also recovered some jewellery alongside it, PTI reported.

Alam, 70, is a prominent Congress leader who represents Pakur constituency in the Jharkhand assembly.

Video: Huge cash recovered by ED in Ranchi

Footage showed officials from the central probe agency extracting bundles of currency notes from bags within a room.

What is the case?

The ED has made progress in its investigation into alleged corruption within Jharkhand's rural development department. Virendra Ram, the department's chief engineer, was arrested in February 2023 in connection with a money laundering case linked to suspected irregularities in the implementation of government schemes.

An FIR was filed by the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in November 2019, following the apprehension of Suresh Prasad Verma, a junior engineer, for accepting a bribe. During the ACB's probe, a large amount of cash was discovered in a property owned by Verma and occupied by his cousin, Alok Ranjan, who has ties to Virendra Ram.

ALSO READ- ED raids multiple locations in forex fraud case; assets worth 5 cr seized

According to the ED's remand note, Ram, along with his accountant, is accused of laundering illicit funds through fictitious transactions. The funds were allegedly funnelled into various bank accounts belonging to Ram and his family members. Additionally, the laundered money was purportedly utilised to purchase prime real estate in New Delhi, Jamshedpur, and Ranchi, as well as luxury vehicles.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out multiple raids across Ranchi on Monday, recovering close to 35.23 crore in cash from the residence of a man allegedly connected to the officer on special duty (OSD) to state rural development and parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam. In raids that continued through the day across at least six places in Jharkhands capital, 3 crore was also allegedly recovered from the home of a builder, also ostensibly linked to the OSD. The recoveries set off a political firestorm in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, with polling across its 14 seats set to begin on May 13, spread across four phases. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked for the Election Commission to step in and probe the matter, while the Congress questioned the timing of the raids. ED officials during the raid in Ranchi on Monday. (ANI)

ED officials said seven teams began the raids at 6am on Monday morning, and recoveries were largely made from the residence of Jahangir Alam near Ranchi hill. Alam ostensibly works at the home of Sanjeev Lal, OSD to Congress leader and state rural development and parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam. ED officials said that searches continued into the evening, and multiple cash counting machines had to be pressed into service.

The cash, said officials, was recovered from bags, cupboards as well as a diwan in the drawing room.

Officials also said that 3 crore was recovered separately from the residence of builder Munna Singh at the Tejashwini apartment complex in Ranchi. The SAIL City residence of road construction department engineer Vikas Kumar was also searched, officials said.

ED officials said that the searches took place in a case that had seen Birendra Ram, then chief engineer of the rural development department arrested on February 23, 2023, accused of laundering money and collecting commission from contractors mandated with the implementation of government schemes.

Following the arrest of Ram, ED arrested three persons  Neeraj Mittal, Tara Chand and Ram Prakash Bhatia on June 25, an ED official said.

In the aftermath of Rams arrest, ED told a Ranchi court that a portion of the commission allegedly collected by Ram was distributed in a mechanised manner to senior bureaucrats and politicians in Jharkhand.

Ram played a pivotal role in managing tenders and allocation of work to private entities and the percentage of commission is distributed in a mechanised manner to higher ups of government, including highly placed bureaucrats and politicians. Further, during investigation, names of senior bureaucrats and politicians have emerged which is being investigated by ED, the agency said in February 2023 in its remand note, seen by HT.

The BJP attacked the JMM-Congress alliance that leads the state government and said that such corruption allegations were not new. State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said, Jharkhand has become synonymous with corruption. How the domestic help of an OSD, who must barely earn 30,000 a month, has received such a huge amount of money must be investigated. We believe it could be black money meant to spend during elections. The ED and Election Commission should look into the matter.

Alam, however, said that he did not want to comment before the end of the ED investigation but said that Lal has also served as personal secretary to two other BJP ministers in the past. Sanjiv Lal is a government employee and is my personal secretary. Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. We usually appoint personal secretaries based on experience and it is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed, Alam said.

Congress president Rajesh Thakur questioned the timing of the raids, conducted on the eve of crucial elections. One should not hurriedly jump to conclusions, and there should be no media trial. We do not tolerate corruption but the timing is an issue. The truth will prevail, he said.
Former Chhattisgarh Congress leader Radhika Khera, who resigned from the party on Sunday after alleging "disrespect" from the state unit, on Monday levelled a slew of allegations against the party. Chhattisgarh Congress leader Radhika Khera, who resigned from the party on Sunday.(ANI)

Khera claimed that the Congress began to "hate her" after she visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. She also accused the media chairperson of the Chhattisgarh Congress of offering her alcohol during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yata, led by Rahul Gandhi. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha elections here.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Khera claimed that the Congress had instructed her not to visit the temple during the election period.

I always heard that Congress is anti-Ram, anti-Sanatan and anti-Hindu but I never believed it. Mahatma Gandhi used to start every meeting with 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram'. I got exposed to this reality when I went to the Ram temple with my grandmother and after returning from there, I put a 'Jai Shri Ram' flag on the door of my house and after that, the Congress party started hating me, Khera said, according to ANI.

Also Read | 'Ram Droh': Yogi Adityanath attacks Congress over Radhika Khera's resignation



She added: "Whenever I posted photos or videos, I was scolded and asked why did I visit Ayodhya when elections were underway."

Was offered alcohol



During Monday's press conference, Khera alleged that during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the media chairman of Chhattisgarh Congress Sushil Anand Shukha offered her alcohol.

During Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the media chairman of Chhattisgarh Congress- Sushil Anand Shukha, offered me alcohol, and he, along with 5-6 party workers, used to knock on the door of my room in an inebriated condition, she alleged.

Khera also claimed that Shukha misbehaved and abused her.

"On April 30, when I went to talk to the media chairman of Chhattisgarh Congress, Sushil Anand Shukha, he started misbehaving with me and abusing me. I screamed a lot. I also shouted and told people to go down and call the General Secretary but no one moved. Then, when I took out my phone and said that I was recording you, Sushil Anand Shukla made a gesture and two more people in that room closed the door from inside. The room remained locked for about a minute and I was abused. Mujhe gandi gandi gaaliya di gayi she added.

Khera said she informed senior Congress leaders Sachin Pilot and Jairam Ramesh about the incident, but none of them responded.

"Later, Bhupesh Baghel called me back and I told him that I wanted to leave politics but he asked me to leave Chhattisgarh and then I understood how all of this was just a conspiracy," she added, according to ANI.

Radhika Khera's resignation



Congress leader Radhika Khera on Sunday resigned from the party days after a video in which she alleged insult by the party leadership to women went viral.

In her resignation letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Chhattisgarh Congress leader mentioned the party's stand on Ram Mandir.

"For every Hindu, Lord Ram holds a special place but some people oppose to it...In the party to which I gave more than 22 years of my life, I faced similar resistance as I could not stop myself from getting a darshan of Lord Ram," Radhika Khera wrote.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has taken his legal battle to the Supreme Court following the Jharkhand high courts dismissal of his challenge to his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged land scam case. Sorens move comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand beginning May 13. Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. (ANI)

Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, representing Soren, mentioned the matter before a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, requesting an expedited consideration of Sorens appeal against the high courts last week ruling.

Sibal emphasised the urgency of the matter in light of the election in Jharkhand, urging the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, to prioritise the case.

Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31. We moved the high court on February 4. The high court reserved the judgment on February 28 but did not deliver the judgement. The phase of election starts in the state on the 13th of this month. So, we moved this court under Article 32, and this court issued notice last week. After the notice was issued, the high court delivers the judgment on May 3 rejecting his plea...Very unfortunate that rights are being trampled in this fashion, Sibal said.

Sibal informed the bench that another matter, seeking interim bail for Soren, is scheduled to come up before a bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday (May 7).

Responding, the CJI asked Sibal to circulate an email regarding the scheduling of hearings for both pending petitions, saying he would look into the request.

On April 29, the top court issued a notice to ED on Sorens petition seeking interim bail in the money laundering case lodged by the agency.

The polling in Jharkhand for the Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

By its judgment on May 3, the high court dismissed Sorens bail plea, noting: The petitioner cannot wriggle out of the mess he created for himself. Like the last resort to a losing litigant, an anxious petitioner has raised the bogey of political vendetta. It added there is an abundance of documents that lay a foundation for the arrest and remand of the petitioner to police and judicial custody.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader earlier approached the top court on the evening of January 31, before he was arrested in connection with the alleged land scam.

The alleged scam pertains to alleged usurping of prime land parcels, including a 4.55-acre defence land at Morabadi Mouza at Ranchi, and a land parcel of 7.6 acres at Hehal, Ranchi  both valued at over 74 crore at the current market price, besides several other land parcels  by the accused persons by making fake deeds using manufactured identities and falsifying original land records at Circle Offices and Registrar of Assurances, Kolkata and Circle Offices in Jharkhand, according to the ED charge sheet. Overall, ED has recovered documents related to at least 27 properties of which alleged fake deeds were created.

Soren, who was arrested minutes after he resigned as the chief minister, earlier sought protection from arrest on the grounds that EDs actions were illegal and vitiated by political considerations. After he was arrested, Soren moved a fresh application requesting the Supreme Court to declare his arrest unconstitutional for being a brazen abuse of power by ED.

The apex court on February 2 declined to consider Sorens petition and instead directed him to file a case with the high court. It noted that Soren has separately moved a petition before the high court. The top court asked him to pursue his case in the state but refused to set down a deadline for a decision by the high court.

ED has claimed that it has evidence that Soren is the key beneficiary in alleged land-related irregularities in Ranchi, where a network of brokers and businessmen were allegedly working over the years to create fake deeds of landed parcels by forging records in the registrar offices and further selling them off.
A video(here, here and here) of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, in which she appears to be appealing to the voters to cast their votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) in return for the free ration provided by Narendra Modi, is doing the rounds on social media. We fact-check this claim through this article. In her original speech, Mayawati criticised BJP and RSS members for misleading voters by using the provision of free ration as a campaign tactic.

Claim: The video shows BSP president Mayawati appealing to the voters to vote for the BJP.

Fact: This is a clipped video from Mayawatis speech, which she delivered at a public meeting in Agra on 4 May 2024. In her original speech, Mayawati quoted the people from RSS and BJP, who she claims are asking for votes in the name of free ration provided by the BJP. This small portion of her speech was clipped out of context and shared in the form of the viral video. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.

To check the veracity of the viral claim, we searched the internet with relevant keywords to find the original video in which Mayawati spoke about voting for BJP. This search led us to the original full-length speech uploaded on the Bahujan Samaj Party YouTube channel and on few other news channels YouTube handles (here and here).

In her original speech, Mayawati criticised BJP and RSS members for misleading voters by using the provision of free ration as a campaign tactic.

You can see the portion of her speech in the viral video from 26:12. Although these words were spoken by her, she said this in a context, which she provides from 25:06 (archive link). Here, she explains how the free rations provided by the central government to the poor is not going to improve their lives. She then proceeds to say in Hindi, which translates to, You all know that when the assembly elections were held here, during the assembly elections and also now during the Lok Sabha elections all around the country, the BJP and RSS people have taken it as a mission to mislead the voters in the name of the ration given by the central government to the poor and downtrodden.

She then says that the BJP and RSS people are moving about in villages and saying that Narendra Modi ji gave you free ration, which is why you have a huge Karz(which is why you are indebted to him), so you repay it by voting for BJP.

She further explains that the ration given by the BJP government to the poor was not given out of their pockets but from the tax paid by the people to the Uttar Pradesh government and the central government. The ANI, Times of India, and Hindustan Times reported this, which you can see here, here and here.

Mayawati said that the ration was funded by taxpayers, not the BJP government directly.

The context in which she spoke was removed, and a video was made to look as if Mayawati was appealing to the voters to cast their vote for Narendra Modi and the BJP.

To sum up, the viral video of Mayawati asking people to vote for BJP is clipped.

Disclaimer: This story was originally published by Factly, and republished by HT Digital as part of the Shakti Collective.
Days after a hoax bomb threat to schools in Delhi and its surrounding areas triggered widespread panic in the national capital region, several schools in Gujarat's Ahmedabad today received threatening emails. The Delhi police had carried out extensive checks with the help of dog squads and bomb disposal squads after several schools in the national capital received threat emails. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

According to preliminary reports, at least six schools in one of the biggest cities in Gujarat received bomb threats through emails.

The crime branch teams and the bomb disposal squad have reached the schools for investigation.

DCP cyber crime branch Lavina Sinha said the email's domain is out of India.

"Some schools in Ahmedabad have received emails threatening bomb blasts. So far, six schools have received such emails and have informed us about it. This seems to be on the lines of bomb threats received by schools in Delhi some days back," the officer added.

What happened in Delhi last week

Earlier this month, after nearly 200 schools received hoax emails, the Delhi Police said in its FIR that the threats were made to create mass panic and disturb public order in the national capital.

Delhi Police's Special Cell had booked an FIR under IPC sections 505 (2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication), and 120 (B) (punishment of criminal conspiracy).

Also read: Bomb hoax at schools to disturb public order: FIR

After extensive searching, the Delhi Police declared the threat a hoax. The police have found foreign links to the hoax emails.

Earlier this week, the Delhi Police approached Russian mailing service company Mail.ru via Interpol to trace the exact source of the emails.

The police had also urged CBI to seek information through Interpol on the email threats.

Delhi's hoax emails had come from the email ID 'sawariim@mail.ru'.

The police have asked the Russian company to trace the internet protocol address of the device that sent out the mass emails. The sender had reportedly used the virtual private network (VPN) to hide his identity.

In 2023, when a south Delhi school received a hoax threat email, the sender used the same mail service, mail.ru.

After the threat calls last week, classes had to be suspended as panicked parents scampered to schools to take their wards home.

The sudden influx of parents on roads also triggered minor traffic problems around schools.

The Delhi Police are still investigating the case.

With inputs from PTI
Amid the sexual harassment case involving Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna, former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamys response has shed light on deeper tensions within the party. Initially calling for a thorough investigation into his nephews actions, Kumaraswamy later distanced himself from the Revanna family (ANI)

Initially calling for a thorough investigation into his nephews actions, Kumaraswamy later distanced himself from the Revanna family. He instead shifted focus to questioning the motives behind the leak, accusing Congress leader and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar of orchestrating the leak and even making an emotional plea about the scandals impact on his father and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

However, party insiders indicated these moves may be more about the partys survival than familial concerns, hinting at an underlying power struggle within the regional political landscape.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a close associated of Kumaraswamy quoted him as saying that it appeared that Deve Gowda was more supportive of Prajwal than Nikhil (Kumaraswamys son).

The senior Gowda also had a soft corner for HD Revanna and his children. Even though Kumaraswamy has been running the regional party, Revanna still has control of the politics of Hassan because he has his fathers blessings, said the leader.

With HD Deve Gowda ailing and even Kumaraswamy struggling with health issues, getting the third generation of the family into the thick of politics has been a focus point over the past few years. Kumaraswamys son Nikhil and Revannas son Prajwal are the two main contenders in the race.

While the struggle for power within the party has been behind closed doors for several years, the first visible rift emerged in 2013 during the assembly elections. Kumaraswamys wife Anitha and Revannas wife Bhavani both sought to contest the polls, but only Anitha was granted a ticket, leaving Bhavani sidelined. This pattern repeated in 2018, when Anitha contested and won from Ramanagara assembly constituency, a seat vacated by her husband, while Bhavani was once again denied the opportunity.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Deve Gowdas decision to step aside from Hassan to allow his grandson Prajwal Revanna to contest was a conscious decision to mend familial fences. But this decision led to Kumaraswamy to push his son Nikhil into politics, said a JD(S) legislator close to the partys first family, on condition of anonymity.

Since Nikhil lost the elections in 2019 against Sumalatha and Prajwal won the election, there was a power tilt. Nikhil losing the assembly elections made Prajwal politically strong, the leader added.

While internal power struggles were contained within the family, tensions surfaced openly when Revannas sons Prajwal and Suraj questioned Kumaraswamys authority in the party. The trigger was Kumaraswamys decision to deny Bhavani a ticket in the 2023 assembly elections, despite her aspirations for the Hassan seat.

Revannas elder son Suraj was the first to challenge Kumaraswamy. He said the decisions regarding Hassan are the prerogative of Deve Gowda and HD Revanna, not Kumaraswamys. Prajwal echoed this sentiment, adding that Bhavani contesting from the seat was important for reclaiming the seat.

The discontent was a result of perceived favouritism shown towards Kumaraswamys family since Anitha was allowed to become an MLA, while Nikhil was made president of the JD(S) youth wing.

Since Nikhil is yet to win an election, another victory for Prajwal (in 2024) would have changed the power dynamics in Revanna familys favour, but the sexual harassment case has now effectively started the political downfall of this family. Even if they come out of a case, rebuilding their political influence will be hard with all the bad PR, said a former IAS officer, who had worked closely with the Gowda family, on the condition of anonymity.

Muzaffar Assadi, political theorist and a former professor of political science at the University of Mysore, however, pointed out that the sexual harassment case would not just be a Revanna family problem but a JD(S) problem. The USB drives have not become a state and even a nationwide issue. It will certainly have an impact on Mandya and other parts of the state. So, Kumaraswamy has a hard task of saving the party from the scandal, which will be high on his list, he added.
The lack of a defined capital city for Andhra Pradesh, even after 10 years of the bifurcation of the combined state, failure to complete the Polavaram irrigation project on the Godavari river, inadequate infrastructure and power supply, a lack of drinking water, hefty power bills and rising prices of essential commodities are some of the issues the people of the southern state have to deal with.

However, none of these seems to be a major issue in the state assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh, both scheduled to be held on May 13.

Major political parties  the ruling YSR Congress party headed by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners comprising the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Jana Sena Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)  seem more focused on influencing voters with freebies under welfare schemes.

This is evident from the election manifestos recently released by the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) as well as the NDA. Both the YSRCP and the NDA vied with each other in attracting different sections of people with their welfare schemes, seemingly without assessing the impact on the state exchequer.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, a trendsetter in welfare schemes

During the 2019 general elections, Jagan Mohan Reddy came up with a manifesto with a nine-point welfare agenda, in the name of Nava Ratnalu (nine jewels)  a package of nine welfare schemes aimed at different sections of people.

They include YSR Rythu Bharosa, under which each small farmer would get financial assistance of 13,500 per annum in three instalments; Jagananna Vidya Deevena, which assured that school fees will be reimbursed to students from below-poverty-level (BPL) families; Jagananna Amma Vodi, under which an amount of 15,000 would be deposited in the bank account of mothers who send their children to schools; YSR Arogyasri, through which free healthcare would be provided to BPL families whose hospital bills crosses 1,000; YSR Jala Kala under which the government digs borewells for free benefiting over three lakh farmers hailing from BPL families.

Other assurances included the prohibition of liquor in a phased manner; YSR Aasara and YSR Cheyutha, under which zero-interest loans would be provided to women belonging to self-help groups and financial benefit of 75,000 over four years to women from weaker sections in the age group of 45-60 years; and YSR Pension Kanuka, under which senior citizens, differently-abled people and transgenders would be given pensions up to 3,000 per month.

The Nava Ratnalu agenda was a major attraction for the weaker sections, particularly women as the majority of these schemes were women-centric.

TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu could not match up to Reddy's welfare agenda. Though he tried to influence women voters with schemes like Pasupu Kumkuma by offering a sop of 10,000 to them, it did not work.

The Pasupu Kumkuma scheme did not work for Naidu because it was announced a few weeks before the 2019 elections and the TDP could not convince the beneficiaries that it was a genuine scheme and not just aimed at wooing them before the elections. By that time, Reddy's schemes have already gone into the people extensively; so, the womenfolk did not get attracted to Naidu's scheme.

Naidu lost the 2019 elections  the TDP could secure just 23 seats in the 175-member assembly and three out of the total 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Reddy came to power with a huge mandate, winning 151 assembly seats and 22 Lok Sabha seats.

Since then, Reddy has focussed mostly on implementing his Nava Ratnalu schemes with an eye on building a strong vote bank among weaker sections, farmers and women.

Perhaps Reddy is the only chief minister who, right from day one of assuming power, began working out strategies of winning the next election five years down the line, said political analyst and author Ramesh Kandula.

Reddy did not pay much attention to industrial and infrastructure development, employment generation programmes and the creation of assets that would generate wealth, Kandula said.

The schemes that he had announced were not new  pensions, housing, loans to self-help group women, fee reimbursement and free health care to the poor, have been there for several years. Jagan only streamlined and systematised them, so that the financial benefits reached the beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT) methods without the involvement of middlemen. He ensured huge publicity for implementing the schemes by releasing the money with a click of a mouse every month. That fetched him huge mileage, he added.

YSR Congress Party and NDA partners manifestos heat up poll contest

On April 26, Reddy released his manifesto for this years assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The new manifesto did not list new schemes but proposed enhanced financial assistance to beneficiaries under certain Nava Ratnalu schemes.

For example, under YSR Pension Kanuka, the social security pensions would be increased from 3,000 to 3,500 per month in two instalments over the next five years. Similarly, the financial assistance being given to mothers under the Jagananna Ammavadi scheme would be increased from 15,000 to 17,000 per year, the new manifesto said.

We have successfully implemented 99% of the promises made in the 2019 manifesto. We've deposited 2.68 lakh crore directly into beneficiaries' accounts through DBT (direct benefit transfer) and 1.78 lakh crore through non-DBT methods. We've allocated 26,067 crore for the AmmaVodi scheme, 4275 crore to the Jagananna Vasati Devena, 12,609 crore to the Jagananna Vidya Deevena, and 34,378 crore to YSR Rythu Bharosa, Reddy claimed.

However, Naidu dismissed Reddys manifesto. His Nava Ratnalu schemes are merely Nava Mosalu (nine deceptions). He claims to have implemented 99% of his promises made in the manifesto, but has there been any tangible change in the lives of the people? Instead, people have been plunged into debt, Naidu said.

On April 30, Naidu, along with Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan and the BJP in-charge of elections in Andhra Pradesh, Siddharth Nath Singh, released the manifesto of NDA allies for the next weeks elections.

As claimed by Naidu, the manifesto was essentially an amalgamation of promises made by the TDP under the banner of Super Six and Jana Sena under "Shanmukha Vyuham (six-pronged strategy).

The BJP said it had no role in the manifesto, as it was prepared by the TDP and Jana Sena much before the BJP joined the alliance. The manifesto, however, has the support of the BJP, Singh said.

While talking about the creation of two million jobs and the establishment of skill institutes to provide job-oriented training to the youth, Naidu also sought to attract voters with a large number of freebies. Expressing reservations over his welfare schemes, Kandula said, Naidu appears to have gone overboard in announcing freebies in an attempt to outsmart Reddy."

Meanwhile, the NDA manifesto made a number of other promises including payment of an unemployment allowance of 3,000 per month to each jobless youth, 1,500 per month to each poor woman, free bus travel for women in state-run RTC buses, three free gas cylinders to every poor household, financial assistance of 15,000 to every mother sending their children to school under the Thalliki Vandhanam scheme,

Financial pressure due to welfare schemes

Whether it is Reddy's Nava Ratnalu scheme or Naidus Super Six schemes, freebies are going to be a huge burden on the state exchequer.

In the last five years, Reddy had to borrow thousands of crores to implement his welfare schemes, at the cost of developmental works. Going by the enhancement of the financial assistance in the present manifesto, the debt burden would be much higher, said political analyst Suresh Dharur.

According to BJP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar, the Reddy government made off-budget borrowings, to the extent of 13.50 lakh crore in the last five years. The entire money was spent on freebies in the name of welfare, but not on development, asset creation and wealth generation, Dinakar said.

Special secretary in the CMO, Krishna Duvvuri, however, said the total outstanding borrowings of the state government and the public sector undertakings stood at 6.38 lakh crore. The borrowings are well within the limits of the state government, he said.

Naidu, at a recent public meeting, also made a similar allegation. He said Reddy borrowed over 13 lakh crore. He is saying that he distributed 2.75 lakh crores to people through DBT schemes. What happened to the remaining amount? Where did he spend? People have to repay these debts after Jagan loses power in the elections," he said.

At a recent public meeting, Reddy said the cost of the welfare schemes was 52,700 crore annually, including 24,000 crore towards pensions, 11,000 crore towards free electricity to farmers, 4,400 crore under Arogyasri, 6,500 crore under Amma Vodi, 5,000 crore towards fee reimbursement scheme under Vidya Deevena scheme and 2,200 crore towards total nutrition schemes.

I asked my officials to find out how much Naidus latest schemes would cost the exchequer. They told me that it would be around 73,440 crore. Besides, Naidu also announced a pension for OBCs that would cost an additional 13,872 crores. That means the total cost of Naidus schemes would be 87,312 crores annually, Reddy said. Where would Naidu get this amount from? So, Naidus promises are not feasible. Dont fall into his trap, Reddy said at the rally.

Retired IAS officer IYR Krishna Rao, who served as chief secretary during the Naidu regime, said the latest manifestoes of Naidu and Pawan Kalyan are wholly impractical.

If Naidu comes to power and seeks to implement his promises, the states economy will collapse completely within six months, he warned. Not just Naidu, even Jagan cannot implement some of his promises, as they would cause a huge drain on the state exchequer, Rao said.
A key reason cited by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not renewing its alliance with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the Lok Sabha and state elections was the partys commitment to protect Odia Asmita (pride). Odia Asmita was being undermined and threatened by giving the reins of the regional satrap, the BJD, to bureaucrat turned politician VK Pandian, who traces his roots to Tamil Nadu, the BJP has argued. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik with party leader VK Pandian (extreme left) in Puri on Saturday. (ANI)

The 49-year-old IAS officer of the 2000 batch, a confidant of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, resigned from service and joined the BJD last year. He has since been perceived to take on the mantle of Patnaiks political successor and is now at the centre of a raging debate between the ruling dispensation and the opposition.

The prolonged negotiations between the BJP and BJD for what was touted as a reunion for larger interests was a political potboiler with an insipid ending. After attempts to renew the alliance after a 15-year hiatus came undone in March, the two parties, with a history of cordial ties, declared they would lock horns in the electoral battle.

An aggressive BJP, which is chasing a target of over 400 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats with its allies, found in Pandian a peg to hang its election narrative of Odia vs non-Odia. The insinuation has since become the anchor of the BJPs election campaign in Odisha.

Odia vs outsider

BJP leaders who have reinforced identity politics in Odisha, linking it to pride, claim the issue has not been contrived or birthed in a political party war room. It is an issue that has resonance on the ground. We are a party with an ear to the ground and we realised that the common man does not identify with Pandian and sees his elevation as a threat to Odia pride and ethnicity, a party leader said, not wishing to be named.

The sentiment has found its way from street conversations to the election ground. Leading from the front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the asmita in a television interview. Odia Asmita is in danger... Odia language is in danger. I dont think Odia people will tolerate it for long, he said.

Following his cue, BJP leaders have since then harped on the aberration of allowing an outsider take charge and sought to paint it as an intrusion. We are not against anyone, or any ethnicity. We are questioning why has a person of non-Odia descent been given charge of a political party that promised to make a difference to the people of the state? And this is an issue that bothers the BJD as much. The difference is that they are afraid to speak, and some have left the party, the BJP functionary said.

For ordinary citizens, the images of Pandian on the stage while BJD leaders sit in the audience, of him zipping around in a helicopter and ministers and lawmakers having to carry out his instructions are jarring, he added.

The BJD, on its part, has blamed the BJP for politicising an internal party decision and carrying out a witch hunt against Pandian.

BJP leader Sambit Patra, who is contesting from Puri Lok Sabha constituency, responded to the allegation that the BJP has politicised Pandians venture into politics. Asmita is an important issue. Even the Prime Minister has spoken about it, he said. In 1936, we were the first state carved out on a linguistic basis.

The BJP believes in taking steps to respect the language, preserve Odia literature and the states rich tradition and culture, Patra said. These need preservation, these need to be taken forward. And someone from Odisha, who understands all these things, would be the apt person to take these things forward, he said. I wont speak against any individual, but our issue is an idea of Utkal, the identity of Kalinga.

BJDs response

The BJD blames the BJP for raking up the issue in the absence of any credible poll agenda. The party claims its policies pivoted on welfare have left little room for its opponent to point out deficiencies, and therefore, the BJP is resorting to targeting an individual.

When he was part of the administration, everyone heaped praise on him. There were no complaints of him being an outsider until he decided to join politics, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said. The BJP forgets its own leaders who have come to Odisha from elsewhere. Who is Ashwani Vaishnaw, who is Aparajita Sarangi, is Dharmendra Pradhans wife an Odia? This is a witch hunt.

Both Vaishnaw and Sarangi are former bureaucrats and are now lawmakers. Vaishnaw is from Rajasthan, while Sarangi, who is contesting from Bhubaneswar, was born in Bihar.

The preservation of Odia literature and culture has been prioritised by the Naveen Patnaik government, Mohanty said. There is an Odia University in Puri, more teaching jobs have been created, scholarships instituted. No efforts have been spared, he said.

Pandian, who is seen zipping across the state canvassing and shadowing the chief minister, has taken on the BJP for questioning his credentials. In an interview to a news agency, he asserted that he was a natural successor to all the great values of Patnaik. I do everything under the sun to see that Naveen babu comes out with flying colours and continues to serve the people of Odisha in the best possible way and with all the big dreams he has for Odisha, he told PTI.

Diversion

Not many are happy with the asmita issue and Odia vs non-Odia debate. The debate is a diversion, a former BJD leader said on condition of anonymity.

The election should have been fought on issues. After 25 years in power, there should have been a forensic examination of the chief ministers claims and assertions of good governance. But, both the BJD and BJP are overlooking concerns that matter to the people, drinking water, jobs and quality of education, for a non-issue, the leader said.

Former bureaucrat and public policy analyst Prasanna Mishra did not take sides in this battle of narratives, although he criticised the BJD government for blurring the line between the bureaucracy and politics.

The BJD is an indomitable poll machine. For the past 10 years, there has been blatant misuse of government machinery. There has been blatant use of the conch, the symbol of the BJD, in government documents, use of Naveen Patnaik in schemes (such as the Nuao Yuba Odisha Nabin Odisha), Mishra said. The party is encroaching on the government, and it is a dangerous trend.

He criticised Patnaik for brazenly misusing the office and government resources to project a senior officer and create an image for Pandian. Now it seems the political organisation more or less will succumb to him. The only silver lining is that good sense has prevailed, and he has resigned from service. But this does not take away the fact that there was illegal spending by the state to promote him, he said.

Mishra does not foresee the asmita narrative affecting the outcome. Pandian is the whipping boy. He is canvassing and is the face of the party. But the debate will peter out. In Koraput district, in the tribal belt, would this be an issue? The issues there will be freebies and inducements, not Odia vs non-Odia, Mishra said.

This idea of asmita is for armchair discussions. There have been two chief ministers whose language skills were not much to speak of, Congress Giridhar Gamang, whose language was unintelligible, and Naveen Patnaik. At least Pandians language skills are better than theirs, he pointed out.

The issue of identity and Odia asmita are picking up pace, but political parties will need to make efforts to ensure it is not reduced to mere rhetoric, strategy and management consultant Devasis Sarangi said. The younger people take pride in the culture and cuisine. The regional sentiment is being strengthened by the soft power of food and sweets, he said. But Odia asmita will have to be more than just a few words. It has to be an idea, and parties will have to specify the road map for the future.

The road map that would define how lives will be impacted and changed for the better, as in the case of Basundi Pradhan of Sriramchandrapur village in Puri districts Sakhigopal. The concept of Odia asmita is not linguistic or ethnic pride for Pradhan, who lives in a semi- pucca house.

Her grouse is the long trek she must make every day, sometimes multiple times a day, to fetch drinking water. We have been voting for so long, but the government is yet to give us even drinking water, she complained.
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Monday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against jailed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly accepting political funding from banned pro-Khalistan terror outfit 'Sikhs for Justice'. Sikhs For Justice logo. (File)

LG had received a complaint that Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had received huge funds - USD 16 million - from the extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar and espousing Pro-Khalistani sentiments.

Bhullar, who is in Amritsar Central Jail, was convicted in connection with the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in Delhi. He is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence.

The principal secretary to LG Saxena wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs that mentions a clandestine meeting between Arvind Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York, in 2014.

The Aam Aadmi Party has claimed that the allegations are part of "yet another conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of BJP".

Here's what we know about the Sikh for Justice outfit
The special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged sexual harassment of women by Hassan MP and now-suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna is making efforts to reach out to survivors  some of whom have been identified from widely circulated videos of the crimes  to come forward and file a complaint, a senior officer said on Monday. Prajwal Revanna is the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls on April 26 in the second phase of the ongoing general elections (PTI)

As expected, the women (survivors) are scared and worried about coming forward to give a statement. We are in constant touch with (them) and taking confidence-building measures so that they come forward to lodge a complaint, a senior officer privy to the ongoing probe said, requesting anonymity.

As part of its confidence-building measures, the SIT also warned people at large not to share the videos showing women being sexually assaulted and molested allegedly by Revanna on social media or personal messenger applications.

Noting that sharing such videos would damage the reputation and honour of survivors, SIT chief and additional director general of police (ADGP) BK Singh on Monday said: It is easy to trace people sharing these videos on messenger services, so action will be taken against such individuals.

The state government is expected to soon issue an order directing the Karnataka Police to provide security to all survivors willing to lodge a complaint, officers said.

Prajwal Revanna is the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, which went to polls on April 26 in the second phase of the ongoing general elections. Explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, had started making the rounds in pen drives in Hassan ahead of the polls, following which the Congress-led state government constituted the SIT to probe the sexual abuse allegations against the MP.

Preliminary investigations suggested that most of the at least 2,976 explicit videos allegedly involving the Hassan MP were shot from a mobile phone at Revannas residence in Bengaluru and Hassan after 2019, officers have said.

While rape and molestation cases have been registered against Prajwal, his father and JD(S) MLA from Holenarasipur HD Revanna has been arrested and remanded to police custody for kidnapping a woman allegedly sexually assaulted by the 33-year-old lawmaker.

The SIT has also enlisted the services of at least 10 professional women counsellors for reaching out to survivors and offering assistance. Its crucial to counsel the families since many are not aware of these videos and because of this, women are not coming forward. We have brought in counsellors to engage with both the victims and their families to persuade them to give statements, stated another officer, also declining to be named.

Meanwhile, a Bengaluru court on Monday posted the hearing in a bail petition moved by HD Revanna to Tuesday. Advocate Pawan Sagar, Revannas counsel, moved the plea before special MP-MLA court judge Santosh Gajanana Bhatt, who reviewed the plea and posted the matter on Tuesday.

The Holenarasipur legislator, who was arrested by the SIT on Saturday, was produced before a Bengaluru court, which remanded him to police custody till May 8. The arrest came after the SIT rescued an abducted woman, also a survivor of sexual assault by Prajwal, from the farmhouse of Revannas aide in Mysuru.
Kuppam, Kuppam Assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh, the hometurf of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, is witnessing an unprecedented political upheaval as the unshakable loyalty of its residents towards Naidu and his party is being put to the test by the magnetic pull of the incumbent government's welfare schemes. Kuppam loyalty test for TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu

This tug-of-war between steadfast party loyalties and the tempting promise of populist benefits has left the TDP in a panic, making it desperately re-strategise to hold on to a bastion that is suddenly teetering.

In 2019, alarm bells rang as Naidu's vote share plunged to 55.18 per cent - his worst-ever showing in a place that had handed him resounding mandates since 1989.

The rise of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party in 2014 injected potent competition into this one-sided battlefield, throwing Naidu's supremacy into question and forcing the TDP to brace for a fight of its life in what was once considered a sacrosanct citadel.

As the campaign trail heats up, voices from across Kuppam's villages and mandals reflect a diverse array of perspectives.

Speaking to PTI, Auto driver Yogender from Shantipuram Mandal expresses a desire to "give YSR Congress party one more chance," while farmer Vasanthamma from Gudipalli mandala acknowledges a "tough fight between TDP and YSRCP."

The YSRCP's 35-year-old fiery candidate, KRJ Bharath, has garnered support from residents like Sujatha, a farmer from Kuppam Mandal, who believes "Jagan is distributing wealth to the poor."

Small farmer B Muniswamy from Nalagampalle village echoes this sentiment, having benefited from the incumbent government's welfare schemes to the tune of 2.20 lakh over the past five years.

The loyalty to the TDP remains deeply ingrained.

Thimmappa, a farmer from Abbakunta village, proudly declares, "we are a joint family of 80 voters, and we have always voted for one party and one person, i.e., TDP's Naidu."

Others, like K Ramamurthy from Shantipuram mandal, share tales of 'victimisation' by the "YSR Congress government's rowdyism," fueling their unwavering support for the TDP.

The allure of welfare schemes is a double-edged sword, with some arguing that Jagan has failed to live up to the expectations set by his father, former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Balaji, a businessman, warns against the dependency created by "free welfare schemes," advocating for a visionary leader who can lay a strong foundation for development and attract investments to the bifurcated state.

He raises some valid concerns, insisting that simply providing free handouts without a long-term economic vision could create unhealthy dependencies and hinder sustainable development in the state.

It highlights the difficult balance politicians must strike between meeting the immediate needs of the poor while still pursuing policies that create lasting prosperity and opportunities. Balaji's perspective adds some nuance to the debate around welfare versus a more development-focused economic approach.

Naidu, 74, has lambasted the "tremendous anti-incumbency", accusing Jagan's regime of "destroying the ecosystem of development" while instituting "chaos" and hobbling state institutions.

Yet the aging warhorse exudes confidence his TDP-BJP-Jana Sena alliance will capture 24 of 25 parliamentary seats and 160 of 175 assembly berths in the upcoming twin polls on May 13.

Amid the charged atmosphere, Congress candidate A Govindarajulu, a political novice, harbours the modest ambition of improving on his party's paltry 3,800-vote tally - potentially splintering opposition votes and helping the TDP.

As the Kuppam clash reaches fever pitch, it has crystalised into a microcosm of Andhra's roiling political upheaval. Will Naidu's unshakable bastion withstand the populist tsunami, or will it capsize under the weight of welfarism?

The ramifications of this pivotal showdown will be seismic, shaping not just Kuppam's future but charting the trajectory of a state standing at a crossroads between entitlements and empowerment, dependence and development. For both camps, the stakes could not be higher.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Voting will be held in 93 constituencies across 11 states and Union Territories on Tuesday in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections. The stakes are particularly high for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had won an overwhelming majority of these seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, leading the NDA to a brute majority. Election officials prepare for the third phase of Lok Sabha polls (Photo by Indranil MUKHERJEE / AFP)(AFP)

In the third phase, over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are vying for seats in the lower house of the Parliament. The fate of Union ministers Amit Shah, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Mansukh Mandaviya and former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Vidisha) and Digvijaya Singh (Rajgarh) will be decided on May 7.

Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra) are also among the key BJP candidates in this phase.

With the BJP bagging Surat unopposed, the remaining 25 seats in Gujarat, 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 of the 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and all two in Goa will go to polls in the third phase.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah are set to cast their votes in Ahmedabad.

A mouth-watering contest is on the cards in Maharashtra's Baramati where the divided Pawar family will battle it out. NCP founder Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule is up against Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leaders estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Read: Lok Sabha polls phase 3: Key seats, candidates in Uttar Pradesh as focus shifts to Yadav family

The third phase is also significant for the late Mulayam Singh Yadav's family as three of its members, including Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav, are in the fray. Akshay Yadav, son of senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, will try to reclaim the Firozabad Lok Sabha seat, which he had won in 2014. Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from the Budaun Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014.

Read: Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 3: Schools, colleges to remain closed in these constituencies

Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal are also among the contenders whose fate will be decided on May 7.

As many as 17.24 crore people, including 8.39 crore females, will be eligible to vote and 1.85 lakh polling stations manned by 18.5 lakh officials have been set up.

Voting was completed in 189 seats out of 543 seats in the first two phases. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.
Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE highlights: India's political parties have intensified their poll campaigns ahead of the voting for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed public gatherings in Odisha's Berhampur and Nabarangpur. In Andhra Pradesh, he held poll rallies in Rajahmundry and Anakapalle....Read More

Voting is set to happen on Tuesday for the election of MPs from 93 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 12 states and Union Territories.

All eyes are on two major political alliances namely, the INDIA bloc and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA- the major competitors in the Lok Sabha Election 2024. While the INDIA bloc comprises of political parties like the Congress, the AAP, the TMC etc. NDA has the BJP, the PMK, the JDU etc. as its member parties.

NDA is eyeing its third consecutive term this general election, with echoes of abki baar 400 paar, while the opposition INDIA bloc is taking an economical approach to their campaign, promising MSP for farmers and cash handouts to women in their manifesto.

Here's the phase-wise schedule for the Lok Sabha Election 2024:

Phase 1- April 19 (polling completed)

Phase 2- April 26 (polling completed)

Phase 3- May 7

Phase 4 - May 13

Phase 5 - May 20

Phase 6 - May 25

Phase 7 - June 1

The Lok Sabha election's votes will be counted, and the results will be declared on June 4.
Union home minister Amit Shah launched a blistering attack against the Congress party and Mamata Banerjee's TMC, accusing them of prioritising vote bank politics over national security concerns. Addressing a rally in Bengal's Durgapur, Shah alleged that both the Congress and the TMC remained silent when terror struck during UPA rule because of their vote bank politics. Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections.(PTI)

The home minister also claimed that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's fear of offending her "infiltrator" vote bank forced her to skip the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

"Mamata Banerjee and her nephew were invited to the Ram Mandir Prana Pratishtha, but they did not go. Do you know why they did not go? Let me tell you, they are afraid of their vote bank. These people who have come here by infiltration are their (TMC) vote bank, Mamata Didi is afraid of this," Shah said.

"Opposition has cared neither for people's safety nor the country's security. These people (TMC) run cut money, and create their vote bank by infiltration. Mamata Didi, you should be ashamed, you encourage infiltration in the border state and make the infiltrators your vote bank," he added.

Accusing the TMC government of fostering a culture of corruption in Durgapur, Shah said that Mamata Banerjee's administration had facilitated a surge in criminal activities in the industrial town.

Didi has been campaigning for 15 days to defeat BJP in Durgapur. It is my challenge that she can stay here for 5 years but cannot win Durgapur. Didi has opened a new industry of crime in the industrial town of Durgapur, he claimed.



Amit Shah levelled allegations of widespread corruption against the INDIA bloc, citing instances of cash seizures from the residences of ministers in states ruled by opposition parties.

INDI Alliance has done a corruption of Rs. 12 lakh crores. From the houses of didi's ministers, cash worth 50 crores were recovered. In Jharkhand, from the house of a Congress MP, 350 crores of cash was recovered, Shah said.

Just last night, in Jharkhand, 30 crores was recovered from the house of a minister, he said, referring to the recovery of a huge amount of "unaccounted" cash during searches at the premises of a domestic help allegedly linked to the secretary of Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam.

West Bengal, which sends 42 MPs, to Parliament, is voting in all seven phases. Polling for six Lok Sabha seats in Bengal was held across the first two phases on April 19 and 26.
The Army on Monday released sketches of two Pakistani terrorists suspected to have been involved in Saturdays ambush on an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch in which one soldier was killed and four others were injured. Security personnel during a search operation following Saturday's terror attack on an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy, in Pooch district, on Monday. (PTI)

Security forces joined by elite para commandos of the special forces, the special operations group of Jammu and Kashmir Police and the CRPF continued searches in the jungles of Shahsitar ridge in Poonchs Surankote sub-division. Posters promising a reward of 20 lakh for information on the two suspects were also put up.

IAF soldier Vikky Pahade was killed and four others injured after terrorists ambushed their convoy on Saturday at Sanai Top in Shahsitar, Surankote. On Monday, security forces picked up a man named Mohammad Razak for having provided food to the attackers at his house.

The terrorists, who attacked the IAF convoy on Saturday evening, had food at the house of Mohammad Razak, aged around 42 years. The individual is being questioned, said an official.

The number of locals detained by security forces for questioning has gone up to 16. Officials privy to the investigation said the attack was engineered by Lashkar-e-Taibas Habibullah Malik, alias Sajid Jutt. A native of Kasur district in Pakistans Punjab province, Sajid Jutt is wanted by the National Investigation Agency for orchestrating terror attacks in Rajouri and Poonch.

Though the attackers tried to replicate a Dhatyar Morh-like ambush of December 21 last year, this time they didnt succeed because of retaliation by the soldiers, said another official.

The first vehicle that came under brief fire sped away and stopped at a distance before soldiers from it retaliated against the attackers. The tailing vehicle, however, bore the brunt of fire. Before the attackers could cause more damage, they were unnerved by the swift retaliation by the soldiers in the first vehicle, the official added.

Investigators found 7.62mm steel core bullets and 5.56mm bullets from the spot. The terrorists, believed to be three to four in number, used steel core bullets to inflict maximum damage.

Former DGP Dr SP Vaid said, Since the Pakistani establishments deep state wants to disturb the Jammu region, the best place is Rajouri-Poonch, south of Pir Panjal, because of its topography and proximity to the Line of Control, which is easy to operate in because of its difficult terrain.

Pakistan only needs to try to infiltrate a group of terrorists. While 99 times the Army may avert their attempts, in the 100th attempt they may succeed and once a group is in, it would be on suicide mission. It will try to cause mayhem and that is what they are doing, he added.

To check frequent attacks in the twin border districts, the former DGP suggested improved human intelligence, a re-look at SOPs and engaging local youth as SPOs (special police officers) in the police force.

We need to improve human intelligence, review our tactics and improve SOPs. See, where are we lagging and what steps can be initiated to avert such attacks, he said.

We can make use of local boys, who know the terrain. Around 500 to 1,000 local youth can be recruited as SPOs. They know the jungles, caves, routes and every inch of the land. They can be utilised for countering terrorism. They have played a significant role in counter-insurgency operations in the past as well, he said.

The modus operandi of the terrorists remains the same. With logistical support from sleeper cells, the terrorists first recce the target area and note the timings of convoys that usually move there for operational duties before finally carrying out the attack. The terrorists usually ambush convoys in the evening hours just before dusk.

Saturdays ambush at Sanai Top was around 30km from the Dhatyar Morh ambush site of December 21 last year, which had left five soldiers dead , said a senior police officer, who did not wish to be named.

Now, these terrorists are using Chinese-made steel core bullets and US-made M4 rifles with the sole purpose of inflicting huge damage on the forces, said Vaid.

An Army officer, who requested anonymity, said, Security forces have contained terrorist activity in Kashmir and brought it to almost zero, especially after the revocation of Article 370 but at the same time the area south of the Pir Panjal has been witnessing a spike in terrorism.

Rajouri and Poonch have hilly terrain spread over 4,304sq km with the Line of Control meandering along the two border districts. Saturdays attack happened days before Poonch goes to the polls on May 25 as part of the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency. The polling for the constituency was rescheduled by the Election Commission on April 30 after leaders across the political spectrum sought a change in dates due to adverse weather conditions.
Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is incredibly responsive. Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.(Instagram)

"The longest he took to reply to my message was 23 minutes," Mithun, who joined the BJP in 2021, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Follow full coverage of Lok Sabha elections here.

He recalled one of his initial meetings with the prime minister at an event in Bengal, where he said that Modi spent a couple of minutes exclusively with him.

"Soon after the meeting, he called out for me. 'Mithun da, I wish to speak to you for some time'," Mr Chakraborty recalled. "Those 10 minutes were truly charismatic. Not because he is the PM, but due to his natural behaviour and responsive nature. The impact is still on me."

Chakraborty also spoke about PM Modi's promptness. "He is quite busy, so it's natural to expect replies after two or three days," he said.

"But I received responses within 10-15 minutes. Once, I noted that the longest time he took to reply to my message was 23 minutes. In another instance, when he was in Germany and in a different time zone, he still replied promptly, saying, We shall discuss tomorrow," Chakraborty added, according to PTI.

Also Read | Mithun Chakraborty discharged from hospital, reveals PM Narendra Modi scolded him for this reason

He also lauded the prime minister's sincerity in keeping personal relations.

"PM Modi is someone who never resorts to the common rhetoric of 'Let's see'. I prefer to stay away from such individuals. PM Modi always invites, 'Come, let's discuss'," he pointed out.

On April 22, Mithun Chakraborty was conferred with the country's third-highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, by President Droupadi Murmu. He received the prestigious award in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, among others, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

The Padma Awards, which were instituted in 1954, are one of the highest civilian honours of India and are announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked chief minister Jangan Mohan Reddy led YSR Congress party government in Andhra Pradesh, accusing it of derailing the welfare of people and drowning the state in debt. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election rally in Andhra Pradeshs Rajahmundry on Monday. (BJP)

Addressing an election rally at Vemagiri near Rajahmundry of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, Modi also asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would sweep the Lok Sabha elections as well as the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and herald a Viksit Andhra (developed Andhra) on the lines of Viksit Bharat (developed India).

When Chandrababu Naidu (Telugu Desam Party president) was in power, this state was at the peak of its league. But the YSRCP government derailed all that progress. Instead of working for the welfare of the people, the YSRCP drowned the state in debt, he said.

He said there was booming young talent in Andhra Pradesh, whose mettle had been recognised worldwide. But under the YSRCP regime, it is just a dream, as the government had done zero in development, but promoted 100% corruption.

The projects sanctioned by the central government have been delayed multiple times, only further derailing the welfare of the people, he said, and assured that with the double engine government of the NDA, all projects which had been left incomplete, shall be completed.

Asking the people to be wary of the Congress, Modi said the country under its regime 10 years ago was associated with scams. The Congress and I.N.D.I.A leaders often fume at ED (Enforcement Directorate). You know why? In Jharkhand, mountains of currency bundles have been recovered from the servant of the personal secretary of one of the Congress leaders, he said.

He said the Congress had turned the homes of servants into an abode of black money so much that cash counting machines too got tired of counting the notes. All those who were caught with unaccounted cash were close to the first family of the Congress, he alleged. When Modi holds them accountable for their crimes, they hurl abuses at him. But Modi doesnt care about these bad words, he only cares about the poor, he said.

Modi said as of now ED has caught hold of only 1.15 lakh crore worth property, but it would be much more, and he was consulting experts to unearth them.

Modi has already returned 17 lakh crore which was stolen from the poor in the past. No poor individual shall be left cheated. That is Modis guarantee, he said.

Modi alleged that in Andhra Pradesh, too, the YSRCP was running in full speed towards corruption. These people came into power making false promises of a ban on liquor and the same people in the government are today actively involved in the liquor business. Andhra Pradesh today finds itself in the middle of a very big alcohol syndicate and the state is being governed by the sand and liquor mafia, he said.

Taking a dig at Jagans ambitious plan of creating three capitals for the state, Modi said in the last five years, they couldnt come up even with one capital. The idea of three capitals was only to mask their plans of big corruption. The YSRCP government is only capable of managing corruption, not a states finances, he said.

He also accused the YSRCP government of neglecting the Polavaram project, the lifeline of AP, though the Centre had allotted 15,000 crore for the same. The farmers are suffering due to lack of proper irrigation and are not getting remunerative prices for their agriculture produce, he said.

Modi explained how the Centre had launched various initiatives to develop Andhra, like Amaravati-Vijayawada road project, Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor, expansion of Rajahmundry airport and a south coast railway zone Visakhapatnam, among others.

The elections to the state assembly and Lok Sabha in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled to be held on May 13.
An MBBS student who was acting as a proxy candidate in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for another aspirant in Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai was detained in Rajasthan's Bharatpur on Sunday. Five other persons, including the NEET aspirant - Rahul Gurjar - were detained along with the MBBS student, who was identified as Abhishek Gupta. MBBS student appears as proxy candidate in NEET, detained; Cong reacts(Hindustan Times file photo)

According to the police, a preliminary investigation revealed that Abhishek Gupta - a government college student - was part of a racket being run by his collegemate - Ravi Meena, reported news agency PTI.

Ravi Meena allegedly took 10 lakh from NEET candidate Rahul Gurjar for sending Abhishek Gupta as his proxy in the examination.

The incident came to light after an official at the examination centre complained about Abhishek Gupta impersonating the NEET candidate.

On suspicion, the invigilator handed him over to the police. During initial interrogation, he told police that he was accompanied by five others, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Aklesh Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI.

The police further said Abhishek Gupta's associates were found sitting in a car outside the examination centre. A case has been registered against Gupta, the NEET aspirant and the three associates under Indian Penal Code sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) and other relevant provisions, the police said.

The NEET exam was conducted in 557 sites across the country and 14 cities abroad in multiple exam centres on Sunday.

The proxy student incident came to light amid several social media posts claiming that the NEET exam paper was leaked. Along with this, some candidates at a centre in Rajasthan complained that those who opted for English as the choice of medium were given question papers in Hindi and vice versa.

The National Testing Agency, meanwhile, refuted claims of NEET-UG exam question paper leak. The exam was reportedly held in 557 cities across India and 14 cities abroad.

Reports claiming leak of NEET-UG question paper are baseless, without any ground, the NTA said.

Congress leaders react to reports of NEET paper leak

However, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, reacted to the reports of the NEET paper leak.

Calling the alleged paper leak a betrayal of the dreams of over 23 lakh student and their families, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the ruling BJP government saying, Whether it is the students who dream of getting admission in college after passing 12th standard or the promising youth struggling for a government job, Modi government has become a curse for everyoneThe youth and their families who have been paying the price of the BJP government's inefficiency for the past 10 years by ruining their future have now understood that there is a difference between speaking and running a government.

Congress has pledged to free the youth from paper leaks by making strict laws. A healthy and transparent environment for students is our guarantee, he added.

In a post on X, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote: Once again, there are reports of NEET paper leak. The future of 24 lakh youth of the country has been messed up again. This trend that has been going on with crores of promising youth for the last ten years is not stopping. Will the Prime Minister of the country say anything about this?

She further questioned, To pacify the youth, a law was passed in the Parliament against paper leak. Where is that law? Why is it not implemented?

The Congress leader added that the grand old party's manifesto assures to stop paper leaks in the country. Recruitments will be done according to the calendar. Vacant posts will be filled. This tampering with the future of the youth will stop and we will show it by doing it, she said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that just punishing the culprits involved in the paper leak scams is not enough.

Our aim is to prevent any paper from leaking. Our laws will ensure the highest standards of integrity and fairness at every stage of the exam process  from paper setting, printing, transportation, administration and supervision  for both paper-based and computer-based exams, he wrote on X.

He added, For young people who spend years preparing for these exams, and invest time and money in the hope of a better future, it is important to ensure that the papers are not leaked. Freedom from paper leaks is our commitment to every hard-working candidate.

(With inputs from PTI)
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Monday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly accepting political funding from banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) -- a move that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)alleged was at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and meant to influence the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The LGs action was based on a complaint filed on April 1 this year by Ashoo Mongia, national general secretary of the World Hindu Federation  India, which claimed that the AAP received $16 million as funding from SFJ between 2014-2022. (HT Photo)

The AAP alluded to two previous instances before the 2022 Punjab elections when similar allegations were raised, pointing to how they had come to naught.

The LGs action was based on a complaint filed on April 1 this year by Ashoo Mongia, national general secretary of the World Hindu Federation  India, a non-profit right-wing group which claimed that the AAP received $16 million as funding from SFJ between 2014-2022.

In a May 3 letter to the Union home ministry, signed by the LGs principal secretary, Saxena said that since the allegations have been made against the chief minister and related to alleged funding of a political party, amounting to millions of dollars, from a terrorist organization already banned in India, the electronic evidences adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination.

Keeping in view the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, Honble Lt. Governor has desired that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, may consider referring the matter to National Investigation Agency for conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter, said the letter.

HT has seen a copy of the letter.

The complaint cited a purported video of Khalistani separatist and SFJ legal counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, where he claims that Kejriwal met him in 2014 and promised to release Bhullar within five hours of coming to power.

He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2011 in the 1993 Delhi bomb blasts case. In March 2014, however, the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment considering his ill-health, and a delay in the trial.

In the video, Pannun ostensibly goes on to say that Khalistani sympathisers have given funds worth $16 million to the AAP.

The complaint also cited a series of posts on X made regarding an allegedly clandestine meeting between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistan sikhs in New York in 2014.

Delhi minister and AAP legislator Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of trying to conjure a political conspiracy.

LG is continuously adopting cheap tactics to tarnish chief minister Kejriwals image at the BJPs behest. And this is taking place just before the voting for all seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi on May 25, Bharadwaj added

There were previous instances two years ago when the AAPs purported links with the SFJ were sought to be investigated.

In the first, then Punjab chief minister, the Congresss Charanjit Singh Channi wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah in February 2022, alleging that the banned organisation is in constant touch with the AAP.

This is a serious issue of compromising the security and integrity of the country and thus needs to be investigated, Channi said. Shah responded saying he would personally look into the allegations. However, the matter has not moved perceptibly in more than two years since then.

In the second, the Delhi high court in March that year struck down a plea that sought a high-level inquiry into the alleged SFJ-AAP ties, calling the petition frivolous. The plea cited Channis letter to Shah.

The relevant authorities are cognisant. Where is the question of Court directing an inquiry asked the Delhi high court bench of acting chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Navin Chawla.

Bharadwaj also referred to the two instances.

BJP made exactly the same allegations before the Punjab assembly elections in 2022. At that time, Union home minister Amit Shah ordered an investigation too but nothing was found, he said.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj said: The PIL demanding a high-level investigation in the same matter was dismissed by Delhi high court two years back. The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla had rejected the plea filed by one Jagdish Sharma, stating that it is completely frivolous.

To be sure, NIA takes up cases only after the home ministry issues a notification to that effect. It cannot directly take up a probe that is referred to it by an LG, governor or a state government.

Even in cases where it has information about a purported threat to the sovereignty and unity of the country by a group or individual and wants to take up a probe of its own accord, the agency must first write to the home ministry, which then examines if the matter calls for an NIA probe. The agency has so far registered 556 cases related to terrorism activity or funding.

NIA officials, who asked not to be named, on Monday said they do not have information about a reference made by the Delhi LG regarding a complaint against Kejriwal or the SFJs funding the AAP.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva welcomed the LGs recommendation.

Kejriwal has always had a soft corner was separatist causes. His support for people like (jailed separatist leader) Yasin Mallik is well known, Sachdeva said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hoping to not only double its seats in the Lok Sabha from Odisha, but also oust the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) from power in the state elections, banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis guarantees. In 2019, the BJP won 8 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, and 23 of the 147 seats in the state assembly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. (PTI File Photo)

The BJP has made Odia Asmita its campaign mainstay. A state leader said the PMs public address during his visit on Monday will dispel the notion that the BJD and the BJP are in a friendly fight.

Modi and Patnaik share friendly relations and the ties between the two parties have been cordial. Owing to the issue-based support lent by the BJD to the BJP in Parliament, there is a perception that the contest between the two parties is not cut-throat. Negotiations for a possible alliance ahead of the polls deepened the perception that the BJP is now working hard to change.

Puri

In Puri, known as the religious capital of Odisha, BJP candidate Sambit Patra is fighting a pitched battle against former Mumbai police commissioner and BJD leader Arup Patnaik. The Congress is scrambling to catch up after its candidate Sucharita Mohanty returned the ticket, complaining that the party did not provide her with the financial resources needed to contest the polls. She also claimed that she could not match the BJP and the BJDs spending power. The Congress has now named Jay Narain Patnaik as her replacement.

This has once again brought focus back on the use of money and muscle in elections.

Hours after Mohanty announced her withdrawal from the contest, leaders blamed Mohanty for being in cahoots with the opposition and using the alleged lack of resources as an excuse to cover up her poor preparation for the elections.

Mohantys claims of both the BJD and the BJP, parties with deep pockets, spending money have been denied by leaders of the two parties.

While Patra said he wouldnt dignify her allegation with a comment, Patnaik said the Congress was not a serious contender. They are just marking their presence, he said.

Denying Mohantys allegations that the BJD is misusing money and stage power to sway voters, he said that all candidates get support from the respective parties to contest elections and parties give detailed reports of their spending.

It is extremely unfortunate that a candidate has not been backed by her party. What she has said is that the Congress did not provide the bare minimum support that a candidate expects from a party. The Congress is a recognised party and like all other recognised parties they have to offer some help to the candidates to contest elections. I dont know if it is because of the freezing of their accounts, he said.

Rather than be replaced, she saved face and returned the ticket, a local leader said.
More than 172 million people across 11 states and Union territories, ranging from the riverine islands of Assam to the coast of Gujarat and from the Konkan coast in Karnataka to western Uttar Pradesh, will vote in 93 Lok Sabha seats on Tuesday, sealing the fates of 1,331 candidates, including six Union ministers and four former chief ministers. Election Commission officers gather for EVM systems distributions eve of voting day for Lok Sabha election of Sangli constituency at Sangli on Monday. (Uday Deolekar/HT Photo)

When voting closes on Tuesday, more than half of Indias 543 Lok Sabha seats  282 to be exact  would have gone to the polls, marking a crucial turn in the six-week-long general elections that began last month. At stake will be all 26 seats in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold of Gujarat, as well as 14 seats in the Congress-ruled Karnataka and 11 in Maharashtra, where splintering regional forces have rendered the elections unpredictable.

The Election Commission of India is fully geared up for the Phase-3 of the Lok Sabha polls tomorrow (Tuesday)... The commission has called upon voters to turnout in greater numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride, ECI said in a statement on Monday.

By the end of day, voting would be complete in 20 states and Union territories. On April 19, 102 seats went to polls in the first phase and on April 26, 88 constituencies exercised their franchise. In sharp focus will be the turnout  the first phase voting percentage of 66.14% and the second phase figure of 66.71%  were both lower than the 2019 numbers of about 70% and 69.64%, respectively  and the rising temperatures across vast swathes of the heartland and eastern India, which are gripped by heatwaves.

Weather conditions are predicted to be within normal ranges. However, for convenience for voters, meticulous arrangements have been made at all polling stations including facilities like water, shamiyana, fans to deal with hot weather conditions, ECI said in a statement.

Overall, across the 93 seats going to the polls on Tuesday, the 2019 outcome is not possible to be calculated for the four seats in Assam that underwent delimitation. Of the remaining 89, 70 seats were won by the BJP and three by the Congress in 2019. The JD(U)  which is part of the NDA  won three seats; while TMC and SP  which are part of the INDIA alliance  won two each. The Shiv Sena, the NCP, and the LJP won four, three, and one seat respectively. All three parties have undergone a split since 2019.

The third phase of the polling saw fierce campaigning by both sides. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the charge for the BJP, alleging that Pakistan wanted the Congress to win and for its prince  a reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi  to become prime minister. He also blamed the Congress of blocking the development of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, saying that the party wanted to give SC/ST reservations to Muslims.

Addressing an election rally in Jharkhands Palamu on Saturday, Modi had said, These parties now want to snatch away the reservation of SC, ST and OBC. When our Constitution was being drafted, it was unanimously decided that reservations would never be granted in India based on religion. But now they want to rob the reservation of tribals, backward classes, and Dalits and give it to Muslims based on religion.

The Opposition has rebuffed the charges and accused the BJP of running a communal campaign to divide the electorate. It has focussed on the allegation that the BJP wanted to change the Constitution if it won 400 seats and cast itself as the protector of the Constitution and reservation.

These elections are being fought to save the Constitution and reservations extended to the poor and protect the rights on land, jungle and employment. But Modiji has made up his mind to change and scrap it (Constitution), Rahul Gandhi said on Monday.

Shah, whose Lok Sabha seat of Gandhinagar will go the polls on Tuesday, said that opposition leaders did not go for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in January as they wanted to appease infiltrators. The BJP has also targeted former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who said that the recent terror attack in Poonch was orchestrated.

Four former chief ministers  Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh of Madhya Pradesh, Narayan Rane of Maharashtra and Basavaraj Bommai of Karnataka  and at least six Union ministers  Amit Shah, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Mansukh Mandaviya, Pralhad Joshi, among others  are also in the fray. .

The Prime Minister will cast his vote from Ahmedabad on Tuesday as well.

I am fully confident the BJPs flag will fly high in all the seats in Madhya Pradeshs Gwalior and Bhopal divisions (going to polls in 3rd phase), Scindia told reporters in Gwalior.

Of the 26 seats in Gujarat, voting for 25 will take place as BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal won unopposed from Surat.

In Maharashtra, all eyes will be on the high-profile contest in Baramati, where two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party are in direct contest. The Ajit Pawar faction has nominated the deputy CMs wife Sunetra Pawar, who is taking on sitting MP, Supriya Sule, who is also the daughter of party patriarch Sharad Pawar.

A prestige battle will also ensue in Uttar Pradesh, where the Yadav family bastion of Mainpuri is among the 10 seats in the fray. In this seat, once held by five-time UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, his daughter-in-law and party chief Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple Yadav is aiming to consolidate the partys hold over its pocket borough.

Voting will also take place for remaining 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, coming just days after rape and mass sexual assault allegations surfaced against Janata Dal (Secular) Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, also the grandson of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

His father, HD Revanna, was remanded in police custody for three days this weekend, and a blue notice was issued against Prajwal , who is outside India, over abduction and sexual assault charges.

The BJP has sought to corner the Congress over the incident, but Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, who set up a special investigation team to probe the case two weeks ago, has blamed the BJP, asking why it allowed its ally to nominate Prajwal.

Among other constituencies voting are four in Assam, five in Bihar, seven in Chhattisgarh, eight in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, 10 in Uttar Pradesh and four in West Bengal.

In Bengal, Congresss Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will hope to defend his seat of Murshidabad for a sixth timne.

Voting for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir was deferred to May 25 during inclement weather.
New Delhi: While Congress leader and former chief minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi called the terror attack in Poonch last Saturday as political stunt of the BJP during the 2024 election campaign, the Indian Army has confirmation that at least four groups of terrorists are operating in the Rajouri-Poonch sector and belong to different Pakistan based terror groups. An Indian Air Force vehicle convoy was attacked by terrorists in the Poonch district of J&K on Saturday.(ANI)

The spray firing by terrorists on three vehicles of the IAF convoy using area weapons like assault rifles left one IAF corporal dead and four others injured, with the perpetrators managing to flee from the spot. The Rajouri-Poonch sector lying in close proximity to LoC has seen terror attacks on armed forces and civilians in the past three years with the terrorists belonging to the same region across the Line of Control.

Also Read | Channi calls Poonch terror attack orchestrated, BJP slams Congress

According to top officials, electro-magnetic surveillance of the area indicates the presence of around 12 terrorists divided into four groups of mixed tanzeems from Occupied Kashmir. Despite the IAF vehicle convoy following standard operating procedures, the terrorists, obviously under instructions from across, had the audacity to target the vehicle carrying armed troopers. The terror scene shows that the terrorists took the occupants of the last of the three vehicles unaware and sprayed bullets on the windscreen in order to get the driver and the support staff. Corporal Vicky Pahade of IAF lost his life in the attack with four of his other colleagues now receiving medical treatment at Command Hospital in Udhampur.

Also Read | Poonch attack: 200 bullets were fired. How terrorists attacked IAF convoy

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is upset at the random terror killings in Rajouri-Poonch sector and made his concern known to the top brass of Indian Army, it is quite evident that clearing of this belt from terrorists will require a major counter-terror operation which could lead to casualties given the terrain of the area. The thickly forested mountain terrain provides perfect ground for asymmetric warfare with the terrorists being locals of area on both sides of the LoC and living off the land.

Despite the Modi government giving a free hand to the armed forces to tackle terrorists in Rajouri-Poonch sector, the Nagrota based 16 Corps formation along with the local police have not been able to neutralize the terrorists in the region. This has resulted in both Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba using the sector for infiltration and staging terror strikes in the hinterland of the Union Territory.
The attack on the Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy by terrorists at the Sanai Top area in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday evening that led to the death of one soldier and injuring four others was the last of three vehicles moving from Jaranwalli Gali to Shahistar Top - where the IAF has a base, The Indian Express reported. Security personnel during cordon and search operation in Poonch. (PTI)

The report, citing sources, said the terrorists  who had taken positions atop the hills along the road  opened fire and hit the front windscreen of the last convoy, causing the vehicle to stop. Following this, they continued to shoot at the convoy from the sides, the report added.

Around 200 bullets were reportedly fired upon the vehicle within a span of 15 minutes.

However, timely retaliation by the IAF personnel made the terrorists flee to the nearby forests.

So far, no terror organisation has claimed responsibility for Saturdays attack on the IAF convoy. But it is suspected that those involved appear to be well-versed with the topography of the area, The Indian Express report added. It is also suspected that they may have been involved in previous attacks on security forces since last year.

IAF personnel killed

While all the injured soldiers were evacuated immediately after the attack and taken to Udhampur Command Hospital for treatment, one of the five Indian Air Force personnel lost his life. Identified as Corporal Vikky Pahade, the 33-year-old soldier hailed from Madhya Pradeshs Chhindwara district and was a resident of Nonia-Karbal village. He had joined the unit on April 18 this year.

The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief, the IAF wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Security heightened, probe underway

Meanwhile, security has been heightened in the Poonch district following the attack. The security forces are also carrying out searches in and around the area and have detained six locals for questioning. An aerial surveillance has also been launched in the hills of Shahsitar, Lassana Top, Sanai Top, Gursai, Sheendhara Top and adjoining areas to track down the movement of terrorists, believed to be four in numbers.

Investigators believed that the terrorists were provided logistical support by the locals and had used US-made M4 rifles and AK-47 assault rifles in the attack.
Across Australia, tens of thousands have demonstrated over the last week against a significant rise in violence against women, with one woman being killed by an intimate partner every four days so far this year. These sickening crimes have evoked a righteous anger against the daily oppression and violence suffered by women across the country, yet the ruling class and the system they represent have offered nothing but hypocrisy, hollow consolation and barefaced arrogance in return.

The current wave of demonstrations was catalysed by a series of recent crimes, including the murder of 28-year-old Molly Ticehurst by a man who had only just been charged with raping and stalking her. The murder took place immediately after he was released on a mere AUS$5,000 (2,500) bail, despite being charged with multiple counts of sexual assault and stalking.

Similarly, only this week, 30-year-old Erica Hay was brutally beaten and left to die by her partner, as he burnt down their home and fled the scene.

The cancerous growth of domestic violence in Australia has been mirrored by other attacks, such as the Bondi Junction stabbings in mid-April, in which a man roamed a public shopping centre for 20 minutes, injuring 12 and murdering six people. Police said that it was obvious that the killer was targeting women.

What has become abundantly clear is that the police and the capitalist state are utterly unwilling and incapable of protecting women. Despite its prevalence throughout the country, conviction rates for domestic violence in Australia are 15 percent lower than for other forms of violence.

In 2021  a year which saw a record low for domestic violence in Australia  13 women were hospitalised every day due to violence from a partner or family member. Since then, these numbers have only risen, with latest figures showing a 30 percent rise in the number of Australian women killed by domestic violence from June 2022 to June 2023 compared to the previous year. Astonishingly, the first four months of 2024 has seen almost as many women killed by their partners as the entirety of the 12 months prior to June 2023.

Fundamentally, in Australia as in all countries, women are being subjected to greater and more brutal oppression, which manifests in the most horrific forms. Already in March this year, a survey showed that barely 50 percent of Australian women feel safe walking alone at night. This puts Australia seventh lowest in terms of womens perception of their own safety, out of the 38 OECD countries.

This is the shameful reality of life for women in the Lucky Country. Chants of We wont take it anymore! at recent protests show the true mood in society. Thousands refuse to sit idly by any longer as the pressure on women from oppression worsens daily with the deepening of the social and economic crisis of the whole system.

I am the prime minister. I run this country

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese displayed the entire ruling class utter contempt this week / Image: U.S. Secretary of Defence, Wikimedia Commons

In response to this explosion of violence, the rotten Australian ruling class has shown its true colours. Both the Labor government and the Liberal/National opposition are at pains to decry the national crisis facing women, yet these same parties are irredeemably part of the problem.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese displayed the entire ruling class utter contempt this week, while attending a demonstration of thousands outside Parliament House in Canberra. After being heckled for his silence on what can be done to support women, Albaneses friendly demeanour rapidly vanished.

Do you want me to speak or not? I am the prime minister. I run this country, he reportedly stated, before seizing the microphone and bringing the demonstrations lead organiser to floods of tears by claiming that she had attempted to deny him the right to speak  a claim which organisers branded an outright lie.

Such incredible self-centred callousness at a demonstration on the question of womens violence gives just a glimpse of the psychology of arrogance and impunity that prevails among Australias ruling class. This week, Labor MP Darren Cheeseman was removed from his position as parliamentary secretary for education in Victoria, due to accusations of persistent, inappropriate behaviour, with multiple anonymous sources confirming it is of a sexual nature.

On top of all this, in early April, a civil court ruled that former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann had raped his colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House itself in 2019, while she was drunk and barely conscious. This is the closest that Lehrmann has come to being prosecuted, since two previous criminal trials against him were abandoned.

Responding to the immense wave of protests at the time these allegations arose in 2021, then Prime Minister Scott Morrison infamously stated that it is a triumph of democracy that peaceful protesters hadnt been shot by the police!

This is the true face of Australias ruling class, who do nothing about the plague of violence facing women across the country and then pat themselves on the back for not murdering civilian protesters.

Albanese may be right when he says that he runs the country, but who does he run it for? Certainly not for the countless women who are afraid to be alone on the streets of what is supposed to be a developed, enlightened, democratic country. Rather, Albaneses party and their friends in the Opposition are firmly united in their defence of the profits of Australian capitalism. The complaints of working women fearing for their own lives are a small political nuisance to this crowd.

The arrogance of the Australian ruling class

Capitalist politicians cry nothing but crocodile tears for womens oppression / Image: Robbi Davidson, Twitter

Such is the stinking hypocrisy of the capitalist politicians, who cry nothing but crocodile tears for womens oppression, that the Sydney Morning Herald recently published an editorial titled: Please, ministers, spare us your pathetic platitudes on the domestic violence crisis. It speaks volumes about the ruling class fear of the outrage in society that the arrogance and stupidity of their own representatives is provoking, that even the capitalist press feels the need to chastise politicians for their behaviour.

In truth, the egos of Australias ruling class have grown fat off years of relative stability. The cosiness of the two-party system has brought with it an arrogance and a sense of untouchability that manifests at best in the temper tantrums of the Prime Minister, and at worst in obscene abuses of power that leave women harassed and even assaulted by politicians. But the period of relative economic stability  linked to Australias trade relationship with its biggest export partner, China  which underpins the relative political stability that has prevailed until now in Australia, is coming to an end as the Chinese economy lurches towards a crisis.

With every scandal and incident, the ruling class is unwittingly chipping away at its own legitimacy. The recent wave of demonstrations has graphically demonstrated that a growing number of people have come to see this broken system for what it really is, and are demanding change. The era of relative class peace and stability are ending.

Women in Australia will not be protected by new laws, greater policing, or a Royal Commission. The crimes they face are a noxious product of a decaying system. Only by materially liberating women, providing not only shelters, but good wages, maternity and elder care, financial independence and the right to housing, can women be freed from potentially abusive partners. Capitalism poisons the well of human relations, including relations between men and women. Only by fighting to overthrow this system can we achieve real freedom for all the oppressed, and above all for women.
A day after terrorists attacked an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy at the Sanai Top area in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district killing one soldier and injuring four others, several opposition leaders questioned the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the incident. Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, however, triggered a major controversy by describing the incident as an election stunt. A damaged IAF truck in Poonch on Saturday. (ANI)(HT_PRINT)

Charanjit Singh Channi also claimed that the terror attack in Poonch was orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party to bolster its prospects in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. He went on to claim that the BJP is known for playing with peoples lives and armed personnel.

Reacting sharply to Charanjit Singh Channi's comments, BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok said the former Punjab CM has lost his mind. Does it suit a former chief minister to make such disgusting statements? Only the Congress party can do such petty politics over the jawans of the country. It is their culture, he said.

Also read: Poonch terror attack: 20 lakh reward announced for 2 Pakistan terrorists

BJP Punjab president Sunil Jhakar also slammed Channi's ghastly and shameful statement and asked the Congress party and its allies to come clean on the issue.

Ghastly statement by CWC member Channi belittling the valour of our brave soldiers is no less a crime and an insult to the nation. Channi's shameful statement on the attack on our Air Force personnel in Poonch calling their valour as a stunt shows the bankruptcy and frustration of ChanniThe nation will not forgive him. He should hang his head in shame, Jhakar said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Meanwhile, Union minister Anurag Thakur demanded an apology from the Congress brass, including former party president Sonia Gandhi, over Channi's remark.

I have a question for Congress: Were the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars done for winning elections? On such a ridiculous statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should apologise...They question the ability of our forces...How low will Congress stoop? Will Congress insult our Bravehearts for the sake of winning elections? he questioned.

Other opposition leaders hit out at BJP

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday hit out at the BJP over the attack saying the ruling party has just made people fight against each other and caused Hindu-Muslim differences.

Shaheed kinke wajah se huye? Modi ji ki wajah se huye. Pehle kahan koi shaheed hota tha? (who caused the martyrdom? It is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Were there any martyrs before? he further questioned.

Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah hit out at the Centre over the attack in Poonch, saying that it indicates the situation in the union territory is far from normalcy. He also mocked the BJP government at the Centre over its claim to merge the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) with Jammu and Kashmir, saying, They cannot handle one part but talking about taking another part which is not under their control.

We are again witnessing militancy in those areas which were militancy-free in the last five years. Two places need special mention. One is Srinagar where (terror) attacks repeatedly took place on police and minority community, and the Rajouri-Poonch area. We had almost made this area free from militancy when our party was in power. But the terror attack on the Indian Air Force on Saturday evening indicates that the situation is remote from normalcy, he told the media.

Poonch terror attack

On Saturday evening, terrorists - believed to be four, attacked a convoy of the IAF in the Poonch district. While all the injured soldiers were evacuated immediately after the attack and taken to Udhampur Command Hospital for treatment, one of the five IAF personnel, identified as Corporal Vikky Pahade, lost his life.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the IAF convoy was the last of three vehicles moving from Jaranwalli Gali to Shahistar Top, adding that the terrorists first opened fire and hit the front windscreen of the convoy and later continued to shoot from the sides.

Reportedly, around 200 bullets were fired upon the vehicle within a span of 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army is carrying out a major search operation for the third straight day in the Shahsitar area of Surankote in Poonch district. According to the officials, armed bulletproof vehicles are patrolling the area, while a dog squad has been deployed to check vehicles, reported PTI.
The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have released sketches of two Pakistani terrorists who carried out the attack on the Indian Air Force's vehicle in Poonch last week. Poonch terror attack: The sketches of the two terrorists.

The security forces have announced a reward of 20 lakh for information that leads to their arrest.

Indian Air Force (IAF) corporal Vikky Pahade died in the ambush and four others personnel got injured, when terrorists attacked an IAF convoy near Shahsitar in Poonch on Saturday evening.

Since the attack, armed forces have been carrying out a major search operation in the Shahsitar area.

They have pressed armed bulletproof vehicles and dog squads to track down the terrorists.

On Sunday, several senior officers visited the site.

"Corps Commander of 16 Corps & ADG Jammu Zone Anand Jain accompanied by GOC Romeo Force, IGP CRPF & DIG RP Range today visited the area & monitored the ongoing massive search operation. Many suspects have been picked up for questioning," said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu.

Who was Vikky Pahade?

Vikky Pahade had joined work 15 days before his death, after a long leave for his sister's wedding. He was posted in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pahade was a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara's Nonia Karbal area.

He joined the Indian Air Force in 2011. He is survived by his wife, Rina and son, Hardik.

Also read: Channi calls Poonch terror attack orchestrated, BJP slams Congress

Geeta Pahade, the soldier's sister, said she was proud of her brother.

"I am proud of my brother. I got to know about this (brother's demise) a day before yesterday. I want justice for my brother," she said.

The Indian Air Force on Sunday mourned Corporal Vikky Pahade.

"The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and all personnel of (the) Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in (the) Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief," read a post on the official X handle of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

With inputs from PTI
Days after the legal team representing Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna assured that he would appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) within seven days, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has said that his return on the poll day would politically impact the NDAs chances in the elections. Prajwal Revanna possibly flew abroad on April 27, a day after the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on a diplomatic passport. (PTI)

The 14 constituencies of northern districts of Karnataka will go to Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday.

Prajwal, who has been booked in two cases of sexual assault, possibly flew abroad on April 27, a day after the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on a diplomatic passport.

The allegations of sexual harassment emerged in the hours following polling for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, with close to 3,000 videos purportedly showing some of these incidents, leading the state government to put together an SIT.

On April 30, the SIT had issued a notice to appear before them for questioning within 24 hours. His advocate had sought for seven days time for him to appear before the SIT, but the team turned down the request.

A senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity said: There is a fear that Prajwal Revanna returning to India on the day of the election would politically impact both JD(S) and our chances in the Lok Sabha polls. When the sexual harassment case came out, the initial assessment was that it would be a local issue in Hassan, but between the two phases, the scandal has become a state even national issue. We dont know if there has been communication to Prajwal but there is an understanding that his arrest would be a distraction.

Though elections have already taken place in the three constituencies in the state where the JD(S) fielded candidates, the Revanna case appears to have significantly tarnished the partys public image, and in turn its ally BJP.

The BJP leader said that while the JD(S) lacks influence throughout north Karnataka, it does have a considerable voter base within specific pockets of parliamentary constituencies like Vijayapura, Ballari, Kalaburagi, and Raichur. The JD(S) had limited campaigns in these regions. More than public rallies or meetings, it was mostly a campaign to mobilise JD(S) cadres using the local leaders, he said.

The Congress calling out the Centre over the case has been an irritant for the BJP. A recent statement from the spokesperson of the MEA said that Prajwal did not seek political clearance for his travel, which is typically required in such circumstances, as he travelled using his diplomatic passport.

No political clearance was sought from or issued by the ministry regarding Prajwals travel to Germany. Since diplomatic passport holders do not need a visa to travel to any country, no visa note was issued either, the MEA spokesperson said.

Amid the controversy over Prajwal leaving the country, the BJP has concerns over his pictures with Prime Minister Narendra Modi going viral after the case came to light. The Congress has been making aggressive attempts to criticise Modi among his Lingayat supporters in the region.

The voters can see through all the political statements. At the end of the day, they (voters) know who is trying to protect whom. People are talking about it, particularly the women. They are offended by the sexual harassment case and it would be decisive, said a district office bearer of the Congress in Belagavi city.

Meanwhile, the Revanna case seem to have affected the BJPs plans to attack Congress over the murder of 23-year-old Neha Hiremath by a Muslim youth in Hubballi on April 18. The BJP had made the communal pitch to the voters in north Karnataka after the murder, with home minister Amit Shah visiting the family during his campaign in the state. However, following the sexual abuse case, the buzz around the Hiremath murder case has drowned, according to local leaders of both parties.
Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Monday claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised his close aides to overturn the Ayodhya Ram Temple verdict if the party gets elected to power at the Centre. Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who was recently expelled from the Congress party, alleged that Rahul cited to his aides how his father, the late Rajiv Gandhi, had overturned the landmark Shah Bano judgment. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (ANI)

"I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, after getting advice from his wellwisher in America, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress government is formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision," Acharya Pramod Krishnam told news agency ANI.

Shah Bano, a Muslim woman from Indore had filed a case, seeking maintenance from her husband after divorce. In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in her favour. However, the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress government overturned the court's judgment through an Act.

ALSO READ| Ex-Congress leader claims she was locked in, offered alcohol during Rahul Gandhi's Yatra

Acharya Pramod Krishnam also talked about the recent resignation of former Congress leader Radhika Khera who claimed that she was insulted for visiting the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Acharya Pramod Krishnam said Whoever is a patriot, a Ram devotee, who believes in Sanatana, cannot stay in Congress. There is a very long list right now, by June 4, more senior leaders are ready to leave the party because whoever talks about this country cannot stay in Congress, whoever sings songs of Pakistan will stay in Congress.

The Ram Temple in Ayodhya was constructed after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Hindu side in a judgement passed on November 9, 2019. The consecration of the temple took place on January 22, 2024 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hundreds of dignitaries, sages, and celebrities from across the country. Since the temple's inauguration, millions of devotees from across the world have been visiting to seek the blessings of Ram Lalla.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the INDIA bloc alliance have "Ram Droh in their DNA". Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. (HT file)

Yogi Adityanath was reacting to the resignation of Congress leader Radhika Khera from her party. He said she was insulted by the Congress for visiting Lord Ram's temple in Ayodhya.

"She came to Ayodhya to seek blessings of Ram Lala, and the leaders of Congress insulted her. She resigned after getting tired of the insults. This shows that Congress and SP have 'Ram droh' in their DNA. People associated with the INDI Alliance have 'Ram droh' in their DNA," he told ANI.

Yogi Adityanath said that the people of the country will never cast votes in favour of those who are "Ram Drohi".

"The public of the country is well aware of the pseudo form of Congress. The people know that whatever they (Congress) are showing off now is not based on reality. They just want to deceive the people of the country but the public knows their drama. Therefore, the public is pushing it towards the abyss," Yogi Aditanath added.

On Sunday, Radhika Khera said the Congress party was against Lord Ram and the Sanatan Dharma.

She said after she visited the Ram Temple with her grandfather and placed a Jai Shri Ram flag in front of her door, the Congress started to hate her.

Radhika Khera claimed she was scolded by the party for visiting Ayodhya when elections were underway.

She resigned from the party alleging mistreatment by party leaders. She also alleged that neither Priyanka Gandhi Vadra nor Rahul Gandhi met her over the issue.

She claimed she had been trying to meet Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for over three years.

Yogi Adityanath is BJP's star campaigner. Last month, he claimed in rallies that the Congress wanted to impose Sharia law in the country and allow the minorities to slaughter cows.
The Election Commission of India has sent a letter to all national and state political parties, instructing them to take down any deepfakes within three hours of being notified. It has also instructed them to not use their social media handles to publish deepfake videos and audios, or to disseminate any misinformation or synthetically created or modified information that may appear to be true to the recipient. Parties have also been instructed to identify and warn the party person responsible for posting deepfakes. The poll body has not restrained political parties from using any technological or AI-based tools; it has only restrained them from using such tools that "distort information". (File)(PTI)

This notice to all parties comes a week after a BJP delegation, led by current IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, approached the Election Commission to demand "urgent measures required to address the impact of deep fakes on the electoral process". The poll body has not restrained political parties from using any technological or AI-based tools; it has only restrained them from using such tools that distort information or spreads misinformation, which resultantly lowers the standards of electioneering.

The use of such manipulated, distorted, edited content on social media platforms has the potential to wrongfully sway voter opinions, deepen societal divisions, and erode trust in electioneering process by attacking laid out instrumentalities of the electoral steps in terms of means and material, the EC said in its letter. It also said that forwarding/re-sharing/re-posting/re-tweeting on social media platforms makes the spread of misinformation dangerously unrestrained.

It is not clear what will constitute as being notified for a political party. Will the EC need to inform the party or can a normal citizen do so as well?

The EC has instructed political parties to not impersonate another person, including political parties or their representatives, on social media. It is not clear how satirical and parody accounts would be treated.

In the letter, the poll body listed provisions from extant laws that could be used. These include Section 66C (punishment for identity theft) and Section 66D (punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act, Section 123(4) (corrupt practices related to publication of false statements by a candidate or an election agency) of the Representation of People Act, Section 171G (false statement in connection with an election), Section 465 (forgery), Section 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) and Section 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code, and Paragraph (I)(2) (preventing political parties and candidates from criticising private life of workers and leaders of other parties) of the Model Code of Conduct.

In its letter, the EC has also instructed political parties to report any unlawful information and and fake user accounts to the concerned social media platform. If the unlawful information or the fake user account persists even after reporting to the platform, the EC has instructed parties to approach the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The three GACs created under the IT Rules are obligated to deal with grievances within a maximum of 15 days of receiving them.

It is not clear if the political parties have to first report the fake accounts or unlawful information to the platforms grievance officer, as mandated by the IT Rules.

Under the Rules, the grievance officer has to resolve a grievance within 15 days of receipt, and the GAC cannot accept a grievance until it has first been addressed by the platforms grievance officer. As a result, under the Rules, for the grievance to be addressed by both the grievance officer and the GAC, it can take up to 30 days.

It is also not clear what happens to the Voluntary Code of Ethics of 2019 under which the EC would instruct the platforms to take down content that violated the MCC within 3 hours of being notified.

It has also instructed them to not post or promote content that insults women, or goes against the Commissions advisories prohibiting the use of children in any political campaigning. On April 29, the BJP had also filed a complaint with the EC against Congresss Supriya Shrinate for using children in an election campaign video.

The poll body has also ordered parties to not show violence, harm or harassment of animals on social media.

To be sure, in its letter, the EC has not specifically mentioned that hate speech and content targeting one community must not be posted. At least one political party, Congress, has complained to the EC about official BJP handles posting hateful content against Muslims in violation of the MCC, RPA and the IPC, and has filed an FIR as well.

To be sure, deepfakes, disinformation, misinformation, information which is patently false are terms that are not defined under any Indian law. Their definitions are amorphous leading to significant confusion about what can be covered as a deepfake and what cant be.

Given the proliferation of deepfakes and difficulty in distinguishing between what is real and what is not, it was imperative for the ECI to ensure that such tactics were not used by official handles of political parties. However, the letter is not only a belated attempt to tackle this, it is also quite toothless and is merely an advisory. It also does not really make sense as to why this direction is being given to political parties as such when the IT Rules empower ANY person (not just the aggrieved) to report such content. The letter seems like a meek delegation of the ECIs task itself to ensure that political parties do not engage in violations of the MCC, Radhika Roy, Delhi-based technology policy lawyer, said.

In its April 29 representation to the EC, the BJP had mentioned seven instances of deepfakes, including the doctored video of BJPs Amit Shah over which Jharkhand Congresss official Twitter account has been blocked by the IT Ministry and multiple people have been arrested. To be sure, of the seven instances mentioned, only two were genuine cases of deepfakes, that is, audio or video being altered to create audio or videos that were never shot. In four of the remaining cases, the videos had either been clipped, or order of statements changed, to change the context and final meaning of the video but no new content was generated using AI or any other computerised means.

For instance, if AI tools are used to generate an image or a video that looks obviously fake and does not deceive the viewer or the recipient, is that a deepfake? Or, if settings as simple as brightness and contrast are used to show a photo taken during the day as a photo taken during the night, is that allowed? If AI is not used to generate synthetic content and instead Photoshop is to mislead people, is that a deepfake or would it be a shallow fake or a cheap fake and thus potentially allowed? And, if a doppelganger of a famous politician is mistaken for the real person, is that content that needs to be taken down?

A big problem with taking down such content, that has been voiced by political parties in closed door meetings with the IT Ministry in the past, is that it erases the archive of egregious content. Multiple social media platforms have talked about the importance of labelling such content instead which informs users about the manipulated nature of the content. For instance, the doctored video of Shah was labelled by Twitter as Manipulated Media.

The EC letter to the political parties also took cognizance of a recent PIL that was heard in the Delhi High Court under which the division bench consisting of acting chief justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed the petitioner, a group of lawyers called Lawyers Voice, to file a comprehensive representation during the course of the day. The Election Commission of India is directed to decide the same in accordance with law on or before 06th May, 2024 keeping in view the urgency of the issue involved.

Hours after the EC made its letter to the parties public, Prime Minister Narendra Modi retweeted a deepfake that showed him dancing. Calling it #PollHumour, he said, Like all of you, I also enjoyed seeing myself dance. Such creativity in peak poll season is truly a delight!

A deepfake of TMCs Mamata Banerjee on the same video attracted a now deleted tweet from the official account of DCP (Cyber Police), Kolkata, which directed the anonymous user to disclose their name and residence. This tweet was later replaced by a scanned notice under section 149 of the CrPC, wherein the officer in charge at Kolkatas cyber police station instructed the user to delete the offensive, malicious and inciting post.

In their representation to the CEC dated May 2, the Lawyers Voice, wanted social media platforms to block deepfakes and misleading content that it had given in its annexure (all six cited instances were listed in BJPs April 29 complaint to the EC), to proactively detect and block deepfakes and misleading content and prevent them from being shared further, and to stop algorithmic amplification of deepfake and misleading content. It also wanted social media platforms to block any accounts that posted deepfakes or misleading content.

This lawyers group also wanted the EC to create a new team that operates 24X7 to take into prompt cognizance and prompt action on reports of deepfakes and manipulated content on social media, and to create a helpline or email address to receive representations related to the same.
Major differences are emerging again between rich and developing countries on who should contribute to the new quantified goal on climate finance, according to the Third World Network, an independent non-profit that is tracking the negotiations at Cartagena in Columbia. TOPSHOT - A man walking along a street shelters from the sun under an umbrella during a hot summer day in Chennai on May 3, 2024. (Photo by R.Satish BABU / AFP) (AFP)

The primary agenda of the annual UN climate meeting to be held in Baku in Azerbaijan in November would be to negotiate a new goal for climate finance, which currently has a floor of a minimum of $100 billion every year after 2025, that is expected to help developing countries transition to a low-carbon future.

In an Ad Hoc Work Programme (AHWP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Cartagena in Colombia from April 23 to 26, the US is reported to have said the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is voluntary for those that choose to pay, referring to Article 9.3 of the 2015 Paris climate pact that deals with climate finance.

India, speaking for the like-minded developing countries (LMDCs), said the goal must be in accordance with the principles and provisions of the convention and the Paris Agreement, which is equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and Article 9 of the pact. Article 9 stipulates that wealthy nations shall provide financial resources to assist developing countries to both mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate crisis.

This translates into the goal being delivered by wealthy nations to developing countries in line with the latters existing and evolving needs, mainly because the developed world is historically responsible for most of the emissions that has caused the climate crisis, India argued. Arabian and African countries supported the LMDC grouping in the meeting.

These arguments were captured by the Third World Network, which tracked the meeting in Colombia, and also the webcast provided by UNFCCC.

These differences are expected to blow up at the Baku summit. Developed countries are now of the view that the contributor base should be determined based on evolving capabilities of nations with the capacity to pay, the level of emissions, and the nations GDP. They also said there has to be a discussion on who would receive the money.

When the US argued that contribution to the NCQG was entirely voluntary, the Arabic nations clarified that the $100 billion goal was also in the context of Article 9.3 and there was unequivocal consensus that it applied to developed countries.

India on behalf of LMDC said it did not agree with any feature relating to domestic resources of developing countries in the discussion. The NCQG is about how developed countries will provide support to developing countries, it said. India also said that it makes no sense for the NCQG to be outcome-based. The only outcome that can be traced as part of the goal was whether the quantum committed by developed countries was commensurate to the needs of developing countries, it argued.

References to the contributor base and differentiation across beneficiaries were unacceptable and these were diversionary tactics, India said. The NCQG should provide a clear agreement on burden-sharing among developed countries to establish their fair share of their collective obligation to provide climate finance, which allows predictability, transparency, and accountability, it said.

India said the group had already proposed an amount of over $1 trillion per year based on the current needs, which can be updated based on the availability of new needs.

While the US made a statement that generated a lot of buzz, the same article (Article 9) has been used by developing countries to suggest the exact opposite position, said Sehr Raheja, programme officer, climate change at the Centre for Science and Environment, an advocacy group. India for the LMDCs stressed that a renegotiation of what Article 9 means is not a part of the NCQG mandate.

This seems to be a fair and necessary position for them to take, since discussions on the text of the Paris Agreement itself stand to distract from the various elements of the goal that need detailed consideration to arrive at an equitable outcome in Baku this year, she added. Suggesting that the new finance goal is voluntary also signals blatant disregard for the lack of confidence among developing countries based on the $ 100 billion experience, which they have articulated throughout discussions.

Raheja was referring to a commitment made by the developed countries at the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit that by 2020 and lasting through 2025, they would provide $100 billion annually to developing nations to help them withstand the effects of climate change and mitigate emissions. This did not materialise, causing developing nations to question the promises made by wealthy countries.

There has been a recent push from developed countries to include emerging economies in the donor base for the NCQG for the post 2025 period, and to increase the donor base for the adaptation fund, HT reported on November 11, 2022. At the UN climate summit held that year in Egypt, the US and the European Union were looking to expand the donor base to include high-income and emerging economies, including China and India, ignoring the Paris Agreements provision that climate finance will flow from developed to developing nations.

These differences came to a boil at transitional committee meetings on the Loss and Damage Fund in Egypts Aswan last year. The US wanted to withdraw support because it insisted that contributions to the fund were voluntary. Developing countries said the funding arrangements are weak and take away from the historical responsibility of rich nations.

The first board meeting of the Loss and Damage Fund, hosted by the World Bank, concluded last week, but a lot needs to be done on flow and scale of resources, observers said.
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a contempt petition filed by 30 women Army officers, who said that a special selection board that considered their promotion in January violated the courts November 2023 order requiring them to be considered independent of those empaneled for promotion in January that year. The petitioners alleged discrimination vis-a-vis male officers in promotion as colonels. The Supreme Court. (ANI)

A bench of Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it was satisfied that there was no breach of the order. It is not a case of contempt. Their [Army] case is that the empaneled officers were considered for benchmarking to assess inter-se merit. Our order of November 2023 was not silent on benchmarking. Inter-se merit has to be considered while empaneling officers. Without benchmarking, how can you empanel officers.

The court allowed the petitioners to pursue another legal remedy by approaching the Armed Forces Tribunal.

Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, who appeared for the petitioners, told the court that due to the process followed, out of the 150 vacancies earmarked for women officers, only 128 have been empaneled while 22 vacancies remain. The idea is to accommodate as less women in the Army, Ahmadi said.

Attorney-general R Venkataramani, appearing for the government, and senior advocate R Balasubramanian for the Army informed the court that the petitioners belong to the batches up to 2006. They added that the remaining 22 vacancies are for women officers of subsequent batches (2006-09)

We cannot earmark these vacancies for you, the bench told Ahmadi, pointing out that nothing will then remain for the subsequent batches. These remaining 22 posts are only for women officers. While passing the November order, we were only worried that when we give you another bite at the cherry, those who already got empaneled should not be disturbed, the court said.

Venkataramani said there is no exercise discriminating between male and female officers. That perception is wrong.

Col Sarika Pendalwar, the Armys legal officer assisting the court in the matter, said that the cadre strength of the Army is fixed and additional vacancies beyond 150 posts cannot be created.

The petitioners argued at every stage they were forced to fight for parity with male officers despite getting an order from the court in their favour in February 2020 for the grant of permanent commission across non-combat streams.

The respondents have conducted Special No. 3 Selection Board in [a] highly clandestine and unfair manner and failed to implement the order dated November 3, 2023, and they have even willfully disobeyed the expressed direction of this Court, the contempt petition said.

It said that the Army was bound to allocate the batch-wise and year-wise vacancies and a minimum of one vacancy ought to have been given batch-wise and year-wise ...Considering already empaneled officers with non-empaneled officers was [a] violation of [the] principle of equality enshrined under Article 14 & 16(1) of the Constitution.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday backed his party colleague, Vijay Wadettiwar, over the latter's claim that former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare had been murdered by a police official, saying the leader's grave allegation must be investigated. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.(PTI file photo)

Shashi Tharoor said that when the Leader of Opposition (LoP) levels allegations which had been in the public domain, investigation should be conducted.

"The matter is extremely serious. Our concern is that when the LoP points to something that is an allegation that has been in the public domain for some time and which featured in a book by the former IG of police, SM Mushrif, who said that the bullets found in Karkare's body could not have been fired by Ajmal Kasab and that it could have been fired by a police revolver," Shashi Tharoor said.

Tharoor added that the nation has the right to know what happened.

Shashi Tharoor also attacked BJP candidate Ujjwal Nikam, who was the public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, for claiming that Ajmal Amir Kasab was served biryani in jail.

"We already knew that he (Ujjwal Nikam) had propagated this unjustified myth that the Pakistani terrorist was served Biryani in prison...that is something that shows him in a very poor light. If, indeed, he has already revealed his political bias in that moment, then there is every reason to worry whether his political bias had influenced any other of his stands. We are not saying that the allegation is true. We are saying it should be investigated," he added.

Hemant Karkare, an ace officer in Maharashtra, was killed in action while fighting terrorists in Mumbai in 2008.

Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged in Pune in 2012.

Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, on Sunday, claimed Karkare was killed by a police official close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Nikam called the Congress leader's remark as baseless.

"What allegations are you making? What will Pakistan say? Pakistan has never denied this. because we produced judicial proof. But our man is doing politics. You just want to do propaganda - that too Goebbels' propaganda. This doesn't defame Nikam. It defames you," he said.

Also read: 'Kasab didn't kill Hemant Karkare; Ujjwal Nikam traitor': Congress leader sparks row

Wadettiwar, clarifying the remark, said these were not his words. He said former IGP SM Mushrif made the allegation in his book.

"Those are not my words, I just said what was written in the book by SM Mushrif. All information was there about the bullet by which Hemant Karkare was shot, it was not the bullet of terrorists," he said.

With inputs from ANI
The Supreme Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Umar Ansari, son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a case filed against him for allegedly being part of a conspiracy to promote enmity and obstruct public servants during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The Supreme Court. (ANI)

Having regard to the circumstances, more particularly, the offending statements not being attributable to the petitioner but his brother...we direct that in case the petitioner is arrested, he shall be released on furnishing a bail bond of the sum of 20,000, said a bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and PK Mishra.

The court, which directed Ansari to participate in the trial, issued notice in response to his plea in January. It protected him from arrest in the case lodged based on his brother Abbas Ansaris speech.

The case was filed over the alleged violation of the model code of conduct and under the Indian Penal Codes Sections 171F (causing undue influence at an election), 186 (obstructing public servant), 189 (causing injury to public servant), 153A (promoting enmity prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Uttar Pradeshs additional advocate-general, Garima Prasad, told the court that Umar Ansari was on the stage when the alleged utterances were made to incite the masses.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing along with advocate Nizam Pasha for Umar Ansari, said it was a case where the other accused were out on bail. He was on the stage and has never uttered anything. There is no case against me. I have even appeared before the trial court and they have never called me

Umar Ansari moved the Supreme Court after the Allahabad high court rejected his plea for quashing the matter in December.

The state government submitted the petitioner could approach the high court for anticipatory bail. But the top court said, We deem it appropriate to grant relief.

Sibal submitted the high court refused to grant bail citing the petitioners past antecedents. He said Umar Ansari has been granted bail in two of the five cases he faces. He added orders for no coercive steps were passed in two other cases while the fifth was quashed.

Umar Ansari withdrew the anticipatory bail plea in the high court in September 2022 to pursue the other matter of quashing the case.
The following letter was written by an editor of marxist.com, Jorge Martin. Every day, the capitalists own media outlets show the horrors of this system. From the deaths of child refugees in Europe, to the victims of the western-backed genocidal war on Gaza. Who are the killers? Our own callous politicians.

Tonight I watched the BBC News at 10. Perhaps I shouldn't have. I usually don't. I get my information from online sources, social media, etc. But tonight I watched the news. And I got really angry. Really angry.

First there was a segment about a little Iraqi girl, seven years old, whose name was Sara. She was trampled to death on an overflowing dinghy trying to cross the channel from France to Britain. There had been a conflict between two rival gangs of people smugglers. Too many people had boarded the precarious boat. She had been on her dads shoulders, but then he left her to help his other daughter, Rahaf, get on board.

As a group of another 60 people attempted to board the already-full dinghy, Sara was pushed around and trampled to death. Her dad fought and kicked his way past others on the dinghy in an attempt to save her. To no avail.

The whole incident had been filmed by a BBC crew. The French police stood on the shore, less than 50 metres away, but did nothing to help those on the dinghy. When a rescue boat arrived it was too late.

There were over 100 people on board. Ahmed's wife, Nour Al-Saeed, and their two other children, 13-year-old Rahaf and eight-year-old Hussam, were also on the boat, pushed against each other but still able to breathe. Four others were not so lucky and also died.

The BBC crew interviewed the dad, Ahmed and asked him the question, why did you risk your lives? He explained that he was an asylum seeker fleeing threats from militias in his birth city of Basra. He arrived in Europe 14 years ago (!) and had been rejected for asylum in Belgium, Sweden and Finland several times. Apparently, Basra is classed as being safe. They were now facing deportation.

For the family, crossing over to the UK, a non-EU country, was their last hope, and they had attempted the perilous crossing four times. Ahmed, a building worker, stressed: I don't want handouts, I am strong and both me and my wife can work and sustain ourselves. All we want is a safe and stable future for our children.

The news showed pictures of Sara. A seven-year-old girl. A seven-year-old girl!

Now, think about this. What level of desperation pushes parents with three young children to take such measures? And whose fault is it?

First of all, the imperialist powers which have destroyed Iraq, unleashing two devastating wars and then a brutal decades-long military occupation. This is a wealthy country, an oil producer. Under capitalism this very wealth becomes a curse.

Then there are the callous migration policies of those same imperialist countries, whose capitalist politicians use refugees and migrants as convenient scapegoats, so that people dont blame the real culprits of the lack of housing, collapsing health services, and austerity-hit education systems.

The blame goes right down to the gangs of people smugglers, profiting from peoples desperation, and the cynical approach of the French police, watching as people die, watching as seven-year-old Sara is trampled to death just metres away.

Think about this the next time Sunak and the Tories raise a hue and cry about Britain being overrun by swarms of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. And think about this when Starmers Labour echoes the chorus, promising to be tough on migration.

Between them, they killed Sara.

Then came a story about Gaza. After an IDF colonel cynically lied about Israel allowing aid into Gaza (never mind the constant bombing for seven months), there was the story of ten-year-old Mayam al-Al. The BBC showed footage of her being rescued from the rubble of her house, hit by an Israeli strike. 16 children in her extended family had been killed. Mayam told the BBC that all she now wanted was to go to God.

That is just one story. There are thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands like that.

But sometimes from one story, by knowing the names and the concrete circumstances, you become more acutely aware of the enormity of the massacre.

This is not a natural disaster which might have been prevented. No. This is a deliberate genocidal campaign carried out by the Israeli state with the full backing of US imperialism, which funds it, supplies it and protects it internationally. Of course, also with the full backing of Sunak, and yes, Starmer too.

Israel has the right to defend itself. Those in positions of power who made that statement are responsible  directly responsible  for the killing of Mayams 16 young relatives, and so many others. Tens of thousands of others.

Finally, the news programme also contained reports from the student Gaza solidarity protests in the US. One reporter in New York explained how hundreds of heavily armed NYPD officers assaulted Columbia University students who had occupied one of the buildings. The other reporter, from the West Coast, reported on hundreds of Zionist thugs, armed with sticks and stones, pepper spray and firecrackers, attacking the Gaza solidarity encampment at UCLA.

BBC News at Ten came to an end and I was furious, angry, tearful. Yes, but also, my resolve to organise and fight against this rotten system had become stronger, more powerful. I felt the sense of urgency more clearly.

The power of organised labour must be mobilised / Image UAW, Facebook

Then, just scrolling through social media, I read how the Executive Board of UAW 4811, organising 48,000 academic workers at UCLA, had decided to ballot their members for strike action in protest against the Zionist attack on the solidarity encampment and the lack of action by university administration.

Yes. Thats the way forward. The power of organised labour must be mobilised, in defence of democratic rights, in solidarity with the student protesters, and against the war machine.

Then, chatting to a comrade in the United States, he pointed out that the UAW had just released a video calling for a general strike. A general strike! In the US!! Yes, the idea is to synchronise contract expiration dates so that they are all due on May Day 2028.

Thats four years down the line. Nevertheless, the language is powerful. When was the last time a major US labour organisation even used the words general strike? Id say you would have to go back decades. Many decades. Probably all the way back to 1886 and the strike which led to the hanging of the Chicago Martyrs and the birth of May Day.

There is hope against this capitalist imperialist barbarism. That hope is the power of the organised working class. It requires a revolutionary leadership, a revolutionary party and a revolutionary international.

Thats why we do what we do.
It has been 47 years since a young physician working as a doctor among impoverished tribals in Wayanad in northern Kerala travelled to Rae Bareli in faraway Uttar Pradesh swiftly changing trains and hopping from one bus to the next.

In Rae Bareli, he filed nomination papers against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had just lifted the 1975-77 Emergency and was leading the Congress partys election charge in a momentous general election that was coming up.

Dr. Nalla Thampi Thera Paramananda found it his duty to contest in Rae Bareli against the then PM, who, according to him, had curtailed civil liberties and approved all excesses in the name of the Emergency, which, in turn, she had claimed to have imposed to protect the unity of the nation.

Born in Nagercoil, in southern Tamil Nadu, and having studied at different government medical colleges in Kerala, fighting an election in the Hindi heartland was difficult for Thampi, who had very little command over that language.

The journey to file nomination was his first journey outside southern India, and Rae Bareli would have presumably looked and felt strange to him.

As it turned out, it became the sole election in which Gandhi suffered an electoral debacle. Socialist leader Raj Narain won the constituency with a majority of 55,000 votes despite Gandhi winning it twice earlier with a record number of votes. It was also a seat her estranged husband, Feroze Gandhi, represented in 1952 and 1957.

Despite having no funds to campaign and little ability to converse in Hindi, Thampi emerged third in the race by fetching 9,311 votes.

When Thampi reached the constituency, most in north India could have been unaware of the pristine hills of Wayanad where tribal lands were usurped on a large scale by settlers and encroachers from outside. It was not seen as a popular tourism destination then. The nearest rail links were in Mysore in Karnataka and Kozhikode in Kerala while the nearest airport was in Kochi, also in Kerala, 268 km away. Connectivity with the rest of the world was a cause for concern in Wayanad as most roads were not motorable.

Thampi's engagement with electoral politics did not stop in Rae Bareli.

After Indira was assassinated by her security guards in 1984, he went to Amethi to fight against Rahul's father, Rajiv Gandhi, who he felt was turning the Congress into a family business.

A sympathy wave was sweeping the whole country at the time over the brutal assassination of Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv was emerging as the country's conscience keeper: Amethi was not ready to listen to Thampi and he could only get 539 votes.

During these two instances, I discovered the extravagant spending of political parties and leaders to safeguard their long-standing strongholds. In 1985, I initiated legal proceedings in the Supreme Court, advocating for the establishment of set expenditure restrictions for candidates and political parties. Despite the court dismissing the petition for technical reasons, the judges gave me a patient hearing, Thampi wrote about his experiences in a Malayalam piece, which focused on election disputes.

Now, when the former prime minister's grandson, Rahul Gandhi, is contesting in Rae Bareli, many in the heartland town will likely know Wayanad only as his alternative constituency. Like Rae Bareli, Wayanad was also a Congress citadel, though it lacked any VIP presence until the general election in 2019 when Rahul Gandhi won the seat.

Now, while the debate is raging on which of the two constituencies Rahul would prefer to retain if he wins both, few people even in Wayanad remember the activist doctor.

Thampi was closely connected to the marginalised and disadvantaged tribal people of Wayanad throughout his life until he passed away on June 16, 2010.

The doctor, who willingly gave up his job to work for the betterment of the tribal community, resided in a dilapidated one-room rented home in Sulthan Bathery town in Wayanad.

Thampi was born into an affluent Tamil-speaking family in Nagercoil in Kanyakumari but always told his friends that he had consciously made the choice of being poor.

"The last time I saw Thampi, his living room deviated from the typical expectations for a medical practitioner. The stethoscope in the corner had been non-operational for an extended period, and the room was filled with folders holding outdated newspaper clippings and legal mandates. There were at least three kerosene lamps in the room because the Kerala State Electricity Board had disconnected the electricity supply due to unpaid bills,'' recalled Wayanad-based writer and documentary filmmaker O K Johnny.

"I am uncertain if anyone in Wayanad has informed Rahul about this doctor who waged unsuccessful electoral fights against his father and grandma on two significant occasions in recent history. Due to the fleeting nature of public memory, even the indigenous people in Wayanad have regrettably forgotten about Thampi," he said.

"Thampi was at the peak of his youth following the emergency. He was a moral medical graduate who despised the chaotic nature of the internal emergency and the authoritarian control of poor people it entailed. He chose to go from Wayanad to Rae Bareli by utilising public buses and the non-reserved sections of trains only driven by idealism,'' said Echome Gopi, a political activist from Wayanad.

Thampi dedicated the next decades years to working in rural areas among the tribal population.

When the state government failed to fulfil its obligation to restore the lands taken away from tribes as per the provisions of the Kerala Scheduled Tribes Restriction on Transfer and Restoration of Alienated Lands Act of 1975, Thampi initiated legal proceedings before the Supreme Court.

He sought an order to compel the government to carry out the restoration.

In 1999, the court ordered the state government to allocate a minimum of one acre of land to every landless tribal family in Kerala within six months. The court judgement compelled all prominent political parties in Kerala, regardless of their ideological differences, to unite and pass a law that legalises all encroachments on tribal lands. Consequently, the problem of tribal land alienation still remains unaddressed in Kerala.

"Even 14 years after his passing, the general public does not even remember the medical professional who later earned a law degree solely to advocate for the rights of indigenous communities. Contrarily, tribal issues in Wayanad persist as unresolved and complex," Johnny said.

Thampi's physical remains were incinerated at a public cremation ground at Vithukadu near Meppadi in Kalpetta because none of his relatives from Nagercoil came to collect his body. The location of his wife and two children who shared his challenging societal beliefs remains unknown.
BRS chief and former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao asserted that there is no INDIA bloc and all political leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, are out of it. Rao, popularly known as KCR, claimed that the regional political parties are really challenging the BJP and are set to emerge as a strong force in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. BRS chief and former Telangana CM, K Chandrashekar Rao(PTI)

In an interaction with news agency PTI, KCR weighed in on the subject of INDIA bloc vs NDA in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

"It's not INDIA alliance and NDA alliance. There is nothing like INDIA alliance, Mamata Banerjee and everybody is out... It is the regional parties which are really fighting out the BJP; they will emerge as a strong force," said KCR.

He slammed the Congress government in Telangana and said, "It is disastrous; it's not my perception, it's the people's perception. They have failed to implement every promise they made in the Assembly elections."

ALSO READ| Telangana Cong releases Lok Sabha poll manifesto with focus on state

During the interaction, K Chandrashekar Rao predicted that BJP would win zero to one seat in Telangana in the Lok Sabha election 2024. On BRS' chances in Telangana, Rao said "We are going to win more than a dozen seats".

BJP-led NDA alliance comprises of political parties like the PMK, the JDU, the JD(S), Shiv Sena etc. as its member parties. Meanwhile, the Congess party-led INDIA bloc consists of the AAP, the TMC, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) etc. as its member parties.

The Lok Sabha election 2024 is being held in seven phases across the country. In the third phase on May 7, voting will be held for the election of MPs from 93 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 12 states and Union Territories in the country.
Dehradun: With forest fires raging in Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday ordered a ban on stubble burning for a week and instructed officials to ensure there was no burning of wastes in and around forests by civic bodies, people familiar with the development said. So far, 351 cases have been registered in man-made forest fire incidents against 59 named and 290 unidentified suspects. (FILE)

Dhami over a phone call instructed chief secretary Radha Raturi to issue directions to all district magistrates to monitor forest fire in their respective regions every day for a week, a senior state official said.

Dhami also instructed the district magistrates to completely ban the burning of all types of stubble for one week with immediate effect. Besides, he issued directions for all urban local bodies to ban the burning of their solid waste in forests or around forests, the official added.

ALSO READ | 3 killed as forest fires continue in Uttarakhand

The directives came a day after Dhami had presided a meeting with top officials of the state government and all district magistrates through video-conferencing from Uttarakhand Sadan in New Delhi. The CM had asked the chief secretary to fix the responsibility of officials for checking the raging fires in the Himalayan state.

Forest fires have emerged as a big challenge for the state government. The responsibility of officials from top to bottom should be fixed. The officials posted at the headquarters level should be given the responsibility of divisions to tackle the forest fires, Dhami said on Saturday. Regular reports should be taken from all of them.

At least 1,100 hectares of forest land have been damaged in over 900 incidents of forest fire in the hill state in the last six months, officials said.

Nishant Verma, the nodal officer for forest fire incidents in Uttarakhand, said that the state reported 24 incidents of forest fire  22 in Kumaon region, and one each in Garhwal and wildlife administrative regions  on Sunday, in which 36.4 hectares of forest land were damaged.

ALSO READ | In first deaths in Uttarakhand forest fires, two labourers killed in Almora

From November 1 last year till Sunday 4 pm, 910 incidents of forest fires have been reported in the state in which at least 1,144.3 hectares of forest land have been damaged. Of these, 398.46 hectares have been damaged in the Kumaon region, 657.9 hectares in the Garhwal region and 87.9 hectares in the administrative wildlife regions, Verma said.

So far, 351 cases have been registered in man-made forest fire incidents against 59 named and 290 unidentified suspects, he added.

Uttarakhand has recorded the highest number of large forest fires in the country in the last seven days since April 28, according to the data of the Forest Survey of India (FSI). The Himalayan state reported the highest 325 large forest fire incidents in this period, followed by Odisha (196), Chhattisgarh (148), Madhya Pradesh (105) and Jharkhand (79). In the same period, Uttarakhand also recorded 4,543 fire alerts, the highest in the country, followed by Odisha (2,981), Chhattisgarh (2,527), Jharkhand (1,420) and Madhya Pradesh (105), according to FSI data.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that it had recovered a huge amount of "unaccounted" cash during searches at the premises of a domestic help allegedly linked to the secretary of Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam in Ranchi. Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam during an election campaign rally in Ranchi on May 6.(PTI)

According to ANI, ED has recovered more than 20 crore so far. The videos of raids shared on social media showed wads of currency notes in a room allegedly belonging to the domestic help.

The Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids at multiple locations in Ranchi in connection with a related to Virendra K. Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department. He was arrested in February 2023 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes.

Who is Almagir Alam?
An M-Tech from Haryana's Karnal was stabbed to death in Australia during a fight between some Indian students over the issue of rent, a relative said. Faimily members and relatives mourn the death of Navjeet Sandhu in Karnal on Sunday.(HT Photo)

The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Navjeet Sandhu. He had moved to Australia on a study visa one-and-a-half years ago.

According to Yashvir Sandhu, the victim's uncle, one more student was injured in the incident, which took place on Saturday around 9 pm local time in Melbourne.

The family had levelled allegations against two natives of another village in Karnal, who had a dispute with Sharwan, who was injured in the incident, while Navjeet was just accompanying him.

Sharwan, a schoolmate of Navjeet, had a dispute over some rent issue with two of his older flatmates. Sharwan started living with Navjeet and asked him to go with him to their house to pick up his belongings. While Sharwan was inside, Navjeet waited outside and heard them shouting. The men came outside and had a scuffle with Navjeet following which he was stabbed, he added.

Also Read | Roommate held in murder of Indian-origin student in the US

Yashvir said the family got the information about the incident early Sunday morning and that they are in a state of shock. "Navjeet was a brilliant student and was to join his family in July for vacations," he said, according to PTI.

His father, a farmer, had sold one-and-half acres of their land to fund his education. "We urge the Government of India to help us to bring the body as soon as possible," Yashvir said.

Officials, however, said that the family is yet to approach the administration for any relief.

A statement issued by Victoria police said that the cops are continuing to investigate his death at Ormond town of Melbourne.
A crew of French bakers on Sunday dethroned Italy with a new world record by creating a 140-meter-long baguette. When finished, the national symbol was donated to feed the homeless. An 18-member team of bakers in the French city of Suresnes, a western suburb of Paris, set a new Guinness World Record on Sunday by creating a 143.53-meter-long (461-foot-long) baguette. The baguette took 10 hours to make. (DW/Stephanie Lecocq/REUTERS)

The team bested the previous record by more than 10 meters, reclaiming the title for France after it had been held by bakers from Como, Italy, for the past five years. (Also Read | Celebrating excellence in journalism and the arts, Pulitzer Prizes to be awarded Monday)

It was made during an event for the French Confederation of Bakers and Pastry Chefs.

Confederation President Dominique Anract said, "A record for the longest handcrafted baguette requires true spirit and collective sportsmanship," adding, "Bread is an engine of performance, our baguette is an essential part of our gastronomic heritage."

What goes into such an effort?

Guinness rules stipulate that the baguette  a symbol of Frenchness recognized the world over  must be at least 5 centimetres (just under 2 inches) thick throughout; in line with the standard baguette, which must be roughly 60 centimetres in length, weigh about 250 grams (roughly half a pound) and be made solely from wheat flour, water, salt and yeast.

Participating bakers said they began kneading dough for the 152 kilogram (335 pound) delicacy  which required 90 kilos of flour, 60 litres of water, 1.2 kilos of salt and 1.2 kilos of yeast  around 3 a.m.

It was then baked in a specially constructed, slow-moving wheeled tent oven.

"Suresnes is proud to have been the scene of this record for the longest baguette in the world, which promotes a national symbol of our gastronomy as well as the artisans who perpetuate their know-how," said Mayor Guillaume Boudy.

"I congratulate the bakers from Suresnes who participated in the baking, and maintain the daily sharing tradition essential to the conviviality of our city."

After Guinness officials certified the effort, part of the baguette was cut and handed out interested onlookers, while the rest was distributed to the homeless.
Supermodel Naomi Campbell was one of the celebrities who attended billionaire Umar Kamani and his now-wife, model Nada Adelle's wedding in the French Riviera. Naomi showed up in style to the Pretty Little Thing founder's glamorous marriage celebrations. Her sartorial choices for slaying the wedding guest look included two beauteous ensembles - a shimmery peach-toned custom gown by Nicolas Jebran and a Manish Malhotra custom beaded saree. The supermodel's saree look garnered compliments from her desi fans, who called the sartorial moment 'iconic'. Keep scrolling to check out what Naomi wore. Naomi Campbell wears a custom Manish Malhotra beaded saree to Umar Kamani's wedding. (Instagram )

Naomi Campbell wears a Manish Malhotra saree to Umar Kamani and Nada Adelle's wedding

Naomi Campbell arrived at the luxurious Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in the South of France alongside several other celebrities to attend Umar Kamani and Nada Adelle's wedding. She took to Instagram to share pictures from their wedding and captioned the post, "#Mr&MrsKamani, thank you for a DIVINE WEEKEND OF LOVE." The photos show Naomi dressed in an absolutely gorgeous ombre, feathered pallu saree. The drape is by Manish Malhotra, who also shared Naomi's pictures on the gram with the caption, Summer Romance with Lavender...custom made Beaded Saree beautiful on Iconic @naomi...special moments at the French Riviera with #naomicampbell.

The pre-draped Manish Malhotra lavender saree features a pleated front, a floor-grazing hem length, a beaded belt cinched on the waistline, and an attached see-through pallu adorned with gota work, sequin embellishments and white-and-lavender hued feather adornments. The pallu formed a floor-sweeping train on the back, giving Naomi's saree an ethereal touch.

The supermodel completed the look with a sleeveless bustier blouse featuring beaded embellishments, sequinned design, a corseted bodice, a wide plunging neckline, and a fitted silhouette. She accessorised the ethnic ensemble with diamond jewels, including a mang tika, bracelets, rings, and dangling earrings. Centre-parted loose tresses, smoky eye shadow, caramel lip shade, feathered brows, mascara on the lashes, rouge on the cheekbones, and beaming highlighter on the contours completed the glam picks.

Meanwhile, the bride and groom, Umar Kamani and Nada Adelle, also wore Manish Malhotra outfits for one of their wedding ceremonies. They chose matching ivory sherwani and lehenga sets.
Sonakshi Sinha turned showstopper for designer Vikram Phadnis in a regal black lehenga at an event last night held in Mumbai. The Heeramandi actor, basking in the success of the recently-released Sanjay Leela Bhansali series and the praises for her portrayal of Fareedan, slipped into a black lehenga for the fashion show. The traditional ensemble drew applause from the audience and should also be on your wedding guest roster. Moreover, if you are an experimental bride, Sonakshi's look could be the showstopper ensemble you need for your special day. Keep scrolling to check it out. Sonakshi Sinha turns showstopper for Vikram Phadnis in a regal black lehenga set. (Instagram)

Sonakshi Sinha turns showstopper in a regal black lehenga

Sonakshi Sinha walked the ramp for Vikram Phadnis at the Bombay Times Fashion Week last night. The paparazzi captured Sonakshi as she turned showstopper for the designer in a regal ensemble from his collection. Paparazzi pages shared videos and pictures of the Heeramandi actor on social media. The snippets show her slaying her walk, greeting the media, and answering questions from reporters. Fans also loved Sonakshi's traditional avatar. One commented, "Heeramandi queen." Another wrote, Queen [fire emojis].

Sonakshi's black lehenga set features a full-sleeved blouse, a lehenga skirt, and a matching dupatta draped on her head. While the blouse has a round neckline, gold floral embroidery, a cropped hem, and a fitted silhouette, the lehenga comes with an A-line voluminous silhouette, intricate gold thread and gota embroidery, and a floor-grazing hem length. The net dupatta with heavy gold thread embroidery, gota borders, and floral applique work rounded off the look.

Sonakshi accessorised the lehenga set with minimal jewellery, including statement earrings and an ornate gold ring. Meanwhile, feathered brows, winged eyeliner, shimmery eye shadow, rouge on the cheekbones, nude brown lip shade, bronzer on the contours, and a dewy base rounded off the glam picks. Lastly, she styled her tresses in a centre-parted sleek braided hairdo adorned with white gajra.
Several cases of swine flu infections have been reported in Assam's Barak Valley, including one death, where health department officials are using Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and other frontline workers to examine if the virus has spread to other parts of the district. There are reportedly four active cases of patients in Cachar while in Hailakandi, there has been one reported death of a 1.5-year-old due to swine flu. Swine flu outbreak in Assam: Symptoms and precautions (HT File Photo)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Subrata Das, HOD, Internal Medicine and Diabetology at Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru, shared, The swine flu outbreak in Assam has raised concerns, as symptoms resemble those of the common flu, including fever, sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may lead to breathlessness and complications such as pneumonia and low oxygen levels."

He advised, Precautions against swine flu are similar to those for Covid-19, emphasising the importance of wearing masks, frequent hand washing, disinfecting surfaces and maintaining overall hygiene. Additionally, individuals are advised to cover their nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, avoid touching their face, and steer clear of sick individuals. If feeling unwell, it's recommended to stay home to prevent further spread of the virus. Adults need to receive the annual flu vaccine, which shields them against severe complications of flu.

H1N1 is simply one of the strains of the influenza virus, that causes H1N1 flu, also commonly called swine flu as it was originally found in pigs. The virus is quite contagious and spreads between humans quickly and effectively, causing symptoms similar to those of the regular human flu.

Key precautions to avoid swine flu or H1N1:

1. Being informed  it is critical to rely on credible medical information for awareness, when it comes to infectious diseases

2. Covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when one coughs or sneezes. Be sure to dispose the tissue immediately after use, in a safe manner

3. Frequent handwashing with soap and water or use of hand sanitizers

4. Avoiding close contact with those who are obviously or suspected to be sick

5. Isolation to prevent spreading it to others

6. Most importantly, getting an annual influenza vaccine helps reduce the risk and severity of H1N1.
Indonesia will permanently relocate the entire population of an island in North Sulawesi province because a volcano is threatening their safety. Evacuees board an Indonesian naval vessel on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, as Mount Ruang volcano spews smoke in the background. Eruptions at a remote Indonesian volcano forced more than half a dozen airports to close with ash spreading as far as Malaysia, officials said, while authorities rushed to evacuate thousands due to tsunami fears. (Photo by Ronny Adolof BUOL / AFP)

Mount Ruang erupted spectacularly last month and has been spewing ash that forced nearby airports to close and flights to be cancelled.

Ruang Islands population of around 10,000 people is being moved to Bolaang Mongondow on the island of North Sulawesi about 40 kilometers away, Tempo newspaper reported, citing Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono. This was agreed upon following a Cabinet meeting with President Joko Widodo.

Simple, permanent homes will be built in the Bolaang Mongondow area for the resettled people, said Coordinating Human Development Minister Muhadjir Effendy on Friday as reported by Tempo.

After the evacuation the government intends to designate Ruang island as a conservation site.

Authorities have issued a state of emergency until May 14, warning of a potential tsunami should parts of the volcano collapse due to the eruptions.

Indonesia, with a population of over 270 million people, sits on the Ring of Fire  a series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean  and has more than 100 active volcanoes spread out across thousands of islands including popular tourist destinations.

In 2017 some 40,000 people were evacuated from villages around Mount Agung in Bali when the volcano erupted, causing a temporary slump in tourism and around $1 billion in losses.
On October 3 last year, the United States (US) Supreme Court gave Indian students a welcome reprieve they had long sought. It forever rubber-stamped the lawfulness of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, the central magnet that draws international students to American colleges and universities. OPT allows international students to work for one year after graduation with a virtually-no-questions-asked Employment Authorization Document. Most Indian students pursue graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). The STEM OPT extension expands the work benefit to three years. OPT is a critical perch to seeking permanent employment, getting sponsored for a Green Card (permanent residence), and settling down. It fulfils a dream that first develops when a student completes the 12th-grade board exams.

However, as Indian students who will soon leave for American shores await receiving their I-20s and the coveted F-1 visa stamp from a US consulate, things are not so sweet in the land of milk and honey. Several studies have shown that US companies, especially staffing firms, exploit OPT students to force work for low wages under stressful, enslaved conditions. The number of OPT visas issued is unlimited, making it an employers market. The government refuses to regulate employment conditions and bring the bad guys to justice.

H-1B math doesnt work. To apply for a Green Card (immigrant visa), Indian OPT students have to convince employers to hire them on dual-intent H-1B visas. The law authorises 85,000 new H-1Bs to be granted yearly, of which 20,000 are reserved for applicants who earned a Masters degree or higher from a US educational institution. The competition for H-1B visas is so intense that the American government resorts to a lottery, which, for this fiscal year, concluded on April 1. The lottery is held just once a year, so a STEM OPT student technically has three chances of winning it.

An Indian student is not restricted to only the 20,000 reserved quota, however. The 65,000 general H-1B visa pool, which attracts applications from every aspirant worldwide, including professionals from Indian tech majors, welcomes Indian student applications too. But the students are up against stiff competition and hefty corporate law budgets. Students failing to win the H-1B are forced to return to India.

The wait for a Green Card could exceed a lifetime. Even if a student wins an H-1B visa, a significant milestone in an Indian students journey in the US, not everything is green on the green card front. It is, again, a matter of supply and demand.

US law grants 140,000 green cards annually for employment-based applicants but stipulates that these be distributed across all countries, with no country receiving more than 7% of the allotment. So India gets 9,800 green cards a year, a pittance. With nearly 60,000 new Indian H-1Bs entering the line annually, the backlog is so long that it currently takes about 80 years to get a green card. During the wait, Indians have to seek H-1B transfer approvals when they switch jobs or get laid off.

That apart, a Goldman Sachs report said last March that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) could impact 300 million jobs globally, with 37% of US jobs in architecture and engineering, the kind that Indian students seek, at risk. According to Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks tech industry layoffs, 1,185 tech companies laid off 262,582 employees in 2023. The lower demand for employment hurts Indian OPT and H-1B employees even as more Indian students flock to America.

The situation in Canada is similarly glum. A YouTube short documentary called Borrowed Dreams: The Canadian Experience, highlighting housing, health care, education, and employment issues, has garnered over 200K views. Indian students in the United Kingdom continue to struggle with that countrys strict rules for post-graduate employment and its terrible economy.

Diaspora Indians contribute immensely to Indias foreign exchange reserves, and Indian students are the seed that breeds that proud diaspora. India remains the source of the globes human capital, and the Modi government has aggressively promoted this fact as a competitive advantage.

But when the western dream fails to materialise, Indian students should reconsider whether they are better off at home in one of the worlds fastest- growing economies.

Rajkamal Rao is managing director, Rao Advisors LLC. The views expressed are personal
Among the politicians with the highest stakes in the constituencies that go to the polls today is one who is not contesting. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has given the ticket in his constituency, Gulbarga, to his son-in-law and handed over the reins of his campaign to his son, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge. The transfer of his constituency to the next generation at a time when the Congress president is at the height of his national recognition is likely to be presented as a sign of a fear of failure, but it is also a commentary on the course Dalit politics has taken in India.

Mainstream Dalit politics in India has been deeply rooted in the differing perspectives of Ambedkar and Gandhi. These differences are remembered primarily in terms of Ambedkar seeking separate electorates while Gandhi wanted everybody to be able to vote for Dalits in reserved constituencies. Ambedkar argued that a general electorate in a constituency reserved for Dalits would lead to the more upper-caste-friendly Dalit winning. Gandhi saw a general electorate voting in a choice between Dalit candidates as a means of forcing the upper castes to recognise Dalit leaders. Nearly a century after that debate in 1932, the differences have moved to one between the Ambedkarite focus on Dalit identity and a more broad-based effort at Dalit absorption.

Mallikarjun Kharge clearly saw himself as a part of the second tradition. When, as a seven-year-old, he witnessed his mother and sister being burnt alive by the Razakars of the Nizam, he could have easily been drawn into an identity-based communal mindset. His decision to instead focus on reducing differences between communities extended to his Dalit identity as well. As he grew into a labour lawyer and then a politician, he focused on issues that went beyond identity, sometimes objecting to being referred to as a Dalit politician.

Playing down his identity resulted in Kharges politics focusing primarily on issues affecting the region he represented. Northeast Karnataka is the most backward region in the state and much of Kharges politics has been on seeking specific benefits for this region. He has sought projects to develop the region and played an important role in introducing Article 371-J into the Constitution of India. The article provides special benefits to northeast Karnataka.

Kharges inclusive politics paid him rich political dividends. Between 1972 and 2014, he contested 11 assembly and parliamentary elections and never lost. But his repeated electoral successes over a 42-year period papered over two trends that were making his style of politics more difficult to pursue.

The more significant of these trends was the rise of identity politics. This has been most visible in the growth of Hindutva, but that was not the only identity that was gaining greater mileage. Caste identities also began to gain greater importance in the political scheme of things, and Dalit identity was no exception.

The politics of Dalit identity has taken on diverse forms. There is the growth of Ambedkar as the symbol of Dalit identity, which is presented with varying degrees of assertion. Within this larger picture, there has been the growth of sub-Dalit identities as well. In Karnataka, there has been considerable debate over the share of the Left sect and the Right sect of the Dalits. This issue dominated the discourse around this round of ticket distribution in several reserved constituencies in the state. Irrespective of the specific type of Dalit identity that was being highlighted, identity politics eroded Kharges Dalit-led inclusive politics.

It did not also help that Kharges efforts to develop northeast Karnataka had less success than he may have hoped for. Karnataka has been a state where much of the growth is concentrated in a single urban district, Bengaluru. Government resources into backward districts did improve growth in those districts, but the savings from that growth tend to be invested in Bengaluru. As a result, while the districts of northeast Karnataka did see some growth, it was nowhere near as rapid as that of other districts in the state, notably urban Bengaluru. As the income gap between northeast Karnataka and Bengaluru widened, the region was seen as remaining backwards despite governmental efforts. Being the politician who represented the region for over half a century, Kharge took much of the political blame. In the 2019 parliamentary election, Kharge was defeated for the first and only time in his political career.

With Kharges Dalit-led inclusive politics beginning to fray around the edges, it faces the same challenges in 2024 that it did five years earlier. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put up the man who defeated Kharge in 2019 and he has been aggressively presenting his Dalit identity. His campaign has been built around an agitation against the desecration of an Ambedkar statue. Kharge has himself begun to articulate the Ambedkarite position more frequently than he did in the past. But his entire politics is centred around building consensus and does not sit easily with aggressive identity politics.

In stepping back from the fray, Mallikarjun Kharge has handed over the politics of his constituency to the next generation of his family. His son, Priyank Kharge, has used his position as minister in the Karnataka government to present a much more assertive Dalit identity. He often leads the charge against the BJP in the state assembly as well as on social media. He would want to marry the inclusiveness of his fathers politics with the assertion of a Dalit identity that has become an essential requirement in Karnatakas Dalit politics.

Whether the next generation of Kharges can defend Mallikarjun Kharges electoral legacy will leave its mark on the national stature of the Congress president, but what happens in the Gulbarga parliamentary constituency will also be a commentary on whether the current emphasis on Dalit identity will necessarily wipe out other perspectives of Dalit politics. The political fortunes of this and other reserved constituencies will provide the next round of evidence in the never-ending interest in the sometimes conflicting perspectives of Gandhi and Ambedkar.

Narendar Pani is JRD Tata Chair visiting professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. The views expressed are personal
Global real estate consultancy JLLs project and development services (PDS) footprint in India has touched 250 million sq ft in FY2023 and is expected to grow at 15-20% this fiscal. While the office sector continues to remain the focus, the company is exploring expansion opportunities in segments such as senior living and warehousing in the country, Cynthia Kantor, CEO, Project and Development Services (PDS) and Susheel Koul, CEO, Work Dynamics, Asia Pacific, Singapore, told HT Digital. JLLs project and development services (PDS) footprint in India touched 250 million sq ft in FY2023 and is expected to grow at approximately 15-20% this fiscal, Cynthia Kantor, CEO, Project and Development Services (PDS) and Susheel Koul, CEO, Work Dynamics, Asia Pacific, Singapore, told HT Digital

While JLLs core business in India is centered around the office segment, it has expanded its presence in the industrial sector and to some degree in retail and hospitality as well. The focus on diversification is the core of our strategy and project businesses around the world. Our focus is a lot on offices and the built environments as both are important to people and the society as a whole, Kantor told HT Digital during her first visit to India after taking over as the CEO of JLL's PDS business earlier this year.

The global consultancys PDS business in India touched 250 mn sq ft in FY 2023 and is expected to grow at the rate of 15-20% this fiscal, she said.

Also Read: Share of green office leasing touches 16% in 2022-2023; Global Capability Centres account for 76% of overall leases

The company is also focusing on the manufacturing, industrial, logistics and e-commerce (MILE) segment around the world. We have 8000 employees across the world and the MILE businesses are very technically intense. These are our high growth areas globally and we are expecting consistent growth across these segments in the next decade, she told HT Digital.

On senior living

The company has diversified into education and senior living in Australia and plans to introduce those segments in India as well, said Koul, who was a part of JLL's global leadership team that visited India recently.

Also Read: South Indian states, including Bengaluru, lead with 62% share of the senior living housing segment

The senior living business is just about a decade old and is maturing. Fast forward 20 years, the growth in wealth and the emerging nuclear family set-up, is expected to propel demand for the senior living business in India as well, he said.

The company is also targeting the warehousing segment.

Warehousing is the next big focus area for private equity in India. With the growth in last mile delivery among retailers, infrastructure development across cities, this business is expected to be a major growth area in India, he said.

JLL's assets advisory business expected to grow by 20-25%

JLL is also planning to focus on its assets advisory business in India.

Financial institutions pump in money into several real estate projects and require consultants to look into the quality aspects of the project and whether the investments are being deployed in the right manner. This is an area of growth for us, said Koul.

Also Read: CREDAI pledges 1,000 green buildings by 2025

The company is currently working with banks, who have the funds and a set of developers who need them. But the money will not be given directly to them. We will act as an intermediary, said Koul, adding this segment is expected to grow by 20-25% in the next five years.

This business where we act as asset advisers to banks/ investors, and make sure that their money is put to good use and high quality assets are delivered on time, will form a substantial part of our business in the next five years. We see this segment growing by almost 25% going forward, he added.

On green buildings

Grade A sustainable office buildings command a 7% to 8% rental premium. JLL is working on a fairly large sustainable commercial buildings portfolio in India. With several companies around the world pledging to reduce their real estate emissions by half by 2030 and reach net-zero carbon no later than 2050, this segment presents a big opportunity, said Koul.

The focus is also expected to be on retrofitting Grade B commercial buildings with sustainable features, he said.

The demand for sustainable commercial buildings in India is led by global capability centres, said Kantor.

GCCs or global in-house centers or captives, are offshore units of large multinationals performing technology operations.

Work-from-home and impact on commercial space take-up

With companies asking their employees to return to offices post the pandemic, there is also a need to encourage more people to come to work. JLL is incorporating artificial intelligence to make office spaces efficient and engaging, explained Koul.

Also Read: Office buildings in Mumbais Bandra Kurla Complex command higher prices than Manhattan

We have created occupancy maps for several offices around the world. This helps us analyse how people use office space through the day. Through this mechanism we are able to track employee behavior movements on a Monday and how these may change on a Wednesday, he said.

This helps us optimize costs and reduce wastage which in turn impacts sustainability, he added.
Tech giant Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt Ltd has bought a 48 acre land parcel in Hyderabad for 267 crore, documents accessed by Propstack showed. Tech giant Microsoft has bought an almost 48 acres land parcel in Hyderabad for  267 crore (REUTERS/ FILE)

The sale deed was registered on April 18, the documents showed.

The per acre price for the land parcel, located in Elikatta Village, Farooqnagar Mandal, Ranga Reddy district, Hyderabad in Telangana, works out to be around 5.56 crore, the documents showed.

Land aggregator Sai Balaji Developers facilitated the deal, the documents showed.

Responding to a query sent by HT Digital, Microsoft said that it had no information to share at this time.

According to media reports, in 2022, Microsoft had acquired three land parcels in Hyderabad for around 275 cr to establish a data center.

In 2022, Microsoft Corporation (India) had acquired 10.89 lakh sq ft of commercial plot in Pune from Finolex Industries for a consolidated amount of 328.84 crore. The commercial plot is located at Pimpri Waghere in Pune and has been acquired through an agreement with Finolex Industries to transfer the lease for 328.84 crore, the documents showed. The company had then paid a stamp duty of 16.44 crore on the deal, the documents showed.

Also Read: Finolex Industries sells leasehold rights of 25 acres of land in Pune for 470 crore

The Noida Authority in 2021 had allotted a plot spanning over 60,000 square metre to Microsoft India (R&D) private limited in sector-145 at a premium of 103.66 crore.

Also Read: Noida allots 60k-sqm plot to Microsoft in sector-145

Real estate developers and entities sealed approximately 101 separate land deals in fiscal year 2023-24, cumulatively accounting for nearly 2,989 acres across the country, according to data shared by Anarock.

Also Read: More than 101 land deals for approximately 2,989 acres closed in FY-24 across cities, including Ayodhya
Anant Sharma, co-founder of a Bengaluru-based company, wondered if he should leave India as he criticised the citys infrastructure, weather and water situation. Not just that, he even asked his social media followers if it was worth shifting to Mumbai or Pune. Anant Sharma slammed Bengaluru's infrastructure, water situation and weather. (X/@AnantNoFilter)

Bangalore looks like its gonna go to the dogs in another 5 years with bad infra, bad weather, and bad water. Is Mumbai or Pune worth shifting to or should I just leave India? wrote Sharma on X (formerly Twitter).

His post soon caught peoples attention and garnered over 3.6 lakh views. A few even shared their thoughts on his post.

Srijan R Shetty, an entrepreneur from Bengaluru, shared his thoughts on Sharmas post. He expressed, People don't come to Bengaluru thinking about the weather. They come to Bengaluru and then realise the weather is/was great. People here are kind and want everyone to win; young folks want people playing non-zero-sum games, and I don't see that happening anywhere else but here.

The systemic problem with Bangalore is that people think of it as an immigrant city. Unless it becomes a vote bank, no one will want to change the city. Getting voter percentage up to 80% and asking officials to get stuff done is the only way to solve the infra issues. And till we don't do that, cant really blame the government because they want to stay in power, and Bengaluru is not a factor in that, Shetty added.

Heres how other X users reacted:

Every city has issues. Stop running and start owning the city, posted an individual. To this, Sharma replied, Been doing that only all this time. Feel like its overdue now.

Another added, Probably an unpopular opinion, but its pretty straightforward now. Its not just about weather and water. There are many other indicators. If you can afford it, leave. Period. Sharma replied to the comment by saying that the reasons to leave the city strengthen every day.

Mumbai has its own issues. If you want to move, get out of metro cities. All metros will face even more issues in the next 5-10-20 years, said a third. Sharma reacted to this and said, Heavy. Do you think other metros are better equipped to handle this kind of growth tho? Bangalore seems relatively noobish to such development in general.

This, however, is not the first time an entrepreneur has considered moving out of India due to an array of issues. Last year, Brij Singh, founder and CEO of a Bengaluru-based company, said that he learnt more in three days in the Bay Area [San Francisco] than he could learn in Bengaluru, India. He added that he spent two months trying to register a company in the city, but all his efforts were in vain. This, he said, prompted him to consider moving back to the US.

Bengaluru, known for its pleasant weather, has been grappling with scorching heat for the last few months. This has contributed to water shortage in the Silicon Valley of India. The recent showers brought much respite to the residents, and this is expected to continue from May 7 to May 19.
Harsh Goenka, Chairperson of the RPG Enterprises, recently shared his thoughts on the booming stock market and its effects. In his tweet, he mentioned how "Harshad Mehta, Ketan Parekh era is back primarily in Kolkata." He also added, Promoters are inflating profits (through profit entry) and in nexus with Gujarati-Marwari brokers driving their stock prices to unrealistic levels. It's time for @SEBI_India @FinMinIndia to step in and investigate before small investors suffer severe losses. Soon after his tweet went viral, numerous people reacted to it. For the unversed, Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh were both stock brokers involved in scams. Harsh Goenka shared his thoughts on the booming stock market and later got criticised by an individual. (Instagram/@officialhumansofbombay)

Recently, an X user also reshared his thoughts on Goenka's post. He wrote, "Mr Harsh Goenka, in the past, for your incendiary posts & distasteful cartoons, you got lambasted by the Internet. Also faced heavy criticism when you tried to humiliate & downgrade @msdhoni. Now, I'm trying to create panic & fear with this baseless comment on the nexus of Gujarati & Marwari. Mr. Goenka, you need to work on your ongoing habit of reckless commenting." (Also Read: 'Harshad Mehta era is back primarily in Kolkata': Harsh Goenka on booming stock market in Kolkata)

Take a look at the tweet here:

This post was shared on May 5. Since being posted, it has gained more than one lakh views. The post also has over 400 likes and the numbers are only increasing. Numerous people also flocked to the comments section of the post and posted their reactions.

Here's how people reacted to the tweet:

An individual wrote, "Why blame Marwaris and Gujaratis without any reason or proof? I think these are the two most hardworking and Knowledgeable business communities in India. They have very good knowledge of stock markets and are traditionally investing in the market."

A second posted, "Indulges in Plagiarism, has done nothing creditworthy to the inheritance & a relic of the license Raj. Engaging him is a waste of time."

"Mr Harsh Goenka is absolutely right. And I salute him. Being a Marwari, he has the courage to speak the truth," said a third.

A fourth added, "He is saying the truth. A lot of stock prices are being gamed today. This may trap small investors and will have disastrous consequences. Most investors who lose money will quit the markets forever."
A product manager working at Meta, and who had earlier worked with Google, shed light on which company to consider if one is seeking work-life balance. Daniel McKinnon, in his blog, said that while both companies are similar at face value, one offers growth and the other prioritises work-life balance. Daniel McKinnon revealed which company out of the two - Google or Meta - prioritises work-life balance.

Meta and Google are both phenomenal technology companies where great PMs can thrive. If you are looking for convexity and growth at the expense of stress and pressure, Meta is probably a better fit. If you would like to prioritise work-life balance, stability, and job security, Google could be a great place for you, wrote McKinnon.

In his blog, he discussed the differences in work culture at both companies in depth. Meta is a dynamic company but is not stress-free. At Google, there is no pressure, and projects can span decades.

He also said that although transparency at both the companies has declined, Meta is still more transparent. It is much harder to find out what is going on inside of Google, he further wrote.

McKinnon thinks that Meta is a quasi-academic, truth-seeking organisation where dissent is encouraged and decisions are made on the basis of data. Google, on the other hand, doesnt tend to make for a more collegial work environment.

The product manager at Meta says that if conflicts arise on a project, the company request reviews from the battling parties and make a call based on their judgment. Google, however, doesnt have any intervention from leadership, and teams and divisions have the freedom to pursue their own priorities.

He also talked about career growth at both companies and said that it is much faster at Meta than Google. He added that it is much easier to get fired for poor performance at Meta than Google.

McKinnon worked at Meta from 2018 to 2022 as a product manager for Applied AI Research. During his stint, he worked on speech, social audio, and language modelling. From 2022 to 2024, he was the product manager of Vertex Generative AI at Google and worked closely on maps and language modelling. McKinnon returned to Meta as product manager of Reality Labs in February this year and has been working on the voice assistant for Ray Ban | Meta glasses.
A Ukrainian drone attack hit vehicles carrying workers in Russia's frontier Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35, the governor said Monday. Firefighters extinguish burning cars after shelling in Belgorod, Russia. (AP)

Belgorod has come under an increasing number of fatal Ukrainian drone and missile attacks in recent months and Monday's bombardment is the deadliest in weeks.

"Unfortunately, as a result of an explosion, six people died at the scene from their wounds," Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

He added that "35 people were wounded" in the attack near the village of Berezyovka.

Gladkov said the attack hit two vans transporting employees of a nearby factory as well as a passenger vehicle.

The Belgorod government said the vehicles belonged to a meat production facility.

Gladkov said two children were among the wounded and that one man was in "serious condition" and undergoing surgery.

The official published a photograph of that back of a bus that had blown out windows and a damaged roof.
Israel ordered the closure of local offices belonging to Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite news network on Sunday, heightening tensions in a longstanding dispute between the broadcaster and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. (FILES) Employees of Qatar based news network and TV channel Al-Jazeera are seen at their Jerusalem office on July 31, 2017, ((Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP))

This unprecedented order includes the confiscation of broadcast equipment, the prohibition of the channels reports from being aired, and the blocking of its websites. It is believed to mark the first instance of Israel shutting down a foreign news outlet operating within its borders.

ALSO READ- Israel-Hamas war: 16 killed in Rafah retaliatory strike; Netanyahu rejects truce | 10 updates

Al Jazeera taken off-air in Israel

Following the order, Al Jazeera was removed from Israels main cable and satellite providers, although its website and multiple online streaming links remained operational. Israeli communication minister Shlomo Karhi later shared footage of authorities raiding a hotel room used by Al Jazeera for broadcasting in East Jerusalem, seizing some of the channel's equipment.

ALSO READ- Hamas armed wing claims responsibility for deadly attack on Israel-Gaza crossing

Why Israel took action against Al Jazeera?

Al Jazeera has provided continuous reporting since the conflict's outbreak on October 7, even amid Israel's ground offensive, resulting in casualties among its staff. The network's Arabic arm frequently aired verbatim video statements from Hamas and other militant groups.

Prime minister Netanyahu accused Al Jazeera of compromising Israel's security and inciting against its soldiers. He called for the removal of what he termed as its time to remove the Hamas mouthpiece from our country.

ALSO READ- Israel orders Rafah evacuation ahead of military operation

What Al Jazeera said?

Al Jazeera released a statement announcing to pursue all available legal channels through international legal institutions in its quest to protect both its rights and journalists, as well as the publics right to information.

The network criticised Israel's actions as an attempt to suppress the free press and hide its activities in Gaza, which it deemed as violations of international and humanitarian laws.

Israels direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and threats will not deter Al Jazeera."
An American soldier was detained in Russia last week on charges of "criminal misconduct," the US Army said on Monday. Russia notified the US State Department, which is "providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia," and the Army notified his family. (Representational Image) (File)(AP)

The soldier -- who was not identified by name -- adds to the number of Americans held in the country amid deep tensions with Washington over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"On May 2, 2024, Russian authorities in Vladivostok, Russia, detained an American soldier on charges of criminal misconduct," US Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said.

Russia notified the US State Department, which is "providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia," and the Army notified his family, Smith said.

"Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time," she added.

When asked earlier about reports of a soldier's detention in Russia, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: "We are aware of this case."

NBC News said the soldier traveled to Russia on his own and was not on official business.

The soldier, a staff sergeant, was arrested on suspicion of theft and was currently being held in pre-trial detention, CNN reported.

Several other Americans are held in Russia, including Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal detained on espionage charges more than a year ago.

He, his employer and the US government all reject the charges against Gershkovich.
Originally from rural Punjab, they arrived in Canada in the past three to five years as international students like thousands of others from India. However, there are no records of them actually attending classes at the institutions they were apparently enrolled in. On Friday, their names were flashed across Canadian and global media as they were arrested in connection with the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 last year in Surrey, British Columbia.

Kamal Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, were apprehended from Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, where they were based and will be brought to Surrey on Monday as legal proceedings against them commence.

Serious charges against the trio

They have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the homicide. Under section 231 (1) of Canadas criminal code, they face a minimum sentence of 25 years, if they are convicted. However, the allegations against them have to be proven in court.

All three are believed to be affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which appears to have an extensive network in Canada and has been linked to instances of drive-by shootings and extortion in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Edmonton and the Greater Toronto Area or GTA. Among his principal lieutenants in North America is Satinderjeet Singh, better known as gangster Goldy Brar, who is wanted in connection with the murder of entertainer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022. Brar, who was featured on Canadas Top 20 Most Wanted fugitives list last year, is believed to have been residing in Brampton in the GTA before shifting to Northern California.

Nijjars murder and investigation

Nijjars murder in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib, where he was president at the time of his death, ruptured relations between India and Canada, including scuttling advanced negotiations towards an Early Progress Trade Agreement or EPTA, after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus statement in the House of Commons three months after the incident that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the homicide.

That connection has not yet been established by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT, tasked with the probe. But as Trudeau and investigators have said, that effort is ongoing along with attempts to track down at least three others who may have been involved in the killing.

When news first broke on the late evening of June 18, 2023, that officers from the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP "found an adult male inside a vehicle suffering from apparent gunshot wounds", after receiving information that regard at approximately 8.27 pm, it would have been difficult to predict the incidents diplomatic repercussions.

The diplomatic fallout

But Nijjar was a contentious figure, often the topic of conversations between India and Canada, as New Delhi had designated him a terrorist on July 1, 2020, as the Canada-based chief of Khalistan Tiger Force. He was wanted on charges of terrorism in India, including for conspiracy to murder a priest Kamaldeep Sharma in Jalandhar in January 2021.

When officials from the National Investigation Agency or NIA met their Canadian counterparts in New Delhi and Ottawa in 2021 and 2022, he was a major point of conversation for the former. Indian officials often expressed frustration at the lack of Canadian action, while the latter said they could not proceed as the information provided did not meet the evidentiary threshold of the countrys justice system.

None of the charges against him were ever tested in a Canadian court, though he was placed on an American no-fly list. He was briefly detained in April 2018 by Canadian law enforcement but released without any charges. At that time, he said he was targeted and framed in false criminal cases by Indian authorities. While he had been working as a plumber, in 2019, he became president of the Surrey Gurdwara.

Nijjar was also the principal organiser of the so-called Khalistan Referendum in British Columbia for the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice. He arrived in Canada in 1997 using a forged passport but his refugee claim was denied the next year. However, he remained in Canada and started propagating the separatist cause. An Interpol Red Notice was issued for him in 2014 and 2016 at Indias request but he had somehow become a Canadian citizen in 2007. That was apparently due to lobbying by an Indo-Canadian MP though that cant be confirmed.

Nijjars murder and US intelligence

But events across Canadas southern border have underscored the serious nature of the allegations over Nijjars murder. Last year, an indictment in a Federal court in New York was unsealed revealing an unsuccessful plot to kill Nijjars close friend and SFJs general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun.

The American documents pointed to an Indian official allegedly directing gangster Nik Gupta to facilitate Pannuns killing but that plan went awry as the person he contacted was an undercover American operative. But Nijjars killing was specifically mentioned in the American indictment giving substance to Trudeaus allegation against India, which New Delhi had described as absurd and motivated.

Matters could get further complicated in Canada as a recent Washington Post report alleged the involvement of Indias Consulate General in Vancouver in targeting Nijjar. No evidence has been provided but SFJ, which has seen itself gaining increasing influence in Canadian affairs, and other pro-separatist elements in Canada, have amplified that charge. Indias diplomats will remain under pressure as they have been since last summer when SFJ started its Wanted campaign against them.

Indian officials have stressed that relations with Ottawa are unlikely to improve till Trudeau remains in office, which is at least till October next year when Federal elections are scheduled. A change in Government in New Delhi, they said, will make little difference to Indias posture, which was articulated by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who described Canada as the biggest problem while speaking at an event in Bhubaneshwar on Saturday, adding that Canadian leaders had given these kinds of extremism, separatism, advocates of violence a certain legitimacy, in the name of free speech.

That was proven again on Sunday, as pro-Khalistan elements paraded a float in Malton in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi chained in a cage for Nijjars murder, amid separatist chants, like those that greeted Trudeau when we spoke at a Khalsa Day event in Toronto the previous Sunday.

It remains to be seen if Indias Prime Minister receives an invitation to attend the G7 heads of government summit, which Canada will host in the fall of 2025. As a former Indian diplomat to Ottawa said, We may not have seen the worst yet.
MELBOURNE, Australia  Australia has protested to Beijing that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares in international waters, officials said Monday. Australia accuses China of unsafe behavior when fighter jet released flares in a helicopter's path

The incident occurred on Saturday as the Australian air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart was enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea in international waters in the Yellow Sea, the Defense Department said in a statement.

A Chinese Chengdu J-10 fighter jet released flares in the flight path of an Australian navy Seahawk deployed from the Hobart 300 meters in front of the helicopter and 60 meters above, Defense Minister Richard Marles said.

The helicopter pilot had to take evasive action in order to not be hit by those flares, Marles said in a statement.

The consequence of being hit by the flares would have been significant, Marles said.

Marles said the Chinese interception was "unsafe and unprofessional.

We will not be deterred from engaging in lawful activities and activities which are there to enforce U.N. sanctions in respect of North Korea, Marles added.

There were no injuries or damage, the Defense Department said, adding the Australian government expressed concerns to the Chinese government. There was no immediate comment from Beijing on Monday.

It was the most serious encounter between the two nations forces since Australia accused the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo of injuring Australian navy divers with sonar pulses in Japanese waters in November last year. Australia said China disregarded a safety warning to keep away from the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba.

China maintains that the encounter happened outside Japanese territorial waters and that the Chinese warship caused no harm.

Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Australia this year for the first time in a decade as bilateral relations have improved in recent years from unprecedented lows.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
While polling suggests far-right politicians in several European countries will do well in European Union elections next month, in the French-speaking part of Belgium they face a regional media boycott. Belgium's far right struggles to break through media ban

The informal, concerted ban means they are effectively kept off news pages and airwaves in Wallonia.

The media measure is an echo of a "cordon sanitaire" employed by mainstream political parties that refuse to have anything to do with the extreme right.

The systematic snub, say experts, explains why Walloon far-right politicians are totally marginalised, unlike their counterparts in Flanders, the Flemish Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium.

There, local media give airtime to far-right politicians just as they do to politicians from any other party.

Their approach is akin to that of the neighbouring Netherlands, where the extreme-right Freedom Party of Geert Wilders won a surprise victory in national elections in November.

With the far right making inroads into turf hitherto occupied by more centrist parties, it is not impossible that the Walloon "cordon sanitaire" could evaporate.

That is especially pertinent since Belgium holds its own national elections on June 9 simultaneously with the EU-wide elections for the European Parliament.

The "cordon sanitaire" for the mainstream political parties applies at all levels local, regional and national.

Yet it is only in Wallonia that the media have adopted the same practice.

"Reporters don't hold out their microphones to them, which prevents the extreme-right parties from being heard in prime time and becoming known to the majority of the Walloons," said Francois Debras, a political science professor at Liege University, in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

The political blockade first appeared regionally in 1988, when an extreme-right Flemish party, Vlaams Blok, made headway in local elections, according to CRISP, a non-governmental research association on social and political issues.

The boycott spread to the whole of Belgium's political landscape in the 1990s, after Vlaams Blok's seats in the federal parliament jumped from two to 12, and a far-right National Front party emerged in Wallonia.

Belgium's mainstream groups say the anti-immigration stance of those two parties violates the European Convention on Human Rights, an argument that forms the basis for the systemic snub.

Over the past three decades, Wallonia's far right have only managed to hold two seats in Belgium's lower house of parliament.

The National Front won one seat in 1991 and the People's Party won another in 2010.

Both Eurosceptic groups have since been dissolved.

Analysts say the nativist-nationalist rhetoric used by the far right has less traction in the French-speaking part of Belgium than it does in the Dutch-speaking part, or in neighbouring France or the Netherlands.

That, they say, is because the Walloon identity itself is hard to pin down.

"If it exists, it defines itself more in reaction to others," particularly the Flemish faction agitating for regional independence, said Debras.

Raoul Hedebouw, head of the left-wing Workers' Party of Belgium, offered another view.

Walloon Belgians, he said, felt bound together and were represented by politicians who listened to them.

In Wallonia, trade unions organise workshops and training courses, for instance on citizenship, which reinforces opposition to the far right.

"The existence of these bodies limits the influence of racist or extremist discourse... that counters the sense of lack of societal belonging and inclusion," said Debras.

But Belgium's far right has changed since the last national elections in 2019.

A new party, Chez Nous , was formed in 2021 with the backing of Vlaams Belang Vlaams Blok's name after a 2004 rebrand and France's far-right National Rally, whose figurehead is Marine Le Pen.

It presents itself as Wallonia's "only patriotic party", with the intention of staking out a place in that region.

Chez Nous's support has not yet been tested in voter surveys, and it is not participating in the EU elections, unlike Vlaams Belang.

But it wants to enter the regional Walloon parliament and, more importantly, the federal chamber, where even a single seat would give it access to political funding.

"A federal member of parliament is our initial goal. We'll have five years after that to grow," a Chez Nous representative for the Liege area, Noa Pozzi, told AFP.

To get around the local media boycott, the party has turned to social media, where its posts are already garnering as much attention as those of a mainstream liberal party, according to data from a monitoring institute.

mad/rmb/raz/gil

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President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Monday as Israel military urged civilians to move out of the southern Gazan city of Rafah, according to US and Israeli officials. (FILES) Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) greets US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Biden spoke by phone with Netanyahu April 4, 2024, the White House said, amid growing outrage over an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)(AFP)

The discussion came hours after Israels military told Palestinians to move out of parts of the city where more than a million people are sheltering. Israel Defense Forces conducted air strikes early Monday morning, but the warning has prompted speculation Israel may be readying long-expected ground operations.

The US has made clear its opposition to a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, according to a White House National Security Council spokesperson, who confirmed the call between the two leaders. The leaders spoke for about 30 minutes, according to an Israeli official.

Biden is also set to meet Monday with King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss the conflict. Cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union, brokered by Egypt and Qatar appeared to stall over the weekend.

Talks stalled over insistence by the Iran-backed militant group that a truce be permanent  a condition that Netanyahu, who has declared that Israel intends to fully eradicate Hamas from Gaza, has been reluctant to concede. Hamas killed four Israeli soldiers with a rocket barrage on Sunday on the border crossing of Kerem Shalom, one of its worst missile attacks in weeks.

Earlier: Israel Tells Civilians to Leave Rafah as It Weighs Attack

Large numbers of people began leaving Rafah following Israels warning, though it is unclear how long it would take for the bulk of civilians to leave. Israeli officials privately say it could take weeks, while the US has expressed doubts that it can be done safely.

Netanyahu has for months said civilians in Rafah would be moved out before any attack. There are around 1.4 million in the city, most of whom fled there after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

The Israel Defense Forces will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence, a spokesman said on X on Monday morning. He urged residents of eastern Rafah to go north to an expanded humanitarian area near Khan Younis, another city in Gaza.

Most Arab and many European states have said Israel should not attack the city, fearing it would lead to mass civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The parents of the three-month-old baby and his grandparents visiting from India who were killed in a traffic collision in Ontario last week, have said they are unable to describe the agony of what are undergoing. Ottawa Police Service officers outside a house in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven, Ontario, Canada, on March 7. (REUTERS)

According to a statement from the surviving family members, released by Ontarios Special Investigations Unit or SUI, 33-year-old Gokulnath Manivannan and his wife Ashwitha Jawahar, 27, said, We are at a complete loss of words to describe the agony and vacuum in our hearts knowing we can never hold our child Aditya Vivaan, who gave us so many precious memories in such a short time, in our hands again.

They also said they lacked courage to enter their home as it was filled with our only sons memories. Manivannans father Manivannan Srinivasapillai and his mother Mahalakshmi Ananthakrishnan, both visiting from Chennai, were also killed in the multi-vehicle crash.

That tragedy unfolded after Durham Regional Police Service or DRPS officers chased a vehicle on April 29 after they suspected the driver was involved in a robbery at an alcohol store. Fleeing the scene, the driver entered a highway but was going in the wrong direction.

The fatal accident ensued, involving six vehicles. The suspect was also killed in the mishap while a 38-year-old passenger was injured.

It now appears the driver, 21-year-old international student Gagandeep Singh, was out on bail allegedly after an attempted LCBO robbery, was facing charges for two other liquor store robberies, according to a report in the outlet Toronto Sun.

That avoidable tragedy has also drawn the attention of the leader of Canadas principal Opposition Conservative Party Pierre Poilivere, who posted on X, Two wonderful grandparents and a beautiful baby were killed after a criminal - out because of Justin Trudeaus catch-and-release laws - slammed his car into the innocent family while fleeing a robbery. Common sense Conservatives will stop the crime by bringing jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders.

But that will do little to assuage the trauma suffered by the survivors. As Gokulnath Manivannans statement said, The pain of my own injuries pales as I grapple with the shock and loss of my parents and my only son on the same evening and the ordeal continues with my wifes continued suffering from surgeries and repeated flashbacks of the trauma.
HONG KONG, - China's National Health Commission said it was investigating a hospital in the southwest megacity of Chongqing for its alleged involvement in surrogacy, which is illegal in China, after wide circulation of the issue on social media. China's health body probes hospital after surrogacy claims

The incident comes after a series of official investigations last year related to the issuance of fake birth certificates at a time when China is trying to boost its birth rate.

Chongqing Angel Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital has been cooperating with illegal surrogacy agencies, a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo said on Sunday.

Surrogate mothers would use forged ID cards to give birth in the hospital and forged birth certificates would be made after the babies were born, according to the post, made by a user called Shangguan Zhengyi, who describes himself as a volunteer fighting child trafficking.

A team had been set up to investigate and verify the situation, the local Chongqing health committee said in a statement on its website on Sunday in response to the post. "Once verified, it will be dealt with seriously in accordance with laws and regulations."

Chongqing Angel Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

The Weibo post on the hospital was one of the top trending items on Monday, drawing hundreds of comments.

"This industry always seems to have existed," said one comment by a user called Wensheng. Another user called XJ said: "This is an industrial chain, not something that can be accomplished by one person."

China said last year it would "severely crack down" on illegal activities related to the use of assisted reproductive technologies such as the buying or selling of sperm or eggs and surrogacy.

It suspended a hospital and judicial institute in Wuhan in November after they were accused of surrogacy and issuing fake paternity results.

Birth certificates are required in China for obtaining household registration and are necessary for vaccinations, medical insurance enrolment and application for a social security card.

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Pro-Khalistan elements in Canada took their anti-India provocation up a notch on Sunday as a float featuring an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in chains and in a cage was prominently displayed at a Khalsa Day parade in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA. Kolkata: Peoples from the Sikh community stage a protest against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari after he allegedly called a Sikh IPS officer 'Khalistani', outside BJP office, in Kolkata, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (PTI Photo)(PTI02_21_2024_000237B) (PTI)

The Khalsa Day parade was held in Malton, a town in the GTA, and accompanied with participants holding Khalistan pennants, shouting separatist slogans.

The display was promoted by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ, which linked it to the comment by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday that Canada was a rule-of-law country with a strong and independent justice system, as well as a fundamental commitment to protecting all its citizens.

Trudeau had made those remarks after three Indian nationals were arrested on Friday in connection with the killing of pro-Khalistan figure, and SFJs principal organiser in British Columbia, Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 last year in Surrey.

The Vaisakhi parade came a week after Trudeau addressed another such celebration in Toronto last Sunday, among pro-Khalistan slogans and anti-India slogans and signage.

SFJ also said it will convene a Citizens Court of Canada in Vancouver on June 18, the first anniversary of Nijjars death, on the charges of ordering, abetting, conspiring and facilitating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

SFJs general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun described it was duel between Trudeaus Canada and Modis India which it said was accused by Canada and the US for violent transnational repression of pro Khalistan Sikhs.

Last year, on June 4, a float featuring the assassination of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was part of a shaheedi diwas or martyrdom day event in Brampton, in the GTA, marking the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. When Indian forces stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar on that day in 1984 to flush out separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters.

Other tableaux at the event had featured posters of Bhindranwale. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two members of her security detail on October 31 that year.
Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a cease-fire to halt the seven-month-long war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent. Smoke billows after Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on May 6, 2024 amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.(AFP)

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the deal, and details of the proposal have not yet been released. In recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages during which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

Also Read | Biden, Netanyahu speak as Israel tells Gazans to leave Rafah

Hamas said in a statement its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatars prime minister and Egypts intelligence minister. After the release of the statement, Palestinians erupted in cheers in the sprawling tent camps around Rafah, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted.

Israels closest allies, including the United States, have repeatedly said that Israel shouldn't attack Rafah. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.

Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will worsen Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that in nearly seven months has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

US President Joe Biden spoke Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated U.S. concerns about an invasion of Rafah. Biden said that a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said on condition of anonymity to discuss the call before an official White House statement was released.

Hamas and key mediator Qatar said that invading Rafah will derail efforts by international mediators to broker a cease-fire. Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a U.S.-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a pullout of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

Netanyahu said Monday that seizing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, was vital to ensuring the militants can't rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. He said that Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.

It wasn't immediately clear, however, if that material was already in place to accommodate the new arrivals.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians already are sheltering in Muwasi. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid. But conditions are squalid, with few bathrooms or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area, forcing families to dig private latrines.

After the evacuation order announcement Monday, Palestinians in Rafah wrestled with having to uproot their extended families once again for an unknown fate, exhausted after months living in sprawling tent camps or crammed into schools or other shelters in and around the city. Few who spoke to The Associated Press wanted to risk staying.

Mohammed Jindiyah said that at the beginning of the war, he had tried to hold out in his home in northern Gaza after Israel ordered an evacuation there in October. He ended up suffering through heavy bombardment before fleeing to Rafah.

Hes complying with the order this time, but was unsure now whether to move to Muwasi or another town in central Gaza.

We are 12 families, and we dont know where to go. There is no safe area in Gaza, he said.

Sahar Abu Nahel, who fled to Rafah with 20 family members including her children and grandchildren, wiped tears from her cheeks, despairing at a new move.

I have no money or anything. I am seriously tired, as are the children, she said. Maybe its more honorable for us to die. We are being humiliated.

Israeli military leaflets were dropped with maps detailing a number of eastern neighborhoods of Rafah to evacuate, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays puts themselves and their family members in danger. Text messages and radio broadcasts repeated the message.

UNRWA won't evacuate from Rafah so it can continue to provide aid to those who stay behind, said Scott Anderson, the agency's director in Gaza.

We will provide aid to people wherever they choose to be, he told the AP.

The U.N. says an attack on Rafah could disrupt the distribution of aid keeping Palestinians alive across Gaza. The Rafah crossing into Egypt, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open Monday after the Israeli order.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, Egeland said. He said that an Israeli assault could lead to the deadliest phase of this war.

Israels bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials. The tally doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N.

Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israels main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers. Israel shuttered the crossing  but Shoshani said it wouldn't affect how much aid enters Gaza as others are working.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.

The war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. After exchanges during a November cease-fire, Hamas is believed to still hold about 100 Israelis captive as well the bodies of around 30 others.

The mediators over the cease-fire  the United States, Egypt and Qatar  had appeared to scramble to salvage a cease-fire deal they had been trying to push through the past week. Egypt said it was in touch with all sides Monday to prevent the situation from  getting out of control.

CIA Director William Burns, who had been in Cairo for talks on the deal, headed to meet the prime minister of Qatar, an official familiar with the matter said. It wasn't clear whether a subsequent trip to Israel that had been planned would happen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

In a fiery speech Sunday evening marking Israel's Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu rejected international pressure to halt the war, saying that if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.

On Monday, Netanyahu accused Hamas of torpedoing a deal by not budging from its demand for an end to the war and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal in return for the hostages release, which he called extreme.
UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi is set to arrive in Iran on Monday, where he is expected to speak at a conference and meet officials for talks on Tehran's nuclear programme. IAEA chief due in Iran as concern grows over nuclear activity

The visit comes at a time of heightened regional tensions and with the International Atomic Energy Agency criticising Iran for lack of cooperation on inspections and other outstanding issues.

Grossi, head of the IAEA, is expected to deliver a speech at Iran's first International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology.

The three-day event, which starts on Monday, is being held in Isfahan province, home to the Natanz uranium enrichment plant and where strikes attributed to Israel hit last month.

The IAEA and Iranian officials reported "no damage" to nuclear facilities after the reported attack on Isfahan, widely seen as Israel's response to Iran's first-ever direct attack on its arch foe days earlier, which itself was a retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran's Damascus consulate.

During his visit, Grossi is expected to meet with Iranian officials including the Islamic republic's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami.

On Wednesday Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said he was "sure that these negotiations will further help clear ambiguities, and we will be able to strengthen our relations with the agency".

Iran in recent years has deactivated IAEA monitoring devices at nuclear facilities and barred inspectors, according to the UN agency.

Grossi last visited Iran in March 2023 and met with top officials including President Ebrahim Raisi.

Iran has suspended its compliance with caps on nuclear activities set by a landmark 2015 deal with major powers after the United States in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

Tensions between Iran and the IAEA have repeatedly flared since the deal fell apart, while EU-mediated efforts have so far failed both to bring Washington back on board and to get Tehran to again comply with the terms of the accord.

Last year, Iran slowed down the pace of its uranium enrichment, which was seen as a goodwill gesture while informal talks began with the United States.

But the Vienna-based UN nuclear agency said Iran accelerated the production of 60-percent enriched uranium in late 2023.

Enrichment levels of around 90 percent are required for military use.

Tehran has consistently denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapons, insisting that its atomic activities were entirely peaceful.

In February, the IAEA said in a confidential report seen by AFP that Iran's estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached 27 times the limit set out in the 2015 accord.

On Sunday, the Iranian official news agency IRNA said Grossi's visit provides "an opportunity for the two sides to share their concerns", especially with regard to the IAEA's inspectors.

Iran in September withdrew the accreditation of several inspectors, a move described at the time by the UN agency as "extreme and unjustified".

Tehran, however, said its decision was a consequence of "political abuses" by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.

Eslami said the IAEA has "more than 130 inspectors" working in Iran, insisting Tehran remains committed to cooperating with the nuclear watchdog.

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Israel has started moving people out of Rafah, suggesting an upcoming attack on the Gaza city. The Israeli military said on Monday that it was evacuating around 1,00,000 residents. Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 5, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY(REUTERS)

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said on X Monday morning that they "will act with extreme force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence." He urged residents of eastern Rafah to relocate northward to an expanded humanitarian area near Khan Younis, another city in Gaza.

ALSO READ- Israel-Hamas war: 16 killed in Rafah retaliatory strike; Netanyahu rejects truce | 10 updates

Kan News, Israels main broadcaster, said the IDF was preparing a ground operation in Rafah.

The army airdropped leaflets advising about the evacuation, reported AFP.

Why is Israel planning to use extreme force on Rafah?

Israel plan attck on Rafah after ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel in Cairo seems stalled. Moreover, three Israeli soldiers were killed with a rocket barrage on Sunday at the border crossing of Kerem Shalom.

Hamas's armed wing claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which led Israeli authorities to close the crossing used to deliver aid into Gaza.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said over the past few months that civilians residing in Rafah would be relocated prior to any potential attack. The city is currently home to approximately 1.4 million people, the majority of whom sought refuge there following the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.

The timeline for the evacuation of most civilians remains uncertain. Israeli officials have privately acknowledged that the process could extend over several weeks, while the United States has expressed concerns about the feasibility of ensuring the safety of the evacuation.

Read here- Hamas armed wing claims responsibility for deadly attack on Israel-Gaza crossing

Israeli raid in Lebanon: State media

Lebanese state media reported early Monday that three people were injured in an Israeli strike in the eastern part of the country. The Israeli military said that it targeted a "military compound" belonging to Hezbollah.

ALSO READ- Hamas, Israel entrench Gaza truce positions as latest Cairo talks end

"Enemy warplanes launched a strike at around 1:30 am this morning on a factory in Sifri, wounding three civilians and destroying the building," Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said.

Sifri is situated in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, close to the city of Baalbek, approximately 80 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border.

(Inputs from Reuters)
Medics and first responders in Gaza said 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the southern city of Rafah Sunday, hours after Hamas rockets had killed three Israeli soldiers earlier in the day. Israel-Hamas war updates: Israeli soldiers drive a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israel-Hamas war latest updates:

1. Israeli forces responded with intensified airstrikes in Rafah, Gaza, that claimed 16 lives following Hamas rocket attacks that targeted Israeli soldiers. The medics reported that seven members from one family and nine from another were among those killed. Medical sources confirmed two strikes at different locations in the city.

2. Earlier, Hamas claimed responsibility for an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, which killed three Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces responded with intensified airstrikes in Gaza.

Read here- Hamas armed wing claims responsibility for deadly attack on Israel-Gaza crossing

3. In south Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike led to the deaths of four civilians and inflicted injuries on several others. The strike came in Mays al Jabal, where residents were inspecting damage from previous attacks.

4. Israel ordered the closure of Qatar's Al Jazeera offices, terming it mouthpiece of Hamas. The authorities also confiscated broadcast equipment and blocking the channel's reports and websites.

5. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected international pressure to halt the Gaza conflict during Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone, he said.

6. Following a rocket barrage by Hamas, Israel announced shutting down the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing into Gaza, halting aid deliveries.

7. The UN accused Israel of obstructing humanitarian access in Gaza, issuing a warning about a severe famine in the region. The World Food Programme's executive director described the situation as a "full-blown famine" affecting millions of people.

ALSO READ- Hamas, Israel entrench Gaza truce positions as latest Cairo talks end

8. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the "genocide" in Gaza and urged member nations to impose sanctions on Israel, demanding an end to the violence.

9. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees was denied entry to Gaza for the second time since the conflict commenced, the official said.

ALSO READ- Sen. Ron Johnson says US must let Israel destroy Hamas, keep Palestinian children 'bottled up' in Gaza

10. Student protesters at the United States' University of Southern California disbanded their camp amid police threats, while Northeastern University's commencement concluded peacefully at Fenway Park, avoiding disruptions from ongoing protests.
By Ilze Filks and Tom Little Israel's Eurovision contestant Eden Golan hopes to 'unite by music'

MALMO, Sweden, - Eden Golan, Israel's contender in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, hopes to unite people through her music when she performs this week in Malmo, Sweden, she said in an interview.

The 68th version of the world's biggest song contest takes place as protests occur in many countries against Israel's military campaign in Gaza triggered by Hamas militants' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Golan, 20, is competing with the song "Hurricane" which initially went under the name "October Rain."

"I come here to show my voice, to share my love, my gift from God and to hopefully make people feel something and leave a mark in their souls and to unite by music," Golan told Reuters on Monday.

Israel tweaked the song after the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the competition, took issue with verses from the original submission, which appeared to reference the Oct. 7 attack.

The EBU's decision not to exclude Israel from this year's contest over the war has met protests, and Malmo is bracing for possible unrest during the week although police have said there have been no concrete threats against the event.

Asked how she feels about the possibility of protests in Malmo, Golan said:

"It's up to the people what to do. They have the right to speak their voice, but I'm focusing on my part which is giving the best performance, and on the good, on the good vibes, the good people."

The competition is hugely popular in Israel, which has won it four times. Bookmakers rank this year's entry in the top 10.

"It's a super important moment for us, especially this year," Golan said. "I feel honoured to have the opportunity to be the voice of my country."

The final takes place on Saturday.

During the war in Gaza more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. Hamas militants on Oct. 7 killed around 1,200 people and abducted 252, according to Israel.

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Kenya Airways said on Monday it will resume flights to Kinshasa after military authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo released two of its employees who were detained last month. Kenya Airways says to resume flights to Kinshasa after staff freed

The arrest of the staff was described as "unlawful" by the airline , which had announced on April 29 that it would be suspending flights to the DRC capital.

"Kenya Airways confirms that military authorities have unconditionally released our two employees who had been detained since 19 April 2024," Kenya's flag carrier said in a statement.

"With the necessary ground support in place, we are pleased to announce that Kenya Airways will resume flights to Kinshasa on 8 May 2024."

Earlier, the Kenyan government had announced the release of one of the employees.

"Deeply grateful to inform that Lydia Mbotela, KQ Manager in DRC, has just been released by the authorities in Kinshasa," Korir Sing'oei, Kenya's principal secretary for foreign affairs, said on X, formerly Twitter.

The two employees, who work at the airline's office in Kinshasa, were arrested on April 19 by a military intelligence unit, according to Kenya Airways.

The airline had described it as an "unlawful detention" and as "harassment targeting Kenya Airways' business", while the head of a powerful parliamentary committee called it a breach of diplomatic rules.

Kenya Airways said the employees were held allegedly because of "missing custom documentation on valuable cargo".

The DRC government has not commented on the allegations.

But the airline's CEO Allan Kilavuka had said the cargo, whose contents were not specified, had not been accepted by KQ because of incomplete documentation.

This cargo "was still in the baggage section being cleared by customs when the security team arrived and alleged that KQ was transporting goods without customs clearance".

"All efforts to explain to the military officers that KQ had not accepted the cargo because of incomplete documentation proved futile."

The airline said its employees were held incommunicado in a military facility until April 23, when embassy officials and a KQ team were allowed to visit them.

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Amid strained bilateral ties leading to a decline in tourism between India and the Maldives, the archipelago's tourism minister urged Indian tourists to visit the country and support their economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism. President of the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu (AP Photo)

Speaking to PTI in Dubai, Maldivian tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal highlighted the historical ties between his country and India.

We have a history. Our newly elected government also wants to work together (with India). We always promote peace and a friendly environment. Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals. As the Tourism Minister, I want to tell Indians to please be a part of Maldives tourism. Our economy depends on tourism, he said.

The island country faced a major backlash after three Maldivian officials made derogatory remarks against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X. This happened shortly after Modi shared photos and videos of the Lakshadweep Islands on India's west coast.

A call to boycott Maldives started trending soon on social media. Tourism statistics showed a significant decline, with India's ranking dropping from the top to the sixth position after January.

A sun.mv report published on Monday revealed a significant decline of 42 per cent in tourists from India visiting the country during the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year.

Tourism Ministry statistics indicate that as of May 4, the Maldives welcomed a total of 43,991 tourist arrivals from India, whereas during the same period last year, there were 73,785 arrivals, PTI reported.

The sharp drop in Indian tourists is because of the strained relations between India and the Maldives following the inauguration of pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu's new administration in November last year.

Muizzu reiterated his election pledge to remove Indian military personnel from the country since taking office as president in November. Muizzu forced the withdrawal of 88 Indian military personnel stationed at three aviation platforms gifted by India.

Read Here: What the Maldives election landslide means for India

On Friday, India and the Maldives reassessed the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago, a process insisted upon by Male to be completed by May 10. The fourth session of a bilateral high-level core group, responsible for supervising the substitution of Indian military personnel with civilian experts, took place in New Delhi.

Muizzu has also accused India of interfering in Maldives' affairs. Following last year's presidential victory on an "India Out" plank, Muizzu, aligning more closely with China, designated May 10 as the cutoff date for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel.

Additionally, Muizzu has pursued measures to diminish the Maldives' reliance on India across various sectors, including maritime security, healthcare, and food security. He achieved this by sealing agreements with Sri Lanka, China, and Turkey for medical services, food supplies, and military equipment.
PANAMA CITY  Jose Raul Mulino, the stand-in for disqualified ex-President Ricardo Martinelli in Panama's presidential election, took the lead in early returns Sunday night, holding 34% of the votes and a nearly 10-point lead over his four competitors. Mulino, stand-in for former president barred from running, leads Panama presidential vote count

Though only 60% of the votes had been counted, supporters in Mulino's campaign headquarters erupted in celebration, singing and waving flags. Panama doesn't have a runoff system, so the candidate with the biggest share of votes wins.

Eager for change after months of political turmoil and protests, Panamanians weighed promises of economic prosperity and migratory crackdowns against a corruption scandal. The election was consumed by unfolding drama surrounding the countrys former president, even though he was not on the ballot.

Panamas election will be one of the most complex in its modern history. The vote is marked by increased political fragmentation and social discontent under outgoing President Laurentino Cortizo, said Arantza Alonso, senior analyst for the Americas at the risk consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft, before the polls opened.

The presidential race had been in uncertain waters until Friday morning, when Panamas Supreme Court ruled that Mulino was permitted to run. It said he was eligible despite allegations that his candidacy wasnt legitimate because he wasnt elected in a primary.

Mulino joined the race late, replacing former President Ricardo Martinelli as the candidate for the Achieving Goals party. The fiery Martinelli was barred from running in March after he was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering.

Martinelli, a business tycoon who was president of Panama from 2009 to 2014, dominated much of the race. He campaigned for his former running mate from inside the walls of the Nicaraguan Embassy, where he took refuge in February after receiving political asylum. On Sunday morning, Mulino strolled into the Nicaraguan Embassy trailed by photographers and wrapped Martinelli in a big hug, saying, Brother, were going to win!

While lacking Martinellis spunk, Mulino coasted on his connection to the ex-president. He is rarely seen without his blue Martinelli Mulino 2024 cap and promised to help Martinelli if elected, a pledge welcomed by the ex-presidents supporters.

Panamanians are largely fatigued by the endemic graft that plagues the country. Nonetheless, many are willing to overlook Martinellis prison sentence, a 2017 arrest in Florida and other corruption scandals in favor of the humming economy seen during his presidency.

Among them was Juan Jose Tinoco, voting from his working-class area of small, concrete houses surrounded by extravagant skyscrapers. The 63-year-old bus driver said he planned to vote for Mulino because it was the closest thing he could get to Martinelli, adding that he had earned a decent amount of money during the former presidents time in power.

We have problems with health services, education, we have garbage in the streets ... and corruption that never goes away, Tinoco said. We have money here. This is a country that has lots of wealth, but we need a leader who dedicates himself to the needs of Panama.

Mulino promised to usher in another wave of economic prosperity, and stop migration through the Darien Gap, the perilous jungle region overlapping Colombia and Panama that was traversed by half a million migrants last year.

While Mulinos message resonated with many voters, others like 68-year-old Uber driver Emanuel Romero agreed the country needed change but with someone new at the helm.

Romeros car was painted with banners of Ricardo Lombana, a candidate who has decried corruption and sought to earn the vote of young Panamanians eager for change.

Mulino led polls with around 35% of the vote, while his competitors lagged behind. Former President Martin Torrijos trailed in second at 15%, while former presidential candidates Romulo Roux and Lombana scooped up 14% and 12% respectively, according to a March poll by the Panamanian Institute of Civic Studies.

If we want to see more of the same  corruption and our country falling apart  lets vote for the same people. I will vote for someone independent, and I trust hell do things in a better way that will save the country, Romero said.

No matter who takes the reins, Panama's next president faces an uphill battle, on the economy especially. Last year, the Central American nation was roiled for weeks by mass anti-government protests, which came to encapsulate deeper discontent among citizens.

The protests targeted a government contract with a copper mine, which critics said endangered the environment and water at a time when drought has gotten so bad that it has effectively handicapped trade transit through the Panama Canal.

While many celebrated in November when the countrys Supreme Court declared the contract unconstitutional, the mine closure, the recent slowdown of economic growth and slashed Canal transit will put Panama's new leader in a tight spot.



Associated Press journalist Janetsky reported from Mexico City.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
It's Friday prayers in the northeastern Italian city of Monfalcone, and hundreds of men are on their knees in a concrete parking lot, their heads bowed to the ground. No place to pray for Muslim workers in Italian city

They are just a fraction of the city's Muslims who since November have been banned from praying inside their two cultural centres by Monfalcone's far-right mayor.

Instead, they assemble in this privately owned construction site as they await a court decision later this month to settle a zoning issue they say has barred their constitutional right to prayer.

Among them is Rejaul Haq, the property's owner, who expresses frustration over what he and many other Muslims see as harassment by the city they call home.

"Tell me where I should go? Why do I have to go outside of Monfalcone? I live here, I pay taxes here!" lamented Haq, a naturalised Italian citizen who arrived from Bangladesh in 2006.

"Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Jehovah's, if they all have their church why can't we have one?"

Immigrants make up a third of this city of 30,000 inhabitants outside Trieste, most of them Bangladeshi Muslims who began arriving in the late 1990s to build cruise-liners for ship builder Fincantieri, whose Monfalcone shipyard is Italy's largest.

Their presence is immediately visible, whether the Bangladeshi men on bicycles peddling to and from work or the ethnic grocery stores on street corners.

For Mayor Anna Cisint, the restriction on prayer is about zoning, not discrimination.

Urban planning regulations tightly limit the establishment of places of worship, and as a mayor in a secular state, she says it is not her job to provide them.

"As a mayor, I'm not against anybody, I wouldn't even waste my time being against anybody, you see, but I'm also here to enforce the law," Cisint told AFP.

Still, she argues the number of Muslim immigrants, boosted by family reunifications and new births, has become "too many for Monfalcone".

"There are too many... you have to tell it like it is," she said.

Her warnings about the "social unsustainability" of Monfalcone's Muslim population have propelled Cisint to national headlines in recent months.

They have also assured her a spot in upcoming European Parliament elections for Matteo Salvini's anti-immigrant League party, part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government.

The League for decades has obstructed mosque openings in its stronghold of northern Italy. But the problem is nationwide in Catholic-majority Italy.

Islam is not among the 13 religions that have official status under Italian law, which complicates efforts to build places of worship.

There are currently fewer than 10 officially recognised mosques, said Yahya Zanolo of the Italian Islamic Religious Community , one of the country's main Muslim associations.

That means that out of Italy's estimated more than two million Muslims, most are relegated to thousands of makeshift places of worship that "feed prejudice and fear in the non-Muslim population", said Zanolo.

Cisint, who has been under police protection since receiving online death threats in December, complains about a resistance to integration by what she called a "very closed" community.

She asks why Arabic and not Italian is taught in the community centres and calls "intolerable" wives walking behind husbands or schoolgirls in veils.

In the run-up to European elections, the League has once again seized on illegal immigration to Italy where nearly 160,000 migrants arrived by boat last year, mostly from Muslim countries as a vote-winner.

Salvini has called the June vote "a referendum on the future of Europe," to decide "whether Europe will still exist or whether it will be a Sino-Islamic colony".

But Monfalcone's Muslims don't fit the stereotypes exploited by the League, armed as they are with work permits or passports.

"It's not like we came here to see the beautiful city of Monfalcone," jokes Haq. "It's because there's work here."

Many Muslims told AFP they feel a palpable sense of distrust, if not outright hatred, from some of the long-time residents.

Ahmed Raju, 38, who works at Fincantieri installing panels, has mostly prayed at home since the cultural centres have been off-limits.

Such is the reach of the mayor's rhetoric that "even I get scared" about Muslims, Raju said.

Of the prejudice the community faces, Raju added: "You feel like you're in front of a big wall, that you can't break down."

"We're foreigners. We can't change the situation."

Outside a classroom where volunteers teach Italian to recently immigrated women, Sharmin Islam, 32, said the animosity is acutely felt by her young son who was born in Italy.

"He comes back from school and asks, 'Mum, are we Muslims bad?'"

An administrative court in Trieste will rule on May 23 whether to uphold or strike down the mayor's ban on prayer within the cultural centres.

Haq says Monfalcone's Muslims have "no Plan B" if they lose, but worries even if they win the scars from the stand-off will remain.

Meanwhile Cisint has been actively promoting her book, "Enough Already: Immigration, Islamisation, Submission", warning Monfalcone's situation could be duplicated elsewhere.

On a recent public holiday, Bangladeshis filled the city's main square, from little girls with unicorn balloons to groups of young men enjoying a day off.

Looking on was barman Gennaro Pomatico, 24.

"The locals won't ever accept them," said Pomatico.

"But ultimately they don't bother anyone."

ams/ar/bc/ach

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia's forthcoming nuclear drills were intended as a response to "unprecedented" comments -- including by French President Emmanuel Macron -- about sending NATO troops into Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP)

The defence ministry had announced earlier that drills, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, would be held "in the near future" in the face of unspecified Western "threats".

"It's obvious we are talking about statements from Mr Macron and statements from British representatives," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by reporters what had prompted the drills.

"They are talking about the readiness and even the intention of sending armed contingents to Ukraine -- that is, in fact, to put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian military," he added.

"This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures."

ALSO READ| Russia adds Ukrainian President Zelensky to its list of 'wanted criminals'

Macron said in an interview last week that the question of sending troops to Ukraine would "legitimately" arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines, and Kyiv made such a request.

"I'm not ruling anything out because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out," Macron said, referring to Putin.

Macron had already made similar comments in February.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in an interview last week that Ukraine has the "right" to strike targets inside Russia.

Ukrainian forces have been dependent on Western military aid to battle Russia but NATO has said it will not send troops into Ukraine.
This year's March of the Living was overshadowed by pro-Palestine protesters who massed near the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. As thousands of Israelis gathered for the memorial in remembrance of those affected by the Holocaust, a group of protesters stood alongside the road, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners that read, Stop Genocide in Gaza. Pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Auschwitz death camp in Poland during March of the Living, which commemorates those affected by the Holocaust(Oli London/ X, formerly Twitter)

Pro-Palestine protesters gather at Auschwitz death camp during March of the Living

The participants of the Holocaust memorial marched with Israeli flags from the site of the Nazi concentration camp in Oswiecim to Birkenau, about 2 miles away. The area was under the control of Nazi Germany during World War II, but now the Polish government preserves the former death camps as memorials. As pro-Palestine protesters gathered at the memorial, an Israeli participant tried approaching the demonstrators. However, he was pushed back by security personnel, per the US Sun.

The person later told Ynet that he felt immense anger at the time, adding, I face them fearless and proud with our national flag. Omar Faris, president of an association of Palestinians in Poland, justified Monday's protest by saying, Through this protest, we want to say that we bow down to the victims of the Holocaust too. At the same time, we demand an end to war, an end to genocide, per Independent.

Netizens fume as pro-Palestine protesters disrupt Holocaust memorial march

As the news of the protest broke, furious netizens flocked to social media, calling out the protesters' unjust actions. One X, formerly Twitter user wrote, If you would have told me a year ago, that there would be protesters outside Auschwitz while Holocaust survivors are commemorating the Holocaust Memorial Day I would say youre crazy.

Another user wrote, Shameless Palestine activists protest outside of AUSCHWITZ as Holocaust survivors hold a march on Holocaust Remembrance Day. A group of protesters waving Palestinian flags heckled Jewish survivors as they held a March of the Living' walk.
A royal expert has claimed that King Charles gifted Meghan Markle with a rare honour before she departed from royal duties. The discussion took place when former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole joined Nana Akua on GBN America. Royal expert reveals rare honour King Charles gifted Meghan Markle (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP, photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Cole explored how it went so badly wrong for Meghan and added that it is really hard to puzzle it all together.

She could not have been welcomed more into this country

Its really hard to puzzle where it all went so badly wrong, Cole said. She could not have been welcomed more into this country or the Royal Family.

It was a rare honour when the King offered to walk her down the aisle because her own father, Thomas, is estranged from her, as are most members of her family, he added. That was a great honour, and the late Queen went out of her way to make a friend of Doria, her mother.

After stepping down from her royal duties and moving to the US with her husband Prince Harry in 2020, Meghan has hardly visited the UK. She has often criticised the way she was treated by the members of the royal family. In Harrys memoir, Spare, he too criticised Prince William and Kate Middletons behaviour towards Meghan.

It was previously also reported that two sentences about Meghan that William uttered hurt Harry. William allegedly made these remarks after Harry told him and Kate about his romance with Meghan in 2016.

Harry said in his book Spare that William said, Shes an actress after all, Harold. Anything can happen. Harry was a bit hurt, but responded with a nod and hugged Kate and William goodbye, reported Cheatsheet.

During another conversation about Meghan with William, William predicted a host of difficulties I could expect if I hooked up with an American actress, Harry recalled in Spare. Harry added that William always managed to make the phrase sound like convicted felon.
China's relationship with the PICs will not be affected by US smears: experts

15:08, May 06, 2024 By Fan Anqi ( Global Times

Livelihood supplies provided by East China's Jiangsu Province arrive at Malaita in the Solomon Islands on April 4. Photo: Courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in the Solomon Islands

As China extended its congratulations on the election of Jeremiah Manele as the new prime minister of the Solomon Islands on Sunday, the US ramped up its efforts to sway the Pacific Island countries (PICs) against cooperation with China in an attempt to sow discord.

Experts reached by the Global Times said that the US' purported commitments are merely lip service that lacks substance, a fact that the islanders are already keenly aware of. The relationship between China and the PICs will not be affected by such smears, they noted.

When Chinese Ambassador to Solomon Islands Cai Weiming met with Manele on Sunday, Cai congratulated him on his election and expressed China's willingness to work together with him and the new government to enhance mutual strategic trust, deepen practical cooperation, strengthen cultural exchanges and promote new achievements in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Manele thanked China for its long-standing support and assistance, while reaffirming the Solomon Islands' commitment to the one-China principle. He expressed readiness to closely collaborate with China to elevate the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries to new heights for the benefits of both peoples.

Manele, who was former foreign minister of the Solomon Islands, was elected by lawmakers on Thursday. He pledged to continue the country's international policy and friendly relations with China. This is the first general election held in the Solomon Islands after it established diplomatic ties with China in 2019.

Sparking alarm over the "pro-China" figure, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Friday that Washington is offering assistance to the PICs "even if Washington alone cannot match China's growing footprint," VOA reported on Saturday.

"China covers a lot of ground in the Pacific Islands, maybe more ground than we can cover ourselves," Blinken admitted. However, he told these countries, "We're not asking you to choose, we want to give you a better choice."

"Blinken's remarks reflect the US' consistent strategy in recent years to sow discord between China and the PICs, by portraying China as attempting to expand its influence in the region, even to dominate, which is simply not the case," Chen Hong, executive director of the Asia Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"This is a typical case of a thief crying 'stop thief,'" Chen noted.

The US' rhetoric of maligning China's mutual beneficial cooperation with the PICs has become increasingly harsh over recent years, which proves that China is receiving strong support and welcome from local peoples and governments, experts said.

In contrast, the US has long been paying lip service, making empty promises to deceive the Pacific islanders.

"In fact, the historical exploitation and plunder by Western countries, as well as the pressure from them after the independence [of the PICs], has made the countries clear about the US' tactics," Chen said. "As a result, the credibility of the US in the region has significantly declined."

It is evident that Washington's strategy of exerting influence for its own selfish interests and hegemony is losing its effectiveness, Chen noted.

The Solomon Islands is a prime example. Since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 2019, the US has been attempting to influence and manipulate the country, including through coercion to distance it from China.

However, the previous government staunchly resisted this pressure, and the new government has also pledged to keep this policy continuity.

Chinese analysts expressed confidence that the relationship between China and the PICs will not be influenced by the smears of the US, while also cautioning that Washington will not stop its pace to keep exerting pressure to the countries through enticement or coercion.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
ANKARA, - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he welcomed the decision by militant group Hamas to accept a ceasefire in Gaza, which he said was made in line with Ankara's suggestion, adding he hopes Israel would do the same. Turkey's Erdogan welcomes Hamas accepting ceasefire, hopes Israel will do the same

Turkey has denounced Israel's assault on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire, halted all trade with Israel, and announced its decision to join South Africa's application for Israel to be tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice .

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdogan called on Western countries to increase pressure on Israel's leadership to accept the ceasefire. Ankara has repeatedly complained of what it calls the unconditional support given to Israel by the West, particularly the United States.

"We welcome the statement by Hamas that they accepted the ceasefire with our suggestion. Now, Israel must take the same step," he said.

Shortly after, Erdogan said on social media platform X that he had spoken by phone to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh to discuss the militant group's decision on the ceasefire and the ongoing efforts to end the fighting in Gaza.

"During the call, in which I stated that I found it positive for Hamas to take such a decision with Turkey's suggestion, we emphasised that Israel must take a step for a lasting ceasefire too," Erdogan said on X.

Erdogan hosted Haniyeh and a delegation from Hamas, which he has called a "liberation movement", in Istanbul last month.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Commencement ceremonies were held at several US colleges over the weekend under the shadow of recent student protests against the Israel-Hamas war, even as other institutions grappled with how to navigate tensions ahead of their own events. Adams Vows Peaceful NYC Graduations as Colleges Face Disruptions

About 75 protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted anti-war messages at the University of Michigans commencement on Saturday while at Indiana University, some students walked out of the graduation ceremony in protest of the conflict, according to the Associated Press. In New York, Mayor Eric Adams pledged to keep university graduation ceremonies in the city safe from violent protests over the war in Gaza, saying no one should be allowed to threaten them.

We will make sure its done in a peaceful manner, Adams said Sunday on ABCs This Week. Graduations are a wonderful experience and I dont think we should allow anything to get in our normal way of life, he said. We will do our job.

Universities across the US have faced wrenching decisions in dealing with a wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests as Israeli forces pursued military assaults in Gaza following an attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7. The protests have tested college administrators, some of whom have resorted to drastic measures.

Ahead of their own graduation events, several institutions have taken steps to clear their campuses. New York police entered Columbia University on Tuesday to remove protesters who had occupied a building, with about 300 people arrested at the university and nearby City College. Columbia President Minouche Shafik is allowing the NYPD to stay on campus for two weeks, including commencement on May 15  the same day as New York Universitys graduation ceremony.

Read more: Why Israel-Hamas War Tests Campus Tolerance of Speech: QuickTake

On Sunday, Los Angeles police cleared out protest camps at the University of Southern California, the second such operation. USC, which had already canceled its main commencement ceremony citing safety concerns, said the campus remains closed, though smaller graduation ceremonies remain on the schedule this week.

At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, police used pepper spray to break up a camp and arrested 25 protesters on Saturday, according to the Washington Post, while police said Sunday it cleared out camps at the Art Institute of Chicago. Students from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which is affiliated with the institution, were among those arrested, the school said.

We have to understand that this a defining moment for this generation, Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, said on CBSs Face the Nation. The few protesters inciting violence or engaging in antisemitism are diminishing the thousands of young people who simply want the war to end, he said.

Meanwhile, the University of California Los Angeles on Sunday announced the appointment of a new associate vice chancellor for campus safety. Rick Braziel, a former Sacramento Police Department chief, was named to the newly created role days after police dismantled barricades and tents erected at UCLA following a violent clash between demonstrators and counter-protesters.

Other schools have sought a more conciliatory approach. Northwestern University and Brown University are among institutions that have held discussions with students about demands to divest from businesses they say support Israel.

Read more: Ivy League Turmoil Spotlights Unattractive President Jobs

Such deals remain rare. University of Florida President Ben Sasse, a former Republican senator from Nebraska, on Sunday waved off calls to open up student discussions on investments.

We just dont negotiate with people who scream the loudest, Sasse said on CNNs State of the Union. That just doesnt make any sense to me.

About 1,200 people were killed and another 250 kidnapped in the attack by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union. Israels response has killed at least 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The United Nations estimates that at least 75% of Gazas population has been displaced and more than half a million civilians are on the brink of famine.

Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has criticized the unrest, questioned why protesters arent demanding that Hamas accept a cease-fire proposal thats on the table. The situation could end right now if Hamas just surrendered and they just sent all of those hostages home again, he said on Face the Nation.

With assistance from Esha Dey.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Boeing's Strainer spacecraft will finally carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) after years of anticipation. Boeing's Starliner set for crewed mission with Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams.(NASA)

At Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the capsule is set to take off on an Atlas V rocket on Monday at 10:34 p.m. ET. Prior to NASA approving Boeing to fly Starliner on regular trips to and from the space station, astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams will lead the spacecraft on its first crewed voyage.

Boeing is launching their spacecraft for the first time with people on board following years of delays, technological difficulties, and large overhead costs.

Speaking about the test flight, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: "Because it is a test flight, we give extra attention. Theyre checking out a lot of the systems  the life support, the manual control, all of those things that you want to be checked out."

Thats why we put two test pilots on board, and of course the resumes of Butch and Suni are extensive, he added.

Also Read: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams gives insight into 1st crewed Boeing Starliner launch

What if the mission gets successful?

If the mission is successful, Boeing will have the opportunity to rival Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has been transporting astronauts from NASA to and from the orbiting outpost since 2020.

The spacecraft of both firms were developed under NASA's Commercial Crew Programme following the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011.

During a preflight briefing held last week, Wilmore stated that safety is the top priority and that the capsule was simply not ready for launch when the previous Starliner launch attempts, both crewed and uncrewed, were postponed.

Why do we think its as safe as possible? We wouldnt be standing here if we didnt, Wilmore told reporters.

Do we expect it to go perfectly? This is the first human flight of the spacecraft, Wilmore said.

Im sure well find things out. Thats why we do this. This is a test flight.

The astronauts are scheduled to dock with the space station the next day and stay there for around a week before making their way down to Earth and landing at Starliner's primary landing site in the White Sands Missile Range of New Mexico.

Also Read: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams gives insight into 1st crewed Boeing Starliner launch: It feels unreal

How is NASA making sure they have backup plans?

Makena Young, a fellow with the Aerospace Security Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., noted that although NASA astronauts have been flying aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft for years, the agency does not want to depend on a single business.

Having that second option is really important because it adds redundancy and resiliency, Young said, as per NBC News. In space systems, there are always redundancies, because if something goes wrong, you want to make sure that you have backups.
Columbia University is canceling its large university-wide commencement ceremony amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests but will hold smaller school-based ceremonies this week and next, the university announced Monday. Noting that the past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for the community, Columbia said in its announcement that it made the decision after discussions with students.(AP )

Based on feedback from our students, we have decided to focus attention on our Class Days and school-level graduation ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, and to forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15, officials at the Ivy League school in upper Manhattan said in a statement.

Noting that the past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for the community, the school said in its announcement that it made the decision after discussions with students. Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families, officials said. They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their schools invited guest speakers.

Columbia had already canceled in-person classes. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbias green were arrested last month, and similar encampments sprouted up at universities around the country as schools struggled with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses.

US campuses are roiled by protests over the Israel-Hamas war

The University of Southern California earlier canceled its main graduation ceremony while allowing other commencement activities to continue. Students abandoned their camp at USC early Sunday after being surrounded by police and threatened with arrest.

The protests stem from the conflict that started Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Israeli strikes have devastated the enclave and displaced most of its inhabitants.

School leaders strike deals with pro-Palestinian protesters

Anti-war demonstrations ceased this week at a small number of U.S. universities after school leaders struck deals with pro-Palestinian protesters, fending off possible disruptions of final exams and graduation ceremonies.

The agreements at schools including Brown, Northwestern and Rutgers stand out amid the chaotic scenes and 2,400-plus arrests on 46 campuses nationwide since April 17. Tent encampments and building takeovers have disrupted classes at some schools, including Columbia and UCLA.

Deals included commitments by universities to review their investments in Israel or hear calls to stop doing business with the longtime U.S. ally. Many protester demands have zeroed in on links to the Israeli military as the war grinds on in Gaza.

The agreements to even discuss divestment mark a major shift on an issue that has been controversial for years, with opponents of a long-running campaign to boycott Israel saying it veers into antisemitism. But while the colleges have made concessions around amnesty for protesters and funding for Middle Eastern studies, they have made no promises about changing their investments.
The Planet of the Apes has always received critical appreciation from both experts and the box-office but has failed to win the Oscar appreciation and accolades. Now as the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is gearing up for its release in theatres on May 10, director Was Ball has made public his apprehension. Why has the trilogy never won an Oscar? The Planet of the Apes franchise has never won an Oscar for its visual effects.

Wes Ball says it's criminal that none of the Planet of the Apes films have ever won Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, and he'll do all he can to ensure they get recognition.

I think it's criminal that these Apes movies have never won a visual effects awardI mean, an Oscar. I think it's crazy.

WetaFX artist Sean Walker, who recently appeared on the YouTube series The Corridor Crew agreed with Ball's views. Walker, who was the lead lighting technical director for both Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes says, I was very disappointed that it didn't win the Oscars. I think all three of them were robbed.

Even Andy Serkis did not receive an acting nomination for his performance as Caesar, and it appears that there is still a lot of debate over whether motion-capture performances should be accepted in the acting category.

Netizens express agreement with Wes Balls statement.

Netizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their agreement with Wes Ball. He's not wrong; they have all looked ridiculously good, said one user.

"Hes right. Andy Serkis deserved an acting nomination too tbh, expressed another user.

Having just rewatched the trilogy, he's 100% right. Especially with Dawn and War, added another.

"He's definitely right, over the years they've given us quality visuals with little or no errors. They deserve it, commented a fan.

It's also criminal Andy didn't get an Oscar nomination either-, wrote on user in support of Andy Serkis.

These movies all feel like underdogs but are legitimately some of the best cinema of the last fifteen years. I just watched them again, but with my kids, a couple of weeks ago, and they loved them, expressed one user.
A community center owned by Indian-American Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, was vandalized on Monday morning with the word "racist" and "ceasefire" spray-painted on the building. Speaking to Detroit Free Press, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar supplied images of the vandalism.(X@DcWalaDesi)

FREE PALESTINE and another statement labeling Thanedar as "SHRI RACIST" were also seen on the building. Speaking to Detroit Free Press, the Congressman supplied images of the vandalism.

Thanedar's face printed on the building situated in Livernois, Detroit, was painted with a red X and horns.

The attacks come at a time when US universities are witnessing a surge in anti-Israel protests, with many students erecting pro-Palestinian camps inside the campuses. It is to mention that Thanedar has been a staunch supporter of Israel following the Hamas attack, which killed at least 1,200 Israelis.

Reacting to the X post mentioned above, one user reacted, This is disgusting and unacceptable! How shameful! another added.

Thanedar to lodge complaint with Detroit police: This isnt an isolated incident'

Thanedar told the outlet that he will lodge a complaint with Detroit police, stating that "it's not just an isolated incident" in reference to anti-Israel protestors disrupting a holiday party last year in December in a club near Wayne State University.

Few months ago, protesters were also seen outside Thanedar's house as they made noises and even knocked on his door, scaring his wife.

Notably, the Indian Congressman left the Democratic Socialists of America for not denouncing Hamas' brutality in a strong manner.

Also Read: Congressman Shri Thanedar blasts those who deny existence of Hinduphobia: 'What more proof do you need?'

Since then Thanedar has been demanding a ceasefire and the release of all hostages held by both sides.

Stressing that "war never solves any problems," he said believes terrorist organisation Hamas should be dismantled to the point where it can no longer commit such acts of violence.

"I have never shied away from talking about it," he highlighted, adding that "(But) such vandalism, creating such fear among my supporters... isnt going to bring sympathy to their cause."

The Congressman further said that the graffiti will be removed from the building, which he said is used for seminars, community events and roundtable talks.

Thanedar seeks against rise of Hinduphobia in US

Earlier this year, Thanedar joined a group of Hindu leaders and organisations in a bid to raise their voce against growing hate crime against the community

"We see a lot of Hindu phobia. We see California SB403 (the bill banning caste discrimination), and that's just the beginning. The attacks on our temples and attacks on Hindus all over the world. That is one of the reasons why I decided to form the Hindu Caucus," Thanedar stated.
A shocking bomb threat was emailed to more than two dozen synagogues and Jewish institutions in New York City, as well as to temples upstate and on Long Island. Hello, if you see this email just have notice of a bomb I have set inside of your building, read the email sent Saturday, May 4, according to law enforcement sources, as reported by New York Post. Bomb threat emailed to over two dozen NYC synagogues and Jewish institutions (Pixabay)

This isnt a threat, it said. I have set a bomb in your building, you have a few hours to disarm or else blood will shatter everywhere. The threat reportedly came from a group calling itself Terrorizers111.

The threat targeted 14 Manhattan synagogues and Jewish centres, two in Brooklyn, and five in Queens, as well as two more upstate temples and one on Long Island. The New York Landmarks Conservancy received a similar threat.

The threats come at a time when there is increased antisemitism in the five boroughs and other places. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have set up anti-Israeli encampments on college campuses across the US amid the Hamas-Israel conflict.

Meanwhile, New York officials said the threats were unfounded. Investigators are now trying to trace who sent them.

We will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism

US Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Jerry Nadler said at a press conference that they had spoken with the FBI about the investigation. "I asked them to make every effort to track down who did this," Schumer said, according to CBS News. "It's hard to do, because those who do it can often hide where their email is coming from, where their phone calls are coming from, in either case. But the FBI has had good success, it takes time, and they are able to track many of these bad people who do this kind of activity down and then go after them."

"The second I heard about the threats, your heart sinks, you hope it's a hoax. And in this case, thank God, it was," he said. "But that doesn't [negate] the fear, the trauma when synagogues and other houses of worship have to be evacuated. The fear and trauma when they have to be evacuated stays with the congregants, and people who go the next day wonder, 'Is it going to happen again, am I safe?'"

In a post on X, Governor Kathy Hochul wrote, We are actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York. Threats have been determined not to be credible, but we will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions.
By Jack Queen, Luc Cohen and Andy Sullivan Judge warns Trump of potential jail time for violating gag order

NEW YORK -The judge in Donald Trump's criminal trial fined him $1,000 and held him in contempt of court for a 10th time on Monday for violating a gag order and warned that further violations could land the former president in jail.

Justice Juan Merchan said the nine $1,000 fines he had imposed previously did not seem to be deterring the wealthy business mogul from violating the order, which bars him from speaking publicly about the jurors and witnesses in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.

I do not want to impose a jail sanction and have done everything I can to avoid doing so. But I will if necessary, Merchan said at the start of the trial's 12th day before the jury entered.

Imprisonment would be an unprecedented step in the historic trial, which stems from a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election.

After Merchan's ruling, jurors heard testimony from former Trump employees that could bolster prosecutors' case that Trump falsified business records to cover up the hush money payment.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing.

As he imposed the fine, Merchan said he considered jail time truly the last resort as it would disrupt the trial, pose extraordinary security challenges and complicate the 2024 presidential election, in which the Republican Trump seeks to win the White House back from Democratic President Joe Biden.

But the judge said Trumps continued, willful violations of the gag order amounted to a direct attack on the rule of law.

Merchan imposed the 10th $1,000 fine on Monday for an April 22 broadcast interview in which the former president said: "That jury was picked so fast - 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat."

Merchan found that other statements flagged by prosecutors that mentioned witnesses Michael Cohen and David Pecker did not violate the gag order.

The order prevents Trump from making statements about jurors, witnesses and families of the judge and prosecutors if meant to interfere with the case. Violations are punishable by fines of up to $1,000 or jail time of up to 30 days.

Last week Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for nine social media posts that he ruled had violated the gag order.

Trump complains frequently that the gag order limits his ability to make his case to voters in his comeback White House bid.

"He's taken away my constitutional right to speak," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom, before the judge fined him.

PAYMENT RECORDS DISPLAYED

Prosecutors on Monday later showed jurors business records that documented payments totaling $420,000 from Trump to Cohen, his former fixer and personal lawyer.

Those payments were listed as legal fees, but prosecutors say they were actually meant to reimburse Cohen for paying $130,000 to Daniels to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump denies ever having had sex with Daniels.

Prosecutors say the $420,000 paid by Trump was meant to cover the $130,000 Cohen paid to Daniels, along with $50,000 in other expenses he had incurred. Trump doubled that total to account for taxes and also included a $60,000 year-end bonus, they say.

A former controller in Trump's organization, Jeffrey McConney, testified that he was not aware of any other instance in which the Trump Organization reimbursed someone so generously.

McConney said he never spoke with Trump about the payments but was told by the company's top finance official Allen Weisselberg that they were reimbursements.

Another former Trump employee, Deborah Tarasoff, walked the jury through the 34 invoices, ledger entries and checks stemming from the payments to Cohen, which were made on a monthly basis after Trump won the election. Each represents one of the 34 counts in the indictment against Trump.

Most of the checks were signed by Trump personally, and prosecutors highlighted his tall, looping signature in thick ink for the jury.

Prosecutors say the payment to Daniels corrupted the 2016 election by keeping the news from voters, at a time when Trump's treatment of women was a central issue in his campaign against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

They say the altered business records covered up election-law and tax-law violations that elevate the 34 counts Trump faces from misdemeanors to felonies punishable by up to four years in prison.

If found guilty, Trump could face up to four years in prison, though defendants typically face fines and probation.

The main players in the case have yet to testify, including Cohen and Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

The case features sordid allegations of adultery and secret payoffs, but it is widely seen as less consequential than three other criminal prosecutions Trump faces. It is the only one certain to go to trial before the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The other cases charge him with trying to overturn his 2020 presidential defeat and mishandling classified documents after leaving office. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all three.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Donald Trump has reacted after ABC News president Kim Godwin announced that she is resigning after three years at the network. In a post on Truth Social, the former president wrote, Happy to report that Kim Godwin, Head of ABC, has resigned. Could it be the unfair reporting on EVERYTHING TRUMP? Donald Trump reacts after ABC News president Kim Godwin steps down (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File, photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP)

He added, In any event, GOOD RIDDANCE! Hopefully somebody else will be able to control George Slopadopolous and the rest of the Fake News Thugs over at ABC? Best wishes Kim!

(@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

Kim Godwin steps down

Godwins move comes months after network parent Walt Disney Co. installed Debra O'Connell, one of its executives, to oversee the news division.

Godwin was the first black woman to lead a network news division. Reports claimed that she faced increasing scrutiny over her performance from corporate superiors. She was stripped of a lot of power, it has been said.

I have decided to retire from broadcast journalism, Godwin said in a staff memo obtained by New York Post. Anyone whos passionate about what we do knows theres no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision.

But after considerable reflection, Im certain its the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize whats most important for me and my family, she added.

Godwin said in a note to staff members that she appreciated the significance of being the first black woman to hold a position as prominent as this in a broadcast news role. Its both a privilege and a debt to those who chipped away at the ceiling before me to lead a team whose brand is synonymous with trust, integrity and a dogged determination to be the best in the business, she wrote.

Godwin worked at ABC, CBS, NBC and at as many as local news stations in nine cities. I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success, she said, according to Washington Post.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Halle Berry is joining a group of bipartisan senators to push for legislation that would put $275 million toward research and education around menopause, the significant hormone shift women go through in middle age. Oscar-winning actor and women's health activist Halle Berry joins female senators as they introduce new legislation to boost federal research on menopause, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2024. The bipartisan Senate bill, the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women's Health Act, would create public health efforts to improve women's mid-life health. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(AP)

The legislation calls for the federal government to spend more on clinical trials on menopause as well as the hormone therapy that is used to treat hot flashes and other symptoms.

Berry, 57, shouted about menopause outside the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. She said its a word her own doctor told her he was scared to say in front of her.

Im in menopause, OK? Berry yelled, eliciting chuckles from the crowd. The shame has to be taken out of menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens. Our doctors cant even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey.

Halle Berry gets candid about menopause symptoms

In recent months, the leading Hollywood actor has been candid about the painful symptoms she experienced while going through perimenopause, which occurs before menopause when a womans estrogen levels start dropping. Her doctor initially misdiagnosed her with herpes, a sexually transmitted disease that both Berry and her partner tested negative for.

Also read | Lara Trump sparks fury after sharing RNC's plans to prevent Nevada from counting mail-in ballots

Under a proposal by Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, $125 million would be set aside for clinical trials, public health and medical research on menopause. The remaining money would help support menopause detection and diagnosis, train doctors on treating menopause and raising public awareness around it.

Menopause is not a bad word, its not something to be ashamed of, and its not something Congress or the federal government should ignore, Murray said.

The bill is backed by 17 senators  three Republicans, 13 Democrats, one independent and all of them women. Several senators said Thursday they hope the bill will also encourage doctors, women and men to speak more openly about the health milestone all women experience.

Rising above the stigma against women's health care

Besides Berry, other celebrities have started sharing more about menopause on talk shows and in interviews, while some have even started hawking products related to it. And last year, President Joe Biden came out with a new initiative to improve the federal governments research around womens health, including menopause. Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, director of the National Institutes of Health, has said that too little is known about womens health through all stages of life. Her agency is the federal government's leading medical research arm.

While the legislation has cleared what is typically one of Congress' biggest hurdles  getting bipartisan support  its prospects are uncertain. It's difficult getting bills through Congress at any time and the challenges are compounded now by the divisiveness on the Hill and the dwindling number of days on the legislative calendar before the November election.

The group of women will need to get buy-in from their male colleagues to make the money for menopause research a reality. Congress is overwhelmingly represented by men.

Murkowski said she was looking forward to getting support from her male counterparts. If men went through menopause we would have adequately and appropriately funded the research (into) menopause decades and decades ago."
By Jack Queen, Luc Cohen and Andy Sullivan Judge warns Trump of potential jail time for violating gag order

NEW YORK, - The judge in Donald Trump's criminal trial fined him $1,000 and held him in contempt of court for a 10th time on Monday for violating a gag order and warned that further violations could land the former president in jail.

Justice Juan Merchan said the nine $1,000 fines he had imposed previously did not seem to be deterring the wealthy business mogul from violating the order, which bars him from speaking publicly about the jurors and witnesses in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.

I do not want to impose a jail sanction and have done everything I can to avoid doing so. But I will if necessary, Merchan said at the start of the trial's 12th day before the jury entered.

Imprisonment would be an unprecedented step in the historic trial, which stems from a hush money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election.

After Merchan's ruling, jurors heard testimony from former Trump employees that could bolster prosecutors' case that Trump falsified business records to cover up the hush money payment.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing.

As he imposed the fine, Merchan said he considered jail time truly the last resort as it would disrupt the trial, pose extraordinary security challenges and complicate the 2024 presidential election, in which the Republican Trump seeks to win the White House back from Democratic President Joe Biden.

But the judge said Trumps continued, willful violations of the gag order amounted to a direct attack on the rule of law.

Merchan imposed the 10th $1,000 fine on Monday for an April 22 broadcast interview in which the former president said: "That jury was picked so fast - 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat."

Merchan found that other statements flagged by prosecutors that mentioned witnesses Michael Cohen and David Pecker did not violate the gag order.

The order prevents Trump from making statements about jurors, witnesses and families of the judge and prosecutors if meant to interfere with the case. Violations are punishable by fines of up to $1,000 or jail time of up to 30 days.

Last week Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for nine social media posts that he ruled had violated the gag order.

Trump complains frequently that the gag order limits his ability to make his case to voters in his comeback White House bid.

"He's taken away my constitutional right to speak," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom, before the judge fined him.

PAYMENT RECORDS DISPLAYED

Prosecutors on Monday later showed jurors business records that documented payments totaling $420,000 from Trump to Cohen, his former fixer and personal lawyer.

Those payments were listed as legal fees, but prosecutors say they were actually meant to reimburse Cohen for paying $130,000 to Daniels to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump denies ever having had sex with Daniels.

Prosecutors say the $420,000 paid by Trump was meant to cover the $130,000 Cohen paid to Daniels, along with $50,000 in other expenses he had incurred. Trump doubled that total to account for taxes and also included a $60,000 year-end bonus, they say.

A former controller in Trump's organization, Jeffrey McConney, testified that he was not aware of any other instance in which the Trump Organization reimbursed someone so generously.

McConney said he never spoke with Trump about the payments but was told by the company's top finance official Allen Weisselberg that they were reimbursements.

Another former Trump employee, Deborah Tarasoff, walked the jury through the 34 invoices, ledger entries and checks stemming from the payments to Cohen, which were made on a monthly basis after Trump won the election. Each represents one of the 34 counts in the indictment against Trump.

Most of the checks were signed by Trump personally, and prosecutors highlighted his tall, looping signature in thick ink for the jury.

Prosecutors say the payment to Daniels corrupted the 2016 election by keeping the news from voters, at a time when Trump's treatment of women was a central issue in his campaign against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

They say the altered business records covered up election-law and tax-law violations that elevate the 34 counts Trump faces from misdemeanors to felonies punishable by up to four years in prison.

If found guilty, Trump could face up to four years in prison, though defendants typically face fines and probation.

The main players in the case have yet to testify, including Cohen and Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

The case features sordid allegations of adultery and secret payoffs, but it is widely seen as less consequential than three other criminal prosecutions Trump faces. It is the only one certain to go to trial before the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The other cases charge him with trying to overturn his 2020 presidential defeat and mishandling classified documents after leaving office. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all three.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
In a surprising turn of events, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received an endorsement from Kevin Spacey on Monday. The Academy-Award-winner actor made the announcement on social media, calling the independent candidate a loyal friend. The endorsement comes the same day as the damning docuseries on Spacey is set to premiere in the UK. Kevin Spacey has endorsed his 'loyal friend' Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(REUTERS)

RFK Jr. endorsed by Kevin Spacey amid fresh set of allegations against actor

Theres a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in. Hes a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend thats not afraid to stand up for what he believes, the House of Cards star wrote on X, formerly Twitter. His endorsement came in response to Kennedy's 30-minute campaign video, narrated by Woody Harrelson.

The 70-year-old politician claims that his campaign video is something Meta doesn't want you to see. On the same day, Kennedy's PAC American Values 2024, announced its plans to sue Meta for censoring the said video. However, the Facebook and Instagram parent company told The Daily Beast in a statement that the video was mistakenly blocked and was later reinstated after the error was addressed.

The American Beauty star's praise-filled endorsement for Kennedy arrived the same day as the premiere of Spacey Unmasked, a docuseries exploring a fresh set of misconduct allegations against the 64-year-old actor. The Channel 4 documentary comes less than a year after Spacey was acquitted of sexual assault charges in the UK.

However, fresh allegations, including sexual abuse and harassment, continue to plague the actor as part of the new series. It will include interviews with 10 people acquainted with Spacey. Their testimonies include incidents spanning five decades, including the one on the set of House of Cards. Meanwhile, Kennedy is a lifelong Democrat who switched his affiliation to Independent after announcing his bid for the presidential race.
RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump came under fire on social media for boasting about a Republican lawsuit to block counting of mail ballots received after Election Day in Nevada that could disenfranchise large numbers of voters. Appearing to Fox News on Sunday, Lara Trump told host Maria: You cannot have ballots counted, Maria, after elections are over.(AFP)

Appearing to Fox News on Sunday, Lara told host Maria: You cannot have ballots counted, Maria, after elections are over.

And right now, that is one of the many lawsuits we have out across this country to ensure that just that happens, that we have a free, fair and transparent election," the daughter-in-law of former US President Donald Trump continued.

Stressing that "we have to have our eyes on everything", she said: So, in Nevada...we are saying we want on Election Day to be the last day that mail-in ballots can be counted.

The RNC's lawsuit in Nevada does not aim to stop counting ballots after Election Day, but rather to bar considering any mail-in ballots received after that date, regardless of whether they were received on time.

According to the state law passed by Democrats in 2021, ballots received up to four days after elections will be tallied if they are postmarked before the conclusion of the day on Election Day.

Also Read: Trump diapers saga revealed as Lincoln Project launches scathing ad to show his weakness to top donors

However, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley claimed that the deadline breaks federal law and compromises election integrity, according to AP.

Not just Whatley, even Donald Trump, have argued against counting ballots beyond Election Day. In 2020, he infamously requested the states to "STOP THE COUNT!" as poll workers struggled for days to count a record-breaking number of absentee ballots after millions of Americans decided to cast ballots by mail due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lara Trump faces rebuke over her remarks on Fox News

Meanwhile, critics on X, formerly Twitter, started slamming Lara over her claims, with some saying that Republicans don't vote to count people's vote.

"These people are clowns, every state counts votes after Election Day," one X user wrote.

"This entire segment is a mess. Here is what you need to know. Republicans are in court trying to make it harder to vote and easier to cheat. My legal team is fighting back," a second user added.

A third chimed in, Yeah that's not how it works. Each state runs their elections, it's up to state law. That's in the Constitution.

"These are immensely stupid people. If the Military and Veterans Service Organizations are doing their jobs they will sue Trump and the RNC for disenfranchising military voters who vote by absentee ballot from overseas and across the country...by law," another added.
A medical student sustained severe brain injuries after allegedly being pushed into a lake by his so-called friends. Christopher Gilbert, 26, who could not swim, was reportedly pushed off the dock at Lake D'Arbonne in Farmerville, Louisiana on April 14. Louisiana medical student Christopher Gilbert brain dead after being pushed into lake by friends (change.org)

The shocking incident was caught on camera. Gilbert struggled to get out of the water for 20 minutes. A woman who initially slowly entered the water backed off, realising the rescue mission was not possible. It was only ten more minutes later that a member of the public at a nearby restaurant came to the rescue and pulled Gilbert from the water.

By the time Gilbert was rushed to the hospital, he was brain dead. The rest of his organs had also begun to fail, his mother Yolanda George said. George revealed that her son spent 72 hours on a ventilator which was "dialysis for the lungs, according to The Mirror.

I felt like my life had ended in that moment

"I was devastated. I felt like my life had ended in that moment. My son is aspiring to be a medical doctor, my son is going to be a medical doctor. He got his masters last year in biological science. He's preparing for medical school so for this to have happened to him ... I was just devastated," said George, who went to the hospital after getting a call from one of the friends.

"She told me that Chris had fallen into the lake and he had been underwater for 20 minutes or so,' George told Fox8. 'And I was like, 20 minutes? Why was he underwater for 20 minutes?

"And she was just crying hysterically and he was being airlifted to Shreveport. And initially when my son got there the doctor called us in and told me that at this time he was "brain dead pretty much, and the rest of his organs were starting to fail", she added.

Police said Gilberts friend tried to brush off the incident as "horse-play, saying he "just kind of fell face first into the water. However, one of them later confessed that she had pushed Gilbert off the pier.

"In the legal field, we characterize things the way we see fit, family lawyer Claudia Payne said. "Of course, they are saying horseplay. We are saying that it was a criminal intentional push into the lake.

"To add insult to injury, after pushing him, no one from the 'friend group' attempted to go in after him. Instead, two brave bystanders, who have no relationship to Chris, heard commotion and retrieved his body from the lake," Payne added in a report.

While Gilbert is still unable to speak, he has been showing cognitive responses. His lungs are reportedly functioning at 20% capacity and he remains on life support.

Gilberts family has now called for an arrest. "Why would you push my son in the lake knowing he couldn't swim? " George said.
Mark Zuckerberg's latest status update screams real-world billionaire choice: a $300 million superyacht. With an estimated net worth of US$180 billion per Forbes, one of the world's richest men and founder of Meta dropped a whopping sum on a superyacht he calls Launchpad. While the yacht itself looks like something out of a James Bond movie, complete with stunning features and cutting-edge tech, the internet isn't oohing and aahing. Instead, critics are slamming it as a Climate Hypocrite's Hideaway. Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at the US Capitol, in Washington, US. (Reuters)

Mark Zuckerbergs superyacht visuals go viral

Mark Zuckerberg's new yacht has become a social media sensation thanks to a viral TikTok video capturing its stunning visuals. The massive vessel, currently docked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, isn't shy about its luxury. Spanning 118 meters, the yacht made its debut sail back in March 2024 across the Atlantic and has been turning heads ever since. Designed by the Swedish-based Espen in International, the reported $300 Million Superyacht boasts a sleek, multilayered exterior with a robust steel hull and an aluminium superstructure. Reports Suerpeyacht Times.

Also read: Kate Middleton and Prince William going through hell amid stormy times says close friend

With a gross tonnage of 5,000 gross tons, the yacht can cruise at speeds of up to 24 knots, providing an epic cruising experience for the billionaire owner. It currently holds the 45th position as being one of the worlds largest yachts. The beast also has a helipad designed in case the Meta owner changes his mind and wants to catch a sudden flight. With this Mark Zuckerberg joins a group of tech billionaires who also own superyachts, including Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison and the Google cofounders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

Zuckerbergs superyacht criticised for carbon emission

Mark Zuckerberg's stunning new yacht has the internet buzzing, but the awe is laced with mocks and confusion. Poking sarcastic fun at the Meta founder, a vocal advocate for fighting climate change, the internet questions why he owns a private jet that reportedly burned over $158,000 in fuel within two months. Now, this superyacht is being criticised as one of the most polluting activities an individual can engage in.

Also read: Majority of Anti-Israel protesters detained at Columbia, City College are non-students, arrests top 2000: Report

For example, Roman Abramovich's yachts supposedly pump out over 22,000 tons of carbon a year, exceeding the emissions of some small countries reports the NY Times. Jeff Bezos' $500 million yacht, Koru, is another most polluting Billionaire toy contributing 7,000 tons annually. Zuckerberg's superyacht's environmental toll remains to be seen, but the juxtaposition with his climate activism has sparked a fierce online debate.

Hey look its Mark Zuckerbergs yacht. Im sure him flying private jets with Bill Gates is helping to plan it though. Its all our fault instead. Wrote an X user. Mark Zuckerberg's giant yacht. But they tell you that driving a gasoline car is ruining the planet, wrote another. Is Zuckerberg's Yacht a Luxurious Paradise or a Climate Hypocrite's Hideaway, said one more.
As Hollywood stars prepare to ascend the Met Gala steps at tonight's Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, we're swinging back in time for a sweet throwback to when Princess Diana owned the glittery affair. Three decades ago, the newly divorced Diana expressed her liberated sense of freedom, making for a sensational statement at the fashion's biggest night. She attended only one Met Gala, and that was enough to rouse all the attention. Dresses worn by Princess Diana are displayed at the media preview ahead of the auction of the Princess Diana's Elegance & A Royal Collection in Hong Kong, Wednesday, April, 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Vernon Yuen)(AP)

The Mail reported that Diana made the Met Gala moment her own just four months after officially breaking free from her marital ties with Charles. She attended the gala eight months before her demise. Dior head Bernard Arnault invited her to the gala back then. She eventually arrived at the event with her close friend Liz Tillberis, the chairwoman of the ball and British editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar.

Here's what she wore to the gala.

Princess Diana's Unconventional Met Gala Dress that Stole the Spotlight

Sporting a  10,000 midnight blue gown adorned with black lace, Diana paired the unusual fashion pick with a velvet opera coat. Instantly becoming the spotlight-stealing sensation of the evening, Diana was reportedly the first person to put on a gown from Dior's new designer John Galliano's debut haute couture show.

Also read | Prince Harry against Prince Charles' 18,000 birthday gift to Archie? Report denies claims

Her minimalistic, yet daring, choice became an eye-catching enamour as she paired it with a sapphire choker, supported by triple pearl strands. Representing a new class of royal fashion dressing, Diana drew mixed responses to her statement.

In a 2018 interview, John Galliano further revealed that it was Diana's choice to go the provocative distance by removing the interior bustier of the dress. It was a reflection of how she was already feeling: Liberated," Galliano told the Wall Street Journal Magazine, referencing her free state of mind after the divorce.

On the other hand, fashion critic Brenda Polan wasn't a big fan of her look. The problem, and there is no delicate way of saying this, is that it looked like she had accidentally stepped out in her nightie, which meant, of course, that she wasnt wearing a bra, she wrote in the Daily Mail.

Much like Cinderella, Diana slipped out of the ball before midnight, before the dancing uproar consumed the event. The ravishing and daring look of the then 35-year-old Diana was later displayed at the 2019 Christian Dior exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

See Princess Diana's Met Gala look from 1996 here.
As Columbia University struggles to limp back to normal after last week's NYPD action its law school group has written to the management declaring that no Jew is "safe" or "free" until Palestine is free. FILE PHOTO: Police stand guard at Columbia University, where a building occupation and protest encampment had been set up in support of Palestinians, during the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict(REUTERS)

In an email sent by Columbia Laws National Lawyers Guild organization on Friday, the group criticised the schools administration and the NYPD for clearing out Hamilton Hall.

Columbia Law Students' Group's blatant warning

In what's being touted as a 'dangerous threat' the group, "Our safety cannot be predicated on the oppression of others, whether campus protesters or Palestinians. No Jew is safe until everyone is safe, and no Jew is free until Palestine is free."

"While you repeatedly cried wolf with claims that anti-Zionist speech was antisemitic, which diluted the very real instances of antisemitism, we shared uplifting, welcoming Shabbat services in the Gaza solidarity Encampment. While you threatened doxxing and disciplinary actions, we found community in the encampment and imagined a more just world," the email continued.

Despite these blatant remarks the group countrered against concerns over the safety of Jewish students and faculty, claiming that they are only being used as a "pretext for Columbias violence."

We have repeated to the point of exhaustion that the protection of Jewish students and faculty is a dangerous, flimsy pretext for Columbias violence. By now, it is abundantly clear that this excuse is a gross perversion of the truth. This excuse has been weaponized by white Christian nationalists, including those in Congress, whose main motivations are dismantling diversity initiatives and promoting a Jewish majority in Israel to initiate the rapture.

Rabbis and Israel sympathisers condemn students

After being widely shared on the internet the email has attracted sever criticism. Conference of European Rabbis Chairman Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt told Fox News Digital, "It is reckless for Columbia Law's National Lawyers Guild group to throw around words such as safety and freedom when the message they are communicating directly threatens the safety and freedom of Jewish students on campus, and more broadly, all Jews across the United States and around the world."

An X User Edward Soloman posted, From the same people who brought you anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, here is the reboot: No Jew is safe until everyone is safe, and no Jew is free until Palestine is free. This from a law faculty, at that. America, this is your mess to clean up.

This is clearly hateful antisemitism. The group must be decertified and tossed out of school, an X user claimed.

Columbia Uni students seek respite from exams

The email further asked the management to cancel the final exams as students are still reeling under the traume posed by police in riot gear. "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."

We believe that canceling exams would be a proportionate response to the level of distress our peers have been feeling.

Last week nearly 300 protesters were detained from the Columbia University campus after NYPD stormed the Hamilton Hall that was being occupied by them to pressurise the government to act. However the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard and the New York Governor have stated that those arrested were not students but outside agitators.
US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary "invasion" force during war games on the Philippines' northern coast Monday, days after their governments objected to China's "dangerous" actions in regional waters. Philippines, US fire at 'invasion' force in South China Sea war games

Thousands of troops are conducting land, sea and air manoeuvres against a backdrop of increased confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels around shoals in the South China Sea claimed by Manila, as well as stepped-up Chinese air and naval activity around nearby self-ruled Taiwan.

US troops massed at a strip of sand dunes on Luzon island's northwest coast around 400 kilometres south of Taiwan let loose more than 50 live 155mm howitzer rounds at floating targets about five kilometres off the coast, AFP journalists saw.

Filipino troops followed up by firing rockets aimed at wearing down the attackers, before the two forces finished the job with machine guns, Javelin missiles and more artillery rounds.

Lieutenant General Michael Cederholm, commander of the US First Marine Expeditionary Force, said the exercise was "to prepare for the worst" by "securing key maritime terrain".

"It's designed to repel an invasion," Cederholm told reporters at the exercise site.

"Our northwestern side is more exposed," Major General Marvin Licudine, exercise director for the Filipinos, told AFP ahead of the live firing at the La Paz sand dunes near Laoag city.

"Because of the regional problems that we have... we have to already practise and orient ourselves in our own land in these parts," he added.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

It deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise the waters.

Just last week, Manila said the China Coast Guard damaged a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another government vessel in water cannon attacks around the disputed China-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 30.

More than 16,700 Filipino and American troops are taking part in the annual military drills dubbed Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder" in Tagalog in multiple locations across the Asian archipelago.

Maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a wider conflict that could involve the United States and other allies.

Monday's exercise came days after the defence ministers of the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia met in Hawaii and issued a joint statement on their strong objections to the "dangerous and destabilising conduct" of China in the South China Sea.

The ministers "discussed opportunities to further advance defence cooperation" and to "work together to support states exercising their rights and freedoms in the South China Sea".

Last week, US forces taking part in the Balikatan exercises fired HIMARS precision rockets into the South China Sea from the western island of Palawan, the nearest major Philippine landmass to the hotly disputed Spratly Islands.

The US Marine Corps said the manoeuvre was a rehearsal for the rapid deployment of the missile system across the Philippines' South China Sea coast to "secure and protect Philippines' maritime terrain, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone interests".

The confrontations between the Philippines and China comes as tensions have ratcheted up between Beijing and Taipei, which is about to inaugurate a new president regarded by China as a dangerous separatist.

Taiwan's defence ministry said Friday it had detected 26 Chinese aircraft and five naval vessels around the self-ruled island in the previous 24 hours.

"To a degree, military exercises are a form of deterrence," Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo was quoted as saying in remarks delivered on his behalf by an aide at a public workshop on Friday.

"The more we simulate, the less we actuate," he added.

pam/cgm/smw

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Happy birthday Prince Archie! Five years back on the birth of his son Archie, Prince Harry beamingly called it "the most amazing experience", adding that he was "absolutely to die for".(AFP)

Five years back on the birth of his son Archie, Prince Harry beamingly called it "the most amazing experience", adding that he was "absolutely to die for". Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was born in London on born 6 May, 2019 in a room filled with electric candles and a picture of his grandmother Princess Diana.

But the happiness didn't last for long for the Royal family as Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle decided to shift to California amid internal dispute within the family.

While the young Prince celebrated his fourth birthday at his exquisite $14 million Montecito house, People reported that this time "it's going to be a low-key party at home" with his parents and sister Princess Lilibet around.

"They'll have friends around them and Meghan's mom, Doria [Ragland]. Meghan will definitely have support that weekend," the report added.

Archie's first birthday was documented on Netflix's Harry & Meghan. He was filmed in his confetti-covered high chair, donning a cute cap and holding a beautiful fruit-topped cake.

Despite the fact that he was born in London, Meghan and Harry's kids have celebrated all their birthdays in the United States.

Meghan and Harry are known for celebrating their birthdays away from the limelight.

Also Read: Royal expert reveals rare honour King Charles gifted Meghan Markle with before she cut ties

Will King Charles extend birthday greetings to lil Prince?

According to reports, King Charles is set to make a call to his son Harry to wish his grandchild Prince Archie a happy fifth birthday.

However, the monarch has not met in person with Archie since his parents stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to the United States.

Speaking to The Mirror, royal expert Tom Quinn said that Charles is "desperate" to reach out to Harry in order to be a part of his grandson's big day.

King could make a video even if he is "uncomfortable" with the idea, he added.

Despite royal commentator's claim that King wants to change the things, the Royal Family appears to have ignored Prince Archie's birthday, since Buckingham Palace has yet to publish a statement on his special day.

While Meghan and Harry'sadmirers have expressed their support on social media, the Royal Family is yet to do so publicly.

Rather than commemorating Archie's birthday, the official Royal Family's X account marked the one-year anniversary of the Coronation: Today commemorates the first anniversary of The King and Queen's Coronation in Westminster Abbey.

Harry and Meghan's fan extend birthday greetings to Archie

On social media, royal fans showed excitement on Archies 5th birthday with one, saying: Everyone, please join me in wishing Prince Archie a Happy 5th birthday!! May he have a wonderful day with the people who love him dearly!

Happy 5th birthday cute lovely baby HRH Prince Archie," a second user commented.

Happy 5th Birthday Prince Archie of Sussex. Wishing you an amazing day, full of love and laughter," one more X user extended wishes.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son, Prince Archie, turned five today, i.e., May 6. With the Duke's upcoming trip to the UK on the horizon, the family appears to be celebrating Archie's day privately. Call it fate or not, but the young prince's fifth birthday also coincides with the first anniversary of his grandfather's coronation. This official handout Christening photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (centre left), and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex holding their baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor flanked by (L-R) Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Ms Doria Ragland, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, west of London on July 6, 2019.(AFP)

Amidst the complicated affair that is the royal family's distanced ties across the US and the UK, a new report has emerged, suggesting that King Charles wanted to give his grandson an extraordinary gift worth 18,000. However, the Sussexes seemed to have allegedly rejected the plans. The convoluted story got further tangled up when a source close to the Sussex couple denied claims of Harry blocking his father's desire to give Archie a present.

A report revealed by The Mirror stated that royal author Tom Quinn had intel on King Charles wanting to give Archie an exquisitely unique shepherd's hut-themed playhouse. The full-fledged establishment reportedly also had bunks and bookshelves. Quinn also divulged that the monarch had gifted Prince William's son, Prince George, a similar hut. With the same gift to Archie, he hoped to demonstrate that no favouritism was at play despite the royal family's estrangement from the California-settled younger royal couple.

Also read | Prince Harry's UK return: King Charles wants to see him, but only if

What else did the royal expert claim about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle?

According to The Mirror, Quinn paints a sour image of Meghan Markle, who he claims is encouragingly associating Archie's birthday with all things American. The author alleged that Archie, on the other hand, was constantly asking about his royal roots in the UK.

Per Quinn's claims, Archie affectionately views the image of his grandfather residing in a castle. Apprehensive of their son's growing interest in the Royal Family, the author purported that the Sussex couple turned down the lavish gift. However, a source close to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has now reportedly refuted these allegations.

Also read | #TomBradyRoast: Ben Affleck's fans clap back with facelift jibes after his angry tirade about social media trolls

Contrarily, Quinn told The Mirror: Charles hates the idea that Harry might think he favours one grandchild over another, and he has already given Prince George a similar hut which reputedly cost a cool 18,000. He pushed the buttons on the story against Harry and Meghan, claiming, (King Charles) would love to give Archie something similar but knows that Meghan and Harry are against it.

Although Prince Archie was born in the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the Royal Family and moved to California in June 2020. Ultimately, their daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born in the US in 2021. The young royal siblings, living in the US, have only visited the UK once since their parents switched continents.
While Police continue to raid pro-Palestine encampments across US campuses, Princeton University students remain undeterred as they have started a hunger strike in solidarity with millions of innocents killed in Gaza amid Israel's war against terrorist group Hamas. In a statement, the Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment group blamed Israel for deliberately blocking an access to essential commodities, engineering a severe famine for Gaza's two million citizens.(Daily Princeton)

Israel launched a war against Hamas after facing an unprecedented attack from the terror organisation last October, in which at least 1,200 Israelis lost their lives. However, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Hamas-controlled Gaza has claimed that over 33,000 Palestinians, mostly innocent women and children, were killed in the conflict so far.

In a statement, the Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment group blamed Israel for deliberately blocking an access to essential commodities, engineering a severe famine for Gaza's two million citizens.

Since the announcement on October 9th by the Israeli Defense Minister prohibiting the entry of food, fuel, and electricity into the Gaza strip, Israel has systematically obstructed and limited access to vital aid for Palestinians in Gaza, even intentionally destroying existing cropland, the release continued.

The consequences of the unprecedented famine, created and maintained by Israel, will devastate Gazas children for generations to come and cannot be tolerated any longer," it added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a surge in number of children dying from malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza.

The group claimed to be following in the footsteps of Palestinian political prisoners who have been staging saltwater-only hunger strikes in Israeli prisons since 1968. They said they have launched the hunger strike in response to the administration's failure to divest from Israel.

Also Read: Who is Achinthya Sivalingam? Indian-origin student held in US, banned from Princeton University over anti-Israel protest

A look at Princeton University students' demands

The students, who participated in the strike, stated that they will only drink water until the university authorities hold a meeting with them to discuss their demands for transparency, divestment, and a "full academic and cultural boycott of Israel."

They also demand that the administration ensure student protestors complete immunity from all criminal and disciplinary actions.

According to Daily Princeton, at least 17 undergraduates initially joined the strike.

I think we are resorting to a hunger strike. I think we were forced into this position, really, said Sameer Riaz, one of the protestors.

Out of 17, 15 students of the university continue to remain on hunger strike that was kicked off on Friday, said organisers.

In a statement, the university informed that Melissa Marks, medical service director at University Health Services (UHS), met with strikers and has been in touch with the doctors monitoring the protestors.

Over 2,000 students demonstrators have been taken into custody since the US campuses launched anti-Israel protest, as per Washington Post report.
On April 22, Sahar Tartak, a Yale University student journalist of the Jewish faith, came out on social media with her Yale Fresh Press op-ed piece about allegedly being stabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag during an anti-Israel demonstration at the US campus that past weekend. Sahar Tartak is a Yale University student journalist of the Jewish faith.((LinkedIn))

Penning her purported claims about the eye-stabbing incident, the Yale Free Press editor-in-chief addressed supposedly being taunted by the middle finger," raised at her by pro-Palestinian protesters. She wrote about a six-foot-something male protester holding a Palestinian flag," who first waved the flag in (her) face and then stabbed (her) with it in (her) left eye. Appearing for several interviews with leading US media outlets, including Fox News, The New York Post and others, thereafter, she persistently foregrounded this attack targeting due to her visibly Jewish attire.

Among a dozen other claims, she persistently pointed out being subjected to a hate crime" and facing anti-Semitic remarks. However, more Internet discussions around her and the recent surfacing video of the alleged on-campus attack on her have initiated a heated online debate, with netizens concerned about the credibility of her claims. Once Tartak's existence went viral on social media after the April incident at Yale, past remarks highlighting her supposed one-sided and flawed perception of the matter have also come into focus.

Also read | Who is Sahar Tartak? Jewish Yale student who claims she was stabbed in the eye with Palestine flag amid protests

The Internet exposes Sahar Tartak as a professional pro-Israel agitator posing as a victimized Jewish student?

On May 3, Matt Orfalea and Matt Taibbi posted an op-ed piece, titled Orf vs. The Memory Hole: Stabbed in the Eye on Racket News. Therein, they exposed Sahar's tale of being stabbed in the eye" with a supporting confrontational video entitled Hate Crime Hoax: Stabbed with a Palestinian Flag for Being a Jew.

Additionally, Matt Orfalea (@0rf) even shared the video recording of Tartak's eye-stabbing horror. It draws attention to a group of pro-Palestinian protesters passing by Tartak (presumably documenting the scene). As opposed to Tartak foregrounding people hurling anti-Semitic slurs at her while waving the middle finger, the footage doesn't forward any supporting evidence for her claims. Instead, it pictures demonstrators waving and shooting up the V-sign gesture at the camera.

On the other hand, the actual eye-stabbing moment isn't captured on camera. The video abruptly cuts off with Tartak's cries, Ow ow, you stabbed as the Palestinian flag-bearing individual passed by her, waving it near the camera. It remains unclear - as seen in the video - if the flag's end was jabbed into her eye or not, especially since other videos featuring her after that don't show her having sustained an injury.

Some netizens have instead pointed this incident out as an accident rather than a consciously pre-meditated attack on Tartak for her Jewish faith. The Majority Report, a political talk show, also shared a discussion of the matter, debunking Tartak's claims in an April 26 YouTube video titled Yale Zionists 'Stabbed By Palestinian Flag' Claim Hilariously Debunked.

Also read | Tim Scott, Trump's potential VP pick, dodges 2024 election result acceptance; Here's what he said

Internet users also drew focus to her interview appearances, highlighting that no such marks of an eye injury could be visibly spotted as she joined the Piers Morgan Uncensored show or even her Fox New appearance, wherein she twisted the symbolic meaning of the watermelon symbol for the Palestine cause.

In an April 22 YouTube video of her interview with Fox News, Tartak went on to explain the watermelon symbol's meaning to the host. She declared its presence as a symbol against the Jewish people, like all the other symbols these students are using in favour of violent, terroristic acts against Jews. However, pro-Palestinian protesters have been communicating their solidarity with the Palestinian cause through the watermelon paraphernalia, as the fruit's colours distinctly reflect the colours of the Palestinian flag.

Sahar Tartak's social media presence has been under severe scrutiny, which also spotlighted another one of her purported claims, accusing Yale University of implementing an anti-Semitic action in December 2023.

In a tweet dated December 12, 2023, she wrote: "At Yale, the years-old, popular "Israeli couscous salad with spinach and tomatoes," has been renamed in our dining halls as the same exact dish but without the word Israeli.

User @ViktorKagan promptly questioned the potential unreliability of her remarks back then by sharing a picture from the Yale Dining Hall, reporting the retention of the salad's name as Israeli Couscous Salad with Spinach and Tomatoes."

With the growing distrust in all claims made by the student journalist, recent tweets from Internet users have criticised her as "a professional pro-Israel agitator posing as a victimised Jewish student.

Someone wrote on X/Twitter on May 5 (IST), Like other Zionist youth, she's been indoctrinated to exploit historical Jewish persecution to protect Jewish supremacy over occupied Palestine.

Another X user chimed in, "Here is the latest Zionist invention. Was this student stabbed in the eye because she was a Jew?

No. In fact there was no stabbing in the eye at all, as can be seen by the fact that she sustained no injury whatsoever. To be fair, she did claim she got a headache."

A third one wrote, I didn't realize how far this false claim went. There has been such an incredible absence of violence at these protests that it has required fictionalizing and promoting a few cases. Contrast this with the unbelievable levels of violence used to later suppress them.
Sean Diddy Combs has shared a cryptic post on Instagram amid his legal troubles. The video is the first he has posted since April 15. Sean Diddy Combs shares cryptic post amid legal troubles (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)(AFP)

The clip starts with a camera moving down a white hallway with narration beginning. Diddy is seen hugging someone. "Not hysterical. Not frantic. Not anxious. Not fretful," the voice says.

Diddy is then seen standing in a circle, holding hands with people in what appears to be prayer. The camera is far away and faces are not clear.

Diddy is then seen standing on a windblown and sandy beach. The voice states, But steady in the storm. Looks bad, looks tough, but remains steady in the storm." A shot then shows Diddy with his arms stretched out in the wind.

The video is captioned, Sometimes we create our own storms and then get mad when it rains.

Sean Diddy Combs legal troubles

Diddy is currently facing sexual abuse lawsuits from Liza Gardner, music producer Rodeny Lil Rod Jones, Joi Dickerson-Neal, as well as a woman going by the name Jane Doe. Diddy has maintained his innocence. On April 26, his lawyers filed a motion to dismiss many of the claims in the Dickerson-Neal suit, citing "statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred and against corporate entities that were not formed or in existence."

Diddys Miami and Los Angeles homes were raided by Homeland Security officials in March. The raids were carried out in connection with a federal human trafficking investigation. In a statement given to Fox News Digital at the time, the rappers attorney Aaron Dyer said the raids were a "gross overuse of military-level force.

Diddy is also facing a business lawsuit that alleged he left a New Orleans design firm on the hook for $100,000 in material costs. He has been accused of pushing back the event it was meant for.
NEW YORK  Jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial heard for the first time how and why Michael Cohen's reimbursement for payment the Stormy Daniels' payment was entered as a legal expense. The Latest | Former Trump Organization controller concludes testimony, other witnesses expected

Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified Monday about conversations he had with the company's longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg in January 2017 about reimbursing Cohen for $130,000 he'd paid to lawyer Keith Davidson, Daniels' then-lawyer.

McConney said handwritten notes from Weisselberg detailed how much to reimburse Cohen for. All expenses had to be entered in the general ledger with a category code, and we were paying a lawyer, McConney explained. So it was coded as such.

Prior to witness testimony, Trump was sanctioned a second time for violating a gag order barring him from publicly speaking about witnesses, jurors and others connected to the trial.

Judge Juan M. Merchan fined him $1,000 and warned that going forward, additional violations could result in jail time.

The trial is in its 12th day.

Overall, prosecutors are inching further into those in Trump's orbit, setting the stage for a deeper dive into what they say was a scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election by buying and burying negative stories about the then-candidate.

Cohen is the prosecution's star witness and went to prison for the hush money scheme.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The case is the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury.

Currently:

 Read the judge's ruling on Trump's most recent gag order violation

 Hush money, catch and kill and more: Terms to know in Trump trial

 What Trumps gag order means in his hush money case

 Key players: Whos who at Donald Trumps hush money criminal trial

 The hush money case is just one of Trumps legal cases. See the others here

Here's the latest: NEXT WITNESS IS TRUMP ORGANIZATIONS' ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SUPERVISOR

The prosecution on Monday called to the stand Deborah Tarasoff, the accounts payable supervisor at the Trump Organization.

Tarasoff was the recipient of a 2017 email in which then-controller Jeffrey McConney told her post to legal expenses with regard to the handling of reimbursement payments to Michael Cohen. She prepared the checks used to pay Cohen.

Tarasoff and McConney both worked under longtime company chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg. Tarasoff previously testified at the Trump Organizations 2022 trial on unrelated tax fraud charges.

In that case, she testified that she knew nothing about Weisselberg's scheme to evade taxes on $1.7 million in company-paid perks and was just following orders when she processed payments from Trump Organization accounts for his personal expenses.

Tarasoff said that in September 2016, as the presidential vote that catapulted Trump to the presidency neared, Weisselberg ordered her to start deleting notations about some of the transactions in the companys bookkeeping system. Tarasoff said she didnt think Weisselberg was asking her to do anything illegal.

But even if he had, she said: I guess I would because hes the boss and he told me to do it. MCCONNEY ENDS TESTIMONY, COURT BREAKS FOR LUNCH

In a riposte to prosecutors questions Monday that elicited that former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney never saw a legal retainer agreement for Cohen, defense attorney Emil Bove asked whether retainers can be verbal.

To my knowledge, yes, McConney said.

During re-direct and shortly before concluding his time on the witness stand, McConney testified that while he hadnt spoken to either Trump or Allen Weisselberg about the reimbursement payments to Cohen, hed come to feel that he was kept in the dark about certain matters.

This was all happening above your head? asked prosecutor Matthew Colangelo.

Yes, McConney replied.

You were told to do something and you did it? the prosecutor continued. Yes, McConney repeated.

The court went on break for lunch shortly thereafter. THE ISSUE OF WHETHER THE PAYMENTS TO COHEN WERE LEGITIMATE OR NOT

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money case have argued that the 2017 payments to Michael Cohen  including his reimbursement for shelling out $130,000 to Stormy Daniels  werent legitimate legal expenses.

The defense argues otherwise, and Trump lawyer Emil Bove got Jeffrey McConney to acknowledge that he didnt know whether or not Cohen did indeed do legal work for Trump in 2017.

For example, Bove brought up a defamation lawsuit that Trump was facing from then-Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos. She accused Trump of subjecting her to unwanted kissing and groping in 2007 and then smearing her when she went public during his 2016 campaign.

He denied all her claims. She dropped the suit in 2021.

McConney testified that he had no idea whether Cohen worked on the Zervos matter.

Other attorneys represented Trump in court appearances and filings during at least many of the years of the case. MCCONNEY SAYS HE WASN'T TOLD TO RECORD PAYMENTS AS LEGAL EXPENSES

former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified Monday that Donald Trump never directed him to log Michael Cohens payments as legal expenses, nor did Allen Weisselberg relay to him that Trump wanted them logged that way.

In fact, McConney said he never spoke to Trump about the reimbursement issue at all.

As for Cohen, McConney said his interactions with Trumps then-lawyer were minimal. He said that other than emails about invoices, he never spoke to Cohen about the reimbursement arrangement.

Though he testified that he logged Cohens payments as legal expenses because Cohen was a lawyer, McConney again appeared somewhat skeptical of his work.

At the time of the payments, Mr. Cohen was a lawyer, Bove said, seeking to underscore that the payments were legitimate legal expenses.

OK, McConney testified, spurring laughter throughout the courtroom. Sure. Yes. CROSS-EXAMINATION OF MCCONNEY BEGINS

Donald Trump's attorneys began cross-examination of Jeffrey McConney on Monday with questions that hit on a key defense theme: that Michael Cohen was a lawyer, and payments to lawyers are legal expenses.

McConney agreed that such payments were.

Its a point the defense wants to make because part of its argument is that there was nothing illegal about the way Cohen was paid for his handling of the $130,000 Stormy Daniels pay.

Underscoring the point, Trump lawyer Emil Bove directed the former Trump Organization controller to the signature under Cohens email address, which read: Personal attorney to President Donald J. Trump.

It doesnt say fixer does it? Bove asked, referencing a title commonly applied to Cohen. No, McConney responded.

The email was from February 2017, just after Cohen left the company's full-time payroll. It listed his title as Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump, with a Gmail address, rather than a Trump Organization email.

Bove posited that by that point, Cohen was akin to a vendor to President Trump and was paid accordingly. JURORS PAY ATTENTION AS MCCONNEY GOES THROUGH DOCUMENTS

While noontime testimony in Donald Trump's criminal trial took a dry turn with Jeffrey McConney authenticating and describing various ledger printouts and tax documents, jurors nevertheless watched the former Trump Organization controller and some appeared to take notes. One juror cradled his chin in his hand.

If not the juiciest testimony heard so far, its legally important, allowing the documents to be entered into evidence. They show the source and scope of payments, including that Cohen was paid $315,000 out of Trumps personal account and $105,000 out of the trust that handled his assets while he was in the White House. WHERE IS WEISSELBERG?

Like Michael Cohen, Allen Weisselberg's has been name checked numerous times during Donald Trump's hush money trial but is otherwise absent from the courtroom.

The former Trump Organization executive, described by a witness Monday as the architect of an arrangement to reimburse Cohen for a hush-money payment, is currently in jail for lying under oath in another Trump-related case.

Weisselberg, 76, was sentenced last month to five months in jail for lying under oath while testifying in New York Attorney General Letitia James civil fraud lawsuit against Trump. He is currently serving the sentence at New York Citys notorious Rikers Island jail complex.

Its his second time behind bars. The ex-chief financial officer served 100 days last year for dodging taxes on $1.7 million in company perks, including a rent-free Manhattan apartment and luxury cars. He was also ordered to pay $1 million as part of Trumps civil fraud judgment.

Weisselbergs plea agreement does not require him to testify at the hush money trial, and neither side has indicated it plans to call him as a witness.

Cohen told Congress in 2019 that it was Weisselberg who decided how to structure his reimbursement for the payment to Daniels. Cohen said Weisselberg paid the money out over 12 months so that it would look like a retainer. CHECKS TO COHEN WERE PAID FROM TRUMP'S PERSONAL ACCOUNT, MCCONNEY SAYS

After paying the first two reimbursement checks to Michael Cohen through a trust, the remainder of the checks  covering payments for April to December 2017  were paid from Donald Trumps personal account, Jeffrey McConney testified on Monday.

With Trump, the only signatory to that account, now in the White House, the change in funding source necessitated a whole new process for us, McConney added.

Somehow wed have to get a package down to the White House, get the president to sign the checks, get the checks returned to us and then get the checks mailed out, he testified.

Cohen was being reimbursed for making a payment to Keith Davidson for porn actor Stormy Daniels' silence about a sexual encounter with Trump from years prior.

McConney served as the Trump Organization's controller for nearly three decades before retiring last year. MCCONNEY EXPLAINS WHY REIMBURSEMENT WAS ENTERED AS LEGAL EXPENSE

Getting to a key part of Donald Trump's hush money case  how and why Michael Cohens reimbursement for the Stormy Daniels payment was entered as a legal expense  former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified that he instructed an accounting department employee to do so.

All expenses had to be entered in the general ledger with a category code, and we were paying a lawyer, McConney explained on Monday. So in went the code: 51505.

He said he also instructed the employee to record that the first two payments were for a retainer for the months of January and February 2017.

I was just taking information from the invoice that Cohen had typed into an email, McConney said, though he acknowledged hed never seen a retainer agreement between Cohen and the company. BANK STATEMENT, NOTES LAY OUT PLAN TO REPAY COHEN

A bank statement displayed in court during Donald Trump's criminal trial on Monday showed Michael Cohen paying Keith Davidson, the lawyer for porn actor Stormy Daniels $130,000, on Oct. 27, 2016, out of an account for an entity Cohen created for that purpose.

Weisselbergs handwritten notes about reimbursing Cohen were stapled to the bank statement in the companys files, Jeffrey McConney, formerly the Trump Organization's controller, testified.

The notes spell out a plan to pay Cohen a base reimbursement of $180,000  covering the payment to Davidson and an unrelated technology bill. That total was then doubled or grossed up to cover the state, city and federal taxes that Weisselberg estimated Cohen would incur on the payments.

Weisselberg then added a $60,000 bonus, for a total of $420,000, according to the notes.

McConneys own notes were also shown in court. After calculations that laid out that Cohen would get $35,000 a month for 12 months, McConney wrote: wire monthly from DJT.

Asked what that meant, McConney said: that was out of the presidents personal bank account.

McConney said he didnt know of any other time when the company added onto an employee reimbursement to cover the cost of taxes. Employee reimbursements, if characterized as such, are not subject to taxation.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records by labeling the money paid to Cohen in his companys records as legal fees. Prosecutors contend that by paying him income and giving him extra to account for taxes, the Trump executives were able conceal the reimbursement. JURORS HEAR ABOUT REIMBURSEMENTS PAID TO COHEN

For the first time, jurors on Monday heard about the reimbursements at the root of the charges against Donald Trump in his hush money trial.

Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified about conversations he had with the companys longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg in January 2017 about reimbursing Michael Cohen for $130,000 hed paid to lawyer Keith Davidson.

Allen Weisselberg said we had to get some money to Michael, we had to reimburse Michael. He tossed a pad toward me and I started taking notes on what he said, McConney testified. Thats how I found out about it.

Cohen, whod worked for the Trump Organization for about a decade, had just been taken off the payroll as a salaried employee. MCCONNEY SPEAKS ABOUT MICHAEL COHEN

As prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money trial shifted their questions to the subject of Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, Jeffrey McConney, like multiple witnesses before him, didn't seem to be a fan.

Asked if he was familiar with the former Trump fixer, McConney paused briefly, before adding: Ive had conversations with him by the coffee machine.

In response to a question about Cohens position within the Trump Organization, McConney responded dryly: He said he was a lawyer. FORMER EXEC RECALLS EARLY LESSON FROM TRUMP

In an anecdote from early in his career, former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified in court about Donald Trumps close attention to his cash and hardball approach to bills.

When he went to drop off a report on Trumps desk one day in the late 1980s, he said, the then-real estate mogul looked up while on the phone and said, Jeff, youre fired.

McConney was taken aback. Then Trump added, according to the ex-controller: Youre not fired, but my cash balances went down from last week.

McConney said he explained that various expenses had come up. Trump responded that he should focus on my bills, negotiate my bills.

It was a teaching moment, McConney recalled. If someones asking for money, negotiate with them, rather than just paying.

From the defense table, the former president appeared to enjoy hearing the story, lifting his chin and smiling broadly in McConneys direction. STUDENTS WATCH TRIAL FROM OVERFLOW ROOM

People watching Donald Trump's hush money trial from the courthouse were joined in the overflow room Monday morning by a group of students from a Manhattan private school, who said they were given the morning off to attend.

Thats him! one of the high schoolers yelped earlier in the morning as Trump appeared on the video monitor. She was promptly shushed by one of her classmates. FORMER TRUMP ORGANIZATION CONTROLLER TAKES STAND

Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney took the stand Monday morning in Donald Trump's hush money case.

McConney worked for the company for more than three decades, retiring last year after he was granted immunity in exchange for testifying for the prosecution at the Trump Organizations New York criminal tax fraud trial. During that trial, he admitted breaking the law to help fellow executives avoid taxes on company-paid perks. The company was convicted and is appealing.

McConney, who left with $500,000 in severance, went on to testify tearfully last fall at the civil fraud trial of Trump, the company and key executives. The ex-controller said hed been worn out by his entanglement in a litany of Trump-related investigations and legal proceedings.

I just wanted to relax and stop being accused of misrepresenting assets for the company that I loved working for, he said at the time. THE COMMENT THAT VIOLATED THE GAG ORDER

The judge in Donald Trump's hush money case found on Monday that Donald Trump had violated his gag order with comments he gave to a program called Just the News No Noise on April 22, which is broadcast on Real Americas Voice.

On the program, the former president criticized the speed at which the jury was picked and claimed it was stacked with Democrats. The jury was picked so fast. 95 percent Democrats. The areas mostly all Democrat, he is quoted as saying.

In his ruling, Judge Juan M. Merchan said the comments not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones.

Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration, the judge wrote in the order.

The gag order bars Trump from making comments about the jurors, key witnesses and some others connected to the criminal trial. JUDGE FINES TRUMP AGAIN FOR CONTEMPT, THREATENS JAIL TIME

The judge presiding over former President Donald Trumps hush money trial has fined him an additional $1,000 for again violating a gag order barring him from making inflammatory comments about witnesses and jurors.

Judge Juan M. Merchan warned on Monday that additional gag order violations could potentially result in jail time.

The last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well, Merchan said. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me. To take that step would be disruptive to these proceedings.

Trump sat forward in his seat, glowering at the judge as he handed down the ruling. Once the judge finished speaking, Trump shook his head twice and crossed his arms.

Prosecutors had accused Trump of four violations, but the judge only concurred with one.

The judge had previously fined Trump $9,000 for nine earlier violations in posts on Truth Social and his website. TRUMP TALKS COLUMBIA COMMENCEMENT CANCELLATION BEFORE COURT

Before heading into the courtroom Monday morning, Donald Trump spoke to reporters, relaying familiar complaints about the fairness of the trial, the judge and the gag order that stops him commenting on witnesses and jurors.

He also noted the breaking news that Columbia University canceled its main commencement following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests.

That shouldnt happen, he said. TRUMP ARRIVES AT COURT

Donald Trump has arrived at the courthouse in lower Manhattan as witness testimony in his hush money trial enters its third week.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Kendric Cromer, a 12-year-old kid from a suburb of Washington, has become the first person in the world to receive commercially licensed gene therapy for sickle cell disease. According to the New York Times, Kendric's successful therapy provides hope to around 20,000 people in the United States who suffer from sickle cell disease.

According to the New York Times, Kendric's successful therapy provides hope to around 20,000 people in the United States who suffer from sickle cell disease. However, it also emphasises the difficulties patients confront in obtaining novel sickle cell medications.

After receiving the therapy, Kendric said, "Sickle cell always steals my dreams and interrupts all the things I want to do." He believes that now he has a chance to live a normal life like other kids.

What is Lyfgenia & how much does the treatment cost?

Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Bluebird Bio developed a gene therapy treatment called 'Lyfgenia'. The cost of Kendric's treatment is approximately $3.1 million, which was covered by his family's insurance.

The first phase of his treatment at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where doctors removed his bone marrow stem cells, which the Bluebird will genetically tweak for his treatment. The modified cells will return to his body within three months.

For the treatment, doctors need hundreds of millions of stem cells from the patient, and if the first extraction, which takes six to eight hours, is not enough, the firm will try one or two more extractions.

FDA gives approval to two companies to sell gene therapy

The FDA authorised two firms to sell gene therapy to patients with sickle cell disease, a genetic illness that affects approximately 100,000 Americans, which include mostly Black people.

Bluebird has estimated that it can only treat between 85 and 105 patients per year with sickle cell or beta thalassemia. However, Children's National stated that it can only treat 10 patients with gene therapy each year.

Andrew Obenshain, chief executive officer of Bluebird, said in a statement, This historic moment comes nearly a century after sickle cell disease was the first genetic disorder to be characterized at the molecular level, and almost a decade after bluebird initiated clinical development for our sickle cell gene therapy.

Meanwhile, a confirmation from Vertex Therapeutics of Boston is still awaited if it has begun treating any patients with its authorised CRISPR gene-editing medication.

Furthermore, medical centers have a restricted ability to manage gene therapy patients as they need professional and intense care. After the patient's stem cells are treated, they are required to stay in the hospital for a month, during which they get seriously ill due to intense chemotherapy.
One man is dead and three others wounded after a gunman opened fire on the guests at a baby shower in New York City.

The NYPD tells HNGN that it happened early Saturday morning in Queens.

Officers were called to investigate an assault at Volume Seventeen, a relatively new venue at 108-11 Atlantic Ave., at around 1:30 a.m.

Police found a 24-year-old man shot in the chest. EMS rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center but it was too late to save his life.

A 26-year-old man had been shot in the right arm and a 45-year-old man was suffering from a gunshot wound to his left leg. They were hospitalized in stable condition.

A 43-year-old man later showed up at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with gunshot wounds to the right arm and left leg. He was listed in stable condition.

The glass doors to the venue had at least 11 bullet holes in them. Decorations littered the floor after the shooting.

Gifts including boxes of diapers were also scattered inside the venue.

There were no arrests in the case and the NYPD didn't have a motive.

The identity of the victim who died was being withheld pending family notification.
Twin 3-year-old girls drowned in their family's backyard pool in Phoenix despite their dad's desperate efforts to revive them.

Firefighters raced to the home and arrived in less than three minutes after getting a 911 call around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, local TV station ABC15 reported.

"We had a father on scene attempting to do CPR on both children," Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade told reporters after the tragedy. "You can imagine what that would look like and how taxing that would be."

The toddlers were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead.

On Friday, police identified the little girls as Valentina and Penelope Ruiz. Detectives are continuing to investigate.

"Preliminary information suggests that this incident is consistent with an accidental drowning," police Sgt. Rob Scherer said in a statement. "At this time, there is nothing that investigators have found that appears suspicious.
Three people, including a tenured professor and a graduate student, are challenging a move by the University of Indiana to bar them from returning to campus after they were arrested for participating in pro-Palestinian protests, in a lawsuit they filed over the one-year bans.

Germanic studies associate professor Benjamin Robinson, sociology grad student Madeleine Meldrum and Bloomington, Indiana, resident Jasper Wirtshafter, a university graduate, claim the school violated their First Amendment rights by slapping them with no-trespass orders.

All three were arrested on the school's Bloomington campus during demonstrations that began on April 25, a week after the first wave of arrests at New York City's Columbia University.

Their lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, seeks unspecified damanages and a permanent injunction allowing them to return to the campus' Dunn Meadow to continue protesting there.

Meldrum and Wirtshafter are also seeking preliminary injunctions, but Robinson got a temporary stay of his ban when he filed an appeal, although he missed demonstrations held April 26 through 29, according to court papers.

"He would have attended those protest activities in Dunn Meadow if he had not received the no-trespass order," the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit targets the school's board of trustees and its president, Pamela Whitten.

A university spokesperson declined to comment, citing a police policy against discussing pending litigation, according to the Bloomington Herald-Times.

More than 50 people have been arrested at the school since late last month and some local officials have condemned the state police for posting troopers with "sniper capabilities" on nearby roofs, according to the Indianapolis Star.

The plaintiffs, who are being represented by the ACLU of Indiana, claim that the university's no-trespass orders are a "quintessential example of a prior restraint" that prevent people from "being able to enter the public forum of Dunn Meadow to engage in First Amendment expression."

The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that efforts at prior restraint involving news outlets are unconstitutional except in cases involving immediate threats to national security or incitements to violence, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute.

In a prepared statement, the ACLU of Indiana said Dunn Meadow has been Indiana University's "designated free speech area" since 1969.

"Indiana University cannot preemptively ban persons from engaging in this protected expression by prohibiting them from entering Dunn Meadow for a year or more," ACLU of Indiana legal director Ken Falk said in a statement. "Our future ability to engage in speech activities cannot be denied in this way."

In addition to its main Bloomington campus, the setting for the Oscar-winning 1979 movie "Breaking Away," Indiana University has eight other locations across the state, according to its website.
Russia has placed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list for unspecified criminal charges, state media reported Saturday  which Ukraine slammed as a "desperation" bid for "attention."

Zelenksyy didn't directly address his wanted listing in a message posted Saturday on X, but said Putin was "insane, and his state produces evidence of this every day."

In a statement posted online, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said putting Zelenskyy on the list was "evidence of the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda, which can think of no other way to attract attention," Reuters reported.

The Foreign Ministry also noted that "unlike the worthless Russian announcements, an International Criminal Court warrant for the arrest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on suspicion of war crimes is quite real, and subject to implementation in 123 countries."

The Tass news agency said Zelenksyy was listed in a Russian Interior Ministry database, which didn't detail the purported crimes against him, Russia's Tass news agency reported

Zelenksyy's predecessor, Petro Poroshenko, and Gen. Oleksandr Pavlyuk, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, are also on the list, the Associated Press said.

Mediazona, an independent Russian news outlet, reported that both Zelenskyy and Poroshenko have been listed since at least late February.

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and has been battling Ukraine ever since. On Thursday Russia was accused by the U.S. of using a banned World War I chemical weapon, chloropicrin, which causes lung damage.

Zelenskyy posted a three-minute video clip Sunday in which he detailed a number of aerial attacks he said Russia launched against Ukraine's border regions and front lines one day before Sunday's celebration of Orthodox Easter.

"The Russian evil does not diminish its desire to bring ruins even on the eve of Easter," he said.

Ukraine shot down 13 Iranian-made Shahed attack drones and a Russian Su-25 fighter-bomber, Zelenskyy said.
Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied Saturday night in Tel Aviv to demand a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war, the release of hostages and the resignation of the nation's hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even as Israel continued to attack Gaza.

Residents and health officials said Israeli planes and tanks continued to pummel areas across the Gaza overnight, killing and wounding several people, Reuters reported.

Protesters in Tel Aviv, meanwhile, were demanding new elections, and accused Netanyahu of continuiing to press the bombardment of Gaza to keep himself in power.

"We hope the world hears us and knows that the people of Israel are not the government of Israel," protester Shulamit Ron told Euronews.

"We don't agree with the policy, we don't agree with the way they behave, and we want to have a different future," he added.

Hamas negotiators remained in Cairo Sunday in a bid to broker a peace deal in continuing talks. Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in the talks that reportedly did not include Israeli negotiators.

One Palestinian official, close to the mediation effort, said the Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo with a determination to reach a deal "but not at any price."

"A deal must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza and Israel hasn't yet committed it was willing to do so," the official told Reuters, asking not to be named.
Seven people were injured and four of them were in critical condidtion after a shooting late Saturday night in Long Beach, California, officials reported.

The remaining three victims had non-life-threatening injuries, police said in a statement

There were no arrests as of early Sunday.

Police were still seeking a motive in the shooting, which occurred near restaurants and several other businesses.

"The suspect(s) fled prior to officers' arrival," Long Beach police said in a statement. "Suspect information and motive are unknown at this time."

Detectives remained on the scene, and police asked that the public avoid the area during the ongoing investigation.

(1/2) We currently have a significant police presence in the area of South Street and Paramount Boulevard while we investigate a shooting. At this time, there have been seven reported victims - three with non-life-threatening injuries and four in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/CEMtBANsWx  Long Beach PD (CA) (@LBPD) May 5, 2024

This is a developing story. Please check back for updated information.
LAPD officers clad in riot gear arrived at USC early Sunday morning to disband a pro-Palestinian encampment.

"LAPD are here. We are ready for them," an encampment spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.

Video footage revealed dozens of officers in riot gear, along with fire crews, surrounding the camp. USC issued an alert warning people to leave the central campus area or face arrest.

Some 30 protesters exited the encampment as the LAPD forced them toward a campus entrance.

Last month, Los Angeles police arrested 93 students for trespassing as they cleared a previous encampment set up at the center of campus.

But protesters recreated the encampment last weekend, prompting a campus-wide letter from USC President Carol Folt warning the site's survival would be short-lived.

"The university is legally obligated to ensure that students, faculty, and staff can move freely throughout our campus while pursuing their studies, work and research," she warned. "Every part of our campuses, including Alumni Park, must be fully accessible and free from vandalism and harassment."

USC student journalists reported that Assistant Director of the USC Village Residential Colleges Nancy Alonzo also warned on site that the encampment "has to go down. As we have mentioned before, your encampment and acts of vandalism and the theft of university property violate policies and the law."

She said an "alternative free speech area" had been established by the university for the the encampment. It was not immediately clear where it was located.

But students said they would not move the current site from behind the university's Leavey Library.

"Protest locations cannot be dictated by the people in power because then it's no longer the freedom to protest and assemble," said a spokesperson.

Another said protesters were resolute despite the police: "There is fear in the air. There is confidence. There is passion. We are emboldened to stand up for the people in Gaza."

The protester added: "No matter how this occupation goes down, it's still a win for us because we have caused disruption and discomfort to the USC administration. We have ended business as usual for the past few weeks."

Heightened controversy was triggered late last month after USC banned a planned speech by valedictorian Asna Tabassum at the May 10 commencement due to "unspecified safety threats." Pro-Israel groups had criticized Tabassum for a link on her Instagram profile to a pro-Palestinian website.

The university later cancelled its full commencement ceremony.

Encampments continue across California campuses, including UC Irvine, Occidental College, Sacramento State, San Francisco State, and others.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators are calling for an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza and advocating for divestment from Israel and related companies.
Australian authorities fatally shot a teenage boy after he stabbed and injured a man in what officials believe was likely a terrorist attack.

The teen assailant, described as a 16-year-old Caucasian male, was armed with a knife during the attack in a suburb of Perth, said Western Australia Premier Roger Cook.

The attack "has the hallmarks" of a terrorist act, said regional police commissioner Col Blanch, who emphasized that it "meets the criteria or at least the definition" of terrorism.

Another 16-year-old boy was arrested last month after police said he stabbed and seriously injured a bishop in Sydney as he said mass in what was characterized as a terroist incident. The teen was amond a group of teens who communicated online about attacks, according to investigators.

In the latest incident local police were alerted Saturday night by a male caller who openly declared his intent to commit acts of violence, reported CNN.

Moments later, another call reported a man wielding a knife and behaving erratically.

Resonding officers found the teen holding a "large kitchen knife." The teen reportedly charged the officers, and was fatally shot when police were unable to safely subdue him.

Police then learned that the teen had stabbed a middle-aged man before officers arrived. He survived the attack.

Blanch revealed that the suspect was already known to the police before the incident because "he had been part of a program on online radicalization for the past few years."

Blanch thanked members of the local Muslim community who had earlier raised concerns about the teen that "enabled us to identify this individual and respond as quickly as we did."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement Sunday: "Australia is a nation that cherishes peace, and violent extremism has no place here."
More than 400 people were rescued from flooded homes and roads around Houston on Saturday after a local official warned that heavy rainfall there would create a "catastrophic event."

The water rose nearly as high as power lines along the east fork of the San Jacinto River, and some houses were swamped to their roofs, the Houston Chronicle reported.

A flood watch remained in effect through 7 p.m. Sunday, with the National Weather Service saying that a new round of heavy rain could dump up to eight inches on parts of southeast Texas.

The region was slammed by fierce storms Friday following weeks of already-drenching rains that filled reservoirs and saturated the ground in Texas and parts of Louisiana, according to the Associated Press.

The Lone Star State, Oklahoma and Iowa have also been rocked by deadly tornadoes, including one that led to the dramatic, caught-on-camera rescue of a family fleeing its demolished home.

Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in Harris County, the nation's third largest, on Friday ordered residents living near the San Jacinito River southeast of Houston to evacuate, saying that they weren't facing "your average river flooding," according to the Laredo Morning Times.

"This is much worse. It's a catastrophic event," she said.

On Saturday, Hidalgo toured the county, including by helicopter, and said that anyone who didn't heed her warnings should stay put until rescuers arrived, according to local TV station KHOU 11.

"We definitely advise folks not to get into high water, because there's all kinds of materials in there," Hidalgo said.

"There were snakes, there were rats, there were spiders that we could just see with our eyes from the vehicle in the water. And you don't know what's at the bottom."
Israel's cabinet came to a unanimous decision on Sunday to shut down the Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera's operations in Israel, following nearly six months of deliberations prompted by security concerns linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The order includes shutting down Al Jazeera broadcasts in Arabic and English, closing offices, confiscating broadcast equipment and blocking the news operation's websites.

It's believed to be the first time Israel has ever shuttered a foreign news outlet operating in the country, the Associated Press reported.

The order went into effect immediately after Minister Shlomo Karhi signed the executive decree, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Al Jazeera was quickly dropped from Israel's main cable and satellite providers in the hours after the order. But its website online streaming links were still operating Sunday, according to the AP.

In a joint statement with Israeli network provider YES, Netanyahu said that "Al Jazeera correspondents have harmed the security of Israel and incited against IDF soldiers. The time has come to eject Hamas's mouthpiece from our country."

Karhi doubled down on the same sentiments, adding: "We will take immediate action against those who use freedom of the press to harm the security of Israel and IDF soldiers and incite terrorism in times of war. There will be no freedom of expression for Hamas' mouthpieces in Israel."

Al Jazeera issued a statement vowing to fight the action though all available legal channels and international legal institutions in its "quest to protect both its rights and journalists, as well as the public's right to information."

Israel's "ongoing suppression of the free press, seen as an effort to conceal its actions in the Gaza Strip, stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law," the network said. The country's "targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and threats will not deter Al Jazeera."

The order is currently being challenged in the High Court of Justice by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) on grounds of violating free speech.
Several friends and supporters of the late Mica Miller, 30, gathered outside her pastor husband's church in Myrtle Beach Sunday to hold a "Justice for Mica" rally on Sunday demanding a thorough investigation of her death after she was found found fatally shot in a park late last month.

The Solid Rock at Market Common church was also planning an afternoon memorial service for Miller.

"Mica blessed us in so many ways, and we are saddened but know she has graduated to Heaven!" the church said in a Facebook post.

A separate, beachside memorial was held at the same time in North Myrtle Beach, according to local TV station WPDE.

The crowd gathered outside the Mrytle Beach church yelled out for justice as passing crowds honked their horns.

#MICAMILLER Video from the "Justice for Mica" rally outside Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach. https://t.co/EYKWUgq9JT pic.twitter.com/xWx10oQkqY  WPDE ABC15 (@wpdeabc15) May 5, 2024

Protests happening now at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, SC.



People are outraged after John-Paul Miller announced at the end of service last week that his wife committed suicide.



Days before her death, she filed for spousal support and posted a series of videos alleging pic.twitter.com/VkM5Ts7qsD  Robbie Harvey (@therobbieharvey) May 5, 2024

Miller's body was found with a gunshot wound to the head on April 27 at the Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, North Carolina, according to reports.

Her husband, John-Paul Miller, told his congregation the following day that the death was "self-induced" and that his wife "wasn't well mentally," according to a video posted of his announcement.

The New York Post reported that Mica Miller had filed for divorce six months earlier. She had also earlier lamented on Facebook about dealing with "situations of abuse," but did not provide details.

On the same day as the pastor's announcement, Mica Miller's sister Sierra Francis wrote on Facebook that people should ignore "false stories being spread about her," apparently referring to her husband's report of suicide. On Thursday, a friend of Mica Miller's told WPDE: "This has to be at least looked into deeply."

There's "got to be some accountability here," Kenn Young told the station. "It's not just as simple as somebody had some mental issues."

The Robeson County Sheriff's Office is investigating MIca MIller's death, Maj. Damien McLean has told WPDE.

The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
Israel shut down operations at the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing into Gaza on Sunday after a rocket barrage was fired by Hamas from the southern city of Rafah in Gaza raising serious concerns about extremely fragile current negotiations regarding a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

The Israeli army said some 10 projectiles were fired at Kerem Shalom, a main route for humanitarian aid, which was recently visited by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Reuters reported that Israel was already attacking Gaza, and Getty photographs showed damage in Rafah.

Hamas' military wing claimed responsibility for the rocket barrage, while Israel's Foreign Ministry took to social media to report that seven individuals had been injured in the attack.

The launches, according to Bloomberg News, took place "adjacent to the Rafah Crossing, located approximately .2 miles (350 meters) from civilian shelters."

The attacks and response occurred even as Hamas representatives were in Cairo over the weekend to discuss the possible release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire. Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in the talks that reportedly did not include Israeli negotiators  but that was before the latest developments.

The Hamas attack reportedly came just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's willingness to temporarily halt the conflict in Gaza to negotiate the release of hostages  but outright refused Hamas' demand to end the war entirely. Israel's defense minister warned that preparations for a potential assault on Rafah are ongoing.

Giving in to Hamas' demands would be a "terrible defeat" for Israel, a huge victory for Hamas and Iran, and would project a "terrible weakness" to Israel's friends and enemies alike, Netanyahu said in a statement. "This weakness will only bring the next war closer, and it will push the next peace agreement further away."

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh iinsisted the negotiating had brought "seriousness and positivity" to the current talks.

Haniyeh emphasized that Hamas remains eager to secure a comprehensive agreement ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces and facilitating a substantial exchange of prisoners and hostages.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant posted to X, writing that "IDF forces are ready for a powerful operation all over Gaza and especially in the Rafah area."
Pro-Palestinian protesters have shut down public access to Ireland's historic "Book of Kells" at Trinity College Dublin, with a student leader saying Sunday that the blockade would continue "indefinitely."

Laszlo Molnarfi, president of the Students' Union, told the Irish news website The Journal that about 80 people were maintaining an encampment of tents set up Friday outside the school's Old Library, which houses the Book of Kells.

"Our numbers have grown. Our forces have grown up. It's a completely peaceful protest, we're still blocking the Book of Kells indefinitely," Molnarfi said.

A photo posted online by the BBC on Saturday showed inscribed wood benches piled up in front of the entrance to the exhibit.

The demonstrators' demands reportedly include the cutting of all ties between Trinity and Israel, condemnation by the college of Israel's military actions in Gaza, and the awarding of scholarships to Palestinian students.

The Book of Kells is an illuminated religious manuscript transcribed by Celtic monks around the year 800 and contains the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin.

Failte Ireland, the country's national tourism development authority, calls it Ireland's "greatest national treasure," and according to Trinity College Dublin, it attracts more than 520,000 visitors a year.

Trinity College Dublin is among several schools around the world where students have staged pro-Palestinian protests following a wave of similar demonstrations across the U.S. sparked by the April 18 police crackdown on an encampment at Columbia University in New York City.

International protests have been reported in cites including London, Paris, Rome, Sydney, Tokyo and Beirut, according to NBC News.

The encampment at Trinity College Dublin started one day after the school fined the Students' Union 214,285 euros, more than $230,000, for protests that blocked access to the Book of Kells.

A Trinity spokesperson told the school's student newspaper, Trinity News, on Thursday that the fine was imposed because the school "cannot survive solely on Government funding" and "income generated from the Book of Kells is vital to keep the university going."

The fine, due by May 30, is equivalent to about 20% of the Students' Union's annual income, most of which comes from the college, according to Trinity News.
Elon Musk accused the Anti-Defamation League of "fighting yesterday's battles" after it objected to his planned reinstatement of white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes' account on the social media website X.

In a Saturday post on X, Musk  who bought the site formerly known as Twitter in 2022  implicitly defended his decision to reverse Fuente's January 2023 suspension over alleged antisemitic posts.

"ADL is still fighting yesterday's battles," the billionaire Tesla CEO and self-described "free speech absolutist" wrote.

Less than an hour later, Fuentes chimed in, "ADL lost, Patriots won."

Fuentes, who in 2022 dined with former President Donald Trump and the rapper formerly known as Kanye West at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, also thanked Musk "for reinstating my account and upholding your commitment to free speech."

Fuentes has been banned from several social media sites, and his most recent suspension from X came one day after he was reinstated after two earlier suspensions.

On Thursday, Musk agreed to an anonymous X user's demand to "Bring Nick Fuentes back on Twitter," telling Musk, "He has been banned since 2021, what happened to your promise big guy?"

Musk responded, "Very well, he will be reinstated, provided he does not violate the law, and let him be crushed by the comments and Community Notes."

"It is better to have anti whatever out in the open to be rebutted than grow simmering in the darkness," Musk said.

The announcement prompted the ADL to say it was "concerned that white supremacist influencer Nick Fuentes may be officially welcomed back on X."

"While ADL recognizes the right to free speech, we must also sound the alarm on hate and antisemitism in all its form," the group wrote on X.

The ADL only allows accounts it follows or mentions to respond to its posts, so Musk and Fuentes both responded to a screenshot of the ADL's message that was posted by another X user.
Former President Donald Trump's plan to deport as many as 20 million migrants from the U.S. would likely involve "large operations" in so-called sanctuary cities that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials, according to a report Sunday.

Two former Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials appointed by Trump told the New York Post that ICE has "systems in place that are very good at identifying people" and that immigration officers would probably be temporarily relocated to round them up.

"This effort will likely include citywide operations where officers from different parts of the country are brought in to conduct work site investigations and make arrests within the course of weeks within in any given jurisdiction," former ICE chief of staff Jon Feere said.

Feere said, "ICE would prefer that all states and cities cooperate with federal law enforcement."

"But those that choose not to are going to see an increase in operations within their communities. ICE will have no choice but to conduct large operations," he said.

Major cities that have declared themselves migrant sanctuaries include New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for reduced immigration to the U.S.

Former ICE acting director Tom Homan said the agency "would still prioritize criminals and national security threats first, they are the most dangerous for the country."

"But I would say no one is off the table. If you're in this country illegally...then we'll remove you," he said.

Homan said much of Trump's plan, which the presumptive Republican presidential nominee discussed during a recent interview with Time magazine, would be "up to Congress" because of the spending it would require.

"We need officers, we need detention beds, we need transportation contracts," Homan said.

Feere, however, said ICE already had the capacity to detain more migrants than those being held now.

ICE had 34,373 migrants in detention as of April 21, according to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

During an interview for a report published on April 30, Trump told Time that, if elected, he would use local law enforcement and the National Guard to launch the largest mass deportation operation in American history.

When asked if he would also use "the military inland as well as at the border," Trump said, "I don't think I'd have to do that."

"I think the National Guard would be able to do that. If they weren't able to, then I'd use the military," he said.

Trump also said he didn't envision building new migrant detention camps before saying, "I would not rule out anything."

"But there wouldn't be that much of a need for them, because of the fact that we're going to be moving them out. We're going to bring them back from where they came," he said.
On Sunday, thousands of protesters rallied in French cities over what they called an "offensive" against transgender rights after right-wing Senators introduced legislation on gender transition for minors.

Early in the afternoon, young people, trade unionists, left-wing lawmakers, and activists gathered at Place de la Republique in Paris, chanting and holding signs that demanded "health resources for transitions."

"Anti-patriarchy, anti-capitalism, solidarity with trans people all over the world," the Parisian protesters chanted.

Over 800 organizations and personalities, including the Socialists and the left-wing party France Unbowed, appealed for protests.

According to the Interior Ministry, 10,880 protesters took to the streets of France, including the 2,500 in Paris.

The organizers said that protesters staged rallies over the weekend in Brussels and Liege, Belgium, as well as in Lyon, Marseille, and Montpellier.

Hundreds joined the Montpellier protest, which featured a sit-in and speeches. An AFP correspondent observed two people throwing small stones at several protesters.

"This is our daily life," one of the organizers, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said.

The organizer noted that there is an urgent need to defend the rights of all people at a time when right-wing and far-right politicians are attacking the rights of trans people and disseminating false information about trans-identifying children.

An elderly couple, among the youthful Paris crowd, said they had come hoping to find their 27-year-old child, who had disappeared after transitioning, leaving them "traumatized and devastated."

Protests erupted after a report by senators of the center-right Republicans party on transgender minors.

Transgender advocacy groups claimed that the report allows a resumption of "conversion therapy." However, the authors deny these claims.

Drawing on the report, lawmakers created a proposed bill that will be discussed on May 28.
According to election tribunal data, Jose Raul Mulino, the protege of a graft-convicted former head of state, took the lead in Panama's presidential election on Sunday evening with half the votes counted.

Mulino supporters gathered early in Panama City's downtown with expectations of a victory announcement.

The most recent poll shows that 64-year-old conservative lawyer Jose Raul Mulino entered the race far ahead in opinion polls, clinching a commanding 37% of the vote. Only three of the other seven contenders were close, with a dismal less than 15% of the support.

However, he was forced to wait until Friday for a last-minute court ruling to approve his candidacy, which it did.

Following Mulino are two center-right politicians, Ricardo Lombana, a former envoy to the United States, and Romulo Roux, the foreign minister under former president Ricardo Martinelli, a social democrat.

According to polls, more voters remain uncertain rather than support any of Mulino's opponents.

He succeeded Martinelli as the right-wing Realizing Goals (RM) party candidate following Martinelli's unsuccessful appeal of his money-laundering conviction.

Mulino, who had been Martinelli's vice-presidential running mate before the former leader's disqualification, had his candidacy challenged because he had failed to secure a primary victory or select his running mate as required by law.

A recent poll shows that the Supreme Court rejected the complaint on Friday, a decision approved by Martinelli, who most Panamanians think will exercise power from behind the scenes.

In a video that Martinelli released, Mulino saw Martinelli at the embassy after voting on Sunday. The two embraced and said, "Brother!" and "We are going to win!"

Furthermore, the high cost of living, crime, and access to clean water are the top concerns among voters.
Three bodies discovered in a well in Mexico have been positively identified as two Australian and an American surfer believed killed by thieves for their truck tires, said Baja California state prosecutors.

They were shot to death during a surfing trip to the Baja peninsula in Mexico.

The well was located some four miles (6 km) from the scene of the surfers' deaths. The well also held a fourth body that had been there for a longer period of time.

Three suspects are being detained in the case.

The victims  American Jack Carter Rhoad and Australian siblings Jake and Callum Robinson  were identified by relatives. identities were confirmed by relatives..

Before the surfers vanished last weekend, the three men were camping and surfing on a stretch of coast south of Ensenada, sharing photos of waves and isolated beaches on social media.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she would press for "fair" competition with China in talks with its President Xi Jinping, who is in Paris on a state visit.

Beijing has fiercely responded to the latest probe into suspected unfair access to China's medical device industry, describing it as an example of "protectionism" by the EU.

In a statement issued hours before a face-to-face Paris meeting between von der Leyen, Xi, and French President Emmanuel Macron, she said that they must act to ensure that competition is fair and not distorted.

In an earlier meeting with Xi, she clarified that the current imbalances in market access are unsustainable and must be addressed.

China has been the target of numerous competition investigations in recent months. The investigations were led by von der Leyen's European Commission, the European Union's authority on trade issues.

An EU investigation into Chinese wind turbine suppliers to the European market has also infuriated China. Chinese subsidies for solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs), and trains have been the subject of other Brussels investigations.

The EU chief reiterated that it should derisk its relations but not decouple from China, saying that the EU will not penalize or obstruct trade streams in key sectors to the same extent as the US.

She added that they have been very clear-eyed about their relationship with China, which is one of the most complex and important.

Furthermore, von der Leyen said that over the last year, he has met with Xi twice, and they have spent some time discussing EU-China relations, from trade to climate, global affairs to digital issues.

She emphasized the issue of Chinese overcapacity and how Chinese goods entered the EU at prices that made them uncompetitive for EU companies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to begin drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons following what his government has called "provocative statements" by Western leaders.

Putin has repeatedly warned that he would not rule out using nuclear weapons.

His Defense Ministry claims the exercise is "in response to provocative statements and threats" made by Western leaders.

"During the exercise, a set of measures will be taken to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the ministry said in a statement.

While Russia regularly has drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, this is the first time it has publicly announced them, the Associated Press reported.

Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield, according to the report.

The simulated nuclear drills come as Russia continues to warn Western governments about their involvement in coming to Ukraine's defense.

French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that he might consider sending troops to Ukraine.

"If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request, which is not the case today, we would legitimately have to ask ourselves this question," the French leader said in an interview published Thursday in the Economist.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Macron's comments were one of the incidents that prompted the nuclear drills.

Another possible motivation for the drills is Poland's request to NATO that U.S. nuclear warheads be based there.
Berkshire Hathaway revealed over the weekend that its profits plunged 64% during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

The large collection of companies reported $12.7 billion in profit, Warren Buffett told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Omaha. that was down from $35.5 billion.

The drop was reportedly largely due to steep declines in the paper value of some investments but the company said most of the businesses it owned performed well.

The company disclosed that it had sold about 13% of its holding in Apple over the past three months. The technology company remains the largest share of Berkshire's portfolio at 40% of its holdings.

He didn't give an explaination for the sale but Buffett took great measures to praise Apple and expected the iPhone maker to remain the company's largest holding this year unless something very unexpected happened.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was in the audience as Buffett spoke on Saturday.

Buffett's company is sitting on a record $188.993 billion in cash. Buffett said the company is not currently looking at any major acquisitions, the Associated Press reported.

"We'd love to spend it but we won't spend it unless we're doing something with very little risk that will make us a lot of money," Buffett said.

He also warned his investors that artificial intelligence could turn financial scams into the "growth industry of all time."

The meeting started with a long video tribute to Berkshire's former Vice Chairman and longtime Buffett business partner Charlie Munger, who died last year at the age of 99.
New York Judge Juan Merchan found Donald Trump in contempt of court once again Monday mnorning for gag order violations connected to his criminal hush money trial.

"The last thing I want to do is put you in jail," the judge said according to the Associated Press. "You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me. To take that step would be disruptive to these proceedings."

A hearing was held last week after prosecutors submitted four video clips of possible violations. One was a video outside the courtroom when Trump again attacked his former attorney, Michael Cohen, as a "liar."

Trump's lawyers submitted nearly 500 pages of evidence in a bid to refute the alleged violations.

The judge only found Trump had violated the gag order once for comments he gave to a Real America's Voice on April 22.

Trump had claimed the jury was stacked with Democrats. "The jury was picked so fast. 95 percent Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat," he is quoted as saying.

At the hearing over the violations, Judge Merchan grew impatient as one of Trump's lawyers tried to justify the comments.

Prosecutors said they weren't yet seeking to have Trump jailed as punishment.

Merchan noted that the low fines were not likely to deter Trump so he, once again, warned Trump could face jailtime for future violations.

Last week the judge ruled that he had nine previous violations and fined him $9,000.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels, who claimed she had sex with trump, was paid for rights to her story to keep the information hidden from voters, prosecutors are arguing.

Trump has denied having sex with Daniels.
These bakers weren't loafing around.

A team of French cooks rose to the occasion and created the world's longest baguette on Sunday  after losing the record to Italy five years ago.

The colossal, crusty comestible measured 140.5 meters, or 461 feet, after it came out of a specially-built wheeled oven in the Paris suburb of Susernes, Reuters reported.

The iconic French bread was 10 meters, or about 33 feet, longer than the one bakers in Como, Italy, produced in June 2019 to snatch the record from the country that invented the long, thin loaf made of only flour, water, salt and yeast.

"Everything has been validated. We are all very happy to have beaten this record and that it was done in France," one of the French bakers, Anthony Arrigault, said after a Guinness World Records judge signed off on the achievement.

The 18-member crew used 90 kilos, or nearly 200 pounds, of flour to make the dough they began kneading and shaping at 3 a.m. during an event for the French Confederation of Bakers and Pastry Chefs, the German state broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported.

Confederation President Dominique Anract, who said the baguette was an "essential part of our gastronomic heritage," hailed the effort.

"A record for the longest handcrafted baguette requires true spirit and collective sportsmanship," Anract said.

Pieces of the record-setting bread were distributed to hungry onlookers, with the rest earmarked for donation to homeless people.
The American surfer shot to death alongside his two Australian friends during a surfing trip near Ensenada, Mexico, was just months away from saying, "I do."

The bodies of Jack Carter Rhoad, 33, of San Diego; and brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, of Perth, Australia; were discovered dumped at the bottom of a 50-foot well in Baja California Saturday. The trio suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head during a carjacking, according to authorities, CNN reported.

Rhoad, the founder of Loma Apparel and director of workforce solutions at a San Diego IT company, was engaged to be married to Natalie Weirtz, 32, on Aug. 17, at a ceremony in Columbus, Ohio, according to the couple's wedding planning website.

He popped the question to Natalie in July 2023, according to his Facebook.

Over the weekend, Natalie's friend launched a GoFundMe to "rally support for Natalie during this unimaginably difficult time and provide essentials such as housing, food, transportation, and more," the fundraiser description read.

"In the wake of the heartbreaking loss of Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson, and Jake Robinson, our hearts ache with grief for their families, friends, and community. Their presence brought immeasurable joy, love, and kindness to those around them, leaving a mark on our lives."

The men were reported missing April 29 after failing to check-in to their Airbnb. Their burned-out white pickup truck was dumped 40 miles away from where their bodies were subsequently found, a local police source told CNN.

Three Mexican citizens have since been arrested in connection with the case.
A telehealth and online pharmacy CEO tempered his support for pro-Palestinian college protesters after his company's stock price tumbled in the wake of his encouragement of their actions and offer to potentially hire them.

Andrew Dudum, a co-founder of Hims & Hers Health, said Sunday night that he wanted to "clarify a few things because my words have been misconstrued by some."

"I, in no way condone nor support acts or threats of violence, antisemitism, or intimidation and there is absolutely no justification for violence on our campuses," Dudum wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Every student deserves to feel safe without fear of harm or being targeted for who they are."

Dudum, a Palestinian-American, added that he was "deeply saddened that my support for peaceful protest has been interpreted by some as encouraging violence, intimidation, or bigotry of any kind."

Dudum's remarks came after he said "moral courage" was more important than a college degree in a Wednesday post on X.

"If you're currently protesting against the genocide of the Palestinian people & for your university's divestment from Israel, keep going. It's working," Dudum wrote. "There are plenty of companies & CEOs eager to hire you, regardless of university discipline."

Dudum also included a link to apply for jobs at his company, which markets drugs for sexual performance, hair growth and weight loss.

On Friday, Fox Business tied Dudum's message to an 8% slide in the share price of Hims & Hers, which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in January 2021.

The stock rebounded somewhat on Monday and was trading at $11.74 a share, up 4.3%, during the afternoon.

Scores of college campuses around the world have been rocked by pro-Palestinian protests since police officers broke up an encampment and arrested about 130 people at New York City's Columbia University on April 18.

Demonstrations at Columbia have continued, including the brief occupation of the school's Hamilton Hall building last week, and the school on Monday canceled its scheduled May 15 commencement ceremony.
Thirteen federal judges threatened to not hire Columbia undergraduate or law school alumni for clerkships, in response to the pro-Palestinian activism that unfolded on the Ivy League campus - culminating in more than a hundred individuals getting arrested after they occupied an academic building for several hours last week.

The hiring boycott will apply to "anyone who joins the Columbia University community - whether as undergraduates or as law students - beginning with the entering class of 2024," a letter from the judges, addressed to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, read.

Among the signatories of the letter are appellate court judges James Ho and Liz Branch, who also launched boycotts of Stanford and Yale Law; Matthew Kacsmaryk, who issued the controversial ruling suspending access to the abortion drug mifepristone; and several judges appointed by former President Donald Trump.

The letter demands that "at a minimum" Columbia should level serious consequences against students and faculty involved "campus disruptions and violated established rules concerncing the use of university facilities and public spaces and threats against fellow members of the university community."

It is unclear what "threats" are being referenced in the letter. The internal politics of the encampment has been subject to intense outside scrutiny, with some alleging that the the pro-Palestinian activism is correlated with an increase in on-campus antisemitism. Dozens of Jewish faculty members and students have participated in the pro-Palestine activism, however, with some even holding a Passover Seder inside the encampment.

"In recent years, citizens have been told that unlawfully trespassing on and occupying public spaces is sufficient basis warrant incarceration," the letter reads, in apparent reference to the January 6, 2021 insurrection. "So that same conduct should surely be sufficient to warrant lesser measures such as expulsion or termination."

In addition to administering consequences to the activists, the letter also for neutrality in the "protection of freedom of speech" and an increased diversity of viewpoints among the university's faculty and staff.

"If Columbia had been faced with a campus uprising of religious conservatives upset because they view abortion as a tragic genocide, we have no doubt the university's response would have been profoundly different," the letter reads.

Columbia students have faced disciplinary action from the university - with a number of students being arrested, suspended or expelled. Shafik has also twice authorized the New York Police Department to enter the campus and arrest activists and asked that police remain stationed on campus until mid-May, after students graduate or leave campus for the summer.
The White House on Monday blasted Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for not publicly addressing reports that the militant group in charge of Gaza has agreed to a ceasefire with Israel.

National security spokesperson John Kirby grew heated and repeatedly rapped on a lectern as he was peppered with questions about the reported deal during an afternoon news briefing in Washington, D.C.

"You know who hasn't answered a single question about his intentions and what games he might be playing or where he might be taking this? Mr. Sinwar, the head of Hamas," Kirby said. "And I think it's  I think it's high time that he answers some of these questions and he come clean about what his intentions are."

Kirby said the U.S. was still largely in the dark about Hamas' position, saying, "All I know is we've got a response."

CIA Director William Burns is "talking to the Israelis about it and we'll see where it goes," Kirby said.

"Hopefully  hopefully  whatever is in this thing, hopefully, it can lead to those hostages getting out real, real soon, with their families, where they need to be," he said. "And as each new  as each day passes, their lives get further at risk. So time is really of the essence here."

Hamas is believed to be holding about 130 hostages it kidnapped on Oct. 7, when it attacked Israel and killed about 1,200 people.

The violence sparked the latest war between Israel and Hamas, in which 34,500 Palestinians have been reportedly been killed in Gaza.
A South Carolina pastor's estranged wife died of a self-inflicted bullet wound and rumors she was shot in the back of her head aren't true, a medical examiner said Monday.

The finding in the April 27 death of Mica Miller, 30, of Myrtle Beach, came one day after friends and relatives rallied for "justice" outside her husband's church, TV station WPDE reported.

Miller's body was found in the Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, North Carolina, and the county's medical examiner, Dr. Richard Johnson, released the information about her cause of death, WPDE said.

"Based on the nature of the wound, that it is consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. And it was not in the back of the head, as it has been speculated," the station quoted him as saying.

The finding jibed with what Mica Miller's husband, the Rev. John-Paul Miller, told worshippers at his Solid Rock at Market Common church in Myrtle Beach the day after her body was found.

John-Paul Miller said that his wife's death was "self-induced" and that she "wasn't well mentally," according to a video recording posted online.

Also that day, Mica Miller's sister, Sierra Francis, wrote on Facebook that people should ignore "false stories being spread about her," apparently referring to her husband's report of suicide.

On Thursday, a friend of Mica Miller's also told WPDE: "This has to be at least looked into deeply."

There's "got to be some accountability here," Kenn Young told the station. "It's not just as simple as somebody had some mental issues."

The New York Post reported that Mica Miller filed for divorce about six months ago.

In March, she also posted a cryptic video on Facebook that she said was intended for "ANYONE struggling with leaving a dangerous situation."

In the recording, she referred to "my situation" and said "abuse is abuse," but didn't make any specific allegations.

The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
The Wafaifo Resort, a 10-minute walk from Hoi An ancient town in central Vietnam, will open its doors on 1 September.

The Wafaifo Hoi An Resort in the ancient heritage capital of Hoi An in central Vietnam will open its doors to guests on 1 September this year.

Bookings are now available on Wafaifo.com for the phase 1 opening of the privately and locally-owned boutique property which will ultimately offer 134-rooms and suites and a range of dining and lifestyle outlets, a 10-minute walk from Hoi An's UNESCO-listed heritage attractions.

The resort will deliver a modern interpretation of Hoi An hospitality, dining, wellness and community lifestyles in a lively tourist city where analysts say visitor numbers could repeat 2019 record breaking levels by the end of 2024.

From 1 September, four room categories will be available at the new downtown resort: Faifo, Swim City, Faifo Terrace, and Wheelchair Friendly.

The initial inventory of rooms include balcony options, king-sized or twin beds, high speed WiFi, 24-hour room service, electronically switchable privacy glass between bedroom and bathroom, 'see out, not in' main window, anti-steam bathroom mirror, and all the amenities international guests would expect in a high-end urban resort in Asia.

On food and beverage, the Xua & Nay international and Vietnamese restaurant in the resort will have the only Josper oven and grill in central Vietnam. The charcoal-wood grill is renowned for giving a prized smoky flavour to grilled seafood, meats and vegetables.

From 1 September the resort will also give guests access to a 25 x 6-metre swimming pool and unprecedented wellness, spa, gym, fitness, beauty and health options unique to central Vietnam. There will also be DJ sessions by the pool, a cinema, kids' club, outdoor playground and a retail lobby shop available from that date.

A highlight for visitors meeting or relaxing in the lobby and adjacent areas of the resort will be a replica Japanese Bridge, a water fountain that 'dances to music' and a terracotta statue heritage walk, all suitable for social media posts.

In October the resort will open its fully equipped, high tech meeting facilities.

In early 2025, the Wafaifo Resort Hoi An will also add luxurious suites and a signature Vietnamese fine dining outlet.

The architectural legacy of that period now attracts tourists from around the world and is a 10-minute walk away from the downtown Wafaifo Resort.

Vietnam's Tourism Arrivals Rebounding

According to Statista.com,* Vietnam attracted 12.6 million international tourists in 2023, up from 3.6 million in 2022. Analysts at Wafaifo Optimisers, the resort's inhouse tourism intelligence unit, predict that Vietnam has a chance to match its 2019 all-time high figure of 18 million visitors by year end 2024. Domestic tourism is already a robust and increasingly important market, it said.

Hoi An is a 40-minute drive from Danang International Airport in central Vietnam. Danang has direct air links with 22 cities in 11 countries and four destinations within Vietnam.

Bookings for Wafaifo Resort Hoi An for stays after 1 September 2024 are available on Wafaifo.com or by calling +84 235 378 6999. Email: [email protected].

*https://www.statista.com/statistics/1195290/vietnam-international-visitor-arrivals/.

ABOUT WAFAIFO RESORT, HOI AN

Privately owned Wafaifo Resort, Hoi An is a new boutique hotel in Hoi An UNESCO-listed heritage city of Hoi An, Quang Nam province, central Vietnam. Phase I opening to guests takes place 1 September 2024. When phase II is complete, the 134-room and suite urban resort will feature an all-day dining restaurant, pool bar, DJ booth, coffee shop, 20-seat VIP restaurant, 24 hour room service, and 160 sqm of modern event space. There will be a 25 x 6-metre pool, a VIP pool, club lounge, kids' outdoor playground, spa room with steam and sauna, gym, retail lobby shop, free parking, guests bicycles and free WiFi. Download the pre-opening fact sheet here. Or visit Wafaifo.com.

Hotel website
Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator and investor with more than 540 hotels in 56 countries in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas, has announced a strategic addition to its pipeline in the UAE - a new resort and residences in Sharjah. Positioned along the picturesque coastline of the Arabian Gulf and just a 30-minute drive from Dubai International Airport, the Anantara Sharjah Resort and Anantara Sharjah Residences are set to open in late 2027.

Owned and being developed by Arada, the new-build resort and residence complex is located on the north-eastern edge of Sharjah's Al Heerah Beach, a popular tourist destination with 3.5 kilometres of beachfront. With striking architecture, including a signature gateway designed to show the path of the sun, the property will feature 110 generously-sized guest rooms and suites, ranging from 45 to 120 square metres, with expansive penthouse suites finished in luxury materials on higher floors.

In response to the burgeoning demand for branded residences, the development will also include 128 one- to four-bedroom residential units for sale, the four-bedroom penthouses complete with rooftop pools, and all with private balconies and furnishings marked by high-end design, signature touches and finishes in line with the Anantara brand.

In addition to enjoying a sandy beach, guests will be able to find solace in the expansive infinity pool, rejuvenate at the Anantara Spa, and charge up their fitness routine at the state-of-the-art gym. The property's collection of five distinctive restaurants will include a cafe lounge situated in a soaring atrium lobby, a laid-back poolside eatery, an al fresco beachfront dining venue, pan Asian fine dining at Anantara's signature Mekong restaurant, and a specialty restaurant focused on local flavours. For business gatherings, the property will offer a flexible 400-square-metre meeting space, as well as outdoor venues for memorable social celebrations.

The emirate of Sharjah, recognised by UNESCO as the 'Cultural Capital of the Arab World,' is rapidly emerging as a sought-after vacation spot thanks to a harmonious blend of modern architecture and museums alongside the traditional heritage of the UAE. The emirate's diverse offerings, including prominent museums, art galleries, archaeological sites, and attractions tailored for families such as a vast desert park, render it an appealing destination for visitors with young children and those with an appreciation for culture.

The upcoming Anantara Sharjah Resort will join an expanding collection of Anantara properties in the Middle East, with two resorts having been launched in the UAE to date this year - Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat - bringing the total in the country to ten, in addition to two resorts in Oman and one in Qatar.

Hotel website
Gulf Hotels Group (GHG) has appointed Miguel Duarte Silva as corporate director of F&B operations.

With a career spanning Europe and the Middle East, Duarte Silva has held pivotal roles at properties such as Grosvenor House Dubai, A Luxury Collection Hotel and Hilton's Waldorf Astoria.

Most recently, he served as the corporate director of F&B for Rotana Hotels, where he oversaw F&B operations across all 72 hotels in GCC, Levante, and Africa.

During his tenure at Rotana Hotels, Duarte Silva spearheaded initiatives like organising the company's inaugural F&B conference and hosting the official cocktail reception for the Future Hospitality Summit 2023. He also implemented a comprehensive beverage program across EMEA, introducing premium non-alcoholic menus across 40 properties.

In his new role at GHG, Duarte Silva will concentrate on shaping F&B strategies, enriching guest experiences with top-tier service and products, and innovating dining concepts for the group's existing restaurants and upcoming projects in Bahrain and globally. This encompasses introducing new venues in Block 338, expanding the group's brands into new locations, and venturing into the Catering division in Saudi Arabia.
Pendry Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of John Rolfs to the role of general manager of Pendry Park City, the contemporary resort and residences located in the heart of Canyons Village.

Rolfs joins the Pendry Hotels & Resorts family with more than 28 years of experience in hospitality, including over two decades with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, most recently as general manager of St. Regis Bal Harbour Hotel. In his new role as general manager, Rolfs will oversee all aspects of resort operations for Pendry Park City.

Born and raised in New England, Rolfs developed a passion for travel at a young age, inspiring his career and time in 18 different cities across three continents. Upon receiving his bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, Rolfs joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, holding managerial roles in Shanghai, China, Osaka, and Tokyo, as well as multiple cities in the United States including New Orleans, Las Vegas, Palm Beach and Aspen.
The 69th meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas brought together prominent representatives of countries of the region in the Cuban city of Varadero. The meeting addressed the challenges and opportunities of the tourism sector that the region is facing.

The meeting was held in a positive context, as data for 2023 shows an 88% recovery in international arrivals, compared to the results recorded before the pandemic. This percentage translates to 1.3 billion trips globally, which is 34% more than in 2022.

In the case of the Americas, the UN Tourism Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, highlighted the good figures recorded, which even exceeded the global average: The region recovered 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2023. In addition, only four subregions around the world have increased the number of arrivals compared to the 2019 figures, with two of them belonging to the regions area of influence: Central America and the Caribbean, with growth of 5% and 1% respectively. For its part, South America almost reached the results of 2019, recovering 94% of arrivals, while North America registered 87%. These figures lead us to consider a new scenario for tourism in the Americas.

The investment framework in the region

Tourism investment was one of the main topics of the Regional Commission, taking into account that, between 2018 and 2023, Latin America and the Caribbean received 359 greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, which totalled 29.526 billion US dollars and represent more than 115,000 jobs.

During the meeting, the specific case of Cuba was presented. The country is among the ten leading countries in terms of receipt of investment announcements in the tourism cluster. This list is headed by Mexico (109 projects announced) and Colombia (45), followed by Brazil and the Dominican Republic (with 33 each), Peru (30) and Argentina (24). This is followed by Cuba, Costa Rica and Chile with the same number of projects (17 each) and Ecuador with 6 initiatives.

Likewise, in the presentation of the data, the importance of Latin American and Caribbean countries as investors in the Americas was also evident, since, in the same period between 2018 and 2023, entrepreneurs of the region made 80 greenfield foreign direct investment announcements, for a total of 3.898 billion US dollars.

Education and technical training to create value in tourism development

Education was another of the topics addressed at the meeting. Training plays a crucial role in empowering people with the skills and knowledge that tourism demands. These training activities allow them to evolve in their professional careers and move towards an improvement in employment, which has a direct impact on the development of the sector.

Latin America has been able to recognize the importance of initiatives aimed at education and technical training promoted by associations, educational institutions, government agencies and private sector actors. In this way, it is intended to promote tourism growth that preserves cultural heritage and protects natural resources.

In this regard, Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism assured: Education is key for UN Tourism and is also present in relations with Cuba. In fact, the Organization has awarded a total of 960 scholarships in the region for online courses in our Tourism Online Academy, the virtual teaching platform with free and accessible courses for everyone. Of the total, 30 scholarships have gone to Cuba, the host country.

Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean

Uruguay's candidature to host the office of the Tourism Law Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean in Montevideo was also considered on the agenda of the conference.

This entity, created jointly by UN Tourism and the Inter-American Development Bank, will be in charge of managing a pioneering digital tool that allows  in a continuous and systematic way  to collect, analyse, update and disseminate tourism regulations. The platform, which is being developed with the support of a network of academic collaborators and experts in Tourism Law, will include both the current regulations in the region and those that are in the process of development.

Preparations for World Tourism Day

The regional meeting closed with a review of the preparations for World Tourism Day, which will be celebrated on 27 September. In 2024, Georgia will host this celebration, which will take place under the theme 'Tourism and Peace' to highlight the role that the sector can play as a vehicle for agreement and an instrument of harmony.

Related links:

About UN Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UN Tourism promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Our Priorities

Mainstreaming tourism in the global agenda: Advocating the value of tourism as a driver of socio-economic growth and development, its inclusion as a priority in national and international policies and the need to create a level playing field for the sector to develop and prosper.

Promoting sustainable tourism development: Supporting sustainable tourism policies and practices: policies which make optimal use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities and provide socio-economic benefits for all.

Fostering knowledge, education and capacity building: Supporting countries to assess and address their needs in education and training, as well as providing networks for knowledge creation and exchange.

Improving tourism competitiveness: Improving UN Tourism Members' competitiveness through knowledge creation and exchange, human resources development and the promotion of excellence in areas such as policy planning, statistics and market trends, sustainable tourism development, marketing and promotion, product development and risk and crisis management.

Advancing tourism's contribution to poverty reduction and development: Maximizing the contribution of tourism to poverty reduction and achieving the SDGs by making tourism work as a tool for development and promoting the inclusion of tourism in the development agenda.

Building partnerships: Engaging with the private sector, regional and local tourism organizations, academia and research institutions, civil society and the UN system to build a more sustainable, responsible and competitive tourism sector.

Our Structure

Members: An intergovernmental organization, UN Tourism has 160 Member States, 6 Associate Members, 2 Observers and over 500 Affiliate Members.

Organs: The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Organization. The Executive Council take all measures, in consultation with the Secretary-General, for the implementation of the decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and reports to the Assembly.

Secretariat: UN Tourism headquarters are based in Madrid, Spain. The Secretariat is led by the Secretary-General and organized into departments covering issues such as sustainability, education, tourism trends and marketing, sustainable development, statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), destination management, ethics and risk and crisis management. The Technical Cooperation and Silk Road Department carries out development projects in over 100 countries worldwide, while the Regional Departments for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East serve as the link between UN Tourism and its 160 Member States. The Affiliate Members Department represents UN Tourism's 500 plus Affiliate members.

UN Tourism Communications Department

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UN Tourism
In a previous article, we gave you the 8 key performance indicators (KPI) to monitor the efficiency of your website. Here we give you other tools and KPIs to deepen the analysis of your hotel websites performance.

Your website is the pillar of your online marketing and sales strategy, and measuring its results is crucial to adjusting your online sales strategy. We detail for you the essential performance indicators (KPIs) to track and optimize your website and ultimately increase your online bookings.

Measure and analyze your web traffic

Traffic acquisition channels

Here we are talking about acquiring new visitors. There are 6 main online traffic acquisition channels that complement each other in a global marketing strategy and each has its advantages:

Organic referencing: it is essential to have an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) optimized site so that it naturally rises to the top of the search results. The content and links of your website must meet the quality criteria used by search engines for referencing. It requires technical skills but it brings traffic in the long term. Digital advertising (metasearch, search ads, display ads, social ads): here we group together campaigns on metasearch, SEA (Search Engine Advertising), or paid search, social media ads, and display ads, i.e. advertising banners present on Googles partner sites. A fast and targeted way to reach qualified travelers, although it requires a good knowledge of advertising tools and strategies to get a good return on investment. Emailings and newsletters: they require tools and time but generally bring a good conversion rate. Very useful for the loyalty of your existing customers, for example, to encourage them to return to your hotel. You can also automate some of these emailings to save time. Campaign automation can both save you time and lower your customer acquisition costs. Referrals: they are all the sites/forums that talk about you. You can work on this by contacting sites or the hotel press, by collecting reviews, and by taking care of your e-reputation. Direct: visitors who arrive on your site by entering your domain name in their browser or visitors whose origin cannot be tracked by Google. Social networks (organic): easy to set up, there is only a human cost related to the time spent creating regular content. The publication and animation of social networks require a real strategy to optimize the visibility of your hotel.

Number of new sessions

In Google Analytics (a free analysis tool), you can observe the number of new sessions, i.e. first visits to your website by a new user. The percentage of new sessions is an estimate of the rate of first visits to your website.

Thus, you are able to see if you are attracting new visitors to your website. This allows you to know if your site is well-ranked and visible on search engines. In addition, if you are running advertising campaigns, you will see if your sites promotion is attracting new prospects.

However, the navigation of Internet users is cross-platform and complex. This is why it is difficult for Google to identify with precision if a user has already come to your site or not, so this indicator must be put into perspective.

Origin of visitors, very useful for the hotel industry

You can study the country of origin of the visitors to your site and thus draw conclusions about the most represented nationalities among your (potential) customers. This allows you to better know your target clientele and to translate your website into the corresponding languages.

Indeed, translating your website into several languages allows you to :

Improve your organic ranking (SEO) : you will be better referenced if your website is in the language of your clients. The language of the website is an important criterion, so by translating your website into Spanish, you maximize your chances of appearing in 1st position for all Internet users using a Spanish browser. Otherwise, OTAs or metasearch often occupy this position, even when the exact name of your establishment is typed. Get more visibility and more visitors ready to book on your website.

: you will be better referenced if your website is in the language of your clients. The language of the website is an important criterion, so by translating your website into Spanish, you maximize your chances of appearing in 1st position for all Internet users using a Spanish browser. Otherwise, OTAs or metasearch often occupy this position, even when the exact name of your establishment is typed. Get more visibility and more visitors ready to book on your website. Convert more travelers into customers: a hotel website gets +27% conversions when it is translated into the travelers native language. Travelers feel more comfortable booking a room on your site if it is written in their native language. OTAs are already using this good practice!

The main advantage of speaking the language of your customers is that you increase your direct bookings in a simple and efficient way.

Track your bookings and sales

Track your performance according to search queries

The Performance tab of Google Search Console and the related performance report on search results allow you to track several metrics of your hotel website. You can know the number of clicks, the total number of impressions, the average CTR, or the average position in the SERPs (search engine results page).

Other tabs allow you to know:

the queries that generate the most traffic

the most viewed pages

the countries with the highest impression and click rates

the types of devices most used to visit your site

your appearance in search results

The Query Report in the Search Console lists the Google search queries that generated impressions of your hotel website URLs in organic search results. This allows you to understand how users land on your website during their search and assess the relevance of your pages to those queries. With this data, you get insights on how to optimize your content for search engines.

The number of impressions generated by each page on your site and the average impression position allows you to understand how well the search engine correlates your content with travelers searches. Clicks and click-through rates tell you if the search results match peoples intentions and if so, they will click on your link.

Assess the relevance of your content

Number of page views per visit

The number of page views per visit (or session) is the number of pages viewed by your website visitors from the moment they arrive on your site until they leave. Note that if a visitor views the same page twice, two views are counted but only one unique view is counted.

According to a Little Data study from September 2022 in the travel industry, the average number of pages visited per session is 2.3. In the top 20% of sites, 3.4 pages are visited per session, and up to 4.1 for 10% of them.

Technical KPIs

Loading time

The loading time of your website impacts the decision of the traveler to stay on it. Did you know that 40% of visitors leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load? It would be a shame to let your future guests make a reservation on your competitors websites or the websites of reservation centers. Thats why you need to make sure that the loading time of your hotel website is as fast as possible for an optimal customer experience.

The loading speed also impacts your organic referencing. Search engines use this criteria to rank your website. If your loading time is not fast enough, you risk losing places in organic referencing. This means that your site will be less visible to users performing a search.

Have an adaptive website

Since 2017, mobile searches have surpassed desktop searches. They now account for 65% of search engine traffic.

Using mobile as a source for accessing information has become increasingly common. This is why having a hotel website adapted to mobile browsing is essential to ensure a smooth customer journey. Nowadays, mobile-first websites are prioritized.

An adaptive web design allows the creation of hotel websites that adapt to any type of device: computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile. Unlike a responsive design, the user consults the content of your website with perfect visual comfort. This type of solution also allows you to gain performance, and you also accelerate the path to your booking engine.

Avoiding 404 errors

Pages not found with 404 errors have a negative effect on the user experience as well as on the SEO of your website. It will be perceived as poorly maintained by search engines and will therefore be less well referenced on the SERP.

It is therefore essential to avoid 404 errors or at least to correct them. Here are the main causes and their solutions:

The deletion of a page : correct the links that point to it and/or set up a permanent 301 or temporary 302 redirections.

: correct the links that point to it and/or set up a permanent 301 or temporary 302 redirections. A redirection error or a typing error in the URL : can occur during the redesign and/or the conception of the website. Once identified, you just need to correct it.

: can occur during the redesign and/or the conception of the website. Once identified, you just need to correct it. A broken backlink : because the page targeted by it has been deleted without being replaced by another page with an identical URL or corrected via a 301 or 302 redirect.

: because the page targeted by it has been deleted without being replaced by another page with an identical URL or corrected via a 301 or 302 redirect. Maintenance pages without a temporary 302 redirect to avoid a 404 error, the time to perform some work on a website.

This is a complex technical setup to do yourself but it is an interesting question to raise with your marketing or website creation agency.

Conclusion

With these analysis tools, you will be able to thoroughly evaluate the performance of your hotels website. This facilitates your strategic decision-making regarding the possible adjustments to be made according to the identified strengths and weaknesses of your website.

Keep in mind that all these values work together and give you information that is most often correlated with each other. This allows you to better understand the overall results of your website and measure its effectiveness both quantitatively and qualitatively.

About Cendyn

Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions. Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests; drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions.

Cendyn has over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India. To find out more, visit cendyn.com.

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Hotel Stratford San Francisco

Guestroom at the Hotel Stratford San Francisco

San Francisco, a city renowned for its commercial hubs and cultural sites, will become the first destination in the United States for one of Accors newest brands, Handwritten Collection. Owned and operated by San Francisco based Frame Ventures, Hotel Stratford is a charming European-style boutique property set against the backdrop of bustling Union Square on the renowned Powell Street cable car line. The property becomes Accor's third hotel in San Francisco, joining the Fairmont properties atop Nob Hill and at Ghirardelli Square.

Hotel Stratford San Francisco, Handwritten Collection was built in 1910 and has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar refurbishment, ensuring the unique character of San Francisco shines through in every detail. Offering 94 tastefully styled rooms, the hotel provides a truly singular experience that celebrates its rich history, welcoming guests into a world of charm and personality. Upon arrival, guests enter an elegant lobby, with warm wooden paneling, marble counters and intuitive self-check-in technology. Nave, a new European-style lively cafe/bar, designed by San Francisco Architecture and Interior Design firm MODO, is set to debut this summer. The new spaces will encourage travelers and locals to forge genuine connections with fellow guests and the hotels passionate hosts. In alignment with Accor's sustainability commitments, the hotel has eliminated single-use plastic throughout the guest experience and many of its operating supplies are made from recycled materials.

"The arrival of the first Handwritten Collection hotel in the United States underpins our expansion strategy throughout the Americas; to introduce brands and hotels that respond to the needs and wants of travelers today," says Abel Castro, Chief Development Officer Accor Americas - Premium, Midscale & Economy. "San Francisco is one of the most visited cities in the country and is undergoing strong economic recovery. We are proud to partner with Frame Ventures to add this iconic address to our network, under the quickly expanding Handwritten Collection  a brand that responds to the desire of travelers seeking one-of-a-kind experiences. We know that Handwritten Collection will resonate both with domestic and international guests in the United States and look forward to debuting the brands first address here.

Hotel Stratford brings a modern vibe to its historic location at Union Square, fully capturing the spirit of the city and making it a perfect match for the Handwritten Collection brand, said Chris Lehman, Partner at Frame Ventures. We are equally excited about joining Accor, with its world-renowned reputation and global network. With a new brand and a freshly styled cafe & bar, we are confident Hotel Stratford will absolutely shine with a new level of hospitality.

Launched in 2023, the Handwritten Collection brand is a portfolio of carefully curated addresses, each resonating the warmth and character of its dedicated hosts. Already, Handwritten Collection has built a global footprint of 35+ hotels open and in development. The brand has grown primarily through the conversion of existing independent hotels that celebrate their owners vision for the property. The brands design ethos offers a tapestry of bespoke properties where traditional and modern design elements converge in creativity, ensuring no two addresses are the same Standards are flexible and each hotel is backed by the power of Accors global loyalty, sales and marketing and distribution capabilities. Handwritten Collection sits in Accors Premium, Midscale and Economy Division, which operates 449 hotels across these segments in the Americas, with an additional 77 hotels currently in the pipeline.
Rotana announced today at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) its growing pipeline of planned openings in new territories.

So far in 2024, Rotana has launched three new properties: Dar Rayhaan by Rotana in Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riviera Rayhaan by Rotana in Doha, Qatar, and Bomonti Arjaan by Rotana in Istanbul, Turkiye.

Commenting on the groups expansion plans, Philip Barnes, Rotana CEO, said: Building on a landmark 30-year legacy as a homegrown brand, Rotana has laid a remarkable foundation that allows us to continuously evolve our offerings and exceed guest expectations to create moments of Treasured Time unlike any other. With an ambitious expansion strategy in place to add another 30 properties to our portfolio by 2026, we are actively venturing into new markets to introduce Rotanas distinct hospitality offering to a global audience.

UK and Europe





In the United Kingdom, Rotana will launch its first two properties, both under its affordable hotel and serviced apartment brand, Centro. Slated to open this year, Centro New Malden and Centro Kingston are part of a wider agreement to develop up to 1,500 keys over multiple sites across the greater London region, all under the Centro brand.

Additionally, Rotana also marks its debut in Georgia with the upcoming Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa, Gonio. The five-star property will add 600 keys to Rotanas diverse global portfolio when it opens in 2026.

Middle East





Regionally, Rotana is set to launch nine new properties in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) over the next four years, doubling its key count in the country to over 4,400. The KSA portfolio includes four planned Edge by Rotana properties and a Rayhaan by Rotana property in Riyadh, three properties in Al Baha, and the upcoming opening of Al Manakha Rotana in Madinah.

Onyx Arjaan by Rotana is also scheduled to open in Manama, Bahrain, later this month.

In the United Arab Emirates, Bloom Arjaan by Rotana on Abu Dhabis Saadiyat Island, featuring 217 serviced hotel apartments, is also on track to open this year in addition to Mangrove Rotana in Ras Al Khaimah with 240 keys, conference facilities, and dining varieties.

Africa

Rotana will also debut in the Algerian market in Q3 2024, with the launch of Azure Rotana Thalasso & Resort. In Senegal, Rotana announced a new 150-key Arjaan Hotel Apartments in the bustling city of Dakar. Furthermore, Rotana also signed a management agreement for a five-star resort in the West African nation of Benin.In Egypt, the group is gearing up for the much-anticipated luxury resort Luxor Rotana and Palma Bay Rotana Resort, as well as two new hotel projects in Cairo. This includes White Palace Rotana, a five-star hotel with 353 keys and diverse dining options.

Rotana currently operates 76 hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkiye, serving more than six million guests per year. Rotanas overall pipeline currently spans 10,420 keys across six superlative brands, including an impressive 40 international hotels and seven new properties in the UAE alone.
Conrad Punta de Mita

Today, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) announced a partnership with ResortPass, for booking day access to Hilton's resort and hotel amenities, bringing curated day pass packages to participating Hilton properties across the Americas. Catering to the rapidly expanding segment of individuals seeking daytime visits to top resorts and renowned hotels in unbeatable locations, Hilton and ResortPass offer access to amenities and perks at a collection of beach resorts and urban getaways for locals and visitors alike.

Ideal for locals seeking a daycation or a pampering spa experience, cruise passengers visiting a resort destination for a few hours of laid-back relaxation or travelers wanting a change of scenery, ResortPass offers a streamlined booking process for guests to experience an array of Hiltons resort and hotel amenities. In fact, according to Hiltons 2024 Trends Report, the No. 1 reason people want to travel in 2024 is to rest and recharge, which is a central theme of the offerings available through Hiltons partnership with ResortPass. From private beaches and state-of-the-art pool complexes with full-service cabanas and daybeds to kids clubs, world-class spas and top-rated dining outlets, Hilton welcomes day guests with a smooth arrival experience followed by a day of unforgettable leisure and indulgence.

With the day guest business continuing to show remarkable growth, from both a local and leisure guest perspective, we are pleased to work with ResortPass to meet the demand for more accessibility to Hiltons award-winning amenities and experiences, said Jessica Shea, vice president, wellness, retail & leisure operations, Americas, Hilton. This strategic collaboration exemplifies Hiltons capacity to constantly evolve with innovative and dynamic offerings suitable to the needs of todays guests whether they are visiting our properties for a local daycation in their neighborhood or seeking an experience at a Hilton resort or hotel.

Its an honor to partner with Hilton to unlock the value of their incredible amenities for new and existing guests, said Michael Wolf, CEO, ResortPass. Their properties are oases that provide relaxation and luxury for visitors, and Im pleased to say that now includes ResortPass guests.

Elevating an ordinary day into an extraordinary experience, each participating Hilton property has individually crafted packages highlighting its top features such as sunshine and splendor at leading family-friendly pool playgrounds, world-class cuisine from acclaimed chefs and rejuvenating wellness retreats at new and innovative spas. Examples of day pass packages complete with Hiltons signature hospitality include:

Conrad Los Angeles offers over 10 different day pass packages, from rooftop pool access to a multitude of spa experiences highlighting private recovery cabins, high-tech wellness therapies such as quantum harmonic therapy, and more for a rejuvenating escape.

Day passes for up to 10 people at Hilton Waikoloa Village include a private cabana and refreshments such as cocktails, popsicles and facial spritzers. Additionally, a Full Moon Vino and Vinyasa package provides access to the onsite vinyasa yoga class and a complimentary glass of wine or beer.

Conrad Indianapolis offers pampering day passes immersing guests into its spa adorned with works from the likes of Picasso, Joan Mitchell and local Indiana artists. The Custom Massage package includes luxuries such as a Swedish massage, aromatherapy, and full access to the spas indoor lap pool and hot tub, steam room, saunas, relaxation lounge, fitness center and more.

In South Florida, day guests have access to The Diplomat Beach Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton's pools, watersports, Kids Day Camp and fitness center. Visitors will also have the option to add a casita reservation with food and beverage service, beach daybeds, Tommy Bahama lounge chairs and more.

In Mexico, Conrad Punta de Mitas day pass features access to waterslides, a swim-up bar, full poolside service and the option to add a private shaded cabana. The spa pass includes a 30-minute massage and access to the onsite sauna, fitness center and more.

In southern California, Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club offers indulgent day passes for up to six people, including a complimentary fruit bowl and sparkling Badiots and Evians, and a dedicated cabana host, for a relaxing day on the beach or at the swimming pools with infinity-edge whirlpools, boasting views of the Pacific Ocean.

Highlights of additional participating properties include: Hilton Fort Lauderdale, Hilton Austin, Hilton Orlando, Hilton Americas-Houston, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sonoma Wine Valley, Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center, and more.
Letter: Thank You for Supporting 'Get BArT Smart'

To the Editor:



On Saturday, April 6, Berkshire Arts & Technology (BART) Charter Public School hosted our annual "Get BART Smart" fundraiser  and raised $29,769 (net) for the school's college preparatory and extra-curricular programs! Over 110 people attended and participated in our signature team trivia game. A huge "thank you" to all who attended and made it a great evening!



This night would not have been possible without the support of over a hundred local organizations and businesses.



We are extremely thankful to our Salutation Sponsor, Adams Community Bank! Thank you for being the Head of the Class.



Our High Honor Roll sponsors: MountainOne Bank, Aladco Linen Services, Cord Master Engineering, Haddad Auto Group, and Nocher Realty all played an important part in the evening's success.



The list above doesn't include 90-plus additional local businesses that generously donated goods and services to the event for auction items and prizes, or supported the event at the "Sponsor" level.



BART serves over 365 students in Grades 6-12 from all over Berkshire County. Businesses from all corners of the Berkshires helped support our students through their generous sponsorships and donations.



Finally, many thanks to the trustees, faculty, staff, volunteers and others who contributed their time, money, and effort to make this event happen. Their dedication to the BART community, most importantly our students, is truly inspiring.



Sincerely,

Catherine McKeen

Williamstown, Mass.

McKeen is a member of the school's board of trustees.
Author Talk at the Milne Library

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Thomas E. Johnson, Jr., author of "Common Place: The Public Library, Civil Society and Early American Values" will speak at the Milne Library in Williamstown on Saturday, May 11, at 2:00 p.m.

Part of the library's 150th anniversary celebration, the topic of this free lecture is: Massachusetts Libraries, Past and Future.

In addition to covering the history of libraries in western Massachusetts and the future of public libraries in general, Johnson will also discuss the Milne's new strategic plan.

According to a press release:

Johnson's book tells the stories behind early libraries in America  where they are located, who created them and why. Vignettes of sixteen public libraries located in New England focus on smaller localities where the presence of a library can have a significant impact. He examines the future of the public library by comparing the current historical period with the Progressive Era. He also explores the relationship between libraries and community wellbeing, as well as the potential role of the institution in lifelong learning as American's economy evolves and the population ages.

Johnson served 25 years as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in countries around the world. Since retiring in 2012 he and his wife have made their home in Western Massachusetts. There will be a book signing following the talk.

The events and programs of the Williamstown Library's 150th anniversary are made possible through generous funding by lead sponsor MountainOne, your local Berkshires bank.
Israeli army urges Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah ahead of planned offensive

Xinhua) 15:33, May 06, 2024

GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area.

Avichai Adraee, the spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that "for all people who live in the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabba Zaraa, and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, the army will work with extreme force against terrorist organizations there."

He added that anyone who is near terrorist organizations is putting their lives and the lives of their families at risk, and urged them to evacuate these areas immediately to avoid any danger to their lives.

He said that the army is expanding the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, which includes field hospitals, tents, food, water, medicines, and other supplies.

The army, cooperating with international organizations and other countries, also allowed the expansion of humanitarian aid that is brought into the Strip, said Adraee.

The operation in eastern Rafah will move forward gradually based on the ongoing assessment of the situation that will take place throughout, said Adraee, adding that the army will distribute leaflets, send SMS messages and conduct phone calls, as well as broadcast information through Arab media.

The Israeli military noted in a statement that it will continue pursuing Hamas "everywhere in Gaza" until all the hostages that they are holding are back home.

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Located in the southernmost part of the Strip, Rafah shelters approximately 1.2 million Palestinians.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Emily Blunt has looked back at her on-screen kisses and revealed that filming some of them made her want to throw up.

I have had chemistry with people who...I have not had a good time working with them, she told Howard Stern during a radio interview on Sirius 100 XM. I wouldnt say its sort of extreme loathing, but I have definitely not enjoyed some of it.

Asked if shed ever wanted to throw up after kissing an actor, she replied, Absolutely. Absolutely.

Blunt declined to reveal which intimate scenes  and which actors  she had found nauseating, but added that she had enjoyed working with Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and Cillian Murphy.

The Mary Poppins actor, 41, spoke about how shes learned to create chemistry with people she doesnt like.

Sometimes its a strange thing. Sometimes you could have a rapport thats really effortless, but it doesnt translate on screen, she said.

Chemistry is this strange thing. Its an ethereal thing that you cant really bottle up and buy or sell. Its like there or its not.

Its just easier when you have a natural rapport with someone.

open image in gallery Emily Blunt with Ryan Gosling at the special screening of the film 'The Fall Guy' in London on 22 April 2024 ( Invision )

Speaking about the techniques she uses to find chemistry with a castmate, she said she tries to find something I love.

I have to find something...Even if its one thing," she told Stern.

It might be that they have a nice laugh or I like how they speak to people. Theyre polite. I mean, it might be something random, she continued.

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But find something you love about that person or something you love about them as the character and then kind of lean into that.

Blunt, who stars with Ryan Gosling in action-comedy The Fall Guy, only had good things to say about her latest co-star.

I love his wife, Eva. I love their children and I feel like Im very lucky to be friends with a gem of a person like him, she said of Gosling.

Blunts comments came shortly after her The Devil Wears Prada co-star Anne Hathaway opened up about a gross time in her career when casting agents expected her to make out with a series of men who were all auditioning to star opposite her.

open image in gallery Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada ( 20th Century Fox )

Speaking to V Magazine, Hathaway recalled how awkward these auditions could be in her early years.

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, she said.

I was told, We have 10 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, she said.
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Kevin Spacey has voiced his support for 2024 presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is currently campaigning as an independent.

The outspoken conspiracy theorist and vaccine-sceptic declared his independent candidacy in October 2023, announcing that he would be running against Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Over the weekend, Kennedy Jrs official X account released a campaign video, narrated by actor Woody Harrelson, addressing recent news headlines, which have accused the lawyer of being racist, a lunatic and more.

The Bobby Kennedy video Meta doesnt want you to see, reads the caption.

The clip begins with Kennedy reading out the negative media coverage of himself before turning towards the camera and admitting: I wouldnt vote for that guy either.

The lengthy 30-minute video continues to answer the question: Who is Bobby Kennedy?

On Monday (6 May), Spacey retweeted the video, writing: Theres a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in.

open image in gallery Kevin Spacey and Robert F Kennedy Jr ( Getty Images )

Hes a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend thats not afraid to stand up for what he believes, the former House of Cards star, 64, said of Kennedy, who is the son of Robert Francis Kennedy and nephew of former US President John F Kennedy.

Spaceys endorsement comes days after he was accused of groping former actor Ruari Cannon. The American Beauty actor has denied Cannons claims  which are included in Channel 4s newly released documentary, Spacey Unmasked.

The two-part documentary examines the actors spectacular fall from grace came amid allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

In 2023, Spacey was found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men, following a four-week trial in London.

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The Oscar-winner was cleared of all nine charges, including sexual assault, which were alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.

Reacting to Spacey Unmasked, Spacey issued a fiery statement, claiming that Channel 4 hadnt given him the proper time to respond to allegations made against him in the documentary.

I have repeatedly requested that @Channel4 afford me more than 7 days to respond to allegations made against me dating back 48 years and provide me with sufficient details to investigate these matters, he tweeted. Channel 4 has refused on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a fair opportunity for me to refute any allegations made against me.

I will not sit back and be attacked by a dying networks one-sided documentary about me in their desperate attempt for ratings. There's a proper channel to handle allegations against me and its not Channel 4, Spacey added.

Spacey Unmasked airs on 6 and 7 May.
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The Sopranos originally featured a scene that would have cleared up one of the shows biggest mysteries.

On 10th January 1999, James Gandolfini made his debut as depressed gangster Tony Soprano, a character considered one of the greatest TV roles of all time.

Gandolfini was backed up by an indelible cast of supporting actors, including Edie Falco, who played Tonys wife Carmela, and Tony Sirico, whose Paulie Walnuts became a fan favourite across the shows six seasons.

The late Siricos Paulie found himself at the centre of many of the shows funniest moments, with his finest hour arriving 23 years ago  on 6 May 2001  when the series broadcast the 11th episode of its third season.

That episode was titled Pine Barrens, which was the first of four episodes Steve Buscemi would direct.

Pine Barrens swiftly became a viewer favourite and, to this day, stands out as the shows highest-rated episode with an IMDb score of 9.7  thats even higher than the dramatic season four finale, Whitecaps, the gruelling fifth season episode Long Term Parking and the divisive series finale Made In America.

open image in gallery Paulie (Tony Sirico) and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) in classic Sopranos episode Pine Barrens ( HBO )

The episode starts out just like any other, but slowly turns into a two-hander involving Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) and Paulie Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) after a job gone wrong involving a Russian man named Valery (Vitali Baganov).

They become stranded in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, an expansive rural woodland stretching across more than seven counties after Valery escapes their clutches.

Despite spending the remainder of the episode looking for him, the pair never find him. The mystery surrounding Valerys whereabouts has led to numerous theories from fans over the past two decades.

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Its the focus of so much debate that writer Terence Winter once said the question he gets asked more than any other is: Wheres the Russian?

However, there would have been a scene in the show that cleared this up. It was planned to feature in season six as the show neared its conclusion.

Sirico revealed to The New York Times in 2007 that the sequence would have seen Christopher and Paulie happen upon Valery outside a bar, and proceed to shoot him to death. Creator David Chase removed the scene.

I think David didnt like it, Sirico said, adding: He wanted the audience just to suffer.

Speaking about Valery in a 2008 interview, Chase said: OK, this is what happened. Some Boy Scouts found the Russian, who had the telephone number to his boss, Slava, in his pocket. They called Slava, who took him to the hospital where he had brain surgery. Then Slava sent him back to Russia.

In 2021, Falco revealed that she once reprised her role of Carmela Soprano alongside James Gandolfini, who played Tony, for a short film set after the shows conclusion that would have cleared up what happened in the divisive final scene.
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Nepal has angered India by announcing a new NPR 100 currency note that shows territories claimed by its South Asian neighbour, reigniting a longstanding border dispute that has soured relations between the two countries in recent years.

Competing claims on Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas escalated into a bitter dispute in 2020 when India, with an eye on China, built a road to connect its northern Uttarakhand state with the strategic Lipulekh mountain pass.

When Kathmandu responded by publishing a new map showing the contested areas as lying inside Nepals borders, New Delhi protested that the artificial enlargement of Nepals claims was not based on historical fact or evidence and, therefore, wasnt tenable.

The new map adds 335 square kilometres of land to Nepal.

Nepal, which unlike its neighbours was never under European colonial rule, locates its claims on Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh in the 1816 Sugauli treaty with the British Raj. However, the areas have been controlled by India since its war with China in 1962.

Nepals information and communications minister Rekha Sharma said the decision to print the new currency note was taken at a meeting chaired by prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday.

The meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda took a decision to print the new map of Nepal that includes Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in the NPR 100 denomination bank notes, Ms Sharma said.

open image in gallery ( Nepal government )

The minister said the redesign of the banknote of NPR 100 was approved to replace the old map printed in the background of the bank note.

The cabinets decision will be conveyed to the countrys central bank, Rastra Bank, which is expected to take up to a year to print and issue the new note.

Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar criticised Kathmandu for taking a unilateral action while diplomatic talks to resolve the issue are ongoing.

Our position is very clear. With Nepal, we are having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. In the middle of that they unilaterally took some measures on their side, the minister said when asked about the development.
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Lando Norris became the 21st British winner of a Formula One grand prix with his victory in Miami on Sunday.

That extended Britains F1 records for both race wins and the number of drivers to achieve the feat and here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key statistics.

Roll call

Britains seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton leads all drivers in F1 history with 103 race wins, more than three times as many as any of his compatriots despite a wait of over two years since his last victory at the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Nigel Mansell won 31 races in a career stretching from 1980 to 1995, including nine on his way to the 1992 drivers title.

Fellow world champions Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark and Damon Hill won 27, 25 and 22 races respectively, with double figures also for Sir Stirling Moss (16), Jenson Button (15), Graham Hill (14), David Coulthard (13) and James Hunt (10). Graham and Damon Hill were the first father and son to both win world titles.

Tony Brooks and John Surtees won six grands prix apiece, John Watson five and Eddie Irvine four, with three each for Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins and Johnny Herbert.

Norris joins Innes Ireland, Peter Gethin and his fellow current driver George Russell, whose 2022 win in Sao Paulo was Britains most recent until Sunday, on one win.

Leading the way

Those 309 total wins leave British drivers clear at the top of the all-time list.

Only three nations have even recorded three figures  indeed, were Hamilton a country in his own right he would rank third on the list behind Germany (179), with two wins more than Brazil (101).

French drivers rank next with 81 wins, with reigning three-time champion Max Verstappen contributing all of the Netherlands 58 victories  third among individual drivers behind Hamilton and Germanys Michael Schumacher, who won 91.

Finland, on 57, is the only other country with a half-century. Twenty-two nations have had winning F1 drivers with Poland and Venezuela the last names on the list with a solitary win apiece, courtesy of Robert Kubica and Pastor Maldonado respectively.

Britain is one of four nations in double figures for the number of different race winners, and six clear of the pack.

Italy and the United States have had 15 drivers apiece top the podium, though Italys most recent win came from Giancarlo Fisichella in 2006 while no American has taken the chequered flag since the last of Mario Andrettis 12 victories in 1978.

France has had 14 winners, led by Alain Prost with 51 victories and including a pair of current drivers in Pierre Gasly at the 2020 Italian GP and Esteban Ocon in Hungary the following year.

There have been seven German winners, six from Brazil and five Finns.
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On D-Day, Charles Shay was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic who was ready to give his life  and save as many as he could.

Now 99, hes spreading a message of peace with tireless dedication as hes about to take part in the 80th anniversary commemorations of the landings in Normandy that led to the liberation of France and Europe from Nazi Germany occupation.

I guess I was prepared to give my life if I had to. Fortunately, I did not have to, Shay said in an interview with The Associated Press.

A Penobscot tribe citizen from Indian Island in the U.S. state of Maine, Shay has been living in France since 2018, not far from the shores of Normandy where many world leaders are expected to come next month. Solemn ceremonies will be honoring the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada and other nations who landed on June 6, 1944.

Nothing could have prepared Shay for what happened that morning on Omaha Beach: bleeding soldiers, body parts and corpses strewn around him, machine-gun fire and shells filling the air.

I had been given a job, and the way I looked at it, it was up to me to complete my job," he recalled. "I did not have time to worry about my situation of being there and perhaps losing my life. There was no time for this.

Shay was awarded the Silver Star for repeatedly plunging into the sea and carrying critically wounded soldiers to relative safety, saving them from drowning. He also received Frances highest award, the Legion of Honor, in 2007.

Still, Shay could not save his good friend, Pvt. Edward Morozewicz. The sad memory remains vivid in his mind as he describes seeing his 22-year-old comrade lying on the beach with a serious stomach wound.

He had a wound that I could not help him with because I did not have the proper instruments ... He was bleeding to death. And I knew that he was dying. I tried to comfort him. And I tried to do what I could for him, but there was no help," he said. "And while I was treating him, he died in my arms.

I lost many close friends, he added.

A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

Shay survived. At night, exhausted, he eventually fell asleep in a grove above the beach.

When I woke up in the morning. It was like I was sleeping in a graveyard because there were dead Americans and Germans surrounding me, he recalled. I stayed there for not very long and I continued on my way.

Shay then pursued his mission in Normandy for several weeks, rescuing those wounded, before heading with American troops to eastern France and Germany, where he was taken prisoner in March 1945 and liberated a few weeks later.

After World War II, Shay reenlisted in the military because the situation of Native Americans in his home state of Maine was too precarious due to poverty and discrimination.

I tried to cope with the situation of not having enough work or not being able to help support my mother and father. Well, there was just no chance for young American Indian boys to gain proper labor and earn a good job, he said.

Maine would not allow individuals living on Native American reservations to vote until 1954.

Shay continued to witness history  returning to combat as a medic during the Korean War, participating in U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and later working at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria.

For over 60 years, he did not talk about his WWII experience.

But he began attending D-Day commemorations in 2007 and in recent years, he has seized many occasions to give his powerful testimony. A book about his life, Spirits are guiding by author Marie-Pascale Legrand, is about to be released this month.

In 2018, he moved from Maine to Bretteville-lOrgueilleuse, a French small town in the Normandy region to stay at a friends home.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, coming from his nearby home, he was among the few veterans able to attend commemorations. He stood up for all others who could not make the trip amid restrictions.

Shay also used to lead a Native American ritual each year on D-Day, burning sage in homage to those who died. In 2022, he handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran from the Crow tribe, who since has performed the ritual in his presence.

The Charles Shay Memorial on Omaha Beach pays tribute to the 175 Native Americans who landed there on D-Day.

Often, Shay expressed his sadness at seeing wars still waging in the world and what he considers the senseless loss of lives.

Shay said he had hoped D-Day would bring global peace. But it has not, because you see that we go from one war to the next. There will always be wars. People and nations cannot get along with each other."
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Voters in Chad headed to the polls on Monday to cast their ballot in a long delayed presidential election that is set to end three years of military rule under interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno.

Deby Itno seized power after his father who ran the country for more than three decades was killed fighting rebels in 2021. Last year, the government announced it was extending the 18-month transition for two more years, which provoked protests across the country.

There are 10 candidates on the ballot, including a woman. Some 8 million people are registered to vote, in a country of more than 17 million people, one of the poorest in the world. Analysts say Deby Itno is expected to win the vote. The main opposition figure Yaya Dillo, the current presidents cousin, was killed in February in circumstances that remain unclear.

The oil-exporting country of nearly 18 million people has not had a free-and-fair transfer of power since it became independent in 1960 after decades of French colonial rule.

Chad is seen by the U.S. and France as one of the last remaining stable allies in the vast Sahel region following military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in recent years. The ruling juntas in all three nations have expelled French forces and turned to Russias mercenary units for security assistance instead.

Earlier this year, Nigers junta ordered all U.S. troops out, meaning Washington will lose access to its key base in Agadez, the center of its counter-terrorism operations in the region. The U.S. and France still have a military presence in Chad, who consider it an especially critical partner.

The West also fears that any instability in Chad, which has absorbed over half a million refugees from Sudan, could increase the flow of illegal migrants north towards Europe.

These are all the reasons the West is staying relatively quiet about the democratic transition in Chad, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Everybody just wants this vote to pass so Deby Itno gets elected so they continue to work with him and preserve the stability of the region," he added.

Along with the arrival of refugees from Sudan, Chad is also dealing with high food prices partly caused by the war in Ukraine and a renewed threat from the Boko Haram insurgency spilling over from its southwestern border with Nigeria.

In March, an attack the government blamed on Boko Haram killed 7 soldiers, reviving fears of violence in the Lake Chad area after a period of peace following a successful operation launched in 2020 by the Chadian army to destroy the extremist groups bases there. Schools, mosques and churches reopened and humanitarian organizations returned.

For years now, weve had to cope with the high cost of living, without any solution, said Adoumadji Jean, a teacher at a state secondary school in Moyen-Chari province, in an interview with The Associated Press. We want a change this year through this election, he added.

Boko Haram launched an insurgency more than a decade ago against Western education and seeks to establish Islamic law in Nigerias northeast. The insurgency has spread to West African neighbors including Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Human rights groups have called for an investigation in to the killing of Chads main opposition figure, Dillo. The government has said Dillo was killed during an attack on the the National State Security Agency by his group, known as The Socialist Party Without Borders. But a photo of Dillo showed he was killed by a single bullet wound to the head.

Human Rights Watch said the killing raised serious concerns about the environment for the election.

With his most significant opponents either co-opted or eliminated, and critical electoral institutions stacked with his supporters, Deby Itnos victory is all but certain, wrote Michelle Gavin for the Council of Foreign Relations, a Washington DC based think tank.

Votes will be first counted at polling stations after polls close at 5pm, but preliminary results will be announced three weeks later on May 21. If no candidate wins outright, a runoff will be held on June 5.
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Donald Trumps hush money trial continues in New York today (6 May), after day 10 of the case wrapped up last week.

Trump stands accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records while he was campaigning for presidency in 2016 - including an alleged payment to adult film star, Stormy Daniels, all of which he denies.

There is no crime. I have a crooked judge. Hes a totally conflicted judge, Trump sold supporters as he continued his presidential campaign in Wisconsin on a day off.

Trump was even accused of falling asleep during court proceedings, however, he insists he was closing his beautiful blue eyes to listen intensely.

Ms Daniels claims she had relations with Trump in 2006 while he was married, and he attempted to buy her silence.

Trump is the first American president to face felony charges. The trial continues.
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Floodwaters closed some Texas schools on Monday after days of heavy rains pummeled the Houston area and led to hundreds of rescues including people who were standed on rooftops.

A five-year-old boy died after riding in a car that was swept away in fast waters, authorities said.

Although forecasters expected storms to begin tapering off in southeastern Texas, high waters continued to close some roads and left residents facing lengthy cleanups in neighborhoods where rising river levels led to weekend evacuation orders.

Houston is one of the most flood-prone metro areas in the country. Hurricane Harvey in 2017 dumped historic rainfall that flooded thousands of homes and resulted in more than 60,000 rescues.

In one soggy area of Houston, school officials in Channelview canceled classes and said a survey of their employees found many of them had experienced circumstances that would prevent them from coming to work.

These folks have suffered much, people," Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said Sunday during a Facebook livestream as he rode a boat through a rural flooded neighborhood. Partially submerged cars and street signs peeked above the water around him.

Areas near Lake Livingston, located northeast of Houston, received upwards of 23 inches (58 centimeters) of rain over the past week, National Weather Service meteorologist Jimmy Fowler said.

In Johnson County, south of Fort Worth, a 5-year-old boy died when he was swept away after the vehicle he was riding in became stuck in swift-moving water near the community of Lillian just before 2 a.m. Sunday, an official said.

The child and two adults were trying to reach dry ground when they were swept away. The adults were rescued around 5 a.m. and taken to a hospital, while the child was found dead around 7:20 a.m. in the water, Johnson County Emergency Management Director Jamie Moore wrote in a social media post.

Storms brought 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain in a span of six to eight hours in some areas from central Texas to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Stalley said.

Since last week, storms have forced numerous high-water rescues in the Houston area, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.

Greg Moss, 68, stayed put in his recreational vehicle on Sunday after leaving his home in the community of Channelview in eastern Harris County near the San Jacinto River. A day earlier, he had packed up many of his belongings and left before the road to his home flooded.

I would be stuck for four days, Moss said. So now at least I can go get something to eat.

Moss moved his belongings and vehicle to a neighbors home, where he planned to stay until the waters recede. The floodwaters had already gone down by a couple of feet and he wasnt worried his home would flood because its located on higher ground, Moss said Sunday.
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Passengers due to fly to London from Bermuda at the weekend were evacuated from their plane after a bomb threat was emailed to LF Wade international airport.

The waiting passengers were disembarked after the threat was reported at 8.50pm on Sunday night.

Local roads were closed to traffic while the airport building and its environs were searched by airport security a spokesman for the Bermuda police service said.

Were you on the plane? Email barney.davis.ind@independent.co.uk

Police were notified by staff at the LF Wade International Airport of a bomb threat that was received via email, the spokesperson explained. Staff also advised that emergency landing protocols had been initiated at the airport.

Once the all-clear was given and the airport was declared safe, regular traffic flow was restored.

Passengers were all reported to be safe but the flight was delayed overnight on Sunday.

The flight was due to depart from Bermuda to London on Monday night.

A spokesperson for British Airways told The Independent: The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our highest priority and we followed our standard procedures to disembark the aircraft.

Our teams are caring for our customers and supporting crew as we work to get them on their way as soon as possible.

The Independent has approached the Bermuda police service for further comment.
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Metropolitan police detectives have launched a murder probe after a man was stabbed in a street fight in east London.

Police were called to reports of a fight on Corfield Street, Bethnal Green at about 8.20pm on Sunday, 5 May.

A 38-year-old man was found suffering a single stab injury just off a busy main road.

Despite the efforts of officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service, the victim died at the scene.

Scotland Yard said officers are still to inform the victims family with formal identification yet to take place.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the fatal incident ( @th_crime_watch )

Superintendent Alex Ogilvie, one of the senior officers responsible for policing in Tower Hamlets, said: I recognise the impact this violent incident will have on the local community, especially as it happened in a residential street while many people would have been in their homes.

We shall be supporting our colleagues in the specialist crime command with their investigation, and you can expect to see officers in the area over the coming days.

I encourage you to speak with them about anything you saw or heard, as well as any concerns you may have.

At this early stage, there have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

In another incident, a 26-year-old man was stabbed in Tottenham at 5am on bank holiday Monday. Police said he suffered non-life threatening injuries in the attack.

Anyone with information or dashcam, doorbell or mobile phone footage is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 6482/05May. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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A massive Chinese cyberattack targeted the UKs Ministry of Defence in a breach revealing the details of armed forces personnel, according to reports.

The attack, believed to have been done two or three times, was on a third-party payroll system including the details of tens of thousands of British armed forces and veterans.

The MoD has been working over the last three days to understand the scale of the hack, after it was recently discovered, Sky News reported. The Ministry of Defence was approached for comment.

It is not believed any data was taken and the MoD urged service people not to be concerned for their safety. MPs will be told about the attack on Tuesday.

It comes after Chinese state-affiliated actors were blamed by the government for two malicious cyberattack campaigns in the UK between 2021 and 2022.

In March, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said the Electoral Commission and MPs were targeted in a cyberattack by Chinese companies ( Getty )

In March, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons two individuals and a company linked to the Chinese state had been sanctioned over attacks on the Electoral Commission.

The same company also carried out reconnaissance activity against UK parliamentary accounts in a separate campaign in 2021, Mr Dowden said.

Mr Dowden told MPs that the UK was putting sanctions on two people and a company associated with the cybergroup APT31, which is linked to the Chinese Ministry of State Security.

At the time, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said: The so-called cyberattacks by China against the UK are completely fabricated and malicious slanders.

On Monday, Chinese president Xi Jinping began a tour of Europe, although he was not set to visit the UK. He spent the day in Paris, where he met French president Emmanuel Macron.

On Monday, Chinese president Xi Jinping began a tour of Europe, where he met French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris

Upon his arrival, a group of seven French lawmakers targeted by cyberattacks attributed to Chinese hackers called for a judicial investigation by the authorities.

They want France to formally attribute the attack to APT31  the same company sanctioned by Britain in March.

Unlike the US, UK and New Zealand, which have formally accused China for several cyberattacks, French authorities have shied away from accusing Beijing.

Mr Xi will visit Serbia on Wednesday and Hungary on Thursday  both countries which are on friendly terms with the Chinese state.
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Campaigners are calling for tighter restrictions on the sale of toxic skin-lightening products as an eBay seller received a suspended sentence for selling more than 20,000 bottles of the illegal goods.

South London resident Musiliu Olatunji Badejo, 56, pleaded guilty to selling the banned cosmetics in April following a four-year investigation by Southwark Councils Trading Standards team.

Recent research has found that skin lightening is common among people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, while many remain unaware of the health risks including increased chances of skin cancer, plus liver and kidney damage.

Colourism, a system of inequality that views fairer hues as more beautiful than darker skin complexions, is often the reason behind skin lightening, studies have highlighted. Skin lightening is common in the UK, as well as the US, plus parts of the Caribbean, Africa and beyond.

Labour MP Kim Johnson is calling for tougher government restrictions on the sale of these items.

Illegal skin lightening products are incredibly dangerous, not just because of the physical harm they can do but also because they reinforce Eurocentric beauty standards and valorise fair skin at the expense of darker complexions, she told The Independent.

That this legacy of colonialist attitudes is still so prevalent and these products are still widely available in 2024 is a stain on our society, and must be stamped out. These attitudes stretch far beyond the realm of beauty standards and are reflected in the economic and structural oppression of people with darker skin.

Badejo received a six-week prison sentence suspended for 15 months and was ordered to pay 4,750 in fines ( Southwark Council )

Ms Johnson, who is a part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Race, added: While Im pleased that this eBay seller has been brought to justice, the government must take action to strengthen guidelines, tighten regulations, and increase deterrents to put an end to the distribution and sale of these dangerous and toxic products.

Level Up, a campaigning group, has been calling for the removal of toxic cosmetics from shop shelves for years, urging manufacturers to stop making them.

Seyi Falodun-Liburd, the groups co-director, told The Independent: Products like these, made to align with dangerous and racist hierarchies of beauty, have always been lucrative and often at the expense of Black and global majority womens health.

It's encouraging to see courts taking this issue seriously; retailers who risk the lives of their consumers for profit should be held accountable.

More needs to be done to make these products less accessible for everyone, consumers and retailers alike.

Badejo, whose goods were valued at over a quarter of a million pounds, received a six-week prison sentence suspended for 15 months and was ordered to pay 4,750 in fines.

During his hearing at Inner London Crown Court, it was revealed that between March 2020 and January 2023 he had used multiple eBay accounts to sell more than 20,000 cosmetic products to UK customers, earning 340,000.

The seller sold more than 20,000 products, earning 340,000 ( Southwark Council )

Badejo said he imported most of the products from Ghana, Nigeria and Thailand to his home in London.

Southwark Trading Standards had detected two of his accounts and made seven test purchases, carrying out tests which showed that five of the items contained either hydroquinone or corticosteroids, which are both banned and dangerous chemicals.

One bottle, Pure White Dark Spot Corrector Serum, contained both but did not list them as ingredients.

The serum contained 10 per cent hydroquinone, which is five times the limit that was allowed in cosmetics before a complete European ban in 2001 and an American ban in 2020.

In October 2022, the Trading Standards team raided Badejos flat and seized just under 2,000 products, while he was out of country.

Around this time, two of his accounts were suspended by eBay.

Further tests confirmed that many of the seized products contained hydroquinone and corticosteroids, but these were not included on the ingredients labelling, a legal and safety requirement.

Trading Standards then served a notice on Badejo, cautioning him to stop selling these illegal cosmetics. However, when more eBay checks were made they found Badejo was using two other accounts, which were eventually closed by eBay.

One of the seized products ( Southwark Council )

Prospective sellers who want to import cosmetics into the UK have to carry out a safety assessment and keep detailed records about the produrcts, according to the law.

However, during an interview under caution, the former vendor admitted he had not carried out any of the checks required, explaining that he didnt know this was necessary.

Councillor Natasha Ennin, cabinet member for Community Safety at Southwark Council, said: The sale of illegal and dangerous skin lighteners is abhorrent. Southwark Council is committed to keep people safe and our Trading Standards team is one of the most proactive in the country in tackling this toxic trade.

We will not hesitate to take action against irresponsible traders who put profit over the health of their customers.

People cannot hide away selling illegal goods from home online. I hope this court outcome serves as a deterrent to others who think they can import cosmetics without any regard to the vital safety laws that protect people from harm.

An eBay spokesperson told The Independent: We take the safety of our users very seriously. We work closely with authorities such as Trading Standards and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to keep our platform safe.

Our regulatory portal also enables authorities to report listings of unsafe products to us for swift removal.

Any items found in breach of our safety policies will be removed immediately and action taken against sellers, which could include suspending seller accounts.

The governments Department for Business and Trade has been approached for comment.
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A combination of 18 months of bad weather, Brexit and other international events have left confidence in British farming at an all-time low, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has revealed.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw has warned that the collapse in confidence has seen 7,000 agricultural businesses close down since 2019 and is now imperilling food security in Britain.

The NFUs annual Farmer Confidence Survey was taken between November 2023 and January this year, and Mr Bradshaw noted that if it had been taken today the word crisis would need to be added.

He described a perfect storm including volatility caused by the war in Ukraine and the effects of covid. While he did not mention Brexit by name Mr Bradshaw listed a number of post-Brexit changes including to the subsidy regime and new international trade deals.

Food security could become a problem in the UK ( PA )

The NFU president blamed 18 months of unusually wet weather for much of the difficulties but also listed a number of problems caused by Brexit, including the Australia and New Zealand trade deals which come with a competitive disadvantage for the UK because of Britains higher standards.

However, top of the list of concerns was the phasing out of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), the continuation of the EU subsidy which had supported farms around the UK.

The survey showed that this was the number one issue for farmers with 86 percent naming it as a serious concern.

BPS is being replaced by the Environmental Land Management Scheme but payments have dropped by 50 percent at a time when farmers are having to borrow more.

Mr Bradshaw said: We have been clear as the NFU for some time of our concern that the move away from the BPS to the public money for public good, while very well-intentioned, has taken food production for granted.

Our concern is that if members dont have confidence then we as a country cant deliver food security. We have all political parties say that food security is national security. If they really mean these words they need to ask themselves what actions they need to take to rebuild farmer confidence.

He warned believing we can import our way out of this problem is naive at best and foolish at worst.

He added: We need a long-term plan for how we are going to feed 70 million people on an island.

18 months of bad weather has harmed farmer confidence ( Getty Images )

Mr Bradshaw pointed to another post-Brexit issue on immigration that we still dont have a seasonal worker scheme for next year.

This issue has seen EU citizens, who used to come and pick fruit, stop making the trip following the UK leaving the EU.

The survey shows that short and mid-term confidence is at its lowest since records began in 2010. Because of this lack of confidence, production intentions have also plummeted with all farming sectors expecting to decrease production over the next year.

The relentless wet weather has played a big part, with 82 per cent of respondents saying their farm businesses have suffered negative impacts, with mixed farms, arable farms and dairy farms having taken the biggest hits.
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John Swinney promised a new chapter as he took over as SNP leader on Monday after potential leadership contest rivals pulled out of the race.

The former deputy first minister was the only person to put himself forward to succeed Humza Yousaf, who is expected to formally step down this week.

Mr Swinney will still face a confirmation vote at Holyrood, which will likely see him approved as the Scottish parliaments nominated candidate to be the seventh first minister.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Swinney paid tribute to the grace and dignity of Mr Yousaf, who he said showed moral leadership on the issue of Gaza.

John Swinney made his first speech as new SNP leader in Glasgow on Monday ( PA )

He said he was not motivated by personal ambition but that he had stood for leader out of a profound sense of duty to his party and his country.

And, in a plea for unity in the party, Mr Swinney said: If elected first minister, my focus will be the economy, jobs, the cost of living. It will be the NHS, our schools and our public services. It will be addressing the climate crisis.

Do not let our disagreements dominate. Join me as we open a new chapter. Thats my job, thats our job, and I plan to get the job done.

It comes just a week after Mr Yousaf announced he was stepping down as both SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, after his decision to tear up his partys powersharing deal with the Greens at Holyrood left him facing a vote of confidence.

Former leadership rival Kate Forbes was seen as the most likely challenger to Mr Swinney, but ruled herself out last week.

In a tweet thread posted on social media site X, Ms Forbes said: I have listened very carefully to the vision John Swinney set out this morning for Scotland. I welcomed, and embrace, his commitment to ensure internal respect for robust and divergent debate in the party, which is the lifeblood of any democratic institution like the SNP.

Kate Forbes pulled out of the race to succeed Humza Yousaf as SNP leader ( PA )

SNP activist Graeme McCormick also ended his bid to become the next leader of the party.

Mr McCormick, who had made a last-minute bid for the leadership, said he would not proceed with his nomination and would instead support Mr Swinney.

He said he had met the thresholds to stand under party rules, but after a lengthy and fruitful conversation he decided to support Mr Swinney.

The SNP, which has lurched from crisis to crisis since Nicola Sturgeon announced she was quitting as leader last February, was desperate to avoid a drawn-out leadership contest.

The last poll, to replace Ms Sturgeon, saw Mr Yousaf, Ms Forbes and contender Ash Regan publicly trading blows and exposed deep divisions within the party.

Mr Swinney, one of the original intake of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, is seen by many as being able to provide calm leadership at what is a time of political turmoil for Scotlands governing party.

He previously served as finance secretary under Alex Salmond when the SNP took power in 2007.

Swinney will become Scottish first minister later this week ( PA )

He served in the role for the entirety of Mr Salmond's tenure, before being appointed deputy first minister by Nicola Sturgeon when she took over.

Over the following nine years, the Perthshire North MSP occupied several ministerial offices in the Scottish government, including as education secretary, Covid-19 recovery secretary and again in finance, taking over that brief from Ms Forbes while she was on maternity leave.

During his time as Ms Sturgeon's deputy, he cemented his reputation as a dogged defender of his boss, as well as an SNP stalwart.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said the partys seven MSPs would meet to discuss how they would vote in the ballot for first minister.

Mr Harvie stated: We are committed to delivering on our vision of a fairer, greener and more equal Scotland, and are open to talks with John Swinney and his team about how we can work together to make that happen.

He added: Scotland needs a period of stable government. Mr Swinney knows that if he is to have our support then it must be on the basis of progressive policies that help us to tackle the climate crisis and build a fairer and more equal future.

The Green MSP added: There are a lot of important policies already on their way to delivery as a result of the Bute House Agreement, including better rights for tenants and rent controls, transforming the way we heat our homes and a watertight ban on conversion therapy.

We remain utterly committed to these policies and will oppose any move away from them or steps to dilute them.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross meanwhile urged Mr Swinney to govern for all of Scotland by abandoning his relentless push for independence.

John Swinney will now be approved by other members of the Scottish parliament ( EPA )

Mr Ross insisted his party would seek to hold John Swinney to account when he lets the Scottish people down, just as weve done with Humza Yousaf.

But the Conservative added: Its difficult to see how he can be the fresh start Scotland needs, when hes the ultimate continuity candidate.

John Swinney was joined at the hip with the disgraced Nicola Sturgeon and his fingerprints are all over her numerous policy failures and cover-ups.

With Mr Swinney having led the SNP previously between 2000 and 2004, Mr Ross went on to question if a failed former leader from two decades ago, who, as education secretary, sent Scotland plummeting down international league tables was the best person to lead the country.

He said: With John Swinney at the helm, the SNP will double down on their independence obsession  the one issue they agree on  and ignore the real priorities of the Scottish people, such as fixing our ailing public services and growing the economy.
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Trade union leaders have warned Sir Keir Starmer that Labour cannot take their members votes for granted in the upcoming general election if promises of a new package on rights have been betrayed.

The warning is an ominous message for Sir Keir despite Labours successes in the local elections last week, amid claims the party may struggle to form a majority.

Splits have already emerged with some Labour voters either staying at home or backing alternative left-wing candidates over their leaders support for Israel with the war in Gaza.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, TUC president Matt Wrack, who is also general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), revealed that he and other union leaders have arranged a crunch meeting with the Labour leader.

It follows reports that Labour has watered down a policy document on workers rights, denied strongly by the party.

Matt Wrack, new TUC president, is set to hold a crunch meeting with Keir Starmer ( PA )

Mr Wrack told The Independent that he had been involved in consultation to put the document together.

He said that at the meeting with Sir Keir to be held on 14 May, trade unions will compare and contrast the list of items they previously agreed with those that made it into the document. While he added that he has no reason to believe Labour has watered the policy document down, he has yet to see it himself.

Mr Wrack insisted that the repeal of the last two pieces of legislation brought in by the Tories  including the minimum service law restricting the ability to strike, as well as the minimum requirement of 50 per cent turnout  are the basic requirements of what he and other union leaders want.

He also noted that Labour had committed in conversations to agreeing on a more modern voting system which will allow for digital voting on industrial action  currently, it is restricted to postal votes.

Junior doctors on the picket line ( PA )

He said: My message [to Starmer] is that these changes will be extremely popular and vote winners.

This is a great opportunity for the workers to turn back the tide a little bit on 40-odd years of anti-union and anti-worker legislation, which has tipped the balance in the workplace in favour of employers against the worker and is a factor in increasing inequality in workplaces also in wider society.

On this issue, we've got a positive gain that we can explain to our members and the reasons I think its popularity has been commented on quite widely.

Union leaders have had concerns over Labours commitment to the policies because others, including the plans for a green deal, being watered down ahead of the publication of an election manifesto.

But highlighting the danger of isolating union members, Mr Wrack warned: Labour should not take our votes for granted.

Strikes have become a potential dividing issue between the Tories and Labour after a series of unions in the NHS, transport network, government and even lawyers took industrial action.

Sir Keir had initially told Labour MPs not to join picket lines, but deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh have been photographed with strikers.
TOKYO, May 06 (News On Japan) - A Japanese sake brewery behind the Japanese sake brand "BON," plans to release vintage sake aged for over 10 years around autumn 2024. By aging their sake and labelling it as vintage, the company aims to enhance its rarity and add value.

BON sake has already garnered high praise, fetching prices of several hundred thousand yen outside of Japan. With the introduction of a new product priced at 1.1 million yen per bottle, the company aims to compete in the highest luxury price range alongside wines and whiskies.

This marks the first time the brewery will be releasing sake as a vintage product. This year, they will debut "BON - Chogin Vintage," a sake that has been aged and carefully managed in cold storage since 2012. Already, orders have been placed by top-tier restaurants and sommeliers, and approximately 200 bottles, nearly all, have secured buyers.

While vintage wines and whiskies have been traded for millions of yen, the price of vintage sake remains relatively low, at several hundred thousand yen. There are still only a few breweries promoting their products in the luxury market.

The debut of "BON - Chogin Vintage" signals a bold step for the brewery, representing a fusion of tradition and innovation. As they carve out a niche in the highest echelons of the market, all eyes are on BON, waiting to see how their aged masterpiece will captivate the palates of connoisseurs worldwide.

Source: Nikkei
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The Ministry of Defence has been the target of a large-scale data breach, it is understood.

Sky News reported that China was behind the cyber attack.

A third-party payroll system has been hacked, potentially compromising the bank details of all serving armed forces personnel and some veterans. A very small number of addresses may also have been accessed.

So many serious questions for the Defence Secretary on this, especially from Forces personnel whose details were targeted Shadow defence secretary John Healey

The department took immediate action when it discovered the breach, taking the external network  operated by a contractor  offline.

It is understood that initial investigations have found no evidence that data has been removed.

But affected service personnel will be alerted as a precaution and provided with specialist advice. They will be able to use a personal data protection service to check whether their information is being used or an attempt is being made to use it.

All salaries were paid at the last payday, with no issues expected at the next one at the end of this month, although there may be a slight delay in the payment of expenses in a small number of cases.

The Government will inform MPs of the breach when Parliament returns on Tuesday, with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps expected to make a Commons statement in the afternoon.

Ministers will blame hostile and malign actors, but will not name the country behind the hacking.

The MoD has been working at speed to uncover the scale of the attack since it was discovered several days ago.

The revelation comes after the UK and the United States in March accused China of a global campaign of malicious cyber attacks in an unprecedented joint operation to reveal Beijings espionage.

Britain blamed Beijing for targeting the Electoral Commission watchdog in 2021 and for being behind a campaign of online reconnaissance aimed at the email accounts of MPs and peers.

Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey said: So many serious questions for the Defence Secretary on this, especially from Forces personnel whose details were targeted.

Any such hostile action is utterly unacceptable. Parliament will expect a full Commons statement tomorrow.

In response to the Beijing-linked hacks on the Electoral Commission and 43 individuals, a front company, Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, and two people linked to the APT31 hacking group were sanctioned.

But some of the MPs targeted by the Chinese state said the response did not go far enough, urging the Government to toughen its stance on China by labelling it a threat to national security rather than an epoch-defining challenge.

Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith repeated those calls, telling Sky News: This is yet another example of why the UK government must admit that China poses a systemic threat to the UK and change the integrated review to reflect that.

No more pretence, it is a malign actor, supporting Russia with money and military equipment, working with Iran and North Korea in a new axis of totalitarian states.

The Metropolitan Police said it is not involved in any investigation at this stage.
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Rishi Sunak has conceded the Conservatives may not win the next general election, but made the extraordinary claim there would be a hung parliament.

The prime minister is braced for continued fallout after the weekends local election results, with Tory rebels warning him to change course after a dire set of local election results.

But Mr Sunak claimed the performance shows Britain is on course for a hung parliament, claiming voters would not want to see Sir Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP or smaller parties. The most recent YouGov poll puts Labour 26 points ahead of the Tories.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed there would be a hung parliament after the election ( PA Wire )

Mr Sunak pointed to Sky News analysis of the local election results which suggested Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament. Elections expert Michael Thrasher said that if Labours seven point local election lead over the Conservatives was repeated at a general election there would be a hung parliament.

However, people tend not to vote the same way in a general election where independent and smaller party candidates do not fare as well, and the analysis did not factor in any Labour gains in Scotland off the back of ongoing SNP chaos.

A Tory MP told The Independent it was wishful thinking, while Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollster Savanta, said it was completely disingenuous.

He told The Independent: Any suggestion that the country is headed for a hung parliament after this most recent set of local election results is either wilful ignorance and a tactic to show Conservative MPs and supporters that theres still something to play for, or a genuine misunderstanding of what has just played out across the country.

These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party, Mr Sunak told The Times. Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.

The country doesnt need more political horse-trading, but action. We are the only party that has a plan to deliver on the priorities of the people.

It came as Downing Street shelved plans for a summer general election, with an autumn vote now widely expected after the Tories local election drubbing. The PM reportedly hopes an improving economic picture and the Rwanda deportation flights expected this summer can improve his re-election chances in the autumn.

If recent polling is to be believed, Sir Keir Starmer is on track for a clear majority ( PA Wire )

An ally of Mr Sunak told The Telegraph: I definitely think the weight of views is to go later as theres still plenty we can keep doing to show delivery.

Labour national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden said the party has the confidence and belief it can win a general election outright.

He told The Guardian: What the weekends results show is that Labour doesnt have to always lose and the Tories are beatable  we go into it with more belief because of whats happened in the past few days.

And Labour Party chairman Anneliese Dodds said Mr Sunaks claim about a hung parliament was extraordinary. She told GB News: If you look at the places where Labour won, where Labour picked up support, it was in those constituencies that Labour will need in order to deliver a majority Labour government.

So I'm afraid Rishi Sunak has got this wronghe should be listening to that message that, actually, give people the chance for change.

A minister on Monday claimed Tory voters who stayed at home for last weeks elections will back the government at the general election.

Health minister Maria Caulfield repeated Mr Sunaks assertion that the UK is on course for a hung Parliament, with Labour falling short of enough seats to win power if Thursdays results are replicated in a national vote.

But she also pointed out that people do not vote in a general election as they do in a local one, telling Sky News on Monday: "Its always difficult when youve been in government and voters can send a message to a party in government that theyre unhappy about certain things with the safe knowledge that they still have a Conservative government in control.

"Its very different come a general election where they really do have to make a choice.

"If you look at Blackpool South, for example, the vast majority of our voters that voted for us in 2019 stayed at home, they didnt switch to Labour. They didnt switch to Reform. They stayed at home and that shows that they havent really been tempted by other parties."

Former home secretary Suella Braverman has urged the Prime Minister to change course rightwards to win back voters.

Twice-sacked former home secretary Suella Braverman spoke to Laura Kuenssberg about what Mr Sunak should do ( PA Media )

But she said a change of leadership was not a feasible prospect, adding: There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.

Among the measures Ms Braverman has urged Mr Sunak to adopt to win back voters are further tax cuts and a cap on legal migration.

Tory grandee Sir John Hayes signalled the Prime Minister should reshuffle his Cabinet, with his close ally Ms Braverman as a voice at the table for what he called the authentic Tory part of the Conservative Party.

But Conservative moderates warned against Mr Sunak lurching rightwards, with outgoing West Midlands mayor Andy Street claiming after his loss that winning from that centre ground is what happens.

Damian Green, chairman of the One Nation Group of Tory moderates, made a similar plea on the BBCs Westminster Hour.

I would just observe the seats that we have lost in the past few days  we lost to parties to the left of us. So I think suggesting that what we need to do is to move to the right is irrational in the face of the electorate, he said.

Labour sought to dispel suggestions it would consider a coalition with the SNP after the next election.

Pat McFadden, the partys national campaign co-ordinator, said: Our aim is to win a majority, to govern, to meet the mood for change, and were not planning any alliances or pacts with anyone.

The West Midlands result was a shock defeat for the Conservatives, with Lord Ben Houchen the sole remaining Tory mayor, in Tees Valley.

Labour dominated other mayoral contests across England, including in London and Greater Manchester, and took a Tory scalp by winning the Blackpool South by-election.

With the results of all 107 councils in England that held elections on May 2 declared, Labour has won 1,158 seats, an increase of more than 232.

The Liberal Democrats beat the Tories into second place, winning 552 seats, up nearly 100, a result hailed by party leader Sir Ed Davey as stunning. The Tories are just behind on 515 seats, down nearly 400.
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Rishi Sunak has defended his claim that there will be a hung parliament after the general election, despite Tory MPs and polling experts describing it as "wishful thinking".

The prime minister said the result was not a "foregone conclusion", and repeated his insistence that the result would be closer than current opinion polls suggest.

Those current opinion polls point to a Labour landslide, with the Tories on average 20 points behind.

Rishi Sunak defended the claim the general election will lead to a hung parliament ( Getty )

But the prime minister pointed to Sky News analysis of the local election results which suggested Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament. Elections expert Michael Thrasher had said that if Labours seven-point local election lead over the Conservatives was repeated at a general election then a hung parliament would be the result.

Challenged over the claim on Monday, Mr Sunak said: The independent analysis shows that whilst of course this was a disappointing weekend for us, that the result of the next general election isnt a foregone conclusion and indeed actually is closer than, or the situation is closer than, many people are saying or indeed some of the opinion polls are predicting.

"And thats why Im absolutely determined to fight incredibly hard for what I believe and for the future country that I want to build, and thats what Im going to do.

"Fight for this country, fight for the things I believe and deliver for everyone on the things that matter to them."

Tories were shocked by the scale of the defeat, with 472 council seats lost and a dreadful result for the party in London, where Sadiq Khan was returned as the citys mayor for a third term.

The Independent revealed Mr Sunak has called MPs in for two mini summits with party chairman Richard Holden and campaign manager Isaac Levido, in an attempt to ease nerves on the back benches after the drubbing.

But a Tory MP told The Independent it was wishful thinking, while Chris Hopkins, political research director at pollster Savanta, said it was completely disingenuous.

Mr Hopkins told The Independent: Any suggestion that the country is headed for a hung parliament after this most recent set of local election results is either wilful ignorance and a tactic to show Conservative MPs and supporters that theres still something to play for, or a genuine misunderstanding of what has just played out across the country.

Polls put Labour on course for a comfortable majority, with the Conservatives trailing by 20 points on average ( PA Wire )

It came as Downing Street shelved plans for a summer general election, with a vote now widely expected in October or November.

The PM has also come under pressure from the Tory right, with ex-home secretary Suella Braverman urging him to change course to win back voters.

But, in a sign Tory plotters are throwing in the towel, she said a change of leadership was not a feasible prospect, adding: There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.

Among the measures Ms Braverman has urged Mr Sunak to adopt to win back voters are further tax cuts and a cap on legal migration.

As furious plotters accused colleagues of giving up on beating Labour and accepting their fate, the PM invited backbenchers to attend local elections presentations later this month.

The summits will be held by Mr Sunak, Mr Holden and Mr Levido. Both sessions will be an opportunity for colleagues to provide feedback, ask questions and receive an update on our campaign strategy, an email sent to Tory MPs and seen by The Independent, said.

They come as Sir Keir Starmer faces his own challenges, with trade union leaders warning that Labour cannot take their members votes for granted in the upcoming general election if promises of a new package on rights have been betrayed.

Speaking to The Independent, TUC president Matt Wrack, who is also general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), revealed that he and other union leaders have arranged a crunch meeting with the Labour leader.

It follows reports that Labour has watered down a policy document on workers rights. This is denied strongly by the party. Trade unions will meet Sir Keir this month to compare and contrast the list of items they previously agreed with those that have made it into the document.

Speaking after the local election results, Mr Sunak told The Times: These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party.

Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.

Ed Miliband in Alex Salmond's pocket  a 2015 Tory campaign poster claiming Labour would be forced into a coalition of chaos ( Getty )

Mr Sunaks claim about a hung parliament is an attempt to revive the message used successfully by David Cameron ahead of the 2015 general election warning voters would face an SNP-Labour coalition of chaos if they did not back the Tories.

A slew of senior Conservatives told The Independent after the results that their colleagues are spineless for not trying to replace Mr Sunak, while others warned that another Tory leadership election would only do more damage to the partys fortunes.

One said: Some are standing down and dont care. Some are motivated by their own self-interest and patronage Rishi has. Some are deluded and some have just given up and dont think anything will make any difference and it would be just as bad if not worse with a new leader.

And another told this paper: I think there is some concern that there is no clear candidate.

Concern someone like Penny Mordaunt could get it and is unsound.

The further damage that changing again could do and some are holding onto shreds of silver linings in the local election results in their areas.

Another said: Most of my colleagues are spineless cowards. And have given up trying to stop a Labour government. Its maddening. Most of them wont be back in parliament.
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Rishi Sunak has called in Tory MPs for two mini summits in a desperate bid to calm nerves after last weeks local election drubbing.

As furious plotters accused their colleagues of giving up on beating Labour" and "accepting their fate", as efforts to topple Mr Sunak stalled, the PM invited backbenchers to attend local elections presentations later this month.

The summits will be held by Mr Sunak, Tory chairman Richard Holden and Conservative campaign director Isaac Levido.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will try to calm the nerves of Tory MPs after dire local election results ( PA Wire )

Both sessions will be an opportunity for colleagues to provide feedback, ask questions and receive an update on our campaign strategy, an email sent to Tory MPs, seen by The Independent, said.

Tories were shocked by the scale of the defeat, with 472 council seats lost and a dreadful result for the party in London, where Sadiq Khan was returned as the citys mayor for a third term.

The PM was said to be furious about the Conservatives losing to Labour in the York and North Yorkshire metro mayoral race, an area historically seen as true blue Tory territory.

Mr Sunak also voted for Conservative candidate Keane Duncan, who lost to Labours David Skaith, a local businessman.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson, who has since joined Reform UK, criticised Mr Sunak for repeatedly saying the Conservatives need to stick to the plan.

If the plan is working, it is not a very good plan, he told The Independent. He added: Quite obviously the plan is not working... the general public has lost all confidence in the government being able to deliver pretty much anything.

To base your election strategy on not voting for another political party because it might let Labour in just shows how much they have been a failure... it is basically admitting we are not very good but saying if you vote for Reform you might get something not as good.

A slew of senior Conservatives told The Independent after the results that their colleagues are spineless for not trying to replace Mr Sunak, while some warned another Tory leadership election would only do more damage to the partys fortunes.

One said: Some are standing down and dont care. Some are motivated by their own self interest and patronage Rishi has. Some are deluded and some have just given up and dont think anything will make any difference and it would be just as bad if not worse with a new leader.

And another told this paper: I think there is some concern that there is no clear candidate.

Concern someone like Penny Mordaunt could get it and is unsound.

The further damage that changing again could do and some are holding onto shreds of silver linings in the local election results in their areas."

Another said: Most of my colleagues are spineless cowards. And have given up trying to stop a Labour government. Its maddening. Most of them wont be back in Parliament."

In a bid to punch the Tory bruise, Reform UK leader Richard Tice said the PMs presentation to MPs appears to be an attempt to persuade Tory voters not to back his and Nigel Farages right-wing challenger party.

The row erupted as Mr Sunak claimed that, while the Conservatives will lose the general election, Labour will fail to win an outright majority and Britain will be left with a hung parliament.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer with newly elected East Midlands mayor Claire Ward during a visit to Forest Town Arena in Mansfield, East Midlands (Jacob King/PA) ( PA Wire )

One Tory MP described the suggestion as wishful thinking, while Labour Party chairman Anneliese Dodds said it was extraordinary.

Mr Sunak pointed to Sky News analysis of the local election results which suggested Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament. Elections expert Michael Thrasher said that if Labours seven point local election lead over the Conservatives was repeated at a general election there would be a hung parliament.

However, people tend not to vote the same way in a general election where independent and smaller party candidates do not fare as well, and the analysis did not factor in any Labour gains in Scotland off the back of ongoing SNP chaos.

These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party, Mr Sunak told The Times. Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman speaks to Laura Kuenssberg (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA) ( PA Media )

It is an attempt to revive the message used successfully by David Cameron ahead of the 2015 general election warning voters would face an SNP-Labour coalition of chaos if they did not back the Tories.

It also came as Downing Street shelved plans for a summer general election, with an autumn vote now widely expected.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman has urged the prime minister to embrace more right-wing policies to win back voters ahead of the contest.

But she said a change of leadership was not a feasible prospect, adding: There is no superman or superwoman out there who can do it.

Among the measures Ms Braverman has urged Mr Sunak to adopt to win back voters are further tax cuts and a cap on legal migration.
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Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the local offices of Qatars Al Jazeera satellite news network to close.

The order, which includes confiscating broadcast equipment, preventing the broadcast of the channels reports and blocking its websites, is believed to be the first time Israel has ever shut down a foreign news outlet.

Sundays crackdown on Al Jazeera came as Mr Netanyahu appeared to walk away from ceasefire talks after refusing to agree to Hamass demands to end the war in Gaza.

In talks in Cairo on Saturday, an adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said any deal would have to include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

While Israeli officials did not send a delegation to Cairo, Mr Netanyahu said the state of Israel cannot accept such demands.

Speaking on Sunday, he said: We are not prepared to accept a situation in which the Hamas brigades come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure, and return to threatening the citizens of Israel in the settlements surrounding the southern mountains, in all parts of the country.

Benjamin Netanyahu said the state of Israel cannot accept the demands of Hamas ( AP )

In a statement released shortly after Mr Netanyahus, the Hamas chief said the group was still keen on reaching a comprehensive ceasefire that ends the Israeli aggression, guarantees Israels withdrawal from Gaza, and achieves a serious deal to free Israelis being held hostage in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

( AFP via Getty Images )

Mr Haniyeh also blamed the Israeli prime minister for the continuation of the aggression and the expansion of the circle of conflict, and sabotaging the efforts made through the mediators and various parties.

Indicating that this round of talks may soon unwind, a Palestinian official said: If Netanyahu doesnt change his mind, there will be no reason to stay. They can always reconvene if that changes.

In response to Hamass demands, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said: We are observing worrying signs that Hamas does not intend to reach an agreement with us.

This means strong military action in Rafah will begin in the very near future, and in the rest of the Strip.

A house hit by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah ( Reuters )

Palestinians stand in the ruins of a family home after an overnight Israeli attack ( AP )

According to Gazas health ministry, more than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed, 29 of them in the past 24 hours, and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israels assault on the besieged enclave since Hamas killed 1,200 people in a shock attack on 7 October.

A further blow to peace negotiations was struck on Sunday when Israel also closed the main crossing point for delivering desperately needed humanitarian aid for Gazans starving after almost seven months of war.

The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source.

Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israels Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were wounded, three seriously. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.

The attack came shortly after the head of the UN World Food Programme asserted there was a full-blown famine in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory.
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The estranged husband of a Florida woman who vanished in Spain earlier this year has been arrested after he returned to the US from Serbia.

David Knezevich, 36, was arrested by US Marshals on Saturday at the Miami International Airport in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Ana Knezevich, 40. They had been married for 13 years when she disappeared in Spain on 2 February.

Mr Knezevich was returning from Belgrade, Serbia  his home country  where he had been living for several months. He has denied any involvement in the disappearance of his wife. The couple previously lived in Miami.

He was expected to appear in federal court in Miami on Monday afternoon, according to WSVN.

The arrest is the latest development in a multi-national investigation spearheaded by the FBI and with the assistance of authorities in Spain, Columbia, and Belgrade, according to Spanish news outlet EFE.

David Knezevich, 36, after his arrest by US Marshals at the Miami International Airport on 6 May in connection with his estranged wifes disappearance in Spain ( FBI handout )

Ms Knezevich, who is Columbian-American, reportedly moved to Spain in December amid a divorce with Mr Knezevich that her brother described to detectives as nasty.

Her friend Sanna Rameau said the day after Ms Knezevich disappeared, she received a text from the missing woman claiming she had met a man and was leaving for some time, WSVN reports.

"I met someone wonderful!! He has a summer house about 2h from Madrid. We are going there now and I will spend a few days there. Signal is spotty. I'll call you when I get back," the text read. "Yesterday after therapy I needed a walk and he approached me on the street! Amazing connection. Like I never had before."

The text was also sent to Ms Knezevich's family members in Spanish. They told police they did not believe the text was from Ms Knezevich, and did not believe the text was sent by a native Spanish speaker.

This undated image provided by Sanna Rameau, shows Ana Maria Knezevich, right, and Rameau

Ms Rameau had reportedly been using the Bumble dating app while in Spain. Local police have conducted interviews with the men she talked to, The Daily Mail reports.

Further suspicion developed around her disappearance when police discovered surveillance footage at her home showing a man in a black motorcycle helmet spraying over a pair of security cameras on the day of her disappearance.

Mr Knezevich has insisted he had no role in her disappearance.

His attorney, Ken Padowitz, told the Associated Press that reports that the couple's divorce had been trying were overblown and that Mr Knezevich was doing everything he could from Serbia to locate his estranged wife.

David has worked with authorities. He has talked to detectives in Spain on a number of occasions. Hes provided credit card information ... He obtained a lawyer in Spain to sign documents that might help the Spanish authorities go into the apartment that his wife had rented, Padowitz said. He is doing everything that he possibly can ... from Serbia.

He further said that Mr Knezevich travelling to Spain would not help investigators.

He does not speak Spanish. He does not have family in Spain. He does not have friends in Spain. He does not have a house or an apartment or any place to live in Spain, Mr Padowitz said.

Joaquin Amilis, the president of the SOS Missing Persons Association, rejected Mr Padowitz's description of the couple's divorce; he said that the proceedings had been so difficult that Ms Knezevich was "asking for medical help for depression", according to the New York Post.

Mr Knezevich has previously refused to take a lie detector test, which is admissible as evidence under Florida law. The efficacy of polygraph tests has been questioned in the past.
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A 10-month-old girl, abducted in New Mexico after her mother was killed, has been found, the FBI announced on Monday.

A suspect has been taken into custody, according to investigators.

The child, identified as Eleia Maria Torres, vanished after her mother and another woman died from apparent gunshot wounds at Ned Houk Park near Covis, New Mexico, on Friday afternoon. Covis is about 100 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas.

Investigators identified the women as Samantha Cisneros, Eleias mother, and Taryn Allen. Both women were 23.

Eleia Maria Torres, 10-month-old infant, was found two days after her mother was shot and killed in a New Mexico park ( Clovis Police Department handout )

Police who attended the scene discovered an infant car seat, an infant stroller and a small baby bottle at the scene, which prompted them to ask Cisneros family if she had a daughter.

Through interviews with family members, investigators learned Samantha Cisneros was the mother to the young female child found at the scene and was also the mother to a 10-month-old child, Eleia Maria Torres, police said at a news conference on Sunday.

An Amber Alert was issued on Friday once police confirmed that Eleia was missing.

The babys older sister was still at the park when police arrived and had suffered a head injury. She was taken to Plains Regional Medical Center for treatment before she was transferred to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas.

Our hearts are with the victim and her family during this incredibly difficult time, Deputy Chief of Clovis Police Trevor Thron said on Saturday. And we fervently hope for swift and complete recovery.

Investigators did not provide details about Eleia's condition or the precise means by which she was located.

Police said the fathers of both of the children were cooperative and working with investigators.
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An antiques store owner who became known as The Black Widow of Las Vegas when she was convicted of the murder of her millionaire husband has filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit against the state of Nevada after being freed by a federal judge.

Margaret Rudin, now 80, was accused of shooting real estate developer Ron Rudin in the head with a .22 caliber pistol while he slept before dumping his body in the desert in the hope of enriching herself by his death.

She maintained her innocence but was found guilty of murder on 2 May 2001 and subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

Then, after more than two decades behind bars at the Florence McClure Correctional Center for Women in North Las Vegas  which she spent fighting tirelessly to clear her name  US district court judge Richard Boulware finally ruled on 22 May 2022 that her conviction should be vacated.

The justice found that Ms Rudins initial defence counsel, the late Michael Amador, had been ineffective and compromised by conflicts of interest and the case against her highly flawed.

After being released, she told The Daily Mail: You think of your kids, your grandkids and think, I dont want them to believe that [Im guilty].

So, I kept fighting, did every appeal I could do while hoping some wonderful attorney would come along, take it on, work on it and eventually win.

Ron Rudin  Ms Rudins fourth husband, whom she met in church but later found to have a drinking problem  first vanished on 18 December 1994.

His car was found in the parking lot of a Nevada strip club known as the Crazy Horse Too shortly after he was reported missing and, a month later, his burned remains were discovered at Nelsons Landing near Boulder City, a popular hiking destination in the Eldorado Mountains.

Despite consistently denying involvement in the disappearance, Rudins wife was indicted in 1997, at which point she went on the run to Mexico and evaded the authorities for two years using a string of aliases and assumed identities before being apprehended in Massachusetts in October 1999.

Margaret Rudin seen in her prison mugshot ( Nevada Department of Corrections )

Now absolved of wrongdoing and seeking restitution, Ms Rudins attorneys wrote in a statement announcing the lawsuit that her late husband had a long list of enemies from a complicated personal life, a known history of dubious business dealings and ties to criminal elements.

They also allege that the club outside which his car was found was known to have connections to organised crime.

Of the initial investigation that cast Ms Rudin as chief suspect, her attorneys said it had been impacted by salacious media stories and wild theories.

There was never any evidence such as fingerprints, DNA or eyewitnesses connecting Margaret Rudin to Ron Rudins murder, they wrote.

However, inexperienced homicide detectives focused on Margaret Rudin from the beginning in a biased police investigation.

Today in her early 80s, Margaret Rudin intends to prove, under a Nevada statute amended in 2019 to address the rights of persons wrongfully convicted, that she was not involved either directly or indirectly in her husbands death and did not commit the crime.

Now living in Illinois, Ms Rudin is seeking  according to her legal representatives  a certificate asserting her innocence, compensation for the ordeal she endured, that her attorneys fees and legal expenses be covered and all other relief that the court may deem just and proper.
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A University of Mississippi fraternity has expelled a student who was caught on camera making monkey noises at a Black protester during a Gaza solidarity demonstration.

The shocking incident was captured on video, and showed the white student, a counter-protestor, jumping up and down, making monkey sounds toward the protester who was live-streaming on her phone.

Referring to Black people as monkeys is a known racist trope dating back hundreds of years and used to justify slavery and Jim Crow law.

The Phi Delta Theta fraternity said that it had reviewed the incident, which received widespread condemnation, and that the individuals actions were unacceptable. The student was not named.

The past few weeks have been challenging for many colleges and universities across the United States as they struggle to balance the protection of free speech with maintaining appropriate and respectful discourse among demonstrators and others within the campus community, the fraternity said in a statement.

A student counter-protester is seen jumping up and down and making money noises towards a Black female protester at the University of Mississipi  known as Ole Miss  on Thursday ( Stacey Spiehler via YouTube )

As part of that community, Phi Delta Theta recognizes that freedom of expression is part of the collegiate experience; however, the Fraternity is committed to upholding its principles as a private membership organization.

After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individuals behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values.

In partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership, and the university, disciplinary due process was initiated which resulted in the removal of membership. The situation will continue to be monitored in cooperation with any further investigation.

The Independent has asked The University of Mississippi  colloquially known as Ole Miss  for comment on the students removal from the fraternity.

It was easily 10-1 counter-protesters to protesters, Stacey J Spiehler, who posted the original clip to X, told The Independent. She said the woman, a student, stepped outside the protected barricade and was taking video on her phone.

As the woman approaches the group of male students, chants of lock her up can be heard.

Counter-protesters were throwing things. I saw half a chicken parm sandwich on the ground, a carrot, Ms Spiehler said. She was brave, holding her own and had more intelligence and empathy in her little finger than that whole crowd. Whether or not you agree with her, she embodies UM.

The video surfaced as ongoing pro-Palestinian protests at multiple college campuses across the nation continue over the Israel-Gaza war.

In a statement to The Independent on Friday, a spokesperson for Ole Miss wrote: Statements were made at the demonstration on our campus Thursday that were offensive and inappropriate.

We cannot comment specifically about that video, but the university is looking into reports about specific actions. Any actions that violate university policy will be met with appropriate action.

The video prompted a divided reaction from politicians, with Republican legislator Rep Mike Collins from Georgia, reposting it and stating, Ole Miss taking care of business.

Other politicians were quick to criticise the congressman.

This is a video showing anti-Blackness, Former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner wrote, reposting Mr Collinss post. This is a sitting Congressman applauding it.

Rob Smith, a US veteran of the Iraq War, wrote, An elected official in the House of Representatives should absolutely not be tweeting out this video with this caption. This stuff is what makes the Republican Party absolutely toxic to the vast majority of Black Americans. This is so not the way.
TOKYO, May 06 (News On Japan) - Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities claimed the leading position in advising Japan-related M&A transactions for the January to March 2024 period, with a total value of approximately US$13 billion, according to data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG).

This marked a significant jump for the bank from seventh place the previous year and was attributed to their advisory role in the acquisition of M.D.C. Holdings, an American home construction company, by Sekisui House.

Following closely behind in the rankings were SMBC Nikko Securities in second place, Nomura Securities in third, and Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan in fourth.

Despite a 7% decrease in the total value of Japan-related M&A transactions compared to the same period last year, amounting to approximately US$32 billion, cross-border M&A activities between Japanese and foreign companies continued to be active. Despite the weak yen, the total value of acquisitions of overseas companies by Japanese firms tripled compared to the previous year. Notably, the largest deal was Renesas Electronics' acquisition of US software company Altium for approximately US$5.9 billion, with JP Morgan advising Altium and Deutsche Bank advising Renesas.

Mitsubishi Morgan's top ranking was attributed to its involvement in Sekisui House's acquisition of M.D.C. Holdings (announced in January 2024) for approximately US$4.7 billion.

Domestic M&A activity was also robust. In February, KDDI announced its acquisition of Lawson shares for approximately US$3.3 billion. KDDI was advised by Nomura and UBS Securities, Mitsubishi Corporation by Mitsubishi Morgan, and Lawson by SMBC Nikko and Daiwa Securities.

There was also a noticeable trend of using funds as a receptacle for carve-out transactions by large corporations.

In March, Panasonic Holdings entered into an agreement to transfer shares of Panasonic Automotive Systems to a fund advised by a group company of Apollo Global Management. SMBC Nikko advised Panasonic, while Mitsubishi Morgan and BofA Securities advised Apollo.

In February, Snow Peak announced a management buyout (MBO) in partnership with Bain Capital, privatizing the retailer of camping gear and equipment. According to Nikkei, Nobuhiko Kimura, Deputy Head of SMBC Nikko's M&A Advisory Department, noted that MBOs, hostile takeovers, and unsolicited acquisitions continued to be trends, marking a "Warring States period" in M&A.

Despite the yen's depreciation, many anticipate that M&A activities will continue to thrive.

Source: Nikkei
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Damaging severe thunderstorms are expected to gather over Oklahoma and Kansas, threatening dangerous weather across the region. Meanwhile, hundreds of people are rescued in areas of Texas that have been devastated by floodwaters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center has warned that parts of the central and southern Plains into the Midwest will possibly experience severe storms on Monday that could produce large hail, damaging winds and threats of tornadoes.

Western and central Oklahoma into central and eastern Kansas, including Oklahoma City and Wichita are of particular concern.

Strong and long-track tornadoes are possible and could stretch out into the night, also with the potential for severe and damaging wind gusts up to 80mph and giant hail, up to four inches in diameter.

The thunderstorms are expected to grow by late Monday afternoon into a group of supercells.

By Monday night, this strong weather may become a line of thunderstorms that will sweep eastward into the Midwest.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department game wardens use a boat to rescue residents from floodwaters in Liberty County, Texas, on Saturday ( AP )

At least 70 million people are at a slight risk or greater threat level for severe weather during the Monday to Wednesday period, Axios has reported the storm prediction centre forecasting.

Dangerous weather has already seriously affected neighbouring states after a third of Texas counties have announced disaster declarations after heavy rainfall inundated communities with floodwaters.

The body of a five-year-old boy was recovered from floodwaters near Fort Worth at 7.20am on Sunday while authorities were attempting to save people in a vehicle that was stuck in rapidly moving water.

Three occupants escaped from the vehicle that got stuck around 2am, but a 911 caller said they had been swept into the floodwaters while they were trying to reach safety.

A woman steps out of a mobile home in an unincorporated area in east Harris County near Houston on Saturday afternoon ( AP )

While a man and a woman were rescued, the five-year-old boy was found deceased, the Johnson County emergency management coordinator said.

Fort Worth has experienced severe thunderstorms over the past few days, and the National Weather Service predicted that more isolated severe storms could be possible on Monday afternoon, with very large hail and damaging winds being the central threats.

Further south in the state, at least 400 people have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even rooftops in neighbourhoods around Houston, the Associated Press reported on Sunday, after days of rain left whole communities flooded with murky water and buildings ruined.

No deaths or serious injuries had been reported in that area, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county governments top executive, told CNN on Saturday night and added that 153 pets have also been rescued during the efforts.

Moving into Monday, conditions seem to be improving in areas, after the National Weather Service in Houston expired its flood watch after being in effect for 93 hours.

However, the service has warned that moderate to major river flooding will remain a concern for at least the next several days to over a week and is asking residents not to drive around any remaining barricades or enter into any flood waters.

Judge Hidalgo declared a disaster on Thursday in the county after heavy rainpour caused serious flooding in the area.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in areas that were slammed with the worst conditions.

What were going to see tonight and into the weekend will not be Hurricane Harvey, but we are going to see significant impacts, Hidalgo said in a statement on Thursday.
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More than a dozen Princeton University students began a hunger strike on Friday in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as university campuses in the US continue to see a wave of protest against Israels war in the territory.

Our hunger strike is a response to the administrations refusal to engage with our demands for dissociation and divestment from Israel. We refuse to be silenced by the University administrations intimidation and repression tactics. We struggle together in solidarity with the people of Palestine. We commit our bodies to their liberation, one striker said in a video statement posted on Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divests X account on Friday.

The strikers added that they are drawing their protest from the tradition of Palestinian political protestors going on saltwater-only hunger strikes in Israeli prisons since 1968.

Fourteen students began the hunger strike on Friday morning, the group said, with the number rising to 17 students, with 15 continuing into its third day, according toThe Daily Princetonian, the student news publication at the university.

The group has also invited members of the Princeton community to join them in the hunger strike, asking them to sign up for solidarity fasts that will last 24 hours or the full hunger strike.

The strikers are demanding that the univsetiy will meet with students to discuss their demands for disclosure, divestment and cultural boycott of Israel.

They are also asking for complete amnesty from all criminal and disciplinary charges for participants of the peaceful sit-in, as well as reversing all campus bands and evictions of students.

Students participating in the hunger strike announced their plans on Friday, saying they commit our bodies to their liberation ( Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest/X )

Our demands are not that intense, David Chmielewski, one of the strikers, told the outlet. Theyre simply to have a meeting and to grant amnesty to the students who are arrested and are being impacted through the disciplinary process.

The activist group reposted a post on X claiming that as the third day of the hunger strike continues, the universitys administration refuses the strikers to have tents, leaving them huddled under umbrellas.

The group added that counter-protestors tour down their signs while also claiming that public safety officers have repeatedly harassed them, refusing them to rest.

University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian that Melissa Marks, the director of medical services at University Health Services (UHS), visited strikers on Friday and Sunday and has been in contact with one of the doctors monitoring the group.

We care about their well-being, Ms Morrill wrote.

The strikers also told the publication that they have a medical team on call around the clock, were checked for risk factors prior to the beginning of the strike and have had their vitals taken twice a day.

While Ms Morill did not address specifically the strikers demands, she added that University administrators are always willing to meet with students to discuss their ideas and concerns when they request such conversations through the channels available to all members of the community.

She also said to the outlet that the university offered on Friday for protesters to use the tent in McCosh Courtyard.

The hunger strike comes after 13 people were arrested last week following a brief occupation of Clio Hall on the universitys New Jersey campus.

Five undergraduates, six graduate students, one postdoctoral researcher and one person not affiliated with the university were arrested for trespassing and have been barred from campus, according to a statement from President Christopher Eisgruber. The students also face suspension or expulsion, officials said.

The officials called the incident "completely unacceptable" and stated that they "will continue to work to ensure that this campus is one where all members of the community feel welcome and can thrive."

The 13 arrested protestors released a joint statement saying that an email from the president to the entire Princeton community was misleading and sensationalizes our roles in a peaceful sit-in.

We are now facing potential academic suspension, expulsion, and further criminal charges for peacefully protesting in solidarity with Palestine, they wrote.

Princeton is one of many universities across the United States that continues to see protests and demonstrations against the war in Gaza, with more than 2,300 people arrested on campuses across the country.

Universities have also started to scale back their commencement ceremonies in response to the protests.

Columbia has cancelled its university-wide commencement ceremony this month for smaller-scale, school-based celebrations.Security reasons were noted as the main reason behind the decision, a university official told NBC News.

The University of Southern California also announced that it would not hold its main commencement ceremony next month after protest on its campus in Los Angeles.

Other universities have decided to go ahead with their commencement celebrations, such as the University of Michigan, which saw students demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza as they waved Palestinian flags and chanted during the ceremony on Saturday.

The Independent has contacted Princeton University for comment.
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A US soldier has been arrested and detained in Russia after being accused of criminal misconduct.

The man travelled to the country alone from South Korea where he is stationed, NBC News reported. A spokesperson later confirmed that he had been arrested after he allegedly stole from a woman, The Associated Press reported.

The man has been identified as Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, aged 34, by the AP. The US Army has not officially named him.

The soldier was supposed to be on his way home to Fort Cavazos,Texas but traveled to Russia instead, reports said.

The soldier was arrested on 2nd May in Vladivostok on Russias east coast, close to North Korea. The US Embassy in Moscow, over 5,000 miles from where he was detained, is in contact with the soldiers family.

The Russian Federation notified the US Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, US Army spokesperson, Cynthia O. Smith, told The Independent.

The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.

A view shows the Kremlin in downtown Moscow on March 27, 2024. ( AFP via Getty Images )

White House National Security Communications Advisor, John Kirby, told Politico that the US was aware of the situation but did not comment further.

A Department of State spokesperson told The Independent that Americans should be aware of the danger of travelling to Russia at this time.

We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, the spokesperson said. When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, consular officers seek to aid him or her with all appropriate assistance.

U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our Travel Advisory for Russia.

Tensions have remained high between the US and Russia following the countrys invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow has detained a number of US citizens with a journalist and a dual-citizen among them. In late April, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was told he will remain in jail in Russia until at least the end of June. He is accused of espionage.

WNBA player Brittney Griner was also detained by Russia in early 2022 on drug-related charges. She was released as part of a prisoner swap in December 2022 and has written a book about her harrowing experiences.

Last year, Travis King, an American soldier stationed in South Korea, fled to North Korea when he faced disciplinary action. He was later detained by US officials.
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President Joe Biden has once again warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his continued opposition to a full-scale invasion of Rafah, but the White House is keeping mum on the potential consequences if the embattled Israeli leader goes ahead with his plans.

The Gazan border city remains the last refuge for many Palestinian civilians in an area that has been devastated by seven months of war. But over the weekend, Israeli forces began airdropping leaflets warning that they were about to operate with force against the terror organisations in the area you currently reside.

According to the White House, Biden reiterated his clear position on Rafah during a phone call with the longtime Israeli leader on Monday.

White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said at a briefing on Monday that Bidens conversation with the Israeli leader had been constructive but stressed that the American presidents clear view is that Israels plans for Rafah could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk.

During his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the President again made this clear: We continue to believe that the hostage deal was the best way to avoid that sort of an outcome while securing the release of those hostages. And as I said, those conversations continue, Kirby said.

He added later that Bidens consistent view has been that ground operations in Rafah would not be acceptable to the United States.

The president and other top US officials have consistently warned Israel against a full-on ground invasion in Rafah. Experts say such an invasion would have a devastating effect on the humanitarian crisis that has taken hold in Gaza amid food shortages and the destruction of most medical facilities in the territory.

But Netanyahu  who is currently on trial for corruption and, his critics say, hoping to remain in power in order to avoid consequences from a conviction  has defied the Democratic-led US administration and has made clear his plans to press ahead with the operation. The Israeli PM says he believes Rafah to be the last redoubt of the Hamas terrorists who carried out the 7 October 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.

Biden and Netanyahu spoke just hours before Hamas announced that it had accepted a ceasefire proposal put forth by Egypt and Qatar. That deal would have seen a number of Hamas-held hostages released in exchange for Israel freeing Palestinian prisoners and backing off on its planned Rafah operation.

An Israeli government spokesperson dismissed the Hamas announcement and said the proposal that Hamas had claimed to have accepted was a softened version of an Egyptian proposal, which included far-reaching conclusions that Israel could not accept.

This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

But Kirby, the White House spokesperson, said talks continue with the aid of Bill Burns, the CIA director and veteran US diplomat, who arrived in Doha over the weekend.

He told reporters that Burns was at that very point in the region, having these conversations with the Israelis, the Qataris, the Egyptians and again implied  but did not explicitly state  that Americas lack of support for an Israeli ground operation could lead Biden to cut off offensive military aid to Israel.

Over the weekend, Axios reported that the US has paused a planned shipment of ammunition meant for Israel  including the 2,000lb unguided bombs that Israeli planes have been dropping on Gaza to horrific effect during the seven-month war against Hamas.

Pointedly, Kirby declined to confirm the report on Monday, but he also refused to deny it outright. Instead, he replied to a question about whether the US is sending mixed messages by continuing to supply Israel with arms by stating that two things can be true at once.

Israel has a right and a responsibility to defend itself. And we're going to continue to provide for their security and help them with that. And at the same time, they have a right and obligation to be careful about civilian casualties and getting more humanitarian assistance, he said.

Another US official, who also spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity, said Kirbys words were meant to convey that for Biden, cutting off offensive weapons to Israel is no longer unthinkable.

The official pointed to exchanges between the White House spokesperson and The Independent in which Kirby vociferously defended US military aid, even after some of it was used to kill World Central Kitchen aid workers last month.

Hes no longer saying no [to conditioning military aid]  interpret that however you will, they said.
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A lifetime member of the Republican party and former lieutenant governor of Georgia has revealed he will be voting for Joe Biden this November after heavily criticizing presumed rival Donald Trump and warning of the threat he poses to the presidency.

Geoff Duncan announced on Monday that he will be voting for Mr Biden despite being critical of the Democrat for years.

Mr Duncan was lieutenant governor of Georgia between 2019 and 2023, during the period when Mr Trump allegedly tried to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election in the state. Mr Trump is facing 10 charges related to election interference in Georgia.

In a piece for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, titled Why Im voting for Biden and other Republicans should, too, Mr Duncan said that the mentality of Republicans falling in line behind Donald Trump is dead wrong.

Yes, elections are a binary choice. Yes, serious questions linger about President Bidens ability to serve until the age of 86. His progressive policies arent to conservatives liking, he wrote.

Geoff Duncan was the lieutenant governor of Georgia between 2019 and 2023 when Mr Trump allegedly tried to overturn election results in the state ( CNN )

But the GOP will never rebuild until we move on from the Trump era, leaving conservative (but not angry) Republicans like me no choice but to pull the lever for Biden.

Mr Duncan laid out his grievances with Mr Trump, both as a person and a political player, from his ongoing hush money criminal trial in New York to the events surrounding Jan 6 and how he handled the pandemic.

While he admits he does not agree with every part of the Biden administration and acknowledges what he believes were some of Mr Trumps accomplishments as president, Mr Duncan said he would not be voting for the former president.

Donald Trump arrives to speak to supporters near the White House on January 6, 2021. Mr Duncan criticised Mr Trump for his actions surrounding the Jan 6 riot at the US Capitol ( AFP via Getty Images )

Unlike Trump, Ive belonged to the GOP my entire life, he wrote. This November, I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.

Mr Duncan added that the healing of the Republican party could not begin with Mr Trump winning the White House, adding that there would be untold damage to the United States.

The former lawmaker ultimately declared he would pull the lever for Biden but will work to elect GOP congressional majorities to block his second-term legislative agenda.

Mr Duncan has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump. He previously said that Nikki Haley was the best hope to preventing Mr Trumps nomination or Mr Bidens second term. Ms Haley dropped out after Mr Trump swept the primaries and caucuses earlier this year.
 Close Marjorie Taylor Greene exits second meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson

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Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Tuesday the outcome of her call to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is now in his hands.

This development comes after the speaker, Ms Greene and her ally Representative Thomas Massie met for some 90 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. They previously met on Monday for over an hour.

After the second meeting, Ms Greene told reporters the ball is in Mr Johnsons court.

We will see, she told reporters. It is up to Mike Johnson.

The GOP duo want Mr Johnson to block future Ukraine aid. They also want him to defund Special Counsel Jack Smiths probes into Donald Trump. Mr Smith is investigating the classified documents case and the 6 January riots. These asks are largely symbolic because the US Senate and President Joe Biden would likely block them.

Before Tuesdays meeting, Ms Greene told The Independent the speaker has been working with Democrats the entire time.

[The Democrats] are ready to deliver the votes to save his speakership, because they support him because of what hes delivered for the Democrats and the Biden agenda, Ms Greene told The Independent.
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The political action committee behind a 30-minute infomercial meant to pitch voters on Robert F Kennedy Jr says it will file a lawsuit against Meta after the companys platforms temporarily blocked posting of a link to the campaign video last week.

The short film, titled Who is Bobby Kennedy?, is meant to introduce voters to the long-shot independent presidential candidate, an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist who is also the son of late New York senator Robert F Kennedy. Instagram and Facebook, which are both owned by Meta, made the video temporarily unavailable after it was first posted.

Slickly produced, the video is the product of work by The Morning Show creatorJay Carson and opens with Mr Kennedy reading press clippings describing him in negative terms. It became available on May 3rd via YouTube, but in the days immediately following the commercials launch, the super PAC claims Meta deliberately blocked it.

A spokesperson for Meta, Andy Stone, denied the claims in a statement and said the video was temporarily blocked because it had been classified as spam.

In a press release, the PAC claims the film has been trending on Twitter/X, the platform owned by Elon Musk, who in recent years has become increasingly comfortable engaging with and spreading right-wing conspiracy theories and disinformation. Musk famously dismantled most of that platforms efforts to combat deliberate lies spread around public events.

The pro-Kennedy committee also claims the film is not trending on Facebook or Instagram because it has been shadow banned  a term first used by pro-Trump activists who claim social media companies deliberately limit the reach of their content for political reasons.

When social media companies censor a presidential candidate, the public cant learn what that candidate actually believes and what policies they would pursue if elected, said American Values Super PAC founder Tony Lyons in a statement.

We are left with the propaganda and lies from the most powerful and most corrupt groups and individuals. This is the hallmark of an oligarchy  not a democracy, he added.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said of the ad: It was mistakenly blocked, and it was corrected within a few hours.
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The judge overseeing Donald Trumps hush money trial will consider putting the former president in jail if he continues to violate a gag order intended to protect witnesses, jurors, court staff and their families.

New York Justice Juan Merchan warned Mr Trump on Monday that jail remains truly a last resort that would disrupt the proceedings, court staff and law enforcement.

The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me, the judge said to Mr Trump inside a criminal courtroom in Manhattan on Monday.

But at the end of the day I have a job to do, and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system, he said. Your continued violations  threaten to interfere with the administration of justice, and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law.

Mr Trump was found in contempt of court and fined $1,000 for his comments about the jury, on the heels of last weeks contempt ruling and a $9,000 fine for nine other violations of the protective order.

The former president was also ordered to remove any related posts from his social media platform, Truth Social, and content from his campaign website by 2.15pm on Monday.

Donald Trump appears in a criminal courtroom in Manhattan on 6 May as the fourth week of his hush money trial begins ( AP )

Manhattan prosecutors accused Mr Trump of four other violations, including comments made during an interview with far-right network Real Americas Voice.

During that interview, Mr Trump said the jury was picked so fast  95 per cent Democrats.

The areas mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a  just a purely Democrat area. Its a very unfair situation that I can tell you, he said.

He made those comments after the jury was selected, and after the judge admonished Mr Trump in court for audibly commenting about a juror and gesticulating towards her.

I wont tolerate it. I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom, the judge said on 16 April. I want to make that crystal clear.

Last week, Judge Merchan grew increasingly impatient with Mr Trumps attorney Todd Blanche, cutting him off at one point as he claimed that the trial is political persecution, and a political trial in a jurisdiction, that is biased against the former president.

Did he violate the gag order? Thats what I want to know, Judge Merchan said last Thursday. He spoke about the jury, right? And he said the jury was 95 per cent Democrats and the jury had been rushed through, and the implication that this was not a fair jury?

In a written order on Monday, the judge noted that because Mr Trump made those comments prior to the decision on 30 April, he will only face a monetary fine.

But he also wrote: However, because this is now the [10th] time that this Court has found Defendant in criminal contempt, spanning three separate motions, it is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Courts lawful orders.

Donald Trump and his attorney Todd Blanche appear in a Manhattan criminal courthouse on 6 May ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

Mr Trumps comments about the jury have not only called into question the integrity and therefore the legitimacy of the trial but also raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones, according to the judge.

It remains this Courts fundamental responsibility to protect the decency of the criminal process and to control disruptive influences in the courtroom, he wrote.

So far, Mr Trump has been fined $25,000 for violating trial gag orders in both his criminal case and his civil fraud trial last year, where Justice Arthur Engoron imposed $15,000 in penalties for his statements about his court staff.

The Republican presidential candidate also faces a gag order in his federal election interference case, where federal 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 last year 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, prosecutors wrote, 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 blocked Mr Trump, his attorneys and all other parties in the case from disparaging court staff.

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.
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The fourth week of trial, and third week of testimony, in Donald Trumps New York criminal trial concluded on Friday, closing out days of evidence from various witnesses and experts  including adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Early in the week, Ms Daniels gave detailed accounts about her alleged affair with Mr Trump that ultimately led the former presidents lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to pay her $130,000 in exchange for her silence.

Ms Daniels testimony was salacious enough to inspire Mr Trumps defence team to ask for two mistrials or a modification to the gag order to allow the former president to speak about her.

Judge Merchan denied the motions and warned Mr Trump that future gag order violations could result in jail time.

Prosecutors are expected to call their final witnesses, including Cohen, next week and rest their case.

Until then, here are some key takeaways from week three.

Day 12

Trump could go to jail if he keeps violating the gag order

On Monday, Judge Merchan warned Mr Trump if he continues violating the gag order intended to protect jurors, witnesses court staff and their families, it could result in incarceration.

Because this is now the [10th] time that this Court has found Defendant in criminal contempt, spanning three separate motions, it is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Courts lawful orders, the judge wrote.

It arrived after Mr Trump told Real Americas Voice in April that the jury in his trial was 95 per cent Democrats and very unfair.

Judge Merchan said the former presidents comment raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones.

Prosecution lays out details of falsified business records

Two key Trump Organization employees  comptroller Jeffrey McConney and accounts payable supervisor Deb Tarasoff  gave jurors a detailed look into the allegedly falsified business records at the heart of the case.

Mr McConney and Ms Tarasoff walked the court through Cohens invoices, how they were forwarded to then-CFO Allen Weisselberg, and how they were paperclipped together with checks and sent to Mr Trump, who signed them in black Sharpie. The bulk of the checks came from Mr Trumps personal checking account.

Jurors were shown emails for each invoice, their entries in the companys accounting system, and pay stubs and paychecks, among other documents, that showed them listed as legal expense or for a legal retainer.

Former President Donald Trump sits in Manhattan criminal court, Monday, May 6, 2024 in New York. ( AP )

Day 13

Stormy Daniels testifies to sexual encounter with Trump

For almost four hours, Ms Daniels described intimate details about the alleged affair at the heart of the allegations that led to the $130,000 payment.

Ms Daniels told the court how she met Mr Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in July 2006 and, after the days event, she was invited to dinner with him. She testified that she was instructed to take a certain elevator to the penthouse suite in the hotel where he was staying.

She claims that when got off the elevator, Mr Trump approached her wearing silk or satin pajamas that she asked him to change out of.

As they chatted, Ms Daniels testified that she grew annoyed with Mr Trumps arrogance, telling the court that he always seemed to try to one-up her and talk about himself.

The adult film star then said she swatted him right on the butt with a rolled-up Forbes magazine. After that, he was much more polite.

You remind me of my daughter

Ms Daniels told jurors that at some point in the conversation, Ms Daniels recalled Mr Trump telling her: You remind me of my daughter  smart, blonde and beautiful. And people underestimate her as well.

Melania and Trump dont even sleep in the same room

She also told the court that Mr Trump showed her a photo of Melania but told her not to worry about his then-newlywed wife claiming they didnt sleep in the same room.

In this courtroom sketch, Stormy Daniels testifies on the witness stand as Judge Juan Merchan looks on in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 ( AP )

Trump unsuccessfully makes bid for a mistrial

Todd Blanche, Mr Trumps lawyer, took issue with Ms Daniels explosive testimony, arguing that aside from pure embarrassment, the porn stars testimony is intended to inflame this jury to not look at the evidence that matters but just here from this witness.

Judge Merchan denied Mr Trumps request for a mistrial but said he was surprised that the defense hadnt objected to more of Ms Daniels testimony.

Daniels admits to hating Trump

Cross-examination got testy between defense attorney Susan Necheles and Ms Daniels.

At one point, Ms Necheles pressed Ms Daniels about her thoughts on the former president, asking if the porn star hated Mr Trump.

Yes, Ms Daniels said.

And you want him to go to jail? Ms Necheles then asked.

Ms Daniels replied: I want him to be held accountable.

Ms Necheles asked her the question again, to which Ms Daniels said, If hes found guilty, absolutely.

Former US President Donald Trump attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 7, 2024 ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

Day 14

Stormy Daniels stands her ground and defends her career

The defenses cross-examination of Ms Daniels continued on Thursday with Ms Necheles challenging the witnesss alleged inconsistencies in her account of her first meeting with Mr Trump between 2011 when an interview appeared in In Touch magazine.

But Ms Daniels remained calm and firm in her responses and was not moved by Ms Necheles attempts to undermine both her story and her livelihood.

Ms Daniels was adamant that her account was the same and only differed in the medium in which it appeared, noting about In Touch: This is an entertainment magazine, adding: It is very fast and short  and an abbreviated entertaining version of the event.  It is minus some details. It is a short interview.

This was your career for over 20 years, writing, acting, and directing sex films, Ms Necheles asked. You have a lot of experience making phoney stories about sex appear real, right?

Wow, Ms Daniels said, pausing to laugh in the closest the trial has seen to a mic drop moment. Thats not how I would put it.  The sex in those films is very much real just like in that hotel room.

She added: If that story was untrue, I wouldve written it better.

Stormy Daniels testifies on the witness stand as a promotional image for one of her shows featuring an image of Trump is displayed on monitors in Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, May 9, 2024 ( AP )

Daniels speaks about Make America Horny Again tour

Ms Necheles asked Ms Daniels about her 2018 Make America Horny Again strip club tour.

Ms Necheles asked Ms Daniels if she was selling herself as someone who could get President Trump indicted to people who hated the former president.

Ms Daniels said she was not and that the tour name was not her decision.

These are strip club patrons who are fans of my work, Ms Daniels replied.

Trumps gatekeeper cries

Former Trump administration aide Madeleine Westerhout gave a tearful testimony while fondly recounting her time working for Mr Trump.

Her testimony focused on the administrative side of the Oval Office, including handling the checks that Mr Trump would sign and send back to the Trump Organization in New York.

Former White House assistant to then-President Donald Trump, Madeleine Westerhout weeps on the stand describing how she lost her White House job in Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, May 9, 2024 ( AP )

Judge denies another bid for mistrial and modification to gag order

Mr Trumps legal team asked Judge Merchan to modify the gag order, arguing the former president should be allowed to respond to testimony from Ms Daniels since she was now off the stand.

Mr Blanche also requested a mistrial, claiming Ms Daniels testimony was unfairly prejudicial. He accused prosecutors of blowing a dog whistle for rape by allowing Ms Daniels to claim that Mr Trump did not wear a condom when they had sex.

Judge Merchan denied the modification of the gag order and bid for a mistrial.

Former President Donald Trump gestures as he walks to the courtroom following a break in his trial at Manhattan criminal court Thursday, May 9, 2024, in New York ( AP )

Day 15

Ex-White House gatekeeper blows up Trumps defense

Ms Westerhout returned the stand on Friday, testifying that Mr Trump was upset when Ms Daniels allegations surfaced in 2018 and that it was her understanding that he knew it would be hurtful to his family.

But he never told her that, according to her testimony under cross-examination from Mr Trumps team on Friday.

I dont believe he specifically said that but I could just tell the whole situation was unpleasant, she said. Meaning, he didnt specifically mention his family in that conversation.

The judge sustained the prosecutions objection to the question and her answer, which was struck from the record.

Judge to prosecutors: Tell Michael Cohen to stop talking

Mr Trumps attorneys have repeatedly suggested that Judge Merchan find a way to gag Michael Cohen, and ahead of testimony claiming his TikToks are becoming a real problem.

The judge found a compromise: prosecutors should tell him that the judge has told him to be quiet.

Former Director of Oval Office Operations Madeleine Westerhout is cross-examined by defense attorney Susan Necheles during former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S., May 10, 2024 ( REUTERS )

What to expect next week: Michael Cohen takes the stand

Cohen, a key witness in the case is expected to testify as early as Monday as prosecutors look to rest their face.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass told Judge Merchan there are only two witnesses left and they could rest as early as Friday.
TOKYO, May 06 (News On Japan) - Sumitomo Corporation is making a bold move into the healthcare business in Malaysia. They have acquired a local clinic operator with plans to expand its network to 100 facilities and transform it into a consolidated subsidiary. By 2026, the Japanese group aims to triple the number of facilities and enhance primary healthcare services.

Expanding the clinics operated in Malaysia threefold (clinics acquired by Care Clinics Healthcare Services)

Sumitomo has made additional investments worth billions of yen in Care Clinics Health Care Services (CCHS), a major clinic chain, increasing its stake to over 50%. CCHS operates clinics primarily around Kuala Lumpur, serving over 2 million patients annually. Sumitomo initially invested in CCHS in 2020, holding a stake of over 20% until now. Sumitomo aims to leverage its expertise in location analysis and financial management from its subsidiary Tomods, a drug store chain in Japan, to support CCHS's growth.

Apart from expanding the number of facilities to 300 and gradually increasing 24-hour medical services, Sumitomo plans to grow its current billion-yen (US$7 million) revenue to up to 20 billion (US$130 million) by 2026.

As Malaysia grapples with an increase in lifestyle-related diseases alongside economic growth, healthcare expenditure per capita is on the rise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Malaysia's annual healthcare expenditure reached $487 per person in 2021, a 40% increase from 2011, surpassing the growth rate of per capita GDP.

Addressing the challenge of controlling healthcare costs, there is a growing need for systems like "Managed Care" to connect healthcare institutions, insurance companies, and patients to ensure appropriate medical care.

Sumitomo already owns SC Health Care, a subsidiary specializing in private medical insurance in Malaysia. They plan to enhance Managed Care services by integrating data from CCHS.

Japanese companies see vast opportunities in Southeast Asia's healthcare sector. Mitsui & Co. has also been developing Managed Care in Malaysia and Thailand through its investment in MyCare in 2021.

Source: Nikkei
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Russia has threatened to strike British military facilities and said it will hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in response to UK weapons being used by Ukraine to strike its territory.

British ambassador Nigel Casey was called to the foreign ministry in Moscow for a formal protest following foreign secretary David Camerons comments last week that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike Russia.

Mr Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad, could be targeted, the ministry said, calling Lord Camerons remarks a serious escalation.

The ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the foreign office in the most decisive and unambiguous way, the Russian Foreign ministry said.

It came on the eve of Vladimir Putins inauguration to a fifth term in office and as Msocow prepared to mark Victory Day on Thursday  its most important secular holiday, marking its defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

Vladimir Putin meets his government ministers in Moscow on Monday ( Getty Images )

It is the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.

Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield. They are less powerful than the strategic weapons  massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles and are intended to obliterate cities.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric expressed concern that various parties have been talking about issues regarding nuclear weapons recently.

Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level, he said. All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided.

Britains foreign office said Mr Casey had used the meeting to restate Britains support for Ukraine.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
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Moscow has switched to using overland routes in annexed eastern Ukraine to supply its front lines after repeated attacks by Ukraine on the Kerch Bridge, which links mainland Russia to Crimea.

Analysis of satellite images shows that the bridge, which Russia built after annexing Crimea in 2014, has almost no traffic and may therefore no longer represent an effective military target for Ukraines ammunition-strapped troops, according to analysts at Molfar, Ukraines biggest private intelligence agency.

Images taken by satellite specialists Maxar  which have been analysed by Molfar and shared with The Independent  show that almost no military freight trains have plied the bridges rail line in over three months.

In that period just a single Russian freight train carrying around 55 fuel cars was seen crossing the bridge on 29 February.

There was no movement involving Russian military assets on the bridge in March or April, according to Molfar. The agency, based in Dnipro, used a combination of Maxars images, railcar counts and cargo identification for its analysis.

Freight train with fuel tanks was on the bridge on 29 February. Train length is 820 metres, approximate number of cars is 55 ( Molfar )

Russias use of the bridge has gone down significantly since Ukraine attacked it with drones on 17 July 2023 and blew up a section of the roadway and the rail line, the analysis noted.

After the attack, which killed a couple and injured their daughter, Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the Kerch Bridge a legitimate military target, claiming that, by connecting Russia to Crimea, it was bringing war, not peace and had to be neutralised.

This is the route used to feed the war with ammunition and this is being done on a daily basis, he said. And it militarises the Crimean peninsula.

Ukraine had earlier attacked the bridge, which spans 19km (12 miles), by detonating an explosives-laden truck on it. That attack in October 2022 killed four people. In August last year, Kyiv fired three missiles aimed at bringing down the bridge but they were intercepted by Russia.

A truck laden with explosive blew up on the Kerch Bridge in October 2022 ( AFP )

The closure of the bridge at the beginning of this year mirrors the aftermath of last years attack, with satellite images showing there was no major train movement on it in July or August. Prior to the 17 July attack, Russia was operating more than 40 trains carrying weapons across the bridge every day, according to Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukraines security service.

Movement of a locomotive on the Kerch bridge detected on 10 July last year, a few weeks before the Ukrainian drone strike ( Molfar )

Traffic is now down to just four passenger trains and a single general goods freight train a day, said Mr Maliuk.

The decision to stop using the Kerch Bridge to resupply Russian forces has corresponded with a surge in freight traffic via Taman in the Rostov region, Molfar CEO Artem Starosiek told The Independent.

Kyiv should now focus its attentions on Melitopol, Berdyansk and Mariupol, where Russia is laying new rail lines to connect these occupied Ukrainian regions with Crimea and mainland Russia, Mr Starosiek said.

The new rail line, which runs from Melitopol citys Akimivka and extends to Berdyansk and Mariupol before reaching Rostov in Russia, will probably be used by Russian forces for a new offensive widely expected to begin this summer.

Satellite images show railway rolling stock moving from Crimea to Russia as eight passenger cars are spotted at the Kerch railway station ( Molfar )

The line, which includes 63km (39 miles) of new track and around 140km (87 miles) of track that has been restored, was tested with its first freight train in March, Molfar said. It is expected be completed by the end of the year, with the full network connecting more areas of the annexed Donetsk region.

Mr Starosiek suggested Ukraine could benefit by targeting these overland routes rather than wasting its resources on the Crimean bridge. It is these paths that are currently a more serious threat than the non-working railway path of the Crimean bridge, he said.

Western aid should also be supplied in the manner where it can cover Ukraines need to target these active Russian ammunition hotspots, he added.
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Argentinas president Javier Milei has accepted that the Falkland Islands remain in the hands of the British  for now  and has spoken of his admiration for the brilliant Margaret Thatcher.

The right-wing populist, described as South Americas Donald Trump, this week went against previous leaders who historically insisted the Malvinas remained Argentine. But Mr Milei vowed to get the islands back through a framework of peace.

Mrs Thatcher was prime minister when Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, triggering a two-month war that killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British servicemen and three islanders.

Mr Milei was asked if he still admired Mrs Thatcher despite her infamous decision to sink the Belgrano, killing 323 people. He said: Criticising someone because of their nationality or race is very intellectually precarious.

He was pictured speaking to the BBC alongside Margaret Thatcher memorabilia on a display table and a bust sculpture of himself.

He added: I have heard lots of speeches by Margaret Thatcher. She was brilliant. So whats the problem?

The interview came after the UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, visited the islands and said their sovereignty was not up for discussion and islanders were a valued part of the British family.

The foreign secretary on his visit to the Falklands ( PA )

And President Milei said: If that territory is now in the hands of the UK, he has a right to do that. I dont see that as a provocation.

The leader, who has been nicknamed El Loco (the madman), said he wanted the islands to become Argentine within the framework of peace.

He said: We are not going to relinquish our sovereignty, nor are we going to seek conflict with the United Kingdom.

He said taking back the Falklands from Britain would take time and would involve a long-term negotiation.

He added: They might not want to negotiate today. At some later point they might want to. Many positions have changed over time.

Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, which lie about 300 miles from South America and 8,000 miles from Britain.

Argentina argues that the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833. The UK, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765, sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who had sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.

Islanders voted overwhelmingly in a 2013 referendum to remain a British Overseas Territory.
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Israel has ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from the city of Rafah in Gaza, as fears of a ground invasion become urgent.

About 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gazas population  are packed into the city and its surroundings, living in densely packed tent camps, shelters or overcrowded apartments after fleeing to Rafah in hope of escaping Israels attacks.

Leaflets in Rafah telling people to move to nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi ( Supplied )

On Monday, people received flyers in Arabic ordering people to move to nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi. The flyers detailed which neighborhood blocks needed to leave and where humanitarian zones had expanded to.

They also said aid services would spread from Deir al Balah in the north to the center of Khan Younis city in the middle of the Gaza Strip.

Anyone found near (militant) organisations endangers themselves and their family members. For your safety, the (army) urges you to evacuate immediately to the expanded humanitarian area, it read.

But where is Rafah, and why is Israel targeting the city now? The Independent has put together answers and a map below.

View more

Where is Rafah?

Rafah is a city in the south of Gaza near the border of Egypt. When Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, now part of Egypt, it was split into a Gazan and Egyptian part.

It was initially a safe haven for people fleeing northern Gaza in the early stages of the most recent Israel-Gaza conflict, when Palestinians were ordered to evacuate ahead of heavy Israeli bombardment.

But the city is now home to around 1.4 million people - more than half of Gazas population - and Mr Netanyahu has ordered a ground invasion of the area, where he believes Hamas operatives are hiding.

Most residents of Rafah are living in temporary structures such as tents and aid organisations have warned of a dire humanitarian situation.

A child looks at rubble after Israeli airstrikes targeted Rafah, Gaza, overnight ( EPA )

Why is Israel targeting Rafah now?

Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said the invasion is necessary to defeat the Islamic militant group.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city.

But after 7 October and the unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Hamas, Israel did not formally announce the launch of a ground invasion that continues to this day.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant told US secretary of defense Lloyd Austin overnight that Israel had no choice but to act in Rafah. On Sunday, Hamas carried out a deadly rocket attack from the Rafah area that killed four Israeli soldiers.

Earlier this year, Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said the operation in Rafah was very complex, adding: We have been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, another IDF spokesperson, called it a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency.

What has reaction been?

The international community has warned against Israel taking action in Rafah, with renewed calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.

An Israeli offensive in Rafah would mean more civilian suffering & deaths, a spokesperson for UNRWA said. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people. @UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.

European Union chief diplomat Josep Borrel addedl: Israels evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable. Israel must renounce to a ground offensive and implement (U.N. Security Council Resolution) UNSCR 2728.

The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario.

Politicians in the UK have also condemned the move.

Labours shadow foreign secretary David Lammy tweeted on Monday:An Israeli offensive in Rafah would be catastrophic. It must not go ahead.

We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of hostages, and immediate unimpeded aid to Gaza.

And a spokesperson for the French foreign ministry agreed: France also recalls that the forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes a war crime under international law.

Charities have warned of the lack of safe places for Palestinians to go to even if they did evacuate.

Forcing over a million displaced Palestinians from Rafah to evacuate without a safe destination is not only unlawful but would lead to catastrophic consequences, Action Aid said. Our aid workers are reporting some of the most severe conditions in recent memory with widespread disease, starvation and chaos. Let us be clear, there are no safe zones in Gaza.

The international community must act swiftly to prevent further atrocities and hold themselves as well as the Israeli government to account - if an invasion of Rafah is your red line will you do everything possible to stop this imminent attack?
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David Cameron says he is not really interested in halting the UKs weapons shipments to Israel despite the US suspension earlier this week.

His comments came as his US counterpart, Anthony Blinken, said Israel lacked a credible plan to protect some 1.4 million Palestinian civilians trapped in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, ahead of an imminent Israeli ground offensive.

Mr Blinken also warned an Israeli attack could create an insurgency by failing to kill all Hamas fighters in the southern Gazan city.

Ahead of the offensive - Israeli tanks have already entered through the nearest crossings into Rafah, where they have now split the city into sections ready to invade - both the US and UK have faced calls to cease arming Israel.

The US announced it had suspended at least one shipment of weapons to Israel, including 1,800 900 kg bombs, earlier this week, before US President Joe Biden said he would halt further shipments if Israel proceeded with its plan to attack Rafah.

But Lord Cameron, speaking on Sunday morning, remained firm that the UK would not follow the US lead.

An Israeli tank moves near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Though he said the UK does not support an Israeli offensive in Rafah, because he has not seen a plan from the Israelis concerning how to protect people, Lord Cameron insisted that halting weapons shipments was a needless political exercise.

Just to simply announce today that we will change our approach on arms exports, it would make Hamas stronger and it would make a hostage deal less likely, he said, adding that he was not really interested in message sending through political moves like ending weapons sales.

He pointed to the fact that the UKs weapons shipments to Israel account for just one per cent of their total military support, compared to 68 per cent for the US.

He said he wanted instead to focus on hammering away every day on getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The United Nations human rights chief warned on Sunday that many of those residing in Rafah have nowhere to go as he emphasised the worsening humanitarian situation in the Strip.

Israel has ordered those remaining in the area to move away but Volker Turk said there was no safe place left in Gaza.

More than 300,000 Palestinians in Rafah have already fled to camps in central and western Gaza, but those areas have been hit by airstrikes since the evacuation notices were given.

A boy looks on as Palestinians prepare to flee Rafah after Israeli forces launched a ground and air operation in the eastern part of the southern Gaza city ( REUTERS )

The latest evacuation orders affect close to a million people in Rafah, he said in a statement. So where should they go now? There is no safe place in Gaza!

These exhausted, famished people, many of whom have been displaced many times already, have no good options.

He said a full-scale offensive could have a catastrophic impact  including the possibility of further atrocity crimes.

I can see no way that the latest evacuation orders, much less a full assault, in an area with an extremely dense presence of civilians, can be reconciled with the binding requirements of international humanitarian law and with the two sets of binding provisional measures ordered by the international court of justice, he said.

The UN warned just yesterday that much of the food supplies for southern Gaza would run out by the end of the weekend while Israel keeps the two border crossings in the region closed.

Both the Rafah and the Kerem Shalom crossings, the former from Egypt and the latter from Israel into Gaza, have been vital conduits for humanitarian aid.

But after Israeli tanks rolled through the crossings at the start of the week, they have been closed, meaning those in Gaza have been left to survive on what had already been delivered to the Strip.

The Israeli military announced on Sunday it had opened a new humanitarian aid crossing in coordination with the United States.

The crossing, called Western Erez, was opened in the northern Gaza Strip in order to transfer humanitarian aid, the military said in a statement.

But it is unclear when the crossing will become fully operational and how much aid will be delivered through the crossing.
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Israel has defied international concern and ordered the partial evacuation of Rafah  the last refuge in Gaza, where 1.4 million desperate civilians are braced for an impending ground assault the United Nations warned could lead to bloodbath.

Western leaders expressed dismay that Israel might press ahead with an invasion of the tiny area despite a last-ditch bid by Hamas to secure a temporary ceasefire.

Rishi Sunak said he was deeply concerned... given the number of civilians that are sheltering there, while Sir Keir Starmer said the Israeli offensive must not go ahead.

Israel says Rafah is the last significant Hamas stronghold, but aid groups said leaflets and text messages ordering tens of thousands of civilians to leave the eastern areas were unlawful and alarming.

Follow live updates here

As residents began to flee the area, loading up cars and animals with their possessions, Hamas announced it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari plan for a cessation of the conflict. But Israeli officials warned the plan is not the framework Israel proposed.

Palestinians greeted possible news of a last-minute ceasefire with jubilation, with some dancing in the streets late on Monday. But it was far from clear if Israel would reciprocate.

Israel is under intense pressure to accept a ceasefire, not only from Western allies but also from the families of kidnapped Hamas hostages who protested in Tel Aviv late on Monday demanding a halt.

Palestinians flee Rafah with mattresses and blankets ahead of a long-anticipated Israeli invasion of the area ( AFP/Getty )

It was also unclear how soon Israel might begin its invasion. Civilians were ordered to move north to an expanded humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi around 12 miles away, as Israel prepared for a limited scope operation.

Crowds walked en masse amid lines of cars, with mattresses strapped to the roof.

Abu Ismail, 68, displaced from the north of Gaza, said families came with anything they could carry. He had to leave part of his family back in east Rafah as there was not enough space on the cart he used to flee.

I have young children and grandsons; we are all really afraid. I saw people walking, others by carts, others by cars, carrying their blankets and food. I couldnt bring everything we needed, he said, adding that Israels bombardment has killed seven of his family members including his brother, and nephews.

Palestinians leave Rafah with water, rucksacks and bin bags after the unlawful evacuation order by Israeli authorities ( Reuters )

Eman Yehiya ,24, whose mother was killed in the 2008 war with Israel and had had to evacuate five times since October, said there was tank shelling and air raids on Monday.

My father is trying to find an empty place for us to build our tent in the west of Rafah - and we are scrambling to get our belongings together, she told The Independent.

We were expecting a ceasefire deal and were very hopeful and then everything collapsed. We keep moving, searching for safety.

The Israel military launched strikes in eastern Rafah just hours after ordering up to 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate to a humanitarian zone ( AFP/Getty )

The prospect of yet more mass civilian casualties has worried even Israels closest ally and largest weapons supplier, the United States, as well as neighbouring Egypt.

Joe Biden telephoned Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to reiterate American worries.

We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing, John Kirby, the US National Security Council spokesperson said.

An elderly man is pushed in a wheelchair as Palestinians leave Rafah ahead of a long-anticipated Israeli invasion of the area ( Reuters )

Israel launched its heaviest ever bombardment of Gaza and a punishing siege in retaliation for 7 October bloody attack by Hamas, a US and UK designated terrorist group, on southern Israel.

Hamas militants killed over 1,200 people and took at least 250 hostages, dozens of whom remain inside Gaza their fate unknown.

Since then, Palestinian health officials say that Israels bombardment has killed more than 34,000 people, half of them women and children.

The UN has warned that restrictions on aid are sparking a man-made looming famine saying that half of the 2.3 million population are facing catastrophic levels of hunger.

It is now concerned a military operation into Rafah could lead to a bloodbath. The potential impact of such a military operation is catastrophic, given the level, scope and scale of the destruction that Gazans have already witnessed across the Strip for the last seven months, said Tamara al-Rifae, a spokesperson for the UNs Palestinian Refugee agency UNRWA.

The UN warned an invasion of Rafah could lead to a bloodbath ( EPA )

The spokesperson added that both Rafah and Kerem Shalom land crossings to Gaza were closed, crippling the little delivery of humanitarian aid.

Civilians in Rafah told The Independent that the prices of some foods had doubled overnight.

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said Israels relocation orders qualified as forcible transfer and were unlawful and alarming.

Civilians in Rafah say food prices have doubled overnight ( Reuters )

Any Israeli military operation in Rafah  which has become the largest cluster of displacement camps in the world  will cause potential mass atrocities, he added.

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safah warned another massacre of the Palestinians is in the making.

He wrote on X: Failure to prevent the massacre will be an indelible stain on the international community. Too many massacres have been allowed. Enough.

Palestinians leave Rafah by donkey and car to a humanitarian zone in a move human rights groups claim is illegal ( Reuters )

Sources close to the Israeli government blamed Hamas for the floundering ceasefire talks, saying they were refusing to back down from demands for an end to the war.

In Rafah, Om Omar, 45, whose family is originally from Gaza City and was forced to flee in another Israeli evacuation order last year, said they loaded the family onto the back of a truck with some clothes, mattresses, and a few bags of flour.

We have evacuated four times already since October  we are all terrified and worried. We are just trying to find anywhere to pitch our tent.
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The Israeli military has called on more than 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah ahead of a long-expected ground invasion, and despite warnings from the United Nations of a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe and an imminent bloodbath.

The Israeli military have begun dropping flyers to Palestinians sheltering in Rafah relief camps where the military is set to operate with force against Hamas, it said.

People have been asked to move to what Israel described as the humanitarian zone at Al-Mawasi as the army prepared for a limited scope operation, without confirming when the Rafah invasion would begin. Families in Rafah told The Independent there was a state of panic after the evacuation orders and that Al-Mawasi was not a liveable place and also not safe.

In accordance with the approval of the political echelon, the IDF is calling on the population, which is under the control of Hamas, to temporarily evacuate from the eastern neighbourhoods of Rafah to the expanded humanitarian space, a statement from the IDF said on Monday.

It said that it was contacting Palestinians through announcements, text messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic.

The army has begun dropping red and blue flyers that warn those sheltering in the Rafah Camp, the Brazil Camp and the neighbourhood of Al-Shabura to evacuate immediately.

The translated message from Arabic on the flyers reads: Remaining in these areas puts your lives in danger.

The IDF is about to operate with force against the terror organizations in the area you currently reside, as the IDF has operated so far, it added.

Palestinians inspect the destruction following overnight Israeli strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 6 May ( AFP via Getty Images )

The evacuation notices came as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to walk away from ceasefire talks that are due to continue through to Tuesday, after refusing to agree to Hamass demands to withdraw Israeli forces from Gaza.

Families in Rafah who have already been displaced multiple times said people were panicking as they had no where to go. Nedal Hamdouna, who is twice displaced from North Gaza and is in the living in a tent with his extended family, said it was not possible for people to live in al-Mawasi. The tiny patch of coastal land that the Israeli military identified as the humanitarian zone is mostly sand dunes and packed with displaced people.

Al-Mawasi is not a liveable place, he told The Independent in desperation. Before the war it was just empty beach land there is no infrastructure. We have had discussions about trying to move elsewhere but there is nowhere that is safe and liveable, with no water its all destroyed.

The question everyone is asking is where do we go? Al Mawasi is not big enough, and its already full. Hundreds of thousands of people are already living there, there are thousands of tents with no space between them. Also how do people get there?

Everyone is worried and scared, Nedal added.

Piling pressure on the misery were overnight air strikes on east Rafah which killed multiple people and the temporary closure of the land crossing to Kerem Shalom, which saw food prices in Rafah double overnight. Palestinian health officials said at least 19 people were killed by Israeli fire.UN officials told The Independent an Israeli military operation into Rafah, which is sheltering to 1.4 million people, most of them already displaced and half of them children, could "lead to a bloodbath."

Tamara al-Rifae, from the UN's Palestinian Refugee Agency UNRWA, told The Independent the potential impact from the assault would be "catastrophic".

"No amount of emergency planning can assuage the immense anxiety than most people in Rafah feel today, as news of an imminent incursion abound," she said, adding that UNRWA has pledged to stay put in the border town and continue humanitarian operations.

"The potential impact of such a military operation is catastrophic, given the level, scope and scale of the destruction that Gazans have already witnessed across the Strip for the last 7 months," she continued.

"An immediate humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to prevent more death and destruction."

Louise Wateridge, who also works for UNRWA and spoke to The Independent from inside Rafah, said that there had been a lot of hope of ceasefire coming over the last few days, but that had turned to huge fear and concern about safety as Israels Rafah assault looked imminent.

Every person Ive spoke to here has conveyed to me how scared they are of what is next, she told The Independent from the border town in Gaza.

Everybody is asking where do we go and what are they going to find? Even in Rafah there is not infrastructure despite having humanitarian operations based her and on the ground here for months because there are so many people in such a small place.

She said a recent heatwave in Rafah actually killed people who were sheltering in plastic tents which provide no shelter. This looming threat of additional displacement really threatens to push the community past its breaking point. Its exasperating already dire living conditions and placing hundreds of 1000s of people at increased risk.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that Israeli military action was required in Rafah due to Hamass refusal to mediate proposals for a truce and release Israeli hostages.

Mr Netanyahu has been unrelenting in his plans to invade Rafah despite warnings that it will lead to massive casualties among the civilians sheltering there. Israel has faced calls from both world leaders and humanitarian agencies to call off its assault.

Rafah sits at the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt at the far south of the Hamas-controlled enclave, and has become increasingly overcrowded with up to a million Palestinians sheltering there from the Israeli offensive to the north.

Relatives of Palestinians killed during an Israeli air strike mourn next to their wrapped bodies outside Al-Najjar Hospital ( EPA )

The Israeli army describes Rafah as the last stronghold for Hamas and claims that between 5,000 to 8,000 of its fighters and senior leaders are holed up in the city.

On Sunday three Israeli soldiers were killed after Hamas militants carried out a deadly rocket attack from the Kerem Shalom crossing in Rafah.

The IDF claimed that 10 projectiles were fired from a part of Rafah crossing in southern Gaza, about 3.6km (2.2 miles) from a major crossing used for the delivery of aid. Hamass armed wing claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Despite its ongoing challenges with aeroplanes, Boeing is setting its sights further afield Monday night as it launches astronauts into space for the first time.

The historic launch of the companys Starliner capsule will be manned by two NASA pilots and head for the International Space Station at around 10.34pm Eastern time.

Boeings capsule is on top of the Atlas V rocket, which will lift off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

We are going to have a whole new adventure. This is very much a part of our exploration of space and what I call the golden age of space exploration, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a briefing on Friday.

Its a historical day. Its a wonderful day.

open image in gallery From left, NASA astronauts Barry Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) commander and pilot ( NASA/Glenn Benson )

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, are due to reach the ISS on Wednesday and will stay for around a week, the agency said.

If successful, the mission could provide a huge boost for Boeing, which has seen finances plummet in 2024 after a number of high-profile incidents involving its planes, including an emergency door plug falling out of an Alaska Airlines plane, as well as questions from Congress over its manufacturing processes.

Ms Williams, 58, told The Associated Press that she was not worried about that.

Were not putting our heads in the sand, the helicopter pilot from Massachusetts said. Sure, Boeing has had its problems. But we are the QA (quality assurance). Our eyes are on the spacecraft.

open image in gallery NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose for a picture after a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard was rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASAs Boeing Crew Flight Test, Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ( (NASA/Joel Kowsky) )

The Starliner spacecraft has a diameter of 15 feet and can carry up to four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit for the agencys Commercial Crew Program.

It can fly autonomously or be steered manually, NASA said. When the crew returns to Earth, they will make a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwest of the United States.

Weve been through training and we have our fingerprints on every single procedure that exists for this spacecraft, Wilmore, 61, said earlier this month. Were fully trained in all aspects of Starliner.

open image in gallery Boeing's Starliner spacecraft arrives at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. ( NASA/Kim Shiflett )

The pair arrived at the space centre on 25 April and have been quarantined ever since so that they are ready for Monday nights flight.

I couldnt be more proud of this team. Were at peak performance right now and we are really excited to execute this launch. Were ready to go, Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of the Commercial Crew Program at Boeing, said on Friday.

open image in gallery A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASAs Boeing Crew Flight Test, Monday, May 6, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ( (NASA/Joel Kowsky) )

The hope for Boeing is that this test flight is successful, meaning it can then be certified for NASAs future Commercial Crew Program.

The journey to Mondays launch has not been without issues, with software glitches and fuel valve problems causing delays.

A successful, unmanned return trip was made in 2022.
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The next generation of SpaceXs Starship rockets will be taller than the Great Pyramids of Giza, Elon Musk has said.

The SpaceX boss is currently preparing for the next Starship test flight, which is set to take place this month, but is already looking ahead to future versions of the craft that he hopes will one day transport people to Mars.

In March, SpaceX delivered an uncrewed Starship rocket to orbit for the first time, however the craft did not survive reentry into the Earths atmosphere.

Measuring 120 metres tall, Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, capable of producing 7.5 million kilograms of thrust  roughly double that of the worlds second most powerful rocket, Nasas Space Launch System (SLS).

open image in gallery ( )

Responding to a post to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Mr Musk wrote that Starship will probably approach ~140m (currently ~120m) over time.

For comparison, the Great Pyramid of Giza  the largest Egyptian pyramid  stands at 137m. The measurement also matches the recently broken record for the worlds longest baguette.

SpaceX has already secured multi-billion dollar contacts with Nasa to use Starship to transport crew and cargo to the Moon as part of the US space agencys Artemis program, however Mr Musk has even bigger ambitions for the rocket.

The tech billionaire has frequently spoken of his desire to establish a permanent human colony on Mars in his lifetime, which he hopes to achieve before 2050.

To succeed, Mr Musk has plans to build a fleet of hundreds of Starship rockets, each capable of rapid reuse after launching.

View more

At its current size, Starship can carry a payload of roughly 150 tonnes, according to SpaceX, while its internal volume provides enough space for up to 100 passengers.

Mr Musk did not provide specifics about whether the extra height will be added to the Super Heavy booster or the second stage craft, though an extra 20m will likely provide additional payload capacity, as well as the ability to travel further.

open image in gallery When fully stacked, Starship is the biggest rocket system ever built. Captured here at SpaceXs Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on 10 March, 2024 ( Screenshot/ WAI/ X )

Mr Musk revealed that the most significant obstacle that remains for Starship is the heat shields that cover the rocket. Onboard cameras during the last orbital flight test showed heat shields falling off the craft during reentry into Earths atmosphere.

A super reliable, light, reusable heat shield is the biggest technical challenge remaining for Starship, he wrote on X on Sunday. It needs to be able to take the heat.
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Qantas has agreed to pay a penalty of A$100m (52.7m) to settle a fiery legal battle with the Australian competition watchdog for selling thousands of tickets for cancelled flights.

The airline will also pay around A$20m (10.5m) in compensation to nearly 87,000 victims of its so-called ghost flights policy.

The settlement ends a landmark legal tussle between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Qantas that forced the abrupt exit of Alan Joyce as CEO last year as well as a boardroom cleanout to undo reputational damage.

Qantas was accused of advertising and selling more than 8,000 flight tickets that it had already cancelled in its internal system. The airline apologised to its affected customers on Monday and said it was focused on making the remediation process as quick and seamless as possible for customers.

Qantas will commence a projected $20 million remediation program for impacted passengers, with payments to customers ranging from $225 to $450, and subject to the approval of the Federal Court of Australia, will pay a $100 million civil penalty, it said in a statement.

The airline said over 86,000 flyers who booked a flight two or more days after the cancellation decision had been made will be given compensation as part of this programme.

While domestic customers will receive a compensation of A$225, international customers will get A$450 on top of any refund or alternative flight already offered to them.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson acknowledged it fell short of our own standards and let down customers after flights resumed after the Covid shutdown.

We know many of our customers were affected by our failure to provide cancellation notifications in a timely manner and we are sincerely sorry, she said.

The return to travelling was already stressful for many and we did not deliver enough support for customers and did not have the technology and systems in place to support our people.

open image in gallery Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb speaks to media ( AAP Image )

The competition watchdogs chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said Qantas admitted as part of the settlement that it had misled customers.

Qantass conduct was egregious and unacceptable. Many consumers will have made holiday, business and travel plans after booking on a phantom flight that had been cancelled, she said.

The settlement, she added, sent "an important message to companies across the economy that breaches of the Australian Consumer Law are serious and will result in material fines.

The settlement has to be approved by the Federal Court to commence the remediation programme, which is not expected to start until 30 June.
KAMAKURA, May 06 (News On Japan) - In the ancient city of Kamakura, an experimental initiative promoting walking to address over-tourism issues and potentially unveil new charms took place. Local residents express hopes that this experiment will not only alleviate congestion but also lead to the discovery of fresh attractions.

Walking Tour from Kamakura Station to Hase Station

During the Golden Week holidays, tourist destinations nationwide were bustling with people. While the influx of tourists is beneficial for the tourism industry, excessive crowding also poses problems of over-tourism affecting the lives of local residents.

Particularly affected is Kamakura City, where many visitors use the Enoshima Electric Railway to travel to Hasedera Temple, famous for its Great Buddha and hydrangeas.

To address this issue, on May 3rd and 4th of Golden Week, an experimental initiative promoting walking was conducted. Maps from Kamakura Station to Hase Station were distributed in front of Kamakura Station.

Takahiro Sataki, a professor at Josai International University who has been visiting Kamakura during Golden Week since 2018 to conduct ongoing observations, decided to participate in the walking tour.

Rediscovering Kamakura's Charm Through Walking?

The program featured a walk along the "shopping street exploration course," one of the two courses introduced. Walking with experts, including Professor Sataki, revealed surprising discoveries.

Josai International University, Tourism Department Professor Takahiro Sataki: "Look straight ahead."

Chihiro Sato, Announcer: "These are historical buildings, aren't they?"

Professor Sataki: "This used to be an old bank branch. Occasionally, you can find several old buildings along this street."

Sato: "It's an enjoyable way to discover these."

Professor Sataki: "Walking around Kamakura, searching for its old buildings, makes time pass quickly."

Unlike using some kind of transport, walking revealed discoveries that might go unnoticed.

Traditional Specialty "Kamakura Donburi"

Professor Sataki: "I was feeling hungry and wondering if there was a good place to eat when I found this shop. Here it is!"

"Kamakura Ocean Bistro," located on the way to Hase Station, is a newly opened shop.

Staff: "Thank you for waiting. Here's your Kamakura Donburi."

Sato: "It looks delicious! The broth is rich. The shrimp is plump, the batter is crispy, and the egg is wonderfully rich."

The Kamakura Donburi, with fried shrimp and egg, has been a specialty dish for a long time but has become less common in recent years.

Professor Sataki: "When people think of Kamakura, they usually associate it with shirasu-don."

Sato: "That was my image too."

Professor Sataki: "Discoveries like this make walking around town interesting. Thanks to this experiment, I learned something new."

This experiment, which took about 30 minutes to walk a distance that would normally take 5 minutes by Enoden train, marked its end upon reaching the station.

Professor Sataki: "Well, this is the end of the line with the train."

Sato: "We've arrived!"

Professor Sataki: "(After finishing the walking tour) So, what do you think?"

Sato: "Walking was pleasant, and there were many shops. My stomach is satisfied, and I had a lot of fun."

Source: ANN
A 41-gun salute was held in Londons Green Park today (6 May), to mark one year since King Charles coronation.

Before midday, 71 horses, pulled six First World War era 13-pounder Field Guns over the grass, to celebrate the occasion.

Shortly after, a 62-gun salute took place at the Tower of London, as well as Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, Cardiff Castle in Wales, and at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.

It comes shortly after the King returns to public duties amid his ongoing treatment for cancer.
Workday has announced its planned new EMEA headquarters in Grangegorman will not go ahead

Dublin City Council is set to miss out on 8m in planning contributions arising from Workdays decision not to proceed with a new headquarters at Grangegorman.

The US financial management software company has secured planning permission for the EMEA headquarters on Dublins northside  almost two weeks after announcing it was not going to proceed with the ambitious project.

The grant of planning permission for the mixed-use 12-storey-high scheme at the strategic development zone at Grangegorman includes two conditions that would have required Workday to pay 8m in planning contributions.

The council said Workday should pay 6.1m towards public infrastructure, and another 1.99m in respect of the Luas cross-city scheme.

The council granted planning permission after Workday lodged revised plans in March.

The scheme was to give the firm the capacity to increase its workforce in Ireland to 3,500. Workday employs 2,000 people and plans to add 300 more by February 2025.

To support future growth plans in a speedier timeframe, Workday is to instead locate its EMEA headquarters in an existing office space in Dublin city centre that is similar to Grangegorman in size and scope.

Announcing last month that the Grangegorman scheme was not proceeding, a Workday spokesman said: As we rapidly grow in Dublin, we have decided to expand our EMEA headquarters in existing office space rather than pursue a new development.

We hope to confirm the location in Dublin by the end of 2024, and we will continue to operate from our current Dublin office locations  The Kings Building, Dublin 7, and Dockline, Dublin 1.

Workday first announced its intention to construct new EMEA headquarters in Grangegorman in April 2022.

The fate of the site now rests with its owner, the HSE, and with the Grangegorman Development Agency.

A spokeswoman for the agency said: The future of this site following Workdays decision to relocate to existing office space is yet to be determined.

It is unlikely to be built out in its current design. However were engaging with the HSE and others to develop the site in line with the Grangegorman masterplan.

Workday had assembled a large team to advance its planning application including planning consultants Tom Phillips + Associates, and architects Henry J Lyons.

Workday declined to comment on how much it spent to get the project to planning permission.
The Irish ProShare Association (IPSA) has said that the move by marketing agency Wolfgang Digital to become employee-owned could start a new trend in Ireland, but only if the Government removes obstacles that make the process too complicated and expensive.

Wolfgang Digital announced last week it is moving to an employee ownership trust (EOT), a model popularised by the British retail chain John Lewis. It allows staff to share in a companys decision-making processes and profits.

While other British companies, as well as American and Australian, have used the EOT model, Wolfgang Digital believes it is the first Irish firm to do so.

The IPSA, a non-profit and independent advocacy group which represents companies engaged in some form of employee share ownership, believes the Government needs to make it easier for businesses to make that leap.

Were delighted that Wolfgang Digital has made the pioneering decision to become employee-owned using an Employee Ownership Trust,  said Marie Flynn, chair of the IPSA. EOTs have proven an incredibly successful method of encouraging companies to become employee owned in countries such as the UK, US, Australia, and Canada.

They could also be tremendously popular in Ireland, particularly as a business succession solution. Instead of a trade sale or a business closing, it is sold to a trust for the benefit of its employees. This benefits everyone  the selling owner or shareholders, the business, its employees, the community in which the business is based, and the wider economy.

Ms Flynn added: For that to happen the Government needs to provide guidance on the financing of EOTs and pass legislation to remove tax obstacles that make them overly complicated and expensive for both the seller and employees of the company.

According to figures compiled by the IPSA, there are more than 1,600 employee-owned companies in the UK, almost all created in the decade since EOT legislation was introduced.

EOTs in the UK benefit from certain tax advantages including an exemption of Capital Gains Tax for individual shareholders when a controlling interest in a company is sold to staff. There is also an inheritance tax exemption, and an income tax exemption of 3,600 (4,199) per individual per tax year on certain bonuses issued to all employees.

Ms Flynn added: In Ireland, EOTs offer no tax incentives for business owners or employees and in fact the tax framework works as a significant disincentive due to the penal way in which the Irish tax legislation works, which means that often higher tax rates are paid by sellers/employees as a result. That needs to change if the Government wants to pave the way for a vibrant new era of employee-owned businesses in Ireland.
Irelands Bambie Thug performing "Doomsday Blue" at the Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1 dress rehersal at the Malmo Arena, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda

Irelands Bambie Thug performing "Doomsday Blue" at the Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1 dress rehersal at the Malmo Arena, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda

Irelands Bambie Thug performing "Doomsday Blue" at the Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1 dress rehersal at the Malmo Arena, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda

Irish Eurovision entrant Bambie Thug will make a reference to trans rights during their stage performance of Doomsday Blue at the Eurovision semi-finals

Bambie Thug, who is non-binary, has a dramatic costume reveal halfway through the staging and casts off a gothic gown to unveil a bespoke ensemble in the light blue and pink colours of the trans flag.

Bambie Thug has previously spoken about being non-binary and a queer artist. They told the Sunday Independent their EP Cathexis was about being a queer person, overlooked in the world.

On Monday afternoon, those performing in the first semi-final took to the stage for their dress rehearsal.

Irelands Bambie Thug performing "Doomsday Blue" at the Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1 dress rehersal at the Malmo Arena, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda

Bambie Thugs staging sees the artist perform ballet moves, and dance with a half man-half monster in a spell circle. There are also elaborate pyrotechnics and buckets of dry ice.

The favourite to win the song contest is currently the Croatian act Baby Lasagna with their song Rim Tim Tagi Dim, the Ukrainian and Swiss entries are also among the favourites to win the prestigious competition.

I dont think its fair to bully artists  Bambie Thug on calls for acts to boycott Eurovision

Most of the staging of Tuesday night's semi-final is extremely elaborate. There are towering faux mountain tops; giant denim eggs that hatch; and a man who runs around in a nude thong before changing into a pair of denim hotpants.

During the interval, Mr Eurovision himself, Johnny Logan, will perform Loreens Eurovision winner Euphoria.

Both Loreen and Logan are the only people in the history of Eurovision to win the competition twice.

Logan won with Whats Another Year? written by Shay Healy in 1980 and again in 1987 with Hold Me Now.

He also wrote Linda Martins winning entry Why Me? in 1992.

Loreen won last year's song contest with Tattoo and with Euphoria in 2012

There was a strong and highly-visible police presence in the city of Malmo this week.

According to reports, forces have been drafted in from across Sweden, with reinforcements from Denmark and Norway.

Drone cameras are being used throughout the festival as a means of surveillance and some police officers will be armed with supplementary weapons.

There was a particularly heavy police presence around the Malmo Arena and the Eurovision village.

Irelands Bambie Thug performing "Doomsday Blue" at the Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1 dress rehersal at the Malmo Arena, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda

There have been ongoing calls for the organisers of Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union, to exclude Israel from the contest. In 2022, the EBU expelled Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

The EBU says this expulsion was as a result of consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values.

There are large demonstrations planned during the course of the week and alternative Eurovision concerts being held.

Along the Eurovision Street, usually called Friisgatan Street, there were multiple Palestinian flags hanging from windows in a display of solidarity.

Malmo local, Sanaa Zakaria, is one of those taking part in the protests.

She said she was not protesting the Eurovision but Israels involvement.

I will be at the protests  I am human and we should all care about human [life], she said.

There have been multiple calls for artists to stand down from the contest.

Some of the contestants addressed the politically charged atmosphere in Malmo wen walking the turquoise carpet on Sunday night.

Non-binary Swiss act Nemo said; I think it is really important the protests are happening and there is room for them. I also understand people who boycott this year.

Australian acts Electric Fields said; "Artists are the medicine people and we are bringing healing and I say more medicine, more healing.
Sinking by U-boat off Cobh coast led to loss of around 1,200 lives

The Lusitania arrives in New York on her maiden voyage, circa 1906. Photo: Getty

Special ceremonies will take place in Cork to mark the 109th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania off the south-west coast during World War I.

The liner, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat, sank off the Old Head of Kinsale with the loss of almost 1,200 passengers and crew on May 7, 1915.

It was one of the events instrumental in eventually bringing the United States into the conflict.

The Lusitania tragedy will be commemorated in the Cork harbour town of Cobh today with a series of special events organised by Cobh Tourism.

Many of those who died in the tragedy were buried in Cobh.

One of the most iconic photographs of World War I is of the three mass graves of 145 Lusitania victims at Cobhs cemetery.

A total of 80 of the victims, whose bodies were recovered from the sea off the Cork coast, were never identified.

The memorial ceremonies will commence at the Lusitania graves in the Old Church Cemetery at 2.30pm today.

Following prayers, musical honours by the Commodore Male Voice Choir and the laying of wreaths, the proceedings will move to Cobh town centre where a Colour Party from the ONE and representatives of the Royal Naval Association and other maritime and historical groups will assemble at 3.15pm at the Lusitania Peace Memorial in Casement Square.

The ceremonies here will include a wreath-laying ceremony and members of the public are encouraged to attend.

Special events will include lectures on the liner, while special exhibits are also planned at the Lusitania Museum in Kinsale.

A decade ago, the millionaire US owner of the Lusitania wreck signed it over to a Cork historical group which operates the special Lusitania museum.

US businessman Gregg Bemis signed over the World War I wreck to the Kinsale committee with the not-for-profit Old Head of Kinsale museum containing the worlds mostdetailed exhibit on the sinking of the liner.

The US businessman said he was very impressed by the work undertaken over many years by the Kinsale museum backers.

He also said he believed they were best placed to preserve the Lusitanias legacy for future generations.

Mr Bemis had donated multiple artefacts to the museum over the years which had been recovered from dives on the wreck site. I believe in the integrity of history. They have done a great job at the museum, he said.

Cork historian Michael Martin said it was fitting recognition of the remarkable work undertaken over many years in Kinsale to commemorate the liner.

They have worked tirelessly over the years to preserve the history and legacy of the Lusitania. They (the museum officials) have also done it in a very respectful way, he said.

For decades, Mr Bemis had championed the historical exploration of the wreck to determine precisely why the famous liner sank so fast after being struck by a single German U-boat torpedo in 1915 as it steamed off the Old Head of Kinsale.

The New Mexico businessman had acquired an interest in the World War I wreck in 1968 and in 1982 became sole owner of the wreckage and its salvage rights.

Mr Bemis had described as a tragedy for Ireland the fact a full expedition did not take place in 2015 to mark the centenary of the Lusitanias sinking.

RMS Lusitania sank 18km off the Cork coast on May 7, 1915, after being struck by a single torpedo from the German submarine, U-20.

However, a second internal explosion minutes later dramatically accelerated the rate of sinking  and cost hundreds more lives.

Mystery has surrounded the cause of the second explosion, with theories linking it to munitions being carried on the liner, igniting dust in a coal bunker or a giant boiler exploding.

The liner was carrying almost 60 tonnes of munitions bound for Britain from the US. A total of 1,198 people died, with just over 700 being saved.

Mr Bemis said in 2014 that impossible dive conditions were frustrating ongoing attempts to determine once and for all what caused the catastrophic second explosion. I want to solve the mystery of the second explosion that caused the liner to sink so fast with such heavy loss of life and bring to amuseum some of the artefacts of the second most famous wreck in history after the RMS Titanic, he said.
Stampede executives reject DCC counterclaims in $24m US lawsuit

Businessmen have sued Irish group over alleged sum in earn-outs

Donal Murphy, chief executive of DCC

John Mulligan Mon 6 May 2024 at 03:30







The founders of a US company who sold the business in 2018 to Irish distribution giant DCC have rejected a slew of counterclaims made by the group against them. Theyve insisted in a New York court that the counterclaims are barred by the doctrines of unjust enrichment and other allegations.
New tents spring up despite pledges from the Government that this would not be allowed to happen

New tents spring up despite pledges from the Government that this would not be allowed to happen

Politicians, residents and business owners have demanded action and answers as a new migrant tent city continues to grow on the banks of the Grand Canal.

Just days after a makeshift camp was cleared from nearby Mount Street, there are now up to 70 tents housing asylum-seekers and migrants on both sides of the canal in Dublin city centre.

The new camp has emerged despite assurances from the Taoiseach and Government that these camps would not be allowed to develop.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said last week that makeshift encampments on public roads and footpaths were illegal as he defended the Governments handling of the accommodation crisis.

The camp outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street made international headlines last week as the Government got into a war of words with the UK government over immigration.

Tents set up on the banks of the Grand Canal in Dublin by men seeking international protection Photo: Gerry Mooney

When asked by the Irish Independent yesterday what the response to the growing camp on the Grand Canal will be, a spokesperson said the Government was making every effort to accommodate asylum-seekers in Ireland against a backdrop of unprecedented demand.

The statement added: However, the situation remains challenging and the Department [of Integration] cannot provide accommodation to all applicants.

Significant resources have been put into the International Protection Office, including a substantial staff increase, a key lever [in accelerating] processing which has been proven to work. [This will ensure] those who qualify for protection get it within 90 days and those who do not qualify get a quicker decision and instruction to leave.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - Monday, May 6

A statement from An Garda Siochana said it would continue to work with all government departments, statutory agencies, local communities and international protection applicants/rough sleepers to support and maintain safety for all.

However, a group representing residents and local businesses have said the new camp began to form within days of the operation to clear tents from Mount Street, despite a commitment that there would be no large encampments allowed in the city.

We would like the Government to honour that commitment. There has been a lot of buck-passing, and we would have hoped they would do a better job of preventing a new camp.

We are concerned that that has not happened, and clearly there is political leadership needed, said Kevin Byrne of the network representing residents and businesses.

It is still our belief that the International Protection Office should be moved to an area where wraparound services for asylum-seekers can be provided.

Fianna Fail TD James OConnor has said the Government must be stronger in dealing with makeshift encampments of homeless asylum-seekers.

He also called for gardai to be deployed to checkpoints on the Border to deal with a reported increase in migrants entering from Northern Ireland.

Mr OConnor raised concerns that another camp had sprung up so quickly, saying Ireland was increasingly being seen as a soft touch on migration.

Whats happening on the Grand Canal, and in Mount Street indeed, its completely unacceptable to me as a government TD and I think the Government needs to be stronger in dealing with this, the Cork East TD told RTE Radio Ones This Week programme.

He added that he thinks there is a need for larger accommodation centres in places like Dublin Airport and in the border area.I would be quite forthright that we do need to see a further rapid expansion of border policing around migration.

This is something I feel is not being done sufficiently.

And I do feel we need to take the bull by the horns and address it because we have to look after people that come here, but we do need to acknowledge that there is a tipping point where we cant do that any more.

Labour Party TD Aodhan O Riordain said he fears for the safety of people forced to live in the tents.

He also said the current strategy of moving asylum-seekers to sites outside the city centre isnt working.

He told the Irish Independent: Were just firefighting all the time, and I do fear for the safety of these men. It is well known that these camps are not sustainable, yet when efforts are made to find accommodation in an area, you get local people objecting and people whipping up fear.

All were doing is moving the problem from one area to another.

Tenants in local Dublin City Council sheltered housing yesterday called for collaboration at government level on the issue.

Our primary concern is ensuring the wellbeing of both the residents and the refugees. We kindly request information on any government initiatives or support programmes to address the current situation, they said in a statement.

The new camp near Mount Street Bridge has grown significantly in size over the bank holiday weekend.

Speaking at the camp yesterday, men in the camp told the Irish Independent they prefer to stay together in one place because they feel safer.
exclusive | Paddy Jackson expresses concerns over TV dramatisation of Belfast rape trial

Award-winning director Mary McGuckian is said to be a driving force behind the six-episode TV series, titled #IBelieveHer

Paddy Jackson expresses concerns over TV dramatisation of Belfast rape trial

Gretchen Friemann Mon 6 May 2024 at 03:30

Rugby player Paddy Jackson has expressed concern over a lack of communication about a planned television dramatisation of the controversial Belfast rape trial.
Ms Hourigan said the triple lock had already been 'effectively endorsed by various referendums'. Photo: Mark Condren

A TD has signalled the first Green Party rumblings against coalition plans to ditch the triple lock on Defence Forces deployments.

Neasa Hourigan is currently without the party whip  but is due to be re-admitted to Green ranks in the middle of next month.

She had her whip suspended last year after for voting against a Government motion on the eviction ban.

The Dublin Central deputy fears her party position will again be at risk when the Government moves to switch to a double lock in the autumn.

A Green Party spokesman said at a briefing last week that the party was on board with Tanaiste Micheal Martins plans to scrap the need for a UN mandate before Irish soldiers serve overseas.

Besides UN approval, the other elements of the current lock involve the Government making a decision followed by Dail approval.

Dropping the UN mandate would mean only cabinet approval is needed before a government uses its majority to drive through the Dail a deployment of more than 12 service personnel.

Ms Hourigan claimed the Green Party policy committee had only recently reaffirmed its commitment to the triple lock  while its protection was in the Programme for Government.

She predicted widespread unrest in the party  particularly among the membership  if the safeguards were watered down.

Ms Hourigan pointed out that Green members, including former leader John Gormley, attended the Tanaistes security forums around the country last year and spoke in favour of retaining the triple lock.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin argues, however, that the current situation effectively gives Russia and China unwarranted control  through their blocking ability  on Irish foreign policy.

Asked how she would vote on the issue if a double lock emerges in the autumn in legislation authorised by the Cabinet this week, Ms Hourigan said: Im not going to commit myself right now.

Meanwhile, her sister Niamh, who is Labours European Parliament candidate for the Ireland South Constituency, expressed alarm at the plans.

She said removal of the triple lock would amount to de-facto removal of traditional Irish policy, resulting in neutrality in name only.

The existing stance was hugely important, she added. The Government has failed to give a legitimate reason for a move away from this long-standing position. People need to know that Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party cannot be trusted to safeguard Irish neutrality. As long as neutrality is Irelands official position  which can only be changed by referendum  then the triple lock has to be central.

Neasa Hourigan said the triple lock had already been effectively endorsed by various referendums, adding: It would be a big step to change it.
Rishi Sunak has been taken prisoner by rebels on Tory right, says Labour

Its reported British prime minister was told to move further right if he wanted to stay in that role

A protester holds a flag during an anti-monarchy rally organised by campaign group Republic at Trafalgar Square in London. Photo: Hollie Adams/Reuters

David Maddox UK Independent Mon 6 May 2024 at 03:30







Rishi Sunak has become a prisoner of right-wing MPs in the Tory party with dangerous views as he tries to cling on to power after calamitous local election results, according to the Labour Party.
TOKYO, May 06 (News On Japan) - Four individuals arrested in the case where a couple's burnt bodies were found in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture, were revealed to have frequented the same club in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Suspects including Mitsuru Sasaki (28) were arrested last month for setting fire to the bodies of Ryutaro Takashima (55) and his wife, Sachiko (56).

Ayakei Hirayama (25) is suspected of being an intermediary, while Kang Guangxi (20) and Yota Wakayama (20) are believed to be the perpetrators.

Subsequent interviews with those involved revealed that Sasaki had been frequenting the same club in Shibuya, attended by the arrested Hirayama and others, around early March.

It's possible the four individuals met at this club.

Sasaki reportedly moved to Tokyo from Fukuoka in late February to work as a tout in Ueno.

Related: Suspect in Tochigi Double Murder Claims He Acted on Instructions

Source: ANN
Why one mammy is on a mission to keep the Irish Hello alive

Irish are statistically the loneliest people in Europe, so to combat that, Nuala Woulfe is determined to preserve the very Irish tradition of greeting strangers when out for a walk

We should preserve the 'Irish hello' at all costs (Pic: Getty Images/Maskot)

Nuala Woulfe Mon 6 May 2024 at 12:57

Irelands Green Party lodged a motion in the Senate last week on May 1 pleading with the Government to tackle loneliness. Shockingly, the Irish are the loneliest in Europe with 20pc of people saying in a 2023 EU report that they feel lonely, all, or some of the time.
Clockwise from top left: Independent MEP Luke Ming Flanagan, the Green Partys Pauline OReilly, James Reynolds of the National Party and Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh at the debate in Claremorris. Photos: J Corless

The current scramble for the farmer vote in the Midlands-Northwest European elections is heading for an all-out political war. The Irish Farmers Association election debate in the McWilliam Hotel in Claremorris, Co Mayo, on Thursday night was attended by 11 of the constituencys 28 MEP hopefuls. And it was a dog-eat-dog affair.
Sam McBride: Controversial public history of the Troubles has value  even if it is imperfect

A negative response greeted the plan for a official history of UK policy in the North

British troops face civilians in Belfast on August 16, 1969. Photo: Getty

Sam McBride Sun 5 May 2024 at 03:30

To what extent should academics work with government to unearth the secrets of the past? The question is at the heart of a ferocious battle which has erupted within Irish academia, but which has consequences for us all.
Life isnt all sunshine and rainbows. What should you do when things dont go your way? How should you react? And why should we look at problems as challenges?

On this weeks episode of the Real Health podcast, I am joined by Zen Buddhist teacher, author of The Things That You See Only When You Slow Down, international bestseller, Haemen Sunim, who has written a book titled When Things Don't Go Your Way.

I asked the Buddhist teacher to explain the a-ha and ouch moments mentioned in the book. He said, there is a time you have a deeper knowledge about who you are or things that you already learned before and understand them, that's what I call an a-ha moment. Or when you are suffering psychologically and you become reflective, and then you try to understand the cause of it that becomes an ouch moment.

In the digital world we live in, I was interested to get the authors take on twenty-four-hour news cycles. With 24 hour news, you can say no to those things and then carve out some special time just for yourself. You know to care about how your body is feeling and how your mind is doing, he said.

You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
In January 2013, Kevin McGeever was found dishevelled and emaciated on a country road. He told gardai he had been kidnapped from his home in Galway and had been held captive in an underground container in complete darkness for eight months. But it was all an elaborate hoax dreamt up by McGeever  and it wasnt the first time he had tried to pull the wool over peoples eyes.

In 2016 McGeever pleaded guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court to wasting garda time by making false statements. A garda told the court he did it to get creditors off his back and his barrister read out an apology on McGeevers behalf, and described his fantasy abduction as the aberration of an elderly a man under stress. McGeever escaped with a two-year suspended sentence.

Conman McGeever had previously been accused of double-selling apartments and selling apartments that he didnt own. His dubious business activities were traced across three continents.

One investor, Kevin Cooke, who signed up to buy eight apartments for which he paid in instalments, is suing McGeever for 835,000. Another investor, Jim Byrne, secured a 1m judgment against McGeever after paying him 633,000 to buy four apartments  one of which he later learned had been sold to someone else.

How did the Mayo-born swindler trick investors across the world to the tune of millions? And why did he fake his own abduction?

Today on the Indo Daily, Rory Tevlin is joined by Paul Williams, Special Correspondent with the Irish Independent, who covered this incredible case at the time, and is still baffled by it over a decade later.
The cost of the signs was sponsored by local businesses

The second new welcome sign installed in the town.

One of the new welcome signs in Charleville.

Visitors to Charleville will have noticed two brand new signs welcoming them to the town as of two weeks ago.

The installation of the two signs, alongside planters, was completed by local Tidy Towns volunteers on Thursday, April 25.

In a Facebook post, Charleville Tidy Towns thanked local businesses Gearys bar and Lees Centra Group for sponsoring the signs, and thanked the local Lions Club for its annual support.

The Tidy Towns group also thanked OSheas Hardware and Charleville Plant Hire for its assistance with the signs.
Finbarr Jones and Damien Linehan from Mallow Castle Demense and Town Park the overall winner of the 2024 Community Woodlands Award. Pic Johnny Bambury/Coalesce

Mallow Castle Demense Town Park and Bo Rua Farm, Ballynoe were among the Cork winners at a two-day festival on biodiversity and sustainability Finding Common Ground which was held recently at the RDS.

As part of the event, the RDS hosted a series of awards which celebrate the work of individuals, farm families and organisations who are enhancing the economic, environmental, and social development of Irish agriculture and rural communities.

Mallow Castle Demense Town Park won the RDS Community Woodlands Award.

The Community Woodlands Award is designed to encourage and reward projects involving the communal ownership and/or management of forests and woodlands which have been established and managed in a sustainable way that is beneficial to the local economy and/or environment.

Bo Rua Farm, Ballynoe won the RDS Sustainable Rural Enterprise Award, while Midleton company Jim and Frampton Jeffery made it a hat-trick of awards for Cork as they captured the RDS-Sheep Ireland LambPlus Award at the inaugural awards event.

Mallow Castle Demense and Town Park is 88 acres of woodlands and parks nestled in the heart of the town.

Cork County Council has undertaken significant native tree planting and biodiversity works in the grounds to build upon the historic planting already in place.

The local authority aims to create a natural outdoor amenity for the community to enjoy, while promoting local biodiversity.

The judges said Mallow Castle Demense and Town Park is attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. When Cork County Council decided to buy Mallow Castle and its estate in 2011, they could have simply carried out renovations on the castle and put in a few extra paths though the park and there would have been a fine amenity created.

They decided, however, to implement a hugely ambitious plan which involved a lot of work on creation of new woodland, and the management of existing woodland. They now have a town park which is attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year to an amenity which is right in the heart of the town, the judges added.

Bo Rua Farm is where sustainable farming and food are top priorities.

By diversifying their dairy farm Tom and Norma Dinneen, the couple behind Bo Rua, have embarked on a journey into farmhouse cheesemaking, utilising milk from their Montbeliarde and Friesian cows.

Their commitment to quality and sustainability defines the farm's ethos, reflecting their heritage and deep respect for the land.

The Finding Common Ground Festival incorporated 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.
Grace O'Donnell Assistant District Governor, John OShea (Founding President Killarney Rotary Club 1983-1984), Barry Murphy (President Killarney Rotary Club 2023-2024) and members of Killarney Rotary Club pictured at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Marie O'Shea and Eileen Tarrant pictured at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Katie Gleeson, Maire Murphy, Timmy O'Sullivan pictured with back from left: Rosaria O'Leary, Breda O'Sullivan and Kathleen Murphy at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Michael Jacobi, Managing Director of the Hayfield Family Collection, Grace O'Neill, Conor O'Leary and Ciara Irwin Foley pictured at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

The Mayor of Killarney Cllr Niall Kelleher, Grace O'Donnell Assistant District Governor, Barry Murphy President of the Killarney Rotary Club pictured at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Clodagh Irwin Owens, Emer O'Shea, Teresa Irwin, Ciara Irwin Foley and her husband Dermot pictured at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Rayla Tadjimatova, Catherine Shanahan and Bridie Brosnan having a great time at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney' event in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

Past presidents of the Killarney Rotary Club brothers David and Declan Fuller pictured at the 40th Anniversary Book Launch of Rotary in Killarney in The Great Southern, Killarney on Wednesday evening. Photo by Tatyana McGough.

There were great celebrations in the Great Southern in Killarney last Wednesday evening as past and present members of the Killarney Rotary Club gathered to celebrate 40 years of the clubs existence with the launch of a book all about the clubs history to date.

The book, which has recorded in great detail all of the great events and projects that the club has been involved in over its many years of service, was launched to great acclaim from all present, including including the Cathaoirleach of Killarney MD, Cllr. Niall Kelliher and Rotarys Assistant District Governor, Grace ODonnell.

The atmosphere was a relaxing one as old friends re-united met to chat and reminisce; one of the guests of honour on the night was John OShea, the Killarney clubs very first president all those years ago and he addressed all those gathered on the evening. He spoke about the clubs beginning all those years ago now before moving on to compliment the present day club members for their hard work on the book as well as wishing them well for the future.

Barry Murphy, President of Rotary Killarney for 2023-2024 had this to say about the night:

The book was the star of the show and it sets the agenda for editions in the future, adding that he was very thankful to everybody for making a special effort to attend the evening and he thanked all involved in its production.

John Shanahan, who is a member since the very beginning and still attends on a weekly basis, attributed the success of the club to its work ethic in working in the local community, with the local community and for the local community.

Celebrations continued as a 40th anniversary cake was shared  a gift from Dalys Supervalu Killarney  and this left everyone with a sweet taste at the close of a very successful evening.

The book is available at 25 from Rotary members or by emailing killarneyrotaryclub@gmail.com.
Swanning off..One of the Resident swans at Ross Castle, photobombs Members of Lough Lein Anglers Association, Killarney, one of the longest established fishing clubs in Ireland, competing in the 36th annual charity open fly fishing competition known as The Charity which took place recently. This years beneficiaries are Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone - a most deserving charity.

Family affair... Boris Uzik and his Sister Charlotte, Members of Lough Lein Anglers Association, Killarney, getting ready for the 36th annual charity open fly fishing competition known as The Charity which took place recently. This years beneficiaries are Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone - a most deserving charity. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.

Pictured at the presentation of the cheque from Lough Lein Anglers to Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone are Cory OFlaherty, Phil Horan, Christy Lehane, Timmo OSullivan, Padraig Coghlan, Pat Curran and Denis Russell.

Eugene McCarthy and Eddie Blanche, Members of Lough Lein Anglers Association, Killarney, competing in the 36th annual charity open fly fishing competition known as The Charity which took place recently. This years beneficiaries are Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone - a most deserving charity. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.

Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone were delighted to be selected as a beneficiary of Lough Leins 36th annual charity open fly-fishing competition that was held in recent weeks at Killarneys middle lake.

This annual event is always a truly memorable day when anglers from counties Kerry and Cork and much further afield come to Killarney to support Lough Leins Annual Charity open Fly-Fishing competition.

Putting this competition together is a huge undertaking, but club chairman Corie OFlaherty and his hard-working committee put their shoulders to the wheel and pull out all the stops, bringing together many anglers to compete for the coveted prizes.

The fishing club get great sponsorship from businesses people to support the event and of course it must not be forgotten all the fundraising done by the members of the club by selling sponsorship cards. All of this being for a great cause.

This years event took place on Sunday, April 28 and representatives from this years chosen charity were in attendance to meet with the Lough Lein anglers group who worked so hard to make the event a success.

And there can be no doubt it was a tremendous success with a cheque for 11,265 presented to Chairman of Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone Christy Lehane.

In his acceptance speech Christy Lehane stated that the monies raised for Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone was beyond their wildest dreams saying that this is why Lough lein Anglers Association is such a successful club and to prove this even more the club is in existence for the past 36 years. In that time the club has raised more than 300,000 for worthy charities.

Christy Lehane told all present that this money would go towards paying the wages of the charitys Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association Specialist Nurses and providing medical equipment for Motor Neurone sufferers in Kerry enabling them to stay in the comfort of their own homes for as long as possible.

Fundraising is never easy, Christy said, but with people like Lough Lein Anglers on our side gives our charity a great boost in fundraising and creating awareness of this terrible disease.

Finally, as Chairman of Kerry Friends of Motor Neurone Christy Lehane also wished Lough Lein Anglers Association every success for the years ahead.
Dark past of St Josephs Industrial School in Tralee is recalled by victims.

The Mayor of Kerry and Mayor of Tralee unveiling the plaque to the victims of St Joseph's Industrial School. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Mayor of Tralee Terry O'Brien with Michael Clemenger speaking at Saturday's unveiling of a plaque to the victims of St Joseph's Industrial School. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

A large crowd gathered at the site of the former St Josephs Industrial School in Tralee on Saturday morning to remember one of the bleakest episodes in Tralees past.

A plaque was unveiled by Kerry County Council acknowledging the suffering of hundreds of boys who passed through St Josephs from 1871 to 1970. The plaque was crafted and kindly donated by local stone mason, Billy Leen.

The occasion was made all the more poignant by the attendance of victims and their families. Michael Clemenger was incarcerated in St Josephs between 1959 and 1969 during which time he suffered terrible abuse. He proudly unveiled the plaque after years of campaigning that helps to close the circle of suffering for many.

As a child, Michael spoke of being reminded by the Christian Brothers that he was illegitimate and to remain on his knees and never aspire to anything in life but menial tasks.

I decided no. I would fight the system and go on and make a life for myself, Michael told the crowd.

I was most fortunate to meet my wife [Mary] when I was 21. Ever since that day I am what I am today. I went on to achieve a full academic career and was very successful in life, relatively speaking, he said.

I want to thank all the people that made the final decision in making this plaque possible. I am indebted to one and all and may God be good to them. May further generations also recognise their bravery in times of great difficulty, Michael said.

Mayor of Tralee Terry OBrien said it was necessary - after so long - to finally acknowledge the torment of the victims.

Sadly, many of those who went to St Josephs have died before this day. We remember all those who suffered, he said.

He explained how the industrial school system remains a deep scar and an appalling blight on the history of Ireland.

It condemned thousands of innocent children to isolation, humiliation, abuse, and internmentfor too long it was a feature of a society in which children were cast aside into the hands of a system that often facilitated and covered up physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, Cllr OBrien said.

It was fitting that the occasion should conclude with the person who started the campaign for a memorial plaque. While still a student, Alannah OSullivan made it her ambition that such a monument would be brought to fruition for victims of St Josephs and nearby Nazareth House.

Alannah recited Michael Clemengers poem Chiselled in Stone: Your families and the common man and woman/They all turned their minds away/All that is left is this memorial/To remind future generations chiselled in granite stone.
MIE, May 07 (News On Japan) - The Ageuma Shinji (Horse jumping festival) still faces condemnation from animal rights activists, despite the removal of earthen walls to improve safety.

The annual festival takes place every May at the Tado Taisha Shrine in Mie Prefecture, dating back about 700 years, where horses climb steep slopes and leap over barriers.

Last year, due to injuries suffered by a horse, which led to its euthanasia and allegations of animal abuse, changes were made for this year's event, including the removal of barriers.

On the day of the event, all participating horses successfully completed the ascent without injuries, in front of a large crowd of onlookers.

Local spectators expressed mixed feelings about the modifications. Some lamented the loss of historical significance associated with the barriers, while others welcomed the changes, emphasizing the importance of the event itself.

However, the event was not without controversy. Animal welfare groups staged protests at the venue, leading to heated exchanges between supporters and opponents of the ritual, with police intervention required to maintain order.

Despite differing opinions, the local authorities overseeing the event stated that no significant violations of animal welfare laws were observed.

The organizers pledged to continue reviewing the event with input from experts as they navigate the ongoing debate surrounding the festival.

Source: ANN
The Law Society of Ireland has announced the winners of the National Grainne ONeill Memorial Legal Essay Competition at an event held at the Law Society.

Transition Year student Patrick Galvin, Abbey Community College, Waterford was announced as the overall winner of this years competition. Jack Wu from Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone, Sligo was awarded second place.

The competition aims to inspire young peoples legal learning by encouraging students from a wide range of backgrounds to consider contemporary justice issues. The competition received almost 140 essays from 48 schools across 16 different counties. Each student submitted a 1,500-word essay examining the topic, Climate Change Mitigation; the role the law can play in addressing the climate crisis.

Aoibhe Gordon and Ellie Cowley from Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone and Michael McDonnell, Summerhill College were also among the 30 finalists that attended the event in Dublin.

President of the Law Society Barry MacCarthy, said, The solicitors profession is changing, and the Law Society is committed to supporting legal education for the next generation. With this years essay focused on climate change, the students offered passionate, engaging and reflective essays.

This competition encourages students to consider the law and helps them understand how the law can impact issues that are close to their hearts and areas of their daily lives. We hope this essay competition will inspire students from across the country to continue their legal education, nurture their curiosity for justice issues and to consider a future career in law.

The Grainne ONeill Memorial Legal Essay Competition honours the life and legacy of the late Judge Grainne ONeill. In 2014, Grainne became the youngest judge in Ireland when she was appointed to the District Court. Grainne died in 2018 following a period of illness but, during her life and especially during her years as a judge, Grainne worked diligently to apply the law in a fair, rigorous and compassionate manner.

The competition was initiated by Sligo native, The Hon Mr Justice Keenan Johnson of the Circuit Court, in collaboration with the Midland Solicitors Bar Association in 2019. This is the second year the competition has invited entries from transition year students across the country
North Wexford Councillor and former Garda Joe Sullivan has expressed his disappointment at Justice Minister Helen McEntees decision not to attend the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual delegate conference which took place in Westport, Mayo on Tuesday, April 23.

Minister McEntees decision comes after the GRA announced last month that Garda Commissioner Drew Harris would not be invited to the event.

"This course of action chosen by Minister McEntee clearly sets out the fact that she stands four square behind Commissioner Harris who is not invited, despite the fact that 98 per cent of rank and file Gardai have no confidence in his leadership.

I believe that by attending this conference Minister McEntee would have had a perfect opportunity to meet with the ordinary front line members of An Garda Siochana and have them articulate their concerns in an open and frank manner without the presence of Commissioner Harris who, if one is to listen to on the job gardai, is contributing to the current low morale and general discontent amongst gardai, said Cllr Sullivan.

Cllr Sullivan said the current Garda Commissioner appears to be overzealous and rigid in his application of the rules, regulations and disciplinary procedures which is contributing to the unrest among the rank and file members. He went on to say that the GRA delegate conference could have been an opportunity for Minister McEntee to acquaint herself with these issues.

"I am firmly of the opinion that Minister McEntees course of action in this case is effectively taking sides. In this case, the management side against almost 11,000 men and women who on a daily basis put their lives on the line to ensure that we the citizens can live a peaceful life in the security and knowledge that they are there to protect us and our rights, said Cllr Sullivan.
Pupils from Bridgetown College and the Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace in Wt .Jagiey W Ptockv (General Secondary School in Tue Jagiey in Ptockv) who completed the Erasmus Plus Programme on Thursday afternoon in Bridgetown College. Photo: Ger Hore

Friendships were rekindled and stories shared as Bridgetown College welcomed students and teachers from Plock, Poland for a return visit after their Erasmus trip in December. In total, 12 students and two teachers came to Wexford for ten days and during their stay they were treated to tours of Wexford town, a visit to Johnstown Castle. Waterford Walls and the Museum of Time.

The theme of the Erasmus project was wellbeing, and in keeping with that the students enjoyed a yoga workshop, Irish music and dancing and a Gaelic games taster event.

The students made lasting friendships and links with their guests, and some are planning a return trip to Poland in the future, said Bridgetown College teacher Mary Fitzgerald.
RehabCare Wexford Resource Centre has been nominated for a prestigious Irish Healthcare Centre Award for its work in addressing the unique needs of the ageing population. The nomination recognises the outstanding contribution of Aois Or, the holistic healthcare initiative for older adults which was established over eight years ago.

Aois Or was conceived as a response to the evolving needs of older adults within the Wexford community. Focused on promoting positive well-being, physical activity, and community engagement, the initiative has become synonymous with empowerment and inclusivity.

Grainne Fogarty, Director of RehabCare said, "Aois Ors nomination for the Irish Healthcare Centre Award is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our staff. Aois Or has not only transformed lives but has also fostered a sense of belonging and purpose within our community."

Research conducted over the years has underscored the positive impact of Aois Or on the psychosocial health and well-being of its service users. Drawing from findings by the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) at Trinity College, the initiative has demonstrated that participation in creative activities positively correlates with quality of life and psychological health among older adults.

Ms Fogarty added, Looking ahead, Aois Or remains committed to further enhancing its services to meet the evolving needs of the community. Plans include ongoing consultation sessions with members, expansion of partnerships, and the introduction of new activities aimed at promoting holistic well-being and social inclusion.

The success of Aois Or is not only a reflection of its impact on individuals but also its resonance with RehabCare's broader organisational goals. By providing a distinct and responsive Day service model for older adults, Aois Or embodies RehabCare's commitment to delivering innovative and person-centred care. As we celebrate this nomination, we extend our gratitude to all those who have supported and contributed to the success of Aois Or. Together, we continue to pave the way for healthier, more inclusive communities.

The Irish Healthcare Centre Awards will be held at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dublin on May 10.
Aldi Ireland is calling on Wicklow charities and community organisations to nominate themselves for its 2024 Community Grants programme, which this year features an expanded offering marking the 25th anniversary of the discount supermarket chains presence in Ireland.

By nominating themselves, local charities and organisations will be in with a chance of being awarded with 500 Aldi gift cards. Staff from each of Aldis 161 stores, its two distribution centres and corporate offices will then vote for a charity or community organisation in its local area to make the award to, enabling Aldis staff to help the most worthy and impactful causes they care most about in their local communities.

Last year Wicklow Animal Welfare, Irish Men's Shed Association, Blessington Men's Shed, Five Loaves Bray and Greystones Charity Support were all awarded 500 grants.

For 2024, to coincide with Aldi Irelands 25th anniversary, the retailer will also be selecting 26 charities or community groups, one per county, to receive an additional support of 2,000 worth of Aldi gift cards. To date, Aldis Community Grants programme has donated 620,500 to over 1,000 local charity branches and community groups across Ireland since its inception in 2016. Receiving charities and organisations have ranged from rescue teams to animal sanctuaries, disability support to mental health support, and everything in between.

Launching the campaign, Rachel Nugent, National Sustainability Manager, Aldi Ireland said: It is with great pride that we announce the return of our Community Grants programme for 2024, which has to date seen us distribute over 620,500 to worthy charities and community groups in every county in Ireland. Giving back to the communities we serve has always been hugely important to Aldi.

Every year, we continue to be amazed by the fantastic work carried out by charities and community organisations and we again look forward to supporting their work. 2024 is a special year for Aldi as we mark 25 years of operating in Ireland. To mark that milestone moment, we are expanding our Community Grants programme this year. On top of our 500 donations to all chosen charities, 26 selected charities will receive an additional 2,000 worth of Aldi gift cards, meaning in total we will be supporting worthy organisations right across Ireland to the tune of 137,500 worth of donations.

Aldi has stores in five Co Wicklow locations at Bray, Blessington, Rathnew, Arklow and Greystones.

In order to nominate a club or organisation just visit www.aldi.ie/love-ireland/community.
Kathryn Thomas pictured at The Platinum VIP Style Awards 2024 at The Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Photo: Brian McEvoy.

Kathryn Thomas has admitted she didnt think shed be still working on Operation Transformation after 13 years of hosting the show.

Ms Thomas said Irish people have an affinity for RTEs show and

"What a series that was and I think it was a different direction that the programme went in, she told the Irish Independent.

What a series 13 years later, and 17 years the series has been on  I think Irish people have an affinity for it. I didn't think all of these years later that I'd still be doing it, she said.

Ms Thomas (45) hailed one of the Operation Transformation leaders Anne Cushen as amazing.

The Carlow native also said she loved co-hosting Rose of Tralee alongside Daithi O Se last year.

I so loved working with Daithi, so loved doing the show  trying to bring a female angle to it as well, which was so important to me, she said.

You get 32 women, line them all up and you just go: Why are you doing the show? And they give you all of the reasons: I want to travel, I want to network, I want to connect with my Irish girlfriends.

And the camaraderie on stage. So what I wanted to do was just bring a little bit of that out, which I hope I did.

"And if I'm asked to do it again, it would be to bring it to the next level again.

I've known Daithi for so long, so to be able to have that bit of craic on stage was great, she said.

She also spoke of her two daughters Ellie (6) and Grace (2), who are doing good.

"I honestly don't know what I'm more excited about  being here for the awards or actually having a lie-in in the morning.

"That's like a style tip number one when youre getting ready  get rid of your children! she said on the red carpet of the Platinum VIP Style Awards.
As well as 'Boys from the Blackstuff', Bernard Hughes had roles in hit films such as 'Titanic' and the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy

Bernard Hill, who has died aged 79, was a virtually unknown actor when he played the out-of-work Scouser Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdales Boys from the Blackstuff (1982), a role that made him not only a sought-after and bankable star but also minted a famous catchphrase with his harrowing appeal Gizza job! Go on, gizzit! I could do that!.

In what became a landmark in post-war TV drama in the UK, Hill, playing the maniacal man in black with the Charlie Chaplin moustache, headbutted his way into the public consciousness with his searing portrayal of a man disintegrating before viewers eyes against a 1980s backdrop of a collapsing Merseyside economy. Of the five unemployed Liverpool tarmac-layers featured week by week, it was Hill in Yossers Story who monopolised the publics imagination and sympathy.
Nicola Hanney on surviving ex-garda Paul Moodys four-year campaign of abuse: The way he saw it, I was pregnant with his child, so I was his property now
Africans recruited to work in Russia say they were duped into building drones for use in Ukraine
India and Australia Eager to Finalize CECA Framework

India and Australia are eager to move forward with the proposed full-fledged Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, or CECA. It has been reported that Indias Department of Commerce is collecting input from relevant industries on non-tariff barriers in the Australian market.



In May 2024, Indias Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal led a delegation to Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne where discussions took place among Australian counterparts and representatives of the business community.

Following this, India issued a statement declaring its intention to leverage trade complementarities and untapped potential to bolster economic relations with Australia.

India-Australia ECTA and CECA talks: Progress update

Representatives of both India and Australia praised the seamless execution of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) at the first Joint Committee Meeting (JCM). The ECTA is a limited trade agreement and a precursor to the advantages offered by a full fledged CECA.

In addition, the JCM announced the creation of an institutional system for the regular monthly exchange of preferential import dataa first for free trade agreementsand accepted the committees rules of procedure.

Besides the ECTA results, both countries representatives reviewed the progress made on the ongoing India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) negotiations and discussed steps to move forward and arrive at a fair conclusion.

The CECA agreement between the two countries is expected to include deeper market access and impact digital trade, goods, services, rules of origin and government procurement, and cooperation.

Australia and India first launched negotiations for a CECA in May 2011. There were nine negotiating rounds before both countries decided to suspend negotiations in 2016, pending the outcome of other plurilateral regional agreements. In September 2021, Australia and India formally re-launched CECA negotiations with the intention of quickly concluding an ECTA to swiftly liberalize and deepen bilateral trade in goods and services, and to then use this foundation to resume negotiations on the more ambitious CECA.

Seeking Indian industry inputs on CECA

The Basic Chemicals, Cosmetics, and Dyes Export Promotion Council, or Chemexcil, released a circular on April 29, 2024, stating that the industry body was advised to gather industry feedback on non-tariff barriers concerning exports to Australia at a recent meeting with the Department of Commerce and Goods Track lead for the India-Australia CECA.

According to Chemexcil, the goal is to discuss and learn more about the Indian products that are subject to non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in Australia so that domestic companies can take advantage of the planned CECA. The industry collective claims to have 4000 members, comprising large-scale and small-scale manufacturers and merchant exporters.

Positive trade outcomes for Australia from the ECTA

Since the establishment of the Australia-India ECTA in December 2022, agricultural exports to India have surged by 50 percent, particularly in sheep meat, seafood, broad beans, citrus, and almonds. Meanwhile, industrial exports to India have also seen a notable increase of 30 percent, especially in pharmaceuticals, wood, paper, and cochlear implants.

In February 2024, Dr. S. Janakiraman, the Consul General of India in Sydney, highlighted the importance of soliciting suggestions and recommendations to leverage current opportunities and address operational hurdles before reaching a CECA deal.

Janakiraman acknowledged the upward trend in Australian exports to India and stressed the need for Indian exports to catch up. He expressed hope that the proposed CECA would facilitate increased trade between India and Australia, urging all stakeholders to actively contribute to this effort.

Key discussions at the first Joint Committee Meeting

At the May 4th meeting of the first JCM, the two countries reportedly discussed a number of implementation-related topics, such as market access difficulties for certain items (such as lentils and okra), mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) on organic products, and regulatory obstacles relating to pharmaceutical price and product standards.

Additionally, discussions were held on subjects like the management of tariff rate quotas (TRQs), developments in working groups tackling issues in the wine and whiskey sector, and shared interests like seaside travel and essential minerals.

Aiming for a fair conclusion while building on the achievements of the ECTA, high-level negotiators also assessed the status of the CECA talks.

Summary

India and Australia are keen on expediting negotiations for the CECA, but India is wary of an imbalance in advantages enjoyed following the experience of the ECTA. Indias Department of Commerce is presently gathering industry input on NTBs in the Australian market, and both countries are looking forward to establishing an economic agreement that will support and expand trade relations.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ShareAlike 4.0 International

JP Morgan has upgraded private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank from neutral to overweight, media reports said.

The target price has been raised to Rs 2070 per share, marking a 34 percent increase from the last close, reported Money Control.

JP Morgan stated that the impact after RBI action on F25/26 growth should be minimal. In Q4, the bank demonstrated strong core operating metrics, with headline profit adjusted for one-offs surpassing JPMe by 8 percent. Core PPOP growth stood at +% 12y/y, accompanied by significant fee growth, the news portal reported.

In its latest financial result, the banks PAT for FY24 increased to Rs. 13,782 crore from Rs. 10,939 crore in FY23, up 26% YoY.

PAT for Q4FY24 stood at Rs. 4,133 crore, up 18% YoY from Rs. 3,496 crore in Q4FY23 (up 38% QoQ from  3,005 crore in Q3FY24).

Net Interest Income (NII) for FY24 increased to  25,993 crore, from  21,552 crore in FY23, up 21% YoY and for Q4FY24 increased to Rs. 6,909 crore, from Rs. 6,103 crore in Q4 FY23, up 13% YoY (up 5% QoQ from Rs. 6,554 crore in Q3FY24). Net Interest Margin (NIM) was 5.28% for Q4FY24.

Fees and services for FY24 increased to Rs. 8,464 crore from Rs. 6,790 crore in FY23, up 25% YoY and for Q4FY24 increased to Rs. 2,467 crore from Rs. 1,928 crore in Q4FY23, up 28% YoY (up 15% QoQ from Rs. 2,144 crore in Q3FY24).

Operating costs increased to  16,679 crore in FY24 (Rs.13,787 crore in FY23).

Technology expenses were 10% of total operating cost in FY24. Operating profit for FY24 increased to Rs. 19,587 crore from Rs. 14,848 crore, up 32% YoY and for Q4FY24 increased to Rs. 5,462 crore from Rs. 4,647 crore in Q4FY23, up 18% YoY (up 20% QoQ from Rs. 4,566 crore in Q3FY24).

Customers as at March 31, 2024 were 5.0 cr (4.1 cr as at March 31, 2023).

RBI's recent move against Kotak Mahindra Bank

The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday (April 24, 2024) barred private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank from onboarding new customers online and issuing new credit cards with immediate effect.

The Indian central bank said in a press release: "The Reserve Bank of India has today, in exercise of its powers under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, directed Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (hereinafter referred to as the bank) to cease and desist, with immediate effect, from (i) onboarding of new customers through its online and mobile banking channels and (ii) issuing fresh credit cards."

"The bank shall, however, continue to provide services to its existing customers, including its credit card customers," RBI said.

About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited

Established in 1985, Kotak Mahindra Group is one of India's leading financial services conglomerates.

In February 2003, Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. (KMFL), the Group's flagship company, received banking licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), becoming the first non-banking finance company in India to convert into a bank - Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited. The Bank has four Strategic Business Units  Consumer Banking, Corporate Banking, Commercial Banking, and Treasury, which cater to retail and corporate customers across urban and rural India.

As on 31st December 2023, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has a national footprint of 1,869 branches and 3,239 ATMs, and branches in GIFT City and DIFC (Dubai).
Representative image | Photo courtesy: Unsplash

Bengaluru/IBNS: Four people since January lost their lives to Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as monkey fever, in Karnataka with a new report of death emerging from Shivamogga, media reports said.

The 57-year-old hails from the Uttara Kannada district, which is one of the areas affected by the virus.

Last Friday, a five-year-old girl died of the virus in the Arendur village of Siddapura taluk.

She was admitted to KMC Hospital after her health deteriorated. The girl died after she stopped responding to the treatment.

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao held meetings with legislators and district officers over the outbreak of the virus.

As per a report by The Indian Express, the state government is in talks with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting effective vaccination.

Health officials claim the particular virus spreads due to the bites of ticks that feed on monkeys.

The authorities are conducting a door-to-door awareness campaign following the outbreak of the virus.
New COVID-19 variant is spreading in the USA. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

The United States is witnessing an uptick in new COVID-19 variant cases, triggering concern over a potential summer wave.

The family of variants, nicknamed "FLiRT," after their mutations, include KP.2, which is now the dominant variant in the United States. In recent weeks, KP.2 quickly overtook JN.1, the omicron subvariant that drove a surge in COVID cases this past winter, reported Today.

Quoting U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data, the news channel reported that KP.2 accounts for one in four infections nationwide.

After KP2, the next most common COVID-19 variant currently making its presence felt is JN.1.

It accounts for 22 percent of the cases.

Another FLiRT variant, called KP.1.1, is also circulating in the U.S., but is less widespread than KP.2. It currently accounts for about 7.5% of infections nationwide, Today reported quoting CDC.

The new variants have two additional mutations that set them apart from JN.1 and appear to give them an advantage over previous variants, Dr. Albert Ko, infectious disease physician and professor of public health, epidemiology and medicine at Yale School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com.

It is a part of the omicron family.

The emergence of KP.2 and other FLiRT variants is the "same old story," Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., virologist at Johns Hopkins University, tells TODAY.com.

"The timeline that it happens in, three to six months, is much faster than we see with other viruses like influenza," says Pekosz.

Experts warned that the variety is transmissible.

Its still early days, but the initial impression is that this variant (KP.2) is rather transmissible, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

KP.2 looks very similar to its parental strain JN.1, says Pekosz, which is highly contagious.

"Except it has these two mutations. ... I think these two mutations together are making KP.2 a better virus in that it maintains its ability to transmit, but also now evades some of the pre-existing immunity in the population, says Pekosz.

Albert Ko told the news channel: Its still really early in the emergence of KP.2, but I dont think we need to sound the alarm bells as of yet."

Experts believe it is still very early to say whether the USA will see a summer surge.

"We're not seeing a lot of hospitalizations, and we're certainly much lower than we were in the winter, so I'd say right now we're at a low point, which is reassuring," Ko said.

"It seems like transmission is pretty low right now, and that makes sense because usually the big peaks are in the winter, when people are inside and in more contact," Ko said.

Experts expressed hope that early laboratory studies indicate that the vaccines will continue to provide protection against KP.2.
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

A 35-year-old Delhi-based policy researcher wrote an email to Apple chief Tim Cook to thank him after her smart watch detected her abnormally high heart rate and alerted her.

Sneha Sinha said the notification from her Apple Watch saved her life as she could seek medical help on time.

Sinha said her doctors described her situation as a 'close call'.

"I don't have any pre-existing health conditions. As an avid traveller, I hike and trek in high-altitude mountain regions above 15,000-16,000 feet where oxygen levels are often low, Sinha told Hindustan Times.

"Once I got back home after a usual day, I noticed heart palpitations and used my Apple Watch to monitor it. Despite repeated checks and ECGs showing a higher heart rate, I tried deep breathing, hoping it would resolve in sometime. I thought it may have occurred due to some reason and should calm down soon. I did not take it seriously initially. When it persisted for over 1.5 hours, the ECG indicated the onset of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib). At that point, I decided to seek medical attention and called a friend to take me to the hospital," she told the media outlet.

Sinha soon emailed Cook to express her gratitude.

"I wanted to express my deep gratitude for developing such precise and advanced heart monitoring features. The Apple Watch has demonstrated how innovation and technology can revolutionise healthcare and save lives... I found his email address on the internet," Sinha told Hindustan Times.

She claimed Cook replied to her mail.

"After I shared my story with Tim, within just a few hours he wrote back saying- I'm so glad you sought medical attention and received the treatment you needed. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us," she said.
Photo courtesy: Unsplash

Ahmedabad/IBNS: Six-seven schools in Ahmedabad received emails threatening of terror, days after about 100 educational institutions faced the same in Delhi and Noida, media reports said.

Police teams along with bomb squads have been deployed after the schools reached out to them.

Among the schools are Delhi Public School, Anand Niketan.

In Delhi last week, the schools were evacuated after the classes were stopped midway and students were asked to leave after they received bomb threats via emails. Examinations in some of the schools were also disrupted.

The threat emails were hoax, police said after the probe.
Photo courtesy: X/@VijayWadettiwar

New Delhi/IBNS: The BJP has lashed out at the Congress over its LoP in Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar's controversial remark where he claimed Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by Pakistan-based terrorist Ajmal Kasab but a policeman linked to the RSS during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took to X to slam the Congress over "appeasement politics" and accused the grand old party of making the argument similar to the ones usually placed by India's hostile neighbour Pakistan.

Malviya posted on X, "Like the Batla House encounter, Congress leader and LoP in Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar says, "'Hemant Karkare was not killed by bullets of terrorists, like Ajmal Kasab, but by a cop close to the RSS."

"This is shocking and demeaning those who laid down their lives fighting the worst ever terror attack on India, just to appease a community, for votes. This is the same argument Pakistan makes in their defence."

Like the Batla House encounter, Congress leader and LoP in Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar says, Hemant Karkare was not killed by bullets of terrorists, like Ajmal Kasab, but by a cop close to the RSS.

This is shocking and demeaning those who laid down their pic.twitter.com/v8QjxsRXW2  Amit Malviya (  ) (@amitmalviya) May 5, 2024

Speaking to the reporters on Sunday, Wadettiwar said as quoted by Deccan Herald, "Hemant Karkare was not killed by bullets of terrorists like Ajmal Kasab, but by a policeman close to RSS

"Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared as special public prosecutor, is a traitor who suppressed this fact and BJP has given an election ticket to a traitor who suppressed this fact and BJP has given an election ticket to a traitor like him."

Meanwhile, the BJP has moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking action against Wadettiwar for defaming Nikam, who is fighting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Dropping outgoing MP Poonam Mahajan, the BJP has fielded public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam from the Mumbai North Central constituency.

Soon after Nikam's candidature, Congress had hit out at the BJP claiming the saffron party fielded someone who allegedly lied about Kasab being served Biryani in jail.
Photo courtesy: X/@HemantSorenJMM

Ranchi/New Delhi/IBNS: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of his bail plea by the high court last week, media reports said.

The Jharkhand High Court on May 3 dismissed Soren's writ petition challenging his arrest in the land scam case and denied him a bail.

Soren was arrested in connection with an alleged mafia racket involving the illegal transfer of land ownership in Jharkhand.

He resigned from his position as Jharkhand Chief Minister just before his arrest.

Denying the allegations against him, he accused the BJP of exploiting investigative agencies to undermine democratically elected governments.

During a raid at Soren's Delhi home on January 29, ED officials uncovered the BMW car, a blue SUV bearing a Haryana license plate.

Meanwhile, a PMLA court will on May 10 deliver its verdict on Soren's bail plea.
Photo Courtesy: X viral image grab

Security forces have released sketches of two suspected terrorists who carried out an attack on the Indian Air Force's (IAF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday.

The Army's operation to catch the suspects entered its third day on Monday (May 6, 2024).

General Manoj Pande #COAS and All Ranks of #IndianArmy salute the supreme sacrifice of the #Braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who laid down his life in the line of duty in Poonch Sector and express deepest condolences to the bereaved family. https://t.co/vgAtycdHI9  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 5, 2024

The security forces also announced a bounty of Rs. 20 lakhs and assured people that the identities of those sharing details of the terrorists will not be revealed.

Also Read: IAF soldier killed, 5 injured in J&K convoy attack by terrorists

It is pertinent to note that a well-coordinated joint operation by the army and police is underway in many areas, including Shahsitar, Gursai, Sanai, and Sheendara Top, in connection with neutralising the terrorists who are believed to have fled into a forest after the attack, reported India TV.

According to reports, 20 people have been detained so far.

At least five Indian security forces personnel were injured when terrorists were engaged in a gunfight with them in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch region on Saturday.

The attack occurred when the forces were moving towards Sanai Top in the district's Surankote area.

The injured people were shifted to a nearby military hospital for medical treatment.

IAF's Corporal Vikky Pahade died later.
Photo Courtesy: UNI File Photo

The Enforcement Directorate has said it has taken possession of the frozen crypto assets worth close to Rs 90 crore, available in 70 accounts, maintained with Binance, ZebPay and WazirX holding funds, which were linked to the E-Nugget scam .

"These crypto assets were subsequently taken into possession of ED and transferred into the Crypto wallet of ED," the agency said in a statement.

What is E-Nugget scam?

Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kolkata, said it led a successful operation against a major online gaming app scam known as E-Nugget.

The E-Nugget app, masqueraded as a gaming platform, promised users high returns on their investments.

Offering a series of enticing games designed for real-money wagering and promising users hefty commissions, the app painted a picture of a golden investment opportunity.

"However, this facade quickly fell apart once investments were made, with the app going dark and leaving investors stranded without a way to reclaim their funds," the agency said.

The unravelling began in 2022 when ED exposed the operation and discovered that part of the ill-gotten gains was invested in digital assets.

"During investigation, nearly 2500 mule/ dummy bank accounts were identified, and the same were analyzed," the statement said.

During searches, cash amount totaling to Rs. 19 Crore approx. were seized.

Mastermind of the scam namely Aamir Khan was also arrested and is presently in Judicial Custody.
Photo Courtesy: X page video grab

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear petitions on the forest fires in Uttarakhand on May 8.

The petition reportedly said 90 percent of the fire was 'man-made'.

A Bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai instructed the petitioners, including senior advocate Rajiv Dutta, to inform the amicus curiae, advocate K. Parameshwar, reported The Hindu.

The Uttarakhand government, represented by its Deputy Advocate General, said he would attend the hearing in person.

The government also sought permission to file a status report by the next hearing.

Dutta was quoted as saying by The Hindu that the situation was shocking.

There is carbon flying all over the place, he submitted.

Raging fires are creating havoc in several forest ranges of Uttarakhand.

Four deaths have been reported so far.

The latest victim of the fire is reportedly a 28-year-old woman.
Photo courtesy: Facebook/Arvind Kejriwal & X/VK Saxena

New Delhi/IBNS: In a turn of events Monday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has called for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into allegations against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal receiving political funding from the banned Sikhs For Justice group founded by wanted terrorist Gurpatwant Pannun.

Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has hit back swiftly with leader Saurabh Bhardwaj dismissing the call for a probe by the anti-probe agency as a "conspiracy" against the party and its leader.

"LG sir is an agent of the BJP... This is another big conspiracy against Chief Minister Kejriwal at the behest of the BJP," he said in a brief statement.

The allegations are the latest in a long-running tug-of-war between the AAP and the Centre.

It comes less than three weeks before the national capital votes in the general election. In 2019 the BJP won all Delhi's seven seats.

In a detailed letter to the Union Home Secretary, Saxena referred to a video (which he said was enclosed with the missive) in which Pannun declared that Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party "received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups..."

"... Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party..." the LG's letter said, citing a complaint from a Hindu religious body and tweets by a former AAP worker.

The AAP boss reportedly received money to "espouse pro-Khalistani sentiments", he claimed,

Bhullar, a former professor, was convicted in the 1993 Delhi bomb blasts case. In 2001 he was given the death sentence but that was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Kejriwal is already in jail over corruption charges in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Delhi CM and the AAP have denied all charges, labelling them acts of "political vendetta" by the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Images of two accused in the case released by Victoria Police Department on X

A 22-year-old Indian student, studying MTech in Australia , was allegedly stabbed to death as he tried to intervene in a fight between a group of Indian students, the victim's uncle said Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday at 9 pm local time in Melbourne. Another student was also seriously injured during the fight.

According to the victim's uncle, Navjeet Sandhu was "fatally stabbed in the chest" with a knife by another student when he was trying to mediate a confrontation over a dispute related to rent between a group of Indian students.

"Navjeet's friend (another Indian student) had asked him to accompany him to his house to pick up his belongings as he had a car. While his friend went inside, Navjeet heard some shouting and saw there was a fight. When Navjeet tried to intervene asking them not to fight, he was fatally stabbed in the chest with a knife," said the victim's uncle, Yashvir in Haryana's Karnal.

The accused also hail from Karnal.

The Victoria police department has released images of two people involved in the stabbing in Ormond in Melbourne's south-east.

Homicide Squad detectives are releasing details and images of two men they are searching for following a stabbing in Ormond yesterday where one man was killed and another was seriously injured.



More info: https://t.co/vm3FtbvzWQ pic.twitter.com/CmKlCtXz6r  Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) May 6, 2024

"A search is currently underway for brothers Abhijeet and Robin Gartan, both of Indian descent" the Victoria Police department says.

"Abhijeet is 26-years-old and described as being 170 cm tall with a solid build and black hair, Gartan is 27-years-old and is also described as being 170 cm tall with a solid build and black hair," they added.

The accused are "travelling in a stolen 2014 white Toyota Camry sedan with registration 1ZO 2QW," according to the Victoria Police Department.

"Navjeet was a brilliant student and was to join his family in July for vacations," Yashvir said, adding that the family is in a complete state of shock after the incident.

Navjeet was on a one-and-a-half-year work visa in Australia, according to Yashvir.

He also said that Navjeet's father had sold one-and-half acres of their land to fund his education in Australia.
Photo credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons

Male/New Delhi/IBNS: Amid souring of ties with New Delhi over its " India Out " campaign and pro-China approach, Maldives Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal has urged Indian tourists to not shun the archipelagic, heavily tourism-dependent country in the Indian Ocean.

We have a history. Our newly elected government also wants to work together (with India). We always promote peace and a friendly environment," said Faisal speaking to PTI Videos.

"Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals. As the Tourism Minister, I want to tell Indians to please be a part of Maldives tourism. Our economy depends on tourism, said the minister of Maldives, known for its crystal clear waters and white sand beaches.

During the pandemic, there was a beeline of Indian tourists to Maldives, which was open to tourism despite the Covid-related restrictions worldwide.

However, diplomatic tensions reached a flashpoint last year between the two countries over remarks made by some Maldives ministers against Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep, to promote the Indian Union Territory having the potential to compete with tourism major Maldives.

Last month, pro-China Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's Peoples National Congress (PNC) took control of the Parliament by winning the election clinching over 60 of the total 93 seats, highlighting the Island Nation's further tilt towards India's hostile rival China.

The Maldives, which comprises some 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered across 800 kilometres (500 miles) on the equator, is considered as one of the top beach destinations in the world.

Apart from its scenic beauty, the country is known for its luxury hotels and water villas.

The pro-China Maldivian President faced massive domestic criticism for his anti-India stance as the main opposition parties of the country, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the Democrats, slammed Muizzu for distancing from India, the island nation's "most long-standing ally " and source of tourists.

Besides expressing concern over the new foreign policy of Muizzu-led government in Maldives, the opposition parties took to the street in January in protest.

After Muizzu set a March 15 deadline for Indian military personnel to withdraw from the islands, India has begun pulling out.

Muizzu has spelt out that no Indian military personnel, not even those in civilian clothing, would be allowed inside his country after May 10. Muizzu asked India to withdraw 90-odd military personnel from the Maldives.

India has agreed to replace the military personnel with civilians and to continue the operations of two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided to the country for humanitarian and medical evacuation services, media reports said.

Indian military personnel were sent to the Maldives at various times for training Maldivian troops, in both combat and reconnaissance and rescue-aid operations.

Muizzu alleged that his predecessor had compromised on national sovereignty by allowing India troops in the Maldivian islands.

However, the pro-China Maldives President has recently struck a reconciliatory tone and said India will continue to remain his country's closest ally as he had to urge New Delhi to provide debt relief to the country.
Photo courtesy: IBNS File

Kolkata/IBNS: The Kolkata Police has taken a stern note over a meme on Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanded that the makers reveal their names and addresses.

"You are directed to immediately disclose your identity including name and residence. If the information sought is not revealed, you shall be liable for legal action u/s 42 CrPC," read a post from the Kolkata Police responding to the tweet.

This is not the first time the Bengal police have cracked down on tweets and memes mocking the Chief Minister.

In 2022, a 29-year-old YouTuber was arrested from Nadia district for allegedly creating memes about Mamata Banerjee.

Calling the memes "derogatory", the police said the complaint named seven other content creators.

In 2019, a BJP youth wing member was arrested for posting a morphed photo of Banerjee on Facebook.

The crackdown on people posting social media content considered objectionable started in 2012, when a Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was arrested for allegedly forwarding an email containing a cartoon of Banerjee.

The incident had set off a huge debate over freedom of speech and expression where political leaders are concerned.
In image polling officers preparing EVMs for third phase/courtesy: PIB

New Delhi/IBNS: Polling in 93 constituencies across 10 states and two Union Territories will be held on Tuesday as the third of the mammoth seven-phase Lok Sabha Election rolls around.

The election in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency in Jammu and Kashmir has been postponed to May 25 after the BJP flagged concern about the weather that forced shut a tunnel connecting the two ends of the constituency.

The Election Commission has called upon voters to turn out in greater numbers at polling stations and vote with responsibility and pride.

The states going to polls in phase 3 include Assam (4 seats), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Goa (2), Gujarat (26), Karnataka (14), Madhya Pradesh (8), Maharashtra (11), Uttar Pradesh (10), West Bengal (4), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2).

Photo courtesy: PIB

Most of the BJP strongholds will go to polls in this phase. With this coming to an end, polling on more than half of the 543 parliamentary seats would have voted.

In 2019, the saffron party won 72 of the 93 seats going to polls in this phase of which 26 of them were in Gujarat alone.

The other state where the BJP had done extremely well, Karnataka, could be a dark horse given the massive sex scandal that has hit BJP ally Janata Dal-Secular.

Polling will also be held in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, where the election due on Phase 2 was postponed following the death of a candidate from Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party.

Key candidates for this phase include Union ministers Amit Shah from Gujarat's Gandhinagar, Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna, Madhya Pradesh, Pralhad Joshi from Karnataka's Dharwad and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.

Photo courtesy: Amit Shah

The key Opposition members in the fray include Samajwadi Party's Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh; Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Berhampore, West Bengal, and Digvijaya Singh from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh; NCP's Supriya Sule from Maharashtra's Baramati. Perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal of AIDUF is contesting from Assam's Dhubri.

Over 17.24 crore voters including 8.85 crore males and 8.39 crore females will exercise their franchise in this phase.

Ahead of phase three, the ECI has partnered with four major Telecom Service ProvidersBharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., Bharti Airtel Limited, Jio Telecommunication, and Vodafone-Idea Ltd. to facilitate messages, and voice calls featuring national and state icons, before and on polling days, to encourage voter participation.

The commission also appealed to all organisations, startups, and unicorns to actively participate in the outreach programme and become ambassadors and influencers of the ECI.

The remaining four phases of polls will continue till the 1st of June with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.

Polling for 189 seats was completed in the first two phases of the general elections. Phase 3 will witness the visit of a large number of foreign delegates to experience Indias polling process and management. 75 delegates from 23 countries will visit polling stations in six states, as part of the International Election Visitor Programme.
Photo Courtesy: IDF X page

Israeli authorities have shut down the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza after Hamas members fired rockets from within the strip, media reports said.

Israel said the attack killed three of its soldiers, injuring several others, BBC reported.

The Israel Defense Forces posted on X: "While the IDF is facilitating humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, terrorists fire rockets into the same area."

MOMENTS AGO: Sirens sounding in Kerem Shalom.



While the IDF is facilitating humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, terrorists fire rockets into the same area.



Israel remains committed to providing life-saving aid while Hamas remains  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 5, 2024

"Israel remains committed to providing life-saving aid while Hamas remains committed to destroying lives," it said.

Meanwhile, The Israeli Cabinet has unanimously voted to shut down the operations of Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera.

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu accused Al Jazeera of 'incitement'.

He said the decision was 'unanimously' taken by the Cabinet.

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X: "The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel."

Ofir Gendelman, the prime ministers spokesperson to the Arab world, said the decision will be immediately effective.

"This decision will be effective immediately, according to which broadcast equipment will be confiscated, the channels correspondents will be prevented from working, the channel will be removed from cable and satellite television companies, and Al Jazeeras websites will be blocked on the Internet," he posted on X.

Israel has accused the network of being biased and collaborating with the Hamas group.

The Qatar-based network has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The decision escalates Israels long-running feud against Al Jazeera. It also threatens to heighten tensions with Qatar, which funds the media network, at a time when Doha is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza, the network reported.

The network is one of the few international media houses reporting from Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing at least 1200 people.

More than 250 people were taken hostage.

128 hostages are still unaccounted for while 34 are presumed dead.

At least 34,683 Palestinians have been killed and 78,018 injured in Gaza since 7 October, according to the Hamas-run health ministry as quoted by BBC.
While Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi is a total fictional story based on a real place, Heeramandi, a red light area in Lahore Pakistan, here is a real story of a Tawaif aka courtesan who became a Pakistani actress, quite successful one as she was the highest paid item girl of her time. However, destiny had its own plan. She was murdered by her own husband.

Here's the true story of Nargis Begum AKA Niggo, a courtesan from Heeramandi

X

Born in the red-light area of Lahore, Nargis Begum aka Niggo was born to a courtesan of Heeramandi who used to organsie mujras to support her family. Niggo followed her mother's footsteps and used to dance at mujras after she grew up. Intrestingly, the Pakistani film industry also known as Lollywood was also in Lahore, and often, filmmakers would take courtesans in their films, as most women were too shy to dance in front of the camera at that time.

From Tawaif at Heeramandi to a Pakistani movie star!

X

This how Niggo became an actress. Her dancing skills impressed filmmakers and she willingly accepted the offer to fo Pakistani films and thus became and actress. She made her debut in 1964 with a film called Ishrat. One after the other opportunities came her way and soon she became popular. She did about 100 movies and mostly danced in them. Hence, she became the highest paid item girl.

Also Read: 9 Photos Of Real-Life Heeramandi That Show How Different It Was From Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Imagination

Niggo fell in love and married a film producer against her family's wish

Nargis Begum fell in love with producer Khawaja Mazhar during the shoot of Qasu in 1971. Despite Niggo's family not agreeing, they both got married. Tawaifs getting married was frowned upon at that time. After her marriage, Niggo also stopped working in movies, and her relationship with Heeramandi also ended, which was the only livelihood of her family. Her mother, hence, tried to bring her back.

Her husband killed her!

X

Niggo's mother faked an illness and got her back to Heeramandi, where she brainwashed her and emotionally blackmailed her into staying back. On the other side, Khawaja Mazhar was becoming desperate to get her back. When his efforts went in vain as Niggo kept denying to come back, he shot her dead. In January 1972, he went to her kotha and asked her to come with him. When she refused, he opened fire at her and her family thus killing them all. Nargis Begum, her uncle, and a musician, all present at the scene, passed away on the spot. Mazhar received a life sentence for their murders.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.
Xi Jinping, "a sincere friend of Serbia"

17:05, May 06, 2024 By Tian Dongdong, Deng Yushan ( Xinhua

BELGRADE/BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Situated by the scenic Danube River, the Smederevo Steelworks had long been hailed as the pride of Serbia before it slid to bankruptcy more than two decades ago.

Thanks to the deepening of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia, the century-old factory made a remarkable comeback in 2016 when its Chinese partner arrived.

In just a couple of months, the steel mill started turning a profit. It has now become one of the world's largest iron and steel makers and integrated service providers measured by production capacity.

The rebirth of the steel mill stands as a key epitome of the broader practical cooperation between the two countries.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping pays his second state visit to the European country in the coming days, expectations are running high that the ironclad friendship between the two nations will be further enriched and strengthened.

Many big Chinese investment projects here were brought about by President Xi, former Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said. "He is a sincere friend of Serbia."

AN ICON REBORN

During his first state visit to Serbia in 2016, Xi offered a strong helping hand to the Smederevo Steelworks, ushering in a wave of Chinese support.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic clearly remembers how he, then as prime minister, approached Xi during the latter's visit with the idea of saving the struggling company. Xi assured him with a famous Chinese saying that "promises must be kept, and actions must be resultful."

"What we pledge to do, such as introducing cutting-edge technology, ensuring local employment, and benefiting the wider community, must be achieved without fail," Xi told the workers when visiting the factory.

Vladan Mihailovic, executive director for production at the steelworks, described Xi's visit as a turning point. With Xi's support, China offered sustained assistance to Serbia to revive the factory.

"The president's commitments, especially regarding the modernization of production facilities, have become a reality," said Mihailovic.

About 60 km away to the northwest of the steelworks nestles the Belgrade Centre railway station, the starting point of another Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation project Xi cares about -- the Belgrade-Novi Sad high-speed railway.

As a segment of the Serbia-Hungary railway, it began operations in March 2022 and has since been shuttling passengers between Serbia's two largest cities at speeds of up to 200 km per hour. Vucic dubbed it "a gift for future generations."

The flourishing cooperation between Beijing and Belgrade within the framework of the BRI epitomizes the growing synergy between development strategies of the two countries, which has significantly bolstered bilateral economic and trade relations.

According to Chinese customs statistics, the total trade volume between China and Serbia in 2023 reached 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 23.7 percent compared to the previous year.

In October last year, witnessed by Xi and Vucic, China and Serbia signed a free trade agreement in Beijing, the first one inked between China and a Central and Eastern European country. After the deal takes effect, more than 60 percent of taxable items will become tariff-free immediately, and the final import volume proportion of both sides with zero-tariff items will reach about 95 percent.

"China is one of the most important partners for Serbia's economic development," said Nenad Stekic, a research fellow with the Institute of International Politics and Economics, a Serbian think tank.

"Since we elevated our relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, the relationship has been really going on an upward trajectory across the board," he added.

A FRIEND IN NEED

Both the steel mill and the iron rail bear witness to the special rapport between the two nations, which has been forged with blood and lives. In the face of difficulties and challenges, the Chinese and Serbian people have always supported each other through thick and thin.

When the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc across the world, China extended timely help to Serbia. Providing Serbia with protective equipments, medical instruments and vaccines, China also dispatched a team of medical professionals to help it better contain the pandemic.

It was already late night hours when Chinese medical team landed at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport. Vucic headed a group of senior officials to greet the experts. While handshaking was not advisable during the outbreak, the Serbian leader chose to elbow-bump with every member of the Chinese team. He also kissed a Chinese national flag in a show of gratitude for China's timely support.

The Chinese people "have proven as friends in the most difficult times when we fight for lives of Serbian people," Vucic said.

In the following month, Serbia awarded its most prestigious military awards to the Chinese medical team members, recognizing their invaluable contribution to the country's battle against the pandemic.

When China was facing difficulties, Serbia also rushed to help. After a massive earthquake flattened China's Wenchuan county in 2008, Serbia offered speedy assistance to China and provided a large amount of relief supplies to the people in the affected areas.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed. That's a great sentence," Vucic told Xinhua.

A BOND IRONCLAD

"An ironclad friend" is how Xi describes Serbia in China's foreign relations. In Chinese diplomatic discourse, the term conveys a special meaning.

Serbia is proud of its ironclad friendship with China, and China has always treated Serbia as equal, Vucic told Xi during his visit to China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October last year.

An ironclad friendship, commented Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, implies close relations, close communication and close cooperation on the basis of true respect for each other's core interests. All these features apply to the China-Serbia relationship.

Taking a stroll through Belgrade's Kalemegdan Park, a symbol of Serbia's resilience, heritage and natural beauty, during his 2016 visit, Xi expressed his profound respect for the country and its people.

"The Serbian people, with an indomitable spirit, have revived time and again in history like the phoenix nirvana, which the Chinese people admire very much," said the Chinese president, who maintains that all countries, regardless of size, are equal members of the international community and should coexist peacefully and learn from each other.

Guided by Xi's philosophy, China firmly supports Serbia on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns, making their ironclad friendship a good example of equal treatment and mutual benefit between countries of different sizes.

The bond between the two countries is reinforced not only through diplomacy but also through mutual respect and understanding, emphasized Aleksandar Vulin, a former Serbian minister of defense and internal affairs.

"Serbia holds profound respect for the People's Republic of China, not merely due to its size, but owing to the exemplary leadership it embodies," he added. "China knows how to talk and listen. China is a partner, not a commander. China does not dictate, China advises." Enditem

(Xinhua reporters Liu Chang, Zheng Kaijun, Su Liang, Zhang Yuan, Liu Xiuling in Beijing, and Shi Zhongyu in Belgrade also contributed to this story.)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Even a Pakistani viewer has complained that Heeramandi never looked like how Bhansali has shown in the web series. Several others wonder why the ace filmmaker always sympathises with courtesans in his films - from Chandramukhi in Devdas to Mallikajaan in Heeramandi, do you know Bhansali's childhood has a big impact on his style of filmmaking?

Well, even before the eight-part web series was released, Bhansali had admitted that real-life Heeramandi is far different from how he has shown in the film. He used his artistic freedom to make it look royal. "It can never be real as art is not real," Bhansali told architecturaldigest.in. "Can you touch a Kishori Amonkar raag? Can you take a Gaitonde painting and say lets place it in reality? You cant," he added.

Real-Life Photos Of Heeramandi

If you are also wondering what real-life heeramandi looked like? Here are 11 photos that show how different the place in Pakistan is from what Bhansali has shown in the web series.



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Vivek Agnihotri on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi

Not just people, even Vivek Agnihotri slammed the Bhansali web series for being far from authentic. "I havent seen the show, but I have visited Heeramandi in Lahore a few times. Bollywood has this tendency to romanticize courtesans and brothels. Its a sad commentary because brothels have never been places of opulence, glamour or beauty. These are monuments of human injustice, pain and suffering. Those unfamiliar with this should watch Shyam Benegals Mandi," he wrote on Twitter.

Also read: Heeramandi: Pakistani Writer Umera Ahmed Calls Out Makers, Says Her 2004 Book Is Featured In SLB's Show



He added, "Also, a question we must ask: Does creativity give us the freedom to glamorize human suffering? Is it okay to make a film where slum life is depicted as a life of abundance? Is it okay to portray slum dwellers wearing clothes as if they are attending an Ambani wedding? Pl discuss".

Also read: Heeramandi Photos: Pakistani Viewer Claims Inaccuracies In Bhansali Series, Shares Images As Evidence



What do you have to say about the creative liberties Bhansali took in Heeramandi? Let us know your views 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.
Mumbai School Summer Vacation Dates 2024: As the weather gets hotter in India, many states have decided to start the school summer holidays early to make sure students stay safe during the very hot weather. From Mumbai to Punjab and Jharkhand, officials have told schools to close earlier than usual and change the timings to keep students safe from the extreme heat.

What is a summer vacation?

The term "summer vacation" or "summer break" signifies a period during the summer when schools are closed between academic years. Students typically have time off ranging from two weeks to three and a half months, depending on the country and school district. Staff may also have varying degrees of time off during this period, ranging from partial to full exclusion.

Mumbai School Summer Vacation dates 2024

As temperatures soar across India, several states have announced early summer vacations for schools to ensure the well-being of students amid the scorching heatwave. Schools in Maharashtra declared an early summer vacation due to the heat, starting from April 18th, 2024. Schools will reopen on June 15 and on June 30 for Vidarbha region.

Mumbai School | Mid day

Summer Vacation Dates For Delhi Schools 2024: Check The Full Schedule



Maharashtra School Holiday List 2024

Below is the complete list of scheduled public holidays in Maharashtra for schools, colleges, and offices in 2024. These holidays are observed statewide, and educational institutions and government offices will remain closed on these days.

Scheduled Public Holidays in Maharashtra for 2024 S. No. Holiday Name Date Day 1 Republic Day 26th January 2024 Friday 2 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti 19th February 2024 Monday 3 Mahashivratri 8th March 2024 Friday 4 Holi (Second Day) 25th March 2024 Monday 5 Good Friday 29th March 2024 Friday 6 Gudhi Padwa 9th April 2024 Tuesday 7 Ramzan-Id (Id-Ul-Fitr) (Shawal-1) 11th April 2024 Thursday 8 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti 14th April 2024 Sunday 9 Ram Navami 17th April 2024 Tuesday 10 Mahavir Janmakalyanak 21st April 2024 Sunday 11 Maharashtra Din 01st May 2024 Thursday 12 Buddha Purnima 23rd May 2024 Thursday 13 Bakri ID (Id-Ul-Zuha) 17th June 2024 Monday 14 Muharram 17th July 2024 Tuesday 15 Independence Day 15th August 2024 Thursday 16 Parsi New Year (Shahenshahi) 15th August 2024 Thursday 17 Ganesh Chaturthi 7th September 2024 Saturday 18 Id-E-Milad 16th September 2024 Monday 19 Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti 2nd October 2024 Tuesday 20 Dussehra 12th October 2024 Saturday 21 Diwali Amavasya (Laxmi Pujan) 1st November 2024 Friday 22 Diwali (Bali Pratipada) 2nd November 2024 Saturday 23 Guru Nanak Jayanti 15th November 2024 Friday 24 Christmas 25th December 2024 Wednesday

Since these announcements are made by different states, the exact dates might differ depending on the district and school board. It's best to check the official website of your state's education department or your child's school for the latest and most accurate information about the summer vacation dates.

ALSO READ: From UP To Delhi School Holidays Announces In Many States In India, Check List Here

For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events.


For Indian students pursuing studies abroad, particularly in the USA, even in prestigious Ivy League institutions, the outlook appears bleak. Securing internships, let alone job opportunities, has become increasingly challenging amidst a slowdown in hiring.

Local hiring being given a push in the US

According to sources familiar with the situation, many students studying in the US have faced difficulties securing internship offers, which are crucial for gaining on-the-job experience before entering the competitive job market.

BCCL

Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founder of Collegify, an education consulting company, mentioned to ET that around 400 undergraduate students from both the East and West Coasts, including those in Ivy League schools, whom he counseled over the years, did not receive any internship offers this summer.



The global economic slowdown is the major reason behind the impact on entry-level job opportunities, as reported by several students, education consultants, and Indian-American professionals in the US.

Pinterest

Furthermore, the tendency of many companies to prioritise hiring local students during an election year is another factor contributing to the lack of internship opportunities for Indian students, since US elections are slated for November.



Ivy league students facing the heat

Even students at Ivy League schools are facing challenges.

Also read: Want To Study In An Ivy League College? Here's All You Need To Know



The Ivy League consists of eight prestigious private universities in the United States known for their top-notch academics and tough admissions standards, which include Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.

Representative image/ Sunday Guardian

For instance, a 22-year-old senior at Harvard University, studying economics and psychology, has applied to many companies over the past six months but hasn't secured a summer internship yet.



Also read: Career Opportunities & Cultural Experiences Motivate Indian Students To Study Abroad: Survey

This year, it's especially tough for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students, who were previously in high demand. Many technology, consulting, and modern companies are either laying off employees or freezing hiring.

According to Khandelwal, there are hardly any job opportunities for basic coding skills unless they involve AI (artificial intelligence) or emerging technologies.

Despite American colleges actively attracting foreign students, including Indians, the situation remains challenging. The number of Indian students heading to the US for education is at an all-time high.

For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education.
Life didn't give 10-year-old Jaspreet time to grow up, and reality shifted 180 degrees the day he lost his father to Tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Today, along with his studies and school, he manages his father's rolls stall to make ends meet. His heartbreaking story has touched struck a chord with millions. What's undeniable is his resilience, courage and grit. A blogger recently visited his stall in Delhi and here's what he learnt.

Why did 10-year-old Jaspreet turn to selling rolls?

10-Year-old Jaspreet lost his father to Tuberculous meningitis recently | Image: Instagram/mrsinghfoodhunter

Also read: 'Choti Choti Khushiyan': Woman's Sweet Surprise For Auto Driver Wins Hearts

While conversing with Sarabjeet Singh (Instagram/@mrsinghfoodhunter) who was recording the video, the 10-year-old revealed his heartbreaking life story.

His father used to run the stall in Delhi until he breathed his last after a battle with Tuberculous meningitis (TBM). With his mother having gone back to Punjab, 10-year-old Jaspreet took the helm. He and his 14-year-old sister currently live in the city with their uncle.

The video was captioned: "10       Zimedariyo  ." The caption further reveals the location of the stall which is near "Tilak Vihar Police station, Opp. Sunny juice, Tilak Nagar, West Delhi."

How does he keep going?

Jaspreet and his elder sister live in Delhi with their uncle | Instagram/mrsinghfoodhunter

Also read: Woman Gets Rs 41 Lakh From Parents For 'Big' Wedding, She Elopes & Buys New Home Instead

So how does he find the will to keep going? "I am the son of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Will fight as long as I have the strength," the boy responded in Punjabi.

Jaspreet, who was taught how to cook by his father, proudly sells a variety of rolls including chicken roll, chowmein rolls and various others.

How did the internet react?

Also read: Delhi Metro Turns Into WWE Battleground As 2 Men Get Into A Nasty Fight



After being shared on Instagram on April 28, the video raked in 9 million views, 9.59 lakh likes and heartwarming comments to match.

"God bless you little one," wrote one user. "Waheguru ji always bless you beta," added another, while a third commented "God bless you and your sister  may you shine bright in future, u have lotss of blessings you will go through all this and make it happen to the top one day."

Watch the viral video below:





What do you think of this? Hit us up in the comments section and let us know.



There's a whole lot more on Indiatimes Trending. You can also follow us on Telegram.
US Billionaire investor Warren Buffet made some note-worthy statements at Berkshires annual meeting held recently. He spoke on a variety of issues, including the India opportunity, stock market outlook, US dollar, AI, Apple stake cuts, global investments and more.



He mentioned that the Indian market has unexplored potential and his conglomerate holding company, Berkshire Hathaway would like to explore it in the future.

There may be an unexplored or an unattended opportunitybut that may be something in the future, he said about India.

Buffet Voices Concerns About AI

warren buffett /businessinsider

At the meeting, the 93-year-old Buffet also shared his two cents on the impact of Artificial Intelligence and his deep concerns.



Buffett drew parallels between the revolutionary impact of AI and that of nuclear energy. He recounted a striking experience where he witnessed a lifelike video of himself delivering a message he had never actually spoken.

He said, I had one experience that does make me a little nervous, and Ill just explain it. Fairly recently, I saw an image in front of my eyes on the screen, and it was me and it was my voice. And wearing the kind of clothes I wear. My wife or my daughter wouldnt have been able to detect any difference. And it was delivering a message that no way came from me.

He Compared AI To Atomic Forces, Calls It A Genie That Can't Be Put Back In The Bottle

Pexels

Buffett acknowledged his lack of expertise in AI but acknowledged its importance and its irreversible nature, drawing a comparison to the atomic forces unleashed in the past century. He expressed concern, stating, Last year I said that we let a genie out of the bottle when we developed nuclear weapons, and that Genie has been doing some terrible things lately. And the power of that genie is what, you know, scares the hell out of me. And then I dont know any way to get the genie back in the bottle. And AI is somewhat similar.



Buffett's Cautionary Stance on AI: Navigating Unpredictable Paths

Buffett's remarks portrayed a careful stance on the technology's trajectory, emphasizing the unpredictable and potentially irreversible outcomes of advanced AI systems. However, amidst these apprehensions, he maintained optimism regarding Berkshire Hathaway's leadership's adaptability and intelligence, believing in their capacity to leverage AI's positive facets.

He deliberated on the potential for AI to yield "terrific benefits" under proper management, while acknowledging the inherent difficulties in securing such outcomes. Furthermore, he contemplated the broader ramifications on Berkshire's varied business ventures, spanning insurance, utilities, transportation, and retail.
The principle of Equal Employment Opportunity in India is enshrined in Article 16 of the Constitution of India, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, or place of birth in matters of employment or appointment under any state. This constitutional provision has come into focus recently due to a LinkedIn job advertisement that went viral because of a controversial remark.

Advertisement for a Graphic Designer

An advertisement for a Graphic Designer position on LinkedIn sparked controversy in Maharashtra when the post explicitly stated that Marathi candidates should not apply. The advertisement went viral, triggering widespread backlash and prompting Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar to promise action against such discriminatory practices.

The job posting, shared on LinkedIn by an HR professional named Janhvi Sarana, outlined the job requirements, including experience and salary details. Shockingly, it also included the statement 'The Marathi people are not welcome here,' leading to outrage and condemnation.

LinkedIn

ALSO READ: LinkedIn User Learns Lesson In B2B Sales After Proposing To GF, Internet Is Confused

The company mentioned in the recruitment advertisement has disassociated itself from the individual responsible for the post and stated, 'We strongly condemn the recent hateful post directed towards Marathi people by JANVI SARNA. Its important to clarify that she is not affiliated with our company in any capacity; she simply utilized our company name on LinkedIn, a platform open to anyone. We have reached out to her for clarification, and she has since apologized and updated her current employment details, which you can verify. Additionally, we want to reiterate that we have not posted any job requirements recently. Please take note of this and refer to our previous hiring posts for verification.'

LinkedIn

Reaction Over No Entry For Marathi People

One LinkedIn user remarked, "Janvi Sarna's job posting was highly discriminatory and reflects poorly on any HR professional. I strongly denounce her mindset."

Expressing dismay, Esha Marathe emphasised, "Discrimination has no place in our society. I was deeply troubled by a job advertisement that explicitly stated, 'The Marathi people are not welcome here.' Such language is not only hurtful but also unlawful, contravening fundamental principles of workplace equality and non-discrimination."

Numerous netizens called for an apology from Sarna, while others condemned the discriminatory nature of the post and demanded action.

HR Recruiter Apologies

HR named Janvi Sarna who made this post has appologised after facing a huge backlash from all sides.

LinkedIn

Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar announced today that the company will undergo a thorough investigation. He emphasized the need to assess whether such a post can be created. This inquiry will be initiated following our recent announcement of the Marathi language policy. Kesarkar clarified that while these companies may operate outside Maharashtra, any such activities will not be condoned. He stressed that appropriate action will be taken, including the establishment of new companies if necessary.

ALSO READ: LinkedIn Unveils India's Top 25 Companies

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here


Gifts don't always have to be fancy to have an impact. A small gesture, like a handwritten note, a favourite snack, or a book that matches their interests, can show you care and make them smile genuinely. But can a gift from your partner leave you feeling deceived? In a recent case from China, a woman received a suitcase full of cash from her boyfriend. The box supposedly contained money worth about 90,000 (700,000 yuan), but it turned out to be all fake.

Girlfriend felt cheated

According to a Free Press Journal report, the man gave the suitcase to his girlfriend to fulfill his future in-laws' request to buy their daughter home. However, when she tried to deposit the money in a bank, she discovered it was counterfeit.

The bank staff and police were alerted, and upon inspection, they found only the money on the top to be real, with the rest being fake. Understandably, the girlfriend felt cheated.

Freepik

ALSO READ: Woman Spends Rs 2.5 Lakh To Transform Her Work-From-Home Space Into 'The Office' Cubicle

Boyfriend was arrested

The boyfriend was arrested and admitted to the police that he knowingly had fake currency. He explained that he couldn't afford to buy a flat as requested by the in-laws, so he bought fake money online instead.

The fake cash was identified as training vouchers, which didn't lead to any charges against the boyfriend. Local media clarified that such vouchers are not considered counterfeit currency in the area.

ALSO READ: Woman Gets Rs 41 Lakh From Parents For 'Big' Wedding, She Elopes & Buys New Home Instead

For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here


Business reality TV series Shark Tank India does get some credit for boosting startup culture in India. It has not only encouraged new founders to come forward with their ideas but also provided investments to those who showed immense potential.

However, a subscription-based tea startup Dorje Teas is not in agreement with the same. The brand that delivers fresh-from-the-farm and organic Darjeeling Tea to customers across India, recently got a legal notice from the makers of the show, Sony Pictures Networks India.

Why Did Dorje Teas Get A Legal Notice From Shark Tank India?

Dorje Teas

The co-founder of the startup, Sparsh Agarwal took to LinkedIn to reveal that he was served a legal notice by Shark Tank India for using video clips from his own pitch. For the unversed, Agarwal made his pitch last year on the show and secured investments worth Rs 30 lakh from Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal and Vineeta Singh for 15 per cent equity, valuing the company at Rs 2 crore.



Agarwal stated that they received the notice due to copyright infringement for featuring these clips in their YouTube and Meta advertisements. It appears that Dorje Teas isn't the sole company targeted by Sony Pictures; Agarwal mentioned that Sony has taken action against every startup that appeared on Shark Tank.

While I understand the copyright laws supporting it, I dont understand why they would do this. After all at Dorje Teas, and other companies like Skippi, Assembly, Perfora, Hoovu Fresh, Beyond Snack, Wakao Foods, Nasher Miles and so many others, are spending lacs every month to boost Shark Tank content, thereby giving free publicity and brand recall to the Shark Tank India brand, he wrote.

Calling it a bad business decision made by some executive/legal person within Sony, Agarwal further pointed out that it goes against the entire ethos of promoting small startups.

Also Shark Tank Season 3 has been all about supporting a startup ecosystem in India and building a new India. Magar iss tarah kese banega naya India, he asked in a video.

Many On The Internet Agree With The Makers, Explain How Copyright Violation Works

sonyliv

Although Agarwal garnered support on social media, there were opposing views suggesting that Sony's actions were legally defensible.



Dear Sparsh, its crucial to understand that in this context, You are the content. Your role in content creation is significant. You shared the content that features you on your social media(YT/FB/Insta and likewise) but not on Sonys social handles. In a way, the traffic they should have received would have been diverted to you. You are monetising your social channels with the content they produce, a content strategist commented.

You are spending lakhs to push Shark Tank, Shark Tank is spending crores to organise & promote the show in which your brand gets promoted. Just change the perspective, another user wrote.

"Even celebrities get "legal notice" for posting their photos online. Reason: The ownership of those photos belongs to the one who produced those photos, not the celebrities who got featured in those photos. That's how Copyright Law works!", a third user wrote.



You can check out the post and the video right here!
The Hellenic Fire Service reported a significant increase in wildfires, with 3,543 incidents recorded between January 1 and May 1 this year.

This marks a 22% rise from the 2,907 wildfires during the same period last year, setting the stage for what the Fire Service anticipates to be a challenging season.

Experts express

particular concern over the nature of the fires.

Some of these fires displayed characteristics similar to blazes we would expect during the summer, stated Theodore Giannaros, an expert at the National Observatory of Athens, in an interview with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.

Adding to the concern is a recent wildfire that occurred at a high altitude in the Pierian Mountains, an area that typically would be snow-covered and less susceptible to such fires.

We are also very alarmed by the fact that we had a blaze at a very high altitude in the Pierian Mountains, which should have been covered by snow that would have prevented such a fire from starting, Giannaros added.

The early onset of these intense wildfires has prompted authorities to brace for what may be an unprecedentedly difficult fire season in Greece.

Last year, the nation was scorched by over 80 wildfires, which ravaged 1,800 square kilometers and resulted in 28 deaths1. The fires, fueled by intense heat waves, were the worst on record, with the European Forest Fire Information System noting the blaze in the Dadia National Park as the largest single wildfire in the EU since 20002.

The governments response to the 2023 crisis included a 2.1 billion program funded mostly by the European Union to enhance disaster response capabilities.

   iefimerida.gr
Restrictions imposed on him include a ban on traveling outside the greater Athens region.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, says he is focused on providing good governance to the people of the State.

He also averred that there is no political crisis in the State.

Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory , have been at loggerheads in the past few months over control of political structures in Rivers.

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Fubara spoke on Sunday when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public petitions visited him in Port Harcourt.

According to him, governance is about touching the core needs of the citizens, adding that he has chosen to be focused while under pressure.

In a statement by Nelson Chukwudi, his Chief Press Secretary, Fubara was quoted as saying, As far as we are concerned, there are no political issues. I saw a movie many years ago, titled: Devils Advocate. I believe some of you must have seen that movie too.

READ ALSO: Why Top Members Are Leaving PDP  Sule Lamido

One of the starring characters: Al Pacino said pressure makes some people retreat or fail, and to others, it makes them become focused to succeed. We have chosen to be focused under this pressure.

That is why we are moving ahead. That is why we are making a positive impact in the lives of our people. Governance is about the people. It is not about self.

Governance is about touching the core needs of those people we are leading, and by the special grace of God, we are doing it.

We will not oppress anybody. We will not force anybody against their will. We will not intimidate anybody, because intimidation has an expiration date.


Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has posited that the Federal Government is running the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project due to the business ties between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Gilbert Chagoury, the owner of Hitech.

The Peoples Democratic Partys 2023 presidential candidate also condemned the lack of proper notification as regards the demolition of properties in order to make way for the Coastal Highway.

According to Atiku, the Tinubu-led governments bad choice regarding the Lagos-Calabar Highway is one of the major reasons behind Nigerias continuous failure to draw in foreign direct investment.

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Atiku claimed in a statement issued on Sunday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, that m the contract was granted in violation of procurement regulations.

He further highlighted that the involvement of President Bola Tinubus son and his associates on the boards of companies belonging to Gilbert Chagoury presents a clear conflict of interest.

He stated, The fact that President Bola Tinubus son and his surrogates are on the board of companies owned by Gilbert Chagoury constitutes a conflict of interest.

According to him, Tinubus son, Seyi, is a director on the board of CDK Integrated Industries, a subsidiary of the Chagoury Group, which manufactures ceramic tiles and sanitary towels.

The statement partly read, The former Vice President restated that it has become obvious even to the undiscerning that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being done in a hurry purely because of the business relationship between Tinubu and Gilbert Chagoury, the owner of Hitech, the contractor that was awarded the contract for the highway project in contravention of the procurement laws. It is on record that this project is the most expensive single project ever embarked upon by the Nigerian government.

The fact that it is happening at a time when Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis ever is a red flag.

READ ALSO: Yemi Alade Condemns House Demolition By Lagos Govt.

To add insult to injury, this project that is being done more than $13bn was awarded without competitive bidding. From all indications, the so-called Badagry-Sokoto highway would be awarded similarly at an enormous cost to taxpayers purely because Tinubu has put his interest ahead of the Nigerian people.

Atiku said the demolition of tourist and recreational facilities and other properties within the Oniru corridor, including parts of Landmark, without ample notice, is one of the reasons foreign direct investments continue to elude the country.

He argued that rather than improving the ease of doing business, the Tinubu administration had shown to the world that his personal business interest and that of his family would always be prioritized over and above national interest.

Atiku noted that investors observe the treatment of local businesses and would avoid regions where their investments lack protection.

Tinubu has been globetrotting in search of foreign direct investments. He claims to have secured over $30 billion from various companies, but none has been forthcoming. Rather, all manufacturing firms have been posting heavy losses while some are exiting due to his poorly implemented exchange rate unification policy with even Aliko Dangote describing it as a huge mess at the recent annual general meeting of Dangote Sugar Refinery.

The IMF in its latest report stated that Nigeria will by the end of the year become the 4th largest economy in Africa behind South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, a disgraceful development for a nation which was the largest in Africa by a mile when the PDP left the stage in 2015.

Investors are seeing how local businesses are being treated and will not come to a place where their investments will not be protected. In saner climes, businesses such as Landmark would have been given at least two years notice for effective planning. But Tinubus eagerness to satisfy his business partners impaired his ability to coordinate the project properly.

The awarding of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway was rushed; the environmental impact assessment report was not even completed; the right of way for the 700 km stretch of the highway project was not secured; it was converted from a PPP to a government-funded project within the twinkle of an eye. The N500m that was approved by the National Assembly for the project was ignored, while over N1tn was released by Tinubus administration without approval from the National Assembly, he furthered.
Bernard Hill, a British actor best known for his supporting parts in the Titanic and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, died on Sunday at the age of 79, his agent reported.

He gained worldwide notoriety for his role as Theoden, King of Rohan, in two of Peter Jacksons three The Lord of the Rings films.

He also played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 epic romance Titanic.

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His agent, Lou Coulson, confirmed that he died early Sunday morning.

His fiancee Alison and his son Gabriel were present at the time.

Alan Bleasdale, who wrote Boys from the Blackstuff, said Hills death was a great loss and also a great surprise.

It was an astonishing, mesmeric performance  Bernard gave everything to that and you can see it in all the scenes. He became Yosser Hughes.

He added: I was desperate to work with him. Everything he did  his whole procedure for working, the manner in which he worked and his performance was everything that you could ever wish for.

You always felt that Bernard would live forever. He had a great strength, physically and of personality.

READ MORE: Avoid Inheriting Other Peoples Enemies  Ali Baba Advises

Hill, who was born in Manchester and raised in Suffolk, was set to return to television in season two of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman, which premieres on Sunday.

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, has ordered the grid operator to cut back supplies to customers in Togo, Benin, including Niger Republic to boost domestic supply.

In a statement issued over the weekend, NERC said that the grid operators current approach in managing supply has caused significant hardship for Nigerians because supply under bilateral contracts, including export to international customers, takes priority over supply to domestic customers.

The commision disclosed that power delivery to Nigerias neighbours must not exceed six per cent of the total electricity at any given time.

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NERC expressed concern about sub-optimal grid dispatch practices, which have impacted the ability of Distribution Companies, to meet their service tariff commitments to end-users.

The statement reads: The reliance on limiting Discos load off-take while prioritising international off-takers and Eligible Customers has proven neither efficient nor equitable.

The system operator will log and publish hourly readings, enforcing penalties for violations of grid instructions and contracted nominations. Maximum load allocation to international off-takers in each trading hour shall not exceed six per cent of the total available grid generation.

READ MORE: Tariff Hike: Senate Summons Adelabu, NERC

The commission hereby orders as follows: The system operator shall develop and present to the commission for approval within seven days from the issuance of this order a pro-rata load-shedding scheme that ensures equitable adjustment to load allocation to all off-takers  Discos, international customers, and eligible customers  in the event of a drop in generation and other under-frequency related grid imbalances necessitating critical grid management.

The system operator shall implement a framework to log and publish hourly readings and enforce necessary sanctions for violation of grid instructions and contracted nominations by off-takers in line with the grid code and market.

The aggregate capacity that can be nominated by a generating plant to service international off-takers shall not be more than 10 per cent of its available generation capacity unless in exceptional circumstances a derogation is granted by the commission.

The system operator and TCN to immediately initiate and install integrated Internet of Things (IoT) meters at all off-take and delivery points of eligible customers, bilateral supplies, cross-border trades, and outgoing 33kV feeders of the Discos to provide real-time visibility of aggregate offtake by grid customers.

The installation of and streaming of data from the IOT meters should be completed within three months from the date of this order.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State have arrested five suspected kidnappers, who slept off after abducting a pastors wife and two other persons.

The suspects reportedly slept off after taking hard drugs.

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The suspects include Garuba Mumuni, 27; Yusuf Tale, 21; Kabiru Muhammed, 16, Shaibu Umar and Adamu Mohammed, 22.

Police source noted that the suspects were arrested by men of the Ofosu Division in the State after the victims identified one of them.

The Police statement at the weekend read: A case of kidnapping was reported at Ofosu Division, that a pastors wife and a member were kidnapped in the church while the third victim was kidnapped while picking snails on the farm.

READ ALSO: A Patient Slapped Me While Working As Caregiver In Canada  Nollywood Actress, Lola Alao Recounts

The victims, however, escaped from their assailants at different dates after they had taken hard drugs and slept off.

Through intelligence, on May 1, 2024, five among the six kidnappers were arrested by men of Ofosu division and have been identified by the victims as part of the gang that abducted them.

The state Police Commissioner, Abayomi Oladipo, said the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Oladipo added that one Adetokunbo Adesina, who claimed to have been hired to kill over 500 persons, was also arrested after his last victim paid him N110,000.
Cynthia Morgan, a Nigerian dancehall artist, has responded to musician Samklefs recent outburst on social media.

Recall the music producer took to Twitter to list all the people who he has made famous.

Olamide, Wizkid, and Simi are notable mentions on SamKlefs list, having achieved significant success over the years.

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SamKlef concluded his message by stating that he has assisted many individuals who, in turn, are doing better than him.

He also mentioned that he would be returning to the music industry, despite certain peoples attempts to belittle him.

Cynthia however took to Instagram to express her gratitude that Samklef only bought Mama Put (meal) for her once; otherwise, he would have dragged her along.

On the other hand, Cynthia claimed that the Samklef she was familiar with at the time was a really cool, skilled producer and one of her favourites.

She urged people to check on him, pointing out how betrayal can cause one to lose balance.

READ MORE: Charly Boy Pays Tribute To Late Father Justice Oputa, Terms Him Socrates Of Nigerian Supreme Court

She wrote,

Thank God say na only once Samklef buy me Mama Put that year, if not maybe na me he for they drag now.

Jokes apart, The samklef I know was a very cool and talented guy. One of my favorite producers because of how cool he was with the keyboard. I first heard about simi and wiz kid from him no jokes. Back in 09. Abeg make people check on samklef. Too much betrayal fit make person lose balance. I don talk my own o.

SEE POST:
Documentary family photography, in which families are capturing going about their everyday lives, has been increasing in popularity, professionals say. Read more

When Sara Bloom heard about candid family photography  and saw examples of documentary, day-in-the-life-style pictures on social media  she knew itd be a worthwhile investment.

There was something about being in the thick of motherhood and family life that I wanted to remember in a really authentic way, said Bloom, a 36-year-old physician who specializes in maternal health and has three children under the age of 4. Every day is challenging and chaotic.

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Over the past two years, Bloom and her husband, Sam, an ex-Google employee who recently opened a chestnut farm and retreat space, have spent upward of $4,500 for three documentary family shoots.

Ardmore photographer Polina Bulman comes to their Haverford home to shoot the two-hour family storytelling sessions, which start at $1,400 for a two-hour session and digital photos. Prices increase for longer four- or eight-hour sessions, and physical albums are an additional cost. Bulman shoots 30 to 50 of these sessions a year.

Bloom views the shoots, and the physical album of memories, as a gift for the family, she said. Its well worth it.

Many new parents are increasingly prioritizing professional photography, sometimes going all in at every stage of parenthood  even birth  for a cost of at least a few hundred dollars per shoot. In the Philadelphia region, a 15-minute mini session with an experienced professional can cost $250 or more, and the bill can easily exceed $2,000 for a high-end photographers larger packages that include multi-hour sessions, albums, wall art, and digital files.

Some want to have maternity photos, in which they are snuggled on their couch staring at a sonogram; newborn photos, where their swaddled sleeping baby is captured up close and personal; and regular family photos of adults and kiddos romping around at home or in a neighborhood park or on the beaches of the Jersey Shore.

Often, the photos are in a style that appears unstaged.

The more candid style Ive noticed within the past few years, said Hirmoi van der Goes, a Roxborough-based family photographer who has been in the industry for about a decade. With children especially, it helps take away the stress of giving a lot of directions, looking at the camera all the time.

Fewer parents today are asking for the posed family portraits that they may have been subjected to in their youth. Instead many are opting for lifestyle photography  a mix of candids, with some photographer direction, and relaxed portraits  or documentary, which involves no posing or direction.

In these photos, youre getting more genuine memories, said Sam Reed, a Fishtown lifestyle photographer, as opposed to being this staged-families-all-wearing-plaid-at-JCPenney situation.

A shift back to physical photos

Itd be easy to dismiss this increased demand as a kind of digital keeping up with the Joneses, just another example of social media-induced excess.

But photographers and consumers say it actually feels like the opposite: Parents want the high-quality, printed memories in a world where they already have thousands of photos, the vast majority of which are stored digitally.

Were coming back into this wave of its really important to have these photos and these memories permanently encapsulated, said Reed, 31, noting that some Gen Zers who were born at the start of the cell phone age have few physical photos of their childhood. She thought people didnt care about physical printed photos when she got into the business in 2021 but was proven wrong.

Consumers are getting excited to create this type of time capsule for their families, Bulman said. Most of my families order books or albums. They end up with this library of childhood and parenthood memories right there on their shelves.

Physical photo albums are one thing that our generation was starting to miss out on as they started families, said Jennifer Nese, 34, a stay-at-home mom in Butler, N.J., who paid more than $500 for a family session with Lauren Brimhall, a West Chester-based lifestyle and documentary photographer.

She got photos from her session a few years ago  before she had her fourth child  developed to hang on her wall and made calendars of the pictures for her grandparents. She plans to add to her collection with another family session once her youngest, who is 3 months old, gets a little older.

An evolution from more candid wedding photography

Like many family photographers and their clients, Brimhall and Nese go way back  Brimhall has been shooting Nese since her engagement.

For Brimhall, a photographer for 14 years, wedding photography still makes up about 90% of her business. Her wedding prices start at $3,200, but some consumers opt for more expensive packages that can be around $10,000. A lifestyle family session is around $400 for an hour and a half, while documentary family sessions are $500 for four hours or $850 for the whole day.

When she started out in 2009, documentary family photography was hardly a thing, Brimhall said. That really came into being in the later years of my career.

Part of it, she said, seems like an evolution. As lifestyle and documentary wedding photography become more popular (see: photos of just-married couple enjoying small moments together throughout their day or of a dog in a bow tie licking the flower girl) and those couples went on to have children, they were drawn to the same style for their family pictures, too.

Documentary photos are actually real moments, she said. I dont go, Redo. I dont go, Do that again.

I grew up in the early 90s where I have all those old videotapes from my parents, said Bloom, the Haverford mom who has done three documentary sessions with Bulman. Now everything is on the iPhone, and everything can be so curated. I wanted something where I could remember the real moment.
SiriusXM and CNN host Michael Smerconish, seen here in 2020. Smerconish has been uninvited as the commencement speaker at Dickinson College. Read more

Dickinson College has revoked its invitation for Michael Smerconish to speak at its upcoming commencement.

Dickinson president John E. Jones III said in a statement that the SiriusXM and CNN host faced overwhelming opposition from our faculty and students, particularly after recent comments he made. Jones didnt offer any specifics about which comments drew the ire of students and faculty. In a separate statement, the college said Smerconish had become a distraction.

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In a statement posted on his website Monday, Smerconish cited complaints over passages from his 2004 book, Flying Blind, which was written in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks. In particular, detractors cited Smerconishs criticism of TSA agents screening policy surrounding Arabs and Muslims.

An editorial in The Dickinsonian, the student newspaper, argued the class of 2024 deserved better than Smerconish as commencement speaker because of his statements in support of the racial profiling of Arab Americans and Muslims in his 2004 book Flying Blind, views which he has continued to stand by.

The Dickinson College Coalition for Mutual Liberation gathered 828 signatures from students, faculty, staff, and parents calling for Smerconishs removal, according The Dickinsonian.

Speaking to The Inquirer, Smerconish said that critics are distorting words he wrote 20 years ago, and that his viewpoints are more nuanced than a simple call for racial profiling. Its the reason he chose to respond with a lengthy statement, so there was a full record from his perspective.

You can tell by reading it that Im angry about [Dickinsons decision], and disappointed, and sad, Smerconish said. And I wanted to be able to explain all of that not limited by a sentence fragment.

Smerconish said critics have surgically selected quotes from his book and subsequent columns he has written that suit their narrative. He said the larger point of his book was focused on a Department of Transportation policy that prevented more than two individuals of any particular ethnicity from being singled out at the same time for secondary screening at airports.

I believed that policy to be ludicrous then  and still do now, Smerconish wrote.

Smerconish said the school is setting a terrible precedent by succumbing to a censorship-fueled campaign, pointing out Dickinson hailed the fact he authored Flying Blind and six other books in a news release announcing him as commencement speaker.

Those students who demanded I not speak had better hope that twenty years from now, when they are looking for a job, no one will look at everything they said and did two decades earlier, yanking it out of context and using it as a weapon of personal destruction, Smerconish wrote.

It is unclear who will replace Smerconish as Dickinsons commencement speaker. A spokesperson for the school said they are still in the process of adjusting their commencement program.

Graduation ceremonies at Dickinson College are scheduled for Sunday, May 19.

Dickinson and colleges across the country are adjusting their commencement plans amid protests of Israels war in Gaza. Columbia University canceled its two main commencement ceremonies in favor of Class Days and school-level ceremonies, while pro-Palestinian protesters created a minor disturbance at University of Michigans commencement over the weekend.

Commencement at the University of Pennsylvania is scheduled for Monday, May 20, at Franklin Field. The school, which has grappled with how to deal with an encampment of protesters, hasnt announced any major changes to its graduation schedule.
Students on the campus of Princeton University on April 25 after tents set up by protesters were taken down voluntarily. Two graduate students were arrested for trespassing. Read more

Princeton University students have launched a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza who dont have drinkable water or food.

The Israeli occupation has deliberately blocked access to basic necessities to engineer a dire famine for the two million residents of Gaza, the Princeton Gaza Solidarity Encampment group wrote in a news release Sunday night.

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Since the announcement on October 9th by the Israeli Defense Minister prohibiting the entry of food, fuel, and electricity into the Gaza strip, Israel has systematically obstructed and limited access to vital aid for Palestinians in Gaza, even intentionally destroying existing cropland, the release said.

The consequences of the unprecedented famine, created and maintained by Israel, will devastate Gazas children for generations to come and cannot be tolerated any longer.

A growing number of children in Gaza are dying of starvation and dehydration, according to the World Health Organization.

The group said they were drawing from the tradition of Palestinian political prisoners going on saltwater-only hunger strikes in Israeli prisons since 1968. Its hunger strike is in response to the administrations refusal to divest from Israel, it said.

Participants said they will only drink water until the administration meets with students to discuss their demands for disclosure, divestment and a full academic and cultural boycott of Israel.

And the administration, they say, must grant complete amnesty from all criminal and disciplinary charges for those participating in a peaceful sit-in and reverse all campus bans and evictions of students.

Princeton University officials were not available for comment Sunday night.
Hatem Bazian, president of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), speaks at the encampment at the University of Pennsylvania on Thursday. Read more

University of Pennsylvania interim president J. Larry Jameson, in a Monday email to the campus, reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment should come down, but said the university is weighing its response against the risk that any forceful action could cause.

At Penn, he said the risk is more significant because of the universitys open campus location in West Philadelphia.

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 READ MORE: Faculty senate committee urged Penn to de-escalate tensions and find a negotiated resolution

It is in violation of our policies, he said of the encampment, it is disrupting campus operations and events, and it is causing fear for many in our large, diverse community, especially among our Jewish students. But any response to the encampment must balance possible escalation of the current situation with the need to protect the safety and rights of everyone.

The universitys position, however, could change, he emphasized.

We will maintain an enhanced security presence to support physical safety and will adjust our response as conditions warrant, he wrote.

His statement came as the encampment was in day 12 and as finals are about to begin at the Ivy League institution. Around the country, some colleges have called in police to disband encampments, while others, including Rutgers and Brown, have negotiated agreements with protesters, only to face criticism from Jewish groups and some lawmakers.

Rutgers president Jonathan Holloway said during a meeting of the board of governors Monday that the university has received thousands of emails expressing frustration or dismay since it negotiated an agreement last week that led to the voluntary dismantling of the pro-Palestinian encampment there.

One New Jersey senator has called for hearings into the matter, while another condemned the universitys action.

The agreement included commitments for the president and chair of the joint committee on investments to meet with up to five students to discuss their request for Rutgers to divest from any firm connected to Israel, the establishment of an Arab Cultural Center and staff training in anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim racism.

I am confident in our decisions, Holloway said. They allowed us to maintain a safe and controlled environment, to protect Rutgers students and Rutgers property, and to assure that our students academic progress  taking finals and completing the semester  was not impeded.

 READ MORE: While a few other universities reach compromises with protesters, why cant Penn?

No changes to Penns commencement plan

Also Monday, Columbia University announced that it had canceled its main commencement ceremony as pro-Palestinian protests there continue. Smaller school-specific ceremonies will be held, the school said. Penn has not announced any changes to its commencement, scheduled for May 20.

Penn Faculty for Justice in Palestine called Jamesons email a textbook example of how admins are trying to delegitimize campus protests.

It adjudicates the legitimacy of encampments entirely by how disruptive/uncomfortable they make some, rather than by what is happening in Gaza & Rafah, the group wrote.

Members of the faculty senate executive committee last week expressed differing views on the encampment but concurred that the university should work to de-escalate tensions and find a negotiated resolution.

At the encampment Monday morning, a lone police officer watched the cluster of 35tents from the steps of Van Pelt Library. Inside the encampment, all was calm. A group of students were singing Big Rock Candy Mountain, a ditty by bluegrass singer Harry McClintock about a utopia.

Down Locust Walk, an encampment member chatted about the definition of Zionism with a man in a kippah. A barricade stood between them.

 READ MORE: Penn protester climbs Ben Franklin statue; encampment at Rutgers University ends peacefully

Jameson acknowledged in his email that local public officials and law enforcement have recommended that the university continue to focus on de-escalating tensions.

He wrote that the university has been trying, but is concerned about reports that there are documents circulating with instructions to escalate a protest through building occupations and violence.

He said he has met twice with protesters and has proposed additional meetings, but that the protesters have made more demands and have been unwilling to negotiate on reasonable terms.

Still at a stalemate

The two sides have remained at a stalemate, with the university insisting the encampment come down and protesters saying they wont negotiate until the university removes the threat of disciplinary action and the dismantling of the encampment.

Sophia Rosser, a Penn junior and student organizer involved with the encampment, said she was disappointed by Jamesons message, which she believes misconstrued both the encampments existence and administrators negotiations with its members.

We have been trying to engage in good faith negotiations. Its the university that has been refusing, said Rossi. We dont think good faith negotiations can occur while the university is lording threats of arrest and other disciplinary actions over us.

For negotiations to continue, student organizers asked the university to agree to not send police inside the encampment and to withdraw disciplinary notices sent to three students for alleged violations of Penns guidelines of open expression, which govern free speech and protest on campus.

The university has no intention of withdrawing its disciplinary actions, Jameson made clear.

We are continuing to implement student conduct procedures, which may result in the inability of some of our students to graduate or continue their education at Penn in subsequent years, he wrote. The roles, responsibilities, and activities of Penn faculty and staff members in the encampment are also under review.

Encampment organizers questioned Jamesons assertion that there were fliers circulating with escalation instructions.

Thats just [a] rumor, said Nneka Azuka, 28, an encampment member from Germantown who has attended occasional classes at Penn over the last year. Our main focus is keeping people safe.

Over 2,500 people across the United States have been arrested for participating in encampments on college campuses, where city and state police forces have been called to disband the protests. At Columbia University, a New York City police officer accidentally fired a gun while clearing protesters from a building on campus. Officers at Arizona State University and the University of Texas at Austin discharged pepper spray, rubber bullets, and explosives while breaking up pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Rossi and Azuka said flashpoints such as those, plus the fear of doxxing, are why organizers have encouraged encampment members to cover their faces and avoid giving their IDs to Penn administrators. There are websites dedicated to tracking and shaming anti-Zionist protesters, Rossi said, and theyve read about several instances where expressing support for Gaza has cost people job opportunities.

Reports of harassment and threats mount

Jameson asserted that the protest has not been peaceful, noting that both the Benjamin Franklin statue and the Button have been vandalized and reports of harassing and threatening speech.

He said protesters on Wednesday attempted to threaten and provoke Penn police officers, and on Friday the administration said it received an alarming video that showed a Penn student being barred entry to the encampment and threatened.

The video shows someone shining a flashlight in the students face and warning him: Hope you got a good doctor. Hows your dental plan?

Penn Public Safety has opened an investigation and is in touch with the student to provide support, Jameson said.

He acknowledged that protesters also have reported being spit on, harassed, and threatened. Last week, a man was charged with having cutting instruments in public places after entering the encampment with a large a knife. Another was cited for harassment after misrepresenting himself as a university employee and spraying down tents with chemicals.

And on Sunday, video circulated on social media of counterprotesters chanting wake up terrorists while banging pots and pans and calling for UCLA 2.0 a reference to the encampment at the University of California Los Angeles, where people were allowed to physically attack encampment members with little police intervention.

Jewish students have self-reported 132 incidents of harassment surrounding the encampment since its start, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Penn Presidents Jewish Student Advisory Council and obtained by The Inquirer. The majority of the complaints stemmed from the encampments existence, non-Penn members, and controversial chants, while others called out specific incidents of confrontation. One Jewish student reported being called a dirty liar and a big while counterprotesting, while another claimed he was called a homophobic slur while walking past the tents.

Although protest is most certainly an important part of our democracy, occupying our property is most certainly not, one wrote.
Get a Gatos Jackie Starker with Jackson at her cat cafe in South Philadelphia. Read more

As soon as he saw Kinder on his first day of work, Jordan Griffenberg knew that she would come home with him.

Such things can happen when youre a lounge attendant at a cat cafe, a hangout where people pay to visit adoptable cats.

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Its a dream job for Griffenberg, 23, who works at Get a Gato, one of two cat cafes to open in South Philadelphia last month.

Get a Gato  located catty-corner from Johns Water Ice at Seventh and Christian Streets  serves Colombiansnacks and espresso drinks alongside a cat-theme retail store. The cat room is behind a door and picture window, per health department rules. Owner Jackie Starker also owns Amelies Bark Shop, a nearby pet boutique.

The other newcomer is Whiskers Cat Cafe Philly, at 15th Street and Snyder Avenue, which is more adoption center than cafe, while offering free coffee, tea, cocoa, and water to customers who sit among the 20 cats snoozing and playing in its living room setting. Theres also a kitten room in the back.

Get a Gato and Whiskers, both nonprofits, have joined other local cat cafes, such as Le Cat Cafe in Brewerytown (operated by Green Street Rescue), Cat Nook Cafe in Norwood, the Black Cat Cafe in Devon, MeWow Cafe in Doylestown, and PURRsonal Space Cat Lounge in Palmyra. Le Cat opened in 2016, followed shortly by Kawaii Kitty Cafe in Queen Village. Kawaii closed during the pandemic.

Get a Gato is affiliated with Fishtails Animal Rescue, Whiskers with the Cat Collaborative and PURR Philly. The groups quarantine and treat the cats before they arrive at the cafes.

You wont hear any catty comments about the competition. Philadelphia reportedly has the highest percentage of cat owners in the United States. It also has a huge stray problem, with an estimated 400,000 street cats. The more cat cafes, the better, Starker said.

All kittens aside, Get a Gato is a regulation coffee shop. You can get a latte and stock up on cat-theme gifts such as mugs, cards, T-shirts, and totes. The counters case is stocked with Colombian food such as empanadas and almojabanas from Cafe Tinto in Feltonville, and churro apple cake from Vanilya Bakery in South Philadelphia. (The menu is a tribute to Starkers grandmother, born in Bogota.)

Starker, who owns two cats (Don Draper and Gourdie), opened Amelies on East Passyunk Avenue nine years ago. Amelie, her Shih Tzu-poodle mix, turns 17 this week.

Several years ago after a trip to Japan, where cat cafes are especially popular, she decided to open one of her own. She chose Fishtails as the cafes partner after fostering about 30 cats through them.

While brainstorming names, Starkers father, Jeff, playfully tossed out Get a Gato. Jackie Starker batted it around a little bit and decided to go for it.

Architect/designer Jason Lempieri of RethinkTANK used the abundant sunlight from the Seventh Street side to create a bright, modern cafe as well as a source of sunbeams for the cats in the back room. Youll notice whimsical touches, such as the cat-head handles on the pumps for nitro cold brew, chai, and kombucha; the chair backs fashioned to look like cats; and the restroom mirror with the words Youre purrrfect in neon. Local artist Martha Rich created the logo and artwork.

Theres a $4 application fee and a $100 adoption fee. The cats come fully vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and microchipped.

Get a Gato, 638 Christian St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147. Cafe hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Lounge: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; its $15 (tax-deductible) for a 50-minute visit, ages 5 and up. Reservations are recommended through the website.

Lina and Timothy Phillips are behind this plant- and toy-filled corner storefront, across from the site that was Melrose Diner before it was razed last year. She worked at a nail salon and he was working at a pharmacy.

Their foray into the cafe life started innocently enough. They were feeding a stray outside of their house in Chester. After a few days, the cat brought a girlfriend and then we ended up with 16 cats during wintertime, Lina Phillips said. They reached out to the Cat Collaborative to trap and neuter them.

The Phillipses became rescuers. Wed get home from work every night, and just go out, feeding and trapping cats, she said. One night, they bagged a raccoon and quickly released it.

Earlier this year, they decided to surprise their daughter, who is 11 and enjoys going to cat cafes on weekends, that they were opening one of their own. But where? A lot of people rejected us for our application, Lina Phillips said. They didnt want us to have animals in their property, which is sad, but then we found this place and convinced the landlord that were going to do good here and not damage the property. They spent months improving the onetime cell-phone shop.

Whiskers now has 20 cats, ages 6 months to 3 years, and five kittens. Lina Phillips said kittens must be adopted in twos if the prospective client does not already have a cat. Those who have a cat may only adopt one kitten.

Adoption fees, proceeds of which go to PURR Philly, are $100 for adult cats and $150 for kittens. (In effect, the kittens are buy one, get one.) Included is spaying or neutering, rabies vaccine and other shots, worming, testing for feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), and microchipping.

Whiskers Cat Cafe Philly, 1440 Snyder Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; $12 for a 30-minute visit, $17 for one hour.

This article has been updated to note that Le Cat Cafe was Philadelphias first cat cafe.
Frank Olivieri Jr., owner of Pat's King of Steaks, sampling a chicken cheesesteak inside the truck parked outside of the shop at Ninth Street and Passyunk Avenue. Read more

Whaddaya having?

Pats King of Steaks, having completed a kitchen makeover that turned its iconic South Philadelphia corner into a construction zone for nearly four months, will begin serving again round the clock from its windows this week.

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Chicken cheesesteaks and breakfast sandwiches will join the menu  a first for Pats, credited with originating the steak sandwich in 1930. Owner Frank Olivieri Jr., a nephew of the founder, said the renovations include not only a dedicated grill for chicken but a new takeout window exclusively for delivery drivers.

During the repairs, which yielded a new kitchen, facade, and sidewalks, Pats maintained its 24/7 presence on the corner of Ninth and Passyunk with a 22-foot truck outfitted with a kitchen similar to the one inside.

The truck opened Jan. 10 on the Pats side of East Passyunk Avenue. Shortly after, the city Department of Licenses & Inspections, fearing danger from the propane tanks, ordered Olivieri to move it across the street, adjacent to Capitolo Playground. Olivieri said the short move confounded customers.

 READ MORE: The Inquirer's complete guide to cheesesteaks

They walk right by it, he said last week, wincing as a gaggle of customers did just that. They dont even see the food truck with the 30-foot cheesesteak on it. Business dropped off until he hired a worker to stand in front of the shop and redirect customers.

The truck will move to an off-street parking space across the street and will be used for mobile catering. Olivieri said he has a July 4 gig in Ottawa for David L. Cohen, the former city power broker, Comcast executive, and now U.S. ambassador to Canada.

Chicken cheesesteak controversy

The 1990s saw the rise of the chicken cheesesteak based on the idea that chicken breast is lower in fat than the usual rib-eye. The idea caught on among many pizzerias and sandwich shops, including two of the citys most popular outlets, Johns Roast Pork in South Philadelphia and Dalessandros in Roxborough.

Like everything that goes down in South Philly, there are differing opinions on the chicken cheesesteak. Purists will shudder at anything non-beef  chicken, salmon, veggies  being called a cheesesteak.

 READ MORE: Philly's most popular cheesesteak shops

Pats never offered them. Genos Steaks, the neon-ringed competitor across the street, doesnt. Neither does Jims South Street Steaks.

Why?

When youre slinging hundreds of sandwiches a day, speed is critical. Chicken, with its trickier handling requirements and longer cooking time, gums up the works, especially at a shop with one grill.

Food-borne illnesses are much more prevalent in chicken, said Ken Silver at Jims. You have to handle it separately. And we got a guy who sells a really good chicken cheesesteak literally right across the street, Ishkabibbles. Its just a pain, and we have zero impact on our business from not selling them.

Genos owner Geno Vento had the same reaction: We have no reason to sell them.

John Bucci, who said chicken is about 10% of his cheesesteak business at Johns Roast Pork, acknowledged the aggravation, but said: We do it because people ask for it.

Menu changes at Pats

Olivieri will start the new menu at 6 a.m. WednesdayBesides the chicken cheesesteaks, breakfast will be available from 6 to 11 a.m. with egg sandwiches on the same Aversa Bakery rolls used for cheesesteaks. Meats include bacon, pork roll, sausage, and steak, and the sandwiches (mostly $13) can be topped wit or witout onions, cheese (American, provolone, or Cheez Whiz), and $1 hash browns.

Steaks will continue to be offered during breakfast, but no one knows if the morning crowd will give them up in favor of a more typical BEC, or a new sandwich that Olivieri calls the widow maker: egg, cheese, bacon, sausage, and pork roll, with a hash brown stuffed into the roll for 20 bucks. Onions are optional.

Pats has cycled in other foods over the years. You can still get a hot dog, like Uncle Pat offered 94 years ago, and fish cakes. I deep-fry a hot dog and fish cake and put fried onions on it and mustard, Olivieri said. Thats heaven. Or a trip to the cardiologist.

Last year, Olivieri tried chicken Parmesan, meatballs, and hamburgers. My father would always say, Youre going to eat more than you sell, Olivieri said. That proved prescient. My nephews came around and I think they ate more chicken Parms than we sold.

A really quick history of Pats

In 1930, the story goes, South Philadelphia hot dog vendor Pat Olivieri wanted variety and tossed beef scraps and onions on the grill, slapped everything on a roll, caught the nose of a hungry taxi driver, and birthed the steak sandwich. Olivieri later moved across the street, into the current building on the triangle of Ninth, Passyunk, and Wharton, where it housed a bar, restaurant, and produce stand.

The cheesesteak didnt come along till the late 1940s, Frank Jr. said, when a similarly bored grill man named Cocky Joe Lorenzo added sliced cheese to the steak and watched it melt into nirvana.

Frank Olivieri Jr. said the hundred-year-old building was last renovated about 30 years ago when the aluminum siding was removed. Other repairs had been done piecemeal. Once we revealed everything underneath of it, it was kind of a mismatch of things that were done over the years, Olivieri said. His family had a 99-year lease and only bought the building in the 1990s, he said.

My dad was reluctant to do anything because he never wanted to close, he said. But you know, in order to get big things done, you have to.
William Martin works in Penn's transfer center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Wednesday, Its where PennSTAR medical helicopters are directed, but also where transfers of all kinds to Penn's three Philadelphia hospitals are coordinated. Read more

The ambulance that rescued Betty Hayes after her March stroke at a Lansdale church took her to Grand View Hospital, a Bucks County community hospital that could only stabilize her and didnt offer the level of care she needed for full recovery.

At 10:59 a.m., Grand View contacted Penn Medicine about a transfer to Philadelphia. Two hours later, the 71-year-old retired schoolteacher was being operated on at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, whose specialized doctors started a procedure to remove a blood clot from her brain, according to a timeline provided by Penn.

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They did the things they needed to do to get me to where I am today, the Hatfield resident said several weeks after her stroke, already well along in her recovery.

Hayes was one of more than 5,800 patients transferred to Penns three Philadelphia hospitals in the nine months ended March 31, according to Penn. Thats a 16% increase from the same period the year before.

Each of those transfers starts with a call into a hub where a group of Penn managers works to connect patients quickly to Penns specialized medical services for strokes, liver and lung transplants, cardiac and respiratory emergencies, and complex blood cancers such as acute leukemias.

Transfer patients tend to involve three medical categories: Clotting, bleeding, and organ failure, said Bill Schweickert, a physician executive who works on patient access and patient flow at HUP.

We generally are in the business of acute care rescue, he said. The faster we move, the better off we are.

The push for efficient transfers boosts Penns entire network by creating a unified health system out of what would otherwise be a collection of six distinct hospitals, Penn officials said.

The flow of high-acuity patients to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Pennsylvania Hospital opens up access to care that isnt available at every hospital. Its also crucial to Penns business model.

That is especially the case at HUP, a national leader in treating patients who require complex and high-cost care. At the University City hospital, 13% of all patients account for more than 60% of the operating margin before overhead expenses, according to Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

America pays you more for advanced medicine, Mahoney said. Because of our advanced medicine strategy, we can fund research, we fund the work in the community. Without advanced medicine, nothing would hang together.

The financial difference

For Penn, it makes both medical and financial sense to connect patients to specialized expertise.

Consider the financial calculus of heart surgery. When HUP cardiologists perform a valve replacement by going through a blood vessel, Medicare pays an average of $63,988 and the patient stays in the hospital for less than five days, according 2022 data from American Hospital Directory, which publishes data from Medicare cost reports.

Patients with heart ailments that dont require surgery are less lucrative. Medicare pays HUP an average of $13,348 for hospitalized heart failure patients, even though the patient stays in the hospital nearly eight days, on average, American Hospital Directorys 2022 data show.

Those payments, which do not include physician fees, illustrate how surgeries and other complex treatments result in greater reimbursement for hospitals.

Penn isnt exclusively interested in the most complex and lucrative care, said Larry Kaiser, a managing director in the health care industry group at consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal.

But Penn is the place where those kinds of cases get sent, where you have tremendous expertise in complex cardiac surgery, where you have tremendous expertise in complex neurosurgery, said Kaiser, who was CEO of Temple University Health System from 2012 to 2020.

A measure called case-mix index is used to describe the severity of patients and the complexity of treating them. HUPs most recent overall inpatient case mix index was 2.92, the highest in the Philadelphia region, according to Medicare.

For transfer patients, the number was even higher. It was 3.7, on average, with a range of 2.94 to 5.68 for the year ended June 30, Penn said.

 READ MORE: The University of Pennsylvania Health System has provided significant financial support for research at teaching at Penn's medical school.

Penns strategy is to offer advanced medicine not just in the hospital, but across our continuum, Mahoney said.

That includes less lucrative services and community outreach. Its not that we dont do primary care. Who keeps the Mercy hospital open if you dont believe in primary care, Mahoney said, referring to the former Mercy Philadelphia hospital in West Philadelphia.

The proton beam therapy center Penn built in Lancaster is an example of outpatient care that isnt available everywhere, Mahoney said.

Cancer patients were traveling 11 miles, on average, for radiation treatments at Lancaster General, he said. Adding proton beam therapy has made Lancaster a destination. The average people travel now is 40 miles. Some of them over 100 miles.

How transfers happen

The transfer decision starts with the attending physician.

It was a straightforward call to transfer Hayes. An ambulance crew had taken Hayes to Grand View Hospitals emergency department after her stroke at Christ United Methodist Church in Lansdale on March 10.

Grand View has the expertise to administer drugs known as clot-busters, but Hayes still needed a surgical procedure to remove the clot.

So Grand View called the Penn transfer center. In less than two hours, Hayes arrived at HUP by helicopter. The thrombectomy to remove the clot started 10 minutes later.

An independent nonprofit, Grand View has an affiliation with Penn for specialized services in orthopedic surgery, trauma surgery, stroke care, and radiation oncology.

Penn considers stroke patients, such as Hayes, among the most critical of three groups of patients the transfer team at Penn works with. That group also includes patients who had severe heart attacks (a stemi) and patients with aortic dissections, a tear in the inner lining of the bodys main artery.

The goal is to get those patients in within a two-hour time frame, whether its into a bed or into a procedural area, said Amanda Whartenby, a nurse who is associate clinical director of Penns transfer center.

Less urgent transfers can arrive within eight to 12 hours, Whartenby said: They are stable. The outside hospital is doing a good job managing them, but were able to offer something that they need that the outside hospital cannot.

Examples of conditions requiring a transfer in that time frame are chronic liver disease, certain cancer cases, evaluations for a type of heart valve replacement, and a treatment for atrial fibrillation.

The changing marketplace

Penns transfer center draws from a diverse and changing network of hospitals.

Penn-owned hospitals outside the city send a little more than a quarter of the acute-care transfers arriving at its Philadelphia hospitals. Those are Princeton Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, and Lancaster General Hospital.

The biggest share of its transfers, close to 40%, come from affiliates Grand View, Virtua, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, and Bayhealth hospitals in Delaware.

The remainder come from unrelated hospitals, Penn said.

The transfer centers recent efforts to refine its procedures are part of Penns bid to operate as what the organization calls one Penn Medicine.

Lancaster General is the only one of Penns six hospitals still getting integrated into the transfer centers work and is being eyed as more of a destination for transfers rather than a source, said Robin Wood, senior clinical director for HUP capacity management and the Penn Medicine transfer center.

Lancaster General has almost every service that the downtown hospitals do, she said.

Health system consolidation also impacts Penns transfer business.

Before Temple University Health System acquired Chestnut Hill Hospital, Temple University Hospital was typically getting one transfer a day from Chestnut Hill. More went to Penn and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. After the merger, the volume of transfers to Temple increased to an average of 2.5 transfers a day, Temple CEO Mike Young said last year.

Similarly, Cooper Healths pending acquisition of Cape Regional Health System in Cape May County may redirect the 170 or so referrals each year that Penn received from Cape Regional. In the future, they will mostly go to Cooper, Mahoney told the University of Pennsylvania board of trustees last May.

However, Penns proposed acquisition of Doylestown Health will protect its referrals from the Bucks County system, historically a strong source of transfers, Mahoney said in December.

In a recent interview, Mahoney acknowledged the pressure from the changing market, calling it key for Penn is to keep offering new services. If you have a service that nobody else can put together, the patients are going to come regardless of affiliation, he said.
Leaning on a cane with one hand and a mans arm on the other, Ruth Brandspiegel gingerly made her way up to the podium Sunday at the Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel synagogue near Rittenhouse Square to light a commemorative candle for the six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.

At 88, with a curly mop of gray hair and black-rimmed glasses, she was perhaps the youngest survivor to attend the Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the synagogue. Children of survivors call her the baby of the group. An only child, she lost her grandparents, aunts and uncles and scores of family friends to the Nazis.

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In some ways, Sunday was like every annual remembrance day. But this year, there was a heaviness in the air and a tone of urgency with a backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war and intense Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses calling for a cease-fire and to divest from Israel.

Its more emotional today because Im getting old, Brandspiegel said. But also its sad because of what I hear people are saying. Brandspiegel was born in 1936 in Ciechanow, Poland. Her family escaped after Hitlers invasion of Poland in 1939 and she was sent to a labor camp in Siberia. Her family later moved to Philadelphia in 1952.

Brandspiegel sat in the front row next to Elizabeth Zuckerman Bleiman, 102. She had been sent with her father and stepmother to the Kisvarda ghetto in Hungary where she became a nurse. She was later put on a train to Auschwitz, and then sent to a labor camp before it was liberated.

At Sundays event, State Sen. Sharif Street quoted a West African saying that he said is appropriate today: In order for us to move forward, we must look back.

We must remember that before there were gas chambers, before people were rounded up, there were pamphlets and rhetoric that spread rumors and lies in antisemitic tropes, he said. There were elections and there was political organizing when people began to scapegoat the Jewish people. We must remember that the Holocaust didnt just occur at the end when people were all rounded up and the atrocities that we talked most about occurred. We must remember that it was a gradual increase in rhetoric. There was a dehumanizing effect ... that they were The Other.

 READ MORE: Student protests over Gaza war are forcing Penn and other U.S. universities to face impossible demands

The rights didnt just topple down all at once, but that they were withered away at over time, he said.

Today, he said he sees a rise in antisemitism. We must understand that we are seeing many of the early signs that led to the Holocaust. We are seeing the kinds of things and we must remember that it did not have to happen.

People have to speak up when they hear hatred, he said. Not just Jewish people, but all people who know it is wrong ... If we really believe never again, you must never again be silent.

Michael Markman, board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, said, For the past 60 years our community has shown up each year to say never again, to ensure that you never forget about those who perished.

But these past seven months, he said, have been tremendously challenging. Since October 7, weve seen an unprecedented spike in antisemitism locally and worldwide. This is starting to feel like 1933 Germany and if we sit and we do not fight, it will happen again and we cannot allow that.

Prior to Israel invading Gaza, these demonstrators hit our campuses, attacked our children and attacked us for being born Jews. This cannot happen. We must all fight together. Bigotry and racism cannot continue.
University of Pennsylvania students celebrate their commencement in 2022. This year's commencement at Penn is scheduled to take place on May 20, but could be impacted by ongoing protests against the Israel-Hamas war. Read more

Columbia University is canceling its two main commencement ceremonies following week-long protests of Israels war in Gaza.

Instead of a traditional commencement ceremony, Columbia will focus on Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, the university announced Monday.

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Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families. They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their schools invited guest speakers, Columbia said in a statement. As a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly.

 READ MORE: Penn weighs risk of removing encampment, saying it is causing fear for many

The smaller events wont take place on Columbias South lawn, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up an encampment that was taken down last week. Students who refused to leave were suspended by the school, and protesters who barricaded themselves into a building on campus were dispersed by police. According to the New York Police Department, 282 people were arrested.

Its unclear what impact Columbias commencement cancellation will have on other schools and universities where protests against the Israel-Hamas war continue.

At Penn, an encampment of protesters is nearing a third week on the College Green, despite interim President J. Larry Jameson reiterating in a Monday morning email that the demonstration must come down. Unlike incidents at Columbia and UCLA, there have only been minor arrests connected to the protests at the University of Pennsylvania, which have remained peaceful.

Penns commencement is scheduled for Monday, May 20 at Franklin Field. The university did not return a request for comment about any changes to commencement.

Columbias decision comes after pro-Palestinian protesters caused a minor disruption at University of Michigans commencement on Saturday. Northeastern University held their graduation ceremonies at Fenway Park Sunday without incident, though one protester was removed from commencement and arrested, according to the Boston Globe.

The protesters are calling for Penn to disclose its financial holdings, divest from any investments in the war, and provide amnesty for pro-Palestinian students facing discipline over past protests.

University leaders have met with the protesters, but have referred to a 2016 law that prohibits Pennsylvania from signing contracts with entities that boycott or divest from Israel.

Staff writer Susan Snyder contributed to this report.
An eight-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police died Sunday during a training session, officials said.

Trooper Marcellus E. Bethea died while training at state police headquarters in Ewing, New Jersey State Police said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Bethea had served at Troop D, based out of Moorestown, and was a member of the state polices 156th class.

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New Jersey State Police did not immediately release Betheas cause of death or the type of training he was engaged in when he died. Betheas death is under investigation, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

Betheas path to the state police started at Northern Burlington County Regional High School, where he participated in New Jersey State Police Trooper Youth Week as a student, Murphy said.

He embodied honor, duty, and fidelity in its highest form every day and in everything he did, Murphy said in a statement.

In a statement Monday, the Burlington County Commissioners called Bethea a beloved local resident.

All of Burlington County is grieving the loss of Trooper Marcellus Bethea and his sudden passing. He protected and selflessly served our communities as a valued member of law enforcement, the statement said. Like all law enforcement officers, he bravely put himself at risk in service to others. His life and service will not be forgotten, and our Board extends our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Bethea was training to join the elite TEAMS unit, an emergency response unit at the state police, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. Platkin said he sent sincere condolences to Betheas loved ones and noted that New Jersey grieves with them and with every member of the New Jersey State Police.

State troopers, and other members of law enforcement, enter their profession knowing its risks but put themselves on the line because they believe in serving the residents of our state, Platkin said. We owe Trooper Bethea our deepest gratitude and can honor his memory by living our lives with his same reverence for honor, duty, and fidelity.

Staff writer Emily Bloch contributed to this article.
President Joe Biden is greeted by party chair Bob Brady at the Philadelphia International Airport in March. Read more

More than 500,000 Democrats in Pennsylvanias bluest city didnt vote in last months primary.

Turnout in Philadelphia, a perennial problem for Democrats, is sure to be higher in November. But the number of city voters who head to the polls could make or break President Joe Bidens reelection chances.

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With six months to go until a high-stakes presidential election, the turnout challenge for Democrats is compounded by waning enthusiasm for Biden, including some in the party protesting him, generational and ideological divides in the city party, and lingering tensions over how the local party is run.

Its led to frustration from some Philadelphia committeemembers, who say theyre concerned about the effectiveness of the partys turnout operation and its long-standing party boss, Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady.

Big-city Democratic machines arent what they used to be, thanks largely to the reduction of political patronage in city government. And Brady gives an enormous amount of deference to local ward leaders, meaning the strategy  and vigor  of the partys turnout efforts vary by neighborhood.

But with Philadelphias slice of the statewide Democratic vote continuing to shrink in recent elections, Bradys critics are calling for a more cohesive citywide strategy that takes advantage of its greatest asset: the thousands of elected Democratic committeepeople who are trusted voices in their neighborhoods.

What is Bob Bradys plan to boost turnout? asked Fred Dedrick, a committeeman in West Mount Airy. The numbers were horrible, even for a primary, and the turnout keeps getting worse and worse. What has happened to this army of party people who are supposed to be advocating for their neighbors?

The debate reflects long-standing rifts recently aggravated this winter when some progressive members were dismissed.

Brady countered that the party is running one of its most robust campaigns in years, led by the Biden campaign in coordination with party ward leaders.

Were doing everything we can, Brady said. Were working in complete conjunction, which never happens. [The Biden campaign] hired all our people, local people. Theyre not bringing anyone in from Arizona that wants to know where to get a good cheesesteak.

Through it all, the Biden team is projecting calm.

Theres an understanding across the board that whatever family feud is going on in the Democratic Party in Philadelphia, it is gonna be put aside to get President Biden over the hump, Bidens Philadelphia campaign lead, Kellan White said.

Were gonna talk to everybody because we need their help to get out the vote or ultimately, we all lose in November.

You send a signal you dont want our help

On a Wednesday afternoon ahead of primary day last month, Democratic ward leaders, committeepeople, and elected politicians gathered for the weekly pizza with the chairman open house.

Brady, a former congressman who has chaired the city party since 1986, sat at the head of a table huddling with small groups. His cell phone, one of the most valuable political rolodexes in the city, kept ringing.

Brady, 79, is perhaps the most well-connected Democrat in the region. He often greets Biden on the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport when the president visits, which is a lot.

He gets upset if Im not there, Brady said.

But Bradys old-school style is often criticized by younger, more progressive members of the party and tech-savvy organizers eager to modernize.

There are some who are like, Im the big bad wolf with the big bad party, Brady said from his office, decorated with photos of him and past Democratic presidents. Come talk to me. The doors open.

Some dont feel welcome. This year about 20 committeepeople were ousted after signing a letter supporting progressive Working Families Party candidates for City Council over Democratic nominees. The two Working Families Party members won seats long held by Republicans, and all five Democrats still cruised to victory. Only a handful of the citys 3,400 committee people were impacted but it intensified tensions over how the party operates.

Were doing the work while the Democratic committee fails to get people out to vote  and purges really hardworking people, said Rebecca Poyourow, an ousted committeeperson in Roxborough, where she cofounded an effort thats boosted turnout in her neighborhood. You send a signal that you dont want our help, she said.

Andre Carroll, a Democratic nominee for state representative who previously worked on a Working Families Party candidates campaign, said Democrats must focus on turning out a diverse coalition.

The thing about politics is that we need to do a better job of increasing participation and any time were removing people from their posts, were going in the opposite direction, he said at the Brady lunch.

Others defended the ousters. Ive been a ward leader 28 years and Ive always done what my chairman asks of me, said Angel Cruz, who runs a North Philadelphia ward.

Cruz represents one of the lowest turnout wards in the city. Bradys own ward had 21% turnout in the primary. Some argue there should be consequences or incentives for ward leaders to drive turnout.

But Brady insists the partys leaders arent to blame. The city has lost residents to the suburbs in recent years and voter apathy is hard to overcome.

We can only do what we can do, Brady said. They gotta turn out. We give them every reason to turn out and the numbers all through the elections are horrible.

Theres not necessarily a user guide

A chief criticism of the city party from some elected committeepeople is theres no user manual for turning out voters.

If there is a coordinated approach to voter engagement and registration, theres a ready-made army of people who could be mobilized, said Laura Boyce, a committeeperson in the Second Ward. That could be more effective than outside campaigns coming in, or at least really complementary to it.

In 2021 after meeting with party leaders, Boyce sent a list of recommendations, including a newsletter and monthly training sessions on constituent engagement, voter registration software, and canvassing. None of it was ever implemented.

Philadelphia has 66 wards split up into divisions, which each elect two Democratic and two Republican committeepeople. The neighborhood representatives act like political block captains and historically helped connect residents to city services or jobs. Today, the role can feel more nebulous. How active a committeeperson is can depend on their relationship with their ward leader and whether the ward is open, allowing it to be run more autonomously than the citys closed wards.

Tim Lynch, a committeeperson for eight years in Northeast Philadelphias 56th Ward, pays for and circulates pamphlets in his division ahead of elections but theres no coordinated effort ward or citywide.

If the committeeman wants to do something on his own, God bless ya, he said.

Gianni Hill, an adviser to Brady, said with a decentralized system of ward leaders comes different approaches and some resistance to new technologies and ideas.

A lot of people think theres this magic tool thats gonna get 3,400 committeepeople turned into magic field organizers and thats not realistic, Hill said.

Hill, a 23-year-old first-year law student who Brady calls Mighty Mouse, is coordinating with the Biden campaign on the citys turnout operation.

There is a current ramp-up of more tech and data-driven decisions and functions, Hill said. I do think there are various tensions we have to manage and part of that is clearer communications.

Democrats, we worry a lot.

For all the fretting, modern presidential campaigns have largely run independently of city and state parties. Bidens campaign in Philadelphia is no different.

The campaign is already opening field offices across the city  an early deployment compared to 2020, when it hired a Pennsylvania state director in August.

Trump, who has a drastically different strategy but also far less campaign cash, has no offices in the state.

Bidens and Sen. Bob Caseys campaigns convened a room of ward leaders, elected officials, and younger organizers from North Philadelphia two days after the primary.

Sharon Vaughn, a ward leader, chastised Bidens protest voters. They had the audacity to put in uncommitted. What kind of message is that? You shoulda stayed home if you werent gonna vote for a Democrat.

Oscar Lopez, a former Casey intern and recent college graduate, offered a counter perspective.

Many young people dont view this as a place where they have a voice and thats why many didnt show up two days ago, Lopez said.

After the event, Casey said the gathering represented the coalition Democrats need in November and dismissed some of the hand-wringing.

Democrats, we worry a lot, Casey said. And thats good because theres a lot at stake if we fall short.

Staff writer Sean Collins Walsh contributed to this article.
Montgomery County Register of Wills Tina Lawson touted the successful clearing of a $100 million backlog in inheritance taxes and returns in a news release last month celebrating her first 100 days in office.

But questions remain about how one of the wealthiest and most populous counties in the state developed such a large backlog  accounting for roughly six months of work, based on past audits of the inheritance checks the county processes per year. Lawson couldnt explain how the issue developed, and her predecessor, who attributed processing delays in the office to staffing issues, accused her of exaggerating it.

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State officials confirmed Montgomery County has processed inheritance taxes slower than its counterparts in other counties, but the true scale of the issue is unclear, as is how long the problem has persisted. Former staff members in the office said it was being consistently worked on even before Lawson took office. But once she took over in January, the county devoted new staff to solve the problem.

I dont know how it came to this, I have no idea, Lawson said in an interview last week, though she was careful to note she did not want to criticize former Register of Wills Bruce Hanes, who left office in January.

Slow processing

A county register of wills is responsible for probate, marriage licenses, and inheritance tax filings. In all Pennsylvania counties, those offices deposit inheritance tax checks into a shared state bank account as they process them  and that function is where Montgomery County fell behind.

Registers of Wills in Chester and Delaware Counties said they had never encountered significant delays in their processing  though those counties handle a smaller number of checks annually.

In my experience and to my knowledge there has never been a backlog of that type in the county, Delaware County Register of Wills Vincent Rongione said.

In Montgomery County, Lawson said taxpayers were not penalized for their checks reaching the state late because the department timestamps returns once they are received by the office.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue confirmed last week that Montgomery County was processing returns slower than other counties, but did not respond to questions about how long the slow processing had been an issue.

We are hopeful that processing times in this county will improve moving forward, Kendra Martin, a spokesperson for the department, said in an email.

Hanes, who was Montgomery Countys register of wills for 16 years, was skeptical that the backlog was $100 million; he suggested there were about five or six bins of checks, not 65, as Lawson had announced.

Something got distorted somewhere in between in between reality and the press release, he said. And thats an opinion.

Lawson said each processed check was documented but that there was no comprehensive inventory of those that had been delayed. The Inquirer requested records that would indicate how much was processed from the office before and after she took office but has not yet received a response.

Weve cleared them all so I cant go back and show you what was there because we took care of everything, Lawson said.

Hanes, who applauded Lawson for clearing the backlog, said the problem was caused by understaffing and a collection of checks that could not be processed to the state because taxpayers had neglected to pay a filing fee with the county. Staffing issues, Hanes said, began with COVID-19 but persisted in the following years.

We wound up with a real staffing issue, he said. We couldnt hire people because the county was paying so little.

Three former employees of the Register of Wills Office who asked not to be named said taxpayers who interacted with the office were regularly informed about the backlog and told they may see a delay in money being removed from their accounts. Staff, they said, had been steadily working to catch up as new returns continued to be filed.

The Montgomery County Controllers office is currently in the process of auditing the department for the three-year period ending in 2020.

The states most recent audit covered the three-year period ending in 2022. According to that audit, Montgomery County processed more than $655 million in inheritance taxes in three years, amounting to roughly $200 million each year during that time period.

Fixing the problem

Lawson, who was elected to office in November, was endorsed by Hanes, a fellow Democrat. She said she learned about the backlog through conversations with existing staff members when she took office. She said she quickly communicated with the countys board of commissioners about it.

I came in, I saw it, I talked to the county about it, they saw it, we worked on it, we got it done, she said.

According to a county spokesperson, Montgomery County reassigned three county employees each day to clear all the checks, totaling 400 hours of work. They also spent $42,443 for four workers from a temporary staffing agency to assist.

Jamila Winder, a Democrat who chairs of the board of commissioners, said she was proud of the way Lawson had risen to the challenge of clearing the backlog.

I pride myself on partnering with our row officers on all the good things that theyre doing but also when theres signs of challenge, and this was an example of that, commissioner Jamila Winder said. She walked into, you know, a challenging situation and Im really proud of her as a colleague to see the way in which she handled it and made the necessary improvements.

Republican Commissioner Tom DiBello said he was pleased to hear the backlog had been cleared, acknowledging the challenges that came to government offices during COVID-19.

Its hard to, you know, clear the backlog and then have new stuff coming in during that time, he said. I know that was a goal and objective she was working diligently on trying to get it cleared.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker exits the Allegheny station before walking along Kensington Avenue on the day she released her plan for the neighborhood. Read more

Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel gave something to Kensington residents last week that they say theyve wanted from the city for years: an apology.

You have the absolute right to be frustrated, the citys top cop told a woman who described the conditions in her neighborhood and said she was sorry for getting angry. He responded: Dont you apologize. We owe you an apology.

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Bethel told residents who gathered at a community meeting that his department could not end the open-air drug market overnight, but he promised that change is coming under the leadership of a new administration.

And it could be as early as this week.

Bethel and other top officials in Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration are planning for city workers to clear people from the sidewalks along a two-block stretch of Kensington Avenue. The effort the city refers to as an encampment resolution is not a new concept  it has been conducted many times in the past  but comes amid City Halls intense focus on Kensington.

The clearing, scheduled for Wednesday, will be the most visible action the Parker administration has taken yet in the neighborhood long plagued by the drug trade and where residents say conditions have dramatically deteriorated over the last several years. Open drug use is common, as is the gun violence driven by the estimated billion-dollar opioid trade.

 READ MORE: Mayor Parker unveils aggressive public safety goals and Kensington strategy

City health officials estimate that at least 675 people are homeless in the neighborhood  hundreds more than just four years ago  and Managing Director Adam K. Thiel has said that is likely understated. The majority of those people are in addiction, and many have open wounds associated with the use of xylazine, a toxic component in the drug supply.

Not all of them will be swept up in this weeks encampment clearing  Bethel has estimated that about 75 people are living in the targeted area near Kensington and Allegheny. Outreach workers have been in the neighborhood for weeks, warning people of the impending clearing, offering connections to social services, and drafting a list of people living on the streets.

And city officials, from Council members to police, have held community meetings in the neighborhood to discuss the plans. Parker will appear at a town hall meeting at a Kensington Avenue chapel Tuesday evening, mere hours before the clearing is scheduled to begin.

The impact of clearings is still uncertain

Questions still remain about the encampment clearing and the impact of the citys broader plan to stabilize Kensington.

The administration last month released a five-phase strategy that includes attempting to remove the presence of drug users from the neighborhood. The plan describes a multi-day initiative during which police will arrest people for crimes including drug possession and prostitution  offenses the city hasnt targeted in years.

But Thiel, whose office is leading the planning around the strategy in Kensington, has said the encampment clearing this week is separate from that police initiative. In the past, encampment clearings have been led by workers from social service agencies who attempt to connect people to treatment or shelter before their belongings are cleared from the sidewalks.

 READ MORE: Mayor Parkers plan to remove the presence of drug users from Kensington raises new questions

In addition, city policy is to have a shelter or treatment bed available to anyone who is homeless and living in an encampment, but people are not required to accept that. Some community leaders in other neighborhoods say they have seen an increase lately in visible homelessness.

More and more Im finding them coming over and yet I dont have any support, Kenneth Paul, president of the Port Richmond on Patrol and Civic group, told Bethel last week. I dont want my neighborhood turning into what [Kensington] has turned into.

Bethel said the department anticipates that people leaving Kensington will migrate to other locations and may continue to be unhoused.

We anticipate a robust effort down here to address displacement, he said. Our model will be built not just around the Kensington corridor.

As for people seeking treatment or shelter, there are questions about capacity and where people with complex health needs will receive appropriate medical care.

During a City Council hearing about Parkers proposed budget in mid-April, health officials said the city has about 1,000 treatment beds for people with substance use disorder. Jill Bowen, the now-former commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health, said the number of available beds fluctuates, but as of April 15, 109 were available.

Bowen said the city has overflow space and can be prepared for a surge.

Parkers administration says it has been working to increase capacity at shelters and treatment centers. Last week, the city announced an expansion of a shelter in Fairmount now staffed with addiction service providers where people leaving Kensington could be placed.

But the site drew controversy. It remained unclear whether police would refer people to site, and top officials, including the head of the Defender Association, said they were caught off-guard. City Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr., whose district includes the site, said he wasnt consulted.

It is unacceptable to undertake such a significant project without consulting the communities and stakeholders who will be most affected, he said in a statement.

Know your mayor believes in you

The encampment clearing also comes as Parker has been criticized for other tenets of her opioid strategy.

Perhaps most controversial has been her proposal to strip nearly $1 million in funding from Prevention Point Philadelphia for its syringe exchange program, which has for decades provided sterile syringes to people who use drugs as a means of reducing exposure to HIV and other bloodborne illnesses.

Last week, City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, of the progressive Working Families Party, delivered a speech after members introduced a resolution to declare May Hepatitis Awareness Month. She explained that hepatitis can be spread through shared needles.

With the dramatic loss of funding for safe needle exchange in Philadelphia, it will become even more difficult to combat, she said.

Parker has defended her position. During a town hall meeting with hundreds of Northwest Philadelphia residents last month, Parker said syringe exchange and other harm reduction strategies are important, but long-term care, treatment, and housing is how people in addiction end up beating the addiction and be put on a path to self sufficiency.

She said providing tools for continued drug use is like you telling me you have no faith ... that they can beat this thing.

When you shout that Ive got blood on my hands, when you tell me Im killing people, I want you to remember I love people and I believe in people, Parker said. Know your mayor believes in you. I think you can beat it. I saw people I love beat it. I know you can beat it.

She received a standing ovation.

Staff writers Max Marin, Samantha Melamed, Ellie Rushing, and Aubrey Whelan contributed to this article.
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Nundah Private Hospital will provide integrated private mental health services to the Northern Brisbane communities, she said. This new model of care in mental health private services is a first for the Brisbane area with the hospital set to open in the second half of 2024. Aurora Healthcare has delivered services to the greater Brisbane area for over 50 years through our Belmont Private Hospital. Nundah Private Hospital enables us to extend our services to the northside of Brisbane, with a new model of care, while also leveraging our years of expertise in private mental health specialisation.
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Risk Strategies



Revenue growth: 30 percent

Years in operation: 27

The past year saw the firm complete a record number of acquisitions (32), with growth split between organic and inorganic.

The two to me go hand in hand, they dont live in an isolated world, says managing director John Scroope.

Risk Strategies greenlights acquisitions for new products or dimensions that their existing firms can tap into.

Organic growth is driven both by those firms and associates doing whats worked well for them over the years, adds Scroope. But the magic happens when those same long tenured and new producers both look to their right and their left and go, wow, weve just added something I never had before.

Scroope shares the types of questions Risk Strategies poses before an acquisition:

Are they experts in what they do?



Have they found a way to bring new solutions or innovative products?



Do they have highly ethical leaders who think about their associates and clients the way Risk Strategies does?



Can we add a degree of operational efficiency or client experience to make a more profitable business?

Risk Strategies does not acquire on the basis of pre-set numbers annually.

Part of our secret sauce has been staying true to our strategic outlook on acquisitions, says Scroope.

The other defining factor is how Risk Strategies build partnerships with the new firms.

Scroope describes them as integrators and highlights their first retail acquisition in Canada.



If we can continue organic growth, supported by inorganic growth, which is supported by a true intentional integration process, and in doing that, not only retain but help grow that next generation of insurance professionals  thats the Holy Grail

John Scroope Risk Strategies

I went to Toronto to tell them were so happy youre here and I meant it. I explained how they are our platform for a new frontier and the beginning of something that could be even greater. It was about figuring out a roadmap so they can take advantage of what we bring to the party and how we take advantage of what they bring.

Over its history, Risk Strategies has acquired over 100 firms and is focused on making the process better.

Scroope says, We know we can do better in terms of what being integrated feels like. Weve been busy over the last six months, specifically to take what weve learned over the years and build a very thoughtful, linear, and repeatable process for what integration should look like.

Nevertheless, Scroope estimates only 80 percent of the work will fall inside a codified process requiring 20 percent customization.

If we dont, were trying to take a square peg and jam it into a round hole.

The finer detail of how growth is powered and compounded across Risk Strategies is by its people.

For Scroope and his fellow leaders, there is a desire to see individuals flourish as a result of their firms being acquired.

Probably the proudest moments of a year are looking back at an acquired firm, and two or three employees have emerged into larger leadership positions. Its not a charitable endeavor, we need people who think differently than we do. We are excited when we find those gems that say, Hey, Im so glad Im part of this. Id love to emerge and take on more. We fully support them to do that, he says.

After an acquisition is complete, Scroope invests in ensuring a bond is built.

I ask Whats non-negotiable? What would they warn me not to come in and change as its too defining of who that firm is. Or conversely, what would they love to see change, he explains. It can be the number of working-from-home days or the food truck. It could be simple in my mind but whats inconsequential to me is table stakes for someone else. Were not just there to preserve and be stewards of what was, its the possibility of what could be.

This encapsulates the framework behind the impressive growth of Risk Strategies. The company only commits when its right, and then with precision and awareness.

Scroope adds, We dont bid on 10 out of 10 deals that come across our desk. Many hit the cutting-room floor because they dont pass our scrutiny, whether it be economics, cultural, or specialization.

RT Specialty



Revenue growth: 15 percent

Years in operation: 14

The firm, which has almost 1,000 brokers and is headquartered in Chicago, has three pillars that have driven growth:

strengthening infrastructure and the breadth and depth of broking/underwriting teams



being highly specialized in practice group verticals they broker and underwrite most frequently



having a high level of execution

Chairman and CEO Tim Turner highlights three acquisitions in the past 18 months, which significantly impacted growth.

Centurion Liability Insurance Services: That was a very key acquisition in that it was one of our customers, IOA Insurance Services, a captive wholesaler. We were able to buy that and immediately strengthen our trading relationship with IOA.

Griffin Underwriting Services: It was a key acquisition for us in the Northwest. We needed a larger footprint and a stronger binding authority capability in that region. Griffin was the leading binding authority in Seattle, and in the states of Washington and Oregon, with far-reaching capabilities into Alaska, and just an outstanding team of professionals.

Socius Insurance Services: They are well-known outstanding performers in professional liability and really talented casualty brokers as well. They were in geographical areas that complemented our platform and footprint being based in San Francisco. We have several offices in California and a very strong San Francisco office property and casualty brokerage-wise. In Tampa and Miami in particular, we picked up some very high-caliber D&O and E&O brokers. And then lastly, in Illinois, we picked up some very strong casualty brokers. Its been a great fit for us.

Along with bringing high-performing companies into its circle, RT drives growth through an attitude of always training, always recruiting.



Were evaluating our talent constantly and putting them in situations where they can learn quickly. The volume of business that comes into our channel is a luxury and it accelerates the learning curve

Tim Turner RT Specialty

The pinnacle of this is Ryan University.

Were able to accelerate the learning curve of our new trainees and really put them in a position to be creative a lot faster than our competitors. We have the ability to manufacture talent, explains Turner. Its very much predicated on their level, whether it be a broker assistant, a technical assistant, broking, or underwriting.

The success of their training is evident, with RT Specialty winning 19 different individual and company awards since June 2022.

RT Specialty also ensures it has the best talent in its ranks to drive growth and enter Ryan University.

Turner says, We have a very aggressive and vigorous recruiting program for summer internships. Were bringing in hundreds of young juniors from some of the top risk management programs and universities around the country. We give them an internship and we get to pick the very best from that group. Its a very dedicated system generating hundreds and hundreds of talented young brokers and underwriters.

All of the infrastructure and talent developments come together, allowing RT Specialty to capitalize on niche firming phenomena, which the company constantly monitors the market for.

They are classes of business that deteriorate in the standard market and cause the admitted standard market to non-renew very large portfolios of business, like transportation, livery, shared economy and that business pours into the E&S market, Turner comments. Being able to respond to that quickly with a deep bench performing at a very high level for the clients takes a high degree of specialization, along with depth and breadth to handle the volume.

RT Specialtys structure enables it to respond and stand out in a competitive landscape.

Turner adds, We need to execute and accelerate into those opportunities and a big part of our success is being able to do that much faster than our competitors.
Matt will be a valuable resource to both our clients, boosting their awareness of all that AXA XL has to offer, and our internal teams, helping us develop a deeper understanding of our clients unique needs so we can continue to develop and deliver innovative insurance and risk management solutions that matter most to them.
As part of the settlement, GEICO has agreed to post a notice informing employees of their rights under federal labor law and to comply with those laws. This notice will include a series of commitments such as WE WILL NOT tell employees that they will get on GEICOs radar if they fill out union authorization cards. The settlement was approved by the NLRB in April, following a complaint filed in October 2022 by a regional director of the agency.
These awards not only reflect the resilience and innovative capabilities of the winning firms but also set a benchmark for success in the brokerage industry during unpredictable times. See the rest of the list of winners by reading the IBA Fast Brokerages 2024 special report.
People powered through AI

People also will have a critical role in managing AI so that it doesnt cause harm. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners released a model bulletin in December on the use of AI by insurers. Regulators are concerned about the accuracy of the results produced by AI and whether it introduces unfair discrimination.
Impact of cyberattacks on the healthcare industry

The healthcare sectors reliance on technology for patient records, billing, and other critical functions makes it an attractive target for ransomware gangs, according to the report. The consequences of such attacks can be severe, ranging from data breaches to the interruption of patient care. The most recent attack on Change Healthcare by the ALPHV/BlackCat group was on March 6, 2024. It affected thousands of medical practices and pharmacies across the United States. Typically, a ransomware group will distribute profits among its members. However, Corvus noted that, in this case, BlackCats leaders kept all the funds and abruptly terminated operations. The affiliates then expressed their frustrations on dark web forums about not receiving their share of the purported $20 million ransom.
Jain, meanwhile, acknowledged that GEICO has had to play catch-up with competitors that better utilize data analytics for pricing and risk assessment. He mentioned the company is addressing its technological shortcomings by hiring professionals aimed at enhancing their capabilities in pricing and claims, with the goal of matching the industrys top carriers by the end of 2025.
Savage River Lodge and Little Crossings will pay $150,000 and furnish equitable relief to settle federal charges that they discriminated against an employee because of her pregnancy and then fired her.

The Frostburg, Maryland businesses, part of Fronterra Resources, offer cabins for rent and operate a restaurant for lodge guests, according to the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). They also operate a cafe and other facilities in Grantsville, Maryland.

In its lawsuit, the EEOC sought relief for Jessica Cook, an employee who worked at the Savage River Lodge as a guest services representative beginning in October 2019. According to the EEOCs lawsuit, Savage River Lodge discriminated and retaliated against Cook by failing to provide her with accommodations that she needed due to her pregnancy and firing her days after she disclosed having suffered a miscarriage.

The alleged misconduct violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit disability discrimination, pregnancy discrimination and retaliation.

According to the consent decree resolving the EEOCs lawsuit, in addition to the monetary relief, Savage River Lodge provided Cook with an apology. The company will confirm that she is eligible for rehire and is recommended for any job related to her former position at Savage River Lodge. The decree also enjoins Savage River Lodge from discriminating and retaliating against employees in the future.

The company will provide specialized training to educate its workforce about pregnancy loss and discrimination. Periodic reporting to the EEOC and agency monitoring were also ordered.

The EEOC said it filed the lawsuit against Savage River Lodge in U.S. District Court for Maryland after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its administrative process.

The $150,000 settlement reflects $70,000 in back pay and $80,000 in compensatory damages.

Topics Lawsuits Maryland
Maryland plans to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in just over four years at an estimated cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, a state transportation official said Thursday.

The state plans to build a new span by fall of 2028, said David Broughton, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation. He said the cost estimate is preliminary, and detailed engineering specifics have not been confirmed.

As salvage efforts continue, authorities also announced late Wednesday they had recovered the body of a fifth person who was missing after the bridges March 26 collapse, which shut down the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the country.

Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths when a container ship lost power and crashed into one of the bridges supporting columns. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command announced that the victim found Wednesday was identified as Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the United States from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

We continue to pray for Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, his family and all those who love him, acknowledging the anguish they have experienced since the Key Bridge collapsed, Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement Thursday. We pray for comfort, we pray for healing, and we pray for peace in knowing that their loved one has finally come home.

Salvage teams found one of the missing construction vehicles Wednesday and notified the Maryland State Police, officials said. State police investigators and Maryland Transportation Authority Police officers and the FBI responded to the scene and recovered the body inside a red truck. The state police underwater recovery team and crime scene unit also assisted.

Insurance Payouts

Meanwhile, the broker for the bridges insurance policy confirmed Thursday that a $350 million payout will be made to the state of Maryland in what is expected to be the first of many payouts related to the collapse.

Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, is preparing to make the $350 million payment, according to WTW, the broker. Douglas Menelly, a spokesperson for WTW, on Thursday confirmed plans for the payout, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Chubb did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Insurer Chubb Readies $350M Payout Tied to Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The Maryland Transportation Authority said Thursday that the states treasurer filed a claim on the day of the bridges collapse against our $350 million property policy and put on notice our $150 million liability policy first tier carrier on behalf of MDTA.

We expect the full property policy to be paid very shortly, the agency said in a news release.

Maryland transportation officials noted that the states estimates for the cost to rebuild the bridge are in line with similar projects of this scale and complexity. Federal funding, insurance proceeds and other reimbursements will bring a variety of resources toward the rebuild and recovery effort, the officials said, and the state is pursuing other recovery options to minimize net cost to taxpayers and toll customers.

The Dali container ship has been stationary amid the wreckage since the collapse, but crews plan to refloat and remove the ship, allowing more maritime traffic to resume through Baltimores port. Officials expect to have it removed by May 10, according to a Port of Baltimore news release.

Insurance Industry Readies for Historic Losses From Baltimore Bridge Tragedy

Salvage and demolition crews were still working around the clock to clear wreckage from the collapse site. Theyre now focused primarily on freeing the Dali from a massive steel span that came crashing down on the ships bow.

That will allow the ship to be refloated and guided back into the Port of Baltimore. It will also allow most maritime traffic to resume through the busy East Coast port.

On Thursday morning, crews were preparing for a controlled demolition that will break down the largest remaining span and send it tumbling into the water. Then a massive hydraulic grabber will lift the resulting sections of steel onto barges.

The hydraulic grabber, which officials have called the largest in the country, was also in motion Thursday morning. Moving ever so slowly, the giant claw descended into the depths of the Patapsco River and emerged with a steel beam in its trusses. It was operating in tandem with the Chesapeake 1000, one of the largest cranes on the Eastern Seaboard.

Associated Press journalists Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia, and Lea Skene in Baltimore, contributed to this report.

Photo: The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge lay on top of the container ship Dali, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Maryland
Heavy rains in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul killed 39 people, with another 68 still missing, the state civil defense agency said Friday, as record-breaking floods devastated cities and forced thousands to leave their homes.

It was the fourth such environmental disaster in a year, following floods in July, September and November 2023 that killed 75 people in total.

The flooding statewide has surpassed that seen during a historic 1941 deluge, according to the Brazilian Geological Service. In some cities, water levels were at their highest since records began nearly 150 years ago, the agency said.

On Thursday, a dam at a hydroelectric plant between the cities of Bento Goncalves and Cotipora partially collapsed and entire cities in the Taquari River valley, like Lajeado and Estrela, were completely overtaken by water. In the town of Feliz, 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the state capital, Porto Alegre, a massively swollen river swept away a bridge that connected it with the neighboring city of Linha Nova.

Operators reported electricity, communications and water cuts across the state. More than 24,000 people had to leave their homes, according to the civil defense agency.

Without internet, telephone service or electricity, residents struggled to provide updates or information to their relatives living in other states. Helicopters flew continually over the cities while stranded families with children awaited rescue on the rooftops.

Isolete Neumann, 58, lives in the city of Lajeado in the Taquari River valley and told The Associated Press she has never before seen a scenario like the one she is now experiencing.

People were making barricades in front of hospitals with sand and gravel. It felt like a horror movie, she said by phone. Some people in her region were so desperate, she added, that they threw themselves into the water currents.

Neumanns own neighborhood wasnt inundated, but has no running water and she hasnt showered since Tuesday. She said shes collecting rainwater in a basin to be able to cook. A clothing store she owns in the citys central area is flooded, she added.

I dont even know how it must be. There must be nothing left.

The downpour started Monday and is expected to last at least through Saturday, Marcelo Seluchi, chief meteorologist at the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters, told Brazils public television network Friday.

On Thursday night, Gov. Eduardo Leite alerted the states population  known as gauchos  about the persistence of rains and floods. The situation was expected to worsen in Porto Alegre, he said.

As a human being, I am devastated inside, just like every gaucho is, he said. But as governor, I am here steadfast and I guarantee that we will not falter. We are doing everything with focus, attention, discipline, and outrage, to ensure that everything within our reach is done.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva acknowledged the flood victims at a press conference on Friday alongside Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Brasilia.

The first words from Minister Fumio Kishida in the meeting we held were of solidarity with the people of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, who are victims by one of the largest floods we have ever known. Never before in the history of Brazil had there been such a quantity of rain in one single location, Lula said.

Weather across South America is affected by the climate phenomenon El Nino, a periodic, naturally occurring event that warms surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region. In Brazil, El Nino has historically caused droughts in the north and intense rainfall in the south.

This year, the impacts of El Nino have been particularly dramatic, with a historic drought in the Amazon. Scientists say extreme weather is happening more frequently due to human-caused climate change.

Karina Lima, a 36-year-old scientist and PhD candidate in climatology at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, told The Associated Press that the state is located in a region with certain characteristics that amplify El Ninos destructive potential.

Models have long predicted that Rio Grande do Sul will continue to see an increase in average annual precipitation and extreme precipitation, meaning more concentrated and severe rainfall, she said.

Photograph: Streets are flooded after heavy rain in Sao Sebastiao do Cai, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Carlos Macedo)

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Flood
Brazil and the state of Espirito Santo have rejected a proposal by miners Vale and BHP regarding reparations for the deadly 2015 Mariana tailings dam burst, the federal government said on Friday.

The statement did not include Minas Gerais state, where the disaster happened, and which said it wants to keep negotiating the current proposal.

Vale, BHP and their joint venture Samarco earlier this week presented authorities with an offer to pay a total of 127 billion reais ($25.03 billion) as reparations for the dam collapse, including 37 billion reais already disbursed.

Vale, BHP Offer $25B Settlement for Mining Disaster, but Brazil Authorities Want More

In rejecting the offer, the office of Brazils solicitor general said in a statement that it does not represent an advance from the firms previous proposal in December and contains inadmissible conditions.

The November 2015 dam collapse at the Samarco iron ore mine near the town of Mariana, Minas Gerais, caused a vast flow of mud and mining waste that buried a nearby village, killing 19 people, leaving hundreds homeless and polluting the Doce River, a major river that flows through Espirito Santo.

Despite increasing the amount that would be directed to the federal and state governments, the latest proposal implied a drastic reduction in obligations previously agreed by the companies, the government statement said.

Under the new proposal, the removal of mining tailings from the Doce River would be significantly smaller than previously agreed and border a scenario of no removal at all, according to the federal government.

Despite the federal government and Espirito Santos strong refusal, the government of Minas Gerais took a different position.

Secretary for planning and management Luisa Barreto told Reuters the state will file a court document requesting the talks over the current proposal to continue.

Our understanding is that it is not a perfect proposal, it is not something we can sign, but it allows us to continue with the talks, she said.

Questioned about the matter, BHP reiterated it remains committed to reparation and compensation measures, and remains willing to collectively seek solutions that guarantee fair and comprehensive reparation for people.

Vale said it remains engaged in reaching a fair and full repair agreement.

Samarco said it remains open to dialog and seeks to conclude the discussion on the agreement without shirking its responsibilities.

($1 = 5.0734 reais)

Vale, BHP offer $25 billion settlement for Mariana disaster; authorities seek more

(Reporting by Marta Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro and Peter Frontini in Sao Paulo; editing by Gabriel Araujo, Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)

Photograph: This Nov. 23, 2015 file photo shows the aftermath of the collapse of a mining dam in Bento Rodrigues, Brazil operated by BHP and Vale. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at AXA XL and Generali Global Corporate & Commercial (GC&C).

A summary of these new hires follows here.

AXA XL Promotes OMalley as Chief Client & Distribution Officer, Americas

AXA XL has appointed Matthew V. OMalley to the newly created role of chief client & distribution officer for the Americas, reporting to Lucy Pilko, the regions chief executive officer, and Manuel Meier, AXA XLs chief client officer.

In his new role, OMalley will lead AXA XLs U.S. zonal teams, Canada and Bermuda country distribution, client engagement, broker engagement, and marketing activities in the Americas. He will work with clients and distribution partners and across AXA XLs product lines to foster long-term partnerships to help enhance client experience and engagement.

During his 25-year tenure in the insurance industry, OMalley has held numerous underwriting and management positions. Most recently, he served as AXA XLs U.S. country manager, assuming broader oversight of AXA XLs collective business activity in the US Insurance Market. Previously, he led AXA XLs North America Environmental insurance business for eight years and later also took on the underwriting management responsibility of the companys E&S Casualty business.

***

GC&C Taps Puerta From QBE as Head of Mediterranean & Latin America

Generali Global Corporate & Commercial (GC&C) has appointed Patricia Puerta as the new head of GC&C Mediterranean & Latin America, effective May 2, 2024. Puerta is taking over from Carlos Gomez, who has led the region since 2013 and who recently moved into the position of GC&C head of Insurance.

In her new role, Puerta will oversee corporate and commercial operations across the Mediterranean region (excluding Italy and Greece), as well as Latin America. This includes identifying opportunities for business development and operational efficiency enhancements, and further strengthening GC&Cs presence and impact across the region, as well as a focus on driving sustainable growth initiatives.

Puerta has worked in insurance for more than two decades, showcasing her skills across diverse areas including claims, credit control and operations. She has primarily excelled in technical underwriting, particularly in the multinational large risk sector. Prior to her role with GC&C, Puerta served as general manager at QBE Iberia, and was a member of the European Management Committee, spearheading an array of strategic initiatives spanning Europe and beyond.

In addition, she co-championed a collaborative project that bridged teams across various regions including Europe, the UK and Canada. Earlier in her career, Puerta acquired valuable expertise through roles at Catlin and the XL Group. She studied law and holds a masters degree in Insurance and Risk Management from Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.

Topics AXA XL
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the Rolling Meadows, Illinois-based broker, announced the acquisition of Melbourne, Victoria-based Health Insurance Consultants Australia (HICA).

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

HICA is a specialist health insurance consultancy and brokerage firm serving corporate clients, small and medium-sized businesses, professional groups and associations in Australia for more than 30 years. HICA founder Suzanne Still, Jethro Still and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Graham Campbell, head of Gallaghers employee benefits and HR consulting operations in Australia.

HICA has a strong record of growth and will enhance our benefits consulting capabilities in Australia, said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman and CEO. I am very pleased to welcome Suzanne, Jethro and their associates to our growing, global team.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions A.J. Gallagher Australia
Drugmakers GSK Plc and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH prioritized profits over consumer safety by hiding the cancer risks of their once-blockbuster heartburn drug Zantac, according to lawyers representing a Chicago woman in the first of thousands of such claims to go before a US jury.

Angela Valadez, 89, used over-the-counter Zantac religiously for 18 years before being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, she said in her lawsuit. Shes now seeking at least $640 million in compensatory damages. Both GSK and Boehringer sold Zantac at different times during 30 years that the drug was one of the top-selling antacids in the US.

London-based GSK, which developed Zantac in 1983, knew early on the drug could cause cancer and sold it anyway without warnings, Mikal Watts, Valadezs lawyer, told an Illinois state court jury Thursday in Chicago. In his opening statement, Watts said internal files show a study laying out the drugs risks were withheld from US regulators by GSK executives for 37 years.

A whole lot of Zantac got sold over that period, Watts told the nine-woman, three-man panel in a tiny Cook County Circuit Court room. Internal documents also show Zantac generated more revenue in 1983 than all of GSKs other drugs combined, he said. Zantac was bigger than the whole company.

Valadezs suit is one of tens of thousands pending against GSK, Boehringer, Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi, which all sold Zantac at different times. The potential of costly legal risks has been a concern for investors in the companies.

GSK and Boehringer are the only defendants in the Valadez case, after Pfizer agreed earlier to a settlement. Sanofi wasnt named in her suit.

Blockbuster Drug

Zantac hit the US market as a prescription drug in 1983 before becoming an over-the-counter product in 1996. It was the worlds top-selling medicine five years later and recognized as one of the first blockbuster drugs to rack up more than $1 billion in annual sales.

Paris-based Sanofi agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle about 4,000 lawsuits claiming it failed to warn users that Zantac could cause cancer, Bloomberg News reported last month. The French drugmaker still faces claims in other state courts.

GSK has settled some cases before they went to trial, but it opted to let jurors hear the claim by Valadez. She argues Zantacs former active ingredient, ranitidine, formed the likely carcinogen NDMA over time or when stored in elevated temperatures. The US Food and Drug Administration recalled Zantac in 2019 over the NDMA discovery.

Tarek Ismail, one of GSKs lawyers, told jurors in his opening statement that no scientific studies have linked Zantac or NDMA to colorectal cancer. He said Valadez likely developed the illness  which affects millions of Americans every year  because of other risk factors. He said Valadez didnt get a colonoscopy until she was 80.

GSK said it decided to take the case to trial to defend itself against unfair and unwarranted allegations that Valadez developed the potentially fatal disease from the heartburn medication.

No Liability

Andy Bayman, one of Boehringers lawyers, told jurors that the German drugmaker had no liability. Valadez had been taking Zantac for two decades before the company acquired the rights to the drug in 2006, Bayman said. Boehringer never picked up any signs Zantac was tainted with NDMA while it owned the drug, he said. Boehringer sold the Zantac rights to Sanofi in 2017.

After the FDA recall, Sanofi won approval to return Zantac to US store shelves, but without ranitidine. Its now made with famotidine, the active ingredient in competitor Pepcid, which is marketed jointly by Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co.

All the Zantac makers got a boost in 2022 when a federal judge threw out more than 5,000 suits filed in federal court in Florida, saying the science behind the cancer claims was flawed. Many of those cases later were refiled in state court in Delaware.

Judge Vivian Medinilla in Wilmington is weighing the validity of the scientific evidence underlying the more than 70,000 Zantac cases filed in her court and is expected to rule soon on whether juries can hear those suits.

Top photo: Zantac Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Profit Loss
Berkshire Hathaway continued to deliver eye-popping results for its insurance and reinsurance operations during the first quarter of 2024, with underwriting profits for personal auto insurer GEICO and reinsurance operations topping any prior first quarter in the last decade.

Across Berkshires insurance and non-insurance operations, operating profit rose 39 percent, but an 80 percent jump in the businesses that Chairman Warren Buffett describes as the most important ones in the conglomeratethe insurance and reinsurance operationssoared 80 percent to $5.2 billion after taxes. Underwriting and investment income from the insurance and reinsurance operations each contributed $2.6 billion to the overall results.

Related: Berkshires Jain on Cyber: The Mindset Should Be Youre Not Making Money

GEICOs pretax underwriting profit soared 174 percent to $1.9 billion in first-quarter 2024 from $703 million in first-quarter 2023with both the 2024 and 2023 first-quarter results reversing an underwriting loss in 2022. The latest underwriting profit figure eclipsed the prior first-quarter profit record at GEICO of $1.0 billion set in 2022.

GEICOs $1.9 billion underwriting profit translates to a first-quarter 2024 combined ratio of 81.2. That was 11.5 points lower than first-quarter 2023, with the loss ratio improving 10.5 points to 72.5, and the expense ratio coming down a full point to 8.7.

GEICO vs. Progressive: Playing Catch-Up

In spite of the stunning progress, Berkshires leaders admit they are still lagging on an important aspect of the personal auto insurance business: data analytics. During the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting on Saturday, Chair Warren Buffett and Vice Chair Ajit Jain addressed a shareholders question about GEICOs relative weakness when measured against competitor Progressive. Jain said GEICOs work in this area is continuing but wont be finished until the end of 2025, while Buffett pointed to GEICOs low-cost operating model as a continuing source of profitability.

Jain responded first echoing statements he and Buffett made in 2021.

One of the drawbacks that GEICO is faced with [is that] it hasnt been doing a good job at matching rate with risk, and segmenting and pricing product based on the risk characteristics. This has been a disadvantage at GEICO for a few years now, Jain said.

We are trying to still play catch-up. Technology is something that is unfortunately a bottleneck. But we are making progressand equally importantly, we have hired people who are much better than what they inherited in terms of data analytics and pricing and slicing data, he said.

I recognize were still behind. Were taking steps to bridge the gap and hopefully, certainly by the end of 25, we should be able to be [among] the best of players when it comes to data analytics, whether its pricing, whether its claims or any other factor that drives the economics of the insurance business.

Buffett continued, noting that equating rate with risk is important in every line of insurance business. Progressive has done a better job in that recently, he said.

Still, Buffett asserted that GEICOs fundamental advantage against all auto competitors is that we have lower costs than virtually anybody. And that cost advantage has been dramatic. Weve driven our underwriting expense ratio below 10 percent, and there are just very, very few companies that can compete with that, he said.

Buffett went on to note that the fact that GEICO has trailed competitors on data analysis technology is not a threat. Its not remotely a threat to survival. Its not a threat even to profitability. On the other hand, we would like to be growing with something that is the best model around in the insurance business of delivering at a low cost.

We would rather have X percent of the market than half of X percent, he said, noting that GEICO didnt lose many of its 16 million policyholders in the month of March.

Buffett concluded that GEICO does have to do a better job of matching rate to risk, adding that the insurers low cost model has masked the fact that it was behind on that. GEICO CEO Todd Combs is working intensively on shoring up that part of the business. While GEICO has made good strides, theres still work to be done. In the meantime, were not going to shrink and we should make better underwriting profits than most companies in the auto insurance business, he said.

The Management Discussion and Analysis section of Berkshires first-quarter 2024 earnings report indicates that GEICOs written premiums grew 7.3 percent compared to the same quarter in 2023, with rate hikes pushing up average premiums per policy by 9.8 percent partly offsetting a 6.6 percent decline in policies in force. According to the discussion, the rate of decline of policies slowed in the first quarter of 2024, driven by increased new business and higher retention rates.

The MD&A attributed the 10.5 point drop in GEICOs loss ratio to the impact of higher average premiums per policy and lower claim frequencies offset by higher claims severity. Explaining the 1.0 point decline in the expense ratio vs. the prior-year first quarter, the report said the improved operating efficiencies and increased operating leverage were partially offset by higher advertising expenses. The report did not specifically refer to any decline in the number of employees at GEICO, which was evident from a schedule in the conglomerates 2023 annual report published in February.

Progressive recently announced a hiring push to keep pace with growing revenue, with the goal of filling 10,000 open roles in claims, IT and other areas of the carriers operations. (Related article: Growing Progressive Set to Hire 10,000+ in Claims, IT, Other Roles)

What About Tesla?

During Saturdays annual meeting, Buffett and Jain were asked another question they have addressed in at prior meetings: What will be the impact on GEICO of Tesla making inroads into the auto insurance business? More specifically, a shareholder asked what would happen to GEICOs business volume if Teslas full self-driving capabilities achieve CEO Elon Musks goal of reducing accidents by 50 percent.

If the accidents get reduced 50 percent, its going to be good for society, and its going to be bad for insurance companies volume. But good for society is what were looking for, Buffett said, later describing consumer advocate Ralph Naders contribution to bringing down road fatalities.

Related article: I Worry Much More About Progressive Than Tesla, Buffett Says (2019)

As for Tesla being in the insurance business, Buffett said, Insurance always looks easier than it is. Its so much fun because you get the money at the start, he said, adding that you dont find out whether youve done something stupid until later on.

Its a very tempting business when somebody hands you money and you hand them a little piece of paper, he said.

Jain said that even if the number of accidents do come down, repair costs are skyrocketing. If you multiply the number of accidents [by] the cost of the each accident, Im not sure that total number has come down as much as Tesla would like us to believe, he said,

Tesla has been toying with the idea of writing insurance directly or indirectly, and so far it hasnt been much of a success. Time will tell, but I think automation just shifts much of the expense from operator to the equipment provider, Jain added.

Florida Reinsurance Bet Pays Off; Corruption Lingers

While GEICOs profit surge accounted for nearly 60 percent of the overall $2.1 billion improvement in insurance and reinsurance underwriting profits in the first quarter of the year, a nearly four-fold increase in reinsurance profits explained another 30 percent, with specialty primary insurance operations accounting for the rest.

First-quarter 2024 reinsurance profits of roughly $900 million were higher than any prior year since 2013, according to records kept by Carrier Management.

Adding underwriting profits from the primary specialty operations and investment income from all the insurance and reinsurance divisions brought operating income to $6.5 billion before taxes, or $5.2 billion after taxesup more than 80 percent over first-quarter 2023.

The MD&A noted that loss and loss adjustment expenses for the property/casualty reinsurance operations decreased $394 million in the first quarter of 2024. There were no significant catastrophes impacting first-quarter 2024 results, but $400 million in first-quarter 2023.

(Editors Notes: Berkshire considers pretax incurred losses exceeding $150 million to be significant. The chart above includes results for life reinsurance and retroactive reinsurance operations.)

While Buffett and Jain didnt address any questions specific to the reinsurance market during Saturdays annual meeting, last year Jain spoke about a big bet that Berkshire was making by writing property-catastrophe reinsurance in Florida during renewal periods after 1/1/2023. And this year, he addressed a question about the Florida primary auto and homeowners insurance markets referencing Berkshires good fortune in avoiding losses last year.

Related article: Jain Talks Reinsurance: Berkshire Could Lose $15B in Florida

A Florida resident, who described the car and property insurance situations in Florida as out of control, asked whether a mismanaged Florida market represents an opportunity for Berkshire.

I hope Florida will be a fairly buoyant insurance market, because at the end of the day, they do believe in the free market more than some of the other states that have insurance crises, like California and New York. Ajit Jain, Berkshire Hathaway

Jain said insurers face two problems in Florida: One is the lawyers, and the amount of corruption that takes place in the Florida market, [which] keeps skyrocketing making it difficult for us to price the product and make a profit.

Secondly, the amount of activity in terms of stormsboth the frequency and the severityis also so severe that the losses in Florida tend to make it very difficult for a risk bearer to make money.

Having said that, weve fortunately had a very good run at Florida last yearNothing bad happened so a lot of our premiums that were in the top line flew straight to the bottom line, he continued.

Speaking about the situation in Florida more generally, Jain said, Florida is a large market. Florida is a market thats subsidized by the rest of the country. I dont think that is going to stand the test of time, noting that legislators passed reforms aimed at bringing down the amount of fraud.

I hope Florida will be a fairly buoyant insurance market, because at the end of the day, they do believe in the free market more than some of the other states that have insurance crises, like California and New York.

He concluded: Yes, Florida has a problem. Prices will go up fairly substantially, but at the end of the day, I think well achieve a degree of balance so that the risk bearers can make a decent profit and will be deploying capital out there.

Topics Florida Profit Loss InsurTech Tech
Google and the U.S. Justice Department wrapped up closing arguments on Friday over claims that the Alphabet unit has unlawfully dominated web search and related advertising, in a case the government contends could shape the future of the internet.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington for hours grilled both sides with questions, probing whether competitive platforms such as ByteDances TikTok and Metas Facebook and Instagram are competitive substitutes for search advertising dollars.

Mehta said a central issue was platform substitute-ability for advertisers, which the court must resolve. He will now begin preparing to render a major decision on whether Googles conduct broke civil antitrust law. He did not indicate when he would rule, but experts say he could potentially order changes to Googles business practices.

Mehta also questioned whether Google assesses competitors pricing before making its own adjustments. Googles advertising business is responsible for about three quarters of its revenue.

U.S. government lawyer David Dahlquist argued that advertising revenue is what drives Googles monopoly power today.

Google has boasted it feels no real market pressures, Dahlquist said, arguing that the company does not fear increasing its pricing or not improving its products.

Only a monopolist can make a product worse and still make more money, Dahlquist argued.

Googles lawyer John Schmidtlein countered that Googles share of U.S. digital advertising revenue has steadily decreased. He touted the advertising power of rival platforms ByteDances TikTok, Metas Facebook and Instagram, and Amazon.

Schmidtlein argued that Google is constrained by rival platforms where the eyeballs are, because advertisers know there are overlapping audiences and can spend their dollars elsewhere.

He also asserted that Google was continually moving to innovate its search advertising products. If Google is a monopolist, why improve anything? Why not just jack the price up? he told the court. He later argued that Google has won with a superior product.

The Justice Department has hammered away at Google in a trial that started on Sept. 12, contending the search engine giant is a monopolist that illegally abused its power to boost profits.

Witnesses from Verizon, Android maker Samsung Electronics and Google itself testified about the companys annual payments$26.3 billion in 2021to ensure that its search is the default on smartphones and browsers, and to keep its dominant market share.

Mehta also took up the governments claim that Google intentionally destroyed internal documents that were relevant to the issues in the lawsuit.

The government asked Mehta to presume that Google deleted chats that were unfavorable to the company.

Mehta repeatedly questioned Googles prior policies, which he said left document retention decisions to its employees.

They should have been preserved. Should there be some consequence for what at a minimum was far from best practices? the judge asked.

A lawyer for Google, Colette Connor, defended its data preservation practices, calling them reasonable, and urged the court not to sanction the company.

The case, filed by former President Donald Trumps administration, was the first of several aimed at reining in the market power of tech leaders.

Another case, against Facebook parent Meta, was also filed during the Trump administration. President Joe Bidens antitrust enforcers have followed with a second case against Google and cases against Amazon.com and Apple Inc.

Photo: AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File

Topics Trends USA Legislation Claims
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi city council member pleaded guilty to federal charges after running a multimillion-dollar illegal drug business, prosecutors said last week.

Biloxi City Council member Robert Leon Deming, III, 47, reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Mississippi on conspiracy charges. Deming sold more than $2 million worth of CBD and vape products that contained controlled substances, prosecutors said. The Drug Enforcement Administration received complaints that some of the products he sold made customers ill.

A public officials side job should not be running a business that distributes millions of dollars in illegal controlled substances and endangers the health and safety of its customers, said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee.

As part of his plea agreement, Deming agreed to forfeit a yellow Monster Truck with oversized tires, a lift kit and more than $1.9 million. He will be sentenced in August.

Deming sold drugs through his business, the Candy Shop, LLC, which operated stores selling CBD and vape products in Mississippi and North Carolina. In 2020, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the Candy Shop.

The stores misbranded vape additives as containing CBD when they really contained synthetic cannabinoids, investigators found. Authorities seized over $1.8 million in cash from Demings residence and additional cash and controlled substances from his stores, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement officers also uncovered group chats in which Demings employees said the additives were too strong and could harm their customers. Nevertheless, Deming still misbranded the additives as containing CBD. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 19, 2023. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Deming was first elected to the Biloxi City Council in 2013. In 2017, he attracted attention after proposing a city ordinance to require Mississippis old state flag with Confederate symbols to fly at all municipal buildings. In 2020, he ran for a U.S. House seat in south Mississippi and lost in the Republican primary.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Mississippi Cannabis
Where and when are Bruce Springsteen's Irish gigs?

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band will kick off the Irish leg of their world tour at Boucher Fields in Belfast on Thursday, May 9.

This gig will be followed by Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on Sunday, May 12 and Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Thursday, May 16 before heading east to Dublin Croke Parks on Sunday, May 19.

Are there any tickets left?

Tickets for the Cork gig have sold out and fans have been warned about the possibility of scams with organisers reminding the public that Ticketmaster is the only official ticket seller for the event.

For any questions about your tickets, you can contact Ticketmaster via the My Account help section on their website.

What will Springsteen play?

The rock star changes up his set lists, but fans can expect to hear the hits. A recent gig in Ohio saw songs such as Lonesome Day, No Surrender, Letter to You, Born to Run and Dancing in the Dark, as well as a new addition in the form of Youngstown, which was played live for the first time since 2017.

In Cardiff recently, Springsteen played five songs from Born In The USA and five from Born to Run, with the rest of the set drawn from eight other albums. He also performed three cover versions - Because the Night (Patti Smith), Nightshift (Commodores), Twist and Shout (The Top Notes).

After a hit-laden encore, concerts on the tour have featured The Boss returning to the stage to perform a solo acoustic version of I'll See You in My Dreams, from 2019s Letter to You album.

Bruce Springsteen at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork in 2013. Picture: Miki Barlok

How long will Springsteen be on stage?

The concerts are expected to start soon after 7pm and be finished by 10.30pm. Bruce and the E Street band are known to play for three hours.

Is there a support act?

As is the case with most Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band gigs, there will be no support act.

Whos in the band?

Its very much the lineup who came to Cork in 2013 with Springsteen: Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg, Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, and Patti Scialfa; supplemented by longstanding associates Soozie Tyrell, Charles Giordano, and Jake Clemons (nephew of Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist who died in 2011).

What time do I need to be there?

Since there is no support act, Springsteen and co will be on stage from 7pm. Those attending the Pairc Ui Chaoimh gig are asked to arrive at the venue at 5pm and ensure they are in their seats or in position on the pitch by 7pm, depending on whether they are standing or sitting.

The stadium is open at 5pm so queuing earlier in the day is not permitted.

Can I bring a printout of my ticket?

No. You must download your ticket from your Ticketmaster account and save them to your iPhone wallet or Google Pay account. Its important to note that screenshots and printouts of digital tickets will not be accepted so download your ticket ahead of time and be sure to have your phone fully charged and ready to present at the gate.

Bruce Springsteen on stage with Nils Lofgren, Jake Clemons, and Suki Lahav, (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

How do I get there?

Fans for all the concerts are asked to plan their journey ahead of time. For those heading to the Cork gig, your ticket should tell you which route to enter the stadium at: yellow, red or blue.

The yellow route will bring you along Centre Park Road for the pitch and North Stand access while the red route is on Monahan Road and is specifically for South Stand access.

The blue route is also located on Monahan Road and will provide access for the pitch and South Stand.

There will be no shuttle buses or parking at the stadium. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by foot where possible and to utilise public transport links.

According to gardai, traffic will be very limited in the areas of Centre Park Road, the Marina, Maryville and the Monahan Road and there will be traffic management plan in place for the evening.

Organisers do not expect the current construction works outside the stadium to have much impact on the day but have asked concertgoers to be aware that work is ongoing.

What can I not bring?

Concert-goers are asked to leave bags at home where possible. If you need to bring a bag, it must be no larger than A4 size. Any bags bigger than this will not be permitted and there will be no storage facilities at the venue. Umbrellas will also not be allowed into the venue so be sure to bring a poncho or rain jacket if there is rain.

Anything else I should know?

About 40,000 people will attend the Cork gig and it is expected that many will be planning to see Bruce elsewhere in the country too. With that in mind, organisers have asked fans to double check the date and venue on their tickets in order to avoid arriving at the wrong location or on the wrong date.

Its also important to note that under 14s are not allowed to enter the standing/pitch area and must be accompanied by an adult elsewhere.
A smoke-filled stage, a circle of candles, shoulder horns, and a shirtless man in leather trousers are all things Irish fans can look forward to as part of our 2024 entry to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Corks own Bambie Thug will fly the flag for Ireland on Tuesday with their song Doomsday Blue as they take to the stage for the first semi-final in Malmo, Sweden.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal. Bambies dramatic white face make-up is topped off by hair styled into their signature antlers. Photo: Alma Bengtsson/Eurovision

Fourth in the running order is traditionally not the best slot, especially in a semi-final as tough as this one, but judging by the rehearsal it promises to be a performance that will go down in Eurovision history.

Ten acts from 15 will go through, with Ukraine, Lithuania, and Croatia expected to be Bambies main competition.

The staging is as haunting and mysterious as a song such as Doomsday Blue deserves. Bambies dramatic white face make-up is topped off by hair styled into their signature antlers.

In a change from the Eurosong performance, they are joined on stage by a single shirtless dancer, who accompanies Bambie in some balletic choreography. Visually, its something straight out of a fantasy film.

In a dramatic twist, halfway through the performance, Bambie  who is non-binary  gives a nod to trans rights by revealing a pink and blue dress hidden underneath their costume. This is later referenced to by host, Petra Mede.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal for what promises to be a performance that will go down in Eurovision history. Photo: Alma Bengtsson/Eurovision

And to top it all off, the finale comprises of a candle circle rising up to display a graphic backdrop with CROWN THE WITCH, the phrase coined by Bambie fans everywhere.

Eurovision theatre at its finest.

Could Bambie's spell be the breaker of Irelands Eurovision bad luck?

Ryan O'Shaughnessy celebrates securing a place in the Eurovision final for Ireland in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2018. File photo: AP/Armando Franca

Ireland has not qualified for the final since Ryan OShaughnessy performed Together in 2018.

Weve not had a top-five song since Mysterious Woman by Marc Roberts in 1997. Our last top-10 finish came in 2011 when Jedward sought to conquer Europe with Lipstick.

According to Eurovision World, who analyse odds from multiple bookies, Bambie Thug is currently the eighth favourite to win the competition.

Surely that means we will at least make it through to Saturdays Grand Final?

Jedward performing their song Lipstick at the 2011 Eurovision.

Eurovision superfans on social media seem to think so as predictions come in fast and heavy from across the globe.

Social media users have been placing Irish flags next to their usernames to show support, along with their other chosen countries, while over on TikTok weve been appearing in top-10 rankings.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal where they are joined on stage by a single shirtless dancer. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett/Eurovision

Eurovision podcaster Alesia Michelle has ranked Ireland in her Top five acts, alongside Ukraine, Norway, Italy, and Lithuania.

Additionally, she has praised Ireland in several of her TikToks saying the fact that Ireland is sending this to Eurovision is a win.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett/Eurovision

As stand-out as Bambie promises to be, doesnt it all come down to the voting?

The answer, of course, is yes.

But this year weve something we didnt have last year  a possible vote from the United Kingdom.

Olly Alexander of the UK rehearsing Dizzy for the Grand Final at Malmo Arena in Sweden. Ierland could get a vote from the United Kingdom in the semi-final. Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU/PA

When it comes to the semi-finals, only people from the countries that are participating in that semi-final can vote.

You can vote for anyone, except your own country.

However, the host nation (Sweden) and the Big Five countries will also have votes in the semi-finals.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett/Eurovision

Three will vote in tonights semi and three in Thursdays.

In Irelands semi-final, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden all have a vote.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal. Photo: Sarah Louise Bennett/Eurovision

Last year, the UK didnt have a vote in our semi-final, so heres hoping we get some neighbourly support this year.

In a change from previous years, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden will perform during Tuesday's semi-final while France, Italy, and Spain will take the stage on Thursday.

Bambie Thug during the second rehearsal. They are currently the eighth favourite to win the competition. Photo: Alma Bengtsson/Eurovision

These entries cannot be voted for until they perform in the Grand Final.

All of this being said, Tuesday's show promises the usual weird and wonderful, including a special performance from our very own Johnny Logan, the Windows95man being birthed from a giant egg, and someone named Baby Lasagna.
The gym set

The Go Move leggings (39) from Marks & Spencers Goodmove collection have been flagged as a dupe for much pricier brands (including Sweaty Betty), and we can see why.

High-waisted, moisture-wicking and quick-drying, they also come with a handy back and side pocket for a phone, key, and any other essentials.

Pair with the matching vest (22), and throw over the olive green jacket (50) from the same collection and youre ready for post-spin brunching.

The Bay Leaf & Bergamont wedding candle by Somas Ireland

The scent

Weve been enjoying Cork-based Margaret Urbanowiczs scents since she first started selling candles from her kitchen table in 2019.

Today, Somas has expanded into a lifestyle brand that also produces stunning bags and accessories, and their latest release is a wedding collection inspired by the recently engaged Urbanowiczs own journey down the aisle.

Our favourite scent from the brand, Bay Leaf & Bergamot, has been redesigned in elegant white and gold for the big day; the candle costs 35.

Peelo's Illia Blue Bag

The bag

Julie Peelo has worked with everyone from John Rocha to Marni to Diane von Furstenberg and her designs have been worn by Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.

Its no surprise then that her handbag designs have a cult following.

The Irish woman behind premium brand Peelo adds a metallic blue tote to her s/s collection. The Illia Blue, 295, joins the metallic silver and gold bags launched last year.

The fitness event

Irelands biggest outdoor fitness festival returns to Royal Hospital Kilmainham next weekend.

For Wellfests eighth iteration in Dublin, fitness fanatics can expect high-octane workouts delivered by the likes of Joe Wicks (above), Maeve Madden, Vogue Williams and her personal trainer John Belton, and Mr Motivator (yes, you read that right), alongside plenty of talks, cookery demonstrations, and yoga/mindfulness sessions.

A new addition this year is the WellEnergy area, featuring hot tubs, ice baths, a sauna, and an array of treatments from back massages to tarot readings. See you there.

Chanel Sublimage

The beauty indulgence

Chanels Sublimage bottle creates the illusion of liquid gold. And it feels just as luxurious.

Its a lightweight alternative to heavier day creams. The recommended accompanying facial massage gives it the couture touch we could only expect from Chanel, 320

The launch of Africa Day, Cork

The day out

Africa Day 2024 takes place on Sunday, May 19, as part of a global celebration of the people, cultures, and potential of the African continent.

Cultural, artistic, and family-friendly events take place across the country, including contemporary African-Irish culture, music and dance, art, food events, and family events.

Dublins Royal Hospital Kilmainham will welcome more than 40 musicians, dancers, and cultural groups at this years event. Find the celebrations nearest to you online.

Heinz' Tomato Ketchup Pickle

The sauce

Meet the newest member of the Heinz Tomato Ketchup family  Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle.

Promising to bring dill-icious pickle energy to the classic sauce, the tangy new tomato sauce launched this week in major supermarkets just in time for barbecue season, 4.59.
'PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR WHAT I HAD TO SAY'

Activist Flossie Donnelly has come across all sorts of unexpected items on the beaches of Ireland - credit cards, watches, expensive phones, engagement rings and even a small treasure chest.

That was in the rocks near Dun Laoghaire Pier, recalls the 17-year-old. There was nothing hugely valuable in it; some bracelets and baby teeth and the like. We found the woman who owned it. Her house had been burgled and that was the only thing she missed because it had huge sentimental value. So it was nice to reunite her with that.

Flossie, who has lived in nearby Sandycove all her life, has been cleaning beaches since she was nine years old. Though she often comes across valuable items, this is one teenager who has very little interest in stuff. Instead, her focus is on fixing and maintaining the treasure we all share - the planet.

When I started, I made posters and put them up around the neighbourhood, she recalls.

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB

The big day came and no one arrived. It was just me and my mum on the beach. The next day I bumped into a local politician named Cormac Devlin. I told him I had started a beach clean group. He advised me to use social media and he reposted my first post.

Flossie Donnelly on South Anne Street, Dublin during a protest by Extinction Rebellion Ireland and allies during a rally to highlight the biodiversity crisis in Ireland. Pic: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

At the groups second meeting over two dozen people showed and since then Flossie and the Beach Cleaners has grown from a small local group to a charity with volunteers from all over the country.

People started asking if they could donate money, explains Flossie. I was slowly getting more of a voice and people wanted to hear what I had to say. Ive always wanted to educate people about the sea. It has a huge part to play in climate change. It stores a lot more carbon than a tree but theres no education about it. So the charity allows us to go to primary schools and give workshops about our planet and the sea and we bring children on beach cleans. Its something that we need to learn about, and children soak it up like sponges.

The science around Climate Change has been around for some time and though some would deny it, the anecdotal evidence - unseasonal flooding, unprecedented forest fires, famine, drought - is mounting every year. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that urgent action is needed to avoid seeing an increase in these phenomena.

Though moves have been made by global powers to mitigate against the causes and their outcomes, there is a sense that climate change needs to hit the richest among us in the pocket and significantly hamper our lifestyles, particularly in the West, before governments take real and effective measures.

Jessica Dunne from Dublin, marching alongside pro-transgender demonstrators protesting in the city. Pic: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie

'IT ALL COMES FROM THOSE SAME SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION'

For activist Jessica Dunne, the lack of urgency is simply a continuation of a political and economic zeitgeist that has existed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

When you look at the climate crisis through an intersectional lens, you start to realise that it relates to every other social issue that's happening right now, says the twenty-year-old.

The climate crisis is a crisis of exploitation of both people and the planet. It relates to racism, colonialism, sexism and a host of other problems. It all comes from those same systems of oppression that treat the world and people like commodities. People who are the most marginalised in our society are going to see the impact of climate change more intensely.

And when she talks about people on the margins she is not just talking about the thousands coming to these shores in search of refuge because of wars over resources.

A really simple and interesting historical example of intersectionality is looking at the way that the travelling community was impacted by the introduction of plastics in Ireland, she says.

It severely impacted their livelihood. This is the sort of (commonly unseen) impact on people, tradition and the environment that kept the young Dubliner awake at night in her early teens.

When she was fourteen, Jessica had no idea what to do with all of the fear and anxiety she felt around what she saw. She soon found others who felt just as strongly as she did.

I remember going to a climate strike and for the first time feeling lifted, she recalls.

I was with other people in the same boat as me. But I was doing something towards making the world better rather than being sad about it. I was a kid and I didn't think I could do anything. Then I saw Greta striking and I remember thinking, I have a voice, I have power and I can do something.

She has since used that voice to great effect, giving TED talks and working on the impacts of climate change and climate justice with the likes of UNICEF and Friends of the Earth. At every COP, Jessica is there, making sure our young peoples voices are represented.

To me, a world with climate justice is ultimately a better world, she says, not just because we combat the climate crisis, but also because we tackle the root problems that caused the climate crisis.

Saoirse Exton: the Western European representative on the seven-member UN Secretary-Generals Youth Advisory Group (YAG) on Climate Change

'ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES WE HAVE'

Saoirse Exton started climate striking when she was thirteen years old. Every Friday, her parents would drive her from their home in Limerick to Government Buildings in Dublin where she would spend nine hours with a sign and like-minded young people who wanted to see change.

My parents have always been quite politically engaged, says the 18-year-old.

They would always bring me along when they were voting and we've always had conversations about things like climate change and inequality in general. It became apparent very quickly that it stopped being a hobby for me and became a necessity. My parents both understood this themselves and saw how strongly I felt.

Her activism has not waned in the meantime and her passion and calm articulation have been noticed by others.

In early 2023, Saoirse became the Western European representative on the seven-member UN Secretary-Generals Youth Advisory Group (YAG) on Climate Change, becoming the groups youngest-ever member.

While she is rightly proud of what she has done so far, she is more focussed on what needs to be achieved in a short period.

The environment is one of the most pressing issues we have right now, she says.

I think addressing it will be a catalyst for different economic systems, different ways of viewing natural resources and biodiversity in general, different ways of viewing who we are as humans, how we work and live. It will redefine so much of what we have accepted as the status quo which is exploitative and is all about generating wealth. And we cant have this mindset if we're going to address the climate crisis.

Is there hope?

My hope is like a pendulum, she says. When I meet people who care about this, not just the environment but social justice, change, equality and equity, it gives me hope. Im not completely hopeless but it does shift.

Click through to browse more content from the Irish Examiner's Sustainability series.
An open letter from five forensic experts pleading with the Garda Commissioner to facilitate a search of an underground cave in Wicklow for missing American Annie McCarrick has yet to receive a response.

The letter, published on the anniversary of the 26-year-olds disappearance on March 26, 1996, was addressed directly to Drew Harris and signed by forensic scientist Professor John Cassella, David Kenny, cadaver dog experts Neil Powell and Raph OConnor, and former FBI special agent and friend of the McCarrick family, Kenneth Strange.

The men are offering to search the site for free, at their own expense, and with their own ground penetrating radar, thermal imaging drones, and cadaver dogs in the presence of gardai.

Their offer however, has not even been acknowledged.

Not a word. The silence has been deafening, said former European Central Bank counterfeit and forensic expert Mr Kenny.

I might have expected [an acknowledgement] as a matter of professional courtesy, said Prof Cassella.

"Even if it was to say they were conducting ongoing enquiries or something.

Professor John Cassella. Picture: Sorcha Crowley

The group first notified gardai in 2017 about their discovery of documentary evidence dating from 1948 of an unmapped underground cave or souterrain in dense woodland in Wicklow.

The souterrain, which is an underground passage formerly used to store food in the Bronze Age, is believed to be located within 1.6km of where convicted rapist Larry Murphy was interrupted by hunters in his attempted murder of his only proven victim in 2000.

It is also less than 4km from his former home and he is believed to have had hunting rights in the same area.

The experts believe that by bringing his rape victim 40km from Carlow to that area of Wicklow, Murphy proved his intention of availing of a victim disposal location in the vicinity of his home.

The suspects behaviour on the night of his only proven crimes indicated a strong preference for locations which offered deep cover and with which he was intimately acquainted, they wrote.

It's in smack in the middle of where he went hunting.

"We know that the place he stopped on that evening was another place where he had hunting rights. Also deep in woodland.

"What wasn't published is the fact that it was less than a kilometre from his in-laws home at the time, Mr Kenny told the Irish Examiner.

Its a ready-made hiding place.

Larry Murphy. Picture: Maxwells

They also know of an elderly local man still alive who claims the entrance was visibly blocked off 60 years ago.

In the intervening years, three cadaver dogs have been brought to the site on eight separate occasions, all reacting positively within metres of each other.

We're scientists, not psychics. There's only one way to find out what those dogs are responding to, says Mr Kenny.

The group requested a search of the site in October 2021 but their intelligence was dismissed as speculative by a member of the Garda investigation team.

Nothing has happened in the intervening years and in their view, the matter continues to be wholly and unnecessarily protracted.

There's been no real follow up, Mr Kenny says.

They seem to pass this case from one guard to the next and seem to have done so over the decades.

"And you end up with a scenario where each time it's passed on, somebody has a mountain of paper to read.

"And you lose that continuity. When you start talking about individual places and you hear something like, well, I don't really know that place, or I have to talk to the previous guy and so on. So, it doesn't flow, he says.

Prof Cassella said his message to Mr Harris is clear: I would firstly say to the guards, thank you for the sterling work that they are doing.

"There are people out there, members of the public, scientists, who want to assist them.

"The problem is people sometimes forget that the police do a job, but we also have a job.

"A public duty is to support them and to find bad people who want to do bad things to our families and our friends and help put them away, he says.

Criminal justice involves all of us, and so none of us can sit back and go, 'oh, well, that's the police's problem.' No, it's not. It's a problem for us all. Because when it comes knocking on your door, it really is a problem for you.

"This is not about one upmanship. This is not about making a public statement for one's own benefit.

"This is about helping to move forward. So, if we're right, then we've helped. If we're wrong, then we've helped.

A Garda spokesperson said they do not comment on correspondence from third parties and does not discuss potential site searches or investigative strategies.
In terms of online propaganda, it worked.

Videos of dark-clad riot-squad officers, armed with long shields and helmets, driving at lines of protestors, women among them, was a sign of police brutality against ordinary people.

Those clips, and others taken by protestors, were uploaded and went viral for both believers and agnostics to see.

There were far fewer clips of what Garda HQ, garda representative bodies, and a range of Garda sources said was the violence that preceded it  of unprotected gardai having stones and objects thrown at them, of garda vehicles being smashed up and an outhouse being set on fire.

But the far-right were not interested in that.

The gardai were the new Black and Tans, the new RUC, they screamed online.

Propaganda coup

What gardai described as an ongoing local protest, which they said they had good engagement with, had been hijacked.

(There is no doubt a significant number of local people  the bulk with no involvement in far-right groups  protested the opening of Trudder House to accommodate immigrants.)

The outsiders from Dublin did all the agitating, increasing the aggression, a garda source said.

They wanted a confrontation with us, and they got it.

A separate garda source said: Its clear from what has been happening that dark forces are seeking to create division and conflict with authority.

The events at the Co Wicklow village has attracted gleeful commentary from well-known far-right political figures in England, including Tommy Robinson and Nick Griffin  which seems incongruous given the frantic waving of the tricolour and videos and old photographs of 1916 and the Black and Tans.

Some garda sources claim a lot of the more extreme accounts are from people in the UK and the US.

The events at the Co Wicklow village has attracted gleeful commentary from well-known far-right political figures in England, including Tommy Robinson.

These sources recall that, last September, prominent far-right agitators in the US urged civil war in Ireland after the Dublin riots, with powerful US figures, such as X owner Elon Musk saying the Irish prime minister hates the Irish people and agreeing with a far-right influencer who said sportsman and pub owner Conor McGregor should run for office.

As recruitment videos for far-right groups, Newtownmountkennedy was a bit of a propaganda coup  not just in terms of emboldening existing members and possibly attracting more, but also potentially securing votes for their candidates standing in the local and European Parliament elections on June 7.

They include the Irish Freedom Party, the National Party (split into two factions), Ireland First, and other new tiny parties and far-right independents.

Before now, these parties and individuals have not had any showing in the elections.

We have been very slow as a country to respond to disinformation and misinformation and how this is helping the far-right, an experienced garda source said.

Immigration is a major mainstream issue and has been dominating much of the news and the political agenda.

The latest imbroglio over asylum seekers using the open border with the North to travel from Britain to Ireland to claim asylum has deepened concerns among many voters  and not to the benefit of the mainstream parties.

As reported in the Irish Examiner last month a recent Eurobarometer poll found that migration and asylum were the second most important issue for Irish people in the European Parliament elections  compared to seventh for the average EU citizen.

The survey, conducted last February, showed that 42% of Irish people said it was the most pressing issue (after health at 46%), compared to just 24% for the average EU citizen.

Threat to Europe

What Ireland is going through is where many EU countries have been for years, although the attention now of many member states is towards more pressing concerns  Russia.

A special report by the European Parliament last year spelled out the threat to Europe: Foreign interference, disinformation and numerous attacks on and threats against democracy are expected to continue in ever-greater numbers and more sophisticated ways in the run-up to the European Parliament elections.

Disinformation  deliberate, false information, typically used to foster division, fear and even hatred  is seen throughout Europe as something that could weaken democracy.

Disinformation decreases the ability of citizens to take informed decisions and to freely participate in democratic processes.

Last September, TikTok published the details of what it called a covert influence operation it conducted with Europol, the EU police agency.

In Ireland, they found 72 fake accounts which spammed its 94,000 followers with online content with divisive views related to nationalism to intensity social conflict in Ireland and other countries.

The European Parliament report said: Foreign interference, including disinformation, is a national and cross-border security threat.

Disinformation is spread domestically and from other countries, by individuals and groups or by a state  the latter described as Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (Fimi).

A separate report, specifically on Fimi, was published by the EU External Action Service last January.

EU diplomatic chief and head of the service, Joseph Borrell said: Fimi poses a major threat to liberal democracies, which rely on free and open information.

Fimi is closely connected to both hybrid threats and cyber threats and has become a crucial component of modern-day warfare.

Russias disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks

The most obvious perpetrator of Fimi, he said, was Russia.

2024 is a critical year for democracy, Mr Borrell said. The battle against Fimi is a matter of European security.

This report examined 750 Fimi incidents between December 2022 and November 2023  twice the number in the previous year.

Some 149 different organisations were targeted, most frequently the EU and its member states.

The most used social media platforms were Telegram and X, with activity was also seen on Facebook, YouTube and TikTok.

To combat Fimi, the report urged governments, state bodies and security agencies to create internal dedicated response teams that would coordinate with each other.

Disinformation and cyberattacks represent the most imminent threats to upcoming elections in Europe. File picture: iStock

A report last March by Hybrid CoE, an expert body that works with the EU and Nato, said: Disinformation and cyberattacks, particularly those aimed at undermining public trust and compromising election infrastructure, represent the most imminent threats to upcoming elections in Europe.

The European Parliament has direct experience of a cyberattack on November 23, 2022, which was claimed by a pro-Kremlin hacker group.

The European Parliament report said the attack shut down the parliament website after a vote on a resolution to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.

It said Russias disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks stepped up before the full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and have continued since.

The report expressed concerns about regular revelations of massive Russian funding of political parties and politicians and said this puts at risk the integrity of the democratic functioning of EU member states.

The European Parliament report  conducted over 18 months  was overwhelmingly passed by a special committee, 27 to one.

The one was Irish MEP Clare Daly, on behalf of the Group of the Left.

Russian interference with upcoming elections

Last October the US sent a diplomatic cable to countries, including Ireland, warning of potential attempts by Russia to interfere with upcoming elections.

In January, the European Parliament announced it was opening an investigation into a Latvian MEP over claims she was working with Russian intelligence.

Earlier this month, the Belgian federal prosecutor said it was investigating the findings of an investigation by Czech authorities that MEPs were receiving cash from a Russian-backed propaganda network.

Last February, French authorities unveiled the existence of a pro-Russian propaganda network, named Portal Kombat, that was pumping out stories online.

A key focus of Russian disinformation is to discredit Ukraine and sow internal divisions with Europe in a bid to reduce international military and political support for Ukraine.

In March, the US Department of Justice issued an indictment saying that Chinese hackers with links to Chinas national spy agency targeted every European Union member of the parliaments Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

European Parliament vice president Dita Charanzova said the elections in June will be a target for disinformation and cyber interference. Picture: Getty Images

Two weeks ago, European Parliament vice president Dita Charanzova said the parliament has rejected hundreds of cyberattacks, from Russia, China, and also North Korean and Iran.

She said the elections in June will be a target for disinformation and cyber interference.

Senior security sources in Ireland have told the Irish Examiner that while interference by Russia is of concern, that there was no intelligence of such interference happening here.

The European Parliament report focused much of its attention on the social media companies.

The business model of online platforms still relies on advertising based on personal data and opaque algorithms whereby more engagement translates into more advertising revenue, and that this engagement by algorithms that reward polarised and extreme opinions, the report said.

It said social media platforms are designed in a way that helps to amplify false and misleading narratives.

The report said it regretted that platforms such as Meta (Facebook WhatsApp, Instagram), Google, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter (now X) were still not doing enough to actively counter disinformation.

Private profits

It said since the takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk, the platform had taken backward steps in fighting disinformation, had significantly cut staff to deal with the issue and had reinstated over 60,000 extremist accounts.

It said the Code of Practice that the European Commission was devising under the Digital Services Act was not binding and that many platforms were not even signatories to it, pointing out that Telegram does not cooperate at all.

It said TikTok was a potential risk and a source of Chinese-backed disinformation and welcomed the decision by EU institutions to restrict the its use on corporate devices and recommended a ban at all levels of national governments.

Shortly after, the Irish National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advised the government against use of the app on official devices, in general, but not completely.

As is well known, Taoiseach Simon Harris is an avid user, though it is not clear if he uses an official or private phone or whether his use fits into exceptions provided for in the NCSC advice.

The European Commission has been given significant powers to tackle disinformation and online harm under the Digital Services Act (introduced in Ireland last February), particularly in relation to the top online multinationals.

Taoiseach Simon Harris is an avid TikTok user, though it is not clear if he uses an official or private phone or whether his use fits into exceptions provided for in the NCSC advice.

Media regulator, Coimisiun na Mean (CnM), along with similar bodies abroad, works with the European Commission on tackling this issue at national levels.

Last week, the European Commission announced it has a number of investigations underway, including one against Metas platforms Facebook and Instagram for suspected infringement of the act, especially in relation to spreading online disinformation and deceptive advertisement.

Irish politicians, its fair to say, do not have much good to say about how the online giants are addressing disinformation.

At a recent Oireachtas committee hearing attended by CnM, Sinn Fein TD for Louth Ruairi O Murchu said social media platforms push bile, hate and deranged lunacy.

Hearing from CnM chair Jeremy Godfrey that theyve had good engagement with the tech giants, Mr O Murchu said: Ive seen nothing changed. Basically social media is an absolute sewer.

Youre going to have nothing but mistruths, disinformation and misinformation the whole way, right through the election.

Committee chair, Colm Brophy, Fine Gael TD for Dublin South West, said there was a vile element online who were targeting and threatening the most vulnerable in society  immigrants  coming into the country.

He said in his experience the social media companies sound good, but act differently.

Confused space

So what exactly is the Irish State doing to protect elections from disinformation, both domestic and foreign.

Election security is a very confused space, one senior security source told the Irish Examiner. There are so many players but no overall coordination.

As far back as January 2016 an Oireachtas committee recommended the establishment of an Electoral Commission.

In December 2017 the Government set up an Interdepartmental Group on Security of Irelands Electoral Process and Disinformation.

It was chaired by the Department of Taoiseach and included the relevant departments, as well as the Defence Forces and An Garda Siochana.

Its June 2018 report found that while the overall risk to the electoral process was relatively low there was a more substantial risk from disinformation online and cyberattacks on the electoral system.

A progress report, in November 2019, said the establishment of the Electoral Commission was in progress and that the deadline was autumn 2020.

However, it wasnt until February 2023 before the Electoral Commission was actually established  some seven years after being recommended.

Screengrab from video posted on Twitter following a clash with protesters and gardai as a premises in Newtownmountkennedy is set ablaze. Source: Twitter

An Coimisiun Toghchain has powerful laws under 2022 legislation to direct social media companies to take down posts on disinformation and misinformation that could cause public harm in relation to the electoral process and to properly label political advertising.

But these legal powers have not yet been commenced by the Government as it is waiting for the green light from the European Commission.

The same is the case with CnM in relation to its wider powers on tackling disinformation and online harm.

For now both agencies are using their informal encouragement power to get social medias to put the public good before their profits.

Security services are reluctant to get involved in activity that interferes with freedom of expression, citing strong constitutional and European rights.

But security sources do agree on the need for an overall disinformation strategy and coordinating body.

No disinfo agency, no strategy

In July 2022 Irelands Future of Media Commission recommended that a National Counter Disinformation Strategy be drawn up to coordinate national efforts.

A working group was set up by the Department of the Arts in February 2023, with representatives from government departments, public bodies, industry, academia and civil society.

In a peculiar omission  and in contrast to the 2017 group on disinformation  neither An Garda Siochana nor the Defence Forces were included.

Nor was the National Security Analysis Centre (NSAC), a coordinating intelligence unit within the Department of the Taoiseach. (Efforts to get comment from NSAC for this report were unsuccessful.)

The National Counter Disinformation Strategy Working Group published a scoping paper in September 2023.

The paper said that given the wide-ranging nature of disinformation, a whole-of-government approach will be required which would require a significant capacity for coordination.

The strategy was supposed to be published before March this year, but the department said that it will now happen before June.

Any coordination structures proposed wont be established until later  and whether it will be operational before the general election is unclear.

In the meantime domestic and foreign disinformation continues apace.

Many might think the latter is not a real problem for Ireland, but recent investigations reveal just how far Russia is going.

Just a week ago, the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) reported the pro-Russian Portal Kombat network had expanded since French authorities exposed it back in February.

EDMO investigations at the end of March found that the network, also known as Pravda, had now spread to 19 EU countries, including in Ireland  and even had a website in Irish.

But sources point out the bigger danger comes from within 'friendly' states, like the US and the UK.

The scale of the international involvement in fuelling anti-immigration posts was highlighted last week by the Sky News Data & Forensics Unit, which found that 56% of the posts on X regarding Newtownmountkennedy, formerly Twitter, originated from the US.

Just over 20% were from Ireland and 10% from the UK.

It found that the most popular posts were from US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and English far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
In a recent election in Germany, posts circulated on social media that people voting for the first time could win a prize if they wrote their name on the ballot paper.

The post was shared so much that Germans federal returning officer took the step of addressing it on the disinformation page of his offices website. He pointed out that such votes would be invalid in order to protect the secrecy of the ballot.

While it might bring a smile to some readers, it is the type of disinformation that some people might believe.

Thats where Art OLeary and his team come in.

I mean, if that happened here, we would obviously intervene and say, please dont write your name on the ballot paper because that will negate your vote and your vote will not count, he said.

A recent illustration of online fakery is the picture posted on Twitter (X) which purported to show Pope Francis wearing a white puffer jacket  but which was actually a fake.

The chief executive of the Electoral Commission recounted another example in the referendum campaign just gone.

Somebody put up a post in advance of the referendum to say, bring a pen with you to the polling booth tomorrow, because if you use one of their pencils that will allow them to rub out your vote and, you know, people do it, Mr OLeary said.

The notion that somebody might try to rub out your vote is something that we would certainly have to intervene and say, we dont do that. That doesnt happen.

However, he acknowledged that we live in a time of notions, both misinformed and malicious.

Send in the army

Examples of the latter plague social media. Last September, during the Dublin riots a video and photographs circulated of Army vehicles on what looked like a Dublin street with accompanying text stating that the Defence Forces were being deployed to deal with the violence.

It was spread by far-right and conservative accounts, but also reposted by other non-political organisations. It convinced a lot of people, including long-time Fine Gael politician Regina Doherty, who said:

I can admit that the night we had the awful riots in Dublin, I absolutely believed that the Army was on its way to Dublin.

Speaking at a recent session of the Oireachtas European Union affairs committee, she said she had seen a picture of it on social media: I thought it must be true, but it turned out to be total nonsense.

As often happens in acts of disinformation, a genuine video or photograph  in this case of an previous Army exercise  was used to spread malicious rumours which, understandably, spread like wildfire, fuelling the online frenzy that night.

Mr OLeary said artificial intelligence not only facilitates the production of false imagery, but also make such images more persuasive.

We heard the Joe Biden message, he said, referring to a robocall recorded phone message, generated by AI to mimic the voice of the US president, sent out last January to discourage people from voting in a primary election.

The message said, please dont go out to vote. Dont waste your vote voting for me now. Keep it until November when I need it most. And it sounded like him.

Mr OLeary said people dont need to be coders anymore and can buy software that allows them to type in text of what they want and the application does the rest.

He said: I think the moment, about 18 months ago, where the Irish people really sat up was the [fake, AI-generated] photograph of the Pope and the white puffer jacket.

Electoral process

Mr OLeary is clear that the Electoral Commission will not intervene regarding general online disinformation on political issues  such as immigration.

There is a difference here between electoral process information and things and differences which will emerge during the course of the election, he explained.

On the latter, we have no statutory role. The important thing for us is to retain the integrity of the electoral process and ensure there is no misinformation or disinformation, which can cause public harm and affect peoples perception of the electoral process.

He said he did not want the actions of the Electoral Commission to have a chilling effect on debate where people become worried about the language they use.

He pointed out that Ireland has very strong freedom of expression rights in the Constitution and that the Electoral Commissions role is to balance that with the States role to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

He explained that the difference between disinformation and misinformation is intent: Someone spreading misinformation may be something they perhaps believe to be true, and disinformation where someone creates content with the purpose of deceiving people or manipulating public opinion.

What the two have in common is that they can both cause public harm. That is the bar. That is the bit where we must intervene, never mind whether there was intent.

We do this if [the harm] affects the integrity of the electoral process.

Mr OLeary said the broadcasting regulator, Coimisiun na Mean, has a broader role in relation to online harm and disinformation.

He said the Electoral Commission was still young, just over a year old.

No powers... yet

Part 5 of the Electoral Reform Act 2022 gives the Electoral Commission the power to act against social media firms regarding disinformation and elections.

Unfortunately, the powers have not been commenced yet by the Government  and wont be before the European Parliament and local elections on June 7.

Part Five of the legislation deals with misinformation and disinformation, Mr OLeary said. The powers are very strong. The chief executive has the authority to instruct social media companies either to take down posts or to label posts or to remove things from their various platforms.

Non-compliance could result in substantial fines.

Mr OLeary said that Part Four concerns online political advertising, and the transparency that such advertising is clearly labelled as such.

I should say that neither of these parts have been commenced yet, so we dont have any regulatory, investigative, or sanctioning powers that are envisaged in the act.

This is because Ireland has to wait on a sign-off from the European Commission which is bringing in similar rules across the EU, and currently has draft rules out for public consultation.

In the meantime, the Electoral Commission is dependent on informal contact with the social media companies.

We have met all the social media companies and we have a good working relationship, Mr OLeary said. I have found them positive because they outlined the process by which they would deal with misinformation and disinformation. They then gave us access to senior people in the organisations, at speed, if need be.

He said speed was of essence as during the white hot heat of an election, disinformation had be tackled within hours, if not minutes. They are very conscious that their platforms are a place where quite serious damage can be done to democracy.

Damage to democracy

Members of the Oireachtas EU committee expressed deep scepticism about the sincerity of the social media companies at a hearing last February.

They told Mr OLeary that the Electoral Commission and Coimisiun na Mean were trying to get social media companies to cut down the very things  posts on disinformation and division  that drives engagement, advertising, and profits.

Responding, Mr OLeary said: Ive been around in this space for a long, long time. I am not naive. The proof will be in the pudding.

The implications for social media companies [if they fail to act on disinformation] arent good. To be accused after the event of having impacted on the outcome of an election is huge.

He said one of the main strengths of the commission is its power to conduct a review post-election.

These post-election reviews will document what we saw, what we did not see, how things worked well and where things did not work and need improvement, he said. We are trying to create a learning organisation because the stakes here are so high and the environment is changing so quickly.

He said: The rise of inauthentic material and the potential impact this can have on electoral events is something that we should be concerned about. Not because we believe it is going to happen, but we need to deal with the possibility that it might.

He said that, in addition to the threat from domestic interference, was the threat of foreign interference: Misinformation and disinformation can be domestic or foreign and from state and non-state actors.

"We need to be cautious and expect that the interference can come from anywhere.

He said there was no real evidence of malign foreign interference to date  but added that the last elections were four years ago, and the global political environment has moved on considerably.

Huge challenge

There are 23 staff in the Electoral Commission and seven commission members, bringing the total to 30. He hopes to have 50 staff by the end of the year.

Mr OLeary concedes they dont have a dedicated unit to monitor social media: Its something that we are considering as part of the preparation for implementation of Parts Four and Five.

He said the commission could set up a disinformation register like those in Germany or Australia.

Theres no huge requirement for it yet, but if there is a lot of stuff that people are saying that clearly isnt true, then we can do it, he said. We could do it with 15 minutes notice.

He acknowledged the scale of disinformation and misinformation online was a massive challenge for his team: Its huge, he said. Some of the advice tends to say that you shouldnt be looking at individual tweets or postings, you should be looking at the wider and larger trends.

The commission chief said they are linked with other agencies in Ireland working on disinformation and said the links become a bit more structured in advance of elections.

He said they dont have their own cyber experts but have access to them in the National Cyber Security Centre.

It is understood that An Garda Siochana will, in time, devise a memorandum of understanding regarding how it works and exchanges information with the Electoral Commission. In the meantime, and during the upcoming election campaigns, the work will be done on an ad hoc basis.

Ahead of the referenda on family and care, The Ditch website published the advice of the Attorney General on March 7, the day before polling day. It occurred just after the 2pm watershed for broadcast and print media.

Mr OLeary would not comment on the specific issue, but did say there was an issue with the moratorium in general.

Well, it doesnt apply online, he said.

It was brought in in a different environment and it might be something we need to have a look at. Were not making any recommendation but certainly it might be worthy of consideration.
Art OLeary recently met with his counterpart in the UK Electoral Commission. It was good timing from a security point of view as it had just emerged that the British body was hit by a cyberattack in 2021 and 2022.

That was according to an investigation by the British National Cyber Security Centre, which was able to attribute the attack to a Chinese State-backed cyber group.

We have to guard against the risk that this [a cyberattack] might happen here, Mr OLeary said. Our website has been regularly tested and is very strong and is particularly tested in advanced of electoral events.

For this they rely on the expertise of the Irish National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Theyre very close partners with us and theyve been really helpful, the chief executive of the Electoral Commission said.

Mr OLeary said any breach would be a serious issue: An attack on the Electoral Commission website is a situation which would have a great impact because, if we are to be viewed as a trusted source of information, then anything that people read on our website should be believable.

ENISA, the EU Cyber Security Agency, published a detailed guide for member states last March, in which it said cyber threat activity targeting elections had increased worldwide.

It said that while voting was by pen and paper in most EU countries, including Ireland, computer systems were widely used for voter registration and the compilation and transmission of election results.

In addition, most political candidates rely heavily on technology for their campaigning and media rely on digital devices for their work covering elections.

It said that while politicians and media do not fall under the remit of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), cyberattacks on them could impact the actual or perceived integrity or fairness of elections.

The report said it was "good practice for countries to establish a national election network, including the EMB, the national cyber agency, relevant ministries, IT organisations, law enforcement, disinformation agencies, intelligence agencies and government spokespersons.

The report recommended that a cybersecurity risk assessment be conducted before the election.

Mr OLeary said they were in the course of finalising a risk assessment.

One of our jobs is the oversight of the electoral register, which is managed by local authorities and we are to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register, he said. We have 28 separate electoral registers and none of them talk to each other.

He added: "We are satisfied or weve been assured by registration authorities [local authorities] that all that can be done [on cyber security] is being done.

The Department of Housing, the policy department on elections and the Electoral Commission, said the three Constituency Returning Officers for the European Parliament election provide the Chief Returning Officer the results in hard copy and electronically.

It added: There is verification of results between a Constituency Returning Officer and the Chief Returning Officer.

Mr OLeary said trust in the integrity of the election results was of paramount importance and that ensuring the process was cyber-secure formed part of its oversight role and, if necessary, would be dealt with in the post-election review.

The National Cyber Security Centre

Also speaking to the Irish Examiner, NCSC director Richard Browne said they had worked heavily with the local authorities in terms of protecting their electoral registers and were in regular contact with the Electoral Commission to protect the election infrastructure.

He said that Irelands pen and paper system offered protection from cyberattack: The system is manual to a very large degree and the chain of ownership of ballot papers  from printing them to people voting on them, back through the collection of votes and counting of those ballots  is extremely transparent.

Returning officers can work around lots of potential attacks, theyre trained to do that.

Mr Browne said the validation process extends up the chain so that when returning officers are collating it is done on large boards and visible to everyone present.

The numbers that are transmitted, via an Excel sheet, back to Europe are tallied back to the numbers on the board, he said.

The cyber chief said that even if there were attempts to interfere with the transmission of the data, there were multiple means of sending the information to Europe.

What we are guarding against is the potential for people or groups or States to interfere in the process by trying to question the robustness and resilience of the system and question the validity of the vote, he said.

We have hundreds of cyber incidents every year. We have never come across anything very significant to the electoral process.

Mr Browne added: But it could happen, and if it happens, the first time it happens is enough and once could be very bad news. So we have to guard against the potential.

He said that perhaps the most pressing issue is the cyber security of IT systems and digital devices used by political parties and by individual politicians.

He said: We have issued guidance and held information sessions in the Oireachtas and with politicians on this very important issue.

Mr Browne said they were linked in with various EU agencies to keep up to date on cyber threats to critical infrastructure, including election systems.

Cyberwar

Last week, the NCSC, along with the Defence Forces, took part  for the first time  in the worlds biggest simulated cyberwar game involving more than 40 countries, organised by the Nato Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.

At the end of the week, the EUs diplomatic chief Joseph Borrell warned that a Russian-controlled cyber group had compromised email accounts of the German Social Democratic Party, as well as its technology and defence sector, in addition to institutions of the Czech Republic.

He said this same group had previously targeted institutions and agencies in Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Sweden.

Mr Borrell said he was mindful of the upcoming elections and said the aim of such cyberattacks was to degrade our critical infrastructure, weaken social cohesion and influence democratic processes.
Unexpectedly, the taxi driver asked me once I had the seatbelt on, how my day had gone to that point.

Fantastic, I honestly told him. He seemed delighted for me, as I started to go through emails and texts. And experience the random data-bombing that happens when you turn your phone on.

For 90% of the time, that bombing equates, electronically, to the faecal incontinence of the average seagull, but now and again, something interesting hits. In this case, it was the case of the health minister touring an urgent care clinic. Not in Ireland. In Australia.

The Victoria health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, must have ended up with a pretty positive view of the service being provided. Partly because the patients werent really patients.

Well, some of them were, but at least 10 of the ones with inverted commas around them were, in fact, local health staff, impersonating the sick and injured.

That wasnt all that went on. An ambulance came shrieking up containing an individual who posed as a patient even though they werent sick, injured or in any other way requiring a bit of medical attention.

Even trolleys came into play, with one area health worker who let on to have an injury occupying a trolley in a corridor.

Now, it would be cool if we could report that Mary-Anne saw through this collective simulation and identified that maybe the patients cheeks were a little more rosy than youd expect, but no. I didnt notice anything in particular, she later reported. I had no reason to think that anything was untoward.

Happy out, the minister buzzed off back to her office, the pretend patients had their records scrubbed from the system and buzzed off back to their genuine day jobs.

It was unclear how the whole thing unravelled, but it gave me fury to imagine anything along those lines happening in Ireland, or Stephen Donnelly not spotting the healthy glow on the supposedly ailing.

Glancing up, I realised wed come up toward Ely Place, Government Buildings on our right, and were turning left after the Merrion Hotel.

Straight into the path of a garda, as it turned out. This garda showed my driver the palm of his hand to stop onward progress and then indicated he should pull in to the side of the road, which he did.

But while he did it, he whimpered. Literally whimpered aloud, going No, no, no no.

He rolled his window down and put his forehead against the steering wheel, as the garda advanced, folded his arms across his neon yellow gilet, and asked one of those leading questions specialised in by what we used to call the boys in blue (before they, and the girls in blue, went for the neon yellow.) So what colour was the traffic light as you and the bus in front of you turned left? he asked.

I think maybe yellow? came the answer.

When you turned left, it was five seconds into red, the guard told him, before suggesting, in deference to his passenger  me  he might turn off his meter. He did. I was deadly impressed by the gardas precision about how long the red light had been in action.

He didnt say anything about the bus, and the mad thought struck that he was picking on people his own size by letting the bus sail off westward without sanction.

The taxi driver hung his head. The garda requested his licence, which was promptly presented. The yellow giletd officer walked around the front of the car, consulted his walkie-talkie, and then returned to the open window.

The penalty for this offence is two points on your licence and a 120 fine, he told the driver, who began to beg. Literally, he went Oh, please please please.

The garda made a gesture indicating he wasnt having any of that, and the driver went silent. At this point, the garda was so threateningly serious about the whole incident that I began to wonder if I could be done for collusion or collaboration or something.

The penalty, the garda resumed, Is two points on your licensee and a 120 fine. Do you understand that? The taxi driver miserably confirmed that, yes, he understood it.

In this instance, I am not imposing that fine, the garda told him, On the understanding that you undertake never to go through a traffic light  not just if its red, but if its amber. Right?

The taxi driver swore he wouldnt go through an amber light for the rest of his life and then went back to pleading.

Puzzled, the garda firmly told him that he was off the hook on this occasion, stepping back and gesturing him to drive away. As he did so, the driver began to weep.

But youre OK, I reminded him. It became clear that he still didnt quite understand the process whereby the garda would tell him what the conceptual penalty was, but had the discretion not to impose it. The drivers tear-stained face kept turning around to confirm this good news with me, which made me a little nervous, although not as nervous as realising he had turned the car as if headed back to where we had come from.

I urgently pointed this out to him and he redirected the vehicle in the general direction of Adelaide Road. He explained that his terror arose from being in the third year of a naturalisation process which

could have been utterly scuppered if the garda had put points on his licence and fined him. The consequence of that would have been deportation, he told me, sick at the possibility.

I didnt think that a traffic offence led, as day follows night, to deportation.

Just basing this on experience, really, but also on the suspicion that the road traffic unit of An Garda Siochana might be too busy at the day job to be seeking a Rwanda-style solution to breaking a red light. Even if the red light had been on for a full five seconds.

No point in wasting the drivers time on any of that.

All he wanted was for me to tell him, again and again, the difference between what the garda could have done and what hed actually done. Ideally using the gardas own words, the officer of the law having taken on a kind of mythic role in the story of the taxi drivers life: the big bad wolf in a gilet redeeming himself at the end.

Then we both realised he couldnt turn on to Adelaide Road. Never mind, I said, Ill pop out at the lights.

As I opened the door, the taxi driver had one last, surprisingly Irish colloquialism, to offer.

That guard a gent, he said, nodding. That guard a total gent.

How right he was, I thought, jaywalking to the footpath. Hed been severe, taught a lesson, used his discretion, and shown mercy in one brief incident.
Australian airline Qantas agreed to pay 120 million Australian dollars (62.9 million) in compensation and a fine for selling tickets on thousands of cancelled flights, the airline and Australias consumer watchdog said on Monday.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued the Sydney-based airline in the Federal Court last year.

The commission alleged that Qantas engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by advertising tickets for more than 8,000 flights from May 2021 through to July 2022 that had already been cancelled.

Qantas agreed to settle the suit by paying a 100 million Australian dollars (52.6 million) fine to the Australian government and a projected 20 million Australian dollars (10.3 million) to more than 86,000 affected customers.

The Qantas Group has today announced an agreement with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to resolve court proceedings in relation to flight cancellation processes.https://t.co/vzywmAN6OJ  Qantas (@Qantas) May 5, 2024

Today represents another important step forward as we work towards restoring confidence in the national carrier, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson said in a statement.

When flying resumed after the COVID shutdown, we recognise Qantas let down customers and fell short of our own standards. We know many of our customers were affected by our failure to provide cancellation notifications in a timely manner and we are sincerely sorry, Ms Hudson said, who replaced Alan Joyce at the airlines helm in November last year.

A Federal Court judge has yet to accept the settlement.

ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said Qantas payments to customers who bought tickets were in addition to other remedies already provided by Qantas, including alternative flights and refunds.

We are pleased to have secured these admissions by Qantas that it misled its customers and its agreement that a very significant penalty is required as a result of this conduct, Ms Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement.

Qantas conduct was egregious and unacceptable. Many consumers will have made holiday, business and travel plans after booking on a phantom flight that had been cancelled, she added.

Ms Cass-Gottlieb said Qantas also admitted its misconduct continued until August last year, more than a year longer than the regulator has alleged in court.

The regulator initiated the suit a week after Qantas posted a record profit for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2023, following years of losses due to the pandemic.
The Israeli army has ordered some 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signalling that a ground invasion could be imminent and complicating efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

The looming operation in the city  where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering and a high number of deaths is feared  has raised global alarm and Israels closest allies have warned against it.

On Monday, the United Nations agency serving Palestinian refugees said it would not comply with the evacuation order.

Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after some seven months of war, and has repeatedly said the invasion is necessary to defeat the Islamic militant group, which sparked the current conflict with an attack on Israel on October 7.

But Hamas and key mediator Qatar have warned that invading Rafah  situated on the border with Egypt  could derail efforts by international mediators to broker a ceasefire.

Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said some 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi  a makeshift camp of tents where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought safety and live in squalid conditions.

Palestinians stand in the ruins of the Chahine family home, after an overnight Israeli strike that killed at least two adults and five boys and girls under the age of 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah

The spokesman said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation, and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. Israel did not formally announce the launch of its current ground invasion in Gaza.

Smoke could be seen rising from Rafah on Monday afternoon, although its cause was unclear.

Tensions escalated on Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israels main crossing for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers.

Israel closed the crossing  but Lt Col Shoshani said it would not affect how much aid enters Gaza as others are in operation.

He would not say whether the upcoming operation was a response to the earlier attack.

Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.

Lt Col Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through air-dropped leaflets, text messages and radio broadcasts. He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

A Palestinian stands in the ruins of the Chahine family home, after an overnight Israeli strike that killed at least two adults and five boys and girls under the age of 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 3, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah

Israels army said on the social media platform X that it would act with extreme force against militants, and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, Mr Egeland said.

About 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gazas population  are jammed into Rafah and its surroundings. Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israels onslaught and now face another wrenching move or the danger of staying under a new assault.

They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing UN shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled.

The UN agency that has helped millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank for decades (UNRWA) warned Monday of the devastating consequences of a Rafah offensive, including more civilian suffering and deaths.

Juliette Touma, communications director for the agency, which has thousands of employees in the city, said it has not evacuated and has no plans to do so.

Egypts Rafah crossing, a main transfer point for aid going into Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open on Monday after the Israeli border.

The war was sparked by an 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.

The ensuing conflict has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.

The tally does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but officials say at least two thirds of the dead are children and women. It has left a swathe of destruction in Gaza, and around 80% of the territorys population has fled to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave.

Recently, pressure to end the war has grown. Even as the US, Egypt and Qatar have pushed for a ceasefire agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated last week that the military would move on the city regardless of whether a truce-for-hostages deal is struck.

On Monday, Mr Netanyahu accused Hamas of torpedoing a deal and not budging from its extreme demands while vowing to stop the militants from retaking control of Gaza.

A Hamas official said that Israel is trying to pressure the group into making concessions on the ceasefire, but that it will not change its demands.

Hamas wants a full end to the war, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the eventual reconstruction of the strip in exchange for the Israeli hostages held by the militants.
Russian plans to hold drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, the defence ministry has announced, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine.

The exercises are in response to provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation, the defence ministry said in a statement.

It is the first time that Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, though its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.

Tactical nuclear weapons have a lower yield compared to massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles intended to obliterate entire cities.

The announcement appeared to be a warning to Ukraines Western allies about becoming more deeply involved in the more than two-year war.

A Russian tank fires at Ukrainian troops from a position near the border with Ukraine in Russias Belgorod region (Russian defence ministry via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron repeated last week that he does not exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said Kyivs forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

The Kremlin branded those comments as dangerous, heightening tension between Russia and Nato.

Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on the battlefield.

The ministry said the exercise is intended to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat tasks and will be held on President Vladimir Putins orders. The manoeuvres will involve missile units of the Southern Military District along with the air force and the navy, it said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones hit two vehicles on Monday in Russias Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35 others, including two children, local authorities said, in an area frequently struck by Kyivs forces in recent months.

One of the vehicles was a minibus that was carrying farm workers, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

No other details were immediately available, and it was not possible to independently confirm the report from the border region.

While Ukraines army is largely pinned down on the 600-mile front line due to a shortage of troops and ammunition after more than two years of fighting, it has used its long-range firepower to hit targets deep inside Russia.

On Ukraine's Infantry Day, we honour our warriors who carry out the most difficult frontline tasks, destroy the occupier under any circumstances, and protect our country and people.



I thank everyone in the Ukrainian infantry for their service, character, daily heroism, and for pic.twitter.com/6jbBE7fWOi  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) May 6, 2024

The apparent aim is to disrupt Russias war logistics system by hitting oil refineries and depots, and unnerve the Russian border regions.

The Belgorod region was a staging ground for Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has come under regular attack ever since Russian forces retreated there from north-eastern Ukraine early in the war following a counter-offensive by Kyiv.

In what has largely been a war of attrition, Russia has also relied heavily on long-range missile, artillery and drones to wreak damage on Ukraine.

At the end of last year, Belgorod officials said 25 people were killed, including five children, and more than 100 were injured in a Ukrainian attack, and regular rocket and drone strikes have continued since then.

The area can be reached by relatively simple and mobile weapons such as multiple rocket launchers from forests on the Ukrainian side.

Russian authorities said in March they planned to evacuate about 9,000 children from the area because of continuous shelling, after Mr Putin said he wanted to create a buffer zone to help protect border regions.
After Hamas on Monday announced its acceptance of an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, Israel said its leaders approved a military operation in the southern Gaza town of Rafah and began striking targets in the area.

Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would send negotiators to continue talks on the deal.

The high-stakes diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship left a glimmer of hope alive  but only barely  for an accord that could bring at least a pause in the 7-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip.

Hanging over the wrangling was the threat of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a move that the United States strongly opposes and that aid groups warn will be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.

Hamass abrupt acceptance of the cease-fire deal came hours after Israel ordered an evacuation of Palestinians from eastern neighborhoods of Rafah, signaling an invasion was imminent.

Netanyahus office said that the proposal Hamas accepted was far from Israels essential demands, but that it would nonetheless send negotiators to continue talks on a deal.

At the same time, the Israeli military said it was conducting targeted strikes against Hamas in eastern Rafah.

The nature of the strikes was not immediately known, but the move may aim to keep the pressure of the Rafah threat on as talks continue.

President Joe Biden said a cease-fire was the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages, according to a National Security Council spokesperson. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated US concerns about an invasion of Rafah, telling him a cease-fire was the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages, according to a National Security Council spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the call before an official White House statement was released.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said American officials were reviewing the Hamas response and discussing it with our partners in the region.

An American official said the US was examining whether Hamas agreed to a version of the deal that had been signed off on by Israel and international negotiators or something else.

Details of the proposal have not been released. Touring the region last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had pressed Hamas to take the deal, and Egyptian officials said it called for a cease-fire of multiple stages starting with a limited hostage release and partial Israeli troop pullbacks within Gaza.

The two sides would also negotiate a permanent calm that would lead to a full hostage release and greater Israeli withdrawal out of the territory, they said.

Hamas had been seeking clearer guarantees for its key demand of an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal in return for the release of all its hostages, according to Egyptian officials. It was not immediately known if any changes were made.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have repeatedly rejected that trade-off, vowing to keep up their campaign until Hamas is destroyed after its October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Israel says Rafah is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, and Netanyahu said Monday that the offensive against the town was vital to ensuring the militants cant rebuild their military capabilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, and President Isaac Herzog, right, attend a wreath-laying ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre, in Jerusalem, Israel. Picture: Amir Cohen/Pool Photo via AP

But he faces strong American opposition. After the Israeli evacuation order was issued, Miller said the US has not seen a credible and implementable plan to protect Palestinian civilians.

We cannot support an operation in Rafah as it is currently envisioned, he said.

The looming operation has raised global alarm. Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that has already killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

It could also wreck the humanitarian aid operation based out of Rafah that is keeping Palestinians across the Gaza Strip alive, they say.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Monday called the evacuation order inhumane.

Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease, and even famine. And today, they have been told that they must relocate yet again, he said.

It will only expose them to more danger and misery.

Israeli military leaflets were dropped ordering evacuation from eastern neighborhoods of Rafah, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays puts themselves and their family members in danger. Text messages and radio broadcasts repeated the message.

The military told people to move to an Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. It said Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.

It wasnt immediately clear, however, if that was already in place.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians already are sheltering in Muwasi. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid.

But conditions are squalid, with few bathrooms or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area, forcing families to dig private latrines.

The evacuation order left Palestinians in Rafah wrestling with having to uproot their families once again for an unknown fate, exhausted after months living in sprawling tent camps or crammed into schools or other shelters in and around the city.

Mohammed Jindiyah said that at the beginning of the war, he had tried to hold out in his home in northern Gaza under heavy bombardment before fleeing to Rafah.

He is complying with Israels evacuation order this time, but was unsure now whether to move to Muwasi or another town in central Gaza.

Palestinians stand in the ruins of the Chahine family home, after an overnight Israeli strike that killed at least two adults and five boys and girls under the age of 16 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip on Friday, May 3. Picture: AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah

We are 12 families, and we dont know where to go. There is no safe area in Gaza, he said.

Sahar Abu Nahel, who fled to Rafah with 20 family members, including her children and grandchildren, wiped tears from her cheeks, despairing at a new move.

I have no money or anything. I am seriously tired, as are the children, she said. Maybe its more honorable for us to die. We are being humiliated. Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, Egeland said. He said that an Israeli assault could lead to the deadliest phase of this war. Israels bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials.

The tally doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the UN.

Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israels main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers. Israel shuttered the crossing.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants.

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.

After exchanges during a November cease-fire, Hamas is believed to still hold about 100 Israelis as well the bodies of around 30 others.
Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces are now striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday.

The move came hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal, which could end seven months of war in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said that the proposal was far from Israels essential demands, but that it would nonetheless send negotiators to continue talks on a ceasefire agreement.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari spoke after the Hamas militant group said it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel.

Israeli officials were studying the proposal late Monday and did not immediately comment.

We examine every answer and reply very seriously, said Hagari.

At the same time, we continue our operations in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so.

During the same address, Hagari said that Israel would reopen a major crossing for humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza as soon as possible, without specifying exactly when.

Israel closed the Kerem Shalom crossing Sunday after a Hamas mortar attack in the area killed four Israeli soldiers.

Thousands of Israelis rallied around the country Monday night calling for an immediate deal to release the hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

In Tel Aviv, about 1,000 protesters swelled near Israels military headquarters, some blocking the citys main highway until late into the night.

Police tried to clear the road, lifting some protesters off the street and extinguishing fires lit during the demonstration. Other officers on horseback surrounded crowds who chanted deal now!

Protesters marched toward the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, holding a banner reading the blood is on your hands. Picture: Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File

In Jerusalem, hundreds of protesters called for a hostage deal. They marched toward the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, holding a banner reading the blood is on your hands.

There were also smaller protests in the cities of Haifa, Beersheba and Raanana.

Israeli police did not immediately respond to a request about the number of people arrested.

In front of Netanyahus house stood Mai Albini Peri, the grandson of Haim Peri, a hostage in Gaza. He held a sign that read, Rafah, not at the expense of my grandfather.
The following snapshots of Nukefix screens show how the computer program Nukefix can provide answers to difficult questions about the probability of a nuclear use and how to abolish or reduce nuclear weapon risks. The Screen Snapshots Are Divided Into Two Pages: Screen Snapshots on This Page. I. Downloading Nukefix.

II. The Epidemic.

III. Accident and Miscalculation.

IV. The Workings of Probability in the Nuclear Weapons System.

V. The Public Health Risk.

VI. Buckle your seat belts. The News is this. Simultaneous Detonations.

VII. War-Room Plans.

VIII. Nuclear Winter/Autumn.

IX. "U" Command: Each Nation, Probabilities for All Sizes of Attacks.

X. The Composite Aggressor/Initiator Reluctance Level Curve.

XI. The United States, Hit By Risk.

Screen Snapshots on the Following Page, Page 2. XII. Learning Curves: Willful & Accidental Use

XIII. The "Q" Command: Answers to Difficult Questions.

XIV. Median Years to Attacks of Specific Sizes.

XV. The "T" Treaty Command.

XVI. The Treaty "O" Outcome Command.

XVII. Probability Analysis for "Star Wars"/SDI.

XVIII. Conventional War.

XIX. Retaliation/Early-Warning Failure.

XX. Erroneous Preemption.

XXI. The Influence of Economics.

Note that this page is long and has many pictures, so it is usually advisable to start reading at the top and wait for the page to load in before clicking on highlighted text. It may take a few of minutes for it to fully load. Nukefix comes alive when you run it and when you start changing data at will. The descriptions here are not intended to substitute for downloading and running Nukefix. Please note that many important points are included in the program that cannot be included on this web page because of space constraints. The particular examples, shown in the following, reflect the baseline condition in the Nukefix program at startup. When running Nukefix, you can easily change components to see the consequences of different conditions. Having the ability to model/simulate a wide variety of situations makes Nukefix an informative and useful tool for controlling the nuclear weapons problem. Full Screen Ahead If your monitor operates at a 640 x 480 resolution, you are urged to set your browser to full screen to best view pictures, because the pictures here are BIG. At resolutions higher than 640 x 480, the pictures will appear at a more modest size and your browser will probably do just fine as it is. Methods: If you use Microsoft Explorer, you may want to set your browser for "Full screen," which does a nice job of showing a full screen. In Netscape 2.0 and later, to get the largest viewing area, click on "Options" at the menu line at the top of the screen and disable the following, by clicking on them if they are checked: "Show Toolbar", "Show Location", and "Show Directory Buttons". And slide any Windows95 (etc.) toolbars at the bottom of the screen out of the way. Note that you can reactivate these options later. Getting Started

Downloading Nukefix This is where it starts:



The Nukefix icon is then made available: [Incidentally, clicking on the photo above or below can download Nukefix, if you want to do so. More download information is provided on the Home Page. ]



The Main Screen,

The Challenge Is To Develop a Safer World This is where the Nukefix program substantially begins. The following is the screen shown on startup. By clicking on any of page in list of pages shown here, you can go to commentary in that subject area when running Nukefix. By repeatedly clicking on the "More" button, you can see all the topics covered. The challenge is to explore conditions that create a safer system than the base case that is shown. In the particular case being considered, the graph line in the center of the screen shows the probability of a nuclear use when each nation, on average, would have a probability of initiating a nuclear use once in 295 years, during the period under consideration. As explained in the text of the program, this would apply, regardless of what probability distributions existed or whether events were random or nonrandom. Typically when running Nukefix, you will model many other conditions to see the outcomes that tend to result when conditions change.



Of course, all nations are not equally peaceful. The different reliability levels for each of the particular nations are shown at the bottom of the screen, and they together produce the composite reluctance level (RL) of 295 mentioned in the previous paragraph. In this case where we are looking at an average probability of one chance in 295 years for each nation, we also know that a nuclear use can be caused by an Accidental Use or a Willful Use. So we can see in the top four windows what reliability levels are required in these areas, and in their subcomponents. We ultimately are able to see the levels of competence (as reflected by a low proclivity to accident) and levels of caution (as reflected by a low propensity to willfully initiate a nuclear use) that are required to sustain the peace at designated probabilities. We can carry this dissection further because Willful Use results from a simultaneous failure of Deterrence and Civility. With respect to Deterrence we are also able to see how reliable the formal decision-making process needs to be (as reflected by Decision Error) and the influence of Irrationality in the psychiatric/psychological/emotional sense of the term (e.g., in the extreme form, crazy or insane). Similarly Civility is broken down into its constituent parts. The user can change any of these values by clicking on them when running Nukefix, for example, to test how much Civility would be required if Deterrence were eliminated, or to test to what degree Morality can favorably influence outcome. One can also test the effectiveness of Deterrence by setting it to very high values. The results may surprise you. Ultimately, you can see the levels of stewardship that are required of nations to sustain nuclear peace at a range of probabilities. In the case shown, there would be a 50% chance of a nuclear use occurring somewhere in the world within 22.7 years (as is now indicated at the point of the mouse arrow in the above graph). This performance, of course, can be improved or made worse depending on what levels of reliability you apply to the different nations. While we may not know with certainty what humans will do, we are capable of knowing with certainty what levels of restraint each nation must deliver if nuclear peace is to be sustained at designated probability levels for specific lengths of time. The intent here is not to promote doomsaying, nor to encourage alarmists, but to systematically illustrate what actions can produce a safer/more-peaceful world and what actions can't. The Pages: Your Research Tool You can research a wide variety of topics by clicking on the "Pages Button" on the Nukefix main screen. Each of the following "Pages Buttons" would have appeared alone on the main screen, if you had repeatedly clicked on the "More" button. The following picture was created by combining these lists to show you some of the topics typically covered. Later versions of Nukefix may include additional subjects, changed titles, etc. Brief summaries of the topics can be found on the Table of Contents page, which you can read here. The following photograph shows 78 pages from an earlier version of Nukefix. Now there are more than one hundred pages. The list of pages on Nukefix's main screen (the "Pages Button") can be temporarily removed by clicking on "No Pages."

The Menu On the main screen you will see the "Menu" button. If you had clicked on this button when running Nukefix. The following screen would have appeared and an explanation of each command would be shown, as it is in the "L" (Life) command below. Probability of a Nuclear Use During Your Remaining Lifetime Based on the probability of a nuclear use in the case under consideration and actuarial data for human life expectancy, Nukefix can calculate the probability of a nuclear use occurring somewhere in the world during your, or your children's, remaining lifetime. For example, after entering the "L" (Life) command shown in the above snapshot of the menu, the following screen would appear, when one requested the outcome for a baby one year old. The red window shows that in the given case for one year olds there would be a 73% chance of a nuclear use during their remaining lifetimes. Probabilities of occurrence in one's remaining lifetime decline with advancing age because of reduced life expectancy. In the given case for other age groups the following pairings would be found to apply: 14 years old, 65%; 20, 61%; 35, 49%; 50, 35%; 75, 13%; and 85, 7%. Using Nukefix's "^L" command you can readily see expected outcomes under different conditions and for different age groups. (Note that the "Learning Curve" on the pages button is shown with a gray background. This indicates that it was accessed prior to the screen snapshot having been taken.) The Epidemic If you had clicked on the "2 Introduction" on the list of pages on the main screen, when running Nukefix, the following page would have come up. As you continued reading you would see Feynman saying: In fact, previous NASA experience had shown on occasion just such difficulties, . . . all giving warning that the probability of flight failure was not so very small. . . . "It would appear that, for whatever purpose -- be it for internal or external consumption -- the management of NASA exaggerates the reliability of its product to the point of fantasy. . . . "Let us make recommendations to ensure that NASA officials deal in a world of reality, understanding technological weaknesses and imperfections well enough to be actively trying to eliminate them. . . . "For successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, FOR NATURE CANNOT BE FOOLED [Emphasis added, F&S, p. v]." Feynman's teachings are applicable in the nuclear weapons case. Nukefix goes on to make the point: The Epidemic It is perplexing that we live in a technologically advanced civilization that is amply able to assess and prevent a major public health risk, yet it chooses to largely ignore it. Instead, it focuses on less substantial dangers, many of which are trivial. For example, consider a hypothetical microbe, which at a steady rate causes 2,369,886 deaths per year. By comparison to the number of deaths normally occurring in the United States in a typical year: In 3.7 months this microbe would cause as many deaths as heart disease; in 2.8 months, as many deaths as cancer; in 2.1 months, as many deaths as are attributed to cigarette smoking; in 6 days, as many deaths as AIDS; and in 4.2 weeks, as many deaths as lung diseases (including pneumonia and influenza). In 6.7 days it would cause as many deaths as all car accidents; in 30.6 minutes, as many deaths as all floods; in 20.9 minutes, as many deaths as tornadoes and hurricanes; in 18.4 minutes, as many deaths as lightning; and in 5.9 days, as many deaths as all guns in the United States (including all homicides, suicides and accidents). In 11.7 months it would cause as many deaths as all current causes of death combined. This is the risk of death that would be continuously faced. Within 3.1 months the microbe would produce as many deaths as the U.S. military suffered in all wars to date during the 20th century -- World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War combined. However, it is not a microorganism that presents such an extraordinary public health risk. The expected long-term average of 2,369,886 direct deaths per year (not including retaliations, fallout, etc.) is the worldwide risk caused by the aggressor/initiator alone, when 9 nations present propensities to initiate nuclear strikes of the sizes indicated in this program. You also can easily model more favorable conditions and different size strikes. You will soon see how and why such an analysis can be made.

The goal in Nukefix is to reduce or eliminate these deaths. You can literally "re-write the book." You are not locked into the above opening paragraphs. If you find other levels of restraint or number of warheads better explain current conditions, or if you expect improved conditions in the future (e.g., each superpower reducing its arsenal to 3,500 or fewer warheads), you can enter them into Nukefix. Indeed, often just clicking on the graph on the main screen or accessing the "T" (Treaty) command is enough. The above paragraphs will automatically rewrite themselves to reflect the consequences of whatever changes you make. For example, if you had set a limit on the number of weapons to 3,500 in the superpowers [using the "T" (Treaty) command], the text have read as in the following. The difference between the figures shown in brackets (which were added here for illustration) and the initial values would illustrate the risk reduction that took place when going from the initial number of nuclear weapons to a maximum of 3,500 per superpower as proposed in START II. As can be seen, the risk of death remained quite substantial, but it was reduced: For example, consider a hypothetical microbe, which at a steady rate causes 1,828,997 [instead of 2,369,886] deaths per year. By comparison to the number of deaths normally occurring in the United States in a typical year: In 4.8 [instead of 3.7] months this microbe would cause as many deaths as heart disease; in 3.6 [instead of 2.8] months, as many deaths as cancer . . . [etc.] In 1.3 years [instead of 11.7 months] it would cause as many deaths as all current causes of death combined. This is the risk of death that would be continuously faced. The Nukefix program will show you how and why such an analysis can be made. This is just a small sample of the text. Numerous other areas of the nuclear weapons issue are covered with considerable specificity. Nukefix is as much a book, as it is a computer program. However, unlike a book you are not confined to the author's views. You can develop the conditions and the text by the changes you make. Reducing Risk of Death There are only two ways to reduce risk of death caused by nuclear weapons: 1) to reduce the probability of occurrence and/or 2) to reduce the severity of occurrence. All nuclear weapons risk reduction hinges on the ability to achieve desirable outcomes in these areas. The nuclear weapons problem poses such high risks of death that it requires that both be employed. Enunciating the Problem in a Kernel Nuclear deterrence presents an imbalance that is directly at odds with the principle of reducing severity. It effectively is the intent of nuclear deterrence to exchange a "large number of deaths" for a very "low probability" of their occurrence. By this technique, nuclear deterrence increases severity in the hopes of reducing probability. This technique can only be successful in reducing average annual risk of war deaths if the reduction in probability is proportionally greater than the increase in severity. It is doubtful that nuclear deterrence meets this criterion [This can be seen on the deterrence page in the computer program Nukefix]. The Imperious Roles of Accident and Miscalculation The distinguishing feature of the nuclear weapons system is NOT nuclear deterrence, but the combined influence of accident and miscalculation. Under the conditions shown in the main screen at startup, there would be a 89.2% probability [89.2% = 66.6% + 22.6%] that a nuclear first use would result from miscalculation or accident, and probability for all causes of a nuclear first use can be subdivided as follow: In 66.6% of cases a nuclear first use would tend to result from an accidental use. In 22.6% of cases a nuclear first use would tend to result from a decision-making miscalculation in a willfully initiated attack, i.e., the aggressor lost the war. In 10.8% of cases a nuclear first use would tend to result from a willfully initiated and deliberately effective attack in which the attacking nation achieved its military objective, i.e., the aggressor won the war. With an expected 2,369,886 deaths per year, if 89.2% of the incidents were caused by miscalculation or accident, then, on average, as many as 2,114,675 deaths per year could readily be attributable to nuclear weapon accident or miscalculation [2,114,675 = 89.2% x 2,369,886]. There are obviously all sorts of variants in the kind of conditions that one can develop by changing the values shown on the main screen. But the central point is that it is difficult, with nine nuclear weapon nations, to construct plausible scenarios of long-term nuclear peace where the influence of miscalculation and accident is acceptably low, when there is a predominant reliance on nuclear deterrence [calculations shown on the deterrence page in Nukefix]. Main Screen Capabilities The main screen has numerous capabilities. The following are shots of some of the messages that will appear. And, if you want to supress automatic prompts you can easily do so by pressing the "S" (Suspend) key. Base Case Comparison One of the features available is the "Base Case" comparison. Note that the Main Screen shown earlier indicated the longevity of nuclear peace when each nation was sufficiently peaceful that it would have a propensity to initiate a nuclear use, on average, only once in 295 years (the Composite Reluctance Level). We can also see the advantage if, on average, each nation were to become sufficiently peaceful that it would not tend to initiate a nuclear use but once in 500 years. By having employed the "Base Case" comparison feature, we see that the bottom center blue window on the screen shows that at the median there would tend to be 15.8 years more of nuclear peace than at the previous 295 RL. Thus, using the "Base Case Comparison" we can get some idea of how great a change in the longevity of nuclear peace we can reasonably expect if features of the nuclear weapons system change. As a practical matter it is useful to note that when running the program, clicking on the graph is all that is required to reposition the graph line to pass through the point that you click on. Thus, it is quite easy to see what reliability goals nations must meet if they are to sustain nuclear peace at designated probability levels for designated periods of time. Proliferation Although there is a lot of discussion about proliferation and nonproliferation, too frequently the consequences of proliferation are so vaguely stated that we have very little idea how much influence the addition or reduction of, say, four nations would have on the longevity of nuclear peace. The "P" (proliferation) command provides the following screen. For simplicity's sake, if we assume that the only feature that changes is the number of nations, and that each nation is effectively equally peaceful with a proclivity to initiate one nuclear use, on average, once every 295 years (as it was in the first screen snapshot), then we can see, using the "Base Case Comparison" in the above that: 13 nations would tend to deliver 7 fewer years of nuclear peace at the median than 9 nations would. And 5 nations would tend to deliver 18.2 years more peace than 9 nations would. This example is of interest because during the Cold War there were approximately an average 5 nuclear weapon nations. Now there are about 9. If there were further proliferation, there could be as many as 13. With this, we have the beginnings of "Past, Present, and Future" analysis. The program also offers other ways to analyze proliferation, but this screen gives us a good starting point. Specific Nations On the initial Main Screen the upper four small windows showed the "average" values for all nations. If we want to see what a specific nation would have to deliver then we just click on the name of the nation, in this case China, then the upper four windows are bordered in blue. And, the upper windows display the specific subcomponent values China would have to maintain to support its 450 RL. You will see that these values are higher than they were in the first Main Screen, where it was only necessary to support a 295 RL, instead of the 450 RL required by China. Though China might not deliver the precise subcomponents shown, we would know that that it would have to deliver some combination that would ultimately produce a 450 RL and we can experiment with different values to see the ranges of performances that would need to be met. By changing subcomponent values for China, we can also see how much a specific value in a single nation (say, deterrence, since that is such a popular topic) would influence median years of nuclear peace world wide. This feature is especially useful for analyzing policies that are geared to a specific nations. Public Health Risk, Deaths per 100,000 In terms of public health, the lethality of a disease can be measured in annual deaths per 100,000 population. By making comparisons between death rates for different public health risks, we can get a sense of the relative severity of the risks that a population as a whole would face. For example, AIDS and Heart Diseases are measured in deaths per 100,000 per year. We can also compare nuclear weapon risks to other known health risks by using the deaths per 100,000 per year method, as is done in the following graph, which is activated by the "D" (Death) command.

The curve represents the average risk during the median years to occurrence for attacks of specific sizes and for worldwide levels of peacefulness (Composite Reluctance Level). The mouse arrow at the graph line points to the 295 RL that we have discussed. If the shown number of deaths worldwide would occur, because of nuclear attacks, then nuclear weapons would present a worldwide risk at least as great as AIDS, and in the recipient nation the national death rate would be much higher. The present graph line spells out the minimum requirements placed on nations, if nuclear weapons are to present a worldwide risk no greater than AIDS. By clicking on the graph, when running the Nukefix program, the graph line is automatically repositioned at the point where you click. Thus, it can illustrate comparisons with other diseases also. It is well to note that since 1914, "small" wars (those less than a million deaths) have been responsible for only 12% of war deaths, civilian and military. It is the Mega-Death wars that have caused fully 88% of war deaths [ Forecast and Solution, p. 127]. For this reason, reducing the effects of large wars, especially nuclear wars, is apt to yield great public health benefit. Prior to WWI only two Mega-Death wars had occurred -- a civil war in China in the middle 1800s and Genghis Khan's destruction in the 1200s. Mega-Death wars are a creature of the 20th century.

Buckle your seat belts. The News is This.

Simultaneous Detonations: Firestorms The "M" (Multiple Blasts) Command Bernard Lown has observed: "Few societies are more susceptible to the malevolent consequences of a nuclear detonation than rich, urbanized, highly developed, industrial countries." This is true for reasons that few suspect. For example, a 3+ psi (pounds per square inch static overpressure) destruction indicates that total deaths would be approximately equal to 56% of the average population in the 3+ psi area. Wood-framed buildings would receive heavy destruction, even at the outermost 3 psi limits. Destruction would become more intense as one approached ground zero. It is widely known that a single primitive 20 Kt nuclear weapon (approximately the size used at Nagasaki) would produce 8.04 square miles of 3+ psi destruction (when the altitude of the blast is set to maximize 3.5+ psi destruction.). From this we can easily calculate that detonating eight individual 20 Kt weapons would produce 64 square miles of 3+ psi destruction [64.3=8x8.04]. This is the same area of 3+ psi destruction that would occur upon detonating one 475 Kt thermonuclear weapon. On this basis, we are able to know that, at the absolute minimum, eight individual low-tech 20 Kt nuclear weapons are capable of producing a level a level of destruction equal to a large thermonuclear weapon (475 Kt). Now let's consider the potential consequences of SIMULTANEOUSLY DETONATING a pattern of eight nuclear weapons. I have not seen simultaneous nuclear air bursts discussed, or even hinted at, in the open literature, but too many of their effects are too obvious to ignore them. As you would be able to experiment with when running Nukefix [using the "See" button in the "M" command as shown below], when eight low-tech 20 Kt nuclear weapons are detonated simultaneously in an encirclement pattern (5 mile radius, 4.3 miles between zero points in a circle) in a high population density urban area, at least as much destruction would tend to be produced as with a single one megaton thermonuclear weapon. The reason for this is firestorms and the interaction of blast forces. A one megaton weapon would cause 105 square miles of 3+ psi destruction. With firestorms, the 20 Kt encirclement pattern can readily envelope 105 square miles in total destruction, leaving no escape for the inhabitants. At a population density of 12,000 per square mile the 20 Kt encirclement pattern might well produce 53% more deaths than a single one megaton weapon, which is to say, approximately 1,082,884 deaths with 20 Kt encirclement versus approximately 708,426 deaths with a one-megaton blast. A widespread shortcoming in the available literature is that it fails to indicate the consequences of multiple nuclear weapon detonations, most particularly SIMULTANEOUS detonations in encirclement patterns. By activating the "M" (Multiple Blasts) command you can see these consequences. For example, the capabilities of France are shown below. When running Nukefix, the following screen [in this case for France with a 160 Kt average weapon size] would appear after clicking on the "See" shown above. The "Color Heat" button on that screen is ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL IN THE PROGRAM. It illustrates the thermal energy that would be sufficient to ignite items at points which are in line of sight of the contributing weapons in a SIMULTANEOUS DETONATION. The Legend indicates the areas in which the following can be ignited: Leaves [dry beech leaves, 4-6 Cal/cm sq], Shades [cotton muslin green window shades, 8 oz/sq yd, 7-13 Cal/cm sq], Rubber [black rubber construction material, 10-20 Cal/cm sq], and Shirt [Khaki colored cotton shirt, 3 oz/sq yd, 14-21 Cal/cm sq] [See: Glasstone and Dolan, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, pp. 287-289. The thermal flux, Cal/cm sq, in this paragraph indicates the ignition range required by weapons from 35 kilotons to 1.4 megatons]. The flash from the initial simultaneous blast would be sufficient to ignite these respective items. Not all such items will be ignited because at least some fires will be blown out by the blast wave. However, others will not, and these will tend to spread. At Hiroshima (12.5 Kt), the approximate area characterized here by rubber was involved in a firestorm. Note that, in the Nukefix program, whatever pattern you select will be applied to the "encirclement number of weapons (EncWep)," when you access the "War-Room Plans" page. That section of the program scans and sorts the population densities for the entire world, so that you can see how many weapons are required to destroy specified areas of different countries. For example, it takes only 354 to 800 Russian warheads to destroy every city and town in the United States that has a population density in excess of 1,000 people per square mile (urban and metropolitan USA, 36.3% of the U.S. population, 94 million people) ["War-Room Plans" in Nukefix]. Thus, it's not difficult to see that the highly-publicized, much-applauded, and the yet-to-be-ratified START II treaty levels of 3,000 to 3,500 intercontinental warheads mounted on missiles or aircraft by the year 2007 (roughly a decade from now) offer little protection. Only 10% of these numbers of weapons hitting cities would produce unprecedentedly appalling destruction. Moreover, the number of warheads now existing are far higher. The effects of simultaneous detonations have grave implications. Although the high-tech aspects of the physics of a single weapon usually receive greatest attention, the physics involved in a confluence of blast forces and thermal energy from multiple weapons simultaneously detonating can be made to present far greater destruction in an urban environment than can single thermonuclear weapons of the sizes that currently predominate. If eight 20 Kt nuclear weapons were detonated SIMULTANEOUSLY in an encirclement pattern over a city, it is likely that they would produce at least as much destruction as a one megaton nuclear blast. And, they definitely could produce the equivalent of 475 Kt of destruction, even if they were not simultaneously detonated. Fully 87% of the thermonuclear weapons in the U.S. strategic arsenal are smaller than 475 Kt, and a small percentage are as large as one megaton. Approximately 58% of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons are about 500-550 Kt in size. Thus, we can see that small nations, or even highly advanced terrorist groups, could have the potential to produce vast thermonuclear levels of destruction (equivalent to 475 Kt to one megaton) when attacking cities. It further means that many thousands of "tactical" nuclear weapons in superpower arsenals can similarly be used to create levels of destruction formerly attributed only to "strategic" nuclear weapons. And, "strategic" warheads can be made to be even more deadly via simultaneous detonations. You can readily see the magnitude of destruction produced by nuclear weapons of all sizes, including those used in simultaneous detonations in encirclement patterns. To do so, in the "M" command, click on the "See" button. The myth perpetuated throughout the nuclear era that thermonuclear levels of destruction in cities are available only to advanced, rich nuclear powers is a fraud.

THE "RADIUS" BUTTON By clicking on the "Radius" button in Nukefix, a graph like the following will appear showing psi radius for weapons of a wide variety of sizes. By RIGHT clicking on the graph line, the coordinates are shown on the screen so that you can get good data for weapons of a wide variety of sizes. By LEFT clicking on the arrows, other graphs are shown. War-Room Plans One of the greatest problems for the non-expert, who may be seriously interested in the nuclear weapons problem, is to figure out what number of nuclear weapons will targeters allocate to destroy cities. We can determine quite a lot without having to enter their war-planning rooms. The following screen snapshot is taken from the "War-Room Plans" page in Nukefix. The particular example shown illustrates the number of 550 kt warheads Russia would need to destroy the indicated population centers. The initiating nation, in this instance Russia, can be selected in the "M" (Multiple Blasts) command. Substantially any nation that had the same encirclement profile and size of warheads (550 kt) would produce an identical outcome. "EncWep" refers to the number of warheads required to subject the total area under consideration to the same degree of destruction caused by the encirclement pattern, in this case, when the zero point distance is set at 15.6 miles as can be set up in the "M" command under the "See" button. "MaxWep" refers to the maximum number of warheads required to subject the total area under consideration to 3 psi+ destruction. This is the same single warhead targeting used in the "M" command. The particular page shown here indicates the outcome for Britain and China, if 550 kt warheads were detonated in the indicated regions. For example, it would take approximately 35 to 78.3 warheads (550 kt) to destroy every population center in Britain with a population density of 1,500, or more, per square mile. We can also see that 22.1 million people (39.2% of the British population) live in this area. And, in China it would require approximately 1,292 to 2,887 warheads to destroy every region with a population density of 1,500, or more, per square mile (510 million people, 40% of the Chinese population reside in the area). In Nukefix, you can readily make similar estimates for numerous other nations. Each page is sorted according to population density for all nuclear weapon nations and many non-nuclear nations. The attacking nation and its weapon configuration can be setup in the "M" (Multiple Blasts) command. So this, and similar pages in the "War-Room Plans" section, will change according to the data you enter. By this method you can make reasonable first approximations for each nuclear weapon nation without having to go through tedious calculations. Table Headings, An Explanation: The "Regions" heading refers to the number of reporting regions. "Dense" refers to minimum population densities for the area under consideration. It is expressed here in density per square mile but can be expressed in kilometers if you mate that selection in the "M" command. "AvgDen" refers to the average density for the indicated region and for all more heavily populated regions. "Pop" refers to the population in the region under consideration and all more heavily populated regions. It is stated in millions. "%Pop" refers to the percent of the nations total population which reside in the indicated region and all more heavily populated regions. "area" refers to the area in the indicated region and all more heavily populated regions. It is expressed in square miles, or square kilometer,s based on your selection in the "M" command. It is expressed in miles in this example. The Probability of Nuclear Winter/Autumn There are numerous factors that must be considered before we know what size attack is sufficient to provoke a serious enough climate change that it could be classified as a nuclear winter/autumn, some of which are dealt with on the "Nuclear Winter/Autumn" page in Nukefix. Cutting to the chase: There are various gradations of nuclear winter that probably can be associated with initiating attacks of specific sizes. For example, an aggressor attack producing 100+ million direct deaths might well be sufficient to provoke a nuclear winter/autumn of a designated level of severity. Or, alternatively, one might find that an aggressor attack of 200+ million would be needed. In the following Nukefix graph you can enter whatever attack size you are interested in. And, in the upcoming "U" (Ultimate) command, you can define the underlying probabilities for the entire range of attack sizes for each nuclear weapon nation. On Nukefix's "Nuclear Winter/Autumn" page, we see aggressor attacks of 100+ million direct deaths (not counting retaliation, etc.) would tend to occur within approximately a median 115 years, given the conditions at startup. While this may seem to be a long time, an attack of this size can readily occur earlier, as can be seen in the upcoming graph. For example, as the graph shows, there would be, with startup data, roughly a one in five chance (20%) of a nuclear attack producing 100+ million deaths within 37 years. And, at the upper end of the graph, we find a 95% probability of an event of this scale within the next 500 years. When running Nukefix, you can also see the expected outcome when the number of superpower nuclear warheads are reduced.

The Ultimate, the "U" Command There are numerous nuclear nations. And there are numerous attacks of different sizes that each of these nations can deliver. For each size attack there is also a different probability of its ever actually being initiated. In some nations the range of attack sizes may go from less than a million deaths to conceivably more than a billion deaths in the most extreme cases. In order to account for outcomes, which go from the probable to the highly improbable, this program introduces the concept of Reluctance Level (RL) Curves for each nation. This allows you to get answers you have not had access to before. In the "U" (Ultimate) command, you can readily set each nation's RLs throughout the range. RL Curves offer the two ingredients necessary to determine the expected risk of death posed by each nation: 1) probability of occurrence (RL), and 2) severity of occurrence (i.e., scale of death). The RL Curves, further, offer the ability to make reasonable estimates for a wide range of occurrences, because probability (RL) in the upcoming graphs is defined in terms of a nation initiating the stated size attack, OR ANY ATTACK OF A LARGER SIZE. Thus, one does not have to consider each size attack individually. A few broad groupings are all that is required to make a good estimate of risk. For example, in Nukefix when we access the "U" (Ultimate) command we can get the following reluctance level curve for France, which shows that France under the shown conditions would produce, over the long term, a risk of inflicting 97,041 deaths per year in attacks that it would have a probability of initiating. It is also possible to explore other outcomes by simply clicking on the graph to change the shape of the curve. However, in the real world nations would have to meet those reliabilities. And I point out that France is already represented as being very peaceful. The proof/method for determining expected deaths per year In Nukefix, clicking on the "DPY Method" button would produce the upcoming graph, which illustrates how one can determine death rate. But it well to first consider the matter in prose. Indeed, without performing the math, the method is intuitively obvious. Consider that each point on the curve represents the probability of a stated size attack and all larger attacks. Given two adjacent points on the curve, if the smaller of the two probabilities is subtracted from the larger, all that remains is the probability associated with the smaller size attack. When this is done for each point on the curve, then all probabilities of occurrence have been identified, and, as indicated, computation of expected death per year is quite easy. The math can be performed in the following manner: The "expected deaths per year" caused by the aggressor/initiator's attack (DPY) are determined by multiplying each incremental probability (the difference in probability at adjacent points on the curve) by the corresponding level of death indicated on the x-axis, and adding the sum of these values to the high-end RL probability multiplied times its corresponding level of death. Simply stated, the method accounts for all probability levels and all sizes of attack for all nations -- which, incidentally, come to 2,945 different cases. It can fully explain the total probability attributed to an individual nation, and axiomaticly conforms to mathematical expectation (i.e., multiplying probability times the severity of the event). By using these techniques, it is possible to know the average risk of death when given specific RL curves. In these cases, as seen in the "DPY Method" graph, probabilities are the inverse of the RLs in question. The DPY graph gives a practical demonstration of how the method works, but since each adjacent point on the curve cannot be graphically represented easily, a range with a "weighted" average size attack is shown (even though actual computation was performed for each point on the curve). The expected deaths per year within the range considered also applies to the RL curve. The Composite Aggressor/Initiator Reluctance Level Curve In Nukefix the Reluctance Level Curves for the individual nations are presented, then the Composite Aggressor/Initiator Reluctance Level Curve is shown. The RL curves for the individual nuclear weapon nations combine to produce the Composite Aggressor/Initiator RL Curve. This curve represents the average proclivities for a single nuclear weapon nation to initiate attacks of the stated size or larger. If each of 9 equally capable nuclear weapon nations were to possess these proclivities, they would present the same total level of risk (2,369,886 DPY) as the present 9 nuclear weapon nations. By looking at the above curve one can clearly see the levels of restraint required at each level during the period under consideration, even if deterrence "works." For example, at startup with 9 nations by RIGHT clicking on the curve to get its values, one can see that the curve passes through the following coordinates: 13,000 RL, 500+ million deaths; 5,000 RL, 329+ million deaths; 2,175 RL, 200+ million deaths; 1,500 RL, 100+ million deaths; 500 RL, 6.7+ million deaths; 320 RL 1+ million deaths. If an advocate of deterrence had seen such a curve, he or she might well have been tempted to comment, "See deterrence works. Look at the very high levels of restraint that each nation, on average, is presenting. Don't you see that this curve supports the respected political scientist Kenneth Waltz's statements in 1988 and 1993 that, 'the probability of major war among states having nuclear weapons approaches zero [ Forecast & Solution, p. 13].'" Yet, in sharp contrast to such optimism, the curve reflects a public health menace that, over the long term, would tend to produce 2,369,886 deaths per year. Indeed, if so-called deterrence were to contain risk of death to low levels, of say, roughly 23,699 deaths per year, its RL values would, on average, need to be fully 100 times higher, as can be seen in the same graph by setting Composite RL on the main screen to 29,500 at startup [23,699=2,369,886/100; 29,500=295*100]. The Composite RL Curve provides a sound theoretical approach that systematically accounts for probability and severity of occurrence in wars. The curve provides an alternative to idiosyncratic analyses that often focus on one war (or type of war) at a time, but which do little to explain the likelihood of, the consequences of, or the methods for preventing future wars. The United States, Hit By Risk Previous sections of Nukefix have provided ways to assess the average deaths per year (DPY) created by nuclear weapon nations. The upcoming worksheet makes it possible to evaluate how that risk would tend to be distributed among individual nations. Specifically, if you are a citizen of the United States (or any other nuclear power), you can easily assess the public health risk that nuclear weapons pose for you. In the upper section of the worksheet, the highlighted percentage figures indicate the percent of DPY received by each nation. The values shown at startup are arbitrary. By clicking on them, you can easily change them, according to your own assessment. The vertically positioned nations at the top of the worksheet refer to the initiating nations that developed the risk. Each column, for the particular initiating nation, reflects how the percentages of risk are distributed among nations. These percentages sum to 100%, and the user can readily change them. The rows show the nations receiving the risk. The red horizontal lines are intended to make the rows easier to read. The red lines do not imply groupings of nations. The nations are alphabetically listed. At the bottom section of the worksheet the "DPY Delivered", "DPY Received", and "Deaths per 100,000 received" are shown. The "DPYs Delivered" are substantially the same as are indicated in the "U" command graphs, except that in the worksheet 10 nuclear weapon nations are always shown (not 9 nations as at startup, or a fewer nations as the user can select on the main screen). The "DPYs Received" result from the "DPYs Delivered" for each nuclear nation being multiplied by the percentage figures at the top of the worksheet and the results summed. Risk for "Deaths per 100,000" are calculated based on the population of the recipient nation and its "DPY Received." Since the category "non-nuclear" nation can refer to several different nations of various population sizes, no "Deaths per 100,000" are shown for this category. Nation-X substantially refers to Iran. In the worksheet in the "Deaths per 100,000" column you will see a comparable public health risk, such as "Heart Disease at 287" deaths per 100,000 population listed. Sometimes this text (for example, "Total Worldwide War Deaths for WWI and WWII combined at 66.8") is cropped short, where space did not permit its full listing. But these public health risks can be found fully-listed via the "D" (Death) command in Nukefix. The "U" command graphs for the RL Curves showed the expected deaths per year (DPY) that each nuclear weapon nation would produce under the illustrated conditions. Those DPYs would ultimately be received by other nations. This is explicitly shown. At the bottom of the worksheet, Total "DPY Delivered" equals total "DPY Received." "HIT BY RISK" WORKSHEET #1, WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE UNITED STATES: We can also tell a great deal about the relative risk of nuclear weapons deaths to which the U.S. is now exposed in the post-Cold War era. For example, the worksheet at startup shows the U.S. having approximately a 246 death rate per 100,000 (a rate between Cancer at 206 and Heart Disease at 287). In 1945 the United States experienced its highest death rate from war during any 50 year period in its history (WWI and WWII). Its war deaths then averaged 6.8 deaths per 100,000 [F&S, p. 129]. The risk to the U.S. of nuclear weapons deaths from initiating attacks alone, at a 246 rate, is fully 36 TIMES GREATER THAN THE U.S. WAR-TIME CONDITIONS DURING THE WWI/WWII PERIOD [36.1=246/6.8]. Yet, this high risk is occurring in a post-Cold War era that is ostensibly viewed by most of the public as being substantially peaceful. In the management of nations, the precise difficulty is that a risk level, such as Cancer or Heart Disease, which we are accustomed to in our own lives, becomes unacceptably catastrophic when we allow the same level of risk to occur in the nuclear weapons problem. While we cannot know with precision when the event will occur, if the United States were to experience a 682,937 "DPY Received," as suggested in the worksheet at startup, then at 20, 40, or 60 year intervals, it would be perfectly logical for it to experience nuclear attacks causing respectively 13.6, 27.3, or 40.9 million deaths at these intervals [20, 40, and 60 multiplied by 682,937]. We can also view the net effect of the nuclear weapons system for each particular nation in the case presented. For example, in the screen snapshot we see the United States delivering 555,372 deaths per year on average, yet receiving 638,937 deaths per year. The net disadvantage for the United States in this case would be 83,565 deaths per year 83,565= 638,937 - 555,372. The risk received was greater than the risk developed. Two of the objectives of arms limitations

are to reduce risk of death and to forestall

or prevent large scale attacks.

How well can arms limitations alone meet these objectives? At the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis 37 years ago Russia had approximately 481 strategic nuclear warheads. START II proposes 3,000 to 3,500 deliverable strategic warheads. START III proposes 2,000 to 2,500. "Hit By Risk" Worksheet #2 shows expected outcomes, other things being equal, at limits from 10,700 to 50 warheads per nation. At each level of warhead limits, estimated risk of death worldwide, and for an individual nation (which you can select), are shown in terms of deaths per year (DPY) and average deaths per 100,000 population. When considering low levels of nuclear warheads, keep in mind that a single Trident submarine has 192 warheads (24 missiles, 8 warheads per missile). For attacks of 100+ and 200+ million deaths, estimated median years to occurrence and years within which there would be a one in five chance of occurrence (20%) are shown in worksheet #2. This is one of the most important sections of the program. At startup conditions, with 10 nations, we see that, so long as warhead limits are at 2,000 or higher, risk of death caused by nuclear weapons tends to be in excess of approximately 150 deaths per 100,000 for the United States. And, worldwide it tends to be in excess of approximately 26.1 deaths per 100,000 population annually. Moreover, worldwide, at the 2,000 level, there would tend to be a one in five chance of a nuclear attack of 100+ million deaths occurring within 44.5 years. Not until warheads get to very low levels, such as 50 per nation on the worksheet is the risk of 100+ million death attacks substantially eliminated. Attacks of 200+ million deaths become very unlikely in the near term once warheads reach a 250 limit. You can explore numerous other scenarios. Those that typically are most beneficial, not only reduce the number of warheads, but also reduce probability (RL) on the main screen, or in the RL Curves in the "U" command. You can also change percentages for DPY distribution on worksheet #1 to reflect your personal assessment of real-world conditions. With startup conditions and 10 nations selected, the citizens of the nuclear superpowers, Russia and the United States, receive approximately 5.4 to 6.1 times the risk of aggressor-caused death by comparison to the average person on earth [5.4=217/40.4; 6.1=246/40.4]. At a worldwide death rate of 40.4 per 100,000 annually, aggressor-caused nuclear weapon deaths (not counting retaliation and secondary deaths) would be substantially identical to the worldwide risk posed by all sides in the WWII era at 40.3 deaths per 100,000. Based on startup data, we see in worksheet #2 that, other things being equal, dramatic reductions in risk of death do not usually tend to occur until nations drop to very low levels of warheads. There are two key reasons for this. First, nuclear warheads, even at low levels, have phenomenal death dealing properties. Second, the average lethality of individual warheads increases as number of warheads are reduced, because, on average, warheads are targeted on higher density populations. The marginal deaths at the periphery are substantially removed. This increased lethality as warheads are reduced is evident when one considers the second worksheet in the "T" (Treaty) command, the "War-Room Plans", or Tsipis' study of a "small" 239 warhead attack on the United States (Nukefix, page 3). Worksheet #2:

START II -- 3,500. What Does it Mean?

A Risk Equal to Cancer? At a 10,700 warhead limit the U.S. would tend to experience a 245 nuclear weapons death rate per 100,000 (a rate between Cancer at 206 and Heart Disease at 287). Based on startup conditions in worksheet #2, it appears that it would be fraudulent to proclaim START II levels at 3,500 intercontinental warheads mounted on missiles or aircraft by the year 2007, are sufficient to dramatically reduce risk of nuclear weapon deaths. Under Nukefix's baseline conditions with 10 nations selected, the "Hit By Risk" pages shows that a 3,500 warhead limit (by comparison to a 10,700 limit) only reduce the risk of nuclear weapons death by about 23% for the United States. This reduction would leave the U.S. with a long-term average 522,699 aggressor-caused direct nuclear weapon deaths and an average nuclear weapon death rate of 188 annually per 100,000 population. Thus, START II could readily present the U.S. with a risk of nuclear weapons deaths that would be fully 91% as great as the risk of death by Cancer [91%=188 nuclear rate/ 206 Cancer rate.] However, the shock impact for nuclear attack is far more adverse than Cancer deaths because in the nuclear case the 522,699 deaths per year are expressed infrequently at intervals of, for example, 20, 40, or 60 years respectively producing 10.5, 20.9, 31.4 million deaths at each event [10.5, 20.9, 31.4 million = 20, 40, or 60 times 522,699]. Moreover, at a START II limit of 3,500 warheads, there would also remain a one in five chance worldwide of an attack of greater than 100 million deaths within 40.2 years. In summary, a 3,500 START II warhead limit in the post-Cold War era may well have a propensity to present a risk of death for the United States nearly as great as one of the top public health risks: Cancer. And, worldwide the chance of enormous attacks of 100+ million deaths would remain a serious threat. In the spirit of "The Emperor Wears No Clothes," what on earth are the militaries, governments, and arms control experts thinking? The Logic of Nukefix. A contribution, unique to Nukefix versions 2.02 and later, is that the program makes it possible in the post-Cold War era for the user to assess and reduce the risk that would be RECEIVED from aggressor-caused nuclear attacks worldwide, by comparison to known public health risks (such as Heart Disease, Cancer, etc.). In a nub, the logic used in Nukefix can be followed quite precisely, as shown in the following. Risk Produced:

The risk produced is established by evaluating destructive capabilities of warheads, using Nukefix's "M" (Multiple Blasts) command. The results from that section of the program can be validated using a publicly available computer program prepared for Director Defense Nuclear Agency (We.zip) available through The High Energy Weapons Archive. Then in the "War-Room Plans", extensive worldwide population densities for nations where the warheads would potentially be delivered is used to assess the maximum size attacks that individual nations would be capable of producing. For the superpowers, the annual probability of initiating maximum size attacks is represented as being minuscule. But having established an expected maximum size attack, the user (using Nukefix's "U" command) can define the probability for all size attacks, from the smallest to the largest, that each nation could potentially carry out. The Reluctance Curves that are established in this fashion show the estimated restraint each nation would exercise before initiating nuclear attacks of the different available sizes. The "U" (Ultimate) command uses each size attack, and its associated probability, for each nation to compute the long-term expected deaths per year produced by that nation. The program then sums these figures to get worldwide risk. Expressing long-term nuclear weapons risk in terms of deaths per year serves to illustrate the expected public health risk, as is done with Cancer, Heart Disease, et cetera. It also provides a single currency by which the risk presented by "small" and "large" nuclear powers can be compared. The user can either accept the baseline case presented in Nukefix at startup, or alter the component values to preference via mouse clicks and simple entries. At this point in the program the risk produce is established. Risk Received:

On the "Hit By Risk" page, the user in worksheets #1 and #2 can see the degree to which individual nations would tend to RECEIVE that risk. The "Hit By Risk" worksheet #1 shows a grid of percentages for the ten nations producing the risk and the same ten (plus a category for non-nuclear nations) receiving the risk. By identifying potential adversaries for each nation and assigning a percent of its produced risk that would be received in each potentially adversarial nation, the user can find the risk RECEIVED for each nation. This Page is Continued on the Screen Snapshots Part 2 Page


An N.C. House Select Committee is recommending that the General Assembly change a state law forcing districts to start school the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end no later than the Friday clo
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  The Committee to Protect Journalists on Sunday condemned the Israeli cabinets decision to ban the Al Jazeera news network in Israel. The networks office was closed and its equipment was confiscated. Israeli cable channels were forced to delete Al Jazeera from their offerings, and even its website has been blocked for Israeli residents. Since Israeli news channels do not show the effects of the governments total war on Gaza civilians, the Qatar-based channel had been one of the few sources of comprehensive coverage of the Gaza campaign for those Israelis who know English or Arabic.

On April 1, the Israeli parliament, dominated by the countrys far right parties, passed a law permitting the government to halt the broadcast of foreign channels in Israel if the content is deemed to be a threat to the countrys security during the ongoing war. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi called Al Jazeera an incitement channel and a mouthpiece of Hamas. It was a ridiculous charge for anyone who actually watches the live stream of Al Jazeera English.

Carlos Martinez de la Serna, the New York-based director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said, CPJ condemns the closure of Al-Jazeeras office in Israel and the blocking of the channels websites. This move sets an extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel. The Israeli cabinet must allow Al-Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime.

The Israeli military has killed some 140 journalists in Gaza. Since it has sophisticated drone surveillance and facial recognition programs and other forms of electronic surveillance, Al Jazeera reports that some of the surviving journalists are convinced that their vehicles and convoys were deliberately targeted despite being clearly identified as press.

One of the corruption cases being pursued in Israeli courts against Netanyahu has to do with his pressuring an Israeli newspaper to give him favorable coverage by threatening that otherwise the late casino mogul Sheldon Adelson would flood the market with free newspapers, hurting the profits of Yedioth Ahronoth.

The following video clip wont be seen by my readers in Israel because their government departed from democratic principles.

Al Jazeera English Video: Israeli police raids Al Jazeera office after shutdown order, seizes equipment

Banning foreign news channels and reporters is not a new thing in the Middle East, or the wider world, but it has usually been done by governments that the US denounces as autocratic. Israel has now joined their ranks as a censorship regime.

For instance, the US State Department says in a report critical of press censorship in Syria, On July 8, the Ministry of Information canceled the accreditation of the BBC in areas under its control following the outlets June 27 investigative report into the regimes involvement in the captagon drug trade, according to local media. The report adds, citizens widely used satellite dishes, although the regime jammed some foreign Arabic-language networks.

The cancellation of Al Jazeeras accreditation by the Netanyahu regime and its jamming of Al Jazeera in Israel would be hard to distinguish from the press policies of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

As for Iran, the State Department says, The government jammed satellite broadcasts, a continuous practice since at least 2003. It adds, The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance severely limited and controlled foreign media organizations ability to work in the country. The ministry required foreign correspondents to provide detailed travel plans and topics of proposed stories before granting visas, limited their ability to travel within the country, and forced them to work with a local minder.'

State slams Iran, saying, Authorities routinely cited laws on protecting national security to arrest or punish critics of the government and human rights defenders or to deter criticism of government policies or officials.

Yet the April 1 law passed by the Israeli Knesset appeals to exactly the same grounds, protecting national security, to permit expulsion and banning of foreign correspondents and channels.

That is, there may be a difference in degree between Irans press censorship and Israels but there is not a difference in kind.

The grounds cited by Israel for closing down foreign news operations in the country are not different from those used by Vladimir Putins Russia. The State Department notes, Expanding the definition of sensitive data, the FSB published in 2021 a list of topics that could be used against the security of Russia, including information and assessments of the countrys military, security sector, and space agency, Roscosmos. Individuals who collected information in the specified categories could be subject to designation as foreign agents.'

Just as the government headed by Netanyhau, which had directed funding to Hamas for years before the October 7 attack, snarkily implied that Al Jazeera was overly friendly with Hamas, so the Russians use xenophobic grounds to censor, according to the State Department: During the year authorities used a law banning cooperation with undesirable foreign organizations to restrict free expression. For example, in January, the independent Russian news outlet Meduza was added to the list of undesirable organizations.'

Russia has forced many journalists to register as foreign agents: The law allowed authorities to label individuals (both Russian and foreign citizens) as foreign agents if they disseminated foreign media to an unspecified number of persons, receive funding from abroad, or, after a 2020 amendment, carry out the interests of a foreign state. The amendment specified that a foreign journalist performing the functions of a foreign agent, incompatible with his professional activities as a journalist could be declared an individual foreign agent. They had to register and mark their content as produced by a foreign agent.'

This is clearly how Netanyahu views Al Jazeera journalists.

This fear of international journalism also afflicts the government of Kim Jong Un in North Korea, of which State observes, The government prohibited ordinary citizens from listening to foreign media broadcasts and subjected violators to severe punishment. Radios and television sets, unless altered, received only domestic programming . . .The government attempted to jam all foreign radio broadcasts.
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty RFE/RL journalists report the news in 23 countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. We provide what many people cannot get locally: uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate. RFE/RL strives to meet the highest standards of objective journalism and report the facts, undaunted by pressure or attempted influence. RFE/RL is registered with the IRS as a private, nonprofit Sec. 501(c)3 corporation, and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress through the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) as a private grantee. RFE/RL's editorial independence is protected by U.S. law.
More than 100 journalists in Gaza have been killed by Israel since it launched its deadly war on the strip, following Hamass incursion into Israeli soil on October 7, 2023. Reporters Without Borders has filed multiple complaints with the International Criminal Court to investigate intentional homicides of several Gazan journalists.

But with all eyes on Gaza, violations against journalists in the West Bank have multiplied. Israel now ranks sixth among the top countries for jailed journalists, tied with Iran. Over the past seven months, 52 journalists have been detained, all but two in the West Bank, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) told Global Voices. Nearly all are being held without trial or charge under Israeli military law.

Women journalists are among those detained. Israeli forces dont differentiate between women and men as journalists in the field, Aziza Nofal, a Palestinian journalist based in Ramallah, told Global Voices. A freelance journalist with Al Jazeera English, she also works with Reporters Without Borders to document violations against Palestinian journalists. Women journalists in detention are routinely threatened with rape by the Israeli security forces, she said.

One journalist who spoke to Global Voices, Sojoud Aasi, was detained in October. Two months pregnant at the time, she was manhandled and strip searched multiple times in a very humiliating manner, she said. I was denied the right to change my clothes, get my medications, or even go to the bathroom.

Israeli forces also threatened to hurt her seven-year old daughter and kill her husband. Her husband, also a journalist, is currently in detention. He is subjected to severe torture, while being deprived of his most basic rights, like other detainees in Israeli prisons, she said.

Rights organizations have decried the use of torture and other forms of inhuman treatment in Israeli prisons, while UN experts have expressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls, including sexual assault.

Another journalist, Bushra al-Tawil, has been arrested five times for her work, which is focused on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, Nofal said. Most recently, al-Tawil was arrested in March, and remains under administrative detention to date. According to eyewitnesses, she was beaten by the Israeli intelligence forces in her home as she was being detained.

A third journalist, Asmaa Harish, has been under house arrest for the last six months. The Israeli forces have banned her from using social media or even making calls, Nofal added.

In addition to detentions, West Bank journalists also face restrictions on freedom of movement and outright violence by the Israeli army and armed settlers.

Mohammed Samir Abed, a correspondent for Al Quds News Network, and his six colleagues experienced this violence first hand when they came under direct fire from the Israeli army on January 4. They had been documenting clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian factions in Sir, a town south of Jenin.

After the clashes concluded, we wanted to leave and all of a sudden there were gunshotswe were shot at directly, despite wearing their press jackets, Abed told Global Voices. Footage he captured during the incident shows him and his colleagues sheltering from gunfire fired from Israeli military vehicles nearby.

Jihad Barakat, a Ramallah-based reporter for Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, has also been shot at multiple times while reporting. At any moment a soldier might forbid you from photographingor fire tear gas or rubber bullets, he told Global Voices. At other times they are live bullets, as in the case of the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aqleh by the Israeli army in Jenin.

Every day, journalists in the West Bank risk their lives and experience a myriad of violations to document and expose the Israeli occupation  with a significant psychological toll.

Restrictions on freedom of movement

In addition to violence at the hands of the Israeli army, West Bank journalists are confronted with settler violence. There are a lot of settler attacks all across the West Bank. We have difficulties moving from one place to another, its very dangerous, Nofal said.

Since the war started, there have been over 600 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the UN. Nine people have been killed during these attacks, in addition to the nearly 400 people killed by the Israeli army as of early March.

Since October, the Israeli government has issued over 100,000 gun licenses  with the highest rates of arms among illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The government has weighed arming certain West Bank settlements with anti-tank missiles.

Journalists freedom of movement has also been heavily restricted by the establishment of dozens of new checkpoints and confinement of entire villages since the war broke out. Now I cant move from Jenin to Nablus because of the presence of checkpoints, Abed said. The two West Bank cities are 40 kilometers away from each other.

When passing through checkpoints, Abed uses his personal ID rather than his journalist ID, which is issued by the Palestinian Authority  the nominal governing body in the West Bank. He does so out of fear of being delayed, or detained at any moment for covering the crimes of the occupation.

In 2000, Israeli press cards were definitively denied for West Bank journalists. Without them, it takes them significantly longer to pass through Israeli checkpoints. Checkpoints can take hours to pass through to travel small distances.

Once on site, journalists movement is heavily restricted by the Israeli army. Army vehicles come in close proximity to obstruct us, Abed said, showing a video of an armored vehicle honking and rolling towards him and his colleagues in Jenin last December.

Israel has also sent a clear deterrent message to journalists through past and recent killings of Palestinian journalists, both in the West Bank and in Gaza.

Psychological toll

While there has been a sharp uptick in attacks on journalists during the war, violations against Palestinian journalists are a continuation, not a result of October 7, Walid Batrawi, a journalist from Ramallah who now serves on the board of the International Press Institute, told Global Voices.

In 2022, the Israeli army and security forces committed at least 479 violations against journalists.

Although these crimes are well documented by local and international bodies, impunity prevails. When the soldier who shot Shireen Abu Aqleh was identified, he evaded punishment, which means everything will repeat itself, Batrawi explained.

In the absence of the rule of law, fear is rampant. There is perpetual fear and uncertainty as to if he puts press on his car, is he protected or a target?, he added. The International Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating the intentional targeting and murder of a dozen journalists by the Israeli army.

Israeli forces use fear and intimidation to silence every free voice in the West Bank, Aasi said. Its part of an attempt to impose self-censorship.

You might be the target of the next bullet, this is something that stays with Palestinian journalists. When I leave the house, Im counting on the fact I may not return, Abed said.

Collective punishment is also a source of widespread fear. Not only journalists have become targets, their families have become targets. This impacts every Palestinian journalist, Barakat said.

The psychological costs are high. Im afraid I wont get home to my three children. Im afraid something will happen, I feel I cant control my life, said Nofal. Our trauma affects our social lives, our relationships with the people around us.

But with time, death becomes normalized. Every day I photograph funerals. Ive started to fear that if I lose someone I love I wont feel the loss, it has become something normal for me, Abed said.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2024) - Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQX: APAAF) (FSE: A0I0) (MUN: A0I0) (BER: A0I0) (the "Company" or "Appia") announced today the confirmation of the presence of Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) rare earth elements (REE) at the PCH project. A total of 100 samples were sent to AGS Laboratories in La Serena, Chile and the results consistently indicated that the regolith developed over the Ipora Granite presented significant recoveries for Magnet Rare Earth Oxides (MREO) and Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO) consistent with the expected profile of an IAC ore.

Stephen Burega, President, commented, "We are very excited with the recoveries of this first phase of testing. The desorbable Magnet and Heavy Rare Earth recoveries achieved in these initial desorption tests confirm high-grade ionic adsorption clay characteristics which compare very favourably to commercially viable operations in China and globally. We will now work towards fine-tuning the process to increase the level of recovery. Appia is confident that the expansion of our exploration efforts across the PCH project area will uncover many new targets exhibiting this same IAC profile and desorbability."

Highlights

Samples selected from the different geological frameworks, and at distinctive grades, has led to the characterization of two REE mineralization styles. One is associated with the regolith originated from the weathering of the Ipora Granite intrusion, in which the IAC developed and favourable desorbability is present, and one is associated with a carbonatite intrusion-dyke with grades of from 269.7 to 95,156 parts per million (PPM) Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) (see Map 1).

Selected samples from Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes showed TREO grades ranging from 1,236 ppm to 39,881 ppm and Total Desorbable Rare Earth Oxides (TREO D) ranging from 178.9 ppm to 1,617.8 ppm. The representative results from the desorption tests are presented in Table 1 below. The full set of results are included in this LINK.

Desorbable values from RC holes located in the weathered portion of the Ipora Granite show representative preliminary desorption results among the REE (Map 2) with Nd2O3 and Pr2O3 ranging from 0.5 ppm to 451.2 ppm, from 0.1% to 48.2% recovery, and Tb4O7 and Dy2O3 ranging from 0.2 ppm to 70.2 ppm, from 0.6 to 86.7% recovery (Table 1).

These favourable REE desorption results within the regolith open the potential to identify new targets across Appia's very large project area of +40,000 ha which strategically cover the majority (71.4%) of the Ipora Granite extension in the region. (See map 3)

The results presented are preliminary, and Appia's team will work to optimize the desorption process for future testing to maximize recoveries while minimizing operating and capital costs. As part of this process, samples from entire RC holes from Target IV and Buriti Zones as well as from selected new exploratory targets are being prepared to be sent for desorption test work.

Desorbability results were conducted using Ammonium Sulfate at 0.5M, pH4, for 20 minutes. No QAQC samples were introduced in this preliminary desorbability test.

Tom Drivas stated, "These results are another example of the exceptionally fast progress that we have made in less than a year, and we are confident that we will continue to maintain this momentum. Confirming the presence of the IAC mineralization style in the Ipora Granite is an important milestone for the PCH project, and as more data becomes available, we will expand our understanding of this IAC mineralization. We know now that we clearly have two styles of mineralization including the REE high-grade zone previously identified at Target IV, and the IAC that are in this geological unit above the Ipora granite that underlays the majority of our land package. This finding improves the potential for new IAC discoveries across the full extent of the PCH project."

Holeid Interval TREO TREO D %TREO D HREO HREO D %HREO D NdPr NdPr D %NdPr D DyTb DyTb D %DyTb D From To Desor-bed TREOD/TREO*100 Desor-bed HREOD/

HREO*100 Desor-bed NdPrD/NdPrD*100 Desor-bed DyTbD/DyTbD*100 m m ppm ppm % ppm ppm % ppm ppm % ppm ppm % PCH-RC-001 3.0 4.0 4505.8 495.1 11.0 724.6 147.4 20.3 889.4 120.4 13.5 124.9 20.3 16.3 PCH-RC-001 5.0 6.0 4215.9 760.9 18.0 806.6 266.9 33.1 822.9 169.7 20.6 141.6 37.9 26.8 PCH-RC-001 6.0 7.0 3404.6 488.5 14.3 815.9 193.4 23.7 574.3 99.6 17.3 121.6 26.1 21.5 PCH-RC-007 10.0 11.0 2214.6 338.9 15.3 362.8 136.0 37.5 471.0 74.1 15.7 46.1 15.8 34.3 PCH-RC-008 5.0 6.0 2545.4 858.1 33.7 453.0 241.8 53.4 508.0 245.0 48.2 71.3 35.2 49.4 PCH-RC-008 6.0 7.0 7940.4 1617.8 20.4 1523.5 471.8 31.0 1720.5 451.2 26.2 249.7 70.2 28.1 PCH-RC-008 7.0 8.0 5708.1 1184.3 20.7 1146.6 359.4 31.3 1180.0 318.2 27.0 181.6 51.3 28.3 PCH-RC-008 8.0 9.0 2645.2 648.7 24.5 483.6 206.3 42.7 535.4 168.5 31.5 72.4 29.2 40.4 PCH-RC-008 9.0 10.0 5741.7 514.3 9.0 990.8 171.1 17.3 908.1 122.2 13.5 153.9 24.1 15.6 PCH-RC-023 9.0 10.0 2163.1 215.2 9.9 236.7 80.1 33.8 416.3 39.7 9.5 37.9 7.8 20.6 PCH-RC-029 3.0 4.0 1548.1 256.3 16.6 93.7 45.7 48.8 263.3 81.8 31.1 15.5 5.8 37.6 PCH-RC-034 9.0 10.0 5357.4 398.6 7.4 604.5 138.5 22.9 1089.0 108.8 10.0 80.6 16.5 20.4 PCH-RC-037 4.0 5.0 3166.1 178.9 5.7 96.8 52.6 54.3 499.6 48.6 9.7 12.6 6.2 49.7 PCH-RC-043 3.0 4.0 2046.5 380.9 18.6 70.6 64.3 91.1 417.9 133.3 31.9 9.2 8.0 86.7 PCH-RC-047 6.0 7.0 1870.7 333.8 17.8 298.2 105.7 35.5 425.8 109.8 25.8 38.7 13.1 33.8 PCH-RC-047 7.0 8.0 2224.2 212.8 9.6 132.1 70.2 53.2 417.7 66.7 16.0 18.5 8.1 43.7 PCH-RC-050 3.0 4.0 1059.0 307.6 29.0 117.1 94.1 80.4 245.6 97.9 39.9 16.3 11.9 73.4 PCH-RC-050 4.0 5.0 1262.0 229.2 18.2 160.0 82.4 51.5 218.0 69.1 31.7 21.1 8.7 41.3 PCH-RC-050 5.0 6.0 1236.2 294.2 23.8 149.9 98.9 65.9 276.6 91.2 33.0 19.5 12.5 64.1 PCH-RC-051 4.0 5.0 9259.6 560.1 6.0 215.0 60.7 28.2 2042.7 218.6 10.7 41.1 8.1 19.6 PCH-RC-051 5.0 6.0 17538.4 617.5 3.5 422.1 70.7 16.7 3698.9 242.0 6.5 73.0 9.3 12.8 PCH-RC-051 7.0 8.0 7110.6 630.8 8.9 202.9 91.2 44.9 1557.1 220.0 14.1 31.1 10.4 33.4 PCH-RC-060 2.0 3.0 3001.4 393.6 13.1 122.1 49.8 40.8 631.5 106.8 16.9 20.6 5.9 28.7 PCH-RC-066 8.0 9.0 39881.2 637.6 1.6 1299.9 302.9 23.3 8089.2 126.7 1.6 166.9 20.1 12.0

Table 1 - Preliminary desorption results of representative samples. To view the full list of results, please click here.

*Total Rare Earth Oxides: TREO = Y2O3 + Eu2O3 + Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + La2O3 + Ce2O3 + Pr2O3 + Nd2O3 + Sm2O3

*Heavy Rare Earth Oxides: HREO = Gd2O3 + Tb4O7 + Dy2O3 + Ho2O3 + Er2O3 + Tm2O3 + Yb2O3 + Lu2O3 + Y2O3

*NdPr = Nd2O3+Pr2O3

*DyTb = Dy2O3+Tb4O7

*Element to Oxide Conversion Factor - Cerium Ce2O3 1.1713, Cerium CeO2 1.2284, Dysprosium Dy2O3 1.1477, Erbium Er2O3 1.1435, Europium Eu2O3 1.1579, Gadolinium Gd2O3 1.1526, Holmium Ho2O3 1.1455, Lanthanum La2O3 1.1728, Lutetium Lu2O3 1.1371, Neodymium Nd2O3 1.1664, Praseodymium Pr2O3 1.1703, Praseodymium Pr6O11 1.2082, Samarium Sm2O3 1.1596, Terbium Tb2O3 1.1510, Terbium Tb4O7 1.1762, Thulium Tm2O3 1.1421, Yttrium Y2O3 1.2699, Ytterbium Yb2O3 1.1387

* Desorbability results were conducted using Ammonium Sulfate at 0.5M, pH4, for 20 minutes.

Map 1 - Location and structure of the TREO high grade zone

Map 2 - Preliminary desorption results from Buriti and IV targets, High (green) above 20%, Medium (orange) between 10 and 20% and Low (red) below 10%.

Map 3 - Distribution of the Ipora Granite Unity under Appia's Claims.

Andre Costa, VP Exploration for Brazil, commented, "These preliminary desorption results shows the distinct rare earth mineralization in the PCH Project. The high-grade zone associated with a Carbonatitic intrusion or dyke, and the regolith developed above the Ipora granite, which hosts the IAC REE mineralization. We are directing our efforts on the latter with the exploratory auger campaign already initiated on numerous new targets."

On March 1st, 2024, the Company announced its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) on Target IV and the Buriti Zone (Click here for the Press Release), and the companion NI 43-101 technical report on the PCH Project was filed on April 16th, 2024. (Click here for the Press Release)

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release, including the information related to geology, drilling, and mineralization, has been reviewed and approved by Andre L. L. Costa, current Appia's VP Exploration for Brazil, with more than 29 years of relevant experience. Mr. Costa is a Fellow of Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) and is a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (Appia)

Appia is a publicly traded Canadian company in the rare earth element and uranium sectors. The Company holds the right to acquire up to a 70% interest in the PCH Ionic Adsorption Clay Project (See June 9th, 2023 Press Release - Click HERE) which is 40,963.18 ha. in size and located within the Goias State of Brazil. (See January 11th, 2024 Press Release - Click HERE) The Company is also focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements and gallium on the Alces Lake property, and exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Otherside, Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 94,982.39 hectares (234,706.59 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 13,008 hectares (32,143 acres), with rare earth elements and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.

Appia has 136.3 million common shares outstanding, 145 million shares fully diluted.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-Looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, visit www.appiareu.com.

As part of our ongoing effort to keep investors, interested parties and stakeholders updated, we have several communication portals. If you have any questions online (X, Facebook, LinkedIn) please feel free to send direct messages.

To book a one-on-one 30-minute Zoom video call, please click here.

Contact:

Tom Drivas, CEO and Director

(c) (416) 876-3957

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Stephen Burega, President

(c) (647) 515-3734

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Vancouver, British Columbia - May 6, 2024 - TheNewswire: Gold Basin Resources Corporation (the "Company", "Gold Basin" or the "Optionee")  (TSX-V GXX, OTCQB: GXXFF) today announced the signing of a property option agreement made as of May 3, 2024 (the "Agreement" or the "Option Agreement") with Iconic Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:ICM; OTCQB: ICMFF) ("Iconic") and a wholly owned subsidiary of Iconic (together with Iconic, the "Vendors"), whereby Gold Basin can acquire from the Vendors a 50% interest in and to the New Pass gold property ("New Pass" or the "Property") consisting of 107 unpatented mineral claims (2,140 hectares) located three hours east of Reno, just off Highway US-50E in Churchill County, Nevada.

Highlights

New Pass hosts the Carlin-type New Pass Gold-Silver ("Au-Ag") deposit, with a historical (2010) NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resource of 341,750 ounces ("oz") of gold equivalent ("AuEq"), and separate estimates of gold-only ("Au") and silver-only ("Ag") of 282,986 oz Au and 3,134,129 oz Ag;

The NI 43-101 report includes a "Potential Exploration Target" (the "Target") of 12 to 17 million short tons (~11 to 16 metric tonnes) at potential grades of 0.015 to 0.025 ounces per short ton ("opt") AuEq (~0.51 to 0.86 grams per metric tonne "g/t" AuEq) which could contain 180,000 to 425,000 oz AuEq;

Mineralization comes to surface with 75% of the deposit estimated to be oxidized, amenable to heap leaching from previous metallurgical testwork;

Mineralization is open in all directions, providing an excellent opportunity for resource expansion and conversion;

Highlight historical drill hole intercepts include: 51.82 meters ("") @ 3.67 g/t Au from 24.38 m (hole NP-92-1) 32.00 m @ 3.94 g/t Au from 22.86 m (hole NP-28) 42.67 m @ 1.98 g/t Au from 109.73 m (hole NP-54) 47.24 m @ 1.95 g/t Au from 7.62 m (hole NP-88-24);



New Pass has an active Plan of Operations, permitting up to 25 acres of exploration-associated allowable disturbance; and

New Pass is located in Nevadas prolific multi-million-ounce Sulfur-Lovestock-Austin structural gold trend, and is only 75 kilometres ("km") south-southwest of the past-producing McCoy-Cove Mine (produced 3.3 Moz Au and over 100 Moz of Ag). McCoy-Cove is poised to resume production with i-80 Gold Corp.

Colin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, "Gold Basin has substantially increased its endowment of bulk mineable, near-surface, heap leachable oxide gold with the acquisition of New Pass. This Carlin-type gold system remains open in all directions, and is located within the core of one of Nevadas fertile gold trends, proximal to strategic development infrastructure. We greatly anticipate getting boots-on-the-ground and rapidly advancing this asset in conjunction with the Gold Basin Project, leveraging our technical teams extensive experience exploring oxide gold systems in the SW USA."

New Pass Property

New Pass is located within the Basin and Range province, along Nevadas prolific Sulfur-Lovestock-Austin structural gold trend (Figures 1 and 2). The Property was first explored in 1980, when a stream sediment arsenic anomaly led to the discovery of a gold-bearing jasperoid. Since then, over 40,000 m in 329 holes have been drilled, many of which intercepted significant intervals of Carlin-type Au-Ag mineralization, establishing what is known as the New Pass Au-Ag deposit (Figures 3 and Figure 4).

The New Pass Au-Ag deposit represents a classic Carlin-type system, with mineralization largely contained within silicified host rocks and jasperoid which developed in decalcified limestone of the Triassic Lower Augusta Mountain Formation. A major north-northwest  south-southeast trending, west-dipping structure separates Triassic calcareous rocks from younger Tertiary volcanic rocks, and served as a major conduit for hydrothermal circulation, alteration, and gold-silver precipitation.

The deposit outcrops at surface, and has been drilled approximately 1.25 km along strike, with the deepest pierce point at a vertical depth of approximately 295 m. The tabular deposit has a shallow (~30) dip to the west and remains open along strike in both directions, and at depth, offering an excellent opportunity for further exploration.

Historical NI 43-101 New Pass Mineral Resource Estimate

A revised technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report and Revised Resource Estimation on the New Pass Property, Churchill County, Nevada" dated September 3, 2010 (the "Report") was prepared for Iconic (then called Bonaventure Enterprises Inc.) and an Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (the "Historical Resource") was completed on New Pass, authored by independent consulting geologist Paul Noland (Report available on www.sedarplus.ca). The Historical Resource totals 341,750 oz AuEq at a grade of 0.022 opt AuEq (~0.69 grams per metric tonne "g/t" AuEq) in 15,515,488 short tons (14,075,414 metric tonnes). The Resource also includes separate estimates of Au-only and Ag-only from the Historical Resource volume of 282,986 oz Au and 3,134,129 oz Ag. Note: AuEq equals gold in ounces per short ton (opt) plus silver (opt) valued at a 60:1 Au:Ag ratio, as defined in the Report.

The Report also includes a "Potential Exploration Target" of 12 to 17 million short tons (~11 to 16 metric tonnes) at potential grades of 0.015 to 0.025 opt AuEq (~0.51-0.86 g/t Au). The Potential Exploration Target does not extend beyond the limits of the existing drill holes and ignores possible strike extensions of the Historical Resource. Using these figures, the Potential Exploration Target could contain 180,000 to 425,000 ounces of AuEq (Table 2).

The drilling database used to calculate the Historical Resource included 266 holes totalling 30,546 meters, with 236 of the 266 holes containing sufficient mineral intercepts (0.01 opt AuEq) to be included in the Historical Resource calculation (Figures 3 and 4).

Table 1: Historical NI 43-101 Inferred Mineral Resource (Noland, 2010)

INFERRED AuEq AuEq Au Au Ag Ag short tons opt oz opt oz opt oz 15,515,488 0.022 341,750 0.018 282,986 0.202 3,134,129

The Mineral Resource estimate was prepared in accordance with the CIM Standards, and the CIM Guidelines, using geostatistical, plus economic and mining parameters appropriate to the deposit. This estimate is considered to be a "historical estimate" under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects Gold Equivalent ("AuEq") is derived from gold value in ounces per ton (opt) combined with the silver value in opt at a 60:1 Au:Ag ratio. The cutoff grade used was 0.01 AuEq opt (equivalent gold expressed in troy ounces per short ton). The isolated intercepts of 5 feet with cutoff grades above 0.01 AuEq opt were ignored unless the combined weighted average grade of that interval and any two adjacent intervals was greater than 0.01 AuEq opt. Where data was missing for alternating intervals that were assayed, the missing data reflects the values of the lower of the two adjacent values. Where multiple adjacent intervals are missing data, each missing interval was assigned a zero value. The Historical Resource was reported with an effective date September 3, 2010. The qualified person for the Historical Resource was Paul D. Noland, CPG.

Table 2: Historical NI 43-101 Potential Exploration Target (Noland, 2010)

POTENTIAL EXPLORATION TARGET AuEq AuEq short tons opt oz 12,000,000 - 17,000,000 0.015 - 0.025 180,000 - 425,000

Consists of the area between the two main inferred resource outlines plus down-dip extensions to the most westerly drill holes and up-dip extensions to the surface. Even though the Inferred Resource remains open-ended, the Potential Exploration Target was not extended beyond the limits of drilling along strike. After determining the surface area of the Target, the average thickness and grade of the Inferred Resource was noted and bracketed as 60 to 70 feet with a potential grade of 0.015 to 0.025 opt AuEq, and a bracketed tonnage of 12 to 17 million short tons. The Targets quantity and grade described is conceptual. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the Historical Resource as current, and the Company is not treating the Historical Resource as current mineral resources.

Metallurgical Testwork (McClelland Laboratories Inc.)

In 1988, Westmont Gold submitted 6 drill hole composite samples to McClelland Labs in Sparks, Nevada, for preliminary bottle roll and shake metallurgical testwork. Samples submitted included oxidized, reduced and mixed mineralization types. The oxidized samples demonstrated leach recoveries of gold between 75% and 77%.

Transaction Details

Pursuant to the Option Agreement, the Vendors granted to Gold Basin the exclusive option (the "Option") to acquire an undivided 50% right, title and interest in and to the unpatented mineral claims comprising the Property, in consideration of the payment of an aggregate of CAD $750,000 in cash and the delivery of an aggregate of CAD $750,000 in common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Consideration Shares"), to be paid and delivered as follows (collectively, the "Option Exercise Conditions"):

(i)within five business days after the Commencement Date (as defined in the Option Agreement), an initial cash payment of CAD $100,000; (ii)on or before the later of five business days after the Commencement Date and May 15, 2024, a further cash payment of CAD $300,000; (iii)on or before the later of five business days after the Commencement Date and May 31, 2024, CAD $750,000 in Consideration Shares; (iv)on or before the later of five business days after the Commencement Date and July 31, 2024, a further cash payment of CAD $150,000; and (v)on or before the later of five business days after the Commencement Date and December 31, 2024, a further cash payment of CAD $200,000.

Additionally, within five business days of the earlier of the date that (i): Gold Basin (or its Affiliate) enters into a joint venture agreement with White Knight Gold (U.S.) Inc. ("WKG") and White Knight Resources Inc. ("WKR"), or McEwen Mining Nevada Inc. ("McEwan") (or their permitted assigns), for the continued development of the Property; (ii) Gold Basin acquires the 50% interest in the Property currently held by WKR, WKG and McEwan; and (iii) Gold Basin disposes of all or any of its 50% interest in the Property, Gold Basin shall deliver a further $750,000 in Consideration Shares to the Vendors. Upon the satisfaction of the Option Exercise Conditions, Gold Basin shall be deemed to have exercised the Option in full and earned an undivided 50% legal and beneficial interest in the Property. With the exception of the cash payment set forth in item (a) above, all of the foregoing cash payments and share issuances are optional and Gold Basin will not be obligated to make any such cash payments or share issuances. However, if Gold Basin fails to do so as required, the Option may be terminated upon notice by the Vendors to Gold Basin and, following such termination, Gold Basin will not retain any interest in the Property.

The Option Agreement was entered into by the parties pursuant to a letter of intent ("LOI") originally entered into between 1470906 B.C. LTD. (the "Assignor"), a private British Columbia corporation, and the Vendors. Gold Basin and the Assignor entered into an assignment and assumption agreement whereby the Assignor assigned all of its right, title and interest under the LOI to Gold Basin in consideration for the delivery of an aggregate of 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at a deemed issuance price equal to the Market Price (within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange policies) on the date of this news release. All securities issued pursuant to the assignment of the LOI and the Option will be subject to a four month and a day regulatory hold period in Canada.

Stock Options Grant

Gold Basin also announces that it has granted, pursuant to its 10% rolling stock option plan, as approved by shareholders at the annual general meeting of shareholders on January 12, 2023, stock options to certain eligible directors, officers and consultants of the Company or its subsidiaries to purchase a total of 10,300,000 common shares in the capital of the Company, subject to any regulatory approval. The stock options are exercisable on or before May 6, 2027 at an exercise price of $0.075 per share. All stock options other than the Unvested Options (as defined below) vest immediately. 400,000 stock options (the "Unvested Options") granted to a consultant of the Company will vest over a period of 12 months, as to 25% on the date that is three months from the grant date, and an additional 25% every three months thereafter.

ABOUT GOLD BASIN RESOURCES CORPORATION

Gold Basin Resources Corporation is advancing the 42 km2 Gold Basin Project, located in the tier one mining jurisdiction of Mohave County, Arizona. Gold Basin is accessible year-round via a 1.5-hour-drive on Highway I-93 southeast of Las Vegas, and high-power electrical lines from the Hoover Dam crosscut the southern Project area. The immediate focus of Gold Basin's highly experienced technical team is to expand and delineate multiple at-surface oxide gold deposits and prove the project's district-scale potential. For further information, please visit the Company's web site at: www.goldbasincorp.com.

QUALIFIED PERSONS

Charles Straw, BSc. Geo, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Straw is not independent of the Company as he is an Executive Director of the Company and owns securities of the Company.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Colin Smith

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Colin Smith

Phone: 1-604-499-1820

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 news release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to the exercise of the Option in full, future exploration activities at New Pass, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of Gold Basin are forward-looking statements. Although Gold Basin believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, Gold Basin has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, market fundamentals will result in sustained gold demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of Gold Basin's properties in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of Gold Basin's projects and its ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Gold Basin to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, including on New Pass and the Gold Basin project, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, requirements for additional capital, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in future financings, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID19, including the impact of COVID19 on Gold Basin's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of Gold Basin to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in Gold Basin's continuous disclosure documents. All of Gold Basin's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Gold Basin does not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

Gold Basin prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to mineral resources in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in CIM Standards. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments effective February 25, 2019 (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC will now recognize estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", which are defined in substantially similar terms to the corresponding CIM Standards. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Standards.

U.S. investors are cautioned that while the foregoing terms are "substantially similar" to corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that Gold Basin may report as "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had Gold Basin prepared the resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules.

In accordance with Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43101.




VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM) (FSE:FIR) (OTCQB:PMMCF) is pleased to report outstanding copper-gold assay results for diamond drillhole PIU-02 (refer figure 1) recently completed at the Company's Piuquenes project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

Highlights[1]:

448 m @ 0.42% Cu, 0.46 g/t Au, 2.44 g/t Ag (from 214m) including 188m @ 0.59% Cu, 0.63 g/t Au, 3.49 g/t Ag (450-638m) including 126 m @ 0.66% Cu, 0.74 g/t Au, 3.94 g/t Ag (450-576 m)



Hole PIU-02 was orientated along an east-west section, proximate to shallow historical drillhole P4 which reported 67.5m @ 0.63% Cu, 0.51g/t Au. The hole was designed to test the lateral and depth potential of the Piuquenes Central porphyry, along its western side. Assay results confirm a classic sub-vertical to vertical porphyry geometry with chalcopyrite and bornite mineralization fully open at depth.

Weaker mineralization is present from 662m to the end of hole where a gradational boundary to the deposit is encountered.

Joseph van den Elsen, Pampa Metals President and CEO commented : "Following on from the exceptional porphyry copper-gold intersections reported in the first hole of our maiden drill campaign at Piuquenes we are very pleased to report further long intervals of strong primary copper mineralization in the second hole. Our initial drilling continues to extend the depth and lateral extensions of mineralization at Piuquenes Central and has confirmed a highly mineralized multi-phase porphyry system which remains open to depth and to the north-east. We are now eagerly awaiting the results from a recently completed third hole. Pampa Metals firmly believes the Piuquenes project is a Company maker asset and looks forward to more fully delineating the size and grade potential of this first deposit and simultaneously testing a second undrilled, outcropping porphyry already identified at Piuquenes East. We see the potential for a cluster of deposits on the property and will continue to advance several other nearby targets with surface exploration and geophysics."

Geology and Mineralization - Diamond Drillhole PIU-02

Moderate intensity porphyry A type quartz veinlets were intersected from 120 m downhole, with copper oxides evident between 218-232 m, partially coincident with a zone of moderate supergene copper enrichment from 226 to 380 m. Copper sulphide (chalcopyrite) mineralization is evident in quartz veining from 270 m.

Image 1: Copper oxides in porphyry A-type quartz stockwork veining with potassic (K-feldspar) altered vein halos, overprinting early potassic (biotite-magnetite) altered quartz-diorite porphyry (225m)

A significant increase in quartz veining is observed from 364 m downhole, coincident with an increase in intermineral potassic alteration (Kfeldspar-quartz), higher magnetite content, lower presence of early biotite and the appearance of bornite and chalcopyrite mineralization. Bornite mineralization remains evident down to 610 m, often more abundant than chalcopyrite, and coincident with an increased intensity of porphyry A type quartz veining and pulses of intermineral granodiorite porphyry. Bornite is disseminated in quartz veinlets, frequently intergrown with chalcopyrite. The bornite mineralized core remains open to depth.

Image 2: Evidence of secondary copper enrichment in A-type quartz veinlets with potassic (K-feldspar) halo in quartz diorite porphyry (239m)

From 610 m downhole the frequency of quartz veinlets, intermineral potassic alteration, magnetite content, and the presence of bornite decreases. Chalcopyrite-bornite mineralization remains present in the quartz veinlets, which frequently show thin Kfeldspar haloes. The outer periphery of the Piuquenes porphyry system can be observed from 690 m, with a predominance of early biotite over mafics along with disseminated magnetite, sporadic and thin quartz veinlets with a halo of potassium Kfeldspar and disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite overprinting diorite porphyry. From 690 m a late intermediate argillic event with chlorite is evident, along with veinlets and dissemination of pyrite/chalcopyrite-pyrite and specular magnetic hematite, grading to phyllic with selective chlorite-sericite and pervasive sericite veinlets, with fine dissemination of pyrite from 850 m to 870m (End of Hole).

Image 3: Intense porphyry A-type quartz vein stockwork with disseminated chalcopyrite and bornite associated with intermineral potassic (K feldspar-quartz) altered granodiorite porphyry (573m)

Figure 1: PIU-02 Schematic Cross Section

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO Joseph van den Elsen INVESTOR CONTACT

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a copper-gold exploration company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIR), and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges.

In November 2023, the Company announced it had entered into an Option and Joint Venture Agreement for the acquisition of an 80% interest in the Piuquenes Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in San Juan Province, Argentina.

Reported intervals of significant copper and gold mineralization at Piuquenes Central include [1] :

413.5 m@ 0.47% Cu, 0.52 g/t Au (167-580.5 m);

422 m @ 0.48% Cu, 0.61 g/t Au, 2.9 g/t Ag (198 - 620m); including 132m @ 0.71% Cu, 0.85 g/t Au, 4.3 g/t Ag (220 - 352m); including 80m @ 0.6% Cu, 0.77 g/t Au, 3.2 g/t Ag (468 - 548m)

558.2 m @ 0.38% Cu, 0.42 g/t Au, 2.4 g/t Ag (362-920.2 m EOH) including 130 m @ 0.81% Cu, 0.6 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag (362-492 m)



Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G. Mr. Orrego G. is a Geologist, a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego G. is a consultant to the Company.

Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will" or "may" occur. These statements are subject to various risks. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

[1] As a result of recent regulatory guidance CuEq and AuEq assay results are not able to be reported at this time.
A glimpse of Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park

Xinhua) 19:54, May 06, 2024

An aerial drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows trucks running at the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows trucks running at the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

A drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows a China-Europe freight train waiting to depart from the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows cars waiting to be loaded at the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

A drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows a truck transferring containers at the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows a view of the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

A China-Europe freight train waits to depart from the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, May 5, 2024. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

A drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows trucks running at the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows a China-Europe freight train pulling out of the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

A China-Europe freight train is loaded at the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, May 5, 2024. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 5, 2024 shows trucks running at the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

Customs officers check goods waiting to be exported via China-Europe freight trains at the Tuanjiecun Station in the Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, May 3, 2024. The Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park, which includes the Tuanjiecun Station, the dry port of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, and the Chongqing Railway Port, has risen to be a major hub of international freight trains in the country's western region. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Zhong Wenxing)
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Quartz Mountain Resources Ltd. (TSXV:QZM) (OTC Pink:QZMRF) ("Quartz" or the "Company") announces that it proposes to raise aggregate proceeds of $3.255 million in new common share equity through the issuance of 9,300,000 treasury common shares at $0.35 each. A key new investor, The Sutton Group Inc. has committed to subscribe for 6,000,000 of the shares and will become an insider of Quartz.

Of the 9,300,000 shares, 3,300,000 will be flow-through shares ("FT Shares") to be issued to Robert Dickinson, Chairman and the balance of the common shares to one or more arms-length investors. FT Shares are identical to common shares except for certain tax incentives available to Canadian taxpayers who purchase them provided the proceeds are used to explore Canadian mineral projects.

The securities will be offered exempt from prospectus and registration requirements on a private placement basis. They will not be offered in, nor registered in, the United States ("U.S."), nor offered to any U.S. Person. All of these securities will be subject to a four-month hold period in Canada. No commissions are expected to be paid by Quartz in connection with this financing.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the FT Shares exclusively for exploration of Quartz's portfolio of British Columbia copper-gold-silver projects, while the proceeds of the non-FT Shares will be used for general working capital.

The Company currently has 48,818,030 shares issued and will have 58,118,030 shares issued on completion upon the issuance of the 9,300,000 shares. The placement to Mr. Dickinson is a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101, Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The issuance to this related party is exempt from the valuation requirement of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption contained in Section 5.5(b), as the Company's shares are not listed on a specified market and from the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101, in that the fair market value of the consideration of the securities issued to the related party do not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

Sutton has agreed to concurrently purchase 9,000,000 shares from Mr. Dickinson in a private transaction so that its total holdings will be 15,000,000 shares or 25.8% of 58,118,030 issued shares and 23.4% of the fully diluted shares capital of 63,986,919. The financing is currently subject to execution of a definitive agreement with Sutton and customary TSX Venture Exchange approval but is expected to complete in May 2024 at which time a further news release will detail the completion terms.

About Quartz

Quartz Mountain Resources Ltd. (TSXV: QZM, OTC Pink: QZMRF) is a restructured public company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Its successful mine finding management is focused on discovering and transacting high-value gold, silver, and copper projects in British Columbia. The Company owns 100% of the Maestro Gold-Silver-Molybdenum-Copper Property and 100% of the Jake Copper-Gold-Silver Property. Both projects have access to infrastructure and high potential for important resources and significant future transactions. The BC Government has awarded permits for 50 drill sites for each project. Recent drilling of two core holes at Maestro discovered a high-grade gold-silver lode within widespread precious metal mineralization all hosted within a large porphyry Mo-Cu system (see Quartz News Release dated April 9, 2024). Drilling at Jake is planned for summer 2024 with the goal of making another important discovery.

Quartz is associated with Hunter Dickinson Inc. ("HDI"), a company with over 35-years of successfully discovering, developing, and transacting mineral projects in Canada and internationally. Former HDI projects in BC included, Mount Milligan, Kemess South, and Gibraltar - all of which are porphyry deposits with current or former producing mines. Other well-known projects with HDI involvement include Sisson and Prosperity in Canada, Pebble and Florence in the United States, and Xietongmen in China.

Quartz is committed to the advancement of important scale, critical and essential mining assets while following responsible mineral development principles, including a mandate to employ best practice approaches in the engagement and involvement of local communities, and meeting rigorous environmental standards.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Robert Dickinson

Chairman

For further details, contact Robert Dickinson, Chairman at:

T: (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114.

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

W: www.quartzmountainresources.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.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking-statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking-statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Assumptions used by the Company to develop forward-looking statements include the following: the Company will complete the financing discussed above, the Company's projects will obtain all required environmental and other permits, and all land use and other licenses, studies and exploration of the Company's projects will continue to be positive, and no geological or technical problems will occur.Though the Company believes the expectations expressed in its forward-looking-statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are subject to future events and third party discretion such as regulatory personnel. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include variations in market prices, continuity of mineralization and exploration success, and potential environmental issues or liabilities associated with exploration, development and mining activities, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and tenure and delays due to third party opposition, changes in and the effect of government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and exploration and development of properties located within Aboriginal groups asserted territories that may affect or be perceived to affect asserted aboriginal rights and title, and which may cause permitting delays or opposition by Aboriginal groups, continued availability of capital and financing, including the financing discussed above and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company,and the risks and uncertainties connected with its business, investors should review the Company's home jurisdiction filings as www.sedarplus.ca and its 20F filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2024) - Kingsmen Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KNG) (OTCQB: KNGRF) ("Kingsmen" or the "Company") is pleased to report continued high grade multi-element samples from the north end of the 1.7 km long Soledad structure/vein system on the 100% owned Las Coloradas project, located in the Central Mexican silver belt, Chihuahua Mexico. The Soledad structure is one of three currently identified structure/vein systems on the project. Results are presented in Figure 1 and Table 1.

Highlights

Twenty-eight (28) samples were analyzed.





2 > 500 g/t silver-equivalent (AgEq)





1 > 300 g/t AgEq





1 > 200 g/t AgEq





3 > 100 g/t AgEq

Scott Emerson, President commented: The old workings sampled and reported here are distributed over approximately 530 meters and approximately  mile (1 km) from the old operating Soledad Mine indicating the mineralization carries entirely along the 1.7KM Soledad structure which was not previously recognized by the old miners. Work is now continuing on the 2500 meter new NE trending zone/ structure identified by the company.

Kingsmen's sampling of residual mineralization in old workings on the NW-end of the Soledad structure/vein system identified five areas of high-grade silver/silver equivalent (AgEq) mineralization. Three are located on the main NW-trend and two are located on NE-trending cross structures. The silver values and silver equivalents overall reflect the silver-lead-zinc composition of the mineralization. Sample widths ranged from 0.4 to 1.3 meters.

The better silver grades are localized in structural intersections and flexures in all rock types. The mineralization likely continues at depth below the water table which is at a depth of approximately 125 meters. Blind extensions to all the mineralized structures, as well as new structures, are likely at depth.

The sizes of the old workings suggest the mined mineralization may have been up to several meters in width. The mineralized structures have not been explored by drilling. There are strong similarities/parallels with the mineralization in the underground Santa Barbera mine where vein systems vary from 3 to 6.5 km along strike and the vertical extension of the shoots is up to 900 meters. The Santa Barbera mine is an underground mining complex belonging to Grupo Mexico, Mexico's largest mining company.

The Las Coloradas mineralization is on the southeast flank of a prominent aeromagnetic high interpreted to be a buried felsic intrusive body. The felsic intrusives associated with the Soledad and other structures are likely linked to this body and the setting is favourable for porphyry, skarn and epithermal vein mineralization.

Figure 1

Table 1

SAMPLE_ ID Width Au ppm Ag ppm Ag Eq g/t Cu ppm Pb ppm Zn ppm LC-220623-001 Grab 0.12 81.4 182 247 25600 20000 LC-230623-002 0.4 0.04 23.1 23 15.8 536 127 LC-230623-006 Grab 0.06 432 550 134 46700 37800 LC-070723-006 0.4 0.03 2.27 5 3.7 259 264 PRSLC-0015 0.6 0.013 4 34 123 456 11020 PRSLC-0016 0.8 0.025 64 90 149 3500 10780 PRSLC-0017 1 0.008 1.8 6 38 106 1290 PRSLC-0018 0.8 0.099 45.6 57 53 5830 206 PRSLC-0019 0.9 0.007 5.9 6 16 106 184 PRSLC-0020 0.7 0.05 33.2 42 108 3620 1040 PRSLC-0021 1.2 0.009 7.1 7 20 119 23 PRSLC-0022 1.3 0.006 1.7 2 21 20 38 PRSLC-0023 0.6 0.13 43 52 47 2550 774 PRSLC-0024 0.8 0.048 54.7 65 72 6280 1210 PRSLC-0025 0.6 0.121 362.03 365 141 10000 3880 PRSLC-0026 0.5 0.266 448.79 555 136 10000 68360 PRSLC-0027 1.2 0.019 84.9 86 40 10000 612 PRSLC-0028 0.8 0.037 204.86 206 92 10000 1650 PRSLC-0029 0.7 0.013 83.3 84 107 10000 2210 PRSLC-0032 0.5 0.041 106.21 121 176 10520 3150 PRSLC-0033 1.1 0.012 75.9 114 197 19590 3240 PRSLC-0034 1.3 0.012 5.27 16 89 691 3380 PRSLC-0088 0.9 0.268 16.6 49 130 647 5650 PRSLC-0089 0.8 0.247 17 36 50 648 1120 PRSLC-0090 0.9 0.015 11.9 28 69 2030 4650 PRSLC-0091 1.1 0.007 5.3 15 43 630 3140 PRSLC-0092 0.9 0.063 12.1 23 106 1210 1980 PRSLC-0093 0.8 0.1 12.2 32 66 3680 2710

The silver equivalent calculation utilizes the standard equation and is based on current spot metal prices of silver $25/oz, gold $2163/oz, copper $4.04/lb, lead $$0.98/lb and zinc $1.16/lb. Recoveries are set at 100% for all metals for purposes of the silver equivalent calculation as no metallurgical test data is available. AgEq is used for illustrative purposes only and does not imply that the metals are economically recoverable.

QA/QC Program



The QA/QC program employes blanks and certified reference standard, and check sampling. Samples from separate areas were analyzed at Actlabs, Zacatecas. Sealed and tagged sample bags were transported to the laboratory where the entire sample was crushed to a nominal -2 mm, mechanically split to obtain a representative sub-sample and then pulverized to at least 95% -105 microns (m).

All samples were analyzed for gold by Fire Assay Fusion-AA finish. All samples were analyzed for silver by aqua extraction with ICP finish. Multi-element analysis was by four acid extraction with ICP-OES finish.

About Las Coloradas



The 100% owned Las Coloradas Project (8.5 km2 -3.3 sq miles) represents a consolidation of a historic mining district which covers numerous silver-gold-lead-zinc-copper mines previously exploited by ASARCO (American Smelting and Refining Company), the U.S. based subsidiary of Grupo Mexico.

Las Coloradas is in the Parral mining district of the Central Mexican Silver Belt, and is located approximately 30 kilometers southeast of the city of Hidalgo de Parral and 40 kilometers east of the San Francisco de Oro and Santa Barbara mining districts where several major mines are operating , such as La Prieta, Veta Colorada, Palmilla, Esmeralda, San Francisco del Oro and Santa Barbara. As well, new major mining projects are currently being explored in the district; Cordero (Discovery Silver Corp.), 35 kms north of Parral, and La Cigarra (Kootenay Silver Inc.), 35 kms northwest of Parral. Click here to see locator map, https://www.kingsmenresources.com/area-history.

Qualified Person



Kieran Downes, Ph.D., P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure set out in this news release.

About Kingsmen Resources



In line with Kingsmen's organic-growth strategy, the Company's focus is on exploration and development, and is currently focused on district-scale exploration for high -margin metallic mineral deposits in the prolific mining districts of Parral Mexico. In addition, the company has a 1% NSR on the Los Ricos North project in Mexico operated by GoGold Resources Inc. The Company's leaders have extensive experience in the mining and financial sectors. Kingsmen is a publicly-traded company (TSXV: KNG) (OTCQB: KNGRF) and is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On behalf of the Board,

"Scott Emerson"

Scott Emerson,

President & CEO Phone:

6046859316

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the acquisition of the Las Coloradas Project and receipt of regulatory approval, are forward-looking statements. Although Kingsmen believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since Kingsmen can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in Kingsmen's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators, and assumptions made with regard to: Kingsmen's ability to make the required payments under the definitive agreements; and Kingsmen's ability to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. Forward-Looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Kingsmen's expectations include risks associated with the business of Kingsmen; risks related to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions to the closing of the acquisition of the Las Coloradas Project; non-completion of the acquisition of the Las Coloradas Project; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Las Coloradas Project; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in Kingsmen's filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Forward-Looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Kingsmen does not undertake any obligation to update forward looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 6, 2024) - Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) ("Zodiac Gold" or the "Company"), a West-African gold exploration company, is pleased to announce an offering of units of the Company (the "Units"), on a non-brokered private placement basis, for aggregate proceeds of up to C$1.0 million (the "Offering"). The Offering is being led by insiders and existing shareholders of the Company, who are expected to subscribe for approximately C$500,000 (50%) of the total funds raised.

Offering Terms

In connection with the Offering, the Company intends to issue up to 10,000,000 Units at a price of C$0.10 per Unit (the "Issue Price"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$0.20 per Warrant Share for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering.

Exploration Program

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering to continue exploration and drilling at its flagship Todi Gold Project in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa and for working capital purposes.

The Company intends to focus its 2024 exploration program on its Alasala and Arthington targets. Both targets are high priority targets for further exploration and target refinement following the successful Phase I and Phase II drill programs completed in July 2022 and April 2024, respectively.

Drilling highlights from the Alasala Target to date include:

19.6m at 6.17 g/t Au,

6.0m at 7.69 g/t Au,

9.0m at 4.45 g/t Au

Drilling highlights from the Arthington Target to date include:

9.65m at 7.5g/t Au

6.0m at 10.6 g/t Au

25.90m at 2.10g/t Au

5.65m at 4.67 g/t Au

The Company intersected gold mineralization in all the Phase II drill holes reported to date. For further details regarding the Phase II results please refer to the Company's press releases dated February 28, 2024, April 9, 2024, and April 30, 2024.

Finders

Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company may pay finders' fees to certain eligible finders of up to 7% in cash of the gross proceeds raised in the Offering from subscribers introduced to the Company by such finders and up to 7% in finders warrants (the "Finder Warrants") of the aggregate number of Units placed by such finders. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Unit at the Issue Price and will be exercisable for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. Each Finder Warrant will be comprised of one Common Share and one Warrant.

Closing of the Offering is anticipated to be completed on or about May 17, 2024, or such other date or dates that the Company may determine and may occur in tranches. Closing is subject to the receipt of all necessary approvals from the TSXV.

Hold Period

The securities issued pursuant to the Offering shall be subject to a four-month plus one day hold period commencing on the day of the closing of the Offering under applicable Canadian securities laws.

Insider Participation

Certain directors of the Company are expected to acquire Units under the Offering. Such participation will be considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under the policies of the TSXV and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company anticipates relying on exemptions from the minority shareholder approval and formal valuation requirements applicable to the related-party transactions under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the Units to be acquired by the participating directors nor the consideration to be paid by such directors is anticipated to exceed 25 percent of the Company's market capitalization.

About Zodiac Gold

Zodiac Gold Inc. (TSXV: ZAU) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Project situated in Liberia-an underexplored, politically stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold deposits. Strategically positioned along the fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The project has undergone de-risking, showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets and high-grade gold intercepts.

Qualified Person

Efdal Olcer, Vice President of Exploration at Zodiac Gold, is a member of the Society of Economic Geologists, Geological Society of London, Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits, and the Turkish Association of Economics Geologists and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release.

For further information, please visit the Zodiac Gold website at www.zodiac-gold.com or contact:

David Kol

President & CEO

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and accordingly may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

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 (FSCwire) - Canyon Copper Corp. (Canyon) (TSX-V: CNC) is pleased to announce a private placement financing of up to 10,000,000 Units consisting of one common share and one-half of one share purchase warrant at a price of $0.10 per unit (the Offering). Each warrant... Read More
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday arrived in France on a state visit hosted by Emmanuel Macron where the French leader will seek to push his counterpart on issues ranging from Ukraine to trade.

Xi's arrival for the visit marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and China was the start of his first trip to Europe since 2019 which will also see him visit Serbia and Hungary.

But Xi's choice of France as the sole major European power to visit indicates the relative warmth in Sino-French relations since Macron made his own state visit to China in April 2023 and acknowledges the French leader's stature as an EU powerbroker.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said the plane carrying Xi had touched down in Paris.

The leader of the one-party Communist state of more than 1.4 billion people, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, was to be welcomed at Paris Orly airport by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

Xi is to hold a day of talks in Paris on Monday -- also including EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen -- followed by a state banquet hosted by Macron.

Tuesday will see Macron take Xi to the Pyrenees mountains to an area he used to visit as a boy for a day of less public and more intimate talks.

- 'Stability of international order' -

A key priority of Macron will be to warn Xi of the danger of backing Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, with Western officials concerned Moscow is already using Chinese machine tools in arms production.

Beijing's ties with Moscow have, if anything, warmed after the invasion and the West wants China above all not to supply weapons to Russia and risk tipping the balance in the conflict.

"It is in our interest to get China to weigh in on the stability of the international order," said Macron in an interview with the Economist published on Thursday.

"We must, therefore, work with China to build peace," he added.

Macron also said in the same interview Europe must defend its "strategic interests" in its economic relations with China, accusing Beijing of not respecting the rules on international trade.

But he acknowledged in an interview with the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper that Europeans are "not unanimous" on the strategy to adopt as "certain actors still see China essentially as a market of opportunities" while it "exports massively" to Europe.

The French president had gladdened Chinese state media and troubled some EU allies after his 2023 visit by declaring that Europe should not be drawn into a standoff between China and the United States, particularly over democratic, self-ruled Taiwan.

China views the island as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction," Macron said at the time, warning against a "bloc versus bloc logic".

- 'Two core messages' -

Rights groups are urging Macron to bring up human rights in the talks, accusing China of failing to respect the rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority and keeping dozens of journalists behind bars.

"President Macron should make it clear to Xi Jinping that Beijing's crimes against humanity come with consequences for China's relations with France," said Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch.

The group said human rights in China had "severely deteriorated" under Xi's rule.

However analysts are sceptical that even with the lavish red carpet welcome and trip to the bracing mountain airs of the Col du Tourmalet over 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level on Tuesday Macron will be able to exercise much sway over the Chinese leader.

The other two countries chosen by Xi for his tour, Serbia and Hungary, are seen as among the most sympathetic to Moscow in Europe.

"The two core messages from Macron will be on Chinese support to Russia's military capabilities and Chinese market-distorting practices," said Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"However, both messages are unlikely to have a significant impact on Chinese behaviour: Xi is not on a mission to repair ties, because from his point of view all is well."
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in France Sunday on a state visit hosted by Emmanuel Macron where the French leader will seek to warn his counterpart against backing Russia in the conflict over Ukraine.

Xi's arrival for the visit marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and China heralded the start of his first trip to Europe since 2019, which will also see him visit Serbia and Hungary.

But Xi's choice of France as the sole major European power to visit indicates the relative warmth in Sino-French relations since Macron made his own state visit to China in April 2023 and acknowledges the French leader's stature as an EU powerbroker.

The leader of the one-party Communist state of more than 1.4 billion people, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, was welcomed under umbrellas at a drizzly Paris Orly airport by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

Xi is to hold a day of talks in Paris on Monday -- also including EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen -- followed by a state banquet hosted by Macron at the Elysee.

Tuesday will see Macron take Xi to the Pyrenees mountains to an area he used to visit as a boy for a day of less public talks.

In an op-ed for Le Figaro daily, Xi said that he wanted to work with the international community to find ways to solve the conflict sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while emphasising that China was "neither a party nor a participant" in the conflict.

"We hope that peace and stability will return quickly to Europe and intend to work with France and the entire international community to find good paths to resolve the crisis," he wrote.

- 'Stability of international order' -

A key priority of Macron will be to warn Xi of the danger of backing Russia, with Western officials concerned Moscow is already using Chinese machine tools in arms production.

Beijing's ties with Moscow have, if anything, warmed after the invasion and the West wants China above all not to supply weapons to Russia and risk tipping the balance in the conflict.

"It is in our interest to get China to weigh in on the stability of the international order," said Macron in an interview with The Economist published on Thursday.

Macron also said in the interview that Europe must defend its "strategic interests" in its economic relations with China, accusing Beijing of not respecting the rules on international trade.

But he acknowledged in an interview with the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper that Europeans are "not unanimous" on the strategy to adopt as "certain actors still see China essentially as a market of opportunities" while it "exports massively" to Europe.

The French president had gladdened Chinese state media and troubled some EU allies after his 2023 visit by declaring that Europe should not be drawn into a "bloc versus bloc" standoff between China and the United States, particularly over democratic, self-ruled Taiwan.

China views the island as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

- 'Two core messages' -

Rights groups are urging Macron to bring up human rights in the talks, accusing China of failing to respect the rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority and of keeping dozens of journalists behind bars.

"President Macron should make it clear to Xi Jinping that Beijing's crimes against humanity come with consequences for China's relations with France," said Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch.

The group said human rights in China had "severely deteriorated" under Xi's rule.

A crowd of protesters on Sunday unfurled a Tibetan flag at a demonstration in Paris, accusing Xi of being a "dictator" and wanting to erase local culture in the Tibet region, an AFP reporter said. Paris police put the number of protesters at two thousand.

However analysts are sceptical that Macron will be able to exercise much sway over the Chinese leader, even with the lavish red carpet welcome and a trip to the bracing mountain airs of the Col du Tourmalet over 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level on Tuesday.

The other two countries chosen by Xi for his tour, Serbia and Hungary, are seen as among the most sympathetic to Moscow in Europe.

"The two core messages from Macron will be on Chinese support to Russia's military capabilities and Chinese market-distorting practices," said Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

"However, both messages are unlikely to have a significant impact on Chinese behaviour: Xi is not on a mission to repair ties, because from his point of view all is well."
You have to hear this to believe this. The International Criminal Court in the Hague is contemplating issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli government and military officials, as war criminals.  On 30 April 2024, Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a four-minute video statement addressing mounting speculation among international and Israeli media that senior Israeli officials could soon be subject to arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is speculated that they will be accused, among other things, of deliberately depriving Gazans of food. On 3 May 2024, the Office of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan put out a statement condemning any attempt to retaliate against the court for its investigations. Such actions, Khan noted, could constitute an offence against the administration of justice under the Rome Statute.

This is all part of a broader pattern of allegations that Israel is using starvation tactics in Gaza by denying its residents access to water and food. Journalists, scholars, humanitarian groups, and advocates for human rights have consistently accused Israel of withholding food, destroying the food system, obliterating healthcare, and blocking aid into the Gaza Strip. Just days after the 7 October attack of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Israel, Oxfam, stated that the Gaza blockade is collective punishment and illegal under international law.

In March 2024, an international committee of experts issued a grave warning: famine loomed not just in northern Gaza, but threatened the entire territory. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report painted a stark picture, projecting that 1.1 million Gazanshalf of the territorys populationwould face famine by mid-July. Despite these clear indicators, starvation has persisted. Amidst the relentless media scrutiny on Gaza, what began as malnutrition is evolving into a full-blown famine, a crisis that could have been averted.

What the ICJ says about starvation

On the 11 and 12 of January 2024, South Africa and Israel made submissions before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. South Africa initiated proceedings against Israel under the Genocide Convention, arguing that Israel was not fulfilling its obligations not to commit, or to prevent genocide. South Africas submission accused Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by, among other things, intentionally subjecting a group of people to living conditions designed to bring about their physical destruction, either wholly or in part.

Right at the outset of its Application to the ICJ in December 2023, South Africa acknowledged that genocide is distinct from other violations of international law, and included the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare within that category of other. At the same time, it explicitly argued that the deprivation of access to adequate food and water to Palestinians in Gaza constituted deliberately inflicting on Palestinians conditions of life calculated to bring about their destruction, i.e., a form of genocide. In its decision of 26 January 2024, 16 of 17 judges ordered Israel to ensure that humanitarian aid could be effectively provided.

The fact of the matter is, however, that the ICJ hearings have been brought before the court explicitly under the genocide convention. Any starvation crimes committed by Israeli officials will therefore be discussed under the terms of the Genocide Convention: as conditions of life calculated and intended to bring about the physical destruction in whole or in part of the Palestinians as group. In terms of treaty law at the ICJ, therefore, the discussion of starvation of Palestinians in Gaza will stay couched at the level of state (rather than individual) responsibility, and genocide (rather than crimes against humanity or war crimes).

Starvation as Genocide?

Using hunger as a tactic of war is not unique to Israel. It is one of the oldest weapons of warfare, spanning from ancient conflicts to modern wars. Historically, besieging forces have deliberately cut off food supplies to starve out opponents, to weaken resistance and hasten surrender. The recognition of starvation as a criminal act dates back to the 19th century, with early mentions in the Lieber Code during the American Civil War.

Raphael Lemkin, the legal scholar who coined the term genocide and played a key role in lobbying for the passing of the 1948 Genocide Convention, highlighted the significance of starvation as a tool of genocide. In his writings in his book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe (1944) Lemkin emphasized that the deliberate deprivation of food and resources could be used to systematically destroy a targeted group.

Lemkins focus on criminalising starvation was informed by his observations of Nazi policy in Germany between 1933 and 1945. To make food available for Germans during the war, Nazis had devised the Hunger Plan. This plan aimed to systematically deprive millions of Soviet citizens in occupied territories of food, serving as both a means of facilitating German colonisation and as a tool for eliminating perceived threats. Despite logistical challenges that impeded its complete execution, the fundamental principles of the plan evolved into starvation policies, especially impacting Soviet and Jewish populations.

As famine scholar Alex de Waal points out in his work Mass Starvation: the History and Future of Famine (2017), Lemkin also condemned Stalins actions during the 193233 Soviet famine in Ukraine, known as the Holodomor, as genocide through starvation. He unequivocally labeled hunger as a tool of aggression. Furthermore, he underscored its multifaceted impact, highlighting not only its physical toll on individuals but also its devastating effects on the cultural and national identity of Ukraine.

Historical reluctance to criminalize starvation

Despite Lemkins advocacy on the role of starvation in genocide, its prominence did not translate into the text of the Genocide Convention. While starvation was undoubtedly recognized as a genocidal tactic, its place in the convention was reduced to an implication of Article 2(c), deliberately inflicting upon the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.

The absence of starvation as a central focus in international law during that time can be attributed, as scholars Nicholas Mulder and Boyd van Dijk illustrate, to the utilisation of hunger as a weapon in both World Wars by the Allied powers. During World War I, the Allies (British, French, Russian and later also Italian and American fleets) imposed an economic blockade on Germany, aiming to sever crucial supply lines and undermine its military capabilities. By the wars conclusion, an estimated 424,000 to 478,500 civilians in Germany perished due to the blockades devastating effects. In World War II, the United States launched Operation Starvation in 1945, targeting Japanese waterways and ports with aerial mining. This operation sought to disrupt Japans maritime supply routes, hindering its ability to transport essential resources and weakening its war effort. As a result, the average daily per capita food intake in Japan plummeted from 1900 calories in 1944 to 1680 calories by midsummer 1945, leading to the imminent starvation of hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians. The clear use of starvation tactics by Allied Powers made them reluctant to categorize it as a war crime, or indeed include it explicitly in the Genocide Convention.

Only in 1977, after the occurrence of famines in Biafra during the late 1960s and in Bangladesh in 1974, where millions faced starvation due to political conflicts and natural disasters respectively, did international humanitarian law expand to address starvation. In Bangladesh, the United States withdrew its relief efforts amidst political tensions, underscoring the complexities surrounding humanitarian aid during conflicts. These crises prompted the explicit prohibition of starving civilians as a method of warfare in the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions.

While this signalled a significant shift in legal responses to hunger in warfare, it is noteworthy that such a shift occurred only in circumstances where the powerhouses of international law could clearly point the finger away from themselves, and toward distant conflicts, or scenarios in which natural disasters or climate could also have played a role.

Subsequent milestones such as the passing, in 1998, of the Rome Statute, leading to the establishment of the ICC in 2002, marked a significant step in international law. Starvation is recognised as a war crime in the Rome Statute, and thus falls under the jurisdiction of the court. No individual before the ICC has yet been prosecuted nor subjected to an arrest warrant for the crime of starvation, however.

Difficulties of Prosecuting Starvation

However, despite this growing legal framework, cases of hunger-induced atrocities, such as those witnessed during the Cambodian and Bosnian genocides, have largely gone unprosecuted. Establishing starvation as a distinct crime is difficult because famines can have many causes such as crop failures, unequal distribution, economic problems, and political conflicts. Hunger-related deaths are often linked to infections and exhaustion, making it hard to blame starvation alone. In an international legal ecosystem focused largely on individual criminal accountability, the question arises of who to charge for the crime of starvation? Could a member of a rebel militia, or low-level perpetrator, be charged for such a crime? A successful prosecution for hunger-related crimes could perhaps only be brought successfully against a leader.

Prosecuting leaders for hunger-related crimes presents its own hurdles. Unlike direct forms of violence involving guns and explosives, starvation inflicts a slow form of suffering, making it less tangible in legal terms. Determining intent, a crucial element in legal proceedings (particularly in proving genocide), becomes particularly challenging in cases of starvation, where it can be seen as both a deliberate tactic and an unintended consequence of broader policies. The historic absence of convictions for hunger-related crimes under international law has resulted in a lack of precedent. This complicates efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for hunger crimes. Any proceedings against Israeli officials for their role in hunger crimes in Gaza would bring the ICC into untrodden territory in international criminal law.

Starvation as a war crime?

If, as some scholars have argued on X (formerly Twitter), ICC warrants do indeed focus on the denial of aid and the starvation of civilians, will it be charged as genocide? A crime against humanity? Or a war crime? The underlying acts may well be the same, but their classification will have major ramifications for international political and humanitarian rhetoric, not to mention the ICC international criminal law. If charged as genocide, the prosecutor will have to prove that the weaponisation of hunger against Gazans by Israeli officials was specifically designed to destroy the Palestinian population, and that there was intent (under the Genocide Convention special intent), to that end. Examination of the mass displacement of Gazas people, combined with the limiting of aid, will also likely play a key role in answering this question. What may be more likely is the charge of starvation as a war crime, which would entail an entirely different set of legal and contextual questions, but not the question of the intent to destroy the Palestinian people. An ICC warrant of Israeli officials would not only set a precedent regarding Gaza, but how hunger crimes are discussed. Any indictment will therefore be crucial, even before any arrests are made, for setting the tone of the legal debate.

An ICC process would parallel and complement the South Africa v. Israel proceedings at the ICJ. In theory, this would provide an example of international legal instruments working as they should: with the ICJ focusing on state responsibility/obligations under international treaties, and the ICC focusing on individual criminal responsibility. Observing the hearings regarding torture in Syria in October 2023, it was clear that many Syrians saw an ICJ proceeding without a complementary individual accountability proceeding as insufficient. What risks happening regarding Gaza, however, is that we see two different Hague courts trying to legally classify the conduct of the Israeli state on the one hand, and Israeli officials on the other hand, within two completely different frameworks. If two different courts are faced with two different questions, how might we interpret the answers? What will this mean for international law and its ability to reckon with hunger crimes? While many await ICC indictments, their release will undoubtedly raise more questions than answers.
"Chief Detective 1958" Episode 6 showcased the reunion of Lee Je Hoon and a significant person from his past. He also found out that the person was related to the team leader's attack.

Based on the longtime running MBC series "Chief Inspector," which was released in 1971, Lee Je Hoon takes on the role of legendary detective Park Young Han, whose mission is to bring order to Jongnam and end corruption among the police force.

Joining him on his journey are Jongnam Police Investigation Unit Team 1, played by Lee Dong Hwi, Choi Woo Sung, and Yoon Hyun Soo.

'Chief Detective 1958' Episode 6 Rating: Action Drama Retains Good Viewership

As the MBC crime-action series enters its second half, "Chief Detective 1958" Episode 6 retained good ratings.

In a report by Nielsen Korea, the police K-drama recorded an average nationwide rating of 9.0 percent, making it the highest rating to date for its Saturday broadcast.

However, Lee Je Hoon's K-drama fails to surpass its personal best of 10.8 percent in Episode 3.

'Chief Detective 1958' Episode 6 Recap: Park Young Han Confronts Higher-Ups After Chief Yu's Incident

The episode began with a conversation between the old Park Young Han and his grandson, who also entered the police force because of him.

The retried detective, who is now running a small store at Jongnam, gave the younger some words of encouragement after he expressed his regret and frustration for being unable to catch the culprit of a recent murder case.

Meanwhile, the episode also featured the continuation of Chief Yu's incident. The unit 1 group found out about the shocking news involving their superior, who was in a critical condition after he got attacked by a group of unidentified men.

While the chief of unit 1 was unconscious at the hospital, Jongnam Police welcomed their new superintendent, Baek Do Suk, who was the captain of Park Young Han when he was a student soldier.

Young Han and the rest of the team were disappointed with their colleagues and the higher-ups, who seemed to be celebrating Chief Yu's state.

However, even before the new superintendent started his duty, he and Young Han had a clash after they were able to recall each other.

In addition, Young Han had a hunch that their new boss had something to do with it.

Lo and behold, after a series of investigations, he found out that Baek Do Suk and Chief Choi Dal Sik had something in common. The latter recruited Baek to their elite military group, and as a deal, he had to make Chief Yu suffer.

In the last scene, Park Young Han arrested Chief Choi, but because of his rank in the military, he was the one who got punished.

Thankfully, Chief Yu came fresh from the hospital to give his testimony regarding the incident.

Will this reveal the true agenda of Chief Choi and Baek Do Suk in the police force?

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Flores
Cha Eun Woo looked back at his experience as a K-pop idol and his reaction to the moniker "face genius."

Debuting as a six-member boy group, ASTRO, he managed to make a name for himself as an actor, starring in various hit K-dramas.

With his 8-year career as one of the sought-after lead stars, Cha Eun Woo recalled his early years as a K-pop star during his appearance in "Yoo Quiz on the Block."

Cha Eun Woo on Hardships of Being an Idol

In the latest teaser of the tvN variety show, hosted by Yoo Jae Suk and Jo Se Ho, Cha Eun Woo talked about his struggles as an idol.

Dubbed a "face genius" because of his amazing visuals, he revealed that he was once criticized for his talent.

Recalling his rookie years, he confessed his true feelings about being judged for his ability to perform on stage.

"I was sad because I was scolded for not being able to sing and dance."

READ MORE : Cha Eun Woo Beats Kim Soo Hyun in Most Popular Actors for March 2024

Besides his experience as an idol, Cha Eun Woo briefly mentioned his younger brother.

"My brother is majoring in journalism and broadcasting."

To recall, Cha Eun Woo's brother made fans swoon over because of the similarity between him and the "My ID Is Gangnam Beauty" star.

The alleged photo of the actor's sibling circulated in various online communities like wildfire with netizens gushing over his charm.

Per reports, the idol-actor's brother is an international student and is reportedly studying at Fudan University, according to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in China.

Meanwhile, Cha Eun Woo's guest appearance in "Yoo Quiz on the Block" will air on May 8 at 8:45 PM via tvN.

What's Next for Cha Eun Woo?

Cha Eun Woo had a jam-packed schedule in the first half of 2024.

He returned to the small screen with the thriller-mystery drama "Wonderful World" with Kim Nam Joo, Im Se Mi, and Kim Kang Woo.

Following the finale, the South Korean heartthrob met his Asian fans for a series of fan meetings.

The Asian fan-con tour, titled "2024: Just One 10 Minute [Mystery Elevator]," kicked off in Seoul on February 17.

It was then followed by the meet and greet on the 24th, followed by Bangkok on March 9.

Through the month of March, Cha Eun Woo met his fans from the Philippines through a meet-and-greet in Manila on March 16.

He then headed to Japan for a 2-day fan meet, followed by Singapore, and finally Jakarta on April 20.

In a greeting video, Cha Eun Woo shared that he "put a lot of effort into preparing fun performances" by showing his new sides to his fans.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Flores
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Monday, May 6, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has invited Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua for a meeting to address issues facing the Mt Kenya region.

Speaking on Sunday, Gachagua said as Mt Kenya region's political kingpin, he will invite all leaders, including Martha Karua, to offer solutions to problems facing the regions electorate.

"Let them come and talk to me. I am the senior leader in this region. My doors are open. Let my sister Martha Karua come. Let my brother Jeremiah Kioni come.

"You know I mean well for this region and I am the best person to talk to any time any day," Gachagua stated.

The second in command further urged Mt Kenya leaders who are in opposition to cease organizing gatherings with the populace.

He lambasted opposition figures from Mt for conducting meetings with Limuru residents during severe weather conditions, pointing out the availability of an office for such engagements.

"A good idea has the potential to evolve into a better one, and eventually the best. Stop disrupting the people of Limuru during times of floods and numerous challenges, especially when there is a senior leader from the mountain holding the position of deputy president," he stated.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, May 6, 2024 - President William Ruto has promised to give Kenyans evacuated for their own safety due to the ongoing floods a Ksh10,000 stipend from the National Government.

Speaking during a tour in Mathare, Nairobi, Ruto revealed that the money would help the families secure a place to stay as the government works on finding a long-term solution.

Recipients of the cash will be households that were evacuated by government administration officers with the help of Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Police, and National Youth Service.

"We have 40,000 households who were evacuated because of their safety, every household will receive Ksh10,000 to look for alternative housing waiting for government intervention," he stated.

"We have a list of those who were evacuated, we will give them money for 3-month rent as the Government looks for another alternative."

Ruto assured Nairobi residents that policies had been put in place to ensure that the money was not misappropriated.

The Head of State remarked that he would personally ensure that no cartels got hold of the funds meant for flood victims.

According to Ruto, flooding had been caused by climate change, and Kenya had put in measures to cushion itself against such calamity in the future.

In the immediate, Ruto remarked that Kenya would embark on planting trees in Mathare and other riparian lands.

As such, he stated that Kenyans who had built shacks on the riparian lands would have to be given alternative housing by the National Government.

In that regard, President William Ruto stated that starting next week, a tender would be floated to build 5,000 affordable houses in the Mathare area.

Once completed, evacuated Kenyans would receive a priority in occupying the houses according to the President.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, May 5, 2024 - Britain's heaviest man has died from organ failure just days before celebrating his 34th birthday, his mother has revealed.

Jason Holton from Surrey had been stuck in his house for eight years because of his 47 stone frame but the 33-year-old died last Saturday after doctors were unable to prevent his organs from failing.

His mother Leisa told The Sun that he had 'started to go downhill' after his kidneys stopped working.

'He's probably had about eight lives and I thought the doctors would be able to save him again, but sadly it wasn't possible,' she said.

Jason was reportedly transferred from his home to Royal Surrey County Hospital by a special ambulance which six firefighters had to carry him to.





His mother said he was put on kidney dialysis and an IV drip but that his organs continued to fail.

Doctors then told him he would pass away within a week, she said, and he passed away on Saturday.

The coroner's report stated that he died from organ failure and obesity.

He told TalkTV in October: 'I believe time's over for me in general. I'm coming up 34 now. I know I've got to try something.'

At his peak, he weighed more than 50st and dubbed himself 'Britain's fattest man'.




Monday, May 6, 2024 - A 59-year-old man killed his teenage daughter in Kitengela on Sunday night before taking his own life to punish his ex-wife.

According to a police report, the girl visited her father on Sunday afternoon, not knowing that he had evil plans.

The couple had recently separated.

Neighbours said they heard distress calls from the girl followed by a commotion in the house.

A shriek came from the house then it died away.

"There was a commotion that did not last very long.

"Its unfortunate we were unable to save the girl, said a neighbour at Blessed Apartment where the tragic incident took place.

The man stabbed his daughter multiple times and used the same killer knife to take his own life.

Police broke into the house and found bodies of the two lying in a pool of blood in the bedroom.

The man left a suicide note addressed to his ex-wife in Swahili.

He indicated that rejection by his estranged wife was the main motive.

He also accused his ex-wife of wasting his years.

Nilikwambia ya kwamba unacheza na mtu hujui unaniona tu.

"Sasa hiyo ndio faida ulitaka kutoka kwangu.

"Mimi ni yule ulidharau. Mimi naenda kupumzika.

"Baki na kidonda cha maisha. Hiyo ndio faida yangu kwa miaka ulinipotezea,

( I told you that you are playing with someone you dont know.

"This is the gain you wished from me. You despised me. I have gone to rest.

"Remain with a scar in your heart. This is what I get from the years I wasted with you,) part of the suicide note read.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Monday, May 6, 2024 - Tom Brady got offended by a particular joke during The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix on Sunday night, May 5.

Legendary comedian Jeff Ross was taking his turn to roast Brady, as is the shows purpose.

But things took a turn when Ross started talking about Brady joining the Patriots after being drafted 199th overall in 2000.

Tom became a Patriot, moved up to New England, and on the first day of training camp, that scrawny rookie famously walked into the owner Robert Krafts office and said Im the best decision your organization has ever made,' Ross said. Would you like a massage?

Ross blew a kiss to Kraft, who was in attendance.

Thats when Brady got out of his seat and made his first audible reaction of the night.

Dont say that s**t again, Brady, who was smiling, told Ross.

Kraft was charged with soliciting prostitution in February 2019 after a multi-county investigation into massage parlors in Florida, with police saying they recorded Kraft paying for sex acts at the Orchids of Asia spa in January 2019.

Kraft pleaded not guilty, a federal judge in Florida later ruled that the recordings were filmed using unlawful surveillance and must be destroyed.

The case was dismissed in September 2019.

I am truly sorry, Kraft said in a March 2019 statement about the case.

I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to do the right thing. The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being.

As I move forward, I hope to continue to use the platform with which I have been blessed to help others and to try to make a difference. I expect to be judged not by my words, but by my actions. And through those actions, I hope to regain your confidence and respect.

Though he reacted to Ross joke about Kraft, Brady notably stayed silent during Ross and host Kevin Harts expletive-laden digs at his ex-wife, Gisele Bundchen, and the couples divorce.

Watch the video below.






Monday, May 6, 2024 - Four men have been arrested by police after 40 million of cocaine was found in a van in a village pub car park.

Around 500kg of the drug was discovered in the back of a Vauxhall Vivaro van in the car park in Lelley, East Yorkshire, the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK said.

Police Officers believe a few hours before the haul was found it had been transferred to shore in a rigid-hulled inflatable boat travelling from a larger vessel off the Hull coast.

The boat was abandoned at Easington Beach, the NCA added.





The beach is around 18 miles from the Stags Head Inn in Lelley, where the drugs with a potential street value of around 40 million were found.

A 22 year-old from Argyll, a 32 year-old from Oban and a 24 year-old from Campbeltown, all in Scotland, were arrested at 8.30am on Saturday, May 4, in Lelley, as well as a 39 year-old from Colombia, the NCA added.

Senior investigating officer Alan French said: This was a significant amount of cocaine and its seizure will be a sizeable blow to the organised crime group which attempted to smuggle it into the UK.

Theres no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, fuelling further crime and exploitation.





Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt criminal activity, and protect the UKs border security.

Our investigation continues following these arrests.

The NCA operation was supported by Humberside Police, Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit and Border Force.




Monday, May 6, 2024 - Governor Susan Kihikas husband Sam Mburu was overwhelmed with joy after he attended the graduation ceremony of his son Jesse Kamau Mburu, a student at the prestigious St Andrews Turi - one of the most expensive schools in the country.

Taking to his Facebook account, Sam penned a congratulatory message to his teenage son and wished him the very best in his future endeavors.

Our childrens upbringing is a reflection of our own hard work and Gods Blessings.

"I congratulate you my son; Jesse Kamau Mburu on your graduation, St Andrews Turi Class of 2024.

You have brought joy and pride to our home. May God Bless and Guide you as you take the next steps in life. Proud of you son, he wrote.

It is worth noting that Governor Susan Kihika did not attend the important function of her husbands son, whom he sired with another woman.

It is alleged that the flamboyant businessman has several baby mamas.

One of his baby mamas identified as Beatrice Kamau took him to court in 2022 and demanded half of his wealth.

She claimed that Sam was a broke man with hardly a coin to his name when they met and that it is because of her contribution that he became a man of means.

In her affidavit, Wanjiku stated that she met Mburu when he was a broke casual worker at a logistics company in 2002.

See photos of his sons graduation ceremony.





































The Kenyan DAILY POST.
Monday, May 6, 2024 - Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has got Kenyans talking after vowing to attend the upcoming Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit 2024.

The conference, organized by the African Union, and which will be held at Nairobi's Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), is aimed at highlighting the crucial role of fertilizer and soil health in stimulating sustainable pro-poor productivity growth in African agriculture and agreeing on an African Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan.

Taking on his X, Linturi revealed that he would be among the speakers at the summit being held between May 7 and 9.

However, his tweet unsettled Kenyans who are alive to the fake fertilizer scandal, which has had the CS at the centre.

Concerned Kenyans wondered about the significance of Linturi's presence in the fertilizer summit despite the indictment in his docket.

According to them, Linturi was mocking the country by intending to be part of the summit in the face of the saga in his docket.

This comes even as the National Assembly on Thursday approved a motion to impeach Linturi.

In a vote held in the chambers, 149 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the impeachment motion, while 36 opposed it. Three lawmakers abstained from voting for the motion against CS Linturi.

CS Linturi is being accused of gross violations of the provisions of the Constitution or any other law, committing crimes under national law, and gross misconduct.

The select committee will have ten days to investigate Linturi and report to the National Assembly.

The Kenyan DAILY POST








Monday, May 6, 2024  Azimio Leader Raila Odinga has been left with an egg on the face in his bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship position.

This is after more than 30 countries endorsed his rival in the race.

Raila is facing stiff competition from Somalia's candidate Fawzia Yusuf Adam.

In the latest development, Somalias Foreign Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, has disclosed that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has expressed support for Somalias nomination of Fawzia for the position of Chairperson of AUC for the 20252028 term.



Fiqi said it was a big win for Somalia, given OIC has nearly 30 African member states.



"Somalia appreciates and is grateful for the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has nearly 30 members from Africa, for taking note and endorsing Somalia's nomination of Fawzia Yusuf Adam for the position of AU Chairperson for 2025-2028," Fiqi said.

If Fawzia gets the support of the 30 African Union member states, she will be ahead of other candidates, given that the AU is made up of 55 member states.

Djibouti's Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, is also eying the same position, given it is reserved for Eastern African countries.

This comes even as Raila has changed his attitude towards President William Ruto; a clear indication he knows something that we dont.

Raila's unexpected criticism of Ruto's administration attracted responses from Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders and supporters.

Some asked the president to reconsider supporting the former prime minister in the African Union Commission chairmanship position.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, May 6, 2024 - Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, has summoned elected leaders from Kisii and Migori Counties for causing violence in separate incidents over the weekend.

In Migori County, violence erupted during the burial of former Migori Governors aide Caspal Obieros wife and his child on Friday, where ODM goons clashed with UDA counterparts.

In a statement condemning the incident, including that which happened Friday at a funeral service in Migori, the party has instructed the leaders to appear at the partys headquarters at Chungwa House in Nairobi on May 8.

They are expected to explain their roles in the two incidents.

Via this statement, the party summons all elected and nominated leaders present at these two functions to appear before the party leadership to explain their role, if any, in these unfortunate events, the statement signed by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna reads.

During the fundraiser held at Etono grounds in Bomachoge Borabu, police were forced to lob teargas canisters at the pulpit.

The fundraiser had brought together five PAG churches and was attended by six MPs from across the political divide.

The fundraiser was being presided over by South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro who is also the Chief Whip at the National Assembly.

ODM MPs Obadiah Barongo and Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi were in attendance.

Others in attendance were MPs Japhet Nyakundi (Kitutu Chache North) Alfa Miruka (Bomachoge Chache), Patrick Osero (Borabu), and several pro-UDA ward reps.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, May 5, 2024 - Russia has opened a criminal case against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and put him on a wanted list, the state news agency TASS reported on Saturday, May 5, an announcement Ukraine dismissed as evidence of Moscow's desperation.

According to TASS, the Russian Interior Ministry database showed Zelenskiy was on a wanted list but gave no further details.

Ukraine's foreign ministry in a statement said Russian President Vladimir Putin is also subject to arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant.

"We would like to remind you that, unlike the worthless Russian announcements, an International Criminal Court warrant for the arrest of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on suspicion of war crimes is quite real and subject to implementation in 123 countries," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

It said the Russian announcement was "evidence of the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda, which can think of no other way to attract attention".

Russia has issued arrest warrants for a number of Ukrainian and other European politicians since the start of the conflict with Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian police in February put Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Lithuania's culture minister and members of the previous Latvian parliament on a wanted list for destroying Soviet-era monuments.

Russia also issued an arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court prosecutor who last year prepared Putin's war crimes warrant.




Monday, May 6, 2024 - Kenyas healthcare sector is bound to collapse completely if the nurses union follows through on its threat.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has issued a one-week ultimatum to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to implement the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2017, failure to which they will paralyze the health sector in the country.

According to KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako, the union will join doctors in the strike if the CBA is not implemented.

The union cited the governments delay in implementation as the reason for its decision to take stern action.

Panyako stated that the government had also been changing its tune on employee engagements without informing the nurses' leaders, a move they are condemning.

Consequently, the leaders lamented that they were forced to relay the changes in their salaries to their members painting them in a bad light, having not been consulted by the government.

According to KNUN, different government institutions were also working in contradiction of each other and later disrupting the health sector.

We have no trust in the government, it must work as a joined institution, it cannot work as a disjointed institution, the human body must work in unison, I am very much afraid that this government is letting us down, stated Panyako.

The ultimatum comes at a time when doctors failed to sign an agreement that would see the striking medics return to work after a two-month strike.

In the growing stalemate between the government and the medics, the doctors declined to sign the agreement on Friday after a settlement on the payment of interns was not reached.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, May 6, 2024 - Economist David Ndii has for the umpteenth time sought to deflate the belief that he is a joyrider in the Kenya Kwanza regime, eating taxpayers money for doing nothing.

A section of Kenyans has argued that Ndii constituted a team of inessential government officers charged with outsider roles for fat paychecks thus overburdening the taxpayer.

He chairs the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors, which counsels the president on matters of the economy.

Reacting to a tweet suggesting that he is paid for no work, Ndii brutally explained that he is rightfully in his post for which he is remunerated.

"You are on the government payroll, a direct beneficiary of our taxes," the Kenyan said.

To which Ndii responded;

"I am not a tax beneficiary. Beneficiary means getting something you have not earned, like pesa ya wazee, free education, HELB loans, etc.

"I am paid for services rendered, much less than I would be earning, I should add."

The discussion started off after the economist was called out for his presumed lack of empathy while commentating on the flooding situation in the country.

In his commentaries, Ndii suggested that the deaths from the prevalent disaster were natural and, thus, Kenyans should not read much into them.

Irked Kenyans would, however, call him out, arguing he was quipping on the faces of jaded compatriots ravaged by the floods.

Those calling him out explained that he is a state officer and should, therefore, tread with empathy when addressing emotive issues.

However, Ndii annulled the explanation that he is a public officer, taking on those arguing that he is on the government payroll by chance.

"I am not your leader," Ndii said in one of his tweets.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
Monday, May 6, 2024  The Nairobi County Government, under the stewardship of Governor John Sakaja, has justified the ongoing water rationing in the city.

This is despite heavy rains being experienced around the country that is causing flooding.

In a statement, the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company announced that the prevalent flooding situation in Nairobi has affected the supply of water in the city.

According to the agency, the heavy downpours have not increased the capacity for supply from the four main sources namely; Kikuyu Springs, Ruiru, Sasumua and Thika Dams.

"The water is treated in Ngethu, Sasumua, Kabete Water Treatment Works and Kikuyu Springs.

The four have an installed maximum daily production capacity of 440 million, 61 million, 20 million and 4 million litres, respectively.

This totals the daily maximum design production capacity of 525.6 million litres per day against a daily demand of 900 million litres.

Our water supply to the City is, therefore, limited to the installed production capacity.

This means that even when our dams overflow, the water supply will remain constantwe cannot go beyond the installed production capacity," the company said in its Sunday communique.

The flooding in the city was reported to have washed away some of the main water supply pipelines.

This, according to Nairobi Water and Sewarage Company, affected supply services hence causing certain areas to receive water supply with low pressures.

Residents of the affected areas are urged to sparingly use the waters available owing to the imminent shortage.

The localities affected include; Fedha 1 Estate, Infinity Estate on Kagundo Road, Tumaini Estate, Tassia, Avenue Park 1 and 2 Estates, Nyayo Embakasi Estate, the Kware Road area, Kwa Ndege, Lower Plot 10, Lexo and surrounding areas, Ngomongo, Korogocho, Matopeni-Kayole, and Brookside Grove Westlands.

Others are Wangapala and Iregi Roads - Parklands Cotton Road and Dennis Pritt Road - Kilimani, Chieko in Kasarani, and Kamiti Road near Jacaranda, and Kahawa Barraks and Kenyatta University.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, May 6, 2024 - Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa has told Kenya Kwanza politicians to stop blackmailing Azimio Leader Raila Odinga over his criticism of the government.

This is after Kenya Kwanza threatened to withdraw support for Raila if he wont stop criticizing President William Ruto and his inept government.

Last week, Raila went ballistic on Ruto and his government, accusing them of being inhumane by demolishing peoples houses in Mukuru Kwa Reuben.

He also criticized how the government was handling the floods even after being forewarned.

Railas criticism did not sit well with Kenya Kwanza adherents who threatened to stop supporting Baba for his African Union Chairmanship bid.

However, to Wamalwa, the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya alliance will remain the voice of Kenyans.

"Our message to Kenya Kwanza is; stop blackmailing Raila Odinga over the AUC chairmanship for calling you out on corruption and incompetence and declare the current flood crisis a national disaster!

"Azimio will not be gagged and will remain the voice of the voiceless, silent, suffering majority of Kenyans," Wamalwa said in a statement on X.

Raila officially announced his bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson job on February 15, 2024.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, May 6, 2024 - A 5-year-old was reportedly crushed to death in Mukuru Kwa Reuben slums during the ongoing demolitions of houses built on the river banks.

The boy was trying to salvage household items since other family members were not at home during the demolitions when he was crushed to death.

The houses that were mostly made out of iron sheets were trampled on and destroyed by bulldozers on Friday, May 3.

The houses that were brought down in Mukuru Kwa Rueben were those that were located near the riverbanks.

The Ngong River runs through the area and sometimes causes flooding in the slums during heavy rains.

The government thus ordered the houses to be demolished in order to prevent more deaths caused by floods in the country.

Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga has warned the government against continuing with demolitions at Mukuru kwa Reuben.

Speaking during a food distribution exercise in the slums, Raila urged the government to build houses for the residents before making any move to demolish their houses.

Let them (the government) stop demolishing houses in Mukuru. If they try to demolish the houses, call us. If you want to relocate the people build good houses and prioritise these people. Do not demolish houses for the people when they do not have a place to go. Citizens are not animals. Have a human heart,. Raila said.


























Sunday, May 5, 2024 - WBC Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury has landed in Saudi Arabia ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury takes on bitter rival Usyk in a heavyweight division unifier on May 18 in the Middle East.

He touched down in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 4, with a massive entourage featuring his family, friends and trainer SugarHill Steward.

Fury and Co looked thrilled as they posed for photos in Riyadh.

The group were presented with incredible bouquets of flowers and given hot drinks after a seven-hour flight from the UK.

Neither fighter has tasted defeat in their respective careers meaning fans would have a good time in what is going to be the fight of the century.

Fury has had three months to recover after pulling out of the original February 17 fight with an eye injury.

Watch the video below




Monday, May 6, 2024 - A section of Azimio One Kenya Alliance leaders has attacked the Kenya Kwanza Alliance administration for trying to use the African Union Chairperson's job to silence their leader, Raila Odinga.

Raila,79, is contesting for the continental top seat and he has the backing of Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders led by President William Ruto.

However, Rutos lieutenants have warned Raila Odinga against attacking the government if he wants his AU chairperson bid to be supported by the President.

But speaking on Sunday, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said the government should not use Raila's quest for the AUC position to gag him.

"We have heard Kenya Kwanza leaders castigating Odinga for what he said in Mukuru Kwa Reuben. Odinga is angling for the AUC chairmanship, I don't know if Kenya Kwanza leaders thought they could compromise him because of his quest," Kalonzo said.

On his part, Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) leader Eugene Wamalwa, cautioned the president against using the AUC position to blackmail the veteran politician.

Our message to Kenya Kwanza is, stop blackmailing Raila Odinga over AUC Chairmanship for calling you out on corruption and incompetence, and declare the current flood crisis a national disaster!

"Azimio will not be gagged and will remain the Voice of the voiceless, silent, suffering, majority of Kenyans," Wamalwa said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
Monday, May 6, 2024 - The Kenya Met Department has warned of heavy flooding in Garissa, Tana River, and Lamu Counties.

In a weather forecast yesterday, the weatherman noted that the ongoing heavy rains in the Central region and the overflow of the seven forks dams will increase flooding in the Tana Delta affecting the three counties.

The ongoing rainfall in the Central region and the overflow of the Seven Forks Dams will exacerbate flooding in the Tana Delta, impacting Garissa, Tana River, and Lamu Counties, the Met Department stated.

At the same time, the weatherman announced that occasional rainfall would persist over Western, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, Central, the Coastal Strip, parts of the Southeastern Lowlands, and portions of the Northeast.

Isolated heavy rainfall events are likely to continue over the Lake Victoria Basin, Western Kenya, Central, and parts of the Coastal region, the Met Department forecasted.

Further, the Met Department mentioned that most parts of North Eastern, Northwest, and South Eastern regions would be dry with occasional moderate rainfall.

Most parts of the North Eastern, Northwest, and parts of South Eastern regions are forecasted to be generally dry; however, occasional light to moderate rainfall is possible, the weatherman added.

This comes even after the weatherman got it wrong on Cyclone Hidaya which was to hit Coast with devastating effects, but it didnt.

Met Department Director David Gikungu had urged residents in the coast region and individuals involved in marine activities in the Indian Ocean to take maximum precautions.

Gikungu pointed out that heavy rainfall is expected offshore along the Kenyan coast from yesterday to Tuesday.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Monday, May 6, 2024 - Renowned Nairobi lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has cautioned Silas Jakakimba, a former aide to ODM leader Raila Odinga, against contesting for the Suba North parliamentary seat in 2027.

On Sunday, May 5, Jakakimba hosted a delegation from the Kakiimba community, which officially endorsed his parliamentary ambition to unseat MP Millie Odhiambo.

Jakakimba thanked the elders for giving him the go-ahead to traverse the constituency in search of votes.

"My Kodondo Residence played host to my Parents, Elders, kids, and youths from the Kakiimba Community as they committed my aspirations to The Lord.

"This solemn Prayer Session also authorised and afforded me the express authority and Blessings to move, visit and consult in a similar fashion - Every clan and Community on Mfangano Island, Rusinga Island, Kasgunga, Gembe and Lambwe as we engage all Suba North residents on my agenda geared towards taking Suba North to the next level," Jakakimba said.

But in a fast response to Jakakimba, Ahmednasir suggested that he would be easily defeated by Odhiambo.

According to Ahmednasir, the former aide to the former prime minister will get hurt unnecessarily if he attempts to unseat Odhiambo, whom he described as experienced.

"Leave alone Suba North. Please try somewhere else...Hon Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo ni chuma (y 16). You will get hurt unnecessarily!" Ahmednasir wrote on X

The Kenyan DAILY POST
In the bustling city of New York lived a young woman named Emily. Emily wasnt a health care provider or even remotely associated with the medical field. She worked as a graphic designer, spending her days creating stunning visuals for advertising campaigns.

One evening, while browsing the internet, Emily stumbled upon an article titled Why Everyone Should Care About Health Care Informatics, Even if Youre Not in the Medical Field. Curiosity piqued, she began to read.

The article explained that health care informatics is the intersection of health care, technology, and data. Its about using information technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care delivery. Emily was intrigued. She had never considered how technology could impact something as essential as health care.

As she delved deeper into the article, Emily learned about the various ways health care informatics could benefit society as a whole. It wasnt just about making life easier for doctors and nursesit was about improving patient outcomes, reducing medical errors, and ultimately, saving lives.

Emily realized that health care informatics wasnt just a concern for those directly involved in the medical fieldit affected everyone. Whether its accessing electronic health records, utilizing telemedicine for remote consultations, or analyzing big data to identify health trends, health care informatics touches every aspect of health care delivery.

The more Emily learned, the more passionate she became about the topic. She shared the article with her friends and family, sparking discussions about the importance of health care informatics in todays world.

One day, while visiting her grandmother in the hospital, Emily witnessed firsthand the impact of health care informatics. Thanks to electronic health records, her grandmothers medical history was easily accessible to the doctors, enabling them to provide personalized and timely care.

Moved by the experience, Emily decided to use her graphic design skills to raise awareness about health care informatics. She created infographics, social media campaigns, and even workshops to educate others about the significance of technology in health care.

Over time, Emilys efforts paid off. More people began to recognize the importance of health care informatics, advocating for its integration into health care systems worldwide.

Thanks to Emilys curiosity, the world came to understand that health care informatics isnt just for the medical fieldits for everyone. When we prioritize the integration of technology and data in health care, we create a healthier, more efficient, and more equitable world for all.

If youre ready to start leveraging health care informatics to improve your outcomes, I welcome a discussion. Like Emily, this is my passion, and Im driven to help.

Afua Aning is a physician informaticist.


ammu and Kashmir Apni Party, Ghulam Hassan Mir Senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, Ghulam Hassan Mir said on Monday that the National Conference (NC) leaders have even demonised investment coming to Kashmir by saying that everything would be lost if investment comes to this place. Talking to reporters here, Mir said, The world looks out to investment for its industry, employment, tourism and infrastructure development, but in Kashmir, the NC leaders are telling people if the investment comes to Kashmir, people will lose their identity."



Mir said, "Does poverty, unemployment, reporting to police stations by our youth and facing violence and its fallout represent the real identity of Kashmiris in the eyes of the NC leaders?



He said the NC boycotted the Panchayat elections and then said it was a mistake. It is a typical example of a lawyer who says that he now remembers a legal point that would have won him a case in the court that he had already lost.



The BJP, according to NC leaders, does not even exist in Kashmir. If the BJP does not exist in Kashmir then why are they worried about the BJP supporting any other party in Kashmir Lok Sabha polls? he wondered.



The senior Apni Party leader said that the NC is attributing the spread of free education to its founder late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.



Why dont they say that free education was started in J&K by Maharaja Hari Singh who made school-going by children compulsory?



Since sending your child to school for free education was compulsory that is why Kashmiris would call government schools in Maharajas time as Jabri Schools (Forced education), he said.



He regretted the NCs standard practice of calling every Kashmiri a BJP supporter or an Indian agent if he/she opposes the NCs right to power.




At least 26 Ugandans have been rescued from rebels in Myanmar in Southeast Asia.

The deputy national coordinator for Prevention of human trafficking Derrick Basalirwa has told journalists in Kampala that they await repatriation.

He says since January 2023 when their predicament was first reported, 21 Ugandans have in a phased manner been repatriated.

He says this has been made possible with the help of stakeholders including civil society and some governments under the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) currently chaired by Uganda.

Meanwhile a suspected human trafficker he identifies as a one Edith Mukisa has been arrested, we hope that when our people finally return we shall start off with her case. Basalirwa

Mukisa was apprehended when she returned to Uganda on April 27th.

In February 2024, the Minister of State in charge of regional affairs, John Mulimba said that over 290 Ugandans were stranded in India, Egypt, and Myanmar.
Training of enumerators for the 6th post-independence National Housing and Population Census will be concluded tomorrow.

This has been revealed by the chairperson of the Uganda Bureau of statistics Board of directors Dr. Albert Byamugisha while addressing the media during a joint news conference held at the police headquarters at Naguru.

He has also assured members of public that the data collected will be kept confidential.

Meanwhile, government has been asked to update parliament on the forthcoming national housing and population census.

This was after the Nakaseke central Member of Parliament Allan Mayanja informed the House that even though it is just a few days to the national census, many Ugandans are still not aware of the exercise which might disrupt the activity.

This prompted the speaker of parliament Anita Among to ask the government to update the country.

The National Housing and Population Census 2024 kicks off on May 10th (which has been declared a public holiday)running until 19th under the theme,  the minister responsible for that should for that activity should give us an update because most of Ugandans are not aware of the activity and yet it is very important. Allan Mayanja. Said.
Buganda kingdom Premier Charles Peter Mayiga, has added voice to those asking the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to first strengthen its public education function before introducing or implementing new tax policies.

Mayiga was earlier today addressing the 31st Buganda Lukiiko presided over the Speaker Patrick Luwaga at Bulange Mengo.

He also asked the government to more intently investigate the numerous corruptions allegation made against some of the agencys officials as a way of restoring public confidence in the institution.

Mayiga also emphasized the need for entrepreneurs to formalize their businesses and maximize use of social media for market development and growth.

This comes as traders and arcade owners meet at Kololo independence grounds to harmonize issues to be present to the president during their scheduled meeting over various grievances that earlier led to a strike, at the same venue tomorrow.

Meanwhile, todays sitting has also seen the new Buganda Lukiiko members sworn-in.

Some of the sworn members include Matovu Vicent, Deo Kajimu, Sarah Nannono, Robert Sonko, and others.
Arcade owners under the Kampala Arcaders Association are set to meet today to deliberate and agree on the issues to be presented to the president tomorrow.

The association chairperson Godfrey Katongole says todays meeting is meant to harmonise their concerns with those listed earlier by the traders.

We are meeting today to harmonise our concerns with those agreed upon earlier by our colleagues who are also our tenants- the traders. Whatever affects them affects the very core of our business, he says.

It comes just hours to the much anticipated meeting with President Museveni scheduled to be held at Kololo Independence Grounds to address the traders grievances that prompted them to go on strike last month.

This meeting also follows an earlier one that President Museveni held with government officials from several ministries and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)

Last month, traders went on strike protesting a range of issues including the implementation of the Electronic Fiscal Receipting and Invoicing Solution (Efris), as well as its enforcement and penalties of defaulters.

The traders also raised concern over high taxes on imported garments, bank agency notices issued by URA on traders accounts and corruption among tax enforcement personnel.

Meanwhile fresh calls are being made for the government to respect the trading community in the country.

In a phone interview with KFM, the chairperson of Kampala City Traders Association Thaddeus Musoke says they are all set to lead a delegation of their members drawn from across country for tomorrows meeting with the president. we appeal to the government to start respecting and honoring the trading community because they play avital role let it be Agriculture School and many more, Mr. Musoke Said.
A quartet of civil society groups on May 30th, 2024 launched the first Climate Justice Week in Uganda and this will run till May 17th 2024 under the theme Mobilising for Change.

The organizations to include PELUM Uganda, COTA, MEMPROW, and Vijana Corps also called for Africas fair share of the climate loss and damage fund.

At the COP27 summit in Egypt, a milestone achievement was reached with an agreement to establish a new loss and damage fund to provide financial assistance to countries most vulnerable to climate change.

According to ActionAid International Uganda country director, Mr. Xavier Ejoyi, global climate funding should be channeled to countries in Africa like Uganda and Kenya which have the least Greenhouse gas emissions but suffer worst climate change effects.

About USD 400 million was committed for the seven selected countries. This means if was fairly distributed equally, perhaps there is a different formula that they will use, but Uganda should expect about USD50 or USD51 million. You can see that we are really fighting for crumbs. What we need to address this damage and loss by countries in the developing world is USD400 billion. Said Mr. Ejoyi

A 2023 ActionAid study indicate that banks funded investments promoting climate change contributors like fossil fuel generation more than those that provide actual climate solutions.

Mr. Ejoyi also called on stakeholders to address structural causes of poverty like large scale commercial agriculture for export that he said is the second contributor to negative climate change effects.
High Court in Kampala presided over by Justice Isaac Muwata has set 15th May 2024 for hearing the second application filed by Ms Molly Katanga, the widow of business man Henry Katanga, seeking to be released on bail pending hearing of a murder case against her.

On April 9th 2024, the same Judge denied Ms Katanga bail on grounds that she is not too old to be in jail and that the medical officers from prison had not informed court that they could not manage her medical condition from their facilities.

Ms Katanga, 54 was arrested and charged with the murder of her husband on November, 2nd 2023 at the couples home situated along Chwa 11 Road in Mbuya, in Kampalas Nakawa Division.

In her second bail application, Ms. Katanga, through her lawyers from Kampala Associated Advocates and Tumusiime, Kabega and Company Advocates, attached the medical form from Luzira Prison indicating that she suffers from fibrotic breast masses and hypertension.

She earlier presented 4 sureties including health state minister in-charge of Primary Health Care Margret Muhanga, Dr. Patrick Kaboya, General Emmanuel Burundi and Geoffrey Kamuntu.

The widow awaits trial alongside her 2 daughters; Patricia Kakwanza and Martha Nkwazi who are charged with destroying valuable evidence that would have been used in court to prove their fathers murder, the familys shamba boy George Amanyire and Charles Otai a nurse  all charged with being accessories after the murder.
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Inauguration of GITB 2024 -INDIA IS A 365-DAY DESTINATION FOR TOURISTS - Manisha Saxena Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India



khaskhabar.com : Mon, 06 May 2024 11:25 AM

Jaipur: India is not just a destination that can be traversed for a few months in a year but can be explored all 365 days. With 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 3700 protected monuments, there is a diversity of offerings and a vast tapestry of culture and culinary delights that one can experience here. With Wed In India initiative, one will also be able to sample the culture around marriages. This was stated by Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, IAS Manisha Saxena. She was delivering the Special Address at the inauguration of the 13th edition of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar at Jai Mahal Palace today.



The Great Indian Travel Bazaar is being organised from 5 to 7 May. This international mart has been organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). It is supported by leading national and regional associations like Hotel & Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO).





On the occasion, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Gayatri Rathore said that through this invaluable partnership and collaborative efforts, GITB has been playing a crucial role in providing endless opportunities for networking, collaborations, and growth within the tourism industry. This edition of GITB holds special significance as it is dedicated to promoting Rajasthan as a premier destination for weddings. She further stated that in 2021, Rajasthan ranked 11th in terms of domestic visitors and 10th in terms of foreign visitors. She informed that Rajasthan has recently secured the 7th position in the recent tourism rankings. There has been a massive boost in national and international visitors in the state, surpassing 100 million by September 2023.





Chairman, FICCI Tourism & Culture Committee, Dipak Deva in his welcome address, said that this edition of Great Indian Travel Bazaar will serve as a beacon of hope and a catalyst for the growth of tourism in the country. The GITB will provide networking opportunities for tour operators and travel agents, who play a pivotal role in shaping the travel experience for tourists. He further added that the tourism and wedding industry needs to work towards sustainable practices to make the industry more eco-friendly in its endeavours.





Past President, FICCI, CMD, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, Jyotsna Suri said that over the years around 3,500 FTOs have attended and 1,23,000 meetings have taken place in GITB. The Bazaar has been instrumental in increasing the arrival of foreign tourists in India. She further said that India has immense potential for inbound tourism, not only because of its beautiful landscapes and monuments, but also the hospitality and warmth of the people.





Secretary General, FICCI, SK Pathak emphasised on the need for cleanliness in the country to attract more tourists.





The Vote of Thanks on the occasion was extended by Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Dr Rashmi Sharma.





Earlier, there was a scintillating dance performance on the theme, 'The Regal Wedding' choreographed by Maitreyee Pahari.


Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ORANGEBURG, S.C.  South Carolina State University will conduct its Spring Commencement exercises for the Class of 2024 on Friday, May 10, 2024, beginning at 10 a.m. in Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will deliver the commencement address.

We are excited that Secretary Austin has agreed to share his wisdom with our graduating students, SC State President Alexander Conyers said. He knows what it means to succeed in the face of tremendous adversity, and our graduates must have the same determination as they set forth on the next phases of their journeys.

Conyers and SC State Board of Trustees Douglass Gantt also will deliver welcoming remarks at Fridays ceremony.

The event will be livestreamed on SC States YouTube channel www.youtube.com/scstate1896.

Instructions for guests

The event is free and open to the public. All guests must be seated by 9:15 a.m., so arriving early is encouraged. Stadium entrances will open at 7:30 a.m.

Everyone entering the campus and the stadium will be subject to security screening. No bags may be taken into the stadium with exceptions for special circumstances including mothers with young children and elderly guests who need access to medication. In such cases, a clear bag policy will be in effect.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will move to Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center (SHM). Each graduating student would be issued 10 tickets for family members and guests. Seating in SHM would be limited to ticket holders, and overflow location would be provided with a video feed.

Instructions for news media

All news media must RSVP to Sam Watson, SC State director of university relations, at swatson2@scsu.edu no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Please include the names, email addresses and mobile numbers of all representatives who will be attending Commencement.

Once credentials are approved, further instructions regarding arrival time, parking and other logistics will be provided.

About Secretary Austin

Austin was sworn in as the 28th Secretary of Defense on January 22, 2021. Austin is the principal assistant to President Joe Biden in all matters relating to the Department of Defense and serves on the National Security Council.

Austin was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Thomasville, Georgia. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the Infantry. He holds a Master of Arts degree in counselor education from Auburn University, and a Master of Business Management from Webster University. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.

His 41-year career in the Army included command at the corps, division, battalion, and brigade levels. Austin was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership of the Armys 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Seven years later, he assumed the duties of Commanding General of United States Forces  Iraq, overseeing all combat operations in the country.

After a tour as the Armys vice chief of staff, Austin concluded his uniformed service as the commander of U.S. Central Command, responsible for all military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. In this assignment, he led U.S. and coalition efforts to battle ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He retired from the Army in April 2016.

Since his retirement from military service, Austin has served on the Boards of Directors for Raytheon Technologies, Nucor, and Tenet Healthcare.


Green Party election candidate, Kristina Doyle says she is keen to connect with constituents on a human level and address concerns impacting peoples daily lives.

The first time candidate will contest the Callan-Thomastown Local Electoral Area (LEA) with the public set to have their say in the ballot box on Friday, June 7.

Originally from Lithuania, Ms Doyle moved to Ireland ten years ago after a period in the UK. During her time in London, she met her now husband from Ireland before moving to Callan where she has been heavily involved in community organisations since residing in the area.

Promoting equal opportunities for children, ensuring local policies support marginalised people in society and promoting the 'Green Economy' while finding new ways to rethink and reimagine nature with us within it are amongst her campaign policies with the need and will to address those aspects of society becoming targets for Doyle since making Callan her home.

Ms Doyle told the Kilkenny People she has taken the local town to her heart and is eager to use a council seat for the betterment of people and the area itself.

The election hopeful holds an impressive list of achievements in academia including being awarded the honourable Robert Frederick Holmes (1803) Award during the Carlow College, St Patricks Conferring Ceremony in 2022. The award acknowledged the dedication Ms Doyle had in promoting social justice issues within the College and wider community, including arranging a solidarity rally at Kilkenny Castle in support of Ukraine in February of that year.

Doyle also graduated with a BA (Hons) in Social, Political and Community Studies.

According to the new candidate, her studies combined with an empathetic nature and will to connect with locals on issues impacting their daily lives are key in her aim to take the next step.

"I think it was building up from all the years here living in Callan and Ive worked in many different charities here as I wanted to get to know people and see what the lifestyle is like," she said, adding, getting to know people and the experiences theyre facing has made her want to take the next step.

Fellow Green Party member, current city councillor and former tutor to Doyle during her studies, Maria Dollard, has supported her throughout the campaign to date, an aid the Callan resident greatly appreciates.

"I met her at the start of my education journey here and she really inspired me and I would like to be like her as she has had so many life experiences, working with so many different vulnerable people and I really look up to her."

With the local elections just over a month away, the Green Party representative is looking forward to the challenge and doesnt fear the scrutiny of political life.

"I dont think it puts you off, I think it makes you want to do more, its human nature to complain. Politicians are always being criticised," adding, praise is a rarity and it wont distract from her 'humanitarian' values.

FOR MORE LOCAL ELECTION NEWS, CLICK HERE
German Gonzalez, the 11th conductor of the Golden Gate Park Band, prepares for a Polish cultural celebration with the Lowiczanie Polish Folk Ensemble of San Francisco on Sunday. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle Members of Lowiczanie Polish Folk Ensemble of San Francisco dance as Golden Gate Park Band celebrates Polish culture. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

Growing up in Pacifica, German Gonzalez discovered the Golden Gate Park Band on Sunday outings with his family. Mesmerized by the shiny brass instruments and the smart red jackets and matching caps, he thought to himself: One of these days.

He started with the trumpet in middle school and stayed with it until he became the drum major in the Oceana High School marching band, then had a long career teaching music at a Millbrae school. Now retired at 71, Gonzalez has finally made it onto the stage at the Spreckels Temple of Music, as the 11th conductor of the Golden Gate Park Band, founded in 1882 as San Franciscos oldest musical organization.

We are the oldest gem of San Francisco. Only the cable cars are older than we are, Gonzalez told an audience of about 250 at Sundays concert, the second in a series of 25 Sunday afternoon performances by the 30-member brass band. Though the performances are free, the band is professional, a unionized outfit that is hard to get into.

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I only get nervous when I read the bios of the musicians on the website, he said before Sundays performance. These are accomplished musicians.

German Gonzalez conducts the Golden Gate Park Band, a dream he had since childhood. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

The average tenure for a conductor is 13 years, with the standard having been set by Bob Hansen, a ramrod straight Army band veteran who was at the baton for 26 years.

Bob Calonico took the baton in 2018 after retiring as director of the University of California Marching Band. But he left after the 2021 season and turnover has been unusually high in the director position. In 2022, a decision was made by the Golden Gate Park Band Board of Directors to split the job in two, a director and an associate.

Gonzalez had spent five years as director of the San Francisco Civic Symphony when he tried out, landing the position of associate, when Craig McKenzie got the top job. They split duties last season and expected to do so again this year. But in March, McKenzie took a job as director of the marching band at the University of Miami. The band was suddenly back to one director.

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Gonzalez got a call on his cell phone while in Yosemite on a solo camping trip. It was snowing, and he was shivering in a tent cabin. I couldnt find anyone to celebrate with, he said.

That the band plays on is itself cause for celebration because it is perpetually underfunded. A city grant pays musicians $80,000 a year, but the budget is twice that. Reserves will be called upon this year, but we need a sponsor if we are going to continue with a 25-week season, said Mark Nemoyten, president of the board.

Paper programs  250 of them  are distributed for each performance, and a plastic mustard tip jar sits on a card table. It should be ringing next Sunday, which is the Mothers Day pops program, and the Music Concourse is usually crowded.

Im just thrilled they are still playing for us, said Cynthia MacGregor, who arrived a week early for Mothers Day with her daughter and grandson.

Members of Lowiczanie Polish Folk Ensemble of San Francisco dance as Golden Gate Park Band celebrates Polish culture. Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

Sunday it was 55 degrees with a windchill, but a crowd still came out for a Polish cultural celebration with dancing by the Lowiczanie Polish Folk Ensemble of San Francisco.

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Every concert is different, and none of them are bad, said Steve Younesian, who sees classical music all over town. This band is unique. They play all kinds of music.

As director, Gonzalez puts together the program at his home in Sacramento. Rehearsal is before the show. He puts together his own performance outfit, which he describes as hippie-like, and he has a great advantage with a mop of hair that can fly around when needed for dramatic effect, as a conductors should.

My friends tell me I should be Beethoven for Halloween, he said.
Recently hatched peregrine falcon chicks on Alcatraz Island are fed often by their parents  one of several behaviors that can be observed online through a new livestream. National Park Service

Peregrine falcon watchers in the Bay Area now have a second livestream camera for 24/7 viewing  and another set of baby falcons to keep an eye on.

The new camera is on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, where Larry, a nickname for mama falcon Lawrencium, hatched four fluffy peregrine falcon chicks in a protected cave on the island several weeks ago.

National Park Service biologists have been using a small camera to monitor Larrys nesting since 2023. The Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy helped equip the camera to broadcast online, and last week began offering high-definition and full-color views of the fledgling falcon family to the public at www.parksconservancy.org/FalconCam.

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The fixed-angle webcam broadcasts both day and night, and the livestreams 12-hour cache allows viewers to catch up on scenes they may have missed.

The camera joins the UC Berkeley falcon camera, high atop the Campanile on campus, where four peregrine falcon chicks were hatched last month. Viewers tuned in to the Cal Falcons webcam could see them peck their way out of their reddish eggs.

But the cameras arent the only connection between the Cal and Alcatraz falcon families. According to the conservancy, Larry is a Cal graduate of sorts, having been born to Annie, the UC Berkeley mother falcon, in the Campanile nest.

The arrival of the falcon chicks on Alcatraz is the latest chapter in the story of the resurgence of the peregrine falcon  one of the worlds fastest birds, able to dive at speeds up to 200 mph.

In the 1970s, the falcon population had shrunk dramatically around the world, a decline blamed on the use of DDT and other pesticides, and were considered endangered in the U.S. A California survey in 1970 found only two peregrine falcon nests in the state.

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But after the U.S. banned DDT in 1972, the birds rebounded, and in 1999 they were removed from the endangered species list. Hundreds of nesting peregrine falcon pairs exist in California today.

Larry, identified by conservationists by a leg band, was one of four chicks born to the famous falcon couple Annie and Grinnell at Cal in 2018. She was first spotted on Alcatraz in 2020 and with her male partner began producing offspring on the west side of the island, well away from the crowds of tourists who flock to the former prison site.

Although the island is known for its birds, it was the first time peregrine falcons had been seen nesting there.

Livestream viewers can often see the chicks being fed by their parents, who capture prey nearby and bring food back to the nest, which is not in a location accessible to people, the conservancy said. What they wont see is any intervention by the National Park Service, even if the videos show sick or injured birds or other predatory behavior that serves as a reminder that the falcons are wild animals, officials said.
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While some of Californias positive tourism trends are mirrored in San Francisco, the citys overall recovery is slower and some areas still lag. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle A cable car moves along Powell Street in San Francisco on March 27. The citys famed cable cars had recovered only about 58% of their 2019 ridership as of February. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle New York tourist Felicia Dettmer, 53, dances to hip-hop at a Fishermans Wharf free concert in 2023. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to The Chronicle The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, seen here in 2022, is now accessible only by foot or bicycle after JFK Drive became car-free. Jana Asenbrennerova/Special to The Chronicle A visitor takes a photograph of downtown San Francisco from Twin Peaks in 2023. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle Sea lion count has been the largest in 15 years, according to harbormaster Sheila Candor. Tourists gather to observe more than 1,000 sea lions on the docks at Pier 39 on April 30. Yuri Avila/The Chronicle

In a video filmed at San Franciscos Golden Gate Bridge and posted on X/Twitter on Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom touted freshly released data showing that Californias tourist economy has recovered from its pandemic swoon and reached a record high.

At $150.4 billion, travel spending across the state last year surpassed the previous record of $144.9 billion in 2019. The update was contained in a report published last week by Visit California, a nonprofit tasked with marketing and developing strategies to increase tourism in the state.

Not only was spending 3.8% higher than in 2019, it also surpassed 2022 levels by 5.6%, per the report prepared by Dean Runyan Associates, which also shows that spending exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 34 out of 58 counties, including San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties.

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The Bay Area, which earns more than any other part of the state from tourism, suffered especially hard from the COVID-19 crisis. But the report finds that San Francisco has recovered to 97% of its 2019 levels in direct travel spending.

California tourism is back where it belongs, said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, the states tourism marketing organization, in a news release Sunday. The industry has once again proved its ability to recover from any challenge, whether it be economic or environmental.

At the intersection of Jefferson and Taylor streets last summer, high foot traffic contrasts with the empty buildings of historic businesses like Aliotos Restaurant, which closed in 2022 after having operated for nearly a century. Manuel Orbegozo/Special to The Chronicle

Newsom described the states tourism numbers as record breaking. But while he addressed the public with San Franciscos most iconic attraction in the backdrop, the citys recovery continues at a slower pace than seen in some other areas.

San Franciscos sales tax revenue, a key measure of economic activity, fell across most of the city in 2023, a development that is indicative of an overall slowdown and continued pain in the downtown area. Hotel and motel revenue was down 45% from 2019 and restaurant revenue was down around 20% from before the pandemic.

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The citys famed cable cars had, as of February, recovered only about 58% of their 2019 ridership. Before the pandemic, the cars registered between 430,000 and 480,000 passenger trips per month.

A long line of people wait to ride the citys beloved cable cars at the Powell Street cable car turnaround in San Francisco on April 21. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Another source of concern has been the continued absence of Chinese tourists. They represented the largest and fastest-growing visitor group to the city before the pandemic, but last year San Francisco saw just 40% of the number of Chinese tourists that visited in 2019, or roughly 518,000.

Still, the citys tourism trends are moving in a positive direction. It attracted roughly 23 million visitors in 2023, a 5.2% year-over-year increase, according to the nonprofit San Francisco Travel. And Visit California logged a 7.5% increase in San Francisco Bay Area tourism spending last year versus 2022.
Protect human rights of North Korean refugees

Recent reports have highlighted Beijing's disturbing practice of forcibly repatriating North Korean defectors to their oppressive homeland after detaining them within China's borders. The Korean Unification Solidarity, an organization for North Korean refugees, reported, Thursday, that around 200 North Korean refugees who were apprehended in Jilin, northern China, were forcibly sent back to the North on April 26.

Radio Free America also reported up to 60 North Koreans, who were arrested in China's Tumen and Hunchun regions, suffered a similar fate, along with others in Dandong, a city bordering the North. The media also reported that all the North Koreans were caught attempting to defect to the South.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) also confirmed the reports, saying, "We have been closely watching the possible additional repatriations of the North Korean refugees by the Chinese authorities." China previously faced international backlash for its decision to repatriate up to 600 North Koreans to their homeland shortly after the Asian Games in Hangzhou. These individuals were among approximately 2,000 defectors who had been detained for about three years due to border closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following global condemnation, China refrained from forcibly deporting them for a while.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently maintained that North Korean refugees "should not be forcibly repatriated against their will under any circumstances." However, the ministry has refrained from issuing an official condemnation of China's recent actions. This reluctance stems from a dilemma faced by the ministry, as the incident occurred while it is preparing for an anticipated summit involving South Korea, China, and Japan scheduled for late May. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida mentioned during a press conference on Saturday that the exact date of the summit has yet to be determined.

The foreign ministrys stance is understandable as the envisaged summit would be the first in five years and would likely provide significant momentum in thawing relations between Seoul and Beijing which deteriorated under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

However, the plight of North Korean defectors cannot be ignored. The recent repatriation is especially concerning because it will have significant consequences for the individuals involved. The Yoon administration should adopt a more assertive approach and urge China to cease such improper actions.

North Korean defectors are international refugees who fled their impoverished country to escape hunger and dire circumstances. Forcibly repatriating them exposes them to a harrowing situation, leaving them vulnerable to various forms of physical assault, torture, and even death. It is wholly inappropriate for China to disregard the rights of North Koreans, especially considering its status as a member of key U.N. bodies such as the U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

We urge China, as a responsible member of the international community, to discontinue such cruel treatment of North Korean defectors. China is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a major trading nation. Considering this, it should pay more attention to improving its global reputation.

The Korean government asked China to take appropriate steps to protect the North Korean refugees during a U.N. Human Rights Commission session early this year. This contrasts with previous administrations, which pursued a policy of quiet diplomacy and opted not to raise its voice on the issue.

The Yoon administration should pursue more assertive and decisive approaches in addressing the issue of North Korean defectors. Despite Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul's call to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to cooperate and allow North Korean defectors to seek refuge without fear of repatriation, China unfortunately disregarded this request. This underscores the urgency for South Korea to actively advocate for the rights and safety of North Korean defectors and to engage in stronger diplomatic efforts to push for meaningful change in China's approach to this critical issue.

Pyongyang and Beijing have been cementing their ties recently, as this year marks the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. Despite such warming ties, the issue of North Korean defectors should be addressed from a humanitarian perspective and China and South Korea should collaborate more to safeguard the human rights of the North Korean refugees.
Property insurance in California has become increasingly difficult to obtain, especially for homeowners seeking new policies. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle

Numerous Californians have lost their home insurance over the past few years as some of the states largest insurers have cut back.

Some insurers have limited where they will write new policies, and others have stopped writing new policies altogether. While most of the states 10 largest insurers say they are still offering new policies and renewing existing ones, there are key exceptions.

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Together, the top 10 insurers represented just over half of the total California property and casualty insurance market in 2022, according to the latest available data from the California Department of Insurance.

Heres what to know about the top 10 home insurers in California:

No. 1 State Farm

State Farm, Californias largest property and casualty insurer with an 8.7% market share, hasnt offered new home policies since May 2023. The company said wildfire risk, construction costs and pricey premiums for reinsurance (insurance for insurers, which cannot be factored into rates in California) motivated the decision.

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The company has continued to renew most, but not all, of its existing policies, though prices are rising. In March, State Farm rates rose an average of 20% across the state. Shortly after the rate increase took effect, State Farm announced it would not renew 72,000 policies  30,000 homeowner and other personal property policies and 42,000 commercial property policies, a small fraction of its policies in the state.

No. 2 Farmers Insurance Group

Farmers Insurance Groups several subsidiaries made up just under 7.8% of the total property and casualty market in California in 2022. Since then, two have taken big steps to cut back on business.

At the beginning of 2023, Foremost Insurance Co. stopped offering new homeowners policies through its Classic CL program. In July 2023, it also stopped writing new policies through its Classic ACV program. Farmers Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Co., a separate subsidiary, also stopped doing all business in the state at the end of 2023. In January 2024, Foremost began the process of withdrawing completely from the California condo insurance market.

After Farmers Direct withdrew, most former policyholders were offered a policy with other Farmers subsidiaries that continued to write new policies. At the time, a Department of Insurance spokesperson estimated only about 2,800 people would lose coverage completely.

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In April, a Farmers spokesperson confirmed that all remaining Farmers subsidiaries continue to write new business in California, as long as it meets the companys underwriting eligibility requirements. However, new policies have been capped at 7,000 per month.

No. 3 Berkshire Hathaway Group

Berkshire Hathaway made up just under 6.5% of the total property and casualty insurance market in California in 2022  including homeowners insurance offered through GUARD Insurance Cos.

In 2020, AmGUARD Insurance was approved for an overall 14.4% rate hike on its homeowners insurance program. But last August, AmGUARD completely withdrew from the California homeowners insurance market.

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A representative for GUARD Insurance did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether GUARD Insurances other subsidiaries are still offering new policies. On its website, GUARD Insurance does not list homeowners policies as one of its offerings in California.

No. 4 Allstate Insurance Group

Allstate, the fourth largest insurer in California by market share, quietly stopped writing new homeowners policies in November 2022. A company spokesperson told the Chronicle that the decision was due to the cost of wildfire risk, reconstruction costs and reinsurance premiums.

It also briefly stopped offering direct sales of auto insurance policies, only taking new clients through agents. But this February Allstate began offering direct auto policies again, though rates were raised an average of 30%.

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Allstate is the only major insurer that has publicly spoken of potentially resuming new policy offers in California in the future. At a Department of Insurance hearing in April, a company spokesperson said Allstate would continue writing new homeowners policies, granted that the state adopts a set of reforms the industry has been asking for. Those reforms are set to be enacted by the end of the year, though a company spokesperson told the Chronicle that Allstate would only return once its prices could fully reflect the cost of providing protection to customers. Industry observers expect the reforms to bring significant rate hikes.

Allstate continues to renew existing policies, a spokesperson said.

No. 5 Liberty Mutual Group

In 2022, Liberty Mutual insured about 4.4% of all property and casualty policies in California  including home insurance through its subsidiary Safeco Insurance.

A company spokesperson confirmed to the Chronicle in April that Safeco is still offering new homeowners policies in California. But where it will write those policies is limited.

In a May 2023 filing with the Department of Insurance, Safeco listed 24 ZIP codes where it will not write new policies due to earthquake and fire risk. In another 30 ZIP codes, Safeco will neither write new policies nor renew existing policies. All 54 ZIP codes were located in San Francisco and the East Bay. The company made exceptions for any homes that required coverage of less than $350,000, or that had been insured by Safeco since 1999.

No. 6 Travelers Group

In April, a company spokesperson confirmed that Travelers continues to write new policies and renew existing policies in California, so long as they meet the companys underwriting guidelines.

In 2021, it raised rates on its Quantum Home 2.0 program  which insures home and condo owners, tenants and landlords  an average of 6.9%, according to Department of Insurance filings. It also did not renew 5,236 policyholders statewide that werent eligible for its underwriting guidelines, filings show.

This year, Travelers was approved to raise rates an average of 15.3% starting June 24.

No. 7 Auto Club of Southern California

Auto Club is an AAA-branded insurer offering home insurance in California that meets its underwriting acceptability, a company spokesperson confirmed in May. As of 2022, it was the seventh largest property and casualty insurer with a 4.1% market share.

No. 8 CSAA

CSAA is another AAA insurer focusing on home insurance to AAA members in Northern California. It continues to write and renew California homeowners policies that meet its criteria, though it has reevaluated those policies over the last year, leading a small percentage of homeowners having their coverage dropped, according to the company.

To continue offering industry-leading insurance coverage, we must periodically evaluate our risk exposure, a spokesperson wrote. Non-renewals are handled with great care and with enough advance notice to allow those impacted time to review their options for alternative coverage.

No. 9 Mercury

Mercury Insurance covered about 3.6% of the total California property and casualty insurance market in 2022, and continues to offer new policies and renew existing ones, a company spokesperson said.

While there are no specific geographic areas where we dont write policies, it is important to note that all policies are considered on a case-by-case basis, the spokesperson wrote.

No. 10 Chubb

Chubb, with roughly 3.6% market share, has several subsidiaries offering home insurance coverage including Federal Insurance Co., Vigilant Insurance Co. and Pacific Indemnity Co.

In 2021, rates across the three subsidiaries rose an average of 20.4%, according to Department of Insurance filings.

A company spokesperson confirmed that as of April, all of Chubbs subsidiaries continue to renew existing policies and write new policies that meet the companys underwriting criteria.

The FAIR Plan

The FAIR Plan, Californias state-created but privately run insurer of last resort, is not officially ranked. But it is likely one of the top five insurers in California, with just under 350,000 commercial and dwelling policies, FAIR Plan president Victoria Roach testified at a state hearing last month.

The FAIR Plan is meant to insure Californians who are unable to find any fire coverage on the private market. It has grown rapidly as other mainline insurers have cut back.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
On May 5, 2024, UNIS met their Filipino fans with their first fan sign in Metro Manila!

The girl group met their fans at the Metrotent Convention Center on May 5, hitting the stage at 5 PM. They provided their fans with an unforgettable experience, and their fandom is hoping the group comes back again!

UNIS Sends Fans' Hearts in Motion at Manila Fan Sign

From the moment we entered the convention center, we were greeted by a full house of hardcore UNIS fans. Many wore outfits alluding to the girl's past as "Universe Ticket" contestants, proving that they have been waiting for the group for a long time. Each fan had a face filled with excitement to meet their favorite group.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: UNIS adds one more date to their fansign event in Manila

When they entered the premises, the venue erupted in cheers. The members each took turns introducing themselves in English and Tagalog, starting with Nana, Yunha, Hyeonju, Yoona, Kotoko, Seowon, Elisia, and finally, Gehlee.

Soon, the fan sign started, and select lucky fans were able to get up close and personal with their favorites. Many fans brought stuffed toys and headbands for the girls, which they wore gracefully.

While some fans were still seated waiting for the rest of the event, they made sure no one felt left out. They continued to do aegyo and waved at the crowd, showing off their pro status despite being rookies!

As the fan sign continued, fans in the crowd would chant each and every member's name, hoping that their love would come through. And UNIS reciprocated; one fan who passed by me mumbled that she was still shaking and reeling from the experience!

UNIS Surprises Fans With A Surprise Performance

After the fan sign portion was over, UNIS had a small intermission to prepare themselves for the surprise performances they had!

RELATED NEWS: Here's how to join UNIS' Fansign in Cebu and Manila

The first song the group performed was their debut song, "SUPERWOMAN." The members shocked the audience with their hypnotic and syncronized movements.

The second song they performed is "Dopamine (UNIS Ver)." This is a more hard-hitting song, first introduced to fans during "Universe Ticket." They impressed many with their sharp dance lines.

After the performance, fans were able to join the hi-touch event. Select attendees were able to do a special hi-touch event and even had a photo op session with the girls.

CHECK THIS OUT: UNIS Gehlee Dangca Dubbed the 'Jang Wonyoung of the Philippines'

Congratulations, UNIS, for your successful Manila fan sign!

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Written by Alexa Lopez
Photos showing Ryujin holding a vape have scatted in online communities, sparking reactions from MIDZYs.

Read more to learn further details.

ITZY Ryujin Vaping? Here's How MIDZYs Reacted To Viral Photos

In the K-pop industry, idols are held to high standards when it comes to image and behavior, but these aspects can be negatively impacted by "controversies." This can include being in a romantic relationship, attending clubs, or other simple reasons such as vaping.

As for vaping, a few K-pop idols have been spotted using or holding an E-cigarette, and the reactions can vary between fandoms.

This is because some netizens may find vaping unpleasant which can cause backlash against the idol, while some don't mind the gesture. Others remain neutral, as some may express that while they dislike any form of smoking, they will stand their ground in defense of the idol from unnecessary hate trains.

With that said, a popular idol from the fourth generation has garnered attention online. On May 5, numerous photos were uploaded on social media platform X (Twitter), showing Ryujin holding what appears to be a purple variant vape.

ITZY's RYUJIN stuns with a vape in-hand in a newly shared photo.  pic.twitter.com/Jz1mmnVr6a   (@jisuluver) May 4, 2024

At first impression, Ryujin's photos received sour feedback from netizens.

However, MIDZYs defended Ryujin and stated that the idol was now a grown woman who could do whatever she wanted. Others gave out unserious reactions to the photos. Here's how they reacted:

ITZY Ryujin Ignites Heated Debate For Allegedly Giving Middle Finger

In other news, a netizen uploaded a video clip on platform Pann, which showed Ryujin and Yeji standing for a photo call in Sydney. While it may seem harmless, the netizen pointed out that Ryujin had given the middle finger during the shoot.

On the forum titled, "Wow, It's My First Time Seeing A Female Idol Give The Middle Finger," the clip immediately received malicious comments from netters.

This caused MIDZYs to defend the idol, saying how it was only normal for someone her age to do a harmless prank. Meanwhile, some argued that Ryujin actually did a finger heart instead.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below!

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: ITZY Ryujin Sparks Heated Debate for Allegedly Giving Middle Finger: 'If a Male Idol...'

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Israel Monte
After EXO Kai's photos in Bali spread on the internet, a heated debate among K-pop fans sparked regarding the rules of the military.

EXO Kai Raises Brows for Going on Vacation Amid Military Service

The idol became the center of discussion after he was allegedly spotted in Bali for a vacation despite still serving in the military.

To strengthen the claim, photos and videos were even shared online, and K-pop fans were in a ruckus if he was even allowed to leave the country even though he was enlisted as a public service worker.

In particular, South Korea implemented a law where male citizens must serve their nation through military service until before the age of 28.

Although there was an initial bill that originally attempted exemption for K-pop idols who have contributed prestige for South Korea and the government, only the law called "BTS Law" was passed, where idols could delay their supposed enlistment date for 2 more years, until 30 years old.

EXO Kai who turned 30 (Korean age) in January 2023, then entered the military in May of the same year unconditionally.

ALSO READ: Here's Why EXO Kai's Enlistment Can't Be Postponed + Idol, Agency Criticized

Before starting their military service, idols were prohibited to go out of the country or even attend international activities.

Due to this, K-pop fans were truly confused as to how Kai was able to go to Bali with his friends, although he's still serving in the army and his discharge date was not even finalized yet.

With this, K-pop fans outside EXO-Ls whined in disbelief and pointed out that it is truly "unfair" for other idols and citizens serving the military.

Here are some of the comments:

All this crying sh1t just to end uo doing public service, go out of country in vacations, going in concerts? Wake up kai, it's the least you can do as a MAN. Don't cry https://t.co/DxYwlNlDCM pic.twitter.com/xCqhNbpuDh  Sammy  |  (@bangtanvitaminn) May 5, 2024

We haven't seen yoongi since the day he started his military service but look at this h@g lmao he has seen everywhere but serving his country  https://t.co/8LyEqfMtZs  Ashi (@Jiminswhore69) May 5, 2024

[NOTPANNKPOP]



Foreign ARMYs criticized EXO Kai for going to Bali during his military service, Knetz react pic.twitter.com/ot3y6tqTuU May 5, 2024

EXO-Ls Defend EXO Kai

When EXO Kai received massive backlash for it, EXO-Ls were quick to defend the idol.

Accordingly, the idol recently received his day off from the military; thus, he could leave the camp with permission from the general. This includes going outside the country.

Seeing that Kai was able to fly beyond Korea means he was able to show documented permission allowing him to go on a vacation in Bali regardless if he was still serving the military.

EXO-Ls then criticized other fans who were coming after Kai and left counterattack comments such as:

IT'S HIS DAY OFF !!! plus korean military men an leave the country with permission pic.twitter.com/SdUd0EiTFV  annya  she.loves.exo on ig (@zkdlinsbabe) May 4, 2024

In the first place, he will not pass the immigration if a social worker is not allowed to travel. Be informed please. May 4, 2024

On the other hand, EXO Kai is expected to serve for about 1 more year as a public service worker and be discharged around February 2025.

READ MORE: EXO Baekhyun Birthday Cafe Event Gone Wrong? Here's Why Kerries Are Frustrated

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dela Cruz
SEVENTEEN S.Coups became the target of criticism from ARMYs (BTS fandom) after seeing him jump during an event.

S.Coups Anger ARMYs for Jumping During Stage Following Military Exemption

On May 5, an internet user brought back a video of SEVENTEEN's leader S.Coups where he was seen jumping during their "FOLLOW AGAIN" concert.

With this, the fandom ARMY expressed their anger for this reason.

The video, posted by a S.Coups fan, showed the idol performing with SEVENTEEN.

While all was going well, he drew attention for jumping in the air to complete the rigorous choreography that their song often has.

When the video spread on the internet, ARMYs, BTS fans, flocked all over the clip, eventually filling the quotes section with malicious and hateful comments towards the idol.

Apparently, the main reason they are angry is due to the fact that S.Coups has been exempted from his military service after the army placed him in grade 5 due to his knee injury.

ALSO READ: SEVENTEEN S Coups Suffers Devastating Injury: Torn ACL Shakes Emotional CARATS

He obtained the injury while playing a ball game while filming content in August last year. He received a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee joint, which is why he had to undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery and anterolateral ligament reconstruction surgery.

At the time, it was explained that his healing process after his surgery may take time and pushing him to do physical activities may pose a threat to his health and function.

Originally, ARMYs pushed for the exemption of BTS in the military service, highlighting their national contribution. While all members agreed that they wanted to serve when the time came, the fandom was insisting that they deserved the exemption.

Scoups can jump but he can't do administration work? https://t.co/pmxBUFCXAQ  Sabrina  |   | APOBANGPO (@LvdKoo) May 5, 2024

Twitter Error

that coward is just as fake as all the sales that that losing group has https://t.co/zpZiQsmLRn pic.twitter.com/t1Prc7xcqg May 5, 2024

I dont even like armys but i have to agree they r absolutely right. This needs investigation https://t.co/u059H9ELSz  f... (@malizz011) May 5, 2024

Fans also mentioned Suga who continued to serve as a social worker even though he has been dealing with his shoulder injury.

Seeing S.Coups jump in the concert, ARMYs questioned his medical records and called him an "evader" and "coward" for not being able to do office work yet performing.

CARATs Defend SEVENTEEN S.Coups

Amid the undying criticism, CARATs (fans of SEVENTEEN) continue to defend the idol and emphasize that it wasn't S.Coups' own decision to be exempted, but the military.

After the health exam, he was rated Grade 5 wartime worker due to ACL, which means that he will only be called up in times of war and used for military support duties.

1) i feel like a lot of you people who are saying scoups should be in the army doing physical tasks are ridiculous, him jumping is nothing compared to what they do in the army, are you people slow? are you telling me because he can do a slight jump that he can do the 2 mile run? May 5, 2024

this is the og video, mind u he jumped very carefully and less intense compared to the members.. https://t.co/xXXi7u1vR3  . (@geokonic__) May 5, 2024

and may scoups always run, jump, dance and move as much as he wants because he will forever have the right to recovery. and he will forever have the right to decide what his limits are. fuck alll of you  c. (@d2kgyu) May 5, 2024

i hope scoups is fine :( pls dont overworked yourself, your health still matters  May 4, 2024

Although ACL could be treated by having surgery, the healing process takes months, but it doesn't mean that he could not do activities like dancing and jumping.

These activities are completely different from the military's training and S.Coups doing this will only put his health at risk.

CARATs are also pissed at those netizens thinking that it is an "achievement" for them, as the evaluation is rather more concerning for fans due to the health status of the idol.

Looking at S.Coups' recent videos, he's actually more careful and reserved when performing compared to before, proving that his injury is still healing.

READ MORE: SCoups' Health Emergency Shakes SEVENTEEN's Upcoming Comeback: 'You dont like it when I apologize...'

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Eunice Dela Cruz
China, France building up momentum for future-oriented cooperation

Xinhua) 21:08, May 06, 2024

Tourists visits the Imperial Summer Resort in Chengde, north China's Hebei Province, May 2, 2024. China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday. (Photo by Liu Huanyu/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday.

Domestic tourist expenditure during the period totaled 166.89 billion yuan (about 23.51 billion U.S. dollars), up 13.5 percent from the same period in 2019.

Culture and tourism were deeply intertwined during the holiday, with popular destinations such as the Palace Museum, Sanxingdui Museum, and Yinxu Museum attracting a large number of visitors.

The nighttime economy was also thriving, with monitored national-level nighttime cultural and tourism destinations recording nearly 72.58 million visitors, an increase of 6.9 percent year on year.

With the resumption of more air routes, the introduction of measures for facilitating passengers' entry, and the increase in the number of countries with visa exemption agreements, inbound and outbound tourism has been recovering rapidly, according to the ministry.

China saw nearly 1.78 million inbound tourist trips and 1.9 million outbound tourist trips made during the holiday.

An aerial drone photo taken on May 2, 2024 shows tourists visiting the West Lake in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday. (Photo by Long Wei/Xinhua)

Tourists visits Fuzimiao, or the Confucius Temple, in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, May 2, 2024. China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday. (Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua)

Tourists watch an acrobatic show at a scenic area in Tancheng County, east China's Shandong Province, May 1, 2024. China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua)

Tourists look at an exhibit at the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 2, 2024. China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday. (Photo by Chu Baorui/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 2, 2024 shows tourists visiting a historical and cultural district along the Grand Canal in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. China saw about 295 million domestic tourist trips during the five-day May Day holiday that ended Sunday, up 7.6 percent year on year and 28.2 percent from the same period in 2019, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed Monday. (Photo by Huan Yueliang/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
Pedestrians walk past an encampment in support of Palestinians on campus at San Francisco State University on April 30. On Monday, the universitys president met with protesters. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

In an extraordinary public exchange between the president of San Francisco State University and pro-Palestinian protesters Monday before hundreds of students on the campus plaza, the top administrator said the school may consider avoiding investments based on the mechanics of war, just as it takes into account climate impacts and racial justice.

Lets talk about revising our investment policy, President Lynn Mahoney told a panel of eight student representatives for Students for Gaza Encampments who sat facing her in the afternoon sun. That group set up about 60 tents on the field outside the student union last week, and on Monday invited the president to speak with them about their demands. To their surprise, she accepted.

San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney, center, speaks at a public discussion between herself and organizers of a campus encampment in support of Palestinians Monday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle A group gathers at a public discussion between San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney and organizers of a campus encampment in support of Palestinians Monday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle A group watches a public discussion between San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney and organizers of a campus encampment in support of Palestinians Monday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney shakes hands with an individual after a public discussion between herself and organizers of a campus encampment in support of Palestinians Monday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney sits at a public discussion between herself and organizers of a campus encampment in support of Palestinians Monday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle A group gathers at an encampment in support of Palestinians before a public discussion between San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney and organizers of the encampment Monday. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

What Mahoney did not agree to do, although the students asked her to, was to wade into the fray herself and declare that famine, displacement and tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths brought about by Israels war in Gaza amounts to genocide. The crisis began on Oct. 7, when Hamas, which governs Gaza but which the U.S. has designated a terrorist group, invaded Israel and killed about 1,200 people before taking more than 250 hostages. Hamas is believed to still hold about 100 people.

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I dont support violence, said Mahoney, shifting in her chair. But I dont make broad political statements.

That did not sit well with students, who later decided that it was evidence the president deflected their demands. The encampment will stay, for now.

Many campuses around the country have responded harshly to student protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Yet San Francisco State is one of at least three California universities  as well as UC Riverside and, reportedly, UC Berkeley  that are trying a different tactic: negotiating with pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

The results could lead students to dismantle their tent encampments as they did on Friday at UC Riverside. Protesters there reached a five-point agreement with administrators that included posting all currently public information on University of California investments. Student protesters across the country have been pushing administrators to divest from companies doing business in Israel.

This week, the student newspaper at UC Berkeley reported receiving a leaked document indicating that campus officials are in talks with protesters who set up an encampment there on April 22. As part of those negotiations, the Daily Californian said, the university proposed its campus foundation develop divestment recommendations for the UC regents to consider and that campus Chancellor Carol Christ issue a statement calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, among other suggestions.

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UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof declined to comment on the article. I can only confirm there is no agreement at this point in time, he said.

On April 26, the UC Office of the President issued a statement noting that UC has consistently opposed calls for boycott against and divestment from Israel.

The negotiations at San Francisco State and other campuses come as several other universities around the country arrest student protesters, confront millions of dollars in damaged property from civil disobedience, cancel commencements and attempt to contain violence.

The universities more conciliatory approaches come ahead of their graduation ceremonies: UC Berkeleys on Saturday, UC Riversides in mid-June, and San Francisco States main event on May 24 off campus  with individual ceremonies hosted by many departments on campus in late May.

On Monday, eight San Francisco State students were elected by fellow protesters to confront Mahoney as hundreds of supportive classmates observed the unusual scene. Some of the negotiators covered their face in keffiyehs or surgical masks. Mahoney, with a fractured left foot, wore a cast on her leg. Her tone was conciliatory but honest. She told them she doesnt set university investment policy.

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After protest leaders reminded everyone that Israels offensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, triggering what the students labeled a genocide and what no one disagrees is a humanitarian crisis, they began their questions.

They noted that in 2022, Mahoney had called for socially responsible investing. If the university isnt transparent about its investments, how can we believe you? asked student Ali Jordan, the only negotiator to identify himself.

Mahoney responded by inviting the group to send representatives to meetings of the campus foundations investment committee, on which two students already serve. Also, she said, we can do a much better job with our website in disclosing publicly available investment information.

(On May 1, CSU officials said they would not alter existing investment policies related to Israel or the Israel-Hamas conflict, and noted that CSU invests in mutual funds, bonds and other instruments but not in stocks or equities in any companies.)

Another student negotiator said students are used to being ignored by the trustees, especially around tuition increases. How will you ensure that our demands are listened to, he asked.

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Mahoney said that at least two other CSU presidents share her wish to revise the universitys investment policy to avoid investments in regions engaged in war. (She described the idea not as Israel-specific, but as a regional approach.)

The best way to be heard by the decision-makers  the trustees  she said, would be for the students to work with campus officials to create a proposal that they could present to the trustees.

When? another student asked.

Lets get started, Mahoney responded.

Escalating protests elsewhere began at Columbia University last month after House Republicans grilled President Minouche Shafik and accused her of allowing antisemitism to fester on campus. Shafiks subsequent crackdown on activists at her campus  she said the huge, anti-Israel protests not only had disrupted campus life, but also made many Jewish students feel unsafe  prompted students at about 150 campuses across the country to set up encampments in solidarity with their counterparts in New York.

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In California, UCLA has been the scene of attacks on protesters and hundreds of arrests. Cal Poly Humboldt last week cleared out buildings that were occupied by students and arrested 31 protesters.

Ultimately, at San Francisco State, students decided that they were not happy with Mahoney.

We were extremely disappointed in her response. We feel that she was deflecting from our questions and our demands, said Violet, a pro-Palestinian Jewish protester.

Although the protesters said they will send representatives to the investment committee, they will ask that it be a public meeting, Violet said.

Also, the protesters have no plans to dismantle their encampment any time soon, she added. Instead, they expect to call a cease-fire Day of Action and student walkout with other CSU campuses that have encampments.
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EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum bolsters cooperation

Joint press release

Today, the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum took place in Brussels.

The event, the first organised by the European Union (EU), was hosted by High Representative/Vice-President (HR/VP) Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin, with support from the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD).

The Forum focused on strengthening defence industrial cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, in view of providing sustained military support to Ukraine, also over the long-term, and better addressing Ukrainian defence and industrial needs. It gathered over 400 representatives from governments, EU and Ukrainian defence industries, industry associations and key partner countries and organisations as well as EU institutions. It included a High-Level Conference and a business matchmaking segment, which offered a platform for concrete business-to-business cooperation, in particular for Small and Medium sized Enterprises.

The EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum is a first, concrete step in the implementation of the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), launched in March 2024. The Forum opens the way to identify concrete cooperation initiatives, arrangements and flagship projects between the EU and Ukraine defence industries, through e.g., joint ventures. This will promote closer cooperation between defence companies and to the progressive integration of the Ukrainian industry in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), also in view of Ukraine's accession process to the EU.

As Russia continues to wage its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU stands firm in its determination and steadfast commitment to support Ukraine with whatever it takes to prevail, in the short-term as well as for the long run. This Forum testifies to this commitment.

The EU will continue to encourage Member States to deliver more and faster miltiary assistance to Ukraine and provide support via the European Peace Facility. The EU has proposed to support joint procurement from the European defence industry (and Norway) and encourages procurement through joint ventures between the European and Ukrainian defence industry.

The EU is also working towards the set-up of an EU Innovation Office in Kyiv.

Background

The Forum is the third multilateral edition of a series of international defence industries events launched by the Ukrainian government in Kyiv in September 2023  the first one organised by the EU.

The EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum was proposed by the European Defence Industrial Strategy, (EDIS), presented on 5 March 2024 by the European Commission and the High Representative, in coordination with the European Defence Agency. Developed against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the objective of EDIS is to strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and achieve defence industrial readiness, in order to better protect EU citizens and support partners. Developing closer ties with Ukraine through its participation in Union's initiatives in support of defence industry and stimulating cooperation between the EU and Ukrainian defence industries are among the set of actions presented in EDIS.

In line with the Conclusions of the European Council, the EU and Member States committed to continue addressing Ukraine's pressing military and defence needs. The EU and Member States have delivered 32 billion military assistance to Ukraine. On 18 March 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted the Ukraine Assistance Fund providing additional 5 billion of support, to be implemented under the European Peace Facility. Under this instrument, the EU has provided lethal and non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine, including ammunition, as well as covered common costs for the training of the 47,000 Ukrainian soldiers trained so far by the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM). The target is to have trained 60,000 Ukrainian troops by summer 2024.

On 15 March 2024, the European Commission selected 31 potential projects with a total funding of 500 million under the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) to assist European industry in increasing its ammunition and missiles production and readiness. On the same day, the European Commission adopted the instrument for the reinforcement of the European Defence Industry through common Procurement (EDIRPA) Work Programme, and launched the respective calls for proposal with a total budget of 310 million.

Quote

Todays Forum is a key step to bolster cooperation between Ukrainian and EU defence industries. It is crucial now but also for our future needs. I am convinced it will bring our defence industries closer, allow us to learn from each other, and help Ukraine to defend itself from Russias war of aggression. This may prove to be a game changer for the long term.

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell

Our commitment towards Ukraine and our joint ambition to mobilise the European industry to deliver what is needed, are as solid as ever. The European defence industries must move into a war economy mode. The objective is to produce faster, more and together, to continue supporting Ukraine, now and on the long term.

Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market

If we are to maintain peace in Europe, we must transition to a wartime European economy and industry, as paradoxical as this may sound. What we can do is deter aggressive Russia by demonstrating that Europe has the means to defend itself. A common defense industrial space would help overcome existing problems. No country can help Ukraine and protect Europe on its own. Only a collective effort can.

Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Ukraine is forever grateful for all the assistance the EU and its Member States have delivered and continue to provide. Over the last year, we have also been ramping up our own capabilities significantly  and we aim to build them in cooperation with our allies. We see our defence industry as part of the EUs defence industrial base, contributing to the collective security of the EUs Member States.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine
Comedian Jo Koy plans to bring his first stand-up tour since hosting the 81st Golden Globe Awards to San Francisco. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Comedian Jo Koy is attempting to bounce back from his disastrous performance at the 81st Golden Globe Awards with a new stand-up show.

The North American leg of the Just Being Koy Tour is set to kick off in Houston on Sept. 6, with a performance scheduled at San Franciscos Chase Center on Oct. 12. Ticket presales begin at noon Tuesday, May 7, with the general sale to follow at noon Thursday, May 9, on Ticketmaster.

Koys monologue at the 81st Golden Globe Awards in January made him a household name for all the wrong reasons, drawing widespread backlash for jokes made at the expense of pop superstar Taylor Swift and Greta Gerwigs movie Barbie.

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But Koy is determined to move past the incident.

I never take for granted that I get to live out my dream on the stage every week and this new tour is something special that I cant wait to share with everyone, he said in a statement.

Jo Koy arrives at the world premiere in 2022 of his movie Easter Sunday at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Willy Sanjuan/Associated Press

Last year Koy lent his voice to characters in Netflixs animated films Monkey King and Leo, and he also appeared in Disneys Haunted Mansion. This year he reprises his Monkey King character voice in the Paramount+ film, The Tigers Apprentice.

Koy is also looking forward to the premiere of his first of two yet to be titled stand-up specials for Netflix, taped at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, N.Y., in November. It is expected to be released this summer.

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San Mateo bakery Backhaus, pictured in 2022, no longer accepts tips. Paul Kuroda/Special to the Chronicle

At one of the Bay Areas top bakeries, customers paying for fresh bread and croissants no longer see a touch screen prompting them to tip.

Backhaus in San Mateo and Burlingame got rid of gratuities last month and raised prices by an average of just under 11% to cover the cost of higher wages and benefits for employees. An entry-level employee now starts at $23.50 an hour, compared to Californias $16-per-hour minimum wage. The bakery offers complete health insurance coverage for all full-time staff, in addition to previous benefits that arent standard in the food industry such as paid parental leave and a 401(k).

Tipless models arent rare in the food industry, but most restaurants charge an automatic service fee rather than increase prices. (Backhaus follows the approach at restaurants including San Franciscos Zazie and Petalumas Pearl.) Backhaus change also comes at a time of heightened sensitivity to the cost of dining out. And under a new law that takes effect July 1, California restaurants will no longer be able to use surcharges to offset the cost of wages, benefits and local mandates, and must instead fold them into menu prices. While many consumers are celebrating this change, restaurateurs are worried that the sticker shock could alienate diners and result in lower sales at an already challenging time in the industry.

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Yet so far at Backhaus, the reaction has been mostly positive, said co-owner Anne Moser. Some customers dont even notice that their croissant got more expensive until they ask about tipping and an employee explains the change. (A sign posted next to the payment tablets announces that Backhaus is now tipless.)

We believe its only fair to provide stability to our team and those kinds of benefits and a fair level of wages so they can afford to live in the community that they serve, Moser said. Thats part of the cost of doing business around here, so we need to price our products accordingly.

A sign at the counter notifies customers about the new tipless model at Backhaus in Burlingame. Elena Kadvany/The Chronicle

Moser and business partner Robert Moser never wanted to accept tips at Backhaus. But when they opened the bakery in San Mateo in 2019, it felt too risky. They watched Bay Area restaurants that had implemented service charges revert to tips after backlash or staffing issues. They decided to compromise by pooling gratuities among all workers to cut down on the historic pay disparity between servers, who often make more through tips, and cooks and dishwashers.

But recently, customers started to tip less  dropping from about 8% of Backhaus overall revenue to 6% to 7%  as the business costs, from ingredients to utility bills, rose sharply. Gratuities are unpredictable and vague, Moser said: When tips are not good or very good, we dont necessarily know why.

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Rather than hike menu prices across the board, Backhaus management team analyzed each item. They considered labor and ingredient costs, and looked at competitors menus. They used a Massachusetts Institute of Technology living wage calculator to assess what a full-time worker would need to be paid to afford their basic needs in San Mateo County. They also thought about customers emotional reactions to pricing: How would someone feel about paying $23 for a plate of rye bread and smoked salmon?

Fresh pastries and bread from Backhaus in San Mateo, pictured in 2022. Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

The highest increase was Backhaus breakfast sandwich, available only at the new Burlingame location, which went from $13 to $15.50. Almost every ingredient on the sandwich is made from scratch, including the poppy seed brioche roll, sausage patty and aioli. Backhaus most expensive pastry is now a $9.50 seasonal galette (previously $8.75). Other pastries went up by 25 cents.

On a recent morning at Backhaus in Burlingame, customers shared mixed reactions to the model. One man bristled at the prices and decided to eat somewhere else, while others said they didnt realize anything had changed. Several supported the new model.

Its refreshing, said Melissa Basso. A former server, she said she knows how hard people work for that money. The higher price comes with the territory of living here, Basso said.

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Preeti Deb also said she likes patronizing a business where she feels the workers are better taken care of. They shouldnt be dependent on tips, she said.

Both said they dislike the awkward dance of being shown a screen and deciding how much to tip in front of an employee. Moser is hopeful customers appreciate that change, removing the expectation and uncomfortable ambiguity about tipping for customers.

Celeste Olmos places a tray of croissants on a rack to be baked at Backhaus in San Mateo in 2022. The bakery is now tipless. Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Customer Kerri Hampton, who recently moved to California from Ireland, is still adjusting to American tipping culture and Bay Area prices. She questioned why it all comes back to the consumer, whether through tips or higher prices  a common complaint, although operators have no other ways to bring in extra revenue.

One Yelp reviewer complained about being saddled with increased prices at a bakery where many customers take their purchases to-go. By the same reasoning, if I go buy a pack of gum at Walgreens, am I expected to pay a gratuity? the reviewer wrote. Backhaus has made a business decision to force a gratuity upon all its patrons. I have made a personal decision to not patronize any establishment that chooses to do so.

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Moser understands that Backhaus is not an inexpensive place to eat. She knows theres a risk of dropping sales. But she hopes it helps people think about what is attached to the cost of a croissant.
On summer nights in the mid-1960s, while black-and-white television crackled elsewhere in his Staten Island home with news of Southern violence and Vietnam, Bobby Lasnik would stretch out in his bedroom to let the righteous soundtrack of the civil rights movement waft into his impressionable teenage soul.

Tuned in to WBAI-FM, coming across the water from Manhattan, he heard baleful laments about injustice that he would carry with him for a lifetime.

Suddenly there was someone speaking a certain kind of truth to you. Youd say, Wow! Thats something Im not used to hearing on the radio, something that moved me,  Lasnik said of the first time he heard the lyrics of Bob Dylan. I dont even remember which song it was, but I loved the imagery, the words you wouldnt think about putting together and the concepts that would emerge in your mind when you heard them.

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Now the imagery flows in the other direction. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik -- Your Honor, not Bobby -- has been known to invoke the voice of the vagabond poet in rulings from the federal bench in Seattle. He has recited lines from Chimes of Freedom in a case weighing the legality of indefinite detention and The Times They Are A-Changin, the battle cry of the civil rights movement, in a landmark ruling that excluding contraceptives from an employers prescription drug plan constitutes sex discrimination.

Lasnik isnt alone in weaving Dylans protest era pathos into contemporary legal discourse.

No musicians lyrics are more often cited than Dylans in court opinions and briefs, say legal experts who have chronicled the artists influence on todays legal community. From U.S. Supreme Court rulings to law school courses, Dylans words are used to convey messages about the law and courts gone astray.

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His signature protest songs, Blowin in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin, gave voice and vocabulary to the antiwar and civil rights marches. His most powerful ballads, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll and Hurricane, have become models for legal storytelling and using music to make a point.

Dylans music and values have imprinted themselves on the justice system because his songs were the score playing during the formative years of the judges and lawyers now populating the nations courthouses, colleges and blue-chip law firms, says Michael Perlin, a New York Law School professor who has used Dylan lyrics as titles for at least 50 published law journal articles.

Perlin and others lured to the law by the moral siren songs of the 1960s credit Dylan with roles in passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, federal sentencing guidelines that purport to ensure more equitable prison terms and due process reforms prohibiting racial profiling.

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Everyone wants to believe that the music they listen to says something about who they are, says Alex Long, a University of Texas law professor who has researched the penetration of political songwriting into the legal system.

Being a judge is a pretty cloistered existence, having to crank out these opinions in isolation. Dylan was popular at the time they were coming of age and trying to figure out who they were, says Long, a 41-year-old exposed to Dylans musings as a child at the foot of his parents record player. The chance to throw in a line from your favorite artist is tempting, a chance to let your freak flag fly.

During a semester in 2007, Long combed legal databases to identify lyrics in court filings and scholarly publications, finding Dylan cited 186 times, far outpacing the rest of the top 10: the Beatles, 74; Bruce Springsteen, 69; Paul Simon, 59; Woody Guthrie, 43; the Rolling Stones, 39; the Grateful Dead, 32; Simon & Garfunkel, 30; Joni Mitchell, 28; and R.E.M., 27.

And it doesnt end with musicians. In apparent efforts to add rhetorical flourish to their rulings, judges have also often cited famous writers and humorists. In a U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruling last year, Judge Francis M. Allegra lamented the perplexity of the 1982 Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, writing that it is the sort of law that brings to mind the old Mark Twain line: The more you explain it, the more I dont understand it. 

But to date, it is the songs of the 1960s that seem to have the judges ears.

One oft-cited line comes from Dylans first top 10 hit, which half a dozen California appellate court rulings have included to convey that expert testimony is unnecessary to make a point obvious to any layman.

(italics)

You dont need a weatherman

To know which way the wind blows.

-- Subterranean Homesick Blues

(end italics)

Georgetown Law School Professor Abbe Smith describes Dylans Hattie Carroll as an almost perfect ballad, a little bit of story and a little bit of lecture. It mocks the injustice of a six-month jail sentence given a wealthy Maryland socialite, William Zantziger, for the 1963 beating death of black barmaid Hattie Carroll for being too slow to bring his drink.

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Devoted Dylan fans now teaching law have incorporated into their curricula that ballad and Hurricane, the story of boxer Rubin Hurricane Carters murder trial in Paterson, N.J., as models from which aspiring trial lawyers can hone their craft.

The traffic stop during which the Paterson police found shell casings linking Carter to a triple murder should have led to exclusion of the evidence because the police had no reasonable suspicion of a crime having been committed when they stopped him, said Allison Connelly, a University of Kentucky law professor and former public defender.

His trial is a textbook example for young attorneys on the value of digging for evidence and challenging the authorities side of the story, Connelly said. She asks her students to draw on Dylans lyrical account of the case to identify flaws in the prosecutions theory, find witnesses and set up parallel time lines to create an alibi for the defendant.

(italics)

All of Rubins cards were marked in advance

The trial was a pig-circus he never had a chance

-- Hurricane

(end italics)

The song tells a story of racist cops, a crooked judge and a biased jury that sent Carter to prison for two life sentences. A federal judge ultimately overturned Carters conviction, saying the prosecution had been based on an appeal to racism rather than reason.

Dylans portrayal of the case as a frame-up may have influenced the enactment or enforcement of laws prohibiting traffic stops without cause and barring prosecutors from dismissing jurors because of their race, Connelly speculates.

In one of his first important cases after being named to the federal bench by President Clinton in 1998, Lasnik quoted Dylans Chimes of Freedom to evoke the artists sympathy for the downtrodden and mistreated. The case centered on a challenge by deportable undocumented immigrants who had been detained for years.

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(italics)

We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing

As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds

Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing

Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight

Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight

An for each an evry underdog soldier in the night

An we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

-- Chimes of Freedom

(end italics)

But while judges like Lasnik, 60, pay homage to Dylan, the respect doesnt appear mutual, notes David Zornow, a partner at the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

This is a guy who doesnt have a lot good to say about judges, says Zornow, who in the voluminous archive of the artists lyrics found only two references to judges that cast them as caring and professional. Most refer to corruption and caprice.

Like a suspect invoking his right to remain silent, Dylan declined through his spokesman Larry Jenkins to talk about his role as legal muse.

Dylans lyrics are often identified with the left, but the two citations in U.S. Supreme Court rulings were made by conservatives. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. ruled in 2008 that billing firms hired by pay-phone operators didnt have standing to sue because they had no claim on the money they collected, slightly misquoting Dylan with his comment: When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.

The lyrics:

(italics)

When you aint got nothing, youve got nothing to lose.

-- Like a Rolling Stone

(end italics)

Last year, Justice Antonin Scalia brought up Dylan when he scolded his high court colleagues for declining to rule yet on the evolving question of when employees have an expectation of privacy in using company email, arguing that  The times they are a-changin  is a feeble excuse for disregard of duty.

Lasnik, who has also quoted Paul Simons line from The Boxer about willful ignorance -- A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest -- feigns distress at the justices emulating of his habit of referencing Dylan.

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When Chief Justice Roberts quoted Dylan, I thought, Oh, no!  said Lasnik. Now its not cool anymore.

carol.williams@latimes.com
The Daniel Ortega regime is one of the most brutal and repressive regimes in Latin America, with Nicaragua becoming infamous for its brutal and often deadly put-downs of any form of dissent, from student protesters to the free press to the Roman Catholic Church, to even the country's very first Miss Universe winner.

As the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights described the situation, its investigations have found that under Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has committed crimes against humanity targeting civilians, including children and students. All of this for its own political ends, with Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo aiming to stay in power indefinitely, through any means possible.

The Many Human Rights Violations of Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega Regime

The conjugal dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has been blasted by the US and the EU, as well as the UN and various human rights organizations. It has been described as a humanitarian crisis by Ortega's critics, with many fleeing to other countries like Costa Rica and the US so that they would be safer. It is also fueling the mass migration out of Nicaragua, which remains one of Latin America's poorest countries. Here are five ways Nicaragua is violating its people's human rights:

Protests and Religious Processions Are Not Allowed

Since the 2018 protests, Nicaragua has banned any form of protest whatsoever, and it got so bad that even going around the streets waiving the Nicaraguan flag was banned unless it was a rally for Ortega. This was extended to religious processions too, as an escalation of Ortega's feud with the Roman Catholic Church.

Arbitrary Arrests and Detentions

Speaking of its feud with the Catholic Church, Nicaragua's arrest of Ortega critic and Matagalpa Bishop Rolando Alvares continues to be one of the most high-profile cases of arbitrary arrests and detentions happening all over Nicaragua. Critics, or even just those who spoke ill of the government are arbitrarily detained and undergo unfair trials, leading to people going to one of the worst and most inhumane prison systems on Earth.

READ MORE: Nicaragua Dictator Daniel Ortega Clamps Down on Free Speech Even Further; US Imposes Arms Restrictions

Lack of Rights for Indigenous People

According to Amnesty International, aside from the Catholic Church, one of the groups most targeted by the Ortega government are indigenous peoples, with many of their leaders being targeted for arbitrary arrests and unfair trials.

Stripping Daniel Ortega Critics of Their Citizenship

This is something that is unique to the Ortega regime, as the Nicaraguan government often strips its people of their citizenship as a form of punishment. Bishop Alvarez, several prominent opposition members, and exiled critics have all been stripped of their citizenship, as Human Rights Watch pointed out.

Lack of Freedom of Religion

Ortega's feud with not just the Catholic Church and indigenous people, but also protestant churches, has resulted in religion being all but banned in Nicaragua.

Under the regime, several NGOs and charities connected to various churches, be it Catholic or protestant, have been shut down. He also kicked out Mother Teresa's Sisters of Charity and seized the country's largest university that was run by the Jesuits.

READ NEXT: Daniel Ortega Net Worth

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Hundreds of Nicaraguan Americans in Miami raise awareness of Ortega's regime - CBS Miami
Australians Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were shot dead by robbers in Mexico. Local police think the heinous killings happened as the thieves tried to jack their vehicle to steal its tires.

The bodies of the three surfers were recovered from what had been described as a well in the area last Friday. The Baja California Forensic Medical Service revealed that all three died from a gunshot to the head.

Three men are still in custody over their disappearance. One of them had already been charged with "forced disappearance" while the other two are still detained, according to ABC News (Australia).

The three tourists were surfing in the well-known surf spot of Ensenada, Baja California in Mexico's northwest. Their deaths led to members of the surfing community there, both foreign and local, taking to the streets to demand improved security in the area.

Around 500 people were marching around Ensenada were marching in protest while chanting in Spanish, "We want security." Some of the protesters were holding surfboards with messages including "Australia, we are with you" and "They only wanted to surf, and they executed them."

"We are here in solidarity with our friends from Australia and the United States," said local surfer Hector Estrada. "We are a big community of surfers all over the world and we need security, we need the beaches to be safe [for] camping around, surfing, or just playing with your family, friends."

Mexico Authorities Believe Australians and American Were Killed in 'Robbery Gone Wrong'

Baja California authorities are calling the incident a "robbery gone wrong" as the robbers just wanted to steal the truck the three were riding on to steal their tires. The attack reportedly happened while the three victims were camping on a stretch of beach south of Ensenada.

READ MORE: Mexico City Searchers Find Massive Clandestine Grave Site Used by Drug Cartels as Crematorium

"The attackers drove by in their vehicle," Baja California chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez told the media in a press conference. "They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tires and other parts to put them on the older-model pickup they were driving."

Somehow, the robbery attempt did not go as planned, with the robbers burning the tourists' tents after killing them. They then dumped their bodies into a well before covering it up with boards.

American and Australian Surfers Killed in Mexico May Have Resisted

As to why the robbery attempt went wrong, Andrade Ramirez noted that the victims may have resisted and this led the robbers to resort to violence.

"When they (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted," she told reporters. "And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too."

She added that the killers might have been looking for trucks. "They may have been looking for trucks in this area," she said. The area has been described as "a site that is extremely hard to get to." The stretch of beach where they were killed is known to be a secluded area.

READ MORE: Mexico City Serial Killer Miguel Cortes Now Being Called 'Mexican Jeffrey Dahmer,' 8 Victims Known So Far

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Written by: Rick Martin
A New Mexico mom was shot dead and her 10-month-old baby was abducted in a heinous attack which also saw another woman dead and a 5-year-old girl wounded at Ned Houk Park in Clovis, New Mexico.

According to NBC News, the attack happened around Friday, with the Clovis Police Department being dispatched to Ned Houk Park around 4:30 PM after a 911 call of a person discovering two dead women within the park.

So far, New Mexico State Police have stated that they do not have a suspect in the attack yet, but they do believe that a person who was "driving a maroon Honda" may be the killer. Both women, including the mother of the abducted infant, are confirmed dead while the 5-year-old girl somehow survived with a gunshot wound to her head.

The bodies of the women were found by police lying on the ground near a silver Dodge minivan and they were apparently shot to death. Meanwhile, the little girl was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas where she is being treated.

Inside the minivan, police found an infant car seat, an infant stroller and a small baby bottle. They believed that the baby, 10-month-old Eleia Maria Torres, was abducted and New Mexico authorities have now issued an amber alert for her.

"Officers were concerned there was an infant child with the female victims when this incident happened," a statement from the Clovis Police Department read, The police immediately began a search for the missing baby but could not find her.

READ MORE: New Mexico: Losing Republican Candidate Indicted for Shooting at Democrats Homes, Offices

New Mexico Police Identify 2 Women Killed in Attack Where Baby Was Abducted

New Mexico State Police have revealed that the mom of the abducted 10-month-old girl and the wounded 5-year-old girl was identified as Samantha Cisneros. However, the two girls have different fathers. The other woman who was killed was identified as Taryn Allen. Both victims were 23 years old and were both from Texico, New Mexico.

According to the Associated Press, the police do not believe the fathers of the two girls are the suspects and both are already cooperating with police. They also ruled out the possibility of a robbery as their purses and other belongings were found near their bodies.

The FBI, the Clovis Police, and the New Mexico State Police are working together on this case and are asking the public for any leads regarding the suspect and the missing baby Eleia Maria Torres.

Search for Abducted New Mexico Baby Eleia Maria Torres Continues

The FBI has stated that no detail on the whereabouts of the abducted baby are too small and described her in the amber alert as 28 inches tall and weighs 23 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

"We need to show our community's support," said Clovis Police Chief Roy Rice. "There have been a lot of tragic events, and a lot of people are damaged and are victims in this. And we're here to help them."

READ MORE: Texas Promises To Continue Placing Razor Wire Along US-Mexico Border Despite Supreme Court Ruling

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Amber Alert: Search continues for missing 10-month-old in Clovis, New Mexico - KOAT
The Joe Biden administration's decision to delay an American arms shipments bound for Israel has stirred concerns in Jerusalem, as confirmed by sources within the Israeli government.

This delay, the first of its kind since October 7, has prompted Israeli officials to seek clarification from their American counterparts, with no official explanation provided by the White House, the Department of Defense, or the State Department.

Senior Israeli officials disclosed that the shipment, crucial for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was halted on directives from Washington, leaving Israeli authorities perplexed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indirectly addressed the issue during Holocaust Remembrance Day, stressing the necessity of self-defense and implicitly alluding to the importance of receiving support, stating, "If we do not defend ourselves, no one else will defend us. And if we have to stand alone - we will stand alone."

The delay in the arms shipments coincides with escalating tensions over a potential Israeli operation in Rafah, where a significant number of Palestinians have sought refuge since the onset of the conflict, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Netanyahu has reiterated Israel's resolve to act in Rafah, regardless of international agreement, further heightening concerns.

READ NEXT: Colombia's President Cuts Ties with Israel Amid Gaza Conflict

Netanyahu's Stance on Rafah Operation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to conduct a military operation in Rafah, located in southern Gaza, where approximately 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge, and Hamas maintains its last stronghold.

Despite warnings from President Joe Biden and other Western officials regarding the potential for increased civilian casualties and exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis, Netanyahu remains firm in his resolve.

President Biden's administration has cautioned Israel about the consequences of proceeding with the operation without adequate measures to protect civilians, according to AXIOS.

The decision by the administration to pause the delivery of US-made ammunition to Israel last week underscores this concern, marking the first such interruption since October 7.

The Biden administration's move to delay the arms shipments has raised serious concerns within the Israeli government, prompting officials to seek clarification.

Amid growing criticism from Americans opposed to Biden's support for Israel, the administration's decision reflects a broader debate over US policy in the region.

Israeli officials have revealed that the arms shipments were halted last week, with no official comment from the White House.

Despite ongoing efforts by mediators to broker a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, tensions persist over the potential Israeli operation in Rafah.

Diplomatic Efforts and Negotiations

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to Israel included discussions with Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the proposed operation in Rafah, with Blinken warning against the potential repercussions for US-Israel relations.

The Joe Biden administration has made it clear that Israel's approach to the Rafah situation will influence US policy regarding the Gaza conflict.

Intensive negotiations involving Egyptian and Qatari mediators are ongoing, with efforts focused on securing a ceasefire and a hostage release agreement, CNN noted.

However, disagreements persist between Israel and Hamas, with both sides blaming each other for stalled negotiations.

CIA Director Bill Burns has played a key role in facilitating talks between the parties involved, though uncertainties remain regarding the outcome of these negotiations.

The US continues to pressure Hamas to accept the latest ceasefire proposal while also urging Israel to refrain from launching a ground offensive in Rafah.

READ MORE: Biden Accuses Japan, India of 'Xenophobia' Post-Visit with Japanese PM

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Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: US to consider slowing weapon delivery shipments to Israel - From KTVB
Voters have now cast their ballots as polling centers officially close throughout Panama. The presidential election now goes to the counting stage. The next president is due to be sworn in on July 1 of this year.

Eight candidates are vying for the presidency, though Jose Raul Mulino was the one leading in the polls coming into last Sunday's ballot. He replaced the disgraced former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli as his party's nominee. Martinelli, who has been sanctioned by the US government for corruption, was ruled ineligible to run because he was found guilty of money laundering.

The BBC noted that the Panama Elections will also have voters choosing their respective representatives in the country's National Assembly. Incumbent President Laurentino "Nito" Cortizo is constitutionally barred from running for re-election as Panamanian presidents are not allowed to have two consecutive terms in office. He can run again in the next election.

Martinelli was the favorite to win the election but was forced to drop out of the race and was replaced by Mulino. He is currently hiding in the Nicaraguan Embassy after he lost his latest appeal to throw out the case against him. He has been sentenced to almost 11 years in prison for his crimes.

The former president and convicted tax evader has been campaigning for Mulino from inside the Nicaraguan Embassy. Before becoming the favorite for the presidency, Mulino was Martinelli's runningmate for the 2024 election. He recently survived a Supreme Court case that also tried to bar him from the ballot.

READ MORE: Panama Slams Nicaragua Over Ricardo Martinelli Asylum, Claims Neighbor Is Meddling in Internal Affairs

Panama Citizens Willing To Overlook Ricardo Martinelli's Scandals Heading Into the 2024 Elections

While Martinelli was known for his combative nature and charisma, Mulino was said to lack these traits. However, he made up for it with his connection to the former president and Martinelli constantly campaigning for him from the Nicaraguan Embassy.

Despite the scandals plaguing Martinelli, a lot of Panamanian voters are willing to overlook it as he and Mulino have vowed to fight the endemic graft that plagues the country, even though Marinelli has been found to be part of that corruption. He was not just found guilty of money laundering, but was also previously arrested in Florida.

"Panama's election will be one of the most complex in its modern history. The vote is marked by increased political fragmentation and social discontent under outgoing President Laurentino Cortizo," Arantza Alonso, senior analyst for the Americas at the risk consulting firm Verisk Maplecroft told the Associated Press.

The Other Panama Elections Candidates Running for President

While Mulino is the frontrunner, there are other candidates who are also favorites to win. These include Romulo Roux and former President Martin Torrijos, who have been alternating between 2nd and 3rd place in the polls. Closely behind them are Ricardo Lombana and current Vice President Jose Gabriel Carrizo.

However, sentiments for voters remain mixed, with one voter telling Reuters that she voted for Mulino because she feels he could bring more jobs to Panama, while a student who voted for Lombana stated he wanted fresh faces to lead the country, not the usual politicians.

READ MORE: Panama: 5 Dead, 1 Missing After Migrant Smuggling Boat Capsizes

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Panama's 2024 presidential election: Residents vote amid a political crisis - Al Jazeera English
Severe floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have left a trail of destruction, claiming the lives of at least 75 people over the past week, with another 103 individuals reported missing, as announced by local authorities on Sunday.

The relentless rains have also left 155 people injured and forced over 88 thousand residents from their homes, with approximately 16,000 seeking refuge in temporary shelter, AP News reports.

The Brazil floods have caused widespread devastation, resulting in landslides, submerged roads collapsed bridges, and disruptions to essential services such as electricity and communications.

Over 800,000 individuals lack clean water, worsening hardships in impacted areas.

Rescue efforts have been underway, with dramatic scenes of volunteers utilizing boats, jet skis, and even swimming to aid in evacuations.

Despite these efforts, the Brazil floods death toll continue to rise, with concerns mounting over the fate of the missing individuals and the extensive damage inflicted by the floods.

READ NEXT: Brazil Floods: Death Toll Reaches 39

President Lula Visits Affected Areas

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, accompanied by key members of his cabinet, arrived in Rio Grande do Sul on Sunday to assess the situation and coordinate rescue and reconstruction efforts with local authorities.

President Lula emphasized the need for swift action and pledged government support to address the crisis, according to Reuters.

Speaking at a press conference, President Lula described the situation as akin to a war scenario, underscoring the urgent need for post-disaster measures.

Volunteers and emergency responders have been working tirelessly to assist those affected, with numerous acts of heroism reported amidst the chaos.

The extent of the devastation has prompted comparisons to historic floods, with water levels surpassing records set during previous deluges.

Despite the challenges, President Lula expressed determination to mobilize resources and implement measures to mitigate the impact of the disaster.

Climate Change and Environmental Impact

The recent Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil floods are the latest in a series of environmental disasters to strike the region, with previous incidents occurring in July, September, and November 2023, leading to considerable loss of life and extensive devastation.

Climate experts attribute these extreme weather events to the influence of El Nino, a climate phenomenon characterized by fluctuations in ocean temperatures.

El Nino typically leads to intensified rainfall in southern Brazil, exacerbating the risk of flooding and landslides, Aljazeera noted.

This year, the effects of El Nino have been particularly pronounced, contributing to historic droughts in other parts of the country, such as the Amazon region.

The rise in both frequency and intensity of natural calamities underscores the pressing need for proactive measures to relieve the impacts of climate change.

Suely Araujo, a public policy coordinator at the Climate Observatory, emphasized the importance of adaptation strategies to mitigate the growing risks posed by extreme weather events.

The devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul these incidents serve as a clear indication of the pressing necessity for coordinated action to address the challenges posed by climate change and safeguard vulnerable communities from future disasters.

As rescue and recovery efforts continue, attention must also be focused on long-term strategies to build resilience and mitigate the impact of environmental threats.

READ MORE: Brazil: Blaze Consumes Small Hotel, Resulting in 10 Deaths

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Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Floods in southern Brazil kill at least 75 people over 7 days, 103 people missing - From Associated Press
The celebration of Mexican heritage in Chicago was marred by gang violence, prompting the abrupt cancelation of the Cinco de Mayo parade.

Scheduled to kick off at noon on Sunday in the Little Village neighborhood, the event faced disruption after gunfire was detected in the area, prompting intervention from law enforcement.

The decision, made in collaboration with local officials and parade organizers, aimed to ensure public safety amid escalating gang-related incidents in the area, Fox 32 Chicago reports.

Before chaos descended, the parade route buzzed with excitement as children reveled in the festivities, enjoying horse rides, traditional music, and dancing.

However, the atmosphere soured just an hour after the parade commenced as rival gangs clashed along the route, leading to the arrest of 25 gang members, some of whom were found in possession of firearms.

READ NEXT: Chicago Police Apprehend Suspect in Officer's Killing

Gang Violence Derails Parade Plans

The Cinco de Mayo celebrations on Chicago's West Side were disrupted by a spate of gang violence near the parade route, casting a shadow over the anticipated event.

The parade, slated to kick off at noon near Cermak Road and Damen Avenue, faced disruptions as reports of disturbances, including gunfire, emerged along the route, according to WGN9.

Amid the escalating tensions, a joint decision was reached by the Chicago Police Department's 10th District, elected officials, and parade organizers to cancel the event, citing concerns over public safety.

However, conflicting reports emerged regarding the fate of the parade, with some organizers asserting that it proceeded along an altered route to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.

While police worked to disperse unruly crowds and quell the violence, concerns mounted over the impact of the disruptions on the local community.

Observers recounted scenes marked by disorder and apprehension, characterized by police efforts to maintain order clashed with the specter of gang-related violence.

Community Response and Concerns

Despite the disruptions, the spirit of solidarity prevailed among community members, with efforts underway to salvage the spirit of the occasion.

Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez affirmed that the parade continued along a revised route, allowing residents to come together and celebrate despite the challenges.

However, the underlying tensions and prevalence of gang activity in the area underscored broader concerns about public safety and community well-being.

Residents expressed frustration and fear over the escalating violence, lamenting the erosion of their once-vibrant neighborhood, ABC 7 noted.

As endeavors to tackle the underlying reasons for gang violence and bolster community resilience continue, the need for coordinated action and support from local authorities remains paramount.

While the immediate threat may have subsided, the scars left by the incident act as a clear reminder of the difficulties communities encounter while dealing with the threat of gang-related violence.

The disruption of Chicago's Cinco de Mayo parade by gang violence serves as a sobering reminder of the complex social dynamics and challenges facing communities in the city.

Despite efforts to maintain public safety and uphold the spirit of celebration, the incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by gang activity and the need for sustained efforts to address underlying issues.

As residents and authorities alike grapple with the aftermath of the incident, there is a renewed sense of urgency to confront systemic issues and strive to build a community that is both safer and more inclusive for everyone.

In the face of adversity, the resilience and solidarity displayed by community members offers hope for a brighter future grounded in the shared values of unity and mutual support.

READ MORE: Chicago Police Officer Killed in Violent Carjacking

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: West Side Cinco de Mayo celebrations canceled after reports of gang violence - From WGN News
A new poll may have troubling news for Donald Trump, who is in a tight race against President Joe Biden. It found that a large percentage of Trump supporters might not vote for him should he be convicted as he faces a myriad of allegations, from his ongoing New York porn star hush money trial to his classified documents cast, as well as his January 6 and Georgia election interference cases.

A new ABC News/Ipsos poll produced by Langer Research Associates and conducted between April 25 to 30 found that while 80% of Trump voters will stand by him even if he was found guilty of his crimes, around 20% say they would reconsider voting for him.

Around 16% of those polled say that they would reconsider their support, while 4% are saying that they would totally withdraw their support from the embattled former president should he be convicted. In a very tight race with Biden for the White House, this could hurt Trump.

Democratic political strategist Brad Bannon spoke with Newsweek and stated that "the matchup between Biden and Trump could be a closely contested race, as tight as a tick on a hound drop."

"A Trump conviction could be all that the president needs to squeeze out a win over his predecessor. Trump is not doing himself any favors with his antics before, during, and after his days in court. If he loses in the trial court, he loses bigly in the court of public opinion," added Bannon.

So far, polls have been mixed regarding the Trump-Biden match-up, with Biden leading in some polls, while Trump had a narrow lead in others, just 46% to Biden's 44%. In that same poll, however, Biden led Trump among registered and likely voters.

Donald Trump Slammed Over Recent Rants About Various Court Cases

During a private lunch for Republican donors and party leaders at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Donald Trump went on a long rant as he whined about his various court cases, including personal ad hominem attacks on Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Special Counsel Jack Smith.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Hush Money Trial: Former Trump Spokesperson Hope Hicks Testifies

This earned him the ire of e senior congressional Democrat James Clyburn of South Carolina, calling out Trump for likening the Biden administration to the Gestapo secret police of Nazi Germany. Clyburn admitted these comments were "incredible, but it's not surprising."

He added, Trump "is given to hyperbole on every subject that he ever approaches ... The country got off track after that 1876 election and we are approaching the same kinds of elements today" before accusing the former president of having an "understanding of this country that I thought we left behind more than 100 years ago. But as I watch things happen in the country today, I've been harkening back for some time now, to the 1876 presidential election, and how this country got off track after the civil war."

Accounting Firm Hired by Donald Trump's Trump Media Charged With 'Massive Fraud'

Meanwhile, the accounting firm BF Borgers has now been charged by the SEC of widespread fraud and accused of operating a "sham audit mill." The company is the Trump Media & Technology Group's independent accounting firm, according to CNN.

The accounting firm has been accused of deliberate and systemic failures," including "fabricating" audit documentation. It may have also falsely represented its work to its clients, thus failing to comply with accounting standards.

"Borgers and his sham audit mill have been permanently shut down," said SEC Enforcement Division Director Gurbir Grewal. Meanwhile, Trump Media was told to find another accounting firm by the SEC, and the company is saying that it will be doing just that.

READ MORE: US Crime Drops Significantly Despite Donald Trump Claims

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: TRIAL Judge SCHOOLS Trump to HIS FACE as Day Starts - MeidasTouch
A man was hospitalized following a stabbing Saturday near a Bethlehem park, city police said.

Bethlehem Police Capt. Nicholas P. Lechman said the incident unfolded around 10:45 p.m. in the area of Friendship Park, in the 200 block of East North Street. Officers were dispatched for a reported disturbance with possible shots fired.

The male victim was found with several stab wounds that happened during a fight, Lechman said. He underwent emergency treatment at an area hospital with injuries that do not appear to be life threatening.

Officers found evidence of recent gunfire at the same site, city police said.

There were no other reported injuries. No suspects currently are in custody, Lechman said.

Bethlehem police are looking for witnesses of Saturdays incident. Those with information are asked to call 610-865-7000 or email BethlehemPolice@bethlehem-pa.gov. Anonymous information can also be provided on the police tip line at 610- 691-6660.

The incident unfolded around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024 in the area of Friendship Park, in the 200 block of East North Street. google map

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Editors note: This post has been updated with new details from the Northampton County Coroners Office.

A missing hiker who was the focus of a search that lasted more than four hours was found dead early Sunday near the Blue Mountain Ski Area in Lehigh Township, authorities said.

The Northampton County Coroners Office has identified the deceased as 61-year-old Raghu Kodali of the Whitehouse Station section of Readington Township in New Jersey. The cause and manner of the death are pending, Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said Monday morning.

Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 Chief Richard Hildebrand Jr. told lehighvalleylive.com emergency crews were dispatched shortly after midnight Sunday for the reported missing hiker. Firefighters with Lehigh Township, as well as Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Co. crews in Carbon County, initially began canvassing near the Appalachian Trail, he said.

Pennsylvania State Polices Water Rescue team and a drone team from the Palmer Township Municipal Fire Dept. assisted until weather conditions deteriorated, Hildebrand said. Area police departments with K-9 units also responded in the search.

Crews found the victim around 4:30 a.m. Sunday deceased just off the Appalachian Trail, Hildebrand said. The Northampton County Coroners Office was then called to the scene.

Ashley Seier, director of marketing for Blue Mountain Resort, told lehighvalleylive.com Monday morning resort representatives helped local officials in the search effort. The victim was later found off Blue Mountains property, but in the vicinity.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time, Seier said.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP)  A Pennsylvania man who credits an alligator named Wally for helping relieve his depression for nearly a decade says he is searching for the reptile after it went missing during a vacation to the coast of Georgia.

Joie Henney of Lebanon County has thousands of social media users following his pages devoted to Wally, the cold-blooded companion that he calls his emotional support alligator. He has posted photos and videos online of people petting the 5 1/2-foot alligator like a dog or hugging it like a teddy bear.

Wallys popularity soared to new heights last year when the gator was denied entry to a Philadelphia Phillies game.

Now Henney said he is distraught after Wally vanished while accompanying him on an April vacation in Brunswick, Georgia, a port city 70 miles south of Savannah. He said he suspects someone stole Wally from the fenced outdoor enclosure where Wally spent the night on April 21.

Wally gets to walk around before entering a roller skating rink in York, July 8, 2021. (Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com, file)

In social media posts, Henney said pranksters left Wally outside the home of someone who called authorities, resulting in his alligator being trapped and released into the wild.

We need all the help we can get to bring my baby back, Henney said in a tearful video posted on TikTok. Please, we need your help.

Henney said he didnt have time to talk when The Associated Press reached him by phone Wednesday morning. He did not immediately return follow-up messages. He also didnt follow up with requests from PennLive this week.

Wally has been well known in central Pa., walking down the aisle of a wedding in his finest tuxedo, speaking at schools and events, and meeting Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty.

Henney, of Jonestown, Pa., has previously said he obtained Wally in 2015 after the alligator was rescued in Florida at the age of 14 months. Henney told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2019 that Wally helped alleviate depression following the deaths of several close friends. He said a doctor treating his depression had endorsed Wallys status as his emotional support animal.

He has never tried to bite no one, Henney told the newspaper.

No one has filed police reports about the missing alligator in Brunswick and surrounding Glynn County, according to spokespersons for the city and county police departments.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources confirmed that someone in the Brunswick area reported a nuisance alligator on April 21  the day Henney said Wally went missing  and that a licensed trapper was dispatched to capture it. The agency said in a statement that the gator was released in a remote location, but stressed that it doesnt know if the reptile was Wally.

Its illegal in Georgia for people to keep alligators without a special license or permit, and the state Department of Natural Resources says it doesnt grant permits for pet gators.

Pennsylvania has no state law against owning alligators, though it is illegal for owners to release them into the wild, according to its Fish and Boat Commission.

Wally the alligator acting as ring-bearer during a wedding in 2021. (Submitted photo by Donna Welch, file)

David Mixon, a wildlife biologist and coastal supervisor for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, has handled plenty of alligators reported in peoples yards and swimming pools. He has also shown gators kept in captivity in presentations to school groups and Boy Scout troops.

He said even alligators that seem docile can be dangerous, and he always makes sure to hold their mouths closed with a hand or, preferably, a band.

Theyre unpredictable, and theyre often reactive to stimulus, Mixon said. Theres lots of videos and pictures where people handle gators, and they do it without getting hurt. But the more time you spend around them, the more likely you are to be injured.

In areas where people can legally own alligators, it is possible for them to be considered emotional support animals, said Lori Kogan, a psychologist and Colorado State University professor who studies interactions between humans and animals.

Unlike service animals that help people with disabilities such as blindness or post-traumatic stress, emotional support animals have no special training, Kogan said. They also dont have any official registry, though health professionals often write letters of endorsement for owners with a diagnosed mental health condition.

People can get very attached to a variety of animals, Kogan said. Can you get attached to a reptile? Can it bring you comfort? I would say yes. Me personally? No.
It continued that Kilclare has numerous warning signs indicating pedestrians, due to the Blueway which were erected by Waterways Ireland.

The response concluded: "There are driver feedback signs indicating an appropriate speed for this area also. Both areas of the Regional Road have a speed limit of 80kph with a special speed limit of 60kph at Kilclare village."

Cllr Brendan Barry also requested that the Ballinamore Municipal District carry out traffic calming works in Kilclare, beside the post office and the Sheemore Inn and said there have been accidents at these locations and the road needs to be made safer.

He continued: "I have people contacting me about speed on local roads, housing estates, beside schools; it's everywhere now. As soon as speed vans enter an area there is a message out on Whatsapp."

He added: "I think we should be using the money to hire more Gardai instead of paying the GoSafe company for speed vans."

Cllr McGloin said that often, "people who are driving don't realise the speed they are going."

Cllr Callian Ellis said that a "flashing sign" was erected at Fenagh but "sadly, that hasn't made a bit of difference."

Cllr Ellis said that, in his view, there was only one way to slow down traffic and "that's a 50 fine on the spot. You can put signs from here to Fenagh and it won't make any difference."

Cllr McGloin said that rumble strips could be the answer, a suggestion made by Cllr Barry.

Cllr Ita Reynolds-Flynn said that "no matter who she spoke to, speed is an issue on every road coming into Ballinamore."

District engineer, Darragh O'Boyle said there is currently a national review on "reducing the speed limit on local roads."

He said the council is looking at putting speed bars at the location "either side of the bridge."

He said that "sign fatigue" can cause drivers to no longer pay attention to signage. "Driver feedback signs do work for a period of time."
A Carrick-on-Shannon woman is set to trek to Everest Base Camp later this year, bonding a lifetime experience to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

Carmel Donnelly (44) is a mother of two who was inspired to travel to Mount Everest by her five-year-old son, who has autism and cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited condition that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system aiming to bring "awareness of this global fight."

Speaking to the Leitrim Observer, Carmel shares Noah's diagnosis was "scary" and "a big shock" for her family as she "didn't know anything other than people dying from [cystic fibrosis]."

"For the first ten weeks of his life, he had an operation, and he had a stomach bug for, I think, 6 to 7 weeks. He's been through a tough time.

"We were petrified, but then all the research going into medications is a game changer for anybody with cystic fibrosis. This is basically giving people the chance to have a long lifespan as everybody else. So, we've been very lucky in that way," she said.



Pictured is Carmels son Noah

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease caused by a mutation. Those who inherit two copies of a mutated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, one copy from each biological parent, are affected.

Ireland has the highest rate of CF per capita in the world, with approximately 1,400 children and adulting living with the condition. About 33 new cases are diagnosed each year, according to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (CFI).

Carmel aims to "raise money and awareness of this global fight." On October 10, she will travel to Everest Base Camp for 18 days with her sister, Pauline.

"I wanted to challenge myself. It's like a big challenge for me. And I want to be an inspiration for my kids.

"I always wanted to go to Everest. I never knew it was something that I could do as an ordinary person [because] I'm not a mountaineer," she added.

Carmel set up a JustGiving page to raise money to support CFI and has raised 3,908 of the 5,000 target, with 86 people helping her initiative. She will bear her own expenses for the trip, and all the donations will go to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.Her sister, Pauline, who is joining the Carriick-on-Shannon woman on Mount Everest, will raise money for AslAm, Ireland's National Autism Charity.

Carmel said last Friday, her son Noah achieved a significant milestone after starting his new medication with Kaftrio, which increases the number of CFTR proteins helping to relieve symptoms of the disease.

"This is a game changer for people with CF. We are so grateful and blessed that Noah gets to start this medication at such an early age.

Carmel is organising a few events over the next few months to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis and to generate funds to support CFI. Donations can be made at JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/carmel-donnelly-o-dwyer-1680129525870?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fcarmel-donnelly-o-dwyer-1680129525870&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share.

"This is why fundraising is so important to keep all the research, studies and support for all people with CF in Ireland," she concluded.
Brady Insurance, with their head office in Carrick-on-Shannon, has achieved Business All-Star Accreditation from the All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF).

The AIBF is an autonomous national accreditation body tasked with enterprise development and the promotion of Best-in-Class Irish businesses.

As the accreditation body for the Business All-Star mark, the AIBF recognises Best-In-Class Irish businesses. Companies that merit recognition based on an independent audit of their performance, reputation, and customer-centricity

Brady Insurance was established in 1959 by Joe and Kathleen Brady in a small office in Elphin, Co. Roscommon. Over the following 65 years the business has expanded to become one of Irelands leading insurance firms. Their journey of growth included becoming LLoyd's coverholders in 2012 and the opening of their Dublin office in 2015, as they expanded their services to a national audience.

Business All-Star Accreditation acknowledges Brady Insurances remarkable journey of growth as well as its teams conduct in the areas of trust performance and customer-centricity.

Brady Insurance MD, Jane Brady recently awarded Business All-Star 2024 accreditation from the All-Ireland Business Foundation. Photo Credit: Gateway Marketing

Announcing the news of Brady Insurances achievement, Deputy Chair of AIBFs Adjudication Board, Kieran Ring, said:

I am delighted to recognise Brady Insurance's exceptional performance during its audit for Business All-Star accreditation. The results of the audit have led to the company being proudly honoured with the prestigious Business All-Star 2024 accreditation. This distinguished recognition highlights the companys commendable conduct in the areas of trust, commitment, performance, and customer-centricity. By achieving this accreditation Brady Insurance has secured its place in the esteemed AIBF Register Of Irish Business Excellence. Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement!

Reacting to the news of her companys achievement, Jane Brady said:

We are deeply honoured and grateful to receive the Business All-Star Accreditation from the All-Ireland Business Foundation. This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of every member of the Brady Insurance team. Since our humble beginnings in 1959, we have remained committed to providing exceptional service to our clients, and this accolade validates our efforts. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the All-Ireland Business Foundation for acknowledging our journey of growth and our unwavering commitment to trust, performance, and customer-centricity.

Managing Director of the All-Ireland Business Foundation Kapil Khanna said: The accreditation, which is now held by over 650 firms, is needed by the thousands of small and medium businesses which operate to their own standards but have nothing to measure them by. We evaluate a companys background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors. We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience. The business goes through at least two interviews and is scored on every part of the process against set metrics.
Toast to Recovery: Japan House London hosts Sake Masterclass to Raise Awareness for Earthquake-affected Noto Peninsula





LONDON, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday 22 May, Japan House London hosts a sake masterclass with Master of Wine Kenichi Ohashi, focussing on the brewing traditions of the Noto Peninsula. The event raises awareness for the area, badly affected by a major earthquake earlier this year.

On 1 January 2024, when many Japanese families were celebrating New Year's Day, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula located in Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan. The earthquake, followed by landslides, fires and a tsunami warning, took the lives of 245 people and left 1191 injured. It also caused widespread destruction to housing and infrastructure including in the towns of Wajima and Noto, famous for their lacquerware and sake-making traditions. This had a devastating effect on many local businesses, such as renowned lacquer studios and sake breweries. The road to recovery will likely be long.

This event, jointly organized by Japan House London, International Wine Challenge and Sake Samurai Association, brings together some of the best sake experts in the world and offers visitors the opportunity to taste six brands of sake from Ishikawa Prefecture, carefully selected by Kenichi Ohashi MW for this occasion.

The event starts with a short introduction about the impact of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on the local sake industry by the Chairman of Sake Samurai Association, followed by a masterclass on Noto sake by wine and sake expert Kenichi Ohashi MW. After the IWC judges and co-chairmen Simon Hofstra and Beau Timken have given the audience a closer look at the six brands of sake featured in the tasting, all four speakers sit together to take questions from the audience. The guided sake tasting will follow the talk event.

Bookings open on 8 May at 12:00.

Notes to Editors

Japan House London

Japan House London is a cultural destination offering guests the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London's Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor's appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. This year, Japan House London marks five years of bringing the best of Japan to the UK and beyond. Part of a global initiative, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in Sao Paulo.

Sake Samurai Association

The Sake Samurai Association was established in 2005 as a junior council for the Japan Sake Brewers Association to protect sake and brewing traditions in Japan and to promote them internationally. It has greatly contributed to the increased popularity of sake and Japanese cuisine overseas. Since 2006, the Association has been awarding the 'Sake Samurai' title to individuals for their outstanding contribution to the understanding, appreciation or promotion of sake.

Kenichi Ohashi (Ken) MW

Kenichi Ohashi (Ken) MW is the only person in the world to hold both prestigious titles of Master of Sake and Master of Wine. He is a leading Japanese wine and sake distributor in Tokyo with many industry accolades. Awarded Best Wine Merchant 1999 by Japan Sommelier Association he is recognized for his extensive knowledge of the subject both in Japan and internationally. He is the author of Natural Wine and an online columnist of Japan's top wine publication Wine Report. He holds a Diploma from Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London. Ohashi has also been awarded many prestigious awards, including Personality of the Year 2016 by the IWC. He has also been certified as a Master of Sake (SSI) and Sake Expert Assessor (NRIB).

Beau Timken

Author (Sake ? A Modern Guide), certified kikisakeshi (sake sommelier), educator, and Co-Chairman of the IWC, Beau Timken is considered a pioneer in the field of international sake promotion. He opened the first dedicated sake store outside Japan in 2002 in San Francisco. He was selected as the first Sake Samurai by the Japanese Sake Brewer's Association. He also founded the largest and longest standing sake tasting event known as SAKE DAY (Nihonshu No Hi) which is celebrating its 19th anniversary this year. Timken issues a monthly newsletter (www.truesake.com) with 56,000 subscribers which he has been writing consecutively for the past 19 years.

Simon Hofstra

Simon Hofstra is the owner of Taste of Sake, a company specializing in the consulting, importing, distribution and education of sake. He was one of the first non-Japanese sake enthusiasts in Europe who started to popularize and distribute Japanese sake. Hofstra was awarded the prestigious Sake Samurai title in 2009 and won the Sake Contribution Award in 2008. He is a Co-Chairman of the IWC and an educator for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Award in Sake.

International Wine Challenge

The International Wine Challenge (IWC) is the world's most rigorously judged wine competition, hosting its annual awards in London. IWC sake judging was introduced as a key component in 2007 and has since grown to become the biggest sake competition outside Japan.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2403816/Toast_to_Recovery.jpg

6 may 2024 at 04:30

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Wine Gift Box Launch Event "When Yantai Meets Bordeaux" Held in Paris to Commemorate 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and France





PARIS, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France as well as the Cultural Tourism Year of the two countries. On the afternoon of May 3, the Wine Gift Box Launch Event "When Yantai Meets Bordeaux" was held in Paris, France to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. The event was organized by the News & Information Center of Xinhua News Agency and the Yantai Municipal People's Government Information Office. Sixty guests from China and France, representing fields such as culture, tourism, cuisine, and environmental protection, attended the event. The event, part of the Sino-French Gastronomy Festival, aims to boost cultural exchange and mutual learning through the tasting of distinctive wines from each country.

Wang Lei, director of the News & Information Center of Xinhua News Agency, highlighted the longstanding friendship between China and France in his speech at the event. Over 130 years ago, the first wine company in China, Changyu, was established in Yantai, producing China's first bottle of wine and the first bottle of brandy. The event is both a tribute to Sino-French friendship and a symbol of further deepening exchanges between Yantai and French red wine.

The event also featured speeches by key figures, who expressed their high praise and expectations for Sino-French cooperation, including Guillaume Roussy, former president of Saumur AOC-level Wine Association, and Pascal Durand, founder & chairman of Pinot Noir Association and agricultural engineer.

The event witnessed the official launch of the commemorative red wine gift box celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. The gift box, curated by Fabrice Sommier, featured one selection each from renowned red wines from Yantai and Bordeaux, forming the "60 Years of Sino-French Friendship, 60 Pairs" boxes. The French wine selected is the 2018 red wine from the Chateau Phelan Segur, while the Chinese wine selected is the Yantai Changyu Longyu Cabernet Sauvignon.

Gong Haitao, executive deputy director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Yantai Municipal Committee and director of the Yantai Municipal People's Government Information Office, introduced in detail the development and historical cultural charm of the red wine industry in Yantai. Wine has been a vibrant purple name card for the world to understand Yantai and for Yantai to connect with the world.

The red wine gift box marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France will be available for sale in China, with all proceeds donated to the environmental organization EcoTree to support global green and low-carbon initiatives.

SOURCE Information Office of Yantai Municipal People's Government

6 may 2024 at 05:49

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A person is carried away at a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA late Tuesday after dueling groups of protesters clashed. Ethan Swope/Associated Press

How can President Joe Biden stand with the students on our college campuses across the country as they are protesting what is occurring in the war between Israel and Hamas?

The president is our representative on the world stage, and he continues to give Israel absolute support by shipping it billions of dollars in military hardware while more Palestinians are being killed and their homes and infrastructure are being destroyed. They have no place to go, and more than a million of them are living in tents in Rafah, Gaza.

Meanwhile, the protests are dividing the U.S. as much as it was under President Richard Nixon. As state and national governments use the police and threaten to end these demonstrations, we are confronting the possibility of another Kent State while the limits of the First Amendment are tested.

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As Abraham Lincoln said, A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Herman C. Waetjen, San Anselmo

Dont add strikes

Regarding California Democrats want to protect womens rights around the country. They need to look at home, too (Emily Hoeven, SFChronicle.com, May 2): Californias Three Strikes Law wont protect survivors of domestic violence nor prevent the heinous act that disproportionately impacts immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and women of color.

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In fact, the Three Strikes Law is so antithetical to public safety, that the Committee on Revision of the Penal Code called for its repeal.

Notably, no organization advocating on behalf of domestic abuse survivors endorsed AB2470 from Assembly Member Joe Patterson, which would have made felony domestic violence a strikeable offense.

Instead, those same organizations are calling for legislation to fund essential services like legal support for survivors and allow survivors to petition courts to dismiss sentences that stem from criminalization related to their victimization.

Moreover, domestic violence can already be a strikeable offense if it includes great bodily injury and/or assault with a deadly weapon  and unfortunately, it usually does. Prosecutors can already add a great bodily injury penalty for a black eye or split lip  it need not rise to a threshold of broken bones or similar severity.

Shervin Aazami, strategy manager, Initiate Justice Action, Los Angeles

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Health care for all worth it

Most people would agree that capitalism has proven to be the most productive economic system in modern civilization.

Unfortunately, what many of capitalisms biggest cheerleaders fail to recognize is that this system creates winners and losers, and some people come up on the short end through no fault of their own.

In no area of the economy is this imbalance more stark than health care. Adequate health care is not a right in America and getting it is more dependent on the ability to pay than on ones actual health condition.

Dr. Renee Hsia of UCSF characterized it succinctly recently in the Chronicle: Hospitals tend to act as economic entities because thats the system we as a society have created for them.

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There is no dirtier word in American politics than socialism, and there is no doubt that great economic sacrifice would be required to guarantee a minimum level of health care for every citizen.

Nonetheless, we cannot call ourselves either compassionate or Christian, much less exceptional, if we cannot take on this burden.

Joel Wiener, San Carlos

Street redesign not needed

Regarding West Portal street safety plan appears over, but the status quo cant be allowed to prevail (Editorial, SFChronicle.com, May 1): The editorial says changes are needed to that neighborhood, following a recent awful accident that killed a family of four. But reread the sentence: Investigations into the cause of the horrific incident are ongoing.

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As a lifelong resident of the neighborhood, I beg all involved to please wait for that investigation, and then lets talk about preventing incidents.

About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies

Enforcing traffic speeds and laws might be needed. Adding a stoplight at that intersection might be in order, or rerouting all the confusing bus and street car stops would solve the issue.

Redesigning streets and attempting to get everyone to ride a bike and bus  at the expense of all the neighborhoods merchants and citizens  is extreme and likely unwarranted.
Survey: Iowa Farmers Dream of Preserving Legacy, Struggle to Find Clear Successors





Bank Iowa has released findings from its annual survey of Iowa farmers. The Bank Iowa Ag Index tracks sentiment on various issues, from the ag economy to plans for individual farms.

A report contextualizing the survey data is available at bankiowa.bank/agindex. Select findings are below.

Although farm values are soaring, most owners aren't planning to sell. Ninety-nine percent said they won't sell in the next one to two years, even though four in ten receive at least one offer a year.

Ninety-two percent consider their farm a family business, and 79% plan to transfer ownership within the family. However, of the farmers who have worked longer than expected, 44% attribute it to a lack of a clear successor or interest from the younger generation.

Twenty-six percent of farmers employ workers. The biggest workforce challenges are "finding qualified people" and "cost," both cited by 27%, while "general labor availability" was the third most common concern.

The use of technology to replace labor is increasing. Sixty-three percent of farmers now use automation, up from 45% in 2023.

Farmers seem satisfied with their tech investments. Ninety-four percent say technology meets their expectations, while 91% report at least a slight (36%) or significant (55%) improvement in output.

When asked about their farm's financial standing today compared to last year, 52% said it was the same, 40% said it was better, and 8% said it was worse.

Farmers' perception of their operations' performance seems to align with their thoughts about Iowa's ag economy. About half (48%) felt the Iowa ag economy is the same as the rest of the nation. The remaining participants were split between believing the Iowa economy is better (30%) or worse (22%) than that of other states.

Feelings about the ag economy may be behind the cautious optimism detected in farmers' plans to improve their operations. Enhancements farmers plan to make are likely to be moderate, however, as 47% said their approach to improvements will be conservative.

About Bank Iowa

With more than $2 billion in assets, Bank Iowa ranks as one of the leading independent ag banks and the second-largest family-owned bank in the state. Farmers, families, and businesses access Bank Iowa's products and services through more than 20 locations, as well as online and on mobile devices. To learn more, visit bankiowa.bank. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

6 may 2024 at 08:05

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Statement by the Prime Minister on National Nursing Week





OTTAWA, ON, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on National Nursing Week, which runs from May 6 to 12:

"Today, as we mark the start of National Nursing week, I join Canadians across the country to celebrate our nurses, their remarkable contributions, and the invaluable role they play in making our lives better.

"This year's theme, 'Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow', invites us to reflect on the meaningful and lasting impacts nurses have within our health care system and beyond. From providing world-class health care to helping patients and families in the most difficult of times, to educating future generations of health workers, nurses are an irreplaceable part of Canada's health care system.

"In recent years, as our health care system and its workers experienced enormous strain, nurses showed up for Canadians, time after time. So, we're making sure nurses have what they need to succeed. We've reached historic agreements with all provinces and territories to strengthen Canada's universal public health system, including better support for our nurses.

"Through our Working Together Plan, we are increasing support for health care workers ? by supporting provinces and territories to hire more nurses and doctors, streamlining foreign credential recognition, and helping nurses move between provinces easily. It'll mean nurses and other health care professionals can spend more time with patients and less time dealing with red tape. In Budget 2024, we also announced new funding to help internationally trained nurses practise in Canada and deliver care to Canadians.

"Today, we also mark National Indigenous Nurses Day, which recognizes the crucial role of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis nurses in our health care system. Their ongoing efforts and unique ability to bridge traditional healing with Western medicine help build a health care system that is holistic, culturally safe, and more accessible for Indigenous Peoples across Canada.

"On this first day of National Nursing week, we thank Canada's nurses for their constant care, compassion, and lifesaving expertise in supporting the health and well-being of Canadians. Nurses make Canada stronger, healthier, and more prosperous. Together, we will build a health care system that supports our nurses as much as they support us."

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

6 may 2024 at 09:30

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Media Advisory - Power Corporation's 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders





MONTREAL, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Power Corporation of Canada's (TSX: POW) (TSX: POW.PR.E) (Power Corporation) Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 11 a.m. (Eastern Time), at the InterContinental Hotel, 360 St. Antoine Street West, Montreal, Quebec.

A brief photo session will precede the meeting. Please note that electronic equipment will only be allowed in the room during the photo session, and not during the actual meeting.

Webcast

Management's presentations at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be webcast live at 11 a.m. (Eastern Time). In order to view the webcast, please register at:

www.powercorporation.com/en/investors/events-presentations/

Press Briefing

Media are invited to attend a press briefing following the annual meeting with Mr. R. Jeffrey Orr, President and Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation.

About Power Corporation

Power Corporation is an international management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. Its core holdings are leading insurance, retirement, wealth management and investment businesses, including a portfolio of alternative asset investment platforms. To learn more, visit www.powercorporation.com.

SOURCE Power Corporation of Canada

6 may 2024 at 10:15

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Government of Canada funds new projects to further grow the domestic biomanufacturing and life sciences sector





New multidisciplinary projects across the country will prepare Canada for future health emergencies and build capacity

MONTREAL, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Growing a robust, competitive, domestic biomanufacturing and life sciences sector ensures that Canada has access to critical vaccines, therapeutics and other life-saving medicines. The Government of Canada has been doing just that since the launch of Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy in 2021 with a $2.2 billion commitment to develop cutting-edge biomanufacturing capabilities.

Today, the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec on behalf of the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced nearly $574 million in funding for 19 projects at 14 research institutions across Canada, through Stage 2 of the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF) competition.

Through these investments in research, talent and infrastructure projects, Canadians will have access to made-in-Canada vaccines, therapeutics and other life-saving medicines and innovations. This will help strengthen the resilience of Canada's life sciences sector by supporting leading Canadian research in innovative technologies that keep us safe and boost our economy.

Projects receiving funding aim at:

enhancing antibody discovery and therapeutics production;

developing and optimizing self-amplifying RNA vaccines;

establishing better rapid diagnostic tools that can identify emerging pathogens;

leveraging artificial intelligence and other technologies to study how bacteria react to chemicals, with the goal of developing new antibiotics; and

establishing a leading, national maternal-child health resource for disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.

Each of the 19 projects is endorsed by one of the five research hubs that were established in Stage 1 of the CBRF-BRIF competition. These hubs combine the strengths of Canada's postsecondary institutions and research hospitals, industry and the not-for-profit sector to jointly improve health emergency preparedness and the overall health and well-being of Canadians. In addition, the hubs will help accelerate the translation of promising research into commercially viable products and processes. By strengthening research capacity and leveraging collaborations across the entire biomanufacturing ecosystem, Canada will be better prepared to face future pandemics.

Quotes

"With world-leading scientists and researchers established across Canadian leading research institutions, Canada is home to a competitive and robust biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. We made a promise to Canadians that we would rebuild the domestic sector. With this investment, our government is delivering on this promise by supporting the excellent innovations, collaborations and infrastructures necessary to rapidly respond to future public health threats and keep Canadians safe."

?The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"Today's announcement marks another important milestone in our work to improve health outcomes for Canadians and strengthen our domestic biomanufacturing capacity. This investment will support innovative and world-leading research and science in the areas of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and surveillance to help prepare Canada for future health emergencies."

?The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health

"The projects that we're supporting today will strengthen our ability to supply medicines, vaccines and therapeutics for the benefit of Canadians. These collaborations between research hubs, postsecondary institutions and research hospitals will foster innovation across the country. Thanks to the work of experienced scientists in institutions at the cutting edge of innovation, Canada will be ready to respond to future health priorities."

?The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

"The research funded through the CBRF will position Canada as a global leader in the biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. Most importantly, today's investment will ensure that our nation's brightest researchers and scientists are at the forefront of vaccine and therapeutic discoveries that will drive Canadian industry and equip Canada with the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to future pandemics."

?Ted Hewitt, Chair, Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat; President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

"Having access to state-of-the-art research facilities is critical for Canadians to respond to public health emergencies. Investments through the?Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund are helping equip researchers with the tools they need to speed the discovery and development of new vaccines and antibiotics, innovative diagnostics, and work with the country's biomanufacturing sector."

?Roseann O'Reilly Runte, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

Quick Facts

This investment builds on the crucial support provided through the first stages of CBRF and BRIF that enabled the creation of five new research hubs, as well as upgrades to Canada's biocontainment facilities.

biocontainment facilities. Each of the 19 projects awarded funding includes one or more of these components: research, talent development and research infrastructure. As a result, a project may receive funding from CBRF, BRIF or both.

The CBRF-BRIF competition followed a two-step competitive review process that evaluated the scientific merit and strategic alignment of the project proposals with the objectives of the funding opportunity and the priorities of the Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.

Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy includes major investments to help build Canada's talent pipeline and research capacity. Investments include: CBRF : $250 million to create a program to support high-risk, applied research, training and talent development partnership projects. The program is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, housed at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies: SSHRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada . BRIF : $500 million to support the biosciences infrastructure needs of postsecondary institutions and affiliated research hospitals. This fund is administered by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Clinical Trials Fund : Led by CIHR, the Clinical Trials Fund has supported the establishment of a clinical trial consortium, training platforms and clinical trials to support health emergency preparedness and boost the life sciences sector, aligned with the priorities of the Government of Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.

Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy includes major investments to help build talent pipeline and research capacity. Investments include: The government is also providing targeted support to scale up Canadian biomanufacturing companies and attract investment from leading multinational firms.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Government has invested more than $2.2 billion in 38 different projects in the biomanufacturing ecosystem. Through the Strategic Innovation Fund, specifically, the government has invested in more than 16 projects since the beginning of the pandemic and the launch of the strategy.

Associated links

Stay connected

Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED.

Follow @CDNScience on social media for Canadian science news: X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook

Search for related information by keyword: Businesses | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada | Canada | Business and industry | general public | statements | Hon. Francois-Philippe Champagne

SOURCE Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat

6 may 2024 at 11:40

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Network Coverage Acquires MadWolf Technologies, The Lloyd Group





Network Coverage, a best-in-class technology solutions provider, is excited to announce the acquisitions of MadWolf Technologies and The Lloyd Group.

Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., Network Coverage has evolved dramatically since its founding in 1996, transforming from an MSP servicing the greater Boston area to a true, end-to-end technology partner that specializes in IT managed services, cybersecurity, compliance, cloud enablement, digital transformation and software development for mid-market and enterprise organizations across the United States.

Partnering with Washington, D.C.-based MadWolf Technologies and New York City-based The Lloyd Group, along with the company's acquisition of VersaTrust in Fort Worth, Texas in July 2023, expands Network Coverage's nationwide footprint and strengthens the company's comprehensive technology solutions and operational excellence.

"It's breathtaking to think about the journey we've made since I started here," said Network Coverage's CEO, Alex Joy, who joined the company in 2011 as an IT Specialist and has been at the forefront of its rapid growth. "Forming a partnership with established, widely respected, forward-thinking organizations like The Lloyd Group and MadWolf Technologies is a seminal moment for Network Coverage."

Douglas Wolfire, who founded MadWolf Technologies in 1996, foresees the assimilation with Network Coverage greatly enhancing service levels across the board for their client base.

"Network Coverage is a true, around-the-clock, one-stop shop," Wolfire said. "Partnering with their superb support staff and being bolstered by their Network Operations Center will be transformative. We are so excited to be working alongside this group and their unbridled drive for excellence."

In addition to their diverse client base, The Lloyd Group's President, Brian David, believes TLG's organizational maturity promises to have a major impact across the enterprise.

"From Day 1, this has been a collaborative partnership," said David, who originally joined the Lloyd team as an IT Dispatch Analyst in 1999, four years after the company was founded by Adam Eiseman in 1995.

"We have fostered a culture throughout Lloyd that practices accountability and betterment, and we have seen nothing but the same traits from each and every member of Network Coverage. We are excited for this opportunity to join forces with the Network Coverage team and build something truly great."

With these acquisitions, Network Coverage is now powered by a team of over 300 multitalented individuals across the globe, supporting clients from coast to coast across the United States, and throughout Europe, Asia, Central America and South America.

About Network Coverage

Network Coverage was founded in 1996 as an end-to-end Managed Service Provider, with focused attention on the intersection between sophisticated technology solutions and successful business strategy. We work with organizations to develop and deploy intelligent and intuitive solutions right at that intersection, navigating the complexity and opportunity across the technology landscape while addressing ever-growing compliance and security needs with industry leading expertise and experience.

About MadWolf Technologies

MadWolf Technologies has been delivering managed IT and security services to the NGO and not-for-profit community for nearly 30 years. Our clients are mission driven, and that has made our work absolutely mission critical. Everything MadWolf does is driven by the knowledge that our clients' good work will be most effective and impactful if their technology is crisp, secure, and protected. MadWolf Technologies is the MSP for Good.

About The Lloyd Group

Since 1995, Lloyd has been supporting businesses through sophisticated IT management that aligns with their corporate objectives. We listen, analyze, and implement innovative technology through an IT Management Framework in accordance with your desired vision. Through clarity, confidence, and solid commitment, Lloyd operates as an integral part of your evolving business strategy.

6 may 2024 at 11:55

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Mitiga Named Winner of 2024 Global InfoSec Award for Cloud Threat Detection Investigation & Response (TDIR)





Mitiga Wins Coveted Publisher's Choice in 12th Annual Global InfoSec Awards at #RSAC 2024

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitiga, the threat detection, investigation, and response experts for cloud and SaaS, is proud to announce it has won the Publisher's Choice Cloud Threat Detection Investigation & Response (TDIR) from Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM), the industry's leading electronic information security magazine. This news closely follows Mitiga being named a 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox finalist.

"We are incredibly honored to receive the Publisher's Choice for Cloud Threat Detection Investigation & Response at the 12th Annual Global InfoSec Awards," stated Tal Mozes, CEO and co-founder of Mitiga. "This prestigious award from Cyber Defense Magazine validates our mission to redefine how enterprises can achieve better control over their cloud environment's security and resilience. By equipping SOC teams with the most advanced tools for visibility, detection, investigation, and response, Mitiga is setting a new standard in cloud security, ensuring rapid and effective threat management for organizations across the globe."

Mitiga supercharges today's Security Operation Center (SOC) teams for the cloud era with advanced visibility, threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities across clouds and SaaS. Mitiga's leading-edge solutions empower enterprises to act against cloud threats, decreasing the time it takes to detect, investigate, and respond, end-to-end, from over 200 days to minutes.

At the forefront of a new wave of cloud security innovation, Mitiga's specialized cloud forensics knowledge underpins its platform?created by investigators, for investigators?and supports customers with wrap-around services that elevate SOC cloud security capacity and capabilities. The company's technology is trusted by leading enterprises, including Fortune 500 enterprises, that rely on Mitiga as a partner to support their security resilience against cloud threats.

"Mitiga stands out for embodying the key qualities we judges seek in award winners: a proactive stance in understanding and addressing tomorrow's threats today, delivering cost-effective solutions that fit our current economic climate, and driving innovation in unexpected ways. I believe Mitiga's approach not only mitigates cyber risks but also strategically positions organizations to anticipate and counteract the next breach. Their commitment to these principles is what sets them apart in the cybersecurity landscape," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

To see the full list of winners, visit http://www.cyberdefenseawards.com/.

To learn more about Mitiga at #RSAC RSA Conference 2024, please attend Mitiga's presentation at the Innovation Sandbox, reserve a seat for Ofer Maor's speaking sessions or visit Booth #4618 in Moscone North Expo.

About Mitiga

Mitiga is the industry's only complete solution for cloud threat detection, investigation, and response?built by investigators, for investigators. Mitiga supercharges today's SOC teams with the cloud capabilities that enterprises have been missing, delivering broad visibility across clouds and SaaS, automation that speeds investigations, and rich context that informs cloud threat detection, hunting, and response. Together, Mitiga's capabilities minimize breach impact and enhance enterprises' cyber resilience. Mitiga is headquartered in New York, with global offices in London and Tel Aviv.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products, and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

SOURCE Mitiga Security

6 may 2024 at 12:30

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Minister MacAulay announces new investment in mental health support for producers





OTTAWA, ON, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - To mark Mental Health Week, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of up to $1.08 million for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) through the AgriCompetitiveness Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

This project funds five activities aimed at supporting the mental health of Canadian farmers. This includes supports for mental health literacy education for agriculture educators across the country, the development of a mental health toolkit to support the sector in case of catastrophic events, and aims to help industry further develop capacity throughout the sector and facilitate the sharing and expansion of national farm mental health strategies and resources.

The CCAW will also develop Canada's first evidence-based agriculture literacy training program in collaboration with the Rural Physicians Society of Canada in order to deliver the training to rural physicians who interact with Canadian farmers and organize two national conferences that will enable mental health information sharing with stakeholders from across the sector.

Quotes

"I know firsthand the challenges that come with life on the farm. You work around the clock, 365 days a year, facing unique demands and significant pressure. With everything else our producers have to manage, it can be hard to check in on yourself and prioritize your mental health. This new funding for the Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing will help more farmers gain access to the mental health support they need, with services and tools that are tailored to them."

- The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"The CCAW seeks to work with grass roots, community-based organizations across the country, to provide meaningful support of Canadian agricultural wellbeing."

- Briana Hagen Chief Executive Officer and Lead Scientist for The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing

Quick facts

The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW) is a collaboration between researchers and mental health professionals looking to expand access to counselling and develop new resources for people in agriculture.

The CCAW virtually brings together national and global leaders in the agricultural mental health field to conduct cutting-edge research to develop evidence-based community-informed programming and education to address challenges related to well-being among Canadian farmers.

If you're struggling with your mental health, or if you just need someone to talk to, AgTalk by the Do More Agriculture Foundation is available to Canadian producers. AgTalk is a free and anonymous mental health support community for members of the Canadian agriculture sector, and available in both English and French.

is available to Canadian producers. AgTalk is a free and anonymous mental health support community for members of the Canadian agriculture sector, and available in both English and French. More agricultural-specific resources can also be found on Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Mental health in agriculture webpage.

The AgriCompetitiveness Program is a $25.7-million program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership that supports sector-led activities that identify industry best practices and build the capacity of the sector, advance farm business management, farm safety information and tools, as well as activities which raise agricultural awareness.

Associated links

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

6 may 2024 at 15:17

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The INX Digital Company Announces CFO Transition Plan





INX Names Ms. Naama Falach as Incoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Effective June 1st, 2024

TORONTO, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - The INX Digital Company, Inc. (Cboe CA: INXD) (OTCQB: INXDF) (INXATS: INX) (the "Company" or "INX"), the owner of INX.One, a security token and digital asset trading platform, U.S. broker-dealer, alternative trading system, transfer agent, and inter-dealer broker (through its subsidiaries), announced today that, in a mutually agreed decision, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ms. Renata Szkoda will be leaving the company effective May 31, 2024. Assuming this position will be Ms. Naama Falach, who brings with her over three years of invaluable experience as the company's VP Global Finance.

Ms. Falach brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role of CFO, having been an integral part of INX's finance team for the past three years. The Board of Directors has expressed confidence in Ms. Falach's ability to lead the company's financial operations and contribute to its strategic growth.

"We are delighted to welcome Naama Falach as our new CFO," said Shy Datika, CEO of INX. "Naama's deep understanding of our business, combined with her financial expertise and leadership skills, make her the ideal choice to lead us forward. Ms. Szkoda will work closely with Ms. Falach and the finance team to ensure a smooth transition before her departure," he adds.

"On behalf of everyone at INX, I'd like to express my gratitude to Renata for her commitment to the Company, its employees, and shareholders. She has helped lay the solid foundation that will support the company's strategic growth and innovation, global presence, and financial strength. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors."

This transition reflects the company's ongoing evolution as it strives to enhance and secure its cash positions while maximizing efficiency to support its rapid future growth.

Ms. Falach commented, "I thank Shy and the Board of Directors for their vote of confidence. I am excited to take on this new role and contribute to INX's success through sound financial strategies and efficient operations."

About INX:

INX provides regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies. With the combination of traditional markets expertise and a disruptive fintech approach, INX provides state-of-the-art solutions to modern financial problems. INX is led by an experienced and dedicated team of business, finance, and technology veterans with the shared vision of redefining the world of capital markets via blockchain technology and a disciplined regulatory approach.

About The INX Digital Company, Inc.: INX is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global regulated hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which we raised US$84 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a regulated environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Other Disclosures

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, INX has made certain assumptions, including with respect to, the continuous development of the INX trading platform, the completion of the transactions described herein, the offering of non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards, and the development of the digital asset industry. Although INX believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to regulatory developments, the state of the digital securities and cryptocurrencies markets, and general economic conditions. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, INX disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

Cboe Canada is not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.?

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. INX's securities have not been and will not be registered under 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.?

SOURCE The INX Digital Company, Inc.

6 may 2024 at 17:00

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TWO students from Colaiste Chiarain in Croom took home the EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award following their scientific research presented at the SciFest@Limerick STEM fair at TUS, Moylish campus.

Hundreds of students from across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary came together with their second-level student peers to compete in the STEM fair showcasing projects on a range of topics from artificial intelligence and technology to renewable energy.

Fourth-year students, Musa Njue and Cian Murphy impressed judges at the regional SciFest STEM fair held at Technological University of the Shannon in Limerick with their practical project focusing on finding the best insulation for housing in Ireland.

Their project was selected from over 100 projects exhibited at the Moylish campus event.

SciFest@College is a programme of STEM fairs for second-level students, taking place in 16 regional colleges across Ireland. The SciFest programme is open to second-level students, with the aim of promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education and providing a platform for students to present and display their scientific insights.

EirGrid, the operator and developer of Irelands electricity grid, partnered with SciFest to develop the EirGrid Cleaner Climate award which celebrates students who research and design projects to address challenges posed by climate or energy.

Congratulating the winners on their award Claire Wallace, interim head of strategy and sustainability with EirGrid, said, At EirGrid we are passionate about giving young people the opportunity to showcase their ambitious and solution-driven ideas to addressing climate change. Many congratulations to Musa and Cian on their award.

Through our partnership with SciFest, EirGrid are proud to support the promotion of STEM subjects as the next generation is inspired to seek solutions to climate change and the energy transition

Prof Vincent Cunnane, president of TUS, Kate Wood, regional media specialist at EirGrid and CEO of SciFest, Shelia Porter presented the award winners with their prize.

As a result of their success, Musa and Cian will go on to compete in the SciFest National Final which will take place later this year.
A FINE GAEL European election candidate has called for the ramping up of the installation of electric vehicle charge points in Ireland.

Former Bord Gais chief executive John Mullins, who is running for the party in Ireland South, pointed to a study from the Irish Electric Vehicle Association (IEVA) showing that four in every five respondents did not have confidence in the infrastructure at present.

Mr Mullins, who hails from Bishopstown in Cork, also pointed out the same number of people in the survey revealed a target of a million electric vehicles by 2030 will not happen.

The government aims to have 180,000 EVs on our roads by the end of next year, and while public chargers are being installed by private companies on a continuous basis, the pace of this is behind what it needs to be, to adequately serve those who might want to go electric but dont feel confident doing so yet because of a lack of public infrastructure, said Mr Mullins, a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Ireland lags behind its European counterparts in regard of increasing electric vehicle usage, meeting less than 50% of its targets.

But Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has announced a new 21m grant scheme to boost chargiing infrastructure on big interurban routes.

READ MORE: Sinn Fein adds third candidate on Limerick's northside

Mr Mullins added: If we want to propel the movement of electric vehicle driving in Ireland, we need to prioritise the rollout of public charging, not just on motorways and in major urban areas, but in small towns and villages up and down the country.

"Green transport is a crucial part of the countrys climate policy and were not taking it seriously enough.

"Theres been a significant uptake in electric vehicle sales in Ireland in recent years, but consumer confidence is dipping, and will continue to do so, if the government doesnt work in tandem with the private sector in moving on with much-needed infrastructure.

Ireland goes to the polls on Friday, June 7.
A file photo shows a Hawaiian Airlines aircraft at an airport gate. One of the carriers other planes remained grounded in San Francisco on Monday following a passenger boarding bridge collapse last week. Oskar Garcia/Associated Press

A Hawaiian Airlines aircraft remained grounded in San Francisco on Monday following a passenger boarding bridge collapse last week.

The incident, which caused damage to the plane, occurred at Gate A1 at approximately 7 p.m. on Thursday, according to Doug Yakel, spokesperson for San Francisco International Airport.

He added that the structural failure of the bridge happened just before the deplaning process began, and all passengers and crew members safely disembarked from the 6-year-old Airbus A321neo, registered as N216HA.

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There were no reported injuries. However, the return flight was canceled due to the incident.

The aircraft sustained damage to its front left-hand door. Yakel said the passenger boarding bridge was out of service for investigation and repairs.

As of Monday morning, aviation records indicate that the aircraft was still grounded in San Francisco.

Hawaiian Airlines typically operates Flight HA42, a daily service from Kahului to San Francisco using Airbus A321neos. The flight usually departs Maui at 10:45 a.m. and arrives in San Francisco around 6:50 p.m., with a flight time of just over five hours.
A LIMERICK city man hosted Prince Albert of Monaco in the principality's exclusive Yacht Club.

Lee Mulcahy, originally from North Circular Road in the city, held a gala dinner in aid of the Atlantic Youth Trust Ireland, which exists to build life skills in youths across the island of Ireland.

He is the director of fundraising for the charity in Monaco, one of his many roles in the principality on the French Riviera.

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II was joined by a number of other A-list guests, including Michael and Niamh Flatley and Formula One mogul Eddie Jordan.

READ MORE: 54 Limerick groups receive funding towards physical activity for older people

Support for the gala dinner also came from Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder of budget airline EasyJet.

Now an annual event in the Monaco calendar, this initiative raises vital funds for the trust, that connects Irelands 15-22 year olds with the ocean, environment and adventure.

Roberts focus, on the evening, was to support and promote Irish artists who provided works of art for the live auction on the evening, with the proceeds going to the Atlantic Youth Trust.

Mr said: "As the centre of Europes yachting capital, Monaco is the ideal location for this annual maritime charity gala, the Irish and Monegasque supporters came out in force for this worthy cause, for youth development."
A new Boeing spacecraft is set to carry astronauts for the first time this week, a major test of whether the much-delayed project is ready to handle NASA missions.

Starliner, the name of Boeings gumdrop-shaped ship, is scheduled to blast off Monday at 10:34 p.m. ET, ferrying astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore to the International Space Station. The vehicle is slated to return them to Earth about a week after docking with the facility, landing in the western U.S. under parachutes.

Boeing has developed rockets, spacecraft and other vehicles for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for decades, including hardware for the Apollo moon missions. But the aerospace company has tripped up with Starliner, struggling at times with software, a communications system, valves, parachutes and even a type of tape used in the vehicle. The project has led to $1.4 billion in accounting losses for Boeing.

Mondays planned mission comes as Boeing faces intense scrutiny over its bread-and-butter airplane business. Lawmakers and airline executives have blasted the companys manufacturing failures after a segment on one of its planes blew out midair earlier this year, threatening passengers and crew on board. Air-safety regulators have ratcheted up oversight of the companys operations.

Spaceflight is risky. It is unforgiving of mistakes," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in an interview. NASA is integrated with Boeing to make sure that this flight is as safe as possible."

Mark Nappi, a Boeing vice president, said the companys spacecraft is ready to carry astronauts. Since taking over management of Starliner about two years ago, Nappi said he has focused his team on shifting from design and development to operations. Around 500 people are working on the program.

Weve been very disciplined, following the process. NASA is right there with us and that makes me feel comfortable," he said during an interview in March.

A successful mission and NASAs subsequent certification of Starliner are the final milestones that Boeing needs to meet before the spacecraft makes regular crew rotations. Starliners problems have left the agency dependent on Elon Musks SpaceX for those flights from the U.S., prompting concern at the agency about relying too heavily on one supplier. SpaceX didnt respond to a request for comment.

Leaders at both Boeing and NASA have said they wont hesitate to again postpone Starliners flight, should any safety risks emerge in the run-up to the launch.

Starliner will blast off from Florida, propelled by an Atlas V rocket, a proven booster that rocket operator United Launch Alliance has flown for years. After Starliner separates from the rocket, it will take about a day to reach the space station, where it is designed to autonomously dock with the lab.

The astronauts Starliner will carryWilliams, 58 years old, and Wilmore, 61are retired Navy aviators who have been in orbit before. Each traveled to the space station on both NASAs former space shuttle and Russian Soyuz vehicles.

Williams said the team working on Starliner, including herself and Wilmore, rigorously analyzed problems that emerged with the vehicle earlier, including the stuck valves and software challenges.

We all pushed on it," she said in a recent interview. We feel very confident that were at a point that were good with how the spacecraft is going to operate."

Boeings work on Starliner goes back more than a decade. NASA in 2014 awarded the company and SpaceX contracts to create new vehicles to fly crews to and from the space station, seeking two distinct spacecraft from U.S. aerospace companies. At the time, the agency depended on Russia for crew rotations, following the retirement of its shuttle fleet.

NASA rated Boeing as better prepared than the Musk-led company for technical maturity, management and other categories used to evaluate the bids. At SpaceX, which had been transporting cargo to the space station, some former employees said the company took it as a challenge to beat Boeing in astronaut missions.

In late 2019, Boeing launched the first Starliner mission, an uncrewed operation designed to test the vehicle under flight conditions without astronauts on board. The mission went poorly, dogged by software coding errors and the unexpected loss of a communications system. Starliner didnt attempt one of its major goals for the missiondocking with the space station.

After the flight, NASA officials increased oversight of Boeings Starliner efforts, saying the agency had relied too much on the companys internal engineering decisions. A review team analyzing the botched 2019 mission recommended Boeing make dozens of changes, including more testing of how hardware and software on the vehicle are integrated.

SpaceX in 2020 flew two astronauts to the station on its competing Crew Dragon vehicle, marking the first human space flight from the U.S. in nearly a decade.

In 2021, Boeing stacked Starliner on a rocket in what was meant to be a do-over of the earlier flight. But the company ran into trouble again, this time with stuck valves in a propulsion system. It later resolved the issue and completed the uncrewed operation, setting it up for a mission with astronauts last year.

The company and NASA delayed that mission, though, after identifying issues with the Starliner parachute system as well as potentially flammable tape Boeing used. Boeings Nappi said neither problem posed major risks but did narrow the margin for safe operations.

Since it was the first flight, and we dont have much history with the vehicle, it was Boeings decision not to accept that," he said.

The company completed another test of its parachute system in January and removed about a mile of the tape from Starliner.

SpaceX has demonstrated its ability to safely and reliably fly its fleet to the research lab, said Steve Stich, a program manager at NASA. The company has launched astronauts for the agency nine times over the past four years.

But youre just one flight away from some anomaly that you didnt catch," showing why the agency wants to have two vehicles, he said. With Boeings Starliner, he said, Its worth taking the risk of that first test flight, which is always hard."

Write to Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com
Indian entrepreneur and investor Ronnie Screwvala has lauded the harmonious agreement reached within one of India's longstanding business institutions, Godrej, emphasizing its commitment to future generations' interests and the preservation of its brand.

The 127-year-old business conglomerate split into two groups  Godrej Industries Group and Godrej Enterprises Group  last week.

Guess (only) The Parsis know how to do this right  - low profile - respectful of each other - and win win for all (SIC), Ronnie wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Social media users agreed with Ronnie, highlighting the gracious process of division. So true, executed the division so graciously, one user wrote, while another said, The Parsis always know how to live and deal with grace.

True. Parsis built some of the finest business empires while contributing to Indian economy over last 70 years. Pure grace and business acumen, runs in their families i guess, another user commented.

Godrej's succession plans The Godrej family has revealed its succession plan after the split. Adi Godrej and brother Nadir Godrej will keep the stock exchange listed companies.

Pirojsha Godrej, son of patriarch Adi Godrej, will take over as chairman of the Godrej Industries Group in August 2026. Currently, the 43-year-old is the executive chairperson of Godrej Properties, Godrej Fund Management, and Godrej Housing Finance, and a non-executive director of Godrej Consumer Products and Godrej Agrovet.

Nyrika Holkar, daughter of Smita Godrej Crishna will be the face of Godrej Enterprises Group; Nadir Godrej will be the chairperson of Godrej Industries Group (GIG), Godrej Seeds and Genetics, Innovia Multiventures, and all their subsidiaries and joint ventures, according to a Business Standard report.

The next generation of the multibillionaire families joined the firm as well, taking on important leadership roles in its companies. Nisaba Godrej, the daughter of Adi Godrej, is the executive chairman of Godrej Consumer Products. The eldest child and Adi's older daughter, Tanya Dubash, serves as executive director of Godrej Industries, the Adi/Nadir family's main company. She also leads the group's brand.

On the other hand, Jamshyd will now become the chairperson and managing director of Godrej Enterprises Group and Nyrika Holkar will be its executive director. Smita's daughter, Freyan Crishna Bieri is a non-executive director of Godrej & Boyce and Jamshyd's son, Navroze Godrej is a non-executive director of the unlisted company with large tracts of land in Mumbai.

Godrej split Last week, the family behind the Godrej brand declared a split of assets into two business groups. Soaps and suds on one side, locks and fridges on the other would be the retail-level view of it.

The Godrej Industries Group (GIG) of brothers Adi and Nadir Godrej will house listed firms Godrej Industries, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Properties, Godrej Agrovet and Astec Lifesciences, while the Godrej Enterprises Group (GEG) of their cousins Jamshyd Godrej and Smita Crishna will have the unlisted Godrej & Boyce, which has over a dozen divisions, as its flag-bearer.

The family agreement includes a deal not to compete among themselves for six years, except in real estate. After that, they can venture into each others markets, but not under the Godrej brand.

The pact also stated that GIG has exclusive rights to it in sectors of proven success such as fast moving consumer goods (like soap), financial services, pharma, diagnostics and chemicals, while GEG has that privilege in defence, consumer durables (like ACs and fridges), medical devices, construction materials, interior design, electric mobility, software services and security products (like locks and safes).
Elon Musk's recent trip to China kicked up intense debates in India. It happened barely a week after the Tesla head cancelled a visit to India and a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Musk was also expected to announce an investment of about $3 billion in India. He cited very heavy obligations" at Tesla as a reason for cancellation. It turned out the Chinese visit had much to do with the heat the electric car company had been facing from the stock market.

The company reported revenues of $21.3 billion in the quarter ended March, down 9% from a year ago. This was the first drop in its revenues since 2020, when covid-19 disrupted production and deliveries. It also came amidst concerns about demand for electric vehicles (EVs), which is expected to grow only 11% this year, after 47% in 2023, as per UBS Group estimates.

Tesla had responded to the tepid growth by cutting EV prices, which hurt its financials. Its revenue per vehicle delivered in the March quarter dropped 5% year-on-year. Net profits, which were hit by additional factors, slumped 55%. Free cash flows turned negative, as the company built 46,561 more vehicles than it could sell.

Musk's trip to China, however, changed the negative sentiment. Tesla's share price, which was on a downward trend for months, jumped 15% a day after Beijing gave in-principle approval to roll out its full self-driving (FSD) cars there. During his visit, he also signed a deal with Baidu, which will open its mapping data and lane-level navigation service for the company.

Chinese competition

This breakthrough is considered to be important for Tesla, because China is the world's largest market for EVs. It has 54% of global electric car stocks. Almost 60% of new electric car registrations in 2023 were in China, against 10% in the US, according to the International Energy Agency's Global EV Outlook for 2024. China accounted for about 40% of Tesla's sales last year. However, it is a tough market, with growing competition and intense price wars. BYD's profits dropped 47% sequentially, due to price cuts.

If the price cuts continue, the industry could turn unprofitable, Goldman Sachs has warned, according to Reuters. It's not clear if the rollout of FSD in China would give a significant advantage to Tesla. Its Chinese rivals such as XPeng and Nio offer similar functionalities for lower or no cost to customers. Tesla offers its FSD system in the US for $99 a month.

Global play

Even if domestic competition makes the Chinese market tough, the country is still important for Tesla. With an annual capacity of 950,000 vehicles, Shanghai hosts Tesla's largest factory globally and is a regional export hub. Besides, China enjoys a cost advantage in batteries, a key component in EVs, due to its control of the mining industry. The administration also sees benefits in having Tesla and has allowed it to operate in the country without a domestic partner.

However, Tesla's close relationship with China has not gone down well in the US, which sees the Asian country as a geopolitical rival. In February, the US said it was probing potential security risks of Chinese-made cars. Tesla itself is fighting battles beyond the slowdown in EV demand. Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US said it had opened an investigation against Tesla over its recall of 2 million vehicles last December following a series of crashes.

Indian potential

Tesla prioritized China due to these immediate concerns. However, India, which wants 30% of all new vehicle sales to be EVs by 2030, is expected to play a key role in Tesla's global ambitions. Electric four-wheelers are gaining ground in India. According to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, their sales jumped 90% in 2023-24, and their share in the overall EV market increased from 4% in 2022-23 to 5.4% in 2023-24.

However, to make inroads into the Indian market, Tesla might have to launch cheaper cars (its Model 3 and Model S are expected to be priced at 70 lakh in India). Even in the US, Tesla investors were concerned about the company's commitment to building cheaper cars. During the recent earnings call, Musk promised to launch less expensive models by end-2024. That could drive its sales in China too, even more than FSD.

www.howindialives.com is a database and search engine for public data.
Mumbai: Investors in industrial gas giant Linde India find themselves in a quandary. The question here is: who will benefit from the potential semiconductor business? The company, its UK-based parent, or its privately owned units in the country.

Despite Linde Indias stock surging around 50% over the past two months in anticipation of a windfall from the potential business prospects, clarity on the allocation of such opportunities remains elusive, especially following the release of a proxy advisory report. On Monday, shares of the company were at 8,370.65, up 1.08% on the BSE.

Questions also linger regarding the execution of a deal announced by Linde last year with Indian Oil to supply hydrogen, nitrogen, and compressed dry air to its Panipat facility. Although the deal was announced by parent Linde plc, there has been no confirmation from Linde India on its involvement in the project.

Earlier, these questions were raised by proxy advisory firm IiAS in a report dated 28 March. IiAS alleged that Linde plc had started competing with its India-listed unit in which public shareholders own 25%.

As the India business grows, and newer opportunities like chip manufacture pick up in India, the additional and more complex gas requirements of the economy, will need to be met. Which group entity gets to service the sector  the parent company directly, the wholly owned subsidiary or one in which the economics are shared with public investors?" the proxy advisor asked in its report.

In a rebuttal to the IiAS report, Linde India pointed out multiple factual inaccuracies in the report. However, it did not clarify its position on the underlying key allegations of competition within the group for new business in India and on related party transactions.

When contacted for this story, a spokesperson for Linde India directed Mint towards its rebuttal to IiAS without any additional commentary.

At the heart of the matter lies a global merger between Germanys Linde AG and American Praxair Inc to form Linde plc in 2018. While Linde was present in India through listed Linde India, Praxair operated as a privately held unit in the country.

The merger led to an indirect takeover of Linde India by Linde plc, triggering an open offer for the companys publicly held shares in India. Linde made an initial offer with a floor price of 276.09 per share to delist the company.

The open offer led to a price discovery of 2,025 per share, which the company rejected. Later, Linde plc made an offer of 328.21 per share and revised it upwards to 478.4 but failed to delist the company.

Its inability to delist Linde India left the newly formed parent entity Linde plc with a motley of entities in India including listed Linde India Ltd as well as privately held Praxair India Private Ltd, among others.

The global parent has divided the Indian market among these entities to prevent competition. Existing business will be divided on the principle of incumbency, while new businesses will be split geographically among the entities.

The inter-se arrangement between Linde India and Praxair India is effectively a non-compete agreement. It curtails the market size for the listed company for the operational benefits of the Linde group. We believe this arrangement should be brought to Lindes minority shareholders for a vote," IiAS noted in its report.

In its rebuttal to the IiAS report, Linde India said that since the global merger and the subsequent allocation of business in India between group companies, its sales have grown as a compounded annual rate of 30% and earnings per share at a rate of 72%, which amply demonstrates the value these measures have created for the Companys shareholders."

In conclusion, the Companys financial performance and manifold increase in market capitalization are indicative of the trust reposed by the shareholders in the Company and also the synergies which have been realized as a result of the global merger," Linde India said.

However, the company did not clarify who will benefit from the deal signed with Indian Oil.

Listed Linde India had handled a similar transaction with the Panipat facility of Indian Oil just last year, satisfying the principle of incumbency based on which business has been divided with the Linde Group in India. Linde India has yet to make any stock market disclosures regarding the deal.

The industrial gases major has also found itself under fire for its related party transactions with various group entities post the global merger between Linde AG and Praxair INC.

Also Read: India eyes gas network spanning South Asian neighbours

Last week, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) directed Linde India to comply with the norms of materiality thresholds for future related-party transactions based on the aggregate value of the transactions.

This, was after Linde India continued to engage in related party transactions with other group companies that in aggregate breached the limits beyond which shareholder approval is required.

However, the company continued to engage in these transactions arguing that each transaction individually was well below the prescribed threshold.

The company has disclosed that over a 15-month period between 1 January, 2022, and 31 March, 2023, related party transactions contributed to 27% of its total revenue and 35% of the profit.

The company had earlier put to shareholder vote its related party transactions with Praxair in June 2021, but the resolution was rejected by shareholders.

"The fundamentals of Linde India are robust and the expectations of incremental business from gas supply to the semiconductor industry resulted in the price rally that we have seen," said Hemang Jani, director at Finazenn, a German finance site and trading platform.

At this point, it is not very clear if the semiconductor opportunity will come to the listed company or another unlisted group company. But the company has mentioned semiconductors as an application technology in their presentation themselves, so it is safe to assume that the listed entity will be the one which will benefit from it," he added.
MSBSHSE 10th, 12th Result 2024: Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is expected to release SSC (Class 10th) and HSC (Class 12th) Board Results 2024 very soon. As per media reports, the board is likely to announce the results of both classes by May 10, 2024. However, there is no official confirmation on the date and time of the much-awaited board results.

Soon after the results are announced, the MSBSHSE board will activate the results link on its official website- mahresult.nic.in, so that students can check their results.

Also Read | HPBOSE Class 10 Result 2024 to be announced tomorrow at hpbose.org. Here's how to download As per tradition, the MSBSHSE officials will announce the results in a press conference. The board will also reveal the topper's name, overall pass percentage, gender-wise pass percentage, compartment exam and other important details during the press conference.

MSBSHSE 10th, 12thResult 2024: Websites to check the results MSBSHSE official websites: mahresult.nic.in

mahahsscboard.in

Other websites: results.gov.in

results.nic.in

hscresult.mkcl.org

mahahsc.in

MSBSHSE 10th, 12thResult 2024: Login Credentials Required Students can check their results by entering their login credentials like Roll Number, Mothers first name.

Also Read | NEET PG 2024 registration closes today at natboard.edu.in for June 23 exam. Direct link to apply MSBSHSE 10th, 12th Result 2024: How to check the board results Go the official website: mahresult.nic.in/ mahahsscboard.in

Click on the desired activated links MAHA SSC Result 2024/ MAHA HSC Result 2024 available on the homepage

Enter your Roll Number and mothers first name

The result will be displayed on your screen

Download and print a hardcopy of the scorecard for future reference MSBSHSE 10th, 12thResult 2024: Minimum Passing grade As per MSBSHSE norms, students are required to score at least 35% marks in theory and practicals to be declared pass in the board exams.
NEET-UG Exam 2024: Rejecting alleged claims of NEET-UG exam 2024 question paper leak, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday said that the reports on social media are "completely baseless and without any ground" and that every question paper has been "accounted for", news agency PTI reported.

The NTA, the nodal agency to conduct the exam, said that purported images of the question paper circulating on social media have no relation with the actual paper.

It is important to note that several social media posts have claimed that the question paper of the medical entrance exam, which was conducted in 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 cities abroad on Sunday, was leaked.

Also Read | ICSE ISC Result 2024 Live Updates: Class 10, 12 results OUT on cisce. org "It has been ascertained from NTA's security protocols and Standard Operating Procedures that the social media posts pointing towards any paper leak are completely baseless and without any ground.

To put rumours to rest, it is also stated that every single question paper has been accounted for," PTI quoted Sadhana Parashar, Senior Director, NTA, as saying.

Also Read | NEET PG 2024: NBEMS introduces mandatory time-bound sections The NTA Senior Director further said no external person or agency can access the centres once the examination starts.

The gates of the examination centres are closed, and no one from outside is permitted access inside the halls, which are under CCTV surveillance, Parashar said.

"All other photographs of question papers circulating on social media have no relation to the actual examination question paper that was administered," she added.

Also Read | TN 12th Result 2024 Live Updates: Results out at tnresults.nic.in. 94% pass Class 12 Denying any leak of the question paper at a centre in Rajasthan, the NTA clarified that the distribution of wrong question papers led to some candidates walking out with the papers.
Samir Arora, the founder and fund manager of Helios Capital, expects the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to secure a comfortable majority, and present a market-friendly budget focused on economic reforms in its next term. So, we continue to be bullish," he said in an interview . However , in the event of any political surprise, the markets will witness a significant downturn, requiring a substantial amount of time to bounce back. Additionally, any tax hike on equities, at the very least, will result in an equivalent and opposite price reaction, which would overshadow any other positives, Arora added. Edited excerpts:

Indian equities have run up considerably. Isnt a big part of the positive outlook already been priced in? If so, what is keeping the excitement going?

Indian markets (NSE 500) are up approximately 18% per annum over the past five years against an average of 14-15% earlier. This can be justified by several reasons. India has become a big market, compounding over time, which can no longer be ignored. This has forced foreigners to look at it more seriously. Indian investors have also taken to the stock market since demonetization and covid, and are committing higher proportions of their savings into equities. India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is robust. Various reforms, digitization and formalization have helped the corporate sector. There is excitement around the possibility of further reforms, and improvement in ease-of-doing-business, cementing India's position in a new world order, where people are disenchanted with China to some extent. India is the new favourite of global investors and corporates. All in all, India is doing good economically, and that is reflected in the stock market.

What is your pre- and post-elections strategy?

Our post-elections strategy has to be implemented now, though the final push will be done after 4 June. Overall, we expect BJP and NDA to comfortably form the government, and expect a market-, economics- and reform-friendly budget. So, we continue to be bullish. The only potential set back to this strategy (and it could be significant) is if the government decides to increase capital gains tax in any shape or form. There is a significant leak in performance due to these taxes, particularly for foreign investors, who do not pay capital gains taxes for investments in any other country. The largest global investors (sovereign funds and university endowments, etc., are tax-exempt), such as investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai, look at post-tax returns. Even though the Indian market generally performs well relative to other markets and countries, considering post-tax returns, it does not do as well. India is at a stage where it needs higher and higher risk capital from all possible sources.

Which are your favourite sectors or themes right now? And, why?

Out of the bigger sectors, we are most bullish on financials, and most negative (and have been for nearly two years) on information technology. In consumer sector, we have kept away from consumer staples (barring ITC), and consumer durables. We don't think it's wise to assess businesses based on short-term factors such as summer months prompting increased purchases of air conditioning units. Among other sectors, we have been most bullish (against our history) on oil marketing companies, due to very cheap valuations and prospects of privatization. Additionally, we favour select stocks from the food delivery and defence sectors.

Are there any sectors you think investors should avoid at the moment? If so, why?

People will lose a lot of money in thematic sectors such as solar panels and drones. It is sometimes easy to see that some stocks are being rigged, or at least their price movements are highly suspicious. They should be totally avoided.

We are seeing a flurry of listings. Do you see any of these companies having the potential to become multibaggers in the future, based on their fundamentals??

Many stocks will become multibaggers from both newly-listed and already-listed stocks. For some reason, people look for value only in new listings. However, considering that stock listings nowadays generally occur after early financial investors have extracted substantial gains, there is no reason to believe that newly-listed stocks offer better growth prospects and valuation. We normally do not participate in new listings because of the unnecessary hype around listings.

Do you see any potential threat to inflows and investor enthusiasm?

If there is any political surprise, the markets will take a significant hit, and it would take some time to recover from. Separately, any tax increases on equities will have, on a minimum, equal and opposite price reaction, and will override any other positives.

If the NDA doesn't get a majority, do you anticipate a correction? And, should one buy the dip?

NDA not getting a majority is a very low probability event. Though, if that happens, markets can fall up to 30%. A recovery from there would take around two years.
In Monday's session, shares of PSU stocks experienced sharp declines, with some of them plummeting by as much as 13%.

This downward trend followed the Reserve Bank's announcement on Friday proposing stricter regulations, governing lending to projects under implementation.

The RBI guidelines stipulate that a 5% general provision must be set aside for all existing and new project loans in the construction phase, i.e., before commercial operations commence. Once the project transitions to the operational phase, these provisions can be reduced to 2.5% of the funding outstanding and further to 1% under certain conditions.

These conditions include the project demonstrating a positive net operating cash flow adequate to cover current repayment obligations to all lenders, along with a minimum 20% decline in the project's total long-term debt with lenders from the outstanding amount at the time of achieving the Date of Commencement of Commercial Operations.

The proposed guidelines also outline details for stress resolution, specify criteria for upgrading accounts, and invoke recognition. Lenders are expected to maintain project-specific data in an electronic and easily accessible format, updating any changes in loan parameters promptly, but within 15 days of such changes, PTI reported.

The RBI mandates the implementation of necessary systems for this purpose within three months of issuing these directives.

Following this update, shares of power financing companies such as Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation experienced declines of 13% and 13.6%, respectively. Additionally, the shares of IREDA also saw a significant tumble of nearly 7%.

In addition, PSU banks witnessed sharp declines in today's trade, with Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Bank of India falling over 5%. The remaining eight constituents of the index are also trading in negative territory. Overall, the Nifty PSU index fell 4.3% to 7,202 points.

At the time of writing, 54 constituents of the BSE PSU index were trading in the red, resulting in a 3.4% drop in the index to 19,760 points. The index hit an intraday of low 19,632 points, down 3.86%.

Conversely, the RBI has issued guidelines to banks concerning their involvement in the capital markets, stressing adherence to specified regulations. The recent circular focuses on "Banks' Exposure to the Capital Market - Issue of Irrevocable Payment Commitments (IPCs)."

This action by the RBI follows adjustments in the settlement cycle introduced by stock exchanges, transitioning from T 2 to T 1 rolling settlement for equities. As a result, existing guidelines on the issuance of IPCs by banks have been reevaluated to ensure compatibility with the new settlement cycle, as reported by the ANI.
Police personnel respond to an apparent shooter situation near Stevenson and Sixth streets in downtown San Francisco on Monday. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle Police personnel respond to an apparent shooter situation near Stevenson and Sixth streets in downtown San Francisco on Monday. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle Police personnel respond to an apparent shooter situation near Stevenson and Sixth streets in downtown San Francisco on Monday. Loren Elliott/Special to the Chronicle

San Francisco police officers swarmed what appeared to be a residential building in the area of Sixth and Mission streets in the citys South of Market neighborhood Monday afternoon after a shooting.

Police officials said officers responded to the scene shortly before noon and found a person suffering from gunshot wounds. The person, who was not immediately identified, was hospitalized. Police could not elaborate on the persons condition shortly after 3 p.m.

The suspected shooter was believed to be in the area where the shooting occurred as of Monday afternoon, and police urged the public to avoid coming near Sixth and Mission if possible.

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Earlier in the day, officers at the scene were unspooling caution tape and preventing people claiming to be residents of the building from entering.

Some officers were donning helmets and protective vests before an apparent attempt to enter the building.

Shortly after 6:15 p.m. Monday evening, officials with the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said the incident had been resolved and emergency crews cleared the scene.

Loren Elliott contributed to this report.
Stocks to buy: Indian stock market benchmark Nifty 50 ended flat last week amid persisting concerns over inflation, dim prospects of rate cuts in the near future, geopolitical tensions and premium valuation of the domestic market.

Experts believe the market may remain in a range ahead of the general election outcome. At the same time, the ongoing results season will infuse stock-specific movements.

On the macro front, the eurozone GDP data and the Bank of England (BoE) policy decision will be the focus of this week.

On the technical front, the market is showing signs of weakness and a further correction may be possible.

"The Nifty index shows signs of near-term bearishness as it forms a double top pattern on the daily chart, coupled with a bearish engulfing candle. This suggests a sell-on-rise approach in the market," said Kunal Shah, Senior Technical & Derivative Analyst at LKP Securities.

"Immediate resistance is noted at the 22,600-22,700 zone, where aggressive call writing has been observed in the options market. On the downside, the index has immediate support at 22,300, and a breach below this level could accelerate the downside momentum," said Shah.

For the short term, market experts suggest picking stocks with strong technical indicators. Based on the recommendations of several experts, here are 9 stocks that can rise 6-15 per cent in the next 3-4 weeks. Take a look:

Axis Securities Orient Electric | Last traded price (LTP):  229.50 | Buying range:  226-222 | Target price:  240-250 | Stop loss:  216 | Upside potential: 9% Orient Electric has demonstrated a breakout above the medium-term falling channel pattern at 225 on the weekly chart, suggesting the onset of an uptrend.

The stock is holding above key moving averages of 20, 50, 100, and 200 days, indicating an uptrend in both the short and medium term.

The stock's closing above the daily upper Bollinger Band also signals a short-term buying opportunity.

The weekly RSI holds above its reference line, indicating positive bias.

BASF India | LTP:  4,062.50 | Buying range: 4,030-3,950 | Target price:  4,550-4,650 | Stop loss:  3,710 | Upside potential: 14.5% On the weekly chart, BASF has broken out above the rounded bottom pattern at 3,900 with a strong bullish candle, signalling the continuation of the uptrend.

The stock is forming higher highs and higher lows on the weekly chart, while also maintaining above an upward-sloping trendline, indicating an upward bias.

The stock's closing above the weekly upper Bollinger Band also signals a medium-term buying opportunity.

The weekly RSI holds above its reference line, indicating positive bias.

Indiamart Intermesh | LTP:  2,799.65 | Buying range:  2,780-2,726 | Target price:  3,060-3,185 | Stop loss:  2,598 | Upside potential: 14% On the daily chart, Indiamart Intermesh has broken out above the symmetrical triangular pattern at 2,700 with a breakaway gap area and a strong bullish candle, indicating the start of an uptrend.

During pattern formation, volume activity tends to decline, while at the breakout, there is an increase in activity, indicating an influx of market participation.

The stock rallied sharply after the breakout, retraced to retest the 200-day simple moving average (SMA) at 2,768, and found support, confirming a positive bias.

The daily RSI has also given a crossover above its reference line, generating a buy signal.

Jigar S. Patel, Senior Manager of Equity Research at Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers Dr. Reddy's Laboratories | LTP:  6,349.55 | Buying range:  6,275-6,350 | Target price:  6,700 | Stop loss:  6,111 | Upside potential: 6% DR Reddy's showed a strong uptrend with higher highs and higher lows on a weekly scale, indicating sustained upward momentum and bullish sentiment.

Recent trading saw support at the middle Bollinger band, suggesting a potential rebound.

The stochastic oscillator remained resilient, avoiding oversold conditions and showing a bullish crossover near the 25 level on the weekly scale.

"This alignment suggests a favourable moment for traders to consider long positions, with entry recommended between 6,275-6,350 for a projected upside target of 6,700. A stop loss near 6,111, based on daily closing prices, is advised to manage downside risk," said Patel.

Piramal Enterprises | LTP:  962.20 | Buying range:  945-965 | Target price:  1,060 | Stop loss:  902 | Upside potential: 10% Piramal Enterprises has found support at the 0.618 per cent retracement level from its previous upward movement between April 3, 2023 and September 11, 2023.

Before this, it consolidated within the range of 820-900 for approximately a month.

On the indicator side, weekly stochastics exhibit regular bullish divergence on a weekly scale, suggesting a favourable buying opportunity.

"Initiating long positions within the range of 945-965 with an upside target of 1,060 is recommended. A stop loss near 902, based on daily closing prices, is advised to manage potential downside risk," said Patel.

Cipla | LTP:  1,424.75 | Buying range:  1,400-1,430 | Upside target:  1555 | Stop loss:  1345 | Upside potential: 9% On a weekly scale, Cipla demonstrated a robust uptrend, marked by higher highs and higher lows; signalling sustained upward momentum and bullish sentiment.

Recent trading sessions found support at the middle Bollinger band, hinting at a potential rebound.

Additionally, the stochastic oscillator showed resilience and indicated hidden bullish divergence and a bullish crossover, further reinforcing the bullish outlook.

"This alignment presents a favourable opportunity for traders to consider long positions, with an entry between 1,400-1,430 and a projected upside target of 1,555. To manage downside risk, a stop loss near 1,345, based on daily closing prices, is recommended," said Patel.

Shiju Koothupalakkal, a technical research analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) | LTP:  448.65 | Target price:  517 | Stop loss:  420 | Upside potential: 15% The stock recovered significantly from the low near the 200-period moving average (MA) of 317.

Thereafter, it witnessed a decent pullback to improve the bias.

A breakout above the inverted head and shoulder pattern formation on the daily chart has strengthened the trend and signalled a further rise in the coming days.

The RSI is on the rise, and with much upside potential visible from current levels, its upward move may continue.

Zydus Lifesciences | LTP:  997.40 | Target price:  1,150 | Stop loss:  937 | Upside potential: 15% After the short correction, the stock has taken support near the important 50EMA (exponential moving average) level of 928 and indicated a decent pullback with improvement in the bias to form a higher low pattern on the daily chart.

The RSI has cooled off from the highly overbought zone, is currently indicating a trend reversal, and has signalled a buy.

Birla Corporation | LTP:  1,559.90 | Target price:  1,770 | Stop loss:  1,440 | Upside potential: 13.5% The stock has corrected quite significantly from the 1,800 level and recently almost formed a higher low on the daily chart, taking support near the 1,420 level.

It has witnessed a decent pullback to move past the confluence of moving averages of 50EMA and 100 period MA at the 1,500 level to improve the bias and further rise is anticipated.

The RSI has indicated a trend reversal, signalling a buy, and has the potential to carry on with the positive move further ahead.

Read all market-related news here
India is one of the largest markets for gold, and growing affluence is driving growth in demand. Gold has a central role in the countrys culture, considered a store of value, a symbol of wealth and status, and a fundamental part of many rituals.

Gold has a key role as a strategic long-term investment and as a mainstay allocation in a well-diversified portfolio. Investors have been able to recognise much of golds value over time by maintaining a long-term allocation and taking advantage of its safe-haven status during periods of economic uncertainty.

Gold stands out among other asset classes due to its exceptional liquidity, often serving as collateral in challenging circumstances. Investing in gold offers various avenues, including jewellery, bars, coins, and gold ETFs.

Additionally, investors have the option to invest in gold through Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs).

In recent years, investors have been showing a growing preference for investing in SGBs as a means of allocating funds to gold compared to alternative options for investing in gold.

In this article, we will explain how to use different options including demat account to invest in these bonds.

What are Sovereign Gold Bonds? Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are a unique investment avenue that combines the attributes of gold with the convenience of bonds. These bonds are issued by the Reserve Bank of India, aiming to provide individuals with an opportunity to invest in gold without physically owning it.

Launched by the government in November 2015 under the Gold Monetisation Scheme, the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme opens for subscription in tranches by the RBI in consultation with the Government of India. The RBI periodically issues these bonds through scheduled commercial banks, designated post offices, and recognised stock exchanges.

Also Read: What is the tax treatment for sovereign gold bonds? MintGenie explains

Typically, SGBs have an eight-year tenor with the option to exit after the fifth year on interest payment dates. They offer a fixed rate of interest, payable semi-annually, determined by the government at the time of issuance, currently set at 2.50% per annum.

SGBs are denominated in multiples of grams of gold, with a minimum denomination of 1 gram and a maximum of 4 kilograms for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) in a financial year. Backed by the government, SGBs are considered risk-free investments.

It's important to note that SGBs are exclusively available for sale to resident Indian entities, including individuals (individually, on behalf of a minor child, or jointly with another individual), HUFs, trusts, universities, and charitable institutions.

Also Read: How to switch depository participants without changing your demat accounts?

How to invest in SGBs? Investors have two primary options for investing in Sovereign Gold Bonds: online through their demat accounts and net banking, or offline through authorised financial institutions such as banks and designated post offices.

Demat Account Route: Investors can buy and sell SGBs using their demat accounts. These bonds, available on the exchanges, were issued earlier and are now accessible in the secondary markets.

One reason investors opt for SGBs via their demat accounts is their availability on the exchanges at prices differing from the reference gold price. With the buy-back option after the fifth year, SGBs on exchanges have various maturity dates, allowing investors to choose based on their investment horizon and goals.

SGBs are also listed and traded in the cash segment of the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. Online payment for these bonds can be facilitated through the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) and other authorised brokers.

Net Banking: Investors can also pay for the SGBs online by paying for the bond using the Net Banking option. Online investors avail of the bond at a discounted price of 50 per gram on the purchase value.

Offline Investment: Alternatively, investors can invest in SGBs offline by visiting authorised financial institutions such as banks and designated post offices. These institutions facilitate SGB purchases through physical application forms and payment methods like cash, cheques, or demand drafts.

Offline investment may appeal to investors who prefer traditional banking channels or seek in-person assistance for their investment transactions.

FAQs What is a Sovereign Gold Bond and who issues it? SGBs are government securities denominated in grams of gold, serving as substitutes for holding physical gold. Investors purchase these bonds at the issue price in cash and redeem them in cash upon maturity. The Reserve Bank issues the bond on behalf of the Government of India.

Why should I choose SGB over physical gold? What are the benefits? Investors enjoy protection for the quantity of gold they pay for, receiving the prevailing market price at redemption or premature redemption. SGBs offer a superior alternative to holding physical gold by eliminating the risks and costs associated with storage. Investors are guaranteed the market value of gold at maturity, along with periodic interest. SGBs eliminate concerns such as making charges and purity associated with gold in jewellery form. Moreover, bonds are held in the RBI's books or in demat form, reducing the risk of loss.

What risks are associated with investing in SGBs? There is a potential risk of capital loss if the market price of gold declines. However, investors do not suffer losses in terms of the units of gold they have paid for.

Who is eligible to invest in SGBs? Individuals resident in India, as defined under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, are eligible to invest in SGBs. Eligible investors include individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), trusts, universities, and charitable institutions. Individual investors who subsequently change their residential status from resident to non-resident may continue to hold SGBs until early redemption or maturity.
Demat account has evolved beyond mere equity trading, now offering investors a spectrum of avenues to diversify their portfolios across various asset classes. Apart from stocks, investors can seamlessly venture into bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, as well as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

Traditionally, Indians have favored real estate investments due to their potential for capital appreciation and steady rental income. However, this required substantial capital, typically ranging from 50 lakh to 1 crore, especially in metropolitan areas.

For investors seeking exposure to real estate without hefty investments, REITs provide a viable alternative. REITs enable individuals to participate in the real estate market without the need for a substantial corpus, offering accessibility and diversification.

Also Read: 4 key implications of insider trading regulations on demat account holders

In this article, we will delve into the concept of Real Estate Investment Trusts and elucidate how investors can leverage their demat accounts to engage with them effectively.

What are REITs? Real Estate Investment Trusts are investment vehicles that own, operate, or finance income-generating real estate across various sectors, such as commercial properties, residential complexes, or infrastructure projects. They allow individual investors to invest in real estate assets without directly owning or managing them.

REITs collect funds from investors and allocate them to real estate ventures such as office spaces and shopping malls. Subsequently, they distribute the generated returns to the investors.

Consider an example with "ABC REIT," which specialises in the ownership and management of shopping malls spread across various cities in the country. Instead of purchasing an entire shopping mall, individual investors have the option to acquire shares of ABC REIT.

When investors buy shares of ABC REIT, they essentially become partial owners of the portfolio of shopping malls that the REIT owns. As the shopping malls generate rental income, ABC REIT distributes a portion of that income to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

Investors can earn returns from REIT investments through dividends and potential capital appreciation if the value of the underlying real estate assets increases over time. Additionally, REITs are often traded on stock exchanges, providing investors with liquidity and ease of buying and selling their investment shares.

In India, there are two primary types of Real Estate Investment Trusts: equity REITs and mortgage REITs.

Equity REITs: In the case of equity REITs, commercial entities such as Mindspace own and operate properties like offices, hotels, and shopping malls. These properties generate rental income, which is then distributed among all the REIT holders in proportion to their holdings. Essentially, investors in equity REITs benefit from a share of the rental income generated by the underlying real estate assets.

Mortgage REITs: Mortgage REITs function differently from equity REITs. In this type of REIT, commercial entities primarily focus on the financial aspect of properties, whether residential or commercial.

They typically invest in mortgage-backed securities or provide financing for real estate projects. Mortgage REITs earn interest income from these investments, which is then distributed to the REIT holders in proportion to their holdings.

Also Read: Demat Account: 10 crucial things you should keep in mind as a beginner

Essentially, investors in mortgage REITs earn returns in the form of interest income derived from the financing activities of the underlying real estate assets.

Both equity and mortgage REITs offer investors the opportunity to participate in the real estate market and earn returns, albeit through different mechanisms. While equity REITs provide exposure to rental income from directly owned properties, mortgage REITs generate returns through interest income from financing real estate transactions.

How do I invest in REITs through a demat account? REITs operate similarly to stocks, as they undergo the IPO process and subsequently get listed on stock exchanges. Like investing in stocks, investing in REITs also necessitates a demat account.

Currently, there are only 3 REIT funds in India: Embassy Office Parks REIT, Mindspace Business Parks REIT, and Brookfield India Real Estate Trust.

To invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts using a demat account, you can follow these steps:

Choose a Broker: Ensure you have a demat account with a brokerage firm that offers access to REITs. Not all brokers provide access to REIT investments, so check with your broker or consider opening an account with a brokerage that does offer this option.

Research REITs: Conduct thorough research to identify REITs that align with your investment goals, risk tolerance, and portfolio diversification strategy. Look into factors such as the types of properties the REIT owns, its financial performance, dividend yield, and management quality.

Place an Order: Once you've selected the REIT you want to invest in, log in to your brokerage account and place an order to buy shares of the REIT. Enter the ticker symbol of the REIT and specify the number of shares you wish to purchase.

Review and Confirm: Before finalising your order, review the details to ensure accuracy, including the number of shares, price per share, and any associated fees or commissions. Once you're satisfied, confirm the order to execute the trade.

Monitor Your Investment: After purchasing shares of the REIT, keep track of your investment by monitoring its performance regularly. Stay updated on any news or developments related to the REIT and the broader real estate market that may impact its value.

Consider Diversification: As with any investment, consider diversifying your portfolio by investing in multiple REITs across different sectors or geographic regions to spread risk and enhance potential returns.

FAQs What are Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and how do they work? Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are investment vehicles that own, operate, or finance income-generating real estate properties. They allow individual investors to invest in real estate assets without directly owning or managing them.

Can I invest in REITs through my demat account? Yes, you can invest in REITs through your demat account. REITs operate similarly to stocks, as they undergo the IPO process and subsequently get listed on stock exchanges.

What are the different types of REITs available in India? In India, there are primarily two types of REITs: equity REITs and mortgage REITs.

How do I choose the right REIT to invest in? To choose the right REIT, conduct thorough research to identify REITs that align with your investment goals, risk tolerance, and portfolio diversification strategy. Consider factors such as the types of properties owned by the REIT, financial performance, dividend yield, and management quality.
In the never-ending search for the next Warren Buffett, most people are lost.

Hunting for a great stock picker is necessary, but not sufficient. You also need to find a great stock picker who isnt a pickpocket.

To do that, you need to think less about investing and more about investment management. For Buffett, his business strategy bred a structure that set him apart from other money managersand made shareholders a bundle.

To see why, lets ask: How would Berkshire Hathaway have performed if Buffett had run it like a hedge fund?

Yes, I know you know the answer is worse." Do you realize how much worse?

If youd invested $1,000 in the S&P 500 in early 1965 when Buffett took over at Berkshire, youd have a bit over $300,000 today. If youd bought Berkshire instead, youd have more than $42.5 milliona big reason why tens of thousands of adoring shareholders will gather in Omaha this weekend to hear Buffett hold court.

If, on the other hand, Buffett had charged hedge-fund fees, youd have under $5 millionstill far more than the market, but about 90% less than Berkshires actual results.

Put another way, if Buffett had charged conventional hedge-fund fees, his investors would have earned only about 10% of the wealth they have enjoyedand he could have been even wealthier than he is today.

I asked several researchers to calculate these returns independently: Andrea Frazzini, head of global stock selection at AQR Capital Management; James Carson, professor of insurance at the University of Georgia, and his former student Anthony Le; and Mila Getmansky Sherman, a finance professor at UMass Amherst, and her student Maya Peterson.

We assumed the hypothetical Berkshire hedge fundlets call it Berkaway LPcharged a management fee of 2% of assets, plus a performance fee that took 20% of any gains above 6% (or, in one iteration, 8%).

Over a period when the S&P 500 compounded at 10.2% annually and Berkshire at 19.8% annually, Berkaway would have returned somewhere between 13.6% and 15.9% annually.

The real Buffett nearly doubled the markets rate of return over a 59-year period; hedge-fund Buffett would also have beaten the market, but by far less.

A Berkshire representative said Buffett was too busy this week to comment.

If Buffett had gone the hedge-fund route, though, I think investors would have earned less than that 13.6% to 15.9% annually. This brings us back to Berkshire Hathaways structure.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Buffett ran investment partnerships that did charge hedge-fund-like fees (including a 25% cut of any annual return in excess of 6%, but no management fee).

But Buffett understood that structure should follow strategy, not the other way around. So in 1969 he announced he would close down his partnerships, and he ended up transforming Berkshire into an investment vehicle unlike any other.

Because Berkshire is a publicly traded holding company, rather than a mutual fund or hedge fund, it doesnt charge fees. And Buffett never had to worry that investors would flood him with too much money at a market top or yank it out at the bottom. Most funds have fickle capital; Berkshire has permanent capital.

Almost everywhere else in the asset-management business, investment vehicles charge fees at least partly based on a percentage of assets under management.

The bigger a fund gets, the more money the manager earns.

For clients, thats a problem for several reasons.

Asset-based fees focus the managers attention not only on increasing the funds returns but alsoand often primarilyon increasing the funds size.

Larger funds are cheaper to runbut when fees are a flat percentage of assets its the managers, not the clients, who reap those economies of scale.

Instead of seeking to maximize the internal cash flows from their investments, the managers are driven to maximize the external cash flows from their investors.

That leads many managers to hype their results at the peakdrawing in performance-chasers who fling cash at the fund just as markets are overheating and stocks are overpriced.

The managers pour the new cash into overpriced stocks that then collapse in the inevitable downturnat which point the hot-money customers bail out of the fund, forcing the managers to dump stocks at the bottom.

Thus the fund is compelled to trade in response to its investors behavior rather than to investment opportunity: buying more when stocks are less desirable and selling when they are more desirable.

The managers, though, prosper by collecting swollen fees at peak asset levels.

Buffett, meanwhile, has taken a $100,000 annual salary for more than 35 years and retains more than 216,000 shares of Berkshires Class A stock, worth about $131 billion this week.

In theory, had Buffett run Berkshire as a hedge fund with typical fees and reinvested them all, Frazzini estimates that they would have added approximately $300 billion to Buffetts net worth by now.

In practice, that would have been impossible. Charging standard fees and having to kowtow to clients would have slashed Buffetts returns.

Yet most people keep ignoring Buffetts example. Institutional investors, and increasingly individual investors, have poured trillions of dollars into hedge funds, private-equity funds and other vehicles whose expenses can run as high as 6% annually.

These private funds are often structured, from the get-go, to maximize their size, rather than their rate of return.

A few mutual-fund companies, including Artisan, Bridgeway, Fidelity, T. Rowe Price and Vanguard, have shown the courage to close funds to new investors when markets get overheated. Some hedge funds also restrict new money when they run out of opportunities.

A few managers, including Orbis Investments, whose main office is in London, and Westwood Management of Dallas, offer portfolios that earn no fees at all unless they outperform their benchmark.

Its a way of truing up the fees paid with the cumulative performance of the clients," says Dan Brocklebank, a senior executive at Orbis.

Such funds arent always available to most individual investors, thoughand these fair fee arrangements remain discouragingly rare.

Part of the problem is that investors should be willing to share some of the upside with fund managers, but they dislike paying higher fees for better performance. AllianceBernstein, which offered a set of funds that charged higher fees for outperformance and lower fees when returns lagged behind, had to abandon them for lack of demand.

Until investors insist that funds change their structure and fees, and more fund managers cooperate, the quest for the next Warren Buffett will remain futile.

Write to Jason Zweig at intelligentinvestor@wsj.com
Australia tightened student visa rules in March this year as migration hit a record high  severely affecting Indian students. The move has since spurred claims of targeted application denials and growing concerns about strained bilateral ties with New Delhi. Reports indicate that visas granted to Indian students fell by 48% between December 2022 and December 2023 as Australia looks to halve net migration by 2025

The Anthony Albanese-led government has introduced several reforms in recent months in a bid to curtail back-door entry for work and permanent residency. Visa reforms include tougher eligibility criterion, stronger English-language tests and additional rules for education agents bringing overseas students to the country.

Data shared by the Indian High Commission in Canberra last year indicates that 1.22 lakh students from the country studied in Australia between January and September 2023. A Guardian report citing official numbers also notes that one in five students have had their visas rejected this year (till March) while many others suffer extensive waiting periods. The rejection proportion has reached a record high with Nepalese visas falling 53% and Pakistani visas falling 55% over the same period.

ALSO READ: Visa update: ETS says TOEFL scores are now valid for all Australian visa purposes The crackdown has also prompted some Australian universities to update their policies  going as far as to impose a blanket ban on Indian students. According to the Guardian report, a significant number of students have been forced to defer or withdraw their applications amid processing delays. Others have been suspended to fulfil additional requirements.

Central Queensland University reportedly wrote to education agents and confirmed that it would no longer offer English language programs to students from India or Nepal, or enrolments to applicants over 25 or married  except for research placements.
Days after the city grappled with a severe water crisis, Bengaluru on Monday witnessed heavy rainfall with gusty winds and hailstorms, resulting in fallen trees and waterlogging. Traffic was also affected in several areas in Bengaluru due to the rains.

A yellow alert for thunderstorms was issued by Karnataka State Natural Disaster Centre (KSNDC).

Waterlogging was reported at various locations in Bengaluru, including Hebbal flyover towards the airport and Veerannapalya, Maharani underpass, Summanahalli, Summanahalli, Vaddarapalya signal, Nagawara, Hebbal railway station, and Kamakshipalya areas.

Also read: Heatwave: 'Delhi to aao ek baar', netizens respond to Bengaluru resident claiming city can no longer play weather card' Tree felling incidents were reported in Jayamahal Road, Kathriguppe signal, Gundu Rao Circle, Lingarajapuram Main Road, Mehkri Circle, PES college near Devegowda circle, Gangamma Circle, Hennur Main Road, and Malleshwaram.

At Hennur Main Road, an electric pole broke down, adding to the traffic disruption. The underpass connecting towards Sankey Road near Kalpana Junction (Cunningham Road) was also closed due to waterlogging.

Karnataka Weather, a private weather blogger, slammed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for the waterlogging situation in the city and said, Wake up.

THANK YOU BBMP Hope you are having a good sleep as usual. Kumbhakarna used to sleep for only 6 months but you have been sleeping for more than a decade now. Please wake up. #BengaluruWaterCrisis to floods in a short span. Thanks for making Bengaluru beautiful, the post read.

Also read: Troubled with weather in Bengaluru? Now, expect slow traffic for next 20 days; here's why However, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that the civic body will complete the desilting work by 20 May.

"As of 3 May, 75 per cent of the cleaning in the 359 km stormwater drainage system had been completed, with the remaining work expected to be finished within a week," he said.

The Karnataka Weather said hail storms were reported over the southwest parts of Bengaluru city, with intense rains affecting parts of the north, southeast, east, and central areas. Residents have been urged to stay indoors and to avoid unnecessary travel.
The Kerala High Court recently ruled in favour of a teenage rape survivor who was denied permission to terminate her 28-week pregnancy caused by the sexual abuse.

While announcing the judgement, the Kerala HC observed that denying a rape survivor permission to terminate a pregnancy would amount to denying her right to live with dignity, reported Bar and Bench.

Also Read Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Bengaluru Police issues traffic advisory ahead of polls on May 7

According to the legal news website LiveLaw, Justice Kauser Edappagath observed that denial of permission to terminate pregnancy in such a case is equivalent to imposing forced motherhood and deprivation of the right to life with dignity, which is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

The sixteen-year-old rape victim was not allowed to medically terminate her pregnancy because its duration was more than 24 weeks, which is the maximum permissible duration of abortion in India according to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP Act).

Despite the victim's 28-week pregnancy, Justice Kauser Edappagath noted that according to MTP Act provisions a rape survivor cannot be forced to give birth to the child of a man who raped her, according to Bar and Bench.

"Section 3(2) of the MTP Act provides that if the continuance of the pregnancy would cause grave injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman, the pregnancy can be terminated. Explanation 2 of section 3 (2) says that where the pregnancy was caused by rape, the anguish caused by the pregnancy shall be presumed to constitute a grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman. Hence, a rape victim cannot be forced to give birth to a child of a man who sexually assaulted her. Declining permission to a rape victim to medically terminate her unwanted pregnancy would amount to forcing her with the responsibility of motherhood and denying her human right to live with dignity which forms a significant part of the right of life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution," Bar and Bench quoted the Court as saying in the case on Saturday.

In the case, the Kerala HC observed that the essence of every woman and girl's fundamental right to equality and privacy lies in the right to make autonomous decisions about their reproductive functions.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena on Monday recommended a fresh investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

In a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, shared by news agency ANI, the principal secretary to Saxena said he had received a complaint that Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP received a "staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022". He said the complaint was submitted by one Ashoo Mongia.

The principal secretary wrote, "I am directed to forward a complaint dated 01.04.2024 (in original) received from Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary (World Hindu Federation India), along with a printout of posts on platform "X" (erstwhile Twitter), made by Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, a former worker of Aam Aadmi Party, referred in the enclosed letter and a pen drive as received."

Allegations against AAP and Kejriwal According to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's office, the complainant referred to a video purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist and founder of banned organisation Sikhs For Justice.

In the video, Pannun alleged that the AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal, received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

The principal secretary said it was alleged that a clandestine meeting occurred in 2014 between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York.

During the said meeting, Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar [Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar], in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party, the letter from Saxena's office read. Bhullar is a former professor and convict in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case.

The complainant also mentioned a few posts on X made by former AAP worker Munish Kumar Raizad  wherein Raizad is said to have shared a picture of Arvind Kejriwal and Sikh leaders from the meeting that purpotedly took place at Richmond Hill Gurudwara, New York, United Sates of America, in 2014.

In his tweets, he also confirmed that apart from attending public meetings, Kejriwal held a closed-door meeting, at the Richmond Hills Gurudwara, with Pro-Khalistani Sikh leaders, the letter read.

It has also been mentioned in the letter that Kejriwal wrote to former President Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for Bhullar Saxena's principal secretary said.

What does Delhi L-G want? The letter from Saxena's office mentioned that the complainant requested for a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations regarding funding of the AAP by extremist group Justice for Sikhs.

Since the allegations have been made against Hon'ble Chief Minister and related to alleged funding of a political party, amounting to millions of dollars, from a terrorist organisation already banned in India, the electronic evidences adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination, the principal secretary added.

Seeking an NIA probe into the matter, Saxena's office wrote, Keeping in view the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, Hon'ble Lt. Governor has desired that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India, may consider referring the matter to National Investigation Agency for conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Fresh trouble for Arvind Kejriwal? Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is already under judicial custody and lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the alleged scam in the Delhi excise policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21.

Reacting to the letter from the L-G's office, Delhi minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the L-G "is an agent of the BJP". He alleged conspiracy against Kejriwal.
A firing incident was reported at a showroom of a second hand luxury cars in west Tilak Nagar area, Delhi Police informed on Monday. A few people have reportedly sustained injuries due to the broken glass in the showroom; however, the police said no bullet injury was reported.

The shooting incident has been reported from the Fusion Cars showroom in Tilak Nagar.

Also read: Lok Sabha Elections Phase 3 polling tomorrow: Shivraj Mamaji Chouhans road to Delhi goes through BJP bastion Vidisha They also informed that multiple shots were fired at the car showroom, with aim at its glass door. Some of the shots were fired in the air.

An incident of firing has been reported in the Fusion Cars showroom in the Tilak Nagar area. Multiple shots have been fired aiming toward the glass and in the air. Some people have sustained injuries due to broken glass and are under treatment. No bullet injury has been reported, news agency ANI reported quoting Delhi Police.

Also read: Auto Expo set to move back to New Delhi in 2025 after a decade According to news agency PTI citing Delhi Police, three people, including a worker of a political party, were injured in a firing by two motorcycle borne assailants.

One of the injured is believed to be a customer at Fusion Cars, while the other reportedly works at a bank near the car showroom.

The officer said that prima facie it is suspected to be a case of extortion bid from the showroom owner.

According to media reports, the attackers initially handed a note to the showroom driver containing an extortion demand. After the demand was not met, the attackers fired multiple shots at the showroom.

Further details of the incident are awaited.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is accused of receiving political funding from the banned terrorist organisation 'Sikhs for Justice'. Taking action over a complaint, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Kejriwal and the AAP. Saxena's principal secretary wrote a letter to the home secretary on May 3, listing the allegations against Kejriwal and seeking the NIA probe.

Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister, is currently under judicial custody in connection with the alleged scam in the Delhi excise policy case. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 21.

Here's what the letter from Saxena's office alleged against Kejriwal:

In the letter to the Union home secretary, the Lieutenant Governor's secretariat said Saxena had received a complaint that the Kejriwal-led AAP allegedly received $16 million in funding from extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar, a convicted terrorist.

The complainant referred to a video released by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. In the purported video mentioned in the letter, Pannun had alleged that the Kejriwal-led AAP received $16 million from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022. Pannun is also the founder of the banned organisation 'Sikhs For Justice'.

The complainant also alleged that Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York, during his visit in 2014. During the meeting, Kejriwal allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to the AAP.

The letter read: "It has also been alleged that a clandestine meeting occurred in 2014 between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York. During the said meeting. Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party."

The complainant also mentioned that a former AAP worker, Munish Kumar Raizada, had shared purported pictures of Kejriwals meeting with Khalistani leaders.

"The complainant has also stated that as per tweets on Platform 'X' (erstwhile Twitter) Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, who was a worker in AAP, shared a picture of Arvind Kejriwal and Sikh leaders that took place at Richmond Hill Gurudwara, New York, United States of America, in 2014," the letter stated.

It added, "In his tweets, he [Raizada] also confirmed that apart from attending public meetings, Kejriwal held a closed-door meeting, at the Richmond Hills Gurudwara, with Pro-Khalistani Sikh Leaders."

As per Saxena's principal secretary's letter, the complainant had also mentioned that Kejriwal had written to former President Pranab Mukherjee seeking "clemency for Bhullar".

"In this context, a copy of a letter by Arvind Kejriwal, addressed to one Iqbal Singh is enclosed. The letter dated 27.01.2014 mentions that our government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justice," the complainant informed Saxena.

Besides, the complainant further mentioned that the Delhi government has already recommended to the President the release of Professor Bhullar and would be working on other issues, including the formation of SIT, etc.

"The same was widely reported in the media. As per news reports of that time, Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding a written assurance for the release of Bhullar. He ended the fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal," the letter to the home secretary stated.

Who is Devendra Pal Bhullar? Devendra Pal Bhullar is a former professor. He was convicted in connection with the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in Delhi. He was sentenced to death by a designated TADA court on August 25, 2001. He is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence. He is currently lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail.

Action sought against Kejriwal The Lt governor's secretariat's letter stated that the electronic evidence shared by the complainant requires investigation, including forensic examination. The complainant had shared a pen drive with Pannun's video, screenshots of the former AAP worker's posts on X and some pictures of Kejriwal.
The Indian Coast Guard (IGC) has taken into its custody an Iranian fishing vessel that entered Indian waters illegally and detained six Indian crew on board, west of Beypore off the coast of Kerala late on May 05, 2024, the Indian defence ministry said, adding that the swift sea-air coordinated operation involved the ships and aircraft of the ICG.

Taking to the microblogging platform (formerly known as Twitter), the Indian Coast Guard posted, In a swift sea-air coordinated operation intercepts & detains #Iranian fishing vessel in #Arabian sea west off #Kerala coast with 06 #Indian crew employed on contractual basis at Iran. Crew alleges exploitation & mistreatment by the boat owner. The boat has been brought to #Kochi for further investigation. Upholding maritime security & welfare #ICG demonstrates unwavering commitment.

Six Indian crew, hailing from Kanyakumari in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, were taken into custody, and the vessel has been brought to Kochi for further investigations, the Indian Coast Guard said.

Also Read | Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal gets interim medical bail for two months "The boat went out of fuel when it reached Koyilandy. All those who were taken into custody were fishermen who had gone to Iran from Kanyakumari for fishing around one and half years ago," PTI quoted a police officer as saying.

The police officer further said as per the preliminary assumption, they were on their way to their native place after escaping from Iran.

Also Read | NEET-UG question paper leak claims 'baseless', says NTA "As per their statement, they were not getting any salary and were suffering ill-treatment in Iran. They said they even had to suffer physical assault from the employer. So they escaped in the same boat they had been engaged in fishing," he said.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday moved the Supreme Court against the rejection of his bail plea by the Jharkhand high court last week.

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter before the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for an urgent listing. However, the CJI said he would look into the request.

On May 3, the Jharkhand High Court had dismissed Soren's writ petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and denied bail to him.

In his plea, Soren has claimed that his arrest was unwarranted and his remand in the matter was arbitrary and illegal.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chairperson was arrested by the ED in the land scam case in January. At present, Soren is in judicial custody and he is lodged at Ranchi's Birsa Munda Central Jail.

Meanwhile, a Special PMLA Court in Ranchi has reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Soren in a land scam case. The court will give its verdict on May 10.

On May 4, stating that Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc take out rallies in support of the corrupt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at jailed former Jharkhand chief minister without taking his name.

Addressing a poll rally in Gumla's Sisai, Modi said, The former Jharkhand CM is behind bars for corruption; Modi is committed to wipe out the menace. In the next five years, all those who indulged in corruption will face legal action.

However, Soren's wife Kalpana has said that her husbands arrest was unexpected and it triggered a shock in the JMM and the family.
LONDON (AP)  Scotland's former deputy first minister was poised to become its third leader in just over a year after taking the helm of the troubled Scottish National Party on Monday.

John Swinney, who led the SNP two decades ago, was the only candidate to replace First Minister Humza Yousaf as the leader of the party.

The SNP has been in turmoil since long-serving First Minister Nicola Sturgeon abruptly stepped down last year during a campaign finance investigation that eventually led to criminal charges against her husband.

Swinney, 60, who joined the party at age 15, will try to bring stability to the SNP as it fights efforts by opponents to weaken it going into U.K.-wide parliamentary elections expected later this year.

The polarization of politics does not serve our country well," Swinney said as he was named party leader. I will reach out to everyone willing to join with us in good faith and seek compromises that serve our nation well. We need to stop shouting at each other and talk. More than that, actually, we need to listen. As first minister, I will do exactly that.

Yousaf announced his resignation last week after a political miscalculation in which he booted the Green Party from the ruling coalition of Scotlands semiautonomous government. The SNP is one seat short of a majority in the local parliament with 63 of the 128 voting seats, so it needs to partner with at least one opposition party.

The pro-independence SNP was weakened by the campaign finance scandal and divisions over transgender rights, but was ultimately brought down by Yousafs decision to oust the Greens because of differences over climate change goals. Yousaf was unable to persuade other parties to back his minority government in Scotlands parliament.

Facing the prospect of two no-confidence votes that had been scheduled, Yousaf quit rather than be forced out.

Yousaf will remain first minister until his replacement is elected. Swinney is likely to be elected to that position later this week.

Swinney thanked Yousaf for serving with grace and dignity, and said that his moral leadership on the issue of Gaza has been a light in very dark times."

Yousaf won a bruising campaign to take over the party after Sturgeon, who was first minister for eight years, resigned unexpectedly in February 2023.

About a month later, Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell, who was the party's chief executive, was arrested as police investigated how 600,000 pounds ($750,000) earmarked for a Scottish independence campaign was spent.

Sturgeon and Colin Beattie, the partys former treasurer, were later arrested and questioned in the inquiry, but they were released without being charged with a crime. Murrell was charged last month with embezzlement.

Swinney had served as Sturgeon's deputy first minister during her tenure as Scotland's leader, but stepped down when she left office.

Conservative leader Douglas Ross said that Swinneys past makes him unlikely to bring the change that Scotland needs.

John Swinney was joined at the hip with the disgraced Nicola Sturgeon and his fingerprints are all over her numerous policy failures and cover-ups, Ross said.

Swinney pledged to lead a center-left government focused on the economy, jobs, the cost of living, the National Health Service, schools, public services and the climate crisis.

Swinney said that he would make his case to persuade people of the need for Scottish independence, which voters rejected in 2014. He cited Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis, which he blamed on U.K. politicians in London, as being bad for Scotland.

They demonstrate why Scotland needs to have independence to make our own decisions and create our best future, he said. If someone is an independence supporter in Scotland and they want Scotland to be independent, theres only one political party that will ever deliver and thats the Scottish National Party.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar echoed Ross' remarks, saying that the SNP is offering more of the same.
(Recasts to lead on rejection of Sabadell offer, details on share prices and premiums offered in paragraphs 6, 7 and 8)

By Jesus Aguado

MADRID, May 6 (Reuters) - Sabadell's board rejected a merger proposal by larger rival BBVA for a 12 billion euro ($12.93 billion) all-share merger, the Spanish lender said on Monday.

The country's fourth-largest lender by market value said its board believed BBVA's proposal significantly undervalues the potential of Banco Sabadell and its growth prospects, calling the offer unsolicited.

On Wednesday, BBVA had offered an exchange ratio of one newly issued BBVA share for every 4.83 Sabadell shares, a premium of 30% over April 29 closing prices.

In a statement to the stock market supervisor on Monday, Sabadell said the recent material decline and volatility in the BBVA share price increased the uncertainty around the value of the proposal.

BBVA was not immediately available for a comment.

Based on the May 6 closing prices of 9.840 euros for BBVA and 1.8895 euros for Sabadell, shares in Sabadell were well below the 2.2587 euros per share BBVA was offering taking into account the 30% premium against April 29.

With today's closing price, BBVA was valuing Sabadell at around 11 billion euros.

Analysts said the gap between the offer and the current share price of Sabadell indicated there was risk that the deal would not go through.

In November of 2020, Sabadell and BBVA called off merger talks as they did not agree on the terms, including the price tag.
Instagram content creator Joyee shared a video of her heartwarming gesture towards an auto driver on her social media account, capturing the attention of thousands.

A teacher by profession, Joyee said the auto driver helps her with her daily commute. This auto driver brings me home from school every day.

In her post, the content creator said she had been observing the auto driver's worn-out plastic water bottle and had thought of gifting him a brand-new insulated bottle instead for a long time.

"I have been thinking for a long time that I will gift him a bottle instead of this plastic bottle," she wrote.

Finally, on labour day on 1 May, Joyee gifted the auto driver a new water bottle "as best as I could".

In merely four days, her post captioned "Choti Choti khushiyan hi to jeene ka sahara hai" received over 1 million reviews and many reactions.

But what melted the hearts of social media users the most was the auto driver's reaction.

Gushing with joy and gratitude upon receiving the unexpected gift, the auto driver in the video can be seen smiling ear to ear.

Also read: Instagram to penalise reposting of content from others: Here's what is going to change Comments lauding Joyee for her kind gesture poured in on the post. Some users highlighted that the auto driver would probably give the water bottle to his kids because "that's how parents are".

"I hope uncle ji use paani piye, kyuki ye log sab accha accha apne bachho ko dedete and they land up with those plastic bottles eventually!! Parents work so hard, I wish we could do something for them," a user commented. Another user suggested that Joyee give him 2-3 more bottles so that he can share them with his children, too.

Also read: Chef Vikas Khanna pulls hilarious prank on comedian Abhishek Upmanyu; says on Instagram Reels, 'Main bada hoon.. However, some users also criticized Joyee for filming the moment and using it for publicity.
Stating that it is very difficult to figure out where the relationship between Meghan Markle and the Royal Family went wrong, a royal expert has recently claimed that she was given a "rare honour" from King Charles before she departed from the royal duties.

In an interview with GBN America, Michael Cole, former royal correspondent at BBC said that the King, who was then the Prince, offered to walk Markle down the aisle as her own father is estranged from her.

Also read: Prince William, Kate Middleton to meet Harry, Meghan Markle soon; here's why Calling it a "great honour", Cole added that the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September 2022, also "went out of the way" to become friends with Markle's mother Doria.

Cole said it was "hard to puzzle" where things between Markle and the Royal Family went south.

"She could not have been welcomed more into this country," he said.

Also read: Too royal, issues with Meghan Markle: Why 2,000 veterans left Prince Harry's Invictus Games Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has previously criticised her treatment by the Royal Family. She stepped away from the royal duties in 2020. Since then, she, along with her husband Harry and kinds, has been living in the USA.

In his memoir, Spare, Harry has blamed Prime William and Princess Kate for the treatment given to Markle. He has also written, in detail, about a scene in 2019 when William grabbed Harry by the collar and threw him on the ground. Harry said this was over an argument about Markle.

Also read: King Charles keeps the door open for Prince Harry, not for Meghan Markle: Expert Harry also said that the relationship between him and his brother has always been strained.

In a Netflix series too, Harry said that William "screamed" at him in January 2020, in front of their grandmother over Harry's plan to leave England with Markle.
A Surat-based company issued a clarification after a LinkedIn job posting associated with the firm received severe backlash for barring Marathi candidates for the role.

In its recent post on LinkedIn, ITCODE Infotech called the previous post banning the Marathi applicants hateful. It further stated that the freelance human resources (HR) recruiter, who shared the post on LinkedIn is not affiliated with the company "in any capacity.

The company rejected any association with the HR person and mentioned that she already apologised for the controversial post.

The HR simply utilised the company name on LinkedIn, a platform open to anyone. We have reached out to her for clarification, and she has since apologised and updated her current employment details, which you can verify. Additionally, we want to reiterate that we have not posted any job requirements recently. Please take note of this and refer to our previous hiring posts for verification, the company wrote in its LinkedIn post on Sunday.

Moreover, the company also shared a screenshot of the freelance HR person's statement apologising for the Marathi ban post on LinkedIn. The company said that it had contacted the HR person in the matter and sought clarification. It also expressed its willingness to cooperate with Gujarat and Maharashtra authorities in case of any legal consequences over the controversy.

Upon contacting the individual responsible for the post, we discovered it was for one of her freelance projects, unrelated to our company. She has clarified this in her response. We are fully committed to supporting the authorities in Gujarat and Maharashtra if legal actions are initiated. Our company shares every job requirement through official channels, and we have had positive experiences collaborating with Marathi individuals, who have been incredibly kind and cooperative.

About the Marathi ban controversy The controversy erupted after an HR recruiter shared a LinkedIn post for the role of a Graphic Designer. What caught social media's attention was the unnecessary condition of excluding Marathi applicants for the job role in Mumbai. The Marathi people are not welcome here," read the now-deleted LinkedIn post.

Social media reaction to the company's apology However, the company's clarification failed to calm the netizens who posted multiple critical reactions.

The recruiters apology and the Surat-based company ITcode Infotechs clarification. Since both say its not their fault, I guess Nehru must be responsible, wrote an X account named Cow Momma.

Patanjali has set a good example for apologies! No Marathi was her first line in the ad, commented another user on the X post.

"Unsurprisingly the two Gujaratis have created an environment in which 2 states that used to be one are now at odds with each other but they still want to build a bullet train between the two states without fostering any cooperation," wrote another social media user.
Donald Trump used a personal bank account to repay most of the money he owed to a former lawyer who bought the silence of adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, a former Trump Organization finance official told a New York court.

Former controller Jeffrey McConney on Monday offered jurors at the hush money trial their first detailed look at how Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen, his onetime lawyer. Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her claims of an affair with Trump.

Jurors saw dozens of emails, invoices and company ledgers documenting how Trump paid $35,000 a month in 2017  while he was in the White House  to Cohen. After including other work beyond Daniels, a bonus and grossing up to cover taxes, the total rose to $420,000, McConney said. Cohens said the payments were for a retainer, but McConney said he never saw one.

Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying dozens of business records to conceal the $130,000 payment to Daniels. Prosecutors say Trump used such payments to influence the 2016 election by hiding his conduct with women. Its one of four criminal cases Trump faces as he campaigns to return to the White House.

McConney also discussed handwritten notes that he and former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg took after discussing the details of how to repay Cohen.

We were going to wire the funds monthly from Mr. Trumps personal account, President Trumps account, McConney told the jury in the trials third week of testimony.

In all, Trump paid $315,000 of the $420,000 from his personal bank account, and the other $105,000 came from a Trump trust account.

Gag Order Fine

The testimony followed Justice Juan Merchans ruling for a second time that Trump was in contempt of court for violating a gag order. He fined Trump $1,000 and warned he could jail him for further violations of an order intended to protect witnesses as well as jurors.

Last week, Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for multiple violations of the gag order, particularly by attacking and Daniels and Cohen, key witnesses in the case.

It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent, Merchan said in court. Mr. Trump, I want you to understand the last thing I want to do is put you in jail.

The judge said he understands the significance of jailing a former president and current candidate, particularly since putting Trump behind bars would raise serious logistical issues.

I worry about the people, the court officers, your Secret Service detail, he said. The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me but at the end of the day I have a job to do and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the system.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the gag order and claims its unfairly restricting his free-speech rights. Last week, Trump claimed that the order prevents him from testifying in his own defense. The next day, Merchan told Trump directly in court that the order doesnt prevent him from taking the witness stand.

Three Decades

McConney spent more than three decades at the Trump Organization, where he always reported to Weisselberg, 76, whos now serving a second state prison stint after pleading guilty to perjuring himself.

Like other witnesses, McConney disparaged Cohen when asked about what he did at the Trump Organization for more than a decade.

He said he was a lawyer, McConney said.

On cross examination, Trump lawyer Emil Bove tried to raise doubts about whether Cohen provided real legal services to Trump.

While Merchan has threatened Trump with jail before over the contempt issue, he seems to actually mean it this time, said Gene Rossi, a former federal prosecutor who is now a defense lawyer.

The judge has treated him with kid gloves so far. He must take control of his courtroom, Rossi said. No other defendant in history has been treated so gingerly.

Another lawyer, Robert Hirschhorn, said that the threat of jail time will likely cause Trump to think twice before violating the gag order again.

I really dont, unless he sees it as a fundraising opportunity, I dont think hes going to challenge this judge again, said Hirschhorn, an attorney and jury and trial consultant.

With assistance from Hadriana Lowenkron.
Hamas accepted an ceasefire proposal on Monday as Israeli troops prepared for a Rafah offensive. Israeli officials however indicated that the Egyptian-Qatari mediated proposal contains far-reaching conclusions it is unwilling to accept. It is not yet clear whether the deal will bring about an end to the seven month long Gaza war or ensure complete withdrawal of troops.

Officials told Reuters that Hamas had agreed to a proposal that included the ceasefire as well as reconstruction of Gaza, return of the displaced and a prisoner swap deal. Members of the militant group also intend to visit Cairo for further discussion about the ceasefire agreement and consequent steps. The Hamas deputy Gaza chief told the publication that it had accepted a three phased agreement with each segment being 42 days.

Egyptian and Hamas officials had previously said that a ceasefire would take place in a series of stages during which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

An Israeli official however told Reuters that Hamas had approved a 'softened' Egyptian proposal appeared to be a ruse intended to make Tel Aviv look like the side refusing a deal. Local media reports also said that the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government had not accepted the deal.

ALSO READ: Israeli army tells 1,00,000 civilians to temporarily evacuate parts of Rafah; 10 things we know so far The mujahid brother Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas movements political bureau, had a phone call with the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence, Abbas Kamel, and informed them of the Hamas movements approval of their proposal regarding the ceasefire agreement. Al Jazeera quoted the militant group as saying.

The developments come mere hours after Israel ordered tens of thousands sheltering in Rafah to evacuate on Monday ahead of a limited scope operation. US President Joe Biden had also held a lengthy telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart on Monday evening, with Washington reiterating its opposition towards a major ground invasion of the southern Gaza city.

Foreign leaders including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan have welcomed the news of a possible ceasefire. The senior politician also urged Western countries to increase pressure on Israeli leadership for acceptance of the ceasefire deal.

"We welcome the statement by Hamas that they accepted the ceasefire with our suggestion. Now, Israel must take the same step," he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday denounced international criticism of the country's war in Gaza, stating Israel will stand alone! No pressure would stop us from defending ourselves. He was speaking at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem.

The Israeli PM recalled the time when Nazis killed six million Jews during World War II, saying no nation came to our aid and people were completely defenseless against those who sought destruction.

At the event, one yellow chair was kept empty representing the hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza. I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself, Netantahu said, flaying the outrage against Israel over its incursion in Gaza.

He further drew parallels between the anti-Semitic sentiment now and the treatment of Jews at German universities in the US and other international institutions during World War II. "What a distortion of justice and history," he was quoted as saying by AFP.

You will not chain our hands... Israel will continue to fight human evil... until victory. We will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now! Netanyahu asserted.

Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in over 1,170 fatalities. Hamas also held some 250 hostages. Israel now estimates 128 are still being held captive in Gaza, including 35 persons whom the Israeli army alleged have been killed. Israel's retaliatory attack has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.

Israel attacks Rafah after Hamas' rocket attack As many as three Israeli soldiers were killed in a deadly rocket attack launched by Hamas near the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where Palestinian health officials alleged at least 19 people were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday.

Soon after the Hamas attack, Israel launched a counter attack on a house in Rafah in an airstrike killing at least three people and wounding several others, Reuters reported. It struck the launcher from which the Hamas projectiles were fired, as well as a nearby military structure, the Israeli military said.

Hamas' armed wing claimed responsibility for an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing in Gaza on Sunday. According to the Israeli military, around 10 projectiles were launched from Rafah in southern Gaza.

Hamas' armed wing said it fired rockets at an Israeli army base near the crossing, but did not confirm where it fired them from. Reports quoted a source close to the militant group as saying the commercial crossing was not the target. More than a million Palestinians are being sheltered in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.
Ahead of planned operation in the southern Gaza, Israel has asked 1,00,000 Palestinians to evacuate eastern parts of Rafah. Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold. The development comes a day after Hamas militants carried out a deadly rocket attack from the area that killed three Israeli soldiers.

"Israel was preparing a limited scope operation" and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city," PTI quoted Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman as saying.

Here are 10 things we know 1) Some 1,00,000 people have been ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi.

2) Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman said that the operation is part of the endeavour to dismantle Hamas.

3) The Israeli military is using text messages, flyers and social media to tell people to move.

4) The military has expanded assistance into the area, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

5) In a statement on Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israeli military action in Rafah is required due to Hamas' refusals of mediated proposals for a Gaza truce under which the Palestinian Islamist group would free some hostages, reported Reuters.

6) About 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, according to the World Health Organization, reported AFP.

7) Posters, text messages, phone calls and media announcements would be used to encourage ... the gradual movement of civilians in the specified area.

8) The military said that it was not setting a timeframe for the Rafah evacuation, however, but would make operational assessments.

9) Evacuations were focused on a few peripheral districts of Rafah, from which evacuees would be directed to tent cities in nearby Khan Younis and Al Muwassi, Reuters quoted Army Radio as saying.

10) The incident would have no effect on the amounts of badly needed aid entering Gaza because other crossing points remain operational, said army spokesman.
The April 13 Israeli skeet shootknocking out 99% of the approximately 170 drones, 120 ballistic missiles and 30 cruise missiles Iran launched toward the Jewish statewas a technological tour de force. It combined difficult math, real-time sensors, sophisticated software and no small amount of artificial intelligence to guide advanced hardware, propulsion systems, explosives and lasers. That one night probably cost more than $1 billion. We intercepted. We thwarted. Together we will win," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted.

Now make it profitableand use it to promote Palestinian prosperity. These defenses against incoming threats are a marvel. Israels Iron Dome, like Raytheons Patriot air-defense system, was designed mainly to take out short-range rockets. Patriot missiles can cost $4 million each, while Iron Dome missiles are $40,000 to $50,000, helpful given the sheer number of cheap Israel-bound rockets. In an asymmetric-warfare world, defense is still expensive.

But Irans long-range attacks required more: Davids Sling intercepts cruise missiles. Spyder finds and destroys aircraft and drones. Arrow can pick off ballistic missiles coming from outside the earths atmosphere. The U.S. Navy also provided help. Three ballistic missiles were taken out by our Aegis missile-defense systems, and 70 of the drones were shot down by U.S. ships and aircraft.

Josh Wolfewhose venture firm, Lux Capital, invests a third of its funds in defense and aerospacetold me last week: Every country watching that show is now thinking I want that! An export version of these systems could be Israels next big product."

Israel should eventually build factories in Gaza and the West Bank to manufacture these systems. Theres no better way to turn an enemy into an ally than to give him a job. That may sound far-fetched, but history is on my side. After Germanys surrender in 1945, amid a landscape of destroyed cities, the Marshall Plan helped rebuild Germany into a peaceful ally. The reconstruction of Japan started during occupation under Gen. Douglas MacArthur. We did a pretty good job becausewouldnt you know itbehind China and the U.S., Japan is third in the world in global manufacturing output. Germany is fourth, Italy seventh.

Made in Japan" was a joke at first, indicating substandard quality. But over time, Japanese manufacturing and labor productivity improved until the name was synonymous with quality. (In the late 1950s, my mother was pregnant as she and my father sailed back to the U.S. after his Navy stint in Yokohama. On Japan visits years ago, I used to get a giggle from investor audiences when I told them I was made in Japan.)

This hiring of old enemies is still happening. All those antiwar protesters from the 1960s and 70s, including Hanoi Jane" Fonda, would be shocked to learn that their iPads, AirPods and Apple Watches are sourced in Vietnam. Apple says it has created more than 200,000 jobs there and spent close to $16 billion since 2019 as it migrates its supply chains out of China. CEO Tim Cook, on a visit to Vietnam last month, said the company plans to spend more. Trade is a more effective healer than foreign aid.

So turn Gaza and the West Bank into factory floors assembling defense systems, although maybe add the explosives elsewhere. Bring great jobs and a middle class to their mostly poor inhabitantsthey can even work on Saturdays!without handouts from the politicized United Nations. Turn Gaza into Hong Kong, a place of free trade, or Mexico, a neighbor with a cheap but effective labor force.

In 1975, Vietnam was a war-ravaged, rice-growing communist backwater. In 1994, the U.S. imported $50 million in goods from Vietnam. In 2023, we imported $114 billion worth. Vietnams labor productivity in 2021 ranked only 136th of 185 countries. It still grew, as the country has inexpensive labor and lots of room to improve. After Germany reunified in 1991, the formerly communist east turned around in short order. On a visit to South Korea years ago, I learned the country has detailed action plans to take over North Korea if and when the current regime collapses, and turn it into a cheap-labor manufacturing powerhouse. Israel needs to do the same to assure long-term peace on its borders.

Sure, Im thinking way ahead, but a Hamas-free Gaza might be the perfect test bed for oil-free economic upside in the Middle East. The Gaza Strip has a population of two million, the West Bank another three million. An Israeli effort to educate a workforce to hire into high-tech factoriessemiconductors as well as defensecould go a long way toward establishing a friendly, prosperous neighbor and future ally. It will take a lot of work, but its worth it.

Write to kessler@wsj.com.
The title of this column refers to a famous song by Pete Townshend of the iconic rock band, The Who. Part of their debut album in 1965, it captures the spirit of youth culture of the 1960srebellious, trying to break free from tradition and stereotypes and yet somehow also meet societys expectations. The Whos innovative, defiant and unruly style influenced many future generations of rock bands.

The song itself has lasting appeal and has been covered by other artistes and there is also a recent movie by the same name. The Kids are Alright has become a catch-phrase representing the resilience and potential of youth as they face daunting challenges. It is the restless, resistant and resilient youth who rouse the social conscience when others are silent.

As Israel continues to brutally bomb Gaza, the kids in America are not alright about it. Across the country, college campuses have erupted with student protests, asking their universities to divest from all companies that do business with Israel. They want to end partnerships with Israeli universities. They are calling it a genocide, as nearly 40,000 Palestinians have died, the majority of them women and children. Palestinian flags have gone up on campus greens. College administrators have been trying and failing to defuse the tense and escalating situation.

Encampments have sprung up on the campuses of elite Ivy League colleges like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Columbia, all the way to mid-west institutions in Michigan and Texas and places like Berkeley in California. The police have had to be called in, and there have been hundreds of arrests. These students are taking the risks of expulsion, disciplinary action and damage to their careers. These include many foreign students, including those from India. Student unrest has also spread to France, England and Australia. Even the faculty in many places have joined forces with students.

It is a great testimony to youth power that the powers that be, whether in Washington, Wall Street or Silicon Valley, can no longer be reticent and have had to respond. Even the President of the US has shown some sympathy, although officially the US continues to stonewall all resolutions to restrain Israel at the United Nations. Some US lawmakers have asked Columbias president to resign, while others warned that colleges should not cave into right wing" pressure. The protests have divided lawmakers and social commentators, but the students themselves seem united the US.

This is not the first time that students are leading the voice of conscience in America. In the 1980s, college kids across campuses forced divestment in companies that did business with South Africa. This was their protest against its apartheid regime back then. Much earlier, in the 1960s, there was massive and decisive student unrest against the Vietnam war.

The present pro-Palestinian student-led movement will prove to be a watershed in the evolution of Americas relationship with Israel. The word genocide has gained currency in the discourse on what is going on in Gaza. Israels response to the 7 October brutalities of Hamas that killed innocent civilians is increasingly seen as disproportionate and unjustified. The US can no longer instinctively side with Israel no matter what the latter does.

The social conscience and global awareness of American kids stands in stark contrast to the recent clueless fumbling of placard-holding young protestors in Delhi. These college students from a prestigious university, when asked by a journalist on camera, unfortunately exposed themselves as ignorant youth who had probably been unwittingly coddled into doing political propaganda. They seemed to have no idea what they were supposed to be protesting.

Their answers provided much comical relief in the style of late-night TV comedy shows of David Letterman and Conan OBrien, who routinely parody the clueless. The troubling aspect is that these were college kids who are supposed to be socially and politically aware. They represent human capital of the future. Of course, it is totally inappropriate to extrapolate from one hilarious episode, but the difference in whats happening on American campuses and this scene on the streets of Delhi, both on live television at the same time, is telling.

Whatever complaint you may make about American institutions of higher education, that they have become prisoners of wokeness, that political correctness is out of control, or that the diversity agenda has gone too far (all of these being favourite grumbles of Donald Trump supporters), you cannot deny that US universities remain bastions of free speech and creative thinking. They push the envelope, be it on social norms or science. They still attract the brightest and most competitive applicants from all over the world.

The current predicament of university administrators is not that they want to suppress dissent against Israeli policy, but how to achieve a balance between free speech and providing a safe non-violent environment to all stakeholders, none of whom should feel intimidated. Within the boundaries of the college, where even the police cannot enter without permission, freedom of expression is sacrosanct.

This is a sine qua non for a stimulating environment where science and art can flourish, where knowledge and insight can bloom. Indias universities must also become that crucible where the dynamic human capital of tomorrow is forgedby healthy debate and dissent, by fearless questioning and exploration. Only then will our kids be alright.
In the 18 months or so since ChatGPT was unveiled in November 2022, the IT industry has embraced generative AI. But as its penetration has increased, IT consultants have begun warning clients and investors about the potential downsides of AI.

Companies such as Accenture, Cognizant Technology and Capgemini have mentioned potential risks in management discussions published in their annual reports and in their conference calls with investors. Indias IT majors including TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCL Tech are likely to follow suit in their upcoming management discussions.

Red flags

Cognizant said, Our use of AI technologies may present business, financial, legal and reputational risks. As with many innovations, AI presents risks and challenges that could adversely impact our business." The company added, Failure to appropriately conform to this evolving landscape may result in legal liability, regulatory action, or brand and reputational harm."

French IT giant Capgemini also spoke about potential disruptive effects. Generative AI will transform numerous jobs and create new ones... From a societal point of view, generative AI threatens to exacerbate social divides and raises challenges for democracy and human rights, particularly as its workings lack transparency and results may be inappropriate or biased," it said.

Also read: Unease at Cognizant, Capgemini, Accenture over rise of AI risks

Accenture warned about security risks and the potential impact on profitability. [GenAI] could reduce our ability to obtain favourable pricing As cyberattacks become increasingly sophisticated (e.g. deepfakes and AI-generated social engineering), the risk of security incidents and cyberattacks has increased. Such incidents could lead to shutdowns, or disruptions of or damage and unauthorised disclosure of sensitive or confidential information."

Gen AI is creating new revenue streams and is now part of every IT majors toolkit. Microsoft (in conjunction with OpenAI), Meta and Google have deployed gen AI tools, while Apple has decided to use Googles Gemini in its devices. Hyperscalers and telecom service providers, running cloud operations and data centres, are also beneficiaries of AI deployment as it has brought in new business.

Accenture said gen AI will contribute about $1.1 billion or 2.8% of its order book for January-June 2024. TCS estimated it had gen AI contracts worth $900 million, or about 2.1% of its March order book. The numbers may seem negligible, but these revenue streams did not exist 18 months ago, and IT services firms are also increasing their use of AI internally.

Tectonic shifts

AIs disruptive impact will be felt across every industry and society. It will cause tectonic shifts in employment and work patterns. Call centres, for example, will need fewer human agents. Basic coding is also becoming AI-dominated, so there will be less need for ant-farms" of coders. Translation services and basic news reporting is also being done by AI. On the flip side, there is a need for more and smarter humans in areas such as cybersecurity to tackle the risks posed by AI.

Many professions could become redundant even as new ones are created, requiring re-training and upskilling of employees. A rough analogy would be the emergence of the internal combustion engine. Within a few decades, cars generated millions of jobs and transformed society. But horse-breeders, carriage-drivers and others also went out of business. So yes, AI could lead to exacerbations of social divides", as Capgemini pointed out.

Also read: AI frontier: Can India leap ahead?

The use of AI on the battlefield, in law enforcement and in surveillance  all potential revenue opportunities  are also a cause for concern. In terms of reputational harm, Google has already seen employees protest against Project Nimbus, through which the company provides AI, cloud computing and other resources to Israels military.

Israel has also used locally developed AI algorithms called Lavender and Wheres Daddy to identify Hamas members in Gaza and target them with explosives. AI also controls military drones and other autonomous and semi-autonomous weaponry on modern battlefields.

Regulators playing catch-up

Since AI also enables accurate face-recognition and can analyse complex information for hidden patterns and connections, its potential uses range from driving cars to identifying rare cancers. However, the same technology could be used by repressive regimes to track dissidents and crush opposition.

Policymakers have started to address some of these concerns. The EU, for instance, has put restrictions on the use of face recognition and on AI targeting minors. Its legislation, which uses a template to classify AI by levels of risk, could serve as a draft for other lawmakers, but the technology is always likely to outpace regulation.

Like any other technology, AI is in itself neither good nor bad and its effects depend on how it is used. As it is trained to perform more tasks, businesses at the cutting-edge of R&D and AI deployment will have to walk a tightrope. So far, however, we have fully grasped neither the risks nor the rewards.

Also read: Generative AI: Five ways companies in India can fully exploit its potential
Bollywood actor Govinda, who returned to politics after over a decade ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, campaigned for the Shiv Sena candidate from Maharashtra's Maval Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday. However, during the campaign in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the actor forgot the name of the candidate he had come to support.

Govind was campaigning for Mahayuti's Shiv Sena nominee Shrirang Barne. Barne, a two-time Member of Parliament from Pune's Maval, is seeking a reelection from the constituency.

On Sunday, before the road show was set to begin, Govinda addressed some media personnel. However, after uttering 'respected', the actor blanked on the name of the candidate and turned to BJP leader Uma Khapre, seated beside him, for assistance.

Upon being reminded of the name, Govinda mentioned Shrirang Barne and proceeded to address the media.

Later, Govinda led a roadshow for Barne in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Maval Lok Sabha constituency will to to polls on May 13 in Phase 4 of the Lok Sabha election.

In March, Govinda joined Shiv Sena, saying that the clean aura of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena inspired him to join the party.

Also Read: Sanjay Nirupam returns to Shiv Sena after being expelled from Congress

However, Shiv Sena (UBT) had said that there was no point in Govinda joining any party as he had no connection with the public while being an MP from North Mumbai from 2004 to 2009.

In 2004, Govind contested Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat on Congress ticket and defeated veteran BJP leader Ram Naik. However, he later resigned from the Congress party.
Alleging that the Congress party's manifesto is influenced by foreign powers, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday accused the grand old party of receiving support from Pakistan, reported news website Amar Ujala.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) never believes in politics in times of disaster and emergencies. However, the Congress party has stooped so low that it is doing politics in such matters as well, Anurag Thakur told the media during an event in Himachal Pradesh's Una district on Monday. He also applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for its proactive role during disastrous floods and rains in Himachal Pradesh.

The four-time parliamentarian said the Modi government distributed crores of rupees in the state during natural disasters.

Anurag Thakur calls out Rahul Gandhi for contesting elections from Rae Bareli Taking potshots at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Thakur said that the Wayanad MP forgot to follow his own slogan of daro mat". Gandhi is running from one seat to another while fearing defeat in the ongoing general elections, the BJP leader stated.

"First, he ran from Amethi to Wayanad, and now he is contesting from Rae Bareli, and the Congress is sure to be wiped out from Rae Bareli also," he told PTI.

Targeting the grand old party for living in a fool's paradise of winning the elections on false promises, Anurag Thakur claimed that the party's dreams will be shattered on June 4 after the polling result is announced.

Anurag Thakur is contesting the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from the Hamirpur seat. The senior BJP leader expressed confidence that he will win the election this time as well. He also said that his victory margin this time would be more than the previous margin of about four lakh votes.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navneet Rana has stoked a fresh controversy after she said those who don't want to say 'Jai Shri Ram' can go to Pakistan.

Rana, the incumbent independent MP from Amravati in Maharashtra, reportedly made the remark while speaking in Gujarat on Sunday. The Maharashtra MP, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket, is a star campaigner in Gujarat.

"Those who don't want to say Jai Shri Ram can go to Pakistan," said Rana.

The MP further said, This is Hindustan. If you want to stay in Hindustan, you will have to say Jai Shri Ram, reported Punjab Kesari quoting Rana.

Several X users also shared a clip of her remark on the social media platform and tagged the Election Commission handle.

The Amravati MP also addressed people who participated in a road show organised in support of Kutch Lok Sabha candidate Vinod Bhai Chavda.

Stating that if the Ganga of development is flowing anywhere then that is Gujarat, Rana added, "Gujarat is fortunate to have Narendra Modi as chief minister for 13 years and then Prime Minister."

As many as 25 Gujarat constituencies are going to polls on May 7, in the third phase of the Lok Sabha election.

In 2014, Navneet Rane contested on a Nationalist Congress Party ticket, however, she lost the election. In 2019, she contested as an independent candidate and won the election. This time, Rana is contesting on a BJP ticket. She was inducted into the saffron party in the presence of its state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

Navneet forayed into politics after marrying BJP politician Ravi Rana.

Speaking about her first Lok Sabha win from Amravati, Rana said, "In 2019, when I contested the elections as an independent, the people of Amaravati supported me despite the huge political wave, I think they had the confidence that their voice would be heard in Parliament."
Several vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, were allegedly vandalised by BJP workers, the Congress alleged.

In a post on X, the Congress charged that Smriti Irani and BJP workers are scared in Amethi, UP. Fearing defeat, BJP goons armed with sticks and rods reached the Congress office in Amethi and vandalised vehicles parked there. Many people have been injured and vehicles of locals were vandalised. The police remained mute spectators during the entire incident. This incident is an indicator that BJP fears it is going to lose in Amethi.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate alleged that the police stood by as passive observers while BJP workers vandalised the vehicles. In a post on X, Shrinate wrote, Vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Amethi were vandalized. The police remained a silent spectator and the BJP workers continued with their hooliganism.

In Amethi, Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi by a margin of 55,000 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In 2014, Congress won only two seats in Uttar Pradesh--Rae Bareli and Amethi. However, in 2019, the count dropped to one after the party lost Amethi. Sonia Gandhi won in Rebareli.

Rahul Gandhi will be looking to defend the only remaining seat held by the Congress in Raebareli this time. Kishori Lal Sharma is contesting as the Congress candidate against incumbent MP Smriti Irani in Amethi.
Sixty-five-year-old Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, is contesting the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from the Vidisha seat in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state.

Vidisha will vote in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, May 7.

Chouhan is not new to Vidisha. He has entered the fray from the seat after two decades. Chouhan won the Vidisha Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 1991 and continued to win it consecutively until 2004.

In 2005, Chouhan became the Madhya Pradesh CM for the first time. He continued as the CM for the next three terms until December 2023, leading the BJP to another resounding victory in the state assembly polls. The saffron party replaced Chouhan with Mohan Yadav as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister. It was during his tenure as Madhya Pradesh CM that Chouhan earned the titleMamaji' , primarily because of his government's welfare schemes targeting women and girls.

This is my family. I am not a politician. We fight and live together like a family. There is no neta, security, nothing. There are only nephews and nieces, brother and sisters. There is only love, Shivraj Singh Chouhan told The Indian Express during his recent campaign.

Shivraj Chouhan Vs Pratap Bhanu Sharma In the battle for Vidisha, Chouhan is up against Congress veteran Pratap Bhanu Sharma, who has won the seat twice before, in 1980 and 1984. If Chouhan is back in the Vidisha fight after two decades, Sharma is in the fray after 33 years. Sharma was defeated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by over one lakh votes in 1991 Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, BJPs Ramakant Bhargava won the seat with a margin of 5,03,084 votes defeating Congresss Shailendra Patel. In the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, BJPs Sushma Swaraj won the seat for the second time in a row, defeating Congress candidate Lakshman Singh by a margin of four lakh votes.

Vidisha, a BJP Bastion Vidisha is a BJP stronghold. The seat near Bhopal has been represented by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in1991 and former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in 2009 and 2014. The Congress won the seat twice in 1980 and 1984, both times by Pratap Bhanu Sharma.

Many wrote off Chouhan after the BJP decided not to choose him as Chief Minister last year. However, in one of the election rallies in Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned for the former CM, hinted at the possible inclusion of Chouhan in his next cabinet.
Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Monday claimed that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had once said if the Congress government was formed at the Centre, "we will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir verdict". Krishnam was expelled by the Congress for "indiscipline" in February 2024.

"I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress government is formed, they will form a superpower commission and overturn the Ram Mandir decision," Krishnam told news agency ANI.

Krishnam further claimed that Rahul Gandhi had then also said that he will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision...

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the Congress while referring to the Rajiv Gandhi government's decision to overturn the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano case in 1985.

The 1984 Shah Bano case In April 1978, Shah Bano had filed a petition before a court in Indore, demanding maintenance from her divorced husband Mohammed Ahmad Khan, a well-known lawyer.

Shah Bano had approached the court, not under the Muslim Personal Law, but under Section 123 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973  which provided that a man will have to provide for his wife during the marriage and after divorce if she cannot sustain herself financially on her own.

In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shah Bano. However, the then Congress government under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had overturned the judgement through an Act.

According to a report in the Frontline Magazine, the Supreme Court of India upheld the decision of the high court that ordered the payment of maintenance to Shah Bano in April 1985. The judgement had set a political battle.

The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was reportedly caught between the protesting Muslim clergy, who were backed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, and the Hindu right-wing that had leapt on the verdict to push for a uniform civil code."
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa embarked on a strategic tour across the international landscape, covering significant ground from April 26 to May 6, 2024. Her journey included stops in Madagascar, Cote dIvoire, Nigeria, France, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, each holding distinct importance in the global geopolitical landscape. Among these, Sri Lanka emerged as a focal point of Japans diplomatic efforts, highlighted by a series of significant announcements and high-level meetings during Kamikawas visit.





Kamikawa Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan [File Photo]

At the heart of Japans engagement with Sri Lanka lies a multifaceted strategy aimed at bolstering maritime security, promoting economic development, and fostering regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Central to this strategy is Tokyos commitment to providing Sri Lanka with a vessel equipped with underwater sonar technology, a move intended to enhance the island nations oceanographic survey capabilities. This decision, confirmed by Japanese government sources, underscores Japans proactive stance in countering Chinas assertive maritime expansionism, particularly in the Indian Ocean.





Chinas increasing presence in the Indian Ocean, marked by extensive oceanographic research activities near Sri Lanka, has raised concerns among regional stakeholders, including Japan. Against this backdrop, Tokyos decision to equip Sri Lanka with advanced maritime surveillance tools signifies a strategic maneuver to counterbalance Beijings growing influence in the region. By extending this assistance, Japan seeks to fortify Sri Lankas capacity to monitor and safeguard vital sea lanes, crucial for ensuring the free and open flow of maritime commerce.





Moreover, Kamikawas visit served as a platform to address Sri Lankas pressing economic challenges, particularly its debt restructuring efforts. Japan, alongside other key creditors including India and France, has been actively engaged in discussions to support Sri Lanka in navigating its economic crisis. The signing of a memorandum of understanding on debt restructuring, coupled with Japans pledge to swiftly resume yen loans for ongoing projects, emphasizes Tokyos commitment to Sri Lankas economic recovery and long-term development.





Against the backdrop of economic assistance, Kamikawas discussions with Sri Lankan officials also touched upon broader regional and global issues. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation on a range of fronts, including regional security, global governance, and women, peace, and security initiatives. The exchange of views between Kamikawa and her Sri Lankan counterparts underscored the shared commitment to upholding the principles of transparency, good governance, and inclusivity in addressing regional challenges.





Furthermore, Kamikawas diplomatic overtures extended beyond official meetings, as evidenced by her gestures of goodwill towards Sri Lanka. During her courtesy calls on Sri Lankan leaders, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Kamikawa extended symbolic tokens of support for the recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disasters, exemplifying the depth of Japans solidarity with its Sri Lankan counterparts.





As Kamikawas visit draws to a close, it leaves behind a trail of strategic initiatives and renewed commitments, signaling a strengthening of ties between Japan and Sri Lanka. From maritime security cooperation to economic assistance and diplomatic engagement, Japans multifaceted approach reflects its evolving role as a key player in shaping the geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region. As Sri Lanka navigates the complexities of regional politics and economic challenges, Japans steadfast support emerges as a cornerstone of stability and progress in the island nations journey towards a brighter future.





Meanwhile, opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa engaged in a significant diplomatic exchange as he met with Kamikawa. The meeting, centered on Sri Lankas pressing economic crisis, served as a platform for Premadasa to elucidate the plans of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya in combating these challenges. With meticulous detail, Premadasa outlined the strategies aimed at revitalizing the nations economy, stressing the importance of effective governance in navigating through turbulent times. Moreover, he underscored the pivotal role of the upcoming elections in shaping the trajectory of Sri Lankan politics, signifying a critical juncture for the nations future.





In addition to the strategic initiatives outlined above, Kamikawas visit to Sri Lanka also provided an opportunity to deepen cultural and people-to-people ties between the two nations. Beyond the realm of politics and economics, cultural exchange forms a crucial pillar of bilateral relations, fostering mutual understanding and friendship between societies. Throughout her visit, Kamikawa emphasized the importance of enhancing cultural exchanges and promoting mutual appreciation of each others rich heritage and traditions.





Furthermore, Kamikawas discussions with Sri Lankan leaders extended to pressing global challenges, including nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and the promotion of women, peace, and security. Japans commitment to these issues aligns closely with Sri Lankas own aspirations for peace and stability, reflecting shared values and common interests. By collaborating on these fronts, Japan and Sri Lanka demonstrate their determination to contribute to a safer and more equitable world order.





The significance of Kamikawas visit extends beyond the immediate bilateral context, reverberating across the broader Indo-Pacific region. As Japan strengthens its ties with Sri Lanka, it sends a clear message of its enduring commitment to upholding the principles of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law in the region. In an era marked by geopolitical uncertainties and shifting power dynamics, Japans proactive engagement serves as a stabilizing force, fostering cooperation and dialogue among nations.





Looking ahead, the outcomes of Kamikawas visit lay the groundwork for a deeper and more substantive partnership between Japan and Sri Lanka. From maritime security cooperation and economic assistance to cultural exchange and global advocacy, the multifaceted nature of their engagement reflects the complexity of contemporary geopolitics. As both nations navigate the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, their partnership stands as a beacon of hope and progress, anchoring stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.





Kamikawas visit to Sri Lanka epitomizes Japans strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific, characterized by proactive diplomacy, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange. By investing in the future of Sri Lanka and the broader region, Japan reaffirms its commitment to shaping a more peaceful, prosperous, and inclusive world order.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has written to Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking action against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, for allegedly defaming saffron party's Mumbai North Central nominee and lawyer Ujjwal Nikam.

Wadettiwar on Saturday, May 4, accused Nikam of hiding information regarding the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. According to Wadettiwar, the then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorist Ajmal Kasab; instead he fell to a bullet fired by policeman affiliated to the RSS.

The Congress leader had also purportedly called Nikam an "anti-national".

"We have written to the Election Commission of India seeking action against Wadettiwar, who is a star campaigner (of Congress), and also against the Congress party for peddling lies," newswire PTI reported, quoting Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar.

Shelar said that as a responsible leader, the opposition leader should desist from making such comments that can help the enemy nation.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora said that such remarks made by the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly are shameful and the opposition party is busy giving clean chit to Pakistan.

After the outrage, Vijay Wadettiwar clarified that the statements were not his own, but rather cited from the book authored by SM Mushrif, a former Inspector General of Police, Maharashtra.

At least 166 people lost their lives and numerous others sustained injuries in the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks perpetrated by Pakistani terrorists. Ajmal Kasab was the sole terrorist captured alive by the Mumbai police. In 2009, Karkare was posthumously honored with the Ashoka Chakra for his valor and sacrifice during the tragic incident.

The saffron party's Ujjwal Nikam, former public prosecutor, is contetsing against the Congress' Mumbai unit chief and Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad.

The parliamentary constituency was won by BJP's Poonam Mahajan in 2014 and 2019.

On May 3, Nikam said that entering politics is a new challenge for him. However, he said he was not joining politics for any gains but to contribute to the steps taken by the Modi government.
Employees of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), a giant state-owned lender, typically wear suits. But some are now slipping into combat fatigues. On April 19th an ICBC branch in the western province of Qinghai said it had organised some of its staff into a part-time militia. As well as uniforms, they have training facilities, a command centre" and a warehouse for storing military equipment. ICBC wants to contribute its strength towards national defence", the manager of the branch told local media.

China has long used militias, known as Peoples Armed Forces Departments, to supplement the Peoples Liberation Army. During the rule of Mao Zedong, local governments recruited militiamen across China and gave them basic training and weapons. They were expected to help resist an invasion. But after Mao died in 1976, China started to worry less about such threats. The size of its militia forces shrunk from over 30m members to 8m in 2011, the last year for which there are official data.

Last year, though, China started promoting militias again. Army officers have been conducting surprise inspections of old militias retained by local governments to check that they are up to scratch. Officials have been encouraging companies to recruit new militias as well. Dozens of firms across China, both state-owned and private, have already done so. As well as banks, they include property developers, dairy producers and utility companies.

At first companies were not very enthusiastic about forming militias", an official in Jiangxi province told local media. They feared it would delay production and hurt revenues." So, he explained, the local government sweetened the deal by offering companies cheaper loans or better access to state investment funds. Now companies view militias as a win-win" for both them and the government, he said.

Militiamen have a range of official duties. According to regulations, they should serve in times of peace" by helping recruit for the regular army, aiding relief efforts after natural disasters and raising the publics awareness of national security. Some helped to impose Chinas covid-19 controls, according to local media reports. Others visit university campuses and give students a taste of military training. Militiamen are also supposed to be able to fight in times of war". But with only limited training they would not be much help in a battle, says Neil Thomas of the Asia Society, a think-tank in America.

Internal threats, not external ones, are really driving the push to add militias, argues Mr Thomas. More trained men give the authorities more capacity to manage social instability in an era of slowing growth", he says. Chinas economy is going through a rough patch. A property crisis has sapped the savings of millions of Chinese. Many young people are unemployed and disillusioned. China Labour Bulletin, an NGO in Hong Kong, counted nearly 1,800 protests by workers last year, more than double the number in 2022.

Militias can also help the government deal with disgruntled veterans by giving them something to do, says James Char, of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. Demobilised soldiers in China often feel that the government has let them down. Their protests tend to be well organised and attract public sympathy. So companies are being asked to absorb" unemployed veterans by paying them to train their militiamen.

For many ordinary Chinese people, the governments renewed focus on militias is puzzling. Its weird, is Xining unstable?" asked one online commentator, referring to ICBCs new militia and the city it is based in. Arent the police forces and private security companies enough?" asked another. Apparently not for the Communist Party, which has long believed that stability is paramount".

 2024, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
Doctors are rallying around an audacious goal: eliminating a cancer for the first time.

Cervical cancer rates in the U.S. have dropped by more than half since the 1970s. Pap tests enable doctors to purge precancerous cells, and a vaccine approved in 2006 has protected a generation of women against human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted infection that causes more than 90% of cervical cancers.

With this evidence that the disease is preventable, groups that have worked for decades to end polio and malaria are turning to cervical cancer, plotting to take cases down to null. The World Health Organization is urging countries to boost vaccination, screening and treatment. Doctors in the U.S. are working on a national plan.

We can eliminate a cancer for the first time ever," said Debbie Saslow, a former American Cancer Society official who recently went to work for Merck, maker of the HPV vaccine Gardasil 9, which is the only one distributed in the U.S.

Now starts the last mile: targeting stubborn pockets of resistance and inadequate access to care that still result in deaths. HPV vaccination rates in the U.S. lag behind those for other shots. Screening rates also have fallen, and some women who do get screened and have abnormal results dont return for treatment.

Cervical-cancer cases among women 30-44 rose nearly 2% annually from 2012-2019. Some 4,300 women will die of the disease in the U.S. this year.

Redoubled efforts

A proving ground for the elimination drive is Alabama, which has the nations fourth-highest cervical-cancer rate and worse numbers for Black women and women in rural areas. Health officials and doctors are aiming to wipe out cervical cancer in the state in a decade.

Isabel Scarinci set out before sunrise in March for the 2-hour drive from Birmingham to Chambers County, where cervical-cancer rates are more than four times higher than the WHOs elimination target. Her aim was to vaccinate students at two schools.

For Scarinci, 61 years old, the push is personal. A polio infection as an infant in Brazil left her with a lifelong limp. She remembers her mother taking her door to door as a child, pleading with parents to get their children vaccinated.

In the decades since, the disease has come close to eradication. The last pockets of polio also have proved the toughest to stamp out, a reality Scarinci keeps in mind as she talks to school superintendents and women who didnt know they were overdue for cervical-cancer screening.

Im going to work on this until the day I die," said Scarinci, a behavioral scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Because I know we can do it."

Alabama hospitals are sending buses to screen women deep in the country, where gynecologists are scarce. Traveling nurse practitioners are examining women with abnormal results closer to home and without extra cost.

Scarinci and her colleagues vaccinated some 25 children between W.F. Burns Middle School and nearby Eastside Elementary School in eastern Alabama. As they packed up at W.F. Burns, a woman called to say she was rushing with her daughter to the school. They waited for her to race in, permission slip in hand. She held her daughter as she got her shot.

The turnout was lower than Scarinci had hoped. She and her colleagues planned to return to the schools this month.

Im not giving up," Scarinci said.

Mercks vaccine is approved for boys and girls as young as 9, but some parents dont get it for their children because they worry about side effects or encouraging sexual activity. The shot doesnt increase sexual behaviors and severe reactions are rare, studies show.

Tragic misses

Julianna Ferrone, 30, was eligible as a preteen for the vaccine. But her mother, Trish Swope, who survived cervical cancer herself, was worried about side effects, and Ferrones pediatricians pushed it off. When Ferrone sought the shot herself in her 20s, a doctor told her she was too old.

In 2020, her abdomen bloated and her pelvis pulsed with pain. Ferrone called a half-dozen clinics near her former home in Auburn, Ala. Three attributed her distress to irritable bowels or heavy periods. A doctor in Georgia finally gave her a Pap test. She had stage-3 cervical cancer. Ferrone credits him with saving her life.

Swope said the news was harder to take than her own diagnosis. I cant help but feel like I failed her," she said.

Ferrone underwent a hysterectomy in 2021, then chemotherapy and radiation. That kept the cancer at bay for almost a year.

Then it returned. She underwent chemotherapy again until last July. Today, she is cancer-free, beating low odds against a late-stage diagnosis with a disease she shouldnt have gotten.

Why is this still happening to so many people?" Ferrone said.
When the review of Taylor Swifts latest album hit Matt Mitchells inbox, the Paste Magazine music editor knew trouble would follow.

Sylvia Plath did not stick her head in an oven for this!" was the scathing first line about Swifts 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department."

The last time Paste published a negative review of Swiftthe worlds biggest pop star with a die-hard fan basein 2019 for the album Lover," the author was bombarded with angry responses and even some threatening messages, Mitchell said.

Mitchell reached out to the writer assigned to Poets," which dropped April 19, and they decided to take the authors name off the review that published the same day. The magazine used By Paste Staff" instead.

This is a very once-in-a-blue-moon instance, and I dont see it happening again," Mitchell said in a recent interview, but then added, Until, I mean, the next time that Taylor puts out a record and that record is reviewed unfavorably."

Being critical of Swift has long come with hazards. Fans pick apart reviews on Reddit, where a message board about the superstar has more than 2.3 million members. They tweet at critics or send messages telling them theyre wrong or, worse, start harassing them.

Pop culture writer Kayleigh Donaldson was at home in Dundee, Scotland, when Pastes review went live. Soon, alerts from X inundated her phone.

Do better," said one tweet. You cant hide from us," said another.

For reasons Donaldson still cant figure out, Swifties believed she had written it. She didnt, which Paste also confirmed. Shes written movie reviews for the magazine, but never any music reviews. Its not my field at all," said Donaldson, who also writes a Substack newsletter called Gossip Reading Club.

Donaldson said its unfortunate that harassment comes with the job. I think a lot of people in my field are unable to avoid it," she said.

Mitchell said other Paste employees got messages accusing them of writing the review, but they were mild in comparison. I saw what happened with Kayleigh, and it really beat me up," he said.

The Tortured Poets Department" followed a year of record-breaking highs in Swifts nearly two-decade career. Her Eras Tour," a greatest hits-like concert, grossed more than $1 billion, the first tour to do so. She was named Time magazines Person of the Year" in 2023, appearing on the December cover with one of her cats. A few months later she won album of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards for Midnights," released in late 2022. Swift used the occasion to announce that Poets" would arrive in April.

When Paste gave the album a 3.6 out of 10, Mitchell decided to also remove the writers name on the five-year-old Lover" review to prevent that author from being harassed again.

Spencer Kornhaber, a pop-culture writer at the Atlantic magazine, remembers receiving a death threat when he wrote that the chorus to Swifts 2019 song Me!" sounded like a dolphin screech."

So when he figured out what he was going to write about Poets," he said there was a little bit of fear."

He called it a dreary muddle," and started the review with four words: This album is OK."

But he was surprised by the reaction. I kind of got more positive feedback than I would have expected," he said. Even some Swifties seemed to understand that Poets" is a tough album for everyone to digest," he said.

On Reddit, some fans had a fairly rational discussion about his take on it, Kornhaber said.

I dont hate this review," one fan wrote on Reddit. I love this album but I dont particularly disagree with their main points."

He did get rough messages, as well: Who cares what you think, Spencer," one person tweeted at him. Youre pathetic and alone in life," someone else said.

Kornhaber said he tries not to let the negative words affect his work.

Part of the point of your job is to maintain a sense of integrity and independence from the fear of how people are going to react," he said.

It wasnt all bad news for Poets"it got plenty of good reviews. And Swift made sure everyone knew it.

On X, she posted glowing reviews from several publications, including Rolling Stone, which labeled it an instant classic." Swift included the reviewers names in her posts.

Swifts publicist didnt respond to a request for comment.

Mitchell, the Paste editor, doesnt understand why fans care so much about negative reviews.

It doesnt matter," he said. Shes still going to be the biggest American pop star, and shes still going to sell her records and sell out her tours."

It does say something about Swift, though, Mitchell said, that shes maintained a strong fan base 18 years into her career.

They love her and they will always love her," he said. You have to respect it. If it means that many of them are trashing your publications name, so be it."

Write to Joseph Pisani at joseph.pisani@wsj.com
This rule states that when choosing a stallion, horses with limited startsespecially those retired as 2 or 3 year oldsshould be handled cautiously, if not completely disregarded.

It might be difficult to determine the true talent and potential of horses that were retired at an early age because they usually have limited racing experience.

According to the Bull Hancock rule, stallions with long racing careers that show resilience, soundness, and performance on the track should be given preference over those with shorter, less established resumes.

The Bull Hancock rule, so named in honor of the great American breeder Arthur Bull Hancock, places emphasis on choosing stallions not just on potential but also on their track record of racing and breeding success.



This rule states that when choosing a stallion, horses with limited startsespecially those retired as 2 or 3 year oldsshould be handled cautiously, if not completely disregarded.



It might be difficult to determine the true talent and potential of horses that were retired at an early age because they usually have limited racing experience.



According to the Bull Hancock rule, stallions with long racing careers that show resilience, soundness, and performance on the track should be given preference over those with shorter, less established resumes.

Premature retirement of stallions may have prevented them from exhibiting their full potential or from acquiring the skills needed to be successful sires, but it could also mean they are injury prone or have weak constitutions.



Breeders confront more uncertainty over the stallions genetic contributions to subsequent generations in the absence of a strong racing record to assess.

Breeders try to reduce risks and increase the probability of producing racehorses that succeed by following the Bull Hancock rule. In order to increase the likelihood of generating high-quality offspring with desired racing features, they give preference to stallions that have demonstrated longevity, performance, and consistency on the racetrack.

The Bull Hancock rule, a guiding principle in Thoroughbred breeding, emphasizes selecting stallions based on their proven racing and breeding performance rather than pedigree or potential. Heres an outline of the key points of the Bull Hancock rule:

Prioritize Stallions with Extensive Racing Careers: Focus on stallions with robust and successful racing careers, preferably with multiple seasons of racing.

Give preference to horses that have demonstrated durability, soundness, and consistency on the racetrack. Beware of Stallions Retired Early: Exercise caution when considering stallions retired prematurely, particularly those retired as 2 or 3-year-olds.

Stallions retired at a young age may lack sufficient racing experience to accurately assess their potential as sires. Evaluate Racing Performance: Assess a stallions racing record, including factors such as wins, stakes performances, and race distances.

Look for stallions that have competed against top-level competition and achieved notable successes on the racetrack. Consider Pedigree in Conjunction with Racing Performance: While pedigree is important, prioritize racing performance over lineage when selecting stallions.

Look for stallions with pedigrees that complement their racing abilities and enhance the likelihood of producing successful offspring. Aim for Consistency and Soundness: Seek stallions known for their consistency in performance and soundness throughout their racing careers.

Avoid stallions with a history of injuries or health issues that may impact their ability to produce sound progeny. Optimize Breeding Decisions for Success: By adhering to the Bull Hancock rule, breeders aim to increase the likelihood of producing quality racehorses with desirable racing traits.

Selecting stallions based on proven racing and breeding performance helps mitigate risks and enhance the overall success of breeding programs.

Shayne Heffernan
This story originally appeared in our Daytripping special edition May 19, 2022

ASOTIN  Buffalo Eddy is a popular destination along Snake River Road for visitors who want to view unique petroglyphs containing hundreds of distinct images that possibly date back as far as 4,500 years ago.

On the Washington side of the Snake River, the petroglyphs are within walking distance of the road, along with signs that provide historical information about the Nez Perce people and rock art. Tour boats regularly idle on the Idaho side of the river so passengers can take a closer look at ancient images there.

Tribal artists from thousands of years ago chipped and scraped the rocks, creating designs of people and animals, along with abstract shapes. The site has been known as a sacred space for the Nez Perce people for countless years, and the carvings likely had spiritual significance and were also used to tell stories related to hunting.

Additions to the rock art stopped about 300 years ago, according to historians. The arrival of white settlers and horses may have been the cause. The Snake River corridor is now populated with houses, ranches and vacation homes.

The drive from Asotin to Buffalo Eddy is beautiful, especially in the spring when the hills are green. Wildlife sightings along the way are common, and the sparkling river leading to Hells Canyon is breathtaking.

Buffalo Eddy is one of the deepest parts of the river, and its swirling water acts as a whirlpool that can suck down swimmers. Signs have been posted to warn visitors about the dangers of taking a plunge. However, anglers often cast their lines from the banks, and tents along the beach are a frequent sight on hot summer days.

The road gets busy in the summer as people flock to beaches, boat ramps and other areas of interest. In recent years, access to beaches has been reduced as more and more private landowners install fences and no trespassing signs.
MOSCOW -- The Rev. Norman Fowler retires this month as the longest-serving pastor in the 144-year history of Moscows First Presbyterian Church.

He has accomplished much for the church and the community in his 18 years there, but if you want to see his eyes light up, dont ask him about leading church committees, a campus center board of directors or regional denomination task forces; ask him about tomatoes.

After long days and weary weeks at the church, he has put in hundreds of hours planting and harvesting vegetables and fruit trees, helping build three greenhouses and manhandling pens for more than 300 chickens on the familys 5.5 acres north of Moscow. His son, Ames, and daughter-in-law, Delaney, developed Hands and Hearts Farm there.

Fowler maintained their 120-year-old farmhouse, where he and his wife, Helen Brown, hosted dozens of meals and overnight visitors, demonstrating their commitment to community, which is central to his faith. Renters, who are committed farmers, will soon take over house and land, when the couple begins retirement travels May 31.

The pastor, church members and the community were tested less than two years after he arrived. Late Saturday and early Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2007, a man killed his wife and, from the church, shot and killed a police officer, church sexton Paul Bauer and himself. He wounded a sheriffs deputy and a college student.

First, my concern was for the community, Fowler said recently. I felt our church had been used to traumatize the community.

Second, my concern was for the church itself, Paul living here (in an upstairs room) and what that meant. Unfortunately it meant he died, Fowler said, his voice breaking. That certainly punctuated the beginning of my ministry in a way that I never expected.

That same weekend, two church mission groups were headed to Mississippi to help with recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Fowler stayed behind, but joined a third post-Katrina mission that fall.

Mission trips were important to him as much for what church members learned as for what they accomplished. He encouraged missions to Puerto Rico and Nicaragua, never missed a springtime work session at the regional churchs summer camp for kids and led a pilgrimage to Christian communities in Europe.

Perhaps one thing that helped the church recover from the shooting trauma was the establishment early in his tenure of a Stephen Ministry program, which trains church members to walk beside people who are grieving  not to try to counsel them, but to support them with weekly visits on that painful journey.

Fowler strongly encouraged a meditative worship service on Wednesdays followed by a supper fellowship.
China's police chief meets New Zealand police commissioner

Xinhua) 21:43, May 06, 2024

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong met with Commissioner for New Zealand Police Andrew Coster in Beijing on Monday.

Wang said that the two countries' law enforcement agencies have carried out candid exchanges and efficient cooperation over the years, achieving fruitful results in combating crimes related to financial and telecommunication fraud, as well as narcotics.

Wang said that China is willing to work with New Zealand to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement and security, and push forward the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership for benefits of the two countries and two peoples.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Zhong Wenxing)


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Five volunteer Leaders from Ardagh Girl Guides travelled to Irish Girl Guides National Training Centre in Tallaght for Free Being Me (FBM) training delivered by WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) over the weekend.



Free Being Me is an educational programme that promotes body confidence and a world free from appearance-related anxiety.

Through relevant, exciting, accessible and learner-led activities, young people learn that body confidence and self-esteem come from valuing their bodies, challenging beauty stereotypes and advocating for a healthy body image in their friends, and communities.

All around the world, young people  especially girls and young women  struggle with self-esteem as a result of low body confidence.



They often lack body confidence because they are constantly told to achieve an impossibly perfect look: societys beauty standards.

The impact of all this pressure has serious consequences on young peoples physical and mental health, sometimes holding them back from achieving their full potential.

Free Being Me is expertly designed to support young people to recognise and challenge these global beauty pressures, grow their body confidence and ultimately become an unstoppable force for change.

First delivered 10 years ago, Saturday's training saw the roll out of an updated programme with modern, age-appropriate activities and materials.



"I am looking forward to working on these new activities and projects with the girls," said Joanna Pearman, volunteer Leader with Viking & Ardagh Guides, "having used the FBM materials over the years, some of it is quite out-dated, particularly in relation to social media and its impact on young people.



The new material and activities are flexible enough to use with all young people, not just girls, and in a positive, relatable way, address conversations about body confidence."

Donna Reilly, also a volunteer Leader with Ardagh Guide, agreed, "Free Being Me is a great tool to help young people appreciate themselves and have confidence in their own bodies, building their self esteem regardless of shape or size."

Irish Girl Guides have units in Longford town, Ardagh and Drumlish and new members and volunteers are always welcome - you don't have to have been in Guiding before to join us!



Irish Girl Guides is a uniquely girl-only, active and dynamic organisation, offering a varied and exciting programme for girls and women from age 5 upwards! Ladybirds - aged 5 to 7 years; Brownies - aged 7 to 10 years; Guides - ages 10 to 14 years; Sr Branch - ages 14 up and from age 18 upwards you can become a Leader with the Irish Girl Guides.

There is a strong emphasis on the outdoors, environment, community responsibility and teamwork. The girls' self-esteem, confidence and leadership skills are developed as they progress through Guiding.



The Irish Girls Guides actively promotes diversity and inclusion and welcomes girls and women from all walks of life, always welcoming new volunteers into all units.



To find out more about Ladybirds, Brownies, Guides and Sr Branch email: LongfordGirlGuides @gmail.com or message 086 237 2616.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: May 06 2024

Oasis for Families with a Child in Medical Crisis.

Ronald McDonald House Charities NY Metro (RMHC NYM) held a ceremonial groundbreaking event for its new house, to be built on the Stony Brook Medicine campus yesterday, to provide a safe, secure, and comfortable environment for families of children who are receiving medical care at Stony Brook Childrens Hospital. Construction is set to begin later this year with completion scheduled for 2026.

This will be the first Ronald McDonald House located in Suffolk County, and only the second on Long Island. The other Ronald McDonald House is in New Hyde Park in Nassau County, located adjacent to Cohen Childrens Medical Center.

The 3-story, 60,000 sq. ft. building will include 30 private bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms for families, a media center, outdoor playground, interactive playrooms, a community kitchen providing free meals made by volunteers and fully stocked pantries, a fitness center, meditation room and laundry facilities.

Weve been planning this for 10 years and now were finally able to provide for families in Suffolk County the way they need, said Matt Campo, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities NY Metro. All of our programs provide a place for families to rest and recharge so they can focus on the health and well-being of their child.

"This facility will stand as a beacon of hope, compassion and support for families facing their toughest challenges," said William A. Wertheim, MD, MBA, Interim Executive Vice President for Stony Brook Medicine."Our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities highlights the strength of collaboration, and I am delighted to be joining our resources and expertise to meet the diverse needs of our community."

The soon to be built Ronald McDonald House will be able to serve as a respite for patients and families whose infant or child is ill by offering a place to stay, food to eat, and a place to rest and recharge that is in close proximity to the hospital, said Carol Gomes, CEO, Stony Brook University Hospital. There is nothing more cherished than the ability to be able to focus on the care of your child without having to worry about daily life logistics.

Its been a labor of love recruiting the financial support to make this house a reality, said Cynthia Lippe, Chair, RMHC NYM Stony Brook House Fundraising Committee. Our entire committee is proud of our work and know we have the momentum to raise the final funds to open the house to the public.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities NY Metro

Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Metro (RMHC NYM) provides free lodging, meals, and emotional support to keep families seeking medical treatment for their sick children near the care they need and the families they love.

About Stony Brook Childrens Hospital

With 104 beds, Stony Brook Childrens Hospital is Suffolk Countys only childrens hospital. Part of Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook Childrens has more than 180 pediatric specialists in 30 specialties. The hospital is Suffolk Countys only Level 4 Regional Perinatal Center and Level 1 Regional Pediatric Trauma Center. It is home to the nations first Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center and also offers a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Center, Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity Center, Healthy Weight and Wellness Center, Cystic Fibrosis Center, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program, Pediatric Cardiology Program, Pediatric HIV and AIDS Center. To learn more, visit stonybrookchildrens.org.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: May 06 2024

The Turquoise Takeover is designed to raise lung cancer awareness across Brookhaven Town and transform it into action.

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico has announced that May 8 to May 14 is Lung Cancer Action Week in the Town of Brookhaven.

Panico urges residents to show their support by wearing the color turquoise. The Turquoise Takeover is designed to raise lung cancer awareness across Brookhaven Town and transform it into action.

Each day, 640 people are diagnosed with Lung Cancer in the United States, but there are ways to raise cancer awareness by raising screening rates and encouraging others to make a cause for change.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: May 06 2024

Lab to Advance Research to Diagnose and Treat Pancreatic Cancer.

Governor Hochul today announced $15 million for the expansion of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratorys Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence. The funding from Empire State Development will be used for the Labs $500 million expansion plan and builds on the $55 million previously committed by New York State, making the State one of the labs largest benefactors for the project. The new Center will advance research to diagnose and treat pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of cancer. "New York State is leading on innovation in the healthcare space and this funding will advance research to better understand pancreatic cancer, one of the most devastating forms of cancer, Governor Hochul said. We are making important investments to ensure New York is on the cutting edge of biomedical research, creating new jobs, and ensuring we remain competitive in the 21st century economy. PCCE is expected to create 25 new direct jobs at the facility, attract entrepreneurial scientists from CSHL and other institutions, and generate two to four new spin-off companies per year. This increased commercial activity could create over 100 new high-value local scientific jobs, further stimulating economic growth in the region. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal forms of cancer, with a survival rate of less than 10 percent for patients diagnosed after the cancer has spread. To address this urgent need for new approaches in diagnosis and treatment, CSHL researchers, led by globally renowned scientist, Dr. David Tuveson, have developed scientifically valuable model systems. The PCCE aims to utilize these models in collaboration with neighboring medical facilities to develop innovative therapies and diagnostics, ultimately improving patient outcomes. CSHL is an anchor of Long Islands innovation corridor and, with approximately 1,000 high wage life science jobs and clinical trial research collaboration with Northwell Health, is one of the States most important life science institutions. CSHL is home to eight Nobel Prize winning scientists and has a history of commercializing research.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's expansion of the Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence is a testament to the vital role that research institutions play in advancing our understanding and treatment of devastating diseases like pancreatic cancer. This investment not only highlights the State's recognition of CSHL's exceptional scientific contributions but also underscores our dedication to fostering innovation and economic growth in Long Island's life sciences sector.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory President and CEO Bruce Stillman said, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has already made significant breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer research, including the discovery of new drug targets. Our new Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence will help validate these targets, enabling our commercial partners to develop innovative therapies and diagnostic strategies that ultimately improve patient outcomes. Id like to thank Governor Hochul and the State of New York for continuing to support cutting-edge bioscience at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Chair Marilyn Simons said, New York States commitment provides a catalyst to mobilize further private investment in pancreatic cancer research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. On a personal note, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he was 75. He went to the doctor, asked for an exploratory operation, and lived another 14 years. But few people are so lucky. Our wonderful scientists here at Cold Spring Harbor are working with Northwell Health and the Feinstein Institutes to help more people get access to the latest biomedical advances. On behalf of the CSHL Board of Trustees, I thank the governor for her support of this exciting initiative.
Troublesome Trickster Busted by NCPD After Using "Sleight of Hand" Trick to Steal $17,000 Watch from Jeweler

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: May 06 2024

Yaorong Wan, 49, is being charged with one count of Grand Larceny 3rd degree.

The Major Case Bureau reports the arrests of a Flushing male for a Grand Larceny that occurred on Friday, April 19, 2024 at 12:17 p.m. in Manhasset.

According to Burglary Pattern Squad Detectives, defendant Yaorong Wan, 49, of 135-11 40th Road, entered London Jewelers located at 2046 Northern Boulevard, distracted the salesperson and used a sleight of hand trick to remove a Chopard Watch valued at over $17,000 and exited the store.

An Arrest Warrant and Search Warrant was issued by the Nassau County District Attorneys Office.

The Search Warrant was executed at 135-11 40th Road on May 3, 2024 by Nassau Detectives, the NYPD Major Case Squad and the U.S. Marshalls Fugitive Task Force. Pursuant to the execution of the search warrant, the stolen Chopard watch was recovered inside the defendants residence along with proceeds from thefts in other jurisdictions. Defendant Wan was placed under arrest on May 24, 2024 by Nassau Detectives in NYC.

The defendant is wanted for similar jewelry thefts by deception throughout the United States. There is an active Interpol Red Notice and an active arrest warrant for the defendant in the Republic of Korea for a $332,000.00 theft of jewelry that took place in Seoul, Korea on September 30, 2018. The defendant entered the United States illegally on December 29, 2023 at the border in San Diego, California and was arrested. He was subsequently released after pleading asylum; his next scheduled Federal court date is on January 30, 2025.
IDF troops on patrol in Gaza on May 4. (IDF)

Hamas terrorists in Gaza launched rockets targeting Kerem Shalom in southern Israel near the Egyptian border on May 5. In addition, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets at the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona and targeted other communities along the border. The barrages of rocket fire illustrated that Hamas can still plan and carry out targeted attacks on sensitive areas and that Hezbollah is seeking to increase its rocket fire.

The attacks on two fronts came as Israel was preparing for Holocaust Remembrance Day, which began at sundown on May 5 in Israel. Typically on this day, most businesses are closed in the evening and a quiet descends on the country. This year, the day comes almost seven months since the October 7 attack in Israel. It also serves as a curtain-raiser for a series of upcoming annual national days, including the memorial day for fallen soldiers and Israeli Independence Day on April 13.

On May 5, Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant journeyed to the Gaza Strip where he met with soldiers in the Netzarim corridor, the only major area that Israel continues to control in Gaza. Photos showed him standing near the water in an area that is likely near the temporary pier Israel has built and where the IDF is clearing a section of land dozens of acres in extent that will be able to handle cargo offloaded from a US-built floating pier off the coast.

Israels leadership, including Gallant, continue to vow that Israel will launch an operation into the southern Gaza city of Rafah on the Egyptian border. However, the US and other countries have expressed concern about the humanitarian situation, should Israel proceed. This puts pressure on Israel to come up with a plan that enables civilians to leave Rafah.

This focus on Rafah increased on May 5 due to the rocket fire which came from an area near civilian shelters in Rafah. The IDF said that 10 projectiles were fired from the area adjacent to the Rafah Crossing toward the area of Kerem Shalom. Shortly after, IAF fighter jets struck the launcher from which the projectiles were fired. In addition, IAF fighter jets struck a military structure located in the area of the launcher. The IDF accused Hamas of using Gazans as human shields by launching rockets from near a civilian area.

At the same time, the IDF continued operations in Gaza. On Saturday, May 4, Israeli warplanes killed Aiman Zaarab, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member. The IDF accused him of being involved in the attack on the Israeli community and IDF post of Sufa near the border. The report also said he was linked to continuing terrorist activity in Gaza. On May 5, the IDF carried out more airstrikes in Bureij in central Gaza. According to an IDF statement, several Hamas Nukhba terrorists who had taken part in the October 7 attacks were killed. A Hamas deputy company commander was also targeted in Jabalya, a built-up area east of Gaza city.

Hamas put out several statements on May 4 and 5 discussing its latest tactics in Gaza. It said on May 4 that a number of groups in Gaza were focusing attacks on the Neztarim corridor. On May 5, it also took credit for the attack on Kerem Shalom. It claimed to use 114mm rockets in the attack, a type of rocket it dubbed the Rajum. It was not clear why Hamas has been emphasizing the use of this type of rocket, but it has been mentioned by the group several times in the last weeks. Hamas posted a video showing the rockets in a multi-launch system, such that a number can be fired at the same time.

In general in the last two months, Hamas has had difficulty firing more than several rockets a time, in contrast to the large barrages during the early months of the war. The May 5 attack appears to be an exception and illustrate Hamas attempt to showcase its continued capabilities. Hamas claimed to have targeted IDF troops and to have intelligence on what units were located in the area it targeted. It also said this was a quality target.

Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel's Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.

Is this event another non-event?

Apple started running virtual press events during the pandemic when in-person gatherings made little sense and at various times were frowned upon or literally illegal. But Apple has largely stuck with that format even as health concerns lessened and its own employees were herded back into the office. Why is that? Because virtual events have advantages far beyond the containment of disease.

Aside from avoiding the logistical headaches of getting a thousand bad-tempered journalists from around the world to the same place at the same time, a pre-recorded video presentation is much easier to run smoothly than a live performance. Remember when Craig Federighi introduced Face ID and the phone refused to unlock? Or when Steve Jobs clicker didnt work? Wed never have seen those or any number of other gaffes if Apple had the ability to do another take or recreate the process with CGI. Pre-recorded keynotes are not immune to embarrassing errors of judgment, but they happen a lot less.

Nobody cringes harder than me when live performers get things wrong, and I absolutely get the attraction of virtual keynotes for Apple. But it does raise some awkward existential questions about why we need to bother with the elaborate charade that is a keynote presentation.

What, after all, is the point of a keynote? If its just to get information about new products, that can be done far more efficiently via a press release that you can read at your own speed; just the facts, no sitting through skits and corporate self-congratulation. Is it to be marketed by the best hypemen in the business? If thats really something you want, you might as well get it from an ad: virtual keynotes give none of that dubious excitement and tribalistic sense of inclusivity you get with a live performance. And weve even lost the stress-test element of seeing an executive operating the product under extreme pressure.

What were left with is a strange hybrid: a long press release read out by a series of charisma-free executives, interspersed with advertisements. Which is fine, provided the information is at least worth the effort. But as far as tomorrows Let Loose event goes, the signs are not promising. It looks a lot like Apple wanted to use its spring 2024 event to launch both iPads and MacBooks but had to hold back the iPads as a result of production delays, and during the wait, the MacBooks were released via a quiet press release. Has anything new appeared in the meantime to fill the stage/screen time that would have been devoted to laptops? Perhaps. And perhaps not, in which case well be getting an awful lot of filler about environmental policy.

Its possible that Apple will come up with a surprise announcement Tuesday to blow our socks off: 2nd-gen AirPods Max, a new HomePod with a screen, or a revamped version of Siri thats actually smart. Even a new standard iPad or iPad mini would be somewhat interesting. But it seems likely well just get a new iPad Air (including a new larger-screen model), a new iPad Pro (with a fancy OLED screen and either an M3 or M4 processor), a new overpriced Magic Keyboard, and yet another Apple Pencil with a squeeze gesture. And a lot of viewers will wish Apple had saved us all the bother and sent out an email.

Foundry Foundry Foundry

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Or, to take the opposite viewpoint putting an M4 in an iPad Pro makes perfect sense.

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Podcast of the week

This week, Apple is holding an event dubbed Let Loose. So what new products will Apple introduce on May 7? Thats the focus of todays showwe talk about whats been rumored, what seems the most feasible, and what surprises may be in store.

You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.

Reviews corner

The rumor mill

Speculation ramps up as Let Loose billed as different kind of Apple Event.

Shock report: The new iPad Pro will skip straight to the M4 chip.

iPhone 16 mockups show vertical camera alignment, Pro sizing shakeup.

The iPad Pros OLED display will be by far the best of any tablet.

If your iPhone alarm stopped working in iOS 17.4.1, heres a fix.

Safari to get an AI boost in iOS 18, macOS 15 with smarter search, web page eraser.

And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.
Apple on Monday revealed the 2024 Pride Collection, a set of accessory items to promote the vibrancy and diversity of LGBTQ+ communities. The main item of the collection is the Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, a watch band accompanied by a matching watch face and dynamic iPhone and iPad wallpapers.

The multi-colored band features black and brown to represent Black, Hispanic, and Latin communities and those impacted by HIV/AIDS, and pink, light blue, and white for transgender and nonbinary individuals. The band, evokes the strength and beauty of LGBTQ+ communities with a vibrant, fluorescent design inspired by multiple pride flags. It also has a lug thats laser-etched with PRIDE 2024. Other than the date, its not clear how this band is different from the previous braided loop Pride band released in 2021.

The Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop goes on sale on May 22 in the U.S. and Canada for US$99 (the Canadian price was not available). It will be available in other regions on May 23. It is compatible with the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 4 or later.

The watch face and wallpapers feature glowing, multi-colored letters and numbers that represent the everlasting impact of LGBTQ+ activism and its role in illuminating the path to greater equality for future generations. The watch face can be obtained through the Watch app or the Apple Store app on the iPhone or through Apples website. The wallpapers will be available with watchOS 10.5, iOS 17.5, and iPadOS 17.5, which are currently in beta and expected to be released within the next week following the May 7 Let Loose event.

The Pride collection is one way Apple shows support of LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations such as ILGA World, the Human Rights Campaign, Encircle, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, GLSEN, Equality Federation, the National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG, SMYAL, and The Trevor Project.

Past editions of the Pride watch band are still available at Apples online store. Read our Best Apple Watch guide for the latest recommendations, tips, and deals.
Massachusetts State Police plan to file charges against a Salem woman involved in a car crash at Fenway Park Monday morning for motor vehicle offenses committed in Revere and East Boston, according to the department. It is unclear whether shell face charges in connection with the Fenway Park crash.

State police spokesperson Dave Procopio identified the driver in the Fenway Park crash as 48-year-old Colleen Marie Gibbs in an email Monday afternoon. Boston police did not have information about possible charges against her in connection with the Fenway Park crash at that time.

Around 7 a.m., a driver in Revere flagged down a trooper to alert them that a Honda Accord in the area was being driven erratically and aggressively, Procopio said. The trooper soon noticed the car and watched the driver  who was later identified as Gibbs  honk the horn at someone before speeding off.

The trooper then tried to pull Gibbs over, but she did not stop, Procopio said. Because of the traffic density in the area, the trooper did not pursue her. Instead, the trooper alerted other units in the area of her presence.

Then, around 7:30 a.m., troopers responded to reports of a hit-and-run crash at the entrance to the Ted Williams Tunnel in East Boston, Procopio said. They soon determined that Gibbs had hit two vehicles at the entrance to the tunnel and then fled the scene. No one in those vehicles was injured.

Gibbs was then involved in a crash at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Boston and at Fenway Parks C Gate, Procopio said.

Boston police received a 911 call about the single-vehicle crash at the stadium around 8:20 a.m. on Monday, a spokesperson said previously. Gibbs was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the crash.

A photo of the crash posted to social media shows a sedan in front of a forklift. The car entered through Gate C and hit the forklift while a worker was removing staging from a weekend event, WCVB reported.

Gibbs was involved in an earlier crash at the intersection of Exeter and Boylston Streets in downtown Boston, the police spokesperson said previously. It was seen hitting multiple vehicles and may have gone the wrong way down a one-way street.
The Bruins arent likely to make any announcement until they have to, but they could be considering whether to reinstate the teams goalie rotation for their second-round series against Florida, which begins Monday at 8 p.m. at Amerant Bank Arena.

Many of the reasons that pointed to Jeremy Swayman playing very well against the Maple Leafs similarly apply to Linus Ullmark, who has a terrific track record against the Panthers, both over his career and this season.

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Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said it was a good problem to have.

Its been a strength of our team. Jeremy got momentum on his side in this series and ran with it. We had a plan in place and performance and results were going to dictate how we were going to react and will continue to do that, Sweeney said. Well put both players in the best position we possibly can to move forward and help our team win each and every game. Well monitor where Jeremy is coming off an amazing high. Were confident in both goaltenders.

Reasons to consider using Ullmark in the series:

In his career against Florida in the regular season, Ullmark is 12-3-1 with a .929 save percentage and a 2.47 goals-against average. He has more wins over the Panthers than any other team in his career. Swayman is 1-1-1 with a 3.69 GAA and a .875 save percentage in his career.

Ullmark was 3-0 with a .947 save percentage and a 1.62 goals-against average against Florida in 2023-24. One of the reasons it made sense to go with Swayman against Toronto was his history of success against them this season. Ullmark has similarly dominated the Panthers. Swayman earned the win but gave up three goals on 21 shots in his only start against them this year.

Ullmark hasnt shown rust issues coming off long stretches without playing. He shut out the Canucks after 12 days off following the All-Star break.

Ullmark was actually very good against Toronto in Game 2. If the Bruins had played as well in front of him as they did in front of Swayman in Game 1, the series might have been over quicker than it was.

If he plays in Game 1, Swayman will have played six games in 13 days with four flights mixed in. At some point, fatigue could set in. Giving him at least one game off could allow him to recharge.

Reason not to go back to it:
Dunkin is raising a cup to Massachusetts nurses by giving them a free coffee in honor of National Nurses Day.

On Monday, May 6, participating Dunkin locations throughout Massachusetts are offering all nurses a free medium hot or iced coffee as thanks for all their hard work and dedication.

This National Nurses Day, Dunkin is honored to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the nurses who serve our communities day in and day out, Michelle McDonough, Dunkins field marketing manager for Boston, said in a press release. As a small token of our gratitude, were inviting nurses to take a well-deserved coffee break on us.

No purchase is necessary in order for nurses to take advantage of this special offer. In addition, one lucky group of healthcare workers at Signature Healthcare in Brockton were given gift cards, swag and tickets to Kenny Chesney and The Rolling Stones in celebration of National Nurses Day.

Click here to find your closest Dunkin.
Billy Bragg certainly is familiar with (and to) Western Massachusetts. Over his four-decade career, Bragg has played everywhere from UMass to Smith College to the Calvin Theater.

On July 23, the folk-punk crooner will return to the site of his most recent appearance here: the Academy of Music in Northampton.

While Bragg has expanded his musical horizons over the years, his live shows still bring a direct and urgent energy to the music. Age doesnt seem to have mellowed him much as he still is an advocate and agitator for various social causes. And while the political, musical and social landscapes have all shifted several times since he started, he remains adamant about what music can do.

But still theres nothing better than going out there singing your truth. That aint changed, he told The Guardian in April.

Ahead of his appearance at Newport Folk Festival on July 27, Bragg is taking a weeklong run through the Northeast, including his Northampton gig. The shows are part of his current Roaring Forty tour that celebrates his 40 years of making records. He talked about the idea in a recent Instagram post.

The frustration of seeing nothing that spoke to me on Top Of The Pops in the early 80s made me realise if I wanted to hear music that had something to say about the state of the world and real life, Id have to make it myself. 18 months later I recorded my first LP. To mark the 40th anniversary of Lifes A Riot with Spy vs Spy, Ive compiled a number of commemorative releases that trace the arc of my career since those fateful Thursday nights, the post said.

Tickets for the Northampton show are available at aomtheatre.com.

**********

Liner notes

Rock Voices, the popular community chorus, is starting rehearsals for its upcoming season on May 14.

The chorus, which sings an array of rock and modern pop music, is open to anyone, even those with no experience. There are no auditions to worry about. You simply show up to rehearsals, which are held on Tuesday nights at Northampton Center for the Arts (33 Hawley St.) in Northampton or at Most Holy Redeemer Church (120 Russell St.) on Thursday nights in Hadley.

The local choruses are directed by Tony Lechner, the founder and executive director of Rock Voices, Inc. An award-winning director, composer, performer, and educator, his area of focus is vocal harmony, which he works to make learning easy and fun. He has a masters degree in jazz composition and arranging from UMass Amherst, and he custom arranges all of the music for the choir.

Visit rockvoices.com for more information.
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and who went down with the ship as the captain in Titanic, has died. He was 79.

Hill died Sunday morning, the actors agent Lou Coulson told the Associated Press.

Hill joined The Lord Of The Rings franchise as King Theoden in 2002s, The Two Towers, the trilogys second installment. The following year, he reprised the role in Return of the King, a movie that won 11 Oscars.

The Manchester, United Kingdom-born actor also played Captain Edward Smith, one of the only characters based on a real person in the 1997 film Titanic, which also won 11 Academy Awards.

The Broken King has passed to the grey havens but he will always be remembered, Hills cast mate from The Two Towers, Dominic Monaghan, wrote in a May 5 Instagram post.

Monaghan along with Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, and Sean Astin  who played the four hobbits in The Lord Of The Rings films  told ComicCon fans in Liverpool Sunday they had lost a family member, the BBC reported.

We want to take a moment before we walk off the stage to honour him, Astin said about Hill, according to the outlet. We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful.

I dont think anyone spoke Tolkiens words as great as Bernard did. The way he grounded those words in a realism, Boyd reportedly said. He would break my heart. He will be sorely missed.

Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in Boys From the Blackstuff, a 1982 British TV miniseries about five unemployed men. He was nominated for an award in 1983 from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for the role, and the show won the BAFTA for best drama series.

Hills other notable roles included Luther Plunkitt in Clint Eastwoods 1999 film True Crime, and as the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall from 2015.

The actors death came the same day the second series of the BBC drama The Responder was to air, in which he played the father of the shows star, Martin Freeman.

Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent, said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.

Hill is survived by his son Gabriel and fiancee Alison, according to a statement obtained by CNN.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.
Three winning Lucky for Life lottery tickets were sold in New England on Sunday  and two were sold at the same store in Massachusetts.

Each of the winning tickets is worth $25,000 a year for life, and all three matched the first five numbers from the Sunday drawing. The winning numbers were 1, 6, 10, 16, 27 and Lucky Ball: 8.

Two of the $25,000 a year for life prizes were won in Massachusetts. Both were sold at a shop in Malden called M & M Liquors.

The other $25,000 a year for life prize was won in Maine, according to the Massachusetts State Lottery.

Lucky for Life drawings are held at 10:38 p.m. seven days a week. Players must manually or Quic Pic select five numbers between 1-48 and one Lucky Ball number between 1-18. Tickets to play cost $2 each.

Overall, more than 196 prizes worth $600 or more were won or claimed in Massachusetts on Sunday, including three in Springfield, three in Worcester and 17 in Boston.

The Massachusetts State Lottery releases a full list of winning tickets every day. The list only includes winning tickets worth more than $600.

So far, the largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts this year was worth $5.37 million. The prize was from a Megabucks drawing held on May 4.
Eligible iPhone users have until next month to claim their share of money tied to a $35 million class action lawsuit against Apple, according to a settlement website.

If you owned an iPhone 7 and/or iPhone 7 Plus between Sept. 16, 2016, and Jan. 3, 2023, and experienced audio issues due to the audio IC chip, and paid for Apple to repair the device, you may be eligible for compensation, according to the settlement website.

Eligible iPhone users have until June 3 to sign up for a settlement payment, according to the settlement website. However, Apple, any entity that Apple has a controlling interest in and Apple employees are excluded from the settlement. Also excluded from the settlement are judicial officers who are assigned to this case along with their staff and immediate families.

Apple denies that the devices had such issues and denies all allegations of wrongdoing, according to the settlement website.

How do I know that I am eligible for a settlement payment?

If your issuer was reflected in Apples records as Sound-Speaker, Sound-Microphone, SoundReceiver, Unexpected Restart / Shutdown, or Power OnDevice Unresponsive (Covered Issues), including those who paid Apple out of pocket for repairs or replacements for covered issues, you may be entitled to compensation, according to the settlement website.

Read More: Apple could pay up to half a billion dollars to settle lawsuit over slowing down older model iPhones

According to the settlement website, if you still dont know if you are eligible for a settlement payment you can call a toll-free number at 1-833-633-0343, or write to the Tabak v. Apple Class Action Administrator located at 1650 Arch St., Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103, for more information.

How do I apply to get the settlement money?

If you got a notice by email or postcard that stated Apple has determined that you might be a member of the settlement class, then you have to notify the Settlement Administrator if youd like to receive the money via electronic check, ACH transfer or physical check by June 3, according to the settlement website.

Read More: Defense claims deadly Hingham Apple Store crash was caused by AI

Eligible iPhone users can submit their payment information to the settlement websites Select Payment page, or via mail to Tabak v. Apple Class Action Administrator located at 1650 Arch St., Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103, according to the settlement website.

You must submit payment information in order to receive a Class Payment, according to the settlement website. If you do not elect a payment method and provide your payment information, you will remain in the Settlement Class and forego receiving a Class Payment and will waive your right to sue Apple for the Covered Issues in the future.

How much settlement money will I get?

Eligible iPhone 7 users who paid out of pocket for repairs or replacements for covered issues and did not opt out of the settlement claim can get at least $50 and no more than $349, according to the settlement website. Those who did report issues with their iPhone to Apple, but didnt pay out of pocket for repairs or replacements for covered issues will get a payment of $125.
Four years since the COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns, closures and shortages of supplies, the virus has now mutated to the point where a family of variants are now dominant in the United States.

The dominant variant, KP.2, is part of this family of variants called FLiRT. In recent weeks, it took over the dominant variant from the winter and makes up almost 25% of cases in the United States, JN.1, according to partial data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of April 27.

FLiRT derives from the technical names of their mutations, according to the Infectious Disease Society of America.

KP.1.1, another FLiRT variant circulating, is less widespread than its sibling and makes up about 7.5% of infections across the country, according to the CDC.

These new variants come with two additional mutations that set them apart from JN.1, which gives them the advantage to spread over other variants, Dr. Albert Ko, professor of public health, epidemiology and medicine at Yale School of Public Health, told TODAY.

The FLiRT family is part of a familiar strain of COVID-19, along with several dominant strains of the virus from over the past year, like JN.1, HV.1, Eris, and Arcturus  all come from the omicron lineage, according to the Infectious Disease Society of America.

But the FLiRT variants story is the same old story, John Hopkins University virologist Andrew Pekosz told TODAY. With each new mutation comes a new dominant strain of the virus, which he said happens three to six months... faster than we see with other viruses like influenza.

As this strain becomes dominant, it also comes as viral activity based on wastewater levels are considered minimal, and they have trended downward in 2024, according to the CDCs ranking scale.

While its dominance is a hint that FLiRT is more transmissible, or passed on from person to person, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told TODAY that its still early days.

As the summer approaches, could there be a risk for a summer surge in COVID-19 cases caused by FLiRT? Part of the issue is winter surges come when more people are indoors and in close contact with each other, whereas now the hospitalization rate is much lower than it is during the winter, Ko told TODAY.

KP.2 may cause a small wave, but not necessarily the large peaks that we saw in the winter  again, it is too early to tell, Ko continued. Im not expecting a large surge in the summer, but again, we have to be cautious and we have to follow the data. We always have to be humble because SARS-CoV-2 has taught us a lot of new things.

What are the symptoms of the newest COVID variants?

Here are the FLiRT family of variants symptoms, which appear to resemble those from JN.1, which include:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration hit an East Boston window cleaning company with a nearly $450,000 fine and found that its failure to inspect and replace damaged or defective equipment played a part in an employees fatal 29-story fall from a building in Bostons financial district in October.

Sky Safety Inc. willfully exposed employees to fall hazards by failing to make sure the personal fall protection and rope descent systems workers at its 100 Summer St. work site were using were in proper working condition, OSHA said in a statement. Investigators found the company had not adequately inspected the rope and equipment to look for damage and other deterioration. The company also failed to remove and replace defective components prior to each work shift.

Nicholas Marks, 40, of East Weymouth, was identified as the man killed in the fall, The Boston Globe reported, citing the Suffolk County district attorneys office. Marks was working as a window washer at the downtown Boston high-rise.

On the morning of Marks death, three ropes could be seen hanging from one side of the building and a fourth that appeared to have snapped was visible about 16 floors up, according to the Globe.

In its investigation, OSHA determined Sky Safety Inc. failed to properly train employees to inspect ropes for maximum allowable wear, to recognize defects and conditions that would warrant equipment being taken out of service, and on how to properly use the rope descent system. The ropes used in that system were not effectively padded or otherwise protected to prevent them from being cut or weakened, OSHA investigators found, according to the statement.

Sky Safety Inc. is accused of allowing employees to use ropes, lifelines and lanyards for fall protection that were not compatible with connections and were unprotected from damage like cuts and erosion. The company was faulted for failing to use only certified building anchorage for the rope descent system.

OSHA cited the company for two willful, four serious and two repeat violations, and assessed the company $447,087 in proposed fines, an amount dictated by federal law.

To ensure the safety of employees who work at heights, employers like Sky Safety Inc. must make their responsibility to provide comprehensive training on inspecting rope descent systems and fall protection equipment and components before each use an absolute priority, OSHA Regional Administrator Galen Blanton said in a statement.

Hi-Rise Inc., Sky Safetys predecessor company, has twice been cited in the past for exposing workers to similar hazards, in May 2019 and in December 2013 at work sites in Boston.

Sky Safety has 15 business days from the day it received its citations and penalties, which were issued April 22, to either comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director or to contest the findings.
Several Worcester Police Department employees received overtime pay in 2023, with some who made between $40,000 and just over $70,000 last year, according to payroll data obtained by MassLive.

Of the top earners in the police department in 2023, none received overtime pay. Neither former Chief Steven Sargent nor Interim Chief Paul Saucier earned any overtime pay last year.

The highest-paid police employee to earn overtime pay in 2023 was Capt. Christopher Curtis, the citys fifth-highest earner. Curtis made $9,612 in overtime, while he earned $254,668 overall in gross pay.

The police employee who earned the most overtime pay in 2023 was Sgt. Justin Bennes. The 102nd-highest earner, Bennes earned $73,379 in overtime, $187,474 in gross pay, and $2,729 in detail pay.

Officer John Denio was the second-highest in police overtime, at $71,142. Denio was the 70th-highest earner overall, and made $199,543.

The 69 city employees ahead of Denio made over $200,000 in 2023.

After Denio, three employees  Officer Michael Mason Jr., Sgt. Stephen Roche and Officer Sean Lovely  made under $66,000 and over $60,000 in overtime.

Four employees  Sgt. Jason Gaumond, Lt. Donna Brissette, Lt. Gary Quitadamo and Officer Patrick Hanlon  made between $50,000 and just under $59,000 in overtime last year. Nine officers made between $40,000 and $49,900 in overtime last year.

The citys highest earners from years past, all police department employees, received smaller amounts in overtime. Lt. John Towns, who was the top earner in 2021, made $38,748 in overtime. Capt. Matthew DAndrea, the highest-paid city employee in 2022, earned $37,665 in overtime.

Fiscal projections

Overtime spending across the citys departments is usually needed due to vacancies in positions, absences requiring coverage or incidents requiring continued activity, a spokesperson for the city told MassLive in an email in June 2023.

Some degree of overtime is necessary so that city departments can address unforeseen/unpredictable workload or events.

Around the same time in 2023, city Auditor Robert Stearns released a report projecting that over half of the citys projected overtime spending in fiscal 2023 would go toward the police department, at more than $18.4 million, which combined overtime and paid detail.

Sterns projection came close. In total, the city spent $18.5 million when paid detail and overtime are combined, according to data provided by a city spokesperson. Overtime cost $7.3 million.

In the years between 2020 and 2023, the Worcester Police Department has exceeded its approved budget for overtime spending, according to city budget documents.

The amounts varied from a little less than $200,000 over the approved amount in fiscal 2021 to more than $1.3 million over the approved amount in fiscal 2022.

The police overtime spending was more in 2023 due to several special programs, including the body camera program, Taser trainings and a Field Training Officer Program, Lt. Sean Murtha told MassLive in June 2023.

Below is a full city employee database. Search by name or job title to see payroll data. If the table does not appear or you want to open it in a new tab, click here.

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How one Worcester officer put OT in the news

One officer brought more scrutiny and attention to police overtime and detail earnings since his arrest in August 2022.

Colby Turner faces charges in Worcester Superior Court in connection with stealing $53,000 of off-duty detail and overtime pay for shifts prosecutors claim he did not work.

He is facing six counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of forgery, one count of making a false claim to a government agency and one count of being a common and notorious thief.

In a July 22, 2022, email to all Worcester Police Department employees sent the day before he was placed on administrative leave, Turner said he was innocent and was a whistleblower, MassLive reported in March 2023.

His lawyer, Hank Brennan, said Turners arrest was in retaliation for Turner reporting departmental improprieties.

Before the police department pursued charges against Turner, his attorney, Hank Brennan, claims Turner became aware someone was manipulating his detail records, according to court documents.

Turner was among 15 police officers suspended by the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST, Commission.

In connection with the case, he pleaded not guilty to six counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of forgery, one count of making a false claim to a government agency, and one count of being a common and notorious thief. on March 23, 2023.

Just over one year later, on March 29, 2024, Turner faced questioning about extensive requests to subpoena city documents for his defense, the Telegram & Gazette reported.

Brennan told a Worcester judge that the charges against his client cant be fully understood without more city documents on details for all officers between 2021 and 2022, the period from which that Turners charges stem.
Photographs were shown Monday during the murder trial of Karen Read, the Mansfield woman charged in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe, of how police collected blood at the scene where OKeefes body was found on Jan. 29, 2022, in Canton.

Snow with red drops was put into Solo cups and then into a brown Stop & Shop paper bag before being brought to the Canton police station, according to testimony from Lt. Paul Gallagher of Canton Police.

Jurors were shown pictures taken inside the Canton Police Department of the reddish snow inside six Solo cups as the evidence was being transferred to Massachusetts State Police investigators on Feb. 1, 2022.

A photograph shown during the Karen Read trial in Norfolk County Superior Court on Monday, May 6, 2024. The photograph is of blood samples taken by Canton police and placed into Solo cups inside a brown paper bag. (Pool camera)Law & Crime/pool camera

Read, 44, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of OKeefe who was found on the snow-covered front lawn of 34 Fairview Road in Canton just before sunrise on Jan. 29, 2022.

OKeefes body was found cold to the touch the morning of a snowstorm at about 6:10 a.m.

 Read more: 4 takeaways from Karen Read trial: texts, taillight damage and first witnesses

Gallagher testified Monday morning about processing the scene on the morning OKeefe was found and how Canton police decided to use a leaf blower in the area where OKeefes body lay after first responders rushed him to the hospital.

The leaf blower revealed pieces of broken glass and darker red spots that police thought might be blood, Gallagher said.

No pieces of taillight or a missing shoe belonging to OKeefe were initially recovered, Gallagher said. Norfolk prosecutors in court filings have stated that pieces of taillight were later found at the scene by Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor.

The red Solo cups were collected from a neighbors house and six samples were placed into six cups, Gallagher said.

Alan Jackson, Reads defense attorney, asked whether the cups or the brown paper bag they were placed in were sterile, and Gallagher said he agreed they were not.

Do you think its standard practice for a police department to borrow red Solo cups from a neighbor to gather evidence? Jackson asked.

Norfolk prosecutor Adam Lally objected, but presiding Judge Beverly Cannone allowed Gallagher to answer.

Of course not, Gallagher said. Nothing about this scene was standard.

 Read more: Canton police officers questioned by Karen Reads lawyers during trial

During cross-examination, Jackson raised questions about whether the investigation sought to search for evidence within the home of 34 Fairview Road, which belonged to another Boston police officer named Brian Albert, related to the case.

There was no conflict of interest, I said an appearance of conflict of interest, Gallagher said when Jackson asked about the relationship between the Albert family and the Canton Police Department. I honestly believe we could have investigated this case.

Jackson asked whether Canton police ever attempted to search the home for any evidence related to the investigation, and Gallagher said that police did not ask for consent to search the home nor did they believe there was probable cause to seek a search warrant.

Gallagher said that although there were three to four people inside 34 Fairview Road when he returned with Canton police Sgt. Michael Lank at 9 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2022, they only interviewed one person, Jennifer McCabe.

McCabe was one of the two women who accompanied Read on Jan. 29, 2022, to 34 Fairview Road and found OKeefes body.

Canton Police Sgt. Sean Goode, a member of the department for the past 17 years, took the stand after Gallagher Monday morning before the court took a lunch break.

The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Scenes from Karen Read trial day 3, at Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham MA on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Here, Reads lawyer Alan Jackson questioning witnesses. (David McGlynn/NY Post)David McGlynn

Opening statements began April 29 when Yannetti told jurors Read had been framed and revealed text messages from lead investigator Proctor.

Reads defense team in court has said other people are responsible for OKeefes killing and the presiding judge has allowed them to pursue a third-party culprit defense at trial  but did not allow them to present it during opening statements.

 Read more: Karen Reads I hit him statements come under questioning during murder trial

Defense attorneys said previously that three men in the Canton house on the night of OKeefes death had a motive and the means to attack him.

Read pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing death.
A 19-year-old man accused of manslaughter in connection with a fatal crash in Upton in 2022 was returned to the U.S. last week after fleeing to Brazil. He is expected to be arraigned in Milford District Court on Monday, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jrs office announced.

Gabriel Dias De Holanda is charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Aug. 6, 2022 crash, Earlys office said in a statement. Dias De Holanda was arrested in London on Dec. 22, 2023 after traveling to Brazil following the crash.

On the night of Aug. 6, 2022, Upton first responders went to the area of Glenview Way for a report of a single-car crash, according to Earlys office. Emergency responders found the car overturned and its front seat passenger, Jacob O. Osanya, was trapped inside. Osanya was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead.

The cars other three passengers, and Dias De Holanda, who was driving, were hurt in the crash and taken to the hospital.

On Aug. 8, 2022, two days after the crash, Upton and State Police learned that Dias De Holanda, a Brazilian national, who had been living with his family in Bellingham, had fled to Brazil, which does not extradite its own nationals.

More than a year later, in December 2023, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to Earlys office learned Dias De Holanda was set to travel to the United Kingdom. Dias De Holanda was arrested in London on Dec. 22, 2023 at the request of U.S. officials.

After U.S. officials submitted a request for his extradition, Dias De Holanda consented to be brought back to the U.S. at a hearing in London on Feb. 22. He was brought back to the U.S. by the U.S. Marshals Service on May 3.
A New Hampshire woman was driving 112 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and had two children unbuckled in the backseat on Friday, according to New Hampshire State Police.

Shirley Stanley, 23, of Manchester, faces multiple charges, including two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

The mother of the two children was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV on Route 101 when police saw her driving at a high rate of speed around 9:17 p.m. on Friday. Police said at one point she was driving 112 mph.

The two children, ages 1 and 4, were not buckled or in any type of child restraint system, police stated.

Stanley was arrested and charged with reckless operation, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of violating required child passenger restraints, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, unsafe lane change, following too closely and speeding. She was processed and released on personal recognizance bail.

New Hampshire State Police are asking others who saw Stanleys driving before she was pulled over to contact Trooper Jacob Benjamin at Jacob.A.Benjamin@dos.nh.gov or #NHSP dispatch at (603) 223-4381.

Stanley is scheduled to appear in Candia District Court at 8 a.m. on June 10.
In the moments before the car police say Gabriel Dias De Holanda was driving on the night of Aug. 6, 2022 slammed into a tree at a speed of nearly 60 miles per hour, one of his passengers asked the teen to slow down as he rushed down a wooded road in Upton, a statement of facts filed in Milford District Court shows.

Prosecutors say Dias De Holanda was speeding and driving with a blood alcohol content higher than the legal limit for those under 21 at the time of the crash, which left Jacob O. Osanya dead and four others, including Dias De Holanda, seriously hurt. He was arraigned in Milford District Court on a number of charges, among them manslaughter, on Monday and held without bail, a court clerk told MassLive Monday.

Dias De Holanda was arrested in the United Kingdom in December and brought to Massachusetts to face charges last week, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph J. Early Jr.s office said Monday. Prosecutors say Dias De Holanda, a Brazillian national, fled to Brazil days after the fatal crash.

Upton police were called to 127 Glenview St. for a report of a single-car crash around 9 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2022. When officers arrived, they found an overturned car and the front-seat passenger, Osanya, trapped inside. Osanya was taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead.

An officer spoke with Dias De Holanda after the crash, and police wrote he told them he did not remember which direction he was driving and could not say how the crash happened, according to the court filing. Dias De Holanda said he had not been drinking but later said he had one mini alcohol bottle, according to police.

A police officer saw several unopened beer bottles in the car and an empty cardboard beer carrier, according to the filing.

In subsequent interviews with police, several passengers accused Dias De Holanda of speeding and swerving. One passenger estimated the car was going roughly 70 mph. Another said they asked Dias De Holanda to slow down. A third passenger told police the last thing he remembered before the crash was seeing a big tree, according to the filing. A fourth passenger told police Dias De Holanda was drinking prior to the crash.

At around 1:13 a.m. on Aug. 7, hours after the crash, a police officer found Osanyas cell phone on the passenger side of the car. The officer saw text messages and Snapchat notifications on his phone and heard noise coming from the phone indicating there was a caller on the other end. Police were able to unlock the device and it opened to a video captured in Snapchat where several passengers could be heard screaming before panning to the speedometer, which indicated the car was going 80 mph, police wrote in the filing.

Days later, on Aug. 9, police went to Dias De Holandas home in Bellingham, where a for sale sign had been placed in the front yard. Police attempted to call Dias De Holanda and his mother, but their numbers were disconnected, according to the filing. Officers spoke to the teens father, who they say would not let them speak to Dias De Holanda.

Officials determined the critical speed, or the fastest the car could go while maintaining control, on the Upton road where the crash occurred was 66.77 mph, according to the filing. Pre-crash data downloaded from the car shows it hit the tree at 58 mph, and that it was going 70 mph 2.5 seconds before it crashed.

Police say Dias De Holandas blood alcohol content was .06, which is higher than the legal limit of .02 for drivers under 21. Dias De Holanda is now 19, according to prosecutors.

Along with manslaughter, Dias De Holanda is charged with motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection. He will return to court on June 21 for a pre-trial hearing.
Editors note: A previous version of the story conflated two pro-Palestinian protests that happened at Northeastern University graduations over the weekend in response to which different faculty responded with the same comment in quelling the crowds.

A student who attempted to disrupt the ceremony was arrested during Northeastern Universitys Class of 2024 graduation at Fenway Park in Boston Sunday, Northeastern University Vice President of Communications Renata Nyul confirmed to MassLive.

A livestream of the graduation shows the student walking up to the stage wearing a keffiyeh  a scarf associated with Palestinian liberation  on his head and chanting pro-Palestinian phrases. Cheers can be heard from the crowd.

In response, Kellee Tsai, Northeasterns College of Social Sciences and Humanities dean, tried to calm the situation by taking the microphone and speaking to the audience.

We respect your passion and opinions. We respect your right to voice them in the appropriate setting, she said. This event honors our graduates and distinguished guests, and its a celebration of their achievements. Out of respect for your community and honored guests, I ask that you let us continue with this event.

University officials said the incident was handled quickly by police. Boston police declined to comment on the incident to MassLive Monday morning, saying the Northeastern University police were handling the arrest.

In another pro-Palestinian protest at a Northeastern graduation event Saturday night, a graduating student went on stage to collect his diploma while wearing a white button-up shirt with NEU kills written in fake blood on it. A video of the incident posted to social media shows him holding up his hands covered in fake blood.

The video shows the student speaking out into the audience while holding up his hands, which are covered in fake blood. When he does not leave the stage after about a minute, security people can be seen escorting him off stage.

A different faculty member can be heard in the video issuing the same statement as Tsai to calm the crowd in response to the Saturday night protest. The student was trespassed following the demonstration and had his tickets for the Sunday ceremony at Fenway Park revoked, Northeastern said in a statement Monday.

In a third such incident, two graduating Northeastern students went up to the graduation livestream camera to show photos on their phones calling for the university to listen to its students and divest from weapons contractors. Video of this incident was also posted to social media.

Northeastern students receive their diplomas at college-specific events the week before the main graduation ceremony, which about 55,000 people attended on Sunday, according to the university.

Although a couple of individuals attempted to disrupt these celebrations, the university handled each incident promptly and the events were concluded successfully, Northeastern said in a statement.

The graduation protests come just over a week after police arrested over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had created a tent encampment on Northeastern Universitys campus at the universitys request.

Northeastern claimed the protest had been infiltrated by people from outside the university, and that antisemitic rhetoric at the demonstration had crossed a line. Northeastern now says that about two-thirds of the people arrested were not affiliated with the university, though one antisemitic phrase cited by the university was later shown to likely have been uttered by a pro-Israeli counter-protester.

Many graduates could be seen waving Israeli and Palestinian flags throughout the Sunday graduation, which continued without further disruption, The Boston Globe reported.

Additionally, the student speaker at the commencement, Rebecca Bamidele, expounded on the plight of Palestinians amid the war in her speech, according to WBZ-TV.

Right now as I speak to you, babies are being born by flashlight amongst rubble. Mothers bleed to death, unable to receive care for childbirth complications. And the lives of these mothers in Gaza and the entire population remain at risk every day that remains without a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, she told the crowd.

Pro-Palestinian student protests have roiled college campuses across the country in recent weeks. New York Citys Columbia University  whose encampment demonstration inspired many others, including those at Northeastern, Emerson College, Tufts University and UMass Amherst  announced Monday morning that it would be cancelling its graduation ceremony.
Steward Health Care, the embattled company that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday morning, owns eight hospitals in Massachusetts, most of them in the eastern part of the state.

Company officials and state leaders have been clear that none of the hospitals will shutter as the bankruptcy proceedings play out.

Despite closing New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton last month, the company still operates eight facilities in the Bay State.

The Steward facilities in Massachusetts are:

 Carney Hospital in Dorchester

 Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton

 Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and Methuen

 Morton Hospital in Taunton

 Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer

 Norwood Hospital in Norwood

 Saint Annes Hospital in Fall River

 St. Elizabeths Medical Center in Brighton

Steward is currently finalizing the terms of a $75 million debtor-in-possession financing agreement with Medical Properties Trust, its de-facto landlord, that could provide the company an additional $225 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions acceptable to Medical Properties Trust, MassLive previously reported.

Debtor-in-possession financing is only available to companies in bankruptcy and serves as a lifeline for companies in financial distress, according to the Corporate Finance Institute.

Filing for bankruptcy was a necessary measure to allow the company to continue to provide necessary care to its patients in their communities without disruption, the company said in a statement posted to its website.

Ralph de la Torre, the companys chief executive officer, said Steward has done everything in its power to operate successfully in what he dubbed a highly challenging health care environment. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is in the best interests of our patients, physicians, employees, and communities at this time, he said.

In March, Steward announced that it planned to sell its network of doctors to a wing of the for-profit UnitedHealth Group for an undisclosed sum, WBUR reported at the time.

Gov. Maura Healey on Monday urged patients to keep their appointments at Steward Health Cares facilities across the state even as the financially troubled health system plunged into bankruptcy.

This bankruptcy is something our administration has been preparing for. Steward Hospitals remain open. Patients should keep their appointments. You should continue to seek care when you need it at these facilities, the Democratic governor said during a hastily convened press conference at the State House Monday morning.
A 21-year-old Massachusetts man has been sentenced to prison again after posing on social media with a ghost gun a week after being released, according to acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levys office.

Tyreek Hall, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to three years and 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2023, Hall pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Hall was previously in prison due to an assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm) charge.

In June 2022, a week after he had been released from prison, officials said Hall posted on social media with a gun. He was not allowed to have a firearm or ammunition due to the prior felony.

On June 9, 2022, officials found Hall was in possession of a 9x19 mm caliber privately made Glock-style semi-automatic pistol. The gun didnt have a manufacturer serial number, which is commonly known as a ghost gun. He also had eight rounds of ammunition.
(*This story was updated at 1:55 p.m. on Monday, May 6, 2024, to include comment from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.)

Gov. Maura Healey on Monday urged patients to keep their appointments at Steward Health Cares facilities across the state even as the financially troubled health system plunged into bankruptcy.

This bankruptcy is something our administration has been preparing for. Steward Hospitals remain open. Patients should keep their appointments. You should continue to seek care when you need it at these facilities, the Democratic governor said during a hastily convened press conference at the State House.

Flanked by senior aides, advocates, and labor leaders, Healey said Stewards Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, which came in the early hours of Monday morning, was the first step toward our goal of getting Steward out of Massachusetts.

Steward, which operates eight facilities concentrated in eastern Massachusetts, has been the subject of intense scrutiny from state and federal officials in Massachusetts as more information came to light about its precarious financial position, which includes tens of millions of dollars in debt, MassLive reported.

Last week, the state activated an emergency operations plan to ensure patients had continued access to the hospital system.

On Monday, Healey and public officials stressed that state monitors remain in place at Stewards hospitals to ensure quality of care for scores of patients who pass through those facilities every day.

Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh discusses the bankruptcy filing by Steward Health Care during a news conference at the State House in Boston, Mass. on Monday, May 6, 2024 (MassLive photo by John L. Micek).John L. Micek

We know things wont be exactly the same on the other side [of the bankruptcy proceeding], but we will move forward, state Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh said. While this is a national filing, it will be particularly disruptive in Eastern Massachusetts.

Walsh said officials have set up a call center, which was expected to be up and running later in the day on Monday. That complements an existing state website intended as a resource clearinghouse.

We are continuing to monitor these hospitals daily to make sure they meet standards of care, Walsh continued. Well be sending Massachusetts advocates to Texas to make sure [our] interests are protected at the very step of the process.

Steward is currently finalizing the terms of a $75 million debtor-in-possession financing agreement with Medical Properties Trust, its de-facto landlord, that could provide the company an additional $225 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions acceptable to Medical Properties Trust, MassLive previously reported.

Debtor-in-possession financing is only available to companies in bankruptcy and serves as a lifeline for companies in financial distress, according to the Corporate Finance Institute.

Filing for bankruptcy was a necessary measure to allow the company to continue to provide necessary care to its patients in their communities without disruption, the company said in a statement posted to its website.

Ralph de la Torre, the companys chief executive officer, said Steward has done everything in its power to operate successfully in what he dubbed a highly challenging health care environment. Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is in the best interests of our patients, physicians, employees, and communities at this time, he said.

In March, Steward announced that it planned to sell its network of doctors to a wing of the for-profit UnitedHealth Group for an undisclosed sum, WBUR reported at the time.

In April, the company followed through on its planned shuttering of New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, a move that resulted in the loss of 39 rehabilitation service beds, 119 chronic care beds, and all ambulatory care at the hospital, according to a filing the struggling health care company made with state regulators in January.

Healey, who has been sharply critical of for-profit Steward for what she said was the companys refusal to hand over key financial documents, has repeatedly called for the company to wind down its operations in the Bay State and transfer ownership of its facilities to nonprofit providers.

Healey kept up that criticism on Monday, saying that she didnt want to lose sight of the fact that this situation stems from greed, mismanagement and lack of transparency on the part of Stewards leadership in Dallas, Texas.

It should never have happened, and we will take steps to make sure that it doesnt happen again, Healey continued. This has been, and remains an urgent priority for me, our entire administration, and our partners.

As Stewards bankruptcy case wends its way through the court system, officials in Massachusetts will be trying to answer two big questions: How do officials ensure accountability, and how to make sure such a situation doesnt repeat itself, state Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell said.

Two labor leaders on hand Monday, Julie Pinkham, of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and Tim Foley, of 1199 SEIU, pledged their cooperation.

As this process unfolds, the voices of patients, workforce, and community must be heard and must have a seat at the table, Pinkham said. We look forward to transitioning these hospitals to new ownership.

Foley, whose union represents some 5,000 workers across Stewards facilities in Massachusetts, offered a similar sentiment.

Were all in this together, Foley said. Were unified in our goals: Protecting access [to care] and jobs, and supporting the communities and residents that these facilities serve.

In a statement, Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, said he had utmost confidence in Healey and her lieutenants.

I also have every belief in the ability of our hospital leaders to support the states response and in the health care providers who will continue to care for each and every patient that arrives at a Steward hospital in the months to come, regardless of what may be happening at a Texas bankruptcy court, Mariano said.

Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, said her "immediate concern remains the quality and continuity of care for the thousands of patients within the Steward systemas well as the dedicated health care workers on the ground that continue to provide that care.

Its critical that this bankruptcy does not lead to a disruption in care for thousands of residents who depend on these hospitals, the Senates top Democrat said in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called Stewards bankruptcy filing the direct consequence of Wall Street private equity vultures looting our health care system.

My first priority is keeping these Massachusetts hospitals open, protecting patients, and supporting frontline health care workers, Warren said in a statement. The next step should be a serious reexamination of whether we should allow private equity in health care. Steward is just the latest example of private equity endangering communities, and I will be introducing new legislation in the Senate to hold corporate actors accountable when they loot our hospitals to boost their profits.

Steward announced in February that it had secured an additional $150 million in bridge financing on top of a $600 million loan it received in the summer of 2023, according to Business Wire. That loan would allow Steward to reset its operations and address vendor obligations, the wire service reported.

MassLive Reporters Charlie McKenna and Will Katcher contributed to this story.
THE Mayo Green Party have said that Mayo risks being left behind without Green Party representation on Mayo County Council.

The party  which has never held a seat in the council chamber  is running two candidates in the upcoming local elections.

Peter Nolan, a Louisburgh-based organic farmer, is running for the party in the Westport Electoral Area while retired businessman Micheal OConaill is running in the Belmullet Electoral Area.

Launching their local and European election campaigns, the party said that Mayo risks being left behind as other counties and regions power ahead with the climate transition that will create new green jobs, green energy and viable green agriculture.

The party has put forward an eight-point manifesto for the upcoming elections, which includes calls for improved public transport, nature-based incentives for farmers, support for the Western Rail Corridor and encouraging remote working.

Mr Nolan, an organic farmer based in Louisburgh said that the group think of sitting Mayo County Council representatives would keep Mayo back.

He has committed to campaigning for climate change funding for biodiversity, native forestry, organic farming and improvement of water and air quality, as well as the completion of the Westport to Roonagh greenway.

Mr Nolan also spoke out against a Mayo County Councils motion calling for the local authority to withdraw cooperation with the Department of Integration.

Over 85 percent of Irish people, rural and urban, old and young, believe that climate change is real and that it has to be addressed systemically if we are to look forward to a viable future. Already, the county councils in Ireland that have embraced this reality are powering ahead, but this message seems to have passed over the heads of the current regressive Mayo County Council representatives, as they cling to the thinking and politics of the past, said Mr Nolan.

Mr OConaill was raised in Erris and managed an insurance brokerage in Dublin for many years. He later returned to Belmullet where he managed the well-known boxty factory.

He has pledged to campaign for more funding for retrofitting homes in his area, as well as increased incentives for small farmers in disadvantaged areas who are food producers.Many Mayo farmers, often farming on marginal lands, have the most to gain from regenerative and nature-based farming solutions that pay well, which is what green agriculture is all about, Mr OConaill said, citing Mayo having the second highest county-wide sign up to the ACRES environmental scheme.

Senator Pauline OReilly will be standing in the five-seater Midlands North-West European parliament constituency against Mayo women Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail), Michelle Smith (Independent), Maria Walsh (Fine Gael) and former Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh (Independent).

With Greens in Europe and in local politics we can both protect the environment and maintain a strong economy, while at the same time lowering peoples bills, improving our quality of life, bringing our towns back to life and ensuring a secure future for our children and their children, the Galway-based Senator stated.

Eamon Ryan, leader of the Green Party, said last August that his party would win seats in Mayo in next elections.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 5, 2024

While Google and the advertising industry wait for the outcome of Google's antitrust trial, another year of NewFronts in New York City has come and gone, as the company forges ahead with pitching advertisers on the future of media such as its streaming ad offerings.

In the days and weeks to come, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta could rule in the government's antitrust case against Google.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) accused the company of monopolizing the search market, blocking others from competing. It said Google struck illegal deals to gain market dominance, which Statcounter estimates at nearly 87% market share globally in April. But company executives argued the reason for the large market share is that it offers the best search engine.

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If Mehta finds Google violated antitrust laws, he would schedule a "remedies" phase of the trial to determine next steps to follow that could increase competition in the search market, according to some reports.

At its NewFronts event last week, Google introduced a plan to rethink programmatic TV by having advertisers centralize their streaming ad buys through its web-focused demand-side platform, Display & Video 360 (DV360).

The company showcased DV360s ability to stitch together fragmented streaming inventory sources.

Sean Downey, Google's president of Americas and global partners, estimates DV360 can reach 92% of U.S. connected smart TV households.

SAP used DV360 to reach 29 million unique viewers, with 5.6 million incremental views, according to one cited case study.

Google is showing it can replicate YouTube's strategy for ad sales across streaming TV with DV360's direct access to third-party inventory like Disney's streaming ad supply announced in March. It added measurement capabilities such as cross-device conversion reporting for connected TV campaigns. YouTube Shorts crossed the 70 billion daily views milestone in March, with 75% of those in the YouTube Partner Program generating revenue through new video formats.

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI), no surprise, will become the backbone of several new Display & Video 360 features launching within months. Audience Persona will generate a combination of audience demographics that matches an advertiser or programmer's goals.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau's IAB Tech Lab will collaborate with Google to build new standards and contribute to the Publisher Advertiser Identity Reconciliation (PAIR) protocol, which provides a privacy-focused way to secure and reconcile first-party data.

Kristen O'Hara, vice president of agency, platforms & client solutions, called it the "future of ad buying."

Since transparency, per O'Hara, is a responsibility for Display & Video 360, Google launched experiment center, a tool that allows marketers to test strategies and optimize the ways to use Google AI. Its streamlined dashboard offers immediate insights and enables data-driven decisions.

The experiment center goes beyond conversions to provide a view across the entire advertising funnel, from reach and brand lift, to engagement.

Google also last week told marketers in an email it would start automatically pausing low-activity keywords.

Beginning in June, the company will consider positive keywords in search ad campaigns low-activity, defined as keywords created more than 13 months ago that have registered zero impressions.

Anthony Higman, Adsquire CEO, posted the email on X. With a similar perspective, but in different words, he described how agencies and marketers who know what it takes to run a campaign should already have deleted a long time ago the keywords and ads that register zero low-activity impressions a long time ago.
by Ray Schultz , May 5, 2024

Unionized staffers at Conde Nast may be planning some form of action today as the Met Gala, an important feature of Vogues year, takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

It wasnt clear what forms of protest are being contemplated, but the New York Post reports that the gala itself could be disrupted. Other reports say that a strike may take place.

Any action at the Met could be seen as an affront to Anna Wintour, chief content officer, Conde Nast, and global editorial director, Vogue.

The employees reportedly are concerned because contract negotiations have not been completed.

A post by the News Guild of New York on X says, Meet us at the table or meet us at the Met on Monday," the Post reports.

Management apparently thinks its acceptable to threaten us with more job losses and waste our time at the bargaining table, Alma Avalle, writer and producer for Bon Appetit said in a statement, according to The Wrap. We are ready to do whatever it takes to get our contract and protect jobs. Its up to management to decide what happens next.
The Marine Corps' new amphibious combat vehicle, or ACV, debuted in the Philippines as part of its first overseas deployment after more than a year-and-a-half of limited operations.

Marines aboard ACVs launched from amphibious ships in the Pacific on Saturday to conduct live-fire training in the Philippines, the service said in a statement. The Marine unit involved in the training was the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, a unit out of Camp Pendleton, California, which deployed this spring for partner exercises across the Pacific.

The ACV was involved in multiple rollovers in 2022, which did not result in any injuries or deaths then, but the Corps temporarily pulled the vehicles from service to better train Marines in operating them. Amid the preparation for its deployment to the Pacific this year, a Marine was killed in an on-land ACV rollover incident in December.

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"The hard work and dedication of our Marines is what made today's training successful," Col. Sean Dynan, commanding officer of the 15th MEU, said in a statement Saturday. "Today's training is a proof of concept across the Marine Corps for successful ACV employment in its intended environment."

The deployment of the vehicle occurred during Exercise Balikatan '24, which involved U.S. training with the Philippine military meant to build the partnership and counter Chinese influence in the region.

A platoon of ACV Marines left the USS Harpers Ferry and attacked targets along the shore of Oyster Bay, Philippines, with MK19 grenade launchers. After wrapping up the attack, the ACVs reembarked aboard the Harpers Ferry.

In 2022, the vehicle rolled over twice on land, which prompted the Marine Corps to pull the ACV from surf operations while it recertified crews to operate it. Late last year, a Marine with the 15th MEU, Sgt. Matthew Bylski, died after the vehicle rolled over on land during an exercise to prepare for the unit's current deployment.

The following month, after the Corps said it had recertify its crews, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Chris Mahoney, announced that the ACV was again operating in the surf and the 15th MEU would be deploying with them to the Pacific.

The new ACVs can deploy from amphibious ships, travel across the water and take beachheads. It replaced a decades-old platform that had a troubled history, including a 2020 incident that resulted in the deaths of eight Marines and one sailor.

That vehicle, called the amphibious assault vehicle, or AAV, had been used since the 1970s. It was lighter and had tracks, different from the wheeled ACV, which weighs roughly 70,000 pounds when fully loaded.

The 15th MEU is deployed as part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, or ARG, which includes the Harpers Ferry and USS Somerset.

Part of the 15th MEU's deployment in April was met with trouble due to the readiness of the USS Boxer, the ARG's namesake. After suffering engineering issues, the Boxer returned to San Diego, causing Marines and sailors to be offloaded so repairs could be made.

The Boxer had already been delayed by months, Military.com previously reported, due to maintenance issues.

Editors note: this story has been updated to correct the name of the amphibious combat vehicle.

Related: Troubled USS Boxer Returns Home 10 Days into Deployment Due to Maintenance Issue
After being covered in dust, sweat, dirt and blood, three officers emerged from the West Texas desert last week and were given their spurs and Stetson cowboy hats by the Army, becoming the first ever "space cowboys."

The three Space Force Guardians traveled to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to complete an Army Cavalry Spur Ride, a series of arduous combat tests and physical training exercises in which service members often ruck-march in between challenges -- the first members of the military's newest and smallest service to do so.

Space Force Capt. Bradley Evans, an engineer at White Sands Missile Range who took part in the Spur Ride, told Military.com that all of the Guardians who participated completed the challenges, though some Army soldiers didn't make it through.

Read Next: 'Existential Threat': Air Guardsmen Slam Proposal to Move Their Units to Space Force

"Being in the Space Force, we certainly received a lot more attention from the cadre than some of the soldiers did, which made it quite a good challenge for us," Evans said. "I think there was an expectation by some that we wouldn't make it, and so pushing back against that expectation and performing was a powerful driver."

Earning your spurs is a long-standing tradition that dates back to the early days of the Army cavalry when new soldiers had to prove their skills in swordsmanship and horseback riding. Even though the U.S. military is changing, including the addition of the Space Force and its Guardians, those traditions are still upheld through rigorous physical challenges and training.

Guardians are often deployed in place, meaning they're at military installations in front of a computer and not typically put into austere and deadly conditions. As a result, the service has placed a different focus on routine physical training. It has announced plans to use wearable fitness technology and take a more holistic approach to keeping its service members in shape, compared to the other branches.

All of the Space Force officers who participated in the Spur Ride, including 1st Lt. Jordan Savage, an acquisitions officer at Space Systems Command in Los Angeles, told Military.com that the physical challenge was vastly different from their day jobs.

"My Garmin captured us doing about 37 miles of rucking. We had a 60-pound ruck that we were with the whole time that had all of our gear that was necessary for the Spur Ride and, on top of that, we had minimal sleep," Savage said. "So, all those things are not what we experienced in our day-to-day life as acquisitions [officers] or engineers here."

U.S. Space Force Spur Ride candidate Capt. Bradley Evans carries a 120mm mortar round at Fort Bliss, Texas, Apr 29, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. David Poleski)

Some of the Army soldiers who participated in the Spur Ride had never met someone in the Space Force before and quickly recognized cultural differences between the service branches.

"So many soldiers had questions, because the Space Force is still so new, and they just want to know, 'Hey, what do you guys do?'" 1st Lt. Jackson Jennings, a Space Force developmental engineer, told Military.com. "So, I tell them about my day-to-day life, and they're just kind of dumbfounded that we don't have mandatory PT three times a week or we have to form up and stuff like that."

Their presence also led to some extra attention during the challenges, with many soldiers reportedly calling them "space cowboys" as they rucked from one painful activity to the next.

"Let's just say they showed us some extra love for being space cowboys," Savage said.

Participating in, and completing, the Army Cavalry Spur Ride marks the latest frontier that the Space Force's men and women have conquered.

Last month, two Space Force Guardians became the first in the service to graduate from the Army's Drill Instructor Academy at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Last year, Space Force Guardian Capt. Dan Reynolds graduated from Ranger School -- a two-month course filled with grueling physical training and exercises designed to educate participants on elite squad and platoon tactics. The achievement not only was a first for the service, it bucked criticism and stereotypes that Guardians aren't as active as other military service branches.

The three Space Force Guardians who participated in the Spur Ride told Military.com that they hope their peers will look for other opportunities to train with the other branches and push themselves.

"I would say, whether it's this challenge or other challenges out there, there's a great need for Guardians to push themselves, particularly in the physical aspect," Evans told Military.com. "It's not only just generally healthy, but doing this event is going to help me in my regular job when I'm just pushing forward and trying to get something done. ... Something about rucking 30 miles, and just thinking one more step, applies very well to being on a 12-hour shift."

Related: 2 Space Force Guardians Become Service's First Graduates of Army's Drill Instructor Academy
ITBAYAT, Philippines  U.S. Marines and their Filipino counterparts darted out of Black Hawk helicopters during combat drills Monday in the Philippines northernmost island town, along the strategic Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan.

The show of allied battle readiness in Itbayat in Batanes province is part of annual military exercises that started last month, dubbed Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, and involving more than 16,000 American and Philippine military personnel.

This year's exercises by the longtime treaty allies  the largest yet  are meant to deter possible aggression. They come against the backdrop of Chinas increasingly assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine coast guards and accompanying ships have had several increasingly tense faceoffs since last year.

More than 250 French and Australian forces are also participating, along with observers from several allied and security partner nations, led by Japan and European nations. The drills, which began April 22, end later this week.

In Monday's mock battle scenario, American and Filipino forces took positions at the airfield, ringed by low-lying hills, as three Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters landed to deliver combat supplies.

Marine 1st Lt. Annie Pentaleri said there would also be aerial combat reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance drills in the far-flung region. The Associated Press was among a small group of journalists invited to attend the maneuvers.

"We are absolutely battle-ready and thats what we train for day in and day out, Marine Maj. Robert Patterson said. Its important to enhance inter-operability with our Filipino counterparts.

Washington and Manila say the drills are not directed at any country and are crucial for improving the response to emergencies in the Philippines, one of the worlds most disaster-prone countries.

However, this year's drills focus on territorial defense and are being staged mainly in two of the most sensitive fault lines in the regional rivalry between China and the United States: the disputed South China Sea and the Bashi Channel.

The critical waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines, an important trade conduit laden with international undersea cables, has been closely watched and guarded by Chinese and American forces. China considers Taiwant a part of its territory, to be annexed by force if necessary.

In a telephone call last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to President Joe Biden that Beijing will not tolerate separatist activities by Taiwans independence forces, as well as exterior indulgence and support, an apparent reference to Washingtons support for the island.

Biden raised concerns about Chinas actions in the South China Sea, including efforts to impede the Philippines, which Washington is treaty-obligated to defend, from resupplying its forces on the fiercely disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

The Balikatan exercises have included live-fire drills in the disputed South China Sea during joint naval sails by the U.S., France and the Philippines. An aircraft also dropped food and other supplies on a disputed island occupied by Filipino forces as part of the maneuvers in the disputed waters.

Separately on Monday, U.S. and Philippine forces practiced repelling invading forces in the coastal province of Ilocos Norte by firing missiles and artillery rounds on floating targets at sea. The northwestern province faces the South China Sea.

It was a huge success, the weapons were spot on, Marine Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm said.

In escalating high-seas encounters in disputed areas, Chinese coast guard vessels have resorted to water cannons, blocking and other dangerous maneuvers that have left Philippine navy personnel injured and supply boats damaged. The Biden administration has repeatedly warned the U.S. is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, should it come under attack.

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.

China has strongly criticized the exercises, saying the Philippines and countries outside Asia are joining forces against Beijing, warned that the drills could lead to confrontation and undermine regional stability.

Ahead of the drills, China specifically opposed the transport of a U.S. ground-launched missile system to the northern Philippines. No missile was to be fired as the goal was only to familiarize 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."
In late 1924, a rare opportunity presented itself to Gutzon Borglum. At the time, the American sculptor found himself on the verge of being fired from his job carving a Confederate monument into the side of Stone Mountain in Georgia amid repeated clashes with his bosses, a fair share of which were his own making.

Irritated, Borglum packed his bags and traveled to a remote location in South Dakota. He was intrigued by what he saw in the Black Hills; more importantly, he was highly motivated. I want the vindication it would give me, he said at the time.

Eager to drive tourism to the relatively new state, South Dakotas official historian envisioned sculpting figures from the American West into one of the states many majestic mountainsides. A big thinker with grandiose dreams and an ego to match, Borglum suggested a tableau to American history that would feature the visages of prominent United States presidents. After scouting various mountains for the project, he found the perfect canvas: Mount Rushmore.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum invested 14 years into carving his vision into Mount Rushmore before dying in 1941. (Library of Congress photo)



Crafting one of the most recognizable fixtures of the American landscape was just one milestone in Borglum's unusual life. Born in 1867 in Idaho, Borglum was the son of a Danish Mormon immigrant who was married to Gutzons mother and her sister, and the boy lived in a polygamous household until he was 5 years old. Borglum grew up primarily in Nebraska, and after the family moved to California, he received his first break as an artist when he painted a portrait of Gen. John C. Fremont, the renowned former Union Army officer, in 1888.

Along with his first wife, Elizabeth Putnam (a painter 18 years his senior), Borglum traveled to France to work and continue learning his craft, struck up a friendship with Auguste Rodin (The Thinker) and shifted his focus to sculpting -- perhaps to compete with his brother, Solon. The couple traveled throughout Europe for much of the 1890s before returning to the United States, where Borglum found success after creating a marble bust of Abraham Lincoln, which remains on display at the U.S. Capitol today.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum's bust of Abraham Lincoln is on display in the U.S. Capitol. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Capitol)

In 1915, Borglums profile changed dramatically when the United Daughters of the Confederacy -- an organization that formed in 1894 and advanced the Lost Cause narrative of why the South lost the Civil War -- contacted him about sculpting the image of Gen. Robert E. Lee onto Stone Mountain. Borglum did not want to stop there, instead suggesting carving Confederate generals leading an army of soldiers into the rock face.

Borglum and his crew did not begin work on the project, which received financial support from the Ku Klux Klan, until 1923 because of World War I and funding issues. They only got to work on the mountain for a relatively short time before Borglum, a perfectionist with a prickly personality, was let go; what sculpting they had done was blasted off and is not part of the present-day memorial, which was finally completed in 1972.

This June 23, 2015, file photo shows a carving depicting Confederate Civil War figures Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis in Stone Mountain, Ga. (John Bazemore/AP File Photo)

Despite how Stone Mountain ended for him, Borglum took away a valuable lesson from the experience: how to use dynamite to make carvings more precise. Borglum and his crew began work on Mount Rushmore in 1927, and they used explosives to great effect, with dynamite carving 90% of the mountain.

Each presidential image -- from left, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln -- is 60 feet tall. Washingtons face was the first to be completed, in 1934; Jeffersons image followed two years later, with Lincoln being completed in 1937 and Roosevelt in 1939.

For such a massive endeavor, there were some expected snags, including changing the placement of Jeffersons head from the right to the left of Washington, because the stone in its original location was deemed too weak. Workers on the Mount Rushmore memorial were sidelined for long stretches because of a lack of finances, unfavorable weather or both. By the time that Congress ceased work on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Oct. 31, 1941, nearly eight months after Borglum died at the age of 73, the monument had cost nearly $1 million and displaced 800 million pounds of rock.

Borglum left behind a complicated legacy.

No one could get along with Mr. Borglum for any length without losing his temper -- unless one was a saint, and there are few human saints, former South Dakota Gov. William J. Bulow once said in an article originally published in 1947.

Beyond Borglums sometimes boorish behavior, some also regarded him as a racist, and not only because of the KKKs connection to the Stone Mountain memorial. He once referred to immigrants as slippered assassins and was known to have attended KKK meetings and espoused racist views, according to John Taliaferro, author of the 2002 book, Great White Fathers: The True Story of Gutzon Borglum and His Obsessive Quest to Create Mount Rushmore.

He never came out and said he was a member of the Klan, but he sure was at the table with them a lot, Taliaferro told The Washington Post in 2020.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum directs the carving from a projecting ledge at the left as drillers, suspended in slings fastened with cables to the winches at the top of the mountain, work on George Washingtons head of the Mount Rushmore Memorial in the Black Hills area of Keystone, S.D., on July 22, 1929. (AP Photo)

It wasnt only Stone Mountain that was steeped in controversy, either. From the time that the first rock was blasted or chiseled at Mount Rushmore, that project was confronted with charges of racism from Native Americans upset that Borglums crews were chipping away on land they regarded as sacred. They considered Borglum no friend of theirs, a well-founded belief reinforced by the sculptor reportedly once saying, per a 2016 Smithsonian Magazine article: I would not trust an Indian, off-hand, nine out of 10, where I would not trust a white man one out of 10.

Native Americans concerns, however, have done little to quell the popularity of Mount Rushmore. Even as some Native leaders continue to speak out against the memorial, one even suggesting in 2021 that it be converted into something akin to a U.S. Holocaust Museum, the U.S. National Park Service reported that one of Americas most recognizable landmarks attracted more than 2.4 million visitors in 2023.

A century later, the controversial Borglum might have considered that level of popularity vindication enough.

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Thousands of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen crowded into a staging area. Some checked their maps, others made last-minute adjustments to their vehicles and equipment. Months of planning were about to turn into action. On cue, engines roared to life, and a massive formation embarked on a new kind of mission.

This was Operation Rolling Thunder -- but not the one that the U.S. military conducted in Vietnam during the 1960s. Motorcycles replaced bomber jets, leather vests replaced combat fatigues, and Washington, D.C., streets took the place of Southeast Asian jungle.

What was the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally all about, and why did it end? The story has dark beginnings and a silver lining -- and its one you should know.

Rolling Thunder Started in Vietnam

Operation Rolling Thunder lasted from 1965 to 1968 and failed to bring the Viet Cong to its knees. (National Museum of the United States Air Force)

The first time Operation Rolling Thunder entered the American lexicon came in 1965. The United States military was in a shooting war in Vietnam, but the real fight was against communist expansion by the Soviet Union and China. In an effort to contain fighting in Vietnam and avoid direct conflict between global superpowers, policymakers in Washington, D.C., fell back on an old favorite: the undefeated record of American air superiority.

Air power seemed to offer the possibility of war at arm's length and on the cheap, although most policymakers realized that the use of air power would be cheap only by comparison with a manpower intensive land war, according to a 1989 assessment of the campaign from Air Force Universitys Center for Aerospace Doctrine, Research, and Education.

The plan was simple: Operation Rolling Thunder would destroy the Viet Congs critical resources in North Vietnam almost instantly, bringing the enemys fighting capability to a screeching halt with minimal involvement from on-the-ground troops.

As the Air Force Historical Support Division points out, that didnt happen. When the plan failed to cripple the Viet Congs war effort, the Johnson administration changed the objective; rather than destroying resources at the source, American air power would intercept them on the way to the battlefield and cut off supply lines.

When hunting down bicycles in the jungle from 30,000 feet turned out to be virtually impossible, the goalposts vanished altogether. After years of futilely lobbing explosives into the jungle and losing downed pilots and crew to North Vietnamese prison camps, bombing ceased in 1968. President Lyndon B. Johnson began negotiations with the North Vietnamese in 1969.

The U.S. ended its involvement in Vietnam in 1973, and North Vietnamese forces seized Saigon in 1975, according to the U.S. Department of State. American air power had met its match, and the victor was fighting in flip-flops.

Welcome Home; Now See Yourself Out

For the first time in American history, returning service members did not have the support of the general public. (Library of Congress)

The National Archives reports that 58,220 Americans died in Vietnam. North Vietnam returned 591 American prisoners of war as part of Operation Homecoming following the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. Approximately 2,500 U.S. service members remained missing.

Polling as recent as 1991 found that the majority of Americans not only believed North Vietnam failed to return all prisoners of war, but considered the U.S. government derelict in its duty to free them.

And if it wasnt bad enough that service members felt betrayed by their government both during the conflict and decades after it ended, the general public gave returning service members an ice-cold reception.

I remember feeling like, what could I do to acknowledge them, and I just gave the peace signal, as Steven Wowwk, an Army veteran who was wounded in Vietnam, told History in 2018. And instead of getting return peace fingers, I got the middle finger.

Remembering Those Left Behind

Vietnam veteran Artie Muller helped create the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally in 1988. (Defense Department photo)

In the decades following the withdrawal from Vietnam, veterans of the conflict couldnt help but notice that their elected leaders were more than happy to put the wars scars behind them -- prisoners and missing service members included.

Two Vietnam veterans, Artie Muller and Ray Manzo, brought the issue back into the public eye with a motorcycle rally in 1988.

It started with a letter-writing campaign to recruit veteran motorcyclists for a ride through Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day. Manzo wrote to veteran groups, politicians and other riders to get the word out.

I am asking for your assistance in organizing a Nationwide Run all across America for as many bikers as possible to ride to Washington, D.C., for Memorial Day 1988 and bring about an end to the POW/MIA problem, the letter said, according to History.net. We have to make one more huge effort to get our POW/MIAs home. Please help.

Manzos letter ended up published by Outlaw Biker and Easy Riders, two major motorcycle magazines of the time. That was the spark the cause needed: A few months later, an estimated 2,500 veterans showed up in the nations capital on their motorcycles, according to Histories of the National Mall

The demonstrators delivered their message loud and clear, and others would join their mission. According to History.net, more than 30,000 riders came the following year and attendance grew to 75,000 a few years later. According to WUSA9, Washington, D.C.s CBS affiliate, attendance had grown to 500,000 by 2018.

Rolling Thunder is a motorcycle demonstration ride that began in 1988 to bring awareness to the POW/MIA issue and achieve full accountability for, and the return of, all service members, alive or dead. (Courtesy photo)

The rally was a great way for veterans to build a community, but the point was always to remind elected officials and military leaders that they have not succeeded in bringing home everyone theyve sent to war -- and not just the one in Vietnam.

By the Department of Defenses own numbers, more than 80,000 U.S. missing service members have not been accounted for from overseas wars. There is an ongoing effort to recover these missing service members, but the process requires extensive research, DNA samples from living family members and years of forensic testing.

In 2019, Rolling Thunder organizers announced an end to the rally. According to The Washington Post, Muller pointed to a lack of cooperation from the Pentagon Security Police and Washington Police and an increase in harassment of supporters and sponsors. Pete Zaleski, Rolling Thunder Inc.s then-vice president, chalked it up to a lack of funding. Whatever the cause, the last Rolling Thunder rally took place in 2019.

Rolling to Remember

Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Jose Rodela pays his respects at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. (E.J. Hersom/Defense Department photo)

Rolling Thunder is in the history books, but the movement rides on. Veterans and their motorcycles are scheduled to flood the streets of Washington for the 36th consecutive year at the 2024 Rolling to Remember rally.

These days, the ride is hosted by AMVETS. The organization dates back to 1944, when it first started helping veterans access federal support programs. As in the past, veterans plan to meet at the Pentagon, ride through the city and around the National Mall, and gather at the Lincoln Memorial for a candlelight vigil.

The U.S. militarys involvement in Vietnam ended 51 years ago. Its been 36 years since riders went kickstands-up for the first Rolling Thunder rally. With every year that passes, fewer Vietnam veterans are able to throw a leg over a motorcycle to participate.

The cause isnt getting any quieter, though. New generations of veterans and service members continue to make the pilgrimage to the nations capital each Memorial Day to speak for those who were killed or captured and never came home.

It turns out that the roar of veterans motorcycles lasted a lot longer than the infamous Rolling Thunder bombing campaign.

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The Giants announced Monday that theyve designated right-hander Daulton Jefferies for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-handed pitching prospect Mason Black, whose previously reported promotion from Triple-A Sacramento is now official.

Jefferies, 28, went through two years of painstaking rehab to get back to the big leagues after undergoing both Tommy John surgery and thoracic outlet surgery. The former No. 37 overall draft picks Giants debut at the end of March was his first MLB appearance since May 2022 with the As.

Jefferies shined in spring training this year (2.57 ERA, 16-to-3 K/BB ratio in 14 innings) and has pitched quite well in four Triple-A appearances this season. In 18 1/3 frames with Sacramento, hes notched a tidy 3.44 ERA while fanning 22.7% of his opponents against a sharp 6.7% walk rate.

However, in a pair of big league appearances, hes lasted just 4 2/3 innings overall and been tagged for 13 runs (nine earned) on the strength of 14 hits (two homers) and a pair of walks. Jefferies has only fanned four of the 31 men hes faced. Hes seen more than half the balls in play against him land for hits, which certainly hasnt helped his cause, but hes also paid the price for plenty of mistakes over the plate; in addition to the pair of homers, hes surrendered six doubles and a triple.

Jefferies has had a fair bit of minor league success, but hes yet to carry it over to the big leagues in a quartet of seasons where hes seen mostly fleeting action. In 61 MLB frames, he carries an unsightly 6.64 earned run average, although his overall mark in six minor league seasons is nearly half that number, sitting at 3.88. Injuries have played no small part in his struggles; the previously mentioned Tommy John surgery in 2022 was actually the second of his career, and he battled nerve issues in his elbow for nearly a year before finally being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and undergoing that surgery.

The Giants will have a week to trade Jefferies, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or release him. Hes in his final minor league option season, so any team that acquires him would be able to send him to Triple-A without needing to expose him to waivers. Jefferies has been outrighted once in the past, so even if he goes unclaimed on waivers, that prior outright assignment grants him the right to reject another outright assignment in favor of free agency.
MACOMB COUNTY, MI  A sheriffs deputy was forced to dive out of the path a vehicle before it smashed into his patrol car in Macomb County.

Deputy Lukas Gjelaj had responded to westbound I-94 and Little Mack to assist the Clinton Township Police Department in shutting down the freeway due to a crash at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Monday.

He had positioned his vehicle in the far-left lane of westbound I-94, just east of the 324B Exit, with his overhead lights on, police said. Gjelaj was placing flares to divert traffic onto the Harper Road exit when noticed a white vehicle traveling toward him at a high rate of speed, according to police.

Realizing the vehicle was not going to stop, Gjelaj dove out of the way, deputies said, before the white Kia Sorento collided with the rear of the patrol vehicle, totaling both vehicles.

Both occupants, an 18-year-old male and a 19-year-old male, both from Port Huron, were both transported to an area hospital. Gjelaj was also transported to an area hospital.

The driver did not show signs of impairment, deputies said.

The Macomb County Sheriffs Office is reminding motorists of Michigans Move Over Law, which requires motorists to slow down and move over for stationary authorized vehicles with flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights activated.

If not possible due to traffic, weather, or road conditions, motorists should slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit, and pass with caution, allowing the authorized vehicle as much space as possible.
MACOMB COUNTY, MI  A Michigan man is accused of abducting a woman at gunpoint before raping her multiple times.

Mario Davis, 39, of Fraser was charged in Macomb County with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of felony firearm.

He is accused of picking up a 39-year-old woman and threatening her at gunpoint before driving to his residence in Fraser where he sexually assaulted her multiple times.

The act of criminal sexual conduct at gunpoint is a violation of trust and an assault on human dignity. We will vigorously pursue justice for the victim, and those who commit such crimes will face the full extent of the law, said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido.

Davis was arraigned in 39th Fraser District Court by District Court Judge Alyia Hakim. Bond was set at $500,000. If released, Davis must wear a GPS tether.

A probable cause conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 8 and a preliminary exam is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 15.
MANZINI  A 20-year-old woman was arrested for the murder of her Mozambican boyfriend.

She was arrested by the police on Friday, following the demise of her boyfriend, who was found dead at Nhlambeni. The Mozambique national was said to have been found with stab wounds by a passerby. According to sources, the couple had been having challenges in recent weeks, which escalated to constant fights. On the fateful day, the couple was said to have had an unresolved disagreement, which led to them engaging in a heated argument. It was claimed that hours later, the deceased was found lying in a pool of blood by a passerby at Nhlambeni. Sources claimed that the deceased had a single stab wound in the left side of his chest.

The arrest of the woman aged 20, follows another similar incident, where a 40-year-old male of Fairview was stabbed in the stomach with a sharp object while at Mathendele township in Nhlangano and his girlfriend was arrested. This incident happened on April 19 this year. It was said the male was rushed to Nhlangano Health Centre, where he was certified dead upon arrival, while when the police investigated the matter, they arrested the deceaseds girlfriend, who is aged 25 and hails from Galile. She was charged with murder.

Drinking

Meanwhile, according to sources, the duo was staying together in a rented flat that is a stones throw away from Emseni Bar. It was said the couple was earlier spotted at the drinking spot where they were enjoying drinks. It was alleged that they then started arguing which was when the alleged suspect went to their rented flat. Sources shared that they were later seen together and arguments ensued again. It was alleged that it was at their rented flat where the 25-year-old stabbed the man with a knife in the stomach.
FLINT, MI  Police have released the name of a man found behind the wheel of his truck after it apparently went off the road and crashed head-on into a tree.

Michigan State Police officials on Monday, May 6, said 40-year-old Carl Burt was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being found in his Chevrolet Silverado, which had crashed into a tree along Saginaw Road.

The crash was reported around 12:15 a.m. Saturday, May 4, near Saginaw Road and Dort Highway in Vienna Township.

Troopers responded and found the truck crashed into the tree on the west side of Saginaw Road.

Crews with the Clio Area Fire Authority responded and used the jaws of life to extricate Burt from the vehicle.

He was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

Police said it appears the vehicle was headed north on Saginaw Road, south of Dort Highway, when it crossed the center line and left the roadway and hit the tree.

There was no indication Burt was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, police said.

The crash incident remains under investigation by MSP.
CLIO, MI  A bomb threat made by an out-of-area person to a Clio daycare has been deemed not credible, according to police.

Clio police and Genesee County Sheriffs deputies were called out shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, May 6, to 960 Tacoma Court following a bomb threat.

A girl called police reporting she had received a phone threat from a girl in another part of the state.

The caller said the other girl threatened to blow up Peytons Learning Center, as she had a family member attending there, police said.

Detectives swept the building along with K-9 officers, and children were removed from the building.

The building was deemed to be free of threats, police said.

Children were later returned to their classrooms.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A judge dismissed a Black motorists lawsuit against Grand Rapids and Kentwood police after the man alleged he was stopped because of his race.

Johnathan Gafford, a Beaumont, Texas, man who was in the area for business, said he was held at gunpoint and detained for an hour.

But a federal judge said police legally stopped his rented sport-utility vehicle  which matched the description of a vehicle in a string of marijuana-shop break-ins - and only held him 15 minutes.

As soon as the officers ruled Gafford out as a suspect in the breaking-and-entering incident they were investigating, they released him, U.S. District Judge Jane Beckering in Grand Rapids wrote in her April decision.

Based upon the few facts known to the officers at the time of the stop, their brief use of firearms and handcuffs and Gaffords short detention in the cruiser were reasonably necessary to protect the officers safety while they worked to dispel their reasonable suspicion that he was involved in criminal activity.

The incident began at 1:21 a.m. on May 28, 2022, when Grand Rapids police responded to a possible burglary at Joyology on 28th Street SE. Kentwood police also responded.

They were told about previous break-ins at marijuana shops involving a newer, black SUV with black rims. Eleven minutes after the call, dispatch told officers that a vehicle potentially used in the burglaries was in the area.

Gafford had just left a Kentwood bar in a rented 2022 black Alfa Romeo SUV with black rims. He noticed police following as he drove to his hotel. He believed officers knew he was Black and targeted him because of his race.

He said that a number of police cars, with lights and sirens on, followed him into the hotel parking lot. He said that police officers had guns or flashlights pointed at him. He complied with police orders and got out of his vehicle and dropped to his knees.

Consistent with the video footage, Gafford does not allege that any officer struck him, pushed him, shoved him, or caused any physical injury, Beckering wrote.

He was put into the back of a patrol car. He gave police consent to search the vehicle. Nothing of note was found and police determined he was not involved in the burglary.

The judge said Gafford told officers at the scene that youre doing your job and had every right to pulled me over.

Approximately fifteen minutes after his arrival, Gafford was released from the scene, extending his hand to shake hands with a couple of the officers as he left, Beckering wrote.

Initially, Gafford said he was held for about an hour but an amended complaint said he was held for an unreasonable amount of time. He alleged civil-rights violations, assault and battery, false arrest, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and gross negligence.

Gafford filed his lawsuit nearly a year ago.

Grand Rapids and Kentwood filed motions to dismiss that included incident reports and video evidence from the scene.

The judge dismissed federal claims with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled but dismissed state claims without prejudice.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  A motorcyclist was injured in a crash Sunday, May 5, on the lakeshore.

The motorcyclist, a 32-year-old Holland man, was taken to Holland Hospital but the injuries were not serious, Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said.
BENTON HARBOR, MI -- A 5-year-old girl playing in the front yard of a Southwest Michigan home was one of two innocent bystanders shot and injured in a drive-by shooting this weekend.

On Saturday, May 4, at 2:38 p.m., the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety responded to the shooting of the girl and a man at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Britain Avenue.

The innocent bystanders were struck by stray rounds, police said.

The 5-year-old girl was playing in front of her familys house on Britain Avenue when she was shot, police said. The man shot was driving by the area, police said.

Both victims are in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, police said on Monday, May 6.

Police are not releasing the names of the victims at this time.

Shots were reportedly fired from a white vehicle, police said.

Detectives and the Major Crimes Unit are currently working active leads to try to solve the violent crime. Evidence was located at the scene.

The FBI Violent Crime Taskforce is assisting police along with the Benton Township Police Department, the Berrien County Sheriffs Office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Michigan State Police D/Sgt. Ben Mahaffie at 269-845-6948 or mahaffieb@michigan.gov.

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KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI -- Kalamazoo County has sunk six figures into its ongoing pursuit to own a familys lakeside cottage.

Kalamazoo County has spent $182,867 in legal costs in its effort to acquire the property, according to an estimate from county officials provided to MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette Thursday, May 2. That figure covers legal expenses from November 2019 through February 2024.

The case is currently on the docket of the Michigan Court of Appeals, where a possible resolution is expected in the coming months in the countys eminent domain case against the cottage owners. Attorneys are preparing now to present arguments.

The county wants to make the property a part of the adjacent and existing Prairie View County Park, which has been there since 1963.

The family has owned the property since the 1940s and built the cottage in 1962 after tearing down two other cabins at the site.

The fight over the privately-owned cottage property has stretched on for years, including an earlier ruling in Kalamazoo County court that said the county had the right to force a sale of the property through eminent domain.

The original owners of the property signed an agreement with the county, which the parties dispute the affect of, regarding any future sale of the property. Edmund Talanda was the last surviving original owner, and died in 2019.

The current owners are heirs of the original owners.

Larry McClish, one of the owners of the property and a defendant in the lawsuit against the county, said it is disappointing the fate of the cottage is in someone elses hands.

They want to do whats right for their family and the generations to come.

The support we have received from those living on Gourdneck Lake as well as people in our community has been overwhelming and we are humbled by it, McClish said.

Related: Countys fight to take lakeside cottage via eminent domain heads to higher court

The family plans to outlast the county in the fight for the lakeside property, McClish said.

He declined to answer a question about how much money the family has spent on legal costs.

An appraisal of the property in August 2022 determined the value was $320,000. The county would have to pay the family a fair value for the property if the eminent domain lawsuit is successful.

The countys decision to pursue this course of action was not taken lightly, a county spokeswoman told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette.

We understand the deep-rooted connection the family has had with the property over the years and hold immense respect for the emotional ties and personal investments associated with it, spokeswoman Taylor Koopman said in a statement to MLive.

The county is committed to the communitys greater good, she said, and ensuring a safe and enjoyable pace for park visitors.

We genuinely regret the prolonged nature of this situation, which has caused uncertainty and concern for all involved, Koopman said, when asked about the legal costs. Moving forward, we are fully dedicated to resolving this issue swiftly and amicably, and we eagerly anticipate finding closure on the matter and moving forward.

MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette also filed a Freedom of Information Act request for details of the legal costs and for clarification on the date the estimated cost tally begins.

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LANSING, MI  Representing himself at trial did not work out for a Saginaw man accused of killing a popular music producer in his Lansing recording studio. After a short deliberation, jurors found him guilty, thereby guaranteeing a life sentence in his future.

The Ingham County jury on April 22 convicted Anthony A. Big A Anderson, 29, of first-degree premeditated murder, assault with intent to murder, felon in possession of a firearm, and felony firearm. The charges stem from the killing of 40-year-old Lansing-based producer Curshawn L. Terrell, known as Kaz Drumatik and LaKaz, and the wounding of a 29-year-old recording engineer on New Years Eve 2022.

This was a brutal and senseless crime, and the death of Mr. Terrell was a great loss for our community, said Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane. He was beloved, respected, and is missed by all. I believe the jury made the right decision in this matter.

About 3:05 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2022, police responded to a reported shooting at 51 Sessions Recording Studio, 2722 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing. They found Terrell and the other man suffering from gunshot wounds.

The wounded man testified in Andersons trial that Anderson shot him and Terrell with a 9mm handgun without provocation. He added Anderson was acting bothered and paranoid just before the shooting.

Investigators quickly developed Anderson as a suspect. They also learned he had 14 felony convictions related to assaultive and weapons charges and was on parole out of Saginaw County, having been released from prison in November 2021.

Authorities issued a parole violation hold for Anderson on Jan. 3. The next day, prosecutors authorized charges against Anderson and issued a warrant for his arrest.

The morning of Jan. 4, Anderson was involved in a two-vehicle traffic crash in Saginaw Township. When responding officers entered Andersons name into the Law Enforcement Intelligence Network, they learned he was wanted.

Anderson was taken to a Saginaw County hospital and treated for minor injuries he suffered in the crash. On being discharged from the hospital, Anderson was lodged in the Saginaw County Jail until he could be transferred to the Ingham County Jail.

Anderson largely represented himself at trial, allowing a public defender to assist him.

Ingham County Circuit Judge James Jamo is to sentence Anderson on June 3, though hes mandated to impose a term of life without the possibility of parole.

First-degree murder is the most heinous of all offenses and I believe the impending sentence reflects this, Prosecutor Dewane said.

Terrell, described as a musical genius, is survived by a daughter, twin sister, and mother, according to his obituary.

As a child, Curshawn knew how to put a smile on everyones face and carried that same personality into his adult life, his obituary continues. He knew what he wanted out of life early on by listening to all genres of music and having the gift to break down the sounds of instruments and placements.

Terrells love for music began when he was a boy, playing on his karaoke machine and Casio keyboard.

He would spend hours playing and imitating the melodies of artists he heard on cassette tapes, his obituary continues. That gift was special to him, and he nurtured that to the best of his ability.

In his teens, Terrell was often in his bedroom working on and perfecting his musical craft. He later parleyed this into being a music producer.

Holding a higher standard for himself opened doors as he helped others live out their dreams, his obituary continues. Whether it was a single, an EP, or a full album, he made sure that the artist was confident with their work as well as his own. His caring and humble spirit made it easy to trust his process and advice, which resulted in exquisite masterpieces of music.

A quote from Terrell, appearing in his obituary, states: Im just as human as everybody else, one of my jobs I believe from being here on earth is to help. I think my calling for being here on earth is to help people. My mom always told me in order to get blessings you gotta help and bless others. Just that simple.

Terrells production credits include T.I., Gucci Mane, Big Kuntry King, Solo Lucci, Young Scooter, Siya, Domani, Blood Raw, Lyfe Jennings and Chief Keef.

Curshawn accomplished so much in his short time on this earth, from giving a local kid a shot at recording a track, helping his family and childhood friends live out their dreams of being a recording artist, and signing an in-house producer deal with DJ Khaled We the Best Management, his obituary states. The one accomplishment that outshone it all was being a father to his beautiful daughter  who he protected, cherished, and loved from the day she was born.

Terrell was also a Freemason, initiated as an Entered Apprentice in June 2011, passed to the degree of Fellow Craft that October, and was raised to Master Mason the following month. He was a devoted and skilled craftsman of Capitol Lodge No. 8. He continued his Masonic education by receiving his 32nd degree in Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Free Masonry from Peninsular No. 44.

His humbleness, love, work ethic and catalog of hits will never be forgotten, his obituary states. Other than his music, it was his heart and love for his family that was unmeasurable.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Detroit Pistons plan to formally request an interview with Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst for the president of basketball operations vacancy. This comes less than a week after Stein reported that Horst, along with several other candidates such as former NBA veteran and ESPN analyst JJ Redick, are reportedly on their radar for the position.

As of now, it is unknown if the Bucks will grant the Pistons request.
MBABANE - The gender-based violence scourge has resulted in a 28-year-old woman losing her life at the hands of her husband at Maphalaleni.

Thandeka Mncina (nee Hlandze), was reportedly strangulated and further banged against a wall several times, by her husband, after an argument emanating from allegations of infidelity. This is said to have happened while the couple was in their house on Saturday night. The husband, who disappeared after the incident, is said to have locked the corpse of his wife together with their three year-old child inside the rondavel. He is said to have then called some friends and relatives informing them to fetch the child from the house, adding that he and his wife were over. It is said that the message gave the friends and relatives the impression that the husband might have killed Thandeka and ended his own life, as he had once tried and failed.

Bruises

Acting on the message, it is said that the relatives broke into the house only to discover Thandeka lying dead with bruises and a swollen face on the bed. In an interview with the husbands uncle (Babe lomkhulu) Bhekimpi, it transpired that Thandeka had returned home last Friday, after having left for about two months due to abuse. Bhekimpi said the family had nothing much to say about the incident, as they only learnt about it on Saturday night. Nami ngive batsi ushaye lucingo watjela bangani bakhe kutsi abaphutfume endlini batsatse umtfwana ngoba kwakhe na LaHlandze sekuphelile, he said, loosely translating to : I heard that he called his friends telling them to collect a child from the house because his relationship with LaHlandze was over.

Peaceful

He said all they knew was that the husband was not in a peaceful relationship with the deceased. He added that the family had tried on numerous occasions to intervene, but the situation had remained the same. The senior citizen said some time ago, the family had a meeting after the couple had reportedly been at loggerheads. However, he said the husband requested the family to leave him to sort out the issue with his wife. To their surprise, he stated that they saw the wife leaving the house screaming with her clothes soaked in blood. He said while pondering on what could have happened to Thandeka, they discovered that the husband had slit his throat with intent to end his life.

We do not know how he arrived at stabbing himself and his wife while the family was trying to find an amicable solution, he said. It was gathered that the duo was rushed to the Piggs Peak Government Hospital by the areas Indvuna Yenkhundla Maphevu Dlamini, who was serving as Bucopho at the time. It was gathered that Thandeka was stabbed five times before her husband slit his throat. Before she left, it is said that the husband assaulted and strangled her, something which was not reported to the police. Bhekimpi shared that they were used to the couple quarrelling for unknown reasons. As a result, he stated that Thandeka had left for about two months before she returned to her husband last Friday. I was not even aware that Thandeka was back before I heard about her sudden death. We are still shocked as a family, he said.

While at the Mncina homestead, residents were in and out to pass condolences after the news spread. Some residents were from the mountain, where they had gone to search for the husband. It transpired that the residents embarked on the search after they suspected that the husband committed suicide using a poisonous substance in the forest. It also appeared that the residents combed the forests after observing shoe prints leading to the forest.Police from the scene of crime arrived and collected evidence.
Buoyed by 68.65% increase in traded volume and 34.21% increase in traded value, Boursa Kuwaits first-quarter 2024 net profit rose 8.63% to KD4.68 million ($15.22 million).

Meanwhile, the companys operating profit increased 9.81% from KD5.08 million in 2023 to KD5.58 million in 2024.

Additionally, Boursa Kuwaits total operating revenues increased by 9.31% to KD8.37 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to KD7.66 million during the corresponding period in 2023, while earnings per share rose from 21.48 fils to 23.33 fils, an increase of 8.63%.

Resilience and agility

Boursa Kuwaits results show that, despite the escalation of geopolitical conflicts and heightened economic uncertainty, the company was able to navigate the challenges that continued through the first quarter of 2024 with remarkable resilience and agility.

Boursa Kuwait leveraged its strategic risk management policies, robust financial health and strong governance mechanisms to ensure its ability to adapt while maintaining engagements with its various stakeholders to uphold the highest standards of transparency and trust.

Boursa Kuwaits Chairman Hamad Mishari Al-Humaidhi said: Amid the turbulence of the global financial scene, Boursa Kuwait demonstrated remarkable resilience, rebounding in the first quarter of 2024 and increasing its net profit by 8.63% from KD4.31 million in the first quarter of 2023 to KD4.68 million in the corresponding period of 2024.

The results underscore the companys ability to weather challenges as well as speak volumes about its adaptive strategies and steadfast commitment to growth and are a testament to the dedication of our team, the trust of our investors, and the resilience of our market. Boursa Kuwait remains steadfast in its pursuit of excellence, driven by a vision of sustained prosperity for all stakeholders.

The exchange continues to play a key role in the diversification of Kuwaits national economy, acting as a vital cog in Kuwaits national development plan to transform the country into a leading regional financial destination. Thanks to the dedication and focus of my fellow Board members, the Executive Management team, and all the companys hard-working employees, we have demonstrated that Boursa Kuwait is a leading stock exchange in the region and one of the success stories of the Kuwaiti financial scene, Al-Humaidhi added.

Developing Kuwait's capital market

Boursa Kuwait delivered a strong performance this quarter, building on the growth in trading volume, which jumped 68.65% from 8.52 billion shares to 14.36 billion shares. Additionally, traded value increased by 34.21% from KD2.64 billion to KD3.54 billion, while average daily traded value (ADTV) increased by the same percentage from KD43.26 million in 2023 to KD58.06 million, a demonstration of Boursa Kuwait and the capital market apparatuss continuous efforts to develop the Kuwaiti capital market and promote it to investors from all around the world.

Boursa Kuwaits Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi, said: Boursa Kuwait showcased robust performance, cementing its position as a key financial market in the region that continuously adapts to meet the evolving needs of Kuwaiti capital market participants. The exchange is well-positioned to achieve its strategic objectives and further solidify its role as a key regional financial center as it continues to expand its products and services, increase market efficiency and facilitate access to it, as well as improve its transparency, liquidity and the governance of all its participants.

Launch of products

Al-Osaimi added: Boursa Kuwait constantly works with its partners in the Kuwaiti capital market in preparation for the launch of several products and services, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a platform for fixed-income solutions like bonds and sukuk. During the quarter, Boursa Kuwait and the capital market apparatus continued to run stress tests for the launch of the central clearing counterparty (CCP) system to ensure the preparedness of financial brokerage firms to meet settlement requirements with the Central Bank of Kuwait and local banks, making sure that the market adheres to the highest, best-in-class standards and practices.

Al-Osaimi also stressed that the company continues to promote the capital market and its standout listed companies through its series of Roadshows and Corporate Days as well as visits to various entities encouraging them to list, all in an effort to reinforce our reputation as a leading stock exchange in the region and a force to be reckoned with in the Middle East.--TradeArabia News Service
Young engineers become tech backbone of world's highest bridge

Xinhua) 22:41, May 06, 2024

GUIYANG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Wang Songyu climbs onto the catwalk at least once a day to check on the supporting conditions of cables -- an important procedure for building a suspension bridge.

He used to walk on the catwalk timidly and cautiously, but now he has adapted to the height of about two Eiffel Towers, being able to make big strides.

With a design height of 625 meters between the bridge deck and the Beipanjiang River below, the 2,890-meter-long Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province will be the highest in the world when it is completed in 2025.

Wang, 31, works as a deputy project manager from the Guizhou Bridge Construction Group, which currently undertakes the construction of the upper structure of the steel girder suspension bridge.

Since the project started in 2022, numerous engineers and workers have joined in the construction in the hinterland, including young faces like Wang.

It was the first time for Wang to take part in the construction of a steel girder suspension bridge, and this was also his first attempt to shift from a technician to a manager.

To complete this task, he studied the techniques in advance, visited the same type of bridges across the province to learn their experience, and visited the construction site frequently to ensure the safety and quality. His sun-tanned skin made him look older than his age.

Despite the harsh working conditions, Wang was full of passion and insisted on loving what he was doing.

He said the projects he had been engaged in were always in remote mountainous areas with poor infrastructure. He was touched by the enthusiasm and honesty of local people, who prepared tea, led his way in the bushes, and invited him to their homes for meals.

"It's my great honor to build roads and bridges for the benefit of people," said Wang, adding that he had a strong sense of fulfillment when the roads or bridges opened to the traffic.

After the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is put into operation, the time it takes to cross the canyon will be reduced from approximately 70 minutes to just about a minute by car.

According to Liu Hao, the project's chief engineer, of the 45 engineers from the Guizhou Bridge Construction Group, 32 are under the age of 35.

"Filled with curiosity and passion, young people tend to embrace new things more easily without being affected by experiences. They also have a strong capability to learn," said Liu.

Ouyang Song, 29, returned to work in his hometown of Guizhou after graduating from Shanghai's Tongji University at the age of 22 and now heads the engineering section of the project.

He said that most of his team members were born after 1990. They cooperate very well and discuss and solve problems together.

With 92.5 percent of its land covered by mountains and hills, Guizhou has built nearly 30,000 bridges since the late 1970s and is now home to nearly half of the world's 100 tallest bridges.

In January 2024, a team of engineers who built bridges in Guizhou was awarded the National Engineer Award for their outstanding contributions to engineering technology.

"Guizhou boasts lots of bridges, which have brought me opportunities and challenges," said Ouyang.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Zhong Wenxing)
Afghan police arrest 34 criminal suspects

Kabul, May 6 (UNI) Afghan police have apprehended 34 criminal suspects, including three kidnappers, over the past 24 hours throughout the country, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said Monday.

The alleged criminals were arrested following operations conducted by counter-narcotics police in the provinces of Herat, Ghazni, Samangan, Nangarhar, Takhar, and Ghor, the ministry said.

Most of the detainees were involved in murder and theft cases, a source said, adding that the suspects were taken to concerned departments for investigation and possible legal proceedings.
Driver dies after vehicle crashes into White House gate

Washington, May 5 (UNI) A vehicle traveling at high speed collided with a gate at the White House on Saturday night, leaving the driver dead, the U.S. Secret Service.

"Shortly before 10:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on May 4th," the vehicle crashed into "an outer perimeter gate on the White House complex," the federal law enforcement agency said Sunday in a statement published on X, formerly Twitter.

"Security protocols were implemented as officers cleared the vehicle," it said, adding that "there was no threat to the White House."
Lao president to visit Russia

Vientiane, May 6 (UNI) Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith will, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, lead a high-level delegation to pay a working visit to Russia from May 7 to 11.

According to a press release issued by Laos' Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, the visit aims to enhance friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries and mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Amity between Laos and Russia.

During his visit, the Lao president will also attend a commemoration ceremony to mark the 79th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War from 1941 to 1945.
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Gaza, May 6 (UNI) The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 34,683, said the Hamas-run health authorities in a press statement on Sunday.

It added that the Israeli army killed 29 people and wounded 110 during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,683 and injuries to 78,018 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October.

The statement noted that some victims remained under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defense and ambulance crews.

Israel has been launching 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.

UNI/XINHUA ARN
Panama City, May 6 (UNI) Panama's Electoral Tribunal late Sunday declared Jose Raul Mulino, the candidate of the opposition alliance comprised of the Realizing Goals party and Alianza movement, as the winner of the presidential elections after a preliminary count of more than 85 percent of voting stations.

Mulino entered the race as the running mate of former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) but became a candidate in his own right after Martinelli was disqualified from running in March due to a conviction related to money laundering.

On Sunday, the head of the Electoral Tribunal Alfredo Junca confirmed via a video call to Mulino that he was the preliminary winner of the presidential race in the 2024 general elections.

UNI/XINHUA ARN
Rajahmundry, May 6 (UNI) Alleging that the Jagan Mohan Reddy-headed Andhra Pradesh government has plunged into corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out that the YSR Congress has the opportunity for a full five years but they wasted these five years and pushed Andhra Pradesh behind in development.

Addressing an election meeting at Vemagiri village near here on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: A new chapter in the development journey of Andhra Pradesh will begin with your vote. The NDA will certainly set records in the Lok Sabha elections as well as in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. This will be a significant step towards a developed Andhra Pradesh and a developed Bharat.

Taking a dig at Jagan Mohan Reddy's headed government, the Prime Minister said: The YSRCP has come to power promising prohibition but the Andhra Pradesh government itself is involved in dealing with liquor and corruption. A large liquor syndicate is operating here. The Andhra Pradesh government is run by the sand mafia and liquor mafia. He flayed that corruption is at its peak in the YSR Congress government, at the same time, development works are at a standstill

The Prime Minister said that the YSR Congress promised to create three capitals but they could not even deliver one capital. These people were caught up in big loot under the guise of three capitals. But even before that, they have emptied the treasury of the government. They can only manage corruption; financial management is not within the scope of YSR Congress, Modi lambasted.

Stating that the Polavaram project is a lifeline to Andhra Pradesh, the Prime Minister lamented that the Polavaram project works have come to a halt. The Central government has already provided Rs 15,000 crore for the Polavaram project. However, the YSR Congress government does not want it to progress further. Today, the farmers are troubled by the lack of irrigation. Farmers are not even getting a fair rate for paddy. I assure you... After June 4th, the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh will resolve all these problems, Narendra Modi assured.

With hope and optimism, Modi looked ahead to the future of Andhra Pradesh. He maintained that, On May 13th, you have to vote for the future of Andhra Pradesh. This time, Andhra Pradesh has Modi's guarantee, Chandrababu Naidus leadership, and our trust in Pawan Kalyan as well. Our victory will form a double-engine government in Andhra Pradesh.

The Prime Minister vehemently condemned the INDI Alliance, slamming: Mountains of currency notes were recovered from the household help of Private Secretary to Jharkhand Minister, this is the money stolen from the public. This isn't the first time. Before this, from a Congress MP's place, an even bigger mountain of notes was found. There were so many notes that even machines were tired of counting them.

UNI DP BD
by Richard Farr

Beautiful, enchanting Andalucia!  but I probably shouldnt say that. Its one of my favorite places in the world and we got to spend the whole of March traveling there. We even spent a week in a town with fabulous food, glorious beaches and lashings of history that the international tourist trade seems largely to have missed,  .

Like many people before me, I fell in love with Andalucia because of the bull who wouldnt fight. My mother read the story over and over, slowing dramatically when she got to her favorite lines:

Once upon a time in Spain. There was a little bull. And his name. Was.

One day, five men came. In very. Funny. Hats.

And the Banderilleros were afraid of him. And the Picadores were afraid of him. And the Matador was. Scared stiff.

I have heard Munro Leafs The Story of Ferdinand described as the only great work of literature composed in under an hour. That last part is surely an exaggeration; on the other hand great literature seems to me not far off the mark, but perhaps Im biased by knowing that these elegiac, funny, moving and geometrically perfect few dozen words about loving peace and refusing violence were written in 1936 and brought the Falangists out in a rash. (Franco banned the book. Hitler described it as degenerate. Why can you never find a Nobel Prize Committee when you need one?) On the other hand, the words would be far less memorable without the simplicity and wit of Robert Lawsons drawings, with their magical evocation of heat and silence, their gimlet eye for comic detail. Has any book ever had text and drawings in more perfect symbiosis?

Ferdinand is a peaceful bull mistaken for a fierce one. They put him in a wooden cart to take him to Madrid for the bullfights. You can place one of the illustrations exactly: the cart is trundling along what will become the Carretera de los Molinos, past the exact spot that is now Mirador la Hoya del Tajo, a convenient place to park your rental car and take a picture under Rondas Puente Nuevo. The next page is less easy to pinpoint. The story suggests this is part of Ferdinands triumphant arrival in Madrid, but the scene of people celebrating in a steep narrow street is surely taken from Lawsons memories of the pueblos blancos further south  Arcos de la Frontera perhaps, or Olvera or Zahara.

Like Ronda, most of those villages are in or around the Sierra de Grazalema, the rugged limestone mountain range that was probably Ferdinands home. The peaks there are wrapped to the shoulders with forests of alcornoques, the cork oaks in the shade of which he liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers. Hiking one day, on a narrow path between outcrops not far from the village of Grazalema itself, we came face-to-face with one of his descendants, a toro as muscular and alarming as the original. Like Ferdinand, though, this great animal was shy, polite and a born pacifist. When we approached he looked down bashfully and moved away into the shade.

The population here is mainly cattle and sheep. We met a few other hikers, but most were locals and almost none of them were foreign tourists.

Youd absolutely hate it.

*

My wife and I first traveled to southern Spain over thirty years ago. By chance we landed in Seville in the middle of an event that would later become famous, or infamous, the 1992 International Expo marking the 500th anniversary of Columbus arriving in, you know, India. The city was besieged in a way that must have seemed shocking, but what the Sevillanos didnt know was that they would never again be unbesieged. No internet back then, no Booking.com or Vrbo or Airbnb, but the 1992 Expo is widely credited as the turning point at which their city started its transformation from a destination of some significant interest into a poster child of the current Tourist Apocalypse.

Notes from merely the European end of the field: most Venetians have not lived in Venice for decades and now they are charging the twenty million annual day-trippers a 5 entry fee, thus finally admitting that Venice is no longer the name of a city but only of a theme park. In Malaga, a campaign against the spread of short-term rentals has gone viral, the official blue Apartamento Touristico (AT) stickers being altered to read AnTes Una Familia Vivia Aqui (a family used to live here). In Barcelona, the graffiti reads tourists go home.

In Rome they cant keep up with the physical damage, much less the Yahoo-on-a-bender rudeness that has always been tourisms unpleasantly protruding midriff. Also in Rome: they make you buy a ticket online to get into the Galleria Borghese, and the ticket gives you exactly two hours before youre kicked out  which seems reasonable, given the crowds, or anyway it seems reasonable until youre standing in front of Berninis Apollo and Daphne or The Abduction of Prosperina and are knocked so senseless with awe that you want to give them each the full two hours before even glancing at anything else. And again in Rome: I had very much wanted to see the Pieta at last, but it was more or less impossible. Not because of the bulletproof glass, but because the inside of St. Peters was like the mosh pit at a thrash metal concert and the view of Michelangelos infinitely delicate masterpiece  from which Gian Lorenzo B. learned so much  was obscured by a pullulating mass of Insta-bandits, shrieking and grinning and jostling under a forest of selfie sticks.

(Parenthetical remark on inappropriate behavior. When youre trying to learn a language and a culture there is nothing more interesting than the bits that dont quite translate. In Spain I took great delight in being reminded that maleducado doesnt mean lacking in book education so much as rude or uncouth. This strikes me as having interesting philosophical, ethical and pedagogical implications  a line of thought I dont know how to develop without dragging in Aristotle, so Ill close the curtain and move on.)

Notice one more thing about the attractions of a cheap southern Europe stuffed to the gills with interlopers. Across the continent, golden visa programs are being curtailed or canceled. These lifetime welcomes to well-heeled foreigners were an indispensable cash cow during the financial crisis, but a simple truth has at last dawned on the pols: golden visas are just tourism on amphetamines and they have grossly accelerated an already massive rise in economic inequality and social dislocation. Nowhere is the effect worse than in Portugal; while average incomes remain barely half the European average, Lisbon has become one of the most expensive capitals on the continent. Young people who can no longer afford their own city, or country, are fleeing en masse, threatening the economy on which welfare for the elderly  and, ultimately, the stability of democracy  depends.

There, as in Spain and Greece and Italy  and for that matter on Maui, and at the summit of Everest  hordes of foreigners waving credit cards are a very mixed blessing.

But that wasnt going to stop me going to Cordoba.

*

Cordoba was the only major city in the south of Spain Id never visited. There are places where you can scarcely move without stubbing your toe on a World Heritage Site, but in Cordoba theyve taken it one step further by making the entire center of the city a World Heritage Site. At the center of this center stands the Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion, better known as the Mezquita.

By any measure its one of the most astonishing buildings in the world. It began life as a mosque in 785, was repeatedly and enthusiastically expanded under the Umayyads until about 1010, was plundered and left to rot and then turned into a cathedral and then back into a mosque in the 1100s, and then rededicated as a cathedral in 1236. In a series of changes and restorations running from about 1370 into the 1800s part of it was turned into a bigger and much more elaborate cathedral  with, mirabile dictu, the destruction of only parts of the mosque.

The day we arrived a few brightly colored tour buses were hovering on the periphery, like dragonflies orbiting a peach. But my wife discovered that you could get in for free, for an hour, if you dragged yourself out of bed and showed up early enough. So next day we duly did, feeling not a little pleased with ourselves for being able to enjoy the sensation of having, as it were, wiped several decades off the tourist clock. When we were told that it was time to leave, unless you are attending Mass, we immediately discovered a compulsion to attend Mass. It took place at the very center of the labyrinth, with a dozen priests and two dozen congregants. In a chapel created in 1748. Among choir stalls more ornately carved than the mortal mind can grasp. Under a roof from 1607 that may have been built by God himself.

This was the shoulder season, a week before Easter. In the narrow streets, over the course of the next few days, you could sense the crowd pressure increasing  it was like being in a pot of soup thats beginning to simmer. I felt both glad to be there early in the year and annoyed that the place was already so busy. Why wouldnt these shuffling, gawking masses go home? Why wouldnt they leave the place to sophisticated people like me? Me, who could really appreciate these things because Id read, like, a whole book about Spain.

Travel is to snobbery as horse manure is to roses. Which has to be borne in mind, I think, as we ask what we are going to do about people who insist on renting cheap short-term apartments in foreign cities so that they can indulge their desire to wander around slack-jawed with wonder and delight  some of them even writing about the experience afterwards.

Circa 1750, when young English aristocrats were going south on the Tour in their carriages, with their chaperone-tutors and copies of Virgil, their money must have helped the local economies a bit without their presence doing much damage. Now tourism is a quarter of the entire economy in some of the more delectable cities, and has changed those cities dramatically. Few residents genuinely want all the tourists to go home, but nearly everyone willing to speak on the subject would like to pause, take a long deep breath, and find some way to disinter the affordable, livable cities they half remember.

It may be helpful to think of mass tourism as a version of what economists call the resource curse. Some places are rich in copper, cobalt, or chromium; others are rich in climate, castles, and cuteness. Either way they tend to be invaded and colonized and diminished by beady-eyed self-enrichers with money to spare. Some locals find new ways to do well out of the change. Others  local and not  find ways to do very, very well out of it. The latter especially are tempted to silence the inconvenient voices of the doubters.

Maybe those of us who love to travel should find ways to stand with the doubters. Tourists like to whine that they are being charged more than the locals; the obvious response to this is both No, youre probably not and, on the other hand, What a good idea! Perhaps all we need is to expand the Venice strategy and make it universal: visitors to the great tourist destinations start paying a 33% tax on everything, and this is redistributed as a direct cash subsidy to long-term residents.

Also, while were at it, heres another modest proposal. How about a sort of Temporary-Citizen Test: no entry unless you can first (a) answer correctly eight out of ten basic questions about the place you claim to be interested in visiting, (b) sign a declaration that you will avoid a list of potentially offensive behaviors, and (c) demonstrate that youve bothered to learn Hello and Im sorry and Thank you for being so kind and patient  it must be such a pain dealing with all us foreign idiots.

These demands would put some tourists off. Es lo que es.

Ferdinand never wanted to go to the big city and see the sights. All he ever wanted was to sit in the shade, under his favorite cork tree, oliendo las flores tranquilamente.

Some places in Andalucia are still tranquil today. The less tranquil places are full of energy and beauty and life. But I think youd prefer Chicago.

*

You can order The Story of Ferdinand here, and Pura Belpres Spanish translation, El Cuento de Ferdinando, here.
by David J. Lobina

By now I feel like the linguist-in-residence at 3 Quarks Daily; and that would be quite right, as every outlet should have an in-house linguist (a generative linguist, of course), considering how often, and how badly!, language matters are discussed in the popular press. Perhaps I should start a series of posts calling out all the bad examples of the way language is discussed in the media, correcting the mistakes as a sort of avenging angel as I go (God knows I would spend most of my time talking about machine learning and large language models, and I have been there already); but nay, in this note I am more interested in bringing attention to one of the most important books in linguistics since its publication in 1965, and certainly the most influential: Noam Chomskys Aspects of the Theory of Syntax.

But why? For ulterior motives, of course (it will come handy in future posts, that is); in this particular post, though, my aim is to highlight the importance of Chomskys monograph to other fields of the study of cognition. Having done this (today), the application of some of the ideas from Aspects, as most linguists call it, will be more than apparent from next month onwards.[i]

In particular, I would like to discuss how the distinction introduced in Aspects between competence and performance plays out in practice, and to that end I shall focus on a particular way to study cognitive matters: one that accounts for a given mental phenomenon at the different levels of analysis that the neuroscientist David Marr and colleagues identified some thirty years ago. If only modern research in AI would follow this framework! [ii]

What follows will include my own editions and additions on such a perspective and I hope the result isnt too tendentious, but at least the discussion should give a comprehensive idea of the sort of interdisciplinary work Aspects spurred  in this specific case, in the psychology of language.[iii]

Four different levels of analysis were introduced by Marr and Poggio (these reduced to three in Marrs book, Vision), usually presented in the following hierarchical order:

the hardware or implementational level the level of mechanisms the level of the algorithm the level of the theory of the computation

According to Marr and Nishihara, the computational level is the most important, as the nature of the computations that underlie a specific cognitive domain depends more upon the computational problems that have to be solved than upon the particular hardware in which their solutions are implemented.

The computational level, to be more precise, outlines and analyses the mapping from one type of information into another, including the properties that derive therefrom. The point of such a level, ultimately, is that in order to study a given cognitive domain, one must understand what such a domain actually does  what problem(s) it solves, what it aims at.

This is a stance Chomskys Aspects introduced to linguistics in the form of the competence and performance dichotomy  a distinction, roughly, between the system of knowledge underlying our language abilities and actual linguistic behaviour  two concepts that can be linked to Marrs levels of analysis. In fact, Marr himself pointed out at the time that Chomskys competence was rather similar to his theory of the computation.[iv]

Let us call the overall collection of mental systems that fully describe language (knowledge base plus language use) as an assemblage that will contain not only what linguists call the language faculty (an assemblage itself of lexical items, or words, a computational system that combines these words into sentences, and the two interfaces it interacts with: the conceptual/intentional and the sensorimotor), but also a parser for language comprehension, the relevant memory capacity involved in language processing, and whatever other relevant systems are (attention, and not least the language production system).The different levels of explanation of Marr, I submit, engage and explain different aspects of an otherwise unified capacity for language  or Language.

The algorithmic level, the second topmost, aims to work out how the mapping function studied at the higher level is in fact effected in real time, a level that is partly determined by, on the one hand, the nature of the problem to be solved, and on the other, by the available mechanisms. Thus, the algorithmic level would not pertain to the study of the language faculty proper, but to the study of language comprehension, with the proviso that whatever systems effect linguistic comprehension will have to access or interact with the faculty of language somehow  after all, the operations of the linguistic processor must be constrained in some principled manner.

Naturally, a parser will be a rather central, if not the absolutely central, element of the algorithmic level, whilst such orbiting components as memory capacity, attentional resources, and processing strategies will properly pertain to the level of mechanisms, the third level of analysis or explanation.

These so-called mechanisms, according to Marr and Poggio, will be strongly determined by hardware (in this case, the brain substrate), as the physical implementation, the last level of explanation, determines the actual nature of memory capability, attentional resources, etc., even if the level of the mechanisms retains its theoretical independence nonetheless  indeed, according to Marr et al, each level is more or less independent of each other.

Such an approach suggests a theoretical progression, the common thread underlying Marrs and Chomskys division of explanatory labour frameworks, in fact; namely, the framework suggests the stance that theories of cognition ought to proceed in an orderly fashion. Indeed, Chomskys whole oeuvre can be seen as an attempt to follow the rather sensible view that it is a prerequisite of cognitive science to understand the nature of a given domain before analysing the behaviour it produces.

In this sense, then, there is a progression to follow in the study of cognition: from an analysis of what Chomsky calls attained states of the mind (say, the language faculty) to an attempt to determine how such states cause behaviour (including how they develop in ontogeny). In a similar vein, Marr emphasises the importance of the computational-level analysis, given that the nature of the algorithm effecting real-time processes is discerned more readily by understanding the nature of the problem being solved than by examining the mechanism (and the hardware) in which it is embodied  so, the other way around completely from how contemporary AI proceeds.

The development of psycholinguistics after Aspects was published is a case in point. The 1960s and 1970s saw a proliferation of studies that attempted to experimentally probe the constructs that generative linguistics had put forward,[v] a research programme that eventually developed into the so-called derivational theory of complexity.[vi] This theory, roughly speaking, posited a close correspondence between processing complexity during language comprehension and the number of linguistic rules employed to derive a soundmeaning pair (say, a sentence); in simpler words, the more rules a sentence necessitates to be generated (as a theory of grammar), the more difficult it should be to process it in real-time comprehension. Experimental evidence quickly dispensed with the attempt to provide such a direct connection between the grammar of a language and the parser of language comprehension and the derivational theory of complexity was eventually abandoned.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the actual point of contact between the theories linguists and psycholinguists construct has proved to be a contentious matter ever since. Still, I believe that the position defended in Jerry Fodor, Thomas Bever, and Merrill Garretts 1974 book, The Psychology of Language (itself a landmark work), is implicit in most studies.

In this now classic publication, the authors argued that language processing involves the construction of the right structural description of the incoming signal, that is to say the right internal (and therefore mental) representation. Consequently, a theory of these mental representations becomes a necessity, a point that gestalt psychologists, the example Fodor et al. discuss, understood well.

Gestalt psychologists realised that what is important to behaviour is not only the proximal stimuli  the actual energy pattern received by the organism  but how the distal stimuli are represented (a distal representation that is obtained from the proximal representation; in the case of vision, the image reflected in the retina); and hence, their attempt to subsume the perceived stimuli under so-called schemata.

These psychologists certainly had a theory of the proximal stimuli  this was provided by the physical sciences  but the principles and properties governing their schemata were of an altogether different nature and they had no viable theoretical account of the requisite mental representations. Fodor et al.s proposal addressed precisely this fault, arguing that the grammar constructed by the linguist constitutes just such a theory, since it specifies the set of structural descriptions the parser must encode and decode during an actual linguistic exchange. The crucial question is how all these factors relate to one another in bringing about the linguistic behaviour we observe in normal daily life.

So how do competence and performance relate, then? This is not a trivial problem, but there is a sense in which the dichotomy should not stress the psycholinguist too much. If Fodor et al. are indeed right that what the linguists theory of grammar provides for psychologists is a description of the structural properties the parser decodes and encodes, then the state of affairs is one according to which the operations involved in performance are constrained by grammatical properties. What needs to be worked out, therefore, is how the requisite properties are actually reflected in processing.

But how does it all fit together? There have been plenty of proposals in the literature, and here I have myself accepted the point that grammatical principles must be operative in parsing somehow. It seems to me that not enough focus is sufficiently paid in the field upon the fact that language processing is, in part, a perceptual phenomenon; the parser, after all, is the result of the connection between the grammar and the perceptual systems that capture the linguistic input they receive.

One of the tasks of the psycholinguist, thus, is to work out how the perceptual systems manipulate linguistic structures  that is, what strategies and operations they effect for this task. The crux of the matter, then, is to figure out what the right balance between grammatical principles and parsing operations is, and some consideration to the quintessential tasks the parser must conduct can be useful in this respect.

Some of these tasks include segmenting the string of sounds one receives from (the usual case of) an interlocutor into units (words, clauses, etc.); assigning syntactic roles to those units (a verbal phrase, etc.; and also subject, object, etc.); establishing relations and dependencies between elements; setting up a correspondence between syntactic and thematic roles (agent, patient, etc.); and interacting with semantic/pragmatic components.

I would like to focus on the segmentation of the input into linguistic units here, as this will highlight the perceptual aspect of linguistic processing even more (and it is the easiest thing to describe too!).

Perception starts when the sensory organs are stimulated by certain physical properties (light, sound, or something else), resulting in a process  transduction  in which the input energy is transformed into neural activity. It is the job of specific mental capacities to then a) recognise that some of the representations the transducers produce fall under their domain, and b) perform inference-like transformations (i.e., computations) upon these representations in order to interpret the input correctly.

Thus, the first task of language processing is to recognise that some external auditory information is linguistic in nature. After all, during the comprehension of language words have to be extracted from a signal that is continuous (there are no spaces between consonants and vowels, or between words), unsegmented, and highly articulated (that is, there is parallel transmission, for typically a signal carries information about different segments, such as phonological units, simultaneously).

Speech perception relies on the phonemic inventory of the language that has been internalised, and as a result suprasegmental information such as the duration, pitch, and amplitude of segments in ones language can be employed to identify external noise as linguistic material, including where word boundaries are, paving the way for, and in combination with, lexical retrieval.

This particular phenomenon constitutes an early stage of the language comprehension process, but I think that a careful analysis of how this stage relates to subsequent steps of linguistic processing, and the theoretical solution needed to account for this particular juncture, can illustrate what the problem of language comprehension overall involves. Work by David Poeppel and colleagues on this issue will help me outline what I have in mind.[vii]

Poeppel et al. adopt an analysis-by-synthesis (AxS) approach, a model for speech perception that was initially proposed by Morris Halle and Ken Stevens (I cite from the latter in this and the next paragraph).[viii] The AxS is based on the observation that in linguistic communication the receiver must recover the intended message from a signal for which they know the coding function  that is, the receiver is capable of generating the signal.

A good strategy for the receiver, then, would be to guess at the argument [that is, the structure of the signal  DJL]and then compare [this guess] with the signal under analysis. In general terms, the model generates patterns internally, and these are matched to the input signal by the employment of a number of rules until the final analysis is achieved through active internal synthesis of comparison signals.

One way to output patterns would be to provide the system with a large repository of structures, but this would not accommodate the open-endedness of language. Rather, an AxS system must be endowed with a generative grammar  the aforementioned coding function. This is not to say that all the possible outputs of the generative grammar would be applied ab initio, as the computations would take a very long time to converge to the right interpretation of the signal, and this is clearly not what happens in language comprehension.

What must be the case instead is that the perceptual systems carry out a preliminary analysis in order to eliminate a large number of comparisons, a step that would then make available just a small subset of possible representations. The subsequent comparisons among the internally generated representations would have to be ordered somehow.

The AxS model can be viewed as encompassing two main stages, the first of which involves the generation of a candidate representation of the input (the preliminary analysis), followed by a comparison of this candidate representation as it is being synthesised. Note that it is only once the initial information has been processed that phrasal segmentation can proceed at all. Note, also, that this model is not one in which linguistic operations are literally employed in speech recognition. Rather, some linguistic information is used to derive specific hypotheses about the input signal, but the strategy in use (viz., the analysis) is perceptual in nature.

Halle and Stevens anticipated that the AxS model could be employed for the study of parsing as well, given that intensive pattern recognition, which is what an AxS model effects, can expose different types of skeletons, be they of words, phrases, or indeed structures of all kinds.

There seems to be much in favour of this general take on things, as it accommodates the fact that language comprehension is partly a perceptual phenomenon with the observation that the representations the parser builds are linguistically structured, and hence generatively constructed. The AxS model captures these desiderata, given that the first component operates on the input using an intrinsically perceptual strategy  indeed, the imposition of a template  which is then analysed by staged applications of a generative grammar that is stored in the second component. Naturally, it is a matter of research to find out what operations exactly participate in this model (including their timing and memory requirements), but much information is by now known about some of these factors.[ix]

I am conceptualising the connection between competence and performance, and in turn that between the grammar and the parser, in terms of mental architecture, continuing with the theme of this post. To wit: the level of competence is composed of a computational operation, lexical items, and two interfaces, a conglomerate we have termed the language faculty, its adult state a particular (mature) grammar, whilst the level of performance brings together, at the very least, the language faculty (the grammar), a parser, a formulator (for language production), memory and attentional capacities, and the perceptual systems.

So, how does this relate to the potentialities of behaviour announced in the title? Come back next month!

[i] A more extensive treatment of Aspects is to be found in MIT Working Papers in Linguistics number 77, released as it was on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Chomskys book (though I think the celebration was a bit of a missed opportunity; the publication is a collection of papers by the usual suspects, and to be frank this sort of cliquiness doesnt always produce the best results).

[ii] Marr, born in Woodford, London (my first hunting grounds, of sorts) passed away at the age of 35 in 1980, and what a loss to cognitive science it was. Some of the influential works he left behind, and the ones I draw from in this post, include the following: David Marr, Artificial Intelligence  A Personal View, Artificial Intelligence 9 (1977): 37-48; David Marr, Vision: A computational investigation into the human representation and processing of visual information (San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1982); David Marr and Tomaso Poggio, From understanding computation to understanding neural circuitry, MIT AI Lab, memo 357 (1976): 1-22; and David Marr and H. Keith Nishihara, Visual information processing: artificial intelligence and the sensorum of sight, Technology Review 81 (1978): 28-49. His 1982 book, in particular, remains highly cited to this day and it was quite important to me in my early career; the subtitle of my 2012 PhD thesis references the subtitle of Marrs Vision book, in fact.

[iii] The influence of Aspects on psychology is the most obvious case for the purposes of this post, but the conceptual underpinnings of the theory received much attention from philosophy as well, yielding numerous debates. I am personally more interested in these debates, but this issue will have to await another post.

[iv] This being the case, it is important to note that Marrs computational level was meant for studying a particular type of system, one that is prima facie rather different in kind from language. Marr was interested in inputoutput systems of perception (early vision, in fact), but the language faculty, qua theory of competence, is not an inputoutput system (or not quite). Indeed, the mapping function underlying Marrs theory of the computation was meant to capture the set of elements that are mapped in the process of constructing an internal three-dimensional representation from the two-dimensional representation reflected in the retina. Chomsky, on the other hand, has always emphasised that what the linguist aims to study is the internal computational procedure that generates structured expressions from stored lexical items. In any case, nothing stops us from adapting Marrs framework to the study of language.

[v] For example, George Miller and Stephen Isard, Some perceptual consequences of linguistic rules, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 2 (1963): 217-228; and George Miller and Stephen Isard Free recall of self-embedded English sentences, Information and Control 7 (1964): 292-303.

[vi] George Miller and Noam Chomsky, Finitary Models of Language Users, in Handbook of Mathematical Psychology, vol. 2, ed. Duncan Luce, Robert Bush, and Eugene Galanter (New York, Ny: Wiley, 1963): 419-491.

[vii] David Poeppel, Willian Idsardi, and Virginie van Wassenhove, Speech perception at the interface of neurobiology and linguistics, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 363 (2008): 1071-1086.

[viii] Morris Halle and Ken Stevens, Analysis by synthesis, Proceedings of Seminar on Speech, Compression and Processing (1959): 1-4; and Morris Halle and Ken Stevens, Speech Recognition: A Model and a Program for Research, IRE Transactions of the PGIT IT 8 (1962): 155-159.

[ix] My own application of an AxS framework can be found in David J. Lobina, Recursion (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2017) and David J. Lobina, Josep Demestre and Jose E. Garcia-Albea, Disentangling perceptual and psycholinguistic factors in syntactic processing: Tone monitoring via ERPs, Behavior Research Methods 50 (2018): 1125-1140, where we focus on a phenomenon that suggests an additive effect of perceptual and linguistic processes upon memory capacity.
Beijing seizes development opportunities of digital economy

People's Daily Online) 10:27, May 06, 2024

While 5G technology is being applied in various industries in China, 6G is also experiencing booming development in the country.

It is expected that China will set standards for 6G technology around 2025, and realize the commercialization of the technology around 2030, said Wang Zhiqin, vice president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Researchers adjust a humanoid robot at the State Key Laboratory of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Systems under the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Beijing has seized on the development opportunities provided by this forward-looking and innovative technology.

The capital is home to many of China's preeminent universities and research institutes in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, said an official of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park.

The official noted that the city boasts multiple national-level research platforms and nearly 100 top scholars in the field, making it a global hub for ICT academics, which provides fertile ground for the development of 6G technology.

According to the official, Beijing has so far laid out plans in areas such as base station equipment, terminal equipment, instruments and meters, and chip equipment, and built a relatively complete mobile communications industry chain. It's expected to be a new front for the future development of the 6G industry.

Beijing will also introduce an action plan for 6G technological innovation and industrial cultivation, and will accelerate the construction of a globally influential source of 6G original innovation and a 6G industrial cluster.

In recent years, Beijing has continuously increased its support for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

In 2023, Beijing introduced specific policies to promote AI technological innovation and industrial development. Focusing on areas including AI, the capital set up four 10 billion yuan-level (1 yuan equals $0.14) new government investment funds this year.

An autonomous sanitation truck works on a road at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in Beijing. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Beijing provides comprehensive support for the development of the AI industry, which includes support in policies, ecosystem for innovation, financing channels, and data openness, forming a favorable innovation ecosystem, said Chen Zhenjiao, a professor at the School of Information Technology and Management of the University of International Business and Economics.

As China's first national pilot zone for new-generation AI innovation and development, Beijing has formed a relatively complete AI industrial chain.

Data shows that in 2023, the core output value of Beijing's AI industry exceeded 250 billion yuan.

Beijing has stepped up efforts to turn itself into an international sci-tech innovation center. The city has built several public computing platforms in the past two years.

In March 2024, a public computing platform that can provide 3,000 petaflops of computing power was put into operation at the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

The second phase of the independent innovation AI computing center of Chinese telecoms giant China Unicom was recently put into service at the Western Beijing AI Valley located in the Mentougou Park of the Zhongguancun Science Park in Mentougou district of Beijing.

Last year, the Western Beijing AI Valley, the city's first market-oriented AI computing center, was launched.

When the second phase starts operating, the computing power of the Western Beijing AI Valley will reach 500 petaflops, and will be able to serve more than 200 small and medium-sized enterprises and institutions.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
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The recent long sentences of more than 3 000 years each imposed on two Zimbabweans, plus 168 years for a third one, for ripping off South African tax authorities of R300 million has ignited debate over prison terms no human being could ever serve.

The trio of Jeremiah Nyasha Musiwacho Dube (59), Mavudzi Maxwell Ndlovu (59), Edward Shoniwa (56) were among a syndicate of nine people who were recently sentenced to very long terms by South Africas Gauteng High Court in Pretoria for tax crimes.

Cheating on taxes has turned out to attract longer effective terms than murdering someone.

They were convicted on 391 counts of money laundering, fraud and forgery, plus a swathe of other offences such as benefiting from unlawful activities, the acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities, contravening the Birth and Death Registration Act, contravening the Identification Act, contravening the Attorneys Act, and contravening the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

The High Court did reset the effective sentences that must be served, through using concurrent sentencing so sentences for multiple charges can be served together and using suspensions but even these effective sentences will keep them in jail until they die, so for two of them they have effectively been given full life terms.

Dube was hit with 3 376 years imprisonment but will still serve 65 years. Ndlovu was sentenced to 3 272 years imprisonment but will also serve 65 years after the court considered mitigating circumstances while Shoniwa got 168 years, but will serve only 15 years in light of the mitigating circumstances.

A fourth Zimbabwean, Christopher Dube (56), absconded just before conviction and the court has issued a warrant of arrest against him.

The sentences ignited debate as some people strongly felt the breathtaking sentences were outrageous while some believed they were just symbolic.

However, it has been accepted in many jurisdictions the world over that incredibly long sentences serve as much to bring justice to the victims as they do justice to the criminal.

Harare lawyer Tamuka Muzondo said the sentences were just symbolic to ensure that they stay in prison for a long period before they are released.

Not really. After they have served about 20 years or so they are eligible for parole, he said. The judge was just trying to pass a message by the sentence but they wont be in for that long.

USA-based social media enthusiast Mr James Mixon said that such a sentence is simply ensuring that the criminal person never gets out of prison.

So, in short, I imagine states that offer parole to offenders with life would be more likely to hand out crazy, absurd thousand year sentences just to make it clear that this person is going nowhere and will die in prison, wrote Mr Mixon on social media.

For the most part though, it is just a symbolic way for the judge to let the public know, especially in high profile heinous cases, that this criminal will be locked up forever without a chance in hell of getting out.

It is unrealistic to expect someone to actually serve more than 100 years, so therefore, simply symbolic.

Speaking from Zhombe, social analyst, Mrs Petronella Sayi said such enormously long prison terms are often figurative and serve to demonstrate the seriousness of the crime committed.

In real-world terms, it recognises that the criminal will unlikely be released again, she said. It also delivers a sense of justice and closure for the victims. However, it is significant to note that the actual span of time served may be determined by factors such as early release and other legal considerations.

Another social analyst Mr Andrew Nhubu said the reason why some criminals get ludicrous terms of imprisonment is to acknowledge the multiple crimes committed by the criminals in question.

He, however, said it was unsound to impose extremely long sentences of that nature when one cannot live that long.

I am baffled at those kinds of sentences, he said. They defy logic. The court ought simply to have sentenced the criminals to life imprisonment.

However, veteran lawyer, Mr Obert Gutu said it would appear that these various crimes were statutory offences that, ordinarily, would have clearly set out sentencing guidelines in terms of the particular crime one would have been convicted of.

Put simply, the sentencing judge or magistrate would refer to the particular form of sentence specifically provided for by the statute in question, he said.

Invariably, statutes clearly state the nature and form of punishment that a person convicted of a particular statutory offence should get. Thus, its not uncommon to then end up having someone sentenced to several years of imprisonment for each and every statutory offence that they would have been convicted of.

Mr Gutu said in most cases, the sentencing court would order that prison sentences should run concurrently.

For example, if a person is convicted of twenty statutory offences each of which carries a prison term of ten years, you would be sentenced to go to prison for a total of two hundred years but then, the court would normally order that all the sentences should run concurrently.

This means that the convicted person will effectively serve a total of ten years in prison instead of two hundred years in prison, said the veteran lawyer.

In most cases long sentences of that magnitude are intended for consecutive terms that involve multiple victims and separate crimes. However, the crucial thing is that it helps to ensure that the accused person is actually going to spend life in prison. Most jurisdictions allow for parole but only after serving a minimum amount of the sentence.

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Yours truly is always careful about publicizing IM Docs sightings from among his patients/his hospitals patients, since there is serious risk of bias in these small samples. However, IM Doc has been reporting for some time of cases of tuberculosis, including drug-resistant and latent tuberculosis among immigrants he has been treating. The levels he has seen does not seem at all good given his patient load.

His pattern was confirmed by an set of cases in a Chicago migrant housing shelter, reported in April, and just now, an outbreak in a California homeless shelter, deemed an emergency apparently due to a fatality.

Note that tuberculosis is typically not easy for healthy people to catch. For them, it requires protracted exposure.the sort you can get in close living situtions. IM Doc did not discuss the situations of his afflicted patients, but I am highly confident his community does not have a migrant shelter, and probably not a former homeless shelter either. So his afflicted patients likely entered the US infected, or perhaps could have picked it up locally via overcrowded housing.

And as the press has kinda-sorta been acknowledging, Americans on average seem less robust, with many getting frequent flus. We have more concrete evidence of general worse health in the UK, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak trying to deter NHS doctors from issuing supposedly over-frequent sick note to allow workers with infections to stay home.

And as well discuss at the end, if we had a functioning public health system, this problem ought to be a fraction of what it is.

From Fox News on April 3: Tuberculosis breaks out at Chicago migrant shelters following measles cases. The subhead does point out that Chicago also had 55 confirmed cases of measles. From the article:

Chicago health officials have announced that a small number of tuberculosis (TB) cases have been reported at some migrant facilities following a recent outbreak of measles among migrants living in the Windy Citys shelters. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said the TB cases were reported in a few different shelters in the city. However, officials did not disclose the exact number of confirmed cases or which shelter locations they originated from, Fox 32 Chicago reports. The agency says its medical teams are ramping up contact tracing to address the health issue. Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs.

Perhaps I am not epidemologically savvy, but the fact that the cases came from multiple migrant centers does not sound at all good. Of course, neither does the reticence to provide case counts.

From a new CNN story, Tuberculosis outbreak declared public health emergency in Long Beach, but overall risk remains low, officials say :

City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis declared a public health emergency Thursday in response to the outbreak, according to a city announcement, and the declaration is expected to be considered for ratification by the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday. In its investigation of the outbreak, the city health department has identified about 170 people who have probably been exposed to tuberculosis. But overall, the risk of TB for people who live, work, study or visit in Long Beach remains very low, the announcement said. Tuberculosis, or TB, was found among several people associated with a single room occupancy hotel in Long Beach, according to the announcement. As of Monday, 14 cases were associated with the outbreak. and nine of them had been hospitalized at some point in their illness. One person has died.

Other accounts pointed out that even though tuberculosis cases are up markedly year to year, they are below the level of 2013. But I wonder how good data capture is among uninsured patients who do not wind up being hospitalized.

The Twitterverse tends to be excitable, but the official account of an outbreak in only one location (presumably containable) does not exactly square with declaring an emergency. The mass (or at least large-ish scale) claimed below, by contrast, does go with that branding:

 LONG BEACH IN STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER TB OUTBREAK A public health emergency has just been called in Long Beach, California, after 1 person was found dead, and 9 were hospitalized from a confirmed outbreak of tuberculosis. Officials are scrambling to prepare mass testing and pic.twitter.com/f0Hd5d48kV  Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 4, 2024

The Twitterverse has also been touting the idea that the rise in tuberculosis cases is due to the increase in immigration under the Biden Administration. But IM Doc was seeing this pattern before the recent rash of coverage.

From IM Doc, February 1. The tuberculosis comment was a business as usual aside in a long e-mail:

We unfortunately had 4 people as patients in the past week test positive for COVID inside the office  so it is obviously coming into the office. I was in close quarters with all these people. I have insisted upon UV lights in the patient rooms ( we also have now multiple TB illegal immigrants coming and going  1 of whom is Multi Drug Resistant  does it help COVID? Who knows? We are no longer looking into anything at the federal level or the university level).

From March 23:

3 more immigrants this week. One with active TB, one with latent TB, one with multi resistant gonorrhea. The ID consultant does not even know how to treat. He is now in hospital on IV drugs costing 20 grand a day. They are not being screened at all at the border. They all 3 were working in restaurants, the two Tb patients as wait staff. What could possibly go wrong? I always thought you could not hire illegals. Guess I am wrong.

From IM Doc on Saturday, in response to the Long Beach outbreak:

This problem is not getting the attention it should. I am now up to 11 illegal immigrants with active NOT latent TB, 3 of them are multi drug resistant. I do not have exact number on hand but I would guess another 10 or so with latent TB. It does not surprise that people are dying from this, there is no treatment at times that will work, they are very stressed because of their plight, and this is totally expected. And they are walking through your WalMarts and Targets. They are in your churches and concerts. If you are standing right next to them and they are coughing and you happen to be on steroids, or immunosuppressed or a cancer patient, etc, well good luck. As a physician, I can assure you, this level of problems is entirely a situation that has arisen during the Biden years only. I know, I worked in an inner city hospital. This degree was just not happening before. They were screened at the border before this current border madness started. THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. THIS IS NOT A SLAM ON IMMIGRANTS. THEY MUST BE SCREENED AND TREATED AT THE BORDER. And like so many other ignored public health lessons, we are going to get to learn this lesson all over again. It is certain that a few TB immigrants got through back then,I saw them too, but nothing even in the universe of the level going on now. This is by all accounts affecting largely the Latino community. Back home, there are many American citizen Latinos that are getting TB. Way out of proportion to previous years. It is thought the main conduit is large Catholic masses where citizens and illegals show up together. I wonder if AOC is going to show up at the funerals of these victims and start screaming and yelling and crying like she did a few years ago.

But the Biden Administration is not willing to do much of anything that would require creating a competent border bureaucracy, as in one able to give IDs to all entering immigrants, give them blood tests, and house them for the few days it would take to get the results back. To be blunt, that sort of housing would have to be an awful lot like incarceration to make sure they did not gain entry to the US until they had gotten a clean enough bill of health and/or had been treated. And if they had tuberculosis or STDs, who would pay for the treatment? Where would they be housed while getting it? How would they be fed? Or would they be turned back as too much trouble? Thats probably not a legal basis for rejecting asylum-seekers, but the wink and nod is that most of these asylum-seekers are economic migrants. But that still would not justify running roughshod over the ones who have a real case.

Of course this problem could be handled if the US wanted to, but that would take bureaucratic competence and a willingness to spend money, neither of which is much in evidence. The other option is to throttle way back on the number of migrants being allowed in, so as to reduce the numbers of infected people who arrive. And as IM Doc says, this is a public health issue, not an immigration issue per se, but it is inevitably going to be debated in that frame, in part because public health has become discredited via its subordination to business interests.
Same company running hospitals where seniors died allegedly took out life insurance policies on patients, cashed them in after their deaths

An elaborate senior scam is coming to light that implicates Apollo Global Management for committing insurance fraud on the backs of deceased elderly folks.

A new lawsuit alleges that Apollo took out illegal life insurance policies on seniors through a complex web of shell trusts, including affiliate Financial Credit Investment, which managed about $20 billion worth of stranger-affiliated policies.

"In short, Apollo has been carrying out a widespread fraudulent human life wagering conspiracy designed to not only hide its involvement, but to create the false appearance that the policies it owns are somehow legitimate," the lawsuit states.

"Worse still, when Apollo senses a claim is going to be brought, it attempts to dissolve its shell entities to give itself yet another layer of protection."

The elaborate scheme was carefully created as a highly convincing illusion of legitimacy, prompting the estate of someone named Martha Barotz to initiate legal action in Delaware's Chancery Court.

"In this way, the senior citizens have no idea who owns a policy on their life, and who wants them dead," the suit further states.

"Apollo was fraudulently and illegally using these shell entities to perpetuate human life wagers not only on the life of Mrs. Barotz, but on the lives of hundreds (if not thousands) of other senior citizens."

(Related: You know what else is a scam? mRNA COVID "vaccines," which Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg admitted are "basically modify[ing] people's DNA and RNA.")

Apollo needs its insurance licenses revoked in every state

Responding to the suit, Joshua Rosner, a managing partner at Graham Fisher & Co., wrote on X that the revelations about Apollo that have come to light are "mind-bending and horrifying."

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Even as a co-author of These are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs and Wrecks America, which details how rapacious Apollo is this is mind-bending and horrifying! They should be fried. https://t.co/6NxzpaXRSR pic.twitter.com/TPx2GUvnpS  joshua rosner (@JoshRosner) April 30, 2024

Rosner further stated that Apollo should have its insurance licenses pulled immediately in every state by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

"They predate retirees and pensioners through pension risk transfers and now we find they take out life insurance policies against seniors. @AARP," he added in a tweet on X, tagging AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons.

"With Apollo managing hospitals, nursing & hospice facilities & also the retirement accounts of seniors, are they essentially taking a straddle position on seniors by buying life insurance policies on them?"

Someone on X wrote pointedly about Apollo's connections to Alfred Villalobos and disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, asking if the group took out life insurance policies on these two as well.

"If true, this is SO illegal," added someone at Zero Hedge about these heinous revelations.

"If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: it's past time to renew public hangings," wrote another. "Every Saturday in the town square at high noon."

"Yeah, somebody needs to do hard time for this," responded another. "This is not an 'oopsies, we'll pay a fine and promise not to do it again' kind of thing."

Another linked the following video that also mentions Apollo:

Another told the following creative story to illustrate the type of evil that rules over us all:

"Imagine that you manage a heard of sheep. You want to milk the sheep and sell the milk. You want to make cheese from the milk and sell the cheese. You want to fleece them and sell the warm sheep wool. You may slaughter some to sell mutton, or even lamb. And you insure them in case they get sick or die. And sometimes, you may find that it is easier to let them die and get the insurance than lose money caring for sheep that have aged or are sick. This is normal behavior for managing a herd of sheep. Now imagine that you have no more emotional attachment to humanity than you do to a sheep. You can now understand the thinking of your overlords!"

More related news can be found at Corruption.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
Canada introduces horrifying retroactive hate speech law that punishes past speech and imprisons people deemed likely to commit a hate crime

Canada is veering dangerously close to the type of complete control over peoples thoughts and speech seen in places like North Korea with a new bill that aims to censor people on the pretense of protecting others from hate speech  and thats not even the most daunting part of it. Whats even more horrifying is the fact that it is retroactive , which means that the things that people have said in the past can now be weaponized against them.

The bill, known as the Online Harms Bill C-63, aims to combat online abuse, but it hides its most concerning components behind more reasonable measures, such as requiring social media platforms to take down posts that sexualize children within 24 hours.

It contains seven categories of content deemed harmful that providers must remove from their websites, including bullying children and encouraging people to harm themselves. It will also ban deep fakes. However, it is the hate speech aspects of it that are causing the most concern.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that his party is opposed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus woke authoritarian agenda that will likely be used for censoring political speech.

He said: "What does Justin Trudeau mean when he says the words 'hate speech'? He means the speech he hates. You can assume he will ban all of that."

Historian Dr. Muriel Blaive explained why the bill is so scary: The Canadian law proposal is outright mad. It is retroactive, which goes against all our Western legal tradition, according to which you can be punished only if you infringed a law that was valid at the time when you committed a crime.

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.

It actually gets even worse; there is a clause in the bill stating that if courts think you are likely to commit a hate crime or disseminate hate propaganda  which is not defined by the bill and therefore could easily be used to target those who go against government narratives  they can place you under house arrest and restrict your communications.

Thats right: they can restrict your movement and arrest you if they even think you might post something they wont like.

Canadian MP sheds light on the bill's most controversial points

One Canadian shared on X that his wife wrote to every MP in the country about the bill. The sole MP to respond was Rachel Thomas of Lethbridge, who provided valuable insight into this upsetting matter.

She made no attempt to hide her disdain for the bill, noting: While the federal government has touted this bill as an initiative to protect children, it does little to accomplish this noble cause, and a great deal to inhibit freedom of speech.

She also pointed out that the bill creates a new hate crime offense that renders any offense under the criminal code indictable and punishable by life in prison if it is deemed to be motivated by hatred. It also raises the punishment for advocating genocide from five years to life imprisonment and increases the punishment for willful promotion of antisemitism or hatred and public incitement of hatred from up to two years to as long as five years.

It also gives citizens the power to file complaints anonymously with the Canadian Human Rights Commission against people they believe are posting hate speech; such individuals could face takedown orders and fines of as much as $70,000 if they are found guilty. Those who file the complaints will have their identities shielded.

She vowed to bring forward changes to the Criminal Code that will actually protect children without infringing on free speech.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

BBC.com
Rep. Gaetz calls for investigation into allegations that federal agencies purposely hid information from Trump

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has called for an investigation into allegations that federal government agencies withheld intelligence from former President Donald Trump while he was in office.

The allegations stem from an investigation by the investigative journalism outfit the O'Keefe Media Group in which a Deloitte contractor working as a cyber operations project manager with the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency revealed that there was a coordinated effort between intelligence agencies to withhold certain information from Trump during his first term. (Related: CIA allegedly operating online Ukrainian anti-Trump "troll farms" to influence 2024 election.)

The full published investigation included recordings of various meetings between an undercover reporter and the government contractor, Amjad Fseisi, admitting that the intelligence agencies were concerned that if they provided the former president with certain intelligence that Trump would "disclose it."

In one published video, Fseisi admitted that the intelligence agencies "all got together and said, 'We're not gonna tell Trump.'" He then claimed that the effort to withhold information from a sitting president was orchestrated by the leaders of various intelligence agencies, including former Trump administration CIA directors Mike Pompeo and Gina Haspel.

"There are certain people that would  give him a high-level overview but never give him any details," said Fseisi. "You know why? Because he'll leak those details He's a Russian asset. He's owned by the f*****g Russians."

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.

When later confronted by the statements he made, Fseisi denied them despite being recorded on camera. He confirmed that he was currently working as a project manager for Deloitte, and a CIA spokesperson later confirmed that Fseisi had previously worked for the agency as an independent contractor. This same spokesman also denied the allegations Fseisi made as "absolutely false and ridiculous."

"CIA is a resolutely apolitical institution that provides intelligence support to policymakers, including the President of the United States, irrespective of who occupies the office," said the spokesman. "We are a foreign intelligence-focused agency and do not monitor the former president. The individual making these allegations is a former contractor who does not represent CIA."

Intelligence agencies could still be spying on Trump

In a letter to House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), Gaetz called on the subcommittee to open an investigation and warned that the investigation may be necessary to figure out if American intelligence agencies are still spying on Trump.

"Given that the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government has broad jurisdiction to investigate the role of executive branch agencies in investigating American citizens, any unconstitutional, illegal or unethical activities committed by said agencies, as well as any other related violations of the civil liberties of the citizens of the United States, I am formally requesting that the Weaponization Subcommittee open a formal investigation into the concerning actions allegedly perpetrated by the intelligence community against President Trump," wrote Gaetz.

BREAKING: Im formally calling on the @Weaponization Subcommittee to immediately launch an investigation into @OKeefeMedia Groups bombshell report containing video evidence that American intelligence agencies withheld intelligence from President Donald Trump before & during his https://t.co/2vUZPkBsQ2 pic.twitter.com/lMG0ZdQXvJ  Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 1, 2024

Learn the latest news involving former President Donald Trump at Trump.news.

Watch this clip from InfoWars reporting on Gaetz's call for a congressional investigation into the intentional withholding of information from Trump while he was president.

This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Just in: Explosive allegations that the CIA is operating Ukrainian online anti-Trump "troll farms" to influence American voters and the 2024 election.

Republican lawmaker warns about former Biden attorney running DOJ prosecution of Trump.

After years of corporate media claiming the Deep State doesn't exist, NYT article now praises it and condemns Trump for speaking against it.

CIA secretly targeted 26 Trump associates in 2016, including Alex Jones.

Trump promising to GUT "intelligence" agencies infested with TRAITORS.

Sources include:

ThePostMillennial.com

AmericanMilitaryNews.com

Brighteon.com
Rep. Thomas Massie slams colleagues for pushing federally sanctioned antisemitism monitors at universities

Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie slammed his colleagues in Congress, Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), for introducing hate speech laws to outlaw criticism of Israel

"Some of my colleagues are introducing legislation to create federally sanctioned 'antisemitism monitors' at colleges," Massie posted on X, formally known as Twitter. "I'll vote No." According to him, policing speech, religion and assembly is not the role of the federal government. "In fact, it's expressly prohibited by the U.S. Constitution," he added.

"There's a bipartisan effort in Congress to equate criticism of the secular state of Israel to violence toward Jewish people in America," the congressman said in a follow-up tweet. "The latter is illegal and the former is protected speech, but if a false equivalency is established, it will be forbidden to criticize Israel."

Some of my colleagues are introducing legislation to create federally sanctioned "antisemitism monitors" at colleges. Ill vote No. Policing speech, religion, and assembly is not the role of the federal government. In fact its expressly prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. pic.twitter.com/cv4BFzyigg  Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 27, 2024

Lawler and Torres authored a bill to monitor antisemitism on college campuses on Friday. The College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability Act, or COLUMBIA Act, would allow the Department of Education (DoED) to hire a "third-party antisemitism monitor" for any college or university that receives federal funding, according to a press release. If a university does not comply, it may lose federal funding. The monitor would release a quarterly report, "evaluating in detail the progress that a college or university has made toward combating antisemitism on campus and issuing policy recommendations."

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 lawmakers crafted the said proposal as a "response to the ongoing demonstrations at Columbia University that have created an environment that many Jewish students view as hostile to their well-being and safety," according to the press release. "My office and I have spoken with countless Jewish students from campuses across America who feel deeply unsafe, purely as a result of their religious and ethnic identity," Torres said in the announcement. "This is a blatant violation of Title VI and the federal government cannot allow this to continue unchecked."

The college or university placed under DoEDs "censorship" would be responsible for covering any expenses from the monitors oversight and would lose federal funding for not complying with the COLUMBIA Act's requirements. "This past week's crisis at Columbia is not an isolated incident. It is the straw that has broken the camels back and I am prepared to do something about it," Torres said in another statement. "Jewish students have told my office that they feel completely abandoned by their university administrators and they view Congress as the only avenue for accountability and safety. Let's honor our word to them and get this done." (Related: Former free speech proponent Sen. Hawley is now calling for the national guard to suppress anti-Israel protests.)

Democrats demand Columbia U trustees "act" against anti-Israel protests, otherwise, resign

A group of 21 House Democrats, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Dan Goldman of New York, warned the university's board in a letter that it must act decisively to stop the ongoing anti-Israel demonstrations one day before protesters shattered the windows of a campus building and barricaded themselves inside. The representatives said they were disappointed that the university has yet to disband the "unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus." The letter indicated that the demonstration on campus has prevented students from safely attending class and leaving their dorms, which the House Democrats stated is an "apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act."

According to them, the encampment is serving as a "breeding ground for antisemitic attacks against Jewish students."

"The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and assembly, but not freedom to harass and intimidate other students. Academic institutions must ensure the safety and security of all of their students under Title VI," the letter included. "It is clear to us that the University has allowed the encampment to create an environment that appears to violate its legal obligations to protect all students from discrimination and harassment," the House Democrats continued. "As a result, many students who are paying for an education  supported by the federal government  cannot safely attend class, enter the library, or leave their dorm rooms."

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik disclosed in a Monday statement that the school would not divest from Israel but was in the process of negotiating with the protest organizers to reach a solution. The educational institution set a deadline of 2:00 p.m. on Monday for students to leave the encampment or face suspension.

"Those who violate the law cannot dictate the terms of the University's ability to comply with that law. It is past time for the University to act decisively, disband the encampment, and ensure the safety and security of all of its students," the letter stated, adding that trustees who are unwilling to act should resign.

Follow Censorship.news to read more stories related to the suppression of freedom of speech.

Sources for this article include:

InformationLiberation.com

ColumbiaSpectator.com

ChristianPost.com

DocumentCloud.org
New U.S. anti-Russia sanctions target Chinese entities that sell dual-use products to Moscow

The Department of the Treasury has unveiled a list of sanctions against nearly 300 entities, targeting these groups and individuals believed to be aiding Russia to circumvent existing sanctions related to the special military operation in Ukraine, with a focus on products originating from China

According to a press release from the Treasury Department, these sanctions target a wide range of actors who have facilitated Russia's acquisition of crucial technology and equipment from abroad.

Notably, the focus is on so-called dual-use items originating from China, with 20 companies based in China and Hong Kong named in the sanctions list. Additionally, companies in Turkey, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates are among those targeted. (Related: U.S., other countries impose sanctions on over 500 Russian economic targets to mark the second anniversary of war in Ukraine.)

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen emphasized the significant consequences for companies providing support to Russia's war efforts, stating that these sanctions underscore the U.S. commitment to imposing penalties on such entities.

The newly imposed sanctions represent an unprecedented effort to undermine Russia's military-industrial complex, as well as its biological and chemical weapons programs.

For instance, companies involved in producing precursor materials for Russia's explosives manufacturing are specifically identified.

The announcement of new sanctions comes around a week after Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China where he raised concerns regarding Beijing's support for Russia's actions in Ukraine.

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.

Blinken pointed out that Russia's military capabilities would be severely impacted without China's assistance, particularly highlighting China's role as a top supplier of dual-use technologies to Russia's defense sector. He also emphasized the long-term threat posed by China's support to Russia's defense industry, a concern shared by many European nations.

Additional sanctions against China could be imposed if the flow of dual-use goods and technologies to Russia continues. These goods include items such as semiconductors, machine tools, chemical precursors, ball bearings, and optical systems.

Sanctions aim to target Russian military-industrial complex

Among the Chinese entities targeted are a Chengdu-based firm accused of exporting drone components to Russia and a Hong Kong-based company accused of supplying parts used in Russian missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.

In addition to addressing Russia's activities in Ukraine, the sanctions also focus on individuals associated with the death of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, as well as non-Russian entities based in other nations.

These measures follow President Joe Biden's recent signing of legislation providing a massive $61 billion military aid package to Kyiv.

Yellen emphasized that the sanctions aim to disrupt and undermine Russia's war efforts, particularly by targeting its military-industrial complex and associated evasion networks. Yellen added that these actions complement broader US efforts to support Ukraine's defense.

Both the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington, D.C. have yet to respond to requests for comment on the sanctions.

Furthermore, the Department of State has accused Russia of violating the Chemical Weapons Convention by using the choking agent chloropicrin and "riot control agents."

Chloropicrin, known for its use in warfare and as a pesticide, can cause severe inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as significant respiratory tract injuries.

According to the State Department, such chemical use by Russian forces is indicative of their intent to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and gain tactical advantages on the battlefield.

Watch this video of Alex Christoforou discussing earlier threats by Janet Yellen to sanction China over its alleged support of Russia's ongoing campaign in Ukraine.

This video is from the Oldyoti's Home Page channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Western sanctions on Russia seriously underestimated Moscows economic strength.

Putin successfully using GOLD to defeat international sanctions on Russia.

Despite Western sanctions, Russias economy not only survived in 2023  IT GREW.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

AlJazeera.com

Brighteon.com
Report finds sales of plant-based alternatives to real food DECLINED in 2023

According to a new report, U.S. sales of plant-based alternatives to real food have declined in 2023

The non-profit Good Food Institute (GFI) highlighted this finding in its 2023 State of the Industry Report. The institute "works alongside scientists, businesses and policymakers to make alternative proteins as delicious, affordable and accessible as conventional meat." But based on its report, the GFI is seemingly failing to achieve its stated goal.

It found that six in 10 American families bought at least one plant-based alternative product in 2023. Eighty-one percent of that cohort were repeat customers, proving that those who bought plant-based substitutes in previous years continued to do so.

Despite this, plant-based meat companies failed to entice new customers. "Household penetration" rates fell across the sector, indicating that new customers are less interested in trying plant-based proteins. Plant-based meat, for example, was only able to penetrate 14 percent of households in 2023  five points lower than the 19 percent of households penetrated in 2022.

According to GFI, unit sales were down nine percent in 2023. Meanwhile, dollar sales fell by two percent in the same year. This ultimately translated to a loss of value for the American plant-based food market, dropping from $8.2 billion in 2022 to $8.1 billion in 2023.

"Plant-based meat sales declined more sharply than plant-based food sales overall, and surveys of lapsed customers showed that plant-based meat products are largely not meeting consumer expectations  particularly regarding taste, texture and price," wrote the report's editors Caroline Bushnell, Liz Specht and Jessica Almy.

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.

"While plant-based creamers, protein powders, liquids, baked goods, desserts and milk saw slight increases in sales, the consumption of faux meat and seafood went down for the second year in a row."

According to the three editors, the decline of plant-based food sales could be attributed, at least in part, to "funding constraints, scaling complexities and a rise in mis- and disinformation." They nevertheless cited data claiming that American consumers would be "more willing to eat plant-based meat if it tasted better, became more affordable, and overall provided a clear value."

Fake meat market continues its decline

Despite the GFI report's claim that more Americans are willing to eat plant-based food, the non-profit appears to be engaged in wishful thinking. People are voting with their wallets when it comes to fake meat, ignoring such products in groceries.

According to the Wall Street Journal, major companies in the fake meat sector such as Beyond Meat have seen a rapid decline in value since the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Shares of the Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat once sold at $186.83 per share in 2021. But as of April 29, 2024, its stock was only trading at $6.72. (Related: Fake meat firms collapsing due to lower sales, anti-woke backlash.)

This sentiment against fake meat has been going on for some time  and for good reasons. According to Herculean Strength, "the supposedly healthier plant-based alternatives  [fail] to provide even a fraction of the nutritional value of [real] meat." Worse, the fake versions "are loaded with phytoestrogens and metabolically toxic vegetable oils."

"Much of the anti-meat agenda isn't presenting its case in good faith. Correspondingly, meat alternatives such as soy, 3D printed steaks and bugs are furiously promoted to serve a greater agenda."

Back in May 2021, the non-profit No Meat May polled 1,000 Australians about their attitudes toward meat. It found that 73 percent of male respondents  almost three-fourths  would rather shave off 10 years from their lives than give up meat.

Meanwhile, another study from the same period found that consumers were not switching to plant-based alternatives without massive social pressure. Herculean Strength noted that the powers that be are building up this pressure on fake meat skeptics, remarking that "the media has barraged readers with guilt-tripping articles on why meat should be eliminated."

Check out FakeMeat.news for more stories about plant-based meats and other products being pushed to replace real food.

Watch Jefferey Jaxen and Del Bigtree discussing the free fall of the fake meat industry as more and more Americans refuse to patronize it.

This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Nobody wants to eat fake Beyond Meat burgers, McDonald's discovers.

Bill Gates-backed fake meat companies on the verge of financial collapse.

A massive backlash is building against fake meat products like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.

Fake meat companies are failing as consumers abandon processed plant-based alternatives to real meat.

Consumers REJECT Beyond Meat fake processed imitation meat products; company massively downsizing.

Sources include:

ThePostMillennial.com

GFI.org [PDF]

HerculeanStrength.com

Brighteon.com
Foreign agent: Judas House Speaker Johnson received more than half a million dollars from pro-Israel PAC, FEC report reveals

An X account with the handle AIPAC Tracker recently disclosed that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has already received more than $524,000 from AIPAC and the Israel lobby, as per a report run by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), an independent government agency whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections.

"The Speaker of the House is working for a foreign entity. #RejectAIPAC," it posted on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. AIPAC Tracker monitors the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Israel lobby and their anti-democratic influence.

The revelation came on the heels of previous allegations against Johnson. He was found to have accepted large donations from a pro-Israeli lobby to push in Congress for the approval of a hefty $14 billion aid package for Israel.

Enraged by the alleged blatant corruptive ways of the House speaker, X users replied to the thread calling Johnson a "foreign agent" or "Judas," referring to one of Jesus' 12 apostles who was notorious for betraying the Lord by disclosing His whereabouts for 30 pieces of silver.

We ran an FEC report on Speaker Mike Johnson and found he has now received >$524,000 from AIPAC and the Israel lobby.

The Speaker of the House is working for a foreign entity. #RejectAIPAC pic.twitter.com/OgbsOCotwk  AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) April 25, 2024

AIPAC was reported to have donated around $95,000 to the speaker following his efforts to pass the $14 billion aid package for Israel in November, according to a separate analysis of the FEC. Johnson, a hitherto unknown backbencher and acknowledged Christian nationalist, was appointed as the speaker after a far-right faction of Republican lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, claiming he had been too soft on U.S. President Joe Biden over the U.S. fiscal budget, as well as other issues disputed between the Republican and Democratic parties' Congressional lawmakers. (Related: House Speaker Johnson to introduce 4 separate bills for foreign aid, sending nearly $90 billion to Ukraine and 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.

A previous report also indicated that AIPAC's political action committee (PAC) also gave a total of $104,000 to Johnson last year, with the majority of payments coming since the start of the Gaza war and after Johnson was elected speaker of the house in late October. That's more than four times the roughly $25,000 the group donated to his last congressional campaign, when it was also his top donor, as the Intercept reported.

AIPAC is known as a major powerbroker on Capitol Hill, where it gives money to lawmakers from both major political parties to preserve or enhance pro-Israel policies, the news outlet further reported. In recent years, the group has become a more partisan actor, training its sights on Democratic critics of Israel. It has recruited primary challengers to progressive members of Congress and launched a super PAC, the United Democracy Project, through which it has spent millions of dollars to help defeat Democratic candidates who express concern or support for the people of Palestine in any way. Analysts believe the fact that AIPAC feels the need to donate large sums to Johnson to push pro-Israeli policies is a significant shift.

Johnson threatens intervention should anti-Israel campus protests continue

Now, loyally playing the "defender's role" for the state of Israel, Johnson claimed that the rebel group Hamas supports the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protests at colleges and universities across America. He also threatened congressional intervention, including pulling federal funding from the institutions, if the protests continue. "The things that have happened at the hands of Hamas are horrific and yet these protestors are out there waving flags for the very people who committed those crimes. This is not who we are in America," Johnson said in a post on X on Thursday morning. ABC News has not documented any cases of protesters waving Hamas flags, as Johnson suggested.

Citing a statement that Hamas issued Wednesday, Johnson said Hamas "backed" the protests at Columbia specifically, which began April 17. Johnson added in a separate post on X that "taxpayer dollars should not be going to institutions that allow this chaos."

The speaker's comments came a day after he visited Columbia University, where he met with Jewish students and joined his New York House Republican colleagues in calling for the school's president, Minouche Shafik, to resign if she can't bring order to the protests. In a speech, during which boos and shouts from protesters often overpowered the speaker's words, Johnson considered the need to send the National Guard to intervene. Student protests at Columbia and other schools have primarily denounced Israeli military action in Gaza and expressed support for Palestinian civilians, rather than expressing support for Hamas. School administrators and officials have said the protests on their campuses have been largely peaceful.

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesperson Izzat Al-Risheq blamed Biden for "violating the individual rights and the right to expression through arresting university students and faculty members for their rejection of the genocide to which our Palestinian people are being subjected in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the neo-Nazi Zionists in the statement issued by the Iran-backed political and military movement. "Today's students are the leaders of the future, and their suppression today means an expensive electoral bill that the Biden administration will pay sooner or later," Al-Risheq noted.

In response to Hamas' statement, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said that "Hamas perpetrated the deadliest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, which makes them the least credible voice that exists on this subject." "Hamas' disapproval, after their acts of 'unadulterated evil,' which they've pledged to repeat 'again and again,' is a testament to Biden's moral clarity. Biden has stood against Antisemitism his entire life. And he will never stop," Bates said.

Check out Corruption.news for stories similar to this.

Sources for this article include:.

PressTV.ir

TheIntercept.com

ABCNews.go.com
The looming electrical power shortage

People in developed nations take abundant electricity for granted. When asked where electricity comes from, most will point to their wall outlet. But many states in the U.S. are headed for a serious and prolonged shortage of electrical power not seen in decades, driven by rising demand from the artificial intelligence revolution and mandates to adopt green energy.

(Article by Steve Goreham republished from WashingtonExaminer.com)

For 20 years, U.S. electrical power policy has been dominated by efforts to try to mitigate global warming, believed to be caused by human greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, President Joe Biden called for achieving a 100% carbon-free electric sector by 2035. Twenty-three states have enacted statutes or issued executive orders to achieve net-zero electricity generation by 2050.

Because of net-zero mandates, grid operators spent the last two decades replacing coal-fired power plants with natural gas plants, wind turbines, and solar installations. More than 200 coal plants have been closed, reducing electricity output from coal by almost 60% since 2007. From 2000 to 2023, wind and solar output rose from near zero to a combined 14.1% of production. Over the same period, natural gas rose from 16.2% to 43.1% of power generation.

But grid operators in many states now face an unprecedented ramp in electricity demand.

The forced transition to green energy drives three new sources of power demand. First, 22 states have zero-emissions vehicle mandates, which intend to ban the sale of gasoline cars by 2035. This March, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized regulations to force about 40% of new light vehicles sold by 2030 to be electric. To the extent that electric vehicles are adopted, the grid will need to deliver large amounts of additional power.

Second, cities and counties in seven states have banned gas appliances in new housing, such as New York City. In 2022, ISO New England concluded that a shift from gas appliances to electric appliances in New England would require more new electricity than a shift to EVs.

Third, the U.S. federal government proposes to establish a new green hydrogen fuel industry. Seven billion dollars has been earmarked for regional hydrogen hubs to try to stimulate hydrogen production. Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water and uses large amounts of electricity. To produce a single kilogram of hydrogen from electrolysis requires 50 to 55 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is about double the daily electricity used by a typical U.S. home.

But the electricity needed for the new artificial intelligence revolution will be greater than that needed for EVs, electric appliances, and green hydrogen combined. Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and dozens of other firms are building massive new multi-acre data centers. In addition to new facilities, servers in the nations 2,700 data centers are being upgraded with new high-performance processing cards, boosting power consumption by six to 10 times. Today, data centers use about 4% of U.S. electricity, but the AI revolution is expected to boost that demand to more than 20% of electricity consumption within the next 10 years.

Rapidly rising power demand from the AI revolution, along with EVs, home appliances, and the proposed hydrogen fuel industry, caught U.S. grid operators unprepared. We are now entering a decade in which electricity demand will exceed what can be supplied by a large margin.

The coming power shortage will produce two big economic impacts. First, electrical utilities will cease the premature shutdown of coal, gas, and nuclear power plants. It will be impossible to construct enough new wind and solar generators to provide electricity to meet the new demand for AI data centers, let alone the needs of electric vehicles, electric appliances, and hydrogen electrolyzer.

The second economic impact will be rapidly rising electricity prices, driven by a growing disparity between power demand and supply. Higher prices will reduce the demand for heat pumps endorsed by the green energy movement, which will remain more expensive than natural gas and propane furnaces in cold regions. EVs will be more expensive to charge and public EV charging facilities will struggle to be profitable. Gasoline cars will hold cost advantages for decades to come. Efforts to establish a green hydrogen fuel industry will remain costly and produce only a tiny market.

The biggest impact will be on efforts to transition to a net-zero electrical grid. The coming power shortage will cripple these efforts. It will be impossible to serve both the AI revolution and pursue a transition to wind and solar systems. The green energy transition will be sacrificed in favor of generating enough electrical power.

Read more at: WashingtonExaminer.com
U.S. government fighting imminent ICC arrest warrant for war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu

The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the United States government is fighting to prevent that from happening

Israeli media outlet Walla reported that Netanyahu himself is personally leading a "non-stop push over the telephone" in a desperate bid to outmaneuver the law because he thinks he's above it. And Netanyahu's closest ally in trying to evade justice is none other than the White House.

According to Maariv, another Israeli media outlet, Netanyahu is "frightened and unusually stressed" about the very real possibility that he will be cuffed, charged and imprisoned for committing crimes against humanity in Gaza. While they may not be issued today or tomorrow, there will come a day, sources close to Maariv said, when Netanyahu will be held to account for his war crimes.

Two other top Israeli leaders who could also end up being served with arrest warrants by the ICC are Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Major-General Herzi Halevi.

(Related: The First Amendment no longer applies if your speech is critical of Israel.)

Netanyahu throws tantrum on X

Netanyahu is reportedly so upset that the criminal justice system is catching up to him that he suffered a meltdown on X in which he tweeted the tired Zionist lie that Israel is merely "defending itself" by committing mass genocide against the Palestinian people.

"Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the Hague-based Criminal Court to undermine its fundamental right to defend itself," Netanyahu tweeted.

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.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told the N12 channel that the ICC's attempts to hold Netanyahu accountable for crimes against humanity is "absolute hypocrisy," adding that he and other Israeli leaders will do whatever it takes to evade the law.

"If necessary, we will not leave the country," Katz snarled to the media.

The Biden regime, meanwhile, is having to come to grips with the fact that what Israel is saying is not what Israel is doing under Netanyahu's leadership, suggesting that international law is being broken by the Netanyahu regime.

An internal memo from the State Department reportedly states that senior U.S. officials have advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they are not finding Israel's assurances that it is using U.S.-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law "credible or reliable," meaning Israel is lying.

Blinken has until May 8 under a National Security Memorandum issued by President Biden back in February to issue a final report about Israel's war claims, declaring them to either be true of false, based on the evidence.

As of March 24, at least seven State Department bureaus have sent in their own contributions as part of an "options memo" being compiled by Blinken. Certain portions of that memo remain classified, but all of the information available to the public provides the clearest picture yet about Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

Concerning the Gaza solidarity protests erupting across America, it is important to remember that all of them center around exposing and stopping Israel's war crimes. They are not about supporting Hamas, but rather aim to stop the Netanyahu regime from slaughtering innocents.

"One thing this conflict demonstrates unequivocally is that if you don't have the ability to defend your land and a NATO or U.S. allied nation dislikes you, then you can be wiped off the face of the Earth to thunderous applause," wrote one commenter about the matter.

"One of the main reasons why the Zionist project will fail is because they lie so much," wrote another. "According to Dr. Norman Finkelstein, who is Jewish and whose both parents were holocaust survivors, the Zionist Settlement in Palestine is based 'on lie, upon lie, upon lie, upon lie.'"

The latest news about Israel can be found at Antichrist.news.

Sources for this article include:

MiddleEastEye.net

NaturalNews.com
Rep. Wenstrup: Fauci to PUBLICLY TESTIFY before House COVID-19 Select Subcommittee in June

Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci will publicly testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (House COVID-19 Select Subcommittee) in June, according to its chairman.

U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) made this announcement in the form of a press release, noting that the infectious disease expert's June 3 testimony is the first time he will do so in public since his December 2022 retirement. "Earlier this year, Fauci appeared in front of the Select Subcommittee for a closed-door, two-day, 14 hour transcribed interview," the congressman noted.

"Retirement from public service does not excuse Fauci from accountability to the American people," stressed Wenstrup. "On June 3, Americans will have an opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Fauci about his role in overseeing our nations pandemic response, shaping pandemic-era polices, and promoting singular questionable narratives about the origins of [the] Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19)." (Related: Fauci was secretly brought to CIA headquarters to INFLUENCE the agencys COVID-19 origins report.)

According to the House Oversight Committee (HOC), Fauci "testified to serious systemic failures in [the U.S.] public health system that deserve further investigation." One example the committee cited was his testimony about the "six-feet-apart" social distancing guideline "sort of just appeared."

This policy was no simple matter, however, as it was used as a basis to shut down small businesses and schools across America. "This raises significant concerns about public health officials and the validity of their policy recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic," according to the HOC.

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.

The HOC, through the subcommittee under it, also learned that Fauci "believes the lab leak hypothesis  should not be dismissed as a conspiracy theory" even though the infectious disease expert publicly downplayed it. The committee ultimately warned: "As the face of Americas public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, these statements raise serious questions that warrant public scrutiny."

Committee to question Fauci about lab leak theory

Aside from these, Fauci will also likely be asked about millions of dollars in federal grants given to EcoHealth Alliance (EHA) to conduct coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). During his closed-door interview with the subcommittee in January, he admitted to signing off on NIAID grants without personally reviewing the project proposals. Fauci also acknowledged that the hypothesis of COVID-19 leaking out of the WIV's lab was not a conspiracy theory.

EHA President Peter Daszak was also interviewed by the House COVID-19 Select Subcommittee on May 1, with his testimony serving as a crucial component of the panel's investigation into the origins of COVID-19. It will also provide an essential background ahead of Fauci's June 3 public testimony.

Independent journalist Kyle Becker wrote that Fauci's testimony will come in the wake of bombshell new emails between Daszak and Fauci's aide David Morens. The EHA president's email noted the WIV having "more than 15,000 samples" of coronaviruses years before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

"EHA was a cut-out group for the [U.S. Department of Defense] and [the] National Institutes of Health to fund risky and illegal gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab in China," Becker continued.

"Fauci is on the record discrediting the man-made theory of SARS-CoV-2 publicly, while working behind the scenes to suppress scientific dissent that the theory was possible. The NIAID chief eventually pushed scientists at Science magazine to call it a 'conspiracy theory' while pushing the bat/wet market theory. [But] the Department of Energy and [the] Federal Bureau of Investigation have published reports supporting the view that it is likely that COVID-19 was a 'man-made' virus."

Head over to FauciTruth.com for similar stories.

Watch this May 2021 video of Dr. Anthony Fauci lying to Congress about gain-of-function research.

This video is from the alltheworldsastage channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Unearthed emails prove Fauci was aware of unnatural COVID-19 origins, WIV gain-of-function research.

Dr. Fauci was smuggled into CIA HQ to influence an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

It has been a year since Anthony Fauci admitted that COVID-19 vaccines DO NOT WORK  but this revelation is still being ignored.

Scientists concede they lied about covid lab leak to cover for Fauci.

Fauci, Trudeau and other covid tyrants backtrack their crimes against humanity, claim they never did anything wrong.

Sources include:

100PercentFedUp.com

Brighteon.com
The latest report showed that Chile suffered from scorching heat and deadly wildfires. The death toll reached 51 to fires, which could likely increase.

The extreme heat, dry conditions, and strong winds allowed fires to spread. The challenging weather conditions can complicate the wildfire concerns in parts of the country.

Deadly Wildfires in Chile

Fifty-one casualties were recorded due to wildfires, causing a state of emergency to be declared. Firefighters worked hard to extinguish the deadly wildfires in Valparaiso, urging residents to evacuate. Smoke reached the area in the city of Vina del Mar. Unhealthy air can harm the following populations:

older adults

people with medical conditions

outdoor workers

children

The forecast warned that temperatures could reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit, making it more challenging for affected areas. The wildfires managed to burn at least 26,000 hectares.

Additionally, the report noted that the death toll could increase due to the complicated weather conditions.

In a recent Nature World News (NWN) report, devastating wildfires were recorded in Mexico. Over 100 intense fires were reported due to the warm conditions, indicating a deadly fire potential in the 2024 wildfire season.

Climate change and correlation to wildfires

Chile has experienced raging wildfires due to the intense summer heat and El Nino phenomenon. The warming trend can significantly impact vulnerable communities, particularly those with dry vegetation and low relative humidity.

In February, the country also experienced deadly wildfires due to low relative humidity and El Nino effects. Recent reports warned of hotter temperatures in summer, which could result in more wildfires. NWN reports that improper land use contributed to the fires.

In 2023, South America recorded heatwaves and abnormally hot temperatures, particularly in Chile and Argentina. Climate change drives extreme weather events, including the following:

Wildfires

Drought

Hurricanes or storms

Heatwaves

It can influence weather patterns, increase daily temperatures, and cause a lack of rainfall, making communities more susceptible to fire risks.

Also Read: Nepal Massive Wildfires Blamed for Heatwaves, Climate Change

Wildfire and Extreme Community Preparedness

Communities and homeowners can likely experience wildfire concerns near areas with low relative humidity, drought, or dry conditions. Avoiding outdoor burning is important to avoid wildfire spread amidst the extreme heat.

In addition, Chile residents are at risk of prolonged exposure to hotter temperatures and unhealthy wildfire smoke. People should stay updated with the latest forecasts and possible evacuations.

For older adults, individuals with diseases, and children, it is essential to vkeep away from prolonged exposure to intense heat. Staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous outdoor plans is advisable.

Related Article: Wildfire Activity in Wet African Tropical Forests Exacerbated by Deforestation, Climate Change [Study]

For more similar, don't forget to follow Nature World News
Sonam Bajwa turns into 'royal Punjabi bride' as she walks the runway in lehenga

A

ctress Sonam Bajwa channelled her inner Punjabi bride as she sauntered the ramp, looking regal in a lehenga designed by Navneet Sidhu.

Sonam appeared to be dipped in gold, wearing a peach-shaded, layered Zardozi lehenga with scalloped borders heavily embellished with the metallic shade. She draped a peach-hued chunni over her head and complemented her attire with a choker necklace and nude makeup.

Talking about her collection, designer Navneet said: "The collection is entirely vintage. It took eight months to create. It embodies vintage and heritage elements and has all Zardozi handwork."

She said that only Sonam could do justice to her creation, stating, "I am very happy it is my first show."

Sonam, who is known for her work in Punjabi films such as 'Carry On Jatta', 'Honsla Rakh', and 'Guddiyan Patole', among others, expressed her admiration for the outfit.

"It is a heritage outfit. I think in Punjab, brides mostly dress like this. I don't know how many hours went into making this outfit. It makes me feel beautiful and regal."

 Sonam Bajwa turns into 'royal Punjabi bride' as she walks the runway in lehenga

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Rapper King reflects on importance of Indian artistes taking their culture across the world

S

inger-songwriter King, who is known for songs like Tu Aake Dekh Le, Maan Meri Jaan, and the recently released Bumpa, believes that as an artiste, its his responsibility to take Indian culture and art across the world.

King recently spoke with IANS and shared his perspective as an international artiste on his collaborations with artistes across the world.

Talking about the significance of staying connected with one's roots, King told IANS: It depends on the artiste. Its your prerogative as an artiste about how you want to be seen. Many artistes completely adapt to the west. Diljit paaji (Diljit Dosanjh is very much connected to his roots. Artistes like me look for a middle ground. A very small league of artiste thinks that they want to take India to the world.

If you ask about me, Ill say that the west already has western culture and influences. If I become like them, then what value am I adding to it? It makes sense if I take my sensibilities as an Indian artiste to the international canvas," he added.

King said: "We are 140 crore of us and counting -- 1.4 billion. Humara culture hain, sab kuch toh hai humaare paas (we have our culture, we have everything). People from our families are settled in the west. When things, art, and music from the west make their way to India, its our responsibility as artistes to take our culture and our values to the world.

 Rapper King reflects on importance of Indian artistes taking their culture across the world

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New Covid variant 'FLiRT' capable of evading the immune system: Experts

T

he new Covid-19 variant 'FLiRT', which is spreading fast in the US, is capable of evading the immune system due to a trans substitution of amino acids between two spike proteins, the experts said on Sunday.

FLiRT, which belongs to Omicron's JN.1 lineage, is rapidly replacing the previous variant, Eris, in the US, the UK, New Zealand, and South Korea, according to Rajeev Gupta, Director of Internal Medicine at the CK Birla Hospital (R), Delhi.

"A recent increase in hospitalisation rates in these countries has been attributed to this variant; however, it has remained a relatively small wave. The overall mortality rate has not increased," Gupta told IANS.

According to the Infectious Disease Society of America, the nickname 'FLiRT' is based on the technical names for their mutations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reclassified it as a variant of interest and advised close monitoring.

According to Dhiren Gupta, a Pediatric Intensivist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, these new strains will keep emerging.

"Fortunately, none of the Omicron lineage is able to induce significant lung damage as delta strain did but limited to the upper respiratory tract. The surveillance and vigilance should be kept for major drift in virus," he said.

According to the experts, the increased use of monoclonal antibodies could be driving this mutation.

The symptoms of the new variant are similar to those of other Omicron subvariants, such as sore throat, cough, fatigue, nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, muscle aches, fever, and possible loss of taste and smell, the experts mentioned.

 New Covid variant 'FLiRT' capable of evading the immune system: Experts

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IPL 2024: CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana returns to Sri Lanka for hamstring injury recovery

C

hennai Super Kings (CSK) said on Sunday said fast-bowler Matheesha Pathirana will be returning to Sri Lanka for further recovery from a hamstring injury.

Pathirana made his CSK debut in IPL 2022 season, and played a pivotal role in their title-winning run in 2023.

"Chennai Super Kings pacer Matheesha Pathirana is nursing a hamstring injury and will be returning to Sri Lanka for further recovery. Chennai Super Kings wishes Pathirana a quick recovery," said the franchise in a statement.

Pathirana played six matches for CSK this season, picking up 13 wickets at an economy of 7.68, including a four-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians. He currently sits as CSKs second-leading wicket-taker in IPL 2024 behind Mustafizur Rahman's 14 scalps.

The Sri Lankan is the second CSK pacer to be dealing with injuries this season after Deepak Chahar pulled his hamstring and went off the field after bowling the first two balls of the Punjab Kings chase at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 1.

In ten matches of IPL 2024, defending champions CSK have lost five and have won as many games. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side are currently placed at fifth position on the points table and need a win over their ongoing match against Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala to keep their IPL 2024 playoffs chances alive.

 IPL 2024: CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana returns to Sri Lanka for hamstring injury recovery

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Musk invites billionaire investor Warren Buffett to invest in Tesla

E

lon Musk, on Monday, invited billionaire investor Warren Buffett to come and invest in Tesla, which is facing tough times amid global slowdown in EV sales.

Replying to an X user who posted that Berkshire Hathaway owner should sell all his shares in Apple and buy Tesla instead, the electric car company owner responded that it is an "obvious move" for him.

"He (Buffett) should take a position in Tesla. It's an obvious move," posted the X owner.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has a stake in Chinese EV maker BYD but not in Tesla.

Last weekend, in response to a post quoting Buffett's advice about the importance of spending time with loved ones, Musk replied that he would love to spend the last day of his life with his kids.

Musk had even invited Buffett to invest in Tesla early on, when the company was worth 0.1 per cent, or less than $7 billion, from what it is today.

"Too bad he didn't invest in Tesla when it was 0.1 per cent of today's value," Musk posted on X recently.

The tech billionaire is trying to "reorganise" Tesla as the electric car company registered heavy losses in the January-March quarter this year.

The company's net profit plunged 55 per cent to $1.13 billion from $2.51 billion in the year-ago quarter.

 Musk invites billionaire investor Warren Buffett to invest in Tesla

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Ammy Virk says vibe of his new track 'Darshan' is all about 'having a good time'

S

inger-actor Ammy Virk has released his latest upbeat track titled 'Darshan', which he describes as 'visually and sonically captivating', with its vibe centered around "having a good time".

Ammy said: "It was great creating this party anthem and collaborating with this incredible team. The vibe of the track is all of us having a good time and creating this electrifying party track for the audience."

"This incredible 'Darshan' is both visually and sonically captivating for the audience," he added.

The song features a thrilling rap performance by Addy Nagar and electrifying beats by the renowned Sukhe Muzical Doctorz.

The music video is directed by Goat Vision.

On the acting front, Ammy will be seen sharing screen space with Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri in 'Bad Newz'.

The actor will also be seen in the Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Khel Khel Mein'. The film is slated for release in theatres on September 6.

 Ammy Virk says vibe of his new track 'Darshan' is all about 'having a good time'

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Extending the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in premature infants by two weeks significantly increases lung volume and lung diffusion capacity, according to a new study. The research will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2024 Meeting, held May 3-6 in Toronto.

CPAP treatment is common for preterm infants with breathing issues, but researchers note there is no consensus on optimal treatment length when the preterm infant is doing well. Preterm birth is the most common cause of altered lung development and breathing issues that can last into adulthood, experts say.

Extending CPAP treatment may be a simple and safe approach to improving preterm infant lung function and breathing in the absence of a lung growth therapy. The study's findings solidify CPAP treatment as beneficial for preterm infants without requiring pharmaceuticals." Cindy T. McEvoy, MD, MCR, professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University and the presenting author

In the study, researchers kept a group of preterm infants on CPAP treatment for an additional two weeks. The study found that patients who received the extra treatment had larger, healthier lungs six months later than those who did not.

Study authors say that the results can help clinicians determine an appropriate length of treatment.
In a recent study published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, researchers examined the differences in the leading causes of disease burden between males and females.

Evidence shows that females outlive males despite experiencing a higher degree of non-fatal conditions; this phenomenon is called the male-female health-survival paradox. Further, it has been recognized that gender and sex interact with various factors (e.g., ethnicity/race, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status) in shaping human health.

Sex refers to the biological factors linked with physiological and physical traits (sex chromosomes, reproductive anatomy, and hormones). Meanwhile, gender relates to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities of males, females, and gender-diverse individuals. These dynamic, intertwined social and biological processes may lead to males, females, and sex- and gender-diverse people experiencing health and disease differently.

Differences across the lifespan between females and males in the top 20 causes of disease burden globally: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Image Credit: Hyejin Kang / Shutterstock

About the study

In the present study, researchers investigated the differences in the leading causes of disease burden between males and females. They used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) 2021 study, which reported morbidity and mortality estimates between 1990 and 2021 across 204 countries and territories.

These estimates were used to quantify the differences in the leading causes of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) between males and females worldwide. DALYs were estimated as the sum of years lived with disability and years of life lost due to premature mortality. DALY estimates were available for males and females for 20 age bands from early childhood to  95 years for 204 countries and territories.

The GBD study organized diseases and injuries along a four-level hierarchy of causes. The present study focused on level 3 as the primary outcome. Level 3 causes were globally ranked according to the age-standardized rates of DALYs per 100,000 people aged  10 in 2021. The researchers focused on the top 20 leading causes from this ranking.

Descriptive analyses were performed to determine the differences in cause-specific DALY rates. Findings were reported for five age groups. DALY rates were available for middle-aged (5069) and older ( 70) adults, while for the 1024 and 2549 age groups, standard five-year DALY rates were aggregated using GBD population estimates.

For the aged-standardized group ( 10 years), GBD global population age standard weights were used to estimate DALY rates. The team explored relative and absolute differences in DALY rates between the two sexes by cause across seven super-regions and worldwide. The relative contribution of morbidity and premature mortality to the disease burden was also examined.

Findings

The age-standardized DALY rates were higher for males for 13 causes and females for seven causes in 2021. The seven causes among females included low back pain, headache, depressive disorders, anxiety, other musculoskeletal disorders, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and dementia. Most of these conditions were ranked within the ten leading causes of female disease burden in 2021.

Global rankings of the top 20 causes of DALYs globally for females and males, age-standardised (10 years and older), 2021. The list of causes of disease burden represents the top 20 causes of age-standardised DALYs observed across females and males for the age group of 10 years and older globally in 2021. This same list of health conditions was ranked according to the DALY rates (per 100 000 population) for both females and males globally in 2021 for the same age group. The colours of the bars and lines denote whether DALY rates are higher for females (red) or males (blue) as established by whether the 95% uncertainty interval of the absolute difference in DALY rates includes zero. The degree of transparency reflects the composition of DALYs for each cause, split between mortality (YLL) and morbidity (YLD). DALY=disability-adjusted life-year. YLL=years of life lost. YLD=years lived with disability.

Morbidity accounted for much of the burden for causes with increased DALY rates in females, while premature mortality contributed substantially to that among males. Low back pain had the largest absolute difference, with over 478 more DALYs per 100,000 females in 2021 than males. Anxiety had the highest relative difference, with 64.8% increased rates among females relative to males.

Among males, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had the most significant absolute difference in 2021, with 1767.8 more DALYs per 100,000 males than females. Further, road injuries had the largest relative difference. For conditions wherein females had higher DALY rates than males, the differences between the two sexes emerged early in life. Conversely, for conditions wherein males had a higher burden than females, the differences between the sexes were minor at early ages.

With a few exceptions, the absolute differences in age-standardized DALY rates between males and females gradually changed between 1990 and 2021. However, the absolute differences for tuberculosis, Alzheimers disease and other dementias, cirrhosis and other liver diseases, ischemic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease remained the same. Notably, HIV/AIDS exhibited considerable temporal variations.

Conclusions

Taken together, the findings indicated that males had a higher overall disease burden in 2021, while females had a higher burden of seven causes. Notably, the differences emerged early in life, a phase characterized by pubertal changes and gender socialization, highlighting the need for early response. They continued to widen with age for several conditions. The study highlights the significance of adopting a life-course approach in strategic planning. The approach should comprise early, tailored interventions to prevent the onset and aggravation of specific health conditions throughout life.
A recent study published in the British Dental Journal reports an overall increase in electric scooter-related dental injuries in the United Kingdom between 2020 and 2022.

Study: E-scooter-related dental injuries: a two-year retrospective review. Image Credit: Skylines / Shutterstock.com

Dental injuries and electric scooters

Traumatic dental injuries account for about 5% of all bodily injuries. In addition to adversely affecting aesthetics, as well as both the physical and mental well-being of affected individuals, traumatic dental injuries can lead to various complications, including pulpal necrosis, root resorption, tooth ankylosis, and pulpal obliteration.

Electric scooters have recently gained significant popularity worldwide as a convenient alternative to other types of urban transportation. In June 2020, the U.K. government initiated a trial involving the implementation of electric scooters on roads in an effort to reduce transportation-related congestion and pollution.

Since its implementation, several reports on electric scooter-related facial and dental injuries have been documented in the U.K. However, there remains a lack of information currently available regarding the specific types of dental injuries caused by electric scooter use.

In the current study, scientists thoroughly analyze the demographic characteristics, dental injury patterns, and subsequent dental management approaches following the implementation of the electric scooter trial in the U.K.

Study design

The current study was conducted at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, U.K. The hospital's oral and maxillofacial surgery department created a dataset that included medical reports of patients who sustained dental injuries due to electric scooter use between September 2020 and September 2022.

This dataset was comprehensively analyzed to collect information on patient demographic characteristics, cause of injury, helmet usage, intoxication status, specific dental injury status, head and other non-dental injury status, as well as dental management approaches applied.

Important observations

During the study period, a total of 32 adult patients presented to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with dental injuries related to electric scooter use, about 72% of whom were male. About 38% of injured patients were between 20 and 29.

The most common cause of dental injuries was unprovoked falls, which were reported in 53% of patients. Other recorded causes of dental injuries included collisions with stationary objects, uneven road surfaces, and alleged assaults on riders while using electric scooters. Regardless of the cause of the injury, men were more likely to sustain dental injuries than women.

Among 13 cases with helmet usage information, only two patients, one male and one female, reported wearing helmets. Comparatively, about 77% of male patients reported not wearing helmets.

Intoxication information was available for 12 patients, 11 of whom reported to be intoxicated at the time of injury. Alcohol was the most common intoxication substance, followed by cannabis. Both hard and soft tissue dental injuries were documented in 64% of intoxicated patients, whereas soft tissue and non-dental injuries were documented in 100% of intoxicated patients.

Traumatic brain injuries were documented in 31% of patients, with four patients requiring admission for neurological observations. About 90% of traumatic brain injury patients also experienced soft tissue dental injuries.

A total of 71 dental injuries were reported in 32 patients, 53% of which were soft tissue injuries. The most common soft tissue injury was laceration, with lips being the primary injury site.

Most soft tissue injuries required operative management under local or general anesthesia. In four cases, dental management involved debridement with or without wound dressing.

The most commonly reported hard tissue dental injuries included enamel-dentine and enamel-dentine-pulp fractures. Operative management with a flexible-wire splint was required for three subluxation injuries.

Most hard tissue injuries occurred in the maxilla. The most frequently injured teeth were the upper right central and upper left central incisors. About 90% of patients with hard tissue dental injuries also experienced non-dental injuries.

One patient with a dentoalveolar fracture was treated conventionally due to critical illness. Unfortunately, this patient succumbed to these injuries.

Study significance

The current study reports an overall increase in dental injury cases due to electric scooter use in the U.K. between 2020 and 2022. These findings emphasize the importance of increasing public awareness about the potential risks of dental injuries associated with this mode of transportation.
Targeted support for marginalized communities, strong public messaging and a properly coordinated Government approach led by Ministers are amongst the recommendations contained in a new evidence-based article examining how the UK should respond to future pandemics.

A new article published by Policy@Manchester examines how the UK can learn the lessons of mpox to respond to future pandemics (Image Credit: iStock.com/whitemay)

Published by The University of Manchesters policy engagement unit, Policy@Manchester, Dr Maurice Nagington, Dr Jeremy Williams and Dr Jaime Garcia-Iglesias set out key findings from their research on how the country tackled the 2022 outbreak of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.

Their conclusions were informed by interviews and focus groups with stakeholders including affected communities and healthcare workers.

The academics found shortcomings in national leadership, stark local and regional inequalities in relation to vaccine access, and inadequate communication infrastructures.

They offer advice to policymakers and public health officials in four key areas for addressing future infectious disease outbreaks, beginning with reflections on how mpox disproportionately affected marginalized communities.

People from BAME backgrounds appeared to have lower levels of accessing the vaccine, while those from lower-income populations faced additional barriers to engaging with health and care services, they observe. Some individuals also faced challenges in self-isolation such as financial or emotional difficulties.

They advise: Public health teams need to be empowered to give additional support (such as financial) where necessary so people can self-isolate.

The team argue that the needs of marginalized individuals merit equally important consideration when developing effective communications strategies, a second area examined in their article.

We note social media emerged as a powerful tool in the response to the mpox outbreak, facilitating rapid dissemination of information, promoting awareness, and helping collaboration of a wide range of actors involved in the mpox response, Nagington, Williams and Garcia-Iglesias write. The reliance on social media also poses challenges, particularly in terms of equitable access to information.

In their view, additional forms of communication that can reach individuals who are marginalized should also be simultaneously developed during outbreaks. They add: Community organizations play an important role in developing and distributing information that is suitable and impactful.

Addressing a third area where they believe action is needed, the academics call for Government agencies - primarily the Department for Health and Social Care  to produce guidance for local public health teams to follow, backed by additional financial support.

They recommend: Governments should provide Ministerial level co-ordination to ensure all relevant professionals, policymakers and community representatives work together to proactively address any emerging inequalities in the immediate outbreak and plan for future outbreaks.

And, with knowledge gained from their research of the pivotal role played by sexual health services during the mpox outbreak, Nagington, Williams and Garcia-Iglesias call for policymakers and legislators to secure adequate funding and support for sexual health services to enhance their capacity to address the demands of outbreaks.

Did the UK fail in its management of mpox? Lessons for future pandemics by Dr Maurice Nagington, Dr Jeremy Williams and Dr Jaime Garcia-Iglesias can be read free of charge on the Policy@Manchester website.
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have identified an innovation in stem cell therapy to regenerate neural cells in the brain after cardiac arrest in an animal model. The study led by Xiaofeng Jia, BM, MS, PhD, FCCM, Professor of Neurosurgery, found that the application of modified sugar molecules on human neural stem cells improved the likelihood of the therapy's success. The application of these sugar molecules both enhanced the stem cells' proliferation and their transition into neurons to help repair critical connections in the brain. The finding could eventually lead to improved recovery of patients with cardiac-arrest induced brain injuries.

Figure 1. Schematic of novel stem cell therapy with metabolic glycoengineering (MGE) for brain repair after cardiac arrest (CA). Conditions were characterized and optimized in vitro to modify human neural stem cells by using the TProp sugar analog (Ac5ManNTProp). The efficacy of the transplanted metabolically glycoengineered neural stem cells (MGE-NSC) for brain repair and how TProp analog affected the fate of neural stem cells were evaluated within a cardiac-arrest-induced brain injury rat model. Results indicated that MGE improved the viability and differentiation of neural stem cells, inhibited neuroinflammation, and provided neuroprotection after in vivo transplantation. Image Credit: University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM)

The pivotal study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS125232, R01NS110387), and featured on the April Vol. 34 No.17 front cover of Advanced Functional Materials Journal.

Brain injury is the most common consequence of cardiac arrest, due to the impaired blood flow and oxygen to the brain. About 70 percent of the nearly 7 million people who suffer from cardiac arrest each year experience a long-term brain injury that leads to permanent disability.

The potential of stem cell therapy to address neurological dysfunction has long been fraught with challenges due to the harsh in vivo microenvironment of the brain; this results in poor stem cell retention and integration at the site of injuries.

Recent advances in manipulating a cells complex carbohydrate structure through metabolic glycoengineering, has enabled UMSOM researchers to explore the efficacy of a modified sugar molecule, known as the TProp sugar analog, to help stem cells remain more viable in the brain.

All cells in a persons body are enveloped in sugar molecules called 'glycans'. Through our previous research, we were able to find that these sugar molecules are vital to cell function. Glycoengineering has enabled us to further enhance stem cell viability so they may provide therapeutic effects for cardiac-arrest-induced brain injuries. This is a very important step forward in regenerative medicine for patients. Xiaofeng Jia, BM, MS, PhD, FCCM, Professor of Neurosurgery

In the study, researchers examined the efficacy in a rat model and compared the effects of naive human neural stem cells to neural stem cells that were pretreated with the TProp sugar analog. The study found that stem cells pretreated with TProp, substantially improved brain function and reduced anxiety and depression-associated behaviors through various behavioral tests.

The treatment also activated the related inflammatory Wnt/-catenin signaling pathway, which regulates critical aspects of cell function. This upregulated pathway by TProp promotes the transition of stem cells into neurons, the nerve cells responsible for sending and receiving signals from the brain.

The TProp-pretreated group also demonstrated improved synaptic plasticity, the ability of neurons to modify the strength of their connections, and reduced neuroinflammation in the central nervous system, providing a superior ability to regenerate and recover from damaged brain functions.

The results indicate that glycoengineered stem cells have the potential to promote the growth of new connections among surviving or regenerated neurons, leading to regenerated circuits in the brain.

This innovative research has been an important proof of concept study suggesting that stem cells could be used to regenerate neural connections in the brain of patients who suffer a devasting injury after cardiac arrest, said Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, who is the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, UMSOM, and Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore. Next steps for this translational application include determining the optimal delivery route and timing of metabolically glycoengineered stem cell therapy, as well as systemic evaluation on large animals before this can move into clinical studies.

UMSOM faculty and postdoc co-authors of the paper include: Jian Du, PhD, Xiao Liu, MD, MS, Subash Marasini, PhD, Zhuoran Wang, MD, PhD, and Xiaofeng Jia, MD, MS, PhD, FCCM.

Faculty from the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Translational Cell and Tissue Engineering Center at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine also contributed to this research.
ARIES

Ganesha says today will be extremely fruitful for you. People working in the social sector may get to hear some good news as they may be assigned a new position, but if you have taken a loan from someone, they may ask for it back from you, due to which you will remain worried. You will make some new plans in business and from them you will earn profit. You can ask for help from a friend to complete your pending work, the day will be good for those who are thinking of investing their money.

Lucky Colour: Blue

Lucky Number: 6

WATCH: Monthly Horoscope For May 2024

TAURUS

Ganesha says today you will actively participate in religious activities and can also take your parents on a pilgrimage. You will have to pay attention to the company of your children, otherwise, they may move towards some wrong company. You have to avoid trusting what you hear from someone, otherwise they can create discord with your family members. In the evening you will get some important information while traveling. If you borrow money from someone, you will find it difficult to repay it.

Lucky Colour: Black

Lucky Number: 7

GEMINI

Ganesha says today is going to be a normal day for you. You will also spend some money to increase your material comforts, which will cause problems for you later and you will have to avoid fulfilling all the wishes of your children, otherwise, it will be harmful for you later. If you buy any expensive item then take care of your pocket, otherwise, your wealth may decrease. If your mother or father assigns you any work, you will have to complete it on time, otherwise they may get angry with you.

Lucky Colour: White

Lucky Number: 1

CANCER

Ganesha says today will be especially fruitful for you. You will have to adopt the art of converting bitterness into sweetness for your business, only then you will be successful in getting people to get your work done. With the support and companionship of your spouse, you will find solutions to many of your problems. You seem to be getting financial benefits from your in-laws. Paths for higher education of students will be paved. If they participate in any competition, they will be successful in that too. In the evening, you can take your spouse for shopping.

Lucky Colour: Maroon

Lucky Number: 9

LEO

Ganesha says today is indicating good property for you. Your wish of buying any land, vehicle, shop, plot, etc. will be fulfilled, for, you have been trying for a long time, but you will have to control your increased expenses, otherwise, you will spend even from your resources, which will later cause trouble for you. People working in jobs will have to concentrate on their work, otherwise they may have to face scolding from their superiors. Good marriage proposals will come from marriageable people. You will have to try to end the ongoing rift with your brothers.

Lucky Colour: Orange

Lucky Number: 2

VIRGO

Ganesha says today will be a very fruitful day for the students. You can repay some of your old liabilities, due to which you will get peace and feel relaxed, but you may get cheated by someone from your in-laws, which will cause you problems. You have to be careful about your mothers health, because there may be some deterioration in her health. If this happens, please seek medical advice. In the evening you can plan to hang out somewhere with your friends.

Lucky Colour: Yellow

Lucky Number: 10

LIBRA

Ganesha says today will be a fruitful day for you. You will be busy with unnecessary running around, due to which you will be worried and some unnecessary expenses will also come in front of you, which you will have to do under compulsion even if you dont want to, but you may get to hear some disappointing news from the childrens side. Due to this, you will remain troubled and it will be harmful for you to pay attention to the criticism of critics even in the workplace because it can lead to some debate. You have to be cautious about your enemies as they will try their best to harass you.

Lucky Colour: Red

Lucky Number: 12

SCORPIO

Ganesha says today will be a troublesome day for you from a health point of view, because you may have a stomach ache, fever, etc., due to which you will not feel like doing any work. You can also solve some of your problems through your brothers. If there is any problem going on in the workplace, you will get its solution. If you use intelligence in business, your enemies will be destroyed only by fighting among themselves. The day will be favourable for people living a love life and they may get a gift. You will have to avoid doing any work related to investing money, otherwise it may bring some problems for you later.

Lucky Colour: Sky blue

Lucky Number: 3 SAGITTARIUS

Ganesha says today is going to be moderately fruitful for you. You may hear some good news from a family member living abroad. A new guest may enter the lives of unmarried people. You will have to resolve any dispute in the workplace by remaining calm, otherwise it may drag on for a long time. People investing in speculation will have to take the risk very thoughtfully, otherwise their money may get stuck. Guests may arrive at your house in the evening, in which some money will also be spent.

Lucky Colour: Green

Lucky Number: 13

CAPRICORN

Ganesha says today will be an important day for you, hence it would be better for you to do any important work after thinking carefully, otherwise, some untoward incident may happen. If you are going to buy and sell any property, then you will have to pay careful attention before reaching any decision and avoid getting influenced by anyones words. People associated with the share market can get some big benefits, which will strengthen their financial position. People trying for employment will be successful. Today you may have to correspond with your childrens teachers regarding their education.

Lucky Colour: Brown

Lucky Number: 16

AQUARIUS

Ganesha says today will be a day full of problems for you. You may lose something dear to you or you may not get it on time, due to which you will remain worried. Family members will be worried about your harsh behaviour, but you will have some business concerns for which you will have to consult your father. If there is any dispute among others, you will have to avoid getting involved in it. You will get some new sources today, but you will be able to get benefits from them only in the future.

Lucky Colour: Purple

Lucky Number: 17

PISCES

Ganesha says today is going to be beneficial for you. You may have to go on a short-distance trip to implement some plans in your business, which will be beneficial for you. Even if any adverse situation arises, you will have to remain patient in it, only then you will be successful in getting your work done from someone. You will have to ignore peoples useless talk and concentrate on your work, otherwise they can mislead you. You will be worried about the health of your child, for which you can also seek medical consultation.

Lucky Colour: Pink

Lucky Number: 4

(The author Chirag Daruwalla is the son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla).
Considering the rise in passenger numbers in the domestic sector, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has decided to add more services to six new domestic destinations this month from the airport.

The airport authority will revamp its summer schedule by introducing Kolkata, Varanasi, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Raipur, and Lucknow to its network while improving its connectivity in established sectors. CIAL has rolled out around 60 services, and the total number of weekly services has gone up from 1,330 to 1,628.

As per the CIAL official, the trend of increasing domestic passenger numbers began last financial year. He stated that previously, the ratio of domestic to international passengers was 45:55. However, there is now a reversal, with domestic passengers accounting for around 55 percent of the total passengers. The CIAL official added, This fiscal, we expect a growth of around 20 percent in the number of domestic passengers, reported the Times of India.

The media outlet further added that the official said, Considering the growth of tourists to Southeast Asian countries, including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Ho Chi Minh City, we have enhanced the number of services. The number of weekly services from CIAL to the capital of Thailand has increased to 13 after Thai Airways started three more services to Bangkok.

Currently, there are 14 services to Singapore and 22 services to Kuala Lumpur every week. The number of weekly services to London has risen to four from three. We have held talks with various airline firms, and many of them have expressed interest in starting services with CIAL. So, we expect that there will be a further surge in passenger turnout this year, the official concluded.

Meanwhile, Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL) posted 18 percent growth in passenger turnout during the 202324 fiscal year compared to the previous financial year. As many as 70,203 services were handled by CIAL, out of which around 56 lakh domestic passengers and 44 lakh international passengers travelled from CIAL.

In the financial year 202324, Cochin International Airport Ltd. (CIAL) recorded an all-time high passenger turnout, with over 1.05 crore passengers flying to and from various locations via the airport.

As quoted by the Times of India, an official said, Air India Express operates six services to Kolkata. Indigo services to Chandigarh, Ranchi, Raipur, Varanasi, and Lucknow were launched in the first week of May. Air India Express has announced new service to Pune, and Air Asia has announced service to Bagdogra and Ranchi.

Moreover, services to metro cities from CIAL have also been improved. The CIAL official claimed that there are currently 20 daily services to Bengaluru, 13 to Delhi, and 10 to Mumbai. Indigo kicked off its regular services to Lakshadweep on May 1.

The service in the Kozhikode-Kochi-Agatti segment is getting a good response. Alliance Air already operates ten weekly routes to Lakshadweep. There are services from Kochi Airport to Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Salem, Kannur, and Ahmedabad.
Indegene IPO: The initial public offering of Indegene Ltd, which provides digital services for the life sciences industry, was on May 6 opened for public subscription and the issue has been fully subscribed. Till 4:19 pm on the first day of bidding on Monday, the Rs 1,842-crore IPO received an overall 1.52 times, garnering bids for 4,33,76,949 shares as against 2,86,25,450 shares on offer.

The retail category has been fully subscribed and has so far received 1.44 times subscription before the end of the first day of bidding, while the non-institutional investor (NII) category was fully subscribed within few hours of its opening and has so far received 3.68 times subscription. The qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) has got just 3 per cent subscription.

The Indegene IPO will remain open for public subscription till May 8. The share allotment will likely be finalised on May 9, while the listing will take place on May 13 on both BSE and NSE.

The price band of the IPO has been fixed at Rs 430-Rs 452 per share.

Indegene IPO GMP Today

According to market observers, unlisted shares of Indegene Ltd are trading Rs 262 higher in the grey market as compared with its issue price. The Rs 262 grey market premium or GMP means the grey market is expecting a 57.96 per cent listing gain from the public issue. The GMP is based on market sentiments and keeps changing.

Grey market premium indicates investors readiness to pay more than the issue price.

Indegene IPO: Should You Apply?

Granting Apply rating to the IPO, brokerage Swastika in its note said, Indegenes financial performance reflects consistent growth over the past three fiscal years, supported by a robust client base of 65 active clients as of December 31, 2023. Additionally, the company possesses a well-developed technology portfolio, further solidifying its digital capabilities.

While the P/E valuation of 37.79x appears reasonable, the absence of directly comparable listed peers limits a definitive assessment. However, considering Indegenes unique market position, strong growth trajectory, and established client base, we recommend this IPO to investors for listing gain and long term, it added.

Another brokerage Ventura also recommended to subscribe the IPO. It said, With a workforce of 5181 employees and a global footprint spanning North America, Europe, and Asia, the company is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of its clients. Moreover, Indegene has carved out a unique niche in the market, boasting nearly 98% of global revenue and demonstrating strong growth potential with an anticipated average CAGR of 6.5% in the coming years. Overall, Indegenes blend of domain expertise and technological prowess positions it as a key partner for life sciences companies seeking to thrive in an increasingly digital-driven landscape.

SBI Securities also recommended investors to subscribe to the Indegene IPO.

The company (Indegene) is valued at annualized FY24 P/E multiple of 30.5x based on the upper price band on the post-issue capital. The company operates with a unique business model with strategic clients relationship

with 20 of the Top 20 global biopharmaceutical companies in FY23. The company recorded a strong PAT CAGR of 12.7% between FY21-FY23 and is expected to become net debt free post issue. We recommend investors to SUBSCRIBE tothe issue, SBI Securities said.

About Indegene IPO

The IPO comprises a fresh issue of 16.8 million shares, valued at Rs 760 crore, alongside an offer for sale (OFS) of 23.9 million shares, worth Rs 1,081.76 crore.

For investors, the minimum lot size for an application is 33 shares. The minimum amount of investment required by retail investors is Rs 14,916. The minimum lot size investment for small NII is 14 lots (462 shares), amounting to Rs 2,08,824, and for bNII, it is 68 lots (2,244 shares), amounting to Rs 10,14,288.

Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited, Citigroup Global Markets India Private Limited, J.P. Morgan India Private Limited and Nomura Financial Advisory And Securities (India) Pvt Ltd are the book-running lead managers of the Indegene IPO, while Link Intime India Private Ltd is the registrar for the issue.

About Indegene Limited

Indegene Limited, which was founded in 1998, provides digital services for the life sciences industry. It assists with drug development, clinical trials, regulatory submissions, pharmacovigilance, complaints management, and sales/marketing support.

The company offers services in four categories  enterprise commercial solutions, omnichannel activation, enterprise medical solutions, and

enterprise clinical solutions & consultancy services.

Its revenue surged 39.85 per cent and its profit after tax (PAT) rose 63.43 per cent in the financial year 2022-23.
The National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences (NBEMS)  the apex medical examination body  has decided to introduce time-bound sections in the upcoming National Eligibility Entrance Test, Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024, to prevent the use of unfair practices.

Earlier, candidates had the liberty to complete all questions in the defined time frame but, from now on, the students cannot shuffle between sections  marking a significant shift for aspirants. Candidates must complete each section in the allotted time before moving on to the next one. The format does not allow candidates to review or alter their responses once the time for a section has lapsed.

NBEMS has decided to introduce mandatory time-bound sections in all its Multiple Choice Questions-based examinations, such as NEET-PG, NEET-MDS, NEET-SS, FMGE, DNB-PDCET, GPAT, DPEE, FDST and FET which are conducted on a computer-based platform, said the order.

According to the order, the measure has been implemented to enhance the security and sanctity of the exams in light of emerging unfair practices during the examination process.

This technique is used to prevent the question paper from going out and then coming back as a solved paper as time available is compromised and the candidate keeps moving from segment A to E with no option of going back, a former member of NBEMS told News18, requesting anonymity.

However, he said that from a candidates perspective, this scheme of exam delivery is more challenging and will be detrimental to those candidates who generally keep shuffling between questions before submitting the answers.

Overall, indirectly a shift to this scheme acknowledges the imminent threat of unfair means in high-stakes examinations despite shifting over to computer-based testing, the member said.

Another expert, Dr Dhruv Chauhan, national council coordinator at Indian Medical Associations Junior Doctors Network, told News18 that the new pattern of 2024 is similar to international exams like the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) exams like the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI-CET).

However, he said the board should give enough time to students to prepare as per the new pattern. Announcing a new pattern when the exam is less than two months away is not justified, he added.

NEET PG is scheduled to take place on June 23 this year.

How does the new format work?

This year, the question papers in these examinations will be divided into multiple time-bound sections. For example, in NEET-PG 2024, if there are five time-bound sections in the question paper, each section will have 40 questions and 42 minutes allotted.

This means that while the number of questions and time for the exam remains the same, the exam is compartmentalised into five sections. However, details of these five compartments have not been released by NBEMS yet.

Moreover, candidates will be restricted from proceeding to the next section until they complete the allotted time for the previous section.

Additionally, candidates will not be allowed to review the questions or modify their responses for a section after the completion of its allotted time. The questions for the next section will start automatically after the completion of the allotted time for the previous section, the order read.

Candidates are given the option to mark any question, whether attempted or not, for review. This means that candidates can go through these marked questions in a section again before the allotted time for that section ends.

Such mandatory time-bound sections will be implemented in GPAT 2024, NEET-PG 2024 and all forthcoming computer-based tests conducted by NBEMS.

Stay Informed With Live Updates On TN 12th Results 2024 & ICSE Results 2024 . Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
The BJP has written to the Election Commission of India seeking action against the Congress and its leader Vijay Wadettiwar for allegedly peddling lies and defaming the saffron partys Mumbai North Central nominee and lawyer Ujjwal Nikam. Wadettiwar, the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, purportedly called Nikam an anti-national and accused him of hiding the information that then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorist Ajmal Kasabs bullet during the 26/11 terror attack, but fell to a bullet of a policeman affiliated to the RSS.

His allegations were based on the book Who Killed Karkare written by retired police officer SM Mushriff. As a responsible leader, the opposition leader should desist from making such comments that can help the enemy nation, Nikam said on Sunday.

Terming Wadettiwars statements as false and not based on facts, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar claimed they were aimed at defaming Nikam and inciting emotions. We have written to the Election Commission of India seeking action against Wadettiwar who is a star campaigner (of Congress) and also against the Congress party for peddling lies, he added.

Shelar said Kasab was sentenced to death for killing innocent people after following the due process of law. Kasab was the lone terrorist who was captured alive by Mumbai police during the 26/11 terror attack by Pakistani terrorists in which at least 166 people were killed and several others were injured.

Shelar wondered whether Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray supports the statement made by the Congress leader. The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) are constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

A former special public prosecutor, Nikam had represented the state in high-profile cases like the Mumbai serial bomb blasts and the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. He is making his political foray from the Mumbai North Central seat on a BJP ticket and is pitted against city Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Congress nominee for Puri assembly seat Uma Ballav Rath was seriously injured on Sunday after he was assaulted by unknown miscreants, police said. Rath, who sustained head and body injuries, filed a complaint at Kumbharpada police station.

He claimed that while canvassing near the bus stand, he was suddenly attacked by unknown people with bricks and glass bottles. Local residents intervened and saved him, prompting a police response led by the City DSP.

Some unknown miscreants assaulted me while I was canvassing near the bus stand. Suddenly, some people came and attacked me, Rath, a former MLA, told reporters.

It is suspected that Rath candidature as the Congress nominee could have been a reason for the attack. Though the party had initially announced Sujit Mohapatra as its candidate for the seat, it later dropped him and nominated Rath. However, Rath said he would not blame anyone. Let the police investigate into the matter, he said.

Meanwhile, angry over the change of candidate by the Congress leadership, supporters of Mohapatra ransacked the partys district office in the town, police said. Mohapatra alleged that he was dropped by the party after he filed nomination papers.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
The third phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections will see several high-profile seats going to polls. In Gujarats Gandhinagar, Home Minister Amit Shah will be looking to cross the 10-lakh mark, while in Uttar Pradeshs Mainpuri, Dimple Yadav will look to defend the Yadav family bastion. However, if there is one person for whom the stakes are the highest, it is Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has to prove his political relevance to the BJP by ensuring JDU retains Madhepura  a seat previously represented by Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav.

HYPHENATING MUSLIMS & YADAVS

No non-Yadav has won from this constituency since 1967. The demography of this seat explains why th electorate votes here the way it does. Among more than 14 lakh voters in Madhepura, Yadavs comprise five lakhs and two lakhs are Muslim.

Traditionally, they vote en bloc for the RJD, which changed in 2009 when Lalu Yadav stepped aside. However, even during the 2014 Modi Tsunami, RJD snatched back the seat. Finally, in 2019, the Modi factor and polarisation made much of the five lakh Yadavs side with the JDUs Dinesh Yadav who is the JDU candidate this time too.

BJP sources say that during seat-sharing talks, Madhepura was among the handful of seats the JDU was stubborn about keeping in its kitty. Now, they say its incumbent upon JDU to retain it when this Yadav bastion goes to polls on Tuesday.

WHY IS IT A TEST FOR NITISH?

There are two reasons why the seat is a test for Nitish Kumars leadership in Bihar amid murmurs of BJP being keen on the top post. Dinesh Yadav not only has the baggage of anti-incumbency but is locally unpopular, according to BJP sources. Despite the Modi factor and 1.5 lakh Rajputs, three lakh OBCs and two lakh Brahmins being pro-BJP, Yadavs unpopularity may cost the NDA, fears the BJP.

On a larger scale, Nitish Kumar has to prove his Sushasan Babu credentials are intact enough in Bihar to ensure victory of its candidate from a seat that the BJPs survey found would have been best given to someone else.

Madhepura is a Yadav bastion that traditionally favoured RJD. But Sharad Yadav won on a JDU ticket in 2009 riding on Nitish Kumars popularity and JDUs Dinesh Yadav won in 2019 riding on PM Modis popularity. But ever since, much has changed. Is Nitish Kumars image of a good administrator still intact? If it is, it shouldnt be a problem for the JDU to retain the seat armed with Modi-jis popularity, said a BJP source on condition of anonymity.

But what the source left unsaid was what if JDU fails to retain Madhepura? The seat thus is more than just a constituency for Kumar. It is his battle to prove his political relevance in Bihar  a state where he is serving as the chief minister for the ninth term.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
The Congress and BJP will lock horns on the electoral battleground again in less than a fortnight in Karnataka, as the stage is set for the second phase of elections in the 14 remaining Lok Sabha seats on Tuesday.

It is going to be a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Parliamentary segments in the northern districts. The JD(S) is not contesting in these seats and is supporting its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner  the BJP.

The state has a total of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. The first phase of polling in 14 seats in most of the southern and coastal districts was held on April 26. A total of 227 candidates  206 men and 21 women  are in the fray for the second phase.

More than 2.59 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 28,269 polling stations where voting will take place between 7 am to 6 pm. The segments where elections will be held on Tuesday are: Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shimoga.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had swept all these 14 seats, defeating Congress and JD(S), which were in alliance and ruling the state then. Having scored a thumping victory in the Assembly elections last year, the Congress now appears determined to put up a strong show.

Karnataka is the most important state for the BJP in south India as its only here that it has held power in the past. Speaking to PTI, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena said adequate security arrangements have been made for Tuesdays polling.

Around 1.45 lakh polling officials have been deployed across the 14 constituencies. In addition, 35,000 civil police personnel, 65 companies of Central Paramilitary forces and armed police of other states will be deployed for the polling day, he said. Besides this, 4,000 micro-observers will also be on duty and 17,000 polling stations will be covered by webcasting, he added.

Davangere has the maximum number of 30 candidates, followed by 23 in Shimoga and Raichur has the least number  eight. Former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Jagadish Shettar (Balgaum), Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar)  all from BJP; Congress Geetha Shivrajkumar (Shimoga)  wife of actor Shivrajkumar and daughter of former CM S Bangarappa and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharges son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani (Gulbarga), are among the prominent names in the fray.

Also in the contest are MP and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappas son B Y Raghavendra, suspended party leader and former Deputy CM K S Eshwarappa  both from Shimoga, former Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and ex-Minister B Sreeramulu of BJP from Uttara Kannada and Bellary respectively and retired IAS officer G Kumar Naik of Congress from Raichur. Stakes are high for several Ministers in this phase with their children in fray.

Sons of Ministers Laxmi Hebbalkar and Eshwar Khandre  Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar and Sagar Khandre  are contesting from Belgaum and Bidar respectively, while daughters of Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Shivanand Patil -Priyanka Jarkiholi and Samyukta Patil- are in contention in Chikkodi and Bagalkot respectively. Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun and daughter-in-law of veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, is in the fray from Davangere.

The Congress performance in the elections, especially in the second phase which covers almost all Lingayat-dominated districts, is crucial, as the party did not win one of them in 2019, and to also check whether the grand old party has managed to retain the support of a section of Lingayats  considered as the BJPs core vote-base  which seemed to have somewhat shifted towards it in the 2023 Assembly polls. The Lok Sabha election is being seen as a big test of sorts for Congress state unit chief D K Shivakumar, who has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister, amid speculations of change in guard mid-way of the Assembly term. The stakes are also high for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as victory in this election is seen as key to strengthening his hands, analysts say.

It is also seen as a kind of a litmus test for state BJP president B Y Vijayendra, who has the onerous task of helping the party retain its supremacy in the Lok Sabha polls, by regaining its traditional Lingayat vote-base. Ensuring a BJP sweep is paramount for the son of veteran leader B S Yediyurappa, to consolidate his position and silence critics who have questioned his selection to the post, overlooking seniors and seasoned hands.

The ruling Congress is mostly banking on the implementation of its populist five guarantee schemes while the BJP seems to be leveraging the Modi factor to the hilt.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed a poll rally in Odishas Nabarangpur. He will attend another election rally in Berhampur shortly after.

The prime minister will also attend two NDA meetings for the Lok Sabha Election 2024 in Andhra Pradesh, along with alliance partners TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan. The first meeting is scheduled in the afternoon at Vemagiri in Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari district, followed by another public meeting in the evening at Anakapalli in the eponymous district.

Meanwhile, the high-octane campaign for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections that saw the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA bloc fiercely attacking each other on issues like reservations and sexual harassment charges against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna concluded on Sunday evening in 92 seats spread over 11 states and Union Territories.

The stakes are significant for the BJP in this round as the party had in 2019 won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, that will go to polls on May 7.

Latest Updates In Lok Sabha Elections 2024

PM Modi addressed a public rally in Odishas Nabarangpur and sought peoples blessing for the BJPs victory in all 21 seats of the state.

He also stated that June 21 is the expiry date of BJD.

The people of Odisha have strength and passion, but I am saddened to see that the BJD government did not give you the right opportunities. The BJD government did not allow the schemes of Modi to be implemented. The schemes that were implemented were stamped with corruption by the BJD the prime minister said.

Chhattisgarh is in your neighbourhood, there was a BJP government for 15 years, and recently the people of the state again elected the BJP with a huge majority. Today, a tribal son is running the Chhattisgarh government. BJP is improving Chhattisgarh the prime minister added.

PM Modi is expected to land at Rajamahendravaram airport in Andhra Pradesh around noon. He will address his first meeting here at 3.30 pm and then proceed to Anakapalli for the second meeting scheduled at 5.30 pm. The twin PM meetings dubbed Prajagalam (peoples voice) come ahead of Andhra Pradeshs simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections on May 13.

Kanhaiya Kumar, the Congress candidate from the Northeast Delhi constituency, will file his nomination for the May 25 Lok Sabha elections on Monday. The former student leader will also take out a procession from near Maujpur Metro Station to the election office to file his nomination.

The Pune unit of the NCP(SP) has said that party chief Sharad Pawar has cancelled his events on Monday over health reasons. In a statement released on Sunday, Prashant Jagtap, the city president of NCP (SP), said Pawar had some discomfort in the throat while addressing a rally in Baramati in support of his daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule earlier in the day. All engagements of Pawar, including political rallies, scheduled for Monday have been cancelled over health reasons, he said, adding that the NCP (SP) president is resting at his home in Baramati.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, who is the BJP candidate for Gujarats Gandhinagar, will both cast their vote in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday (May 7). The high-stakes phase will have bigwigs from the ruling party and prominent names from the opposition INDIA bloc.

A day before the polling, in a post on X, the prime minister said he will be voting in Ahmedabad, which is under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. He urged others to come out and cast their vote in record numbers.

After todays exceptional programmes in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, reached Gujarat. In the morning tomorrow, 7th May, I will be voting in Ahmedabad. I urge all those who are to vote tomorrow to do so in record numbers as well. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 6, 2024

Voting will be held in 94 constituencies spread over 10 states and one union territory. Over 1,300 candidates, including 120 women, are in the fray and more than 11 crore people will be eligible to vote in this phase.

All eyes are on the BJP, which won an overwhelming majority in these seats  all in Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh  in the 2019 general elections. Apart from Amit Shah in Gandhinagar, other big names are Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra).

In the run-up to the third phase, the BJP-led NDA and the INDIA bloc have fiercely attacked each other on issues like reservations and sexual harassment charges against JD(S)-BJP candidate Prajwal Revanna.

Who are the key candidates?

While Prime Minister Modi will only be casting his vote in this phase, Shah is the biggest name to be contesting the election in the third phase. The two leaders will cast their vote in Ahmedabad city, which is under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Vidisha) and Digvijaya Singh (Rajgarh) have also returned to the poll fray this time. Amid allegations of sexual abuse against BJP-JD(S) candidate Prajwal Revanna, who has managed to flee the country, the fate of former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) will also be decided.

Baramati is also poised for a riveting contest as sitting MP and Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule takes on her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, who is the wife of deputy CM and Sharad Pawars estranged nephew Ajit Pawar.

In UP, it is an all-important phase for the Yadavs with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple Yadav aiming to retain the Mainpuri. She had won this seat in a bypoll following the death of her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav.

There are others from the family in the fray too. Akshaya Yadav, son of SP national principal general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, will try to reclaim Firozabad that he won in 2014. Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from Budaun, which was represented by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014.

What were the key issues during the campaign?

Wealth redistribution and inheritance tax became the most talked-about issues ahead of the third phase of polling. The PM led the BJP charge, asking the Congress to give in writing that it will not hand over the quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to Muslims. Leaders of the saffron party accused the Congress of pursuing appeasement politics.

The Congress and its allies, meanwhile, accused the BJP of trying to tamper with the Constitution and do away with reservations. The principal opposition party, which has promised to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations, also asked the BJP to clear its stance on the issue. The party reiterated its commitment to conduct a caste census and economic survey if voted to power.

Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have attacked the BJP over allegations of sexual abuse against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna of the JD(S), which is an ally of the BJP. Hitting back, Shah and others questioned why the Congress government in Karnataka delayed the action against the JD(S) leader.

Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda and was the JD(S)-BJP alliance candidate from the Hassan seat, which went to polls on April 26. Prajwals father HD Revanna was arrested by the special investigation team on May 4 in a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegations against his son, soon after a court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

The BJP has already bagged Surat unopposed, so 25 seats in the PM Modis home state of Gujarat will go to polls, besides 11 seats in Maharashtra, 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the remaining 14 out of 28 in Karnataka, seven in Chhattisgarh, five in Bihar, four each in Assam and West Bengal, and both seats in Goa. Voting will also take place in Dadra and Nagar Haveli as well as Daman and Diu (two seats), and nine seats in Madhya Pradesh, including Betul where the election was deferred.

After the third phase, voting will be completed in 283 out of 543 seats in Lok Sabha. The next four phases will be on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes is on June 4.

Here is all you need to know about the states and UTs going to polls in the third phase:

Assam: The BJP has put up only one candidate in this phase for the Guwahati seat, while its alliance partners Asom Gana Parishad are contesting in two  Dhubri and Barpeta  and the UPPL in Kokrajhar. The Congress is contesting from all four seats  Dhubri, Barpeta, Kokrajhar (ST) and Guwahati. With this, polling will conclude in Assam. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and union minister Sarbananda Sonowal spearheaded the campaign for the BJP in the state, stressing on the importance of the PM Modis return for a third successive term. Opposition parties, led by Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, Raijor Dals Akhil Gogoi and Assam Jatiya Parishads Lurinjyoti Gogoi, focused on issues such as citizenship, connectivity, infrastructure, unemployment, and price rise.

Bihar: The constituencies in the third phase are Araria, Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura and Khagaria, all held by the NDA. More than 98 lakh people will vote in Bihar to decide the fate of 54 candidates. The BJP holds Araria, where sitting MP Pradeep Singhs bid to retain the seat has received the main challenge from RJDs Shahnawaz, whose late father Taslimuddin, a former union minister, had wrested the constituency from the saffron party leader in 2014, surmounting the Modi wave. The RJD is also locked in straight battles with JD(U) in Madhepura and Supaul. Young voters are significant in number, with 1.45 lakh in the age group of 18-19 and another 22.84 lakh aged between 20 and 29 years.

Chhattisgarh: Amid heightened security, the remaining seven seats  Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (SC), Surguja (ST) and Raigarh (ST)  will vote in the third phase with 168 candidates in the fray. The main contest lies between the BJP, which had won 10 out of 11 seats in 2004, 2009 and 2014. In 2019, the BJP bagged nine constituencies and the Congress two. A total of 1,39,01,285 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. High-profile Raipur is also included in this phase, where state minister and BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal is facing off against former MLA Vikas Upadhyay of the Congress. In Korba seat, the BJP has fielded its influential woman leader and former MP Saroj Pandey against the sitting MP Jyotsana Mahant, wife of the incumbent leader of the opposition Charandas Mahant. A high-decibel campaign saw exchanges over issues like corruption, reservation and Naxalism.

Goa: More than 11 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa, where the Congress and BJP are locked in a straight fight. The coastal state has two Lok Sabha constituencies, North Goa and South Goa. North Goa will see the BJPs sitting MP Shripad Naik take on Ramakant Khalap of the Congress while, in South Goa, the saffron party has fielded entrepreneur Pallavi Dempo against Navy-veteran-turned politician Viriato Fernandes of the Congress. The South Goa Lok Sabha seat is currently held by Francisco Sardinha of the Congress. A total of 16 candidates, eight each in North and South Goa, are in the fray.

Gujarat: The BJPs Mukesh Dalal has already won from Surat unopposed after the nomination of Congresss Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected and other candidates withdrew. The saffron party had swept all 26 seats in 2019 and is hoping to blank out the Congress once again. Bypolls to five assembly seats will also be held simultaneously. Modi and Shah will cast their vote in Ahmedabad city, which is under Gandhinagar seat. Modi will exercise his franchise at a booth in Nishan Public School in Ranip locality, while Shah will vote at Naranpura sub-zonal office in the city. Poll officials said 4.97 crore people  2.56 crore males, 2.41 crore females and 1,534 from the third gender  will vote in 50,788 polling booths in urban and rural areas.

Karnataka: Polling will be held in 14 constituencies  Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shivamogga. Former CM Basavaraj Bommai is contesting from Haveri.

Madhya Pradesh: The third phase will decide the political fate of former CMs Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijaya Singh, as well as civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Voting will be held for nine seats in Madhya Pradesh and more than 1.77 crore voters will decide the fate of 127 candidates contesting from Morena, Bhind (SC), Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh and Betul (ST). Chief electoral officer (CEO), Madhya Pradesh, Anupam Rajan, told reporters that polling in Betul was initially scheduled to be held in the second phase on April 26, but was deferred to the third phase due to the death of a candidate. Scindia is seeking to reclaim his home turf Guna, which he lost in 2019 when he was in the Congress. Chouhan is contesting from Vidisha constituency, a saffron fortress which he had represented five times in Lok Sabha in the past, after almost 17 years, facing Congress candidate Pratap Bhanu Sharma. In Rajgarh, 77-year-old Congress veteran and former CM Digvijaya Singh is seeking to reclaim his lost legacy after more than 30 years. His challenger is two-time BJP MP Rodmal Nagar. He won from Rajgarh in 1984 and 1991 but lost in 1989. He became the CM of Madhya Pradesh in 1993. Of the total 29 seats in the state, polling has concluded for 12 seats in the first two phases on April 19 and 26. The remaining eight will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.

Maharashtra: All eyes are on Baramati as polling takes place in 11 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The spotlight is on the high-stakes battle, where Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule is pitted against Ajit Pawars wife Sunetra Pawar. Polling will take place in Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale. Prominent contestants also include royal scions Shahu Chhatrapati of the Congress in Kolhapur and BJPs Udayanraje Bhosale in Satara as well as union minister Narayan Rane in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Altogether 2.09 crore persons are eligible to vote for 258 candidates in the third phase.

Uttar Pradesh: The Yadav family members are in focus in the third phase as 10 constituencies are going to polls in the third phase. While Dimple Yadav is aiming to retain the Mainpuri seat, which she won in the bypolls following the death of her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akshaya Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, the national principal general secretary of SP, will try to reclaim the Firozabad seat that he had won in 2014. Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from the Budaun, which was represented by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014. Besides the Yadav family members, polling will be held to seal the fate of union minister SP Singh Baghel, state tourism minister Jayveer Singh, minister of state for revenue Anoop Pradhan Balmiki. Baghel, Jayveer Singh, and Balmiki are contesting from Agra (SC), Mainpuri, and Hathras (SC) Lok Sabha seats, respectively. Rajveer Singh, son of former Uttar Pradesh CM and BJP stalwart Kalyan Singh, is looking to score a hat-trick from the Etah parliamentary constituency.

West Bengal: The four seats going to polls are Muslim-majority. The division of minority votes among the Left-Congress combine and the TMC and the narrative on the Citizenship Amendment Act could shape outcomes in Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad. The ruling TMC holds both Murshidabad and Jangipur Lok Sabha seats. A total of 73,37,651 voters, including 36,12,395 women and 154 third-genders, are eligible to exercise their franchise. Murshidabad will witness a key contest between senior CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim, TMCs Abu Taher Khan and BJP nominee Gouri Shankar Ghosh. Heavyweights like Shah, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge campaigned for their party candidates in the state.

(With PTI inputs)
Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a warning to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu over his remarks on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy during a poll rally.

The poll body directed the former Chief Minister to be careful with his speeches against CM and YSRCP President Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Election Commission of India directs Former CM and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to be careful with his speeches against Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy: Election Commission of India ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

This comes after Naidu in a strongly-worded criticism of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, accused him of being a dictator in nature and a psycho in behaviour.

During his speech, Naidu also commented on Reddys mental state adding that his behaviour indicates the chief miniser is not mentally stable as a stable person makes stable decisions, which Reddy is failing to do.

There are some clear indications that his mental condition is not sound. It is what we have been fighting for the last many days. A stable person will make stable decisions. He is a dictator in nature and a psycho in behaviour. He looted the state and destroyed the economy, an NDTV report quoted former chief minister as saying.

Only Jagan Mohan Reddy has money in the state. Everyone else is poor. Now he is bidding for private lands as well. How can he control my property? If I have to sell my land, I have to get permission from an officer appointed by Jagan Reddy. All these are mad acts, he added.

Naidu also alleged that Chief Minister Reddy had plundered and ruined the states economy.

On Sunday, Naidu in one of his speeches, labelled Reddy as a gang leader of robbers and landgrabbers and called on people to dump the fan  the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) election symbol  in the dustbin.

The Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held simultaneously on May 13. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

In the 2019 Assembly elections, the YSRCP logged a thumping majority, winning 151 seats, while the TDP was confined to just 23.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
For the first time, after decades since terrorism erupted in Jammu and Kashmir, a leader from a mainstream political party visited the Jamia Masjid in the heart of downtown Srinagar and offered prayers on Monday. The historic mosque has been the epicentre of anti-India protests in the past with frequent clashes after Friday congregations.

Syed Altaf Bukhari, who formed the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party after the abrogation of Article 370, entered the mosque and offered prayers while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. He was accompanied by his partys Srinagar candidate Mohammad Ashraf Mir and other leaders.

His visit to Jamia Masjid came after Kashmirs chief priest and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar said the Hurriyat was not against the idea of elections, and that the call to boycott made no sense after the revocation of special status to J&K. He has been leading Friday congregational prayers at the mosque and has blamed the government for restricting his movement and stopping him from his religious obligations.

Bukhari told reporters that Mirwaiz never promoted violence, but a narrative was created against him. Mirwaiz was never in favour of violence, a narrative has been created that he supports violence. His family has been targeted since 1947, but they have never advocated violence. People also called us agents and whatnot, he said, adding, I want to credit the people for the peace. I feel happy to be inside this mosque today.

In 2015, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed visited the mosques periphery but did not enter. For decades, clashes between the security forces and youth were a common sight at Jamia and the areas surrounding it. Street violence has now reduced after a crackdown by the Centre.

A Pakistan-based terror outfit recently slammed Mirwaiz for his statement about elections, terming it cowardice. His father Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was killed inside his home 33 years ago. The police say it was done on the instructions of an ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) handler in Pakistan.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Amid the ongoing political slugfest between the BJP and Congress in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on the Muslim community to reflect on their role in national progress, cautioning them against attempts by the opposition to exploit religious divides for political gains.

I am saying this for the first time to the Muslim samaj (community) and their educated faction: please introspect. The country is moving ahead, but why does your community feel something is missing? Why did you not get the benefits of government schemes during the Congress era? Reflect on whether you experienced hardship during that period, he said in a TV interview. I urge the Muslim samaj to think about the future of their children, and also about their own future. I dont want any community to live the life of bonded labor because someone is creating an atmosphere of fear, he added.

Ye aapke(Musalman) mann me jo hai ki satta par hum baithayenge, hum utaarenge.Modiji finally spoke his heart out today on Muslims. Thats what we all have been waiting for ! pic.twitter.com/vFNzA8TTyE  BALA (@erbmjha) May 6, 2024

Religious Divide

These candid remarks from Modi come as BJP alleges that Congress is playing with fire by attempting to create a Hindu-Muslim divide for electoral gains. Social media users lauded Modis bid to reach out to the Muslim community. An eye opener. He is the only hope not only for the majority community but for the minorities as well, not only in India but all over the world as well, said one of the users on X. PM Speaking so openly, only Modi could do it. He has clarity hence he is not scared to speak on the topic untouched for the last 70 years, said another.

Yet another said, No doubt, Progressive community are above this religious divide created by INDI Alliance. Many of my colleagues, friends and known ones are thinking about their childrens future and know that anyone who can create a real difference in their lives is one and only @narendramodi. Need more candid talks of PM on every issue.. Earlier on Sunday, PM Modi said Muslims now understand that the Congress and INDIA bloc are using them as pawns, asserting that the community is distancing itself from them after seeing the development carried out by the BJP.

Muslim brothers and sisters

Addressing a rally in support of BJP candidate Rekha Verma in Dhaurahra, Modi said that the poor and those belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities have also come to the BJP. Muslim brothers and sisters are seeing that (houses under) PM housing scheme were given to all the needy. Be it water connection or gas cylinder under Ujjwala Yojana, every government benefit was given to allthey (Muslims) are also getting benefits of all schemes without discrimination, Modi said.

The Muslim community also realises that the Congress and INDI alliance have made them pawns, he said, adding that that is why the Muslim community is also distancing itself from these contractors of vote bank politics. Now, to save the Muslim vote bank, these people (opposition) are playing a new game and are out doing appeasement in the open, he said. The prime minister said the manifesto of the opposition reflects the Muslim Leagues thinking.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis second visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya in 103 days, after the historic pran pratishtha, has exposed the double-talk by the Congress and Samajwadi Party on the point of paying obeisance at the temple.

Neither the Gandhis nor the Yadavs in Uttar Pradesh have visited the temple so far. While there was speculation that the Gandhi siblings could visit the temple before the filing of nominations from Amethi and Raebareli, it did not happen. Akhilesh Yadav has turned down not one but two invitations to visit the temple  first for the January 22 inauguration and, the second, by the Uttar Pradesh speaker who led an all-party delegation on February 11.

The Congress had termed the January 22 ceremony as an event of the BJP and RSS and said no one needed an invitation to go to a temple. Yadav, while declining it, had said he will surely visit at a later date along with his whole family. More than 100 days have passed, but neither the Gandhis nor the Yadavs have visited the temple. Modi registered this fact as he visited the temple on Sunday and also held a 2-km road show in Ayodhya late into the night.

Timing of PMs Ayodhya visit

As the Uttar Pradesh election enters the crucial Awadh area in the fourth and fifth phases, the Ayodhya sentiment is expected to peak. That may explain why the prime minister was in Ayodhya for the road show ahead of polling on May 20.

Amethi, Raebareli and Sultanpur are adjoining Lok Sabha seats to Ayodhya and Prime Minister Modi has already escalated his attacks on the Gandhis and the Yadavs for not visiting the temple so far, putting the opposition in a quandary over this issue.

Recently, at a public rally, he took a swipe at the Congress for skipping the temple inauguration saying: The Congress thinks it is bigger than the Lord. He had also said INDIA bloc allies Congress and SP had insulted Ram and did not care about Indias heritage. Further, in a recent interview, he referred to the opposition saying: You should be proud that the people who have built the Ram Mandir, those who have also struggled for it, forget all your sins. They come to your house and invite you. And they want to start anew. (But) you also reject them.

Cong leaders quit over decision to decline temple inauguration

A number of Congress leaders have quit the party citing how they were hurt by the party turning down the January 22 invitation. The latest was Congress spokesperson Radhika Khera, who resigned from her primary membership on Sunday, saying she was under relentless attack inside the party as she had visited the temple in Ayodhya and said she was a devotee of Ram.

Acharya Pramod Krishnan also attended the January 22 ceremony and was expelled by the Congress soon after. Other party leaders who have quit the party over this matter include spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, former union minister Suresh Pachouri and three-time MLA CJ Chavda.

This begs the question why the Congress and SP have chosen not to visit the Ram temple after January 22  the BJP is now openly questioning this, asking if this is due to vote bank politics. Both the opposition parties find themselves in a fix over this in UP.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
YS Sharmila, who joined the Congress a few months ago, finds herself in the poll battle for the Lok Sabha from Andhra Pradesh. Pitted against her own brother Jagan Mohan Reddy, Sharmila, in a no-holds barred interview, opens up on why she chose to go to the Congress, her clearing up misunderstandings with Sonia Gandhi and why she feels power has gone to her brothers head.

The daughter of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, the late YS Rajasekhar Reddy, will take on YSRCP candidate Avinash Reddy from Kadapa in the upcoming elections. Avinash is also Sharmilas cousin. The feud between the family was created after Sharmila and her cousin accused Avinash of being responsible for the murder of Jagans uncle in 2019 just ahead of the elections.

Edited Excerpts:

Its your first election. Are you feeling confident or nervous?

This has come as a complete surprise to me, given that Im contesting from Kadapa. It wouldnt have come to this had my own brother (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) not chosen to field my cousin (Avinash Reddy) from here. Avinash is an accused in my uncles murder.

Many people want to know why you decided to join the Congress as the popular opinion is that the party was very unfair to your family after your fathers demise.

There were misunderstandings that had to be cleared. When I met Sonia Gandhi ahead of the Telangana elections last year before joining the party, I asked her why the name of my father was included in the CBI chargesheet [accusing him of corruption]. She told me she did not intend to do that. She also told me the respect that she had for my late father. She told me she could understand my pain as she had seen her own husband being named in a chargesheet in a case after his death. Later, a Congress leader spilled the beans and told me that an advocate went to three courts to get my late fathers name added to the chargesheet. It was done at the behest of my brother to get relief in all cases. Interestingly, within six days of becoming the chief minister, my brother promoted this advocate to the position of AAG. This was truly shocking for me.

Why is there so much animosity between the two of you?

I was very close to my brother and worked very closely with him, including holding the Padayatra for more than 3,200 kilometres to establish him as the leader of YSRCP. But once he sat on the chair of the chief minister, he was a completely changed man. I could not recognise my brother anymore. He did not care much about the ideology and other commitments, including ensuring justice for my cousin Sunita whose father was murdered. All the fingers were pointing at Avinash. I tried to convince my brother that we have to give support to Sunita, who is demanding justice for her father and that if shes not happy with the probe by the state government, we must order a CBI enquiry. But he chose to look the other way. A lot of things kept on piling up and now it has come to this.

Your brother alleges that you have fallen into this trap laid by Chandrababu Naidu and Revanth Reddy and that you will lose your deposit in this election.

It is ridiculous to think Naidu and Reddy impacted my decision. Can my brother prove anything? I met Naidu only once in my lifetime inspired by my father. My father had invited him to my wedding, and he graciously came. In the same spirit, I went to invite him for my childs marriage. For this wedding, I invited all leaders from TRS and Pawan Kalyan. It seems my brother is obsessed with Naidu. He thinks that anything that PM Narendra Modi is doing is also inspired by Naidu. If my brother is feeling so bad about me contesting the elections from Kadapa, all he needs to do is ask his candidate to withdraw. This was the same request made to him by my aunt (wife of her uncle who was allegedly murdered). If he is so confident that I will lose my deposit from here, then why is it that his wife and entire team are canvassing for Avinash? If it was clear-cut, there was no need to campaign for Avinash.

Do you think the government has worked towards the aspirations of the people of Andhra Pradesh?

It has been 10 years since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy have delivered nothing. People of the state feel cheated because both these parties are hand-in-glove with BJP and are supporting BJP for reasons best known to them. Both claimed that they will bring the BJP on its knees with their demand for special status. But none of them have said anything on that. If special status was given to Andhra Pradesh, it would benefit us in a big way economically. We would be in a position to compare our growth with the neighbouring states. Just giving doles is not good governance. In fact, prices have gone up, including those of petrol and diesel, compared to neighbouring states. Reddy made multiple promises of welfare for farmers etc but delivered nothing.

What about the criticism coming your way for ensuring reservation for the Muslim community?

This was something my father thought for long and implemented to ensure that the weakest section of society was uplifted. If reservation can be given on the basis of caste, then why not religion? Who will bring up the weakest community and ensure the future of the children? Why should the BJP object? We do not need BJP to lecture us on religion and vote bank. The prime minister himself uses religion for appeasement. Wasnt Lord Ram existent before they came to power? This appeasement in the name of religion is going to get more and more aggressive if the BJP comes to power again.

Did you ever think that youd be contesting Lok Sabha elections?

The Congress thinks I can be useful in Andhra Pradesh so I am contesting elections from here. In the first place, I never even thought of joining politics. Life has always been a bag of surprises for me. Both the TDP and YSR Congress have an understanding with BJP. They have not demanded special status, which is oxygen for our state. There is a voice that is needed for the cause of the people of Andhra Pradesh. The Congress seems to be the right platform to raise that voice and therefore, I decided to contest elections.

Who, according to you, is the political heir of your late father?

We are both, undisputedly, his children and there is nothing like one will have to carry forward his political legacy. Both of us can do our own thing in our own way. The only thing is that we have to make our father proud and I can certainly say I am on that path.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Vice-chancellors of prestigious universities and academicians have written an open letter, categorically and unequivocally discarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhis baseless allegations during Lok Sabha election campaigning that vice-chancellors are picked solely on the basis of affiliation with some organisations, instead of merit and qualification. The signatories, including 181 current and former V-Cs, along with heads of regulatory authorities such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), have sought action against Gandhi.

It has come to our notice from tweet and open sources of Shri Rahul Gandhi, Congress Leader, that appointment of Vice Chancellors is made solely on the basis of affiliation with some organisation rather than on the basis of merit and qualification thereby questioning the merit of the process through which the Vice Chancellors are appointed. We categorically and unequivocally discard such claims, it said.

In view of the fact that Shri Rahul Gandhi has resorted to falsehood and has defamed the Office of the Vice Chancellors at large with the intent to derive the political mileage out of it. It is therefore, earnestly prayed that appropriate action be taken against him forthwith in accordance with law, the V-Cs said.

181 Vice Chancellors and Academic leaders write an open letter opposing Rahul Gandhis comments on selection process of University heads- pic.twitter.com/1R9X367t5n pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) May 6, 2024

Reacting to it, UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, The vice-chancellors are not being appointed on their calibre and experience, but on the number of days they have worked for the sangh. Such Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers will never have transparency. They will never be loyal, true to education.

Among the signatories are incumbent VCs from institutions including Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, MS University, Baroda, Central University of Haryana, Mahendragarh, North East Hill University, Shillong, the president of the Association of Indian Universities, the chairperson of AICTE, former chairperson of University Grants Commission (UGC), and the director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), among others.

SELECTION BASED ON ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROWESS

The letter stated that the process by which vice-chancellors are selected is characterised by stringent, transparent rigorous procedure grounded on values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction and integrity.

#WATCH | On Vice Chancellors' open letter opposing Congress leader Rahul Gandhis remarks on the selection process of VCs, UP Congress President Ajay Rai says, "The Vice Chancellors are not being appointed on their calibre and experience but on the number of days they have worked pic.twitter.com/ZWhfBrx97b ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

The selection has been completely based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take universities ahead. The array of academic disciplines and professional experiences represented amongst us stands as evidence of the unbiased and inclusive nature of the selection procedure. It reflects our dedication to cultivating an atmosphere that values and promotes diversity, encourages independent thinking, and supports scholastic achievement, it states.

The V-Cs further wrote: In our capacity as guardians of knowledge and administrators of academia, we maintain an unwavering commitment to maintaining the utmost levels of governance integrity, ethical behaviour, and institutional integrity. We encourage productive discourse and active participation from all relevant stakeholders, as we collaboratively strive to define the trajectory of Higher education in our country. We strongly urge all individuals involved to exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, to abstain from spreading unfounded rumours, and to participate in dialogue that is well-informed, constructive, and supportive of our shared goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive educational environment. We would like to reaffirm our steadfast dedication to the principles of meritocracy, integrity, and excellence within the realm of higher education.
In pics: Explore ancient Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou, SE China's Fujian

People's Daily Online) 16:22, May 06, 2024

People are seen on the Luoyang Bridge in Luojiang district, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Li Changqian)

The Luoyang Bridge in Luojiang district, Quanzhou city, southeast China's Fujian Province, built in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), has a timeless allure that attracts visitors from everywhere to admire its classic beauty.

In 1988, the Luoyang Bridge was designated as a cultural relic under key state protection in China.

On July 25, 2021, China's "Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China" was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site. This addition marks the 56th World Heritage site in China, with the Luoyang Bridge being one of the 22 representative historical sites.

According to Lyu Peiji, director of the Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Bureau of Luojiang district, the inclusion of "Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China" has led to a tourism boom in the area.

Records show that during the Spring Festival holiday in 2024, the Luoyang Bridge welcomed nearly 40,000 tourist visits per day.

In 2023, Luojiang district received 3.13 million tourist visits, with the Luoyang Bridge contributing a third of that number.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections on Monday, said that his party would remove the Supreme Court-mandated limit of 50 per cent reservation. We will give the amount of reservation required by the Dalits, Adivasis, backwards and poor, he said.

Rahul, whose candidature from Rae Bareli was announced last week, was addressing a rally in Madhya Pradeshs Ratlam district. This is an election to save Constitution. BJP and RSS want to finish it, change it. Were trying to save it. They want to take away your rights of water, forest and land. PM Modi wants his rule.

We want to stop him, he said, adding that public sector, reservation and health facilities are there because of the Constitution.

All the rights that the Adivasis, backwards and Dalits get, are due to this (Constitution). BJP leaders have said very clearly that if they come to power, they will put this book aside. This is why they have given a slogan of 400 seats. They are not going to get even 150 seats, Rahul, who is also contesting the polls from Wayanad, said.

He further said, Their leaders have been saying that they will take away the reservation We will increase the reservations to more than 50%. We will remove the 50% limit implemented by the court. We will give the amount of reservation required by the Dalits, Adivasis, backwards and poor.

The Congress leaders comments come amid the high-end battle between the NDA and the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, has taken several jibes at the Opposition party over reservation and wealth distribution.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 1, had slammed that the Congress saying that their intention is to loot the reservation and give it to Muslims. I challenge the Shehzada of Congress to declare that they will never misuse the reservation based on religion They will not declare this because there is something suspicious.

The PM said that the Opposition wants to snatch away the reservation for their vote bank, adding that they should give a written declaration that they will not give reservation on a religious basis.

Rahul, at the Ratlam rally, also said that caste census would be a game changer for the politics in the nation. We gave Land Acquisition Bill, Forest Rights Act. Whatever we do for your rights, they reverse it when they come to power. There is no stake of Adivasi, Dalit, Pichhde in the country. We want to change it.

For this, he said, the Congress gas decided that that a caste-based census will be done in the country. There will be an economic survey. Everything will come out. It is a revolutionary work. It will change the politics of India. We will do it.

The Congress leader said that after coming to power, the grand old party will raise MGNREGA payment from Rs 250 to Rs 400 per day. They will also introduce Pehli Naukri Pakki scheme, which will ensure job for one year to unemployed youth in country.

This election is for saving the Constitution, quotas, and rights of tribal, Rahul Gandhi said.

(With agency inputs)

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
ARTICLE UPDATED ON MAY 6, 2024: In light of the 2024 General elections, the same video has been going viral, claiming to depict people destroying EVMs found in BJP leaders car. However, as demonstrated below, the visuals are from the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, showing villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura district vandalizing electoral materials due to rumors that officials are tampering with EVMs. There is no mention of any political party in the press note released by the Election Commission.

During the Karnataka elections, a video of a mob vandalising EVM and VVPAT machines was shared on social media platforms with a claim that these EVMs were found in a BJP leaders car. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.

Claim: Visuals of people destroying EVMs found in BJP leaders car during Karnataka elections.

Fact: These visuals were from the elections in Karnataka. Influenced by rumours that officials were tampering with the EVMs, villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura district vandalised the electoral material, being carried by the election officials in duty-bound vehicles. There is no mention of any political party in the press note released by the Election commission. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.

In Karnataka, elections to the state assembly were held on May 10, 2023. According to the primary estimates given by the Election Commission of the state, 72.67% of polling was recorded. There were instances of EVM malfunctioning and violent incidents in some places.

The viral video in question is related to the Karnataka elections. However, these EVMs were not being transported by BJP leaders as claimed in the post. Internet search with relevant keywords yielded news reports that reported the same visuals (here & here).

As per these reports, the visuals are from Masabinala village in Vijayapura district. Influenced by rumours that officials were tampering with the EVMs, villagers vandalised the reserved EVMs being transported in a duty-bound vehicle, and even assaulted an officer.

The State Election Commission released a press note briefing about the polling and the violence reported. According to the Election Commissions statement, the transportation of the reserved Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the Assembly elections was stopped by 100-150 people, while they were being carried in a vehicle by a section officer, from Basavana Begawadi strong room towards Masabinal.

These people attacked the election officials and damaged the election material. Further, the press notes state that 24 accused persons were arrested, and cases were booked under relevant sections. However, there is no mention of any political party in the note.

To sum it up, visuals of mob vandalising EVMs in Karnataka are falsely attributed to BJP.

(This story was originally published by Factly, and republished by News18 as part of the Shakti Collective)
Eyes flashing with anger, a way with words and a lot of emotional anecdotes thrown in: perhaps this is why Priyanka Gandhi Vadras speeches seem to sting the BJP more than all of the Congress leaders put together.

It is also why many in the grand old party compare her to her formidable grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi. But, apart from her looks and the saris they both share, Priyanka Gandhi knows the power of using the media and playing to the gallery.

She is a delight for the journalists, always ready to speak or flash a smile. For many party leaders, she is also far more accessible than her brother and MP Rahul Gandhi. This is why the niggling question arises  what and who is stopping her from taking the poll plunge?

Not the right time

There are many reasons behind this. Party insiders said it is no more than a matter of fate that each time she comes close to taking the plunge, something or the other has intervened to say now is not the right time. It is this delay, which has given the BJP a chance to take potshots at the Congress and accuse Rahul Gandhi of being an obstacle in his sisters way.

Especially so when he was chosen to contest from Raebareli on grounds that it is a legacy that has passed onto him. The BJP asked the question  why him and not her? Why not both? The Congress is yet to come out with a convincing reply.

Crisis manager, time and again

What makes it even more intriguing is the fact that Priyanka has been the crisis manager as well as the trump card in terms of campaigning. When the Rajasthan rebellion showed no signs of ebbing, it was she who stepped in and ensured that Sachin Pilot was placated and encouraged to remain active.

Pilot has shared a good equation with Priyanka, which is why while most of the young leaders have quit the party, he is still one of the most in-demand campaigners for the Congress across India. Sources said she has assured him that things will turn.

Then the Himachal Pradesh crisis: when it seemed that chief minister Sukhvinder Sukhus days were numbered, she only asked one question to the MLAs  What guarantee is there that the governor will call for the formation of a Congress government? They soon fell in line and Sukhu survived.

She again had to step in when the BJP fielded Kangana Ranaut from Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal. The Congress calculated that the best person to take her on would be Vikramaditya Singh, who was not keen and was cold to the party leadership like his mother Pratibha Singh. But, Priyanka swung it for the party again.

Rivalry between Team Rahul and Team Priyanka?

Why not Priyanka  this is the baffling question. Even her worst critics accept that she has more impact than Rahul when it comes to attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Her gender and ease with words give her that edge.

A mix of charisma, enigma, smile and frost gave her mother Sonia Gandhi that edge and many find the same qualities in her. But, that is where it stops. The fact is that the Congress has a dearth of aggressive campaigners who can match the prime ministers prowess except Priyanka.

Insiders and many who have left the party talk about a rivalry between Team Priyanka and Team Rahul. As someone who was her protege, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said: Those considered close to her or are favoured are sidelined. Many face flak. She is known for her temper and has blocked many Congress leaders who have not listened to her.

It is a known fact that Priyanka is keen on active politics. She stayed away earlier as her children were young. When she took the plunge, she wanted to go the whole way. But, Rahul always comes first. Each time he has failed to improve Congress fortunes, there have been demands to bring in Priyanka. But, this is precisely why she has not been sent for.

A senior Congress leader said: Priyanka cant rise on the failure of Rahul Gandhi.

A long wait

So, does this mean her chance will never come? No, it will. It is clear that the Gandhi siblings trust only each other the most. It is just a matter of time before Priyanka takes the poll plunge. Possibly to step in from Wayanad or Raebareli, in case Rahul wins from both and has to give up one.

For Priyanka to step into Rahuls shoes, she has to succeed to ensure that the Congress performs well and that, too, could be a long wait.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Kishori Lal Sharma, Congresss candidate from Amethi who is set to take on Bharatiya Janata Partys Smriti Irani in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, in an exclusive interview to News18, said that he was not a paratrooper", but a leader who has spent more than 40 years in the constituency.

I am no paratrooper. I have given the most productive years of my life to Amethi and have worked here for over 40 years. I have worked with the people here closely. They know me well and have faith in me People are looking forward to rectify their 2019 Lok Sabha poll mistake and will bring the Congress to power," Sharma, who became the first non-Gandhi to be fielded by the party from the seat in 25 years, said.

ALSO READ | Congress Had Announced Its Candidate For Amethi At The Last Minute In 1981 Too. Heres Who He Was

In 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Congresss candidate from Amethi Rahul Gandhi lost to Union Minister Irani. On Friday, the last day of filing nomination, the Congress announced the candidature of Sharma, moving Gandhi to another Congress stronghold of Raebareli. I am sure that I will defeat Smriti Irani," he added.

Our family has had a long association with Kishori Lal Sharma ji. He has always been dedicated to serving the people of Amethi and Raebareli. His passion for public service is an example in itself. Today it is a matter of joy that the Congress party has made Shri Kishori Lal ji a candidate from Amethi. Kishori Lal jis loyalty and dedication towards duty will definitely bring him success in this election. Best wishes," posted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on X.

The Gandhi familys close aide also slammed BJPs Raebareli candidate Dinesh Pratap Singhs peon remark", saying it reflects his upbringing. I am a politician and not a Congress servant. Such remarks reflect the upbringing and mental level of the person. I have a long association with Gandhi family and I respect it wholeheartedly," Sharma said.

Congress' big twist in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections sends shockwaves as Rahul Gandhi opts for contesting in Raebareli. Congress fields Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi#RahulGandhi #Raebareli #LokSabhaElections2024 #Amethi | @_pallavighosh pic.twitter.com/kAksCl2TKT News18 (@CNNnews18) May 3, 2024

ON PM MODIS DARO MAT, BHAGO MAT REMARK

While addressing a rally in Bengal recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Rahul Gandhi had fled Amethi fearing defeat. Today, I also want to tell him, daro mat (dont be afraid), bhago mat (dont run)," Modi had said, mocking Gandhis switch to Raebareli from Amethi.

Responding to it, Sharma said, Those who say that Gandhi ran away might not be aware of the history of the Gandhi-Nehru family and their selfless contribution to the nation. Rahul Gandhi perhaps is the only one who has covered the length and breadth of the country, fighting to save the Constitution."

Sharma also took a dig at the BJP for making false promises. People of Amethi are still waiting for Rs 13/kg wali sugar, which the party promised in 2014 Lok Sabha polls."

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | After filing his nomination from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, Congress candidate KL Sharma says, "Who will win or lose from here, it's in people's hands, we will work hard Election is just a formality, people make their mood for those who work for pic.twitter.com/NaH4CW59Yf ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2024

SHARMAS RISE IN CONGRESS

The Congresss last-minute decision to field Sharma from Amethi not only came as a shocker to the opposition and political analysts, but also to Sharma, who said he never imagined that he would get to contest the elections. The partys decision took me by surprise. I am thankful to Sonia ji, Rahul ji, Priyanka ji and Mallikarjun Kharge ji for considering my candidature for the Lok Sabha Polls," said Sharma, who has been associated with the Grand Old Party since he was 22.

Reminiscing on his long-term association with the Congress, he said, I have been associated with the Gandhi-Nehru family since 1982. After I graduated from Arya College, Ludhiana, I joined a Youth Congress Camp in my district. Back then, Pawan Bansal, who used to be the president of the Youth Congress in Punjab, sent us to Delhi in 1983, where I handled former Prime Minister Indira Gandhis famous 20-point programme."

ALSO READ | Amethi Walkover for Smriti Irani? Why Rahul Gandhis Absence May Snatch Bastion from Congress

He said that he worked religiously and it was due to his diligent working style that Sharma and nine others from the team were picked by former PM Rajiv Gandhi to look after the party affairs in his constituency of Amethi. Mujhe dedh block ka in-charge banaya gaya tha (Initially, I was assigned the task of managing party affairs in one-and-a-half blocks). I was looking after the Bahadurpur block and half of Toloi. However, after seeing my consistency and dedication, I was assigned one state Assembly seat, then three, then one Parliament seat and so on," Sharma told News18.

He said that in 2012, he left Amethi and got posted as a secretary of All India Congress Committee at the national level. In 2014, when there was no strong hand available for the Lok Sabha elections, he chose to come down to Raebareli as a representative of Sonia Gandhi.

AMETHI: THE CONGRESS BASTION

The Congress has won Amethi 11 times in the 14 Lok Sabha elections held for the seat till date. The first Congress candidate to win from Amethi was V D Bajpai in 1967, and then again in 1971. In 1977, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhis younger son Sanjay Gandhi contested the seat for the first time, but lost. In 1980 though, Sanjay won his first Lok Sabha election from the seat. Months after his death, his elder brother Rajiv Gandhi won the seat in a bypoll in 1981 against Lok Dal candidate Sharad Yadav by over two lakh votes.

Rajiv Gandhi, who went on to become Indias Prime Minister in 1984 after the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi, represented Amethi multiple times, winning the elections in 1984, 1989 and 1991.

ALSO READ | Who Is Kishori Lal Sharma? Congress Leader Who Will Face Smriti Irani In Amethi

However, following Rajiv Gandhis assassination in 1991, Satish Sharma, a close aide of the family, won the by-elections for the Amethi seat. He was re-elected in 1996. Two years later, Sharma lost to BJPs Sanjay Singh in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. In 1999, Rajiv Gandhis wife Sonia entered active politics with a debut from Amethi. Five years later, she vacated the seat for her son Rahul, and moved to Raebareli. In the next three elections, Rahul Gandhi carried forward the legacy of the Gandhis, winning three successive elections before his shock defeat to Irani in 2019.

Since the first Lok Sabha election following the second delimitation, the Congress has lost the Amethi seat only thrice  1977, 1998 and 2019.
Last night, Karan Johar took to Instagram and shared a story expressing his disappointment over the promo of a reality comedy show on a supposedly respectable channel that featured a comic mimicking him, which the filmmaker thought was in exceptionally poor taste. I expect this from trolls and faceless and nameless people but when your own industry can disrespect someone who has been in the business for over 25 years it speaks volumes about the times we live inthis doesnt even anger me it just makes me sad! he wrote.

Soon, netizens figured that Karan was hinting at comedian Kettan Singhs set in Madness Machayenge  India Ko Hasayenge that sees Huma Qureshi donning the hat of madness ki malkin. And earlier today, Kettan apologised to Karan, adding that his intention was not to hurt him. Now, in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, another comedian from the show, Snehil Dixit Mehra, who is popularly known as BC Aunty, reacts to the row.

The influencer, whose video interaction with Karan for Bigg Boss OTT in 2021, gained a lot of traction, says that while the idea to offend someone isnt intentional, things often go awry. Doing comedy in todays day and age is very, very risky because some videos are taken out of context and then they dont make sense. Its very tricky being a comedian, she tells us.

Talking about what entails the script-writing process for each set on Madness Machayenge, she says, With a show like this, there are lots of teams involved like writers, producers and the channel team. Additionally, there are compliances, standards and procedures to follow. We, as performers, get a certain script and we need to stick to it.

According to her, its the performers who are at the forefront of a comic set and thats why theyre the ones receiving backlash. And sometimes, in the process, you tend to lose that filter because you realise that theres an entire legal system and people taking care of the same. So, as a performer, you feel that you just need to get on stage and perform. But when it comes to backlash, its the actors and the performers whore at the receiving end of this. Kettan is getting all the backlash. He has an issued an apology too, she says.

As for Snehil, she believes in not encouraging jokes intended to fat shame people on the show and avoid any kind of criticism. We do a lot of fat jokes. What I try to do is while were reading our scripts, I tell them to remove any such jokes if I think theyre offensive because Im not okay with it. Some of them are fun and generate laughter but then, there are also a few that might hurt sentiments. I try and steer clear from them. Yet whenever something like this happens, its the performers who receive backlash, she elaborates.
Arti Singh recently exchanged vows with Mumbai-based businessman Dipak Chauhan in an intimate wedding ceremony at the ISKCON Temple in Mumbai. As the celebrations wind down, Arti Singh has been treating her followers to glimpses of her extravagant wedding and pre-wedding festivities through photos and videos on social media. In a touching video shared by the actress, Dipak Chauhan is seen getting emotional as he watches Arti dance at their Sangeet function.

The video begins with a heartfelt tribute, showcasing nostalgic photos of Arti Singhs late parents, her brother Krushna Abhishek, sister-in-law Kashmera Shah and other family members, displayed on the screen behind her. As cherished memories flood the screen, Arti steps into the spotlight and delivers poignant performances to iconic songs such as Saajan Ke Ghar Jaana Hai, Der Na Ho Jaaye, Maiyaa Yashoda, Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai and more.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arti singh sharma (@artisingh5)

She also dedicated a special performance to her husband, Dipak Chauhan, and her family, leaving them in tears. The genuine affection shared between the couple is palpable throughout the video. Meanwhile, Karan Singh Grover was also seen getting emotional, while Ankita Lokhande and Vicky Jain cheered for Arti. Arti shared the video with the caption: Ye performance toh humesha se ready tha, bass sahi waqt aur sahi insaan ka intezaar tha! (This performance was always ready. I just waited for the right time and the right person).

Fans and followers of the actress flooded the comment section with love and adoration. One user commented, A very emotional performance, while another expressed, Mixed emotions, excitement, the best bride dance ever.

Arti also shared a couple of heartwarming pictures with Dipak Chaudhan from the sangeet ceremony. In one snap moment, Dipak plants a kiss on Artis forehead. Accompanying the post, Arti wrote in the caption, Good things come to those who wait, and our love story is no exceptionLate to the gram, but never late to celebrate us.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arti singh sharma (@artisingh5)

For her sangeet ceremony, Arti adorned herself in a vibrant green heavily embroidered lehenga, while Dipak looked dashing in a black printed kurta paired with a white dhoti set.

Arti and Dipaks grand wedding also saw the presence of Govinda, despite his strained relationship with Krushna Abhishek. The star-studded guest list also included prominent figures Kapil Sharma, Archana Puran Singh, Bipasha Basu, Vishal Aditya Singh, Rashami Desai, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Paras Chhabra, Shefali Jariwala, Mahira Sharma and Yuvika Chaudhary among others.
Priyanka Chahar Chaudhary recently stole the limelight at Bombay Times Fashion Week 2024 with her captivating ramp walk. The Udaariyan stars presence at the event was nothing short of iconic. In a video surfaced on the internet, Priyanka made heads turn with her mesmerising walk and striking some stellar poses at the event.

Priyanka slipped into a dazzling co-ord set featuring a black bralette top layered with multicoloured jacket and short trousers for her ramp walk. The striking combination of vibrant hues and sleek cuts added allure to the embellished ensemble. Showcasing her unique style, the former Bigg Boss contestant left the audience in awe. She elevated her runway look with a pair of quirky matching earrings that perfectly blended with the theme of her outfit. Her flawless makeup further added a touch of glam to her already endearing looks. Not to miss the confidence and heat of summer that she brought along with her to the runway setting it ablaze.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by F I L M Y G Y A N (@filmygyan)

Upon the video being shared on social media, netizens were quick enough to heap praises on Priyanka for her confidence. A user wrote, Shes so effortlessly a model material! The height, the confidence, the walk. She looks drop dead gorgeous! Another commented, She can definitely compete Kendall and Gigi. Meanwhile, one of her fans highlighted, Damnnn her confidence mannn.

Priyanka Chahar Choudhary became a household name after she essayed the role of Tejo in the popular show Udaariyaan. The show also starred Ankit Gupta in the lead. Their chemistry on-screen was widely loved by the audience following which they participated in Bigg Boss 16 together. Priyanka emerged as a runner-up in the show. Moreover, her bond and cute moments with Ankit sparked rumours of blossoming love between the two.

Meanwhile, Priyanka recently opened up on her struggle in the initial days while speaking to Instant Bollywood. Taking a trip down memory lane, she recalled her struggling days and said, It was hard for me as I did not know whom to ask for work. But, one of my roommates, who was also in the acting profession, shared the contact details of two casting directors and I called them asking for opportunities.

The actress further added how she managed to sort income sources through print shoots in several cities. She concluded, Thats how it happened. It just happened.
A video of a boy screaming in pain after consuming a smoking biscuit went viral a few days ago in Tamil Nadu. The boy was admitted to a hospital after he ate the biscuit laced with liquid nitrogen.

A few years ago, a young businessman in Gurgaon had part of his stomach removed after he consumed a cocktail laced with liquid nitrogen. Minutes later, he was in excruciating pain and his stomach was swollen. His CT scan showed a hole that turned out to be about 10 cm in length in the lower part of the stomach.

Smoking biscuits or liquid nitrogen laced foods are dangerous, said Tamil Nadu governments Food Safety Department (FSD), which has issued an order to ban the use of liquid nitrogen in foods.

The department also instructed the Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers to take enforcement action as per Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 against any Food Business Operator who is using liquid nitrogen for direct consumption along with food items like biscuit, ice creams, wafer biscuits, etc. The liquid nitrogen should be fully evaporated from the food or drinks before serving, as per the order.

So, how is liquid nitrogen used in foods? How should one be careful with it?

What is Liquid Nitrogen?

It was developed by a London-based company to improve the quality and shelf life of food. Since nitrogens volume expands around 700 times when it evaporates, it displaces the oxygen in the food pack, keeping the food fresh.

The technique was used in packing coffee, potato chips, peanut and peanut butter, buttermilk, cheese and fried potatoes. These days, it is being used by restaurants and eateries to entice customers.

Liquid nitrogen in industries is made by distilling it from air, which comprises 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen and a small percentage of other gases. Around 700 litres of air in the gaseous state condense into just 1 litre of liquid air.

Uses of Liquid Nitrogen

It is used to temporarily freeze a section of pipe, it is also injected into an area where a crack has been covered with sealing material, producing a plug of frozen matter to buy time and let the repair be fixed.

It is also used for manufacturing electronic components and as shielding gas in welding processes. In laboratories, it is used to remove solvents or water in a gaseous state using cold traps.

It is used to store semen at sperm banks that are used in artificial insemination.

The colourless and odourless cryogenic fluid has been used to manage benign pre-cancers and cancers since 1960s. It is used to manage cancers wherein conventional surgery is not possible or can be used as an adjunct to conventional surgery. The procedure involves using the element at a very cold -196 degrees C to freeze and destroy cancer cells. The treatment is scientifically described as cryotherapy. It can also be used to obtain biopsies from cancer tissues for further molecular analysis.

In food industry, liquid nitrogen is used in deep-freezing processes of vegetables and animal products, which enables preservation. Vendors infuse food (biscuits usually) with liquid nitrogen, which produces smoke when it vapourises. The boiling point of liquid nitrogen is around 196 degrees C. An ice cream one consumes is around 0 to 4 degrees C.

How Did It Become Popular in Restaurants?

The avant-garde cooking technique was made famous by chef Heston Blumenthal, who put nitr-scrambled egg and bacon ice-cream and nitro-poached aperitifs on the menu at his Berkshire restaurant in UK, according to BBC.

Since then, a number of restaurants have started using the technique.

One of the main reasons why restaurants use liquid nitrogen is to make the dish look good and more presentable. It gives the dish drama and theatrics that makes the customers go wow.

What are Health Hazards Due to Liquid Nitrogen?

Liquid nitrogen can scorch the organ or part of the body it contacts, making it appear like frost bites. It can damage the lips, tongue, throat, lungs, and stomach. It may cause lesions or burn tissues. If it reaches the stomach, the organ could get perforated. In the lungs, it could produce CO2 and the person could become unconscious. It could even prove fatal, The Hindu quotes P Satheesh Kumar, Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, Chennai, as saying.

He said liquid nitrogen could be purchased for industrial purposes and vendors could have access to it. It is used only for freezing, chilling and packing food. It will help to keep the food fresh for several months, he added, further.

Only trained doctors are permitted to handle liquid nitrogen.

Dr Pranav Honnavara Srinivasan, senior consultant, Surgical Gastroenterology at Sparsh Hospital Bengaluru, quoted by The Indian Express as saying, Liquid nitrogen is employed in culinary settings primarily for its rapid freezing capabilities and dramatic visual effect. At -196 degrees Celsius, it instantly freezes food, creating a smooth texture especially beneficial in high-end desserts like ice cream. It also vapourises swiftly at room temperature, adding a visually appealing fog effect to dishes. However, the extreme cold can pose risks if residues remain in the food when consumed.

How to Use Liquid Nitrogen Safely?

For the safe use of this substance, medical journals and occupational safety resources often stress the need for proper ventilation and training when handling substances like liquid nitrogen in restaurants and eateries.

Mechanical refrigeration can be used as an alternative to liquid nitrogen. Cryogenic freezing with CO2 can be used as an alternative as it does not have the same rapid expansion risks and is less likely to cause asphyxiation.
Karnataka Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna accused in sexual harassment and abduction case has been issued a blue corner notice to bring him back after he fled to Germany following the investigation into the scandal.

Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara said on Sunday that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been doing things as per procedure. I cant disclose more than that as even I dont have information regarding everything, the minister said as quoted by The Times of India.

Meanwhile, HD Revanna, Prajwals father, was arrested by SIT on Saturday in connection with a kidnapping case linked with Prajwals sexual abuse case.

A second lookout has been issued by SIT against Prajwal, 33, who failed to appear for questioning.

What are Interpols Notices?

The Interpol website says, Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

There are seven types of notices  Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice. The Blue Notice is issued to collect additional information about a persons identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) refers to Blue Notices as B Series (Blue) Notices. It says, The B series notices are also called enquiry notices and may be issued in order to have someones identity verified; to obtain particulars of a persons criminal record; to locate someone who is missing or is an identified or unidentified international criminal or is wanted for a violation of ordinary criminal law and whose extradition may be requested.

Colour Coded Notices

The notices are issued by Interpols General Secretariat at the request of a member countrys Interpol National Central Bureau, and are made available for all member countries. The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control. Based out of France, Interpol is worlds largest police organisation.

Blue Corner Notice enables countries to share alerts and requests for information [on wanted persons/crimes] worldwide. This sharing of critical crime-related information is crucial for tackling internationally spread out criminal activities.

Red Corner Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. They are issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence.

Yellow Corner Notice is a global police alert for the missing person. It is published for victims of parental abductions, criminal abductions (kidnappings) or unexplained disappearances. The Yellow Notice can also be used to help identify a person who is unable to identify himself or herself, as per the CBI.

Black Corner Notice contains information related to unidentified dead bodies, specifically those related to individuals suspected to have died while using a false identity.

Green Corner Notice is issued to provide warning about a persons criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.

Orange Corner Notice is sent to warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.

Purple Corner Notice is issued to seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.

What Does Blue Notice Mean for Prajwal?

The Blue Corner Notice against Prajwal is currently being used by investigating agencies to gather more information and advance inquiries.

The CBI website calls them B Series (Blue) Notices or enquiry notices. These notices are issued to verify someones identity, obtain their criminal record, locate missing individuals, or find international criminals wanted for ordinary criminal offenses, whose extradition may be sought.

Usually, a Blue Corner Notice is issued after filing of criminal charges, whereas Red Corner Notice means the arrest of fugitive, following a criminal conviction.

In 2020, Interpol issued a Blue Notice to find fugitive Godman Nithyananda, who had left the country amid accusations of sexual abuse and rape in 2019.

Prajwals Sex Scandal Case

During the campaign for the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, thousands of sex tape videos purportedly of Prajwal Revanna with several women were circulated among voters. There are reports that most of the tapes were allegedly recorded by Prajwal on his mobile phone, which was then transferred to his laptop. Most of the tapes are said to be shot in his house and office.

The Gowda family had initially dismissed the sex tapes as doctored to malign their family image during the election but later Kumaraswamy distanced himself from the controversy and said he would wait for what the investigation would reveal.

According to the Karnataka police, a pen drive circulated among people in Hassan had 2,976 videos, some with a duration of a few seconds and some with a few minutes. A preliminary investigation showed that most of the videos were shot from a mobile phone in a storeroom at their residence in Bengaluru and Hassan after 2019. Police have sent some of the pen drives for forensic examination to verify their authenticity.

Meanwhile, a medical examination was conducted on HD Revanna on Saturday evening at Bowring Medical Institute. A new case was filed against HD Revanna and his associate Sathish Babanna in Mysuru, following serial sexual harassment allegations against Revanna and Prajwal. This case alleges the abduction of a woman who is reportedly another victim of purported sexual abuse by Prajwal Revanna.
(Patiala): Police here have booked BJP leader Harwinder Singh Harpalpur for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the death of a farmer during a protest against a BJP candidate on May 4.

Sixty-year-old Surinder Pal Singh died after he fell on the ground during the protest against Patiala Lok Sabha seat candidate Preneet Kaur.

According to a complaint lodged by Surinder Pals nephew Resham Singh, Pal was among a group of farmers who were trying to confront Kaur to question her during their protest. But Harpalpur and some other unidentified persons allegedly started pushing them and in the melee, his uncle fell down and his head smashed the floor, Resham Singh alleged.

Surinder Pal was taken to the Rajpura Civil Hospital where he was declared brought dead. An FIR was lodged under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting murder) of the Indian Penal Code against Harpalpur and two unidentified persons.

Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (SKM) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Monday demanded Harpalpurs arrest, saying if the police failed to do so they will hold a demonstration outside Preneet Kaurs house in Patiala on May 8. Farmers are also demanding compensation and a government job for one member of the deceased farmers family.

During their campaign, BJP candidates and leaders have been facing protests from farmers. As part of the protests, farmers ask questions to BJP leaders and show them black flags for not agreeing to their demands. Farmers are also protesting at the Shambhu border.

A 55-year-old woman farmer, Balwinder Kaur, died of a cardiac arrest on Sunday at the Shambhu railway station during the farmers rail roko agitation to press for the release of three farmers who were arrested during the Delhi Chalo agitation.

Find Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Days after Delhi schools received hoax emails, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reviewed the situation and pressed on the need to enhance security and regular email monitoring in schools.

The home secretary pressed on the need to prepare detailed protocols and standard operating procedures (SOP) to handle any such situation in the future.

To avoid any unnecessary panic caused by misinformation, he also asked the Delhi Police and schools to remain in close coordination for an effective response mechanism.

Home Secretary reviews the situation in wake of hoax emails received by some schools in Delhi last week. He stressed the need to prepare detailed protocol and SOPs to handle any such situation in future, a home ministry spokesperson said. Home Secretary also emphasized the need to enhance security, CCTV cameras and regular monitoring of emails in the schools, the spokesperson said.

Home Secretary also emphasized the need to enhance security, CCTV cameras and regular monitoring of emails in the schools. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary and @DelhiPolice Commissioner. (3/3) Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) May 6, 2024

The gathering included the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner. On May 1, over 200 schools in Delhi-NCR received identical threatening emails alleging the placement of explosives on their premises, leading to extensive evacuations and searches while anxious parents hurried to retrieve their children. Authorities conducted searches but found nothing objectionable, ultimately classifying it as a hoax.

ALSO READ | Hoax Bomb Threat: Delhi Govt Asks School Heads to Shut Down Portals, Stay Vigilant

On the eve of Lok Sabha elections in Ahmedabad, 16 schools on Monday received threatening emails regarding bomb blasts. However, a police statement dismissed this as a hoax as no suspicious items were discovered during searches.

Find Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday recommended an NIA probe against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding from banned terror outfit Sikhs for Justice.

Making his recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Saxena also said that since the allegations are against the CM, and are related to the alleged funding of a political party, amounting to millions of dollars, from a terrorist organisation banned in India, the electronic devices adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination.

The complainants referred to the contents of a video  in enclosed pen drive  purportedly featuring Pannun, wherein he has alleged that the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party received a whopping amount of USD 16 million in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022.

The complaint was made by Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary of World Hindu Federation India, along with references of X posts made by former Aam Aadmi Party worker Munish Kumar Raizada.

Raizada wholeheartedly welcomed the LGs recommendation and told CNN-News18 that AAP leader Sanjay Singh used to frequently visit Canada.

Earlier Khalistani terrorist and SFJ leader, Gurpatwant Pannun had claimed that both Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann went back on their promise of releasing his associates Jagdish Singh, Manjit Singh and Devender Pal Bhullar.

The three SFJ terrorists were arrested by local Police for their alleged association with the Khalistan Referendum.

It was also said that in 2014, an alleged secretive meeting took place between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at New Yorks Gurudwara Richmond Hills, where in exchange for Bhullars release, he asked for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to AAP.

Mongia said that the former AAP leader  Munish Kumar Raizada  shared a picture of the meeting between Kejriwal and other Sikh leaders on the erstwhile Twitter. His posts also confirmed that the AAP national convenor allegedly held public meetings as well closed door meeting with Pro-Khalistani leaders in New York.

KEJRIWAL 2014 LETTER OVER BHULLARSS RELEASE

The LGs recommendation letter noted the mention of Kejriwal seeking clemency for Bhullar from former President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Delhi CM, in a letter dated January 27, 2014, addressed to one Iqbal Singh said, Our government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justiceWe will try to find the solutions soonest.

Delhi Government has already recommended to the President, the release of Prof. Bhullar and would also be working on other issues including formation of SIT etc., in a sympathetic and time bound manner, the letter signed by Kejriwal read.

AAPS RESPONSE

Reacting to Saxenas recommendation, AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that this is another big conspiracy against CM Kejriwal at the behest of BJP. The saffron camp is in panic due to fear of defeat, Bharadwaj said, adding that they will lose all seven seats in the national capital in the Lok Sabha elections.

Bharadwaj also termed this to be a complete misuse of constitutional office of LG.

Taking to X, he said, LG saab desperately trying to make headlines during Election season. This is complete misuse of constitutional office of LG. The PIL demanding high level investigation in same matter was dismissed by HC two years back.

The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla rejected the plea filed by one Jagdish Sharma, stating that it is completely frivolous, Bharadwaj added.

LG saab desperately trying to make headlines during Election season. This is complete misuse of constitutional office of LG.The PIL demanding high level investigation in same matter was dismissed by HC two years back. The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi pic.twitter.com/BsFtmmz3Mt  Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) May 6, 2024

AAP LINKS WITH SFJ ALLEGED IN 2022

Two years ago, in 2022, the then Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had sought a probe into the alleged links of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Pannun and AAP leaders.

At the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured Channi that no one will be permitted to disturb the nations unity, adding that he will personally look into the matter.

SIKHS FOR JUSTICE

Sikhs For Justice, an organisation banned by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its anti-India activities.

Formed in 2007, the New York-based organisation advocates for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan to be carved out of India.

The SFJ calls itself a human rights advocacy group, with offices in Washington, London and Toronto. Gurpatwant Pannun is the self-proclaimed general counsel of the outlawed organisation, SFJ.

Find Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Several doctors and officers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are under the scanner after 60 unfit candidates were declared fit to make them eligible for recruitment in the forces.

A detailed investigation has been carried out into the alleged racket and a report has been drafted with the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The cases relate to constable exams held in 2018. The ministry has also ordered a Court of Inquiry, considering the seriousness of the matter, to fix the responsibility.

Of 60 unfit candidates, 17 candidates  seven allotted to CRPF and 10 to other CAPFs  were medically examined by the Medical Officers/Board of CRPF at CRPF Recruitment Centres where 16 medical officers are involved.

Talking about the report, a senior government official said in these cases, candidates have physical issues which were neglected by the doctors who cleared them as fit.

The purpose of medical standards is to ensure that medically fit candidates are accepted into the CAPFs. In these cases, candidates having Scoliosis of thoracic spine, Syndactyly of middle and ring finger of both hands and other clearly visible medical unfitness were cleared during medical examination. Later, an investigation was initiated. A communication has been sent to forces regarding such candidates along with their dossiers. However, no responsibility of officers who are involved has been fixed so far, the senior official told News18.

During medical examination, refusal to undergo the test at any stage or absenting/deserting oneself from the same renders the candidate unfit.

Any false declaration in this aspect, discovered later at any stage of service, makes the candidate liable for disciplinary action, including termination from service. In this case, the ministry has asked to fix the responsibility of officers concerned who are involved in corruption in recruitment, the official added.

After the revelation, many candidates declared unfit by the medical board have moved court, claiming to be fit, hinting at large-scale corruption in the process. It is expected that action will soon be initiated against such officers.

Find Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
JD(S) Hassan MP Prajwal Revannas father, HD Revanna, and his lawyer had reportedly adviced Prajwal to surrender himself before the Karnataka police Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the alleged video clips of sexual abuse and exploitation involving the Hassan MP.

Reports indicate that Karnataka polices SIT is expecting Prajwal to arrive in Bengaluru either late Sunday night or early Monday morning to surrender before the team investigating the case.

33-year-old Prajwal reportedly left the country on April 27 using a diplomatic passport and is suspected to be in Germany.

The Hassan MP, grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, faces charges in two cases, for allegedly sexually harassing a former domestic helper and for repeatedly raping a former panchayat member.

An SIT team has been stationed at Bengaluru airport since Sunday afternoon. Officials have dismissed the possibility of Prajwal flying to Goa or Mangaluru airports, per The Time of India report.

The JD(S) leader is expected to land from Dubai, the report said.

Prajwals father, HD Revanna, was also remanded to police custody till May 8 by a Bengaluru court in connection with a case of alleged kidnapping and illegal confinement of a woman.

On Saturday, Revanna, son of HD Deve Gowda, was arrested by the SIT after his bail plea was rejected in the case related to the kidnapping and illegal confinement of a woman who is the mother of three children.

Police also arrested an individual named Sathish Babanna in connection with the abduction and rescued the victim from a farmhouse.

Blue Corner Notice Against Prajwal

On Sunday, the Karnataka government announced the issuance of a Blue Corner Notice against the JD(S) MP, who is facing sexual abuse allegations, while his MLA father was remanded to custody in a related case.

A Blue Corner Notice has been issued by the international police cooperation body to gather additional information from its member countries regarding a persons identity, whereabouts, or activities related to a crime.

The Congress party continued its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter, urging him to end his silence on the issue involving an alliance party leader accused by the BJP. Additionally, the Congress-led Karnataka government pledged financial assistance to those who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for alleged political funding from the banned terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

This recommendation comes after LG received a complaint that AAP had received USD 16 million from the extremist Khalistani groups for facilitating the release of terrorist Devendra Pal Bhullar. The case stems from a meeting between Kejriwal and individuals affiliated with SFJ, including a man identified as former Gurudwara President Kuldeep Singh Dhillon.

READ MORE: Khalistani Funding Allegations Against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Serious, Say Govt Sources As LG Seeks NIA Probe

Exclusive NIA Details

According to NIA details accessed by CNN-News18, Kejriwals encounter with Dhillon allegedly took place at a Gurdwara, where discussions purportedly revolved around funding for AAP elections and the release of Bhullar, a convicted terrorist.

The person with the blue turban is former Gurudwara President Kuldeep Singh Dhillon. His brother Sukhjit Singh Dhillon left the US in 1990 to join the Khalistan Commando Force and was killed in a police encounter. Kejriwal had a meeting with them in Gurdwara to discuss funding for the AAP Elections. This was also about the Release of the Bhullar terrorist, top sources said, referring to an undated and muffler-clad image of Delhi CM.

This is an alarming development SFJ has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the centre under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ has been accused of anti-India activities and is under scrutiny for its alleged involvement in acts of terrorism.

READ MORE: Delhi LG Recommends NIA Probe Against Arvind Kejriwal Over Khalistani Funding, AAP Calls It Conspiracy

Big conspiracy

Kejriwals NIA case has sparked outrage, particularly in light of his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged money laundering related to the now-defunct Delhi Excise policy. With Kejriwal currently incarcerated in Tihar jail, the allegations of political funding from a banned terrorist outfit have intensified the scrutiny surrounding his political career. AAP leaders have vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to undermine Kejriwals electoral prospects.

Meanwhile, AAP supporters have rallied behind Kejriwal, decrying the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. AP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj termed it another big conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The saffron camp is in panic due to fear of defeat. They will lose all seven seats in the national capital in the Lok Sabha elections.

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As Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday recommended a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe against Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly receiving political funding from banned terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which the party has vehemently denied, top government sources said the allegations are serious and need to be substantiated.

AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj termed it another big conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The saffron camp is in panic due to fear of defeat. They will lose all seven seats in the national capital in the Lok Sabha elections.

ALSO READ | Delhi LG Recommends NIA Probe Against Arvind Kejriwal Over Khalistani Funding, AAP Calls It Conspiracy

The Sikhs For Justice made serious allegations against Kejriwal in March. The allegations came from a terrorist. We want to substantiate the charges as these are very serious allegations against a sitting Chief Minister. As the NIA is the federal investigation arm, looking at the scope of investigations, the LG recommended an NIA probe, sources said.

Led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ is an organisation banned by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its anti-India activities. Pannun is a US citizen who is misusing his access in the UK and Canada and is responsible for acts of terrorism in multiple countries. While the AAP did not give an official response to Pannuns allegations in March, party sources had then called them baseless.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 for his alleged involvement in money laundering linked to the now scrapped Delhi Excise policy. He is lodged in Tihar jail. Hearing Kejriwals plea, the Supreme Court on Friday said that it may consider the question of interim bail for Kejriwal because of the elections.

LG saab desperately trying to make headlines during Election season. This is complete misuse of constitutional office of LG. The PIL demanding high level investigation in same matter was dismissed by HC two years back. The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi pic.twitter.com/BsFtmmz3Mt  Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) May 6, 2024

ALLEGATIONS MADE BY PANNUN IN MARCH

Pannun had alleged that Kejriwal met pro-Khalistan groups at Gurdwara Richmond Hills in New York in 2014 for financial support.

Pannun had alleged that from 2014 to 2022, Kejriwal and AAP got 16 million USD in donations in return for going all out in support of pro-Khalistan groups.

ALSO READ: Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, A Declared Terrorist in India and Target of Foiled Murder Plot | EXPLAINED

Pannun had alleged that Kejriwal had promised to release Devinder Pal Bhullar, accused of 1993 Delhi bomb blast, which killed nine and injured 31 outside the Youth Congress headquarters, against the financial support. Bhullars capital punishment was commuted to life in 2014.

THE COMPLAINT AND LGs RESPONSE

The complaint was made by Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary of World Hindu Federation India, along with references of X posts by former AAP worker Munish Kumar Raizada. It refers to a video in a pen drive purportedly featuring Pannun making the allegations.

Making his recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Saxena said that the electronic devices adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination.

Raizada, meanwhile, has wholeheartedly welcomed the LGs recommendation and told CNN-News18 that AAP leader Sanjay Singh used to frequently visit Canada.

ALSO READ | May Consider Interim Bail For Arvind Kejriwal For Election Period: Supreme Court To ED

The LGs recommendation letter mentioned Kejriwals alleged note seeking clemency for Bhullar from former President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014.

Earlier, in January, Pannun had also alleged that both Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann went back on their promise of releasing his associates Jagdish Singh, Manjit Singh and Bhullar.

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A video of a fatal attack on a 55-year-old man on a Mumbai local train has gone viral on the internet. A farmer from Sajivali village in Shahapur taluka, Dattatray Bhoir was brutally attacked by two perpetrators with a knife and a belt onboard a local train between Khadavli and Vasind railway stations late at night on April 28. He succumbed to his injuries four days later.

On the night of April 28, Bhoir was returning home with his friend Pradeep Shirose and two others after attending a friends Haldi function in Ulhasnagar. They boarded a Kasara-bound local train from Shahad station at 2:00 am. Bhoir and his friends were sitting in the general compartment of the local train.

An investigation into the incident revealed that a misunderstanding that the victim and his friends were making fun of the attackers, also sitting in the same compartment, led to the brutal attack. Bhoirs friend also sustained injuries in the attack.

Since we all four friends were making fun of each other and enjoying ourselves loudly, one of the four persons standing near the door got irritated and angry. He came to us, took out a knife and opened an attack on us. Bhoir tried to resist him. The attacker then attacked Bhoir on his stomach and hand. When I tried to stop him, he injured my stomach too. Later, the attackers associate also attacked us using his belt, Shirose told police in his statement, according to the Indian Express.

Police have arrested two accused while the search for the other two is underway. The attackers were identified as 40-year-old Amol Pardeshi and 21-year-old Tanji Kumar Jammuwal. A case has been registered against the accused under sections 302, 324, 337 and 34 of the IPC. A case of assault was earlier registered against one of the accused.

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One child was killed and two sustained injuries after a crude bomb exploded in the Pandua area of West Bengals Hooghly district on Monday.

As per media reports, the children were playing with the bomb which they had mistaken to be a ball.

Among the injured, one of them have reportedly lost their right hand.

The children were playing beside a pond when locals suddenly heard a loud sound. On rushing to the spot, they found the three boys lying on the ground due to the explosion.

The three children were soon taken to the Pandua hospital where the doctors declared one of them dead. The other two injured are in a critical condition and have been shifted to the Imambara Hospital in Chinsurah.

Local BJP MP Locket Chatterjee accused the TMC of being involved in the blast.

She claimed it is the politics of fear-mongering of the ruling party of West Bengal ahead of senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjees campaign in Pandua.

Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary and considered number two in the party, will hold a public meeting later on Monday.

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The Indian Army on Monday released sketches of two Pakistani terrorists and announced a reward of 20 lakh for information leading to the arrest of these individuals believed to be responsible for the recent attack on the Indian Air Forces vehicle in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district.

On Saturday evening, near Shahsitar in Poonch district, terrorists ambushed a convoy, injuring five air force personnel. They were evacuated to the Command Hospital in Udhampur. Tragically, one of them, IAF Corporal Vikky Pahade, succumbed to bullet injuries.

Sources indicate that a group of four terrorists carried out the attack. The ambush on the convoy occurred near Shahsitar in the Surankote area around 6:15 pm while the troops were returning to their base at Sanai Top.

In a post on X, the IAF offered condolences to Pahades family on Sunday.

The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari & all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation, the Indian Air Force wrote.

The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari & all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation.Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in pic.twitter.com/xlFmbqZyix Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 5, 2024

The officials stated that teams of the Armys Para Commandos were deployed in the search operation. As of now, there has been no contact with the terrorists.

Additionally, several individuals have been detained for questioning in connection with the attack, which marks the first major incident in the Jammu region this year.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Several schools in Gujarats Ahmedabad received threat E-mails on Monday prompting a swift search action by the police. Nothing suspicious was found on the premises of the schools. Police have been put on alert.

The threat E-mails were reportedly sent from a Russian domain mail.ru, the same source of the bomb threat mails received by over 100+ schools in Delhi-NCR last week.

Around 130 schools in the Delhi-NCR had received bomb threat E-mails on Wednesday morning, prompting swift evacuation of students from campuses. According to investigation agencies, the mail sent to schools in Delhi-NCR originated from a server located in Russia.

The Delhi Polices anti-terror unit special cell had traced the domain of emails to Russia and it was suspected to have been formed with the help of the dark web  an encrypted online content that allows individuals to hide their identity and location from others.

According to a police officer, the email ID from which the threat was sent is sawariim@mail.ru. Sawarim is an Arabic word extensively used by the terror outfit Islamic State (IS) in their propaganda videos over the past several years, the official said.

Kill them wherever you meet and drive them out of the places from which they drove you. There are many explosive devices in the school, read the email sent to the schools in Delhi.

The officer said that the email also contained aayate (verses) of the holy Quran.

The schools that received the bomb threat E-Mail included  Sanskriti School of Chanakyapuri police station area, Mother Mary School in Mayur Vihar of East Delhi, DPS School of Dwarka district, DAV School, Amity School, Pushp Vihar and Saket and Sanskriti School of New Delhi district among others.

Delhi Public School, Noida was one of the schools that received the bomb threat via E-mail. Noida police was alerted soon after the bomb threat was received via mail.

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Raging wildfires in several forests of Uttarakhand claimed yet another life, taking the death toll to five in the last three days.

A 28-year-old woman had succumbed to her burn injuries on Saturday. The victim, a Nepalese labourer identified as Pooja, had sustained severe burn injuries while trying to douse a fire near a pine resin factory in Almora district three days ago. Her husband and two others had died while battling the same fire last week.

A 65-year-old woman died on Sunday in AIIMS Rishikesh where she was admitted after getting burn injuries while trying to douse a forest fire that had reached her farm in a village in Pauri tehsil, officials said.

Three labourers died of burn injuries they sustained while dousing a forest fire that had reached close to their pine resin factory in Almora, an official said on Friday.

ALSO READ: Why Are Uttarakhand Forest Fires Becoming Unmanageable? How Can Wildfires Be Prevented?

Pilgrims at Dunagiri temple in the Almora district were forced to flee on Saturday as the fire engulfed the passage to the shrine. Forest officials have attributed the rapid spread of the fire to strong winds.

According to a TOI report, flight arrivals at the Naini-Saini airport in Pithoragarh have been stopped due to low visibility.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting on Saturday regarding the forest fires and asked the officials to create a mechanism by which the blaze could be controlled as soon as possible.

According to a PTI report, since November 1 2023, there have been 910 incidents of forest fire in the state, due to which about 1145 hectares of forest have been affected.

Rain Likely From May 7

The director of the Meteorological Center in Dehradun Bikram Singh hinted at a possibility of rain in the state from May 7-8, which will intensify from May 11. This may help extinguish the forest fires, he said.

The rain will start in the Kumaon region from May 7 and in the Garhwal region from May 8, Singh added.

Three Arrested For Starting Forest Fire

Chamoli district police arrested three men hailing from Bihar for allegedly starting a fire in the Gairsain area and uploading the video to get more views on social media, a TOI report said.

Police took suo moto cognisance of the fire doing rounds on social media and arrested the culprits on Saturday evening.

Based on the video from Pandukhal village under Gairsain police station, the three accused were tracked down and arrested. Brajesh Kunar, Sukhlal and Salman, all residents of Bihar, were working there as labourers, Superintendent of police (Chamoli) Sarvesh Panwar was quoted by TOI as saying.

During questioning, the trio said they wanted to get more likes and followers to increase their popularity on social media with the dramatic video, he added.

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The Indian Coast Guard has intercepted an Iranian fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea off the Kerala coast, and six Indian crew members employed in the Islamic country were detained amid allegations of exploitation by the boat owner.

After the seizure of the boat, the Indian Coast Guard brought the vessel to Kochi for further investigation. IndiaCoastGuard in a swift sea-air coordinated operation intercepts and detains #Iranian fishing vessel in #Arabian sea west off #Kerala coast with 06 #Indian crew employed on contractual basis at Iran, the Indian Coast Guard said in a post on X.

@IndiaCoastGuard in a swift sea-air coordinated operation intercepts & detains #Iranian fishing vessel in #Arabian sea west off #Kerala coast with 06 #Indian crew employed on contractual basis at Iran. Crew alleges exploitation & mistreatment by the boat owner. The boat has been pic.twitter.com/4N02929W4w Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 6, 2024

Exploitation & mistreatment

Crew alleges exploitation & mistreatment by the boat owner. The boat has been brought to #Kochi for further investigation. Upholding maritime security & welfare #ICG demonstrates unwavering commitment, it added. On Sunday, a police officer told PTI that the boat went out of fuel when it reached Koyilandy. All those who were taken into custody were fishermen who had gone to Iran from Kanyakumari for fishing around one and half years ago, he added.

As per the preliminary assumption, the fishermen were on their way to their native place after escaping from Iran. As per their statement, they were not getting any salary and were suffering ill-treatment in Iran. They said they even had to suffer physical assault from the employer. So they escaped in the same boat they had been engaged in fishing, he said. The boat is now under the custody of the Coast Guard and all the six fishermen were taken to Kochi, he added.

(With agency inputs)

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Experience the diverse culinary scene across India with recent restaurant launches offering a range of exciting flavors and atmospheres. From modern Indian cuisine blending Goan allure with traditional dishes to vibrant community spaces serving artisanal beverages and comforting meals, these venues provide unique dining experiences. Explore the lively essence of Hong Kong dining featuring Cantonese delights, authentic Asian cuisine showcasing Thai, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese flavors, and a summer menu celebrating seasonal nostalgia across multiple cities. Additionally, enjoy a playful twist on marble soda with a range of exhilarating flavors available nationwide.

Taupe, Goa

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taupe by Titlie (@taupebytitlie)

Conceived by the stellar team of Titlie & Barfly, Karrtik Dhingra, Tarun Sibal, Shyaam Khurana & Bipin Sibal, & housed within a quaint 150-year-old Portuguese villa, Taupe showcases modern Indian cuisine  seamlessly marrying the relaxed allure of Goa with the diverse tapestry of Indian cuisine. Ever the champion of collaborative cuisine, Chef Tarun Sibal, has crafted the menu that offers experimental yet approachable combinations, bringing forth exciting reinterpretations of old classics. From the tantalizing Burrata Papdi Chaat accompanied by a zesty jalapeno pickle to the iconic Mutton Korma, and from the savory Tawa Meat to the refreshing Dal Kurchan Chaat, every creation at Taupe pays homage to its ingredients and the land they come from. The cocktail program features fun, taste-forward drinks that combine flavours and textures in an imaginative dance, handcrafted to complement the lush food menu. Be it the signature drinks, the gin specials like Etonica & Swizzle, tried and tested classics or creative drinks like Parpa Road Colada with Coconut water & coconut liqueur & the Banana Caramel Milk Punch, the cocktail menu spells modern, eclectic, exciting and crafted to pair perfectly with the Indian fare.

Address: Anjuna Mapusa Road, Assagao, Goa

Timing: 12.30pm to 3.30pm & 19.00pm to 11.30pm.

Communion, Pune

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Communion Cafe (@communion_cafe)

The city of Pune is set to experience a new wave of culinary delight as Celebrity Chef Karishma Sakrani launches Communion  a vibrant community space where guests can enjoy a leisurely lunch, a quick coffee break, or a hearty dinner. Designed with a tropical-chic aesthetic, the cafe boasts an airy, light-filled indoor space and an expansive outdoor area that offers a seamless connection with nature. The menu includes a wide array of artisanal beverages, delicious boba tea, nourishing bowls, loaded sandwiches, and comforting meals. Try the Mini Gunpowder Idli and zesty Chicken Popcorn, the innovative Pav Bhaji Fondue and Chargrilled Ravas. The cafe also plans to introduce an all-day healthy breakfast menu, catering to the evolving preferences of Punes food enthusiasts.

Address: Communion, DY Patil Road, Pune

Timing: 11amto 11pm

CHA, Bangalore

View this post on Instagram A post shared by CHA (@cha.bengaluru)

Experience the Essence of Hong Kong Dining as CHA, the celebrated Chinese restaurant and Hong Kong-style eatery, open its latest outlet in Bangalore. Cha offers a distinctive dining experience that transports patrons to the lively streets of Hong Kong, reminiscent of the bustling tea houses and lively street markets. Showcasing the rich diversity of Cantonese cuisine Chas menu includes steaming baskets of dumplings filled with a tantalizing array of ingredients, delicious Baos, nourishing Noodle Bowls & innovative Small plates like Konjee Crispy Lamb, Broccoli Cake, Mountain Chilli Stir Fry Chicken and more. Complementing the menu is a diverse Cocktail Menu, with specialty beverages like Bubble Tea, Soju Cocktails & more.

Address: CHA, Bengaluru

Timing: 12 PM to 11 PM

NOM NOM, Bangalore

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nom Nom (@nomnom_ind)

Home to the most authentic Asian cuisine in Mumbai for over a decade, Nom Nom now steps into Bangalore, bringing to you the rich tapestry of Asian cuisines with Thai, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Burmese offerings. Dive into a plethora of soups, salads, skewers, and dumplings that will tantalize your taste buds. Feast on delights like the Asian Clear Soup, Tom Yum Soup, or Lashka Soup. Salad lovers can indulge in Broccoli in Planta Sauce, Honey Chilli Lotus Root. Signature dishes like Phuket Chicken, Dry Red Chilli Chicken, or Prawns in Planta Sauce will leave non-vegetarians satisfied, while the vegetarian menu boasts treasures like Truffle Edamame Dumplings, Asparagus, and Water Chestnut Dumplings. The BBQ and skewers with delights like Pork Belly Skewers, Chicken Yakitori, and Thai Style Spicy Grilled Chicken, promise an explosion of flavors. The drinks menu includes Asian specials like Tom Yum Bei to the refreshing Saigon Sunset, the Dill-icious and Floral Negroni, the Miso Paloma & more.

Address: South Gate Bangalore

Timing  12.00pm to 4.00pm & 7.00pm to 12.00am

Ishaara

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ishaara (@ishaaraindia)

Step into the vibrant oasis of flavors as Ishaara launches its fresh new summer menu Summer on a Plate, where every bite sings the song of the sun-kissed season and every dish is steeped in summer nostalgia. Tangy Aam Panna, mango kulfi so sweet it takes you right back to childhood, a warm bowl of rasam for the soul, and Chicken Stew just like your Nani makes it, Ishaara captures the essence of summer via nostalgia.

Begin your meal with the refreshing Kokum Sherbet to beat the heat. Dive into the irresistible flavors of our Broccoli Dahi Seekh, which is a fusion of traditional and contemporary. The Nanis Cochin Stew is here to transport you to grandmas kitchen with every spoonful & Mango Kulfi, so sweet it takes you right back to childhood. Also relish the succulent Dill & Lime Grilled Prawns, the Mutton Dhansak is a must-try, packed with flavors, the Vegetable Chaas Korma is a delightful symphony of flavors that will leave you wondering why veggies were never this exciting before.

Time: 11am to 11pm

Address: Summer Menu is available across Mumbai, Bangalore & Pune outlets.
Rakesh Bedis wife Aradhana, was a victim of a cyber fraud and lost roughly Rs 4.98 lakh. The incident occurred on Friday and involved an anonymous caller who falsely stated that money had been accidentally sent to her account.

According to reports, the caller tried to trick Aradhana into revealing her OTP (one-time password) to reportedly fix the mistake. Despite her suspicions and unwillingness to give the OTP, funds were illegally removed from her account.

The fraud began when the caller informed Aradhana that Rs 4.98 lakh had been inadvertently credited to her account and that she would receive an OTP to assist reverse the transaction. Aradhana hung up the phone because she suspected fraud.

However, when she checked her bank account later, she realised that the specified amount had been siphoned off.

The case is now being investigated by the Oshiwara police, headed by officer Mohan Patil. Even though Aradhana did not provide her OTP, the cash was nevertheless taken, indicating a sophisticated form of cybercrime.

The police are puzzled by how the transaction was accomplished without collecting the essential authentication data, such as an OTP, remote access or any other secure connection.

This distinctive method of operation, in which the fraudster managed to transfer funds without acquiring any direct data, has alarmed the authorities. The Oshiwara polices cyber wing is currently working to trace the money trails to all banks where the stolen funds might have been credited.

However, earlier, Rakesh Bedi himself was a victim of a similar scam. He had informed me that 75 thousand rupees were withdrawn from his account on January 2, 2024.

The actor reported receiving a call from someone claiming to be an army officer interested in investing in his Pune flat. Subsequently, Rs 75,000 were fraudulently withdrawn from his account. The actor complained to the Oshiwara police station. Later, a similar incident occurred involving his wife. The case has garnered widespread attention.

Rakesh Bedi has worked in many television serials and Bollywood movies. He was last seen in the science fiction romantic comedy film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, starring Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon in the lead roles. While he was seen portraying the role of Shahid Kapoors father.
Ananya Panday has been grabbing headlines after it was reported that she and Aditya Roy Kapur have parted ways. Well, none of them have confirmed it but the news is going viral. Reportedly, the actors broke up almost a month ago, and their break-up has shocked their close friends. Amid this, today Ananya Panday was spotted in the city. She waved at the paparazzi.

In the video, shared by Instant Bollywood, we can see Ananya opted for simple athleisure and coming out of her car. She is holding a bottle and walking towards the gym. Ananya noticed the paps and waved at them. She was looking little sad and remained silent. Fans were quick to react and started commenting.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood)

A close friend of the two actors told the Bombay Times that, That they broke up almost a month ago. They were going quite well, and the breakup came as a shock to all of us. They are cordial with each other. Ananya is trying to move on; of course, theres hurt. She is spending time with her new furry friend. Aditya is also trying to deal with the situation maturely.

Aditya and Ananya were dating for almost two years. Last month, the latter took the internet by storm with her cryptic post. That post hinted that theyd broken up. If it is truly meant for you, it will come back to you. It will leave only for the sake of teaching you the lessons you could only learn on your own. If it is truly meant for you, it will return even if youve pushed it away, even if youre in denial, even if you assume something so beautiful could never be truly yours  because if its truly meant for you, it is never not a piece of you. It is never not intricately tied into the depths of your soul, read the quote shared by Ananya on her handle. She captioned it as Monday Manifesting alongside a thank you, an evil eye, and a blue butterfly emoji.

Ananya Pandays rumoured relationship with Aditya Roy Kapur has often hit headlines. While the duo has never confirmed out loud about their relationship, their public appearances and several confessions during interviews have given enough proof of their dating.

It started after Ananya appeared on Koffee With Karan 7 last year. The actress was talking about relationships when Karan Johar dropped a hint that she and Aditya could be together. After that, Ananya and Aditya enjoyed a romantic getaway in Europe. Previously, Ananya and Aditya attended an Arctic Monkeys concert together in Madrid.

On the work front, Ananya Panday was last seen in Kho Gaye Hum. The actress is set to feature in the TV series Call Me Bae alongside Varun Dhawan and Vir Das. The storyline revolves around a billionaire fashionista who, following a scandalous controversy, is disowned by her ultra-rich family and navigates life independently. Ananya is also part of projects like Control, Battle Thy Seeds, Darbadar, Shankara, The Untold Story of C Sankaran Nair, and Run For Young.
Emily Blunt spoke about her on-screen kisses with several Hollywood heartthrobs like Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon and most recently, Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy. A Quiet Place star confessed that she felt sick after locking lips with some of her co-stars. During an interview on the Howard Stern Show, Blunt admitted that she sometimes feels like throwing up after kissing certain actors.

However, the actress revealed that she has mastered the art of creating chemistry with co-stars with whom she isnt attracted to. While Blunt remained tight-lipped about the actors she didnt enjoy kissing, she praised Dwayne Johnson, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Cruise, Damon and Murphy, by calling them great friends. She also assured fans that her on-screen romance with Gosling in The Fall Guy was authentic.

The Mary Poppins actress explained, I wouldnt say its extreme loathing, but Ive definitely not enjoyed some of it. I think my feeling is Ive got to find something I love about everybody. I have to find something, even if its one thing. It might be like they have a nice laugh or I like how they speak to people, theyre polite. I mean, it might be something random. But find something you love about that person or something you love about them as the character and then kind of lean into that.

I have had chemistry with people, I have not had a good time working with them. Chemistry is this strange thing. Its an ethereal thing that you cant really bottle up and buy or sell. Its there or its not. And you can manufacture it. Ive been doing this long enough. I could have chemistry with this water bottle at this point. You know how to conjure it. But its just easier when you have a natural rapport with someone, Emily Blunt added.

Blunt further shared that she was once determined to avoid explicit sex scenes and spoke about her experience in the romantic film Salmon Fishing In Yemen with Ewan McGregor. She appreciated how romance was portrayed in the film and claimed it was different from modern scenes where films often feature intense physical closeness. Blunt admired the slower burning connection between the characters and sensationalizing them.

When discussing about her The Fall Guy co-star Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt admired his family, including his wife, Eva Mendes and their children. She considers herself fortunate to be friends with a genuinely wonderful person.
Sanjay Leela Bhansalis latest outing Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar has left the internet divided. While some have heaped praise on it, others have shared their reservations regarding the casting, the performances and the story. In fact, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri recently took to social media to express his disapproval of the series, citing that it glorifies the lives of courtesans when brothels are in fact monuments of human injustice, pain and suffering.

In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Snehil Dixit Mehra, one of the additional directors of the historical drama series, reacts to Agnihotris post and states, I believe that he hasnt seen the show. Heeramandi isnt about the glorification of tawaifs. The show is set against the backdrop of the 1920s and the 1940s. At that time, tawaifs were ruling the roost.

Taking us through the research the writing team, along with Bhansali, went through, Snehil reveals that data showed that tawaifs were treated like queens and reiterates Heeramandi rightly conveys what it had set out to. We did extensive research before making the show. There was an insight that we found during our research which was that these tawaifs were so rich that even when they fudged their numbers, they were paying more taxes than the nawabs, she says.

She further continues, They had a lot of wealth and power that they had a lot of influence over nawabs and politicians so much so that they would come to seek advice from these women. At that time, girls belonging to legitimate families were kept in purdah and werent allowed to get taalim. But tawaifs had taalim on everything  they could learn art, read and write. They were very sharp women. They had a very powerful position in the society.

Sharing her stance on how the makers of Heeramandi have stuck to the truth rather than veering away from it just for cinematic liberty, she remarks, With the freedom struggle and British trying to break the nautch girls, they lost their dignity in the process. This is the story weve chosen to say. Its not about the glorification of the tawaifs; its just what the story is. He (Agnihotri) should watch the series first to understand what were trying to convey.

Snehil, also a content creator, shot to instant fame with her videos, a take on middle-class Indian life, through the portrayal of a character named BC Aunty. Talking about how Bhansali reacted to her funny videos on the internet, she tells us, He adores them. When I was interviewing for the job, he told me that I should have a sense of humour if I want to work with Bhansali Productions. I very proudly showed my videos to him and told him that this is what I do on the side. He laughed a lot!

She adds, At that time, he was making Gangubai Kathiawadi. He made me repeat BC Aunty dialogues to Alia (Bhatt). She was so amused and was like, Whats going on? Whore these people? Bhansali sir was very supportive of that part of my profile too!
Taha Shah Badushha, who portrayed the role of Tajdar in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis recently released web series Heeramandi, has received warm reviews from fans and critics alike. Basking in its success, the actor recently visited Mumbais Siddhivinayak temple to seek blessings from Lord Ganpati.

Several photos of the actor have now gone viral on social media. The young actor looked dapper in a white kurta and donned one of his brightest smiles when the shutterbugs captured him. He was spotted outside the temple in the Prabhadevi area of Mumbai.

Tahas journey to landing the role of Tajdar in the highly anticipated series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, is nothing short of inspiring.

During the trailer launch of Heeramandi, Taha opened up about his character and how a part that was initially intended for just a 3-day part led to his expanded role in the series. I have gotten this character after giving a lot of auditions. Since the last 12 years, I have worked hard to get here, and now working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, sir, is like a dream come true. I feel that Tajdar and I have a lot of resemblance. I resonate with the character. He yearns for love. He sees everything through the lenses of kindness and tries not to step over people.

He further added, Thats the kind of personality he has. When I was first approached for this role, I had just been given a 3-day part. I had signed the contract for that as well, but maybe Sanjay Sir saw something in me and decided to extend my part in the series to a lot more than it was originally planned.

News18 Showsha gave the series 4.5 stars. Speaking of Tahas performance, the review read, Taha Shah Badussha, who plays Tajdar Baloch, proves his mettle in many scenes, particularly those he shares with Alamzeb. Adhyayan Suman plays a cold-blooded and manipulative nawab named Zoravar. He has limited screen time but impresses in a key confrontation scene with Lajjojaan and Mallikajaan. Shekhar Suman and Fardeen Khan dont have much meat to chew on.

Heeramandi was released on May 1 on Netflix. Helmed by Santa Leela Bhansali, the series stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Richa Chadha. Sanjeeda Shaikh and Sharmin Segal Mehta are in the lead roles.
The eagerly awaited sci-fi blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD is poised to captivate global audiences when it premieres on June 27, 2024. Featuring a remarkable ensemble cast of Indian cinema legends including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani, the film has already generated significant buzz and anticipation among fans.

Recently, Prabhas Baahubali co-star and close friend Rana Daggubati opened up about the film as he cheered for him and his team. Rana Daggubati appeared on a podcast with Vamshi Kurapati for his YouTube channel, where he shared, The next big moment is Kalki. Nag Ashwin is a very dear friend. Not just India and the Indian diaspora, but everyone in the world, will connect to Kalki. For a long time, I have been waiting for an Avengers moment from our side. Thats what has excited me to be part of it.

A recent preview of the world of Kalki 2898 AD featuring Amitabh Bachchan as Ashwatthama captivated fans, particularly with the impressive de-ageing transformation of the iconic actor. The character reveal, a true pan-India teaser, presented a mix of languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and English. The 21-second teaser commences with Bachchan, adorned in warm earthy tones, seated in a cave, engaged in prayer to a Shiva linga. Accompanied by a serene backdrop of calming music, a childs voice is faintly heard inquiring, Can you not die? Are you divine? Who are you?

With escalating tension, Bachchans resonant voice proclaims, Since ancient times, I have awaited the arrival of the Avatar. I am Guru Dronas son. Ashwatthama, he asserts firmly.

Several months ago, filmmaker Ashwin disclosed captivating details about the grand science-fiction venture, assuring audiences that Kalki 2898 AD would deliver an extraordinary visual feast. Addressing the Synapse 2024 event in Gurgaon, Ashwin expressed, I just wish that there was more tech to help us make this film, like three-four years back when we were in preproduction. We are creating this new world, like I am just looking at this picture right now on the screen, and all these different worlds that we are trying to create, we work with so many different concept artists and give prompts, obviously, again, in a very personal, one-on-one sort of way, and try to give references and build this world.

Directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies, Kalki 2898 AD is poised to be the biggest cinematic event of the year. With its stellar cast, the movie is eagerly preparing for its release on June 27, 2024.
Shreyas Talpade and Vijay Raaz will soon be seen sharing the screen space together for the one of a kind psychological thriller film Kartam Bhugtam. Helmed by Soham P. Shah, the upcoming film promises a gripping narrative that translates to what goes around, comes aroundthat p perfectly encapsulates the films intriguing plot.

The makers dropped the trailer today. Sharing the video on his Instagram handle, Shreyas Talpade wrote, Came to my city from New Zealand for just 10 days..An astrologer said I will never go back.     .Will I ever be able to go back?? Or never ??  Dev Joshi (Karatam Bhugatam).

Expressing his gratitude, Shreyas told in a statement, Sohams vision for the film is exceptional, and his direction truly elevates the entire project. Im truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Gandhar Films & Studio Pvt. Ltd. on this project and their dedication to the film has been inspiring. I cant wait for audiences to witness this unique story come to life on the big screen.

Director Soham P. Shah, on the other hand, shared, Its been a gratifying experience to have worked with solid actors like Shreyas, Vijay Raaz, Madhoo, and Aksha. Working with such actors makes a directors craft shine better. Its time to tell a real story, as the audience wants original ideas. A special thanks goes to Gandhar Films & Studio Pvt. Ltd. for their unwavering support and belief in this project. Their backing allowed us to create a film that is both thrilling and thought-provoking.

Apart from Shreyas Talpade and Vijay Raaz, the film also stars Madhoo and Aksha Pardasany. Kartam Bhugtam is all set to hit cinemas nationwide on May 17th, 2024, and will be released in five languagesHindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalamensuring a pan-India theatrical release.

Produced by Gandhar Films & Studio Pvt. Ltd., Kartam Bhugtam is poised to be a cinematic treat for fans of psychological thrillers. With its captivating trailer launch today, the wait for the films release just got even more exciting!

Kartam Bhugtam releases on May 17, 2024.
The teaser for Kunchacko Bobans upcoming film Grrr came out on Saturday, May 4. The upcoming movie is directed by Ezra fame Jay K. Jayakrishnan. The film is said to be a comedy and revolves around a mans misadventure in a lions enclosure.

The teaser shares glimpses of Kunchacko Bobans character, who deliberately jumped into a lions den at the Thiruvananthapuram zoo and is seen provoking the animal. Along with him, Suraj Venjaramoodu is seen to play a prominent role as one of the zookeepers who attempt to rescue him. Along with this, Shruthi Ramachandran, Anagaha, Rajesh Madhavan, and Shobi Thilakan are also seen in pivotal roles. Take a look at the teaser:

The teaser is currently going viral. Within two days, it garnered 1,398,675 views on YouTube. While viewers shared their excitement in the comment section, One of the users wrote, I hope this movie will be successful. Love the teaser." The next one said, Another promising project." While many showered heart and fire emoticons in the comment box,.

Grrr is scripted by Jay K. and Praveen S. and promises to be a fun entertainer. The makers have been working on the movie for a while now, including shooting with a real lion in South Africa.

The upcoming project is backed jointly by Shaji Nadesan and actor Arya under the banner of August Cinema. The technical crew comprises Jayesh Nair (cinematographer), Vivek Harshan (editor), and Dawn Vincent (background score). Dawn, Kailas Menon, and Tony Tarz composed the songs, while filmmaker Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval handled the production design.

Earlier, the makers surprised the viewers and dropped an exciting poster for the upcoming film. Kunchacko Boban shared the poster on his official Instagram handle. The intriguing poster shows Kunchacko Boban and Suraj Venjaramoodu looking scared as they come face-to-face with a lion. It shows a unique low shot from the lions perspective, while the stars look visibly fearful. Sharing the poster, Kunchacko Boban wrote, Roaring Fun soon. Grrr."

On the professional front, Jayakrishnan made his directorial debut with Ezra, a horror thriller released in 2017. The film starred Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Sudev Nair, Sujith Shankar, and Priya Anand as the main leads. The movie was later remade into Hindi and titled Dybbuk.
Hollywood actor Owen Teague opened up about Andy Serkis reaction to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha. For the unversed, Serkis played the iconic role of Caesar in three Planet of the Apes movies  Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017). Although Serkis will not be featured in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, he has served as a consultant on the film.

The actor also attended the London premiere of the film last month and posed with Teague on the red carpet. Days after the films premiere, Teague revealed that Serkis sent him an email after the premiere and described it as one of the best emails he has ever received. He emailed me after he watched the film. It was the best emails I have ever received. I wont say what it said but it was really lovely of him. He was so complimentary of the film and of the entire cast. He said please tell the cast this, I think he was really impressed which means a lot to me personally, Teague told us exclusively.

When asked if the email featured any criticism, Teague said, He didnt give me advice for next time but honestly, if we make another one, I hope he does (give me critical feedback) because hes the guy!

About Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set around 300 years after the end of War for the Planet of the Apes. It revolves around young ape Noa (Owen Teague) who embarks on a journey to find freedom and meets a human (played by Freya Allan) along the way. Freya is famous for her role in The Witcher.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is out on 9 May in UK cinemas. Its US and India release is 10 May.
Richa Chadha has always been a champion of feminism and has often called out sexism in the workplace. She often comes forward to show her support to fellow actresses in the industry. Last year, an interview clip featuring her went viral as she lent her support to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan saying jalte hai log unse while slamming those who trolled the beauty queen for her appearance at the Paris Fashion Week. Recently, she was seen promoting and sharing the screen with several powerful women in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, an experience which Richa truly cherishes.

And last week, she joined Shabana Azmi, Urmila Matondkar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Divya Dutta, Sandhya Mridul and Tannishtha Chatterjee at an intimate get-together at Dia Mirza Rekhis Mumbai residence. Dia shared the photos on Instagram with the caption, I want to see you win (sic). The post grabbed the attention of many, who cheered for them to break the stereotype of women actors not getting along.

But in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Richa reveals that one womans win cannot amount to a win for her. If its a toxic woman who maligns everybody else and who has been uncharacteristically nasty to gain attention and press, her victory isnt my victory. We should celebrate everybodys growth and evolution. But does it always happen? No, she tells us candidly.

According to Richa, this mindset has stemmed from the many unpleasant experiences shes had with powerful women in show business who have done her wrong but still wear a facade of feminism on social media. I dont think I subscribe to the fact that all women are saints. Ive had some terrible experiences with female producers whose checks bounced and they pretend to be feminists on Twitter (now X), she recalls.

The actor, who is preparing to embrace motherhood, further questions the imposition of sisterhood on people saying that she doesnt understand it. Ive also had toxic co-actors constantly competing with me by not giving the right cues and cutting out the lights in scenes. I cant say that I have had a uniform, monolithic experience. Sisterhood definitely exists and its real when you build it, craft it and nurture it. But it takes more than one person to understand and create that, shares Richa.

Sharing her thoughts on how the definition of feminism has been tweaked around, Richa explains, I think its an anti-feminist notion to think that women are not capable of evil. Thats just a dumb thing. We have enough vile women around us. Women defending rapists are vile, corrupt and horrible but theyre often in positions of power. Theyre often given a platform by the media too.

The Gangs Of Wasseypur and Fukrey actor continues, Am I supposed to just naturally assume that theyre feminists only because they have a vagina? No. I know plenty of women who are downright patriarchal and misogynist and plenty of men who are feminists. Its not a gendered thing.
Its hard to believe that Shweta Tiwari is a mother of three, especially when she constantly dazzles social media with her stunning photos. She consistently demonstrates her ability to rock any outfit with her unique style. Just recently, on Monday, Shweta shared a set of pictures on her Instagram that has everyone in awe.

In these clicks, Shweta Tiwari can be seen posing in a white bralette and black shorts, on a scenic beach during her Thailand vacation. She sizzled the crystal blue ocean water with her hot and sexy avatar, as she kept her tresses flowing and accentuated her look with a black pair of sunglasses and boots. One can catch a glimpse of her beaming smile in the picturesque yet scorching carasouel. She opted for a wave emoji and hill emoji as the caption.

Take a look:

Fans who were left gasping for breath reacted with compliments under the post. One of them wrote, Inke fitness level se dusri ladkiyon ko inspire hona chahiye. Another one commented, Cant believe she is 43. Someone else said,

You are a beauty queen maam. A fan also stated, So sizzling hot & beautiful.

Shweta Tiwari, who is ageing like fine wine, is one of the biggest actresses in the television world. She rose to fame for the role of Prerna in Ekta Kapoors popular daily soap opera, Kasautii Zindagii Kay. The show made her a household name and gave her immense recognition throughout the country. Later in 2010, the diva appeared on the reality show Bigg Boss and emerged as the winner. The actress made her digital debut in 2019 with ALT Balajis Hum Tum And Them, opposite Akshay Oberoi.

However, ever since the trailer for the web series was made public, she became the most talked-about actress. The reason was that fans couldnt keep calm after seeing Shweta, who is a mother of two, in a never-before-seen on-screen avatar. People kept talking and trolling her about the intimate scenes that Shweta shared with Akshay Oberoi. But during an interview with SpotboyE, Shweta shut down her trolls with a sassy reply.

When Shweta was asked about the trolls she faced after her on-screen bold scenes, the actress said it was not a crime. She went on to say, People who complain about what bold and intimate scenes they are showing are the same people who go on Netflix and watch shows that are filled with intimacy. For example, in Game Of Thrones, there is so much nudity, but it is loved by the viewers. Some people take it as pride that they have seen Game Of Thrones. But when in our country, we show any intimate scene, they start sending disturbing messages on social media.

People have written Teri beti kya samjhegi but let me tell them, Meri beti ne hi bola hai, Mom, go for it. There are so many double-talking people in our society; they should be ashamed, she added.

Meanwhile, Shweta Tiwari has Rohit Shettys directorial Singham Again in the pipeline. The action-drama film stars Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. The beauty also has the crime thriller Dahek: A Restless Mind in her kitty. Directed by Aroop Adhikari, the film casts Sharad S. Kapoor, Amit Khaladkar, and Rajit Kapoor.

On the personal front, the actress got married to Raja Chaudhary in 1998. But after staying together for nine years and having a daughter named Palak Tiwari, the couple parted ways with a divorce in 2007. Later, Shweta tied the knot with Abhinav Kohli in 2013 and embraced parenthood with a son, Reyansh Kohli, but the marriage didnt work, and they got divorced in 2016.
Srikanth Movie Review: Bollywood has been on a biopic spree, from Swatantra Veer Savarkar this year to Sam Bahadur in 2023 and Shabaash Mithu in 2022. So how does Srikanth stand out in this list of biopics? Well, it is because it has been a while since weve got an aam aadmi, feel-good film. Starring Rajkummar Rao, Srikanth makes you smile, tear up and think as well.

Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, Srikanth tells the tale of a visually challenged boy named Srikanth Bolla from Machilipatnam, situated in the then-individed Andhra Pradesh. Although his vision was compromised at birth, Srikanth had big dreams. One of which was to become the first visually impaired President of India. Hailing from a small village, Srikanth was sent to a school for the blind where he met his teacher (played by Jyotika).

In the movie, he describes her as his Yashoda maa (comparing her with Lord Krishnas foster mother) who helps him learn the ways of life. As years pass by, he grows up to be a class topper but his arrogance comes his way and he gets kicked out of the school. His teacher takes him in and helps him ace his board exam but a new hurdle comes his way  the Indian education system. At the time, the system did not allow visually challenged students to take up science as a stream.

He fights against the system and eventually wins. He then goes on to bag a full scholarship course at MIT in the US and moves to the States. Living a better life, he decides to not move back until he meets the love of his life (played by Alaya F) who convinces him to return and make a difference. Once back in Hyderabad, he decides to build an empire of packaging paper but his condition  he will employ only visually challenged people. With the help of Ravi (played by Sharad Kelkar), he not only sets up his business but takes it to new heights. However, as the business grows, his arrogance grows along it.

Will this affect his business? Will Srikanths arrogance come in the way of his dream? You will have to watch the movie to find out.

I would recommend you watch the film though. Srikanth has come at the right time, jumping into the wave of non-political themed films such as Madgaon Express and Laapataa Ladies. The film helps you detach from the outside world once you are seated in the theatre seat. Rajkummar and Jyotika hold your hand from the word go, taking you along the roller coaster ride of Srikanth and it is something I enjoyed, especially in the first half.

Writers Jagdeep Siddhu and Sumit Purohit present a tight first half, packed with milestone events in Srikanths life. One thing that I truly enjoyed it that they kept the drama away for the second half. There are a few emotional moments in the first half that leave you teary-eyed, especially because of Ishaan Chhabras background score, but the film does not waste too much time in making you cry and focuses on telling you an inspiring story. The interval scene is a cliffhanger of sorts, leaving you wondering what the film has in store in the second half.

The film continues the pace of the first half in the initial few minutes of the second half. However, the linear storytelling becomes evident in the second half. The film begins to drag, leaving you confused as to where the film is headed. Even the brilliant Sharad Kelkar and Jyotika couldnt hold the film together as the climax approached. However, the film gathers itself to deliver an impactful monologue in the last.

Despite the flaws, I appreciated that the narration doesnt make you look at Srikanth with pity or sympathy. Rather, it looks at the character with dignity and as someone who is like you and me, with just an added drawback. I appreciated this lens.

Srikanth completely rests on Rajkummar Raos shoulder. The actor has put himself outside his comfort zone to ace the nuances of the character. However, due to the screenplays lack of depth, the actor looked like he was hamming in a few scenes in the second half. I wished the second half was tackled a lot better because the film could be bigger than it already is. Another issue I had with the film was the length of Alaya Fs role. She seamlessly fits into the film but the film doesnt explore her role.

Should you watch Srikanth? I would recommend it as a one-time watch.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah star Gurucharan Singh, who played Sodhi in the show, has been missing for over two weeks now. While the search for the actor is still on, police sources told News18 recently that Gurucharan might have planned his disappearance. While everyone waits for updates, the actors father Hargit Singh recalled the last day he spent with Gurucharan before he went missing. He revealed the actor was in New Delhi and celebrated Hargits birthday. Gurucharan had wished his father on Instagram by sharing a selfie with him.

Speaking with the Times of India, Hargit Singh said they spent the day at home. He added that Gurucharan was supposed to be flying down to Mumbai the next day. The report also revealed that the actors friend, Bhakti Soni, was supposed to receive him at the Mumbai airport. There were no celebrations as such, but we were at home together, and it felt nice. The next day, he was supposed to travel to Mumbai, he said.

What has happened is very shocking, we dont know how to deal with it. Hum sab bahut pareshaan hain (We are very troubled) and are eagerly waiting for some update from the police. Hum uske wapas aane ka intezaar kar rahe hain (We are awaiting his return), he added.

Meanwhile, police source told News18 last week that Gurucharan left his phone in Palam area before he went missing. He left his phone in the Palam area. We are trying to find but it only makes it more difficult for us to trace Gurucharan Singh, because this means that the phone is not with the actor. In the CCTV footage we recovered that he was seen moving from one e-rickshaw to another. Looks like, he had planned everything and has moved out of Delhi, the sources said.

When Was Gurucharan Singh Last Seen?

For the unversed, Gurucharan Singh was last seen on April 22. His father filed a missing complaint four days later which stated, My son Gurucharan Singh, Age: 50 years, had left at 8:30 am on 22nd April to go to Mumbai. He went to the airport to catch a flight. He didnt reach Mumbai, neither has he returned home and his phone is not reachable. He is mentally stable and we had been searching for him but now he has been missing.

Several of Gurucharans TMKOC co-stars including Jennifer Mistry, Samay Shah and Mandar Chandwadkar have expressed concern over his disappearance, hoping him to return home soon. Recently, the shows producer Asit Kumarr Modi also reacted to the news and called it painful and shocking.
Ranbir Kapoor is currently enjoying a massive fan following after his last film, Animal, became a blockbuster in theatres. Even though the actor is rarely seen attending public events, over the past few months, paparazzi have caught the actor various times after his gym sessions. Ranbir also appeared as a guest in the first episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show. As much as he is famous, his daughter, Raha Kapoor, has also been in the limelight lately. The nation has been showing a lot of love for his daughter, with many fan pages on social media sharing her pictures and videos. Recently, a fan won Ranbirs heart by gifting him a portrait of his daughter at an event.

A few days ago, the Animal star was seen attending an event organised by Kalyan Jewellers. Now, a clip has been making rounds on the internet where a female fan can be seen coming to Ranbir Kapoor and gifting him something. In the clip, it can be seen handing him a big portrait of his daughter, Raha Kapoor. The portrait looks exactly like his daughter, and he seems highly impressed by his fans hard work and artistic abilities. It can be seen that Ranbir had a smile on his face after receiving this special gift, made sure that his fan was obliged with a picture, and also let her hug him. The clip was shared by the female fan herself on her account, @devi.arts. She captioned the post, Gifted Ranbir, Rahas portrait.

As soon as the clip was uploaded, it went viral on social media, and many people went to the comment section to praise the artist and Ranbirs gesture towards her. One of the users wrote, The best part is that he not refusing to hug. Another commented, Love your art and hard work. Way to go girl.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Devi kapadia (@devi.arts)

Talking about Ranbir Kapoors work front, he is currently shooting for his highly anticipated mythological drama, Ramayana, where he will be seen playing the role of Lord Ram. Recently, some pictures from the sets of the film also went viral and stirred up social media. Apart from that, the Barfi actor has also signed Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Love and War alongside Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.
On May 4, 2024, an Air Force convoy was travelling from the Jaranwali Air Force Station toward Sanai Top, located in the Surankote town of Poonch district. As the convoy approached the Shahsitar area in Poonch around 6 pm, it came under heavy fire from terrorists, raised, trained, and funded not only by the Pakistan Army  our perpetual enemy on the Western front  but also by the longstanding expansionist enemy, China, on the North and East.

Our air warriors bravely fought back with return fire and as per the Indian Air Force official press release, in the ensuing battle, one IAF warrior was killed and four others were injured. At the time of writing this article, the injured are being treated at the Command Hospital in Udhampur. Additional troops have been deployed to Jarra Wali Gali in Poonch to address the situation.

The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari & all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation.Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in pic.twitter.com/xlFmbqZyix Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 5, 2024

There are a couple of points that should make our entire security apparatus to be on its toes as far as the attack on the IAF convoy is concerned.

It has been reported in the media that the Indian security forces have been conducting search operations after specific inputs about the movement of suspected individuals in Poonch since Friday, May 3, 2024. It has also been stated in the media that the Indian security officials suspect the involvement of the same group of terrorists that ambushed and killed four Indian soldiers and injured three on December 21 last year in the adjoining Bufliaz area. On May 5, 2023, the so-called Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) issued a widely published press release and chest thumped while taking responsibility for the terror attack on April 20, 2023, in Rajouri in which India lost five of her Bravehearts while one was injured. On April 26, 2023, I opined in News 18 that collateral damage prevention should no more be a priority for our forces. This time around, Indias scale and dimension of retaliation has to be very different from the past. Yet, that has not been the case in reality. Questions must be raised and answers must be made available as to why the IAF convoy was not escorted and trailed by armoured vehicles, gunship helicopters and armed drones under UAV monitoring. Especially after the beginning of search operations on May 3, 2024, in Poonch for suspected movement of individuals by the Indian security forces.

Unverified reports claim 200 bullets were fired in a span of 15 minutes and that simultaneously AK-47 and American M-4 rifles were used. The unverified reports also claim that the logistics were provided to the terrorists by the locals.

We must focus on some highly significant points here. While the AK-47, weighing 4.3 kgs with loaded magazine, is capable of firing 600 rounds per minute in fully automatic mode and has an approximate muzzle velocity of 2330 feet/second, the M4 carbine, weighing approximately 3.5 kgs with loaded magazine, can fire 950 rounds of bullets per minute with a maximum range of 600 metre and has a muzzle velocity (the velocity of a projectile with respect to the instant the projectile leaves the end of a gun barrel, termed technically as muzzle) of 2900 feet/second. M4 has an area target range of 600 metres and a point target range of 500 metres. The AK-47 has a maximum effective range of around 400 metres.

Points that need a detailed analysis by the Indian intel apparatus:

When drawing a comparison, the M4 carbine clearly appears to be a better choice for the terrorists as compared to the AK-47 assault rifle, when properly maintained to avoid reported jamming issues faced by American troops during the 2008 firefight in Afghanistan. It must not be forgotten how the irresponsible US forces, with the undeniable complicity of the US government, left behind large quantities of American arms and ammunition as they withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. Even if 200 bullets were fired in a span of 15 minutes, reportedly from an elevated point by the terrorists, then it points towards the reality that our forces had 15 golden minutes to respond, ample by any definition, with accompanying armed drones for firing or explosive-laden drones for crashing at the location of the terrorists to effectively neutralise them, under the non-stop UAV monitoring. If the terrorists fired 200 rounds of bullets in 15 minutes, then they were clearly carefully aiming at specific targets, rather than the entire convoy as would be the case in an area target attack. This also indicates that the terrorists were conserving their ammunition and are in for an unparalleled, if not unprecedented, long haul. The terrorists fleeing after 15 minutes of firing is an indicator that the probability of getting harmed physically was less, if not nil. It is crucial for our intelligence apparatus to seriously introspect the logistics and means by which such sophisticated weaponry is being supplied to the terrorists by locals. The locals, logically, can help the terrorists in storing and hiding such highly sophisticated arms and ammunition, carried by the infiltrating foreign mercenaries, uniformed soldiers and/or proxies or even delivered through air drops by foreign forces.

All such aspects, including the existence of the foreign forces, unharmed for over a year, appearing and killing our Bravehearts at will, must be considered minutely by our forces and the intelligence wings.

The reported suspicion of Indian security officials on this being the handiwork of the same terror outfit that ambushed and killed four Indian soldiers and injured three on December 21 last year in the adjoining Bufliaz area only revalidates the fact that an unknown number of highly trained foreign forces are both enjoying their stay in India and killing of our Bravehearts at will. I would justifiably be right in suspecting that the same highly trained foreign forces and its footsoldiers were responsible for the April 20, 2023 terror attack in Rajouri too between Tota Gali and Bhimber Gali along the National Highway 144A.

The raining of machine gun bullets from gunship helicopters assisted by heavy-firing armed drones would have neutralised most of the terrorists, post quick identification of the terrorists location/s by the UAV, despite dense foliage. We should also have accompanying explosive-laden drones that can be crashed immediately after ascertaining the position of the foreign forces.

The risk of bushfire will have to be borne by our security forces, unless and until we are prepared to build multiple roads from one end to the other inside multiple forests for easy movement of our troops on war footing, in a topography that is embraced by dense forests like Bhata Dhurian.

Considering the consistent onslaught of the foreign forces with unbelievable ease, we are practically left with no other option than going for the decimation of the source tap in PoJK and inflicting heavy damage to the Pakistan Air Force fleet and bases in other areas alongside the Pakistan Army bases, GHQ Rawalpindi, HQ Ghazi Base and to their paid mercenaries in coordinates well known to us at the time of our choosing. Blitzkrieg is the need of the hour.

The enemy is a reality. They possess trained personnel and are well-equipped with logistics, escape routes, shelters stocked with food and medicine, and secure communication methods. The enemys priority targets are changing consistently and rapidly, undoubtedly under the guidance of professional foreign military leadership. Indian Air Force combat pilots and technical staff members are their latest focus, aiming to cripple our first line of rapid response  the IAF  as well as the Para Special Forces, who are trained for attacks with both conventional and unconventional weaponry. Even one fatality would significantly impact our combat capabilities, grounding an aircraft assigned to perform CAP (Combat Air Patrol) or strike missions across the LoC, IB, and LAC. The impact of a fatality would be equally detrimental to the Para SF.

The enemy is well aware of the decreased number of our ground forces on the Western front. This attack, beyond any scope of doubt, is also a result of well-planned and coordinated activities from two and a half fronts (the two fronts being China and Pakistan and the half front being the footsoldiers of the foreign forces inside India) and should have been rationally expected during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

The direct attack across the LoC and IB would automatically destroy the plans of those who would raise human rights sham at the United Nations expecting a wide-scale internal counter-insurgency operation. In a mission-specific agreement with the China-Pakistan axis and in coordination with the 0.5 front, Western powers have already dared to breach the line of minimal sanity, let alone diplomatic norms and civility.

Plans are certainly in place to downsize, if not halt, the deployments of the Central Forces pan-India, including Jammu and Kashmir, which are meant to ensure security during and after Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Make no mistake, this attack is also aimed at reopening the divide among the local communities at the time of the elections.

Eliminating a handful of terrorists is not the solution, even remotely, for reasons well-known to our security apparatus. The consistent smooth operations and escapes of the enemy, clearly active for more than a year well inside Indian territories, are indicators that multiple factors and forces are working to their advantage. This is not only inflicting a heavy loss of irreplaceable lives but also steadily displaying their abilities in crippling our forces before the entire world. This is a time of unlearning the medieval SOPs and adopting a pragmatic approach.

Arya Ghosh is a National Safety, Security, Aviation and Avionics Analyst. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The Congress in Delhi is going the way the party went in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his enthusiasm to build an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, may have inadvertently ended up playing the role which late veteran Sitaram Kesri played in the 1990s, making the Congress play second fiddle to an emerging political rival than counter it.

As the city prepares for polling in May end, former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely, who recently stepped down from his position to protest the partys alliance with the AAP for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Along with Lovely, former Congress MLAs Raj Kumar Chauhan, Naseeb Singh, Neeraj Basoya, and former Youth Congress President Amit Malik also joined the BJP. Chauhan was a minister in Sheila Dikshits government for more than 10 years. Naseeb Singh was a parliamentary secretary to the late leader.

Coming back to Kesri, he was an influential leader from Bihar who, for long, remained the treasurer of the Congress party before succeeding PV Narasimha Rao as the Congress president. Coming from the backward classes, Kesri always resented the dominance of the upper castes in the Congress organisation, especially in his home state of Bihar and the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. He pushed the party, when ousted from power in both the states, to play second fiddle to the caste-based parties in the post-Mandal politics, as mentioned earlier, of the 1990s. The party never recovered from that mindset of playing a lackey and now has been reduced to the periphery.

The latest development in Delhi, which has seen a large number of established leaders of the Congress desert, could well be a reenactment of what had happened in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The party leadership, in sidelining its known leaders with imports like Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj, has failed to realise that it could well be the beginning of the end of the Congress organisation in the national Capital.

Despite not having any representative either in the state assembly or the Parliament from Delhi, the Delhi Congress kept the heat up on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It was the Congress that first scented a scam in the now-disbanded liquor policy of the Delhi government and moved appropriate forums for the investigation. The inquiries have now culminated in several AAP leaders including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal getting incarcerated in the Tihar Central Jail.

About a week ago, while stepping down as Delhi Congress president, Lovely wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge citing his discontent with the partys decision-making process, particularly criticising the selection of candidates like Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj for the Delhi constituencies. While Lovely joining the BJP may have led to some loss of credibility for the leader, the issues raised by him remain relevant, especially in the context of the two imports  Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj. The local leaders anger is more towards Kanhaiya Kumar who has preferred playing the chosen one of the AAP than the Congress candidate.

Kanhaiya Kumar, a former cadre of the Communist Party of India, has been giving statements praising the Delhi CM, which has annoyed the party workers. He has been charged with endorsing false propaganda of AAP with regard to the supposed works done by them in the education, health, road and electricity sectors. At the time of entering into the alliance, the Congress leadership had said that it was not doing so in recognition of AAPs supposed achievements in Delhi, but rather to prevent a split in the vote to defeat the BJP in the national elections.

Some believe that Rahul Gandhi sees Kanhaiya Kumar carrying the elixir to revive the Delhi unit. Even if he were to lose in the parliamentary polls, he would be foisted as the leader of the Delhi Congress. Maybe Rahul Gandhi is taking a cue from what his mother Sonia Gandhi did by bringing Sheila Dikshit to contest the Lok Sabha polls from East Delhi in 1998. Though Dikshit lost, she was made the Delhi Congress president in the subsequent months and later led the party for the next 15 years winning three Assembly polls.

But what Rahul Gandhi fails to appreciate is that Dikshit was a thoroughbread Congressperson having worked as a political secretary to her father-in-law Uma Shankar Dikshit, a Central minister in Indira Gandhis government. She later worked as a minister in charge of the Prime Ministers Office during Rajiv Gandhs tenure. Even before she entered the Delhi Congress, she was very well acquainted with its leadership.

Comparatively, Kanhaiya Kumar is a novice. His political journey so far has been that of a rabble-rouser on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus to being a YouTube fixture. He may have walked thousands of kilometres with Rahul Gandhi during his yatras but Kanhaiya Kumar doesnt have exposure to a political organisation. He also is no Revanth Reddy, who won Telangana in the Assembly polls for the Congress party. Reddy has been active in legislative politics for almost 25 years now, having been a member of the legislative council, legislative assembly and also, the Parliament. He won Lok Sabha polls in 2019 when the fortunes of the Congress party had ebbed like never before.

Kanhaiya Kumars resume carries no such credentials. Secondly in Delhi, Dikshit during her tenure had created a second line of leadership with sufficient exposure to the organisation and the government. It would not be easy or wise to replace them with a comparative minion.

The writer is author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The halfway mark of the Lok Sabha election is here. By the end of the day on May 7, voters would have delivered a verdict on 284 seats across the nation. Thats more than 272 seats needed for a simple majority. The BJPs election strategist-in-chief, Amit Shah, believes that the saffron party has already won more than 60 per cent of the 190 seats that saw polling in Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Phase 3 is the BJP territory. Of the 95 seats in Phase 3, the BJP bagged 72 in 2019. Moreover, in 78 seats, the BJP also secured more than 40 per cent of the votes. This time elections will be held across 93 of the 95 seats in Phase 3. This is because the BJP has already bagged the Surat seat unopposed in Gujarat and polling on the Anantnag-Rajouri seat has been deferred to May 25.

The Congress, which has not dominated this phase ever, has seen its share decline from 27 seats in 2009 to a measly four in 2019.

For the BJP, the state of Gujarat, which goes to the polls in its entirety in Phase 3, single-handedly contributed 26 seats, which is almost a third of the BJPs 72-seat tally in 2019. In Karnataka too, the BJP picked up all 14 seats in 2019 in this phase with a massive vote share advantage.

There are 47 bastions across Phase 3. These are seats that the incumbent won back-to-back in three Lok Sabha elections. The BJP holds 42 of these 47 bastions. The Congress holds only one of these seats. The remaining four are with other parties. The BJP knows that to come anywhere close to the dominance it exhibited in 2019 across Phase 3, the voters of Gujarat and Karnataka will have to back it unflinchingly.

According to reports from the ground in Gujarat, the BJP is set to bag all 26 seats once again, even though there will be tight contests in a couple of seats in the north of the state. But Karnataka is proving to be a bit of an enigma for the BJP. Phase 3 begins on a tricky note. Just as polls closed across 14 seats in Karnataka in Phase 2, the BJPs ally  the JDS  was rocked by serious allegations of sexual misconduct. Worse, the allegations were levelled against the top brass of the JDS. The survivors named the son and grandson of former prime minister and party founder HD Deve Gowda. The flurry of videotapes, testimonials and cases has not just caused an embarrassment to the BJP but has also threatened to undermine the woman voters faith in Prime Minister Modis vow to work for their uplift.

The BJP has publicly tried to distance itself from the JDS. It has also accused the Congress state government of sitting on the allegations when they first surfaced last year. But the BJPs defensive play means that it hasnt been able to take the fight to the Congress camp. Instead, the allegations have forced it onto the backfoot from where it appears vulnerable as it fends off its arch-foes barbs.

In 2019, the womens vote played a decisive factor in the BJPs re-election not just from Karnataka but also beyond. Now, after the sex scandal, theres no telling how women voters will react, at least not in the remaining 14 seats of Karnataka. The allegations of sexual abuse and rape have additionally also served to negate the BJPs shrill Karnataka-focused campaign on love jihad. For a while, it appeared that the tragic killing of Neha Hiremath could be the X-factor that turned the Hindu and woman voters decisively towards the BJP. That cant be said as of now.

In Karnataka, the BJP is also hobbled by infighting, primarily on account of a rebellion against the partys tallest Lingayat leader BS Yediyurappa and his family. There are signs that this internecine war has not been resolved in favour of the BJP. This is bad news for the party as Phase 3 is spread across the Lingayat-dominated belt of the state.

Over in neighbouring Maharashtra, the electoral pitch is even harder to read. Political volatility and cleaved voter loyalties have made it impossible to read the mood on the ground. But given that the state sends the second highest number of MPs to Parliament and contributed 41 seats to the NDA kitty, it is a vital cog in the BJPs plans to return to power. Maharashtra will see titanic clashes in the Sharad Pawar heartland. Here, its a war between INDIA blocs Pawar and NDAs Pawar. Consequently, the contest is as presidential as it is proprietorial.

One gets the sense that the verdict from the Pawar belt holds the key to Maharashtra and Phase 3.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has drawn global attention for its interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, especially in electoral processes. Recently, the United States has levelled accusations against the dragon for its attempts to sway the forthcoming presidential elections. Similarly, Canadas latest Security Intelligence Service report claims that China has clandestinely influenced its federal elections in both 2019 and 2021.

Utilising advanced instruments, Beijing has been vigorously trying to impose its political agenda across nations. The goal is to secure outcomes favourable to the Chinese regime, aligning with its strategic interests. Beijings extensive manoeuvres in this regard are continually challenging the sovereignty and national interests of other states. This is particularly true for nations having adversarial relations with Beijing, stemming from the latters aggressive territorial ambitions. With the current year witnessing general elections across 50 countries, a renewed examination of Chinas recent history in election interference becomes imperative.

Chinas interference in elections is deeply rooted in its expansive influence operations (IO) targeting other countries. Central to Beijings IO is the disinformation campaign designed to undermine leaders abroad, portraying them as weak and vulnerable. A notable actor in this arena is the Spamouflage Dragon, also known as Dragon Bridge. This key propagator network of Chinese disinformation has been active since 2017-18, across various social media platforms. Its extensive reach came to light when nearly 9,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to this network were shut down by Meta in August 2023. These campaigns, found across over 50 social media platforms, targeted nations such as the UK, the US, and Australia.

Beyond social media, Chinese IO strategies include both overt and covert tactics, involving the cultivation of assets like local and independent media, influential personalities, political parties, business figures, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The preference for particular candidates is subtly communicated not through direct diplomatic utterances but via Chinese state-affiliated media and the United Front Work Department (UFWD), which is dedicated to exerting overseas influence.

The ultimate objective of Chinese influence operations meddling in foreign elections is to ensure that the elected candidates or parties adopt a pro-China stance. These disinformation campaigns aim to sway election outcomes by undermining voter confidence in candidates not favoured by Beijing. In November 2023, approximately 4,800 fake social media accounts linked to China impersonating Americans were shut down. These accounts were disseminating narratives designed to polarise public opinion through partisan political content ahead of the US Presidential elections. In Australia, during the 2022 federal elections, Chinese disinformation efforts reportedly sought to encourage a pro-Chinese stance within the Australian government. A similar pattern was observed in the Philippines during its 2022 presidential elections.

A recent escalation in Chinese disinformation efforts involves leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to construct propaganda images and videos. These AI-generated materials target parties and politicians critical of China or seen as contrary to Chinese interests. Microsofts recent report cautioned that China is poised to use generative AI to sway elections in South Korea, India, and the US, all of which are scheduled for this year.

The initial use of this technology by China was observed during Taiwans presidential elections in January. For China, the goals of these campaigns included undermining Taiwans democratic framework, promoting a pro-unification narrative, and weakening Taiwans ties with the US. The Supreme Prosecutors Office in Taiwan noted that the elections were marred by approximately 102 instances of foreign interference, many traceable to China. Taiwans Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), which advocates for independence and now maintains a status quo stance, was a principal focus of these disinformation efforts. Since taking power in 2016, the DPP and its leading figures have faced persistent vilification in Chinese-linked local and social media as a belligerent entity, alongside smear campaigns against its leaders.

Beyond media tactics, Chinas strategies during the Taiwanese elections also encompassed economic pressure, military threats, and the co-optation of local officials to advance its objectives. Thus, Taiwans recent elections exemplify the complex and varied influence operations China conducts to meddle in the electoral processes of foreign nations.

Despite extensive efforts to exert political influence abroad, Chinas tactics in election interference seem to have failed to yield favourable outcomes, as evident by recent election results in Taiwan and the Philippines. In fact, the negative repercussions of Chinas disinformation campaigns on the national security of various nations have prompted several countries to ban the popular Chinese social media platform TikTok.

Nonetheless, reports indicate that China continues to meddle in foreign elections, to realise its ambition of becoming a global power. It remains to be seen whether Chinas persistent attempts at election interference will achieve any significant success this year.

The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday called the Poonch terror attack in which an IAF soldier was killed and four were injured, a stunt meant to make the BJP win the Lok Sabha elections.

The remark by the former Punjab chief minister and Congress candidate Jalandhar parliamentary constituency triggered a row with Union Minister Anurag Thakur asking the Congress leadership to seek an apology from Channi for insulting soldiers with this deplorable statement.

I always bow my head in reverence to the martyrdom of our army soldiers. The army has consistently done a tremendous job safeguarding our borders from enemies. A few days ago, militants attacked a convoy of Indian Air Force soldiers in District Poonch (J&K), resulting in the Charanjit Singh Channi (@CHARANJITCHANNI) May 6, 2024

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa called Channis statement appalling and disrespectful towards soldiers.

Replying to a question on the attack on the Indian Air Forces convoy in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch, Channi said, Yeh stuntbaazi ho rahi hai, hamle nahi ho rahe (These are all stunts, not attacks). Whenever elections are near, such stunts are performed to make the BJP win. There is no truth in it, he said while replying to the question in Jalandhar.

ALSO READ: J&K IAF Convoy Attack Work Of 4 LeT Terrorists Trained By Sajid Jutt, Search On: Intel Sources | Exclusive

Channi is the Congress candidate from the Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.

The BJP knows how to play with peoples lives and bodies, he further alleged.

One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Poonch district on Saturday, three weeks ahead of polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.

The officials suspect the involvement of the same group of terrorists who ambushed troops in adjoining Bufliaz on December 21 last year, leaving four soldiers dead and three injured.

Union Minister Thakur strongly condemned Channis remarks and asked the Congress whether it will insult soldiers to win elections.

He asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge to seek an apology from Channi.

They insult our Army and question the capability of our Army, said Thakur, who was in Jalandhar on Sunday.

Will the Congress insult our brave soldiers to win elections, he asked.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also condemned Channis remarks as shameful.

Ghastly statement by CWC member Channi belittling the valour of our brave soldiers is no less a crime and an insult to the nation. Channis shameful statement on the attack on our Air Force personnel in Poonch calling their valour as a stunt shows the bankruptcy and frustration of Channi, he said.

The nation will not forgive him. He should hang his head in shame. The Congress and its allies should come clean on this issue. They should publicly disassociate from his statement and ask him to apologise to the nation immediately, Jakhar said in a post on X.

BJP leader Sirsa said, I condemn Charanjit Singh Channis statement of calling the martyrdom of an IAF personnel in Kashmir stuntbaazi. Congress is saying that he was martyred because of elections. This mentality is not just appalling but disrespectful to those who serve our nation, he said.

Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi continue to support each other while Congress is belittling the sacrifice of our Jawans, Sirsa said in a post on X.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has landed in a soup after he went on to say that Pakistan is not wearing bangles and will drop atom bombs on India while responding to Defence Minister Rajnath Singhs remark that PoK will be merged with India.

If the defence minister is saying it then go ahead. Who are we to stop. But remember, they (Pakistan) are also not wearing bangles. It has atom bombs, and unfortunately, that atom bomb will fall on us, Abdullah, the National Conference chief said.

Abdullahs son Omar Abdullah said that the BJP needs to first resolve all problems of J&K region and no one is stopping them to merge PoK with India.

Who has stopped them? Who are we to stop you? But they need to first resolve all problems of the region they have with them, he said.

BJP Reacts To Farooqs Remark

Reacting to Farooqs remark, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said the INDI alliance has a stamp of Pakistan. Today I am bringing your attention to the very astounding statement in the Indian politics. Farooq Abdullah said Pakistan has an atom bomb. There are multiple instances of this. Congress LOP in Maharashtra made statement rather giving cover fire to the Pakistan. Just to get a few votes you are raising questions on Indian forces, he said. INDI alliance has a stamp of Pakistan. Both these leaders are saying to all mile sur mera tumhara. This happened in the last 7 days. This cant be coincidence. This is the strategic game plan of both Indi alliance and Pakistan. They are playing a very dangerous game, he said.

National General Secretary of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Malook Nagar said, I am ashamed that such statements are given by people living in the country. When he (Farooq Abdullah) and his son (Omar Abdullah) gave interviews when Article 370 was still implemented, they sounded like Pakistanis They should be ashamed Such people have no right to live in the country

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam made a bombshell allegation on Monday, stating that shortly after the Supreme Courts verdict on the Ramjanmabhoomi case, Rahul Gandhi had suggested that his party would overturn the directive regarding the Ram temple once the Congress government comes into power.

I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt is formed, they will form a superpower commission and will overturn the Ram Mandir decision just like Rajiv Gandhi overturned the Shah Bano decision Pramod Krishnam said.

Ram Mandir Issue

#BreakingNews | Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam big charge on Rahul Gandhi on #RamTemple issueFormer Congress Leader Acharya Krishnan and BJPs @AnilaSingh_BJP share their views with Avantika Singh pic.twitter.com/Ot8TtiZwmK  News18 (@CNNnews18) May 6, 2024

Expelled Acharya

These allegations come as the former Congress leader had been critical of the partys decision to skip the Ram Mandirs Pran Pratishthan ceremony on January 22. In February 2024, Congress expelled Acharya Pramod Krishnam from the party for indiscipline and making repeated statements against the party. Following his expulsion, Acharya Pramod Krishnam demanded the party to explain the anti-party activities on whose grounds he was expelled.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal should tell which activities are anti-party. Is taking Lord Rams name anti-party? Is going to Ayodhya anti-party?Lord Rama was also sent to Vanvaas for 14 years, since I am Ram devotee, I want that Congress party should expel me for 14 years instead of 6 years he had said.

#WATCH | Sambal, Uttar Pradesh: Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam says, I have spent more than 32 years in the Congress and when the Ram Mandir decision came, Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with his close aides said that after the Congress govt is formed, they will form pic.twitter.com/Qpgs91XPZT ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

There were many decisions taken by the Congress party that I did not agree with, like opposing the abrogation of Article 370. Congress should not have opposed thisCongress should not have supported DMK leaders when they compared Sanatana Dharma with Dengue, Malaria, he had further said. Krishnam had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow on a Congress ticket but lost.

Superpower Commission

Acharya Pramod told CNN-News18 that Rahul Gandhi informed his aides that a Superpower Commission could negate the Supreme Court judgment on Ayodhya. The former Congress leader added that When asked how this could be, Rahul asserted, Of course, this can be done. A Superpower Commission can overturn SC judgment on Ayodhya. He reminded his aides how Rajiv Gandhi had overturned the SC judgment in the Shah Bano case, and said, If Congress comes to power, it will set up a Superpower Commission to set aside Ayodhya Judgment.'

The Shah Bano case was a landmark legal battle in India that revolved around the issue of Muslim womens rights. Shah Bano, a Muslim woman, sought maintenance from her husband after he divorced her. The Supreme Court ruled in her favour, granting her the right to alimony under the Muslim Personal Law. At the time, former PM Rajiv Gandhis government introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act in 1986, which aimed to overturn the Supreme Courts decision in the Shah Bano case. This move was widely criticised for succumbing to pressure from conservative Muslim groups and for being perceived as a political maneuver to appease the Muslim electorate.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan on Monday said that changes can be made, if required, to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) recently implemented in the state depending on the feedback received from people.

At an interaction with journalists at India Womens Press Corps, Bhushan also hoped that justice would be delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

Asked about the UCC, the state assembly speaker argued that the code has provisions for empowerment of women.

As far as UCC is concerned, women are the weakest link in society. If I say women should get property rights, what is wrong with that? They deserve it she said.

On the controversial provision in the states UCC which requires couples in a live-in relationship to register their relationship, Bhushan defended it saying the couples need to own up their decision.

If an 18-year old decides that they want to be in a live-in relationship, should they not be owning it up? Its the 21st century, if youre making such a big decision, own it up, she said.

Bhushan also said the point on live-in relationships did not figure in her conversations with women in the rural areas of the state, and that it was not a major issue for them.

This law (UCC) has come up after two years of deliberation. If society feels it needs to be amended, we will do it. This is not the end of UCC, it is not what will be coming out in the country she said.

Government will see if we need any amendments, she added.

On the Ankita Bhandari murder case, in which the 19-year-old receptionist was murdered in September 2022, Bhushan said she hoped justice will be delivered soon.

Pulkit Arya, son of a former BJP leader, is the main accused in the case.

Uttarakhand is a state where women are respected. I condemn the incident. The case is subjudice, Bhushan said.

Certain things are above politics. I am sure she will get justice, she added.

Asked about the recent violence in the Haldwani region of the state, Bhushan said the government has taken action in the incident.

Uttarakhand does not have communal strife. We are a peaceful state. All religions live in peace. One incident happened, but the state government controlled it, she said.

On the environmental impact of infrastructure projects in the state, which witnessed the town of Joshimath sinking due to land subsidence, Bhushan stressed on the need to strike a balance between environment and development.

We want to protect the environment, but we also want development. Roads are crucial in mountain terrain like Uttarakhand, she said.

Bhushan also underlined the importance of tourism for the states economy. While we should see that religious tourism does not become a picnic, we also dont want to close down and impose limits on the number of tourists.

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
Pakadwa Vivah (marriage by abduction) is a common practice in Bihar. The tradition is simple. Select the groom who has a government job, kidnap him and tie the nuptial knot at gunpoint. In contrast to the eligibility of the groom under this marriage concept, a bizarre wedding took place in the Jamui district of Bihar in which a 15-year-old groom was kidnapped and forced to marry a girl of his higher age. The reason behind the marriage is still not revealed yet by the police officials. The video of the incident has gone viral now.

In the viral video, a minor was seen surrounded by a bunch of guys who allegedly forced the 15-year-old boy to apply vermillion to the bride. He was also thrashed after he refused to marry the girl. The incident took place at Gopalpur of Khaira police station area. As per the reports, Gopalpur resident Ganauri Thakur and three other people together kidnapped the minor boy and then forcibly got him married. The minors family members have also lodged an FIR in Khaira police station regarding the incident.

In the FIR, Lakshmi Thakur, a resident of Dabil of Khaira Police Station reportedly told in her application that Ganauri Thakur, a resident of Gopalpur, reached her house with his 3 associates and forcibly abducted her 15-year-old minor son Rambalak Kumar. After this, they all brought him to Gopalpur where he was forcibly married to a girl who was a resident of Kodwatand. The police are investigating this matter. Police Station Head Shashi Bhushan Kumar said the application has been received and appropriate action will be taken after the investigation.

A similar incident took place on March 27, when a revenue officer named Rintu Kumar was forcibly married to a girl in the Begusarai district of Bihar. As per media reports, a dozen such cases have been reported in the last year, which is a minuscule percentage of unreported ones. According to the State Crime Record Bureau, 7,194 forced marriage cases were reported in the state from January to November 2020, 10,925 in 2019, 10,310 in 2018 and 8,972 in 2017.
Daniel McKinnon, a product manager at Meta who also had experience at Google, recently discussed the differences between the two tech giants based on his six years of experience. McKinnon worked as a product manager at Meta from 2018 to 2022 before spending two years at Google. He then returned to Meta in February to contribute his expertise to the Ray-Ban AI glasses project.

In a recent blog post, McKinnon outlined key distinctions that future employees should consider, ranging from work-life balance to promotion opportunities. He noted that while both companies offer excellent growth opportunities, individuals seeking rapid advancement may find Meta more suitable. On the other hand, those who prioritise work-life balance, stability and job security may prefer Google as their ideal choice.

McKinnon wrote, Meta leadership does not hesitate to bet the farm on new ideas, let them cook, and aggressively cut if they dont pan out. I experienced this myself with social audio. Clubhouse was blowing up, and I had the right experience. Less than a year later when it was clear we werent meeting expectations, our team was blown up. It was fun. It was exciting. But it was not stress-free. Google is different. Projects can span decades without being subject to evolutionary pressure. Reorgs seemed to be designed around fostering the long-term career growth of key people rather than aggressively pursuing a new trend in the market.

Daniel McKinnon further compared the transparency at Google and Meta, claiming that it has declined in both. At Meta, theres an expectation for product managers to take frequent reviews from the seniors and be responsible for outcomes. Mark Zuckerberg conducts Q&A sessions where he addresses candid questions and engages directly with teams. However, this transparency at Meta comes with a downside as theres no room to hide, as your work is visible to leaders and colleagues, making it challenging to face away from the problem.

On the other hand, at Google, transparency is less as they rely on emails and chats for communication. Decision-making processes and executive expectations regarding PM teams are often unclear. Despite attempting to take feedback through with a VP, McKinnon claimed that he received minimal guidance during his 18-month tenure at Google.

The product manager elaborated that at Meta, leadership roles are frequently occupied by young VPs who have rapidly achieved success. In contrast, Googles promotion process tends to be more time-based. While exceptional performance can enhance promotional prospects at Google, such occurrences are less frequent. Additionally, Meta recently streamlined its workforce and created new opportunities, whereas Google is currently dealing with overstaffing resulting from extensive hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lucknow is a city known for its history, culture, and exotic culinary dishes. People from all over the world visit Lucknow to experience the essence of the city. Over the years, the citys history and culture have been described in many poems and phrases. Stories from the era of Nawabs have been captivating the audience for years with their depth and wordplay. Recently, a Dastango named Himanshu Bajpai has been in the limelight for describing his love for the citys eateries and food joints. The poem has gained a lot of popularity on social media.

Dastango Himanshu Bajpai has impressed the internet with his incredible storytelling abilities and poetry. In his poem, he described the authentic taste of Lucknow and talked about the famous eateries in the city of Nawabs. Each verse of the poem perfectly talks about the citys most favourite food spots and takes listeners on a journey through the culinary settings. After hearing the poem, people were highly impressed and were able to experience Lucknows food culture firsthand, leaving one enchanted by its flavours and stories. The video also has montages of the citys delicacies, including the Tunday Kebabs, Idrees Biryani, Sharma Ji ki Chai, Samosas, Paranthas, and more. Dastango Himanshu Bajpai recites the whole poem as the clip actually takes the viewers to the streets of Lucknow.

The clip was uploaded to Instagram. It was captioned, Whenever you think of Lucknow, the first thing that likely springs to mind are the delicious array of food. From succulent kebabs to flaky khasta, Lucknow offers a culinary adventure that is rich in flavours and history. Many of you have frequently asked me about the must-visit food joints in Lucknow, and thankfully, our dear Himanshu Bhai has curated an exceptional food trail showcasing the best of Lucknows cuisine.

After the clip was uploaded, it instantly went viral and people started drooling over the cuisine of the city in the comments section. A user wrote, The collab we didnt deserve but received. Beautifully shot and narrated. Another commented, Mashallah, Lucknowi food is one of the best cuisines.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maroof Umar | Heritage Storyteller (@maroofculmen)

So far, the clip has mustered 3.4 million views on Instagram.
A man has shared a terrifying reality of feeling trapped in his own body like a ghost for more than a decade. He was unable to talk, move or let anyone know he was awake. This is a shocking story of a 47-year-old man from South Africa, who lost out on his adolescent period after he returned from school after suffering from a sore throat when he was just 12 years old.

Martin Pistorius, a 47-year-old man, from Johannesburg, South Africa, came back from school suffering from a sore throat condition, when he was just 12 years old. His condition worsened rapidly and he was diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis and tuberculosis of the brain. This left him weak and very soon he found out that he had lost the ability to speak and control his bodys movements. This resulted in him going mute and becoming wheelchair-bound.

His parents were informed that Martin Pistorius was diagnosed with an unknown degenerative disease which left him in a vegetative state and said he had less than two years to live. However, what no one was aware of was the fact that the young boy had regained consciousness after four years, but he was unable to talk or move, which made him feel like a prisoner in his own body. In an interview, he shared that he was able to hear, see and understand everything around him, but he had no power or control over anything. He added, For me, that feeling of complete and utter powerlessness is probably the worst feeling I have ever experienced, and I hope I never have to experience it again. It is like you dont exist, every single thing in your life is decided by someone else.

For about a decade, he alleged that people who were responsible for his care, abused him physically, verbally and sexually. He was shocked and filled with utter disbelief. He was hurt, saddened and angry and he began to long for the day when someone would notice that his mind was active again.

Finally, the year 2001 saw positive changes in his life. He was 25 when he used to stay at the daycare and Virna van der Walt, an aromatherapist there was convinced that he was reacting to what she was saying. Within a year, he could use computer programs to communicate and gradually, his body began to regain strength.

He finally got a job as a photocopier and then landed a job in computing. He also got a dog he had been wanting to get for years. In 2008, he met his now-wife, Joan. Today, he is a husband, a son, a friend, a brother, a business owner, a first-class honours graduate and an amateur photographer.
Hyderabad is a city known for its scrumptious kebabs, haleem, and biryani. People from all over the world visit the city to try its authentic cuisine. From Irani chai to the flavorful nihari, Hyderabad has food joints in every nook and corner. Some of the popular shops in the city include the Karachi Bakery, Shadab Biryani, Bilal Ice Cream, and more. Recently, many of these restaurants and bakeries have come under fire after the Commissioner of Food Safety inspected these eateries.

The Commissioner of Food Safety for Telangana recently discovered that many popular eateries and food stores in Hyderabad were violating the food safety laws by selling expired rusks, biscuits, and candies with improper labelling on them. Some of the renowned eateries that were inspected include Karachi Bakery and Bilal Ice Cream. The officials found issues with the items that these outlets were selling to people. The inspection found fake bottles, expired stock of biscuits, rusks, cakes, etc. The Commissioner of Food Safety for Telangana shared the entire report on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter). They wrote, Task force has conducted inspections at Moazzam Jahi Market area recently. Bilal Ice Cream- the outlet and their manufacturing unit have been found operating without any valid license/registration, fake brand water bottles found, notice has been issued and action will be taken.

The commissioner also inspected the Karachi Bakery, and wrote, Expired stocks of rusks, biscuits, candy, chocolate cakes, toasts, and buns worth Rs 5,200 were discarded. Use by dates not displayed on pastries and cakes, thereby violating the FSSAI regulations. Multiple unlabelled products were found to be violating the FSSAI Act.

Once the post was uploaded, many frequent visitors went to the comment section and expressed their views. One of the users wrote, Its great to see someone taking action. Appreciating the efforts of government. Another user commented, There are many food outlets from madina to chandrayangutta, sir, kindly inspect and seize them.

Task force has conducted inspections at Moazzam Jahi Market area recently.Bilal Ice Cream* The outlet and their manufacturing unit have been found operating without any valid license/registration* Fake brand water bottles found* Notice issued and action will be taken (1/2) pic.twitter.com/kzC0TVCQCZ  Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana (@cfs_telangana) May 4, 2024

Apart from Karachi Bakery and Bilal Ice Cream, the Food Safety Task Force inspected the Himayatnagar area and identified multiple violations at Clove Vegetarian Fine Dine as well. They found expired products like cheese, syrup, ATC spices, sandwich bread, and brown sugar.
Amid the wedding season, a video from Muzaffarpur is attracting notice on social media. The footage captures a wedding ceremony where the stage unexpectedly collapses. This incident drew attention and several people even fell on the ground. However, in a surprising turn of events, the bride managed to save her groom from falling, averting a potential accident.

The video is rapidly circulating on social media, with claims suggesting it was filmed during a recent wedding in Pandit Pakdi village, Muzaffarpur, according to local villagers. Several individuals sustained minor injuries. This video has prompted discussions in the district and is being widely shared across social media platforms.

During the platform collapse, the bride acted responsibly, rescuing the groom from falling. Now, the video is gaining popularity on social media. However, the video remains to be verified for its authenticity.

According to villagers, a young man who was at the wedding recorded the video when the stage collapsed. The collapse happened because there were too many people on the stage, and some got minor injuries. This video has sparked discussion in the district, leading many to share it on social media.

Some time back, a funny video of a bride and groom varmala ceremony took the internet by storm. During the varmala ceremony, Its common for the brides family to lift her playfully, teasing the groom as he attempts to place the garland on her. This light-hearted moment signifies the grooms affection to win his brides heart. However, in a wedding ceremony circulating on X (previously Twitter), an unexpected incident occurred.

      Donot underestimate the power  pic.twitter.com/qJnf7vgqt7 Sarita sarawag (@Sarita_sarawag) April 22, 2024

In the video, the bride had already put the flower garland on her soon-to-be husbands. But when it came to the grooms turn, the brides friends lifted her. Following this, the groom stepped onto the wedding throne and quickly jumped off. While successfully placing the garland around the brides neck, both the relatives and the bride lost their balance. Consequently, they all tumbled onto the stage. In the end, the bride burst into laughter while the groom stood proudly.
Former Australian police officer Glen Coleman, 57, allegedly raped a young woman whose complaint he was investigating, Australian news agencies said in a report.

According to a report by Sydney Morning Herald, Coleman, a police officer of the New South Wales province, allegedly raped the victim, sexually touched her without her consent and sent her unsolicited intimate photos, despite being assigned with the responsibility of solving her case. He also headed the provincial police forces sex crimes squad.

The victim was in her late teens when the alleged crimes were committed, prosecutors told Penrith District Court. They said the crimes were committed in early 2022.

Crown prosecutor Kate Nightingale told the jury that the ex-cop sexually touched the woman without consent inside police vehicles on two occasions between April 1 and May 6, 2022.

He also sexually assaulted her at a police station on May 5 of the same year.

Coleman did not deny having sex with the victim. He said the sex with the victim, who was a teenager at the time, was consensual.

Mr Coleman denies he ever sexually touched or had sexual intercourse with the complainant without her free and voluntary consent, defence barrister Joel Brook said.

The ex-cop also sent intimate photos of himself to the woman, asked her to send intimate photos of her, and offered her money to engage in sexual conduct with him.

Colemans trial began on Monday. The accused ex-cop pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual intercourse without consent, six counts of sexually touching another person without consent and one count of misconduct by a holder of public office.

The trial led by a jury of nine men and three women and judge Robert Montgomery is expected to last two-to-three weeks.

Demanded Erotic Dances

The victim met the ex-cop at Windsor Police Station in February 2022 to file a complaint against her cousin who had threatened to share her naked images online.

Months later when Glen Coleman found out that the alleged victim had gone for an interview at a Sydney strip club, he begged her to pay for sex or erotic dances.

He also asked if she could dance naked for him before grabbing her breasts and genitals when they met in a park in late March 2022.

Coleman offered her $700 for two hours of sex in May 2022. You will wear a dress and a lacy g-string. Bring another unless you want to go without undies as I will be keeping it, he said.

The victim also said that she noticed Coleman had an erection during an interview in late March 2022. I am so hard for you, he allegedly told her.

According to Australian newspaper The Daily Northern Leader, Coleman sent the victim texts calling her bubs and gorgeous by text and Snapchat message. He began texting her from April 2022.
Amid global outcry over the imminent Israeli invasion of Rafah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Monday informed mediators Qatar and Egypt that his Palestinian group had accepted their proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

This comes amid disagreement between the warring sides over the Palestinian outfits demands to end the seven-month war, during weekend negotiations in Cairo. Egyptian state-linked media said the talks stalled after a rocket attack claimed by Hamass armed wing killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday.

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas movement, conducted a telephone call with the prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and with the Egyptian intelligence minister, Mr Abbas Kamel, and informed them of Hamass approval of their proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement, the group said in a statement published on its official website.

Rafah

Earlier on Monday, residents of eastern Rafah were told to evacuate early Monday and head to the coastal area of Al-Mawasi, an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone adjacent to Rafah ahead of a limited operation by the army.

US President Joe Biden reiterated his clear position to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday after Israel defied US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Aid groups warned that Israels demand that Palestinians leave part of the southern Gaza city could be catastrophic in the absence of a clear evacuation plan.

More than 34,700 Palestinians have been killed and at least 78,000 wounded, according to Gaza health ministry figures, in the war that began after Hamas carried out a cross-border raid on Oct. 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli counts.

Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah early on Monday, apparently getting ready for a long-expected assault on Hamas militants holding out in the southern Gaza city. More than one million people uprooted by the war have been sheltering there. The Israeli military told them they should relocate to what it called an expanded humanitarian zone 20 km away.

(With agency inputs)
Israel has urged Palestinians to evacuate parts of the Gazan city of Rafah in possible preparation for an assault on Hamas units that foreign powers fear could take a big civilian toll.

we begin a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate residents in the eastern part of Rafah, said Israeli military Spokesperson Nadav Shoshani. The spokesperson added that this is not a wide-scale evacuation of Rafah but a limited-scope operation in eastern Rafah.

Here are some reactions:

This is a dangerous escalation that will have consequences. The U.S. administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism, said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhuri.

UN RELIEF AGENCY

An Israeli offensive in #Rafah would mean more civilian suffering & deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people. @UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.

An Israeli offensive in #Rafah would mean more civilian suffering & deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people@UNRWA is not evacuating: the Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people pic.twitter.com/8anQ8Eq6Gv UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 6, 2024

EUROPEAN UNION

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on Monday condemned Israels order for Palestinians living in eastern Rafah to flee the Gazan city ahead of an expected ground assault. Israels evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable. Israel must renounce to a ground offensive, Borrell said in a social media post.

READ MORE: Whats Next After Israeli Army Orders Evacuation In Rafah Ahead Of Expected Assault?

Israels evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable.Israel must renounce to a ground offensive and implement UNSCR 2728. The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario.  Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) May 6, 2024

FRANCE

France said on Monday it was strongly opposed to Israels Rafah offensive, ahead of an expected ground assault in the southern city of the Gaza Strip.

France reiterates that it is strongly opposed to an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where more than 1.3 million people are taking refuge in a situation of great distress, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes a war crime.

AUSTRALIA

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia has made it clear that Israel should not go down this path. In a statement, Senator Wong said: Australia is gravely concerned by the prospect of a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah. Australia, the G7 and so many countries have called on the Netanyahu Government to change course. The Foreign Minister has made clear Australias view that Israel should not go down this path.

WHITE HOUSE

US President Joe Biden will speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday after Israels military called for Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah ahead of an offensive in the southern Gaza city, the White House said. We cant speak for IDF operations. We have made our views clear on a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, and the president will speak with the prime minister today, a spokesman for the National Security Council told news agency AFP.

(With agency inputs)
Former US President Donald Trump has pledged to initiate the largest mass deportation effort in the countrys history if re-elected in 2024, targeting millions of undocumented migrants nationwide.

In a recent interview with TIME Magazine, Trump outlined plans to use local law enforcement, the National Guard, and the military, drawing parallels to the sweeping deportations of Operation Wetback during the Eisenhower administration, which expelled over a million migrants in 1954.

While Trumps 2024 campaign has not elaborated on the logistical requirements of such a massive operation, former US officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were quoted as saying by the New York Post that it would necessitate a substantial expansion of resources.

According to Eric Ruark, director of research at NumbersUSA, the estimate of nearly 20 million undocumented migrants in the U.S. proposed by the Trump campaign is plausible, considering the surge in migration under the Biden administration, surpassing the Census Bureaus official figure of 11 million.

Tom Homan, former acting ICE director, underlined the need for increased staffing, detention facilities, and transportation contracts to facilitate expedited deportations. While prioritising the removal of criminals and national security threats, Homan emphasised that no undocumented individual would be exempt from deportation.

In anticipation of a potential second Trump administration, Jon Feere, former ICE chief of staff, highlighted the agencys readiness for heightened enforcement but stressed the necessity of additional personnel and detention space. He underscored the multifaceted nature of immigration enforcement, involving various government agencies such as Health and Human Services, the State Department, and USCIS. Feere also stressed potential diplomatic challenges in repatriating migrants to countries unwilling to accept them.

He proposed leveraging Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to impose visa sanctions on non-cooperative nations, advocating for a robust foreign policy approach to secure cooperation. However, obstacles may arise from sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Feere warned of increased enforcement actions in such jurisdictions, signaling a potential escalation in ICE operations nationwide.

Despite the logistical complexities and political hurdles, proponents of Trumps deportation agenda remain steadfast in their commitment to curbing illegal immigration. They advocate for a comprehensive government approach, combining enforcement measures with diplomatic initiatives to address the root causes of migration and enhance border security.
Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is ready to fly into space for the third time on Tuesday as the pilot aboard Boeings Starliner spacecraft in its the first crewed test flight.

Boeings Starliner will blast off for the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Starliner will carry Williams, 58, and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station, marking what could be a momentous and long-awaited victory for the beleaguered Boeing programme.

The scheduled lift-off is set for 22:34 local time on Monday (8:04 am IST on Tuesday) We are all here because we are all ready. Our friends and family have heard about it and weve talked about it and they are happy and proud that we are part of the process to fix it all, the BBC quoted Williams as saying The mission has been delayed for several years because of setbacks in the spacecrafts development.

If it is successful, it will become the second private firm able to provide crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musks SpaceX.

Such a scenario  with both SpaceXs Crew Dragon and Starliner flying regularly  is one for which the US space agency has long waited.

Design and development is hard  particularly with a human space vehicle, said Mark Nappi, vice president and Starliner programme manager at Boeing, during a Thursday news briefing.

Theres a number of things that were surprises along the way that we had to overcome.  It certainly made the team very, very strong. Im very proud of how theyve overcome every single issue that weve encountered and gotten us to this point, Nappi said.

This is history in the making, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said of the upcoming Starliner mission during a March 22 news conference. Were now in the golden era of space exploration. SpaceX and Boeing developed their respective vehicles under NASAs Commercial Crew Programme, a partnership with private industry contractors. From the outset, the space agency aimed to have both companies operating at once. The Crew Dragon and Starliner spacecraft would each serve as a backup to the other, giving astronauts the option to keep flying, even if technical issues or other setbacks grounded one spacecraft.

Williams received her commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy from the United States Naval Academy in May 1987.

Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a veteran of two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33.

She served as a flight engineer on Expedition 32 and then commander of Expedition 33.

During her first spaceflight, Expedition 14/15, Williams was launched with the crew of STS-116 on December 9, 2006, docking with the International Space Station on December 11, 2006. While onboard, she established a world record for females with four spacewalks totalling 29 hours and 17 minutes. Astronaut Peggy Whitson subsequently broke the record in 2008 with a total of five spacewalks.

On Expedition 32/33, Williams was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, along with Russian Soyuz commander Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, on July 14, 2012.

Williams spent four months conducting research and exploration aboard the orbiting laboratory.

She landed in Kazakhstan on November 18, 2012, after spending 127 days in space.

During their Expedition, Williams and Hoshide performed three spacewalks to replace a component that relays power from the space stations solar arrays to its systems and repair an ammonia leak on a station radiator. With 50 hours and 40 minutes, Williams once again held the record for total cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut. The record has since been overtaken by Peggy Whitson. Williams has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space.

Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, to Indian-American neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Slovene-American Ursuline Bonnie (Zalokar) Pandya.

She holds a physical science degree from the US Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology.
The Israeli Army on Monday told Palestinians to begin evacuating eastern Rafah signalling that a ground invasion is imminent. News agency Associated Press accessed an Israeli Defense Force statement on Monday which asked Palestinians to move to Muwasi, an Israeli-declared humanitarian area near the coast.

The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. This expanded humanitarian area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies.In accordance with the pic.twitter.com/si47k9FCCz  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 6, 2024

The IDF said it had expanded assistance into the area, including field hospitals, tents, food and water.

The IDF announcement comes amid fragile cease-fire talks and ahead of a highly anticipated ground offensive that Israel has vowed it will proceed regardless of a deal or truce. It says the Rafah operation is aimed at weeding out the remaining Hamas militants.

Calls to temporarily move to the humanitarian area will be conveyed through flyers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in arabic. The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that theyre holding in captivity are back home, the IDF sad in a post on social media site X.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. But last October, Israel did not formally announce the launch of a ground invasion that continues to this day.

The move comes a day after Hamas militants carried out a deadly rocket attack from the area that killed three Israeli soldiers.

Medics and first responders in Gaza said 16 people were killed in Israeli retaliatory air strikes in Rafah Sunday.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant had claimed on Sunday that Hamas was unserious about the truce deal which Israel proposed and warned of a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah.

More than 1.4 million Palestinians  more than half of Gazas population  are currently crammed into the town of Rafah, where they have sought refuge fleeing from the war in Gaza triggered by Hamas, the coastal strips governing authority, following its October 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized some 250 hostages, with Israel estimating that 128 hostages abducted on October 7 remain in Gaza, including 35 who the military says are dead.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry.

The Palestinian civilian toll has strained ties between Israel and its main military supplier and ally the United States.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.

The US has publicly said through both Blinken and his boss, US President Joe Biden, that it is not in favour of an operation in Rafah that does not take into account the safety of civilians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected international pressure to halt the war in Gaza in a fiery speech marking the countrys annual Holocaust memorial day, declaring: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. He also said that he remains committed to the operation in Rafah.

I say to the leaders of the world: No amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself. Never again is now, he said.
Amid strained bilateral ties with India under the Muizzu government, a top Maldives minister has urged Indian tourists to support its tourism-dependent economy. With the number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives dwindling, the island nations tourism minister on Monday urged Indians to contribute to the countrys economy.

We have a history. Our newly elected government also wants to work together (with India). We always promote peace and a friendly environment. Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals. As the Tourism Minister, I want to tell Indians to please be a part of Maldives tourism. Our economy depends on tourism, Maldivian Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal said in a PTI interview.

This request comes a few months after a huge backlash from India after Maldivian officials made derogatory remarks about India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. Many Indians, including celebrities, canceled Maldives trips. Consequently, Indias ranking in tourism arrivals plummeted from the top to sixth place.

India Tourists Drop

The number of tourist arrivals from India declined by 42 percent in the first four months of this year compared to the first four months of last year, according to a sun.mv report published on Monday. At the start of this year, India was the top tourist market for the Maldives. Shortly into the year, India dropped to sixth place amongst the top tourist markets, the news portal reported.

According to Tourism Ministry statistics, Maldives recorded a total of 43,991 tourist arrivals from India as of May 4. Between January and April of last year, Maldives recorded 73,785 tourist arrivals. This year, the number stands at 42,638. The report attributed the steep decline in Indian tourists to the strained relations between India and the Maldives after the new administration led by President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November last year.

India-Maldives ties

The India-Maldives ties have come under stress as President Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, maintained after assuming charge as the president in November that he will keep his election promise of evicting Indian military personnel from his country. Soon after coming to power, Muizzu forced the withdrawal of the 88 Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives.

He has previously accused India of meddling in the affairs of the Maldives and won the presidential elections in September last year with an India Out campaign. The Maldives is Indias key maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and occupies a special place in its initiatives like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Neighbourhood First Policy of the Modi government.

(With PTI inputs)

Find Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear weapons drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine, the defence ministry said Monday.

Putin has upped his nuclear rhetoric since the Ukraine conflict began, warning in his address to the nation in February there was a real risk of nuclear war. During the exercise, a set of measures will be taken to practise the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the defence ministry said. Non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as tactical nuclear weapons, are designed for use on the battlefield and can be delivered via missiles.

The ministry said the exercises would take place in the near future and were aimed at ensuring Russias territorial integrity in the face of threats by certain Western officials. Aircraft and naval forces will take part, as well as troops from the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine and includes the occupied Ukrainian territories, it said.

Western officials have become increasingly alarmed by the Kremlins nuclear rhetoric during the offensive in Ukraine, with Putin frequently invoking Russias nuclear doctrine. Regarding the nuclear exercise announced by Russia: It is always important to make clear that nuclear weapons must not be used in this war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a post on X. Last year Russia ditched its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and pulled out of a key arms reduction agreement with the United States.
Recent statements by Frances president and Britains foreign secretary about the war in Ukraine are dangerous and will deepen international tension around the conflict, the Kremlins spokesman said Friday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview published Thursday, repeated an earlier comment that he doesnt exclude sending troops to Ukraine. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, meanwhile, said during a visit to Kyiv the same day that Ukraine will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia  a possibility that some other NATO countries providing weapons have balked at.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov branded Macrons comment a very important and very dangerous statement. Remarks by Macron about possible direct French engagement in the conflict represent a very dangerous trend, he said.

Camerons statement about Ukraines right to use British weapons provided to strike facilities inside Russia is another very dangerous statement, Peskov told reporters.

This is a direct escalation of tensions around the Ukrainian conflict, which potentially may threaten European security, the entire European security architecture, Peskov said.

Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 significantly heightened tension between the Kremlin and NATO countries. The alliance countries have provided much of the military hardware that Kyiv is using to fight Russia, ensuring that the tension has continued to simmer. Russia, in turn, has sought help from China, Iran and North Korea, according to the U.S..

As Russia heaps battlefield pressure on depleted Ukrainian forces and appears poised to launch a major offensive, that antagonism has become sharper.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed Friday that Russian troops had captured more than 500 square kilometers (200 square miles) of territory from Ukrainian forces since the start of the year.

The Russian groups of forces continue to break through the enemys strongholds along the entire line of contact, Shoigu said at a meeting with top military brass.

It was not possible to independently verify claims about the battlefield.

Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that Russian forces have an overwhelming advantage in troops, weapons and ammunition.

Ukraines president and foreign minister pressed Cameron during his visit to accelerate the delivery of his countrys promised military aid.

It is important that the weapons included in the U.K. support package announced last week arrive as soon as possible, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the social platform X.

He said armored vehicles, ammunition and missiles of various types were top of the list.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who also met with Cameron, said on X that the focus was on speeding up military aid.

That message was rammed home by the deputy chief of Ukraines military intelligence agency, Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, who said Russia is trying to exploit its current advantage in weapons and manpower and is planning a major offensive this summer.

Our problem is very simple: We have no weapons, Skibitsky was quoted as saying in an interview with The Economist published Friday.

Vital support pledged by Western allies to help Ukraine fend off the Kremlins forces has been delayed by political disagreements in the United States and a lack of manufacturing capacity in Europe. That has opened a door to advances for the bigger and better-equipped Russian army, especially along the front line in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine and its Western partners are in a race against the clock to deploy the new military aid, especially a fresh batch of U.S. support, in coming weeks and prevent Russia taking more ground.

The pressing concern at the moment is keeping the strategic eastern hilltop city of Chasiv Yar out of Russian hands. Capturing the city would offer Russia the opportunity of attacking other key cities deeper inside the Donetsk region and hitting important Ukrainian supply lines.

Chasiv Yar is being battered by Russian artillery, drones and missiles. Glide bombs have also been deployed. They are half-ton bombs fitted with wings and launched from aircraft from behind Russian lines. They demolish buildings and leave huge craters, unnerving local defenders.

Russia used a similar strategy of relentless bombardment to force Ukrainian troops out of Avdiivka in February.
At least three synagogues and a museum in New York received bomb threats on Saturday but the New York Police Department did not deem them as credible, news agency Reuters said, citing a city official and police.

Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine said that is it an example of swatting incidents targeting Jewish institutions and part of a growing trend. He said it was a clear hate crime.

This is a clear effort to sow fear in the Jewish community. Cannot be accepted, he said.

Antisemitic incidents of assault, vandalism and harassment in the US more than doubled last year to a record high as anti-Jewish sentiment spiked after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, the Anti-Defamation League said in a report last month.

A police spokesperson said a number of threats were received on Saturday, including an emailed bomb threat to the Brooklyn Museum and one to a synagogue in Brooklyn Heights, with no evidence of any explosive device detected.

Two synagogues in Manhattan also received bomb threats, including a West Side synagogue that prompted police to evacuate about 250 people, police said, with nothing found.

New York state Governor Kathy Hochul said on X state officials were actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York. Threats have been determined not to be credible.

Hochul added, We will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions.
Tibetan and Uyghur activists on Sunday unfurled the Tibetan flag and demanded justice for alleged human rights violations suffered by Uyghurs above Chinese President Xi Jinpings motorcade.

UPDATE: After 2.5+hrs 2 SFT activists have been detained after they deployed 2 banners + Tibetan FlagBut their message has already been made clear: Xi is committing genocide in Tibet. A unidentified man was seen liaising with the police as the activists were detained. pic.twitter.com/pYLFQ1sWox  Students for a Free Tibet (@SFTHQ) May 4, 2024

Xi Jinping arrived in France on a state visit and will later visit eastern European nations Hungary and Serbia, marking his first European visit in five years.

BREAKING SFT unfurled a giant banner on an overpass above Xis motorcade as he was arriving in Paris. In China, Xi may be able to ignore the plight of Tibetans, but in France we are going to expose his lies and guarantee that Xi cannot forget us. #FreeTibet #TibetLibre pic.twitter.com/YZt3gt1aoS  Students for a Free Tibet (@SFTHQ) May 5, 2024

Following Xis arrival, campaigners for Tibet and Uyghur took to the streets demanding justice for those being allegedly oppressed by the Chinese government in those regions.

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), who said that they were behind the unfurling of banners, later said that 2 activists who are part of the group were detained hours after they unfurled the banners.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged French President Emmanuel Macron to publicly address issues related to Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers during Xis visit to Paris and demanded that the individuals who have been arbitrarily detained be released immediately. The demand was put forth by Ilham Tohti, an Uyghur economist and recipient of the Sakharov Prize.

Tibetan activists also demanded that Macron should raise concerns about Tibet and Hong Kong when he meets Xi and said that alleged repression faced by Tibetan children in boarding schools and the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong should be discussed.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in France Sunday on a state visit hosted by Emmanuel Macron where the French leader will seek to warn his counterpart against backing Russia in the conflict over Ukraine.

Xis arrival for the visit marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and China.

The leader of the one-party Communist state of more than 1.4 billion people, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, was welcomed under umbrellas at a drizzly Paris Orly airport by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

Xi is to hold a day of talks in Paris on Monday  also including EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen  followed by a state banquet hosted by Macron at the Elysee.

Tuesday will see Macron take Xi to the Pyrenees mountains to an area he used to visit as a boy for a day of less public talks.

In an op-ed for Le Figaro daily, Xi said that he wanted to work with the international community to find ways to solve the conflict sparked by Russias invasion of Ukraine, while emphasising that China was neither a party nor a participant in the conflict.

We hope that peace and stability will return quickly to Europe and intend to work with France and the entire international community to find good paths to resolve the crisis, he wrote.

(with inputs from AFP)
Signaling a long-promised ground invasion of Rafah, the Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gazas southern city to start evacuating from the area. The development came amid efforts by international mediators, including the US to broker a ceasefire in Gaza.

The militant Hamas group and Qatar, a key mediator, have warned that invading Rafah, along the border with Egypt, could derail the talks. However, Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said the invasion is necessary to defeat the militant group.

Dangerous escalation

US President Joe Biden will meet Middle East ally, Jordans King Abdullah II, at the White House on Monday with prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appearing slim and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Israeli officials blaming each other for the impasse. On Sunday, Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruled that out.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesperson, said some 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi. He said Israel was preparing a limited scope operation and would not say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. This is a dangerous escalation that will have consequences. The U.S. administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism, said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhuri.

The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. This expanded humanitarian area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies.In accordance with the pic.twitter.com/si47k9FCCz  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 6, 2024

Deadly rocket attack

Overnight, Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, told US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin that Israel had no choice but to act in Rafah. On Sunday, Hamas carried out a deadly rocket attack from the Rafah area that killed four Israeli soldiers. Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through air-dropped leaflets, text messages and radio broadcasts.

He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food and water. Israels army said on the social platform X that it would act with extreme force against militants, and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety. Israels plan to invade Rafah has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there. About 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half of Gazas population, are jammed into the city and its surroundings.

Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israels onslaught and now face another wrenching move or the danger of staying under a new assault. They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing U.N. shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled.

Devastating consequences

The UN agency that has helped millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank for decades, known as UNRWA, warned Monday of devastating consequences of a Rafah offensive, including more civilian suffering and deaths. The agency said it would not leave but stay in Rafah as long as possible to continue providing lifesaving assistance. Egypts Rafah crossing, a main transfer point for aid going into Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone.

The crossing remained open on Monday after the Israeli order. But even as the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have pushed for a cease-fire agreement, Israeli PM repeated last week that the military would move on the city with or without a deal to achieve its goal of destroying the Hamas militant group. On Monday, Netanyahu accused Hamas of torpedoing the hostage deal and not budging from its extreme demands while vowing to stop the militants from retaking control of Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the opening ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day at @yadvashem:Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenseless against those who sought our destruction. No nation came to our aid. pic.twitter.com/lIi6Sk99Y8  Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 5, 2024

In a fiery speech Sunday evening marking the countrys annual Holocaust memorial day, he rejected international pressure to halt the war, saying that if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. Israel is reportedly trying to pressure Hamas into making concessions on the ceasefire, but the group insists it wont change its demands. Hamas wants a full end to the war, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the eventual reconstruction of the strip in exchange for the Israeli hostages held by the militants.

(With agency inputs)
THE demand for more small ZiG denominations is overwhelming supply in the small to medium enterprises sector, with vendors imploring the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to release more coins for change and easy transacting.

While the golden principle of money supply stipulates that it must be scarce, vegetable vendors and other SMEs appealed to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to release more small denominations especially coins for change and easy of doing business.

We are hearing about it, but its not available here at vending sites. We are eagerly waiting for it because it helps us for change to our customers, said a vendors at easily shopping centre, said a vendor.

Because of lack of small denominations, we end up forcing our customers to take things which they dont like for the sake of transacting, so if more ZiG is circulated it will make our business easier, noted another.

Others who have used the ZiG are satisfied with the new currencys bargaining power.

The ZiG has come as a relief commuting public. We can now get change unlike in before when the Kombis were manipulating us as they could not give us change, said a car wash vendor in Harare.

We want the ZiG coins to be availed on quantities so that when I sell water I can give you your change rather that forcing customers to take another bottle for the sake of balancing, a water vendor explained.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe introduced the new ZiG currency on the 5th of April in a move expected to solve exchange rate volatility and promote the use of local currency.

According to the central bank, the ZiG is fully-backed by a combination of gold and other precious minerals, including foreign currency reserves.

The central bank went on to release ZiG notes and coins on the 30th of April, amid optimism of currency value preservation, smooth transactions and stability.

The RBZ has also indicated it has reserved worth over US$100 million in foreign currency, including 2,5 tonnes of gold worth US$185 million.

As the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe releases more ZiG currency into circulation, it is the expectation of vendors that the big chunked will be in small denominations for easy transacting. zbc
Prosecutors say the two Australians and one American killed during a surfing trip to Mexico were likely murdered by thieves who wanted to steal the tires off of their pickup truck. Authorities in Baja California said relatives have confirmed the identities of the three men, whose bodies were found in a remote well near a beach Friday, as Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their friend, American Jack Carter Rhoad. The trio disappeared during a camping and surfing trip along the coast south of Ensenada, the BBC reports. They'd been posting pictures of their adventures before vanishing around April 27, the AP reports.

The thieves "may have been looking for trucks in this area," chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez says. Spotting the truck and tents, the thieves may have attempted to steal the truck tires when the men came back and saw what was happening. "Surely, they resisted," the prosecutor says, at which point the suspects shot themall three had been shot in the headand dumped their bodies. A fourth body, which had been in the well much longer, was found at the same time as the three men, and authorities say it's possible the same suspects had dumped another body at the difficult-to-access location after a previous crime. Three people were being questioned in the case. (More Mexico stories.)
A Massachusetts woman won a $1 million Massachusetts State Lottery prizethen, 10 weeks later, won the same amount again. Christine Wilson won both jackpots by playing scratch-off tickets she'd purchased at two different stores, People reports. Both times, she opted for the $650,000 (pre-tax) cash payout option, USA Today reports. The first time, she said she'd use some of the winnings to purchase an SUV and the second time (the SUV having now been purchased), she said she planned to put the money in savings.

The odds of winning $1 million in the 100X Cash instant ticket game, the second one in which Wilson won a jackpot, are one in 1.6 million. The odds of winning $1 million in Lifetime Millions, the first instant ticket game in which she won, are one in 2.1 million, per the Massachusetts Lottery. Just since last year, multiple stories have come out about people winning multiple big lottery prizes in a short span of time, including an Australian couple who won $1 million each on two separate tickets for the same lotto drawing. (In the US, the winner of Powerball's recent $1.3 billion jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who's been battling cancer for eight years.)
A 16-year-old boy armed with a knife was shot dead by police after he stabbed a man in the Australian west coast city of Perth, officials said Sunday. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a hardware store in suburban Willetton on Saturday night, the AP reports. The teen, whom police described as white, per CNN, attacked the man and then rushed at police officers before he was shot, Western Australian Premier Roger Cook told reporters on Sunday. "There are indications he had been radicalized online," Cook told a news conference. "But I want to reassure the community at this stage it appears that he acted solely and alone," Cook added. A man in his 30s was found at the scene with a stab wound to his back. He was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition, a police statement said.
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent. The announcement complicates last-ditch efforts by international mediators, including the director of the CIA, to broker a ceasefire, per the AP . The militant Hamas group and Qatar, a key mediator, have warned that invading Rafah, along the border with Egypt, could derail the talks, and the United States has repeatedly urged Israel against the invasion. However, Israel has described Rafah as the last significant Hamas stronghold after seven months of war, and its leaders have repeatedly said the invasion is necessary to defeat the Islamic militant group.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said some 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi. He said Israel was preparing a "limited-scope operation" and wouldn't say whether this was the beginning of a broader invasion of the city. But after Oct. 7 and the unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Hamas, Israel didn't formally announce the launch of a ground invasion that continues to this day. Overnight, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that Israel had no choice but to act in Rafah. On Sunday, Hamas carried out a deadly rocket attack from the Rafah area that killed four Israeli soldiers.

Shoshani said Israel published a map of the evacuation area, and that orders were being issued through air-dropped leaflets, text messages, and radio broadcasts. He said Israel has expanded humanitarian aid into Muwasi, including field hospitals, tents, food, and water. Israel's army said on X that it would act with "extreme force" against militants and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety. Israel's plan to invade Rafah has raised global alarm because of the potential for harm to more than a million Palestinian civilians sheltering there.

story continues below

About 1.4 million Palestiniansmore than half of Gaza's populationare jammed into the city and its surroundings. Most of them fled their homes elsewhere in the territory to escape Israel's onslaught and now face another wrenching move or the danger of staying under a new assault. But some people say they're too tired and fed up after months of devastation to flee again. Sahar Abu Nahel was displaced to Rafah with 20 of her family, her husband is being held by Israel, and her son-in-law in missing, she said. "Where am I going to go? I have no money or anything. I am seriously tired, as are [my] children," she said wiping tears from her cheeks. "Maybe it's more honorable for us to die." More here. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
Forbes is out with a list of the richest person in each state, and pretty much all of them have at least $1 billion. Jeff Bezos, of course, is at the top of the heapin his new residence of Floridawith $194 billion. Some nuggets:

Paupers: Only three states have no billionairesAlaska, Delaware, and West Virginia. However, retired Intuit CEO Brad Smith's growing stash of $900 million in West Virginia suggests the list will be smaller soon.

Only three states have no billionairesAlaska, Delaware, and West Virginia. However, retired Intuit CEO Brad Smith's growing stash of $900 million in West Virginia suggests the list will be smaller soon. Top three: California has the most billionaires with 197, followed by New York (139) and Florida (107).

California has the most billionaires with 197, followed by New York (139) and Florida (107). Big chicken: Six states in addition to Florida saw a new No. 1 billionaire, and Louisiana is one of them. There, Todd Graves, founder of the Raising Cane's chicken chain, overtook New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson. Graves' fortune is estimated at $9.1 billion.

(More billionaires stories.)
More than 500 sets of human remains taken from ex-Belgian colonies are currently housed at the Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, including the skull of 19th-century Congolese leader Lusinga Iwa Ng'ombe, who was decapitated in a battle with Belgian troops in 1884. Now, draft legislation is vying to have his remains and those of the others returned to their countries of origin, "against the backdrop of a larger debate about Europe's responsibility for the colonial atrocities, reparations, and restitution of plundered heritage," per the New York Times . The paper notes that the return of remains swiped from colonized territories, which typically ended up with private collectors or museums, has been "painfully slow," despite guidelines set up in multiple nations, including Belgium.

There's a bill in the works in Belgium that would regulate such restitution efforts, though it doesn't look like it will see a vote in Parliament until at least June, after the nation's general elections. France is the only other EU country that has similar strict regulations in place regarding such restitution. The move to make things right has been a yearslong one: In 2021, Thomas Dermine, Belgium's secretary of state for science policy, noted, per the Guardian: "Everything that has been acquired through force and violence under illegitimate conditions must in principle be returned." He added, "Objects that have been acquired in an illegitimate fashion by our ancestors, by our grandparents, great-grandparents, do not belong to us. They belong to the Congolese people. Full stop."

Last spring, the nation's bioethics panel issued a report that found there was no justification for displaying in museums human remains taken from colonized territories, per the Brussels Times. "Human remains must be treated with respect, dignity, and decency," the report noted. Belgium, by its own research, holds 534 human remains from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. However, there are parameters for what should be returned, and critics from the Congo aren't pleased that experts from their nation weren't consulted in drafting the law. "Belgium cannot unilaterally set the criteria for restitution," one adviser to the Congo's president tells the Times. More here, including a history lesson on Belgian King Leopold II's colonization of "a vast part of Central Africa" in the late 19th century. (More Belgium stories.)
UPDATE

May 7, 2024 4:05 PM CDT

Boeing's first astronaut launch was called off because of a valve problem on the rocket Monday night. The two NASA test pilots had just strapped into Boeing's Starliner capsule for a flight to the International Space Station when the countdown was halted, just two hours before the planned liftoff. United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno said an oxygen pressure-relief valve on the upper stage of the company's Atlas rocket started fluttering open and closed, creating a loud buzz, the AP reports. The valve may have exceeded its 200,000 lifetime cycles, Bruno said, which means it would have to be replaced, pushing the launch into next week. But if engineers can determine the valve is still within that limit, the launch team could try again as soon as Friday.

May 6, 2024 7:21 AM CDT

After years of delays and stumbles, Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. It's the first flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station, per the AP. NASA turned to US companies for astronaut rides after the space shuttles were retired. Elon Musk's SpaceX has made nine taxi trips for NASA since 2020, while Boeing has managed only a pair of unoccupied test flights. The company's long-awaited astronaut demo is slated for liftoff Monday night. Provided this tryout goes well, NASA will alternate between Boeing and SpaceX to get astronauts to and from the space station. More:
Columbia will have no school-wide commencement ceremony as in years past. The Ivy League university said Monday it was scrapping the traditional event because of security concerns amid a season of campus protests, reports the Wall Street Journal. However, the school said smaller-scale ceremonies at individual schools will go on as planned May 15, per NBC News. The move comes after police raided pro-Palestinian encampments on the Columbia campus late last month and arrested more than 130 people.
A US Army sergeant has been charged in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire hatched when his older brother was serving time in a Connecticut state prison. Sgt. Jeremiah Peikert, 30, and Joshua Peikert, 32, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to minors, ABC News reports. Prosecutors say that in 2022, Joshua Peikert asked his cellmate at the Corrigan Correctional Center to find a hitman to kill a 29-year-old woman, her two daughters, ages 10 and 1, and her 23-year-old boyfriend, reports the New York Post . The woman is Joshua Peikert's ex-girlfriend, NBC Connecticu t reports.

According to court documents, Joshua Peikert's cellmate asked for a $500 "finder's fee"$250 up front and $250 when the targets were deadin return for finding somebody who would kill the four people for $10,000 a head. Court documents state that Joshua Peikert gave his cellmate the address of the people he wanted dead, along with details including the location of a spare key. But instead of finding a hit man, the cellmate wrote to the woman and told her about the plot, according to court documents. She contacted police. "At no time did I have any intention of hiring a hitman or committing any violence," the cellmate told investigators.

Prosecutors said Jeremiah Peikert, who was stationed in Texas at the time, transferred $250 to the cellmate. According to court documents, Jeremiah Peikert told investigators his brother had asked him to transfer the money to pay for "construction," but he knew it was part of a scheme to hurt the woman, NBC Connecticut reports. He said he didn't know "the kids were planned to be involved in this scheme," court documents state. He said his brother "has displayed violent tendencies, even growing up. He is also manipulative, especially with me, which played a role in me cooperating." (More murder plot stories.)
The Hamas militant group says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal to halt its seven-month war with Israel, per the AP . It issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence minister. The announcement came hours after Israel ordered Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern Gaza town of Rafah ahead of an Israeli military operation. There was no immediate comment from Israel, and it was unclear whether the deal would stave off the operation.

However, news of Hamas' announcement sent people in Rafah cheering into the streets. Details of the proposal were not immediately released. But in recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the ceasefire would take place in a series of stages in which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza. It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas' key demand of bringing about an end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
Russia said Monday that because of statements made by UK and French officials, its military has begun planning for drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons near Ukraine. A Kremlin statement said the exercises are planned "in response to provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation," per Politico Europe . A Ukrainian military spokesman responded to the announcement by calling it "nuclear blackmail, and a NATO spokesperson said the plan is "dangerous and irresponsible," the BBC reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron had declined last week to rule out sending troops to help Ukraine, if requested by its government, in the fight against Russia's invasion. And UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Ukraine has the right to use British weapons to strike in Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said those statements represent a "completely new round of escalation of tension." Other Russian officials said the UK had provided assurances that the long-range missiles delivered to Ukraine would not be used in Russian territory; Cameron's statement means the UK now is a "party to the conflict," they said.

Russia summoned the French and UK ambassadors in Moscow on Monday. The drills will begin "in the near future," officials said, and will involve air and naval forces and missile formations. Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads designed to destroy targets without causing radioactive fallout over a broad area, per the BBC. The TASS news agency said the exercise was ordered by President Vladimir Putin, who will be inaugurated on Tuesday for another six-year term, per the AP. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)
An American soldier who apparently defied warnings not to travel to Russia is in Russian custody, Pentagon officials confirmed Monday. Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the soldier was detained on Thursday in Vladivostok on charges of criminal misconduct, the AP reports. Officials told NBC News that the soldier, who had been stationed in South Korea, traveled to the city in Russia's Far East independently and was accused of stealing from a woman. Smith said that Russian authorities notified the US of the soldier's detention and that the State Department "is providing appropriate consular support."

"Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time," Smith said. It's not clear whether the soldier is considered AWOL, the AP reports. CBS News identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. Gordon D. Black, who had been in the process of changing duty stations from South Korea to Fort Cavazos, formerly Fort Hood, in Texas. In a post on X, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was "deeply concerned," NBC reports. "Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage," McCaul said. "A warning to all Americansas the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia." (More Russia stories.)
Israeli leaders have approved a military operation into the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, and Israeli forces are now striking targets in the area, officials announced Monday. The move came hours after Hamas announced it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal, which could end seven months of war in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, however, said that the proposal was "far from Israel's essential demands," but that it would nonetheless send negotiators to continue talks on a ceasefire agreement, the AP reports.

The IDF said it is "currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah," the Guardian reports. Earlier Monday, the military ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians to leave the area.
Police have arrested three people just 40 minutes after a rented tourist bus in Otago was ransacked and around $30,000 of belongings taken.

The quick response was thanks to CCTV footage from the bus and live GPS tracking.

Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond told Newshub about 9:45am on Sunday police received a report of a bus in Shag Point, Palmerston being broken into, with at least a dozen wallets and bags stolen, many of which had passports inside.

"The total amount of property stolen has been estimated to be around $30,000," he said.

"CCTV footage from the bus assisted police in identifying two suspects from Christchurch, who had failed to return a rented van.

"With live GPS tracking, Timaru Police were able to locate the van and arrest the three occupants."

A 26-year-old woman, a 28-year-old man and a 34-year-old man are due to appear in Timaru District Court on Monday.

The trio are facing a range of charges including unlawfully taking a motor-vehicle, theft, and wilful damage.

"It would be good to swap the tourists and send those criminals back overseas," Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher laughed.

He told Newshub it was a "fantastic response from police sorting this out and getting everything back to the tourists".

"It can be devastating when you're travelling and someone rips you off like that."
The Northland skipper at the helm of the ill-fated Enchanter fishing charter that capsized, killing five Waikato men has gone on trial in the Whangarei District Court.

It's two years since eight Waikato fathers set off on a five day "bucket list trip" to the Three Kings Islands, big game fishing with Mangonui-based Enchanter Fishing Charters in March 2022.

A rogue wave, survivor Shay Ward described as "easily ten metres" hit the 16 metre Enchanter near Murimotu island on the journey home round North Cape.

Geoffrey Allen, 72, from Cambridge and his son-in-law Mark "Skid" Walker died. Publican Richard Bright, 63, Mike Lovett, 72, and Te Awamutu's Mark Sanders, 43, also perished at sea.

In opening skipper Lance Goodhew's trial, Judge Rzepecky acknowledged the victims and their families, some of whom have travelled to Whangarei to attend the trial.

The 59-year-old is charged with breaching his duties as a worker on the vessel, allegedly exposing individuals to a risk of death or serious injury.

The charge carries a fine of up to $150,000.
Law and order burnt to a crisp - the Waikeria Prison riot saw prisoners rampage on the rooftops in the summer of 2020.

It burnt the high-security unit to the ground, causing $50 million in damage.

The riot added to the need for an out-of-date prison. Waikeria was already in line for a 500-bed high-security facility that was announced back in 2018 but still not completed due to COVID-19.

Now, the prison is expanding.

"The Government is investing $1.9 billion in Corrections, more officers, prison capacity and more support for offenders turn away from a life of crime," Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell said.

As the Government amps up tough-on-crime talk, it's boasting funding to add 810 beds at Waikeria - except all is not as it seems.

"Are the 810 new beds, are they on top of the 500 already being built at Waikeria?" the Government was asked.

"No, no," Mitchell replied.

"So, you're only doing 200 extra beds, not 800 extra beds?" the Government was asked.

"No, there's an extra 800 beds going into the system," Luxon said.

"But 600 of them were funded by the Labour Government?" they were asked.

"Well, well," Mitchell replied.

Just 200 more beds the Government said, not 800.

"I think what we're doing is we're re-staking our commitment as the incoming Government to get that delivered," Mitchell said.

The Government couldn't say how much the total prison capacity would increase by, compared to the current capacity, nor could it say how much the extension would cost.

"Well, I mean, I can't give you a number now because it's commercially sensitive," Mitchell said.

The Government said the $1.9 billion boost also includes the money that was already budgeted for Labour's yet-to-be-completed 600 beds. There was $750 million set aside for that.

Though the Prime Minister wrongly suggested the $1.9 billion was all operating expenses - that means not new buildings.

"In that Budget is the money that we need to expand Waikeria by 810 beds. In that money is also the money that we need to make sure that we are expanding a number of prison and Corrections officers that we've got," Luxon said.

It was quickly clarified.

"No, so the capital funding is inside the $1.9 billion," Mitchell said.

The announcement also includes $484 million in savings that the Government has redirected from the back office to the frontline. That'll pay for 685 more Corrections staff, 470 of them prison officers, while $78 million will be spent on rehab for remand prisoners.

Serious about tough on crime, just not so serious about knowing their numbers.

Jenna Lynch analysis

That will go down as the worst performance this Government has had at a press conference.

Journalists left there confused - worried about what to report because nothing was clear and in fact, nothing they said was right.

Very soon after the Prime Minister and his minister left the podiums, a clarification statement came through.

Here are the corrected numbers: There are currently 455 beds at the prison, Labour's 600 will be ready for use next year and 810 will be added on top of those - bringing the capacity at Waikeria to 1865 beds. That's mega prison levels - basically what Labour cancelled when it came into Government

This is supposed to be one of National's strong suits - crime, crackdowns and numbers.

Mitchell had clearly done his homework on the spin but not the substance.

This is a good lesson for the minister to be across the detail. He will be under no illusion that his performance was sub-par.
But those tests are taking some time and Baja California's state Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade said the parents are currently filling out paperwork to see if the bodies can be "physically identified, that is to say, in plain sight."

If the parents are able to identify the bodies, it would void the need for DNA tests, Andrade said at a press conference.

The three foreigners went missing while on a vacation surfing near the popular tourist town of Ensenada, about 90 minutes south of the U.S.-Mexico border on the Pacific coast.

On Saturday, Andrade said there was a "high grade of probability" that the three bodies found earlier in the week belonged to the surfers.

Andrade said that while the bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition at the bottom of a well more than 15 meters (50 ft) deep, "some physical descriptions give us that high probability".

A source from the attorney general's office told Reuters that all three bodies had a shot in the head.

The three surfers were last seen on April 27 and reported missing a couple of days later, when authorities launched a multi-day search with the help from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Baja California is one of Mexico's most violent states, although the Ensenada area is considered safer. The U.S. State Department advises Americans to reconsider travel to the state due to crime and kidnapping.

Reuters
A top U.N. official on Sunday accused Israel of continuing to deny the United Nations humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip, where the U.N. food chief warned a "full-blown famine" has taken hold in the north of the enclave of 2.3 million people.

While not a formal famine declaration, World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain said - in an NBC News interview broadcast on Sunday - that based on the "horror" on the ground: "There is famine, full-blown famine, in the north, and it's moving its way south."

Israel has continued to enhance its efforts to boost aid to Gaza, said COGAT, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries into Palestinian territories.

"In talks between Israeli and UN representatives, including @WFP, none of the entities indicated a risk of famine in northern Gaza," COGAT said in a post on X. "Noting the improved situation, int'l orgs stated last week that the volume of goods transported to northern Gaza must be reduced since the quantities are too high in relation to the population."

The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, on Sunday accused Israel of continuing to deny the U.N. aid access in Gaza as it tries to avert famine.

"Only in the past 2 weeks, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff including bullying, stripping them naked, threats with arms & long delays at checkpoints forcing convoys to move during the dark or abort," Lazzarini posted on X.

Lazzarini also called on "Hamas and other armed groups to stop any attacks on humanitarian crossings, refrain from aid diversion and make sure assistance reaches all those in need." The militants claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attack that shut down the main humanitarian aid crossing into Gaza.

'ALREADY DYING'

A U.N.-backed report in March said famine was imminent and likely by May in northern Gaza, and could spread across the enclave by July.

Famine is assessed as at least 20% of the population suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease.

U.N. officials say that generally by the time a famine is formally declared somewhere it is too late to save many people. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week that the most vulnerable in northern Gaza "are already dying of hunger and disease."

The U.N. has complained about a lack of humanitarian aid access throughout the seven-month-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in Gaza. Guterres has said the U.N. is trying to avert "an entirely preventable, human-made famine" in northern Gaza.
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Serbian expert hails 'ironclad friendship' with China

17:15, May 06, 2024 By Ren Yan, Sheng Chuyi ( People's Daily

In a recent interview with People's Daily, Zivadin Jovanovic, president of the Belgrade Forum for a World of Equals and Silk Road Connectivity Research Center, discussed the profound friendship between Serbia and China, shedding light on the achievements that have shaped bilateral relations over the years.

Belt and Road Initiative: Enhancing connectivity and economic growth

Mutual trust, understanding, and respect are the key pillars of Serbia-China relations, according to Jovanovic. Serbia and Serbian people regard China and the Chinese people as a big, strong and prosperous global power whom they trust. Mutual trust is the synonym of ironclad friendship, he said.

Serbia has been an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since its inception in 2013, playing a pivotal role in facilitating cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) under the BRI framework. Numerous major projects have been successfully implemented through this collaboration, resulting in the modernization of infrastructure across the region.

Jovanovic cited the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest as a notable example. By reducing the travel time between the capitals of Serbia and Hungary from eight hours to less than three, this transformative initiative has significantly enhanced regional connectivity. Moreover, it has spurred economic growth and development, benefiting both countries and the broader region.

Serbias cooperation under BRI has helped Serbia to become one of the countries with the fastest GDP growth in Europe, even at the time of recession. Serbias standing as an international partner has improved significantly, he stated.

Reflecting on the high-quality development of the BRI, Jovanovic emphasized its role in promoting global prosperity. By cultivating inclusive and mutually beneficial cooperation, the BRI has become a catalyst for economic growth, trade, and connectivity among participating countries. The principles of equality, sovereignty, and non-interference have been fundamental to the BRI's success, contributing to global stability and peace.

Time and again, we realize that peace, security and development are indivisible. BRI and China-CEEC forums have provided opportunities to keep the global dialogue on track with development and other aspects of global stability, which are closely intertwined. The initiator of BRI, President Xi Jinping, made a strategic breakthrough in the normalization of Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, said Jovanovic.

President Xi's state visit: A milestone in bilateral relations

Jovanovic emphasized the critical impact of President Xi Jinping's state visit to Serbia in 2016, which elevated bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The solid foundation established during this visit paved the way for future collaborations that yielded mutual benefits and shared prosperity.

"For example, our trade has grown 185 times; China has become the No. 1 foreign investor in Serbia and the No. 2 biggest trade partner of Serbia; three Chinese companies have become No. 1, 2 and 3 biggest exporters from Serbia (Zijin Mining, Zijin Copper and Hibis Group Serbia Iron and Steel); tourist visas have been reciprocally abolished, custom-free trade has been introduced; direct air flights established, and so on," Jovanovic mentioned.

When discussing President Xi's upcoming state visit to Serbia at the invitation of President Aleksandar Vucic, Jovanovic expressed confidence that it would provide the best opportunity to assess the extraordinary achievements in Serbia-China cooperation thus far and to initiate a new chapter of high-quality collaboration.

"It will be marked by environment-friendly economic cooperation, green energy, food and industry production as well as by new long-term strategic projects even more significant than those implemented, or underway of implementation, so far. Serbia and China should continue to be examples of a positive approach to the new challenges requiring openness and true partnership without any prejudices or constraints," he said.

A promising future: Strengthening partnerships for shared prosperity

In discussing China's strides in digitalization and innovation, Jovanovic praised China's leadership in using technology to drive societal development. The country's emphasis on education, research, and science has fueled its advancements in digitalization and artificial intelligence, establishing China as a global leader in innovation.

He also highlighted the need for countries to embrace China's success in innovation and digitalization, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue and cooperation in the face of technological advancements.

"It is striking to me that some of the most developed Western countries, renowned for almost religious belief in open markets and the liberal economic order, have adopted the way to spread fear of China and Chinese high technology products in order to protect themselves. Some have not only forbidden imports of Chinese 5G technologies, or smart mobile phones and other digital products, to their own markets, but are systematically pressuring other countries, including Serbia, to do the same," he said.

Having visited China multiple times, Jovanovic has witnessed the country's remarkable transformations. He observed the swift urban development in cities and the technological advancements in rural regions. These experiences have left a lasting impression on him, showcasing China's extensive modernization efforts.

Jovanovic expressed his belief that as Serbia and China continue to strengthen their partnership, their shared values of mutual trust, cooperation, and innovation will undoubtedly lead to a more prosperous and interconnected future.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
AFP | Jerusalem

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A Hamas official said yesterday the groups delegation for Gaza truce talks in Cairo was leaving for Qatar, after public disagreement with Israel intensified over demands to end their seven-month war.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said surrendering to a demand to end the war would amount to defeat.

The Qatar-based political chief of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, countered by accusing Netanyahu of sabotaging the talks.

The Hamas official, who requested anonymity to discuss the negotiations, told AFP that the meeting with the Egyptian intelligence minister has ended and the Hamas delegation is leaving for Doha for further consultations.

The Hamas negotiators are due back in Cairo tomorrow, said Al-Qahera News, a site linked to Egyptian intelligence services.

CIA director Bill Burns, meanwhile, was headed to Doha for emergency talks on mediation efforts with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a source with knowledge of the discussions told AFP.

Netanyahu yesterday also announced a government decision to close operations in Israel of Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera, which has broadcast round-the-clock coverage of the conflict. It went off-air a short time later.

Criminal act

The network condemned Israels decision as a criminal act, and said it would take legal action.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry.

Shelling and gunfire

An AFP correspondent and witnesses reported shelling and gunfire in Gaza City yesterday, helicopter fire in central and southern Gaza, and a missile strike on a house in the Rafah area.

Israels military said air strikes over the past day killed several militants including three in central Gaza who took part in the October attack.

We want a ceasefire and for Gaza to return to how it was, or even better, said displaced woman Umm Jamil al-Ghussein in the southern city of Rafah, where about 1.2 million Gazans have sought shelter.

Arwa Saqr, displaced from Khan Yunis, said she has lost hope that the negotiations will succeed.
TORONTO, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Ontario exempt market reached $295.6 billion in 2023, according to the inaugural exempt summary report released by CPE Analytics.

Ontario exempt market consists of two equally important components: investors and issuers.

2023 Ontario Exempt Market at $295.6 Billion (CNW Group/CPE Media & Data Company)

Investments by Ontario investors in Ontario issuers, other Canadian, US and international issuers.

in issuers, other Canadian, US and international issuers. Capital raised by Ontario issuers from Ontario investors, other Canadian, US and international investors.

CPE summary report is the first analysis of both components. This report is summary, and full and comprehensive reports are available, and fees based.

Ontario Investors

In 2023, Ontario investors invested $223.8 billion in Ontario issuers, non-Ontario Canadian issuers, US and international issuers. Bulk (66%) of the investments went to Ontario issuers.

Region $ Millions Ontario 148,416 USA 35,289 Europe 14,197 Quebec 10,078 Prairies 8,304 British Columbia 3,923 Asia 2,417 Atlantic Canada 904 Americas 116 Middle East 108 Mexico 28 Caribbean 16 Africa 5 Territories 0

223,800

Ontario Issuers

Ontario issuers raised $220.2 billion in 2023 from Ontario investors, non-Ontario Canadian investors, US and international investors. 67% of the money came from Ontario investors.

Region $ Millions Ontario 148,416 Prairies 21,124 Quebec 18,740 USA 18,694 British Columbia 9,191 Atlantic Canada 3,134 Europe 349 Caribbean 250 Asia 162 Territories 88 Africa 30 Americas 16 Middle East 15 Mexico 5

220,213

In aggregate, Ontario had a net outflow of $3.6 billion in 2023 in exemption financings.

"We are pleased to release Ontario's first ever complete exempt market summary report. Ontario issuers generally do not raise capital from Ontario investors alone. Investments by non-Ontario investors is a very important component in capital formation of Ontario issuers and companies. In 2023, non-Ontario investors contributed 33% of total capital raised by Ontario issuers. Any capital formation strategy without consideration of this important piece of information is incomplete and would eventually lead to questionable or fundamentally wrong polices," commented Ted Liu, President & CEO of CPE Media & Data Company.

Data Sources

Form 45-106F1 Report of Exempt Distributions

SEDAR, BCSC, OSC, AMF ( Quebec ) before launch of SEDAR+

) before launch of SEDAR+ SEDAR+ and AMF ( Quebec ) after SEDAR+

Form D, Notice of Sale of Securities

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Cross-checking

Issuer financial reports (SEDAR or SEDAR+)

Methodology

Data is cross checked with financial reports for obvious filing errors which in many cases were not corrected or amended by the issuers. Most commonly, debt settlements or properties/assets acquisitions have the tendencies of being misfiled as primary securities distributions instead with the proper exemption types.

Issuer included:

private and public issuers

investment fund (IF) issuers

non-IF investment fund issuers

Excluded:

debt settlements

properties/assets acquisitions

other non-monetary issuances such as share-exchange

Exempt financings that shall had but never filed by issuers (no regulatory enforcement either)

Canadian Financings

Canadian Financings, a service of CPE Analytics, is Canada's only all financings database covering private and public financings (exempt and non-exempt) by both Canadian and foreign firms, both debt and equity, IPOs, fundraisings by both Canadian and foreign, professional VC/PE firms, non-investment fund issuer funds, and investment funds. https://financings.ca/

CPE Analytics

CPE Analytics is a Canadian all financing intelligence provider. We provide comprehensive, verified, and unbiased information and unmatched insights and intelligence on private and public financings, initial public offerings (IPOs), professional investment firm fundraising activities.

CPE Analytics is the data analytics division of CPE Media & Data Company. https://cpecompany.ca/cpe-analytics/

CPE Media & Data Company

Founded by Canada's most experienced private capital and financing research experts, CPE Media & Data Company is Canada's leading all financing news and data provider. https://cpecompany.ca/

SOURCE CPE Media & Data Company

Ted Liu, CPE Media & Data Company, 647-782-8818, [email protected]
OTTAWA, ON, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - This weekend, Ingenium tapped into the creativity of young Canadians to help encourage action about sustainable management of water and sanitation services. The second annual Ingenium Innovation Challenge culminated Sunday night at a livestreamed award ceremony recognizing the brightest ideas that address the complex issue of clean water and sanitation.

The winning team, The Pool Boys, presented an augmented reality experience linked to water and wastewater networks called H2Go. (CNW Group/Ingenium)

Held in Ingenium's Digital Innovation Lab, the three-day event brought together young adults early in their career aged 18-35 to build a digital product designed to enable young Canadians aged 9-12 (grades 4-7) to better understand how their actions affect wastewater systems, and help them find ways to contribute to sustainable water and sanitation habits.

The winning team, The Pool Boys, presented an augmented reality experience linked to water and wastewater networks called H2Go, which aims to educate, eliminate stigma, raise awareness, and drive careers in clean water and sanitation for our next generation.

The winning team  made up of members Andrew Brien, Logan Ladurantaye, Luke Bowlby, Peter Gao, and Simon Yin  was awarded a financial prize in addition to a grant, in-kind funding, and mentorship guidance for the development of their proof-of-concept prototype into a marketable product for use by the general public.

The weekend programming provided participants with a wealth of expertise and knowledge from across the country. These diverse perspectives  from keynote speaker on Indigenous rights advocacy, Autumn Peltier, to a panel of voices from across the private and public sectors led by Corinne Lynds of Water Canada, invited participants to think differently about the issue of clean water and sanitation in a way that will resonate and inspire action in our next generation.

This event was made possible thanks to the support of partners and collaborators, Animikii, Blue Futures Pathways, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, the Ingenium Foundation, Water Canada and our academic partners at UOttawa, Carleton University, and Algonquin College.

Quote

"I share my deepfelt congratulations to all the participants and to the winning team of our annual Ingenium Innovation Challenge. Our vision is to ignite ingenuity by unlocking the curious and creative minds of this nation of innovators. We hope that the ideas sparked by these bright young adults translate to meaningful action and awareness around the impacts of access to clean water and sanitation. I am deeply inspired by the passion, ingenuity, and drive that was pulsing from this building all weekend, and hope the work we are doing this weekend points us towards a path to mitigate the disparities faced by many communities here in Canada."

- Christina Tessier, CEO and President, Ingenium  Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

About Ingenium  Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation

Ingenium  Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation oversees three national museums of science and innovation in Ottawa  the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Its lngenium Centre houses an exceptional collection of artifacts, research institute, and digital innovation lab. Our museums, digital content, outreach programs, travelling exhibitions, and collaborative spaces help to educate, entertain, and engage audiences across Canada and around the world. Our mandate is to bring science literacy and inspiration to Canadians of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

SOURCE Ingenium

Media Contacts: Philippe Tremblay, Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation, [email protected], 343-543-5337
TORONTO, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Continuing their innovation legacy, cosmetic manufacturing leader, Cosmetica Laboratories Inc., hosted a pop-up event, FormuLab 3.0 Fortune's Spin, in Brooklyn, New York, showcasing their best-in-class products and new trend collection. The two-day event was activated at the iconic landmark, Jane's Carousel, which supplied the perfect backdrop to what has become a not-to-be-missed industry event.

Cosmetica Labs FormuLab 3.0 Fortune's Spin (CNW Group/Cosmetica Laboratories Inc.)

FormuLab 3.0 marks the third annual pop-up showcase from the company, following a Studio-54-themed phygital event in 2023 (Las Vegas), and an immersive event with AR-VR elements in 2022 (NYC).

Inspired by the iconic venue, Jane's Carousel, this year's pop-up had an intentional analog format as a contrast to Cosmetica's previous heavily digitized pop-ups. Guests were treated to a bespoke experience as they were taken through a customized journey. Details included custom gelato flavours inspired by each customer's products, and personalized tarot cards designed to offer a peak into the brand's beauty future.

"Each year we aim to create a unique world of inspiration for our customers to help feed their product pipelines as they build their vision of the industry's future. 2024 has already been a landmark year for our company with an amazing campaign featuring celebrity make-up artist, Katie Jane Hughes, and the launch of our industry-first clinical skincare collection". Says Maria Osorio, Director of Marketing and Product Development at Cosmetica Labs. "For our third annual pop-up showcase, we wanted to transport each brand to a whimsical land and enable discussions around new products, trends, and technologies while strengthening our strategic partnerships".

Cosmetica has established itself as an industry thought leader and driver. The company has been recognized with best-in-class industry awards and is often called upon by top media outlets for expert sources in trends, innovation, and ingredients.

About Cosmetica Laboratories

Cosmetica Labs is a Canadian cosmetic manufacturing and custom innovation house developing breakthrough beauty products for the world's most iconic brands. They specialize in product development and manufacturing for color cosmetics and skincare. Their extensive team of experts collaborates with established brands and high-profile market entrants to create award-winning formulas. With over 30 years in the Beauty Industry, Cosmetica has over 600 employees including 75 research professionals that bring clients' visions to life. The company has 2 manufacturing facilities in Toronto, and a State-of-the-art innovation hub in Los Angeles.

Find Cosmetica Labs on social

Website: https://www.cosmeticalabs.com/

Instagram: @cosmeticalabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/cosmetica-laboratories-inc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cosmeticalabs/

SOURCE Cosmetica Laboratories Inc.

Maria Osorio, [email protected]
From now until May 26, Staples will match all donations up to $500,000 in support of MAP

RICHMOND HILL, ON, May 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Staples Canada is amplifying its support for MAP, Canada's largest health equity research centre, to 'Close the Gap' on inequity in Canada. This campaign marks the fourth year of its Even The Odds partnership with the world-renowned organization. 'Close the Gap' is a campaign that exposes real health challenges faced by disadvantaged communities across Canada and aims to eliminate critical gaps in health equity. Funds raised will continue to support vital programming for underserved communities, working to help end childhood health inequities, break down barriers to care and disease prevention, and create pathways out of chronic homelessness.

Until May 26, Staples customers can donate to Even the Odds at any one of Staples Canada's 300+ stores or online at Staples.ca/EvenTheOdds. Staples will match all donations up to $500,000. Donations will help fund the life-saving research and solutions that MAP and its scientists are doing to help build more equitable communities.

"This is an important milestone for our fundraising efforts in support of MAP and we're immensely proud of the contributions the Even the Odds partnership has made in promoting health equity in communities throughout Canada," said Rachel Huckle, CEO, Staples Canada. "We look forward to continuing to drive the momentum of awareness of Even the Odds through our Close the Gap campaign and provide vital funding to programs we value deeply, including APPLE Schools, Navigator and Our Healthbox."

Until May 26, Staples customers can donate to Even the Odds at any one of Staples Canada's 300+ stores or online at Staples.ca/EvenTheOdds. Staples will match all donations up to $500,000. Donations will help fund the life-saving research and solutions that MAP and its scientists are doing to help build more equitable communities.

Staples' Even the Odds campaign surpasses $5-million fundraising milestone

Since its launch in 2021, the Even the Odds campaign has raised more than $5 million  surpassing its campaign goal thanks to the support of Staples' customers, associates, vendor-partners, and corporate match donations.

With this funding, Staples and MAP have expanded their equity-building initiatives throughout Canada to create meaningful and lasting impact in underserved communities, which include:

Supporting a healthy start for almost 5,000 children in underserved communities : In 2023, Even the Odds expanded its support of award-winning health promotion initiative APPLE Schools, bringing it to new elementary schools in Ontario and continuing to support schools in Alberta . APPLE Schools helps children in underserved communities to eat better, move more and feel happier  learning healthy habits that last a lifetime.

: In 2023, expanded its support of award-winning health promotion initiative APPLE Schools, bringing it to new elementary schools in and continuing to support schools in . APPLE Schools helps children in underserved communities to eat better, move more and feel happier  learning healthy habits that last a lifetime. Helping to create the largest cross- Canada conversation about the future of primary care: In 2022-2023, MAP's OurCare research group surveyed and engaged nearly 10 thousand Canadians to determine the public's expectations, how they define good primary care, and what policy changes they recommend to shape a stronger, more equitable system. Read about the results and next steps here.

In 2022-2023, MAP's OurCare research group surveyed and engaged nearly 10 thousand Canadians to determine the public's expectations, how they define good primary care, and what policy changes they recommend to shape a stronger, more equitable system. Read about the results and next steps here. Launching the first Our Healthbox's in Canada : In 2023, Even The Odds helped launch Canada's first Our Healthbox "smart" vending machines, dispensing hundreds of free HIV self-tests, naloxone kits and other health supplies on demand to improve access to care and disease prevention in the maritime provinces.

: In 2023, helped launch first Our Healthbox "smart" vending machines, dispensing hundreds of free HIV self-tests, naloxone kits and other health supplies on demand to improve access to care and disease prevention in the maritime provinces. Expanding MAP's innovative Navigator program, designed to help break the cycle of homelessness and poor health. In 2023, MAP brought Navigator to British Columbia . The hospital-based outreach program helps unhoused patients recover after injury or illness and connects them to vital community services.

"Thanks to Even the Odds fundraising, we have been able to develop and implement innovative tools and programs to communities across Canada, and  most importantly  create lasting impacts," said Dr. Stephen Hwang, Director, MAP. "The past three years of our partnership with Staples has set the bar high, and we look forward to continue our work in building communities that Close the Gap on inequities."

Starting today, Staples is increasing support for Even the Odds through the launch of the Close the Gap marketing campaign  the largest fundraising campaign in the partnership's history. The mass media marketing campaign aims to raise awareness of the need to end health inequities and close Canada's health gap. Funds raised will continue to support vital programming for underserved communities across Canada, working to help end childhood health inequities, break down barriers to care and disease prevention, and create pathways out of chronic homelessness. The integrated campaign will be featured in television, digital, and outdoor signage assets, and across all Staples stores in Canada.

About MAP

MAP is Canada's largest research centre focused on health equity and the social determinants of health. Internationally recognized for groundbreaking science and innovation, MAP develops and implements real-world, evidence-driven program and policy solutions that disrupt cycles of socioeconomic exclusion and poor health. For more than 25 years, MAP has partnered with communities and policy makers across the country to take on complex issues such as homelessness, intimate partner violence, inequitable access to healthcare and the prevention of opioid-related harms. MAP's impacts span from local to national and beyond. MAP's vision is a healthier future for all. MAP is based at St. Michael's Hospital, a fully affiliated University of Toronto teaching and research-intensive hospital and hub for care in downtown Toronto. St. Michael's Hospital is a site of Unity Health Toronto, a hospital network serving patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care. Learn more at maphealth.ca

About Staples Canada

Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. We are a privately-owned company committed to helping parents, teachers, businesses, and entrepreneurs work smarter, learn more and grow every day. Our network includes 300+ stores across Canada and staples.ca, printing and shipping services at Staples Print, and Staples Studio co-working spaces. To service the unique needs of businesses, we also have a number of dedicated B2B brands that support business customers of all sizes, which include Staples Preferred, Staples Professional, Supreme Office Supplies and Furniture, Denis Office Supplies, Monarch Office Supply Inc. and Beatties. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, we are committed to the communities we serve across Canada, and are a proud partner of MAP through our Even The Odds fundraising and awareness initiative that aims to eliminate critical gaps in health equity. Visit staples.ca for more information or engage with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

SOURCE Staples Canada ULC

Media information: Staples Canada: Kathleen Stelmach, 905-737-1147 Ext. 578, [email protected]; Golin, for Staples Canada: Meg Murphy, 647-475-4495, [email protected]
A Florida entrepreneur who failed to revive a shuttered Atlantic City casino is fighting for his stake in Miss America, suing the organizations top executive, alleging she diverted company money for her familys financial gain.

Glenn Straub is suing Robin Fleming, chief executive officer of Miss America and its entities, seeking more than $20 million in damages, according to the suit filed in late April in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Straub is known best in New Jersey for being the former owner of Revel Casino Hotel, Atlantic Citys most recently built gaming entity that closed in 2014 as part of a rash of casino closings that induced thousands of layoffs. It reopened under new ownership as Ocean Casino Resort. Straub also previously owned Showboat Hotel.

The lawsuit claims Straub is the full owner of the Miss America pageant. The competition began in Atlantic City in the 1920s, becoming a staple of the Jersey Shore city before relocating to Connecticut.

An email to Miss America by NJ Advance Media for comment was not immediately returned.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Fleming said she refuses to be bullied by Straub, accusing him of attempting to defraud a company that has for years devoted itself to the empowerment of women. She also asserted in the statement to be Miss Americas rightful owner.

His only involvement was to direct me to a corporate entity that provided a line of credit, most of which has been repaid, Fleming wrote.

In 2021, after years being broadcast on television from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the pageant was moved to NBCs Peacock streaming service, ending its traditional broadcast run.

Straub bought the companys assets in December 2022, according to the lawsuit and a copy of the purchase agreement. At the time of the sale, Miss America carried about $4.16 million in debt when it was sold by Shantel Krebs, South Dakotas former secretary of state, who competed in the pageant in 1998.

The sales agreement lists Fleming as manager and president of both the Miss America Corporation and Miss American IP LLC. Straub is listed as the sole member of both entities, fully owning them.

The suit alleges Fleming has never held an ownership title with any of the companys sectors. Fleming, according to the lawsuit, was fired from her job in April. She was first suspended in March.

Her actions, Straub says, led to Miss America being sued for $1.6 million last year in Atlantic County court over shortcomings in funding promised scholarships. That case was originally filed in the chancery court but was transferred as an open case to the law division, New Jersey Superior Court records show.

While employed with Miss America, Fleming allegedly tampered with its computer access and blocked access to its financial books, according to the lawsuit. She continued to interfere with the company while under suspension and after being terminated, it was stated int he lawsuit.

The suit isnt Straubs only legal matter. He faces charges in Florida filed in 2020 for theft and filing fraudulent liens against his ex-girlfriend. A trial in the case was scheduled to begin next week but was cancelled, according to Florida court records.

A hearing in Straubs criminal case is scheduled for Aug. 13.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.
University of Michigan defenseman and Hobey Baker nominee Seamus Casey signed his entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, the club announced Monday morning.

Caseys contact is worth $950,000 AAV, which does not count bonuses that could change it based on performance, a person with knowledge of the contract told NJ Advance Media.
Rutgers University president Jonathan Holloway told the state schools Board of Governors Monday that he remained confident in his handling of the peaceful end of the encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters on campus last week.

The protesters disrupted 28 finals Thursday for about 1,000 students. After the university agreed to some of their demands, they removed the more than 60 tents theyd pitched on Voorhees Mall last Monday night.
Rutgers University is awarding an honorary degree to the nations first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Admiral Rachel L. Levine has led the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps since 2021 and is the assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Levine will receive an honorary doctor of science degree Sunday during the Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers Health commencement at SHI Stadium, the university said Monday.

Rutgers previously announced that three others would receive honorary degrees at the universitys 258th commencement, which will start at 10 a.m.

The commencement speaker, Freeman A. Hrabowski III, is a longtime civil rights advocate and former president of the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. Hrabowski III will be awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree at the commencement.

Rutgers alumnus Jelani Cobb, dean of the Columbia Journalism School, is receiving an honorary doctor of letters degree. Rutgers Board of Governors Chair William Best, senior vice president and northeast market manager at PNC, is receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree, the university said.

Levine was Pennsylvanias physician general upon being nominated in 2021 by President Joe Biden and subsequently gaining Senate approval.

A graduate of Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine, Levine as a physician focused on the intersection between mental and physical health, treating children, adolescents and young adults, according to an overview provided by Rutgers.

Levine is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
Motley Crue kicked off their tour in Atlantic City on Friday night with frontman Vince Neil taking a fall onstage.

The 80s rock icons were only a few songs into their set and performing the song Wild Side when Neil, 63, began skipping back and forth from one side of the stage to the other until he tripped, sending him face first on the stages floor.

Several videos shared by fans on Facebook and YouTube show the moment the fall happened.

Fortunately, he wasnt seriously injured. He got back up quickly and began singing to Wild Side as soon as he was back up.

Neil is no stranger to onstage accidents. Back in 2021, on his solo tour, he fell off stage. The show was cut short and Neil was rushed to the hospital where he reportedly suffered a few broken ribs.

The fall comes weeks after Neil did press ahead of the tour in which he did interviews where he expressed his thoughts on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and how he thinks the band will probably be dead before they get inducted as well as how he still hates the bands 1997 album Generation Swine two decades later.

Neil also wasnt the only rock star to face-plant onstage this weekend. During Pearl Jams tour opener in Vancouver over the weekend, guitarist Mike McCready fell off the stage during the performance of Porches though he was not seriously injured and was able to play the rest of the night.

More music coverage

Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram.
A former professor at Rutgers University-Newark won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction on Monday.

Jayne Anne Phillips Night Watch, is a novel set in West Virginias Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the aftermath of the Civil War. It tells the story of a wounded Union veteran, a 12-year-old girl and her abused mother.

Phillips joined the faculty of Rutgers UniversityNewark in 2005, as the founding director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, according to the university. She had previously served as a writer in residence at Brandeis University for a decade and taught as an adjunct instructor at a number of other schools, as well as in multiple prestigious workshops and conferences.
Police officers have once again captured an animal on the loose in New Jersey.

First, it was a bull that was captured after running through Newark Penn Station in December. And, now cops had to track down a 200-pound pig in Washington Township, Gloucester County.

On Friday, a bystander called township police after a pig was seen near the corner of Egg Harbor Road and County House Road.

Washington Township police officers Frank Cicalese and Victor Rossi got the call.

The two officers chased after the pig, Cicalese tackled it and the officers were able to safely tie the animal up, according to a post on the Washington Township Police Department Facebook page.

It wasnt the typical day on the job to say the least, Cicalese told 6ABC Action News. He joked that pig tackling is not something they teach in the police academy, so he drew on his days as a high school linebacker and imagined the pig was a running back.

It was a change, Rossi told the news station. We deal with some unsettling things in this job, and I think it was fun.

They later learned that the 200-pound pig, named Pumba, escaped from his home on a nearby farm after a small child left the gate open. Pumba was returned home to its owner a short time after he was taken into custody.

Officers from the Washington Township Police Department capturing the loose pig on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Washington Township Police Department)Washington Township Police Department

Officers return the pig to its owner on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Washington Township Police Department)Washington Township Police Department

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Lauren Musni may be reached at lmusni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Laurengmusni and on Instagram. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
An Essex County man was found floating face down in the water at a beach in Spring Lake Saturday, according to police.

The 23-year-old victim, who was from Belleville, was found shortly after 2 p.m. at the St. Clair Avenue beachfront in Monmouth County, according to the Spring Lake Police Department.

Cops were called to the area after a report of a swimmer in distress, police said in a statement.

The first officers arriving on scene located a (man) floating face down in the surf and pulled him out to initiate life-saving measures, the statement said.

First-responders treated the man at the scene and transported him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

The mans name was withheld pending notification of family members, police said.

The police statement said lifeguards are not on duty for several more weeks, and asked the public not to swim at unguarded beaches.

Rip currents and dangerous conditions are always a possibility and the conditions change daily, police said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
More than two dozen organizations sent a letter to state leaders asking them to support Gov. Phil Murphys proposed corporate transit fee and end a proposed $10.7 billion New Jersey Turnpike widening project and use that money instead of raising fares 15% this summer.

The letter, which was sent to state Senate President Nick Scutari, state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and the entire state Legislature Monday, was signed by a wide range of groups from unions to transit and environmental advocates.

The 30-plus organizations mades four requests:

The groups asked legislative leadership to fully fund NJ Transit and to use their oversight powers over state agencies to call for an end to the Turnpike Extension in Hudson County.

Legislators should not be playing the role of innocent bystanders in this train wreck. They need to repurpose the funds being expended for the unneeded, unwanted, and unpopular $11 billion Turnpike Expansion project to roll back the fare increase and reinstate the full CTF to provide dedicated funding for NJT, said John Reichman, an EmpowerNJ Steering Committee member.

The Murphy administration explained that cant be done for several reasons.

The Turnpike Authority isnt sitting on $10.7 billion dollars, that money would be borrowed as needed, administration officials said. That money would be borrowed over time and when needed, as the project moved through phases of construction.

The authority also cant borrow money for operations, it can only borrow for capital infrastructure projects, officials said. Doing that would violate state statutes and bond resolutions.

The letter stresses the critical nature of Murphys Corporate Transit Fee proposal to provide an annual $800 million in dedicated funding for NJ Transits operational budget  and prevent a spiral.

That proposal has gotten strong pushback from the state and regional business groups, who contend another fee will make New Jersey more unfriendly to attract and retain businesses.

No legislation has been proposed to enact the corporate transit fee.

The need for the Turnpike extension widening and bridge replacement was a topic asked of acting state Transportation Commissioner Francis OConnor during state Senate and Assembly budget hearings last month.

Its one of the original parts of the Turnpike after the mainline was built, he said. You can see traffic is stopped on the mainline to get into exit 14.

Replacing the existing Newark Bay Bridge with a twin span is most of the cost for the first phase between Newark and Bayonne, OConnor said. The current bridge doesnt have resiliency and needs to be raised and widened to get traffic across it and off the mainline, he said.

That bridge was built in the 1950s, OConnor told lawmakers. Its time and its an elevated highway which is more expensive.

But environmentalists and other advocates contend the bridge can be rehabilitated, and they question the conclusions of Turnpike Authoritys studies that said the phase 1 widening and construction of a new bridge will have minimal effects.

The Murphy Administration is aggressively pushing ahead with the $10.7 billion Turnpike Extension expansion project, which will be an economic, health, and environmental disaster, the letter said.

Despite its exorbitant cost at more than a billion dollars a mile, it will not even accomplish its purported goal of reducing traffic, it said.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry
A Bergen County man was sentenced Friday in Brooklyn federal court for his role in a scheme to defraud JetBlue Airways of more than $1.5 million.

Julien Levy, 39, of Englewood, bribed now-former JetBlue employee Keily Nunez, 44, of Queens, New York, and an unidentified co-conspirator, to approve aircraft part invoices, according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Peace said the bribes were to seal deals for airplane parts between JetBlue and Levys company, Summit Aviation Supply LLC.

Nunez also approved more than $8.5 million in aircraft part invoices between JetBlue and Alaris Aerospace Systems, a Florida-based aircraft parts seller a co-conspirator controlled, Peace said in a statement.

Levys role in the crimes occurred between July 2017 and June 2021, Peace said.

Levy and Nunez each pleaded guilty to committing honest services wire fraud in June and July 2023. The men were each sentenced to a prison term of up to three years or more, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

The defendants abused their positions of power to orchestrate a scheme that defrauded JetBlue Airways out of millions of dollars, Ivan Arvelo, Homeland Security special agent in charge, said in a statement.

Arvelo said Levy and Nunez manipulated the identity of a deceased airline employee to circumvent the companys policies and procedures with the sole intention of enriching themselves.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
William Noel, a distinguished art history scholar and associate special collections librarian at Princeton University, died after being hit by a van last month in Scotland, officials reported.

Noel, 58, of Philadelphia, was selected as Princetons John T. Maltsberger III 55 Associate University Librarian for Special Collections in 2020.

In this role, he oversaw the librarys rare, globally renowned collections and implemented projects and services to support the librarys mission.

Noel was hospitalized after being hit by a van in Edinburgh, Scotland, on April 10 at about 5:50 p.m., Scotland police reported.

Weeks later on April 29, he died of his injuries, officials said.

The driver of the van, a 40-year-old man, was arrested and released pending further investigations, police said.

Authorities said a nurse at the scene tried to help Noel after he was struck, but left prior to police arriving. The nurse was identified and has helped with the investigation.

Scotland police have not released any additional information on their website about the incident.

Noel was well-known in academia, having previously served as the University of Pennsylvanias Associate Vice Provost for External Partnerships and UPenns librarys director of rare collections and manuscripts, before joining Princeton.

He was also the curator of manuscripts and rare books at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore and assistant curator of manuscripts at The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

For his scholarly work, Noel is most celebrated for his expertise in medieval manuscript studies, having earned his bachelors degree in art history and a Ph.D. in medieval manuscript studies from Cambridge University.

Though Will stopped writing of late, he was an energetic and charming force for manuscript studies with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and his death has been greeted with dismay by the medievalist community, Cambridges Art History Department said in a statement.

He was... a valued friend and a continuator of Cambridges tradition of medieval manuscript study, the statement said.

In 2012, Noel gave a TED talk in 2012 titled Revealing the lost codex of Archimedes, which now has more than a million views. Noel also created the worlds first publicly available multi-spectral data set for a medieval manuscript, Princeton University noted.

In a 2020 release announcing his appointment to Princeton librarys special collections department, the university quoted Noel, describing him as a dedicated advocate for making precious materials open and accessible to anyone and everyone who can use them to build knowledge of our world and societies.

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Nyah Marshall may be reached at Nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com.
A Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska was scrapped after guests had already boarded the ship.

The ship, Radiance of the Seas, had been experiencing some propulsion issues, causing the cruise liner to shorten and eventually cancel the weeklong itinerary through Alaska.

The cruise was initially planned to set sail from Vancouver, but the cruise liner announced it would remain in port for two days before setting sail. But then, the captain announced Saturday afternoon that guests would need to disembark the ship by Sunday at 4 p.m.

Due to a technical issue, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the April 26 sailing, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Guests will receive a full refund and 100% future cruise credit, and have been notified directly.

Guests on board the cruise had mixed reactions.

While Im still very sad I didnt get to see Alaska this year, I believe Ill have another opportunity to go, and this cancellation provided an additional opportunity to get to know Vancouver, which is truly a very cool city, one passenger wrote on the Royal Caribbean blog.

Another passenger, however, said she doesnt think shell use Royal Caribbean the next time she goes to Alaska.

I would like to go to Alaska, passenger Charlene Chong told USA Today. Im not sure if I want to go with them.

This isnt the first time a Royal Caribbean cruise has had to change its itinerary recently.

The cruise liner stopped ships from docking at a private island port in Haiti due to ongoing violence in the region.

This decision by Royal Caribbean to change the itinerary on that cruise came after the U.S. issued a warning to tourists to avoid traveling to Haiti at this time due to an increase in gang-related violence.

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Some have joked over social media its probably not the most coveted endorsement of the 2024 race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and third-party longshot Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

But here we are.

Embattled actor Kevin Spacey has thrown his support to Kennedy as Spacey struggles to get back to work after he was aquitted last July on sexual assault charges, and Kennedy hopes to be the first-ever successful third-party candidate to win a presidential race.

Theres a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in, Spacey posted to X. Hes a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend thats not afraid to stand up for what he believes.

Theres a lot I can learn from this man. When the world turned its back on me, Bobby leaned in. 



Hes a formidable fighter for justice and a loyal friend thats not afraid to stand up for what he believes. https://t.co/DSYLbiiJjz  Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) May 6, 2024

The endorsement comes after an interview Kennedy did in March that took a strange turn when he tried to defend twice flying on sex offender Jeffrey Epsteins private plane.

Kennedy explained living in New York, you tend to just run into people. It happens.

Im in New York for most of my life. You run into everybody in New York, he said. I mean, I knew Harvey Weinstein. I knew Roger Ailes. I knew, O.J. Simpson came to my house. Bill Cosby came to my house.

Though, Kennedy didnt defend any of these people.

You dont know these people are swamp creatures until all this stuff comes out, he added.

Earlier this month, Spacey denied new allegations of inappropriate behavior from men who will feature in a documentary on British television that is due to be released next week.

In an online interview with journalist Dan Wootton, Spacey said he has never done anything illegal and admitted that he has struggled to get back to work after being acquitted last year of criminal charges in a London court.

I cant go through this again, allowing myself to be baselessly attacked without defending myself, he said in the interview entitled Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply which was aired late Friday on Woottons YouTube channel.

Last July, a London jury acquitted Spacey on sexual assault charges stemming from allegations by four men dating back 20 years. The court victory was his second since he saw off a $40 million lawsuit in 2022 in New York brought by Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan penned a message to his fellow Republicans: Stop normalizing Donald Trump by getting in line behind him.

The official said in an op-ed he plans to vote for Joe Biden in November, arguing, Its disappointing to watch an increasing number of Republicans fall in line behind former president Donald Trump. This includes some of his fiercest detractors, such as U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who raised eyebrows during a recent interview by vowing to support the Republican ticket.

Former No Labels presidential frontrunner / Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is backing Joe Biden https://t.co/YqWMBGRLfO  Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) May 6, 2024

He added: This mentality is dead wrong.

Duncan argued for his fellow Republicans to support GOP candidates in the House and for U.S. Senate so that there can be checks and balances with another Biden administration. But said the GOP will never rebuild until we move on from the Trump era.

The alternative is another term of Trump, a man who has disqualified himself through his conduct and his character. The headlines are ablaze with his hush-money trial over allegations of improper record-keeping for payments to conceal an affair with an adult-film star.

Most important, Trump fanned the flames of unfounded conspiracy theories that led to the horrific events of Jan. 6, 2021. He refuses to admit he lost the last election and has hinted he might do so again after the next one.

He concluded: Unlike Trump, Ive belonged to the GOP my entire life. This November, I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.

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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
A University of Mississippi student seen in a video making monkey noises at a Black protester has been booted from his fraternity.

The unidentified man was removed from membership Friday, according to a statement put out by Phi Delta Theta. The frat said, The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter.

It was reaction to Israel-Hamas war demonstrations at the University of Mississippi that turned ugly when counter-protesters ridiculed the Black woman, including the man who jumped around making the noises.

Ole Miss taking care of business, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins wrote Friday on the social platform X with a link to the video showing the racist jeers.

Ole Miss taking care of business. pic.twitter.com/JiL9hs2pHz  Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 3, 2024

Nobody was arrested during the demonstration Thursday at the University of Mississippi, where hecklers vastly outnumbered war protesters. According to a count by AP, more than 2,400 arrests have occurred on 46 U.S. university or college campuses since April 17 during demonstrations against the war.

They chanted Free, free Palestine, and carried Palestinian flags and signs with slogans including, Stop the Genocide and U.S. bombs take Palestine lives.

Student journalist Stacey J. Spiehler shot video that showed campus police officers and the dean of students standing between anti-war protesters and hecklers. After the Black woman protesting the war had what appeared to be a heated exchange of words with several white hecklers, one of the men made the monkey gestures and noises at her.

About 76% of the universitys students were white and about 11% were Black in 2022-23, the most recent data available on the schools website.

University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the school is committed to people expressing their views. He said some statements made on campus Thursday were offensive and unacceptable.

Students were calling for an end to genocide. They were met with racism, James M. Thomas, a sociology professor at the University of Mississippi, wrote Friday on X.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Desks are lined up in a classroom at Warren Easton Charter High School 9th Grade Academy in New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. The new High School expansion project across the street from the main campus now accommodates over 350 9th graders. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Activists from Extinction Rebellion North Devon have staged a protest in Barnstaple against sewage discharges in local rivers and the sea.

The group were at Barnstaple quayside on Saturday, April 27, where they sat on toilets holding spoof newspapers.

Jill Apperley, who was at the event, said: We wanted to grab peoples attention and send a clear message to South West Water and the Government that our beautiful seas, rivers and waterways are turning into open sewers and more must be done.

Local people feel very strongly about this issue and we have had a lot of supportive comments today. Over a year ago more than 170 people from 27 organisations took part in a march in Barnstaple and sadly, not much has changed since then. There are still disgraceful amounts of sewage discharges into our rivers and onto our beaches.

The demonstration was then repeated by the group at Instow and Bideford Quay.

The group said that while they were at Instow, holidaymakers expressed their concern that it is now considered unsafe to enter the water.

According to Extinction Rebellion, there are permanent signs on the quayside informing visitors that Instow is no longer designated as a bathing place as contamination makes it unfeasible to meet the minimum legally required bathing water quality standard at this location.

ABOVE: The warning sign at Instow

Another protester, Shona Davis, said: In 2022 sewage was discharged into UK waterways 1,091 times a day! Its an unbelievable amount. Yet during the same period water companies paid shareholders 1.4 billion!

Councillor Lucinda Renshaw, who represents the Instow ward, said: Sadly, the water quality has always been a problem. My husband, who has lived in Instow for most of his life, told me that the quality of the water is much worse after heavy rain and storms, as the run-off from farmland enters the estuary. But on the other hand, it is infinitely better than in the 1970s, when there was very obviously excrement floating around.

I understand that the council has recently held a special meeting of its policy development committee with local stakeholders to discuss the issues around sewage and the water quality of the districts rivers and beaches. It is extremely important, not just to humans but also to the diverse wildlife that live and/or feed in our rivers for their continued survival.

The last remaining fresh water mussels at Bideford quay are almost extinct.

Apparently there used to be a huge colony of them, they can live up to 300 years or more, but now there are only a handful left and they are not breeding. This is thought to be due to the pollution of the Torridge river.

The council and its individuals all feel that cleaning up our rivers is massively important and continue to find a way with the stakeholders to do just that.

I have no problem with Extinction Rebellion sitting on lavatories to heighten awareness on a very important topic, as long as they dont stop people going about their day- to- day activities.
A North Devon charity that supports bereaved children and their families is celebrating a significant boost thanks to a generous donation from the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) Community Fund.

Families in Grief, a local charity, has been awarded 2,380 to create a specialised resource aimed at supporting grieving children.

The money will be used to produce a childrens illustrated book, along with an assembly pack for teachers.

The successful bid for the funding was championed by Barnstaple Sector Inspector Andy Wills on behalf of Families in Grief.

Inspector Wills, speaking about the charity's vital work, highlighted their commitment to providing crucial support to bereaved children, young people, and families across North Devon and Torridge.

He said: Families in Grief are a wonderful small charity supporting bereaved children, young people, and families in North Devon and Torridge. They work closely with representatives from schools to develop awareness of how best to support bereaved children and to give school staff more skills in that area.

The illustrated book and assembly pack will aim to equip educators with the tools to effectively teach grief awareness and assist children in expressing their emotions in a healthy manner.

Chief Executive Officer of Families in Grief, Naomi Jefferies said: The POCA funding is very welcome and we would like to thank the local police for their contribution. This money will be put to very good use by supporting the production of a pastoral support resource including an illustrated storybook with follow-up activities.

The resources developed will be distributed to primary schools across North Devon and Torridge, ensuring that educators have the necessary tools to support grieving children.

Additionally, the materials will be utilised during national Grief Awareness Week.

The illustrated book is due to be printed later this summer, with plans for distribution to schools at the commencement of the autumn term in September 2024.

Devon & Cornwall Police distribute POCA funding to good causes across the two countys communities.

This money is available due to cash and assets being seized and confiscated by the courts from convicted criminals.

A variety of local groups and people of all ages have benefitted from the community fund donations.
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The filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun is walking down a path in Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, looking for the pond they sat beside while working on the script to the filmI Saw the TV Glow.

Cemeteries arent often the chosen location for interviews but the place holds particular meaning to Schoenbrun. Built in the 1830s on a hillside overlooking New York Harbor, Green-wood is where Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed and Jean-Michel Basquiat are buried. But it was also a rural sanctuary to New Yorkers before any parks were built. People used to picnic here.

Its amazing that its here, Schoenbrun says, smiling beneath a cloudy spring sky. The level of seclusion compared to everything surrounding it is so crazy.

For Schoenbrun, the draw isnt the famous graves. Green-wood has for them been a safe haven for reflection and transformation. In their first year taking hormones, Schoenbrun met friends here who, while lounging on a hill, took regular photographs to capture their physical evolution. Schoenbruns first in-person meeting with Brigette Lundy-Paine, one of the stars of I Saw the TV Glow, was here.

Schoenbrun wrote the film in late 2020, just a few months into their transition. In that fraught moment of becoming, the script poured out in a manic rush.

I remember staggering out of my bedroom after I finished it and walking up to my partner and saying, I can only do that so many times  that level of spilling my guts on the page, Schoenbrun says.

By the time I Saw the TV Glow was nearing production, Schoenbrun was no longer in the same head space. They came to Green-wood to make outlines and rekindle the early transition terror that had since passed.

I was falling in love. I was having a more consistent feeling of comfortableness in my body in a way that I had never had, Schoenbrun says. And I was like, (Expletive), Im about to make this trauma movie.

I Saw the TV Glow, which A24 opens in theaters Friday, has since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival been hailed as an acutely intense psychodrama of self discovery. In 1990s suburbia, an awkward loner named Owen (Justice Smith) encounters Maddy (Lundy-Paine), a cool, prickly older high school student who opens his eyes to a Buffy the Vampire-esque TV series called The Pink Opaque. It stars a pair of young women in battle with a supernatural villain named Mr. Melancholy.

Their obsession with the show  particularly Maddys  takes on a feverish quality. The Pink Opaque becomes something like a portal to another, more authentic self. I Saw the TV Glow, radiating adolescent angst and shaking with the tremors of body dysphoria, is to Schoenbrun a parable of pre-transition.

What I think TV Glow is about is the very unpleasant process of committing to throw yourself off a cliff, says Schoenbrun. I think repression exists because you kind of know that if you unrepress, there are going to be consequences and your life as you know it is going to no longer be your life as you know it.

I Saw the TV Glow, poised on that cliff of becoming, is at the forefront of a new vanguard for trans cinema. Films like Vera Drews The Peoples Joker, Paul B. Preciados Orlando, My Political Biography and Alice Maio Mackays T-Blockers have crafted new movie forms and images that compellingly reflect trans experience.

I Saw the TV Glow, though, has been uniquely championed. A24, the boutique indie studio, is distributing. Emma Stone is a producer. Co-stars include Danielle Deadwyler, Phoebe Bridgers and Fred Durst. All of them ultimately responded to Schoenbruns unfiltered vision.

I felt it had come from a really deep place in Jane. It was asking to be connected with. It was like an invitation, says Lundy-Paine. It was like: Are we going to completely bear soul, show whole? And we said, Yeah. We allowed ourselves to go there.

Schoenbrun, as they walk the rounding paths of Green-wood, is brightly talkative, self-deprecating and confidently insightful  particularly about their own journey. Schoenbrun, 37, grew up in Ardsley in Westchester. They worked in a local movie theater but were most captivated by the character evolutions of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Before starting as a filmmaker, Schoenbrun often wrote for Filmmaker Magazine; it recently shot them for its cover. They were married for a decade before figuring out they were trans in April 2019 on a mushroom trip while struggling to write their feature film debut, Were All Going to the Worlds Fair.

I was really trying to figure out why I had such shame about making my own art. That was explicitly the goal of that trip," says Schoenbrun. I was like: I need to figure out why I can work a day job and work really hard for someone elses thing but why does the idea of sharing and advocating for my own thing feel horrible to me. Internalized gender shame was where I arrived in a very circuitous way.

Gender, transformation and filmmaking remain innately connected for Schoenbrun. Their film tastes are wide but trend toward, they say, movies that seem impossible and films that suggest new possibilities. The gentle dramas of Kelly Reichardt, the body horror of David Cronenberg and the outlandishness of Tom Green's Freddy Got Fingered all come up as sign posts.

How does cinema, how does art continue to become itself as hopefully human beings are doing the same in their fledging and flawed and destructive ways? Schoenbrun says, smiling.

Smith, the 28-year-old actor of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and The American Society of Magical Negroes, was drawn to the odyssey of Owens arc.

Usually as characters get older, they become more sure of themselves. This character becomes less, says Smith. It was one of the first films where I was like, I really have to let go. I was having this parallel experience to the character who was so resistant to accepting themselves as enough.

Schoenbrun now finds themself emerging as a filmmaker and as themselves at the same time. The 2021 Sundance premiere of Were All Going to the Worlds Fair, about about a teenager immersed in an online role-playing horror game, was virtual. But it was still the most public Schoenbrun had been since transitioning. That was starring in the school play in your underwear for me, they say.

On both counts, the response has been validating. That doesn't mean that there won't be difficulties along the way. As they walk past seas of graves, Schoenbrun notes the high mortality rate for transgender people.

You exist in a much more precarious space than you previously did, they say. The past is (expletive) you up because of all that lost time and the future is (expletive) you up because you can no longer feel stable in the narrative of, like, Im going to be a grandparent some day.

But it would be hard to see anything but liberation and hard-earned self-actualization in Schoenbrun. The doors of self-awareness might be just creaking opening for Owen in I Saw the TV Glow but they have been blown off the hinges by its maker.

It has just been an incredibly moving few years of feeling things for the first time that I kind of knew about or had experienced as a ghost, Schoenbrun says. Trans people love Under the Skin. I think thats because of the feeling of finally entering the human race but as this alien experiencing things for the first time.

An outsider viewpoint, though, might be highly desirable, even necessary for a filmmaker. As our circular route brings us back to the Green-wood front gate, Schoenbrun says they now feel not 37 years old but 23.

Its so, so incredibly beautiful, says Schoenbrun, looking forward. And I cant wait to make a work about it.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

___

The story has been updated to correct the title of the film Were All Going to the Worlds Fair.
Veterans can learn about resources, support groups and business development and employment opportunities at an upcoming symposium in the south suburbs.

The Southland Development Authority will host "Beyond the Call: Veteran Business Support Symposium" in Richton Park on Thursday. It will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Richton Park Community Center, 4445 Sauk Trail.

Veterans bring valuable skills from their military service that are crucial for business leadership, particularly in logistics and operations," said Bo Kemp, CEO of the Southland Development Authority. "With a significant veteran population in the Midwest and the ongoing 'silver tsunami' of retiring baby boomers without succession plans, there's a pressing need to connect these skilled veterans with available business opportunities. The Southland Development Authority is committed to facilitating this connection, ensuring veterans have the support to succeed and maintain the economic health of our communities.

Guest speakers include development authority CEO Bo Kemp, Richton Park Mayor Richard Reinbold, Greg Liss of Huntington Bank, attorney Leon Hiddleston, Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center Regional Manager Mike Yucuis, Cook County Government Contact Compliance Director Nicole Mandeville.

Cook County Department of Veterans Affairs Director of Veterans Affairs Deena Love will moderate the panel, whose members are all veterans. Veteran support groups also will be present.

Attendees can learn about entrepreneurship, resources, benefits and opportunities. They also can network with fellow veterans in the business community.

The village is very pleased to host this dynamic event and help SDA shine a light on the potential for more veteran-owned businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive in the South Suburbs," Reinbold said. "Richton Parks newest veteran-owned business, Galaxy Labs, is the first vertically integrated Black-owned cannabis company in Illinois and will be featured at this eventso there will be a lot to see and learn."
Jerry Davich Metro columnist Follow Jerry Davich Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The rosy-red prom dress was plucked off a rack at the upscale Mademoiselle Shoppe in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood of East Chicago.

The cost was $79.99, a pretty penny back in 1959 for teenage girls who may never wear a prom dress again.

That's where everybody shopped for dresses in the 1950s and 1960s. Back then, only one-of-a-kind prom dresses were allowed at the high schools in the area, Dianne Pinkowski recalled. "If you were going to the same prom as I was going, that shop would not sell you the same kind of dress."

Back then, she went by the name of Dianne Zawislak, a Region girl who needed the dress to attend her junior prom at Bishop Noll in Hammond.

Back then, the Mademoiselle Shoppe was well known for offering stylish and expensive wedding gowns, among other high-end merchandise since its doors first opened in 1938.

The second floor had a little cafe where customers could take a break from shopping to enjoy fresh iced tea, tasty club sandwiches and gossipy whispers about other patrons.

For many years, The Times newspaper ran ads stating, The most beautiful brides come from the French Room," a lushly appointed showroom with a pristine thick white carpet, ersatz French provincial furniture and mirrors seemingly everywhere, according to a Times story.

On May 22, 1959, Pinkowski proudly wore the red prom dress as she strolled into her high school gym. Unlike other girls prom dresses that withered away in a dark closet, her dress was just beginning to blossom.

Pinkowski wore it again later that year to her boyfriends homecoming dance at Lew Wallace High School in Gary, and also to a debutante ball. The next year, on April 29, she donned it again for her same boyfriends senior prom at the Chrystal Ballroom inside Hotel Gary, the same venue where The Jackson 5 would perform five years later for another memorable prom.

"There were a lot of formal affairs back then," Pinkowski said. "And a lot of dances."

Once upon a time, she and her boyfriend, Alan Pinkowski, were high school sweethearts. They've been together ever since. Next week they will celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary.

That prom dress waited patiently in the closet of Diannes family as the years peeled away. As a musical poet once, life is what happens when were busy making other plans. The dress witnessed many moves through the years, from home to home, closet to closet, memory to memory.

In 1976, the dress finally found a permanent home in the house built by the Pinkowskis. Ten years later, their oldest daughter, Lisa, unwrapped the dress to wear it for her senior homecoming dance at Chesterton High School. Then it returned again to the closet to patiently wait for another chance to turn more heads and make new memories.

Fast forward to 2018, when the couples other daughter, Patti, unearthed the dress to show her oldest daughter, Arianna Simms. It was being displayed on an old-fashioned dress form to keep it as pristine as possible.

As the 10-year-old girl put it on, she promised she would someday wear it to her high school junior prom.

She was adamant, her mother, Patti Simms, recalled.

Arianna, who's now 17, remembers first spotting the dress in the back of a room.

I immediately fell in love, she said. I loved the shape of it, the color and especially the roses.

Those roses never withered. Their fashionable bloom is still there.

On Saturday, Arianna attended her first junior prom at Chesterton High School. Her parents and grandparents waited in Simms' home as she put on the dress and its fancy accessories. Outside the home, they posed for photos with her as they waited for her boyfriend to arrive.

It feels amazing to finally wear this," Arianna said before leaving her home for more photo shoots, then the school, and then the prom. "It feels like a dream after waiting so long."

Her grandmother quietly watched on as the girl looked at herself in the old dress. Pinkowski assured her that the dress, which needed only minor alterations, is still in fine condition even 65 years later.

I hope it can last another 65 years for my great-great-granddaughter, Pinkowski said.

"I hope so too," Arianna said with a smile.
It was after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, and the administration building of a college in Upper Manhattan had been ransacked. Protesters were wielding lit flares, the campus was descending into chaos, and the colleges security guards were outnumbered and exhausted.

The college president faced a momentous decision: Watch the chaos grow, or ask the New York Police Department to restore order?

And so Vincent Boudreau, president of the City College of New York, invited the police onto the campus.

While most of the attention this week has focused on protests at elite universities like Columbia and Brown, the events at City College were no less disruptive, and resulted in more arrests. But City College, the Harvard of the proletariat, has a unique place in New York, with a mandate to educate the poorest residents, and a long history of radical politics and protest. To many in the City College community, welcoming a police presence onto the Harlem campus was unthinkable.
Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, told employees on Sunday night that she was leaving the network, capping a tumultuous three-year tenure.

In an email to employees, Ms. Godwin said she had reached her decision after a period of considerable reflection.

Anyone whos passionate about what we do knows theres no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision, she said in her note. Im certain its the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize whats most important for me and my family, she added.

Ms. Godwin, the first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, told employees that she was planning on leaving broadcast journalism altogether.
The four children had survived horrors in Gaza.

But on Sunday morning, they reached the end of an arduous journey out of the conflict zone and into American hospitals to receive urgent medical care. They flew from Cairo to Kennedy Airport, where they were greeted with much fanfare by a crowd of about 50 people carrying plush toys, flowers and bobbing balloons.

Among the children was Fadi Alzant, 6, a gaunt boy with pale skin and strawberry blond hair who appeared dazed as the crowd rushed around his wheelchair. An airport employee grew agitated and shouted at people to disperse and to put away their cameras.

Fadi, who has cystic fibrosis and weighs about 25 pounds, is suffering from severe malnourishment caused by famine, according to the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund, which coordinated the childrens journeys with assistance from the World Health Organization.
Three bodies that were found in the Mexican state of Baja California last week have been identified as those of three tourists from Australia and the United States who had disappeared days earlier, the Mexican authorities said on Sunday.

The bodies were confirmed to be those of Callum and Jake Robinson, two brothers from Perth, Australia, and Jack Carter Rhoad of San Diego, the Baja California attorney generals office said in a statement. The confirmation comes after the victims families were able to identify them, without the need for genetic testing, the statement read.

The Robinsons and Mr. Rhoad had been on vacation, surfing and camping along the coast near the Mexican city of Ensenada, when they disappeared on April 27. The Robinsons mother said in a social media post on Wednesday that they had never showed up at an Airbnb they had booked in another coastal town.

Early on Friday, the Mexican authorities recovered the three bodies from a 50-foot-deep water hole near La Bocana beach. A fourth, yet unidentified male body, which prosecutors said had no relation to the case, was also found at the bottom of the hole.
Little Island, the $260 million park on the Hudson River that opened in 2021, was imagined as a haven for innovation in the performing arts. But the parks cultural offerings  mostly sporadic, one-off works  have so far fallen short of those ambitions.

Now Barry Diller, the billionaire media mogul who paid for the park, is setting out to deliver on the original vision, financing a robust, four-month annual performing arts festival on Little Island, the park announced on Monday. He is doing so with the guidance of Scott Rudin, the film, television and theater producer who retreated from public view in 2021 amid accusations of bullying by workers in his office.

Diller said in an interview that he and his family foundation were prepared to spend more than $100 million over the next two decades on programming. The festival, one of the most ambitious artistic undertakings in New York City in recent years, will promote new work in music, dance, theater and opera. Nine premieres are planned this year for June through September, including a full-length work by the choreographer Twyla Tharp, and an adaptation of Mozarts The Marriage of Figaro in which the countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo will sing all of the leading roles.

I want people to enjoy the originality and adventure of Little Island, Diller said. I want it to produce a smile.
THE MOTHER OF ALL THINGS, by Alexis Landau

What is the source of maternal rage? The answer is as infinite as it is ancient. In 1965, the poet and essayist Adrienne Rich, with small children underfoot, captured a possible explanation for this abyss in her journal when she described it as a sense of insufficiency to the moment and to eternity.

But where  for moms, for women  does this nagging feeling of insufficiency come from? From the misogyny that we grow up with? From the helpless outrage we bear as our messy, gorgeous, individual maternal experiences are flattened by society into a weirdly infantilized stereotype thats placed, like a paper doll, into a two-dimensional dollhouse called Motherhood? Or does it come from the profound feeling of helplessness that accompanies the ability to give life to a human being, but be unable to ensure that lifes safety?

Ava Zaretsky, the diligent heroine of Alexis Landaus ambitious and engaging new novel, The Mother of All Things (her third after Those Who Are Saved and The Emperor of the Senses), simmers with a steady rage that never fully erupts toward her kids (Sam, 10, and Margot, 13, whos at the edge of adolescences dark tunnel) or her husband, Kasper, a preoccupied Los Angeles film producer. Rather, Avas rage burns beneath the surface, so white and hot it blurred the contours of her body. She is angry that, in a marriage of supposed equals circa 2019, Kasper can relocate to Sofia, Bulgaria, for a six-month film shoot without a second thought, while her own work as an adjunct art history professor is smudged out by the needs of her family. Her fury is also embedded, we later learn, in the powerlessness that comes with profound loss.

When the family joins Kasper in Sofia for the summer, the kids enroll in a day camp, allowing Ava to wander this mysterious city. Her curiosity and creativity bubble to the surface. She begins writing about an ancient Greek woman whose life parallels and dovetails with her own, and whose narrative is interspersed throughout the pages of the novel. By coincidence, Ava also reconnects in Sofia with an intimidating former professor named Lydia Nikitas and becomes involved in a group of women who participate in re-enactments of ancient rites and rituals, most notably the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Cease-fire talks in Cairo faltered

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas stalled again, meaning more uncertainty for the families of Israeli hostages and no quick reprieve for Palestinians in Gaza. Mediators struggled to bridge the remaining gaps, and a Hamas delegation left the talks, officials said.

The main dispute was over the duration of a cease-fire, with Hamas demanding a permanent one and Israels prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing openness to only a temporary halt in fighting.

Hamas blamed the lack of progress on Netanyahu, who has vowed to stage a ground offensive in Rafah, where about a million Palestinians have been sheltering, with or without an agreement. Israel and the U.S. contend that Hamas has been holding up a deal. Netanyahu said yesterday that ending the war would allow Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities and threaten communities throughout Israel.
Senior Hamas officials announced today that they had agreed to a cease-fire deal drawn up by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. But the proposal  which officials said included Israels complete withdrawal from Gaza during three 42-day phases of cease-fire  failed to meet Israeli demands.

The Israeli prime ministers office said it would send a delegation to negotiate with Hamas, but that the war cabinet had decided unanimously to continue with its action in Rafah in order to exert military pressure on Hamas.

Earlier in the day, Israeli warplanes pounded targets in the southern Gaza city and the Israeli military dropped leaflets telling people to move to a designated humanitarian zone to the north. Many people began to leave, fearing that Israel was moving ahead with its long-planned invasion of Rafah despite stiff international pressure. By night, Israel carried out another round of what it called targeted strikes in Rafah. Heres the latest.

The main disagreement during negotiations has been the length of the cease-fire. Hamas has called for a permanent cease-fire, effectively ending the seven-month war; Israel wants a temporary halt in fighting to allow for the exchange of hostages. The two sides also disagree over the continued presence of Israeli troops in Gaza. We took a look at their demands.
Two European energy giants, TotalEnergies of France and Shell of Britain, are considering moving their stock listings to New York, as pressure mounts for them to improve their valuations, which lag their American counterparts.

Shifting their listings to the United States would be a blow to European exchanges, where they are among the largest listed companies.

In the past, it would have been almost unthinkable for TotalEnergies, one of Frances most prominent companies, to consider moving its primary share listing from Paris. But the companys chief executive, Patrick Pouyanne, discussed considering such a shift to analysts recently.

There was a discussion with the board, Mr. Pouyanne said on a recent call to discuss earnings. We all agreed that we have to seriously look at it.
Q: Should I buy offsets to cover my air travel?

In recent years, research has shown that many offset projects are ineffective or worse. But last we checked, people are still flying. A lot. And the planet is still warming. A lot.

So you may still be wondering: Should I offset my air travel? If so, how?

What are offsets, exactly?

A carbon offset is a credit that you can buy to make up for your emissions. So if you fly from New York to San Francisco, releasing around 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, you can purchase an offset, funding a project that will remove or store that same amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere, often by planting or preserving trees.

At least thats the idea. But many scientists object to the principle, on the grounds that we need to sharply reduce emissions, not just try to cancel them out.

Offsetting is a misnomer, said Barbara Haya, director of the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project at the University of California, Berkeley. It creates a fiction that you can fly and emit greenhouse gasses and just pay for these cheap credits and it erases your impact.

Last year, an estimated $1.7 billion of carbon credits were issued worldwide, according to an analysis from the global accounting firm KPMG.

OK. But do they work?

Companies are working on ways to improve the credibility of carbon credits. But Dr. Haya has been studying offsets for more than 20 years and so far, she said, the results have been grim. Most credits dont represent the amount of emissions reductions that they claim, she said. Others have had no measurable climate benefit at all.
On Sunday evening, the rapper Doja Cat swept into an upscale French restaurant in SoHo carrying a disposable Starbucks cup. She stashed it at the bar, and then made her way to the rear of the room to kiss the actress Pamela Anderson on one makeup-free cheek.

Ms. Anderson was hosting a party with the label Monse as a kind of amuse-bouche for the Met Gala the next night. About 100 designers, editors and models gathered at La Mercerie, the restaurant within the home goods store Roman and Williams Guild, to greet one another with some version of the line: I have such a busy day tomorrow.

Ms. Anderson planned to wake at 5 a.m.  a feat she said would not require an alarm clock  and then head to a park for a moment of peace before her first Met Gala. Im going to be walking all of those scary feelings out, she said.

Under the ceilings central arch, servers circulated trays of buttered radishes. Guests sipping Sancerre traded thoughts on increasingly elaborate gala prep routines. (Fillers came up, as did Ozempic.)
In recent years, mental health has become a central subject in childhood and adolescence. Teenagers narrate their psychiatric diagnosis and treatment on TikTok and Instagram. School systems, alarmed by rising levels of distress and self-harm, are introducing preventive coursework in emotional self-regulation and mindfulness.

Now, some researchers warn that we are in danger of overdoing it. Mental health awareness campaigns, they argue, help some young people identify disorders that badly need treatment  but they have a negative effect on others, leading them to over-interpret their symptoms and see themselves as more troubled than they are.

The researchers point to unexpected results in trials of school-based mental health interventions in the United Kingdom and Australia: Students who underwent training in the basics of mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy did not emerge healthier than peers who did not participate, and some were worse off, at least for a while.

And new research from the United States shows that among young people, self-labeling as having depression or anxiety is associated with poor coping skills, like avoidance or rumination.
The name of Allen H. Weisselberg, the Trump Organizations former chief financial officer, arose repeatedly on Monday during the criminal trial of his former boss, as a former employee that Mr. Weisselberg knew about the payments at the heart of the trial.

The former Trump Organization employee on the stand, Jeffrey S. McConney, said that Mr. Weisselberg had instructed him in early 2017 to send money to Donald J. Trumps former fixer, Michael D. Cohen. A few months earlier, Mr. Cohen paid $130,000 from a home equity credit line to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump.

Mr. Cohen was repaid for that deal throughout 2017 in 11 checks  nine of them originating from Mr. Trumps personal banking account  that were recorded as legal expenses in Trump Organization records. Prosecutors have accused Mr. Trump of falsifying those business records to conceal the hush-money deal.

The checks to Mr. Cohen ultimately totaled $420,000, covering the hush money, a bonus and additional funds for taxes.
Jeffrey S. McConney worked as the corporate controller at the Trump Organization and, prosecutors say, helped arrange the reimbursement for a $130,000 hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, who has long claimed to have had an affair with Donald J. Trump.

That reimbursement is at the center of the criminal case against Mr. Trump. Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorneys office have accused Mr. Trump of falsifying business records by mislabeling the reimbursements in 2017 to Michael D. Cohen, his former personal lawyer and fixer, as legal expenses. Mr. Cohen made the payment to Ms. Daniels in the last days of the 2016 campaign.

Mr. McConney, who took the witness stand on Monday, testified that he had a close relationship with his boss, Allen H. Weisselberg, then the companys chief financial officer, who told him in 2017 that Mr. Cohen was owed money. He was questioned on the stand for about three hours.

He said that Mr. Weisselberg instructed him to send the money to Mr. Cohen. The checks that Mr. Cohen received throughout 2017 exceeded that amount because he was also paid a bonus and money to cover the taxes on the income. Nine of the 11 checks originated from Mr. Trumps personal account, Mr. McConney testified, and were sent to the White House for Mr. Trump to sign.
Mayor Eric Adams will travel to Rome on Thursday to meet with Pope Francis, becoming the latest in a recent succession of New York City mayors to pay respects to the leader of the Catholic Church.

The trip comes as Mr. Adams, a moderate Democrat facing languishing poll numbers and a federal criminal investigation, prepares to run for re-election next year in what is expected to be a contested primary.

The mayor will be accompanied by one of his closest advisers, Frank Carone, a former chief of staff who is now the de facto head of Mr. Adamss campaign. A spokesman for the mayor had no immediate comment when asked about the trip; nearly an hour later, the mayors press office released an advisory that Mr. Adams would be in Rome later this week.

The advisory mentions travel to the Vatican City, but does not specify whether he will meet with the pope. But two sources familiar with Mr. Adamss itinerary confirmed that he would see Pope Francis.
Pinned

Former President Donald J. Trump has been cited twice for breaking a gag order meant to stop him from attacking jurors.

Donald J. Trumps Monday began with a grave warning from Juan M. Merchan, the judge presiding over the former presidents criminal trial, threatening to imprison him if he continued to flout a gag order.

Justice Merchan said that the fines levied against Mr. Trump  $10,000 so far  are not serving as a deterrent.

The judge said that therefore, going forward, this court will have to consider jail.

That warning preceded a desert-dry description of a $130,000 payment made by Mr. Trumps fixer, Michael D. Cohen, to a porn star to buy her silence about her story of a one-night stand in 2006. That testimony was elicited from two employees, one current and one retired, of the Trump Organization.

The former president is accused of falsifying business records to cover up that $130,000 payment. Mr. Trump, 77, the first American president to face criminal prosecution, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with the woman, Stormy Daniels. If convicted, he could face prison time or probation.

Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trumps 12th day on trial:

Trumps comments continue to bring him trouble.

Justice Merchan once again found Mr. Trump in contempt for violating his gag order that prohibited attacks on jurors, witnesses, court staff and others. It was Mr. Trumps 10th violation, and resulted from an April 22 interview in which he said the jury was from a purely Democrat area, calling those circumstances very unfair.

Image Justice Juan M. Merchan told the former president that his comments were an attack on the rule of law. Credit... Ahmed Gaber for The New York Times

The violation resulted in a $1,000 fine, which was on top of the $9,000 he was fined last week for nine other violations, a pittance for a billionaire. But the comments by Justice Merchan, who called the repeated violations a direct attack on the rule of law, may have a far greater impact.

Justice Merchan said he recognized what a disruption and dramatic decision jailing Mr. Trump would be, but made clear he would imprison him, if necessary.

You are the former president, the judge said, adding, and possibly the next president.

But, he added, at the end of the day, I have a job to do.

A chastised Mr. Trump seethes.

As Justice Merchan admonished Mr. Trump, the former president hunched over the defense table staring at him. When he finished, Mr. Trump shook his head. After court, Mr. Trump again blasted the trial as election interference in comments in the hallway outside the courtroom.

They want to keep me off the trail, said Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, adding he had hoped the trial might end on Monday.

Mr. Trump did perk up when Jeffrey S. McConney, the Trump Organizations former corporate controller, recounted when Mr. Trump told him  as a joke  that he was fired because of a dip in his cash balances. Mr. Trump smiled at the memory.

The jury saw evidence of Michael D. Cohens payments.

Mr. McConney testified about reimbursing Mr. Cohen for his payment to Ms. Daniels. (He was ultimately paid $420,000, which included a bonus and money to offset taxes, an arrangement outlined in a handwritten note by Mr. McConney shown to jurors.)

Image Jeffrey S. McConney testified about 11 invoices that prosecutors said were part of an effort to conceal a hush-money payment. Credit... Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Paid over a year, the hush money amounted to $35,000 a month. The schedule was painstakingly documented by prosecutors, who showed invoices Mr. Cohen sent to the Trump Organization and checks to Mr. Cohen. Mr. Cohens invoices mention a retainer agreement, something that prosecutors say didnt exist, but rather was a way to disguise the reimbursement.

On Monday, Mr. McConney was asked if he saw such an agreement.

I did not, Mr. McConney replied.

It was dull, but it was important.

Mr. McConney and another witness  Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts supervisor at the Trump Organization  both testified about internal machinations to pay back Mr. Cohen.

Prosecutors asked them to identify a raft of business records and other forms to authenticate and describe them. After a week that had set a sensational backdrop for the case  including the presidential race in 2016, and the frantic efforts to keep stories about extramarital affairs quiet  Mondays testimony was often soporific.

Notably, Ms. Tarasoff also testified about the checks to Michael Cohen, which account for business records, which prosecutors say were falsified.

But the slog was necessary for prosecutors hoping to hang a case on documents. Still, Mr. Trump didnt seem impressed, keeping his eyes closed for some of it, as he has for swaths of testimony on other days.

The week  and weeks  ahead may get more exciting.

Despite Mr. Trumps shut eyes, his trial has featured gripping testimony about tabloid deals, celebrity shakedowns and life inside his inner circle. The rest of the week may intensify, including a possible appearance by Ms. Daniels.

She will likely attract a crush of media attention, driven by the spectacle of her sitting just across from Mr. Trump. With eight days of testimony complete, prosecutors said on Monday that they would need approximately two weeks to finish their case. The defense then gets its turn, and closing arguments follow.

After that, the jury will take over.
Donald J. Trumps Monday began with a grave warning from Juan M. Merchan, the judge presiding over the former presidents criminal trial, threatening to imprison him if he continued to flout a gag order.

Justice Merchan said that the fines levied against Mr. Trump  $10,000 so far  are not serving as a deterrent.

The judge said that therefore, going forward, this court will have to consider jail.

That warning preceded a desert-dry description of a $130,000 payment made by Mr. Trumps fixer, Michael D. Cohen, to a porn star to buy her silence about her story of a one-night stand in 2006. That testimony was elicited from two employees, one current and one retired, of the Trump Organization.

The former president is accused of falsifying business records to cover up that $130,000 payment. Mr. Trump, 77, the first American president to face criminal prosecution, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with the woman, Stormy Daniels. If convicted, he could face prison time or probation.
The amygdala is a pair of neural clusters near the base of the brain that assesses danger and can help prompt a fight-or-flight response. A prolonged stress response may contribute to anxiety, which can cause people to perceive danger where there is none and obsess about worst-case scenarios.

Americas collective national body is suffering from a chronic case of China anxiety. Nearly anything with the word Chinese in front of it now triggers a fear response in our political system, muddling our ability to properly gauge and contextualize threats. This has led the U.S. government and American politicians to pursue policies grounded in repression and exclusion, mirroring the authoritarian system that they seek to combat.

Congress has moved to force the sale of TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media application; some states have sought restrictions on Chinese individuals or entities owning U.S. land and on Chinese researchers working in American universities; and the federal government has barred certain Chinese technology firms from competing in our markets. These measures all have a national security rationale, and it is not my intention here to weigh the merits of every one. But collectively they are yielding a United States that is fundamentally more closed  and more like China in meaningful ways.

When you are constantly anxious, no threat is too small. In January, Rick Scott, a senator from Florida, introduced legislation that would ban imports of Chinese garlic, which he suggested could be a threat to U.S. national security, citing reports that it is fertilized with human sewage. In 2017, scientists at McGill University wrote there is no evidence that this is the case. Even if it was, its common practice to use human waste, known as biosolids, as fertilizer in many countries, including the United States.
At colleges and universities across the country, from Cal Poly, Humboldt, to Columbia, students have been protesting the war in Gaza. Some of those protesters have demanded that their universities divest from companies that may directly or indirectly support Israeli military operations; others have called for a cease-fire, while others have far wider demands.

The protests have generated another round of discussion (and endless takes on the internet) about free speech on college campuses. Which forms of speech are permissible (and legal)? What about universities that purportedly champion free speech suddenly deciding that maybe theres such a thing as too much freedom of speech? And, personally, I want to know why we pay so much attention to Ivy League schools most of us didnt go to.

I spoke with Greg Lukianoff, the president and C.E.O. of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonpartisan group that champions and defends free speech. His most recent book, written with Rikki Schlott, is The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All  But There Is a Solution. We discussed what free speech is and isnt, what conservatives are getting wrong about college campuses and how Oct. 7 changed how he views free speech.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity and is part of an Opinion Q. and A. series exploring modern conservatism today, its influence in society and politics and how and why it differs (and doesnt) from the conservative movement that most Americans thought they knew. And, for disclosure, I spoke to FIREs Student Network Conference in 2021.
To the Editor:

Re The Constitution Wont Save Us From Trump, by Aziz Rana (Opinion guest essay, April 28):

Mr. Rana makes a strong case for legislative solutions that will reinforce American democracy. To that end, many of the reforms he calls for were already passed by House Democrats in 2022.

Our Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act would take these steps:

1) Aim to stop voter suppression and election subversion.

2) Establish a nationwide redistricting commission to end partisan gerrymandering.

3) Empower the grass roots with matching funds for small-dollar donors.

4) Curtail the harmful, anti-democracy Citizens United decision by enacting the Disclose Act, which curbs anonymous funders from suffocating the airwaves with misrepresentations.

President Biden, a patriotic and determined champion for democracy, has been forceful in his support for these reforms. But shamefully, Senate Republicans are the final obstacle.
Before summoning the jury on Monday, Justice Juan Merchan directly addressed the defendant, whom he called Mr. and not President Trump. In a measured and by-the-book tone that showed no hint of his exasperation, Merchan told Donald Trump that he had now found him in contempt of court on a 10th charge. Each carries a $1,000 fine, the most allowed by New York State law.

The judge then warned Trump that if he continued to violate his order, this court will have to consider a jail sanction.

Merchan told Trump that he was well aware that you are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well and that he understood that jailing Trump would be disruptive to the proceedings. The judge said he also worried about the court officers, corrections officers, Secret Service and other law enforcement personnel who would be involved in the incarceration of a former commander in chief.

The magnitude of that decision is not lost on me, Merchan said. But at the end of the day, I have a job to do. Trumps offenses, he noted calmly, represented a direct attack on the rule of law, and I cannot allow that to continue.
Toward the end of Maggie and Shanes article, they report that Trump campaign officials told donors that the 2024 race has only three swing states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. But Trump campaign officials also showed donors an expanded reality map that included Minnesota and Virginia, neither of which has received much attention this year.

Their inclusion here could be a couple different things. First, maybe theyve polled and really see something in those states; the electoral map can change, as when Democrats won Georgia in 2020. Second, sometimes campaigns will spend money in less apparently competitive states primarily to require opponents to divert resources from a more competitive state.

But as a note on Virginia: Insofar as Republicans have done better there since 2020, its probably because people like Glenn Youngkin have been able to balance appealing to voters who do and dont like Trump, while also turning frustrations with public school closings during the pandemic into a revived social conservatism. As time has gone on, though, voter enthusiasm for that social conservatism seems to have waned, as Jamelle Bouie has argued.
Young Americans outrage over the Israel-Hamas war has dominated the political conversation for weeks. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have made pilgrimages to Columbia University and other campuses to offer support to demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza or to denounce them, and President Biden addressed the upheavals in remarks on Thursday.

But these headlines are not reflective of young voters top concerns this election year, according to recent polls. Surveys taken in recent months show young voters are more likely to sympathize with Palestinians in the conflict, but few of them rank the Israel-Hamas war among their top issues in the 2024 election. Like other voters, young people often put economic concerns at the top of the list.

And while young voters are cooler to Mr. Biden than they were at the same point in 2020, there is little evidence that American support for the Israeli invasion of Gaza is a critical factor in their relative discontent.

When you have two presidents that have the same stance on one issue, that automatically puts that issue  I hate to say lower down the list, because its obviously an important issue, but it doesnt make it an issue where Im going to choose Donald Trump over Joe Biden, said Devon Schwartz, a student at the University of Texas at Austin.
More demonstrators were arrested Monday as classes resumed at the University of California, Los Angeles, the site of some of the tensest moments during a wave of student activism at U.S. universities over the war in Gaza.

Lieutenant Richard Davis of the U.C.L.A. campus police said the protesters arrested in a campus parking deck were charged with conspiracy to attempt burglary. A U.C.L.A. spokesman later said that 44 people had been taken into custody.

The arrests came as pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted a sit-in at Moore Hall, student organizers said. About 30 protesters were sitting in a corner of the parking deck around 9:45 a.m. local time, with their hands zip tied behind them. They were later taken to a sheriffs bus.
Police officers in riot gear arrested dozens of protesters and began dismantling a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, San Diego early Monday in the first sweep by law enforcement at the campus since the demonstration began last week.

Videos from the scene showed police officers wearing helmets and carrying batons as they handcuffed protesters and led them away from the tents. The university said in a statement that the police had dismantled the encampment and that one person had suffered a minor injury.

The U.C. San Diego Police Department arrested 64 people, 40 of whom were confirmed to be students, said Matt Nagel, a university spokesman. All of the students would immediately face an interim suspension, he said.

Students erected the encampment on the sprawling Southern California campus on Wednesday and demanded that the university condemn Israels military campaign in Gaza and call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. They also demanded that the university sever ties with Israeli institutions and divest from weapons manufacturers or similar companies.
The University of Chicago has built a brand around the idea that its students should be unafraid to encounter ideas or opinions they disagree with.

To drum that in, the school provides incoming students with copies of its 2015 free-speech declaration, known as the Chicago statement, which states that freedom of expression is an essential element of its culture.

And the university has long adhered to a policy of institutional neutrality, which strongly discourages divesting from companies for political reasons, or from making statements aligning it with a social cause. That neutrality, the university argues, allows for a robust, unencumbered exchange of ideas.

Many professors swell with pride talking about how the schools commitment to these principles has endured through two world wars, Vietnam and, more recently, the tumult of the Trump administration. And more than 100 institutions have adopted or endorsed similar principles.
The day Edmundo Gonzalez was plucked from obscurity and chosen to take on South Americas longest ruling authoritarian leader, technicians were busy making sure his home was not wiretapped.

This was not in our plans, his wife, Mercedes Lopez de Gonzalez, said in an interview that day in April in their apartment in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

Not long ago, Mr. Gonzalez, 74, was a retired diplomat and grandfather of four with no political aspirations. He kept busy writing academic papers, speaking at conferences and taking his grandchildren to haircuts and music lessons. Few in his native Venezuela knew his name.

Now, many Venezuelans have placed their hopes in him to end years of repressive rule as he challenges President Nicolas Maduro, who has held power since 2013, in elections scheduled in late July.
When two Australian brothers drove down to Mexicos northwest coast from San Diego last week with their American friend, they were looking to catch the crisp waves that make Baja California a popular destination among travelers from across the world.

But soon after arriving to the Mexican city of Ensenada, Callum Robinsons Instagram posts of his surf adventure ceased. The group stopped answering calls and texts.

He and his brother Jake never showed up at an Airbnb they had booked, their mother said in a social media post, pleading for help from anyone who had seen her two sons.

On Sunday, Mexican authorities announced that the bodies of the three tourists, found at the bottom of a well with gunshot wounds to their heads, had been identified by their families.
Israel ordered a partial evacuation of Rafah

Israeli warplanes pounded targets in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, yesterday, as the military told about 110,000 people there to evacuate. Hours later, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the group had accepted a cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt.

The full details of the proposal were unclear, but the conflict remains unresolved. Comments by Hamas and Israeli officials made it clear that Haniyeh was not referring to the plan that Israel had recently put forward.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said the proposal did not meet Israels demands. Israels war cabinet had also decided unanimously to continue with its action in Rafah in order to exert military pressure on Hamas, Netanyahus office said in a statement.

Thousands of people were leaving Rafah yesterday, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which said that there had been escalating Israeli airstrikes in areas east of the city. A sense of panic coursed through the city, as prices for food and fuel skyrocketed.
Russia said on Monday that it would hold military exercises with troops based near Ukraine to practice for the possible use of battlefield nuclear weapons, a provocative warning aimed at discouraging the West from deepening its support for Ukraine.

These weapons, often referred to as tactical, are designed for battlefield use and have smaller warheads than the strategic nuclear weapons meant to target cities. Russias Defense Ministry said that President Vladimir V. Putin had ordered an exercise for missile, aviation and naval personnel to increase the readiness of nonstrategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions.

The announcement of the exercise was Russias most explicit warning in its more than two-year invasion of Ukraine that it could use tactical nuclear weapons there. The Kremlin said it came in response to comments by two European leaders that raised the prospect of more direct Western intervention in the war.

The exercise, the Defense Ministry said, would involve forces of the Southern Military District, an area that covers Russian-occupied Ukraine and part of Russias border region with Ukraine. It said the exercise would take place in the near future.
Five workers died on Monday afternoon while working in a sewer connected to a water treatment plant in the town of Casteldaccia near Palermo, Sicily, according to firefighters who recovered the bodies. A sixth worker was seriously injured and in intensive care, local officials said.

Girolamo Bentivoglio, chief of firefighters in Palermo, said the workers had breathed in hydrogen sulfide, a gas often present at waste treatment plants that is toxic in high concentrations. Levels were so high at the site where the workers were killed, that fatality is immediate, Mr. Bentivoglio said in a televised interview on RaiNews24, the national broadcasters news channel.

The accident raised a new round of outrage over the incidence of workplace deaths in Italy. In April, seven workers were killed in an explosion in a hydroelectric plant near Bologna, while five died in Florence during the construction of a supermarket in February.

According to the European statistics agency Eurostat, Italy ranks eighth among European countries in fatal accidents at work, with an incidence of 2.66 per 100,000 employed, which is higher than the European Union average of 1.76, but lower than Frances 3.32.
This week, for the first time in five years, President Xi Jinping of China is visiting Europe, with stops in France, Serbia and Hungary.

Mr. Xis trip comes at a time of tensions with many European countries over Chinas support for Russia in the face of its war in Ukraine, its trade practices and its apparent espionage activities. The trip will also test Europes delicate balancing act between China and the United States.

Mr. Xi hopes to head off a trade war with the European Union as frictions rise over exports of Chinese electric vehicles and diminished market access for European companies in China. Mr. Xi will also encourage President Emmanuel Macron of France to pursue greater autonomy from the United States in a bid to weaken Washingtons global dominance.

Here is what we know about Mr. Xis trip, which began Sunday.

What is the significance of Mr. Xis itinerary?

The three countries Mr. Xi will be visiting, experts say, to varying degrees embrace Chinas push for a redefined global order. All have to some extent questioned Americas postwar ordering of the world, and are eager to bolster ties with Beijing.
President Xi Jinping of China, on a two-day visit to France, spoke out firmly against criticism of his country for its close relationship with Russia during the war in Ukraine, saying that we oppose the crisis being used to cast responsibility on a third country, sully its image and incite a new cold war.

Flanked by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, with whom he held several rounds of talk on Monday, Mr. Xi stiffened as he defended Chinas role, recalling it was not at the origin of this crisis, nor a party to it, nor a participant.

The bristling remark appeared aimed principally at the United States, which believes that China, aside from buying enormous amounts of Russian oil and gas, continues to aid Moscows war in Ukraine by providing satellite imagery to Russian forces along with jet fighter parts, microchips and other dual-use equipment.
Amjad Abu Daqqa was among the top students at his school in Khan Younis, excelling in math and English, and he was applying for a scholarship to study in the United States when war erupted in the Gaza Strip last October.

Teachers used to reward his good grades with trips to local historical sites or to the pier, where they would watch boats and take pictures of the sunset. He dreamed of going into medicine like his big sister, Nagham, who studied dentistry in Gaza City.

But his old life and old dreams now feel far away. His school was bombed, many of his friends and teachers are dead, and his family fled their home to seek safety in Rafah, along with more than one million others.

Everything in my town is gone forever, said Amjad, 16. I feel like I am a body without a soul, and I want to feel hopeful again.
Israeli warplanes pounded targets in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Monday as the military told about 110,000 people sheltering there to evacuate. Many people began to leave, fearing that Israel was moving ahead with its long-planned invasion of Rafah, despite stiff international pressure.

The Israeli military began dropping leaflets in eastern Rafah telling people to move to what it called a humanitarian zone to the north, and said it would also notify people by text messages, phone calls and broadcasts in Arabic, and on Monday night, the Israeli military carried out another round of what it called targeted strikes in Rafah against Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Sunday rejected international pressure to rein in its military campaign in Gaza and, speaking at a Holocaust memorial, asserted Israels right to fight its genocidal enemies.

Nearly seven months into the war, Mr. Netanyahu has been steadfast in his goal of destroying Hamas. This, and Mr. Netanyahus insistence on sending troops into Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, has complicated efforts to end the fighting and raised concerns about the future of the hostages held by Hamas.

But Mr. Netanyahu has remained defiant.

On Sunday, he spoke at Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, to mark the national Holocaust remembrance day. Hamass Oct. 7 attack, he said, was not a Holocaust  not because Hamas did not have the intention to destroy Israel but because of its inability to do so. About 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage that day, Israeli authorities say. Hamass intention, Mr. Netanyahu said, was the same as that of the Nazis.

In his speech, which lasted for about 15 minutes and was largely in Hebrew, Mr. Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israel was committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, Gazan authorities say Israeli troops have killed more than 34,000 people, many of them women and children, though the statistics do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
International Elections 2024: What You Need to Know

Russia U.K. United States E.U. Mexico India Indonesia 900M South Africa 90M Voting-age population Russia U.K. United States E.U. Mexico India Indonesia 900M 90M South Africa Voting-age population Russia U.K. United States E.U. Mexico India Indonesia 900M 90M South Africa Voting-age population Credit

Billions of people  roughly half the worlds population  will cast ballots in local, regional, legislative and presidential elections in the coming year.

Some of the races offer a chance for nascent democracies to take hold, while others will merely strengthen entrenched regimes. But in an era of political upheaval, any one of them could add to heightened geopolitical tensions.

From Mexico to India, Russia to South Africa, Venezuela to Sudan, more than 80 countries are gearing up for elections or have already begun holding them.

Already it is clear that threats to democracy abound, and not just in countries with checkered election histories.

This year, even robust democracies are on the ropes, grappling with voter apathy, efforts to suppress opposition groups, and the spread of sophisticated disinformation campaigns.

Below are some of the most important races to keep an eye on.

Upcoming Elections Austria These elections for the lower house of Parliament will be closely watched as a test of the strength of the far-right Freedom Party. Lithuania The dominant party in the current coalition government, the Lithuanian Christian Democrats, a center-right group, has been faring poorly in opinion polls and could lose out to the social democrats. United States The match between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump adds another layer of uncertainty to the global political landscape. Sri Lanka The country is holding its first presidential election since a popular uprising toppled the government in 2022.
A Chinese woman who had an affair with a married businessman who died in a car accident used frozen embryos to conceive a child she claimed was his and then sued his family for inheritance.

In a case that sparked a heated debate in China, a Guangdong woman surnamed Leng sued her deceased lovers wife for part of his fortune as inheritance for her baby boy, who she claimed was her lovers heir. The unusual dispute began in 2021, soon after the tragic death of the man, surnamed Wen, in a car accident. Leng claimed to have frozen some of her eggs prior to the accident which were later fertilised using Wens sperm at a private fertility clinic. In December of 2021, she gave birth to a healthy son she named Xiaowen, and in August of last year, she sued her former lovers family, asking for a part of their estate as an inheritance for her son.

Photo: Unsplash

As part of her lawsuit, Leng asked for property, company equity shares, and insurance benefits for Xiaowen as Wens heir. Unfortunately for her, the woman could not prove that the boy had been fertilized by Wen, or that he had given her consent to conceive the baby using his sperm. As a result, her claim was dismissed by the court.

The case made news headlines in China following the Courts verdict, with many declaring their shock at the womans attempt to use her young child as a bargaining chip for her dead lovers fortune.

How terrible! Shell do anything for money, one person wrote on Weibo.

I hope the wife makes a counter-claim against the mistress,: someone else wrote.

One lawyer told the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that while Chinas 2021 Civil Code stipulates that any living fetus in a mothers body is entitled to inheritance and gifts, it makes no mention of frozen embryos. Another said that IVF procedures at licensed clinics were legal, but that the procedure should be agreed upon by both parents, which was unclear in this particular case.
A united Ireland would be the most desirable outcome for people and communities across Ireland, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.

The former Irish leader, who played a significant role enabling the landmark Belfast/Good Friday peace agreement in 1998, said unity is not a short-term goal.

He also challenged those who backed a united Ireland to be prepared to put in the hard yards.

Mr Ahern is set to take part in a New Ireland Commission in conversation event at Leinster House on Tuesday.

The discussion is set to focus on the SDLP initiatives mission to build a detailed prospectus for Irish unity, building on the experience of leaders across Ireland who spilled their sweat for peace.

Speaking ahead of the event, Mr Ahern said: I fundamentally believe that the vision for a new Ireland based on the consent of the people who share this island, as set out in the Good Friday Agreement, is not just possible but it is the most desirable outcome for people and communities across Ireland.

It is not a short-term goal. All of those who believe in change must be committed to putting in the hard yards to build a prospectus that reaches across traditional divides and demonstrates to our unionist neighbours that they will be respected, their traditions will be cherished and their children will be at home in the new Ireland we build together.

This commission is a serious political project and I look forward to contributing my own experiences of working towards a common goal with communities across Ireland.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described the event as the latest in a series across Ireland.

We are delighted that former taoiseach Bertie Ahern will provide his insights into the campaign to build a new Ireland, he said.

Berties long association with peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and his commitment, in particular, to meaningful engagement with those from a unionist background provide important lessons for those of us who believe in a new future for everyone who shares our island.

This is the latest in a series of engagement events that the New Ireland Commission has held in Belfast, Derry, London, Bellaghy and Dublin.

We are committed to engaging with people and communities across these islands to build a prospectus for change. Indeed, we believe we are best placed to bridge the gaps between our communities.

I look forward to hearing from Bertie and to building on the work of creating a new Ireland for everyone.
In Tbilisi, Georgia, crowds of protesters are enduring the onslaught of tear gas and water cannons as they persist in their opposition to the Georgian government's proposed legislation targeting civil society. This new law mandates that non-profit entities, including NGOs and media outlets, which receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, must register as "organizations pursuing the interest of a foreign influence." Noncompliance carries hefty penalties of up to $9,000.

Opponents of the bill say it is a sign of Moscow's purported influence over Georgia. They fear it will become an impediment to the country's long-sought prospects of joining the European Union.

This isn't the first time such legislation has been proposed. Similar mass demonstrations last year compelled the government to retract a comparable bill. However, this renewed attempt has reignited the fervor of thousands of young demonstrators, ranging from school pupils to university students, swelling a tide of discontent throughout the nation.

The protesters are deeply concerned that their government is succumbing to the influence of the Kremlin, jeopardizing their aspirations of aligning with Europe. Each evening, the rallies commence with both the Georgian national anthem and the EU's "Ode to Joy."

The echoes of Vladimir Putin's 2012 law on foreign agents in Russia reverberate in the protesters' concerns. This law has been criticized for stifling dissent, and in 2022, it was expanded to mandate anyone receiving support from outside Russia to register as foreign agents. Despite comparisons drawn by the Georgian government to Western legislation, such as the US's Foreign Agents Registration Act and EU directives, the EU disputes the resemblance, contributing to the deep polarization within Georgia.

Moreover, Georgia's political landscape is further complicated by the imprisonment of Mikheil Saakashvili, a key figure in Georgia's modernization efforts post-2003 "Rose Revolution." His party, the United National Movement (UNM), is a prominent force in opposition, although it grapples with public distrust due to its past tenure in office.

Amidst these political tensions, the European Union's confidence in Georgia as a reliable partner is waning. EU leaders have called for reforms to safeguard against oligarchic control and to address concerns regarding democratic backsliding and human rights abuses within the country. As Georgia seeks EU candidacy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the nation finds itself at a critical crossroads, balancing aspirations for European integration with the preservation of democratic values and civil liberties at home.

The anti-government protests are emblematic of a deeper struggle within the country's political landscape. Despite the government's stated desire to join the European Union, discontent among the populace reflects a broader dissatisfaction with the state of democracy in Georgia.

At first glance, it might seem paradoxical that protests would erupt in a country seeking closer ties with the EU. However, the protests are not solely about Georgia's European aspirations but rather about the fundamental principles of democracy, governance, and accountability within the country.

The Georgian government's pro-EU stance may serve as a rhetorical tool to garner support both domestically and internationally, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. The protesters are raising concerns about issues such as government corruption, lack of transparency, erosion of civil liberties, and the concentration of power within a few elite circles.

Behind the geopolitical posturing and rhetoric lies a chronic crisis of democracy in Georgia. Despite progress in certain areas since the Rose Revolution, the country continues to grapple with challenges such as judicial independence, media freedom, electoral integrity, and the fair distribution of economic opportunities.

The protests serve as a manifestation of the frustrations of many Georgians who feel marginalized and disenfranchised by the political elite. They are demanding meaningful reforms that address these underlying issues and foster a more inclusive and accountable political system.

It's crucial for both the government and the international community to acknowledge and address the root causes of the protests, rather than merely focusing on superficial narratives about Georgia's European future. Sustainable progress towards democracy and stability in Georgia will require genuine efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, and empower civil society.
Appeals within the West to recognise and engage with humanitarian crises are always fraught with reactionary controversy from the beginning. What should be of equal concern, however, is not simply the more overt cases of political discourse which justifies military-economic interventions directly contributing to crises, but a sympathetic, conditional discourse which stresses our need to 'care for others'.

The essence of humanitarianism lies in this apparent universalist appeal to our duty of care towards foreign lands and unfamiliar populations. However this universalism of care is often underscored by a relativistic anti-humanism. With the threat of global environmental catastrophes and humanitarian crises that begin by disproportionately affecting underdeveloped countries, the archetypes of sympathetic Western narratives on foreign aid return. The problem, however, is that by an appeal to duty, such aid is rarely unconditional.

In the UK, for example, the beginning of April saw Prime Minister Rishi Sunak heavily criticised for his unsympathetic policy towards Palestinians, opting to unquestioningly continue supplying Israel with military aid. A well-placed humanistic concern was apparent here. Yet in the same week, criticisms shifted from Sunak's Middle East policy onto his choice of sneakers during a televised interview. Universalist concerns for Palestinian liberty were inexplicably exchanged with a flood of op-eds and articles about why Sunak should not be wearing Adidas trainers simply to appeal to youth culture.

Whilst in the US, pro-Palestine campus protests suggest a stronger fidelity towards a directed critique of Biden's policy towards the Middle East, a similar (and inevitable) fragmentation of the humanistic narrative eventually rears its head. Protests have been marked by internal frictions regarding what is to be chanted ('From the river to the sea' being a particularly divisive phrase in pro-Palestinian movements), tactics by which protests should be organised (either by external third-party mediation or as organic grassroots protests with students and faculty staff), as well as how popular attention is to be divided between crises such as Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan.

The problem is that humanitarian concerns often miss their own mark, or more appropriately they cling on to a false universalism. Their 'duty of care' is a contingent and often conditional duty. It is a humanism coloured by the implicit conviction that whatever is going on is going on 'far from home'. It is this conditionality of standard humanist discourses of care that allows for narratives to quickly change, and for consistent and targeted policy criticisms to often be dissolved or fragmented in their very conception.

With Ukraine and with Gaza, a certain historicisation underscores our attempts at articulating the need to directly engage with and alleviate a series of crises. Russia's invasion is conveniently conceptualised in the narrative on fascism, allowing for numerous WWII comparisons, and the recent military escalations in the Middle East have been compared to the moments preceding the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur War of 1973. Political discourse concerned with what it is that we should do seems drawn towards a tendency to see the idiom of 'history repeating itself' actualised before their eyes. It is a historical frame which allows for concern to be articulated, yet it is this same historical frame which often obscures our capacity to deal with an immanent crisis for the global catastrophe that it truly is.

In itself, there is of course nothing wrong with a need to construct narratives of current geopolitical events by relying on historical comparisons. Yet it is worth remembering Marx's famous reformulation of Hegel's argument that history repeats itself: it may repeat itself, but once as tragedy, and then as farce. 'Farce' is to be understood not as a description of some form of humorous quality latent in a political event, but rather as our inability to respond to events even though they have seemingly occurred twice. Even in its historical recurrence, a political event inevitably occurs as something radically new and at first inarticulable, for which our responses are unable to rely on a preformulated historical template.

It is precisely this historicist humanisation which we must be cautious of. The sense, underlying a humanist appeal for a duty to those countries that are far from home, that our Western compassion can be best utilised by historically framing global crises, is at times deeply misleading. Properly speaking, each humanitarian crisis is a crisis precisely because it is so unrecognisable. It is a crisis because we cannot coherently place it or manage it according to a pre-conceived formula. Whilst it can (and should) be studied as belonging to a historical development of political-economic relations, serious responses to a crisis should recognise its qualitative break from historically comparable forms.

The humanitarian approach to our 'neighbours' on the other side of the globe often leads to a form of indifference: a paradoxical recognition of the cruelties and brutalities plaguing a population which simultaneously disavows our organised, collective political intervention. Crises are historicised, and in so doing the disparity of the current event from its historical avatars produces only a conditionality of our 'duty' to care, contingent to the narrative frame which any current crisis may be fitted into.

What should concern us is that there is no humanitarian crisis 'far from home' - the divide between 'here' and 'there' is quickly losing ground. The current crisis in Gaza may echo aspects of the 1973 war that deeply changed political relations in the Middle East, yet the Israeli focus being on Hamas and not Arab-backed resistance movements and the PLO, and the major displacement of Palestinian civilians which the West will have to respond to, mean that a new dimension to the Israel-Palestine conflict is emerging. A new type of global question is becoming apparent in which the underlying security in humanitarian narratives that the conflict is taking place 'far from home', will have to be abandoned. Similarly, global internet-based disinformation campaigns and the obscure conjunction of right and left-wing support and criticism for Russia in the Ukraine war make this conflict categorically irreducible to historical comparisons to fascist movements. Any comparison to of Putin to Hitler, for example, cannot be sustained when we recognise a further degree of inconsistent radicality in Russia's narrative: for example, Russian political philosopher Alexandr Dugin ('Putin's brain') insisting that, not only a conservative Orhtodoxy, but a post-modern relativism justifies the war on Ukraine ('Russia have their own relative truth which the differing Western truth must nevertheless respect...'). Hitler finding justification for the final solution or the invasion of Poland within post-modernism is inconceivable.

Fundamentally, humanitarian crises must be placed under a new light. They are no longer external to Western identity, but shake the Western position at its own core. Historical comparisons, which all too often cause a conditional and indifferent support, no longer hold up. The humanistic narrative that we have a duty for crises taking place far from home has often led to a temporary and conditional sense of responsibility. Humanistic concerns have in other words often been marked by a kernel of indifferent anti-humanism. This is however no longer an option.

Today's crises are to be conceived on a global scale, intimately disrupting the Western sense of security. There is repetition in humanitarian crises only insofar as each repetition is simultaneously irreducible to historicist frames. It is for this reason that collectively directed and organised diplomacy movements are more crucial than ever. Crises should be unconditionally and unequivocally recognised as such, as a threat far more serious than what the contingent humanist 'duty of care' would have us think.
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

The international community is not only silent about Israel's genocide but also sends foreign mercenaries to fight alongside Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.

The IDF summoned hundreds of reserve soldiers to reinforce its ranks in preparation for its ground attack on the Gaza Strip. To bolster their Israeli ranks the IDF promoted an influx of people holding Israeli passports and living in foreign countries.

However, the Spanish newspaper, El Mundo, reported that Tel Aviv contacted international security contractors to provide fighters to perform military tasks during its ongoing war in Gaza.

Pedro Diaz Flores Corrales, aged 27 years, is a former soldier in the Spanish army and had previously fought as a mercenary in both Ukraine and Iraq. In addition to this, he is known for belonging to a fascist political group, the so-called Neo-Nazi movement, according to the Middle East website 'Monitor'.

The group is involved in illicit arms trafficking, as well as mercenary exploitation.

Corrales justified his decision to fight alongside the IDF, and said that each participant in the fighting receives about 3,900 euros ($4,187) a weekly salary, and perks associated with the tasks they perform.

El Mundo reported that it had seen pictures of Corrales surrounded by mercenaries of different nationalities, including French, Germans, and Albanians, and even American Marines or members of the Special Forces who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali, or Kosovo.

Last October, French media circulated news about a large number of French fighters joining the fight alongside the IDF.

A report by the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory revealed in the past the presence of hundreds of European mercenaries who volunteer for military service in the ranks of the IDF, as part of special forces, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Organizations directly linked to right-wing Jewish and Christian groups within Europe are organizing projects and campaigns to invite Europeans to join the IDF, as well as to join campaigns to support illegal settler operations against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Intending to use them in tunnels of Hamas, Israel offers Kurdish PKK terrorists $ 2,200 to join the frontlines in its genocidal war against Palestinians with thousands of terrorists and mercenaries already transported to Israel.

The Israeli government made a contract with PKK terrorists, with whom they agreed to a salary of 9 thousand Israeli shekels ( $2,200 ) in addition to $25,000 of compensation in case of death or injury.

Israel intends to use PKK terrorists in its land attack on Gaza as it does not want to send its own soldiers into the tunnels of Hamas. Nearly 2,000 terrorists and mercenaries from Europe, Iraq, Syria and the US have moved into Israel. Peshmerga forces from northern Iraq have also been sent to the frontlines in Israel.

Calls are being made to recruit militants to fight for Israel, and many organizations have been carrying out extensive activities, such as: the "Kurdish-Israeli Friendship Union" founded by Mordehay Zaken, the "Kurdish Institute" and the "Israeli Jewish Kurds" organization.

Israeli organizations have been negotiating with Peshmerga to send Kurds from northern Iraq to Israel, reminding them of the support given by the Tel Aviv regime to them since 1958.

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extortion

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On April 29. the US Department of Justice "unsealed" a 2023 indictment of one Roger Ver, better known in cryptocurrency circles as "Bitcoin Jesus." He was arrested in Spain and as of this writing awaits extradition proceedings.

The indictment claims that Ver failed to hand over a sufficiently large extortion payment to the US government in 2017, after leaving the country and renouncing his citizenship in 2014.

The DOJ press release doesn't put it quite that way, of course. Instead it claims that "[A]s a result of his expatriation, Ver allegedly was required under U.S. law to file tax returns that reported capital gains from the constructive sale of his world-wide assets .... He was also allegedly required to pay a tax -- referred to as an 'exit tax' - on those capital gains. ... [Ver] concealed the true number of bitcoins he and his companies owned."

Yes, you have that right. Roger Ver left the US in 2014. Roger Ver renounced his citizenship in 2014. He's charged with not paying a $48 million bribe to the US government after selling some of his Bitcoin in 2017, when he was neither a citizen of, or resident in, the US.

In 1931, Germany's Weimar Republic instituted something called the Reichsfluchtsteuer -- "Reich Flight Tax" -- to prevent wealthy Germans from going, and taking their money, elsewhere ... or at least to grab much of that money.

After the Nazis rose to power in 1933, the tax was instead used to seize everything of value from Jews trying to flee the new government's persecution.

But, so far as I can tell, even the Third Reich didn't display anything like the sheer gall and temerity of the US regime, chasing down emigrants years later and extorting additional money from them. Hitler's goons limited themselves to things like pawing through emigrants' luggage and stealing their jewelry.

Roger Ver's wealth was never any of the US government's business (neither is yours), and he never "owed" them a cut of it even when he lived here (nor do you).

This "nice life you've built elsewhere, shame if anything happened to it" routine is a giant, audacious step beyond most governments' protection rackets.

To add insult to injury, "Bitcoin Jesus" has probably done you more good -- with his investments in, and evangelism for, cryptocurrencies -- than "your" government ever has.

Which may or may not be why they're after him. But either way, telling Hitler "hey, hold my beer" just isn't a very good look.


cover of Killers of the Flower Moon

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This review first appeared in the April 2024 edition of Vita Poetica.

The Din of Iniquity

by John Kendall Hawkins

Killers of the Flower Moon was nominated for 10 Oscars this year but won none. As with many films by Martin Scorsese, it's long, presenting in just under three and a half hours. This exposition provides ample time to get immersed in the story by way of character arc and how each of the protagonists responds to the tension built by the steps of the plot. Most of Scorsese's epic films involve confrontation and violence, gangs, cabals and criminal families, and often a heaping helping of psychopathology. One thinks immediately of Taxi Driver (1976), Cape Fear (1991) and even The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), but there are many others over his long, enthralling career.

Killers of the Flower Moon can be seen as a crime thriller. The IMDB storyline is simple and a good place to start an analysis of the narrative and characterization: "When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one -- until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery." This is sufficient, but it is not a full account. Having read the book (2017) by David Grann, which bears the subtitle The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, for instance, I know that Tom White, the FBI agent played by Jesse Plemons, was a star of the book and that the FBI tale took up two-thirds of Grann's narrative. Tom White is an imposing ex-Texas Ranger, but Plemons's White quietly blows into the "boomtown" -- albeit in keeping with the character of the FBI at that time, which had no arrest powers and carried no weapons -- and he doesn't arrive until about two-thirds of the way through. Plemons is not the star. The big roles go to Robert De Niro (William Hale), Leonardo DiCaprio (Ernest Burkhart), and newcomer and Native American actress Lily Gladstone (Mollie Burkhart).

The film begins with a 1920 black-and-white newsreel backgrounder about the Osage and their discovery of oil and the curious observation about their wealth, relative to the world: "The world's richest people per capita." The film ends with a tribal ceremony or dance where the Osage dance around a circle of drummers and form what appears to be a flower, which reminds one of Grann's description in the book: "tiny flowers spread over the blackjack hills and vast prairies in the Osage territory of Oklahoma. There are Johnny-jump-ups and spring beauties and little bluets." And then oil and evil men arrive and choke it all with, as Grann puts it, "spiderworts and black-eyed Susans, [which] begin to creep over the tinier blooms, stealing their light and water." Thus, the wealth created by the dinosaurs (fossil fuel) is contrasted with the simplicity and presumed integrity of the tribal milieu.

What's missing is a sense of who the Osage are. There is something generic about the Scorsese depiction, in contrast to, say, the care to establish rituals that director Kevin Costner takes with Dances With Wolves (1990). Such missing information might have been partially filled in by replacing the beginning and ending of the film -- especially the oddly-placed end stage show depicting the Osage murders that includes Scorsese himself standing up at the microphone and delivering pap -- with historical information.

The Osage Nation (the name is an English rendering of the French phonetic version of Wa-zha-zhe), comfortably ensconced in Missouri, was one of the many Native American nations pushed out by white Western expansion. Grann writes in his book that "the Osage were forced to cede nearly a hundred million acres of their ancestral land, ultimately finding refuge in a 50-by-125-mile area in southeastern Kansas." Ouch. Then they were promised by Thomas Jefferson that they would not have to move again. But he lied. As Grann writes,

The Osage had been assured by the U.S. government that their Kansas territory would remain their home forever, but before long they were under siege from settlers"In 1870, the Osage-- expelled from their lodges, their graves plundered-- agreed to sell their Kansas lands to settlers for $1.25 an acre. Nevertheless, impatient settlers massacred several of the Osage, mutilating their bodies and scalping them. [41]

While some superficial references are made to the so-called Trail of Tears era, which saw Native Americans continuously disrupted by the white movement west following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803,[john morr1] [JH2] Grann opts to eschew the more complicated history of a white nation expanding, in order to set up his scene of the crime narrative. The Oklahoma Osage are a nation under siege by the scourge of capital expansion, material gain, and the profit motive that goes back to the founding of the USA. The Constitution was established by property owners, and only reluctantly mediated by the justice implied by the amending Bill of Rights.

Scorsese last directed De Niro in The Irishman (2019) and DiCaprio in Gangs of New York (2002). The two haven't co-starred since This Boy's Life (1993), when DiCaprio was a teenager, and this is the first time both worked have together for Scorsese. This is effective ensemble work here. These three principal characters create a complex, triadic, dialectical bond that features themes of criminal loyalty (Hale - Ernest), marital devotion and trust (Ernest - Mollie), redemptive faith in Catholic ethics (Mollie - later Ernest), and the parasitical domination of one tribe over another (whites over Reds).

Such dialectical turmoil is a feature of Scorsese's work. But in Killers it is not fully fleshed out. The director relies heavily on the interaction of the three main stars to manifest the tensions among these themes. But it is such a simple plot that the dynamic becomes tired, maybe even trite, over three hours. De Niro's Hale has worked out how to plunder Mollie's money by getting Ernest to marry her and then wiping out her relatives so that all their oil rights go to her. Hale is poisoning Mollie through Ernest, using him, and in the end he will attempt to control the funds by having Ernest sign them over "voluntarily."

I think that the depth and variety needed to sustain the motivating forces of the action could have been remedied by the Scorsese who is deeply engaged with questions of faith, who has often depicted the internal struggles with faith, loyalty, and devotion, especially when up against the forces of dark oppression and exploitative domination. Such is the Christian mission, but especially the Catholic way, and Scorsese is a Catholic.

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Please read and disseminate the parts of this message (links) that you find useful in these genocidal and very dangerous times (we are on the brink of a global war)

I and my wife are on a talking and book signing tour in Australia and New Zealand. There are so far sold-out events that we did in Perth (aboriginal name Boorloo), Adelaide (Tarntanya wama), Sydney (Gaadi), Woolongong, Brisbane. Now in Melbourne/Naam. In 20 days I spoke to over 3000 people at public events (and a rally with 10,000 people in Gaadi) and networked with others (like Rotarians). ... For more and to see the events upcoming, visit. Talks and interviews continuing daily (so far >60 talks/interviews). Here are examples At St. Francis College, Palestine Talks (Perth) interview.

Australian Greens statement relating to Palestine.

An article worth reading (also interviewed me) on the Herbawi keffiyeh factory

Global universities with encampments (interactive map). Masked Israel Supporters Attack UCLAs Palestine Solidarity Encampment With Weapons. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now interviews 2 students and one Professor. Then police trying to finish the thug job (US Police forces bare trained by Zionist genocidal officers)

And thank you from Gaza

And more on the movement

Goodbye to the (US) first amendment. Who would have thought this possible?

"If Palestine dies, we all die. And we are not going to let that happen." The Colombian president addressing a crowd on breaking ties with Israel

Hala Rharrit, State Dpt Diplomat, resigns over "complete failure" of US policy in Gaza. Interview on Demoracy Now.

Gaza Genocide: An Introductory Critical Legal Reading List

Sad news: Prominent Palestinian doctor tortured and killed in Israeli detention: Adnan al-Bursh was a Palestinian surgeon and the head of orthopaedic medicine at al-Shifa hospital

Amnesty had warned of horrifying torture conditions of Palestinian detainees

And this UNRWA report.

Act

An Egypt firm is making $2 million a day from Palestinians fleeing Israel's war on Gaza: Investigation by Middle East Eye reveals that a company owned by an ally of the Egyptian president may have earned at least $118m in three months.

Senior Palestinian (PA) Officials ask mediators to keep Marwan Barghouthi in jail

A message of Hope from Gaza

ACLU helpful guide to University Students and faculty about their rights

Action: write to universities

Action: almost 50,000 took this action

And an Action from Amnesty: Save two journalists

Finkelstein: Israel ready to drag the world down with it.

Which is worse, Israels lies about Gaza or its western backers who repeat those lies?

[insidious] The Israel-US game plan for Gaza is staring us in the face By Jonathan Cook

Freedom Flotilla

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh

A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History

Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine

facebook pages Personal Institute

French


Rep. Mike Garcia (CA-27) questioning FBI Director Christopher Wray

(Image by Mike Garcia) Details DMCA



The warning being delivered by FBI Director Christopher Wray to Congress could not have been more dire. Following the deadly attack on a concert in Russia by a radical Islamic group, Wray spoke of his increasing concern for "the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland." The Director stated that as he looks "back over [his] career in law enforcement, [he] would be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once, but that is the case as I sit here today."

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The accusation by a Republican that Wray, whom Trump appointed, has somehow politicized the FBI is laughable. Not only is the Director a Republican himself, but he is also a member of the Federalist Society. This is a "conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution." If Wray were to lead the department in a political direction, it would not be to the left.

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". This should have made him receptive to Wray's message that "we have seen a substantial jump in threats towards FBI personnel and facilities from [the] fiscal year 2022 to [the] fiscal year 2023." Instead, Garcia's response to the Director's pleas for additional funding was that he does not "think that this is necessarily a funding problem".

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." The newly elected Congressman's words were much different on the day of the attack. On January 6th he issued a statement that said "The actions we are seeing by those charging the Capitol today should not be condoned or encouraged" urging the rioters "to peacefully exit" so that the Capitol Police may safely go home to their families."

. In doing so, he disregarded his oath to uphold the Constitution that he had taken as a Congressman (and before that in the military as a fighter pilot) and instead gave his loyalty to a wannabe dictator whom most of his constituents had voted against. Those constituents must hold him responsible for his fidelity to Trump over his obligations to the country.

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Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

While the world is watching in horror at the genocide being carried out in Gaza, there is another war in Sudan which has been overshadowed by the Israeli war on the Palestinians.

Since the conflict began on April 15, 2023, almost 15,000 people have been killed, and more than 8.2 million have been displaced. In Gaza, about 35,000 have been killed in six months of fighting since October 7, 2023.

The city of El Fasher is now under threat of an imminent attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who are battling against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). In the middle of April, the RSF began besieging El Fasher.

El Fasher is the main city in Sudan's western Darfur region, and the last major city still under the control of the SAF.

Displaced people forced to flee surrounding areas surged into the city of El Fasher and are living in schools and areas known as gathering sites.

With all routes into and out of the city closed and unsafe, the fear and dreading is felt by all.

Experts on the conflict see the evidence that the two sides are preparing to fight a close-quarter battle in El Fasher to the death.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described the crisis as being of epic proportions.

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Historical grievances and iconic countrymen, whose esteemed revolutionary speeches carry a leftist order, have boosted South Africa's foreign policy, amid ostensible tectonic shift in global power.

As the world's 24th largest country, and bigger than rich G7 countries France, Germany and former colonial master Britain combined, is of conviction that it can therefore, move geopolitical mountains in an instant, from the Gaza-Israel debacle.

This, amidst rare display of ethno-racial sentiments, came closer to reality immediately after the country dragged Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), against violations of the Genocide Convention of 1948.

Alongside invocations of post-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela's South Africa-Palestine brotherhood, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) government in Pretoria, and global south counterparts view the Palestinian cause at the ICJ, as "jewel in the crown" of the country's 21st-century foreign policy.

From genocidal accusations, to petition against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to halt an assault against Hamas battalions in the city of Rafah, among some provisional measures, the ICJ has become a de facto South African court, and the country's laws, the ANC domain.

Late last year, the country's lawmakers voted in favour of a motion calling for the closure of Israel's embassy in Pretoria, and suspending all diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, citing the Jewish state's "refusal to respect international law".

Now threats of arrest, have been issued against citizens fighting in IDF, upon returning to the country.

There are reports of South Africans of Jewish descent who have fought for Israel on several occasions, and Naledi Pandor the Foreign Minister, reiterated this at a solidarity conference with Palestinians in Pretoria.

Nonetheless, the country that is basking in convenient political echo chambers, is 9,395 kilometres away from Israel.

A "remarkable democracy" in the leftist and liberal mindset, just like BRICS counterparts Brazil and India but, illiberal realistically and structurally, post-apartheid South Africa is capitalising ideologically on the politics of identity, and a sharp demographics shift in Western capitals.

Since the tragic events of October 7, antisemitic incidents and pro-Palestinian protests in major European and American cities not least elite colleges and universities, are proof of South Africa's political niche and wager.

Indeed, Pretoria boldest foreign policy against the State of Israel amid calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, has been glorified in the entire Middle East and war-torn enclave, including West Bank city of Ramallah, which immortalized Mandela in 2013.

However, in order to win the lucrative and fiercely contested multipolar gamble, the country's human rights crusade, is justifiable around its immediate and vast borders.

Pro-East South Africa, which shares the northern border with ideological and revolutionary ally Zimbabwe, a failed and lawless state under veteran dictator Robert Mugabe, is notorious for xenophobic attacks against African immigrants.

On one hand, the country brags of mainstream media's favourite political figures and activists such as Julius Malema, leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), an offshoot of the ANC party, and Ntokozo Qwabe, a Rhodes scholar.

Both are anti-white demagogues. The former has on many occasions threatened with impunity "to defer the slaughtering of the country's whites", and has extended similar warnings to the Indian community.

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Hayden Edwards had the misfortune of being born to parents who are people of faith. His parents, Blair and Taylor Edwards, are members of the Followers of Christ Church in Oregon.

Hayden was born at 6:40 p.m. on June 24, 2023. He was healthy and was eating. However, on the morning of June 26 he had stopped eating.

Hayden's parents, being sincere believers in the Christian Bible, called their fellow Bible believing Christians who then came to the home of the Edwards and began to pray for Hayden and to anoint Hayden with oil, for this is what the Christian Bible claims will cause people to be healed according to James 5:14-15. Some of the faith-based Christians who were there said they noticed that Hayden's "lips were turning blue."

Prosecutors reported that "by 2:35 p.m., the baby stopped breathing temporarily. He started to breathe again after his mother, Taylor, poured cold water on him. Then, at 3:05 p.m., the baby died."

An investigation found that two-day-old Hayden was "severely jaundiced including a yellowing of the skin and other organs." Jaundice is a common problem for many newborns and is usually very simple to medically treat.

Why would Hayden's parents not seek medical help when they realized that he was so ill that his lips had turned blue, his skin had turned yellow and that he had stopped eating and had even stopped breathing? The answer is faith. In particular, faith in the Christian Bible.

The Deist Thomas Jefferson made an important and profound observation about faith. Jefferson wrote,

"...man, once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such person, gullibility which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason, and the mind becomes a wreck."

If Hayden's parents had been people of God-given innate reason instead of clergy concocted faith, Hayden would still be alive today. There are too many innocent and helpless children who meet the same fate as Hayden did, and not just from the religious nonsense of faith healing, but also from religious/superstitious belief in demons and evil spirits and the requisite imagined need for exorcisms as well as Christian parents who believe in the ungodly biblical story of God commanding Abraham to kill his son (Genesis 22:1-12) and who believe God is telling them to kill their children, too.

Many mainstream Christians point out that most Christians take good care of their children and do not withhold medical care from them in order to heal them through faith. This is true. HOWEVER, it does not at all change the FACT that their Christian Bible does teach Christians to rely on faith healing. The Christian parents who let their children die from treatable illnesses while relying on faith, prayer and anointing with oil as the Christian Bible teaches are true Christians because they are truly following the harmful nonsense in their Christian Bible as if it were the Word of God. The mainstream Christian parents are deviating from their own Christian Bible.

Deists, and all freethinkers, have a very powerful tool we can all use to get sincere Christians to realize the Christian Bible is NOT the Word of God and that it should not be taken seriously. That powerful tool is John 14:12-14 (pictured above). If these verses and the promise they contain were true, any person who believes in Jesus, that is, any Christian, would be able to do all the things the anonymous authors of the Christian Gospels claimed Jesus did, which includes turning water into wine, walking on water, healing the sick and bringing dead people back to life, among other ridiculous claims. One of the great things about these verses and the empty promise they make is that there are no conditions on it. It doesn't state "if your faith is strong enough" or "if you are without sin", etc., etc. Since it includes Christians doing all the things it is alleged that Jesus did, a great and safe test for any sincere Christian is walking on water. They should ask Jesus to empower them to walk on water. If, after asking Jesus in accordance with John 14:12-14, they cannot walk on water, many of them will realize this Christian Bible promise is a false promise. They will begin to wonder if Christianity's biggest selling point of eternal salvation is also a false promise. They will then be on their way to realizing that The Supreme Intelligence/God gave them their innate reason to allow them to protect themselves from such false claims and false beliefs.

We owe it to Hayden and the other beautiful and helpless children who fell victim to irrational faith-based beliefs to realize the urgency in promoting God-given reason and Deism and act accordingly.
New Delhi, India Skitii, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy India, hosted a groundbreaking event at the American Center, New Delhi, on April 19, 2024, marking a pivotal moment in education and skill development through AI technology. This first principals meeting focused on leveraging AI to enhance educational productivity and student wellness, symbolizing the strengthening of the of the educational partnership between India and the United States. The event featured opening 
Chennai, Tamil Nadu - May 5, 2024 - RICH GLOBAL EDU, a trailblazer in abroad educational consulting and abroad MBBS guidance, is thrilled to announce its prestigious appointment as the authorized Indian representative of Kyrgyz National University, the top-ranked medical university in Kyrgyzstan. With over 100 years of rich academic heritage since its establishment in 1925, Kyrgyz National University stands as a beacon of excellence in medical education, offering a 
Portland police are investigating a social media post claiming responsibility for an arson fire last week that burned 17 Police Bureau cars.

Police originally said 15 cars were burned in the fire last Thursday but increased that number by two Monday as their investigation continues.

Also Monday, a group calling itself Rachel Corries Ghost Brigade said people had cut through a fence at the bureaus training facility and set 10 fires in anticipation of a police response at Portland State Universitys Millar Library.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators had occupied the library for three days and the university administration asked city police to intervene. Police on Friday arrested 12 people, including four students, after the initial sweep.

Police said in an email that they are aware of the online post claiming responsibility and that is part of the investigation.

The bureau wouldnt confirm whether theyve heard of a group calling itself Rachel Corries Ghost Brigade or whether its claims have any merit.

The investigation into this online incident is open and active, police spokesperson Mike Benner said in an email. Detectives do not want to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.

Raid them before they raid you, the groups post said on the website Rose City Counter-Info. The website allows people to publish posts anonymously. The website was used earlier this year by people who claimed they set a car on fire outside Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalezs house.

Rachel Corrie was an American activist from Olympia, Washington, who died in 2003 while protesting the Israeli Armys destruction of Palestinian houses in Gaza. She was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer and died.

 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.
Cheng Charlie Saephan wore a broad smile and a bright blue sash emblazoned with the words Iu-Mien USA as he hoisted an oversized check for $1.3 billion above his head.

The 46-year-old immigrants luck in winning an enormous Powerball jackpot in Oregon earlier this month  a lump sum payment of $422 million after taxes, which he and his wife will split with a friend  has changed his life. It also raised awareness about Iu Mien people, a southeast Asian ethnic group with origins in China, many of whose members fled from Laos to Thailand and then settled in the U.S. following the Vietnam War.

I am born in Laos, but I am not Laotian, Saephan told a news conference Monday at Oregon Lottery headquarters, where his identity as one of the jackpots winners was revealed. I am Iu Mien.

Cheng Saephan, 46, of Portland holds up the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot check at the Oregon Lottery headquarters in Salem, Oregon on Monday, April 29, 2024.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

During the Vietnam War, the CIA and U.S. military recruited Iu Mien in neighboring Laos, many of them subsistence farmers, to engage in guerrilla warfare and to provide intelligence and surveillance to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail that the North Vietnamese used to send troops and weapons through Laos and Cambodia into South Vietnam.

After the conflict as well as the Laotian civil war, when the U.S.-backed government of Laos fell in 1975, they fled by the thousands to avoid reprisals from the new Communist government, escaping by foot through the jungle and then across the Mekong River into Thailand, according to a history posted on the website of Iu Mien Community Services in Sacramento, California. More than 70% of the Iu Mien population in Laos left and many wound up in refugee camps in Thailand.

An employee at Chiang Rai Thai Cuisine scrubs a wok on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Troutdale, Ore. The family restaurant is run by members of the Iu Mien community. There is a sizeable Iu Mien community in Portland and its suburbs, with a Buddhist temple and Baptist church, active social organization, and businesses and restaurants. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)AP

Thousands of the refugees were allowed to come to the U.S., with the first waves arriving in the late 1970s and most settling along the West Coast. The culture had rich traditions of storytelling, basketry, embroidery and jewelry-making, but many initially had difficulty adjusting to Western life due to cultural and language differences as well as a lack of formal education.

There are now tens of thousands of Iu Mien  pronounced yoo MEE-en  in the U.S., with many attending universities or starting businesses. Many have converted to Christianity from traditional animist religions. There is a sizeable Iu Mien community in Portland and its suburbs, with a Buddhist temple and Baptist church, active social organization, and businesses and restaurants.

A statue is seen at Chiang Rai Thai Cuisine, a family restaurant run by members of the Iu Mien community, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Troutdale, Ore. There is a sizeable Iu Mien community in Portland and its suburbs, with a Buddhist temple and Baptist church, active social organization, and businesses and restaurants. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)AP

Cayle Tern, president of the Iu Mien Association of Oregon, arrived in Portland with his family in 1980, when he was 3 years old. He is now running for City Council. His father and uncle assisted American forces in Laos and he was born as his mother fled to a refugee camp in Thailand.

Many Iu Mien in the U.S. have similar stories, and Saephans Powerball win sheds light on the new lives they have made in Oregon and elsewhere after such trauma, he said. Tern knows all three of the Powerball winners, he said.

You know, I think for me its more than just about the money. ... Weve been here since the late 70s, but very little is known of us, he said while sitting in his uncles restaurant in Troutdale, a Portland suburb.

This attention that were getting  people are interested in what the community is, who we are, where we came from. That is to me is equally special.

Cheng "Charlie" Saephan points to his sash that reads "Iu-Mien USA" while speaking during a news conference after it was revealed that he was one of the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot at the Oregon Lottery headquarters, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Salem, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)AP

Saephan, 46, said he was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1987, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1994. He graduated from high school in 1996 and has lived in Portland for 30 years. He worked as a machinist for an aerospace company.

He said Monday that he has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.

I will be able to provide for my family and my health, he said, adding that hed find a good doctor for myself.

Saephan, who has two young children, said that as a cancer patient, he wondered, How am I going to have time to spend all of this money? How long will I live?

Cheng Saephan, 46, of Portland speaks with media at a press conference announcing the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot at the Oregon Lottery headquarters in Salem, Oregon on Monday, April 29, 2024.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

He said he and his 37-year-old wife, Duanpen, are taking half the money, and the rest is going to a friend, Laiza Chao, 55, of the Portland suburb of Milwaukie. Chao had chipped in $100 to buy a batch of tickets with them.

Chao, was on her way to work when Saephan called her with the news: You dont have to go anymore, he said.

In the weeks leading up to the drawing, he wrote out numbers for the game on a piece of paper and slept with it under his pillow, he said. He prayed that he would win, saying, I need some help  I dont want to die yet unless I have done something for my family first.

The winning Powerball ticket was sold in early April at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, ending a winless streak that had stretched more than three months. The Oregon Lottery said it had to go through a security and vetting process before announcing the identity of the person who came forward to claim the prize.

Under Oregon law, with few exceptions, lottery players cannot remain anonymous. Winners have a year to claim the top prize.

The jackpot had a cash value of $621 million before taxes if the winner chose to take a lump sum rather than an annuity paid over 30 years, with an immediate payout followed by 29 annual installments. The prize is subject to federal taxes and state taxes in Oregon.

The $1.3 billion prize is the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history, and the eighth largest among U.S. jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery.

The biggest U.S. lottery jackpot won was $2.04 billion in California in 2022.
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Philadelphia's missing 4-year-old has been found in a newly reported duffle bag discovery.

A small child's body was discovered in a duffel bag and has been positively identified as that of a 4-year-old boy who vanished last year. Police authorities indicate that the child was fatally assaulted while his mother was looking on.

The remains of Damari Carter, in an advanced state of decomposition, were stumbled upon by a worker clearing an alley strewn with garbage in West Philadelphia on March 18.

Despite the passage of time since his disappearance, the identity of the deceased child remained unknown until recently.

Missing 4-Year-Old Child Found Dead in Duffle Bag

The news of Damari's tragic fate has sent shockwaves through the family, with his mother, Dominique Bailey, and her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, now facing charges including murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with the child's death.

"I'm just glad that his remains were found," expressed Nakia Bailey, the boy's aunt, during a press briefing. "Because that was sitting not so well with any of the family, us not knowing where he was. "We're still trying to wrap our heads around this situation happening at all," she added.

Law enforcement was alerted to the situation on March 13 while responding to an incident in Mantua, where a worker directed them to a duffel bag containing the "severely decomposed" remains of a child, as detailed in a statement from the Philadelphia Police Department.

The child's gender and age were initially indiscernible, prompting authorities to transport the body to the medical examiner's office for identification purposes.

Confirmation of the child's identity as Damari came from the criminalistics lab on April 3, marking a significant development in the case.

The Philadelphia police's special victims unit launched an investigation on December 30, 2023, following leads from a media report about a missing child in West Philadelphia.

During their inquiries, authorities encountered conflicting information, with the child's mother, Dominique Bailey, 28, initially telling family members that Damari had been fatally injured in a vehicular accident. However, investigators uncovered no evidence supporting this narrative.

On January 4, Bailey was brought in for questioning, leading to a subsequent search of her residence the following day, during which her boyfriend, Kevin Spencer, 30, was arrested and interrogated.

4-Year-Old Boy's Parents Admitting to the Crime

According to authorities, Dominique Bailey disclosed her involvement in Damari's death on January 5 but did not provide details of what she and Spencer did to his body.

Both Bailey and Spencer are facing serious charges, including murder and endangering the welfare of a child.

Bailey's confession reportedly detailed how she witnessed Spencer brutally beat her son on December 7, causing him to lose consciousness with visible injuries. She admitted that this wasn't the first instance of abuse.

On the day of Damari's tragic death, Bailey and Spencer left the apartment briefly, leaving the child unconscious.

Upon their return, they found him unresponsive. Bailey recounted that Spencer placed the lifeless body in a chair in the living room. Later that evening, Bailey discovered that Damari was cold to the touch, indicating his passing.

Allegedly, Spencer disposed of Damari's body among garbage, leading to a futile search by police in January. It wasn't until a recent discovery by a worker that the grim truth surfaced.

Nakia Bailey, Damari's aunt, expressed an ongoing struggle in processing her sister's alleged actions. She lamented the loss of Damari's innocence and the devastation of never witnessing his growth. The search for Damari's body, while exhaustive, ended with authorities concluding that it was likely lost in the city's waste disposal system.
In Texas, current storms added to the rainfall in the already saturated Houston area, where hundreds of people have been rescued from flooded homes and roads.

Further north, in the Fort Worth area, a kid dreadfully lost their life after being swept away when the vehicle they were traveling in became trapped in floodwaters.

Texas Experienced Heavy Rainfall Over the Past Week

Over the past week, regions near Lake Livingston, northeast of Houston, have got up to 23 inches of rain, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jimmy Fowler.

In northeastern Harris County, which includes Houston, rainfall differs from 6 inches to nearly 17 inches during the same span.

Fowler specified shattered showers in the Houston area on Sunday, leading to light to moderate rainfall. He explained that the ongoing rainfall extended the river flooding situation experienced in the region.

Regarding the tragic incident in Johnson County, south of Fort Worth, Emergency Management director Jamie Moore reported that a 5-year-old boy was swept away after the vehicle he was in got stuck in swift-moving water near Lillian around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Despite attempts to reach dry ground, the child and two adults were swept away. While the adults were rescued and hospitalized, the child was discovered died in the water around 7:20 a.m.

Meteorologist Matt Stalley from the National Weather Service noted that overnight storms brought as much as 9 inches of rain in some areas across central Texas to the Dallas-Fort Worth region, causing a road fiasco west of Waco.

Read Also: Florida Teens Charged for Disposing Trash Into Atlantic Ocean as Seen in Viral Video

Ongoing Storms Necessitated Multiple High-Water Rescues in Houston Area

In the Houston area, current storms required several high-water rescues, with some persons rescued from flooded homes' rooftops.

Meteorologist Jeff Lindner from the Harris County Flood Control District declared that while situations were slowly progressing, vigilance was still suggested as many areas remained flooded. He mentioned that Sunday's additional rainfall hadn't resulted in new flooding, but urged people to remain vigilant.

Greg Moss, a dweller near the San Jacinto River, expressed evacuating his house in Channelview due to flooding issues and staying with a neighbor until the waters lessen.

Houston's susceptibility to flooding was emphasized, with Hurricane Harvey's 2017 destruction serving as a stark warning. The city's comprehensive drainage system planned nearly a century ago, has combatted to keep pace with urban development and progressively serious storms.

Heightened severe weather conditions prevailed across Texas, resulting in the formation of at least one large and violent tornado.

Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon, meeting severe criteria as they moved from West Texas and the Panhandle into Central Texas by evening.

A particularly dangerous situation led to the issuance of a Tornado Warning in Coke County, Texas. Video footage showed a significant rain-wrapped tornado near Robert Lee, north of San Angelo.

Although no immediate damage reports were received, the threat of severe weather persisted. The Storm Prediction Center received nearly 100 reports of severe weather from the Plains, including hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes.

Severe weather threats are expected to persist, with a Level 2 threat remaining in West Texas on Saturday and a Level 1 threat on Sunday.

Midland, Texas, faced an increased danger of serious weather last Saturday, including large hail and secluded tornadoes.

A broad area of thunderstorm activity is forecasted from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago, with the possibility for renewed importance serious weather dangers in the central Plains on Monday.

Further severe weather threats are anticipated in the Plains and Midwest, extending into the middle of next week.
Logging in without any passwords, hows that supposed to work? you may be asking yourself. After all, user names and passwords are so much a part of everyday life that its hard to imagine whether it might not work without them.

Yes, you can log in without a password, and its even more convenient, faster, and more secure than before. This time its not just an advertising promise, a fundamental change is actually underway.

Because the status quo is downright sobering: Billions of personal accounts have been hacked worldwide. In Germany, almost one in three people have had their online accounts spied on, according to a representative survey commissioned by the consumer advice center.

Microsoft not only advises using passkeys to increase security and convenience when logging in, but also offers the option of not using passwords at all. Microsoft not only advises using passkeys to increase security and convenience when logging in, but also offers the option of not using passwords at all. Foundry Microsoft not only advises using passkeys to increase security and convenience when logging in, but also offers the option of not using passwords at all. Foundry Foundry

There are many reasons for this, some of which are due to the carelessness of some users. After all, not everyone wants to assign a unique and secure password to all of their 100 or so accounts  despite all the well-intentioned advice. The consequences are well known.

However, the situation is not as hopeless as it seemed for a long time. You can log in to more and more internet services, from Amazon to Whatsapp, using the new passkeys. Not only are they easier and more convenient to manage, they are also much more secure.

You no longer have to remember anything, so you cant forget anything, and you dont even need new equipment. You can get started straight away with your PC or smartphone.

PC and smartphone are all you need to log in securely

We focus on the practical use of passkeys and only explain the technology behind them to the extent that it helps you understand them and have the necessary trust. Passkeys are a further development of the established Fido 2 security standard with asymmetric encryption.

When you set up a passkey to log in to an online service, your PC or mobile phone generates a key pair. The public key is sent to the website and stored there, the private key is secret and remains in the crypto chip of your device  i.e. in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) on a computer.

If you use a smartphone, the private key is also securely synchronized in the cloud of the operating system, i.e. Apple or Google. This is one of several advantages of the smartphone, which we will come back to in a moment.

Once a passkey has been set up, the next time you visit the website (or app), you simply tell it that you want to log in. The online service then sends your device a so-called challenge: a task that can only be solved with the help of your private key stored in your device and which you authorize using your fingerprint, face scan, or PIN.

Only the digitally signed solution to the challenge is sent back, not the private key itself.

As this process also takes the original domain into account, it provides reliable protection against phishing. Even if a website is a deceptively genuine imitation, the passkey refuses the log-in.

Services with passkey support There is no official directory of all providers with passwordless login. Lists are provided by Passkeys.io, Passkeys Directory, and Keeper, among others. New providers with Passkey support may not be included at first. Important services are listed below. 1Password

Adobe

Amazon

Apple

Bitwarden (passwords)

Dashlane (passwords)

Ebay

GitHub (Software)

Google

Kayak (Travelling)

Keepass XC (passwords)

Keeper (Passwords)

Linkedin

Microsoft

Mozilla (Firefox)

Nintendo

Nvidia

PayPal

Shopify (E-Commerce)

Sony Playstation

Synology

Tiktok

Uber (e.g. taxi)

Whatsapp

X (Twitter)

Yahoo

Zoho (e.g. Office)

Here we go: Try out Passkeys

A Hello-enabled camera or a fingerprint sensor on the laptop or PC make logging in via Passkeys particularly convenient. A Hello-enabled camera or a fingerprint sensor on the laptop or PC make logging in via Passkeys particularly convenient. Foundry A Hello-enabled camera or a fingerprint sensor on the laptop or PC make logging in via Passkeys particularly convenient. Foundry Foundry

If you only want to use Passkeys on your PC at home, you can store your private keys exclusively on your computer. The requirements are straightforward, a compatible browser such as Chrome, Edge, or, more recently, Firefox (from version 122) is all you need.

First create a login PIN for Windows Hello in the Windows settings under Accounts > Login options. This is hardware-bound, so unlike a password, its only valid for this one computer. If available, you can also set up fingerprint or face recognition for greater convenience.

For our passkey-in-a-minute promise, open the test page https://webauthn.io in your browser. In the example_ username field, enter a name of your choice, click on Register, and authenticate yourself via Windows Hello in the next step.

You may need to confirm the This device option, followed by the messages Master key saved and Success! Now try to authenticate   all in less than 60 seconds.

Please take this request literally and log in without a password using the passkey you have just created. To do this, click on the Authenticate button and authenticate yourself again: Youre logged in!

As your Webauthn test account is automatically deleted after one day, you do not need to do anything else.

Further reading: How to prevent (or survive) a ransomware attack

Log in to your PC with a smartphone

Smartphones are more practical than PCs for passwordless logins for several reasons:

Firstly, it stores the passkeys in the mobile operating systems password manager just as securely

Secondly, as we will show in a moment, it also enables the new login procedure on the PC

Thirdly, you almost always have it with you

Fourthly, the Android (from version 9) and iOS (from version 16) operating systems synchronize the passkeys automatically and in encrypted form in the cloud

If the mobile device breaks or is lost, you have a backup right away. Synchronization is not yet available for Windows. You can read more about the backup strategy for passkeys in the box at the bottom of this page.

This is how it works: To create a passkey via your smartphone, open the test page https://webauthn.io on your PC again, assign a user name, click on Register and then on the option iPhone, iPad or Android device.

Confirm with Next and hold the phone camera on the QR code shown on the PC monitor. Now confirm the passkey option shown on the smartphone and follow the next steps.

Android and iOS differ only slightly here. Depending on the device configuration, you may still need to enter the unlock PIN before authenticating with a fingerprint or face scan. You already know the rest.

Aim your phones camera at the QR code to complete the registration process for your phone. Aim your phones camera at the QR code to complete the registration process for your phone. Foundry Aim your phones camera at the QR code to complete the registration process for your phone. Foundry Foundry

Logging in is even quicker and more convenient if you allow this step to be skipped on your smartphone after the QR scan. In the future, all you need to do to log in on the PC is select the linked mobile device and authorize the login using a finger or face scan. Authentication takes place via Bluetooth (from version 5.0). If your computer fails to fulfil this requirement, a USB Bluetooth dongle for around $10 will help.

You can log in to the actual online accounts later in the same way using a passkey. The challenge request runs in the background, the solution is sent back digitally signed in a matter of seconds  and you are securely logged in.

Logging in without a password in practice

You now know how passkeys work. To familiarize yourself with the concept, we recommend only switching one or two accounts to begin with. The box above lists important providers that support the method.

Most of these services currently still allow the parallel use of passkey and password. This makes logging in convenient for you, but insecure passwords still pose a risk.

Microsoft at least offers the option of removing the password completely in the personal settings under Security > Advanced security options > Passwordless account. With NAS manufacturer Synology, you even have to choose between a password and a passkey.

To create a passkey, first log in to the service of your choice in the PC browser. The setup option can usually be found in the account configuration under Security. The next steps differ from provider to provider, both in terms of the terminology and the setup itself. In some cases, you may also encounter unexpected things such as additional apps and other hurdles.

For example, the Google passkey was initially linked to Windows Hello and thus to the PC during testing. Only afterwards was it possible to create another passkey on a different device via the passkey management  i.e. on the smartphone as desired.

Further reading: 5 outdated security practices you shouldnt use anymore

Microsoft, on the other hand, first requires its own Authenticator app on the smartphone, only then can you switch to the operating systems password manager. These examples show how important it is to familiarize yourself with passkeys. However, if you know that it works, you can get there by trying it out or using a Google search.

Tip: Passkeys are also suitable for particularly security-relevant applications, such as payments, which should be protected by a second factor. You can quickly authorize, say, Paypal transactions with your fingerprint without having to enter a short code or do anything else first.

Conclusion

Cloud synchronization of passkeys offers the advantage over conventional hardware-based Fido 2 authentication in that you dont have to set up passwordless login for every device.

At the same time, management with the smartphone ensures a backup of all private keys and thus the possibility of restoring them if the hardware breaks down or is lost. If you only use the passkeys on your computer at home, you can in principle also save them on your PC.

However, please do not forget to create a restore option just in case (see box below). The passkeys can be managed on the Windows PC in the Settings app under Accounts > Passkeys, or on the smartphone in the password managers from Apple or Google also under Settings.

Protection from being locked out A Fido 2 stick like this is one of several backup options for passkeys. However, the most convenient option is synchronization with the smartphone in the cloud. A Fido 2 stick like this is one of several backup options for passkeys. However, the most convenient option is synchronization with the smartphone in the cloud. Yubico A Fido 2 stick like this is one of several backup options for passkeys. However, the most convenient option is synchronization with the smartphone in the cloud. Yubico Yubico If you forget a conventional online password, you can simply create a new one using the option of the same name: so convenient, but also so insecure. But what happens if the hardware with the stored private keys is defective or lost? Because only you have these keys  which is the central component of this security concept. So take precautions to avoid locking yourself out. If you follow our advice and use your smartphone to store your passkeys instead of your PC, there is hardly any danger. This is because Apple and Google automatically synchronize the passkeys in encrypted form in the cloud. If your mobile phone is lost or defective, you can then quickly restore the keys on a replacement device. Things are more difficult on a Windows PC: Although Microsoft also wants to implement synchronization, it has so far only been implemented in Insider pre-release versions of the operating system. A Fido 2 stick with a crypto chip, which is available from around $30, is also suitable as a backup. However, you must also save your passkeys on the stick beforehand (!) using the Security key option. Many online services also offer additional options for two-factor authentication and recovery. Please remember to set these up beforehand.

This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.
There are thousands of characters in the Star Wars universe, but Admiral Ackbar has a special place in many fans hearts. The squidy admiral from Mon Calamari (yes, thats a real, fictional place in Star Wars) is beloved for a single line read in Return of the Jedi. And as if he needed it, Nvidia immortalized him with a custom-painted GeFource RTX 4080 for May the Fourth.

The graphics card comes with a one-of-a-kind painting done by Blue Horse Studios, substituting the GPUs beefy intake fan for the second Death Star. And Nvidia is giving it away (in a method which, we are assured, is not a trap), along with a Funko Pop figure of Akbar and a commemorative comic book. All you need to do is reply to the relevant tweet with the #RTXON hashtag.

#Maythe4thbewithyou

Custom Painted rtx4080 Admiral Ackbar GPU created for @NVIDIAGeForce pic.twitter.com/SLiygMNTfr  Blue Horse Studios (@BlueHorse_STU) May 4, 2024

Its a little strange that Nvidia is giving away the non-Super variant of the RTX 4080 now that the more powerful version is launched, but Im sure any Star Wars fan would give their right tentacle-claw-thing in order to own it anyway. Live Long and Prosper, I suppose.
Ghanaian importers of various products have applauded NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his proposal to grant businesses tax amnesty as well as introduce a flat duty rate in cedis under his government.



Dr. Bawumia, as part of his major policies to transform the country, announced a major overhaul of the present tax regime and import duties charged in US dollars.



At a meeting in Accra with a group of women importers, Dr. Bawumia reiterated his commitment to implementing these policies and his address was welcome with delight from the audience.



Dr. Bawumia stressed the present tax regime is unfavorable to businesses due to its cumbersome nature, hence bringing a policy that will eradicate this problem.



"The present tax system is confusing and traders even find it difficult to calculate what they have to pay...Also, as you have just confirmed, many traders complain of harassment from tax officials which should not be the case. People who are already paying taxes should not be regularly harassed", Dr. Bawumia said.



"I am bringing a new policy, if you help me to be President, to make the tax system very simple, transparent and easy to calculate", he pledged, adding "to kick off the new tax regime I will be introducing in 2025, by the grace of God, I will grant tax amnesty to businesses so that we start on a fresh note to help businesses".



He continued; "I have also realized that charging import duties in US dollars affect traders due to exchange rate fluctuations. Our import duties are also higher than our neighbors in Togo; so many people smuggle goods from Togo. Another new thing I want to bring is that I will introduce a flat duty on containers which will be charged in cedis. This will ensure predictability and also significantly reduce import duties as we will not go higher than Togo."



Dr. Bawumia explained to the traders that he has done careful examination of the present situation and its negative impact on businesses and revenue mobilization and therefore expressed optimism that his policies are bold solutions to help importers and traders.



He urged them to support his bid to the Presidency to enable him implement these policies and many more to advance Ghana's development.



The audience applauded Dr. Bawumia over his vision and offered prayers for him.



The women importers are the latest trade group to welcome Dr. Bawumia's tax reforms; several groups including GUTA and spare parts dealers have equally endorsed the NPP presidential candidate's policies.

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.

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Tamale West Hospital in Ghana has received a significant boost in its efforts to combat malaria, thanks to a generous donation of antimalarial medications from Bliss GVS Pharma Ghana.



The donation comes at a crucial time as the world continues to fight the malaria disease, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing one of the most pressing public health challenges in the region.



Malaria remains a major health concern in Ghana, particularly in areas like Tamale, where transmission rates remain high.



The burden of this mosquito-borne disease weighs heavily on communities, affecting both health and economic prosperity.



In the face of such challenges, initiatives like Bliss GVS Pharma Ghanas ACT for Africa, a Malaria Free Continent campaign aimed at prevention and treatment, are essential in reducing the impact of malaria on individuals and families.



Bliss GVS Pharma Ghana's donation of antimalarial medications to Tamale West Hospital exemplifies corporate social responsibility in action.



By providing essential medicines like Lonart, Gsunate, and others, the pharmaceutical company not only supports the hospital's efforts to treat malaria cases effectively but also contributes to the overall goal of malaria control and elimination in the region.



"We are pleased to partner with Tamale West Hospital in the fight against malaria especially as World Malaria Day approaches," said a representative from Bliss GVS Pharma Ghana, Mr. Ibrahim Mumuni.



"This donation as spearheaded by the Managing Director of Bliss GVS Pharma, Mr. Gagan Sharma reflects our commitment to improving access to healthcare and promoting community well-being, especially in areas affected by preventable diseases like malaria. We have been making donations, and this year marks our fourth consecutive year of doing so.



With access to quality antimalarial medications, the hospital can enhance its capacity to diagnose and treat malaria cases promptly, thereby reducing complications and saving lives. Moreover, this support reinforces the hospital's role as a frontline institution in the battle against malaria in the Tamale community.



Receiving the items on behalf of Tamale West Hospital, Dr. Billah Bagamsah, Head of the Pharmacy Department, expressed gratitude to Bliss GVS Pharma Ghana for the good gesture.



He said, Malaria is among the top three mortalities in the hospital and this donation will go a long way to curb and reduce the incidence rate.



He added that Pregnant women and children under five years are the most vulnerable groups. So, well be targeting them. If you check our OPD attendance, currently, as the rain has started, the OPD attendance for malaria is increasing and these products will help the hospital treat this illness.



Bliss GVS Pharma Ghana's commitment to supporting Tamale West Hospital underscores the power of partnerships in tackling global health challenges.



By working together, stakeholders from the public and private sectors can make significant strides towards a malaria-free future for all.



In the commemoration of World Malaria Day, let us celebrate initiatives like the donation from Bliss GVS Pharma Ghana, which brings hope and relief to communities affected by malaria. Together, we can continue the fight against malaria and move closer to the goal of a healthier, malaria-free world.

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.

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The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed new details regarding the cocaine smuggling scandal at Kotoka International Airport.



He revealed that a letter he encountered indicates that key suspects who have been interdicted in the scandal will continue to receive two-thirds of their salaries during the ongoing investigations.



Furthermore, the letter suggests that the government is unable to reclaim the salaries of those who may be found guilty of the charges.



Ablakwa voiced his anger over the unseemly acts of the airport staff, which he believes tarnished the nation's reputation internationally and could have future repercussions for the state.



Intercepted letters of interdiction in the ongoing Ghana Airport Cocaine Smuggling Scandal reveal that the key suspects are to enjoy two-thirds of their salaries while on interdiction. This is absolutely ridiculous and does not serve as sufficient deterrence to other operatives at the Kotoka International Airport who may be tempted to engage in such egregious conduct.



My outrage is also premised on the fact that whereas the state can refund salaries to interdicted suspects who may be acquitted, it is virtually impossible for the state to retrieve these salaries from those found complicit, he wrote on his X page sighted by GhanaWeb.



The MP urged the government to implement rigorous measures to curb drug smuggling, which has become a significant obstacle for the state.



"Ghana must immediately embrace a stringent, unyielding stance in the battle against drug smuggling, a fight we are embarrassingly losing lately with severe international consequences.



"We need to start a new chapter at our airports where every official, from the board and management to staff and other operatives, understands that there is a steep price for such actions  not this system of staying home and receiving two-thirds of a salary without working," he asserted.



It will be recalled that the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) interdicted all staff involved in the recent cocaine smuggling case at Kotoka International Airport.



The Herald Newspaper reported that the scandal came to light after the arrest of a substantial amount of illegal drugs at Brussels Airport in Belgium, with indications that the cocaine had been smuggled through KIA on a Royal Air Maroc flight, aided by a GACL staff member on March 23, 2024.



Proeger Delgey Bianca, a Dutch national, was caught at Brussels Airport with eight and a half (8.5) kilograms of suspected cocaine, allegedly transported through KIA on the specified date.



A GACL statement dated April 10 confirmed the start of investigations and the interdiction of the implicated staff.

Source: Ghanaweb.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.

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Heads of anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa have started converging in Accra, Ghana ahead of the 14th Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies



Representatives of over 21 African countries' anti-corruption agencies within Commonwealth Africa started arriving in Accra, Ghana before the event.



The four-day event from 6th -10th May 2024 under the theme, Strengthening institutions and promoting transparency: A means of fighting corruption in Commonwealth Africa, is expected to attract over 120 delegates.



This years annual conference organised by Ghanas Economic and Organised Crime Office(EOCO), is graced by representatives from Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Rwanda, Togo, Gabon, Mauritius, Seychelles, Uganda, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Zambia.



COP Maame Yaa Addo-Danquah(Mrs), Executive Director of EOCO at a media briefing revealed that the Keynote Speaker for the opening ceremony will be President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is billed to speak on digitalisation as a tool to combat corruption, signalling Ghanas readiness to leverage technology in its anti-corruption efforts



This is the second time Ghana has hosted the event and other stakeholders such as governmental agencies, civil society organisations, and international partners are in attendance.



Gabon and Togo are the new additions to the Commonwealth countries, so they are also joining from francophone countries, She added.



COP Addo-Danquah reaffirmed the countrys dedication to fostering integrity and accountability on the continent, setting the stage for collaborative action against corruption.



Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in the Commonwealth of Africa, are hosted by different member countries on a gyrating basis. Since 2011, a total of 13 meetings have been held.



In 2023, one was held at Mahe, Seychelles under the theme Uniting Commonwealth Africa in the Fight Against Corruption and was Officially opened by President Wavel Ramkalawan of the Republic of Seychelles.







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.

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Sales of iPhones have fallen in almost every market across the globe, according to the latest results from Apple.



The technology giant said overall demand for its smartphones dropped by more than 10% in the first three months of this year, with sales falling in every geographic region except for Europe.



Apple said that overall, revenues across the company declined by 4% to $90.8bn (72.5bn), which was the biggest drop for more than a year.



Nevertheless, the results were not as bad as expected and Apple's share price rose in after-hours trading in New York.



The company said the figures were distorted by Covid-related supply disruptions, which led to unusually strong sales during the same period last year.



It pledged that sales would return to growth in the months ahead, noting upcoming product launches and investments in artificial intelligence (AI).



For the iPhone, sales in the critical greater China market dropped by 8%. Mr Cook attempted to reassure investors about the state of the business in the world's second largest economy, noting that iPhone sales were actually up in "mainland" China.



"I maintain a great view of China in the long term," he said.



Competition in that market has been intensifying from local rivals such Huawei.



Gil Luria, senior software analyst at DA Davidson, said companies such as Huawei do well in China because "it is the homegrown brand".



"But in terms of features, functionality and prestige, iPhone still has an advantage over any other handset," he told the BBC's Today programme.



"So any time consumers get the choice and have the resources theyre going to buy an iPhone  thats not any different in China."



Struggles at the company - which has endured a streak of sales declines for five of the last six quarters - marked a contrast with the wider market.



Globally, smartphone shipments rose 10% in the first three months of the year, expanding after a long lacklustre period, according to research firm Canalys.



Mr Luria said that for Apple, there hasn't been "significant improvements to the handset" since the iPhone 12 was launched almost four years ago "when Apple introduced 5G connectivity which compelled a lot of consumers to upgrade the phone".



He added: "What theyre hoping for now is that they can introduce enough new AI features into the iPhone 16 which will come out later this year in order to finally drive a big iPhone upgrade cycle.



Apple is also facing legal battles with regulators in the US and Europe over its app store fees.



A separate anti-monopoly lawsuit in the US against Google threatens the lucrative payments Apple receives from the search giant in exchange for making Google the default search engine on Safari, Apple's internet browser.



According to court filings, those payments amounted to about $20bn in 2022, a sum that helped lift Apple profits.



Pre-tax profit for the three months was flat at $28bn and the company announced that it was setting aside $110bn to buy back shares.



Finance chief Luca Maestri said Apple sales were expected to rise in the "low single digits" in the three months to June.



He added that the firm expected double digit growth in its services business, offering more guidance than the company typically provides.



Looking ahead, Angelo Zino, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research, said: "China is holding up better than expected and there are a host of upcoming events/catalysts on the horizon that could improve investor sentiment."

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 Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in collaboration with the Public Service Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (PSWU of TUC) and the Queen Mothers Foundation, have hosted a spectacular event, 'Feast Ghana', to celebrate May Day.



The event, which took place at the Forecourt of the Accra International Conference Centre, brought together over 2,500 workers from various institutions in the public service to experience Ghana's rich culture through food, music, and dance.



The event which is part of the Ghana Cares program that seeks to ressusicate the tiurism sector, was a taste sensation, with a display of Ghana's diverse culinary landscapes featuring dishes from various regions of the country. Food stalls offered a wide range of local delicacies, while musical performances and concerts by renowned Ghanaian artistes such as Samini, Great Ampong, Naa Amanua of Wulomei, and others.







The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr. Akwasi Agyemang reiterated the GTA's commitment to showcasing all aspects of the Ghanaian culture.



"Food, music, and dance are the rhythm of our culture, and we're committed to using them to showcase the best of Ghana. Our 'See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Feel Ghana, and Wear Ghana' campaign is dedicated to promoting domestic tourism and sharing our unique heritage with the world, hence an event like Feast Ghana. We're excited to continue celebrating and sharing our culture with the world." - He stated.



Some distinguished personalities from the public service, the diplomatic community, and traditional authorities, including the queen mothers, graced the occasion. The queen mothers and other dignitaries were resplendent in their colourful traditional regalia, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Ghana



The 'Feast Ghana' event offered a unique opportunity for public service workers to experience Ghana's culture and cuisine. Most of the patrons were excited about the initiative and commended Ghana Tourism Authority and its partners for organizing such a memorable event, which will undoubtedly contribute to the promotion of domestic tourism and the preservation of Ghana's cultural heritage.

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
Get ready for an unforgettable theatrical experience as playwright Gerald Nyarko Mensah brings to life the captivating tale of AYORKUMI The Shea Butter Queen (Part 1: The Awakening).



The name "Ayorkumi" originates from the Ewe-Togo Benin dialect which means "Sheer Butter Seller"



This total theatre act promises an immersive journey through time, blending live band music, choreographed dance, deep narrations, and traditional poetry.



This is a Music Dance Drama Rendition Performed by Gean Fusion Drama Group and expertly directed by Kobina Hagan.



This groundbreaking production promises to captivate audiences with its rich storytelling, mesmerizing performances, and innovative staging.



Set against the backdrop of the colonial era, AYORKUMI follows the soul-stirring story of a Ghanaian princess who narrowly escapes capture by slave raiders as an infant during shea butter market day in Salaga.



Rescued and adopted by a salt trader guided by the gods, the princess embarks on a remarkable journey of self-discovery.



The salt trader, guided by the gods, takes the princess to his hometown in the south, where, against the skepticism of the local elders, he raises the baby princess to adulthood together with his wife.



The royal ancestry of the princess and the future of her lineage as laid out in her destiny is revealed on her 18th birthday in a romantic encounter with the gods and in an engagement with the spirit of her deceased mother.



Through a series of divine encounters, including a romantic rendezvous with the gods and an engagement with the spirit of her deceased mother, the royal lineage of the princess is unveiled on her 18th birthday.



Join us as we witness the princess's extraordinary upbringing in the south, amidst skepticism from local elders.



In the vibrant heart of Accra, anticipation is building as theatre enthusiasts eagerly await the arrival of "AYORKUMI: Part 1 - The Awakening."



The official event is scheduled to take place at Alliance Francaise in Accra on Saturday 11th May 2024 at 7pm prompt.



Theatre patrons, fans are entreated to mark their calendars for Saturday, May 11th, 2024, as Alliance Francaise in Accra plays host to this mesmerizing event.



Set against the backdrop of Ghanaian culture and folklore, "AYORKUMI" weaves together a tapestry of tradition and modernity, offering a unique theatrical experience like no other.



At its core, "AYORKUMI: Part 1 - The Awakening" explores themes of identity, destiny, and the power of the human spirit.



As the story unfolds, audiences will be transported to a world where ancient myths collide with contemporary struggles, creating a dynamic and thought-provoking narrative that resonates with audiences of all ages.



Interestingly enough it is not just the compelling storyline that sets "AYORKUMI" apart  it's also the extraordinary talent behind the production.



Led by a visionary director, with Kobina Hagan at his best, the writers, and performers, the cast and crew of "AYORKUMI" bring their passion and expertise to the stage, breathing life into characters and landscapes with unparalleled skill and dedication.



From the stunning set design to the breathtaking choreography, every aspect of "AYORKUMI" has been meticulously crafted to immerse audiences in a world of wonder and enchantment.



Meanwhile in an interview with the writer of the play and one of Ghana's most iconic Playwrights, Gerald Nyarko Mensah, this is what he had to share with the media:



"The story is set in the colonial era and it's meant to be a series. This first part is the beginning and so this is how it all started.



We want to bring the story of the origin of the people of Ghana, particularly the collectivity of all people of Ghana who migrated from West Africa, the old Ghana, ancient Ghana as we know it was part of Mali in the northern region.



In this setting, we match the tradition of slavery and the slavery story which has been told countless times but we only see one side of it as some people came from somewhere and took our people as slaves.



....Now, what we want to do with "Ayorkumi" is to tell the other side of the story, you know, the holistic view. There was a trade component even before the slave trade itself commenced.



There was a very vibrant trade that went on between the northern and southern Ghana. There was salt moving up by canoe via the Volta River to the north in exchange for Shea Butter. There was also the Kola Nut economy coming through via the Ashantis.



So we want to show through "Ayorkumi" how all this interplay. So we start with the story of this young person, baby princess who actually got captured in the typical slavery era.



The slave raiders would pounce on people during market day or wherever they can get them, and then just stick them."



He continued......"So they really found her, you know, captured but this baby princess had lost her mother during the attack raid.



So we show the story of how the baby was rescued by a trader from the South and this baby was held up.



She along the line grows up to an adult and shows how they are able to be resilient against the colonialists at that time. This is very very knowledgeable."



He also explained that "the ethics and the science of trade, you know, taxation, its effect on the economy and all of that and all are being demonstrated in this piece of theatre arts. We want to bring out the story of how our Ghanaian people were resilient.



So we want to show how the resilience has roots way back, how people in Ghana already had deep knowledge of trade issues, international trade and all of that is embedded in the culture."



From this narration, as the curtains rise and the lights dim, no doubt spectators will be transported on a journey of discovery, as they follow the protagonist's quest for truth, purpose, and ultimately, greatness.



Don't miss out on this enchanting tale of resilience, destiny, and the enduring power of the human spirit.



Secure your tickets now for AYORKUMI (Part 1: The Awakening) and prepare to be transported to a world where magic and reality intertwine seamlessly.



The rates being charged for the show are as follows: GHC150 for Single; GHC280 for Double and GHC600 E-Bundle for 5 tickets.



Tickets can be purchased through the shortcode: *713*33*11#.



Also reach out for more details on 0591 250 055.

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
A 27-year-old man was shot and killed Friday afternoon inside a Harrisburg convenience store, authorities said.

Christian Watt, of Harrisburg, was shot around 2:20 p.m. inside Antonio Grocery on the 2200 block of North Sixth Street at Woodbine Street, according to the Dauphin County Coroners Office.

Watts autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, the coroners office said.

No charges have been filed in connection to his death as of Monday. Watts homicide represented the sixth in Harrisburg so far this year, compared to four at the same time last year.

Billy Grier, 50, was standing outside the same store when a teenager shot and killed him in January 2021. Jhajuan Russaw was later charged and convicted in his death.

A manager from Antonio Grocery was not immediately available for comment when reached by PennLive on Monday.
British actor Bernard Hill, who played iconic roles in such films as Titanic and two of the Lord of the Rings movies, has died. He was 79.

Hill died on Sunday, according to a family statement sent by a British talent agency, the New York Times reported. No cause of death was given.

Hill played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning Titanic, and the beleaguered King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings films.

Appearing in those films made him the first actor to star in more than one film that grossed over $1 billion and the only actor to appear in two of three films that won 11 Oscars (Ben-Hur is the third).

He first gained noticed in the 1982 BBC drama Boys from the Blackstuff, in which he played a man struggling with unemployment, according to BBC News.

He also can be seen in I, Claudius, Gandhi, Shirley Valentine The Scorpion King and the Tom Cruise film Valkyrie.

Fellow Lord of the Rings actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd paid homage to Hill while at the Comic Con in Liverpool. Hill was scheduled to be at the convention but canceled at the last minute.

We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful, Astin said.

I dont think anyone spoke Tolkiens words as great as Bernard did. He would break my heart. He will be solely missed, Boyd added.
Max and Maria Randazzo see the potential at the former Cafe Magnolia.

This summer, the couple will open Bacco Trattoria & Wine Bar in the converted two-story house at 4700 Gettysburg Road in Lower Allen Township. The concept is similar to their Bacco restaurants in Harrisburg and Hampden Township.

Its a simple concept. It works over there so were hoping it works here, too, Max Randazzo said. Its close to my Mechanicsburg location but not close enough to affect it business-wise.

He added he likes the demographics and secluded, yet busy area along Gettysburg Road.

I think its perfect for this area, he added.

The restaurant will feature Baccos private label wine along with Pennsylvania wine, beer and spirits and a simple Italian menu of Italian entrees, brick oven pizza, specialty cheeses and cured meats.

House wines are made at the Baccos Hampden Township restaurant, which operates under a wine license. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board permits license holders to open satellite locations, a perk Randazzo is taking advantage of to expand the Bacco brand.

Max Randazzo said his wifes family including her grandfather used to make wine in Sicily, a tradition the family brought with them to the United States. The Randazzos bottle the wine at the restaurant and sell it by the glass and bottle.

Before they open in June or July, Max Randazzo said they are updating the building with new decor and kitchen equipment including a pizza oven. Plans also call for a patio expansion with a possible outdoor bar.

Cafe Magnolia abruptly closed in February after 20 years. At the time, owner Jackie Duval said it would likely reopen under new leadership.

This decision comes with great sadness as we cherish the moments shared with our loyal patrons and the community, she said.

Max Randazzo noted they are leasing the property and the landlord is being flexible with the changes.

Its no longer Cafe Magnolia. Its Bacco, but, with all due respect, we always respect older restaurants because it is always good karma to respect old restaurants. Out with the old, in with the new in a good way, he said.
By SAM MEDNICK, JOSEF FEDERMAN and BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP)  Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a cease-fire to halt the seven-month-long war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the deal, and details of the proposal have not yet been released. In recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages during which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas said in a statement its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatars prime minister and Egypts intelligence minister. After the release of the statement, Palestinians erupted in cheers in the sprawling tent camps around Rafah, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted.

Israels closest allies, including the United States, have repeatedly said that Israel shouldnt attack Rafah. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.

Palestinians hold leaflets dropped by Israeli planes calling on them to evacuate ahead of an Israeli military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, May 6, 2024. The order affects tens of thousands of people and could signal a broader invasion of Rafah, which Israel has identified as Hamas' last major stronghold after seven months of war. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)AP

Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will worsen Gazas humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that in nearly seven months has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated U.S. concerns about an invasion of Rafah. Biden said that a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said on condition of anonymity to discuss the call before an official White House statement was released.

Hamas and key mediator Qatar said that invading Rafah will derail efforts by international mediators to broker a cease-fire. Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a U.S.-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a pullout of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

Netanyahu said Monday that seizing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, was vital to ensuring the militants cant rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. He said that Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.

It wasnt immediately clear, however, if that material was already in place to accommodate the new arrivals.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians already are sheltering in Muwasi. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid. But conditions are squalid, with few bathrooms or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area, forcing families to dig private latrines.

Palestinian medics treat a wounded person as the other one carries a young wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, early Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)AP

After the evacuation order announcement Monday, Palestinians in Rafah wrestled with having to uproot their extended families once again for an unknown fate, exhausted after months living in sprawling tent camps or crammed into schools or other shelters in and around the city. Few who spoke to The Associated Press wanted to risk staying.

Mohammed Jindiyah said that at the beginning of the war, he had tried to hold out in his home in northern Gaza after Israel ordered an evacuation there in October. He ended up suffering through heavy bombardment before fleeing to Rafah.

Hes complying with the order this time, but was unsure now whether to move to Muwasi or another town in central Gaza.

We are 12 families, and we dont know where to go. There is no safe area in Gaza, he said.

Sahar Abu Nahel, who fled to Rafah with 20 family members including her children and grandchildren, wiped tears from her cheeks, despairing at a new move.

I have no money or anything. I am seriously tired, as are the children, she said. Maybe its more honorable for us to die. We are being humiliated.

Israeli military leaflets were dropped with maps detailing a number of eastern neighborhoods of Rafah to evacuate, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays puts themselves and their family members in danger. Text messages and radio broadcasts repeated the message.

UNRWA wont evacuate from Rafah so it can continue to provide aid to those who stay behind, said Scott Anderson, the agencys director in Gaza.

We will provide aid to people wherever they choose to be, he told the AP.

The U.N. says an attack on Rafah could disrupt the distribution of aid keeping Palestinians alive across Gaza. The Rafah crossing into Egypt, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open Monday after the Israeli order.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the forced, unlawful evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services, Egeland said. He said that an Israeli assault could lead to the deadliest phase of this war.

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)AP

Israels bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials. The tally doesnt distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N.

Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israels main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers. Israel shuttered the crossing  but Shoshani said it wouldnt affect how much aid enters Gaza as others are working.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.

The war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. After exchanges during a November cease-fire, Hamas is believed to still hold about 100 Israelis captive as well the bodies of around 30 others.

The mediators over the cease-fire  the United States, Egypt and Qatar  had appeared to scramble to salvage a cease-fire deal they had been trying to push through the past week. Egypt said it was in touch with all sides Monday to prevent the situation from  getting out of control.

CIA Director William Burns, who had been in Cairo for talks on the deal, headed to meet the prime minister of Qatar, an official familiar with the matter said. It wasnt clear whether a subsequent trip to Israel that had been planned would happen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

In a fiery speech Sunday evening marking Israels Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu rejected international pressure to halt the war, saying that if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.

On Monday, Netanyahu accused Hamas of torpedoing a deal by not budging from its demand for an end to the war and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal in return for the hostages release, which he called extreme.

___

Mroue reported from Beirut. Samy Magdy in Cairo and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed.
By JEFFREY SCHAEFFER and SYLVIE CORBET, Associated Press

BRETTEVILLE-LORGUEILLEUSE, France (AP)  On D-Day, Charles Shay was a 19-year-old U.S. Army medic who was ready to give his life  and save as many as he could.

Now 99, hes spreading a message of peace with tireless dedication as hes about to take part in the 80th anniversary commemorations of the landings in Normandy that led to the liberation of France and Europe from Nazi Germany occupation.

I guess I was prepared to give my life if I had to. Fortunately, I did not have to, Shay said in an interview with The Associated Press.

A Penobscot tribe citizen from Indian Island in the U.S. state of Maine, Shay has been living in France since 2018, not far from the shores of Normandy where many world leaders are expected to come next month. Solemn ceremonies will be honoring the nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada and other nations who landed on June 6, 1944.

Nothing could have prepared Shay for what happened that morning on Omaha Beach: bleeding soldiers, body parts and corpses strewn around him, machine-gun fire and shells filling the air.

I had been given a job, and the way I looked at it, it was up to me to complete my job, he recalled. I did not have time to worry about my situation of being there and perhaps losing my life. There was no time for this.

In this May 1, 2019 file photo, World War II and D-Day veteran Charles Norman Shay, from Indian Island, Maine, salutes the grave of fellow soldier Edward Morozewicz at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Instead of parades, remembrances, embraces and one last great hurrah for veteran soldiers who are mostly in their nineties to celebrate VE Day, it is instead a lockdown due to the coronavirus, COVID-19. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)AP

Shay was awarded the Silver Star for repeatedly plunging into the sea and carrying critically wounded soldiers to relative safety, saving them from drowning. He also received Frances highest award, the Legion of Honor, in 2007.

Still, Shay could not save his good friend, Pvt. Edward Morozewicz. The sad memory remains vivid in his mind as he describes seeing his 22-year-old comrade lying on the beach with a serious stomach wound.

He had a wound that I could not help him with because I did not have the proper instruments ... He was bleeding to death. And I knew that he was dying. I tried to comfort him. And I tried to do what I could for him, but there was no help, he said. And while I was treating him, he died in my arms.

I lost many close friends, he added.

A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

Shay survived. At night, exhausted, he eventually fell asleep in a grove above the beach.

When I woke up in the morning. It was like I was sleeping in a graveyard because there were dead Americans and Germans surrounding me, he recalled. I stayed there for not very long and I continued on my way.

Shay then pursued his mission in Normandy for several weeks, rescuing those wounded, before heading with American troops to eastern France and Germany, where he was taken prisoner in March 1945 and liberated a few weeks later.

After World War II, Shay reenlisted in the military because the situation of Native Americans in his home state of Maine was too precarious due to poverty and discrimination.

I tried to cope with the situation of not having enough work or not being able to help support my mother and father. Well, there was just no chance for young American Indian boys to gain proper labor and earn a good job, he said.

Maine would not allow individuals living on Native American reservations to vote until 1954.

FILE - U.S. reinforcements wade through the surf from a landing craft in the days following D-Day and the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France at Normandy in June 1944 during World War II. (AP Photo/Bert Brandt, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shay continued to witness history  returning to combat as a medic during the Korean War, participating in U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and later working at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria.

For over 60 years, he did not talk about his WWII experience.

But he began attending D-Day commemorations in 2007 and in recent years, he has seized many occasions to give his powerful testimony. A book about his life, Spirits are guiding by author Marie-Pascale Legrand, is about to be released this month.

In 2018, he moved from Maine to Bretteville-lOrgueilleuse, a French small town in the Normandy region to stay at a friends home.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, coming from his nearby home, he was among the few veterans able to attend commemorations. He stood up for all others who could not make the trip amid restrictions.

Shay also used to lead a Native American ritual each year on D-Day, burning sage in homage to those who died. In 2022, he handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran from the Crow tribe, who since has performed the ritual in his presence.

The Charles Shay Memorial on Omaha Beach pays tribute to the 175 Native Americans who landed there on D-Day.

Often, Shay expressed his sadness at seeing wars still waging in the world and what he considers the senseless loss of lives.

Shay said he had hoped D-Day would bring global peace. But it has not, because you see that we go from one war to the next. There will always be wars. People and nations cannot get along with each other.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Thieves apparently killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.

Baja California state prosecutors released grisly details of the slayings, but have not yet officially confirmed the identification of the bodies. They said family members of the victims are viewing the bodies to see if they can be identified by sight.

The corpses were decomposing after the thieves dumped them into a remote well about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, some 4 miles (6 kilometers) from where the foreigners were killed. If relatives cant identify the bodies, further tests will be conducted. The well also contained a fourth cadaver that had been there much longer.

The probability that its them is very high, said chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, noting the corpses still appeared to be identifiable by sight. If they say that they are not completely certain that it is their relative, we would then have to carry out genetic testing.

The three men were on a camping and surfing trip along a stretch of coast south of the city of Ensenada, posting idyllic photos on social media of waves and isolated beaches, before they went missing last weekend.

But Andrade Ramirez described what likely would have been moments of terror that ended the trip for brothers Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and American Jack Carter Rhoad.

She theorized the killers drove by and saw the foreigners pickup truck and tents and wanted to steal their tires. But when (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted.

In this image made from video, Mexican security forces frisk men at a checkpoint in Ensenada, Mexico, Thursday, May 2, 2024. Mexican authorities said Thursday they have found tents and questioned a few people in the case of two Australians and an American who went missing over the weekend in the Pacific coast state of Baja California. (AP Photo)AP

She said thats when the killers would have shot the tourists.

The thieves then allegedly went to what she called a site that is extremely hard to get to and allegedly dumped the bodies into a well they apparently were familiar with. She said investigators were not ruling out the possibility the same suspects also dumped the first, earlier body in the well as part of previous crimes.

They may have been looking for trucks in this area, Andrade Ramirez said.

The thieves allegedly covered the well with boards. It was literally almost impossible to find it, Andrade Ramirez said, and it took two hours to winch the bodies out of the well.

The site where the bodies were discovered near the township of Santo Tomas was near the remote seaside area where the missing mens tents and truck were found Thursday along the coast. From their last photo posts, the trip looked perfect. But even experienced local expats are questioning whether it is safe to camp along the largely deserted coast anymore.

The moderator of the local Talk Baja internet forum, who has lived in the area for almost two decades, wrote in an editorial Saturday that the reality is, the dangers of traveling to and camping in remote areas are outweighing the benefits anymore.

But in a way, adventure was key to the victims lifestyle.

Callum Robinsons Instagram account contained the following slogan: If youre not living on the edge, youre taking up too much room.

At the news conference, Andrade Ramirez was questioned by one reporter who expressed approval that such a massive and rapid search was mounted for the foreigners, but asked why, when local people disappear in the area, little is often done for weeks, months, or years.

Do you have to be a foreigner in Baja California in order for there to be an investigation if something happens to you? asked the reporter, who did not identify herself by name. Every investigation is different, Andrade Ramirez replied.

As if to underscore that point, dozens of mourners, surfers and demonstrators gathered in a main plaza in Ensenada, the nearest city, to voice their anger and sadness at the deaths.

Ensenada is a mass grave, read one placard carried by protesters. Australia, we are with you, one man scrawled on one of the half-dozen surf boards at the demonstration.

A woman held up a sign that read They only wanted to surf  we demand safe beaches.

Gabriela Acosta, a surfer, attended the protest to show love, solidarity and respect for the three lives that were lost. Acosta said that surfers in Baja are aware of the dangers.

We are women and we would sometimes like to surf alone, Acosta said. But we never do that, because of the situation. We always have to go accompanied.

Locals march to protest the disappearance of foreign surfers in Ensenada, Mexico, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)AP

I think that what happened to them is just an example of the lack of safety in this state, she said.

Baja California prosecutors had said they were questioning three people in the case, two of them because they were caught with methamphetamines. Prosecutors said the two were being held pending drug charges but continue to be suspects in the case.

A third man was arrested on charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, but that was before the bodies were found. It was unclear if he might face more charges.

The third suspect was believed to have directly participated in the killings. In keeping with Mexican law, prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesus Gerardo, alias el Kekas, a slang word that means quesadillas, or cheese tortillas. Andrade Ramirez said he had a criminal record, and that more people may have been involved.

Last week, the mother of the missing Australians, Debra Robinson, posted on a local community Facebook page, appealing for help in finding her sons. Robinson said Callum and Jake had not been heard from since April 27. They had booked accommodation in the city of Rosarito, not far from Ensenada.

Robinson said Callum was diabetic. She also mentioned that the American who was with them was named Jack Carter Rhoad, but the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City did not immediately confirm that. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of reports of a U.S. citizen missing in Baja, but gave no further details.

In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California  also known as the Sea of Cortez  from the Baja peninsula. Authorities said they were victims of highway bandits. Three suspects were arrested in that case.
Police and school officials are asking for the communitys patience and trust as the details of the April 26 death of Central Dauphin High School student Justin Johnson are sorted through, and they come to a decision on whether any criminal prosecution is warranted.

Patience, they can kind of control, as theyre in charge of the investigation.
Longtime Scranton farmer, civic leader and philanthropist Keith Eckel will receive The Pennsylvania Societys Distinguished Citizen of the Commonwealth Award at the Societys 126th annual meeting and reception in Scranton on May 23.

Eckel, who is a former president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and whose leadership in farmland preservation dates to the late 1980s, was chosen in recognition of his contributions to the economic and agricultural progress of Pennsylvania and for his philanthropy that includes helping children who experienced trauma.
Rutgers University is awarding an honorary degree to the nations first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Admiral Rachel L. Levine has led the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps since 2021 and is the assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Levine will receive an honorary doctor of science degree Sunday during the Rutgers-New Brunswick and Rutgers Health commencement at SHI Stadium, the university said Monday.

Levine served as Pennsylvanias physician general and as state Secretary of the Department of Health, before being nominated by President Biden to her current role.

Rutgers previously announced that three others would receive honorary degrees at the universitys 258th commencement, which will start at 10 a.m.

The commencement speaker, Freeman A. Hrabowski III, is a longtime civil rights advocate and former president of the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. Hrabowski III will be awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree at the commencement.

Rutgers alumnus Jelani Cobb, dean of the Columbia Journalism School, is receiving an honorary doctor of letters degree. Rutgers Board of Governors Chair William Best, senior vice president and northeast market manager at PNC, is receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree, the university said.

A graduate of Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine, Levine as a physician focused on the intersection between mental and physical health, treating children, adolescents and young adults, according to an overview provided by Rutgers.

Levine is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and the Academy for Eating Disorders.

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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
This story has been updated with additional information on HACCs board agendas.

The union representing faculty at HACC has filed a contempt petition against the school, saying the college has continued to violate the states open government law despite a court order last year for it to be more transparent.
Want a say in the news? Email Claudia at todayinpa@pennlive.com to have your thoughts on the stories covered here or on PennLive heard.
By Jonathan D. Salant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

May 5WASHINGTON  U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, one of the leading supporters of Israel in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, suggested that the pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses should be pressuring Hamas to agree to a cease-fire.

Why arent we protesting that and demanding Hamas to take that kind of cease-fire, Mr. Fetterman, D-Pa., asked Sunday on CBS Face the Nation. That would end all of the trauma and chaos that is going on in Gaza.

The war in the Gaza Strip began after Hamas, designated as terrorist group by the U.S., launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Since then, Israels military response has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.

I am going to continue to center Hamas as being responsible for all of that, Mr. Fetterman said. This situation right now could end right now if Hamas just surrendered and it just sent all of the hostages home again. Those hostages should be really in front of the conversation about the situation in Gaza.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week that an agreement for a cease-fire awaits Hamas approval.

Hamas has that deal, she said at Fridays White House news briefing. That is on the table. They need to take that deal.

Mr. Fetterman has been outspoken in his support of Israel during the war, causing consternation among many progressives who supported his election in 2022. He has pictures of hostages captured by Hamas on the wall outside his Senate office in Washington.

He said on the TV news talk show Sunday that some of the rhetoric by pro-Palestinian demonstrators on college campuses nationwide has veered into antisemitism rather than simply protesting Israeli government policies or pressuring Mr. Biden to change his positions.

A lot of the criticism right now during the Gaza war at its roots does have some antisemitism, Mr. Fetterman said. You dont have to agree with the Israeli government, but a lot of the protesting and a lot of the words that are being thrown around on a lot of these campuses is really very [antisemitic].

A leader of the protest movement at Columbia University declared that Zionists dont deserve to live and some demonstrators have sided with Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Others have chanted the slogan, From the river to the sea, which the Anti-Defamation League says is a call for eradicating the Jewish state.

Protests at universities, including the University of Southern California and the University of Pittsburgh, have led to more than 2,000 arrests as students demand institutions disinvest from Israel.

Everyone from the president on down is aware that young people are upset at whats going on in the Middle East, and I do think its had an awakening in Washington that this war has to end, that too many people are dying, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told Face the Nation on Sunday.

The demonstrators have disrupted appearances by President Joe Biden, demanding that he call for an immediate cease-fire. Mr. Biden has insisted that any cease-fire also include hostage releases and increased humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Fetterman said its normal to protest when you disagree with the president.

But its very strange that when we have this incredible important election right in front of us with about six months to go and its really two stark choices, he said.

You have Joe Biden, an outstanding president, and then you have Donald Trump, whos actually now in a trial talking about bribing a former adult film star. Its kind of a stark contrast here. If youre willing to walk away from Joe Biden, youre actually supporting Trump.
The New Hampshire House passed a bill to ban child marriage in the state and raise the minimum age of marriage to 18.

The measure passed the Senate unanimously in March. On Thursday, it passed the House, 192-174. The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Sununu for signing into law.

One of those voting against was Representative Jess Edwards, whose comments sparked immediate gasps from colleagues.

 If we continually restrict the freedom of marriage as a legitimate social option, when we do this to people who are a ripe, fertile age and may have a pregnancy and a baby involved, are we not, in fact, making abortion a much more desirable alternative, when marriage might be the right solution for some freedom-loving couples? he said.

In a state where 18 is not old enough to drink, Edwards believes girls at 16 are old enough to get married. Edwards daughter, Elizabeth, served as a state representative, and Edwards said her service was the inspiration for his run for office. He is in his third term.

Child safety and gun control advocate Shannon Watts tweeted that Child marriage is currently legal in 38 states (only Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have set the minimum age at 18 and eliminated all exceptions), and 20 states do not require any minimum age for marriage.

It would be the second time the New Hampshire age of marriage has been raised in the past six years. In 2018, Sununu signed a bill to raise the minimum age of marriage to 16. For more than a hundred years, the law had allowed 13-year-old girls and 14-year-old boys to get married with parent and court approval.

On Thursday, two amendments were proposed to allow some exceptions for those under 18 to get married if they have been legally emancipated.

Rep. Cassandra Levesque, D-Barrington, was a senior at Dover High School and a Girl Scout when she pushed for the bill in 2018. Now, she is one of the seven co-sponsors of SB 359.

For the past 10 years, I have researched child marriage, Levesque said. Ive learned about the devastating effects of child marriage.
Card Sharp Exposes How Texas Poker Room Dealer "100% Cheated"

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. Copy link

Last week, a video surfaced apparently showing a false shuffle taking place at Legends Poker Room in Houston. On Monday, a known card sharp who co-founded the Hollywood high-stakes poker game that inspired the book and movie, Molly's Game, released a video exposing how he claims the dealer cheated, and provided some valuable advice for poker players.

The incident at Legends, a controversial scandal-ridden Texas poker room, was exposed by Shaun Deeb, who released a video on X that was sent to him by another poker player. Most who commented on the tweet agreed that a rigged deck or false shuffle occurred, while some suggested perhaps the dealer was just inexperienced. But Houston Curtis, author of Billion Dollar Hollywood Heist, left little doubt about what transpired at Legends in a detailed YouTube video.

Part I Exposes Alleged Poker Dealer Cheater

Curtis created two videos on dealer cheating in Texas poker clubs with Part I having been released Monday, and that one focuses on the aforementioned Legends Poker Room incident. In Part II, he will discuss a separate but similar incident at another Texas card room. Before getting into Part I, let's take a quick look at the video Deeb shared on X.

If you watch closely, it appears the bottom cards are never shuffled in with the rest of the deck. Curtis is confident this was done by no accident, and that the dealer is "100% cheating."

"He puts the cut card out in front of him first. That is no-no number one," Curtis explains before going on to say that players should ask the dealer to stop shuffling the deck if they catch the dealer place the cut card in front of the deck before riffling begins.

Curtis then goes on to explain the dealer is performing a push-through shuffle as opposed to properly shuffling in the cards, and then gave a breakdown on how it all went down at Legends.

"He is starting at a normal riffle, but then he pushes at a v-angle," Curtis says.

"Those packets are getting pushed through each other, and once they get far enough through, he just grabs them on the other sides and pulls them back. They have not been shuffled at all. Then he does it again in a really obvious way. Then he whips what is already the bottom part of the packet around and places it on the cut card and completes the cut."

Curtis began his recreation of a shuffle with a fresh deck that had never been shuffled. To prove his point about the push-through shuffle taking place in the Legends video, after doing the demonstration, he then flipped the deck over, spread it out face-up, and all the cards were still in their original order, meaning they weren't actually shuffled.

In the second part of the first video, Curtis moved on to share how the dealer supposedly stacked the deck. It is unclear how the alleged Legends Poker Room cheating hand played out and if a cooler was dealt. He then went on to reiterate proper one-card cut shuffling techniques, and advises poker players to pay attention to how the deck is being shuffled.

Curtis, who previously executive produced Bally's Big Bet Poker/Live at the Tropicana, has an upcoming book called Million Dollar Mechanics, which shares his expertise on card mechanics.

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Face The Nations Margret Brennan took apart Kristi Noem and ended any chance of her having a national political career.

Margaret Brennan of Face The Nation got Noem to clearly admit that she never met Kim Jong-Un even though she referred to meeting him multiple times in her book:

Margaret Brennan: You did not meet with Kim Jong-un, thats what youre saying? Kristi Noem: Ive met with many, many world leaders and traveled around the world. **That would be a no. Kristi Noem lied about meeting Kim Jong-Un.** pic.twitter.com/Sd13AeE9gj  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 5, 2024

Brennan also directly asked Noem if she was trying to sound tough and celebrating the murder of a puppy and a goat that she shot:

It is over Kristi Noem as she gets asked this question on Face The Nation,  How do you justify that? Im asking you this, it seems like youre celebrating the killing of the animals? pic.twitter.com/XS495hvs6T  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) May 5, 2024

The interview was a classic trainwreck and it ended with Noem claiming that a book that she has to make multiple corrections to is full of truthful stories:

OVERNOR KRISTI NOEM: And Im so proud of this book and  and what it will bring to people. I hope that they will buy it. Theyll find a lot of truthful stories.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well

GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM: And we talk a lot about what we can use as an example from Donald Trump on how he has continued to be a real person, been genuine, and been honest to people, and that what bothers me the most about politicians is when theyre fake.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But if you have to retract it or parts of it

GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM: Im not  Im not retracting anything.

MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.

GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM: Im not retracting anything.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right. All right, Governor

GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM: No, absolutely. This book

MARGARET BRENNAN:  thank you for taking the questions and joining us today.

Watch the entire interview:

Noem spent much of the interview complaining about Brennan using her own words and quotes in her questions. Noem constantly complained that the interview was unfair because she was asked to explain her own stories in the book that she had ghostwritten in her name.

Kristi Noem still thinks that she could be Trumps running mate, but she couldnt even defend her own words. If Kristi Noem thinks that America will accept her and let her anywhere near the White House, she is as delusional as she is potentially psychopathic.

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The latest ABC News poll showed that Trumps RFK Jr. problem is growing and worsening daily.

ABC News reported on their poll, Kennedy gets 12% even though 77% of his supporters say they know just some or hardly anything about his positions on the issues. Notably, his supporters are more apt to be Republicans or GOP-leaning independents (54%) than Democrats and Democratic leaners (42%, a slight difference given sample sizes), and in a two-way race, they favor Trump over Biden by 13 points. That may explain why Trump attacked Kennedy as a stalking horse in social media posts last week.

RFK Jr. has been shifting his positions to the right, getting favorable treatment in conservative media, and worrying the Trump campaign.

Donald Trump is facing a challenge he has never faced before. RFK Jr. is challenging him from the right. Trump is only campaigning one day a week and spending most of his time in court while his campaign resources are being spent on legal bills.

Trump does not have the resources or ability to fend off a challenge for the voters that the ex-president is attempting to keep in his camp.

The same ABC poll found that up to 20% of Republicans may stop supporting Donald Trump if he is convicted of a felony.

Trumps RFK Jr. problem is turning into a crisis , because if the ex-president is convicted of a felony, the voters he loses within the Republican Party now have somewhere else to go, and they are clearly locked in on Kennedy.

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Piedmont Technical College is establishing an Advanced Manufacturing Center in Edgefield County, a $10 million endeavor that's one of about $100 million worth of new investments by Piedmont Tech in the seven-county region it serves.

The projected timeline, still tenuous, is that the center would open in 2028.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce reports that manufacturing employment in the state has averaged 17% growth over the past 10 years. Local level investments have been a part of that: both Generac and Bridgestone have expanded their output in recent years.

We wanted to make sure students in our rural counties have an opportunity to compete for those high-wage jobs, Dr. Hope Rivers, president of Piedmont Technical College, said.

The Edgefield County Center for Manufacturing Excellence is still in its earliest stages. Funded by a portion of the countys share from South Carolinas settlement with the U.S. Department of Energy, the $10 million for its construction is already in hand.

But no exact location for it has yet been decided.

Edgefield County Administrator David Caddell confirmed that the county is pursuing a land acquisition deal that would allow for the center to go up in the existing industrial park in Trenton, immediately next to Generac.

A legal dispute over the sale price of that land, tied to a series of restrictive covenants and a development agreement governing the properties within the industrial park, is holding up the acquisition.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable.
COLUMBIA  The Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival returns for its 11th year to spotlight the work of filmmakers from South Carolina and beyond in the under-appreciated, expansive genre.

The festival, which runs from May 10 to May 12 at Spotlight Cinemas Capital 8, offers a host of feature films and shorts, all in the horror genre. Founder and programmer for the festival, Tommy Faircloth, said theyve got a range of scares organized into different blocks, some classics of the genre and some newer offerings.

You have your typical slasher films, more like psychological thriller type films, Faircloth said. This year, for some reason, we had a lot of Christmas-themed horror movies, and so I was able to do a block of films called Christmas Carnage.

Faircloth said Crimson Screen was founded as a way to fill a gap for horror filmmakers in South Carolina, to create a place where South Carolina horror filmmakers could see their work and connect.

Crimson Screen remains South Carolinas only horror film festival, and while it programs films from across the US, it continues to highlight local films.

In the shorts category, theres a block called Homegrown Horror made up of all SC films. And in features, Michelle Iannantuono, a Charleston-based filmmaker, is showing Livescreamers, a sequel to her 2018 film, Livescream.

Livescreamers is a found-footage horror film that centers on a group of live-streamers trying to survive a haunted video game that is killing them off one by one. The film required Innantuono to not only direct and shoot the live action footage of the streamers, but also to create and direct a fake game.

I used a lot of prefabricated assets, but I still had to build levels myself," Innantuono said. "I had to build the characters myself. Basically every single time there was a cut in a movie, which is about every five seconds, I have to switch POVs to a different character and do a new shot.
GREENVILLE  After two recent killings claimed three lives in Greenville County, the question remains as to why the suspects, strapped with GPS ankle monitors, were not stopped by authorities before it was too late.

In January, Gary Whitten visited the home of his former partner in the middle of the night, violating his bond on a domestic violence charge from a month before. The judge had set specific conditions for Whitten: no contact with his partner and GPS buffer zones surrounding her home so authorities would know if he came near.

When Whitten showed up, Sentinel called the woman to check if she was OK. However, deputies with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office weren't notified until the next morning.

By that time, authorities said Whitten had killed her and another woman, then broke off his ankle monitor to flee the scene.

Similarly, in late March, authorities said Robbie Fleming went to a house off Augusta Road, despite being in the Home Incarceration Program  more commonly called house arrest  with GPS monitoring. Fleming got into an argument with a man, pulled his gun and shot a bystander before fleeing the scene, the sheriff's office said at the time.

At some point that same day, Fleming broke off his ankle monitor. The sheriff's office said it never received a notification then, either.

It's unclear whether the private company that provides and tracks the ankle monitors, Sentinel Offender Services, failed to notify authorities or if the message simply got lost in the shuffle.

How does the ankle monitor program work?

Unlike other counties in South Carolina, the Greenville County jail is not a part of the sheriff's office: it's a separate entity managed by county government. So for more than 10 years, California-based Sentinel has worked with Greenville County to monitor people out of jail on bond and perform drug tests for people on probation.
COLUMBIA  Jamie Lee lied.

He gave dishonest answers to multiple law enforcement agencies on various occasions after his arrest in the 1994 murder of 15-year-old Melanie Richey in McCormick County, according to reporting at the time by The Augusta Chronicle. The reason?

"I was trying to cover for my best friend," Lee said in court, explaining why he first attributed the actions of his buddy Geoffrey Payne to an interloper in the friend group, 16-year-old Joseph Kelsey.

When investigators began noting inconsistencies in his story, Lee came clean about what Kelsey and 17-year-old Payne each did on the night of the murder. Lee and Kelsey testified at trial while Payne opted not to take the stand.

Payne and Kelsey were eventually convicted of murder, and both received life with parole eligibility. Lee testified for the prosecution and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. He got 10 years and was released decades ago.

The evidence showed that Lee drove Kelsey, Payne and Richey from Martinez, Ga., into South Carolina after a house party. Payne bludgeoned Richey with a wrench and raped her. The boys dragged her into the woods. Payne told Kelsey to put a pipe bomb in her mouth, then Payne lit the fuse.

But the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services has for years included a different narrative, one that's contrary to the facts recognized by multiple state courts.

Jon Ozmint, a former deputy attorney general who now represents Kelsey, said the agencys handling of Kelseys file could amount to obstructing justice.

This may be a crime by anyone who knowingly provided the board with a false factual summary as part of the official parole file, Ozmint told The Post and Courier.

DPPPS did not comment on Ozmint's allegation.

Facts and falsehoods

Before each parole hearing, agency staff produce a file on each inmate set to appear. Those files contain, among other things, a section that lays out a summary of the crime.
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EAGAN, MN / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / GovMint, one of the largest direct-to-consumer retailers of collectible coins, announces the release of the Tenth Anniversary 2024 Wedge-Tailed Eagles from Australia's Perth Mint, with an exceptionally detailed new design, the next step in the progression of Wedge-Tailed Eagle designs from the hand and mind of the former 12th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, John Mercanti.10th Anniversary Wedge Tailed Eagle Numismatic history was made with the introduction of the Wedge-Tailed Eagle series in 2014 because it was the first time ever that a former U.S. Mint Chief Engraver (Mercanti) teamed up with a foreign mint (Australia's Perth Mint) to create a coin. The response among collectors worldwide was immediately overwhelming, and now, with this Tenth Anniversary edition, the Australia Wedge-Tailed Eagle series continues to be among the most anticipated releases each year, for collectors all around the globe.GovMint has North American exclusivity on all 2024 Wedge-Tailed Eagle coins minted by the Perth Mint.The next chapter in the momentous collaboration, these proofs portray a majestic Wedge-Tailed Eagle soaring in the sky decorated by stylized sun rays.The obverse depicts the first definitive portrait of King Charles III for Australia. These are the FIRST Wedge-Tailed Eagles to feature King Charles III's effigy.In addition, unique to these proofs is a miniature 2014 Wedge-Tailed Eagle design at the top of the obverse that pays homage to the original. Plus, each of these coins is inscribed "10th Anniversary" and features a "P125" mint mark in honor of the mint's 125th Anniversary, as opposed to the traditional Perth Mint mint mark.Each gold and silver coin is graded by NGC as flawless Proof-70 Ultra Cameo and certified as First Day of Issue. Further, each of these is encapsulated with an exclusive Australian Flag label hand-signed by designer John Mercanti, the man who has created more coin and medal designs than anyone in U.S. Mint history. In addition, for the FIRST time, each 2024 one-ounce Silver Wedge-Tailed Eagle features a 99.99% purity gold gilded design.These Wedge-Tailed Eagle Proofs have highly limited worldwide mintages-just 500 of the one-ounce gold, just 1,000 of the five-ounce silver and just 5,000 of the one-ounce silver proofs were authorized.To learn more and see what is available, visit www.govmint.com/2024-australian-wedge-tailed-eagle-proof-coins About GovMintGovMint has been on the forefront of collectable numismatic coins since 1984 and specializes in selling rare and collectible coins, as well as a variety of other modern numismatic products and bullion. GovMint is one of the largest direct-to-consumer marketers of coins and numismatics, partnering with other major mints around the world.About the Perth MintThe Perth Mint is recognized internationally as a leader in the production of innovative precious metal coinage of the highest quality. It is Australia's oldest operating mint, originally established as a branch of Britain's Royal Mint in 1899.Contact Information:Brian JohnsonSenior Marketing Directormedia@ amsi-corp.com SOURCE: GovMintView the original press release on newswire.com
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PORTLAND, OR / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Araceli Biosciences, experts in cell-based screening and analysis technologies announced that their Board of Directors has appointed Matthew (Matt) Beaudet as the company's new CEO. Matt brings a distinguished career spanning over two decades in leadership across several influential companies in the biotech industry, such as Molecular Probes, Invitrogen, and Life Technologies, culminating in a significant tenure as CEO of InVivo Biosystems. Throughout his career, Matt has consistently tackled substantial scientific challenges by fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. As CEO, Matt raised significant capital to support company growth, allowing for the development of substantial technological innovations and patents, which, under his leadership, resulted in InVivo's successful commercialization of fluorescence-based assays and instrument platforms.Matt Beaudet, CEO of Araceli Biosciences "The Araceli Board of Directors is confident Matt's proven leadership record, commitment to the Oregon biotechnology community, entrepreneurial spirit, and desire to create cutting-edge technologies empowering researchers to accelerate therapeutic discovery will propel Araceli into a new and exciting era of growth and development." -Bill Cortelyou, Chairman of the Board.New CEO Matt Beaudet shared his excitement to join Araceli. "I am grateful to the Board for trusting me to lead this exceptional team. The innovation and success of the Araceli platform are a testament to what game-changing technology looks like in action. Joining you at this pivotal moment is a tremendous honor, I look forward to working alongside you to transform the speed of drug development and redefine what is possible in our field." About Araceli Biosciences Inc.Araceli Biosciences is on a mission to create cutting-edge technologies that empower researchers to accelerate therapeutic discovery. Our goal is to be the leader in predictive AI-based image acquisition and analysis, enabling more informed decisions to increase therapeutic success. We envision a future where patients have earlier access to the most effective treatments.ContactFor more information about Araceli Biosciences and Matt Beaudet, please visit www.aracelibio.com Contact InformationDon WeldonVP of Marketingdon.weldon@aracelibio.com +1 971-279-6042SOURCE: Araceli BiosciencesView the original press release on newswire.com
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VICTORIA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Boron One Holdings Inc. ("Boron One" or the "Company") (TSXV:BONE), is pleased to announce the implementation of a warrant exercise incentive program (the "Program") intended to encourage the exercise of up to 10,626,000 unlisted common share purchase warrants of the Company (the "Eligible Warrants") which were issued as part of the Company's private placement which closed on January 25, 2023. Each Eligible Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Company (each a "Common Share") at a price of $0.05 per Common Share.To the extent that holders of Eligible Warrants take advantage of the opportunity to exercise their Eligible Warrants early, this will fund working capital purposes. Eligible Warrants that remain unexercised following the completion of the Early Exercise Period (defined below) will continue to be exercisable for Common Shares on the original terms as they existed prior to the Program.The Program is subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and is subject to the receipt of all final regulatory approvals, including final approval of the Exchange. The number of Eligible Warrants to be exercised by insiders of the Company is limited to no more than 10% of the total Eligible Warrants, being 10,626,000 Eligible Warrants, and the Company will issue no more than 1,062,600 Incentive Warrants to insiders under the Program. Insiders presently hold 10.35% of the Eligible Warrants.Summary Information about Warrant Incentive ProgramPursuant to the Program, the Company is offering an inducement to each holder of Eligible Warrants ("Warrant Holders") that exercises Eligible Warrants during an early exercise period (the "Early Exercise Period") consisting of one new Warrant (the "New Warrant") in addition to the common share subscribed for. Each New Warrant is exercisable at $0.07 for 30 months, subject to the right of the Corporation to accelerate expiry upon 30 days' notice if the shares of the Corporation trade on the TSX Venture Exchange at or above $0.15 for a period of 10 days.The Early Exercise Period will commence two weeks after receipt of TSX Venture Exchange conditional approval and run for 2 weeks. A follow up press release will be issued. The Incentive Warrants and any Common Shares issuable on the exercise thereof will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance of the Incentive Warrants pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.Depending upon the number of Eligible Warrants exercised during the Early Exercise Period, the Company expects to:receive gross proceeds of up to $531,300 issue up to 10,626,000 Common Shares pursuant to the exercise of Eligible Warrants in accordance with the terms of the Eligible Warrants; and issue up to 10,626,000 Incentive Warrants to Warrant Holders pursuant to the exercise of the Eligible Warrants on or before the Early Exercise Expiry Date.The terms and conditions of the Program and the method of exercising Eligible Warrants pursuant to the Program are set forth in a letter which is being delivered to the last known contact of each Warrant Holder. Warrant Holders who wish to participate in the Program will agree to exercise their Eligible Warrants and deliver the other necessary documents in consideration of the issuance by the Company of the Incentive Warrants.Procedure for the Exercise of WarrantsUpon commencement of the Early Exercise Period, registered holders of Eligible Warrants may exercise their rights to acquire the Common Shares and Incentive Warrants.All Eligible Warrants must be processed through the Company at the offices of the Company located at 203, 645 Fort Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1G2.To exercise Eligible Warrants during the Early Exercise Period, a Warrant Holder must:1. Surrender the original Warrant Certificate(s) representing the Eligible Warrants to the Company by hand or courier at the address noted above. The Warrant Certificate(s) representing the Eligible Warrants must be submitted together with:(a) a duly completed and executed Subscription Form as attached to the Eligible Warrant Certificate, specifying the number of Eligible Warrants that the Warrant Holder intends to exercise; and(b) a certified cheque, bank draft or money order in Canadian dollars, payable to or to the order of "Boron One Holdings Inc." in an amount equal to $0.05 multiplied by the number of Eligible Warrants that the Warrant Holder intends to exercise.All Eligible Warrant Certificates surrendered for full exercise will be cancelled by the Company and will be of no further force or effect.All Eligible Warrant Certificates surrendered together with a duly completed and executed Subscription Form, and payment of the applicable exercise price for the number of Eligible Warrants exercised will be deemed to be surrendered only upon personal delivery thereof to, or, if sent by mail or other means of transmission, upon actual receipt thereof by the Company. Any use of the mail to transmit Eligible Warrant Certificates is at the risk of the Warrant Holder. If such documents are to be mailed, it is recommended that registered mail, properly insured, be used with acknowledgement of receipt requested.Fractional SharesThe Company will not be obligated to issue any fractional Common Shares, fractional Incentive Warrants or any cash or other consideration in lieu thereof upon the exchange of one or more Eligible Warrants. If any fraction of a Common Share or Incentive Warrant would otherwise be issuable, the number of such securities so issued will be rounded down to the nearest whole number without compensation thereof.On behalf of the Board of Directors,Tim Daniels, PresidentAbout Boron One Holdings Inc.Boron One Holdings Inc. is an international mineral exploration and development company with boron assets in Serbia. Headquartered in Victoria, B.C., Canada, Boron One's shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "BONE". For detailed information please see Boron One's website at www.boronone.com or the Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com For further information, please contact:Boron One Holdings Inc. Blake Fallis, General Manager Phone: 1-250- 384-1999 or 1-888-289-3746info@ boronone.comwww.boronone.com Boron's Public Quotations: CanadaTSX Venture: BONEBerlin: EKVUS: SEC 12G3-2(B) #82-4432ERVFFOTCBB: ERVFFNeither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Boron One Holdings Inc.
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 21:47:12

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MANILA, PHILIPPINES / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / In a move to democratize innovation, Manila Arduino Fabrication Laboratory (Manila Arduino), a Manila-based tech startup, has introduced its country's first low-cost "floating" innovation lab, capable of turning innovative ideas into actual products.This makerspace aims to bring fabrication capabilities directly to research groups and students across the archipelago."The "floating" aspect of our fabrication lab refers to our ability to serve any research groups in the Philippines and extend futuristic technologies to them," said Carl John Dal Calub, Head of Operations atManila Arduino . "Most institutions lack the competencies to help research groups build their dream projects. They often don't know where to turn to, and some end up falling victim to scams. We at Manila Arduino are trying to bridge that gap between innovative ideas and a cost-effective fabrication space," he added.Despite its growing economy, the Philippines faces hurdles in the technological landscape. Compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors, the country lags in research and development spending, with limited resources dedicated to scientific infrastructures. This often results in a shortage of innovation, with brilliant ideas failing to materialize due to a lack of proper tools and access to the latest technologies."When we first started out, every research prototype was about filling and sorting machines, which were a thing of the past," said Calub. "Now, after just a few months in the fabrication industry, we have successfully assisted hundreds of startups and researchers in creatingtechnologically advancedand practical products," he added.Manila Arduino specializes in creating prototypes for complex AI systems and mobile app-powered machines. They boast a team capable of not only building prototypes but also providing potential design solutions and programming various microcomputers like Arduino and Raspberry Pi.Fabrication labs are not usually found in schools. Hence, makers are inclined to build easy-to-replicate products instead of innovating."Imagine a student with a groundbreaking concept for an agricultural monitoring system. His or her school might not have the 3D printers or the knowledge to build the necessary prototypes," Calub emphasized. "Our fabrication lab solves this problem. We offer our facilities to them, equipped with the necessary tools and staffed by our specialists. We then guide the students through the fabrication process, turning their ideas into tangible products." The Road AheadThe potential impact of Manila Arduino's initiative extends beyond individual projects. By guiding a generation of young innovators, they are laying the groundwork for a more technologically advanced Philippines."We see a future where Filipino research and development thrives, not just adjusting for, but leading the way in Southeast Asia's tech revolution," Calub said. "The success of the "floating" fabrication lab will be crucial in determining the realization of this vision," he added.For media inquiries, please contact Company Name: Manila Arduino Fabrication LabContact Person: Carl John Dal LeeMail: info.arduino@manilafablab.comCity and Country: Manila, PhilippinesWebsite: www.manilafablab.com SOURCE: Arduinotech
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-07 00:28:16

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FORT MILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Catheter Precision, Inc. (NYSE American:VTAK) a MedTech company pioneering products in the growing field of cardiac electrophysiology, including its VIVO and LockeT product(s), releases Q1 Financials, Operational Report for the quarter ending March 31, 2024.Operational highlights of the first quarter and early second quarter 2024 include the following:Submission of LockeT for CE Mark approval, which is expected in Q3 2024. First published data on initial LockeT clinical study of over 100 patients presented at Western Atrial Fibrillation Symposium. Data included: 100% immediate hemostasis. Allows for same day discharge. Effective at wound closure up to 27F which includes cardiac catheters and products such as left atrial appendage devices and leadless pacemakers. Reduction in the need for multiple closure devices. Attendance at the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) conference Attendance at Monaco USA Arrhythmia Conference (MUAC) at which positive interim study data related to VIVO was presented on the accuracy of VIVO when used for ventricular ablation on infarcted hearts by Professor Tarv Dhanjal from University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire. First VIVO procedure in Spain at Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves in Granda with Dr. Pablo J. Sanchez Millan. First procedures at CHU de Rennes (University Hospital of Rennes) in Rennes, France. This hospital is one of the world's most prolific centers in terms of number of ventricular ablations performed each year. Presentation of the first cases in Turkey by Professor Cem Karadeniz at the National Arrhythmia Congress Turkiye meeting. Recruitment and onboarding of US sales and clinical support in new US regions to support the national launch of LockeT and continued expansion of VIVO. Announced new Chief Commercial Officer, Marie-Claude Jaques, as of May 1, 2024. 2024 First Quarter Financial Results are as follows:Total assets at March 31, 2024, were $28 million Total cash on position at March 31, 2024 was $1.5 million, and $0.5 million at May 6, 2024 Total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2024 were $82 thousand Shareholders' equity as of March 31, 2024 was $18.5 million Net loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 was ($2.7) million All revenue as of March 31, 2024 resulted from the purchase of VIVO Positioning Patches (VIVO accessory product)David Jenkins, acting CEO, commented: "During the first quarter of 2024, we focused on acquiring additional talent for the US to support a formal LockeT launch, and expansion of our VIVO footprint in the US. With initial, positive, clinical data available to the public it is the right time to build upon our already great team and focus on our two unique and differentiated products in the EP market. We continue to seek financing solutions to provide sufficient liquidity to enable us to pursue our business objectives, including both public and private financings." About VIVO Catheter Precision's VIVO (View Into Ventricular Onset), is a non-invasive 3D imaging system that enables physicians to identify the origin of ventricular arrhythmias pre-procedure, thereby streamlining workflow and reducing procedure time. VIVO has received marketing clearance from the U.S. FDA and has the CE Mark.About LockeT Catheter Precision's LockeT is a suture retention device intended to assist in hemostasis after percutaneous venous punctures. LockeT is a Class 1 device registered with the FDA.About Catheter Precision Catheter Precision is an innovative U.S.-based medical device company bringing new solutions to market to improve the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. It is focused on developing groundbreaking technology for electrophysiology procedures by collaborating with physicians and continuously advancing its products. Reincorporated as Ra Medical Systems, Inc. in Delaware in 2018, the Company changed its name to Catheter Precision, Inc. on August 17, 2023.Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis communication contains forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "anticipate," "may," "might," "can," "could," "continue," "depends," "expect," "expand," "forecast," "intend," "predict," "plan," "rely," "should," "will," "may," "seek," or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, the following: our belief that it is the right time to build upon our already great team and focus on our two unique and differentiated products in the EP market, and our statement that we continue to seek financing solutions to provide sufficient liquidity to enable us to pursue our business objectives. The Company's expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements as a result of uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties included under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov . These risks and uncertainties include, but aren't limited to, that we do not have sufficient liquidity to fund our operations through May 2024 unless we are able to obtain additional financing or enter into a strategic transaction that would provide additional liquidity, we will not be able to reach profitability unless we are able to achieve our product expansion and growth goals, our research and development and commercialization efforts may depend on entering into agreements with corporate collaborators, we have entered into joint marketing agreements with respect to our products, and may enter into additional joint marketing agreements, that will reduce our revenues from product sales, royalty agreements with respect to our LockeT device will reduce any future profits from this product, if we experience significant disruptions in our information technology systems, our business may be adversely affected, litigation and other legal proceedings may adversely affect our business, if we make acquisitions or divestitures, we could encounter difficulties that harm our business, failure to attract and retain sufficient qualified personnel could also impede our growth, failure to maintain effective internal controls could cause our investors to lose c
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 13:07:10

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Do you, or did you, own shares of Compass Minerals International, Inc. (NYSE: CMP)?Did you purchase your shares between November 29, 2023 and March 22, 2024, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Compass Minerals International, Inc.?Do you want to discuss your rights?NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 /COMPASS MINERALS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE: CMP) DEADLINE ALERT: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reminds Compass Minerals International, Inc. Investors of Upcoming DeadlineBernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Compass Minerals International, Inc. ("Compass Minerals" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMP) between November 29, 2023 and March 22, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Compass Minerals securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Compass Minerals International, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later thanJune 24, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that:(1) Compass Minerals overstated the likelihood that it would be awarded a renewed U.S. Forest Service contract for the use of its proprietary magnesium chloride-based aerial fire retardants for the 2024 fire season, as a result of safety issues presented by its fire retardant; and (2) Compass Minerals materially overstated the extent to which testing had confirmed that its fire retardants were safe.On March 25, 2024, before the market opened, the Company announced that the U.S. Forest Service had informed the company that it will not be entering into a contract for the use of magnesium chloride-based aerial fire retardants for the 2024 fire season. On this news, Compass Minerals' stock price fell $3.00 per share, or 17.09%, to close at $14.55 on March 25, 2024.If you purchased or acquired Compass Minerals securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Compass Minerals International, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2024 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoInvestor Relations ManagerBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-07 00:25:14

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(THIS UPDATES THE RELEASE POSTED EARLIER ON MAY 6, 2024 TO UPDATE LEGAL REPRESENTATION.)DE MEERN, THE NETHERLANDS AND NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Ross Common Capital (RCC) announces its acquisition of a majority stake in PCS Holding BV, the owner of PITT Cooking, the innovative Dutch manufacturer of handmade and design-led integrated cooktops.Headquartered in De Meern, the Netherlands and founded in 2009, PITT Cooking has been at the forefront of the kitchen industry with its patented design that elegantly integrates burners into the countertop. PITT has been delighting the most discerning home chefs around the world with its unique burner layouts and superior performance.Since 2022, RCC has owned PITT Cooking America (PCA), the US and Canadian distributor for PITT Cooking's unique products. The transaction continues RCC's commitment to the PITT Cooking business, and provides the opportunity to accelerate PITT's growth and expand the company's global footprint.RCC partners Mark Nichol and Peter Glusker will assume leadership of the combined entity as Co-CEOs. Heather Squire will continue as the President of North America, and David Crane will move into a global role as SVP & Global Head of Sales & Business Development. PCS Holding's current management team will remain significant minority investors. Co-Founder Maikel Bink will remain in a key leadership role at the company advancing sales and business development efforts, while Arold Korst will continue as a board member.Mark Nichol, Co-Founder of RCC expressed his enthusiasm, "PITT Cooking has created the most beautiful and design-forward cooktops, with unparalleled performance. We couldn't be more excited to bring this suite of beautiful products to even more homes around the world." Maikel Bink, Co-Founder of PITT Cooking echoed the excitement saying, "We are delighted to partner with our North American team who not only bring a wealth of global brand-building experience to the table, but have also shown their ability to build PITT Cooking in the North American market in a short period of time." David Crane, the new SVP & Global Head of Sales & Business Development, noted "We are thrilled to join forces with Ross Common Capital and PITT Cooking. We look forward to replicating the strong growth we have created in North America to new markets throughout the globe." RCC was represented by Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in the United States, and NautaDutilh in the Netherlands.For more information and inspiration about PITT Cooking and its integrated cooktops, visit pittcooking.com About Ross Common Capital: Ross Common Capital is a private equity investment firm dedicated to partnering with high-potential companies to drive growth and create long-term value. With a focus on strategic investments in highly profitable companies in innovative and disruptive industries, Ross Common Capital provides capital, expertise, and support to enable companies to realize their full potential.Contacts:PITT Cooking Ross Common Capitalpittcooking.com info@ rosscommoncapital.com press@ pittcooking.com SOURCE: PITT Cooking America LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 13:06:29

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Do you, or did you, own shares of Doximity, Inc. (NYSE: DOCS)?Did you purchase your shares between February 9, 2022 and April 1, 2024, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Doximity, Inc.?Do you want to discuss your rights?NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of Doximity, Inc. ("Doximity" or the "Company") (NYSE: DOCS) between February 9, 2022 and April 1, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Doximity common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Doximity, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later thanJune 17, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, Defendants repeatedly touted the Company's business prospects and the sustainability of its revenue growth and profitability, while downplaying both the impact of competition and tightening macroeconomic conditions, as well as Doximity's reliance on "upselling" products and services (such as additional advertising) to existing customers to sustain performance and future growth.On August 8, 2023, after the market closed, Doximity provided disappointing guidance for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 and slashed its guidance for the full fiscal year 2024. In conjunction with the disappointing guidance, Doximity announced that it would reduce its workforce by approximately 10%.On this news, Doximity's stock price fell $7.49 per share, or nearly 23%, to close at $25.30 per share on August 9, 2023.Then, on April 1, 2024, Jehoshaphat Research published a report alleging, among other things, that "Doximity's underlying sales . . . are declining at a negative -3-6% rate, but [] this decline has been masked through accelerated revenue recognition." On this news, Doximity's stock price fell almost 2%, closing at $25.80 per share on April 1, 2024.If you purchased or acquired Doximity common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Doximity, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2024 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoInvestor Relations ManagerBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 21:20:35

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MONROVIA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / As school swatting incidents continue to rise, Dr. Ryan Smith, former Monrovia Superintendent, offers valuable guidance to school and district leaders based on his firsthand experience. Dr. Smith recounts the events of October 13, 2022, when a hoax call sparked panic and a massive law enforcement response at a high school in the Monrovia Unified School District. Reflecting on this harrowing experience, Dr. Smith underscores the critical importance of proactive preparation in mitigating the impact of swatting incidents and ensuring the safety of students and staff."Thankfully, it was all a hoax," recalls Dr. Smith. "But the fright, panic, and disruption caused by the incident left a mark on our community." Swatting, the dangerous phenomenon involving fraudulent 911 calls reporting severe threats or violent situations, poses a significant challenge for schools and districts nationwide. Dr. Smith emphasizes the need for comprehensive preparation across three critical areas: lockdown preparedness, crisis communication protocols, and post-incident management.Lockdown PreparednessDr. Smith stresses the importance of regularly reviewing and updating lockdown plans in collaboration with law enforcement. He adds that, ensuring that staff and students are well-versed in active shooter procedures and conducting regular drills are essential to enhancing readiness. Additionally, Dr. Smith says, accommodations for individuals with special needs and clear protocols for reuniting students with parents' post-lockdown are vital components of adequate preparedness.Crisis Communication ProtocolsEffective communication is vital during any emergency, and Dr. Smith highlights the need for clear leadership in coordinating communication efforts. He notes that, establishing internal communication channels, providing access to school communication devices for law enforcement, and disseminating accurate information through multiple channels, are critical aspects of crisis communication. Dr. Smith emphasizes addressing language diversity by providing translated messages to ensure all stakeholders receive timely updates.Post-Incident ManagementManaging the aftermath of a swatting incident, Dr. Smith notes, requires thoughtful attention to the emotional and psychological well-being of students, staff, and parents. He emphasizes the importance of ongoing communication, debriefing sessions, and policy review to assess the response and identify areas for improvement. By continuously reflecting and updating safety protocols, he says, schools can enhance preparedness and resilience in the face of future incidents."Preparation for a swatting incident is preparation for the real thing if done right," asserts Dr. Smith. While the prevalence of swatting incidents presents a sobering reality for educators, Dr Smith says, proactive preparation can significantly mitigate the impact of these distressing events. Dr. Smith encourages school and district leaders to prioritize comprehensive readiness, engage in regular training with staff and emergency services, and stay informed about the latest safety technologies and practices."Investing in preparedness today can prevent a crisis tomorrow," concludes Dr. Smith. "A united and informed approach is our best defense against these unwarranted threats, ensuring the safety and security of our educational communities." Dr. Ryan Smith is an educator with a wealth of experience in school leadership and crisis management. As former Monrovia Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Smith navigated a swatting incident firsthand, giving him unique insights into effective preparedness and response strategies. Dedicated to fostering safe and resilient educational environments, Dr. Smith continues to advocate for proactive measures to address emerging threats and ensure the well-being of students and staff.CONTACT: https://www.ryandsmithedd.com Email: ryandsmithedd@ gmail.comhttps://www.ryandsmithedd.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandsmithedd/ SOURCE: Dr. Ryan Smith
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 19:04:52

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Findings From These Studies Could Save Thousands of Lives Through Better Understanding the Mechanistic Basis of Chronic Wound InfectionORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / MicroGenDX, a global leader in next-generation sequencing (NGS) diagnostics of infection, and members from the academic lab of Caleb Phillips at Texas Tech University (TTU) will present four groundbreaking oral presentations at the Wound Healing Society meeting in May 2024. Based on the microbial profiles provided to physicians through MicroGenDX clinical reports, the presentation of these studies was made possible with joint support from the National Institutes of Health and the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center (SWRWCC; Joe Wolcott, M.D.).MicroGenDX Logo MicroGenDX Logo"We couldn't be more proud of our research collaborators and their accomplishments in presenting the findings of these game-changing MicroGenDX-supported studies," said Rick Martin, MicroGenDX CEO. "These collaborations are just another example of MicroGenDX's dedication to promoting better infectious disease treatment through our technology, scientific research, and the development of researchers and physicians." Each presentation will summarize the different initiatives that have been made to understand the mechanistic basis of chronic wound infection and treatment, and all studies have been based on the microbial profiles provided to physicians through MicroGenDX clinical reports.Study #1: Local weather conditions influence wound infection profiles and the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance gene detectionPresented by Craig Tipton, Ph.D., and Director of Biostatistics at MicroGenDXBased on a study by Dr. Craig Tipton, a TTU doctoral alumnus from the Phillips Lab, and a Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Difference Maker, this presentation compares the distribution of wound-infecting microbiota from approximately 8,000 patients distributed across the United States. Not only does this work show that nationally distributed chronic wound microbiomes can be defined by clusters of community types, but also that uniting this data with climatological variables shows that local weather conditions influence wound infection profiles and the likelihood of antimicrobial resistance gene detection. The work highlights the polymicrobial nature of chronic infected wounds and that types of infecting bacteria vary across the U.S. What does this mean for physicians and wound care providers? Generic treatments that work for patients based in Florida may not work for those elsewhere in the country or even at different times of the year because of shifts in microbial profiles, and NGS profiling offers a solution to knowing exactly what is challenging patients. Study #2: Bacterial relative abundance profiles from the MicroGenDX clinical reports were the single biggest explainer of healing timePresented by Jake Ancira, M.S., and research analyst at MicroGenDXAncira is a recent TTU master's alumnus from the Phillips Lab, whose work has been selected through a competitive abstract process to be a finalist for the Wound Healing Society's prestigious Young Investigator award. Through a collaborative effort with Dr. Wolcott and the SWRWCC, Ancira developed the first-ever structural equation model to quantify the relative influence of patient variables on predictors of chronic wound healing time. The major takeaway from this study is that bacterial relative abundance profiles from the MicroGenDX clinical reports were the single biggest explainer of healing time, followed closely by wound etiology. This result speaks volumes not only about the role of microbes in the persistence of chronicity, but especially about the value of the MicroGenDX test employed in a biofilm-based wound care approach. Study #3: Elucidating genetic predisposition to infection using genome-wide associationsPresented by Rebecca Gabrilska, M.D./Ph.D. student at TTU Health Sciences Center, and Phillips LabCo-advised by Kendra Rumbaugh of TTU Health Sciences Center and Caleb Phillips, and in close collaboration with the SWRWCC, Gabrilska is using a genome-wide association approach to establish how genetic variants in patients' DNA explain the different species that infect chronic wounds. This work is elucidating genetic predisposition to infection, insights which hold potential for predictive models of infection risk. The ability to significantly associate MicroGenDX reported species relative abundances to patient genetic variants strongly supports the accuracy of species profiles MicroGenDX provides to physicians. Study #4: How patients' tissue-specific gene expression predicts differences in species infecting chronic woundsPresented by Khalid Omeir, current graduate student at TTU in the Phillips Lab and bioinformatics intern at MicroGenDXOmeir's work focuses on genetically controlled differences in patients' tissue-specific gene expression that explain differences in the microbes that infect their chronic wounds as provided on the MicroGenDX clinical reports. This avenue of research will inform the potential for predictive polygenic risk scores of infection by specific species. It also enables an understanding of how peoples' DNA leads to tissue-specific expression differences important to chronic wound infection, insights that can inform mechanisms of microbial exploitation of wounds and how they interact with human tissue.For more information about these studies, visit: https://advancedwoundcareusa.com/ Contact Information James CampagnoDirector of Marketingjames.compgano@microgendx.com (407) 863-0043SOURCE: MicroGenDXView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 13:06:37

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Do you, or did you, own shares of Globe Life Inc. (NYSE:GL)?Did you purchase your shares between May 8, 2019 and April 10, 2024, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in Globe Life Inc.?Do you want to discuss your rights?NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of Globe Life Inc. f/k/a Torchmark Corporation ("Globe Life" or the "Company") (NYSE: GL) between May 8, 2019 and April 10, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Globe Life common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Globe Life Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later thanJuly 1, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made numerous materially false and misleading statements and omissions concerning: (i) Globe Life's consistent premium revenue growth, particularly from American Income Life Insurance Company; and (ii) Globe Life's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code of Conduct"). Specifically, Defendants repeatedly attributed the Company's consistent premium revenue growth "to increased agent count and productivity." In addition, Globe Life's Code of Conduct stated, among other things, that "[t]he Company is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment," that "[v]iolence and threatening behavior are not permitted," and that "[t]he use of illegal drugs in the workplace will not be tolerated." The truth was revealed on April 11, 2024, when investment research firm Fuzzy Panda published a report alleging that, since 2017, Globe Life had engaged in widespread insurance fraud. The report alleged that several Globe Life subsidiaries were underwriting policies for dead and fictitious people, as well as adding policies to existing customers' accounts without their consent. In addition, the investment research firm uncovered evidence that Globe Life subsidiaries maintained a hostile workplace where sexual harassment, drug use, and sexual assault went unchecked.On this news, Globe Life's stock price fell $55.76 per share, or 53.19%, to close at $49.17 per share on April 11, 2024.If you purchased or acquired Globe Life common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Globe Life Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2024 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoInvestor Relations ManagerBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 13:16:16

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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 /Grid Metals Corp. (TSXV:GRDM)(OTCQB:MSMGF) ("Grid" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") for its copper/nickel MM (previously "Makwa Mayville") Project in southeastern Manitoba, prepared in accordance with CIM (2019) Best Practice Guidelines. The resource estimate contains two separate deposits located 35 km apart and approximately 145 kilometres from Winnipeg the capital of Manitoba. Grid has consolidated the majority of the prospective copper-nickel mineral tenure of the highly prospective Bird River Greenstone Belt including several other deposits near the Makwa and Mayville resources. Concurrently with the new resource estimate the Company has completed a Project wide geophysical review which has identified a number of new high potential targets for drilling. An initial drill program is in planning and expected to commence later in 2024. The Company is seeking financing and/or strategic partnerships to actively develop the Project.Mineral Resource and Project Highlights:The Indicated mineral resource amenable to open pit mining and constrained within pit-shells is tabulated below:*See details of the Mineral Resource Estimate including calculation methods used to determine the copper equivalent (CuEq) and nickel equivalent (NiEq) grades presented in Tables 1A and 1B.Contained metal content in the indicated open pit category includes 317 million pounds of copper, 263 million pounds of nickel and 452,000 ounces of combined palladium, platinum and gold.Both deposits remain partly open along strike and at depth, and the Company holds the mineral rights to three other near-surface mineral deposits in the belt that could augment the mineral resource inventory in the future. Both deposits have had extensive metallurgical test work completed over multiple campaigns with results indicating that saleable sulfide concentrates can be produced (nickel at Makwa; separate copper and nickel concentrates at Mayville). The main factors contributing to the increased resources from previous estimates are improvements in modelled metallurgical recoveries, changes in metal prices and forex used in the resource calculation and additional drilling. The Mayville Deposit has no royalty; the Makwa Deposit has a 1% NSR royalty of which one half of a percent can be re-purchased for CAD$500,000. There are no offtake obligations on either of the deposits. The Company is currently seeking expressions of interest to fund resource expansion and project development through marketing of nickel and copper offtake rights for the project. The target/model for the project is +80 million tonnes of open pit resources augmented by the delineation of high-grade massive sulfide deposits throughout the belt. The Company has the mineral rights to the majority of the prospective Bird River Greenstone belt which has a geologic analogue to the McFaulds Lake Greenstone Belt which hosts the Ring of Fire deposits (see reference 2 at end of the press release) Among the economic parameters used in the mineral resource estimate, metal prices for the key metals are US$3.75 lb for copper and $9 lb for nickel. Strip ratios for the resource shells were 3.2 for Mayville and 4.7 for Makwa and are provided in the resource Tables 1A and 1B. Company plans to commence an initial phase of exploration drilling later in 2024 to test high priority nearby targets including possible massive sulphide targets identified from the recent geophysical review. Robin Dunbar, CEO of Grid Metals, commented, "The resource estimate announced today provides impetus for further exploration and continued expansion of the MM copper/nickel Project. The MM Project resource is a conventional and near surface copper-nickel sulfide resource with readily apparent upside. The Project is ideally located to service critical metals demand in North America. The Mayville deposit is located directly adjacent to the Company's advanced exploration stage Donner Lithium Project which is currently progressing through the mine permitting process. We see tremendous synergies between our copper/nickel and lithium project development plans as we continue to build the mineral resources necessary to develop an important critical metals production and processing hub in a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction." Project OverviewThe MM Project includes a copper-rich (Mayville) and a nickel-rich (Makwa) disseminated magmatic sulfide deposit along with three additional near-surface deposits (Page, Ore Fault, and New Manitoba) which were acquired by Grid in April 2023. The Mayville and Makwa deposits are located in the northern and southern parts of the Bird River Greenstone Belt, respectively, in southeastern Manitoba (see Figure 1). The Bird River Greenstone Belt and its mineral occurrences have been the subject of multiple research projects including research work completed under the Targeted Geoscience Initiative by the Canadian Geological Survey. The Project area has been identified as being a direct analogue to the Ring of Fire belt in northwestern Ontario (Houle et al., 2020) which hosts several significant mineral deposits.The Project consists of a mining lease and mineral claims held by the Company and its subsidiaries. It is readily accessible year-round, by provincial highways from the capital city of Winnipeg located ~145 km to the southwest. The Mayville deposit is situated two km north of the Company's Donner Lithium Project where the Company has published a NI 43-101 Resource Estimate Technical Report. Both the Donner and MM Projects will benefit from efficiencies in exploration, government and First Nations relations, permitting and infrastructure.In total, 99 mineral claims and one mineral lease (Makwa) are held for base metal exploration by the Company and its subsidiaries. A further 51 mining claims are under option from Gossan Resources with a $300,000 option payment remaining under the option and due in April 2025. The Makwa Deposit is held under a Mineral Lease granted by the Province of Manitoba that expires in 2040 and is subject to annual payments of approximately $10,000 per year. Under the mineral tenure system in Manitoba, assessment credits are "banked" to enable the claims to be held without annual payments provided sufficient exploration credits are expended on the Property. Currently, the Company has sufficient exploration credits to keep the Project in good standing for over 10 years.Figure 1:Location of the MM Copper/Nickel Project and the Donner Lithium Project in southeastern ManitobaExploration PotentialThe Company views the updated MM resource estimate as an important base upon which it can expand. The Company notes that by far the majority of the exploration completed to date has focused on near surface di
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 20:15:16

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North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance's new Youth Water Council is dedicated to conservation, restoration, education and watershed healthNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / From its starting point in the Columbia Icefield, the glacial waters of the North Saskatchewan River travel 1,300 kilometers through mountain and valley, town and country.On its easterly journey from Alberta to Manitoba, where it eventually empties into Lake Winnipeg, the river spans a drainage area of 122,800 square kilometers.As the water rolls on, various activities on the landscape add pressure to the river and its watershed. This human footprint increases as the river travels from the headwaters to the east, with the combined impacts of forestry, agriculture, energy and urban development reducing water quality, and adding excess nutrients and contaminants.When it flows through agricultural land, runoff from fertilizers enters the streams. When new developments are constructed, drainage areas are damaged. Habitat is lost. Wildlife numbers dwindle. Blue-green algae blooms damage lakes.Youth in the North Saskatchewan River's watershed are paying attention to these issues, says Jillian Peterson, a watershed planning technician with the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance (NSWA), based in Edmonton."They are passionate about learning about the watershed-the importance of preserving it and conserving not only the water, but also the land, for future generations," she explains.NSWA provides leadership in watershed management and planning. The non-profit is well known in the region for its collaborative work with organizations and stakeholders committed to solving watershed challenges. The interest of local youth in having a voice in discussions about watershed conservation prompted NSWA to launch a new initiative in 2024-a Youth Water Council.With the support of a $20,000 Fueling Futures grant from Enbridge, NSWA established the first youth council, designed to give members educational opportunities about conservation as well as a platform to protect the watershed.Every year on April 22, the world marks Earth Day, an annual celebration of environmental protection around the globe. At Enbridge, sustainability is central to everything we do, and we also support community sustainability projects that help improve, grow and nurture our environment.Education is a key component of the youth council. The nine students selected for the inaugural group were recruited from an open call for 15-to-17-year-olds in the region. Peterson says they chose youth with "a passion for the environmental issues watersheds face." The council meets in person for a one-weekend retreat and online for a series of virtual learning sessions led by NSWA team members and guest speakers, such as scientists, hydrologists and conservationists. They cover watershed management, stewardship, conservation, restoration, wetland health, water quality and climate change impacts.Through the guest speakers, the teens are introduced to career pathways. Already, two council members have chosen to enroll in environmental studies programs when they begin post-secondary studies in the fall, Peterson notes.As part of the council, the members will produce a signature project they can proudly share with the community. They've chosen a comic book containing information about watershed issues and what people can do about them.The product will include information and artwork focused on responsible recreation, riparian health, and watershed stewardship. The comic book will be available online, and distributed in print through local bookstores and at NSWA events."It's really exciting to see how quickly they've absorbed the information they've learned," Peterson says."To (the youth), success is educating people on why it's important to preserve our watersheds," she adds. "They want to help people become responsible citizens-for the sake of our water's future." The headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River at Abraham Lake Reservoir, in the Canadian Rockies. Photo courtesy, North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: EnbridgeWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridgeEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Enbridge
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 21:30:20

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DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / FinFog Quantitative Investment Company, established in the United States in 2020, has led new changes in the financial market in just a few years with its cutting-edge technology and innovative strategies. FinFog not only reshapes traditional financial investment management methods, but also helps customers achieve significant asset appreciation and effective risk reduction through efficient and reliable investment solutions.As a leader in quantitative investment, FinFog is committed to using advanced quantitative analysis methods and artificial intelligence technology to provide new solutions beyond traditional investments. The company's mission is to become a key force in promoting the progress of the financial industry through continuous technological innovation and in-depth research.Since its establishment, FinFog has achieved extraordinary results in the global quantitative investment market. The proprietary algorithms and models it developed accurately capture the tiny fluctuations in the market and generate stable excess returns. At the same time, the company's advanced risk management technology provides investors with solid asset protection and ensures the efficiency and safety of investments.In 2024, FinFog launched a new generation of quantitative trading platforms that integrates the latest achievements of artificial intelligence and machine learning, greatly improving the accuracy and execution speed of trading strategies. In addition, the company has also made significant progress in its environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment strategies, providing investors with investment options that are both socially responsible and deliver good returns.Collaborative research with the world's top universities has further consolidated FinFog's leading position in the field of quantitative investment. These collaborations deepen the company's understanding of financial market dynamics and enable FinFog to quickly adapt and grasp market trends. These innovative measures of the company not only enhance its competitiveness but also promote the development of the entire quantitative investment industry.Finfog Outstanding servicesIn terms of services, FinFog provides a full range of quantitative investment solutions including algorithmic trading, risk management and quantitative research. The company's algorithmic trading services use advanced technology to achieve efficient transaction execution and cost control, while powerful market data analysis capabilities help customers capture the best investment opportunities. In terms of risk management, FinFog uses state-of-the-art models and real-time monitoring systems to help customers effectively manage and reduce risks.In the future, FinFog plans to continue to expand its business scope globally, especially in emerging markets in Asia and Africa. The company will also continue to invest in environmental protection and social responsibility projects and contribute to global sustainable development by launching investment products that comply with ESG standards. FinFog plans to expand globally and strengthen offline business from 2024 to 2026 to better serve global customers. By setting up physical institutions or offices in key markets, FinFog will further understand and meet the needs of local customers and provide more customized solutions.About the CompanyThe successful case of FinFog has proven that quantitative investment is an important trend in the future of the financial market. With the continuous advancement of technology and the gradual maturity of the market, FinFog will continue to use its innovative spirit and professional strength to maintain its leading position in the global quantitative investment field and create greater value for customers.Contact informationCompany name: FinfogCompany legal person: Bramwell TateCompany official website: www.finfog.proCorporate email: admin@ finfog.pro Company address: 600 17th St, Denver, CO 80202 USASOURCE: FinFog
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 16:31:02

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LeoShape, from Leopoly, Introduces Innovative 3D Platform for Custom Orthotics & Prosthetics Design, Offering Free Trials in MaySAN MATEO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Leopoly , a leading innovator in 3D modeling and extended reality (XR) software solutions, unveils its new product line,LeoShape , marking a significant milestone in the orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) sector. Developed as a Smart CAD solution, this innovative platform enables businesses to digitize, simplify, and automate the production process of custom-fabricated wearables. LeoShape is a groundbreaking advancement in O&P, offering a state-of-the-art 3D design engine that is set to redefine the design and manufacturing processes in the O&P industry."LeoShape is committed to reshaping the future of orthotics and prosthetics through digital innovation," stated Roland Manyai, CEO of LeoShape. "Our 3D design engine is equipped to meet the evolving needs of practitioners and patients alike, ensuring superior customization and quality in O&P care." At the heart of LeoShape's innovation is its proprietary 3D design engine, which provides unmatched flexibility for producing insoles, Ankle-Foot Orthotics (AFOs), and spinal braces, among other O&P devices. Boldly advancing the capabilities of the O&P industry, LeoShape's design engine is purpose-built to transform how professionals craft and customize their devices.Its modular system enables the processing of 3D scans with unprecedented precision. Features like AI-supported geometry search, template fitting, and comprehensive measurement tools are just the start, facilitating the creation of devices that are functionally superior and intricately tailored to individual needs. This enhances accessibility, efficiency, and scalability to meet the needs of practices or labs of any size while ensuring smooth operation across all devices."I began using the LeoShape's Insole platform approximately 3 months ago. I searched a wide array of companies and found the staff at LeoShape to be the most accommodating and willing to form a true partnership. Since I launched the software in my practice, the success is immeasurable. The ease of the software made the learning curve simple, and the inserts have been met with overwhelming satisfaction. The staff has been very receptive to my feedback and has worked to customize the platform to my clinical needs. I am very pleased with both the company and the software and look forward to the future advancements they will offer for my practice." Joe Terpenning - Infinite Technologies Orthotics & ProstheticsLeoShape's technology is already making significant inroads in the industry, with hundreds of clinics in the United States adopting its solutions. Partnerships with leading entities like HP, EdserLabs, and the new Wiky Solutions demonstrate the platform's value and effectiveness.LeoShape is hard at work in the background of Arize, the semi-automated foot orthotics solution that has been growing in recent years and enables podiatrists to deliver high-quality 3D-printed foot orthotics to their patients in the US. Wiky Solutions has established a goal of delivering comprehensive orthotic and prosthetic solutions to professionals.According to the World Health Organization (WHO),0.5% of the global population , or approximately 39 million people, requires O&P services, yet only 1 in 10 have access to these essential healthcare solutions. The demand for O&P devices is projected to rise significantly due to aging populations and the increasing prevalence of diabetes and vascular diseases, which are leading causes of limb loss. LeoShape's next-gen 3D design platform addresses this critical gap by providing scalable and efficient digital solutions that can meet the growing global need. With the ability to enhance customization, drastically reduce design time, and reduce production times, LeoShape is positioned to transform the accessibility and quality of O&P care worldwide.In a move to broaden access to its innovative solutions, LeoShape is initiating a free trial campaign, that will provide a hands-on experience of its digital workflow benefits. Participants will also receive three printed insole shells demonstrating the tangible advantages of LeoShape's digital approach.Looking forward, LeoShape is set to showcase its advancements at upcoming major industry events, includingOT World , (Halle 1 booth F39), May 14-17 in Germany, and AOPA (American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association), September 12-15, in Charlotte, North Carolina, signaling its commitment to global leadership in O&P digital solutions.About LeoShapeLeoShape is a pioneering division of Leopoly specializing in digital solutions for the orthotics and prosthetics industry. With its innovative 3D design engine and web-based editor, LeoShape is revolutionizing how O&P devices are designed, produced, and implemented. By leveraging advanced technology and partnerships, LeoShape is committed to improving patient care and advancing the field of orthotics and prosthetics. For more information, visit https://leopoly.com/leoshape/ ContactsZsofia MesterCorporate Marketing & Sales+36307917159 zsofia.mester@leopoly.com SOURCE: LeoShape by Leopoly
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 16:01:03

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N8 Identity, a trusted leader in identity management solutions, proudly announces its recognition as the Broadcom IDM Partner of the Year for North America for the year 2023BURLINGTON, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / N8 Identity Inc, a trusted leader in identity management solutions, proudly announces its recognition as the Broadcom IDM Partner of the Year for North America for the year 2023. This prestigious award underscores N8 Identity's longstanding commitment to delivering innovative solutions and exemplary service to its clients, further solidifying its position as a key player in the identity management sector.N8 POTY N8 Identity Partner of the Year BroadcomAs a partner of Broadcom Inc for over two decades, N8 Identity has consistently demonstrated excellence in providing identity management solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of organizations across various industries. The award highlights N8 Identity's exceptional performance, dedication to customer success, and significant contributions to the growth and success of Broadcom's IDM ecosystem.Shawn Upson, Vice President of Sales at N8 Identity, expressed his gratitude for the recognition, stating, "We are honored to be named the Broadcom IDM Partner of the Year for North America. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, as well as our ongoing collaboration with Broadcom. Together, we strive to empower organizations with cutting-edge identity management solutions that enhance security, streamline operations, and drive business growth." N8 Identity's innovative approach to identity management, coupled with its deep expertise and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, has earned the trust of clients worldwide. The company's partnership with Broadcom Inc has been instrumental in delivering robust, scalable solutions that address the complex challenges of modern identity management.N8 Identity remains dedicated to advancing the field of identity management and delivering superior solutions that empower organizations to thrive in an increasingly digital world. The company's receipt of the Broadcom IDM Partner of the Year award underscores its position as a trusted industry leader and reinforces its commitment to innovation and customer success.For more information about N8 Identity Inc and its innovative identity management solutions, visit n8id.com About N8 Identity Inc: N8 Identity Inc is a leading provider of identity management solutions, offering a comprehensive suite of products and services designed to help organizations effectively manage identities, secure access, and streamline operations. With over two decades of industry experience and a commitment to innovation, N8 Identity empowers businesses to achieve their security and operational objectives while driving business growth.Contact InformationShawn Upsoninfo@ n8identity.com SOURCE: N8 IdentityView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-05-06 21:02:22

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The Raleigh SEO Company, a leading digital marketing agency, now accepts Bitcoin for all its services, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and providing clients with a secure, fast, and convenient payment option. With founder Brendan Monahan's 25 years of experience, the company continues to deliver high-quality SEO, web design, paid search, social media marketing, online reputation management, and website maintenance services to help businesses succeed online.RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / The Raleigh SEO Company, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions and search engine optimization services, is pleased to announce that it now accepts Bitcoin as a form of payment for all its services. This includes search engine optimization (SEO), web design, paid search (PPC), social media marketing, online reputation management, Artificial Intelligence (AI) services and all website maintenance plans.Raleigh SEO Company Logo The Raleigh SEO Company is a digital marketing agency based in North Carolina that now accepts Bitcoin for all search engine optimization and artificial intelligence services.By accepting Bitcoin (BTC), the Raleigh SEO Company continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and staying ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving digital landscape. This move provides clients with a secure, fast, and convenient payment option that aligns with the needs of modern businesses."As a company that has always embraced change and innovation, accepting Bitcoin is a natural step forward for us," said Brendan Monahan, founder and CEO of the Raleigh SEO Company. "We believe that cryptocurrency is the future of online transactions, and we want to make it easier for our clients to access our services using their preferred payment method." Founded in 1998 by industry veteran Brendan Monahan, the Raleigh SEO Company has been at the forefront of digital marketing for over two decades. With Monahan's 25 years of online marketing experience and search engine optimization expertise, the company has consistently delivered high-quality services and results to its clients.By focusing on white-hat SEO techniques and adhering to the latest search engine guidelines, the Raleigh SEO Company helps businesses achieve sustainable long-term growth in organic search traffic. The company's SEO services are tailored to each client's unique needs, taking into account their industry, target audience, and competitive landscape to develop effective strategies that deliver measurable results.Clients who choose to pay with Bitcoin can expect the same exceptional service and support that the Raleigh SEO Company has been delivering since its inception. The company's team of experienced professionals will continue to develop tailored strategies and deliver measurable results to help businesses succeed online.For more information about the Raleigh SEO Company's digital marketing services, including its comprehensive SEO offerings, and its acceptance of Bitcoin, please visit www.raleighseocompany.org Contact InformationBrendan MonahanCEObrendan@ raleighseocompany.org (919) 230-1776SOURCE: Raleigh SEO CompanyView the original press release on newswire.com
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Bernstein Liebhard LLP:Do you, or did you, own shares of The Chemours Company (NYSE:CC)?Did you purchase your shares between February 10, 2023 and February 28, 2024, inclusive?Did you lose money in your investment in The Chemours Company?Do you want to discuss your rights?Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of The Chemours Company ("Chemours" or the "Company") (NYSE: CC) between February 10, 2023 and February 28, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").If you purchased or acquired Chemours common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit The Chemours Company Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later thanMay 20, 2024 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) certain of the Company's senior executive officers manipulated Free Cash Flow targets as a means to maximize additional cash and stock incentive compensation applicable to executive officers pursuant to the Company's Annual Incentive Plans and Long-Term Incentive Plans; and (2) the Company's accounting practices and procedures, including its internal control over financial reporting, were deficient.Before the market opened on February 29, 2024, Chemours stunned investors when it announced that it was delaying the filing of its annual report for 2023 and "the decision of the Board of Directors of Chemours to place President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Newman, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Lock and Vice President, Controller and Principal Accounting Officer Camela Wisel on administrative leave . . . pending the completion of an internal review being overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors with the assistance of independent outside counsel." According to the Company, the scope of the investigation "includes the processes for reviewing reports made to the Chemours Ethics Hotline" and Chemours's "practices for managing working capital, including the related impact on metrics within the Company's incentive plans [and] certain non-GAAP metrics." Given the importance of these issues - not only to executive compensation, but also investors' assessment of Chemours's financial performance - the Company acknowledged that it "is evaluating one or more potential material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 with respect to maintaining effective controls related to the control environment, including the effectiveness of the tone at the top' set by certain members of senior management." On this news, Chemours' stock price declined by $9.05 per share, or over 31%, to close at $28.72 per share on February 29, 2024.If you purchased or acquired Chemours common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit The Chemours Company Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Investor Relations Manager Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@ bernlieb.com Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for sixteen consecutive years.ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2024 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.Contact Information:Peter AlloccoInvestor Relations ManagerBernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (212) 951-2030 pallocco@ bernlieb.com SOURCE: Bernstein Liebhard LLP
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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 6, 2024 / Tsodilo Resources Limited (TSX Venture Exchange:TSD) ("Tsodilo" or the "Company")(TSX-V:TSD)(OTCQB:TSDRF)(FSE:TZO) is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement financing (the "Financing") for gross proceeds to the Company of C$283,500 on May 6, 2024, through the issuance of 945,000 units of securities of the Company (the "Units") at a subscription price of C$0.30 per Unit.Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance at an exercise price of US$0.30. The Common Shares (including the Common Shares underlying the Warrants) and the Warrants comprising the Units are subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period, which expires on September 7, 2024.The proceeds from this Financing will be used for the advancement of the Xaudum Iron Formation project in Botswana and for general corporate purposes and working capital.About Tsodilo Resources LimitedTsodilo Resources Limited is an international resource exploration company engaged in the search for economic metal and diamond deposits at its Gcwihaba Resources (Pty) Limited ("Gcwihaba") and Bosoto (Pty) Ltd. ("Bosoto) projects in Botswana. The Company has a 100% stake in its Gcwihaba project area consisting of five metal (base, precious, platinum group, and rare earth) prospecting licenses all located in the North-West district of Botswana. The Company has a 100% stake in Bosoto (Pty) Ltd. which holds the BK16 kimberlite project in the Orapa Kimberlite Field (OKF) in Botswana. Tsodilo manages the exploration of the Gcwihaba and Bosoto projects.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:James M. Bruchs Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerJbruchs@ TsodiloResources.comHead Office Telephone +1 416 800-4214 Facsimile +1 416 987-4369 Website www.TsodiloResources.com This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, which address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements pertaining to the use of proceeds,the impact of strategic partnerships and statements that describe the Company's future plans,objectives or goals) are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussion the forward- looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company.Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include,among other things,changes in equity markets, changes in general economic conditions, market volatility, political developments in Botswana and surrounding countries, changes to regulations affecting the Company's activities, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future,exploration and development risks, the uncertainties involved in interpreting exploration results and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration business. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effectson, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include,among other things, uncertainties relating to availability and cost of funds, timing and content of work programs, results of exploration activities, interpretation of drilling results and other geological data, risks relating to variations in the diamond grade and kimberlite lithologies; variations in rates of recovery and breakage; estimates of grade and quality of diamonds, variations in diamond valuations and future diamond prices; the state of world diamond markets, reliability of mineral property titles,changes to regulations affecting the Company's activities, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required project approvals, operational and infrastructure risk and other risks involved in the diamond exploration and development business. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("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 news release.This news release may contain assumptions, estimates, and other forward-looking statements regarding future events. Such forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and are subject to factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control,which may cause actual results or performance to differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.SOURCE: Tsodilo Resources Limited
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday commenced the evacuation of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, ahead of an expected military operation in the area.

We have begun a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate inhabitants of eastern Rafah, an IDF spokesman said.

The IDF called on the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp on the Mediterranean a

few kilometres to the north.

An estimated 100,000 people are affected, according to an IDF spokesman.

They were informed by text message, telephone, and leaflets and via Arabic-language media.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Cairo on a new ceasefire in the Gaza war and

the release of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners had previously failed to produce any immediate results.

The spokesperson said people were to go to an expanded humanitarian area in the al-Mawasi area adding that Food, water and medicine were available there.

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The spokesperson who said the army had also set up field hospitals there could not, however, say how much time people had to evacuate.

He emphasized that the supply of humanitarian aid to the population would continue unhindered during the evacuation operation to the coastal

strip via various routes, including the port in Ashdod.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash Hamas remaining battalions, which it had been fighting in the coastal strip since

October 2023.

Hostages are also believed to be held in the town on the border with Egypt and Israel had been threatening to launch a ground offensive

into Rafah for months.

Israels allies had been urgently warning against a Rafah offensive because hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians

had moved there.

Overnight, Israels Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Mr Gallants office said.

Mr Gallant briefed M4 Austin on the Sunday Hamas attack, in which approximately 10 projectiles were fired from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing toward the area of the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed in that attack.

Kerem Shalom is the most important border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to the Gaza Strip.

The army temporarily closed the Gaza Strip to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack.

The military then reportedly bombed the site in the Gaza Strip near the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the attack had originated.

Mr Gallants office said the minister discussed the hostage release efforts saying Hamas refused the frameworks at hand and that

military action was required since there was a lack of an alternative.

The state of Israel cannot tolerate a situation in which Hamas continues to attack its citizens while showing a lack of seriousness on releasing the hostages.

Israel is committed to achieving its war goals, the destruction of Hamas and the return of the remaining 132 hostages still in Gaza., the spokesperson said.

Mr Gallant expressed his appreciation to Mr Austin for the US and its partnership and leadership and highlighted the USs important role in the hostage issue.

Israel said it would evacuate the city before conducting combat operations in Rafah. This is expected to take several weeks.

Hamas had prepared its fighters in Rafah for deployment against Israel and supplied them with provisions and weapons, according to reports from Israel.

The number of militants guarding the hostages had also increased, according to media reports. (dpa/NAN)

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Rising global fragility fuelled by conflicts, COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war and climate change have worsened gender disparities worldwide.

In Africa, women often face greater vulnerability to climate change due to their social roles, economic circumstances and limited access to resources. They are more likely to rely on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, making their livelihoods susceptible to changing weather patterns, droughts, floods and other climate-related risks. Also, women are disproportionately represented in the informal economy, which was seriously impacted by COVID-19.

Gender inequalities in Africa are rooted in social and cultural norms and traditions. Despite progress in policy and legislation, the continent is far from achieving gender equality. Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst-performing region in the United Nations Development Programmes Gender Inequality Index (see chart)  a composite measure reflecting the disparity between womens and mens achievements in reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market.

At this rate, estimates are that achieving full gender equality in Africa will take over a century. Gender disparities affect education, healthcare, employment, political representation and access to resources.

African women are more likely to die from communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and nutritional deficiencies than men. Although maternal healthcare on the continent has improved in the past two decades, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for around 70 per cent of global maternal deaths, due to gender bias in healthcare access.

Women and girls in Africa also bear the greatest burden of unpaid care and domestic work. They face a higher risk of violence especially at home, and are under-represented in the labour market and politics, governance and decision-making. In 2019, women made up 56 per cent of Africas average labour force, compared to mens 73 per cent  an improvement from a 23 percentage-point gap in 1990.

Regionally, the greatest gap is in North Africa, where the female labour force participation rate was about 22 per cent in 2019 compared to 70 per cent for men. Although North Africa has lower gender inequality in education, this hasnt meant progress for women in the labour market. In 2021, the World Bank reported that women in the region face unfair laws that economically disempower them. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia prohibit women from working in certain industries.

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In African parliamentary bodies, women hold on average 24 per cent of seats, while their presence in top executive roles is just 7 per cent. Despite local governments being perceived as entry points for women in politics, women hold only 21 per cent of African council positions. Of the few examples of progress, Rwanda, Namibia, South Africa and Senegal rank among the top 10 nations globally for female parliamentary representation.

Even in education, where Africa has made significant progress in reducing gender inequality, girls in sub-Saharan Africa are still the most disadvantaged compared to other global regions. Widespread child marriage, teenage pregnancy, poverty and the social norm of valuing boys over girls are among the factors that constrain womens access to education.

Climate change compounds these inequities. African women  constrained by societal roles, economic status and restricted resource accessibility  are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Closing these gender inequalities would have major benefits. New research by the Institute for Security Studies African Futures and Innovation programme shows what Africas development could gain from more gender inclusion.

Using progress made by other countries or regions at similar levels of development as a benchmark, the study models the impact of an ambitious but realistic reduction in gender inequalities (Gender scenario) on Africas development prospects to 2043. The report also includes an illustrative Gender Equality scenario that models the effect of full gender equality by 2043, with the full knowledge that this isnt practically achievable.

In the Gender scenario, the 2043 African economy is about $259 billion larger than in the business-as-usual forecast. The services sector greatly benefits from reduced gender inequality, gaining $174 billion in added value compared to the current growth trajectory by 2043.

Reduced gender barriers in the scenario accelerate womens movement from agriculture to other sectors, particularly the service sector. While most women are still employed in agriculture, those in Africas service sector have been increasing in number partly due to shifting social norms. In the Gender scenario, Africas GDP per capita is US$355 more than the business-as-usual forecast by 2043, and there are 53 million fewer extremely poor people.

Even more impressive is the illustrative full Gender Equality scenario. It shows an African economy $1 trillion larger than the Current Path forecast. GDP per capita is 12 per cent higher, and Africa has 80 million fewer people in extreme poverty compared to the Current Path forecast in 2043.

These findings imply that aggressively implementing policies to reduce gender inequality and create a level playing field for all could significantly enhance African growth and development.

Policies must confront deep-rooted cultural and traditional values as the primary cause of gender inequality. Governments should prioritise implementing international and regional conventions to decrease gender disparities, especially in rural areas where discriminatory practices persist unchecked. Involving religious and traditional leaders in awareness campaigns and education is crucial.

Investing in free education up to the secondary level could significantly promote gender equality in education. Governments should combat child marriage and teenage pregnancies, ensuring a minimum marriage age of 18 and improving access to contraceptives and sex education. Encouraging girls and women to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics programmes through scholarships and role models can narrow the gender gap in lucrative sectors.

Reproductive health services, legal reforms to address land ownership disparities, and gender-sensitive agricultural programmes are also vital. Removing legal barriers to womens employment, investing in infrastructure that reduces time spent on household production, and extending paternity leave can enhance womens participation in labour and mitigate wage inequality.

Adopting mandatory quotas for female candidates, gender-responsive electoral processes, and mentorship programmes can boost womens political participation. Education on domestic violence, victim support, and legal consequences for perpetrators are essential.

Implementing these measures could decrease gender inequalities in Africa, fostering development and prosperity.

Dr Kouassi Yeboua, Senior Researcher, African Futures and Innovation, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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The Adamawa Government has extended the resumption of primary and secondary schools for the third term academic session to 13 May to enable the government to vaccinate children against measles.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Aisha Umar, announced this in a statement on Monday in Yola.

Ms Umar explained that the pupils and students were scheduled to resume today, 6 May but the resumption was extended to 13 May to contain the measles outbreak in parts of the state.

According to her, the disease had already affected some children.

In view of the above, the Executive Governor of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri, has directed that all schools, both public and private, should remain closed for one week.

The new resumption date will be Monday, May 13, to enable the task force to conduct an elaborate vaccination campaign for all children.

The ministry regrets all inconveniences caused by the sudden extension, she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a measles outbreak recently killed 42 children in Mubi North and Gombi local government areas of the state.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has said Namibia, a Southern African country, is the first high-burden nation globally to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and Hepatitis B.

The global health body disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

WHO said the country has saved 28,000 children from vertical transmission of HIV since 2010.

The country achieved this by making HIV testing and treatment easily accessible to every pregnant woman. This initiative, WHO said, led to a 70 per cent reduction in child-to-mother transmission in the last 20 years.

WHO said in 2022, only 4 per cent of babies born to mothers living with HIV acquired the virus.

Similarly, about 80 per cent of infants received a timely birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine.

Namibia, WHO noted further, has integrated all its Primary Health Care Centres (PHC) with adequate antenatal, child, and reproductive health services.

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The global agency said; A stable domestic finance to national health programmes, offering widely accessible, quality and free of charge clinical services and support.

Saving lives

Speaking on the development, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said Namibias progress proves how dedicated political leadership and effective implementation of public health priorities can save lives.

With concerted efforts, we can accelerate progress to reach the goals of ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, and syphilis, the triple elimination, she said.

The East and Southern Africa bear more than half the worlds HIV burden and Africa itself accounts for two-thirds of new hepatitis B infections globally.

Namibia is home to more than 200,000 people living with HIV, with new infections disproportionately affecting females.

The UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadilli, also said Namibia achieved the milestone by taking a truly integrated approach to the HIV response from early on.

The country has not addressed HIV in isolation as a single disease, but as part of a broader health and development agenda, encompassing maternal and child health for all. Namibia has reached mothers and their children, even in the most rural areas, she noted.

To reward Namibia for its effort, the WHO awarded the country a silver tier status for reducing Hepatitis B and a bronze tier for its progress in combating HIV, based on specified criteria.

HIV, Hepatitis in Nigeria

However, Nigeria is still struggling to control mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B.

The country has the slowest decline in mother-to-child rates in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria is one of the top 5 countries with the highest burden of Hepatitis.

There are approximately 15.7 million cases of Hepatitis in the country, with Hepatitis B accounting for 14.4 million cases and C with 1.3 million.

This is 5 per cent of the global disease burden, which affects about 400 million people.

Nigeria also ranks fourth in the world with regard to HIV burden. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, 1.8 million people in Nigeria are living with HIV.

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Vice President Kashim Shettima was on Sunday forced to cancel his trip to the United States where he was scheduled to represent President Bola Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit, due to a fault with his aircraft.

Stanley Nkwocha, media aide to Mr Shettima disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

He said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, will now represent President Tinubu at the event.

Mr Nkwocha had in a statement on Sunday said the vice president would depart Abuja that evening for Dallas, Texas to represent the president, who has been outside Nigeria for over one week.

The statement said Mr Shettima would speak at a plenary session on Navigating Africas Energy Future as well as chair a session dedicated to promoting the invest in Nigeria initiative.

The VP was also expected to attend other meetings and engagements on the sideline of the summit before returning to Nigeria.

But Mr Nkwocha, in his Monday statement, said Mr Shettima was unable to make the trip due to a technical fault with his aircraft.

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He said the vice president was forced to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet.

Vice President Kashim Shettima who was originally scheduled to represent the President was unable to make the trip following a technical fault with his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet, the statement said.

Read the full statement

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

Minister of Foreign Affairs To Now Represent President Tinubu at US-Africa Summit

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, will now represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas.

Vice President Kashim Shettima who was originally scheduled to represent the President was unable to make the trip following a technical fault with his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet.

The Vice President will carry on with other national duties.

The high-profile summit, taking place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, will bring together political and business leaders from across Africa, the United States, and other regions. It features high-level dialogues, networking sessions, and plenaries.

Among the African heads of state expected are President Joseph Boakai of Liberia, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, President Joao Lourenco of Angola, President Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi of Botswana, President Jose Maria Neves of Cabo Verde, and Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara of Lesotho.

The US-Africa Business Summit aims to foster economic cooperation and explore investment opportunities between the United States and African countries.

Stanley Nkwocha

Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications

(Office of The Vice President)

6th May, 2024

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The Benue State Government has ordered two communities in the Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of the state to steer clear of the disputed River Antse.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Unyande and Kwenev communities have been at war over ownership of the river, a conflict that has claimed many lives for the past 30 years.

The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security (Internal Affairs), Joseph Har, gave the order in Makurdi shortly after a meeting with the leaders of the LGA on Sunday.

Mr Har said the state government had ordered the two communities to keep off the disputed river following an intelligence report of possible escalation of tensions in the area.

He said the report indicated that the conflict could escalate into a full-blown communal crisis, adding that the decision was to prevent such an occurrence.

He explained that the Iyharev people of Unyande and Ngongov of Kwenev are fighting over ownership of River Antse.

He said the conflict has claimed many lives in the past three decades.

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Mr Har said the meeting, which had in attendance traditional rulers in the area, the councils chairman and the state assembly member from the region, would be reconvened next Sunday.

The government has ordered that nobody from Unyande and Kwenev should go close to the River Antse until they hear from the government. We will reconvene on Sunday.

This administration has zero tolerance for communal clashes. So we want to stop it before it begins. If anyone does anything that may lead to the breakdown of law and order, we will go after the person. Har warned.

Also, the traditional ruler of Guma, Dennis Shemberga, commended the government for its prompt intervention over the lingering crisis to forestall a full-blown communal clash between Iyharev and Ngongov.

Mr Shemberga also explained that the communities were fighting over ownership of the river because of the large quantity of fish in it, the fertile land around its banks, which is usually used for dry season farming, among other issues.

He disclosed that the two communities had taken the matter to court, but the traditional rulers had withdrawn the cases for out-of-court settlement as brothers who would forever share a boundary.

He said the dispute started more than 30 years ago, and had claimed many lives.

Also, the Caretaker Chairman of Guma LGA, Simon Unongo, said despite the lingering crisis between the two communities over the river, the area was enjoying relative peace.

Mr Unongo said many IDPs from Udei, Tse Torkula, and Yongbo, amongst others, had since returned to their farms following the intervention by the state government.

Terwase Uche, the member representing Guma 1 State Constituency, said that the assembly was not considering legislation over such issues because each community had its peculiarity.

Mr Uche said it was better for the communities to find ways of resolving issues themselves without necessarily exacting laws on them, as they would continue to live together after the crisis. (NAN)

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Donald Okogbe, representing PDP Akoko-Edo 11 in the Edo House of Assembly on Monday described his suspension as a vendetta that was politically motivated.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, on Monday, suspended Mr Okogbe and two other lawmakers over an alleged plot to impeach him and other principal officers.

The two other suspended lawmakers are Bright Iyamu (PDP-Orihonmwon South) and Adeh Isibor (Esan North East 1).

Mr Okogbe noted that the speaker, by the rules of the House and the Nigerian constitution, did not have the unilateral power to suspend a member.

Insisting that the allegations levelled against them were untrue and unfounded, Mr Okogbe noted that the action of the speaker was unconstitutional and against the rules of the House.

The suspension is purely a vendetta that is politically motivated.

The speaker acted with impunity and has become a tyrant in the red chair and has become one man suppressing the democratic ideals of the House, he said.

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Mr Okogbe, who also denied the allegations of planting charms in the assembly complex, said he was a devout Catholic and does not involve himself in ungodly acts.

The allegations levelled against me and others are completely untrue and as a Christian, I hold strongly to my Catholic ideals. I do not have a hand in the ritual and I do not do ritual.

The suspension came to me as a shock but what is more important is that the House rules and the Constitution of the country made it clear that suspension of any member can only be approved if it enjoys the support of the majority of the lawmakers.

Our position is that the speaker does not have the sole power to suspend and that is the point we made during plenary.

Even if that power exists, suspension of a member cannot be from one sitting and not indefinitely. Anything otherwise is illegal. The power to suspend rests on the members of the House, he added.

Mr Okogbe said he was not bothered by the speakers actions. I know that no unjust decision will stand and justice shall prevail, he added.

Also speaking, Mr Iyamu said the suspension was illegal. He said they were still studying the situation.

We are in a meeting, when we are done, we will brief you, he said.

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The Islamic sect, Shiites Movement, has petitioned the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the National Assembly, alleging the killing of its members by the police and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State.

In the petition dated 23 April and addressed to Mr Ribadu, the Senate President and the Speaker, House of Representatives, the Shiites said, on 5 April, while on a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest in Kaduna, armed police operatives allegedly shot at them, killing seven of its members.

But the police and Governor Sani have denied the allegation.

According to the petition signed by head of Shiites Resource Forum of Islamic Movement, Abdullahi Danladi, a professor, the police officers attack on the protesters was at the behest of Governor Sani.

The petition, titled, Petition Against Mr Uba Sani, the Governor of Kaduna State and the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna for Arbitrary Extra-Judicial Killing of Seven and Wounding Over 30 Peaceful Protesters on 5th of April, 2024 in Kaduna and Zaria, was shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.

The Shiite members said they were protesting in solidarity with the Palestinians who were being killed by Israeli armed forces in Gaza.

This event gave rise to worldwide protests against the killings of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defence Forces, the petition said.

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The sect said protests had been going on in the United States, the UK, France and other European countries to register their displeasure about the wanton destruction of lives and property in Gaza.

Ramadan procession

The group said it was also marking the last Friday of the month of Ramadan as the International Quds Day as it was being observed world over on 5 April.

It said the event had been conducted in Nigeria for the past 40 years.

This years International Quds Day was observed world over on 5th April, 2024, including Nigeria where it was observed in more than 30 cities, including Kaduna and Zaria.

The event was commemorated in several states across Nigeria peacefully, except in Kaduna State where the Commissioner of Police decided to use his force and attacked a peaceful procession, the sect said.

Thus, he ordered the policemen to open fire with live bullets in broad daylight on unarmed peaceful protesters. This led to the killing of seven persons.

We see the actions of Kaduna State Governor and the Commissioner of Police Kaduna State as arbitrary, unconstitutional and in breach of the ethics of the Nigerian Police, the petition read in part.

The Shiites urged the NSA and the National Assembly to take the necessary action on the Kaduna State Governor and the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Audu Dabigi for the breach of citizens constitutional rights.

Governor Sani, police speak on allegations

Governor Sanis spokesperson, Muhammad Shehu, denied the allegations.

In a WhatsApp message sent to the reporter on Sunday following PREMIUM TIMES request for comments, Mr Shehu said the claims of killing and injuring Shiite protesters are baseless, unfounded, and aimed at stirring up unnecessary tension.

The Kaduna State Government categorically denies the allegations made by the Shiites Movement that Governor Uba Sani ordered the police to kill its members during a protest on 5 April.

He noted Governor Sanis commitment to upholding citizens rights to peaceful assembly and protest.

He however said the state government has a duty to maintain law and order, and will not not condone any actions that threaten public safety.

We urge the Shiites Movement to seek redress through legal and peaceful means, rather than spreading false information and inciting violence. The Kaduna State Government remains committed to protecting the rights and security of all citizens.

In its reaction to the allegations, police spokesperson in Kaduna State, Mansir Hassan, said its operatives never shot any Shiite member.

Mr Hassan told this newspaper on Sunday in a telephone interview that some of the Shiites were apprehended with locally fabricated rifles.

The Shiites are proscribed in Kaduna State, and the government prohibits any form of demonstration in the state, Mr Hassan explained.

Not the first time

Clashes between law enforcement agencies, the military and the Shiites widely known as Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) are a regular occurrence in Nigeria.

In a bloody clash with the army in December 2015, over 300 members of the sect were killed.

The army claimed it killed the Shiites who blocked a public road and attempted to assassinate its chief, Tukur Buratai, a lieutenant general.

It said troops only used force after it became clear that Mr Buratais life was in danger.

The leader of the Shiite group, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, was subsequently arrested by soldiers during a two-day military operation.

But an investigative panel indicted the army for killing 347.

The State Security Service (SSS) would, in the aftermath of the clash, detain Mr El-Zakzaky and his wife for years, and was forced to release him after the Kaduna State High Court dismissed the murder charges against him in July 2021.

During Mr El-Zakzakys time, members of his Islamic Movement in Nigeria, who are Shiite Muslims, routinely held protests in Abuja which often resulted in bloody encounters with the police.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Usman Umar, in charge of Operations at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command and a member of the National Youth Service Corps reporting for Channels TV, Precious Owolabi were shot dead in one of such encounters in July 2019.

At least eight persons were allegedly killed when Shiites, and security operatives clashed in Abuja in September 2021. The Shiites were observing their annual Arbaeen Symbolic Trek in the federal capital, causing heavy traffic gridlock when the clash occurred.

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Two years after, senators reconvenes in newly-renovated chamber

Senators resumed from about four weeks of Easter and Eid-el-Fitr recess on Tuesday at the newly-renovated chamber.

The upper chamber embarked on holiday on 20 March.

Ahead of Tuesdays plenary, seats had been allocated to the 109 senators including the senate president in the chamber.

It had been under renovation for about two years and had gulped billions of naira.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari approved N37 billion to renovate the National Assembly complex in 2019. The complex is maintained and managed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that the federal government awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the complex to Visible Construction Limited for the sum of N42 billion.

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Many Nigerians and indeed some lawmakers condemned the renovation, describing it as a misplaced priority.

Ranking senators protest sitting arrangement

Upon resumption in the rehabilitated chamber, some senators expressed displeasure over sitting arrangement.

The aggrieved senators complained that the seats allocated to them did not befit their status as ranking lawmakers. They, therefore, requested that their seats should be at the extreme right of the front row, opposite the seats of the senate leader and the deputy senate president.

Two of them, Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe Central) and Sahabi Yau (APC, Zamfara North), specifically raised their voices to complain about the seats allocated to them.

At some point, Mr Yau could not contain his anger and had to approach the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to complain.

The Zamfara senator was heard saying that his seat on the right side of the second row was not befitting and comfortable, despite being a ranking senator.

The senate leader tried unsuccessfully to persuade Mr Yau to be calm.

Mr Goje, a former Gombe State governor, also moved to the senate leader whom he told that his seat on the second row was also not befitting for a ranking senator.

He demanded immediate reversal of the sitting arrangement.

Consequently, the session became rowdy for about 30 minutes, until the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, restored calm. He asked the senators to take their seats and maintain silence.

Ranking senators are those who have spent more than a term in the upper house.

Speaking on the matter, the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, downplayed what transpired on the floor of Nigerias highest lawmakers body. He insisted there was no disagreement among the lawmakers on the allocation of seats.

Vulnerable Nigerians get Senates attention

Vulnerable Nigerians got the attention of the Senate on Tuesday as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, urged his colleagues to care for them in their various constituencies.

The senate president, in an address to welcome the lawmakers from the Easter and Sallah holiday, pleaded with them not to forget people struggling with poverty and ensure that dignity is restored to the marginalised.

He also asked the senators to support President Bola Tinubu eradicate poverty in the country through his Renewed Hope Agenda.

At the same time, let us not forget those trapped in the cycle of poverty. Our fight against poverty and hunger must be total and relentless, addressing its root causes and restoring dignity to the marginalised. His Excellency, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and many fellow Nigerians are working tirelessly to tackle this issue. It is our duty to support and amplify their efforts. Let us support the Renewed Hope Agenda.

I am confident that we, as senators, can make a difference. We have been entrusted with an important role, and now is the time for courageous actions and strategies to drive this role. Together, let us implement a culture of care and an integrated approach to combat poverty, restore dignity to the downtrodden, and protect our precious natural resources.

In conclusion, let us approach the work ahead with unwavering determination and a deep sense of responsibility. Once again, let us be reminded that the Nigerian people have placed their trust in us, and it is our duty to honor that trust by working tirelessly for their well-being and the progress of our nation, Mr Akpabio said.

Mr Akpabios plea may have come as a face-saving move.

In July last year, the senate president came under attack for allegedly mocking the poor using let the poor breathe slang.

Let the poor breathe is a line from one of President Tinubus June 12 speech which caught up on social media and went viral.

The Akapabios joke attracted several reactions online. Many of the reactions condemned the joke, considering it as insensitive to the plight of poor Nigerians.

Peace Corps bill resurfaces, passed at Senate

Again, the bill to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps, a security outfit, has passed first reading at the Senate.

It had passed third reading in the House of Representatives in February and was transmitted to the upper chamber for concurrence.

The short title of the bill was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday and passed for first reading.

With this development, the senate leader is expected to move a motion for concurrence to enable the senate to adopt the bill and harmonise with the House before transmitting it to the Presidency for assent.

This is in line with the extant rules of the National Assembly.

The bill seeks to give legal backing to the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allow its members to be absorbed into the proposed organisation at commencement.

It was first introduced and passed by the 8th National Assembly but former President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent in February 2018.

The former president cited security concerns, paucity of funds and duplication of duties of existing security agencies as major reasons for his decision.

It was reintroduced in the 9th Senate by Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) and it subsequently scaled through legislative hurdles.

It was thereafter transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent through a letter dated 8 June, 2023 and signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal.

President Tinubu did not sign the bill before the expiration of the 9th Assembly on 13 June, 2023 and therefore, he bill became statute-barred when the 10th Assembly was inaugurated.

Last year, the bill was reintroduced in the House and this time sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Ben Kalu, and others.

Apart from the Peace Corps establishment bill, some other bills also passed first reading in the Senate on Tuesday.

They are the Nigerian Hunters and Security Service Bill 2024, Legislative Houses ( Powers & Privileges ) Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 and National Talent Rehabilitation and Integration Agency ( Establishment ) Bill 2024.

Others are the Agricultural Research Council Act (Amendment) Bill 2024 and Agricultural Harvest and Processing Zone (Establishment) bill 2024 .

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Two leading international organisations that campaign for freedom of the press and freedom of expression have strongly condemned the closure of the Arab television station Al Jazeera in Israel.

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the closure of Al Jazeeras office in Israel and the blocking of the channels websites, CPJ Programme Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna said in New York on Sunday.

This move sets an extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel, he added.

The Israeli cabinet must allow Al-Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime.

The French-based organisation Reporters Without Borders stated via the platform X, formerly Twitter: RSF strongly condemns freedom-threatening legislation that censors a TV network for its coverage of the war in Gaza.

A few hours earlier, the Israeli government had issued a decision banning the TV channel Al Jazeera from operating in Israel.

Inspectors from the Ministry of Communications immediately searched the broadcasters premises in East Jerusalem and confiscated equipment and devices.

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Cable and satellite providers took the broadcaster off the air and its websites were blocked.

Israel had accused Al Jazeera of carrying out propaganda for the Islamist Hamas, against which Israel is waging war in the Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of the war, Al Jazeera has reported extensively on the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip and shown unflattering images of death and destruction.

However, the channel also regularly publishes videos of attacks on Israeli soldiers by Hamas military arm.

(dpa/NAN)

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The police in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria, have defended their raid on Igga Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how personnel of the Nigerian army and Nigeria Police Force invaded the community at about 10 p.m. on Saturday, burning several houses and other properties.

This newspaper also reported that one of the residents, identified as Richard Okoye, about 70-years-old, died during the invasion.

They killed two police, three vigilante operatives.

In a statement on Sunday night, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, claimed criminal members of the community, on Friday, murdered two police operatives and three members of a Neighbourhood Watch Group in the area.

How the operatives were murdered

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said a combined security team comprising three police operatives and four members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group provided security for a team of visiting investors from Lagos State on a tour of a proposed agricultural investment site in the area.

The police spokesperson claimed the team was ambushed and attacked by a large group of criminals, who opened fire on them.

Upon the unprovoked sudden attack, members of the team scampered for safety, while an assistant superintendent of police, who led the team, one Neighbourhood Watch Group personnel, and the three-member team of investors were later rescued by a police team that immediately mobilised to the crime scene, he said.

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Mr Ndukwe said the two police operatives and three members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group initially went missing after the attack.

However, in the course of a full-scale investigation and a search and search operation launched after that, three males suspected to have masterminded the attack were arrested.

Their revelations during interrogation led to the discovery and recovery of bodies of the slain policemen and Neighbourhood Watch Group members in the forest on May 4, 2024, he said.

The police spokesperson said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Kanayo Uzuegbu, ordered further deployment of the intelligence and operational resources of the police to sustain an ongoing manhunt of the fleeing criminals who carried out the attack.

Mr Uzuegbu, he said, has maintained that the police will not stop the operation in the area until they fish out and prosecute killers of the security operatives.

The police commissioner urged criminal members of the community who allegedly participated in the killing of the security operatives to surrender immediately.

Invasion: burning and looting of houses

Responding to the allegations of invasion of the community and burning of houses, the police chief said those pushing the narrative were attempting to misinform and mislead Nigerians.

He added that those circulating video clips and accusing the combined security operatives of burning and looting houses in the community should desist forthwith, but did not deny or confirm the allegation against the operatives.

ESN, not community members, carried out the attack.

Meanwhile, a leader in the community, Festus Okonkwo, told PREMIUM TIMES that some gunmen, suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network(ESN), the militant wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), attacked the security operatives.

IPOB is a group seeking the independent state of Biafra, which it wants to be carved out of the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

The attack (on the security operatives) happened at Ada Rice Production Nigeria Limited, a farm settlement about five miles away from the Igga Community. The people that usually stay at the farm settlement to fight invading Fulani herdsmen are ESN members, Mr Okonkwo, a former councillor for the community, said.

One of the people killed in the attack was from Igga.

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The past week was eventful in Nigerias south-east, where both shocking and sad events made headlines.

The attack and killing of four residents in Uzo-Uwani, Enugu State was among the top stories within the past week in the South-east.

The massacre of about 11 people, including a pregnant woman, in Ebonyi State was another top story in the week.

Here are the highlights of the top stories that made headlines in the region within the past week:

Many killed as suspected herders invade Enugu community

The week began on a sad note on Sunday 28 April when at least four people were killed by suspected herders who invaded Nimbo, a community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The hoodlums, on arrival in the community, opened fire on some residents who were mourning a deceased person in Ugwuijoro, a village in the Nimbo Community. The victim died instantly.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State would later visit the community and assure the residents that his administration would end herders attacks in the area.

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Mr Mbah equally announced a scholarship programme for children of those killed in the attack.

On their part, the police in Enugu State told the residents that they have ordered the deployment of police operatives to track down the killers.

The police said the operation would continue until their aim was achieved.

The latest incident highlights the urgent need for the Nigerian government to revisit the issues around anti-open grazing to solve the frequent friction between farming communities and nomadic herders in the country.

17 travellers killed in Enugu road crash

It was a tragic day last Tuesday when occupants of a Toyota Hummer Bus were burnt beyond recognition in a road accident.

The incident happened when the bus burst into flames after plunging into a fence along Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road in Ekwegbe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Sixteen occupants of the vehicle were initially confirmed dead after the incident, according to a statement by a police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, on Tuesday night.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said two passengers of the vehicle were rescued and being treated at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu.

But the Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Adeyemi Sokunbi, later confirmed that one of the hospitalised victims had died, bringing the death toll to 17.

Uzodinma appoints self as land commissioner, gives reason

Many Nigerians were shocked on Tuesday when Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State announced that he had appointed himself as the commissioner for lands, survey and physical planning in the state.

Mr Uzodinma explained that the decision to appoint himself to the position was because of the need to restore the confidence of the residents in the lands ministry in the state.

Ebonyi governor makes case for state police

The debate on the need for Nigeria to adopt state police continued last Wednesday with Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State outlining the reason the country should give the idea a trial.

Mr Nwifuru, while speaking on the need for state police, said Nigeria has grown to the extent that central policing will not make the desired impact in fighting insecurity.

The country has grown so large to an extent that central policing will not control crime. State policing will allow us to use people familiar with our terrain to combat crimes in our various communities, he said.

A bill which seeks to create state police is before the National Assembly.

In the last assembly, the bill was rejected by the lawmakers, who believed that state governors might abuse the state police if created.

But in the face of rising insecurity across the country and renewed calls from various groups, the bill appears to be receiving attention from lawmakers.

Security agencies kill suspected IPOB bomb expert  Official

Nigerian security agencies, last Friday, announced that they had killed a suspected bomb expert of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN) in Nigerias South-east.

The suspect was killed on Wednesday during a clearance operation by the security agencies at Orsu-Ihitteukwa, a community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, according to a statement by the spokesperson of the Nigerian army, Onyema Nwachukwu.

The army spokesperson said the security agencies intercepted the suspected IPOB/ESN members during the operation in the area.

Crackdown on suspected cultists in Anambra

The police in Anambra State, last Saturday, announced that they have arrested seven suspected cultists.

The arrested suspects were between the ages of 17 and 18.

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, said the suspects were arrested on Friday when some police operatives from the Special Anti-Cult Squad intercepted them along UNIZIK Junction in Awka, the state capital.

The latest development highlights how young people have taken to cultism in the state.

There has been an upsurge in cult-related attacks and killings lately in Awka.

Last Monday, Henry Mbachu, representing Awka South I in the Anambra House of Assembly, said that from Easter Sunday till date, 34 persons had been gunned down in Awka and its environs alone due to activities of cultists.

Mr Mbachu, a Labour Party lawmaker, said the situation is worrisome and hinted that he plans to hold a security summit within his constituency on 29 May.

One dead as security operatives raid Enugu community

It was another sad day on Saturday in the Igga Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu state where a combined security team comprising personnel of the Nigerian army and Nigeria Police Force allegedly invaded, and razed houses and other properties.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the combined security operatives invaded the community at about 10 p.m. and only left around 1 a.m. on Sunday.

One resident, identified as Richard Okoye, who was about 70 years old, died during the invasion.

It was not immediately clear why the combined security operatives carried out the operation in the area.

Both police and army spokespersons had initially refused to speak on the incident when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday evening.

However, the police in Enugu State would later suggest that the operation was carried out as part of the efforts to track down suspects who allegedly attacked and killed two police operatives and three members of a Neighborhood Watch Group in the community on Friday.

Daniel Ndukwe, the police spokesperson in the state, in a statement on Sunday night, claimed the slain operatives were among a joint security team providing security for a group of visiting investors from Lagos State on a tour of a proposed agricultural investment site in the area when they were ambushed and killed.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, quoted the Commissioner of Police in the state, Kanayo Uzuegbu, as asking those accusing the joint security team of burning houses in the community and looting shops to desist forthwith.

However, the police commissioner did not deny or confirm the allegations against the security operatives.

Meanwhile, a leader in the community, Festus Okonkwo, told PREMIUM TIMES that some gunmen, suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network, the militant wing of the IPOB, attacked the security operatives.

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The CEO of the Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, has highlighted how Nigerians can tackle rising unemployment and end the countrys economic hardship.

Nigerians have been battling severe economic hardship in recent times as prices of commodities continue to increase.

The countrys unemployment rate surged to 5.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 from 4.2 per cent in the previous quarter, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Addressing unemployment, economic hardship

Mrs Egerton-Idehen, an electronics engineer, said rising unemployment and biting economic hardship in the country can be tackled if Nigerians should utilise digital transformation and innovation.

Digital transformation is the use of digital technologies like robotics and the internet to transform existing traditional and non-digital business processes and services.

The NIGCOMSAT chief spoke while delivering the 20th Herbert Macaulay Memorial Lecture and Symposium at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu on Saturday.

The lecture, themed Harnessing Practical Engineering Solutions for Sustainable Economic Development, was organised by the Faculty of Engineering of the university.

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Mrs Egerton-Idehen noted that overreliance on crude oil in Nigeria had made the countrys economy vulnerable.

Nigeria, as we know, is a nation brimming with talent and potential, stands at a crossroads. While blessed with abundant natural resources, particularly oil, our economy remained heavily reliant on a single sector for over five decades, she said.

The guest lecturer urged Nigerians to embrace the digital transformation initiative to make Nigeria realise its potential, which according to her, will further enhance other sectors such AS financial institutions, trade; agriculture, manufacturing, construction; and real estate, among others.

There are many ways we can frame our road to diversification and non-dependence in the oil sector.

With our experience with ICT, we can safely assume we could reform, and impact various sectors driving economic growth through digital transformation, she said.

This could be done by addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities. Nigeria can leverage digital transformation as a powerful tool for economic diversification, job creation, and shared prosperity.

Emulate Estonia, Finland, others

Mrs Egerton-Idehen said Nigeria should emulate other countries, such as Estonia, Finland and Saudi Arabia, which have all transformed and diversified their economies by keying into digital skills to fight unemployment and boost their economies.

I have identified some countries that have successfully achieved economic diversification journeys by leveraging digital transformation. In some cases, countries like Estonia, Finland and Saudi Arabia have used ICT as part of broader reforms to reduce their dependence on a dominant sector or entrenched structure.

Economic diversification would not only fight off economic collapse in the global markets, but also help ease Nigerias unemployment problem, increase consumer spending, encourage investors, and prevent numerous other social problems, she said.

The NIGCOMSAT chief, however, acknowledged that a lack of educated workforce and capital could be a stumbling block for Nigeria in its diversification efforts.

VC speaks

The Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Charles Igwe, said Herbert Macaulay, one of the first Nigerian nationalists, used his opposition to many colonial policies to pave the way for the independence of Nigeria from Britain in 1960.

Mr Igwe, a professor, challenged engineers in the university to embrace digital transformation and also proffer immediate solutions to the energy crisis in the institution and the state.

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The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has welcomed Oluchukwu Owowoh, a second lieutenant, after she completed her training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK.

Mrs Tinubu, who noted the sterling performances of 24-year-old Miss Owowoh, said the officer is a good example of the great feats Nigerian youth can achieve.

Your determination and resilience are quite remarkable, and you are an inspiration to the youth of this country. As a woman, the first who has made a mark in a male-dominated field, I salute you.

You have the entire world ahead of you. This is just the beginning. You are now a reference point for all Nigerian youth. If you remain focused and positive, you will reach your goal in life, she said.

Mrs Tinubu, in a practical demonstration of celebrating the officer, requested all present, including the wife of the vice president, the wife of the speaker of the House of Representatives, wives of ministers, wives of service chiefs and members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, to give a standing ovation to Miss Owowoh.

I thank the Nigerian Army for giving 2nd Lt Owowoh the opportunity even in this male-dominated field. Thank you, she said.

In her remarks, the wife of the chief of Defence Staff, Oghogho Musa, pointed out that the training and graduation of Miss Owowoh is a testament to improved female inclusion in the country.

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The Commandant of the Nigeria Defence Academy, John Ochai, a major general, explained that Miss Owowoh was the best of the 200 selected cadets from the NDA.

He said the officer excelled in three areas earmarked which were Academics, Military Subjects and Physical Fitness.

She received the prestigious Sandhurst Medal after the likes of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Prince Willams of Wales and former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon.

Miss Owowoh has since been assigned to the Nigerian Military Intelligence unit on her return to the country.

SIGNED

Busola Kukoyi

SSA Media to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

6th of May, 2024

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The Nigerian government said on Monday that it has no plan to host foreign military bases within its borders.

Information Minister Mohammed Idris described as false alarms the suspicion among observers that the government was considering approving military bases for the US and France following their ejection from neighbouring Niger.

Putschists in Niger who carried out a military coup last year ordered both French and US troops to leave the West African country.

While France has since announced the withdrawal of its troops from Niger, the US has also withdrawn most of its troops.

There have since been concerns in Nigeria that the two Western powers were mounting pressure on Nigeria to host the bases.

The federal government is not in any such discussion with any foreign country. We have neither received nor are we considering any proposals from any country on the establishment of any foreign military bases in Nigeria, Mr Idris wrote in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES.

The Nigerian government already enjoys foreign cooperation in tackling ongoing security challenges, and the President remains committed to deepening these partnerships, with the goal of achieving the national security objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr Idris said.

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Neither the US nor France has publicly stated any plan to request Nigeria to host their military bases.

I havent seen any indication that the US intends to establish any significant military presence in Nigeria, Nathaniel Powell, a researcher on African Conflict, posted on X (formerly Twitter). The US is very hesitant about most military engagement with Nigeria to start with and is already deep into talks with Cote dIvoire, a much more US-compatable partner.

However, various groups and security experts have cautioned the Nigerian government to reject such requests.

Over the weekend, a group of northern leaders wrote an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, asking him to tread with caution over the alleged signing of a defence pact with the US or the French government.

Nigeria signing a defence pact with the United States of America will be a profound threat to the countrys sovereignty and independence, said Jibrin Ibrahim, a senior fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and one of the signatories to the open letter.

The idea of a foreign imperialist power having a military base where Nigeria has no right of access, where Nigeria cannot ask questions about who is it you are sending here, where, as the agreements they have done with other countries show, they cannot show to Nigeria or the receiving countries the equipment they are bringing into the country. We feel it is a threat to our sovereignty and independence as a nation, Mr Ibrahim said on Monday in an interview with Arise TV.

He added that Niger, which had a defence pact with the US, had sent the American troops for various reasons including the fact that they were not allowed to see the types of weapons that were being deployed and the drones that were being sent out from the bases in the country. He said that the Nigerien government did not know the composition of the weapons, or if there were nuclear materials inside, and they feared that these compositions could have an ecological impact.

Nigeria has history of rejecting US bases

In 2007, Nigeria rejected plans to host the US African military command, AFRICOM. The goal of the US militarys new Africa-wide command is to better protect Americas strategic interests in Africa and assist African countries with military training and conflict prevention.

But several African countries  including Libya and South Africa  joined Nigeria to express concern over AFRICOM on the continent. Many expressed reservations that the move could signal an expansion of US influence on the continent and may focus primarily on protecting American interests, particularly in petroleum and solid minerals.

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The Presidency has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of hypocrisy and distortion of facts on the award of contract for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

Atiku had on Sunday, in a statement, faulted the contract award for the construction of the highway, insisting that it lacked transparency.

He also said President Bola Tinubus son, Seyi, sits on the board of CDK, a subsidiary of Hitech Construction Company, which was awarded the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway contract.

Reacting to Atikus statement on Monday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the former Vice president has developed a reputation for distorting and manipulating facts for his self-serving objective of discrediting the current administration.

Mr Onanuga also admitted that Seyi is a member of the board of CDK, but said there was nothing wrong with it.

The fact that his father is now the President of Nigeria does not disqualify Seyi from pursuing legitimate business interests.

For the records, Seyi joined the Board of Directors of CDK in 2018, more than six years ago. He is representing the interest of an investor company, in which he has interest. He is not a board member because his father is a friend of the Chagourys. Information about owners and shareh, Mr Onanuga said.

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Read the full statement by the Presidency

STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT

ATIKU ABUBAKARS PENCHANT FOR DISTORTING FACTS

Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, is fast developing a reputation for distorting and manipulating facts for his self-serving objective of discrediting the current administration.

In his latest press statement, the defeated PDP presidential candidate made wild claims on a number of issues that need to be corrected so that the public will not be misled into accepting fallacies as the truth.

The President Bola Tinubu-led administration believes that every true and patriotic Nigerian, regardless of political differences, should work to promote the unity and economic well-being of the country and not delegitimise genuine efforts of the federal government to encourage local and foreign investments into the economy.

Contrary to Atikus claim, the Tinubu administration, within its first year, has attracted over $20 billion into the economy. While President Tinubu was in New Delhi, India for G20 Summit last year August, Indian business leaders committed over $14 billion in new investments. A substantial part of this sum is already in the country.

In an unmistakable vote of confidence in the economic reforms being executed by the Tinubu administration, foreign investment in Nigerias stock market has ballooned, from N18.12 billion in Q1 2023 to N93.37 billion in Q1 2024, an increase of 415%. The last time Nigeria saw such level of investment was in the first quarter of 2019, when N97.6 billion was invested. The market, since Tinubu came to power, has broken records and created more wealth for the investors.

During President Tinubus recent trip to The Netherlands, the Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, announced a fresh $ 250 million investment by Dutch businesses in Nigeria.

Different sectors of the economy, especially telecoms, manufacturing, solid minerals, oil and gas, e-commerce, and fintech, are attracting new Foreign Direct Investments from discerning investors who know Nigeria is a good market for bountiful returns.

We found it strange that Atiku could accuse President Tinubu of conflict of interest in the award of Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway to Hitech Construction Company which he claimed is owned by Chagoury family because the Presidents son, Seyi Tinubu, sits on the board of CDK, a tiles manufacturing company, based in Sagamu, Ogun State.

Nigerians should, by now, be well accustomed to Atikus hypocrisy on many national issues. Is it not amusing that the former vice president, a man who openly said he formed Intels Nigeria with an Italian businessman when he was serving in the Nigeria Customs Service, a clear breach of extant public service regulations, is now the one accusing someone else of conflict of interest?

When he was Vice President of Nigeria between 1999-2007, he maintained his business links with Intels that won major port concession deals.

Was this not an abuse of office, a flagrant violation of his oath, that a company where he was a co-owner won major government contracts and concessions when he was vice president?

As Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, he approved sales of over 145 State-owned enterprises to his known friends and associates and openly said during his failed campaign for the presidency last year that he would do the same, if elected.

It is important to state clearly that Seyi Tinubu is a 38 year-old adult who has a right to do business and pursue his business interests in Nigeria and anywhere in the world within the limits of the law. The fact that his father is now the President of Nigeria does not disqualify Seyi from pursuing legitimate business interests.

For the records, Seyi joined the Board of Directors of CDK in 2018, more than six years ago. He is representing the interest of an investor company, in which he has interest. He is not a board member because his father is a friend of the Chagourys. Information about owners and shareholders of CDK is a matter of public record that can be openly accessed from the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission and CDKs. Atiku and his proxy did not need a little-known journal to recycle open-source information to make a fallacious argument. The Chairman of CDK and the highest shareholder of the company is respected General TY Danjuma (rtd). The Chagourys are minority shareholders in the company, and only one member of the clan is on its five-man board.

We wonder how Seyis membership of the board of CDK conflicts with Hitech Construction Companys work on Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway.

Alhaji Atiku has been waging an unrelenting war against this all-important and transformative project for no justifiable reasons other than bad politics. Atiku knows that its grand success and other projects to be unfurled, such as the Badagry-Sokoto superhighway, will be a major boost for President Tinubu and finally upend his perennial presidential ambition.

If not blinded by political ill-will, Atiku knows that the right thing for him to do is to applaud President Tinubu for the ambitious and audacious Lagos-Calabar Highway, which was authorised by the Federal Executive Council.

It is important to remind Atiku that infrastructural projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway are used to galvanise the economy. In the US, President Joe Biden has used his $2 trillion bi-partisan infrastructure deal to revamp decaying American infrastructure and inject life into the US economy.

How can an elder-statesman be waging a campaign of calumny against the economic fortunes and prosperity of a country he wishes to govern or trying to scuttle a project that will bring prosperity to nine coastal states and the nation in general?

That Nigerias economy is being reclassified by the IMF as the fourth largest in Africa is stale news. This happened because of the devaluation of the Naira and President Tinubus determined effort to set the economy on the path of sustainable growth. Under the progressive, bold, inventive, and innovative leadership of President Tinubu, Nigeria will bounce back to where it rightfully belongs as Africas largest market and biggest economy.

The Tinubu administration targets a $1 trillion economy in the next few years, with audacious economic programmes and critical infrastructure projects in key sectors . With revenue rising in trillions and the creation of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, which is poised to raise over N20 trillion this year alone, we have no doubt that the $ 1 trillion economy is realisable.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy

May 6, 2024

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A dead church is founded on Satanic directions; God has no hand in it. The founder is specifically instructed by Satan to start the church to win souls for the devil. We have gotten many of these kinds of churches in Africa, Europe, and North America. For some of them in Africa, clear signs to watch out for are several incidences of sexual immorality, strange sicknesses and deaths of members, arrogance, and pride in leadership, and above all, several occultic practices that have no Biblical basis.

In his account of the destruction of a multi-billion-dollar church facility in Turkey called, Church of Holy Wisdom, Dr Erwin Lutzer reported that on the fateful day, soldiers fought their way into the church, killing all worshippers and destroying all religious icons and furnishings. The priests performing their duties were massacred. Churches and convents were ransacked, and nuns were raped.

In his book, The Fall of Constantinople, Dionysios Hatzopoulos also documented the account of how the Church of Holy Wisdom died:

The bells of the massive church rang mournfully, and singing hymns in Greek, Italian or Catalan, men, women, children, soldiers made peace with themselves, with God and eternity before being massacred.

Today, all the massive investments poured into the construction of the Church of the Holy Wisdom have been totally wasted and lost after the passing of ten generations. The Church of Holy Wisdom, though highly reputable in the eyes of men, died with the passing of time because the leaders took their eyes away from the real issues that keep a church alive and strong. They merely focused on the physical structure.

After building one of the worlds greatest cathedrals, the Church of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul, Turkey, Emperor Justinian, in his dedication speech in AD 537, shouted, Solomon, I have outdone you. Such was the grandeur of this colossal edifice, whose glory and splendour adorned the city of Constantinople for generations. It was the late Canadian prophecy scholar, Dr Grant Jeffrey, who described a generation as a period of a hundred years, meaning that the Church of Holy Wisdom, which was dedicated in AD 537, survived more than ten generations before it was desecrated, hijacked, and converted into a worship centre for some other religion from around 1453. This temple in todays currency sunk more than a billion dollars in construction costs.

The death of the Church of Holy Wisdom is a practical and peerless reminder of the vanity of money, affluence, and real estate as the exclusive means of securing the future of a local church.

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What Then Makes a Church Dead?

Let us look at what Jesus saw in the church in Sardis before calling it dead. Jesus said, And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things say He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. (Revelations 3:1).

1. A dead church is a one in which the overarching direction or focus is diametrically opposed to the overarching values of God in His word  the Bible. The leadership simply does what seems good to it, caring less about Gods will or Gods ways, as enshrined in the mission of Jesus and the Apostles. Jesus told the church in Sardis, I have not found your works perfect before God. Some translations say, your works dont meet Gods standards. Simply put, there is little or no alignment between what God wants and what the church is doing. This is a dead church, and our world is sadly filled with many of them.

If you think your church has most or some of these traits, you are in a dead church, and must get out of that place immediately. Do not fight the leadership. Do not attack anyone. Just get out immediately and be very honest that you are not making things up. We are not talking about a remote act of failure which can happen anywhere, but an environment totally given over to some or most of these traits. However, some people are in dead churches or in churches that are about to die and have been given a mandate from God to intercede for their churches.

Look at Jeremiah 3:15, where the Bible says, Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.

Look at the words, after my own heart, referring to alignment, synergy, and unity with God. This speaks to a situation where a church and its leaders have unalloyed commitment to standing by and with principles, doctrines, messages, and practices that align with Gods values. It was David who God used the same phrase for, a man after Gods heart. (Acts 13:22). Look at the context in which God used these words for David: And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.'

Consider the last words: who will do all my will. That is the key, doing all of Gods will, which is exactly what Jeremiah in Jeremiah 3:15 also meant by the words, after my own heart. A dead church is wired to avoid or cherry-pick the will of God. It does not care about the consequences of its doctrines and practices, as long as its empires, names, and brands are preserved. All right, let us look at the remaining attributes of a dead church.

2. A dead church preaches a false gospel that is directly opposite to Christ-centred teachings. It makes the scriptures say what it wants it to say, and no one is allowed to question this.

3. A dead church is founded on Satanic directions; God has no hand in it. The founder is specifically instructed by Satan to start the church to win souls for the devil. We have gotten many of these kinds of churches in Africa, Europe, and North America. For some of them in Africa, clear signs to watch out for are several incidences of sexual immorality, strange sicknesses and deaths of members, arrogance, and pride in leadership, and above all, several occultic practices that have no Biblical basis.

4. A dead church uses the members to solely serve the personal agenda and ambition of the leader or leaders. It is a world of servitude and an environment of Egypt. You enter with your marriage and come out single. You enter employed and come out a beggar.

5. A dead church promotes sin and never speaks against it. It is a lover of iniquity.

Here is the most important thing  only God has the prerogative for choosing churches and pastors. Make this a matter of prayer. We are in a terrible time. You must not choose your church solely on reputational factors. It is your responsibility to test the spirit behind the church you want to attend or are attending. John said: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1).

6. A dead church has zero or no love for people; it is caustic, acidic, adversarial, enemy-conscious and attack-oriented. Every error from members or associate pastors is punished severely with no mercy. Some of the leaders of these dead churches use the police and several law enforcement agents to harass members at the slightest provocation.

7. A dead church glorifies men, and never gives the smallest iota of glory to God. It is a world of my commission, my grace, my anointing, my money, and my sacrifices.

8. A dead church is a business enterprise, solely established to make money, build fame, and brand the names of the leaders.

9. A dead church works in perfect harmony with corrupt people and corrupt leaders in the culture, with absolutely no remorse of any kind.

The list is endless. If you think your church has most or some of these traits, you are in a dead church, and must get out of that place immediately. Do not fight the leadership. Do not attack anyone. Just get out immediately and be very honest that you are not making things up. We are not talking about a remote act of failure which can happen anywhere, but an environment totally given over to some or most of these traits. However, some people are in dead churches or in churches that are about to die and have been given a mandate from God to intercede for their churches.

If you have such a mandate from God, please obey and pray for your church to come alive. While doing so, you will be empowered in a way that will fortify you against any and every one of these evil vices, whilst you are praying for the resurrection of these churches. To the larger body of Christ, we all should also pray for the entire body of Christ as a matter of our daily prayer agenda. But most especially, we must also continue to pray for any church we think is dead based on all or some of the identified attributes.

Here is the most important thing  only God has the prerogative for choosing churches and pastors. Make this a matter of prayer. We are in a terrible time. You must not choose your church solely on reputational factors. It is your responsibility to test the spirit behind the church you want to attend or are attending. John said: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1).

Ayo Akerele is the senior Pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through ayoakerele@gmail.com

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A Kano State High Court Division of Appeal on Monday, fixed May 9, to hear a suit filed by a Kano cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara, who was sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy.

NAN reports that an Upper Sharia Court on 15 December 2022, sentenced Mr Abduljabbar to death by hanging for blasphemy.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel to the appellant, Sadiq Yusuf, requested N20 million cost against the Kano State Government for wasting the appellants time.

The state counsel, Bashir Saleh, objected to the appellants request, adding that he was served with the court processes in March 2024, not February.

He made an application for an extension of time and sought an adjournment.

NAN reports that the appellants counsel later withdrew the N20 million cost request.

The two-member panel, Justice Nasiru Saminu and Justice Aisha Mahmoud, adjourned the matter until 9 May, for hearing.

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The appellant committed the offence on 10 August, 25 October and 20 December 2019 while conducting his preachings at his two mosques.

The state said that Mr Kabara made a blasphemous comment against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his marriage with Nana Safiyya in hadith 1,365, 1,428, 2,326 and 5,120 Sahih-Bukhari and Muslim and posted it on his Facebook page Ashabul Kahfi.

The offence, the state said, contravened the provisions of sections 382(b) and 375 of Kano State Sharia Law 2000.

(NAN)

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Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State said his administration has put behind the political crisis in the state and was focusing on providing leadership and governance.

Any bad thing that has a beginning will have an end. So, that is why I said we dont have any problem. We have put that crisis behind us. We are looking ahead.

Mr Fubara stated this on Saturday in Government House, Port Harcourt, in a meeting with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, the spokesperson to the governor, Nelson Chukwudi, said the governor declared that there was no more issue of note as far as his administration and the people of the state were concerned.

Governor Fubara stated this against the political feud with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, which has persisted despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, who brokered a peace deal between them.

Mr Wike, now minister of FCT, played a pivotal role in the emergence of Mr Fubara as governor, but the two former allies later fell out as a result of disagreement over the control of political structure and governance in the oil-rich state.

The crisis prompted the resignation of two pro-Wike commissioners serving in Mr Fubaras cabinet in protest over their redeployment to other ministries.

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The crisis has also pitched the pro-Wike Rivers Assembly against Governor Fubara, leading to lawmakers dispensing with Mr Fubaras assent to bills.

But speaking at the meeting with the federal lawmakers, Mr Fubara said there was no more crisis in the state, saying he was focusing on governance.

Justifying his position, the governor told the lawmakers that the state government was now focusing on governance and had on Friday flagged off a N4 billion loan scheme to Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the state.

Governance is about touching the core needs of those we are leading, and by the special grace of God, we are doing it.

Yesterday, by the special grace of God, we observed the credit line of over 3,066 persons empowered. You can imagine what that will do for the economy of the masses and the State.

That is touching the lives of our people. It is not supporting them for selfish reasons. It is not giving contracts because I want somebody to fight somebody in my community. No. This is empowering the economy of the masses and the State.

Our focus is that, no matter what anybody is doing anywhere, we are not going to lose focus. We want to leave here better than we met it. And we want to leave here without fear, Governor Fubara said.

Lord is your strength  Committee chairperson

Speaking at the meeting, the Committee Chairperson, Mike Etaba, told Governor Fubara that their visit was triggered by a petition against some companies operating at the Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout by a non-governmental organisation in the state, Bridge Gap Initiative.

Mr Etaba said, These companies are Schlumberger, Halliburton, Coca Cola and International Breweries. We have met with these companies that could oblige us with their time.

We went round to look at the issues that made us come, especially the pollution of the water around Oginigba River. The companies were accused of discharging dangerous effluent into the river and polluting the environment. That is the reason we came, and we have finished our assignment.

The committee chairperson commended Mr Fubara for not allowing the political crisis in the state to degenerate into violent clashes.

Because you see, the battle of leadership comes from God Almighty. Nobody gives power. Power comes from God. If God uses any man to provide you with power, and that man arrogates power to himself, that man will be doing himself a disservice.

So far, you have carried yourself as a man with wisdom and dignity, and you are doing well. Dont be distracted; what you owe dearly is to hold unto God strongly.

The Lord is your strength, and you will succeed in every decision that you take. Ask Him for wisdom, He will direct you, Mr Etaba said.

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The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Monday said that the activities of illegal sand excavators around its transmission towers at Umelu community in Benin City in Edo State are a threat to its towers and operations.

The TCN disclosed this in a statement posted on its X handle on Monday.

Sand excavation is the expulsion of sand, usually from an open pit. This can also be mined from dunes and beaches and even dredged from rivers and ocean beds.

The company explained that the activities of excavators on this particular site have largely affected the integrity of Towers 15 and 16 at Umelu community.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has disclosed that the activities of illegal sand excavators around its transmission towers are a threat to its towers and operations.

Recently, while on routine patrol on B1T and B2T Benin-Onitsha 330kV transmission lines. The TCN lines patrol team discovered a violation of its transmission line Right of Way (RoW) by sand excavators.

The activities of excavators on this particular site have largely affected the integrity of Towers 15 and 16 at Umelu Community in Benin City, the company said.

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The TCN noted that such activities by sand excavators around its towers cause deep erosion, which affects the foundation of the towers and can lead to their collapse, causing power outages.

It said tower collapse can also threaten grid stability and, in addition, lead to loss of lives and property.

The GMT, Benin Region, Isaac Okpe, is working with the Edo State Government and the Department of State Security (DSS) in the state to end the menace, it said.

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Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State on Monday declared that there is no House of Assembly in the state, a statement that suggest the collapse of the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu.

Let me say it here, those group of men who claim that they are assembly members, they are not existing. I want it to be on record, Mr Fubara told a visiting delegation from Bayelsa State led by former Governor Seriake Dickson.

The delegation, which included political and traditional rulers from Bayelsa State, paid Governor Fubara a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.

This is contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by Chukwudi Nelson, the spokesperson to Governor Fubara.

The oil-rich Bayelsa State was carved out from the old Rivers State in 1996.

Rivers has been enmeshed in political crisis since October last year after some lawmakers backed by the immediate-past Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, attempted to impeach Mr Fubara.

The crisis steadily deteriorated till last December when President Tinubu brokered the peace between Mr Wike (now Minister of FCT) and Mr Fubara after the seats of 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT minister were declared vacant.

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Mr Fubara in the peace deal was asked to allow the pro-Wike lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant to return to the assembly with their rights and privileges restored, including conducting legislative business at a venue of their choice.

The lawmakers had since their restoration dispensed with Mr Fubara assent to bills in the state.

Speaking on Monday while receiving the visiting Bayelsa State delegation, Mr Fubara declared that the state has no house of assembly that he accepted the peace deal to give the lawmakers a floating.

I accepted that peace accord to give them a floating. Thats the truth. There is nothing in that peace accord that is a constitutional issue. It is a political solution to a problem. I accepted it because these are people that were visiting me and we were together in my house.

These are people that I have helped in many ways when I wasnt even a governor. Yes, we might have our disagreements, but I believe that one day, we could also come together. That was the reason I did it.

But I think it has gotten to a time when I need to make a statement on this thing, so that they understand that they are not existing. Their existence and whatever they have been doing is because I allowed them to do so. If I dont recognise them, they are nowhere, that is the truth, Governor Fubara said.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule and the Assembly spokesperson, Enemi George did not respond to request for comment on the matter at the time of filing this report.

Speaking further during the visit, Governor Fubara said, I want you to see the sacrifice I have made to allow peace to be in our State. I can say here, with all amount of boldness, I have never called any policeman anywhere to go and harass anybody.

I have never gone anywhere to ask anybody to do anything against anybody. But what happens to the people that are supporting me? They are being harassed, they are being arrested and detained. There is no week that somebody doesnt come here with one letter of invitation for trump-up charges and all those things.

I am saying all these because of what my senior said here: restrain. I dont think the other party has shown any restraint. I am the one that has shown restraint in the face of this crisis.

I am the one that is badly hit, even when I have all the government instruments to shake up the table. But, why will I do it? I believe that peace is the best relationship to cultivate.

Mr Fubara thanked the delegation for the solidarity visit to him and his Government, and added that there is no complete Rivers State without Bayelsa State and vice versa, which demands that they continue to work together for development.

We were separated because of political purposes to expand development, but we need to be united so that the economies of these two states will grow.

There is no need for us to have any argument over assets, there is no need for us to have disagreement over issue of who owns this or who doesnt own that.

One way or the other, we are even inter-related. That is the truth. So, there is no need for fight. Mr Fubara said.

What Dickson said

Speaking during the visit, Mr Dickson said their visit was one of solidarity with Governor Fubara and Rivers people who have shown maturity in the face of the political crisis for stability and development to thrive.

We will agree that no true brother or even good neighbour can stay unconcerned when the house of a brother or neighbour is on fire or have issue. Even if there is a small flame, a neighbour or a good brother should be concerned.

We have come here as your brothers and as good neighbours also. But also in our own right as Rivers people because this State is our Mother State.

And we are here to show support and solidarity with you, your Government, and most importantly, solidarise with the good people of this State.

We have also come with a message of peace and reconciliation, forgiveness, unity, mutual respect, political maturity and tolerance by all, Mr Dickson said.

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Gunmen have killed a traditional ruler in Ebonyi State, south-east Nigeria.

The victim, Umazi Ubani, is the traditional ruler of Umuihe Community in Akaeze, Ivo Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Ubani was killed when the hoodlums invaded the community on Friday.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that there were heavy shootings by the gunmen in the community during the invasion.

The development forced frightened residents of the community to scamper for safety.

The Coordinator of Akaeze Development Centre, Chinasa Okorie, confirmed the incident.

Mr Okorie condemned the killing of the monarch, stressing that it would be very difficult to get another traditional ruler of his kind.

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Around 10 p.m. last Friday, I received a call that there were shootings in the house of our traditional ruler. After the shootings, it was discovered that our traditional ruler had been killed. That is the traditional ruler of Umuihe Autonomous Community, Akaeze, HRH Eze Umazi Ibo Ubani, he said.

The community leader described the slain monarch, who was about 60 years old, as bold, fearless and intelligent. He said Mr Ubanis wealth of experience would be greatly missed by the community, the local government and the state.

He said only security agencies can say those behind the attack and killing.

Another leader from the community, Sinbad Ogbuatu, said the incident forced shop owners in a market around the community to shut down.

I have been calling everyone and nobody told me there was a crisis or problem in the community to warrant such an incident. Maybe when normalcy returns, we will know the cause of everything, Mr Ogbuatu stated.

Police speak

The police in Ebonyi State have confirmed the attack and killing of the monarch.

The police spokesperson in the state, Joshua Ukandu, said police operatives have launched a manhunt for the attackers.

Immediately we got a distress call on the incident, we swung into action and the assailants had already left the scene by the time our men moved to the scene. But we are trailing the assailants, Mr Ukandu, a deputy superintendent of police, said.

Not the first time

This is not the first time a monarch would be killed by gunmen in the South-eastern state which has witnessed growing insecurity in recent times.

On 27 February 2023, gunmen killed the traditional ruler of Umuezekoha Ezza North Local Government Area of the state.

The gunmen invaded his palace in the night and shot him dead.

Afterwards, three days to his burial, last month, some yet-to-be-identified arsonists burnt down his palace.

Earlier in June 2022, gunmen abducted the traditional ruler of Isuokoma Community in Onicha Local Government Area of the state.

The monarchs whereabouts remain known even after the abductors reportedly collected an unspecified amount of money as ransom.

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To facilitate the training of high-ranking government officials, efforts are in top gear to affiliate the Oba Sikiru Adetona College of Governance with the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, made the disclosure at the 90th birthday and 64th coronation anniversary thanksgiving of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, held at the Cathedral Church of Our Saviour, Ita-Olowajoda-Ijasi, Ijebu-Ode on Sunday.

He said Permanent Secretaries from the state would be the first to enrol to enable them to benefit from the college, which is the brainchild of the Awujale.

Mr Abiodun added that he sought and got the approval of President Bola Tinubu to grant the college the full status of a campus of the NIPSS.

I told Kabiyesi this morning that our Permanent Secretaries will be the first set of students at the Oba Sikiru Adetona College of Governance; they will be the first set to benefit from the Awujales initiative.

I have further made a case to President Tinubu to allow Babas School of Governance to become a campus of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, a request that he has graciously approved, he stated.

Mr Abiodun described Oba Adetona as a living legend and a phenomenon whose reign has been a monumental success and a pride to the entire Ijebuland and the state at large.

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

According to the governor, the monarch represented the beauty and candour of the ancestral heritage of the Ijebu people, emphasising that his passion for governance and accessible commitment to education led him to institute the Oba Sikiru Adetona Professorial Chair in Governance at the Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.

This initiative has led and given birth to the establishment of the world-class Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He also championed the Ijebu Development Board on poverty eradication that has become a model in the entire country, Abiodun noted.

In his sermon, titled, Serve the Lord with Gladness, Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Ephraim Ademowo, said Gods purpose for man was to serve Him unconditionally, noting that no man serves God faithfully without rewards.

Taking his text from Psalms 100 verse 2, Mr Ademowo regretted that though God put people in places of authority to serve, most Nigerians did not see themselves as servants once they assumed leadership positions.

He called for a change of heart to move the nation forward. He also called for national rebirth beginning from the family, saying this would reposition the country and restore its lost glory.

The cleric described Oba Adetona as a unifier, a colossus and a Solomon of our time, who used the palace to unite all Ijebu sons and daughters irrespective of their political or religious lineage.

The Awujale, Mr Ademowo noted, was a mentor and enabler whose life is full of monumental achievements in his 64 years on the throne, noting that he had touched many lives through endowment programmes.

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Halal Economy Leadership Forum 2024 (HELF 2024) held recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, set the stage for a momentous gathering of industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to advance discussions on the Halal Economya vital cornerstone of global commerce. Hosted jointly by the Halal Development Corporation (HDC), the Halal Products Development Company (HPDC), and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the event featured the significance of fostering collaboration and driving innovation in the halal industry.

Halal Economy Leadership Forum 2024 Riyadh: IsDB, HPDC and HDCs Collaboration to Spearhead Innovation for Global Halal Industry

The forum was attended by His Excellency Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, representing Malaysia's Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, The Hon. Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. Also attended were President of IsDB, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, Mr. Fahad S. AlNuhait, Chief Executive Officer of HPDC and Chairman of HDC, Mr. Khairul Azwan Harun. This line-up showed the shared commitment of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia towards advancing the principles and values of the Halal Economy.

The Halal Economy, rooted in Islamic ethics and jurisprudence, spans across diverse industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, finance, and tourism, offering vast opportunities for economic growth and sustainable development. Malaysia, a global leader in the halal industry, has positioned itself as a hub for halal excellence through strategic initiatives and partnerships, facilitating trade and investment between the East and the West.

This strategic partnership aims to leverage the collective expertise and resources of the organizations involved to drive innovation, facilitate trade, and promote economic development within the halal industry across 57 Member Countries and Non-member Countries.

Quoting Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul's speech read by H.E Datuk Wan Zaidi, he emphasized the importance of collaboration in advancing the halal economy, stating, "This tripartite collaboration signifies a significant step forward in our efforts to strengthen the halal ecosystem and promote inclusive economic growth among IsDB Member Countries and beyond."

Part of the HELF 2024, a Business-to-Business (B2B) networking session hosted by the HPDC was held for the Malaysian delegates. Both the B2B and HELF 2024 managed to achieve its target to help the industry players gain insights and acquire knowledge on Halal, as well as sourcing or securing new strategic partnerships for businesses. Among the countries that show interest in getting HDC's expertise are Nigeria, Pakistan, Mauritius, Morocco, Rwanda, and South Africa.

The outcome of this collaboration is to offer IsDB Member Countries and non-member countries the best solutions in the Halal Ecosystem Development & Enablement. This includes utilizing financial instruments available to address intra-trade deficits and capitalize on potential markets. The forum also outlines joint efforts to develop a high-quality halal products ecosystem and analyze successful halal ecosystem models and market solutions.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2404960/HELF_2024.jpg
NAVI MUMBAI, India, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IRIS Business Services (BSE: 540735), a leading provider of innovative regulatory reporting software solutions, proudly announces the launch of 'IRIS Myeinvois', a cutting-edge Software as a Service (SaaS) platform designed to streamline e-Invoice compliance for taxpayers in Malaysia.

As per the mandate set forth by Malaysia's tax regulator, Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN), businesses are required to adopt electronic invoicing for tax compliance. In response to this regulatory requirement, IRIS Myeinvois offers a comprehensive solution that empowers businesses to achieve e-Invoice compliance effortlessly.

The hallmark feature of IRIS Myeinvois is its capability to seamlessly transform data from diverse source systems into the prescribed format for e-Invoice generation. This functionality not only simplifies the compliance process but also enhances efficiency by eliminating manual data entry errors.

Furthermore, IRIS Myeinvois provides users with flexible connectivity options, including API integration, file-based SFTP integration, manual file uploads, and direct manual entries via the intuitive portal interface. This versatility ensures that businesses of all sizes and technological capabilities can easily leverage the platform to meet their e-Invoice compliance obligations.

In addition to its core functionality, IRIS Myeinvois offers a range of value-added features to enhance user experience and maximize productivity. Customizable invoice templates enable businesses to tailor their invoices according to their branding and specific requirements. Real-time alerts ensure timely notifications for important events and deadlines, enabling proactive compliance management. Moreover, robust analytics capabilities provide valuable insights into invoicing trends and patterns, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions.

"We are thrilled to introduce IRIS Myeinvois to the Malaysian market," said Gautam Mahanti, Business Head at IRIS Business Services. "With its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and seamless integration capabilities, IRIS Myeinvois is poised to revolutionize e-Invoice compliance for businesses across Malaysia."

About IRIS Business Services

IRIS Business Services is at the forefront of solutions for regulatory reporting and compliance, trusted by over 30 regulators, 6000+ enterprises, in 52 countries.

The tax technology division of IRIS, IRIS Tax Tech, aids businesses in fulfilling their GST compliance obligations and in processing e-invoices by serving over 1500 companies in India, generating over 3 mn e-Invoices every month.

Additionally, it is appointed by the Indian government as an Invoice Registration Portal (IRP) for companies to meet the e-invoicing mandate.

For more information visit - www.irisbusiness.com.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2404308/IRIS_Business_Services_Logo.jpg
Combining world-class industrially proven technology with fermentation capacity, 21st.BIO helps customers get to scale faster, in a risk-mitigated and cost-effective way.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, was onsite to inaugurate the pilot facility, along a hundred other guests from the financial, political, and bio industrial sectors.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark and DAVIS, Calif., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 21st.BIO unveiled a new pilot plant facility in its Danish headquarters, designed to support companies upscale their bioproduction.

21st.BIO provides services ranging from strain construction to industrial production upscaling to customers worldwide. Combining world-class industrially proven technology with fermentation capacity, the company will help customers get to scale faster, in a risk-mitigated and cost-effective way.

Why do we need pilot facilities? Upscaling mistakes cost a lot of money and time

"In this industry, upscaling mistakes cost a lot of money and time," explains Thomas Schmidt, co-founder, and CEO at 21st.BIO. "For our customers, it's all about getting the next step right. The ability to increase productivity when also moving up in scale is what distinguishes good from great."

21st.BIO offers this pilot facility to the market to facilitate and accelerate the step between internal lab-scale fermentation and large-scale production. 21st.BIO's pilot construction and deep experience are ideal to define the important parameters and equipment needed for optimal large-scale production of proteins via fermentation. This will, on top of the best fermentation protocols, for example also help customers select the best CMO for individual project needs and limit the risk of costly failures.

21st.BIO's pilot facility is designed for industrial production upscaling

The facility and all processing equipment are state-of-the-art, with much equipment designed for 21st.BIO.

"Our goal with this pilot was to build a mini factory, to best prepare customers for large scale industrial production. We therefore wanted the process equipment to mimic what customers will find in their next step with large-scale biomanufacturing  only downsized to a pilot scale," explains Thorvald Ullum, Chief Technology Officer at 21st.BIO. He adds, "Our customers work alongside our experts in the pilot plant to test various process aspects as well as build skills and confidence for their own large-scale production."

With over 3000 liters of fermentation capacity, the facility offers a full range of capabilities, equipment, and competences to help customers optimize their own specific processes. The pilot plant is focused on scaling up the production of recombinant proteins and peptides with applications in nutrition, food and beverages, agriculture, biomaterials, and biopharma.

The pilot plant is designed to enable strong collaboration between 21st.BIO and customer teams during scaling. The facility is strategically located in the same building as the company's strain development laboratories, allowing for joint work on further improving the customers' production strains and fermentation processes.

21st.BIO's pilot welcomes established industry leaders in ingredient manufacturing as well as early-stage startups.

The global race for biosolutions is on

Home to precision fermentation pioneers such as Novo Nordisk and Novonesis, Denmark is a natural leader in bioproduction. According to a McKinsey report, it is estimated that about 60% of the input to the global economy could over time be produced using biology. Because of this potential, many countries are investing massively in biomanufacturing technology to produce high quality nutrition and biomaterials locally in a time of climate and geo-political uncertainties.

Europe has an opportunity to bring this leading technology and know-how to benefit the world. Therefore, 21st.BIO's grand opening began with an exclusive roundtable, where twenty C-level participants from the political, financial, and industrial horizons had a lunch conversation over EU countries' leadership in the industrial scaling of biomanufacturing.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, attended the event and underlined the high potential of the biotech sector to address key challenges ranging from ensuring sustainability to stabilising global food chains. She emphasised Europe's leadership in science, while acknowledging that taking science to markets is often hindered by lack of sufficient funding, long regulatory procedures, and a reduced talent pool. She also called for cooperation between policy makers and industry players to ensure that policies are designed while taking into account the industry's lessons learnt.

Earlier in March, the European Commission presented its "Communication on Biotech and Biomanufacturing" and with that a series of actions to boost the sector in the EU. This includes working towards simplified regulatory framework and faster access to market, better support for scale-up, a fairer comparison with fossil-based products, and the encouragement for more investments to go into biotechnologies and biomanufacturing in the coming years.

As Margrethe Vestager said during the press conference, "Europe cannot just be the cradle for new solutions, what is born here should also grow up and stay here."

Ambitions for enabling the building of large-scale protein facilities across the world

21st.BIO founders saw that too often; great bio innovations and molecules fail to translate into commercial success. The molecule innovation is ready and exciting, the market is there, but production costs most often have remained too high for the products to go mainstream and hence have real relevance for the world.

A recent report by Boston Consulting Group highlighted that three parameters were key to get down the cost of bioproducts: Production strains designed for scale, mega scale factories of over two million liters capacity, and mass market demand. This is what 21st.BIO is all about.

21st.BIO is now making the most advanced and most productive production technology and know-how available to innovators in industrial biotech as well as global food majors for bulk products to be produced via fermentation. The pilot facility will support customers' journey from the lab to large scale manufacturing, but the journey towards industrial biomanufacturing does not stop there. During the inauguration, senior leaders from key players of the financial, political, and industrial sectors participated in a roundtable discussion on what it will take to start building the first large-scale protein factories with all the benefits of industrial manufacturing to cost and efficiency.

Notes for editors

About 21st.BIO

Founded in 2020, 21st.BIO is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has a world-class R&D team as well as laboratories in both Copenhagen, Denmark and Davis, California. On a mission to support bio industrial companies globally in upscaling from molecule innovation to large-scale production, 21st.BIO enables its customers to meet market demands, and thereby advance the green transition globally. 21st.BIO focuses on developing industrial production technology for proteins and other molecules of interest for food, materials, and agricultural industries. Established as a fully integrated end-to-end partner, 21st.BIO supports its customers from technical assessment, strain development and optimization, production processes and upscaling, tech transfer to large scale manufacturing and regulatory services.

21st.BIO was founded with one simple mission: to make industrial scale precision fermentation technology accessible to as many as possible, so companies can successfully take their biotech innovations to market at a competitive price.

21st.BIO's fermentation technology is in part licensed from Novonesis, who has developed their platform over several decades. Novonesis is a global leader in enzymes and proteins for high value products in food, household care, and agriculture, with a market value of approximately 6 billion USD.

For more information about 21st.BIO, visit: https://21st.bio/

For more information about 21st.BIO's pilot plant, visit: https://21st.bio/pilot-plant-bioproduction/

To receive pictures of the day or to set up an exclusive interview, contact us directly.

Press contact:

Mathilde Pinon

Marketing & Business Development Manager

+4531543184

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/21st-bio/r/21st-bio-unveils-a-new-pilot-plant-facility-to-accelerate-impact-of-biotech-innovations-globally,c3973722

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/22992/3973722/2779103.pdf Press release (PDF)

SOURCE 21st.Bio
The 100% Puerto Rican company invested multimillion dollars to expand and strengthen the network.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The telecom company AeroNet Wireless announced the launch of its new 10Gbps speed Internet plan, marking an important landmark for the telecommunications sector in Puerto Rico. "We have invested millions to expand and strengthen our network, demonstrating our commitment to launching Puerto Rico to the next level of connectivity and Internet services. Our new 10Gbps plan is the first of its kind on the island, and we are confident that it will position AeroNet and Puerto Rico's telecommunications industry as a force to be reckoned with nationwide," said AeroNet's President and Founder, Gino Villarini, at an event held at Parallel 18 facilities, in San Juan.

Gino Villarini, founder and president of AeroNet, performs a speed test of the new AeroFiberXG with Teremarih Rivera, Account Executive, and Luis Cintron, Senior Network Engineer. Gino Villarini, founder and president of AeroNet, at the launch of AeroFiberXG.

The new 10Gbps speed service exemplifies a statement of ambition by AeroNet to lead the way with innovation through the latest technology in the telecommunications business on the island. The launch of AeroFiber 10Gbps Nex-Gen represents a leap in business connection speed, as 10 Gbps equals 10,000 Mbps (megabits per second). "This means an exceptional data transfer capacity that allows the realization of complex tasks and the execution of advanced applications at an unprecedented speed. To grasp the magnitude of this speed, AeroFiber 10Gbps is 100 times faster than conventional internet connections," explained Villarini during the launch of the new service.

According to the telecommunications businessman, the innovative service is designed to meet the growing demands of the commercial sector, offering a connection that drives efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. This aims to ensure that businesses in Puerto Rico have access to a robust network capable of meeting the challenges of the digital age. "AeroNet is the only hybrid provider in Puerto Rico that offers the service through fiber optic and microwave. The service is available throughout the island, including Vieques and Culebra," he added.

AeroNet has designed a highly competitive pricing scale to make its new 10Gbps service affordable for the entire commercial sector, seeking to transform how businesses operate and compete. "We not only ensure an ultra-fast connection; we support every interaction with a highly trained and professional technical support team, enhancing productivity and peace of mind for our customers for a seamless service experience."

About AeroNet

AeroNet is a renowned Internet Service Provider in Puerto Rico, USVI, and South Florida that provides an extensive range of services ranging from Internet access, data & VPNs to managed services and customized solutions. The company's core focus is to provide the most reliable and affordable high-performance internet connection to businesses of any size and type. To learn more about AeroNet Wireless, visit www.aeronetpr.com.

Contact:

Meredith Lugo

(787) 692-6589

[email protected]

SOURCE AeroNet Wireless Broadband
NEW YORK, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the bustling streets of Manhattan and its surrounding areas, Alpine Limousine Service, Inc. is setting a new standard for luxury transportation with its comprehensive suite of services designed to cater to the discerning traveler. With a rich history of excellence and a dedication to unparalleled customer satisfaction, Alpine is redefining what it means to travel in style and comfort. Whether it's the glitz of a limo service in Manhattan, the seamless ease of airport concierge services, the professionalism of corporate transportation, or the exclusive privacy of private car service, Alpine ensures every journey is memorable.

Alpine Limousine Alpine Limousine

Alpine Limousine, a name synonymous with luxury and precision, takes pride in its bespoke transportation solutions that span from the heart of New York City to the far reaches of international travel. Known for its fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles paired with a team of professional chauffeurs, Alpine offers an array of luxury transportation services tailored to meet the needs of its esteemed clientele. Alpine Limousine Service not only provides elegant rides to individuals, but they also work with groups to ensure your whole party arrives anywhere in New York in class. Whether you're looking for an Escalade, a Sprinter van, or anything in between, Alpine Limousine has you covered. Learn more about Alpine Limousine Service at alpinelimousinenyc.com .

The core of Alpine's offerings lies in its meticulously designed services, each crafted to level up the typical travel experience to offer a bit of class to each trip. Their luxury transportation services stand as a statement of elegance and an embodiment of the city's dynamic spirit. For travelers navigating the complexities of air travel, Alpine's airport concierge services represent a sanctuary of efficiency and calm, ensuring every aspect of the journey, from check-in to boarding, is handled with expert care. Corporate clients will find a reliable partner in Alpine's corporate transportation services, which are engineered to facilitate seamless transfers for business engagements, reflecting professionalism and sophistication. Meanwhile, their private car service is the pinnacle of personalized, discreet travel, offering an oasis of comfort in the hustle and bustle of urban and international travel.

Alpine Limousine's commitment to excellence extends beyond the roads and runways. The company's innovative approach to customer service includes a 24/7/365 availability for bookings and inquiries, real-time tracking of travel itineraries, and personalized attention to detail, which is rare in the fast-paced travel industry. With over two and half decades of experience, Alpine has mastered the art of curating travel experiences that are not only luxurious but also efficient, productive, and cost-effective.

Alpine Limousine Service, Inc. invites every traveler to elevate their transportation expectations and embrace the luxury, convenience, and reliability that come with its premier services. From the vibrant streets of Manhattan to the global stage, Alpine is ready to transform your journey into an unparalleled experience of comfort and style. Experience the difference with Alpine's limo service in Manhattan, airport concierge services, corporate transportation, and exclusive private car service. Let Alpine Limousine be your guide to a world of exquisite travel solutions where every journey is crafted with excellence and every destination is reached with grace.

About Alpine Limousine Service, Inc.:

Alpine Limousine Service, Inc., serving New York City and surrounding areas, is a leader in luxury transportation services. For over 25 years, Alpine has been dedicated to providing sophisticated, tailored travel solutions with a fleet of luxurious vehicles and professional chauffeurs. Catering to individual, group, and corporate clients alike, Alpine Limousine is committed to redefining elegance and sophistication in transportation, ensuring every journey is impeccable, comfortable, and uniquely tailored to the client's preferences.

Contact Information

Name: Brittany Avisha

Email: [email protected]

Phone Number: (800) 868-8678

SOURCE Alpine Limousine
In 2023, Assets Under Management Rose by 12% to Nearly $120 Trillion , but Profits Fell by 8.1%

, but Profits Fell by 8.1% 72% of Asset Managers Think That Generative AI Will Have Significant or Transformative Impact, but Only 16% Have Fully Defined a Strategy

BOSTON, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global asset management industry bounced back in 2023. The industry's total assets under management (AuM) rose to nearly $120 trillion, an increase of 12% over 2022, a year that saw AuM plummet by 9%.

All parts of the world participated in the 2023 recovery. AuM growth ranged from 16% in North America to 5% in Asia-Pacific markets, excluding Japan and Australia. However, this impressive growth only serves to mask the industry's underlying vulnerability.

The asset management industry's revenues increased by just 0.2% in 2023, while costs rose by 4.3% for the year. With these two opposing forces at play, profits declined by 8.1%. This is according to Boston Consulting Group's 22nd edition of the Global Asset Management Report, AI and the Next Wave of Transformation, released today.

"The structural challenges facing the industry will only continue to grow," says Dean Frankle, a managing director and partner at BCG, and coauthor of the report. "To remain competitive, asset managers will need to seize the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence and double down on investing in enhanced productivity, product personalization, and the opportunity of private markets."

An Industry Under Pressure

Five fundamental pressures pose structural challenges for asset managers and show no sign of subsiding.

Revenue pressure continues. Asset managers cannot rely on market performance to drive revenue growth in the future to the same extent that they have in the past. Since 2005, almost 90% of the industry's revenue growth has come from market appreciation.

Passive funds are increasingly popular. Passive products continue to capture the lion's share of net flows. In 2023, passive products attracted 70% of total global mutual fund and exchange-traded fund net flows (about $920 billion). That was a sharp rise compared with the period from 2019 through 2022, when 57% of net flows went into passive products.

Fee compression is accelerating. Similarly, the pressure on fees showed no signs of reversing in 2023. The average fee in 2023 was 22 basis points (bps), down from 25 bps in 2015 and 26 bps in 2010.

Costs are rising. Costs continued on an upward trajectory. In fact, costs have increased by about 80% since 2010 at a compound annual growth rate of 5%.

Fewer new products are surviving despite attempts at innovation. Despite asset managers' continuing efforts to develop new offerings, many have not been successful. In fact, only 37% of all mutual funds launched in 2013 still existed by 2023.

A Well-Executed AI Strategy Can Drive Growth

To assess where asset managers are on their AI journey, BCG, in partnership with the Investment Company Institute (ICI) and the CFA Institute, conducted a global survey of asset managers in the first quarter of 2024 that focused on the elements of generative AI (GenAI) adoption. Our benchmark includes 57 asset managers representing more than $15 trillion in AuM.

Among the key findings:

72% think that GenAI will have a significant or transformative impact on their organization within the next three to five years

66% have made GenAI a strategic priority for their business

75% are actively dedicating capital and human resources for GenAI deployment in the short term, with 29% committing a significant portion of their innovation budget

Only 16% have fully defined a strategy and are working on implementing it throughout the business

"Generative AI opens up tremendous potential for innovation within the asset management industry," says Peter Czerepak, a managing director and senior partner at BCG, and coauthor of the report. "Achieving results will require strategic thinking and the ability to execute at scale. With traditional sources of growth slowing down, it's imperative for firms to move forward on this journey."

Download the publication here: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2024/ai-next-wave-of-transformation

Media Contact:

Eric Gregoire

+1 617 850 3783

[email protected]

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) today announced it will participate in the BofA Securities 2024 Health Care Conference being held in Las Vegas May 14-16, 2024.

Encompass Health's President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Tarr and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Doug Coltharp will present during a fireside chat on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 3 p.m. PT.

The presentation will be webcast live and available at http://investor.encompasshealth.com.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 160 hospitals in 37 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contact

Polly Manuel | 205 970-5912

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact

Mark Miller | 205 970-5860

[email protected]

SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) will bring together investors from around the world in San Jose, as part of the first edition of the FDI Summit, which will take place between June 11 and 12, at the Convention Center.

The event will allow for two days of immersion in the country, with the aim of allowing companies to learn first-hand about investment opportunities in Costa Rica, the tax incentive system and the capabilities of Costa Rican talent.

Beautiful aerial view of the Metropolitan Central Park La Sabana in Costa Rica

The FDI Summit is focused on the country's strategic sectors such as agribusiness, light and advanced manufacturing, life sciences, corporate services, digital technologies, semiconductors and tourism infrastructure. This diversification of sectors seeks to guarantee investment opportunities in all regions of the country.

Laura Lopez, General Manager of PROCOMER, stressed that the FDI Summit represents a strategic platform for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Costa Rica. "Our nation offers an environment conducive to foreign investment thanks to the solid value proposition, made up of factors highly recognized worldwide such as sustainability, political stability and geographic location, the incentives of the free zone regime, highly specialized human talent, legal security, as well as a robust ecosystem of local suppliers. These conditions, as well as the support of an institution like PROCOMER in 100% of the establishment and post-establishment processes, make Costa Rica a leading destination for investment and that is what we are going to show at the FDI Summit."

In addition to increasing the positioning of Costa Rica (where more than 400 multinationals already operate), another objective of the FDI Summit is to share international trends in foreign direct investment and the opportunities offered by Costa Rica in this line, for established companies that want to grow even more in the country.

The event will offer a comprehensive experience, both for companies already established in the country and for potential investors, during two days of face-to-face business in Costa Rica. This will include sessions on the local business environment, field visits and tours to business parks, personalized agendas and individual meetings with investors, personalized support and talks with international speakers about the global context of FDI.

Costa Rica is a strategic partner for investment companies, being a country synonymous with stability as it is the oldest democracy in the region. 75 years ago, it made the decision to abolish the military and invest in peace, education, and health.

Lopez added that in less than 40 years these types of decisions made Costa Rica diversify its export matrix and become the main per capita exporter of medical devices throughout the continent. Likewise, Costa Rica has established itself as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment, ranking first worldwide in Greenfield investment attraction.

Recently, the US government placed Costa Rica in a prominent position globally by announcing it as the first beneficiary country of the Chips & Science Act, which aims to explore opportunities to diversify and grow the global semiconductor ecosystem, as well as create a transparent, safe and sustainable global value chain. Therefore, the government of Costa Rica launched the Semiconductor Roadmap, the focus of which lies across four axes: talent, incentives, investment attraction and regulatory improvement.

For more information and registration for the FDI Summit, go to Event - Investment - PROCOMER (investincr.com).

About Costa Rica

In 2023, Costa Rica reached a record in foreign direct investment (FDI) flows by registering an inflow of $3,921 billion, exceeding by 131% the estimated goal for that year of $3 billion; an amount that is also 24% higher than that registered in 2022.

This Central American nation stands out as an excellent investment destination due to factors such as:

Political stability that ensures a safe environment for investments. More than 75 years ago it abolished the army, and invests 7% of GDP in education and 8% in health.

Since 1990, it has had a free zone regime with attractive tax incentives for companies that invest.

Specialized human talent. Costa Rican software developers are among the best in the world, and Costa Rica ranks 2nd in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (2021).

ranks 2nd in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (2021). Strategic location with easy connectivity to the world's main markets, with direct flights to the US and Europe , free trade agreements with more than 50 countries and 16 bilateral investment treaties. It is also a member of the WTO and the OECD.

, free trade agreements with more than 50 countries and 16 bilateral investment treaties. It is also a member of the WTO and the OECD. It offers first-rate support for companies to invest: a solid institution like PROCOMER that provides support in all processes. As well as law, accounting and real estate firms; state-of-the-art business parks and a wide ecosystem of local suppliers,

Costa Rica has the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world relative to the size of its economy, according to the Greenfield FDI Performance Index prepared by fDi Intelligence.

All these and other factors have made the Greenfield FDI Performance Index, by fDi Intelligence, place Costa Rica as the country that attracts the most FDI in relation to its GDP.

CONTACT: Ofelia Fernandez Valverde,[email protected]; Esteban Chaves Trejos,[email protected]

SOURCE Promotora del Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica
Brewery will Supplement Canadian Supply of Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light for New York and Pennsylvania to Meet Demand

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FIFCO USA, parent-company of the Genesee Brewery and Labatt USA, recently announced plans to invest $50 million over three years to create a world-class packaging facility, as well as add capabilities and capacity for innovation to attract new contract manufacturing clients and supplement the Canadian supply of Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light. Earlier today, New York state announced a $7 million capital grant through Empire State Development to support the project.

"Demand for Labatt Blue and Labatt Blue Light beer has outpaced our supply from Canada. Last year, we began working to develop a plan to continue modernizing our Rochester brewery while building its capacity to accommodate more volume," said Piotr Jurjewicz, CEO, FIFCO USA. "We're transforming our canning and innovation capabilities, adding tanks and upgrading equipment to grow our business and create a more efficient and sustainable operation."

Along with its own brands, the brewery produces alcoholic beverages for a variety of leading companies across the U.S. Over the last 15 years, the Genesee Brewery has undergone $215 million in modernization and upgrades, including the installation of a world-class brewing system in 2018. The recent project is phase two of a company plan to modernize the brewery and position it for long-term growth in a competitive industry.

"New York state's commitment to our brewery cemented our decision to invest $50 million to modernize and expand our capabilities," said Jurjewicz. "On behalf of hundreds of local employees, we're thankful for Governor Hochul's support and we are excited about the next chapter of our storied history."

About Brewing Labatt Blue and Blue Light in Rochester

Kevin Hryclik, Labatt USA Brewmaster in Canada, worked with the Rochester Brewing Team to ensure a perfect match. Hryclik, a 40-year Labatt employee, said consistency is key when brewing in multiple locations.

"We have done extensive taste and sensory testing to ensure we deliver the same great taste and quality standards," said Hryclik. "It's typical to brew in multiple locations. It comes down to using the same recipe and sourcing the same raw ingredients to maintain the brand's distinctive flavor."

The first shipments of select packages of Labatt Blue and Blue Light beer leave the brewery today for distribution in New York and Pennsylvania.

About FIFCO USA

FIFCO USA, headquartered in Rochester, New York, is among the top brewers in the U.S. FIFCO USA's portfolio includes Seagram's Escapes, Lipton Hard Iced Tea, Labatt USA, Genesee Brewing Company, and Magic Hat. FIFCO USA also brews beer and alcoholic beverages on behalf of other companies. For more information: https://www.fifcousa.com/

Always enjoy FIFCO USA beverages responsibly.

Media Contact: Mary Beth Popp, 716-864-5315, [email protected]

SOURCE Fifco
This is the first city partnership in CMTA history.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) and the City of Fremont's Economic Development Department are entering a private-public partnership to increase the visibility of the City's brand and profile statewide  supporting Fremont's manufacturing sector and economy.

Fremont is home to 900 manufacturers, supporting nearly 60,000 jobs. With more than one in every three jobs in the city in manufacturing, Fremont is rightfully nicknamed "The Hardware Side of the Bay."

City of Fremont

"This unique collaboration marks a significant milestone in our commitment to driving economic prosperity and fostering innovation with our manufacturers," said Lance Hastings, CEO & President of CMTA. "Fremont's vibrant manufacturing landscape is evident to anyone driving through on any given day. Manufacturing is the foundation of our economy. Together, we're forging a path toward innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth."

Fremont has a diverse manufacturing ecosystem that reaches top sectors, including biomedical manufacturing, battery R&D and manufacturing, cleantech, robotics, autonomous vehicles R&D and manufacturing, and semiconductor equipment manufacturing.

"Fremont serves as the foundry for Silicon Valley, where companies making physical technologies come to scale," said Donovan Lazaro, Economic Development Director for the City of Fremont. "With more manufacturing jobs than anywhere else in the State, it makes perfect sense to join many of our companies and our Chamber who are already CMTA members and become a member ourselves. We look forward to collaborating with CMTA to bring greater awareness and resources to this vital sector and advancing California manufacturing."

While much of the Bay Area saw a rapid decline in office workers during the pandemic, Fremont experienced a venture capital boom in the life sciences sector and many of the city's workers held essential roles in manufacturing.

"I am immensely proud to lead a city that not only spearheads advanced manufacturing but also holds a prominent position within Silicon Valley and our national economy," said Fremont Mayor Lily Mei. "Fremont has become a thriving hub that champions innovation, propels job growth, and actively contributes to reshoring manufacturing companies. The City's impact on the national level as a leader in made-in-America manufacturing is a testament to our city's and my unwavering dedication and transformative potential to the industry."

CMTA Board Member company Boehringer Ingelheim's only U.S. biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility is in Fremont. With a workforce of over 500 individuals, it handles development and manufacturing from small-scale to commercial levels and continues to make major investments in its Fremont GMP manufacturing campus.

Tesla, a CMTA member and one of the largest manufacturing employers in California, employs 25,000 workers from across the region at its Fremont facility. The Tesla Model Y, manufactured in Fremont, was crowned the winner of CMTA's inaugural Coolest Thing Made in California competition in 2023.

Fremont is a champion for manufacturers, celebrating National Manufacturing Day since its inception 13 years ago  coordinating local factory tours for an entire week and hosting the country's biggest city-organized event.

The City also works tirelessly to create a sustainable workforce pipeline for graduating students to enter the industry. Through multiple workforce development programs, Fremont partners with local schools including Fremont Unified School District and Ohlone Community College's Smart Manufacturing Technology (SMTech) Program, Tesla Manufacturing Development Program, and the Biotechnology Department to foster the next generation of manufacturers.

Through harnessing their combined knowledge and resources, Fremont and CMTA stand ready to enhance their influence and support manufacturers throughout the region.

About CMTA

The California Manufacturers & Technology Association has advocated for pro-growth laws and regulations before the California legislature and administrative agencies since 1918. The total output from manufacturing in California is $300 billion per year, roughly 10 percent of the total economic output of the state. Manufacturers employ 1.3 million Californians paying wages more than $25,000 higher than other non-farm employers in the state. For more information, visit the CMTA website.

About City of Fremont

Fremont is a hub for innovation  becoming home to various leading-edge industry clusters, including advanced manufacturing, clean tech, and life sciences. One of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the Bay Area, Fremont prides itself in its diversified, globally-connected economy. As the fourth largest city in the Bay Area with over 234,000 residents, businesses here are known to succeed, and residents and visitors experience high-quality lives, services, and programs from nationally-recognized high-ranking schools, 1,224 acres of well-kept parks, and 50 million square feet of flex industrial and R&D space, as well as a wide range of affordable housing options. Centrally located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Fremont is conveniently served by two interstates, multiple rail transport lines including BART, and has easy access to three international airports, the Port of Oakland, and several major educational institutions, making it easy for the community to explore the abundant opportunities the Bay Area has to offer. For more information, visit the City of Fremont website.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE California Manufacturers & Technology Association
BEIJING, May 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Editor's Note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5 to 10 at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron of the Republic of France, President Aleksandar Vucic of the Republic of Serbia and President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. Ahead of the Chinese leader's visit to France, Global Times reporter (GT) Chen Qingqing interviewed Eric Alauzet (Alauzet), president of the France-China Friendship Group in the French National Assembly, to talk about the implications of the visit for China-France relations, review the development of bilateral relations and discuss the role of China-France relations in China-EU relations.



GT: What are your expectations for President Xi's visit to Europe?



Alauzet: I wouldn't say that exchanges are resuming because they have already resumed. During the COVID pandemic, exchanges were a bit more strained. Exchanges have resumed since President Macron visited China last April. Now President Xi is coming to France for the 60th anniversary [of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations], so it's an opportunity to deepen relations and continue the dialogue as openly as we have been doing for a long time, at all levels, from presidents and ministers to parliamentarians in the friendship group. Despite the difficulties or differences in views between [our two] countries, continuing to speak openly is key.



GT: This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. Could you share some important historical moments and achievements from these 60 years of China-France relations?



Alauzet: As we know, but perhaps less known to the French, the number 60 holds significant importance in Chinese culture. Personally, I have a deep understanding of this significance, as it marks the completion of a cycle, and thus it's a moment to take an assessment of what has happened during these 60 years. Overall, the assessment is very positive, and it's an opportunity, especially with the 60th anniversary and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, to revitalize and give impetus to the new cycle that is beginning, in terms of the coming 60 years. So, it's an important opportunity to reinvigorate and deepen our relations.



GT: Over the past 60 years, what have been the changes and constants in China-France relations?



Alauzet: The changes are undoubtedly linked to the deepening of relations between our two countries, a mutual understanding that continues to deepen, a better understanding, and thus the development of cultural and economic relations. But we must consider the general context; the changes are also related to the overall context, particularly in the economic field.



There have been industrial revolutions in China and technological revolutions worldwide with artificial intelligence. So, all these developments have contributed to the change and deepening of our relations, as well as changes in geopolitical dynamics.



The constant factors are the mutual trust between our countries and the curiosity and mutual admiration for our cultures. Both cultures, each with several millennia of history, are so different, and therefore so attractive because of their differences. This has remained the same, while the changes, I would say, are mainly linked to the world situation.



GT: In your opinion, what role do China-France relations play in the context of China-EU relations? How will Europe's position in Chinese foreign policy evolve?



Alauzet: I believe both China and France - and also Europe - advocate for multilateralism.



France and China share the responsibility of being countries that avoid extremes and maintain balance, thus avoiding both unilateralism and a bloc-to-bloc approach, which would be equally detrimental. China places great importance on France, knowing that France has a measured position in its alignment with the US, contributing to Europe finding its path and promoting multilateralism.



GT: 2024 is the Year of Culture and Tourism between China and France, as well as the Olympic year for France. Could you please share the plans for cultural cooperation and exchanges between the two countries for this special year? And what role do cultural and human exchanges play in enhancing bilateral relations?



Alauzet: The primary and essential role of cultural relations is that there is never any disagreement. In cultural relations, there are enormous differences, but they assist our curiosity and interest more than they provoke any potential disapproval. So, cultural relations are always beneficial; they enrich us through our differences.



Personally, due to my professional evolution as a doctor interested in acupuncture, I have become passionate about Taoism. Taoism has not only inspired my professional life as an acupuncturist but has also influenced my personal life. I maintain my Western values, but I am deeply influenced by Taoism. Culture is the foundation; it is about emotion, sensitivity and bringing people closer.



With the 60th-anniversary celebration and this cultural year, there are numerous events happening in both China and France. I had the opportunity to attend a concert launched in the presence of the Minister of Culture at Versailles, at the Royal Opera House. It was a collaboration between our two orchestras, the Royal Opera House of Versailles and the Chinese orchestra, and it was fabulous. They performed French and Chinese works together, creating extraordinary moments.



I also supported a cultural cooperation project organized by two regions, involving the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, as I am based in Besancon, and the city of Hefei in Anhui Province. Recently, there was an inauguration where more than 10 artists from France exhibited their works in Hefei. In the coming autumn, 10 Chinese artists will exhibit their works in France. The program is very rich and it is quite exceptional.



GT: In the fields of emerging technologies, sustainable development and green energy, how can China and France seek new opportunities for cooperation?



Alauzet: I am very happy to see China engaged in issues of biodiversity and climate. I am very happy to see the rapid progress the Chinese are making in new technologies such as solar, photovoltaic, wind, as well as many others. I am delighted that China has joined the Paris Agreement to contribute, with its own history and deadlines to carbon neutrality.



France and Europe are also looking for ways to catch up with gigafactories for batteries, which does not prevent Chinese companies from developing collaborations in France and Europe for renewable energy production using solar, wind and other sources. When technologies are implemented in France, it should be done in partnership with French private or public companies, a bit like a gateway, and we should also take advantage of it to boost technology in France and Europe.

SOURCE Global Times
PHOENIX, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GradGuard , the number one provider of college tuition and renters insurance programs, is pleased to announce that it has expanded its tuition insurance protection to include the covered loss of employment of a tuition payer as a covered reason for withdrawal.

This new benefit is only available on GradGuard's Active Choice plan, which can be purchased through a partner school.

Tuition insurance can already provide reimbursement for a complete medical withdrawal due to a covered illness or injury, and death of a student or tuition payer. This new innovation is designed to cover non-refunded eligible expenses when a student withdraws due to the tuition payer being terminated or laid off by a current employer (not including seasonal or temporary positions or if the termination is due to the tuition payer's fault). This benefit is not yet available in the state of Washington.

"GradGuard aims to help college students and their families overcome events that may disrupt their college education. We understand that the unexpected loss of a tuition payer's job can have a devastating impact on a student's ability to continue their education," said John Fees, co-founder and CEO of GradGuard. "By working with our partners at Allianz Global Assistance to include this coverage, we're providing an extra layer of protection for students and families during these uncertain times."

With this addition, students who are forced to withdraw from school due to the covered involuntary loss of employment of a tuition payer can now be reimbursed for their tuition, fees, and room and board.

"Our mission has always been to help students and families protect their investment in higher education," said Fees. "Schools that provide GradGuard to their students help promote greater confidence in the investment they are making in higher education. College students and their families are smart to ask their school for GradGuard's extra level of protection."

GradGuard's Tuition Insurance can provide affordable protection that includes up to 100% of the cost of college including tuition, room and board, and academic fees. In addition, each plan also includes Student Life Assistance, which helps families through the logistics that may accompany an unexpected student withdrawal.

Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply to all plans. For more information about GradGuard's Tuition Insurance plans, visit www.gradguard.com .

Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply, including for pre-existing conditions. Plans only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Plans may not include all benefits or covered reasons described here. Recommended and provided by Grad Guard, a service of Next Generation Insurance Group, LLC (NGI), the licensed agent for all insurance programs. AGA Service Company, dba Allianz Global Assistance (AGA), compensates GradGuard, their national program management partner, for the marketing, distribution and administration of the products. Insurance plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Pricing may vary by state. Insurance benefits are underwritten by Jefferson Insurance Company (NY, Administrative Office 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233) rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best Co., A+ (Superior) is the 2nd highest standard of A.M. Best's 13 Financial Strength Ratings. Non-insurance benefits/services are provided by AGA Service Company. Claims are administered by Allianz Global Assistance (AGA). Allianz Global Assistance is a mark of AGA Service Company or its affiliates. AGA Service Company is an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Except as expressly provided for under the plan, consumer is responsible for charges incurred from outside vendors. Contact AGA Service Company at 888-427-5045 or 9950 Mayland Dr., Richmond, VA 23233 or [email protected]. Schools do not receive compensation for purchase.

About GradGuard:

GradGuard is the #1 provider of college renters and tuition insurance. Since 2009, GradGuard has protected more than 1.5 million students at more than 1,800 unique institutions. GradGuard's innovative protections are embedded within the enrollment processes of the largest and most prestigious universities in the United States, ensuring their students are protected from the risks of college life.

Contact:

Natalie Hubertus

Sr. Director, Marketing

602-341-5947

[email protected]

SOURCE GradGuard
NEW YORK, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global kombucha market size is estimated to grow by USD 46.93 billion from 2023 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 20.9% during the forecast period.

To understand more about this market - Download a FREE Sample

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Kombucha Market 2023-2027

Report Attribute Details Base Year 2022 Forecast period 2023-2027 Historic Data for 2017 - 2021 Segments Covered Type (Organic and Non-organic) and Distribution Channel (Offline and Online) Key Companies Covered Asheville Kombucha Mamas LLC, Brew Dr. Kombucha, GTs Living Foods, Health Ade LLC, Holy Kombucha Inc., Humm Kombucha LLC, K95 Foods Pvt Ltd., Kosmic Kombucha, LIVE Soda LLC, Margaret River Kombucha Co. Pty Ltd., NessAlla Kombucha, PepsiCo Inc., Rauch Fruchtsafte GmbH and Co OG, Remedy Drinks Pty Ltd, Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha, Slades Beverages, SOMA Kombucha, Suja Life LLC, The Coca Cola Co., and The Hain Celestial Group Inc. Regions Covered North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America

Region Outlook

North America Europe APAC South America Middle East & Africa

1. North America - North America is estimated to contribute 34%. to the growth of the global market. The Kombucha Market report forecasts market growth by revenue at global, regional & country levels from 2017 to 2027. In the global market, North America is expected to contribute 34% to growth. This region sees rising popularity of products, aided by Brewers International, an American trade association for tea brewers.

These products are gaining traction due to availability in various retail locations such as convenience stores, grocery stores, and health food stores across the US and Canada , encouraging both planned and impulse purchases. Health-ade is a prominent player in this market. With more consumers seeking functional foods and beverages, demand for these products is set to increase during the forecast period.

For more insights on North America's significant contribution along with the market share of rest of the regions and countries - Download a FREE Sample

Segmentation Overview

Type

1.1 Organic

1.2 Non-organic

Distribution Channel

2.1 Offline

2.2 Online

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 Europe

3.3 APAC

3.4 Middle East and Africa

and 3.5 South America

1.1 Fastest growing segment: The organic segment is poised to lead the growth trajectory, having already dominated with a value of USD 9.89 billion in 2017. Nowadays, informed consumers prioritize organic products due to increasing awareness about the harmful effects of synthetic alternatives on health and the environment. Organic items are perceived as safer and healthier options.

Because they're free from artificial fertilizers and pesticides, organic products are often considered superior for gut health. Most products meeting USDA standards carry organic labeling, reinforcing consumer confidence. This trend reflects a shift towards more sustainable and health-conscious consumption patterns, driving demand for organic offerings across various industries.

Get a glance at the market contribution of rest of the segments - Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes!

Research Analysis

The Kombucha market is buzzing with activity, focusing on health and wellness. Functional beverages, including natural and organic products, are driving global expansion. Accessibility and mainstream appeal are key, alongside wellness and lifestyle branding. DIY kombucha culture thrives, emphasizing local and artisanal products. Packaging evolution, from glass bottles to aluminum cans, caters to diverse palates.

Cookware and cookbooks encourage homemade kombucha, while ready-to-drink beverages offer convenience. Celebrity endorsements boost the craft beverage movement, amplifying health influencers' impact. Product innovation delivers authentic flavors and nutritional benefits in powder form through spray-drying.

Fermentation, involving bacteria, yeast, and sugar, yields SCOBY, rich in lactic acid bacteria and probiotics for digestion, blood pressure management, and heart health. Immunity benefits and fresh flavors like hibiscus lime and lavender enhance consumer interest, with regulatory organizations ensuring quality standards.

Market Overview

Kombucha market thrives on fermented probiotic beverages made from black or green tea. Rich in gut-friendly flora, it offers numerous health advantages. With fresh flavors like blueberry and guava, kombucha appeals to health-conscious consumers seeking natural ingredients. Its popularity stems from its probiotic properties, promoting digestive health.

The market sees a rising demand for kombucha tea due to its refreshing taste and health benefits. Consumers are drawn to its natural fermentation process, resulting in a flavorful drink that supports gut health. With an array of flavors and ingredients, kombucha stands out in the probiotic drink sector, catering to those seeking a tasty and beneficial beverage option.

Start exploring market insights by Download a FREE Sample Report in minutes!

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Venodr Landscape

11 Vendor Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on the Sunday decision by the Israeli cabinet to immediately ban Al Jazeera's operations in Israel, seize the international news outlet's local equipment, and block its websites.

"The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to shut down Al Jazeera operations in Israel is the wrong one. It is wrong for the people of Israel, for the people of Gaza, for people in the West Bank, and for the rest of the international news network's millions of viewers around the region and world who rely on Al Jazeera's reporting of the nearly seven-month Israel-Hamas war. We fully support Al Jazeera's decision to fight this in court.

As a democracy, the people of Israel depend upon the free flow of information, particularly right now when the decisions their government is making are so enormously impactful for the future of their country's relationships in the Middle East and with the broader international community.

Most chilling about this decision is what it will mean for Al Jazeera journalists and crews working and living in Gaza. They are not mentioned in the government decision. By branding Al Jazeera as a national security threat, we are deeply concerned that the Israeli government may view them as legitimate military target. They are not."

About The National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

About The National Press Club Journalism Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged, global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with the skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. The NPCJI is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club

Contact: Bill McCarren, press freedom consultant for the National Press Club, [email protected], (202) 662-7534

SOURCE National Press Club
NINJIO wins "Publisher's Choice" award in cybersecurity awareness training at 12th Annual Global InfoSec Awards held at RSAC 2024

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NINJIO, a leading cybersecurity awareness training company, has been named the Publisher's Choice in Cybersecurity Awareness Training by Cyber Defense Magazine at the 2024 Global InfoSec Awards held in conjunction with RSA Conference.

"We couldn't be more pleased to receive this honor from Cyber Defense Magazine as they celebrate their 12th anniversary. Coming from a reputable, leading voice in the cybersecurity industry, this award validates the innovative CSAT approach we have developed over the past nine years," said NINJIO Chief Marketing Officer Tom Richards.

NINJIO's solution is personalized to each employee's strengths, weaknesses, personality traits, and learning styles. Post this

NINJIO's all-in-one solution is personalized on the basis of each employee's individual strengths, weaknesses, personality traits, and learning styles. This allows companies to identify their most significant risks and develop interventions that will keep each employee engaged. At a time when 74 percent of data breaches involve a human element, the ability to target specific employee vulnerabilities with CSAT content that already has a long track record of securing sustainable behavioral change has never been more critical.

"NINJIO embodies three major features our judges looked for in the winners: understanding tomorrow's threats, today; providing a cost-effective solution and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk; and getting one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

NINJIO continues to innovate in the cybersecurity awareness training space, combining attack vector-based training with behavioral science training that helps people understand what a cyberattack looks like and what it feels like when bad actors use social engineering to manipulate victims. Training is personalized to each individual based on their unique profile to effectively mitigate human-based cyber risk.

Press can visit NINJIO at RSA Conference booth #5169 to learn how the company is moving the sector forward and preview its latest NINJIO AWARE episode on the use of deepfakes in social engineering attacks.

About NINJIO

NINJIO is an all-in-one solution that lowers human-based cybersecurity risk through engaging training, personalized testing, and insightful reporting. Our multi-pronged approach to training focuses on the latest attack vectors to build employee knowledge and the behavioral science behind human engineering to sharpen users' intuition. The proprietary NINJIO Risk Algorithm identifies users' social engineering vulnerabilities based on NINJIO PHISH3D phishing simulation data and informs content delivery to provide a personalized experience that changes individual behavior.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of cyber security news and information for InfoSec professions in business and government. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products, and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power.

For Media Inquiries:

Tom Richards:

[email protected]

Phone: 805-864-1999

SOURCE NINJIO
Joint partnership will support science to tackle a series of global health challenges and build healthier futures, especially for the world's most vulnerable populations

HELSINGR, Denmark, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a new partnership to support critical scientific research and development (R&D) for global health. The partnership is focused on supporting science and innovation to advance solutions that are accessible and affordable to people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The three-year initiative was announced at the Novo Nordisk Foundation's Global Science Summit in Denmark, where each organization committed US$100 million, for a total of US$300 million. Initial funding will support solutions to address the health impacts of climate change; infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance (AMR); and greater understanding of the interplay between nutrition, immunity, disease, and developmental outcomes.

"By pooling the vast experience and unique expertise of each organizationacross research, technology, innovation, and enterprisewe can make advances that wouldn't otherwise be possible," said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation. "I am particularly excited about the chance to break down barriers between often isolated areas of workbetween cardiometabolic and infectious diseases, or between scientific discovery and delivery of solutions, for exampleand support the development of truly innovative solutions that can improve, and save, lives."

The initial three areas of this collaboration include:

Climate/sustainability: Advancing climate data, sustainable agriculture, and food systems. To better protect people globally from the devastating effects of climate change on health, solutions that draw across climate, health, and agricultural science will be needed. This initiative will help drive deeper understanding of the impacts of climate change, develop novel solutions, and strengthen available data to support environmental sustainability, build food system resilience, and protect the health of vulnerable populations around the world.

To better protect people globally from the devastating effects of climate change on health, solutions that draw across climate, health, and agricultural science will be needed. This initiative will help drive deeper understanding of the impacts of climate change, develop novel solutions, and strengthen available data to support environmental sustainability, build food system resilience, and protect the health of vulnerable populations around the world. Infectious diseases: Addressing AMR, advancing disease surveillance, and developing vaccines for respiratory infections. As new pathogens emerge, persistent threats like tuberculosis remain, and the prevalence of AMR increases, infectious diseases continue to pose a significant threat to countries and regions around the world. New advances in detection and the development of vaccines and other tools can help reduce the burden of disease in LMICs and prevent outbreaks from turning into global crises.

As new pathogens emerge, persistent threats like tuberculosis remain, and the prevalence of AMR increases, infectious diseases continue to pose a significant threat to countries and regions around the world. New advances in detection and the development of vaccines and other tools can help reduce the burden of disease in LMICs and prevent outbreaks from turning into global crises. Interactions: Understanding the interplay between nutrition, immunity, infectious diseases, cardiometabolic and other noncommunicable diseases, and developmental outcomes. Advances in nutritional science and our understanding of the microbiome and immunology create an opportunity to solve for the effects that over- and under-nutrition have on all aspects of health and development, including the risk and severity of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases.

The new funding will also include direct support for researchers and institutions based in low- and middle- income settings, including resources to advance locally relevant research agendas, strengthen R&D capacities, and scale equitable access to existing tools and technologies.

"The most effective solutions to pressing challenges often emerge from the very communities they affect," said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, a leading scientific research institution. "I'm encouraged that this new partnership seeks to unlock novel ideas and support the scientists working directly with the communities that stand to benefit the most."

In recent years, new technologies, scientific breakthroughs, and a global pandemic have helped accelerate the pace of innovation. Health workers, governments, and global alliances have shown how collective action can transform progress to eliminate diseases, extend life expectancies, and lift generations out of poverty. But funding and attention for global health and development is faltering, putting progress at risk. Debt crises are forcing governments to cut funding for essential health programs; climate change and conflict are shattering communities; and progress to protect lives from diseases known and unknown is under threat. Across all of these challenges, it is the world's poorest who are most affected.

"We face huge challenges to protecting and improving physical and mental health, compounded by vast inequities globally," said John-Arne Rttingen, CEO of Wellcome. "Solutions will start in science. We've seen this throughout history, and we've lived first-hand through incredible advances to save and improve lives. In today's complex world, health challenges increasingly overlap. We need global collaboration and cooperation more than ever to build healthier futures, and for society to thrive. I look forward to seeing the exciting, innovative research that will come as a result of this partnership. By partnering with the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Gates Foundation, we can raise ambition, and combine resources and networks to find new ways to advance global health researchespecially for those with greatest need."

Recognizing that philanthropy has an important role to play but can't do it alone, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Gates Foundation will explore opportunities to expand this effort to include both public and private partners, as well as engaging other philanthropic partners.

"We're on the cusp of so many scientific breakthroughs in agriculture, health, and nutrition, and with the right support these innovations will save and improve lives around the world," said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Every sector has a critical role to play, and we hope this collaboration opens the door for other funders and partners to contribute to scaling up existing innovations and developing the tools of tomorrow."

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives established in Denmark in 1924. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of the planet. The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases, as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society. www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en



About Wellcome

Wellcome is a global charitable foundation, based in the UK. Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health, and wellbeing, and we're taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all peopleespecially those with the fewest resourceshave access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

SOURCE Nordisk Foundation and Wellcome and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
New test doubles the diagnostic accuracy for necrotizing enterocolitis

NEW ORLEANS, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last month a new utility patent, US Patent 11,953,501, was issued to LSU Health New Orleans for a noninvasive test called NECDetect that aids in early detection of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a potentially fatal condition in premature infants. The diagnostic scoring system was invented by Sunyoung Kim, PhD, professor of genetics at LSU Health New Orleans' School of Medicine and is a continuation of US Patent 11,493,515.

Sunyoung Kim, PhD, professor of genetics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine

NEC is the second deadliest disease in preemie babies and is the most common, serious gastrointestinal disease affecting newborn infants, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. NEC requires a personalized method to diagnose the condition as early as possible as it can cause parts of the baby's intestine to become inflamed, die and can drive other complications. Health care providers consider this disease as a medical and surgical emergency of importance.

Currently X-rays are used to diagnose advanced NEC, but the test sensitivity can be as low as 44%. However, the LSU Health New Orleans research team showed that it was possible to double the accuracy of diagnosis by using a noninvasive NECDetect biomarker panel performed on stool samples which can identify 93% true positives and 95% true negatives. NECDetect's development was fast-tracked with a Breakthrough Device Designation by the Food and Drug Administration.

In 2017, Kim founded Chosen Diagnostics Inc, a spinout company, to develop and commercialize the technology. An Express License for Faculty Startups agreement executed by LSU Health New Orleans and Chosen Diagnostics Inc in 2020 grants the company the exclusive license to this portfolio of patent and patent applications. Chosen Diagnostics Inc has been awarded $4 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The latest phase two SBIR grant from NSF was just awarded last month.

"This second patent highlights that the inventions around rare disease diagnosis can be expanded in a meaningful way. Identifying babies who are at risk of NEC before intestinal inflammation is out of control allows doctors and nurses in intensive care units to take action to save a child's life," notes Kim. "Necrotizing enterocolitis continues to be a devastating disease for preemie babies who require long hospital stays. Methods in this patent to score disease severity are attractive to diagnostic companies that already provide equipment to hospital pathology labs and for drug companies interested in tackling NEC therapies."

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimates that NEC affects about 9,000 of the 480,000 infants born preterm each year in the United States. The population most at risk for NEC is increasing because the number of very low birth weight babies who survive continues to grow due to technological advances in care. However, the percentage of very low birth weight infants who develop NEC remains steady, at about 10%. One-third of infants with NEC die from the disease. Surgical survivors require lifelong care that requires millions of dollars.

"When faculty actively consider societal needs in their research, the resulting innovations and intellectual property are more impactful and market-ready," says Marcus Brown, PhD, licensing associate at LSU Health New Orleans' Office of Innovation & Partnerships. "Dr. Kim, fellow co-inventors, and Chosen Diagnostics are prime examples of how faculty-founded startups can successfully obtain funding for commercialization of their innovative research."

In addition to this US patent, patent applications are pending in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and China.

To learn more about LSU Health New Orleans' commitment to innovation, visit lsuhsc.edu.

About LSU Health New Orleans

LSU Health New Orleans educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment or cure disease.

Media Contact:

Alicia Vial, APR

(504) 487-2230

[email protected]

SOURCE LSU Health New Orleans
NEW YORK, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Monteverde & Associates PC (the "M&A Class Action Firm"), has recovered money for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2018-2022 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and is investigating ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE), relating to its proposed merger with a partnership led by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners. Under the terms of the agreement, ALLETE stockholders will receive $67.00 per share in cash for each share of common stock owned as of the closing of the transaction.

Click here for more information https://monteverdelaw.com/case/allete-inc/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

Before you hire a law firm, you should talk to a lawyer and ask:

1. Do you file class actions and go to Court?

2. When was the last time you recovered money for shareholders?

3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

About Monteverde & Associates PC

Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholdersand we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

Contact:

Juan Monteverde, Esq.

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4740

New York, NY 10118

United States of America

[email protected]

Tel: (212) 971-1341

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2024 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC ( www.monteverdelaw.com ). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading PV inverter and energy storage system provider, has solidified its presence in South Africa's renewable energy sector with two significant agreements recently inked. The company has forged partnerships with Herholdt's and ARB, both prestigious distributors in South Africa.

Sungrow signed certified distributor agreement with Herholdts Sungrow signed certified distributor agreement with ARB

The signing ceremony marked the commencement of an official distribution agreement, whereby Sungrow is committed to providing a comprehensive range of products and services to these esteemed partners. This diverse offering comprises inverter and storage solutions tailored for residential and commercial & industrial applications. Additionally, Sungrow will offer extended support and comprehensive after-sales services to ensure smooth operations and optimal performance of the installed systems.

Heine Herholdts, CEO of Herholdt's stated, "The continuous decline in solar photovoltaic (PV) panel and battery prices is expected to unleash an unprecedented surge in the adoption of solar energy among residential and commercial users in South Africa. Herholdt's is delighted to extend our partnership with Sungrow as well. Over the past year, we have seen the demand for Sungrow's inverters and energy storage systems grow significantly, thanks to their excellent performance and reliability. We are committed to continuing our efforts in promoting and distributing Sungrow's products, ensuring that South African customers have access to the most advanced renewable energy technology."

"ARB is proud to announce our distribution agreement with Sungrow. We have always strived to offer our customers the most advanced and reliable renewable energy solutions. Sungrow's commitment to innovation and excellence aligns perfectly with our own values, making them an ideal partner. Together, we aim to drive the adoption of sustainable energy alternatives in South Africa and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future." Blayne Burke, CEO of ARB said.

Thompson Meng, the Vice President of Sungrow PV&storage BG, expressed his pride in fostering a collaborative partnership with local South African enterprises, Herholdt's and ARB. "Sungrow has been firmly established in South Africa for numerous years," he emphasized, noting that apart from utility-scale applications, their tailored solar-plus-storage solutions for residential, industrial, and commercial use have already secured a reliable customer base in the region. "Many families and enterprises have been utilizing Sungrow products and have expressed immense satisfaction with their performance," he added. "We eagerly anticipate collaborating with Herholdt's and ARB to expand our green power offerings in South Africa."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2402651/Sungrow_photo1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2402650/Sungrow_photo2.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1344575/Logo.jpg
NEW YORK, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Taste of Tribeca, the annual outdoor food festival beloved by New Yorkers and visitors alike, is thrilled to announce its 30th anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 18, 2024. This milestone event promises to be a gastronomic delight and a vibrant community gathering, all in support of neighborhood public schools' arts & enrichment programs.

Taste of Tribeca food festival and fundraiser

Produced entirely by dedicated parent volunteers from local schools PS 150 and PS 234, Taste of Tribeca has become a cherished tradition in the Tribeca neighborhood. The festival showcases the culinary talents of the area's most beloved restaurants, including Michelin star recipients, neighborhood favorites, exquisite bakeries, and even the heroic firemen of Hook & Ladder Company 8, the "Ghostbusters" station.

"As a restaurant that is created to serve the neighborhood, bonding with our neighbors and supporting local public schools are top of mind for us", said chef Mitsunobu Nagae from Michelin Restaurant L'abeille and its sister restaurant L'abeille a cote.

What to Expect:

30-Year Anniversary Celebration: Join us in commemorating three decades of delicious food, community spirit, and support for public education.





Join us in commemorating three decades of delicious food, community spirit, and support for public education. Gourmet Offerings: Indulge in delectable dishes crafted by renowned chefs and local culinary gems, offering a taste of Tribeca's diverse and vibrant food scene.





Indulge in delectable dishes crafted by renowned chefs and local culinary gems, offering a taste of Tribeca's diverse and vibrant food scene. Fundraiser for Public Schools: Every bite you take and every ticket you purchase directly supports the arts and enrichment programs at PS 150 and PS 234. Your participation makes a difference in the lives of our children.





Every bite you take and every ticket you purchase directly supports the arts and enrichment programs at PS 150 and PS 234. Your participation makes a difference in the lives of our children. Community Collaboration: Experience the unique charm of Tribeca as neighbors, families, and food enthusiasts come together to celebrate and connect.

Available for interviews:

Ron Silver : Artist and founder of Tribeca's beloved Bubby's, a founding restaurant of the festival, available upon request

Artist and founder of Tribeca's beloved Bubby's, a founding restaurant of the festival, available upon request Scott Perez : Owner of the iconic Walker's, a founding restaurant of the festival

Owner of the iconic Walker's, a founding restaurant of the festival Madeline Lanciani: Chef and winner of Chopped, Owner of Duane Park Patisserie, a founding restaurant of the festival

Chef and winner of Chopped, Owner of Duane Park Patisserie, a founding restaurant of the festival Chef Marc Forgione : Winner of Season 3 of Food Network's Iron Chef America, and owner of Michelin Star restaurant in New York City ; interview upon request

Winner of Season 3 of Food Network's Iron Chef America, and owner of Michelin Star restaurant in ; interview upon request Chef Mitsunobu Nagae : Owner & Executive chef of Michelin Star l'abeille and l'abeille a cote available upon request

Owner & Executive chef of l'abeille and l'abeille a cote available upon request Tara's Kitchen team: Aneesa Waheed , owner and chef behind Tara's Kitchen has been recognized as the 2024 New York State Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

, owner and chef behind Tara's Kitchen has been recognized as the 2024 New York State Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Michelin Star Restaurant teams: Acclaimed restaurants such as Jungsik, One White Street and L'abeille a cote

Acclaimed restaurants such as Jungsik, and L'abeille a cote School Principals ( Nico Victorino and Dana Rappaport ): Leading educators from PS 150 and PS 234

Leading educators from PS 150 and PS 234 Representatives from Participating Restaurants: Discover the culinary inspirations behind the neighborhood's favorite eateries

Don't miss this opportunity to savor the flavors of Tribeca, support our local public schools, and celebrate with the community. Whether you're a longtime resident or a first-time visitor, Taste of Tribeca offers something for everyone.

When and Where: Saturday, May 18, 2024 near Duane Park (Duane Street between Greenwich and Hudson). From 11:30am to 3:00pm rain or shine!

For more information, tickets, and updates, please visit TasteOfTribeca.com or follow us on Instagram @tasteoftribeca.

About Taste of Tribeca

Taste of Tribeca is an annual outdoor food festival and public school fundraiser celebrating the rich culinary heritage and vibrant community of Tribeca. Produced by parent volunteers from PS 150 and PS 234, the event showcases the talents of local chefs, promotes sustainability, and raises funds to support arts and enrichment programs for children in our neighborhood schools.

Taste of Tribeca 2024 Press Contact:

Julia Merrill

Taste of Tribeca PR & Marketing Committee

[email protected]

(646) 939-7091

Taste of Tribeca 2024 Chairs:

Karen Arnone Noy P.S 234 & Philip Chenery P.S 150

[email protected]

SOURCE Taste of Tribeca
NILES, Ill., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the first anniversary of King Charles III's Coronation, The Bradford Exchange Mint is proud to announce a very special opportunity to acquire a minted tribute to depict three generations of Royal Succession. HRM King Charles III; HRH William, Prince of Wales; and HRH Prince George of Wales. All three appear together for the very first time on a coin minted by The Commonwealth Mint of the UK, on an exclusive Bradford Exchange commemorative.

The British royal succession was established by the Bill of Rights (1689) and the Act of Settlement (1701), after King James II fled the country. Parliament declared he had "abdicated the government" and offered the throne to his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange. The Act of Settlement set rules for succession, including that all successors must be Protestant descendants of Princess Sophia, specifically excluding Roman Catholics, and mandating the Sovereign's communion with the Church of England. The Succession to the Crown Act (2013), ended male primogeniture for those born after 28 October 2011 and removed disqualification for those who marry Roman Catholics.

Each magnificent non-monetary tribute coin is 24K Gold plated. The front design features a central full-color image of William, the Prince of Wales; flanked by his father, the King; and his son, George; all in Coronation ceremonial attire. The title of "Royal Succession" appears within the coin's border design.

The reverse of our coin features an engraved design of the Royal Seal of England along with the words His Royal Highness, William, Prince of Wales. When Prince Charles acceded as monarch, immediately following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, William became the Prince of Wales.

Specially-polished coining blanks, hand-fed into a 360-ton minting press, are struck multiple times to achieve the pristine Proof finish's crisp, raised frosted details and mirror-like background - the highest level of the minter's art.

As collectors know, first, lasts and one-of-a-kinds are important historical acquisitions.

ABOUT THE BRADFORD EXCHANGE MINT: a division of The Bradford Exchange, The Bradford Exchange Mint is a trusted resource for genuine coins of enduring value worldwide. In the U.S. to acquire this special commemorative celebrating the Royal Succession, please go to https://bit.ly/3UphneT. For Canada, please go to https://bit.ly/3UKCw4o

SOURCE The Bradford Exchange Mint
LOS ANGELES, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls (The National Council) is pleased to sponsor the 2nd annual Cal State Northridge (CSUN) C.I.P.H.E.R. Symposium, hosted by CSUN professor, music journalist, and historian Skyy Hook. The symposium will feature hip-hop icons Big Daddy Kane and Crazy Legs, music by DJ Revolution, performances by Bishop Lamont, dance battles, panels, and more.

On Wednesday, May 8th, CSUN's Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation & Research (C.I.P.H.E.R.) will host this highly anticipated event at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya), located at 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA.

Starting at 10 AM, this inclusive and free event welcomes the public to enjoy performances by local emcees, B-Boy/B-Girl dance battles, live graffiti installations, and more. The day will be filled with engaging armchair discussions with Dee-1 at 11 AM, Crazy Legs at noon, and Big Daddy Kane at 2 PM. Attendees will also participate in a Hip-Hop and Cars Panel sponsored By Shade45, Porsche of Woodland Hills, and Boom Bap Nation featuring video producer Zane, documentarian Mark Breezy, and Troy Shelton at 3 PM.

"Hip-hop music has always been a revolutionary voice, from its roots in the streets to its rise on the global stage. Artists use their lyrics to challenge the status quo, confront injustices, and advocate for abolition and social justice, turning their music into a potent tool for transformation and resistance."  Traci Litthcut, TNC Membership Director. "This symposium is a testament to the transformative power of hip-hop and its ability to inspire change."

About C.I.P.H.E.R:

Founded in 2021 by Dean Dr. Yan Searcy in partnership with hip-hop journalist, radio personality, and producer Skyy Hook in her new role as visiting scholar. The innovative and collaborative academic program focuses on the interdisciplinary examination of hip-hop with panels, workshops, conferences, discussions, exhibitions, and a research journal.

About The National Council: A 501c3 organization founded in 2010 by a group of women incarcerated in the federal prison in Danbury, CT. The mission of The National Council is to end incarceration of women and girls and create the infrastructure for the systems in support of building healthy, thriving people and communities. For more info, www.nationalcouncil.us

Media Contact:

Ariel Goode

[email protected]

SOURCE The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
Tide Rock acquires contract packaging company in Memphis, Tennessee with expertise in custom supply chain solutions.

SAN DIEGO, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tide Rock, an unlevered buyout firm with a portfolio of diverse economically resilient B2B businesses, acquired Premier Packaging Inc., a contract packaging company in Memphis, Tennessee.

Since its founding in 1997, Premier Packaging has earned a reputation for quality work addressing time sensitive, specialized and short-run packaging needs. The company offers a wide range of custom supply chain solutions, including primary and secondary packaging, kitting, assembly, sorting, and labeling as well as value-added warehousing services. Premier services high growth companies and established Fortune 500 companies across the consumer goods market, with expertise in the beverage sector. The company's ability to scale up or down based on the needs of its customers makes it unique custom packaging solutions provider.

Premier Packaging's turnkey solutions allow its high growth and established Fortune 500 clients to concentrate on their core business activities, resulting in substantial cost savings compared to the expense associated with expanding in-house operations and the opportunity costs of not having product in retail. The company's strategic location in Memphis, a FedEx Superhub and one of the largest logistics hubs in the country, allows it to service a large range of customers timely and cost effectively.

Ignacio Campos has been appointed CEO of Premier Packaging and will be working closely with Bill McNeil, Founder, and Jason McAlister, CFO/COO, to scale the business and enhance the value provided to Premier's current customers and prospects. Prior to joining Premier Packaging, Mr. Campos was President of KIK Consumer Products' Pool Division where he increased penetration in the dealer, professional, distribution and e-commerce channels. He was also the Vice President of Digital Transformation and Strategy at Fortune Brands Innovations, General Manager at The Master Lock Company, and a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.

"We are excited to welcome Premier Packaging to the Tide Rock portfolio," said Brooks Kincaid, President of Tide Rock. "Premier Packaging has earned a strong reputation with its customers. Their capacity to solve packaging and warehousing problems quickly and flexibly makes them an essential partner in today's dynamic consumer goods supply chains. Ignacio's expertise in growing and scaling multi-channel consumer goods and durables businesses, along with Bill's deep expertise in the contract packaging space, will be instrumental in taking Premier Packaging to the next level. We look forward to working with Premier Packaging to add complementary service offerings, grow with its existing customers, and bring its services to new customers."

About Tide Rock

Tide Rock is an unlevered buyout firm that acquires companies with strong free cash flow and grows them to scale while distributing high quarterly yield to its investors. It owns a portfolio of economically resilient business-to-business companies in the lower middle market, specifically in the manufacturing, distribution, and services industries. The company's unique model consistently drives high yield returns without the risk profile typically associated with other investment vehicles. It has offices in Solana Beach, CA and New York, NY. Learn more at tiderock.com.

About Premier Packaging Inc.

Premier Packaging Inc. is a leading full-service contract packaging company based in Memphis, TN. Our facility is conveniently located near the Memphis International Airport and major distribution networks, providing easy access to some of the largest distribution centers in the U.S. South. We are committed to excellent customer service and detailed project management, making us a trusted partner in the packaging industry. For more information, visit premierpackagingsolutions.co

Press Contact: Chris Gale at 203-570-4681.

SOURCE Tide Rock LLC
PHILADELPHIA, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UMortgage, a national mortgage company committed to creating life-changing opportunities through homeownership, has developed a habit of setting a new company record nearly every quarter. In April, the platform set a new company record with $238mil in monthly funded volume with 688 families served.

Coming off its third highest-producing quarter in company history during Q1 2024, UMortgage is on track to fund an estimated $3.25bil in volume this year.

Anthony Casa, President & CEO of UMortgage, shares a message celebrating the platform setting new records for monthly funded volume and monthly funded units in April 2024. UMortgage West Branch Managers and Loan Originators at a UMortgage event. (From L to R): Adam West, Branch Manager; Kyle Koller, Branch Manager; Sam Fulton, Loan Originator; Victoria Blackie, Loan Originator; Jimmy Hobson, National Sales Leader; McKay Weaver, Loan Originator; Tyler Carlston, Loan Originator; and Hector Campirano, Loan Originator.

This company record indicates the exponential rate of growth that UMortgage continually achieves every year. From 2021 to 2024, UMortgage averaged an explosive 128% year-over-year growth despite the continued market challenges of rising rates and shrinking inventory that have shaken others in the industry.

Reflecting on UMortgage's trajectory, Anthony Casa, President & CEO says, "We're a much better team now. Everyone is rowing in the same direction with a steadfast commitment to get better every day and make UMortgage the best mortgage company in America."

"It takes the entire team for us to continue to grow and set records when others in our industry downsize," continued Casa. "Not only are we on pace for our fourth-consecutive year with a new company record for funded volume and families served, but we're also coming together as a team and positively impacting our communities." The company's last record month was set back in May 2023.

Recent executive additions in Aprilincluding Jimmy Hobson as National Sales Leader, Christina Escobar as VP of People, and Mike Farah as Director of Sales Operationsbolster UMortgage's leadership and capitalize on its momentum in 2024.

With a clear vision for the future and experienced leadership paving the path, UMortgage is on pace for its fourth consecutive company record for yearly funded volume and units.

Casa will further outline the platform's vision and goals alongside Corie Meredith, VP of Marketing, and Patton Gade, National Director of Military Lending, this Thursday, May 9th at 2pm ET. Register for Loan Originators Powered by UMortgage for an inside look at the platform's plans for continued growth.

About UMortgage:

UMortgage is a national mortgage platform on a mission to create life-changing opportunities through homeownership for homebuyers across the country. With Loan Originators licensed from coast to coast, an expansive suite of lenders to shop from, and a quick, clear, & communicative homebuying process, UMortgage is ushering in a modern mortgage experience that can cater to any homebuyer.

Media Contact: Greg Mays, [email protected]

SOURCE UMortgage
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Mumbai, May 6 : The BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against Maharashtra's Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Vijay Wadettiwar, who reportedly claimed that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare was killed by an "RSS-affiliated cop, and not by terrorist Ajmal Kasab, during the 26/11 terror attack".

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar in a complaint on Sunday urged the poll body to direct the registration of FIR against Wadettiwar under the stringent provision of law. He also urged the EC to direct the Congress leader to tender an unconditional apology.

In the complaint, the BJP further sought a comprehensive investigation into Wadettiwar's statement to ascertain whether the Congress is supporting and propagating this "harmful narrative".

Shelar claimed that Wadettiwar's statement violates the Model Code of Conduct and "risks inciting communal tension and causing enmity".

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the Opposition "is worried about Ajmal Kasab" and wants to "support terrorists by targeting Ujjwal Nikam", the BJP candidate from Mumbai North Central.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, LoP Wadettiwar said Hemant Karkare was "not killed by bullets of terrorists like Ajmal Kasab, but by a policeman affiliated to the RSSa Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared as special public prosecutor, is a traitor who suppressed this fact and BJP has given an election ticket to a traitor like him".
Jerusalem, May 6 : At least three soldiers were killed and nine others injured in a Hamas mortar attack, the Israeli army has said.

The Israeli army in a statement on Sunday said that about ten mortars were fired from the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on the Kerem Shalom crossing between the Palestinian enclave and Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to the statement, Israeli warplanes, in retaliation, struck the launcher from which the projectiles were fired and a military structure located in the area.
Cairo/Tel Aviv, May 6 : Another round of indirect negotiations on the Gaza war came to an end on Sunday in the Egyptian capital Cairo, with representatives from Hamas set to head to Qatar next for consultation with their leadership, according to the group.

The Hamas delegation had delivered a response to the mediators' proposals and discussed them with the representatives of Egypt and Qatar, the organization wrote on its Telegram channel.

The delegation planned to leave Cairo on Sunday evening and consult with the organization's leaders in Qatar, it said.

The latest round of negotiations to find a solution to the months-long conflict in Gaza had begun on Saturday. Israel had not sent a delegation as the government wanted to wait and see whether Hamas would accept the latest proposal from the mediators, which also includes the US.

This envisages a multi-stage agreement between Israel and Hamas, which should lead to the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons and an end to the war in Gaza.

Negotiations for a solution to the conflict have stalled for months, following a brief ceasefire in November, with Israel and Hamas trading blame for the lack of progress.

The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre of more than 1,200 people killed by militants from Hamas and other groups in Israel on October 7. They also abducted some 250 people to Gaza.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive. As of Friday, the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said the death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks stood at more than 34,600.

In its statement on Sunday, Hamas emphasized that it was conducting the negotiations "in a positive spirit and responsibly." However, a breakthrough did not appear to be on the horizon.

The Palestinian group is insisting on an agreement in which Israel commits from the outset to ending the war and completely withdrawing its troops from the Gaza Strip.

However, Israel denies such a commitment and wants to reserve the right to take further military action.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday again reiterated his stance that the country will continue the war in Gaza until all of its objectives have been achieved, and again blamed Hamas for the stalled negotiations over a temporary ceasefire.

"Capitulating to Hamas's demands would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel," Netanyahu said on Sunday in a video message. "It would be a great victory for Hamas, Iran and the entire axis of evil. It would exhibit terrible weakness to our friends, and to our enemies."

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Netanyahu to continue negotiations.

In a phone call on Sunday, Macron encouraged the Israeli premier to bring the negotiations, which could lead to de-escalation in the region, to a good end, according to reports from the AlysAe Palace in Paris.

Macron also reportedly stressed that France's priority remained the release of all hostages.

France fully supports the ongoing negotiations, it said. The fate of Palestinians in Gaza must no longer be subjected to the rule of Hamas while Israeli attacks on the coastal area must cease, according to the statement.

Meanwhile on the ground, the military wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility for rocket attacks in the area around the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The Qassam Brigades said Israeli troops were the target of Sunday's attacks.

Kerem Shalom is on the border of Egypt, Israel and Gaza. It is one of the main transit points to bring humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, where international aid organizations say parts of the population are starving after seven months of war.

The crossing was temporarily closed following the attack.

According to the Israeli army, three Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack and 11 others injured.

Hamas fired 10 rockets at the settlement Kerem Shalom near the crossing of the same name, a military spokesman said. The army responded by shelling a settlement near the southern crossing of Rafah, from where the attack had been launched.

--IANS/DPA

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Tel Aviv, May 6 : The Hamas health department said that 16 people were killed in an Israeli air attack on Monday.

Media has reported that nine people from one family and seven members from another family were killed in the air attack.

The airstrike was in retaliation to the barrage of rockets fired by Hamas at a ground near Kerem Shalom in Southern Israel killing three Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and injuring 11 soldiers. The injured included soldiers from the 931 Battalion and one soldier from the Shaked Battalion.

The attack, according to IDF, was staged from the Rafah region early morning. Highly placed sources in the Israel Prime Ministeras Office (PMO) told IANS that the war cabinet will meet on Monday and decide on the ground invasion of Rafah. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister without portfolio, Benny Gantz will be participating in the war cabinet to be held later in the day.

It may be recalled that in the recent indirect mediatory talks in Cairo, Israel has insisted on the release of at least 33 of its hostages in the custody of Hamas in exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails.

The rocket and mortar firing by Hamas at Kerem Shalom crossing killing three IDF soldiers and Israelas retaliation is likely to affect the progress of peace talks in Cairo.

--IANS

aal/dpb
Kate Beckinsale says she is tired of being asked if she has had botox done. Image Source: IANS News

Los Angeles, May 6 : Actress Kate Beckinsale shared that she is extremely "tired" of being asked if she has gone under the knife to look younger, revealing her experience of being "bullied" over her youthful appearance.

Sharing a series of videos filmed 20 years apart on Instagram, Beckinsale wrote: "I hate talking about this because I hate adding to this conversation but I'm doing it because insidious bullying of any kind over time takes a toll."

"These videos might be 20 years apart -maybe more. Every time I post anything  and by the way, this has been the case since I was about 30 - I am accused of having had unrecognisable surgery /using Botox using fillers / being obsessed with looking younger, and it's really such a tiresome and subtly vicious way to bully a person," she added.

"I don't actually do any of those things - I've even gone to the trouble of having a plastic surgeon categorically state that I don't and haven't, and still, every time there's a chorus of my God, you're unrecognisable. Oh my God PLASTIC, oh my God, you don't even look like yourself anymore, it happens constantly and it's usually women that are doing it."

The 50-year-old actress said that she has "aged" like everybody else over the years and is insulted by the notion that she "cannot handle" getting older, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"Life happens - obviously I have aged, everybody ages; I'm not too concerned about ageing because I found my father dead at the age of 5, I spent most of my teenage years and a good deal of my 20s absolutely crippled with severe anxiety and panic attacks that I was going to die of a heart attack too, and went to emergency rooms often, and was almost, at that time of my life, completely immobilised by that anxiety," she wrote.

The actress said that being "bullied about is an assumption that I can't handle the idea of getting older is so deeply ironic when my all-consuming terror was that I never thought I'd even see the end of my 20s."

Beckinsale added: "As you can see from these two videos, what is different is that I lived in the UK, and was paler, I used to pluck the shit out of my eyebrows, I loved that brown lipstick that everybody wore. I had a fuller face, as most of us do in our late teens and 20s.

"Makeup techniques were matte, not nearly so glossy. I thought contours were something I found difficult in geography lessons," she added.
Bhopal:Muslim women wearing burqa as they reached Priyadarshini College in support of muslim female students in Bhopal on Saturday February 12,2022.(PHOTO:IANS/Hukum Verma). Image Source: IANS News

Prayagraj, May 6 : The 'Modi Brigade', a group of 50 Muslim women activists, are propagating the Centre's policies among Muslim women in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

The Muslim women activists of Minority Morcha, led by Nighat Khan, are knocking on the doors to project Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a pro-Muslim leader in a bid to gain their support.

Nighat, who is also district secretary of BJP's minority morcha, said, "A group of 50 active women party workers are taking up campaign for party candidate Praveen Patel, contesting from Phulpur parliamentary seat, in Muslim dominated pockets, including Chakia, Atala, Kasari Masarai, Gadda colony, Gaus Nagar and adjoining areas under the Allahabad West Assembly seat. The BJP minority morcha is going door-to-door to spread the word among Muslim women voters about PM Modi's policies favouring them. The teams highlight how PM envisioned their empowerment by advocating equal education opportunity for them apart from banning triple talaq."

Khan further added, "We are carrying out the campaign in Muslim-dominated urban pockets in Allahabad North, Allahabad West and Allahabad South covering the Allahabad and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies."

"The Muslim community has been backward since the Congress did not do anything for their upliftment. Now, the Prime Minister wants to bring them to the mainstream as he believes in 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'," she said.

In Allahabad and Phulpur seats, it is seen to be an important strategy aimed at gaining the support of Muslim voters as the party aims to get 370 additional votes at each polling booth.
Emily Blunt reveals she wanted to throw up after kissing certain actors while filming. Image Source: IANS News

Los Angeles, May 6 : Actress Emily Blunt has talked about how she felt sick after kissing certain co-stars, despite having chemistry with them that she didn't like.

"I've had chemistry with people I haven't liked," Blunt said during an appearance on 'The Howard Stern Show'.

When asked: "Who?" she simply replied: "I'm not gonna tell you."

"I have had chemistry with people who... I have not had a good time working with them," she said, still declining to divulge any names, reports people.com.

"Sometimes it's a strange thing. Sometimes you could have a rapport that's really effortless, but it doesn't translate onscreen," she said, discussing her approach to establishing chemistry.

"Chemistry is this strange thing. It's an ethereal thing that you can't really bottle up and buy or sell. It's like there or it's not. It's just easier when you have a natural rapport with someone," she added.

Blunt also spoke about some methods she uses to find chemistry with a co-star when there isn't any.

"I've got to find something I love about everybody. I have to find something... Even if it's one thing," she said.

"It might be that they have a nice laugh, or I like how they speak to people. They're polite. I mean, it might be something random. But find something you love about that person or something you love about them as a character, and then kind of lean into that."

Additionally, Blunt shared that some moments on set have been downright "gross".

When discussing on-screen kisses with a co-actor, the host asked: "Have you wanted to throw up?"

To which she responded: "Absolutely. Absolutely."

"I wouldn't say it's sort of extreme loathing, but I've definitely not enjoyed some of it," added the actress, who has collaborated with figures such as Dwayne Johnson in 'Jungle Cruise', her husband John Krasinski in 'A Quiet Place', and Cillian Murphy in 'Oppenheimer'.
Chennai, May 6 : The principal Opposition party of Tamil Nadu, AIADMK is gearing up for a protest against the draft elephant corridor plan released by the Tamil Nadu government on April 29.

AIADMK leader and Gudalur MLA Pon Jayaseelan, while speaking to IANS, said that the draft plan was released hurriedly without taking the opinion of the stakeholders involved -- farmers and those living in the area earmarked as elephant corridors.

The AIADMK leader also said that there are discrepancies in the draft plan as Project Elephant, in its study, identifies 20 proposed elephant corridors in Tamil Nadu, while the final report identifies 42 elephant corridors in the state.

The principal Opposition party is concerned that the elephant corridors identified in the draft plan have several human habitations and that by declaring the elephant corridors, several human settlements will have to be demolished and people rehabilitated. This will affect the lives of several people.

Pon Jayaseelan said: "People should be given proper opportunities to air their views and opinion regarding the constitution of elephant corridors. If the new corridors affect the livelihood of people, there will be unrest. A responsible political party like AIADMK will have to make strong protest against this."

AIADMK is planning a series of agitations in many parts of the state bordering the forest regions against the hurried issuance of the elephant corridor plan.
Seoul, May 6 : South Korea's economically active population is anticipated to plunge by nearly 10 million by 2044 amid the country's critically low births, data showed on Monday.

According to a report from the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for the Future, the number of people aged 15 to 64, which stood at 36.57 million in 2023, is projected to decrease to 27.17 million in 2044, Yonhap news agency reported.

The report also showed the number of elementary school freshmen, which came to 4,30,000 last year, is set to nearly halve to 2,20,000 in 2033.

The number of deaths is expected to reach 7,46,000 in 2060, compared with births estimated at just 1,56,000, leading to a natural population decline of 5,90,000.

Accordingly, South Korea's total population, estimated at 51.71 million in 2023, was forecast to drop to 39.69 million by 2065.

"The decline in the economically active population will damage consumption, leading to the collapse of the domestic market. It will also increase the burden of supporting the senior population, leading to an economic slowdown and prolonged low growth," the institute said.

South Korea has been grappling with a chronically low birth rate, with the total fertility rate, the average number of children expected to be born per woman over her lifetime, reaching a record low of 0.72 in 2023.

This figure is far below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

In February 2024, only 19,362 babies were born, marking the lowest number for any February since the statistics agency began collecting data in 1981.
New Delhi, May 6 : China has pushed mercantilism to the extreme when it comes to producing steel, and the day is not far when this approach will destroy Chinese civilisation, IT software company Zoho's CEO Sridhar Vembu said on Monday.

Mercantilism is a nationalist economic policy designed to maximise exports and minimise imports for an economy.

Replying to Michael Pettis, American professor of finance at Peking University in Beijing and a nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Vembu said that anyone who "truly cares for the longevity of Chinese civilisation can see how mercantilism would destroy it".

China produces roughly 55 per cent of all the steel in the world.

"This is mercantilism pushed to the extreme. This obsession with exports is costing the Chinese people themselves dearly, by overworking their people, not to mention pushing other countries into debt," Vembu argued.

What China accumulates in return is the debt of other nations, and that is "fool's gold" because the debt can never be repaid.

"Repaying means China has to import much more than it exports for a period, which the Chinese government won't permit," the Zoho CEO said.

Pettis had posted on X, quoting a South China Morning Post article titled "China's steel industry risks 'falling off a cliff' as overcapacity concerns point to the end of an era," that China's steel industry has become a stand-in for the overall economy, with growing supply facing declining domestic demand.

Vembu said that Japan and South Korea have "run this movie".

"It ends in demographic suicide because young people, overworked and over-concentrated into giant cities, facing high housing and educational costs, have no time or energy for children. Civilisational energy fades," he warned.

This is why India should never run "massive and prolonged surpluses like East Asia has done".

"Balanced trade would be good for our own people, our civilisation and would be our gift to the world," said Vembu.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 : In a relief to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a state Vigilance Court here on Monday rejected a plea seeking a court-monitored probe into the allegations of corruption against the CM and his daughter, Veena Vijayan.

Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnaden had in his petition demanded a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department into the allegations that Veenaas IT firm got monthly gratification from a Kochi-based mining firm, Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Ltd, for mining sanction.

Last month when the court was to deliver its judgment, Kuzhalnaden submitted a fresh demand stating that he wanted a court-monitored probe. This irked the court, which asked him if he was sure what his prayer was in the case. Kuzhalnaden then stated that he would submit more evidence, and based on his demand the court decided to look into his fresh demand.

On Monday, the court rejected the legislatoras demand for a court monitored probe.

Reacting to the verdict, Kuzhalnaden said, "Since I am a lawyer by profession, it will be too premature to say if I will go in for an appeal. I am yet to get a copy of the verdict and after going through it, I will respond. As I said before, I am not going to run away."
Bengaluru, May 6 : As Karnataka CID's SIT continued the hunt on Monday for the prime accused in the sex videos case former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's grandson Prajwal Revanna, sources said that the absconding JD(S) MP is expected to return to India after the Lok Sabha elections are over in Karnataka and other key states.

Bengaluru, May 6 (IANS) As Karnataka CIDas SIT continued the hunt on Monday for the prime accused in the sex videos case former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowdaas grandson Prajwal Revanna, sources said that the absconding JD(S) MP is expected to return to India after the Lok Sabha elections are over in Karnataka and other key states.

Meanwhile, the sleuths are checking the updated travellersa lists at all airports of Karnataka and are stationed at major airports of the country to nab JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.

JD(S) senior leader CS Puttaraju had hinted that the sitting MP and NDA candidate for the Hassan Lok Sabha seat, Prajwal Revanna would surrender following the arrest of his father HD Revanna.

Deve Gowdaas son and JD(S) MLA HD Revanna was arrested on Saturday in connection with the kidnapping case registered against him by the son of one of the victims who was seen being sexually abused by Prajwal Revanna in the videos that were leaked.

Meanwhile, the Congress government is making an all-out attempt to arrest Prajwal Revanna.

The SIT sleuths are hopeful of getting the exact location of his hiding place following the issue of a Blue Corner notice against him.

Sources say that prominent JD(S) leaders and some of the family members are not happy with Prajwal Revanna going into hiding at a time when fingers are being raised against the family.

Meanwhile, sources in the SIT said that they have started getting calls from more of Prajwal Revannaas victims and their friends.

The authorities are assuring them of legal assistance and protection in case they want to lodge a case against Prajwal Revanna.

Meanwhile, the SIT sleuths took one of the victims of the sex video scandal to the residence of HD Revanna in Basavanagudi locality of Bengaluru for spot Mahazar.

Prajwal Revanna is facing charges under IPC Sections 376 (2) N (committing rape repeatedly on same woman), 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (A) (1) (behaving in unwelcome way, explicit sexual behaviour, demanding sexual favours), 354 (B) (using criminal force on woman) and 354 (C) (voyeurism, capturing image of a woman in a private act without her consent) and under Sections of the Information Technology Act.
New Delhi, May 6 : Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is all set to fly to space on Boeing's Starliner on Tuesday, along with Butch Wilmore.

The flight is expected to take off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8.04 a.m. IST on May 7 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

The 59-year-old is set to create history by being the first woman to fly on the maiden mission of a new human-rated spacecraft.

This will be Sunita's third flight to space -- the first in 2006 and the second in 2012.

According to NASA, "Sunita has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space."

"When I reach the International Space Station, it will be like going back home," she was quoted as saying to NDTV.

Sunita, who will serve as the mission pilot, has named the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft "Calypso" for her love of the ocean.

It is also "in reference to the ship of famed explorer Jacques Cousteau, who sailed across the world on his own ship bearing the same name," NASA shared in a post on X.com.

Meanwhile, NASA predicts about a 95 per cent chance of favourable weather conditions at the launch pad for a liftoff.

The mission called Crew Flight Test (CFT) will last about 10 days and will demonstrate the end-to-end capabilities of the Starliner system.

"Tomorrow, Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni lift off to the stars," Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator, said in a post on X.

"Their mission: to test #Starliner for commercial flight. Sate travels, star sailors. You are the pride of our great nation," he added.

The Starliner spacecraft, with a diameter of 15 feet (4.56 meters), is capable of carrying up to four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit for the agency's Commercial Crew Programme.
New Delhi, May 6 : Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has moved the Supreme Court challenging the dismissal of his writ petition by the Jharkhand High Court against his arrest in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.

On Monday, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, mentioned the matter before a bench presided over by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud seeking directions for urgent listing of the plea.

Sibal said that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader be released in view of the elections set to commence on May 13 in the state.

Asking Sibal to circulate an email, CJI Chandrachud said that he would consider urgent listing of the matter.

In an order passed on May 3, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed Soren's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"There is an abundance of documents that lay a foundation for the arrest and remand of the petitioner to police and judicial custody. At this stage, this is not possible to hold that the ED has proceeded against the petitioner for no reason," the high court said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the ED and sought its response on a plea filed by Soren seeking interim bail on the ground of delay in delivery of judgment by the Jharkhand High Court.

"In the meanwhile, it will be open to the high court to pronounce the orders from the judgement which was reserved on February 28, 2024" clarified the top court, posting the matter for further hearing in the week commencing May 6.

Hemant Soren resigned from the Chief Minister's post on January 31, after the ED informed him that it was arresting him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Bengaluru, May 6 : The Karnataka CID's SIT continued grilling former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda's son JD(S) MLA HD Revanna on Monday, even as he refused to sign the statement prepared by the authorities.

Bengaluru, May 6 (IANS) The Karnataka CIDas SIT continued grilling former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowdaas son JD(S) MLA HD Revanna on Monday, even as he refused to sign the statement prepared by the authorities.

HD Revanna was arrested on Saturday in connection with the kidnapping case registered against him by the son of one of the victims who was seen being sexually abused by Prajwal Revanna in the videos that were leaked.

The episode has stirred a huge controversy in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Voting for the 14 Lok Sabha seats is scheduled to be conducted on Tuesday (May 7).

His son Prajwal Revanna, who is the sitting JD(S) MP and NDA candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency is the prime accused in the sex videos case.

Prajwal Revanna has fled the country and a Blue Corner notice has been issued against him.

According to sources, HD Revanna, in the custody of SIT, is refusing to sign the statement prepared by the authorities and is claiming that he is being framed in the case.

HD Revanna is maintaining that he has no connection with the kidnapping of the victim.

The SIT has also recorded the statements of the second accused in the kidnap case, Satish Babu and HD Revannaas PA Rajgopal.

The victimas son has said in his complaint to the police that Satish Babu, who is HD Revannaas relative, took the victim on his bike on the behest of the MLA.

The development had taken place after the video containing the footage of the lady being sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna surfaced. Rajgopal had allegedly kept the lady in his farm house as per the direction of HD Revanna.

Sources explained that the SIT will further grill HD Revanna, based on the statements by other accused in the case.

HD Revanna is in the custody of the SIT till May 8.

The court is likely to take up his bail petition only after May 8, considering the developments surrounding the case.

HD Revanna, on Sunday had said that there was no evidence against him in the sex video scandal kidnapping case and that it was a "conspiracy" against him.

aWithout evidence, I have been targeted... All allegations against me are false. My arrest has been made out of ill-intention," he claimed.

"The case was lodged on April 28, then, they did not have any evidence. Later, the fake evidence was created on May 2 and I was fixed," he alleged.
Mumbai, May 6 : Maharashtra Congress Working President, M Arif Naseem Khan announced on Monday that he has withdrawn his resignation from the state party campaign panel and will canvass for all Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.

A prominent Muslim leader and ex-Minister, Khan made the official announcement in the presence of AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala, state Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe and other senior leaders.

IANS had first reported on May 4 on the likely developments and how Khan's name was included as a 'Star Campaigner' for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20 and that he would campaign for all the INDIA bloc candidates in the state.

"I am not hankering after any posts. I only sought to highlight the sentiments of the Muslim community. The senior party leaders have discussed the matters with me and I hereby withdraw my resignation from the Congress Campaign Committee," declared Khan.

Khan's abrupt move 10 days ago (April 26) had rattled the Congress and MVA allies after he publicly questioned why the Opposition alliance had for the first time not fielded a single Muslim candidate in any of 48 LS constituencies in the state.

A contender for the Mumbai North Central LS seat, he had warned that the minority community was perturbed and was asking "whether the Congress only wants Muslim votes but not Muslim leaders", creating apprehensions of loss of minority votes for Opposition candidates.

On Monday, Khan reiterated that along with the party, he would strongly campaign for Mumbai North Central candidate Prof. Varsha Gaikwad and other MVA candidates in the state.

With Khan's decision that was widely hailed in Congress and MVA political circles, the curtains have fallen on a potentially embarrassing situation with the possibility of Muslim voters staying off voting to express their angst over 'non-inclusion'.

Interestingly, barring the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul, no other mainstream parties in the state including the ruling Mahayuti or the Opposition MVA have put up any candidates from the Muslim or other minority communities like Christians, Sikhs in the state for the 2024 LS polls.

However, in 2014 and 2019, the Congress had fielded a sole Muslim, Hidayatullah Barkatullah Patel from Akola LS constituency who was trounced both times by the BJP's Sanjay Dhotre.
New Delhi, May 6 : A delegation from the Congress party, led by leaders including Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate and Devendra Yadav, met with Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Monday to address the issue of edited and fake videos circulating on social media handles amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Expressing their concerns, the delegation said that there is continuous dissemination of manipulated videos and fake content through these platforms.

Yadav, the Chief of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), emphasised the gravity of the situation and said: "We had also given a complaint regarding the same two days ago at Tughlaq Road police station but there was no action from police officials there. We had shared the links of several posts. The videos and posts can be called hate speeches."

Yadav further said that these objectionable handles have garnered a significant following, including members from prominent political parties.

"When there was no action for two days at the police station, we met CP and he assured us of action in the matter. We also told him about different posts on social media," Yadav said.

Addressing reporters outside the police headquarters at Jai Singh Marg, Yadav said that the matter is of urgency and there is a need for swift action to curb the dissemination of inflammatory content.
Mumbai, May 6 : Actor Dev Joshi has reflected on his 'Baalveer' journey, sharing how he has balanced his acting career with academics since the age of 12.

As the superhero drama 'Baalveer' returns for its fourth season, Dev shared insights into the bond he has forged with the show's family.

The actor said: "It has been quite a journey since the age of 12 when 'Baalveer' first began. From then till now, the 'Baalveer' family, from the production and channel teams to the directing crew, has truly become my second family. Throughout my journey, my parents have been my pillars of strength. Momas been a constant on set, and Dad makes sure to spend quality time with me whenever possible."

For Dev, the set wasn't just a workplace, but it became his 'school, playground, and study room', shaping his journey as an actor.

"Growing up amid lights and cameras, the set became my school, playground, and study room all rolled into one. It's been a crash course in professionalism, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have cherished my passion for acting throughout every stage of my life," he shared.

In the glitz and glamour of showbiz, Dev has always prioritised his education, tending to the demands of acting with the challenges of academics.

The 23-year-old actor further shared: "Balancing academics with acting has been my mantra from the start. Starting 'Baalveer' while in seventh grade, Iave always made sure my studies werenat sidelined. Even amid hectic shoots, Mom would be there, helping me catch up on my studies during breaks. Iad grab every opportunity to gather notes from friends back in Ahmedabad, often making quick trips."

"And Iave been fortunate to have a school and teachers who've supported my every step, even aligning shooting schedules with exam dates during my crucial board years. Itas been a juggling act, but with the support of my family and school, Iave managed to keep both passions alive," he added.

The show stars Aditi Sanwal as Kashvi and Ada Khan as the menacing antagonist, Aageel.

'Baalveer 4' will premiere from May 6 at 7.30 p.m. on Sony LIV.
Mumbai, May 6 : The BJP and the Congress are locked in a high-intensity political battle in the tribal dominated Nandurbar constituency in North Maharashtra.

The BJP has fielded sitting MP, Dr Heena Gavit, who is eyeing a hat-trick, against the Congress nominee Adv Goval Padvi, who is the son of the sitting Legislator KC Padvi and is contesting his maiden General Election.

Nandurbar was a traditional bastion of the Congress till 2014 when Dr Gavit defeated the nine-term MP and former Union Minister Manikrao Gavit, riding on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi wave.

In the 2019 elections, she was re-elected banking on her performance and the Modi government's works, defeating the Congress nominee KC Padvi.

For the BJP and Dr Gavit the election is quite crucial as the party seeks to further strengthen its grip in the constituency and increase its organisational presence all over the district.

On the other hand, by fielding a new face, the Congress hopes to regain its past glory and reinstate its hold in the district.

For Dr Gavit, the BJP is playing up 'Modi's guarantee', the Viksit Bharat 2047 agenda and a slew of developmental works carried out by the NDA Government in 10 years and also by the Mahayuti Government since June 2022.

The RSS' network, apart from the BJP's vibrant poll machinery, accompanied by cadres of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, has been Dr Gavit's major source of strength.

However, Shiv Sena leader and former Legislator Chandrakant Raghuvanshi, who is a known rival of Dr Gavit's father and BJP Minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit, has been a cause for worry.

Despite Dr Gavit's efforts to pacify Raghuvanshi, the latter is not working for her, though his support to the Congress' nominee has been a major booster dose for him.

Dr Gavit hopes to continue her victory march especially after the PM's rally slated for May 7 in Nandurbar for the May 13 polls here.

The BJP claims that of all the initiatives, the implementation of the Rs 24,000 crore scheme for vulnerable tribal groups, launched on the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda, will yield positive results as it has been a game changer to push development in tribal areas.

On the other hand, the Congress hopes to revive the party organisation in the district.

The Congress, over the years, has established a unique connect with the tribals as late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former party chief Sonia Gandhi always used to address poll rallies from Nandurbar.

During the UPA Government, the Aadhaar, the Unique Identity Scheme, was launched from Nandurbar nationally.

Further, the Congress also wants to cash in on the party MP, Rahul Gandhi's visit to Nandurbar District during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, where he announced five guarantees under the plank of Adivasi Nyay to protect "jal, jungle, zameen (water, forests, land)" to give Adivasis "their rightful dues."

The party nominee Adv Padvi hopes to outsmart his immediate rival banking on Adivasi Nyay which gives a big push for tribal welfare and social justice.

On top of it, the Congress for a while has succeeded in putting up a show of unity as various factions have buried the hatchet and are working for Adv Padvi unitedly.

Despite loud claims of development by the BJP and Congress, Nandurbar continues to hog headlines for malnutrition deaths and absence of health and paramedical services.

As per the Maharashtra Human Development Report, 2012, Nandurbar has the lowest rank with a Human Development Index of 0.604 against the state's 0.752. The Per Capita Income (PCI) is Rs 1,05,813 against the state's PCI of Rs 2,15,233 while the male literacy rate is 72.2 per cent and female literacy is 56.5 per cent.

The major source of income continues to be agriculture.

Dr Gavit and Adv Padvi during campaigning struggle to address various other issues such as lack of adequate hospitals, health centres and a trauma centre, apart from the absence of new industries and high unemployment.
Hyderabad, May 6 : BJP President J. P. Nadda on Monday accused Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) of following the Muslim League agenda.

Addressing a public meeting in support of the BJP candidate in the Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency, he said that Congress, BRS and AIMIM are supporters of Tabligi Jamaat and they disturb the mainstream.

He also alleged that the three parties are supporters of Razakars. He said that they can't celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day. "BJP will always remember September 17, 1948. Once our government comes to power in Telangana, we will celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day every year," he said.

Coming down heavily on Congress, he described it as an anti-Ram, anti-Sanathan party and alleged that it has joined hands with anti-national forces.

He lashed out at former chief minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi for calling the recent terror attack in Poonch a 'pre-election stunt' by the BJP. "Congress has such anti-national leaders. They mislead the country," he said.

The BJP President Nadda said the Congress created hurdles in the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

He alleged that Rahul Gandhi stands with those at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) who raise anti-national slogans. He claimed that a leader who raised such slogans was even given an MP ticket.

On the Congress allegation that BJP wants to scrap the reservation system in the country, Nadda said this was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. He alleged that it was Congress that robbed SCs, STs, and OBCs of reservation by providing quota to Muslims in united Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

He alleged that the Congress has no concern for the country and it was busy following the policy of Muslim appeasement.

He alleged that Congress wants to take the country back to the era of corruption, policy paralysis, and indecisive government.

Nadda said during Congress rule, the country witnessed false promises, false slogans, vote bank politics, mafia and crime, family politics, and corruption.

Claiming that during the last 10 years, the country saw a strong and decisive government, he said the BJP believes in the politics of report cards and accountability. We have done what we had promised and we have also done what we had not promised," he said.

The BJP President said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership the country is marching ahead on the path of progress and becoming self-reliant.

He mentioned that in 2014 India was the 11th largest economy in the world and in these 10 years it moved to fifth position. He exuded confidence that in PM Modi's third term it will become the third largest economy.

He appealed to the people to elect Gomasa Srinivas from Peddapalli to strengthen the hands of PM Modi.
Tel Aviv, May 6 : The Israeli military called on residents of eastern Rafah, in southern Gaza, to evacuate to an "expanded humanitarian area," ahead of a possible offensive.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Monday, said that it "encourages" residents of eastern Rafah to move to an expanded humanitarian area in the al-Mawasi refugee camp on the Mediterranean, not far from the border with Egypt.

"In accordance with the approval of the government, an ongoing situation assessment will guide the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas to the humanitarian areas," the IDF said in a Telegram post.

The IDF characterised the evacuation as "temporary," adding that calls for the relocation would be "conveyed through posters, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic."

"The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they are holding in captivity are back home."

In a follow-up post, the IDF told Gaza residents that it "will continue fighting the terror organisations that use you as human shields."

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas in Cairo at the weekend on a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners failed to produce any results.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash the remaining Hamas battalions. Hostages captured during the October 7 attacks, which triggered the conflict, are also believed to be held in the city on the border with Egypt.

Israel's allies have been urgently warning against a Rafah offensive because hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have moved there.

Overnight, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Gallant's office said.

Gallant briefed Austin on the Sunday Hamas attack, in which approximately 10 projectiles were fired from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing towards the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing area. Three Israeli soldiers were killed in that attack.

Kerem Shalom is the most crucial border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to Gaza Strip. The army temporarily closed it to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack. The military then reportedly bombed the site in the Gaza Strip near the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the attack had originated.

Gallant's office said the minister discussed the hostage release efforts and said that at this stage, Hamas refuses the frameworks at hand, adding that military action is required since there is a "lack of an alternative."

The state of Israel cannot tolerate a situation in which Hamas continues to attack its citizens while showing a "lack of seriousness" in releasing the hostages.

Israel is committed to achieving its war goals, the spokesman said -- the destruction of Hamas and the return of the remaining 132 hostages still in Gaza.

Gallant expressed his appreciation to Austin for the US and its "partnership and leadership" and highlighted the US' important role in the hostage issue.

Israel said that it wanted to evacuate the city before conducting combat operations in Rafah. This is expected to take several weeks.

Hamas has prepared its fighters in Rafah for deployment against Israel and supplied them with provisions and weapons, according to reports from Israel.

The number of militants guarding the hostages has also increased, according to media reports.

--IANS/DPA

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Kochi, May 6 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his wife, and their grandson left for a three-nation private tour on Monday.

CM Vijayan will visit Indonesia, Singapore, and the UAE before returning on May 21.

His daughter Veena Vijayan and her husband and state minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas are in the UAE and will travel with the Chief Minister during the trip.

The Vijayan family will be in Indonesia till May 12 before flying to Singapore. On May 18, they will return to the UAE before coming back to India on May 21.

According to sources, since this is a private trip, no official announcement was made about it.
Kolkata, May 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scared to stop the illegal infiltrators in the state as these infiltrators are the "principal vote bank" of Trinamool Congress.

"The Chief Minister is scared to take action against the illegal infiltrators. These infiltrators are her principal vote bank. She should be ashamed for nurturing the menace of illegal infiltration and converting them into her vote bank," the Home Minister said while addressing an election meeting at the Burdwan-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency in support of the party candidate Dilip Ghosh.

He alleged that once a thriving industrial belt, the Durgapur-Asansol has dried up due to the rampant extortion in the area.

"No one is ready to invest in Durgapur-Asansol out of the fear of extortion. The anti-social elements close to the 'nephew' are extorting money and sending them to Kolkata," the Union Home Minister said.

Claiming that BJP had set a target to win at least 30 seats from West Bengal in the ongoing Lok Sabha election to ensure that PM Modi wins a third consecutive term.

"A third term for Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister will mean the end of the terror menace in the entire country. It will ensure that the Indian economy will emerge as the third largest global economy."

He also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged opposition to the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

"Rahul Baba opposed the step. I asked him the reason. He said that bloodshed would take place in J&K if Article 370 is abrogated. In reality, nothing happened," he said.

Referring to alleged sexual harassment cases in Sandeshkhali, he said that since the state police are not taking any action against the accused, the Calcutta High Court had no other option but to hand over the investigation process to CBI.

"Should not a leader like Sheikh Shahjahan be put behind bars? The women have been sexually harassed in a state that has a woman Chief Minister," Shah said.
New Delhi, May 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized 19.5 kg of gold valued at Rs 14.04 crore from the locker of a cyber fraudster maintained in the name of his mother with the Ballabgarh branch of Indian Bank in Haryana's Faridabad on May 3, said an official on Monday.

The financial probe agency said the fraudster, identified as Punit Kumar a.k.a Puneet Maheshwari, a resident of Moti Nagar in the national capital, was arrested on April 3 from the Arrival Hall, Terminal-3 of IGI Airport.

"He was produced before the Delhi PMLA Court on the same day and granted ED custody for 12 days and is presently under judicial custody," said the senior ED official.

The seizure follows specific intelligence indicating that Punit Kumar has hidden the proceeds of cybercrimes in the form of gold in a locker held at Indian Bank under his mother's name.

Additionally, previous searches conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at 14 locations in February and March 2024 resulted in the confiscation of various assets.

These include foreign-made gold bars totalling eight kg valued at Rs 5.04 crore found at Punit Kumar's premises, cash amounting to Rs 75 lakh, jewellery, high-end luxury watches, luxury vehicles like Mercedes, Audi, and Kia, along with incriminating documents and electronic devices containing evidence.

These actions are part of a money laundering scheme involving foreign-based online gaming companies exploiting Indian residents.

According to ED sources, Punit Kumar, Ashish Kakkar, who was arrested on March 2, Keshav Sood, a resident of Anand Niketan, Chanakyapuri, and Shiv Dargar, who resides in Saket and others have facilitated outward remittances derived from cybercrimes.

The ED alleged that the accused engaged in hawala transactions to various destinations worldwide, including the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Thailand, among others.

During searches at Kakkar's properties on May 22 and 23, last year, conducted under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the ED recovered and seized a significant number of incriminating documents, forged/fake IDs like Aadhaar and PAN cards, digital devices for online transactions in foreign banks, laptops, computer hard disks, and pen drives containing electronic records related to numerous Foreign Outward Remittances. They also found stamps from numerous Indian and foreign registered firms, as well as blank letterheads from several such Indian and foreign firms.

The ED sources further said that Kakkar established and operated multiple shell trading firms/bogus companies across India and abroad, primarily in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai. These firms were registered in the names of various employees or hired individuals using fabricated or forged documents. They were utilised for collecting, routing, and outwardly remitting the proceeds of crime from online gaming activities conducted by foreign registered gaming websites.

It's worth noting that sending proceeds of crime out of India from online gaming violates FEMA provisions.

Kakkar and his associates allegedly devised a distinctive modus operandi involving the creation of dummy firms using forged or fabricated documents. They then used these firms for import/export activities in Special Economic Zones and outward foreign remittances against these imports to evade FEMA restrictions. The same forged documents were also used in the operations of bank accounts opened under the names of dummy companies/firms.

Sources claim that using this modus operandi, the alleged individuals operated 188 bank accounts for 167 domestic firms/companies and 110 bank accounts for 105 foreign firms/companies. Among the foreign companies, 46 were based in China, 30 in Singapore, 18 in Hong Kong, seven in the UAE, two in Malaysia, one in Thailand, and one in Mauritius. The accused allegedly retained blank chequebooks of the dummy firms/companies after obtaining or forging signatures on blank leaves.
Mumbai, May 6 : Rohitashv Gour, best known for his role as Manmohan Tiwari in the sitcom 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai', shared that he doesn't support night shoots at all because they take a toll on his mental health, and he has experienced negative effects.

When asked if he likes night shoots, Rohitashv shared: "I don't support night shoots at all because they take a toll on my mental health. I've experienced the negative effects firsthand, as my doctor advised against reducing sleep because there's no alternative to it. Lack of sleep can severely impact health, so I hope night shoots can be avoided, and I pray for that to happen."

The actor further shared that shooting daily soaps is no easy feat. However, he adds that his show is very well planned, and the cast gets adequate time off as well.

"The format of 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai' allows for a balanced work-life routine where everyone gets some work done and also some relaxation time. While there might be occasional challenges in getting time off, the working hours are generally limited to around a 12-hour shift, which rarely extends beyond that," he said.

The actor added: "This is unlike some other daily soap operas where the shooting schedule can be extremely demanding, making it difficult to find time for family or personal life. So, while it's true that holidays might be hard to come by, the case isn't the same for 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai' due to its manageable schedule."
Hospital, docs fined over mix up of semen during IVF in Delhi. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, May 6 : In 2019, Pooja and Ankit (name changed) a thalassemia minor couple, planned a second baby to help their first-born child with the genetic disorder, who required blood transfusion on a fortnightly basis.

With a second baby, the couple, aged 33 and 35, from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, hoped to provide a matching donor for their firstborn, 3 years old, and cure the disorder via stem-cell transplant.

However, to ensure a healthy second baby, they opted for in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

The woman underwent three IVF cycles, each requiring intensive hormonal stimulation. Each cycle entailed daily injections for a minimum of 10-12 days, followed by egg retrieval under anaesthesia.

The process had to be repeated thrice to amass a sufficient pool of 16-18 embryos, ensuring the possibility of identifying at least one embryo free from thalassemia.

Doctors at Jindal IVF, Chandigarh, combined in vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique with Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) -- a breakthrough procedure, reportedly used for the second time in India -- resulting in a healthy newborn on April 4, 2024, and hope for thalassemia major patients.

"IVF PGT is absolutely beneficial for thalassemia and all single gene disorders where the mutation involved is known and probably the only method available which can prevent passing on the affecting mutation to future family generations. It gives us a chance to select a non-affected embryo thus preventing transmission," Dr Sheetal Jindal, Senior consultant and medical director, at Jindal IVF, Chandigarh, told IANS, ahead of thalassemia day on May 8.

What is thalassemia?

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterised by abnormal haemoglobin production, leading to anaemia and potentially severe health complications. It is caused by genetic mutations that affect the production of haemoglobin, a crucial component of red blood cells.

Patients require lifelong blood transfusions with at least one unit of blood within a maximum of 20 days.

How can IVF help?

Dr Manju Nair, Clinical Director- Fertility, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Bengaluru, Old Airport Road, told IANS that IVF with genetic testing can help reduce the risk of thalassemia by selecting embryos free of genetic mutations.

"This involves testing to identify carriers of thalassemia gene mutations. If both partners are carriers (that is, they carry one abnormal copy of the gene but do not have thalassemia themselves), there is a risk of having a child with thalassemia if both pass on their abnormal genes," she explained.

Couples with a family history of thalassemia or belonging to ethnic groups with a higher prevalence of thalassemia should consider genetic counselling, before conception or during early pregnancy.

In general cases, screening tests in the first trimester (first 12 weeks) can indicate the presence of such genetic disorders.

"IVF, combined with Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) or preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), can potentially help prevent the risk of thalassemia in certain situations," Dr Manju said

According to Dr Sheetal the success rate in such patients "is 50-60 per cent and even higher because most of these females are otherwise fertile".

However, "In IVF, patients have to take multiple injections daily. Also even after so much effort, we might not get a fully matched embryo, and sometimes more IVF cycles might have to be done. It is also very expensive as the cost of 1 cycle might be 7-8 lakhs," she added.

"IVF with PGT is a wonderful treatment for couples with known genetic disorders. When I see the suffering parents face with an affected child, I genuinely want to help them. Their whole lifetime, money, and energy revolve around their affected child. In such cases the pain is so much that if someone can afford to some extent it can be a big saviour for the family and can bring happiness and real joy of parenthood," the doctor said.

(Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in)
Photo taken on March 1, 2022 shows armed personnel in Donetsk. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

Moscow, May 6 : Six people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian border region of Belgorod, according to Russian authorities.

Further, 35 people have been injured as Ukrainian forces targeted three vehicles near the village of Beryozovka, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on his Telegram channel on Monday.

Two of the vehicles were reportedly buses carrying workers, although no further details are available about their employers. Gladkov also published a photo showing a badly damaged bus.

Ukraine has sporadically attacked arms depots and transport infrastructure in Russian border regions during the conflict, which Moscow started more than two years ago.

However, the number of casualties Ukraine has inflicted is far lower than its own losses since the Russian invasion.

--IANS/DPA

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Tel Aviv, May 6 : Israel, on Monday, is commemorating the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices during the Holocaust, as the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group holds more than 100 hostages from Israel.

On Monday morning, sirens blared for two minutes across the country to commemorate the catastrophe. Cars stopped on the streets and passers-by stood in silent remembrance of the victims. Then, the central commemoration ceremony began at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.

This year, Remembrance Day is being observed in the shadow of the Gaza war, which has already lasted seven months. More than 100 Israeli hostages are still held by Hamas.

On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised that Israel must defend itself - alone if necessary.

"During the terrible Holocaust, there were important leaders who stood on the sidelines. The first lesson from the Holocaust is, therefore, if we do not defend ourselves, no one else will defend us," he explained in Yad Vashem on Sunday evening. "And if we have to stand up for ourselves alone, then we will stand up for ourselves alone."

According to estimates, Germany's Nazi Party and their accomplices murdered around six million Jews between 1933 and 1945, when they were defeated by the Allied powers in World War II.

According to official figures, 1,32,826 Holocaust survivors still live in Israel. An estimated 2,500 were directly impacted by the events of October 7, when Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostages.

Around 2,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel have been forced to leave their homes because of the war in Gaza.

--IANS/DPA

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OMSK, Aug. 10, 2017 (Xinhua) -- A Russian tank crew member looks out of the tank during the "Maintenance battalion" of International Army Games 2017 contest in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug. 9, 2017. The International Army Games 2017, underway from Jul. Image Source: IANS News

Moscow, May 6 : Russia will conduct an exercise of its tactical nuclear forces on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, the Defence Ministry announced on Monday.

The announcement did not say if the missiles would be equipped with nuclear warheads. Russia has previously carried out nuclear forces training without nuclear warheads.

"As part of the exercise, a series of activities will be carried out to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the Defence Ministry in Moscow said.

It was initially unclear when and where exactly the exercise, in which the southern defence district and the naval forces are involved, would begin.

In October, the Russian military fired two intercontinental missiles and several cruise missiles for training and deterrence purposes. It justified the exercise, which it had announced, by alleging "provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials against the Russian Federation."

Since the start of its full-scale war against Ukraine more than two years ago, Russian representatives have repeatedly tried to test international support for Kyiv by stirring up fears of a nuclear war.

--IANS/DPA

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New Delhi, May 6 : A court here on Monday sent Arun Reddy, an accused in the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's doctored video case, to one-day judicial custody.

He was produced to Patiala House Courts on the expiry of his previously granted three-day police custody.

Delhi Police arrested Arun Reddy, who manages the Telangana Congressa X account -- 'Spirit of Congressa on May 3 from Delhi.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police had asked for 14 days of judicial custody for Reddy in the court on Monday.

Meanwhile, Reddy has moved an application under Section 437 CrPC seeking bail in the case, and the court has directed the Investigating Officer to file a reply to it.

The matter will be taken up on Tuesday for hearing Reddyas bail application.

In connection with the case, Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police arrested five persons, identified as Pendyala Vamshi Krishna, Satish Manne, Pettam Naveen, Asma Tasleem and Koya Geetha -- all residents of Hyderabad, who were circulating the doctored video of the Home Minister.

According to police, Home Minister Shah delivered a speech during a public meeting in Telangana's Medak on April 23.

"Pendyala Vamshi Krishna received a morphed video of the speech on WhatsApp. He then uploaded the morphed video on the 'INCTelangana' (X) handle and shared it in various WhatsApp groups," said the Hyderabad Police in a statement issued on May 3.

Delhi Police registered an FIR after receiving complaints from the BJP and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The case has been registered under Sections 153, 153A, 465, 469, and 171G of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66C of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

Earlier, the Delhi Police had also summoned Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for questioning in connection with the case.
Mumbai, May 6 : In a fresh row, the Shiv Sena-UBT's Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat candidate Sanjay Dina Patil on Monday claimed that a Gujarat-dominated housing complex has reportedly barred Marathi political activists from campaigning on their premises.

The purported incident occurred late on Sunday when Patil, along with his supporters, had gone to the Samarpan Housing Society, in Ghatkopar West suburb, to distribute poll campaign pamphlets and publicity material.

"However, we were told by some society members that they would not allow canvassing in Marathi and we were prevented from entering... They claimed that they were not permitting Marathis to campaign inside their complex and asked us to leave," Patil later told media persons.

SS-UBT local unit chief Pradeep Mandavkar said that the society members "remained adamant even after they were informed that we had the relevant permission as the election rules".

Reacting strongly, SS-UBT MP Sanjay Raut demanded to know the response of "those people who claim their party is the real Shiv Sena", and said his party will overcome the challenge, as videos of the incident went viral on social media.

Hitting back at Raut, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh Rane said that if anybody attempts to foment a Gujarati-Marathi linguistic controversy, then there could be repercussions in election times.
New Delhi, May 6 : Acharya Pramod Krishnam, former Congress leader and Kalki Dham Peethadhishwar, spoke to IANS on a host of issues including the Poonch terror attack and former Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi, calling it a BJP's stunt and also on NC leader Farooq Abdullah's 'pro-Pak' statement.

Pramod Krishnam said that Farooq Abdullah's 'Pakistan not wearing bangles' statement was unfortunate and deplorable and added that he must have refrained from making such 'casual' remarks.

Describing Farooq Abdullah as 'deshbhakt', Krishnam said that he has known him for long and added that he always stood up for national interests.

"It's probably the effect of his association with the anti-nationals that he has taken this line and is making unwarranted statements," Krishnam said further.

In reply to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks that 'PoK will be merged with India', the NC leader Farooq Abdullah had said on Sunday "Pakistan is not wearing bangles and it also has atom bombs that may fall on us."

Pramod Krishnam further said that many Congress leaders questioned Pulwama and Balakot strikes and insulted the martyrdom of jawans.

"In their hatred for PM Modi, they have gone haywire and it has now led to hatred against the nation," he told IANS.

Reacting to former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi's distasteful remarks on the Poonch terror strike, he said, "Not much can be expected from an eve-teaser."

"It's unfortunate that the Congress party had picked a person for the CM post, who was accused of abusing and molesting women IAS officers of his department. Today, he is insulting the martyrdom of our soldiers," Krishnam said, bristling over his remarks.

Notably, Charanjit Singh Channi had called the terror attack on the IAF convoy in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch, 'a pre-poll stunt by the BJP' for alleged political gains.

When questioned on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's description of Jammu and Kashmir as 'India-administered Kashmir', in a foreign publication The Daily Star, he lashed out at Rahul Gandhi and said, "Whosoever remains in his company will be prompted to make such statements."

"It's fortunate that Tharoor hasn't written Kerala as India-administered Kerala," he said taking a caustic jibe at the senior Congress leader.
Lucknow, May 6 : Launching a scathing attack on the opposition parties on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that 'Ramdroh' and 'Rashtradhroh' (anti-national) are part of Congress and the INDIA bloc.

Referring to the humiliation of Congress leader from Chhattisgarh, Radhika Khera, by the party members for visiting Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Yogi Adityanath said: "The incident shows that 'Ramdroh' is there in the DNA of Congress, SP, and the INDIA bloc, and whoever is 'Ramdrohi' is 'Rashtradrohi' as well. Chhattisgarh belongs to Lord Ram and any Ram devotee can belong to any party. "

He said that the INDIA bloc members have always disrespected Lord Ram and his devotees.

"They make every effort to make the majority community feel insulted. Whether it is Congress, SP, National Conference, or DMK, the conduct of all these parties is condemnable. And it is this 'Ramdrohi' conduct of these parties that is throwing them into the abyss," the Chief Minister told media persons.

He said that the Congress has never missed an opportunity to demean India in the eyes of the world, nor has it hesitated to disparage the Hindu religion.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged people to consider the 'Ramdrohi' behaviour as 'Rashtravirodhi' (anti-national), regardless of one's affection shown to them in the interest of the nation.

He said that the public is vigilant and will make their own informed decisions.

Emphasising that the greater the 'Ram Bhakt', guarantees the greater 'Rashtra Bhakt' (patriot), Yogi Adityanath described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the epitome of 'Ram Bhakt' and 'Rashtra Bhakt'.

"After a 500-year wait, the long-cherished dream of Ayodhya has finally come alive with Ram Lalla once again gracing the city. This transformation of Ayodhya was made possible under Modi's leadership and guidance. Today, the new Ayodhya unveils a fresh chapter before us," he added.
New Delhi, May 6 : The Supreme Court on Monday deferred till May 15 hearing on the bail plea of DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthil Balaji, who was arrested last year in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

A bench presided over by Justice Abhay S. Oka was requested by Solicitor General Tushar, the second highest law officer of the Centre appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to post the hearing on a non-miscellaneous day, saying that arguing the case would take more time.

Notably, days other than Monday and Friday are classified as non-miscellaneous days in the apex court, when regular hearing is undertaken by different benches.

Senior advocate Aryama Sundaram, appearing for Balaji, apprised the Bench, also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, that the DMK leader has remained in custody since June last year.

In an earlier hearing, the top court declined to pass any interim order staying the February 28 order of the Madras High Court, which had dismissed Balajias bail petition.

However, it issued a notice to the ED and sought the response of the central agency within four weeks.

In its order, a bench of Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court observed that even if Balaji had resigned from his position as a Minister, he continues as an MLA belonging to the ruling party in Tamil Nadu and continues to wield a lot of influence on the state government.

The high court had asked the trial court to complete the trial within three months by conducting the proceedings on a day-to-day basis.

Balaji was arrested by the ED in June last year and has remained in judicial custody since then.

In November last year, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain Balajias plea seeking bail on medical condition remarking that it was not satisfied with his illness and his medical condition could be cured with medicines.
Lucknow, May 6 : Everyone wants their votes but no one wants to campaign in these areas. These are the red light areas of major cities in Uttar Pradesh where politicians don't dare to tread.

Candidates are hesitant to be seen here but still send messages through pamphlets to the voters. They even send 'goodies', albeit discreetly, and ask for votes.

In Prayagraj, Meerganj is one such area that has Madrasi Gali, Satya Gali, Julaha Gali and Pahadi Gali that is largely inhabited by sex workers.

According to a source, the women in the area are politically aware and familiar with local politics.

"They have their own political affiliations and watch television to remain abreast with political activities. Some leaders even talk to them on phone and provide whatever facilities they need. However, no candidate is ever seen here. They campaign by proxy," said a source.

A local trader who owns a garment shop in the area, said, "Campaigning here is done by those who are involved in the 'trade'. They work on behalf of various parties during elections and even ensure a voter turnout on polling day."

Interestingly, he added, most houses in the area hoist flags of whichever party is in power. This is done to avoid police action.

In Safedabad in Barabanki District, the red light area is said to be a SP stronghold.

The maze of narrow lanes and bylanes, with drains overflowing, has SP flags in abundance. Pradeep Yadav, in his early forties, is the "guardian" of the area.

"We did not let the BJP win even during the Modi wave. We will again make the SP win this time," he said.

There are about 800 women living in these lanes and there is no poll talk.

"These women will vote wherever Yadav says," informed a candidate and added that, "There is no point campaigning because no one listens to us."

Civic amenities in the area are deplorable but no one is concerned  neither the residents, nor the authorities.

In Varanasi, about half a kilometre from the railway station is Shivdaspur. Songs play loudly through the day and night in the lanes that are strewn with garbage.

The women here say that they have never seen a leader in person. "Sirf TV par dekha hai," they say.

Similarly, no political leaders have ever campaigned in Lucknow's 'Chawal wali gali' in the old city area. The 'Chawal wali gali', incidentally, never sold rice. The lane is full of sex workers living here since ages. No one knows how the lane got its name but it is now synonymous with the sex trade.

Situated near Akbari Gate, this lane also has an array of shops selling various items like pickles, unique spices and street food.
Kolkata, May 6 : The Kolkata Police on Monday issued a statement in connection with a molestation complaint lodged against West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose by a temporary staff of the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, an allegation that the Governor has vehemently denied.

In the statement, the police clarified that the investigation into the matter is not against any individual, but to find out what exactly happened on that day.

The police also informed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the matter is yet to get the CCTV footage from the Raj Bhavan.

"Many mediapersons have asked me how the police can launch an inquiry against the Governor. We are probing the content of the complaint received at the Hare Street police station, not any individual. We are yet to get any CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan. We are in the process of speaking to some police personnel posted in the Raj Bhavan to proceed with the inquiry," the Deputy Commissioner (central division) of Kolkata Police said in the statement.

The statement came a day after the Governor issued a note claiming that under Article 361 (2) and (3) of the Constitution, the state police cannot initiate any proceedings against the Governor during his term in office.

In the statement posted on the official X handle of the Raj Bhavan, the Governor directed the staffers at Raj Bhavan, temporary or permanent, to ignore any communication from the state police in the matter.

The staffers were also directed to "refrain from making any statement online, offline, in person, over the phone or in any other manner".
Kyiv, May 6 : Russian airstrikes in the north-eastern Ukrainian border region of Sumy have led to power outages despite many drones being shot down, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

Authorities said that more than 4,00,000 households in three districts and the regional capital, Sumy, were affected. The Russian military attacked the area with 13 Iranian-made combat drones, they said.

Although 12 of them are said to have been intercepted, energy systems were damaged, according to the energy supplier Ukrenergo.

Meanwhile, more than 1,300 villages lost power. However, most of them have now been supplied with electricity again.

Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for more than two years.

Russian attacks with missiles and drones have repeatedly targeted the country's power supply.

Since heavy attacks in March, there have been regular power failures, particularly in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.

--IANS/DPA

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New Delhi, May 6 : PSU bank stocks underperformed on Monday reacting to stricter RBI norms on lending to projects under development.

Among PSU banks, PNB was down 6.4 per cent, Canara Bank was down 5.4 per cent and SBI was down 2.8 per cent.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services, said the domestic indices traded in a range-bound manner influenced by PSU banksa underperformance due to the RBI's tighter norms on lending to projects under development.

The broader indices also witnessed major selling pressure due to valuation concerns and profit booking, he said.

aGlobally, weaker US payroll data has increased expectations of potential Fed rate cuts. Investors are closely monitoring this weekas Fed speakers for insights on future monetary policy," he said.

Kunal Shah, Senior Technical & Derivative Analyst at LKP Securities, said the Bank Nifty index underwent a sideways trading session, with bulls successfully defending the support zone around 49000-48900. Immediate resistance is noted at 49300, and a decisive breakthrough could trigger short-covering moves towards 49500.

Analysts said the Nifty traded sideways with the sentiment being subdued. Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst, LKP Securities, said Nifty mostly traded sideways throughout the day, fluctuating between 22400 and 22550.

Although the index ended above the short-term moving average, the 21EMA, on the daily chart, the sentiment appears somewhat bearish due to consecutive red candles, suggesting a prevalence of sellers over buyers, he said.

aIn the near term, sentiment could stay subdued as long as it stays below 22500. On the downside, there's a possibility of the index sliding towards 22300," he said.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 : A Thiruvananthapuram court on Monday directed the Kerala Police to register a case against city Mayor Arya Rajendran, her husband and MLA K.M. Sachin Dev, and others for obstructing a bus driver from doing his job and other charges.

The court gave this direction based on a petition from H.L. Yadu, a contractual bus driver of the state-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). The others whom Yadu has named in his plea include the brother of Rajendran, his wife and another person.

This is the second case on the same incident, with the first one registered by a court here on Saturday, based on a petition filed by a lawyer.

Even though the lawyeras petition accused Rajendran, her MLA husband, and others of obstructing the bus driver from doing his job, Yaduas petition had other charges which included being abused by the group of the Mayor and also being forcibly restrained by them.

Yadu has been in the limelight since last week when he reportedly had a verbal spat with the Mayor and her husband. According to Yadu, the Mayor's car (private) stopped in front of the bus while it was waiting at a traffic signal, about a kilometre away from the final destination, and accused the Mayor and her family members of preventing the bus from going forward, thus "obstructing him from doing his duty".

But Mayor Rajendran accused Yadu of rash and negligent driving and also claimed that he made an obscene gesture at them. She denied the claim that they intercepted the bus at a traffic signal.

Following the incident, police reportedly detained Yadu for around 12 hours. After visuals surfaced showing that most of the statements that the Mayor made in her defence were false, the issue has now snowballed and become a major topic on social media.

The Mayor has now filed a petition before the cyber wing, complaining of a massive onslaught by a section of social media users against her. This gained tempo after reports that the 64GB memory card of the DVR inside the bus that Yadu was driving had gone missing and the police probe team is also looking for it.
New Delhi, May 6 : The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned hearing on a batch of petitions, including the West Bengal government's plea, filed against the Calcutta High Court's order cancelling 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts made by the WBSSC in 2016.

A bench, headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, could not take up the matter for hearing, due to paucity of time.

"We will take West Bengal (school jobs case) tomorrow," said the bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

In the previous hearing, the bench refused to pass any interim direction staying the Calcutta High Court's order passed on April 22. However, the top court directed that no precipitative action will be taken by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the state government officials who were involved in approving the creation of super-numeric posts till the next date of listing.

It asked the appellants to demonstrate if there was any secondary material available to segregate valid appointments of all the 25,753 persons empanelled in 2016 for various categories of jobs at secondary and higher secondary schools in the state.

In an order passed in the third week of April, the Calcutta High Court had nullified the appointment of the candidates selected from the expired panels and asked them to return the entire salary drawn, along with an annualised interest of 12 per cent, within the next four weeks.

Besides directing the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to start the recruitment process afresh, a division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Shabbar Rashidi also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry on with its investigation into the matter. Taking cognisance of the state cabinetas decision for the creation of super-numeric posts, it said that the CBI, if necessary, can question the masterminds behind the creation of the seats in excess of the vacant posts.

These super-numeric posts, which have remained under the cloud since the beginning, are perceived to provide room for ineligible candidates recruited illegally.

In July last year, the apex court had set aside the interim direction passed by the Calcutta High Court terminating services of 32,000 primary teachers and asking the West Bengal authorities to complete the recruitment process for the newly created vacancies within three months.

Asking the high court to decide the appeal pertaining to the school-jobs-for-cash scam at the earliest, the Supreme Court had stressed that the opportunity for a hearing has to be given to all concerned.
New Delhi, May 6 : While the share of mutual funds in listed companies rose to another all-time high, FII holdings declined to an 11-year low.

The share of domestic Mutual Funds (MFs) in NSE-listed companies rose to another all-time high of 8.92 per cent as of March 31, 2024, from 8.81 per cent as of December 31, 2023.

This was powered by strong net inflows of Rs 81,539 crore during the quarter, as per Primeinfobase, an initiative of Prime Database.

According to Pranav Haldea, Managing Director, PRIME Database Group, Indian markets are moving towards atma nirbharta (self reliance) with the share of DIIs set to overtake that of FIIs in the next few quarters.

"For years, FIIs have been the largest non-promoter shareholder category in the Indian market with their investment decisions having a huge bearing on the overall direction of the market. Markets would tank when FIIs would pull out. This is no longer the case. DIIs along with retail investors have now been playing a strong counterbalancing role," he said.

On the other hand, the share of Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) declined to an 11-year low of 17.68 per cent as of March 31, 2024, down by 51 bps from 18.19 per cent as of December 31, 2023, resulting in the gap between FII and DII holding narrowing further to an all-time low in this quarter with DII holding now being just 9.23 per cent lower than FII holding, as per the report.

The widest gap between FII and DII holding was in the quarter ending March 31, 2015, when DII holding was a staggering 49.82 per cent lower than FII holding.

The share of private promoters declined to a 5-year low of 41 per cent as of March 31, 2024. Over the last 18 months alone, it has fallen by 361 basis points from 44.61 per cent on September 30, 2022. According to Haldea, stake sales by promoters to take advantage of bullish markets, relatively lower promoter holding in some of the IPO companies and also overall institutionalisation of the market have resulted in this.
Mumbai, May 6 : Domestic equities gave up their gains amid rising volatility and continuous selling by FIIs on Monday.

While the Sensex edged up 17.39 points or 0.02 per cent to settle at 73,895.54, the Nifty declined 33.15 points or 0.15 per cent to close at 22,442.70.

In April, FIIs sold Rs 39,000 crore worth of stocks amid uncertain global macros, said Siddhartha Khemka, Head of Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services.

aFurther, the India VIX surged by over 70 per cent in the last eight trading sessions from around 10 to its 52-week high near 17, indicating increasing nervousness among investors due to the ongoing global uncertainties and the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections next month," he said.

aHence, markets are likely to remain in a broader range with stock-specific action in the near term," he added.

The Nifty witnessed a gradual decline after opening higher amid high volatility on Monday. Sector-wise, it was mixed with buying seen in realty, IT, and FMCG stocks.

The PSUs, especially banking and NBFCs, were under pressure after the RBI proposed stricter lending rules, Khemka said.

Neeraj Sharma, AVP, Technical and Derivatives Research, at Asit C. Mehta Investment Intermediates, said the domestic benchmark indices were under selling pressure on Monday, following a steep selloff last week, aided by losses in media, consumer durables, and PSU sectors.
New Delhi, May 6 : Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice on a plea seeking a directive to the Delhi government to promptly issue a notification for the reconstitution of the Waqf Tribunal in the national capital.

Justice Subramonium Prasad has sought a response from the Delhi government on the matter, following a plea filed by Masjid and Dargah Shah Abdul Salam.

The plea highlights the lapse in the functioning of the Waqf Tribunal since April 20, 2022, due to the transfer of the former member of the State Judicial Service or ADJ from the Tribunal to another court.

The plea said that the Delhi government has failed to issue the necessary notification under Section 83(1) of the Waqf Act, 1995, leaving the Tribunal without proper notification.

Furthermore, the plea underscores the urgency of renotifying the other two members of the Tribunal to prevent their deputation from reaching termination before the Chairman's notification is issued.

The plea further stresses the importance of immediate action to ensure the effective functioning of the Waqf Tribunal and alleviate the burden on the judicial system.
New Delhi, May 6 : Three persons, all hailing from Rajasthan, were arrested from two schools in Delhi for allegedly appearing on behalf of the candidates in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) held on Sunday, the police said on Monday.

The accused have been identified as Abhishek (24) from Jodhpur district, Gajraj Singh (21) from Dausa, and Rakesh (21) from Barmer district.

The police have launched a probe to unearth the entire racket behind putting up such proxy candidates, sources said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Ankit Chauhan, said that on Sunday, NEET (UG) was held at some schools in Delhi during which complaints from two schools -- Sarvodaya School in Begumpur, and Mount Columbus School in Dakshin Puri -- regarding fake candidates appearing for the exam were received by the police.

"Abhishek was nabbed from the Mount Columbus School, while Gajraj and Rakesh were arrested from the Sarvodaya School," the DCP said.
Aizawl, May 6 : With around 50 more refugees coming to Mizoram from Myanmar, as many as 34,332 Myanmarese have taken shelter in the northeastern state so far, officials said on Monday.

A Mizoram government official said that around 50 Myanmarese, including 10 women, fled Paletwa in the neighbouring country's Chin region and entered Hruitezawl village in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district during the past few days to evade recruitment in the Arakan Army (AA) militant group.

Based out of Rakhine in Myanmar, the Arakan Army is the largest armed ethnic outfit in the country, which is recruiting people from the Chin region to intensify their battle against the Army.

"Young people in Myanmar who refuse to be forcibly recruited in the Arakan Army are fleeing to Mizoram," the official said.

Before the latest influx of refugees, 34,282 Myanmar migrants took shelter in Mizoram's 11 districts in phases after the military junta seized power in the neighboring country on February 1, 2021.

At present, a total of 34,332 Myanmar nationals, including 10,900 women and 13,310 children, are living in the relief camps in Mizoram, while some are staying with their relatives or in rented accommodations.

Besides the Myanmar nationals, around 10,000 men, women and children have also taken shelter in Mizoram after the ethnic violence broke out in neighbouring Manipur in May last year. Also, 1,167 persons from the Chittagong Hill tracts in Bangladesh have taken shelter in Mizoram since 2022.

The Kuki-Zomi-Chin tribes in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur share ethnic ties, and cultural and linguistic similarities with the Mizo people.
New Delhi, May 6 : As the new Covid-19 variants, nicknamed FLiRT, have raised fresh concerns, health experts on Monday said that there is no need for panic or extra caution.

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) As the new Covid-19 variants, nicknamed FLiRT, have raised fresh concerns, health experts on Monday said that there is no need for panic or extra caution.

FLiRT is a new set of Covid variants, from the lineage of the highly transmissible and immune system evading Omicron.

The FLiRT variants, which majorly include KP.1.1, and KP.2, are named based on the technical names for their mutations, one of which includes the letters "F" and "L", and another of which includes the letters "R" and "T".

According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, KP.2 accounted for about one in four or 25 per cent of new sequenced cases in the country in the last weeks of April.

"Overall, there is no need for panic or extra caution, nor is there a requirement for any specific medications. Improving immunity through a healthy lifestyle will be crucial," Dr Swapnil M. Khadake, HOD & Consultant Critical Care, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, told IANS.

The symptoms of the new variants seem to be more or less similar to previous ones. They include a sore throat, runny nose, congestion, tiredness, fever (with or without chills), headache, muscle pain, and sometimes loss of taste or smell, the doctor said.

The rate of hospitalisation is expected to be lower, with outpatient management being sufficient for most cases.

"Ward hospitalisation may be necessary in some instances, but ICU admissions should be rare. Existing vaccinations should provide coverage against this variant to some extent. Precautions such as wearing masks in public places and practising hand hygiene can significantly reduce transmission," Dr Khadake said.

While the variants are likely to be "more transmissible and defy immunity as compared to previous strains", they are unlikely to produce severe symptoms in the form of pneumonia", Dr Dhiren Gupta, Senior Consultant, Dept of Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergy, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.

"Only patients who are having severe uncontrolled comorbidities or chronic lung diseases should be a little precautious about getting infected as it can worsen their existing symptoms," he added.

As per a recent study, not peer-reviewed yet, "KP.2 has spread rapidly, and its variant frequency reached 20 per cent in the UK as of early April 2024, suggesting a potential to become the predominant lineage globally".

Dr Ravindra Gupta, Head of Department, Internal Medicine, C.K. Birla Hospital, Gurugram told IANS that the variant has no distinct symptoms from the Omicron variant. Further, "no serious illness has been reported so far from FLiRT, and it too early to say it could be deadly and could spread fast across the world. Not dangerous so far," he added.
Chennai, May 6 : Even though two days have passed since the half-burnt body of Tirunelveli East District Congress President, KPK Jeyakumar Dhanasingh, was retrieved from his farm, the Tamil Nadu Police is still in the dark in the case.

Jeyakumar Dhanasingh was reported missing from May 2 and his family had lodged a Missing Person complaint.

A police team found Jeyakumar Dhanasingh's charred body in his 10 acre farm with his hands and feet tied and a utensil scrubber stuffed in his mouth.

According to Jeyakumar Dhanasingh's son, the Congress leader had filed a complaint with the Tirunelveli District's Superintendent of Police, N Silambarasan that he feared for his life and that he had seen strange people near his house.

He had also reportedly mentioned the names of a few Congress leaders who owe him large sums of money.

Superintendent of Police Silambarasan has constituted seven investigation teams to crack the case but till now no leads are available.

A senior police officer of Tirunelveli told IANS that police were going through the call details of Jeyakumar Dhanasingh and of the people he had contacted in the last few days.

AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) lashed out at the DMK government for the failure of the state police to provide the Congress leader protection even after he had sent a letter to the Superintendent of Police about the threats he was facing.

A senior police officer told IANS that they were following certain leads and the murder might have taken place either on May 2 or May 3.

He said the deceased Congress leader's wife and son have informed the cops that they don't know anything about the incident.

The police officer said that they were waiting for the post-mortem report and certain forensic analysis.

He said, "We are awaiting forensic reports and trying to trace his activities in the last few hours prior to his death."

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President, K. Selvaperunthagai while speaking to IANS said that the police probe would be fair and in accordance with the law.
Kolkata, May 6 : The agitation in Sandeshkhali against alleged sexual harassment of women by local Trinamool Congress leaders was nothing but a plot scripted by the BJP to win elections in Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed on Monday.

Addressing a rally at Saithian under the Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency in support of Trinamool candidate Satabdi Roy, the Chief Minister said, "A video has surfaced which exposes BJP's scripted plan in Sandeshkhali. But they don't know that self-dignity is more important for women than money."

She also cautioned the BJP against 'scripting' such blueprints in the future.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that Trinamool is the only force that can protect the people of West Bengal on issues such as the NRC, CAA, or the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

"I will not allow the implementation of NRC, CAA, or UCC in Bengal at any cost. If needed, I will sacrifice my life but I will never bow down before the BJP," she said.

The Chief Minister also accused the Union government of stopping the flow of central funds for the 100-day job scheme under MGNREGA for the last three years.

"Yet, we have managed to continue with the state's own job scheme, Karmashree, under which people are entitled to 50 days of job each year. The state government is providing the funds required for the scheme," she said.
New Delhi, May 6 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday administered the oath of integrity and secrecy to Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra (Retd) as the President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).

The appointment marks the beginning of the operationalisation of GSTAT, a crucial body for resolving GST-related disputes, said a Finance Ministry statement.

GSTAT is the appellate authority established under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, to hear various appeals under the said Act and the respective state/UT GST Acts against the orders of the first appellate authority.

It consists of a principal bench and various state benches.

As per the approval of the GST Council, the Centre has notified the principal bench, to be located in Delhi, and 31 state benches at various locations across the country.

The process for appointment of judicial members and technical members is already in progress, the Finance Ministry said.

The Tribunal will ensure swift, fair, judicious, and effective resolution to GST disputes, besides significantly reducing the burden on the higher courts. The establishment of the GSTAT would further enhance the effectiveness of the GST system and foster a more transparent and efficient tax environment in the country, the Finance Ministry said.

Sanjaya Mishra, the former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, was selected by a search-cum-selection committee headed by the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud.
Bengaluru, May 6 : A complaint has been registered with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Karnataka Lokayukta against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani and five others on Monday in connection with alleged Rs 800 crore scam.

The complaint was registered by BJP Bengaluru South District President N.R. Ramesh.

The complaint has named Radhakrishna Doddamani, who is the Management Committee Chief in the Dr B.R. Ambedkar Medical College and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Dental College as the prime accused. The charges against him include alleged corruption, cheating, creation of fake documents, forgery and misuse of power.

H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, Dr N.T. Murali Mohan and V. S. Kuber are the other accused. The complaint has also been lodged against the Public Relations Officer Amanulla Khan.

The complainant N.R. Ramesh said that the accused indulged in collecting hundreds of crores from failed and ineligible students of rich families to provide them seats to study MBBS and BDS courses by creating fake documents.

"Scam involves more than Rs 800 crores in connection with admissions to Dr B.R. Ambedkar Medical College and Dr B.R. Ambedkar Dental Colleges. Though the college employee association members, activists and few members of the administration committee have filed complaints to the Governor's office, Chief Secretary of Karnataka government, no action has been initiated in this regard," he alleged.

He said that since 2008-09 till date, thousands of illegalities have come forward regarding admission under the management quota.

"After the appointment of Amaunalla Khan, a fourth-grade officer as a PRO, the failed students were given admissions violating all rules and guidelines," Ramesh said.

N.R. Ramesh said that the fake academic certificates were obtained from the colleges in Jharkhand and other states for the students who failed in class 12th and admission to MBBS and BDS courses were given.

He further alleged that from each student the accused collected between Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore. "They have also taken lakhs of rupees to provide 100 per cent marks in internals and committed a big fraud."

The complainant has given the details of one of the failed students from Bengaluru, whose marks cards were "arranged" from a college in Jharkhand while a medical seat was provided to him in Karnataka.

"Similar scam has been taking place for 15 years," Ramesh alleged in his complaint.

He alleged that Amanulla Khan is presently constructing his medical college in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 500 crore.

"Under Kharge, his son-in-law Radhakrishna, the man who took nine years to complete the MBBS course with 18 attempts has been appointed as the professor. That person has suspiciously completed MD course as well," Ramesh said.

Radhakrishna Doddamani is contesting as the Congress candidate from Kalaburagi which is going to polls on Tuesday.
New Delhi, May 6 : The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena, has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the alleged funding of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by pro-Khalistan extremist group Sikhs For Justice.

CM Kejriwal is presently under judicial custody at Tihar Jail in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.

The latest move came after the L-G received a complaint from Ashoo Mongia, the National General Secretary of the World Hindu Federation, alleging that AAP received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from pro-Khalistan groups between 2014 and 2022 for facilitating the release of 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar.

It has also been alleged that a clandestine meeting took place in 2014 between Arvind Kejriwal and pro-Khalistan groups at the Richmond Hill Gurdwara in New York.

"During the said meeting, Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate the release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from the Khalistani factions to AAP," the L-G's letter to the Home Ministry read.

"In his communication, the complainant referred to the contents of a video, purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (founder of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice). The complainant also said that as per some posts on X (formerly Twitter), Munish Kumar Raizada, who used to be an AAP worker, shared a picture of the meeting between Arvind Kejriwal and Sikh leaders that took place at the Richmond Hill Gurdwara in 2014," the letter read.

It has also been mentioned in the letter that Arvind Kejriwal wrote to former President Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for Bhullar.

"In this context, a copy of a letter by Arvind Kejriwal addressed to a person named Iqbal Singh has been enclosed. The letter dated 27.01.2014 mentions that 'Our government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justice'.

"It further mentions that the Delhi government has already recommended to the President the release of Bhullar and would be working on other issues, including the formation of an SIT, etc. The same was widely reported by the media. As per news reports of that time, Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding a written assurance for the release of Bhullar," the L-G's letter read.

The L-G also said that the complainant requested a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations of funding of AAP by Sikhs for Justice.

"Since the allegations have been levelled against the Chief Minister and are related to alleged funding of a political party, amounting to millions of dollars, by a terrorist organisation already banned in India, the electronic evidence adduced by the complainant requires investigation, including forensic test," the letter said, adding that the L-G has desired that the Home Ministry may consider referring the matter to the NIA for conducting a thorough probe into the matter.
New Delhi, May 6 : Former BJP legislator Sangeet Som said on Monday that he was 'pained and peeved' over the insult meted out to India's hero and valiant Rajput warrior Maharana Pratap by Akhilesh Yadav and his men, saying that the 'Kshatriya Samaj' will teach a lesson to the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

He also dubbed SP chief Akhilesh Yaday as 'Babur Ki Aulad', and claimed that it was he who led his party workers and supporters in treading over the statue of India's greatest warrior while wearing shoes.

"The way Akhilesh Yadav and his supporters insulted Maharana Pratap's statue in Mainpuri is unacceptable and unbearable. The 'Babur Ki Aulad' (descendant of Mughal emperor Babur) will have to pay the price for this grave insult in these elections," Som said in a video message issued on social media.

He also said that the Kshatriya Samaj and the Sanatanis of the region won't forgive Akhilesh Yadav and will teach his party a lesson in the upcoming phases of Lok Sabha polls.

Notably, a case has been lodged against at least 100 Samajwadi Party workers for creating a ruckus during Akhilesh Yadav's recent roadshow in Mainpuri in support of his wife and party nominee Dimple Yadav.

Three persons have also been reportedly arrested for climbing and disrespecting the statue of Maharana Pratap during the roadshow, as shown in a video.

Akhilesh Yadav's wife and SP candidate Dimple Yadav is contesting the elections from the Manipur Lok Sabha constituency.
Dharamsala, May 6 : Believing that the creativity and imagination of the students take flight if they learn independently and without any stress, President Droupadi Murmu on Monday addressed the seventh convocation of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh.

She said that change is the law of nature but the pace of change was not so rapid in the past.

"Today we are in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. New areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning are emerging rapidly. Both the speed and magnitude of change are very high due to which technology and required skills are changing very quickly. At the beginning of the 21st century, no one knew what kind of skills people would need in the next 20 or 25 years," the President said.

She said that similarly, many current skills will no longer be useful in the future.

"Therefore, we have to continuously adopt new skills. Our focus should be on developing flexible minds so that the young generation can keep pace with the rapid changes taking place. We have to strengthen the curiosity and the desire to learn in the students to prepare them for facing the challenges of the 21st century."

Addressing the teachers, the President said that education should be such that along with educating the students, it makes them self-reliant and builds their character and personality.

"The aim of education is also to bring awareness among the students about their culture, tradition and civilisation."

She stressed that the role of teachers is very important. "Their scope of work is not limited to teaching only, and they have the huge responsibility of building the future of the nation."

She underlined that when students learn independently without any stress their creativity and imagination take flight. "In that case, they do not consider education as just a synonym for livelihood. Rather, they innovate, find solutions to problems, and learn with curiosity."

Addressing the students, the President said every person has the potential for both good and evil. She advised them to keep in mind that no matter how difficult the situation they are in, they should never let evil dominate them. They should always take the side of good.

President Murmu on May 4 reached the Himachal Pradesh capital for a five-day visit.

The President will be staying at Rashtrapati Niwas in Charabra, on the outskirts of Shimla.
Rajahmundry : , May 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the people of Andhra Pradesh have rejected the ruling YSR Congress Party as it wasted five years and derailed the state's development.

He exuded confidence that NDA would form the government in the state and complete the pending projects including Polavaram.

He was addressing a public meeting here to campaign for the TDP-BJP-Jana Sena alliance.

Appealing to people to cast their vote on May 13 for the future of Andhra Pradesh, PM Modi said that this time Andhra Pradesh has Modi guarantee, Chandrababu Naidu's leadership and Pawan Kalyan's confidence.

Jana Sena leader and Tollywood actor Pawan Kalyan, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) General Secretary Nara Lokesh and BJP state president D. Purandeswari shared the dais with the Prime Minister.

He said that the people of Andhra Pradesh with their votes on May 13 will begin a new chapter in the journey of development.

"The NDA is anyway going to make a record in the Lok Sabha election. In the Andhra Pradesh Assembly too, the NDA government will be decided for the next five years," PM Modi said, adding that Viksit Andhra Pradesh will be a big step towards Viksit India.

Mentioning that he is coming from Odisha, PM Modi exuded confidence that NDA will form governments in all states where Assembly elections are being held.

Asserting that when Chandrababu Naidu's government was in power Andhra Pradesh was on top on development, he alleged that the YSR Congress derailed the train development.

"Instead of working in the interest of people, it drowned Andhra Pradesh into huge debts," he said, adding that NDA is the only guarantee of development.

The Prime Minister said that in the name of development, the performance of YSR Congress government was zero while corruption was 100 per cent.

"The projects of the Central government were delayed and people's interests derailed. Therefore when in the state and at the Centre there is a double engine government of NDA, all stalled works will be completed," he said.

PM Modi said when the entire world is positive about India, the people of Andhra Pradesh should stay away from the negativity of Congress and YRS Congress and connect with BJP and NDA.

Stating that the YSR Congress came to power with the promise of prohibition, he alleged that the government itself is dealing in liquor and resorting to corruption.

"A big liquor syndicate is operating here. It is said that the Andhra government is running sand and liquor mafia," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that the YSR Congress talked about developing three state capitals but all these years could not develop even one.

"In the name of three capitals they were planning a big loot but before that they emptied the treasury. They can only do corruption management. They can't do financial management."

PM Modi alleged that the YSR Congress put brakes on the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh by stalling works on the Polavaram project.

Stating that the Centre has given Rs.15,000 crore for this project, he said that the YSR Congress government does not want to take the project forward.

He alleged that Andhra farmers are worried over the lack of irrigation and they are not getting the right price for paddy. "I assure you after June 4, the NDA government will solve all such problems," he said.

PM Modi said that for NDA Viksit Andhra Pradesh is part of Viksit India vision and in the last 10 years it ensured rapid development of Andhra Pradesh. He listed out the works undertaken in the state by the NDA government.
Rajahmundry : , May 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that a Congress leader in Jharkhand had turned their servant's house into a warehouse of black money.

Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate's raids in Jharkhand, he said that the ED dug out heaps of currency notes from the house of the servant of the Congress minister's personal secretary.

Addressing NDA's election rally here, he wondered why heaps of notes are recovered from those who are close to the first family of Congress.

"Congress and INDI alliance people shout ED, ED in anger. You know why. Today, the entire country is watching. The ED has dug out heaps of currency notes in Jharkhand," he said.

The PM said this was not the first time and recalled that a larger amount was recovered from a Congress legislator. "There are so many notes that even machines get tired of counting," he said

He said that the country wants to know from 'shahezada' of Congress if the seized money was kept for supply somewhere and if the first family has made similar warehouses of black money across the country.

"Whenever Modi seizes their black money, they abuse Modi but Modi is not bothered about abuses. He is bothered about the poor, whose money is looted by the corrupt," he said.

The Prime Minister also revealed that he is taking legal advice on how the seized money can be returned to their rightful owners.

"The ED alone has so far attached Rs 1.25 lakh crore assets. If the entire amount is taken into account, several lakhs of crores have been seized," he said.

He claimed that he has already returned Rs17,000 crore to their rightful owners. He assured that no poor's right will be snatched.
New Delhi, May 6 : Having not learnt at all from its past mistakes, the opposition parties led by the Congress have yet again fueled BJP's campaign blitz in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections by making irresponsible statements on Saturday's terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district which claimed the life of an IAF soldier and injured four others.

"These are all stunts and not terrorist attacks. There is no truth in it. BJP is playing with the lives of people and bodies," former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said in Jalandhar on Sunday.

As his remarks - labelled as "shameful" and "disgusting" by many - triggered a massive row, the Congress leader emphasised on Monday that he respects the "bravehearts" and was only talking about "those who attack and orchestrate it".

The damage, however, has already been done with the Congress now being blamed for handing another opportunity on platter to the BJP.

"Congress has such anti-national leaders. They mislead the country," said BJP President J. P. Nadda while addressing a public rally in Telengana's Peddapalli.

"The Congress, till date, continues to question the martyrdom of our soldiers in Pulwama, even after Minister Fawad Chaudhry owned up the terror attack in Pakistan's Parliament. One wonders what is Congress' compulsion to constantly sound like a terror apologist?" questioned Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP's National Information and Technology Department.

Raising another storm in the political circles, another Congress leader - Maharashtra's Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Vijay Wadettiwar - has been accused of levelling allegations that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare was killed by a RSS-affiliated cop and not terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 terror attacks.

Even as the BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, ascertaining whether the Congress is supporting and propagating the "harmful narrative", MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday backed his colleague, putting his party in further line of fire.

Tharoor, a former External Affairs Minister in the Congress-led UPA government, was also accused by the BJP on Monday for writing an article in a Bangladeshi publication that reportedly refers to India's Jammu and Kashmir as "Indian administered-Kashmir".

"I do not agree with that usage and have never used such a term in any of my writings or statements anywhere, ever," Tharoor countered the claim in a post on X on Monday.

Severely criticising the "shocking" comments made by the Congress leaders on matters of national security, experts reckon that the party leaders are committing the same old mistakes which have proved to be their nemesis over the past 10 years.

"These are the same people who doubted our armed forces' valour during surgical strikes and demanded proof of the success of the (surgical) air strike. Congress consistently undermines the Indian military," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told party workers during the 2024 BJP National Convention at Bharat Mandapam, earlier this year.

While the PM has insisted that, with the passage of time, such people who "oppose and protest" are becoming irrelevant, analysts emphasise that their emergence and "loose comments" only end up putting the BJP juggernaut in a pole position ahead of every election contest.

--IANS

as/dan
Chennai, May 6 : The Tamil Nadu Health Department commenced counselling services for students who were unable to pass the Class 12 board examinations, the results of which were announced on Monday.

The state School Education Department has said that of the 7,60,606 students who had appeared for the board examination, 51,919 students (32,164 boys and 19,755 girls) could not clear it.

The Health Department has launched counselling services through its health helpline '104' and TeleMANAS ("Natpudan Ungalodu Mananala Sevai") at '14416'.

The health helpline is also beneficial to students who have appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The Health Department, in a statement, said that in the academic year 2022-23, psychological counselling was provided to 46,932 students who did not clear the Class 12 board examinations, and 146 students (82 boys and 64 girls) were identified as "high risk".

These students were referred to, and followed up by, the district psychiatrists and psychologists of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) for continuous monitoring to ensure their well-being.

The statement said that the counselling services are being provided with the support of 30 help desks with 100 counsellors from the Health Department through the 104 helpline and TeleMANAS 14416 call centre in three shifts, with 30 counsellors in each shift.

Through this, high-risk students will be identified and referred to the district teams for further counselling and follow-ups.

The Health Department has urged students in distress to contact the 104 Health helpline and 14416 TeleMANAS facility.
Anakapalle : , May 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday alleged that sand mafia, land mafia and liquor mafia are ruling Andhra Pradesh.

He appealed to people to vote for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to free Andhra Pradesh from this loot.

Stating that the May 13 vote will decide the future of the country and the state, PM Modi assured the people that the double-engine government of the NDA will take development to new heights.

He was addressing an election rally of NDA along with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan's brother Naga Babu and other leaders.

The Prime Minister alleged that rampant corruption and mafia raj are the identity of Congress and YSR Congress.

"In Karnataka tanker mafia and land mafia are the running governments Sand mafia, land mafia and liquor mafia are ruling in Andhra Pradesh," PM Modi said.

He also accused both the parties of damaging the culture with their appeasement.

PM Modi alleged that temples are being damaged in Andhra Pradesh and assured that the NDA's double-engine government will put an end to this.

Referring to various development works undertaken by the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, he said in 2014 the state had national highways up to a total length of 4,000 km but this has now gone up to about Rs.9,000 km.

He also referred to the establishment of various institutions of higher learning in the state. He said while the NDA government has done so much, the YSR Congress failed to do anything.

"This is because BJP's mantra is development, development and development while YSR Congress' mantra is corruption, corruption and corruption," he said.

The Prime Minister accused the Jagan Mohan Reddy government of putting brakes on every development work in the state.

He said while the Centre approved a separate railway zone in Visakhapatnam, the state government did not give land for construction of its headquarters.

Stating that the Centre sanctioned 24 lakh houses for the poor of Andhra Pradesh under PM Awas Yojana, the YSR Congress government could not complete even half of that.

He remarked that the YSR Congress's agenda is that there will be no work where there is no scope for corruption.

He said that the Sujala Sravanti irrigation project in north Andhra is the best example of the work culture of the state government. He recalled that the work on the project was inaugurated by Jagan Mohan Reddy's father and then chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

He asked Jagan when he could become the political successor of his father, why he could not complete the work started by him.

Alleging that farmers are worried in Andhra Pradesh due to the policies of the state government, he assured that the NDA government will remove their hardships.
Ahmedabad, May 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will cast votes in their home state of Gujarat during the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on Tuesday.

There are 25 Lok Sabha seats and 5 assembly seats which will go to polls on Tuesday from 7 AM to 6 PM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will vote at 7.30 am at the Ranip polling booth while Home Minister Amit Shah will cast his vote at 9.15 am in Naranpura.

The BJP State President C.R. Patil will vote at 8.30 am in Naranpura while Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also vote at 8.30 am in Gandhinagar.

Around 50,788 voting booths have been set up across the state, with urban areas contributing 17,275 voting booths while rural regions have 33,513 booths.

At least 175 model voting centres have also been established to ensure an efficient poll process.

Furthermore, webcasting for 24,893 voting booths will provide real-time insights into the electoral proceedings, showcasing the democratic fervor and engagement of voters and candidates alike.

There are 266 candidates -- 247 males and 19 females -- in the fray which represent different political parties including Congress and the BJP.

The highest number of candidates (18) are in the Ahmedabad East while the Bardoli has the lowest (3) candidates in the fray.

Around 4,97,68,677 voters are expected to exercise their democratic rights, comprising 2,56,16,540 males and 2,41,50,603 females, along with 1,534 third-gender voters.

The Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency stands out with a notably compact voter turnout per booth, hosting 17,23,353 voters within its precincts. In contrast, the Ahmedabad West Lok Sabha constituency, spanning 107 square kilometres, represents the smallest geographical gathering.

Navsari promises the largest congregation of voters with 22,23,550 citizens expected to cast their votes, while Kutch, sprawling across 21,354 square kilometres, showcases the vast expanse of electoral engagement in Gujarat.

Voters aged over 100 years contribute significantly to the electoral narrative with 10,036 registered voters, highlighting the inclusivity of the democratic process. Youth participation is also robust, with 12,20,438 voters aged 18-19 years actively shaping the electoral discourse.

The technical backbone of the elections includes 50,960 ballot units, 49,140 control units, and an equal number of VVPAT units, ensuring a comprehensive and secure voting environment.

Additionally, a reserve of 35 per cent VVPAT units, along with 50 per cent of ballot and control units, underscores the election authorities' commitment to seamless electoral operations and contingencies.

In Ahmedabad, 2 Special Commissioners of Police, 2 Inspector General of Police (IGP), 1 Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), 15 Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), 25 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP), 72 Police Inspector (PI), 220 Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), 6358 Assistant Sub-Inspector/Head Constable/Police Constable (ASI/HC/PC), 4966 Home Guard (HG) and 11661 personnel have been deployed.

The constituencies include Kachchh, Banaskantha, Patan, Mahesana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Anand, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Chhota Udaipur, Bharuch, Bardoli, Navsari, and Valsad.

Important candidates include Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Union Minister and former Gujarat Minister Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar, State BJP Chief CR Paatil from Navsari.
Srinagar, May 6 : In a major setback to the National Conference (NC), its entire unit in Ladakh's Kargil resigned en masse from the party over its decision to support the Congress candidate in the UT's sole Lok Sabha seat.

In a letter addressed to NC President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, NC's Additional General Secretary for the Ladakh UT, Qamar Ali Akhoon has conveyed the decision of the Kargil unit to quit in the greater interest of the Ladakh region.

The differences between the NC high command and its Kargil unit stem from the disagreement of the Kargil NC leaders over the partyas decision to support Congress candidate, Tsering Namgayal for the Lok Sabha seat.

The local NC unit has fielded Haji Hanifa Jan as an Independent candidate. Following the support of both powerful local religious organisations, namely the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust and the Islamia School to Haji Hanifa Jan, Sajjad Kargili, the NC candidate who finished second in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP candidate and had entered the fray as an Independent candidate, withdrew in support of Haji Hanifa Jan.

Haji Hanifa Jan has been part of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which together with the Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) has been part of the 4-year-long agitation in Ladakh region for statehood, inclusion of Ladakh in the 6th Schedule of the Constitution and creation of two Lok Sabha seats, one for Leh district and the other for Kargil district.

The BJP has this time fielded Tashi Gyalson for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, dropping sitting MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.
Bengaluru, May 6 : Karnataka BJP leader G. Devaraje Gowda on Monday claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar is behind the release of the pen drive containing videos of sexual assault allegedly by former PM H.D. Deve Gowda's grandson and NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna.

"The main target of Congress is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have finished off JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna. They now want to cause a setback to the BJP in the state. H.D. Kumaraswamy is also their target. They also tried to make me an accused," Devaraje Gowda said while addressing a press conference.

"I do not trust the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the sex scandal. I would submit all evidence to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The videos which are with me are different from those which have been released," he said.

Gowda claimed that he was approached by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar and he has audio recordings to prove it.

"The hero of the pen drive episode is Shivakumar. He offered me a cabinet berth. I have the information on how the pen drive was prepared and the role of Congress candidate Hassan Shreyas Patel in it," he claimed.

He alleged that the SIT is working for the state government. "SIT SP Suman D Pannekar forced me to withdraw the statement against the Deputy Chief Minister. That is why I don't trust the SIT," he said.

He alleged that the former minister L.R. Shivarame Gowda had called him and forced him not to take the names of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar.

"Shivarame Gowda has become a mediator for Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar," he alleged.

He said that despite giving names, location and phone numbers of those who distributed pen drives, they have not been arrested.

"Now, they are planning to put all the blame on me. They tried to make a deal with me. They offered the cabinet berth for not talking against the government, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. However, I rejected their offer," he claimed.

He said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar held a meeting of SIT officials and discussed on who all should be arrested in the case.

"I have waged a war against the leaders of Hassan and I have won it. But, my struggle has been misused," he stated referring to the arrest of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda's son H.D. Revanna's arrest.

Talking about Karthik, the former driver of Prajwal Revanna, who is alleged for handing the sex video clips involving Prajwal Revanna to him, Devaraje Gowda said that as an advocate he is allowed to meet him.

Devaraje Gowda strongly objected to give the Hassan Lok Sabha seat to the JD-S party. He strongly demanded that the BJP should field its candidate.

JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna has been arrested by the SIT in connection with the kidnap case of one of the victims of alleged sex videos while his son Prajwal Revanna is absconding. The development had taken the state by storm. Devaraje Gowda had contested against H.D. Revanna in the assembly election.

--IANS

mka/dan
Moscow, May 6 : Days after UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Ukraine had the right to use long-range missiles sent by his country to strike deep inside Russia, Moscow on Monday conveyed that this facility could invite retaliation on British targets.

UK's Ambassador to Russia, Nigel Casey was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and told Moscow will retaliate against British targets in Ukraine or elsewhere if Ukraine strikes Russian territory with UK-provided missiles, RT reported.

"Casey was warned that the response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on Russian territory could be any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the meeting.

Cameron's statements to the contrary "de facto recognised his country as a party to the conflict", it said, adding that Russia understands Cameron's comments as "evidence of a serious escalation and confirmation of London's increasing involvement in military operations on the side of Kiev".

The UK envoy was urged to "think about the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps from London and to immediately refute in the most decisive and unequivocal manner the bellicose provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office".

French Ambassador Pierre Levy was also summoned to the Foreign Ministry. Moscow has not yet disclosed the details of the meeting.

Russia has taken strong exception to French President Emmanuel Macron's pitch for NATO troops in Ukraine to prevent a Russian breakthrough

Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry announced an exercise to test the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. President Vladimir Putin ordered the drills after "provocative statements and threats" by Western officials, the military said.
Kolkata, May 6 : West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Monday accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of resorting to the dirtiest form of politics, not even sparing the chair of the Governor.

"The more I am trying to stay out of politics, the more the Chief Minister is dragging me into it. But I will not tolerate high-handedness over the Raj Bhavan," the Governor told mediapersons at the Kolkata airport after returning to the city from his three-day tour to his hometown Kerala.

The Governor also said that he is not withdrawing the words of praise he used for the Chief Minister earlier.

"I have been repeatedly saying that I do not understand politics. From the slanderous statements used by the Chief Minister against me and in the manner in which she is speaking, it is evident that her style of politics is extremely dirty. I will pray to God to protect her. But it seems that even God will not be able to protect her," the Governor said.

However, the Governor did not refer to the molestation complaint filed with the police against him by a temporary staff at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.

The complaint was filed on May 2, which the Governor denied vehemently on the same day, calling it a sinister motive to gain benefits during elections.
New Delhi, May 6 : In the aftermath of hoax emails received by several schools in Delhi last week, the Home Secretary conducted a comprehensive review of the situation.

Stressing the importance of preparedness, he called for the development of detailed protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to effectively address similar incidents in the future.

"Home Secretary reviewed the situation in wake of hoax emails received by some schools in Delhi last week. He stressed the need to prepare detailed protocol and SOPs to handle any such situation in future. Home Secretary asked Delhi Police and schools to have close coordination for an effective response mechanism so that misinformation does not create any unnecessary panic," said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Spokesperson in a tweet on Monday.

The Spokesperson added that the Home Secretary also emphasised the need to enhance security, CCTV cameras and regular monitoring of emails in the schools.

A total of 125 bomb threat calls were received from different schools at emergency helpline number 112 from 5:47 a.m. to 2:13 p.m on May 1, Delhi Police FIR, in possession with the IANS read.

Delhi Police's Special Cell has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified individuals under sections 505, 21, 507, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.

"During my duty hours, 125 bomb threat calls were received from different schools at ERSS-112 from 5:47 hours to 14:13 hours. The school authorities informed that they had received these bomb threats over their emails," read the FIR, registered on the basis of complaint given by police official in control Room.

The FIR further said that on the receipt of the calls, PCR vehicles were rushed to the schools, district police, BDS, MAC, Special Cell anit Crime Control Room, DOMA, NORF, Fire, CATS etc. were also alerted.

"These resulted in massive inconvenience and elaborate exercise across the city in safely evacuating the schools and carrying out anti-sabotage checks. It appears that the emails used to send the threats were made with the conspiratorial intention of creating mass panic and to disturb public been made out," it read.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 : Popular Malayalam film director Harikumar passed away at a private hospital here on Monday evening. He was 70.

Ailing from cancer, he was under treatment for a while.

In a career that began in 1981 when he directed his first film "Ambal Poovu", he rose to huge heights with "Sukurtham" (1994), written by acclaimed author M.T. Vasudevan Nair and starring Mammootty and others.

This film won two National awards - for the best Malayalam film and music direction.

Harikumar directed 16 films with the last being "Autorickshawkarente Bharya" (2022) written by award-winning author M.Mukundan.

He was a member of the National Film Awards jury in 2005 and 2008.

Condolences poured in with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan describing his passing away as a huge loss to the Malayalam film industry. Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan described Harikumar as one who never looked into the commercial aspect but always worked on the aesthetic side of film-making and said his film "Sukurtham" is just enough to prove his quality as a director.

The last rites will be held here on Tuesday evening, before which his body will be placed before the public to pay their homage.
Bhopal, May 6 : The last rites of Indian Air Force (IAF) soldier Corporal Vicky Pahade, who was martyred in a terror attack in J&K's Poonch district on May 4, were performed at his village in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara on Monday.

The IAF and the state police paid floral tributes to Pahade in the presence of his family members and villagers, who gathered to pay homage to the martyred soldier.

Pahade's five-year-old son Hardik Pahade lit the pyre amid slogans of 'Hindustan Zindabad and 'Vicky Pahade Amar Rahe'.

The mortal remains of the slain soldier were brought to Chhindwara in a special IAF aircraft.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who earlier went to Pahade's home, has announced an ex gratia of Rs 1 crore for the martyr's family.

Pahade's sister Geeta Pahade, who is a sub-inspector with the state police, said, "I am proud of my brother. I came to know about his demise on Saturday night. I want justice for my brother."

Pahade was killed while four other IAF soldiers were injured after terrorists opened fire on a convoy of the Air Force in Poonch on May 4.

Pahade, who lost his father at a young age, took care of his family after joining the Air Force in 2011.

He had left home just 15 days back after his sister's wedding to rejoin the troop.

Pahade is survived by his five-year-old son, wife, mother, and three sisters.
Jaipur, May 7 : A NEET aspirant and his elder brother, a first-year MBBS student, who appeared in his place for the examination in Rajasthan's Barmer, have been arrested, police said on Monday.

SP Narendra Singh Meena said that Anita Chaudhary, Principal of Antri Devi Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Barmer, informed the police that a dummy candidate was taking the exam on Sunday in place of Gopala Ram.

SHO Lekhraj Siyag and DST in-charge Mahipal Singh ASI rushed to the spot and arrested the accused Bhagirath Ram Vishnoi, son of Kishna Ram, and his younger brother Gopala Ram from the examination centre.

Vishnoi, a first-semester student at SN Medical College, Jodhpur, had edited his photo in his Aadhaar card and went to take the exam in place of his younger brother.

Police have arrested both brothers and are interrogating them.
Silchar : , May 6 (IANS) An engineering student studying at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Assam's Silchar committed suicide on Monday, the police said.

Silchar (Assam), May 6 (IANS) An engineering student studying at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Assamas Silchar committed suicide on Monday, the police said.

According to the police, the student was suffering from acute depression which led to him taking the extreme step.

The deceased has been identified as Kesar Pran Deka.

The police said that Deka's body was found hanging in the washroom of the institute's guest house, where he had gone to meet his parents.

Deka (20) was a resident of Tamulpur in Kamrup (Rural) district.

The Superintendent of Police in Cachar district, Numal Mahatta, said, "During preliminary investigation, it has come to light that the deceased was suffering from acute depression and accordingly, his parents were called who were staying at the institute's guest house."
Thiruvananthapuram, May 7 : Kerala's opposition Congress and BJP on Monday questioned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's "private trip" to three countries.

Early on Monday, Vijayan, his wife Kamala, and their grandson left for the UAE, and are also scheduled to visit Indonesia, and Singapore before returning on May 21.

Congress MP and Thrissur Lok Sabha seat K. Muraleedharan said it is a normal practice to reveal the purpose of a foreign visit of a Chief Minister. "Now that he, along with his family, is visiting three countries, he has to come clean on the purpose of his visit. There is no need for any secrecy as he is a public person," said Muraleedharan, son of four-time Chief Minister K. Karunakaran.

State BJP President K. Surendran asked CPI-M state Secretary M.V. Govindan if he knew why Vijayan embarked on a three-nation trip.

"If this is a private trip, then there should be no expenses to the state exchequer. The practice always is if itas a private trip, then the cost should be borne by those undertaking the trip. What we have seen before is Vijayan often takes a pleasure trip, accompanied by his family," he claimed.

Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan and her husband and state minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas are in the UAE and will travel with the Chief Minister during the trip. The Vijayan family will be in Indonesia till May 12 before flying to Singapore. On May 18, they will return to the UAE before coming back to India on May 21.

According to sources, since this is a private trip, no official announcement was made about it. However, the timing of this trip has raised eyebrows as Vijayanas schedule for May had listed numerous programmes for him in the state during the days he is out of the country.
New Delhi, May 7 : Unidentified individuals fired several gunshots at the glass wall of a car showroom in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar area on Monday, police said.

Although no bullet injury was reported, some individuals sustained injuries due to broken glass, they added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer said that an incident of firing has been reported in the area of Tilak Nagar police station and the establishment, on which shots have been fired is Fusion Cars, Ganesh Nagar, Tilak Nagar.

As per the initial information, multiple shots have been fired aiming towards the glass and in the air.

"Some persons have sustained injuries due to broken glass, and are under treatment. No bullet injury has been reported," said the DCP, adding that the police have initiated the probe from all angles.

Meanwhile, sources said that the extortion bid angle is being looked upon and multiple teams have been formed to trace those involved.

"CCTV footage is being scanned to identify and trace culprits through the route taken by them to escape after committing the crime," the sources added.
Bengaluru, May 7 : Elaborate arrangements are in place for the second and final phase of polling for Karnataka's remaining 14 Lok Sabha constituencies on Tuesday, the Election Commission said.

A total of 1,40,705 polling officers, 4,027 micro observers, 45,695 police personnel, 65 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and 2,360 sector officers will be deployed on the voting day, it said.

There are 28,269 polling booths, out of which 17,643 will be covered by webcasting.

There are 2,59,17,493 voters in the 14 Parliamentary seats - 1,29,83,406 male voters and 1,29,67,709 females. There are 339 overseas electors, while voters aged 18-19 years total 6.90 lakh and those above the age of 85 years are 2.29 lakh.

The number of electors with physical disabilities is 3.43 lakh.

Kalaburagi constituency has the highest number of voters, at 20.98 lakh, while Uttara Kannada has the least, at 16.41 lakh.

There are 227 candidates, including 21 women, in Tuesday's contest, with the highest number of candidates (30) contesting for the Davanagere Lok Sabha seat and the least (8) in the Bijapur constituency.

While the BJP and the Congress are contesting all 14 seats, 117 independent candidates are also in the contest.

Prominent candidates include Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad), former CMs Jagadish Shettar (Belagavi) and Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri), and former CM B.S. Yediyurappaas son B.Y. Raghavendra (Shivamogga) (all BJP), and Congress President Mallikarjkun Khargeas son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani (Kalaburagi).
Tel Aviv, May 7 : A few hours after Hamas announced that it would agree to the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli army attacked targets in the east of the city of Rafah late on Monday evening. According to an army spokesman, the targets were Hamas facilities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war Cabinet had previously decided to continue the military operation in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip in order to increase the military pressure on Hamas and achieve Israel's war aims.

"While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel's core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

Egypt and Qatar had brokered the proposal, the content of which is still officially unknown.

The Israeli military had previously called on the approximately 100,000 inhabitants of the eastern part of Rafah on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp a few kilometres to the north. The United Nations and the governments of numerous countries, including Germany and France, warned of the consequences of a military operation in Rafah.

Demonstrations in favour of a negotiated solution for the release of the hostages held by Hamas took place in several Israeli cities on Monday evening. "Time to decide - life or death," read a large banner at a demonstration by relatives of the hostages abducted to the Gaza Strip on October 7.

"Instead of ending the war in order to return all the hostages home, the government is threatening a military operation in Rafah that will endanger their lives," said a representative of the families.

--IANS/DPA

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The 108th annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism and in Arts and Letters were announced May 6. Pulitzer Prize administrator Marjorie Miller, vp and global enterprise editor at the Associated Press, led the ceremony, which was livestreamed on YouTube.

Jayne Anne Phillips won in the fiction category for her novel Night Watch (Knopf). The two other finalists in fiction included Yiyun Li, for Wednesdays Child (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and Ed Park, for Same Bed, Different Dreams (Random House).

Nathan Thrall won the general nonfiction award for A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy (Metropolitan Books). The other nominees in general nonfiction were John Valliant, for Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Knopf), and Siddharth Kara, for Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives (St. Martins).

Other literary winners included Jacqueline Jones, in the history category, for No Right to an Honest Living: The Struggles of Bostons Black Workers in the Civil Rights Era (Basic Books). The finalists were Michael Willrich, for American Anarchy: The Epic Struggle Between Immigrant Radicals and the US Government at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century (Basic Books), and Elliott West, for Continental Reckoning: The American West in the Age of Expansion (University of Nebraska Press).

A dual award in biography went to both Jonathan Eigs King: A Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and Ilyon Woos Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom (Simon & Schuster); Tracy Daugherty was named a finalist for Larry McMurtry: A Life (St. Martin's Press).

Cristina Rivera Garza, in the category of memoir and autobiography, won for Lilianas Invisible Summer: A Sisters Search for Justice (Hogarth). The finalists were Jonathan Rosen, for The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions (Penguin Press), and Andrew Leland, for The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight (Penguin Press).

Brandon Soms Tripas: Poems (Georgia Review Books) won the in the poetry category, the finalists for which were Robyn Shiff, for The Information Desk: An Epic (Penguin Books), and Jorie Graham, for To 2040 (Copper Canyon Press). Eboni Booth won in drama for Primary Trust; the finalists were Moises Kaufman and Amanda Gronich, for Here There Are Blueberries, and Shayok Misha Chowdhury, for Public Obscenities.

Pulitzer Prizes are awarded in 23 categories, and nominated finalists are not announced in advance. In 22 of the categories, winners receive a $15,000 cash award and a certificate. In the Public Service category, a news organization receives a gold medal. This years Public Service winner was ProPublica, for the work of Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, Brett Murphy, Alex Mierjeski, and Kirsten Berg on Friends of the Court, a series on ethical questions and the conduct of U.S. Supreme Court justices.

Two special citations were awarded this year as well, one honoring the late writer and Black cultural critic Greg Tate, and the other honoring the journalists covering Gaza. On the latter, Miller said in her remarks, The board recognizes the courageous work of journalists and media workers covering the war in Gaza. Under horrific conditions, an extraordinary number of journalists have died in the effort to tell the stories of Palestinians and aid workers in Gaza. This war also has claimed the lives of poets and writers among the casualties. As the Pulitzer Prizes honor categories of journalism, arts, and letters, we mark the loss of invaluable records of the human experience.

Also during the prize announcements, Pulitzer board co-chair Neil Brown warned that journalism is under threat. On college campuses, in state capitals and at local school boards, journalists are locked out in order to thwart their independent reporting. Brown called for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, imprisoned in Russia since March 2023. When we bestowed these awards last May, the Pulitzer board condemned [his] unlawful detention, Brown said. Here we are, a year later, and Evan is still a prisoner. This is outrageous, and the Pulitzer board renews the call to free Evan. Free him now.

Miller and Browns references to journalists under threat alluded to a challenging year at Columbia University, which administers the Pulitzer Prizes. Tensions remain high after a semester of protest, counter-protest, and police action at Columbia, related to the war in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian students set up an encampment on the universitys South Lawn and, on April 30, were evicted by New York City Police, in a night marked by numerous arrests and accusations of the suppression of student journalists. On the same day as the prize announcements, Columbia canceled its main graduation ceremony, which ordinarily takes place on the South Lawn.

On May 1, the day after the NYPDs actions at the encampment and nearby Hamilton Hall, which protesters had occupied, the Pulitzer Prize Board released a statement to honor student journalists across the U.S. and at Columbia specifically. 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. 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 [April 30]. In the spirit of press freedom, these students worked to document a major national news event under difficult and dangerous circumstances and at risk of arrest.

In October, the Pulitzer Prize awards ceremony is slated to be held in Low Memorial Library, across West 116th Street from the South Lawn and Hamilton Hall, the epicenter of the student protest.
In an unprecedented display of leadership, the president, flanked by the provost and the chairman of the board of trustees, announced to the chanting and drumming students encamped in the South Quad:

Out of respect for the rights of the members of our academic community, we have restrictions on the time, manner, and place for protest, just as we have rules for those who live in our dormitories. The board of trustees has now vested in me the emergency authority to issue not interim suspensions, but full-year suspensions that will remain permanently on your records if you do not remove your tents from the South Quad within one hour and follow university guidance on where and when you can continue your protest. The consequence of repeated infractions or occupying a building is expulsion. My staff has videotaped the encampment over the course of several hours, and we have identified many of you through your social media posts. My office has already begun informing your parents of the emergency policy. As for persons in the encampment who are not registered students, you must leave immediately, or you will be subject to arrest. And this time we will press charges. I hope you will all make wise choices.

This brief speech has yet to be uttered, though it is hardly fantasy. The University of Florida has been proactive since October 7 in preserving both order and the free exchange of ideas. The Division of Student Life has informed students in writing that speech, signs, and expressing viewpoints are permissible. Amplifiers, indoor demonstrations, camping, disruption, threats, and violence are forbidden, and students who violate the rules face suspension and a ban from campus.

Staff who violate these rules face termination and a ban from campus. A few other university presidents have at least distinguished themselves by enforcing order and existing policies. Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier stands out for expelling three students and answering the student demand for divestment from Israel by citing the schools official procedures: The university will not take policy positions unless they directly affect the operating of the university. . . . calling for BDS, for a boycott of Israel, is inconsistent with institutional neutrality. So from our values point, were not going to go there.

Colleges now reap the grim fruit of years of tolerating intolerable behavior. How many Middlebury College students were suspended for shouting down Charles Murray and violence that left a distinguished Middlebury professor seriously injured? Zero. How many Stanford Law School students were suspended for shouting down Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan? Zero again. Washington College students who shouted down invited speaker and Princeton University Professor Robert George? See above.

Columbia University is the tragicomic illustration of inadequate measures. With the occupation of Hamilton Hall, Columbia had no choice but to call in the police. Now, they need to inform the students that they will never ever receive a degree from the university. If they fail to do that, Columbia can expect, and will deserve, a repeat of the situation.



We need a new campus playbook, now and for the future, and that can only originate in the boardroom. Boards have authority over and responsibility for everything that happens on campus. They must use that power. Those that do not are guilty of malfeasance and base cowardice. It is hardly reassuring that so far, with a few exceptions, the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill Board of Trustees being one, they have left it to legislators to issue the statements that should be theirs.

Real consequences must be part of the equation for the students and faculty in the encampments. Getting arrested and released is simply a badge of honor. The career consequences of a year-long suspension or an expulsion that remains indelibly on the students record is something else. Blighting the chances for a prestigious law school admission or a high-value M.B.A. or a job at Goldman Sachs or Google should become part of the equation for those who think they stand above the rules of the community. Under no circumstance should institutions exempt students from regular academic deadlines and examination schedules.

A petition from the University of Pennsylvania encampment pleading that there be no disciplinary action against the students shows the obvious. Whereas those who engaged in civil disobedience in the civil rights era were typically prepared to accept the consequences, the pro-Palestinian demonstrators of today expect a free pass. They should not receive it.

Moving forward, rather than entrusting the student code of conduct to the student assembly under the gutless supervision of student life staff, a trustee committee, in consultation with those entities, must oversee the necessary revisions to maintain order. At orientation, administrative staff must then present the code of conduct to incoming students. Similarly, a trustee committee should oversee appropriate revisions to the faculty handbook, making clear the consequences for impermissible activities in protest.

The 1967 Kalven Report, which articulates the principle of institutional neutrality, offers a powerful preventative to the blackmail tactics of the protests. Institutional neutrality, as Chancellor Diermeier explained, means that politics do not enter into decisions about the institutions investments and portfolio. Divestment is off the table. Student and faculty demands regarding the portfolio must be, to use a favorite phrase of protesters, non-negotiable.

With a commitment to the rule of law, the campus will enjoy robust debate and academic freedom, unfettered by the mob rule that now substitutes for freedom. This is a time for firmness, not demoralizing compromise that invites more such protests and signals that the adults are no longer in charge.
By now, most Americans have filed their state tax returns. While many were fortunate enough to owe income to just a single state, some taxpayers had to grapple with the often-confusing process of filing a return in other states, then claiming the taxes paid to those states as a credit against their home states tax liability. While thats irritating enough, a case that the Supreme Court is currently deciding whether or not to take up would determine if those states are allowed to effectively get away with double taxation.

Double taxation, or multiple taxation, occurs when two or more states tax the same income. The process of claiming credits against taxes paid to other states theoretically prevents this, ensuring that taxing rights are apportioned rather than duplicated.

But while the process is straightforward at the state level, the addition of city- or county-level taxes makes things more complicated. Past court decisions have clarified that these sub-jurisdictions cant be left out of the calculation, but how exactly cities and states must apportion taxing rights is a less settled question.

Thats what Diane Zilka, a Philadelphia resident who commutes to Wilmington, Delaware for work, learned a few years ago. Because she lives and works in cities and states that have income taxes, she effectively pays four separate income tax rates when filing her state income taxes: 3.922 percent to Philadelphia, 3.07 percent to Pennsylvania, 1.25 percent to Wilmington, and 5 percent to Delaware.

As past Supreme Court decisions require, both sides agree that Zilka should receive a refund for the taxes she paid to Delaware and Wilmington. The exact form that refund should take, however, is the point of contention.

Philadelphia argues that cities provide refunds against taxes paid to other cities, while states provide refunds against taxes paid to other states. Consequently, the city agreed to provide Zilka with a credit for the 1.25 percent rate she paid to Wilmington against her 3.922 percent Philadelphia income tax.

But Zilka argues that city and state income tax rates should be considered holistically. Therefore, Zilka is requesting a credit for the combined 6.25 percent tax rate she paid to Wilmington and Delaware against the 6.922 percent combined rate she paid to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

That might sound like an esoteric tax administration dispute, but the outcome has a real financial impact to taxpayers. In Zilkas case, Philadelphias interpretation results in her receiving a total credit worth only 4.32 percent of the combined 6.922 percent rate she paid to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

And Zilka has a point. Unlike states, which have their own constitutionally-designated powers, cities taxing powers are simply a devolution of a states own taxing authority. The constitutional distinction between a state and its sub-jurisdictions is effectively non-existent. And generally, when local governments have lower or no income taxes, they are simply passed revenue from the state government to fund their operations.

Should Philadelphias interpretation of the law stand, states would be able to squeeze more tax revenue out of residents who commute abroad if they keep their state and local tax rates roughly equal, rather than having a higher state rate. Thats a completely arbitrary way to impose greater tax obligations on taxpayers.

While Pennsylvanias Supreme Court narrowly decided in favor of Philadelphia (with even a justice in the majority acknowledging that the result was unfair), the federal Supreme Court now has an opportunity to right this wrong. The Court can and should step in and make clear to states that they can divide their taxing powers between sub-jurisdictions however they like, but they cannot do so in a way that results in taxpayers being double-taxed.
As doubts grow over whether the upcoming Venezuelan presidential election will be free and fair  or even happen at all  some politicians, analysts and activists have been calling this the point of no return for Venezuelan democracy. After American and Venezuelan negotiators in Barbados signed a deal to remove U.S. sanctions on fossil fuels and gold mining sectors in exchange for democratic guarantees, the Maduro government quickly began cracking down even harder on the opposition. Maduro has since jailed a number of critics and banned all plausible challengers from running against him, including frontrunner Maria Corina Machado. Machados top staffers have been jailed on mocked-up charges. Political prisoners in Venezuela are routinely subject to torture and abuse.

It seems lifting sanctions on key sectors did little to incentivize Maduro into moderating his authoritarianism. The logical outcome, then, would be to completely isolate Maduro, or even depose him by force, an approach that has been staunchly supported by hawks from across the aisle including Republican Marco Rubio and now-indicted Democrat Bob Menendez, who have been pushing for the U.S. to intervene in Venezuela since Maduros highly controversial election win in 2013. Figures in the Venezuelan opposition, including Juan Guiado (who was Interim President from 2019 to early 2023), hawkish American commentators, and a number of prominent Venezuelan exiles have also made American intervention their mantle.

Yet, this approach has been tried since Chavezs last years in office, with little success in provoking liberalization. There is no clear pathway towards liberalizing Venezuela, but with all paths of aggression apparently blocked, it seems diplomatic, dialogue-centered negotiations, leveraging the influence of regional actors like Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, will be the U.S.s greatest tool for valuable concessions moving forward.

As a result of Maduros refusal to uphold his end of the bargain in the Barbados deal, the Biden administration has decided to put the sanctions back on and further isolate Maduro from the international arena. This move is meant to deter the tyrant from meddling in the election results. Whether Maduro (or the National Electoral Council) only allows for a sham election or overturns results if the opposition wins, the fear is that he would further consolidate his power, invalidate political opposition, and drive Venezuela closer to becoming a fully authoritarian state.

Isolating Maduro from international relations has only driven him to form new, undesirable partnerships. Currently, the Maduro government has been kicked out of U.S.-led institutions in the region, including the Organization of American States and Mercosur, pushing him to join alternative multilateral groups like the Union of South American Nations and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America. Maduro has also been boosting relations with Iran, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other sanctioned states.

Despite sanctions, Maduro has also been able to restore Venezuelas economy to somewhat stable growth, reaching 4 percent GDP growth in 2023, the highest in South America. This growth is, in part, due to Maduros economic rapprochement with other outcast states and China (and the previous extreme shrinking of Venezuelas economy). Maduro has also created a powerful illicit economy, with significant state revenues incurred from deals with illegal armed groups such as the ELN and the FARC creating a client state for guerrilla groups and rogue states.

With these mechanisms, Maduro has created an alternative economy, diplomatic channels, and security guarantees independent of the U.S. and its allies. Complete isolation would make Maduro seem weaker, possibly leading to attempts to depose him. Having powerful friends with interests in regime continuity protects the Maduro regime from popular uprisings. So far, none of the states allied with Maduro have explicitly stated that they would come to Maduros defence if there were a coup attempt, but the U.S. might not want to risk violent conflict by calling their bluff.

Maduros play for increased influence within the anti-U.S. resistance movement  which is populated with extremely authoritarian and regressive groups and states  has thus diminished the power of U.S. sanctions. If access to U.S. markets is of diminished interest to the Maduro government, then sanctions preventing Venezuela from accessing those markets will have little effect.

Even if it wished to pursue this policy, the U.S. is missing several critical elements to stage a successful coup in Venezuela. The number of armed and passionate opposition to Maduro may not be sufficient to support an insurgency or coup. Many of the richest and most passionate opponents to Maduro have left the country, dissuaded from resisting domestically by Maduros repeated political repression campaigns and his small army of armed loyalists, called the Peace Defenders Squads (Cuadrillas Defensoras de la Paz). His loyalists represent about 20 percent (though some polls have Maduro at above 50 percent) of the electorate, much higher if exiles are not counted. An intervention would be met with significant resistance.

For the U.S., an intervention would also be quite costly. If successful, the intervention would create an enormous power vacuum filled by guerrilla groups and gangsters who would take advantage of economic and security disruption to exploit the local population and enrich themselves. This could in turn create a pretext for the U.S. to be forced to occupy Venezuela until the security situation is corrected, potentially costing the U.S. taxpayer trillions of dollars and weakening U.S. standing and power. Public and international pressure on the U.S. as a result of the intervention may also push Washington to pursue increasingly incoherent or rushed decisions in an occupied Venezuela.

Regardless of its success or failure, a U.S.-backed coup would hinder the nations reputation  in a region already antagonistic to America  which would only serve to bolster Chinas growing influence there. The intervention would also push Latin American countries to take a side on the coup, creating a further rift between pro-U.S. and anti-U.S. states and decreasing the contract space for diplomacy and partnership. It is currently unclear whether any Latin American states would come to the U.S.s defence.

A failed intervention could provoke Maduro into cracking down on domestic opposition and disengaging completely from all diplomacy with the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. must do what it can to preserve diplomatic channels for dialogue and negotiation with Maduro. Paranoid regimes with a self-righteous cause are also not known for making incredibly rational, peaceful decisions.

While it may be inconvenient for hawks in Washington and Miami to hear that the options to depose Maduro are increasingly weak and sparse, it is important to recognize it. Neither sanctions, isolation nor insurgency are ultimately successful options for regime moderation or democratization.

Simple answers given by far-removed elites wont provide welfare or democracy for one Venezuelan, and Maduros increasingly firm grip on power will require complex solutions for democracy and prosperity to truly prevail. Instead, the U.S. will have to adopt a diplomatic, dialogue-centered approach to secure certain concessions from Latin American leaders, with help from regional powers with positive leverage and influence.

Joseph Bouchard is a freelance journalist and analyst covering geopolitics in the Americas, with reporting experience in Bolivia, Colombia, and Brazil. His articles have appeared in The Diplomat, Mongabay, Le Devoir, La Razon, The National Interest, and Brazilian Report. He is a contributor to Young Voices.
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Many hear about the mental health crisis in the United States, but its also present around college campuses, including at UGA. Although mental health is being talked about more and less stigmatized, some students and professionals are wanting to see more resources. Recently, CAPS has made changes to accommodate more students.
Pirojsha Godrej, 43, patriarch Adi Godrej's son, is set to take over as chairman of the Godrej Industries Group from 2026 while Nyrika Holkar, Smita Godrej Crishna's 42-year-old daughter, has emerged as the face of the Godrej Enterprises Group.

IMAGE: Clockwise: Adi Godrej, Pirojsha Godrej, Nyrika Holkar and Jamshyd N Godrej. Photograph: Kind courtesy godrej.com

The Godrej family, which on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, split its empire into two groups -- the Godrej Industries Group and Godrej Enterprises Group -- has made its succession planning clear.

While 43-year-old Pirojsha Godrej, patriarch Adi Godrej's son, is set to take over as chairman of the Godrej Industries Group from 2026, Nyrika Holkar, the 42-year-old daughter of Smita Godrej Crishna, has emerged as the face of the Godrej Enterprises Group.

Nadir Godrej will be the chairperson of the Godrej Industries Group (GIG), comprising listed companies like flagship Godrej Industries, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Properties, Godrej Agrovet, and Astec Lifesciences, as well as Godrej Seeds and Genetics, Innovia Multiventures, and all their subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Pirojsha, who will be executive vice-chairperson, will succeed Nadir as chairperson in August 2026, according to the statement issued by the Godrej group.

The Adi/Nadir family (ABG/NBG family) will buy out the shares held in the five listed companies by the Jamshyd/Smita family (JNG/SVC family).

Each family would sell the shares they hold personally and/or via trusts to the other family, and these transactions would be tax-neutral, said a source. The Adi/Nadir family announced an open offer for Astec Lifesciences on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

Pursuant to the realignment under the family settlement agreement (FSA), the management and control of companies under the GIG group will go to the ABG/NBG family.

At present, Pirojsha is the executive chairperson of Godrej Properties, Godrej Housing Finance, and Godrej Fund Management, and a non-executive director of Godrej Consumer Products and Godrej Agrovet.

Having graduated from the Wharton School of Business in 2002, Pirojsha joined Godrej Properties in 2004, and was appointed the chief executive of the real estate development firm in 2012.

In 2017, he became executive chairperson of Godrej Properties.

The next generation of the multi-billionaire families also joined the group across various companies and took key leadership positions, with Adi Godrej's daughter Nisaba Godrej running Godrej Consumer Products as its executive chairperson.

Tanya Dubash, Adi's elder daughter (also the eldest child), is the executive director of Godrej Industries, the flagship of the Adi/Nadir family. She is also the group's chief brand officer.

On the other hand, Godrej Enterprises Group, owned by Jamshyd Godrej and his sister Smita Godrej Crishna, will now be controlled by Jamshyd as its chairperson and managing director, Nyrika Holkar as executive director, and their immediate family members.

Holkar, who graduated from Colorado College in the US and later obtained law degrees from University College London, UK, joined the board of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company in April 2017.

Freyan Crishna Bieri, daughter of Smita Godrej Crishna, is a non-executive director of Godrej & Boyce. Likewise, Navroze Godrej, Jamshyd's son, is a non-executive director of the unlisted company with large tracts of land in Mumbai.

Pursuant to the FSA, the management and control of Godrej & Boyce, Godrej Holdings Private Limited and Godrej Infotech, along with their respective subsidiaries and joint ventures, and RKNE Enterprises, will be with the JNG/SVC family.

Godrej & Boyce's assets include 3,400 acres of land in Vikhroli (a suburb in the northeastern part of Mumbai). Of this, while about 1,000 acres can be developed, another 1,750 acres have mangroves and will not be developed because of environmental concerns, Adi Godrej had said in 2011. Some 300 acres have been encroached upon.

One acre of land in Vikhroli, said to a real estate analyst, is priced at Rs 70 crore (Rs 700 billion) to Rs 80 crore (Rs 800 billion). So, the value of the 1,000 acres would work out to Rs 70,000 crore (Rs 700 billion) to Rs 80,000 crore (Rs 800 billion).

Nadir might retain a 2.5 per cent stake in Godrej & Boyce for sentimental reasons, considering that it is the oldest group company, said a source.

The Godrej family had acquired the Mumbai land parcel in early 1940s from the Bombay high court receiver. Originally given by the East India Company in the 1830s to a Parsi merchant, Framjee Banaji, it had come up for sale in 1941-1942.

Godrej Properties, a listed entity, is developing some of the Godrej & Boyce land along with other projects across Mumbai, including the redevelopment of a film studio of the late actor Raj Kapoor which the Godrej family now owns.

Before the transaction was announced on April 30, the five senior members of the Godrej family -- Adi (82), his brother Nadir (73), their cousin Jamshyd (75), his sister Smita Godrej Crishna (74), and another cousin Rishad Godrej (72) -- had equal stakes in all group companies and assets.

Apart from a clear succession planning and untangling of assets, the Godrej FSA also paved the way for brand usage and a non-compete agreement.

On the usage of the Godrej brand, the ABG and NBG family will have exclusive rights to adopt, use, own and register the 'Godrej' name and brand in businesses like fast-moving consumer goods (including cosmetics, domestic and cleaning supplies, sanitary care, toiletries), foods and beverages, dairy products and services, financial services, pharmaceuticals, pharmacy, diagnostics, sexual wellness, agriculture and agriculture-related services, fertilisers, chemicals, oils & fats, etc.

The JNG/SVC family, on the other hand, will have exclusive rights to adopt, use, own and register the 'Godrej' name and brand in businesses like space, aerospace, defence, furniture, durables, heavy engineering, locks and architectural hardware, EPC services, construction materials, home and office automation services, home and commercial interior design services, medical devices, software solutions, IT/ITeS, machines, energy, electric mobility business, vending machines, security products and solutions, intra-logistics, transmission systems, etc.

The two families have agreed to a six-year non-compete agreement and also on certain non-compete protections for their existing and exclusive businesses, which will apply for six years from the 'effective date'.

After the non-compete period, a family group could enter into the exclusive business of the other family group, without the use of the 'Godrej' brand (including in their corporate/entity names), the April 30 statement said.

The effort of the settlement was to minimise cross-shareholdings between the two families across group companies.

Though some small cross-holdings might remain with family members of the other group, the latter would be treated as any other (public) shareholders and not be classified as promoters.

Shares of the company held by members of the other group on or after the 'effective date' are not permitted to be transferred to competitor(s) identified under the FSA, except either with the prior consent of the heads of the ABG and NBG families or through a non-negotiated on-market sale.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
'Why should we disclose classified information. to satisfy those who doubt our Hydrogen Bomb capability?'

IMAGE: Dr Anil Kakodkar, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, at the 'Machined to Think' exhibition at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai, May 9, 2018. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Dr Anil Kakodkar was chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 2000 to 2009, during which India signed the civilian nuclear agreement with the United States. Before that, from 1996 to 2000, he was director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, a period during which India conducted two nuclear tests in May 1998.

"In my view, doubts about the success of our thermonuclear test in 1998 are raised to seek more and more information from us. No country has shared as much technical information as India. But their 'dil mange more', I sensed that game even at that time. So I concluded that getting into this 'tu tu, mein mein' is futile," Dr Kakodkar, 80, tells Shivanand Kanavi in the first of a two-part exclusive interview.

Ashley Tellis, the American strategic analyst of Indian origin, suggested recently that China and America may conduct nuclear tests again and that may give a window of opportunity for India to test and modernise its nuclear arsenal and particularly its thermonuclear designs which according to him 'fizzled out' in 1998, despite Indian claims to the contrary.

What is your view about the doubts raised about thermonuclear tests in 1998 as well as a possible window for testing again?

In my view such doubts about the success of our thermonuclear test in 1998 are raised to seek more and more information from us.

Although in terms of publicly sharing information about nuclear tests, no country has shared as much technical information as India. But their 'dil mange more', I sensed that game even at that time. So I concluded that getting into this 'tu tu, mein mein' is futile.

I asked my colleagues, after these doubts to develop a 3-D model, to look at the rock movement consequently shock, arising out of a nuclear blast.

These movements are different from a normal blast because the strain rates are high, hence the equations to be used are not the same.

Mind you at that time, nobody had developed such a model, including in the US.

Outsiders cite the profile of a test site from satellite pictures after the test and the teleseismic data from some earthquake monitoring stations like they have in Uppasala, Sweden, etc to talk with so much confidence and create doubts about our claims.

So to call that bluff, I said. We not only developed a 3D model but also qualified by using data from Baneberry test (external link) in the US which unfortunately had vented -- leaked radiation.

Because it had vented there was an enquiry and hence a lot of data came out in the public domain.

So we used the Baneberry data and our predictions and sent a paper to a well-known US journal.

The journal referees would keep asking questions 'Ye kidhar se mila vo kidhar se mila?' It was taking time.

Then suddenly a paper appeared from the Lawrence Livermore laboratory (the main lab in the US which has been involved in nuclear weapons R&D for many decades) about a model and their calculation.

So it was clear that the referees of the journal we had sent our paper to had some connection with Lawrence Livermore.

Basically, they did not want Indians to get the credit for developing such a model first.

So we wrote to the editor, 'You are free to review for as long as you wish. Take as much time as you wish. But you have to write both the dates. The date it was communicated and the date of publication.' They were honest enough, so even though it took two years for them to accept it they did publish the date we had sent the paper for publication correctly.

I'm just telling you the politics and the mindset, technical people are not without these afflictions (laughs).

That was to establish that we have that kind of modeling and computational capability.

Then we said that now use that code which we can claim is qualified and do a lot of numerical experiments.

I detonate something in a loose soil, in a cavity etc and what kind of teleseismic signal will I get? But they sit in Uppasala or somewhere and say it was 5 kilo ton and not 15 kilo ton etc arbitrarily and confidently.

We published to shut their mouth. Then the question was the profile of the crater on the ground at Pokharan.

So let us calculate that again, but we cannot publish a paper because we can't say the depth of placement and other classified data.

So we just calculated the contour, for both the fission and the fusion thing. And showed that it matches with what is there on the ground!

IMAGE: Dr Anil Kakodkar at the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai. Photograph: Kind courtesy Press Information Bureau

But why this curiosity? They think we have innovated something and want more disclosure?

Well, that could be one reason, but also many people are making a living out of this.

That's okay, nothing wrong with that. So I refuse to get into that debate.

As for a window to test again, let's see when it appears, the country can decide.

I have nothing to do with it anymore. So that question of India testing again according to me is a non question.

IMAGE: Dr Anil Kakodkar at the Nehru Science Centre. Photograph: Kind courtesy Press Information Bureau

Does our nuclear liability law need a change? There were some complaints when it was passed at that time. But in a private conversation with me recently you said 'it's sui generis and let others use it as a model'! So what is the issue?

The nuclear liability framework evolved in the US. Its objective was to protect its nuclear industry.

So the so-called standard template is with that in mind.

Now we also knew that. Now that we were talking about civil nuclear cooperation.

We had to develop a nuclear liability framework, so we have got some people to study these issues, including at the National Law School in Bengaluru, etc.

Then around that time, the Bhopal Union Carbide court decision came.

Mr Warren Anderson, CEO of Union Carbide, was nowhere to be seen and the mood in our Parliament was 'These Americans cannot be trusted. How do you protect our people?' So that is the genesis of our nuclear liability framework.

So we tightened the suppliers' liability part.

The point is, if you are in the process of making some law, you want to make it tighter.

I did say at that time some of the changes we were doing are not consistent with the international framework.

But that's past. Now our Parliament has passed it.

So I started telling the Americans, 'look bhaiya, for you American laws are supreme, for me Indian laws are supreme.'

Everything can be discussed till the law is passed, but once it's passed we have to follow that. That's all.

Moreover, why should we follow the American pattern? Because whether it is liability connected with any airplane crash etc, an American life is always valued at a much higher level compared to others. Just because the fellow has more money, his life is more precious! Somebody who has no earnings you will say he can die like a dog. This is not correct.

So now I maintain that perhaps in terms of protecting the public, our law is superior. Perhaps that should become the common template for international law.

Anyway, that is only for an academic discussion. Some people are unnecessarily making it the issue.

If it is established that any mishap was because of a suppliers' fault, then they should compensate, and moreover, there is a due process of establishing fault or refuting.

We also have an insurance mechanism now.

Opening up international nuclear cooperation was an important thing. And we have complied with every requirement of that.

Their lawyers can always find a solution if they want. I don't give too much importance to that. It's their problem. They will sort it out. They can't take Indians as guinea pigs.

IMAGE: Dr Anil Kakodkar receives an honorary doctorate from President Droupadi Murmu, July 23, 2023. Photograph: Kind courtesy Anil Kakodkar/X

Has our nuclear liability law become, an obstacle in negotiating nuclear reactors with either Areva (France) other Western companies or Rosatom (Russia)?

If you ask them, they will say yes. But the real obstacle is Westerners' costs are too high.

Once the price part is sorted out, the deals will go through.

We sorted it out with the Russians! Western companies are hiding the fact that their costs are high and they still want Indians to buy their reactors. Indians say, 'First you bring your cost down, then we buy'. We don't want another Enron to happen!

IMAGE: Then President Pratibha Devisingh Patil presents the Padma Vibhushan to Dr Anil Kakodkar at Rashtrapati Bhavan, March 31, 2009. Photograph: Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor representing the second stage of the Indian nuclear programme has been delayed by about 10 years. In one of your public lectures, you talked about the number of papers published on Fast Breeder Reactors, Thorium R&D, etc, and had claimed that we are at the cutting edge in all these things. Is that still true R&D-wise?

Yes. R&D is going on. We need to get into a project mode as far as our new design of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor in 2005 (external link) SMR (Small Modular Reactor) has become a buzzword today, but our 300 MW AHWR could do all that and maybe 20 years earlier.

We didn't properly project AHWR's safety aspects etc. that's a different story. After all, the purpose of SMR is to be able to locate anywhere safely.

IMAGE: Dr Anil Kakodkar at the release of his biography. Photograph: ANI Photo

Recently there was an announcement about a 4th generation nuclear reactor from China. Can you please explain what is this 3rd generation and 4th generation in safety terms?

These are terminologies that came essentially around the first decade of the 21st century.

Many countries started realising that nuclear power has stagnated, so what are the barriers to growth and how to overcome them? They said, 'Let us create systems that are safe, guarantee sustainability, do not create waste management issues etc.'

That was much before the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011. Japan was also talking about all new systems and their nuclear industry had a large number of variants of different designs.

The Germans and French were also involved at that time, though the Germans withdrew later.

So they created what is known as the Generation 4 International Forum (GIF). They offered us also, that India could also be a part of this.

I was sceptical about it because there are IPR issues and several countries cannot develop new technology together smoothly. Now GIF is practically extinct.

I was quite sure that we could do it ourselves. So we went ahead with our AHWR design and R&D.

Today our AHWR would qualify for generation 4. Way back we had asked the Russians to upgrade the Kudankulam reactors and you can now call them Generation 3 Plus.

Our own 700-megawatt units at Kakrapar (near Surat) and others under construction are also generation 3 Plus.

The Chinese generation 4 is of a much earlier origin. They have been working on high-temperature reactors which can be one of the generation 4 systems.

A lot of money has been spent, but others are only talking. The Chinese have been pursuing that system much before GIF came into existence.

The Chinese are not a part of GIF. But today, that is the only generation 4 system.

Part II of the Interview: 'Nuclear Has To Get Into Achche Din'

Shivanand Kanavi is a former VP at Tata Consultancy Services and former executive editor of Business India. The award-winning author of Sand To Silicon: The Amazing Story Of Digital Technology is also adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru and frequently contributes to Rediff.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
As many as 181 academicians, including vice chancellors and former VCs, have accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading "falsehood" regarding the appointment process for university heads and sought lawful action against him.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has in the past alleged that affiliations with the Hindutva organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is often the guiding factor in appointments to academia.. Photograph: @INCIndia/X

In an open letter, they said the Congress leader has alleged that vice chancellors are appointed solely on the basis of affiliation with some organisation rather than merit as they slammed his claims.

The process by which VCs are selected is characterised by stringent and transparent rigorous procedure grounded in the values of meritocracy, scholarly distinction and integrity, they claimed.

Jawaharlal University Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Delhi University VC Yogesh Singh and AICTE Chairman T G Sitharam are among the academicians who have signed onto the letter.

The selection has been completely based on academic and administrative prowess and with a vision to take universities ahead, they said.

Though they did not quote Gandhi's specific claims, the Congress leader has in the past alleged that affiliations with the Hindutva organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is often the guiding factor in appointments to academia.

Among the signatories to the letter are Vinay Pathak, VC, CSJM University, Kanpur, Bhagwati Prakash Sharma, Chancellor, Pacific University, Udaipur, N C Gautam, former VC, Mahatma Gandhi Gramodaya Vishvavidyalaya, Chitrakoot, Alok Chakkarval, VC, Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur and Vinay Kapoor, fomer VC, BR Ambedkar National Law University, Sonipat.

Universities in India have undergone a significant transition as evident in their ascent in global rankings, prominent accreditations, world class research and innovations, curriculum facelift narrowing the industry academia gap and higher placement prospects reaffirming their commitment to academic quality and societal relevance, they asserted.

They said, "The array of academic disciplines and professional experiences represented amongst us stands as evidence of the unbiased and inclusive nature of the selection procedure."

It reflects their dedication to cultivating an atmosphere that values and promotes diversity, encourages independent thinking, and supports scholastic achievement, they said.

"Rahul Gandhi has resorted to falsehood and has defamed the Office of the Vice Chancellors at large with the intent to derive political mileage out of it. It is, therefore, earnestly prayed that appropriate action be taken against him forthwith in accordance with law," they said.

The academics said in their letter that as guardians of knowledge and administrators of academia, they maintain an unwavering commitment to maintaining the utmost levels of governance integrity, ethical behaviour, and institutional integrity.

Urging everyone involved to exercise discernment in distinguishing fact from fiction, to abstain from spreading unfounded rumours, they called for dialogue that is well-informed, constructive, and supportive of their shared goal of creating a dynamic and inclusive educational environment.
On the eve of Lok Sabha elections in Ahmedabad, as many as 16 schools here received an email on Monday threatening bomb blasts, though a police statement said this was a hoax as searches failed to unearth anything suspicious.

IMAGE: Around 200 schools in Delhi-NCR received an identical threat email on May 1, 2024 claiming that explosives had been planted in their premises. Photograph: ANI Photo

Eleven of these schools have been designated as polling booths for Lok Sabha voting on Tuesday, informed Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sharad Singhal.

The 16 schools comprise 12 in the city and four on the outskirts, Singhal added.

Ignore this email (sent to schools) and exercise your voting rights tomorrow without any fear, it asked citizens.

The schools that received the threat email included DPS and Anand Niketan in Bopal, Udgam School on SG Highway, Calorx School in Ghatlodia, Kendriya Vidyalaya at Chandkheda and Army Cantonment on Airport Road.

"The sender threatened to blow up our school. Our school has 24 hour security and NEET was conducted at our campus yesterday. We have not received any parcels from outside and our doors were also shut," said Udgam School administrator Dhimant Choksi.

"Some schools received emails threatening bomb blasts. This seems to be on the lines of bomb threats received by schools in Delhi some days back. As per our primary investigation, the email's domain is out of India. The email was sent from a location outside of India," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime Cell) Lavina Sinha told PTI.

During the search, nothing suspicious was found, she added.

The district education officer Rohit Chaudhary said after the emails were received schools informed local police, while his department updated the control room.

"A preliminary probe has revealed it was a hoax and the threat was given to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in view of voting on May 7, he said.

Polling in 25 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held on Tuesday.
Amid the Congress' appeal to voters to opt for NOTA in the Indore Lok Sabha poll, Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda has said the BJP will encourage the people to come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.

IMAGE: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav joins hands with former Congress leader Akshay Kanti Bam after he joined the BJP in Indore on April 30, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The BJP held a meeting in Indore late Sunday night where a discussion was held on how to increase the voting percentage in the Indore Lok Sabha seat.

Polling in Indore, where the Congress is out of race after its candidate withdrew his nomination, is scheduled on May 13.

There are a total of 14 candidates in the fray, including BJP's sitting MP Shankar Lalwani. Nine of the candidates are contesting as independents.

The Indore Lok Sabha seat is held by the BJP for last 35 years.

After the meeting on Sunday, Deputy CM Devda, who is the in-charge of BJP's Indore cluster, told reporters, "It was discussed in the meeting that maximum voting should be held in the Indore Lok Sabha constituency."

The BJP will motivate people to come out in large numbers to vote and make the party win the Indore Lok Sabha seat with an overwhelming majority, he said.

Senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, "There was a discussion in the meeting on how to increase the voting percentage in Indore. We want Indore to become the number one Lok Sabha seat in the country in terms of voting."

State cabinet ministers Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tulsiram Silawat and local BJP MLAs attended the meeting held at the local party office.

Congress candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam, withdrew his nomination on April 29 and joined the BJP.

Following this, the Congress has been appealing to voters to press the NOTA (None of the Above) option on the electronic voting machines "to teach the BJP a lesson".

The BJP has renominated Lalwani from the Indore Lok Sabha seat.

There are 25.13 lakh eligible voters in Indore, which witnessed 69 per cent polling in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Vijayvargiya has said the BJP aims to win the Indore Lok Sabha seat this time by a margin of more than eight lakh votes.
Students at Ashoka University have joined the chorus of protests against the ongoing war in Gaza and have urged the vice-chancellor to end all academic and research collaborations with Israel-based Tel Aviv University.

IMAGE: A view of Ashoka University campus. Photograph: Courtesy Ashoka University online

Ashoka University student government, an elected student body, said in a letter to the vice chancellor that the university's collaboration with institutions involved in human rights violations undermines its commitment to justice and human rights.

"We are deeply concerned about the ongoing genocide in Palestine in which at least 34,596 Palestinians have lost their lives and 77,816 have been injured due to the Israeli war on Gaza. As the Israeli military's brutality persists...students across universities are now actively calling on their institutions to boycott Israeli universities and exchange programmes, to have open dialogue about the war on Gaza.

"The spirit and the results of ongoing protests in the universities in the form of encampments -- embarked on by the students of Columbia University -- are live examples," the students body said in the letter.

The students claimed that Ashoka University, based in Haryana's Sonipat, has research partnerships with Tel Aviv University, ongoing faculty visits for teaching, student mobility (outbound and inbound), research collaboration, short-term study opportunities as well as joint programmes.

"In light of the evidence presented regarding Tel Aviv University's actions, we urge our institution to sever all ties with Tel Aviv University until tangible steps are taken to address the issues," they said.

"Tel Aviv University's close ties with the Israeli military and its support for the occupation of Palestinian territories raise serious ethical questions. The university's collaboration with institutions involved in human rights violations undermines our commitment to justice and human rights."

"This includes Tel Aviv's ties with Israeli weapons manufacturers like Elbit Systems. Professors from Tel Aviv University have been involved in drafting the IOF's code of ethics, providing legal defense to IOF members for war crimes and drafting doctrines that dictate military operations," the students' body alleged.

The student government's petition also mentioned the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for the boycott of companies accused of being complicit in the war on Gaza.

It further said that all Palestinian universities had been demolished by the Israeli forces, Tel Aviv University "continue to exist to stifle conversation around the Palestinian people and to prevent Palestinian scholarly work" and that the institution allegedly receives funding and benefits from tie-ups with weapons manufacturers and Israeli intelligence agencies, such as Shin Bet and Mossad.

The petition said that Tel Aviv University has a responsibility to uphold the principles of academic freedom, social justice and human rights.

"By maintaining ties with a university linked to systematic human rights abuses, Ashoka University is complicit in these violations," it said, adding that with the international community raising concerns over the war, Ashoka University should demonstrate its commitment to ethical conduct and human rights.
Amid Israel's urgent evacuation notice to residents of eastern Rafah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has sent word of the group's acceptance of a ceasefire proposal to Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

IMAGE: Displaced Palestinians who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, shelter in a tent camp, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 8, 2023. Photograph: Bassam Masoud/Reuters

Thousands of people flee eastern Rafah after Israel orders people to evacuate as fears of a full-blown military assault on the city sheltering more than one million displaced people grow.

The details of the ceasefire deal have not been disclosed.

This comes as Israel's military issued an urgent evacuation notice to residents of eastern Rafah, following a warning from the country's defence minister of impending "intense action" in the area, CNN reported.

Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, urged residents to "evacuate immediately" to designated humanitarian areas at the checkpoints for their safety.

The call specifically targets individuals residing in the municipality of Al-Shawka and the neighbourhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jneina, Tiba Zaraa, and Al-Bayouk in the Rafah area.

The announcement comes amidst the ongoing bombardment of Gaza, with significant devastation witnessed since October 7.

Many residents of Rafah, already displaced multiple times, now face the prospect of further displacement amid escalating conflict, as reported by CNN.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel, has since, characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas' infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
The Delhi high court on Monday granted bail to an alleged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria supporter in a case under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, saying his "fascination" with the banned terrorist organisation cannot be dubbed as his association with it.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

A bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait stated that 30-year-old Ammar Abdul Rahiman was, at best, a "highly radicalised person" who believed in ISIS ideology and was merely downloading and storing certain allegedly objectionable contents on his mobile phone but there was nothing to indicate that he made any endeavour to further disseminate these.

Any curious mind, the court observed, can access and download such content from the internet, which, by itself, is not a crime.

"Merely because the mobile device of the appellant was found carrying incriminating material including photographs of terrorist Osama bin Laden, Jihad Promotion, ISIS flags, etc. and he was also accessing lectures of hard-liner/Muslim preachers would not be enough to brand him as a member of such terrorist organization, much less his being acting in furtherance of its cause," the bench, also comprising Justice Manoj Jain, said.

"Such type of incriminating material, in today's electronic era, is freely available on World Wide Web (www) and mere accessing the same and even downloading the same would not be sufficient to hold that he had associated himself with ISIS. Any curious mind can access and even download such content. That act by itself, to us, appears to be no crime," added the court while allowing Rahiman's appeal against a trial court order refusing to release him on bail.

The court held that being in possession of incriminating material, in hard form or soft form, would not be sufficient to hold that such possession was with the intention to further terrorist activities as "there has to be something more than that".

"At best, the appellant was highly radicalized and had downloaded pro-ISIS material and was accessing the sermons of Muslim hard-liner but that would not be enough to attract Section 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (Offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of UAPA," the court stated.

The National Investigation Agency alleged that the appellant, arrested in August 2021, entered into criminal conspiracy with ISIS members for undertaking 'Hijrah' to Jammu and Kashmir and to carry out the activities of ISIS in India.

It was stated the appellant followed pro-ISIS Instagram account and photographs of global terrorist Osama bin Laden, Jihad promotion, ISIS flags etc. were also found on his digital devices.

In the 46-page judgement, the court observed the data which was retrieved from the electronic device/mobile of the appellant does not advance the case of prosecution and the invocation of Section 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act seemed "erroneous and misplaced" in the present case.

It noted that the trial court has directed the appellant to face trial for offences of conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code read with Section 2(o) (unlawful activity) and sections 13 (punishment for unlawful activities), 38 and 39 of UAPA but has prima facie found that he was either perpetrator of any terrorist act or was conspiring to commit the same.

The court stated that downloading certain software like MobileSafari or Telegram would also "not mean anything" as they are available in public domain and no adverse inference can be drawn and it was imperative for the prosecution to have established the ingredient of "mens rea" i.e. acting with intention to further the activities of such terrorist organization.

The court further observed that the Supreme Court, while dealing with the Bhima Koregaon case, has observed that mere possession of certain literature, which even inspires or propagates violence, by itself cannot constitute any of the offences within Chapters IV and VI of UAPA.

"Merely because he was following some news items related to Middle East and Israel-Palestine conflict or had been accessing hate speeches of hard-line Muslim preachers, would not be enough to hold that he was acting in furtherance of a banned terrorist organisation," it said.

The court therefore directed that the appellant be released on bail on such terms and conditions as the trial court may consider fit and proper.

It also held that the court can consider bail plea in a UAPA case, even after ascertainment of charges as the right to seek bail is an indefeasible one and can be exercised at any stage.

"Consequently, we, hereby, allow the present appeal and direct that the appellant be released on bail on such terms and conditions, as the concerned learned Special Court may consider fit and proper," the court ordered.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that there should be zero tolerance for someone like Prajwal Revanna, and accused the Congress government in Karnataka of allowing the Janata Dal-Secular MP to go out of the country and releasing the incriminating sex videos after the polls were over in the region dominated by Vokkaligas.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being felicitated during an NDA election meeting, in Anakapalle, Andhra Pradesh, May 6, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Modi told Times Now that the responsibility to take action in the raging matter lay with the state government as it was a law and order issue, according to the transcript of the interview provided by the broadcaster.

He said the presence of thousands of videos implies that it is of the time when the JD-S was in alliance with the Congress. These videos were gathered when they were in power and they released it during the elections after Vokkaligas exercised their franchise, he added.

The videos were released after he was sent out of the country, the prime minister said, calling the development very suspicious. If the state government had information, it should have kept a watch and there should have been vigil at the airport, he said.

"You did not do anything, the government of India was not informed. This means that it was a political game and they know that these videos were from the time they were in alliance and they accumulated these videos. However, this is not my issue, my issue is that any culprit should not be spared. These games should be stopped in our nation," he said, according to the transcript.

He added, "As far as Modi is concerned, as far as the BJP is concerned, as far as our Constitution is concerned, I am of the clear view that there should be zero tolerance against such people. Stringent punishment should be given using all the legal options available."

Replying to a question, he said, "We should bring him back and strict action should be taken against him. There should be no ifs and buts."

The Congress and Janata Dal-Secular ran an alliance government in Karnataka after the 2018 polls and parted ways after fighting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls together.

Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led party entered into an alliance with the BJP in September last year and they are fighting the current Lok Sabha polls together.

The Congress has used the issue of Revanna's alleged sexual exploitation of a large number of women, captured in nearly 3000 video clips, to target the BJP.

Revanna, Gowda's grandson, is again in the fray from Hassan, where polling was held on April 26. The regional party enjoys influence in south Karnataka, especially among Vokkaligas, the community Gowda belongs to.

To a poser about his charge against the Congress over issues like inheritance tax and redistribution of wealth, the prime minister said he has cited the language, words and written assurance of the party and its leaders to make his point.

"This time I have exposed them to the hilt. That is why they are rattled. When they go seeking votes of one community, they speak differently, and when they approach the other community, they take a neutral stand. This is their duplicity," he said.

This is unlike the BJP which always talked about building the Ram temple, abrogation of Article 370, and the Uniform Civil Code, he noted.

On the other hand, the Congress has been continuously lying while attacking the BJP by alleging that it intends to change the Constitution, he said, adding that some BJP members said something and the Congress blew it out of proportion.

"They are refusing to hear our version. Now, the Congress asks where wealth distribution and inheritance tax are mentioned in its manifesto. The Congress shouldn't have double standards. The Congress will have to answer," Modi said.

Expanding his arguments against reservation based on religion, he said such an idea goes against the Constitution. Citing his government's welfare measures, Modi said he does not discriminate on the basis of religion.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the ongoing Lok Sabha election is aimed at saving the country's Constitution, which he claimed the BJP and RSS want to change.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses an election rally at Jobat town in Alirajpur district under the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. Photograph: @INCIndia/X

Addressing a public meeting at Jobat town in Alirajpur district under the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi also said the Congress government will ensure the 50 per cent cap on reservation is removed in the interest of the people.

The former Congress president again batted for a caste census, claiming it will reveal everything about the status of people and change the direction of politics in the country.

"This election is being held to save the country's Constitution. The BJP, RSS want to change it, but the Congress and the (opposition) INDIA alliance are trying to save it," Gandhi said.

He said the BJP gave the slogan of "400 paar" (aiming to win more than 400 Lok Sabha seats) with an intention to change the Constitution.

"Leave alone 400 seats, the BJP will not get more than 150 seats this time," the Wayanad MP claimed.

Gandhi also said the Congress government will launch the 'Pehli Naukri Pakki' scheme to ensure the youth get one-year apprenticeship in companies and a job after that.

During the training period, the youth will get an allowance of Rs 8,500 per month which amounts to Rs 1 lakh in a year, he said.

Gandhi also said that once his party comes to power, it will start transferring Rs 8,500 per month into the accounts of women to make them "lakhpati".

The Congress has fielded former Union minister Kantilal Bhuria against BJP's Anita Nagar Chauhan from the tribal-dominated Ratlam-Jhabua seat where polling will be held on May 13.
Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena has recommended a National Investigation Agency probe against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a complaint that his Aam Aadmi Party allegedly received political funding from the banned terrorist organisation 'Sikhs for Justice', Raj Niwas sources said on Monday.

IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal leaves the Rouse Avenue Court after being produced by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi Excise Policy case, in New Delhi. Photograph: Jitender Gupta/ANI Photo

The AAP rejected the charge and alleged that the recommendation is "yet another conspiracy" against Kejriwal at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party. It called the LG "an agent" of the (BJP).

The LG's move came against the backdrop of indications by the Supreme Court last week that it may consider granting Kejrwal interim bail on Tuesday in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The AAP chief, who is in Tihar jail, was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an excise policy linked money laundering case.

A letter to the Union Home secretary by the Principal Secretary to the LG said Saxena had received a complaint that the Kejriwal-led AAP allegedly received $16 million funding from extremist Khalistani groups "for facilitating the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar." Bhullar is currently lodged in Amritsar Central Jail.

The complaint dated April 1 was sent to Saxena by one Ashoo Mongia, National General Secretary of World Hindu Federation India.

"Keeping in view, the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, Hon'ble Lt Governor has desired that the ministry of home affairs, Govt of India, may consider referring the matter to the National Investigation Agency for conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter. This issues with the approval of Hon'ble Lt. Governor, Delhi," read the principal secretary's letter to the Union home secretary.

Bhullar was convicted in connection with the killing of nine people in a bomb blast in 1993 in Delhi. He was sentenced to death by a designated TADA court on August 25, 2001 and is undergoing life imprisonment after the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence.

In December 2023, the Delhi government's sentence review board rejected premature release of Bhullar at its meeting. The Board viewed that the case of Bhullar was not fit for premature release in view of the fact that "such convict, if released, may still pose a direct threat to the sovereignty, integrity and tranquillity of the country," said the minutes of the Board's meeting.

The letter by the LG's Principal Secretary stated that the complaint is made against a chief minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organisation.

"The electronic evidences adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination, it said.

In the complaint to the LG, it has also been alleged that Kejriwal held closed-door meetings with Khalistani leaders at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York, during his visit in 2014. Kejriwal allegedly promised to facilitate the release of Bhullar in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to AAP, the complaint said. It has been alleged that the AAP received the political funding between 2014 and 2022.

In a series of posts on social media, a former AAP worker, Munish Kumar Raizada, also shared purported pictures of Kejriwal's meeting with Khalistani leaders, the complaint said, according to sources.

"The complainant has also stated that as per tweets on Platform 'X' (erstwhile Twitter) Razada shared a picture of Sh. Arvind Kejriwal and Sikh leaders that took place at Richmond Hill Gurudwara, New York, in 2014....

"... It has also been mentioned in the letter that Sh Kejriwal wrote to former President Sh Pranab Mukherjee seeking clemency for Bhullar," read the letter to the Union Home secretary.

In the letter, the LG's principal secretary has also referred to the MHA, a letter written by Kejriwal to one Iqbal Singh in January 2014, mentioning that "the AAP Government has already recommended to the President the release of Prof. Bhullar and would be working on other issues including formation of SIT, etc. sympathetically and in a time-bound manner.

Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding written assurance for the release of Bhullar and he ended his fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal, the letter said.

Reacting to the development, AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj called it "yet another conspiracy against Kejriwal at the behest of BJP".

"They are losing all seven seats in Delhi and are rattled by the fear of defeat in Lok Sabha polls," he said.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj said that the PIL demanding high level investigation in the same matter was dismissed by the Delhi High Court two years back.

"LG saab desperately trying to make headlines during Election season. This is complete misuse of constitutional office of LG. The PIL demanding high level investigation in the same matter was dismissed by HC two years back.

"The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla rejected the plea filed by one Jagdish Sharma, stating that it is "completely frivolous'," the AAP said.

Bhullar was shifted to Amritsar Central Jail from Delhi's Tihar Jail on health grounds in June 2015.
Modi will stay in Patna overnight after the road show and address election meetings on May 13 in three Lok Sabha constituencies: Hajipur, Vaishali and Saran.

IMAGE: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra D Modi addresses an election meeting in Darbhanga, Bihar, May 4, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Narendra D Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party's star campaigner, will hold his first road show in Bihar on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

Modi has visited Bihar four times so far this election cycle and addressed seven election meetings in different parliamentary constituencies.

Janata Dal-United President Nitish Kumar -- Bihar's senior National Democratic Alliance leader -- has held more road shows than election meetings this time.

IMAGE: Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav being assisted to his car after he experienced sudden back pain on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, who suddenly suffered severe back pain while addressing an election meeting two days ago, says he will not halt his campaign despite finding it difficult to walk and stand due to back pain.

Tejashwi has already addressed 100 election meetings so far, more than any other politician in Bihar.

"The prime minister's office has approved our request for a road show," a senior BJP leader said, adding that the route for the road show is being drawn.

Tentatively, Modi's road show will commence from IT Golumber in the heart of Patna, pass through the busy Dak Bunglow Chauraha and end at Kadamkuan.

IMAGE: Dr Misa Bharti, the RJD candidate from Patliputra, in Danapur in Patna. Photograph: ANI Photo

Patna has two Lok Sabha seats: Patliputra and Patna Saheb, both won by the BJP in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

Ram Kirpal Yadav, the sitting BJP MP from Patliputra, hopes to make a hat-trick by defeating RJD candidate Dr Misa Bharti a third time.

Patna Saheb's incumbent BJP MP is Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Modi will stay in Patna overnight after the road show and address election meetings on May 13 in three Lok Sabha constituencies: Hajipur, Vaishali and Saran.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
The Gujarat high court on Monday allowed the appeals of former Bharatiya Janaa Party MP Dinu Solanki and six others against their conviction by a Central Bureau of Investigation court in the case of RTI activist Amit Jethwa's murder in 2010.

IMAGE: Dinu Bogha Solanki (second from left), former BJP MP, in police custody after sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ahmedabad CBI court in connection with the murder case of RTI activist Amit Jethwa in Ahmedabad, July 11, 2019. Photograph: ANI Photo

Observing that the trial court conducted proceedings with a "predetermined notion of conviction", a division bench of Justices AS Supehia and Vimal K Vyas quashed the CBI court's order sentencing Solanki and the six others to life imprisonment.

Jethwa was shot dead outside the high court on July 20, 2010, after he tried to expose illegal mining activities allegedly involving Solanki by seeking information under the Right to Information Act.

The CBI court sentenced Solanki and six others to life imprisonment in 2019 and ordered them to pay a fine of Rs 15 lakh in the case of murder and criminal conspiracy.

The high court later suspended the life sentences of Dinu Solanki and his nephew Shiva Solanki, also convicted in the case.

In its judgment, the court said the case will be remembered as "an antithesis to 'Satyamev Jayate' " (truth alone triumphs) and observed that the investigation appears to be an eyewash from the inception.

"We reiterate that the entire investigation, right from the inception of the offence, appears to be perfunctory and prejudiced. The prosecution has failed to secure the confidence of the witnesses," the bench said in its order.

The trial court, "on a preconceived notion of conviction, has analysed the evidence dehors the statute and settled legal precedents. The trial court was duty bound to apply the law as written and not as per its instinct", it said.

Highlighting flaws in the investigation, the court came down on the Central Bureau of Investigation and said it carried out "a slipshod and perfunctory investigation".

"All efforts are made to see that the truth is buried forever; the perpetrators have succeeded in doing so. Evenly, the trial court has conducted the trial proceedings with a predetermined notion of conviction," the court said in its order.

"Resultantly the common judgment on the order of conviction dated July 11, 2019, passed by the special judge, CBI court...whereby the accused have been convicted for the offence under section 302 (murder) and section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of Indian

Penal Code (IPC) and are sentenced is quashed and set aside," the HC order said.

Quoting a Supreme Court judgment, the bench observed that the survival of democracy and the unity and integrity of the nation depends upon the realisation that "constitutional morality is no less essential than constitutional legality".

After Jethwa's murder, an FIR was registered against two unidentified assailants, and the investigation was transferred to the state police's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which later filed a chargesheet.

In September 2012, the high court handed over the investigation to the CBI, which arrested Dinu Solanki in November 2013.

On July 11, 2019, Dinu Solanki and his nephew were convicted of Jethwa's murder.

The high court in September 2021 suspended Dinu Solanki's sentence pending his appeal against conviction by the CBI court.

Last year, it also suspended the life sentence of his nephew Shiva Solanki and granted him bail pending the hearing of his appeal against his conviction by the CBI court.

In its judgment, the court noted that even when a police constable was present just a few feet away from where the assailants shot dead Jethwa, and police officials arrived at the scene of the crime within a few minutes, "it is appalling and equally astounding that the assailants were not apprehended, and they 'escaped' [emphasis added] from the limits of Ahmedabad."

The high court, in its judgment dated September 25, 2012, handed over the probe to the CBI, reposing immense faith in the agency, the bench said.

The facts, however, indicate that the CBI also carried out "a slipshod and perfunctory investigation," it said.

The cross-examination of hostile witnesses appears to be an empty formality, with no efforts made to extract relevant evidence, which has corroborative value, it said.

"The witnesses who were cross-examined were all enjoying police protection, but all of them have turned hostile and have ditched the prosecution," it said.

There were loopholes in the investigation, and investigating officers "have tried to fix square pegs into round holes and have presented nothing more than unsubstantiated assertion", the court observed.

It also said proceedings against only eight witnesses were required to be taken under section 340 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for not supporting the prosecution's case.

The trial court has initiated proceedings against 38 witnesses.
It's a different Srinagar from what Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf encountered 24 years ago.

Tourists throng the Kashmir Valley post-Article 370, azaadi appears dead, and everyone says one man is responsible for this change, so what if his poster is nowhere to be seen.

Photographs: Syed Firdaus Ashraf/ Rediff.com IMAGE: Lal Chowk, Srinagar, with the Tricolour flying high.

As the plane descends at Srinagar airport, Jayeshbhai pushes me aside in my window seat, stretching out his hand to shoot the scenic Kashmir valley below on his iPhone.

Only a minute ago, the airhostess had announced that no photographs could be shot from the plane due to defence ministry restrictions.

But that does not deter Jayeshbhai even after I remind him of the airhostess's caution.

"Saaru che (beautiful)," says his wife sitting in the aisle seat on seeing the photographs on Jayeshbhai's phone.

The airhostess turns up to warn Jayeshbhai not to shoot photographs or else face the consequences.

This time Jayeshbhai listens. He later tells me he was excited to shoot the photographs because it is his first trip to Kashmir.

"I have travelled across India, to Himachal, Darjeeling, Ooty and Munnar, but I have never saw such scenic beauty in India from a plane," says Jayeshbhai.

I ask why he has never visited Kashmir and pat comes the reply, "Article 370."

Jayeshbhai says he feels safe to travel in Kashmir now after Article 370 was repealed by Prime Minister Narendra D Modi's government in August 2019.

"But Article 370 was repealed five years ago," I tell Jayeshbhai, so why didn't he come visiting all this while.

"I know, but it is only now that I am daring to go because my friends say Kashmir is safe and a haven for tourists."

The prime minister whose achievements are praised by Jayeshbhai is missing in Kashmir.

Elections are a week away, but not a single Modi poster or hoarding greets me outside Srinagar airport.

'Modi Ki Guarantee' hoardings greet you all across Mumbai, but in Srinagar it is difficult to find even one billboard with Modi's image on it.

The logical answer is that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not contesting elections from Srinagar.

But you get the Modi effect when your driver starts talking.

Twenty four years ago when I visited Srinagar, the question taxi drivers at the airport would ask was, "India se aaye ho? (Have you come from India?)"

It was the norm set by the drivers union to make Indians realise that they were not welcome and Kashmir was not a part of India.

But this time the driver asks, "Are you from Bombay?"

I ask what happened to the question drivers used to ask visitors. He laughs and echoes Jayeshbhai: "Article 370."

What about it, I ask. "The people of Kashmir are tired of fighting. And post Article 370 they have realised that violence is not taking them anywhere. So, let us think of a better future for Kashmir."

And the tourism industry has shown the way in the last three years.

According to www.jandktourism.jk.gov.in (external link), the number of tourists who travelled to Jammu and Kashmir was 113,16,484 in 2021. It was 188,84,317 in 2022. And in 2023, including Amarnath yatris, this number was 211,80,011.

The last figure given on the Web site is for March 2024, when 16,25,123 tourists visited the Union Territory.

What happened to azaadi I ask the driver. "The azaadi slogan is as good as dead," he says. "People are tired of fighting. They now want prosperity."

Intrigued by these answers, I get down from the car to buy biscuits and utilise the chance to discuss politics with the shopkeeper. There is little enthusiasm about the election in Srinagar considering that the city votes on Monday next, May 13, I tell him.

"All of Kashmir has realised one fact. What the BJP wants, the BJP gets in Kashmir," the shopkeeper says.

He then points to the Apni Party poster outside his store.

"Watch this man Altaf Bukhari. Apni Party is the BJP's 'B' team in Kashmir. They are contesting the elections on the BJP's behalf and I feel they will win. Sadly for Altaf, Kashmiris do not want to go out and vote because they know their future is not decided by local parties, but by the BJP."

A quick fact check reveals the shopkeeper is right -- there is startlingly low voter turnout in general elections in J&K.

25.55 percent in Srinagar in 2009; 25.86 percent in 2014; a shocking 14.43 percent in 2019.

Dr Farooq Abdullah is the sitting member of Parliament from Srinagar, but the National Conference president has opted out of the elections this time. Aga Ruhulla, a Shia cleric, has replaced him as the National Conference candidate.

A visit to downtown Srinagar makes you realise that the frustration among Kashmiri youth is high because of steep unemployment.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election 90 booths in downtown Srinagar registered zero voting.

And what will it be this time? "Zero once again," states a college-going student and eligible voter.

Does he not see people coming out in numbers to vote because of the influx of tourists and resultant prosperity for Kashmiris?

Without divulging his name, the student says, "Voting in downtown Srinagar is only possible by the brutal force of the Indian Army. Democracy on India Army boots is the only way elections can be conducted in Kashmir. If not, the Army is happy in their tents and we are happy not to come out and vote."

Finally, I spot Modi's image on a wall where it is written, 'Seva Sushashan Gareeb Kalyan'.

IMAGE: The Modi poster spotted at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Srinagar.

It was the BJP office in Srinagar.

The office is shut, but the watchman guides me to Lal Chowk to see Modi posters.

Lal Chowk, you realise, has become a selfie point for young Kashmiris to take selfies to post on social media.

Here too, there are no Modi posters.

Soldiers are all around, watching the movements of the public.

They are on terraces, in gullies, shops and bunkers.

The Tricolour flies high and young Kashmiris click photos with gusto at Lal Chowk.

Lal Chowk is where a 41-year-old Modi accompanied then BJP president Dr Murli Manohar Joshi in January 1992 on a Tiranga Yatra to hoist the Tricolour amid terrorist threats.

It is where separatists hoisted the Pakistan flag in 1989 declaring Independence from India.

Thirty five years later. the Tiranga is hoisted from dawn to dusk and Pakistan flags have disappeared from Srinagar.

"Everyone in Srinagar knows why the Indian flag is flying high at Lal Chowk," says the driver, "even though his pictures are missing this election in Srinagar."
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
BURLINGTON  Senator Bernie Sanders has announced that he intends to seek a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. If his bid for reelection is successful, Sanders will be 83 years old when his term begins.

His time in the Senate, along with his previous 16 years in the House of Representatives, makes him the longest-serving independent Member of Congress in American history.

"Let me thank the people of Vermont, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to serve in the United States Senate, Sanders said in a statement to Vermont media on Monday, May 6. It has been the honor of my life.

Though Sanders is an Independent, he caucuses with the Democratic party. In 2018, the Senator earned his third term with a 67 percent victory over Republican candidate Lawrence Zupan. In 2024, three candidates will challenge Sanders candidacy  though more may be announced before Vermonts Major Party primary elections are held on August 13.

Another Independent, Cris Ericson of Chester, announced in 2023 that she will seek election to the Senate  as she has multiple times over the years. In December, Republican Gerald Molloy  who unsuccessfully challenged Senator Peter Welch for his seat in 2022  announced his candidacy.

Democrat Jon Svitavsky, a social worker who ran against Sanders in 2018, also shared his intention to run through a Facebook post in September 2023, as well as a GoFundMe campaign the following month.

Sanders, who was first elected to the Senate in 2006, is a member of the Democratic Leadership team, the former chair and a senior member of both the Veterans Committee and the Senate Budget Committee, and a senior member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In his statement, Sanders outlined his motivations for seeking another term.

I have been, and will be if re-elected, in a strong position to provide the kind of help that Vermonters need in these difficult times, Sanders said.

In recent years, working together, we have made important progress in addressing some very serious challenges, he continued. But much, much more needs to be done if we are to become the state, and the nation, that our people deserve.

Healthcare is one of those challenges and, in his statement, Sanders reiterated his perspective that access to health care is a human right, not a privilege. While celebrating the high utilization of community health centers in Vermont and his efforts in the senate to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, Sanders said that such measures are not enough.

In my view, the United States must join every other major country on earth in guaranteeing health care to all of our people as a human right, not a privilege, he said. That's a fight we must continue to wage.

Citing the devastating flooding throughout Vermont in July 2023, Sanders also listed the ongoing impacts of climate change as a reason why he is seeking reelection.

I will tell you that visiting the communities impacted in Barre, in Montpelier, in Weston, Ludlow and other towns, and talking with Vermonters who had lost their homes and businesses  that was a painful experience, Sanders said.

Together, we must continue to combat climate change by transforming our energy system away from fossil fuel, and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy, he continued. I'm proud that I was able to bring $62 million into Vermont to help our people afford solar panels for their rooftops, and additional money for heat pumps. But that's not enough.

Sanders also highlighted his work with the Veterans Committee and efforts to privatize Veterans Affairs as another motivation, alongside the enduring ramifications of the Supreme Courts repeal of Roe v. Wade.

We must codify Roe v. Wade into national law and do everything possible to oppose the well-funded right-wing effort to roll back the gains that women have achieved after decades of struggle, Sanders said. No more second-class citizenship for the women of Vermont or America.

Through the lens of his efforts advocating for the cancellation of student debt, Sanders also alluded to Vermonts own challenges with education funding.

In a highly competitive global economy, we need to make sure that all public colleges and universities are tuition free, and that every Vermonter, regardless of income, can get the higher education they need to pursue their dreams, he said. Further, we need to break our dependence on the regressive property tax in the funding of local schools.

Defending Social Security and Medicare was cited as another motivator for Sanders reelection campaign, alongside a lack of affordable housing in Vermont and beyond.

We have a major housing crisis today that must be addressed, he said. No Vermonter should be paying 40 or 50 percent of his or her income to put a roof over their head.

His final reason for seeking reelection is global, Sanders acknowledged, but very much on the minds of Vermonters.

On October 7th, 2023, Hamas  a terrorist organization  began the war in Gaza with a horrific attack on Israel that killed 1,200 men, women, and children and took more than 230 hostages, some of whom remain in captivity today, Sanders said. Israel had the absolute right to defend itself against this terrorist attack, but it did not and does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, which is exactly what it is doing.

Citing a Palestinian death toll totaling 34,000  with 77,000 people wounded, including a disproportionate number of women and children  Sanders also expressed concern for now imminent famine and starvation.

In my view, U.S. tax dollars should not be going to the extremist Netanyahu government to continue its devastating war against the Palestinian people, Sanders said.

These are very difficult times for our country and the world, he concluded. And, in many ways, this 2024 election is the most consequential election in our lifetimes.
Images, including one of Mao's slogans, are from unrelated events months or years earlier.

Pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses have gotten attention on Chinese social media, but some of these posts show unrelated demonstrations that happened months or even years earlier.

One aerial video showing a massive gathering of thousands of people packed together  purported to be at Columbia University in New York  is actually a demonstration in January in Hamburg, Germany, against a far-right political group.

Another photo claimed to show a protester holding up a famous Mao Zedong quote in Chinese, Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. But Asia Fact Check Lab found this to be from a pro-gun rally held in Virginia in 2020.

As the Israeli-Hamas conflict drags into its seventh month, student demonstrations supporting the Palestininans and calling for a cease-fire have spread across dozens of U.S. university campuses.

The aerial video of thousands gathered in public was shared on the popular Chinese social media platform Weibo on April 28, with the breathless caption: U.S. university demonstration: Pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University is majestic!







Chinese netizens claimed that a video posted on Weibo shows a pro-Palestinian demonstration in April, but in reality it wasn't. (Screenshot/Weibo and TikTok)

But a reverse image search found the video, shared on TikTok Jan. 21, 2024, actually depicted 80,000 people in Hamburg, Germany, protesting against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party since their secret meeting with the fascist Identitarian Movement was revealed.

Keyword searches including AfD found the Hamburg demonstrations were one amongst a series of protests to break out against the party after a news report surfaced that the group had considered a plan to expel all people of non-German backgrounds from the country, including immigrants who have already obtained residency at a meeting with influential leaders.

Video of demonstrations against the AfD released by German media and government agencies match the purported footage of pro-Palestianian demonstrations at Columbia University spread on Weibo. (Screenshots/YouTube)

In another case, a number of Weibo influencers and X accounts also recently claimed that one protester at an unspecified college campus held up a poster with the Mao quote, Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

But this is false. The photo is from a pro-gun rally held in Virginia in 2020, and has nothing to do with any pro-Palestine demonstration.

The photo of a purported April protest recently spread on Weibo has actually been circulated online since 2020. (Screenshot/Sina Military and Weibo)





A reserve image search reveals that a version of the same image shown in a larger frame was published in an article published on the Chinese military news blog Sina Military in 2020

Keyword searches using visual clues from the photo, including a banner that reads Constitutional Conservatives, found that it shows a rally held by pro-gun advocates from all across the U.S. in Richmond in 2020.

A closer look at the image also shows a street sign reading N. 9th St. at the top of the frame. A search in Google Maps found that this was a street in Richmond and not part of the university campus.

A person uploaded a photo of the pro-gun rally to Google Maps in January 2020 in real time as it was happening. (Screenshot/Google Maps)





Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke, Taejun Kang and Malcolm Foster.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in todays complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
The move comes as schools phase out instruction in the Mongolian language.

Mongolians protest against China's plan to introduce Mandarin-only classes at schools in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, at Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia on September 15, 2020.

Chinese authorities in the northern part of Inner Mongolia are hiring teachers from across China, offering attractive packages to encourage fresh graduates who are native Mandarin speakers to settle in the region, according to recent recruitment notices.

The move appears to be part of a nationwide move to eradicate the use of Mongolian in primary and secondary education, overseas activists said.

Primary and secondary schools across the region were ordered to end Mongolian-medium instruction and to offer only Chinese-medium teaching from Sept. 1, 2023.

Authorities in Otog Front Banner, a county-like administrative division outside Ordos city, are looking to recruit 40 high-school teachers of Chinese, math, science, English as well teachers of history, geography and "ideology and politics," according to a recruitment ad dated April 25 posted to the Gaoxiaojob.com jobs board.

They are also looking for 30 primary school teachers, nine to teach Chinese, with other vacancies available for teachers of math, English, science and other subjects, the notice said.

It added that successful applicants from top-tier universities can expect to receive a "resettlement allowance, with accommodation provided. Applicants must be under 30 years of age, according to the ad.

Policemen stand on guard outside a school in Tongliao, in Chinais northern Inner Mongolia region on September 10, 2020, where there have been recent protests about a new bilingual education policy by the Chinese government. (Noel Celis/AFP)





Similar advertisements have also been posted by authorities looking for 70 primary and secondary teachers to fill posts in Ordos city, and 20 people to teach preschool in Shilingol Banner, near the border with the independent country of Mongolia.

The recruitment drive comes as Inner Mongolia Vice Gov. Bao Xianhua called in a signed opinion article in the ruling Chinese Communist Party's official mouthpiece, the People's Daily, for "a team of teachers with excellent skills, providing a strong guarantee for the building of a strong regional education system, who will write the next chapter of the modernization of Inner Mongolia, Chinese-style."

Phasing out Mongolian

Activists said the move is part of the government's bid to erase Mongolian language and culture from the region's schools.

It comes as schools complete the phasing out of Mongolian in favor of Mandarin as a medium of instruction for non-language classes including history, math and science  a policy that sparked mass protests by parents and students followed by a regionwide crackdown when it was announced in September 2020.

Students hold Chinese flags and cutouts of red stars as they perform a song titled "Me and my country, at a ceremony marking the primary school's new semester in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Feb. 28, 2019. (Stringer/Reuters)





An ethnic Mongolian teacher from Shilingol League who gave only one name, Tana, said that ethnic Mongolian teachers in the region's primary and secondary have been left out in the cold by the switch to Mandarin across the board, and are struggling with delivering class in their second language.

"It's a bit easier in primary schools, but junior high school teachers who used to teach in Mongolian are suddenly having to teach in Mandarin," Tana said. "This generation of teachers finds it very hard to teach certain subjects now that they suddenly have to teach in Chinese."

Tana said her school had informed teachers who are unable to make the transition to Mandarin would need to retire early or be redeployed in the pastoral team.

"They called a meeting of ethnic Mongolian teachers and said that either we have to teach in Chinese, or take jobs in the dormitories or the canteen," she said.

Nearly impossible expectation

Ordos-born Yang Haiying, a professor at Japan's Shizuoka University who has written a history of the "genocide" of ethnic Mongolians during the political violence of the Chinese Communist Party's 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, said it's almost impossible for many native speakers of Mongolian to suddenly switch to teaching their subjects in Mandarin.

"They are expected to teach chemistry in Chinese. Equations, physics, theory, etc.," he said. "This is tantamount to forced layoffs, because [the government] knows very well that the ethnic Mongolians won't be able to do this."

The fact that authorities in the region are recruiting heavily for the next academic year suggests that many ethnic Mongolians have either left, or are on their way out of, the workforce.

"They're recruiting from the rest of China for young people to bring their families, which is a disguised settlement program," Yang said.

Japan-based ethnic Mongolian activist Haas, who goes by a single name, said the aim is to marginalize ethnic Mongolians, who were trained in their native language to teach in that language.

Plainclothes policemen stand in front of the Horqin Mongolian School in Tongliao in China's northern Inner Mongolia region, following recent protests over a new bilingual education policy by the Chinese government, September 10, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP)





"The Chinese Communist Party's policy is not to allow them to stay on [in their posts]," Haas said. "They want to separate them from mainstream society, because the authorities fear they will obstruct the policy when it comes to be implemented."

"So they're trying to kick all of the ethnic Mongolian teachers out."

Colonial policy

Authorities began merging Chinese-medium and Mongolian-medium schools across the region, forcing around 1 million ethnic Mongolian children from rural areas into more than 2,000 boarding schools, according to a Feb. 21, 2024, report by the head of the New York-based Southern Mongolia Human Rights and Information Center, Enghebatu Togochog.

"[The] boarding school system ... is an integral part of Chinas overall colonial policy of wiping out the language, culture and identity of the entire Southern Mongolian population as a whole," the report said, adding that it had gone hand-in-hand with government policies aimed at ending Mongolian herders' nomadic way of life.

"Now the Chinese government is targeting the Southern Mongolians last defense of national identity that is the language," Enghebatu Togochog wrote. "From kindergartners to college students, from teachers to professors, from ordinary herders to party members, the entire [ethnic] Mongolian population is subjected to [a] massive training program."

During the "training" sessions, ethnic Mongolians are condemned for expressing their ethnic identity, for singing Mongolian songs and wearing Mongolian clothes, as well as for not having enough Han Chinese friends or being nice to Chinese people, he said.

Instead, they are expected to embrace Han Chinese language, culture and traditions.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
'Your time is up,' declared a banner as activists took to the streets with flags and placards.

Activists display a giant banner from Pont Dauphine as Chinese President Xi Jinpings motorcade drives along Boulevard Peripherique in Paris, May 5, 2024.

Unfurling banners and waving flags, Uyghur, Tibetan and Chinese activists took to the streets to protest Chinese President Xi Jinpings two-day visit to Paris.

Free Tibet. Dictator Xi Jingping, your time is up! declared a large white banner that his motorcade had to drive under on the Boulevard Peripherique after his arrival on Sunday, on his way for a state visit with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Atop the banner was the flag of Tibet  a symbol of the Tibetan independence movement that has become known as the Free Tibet flag.

The visit was Xis first European tour since 2019 and marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Franco-Chinese diplomatic relations.

Ethnic Tibetan from France, Belgium, Hungary and elsewhere gathered to express their anger over Beijings restrictions on religious and cultural expression in Tibet  which China invaded in 1950 and now controls  and human rights violations.



Uyghurs also rallied in Paris, seeking to draw attention to the abuses their families and friends have suffered in the far-western region of Xinjiang, including mass arbitrary detentions in prisons. The United States and some Western parliaments have identified Chinas persecution of the Uyghurs as a genocide and crimes against humanity.



The protesters were joined by Chinese, Taiwanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese human rights activists as well as Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters.

Under Xi Jinpings rule, the situation in Tibet has gone from bad to worse, Tenzin Yangzom, campaigns coordinator at International Tibet Network, said in a statement.

Today, we confronted Xi with our message that his time is up and Tibet will be free as he was forced to drive under our banner and Tibetan flags, she said. President Macron and European leaders should not be rolling out the red carpet for a man guilty of genocide.

More than 1,000 demonstrators gathered in the city's Place de la Republique on May 5, displaying Tibetan flags and placards in French, calling for an end to repression inside Tibet, the release of Tibetan prisoners and a stop to Chinas construction of dams in the region.

As street performers depicted the dismal human rights situation inside Tibet, they then marched to the Place de la Bastille, where they remained for over four hours.

Within Xis sight, Tibetan activists waved Tibetan national flags  an action banned in Tibet by the Chinese government and punishable by arrest, Students for a Free Tibet said in a statement.

French politicians

Even French politicians got into the act, calling on Macron to raise the Tibet issue with Xi in a letter signed by 14 senators on May 2.

The resumption of Sino-Tibetan dialogue and respect for the rights of the Tibetan people must be at the heart of the French strategy vis-a-vis China, the letter said, in a reference to the Chinese governments cutoff of talks in 2010 between Beijing and the Dalai Lama on genuine autonomy for Tibetans.

Uyghurs gathered at Madeleine Square, close to the French presidents residence, to show their opposition to Xi, said Dilnur Ryhan, president of the European Uyghur Institute.

Activists protest Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to France at the Place de la Republique in Paris, May 5, 2024. (Sonam Zoksang/Students for a Free Tibet)

Some pro-China activists holding Chinese flags attacked the group in three waves, one after the other, while Chinese agents wearing dark sunglasses were positioned around the square, closely monitoring their activities, she said.

Gulbahar Haitiwaji, a Uyghur detained in re-education camps for two years but who now lives in France, urged Macron to address the plight of those still detained in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses there.

Not all agree

Anti-Xi activists from China also participated in the protests, including one who identified himself as Jiang, an artist living in Paris who represents the group Freedom Square.

Jiang said Xi Jinpings views and actions do not have the support of all Chinese, including his ethnic cleansing of Tibetans, his comprehensive surveillance of Chinese citizens, aggression towards Taiwan and suppression of Hong Kong.

These views are actually different from ours, he said. We want to convey to the outside world that China does not only have one voice, and Xi Jinping does not represent us."

Xi is a dictator, said Liu Feilong, a Chinese dissident who lives in the Netherlands, who decided to go to Paris and participate in the demonstrations after seeing protest announcements on social media.

Xi Jinping not only harms people living in China, but also infiltrates democratic countries in Europe and America, posing a serious threat to universal values, he said. I escaped from China for freedom and found the freedom I wanted in the Netherlands, so I should also defend freedom and universal values.

After France, Xi will visit Serbia and Hungary  two European countries that are shifting towards authoritarianism and are big beneficiaries of Xis Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to connect China with other nations.

It includes plans for a Budapest-Belgrade high-speed railway financed mainly by China to transport Chinese goods from the Greek port of Piraeus into Europe.

With reporting by RFA Tibetan, RFA Uyghur and Kitty Wang of RFA Mandarin. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
The soldiers are from five battalions in one western Myanmar township, the Arakan Army insurgent group said.

Junta troops and family members under No.15 Operation Command Headquarters surrendered to the Arakan Army, released on May 6, 2024. Faces blurred by RFA.

At least 200 Myanmar junta troops have surrendered after an ethnic minority army captured their headquarters in Rakhine State, near the Bangladesh border, the anti-junta organization said on Monday.

The Arakan Army, which has been fighting the military regime for territory since a year-long ceasefire ended in November 2023, captured a junta camp in western Myanmars Rakhine State, near the Bangladesh border, last Thursday.

The No.15 Operation Command Headquarters fell to the Arakan Army after a 12-day battle, the latest in a series of setbacks for the junta that seized power in a coup in 2021.

The insurgent force released video footage of hundreds of soldiers and others surrendering.

Some of the 200 soldiers pictured in the videos were captured from five battalions in late March and April, the Arakan Army said in a statement, identifying the battalions as the 552, 564, 565 and 551.

All of these battalions were captured by a heavy offensive attack between March 25 and May 3, the group said.

Junta soldiers as well as some Rohingya Muslims could also be seen in the video footage released by the Arakan Army. Some Rohingya have complained of being forced into the juntas army.

The Arakan insurgent group did not say how many junta troops it held but said they had surrendered because of its blockade of their Operation Command Headquarters.

Junta troops and family members under No.15 Operation Command Headquarters surrendered to the Arakan Army, released on May 6, 2024. Faces blurred by RFA. (Arakan Army Information Desk)





Rakhine States junta spokesperson, Hla Thein, did not answer his telephone when RFA tried to contact him for comment by the time of publication.

Of the 12 military council battalions in Buthidaung township under the No.15 Operation Command Headquarters, five, including the No.15 Operation Command Headquarters, have been captured.

Since November, the Arakan Army has captured nine townships across Rakhine State. Fighting continues in Ann, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Kyaukpyu townships.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.
All these legal cases help to reinforce the universal idea that we should not accept genocide.

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, Tomas Ojea Quintana attends a news conference after delivering his report before the Human Right Council on March 9, 2020, in Geneva.

In an interview with Radio Free Asias Ye Kaung Myint Maung, international human rights attorney Tomas Ojea Quintana spoke about a case filed in a court in Argentina in 2019 that alleges genocide and crimes against humanity committed by senior Myanmar officials against Rohingya Muslims.

The complaint was filed under the principle of universal jurisdiction enshrined in Argentinas constitution, which holds that some crimes are so heinous that alleged perpetrators thousands of miles away can be tried.

The 46-page criminal complaint centers on violence in 2012 and 2018 that drove about 1 million Rohingyas from Myanmar, mostly to neighboring Bangladesh, where many live in squalid refugee camps to this day.

The document describes rapes, beheadings and the slaughter of Rohingya civilians committed by Myanmars military and their civilian supporters. It includes detailed information collected by a 2017-2019 UN-backed Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar, which interviewed hundreds of witnesses in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Quintana served as United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar between 2008 and 2014. He served in a similar role for the U.N. in reporting on the situation of human rights in North Korea between 2016 and 2022.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RFA: Mr. Quintana, welcome to RFA. Id like to start the interview by asking if theres been any improvement in the case? How far along is the case?

Quintana: I would say that the case is moving forward. The Argentinian prosecutor has been producing important evidence. The file now has a number of testimonies from survivors  Rohingya survivors from Coxs Bazar [in Bangladesh].

Actually, they travel all over the world and have visited Argentina and given in-person testimonies to the Argentinian court. This is something very important for a universal jurisdiction case because the victims now had a chance to tell their stories to the court. At the same time, the Argentinian court was having contact with real victims from Myanmar.

So I would say now we are in the investigative stage, and at some point we believe that the court will make a substantive decision regarding accused persons.

Myanmar protesters residing in Japan step on posters of Myanmars army chief Min Aung Hlaing with his face crossed out and Wanted message, during a rally to mark the second anniversary of Myanmars 2021 military coup, outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Tokyo Feb. 1, 2023. (Issei Kato/Reuters)

RFA: Do you have a timetable for any decisions in the case?

Quintana: Actually, in December last year, the Burmese Rohingya Organization U.K., which is a plaintiff in this criminal investigation, submitted a request to the court. An international arrest warrant request. Now, that request is under consideration by the court.

At some point, we hope that, during this year, the court in Argentina will make a decision whether or not the conditions are there for international arrest warrants to be issued.

RFA: What can you tell us about the alleged perpetrators?

Quintana: Well, the file is confidential. What I can tell you is that the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK included a list of seven perpetrators that goes from the top military authorities to two individuals who participated directly in the atrocities. Thats all I can tell you.

As I say, we hope that during this year, at some point, the court will issue a resolution on this very important aspect, and that it will be very important for the Rohingya community to continue to build on their hope for justice. It will also be an important message to the Myanmar military about accountability.

It will also be important for the overall international community that action needs to be taken with regards to this very dramatic international crime, which was genocide against the Rohingya.

RFA: We see, since the military coup in 2021, the situation of Rohingya refugees have deteriorated. Some of the refugee witnesses in your case come from the Rohingya refugee camps in Coxs Bazar. Have conditions improved for women in those camps?

Quintana: Well, thats something that is not directly related to the case itself in Argentina. The court is basically investigating the genocide committed in August 2017.

But the court pays attention to the protection situation of the witnesses who give testimony in the file. And the court of Argentina is following up on that, trying to check whether or not these witnesses that returned to Coxs Bazar are in adequate conditions in terms of protection and the overall situation in the camp.

There are almost 1 million people leaving the largest refugee camp in the world where, you know, the living conditions are not adequate. So, thats an issue that the international community needs to pay more attention to.

A protester covered in fake blood flashes the three-finger salute next to an image of detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration outside the UN office in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2024, to mark the third anniversary of the coup in Myanmar. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP)





RFA: For now, the worlds focus has been, far away from Myanmar because of the other international issues. What would it take to get the spotlight back on Rohingya issues?

Quintana: It is time for the international community to take action. The Security Council of the United Nations has been dealing with the Myanmar situation, but its been more of a reaction.

The truth is that the Myanmar military committed the first genocide of the 21st century. We hope that this case in Argentina will contribute to raise awareness around the world about the need to not recreate the conditions that led to the genocide.

RFA: We see other legal proceedings on the Rohingya case at the International Criminal Court and at the International Court of Justice. But its extremely rare to see a case filed under universal jurisdiction and to get proper punishment. Look at the case against Chilean President Augusto Pinochet. How much can we expect from this case?

Quintana: The case of Pinochet was very important for the sake of justice all over the world. He was detained in London based on a universal jurisdiction case in Spain. It was very important for the Chilean victims of his dictatorship.

The instrument of an international arrest warrant is also important. We will reach out to all those who are committed to preventing international crimes, such as ASEAN, the UN and of course the case at The Hague  the International Court of Justice.

All these legal cases help to reinforce the universal idea that we should not accept genocide, wherever that genocide takes place. So, if the Argentinian court issues these warrants, we will reach out to everyone, including the media, to let everybody know that those perpetrators who committed the crime are being summoned by a court of law.

Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
I am worried that the situation will be even worse than in 2017, says Tun Khin.

Tun Khin is the president of the U.K.-based Burmese Rohingya Organization. A leading campaigner for Rohingya rights, he believes that the Rohingya people are being subjected to war crimes amid the conflict between the military and the ethnic Arakan Army, or AA, in western Myanmars Rakhine state.

While both sides are forcibly recruiting Rohingyas to join the fighting there, he says, the junta is systematically fueling hatred between ethnic Rakhines and the Rohingya people. The Rohingyas are not recognized as citizens of Myanmar by the government and have been the target of ethnic violence throughout history  including in 2017, when a military clearance operation in Rakhine state sent nearly 1 million fleeing into neighboring Bangladesh.

In an interview with RFA Burmese, Tun Khin expressed concern that the current situation in Rakhine state may fuel further violence against his people. He also addressed accusations by the military that he led a group of activists to Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh to recruit 50,000 soldiers for the AA.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

RFA: Firstly, I would like to ask about your team meeting with the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh last month. The junta claimed that the goal of your visit was to recruit about 50,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh for the AA. What is your response to this?

Tun Khin: We went to Bangladesh to meet our Rohingya people. They have been taking refuge there for almost seven years after escaping a genocide. Another reason for our visit was to meet with the Bangladeshi government. We also discussed the schooling of children, as well as the repatriation program [to bring the refugees back to Myanmar]. We have to go back to our country  it is our right.

However, Zaw Min Tun, the junta spokesperson, gave the wrong information. We neither met with the AA nor recruited soldiers for them. In fact, we just investigated the lives of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and worked to get more support for them.

RFA: The Rohingya people are being recruited for military service, while armed clashes are escalating in Rakhine state. What is your opinion on the current situation in Rakhine state?

Tun Khin: The current situation is very bad. I am worried that the situation will be even worse than in 2017. Since the beginning of the latest armed struggle in November 2023 [when the AA ended a ceasefire agreement with the military], the Rohingya people have been trapped between the AA and junta troops. Many Rohingyas died in airstrikes in Minbya [township] and other areas.

Rohingya refugees stand on their capsized boat before being rescued in the waters off West Aceh, Indonesia, March 21, 2024. (Reza Saifullah/AP)

Especially after the AA took control of the village of Hpon Nyo Leik [in Buthidaung township], junta troops totally destroyed the village, despite its status as an IDP [internally displaced persons] village. Recently, the Rohingya people have been forced to serve in the military, and at least 500 from the refugee camp in [the Rakhine state capital] Sittwe were recruited for military service. There were also about 500 [recruited] in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships.

The junta staged [Rohingya] protests against the AA. We believe that the junta is systematically working to create tensions between the Rohingya and the Rakhines. We all should be aware of that.

Meanwhile, the AA has illegally arrested Rohingyas  and killed innocent civilians in Maungdaw and Buthidaung. They accused them of cooperating with the junta regime and confiscated food and other goods from Rohingya villages. It is unacceptable.

We also have reports that the AA forcibly arrested and extorted money from Rohingyas to be exempted from military service. So our Rohingya people are in a very bad situation amidst the armed conflict.

AA control in Rakhine state

RFA: The AA is  taking over towns in Rakhine state. If the AA gains control of the entire state, what would happen to the Rohingya?

Tun Khin: The military is our common enemy. They beheaded and killed thousands of our Rohingya people in 2017. Thousands of Rohingya women were brutally raped. The Myanmar military burned more than 390 Rohingya villages. We have suffered all kinds of brutality from the army. So, we stand together with any group which is working to remove the military.

On the other hand, the AA is committing war crimes against the Rohingya people, who are already facing genocide, while it fights the military. They need to stop it. We see that hatred is spreading. We Rohingya just want to live together in peace.

RFA: The AA leaders dont use the term Rohingya and instead use Bengali [which suggests the Rohingyas are from Bangladesh]. What do you want to say about that?

Tun Khin: We are not Bengalis. We are an original indigenous ethnic group in Rakhine state. We are Rohingya, and we expect to be called Rohingya. We have our own customs and cultures.

We are a group of people with our own characteristics. We are  the second largest ethnic group in Rakhine state. The AA needs to recognize this and practice mutual respect.

Rohingya refugees embrace each other after taking part in Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, at a temporary shelter in Meulaboh, Indonesia's Aceh province, April 10, 2024. (Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP)

RFA: The military has equipped Rohingyas with weapons. Do you think that the Rohingyas are able to protect themselves?

Tun Khin: The military is giving weapons to the Rohingya, but using them as human shields  So, it is clear that the Rohingya cannot protect themselves.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Simulation drills in the northern Philippines took place amid Manilas row with Beijing in the South China Sea.

US troops leave a hill on a beach in Laoag city, northern Philippines, during a joint U.S.-Philippine Balikatan exercise, May 6, 2024.

American and Filipino troops on Monday thwarted an attack of an imagined enemy force from waters in the northern Philippines across from Taiwan, as the two military allies staged live-fire drills against the backdrop of regional tensions with China.

Hundreds of U.S. and Philippine troops took positions on a beachhead in Laoag, in Ilocos Norte province, where they fired rockets, Javelin missiles and artillery shells from Howitzers into the sea. Powerful blasts from the days war game rocked this usually tranquil seaside city, which is famous for its sand dunes.

It started out with a military activity approaching the shores, said U.S. Marines Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm, commander of the joint task force overseeing the annual Balikatan (or shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise.

So you had 155-mm Howitzers shooting out about seven clicks (kilometers) into the water where the target is. It was highly successful.

US troops gather weapons and equipment as they prepare to leave a hill during the Balikatan exercise, May 6, 2024. (Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews)

The wave of the enemy approach continued, forcing the defending troops to fire successively on fortified positions atop a hill on the beach that gave them a good vantage point. The American troops used their tactical utility vehicles to back up Humvees mounted with machine guns.

The troops overwhelmed the approaching enemy force, as loud booms echoed across Laoag, during the event that locals described as impressive and terrifying at the same time.

From my vantage point, it was very successful, Cederholm told reporters, adding that the drills were done through live virtual construct  meaning there were U.S. military drones flying overhead to track the targets.

There were multiple command posts out there. And thats part of the command and control integration that we did, he said. It was a huge success, the weapons work.

Sovereign rights

The live-fire phase of the exercise will end Wednesday, when the allies are expected to sink a decommissioned Filipino navy ship at sea.

This years Balikatan will officially end on Friday this week. In the 2024 edition of the annual exercise, at least 11,000 American troops have joined about 5,000 Filipinos in the drills, and France, Australia, Japan, India and other countries have sent observers.

US and Philippine troops prepare to board a US Army CH-47 helicopter at the airport at the Philippines' northernmost town of Itbayat, Batanes province during the Balikatan exercise, May 6, 2024. (Aaron Favila/AP)

For the first time, part of this years drills were staged in waters outside the Philippines 12-mile territorial waters and farther out within Manilas exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The annual military exercises come amid increased tensions between the Philippines and China in the disputed South China Sea and between China and the United States over Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a renegade province.

No military exercises should target a third party or jeopardize the interests of a third party, nor should they undermine mutual trust among regional countries and undermine peace and stability in the region, Lin Jian, Beijings foreign ministry spokesperson told a press conference on Monday, when asked about the Balikatan drills.

I believe that the countries of the region see very clearly who is currently stoking military confrontation and tensions in the region, he added.

Troops use a dune buggy to rush to the frontlines as part of Balikatan, May 6, 2024. (Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews)

Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Manilas coast guard and military would not follow in Chinas footsteps in using water cannons against vessels in the South China Sea to avoid stoking tensions over the territorial row.

What we are doing is defending our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos Jr. told reporters, using Manilas name for South China Sea waters with the Philippines EEZ. And we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any such offensive  I would have to call them weapons  because it has been causing damage.

Last April 30, the Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels near the contested Scarborough Shoal  a South China Sea shoal virtually occupied by China since 2012  causing some damage, Filipino officials said.

US troops head out to defend a beach front in Laoag, northern Philippines, during a live-fire exercise, May 6, 2024. (Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews)

The incident was the latest confrontation between Manila and Beijing, which have overlapping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam also have claims over the waterway.

Marcos engaged his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in a first-ever trilateral summit in Washington last month. Under his administration, the Philippines has allowed the United States greater access to Filipino bases, including in northern areas facing Taiwan.

Balikatan participants fire a Howitzer cannon to defend a beach front in the northern city of Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. (Jeoffrey Maitem/BenarNews)

Manila and Washington have been allies since 1951, when the two countries signed the Mutual Defense Treaty. The Philippines is Americas oldest treaty ally in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both impressed and fearful

For the locals in Ilocos Norte, the military drills were both exciting and terrifying.

Participants guarding the beachfront during the Balikatan exercise involving US and Philippine troops watch as an explosion indicates that a target has been hit, May 6, 2022. (Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews)

On the outskirts of Laoag, the Filipino marines erected a military park called Cape Bojeador, where old military articles were put on display, including a Northrop F-5A freedom fighter jet, an airplane that had been originally used by the Philippine air forces fighting squadron.

The military drills in the city have ignited a sense of nationalism for many locals, but also fears that Manila may be roped into a war that is not its own.

Philippine Marines carry equipment next to US Marines at Paredes Air Station at Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte province, May 6, 2024. (Aaron Favila/AP)

Richel Puyaoan, a local nurse, said she had to explain to her elderly mother  a child during World War II  that the Philippines is now a military and economic ally of Japan, the Southeast Asian countrys former occupier but which sent observers to Balikatan.

For many, this is the first time that they are seeing that the Philippines can also defend itself, Puyaoan, who was celebrating her partners birthday at the park with their 15-year-old daughter, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news outlet. It is just somehow alarming for some people because they think we are suddenly at war.

Jojo Rinoza, Mark Navales and Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news outlet.
Hanoi asks Phnom Penh to share information in a toned down message from previous call.

Cambodian Buddhist monks stand on the foredeck of a ferry as it crosses the Mekong River from Arey Ksat to Phnom Penh, Sept. 28, 2023.

Vietnam has again asked Cambodia to cooperate in assessing the impact of the Funan Techo canal on its Mekong river delta, although using a more conciliatory tone than it has done in previous exchanges on the dispute between the neighbors.

Vietnam respected the legitimate interests of Cambodia in connection with the US$1.7-billion project and always treasures and gives top priority to their fine neighborliness and traditional friendship, the state Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday, citing a foreign ministry spokeswoman.

The spokeswoman, Pham Thu Hang, said that Vietnam was highly interested in the project and expressed the wish that Cambodia would continue working closely with Vietnam and other countries on the Mekong to share information and fully assess the impacts of the project on the rivers water resources and ecological environment.

She reiterated what she called Vietnams consistent support, joy, and high regard for the achievements made by Cambodia in recent years.

Cambodia says the canal, which will be built by a state-owned Chinese company and will connect its southern coast with the capital, Phnom Penh, will reduce its dependence on Vietnamese ports and make significant savings.

Vietnam is worried about the impact of the waterway on flows down into its Mekong delta rice-growing region.

Cambodia has insisted the canal will go ahead despite Vietnams concerns, and the neighbors have engaged in some blunt exchanges in recent weeks.

Huynh Tam Sang, a lecturer at Vietnam National University, said the latest comments showed Vietnam was adopting a more gentle approach.

The Vietnamese governments phrasing much interested instead of concerns demonstrates its desire to communicate its worries in a way that does not infuriate Cambodia, the Vietnamese analyst said. This is vastly different from the language used to describe other security issues, notably the South China Sea  Additionally, this subtle tone suggests that Vietnam is receptive to dialogue aimed at fostering shared interests.

Sore spot in relationship

It was the second time in less than a month the Vietnamese government has asked for more information about the proposed 180-km (112-mile) canal project which, according to some Vietnamese experts, would reduce the flow of the Mekong river into Vietnam by up to 50%.

The Mekong delta is home to 17.4 million people and is Vietnams main rice-producing area.

Map of the proposed Funan Techo canal. (Cambodia National Mekong Committee)





Vietnamese experts have suggested that their government should ask Phnom Penh to delay the project for further discussions.

The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh has also called for more information about the canal.

There are also concerns that the canal will open access to Vietnams western border, making it vulnerable, especially as Chinas navy appears to have secured a semi-permanent presence in Ream nearby on the Cambodian coast.

The canal could allow the Chinese navy to travel upstream from the Gulf of Thailand and the Ream Naval Base to Vietnams western border, wrote Khang Vu, a political scientist at Boston College in the U.S., who warned about the revival of the land threat to Vietnam.

As China expands its influence in Cambodia in addition to Vietnams weakening leverage over Laos, the Chinese encirclement of Vietnam is growing more comprehensive.

A major China-Cambodia joint military exercise  Golden Dragon 2024  is to take place later this month, according to the Chinese defense ministry.

Cambodias former prime minister Hun Sen has said Cambodia will not negotiate with Vietnam.

Hanoi should compile a comprehensive report indicating potential impacts of the canal project and share it with Phnom Penh and the Mekong River Commission (MRC), said the Vietnamese analyst, Sang, adding however that he was not confident about Cambodias willing reception.

The MRC is an intergovernmental organization formed by Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to jointly manage the shared rivers water resources and ensure its sustainable development.

The Cambodian governments resolve to move on with the project, despite Vietnams concerns, suggests that this matter may persist as a sore spot in the bilateral relationship, Sang told RFA.

The construction of the canal is set to begin later this year and is being heralded by Cambodias leadership as a national interest. Hun Sens son  Prime Minister Hun Manet  stated on Friday that the canal project has sparked a significant nationalist movement.

Edited by Mike Firn.
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.
An outspoken archbishop is leading a march to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, to protest border demarcation talks with Azerbaijan. Bagrat Galstanian and his supporters are demanding that the process be suspended. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly warned that failure to reach agreement with Azerbaijan could spark renewed conflict.
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
Russia, angered over what it says are "unprecedented" and "provocative" statements from the West, threatened retaliatory moves "inside Ukraine and beyond," as well as plans to conduct military exercises with tactical nuclear weapons that the European Union called "irresponsible."

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War, with Kyiv's Western allies throwing their support behind Ukraine's struggle to repel overwhelmingly superior Russian forces.

In the latest moves, Moscow on May 6 blasted remarks by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said Ukraine "has the right" to launch attacks inside Russia with British-made weapons, and it called remarks by President Emmanuel Macron suggesting that Paris could eventually send troops to Ukraine to assist Kyiv in its battle against Russia's full-scale invasion "irresponsible and mindless."

The Western allies "are deliberately leading the situation toward a further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis toward an open military clash between NATO countries and Russia," Russias Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it summoned British Ambassador Nigel Casey over Cameron's remarks, "firmly pointing out that Cameron's hostile move directly contradicts the previously sounded assurances of the British side while transferring long-range cruise missiles to the Kyiv regime, that under no circumstances would they be used on the Russian territory."

It said Cameron's remarks meant he was "de facto recognizing his country as a party in the conflict" and that any use of British weapons on Russian territory could make targets of "any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond."

In a separate statement, the ministry blasted remarks by Macron on potential use of French troops inside Ukraine, saying it found them "amusing for their irresponsibility and thoughtlessness."

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.

"It is difficult to perceive all this other than as a statement about the readiness and intention to enter into direct armed confrontation with Russia, which would mean a head-on military clash of nuclear powers," it added.

Hours earlier, Russia announced plans to conduct military exercises to ensure its readiness to use tactical nuclear weapons.

The announcement by the Defense Ministry is the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons.

A European Commission spokesman assailed the Russian announcement, labeling it "saber-rattling" and a "continuation of Russia's irresponsible behavior."

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the move was further "proof that the Kremlin is only interested in further escalating the situation which was caused by its illegal aggression against Ukraine."

Washington called the nuclear remarks "irresponsible rhetoric."

"This is an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric we've seen from Russia in the past. It's completely inappropriate given the current security situation," Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said.

"We've not seen any change in their strategic force posture.... Obviously, we'll continue to monitor," he added.

The role of strategic nuclear weapons is to strike enemy targets far from the front line, while tactical nuclear weapons are designed to be used on battlefields.

The exercise is meant to increase the ability of Russia's military to "ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation," the statement said, without elaborating.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked by journalists what had prompted the announcement on nuclear readiness, said, "It's obvious we are talking about statements from Mr. Macron and statements from British representatives,"

"This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures," Peskov said.

Separately, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine said on Telegram that seven people were killed and 42 wounded by Ukrainian drones near Berezovka, in the Borisov district close to the Ukrainian frontier, when two buses carrying workers to a pig farm were struck by Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine has not commented on the claim, which could not be independently confirmed.

Ukraine has been subjected to almost daily Russian missile and drone strikes that have caused huge damage to its civilian and energy infrastructure and killed and wounded numerous civilians, including children.

In response, Kyiv has targeted energy infrastructure inside Russia, especially oil refining installations.

Russia on May 6 said its forces had taken control of the settlements of Solovyove in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and Kotlyarivka in the Kharkiv region.

Ukrainian authorities did not acknowledge the potential loss of the settlements, but many Ukrainian bloggers appeared to confirm that both had been taken by Russia.

Earlier the Ukrainian Air Force said it had downed 12 out of 13 drones launched by Russia at energy infrastructure targets in the Sumy region. The regional administration said the electricity supply was temporarily cut in Sumy, Romniy, and Okhtyrka.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa
Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods.

I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two issues: Moldovas and Ukraines next EU steps; and a deeper dive into the political views of Central and Eastern Europeans.

Brief #1: Moldova And Ukraine To Start EU Accession Talks. Or Are They?

What You Need To Know: Both Ukraine and Moldova are expected to formally open EU accession talks in the final week of June. Several diplomats that RFE/RL spoke to on condition of anonymity are confident that a ceremonial intergovernmental conference (IGC) will be held in Brussels with the pair just before Hungary takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1.

They also said they expected the negotiation frameworks with both countries to be adopted by EU member states at the same time. You would be forgiven for thinking that talks with Ukraine and Moldova had already started, recalling that EU leaders in December 2023 green-lighted the kickoff of negotiations. That, however, was just a political opening shot in a long and arduous process of accepting new members to the club in which unanimity by the 27 current member states will be required at many stages. And it is a process that both politicians and the media are rather confused about.

Deep Background: Just take the question of what actually constitutes the start of EU accession talks with an EU candidate country. Its complicated, as the answer might differ depending on who you ask. There are, in fact, three correct replies to that query. Some say it is when EU leaders say they give a green light; in other words, what happened for Ukraine and Moldova at the end of last year. Others in Brussels would argue it is when the first IGC takes place, which is what Kyiv and Chisinau are expecting at the end of next month.

But there are also officials in the EU capital who claim that the negotiations only start in earnest once the first of around 33 accession chapters (covering EU rules in everything from agriculture to foreign policy that candidates need to adopt) is officially opened. And this is not expected to happen for either Ukraine or Moldova in June, as the IGC is expected to be a ceremonial one and not what Brussels types refer to as political IGCs, in which chapters are opened or closed.

At best, this could happen sometime in 2025. And, as always, all EU member states must agree to such a move, which isnt always a cakewalk. To illustrate this, take the examples of North Macedonia and Albania. In March 2020, EU leaders decided to open talks with that Western Balkans pair, and in July 2022 they had their respective ceremonial IGCs. But they havent actually opened and/or closed any chapters yet.

The main reason for this is bilateral issues with EU member states. North Macedonia needs to change its constitution to include language on Bulgarians as a founding people. Albanias path remains blocked by Greece over a nearly yearlong spat over the imprisonment of an ethnic Greek mayor in the southern Albanian town of Himare.

So, Ukraine and Moldova would essentially move into the same category as Tirana and Skopje at the end of June: EU leaders have green-lighted the start of talks and ceremonial IGCs will have taken place, but the nitty-gritty matters of actually negotiating stuff in various policy fields are yet to take place.

Drilling Down

Why does the EU conduct these ceremonial IGCs, then? In a sense, to encourage EU hopefuls. Montenegro, for example, had one in January. This despite the fact that it had previously both opened and closed chapters and is the most advanced of all EU candidate countries in this exercise. Brussels essentially wanted to give Podgorica a tap on the shoulder, indicating that the country is slowly heading in the right direction again after a few politically turbulent years.

But the real reason is also to avoid vetoes. Hungary has made clear that it opposes Ukrainian EU membership for the moment. Budapest will reportedly be OK with lifting its veto in June for Ukraine (and by extension Moldova, as it is paired with Kyiv) because it knows full well that it doesnt mean that negotiations chapters will be opened.

It also means that Hungary doesnt have to give Ukraine any carrots during its presidency in the second half of this year. I have also heard from sources in Brussels that Ukraine is being encouraged not to make too much of a fuss over the potential IGC in June -- mainly to avoid needlessly provoking Hungary.

Budapest has on numerous occasions voiced worries about the rights of the Hungarian-speaking minority in Ukraine, and thats still an open question. When the European Commission presented so-called oral updates to EU member states on the progress made by Ukraine and Moldova so far on necessary reforms, the European Commission found that Kyiv still had not completed all necessary legislative changes pertaining to laws related to national minorities.

Several EU member states, however, believe that Ukraine has done its homework and that the European Commissions assessment is colored by Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, a Hungarian with close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

This discrepancy in interpretation has meant that there wont be another European Commission assessment on Ukrainian progress (or lack thereof) in June, as it would provide Hungary with another opportunity to block. But it also means that Budapest can, of course, and probably will, use its veto further down the road if it isnt satisfied with Kyivs reforms.

And in June, Hungary will most likely also use its threat of a veto to leverage progress for some of its friends among candidate countries in the Western Balkans: Montenegro, and possibly Serbia.

The former is set to close a few accession chapters in June, and it could be that Belgrade is likely to open some. Serbia has essentially stood still on its EU path for the last few years, as several EU member states have questioned its refusal to align with EU sanctions against Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It could well be that the Russia hawks such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have to lift their vetoes for Belgrade in order to secure an IGC for Ukraine. The Brussels horse-trading over enlargement decisions could, in other words, still be in full swing.

Brief #2: What Central And Eastern Europeans Think About NATO And The EU

What You Need To Know: On May 2, perhaps the foremost think tank in Central Europe, GlobSec, published its annual survey of political attitudes among seven Central and Eastern European countries that joined the EU 20 years ago -- the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia -- as well as Bulgaria and Romania, which became members of the club in 2007. In other words, a club of nine former Warsaw Pact members or Soviet republics that now are anchored in Western institutions and organizations and playing an increasingly prominent role in them.

Titled Globsec Trends 2024  A Brave New Region, the survey quizzed respondents in February/March about their attitudes to EU and NATO memberships of their home countries, the war in Ukraine, and relations with big powers, among other things.

Deep Background: Support for EU and NATO membership remains strong across the nine countries polled. On average, 78 percent of the respondents want their country to remain in the EU, a number similar to previous years; for NATO membership, the regional average is 81 percent -- a surge from 73 percent in 2021, likely triggered by the Russian invasion in nearby Ukraine and the appreciation of being part of a bigger military alliance.

Digging deeper into the numbers, some interesting things pop up. Only 71 percent of Czechs want to stay in the EU -- the lowest figure among the nine countries. No explanations are offered, but it might stem from Brussels-bashing ex-presidents like Vaclav Klaus and Milos Zeman or the enduring legacy of the right-wing Civic Democratic Party (ODS), for decades arguably the most influential party in the Czech Republic and a staunch member of the mildly Euroskeptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) political grouping in the European Parliament.

Interestingly, the highest level of support for EU membership is in Hungary with 86 percent (tied for first with Lithuania). An enigma perhaps, considering that Hungarians for over a decade have opted electorally for Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party, which are in a seemingly perpetual struggle against Brussels in many areas.

You also have Slovakia, in which 72 percent of people want to stay in the EU. That figure is still quite high, but when you consider that it was 93 percent when the country joined the bloc 20 years ago, thats quite an alarming slide and possibly something that the recently returned left-wing populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has tapped into.

Or take Bulgaria, which is the only country of the nine in which respondents dont believe that their country has a greater influence in global affairs thanks to its EU membership; on the contrary, a whopping 73 percent of Bulgarian respondents thinks Brussels dictates what to do without Sofia having the power to influence it.

Drilling Down

Wading more deeply into the numbers, youll quickly notice that there is substantial evidence that Bulgaria and Slovakia, and to a certain extent Hungary, are proper outliers compared to the other six countries.

Twenty-seven percent of Bulgarians and 24 percent of Slovaks still express a desire for their countries to leave NATO -- much higher than in the other countries -- potentially reflecting decades of anti-Western and even Russia-friendly sentiments.

Forty-one percent of Slovaks see the United States as a threat, as do 33 percent of Bulgarians; some 44 of Slovaks and 32 percent of Bulgarians see Western society and their way of living as a threat.

What about the Russia of today, then? Again, the opinion of the trio sticks out. Twenty-seven percent of Slovaks see Russia as a strategic partner, as do 23 percent of Bulgarians and 22 percent of Hungarians; however, the numbers in all three countries have decreased considerably compared to 2021, when it was close to half. By contrast, only 3 percent of Poles and 2 percent of Lithuanians see Russia in a similarly positive light.

Thirty-four percent of Hungarians see China as a strategic partner, with Slovakia a distant second at 16 percent -- surely reflecting Budapests open courtship of Beijing in recent years. (Chinese President Xi is making Hungary one of his three stops this week on his first European trip in five years.)

In seven out of the nine countries polled, Germany was seen as the most important strategic partner, probably reflecting the economic clout of Berlin in the region. Only in Poland and Romania was the United States considered a bigger partner -- which comes as no surprise considering general pro-American sentiments and considerable U.S. military presences in the two countries.

Relations with Ukraine and opinions on the war there also reflect Bulgarias, Slovakias, and to a lesser extent Hungarys alternative views. In the former two, fewer than half of the respondents viewed Russia as the main perpetrator of war. Thirty-four percent of Bulgarians instead thought that the West provoked Russia into conflict, and 31 percent of Slovaks were of the same opinion.

Interestingly, in the entire region there is no country where the absolute majority of respondents envision Ukraine as a member of both the EU and NATO -- the stated geopolitical goal of Kyiv and something that is backed by most Ukrainians.

Forty-nine percent of Latvians and Lithuanians think Ukraine should be members of both organizations. In Estonia, 48 percent backed this, as did 40 percent of Poles and Romanians.

More worryingly for Ukraine, a full 57 percent of Hungarians think theirs should be a neutral country, as do 49 percent of Slovaks. Surprisingly, 36 percent of Czechs held the same view, with only 35 percent wanting it to be a member of both main Western alliances.

Considering that the decisions to accept members to both the EU and NATO require unanimity, the relatively low support for Ukraine among some of its neighbors can spell problems for the countrys political future.

Looking Ahead

Its a short week in Brussels, as institutions are closed on May 9-10 due to the Ascension holidays. But look out for the meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels on May 8. They are expected to finally agree on sending the profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine and, for the first time, discuss another round of sanctions on Russia and Belarus.

That's all for this week. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on X, formerly, Twitter, @RikardJozwiak, or on e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org.

Until next time,

Rikard Jozwiak

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The Romanian Institute of Technical Documentation

Located in downtown Bucharest, on the Victory Boulevard, the Technical Documentation Institute was the main information and documentation center for engineers.

 NOREA

Steliu Lambru, 06.05.2024, 14:00

Institutional history is not always as interesting as the biography of a personality, or as the story of a breakthrough that changed everything that mankind used to know. Institutions are generally perceived as cold, depersonalized spaces, where an authority imposes its order on citizens. But the history of institutions is of great importance in knowing the past, because they also involve human creativity and daily routine for the people who work there.

In Romania, after 1945, the communist regime was established, with the direct support of the Soviet occupation army. This meant the destruction of old institutions considered repressive of the working class, the distortion of others, as well as the establishment of new ones. One of the major problems faced by the communist regime in Romania was finding specialists, engineers in particular, to help restart the new centralized economy headed by the communist party. While part of Romanias old technical elite had been thrown into prison on ideological grounds, the new elite was trying to make up for what had been lost and adapt to the new ideology. Thus, an institution that assumed the task of collecting information and drawing up syntheses related to the state of technological development was Romanias Technical Documentation Institute, established in 1949.

Engineer Gheorghe Anghel was the general director of the institution and in 2003 he recalled, at the microphone of Radio Romanias Oral History Center, the beginnings: The Technical Documentation Institute of Romania became appreciated as one of the best documentation and information institutes of the socialist bloc. Specialists from many countries came to learn how the information and documentation activity was organized in Romania. Apart from the National Institute of Information and Documentation, there were a number of 24 information-documentation offices, by branch and field, which in turn were specialized in promoting technical innovations in the field they represented.

Located in the center of Bucharest, on the Victory Boulevard, the Technical Documentation Institute was the main information and documentation entity for engineers. The institution was copied after a similar one in the Soviet Union, a huge institute, focused on this activity. The Romanian institute was equipped with an impressive technical book fund and substantial collections of specialized magazines from all technical fields. A generous reading room accommodated everyone who wanted to stay connected to the latest news in their field. The institute centralized technical knowledge, but at the level of each branch and field of activity it was also supported by information and documentation offices.

Gheorghe Anghel talked about the activity of the institute: The activity of the Institute and the offices was very complex. It was not limited only to the reception of books and magazines, but, in particular, to the promotion of content. Within the Institute there was a whole series of departments that processed the existing information in the pages of the magazines: from simply signaling the existence of the content of the existing magazines, by photocopying their summaries and organizing them into several collections, which were distributed on a subscription basis to those interested , to the actual processing of the content of specialized articles. The respective novelties were extracted from them and they were reported to the specialists in the national economy.

But although the institute was intended for engineers and technical documentation, the famous censorship was in place there too. Gheorghe Anghel: We did not have the right to send all magazines to the reading hall. Some of them contained various articles that were not in tune with the party policy. So, there was a special stamp applied on the banned ones. They were registered at an office of secret documents and deposited there. The access was prohibited. I remember that there was an elaborate book in English that dealt with a certain mysterious phenomenon that had happened in the Urals. On the basis of documents published in the Soviet Union in specialized magazines, an English researcher had demonstrated that an atomic catastrophe had occurred in the Urals in which many people had perished. At that time these things were not public and were shrouded in mystery. It was not a fantasy, they were accurate documents published in the Soviet Union, in their magazines.

The institute held symposia and conferences, and by 1974 several hundred foreign-language people were working there. However, in 1974, Elena Ceausescu, the wife of Nicolae Ceausescu, head of the National Council for Science and Technology, decided to streamline the activity and reduced the number of employees to 160. However, in the 1980s, the general crisis of Romanian society also hit the institute. Due to the lack of foreign currency, the purchase of magazines and books had been drastically reduced. Those seeking to document themselves, could still read publications from the Soviet Union. The crisis of the institution was the crisis of the system that ended in 1989. (EE)
May 6, 2024

Click here for a roundup of local and world news

Newsflash

Newsroom, 06.05.2024, 14:00

EASTER Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania are celebrating Easter Monday, the second day of Bright Week. Easter Monday is also known as Bright Monday and it is said to be the day when the gates of Heaven and forgiveness are opened. As for specific traditions, on this day young girls and homes are sprinkled with holy water, and people visit their parents and godparents, bringing Easter cake and eggs.

STATISTICS Romania has the 3rd-lowest life expectancy in the EU, 76.6 years, according to a report released by Eurostat. The only 2 countries in the European bloc with poorer rates in this respect are Bulgaria and Latvia (below 76 years). Spain has the longest life expectancy in the European Union, 84 years, followed closely by Italy and Malta. According to Eurostat data, lower rates are reported in Eastern Europe and in the three Baltic states, whereas in Mediterranean, Scandinavian and Central European countries people live longer. On the other hand, the EU statistics office said, Romania sees the steepest increase in life expectancy, with one year gained between 2019 and 2023.

MILITARY A multinational exercise called Swift Response 24 takes place until May 24 in Romania and other countries. Thousands of troops and hundreds of vehicles and other equipment from 7 Allied and partner states are taking part. The exercise is organised by the US Army Europe and Africa, and according to the Romanian defence ministry it will include one of the largest air assault operations conducted in Europe since WWII, with around 2,000 paratroopers from France, Germany, Romania, Spain, the US and the Netherlands taking part. Romania contributes 2,300 troops, several air bases and 3 firing ranges. The drills on Romanian territory are coordinated by the German Armed Forces jointly with the Romanian Land Forces, with support from the Romanian Air Forces.

RUSSIA Russias president Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons drills in the near future, involving in particular troops deployed close to Ukraine, France Presse and Reuters report. According to the Russian defence ministry, the drills are designed to keep the Army trained, following provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation. Missile units from the Military District South and naval forces will take part in the drills. Russia currently has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin led to the worst deterioration of Russias relations with the West since the Cuban missile crisis, both US and Russian diplomats said. While Moscow claims the war is a response to NATOs attempts to control Ukraine while expanding its military presence eastwards, the West and Ukraine define Putins war as intended to occupy new territory and bring Ukraine under Moscows control, Reuters says.

VISIT The war in Ukraine and economic relations between China and the European Union are the main topics on the agenda of todays talks in Paris, held as part of a 2-day state visit by Chinas president Xi Jinping to France. The Chinese official called for a consolidated strategic coordination between China and the EU, as major world powers, at the start of a 3-party meeting with president Emmanuel Macron and with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen. President Macron pleaded in turn for fair rules for all in the trade between China and Europe. The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner, Macron said, and added that coordination with Beijing on major crises including Ukraine and the Middle East was absolutely decisive. In turn, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen said that China and the EU have a shared interest in peace and security, and emphasized the determination to end Russias war of aggression against Ukraine and to achieve just and long-term peace.

GAZA On Monday the Israeli armed forces started to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah, ahead of a planned military move in this town in the south of Gaza, an Israeli radio station, Army Radio, has announced. The Israeli Army said it encourages residents in eastern Rafah to move to an extended humanitarian area close by. Seven months since the start of its attack on Hamas, Israel says Rafah is hosting thousands of Islamist Palestinian fighters and that the town is critical for its victory. But with over one million Palestinian civilians relocated to Rafah, the prospect of a military operation with a large number of victims is a concern for the West and for neighbouring Egypt, Reuters reports. (AMP)
May 6, 2024 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of local and world news

Newsflash

Newsroom, 06.05.2024, 20:00

EASTER Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians in Romania are celebrating Bright Week, the first week after Easter. Easter, the most important religious holiday in the Christian world, is also the only one that lasts 3 days.

STATISTICS Romania has the 3rd-lowest life expectancy in the EU, 76.6 years, according to a report released by Eurostat. The only 2 countries in the European bloc with poorer rates in this respect are Bulgaria and Latvia (below 76 years). Spain has the longest life expectancy in the European Union, 84 years, followed closely by Italy and Malta. According to Eurostat data, lower rates are reported in Eastern Europe and in the three Baltic states, whereas in Mediterranean, Scandinavian and Central European countries people live longer. On the other hand, the EU statistics office said, Romania sees the steepest increase in life expectancy, with one year gained between 2019 and 2023.

MILITARY A multinational exercise called Swift Response 24 takes place until May 24 in Romania and other countries. Thousands of troops and hundreds of vehicles and other equipment from 7 Allied and partner states are taking part. The exercise is organised by the US Army Europe and Africa, and according to the Romanian defence ministry it will include one of the largest air assault operations conducted in Europe since WWII, with around 2,000 paratroopers from France, Germany, Romania, Spain, the US and the Netherlands taking part. Romania contributes 2,300 troops, several air bases and 3 firing ranges. The drills on Romanian territory are coordinated by the German Armed Forces jointly with the Romanian Land Forces, with support from the Romanian Air Forces.

COMPANIES The number of companies deregistered in Romania increased by nearly 15% in the first quarter of this year, to over 12,000, according to the National Trade Registry Office. Most of these companies were registered in Bucharest and Ilfov County (south), Constanta (south-east), Cluj (north-west), Timis (west) and Iasi (north-east), and operated in sectors like vehicle repair, wholesale and retail, and constructions.

RUSSIA Russias president Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons drills in the near future, involving in particular troops deployed close to Ukraine, France Presse and Reuters report. According to the Russian defence ministry, the drills are designed to keep the Army trained, following provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation. Missile units from the Military District South and naval forces will take part in the drills. Russia currently has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin led to the worst deterioration of Russias relations with the West since the Cuban missile crisis, both US and Russian diplomats said. While Moscow claims the war is a response to NATOs attempts to control Ukraine while expanding its military presence eastwards, the West and Ukraine define Putins war as intended to occupy new territory and bring Ukraine under Moscows control, Reuters says.

UKRAINE Russias army announced on Monday having seized another 2 Ukrainian villages, one in Donetsk, in the east, and the other one in Kharkiv, in the north-east. Commentators say Russia has the initiative against an enemy struggling to recruit new troops and facing a slow-down in Western aid. With the US military assistance resumed after a USD 61 bln aid plan for Kyiv approved in late April, Ukraine should be able to strengthen its forces and to try to stabilise the front.

VISIT The war in Ukraine and economic relations between China and the European Union were the main topics on the agenda of Mondays talks in Paris, held as part of a 2-day state visit by Chinas president Xi Jinping to France. The Chinese official called for a consolidated strategic coordination between China and the EU, as major world powers, at the start of a 3-party meeting with president Emmanuel Macron and with the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen. President Macron pleaded in turn for fair rules for all in the trade between China and Europe. The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner, Macron said, and added that coordination with Beijing on major crises including Ukraine and the Middle East was absolutely decisive. In turn, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen said that China and the EU have a shared interest in peace and security, and emphasized the determination to end Russias war of aggression against Ukraine and to achieve just and long-term peace.

GAZA On Monday the Israeli armed forces started to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah, ahead of a planned military move in this town in the south of Gaza, an Israeli radio station, Army Radio, has announced. The Israeli Army said it encourages residents in eastern Rafah to move to an extended humanitarian area close by. Seven months since the start of its attack on Hamas, Israel says Rafah is hosting thousands of Islamist Palestinian fighters and that the town is critical for its victory. But with over one million Palestinian civilians relocated to Rafah, the prospect of a military operation with a large number of victims is a concern for the West and for neighbouring Egypt, Reuters reports. (AMP)
Crude oil prices climbed on Monday after their biggest weekly drop since February as prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appeared slim.

Benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.8 percent to $83.64 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were up a little over 1 percent at $78.90.

Talks of a Gaza ceasefire appeared to collapse as Israel intensified attacks on Rafah, killing at least 22 Palestinians after Hamas fired rockets at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, killing three Israeli soldiers.

Israel's armed forces have begun evacuating Palestinian civilians from Rafah ahead of a threatened assault on the southern Gazan city.

Oil prices were also boosted by Saudi Arabia's efforts to keep the market tight.

Saudi Arabia hiked selling prices for grades to Asia for the third month in a row, indicating anticipated strong demand during the summer.

Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar steadied in European trade after slumping in the prior week on weaker-than-anticipated nonfarm payrolls data, which led traders to reprice their expectations for Fed rate cuts.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Cardiff  Forty-six years ago, author Chris Ahrens sold his first story. Hes been earning a living as a writer ever since.

But the 69-year-old Cardiff resident is pleased to say that he wont make a penny off his latest book, God & Gangsters. The self-published paperback features interviews with 21 hardcore and notorious criminals who turned their lives around by embracing Christianity and getting sober.

Last month, Ahrens printed the first 500 copies of his book with the mission of giving every copy away for free. The target audience for God & Gangsters is juvenile offenders who Ahrens hopes may learn from the hard-earned wisdom of these reformed gang members, drug dealers, murderers and Mafioso.

I see it as my mission, said Ahrens, a grandfather of two and whose wife, Tracy, is a private school administrator. I was looking for something meaningful to do and I thought that if I could get these stories into the hands of young people, they could learn from others mistakes.

In April, Ahrens will co-host a book-release party at the high-security Calipatria State Prison in the Imperial Valley, where many of the books subjects served time. That will be followed by visits to Chuckawalla Valley and Donovan state prisons.

Hell be joined by Dennis Martinez, 58, a onetime world champion freestyle skateboarder who relates in the book how he lost everything to drugs in his 20s. He found God and sobered up 21 years ago and now runs the San Diego Training Center, a faith-based drug rehab center in Spring Valley.

Ahrens first told Martinezs story in his 2008 documentary D.O.P.E, an acronym for Death or Prison Eventually. Narrated by actor and ex-con Danny Trejo, the film chronicled the rise, fall and redemption of four skateboard superstars: Martinez, Christian Hosoi, Bruce Logan and the late Jay Adams.

For many years, Ahrens has been part of a ministry program that visits men in prisons for conversation and support. He said the experience of hearing these stories left him a changed man.

I started seeing these people who are no different from me or anyone else, Ahrens said. I know people who may have just had a knife in their hand when things went wrong and they went to prison for life.

Ahrens grew up in Los Angeles, attending Catholic schools and hitchhiking to the beach on weekends to surf. Religion didnt take with him as a boy, but he often encountered a street preacher under the Huntington Beach Pier who gave him food for thought.

I wasnt the kind of kid who enjoyed sitting in church every Sunday being told to be a good boy, he said. When I was 19, I remember going home one night thinking about what that (beach) preacher said, and I took my own spiritual journey. Id call myself a nondenominational Christian.

Two years later, Ahrens moved to Australia for the waves. He supported himself doing odd jobs, including taking pictures of surfers. But when his camera got stolen, he went to a local newspaper and asked if theyd instead buy a freelance article. Forty dollars later, he was a professional writer.

During the 1970s, he wrote for several surfing magazines and then ran a state-sponsored journalism program teaching newspaper skills to residents on the Rincon Indian reservation. He served for a time as editor of Longboarder Magazine and he freelanced for major newspapers, television and radio stations.

In 1994, he published his first of four books of short stories. And in 2003, he launched Risen, a magazine that offered in-depth interviews with celebrities that touched on spirituality and faith.

It was during that time that Ahrens said he began noticing the toll drugs had taken on his community. He was also disturbed by how pop culture glamorized gang and prison life. That led to the making of D.O.P.E.

I felt a responsibility to make that film, he said. After going through the 60s and seeing so many good, intelligent people die, I needed to do something. Too many kids were getting the wrong message from exploitative films that played to their vices and weaknesses.

After the film, Ahrens helped write a HarperCollins autobiography of Hosoi, who found God while serving a four-year prison sentence for possession to sell $65,000 of methamphetamine. Today, Hosoi runs a skateboard shop and is a part-time pastor in Huntington Beach.

In doing interviews for the book over the past year, Ahrens said he found many commonalities. Most of the subjects  19 men and 2 women  had difficult childhoods with absent, cruel or criminal fathers and drugs, physical abuse and sexual abuse in the home.

Many joined gangs around the age of 14 for the adrenaline rush and sense of belonging. All of the addicts say their drug use began with marijuana and that their addiction motivated and intensified their crimes.

The interviews are mostly presented in a Q&A format and cover the subjects childhood, crime and prison experiences and journey to faith and sobriety. Each chapter ends with their favorite Bible verse. Most chose scriptures from the Apostle Paul, Ahrens said, because he turned away from violent extremism when he met Jesus.

Among the diverse subjects are San Diego residents Nadine Goddard and Raylene Brooks, who both spent more than 20 years in prison as accessories to murders committed by their boyfriends. There are also interviews with Manson Family killer Randall Tex Watson; mobsters Michael Franzese and Rocco Morelli; rapper Matthew Emcy Conant; and surfers Jack Murf the Surf Murphy and Shawn Briley.

All of the interviewees are now sober, most of them have served their time and many are pastors who counsel prisoners, ex-cons and the poor, like cover subject Jake Sellers. The onetime drug dealer and armed robber credits prayer with saving him from suicide in prison. He now ministers to the poor and deportees in Tijuana.

Most of the subjects offer gritty and unvarnished descriptions of their drug battles and crimes. San Diego pastor Jon Lowry spent 17 years in prison and tells his story in raw detail to deflate the myth of glory and glamour in prison.

Young people  think in prison they can get a name for themselves by being aggressive, violent. But all those guys that have lived and died in prison, nobody knows their names, Lowry said. When they die, theyre shipped home in a cardboard box to their families. Their bodies arent even washed off  theyll still have blood on them.

The first printing of Gods & Gangsters was underwritten by Oregon artist Michael Cassidy, and all 500 books have already been given away. Ahrens is now raising money for a second printing.

He said all the subjects interviewed are happy with the book and hope their honest confessions will have a positive impact on young people. The final advice in the book comes from Timothy Jackson, a onetime Oceanside gang member who now runs his own cleaning business.

Know who you are, he counsels. Youre made in Gods image; youre not born as a gang member. Thats a costume some people will wear for the rest of their lives. If you take that off, you can be yourself.

videopam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
Cryptocurrency has revolutionized the concept of cash, offering a decentralized opportunity to standard fiat currencies. The emergence of blockchain generation has further solidified its location in the financial landscape. To deepen your understanding of cryptocurrency markets, consider consulting the educational resources available at www.quantum-fbc.com. Register now and start learning!

The Rise of Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency, a digital shape of currency that operates independently of a vital financial institution, has experienced an outstanding rise because of the creation of Bitcoin in 2009. Bitcoin, created through an anonymous individual or organization called Satoshi Nakamoto, pioneered the idea of the blockchain era, which underpins most cryptocurrencies. The decentralized nature of cryptocurrency permits for peer-to-peer transactions without the need for intermediaries, inclusive of banks, which has appealed to individuals searching for monetary autonomy and privacy.

The upward thrust of cryptocurrency can be attributed to numerous elements. One key driving force is the growing distrust in conventional financial establishments following the 2008 worldwide economic crisis. Cryptocurrency provided a new financial gadget that promised more transparency and safety. Additionally, the developing reco- gnition of on-line transactions and the virtual economy created a demand for a virtual forex that would facilitate seamless transactions throughout borders without the want for highly-priced expenses or delays.

Despite its speedy growth, the cryptocurrency market has been marked through volatility and regulatory demanding situations. The cost of cryptocurrencies can vary substantially in a short period, mainly due to issues about their balance and suitability for mainstream use. Moreover, the anonymous nature of cryptocurrency transactions has raised concerns about their capability to be used in illegal activities, along with money laundering and tax evasion. As a result, governments and regulatory bodies around the arena have grappled with the way to adjust this emerging asset class at the same time as balancing the want for innovation and financial inclusion.

Benefits of Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency offers numerous benefits over traditional fiat currencies. One of the important benefits is decent- ralization, which means that cryptocurrencies are not managed by means of any valuable authority, inclusive of a government or important financial institution. This decentralization gives customers extra control over their budget and decreases the threat of censorship or seizure of budget. Additionally, the usage of blockchain generation ensures the security and integrity of transactions, making it difficult for hackers to govern the system.

Another benefit of cryptocurrency is its potential to facilitate fast and coffee-value transactions, especially for worldwide payments. Traditional banking systems frequently involve high charges and prolonged processing times for pass-border transactions, while cryptocurrency transactions may be finished in minutes with minimum fees. This has made cryptocurrency in particular attractive for remittances and cross-border commerce, in which speed and value performance are critical.

Furthermore, cryptocurrency has the ability to sell economic inclusion by presenting access to monetary offerings for unbanked and underbanked populations. With a phone and net connection, everybody can take part inside the cryptocurrency marketplace, letting them keep, ship, and receive price range without the want for a conventional bank account. This can empower individuals in developing countries to take part in the worldwide economic system and improve their financial well-being.

Challenges Faced by way of Governments

Governments round the arena have grappled with how to regulate the burgeoning cryptocurrency market. One of the primary challenges is the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, which makes it hard for regulators to display and manipulate. This loss of oversight has raised issues about the potential use of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities, including money laundering, terrorism financing, and tax evasion. As a result, many governments have carried out or are thinking about imposing regulations to address those risks.

Another project faced by governments is the volatility of the cryptocurrency market. The price of cryptocurrencies can range wildly in a brief length, which poses risks to buyers and customers. This volatility has also raised worries about the stability of the monetary machine, in particular if cryptocurrencies have been to end up extra widely followed as a medium of alternate or store of value. Governments are consequently exploring approaches to mitigate these dangers whilst helping innovation inside the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.

Government Responses to Cryptocurrency

Governments around the arena have taken numerous approaches to regulating cryptocurrency. Some nations, including Japan and Switzerland, have embraced the cryptocurrency and blockchain era, imposing clean regulatory frameworks to assist innovation and protect consumers. These nations have recognized the capacity blessings of cryptocurrency, which includes monetary inclusion and technological advancement, and sought to create a supportive environment for the enterprise to thrive.

On the other hand, some countries have followed an extra cautious method, enforcing stricter rules or outright bans on cryptocurrency. China, as an instance, has banned financial institutions from dealing in cryptocurrencies and has cracked down on cryptocurrency mining operations. Other international locations, which includes India and Russia, have also expressed issues about the use of cryptocurrencies for illegal activities and feature taken steps to modify the enterprise extra tightly.

Conclusion:

The destiny of cryptocurrency and government regulation is intertwined, with each side in search of to balance innovation and stability. As the market keeps adapting, it's vital for governments to conform their regulatory frameworks to assist innovation whilst protecting consumers. Cryptocurrency has the capability to reshape the global economy, and finding the right balance is prime to unlocking its full potential.
India and Ghana have agreed to operationalize India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) with the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) within the next six months. This move will facilitate instant fund transfers for users in both countries, according to the Indian Commerce Ministry. The agreement was reached during a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting in Accra from May 2-3, where Indian and Ghanaian officials discussed various initiatives to strengthen bilateral economic ties.

The linking of Indian and Ghanaian instant payment systems expands India's UPI operations, which are already active in countries such as France, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius. This collaboration will further promote digital transformation solutions and enable instant cross-border transactions.

In addition to operationalizing UPI, discussions between India and Ghana included the possibility of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Local Currency Settlement System (LCSS) in trade, aimed at reducing dependency on the US dollar and bolstering the strength of the Indian rupee. The two countries also explored opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

renewable energy, power, and digital economy infrastructure. Critical minerals, textiles, and garments were also cited as potential areas for cooperation. Both sides reviewed recent developments in bilateral trade and investment ties and identified key areas for growth, such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information and communication technology, agriculture and food processing,, power, and digital economy infrastructure. Critical minerals, textiles, and garments were also cited as potential areas for cooperation.

India's seven-member delegation was led by Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Additional Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The delegation included representatives from various sectors, such as power, fintech, telecommunications, electrical machinery, and pharmaceuticals.

The delegation also met with AfCFTA Secretary-General and his team, discussing potential cooperation on signing MoUs, setting standards, investments, and enhancing engagement between India and AfCFTA. Names of nodal officers were exchanged to advance the discussions.

Ghana is a key trading partner for India in the African region, with bilateral trade reaching USD 2.87 billion in 2022-23. India is a leading investor in Ghana, ranking as the third-largest investor in the country across diverse sectors, including pharmaceuticals, construction, manufacturing, trade services, agriculture, and tourism.

The JTC meeting signifies a promising step toward strengthening the economic relationship between India and Ghana. Through these collaborative efforts, both countries aim to unlock new opportunities and foster deeper engagement across various industries.
This May, W.Media is returning to Chennai with the third edition of Chennai Cloud and Datacenter Convention and Awards. The day-long event, that will be held at ITC Chola on May 21, will bring together over 500 delegates, including C-level executives, digital infrastructure professionals including architects, engineers and consultants (AECs), key buyers, decision makers, data center owners and operators.

What makes Chennai special?

Chennai is the capital city of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and is one of Indias top three data center markets alongside Mumbai and Bengaluru.

According to Mordor Intelligence, The Chennai data center market is valued at 135.6 MW in the current year and is expected to register a CAGR of 22.18 percent during the forecast period, reaching 566.2 MW by the next five years.

Today Chennai is home to data centers by AdaniConnex, CapitaLand, Colt DCS, CtrlS Datacenters, Digital Connexion, NTT, Nxtra by Airtel, Sify, STT GDC, and many others such as Yotta have projects in the pipeline. Ambattur and Siruseri have emerged as locations of choice for data centers in Chennai.

One of the reasons why Chennai is such as sought after data center market is that it is well connected to the global subsea cable network. Mordor Intelligence acknowledges this saying, Chennai, an integral part of global undersea cable infrastructure, serves as an alternative data exchange hub for APAC with some natural advantages, like a large pool of available land that can be developed into state-of-the-art data center facilities.

Government support to Data Center industry

Moreover, Tamil Nadu has a clear data center policy, which also helps attract data centers to Chennai. Tamil Nadu hopes to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030, and the state government sees the cloud and data center industry playing and important role in achieving this goal.

In its Tamil Nadu Vision 1 Trillion document, the state government has stated, Within IT, Tamil Nadu can aim to attain leadership in SaaS, while becoming the preferred choice for industry players looking at IT expansion into tier 1/2 cities, and establishing itself as a leading data center hub in India. As per the same government report, Data centers projected to grow at ~20% CAGR, a $4.5 Bn58 opportunity, and Tamil Nadu offers superior policies, fiber availability, DC hub proximity, and reliable power. It lists the following steps in achieving this goal:

Allocate 3-5 acre lands with infrastructure for 20 MW in Chennai metropolitan area

Enhance the power infrastructure

Streamline approval processes

W.Medias Research findings

While India is growing fast in terms of digital, Tamil Nadu is growing faster. The recency of growth means Chennai is emerging as a 'next-gen' market with a stronger investment emphasis than the nation overall on cloud as well as data centres and interest also in upcoming and evolving technologies including renewable sources of power, edge computing and AI-driven cooling, says Nick Parfitt, who handles Research, Content and Production at W.Media. Parfitt helmed W.Medias research into the Indian datacenter market. The survey received 400 responses out of which 60 were from Tamil Nadu.

According to W.Medias research, Planned changes to IT infrastructure over the next 12 months across Tamil Nadu indicate a greater focus on private and public cloud than the national average. But Parfitt warns, Tamil Nadu responses indicate a strong concern about the availability of people with suitable qualifications and skills. As demand for digital services expands through the State, there is also concern about network adequacy.

You can read a snapshot of W.Medias findings here:

Tamil Nadu + India Datacenter Summary Report (W Media)

What to expect at Chennai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards 2024

The day long convention will include several power-packed panel discussions, where the best and brightest minds in the industry will share their ideas on important subjects such as the impact of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) on the Cloud and Data Center industry, how to best use Edge Computing, challenges in switching to renewable energy sources, and many other pertinent topics. building at scale to meet growth requirements, the era of connectivity, future of data centers in India, trends in liquid cooling, the role of Edge, and much more.

There will also be insightful presentations by industry leaders on a wide variety of subjects such as minimising power wastage, role of Hyperscale in Tamil Nadus digital future, data center infrastructure, and new innovations. The Convention will also include a modest technology expo that will showcase the latest innovations and futuristic technologies and advancements in the cloud and data center industry.

REGISTER NOW!

So, what are you waiting for? Come, join us at ITC Chola on May 21st, 2023, for the Chennai Cloud & Datacenter Convention and Awards. If you havent booked your passes yet, hurry! Click here to register, and learn more about the agenda, speakers, schedule, and session information.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Each Monday, well answer those burning questions about Staten Island restaurants.

This weekends mail bag had a distinct TV theme gelling. Although as you will see, the eventual fates of each place made famous on camera have varied.

A look into Dongan Hills nightlife, 5th & Vine. (Andrew Simontacchi/ Staten Island Advance) Staff-Shot

Q: The Bar Rescue reality show apparently repeated once again, recently featuring 5th & Vine at 1674 Richmond Rd. It prompted folks to Google it and one person to reach out and wonder, What happened to it?

A: Long story short, 5th & Vine met its demise in 2016 shortly after it was shut by the New York City Department of Health for no permit. Flip forward to yet another iteration a few years later, under new ownership called The G.O.A.T. The address is it is now home to Cypress Hall, a German-themed restaurant  again, with completely different ownership. And its been quite well-received since it opened about two years ago.

This I Love Staten Island banner -- located outside The GOAT Bar & Grill -- was intended to show the support Staten Islanders have for their community and local businesses. (Courtesy of SIEDC)

The longer story is what reality TV created out of 1674 Richmond Rd. It was once known as Rhythm & Brews in Dongan Hills from 2000-ish to 2014. Back then, R&B had a definite biker thing going on for some time, as portrayed (and, by some standards, exaggerated) by Spike TVs Bar Rescue.

Owner of Cypress Hall in Dongan Hills reimagined the space formerly known as 5th & Vine. They moved the bar to the other side of the space featured on TV. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

But that hot mess all changed when Spikes crew and host Jon Taffer came to Staten Island in the summer of 2014. Over a weeks time, workers painted the facade red. Decorative awnings were hooked up over the doors. New lettering was added to read "Cocktails, Wine & Dine."

And Taffers peeps delivered unto the world 5th & Vine in August, 2014. It suddenly turned into a wine-kinda bar with a fancy dispensing system and measured pours plus more civilized noshes like cheese and charcuterie boards.

The moniker 5th & Vine is a Staten Island-minded name with The Rock being considered the fifth borough. Vine was a nod to the wine component.

Born in 1972, Jade Island is forever tiki themed. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola) (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Q: Did the late Anthony Bourdain ever visit Staten Island?

A: Yes, the chef, author and TV personality did come to the borough as documented in 2009 when No Reservations" (season 5, episode 19) first aired.

String hoppers and ginger beer with some offerings from the buffet at New Asha. In the backdrop are Wade lentil fritters. The restaurant is open daily in Tompkinsville. STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

Bourdain dropped in at two places.

Anthony Bourdain visited Staten Island's New Asha and Jade Island in 2009. Bourdain died in 2018. (AP Photo/Jim Cooper,File)AP

He went to New Asha, a tiny, then fairly new Sri Lankan eatery in Tompkinsville  322 Victory Blvd., 718-420-0649. He also went to 1972-born, Polynesian classic Jade Island of New Springville  2845 Richmond Ave, 718-761-8080  with fellow famed cooking stars David Chang and Chris Cheung in tow, along with the North Shores own David Johansen of the New York Dolls -- aka Buster Poindexter.

David Johansen and his pompadoured alter-ego, Buster Poindexter (Courtesy of David Johansen)

As Johansen told People magazines Alex Heigl of the latter in 2015, the producers picked the location and took him.

Despite COVID and the general test of time, neither restaurant has changed much since Bourdains visit. The impact of the Kitchen Confidential creators presence and his memorialized dining experiences on film are exemplified in the continued success of each venue. Both New Asha and Jade Island still are food destinations for long-time Staten Island residents and food tourists in general.

The late chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain is memorialized at Js on the Bay in Rosebank. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Pamela Silvestri is Advance/Silive.com Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Actor and former WWE wrestler Dwayne The Rock Johnson gave scores of Staten Island students and their teachers the shock of their lives recently when he appeared on-screen at the end of a video presentation in their schools auditorium.

To the eruption of cheers and squeals of delight of students of P373R, Johnson delivered a personalized video message that ended with a serenade in his iconic singing voice of Youre Welcome from his character, Maui, in the beloved, animated Disney film, Moana.

The West Brighton school for children with developmental, emotional and cognitive delays is co-located at I.S. 61.

I surprised some very special kids at a school in Staten Island, NY - P373R - these awesome kids vote which play they want to do every year and MOANA by a landslide!!  



This student population consist of multiple disabilities such as Autism and developmental delays, as pic.twitter.com/mrSSnZpoFJ  Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 1, 2024

The students and faculty were assembled in the auditorium to hear the results of a vote on which musical to produce for their annual play, and Johnson delivered the news via video that Moana had won the election by a landslide.

I surprised some very special kids at a school in Staten Island, NY - P373R - these awesome kids vote which play they want to do every year and MOANA by a landslide!!, said Johnson on social media. This student population consist of multiple disabilities such as autism and developmental delays, as well as students from low income housing.

The musical performances have increased their confidence, communication and social skills. The musical is something they always look forward to.

Students auditioning for chorus.Photo courtesy Christie Byrnes

One of the students, Javier -- who will be playing Maui -- said he plans to make Johnson proud.

I think Dwayne Johnson will think I am a good and talented actor. I watch the movie and practice being sarcastic and funny, like Maui, Javier said.

I LOVE YOU GUYS

In his video message, before he broke out in song, Johnson said, This message goes out to all the amazing students at P373R out in Staten Island. Your awesome teachers told me that every year, you guys love choosing a musical because youre so talented and youre so excited.

I hear that you guys are incredible...I love you guys, have the best time. I cannot wait to see it.

Christie Byrnes, a special education teacher at P373R, said that school tradition is to do an event to unveil the annual show, and she reached out to the Fast and Furious star with a request to be part of the reveal.

Each year, we strive to unveil the show in a fresh and captivating manner. Inspired by the immense popularity of the character Maui among our students, we had an idea to reach out to Dwayne The Rock Johnson via Instagram. We sent the DM and the rest is history, she said.

To the school teams surprise, the WWE stars team replied.

In early October 2023, the media team representing [Johnson] reached out to us. They flew [in and came to] Staten Island to conduct interviews with our staff and students and film the grand reveal of the show, said special education teacher Jamie Forlenza.

The appearance of The Rock on our big screen left both students and staff utterly amazed, she continued. Upon seeing the video, our students were filled with excitement beyond belief; they couldnt trust what they were witnessing! One student, Ethan Burgos, exclaimed, Is this for real? Is this some kind of AI? This is awesome!

Johnson then added another layer of excitement when he shared the video on Instagram with his nearly 400 million followers.

[The musical] always includes inclusivity of all the students including non vocal communicators, those with physical impairments and social emotional delays, Johnson continued in his social media post. They find a role for EVERY KID And Im the lucky guy who gets to sing YOURE WELCOME in keys that dont exist.

Have fun kiddos with your Moana Musical and YOURE ALL AWESOME! Stay cool, MAUI.

Eighth grade student Franz Santiago holding a sign to thank Dwayne Johnson.Photo Courtesy Christie Byrnes

The kids were thrilled that Johnson had shared their story on social media.

I felt powerful after seeing The Rock posted us on Instagram, said Edon Muratovic.

P373R GEARS UP FOR THE BIG SHOW

Students will premiere Moana June 12, Byrnes said.

The mission of P373R, according to the school website, is: We will embrace all identities, abilities and cultures and provide each member of the community with the support they need to achieve success. We will educate through a unique lens that sees all students as individuals while fostering a sense of belonging in our community.

The school serves students diagnosed with autism, Down Syndrome, and intellectual and emotional disabilities. Four years ago, we started a theater program as a way for our students to express themselves through performing arts. This avenue has been a great way for our students to build confidence, enhance social skills, and express themselves creatively!

Assistant Principal Antonio Vastano said performance promotes independence and allows the students inner star to shine.

Christine Hoffman, the schools principal, said that as the program progressed the team realized the benefit of theater in the lives of students who may otherwise not have such a prominent presence or voice. Since then, each year, the productions become more and more amazing.

It brings tears of joy to my eyes to showcase our students brilliant talents as the show comes alive.
NEW YORK (AP)  Columbia University is canceling its large university-wide commencement ceremony amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests but will hold smaller school-based ceremonies this week and next, the university announced Monday.

Based on feedback from our students, we have decided to focus attention on our Class Days and school-level graduation ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, and to forego the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15, Columbia officials said in a statement.

Staff members of the Columbia Daily Spectator, the college newspaper, work into the night as police cleared out demonstrators from Columbia University's campus, late Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. Left to right; Isabella Ramirez, editor in chief; Esha Karam, managing editor; Yvin Shin, head copy editor; Emily Forgash, deputy news editor; and Shea Vance, university news editor. (AP Photo/Jake Offenhartz)AP

The protests stem from the conflict that started Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched an offensive in Gaza that has killed more than 34,500 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. Israeli strikes have devastated the enclave and displaced most of its inhabitants.

The University of Southern California earlier canceled its main graduation ceremony while allowing other commencement activities to continue.
It turns out that Ol Blue Eyes wasnt so tough when it came to the women in his life.

Frank Sinatra would seek refuge in a friends home when the crooner would battle with his then-wife, Mia Farrow.

That pal, Godfather actor Gianni Russo, lives five doors down from the Manhattan brownstone on E. 61st St. where Sinatra and Farrow lived.

Anytime theyd have a fight, hed come have a drink and spend the night at my place, Russo, 80, said in a story in the New York Post.

Hed cry and say, I dont know what Im doing. This guy was a crybaby, not the image we know of him, he said. Hed get into the fetal position on my couch and go to sleep.

Russo, who battled Marlon Brando after snagging the role of Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather film, was a 14-year-old errand boy for gangster Frank Costello when he met Sinatra at the famed Copacabana nightclub. The two remained friends until Sinatras death in 1998.

Russo, who was raised on Staten Island, said he never understood his friends attraction to Farrow, who was married to Sinatra from 1966 to 1968 and who remained close to the crooner for years afterward.

I dont even know why he married her. Shes like a boy, she got no body, she got nothing, he said.

Gianni Russo, who played the traitorous Carlo Rizzi in "The Godfather," was a longtime pal of crooner Frank Sinatra. (Jin Lee/Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance

Rumors persist that Sinatra actually fathered Farrows son, Ronan Farrow, who was born in 1987.

Russo believes it.

Thats gotta be his son. Nobody has eyes like that, he said.

He said that Sinatra, who was godfather to Russos son, Luciano, was actually insecure and that a dark side would emerge when Sinatra drank.

Russo said that Sinatra tried to kill himself when he discovered that then-wife Ava Gardner had cheated on him and was leaving him. Sinatra went to the apartment of William Morris talent agent James Woods to do the deed.

Thank God his neighbor was home because there was a gas smell coming from Woods apartment, he said.

When they went in, Sinatra was half in the oven with the gas on.

Martin Scorsese is looking to direct a Sinatra biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Russo doesnt think much of the casting.

You gotta have a little bit of balls . . . and he dont, he said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams introduced his ambitious City of Yes for Housing Opportunity into public review on Monday, sharing his administrations plans to enable the creation of a little more housing in every neighborhood through a set of carefully crafted zoning changes. The proposal  which will now head to community boards and borough presidents throughout the city for their opinions  seeks to add 108,850 new homes to the five boroughs over the next 15 years.

For too long, New York City has been at the mercy of folks who have said no. In our administration, we continue to proudly say yes  yes to building more affordable housing in my backyard, in my neighborhood, and on my block, said Mayor Adams at a rally promoting the initiative. To address this housing crisis, we need to think bigger and act faster, and thats what our plan does. We are calling our City Council members to listen to New Yorkers in need of more affordable housing and say yes to the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity.

Touted as the most pro-housing set of zoning changes in New Yorks history, the proposal aims to eliminate parking minimums for new construction, allow for residential space above ground-floor commercial space, make it easier to add housing to large lots with existing buildings, such as churches or schools, and allow office buildings constructed prior to 1990 to be converted into housing.

MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING

Here in Staten Island, which is defined by the Department of City Planning as low-density -- a zoning district characterized by single-family and two-family homes as well as low-rise apartment buildings  the changes mean the proliferation of two things: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs ) and missing middle housing  so named because of their physical size and because they tend to serve middle-income residents.

Missing middle buildings are affordable to build and therefore more affordable for tenants or homeowners, notes an illustrated guide about City of Yes that was put out by the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP). These kinds of smaller apartment buildings already exist in lower-density areas across the boroughs, but current zoning largely bans new ones from being created. Town Center Zoning and Transit-Oriented Development are two proposals to enable more missing middle housing along commercial corridors and near subway and train stations in lower-density areas.

Small Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) -- which include backyard cottages, garage conversions or basement apartments  are defined as way of helping homeowners by the guide.

For seniors struggling to stay in the neighborhood on a fixed income, or young people stretching to afford a first home, adding a small home on their property can be life-changing, the document notes. But under current rules, New York City homeowners cannot choose to use their properties in this way.

Zoning changes made through City of Yes for Housing Opportunity would allow for small secondary homes to be added, but some existing residences, such as basement apartments, would require other changes to state law to be fully legalized.

ADUs would not be allowed in Special Coastal Risk Districts, and basement ADUs would not be allowed in coastal flood areas. The Department of City Planning and the Mayors Office of Climate and Environmental Justice have convened an interagency working group to develop the ADU proposal, including specific regulations related to stormwater flooding and basement ADUs.

SHARED COMMON FACILITIES

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity would also re-introduce housing with shared kitchens or other common facilities throughout the city and would allow for the construction of buildings with more studios and one-bedroom apartments.

These apartments are important for so many people  recent college graduates, older households that are downsizing, and everyone who lives with roommates but would prefer to live alone, notes DCPs guide. Allowing more small and shared apartments would also open up larger, family-sized apartments that might otherwise be occupied by roommates.

Also included in the City of Yes proposal is a Universal Affordability Preference, a bonus for medium- and high-density districts that would allow buildings to be at least 20% bigger if the additional space is occupied by permanently affordable housing. And the creation of new zoning districts would allow for more housing -- including mandatory affordable housing -- that had previously been restricted by state law.

To solve our severe housing crisis, the solution is simple: we need to build more homes, Maria Torres-Springer, deputy mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce said in a press release. The City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal is a bold plan to create the most pro-housing changes in the history of our zoning code by an equally simple solution of distributing new housing more equally across the city.

The time has come for action on New Yorks housing crisis. By building a little more housing in every neighborhood, we can set our city on course for a more affordable future, Dan Garodnick, DCP Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair noted in the same release. The invisible walls that prevent housing in too many of our neighborhoods are driving high rents, displacement pressure, homelessness, and creating an imbalance of power between landlords and tenants, but our housing shortage is a policy choice. We look forward to talking with communities across the city about how this proposal would help lower housing costs across the board.

Public review for City of Yes for Housing Opportunity will remain open until June 28. During that time, Community Boards, Borough Boards, and Borough Presidents will hold public meetings and offer their recommendations on the proposal. The City Planning Commission will then hold a public hearing and a vote on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. If passed, it is anticipated to come for a vote before the City Council by the end of 2024.
A return-to-office directive means accepting the fact that one will have to carve out time for the daily commute.

As businesses across the country tighten their return-to-office policies, employees who once to worked from home must once again commute to and from the office.

To find out the actual cost for workers in terms of wage loss, the Chamber of Commerce analyzed the average daily and yearly cost of commuting in cities across America.

To determine the amount of wages lost while commuters sit in traffic, the chamber analyzed the average commute time in a city against the median income for full-time workers.

The study showed that New York City has the longest commute, with an average round trip time of 1 hour and 20 minutes. The cost for workers is roughly $41.66 per day, or $10,831.74 annually, fifth most on the list.

Nationwide, it was found that commuters on average experience an annual wage loss of $5,748.05, which is comparable to $22.11 per day.

Here are the top five most expensive commutes in time and money, as determined by the study:

1. San Francisco, Calif.

 Average commute: 58.4 minutes

 Daily commute cost: $48.66

 Yearly commute cost: $12,650.66

2. Fremont, Calif.

 Average commute: 55.2 minutes

 Daily commute cost: $46.34

 Yearly commute cost: $12,048.32

3. Washington, D.C.

 Average commute: 56.6 minutes

 Daily commute cost: $42.57

 Yearly commute cost: $11,067.07

4. Jersey City, N.J.

 Average commute: 1 hour and 8 minutes

 Daily commute cost: $41.94

 Yearly commute cost: $10,903.23

5. New York City

 Average commute: 1 hour and 20 minutes

 Daily commute cost: $41.66

 Yearly commute cost: $10,831.74

The cheapest commuting cities are Jackson, Miss., ($2,535); Lubbock, Texas ($2,832); Springfield, Mo. ($2,870); Fayetteville, N.C. ($3,014) and Brownsville, Texas ($3,140), according to the study.

The Chamber of Commerce notes that it is important for businesses to understand that commuting goes far beyond financial implications  it can also affect employee mental health and productivity.

Creating a work environment that prioritizes flexibility can have positive benefits for both the business and employees, said the Chamber of Commerces team.
In the wake of several bomb threats against NYC synagogues Saturday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced $400 million in funds now available to boost security and safety at nonprofits, community centers, synagogues, mosques, churches and more.

Last nights bomb threats targeting New York City synagogues created immense fear, but sadly, these threats are not a total shock given the rise in antisemitism that we have seen and the overall spike in threats to places of worship, Schumer said in a statement. Amid these threats, especially those seen across the city and Long Island, we have just strengthened the federal program known as the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) so that we can boost security where it might be lacking.

According to the statement, Schumer has made a concerted effort to boost the NSGP program, particularly in concern to NYC and Long Island. Adding that with the $400 million recently approved by congress for NGSP, the available funds stand at $700 million. Houses of worship could use the funds to buy resources needed to enhance existing security setups.

Three NYC synagogues and the Brooklyn Museum received bomb threats through emails Saturday, an NYPD spokesperson said. The threats lead to two synagogues evacuating, although no explosives were ultimately found.

Bomb threats made to at least two New York City synagogues were deemed not credible, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
STATEN ISLAND  The wet weather didnt put a damper on the boroughs largest and oldest Cinco de Mayo festival, as several hundred Islanders and non-Islanders gathered at St. Roch R.C. Church in Port Richmond for the events 25th anniversary.

While this years festivities were kept mostly under tents due to Sundays rain, attendees still had much to enjoy, from a live DJ and mariachi music, to traditional Mexican food, cultural heritage dances, crafts, information tables and more.

Young people perform a traditional Mexican dance at the 25th annual Cinco de Mayo festival in Port Richmond on Sunday, May 5, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod

Mariachi Loco NYC, a popular group who hail from Queens, entertained the crowd with the traditional sounds of guitar, trumpet and accordion, while several young people showcased traditional performances from different regions of Mexico.

This [celebration] continues to grow. And despite the weather, were still having a pretty good outcome, Michelle Molina, executive director of El Centro del Inmigrante told the Advance/SILive.com. This is not Mexican Independence Day, its to honor Mexico during the Puebla battle against the French. When that invasion happened, farmers came out and people who didnt have military background, and despite all the odds against them, they were still able to fight this battle and win.

Which is such a reason for the people to feel pride and to understand that regardless of what your odds may be, theres always a possibility of a good outcome.

Hundreds attended the 25th annual Cinco de Mayo festival in Port Richmond on Sunday, May 5, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod

Esmerelda Tolbert, who hails from Puebla, said that Cinco de Mayo is a regular tradition in the central Mexican city. She went on to say that New York is home to more people from Pueblo than anywhere else in the country, and that to bring the celebration here is very important for a community that will even come out in the rain because they are proud of their traditions.

The music, the colors, the food from all the different regions in Mexico, the sense of unity, Molina added. We have people from different countries all over the world because theres such a need for people to still have a little bit of their culture transferred into their children and into the community, and to be able to share this with the United States, its a way for us to unite.

El Centro del Inmigrante is a Staten Island Workers Center that has served the boroughs Mexican and immigrant community for 25 years.

Araceli Arizmendi from Port Richmond prepares street corn at the 25th annual Cinco de Mayo festival in Port Richmond on Sunday, May 5, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod

Hundreds attended the 25th annual Cinco de Mayo festival in Port Richmond on Sunday, May 5, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod

A DJ entertained the crowd at the 25th annual Cinco de Mayo festival in Port Richmond on Sunday, May 5, 2024 (Staten Island Advance/Scott R. Axelrod)Scott R. Axelrod
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York City lawmakers are tired of dodging dog poop strewn about the citys sidewalks, with new legislation looking to make it easier for residents to pick up after their four-legged friends.

A bill, introduced by City Council Member Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), would require the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to install and regularly refill dog waste bag dispensers on or next to all 23,000 public litter baskets throughout the five boroughs.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Approximately $6.1 billion in student loan debt has been forgiven for 317,000 borrowers in the United States, according to a recent federal announcement.

The Biden-Harris administration announced the approval of more than $6.1 billion in automatic student loan relief to nearly 317,000 borrowers who enrolled at any Art Institutes programming on or after Jan. 1, 2004, through Oct. 16, 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The department found that for-profit The Art Institutes and its parent company, Education Management Corporation (EDMC), made pervasive and substantial misrepresentations to prospective students about post-graduation employment rates, salaries and career services during that time. In October 2017, EDMC sold its remaining Art Institutes campuses  and all existing campuses closed under separate ownership in September 2023, according to the department.

For more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of hopeful students borrowed billions to attend The Art Institutes and got little but lies in return. That ends today  thanks to the Biden-Harris Administrations work with the attorneys general offices of Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. We must continue to protect borrowers from predatory institutions  and work toward a higher education system that is affordable to students and taxpayers.

This discharge will provide relief automatically to borrowers who attended Art Institutes programs, including borrowers who havent yet applied for borrower defense, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Eligible borrowers will be notified that they are approved for discharges.

The department will take immediate steps to pause loans identified for discharge so that borrowers dont make further payments. When their discharges are processed, borrowers will see any remaining loan balances adjusted and credit trade lines deleted. Payments borrowers made to the department on their related federal student loans will also be refunded, according to the agency.

Borrowers who want to learn more about borrower defense can do so at StudentAid.gov/borrower-defense.

The new action brings the total amount of student relief approved under the current presidential administration to nearly $160 billion for almost 4.6 million borrowers.
The Yankees and Mets can blame a two-way superstar for failing to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the offseason.

Despite their best efforts, Yamamoto chose with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million deal. According to USA TODAY Sports Bob Nightengale, one of the New York teams would have landed Yamamoto otherwise if not for Shohei Ohtani, who is also Japanese and signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers weeks before.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto would have signed with the New York Yankees or Mets, persons familiar with his thinking say, if Shohei Ohtani had not signed with the Dodgers and helped recruit him.

Want to bet on MLB?

See the best NYC Sports Betting sites

The Yankees and Mets held multiple recruiting meetings with the 25-year-old ace, the Mets offering the same deal that Yamamoto accepted with the Dodgers and the Yankees offering 10 years, $300 million. Yamamoto told The New York Posts Joel Sherman that location didnt really matter to him. But the Dodgers winning ways did.

I really got the impression that the Dodgers were very successful for a very long time, Yamamoto said to Sherman through a translator. And just that the atmosphere with the organization was really good.

In the end, it seemed like Yamamoto played the Yankees and used the Mets, NJ Advance Medias Bob Klapisch wrote.

Yamamoto has not disappointed: In seven starts and 34 innings, Yamamoto has yielded a 2.91 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, while striking out 42.
We made a serious commitment to sustainability

Mal Siriwardhane is the CEO of Sydney-based logistics provider B dynamic. In 2018, the business launched the B Sustainable Project.

This comprehensive initiative includes transitioning 90 per cent of our material handling fleet to electric vehicles, installing a 99.46kWp solar array, implementing stringent waste management protocols, adopting sustainable procurement practices, and fostering robust employee engagement in environmental efforts, Siriwardhane says.

This commitment to sustainability, which has netted the company a couple of sustainability awards, has been crucial for the business, Siriwardhane says, improving operational efficiency, aligning with new legislative frameworks and meeting the growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible businesses.

Collectively, these measures have significantly minimised our ecological footprint and ingrained sustainability into our corporate culture, Siriwardhane says.

And employees are very happy about it. An overwhelming 92 per cent of our staff reported a significant boost in morale and pride, directly attributable to our sustainability initiatives.

We started selling electric vans

Car manufacturer LDV has been in Australia since 2014, building up a successful commercial vehicle business. Its parent company, SAIC, has an electric vehicle focus, and when it became clear that Australia was ready for EVs, LDV made its move.

LDV is well-primed for further growth.

When local demand for EVs became more apparent  and the business case stacked up  LDV made its opening foray into the commercial EV space, says Oliver Peagam, the group PR manager for the LDV brand.

First, in 2022, came Australias first electric ute, the eT60, followed by a large electric van, the eDeliver 9. This was soon joined by the MIFA 9, an electric people mover, and now the eDeliver 7 mid-size van, launched in January.

These vehicles have not only helped businesses reduce their supply chain emissions, but have proved to be an astute business decision for LDV. Its clear the market is beginning to demand more access to EVs in both the commercial and passenger vehicle space, Peagam says.

So LDV is well-primed for further growth, having been at the forefront of commercial EVs in Australia over the last few years, and our 90-plus national dealer network is well-placed accept the growing demand.

We embraced plastic-free packaging

Aida Rejzovic is the founder of Sassy Organics, an ecommerce business that sells organic and vegan skincare products.

She launched the business in 2016, but soon realised that something had to change.

We recognised that traditional plastic satchels were contributing to the global plastic crisis, and we knew we had to find an alternative solution, Rejzovic says.

As a result, we made the decision to completely remove plastic satchels from our packaging process, opting instead for recyclable boxes sealed with shipping labels.

The transition to plastic-free packaging, in 2020, involved some initial extra expense, Rejzovic says. However, we were confident that as our business and parcel volume grew, we would be able to negotiate better pricing with Australia Post.

This seemingly small change has had a monumental impact on our sustainability efforts. We have saved over 400kg of plastic from entering landfills and oceans.

For more information about LDV or to arrange a quote or test drive, click here.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When the Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar enters the screens frame for our interview, he gazes fondly at the small glass of green tea hes holding. We cook it, like, three times. I didnt like the first, its so strong for me. I prefer number two and number three, say Moctar of a Tuareg tea services successive steepings. Its so sweet, I love sugar. In March last year at Victorias Golden Plains festival, the hand delicately holding that tea glass was a fist thrust skyward as Moctar mounted a stage monitor. The frenzied crowd responded in kind. It was as though Moctars howling guitar and the rhythm sections escalating pace had supercharged the air with a delirious vibrational force. Its traditional music from my hometown Berber [music from] the desert. [At] the same time, we push it to what you call rock. I didnt know what you call rock. Michael, my bass player, tells me this sounds like rock. For me, its just played very fast, say Moctar. Moctar and band  rhythm guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane, drummer Souleymane Ibrahim and bassist Mikey Coltun; the band is named after its frontman but considers itself an egalitarian unit  have just released their seventh album. Titled Funeral for Justice, the albums a blistering screed of political protest and mournful desert poetry cementing them in the upper echelons of guitar-based heavy music. Following the albums recording during the bands 2023 North American tour, a military coup erupted in its home country, Niger, stranding them stateside. The bands Funeral for Justice was recorded during their US tour after a military coup erupted in their home country, Niger. It was so scary but in the end we adapted. I flew home after two months. We had to help the poor, because [there was] no work in that time and the food was very expensive. One house has, like, nine kids. Its crazy to survive [like] that, says Moctar of the situation he found in Tchintabaraden, a town in the Azawagh region, a dry basin of semi-arid and desert flatlands that sprawls across western Niger, northeastern Mali and southern Algeria, inhabited by the semi-nomadic Tuareg. On the namesake Funeral for Justice cut Tchinta, Moctar sings lovingly of his hometowns landscape in the Tuareg Tamasheq language, translated as:

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Ive roamed the globe for many years

Yet, Chintas splendour remains unmatched

Ascending the majestic crest of Chinayfed dune

Nostalgia for my land engulfs my soul Moctar sings in Tamasheq as an act of preservation. Niger has 11 national languages and yet its official language is French, a hangover from colonisation. Moctar is worried young people are losing their native tongue and ability to write in Tamasheqs distinctive Tifinagh script. The young generation think learning the French language is better than learning Tifinagh. If you learn French, you [can get a] degree or masters. If you read just Tifinagh, you cant get a job in our country, says the 39-year-old Moctar, clearly distressed. To see someone [who is] 20 years old write you something in Tifinagh? Impossible. If no one can write Tifinagh in the future, even our language is gonna go away. As well as using proceeds from his music to fund new wells in and around Tchintabaraden, Moctar hopes to fund educational initiatives to preserve the language and script. Mdou Moctar plays an extension of assouf, a style of Tuareg guitar music pioneered since the 1970s by the band Tinariwen, that they tear into hard and fast. Loosely translated, assouf means loss, longing or homesickness. That translation has led some in the Western press to dub it desert blues, a lazy descriptor reeking of colonial hierarchy. Assouf is characterised by its deep emotional resonance and is a vehicle for exposing the brutal shadow of French colonisation. France ended its formal governance of the region in the middle of last century (troops and influence remained), leaving the Tuareg split across Algeria, Libya, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Rebellions have been unsuccessful in establishing a Tuareg nation state. The Tuareg doesnt care about the borders we feel we are brothers. Its difficult, the politics and the governments try to divide us, but we still push ourselves and push the younger generations to understand what is going on, says Moctar.

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We understand that we dont have the power to break all those borders, but we have the power to keep our [friendship] in our heart, share our feeling between us and try to make our community stronger than before. Moctar famously built his first guitar using bicycle brake cables for strings, as did Tinariwens founder Ibrahim Ag Alhabib in the 70s. Tinariwens music spread through north-west Africa via bootlegged cassette tapes, and in Moctars case heavily compressed MP3s, first shared throughout the internet-sparse region phone-to-phone over Bluetooth, then via Whatsapp in the 2010s. Sonically, Moctars music departs from Tinariwens hypnotic expression of assouf. One of his early Bluetooth hits, Tahoultine, uses drum machines and vocal processing software (YouTube commenters lacking a reference point compare it to Kanye West and hyperpop duo 100 Gecs). But now, signed to US indie label Matador (which released their breakthrough album Afrique Victime in 2021), Mdou Moctar make a rapturous maelstrom of guitar, bass and drums. The music speaks directly to a moment in which colonial powers react with either support, complicity or indifference to the worlds atrocities: the invasion of Ukraine, genocide in Gaza, famine in Yemen, or precious-mineral conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Take the Funeral for Justice closer Modern Slaves: Oh world, why be so selective about human beings?

My people are crying while you laugh

All you do is watch

Oh world, why be so selective about countries?

Yours are well-built while ours are being destroyed. Following Nigers July 2023 coup, France withdrew its last 1500 troops from the country, at the juntas request in December. The United States is preparing to do the same. Russia is occupying the vacuum, moving east from Mali, where its mercenary Wagner Group (renamed the Africa Corps in late 2023) has established a foothold. Early on the morning of the albums release, Russian troops entered Airbase 101, a facility currently hosting US troops who are now in perilously close proximity.

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I feel the world is manipulated by all leaders, not just African leaders. They write for their community what they want them to know They dont want them to see the truth and thats not justice, says an impassioned Moctar. Loading If one baby dies in America, or in Europe, or in Asia, youre gonna see it in the papers, see it on Facebook, Instagram, everywhere. Imagine how many kids die in Palestine? How many kids are dying in Sudan? How many kids are dying in Libya? How many kids are dying in Somalia? Now, is that justice? Its not justice. Moctars outspokenness has resulted in threats from Islamist extremists scandalised by perceived Western influences in his music and from pro-coup actors, a movement Moctar opposes, just as he did French colonialism. His only wish is peace. We have to say that even if its difficult, even if its unsafe for us, he says. All those feelings push us to do this album and give it this strong name: Funeral for Justice. As our interview comes to a close, I wish Moctar enjoyable second and third infusions of tea and he cracks a wide smile. Thank you. Well share it one day, maybe were gonna drink tea together. Mdou Moctars Funeral for Justice is out now.

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Now the Herald has been granted access to a court transcript detailing a previously unreported chapter of the bishops past. In 2013, Emmanuel was accused of committing an aggravated indecent assault against the young woman he took to his home that night in November. Magistrate Elaine Truscott found the bishop had touched the woman sexually. She described him as distinctly fallen from grace. The defendant has taken advantage of this vulnerable and confused young woman for his own pleasure, Truscott said in her findings on June 10, 2014. But she ultimately dismissed the charge against the bishop, also known as Robert Shlimon, finding the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the womans lack of consent had been communicated to him.

Emmanuel, whose role as bishop required celibacy, had pleaded not guilty, denying the sexual touching ever took place. That same year, he was suspended from his church, St Zaia Cathedral at Middleton Grange, which is part of the Ancient Church of The East denomination, before he left and became leader of the breakaway church Christ The Good Shepherd. Bishop Emmanuel is the senior clergyman at Christ The Good Shepherd at Wakeley in Sydneys west. Credit: Getty The Herald sought comment from the bishop, who has returned to preaching following the stabbing, as well as Christ The Good Shepherd, but did not receive a response. According to the 2014 judgment, the woman had suffered depression and had twice been scheduled to a mental health facility, but there was no evidence she had suffered psychosis or delusional thinking.

A regular attendee at mass, she had started visiting youth group meetings at a new church in September 2013. One night in September, when she was in distress, she called a member of the churchs youth group, who put her in touch with the St Zaia bishop. Emmanuel agreed to visit her father and spoke with him before dropping her home. The woman said in the weeks that followed Emmanuel drove her to or from several church events, at points holding her hand and calling her libby, meaning my love. She would call or text him when upset. He sent her text messages saying love you and she said love you several times. She said he would ask will you be my girlfriend? Will you marry me? before suggesting he was joking, which made her feel uncomfortable.

When he appeared before Bankstown Local Court in 2014, Emmanuel said he could not recall asking her to be his girlfriend and that his messages were fatherly. The magistrate rejected this characterisation, finding the messages were romantic, seductive and highly inappropriate; they actually suggest that he is preying on a highly vulnerable and needy young woman. Emmanuel previously served as bishop at St Zaias Cathedral at Middleton Grange before splitting with the church in 2014. Testifying over two days in court, the woman gave the following account of the night of the alleged assault. She said that after she called the bishop, he had convinced her to come to his house where he lived with his mother. He offered her a sandwich and tea, insisting she drink the whole cup.

Soon after, she felt extremely tired. She fell asleep on the couch before the bishop helped her walk to his bedroom, where she slept. On waking, she found Emmanuel in his office. She returned to the bed and Emmanuel joined her, hugging and touching her. The defendant has taken advantage of this vulnerable and confused young woman for his own pleasure. Magistrate Elaine Truscott When she tried to move away, he said, Whats wrong, libby [my love], dont you love me? He began to touch her stomach and breasts, saying I can be your father, your brother, anything you like. The woman told the court she had screamed and tried to stop him but was also frightened. I was in a freeze position. I didnt know how to help myself, she said.

She wanted to vomit and the bishop helped her to the bathroom. Returning to the bed, with her back to him, she later felt his hands inside her pants. She asked to be taken home but the bishop said his car was gone. At one point he asked her Do you love me? and she said yes, hoping he would stop. She later fainted and he splashed water on her face, before driving her home later that morning. The judgment records Emmanuels strong denial of the womans allegations. I cant believe what she is saying; absolutely 100 per cent deny it, he said. This girl looks like she is mentally unfit. On the bishops account, he took the woman to his house because she said she could not go home and he had never touched her sexually.

Loading He had partially climbed onto the bed three to four times to hold her as she appeared to be having some kind of seizure. She would lie down and get on to her knees and swerve sideways, back and forth, eyes flickering, he said. Asked why he did not call an ambulance, Emmanuel said the woman would quickly recover each time. He said he offered her food and drink after she fell ill. Truscott accepted he picked up the young woman because she was in distress and concluded he offered her tea soon after they arrived to comfort her. Truscott did not accept all the womans evidence, rejecting her explanation as to why she sent a text message from the bishops house saying she was at a friends.

But Truscott found Emmanuels evidence untrue, in most respects of what occurred at the house. She said the woman, who had a history of fainting, had one episode at the end of the proceedings, probably caused by the stress the complainant was under. I am satisfied that the defendant did enter her bed and embraced her and caressed her as she says, Truscott said. I think this probably commenced with the defendant trying to comfort her and has then proceeded to engage in his own pleasure. The magistrate found the woman had not consented to the sexual touching. However, Truscott said she was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the bishop had known the woman was not consenting or did not care whether she was.

On the womans evidence, according to Truscott:  she had no energy and nothing would come out when she tried to scream. She says she froze with fear; she was weakened and felt powerless. She did not tell the defendant to stop; that she did not like it. While accepting the woman had squirmed, the magistrate did not find she had necessarily communicated a sign to stop. Despite the sordid attempts at pleasuring himself, I am left not being able to determine the true state of the defendants mind except to say that it was not the actions of a man with grace, she found. She rejected the bishops really quite despicable comments about the womans mental state and trustworthiness. Emmanuel was ordered not to contact the woman for five years.

Two months later, in August 2014, he addressed a large public gathering to rebut various criticisms he said had been made against him by Ancient Church of the East leadership, one of which was his use of affectionate language. The English portion of the speech did not mention the alleged assault. In parts of recorded sermons posted to social media, Emmanuel has acknowledged he was deposed from the church as a bishop in 2014. However, he has also defended his continuing use of the title, saying the rank of bishop was bestowed by Christ himself. You tell me off, you swear at me, you spit in my face, you drag me in the streets, I will love you forever, he said in one video. But you come and say I dont belong to Jesus Christ, I am not a bishop, I dont have the rank of the Lord Jesus, I will shred you if you stand in my way. I will shred you to pieces.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The NSW governments theoretical capacity model sounds suspiciously like wishful thinking (Housing delivery figures in doubt, May 6). The housing problem requires realistic and real-time solutions  a factor not evident in the planning so far. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls House prices have benefited from policy stimulus, but at a significant cost to housing affordability. Credit: Domain I have recently learned that a vacancy residential land tax will come into force in Victoria on January 1, 2025 and will apply to the status of property from the start of the 2024 calendar year. This tax will increase to three per cent of the capital improved value by the third year. I would hope that the NSW government will consider implementing similar legislation that could release many now vacant properties back onto the market. A property behind me has now been vacant since 2002. Council says it can do nothing as the owner pays his rates. Valerie Bray, East Killara I guarantee that every planner in local government can name at least half a dozen sites in their council area where a local property owners refusal to sell to or amalgamate with neighbouring sites has either stopped a redevelopment, sometimes for decades, or led to a less than optimal development as other owners work around, rather than with them. Theoretical capacity is a useful too but it is disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst to present it to the public as a likely target to meet in housing provision. Gina Hay, Bayview One has to wonder at what point Australian media and politics will disengage from the supply, not demand the cause narrative control fiercely dictated by the property industry over the housing crisis. We now have on the same day two reports that contribute to this. Firstly, an actual analysis, by an uncharacteristically committed university professor, of the widely-unquestioned statistics paraded by property lobby group Property Council of Australia on April 26, purportedly showing that the avalanche of foreign students - aka cheap, exploitable labour on the side - doesnt have any effect on the housing squeeze. Amazingly enough, they make a massive difference, if one isnt complicit or analytically illiterate.

Secondly, the long-overdue reminder that massive amounts of dirty money, notably foreign, have long been laundered and offshored into Australian real estate, more than casinos, keeping the market red-hot and contributing to our entirely manufactured demand. Add our myriad, globally exceptional property investment incentives funded out of public revenues - latest and most popular now being stamp duty abolishment, merely going into higher sale prices - and you have the perfect storm of artificial demand that can literally never be met.

Its time for Australian media, if not of course politicians, to start disrespecting the take on the housing crisis conveniently offered by the industry that profits hugely from it. Doubly so now that the supply crisis naturally demands, according to the industry and its captive politicians, scrapping of what little is left of red tape, construction and planning regulations and enforcement. Alex Mattea, Sydney Respect starts in the cradle One of your correspondents refers to domestic violence perpetrators as violent, deranged, pathological (Letters, May 6). Another wonders where to start with a solution. I was wondering too. Then I spotted the sickening headline in the same edition: Private school boys suspended after absolutely outrageous ranking of female classmates. Its obvious. The start point is in the cradle. Brian Haisman, Winmalee

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Boys from Yarra Valley Grammar have been suspended for ranking girls in categories on a chat group. Credit: Eddie Jim Your correspondent provides a persuasive view about a badly fragmented Australian society and blames it on us having become nothing more than an economy. Id further define it as letting the economy become the end, rather than the means to an end. Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT) Both the federal and state governments are providing funds to help tackle domestic violence: federally, $925 million and at a state level, $230 million (Funding for victims of domestic violence, May 6). Is this federalism at work or knee-jerk responses to be seen to be doing something, rather than carefully developing a truly national plan? Neil Buchanan, Waitara Why should a woman and her children leave her home and seek a refuge? That seems like double violence against them. The perpetrator should be evicted from the home. Rita Zammit, Concord Women need a clear and easily navigated path to safety and independence that is just not there at present. Whatever needs to be done to find it needs to happen for the sake of women today and those of the future. Answers can be provided by a royal commission with specific terms of reference with a firm commitment to act on its findings. Australia is dragging its feet on this issue just as we are on climate change and affordable housing. Mike Keene, Stanwell Park On reading the tragic story of Dannielle Finlay-Jones violent death, it occurred to me that dating apps should have a legally enforceable responsibility to undertake a background check on users of their services (It was murder waiting to happen, May 6). In this case, a police check, along the lines of those required of people intending to work with children or the aged, should have quickly established that the killer posed a real and present danger to vulnerable people using its services to find happiness and companionship. Indeed, I suspect that the police would have been very interested to learn that Ashley Gaddie was using a dating app. John Enders, Tura Beach It would seem that the only circumstance in which Herald letter-writers could be expected to oppose a royal commission into domestic violence is if one was proposed by Peter Dutton. Chris Love, Wahroonga

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Squawk of shame Former prime minister Julia Gillard continues to serve her community, and most would acknowledge the value of her time as the first woman in that position of leadership in which, despite her minority government, she achieved many worthwhile objectives (New Jones abuse claims, May 4). Meanwhile, one of her chief critics in the media continues to be pursued by a host of sordid allegations. Surely, those who encouraged and applauded the activities of The Parrot should now feel a sense of shame. Derrick Mason, Boorowa Julia Gillard Credit: Fairfax Media No kudos for pay delay After spending a couple of nights in hospital last month and experiencing the excellent work performed by nurses doing their placements without pay, I was so pleased to hear that the federal government would pay these wonderful students approximately $320 per week whilst working (Student incomes to receive further government boost as Labor goes after youth vote, May 6). To my horror today, I read that this scheme wont start until July 2025  if the scheme is said to be so important as it supports students during a difficult financial period of their lives and helps them complete their degrees, then why make students wait 14 months for the scheme to start? The duplicity of government never ceases to amaze me; take the kudos but delay the start for over a year. Geoff Lindsay, Thurgoona Bring back HECS discount PM Albanese tells us that the reduction in the indexation rates for HECS debt will make an enormous difference to students. It is a trivial change that will affect our countrys finances in later years, long after this government has gone. Looking back to the early years of HECS, what helped get fees paid was the upfront discount (then 20 per cent, later 10 per cent, now nil). When our children were in university, we paid the discounted amount as a form of early inheritance for our children. We went without, but our kids entered the workforce debt-free. Now, if you look at the HECS debt in our national accounts, some 30 per cent has been written off as unlikely ever to be recovered. Reinstate the discount and there will be meaningful payment of HECS with the university education. Ian Morison, Forrest (ACT)

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M1 confusion It amazes me how some people cant keep a couple of concepts in their heads at the same time (Letters, May 4). If someone confuses the M1 Metro line with the M1 Motorway, they really shouldnt be driving. Then there is the F1 ferry route to consider - could it be confused with the F1 Grand Prix? And dont get me started on the M1 carbine. Peter Campbell, Potts Point The buck stops at the top Qantas shareholders will lose $120m for the companys management misleading customers (Qantas to pay $120 million after settling ACCC case for misleading customers, smh.com.au, May 6). The executives and managers responsible will lose nothing, not a cent. Former CEO Alan Joyce took home $21.4 million in his last year at Qantas. This is common in Australia; a company engaging in poor conduct pays a fine from shareholder funds, and management loses nothing. Its wrong: executives need to be held far more accountable. Steven Lee, Faulconbridge SUV menace My local suburban road is filled with enormous SUVs muscling along, intimidating less-endowed drivers, filling the rearview mirror menacingly and taking up every inch of any available car spots at the local shopping centre (Letters, May 6). The fuel costs of these mini trucks is heading close to $20,000 annually. Many more dollars are required in servicing costs. However, I would not be surprised if many of these owners are also complaining about the cost of living. Electric cars are the way to the future. They can be plugged into your solar, require very little servicing and will save thousands of dollars in the long run. Hopefully, the electric dream will also bring a quieter, safer and less threatening road experience. Neil Quinn, Vincentia

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Driven away Margot Saville hit all the right boxes for car insurance (Whod pay $3440 to insure my little car? Not me, NRMA, May 3). Ive been an NRMA member for over 60 years and always assumed that there were services available for me because of loyalty and a safe driving record. So I went to my last certificate of insurance for my 2014 Nissan Altima  just over 50,000 ks due to virtual non-use during the pandemic. Insurance went up from $888.23 to $998.40 for an insured agreed value of $10,600 with an excess of $695. NRMA decided in their wisdom to close down the local NRMA office last year with no recourse to local members. Is it worthwhile for us to own a car? Do we rely on taxis or assistance from friends to get us to church, library and local shops or public transport? Ken Hoy, Raymond Terrace Cronyism costs It was fascinating to read George Brandis piece on cronyism (Not corruption, but it is cronyism, May 6). This is the person who, as attorney-general between 2013 and 2017, oversaw the replacement of more than 70 qualified and experienced members of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by a cohort of people heavily populated by former Liberal and Nationals MPs, staffers and friends. By the end of Brandis term, gifting jobs to the boys and girls of the party had become entrenched behaviour, with the apparent support of a cabinet including Turnbull, Morrison and Dutton. The corrosive practice of making questionable appointments  there was no transparent member selection process for the whole of the Coalitions nine years in government  culminated in the current governments decision to abolish the AAT and start again. Yes, George, cronyism is bad. And costly. Not only when the other mob does it. Stephen Frost, Kingsford When one recalls the blatant stacking of the AAT with the Coalitions mates, the plethora of high-priced, friendly consultants engaged to tell it what it wanted to hear, the expensive royal commission into trade unions that produced nothing more astonishing than the identity of Julia Gillards ex-boyfriend; and the funding heft favouring Coalition seats (or those in its aim) at election times, George Brandis is a little late with the lecture on cronyism, bias, and influence-peddling. Adrian Connelly, Springwood Your columnist laments Labor cronyism. Is this the same George Brandis that was gifted a lucrative retirement job as high commissioner by the political party for which he served as attorney general (and custodian of bookshelves)? Philip Bell, Bronte

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Queensland public servants will have 10 days reproductive health leave each year in an Australian-first initiative.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles has announced the entitlements for government workers providing days off for fertility treatments, chronic reproductive health conditions such as endometriosis and preventative screening for breast and prostate cancers.

Workers will also be granted leave for reproductive health treatments such as hysterectomies and vasectomies.

The scheme is set to be in place by the end of September.
Loading I feel sorry for her family. I feel so sorry that it has happened in our little place. Its a small town, and its a small business ... and its just tragic. Mullins said she was distressed to learn that Dixon was also a single mother, like her. It breaks my heart because Im also a single mum, with a teenage boy, she said. Its a really hard journey doing that. There has always just been this deep kind of trust that were each others person, so knowing that ... her son is now experiencing losing his mum, is just so awful.

Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, Mullins had routinely leased out a workshop space at Soul Barn to help supplement her income, to facilitators and practitioners running private retreats or seminars at weekends, or as a wedding venue. On the weekend Dixon died, Mullins said she handed the keys to the organisers of the private event that the Ringwood North mother attended. No Soul Barn staff or practitioners associated with the business were present when Dixon fell ill. Mullins said her first indication that something had gone wrong was when her phone rang late on the Saturday night, and she was asked to go to Soul Barn. Dixon, who was a myotherapist and ran her own health businesses in Melbourne, died at the scene. Two other people were taken to the Ballarat Base Hospital for observation.

It is believed the toxicology results will be ready in a few weeks. Mullins, who has owned Soul Barn for four years, said she has not reopened her business since Dixons death, and had been flooded with threatening messages and menacing calls. Michelle Mullins says she does not know when she will reopen her business. Credit: Chris Hopkins She said her family members, former colleagues, and staff and practitioners associated with Soul Barn had also been harassed by strangers. Everyone in Clunes has been doorknocked, she said. I appreciate there are answers that people are looking for. To a degree, we all want answers, but everyone wants them from me and I simply dont have them. I wasnt there, I was home in bed.

Mullins said she feared for her safety, and for the wellbeing of her son and family. She said she had moved out of her home and relocated after Dixons death. Loading But I want to stress this is not about me and this is their [the Dixon familys] devastation and their tragedy, she said. I have been very mindful of not saying anything to anyone because they are devastated. But I am also having so many things happen to me, my son and my family that are frightening, and its been really hard to understand how I am now the target. Mullins said while there had been much discussion in the media about mushroom and psychedelic dosing, Soul Barn had never and would never offer the practice or sell anything like that.

She said her wellness centre specialised in sound and energy healing, remedial massages, Reiki, meditation, beauty treatments and psychic readings. Soul Barn also has a gift store, which does not stock any medicinal products. Mullins said she had not decided when she would reopen her business, but hoped to start offering holistic services, including sound healing sessions, again soon. The town has been hugely supportive. They know Soul Barn, and they know who I am, so I have been really grateful for the feeling of support from people that know me, she said. There are truly no words to express the deep sorrow we feel for the tragic event and for Rachaels family and friends.
Warning: This story contains graphic content.

Perth bikie Troy Mercanti was granted bail on Monday after being accused of raping and assaulting a woman after meeting her on a night out at the Metro City nightclub in Northbridge last week.

The 56-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via video link where it was also revealed a second woman has gone to police since his public arrest on Thursday, also accusing the Mongols member of a separate sexual assault.

Mercanti appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via video link from Hakea Prison on Monday. Credit: Elliahn Blenkinsop

Mercantis lawyer Paul Holmes told the court his client would strenuously deny the accusations after police prosecutors alleged the senior Mongols member had been on a night out with Perth businessman John Kizon and another woman when he met one of the alleged victims on May 2.
Each week, WAtoday reaches out to the Perth community to find out three things people love the most about our coastal capital. This week, Cuban-born principal dancer at the West Australian Ballet, Oscar Valdes, who first experienced WA as a guest dancer for the company in 2015.

Oscar Valdes with Glenda Garcia Gomez in Alice Topps Open Heart Story. Credit: Bradbury Photography

I love the weather in Perth because it reminds me of my country. I come from the city of Camaguey, Cuba, a great city, but different to Perth.

Its like living in the pastold cars, old buildings, like really old, and always people playing music on the streets.

To be honest, I miss it a lot because it was simple, even if life was hard, the feeling of being happy without anything. Also, its pretty hot weather, like here, but never cold like here in winter.
For nearly a fortnight, the NSW government has told us all options are on the table to combat the crisis of men murdering, assaulting and raping women in our state.

It turns out one option, a state-based royal commission, is now off the table. In a press conference on Monday, Premier Chris Minns made a compelling case for why a major inquiry would make sense but then confirmed his government has opted against holding one.

NSW Premier Chris Minns announces the funding package on Monday. Credit: AAP

Calls for a royal commission in NSW are completely valid, he said, before going on to list some of the complex factors behind gendered violence that it could explore, and noting that a 2015 royal commission in Victoria led to a positive impact in that state.

A royal commission, if you look at it from a perspective of trying to solve this entrenched, difficult problem, is attractive for the government, Minns said. Then came the but.
NSW Police will be given the power to scan people for knives in busy areas such as shopping centres and transport hubs as the Minns government tightens laws after a spate of high-profile stabbings, including the Bondi Junction attack and the Wakeley church assault.

The new measures will target the possession of knives, particularly among young people, and will include a ban on selling knives to under-18s unless they need one for work or study.

Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed during a sermon In Sydney.

NSW will develop legislation modelled on Queenslands so-called Jacks Law to give police the power to wand or scan people for knives without a warrant in designated areas, including transport hubs, shopping centres and other crowded places.

To stop copycat events following an attack, the time-limited powers would be made available to police when a relevant weapons offence or knife crime had occurred within the past six months.
Premier Chris Minns has ruled out a royal commission into domestic and family violence, saying the government doesnt have the time necessary, and the money required for it needs to be injected immediately into the sector.

As Minns announced his governments $230 million funding package for domestic violence prevention, Womens and Domestic Violence Minister Jodie Harrison revealed that a federal government-funded program to hire 118 specialist workers had only attracted five employees since June last year.

NSW Premier Chris Minns says the state wont hold a royal commission into domestic violence. Credit: Oscar Colman

Minns said calls for a royal commission were valid, particularly as a means of trying to solve this entrenched problem, but he believed an upfront response was necessary.

Firstly, it costs money and it takes time. And weve made a decision, having worked closely with the domestic violence sector and other stakeholders in the community, that we dont have any time, the moneys got to get into the sector straight away, he said on Monday.
Australias second-largest telco Optus has appointed a new chief executive, with NBN Co boss Stephen Rue to take the reins six months after a mass outage that affected some 10 million Optus customers.

Rue, a former News Corp executive, will join Optus in November after the telco conducted an extensive internal, external and international search, according to Optus chairman Paul Sullivan.

Stephen Rue has been chief executive of NBN Co since 2018. Credit: Edwina Pickles

Stephen was chosen after a rigorous process that involved a slate of high-quality candidates. Were extremely pleased to have someone of his calibre to lead the next chapter at Optus, OSullivan said.

His experience in setting up the digital backbone of Australia will serve us well as we reinvigorate Optus as Australias leading challenger telecommunications brand. We expect Stephens operational and financial background to lift service standards significantly for the benefit of our customers.
Doha: Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Tuesday (AEST) it had agreed to a three-phased deal for a ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap.

An Israeli official, meanwhile, said the deal was not acceptable to Israel because terms had been softened.

An Israeli soldier directs a tank near the border with the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Credit: Getty

The United States, which alongside Qatar and Egypt has played a mediation role in the talks, said it was studying the Hamas response.

The US said it would discuss it with Middle East allies.
You know that people who handle cattle dont care much about this reforestation stuff, said Anderson Pina Farias, a farmer whose land is almost completely deforested. But, he added, if selling carbon is better than ranching, we can change businesses. Tree seedlings on a former pasture that borders rainforest in Mae do Rio, Brazil. Credit: Victor Moriyama/The New York Times Challenging an Empire A backlash from nature seems to be helping the restoration companies win hearts and minds in a region where cattle culture runs deep. Jose Villeigagnon Rabelo, the mayor of Mae do Rio, a city in the north-eastern part of the Amazon, is worried. A brutal drought fuelled by climate change and deforestation has recently dried out much of the grass that farmers there use as feed. And after decades of pounding by hooves, millions of hectares across the region have become so degraded, they cant nourish much of anything.

The cattle are starving, Rabelo said sitting in his office, with wooden paneling and benches made of angelim-vermelho, a tree thats become hard to find in the region. Weve never had a summer like this. The crisis has prompted farmers to dedicate bigger and bigger parts of their land to feed ever-shrinking numbers of cattle. Now fewer than half of the cattle farms registered with the city have any cattle on them. But around a year ago, a restoration company called Mombak started a 3000-hectare project on one of the regions biggest farms. Rabelo said he was hopeful the new industry would offer the community a lifeline. A seed collector trained by Re.green, a forest restoration company, in Maracacume, Brazil. Credit: Victor Moriyama/The New York Times The idea is simple and used elsewhere: carbon credits  a credit for each tonne of carbon pulled out of the atmosphere by the trees that can be sold to companies wanting to compensate for their own pollution.

Environmental disruptions, combined with growing interest in carbon credits, have created an opening to challenge the beef empires hold on vast stretches of the rainforest, experts say. According to a 2023 report by BloombergNEF, carbon markets could be valued at $US1 trillion by 2037, double what the global beef market is worth now. Growing a large, biodiverse forest on degraded land can cost tens of millions of dollars. For years, forestry projects had to rely on multiple revenue streams, including sustainable timber harvesting, to restore soil and grow different types of natives trees. Farmer Djalma Soares has always worked cattle but admits bringing the forest back to life is beautiful. Credit: Victor Moriyama/The New York Times But businesses looking to burnish their climate credentials are increasingly willing to spend more to fund projects they deem to be high-quality. Its why companies like Mombak and Re.green are now developing a business model that relies almost solely on carbon credits, with little or no logging. Microsoft has bought a major project from Mombak, and Re.green said it expected to announce buyers soon. The two companies have raised some $US200 million ($304 million) from investors  including large pension funds, the Brazilian Development Bank and global asset managers  to reforest hundreds of thousands of hectares by the end of the decade.

Scaling all of the other carbon-removal sectors, its just going to move too slow, said Brian Marrs, Microsofts senior director of energy and carbon. I dont think theres a solution to carbon removal without global forestry included. Part of the strategy of companies like Mombak and Re.green is to help farmers improve land and intensify cattle ranching in some degraded areas while restoring forests on others. On average, Amazon pastures support one animal on every 2 acres (0.8 hectares). That could rise to three animals with little investment, researchers say. Insect pollinators return to a plant of the Mombak project in Mae do Rio. Credit: Victor Moriyama/The New York Times Most projects employ a few dozen local people to plant trees, fertilise the soil and stand lookout for fires. The companies are also funding and training local businesses to provide much-needed native seeds and seedlings. In some projects, as the forests grow, local communities can also make a living from collecting and processing Brazil nuts, andiroba oil, acai and other forest products they can sell to food, beauty and pharmaceutical companies.

When a standing forest becomes an answer to peoples range of needs, that becomes a powerful reason for communities to protect it, said Luiza Maia de Castro, an economist who is managing community relations for Re.green. Right now, razing trees is a perfectly acceptable livelihood in most of the Amazon. To break that cycle, she said, you have to change how people make a living. Real questions about a new model The efforts still face big challenges. The supply of seeds for native trees is a bottleneck, and finding farms to buy in regions where land tenure is chaotic can take months of research. Perhaps more important, the trajectory of carbon credit prices depends on whether the world can agree on what a high-quality credit looks like. The carbon markets have been repeatedly rattled by academic and media investigations that revealed dozens of projects had overstated their emissions impact, for instance, by protecting forests that were never in danger of being cut down.

But reforestation projects store carbon by growing trees on degraded land, a more straightforward system. Some experts caution that displaced cattle could simply continue to drive deforestation elsewhere and that forest fires could erase the benefits of trees that took decades to grow. It sounds like carbon finance can make a difference, said Barbara Haya, the director of the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, which has investigated a number of carbon forestry projects. But she said there were also real questions about accounting methods. Young trees ready for planting at the Re.green farm in Maracacume. Credit: Victor Moriyama/The New York Times And, she added, its problematic to trade forest carbon for fossil fuel emissions. Thats partly because buying carbon credits might prove less costly than transitioning a business away from dirty sources of energy, the thing that scientists say the world must ultimately do to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

The companies say they have addressed concerns by setting up firefighting teams, making sure their projects dont affect cattle supply and adopting a methodology that allows for changing circumstances like new government land policies. And remaking a forest isnt only about the carbon math. It takes a lot more than planting trees. To get it right, scientists working in restoration have to study how each plant fits into a complex ecosystem. Walking in the forest that remains in Re.greens farm in Maracacume, Ricardo Rodrigues, University of Sao Paulo professor and a Re.green co-founder, didnt stop by the samauma tree, an Amazonian giant that can live hundreds of years and grow more than 60 metres tall, or by the peroba, which is prized in the timber industry. Ricardo Rodrigues, a professor and a co-founder of the forest restoration company Re.green, shows a monkey ladder vine in Maracacume, Brazil. Credit: Victor Moriyama/The New York Times Instead, he grabbed a vine called a monkey ladder, which was about three metres long and perhaps 30cm in diameter, that was hanging from a branch.

For it to grow to this size, it takes decades, he said. But the forest needs it, he added because it holds a lot of water, producing flowers and fruit during drier seasons. It maintains pollinators when trees cant. Creating the conditions for vines, bromeliads and orchids to grow is a part the challenge, too, he said. Its how you make sure the forest will remain a forest after humans stop helping it along. Workers unload acai fruit at a farm run by Re.green, a forest restoration company, in Maracacume, Brazil. Credit: (Victor Moriyama/The New York Times Right now, the idea is to get humans and nature to work together. Techniques vary, depending on how far each parcel of land is from the existing forests. The nearest new plots benefit from the forests regenerative powers. In Mae do Rio, reforestation workers have been planting 1000 seedlings a day, working alongside tractors that make trenches on the soil. Drones are documenting their progress.

Six months after the first round of planting, the team was ready to measure the 44 trees in one sample plot. Luiz Carlos Batista Lobato, a botanist who specialises in tree censuses, walked across the plot to document three trees that had died, many that were taller than him and one that was more than five centimetres thick. Loading In a few years, Batista Lobato said, monkeys and armadillos would come to eat the fruits of different trees, and birds would feast on the acai berries, dispersing their seeds as they move around the forest. Thats the cycle, he said. Watching the trees start to grow helped to dispel some of the scepticism that farmers across the region still have. Back in Maracacume, Djalma Soares, a farmer who works on land next to the Re.green project, said that although he still loved his cattle, he couldnt deny that the idea of bringing the forest back to life was beautiful.
~ First female Minister of Finance ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- In a humbling address to the nation, newly appointed Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs, the first woman to hold the position, stood before her fellow St. Maarteners to express profound gratitude and outline a vision for the future of the island's economy and society.

The Minister began by acknowledging the divine grace that has allowed her to take on this pivotal role. Embracing her assignment with humility, she recognized the weight of her new responsibilities, emphasizing her readiness to face the challenges ahead.

"I humbly accept this opportunity to serve my country. Being acutely aware of the gravity of this function, I have fully prepared myself to take on the challenges, responsibility, and accountability inherent to the Finance portfolio," Minister Gumbs said.

Underscoring the trust placed in her by the Democratic Party and its leader, Honorable Member of Parliament Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams, the Minister expressed her heartfelt appreciation for the confidence shown in her capabilities and their shared commitment to integrity and dedication in service to the nation.

The Minister paid homage to the trailblazing women who have set the groundwork for this moment, celebrating her position as the first female Minister of Finance in St. Maarten's history and committing to serve as a beacon for future generations of women leaders. "With this historic milestone comes great responsibility. To those extraordinary women, whose shoulders I stand on, I offer my sincerest appreciation," the Minister said.

Recognizing the central role of the Ministry of Finance as the engine of the economy, the Minister spoke candidly about the scrutiny from both the public and Kingdom partners that her portfolio attracts. "I am cognizant of the fact that to be successful in my new role, my Ministry needs to enjoy the trust, the buy-in and cooperation of other colleagues in government, community leaders and most importantly each individual citizen of this island," she stressed.

Addressing the financial challenges that the nation faces, including the rising cost of living and economic inequality, she pledged to tackle these issues with systematic diligence.

"I realize that trust and confidence in me as your Minister of Finance can only be earned through the systematic and relentless tackling of the significant financial challenges facing our people today, including the need for sustainable growth, the preservation and protection of our environment, our history, culture and everything that makes us unique and stand out as a people, as a country. I assure you that with the assistance of the persons in my Ministry and my colleague Ministers in government, I will approach these challenges with diligence and integrity, with an emphasis on transparency.

The Minister stressed the importance of policies promoting fairness and opportunity, and the empowerment of citizens to partake in the governmental decision-making process. She acknowledged that the success of St. Maarten hinges on the collective efforts of civil servants, the private sector, and the input of its citizens.

"To this end, my Ministry will work closely with Ministers across government, our partners in the private sector and most importantly, you the citizens who are the heart of this nation. I would be only fooling myself if I believe that I will be able to execute my role. I need your assistance in keeping my finger on the pulse of the economy and the realities of the lives of our people. Together let us join efforts to bring about the changes that will create a more equitable and prosperous existence for each and every citizen of our beautiful, beloved island," Minister Gumbs said.

In a personal note, the Minister thanked her family and friends for their love and support, especially reminiscing about her late father, whose presence was deeply missed at this proud moment. To her son, she dedicated her resolve to lead by example, instilling values of faith, courage, and determination. "You can accomplish anything," she told her son.

"To every member of our society I promise to give my all, to listen to your recommendations regarding what is needed to improve your quality of life and that of your family. I aim to be a strong leader, who will govern with integrity, courage, wisdom, empathy, discernment and compassion. I care deeply about my role in this pivotal Ministry. I acknowledge its significance and the impact it has on the peoples daily lives and our countrys future.

She continued: "To my fellow council of Ministers, may our united efforts be blessed, so that we will be protected, motivated and energized as we embark on this journey of hope and hard work. And together may we make great strides towards the continuous advancement of St. Maarten, for St. Maarten and its people."
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- On Saturday, May 4, 2024, the new members of the Council of Ministers were in attendance to observe National Remembrance Day (Dodenherdenking).

During this National Commemoration Day, all Dutch victims  civilians and soldiers  who have been killed in the Kingdom of the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world in war situations or during peace-keeping operations since the outbreak of the Second World War (WWII) were commemorated.

This years theme was Freedom: prelude to 80 years of freedom. The years 2024 and 2025 mark a lustrum of 80 years since WWII ended.

The commemoration ceremony occurred at Captain Hodge Wharf in Philipsburg at the War Memorial Monument, which bears the names of World War II victims primarily from Sint Maarten.

The official wreaths were laid in a ceremony by the Governor, the President of Parliament, and the Prime Minister.

Senior officials of various uniformed troopsthe Police, Marines, Sint Maarten Voluntary Corps (VKS), and the Marechausseejointly laid a wreath in honor of the fallen.

Following the wreath laying, the Last Post was played, followed by two minutes of silence after the bells were tolled. This segment concluded with the Dutch Anthem and Sint Maarten Song.

As has become tradition, two distinguished guests, Elsje Bosch and Bernadine van Veen, wife of the late Gerard van Veen, were invited. Both Bosch and Gerard van Veen experienced World War II during their childhoods. The two ladies laid a wreath on behalf of all the children affected by the fight for freedom over the years.

This year, well-known poet Lysanne Charles presented a poem she had specifically composed for this occasion. Trumpetist Wilfred Phelipa accompanied the ceremony with musical performances.

Attendees included Members of Parliament, representatives from the High Councils of State, and advisory bodies.

POEM  By Poet Lysanne Charles:

Men do not truly die until their stories are left neglected. They are not dead unless they are forgotten.

unmourned

undercelebrated, rendering them disappeared

Heroes not remembered become ghosts ... unhumaned...hosts to untold acts of bravery and fears disregarded .....

Tales of countless courage and perhaps some all too human desperate cowardice covered up by thoughtlessness, thanklessness, and time forsaken by our minds They are ... gone....gone, gone, gone... just gone

But what... if we hang on ...

to them... they live

So let us give their memories a moment amongst us

imagine then

imagine them

these island boys turned men

With surnames that sound like ours

and features that reach across old photographs that look like ours

And who are therefore ours... still

who answered the call to defend freedom ...freedom ... free/dem

Some of them were the first or second generation of freedmen

Still willing to fight with all their might

For freedom... freedom... freedom... freedom

Because they understood it was worth

Sons of Caribbean dust and dirt and all the complicated, layered details

Who in their service surrendered to the clutches of death

Who gave their last breaths as the sacrifice for the life breaths of others

Through them... let us delve into... the not-so-distant past and re/discover ... that...

Freedom is not free

Requires sacrifice

A willingness to pay the price

With life... sometimes

As they did

They should not be forgotten

They who fought for something

Fought fraught with something

Some longing for belonging or.... freedom

That...

Freedom is not freedom when we continue to other each other

That freedom is not freedom when we forget our humanity

That freedom is not freedom when we see that another war looms on the horizon

And we set our sights towards might and not right

That freedom is not freedom when children are dying

And poets are bombed

And mother earth is depleted

While unchecked progress continues cheating people of the very gift they died trying to safeguard

Freedom....

And we are not free

if we ....

are fighting ....still frightened .... still

of difference

Let us honor their perishings by remembering that equal must always

all ways

mean equal

Not only when convenient or needed

So equal must also honor those islanders who heeded the call and fought for a kingdom grappling also with freedom

We cannot alter the past...

though history ... at last ... with each new discovery is righted

And on these new foundations we can change the course of our future

We can imagine better ways of being... free... much as they did

And so answer that call

to be brave enough to be amongst the fallen defenders of something...

Called freedom .... evolved and evolving still

For freedom, In memoriam and give thanks

PHOTOS:

A set with the Governor, President of Parliament and Prime Minister each separately laying a bouquet at the war memorial.

One with the arrival of the Council of Ministers at the event.

One with Members of Parliament preparing to place a flower at the war memorial.
~ 2x4 Coalition did not show up for the examination of credentials and admission to MPS. National Alliance requests to dissolve and appoint a new presidium~



PHILIPSBURG: --- The 7 Members of Parliament that makes up the opposition cleared the air on Monday morning during a public meeting of parliament that was called to examine the credentials for incoming Members of Parliament, during the notifications Member of Parliament Cloyd Marlin questioned the chair of parliament on the attendance of the 2x4 coalition government. Marlin said last Thursday, when the meeting was called, at least one and a half factions that support the coalition did not show to support their government. Yet the blame was placed on the super seven or opposition members to provide a quorum. He said on Monday, the member of parliament who called on Parliament to show up for the peoples business was also not present, and another was celebrating his birthday in Cancun. Marlin made clear that a house that is divided cannot rule.

Leader of the United Peoples Party Omar Ottley also questioned the chair and asked how long the chair would attach her face to a government that does not show up.

Member of Parliament Ardwell Irion then asked that the chair make a role call, thereby allowing all seven opposition members to leave the meeting.

When it was time for the agenda point to be read, Member of Parliament Egbert Doran requested that the agenda point for Mondays meeting be adjusted. He also asked that the dissolving and appointing of a new presidium be added to the agenda before the handling of the credentials. The chairlady of Parliament denied both requests since the National Alliance faction of parliament went after her job as the chair of parliament.

In the past, a Public Meeting of Parliament could have been held regardless of whether it had a quorum after being called three times, each time twice within 24 hours.

However, the Rules of Order was amended since it was in contradiction with the constitution of St. Maarten. The amended Rules of Order took effect on May 1st 2004.

Despite the current situation some members of parliament that supports the 2x4 coalition has since left the island for Paraguay to attend Parlatino meetings.
How the EU transformed tech



Paris, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



As millions of voters prepare for next month's European Parliament elections, AFP explores some of the deep transformations the 27-member bloc has made in the field of technology.



- Goodbye cookies, hello pop-ups -



For years, any website aiming to make money through advertising relied upon cookies.

The tiny programmes installed themselves on our machines and then tracked us across the internet.

In 2018, the European Union intervened.

Its general data protection regulation (GDPR) forces websites to ask for consent, aiming to protect personal data.

"I click 'refuse' systematically," explained Victoire Philippe, a physiotherapist. "No one wants sites to follow us on the internet."

However, users must now navigate pop-up windows and lists of permissions.

Like many internet users Philippe said having to tick each box was "a real nuisance".



- A digital eraser -



The internet is a haven of over-sharing, and deleting any information once it gets on the web is famously tricky.

But an EU ruling in 2014 made it a whole lot easier -- the bloc's top court finding that Google and other search engines were obliged to remove personal data in some circumstances.

The GDPR widened the rules, creating a right to be erased.

"These requests are clearly on the rise," said Jerome Deroulez, a lawyer specialising in digital issues.

While Google has repeatedly challenged the rules, Deroulez said a large chunk of the requests were now more mundane -- people demanding that former employers to erase their personal data.



- Free to roam -



Mobile networks were once the scourge of the consumer, hitting them with outlandish fees for simply answering a call while overseas.

In 2017, the EU stepped in to ban roaming charges within the bloc.

The move "lowered the mental workload", said French executive Kevin Eon, who kept his number when he went to work in the Netherlands.

"When I was doing all the admin needed for moving abroad, I could just give my French number -- no need to buy a Dutch SIM card. It's a huge time saver," he said.



- One charger for all -



By next year, those drawers filled with a spaghetti junction of charging cables will be a distant memory.

All manufacturers selling in the bloc will be obliged to use the USB-C port on phones, tablets, speakers and other portable tech.

Most devices already use these cables, but Apple was more than a little reluctant.

The firm said in 2021 that such regulation "stifles innovation", but by September last year it had begun shipping phones with the new port.



- Flattening the platforms -



The EU has framed a bunch of other laws to level out the power of the huge platforms that control our online lives.

The rules are yet to be fully tested but they aim to force the biggest online firms to offer access to their competitors' services.

One immediate consequence has been that Google is no longer allowed to swiftly redirect users from its search engine to its maps app each time they search for a location.

"It's a good thing there's no monopoly anymore," said Rebecca, 47, from Hanover in Germany.

Stefania Briano, an Italian tourist using Google Maps to explore Paris, said the move had not changed anything for her. "I hadn't even noticed it," she said.

kf-dax-yk/jxb/rl

Apple
Philippines, US fire at 'invasion' force in South China Sea war games



Laoag, Philippines, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary "invasion" force during war games on the Philippines' northern coast Monday, days after their governments objected to China's "dangerous" actions in regional waters.

Thousands of troops are conducting land, sea and air manoeuvres against a backdrop of increased confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels around shoals in the South China Sea claimed by Manila, as well as stepped-up Chinese air and naval activity around nearby self-ruled Taiwan.

US troops massed at a strip of sand dunes on Luzon island's northwest coast -- around 400 kilometres (249 miles) south of Taiwan -- let loose more than 50 live 155mm howitzer rounds at floating targets about five kilometres off the coast, AFP journalists saw.

Filipino troops followed up by firing rockets aimed at wearing down the attackers, before the two forces finished the job with machine guns, Javelin missiles and more artillery rounds.

Lieutenant General Michael Cederholm, commander of the US First Marine Expeditionary Force, said the exercise was "to prepare for the worst" by "securing key maritime terrain".

"It's designed to repel an invasion," Cederholm told reporters at the exercise site.

"Our northwestern side is more exposed," Major General Marvin Licudine, exercise director for the Filipinos, told AFP ahead of the live firing at the La Paz sand dunes near Laoag city.

"Because of the regional problems that we have... we have to already practise and orient ourselves in our own land in these parts," he added.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

It deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise the waters.

Just last week, Manila said the China Coast Guard damaged a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another government vessel in water cannon attacks around the disputed China-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 30.

More than 16,700 Filipino and American troops are taking part in the annual military drills -- dubbed Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder" in Tagalog -- in multiple locations across the Asian archipelago.



- 'Destabilising conduct' -



Maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a wider conflict that could involve the United States and other allies.

Monday's exercise came days after the defence ministers of the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia met in Hawaii and issued a joint statement on their strong objections to the "dangerous and destabilising conduct" of China in the South China Sea.

The ministers "discussed opportunities to further advance defence cooperation" and to "work together to support states exercising their rights and freedoms in the South China Sea".

Last week, US forces taking part in the Balikatan exercises fired HIMARS precision rockets into the South China Sea from the western island of Palawan, the nearest major Philippine landmass to the hotly disputed Spratly Islands.

The US Marine Corps said the manoeuvre was a rehearsal for the rapid deployment of the missile system across the Philippines' South China Sea coast to "secure and protect Philippines' maritime terrain, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone interests".

The confrontations between the Philippines and China comes as tensions have ratcheted up between Beijing and Taipei, which is about to inaugurate a new president regarded by China as a dangerous separatist.

Taiwan's defence ministry said Friday it had detected 26 Chinese aircraft and five naval vessels around the self-ruled island in the previous 24 hours.

"To a degree, military exercises are a form of deterrence," Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo was quoted as saying in remarks delivered on his behalf by an aide at a public workshop on Friday.

"The more we simulate, the less we actuate," he added.
Philippines, US fire at 'invasion' force in South China Sea war games



Laoag, Philippines, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary "invasion" force during war games on the Philippines' northern coast Monday, days after their governments objected to China's "dangerous" actions in regional waters.

Thousands of troops are conducting land, sea and air manoeuvres against a backdrop of increased confrontations between Chinese and Filipino vessels around shoals in the South China Sea claimed by Manila, as well as stepped-up Chinese air and naval activity around nearby self-ruled Taiwan.

US troops massed at a strip of sand dunes on Luzon island's northwest coast -- around 400 kilometres (249 miles) south of Taiwan -- let loose more than 50 live 155mm howitzer rounds at floating targets about five kilometres off the coast, AFP journalists saw.

Filipino troops followed up by firing rockets aimed at wearing down the attackers, before the two forces finished the job with machine guns, Javelin missiles and more artillery rounds.

Lieutenant General Michael Cederholm, commander of the US First Marine Expeditionary Force, said the exercise was "to prepare for the worst" by "securing key maritime terrain".

"It's designed to repel an invasion," Cederholm told reporters at the exercise site.

"Our northwestern side is more exposed," Major General Marvin Licudine, exercise director for the Filipinos, told AFP ahead of the live firing at the La Paz sand dunes near Laoag city.

"Because of the regional problems that we have... we have to already practise and orient ourselves in our own land in these parts," he added.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

It deploys hundreds of coast guard, navy and other vessels to patrol and militarise the waters.

Asked about Monday's drills, China's foreign ministry warned that "any military exercise should not be targeted at or harm the interests of third parties".

"Countries in the region can all see clearly who is currently provoking military confrontation and escalating tensions in the region," spokesman Lin Jian told a regular briefing.

Just last week, Manila said the China Coast Guard damaged a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another government vessel in water cannon attacks around the disputed China-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on April 30.

More than 16,700 Filipino and American troops are taking part in the annual military drills -- dubbed Balikatan, or "shoulder to shoulder" in Tagalog -- in multiple locations across the Asian archipelago.



- 'Destabilising conduct' -



Maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines have raised fears of a wider conflict that could involve the United States and other allies.

Monday's exercise came days after the defence ministers of the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia met in Hawaii and issued a joint statement on their strong objections to the "dangerous and destabilising conduct" of China in the South China Sea.

The ministers "discussed opportunities to further advance defence cooperation" and to "work together to support states exercising their rights and freedoms in the South China Sea".

Last week, US forces taking part in the Balikatan exercises fired HIMARS precision rockets into the South China Sea from the western island of Palawan, the nearest major Philippine landmass to the hotly disputed Spratly Islands.

The US Marine Corps said the manoeuvre was a rehearsal for the rapid deployment of the missile system across the Philippines' South China Sea coast to "secure and protect Philippines' maritime terrain, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone interests".

The confrontations between the Philippines and China comes as tensions have ratcheted up between Beijing and Taipei, which is about to inaugurate a new president regarded by China as a dangerous separatist.

Taiwan's defence ministry said Friday it had detected 26 Chinese aircraft and five naval vessels around the self-ruled island in the previous 24 hours.

"To a degree, military exercises are a form of deterrence," Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo was quoted as saying in remarks delivered on his behalf by an aide at a public workshop on Friday.

"The more we simulate, the less we actuate," he added.
Nuclear drills a response to Western comments on sending troops to Ukraine: Kremlin



Moscow, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



The Kremlin said on Monday that Russia's forthcoming nuclear drills were intended as a response to "unprecedented" comments -- including by French President Emmanuel Macron -- about sending NATO troops into Ukraine.

The defence ministry had announced earlier that drills, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, would be held "in the near future" in the face of unspecified Western "threats".

"It's obvious we are talking about statements from Mr Macron and statements from British representatives," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked by reporters what had prompted the drills.

"They are talking about the readiness and even the intention of sending armed contingents to Ukraine -- that is, in fact, to put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian military," he added.

"This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures."

Macron said in an interview last week that the question of sending troops to Ukraine would "legitimately" arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines, and Kyiv made such a request.

"I'm not ruling anything out because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out," Macron said, referring to Putin.

Macron had already made similar comments in February.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in an interview last week that Ukraine has the "right" to strike targets inside Russia.

Ukrainian forces have been dependent on Western military aid to battle Russia but NATO has said it will not send troops into Ukraine.
IAEA chief in Iran as concern grows over nuclear activity



Tehran, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi arrived in Iran Monday, where he is expected to speak at a conference and meet officials for talks on Tehran's nuclear programme.

The visit comes at a time of heightened regional tensions and with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) criticising Iran for lack of cooperation on inspections and other outstanding issues.

Grossi, the head of the IAEA, "arrived in Tehran on Monday noon at the head of a delegation to participate in the nuclear conference and negotiate with top nuclear and political officials of the country," according to Tasnim news agency.

Other media in Iran confirmed his arrival.

He is scheduled to meet Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian as well as the Islamic republic's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami.

Grossi is also expected to deliver a speech at Iran's first International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology.

The three-day event, which starts on Monday, is being held in Isfahan province, home to the Natanz uranium enrichment plant and where strikes attributed to Israel hit last month.

The IAEA and Iranian officials reported "no damage" to nuclear facilities after the reported attack on Isfahan, widely seen as Israel's response to Iran's first-ever direct attack on its arch foe days earlier, which itself was a retaliation for a deadly strike on Tehran's Damascus consulate.

On Wednesday Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said he was "sure that these negotiations will further help clear ambiguities, and we will be able to strengthen our relations with the agency".

Iran in recent years has deactivated IAEA monitoring devices at nuclear facilities and barred inspectors, according to the UN agency.

Grossi last visited Iran in March 2023 and met with top officials including President Ebrahim Raisi.



- 'Opportunity to share concerns' -



Iran has suspended its compliance with caps on nuclear activities set by a landmark 2015 deal with major powers after the United States in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

Tensions between Iran and the IAEA have repeatedly flared since the deal fell apart, while EU-mediated efforts have so far failed both to bring Washington back on board and to get Tehran to again comply with the terms of the accord.

Last year, Iran slowed down the pace of its uranium enrichment, which was seen as a goodwill gesture while informal talks began with the United States.

But the Vienna-based UN nuclear agency said Iran accelerated the production of 60-percent enriched uranium in late 2023.

Enrichment levels of around 90 percent are required for military use.

Tehran has consistently denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapons, insisting that its atomic activities were entirely peaceful.

In February, the IAEA said in a confidential report seen by AFP that Iran's estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached 27 times the limit set out in the 2015 accord.

On Sunday, the Iranian official news agency IRNA said Grossi's visit provided "an opportunity for the two sides to share their concerns", especially with regard to the IAEA's inspectors.

Iran in September withdrew the accreditation of several inspectors, a move described at the time by the UN agency as "extreme and unjustified".

Tehran, however, said its decision was a consequence of "political abuses" by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.

Eslami said the IAEA has "more than 130 inspectors" working in Iran, insisting Tehran remains committed to cooperating with the nuclear watchdog.
Israeli army says fourth soldier dies after Gaza crossing attack



Jerusalem, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



The number of Israeli soldiers killed in a rocket attack launched from the besieged Gaza Strip towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing has risen to four, the military announced Monday, updating an earlier figure.

The military did not specify whether the soldier was among the 12 servicemen wounded in the attack on Sunday.

The military said on Sunday that three soldiers were killed in the attack, which was claimed later by the armed wing of Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The soldiers were hit while guarding heavy machinery, tanks and bulldozers that were stationed in the area.

The attack prompted the Israeli authorities to close the crossing, a key gateway for vital humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The military said 14 rockets were fired at the crossing from an area adjacent to the Rafah crossing.
Putin orders nuclear drills, Russia captures Ukrainian villages



Moscow, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered nuclear weapons drills near Ukraine, Moscow said Monday, in response to "threats" from Western officials to deploy NATO troops to Ukraine.

The announcement came as Russian forces said they captured two villages in the war-battered regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, where outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian troops have struggled to hold the line.

Russian officials in the border region of Belgorod meanwhile announced that Ukrainian attack drones had killed six people and wounded over 30, including several children.

Putin has upped his nuclear rhetoric since ordering his army into Ukraine in 2022, warning in February there was a "real" risk of nuclear war.

The defence ministry gave no date for the drills, but said they would involve the air force, navy and troops stationed near Ukraine.

It said they were aimed at ensuring Russian territorial integrity in the face of Western "threats."

The Kremlin specified that the exercises were a response to statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and British officials.

Russia has in recent days hit out at Macron for telling The Economist magazine he was "not ruling anything out" in the West's response to the conflict in Ukraine, including sending troops to the country.

It has also blasted UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron for saying Kyiv has the right to strike targets inside Russia.



- 'Dangerous rhetoric' -



"They are talking about the readiness and even the intention of sending armed contingents to Ukraine -- that is, in fact, to put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian military," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures," he added.

Peskov singled out "dangerous rhetoric" issued by Macron, who said the question of sending troops to Ukraine would "legitimately" arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made such a request.

Macron made similar statements in February.

Ukrainian forces have been dependent on Western military aid to battle Russia but NATO has said it will not send troops into Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry said troops from the Southern Military District, which borders Ukraine and includes the occupied Ukrainian territories will take part in the drills.

"During the exercise, a set of measures will be taken to practise the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," it said in a statement.

Non-strategic nuclear weapons, also known as tactical nuclear weapons, are designed for use on the battlefield and can be delivered via missiles.



- Deadly Belgorod attack -



In Russia's frontier Belgorod region -- under attack for months -- governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said two moving vans and a passenger car "came under attack by Ukrainian kamikaze-drones."

"Unfortunately, six people died at the scene from their wounds as a result of the explosion," he said, adding that 35 others were wounded in the attack near the village of Berezyovka -- some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Ukraine border.

Local authorities said the vehicles belonged to a meat production facility.

Gladkov said two children were among the wounded and that one man was in "serious condition" and undergoing surgery.

He published an image of a bus with blown windows and a damaged roof.

Belgorod has come under an increasing number of fatal Ukrainian drone and missile attacks.

Moscow has been making steady gains in eastern Ukraine and stepped up aerial attacks and shelling on border regions.

The defence ministry said its units had "liberated the village of Kotlyarivka in the Kharkiv region" and the "village of Soloviove in the Donetsk People's Republic".

Kyiv said overnight Russian strikes had targeted energy facilities in the northern Sumy region and northeastern Kharkiv region -- both of which have seen increased attacks for weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of homes were temporarily left without power in the aftermath of the strikes, the Ukrainian energy ministry said.

The interior ministry said Russian shelling had hit school facilities at night in the village of Zolochiv in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, wounding at least one person.
Iraq hangs 11 convicted of 'terrorism': security, health sources



Nasiriyah, Iraq, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



Iraqi authorities on Monday executed by hanging 11 people convicted of "terrorism", security and health sources told AFP, the second such group put to death since late April.

A security official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the executions took place at Al-Hut prison in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar province, where 11 other people likewise convicted of "terrorism" were executed last month.

Under Iraqi law, terrorism and murder offences are punishable by death, and execution decrees must be signed by the president.

The execution on April 22 of 11 people convicted of "terrorism" sparked concern among rights groups, with Amnesty International condemning an "alarming lack of transparency".

Al-Hut is a notorious prison in Nasiriyah whose Arabic name means "the whale", because Iraqis believe that those jailed there never walk out alive.

The security official said the 11 executed on Monday had been convicted in line with Article 4 of Iraq's anti-terrorism law.

A health official in Dhi Qar said his department received 11 bodies of men to be handed over to their next of kin, and that all of them were Iraqi nationals.

But the security official and the health official were unable to say on what specific charges the 11 had been executed.

It was also not clear if they had been convicted -- like the previous group last month -- on the basis of their affiliation to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda.

Iraqi courts have handed down hundreds of death and life sentences in recent years for people convicted of membership in a "terrorist group", an offence that carries the death penalty regardless of whether the defendant had been an active fighter.

Iraq has been criticised for trials denounced by rights groups as hasty, with confessions sometimes said to have been obtained under torture.

In late January, UN experts looking into capital punishment in Iraq expressed their "deep concern at reports that Iraq has begun mass executions in its prison system".

The independent experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on its behalf, mentioned in their statement executions carried out late last year in Al-Hut prison.

The statement said that "13 male Iraqi prisoners -- previously sentenced to death -- were executed on 25 December 2023", calling it "the largest number of convicted prisoners reportedly executed by the Iraqi authorities in one day" since November 16, 2020, when 20 were executed.
Artist graffitis famous vagina painting by French master



Metz, France, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



Two women Monday sprayed the words "MeToo" on a 19th-century painting of a woman's vagina by French artist Gustave Courbet in a stunt by a performance artist, a museum and the artist said.

"The Origin of the World", a nude painted from 1866, was protected by a "glass pane" and the police were on site to assess the damage, the Centre Pompidou in the northeastern city of Metz told AFP.

The work had been on loan to the Centre Pompidou-Metz from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris as part of an exhibition centred on French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, who once owned the painting.

Metz prosecutor Yves Badorc said two women born in 1986 and 1993 had been arrested after five works in total, including Courbet's nude, had been sprayed with the words "MeToo".

A third person -- who has not been detained -- is believed to have stolen another artwork, he said.

The piece -- red embroidery on white material by French artist Annette Messager -- is called "I Think Therefore I Suck".

French-Luxembourgish performance artist Deborah de Robertis told AFP she had organised the spray painting in red, carried out by two other people, as part of a performance titled: "You Don't Separate the Woman from the Artist".

De Robertis said they had also targeted another work by Austrian artist Valie Export.

She said the embroidery work had been taken as "reappropriation".

De Robertis already had work on display at the venue -- a photograph of a 2014 performance at the Musee d'Orsay in which she posed showing her vagina underneath Courbet's painting.



- 'Attack on culture' -



Culture Minister Rachida Dati said five works had been targeted.

"To 'activists' who think that art is not powerful enough to carry a message alone... An artwork is not a poster to colour in with the day's message," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Metz mayor Francois Grosdidier condemned what he described as "a new attack on culture, this time by fanatic feminists".

Courbet's nude was first owned by a Turkish-Egyptian diplomat called Khalil Bey, a flamboyant figure in 1860s Paris who put together an art collection celebrating the female body before he was ruined by his gambling debts, according to the Musee d'Orsay.

It belonged to Lacan before it entered the museum's collection in 1995.

A French court in 2020 sentenced de Robertis to pay a 2,000-euro ($2,150) fine for appearing naked in 2018 in front of a cave in the town of Lourdes in southwest France, a Catholic pilgrimage site for those who believe the Virgin Mary appeared there.

A case against her was dropped in 2017 after she showed her vagina in front of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum in the French capital.

mlx/ah/sjw/rlp

ORIGIN ENERGY
CORRECTED: White House says aware of case of US soldier held in Russia



Washington, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



The White House said Monday it was aware of a case involving a US soldier who was reportedly detained in Russia over the weekend.

"We are aware of this case," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, when asked about an NBC News report saying the soldier was stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia where he was accused of stealing from a woman.
Biden again warns Netanyahu on Rafah as US assesses ceasefire



Washington, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



US President Joe Biden, seeking to push a Gaza ceasefire, on Monday warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against invading Rafah as Israel defiantly issued evacuation orders and carried out intense air strikes on the crowded Gaza city.

The United States said it was reviewing a response from Hamas, which said it has accepted a deal to halt seven months of war and free hostages, with CIA Director Bill Burns in the region to negotiate through Arab allies.

Biden told Netanyahu in April that invading Rafah would be a "mistake," and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told him last week in Jerusalem that there should be no offensive due to the safety of some 1.2 million civilians sheltering there.

"The president reiterated his clear position on Rafah," the White House said in a brief readout of the call.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said afterward that the United States has not yet "seen a humanitarian plan that is credible and that is implementable."

"We believe a military operation in Rafah right now would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people (and) would lead to an increase in loss of civilian life," Miller told reporters.

But hours after the call between Biden and Netanyahu, Israel issued its second warning in a day for Palestinians to evacuate Rafah and said it was preparing for a ground invasion.

Israel carried out intense air strikes on Rafah late Monday which were virtually continuous for 30 minutes, an AFP correspondent said.

Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas following its October 7 attack, the deadliest ever experienced by Israel.

Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a broadcast address that Israeli aircraft hit "more than 50 terror targets" around Rafah on Monday.

In one area of progress, the United States said Netanyahu agreed to keep aid flowing through Kerem Shalom, the key crossing between Gaza and Israel. Four Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack at the crossing on Sunday claimed by the armed wing of Hamas.

The Biden administration said that Burns was discussing the Hamas response in the region and did not immediately characterize it, but voiced hope for an agreement.

"We continue to believe that a hostage deal is in the best interests of the Israeli people; it's in the best interests of the Palestinian people" Miller said.



- Domestic pressure --



Biden is under growing domestic pressure about the war in Gaza in an election year, with pro-Palestinian protests roiling US university campuses.

New York's prestigious Columbia University, which has been at the heart of the protests, said Monday it had canceled its main graduation ceremony next week.

Egypt, which borders Rafah and has a peace treaty with Israel, and Qatar, a US ally that is also home to Hamas leaders, have taken the lead in the ceasefire negotiations.

Biden also discussed developments at a closed-door lunch with King Abdullah II of Jordan, which has a large Palestinian community and is especially sensitive to turbulence to its west.

Israel's apparent determination to press ahead in Rafah underscores the difficulties Biden has had exerting any leverage from being Israel's main military and diplomatic backer.

In a shift in early April after months of unstinting support, Biden warned Netanyahu that US policy on Gaza depended on the protection of civilians and aid workers.

The warning, which followed the killing of seven aid workers in an Israeli drone strike, was the first hint of possible conditions to Washington's military support for Israel.

But since then, the United States has declined to curb the multi-billion-dollar assistance pipeline to Israel, saying it has been allowing in more aid to Gaza.

The United States also offered public criticism Monday over Israel's shutdown of Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news channel that has been a popular news source in the Arab world.

"We think Al Jazeera ought to be able to operate in Israel and operate in other countries in the region," Miller said.




In tonight's episode of Sullivan's Crossing, the narrative took a softer tone, paving the way for important conversations and revelations among the characters. Post-storm, clarity seemed to emerge, helping everyone progress towards a hopefully brighter future.





The episode picked up where the last left off, with everyone navigating the hurricane. In a dramatic rescue, Cal discovered Maggie injured and unconscious beneath debris, with Petes dog beside her. He swiftly brought her to safety in his cabin and communicated with Rafe about finding Maggie. As the two waited out the storm, they shared intimate storiesMaggie about Petes PTSD and Cal about his brother's military experiencesthe two grew closer beside a comforting fire. Their budding attraction was palpable, yet they struggled against their burgeoning feelings. A tender moment arose when Cal tended to Maggie's injury, and she confided that she is not used to having someone take care of her, to which Cal responded warmly, suggesting that should change.





Eye of the Storm - SULLIVANS CROSSING. Pictured: Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan. Photo: Bell Media 2024. All Rights Reserved.





Their night extended as they needed to keep Maggie awake due to a possible concussion. They engaged in a game of chess, which sparked more personal revelations and philosophical musings about life and chances. Their connection deepened with every shared story and culminated in a passionate kiss, only interrupted by the lights coming back on and news on the radio from Rafe. Maggie really needs someone like Cal, who knows how to savor life's moments. She needs to tune out her overthinking mind and start listening more to her heart. Cal's easygoing nature might be just what she needs to break free from her routine and embrace more joy.





Meanwhile, Frank grappled with Sullys confession about being the person responsible for Lolas accident. Frank told Sully that he must be mistaken, that they never identified the person responsible for Lola's accident. Sully asserted that he remembered the events clearly. He's spent years trying to atone for what happened, yet he feels he's never truly succeeded. Frank told him that he could have been there to support him, but Sully explained that he didn't want to involve Frank in the ordeal. Sully worried about how to confess his actions to Lola, concerned about the impact it will have on her, especially since she trusts him deeply. Frank acknowledged the need to find a way to reveal the truth so they can both start healing. Sully admitted he needs more time to process everything. The search and rescue team arrived and helped get Franks truck started, enabling them to head back home.





Eye of the Storm - SULLIVANS CROSSING. Pictured: Scott Patterson as Sully Sullivan. Photo: Bell Media 2024. All Rights Reserved.





The episode crescendoed with a high-stakes moment as Maggie had to deliver a baby at the Outpost. Maggie returned to the outpost to wait for Sully, when Lola arrived unexpectedly with Ellis, the pregnant camper, who was in labor. Unable to reach the hospital in time, Maggie stepped in to deliver the baby. With assistance from Cal and Edna, who gathered the necessary supplies, a tense moment arose when Maggie discovered the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck. Cal helped Maggie to safely navigate the complication, and through her exemplary calm, Maggie successfully delivered the baby. This experience highlighted Maggie's potential and her need to trust in her own capabilities more deeply. As Cal and Maggie cleaned the newborn, Maggie noticed Cal's gentle handling of the baby, sparking a realization that he would also be a wonderful father to her own child.





Maggie and Sully shared a heartwarming embrace after she assured him that he doesn't have Alzheimer's. Relief flooded through them both as Maggie brought Sully home to start treatment and confronted him about his alcoholism. Their conversation revealed deep-seated emotions and regrets, leading to a hopeful agreement to start anew, capped off with mutual confessions of love and another tender embrace. Sully had been waiting so long to hear Maggie say those words, and she needed this moment just as much as he did. Hopefully they truly can move forward, especially with Sullys revelation about Lola coming to a head.





Eye of the Storm - SULLIVANS CROSSING. Pictured: Scott Patterson as Sully Sullivan and Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan. Photo: Bell Media 2024. All Rights Reserved.





The episode hit a tense moment when Sully invited Lola for a crucial dinner to reveal his long-held secret. However, Lola's emotional breakdown about her fears of losing him halted his confession, underscoring the high stakes not just for their relationship but for the entire community at Sullivan's Crossing. This will rock everyone to their core and nothing will ever be the same again.





Elsewhere, tensions and passions flared between Rafe and Sydney. After witnessing a new, altruistic side of Rafe, Sydney couldnt help but move beyond friendship. Despite Rafe's momentary hesitation, their relationship took a romantic turn. Sydney confided in Maggie that she was intimate with Rafe, despite already committing to her previous agency in New York. Maggie suggested she should discuss it with Rafe. Additionally, Sydney believed Cal would accept Maggies pregnancy with Andrews child, and insisted that Maggie speak to him.





Seizing the moment, Maggie invited Cal to dinner, and he was thrilled that it was finally happening. During the meal, they shared a lobster dinner, where Maggie assisted a clearly inexperienced Cal with shelling his lobster. Cal then invited Maggie to dance, even though the restaurant wasnt set up for dancing, pushing her out of her comfort zone. Their dance led to a passionate kiss, but the romantic moment was abruptly cut short when Cal mentioned that he does not see children in his future. Distressed by his revelation, Maggie quickly left, visibly upset by the conversation. Knowing Maggie, she will take this information and run, rather than have a deeper conversation with Cal about her circumstances. These two are so great together, but they are clearly lacking in the communication department. Cal clearly loves her and being the man he is, it is almost a certainty that he would be there for Maggie and her child. They need to have a conversation. Hopefully Maggie allows it to happen.





Eye of the Storm - SULLIVANS CROSSING. Pictured: Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan and Chad Michael Murray as Cal Jones. Photo: Bell Media 2024. All Rights Reserved.





Finally, during the storm Rob and Sydney reminisced about Sydney's childhood fears of storms to soothe Finn, highlighting Rob's role as a protective big brother. However, Finn's poignant question about why Sydney had to care for Rob after his mother's death brought a somber tone. The narrative deepened as Rob and Finn cared for Pete, a war veteran struggling with family reconnection post-service. Pete's story of estrangement resonated with Rob, prompting self-reflection about his relationship with Finn. Rob admitted to Sydney that he failed to support her when she returned from New York, acknowledging her pivotal role during his difficult times. Sydney revealed a heart-wrenching moment when Finn mistook her for his mother, believing it strained her relationship with Rob and Finn. As the storm passed, Rob resolved to mend his bond with Finn, taking him home for some much-needed father-son time.





This season continues to surpass expectations, with each episode leaving viewers eagerly anticipating the next. A renewal for season 3 seems like a givenheres hoping for an announcement soon.. What did you think, Sullivans Crossing fans? Will Maggie tell Cal the truth and allow him to explain his feelings? Will Sully finally tell Lola about his role in the accident and what repercussions do you think it will have? Share your thoughts below and engage with me on X at @middleofcanada




The Experimental Cocktail Club (as above) in Chinatown is such an underrated venue. It's never on the top bar lists, as well as never on the bartenders bar crawl. It's been open for 13 years, which is a huge achievement and there is still a queue to get in and of course very good drinks. Anyone who's a regular at ECC Chinatown will know Erald who's still at the door. Its a solid, consistent bar and I don't understand why it's just not on the radar of most people any more.
At Mimosa House, Daria Khans identity-focused arts charity in Holborn, a new series of tatreez workshops aims to preserve the historic embroidery technique used by Palestinian women to chart their lives and loves. Londoner Tasneem Aliewi, whose family left Ramallah during the second uprising, runs one two-hour workshop per quarter: providing homespun snacks (such as dates and pastries with fresh mint tea), as well as tatreez kits representing various regions from her childhood and ancestry. With sessions offered free of charge for attendees, Aliewi hopes to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming space for all women, allowing them to build community bonds and forge deeper connections via colourful, cross-stitched motifs.
Interiors are dominated by mellow limestone and glass walls which reveal the mesmerising outside landscape at every twist and turn. Complementing the scheme is art from local Janine Mackintosh, whose remarkable leaf mandalas are made from eucalyptus leaves which she gathered from the island. A new layer of luxe has also been woven through the rooms in the form of eco-smart fireplaces, as well as blinds and lights that rise and fall at the touch of a button. But the biggest change is that Pritchard re-oriented all the rooms to the south-east, giving guests a direct view from their bed onto one of natures most impressive landscapes, or from the indulgent bath tubs which sit behind the glass walls.
If you are aged 16-30, please visit our website to join the stem cell register to become a lifesaver like Tom. Anthony Nolan needs more young men to step forward, as they are more likely to be chosen to donate.
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Weve witnessed a historic mass movement on the march for seven months, and while our partial victory today is just the first step, it hopefully will be one towards ending Irelands complicity in the oppression of Palestinians, bringing them closer to a liberated future.
We want (the ESEA community) to be seen and we want their stories to be told, which is why a lot of these stories have been told from the perspective of those people from those communities.
Policemen with the Constanta Organized Crime Brigade together with Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) prosecutors - Constanta Territorial Service detected several drug traffickers, foreign citizens, in the Mamaia resort, in the area of a music festival, the Police informed on Monday.

On May 4 this year, the policemen of the Constanta Organized Crime Brigade, together with the prosecutors of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism - Constanta Territorial Service, organized an action within the radius of the Mamaia station, as a result of which a man (citizen foreigner) was caught possessing high-risk drugs (9 ecstasy tablets and approximately 20 grams of MDMA) for sale.

Also, investigations are being carried out against two other men (foreign citizens), for committing the crime of possessing high-risk and high-risk drugs, without the right, for personal consumption. At the same time, they were found to be in possession of different amounts of cocaine and ketamine.

Following the home search carried out at the accommodation address of the three men, different quantities of cocaine, ketamine and cannabis, sums of money, as well as other evidence were identified and seized.

Also, on May 5 this year, the policemen with the Constanta Organized Crime Brigade, together with the prosecutors of the Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Directorate - Constanta Territorial Service, documented the criminal activity of two people (a woman of foreign citizenship and a Romanian citizen), suspected of committing the crimes of high-risk drug trafficking and carrying out operations with products likely to have psychoactive effects.

Thus, on May 5, the two were detained following two successive actions, at the entrance, respectively in the premises of a music festival in the Mamaia resort. The two people were caught while possessing for sale different quantities of MDMA (high risk drug), crystalline substance 4 - CMC (high risk drug), ketamine (risk drug) and 2 - MMC (psychoactive substance).

The actions were supported by the gendarmes from the Constanta Gendarmes Mobile Group.
U.S. President Biden will welcome President Klaus Iohannis of Romania to the White House on May 7. The leaders will celebrate Romania's 20th year as a member of the NATO Alliance, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on Monday, according to the White House website.

Klaus Iohannis will receive on May 8, during a ceremony in Washington, the Distinguished International Leadership Award granted by the Atlantic Council for his outstanding career, for Romania's exemplary leadership and for his role as a transatlantic and European leader, according to the institution's website. A
JEFFERSON CITY  As Gov. Mike Parson weighs whether to sign a massive education plan into law, provisions in the measure to encourage five-day school weeks are drawing attention.

The legislation, which also includes a statewide expansion of the MOScholars voucher program, would give bonus state aid  to be used for teacher raises  to districts that maintain a five-day school week.

In addition, certain school districts would need to hold an election before moving to a four-day schedule.

Parson is expected to act on the legislation by Wednesday.

A spokesman for the governor, in a statement to the Post-Dispatch, did not indicate where the governor would land on the bill, Senate Bill 727.

Parson could either veto the law, sign it, or allow it to take effect without his signature.

Governor Parson is still reviewing the legislation, Johnathan Shiflett, spokesman for Parson, said in a statement Friday.

Close to 170 districts across the state have adopted a four-day week, mostly in rural areas.

If the governor signs the bill, Fox School District in Arnold will reconsider the option of moving to a four-day week because of the incentives for keeping the traditional schedule, according to spokesman JP Prezzavento.

District leaders have proposed the schedule as a potential cost-cutting measure for the 2025-2026 school year or later.

Under a provision of the law for larger counties including Jefferson, Fox would need the approval of voters in the district every 10 years to enact a four-day week starting in 2026-2027.

Of the current districts on the short week, only Independence School District with 14,000 students would need voter approval to continue the schedule.

Districts that schedule at least 169 school days would also receive an additional 1% in annual state aid in fiscal 2026 and 2027 and 2% in subsequent years, to be spent on teacher raises.

State Sen. Doug Beck, D-south St. Louis County, supported the incentives for the five-day week and said he thinks the shorter schedule does not benefit students.

The salary boost would not offset the appeal of a shorter week when recruiting teachers, said Jon Turner, an associate professor at Missouri State University who researches the four-day week.

Most superintendents are telling me the financial bonus for teachers if they return to the five-day week is less than $200 per year, so obviously this is not something that would have a major impact on the recruitment and retention issue that has caused the four-day week, Turner said.

Again, when you have so many vacancies and no applications, especially in rural Missouri, a couple of hundred bucks wont have an impact  but it appears a four-day week is impacting applications and retention, he said.

Independence has seen a 360% increase in applications for teaching positions in the district and very few vacancies since adopting the four-day week, said Superintendent Dale Herl at a community meeting in Arnold last month.

The monetary incentive could also impact districts and charter schools that arent technically on a short week but dont hit the 169-day threshold. Missouri law requires districts to provide 1,044 hours of instruction but no minimum number of days.

Momentum Academy charters in St. Louis adopted a calendar for 2024-2025 that takes off alternating Fridays for a total of 159 school days.

In addition, a controversial expansion of independent charter schools into Boone County, in mid-Missouri, was included in the bill on Parsons desk.

Democrats from Boone County have urged the governor to veto the bill.

The expansion of charter schools in Boone County is strongly opposed because it will divert funding away from the Columbia Public School District and neighboring districts within our county, which are already facing significant financial challenges, the four state representatives said in a letter to Parson last week.

When charter schools initially entered the conversation in Missouri, it was to address unaccredited school districts, the letter said. None of our public schools in Boone County are unaccredited.

On Friday, superintendents for seven mid-Missouri districts with boundaries in Boone County urged Parson to veto the bill, calling it an unconstitutional special law targeting Boone County with no rational basis.

Another provision expands availability of the MOScholars voucher program statewide. The program provides scholarships for students that can be used for private school education.

The program doesnt receive a direct state appropriation. Individuals make contributions to the organizations that distribute the scholarship and then receive a tax credit.

In 2021, when lawmakers initially approved MOScholars, geographic restrictions were placed on the program; only students in a charter county, or in a city of 30,000 or more residents can currently qualify.

The legislation increases the income level to qualify for the MOScholars Empowerment Scholarship Accounts from 200% of the household income limit for free and reduced lunch to 300%  or $166,500 for a family of four.
ST. LOUIS  Washington University is launching a new school devoted to public health and has hired a Boston University epidemiologist to lead the charge.

The new school will be WashUs first in almost a century, and will study a subject that has lived at the center of national debate for much of the past four years. It is slated to launch in the fall of 2026.

In a recent conversation, Dr. Sandro Galea said he began his career as a practicing doctor, motivated, like many health care workers, by a desire to help people. But during a stint with Doctors Without Borders in Somalia, serving as the only physician in a region of about 350,000 people, he began to reevaluate.

I was struck by the observation that what I was doing, when I was dealing with a cholera outbreak, when I was dealing with people who were injured from violence, that once I left ... nothing was really going to change. And I started thinking, there must be a different way, Galea said. I went into medicine because I want to keep people healthy, not just to treat people when they are sick.

Despite working as a physician and holding a degree from a prestigious medical school, he said hed had very little exposure to the ideas of public health. But in the years that followed, it became his main focus.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Galea said, brought much greater awareness of the importance of public health. Its better understood today by decision-makers and the general population. Public health, as a whole, has struggled with cyclical investment, rising during periods of crisis and then dropping off, which left health agencies ill-equipped when the virus hit in early 2020.

I worry, Galea said, that that has not been matched by commensurate investment, and sustained investment. And I think it is going to take a tremendous amount of effort and energy on the part of everybody in public health to make sure that we sustain interest in public health, even when we dont have a crisis. And I think this is where Washington University, having a School of Public Health, can be part of the conversation.

Galea has become known as a vocal proponent of the notion that health is shaped not just by medical advancements, but by social, political and economic forces. Its a case he made again in his 2021 book, The Contagion Next Time, which explores the public health context of COVID-19, and how it informs pandemic preparedness going forward.

Whether we get sick in the first place depends largely on our quality of life and the forces that shape it, Galea wrote. The influence of these forces is like air  easy to overlook precisely because it is so ubiquitous.

Galea was born and raised in Malta, and his family immigrated to Canada when he was a teenager. He attended medical school at the University of Toronto and began practicing in northern Canada, and then around the world in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Somalia.

In 2000 he moved to the U.S. to pursue a masters degree in public health. He went on to earn a Doctor of Public Health from Columbia University, a school he selected in part for its strengths in mental health epidemiology.

WashU also announced Monday that it has hired Dr. Margaret Kruk, professor of health systems at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She will serve as a professor of health systems and medicine. Kruk is married to Galea.

Galea will begin in the WashU role on Jan. 1.

In the coming years, the School of Public Health will look to attract faculty and students, and bring the school into the national and global conversation at a time when trust in science and public health has been challenged.

During a recent talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a D.C. think tank, Galea questioned how the past few years should inform curriculum around public health communication.

Im not sure that anyone has quite shown me where we should go, Galea said.

The university has an important opportunity to be part of the global and local discourse around public health, he told the Post-Dispatch.

I think there is no more important conversation, for our collective well-being, he said. Im delighted that Washington University is engaging in public health in a serious way, and Im honored to be a small part of it.
Members of the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment fire an M-777 howitzer during a Balikatan drill at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

LA PAZ SAND DUNES, Philippines  American and Philippine troops blasted targets in the South China Sea on Monday, honing the skills theyd need to deter an invading force.

The training was part of the annual Balikatan exercise involving 16,000 mostly U.S. and Filipino troops that began April 22 and wraps up Friday.

This years Balikatan  shoulder to shoulder in Tagalog  is underway at a time of increased tension with Beijing, which has territorial disputes with the Philippines and several other nations in the South China Sea, along with designs on reunification with democratic Taiwan, by force if necessary.

The exercises U.S. task force commander, Marine Lt. Gen. Mike Cederholm, declined to say whether Mondays coastal defense training, in sand dunes near the northern tip of the Philippines main island, was aimed at China.

A soldier with the 7th Field Artillery Regiment speaks to Marines and sailors about the M-777 howitzer during a Balikatan drill at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

We dont do this (training) for any third party, he told journalists gathered to observe the exercise. But make no mistake, what you saw here today is to deter an amphibious landing.

A pair of M-777 howitzers were placed in the dunes by soldiers from the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment. The big guns took turns blasting 155 mm rounds at a fictional invasion force about four miles offshore.

As the notional enemy got closer, Filipino troops fired 105 mm artillery. Then members of the Hawaii-based 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment chimed in, shooting .50 caliber machine guns and Javelin anti-tank missiles at floating targets while a drone hovered overhead.

Balikatan is training troops to capture and defend key maritime terrain and allow them to strike enemy vessels from the land, Cederholm said.

A soldier with the 7th Field Artillery Regiment speaks to Marines and sailors about the M-777 howitzer during a Balikatan drill at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

Asked if the training happened in the northern Philippines because of its proximity to Taiwan, Cederholm said the location has no significance. The site was chosen to enable U.S. and Philippine forces to work together and practice sea control and securing and defending key maritime terrain, he said.

Cederholm added, however, that the skills honed here are intended to help the Philippines defend its territory in the South China Sea.

Last week, a China coast guard ship with water cannons damaged one of two Philippine coast guard vessels at Scarborough Shoal, a feature inside the Philippines exclusive economic zone thats controlled by Beijing. An escalating number of similar encounters have occurred between the two countries at Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the South China Sea controlled by Manila.

China has a sizable fleet of amphibious ships, retired Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo, wrote in an email to Stars and Stripes on Monday.

Ship-to-shore movement via landing craft, hovercrafts, and other lighterage is also something [Chinas military] has basically long since figured out, he said. And as importantly, [China] regularly trains for amphibious landings.

Marine Lt. Gen. Mike Cederholm, U.S. task force commander for the Balikatan, speaks to reporters about the exercise in Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

However, U.S. forces could sink a Chinese invasion fleet approaching the Philippines in short order, Newsham said.

In terms of basic amphibious capability, the Chinese have the hardware and the know-how to go almost anywhere out to the first island chain and make a landing, he said, referring to the islands that stretch from Japan through Okinawa, Taiwan and the northern Philippines. Succeeding, if their opponent(s) fight back, is uncertain.

Near the beach on Monday, Capt. Edward Fox, the fire-direction officer for 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, helped organize the barrage from beside a camouflaged Humvee.

Im used to training with land-based targets, he said. This is the first time Ive done amphibious live fire.

The artillery unit brought 44 soldiers to the dunes. They worked with 161 Marines, a few Navy corpsmen and some Filipino counterparts.

Fire direction for offshore targets is no different than shooting at targets on land, Fox added.

Marines and sailors with the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment fire an M-777 howitzer during a Balikatan drill at the La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag, Philippines, May 6, 2024. (Jonathan Snyder/Stars and Stripes)

Theres nowhere for the enemy to hide during an amphibious raid, but theres also not many places for forward observers to hide, he said.

Navy corpsmen with the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment and Marines from the Okinawa-based 7th Engineer Support Battalion, whose jobs dont usually involve artillery, helped fire the howitzers.

I had a smile on my face, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Mathew Larmer said shortly after pulling a cord to blast a round from one of the big guns.

The biggest thing I ever shot previously was a mortar, said the hospital corpsman. These [howitzers] are the kings of battle.
The dry cargo ship USNS Alan Shepard and the destroyer USS Gravely conduct a replenishment at sea in the Persian Gulf on Dec. 8, 2023. The Navy blamed the grounding of the Alan Shepard in Bahrain on July 15, 2023, on the absence of the ships master from the bridge at a key moment. (Merissa Daley/U.S. Navy)

A nearly 700-foot-long U.S. Navy cargo ship ran aground in Bahrain in 2023 almost immediately after its top officer left the bridge to eat dinner, a service investigation found.

The decision by the master of the USNS Alan Shepard to leave the bridge and place a junior officer in charge was one of the key reasons for the ships grounding, according to a recently released summary of an investigation by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

The incident last year on July 15 left the Alan Shepard stuck in the shoals for more than seven hours but caused only minor paint scratches on the hull and left no one injured, the investigation said.

The U.S. narrowly avoided a disaster, said Sal Mercogliano, a maritime historian and professor at Campbell University in North Carolina.

It could have easily resulted in the loss of the ship, Mercogliano said by phone last week after reviewing the investigation summary.

The Alan Shepard, launched in 2006, transports dry cargo and ammunition, and has accommodations for more than 120 people, according to the Naval Vessel Register.

The ship is crewed by civilian mariners licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The ships master when it went aground was Adel Desouki, a civilian captain with the Military Sealift Command, according to a statement by Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, NAVCENT spokesman at the time of the incident.

The ship had 85 crewmembers aboard during the grounding, Hawkins said.

The Alan Shepard was moving to a pier at Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain to complete repairs to one of its marine diesel generators, NAVCENTs investigation summary said.

Bahraini port authorities told the crew to wait for a harbor pilot to guide them into the pier, the summary said.

The ship transited toward a designated waiting area. At 4:49 p.m., the master of the ship handed control to the third officer, told him to stay the course and keep the ship within the waiting area.

The master, the navigator and the chief mate all then left the bridge to eat dinner, according to the findings.

The third officer, who was not named in the report, navigated the ship into the waiting area but became distracted by a fishing boat, the report said. He turned the ship to the right to avoid the fishing boat, but in doing so ran the Alan Shepard into the nearby shoals.

Roughly 20 minutes separated the ships master leaving the bridge and the Alan Shepard running aground, according to the investigation summary and publicly available maritime data reviewed by Stars and Stripes.

The investigation blamed the grounding on officers failing to follow navigation procedures and the ships master not being present on the bridge as required by policy, the summary said.

The ships standing orders said the master is supposed to be on the bridge near shallow waters, such as those in Bahrain.

This for me solely falls on the shoulders of the master, Mercogliano said.

A ships master would not typically leave the bridge while sailing through Bahrains busy waters, said Mercogliano, who has transited the region before as a merchant mariner.

Youre asking your most junior officer to do some tight maneuvering, Mercogliano said, adding that the master could have gotten food delivered to the bridge.

NAVCENT on Monday declined to provide information beyond what was released in the investigation summary.

Desouki currently holds a valid merchant mariner credential, Melissa Leake, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Coast Guard, said in an email Friday.

The Alan Shepard is underway in the Middle East, according to data by the maritime monitoring site MarineTraffic.com.

Ship groundings can cause significant damage to hulls, propellers and surrounding infrastructure.

In 2017, the missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground in Japan and leaked an estimated 1,100 gallons of hydraulic oil into Tokyo Bay, Stars and Stripes reported at the time.

And in 2014, the frigate USS Taylor ran aground in the Black Sea, causing $4.8 million in damage and leading to the commanding officers dismissal.
Evelyn Walg Grunberg and her son Henry Grunberg look through a family album in her apartment in Aventura, Fla. The family will gather in France this summer to commemorate Evelyns escape from Nazi-occupied Europe in 1942. (Pedro Portal, Miami Herald/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  For much of her life, Evelyn Walg Grunberg never talked about the past.

In 1942, Grunberg and her parents escaped Nazi persecution in France by trekking for three days and three nights through the Pyrenees, a mountain range that straddles Spain and France. Only three years old at the time, Grunberg remembers little. It was snowing. She rode on her fathers shoulders for much of the painstaking journey. He was exhausted, but continuing on was a matter of life and death.

The guy told him, If you dont walk, I kill you. Because were not going to sacrifice the rest of the people,  Grunberg said, recalling what her father told her.

At 85 years old, Grunberg has many stories about her life, some more painful to revisit than others. Now a longtime Aventura resident with a large family of her own, Grunberg is finally ready to remember her past. This Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), which began Sunday evening and concludes on Monday, is a special one for the entire Grunberg family. This summer, they will commemorate the familys history by taking a trip to the Pyrenees to retrace Grunbergs journey to freedom.

Joined by a historian and over 60 family members, those who are able will walk the same route that Grunberg took with her mother and father, retracing their steps, learning about the horrors of the Holocaust and its impact on future generations.

I find it very, very nice. Its a great idea, especially 82 years after. Its a long time. Grunberg said.

Grunberg, who was born in Brussels, hopes to meet family members for the first time while learning more about the escape route that thousands of Jews took to flee France.

I think its unbelievable. All of a sudden, descendants from all over are joining us, Grunberg said. People from Israel, from Spain, from Holland, from Belgium, from everywhere.

Millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Like many European Jews, the Grunbergs lost entire branches of the family tree  cousins, aunts, grandparents, nearly 100 relatives in all  during World War II at the hands of Nazis. After years of displacement and hardship, her family ended up in Caracas, Venezuela, to start a new life. Unfortunately, years later, her parents died in a tragic plane crash while on their way to the United States. Grunberg was only 14 at the time. Then, in the early 2000s, the family moved  again  to escape an increasingly dire political situation in Venezuela. This time, they found refuge in South Florida.

It wasnt until her grandson, Arie, asked her why she never spoke about her past that she considered revisiting her life story. Evelyn began researching and writing the story of her life, ultimately penning a short autobiographical book titled I Have Lived My Future, which published last year. Though the process sometimes brought her to tears, she said shes happy her children can now learn about their familys history.

My whole life was a hardship, she said. Its the end of my life, and Im making the best of it.

Finding answers

As Grunberg began to delve into her past, she realized the research was more difficult than expected. So much of the Grunberg family died during World War II, making it tricky to track down information, said Evelyns son, Henry Grunberg.

The rest of the family perished in the Holocaust. My grandfather was the only one who escaped, Henry said. Therefore, it was not easy.

By pure happenstance, Evelyn found a Spanish historian, Josep Calvet, whose research specializes in refugees escape from Nazism through Spain and the Pyrenees during the Second World War.

Evelyn Walg Grunberg displays a book she wrote about her family history and their escape from Nazism during the Holocaust in 1942. (Pedro Portal, Miami Herald/TNS)

Grunberg was watching TV one day when she saw an interview where Calvet was talking about the Pyrenees and immediately went to Amazon.com to buy his book, The Forgotten Letter. Two twins separated by Nazism. The book describes the story of two German sisters who were separated for five years during the war but were able to reunite using the Pyrenees pathways. With Calvets permission, Grunberg was able to insert excerpts of his research into her story, completing her book.

Then, the family wrote to Calvet again, asking for his help.

I said, We want to go to the Pyrenees, would you help us? And he said, Of course,  Grunberg said. Hes even taking us to a museum, where hes going to tell us history about the people crossing the Pyrenees.

Calvet will accompany the Grunbergs this summer, guiding them through what will likely be the same path their family took so many years ago.

Helping Jewish families understand their history with the Holocaust is something that Calvet says he finds rewarding about his work.

They have always been very emotional experiences and I feel very proud to help these people rebuild this part of their family history that is unknown to many, he said in Spanish.

Indescribable journey through the Pyrenees

According to Calvets research, about 10,000 Jews from different countries were able to save their lives by crossing the Pyrenees and arriving in Spain between 1940 and 1944. He said that the journeys were done in secret, as it was very difficult to get proper documentation to leave France in the mid-1940s.

The majority of the refugees ended up in America, both in South America and in the United States and Canada, with most in the U.S., Calvet told the Herald. Many also went to the then-British Mandate of Palestine, today Israel.

Through his research, Calvet found that for those families, the escape journey was not easy. People who fled had to travel quickly through a rugged, mountainous terrain with Nazi guards on their heels. Many were not physically prepared and wore inadequate clothing. They had little food and no idea where to go.

For the Grunberg family, the journey was similarly difficult, covering at least 93 miles according to her fathers calculations. In her book, Grunberg quotes one of her fathers letters to his brother-in-law in 1944, which she found years later when visiting Brussels, describing their escape.

It was an extremely painful journey, I can almost say indescribable. Three days and three nights, we wandered in the Pyrenees, often more than 3,000 meters high, through mud and ice.  Fortunately, we arrived in Spain, where, however, we did not feel much freer, since along the border a full army of police had been stationed for surveillance and we could not stick our noses outside without risk of being stopped.

Grunbergs father, also named Henry, ended up in a Spanish prison for four months before the family made arrangements through the Dutch government to go to Curacao, a Dutch Caribbean island, first stopping in Jamaica, where they stayed for 13 months in a refugee camp. Through his letters, the anxiety as he wonders what happened to the rest of his family is evident.

I havent heard anything about my family since mid-1941. I fear the worst unless you have found our name in Switzerland.  I would be so happy to hear from them, but since we know that those bandits deported almost all Dutch Jews, I dont have much hope anymore.

Details like these helped Grunberg better understand her parents, who ultimately settled in Caracas, Venezuela. They were lost in a plane crash 10 years after escaping the Nazis when the plane they were in went down on a flight from Venezuela to California, a place they had hoped they might finally call home.

The importance of remembering the Holocaust

Before starting the research into her own past, Grunberg says she didnt consider herself a Holocaust survivor because she wasnt among those who survived the torture of concentration camps. But she understands now after her familys escape, the war brought other forms of trauma and displacement for generations to come.

The war brought consequences for many generations, not only for the first generation who felt it, but the next generations, she said. If you have traumatized parents, youre traumatized also.

Part of the consequences, for some, is not being able to piece together a complete picture of history thats so vital to the story of Jewish families. Its why her son, Henry, volunteered to document this summers journey through video and photography.

Theyre the last survivors and in a few years there wont be anyone that can say that they escaped or theyve survived this Second World War, he said. Then it will be our responsibility as a son of survivors to keep telling the story and keep it alive.

In 2003, sensing political conflict in Venezuela, Henry and his siblings left to settle in Hollywood, Fla., where he lives today. He said many of his friends stayed longer before fleeing, but he had to go with his gut feeling that things would get worse.

We the Jewish people, we have a very thin skin about persecutions and the lack of freedom. So whenever something happens, we feel first, he said.

Grunberg eventually followed her children to South Florida, where most of the family now lives  free and without fear. That was always the dream for her parents, who took the first perilous steps in the long journey that would bring them all to safety.

So 70 years later, everybodys here, she said. Everybody.

This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.

2024 Miami Herald.

Visit miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(James Vestal/Stars and Stripes)

Tokyo, Japan, October 1960: A spectator at the Asakusa Theater looks up to the stage where a female Japanese actor is in the middle of a Rakugo performance. A Rakugo performance  a type of comedic storytelling popular in the Edo era (1603-1869)  features a single storyteller who performs all the voices of the characters in the story as well as the narration. The storyteller wears a traditional kimono, and kneels on the stage in front of the audience using only a folding fan and small hand towel as props.

Looking for Stars and Stripes historic coverage? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes historic newspaper archive! We have digitized our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through https://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/
The Air Forces Key Spouse Program has been renamed the Commanders Key Support Program to indicate that its open to a wider group of people. (U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force has changed the name of its Key Spouse Program to embrace more participants and reflect the changing nature of military families.

The program has been renamed the Commanders Key Support Program to indicate that its open to a wider group of people, the service announced in a news release March 14.

The initiative plays a vital role in connecting spouses and families to leadership and valuable resources, especially for families of deployed service members, according to the programs website.

At Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, for example, about 100 volunteers are serving as key support liaisons, Deven Stone, the bases Key Support Program manager, said April 24.

Dropping the word spouse makes the program more inclusive to airmen who are in a dual-military marriage, Space Force guardians and civilian employees who already benefit from the programs resources, said Kristin Ross, a key support liaison at Osan Air Base, South Korea.

So, yes, youre a spouse but youre also an active-duty member, she said April 5 at Osan. We were losing a lot of resources by having the word spouse in the program because we have always had, and hopefully, we continue to have dual military families.

Stone agreed.

I think it will help it because one of the goals is readiness and connectedness and unity in that squadron or unit, she said. I think especially on Yokota, where spouses do [permanent changes of stations], having someone like a Japanese national that is in a key support role will help build that continuum of services.

Specifying spouse in the program title prevented the Air Force from dedicating additional resources to it, while also serving people beyond the programs original scope, Ross said.

We also have individuals who are federal employees, [General Service] employees, [Nonappropriated Fund] employees who participate and benefit from the resources that are offered through the commanders key support program, so they just wanted to be more inclusive, she said.

The name and logo will change but the training requirements and basic structure of the program will remain basically the same, Ross said. Final changes to the program should be announced this month.

Families today do not look like families looked in the 1950s. Its not always a husband, wife and two to four children, so we have all different kinds of families, she said. We wanted to be sure we were including everyone in the program.
A historical reenactor in period American military dress waves to the crowd during Liberation Festival Pilsen's parade of military vehicles, called the Convoy of Liberty, on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

PILSEN, Czech Republic  The jubilance of World War II liberation returned for four days in the Czech Republics fourth-largest city, as residents unfurled American flags in celebration of Pilsens rescue from Nazi occupation 79 years ago.

The annual Liberation Festival Pilsen brought out tens of thousands of revelers over the weekend and through Monday, which marked the date in 1945 when Gen. George Pattons troops entered the city. The festival featured restored WWII-era vehicles, reenactors, music and the citys famous Pilsner Urquell beer.

U.S. Army Maj. Christopher Ingram, a strategist for the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, made the trip from Kaiserslautern, Germany. He first attended in 2015 with his grandfather, retired Col. Earl Ingram.

For all of the U.S. military serving in Europe, I dont think they realize what a treasure this festival is, Ingram said. Ive never been anywhere in the United States where I saw that many World War II vehicles. Its neat to see that connection to history, that love that the people of Pilsen have for Americans.

American military vehicles from World War II, accompanied by reenactors, parade down the main boulevard in Pilsen, Czech Republic, during the city's Liberation Festival on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) An American student from Ansbach High School learns about the U.S. military's liberation of Pilsen, Czech Republic, during a visit to the Patton Memorial museum on Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

This years festival was the second in a row without U.S. military veterans, who had been treated like celebrities at past events, but several family members were in attendance as honored guests.

The Czech people are so grateful, said Kathleen Lemmons Hoffman, daughter of Army Pvt. Charles Lemmons, who died in 2001. They never forget and they teach their children. My dad would have been so humbled to see all of this.

Located approximately 40 miles from the German border in western Bohemia, Pilsen was subjugated by the Nazis in March 1939. In the years that followed, its Skoda factories produced arms and ammunition for the German war effort, while the citys Jewish population was interned and sent to concentration camps.

Kathleen Lemmons Hoffman, daughter of liberator Pvt. Charles Lemmons, takes in the military encampment in the center of Pilsen, Czech Republic, during the city's Liberation Festival on Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) Wreaths and flowers were laid Friday, May 3, 2024, at the 16th Armored Division Memorial in Pilsen, Czech Republic, during the city's annual Liberation Festival. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) An American tank from World War II once again sits in the shadow of St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in Pilsen, Czech Republic, during the city's annual Liberation Festival on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

On the morning of May 6, 1945, the 16th Armored Division under Patton, with support from the Belgians, entered the city, encountering light resistance.

Three years later, Czechoslovakia fell under repressive communist control and became a Cold War satellite of the Soviet Union.

Attempts were made to write the American liberators out of the historical record, festival organizer Tomas Raboch said.

The first Liberation Festival took place in 1990, a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism in the old Eastern Bloc.

Rabochs father, Miloslav, was one of the festivals original organizers. Tomas now hosts and acts as a guide for the families of American veterans in attendance.

Its important to remember that freedom is not free, Raboch said. Because we were living under communism for such a long time, now we really appreciate the moments when we can speak freely and celebrate the real liberators.

A young Czech girl waves an American flag during Liberation Festival Pilsen's parade of military vehicles on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) Members of the Stuttgart Legacy Drumline and dance team perform during Liberation Festival Pilsen's opening ceremony on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

When festivities began Friday, the city was filled with reenactors, mostly in American WWII uniforms, riding atop antique vehicles. Encampments designed to show the battlefield life of soldiers were erected in the city center.

Residents poured into Republic Square, where the Stuttgart Legacy Drumline, Stuttgart dance team and Ansbach Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps drill team, all from Department of Defense Education Activity high schools in Germany, kicked off the celebration with an impassioned performance.

To be here is a serious honor, Stuttgart dance team founder Gwen Cecil said. I felt the energy of the crowd; this is a great achievement.

Over the next two days, musical performances spanned genres from big band to pop. The beer flowed while uniformed men danced with women dressed like 1940s pinup models. There also was a memorial run and childrens programming.

On Sunday, thousands lined the citys main boulevard, Sady Petatricatniku, for a parade, waving American, Belgian and Czech flags. Restored aircraft buzzed overhead, while a Sherman tank and other military vehicles rumbled down the street.

Members of the Stuttgart Legacy Drumline and dance team pose for a photo following their performance during Liberation Festival Pilsen's opening ceremony on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) The city of Pilsen, Czech Republic, seen here on Friday, May 3, 2024, continues to honor its liberators during World War II with each year's Liberation Festival Pilsen. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

Members of the Nebraska National Guard handed out pins with the American and Czech flags to people in the crowd. Nebraska and the Czech Republic are paired under the Defense Departments State Partnership Program.

The state has a large Czech population, giving its National Guard troops a particular affinity for the country, said command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Krecklow.

Closing ceremonies were held Monday afternoon.

Luc Rensonnet, 75, whose father, Georges, commanded Belgiums 17th Rifle Battalion during the liberation of Pilsen, was having trouble finding the words to describe the friendship among the three nations, so he hugged the people around him.

We are all friends, he said with a smile.
On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israelis attend an event Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Tel Aviv with family members of hostages being held in Gaza. (Heidi Levine/for The Washington Post)

TEL AVIV  Soon after Hannah Gofrit, an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor from Poland, grasped the scope of the Oct. 7 atrocities, she sought out the young people who hid in safe rooms, in bushes, under tanks, under bodies, behind any makeshift cover they could find that day to save their own lives.

Eight decades ago, she, too, hid in an underground potato shed and in the closets of neighbors to escape the Nazis. When she met with children from Kibbutz Mefalsim, one of the 22 communities near the Gaza border ravaged during the assault, she told them that they were not alone, and that this trauma also could be overcome.

The children asked me how I survived, and I told them: Just like you. I hid, with my mother, and wasnt it good to feel your mothers clothes, to smell your mothers smell, while what was happening happened outside? she recalled.

Last week, she told a group of survivors of the Nova rave party, where 360 people were slaughtered and 40 others were dragged into Gaza on Oct. 7, that the images, those horrors will stay with you in the night, but the question is, What do you do when you wake up? 

On Sunday night, on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, she told hundreds of hostage families and their supporters who packed into the central Tel Aviv plaza now known as Hostage Square that she was waiting with them for the return of the hostages, and that the nation would one day begin to heal.

I thought that we would never again be victims, Gofrit said as she prepared to go onstage. She said that her role as an educator and survivor has changed since Oct. 7, as she faced audiences that are thirsty for optimism.

Holocaust survivor Hannah Gofrit stands next to an installation of a yellow ribbon with butterflies Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Tel Aviv on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. (Heidi Levine/for The Washington Post)

Holocaust Remembrance Day, an Israeli national holiday, stretches from sundown Sunday to sundown Monday. It is the first of a string of holidays over the next two weeks that are overshadowed by the Oct. 7 attacks  the deadliest assault in Israeli history and the most recent formative tragedy to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Next week will be Memorial Day and Independence Day, which are expected to surface long-simmering controversies over the handling of the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition maintain that, above all, Hamas must be destroyed, while hostage families and their supporters say the priority must be the return of their loved ones.

On Sunday, hundreds of Holocaust survivors gathered with younger generations to share their testimonies, in living rooms and public spaces around the country, as part of a 13-year-old initiative that was originally envisioned as a means of keeping their stories alive as the survivor population dwindles.

But on Monday, as the blare of sirens brought Israelis to a standstill, the directive to Never Forget  said of the Holocaust, and of Oct. 7, and in some cases both  was imbued with new, more urgent relevance, according to Israeli survivors.

It is not simple, this forging of connecting between this screaming present, of the hostages, whose families have for seven months been clamoring for their release, and the memory of our grandparents, who require us to be worthy of their memory, said Benny Lau, a prominent rabbi who hosted the Hostage Square Holocaust Remembrance Day event.

Survivors and their hundreds of thousands of grandchildren in Israel say that the current situation feels like the Holocaust.

I feel like we are living in something we might call an October Holocaust,  said Omri Shtivi, whose brother Idan, a 28-year-old environmental sciences student from Tel Aviv, was kidnapped from the Nova party. Omri said that both their grandparents were Holocaust survivors and that the testimonies he discovered in anticipation of the holiday were chilling in their relevance.

This is a much lower scale, but I think that anyone who has seen the pictures from that Saturday cannot call it anything else, he said.

Israel is home to 133,000 Holocaust survivors, some 2,000 of whom were evacuated from their homes because of the war in Gaza, according to Israels Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs.

On Monday, their plights and their names are being remembered as the war in Gaza could be entering a new phase. Negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release deal are again at an impasse. On Sunday, Hamas launched a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom border crossing, one of the few land routes for the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Strip, killing four Israeli soldiers.

A family member holds a poster of an 86-year-old who is the oldest hostage held by Hamas, in Tel Aviv on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (Heidi Levine/for The Washington Post)

There are 132 hostages still inside Gaza, most of whom Israel believes to be held in homes and subterranean tunnels in Rafah, the southern city that Israel has pinpointed as its final battlefield. On Monday, Israel issued evacuation orders to some 100,000 residents of Rafah, potentially signaling that a ground incursion is imminent. More than 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague is rumored to be preparing arrest warrants for senior Israeli government and military officials, including Netanyahu, over their conduct of the war. The International Court of Justice, a separate body, is also considering a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza.

Israel has categorically denied the accusations, saying that its military takes measures to protect civilian life and that the war is necessary for the countrys survival.

Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenseless against those who sought our destruction. No nation came to our aid, Netanyahu said Sunday night, speaking in English at the official opening Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, where an empty yellow chair was reserved as a gesture of solidarity with the hostages in Gaza.

I say to the leaders of the world  no amount of pressure, no decision from any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself, he added, apparently referring to the ICC proceedings and the international critics of the war in Gaza. We will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now.

Zili Wenkert, 88, who survived the Transnistria concentration camp and whose 22-year-old grandson, Omer, is a hostage in Gaza, said she felt enormous disappointment at the Israeli war aim to annihilate Hamas.

Im not a military person, but I know that the first thing that they need to do is to let the hostages go, because we cannot destroy all the terror that is in their hearts, she said, referring to Hamas. No. First release all the hostages. God knows how many are alive.

She last saw Omer in a video sent to the family on the morning of Oct. 7, showing him stripped to his underwear, handcuffed, lying inside an SUV. Omer has colitis, a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that flares under stress. The family does not know if he has received any of the medicines that were supposed to have entered the Gaza Strip months ago, earmarked for the hostages. They do not know if he is alive.

My grandson in the hands of Hamas  it is something I cannot process, said Wenkert. This is my real Holocaust.
Smoke rises from buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, on Dec. 14, 2023. ()

In a fit of ideological pique last week, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., scoffed at protesters agitating against pro-Israel policies on campuses across the United States. I get a strange inkling that all these Columbia and UCLA students running around yelling Free Palestine would not be jumping at the opportunity to do a semester abroad in Gaza, she wrote on social media, before later journeying to a protest encampment at George Washington University and almost sparring with students when trying to pull down a Palestinian flag.

Boeberts scorn is shared even by some of her opponents in the Washington establishment, many of whom have cast the student demonstrations as, at best, unproductive far-left agitprop or, more darkly, dangerous antisemitic behavior that must be expunged from the academy. Hundreds of campus protesters have been arrested in recent days in police crackdowns from California to New York.

Boeberts comment, though, drew derision on two counts: First, that protesters angry about alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza would need to go to the besieged territory itself to justify their anger. And, second, that students could even do a semester abroad in Gaza, where Israel has spent the past half year systematically destroying most of its educational institutions, including all of its universities.

For months, Palestinian civil society activists have drawn attention to the steady eradication of Gazas cultural patrimony. Israels punishing campaign against militant group Hamas has seen much of the territory reduced to ruin. In the process, many libraries, museums and colleges have been ransacked and razed  in some instances, by deliberate Israeli demolition. Thousands of artifacts in various collections, including Roman coins and other materials from Gazas pre-Islamic past, have been potentially lost during the war.

The hysteria over campus protests in the United States has shifted American attention away from the depth of the ongoing calamity in Gaza. U.N. officials and aid agencies are still grappling with the scale of the destruction in the territory, where dozens are still dying every day. Since Hamas launched its Oct. 7 terrorist strike on southern Israel, more than 34,500 Palestinians in the territory  many of them women and children  have been killed. Some 5 percent of Gazas overall population has been killed or injured, according to a U.N. report that cites local data.

That figure doesnt include the more than at least 10,000 people that the U.N. estimates are still missing beneath the rubble, citing the Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD). The challenge of finding the missing is growing more dire, given the widespread destruction of heavy machinery and equipment needed to dig through the debris.

Rising temperatures can accelerate the decomposition of bodies and the spread of disease, the U.N. humanitarian affairs office said in a statement, adding that the PCD was appealing to all relevant stakeholders to urgently intervene to allow the entry of needed equipment, including bulldozers and excavators, to avert a public health catastrophe, facilitate dignified burials, and save the lives of injured people.

Sifting through Gazas wreckage will be no simple task. Israel has dumped a huge amount of ordnance on the territory. Mungo Birch, head of the U.N. Mine Action Program in Palestinian territory, said last week that the amount of unexploded missiles and bombs lying in the rubble is unprecedented since World War II. He said tiny Gaza is a site of some 37 million tons of rubble  more than whats been generated across all of Ukraine during Russias war  and 800,000 tons of asbestos and other contaminants. He said his agency has only a fraction of the funding it needs to begin clearing operations whenever the war ends.

Over the weekend, U.S. and Egyptian officials attempted to facilitate a last-ditch effort to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas. A delegation from the Palestinian militant group was in Cairo and expressed optimism that a breakthrough could be found. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faced mass protests at home against his continued tenure in office, seemed more wary of the arrangement and remains bent on carrying out a full offensive against the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians already displaced in the territory have taken shelter.

Top U.N. officials say famine has already gripped parts of Gaza. Beyond the desperately insufficient trickle of humanitarian aid into the territory, the war has also severely hampered Gazas ability to produce food and clean water, according to The Washington Post. Israeli airstrikes and bulldozers have razed farms and orchards. Crops abandoned by farmers seeking safety in southern Gaza have withered, and cattle have been left to die.

The fear surrounding Rafah and the uncertainty over a potential cease-fire sit against the looming reality of how difficult it will be for Gaza to recover. More than 70 percent of all housing in the territory has been destroyed. A report by the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) found that the war has reversed 40 years of development and improvement in social indicators such as life expectancy, health and educational attainment in Gaza.

The agency estimated that reconstruction, at this point, would cost some $40 billion to $50 billion. And if it follows the pace observed after previous conflicts, UNDP estimates that it will take approximately 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units in Gaza.

My very big concern  in addition to the numbers  is the breaking down of communities and families in Gaza, UNDP regional director Abdallah al-Dardari told The Washington Post. If you know 60 people in your family have been killed  like our colleague Issam al-Mughrabi who was killed with 60 people in his family during one raid  you will go numb, Dardari said. The consequences of this war will stay with us far beyond the end of the war.
The U.S. Capitol as seen on March 21, 2024. (Gianna Gronowski/Stars and Stripes)

Everything seems to be celebrated with a day or a week or a month, often for pecuniary purposes. Theres National Yo-Yo Day, Handwashing Awareness Week, and National Picnic Month.

That conglomeration of commemorations, however, should not dilute the importance of the time devoted to honor workers who serve all of us, all the time.

May 5-11 is Public Service Recognition Week, a period when public employees at all governmental levels  federal, state, county, local and tribal  are acknowledged for their work.

But they also face challenges, including threats of undue political interference against the fundamental concept of a nonpartisan civil service.

At the local level, those threats have targeted election workers, public health officials, teachers and librarians.

A select group of federal workers exemplify the governments indispensable work. They are finalists for the annual Service to America Medals, a.k.a. Sammies, awarded by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. This year there are 25 finalists, some recognized as individuals and some in teams, with a total of 43 individuals out of more than 2 million federal employees. All are eligible for selection as Federal Employee of the Year. The winners will be feted in September at the Kennedy Center.

These public servants are the best our nation has to offer, and their accomplishments show just how important an expert career federal workforce is to all of us, said Partnership President and CEO Max Stier. Federal employees like these are the heart of an effective government.

Yet, at the same time, this is probably the most toxic atmosphere for the federal workforce Ive experienced in my entire life, said Doreen P. Greenwald, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) and a Sammies judge. She spent 35 years with the Internal Revenue Service, often a target of criticism.

She did not name a party or a politician but her reference to Republicans and likely to GOP nominee Donald Trumps plans to gut the federal workforce  was clear.

Not only do we have campaign promises from politicians to fire as many federal employees as possible, she added, we have officeholders and candidates who deploy rhetoric like deep state and woke bureaucrats in order to stoke mistrust of the very people who do nothing but serve the public good.

The finalists list is too long for this space to name everyone honored. But a survey of some of the types of achievements highlighted in each of the awards five categories shows the federal workforces beneficial impact on taxpayers. The quoted descriptions were provided by the Partnership.

- One of the Paul A. Volcker Career Achievement nominees advocated for and implemented a federal program to promote historically Black colleges and universities as innovation hubs that bridge the digital divide for underserved communities.

- An Emerging Leaders nominee led Medicare and Medicaid teams that created online services that help patients dispute unexpected medical bills and hospitals make their prices transparent to the public.

- Among the Management Excellence nominees is one recognized for organizing critical research projects that exposed gaps in vehicle safety features, and uncovered shortcomings in the reliability of the U.S. rail and highway systems.

- A Safety, Security and International Affairs nominee provided services leading to the reopening of a major interstate highway in Philadelphia less than two weeks after a fiery gasoline tanker crash destroyed a bridge over an exit ramp.

- One Science, Environment and Technology nominee created the worlds first tornado-resistant building codes  that will save lives and protect critical facilities like schools, hospitals and emergency centers from extensive property damage.

While doing these and many more good works, feds also confront proposals and actions that NTEU, which represents workers across the government, opposes because, a union statement says, of the threat they pose to federal employees.

That includes Trumps 2020 executive order imposing a federal employment category, called Schedule F, that would make it easier to fire feds faster for partisan reasons. President Biden quickly ended that when he took office. But if Trump is reelected this year, he promised to reissue the directive and wield that power very aggressively. Republican legislation would make Schedule F law.

Republican lawmakers have introduced several other bills in recent months that would also target the federal workforce. These bills would:

- Make all executive branch workers at-will employees, meaning they could be fired without the due process protections used to prevent a workforce politicized by partisans. The bill would abolish the Merit Systems Protection Board, which protects against prohibited personnel practices in the federal government.

- Move federal offices out of the Washington area, disrupting operations and the lives of thousands of employees and their families. The name of this bill, the Drain the Swamp Act, is taken directly from Trumps rhetoric, which offended feds by essentially labeling them swamp dwellers. It should be noted that only about 15 percent of federal employees live in broadly defined metropolitan Washington, which extends to West Virginia, indicating the vast majority of federal operations already are outside the region.

- Prohibit most executive branch employees from serving more than 12 years. Uniformed and civilian Defense Department employees, and federal law enforcement officers would be exempt. Curiously, this legislation would not apply to presidential appointees, who generally are political party loyalists. Meanwhile, members of Congress would continue to have no term limits.

None of these bills have gained traction in the closely divided House and would probably face defeat in the Democratic Senate.

The toxic atmosphere Greenwald cited is fed by bills like these that rest on negative assumptions about the federal workforce and by proposals like those of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, long an incubator and supporter of GOP policies. Its 2023 Mandate for Leadership disparages federal employees, saying they are often ideologically aligned  not with the majority of the American people  but with one another, posing a profound problem for republican government, a government of, by, and for the people.

Sammies finalists present a different, a more accurate view of the federal workforce.

Federal employees are working on our behalf every day, often in ways we dont see or realize, Stier said. The Sammies bring their remarkable stories to light and open our eyes to the incredible impact of public servants.
Migrants wave to a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border through the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. ()

The flow of people into the U.S. over the southwest border has slumped in the first four months of the year by one key metric, according to the Biden administration, which attributed the decline to increased enforcement and steps taken to stem the flow by Mexico and other countries further south.

The number of encounters between migrants and immigration authorities during the first fourth months of this year are down 40% compared with the final four months of last year, according to senior administration officials, who spoke on the condition they not be identified.

The decline implies that the number of arrivals by undocumented migrants has continued to slide from March into April, the first time during the Biden administration that the figures slowed during that span despite warmer weather, when the figures would typically rise.

Record flows of migrants have overwhelmed the U.S. immigration system, increasing political pressure on President Joe Biden as he heads toward a reelection fight again Donald Trump. With an overhaul stalled in Congress, Biden said last month his administration may further restrict migrants ability to claim asylum, echoing some of the Trump-era policies he had previously rejected.

Customs and Border Protection data show that border encounters fell to about 190,000 per month in February and March, down from a record of more than 300,000 in December, after Mexico restored funding for migration services and ramped up deportations.

The officials on Monday also said that the U.S. plans to announce millions of dollars for migration-related use, including humanitarian support such as food and shelter, as Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Guatemala for a regional meeting on the issue on Tuesday.

The U.S. on Monday also imposed visa restrictions on some Colombian ferry operators moving migrants north to the Darien Gap between Central and South America, the officials said, referring to a treacherous mountain pass traversed by more than 520,000 people last year.

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
In this screenshot from YouTube, retired Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks during the NewDay USA Center of Leadership Speaker Series at Georgia Military College on Thursday, May 2, 2024. (GMC-Georgia Military College/YouTube)

(Tribune News Service)  Thirteen years ago Thursday, an American special operations unit killed al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in north Pakistan.

Its a day retired U.S. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen remembers well. Theres a famous photo taken by former White House photographer Pete Souza showing the national security team as they followed the mission from the White House situation room. Standing over then-President Barack Obamas left shoulder is Mullen. At the time, he was serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the principal military adviser to the president, secretary of defense and the National Security Council. While the authority to move forward with the operation that killed bin Laden ultimately belonged to Commander-in-Chief Obama, the action came under Mullens recommendation.

The man who was the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under two presidents and the former chief of Naval Operations certainly has some insight when it comes to leadership.

Mullen was in town Thursday to serve as the first keynote speaker in the NewDay USA Center of Leadership Speaker Series, a partnership between military veteran mortgage lender NewDay USA and Georgia Military College.

Mullens visit was the first fulfillment of the promise to bring eminent speakers to the campus. Cadets first heard from NewDay USA executives in a 30-minute panel discussion before Mullen was brought to the podium by Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, president of GMC.

A Los Angeles native, Mullen served 43 years in the United States Navy before his November 2011 retirement. His military career reached its pinnacle when he became chairman of the Joint Chiefs under former President George W. Bush in 2007. Mullen kept the post through the countrys leadership change from Bush to Obama.

Other than serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs during the May 2011 operation to kill the terrorist leader bin Laden, Mullen is also well-known for spearheading the elimination of the dont ask, dont tell policy from the U.S. military, which opened the door for openly-gay men and women to serve their country.

Mullen spent an hour addressing the packed NewDay USA Center audience Thursday. The venue was full of prep school and junior college cadets, GMC employees and members of the community. It was to the young people in the crowd that Mullens message was directed.

Our future depends on you, our youth, and actually the investment made in you in terms of where we go as a community, as a state, as a country, and as a world. ... Were living in a world right now  and a country right now  thats hugely challenged, and we need courageous, determined, accountable, ethical leaders. Courageous, determined, accountable, ethical  those are all characteristics of a great leader.

After his speech, Mullen engaged with cadets in a Q-and-A session. Some of those cadets are future members of the Navy and could someday find themselves in one of the seats the admiral formerly held.

In this handout image provided by The White House, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of the national security team are said to receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House on May 1, 2011, in Washington, D.C. Retired U.S. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stands behind Obamas left shoulder. (A classified document visible in this photo was obscured by The White House.) (Pete Souza, The White House/TNS)

During his time onstage, Mullen mentioned that once intelligence had been gathered saying bin Laden was in Pakistan following a 10-year manhunt, there were multiple options on the table to eliminate him. The military could use B-52s and put a crater there, as Mullen put it, carry out a remote drone strike, or send in the Navy SEALs in a manned operation.

I actually went out and saw the SEAL rehearsal, Mullen said. Thats part of leadership as well. Dont get stuck behind your machines. ... Get out and see the troops. I met all 50 SEALs, and I looked at them one-on-one. I wanted them to know they had the backing of the senior leadership in the United States military.

Confidence in those SEALs was one driving factor in choosing the SEALs route. There was another key reason.

Secondly, if we didnt positively ID him, theres a good chance that the enemy would deny we ever got him, the Navy admiral told The Union-Recorder shortly after his speaking engagement. We needed to guarantee it was him and that he was dead.

The newspaper asked Mullen what the feeling was like inside the situation room once the kill was confirmed and the operation was successful. He shared a story that cant fully be told from Souzas famous situation room photo from 13 years ago.

It depends on when you would call it a success, he said. In that picture (inside the situation room) you can see then-Vice President [Joe] Biden sitting next to Obama. He and I carry rosary rings. I had one in my pocket that I carried for a long time. I looked down to see him get his wallet out and take the rosary ring off and start to put it in his wallet. I leaned down and said, Mr. Vice President, Ive got almost 50 operators illegally in a foreign country. We just killed the No. 1 enemy in the world. Ive got to fly those operators out, which is 90 minutes or so. Ive got to, no kidding, identify [ bin Laden]. Then Ive got to put him on a Marine helicopter and fly him through Pakistani airspace to get him out to a carrier to bury him consistent with the Muslim custom. So Ive got a long way to go. Please put that rosary ring back on. It was a long operation from beginning to end.

Biden did in fact put the ring back on, according to Mullen.

Mullen was just the first of the many distinguished guests planned to grace the NewDay USA Center of Leadership stage. Earlier Thursday, NewDay Executive Chairman Admiral Thomas Lynch revealed that the next speaker is slated to be U.S. Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, former Secretary of Defense under President Donald Trump. Mattis visit is scheduled to coincide with GMC Preps annual 9/11 ceremony in September.

(c)2024 The Union-Recorder (Milledgeville, Ga.)

Visit unionrecorder.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
As security was walking behind her, she lashed out at the security staff member and bit her through two soft shell jackets

A NIGHTCLUB patron bit into a security womans bicep in an act of savagery that left her with a full-mouth bite mark on her arm.

IT worker Dora Lotufo (40) bit the bouncer through two soft shell jackets in an over the top reaction to being moved while she was queuing in the club.

Judge Stephanie Coggans said it was a terrible assault on someone who was simply doing their job but spared Lotufo jail, giving her a three-month suspended sentence.

Lotufo, of Wadelai Road, Glasnevin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Diceys Nightclub, Harcourt Street, on November 14, 2022.

Garda Daniel Fetherston said he was called to the club where the victim said Lotufo had bitten her on the arm after she was asked to move from a queue at the cloakroom to an alternative way.

As security was walking behind her, she lashed out at the security staff member and bit her through two soft shell jackets, Gda Fetherston said.

I saw the security guard had suffered a full-mouth bite mark, bruising and a cut to her inner left bicep.

Lotufo, who was restrained at the scene, had no prior convictions.

The security guard told the court she was treated for an open wound and her muscle hurt for a month.

She changed job because she was not ready to deal with people.

Lotufo had been anxious to get her coat, the weather was cold and she felt it was not being returned to her, defence solicitor Paul Byrne said.

She admitted her reaction to being escorted by security was disproportionate and over the top, he said.

She felt hard done by and behaved terribly but was an otherwise blameless person.

This was a very savage act, Judge Coggans said. I dont know on what planet you would consider it appropriate to bite a woman who was simply doing her job. I go so far as to say its savagery.

The victim refused compensation so the judge told Lotufo to pay her 1,000 in out of pocket expenses. 
Maguire has been living in the UK after he survived being shot in an attempted murder in February 2019 near his Co Louth home

Gardai investigate at the shooting of Brendan Maguire at the M1 retail park in Drogheda

Brendan Maguire was shot at the M1 retail park in Drogheda on 2019

Gangland figure and Criminal Assets Bureau target Brendan Maguire has been arrested in the UK and is fighting extradition back to Ireland.

The senior Drogheda gang boss appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court this week where he said he would be looking for bail ahead of a full hearing of the case.

Maguire has been living in the UK after he survived being shot in an attempted murder in February 2019 near his Co Louth home.

He has outstanding warrants for his arrest in Ireland in connection with a violent disorder charge, possession of weapons and other charges.

He is considered a senior member of the gang headed up by his brother Owen Maguire and now-deceased gangster Cornelius Price.

Gardai investigate at the shooting of Brendan Maguire at the M1 retail park in Drogheda

In a brief appearance by video link from Wandsworth Prison, Maguire explained that he had been unable to get a solicitor.

Im trying for bail. My bank card is in the prison and I cant get my bank card to get a solicitor to get free legal aid. Thats what Im trying for, for bail, he said.

Asked if he had any family he could contact, Maguire said he had been in touch with his wife who was trying to get the bank details out of the bank, but you know yourself when it comes to banks, they take their own time.

He added: I have my bank card in the prison Im trying to get it but everything in here is tomorrow and it never happens.

Thats why I have no solicitor. Im trying to get a solicitor.

Maguire was told he had made one bail application and that he was entitled to a second application before his full hearing later this year.

It was added that he could make a second bail application by himself or could wait until he had sorted out a solicitor.

Youve only got one more opportunity. What do you want to do? he was asked.

Maguire told the magistrate hed rather wait until he had a solicitor, who agreed to adjourn the case to a later date.

If you have a solicitor by that point you can make a bail application, he was told.

Dressed in a grey T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, he thanked the judge as he stood up and left the video room in Wandsworth Prison.

Cornelius Price

No details were given as to the exact nature of the charges against him during the court hearing. It emerged during the recent CAB case against Maguire and his brother Owen that he had been living in Manchester where officers were able to have legal papers served on him.

His brother Owen was left permanently disabled after also surviving a shooting incident by gangland hitman Robbie Lawlor in July 2018.

Brendan Maguire reportedly travelled back to Ireland briefly for a family celebration last year and appeared in photos posted on social media.

He was also spotted at the lavish funeral of gangster Cornelius Price in January 2023 in Rochdale.

Price, who died of natural causes after being in a coma for several months, was also a key figure in the lethal Drogheda feud.

The involvement of Price and the Maguire brothers in drug dealing in the north-east of Ireland was laid out in evidence presented to the High Court by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Brendan Maguire was described in the evidence as a person of significant strength and is the person that collects the money owed for drugs or uses intimidation when required.

In January 2023, Judge Alexander Owens found in favour of CAB, who wanted two properties, two vehicles, a Rolex watch and 305,000 in cash belonging to both Brendan and Owen declared the proceeds of crime.

In making the order Judge Owens said they had very little in regular income over a long period of time and the sworn affidavits by gardai were well-founded.

The overall situation points very strongly to the proceeds of crime, he said.

Members of the Maguire/Price organised criminal gang are believed to be behind the murders of William Maughan and Anna Varslavane who disappeared in 2015.

The previous year, Benjamin Whitehouse was shot dead in his car in Balbriggan in a killing suspected to have been carried out by members of the gang.

The gang was also involved in the lethal gangland feud in Drogheda with members believed to have carried out the killing of Keith Branigan in August 2019.

He was shot dead at a Clogherhead caravan park.
During police interviews William Mongan admitted smashing the mop against the wall but denied assaulting his wife.

A Belfast man allegedly broke a mop over his wifes back after spitting on the kitchen floor.

William Mongan, 38, is also accused of punching her in the face as part of a violent outburst at their home on Sunday.

Mongan, of Greenhill Grove, Ligoniel, appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court today charged with common assault and criminal damage to a wall.

Police went to the property after receiving a 999 call from the couples 13-year-old son.

The injured party alleged that the defendant went into the kitchen and started spitting on the floor, a PSNI officer said.

When she asked him to stop he lifted a mop and hit her across the back, causing it to break in pieces.

It was claimed that Mongan then punched his wife and struck the kitchen wall with the broken shaft, causing damage to the plaster.

During police interviews the accused admitted smashing the mop against the wall but denied assaulting his wife.

He stated that he wished he had hit her, the officer added.

Bail was opposed amid concerns for the couples children.

Defence solicitor Adrian Harvey argued that Mongan provided a full account to police.

He hasnt shied away from his behaviour, there was a dispute between him and his wife, Mr Harvey stressed.

Damage was caused to the property, but he very much denies assaulting her at any stage.

Refusing bail, however, District Judge John Meehan remanded Mongan in custody for four weeks.

He said: The most striking concern is interference with witnesses, even more than the risk of further offending.
The body of the man remains at the scene and a post-mortem examination is being arranged.

Man shot dead in Dublin as gardai hold three for questioning

Gardai are investigating the fatal shooting of a man in the early hours of Monday.

At approximately 12:15am, a man sustained fatal injuries after being targeted on the Knocknarea Road in the Crumlin/Drimnagh area of Dublin 12, gardai said.

The body of the man remains at the scene and a post-mortem examination is being arranged.

The scene is currently preserved for examination by the Garda Technical Bureau.

Three men have been arrested as part of the garda investigation and they are currently being detained at garda stations in the Dublin Region under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939.

The investigation into the incident is being led by a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and an Incident Room has been established at Sundrive Road Garda Station.

It is understood gardai have recovered three cars of interest in the investigation and are searching for a van that may be connected to the killing.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to these incidents to come forward.

Anyone with any information that can assist gardai with their investigation is asked to contact Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01 666 6600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

More to follow...
The two men were held after allegedly refusing to turn down the loud music they had on and then lashing out at officers

Two Irish tourists have been arrested on suspicion of assaulting police who responded to complaints from a neighbour about a late-night party at their rented Costa del Sol holiday accommodation.

The pair, aged 29, were held after allegedly refusing to turn down the loud music they had on and then lashing out at officers.

One of the men is said to have punched one of the two cops who initially went to the property near Puerto Banus before running back inside the apartment after his friend resisted requests to show them his ID and insisted they had no intention of ending their loud party early.

The police called for back-up but the same holidaymaker lashed out a second time before he was arrested, kicking and punching officers as they tried to overpower him.

His friend was also held after allegedly becoming violent.

There has not yet been any official comment from police.

The tourists are believed to have already appeared before a judge but court officials could not be contacted early this morning for comment on the case.

Respected local paper Sur said one of the officers who attended the incident had suffered a shoulder injury.

Police were called by a neighbour who had previously asked the holidaymakers to turn the music down but was ignored.
The men remain in custody and are now being questioned by NCA investigators.

Four men were arrested in Lelley, UK over the seizure. Photo: National Crime Agency

Four men have been arrested in the UK in connection with a seizure of cocaine with a potential street value of 40 million (46m).

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers made the arrests after around 500 kilos of cocaine was found in the back of a Vauxhall Vivaro van in the car park of the Stags Head Inn in Lelley, Humberside in northern England over the weekend.

Its believed that the drugs had been transported from a larger vessel sailing off the coast of Hull using a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) a few hours before.

The smaller boat was later found abandoned on rocks at Easington Beach, about two and a half hours away from Lelley.

The men were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to import class A drugs at around 8.30am on Saturday, 4 May, following a NCA operation which was supported by Humberside Police, the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit and Border Force.

The four suspects  a 22-year-old from Argyll, a 32-year-old from Oban, a 24-year-old from Campbeltown and a 39-year-old from Colombia - remain in custody and are now being questioned by NCA investigators.

Speaking after the arrests, NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan French said the seizure will be a sizeable blow to the organised crime group which attempted to smuggle it into the UK.

Theres no doubt these drugs would have been sold into communities around the UK, fuelling further crime and exploitation.

Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to do all we can to disrupt criminal activity, and protect the UKs border security.

Our investigation continues following these arrests.
A 27-year-old woman from Witham, Essex, UK, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of neglecting a child to cause unnecessary injury.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of neglect after a five-month-old boy suffered a cardiac arrest at Legoland Windsor Resort.

The baby is in critical condition in hospital after the incident at around 1pm on Thursday, police said.

A 27-year-old woman from Witham, Essex, UK, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of neglecting a child to cause unnecessary injury.

She has been released on police bail until July 26.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Zoe Eele, of the Thames Valley Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: We are investigating a distressing incident involving a very young child at Legoland Windsor earlier this week.

Firstly, our thoughts are with the family of the boy who is in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. We are supporting them as best we can at this extremely difficult time.

We are working closely with the team at Legoland Windsor Resort but would like to speak to anyone who may have information about this incident, specifically anyone who was queueing for the Coastguard HQ boat ride between around 11.30am and 12.45pm.

Police have confirmed they are not looking for further suspects in relation to the incident.
Five-year-old Seamie Ryan has ulcerative colitis but a new treatment has given him the chance to have fun with his family.

Mum Rebecca says Seamie is welcomed by nursing staff like hes the king of Wexford

Seamie with his parents Rebecca and Eddie and his younger brother Teddy

Seamie has turned a corner with the treatment he is having for his condition

Little Seamie Ryan is looking forward to a summer of family fun after turning a corner in his treatment for a chronic disease.

The five-year-old was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease that affects the large bowel, when he was just three years old.

Its been a difficult number of years for the Enniscorthy boy and his family, but in recent months an effective form of treatment has made a hugely positive impact.

Now Seamie is looking forward to sunny days helping out at the family farm, camping trips and welcoming some new hens to supply eggs for family and friends.

Seamie with his parents Rebecca and Eddie and his younger brother Teddy

Both of his nannies are bakers so theyre going to be flat out! said mum Rebecca.

Were really looking forward to summer as hes in a really good place. To be able to make plans and follow through with those plans and do all those nice things.

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disease and Seamie is currently on an infusion treatment which he receives via an outpatient appointment every four weeks.

He loves the craic, loves spending time with both sets of grandparents, just finds joy in absolutely everything.

And the nurses  he walks into the hospital ward every month and hes greeted like hes the king of Wexford. They couldnt be any nicer to him. Theyre amazing with him.

Hes had a really tough road. Its only actually the last two months weve really seen that side of him where were like: yes, thats the boy who we knew was in there. So its lovely to be able to describe him like that.

Mum Rebecca says Seamie is welcomed by nursing staff like hes the king of Wexford

The disease has had a huge impact on Seamie and his family in recent years.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease causes inflammation, swelling and ulceration of the intestines, and is not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome, where there is no evidence of inflammation or ulceration.

The two most common types of IBD are Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. In Crohns, inflammation can occur anywhere along the digestive tract, while in ulcerative colitis, it affects the large bowel or colon.

People with IBD can experience times when their disease is in remission and when it is active.

When active, most common symptoms are urgent and frequent bowel motions sometimes with blood, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, reduced appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, and painful joints and skin rashes.

There is currently no cure for IBD, but early diagnosis and treatment can help to stabilise the disease and provide a normal quality of life.

Seamie was diagnosed with UC when he was just three years old, as parents Eddie and Rebecca went through a worrying time trying to discover what was wrong with their toddler.

We always knew there was just something not right, said Rebecca. He was quite unsettled, always had this little bloated belly, wasnt really thriving. When he was 13 months old, for the first time I saw blood in the stool.

Seamie Ryan receiving treatment

Initial medical tests showed no obvious issues, but their sons condition worsened and soon, he was having ten loose and bloody stools on a daily basis as his concerned parents sought further help.

Tests showed his inflammatory markers were high and further investigation including a colonoscopy revealed that his large intestine was very inflamed. Anaemia had also become an issue.

At this stage Seamie was so unwell. He was so pale, recalled Rebecca. He was admitted into Crumlin hospital after he was diagnosed. He was put on steroids to bring down the inflammation.

It took a good deal of time and effort before an effective treatment worked, and the little boy got only little relief from initial forms of treatment.

Infliximab is an immunosuppressant treatment and therefore Seamie is prone to many infections, said Rebecca.

This, in turn, impacts what we can do as a family and has implications for Seamies younger brother, Teddy (3). Seamie needs a lot of care and attention and, as a result, I had to reduce my working week.

"We rely heavily on our amazing family during times when Seamie is unwell and for childcare during his many appointments.

He has missed many outings, friends parties and playdates. Despite this, he never gives up and, when he is feeling good, his zest for life is infectious, and he puts a smile on everyones face.

Seamie Ryan

The family say they are grateful to the support of Crohns and Colitis Ireland, which is organising a major conference in Cork to mark World IBD Day on Sunday May 19. It will feature a number of talks on dating and relationships with IBD, and on eating well with the condition.

We reached out to them in the early days and theyve just been so good, so supportive to us. Theyre a non-Government funded charity, so they rely on fundraisers which we have participated in.

The family would love to see more awareness around IBD in the hope of helping other families. They would also like to see the disease qualify for the long-term illness scheme.

UC is described as a chronic lifelong illness, and yet its not on the long-term illness scheme, said Rebecca. Seamie is not automatically entitled to a medical card. If a parent has to take time off work, theyre not entitled to carers allowance.

Marking World IBD Day, and celebrating 40 years since its foundation, Crohns and Colitis Ireland is hosting a major national conference for people with inflammatory bowel disease in Cork city on Sunday, May 19. To register to attend in person, or via the live stream, see crohnscolitis.ie
New tents spring up despite pledges from the Government that this would not be allowed to happen

New tents spring up despite pledges from the Government that this would not be allowed to happen

Politicians, residents and business owners have demanded action and answers as a new migrant tent city continues to grow on the banks of the Grand Canal.

Just days after a makeshift camp was cleared from nearby Mount Street, there are now up to 70 tents housing asylum-seekers and migrants on both sides of the canal in Dublin city centre.

The new camp has emerged despite assurances from the Taoiseach and Government that these camps would not be allowed to develop.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said last week that makeshift encampments on public roads and footpaths were illegal as he defended the Governments handling of the accommodation crisis.

The camp outside the International Protection Office on Mount Street made international headlines last week as the Government got into a war of words with the UK government over immigration.

When asked by the Irish Independent yesterday what the response to the growing camp on the Grand Canal will be, a spokesperson said the Government was making every effort to accommodate asylum-seekers in Ireland against a backdrop of unprecedented demand.

The statement added: However, the situation remains challenging and the Department [of Integration] cannot provide accommodation to all applicants.

Significant resources have been put into the International Protection Office, including a substantial staff increase, a key lever [in accelerating] processing which has been proven to work. [This will ensure] those who qualify for protection get it within 90 days and those who do not qualify get a quicker decision and instruction to leave.

A statement from An Garda Siochana said it would continue to work with all government departments, statutory agencies, local communities and international protection applicants/rough sleepers to support and maintain safety for all.

However, a group representing residents and local businesses have said the new camp began to form within days of the operation to clear tents from Mount Street, despite a commitment that there would be no large encampments allowed in the city.

We would like the Government to honour that commitment. There has been a lot of buck-passing, and we would have hoped they would do a better job of preventing a new camp.

We are concerned that that has not happened, and clearly there is political leadership needed, said Kevin Byrne of the network representing residents and businesses.

It is still our belief that the International Protection Office should be moved to an area where wraparound services for asylum-seekers can be provided.

A man outside his tent set up on the banks of the Grand Canal in Dublin by men seeking international protection Picture; Gerry Mooney

Fianna Fail TD James OConnor has said the Government must be stronger in dealing with makeshift encampments of homeless asylum-seekers.

He also called for gardai to be deployed to checkpoints on the Border to deal with a reported increase in migrants entering from Northern Ireland.

Mr OConnor raised concerns that another camp had sprung up so quickly, saying Ireland was increasingly being seen as a soft touch on migration.

Whats happening on the Grand Canal, and in Mount Street indeed, its completely unacceptable to me as a government TD and I think the Government needs to be stronger in dealing with this, the Cork East TD told RTE Radio Ones This Week programme.

He added that he thinks there is a need for larger accommodation centres in places like Dublin Airport and in the border area.I would be quite forthright that we do need to see a further rapid expansion of border policing around migration.

This is something I feel is not being done sufficiently.

And I do feel we need to take the bull by the horns and address it because we have to look after people that come here, but we do need to acknowledge that there is a tipping point where we cant do that any more.

Labour Party TD Aodhan O Riordain said he fears for the safety of people forced to live in the tents.

He also said the current strategy of moving asylum-seekers to sites outside the city centre isnt working.

He told the Irish Independent: Were just firefighting all the time, and I do fear for the safety of these men. It is well known that these camps are not sustainable, yet when efforts are made to find accommodation in an area, you get local people objecting and people whipping up fear.

All were doing is moving the problem from one area to another.

Tenants in local Dublin City Council sheltered housing yesterday called for collaboration at government level on the issue.

Our primary concern is ensuring the wellbeing of both the residents and the refugees. We kindly request information on any government initiatives or support programmes to address the current situation, they said in a statement.

The new camp near Mount Street Bridge has grown significantly in size over the bank holiday weekend.

Speaking at the camp yesterday, men in the camp told the Irish Independent they prefer to stay together in one place because they feel safer.
New Zealand's highest-ranked civil defence emergency response leader says systems rather than people are at the heart of major criticisms in the newly-released government inquiry into 2023 severe weather responses.

National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) national controller Wendy Wright's comment comes in the wake of the North Island severe weather events report, released on April 23.

The inquiry, headed by former Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, looked at the emergency responses to the catastrophic Cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and other major weather events in the North Island including the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods.

The report found New Zealand was not ready to respond to large-scale emergencies, the country's emergency management system had failed in places, and it was not fit for purpose.

Wendy spoke to about 300 people at the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Forum, held in Whangarei on Wednesday.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet was now analysing the report and would make recommendations to the government in July on actions to be taken, she says.

It would then be up to the government to decide which of these actions to take and accompanying funding.

She would not be drawn on what actions the government should go with.

Wendy says NEMA welcomed the review, which made it clear the country's emergency management system was not up to scratch.

But it was important to remember it found issue with the systems, rather than the thousands of people responding across impacted areas, she says.

"How do we lift and improve the system for those people?"

Wendy says New Zealand had one of the highest emergency hazard risks in the world, second only to Bangladesh.

Photo: Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter Northland.

New Zealanders needed to learn their local hazard risks and how they were prepared to deal with these.

Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management group chairperson Kelly Stratford says it was clear from reading the report that Te Tai Tokerau would not have coped if it had been hit as badly by Cyclone Gabrielle as Hawke's Bay and Tai Rawhiti.

That was in part because of its multiple isolated communities and many people in those communities not understanding their important and critical role in an emergency response.

Community expectations of what civil defence could do in an emergency response did not match what could be delivered, she says.

People needed to be prepared for longer than the traditionally recommended three days before help might arrive, she says.

Northland's community preparedness was specifically highlighted in the inquiry report.

Kelly says much of Northland would not have been able to fare as well during the severe weather events if not for the many marae which stepped up.

Sixty-six communities around Northland have community response plans from Te Hapua near Cape Reinga in the North to Oruawharo in the very south of the region - Far North 34, Whangarei district 17 and Kaipara 15.

Wendy says Northland's community response plans offered opportunity for other parts of the country to follow as a way to strengthen people connecting into civil defence emergency readiness and response.

Kaipara's Paparoa Community Response Group co-ordinator Lynne Warbrooke says there were lots of people who had done the best they could in the extreme weather situations they faced.

Lynne says civil defence was not a collection of people on white chargers riding in to save the day.

It was communities, which knew their local areas and had strong people networks, that were also civil defence.

She says the Cyclone Gabrielle emergency response had overall been good in Kaipara.

Photo: Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter Northland

Working more closely with people in communities at the local level was one of the inquiry's major improvement recommendations.

Northland Civil Defence Manager Graeme MacDonald says his group is waiting to see what the government decides needed to do as a result of the report.

The inquiry's recommendation that civil defence work more closely with its communities is an aspect Northland could further strengthen, he says.

Graeme says Northland's community response plans had begun in Kaitaia in 2006.

"That model has become the foundation for the work we do in Northland," he says.

Graeme says said Northland Civil Defence had significantly boosted its capacity to work with Maori in the last 18 months, including appointing an iwi relations manager.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
The winner of the New Zealand 2024 Race Unity Speech Awards is Jessica Tupai, year 12, from St Marys College, Wellington.

Jessica's speech highlighted the value of social cohesion and community collaboration.

We say we want to stand together, yet we still divide ourselves with discrimination, says Jessica in the speech.

We say we want to connect all peoples, yet we still break apart because of our bias.

We know we need to unite, yet for some reason we are still wrenched apart by our racism, the same racism that 50 years ago had my Pasifika people hiding behind their door.

The awards were held at the Nga Kete Wananga Marae, Manukau Institute of Technology Otara Campus this weekend and featured students from several schools across New Zealand.

This year's theme, "Te Taura Tangata  The Rope of Unity," underscores the importance of social cohesion and collaborative community efforts.

The metaphor of the 'Rope of Unity' represents the idea that unity formed by people from diverse backgrounds creates a stronger, resilient bond capable of overcoming social divisions and fostering social cohesion.

Pieri Munro, (DC/DCE - Iwi & Community) and representative of the New Zealand Police, reflects on the theme and kaupapa, drawing inspiration from the whakatuaki, Ka pu te ruha te hao te rangatahi, which translates to When the old net is worn, the new net goes fishing.

Pieri emphasises the Race Unity Speech Awards empower our youth to grow and become future leaders, helping them to be equipped to face global challenges with unity and strength.

This initiative aligns with the Police's 'Focused Prevention through Partnerships' priority, reinforcing trust and confidence within our communities. The speeches encourage us all to reflect on how we can individually and collectively contribute to a society that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.

"It is an opportunity for people of different backgrounds and ethnicities to come together, connect, and share their stories and experiences, preparing them to face future challenges with a united front," says Pieri.

Pieri also shares a poignant whakatuaki, E kore au e ngaro he kakano I ruia mai I Rangiatea (I shall never be lost for I am a seed scattered from Rangiatea).

He emphasises our Tikanga as Maori and as indigenous people should be practiced and adapted to the modern world, not sheltered or fossilised.

One of the national co-ordinators of the Race Unity Speech Awards, Bev Watson, says the theme this year - Te Taura Tangata / The Rope of Unity  encourages students to consider the power of working in unity with others to help achieve social cohesion.

New Zealand Police have been the chief sponsors of the Speech Awards for the past sixteen years, says Bev.

They support the initiative at both the regional and national levels, ensuring that as many Police as possible are exposed to the thoughts of the rangatahi on a social issue of critical importance.

The Race Unity Speech Awards provide a platform to practice the sacred art of storytelling, allowing us to share our stories and experiences; so that we are all united as people to create a New Zealand that is bounded by empathy, inclusivity, and respect.

About the Awards

The Race Unity Speech Awards were established by the New Zealand Bahai Community in memory of race relations advocate and Bahai Faith member Hedi Moani.

Organised by the New Zealand Bahai Community, a religious community dedicated to promoting the oneness of humanity at various levels, the Speech Awards receive sponsorship from the New Zealand Police (principal sponsors), the Human Rights Commission, Foundation North, Manukau Institute of Technology, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, Speech New Zealand, Hedi Moani Charitable Trust, and Studio Marque.

Video footage available here: https://www.facebook.com/raceunityaotearoa/videos/989266742227643
The former head of Ruapehu Alpine lifts will be putting in a bid to take over a central North Island ski-field.

The Whakapapa Ski-field was left out of a deal made earlier this year to grant Pure Turoa Limited a 10-year concession to operate the ski-field at Turoa.

Its previous owners, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL), which used to operate both the Whakapapa and Turoa fields on Mount Ruapehu, went into voluntary administration.

RAL former chief executive Dave Mazey wants to ensure Whakapapa's survival. The ski-field remains under the ongoing management of RAL's receivers.

Whakapapa Holdings, led by Mazey, previously tried to buy the Whakapapa ski-field, but withdrew because of concern over its viability.

Mazey believed the long-term future of the ski-field was critical for central North Island communities and the ski market.

"A lot of people get a whole lot of benefit and value out of being able to enjoy these sort of opportunities on the maunga," he tells Morning Report.

"Whakapapa has produced and delivered what you call an operating surface, pretty well consistently, for 70-odd years. I believe that opportunity is still there, and if we can get the model right, the formula right and get back the scale of business that was traded through up until the 2019-2020 year, I think it's got a strong future."

Anyone wanting to buy Whakapapa would need a concession or licence to be able to operate on the mountain - the concession was restricted to a 10-year term with the Conservation Act allowing a maximum available term of 60-years.

"I also think that there's real value in taking the first five years of that sitting around the table with all of the various stakeholders, but particularly the key iwi groupings, and over that five-year period endeavouring to develop a stronger understanding of what are the opportunities for the longer term future for this place."

In March, RAL received its fifth multimillion-dollar bailout.

Newshub on Sunday reported Auckland businessman John Sandford was also registering an expression of interest in Whakapapa with other New Zealand businesses, and that an expression of interest to the receivers was also imminent from Ngati Hikairo.

Debt and climate

One of the issues raised by Mazey previously was that any new owner would have to take on a large debt associated with the construction of the Sky Waka Gondola in 2018-19.

"You've got to take on that $14 million of bond and debt associated with the Sky Waka, you're going to have to make some $1.5 to $2 million of payments that are unpaid from prior to RAL going into administration," he told Morning Report.

"But we still believe with what's available and what's on the table now in the context of this initial short-term 10-year license, once we get through that and get a clearer picture of what a longer term future could look like, it's a commercially viable business."

It would not be possible to honour the 'life passes' for the Whakapapa ski-field though, he says.

"I don't think any commercial operator is going to have an ability to honour the life passes as they were sold and purchased historically.

"I'm sure there will be still be an offer on the table that will offer them discounted scheme for a period, as we saw with PTL [Pure Turoa Limited] in Turoa, where for a fixed fee they get access to lifts for the next three years.

"Somewhere in there, there will be something on the table but it clearly won't be access to all lifts at Whakapapa for no charge for the balance of people's lives."

Mazey acknowledged there was also the challenge of climate - with variable snow over the years - but there were workarounds snow management techniques.

"We just have to be smarter and better at utilising the cold air and the snow that does come naturally than we may have had to do in the past."

-RNZ
More than 7500 Kiwis took a stand against cancer last July by spending 31 days without alcohol and raising over $1.2 million.

Today, the Dry July campaign launches again, calling for even more people to join the cause and make a difference to the lives of thousands of New Zealanders living with cancer.

This year, the Dry July NZ Trust is stressing the high demand for cancer support with more Kiwis developing cancer, due to the population increasing and people living longer.

This year, Dry July invites participants to reflect on their Why  the reason behind their commitment to going alcohol-free for the month of July.

Funds raised through Dry July directly support non-medical services for cancer patients designed to work alongside their treatment and navigate life beyond diagnoses.

Dry July is committed to supporting three cancer charities; Look Good Feel Better, Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand and PINC & STEEL Cancer Rehabilitation Foundation.

These organisations deliver specific programmes tailored to the needs of cancer patients, their whanau and close networks, thanks to the generosity of Dry July participants.

Look Good Feel Better provides a programme of free wellbeing sessions for anyone with any cancer to help them navigate their new normal, Prostate Cancer Foundation offers education, support, and advocacy for patients and families affected by prostate cancer, and PINC & STEEL deliver rehabilitation programmes led by certified oncology physiotherapists to help cancer patients with physical, emotional, and social support.

We are so grateful to see the impact of Dry July funds, says PINC & STEEL founder and general manager Lou James.

The 102 per cent growth in our group programmes has enabled us to reach more Kiwis affected by cancer, letting them engage with life once more.

Cancer can be an isolating experience, but we see the life-changing effects our group sessions have on people first-hand, says Lou.

Look Good Feel Better general manager Clare OHiggins says the charity is grateful to those who fundraise in Dry July.

Dry July funding helped Look Good Feel Better grow its programme offering by more than 45 per cent last year alone, and from four online options in 2020 to 12 options  increasing the range to include skin, hair, body, and mind options so participants can choose an array of sessions to suit them.

In 2020 Look Good Feel Better offered 42 online classes  in 2023 the charity offered more than 130 online classes.

On average, every 22 minutes, another New Zealander receives the life-changing news: you have cancer. Thats potentially more than 2,200 people in July alone and over 26,000 people each year. Navigating this new reality can be overwhelming. Our goal is to restore peoples confidence and make them feel like a person again, not a patient, Clare says.

Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ chief executive Peter Dickens highlights the difference the right support can make to the quality of life of people who have been treated, or who are living with, prostate cancer.

Its in these areas that the support of Dry July really comes into its own by enabling the Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ to get men moving  through its nationwide network of exercise classes, known as Prost-FIT, he says.

The impact of Dry July extends beyond the health benefits of those who take part  it provides vital support and rehabilitation programmes to New Zealanders at all stages of their cancer journey. By going alcohol-free for a month, participants also experience personal health benefits, including improved sleep and energy levels.

Registrations for Dry July 2024 are now open and every contribution makes a difference. Visit www.dryjuly.co.nz to get involved.

About Dry July

The Dry July campaign challenges people to give up alcohol for the month of July and raise funds for people affected by cancer.

People can participate as individuals or may choose to create a team or participate as a workplace team. Participants are encouraged to seek sponsorship or purchase golden tickets, to have a day off going dry, for special occasions.

Dry July started in Australia in 2008, when three mates decided to abstain from alcohol for a month to raise money for a cause close to their hearts.

Hoping to raise $3000 to buy a TV for their local hospitals waiting room, the initial campaign was a huge success and ended up raising over $250,000.

The Dry July campaign launched in New Zealand in 2012, run by the Dry July NZ Trust, and has since had over 61,000 people take part, and raised over $9 million to support cancer patients, their families and carers.
New Zealand exported $2.58 billion of red meat products in the first quarter of the year, as the sector continues to face weaker pricing and demand in China, the Meat Industry Association says.

Overall red meat exports were down by five per cent from the first quarter of 2023, the lowest value for the quarter since 2018, according to an analysis by the association.

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva says the weaker Chinese market is partly offset by good demand from North America, and there were signs of recovery in the United Kingdom and Japan.

However, China remains challenging, with exports down 27 per cent to $796 million.

Most other top markets remain steady or have increased.

Exports to the US are up 11 per cent to $658m, the UK by 44 per cent to $126m, Japan by 26 per cent to $117m, and the Netherlands remains steady at $114m.

However, exports to Korea dropped 30 per cent to $46m for the quarter, and exports to Germany dropped 18 per cent to $62m.

Sheepmeat export volumes are up three per cent to 119,244 tonnes, and beef up two per cent to 129,375 tonnes.

However, the value of sheepmeat is down five per cent to $1.04 billion.

Beef remains unchanged at $1.08b.

Karapeeva says it's encouraging to see the positive performance of chilled products.

While the volume and value of frozen exports are down or unchanged, chilled exports of both sheepmeat and beef increased.

Chilled sheepmeat exports increased 17 per cent by volume to 13,202 tonnes and 11 per cent by value to $204m on the first quarter of last year.

This includes China, with an increase of 40 per cent by volume to 107 tonnes, and 61 per cent by value to $3.4m.

Chilled beef exports increased 26 per cent by volume to 9112 tonnes and 28 per cent by value to $141m.

Although chilled sheepmeat volumes are still below pre-pandemic levels, it is encouraging to see some recovery, while chilled beef exports have largely recovered, says Karapeeva.

The high-value chilled meat offering is largely as a result of innovation and research and development in processing and packaging, which is providing a longer product shelf life.

New Zealand red meat exports March 2024

Meat Industry Association chief executive Sirma Karapeeva.

Overall, March exports are in line with the trends of the quarter. The total exports of $949m were down nine per cent on March 2023, and represented the lowest value for the month since 2018.

There's a 35 per cent drop in exports to China to $277m. The US remains steady at $233m, the UK increased 57 per cent to $50m, Japan by 63 per cent to $47m, and Canada by 56 per cent to $29m.

Sheepmeat

Sheepmeat exports dropped by three per cent by volume compared with last March to 43,702 tonnes, with value down nine per cent to $395m.

Volumes to China are down 25 per cent to 20,008 tonnes and 42 per cent by value to $106m.

Exports to the US increased 36 per cent by volume to 3621 tonnes and 30 per cent by value to $67m.

Exports to the UK also increased against the low levels seen in early 2023, up 57 per cent to 3621 tonnes, and 48 per cent by value to $40m.

Beef

Beef exports dropped 2 per cent by volume compared with last March to 45,690 tonnes, and four per cent in value to $386m.

Exports to China fell 16 per cent by volume to 17,169 tonnes, and 24 per cent by value to $124m.

Following several months of steady growth, exports to the US dipped four per cent to 15,763 tonnes.

However, the value still increased 2 per cent to $143 million.

Beef volumes to Japan increased 118 per cent to 3281 tonnes, and 105 per cent by value to $29m, compared with low levels last March.

Fifth quarter

Fifth-quarter exports are down 18 per cent to $168m.

The value of almost all categories dropped compared with last March.

Edible offals are the exception, increasing 12 per cent to $38m.

-The Country.
An extended run of low temperatures is being forecast as New Zealand embraces the final month of autumn.

This week holds in store a mix of biting cold winds and crisp, frosty mornings across much of the country.

"This May marks a stark contrast to last year," says MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane.

"Many may recall the tropical-feeling temperatures of May 2023, where places like Auckland and Hamilton experienced record-breaking warm nights. However, this year, expect an overnight drop to mid-single digits in Auckland City and early morning temperatures hovering near freezing in Hamilton."

The coldest days for the South Island look to be Monday and Thursday, with the chilliest mornings being Thursday in the far south where Queenstown will drop to 1C, and Friday elsewhere with Christchurch starting the day at -3C.

In the North Island, Thursday and Friday are also expected to be the coldest days, with the chill extending even to the typically temperate regions of Northland and Auckland.

Wednesday and Friday morning are anticipated to be the chilliest in the North Island, with -2C in Taupo on Wednesday and 0C in Hamilton on Friday morning.

"Frost will be a notable feature this week," adds Makgabutlane.

"Were at that time of year where the nights are longer and combined with this cold air over the country, that frost could last well into the morning on some days."

This persistent cold is attributed to several cold fronts sweeping northwards across the country, bringing rain and a noticeable drop in temperatures.

"These fronts will deliver much of their rain to the eastern parts of both main islands, even extending into eastern Northland," explains Makgabutlane.

Accompanying these fronts are brisk southerly winds, particularly affecting the lower and eastern South Island, as well as the lower North Island.

"Between the rain, chilly southerlies, and icy temperatures, it will undoubtedly feel like winter," remarks Makgabutlane.

"However, amidst the wintery mix, brighter days are in store, such as on Tuesday and Friday."

Image: MetService.
Hewletts Road is partially blocked follwing a crash.

At 6.02pm there was a two-vehicle crash on Hewletts Road, says a police spokesperson.

"There have been no reported injuries.

"The road is blocked."

At the scene?

Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz
Pilar Martinez Malaga Monday, 6 May 2024, 13:51 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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Malaga Airport has not stopped breaking records since the start of the year, continuing the trend of 2023, which saw the highest number of people pass through its terminals in 12 months.

The boom is helped by the more than 50 airlines that are betting on the Costa del Sol destination, but which are the ones carrying the most passengers? According to airport operator Aena's 2023 statistics, just three low-cost airlines were responsible for almost half of the passengers in an unprecedented year that registered 22.3 million visitors.

Specifically, Ryanair, Vueling and easyJet are the main players, accounting for 47.4% (10.5 million) of the passengers who passed through Malaga Airport's arrival gates last year. The figure, when compared to 2022 data, shows these airlines have gained market share.

The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is the undisputed leader with more than 6.5 million passengers, almost three out of ten of those who arrived or departed from Malaga Airport last year. The airline maintains an unwavering upward trend that has led it to operate both in low and high season.

Ryanair country manager for Spain and Portugal, Elena Cabrera, said Malaga is the only airport in Spain where it has increased the number of aircraft based this summer at the facility by three, from 13 to 16. Ryanair will link the Costa del Sol with 89 cities in Europe and North Africa, of the 136 in total that will be connected to Malaga Airport with direct flights. "Malaga is a safe bet for the company. We operate very well at this airport and the proof of this is that we are putting in three more planes. In the last three years, there has never been an increase like this," Cabrera said. The number of seats offered from the end of March to October this year will be 5.3 million, 19% more than the same period in 2023, she added.

A Spanish airline, in second place

Ryanair is followed by the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling, which in 2023 handled 2.8 million passengers, almost half a million more than the previous year. In fact, a few days ago it paid tribute to the company's 25 millionth passenger at this airport, where it began operating on 1 April 2005. Vueling's network director Jordi Pla said: "since then, we have played a crucial role in the development of the airport, with Malaga being one of the key areas in Vueling's commitment to providing connectivity and supporting quality tourism in the region". The airline is currently the leading company in domestic passenger flights on the Costa del Sol, with a market share of 12.7% and six aircraft based on the Costa del Sol "is the leader in the domestic market in these airport facilities with a share of 42% in 2023", he added. The airline also managed more than 16,000 flights last year. "Since 2005, Vueling has operated more than 160,000 flights to and from Malaga," Pla said.

The third most important airline in Malaga is British company easyJet with almost 1.2 million passengers, that is 200,000 more than in 2022. The airline has programmed 7.6% more seats to fly to and from the Costa del Sol for the high season this year, for which they are offering 1.9 million seats. "The airline continues with its strategy of sustained growth in Malaga, which is also reflected in the expansion of its route network. EasyJet is expanding its range of destinations from the Andalusian city from 15 to 19," the company added.
Vanessa Melgar Ronda Monday, 6 May 2024, 18:34 Opciones para compartir Copiar enlace

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Ronda has not only one bridge over the 'tajo' (gorge) that divides the town, but three: the New, the Old and the Arab. Although it is no secret, there are still many visitors who are surprised when they discover the trio of bridges that add to the town's architectural heritage. They represent great works of engineering that have proved very useful to Ronda's inhabitants throughout history as they bridge the gorge that keeps the municipality split in two halves. This abyss has been silently dug out over many years by the Guadalevin river, now around 100 metres deep (although some stretches exceed this figure), about 500 metres long and about 50 metres wide.

To cross from one side to the other the options are as follows: New Bridge (Puente Nuevo), built in the 18th century to a height above river level of almost 100 metres; Old Bridge (Puente Viejo), built in the 16th century at 31 metres above river level; and finally Arab Bridge, the oldest, built in the 13th century and 12 metres above the river.

"The most famous and impressive is the New Bridge, located at the highest point where the river cuts through. It is the most modern. The other two bridges are located in the lower part of the city and are much more modest in their appearance", explained Juan Francisco Barrones, an official tour guide in the town. "If our visitors arrive to be very impressed by the beauty of the gorge and New Bridge and are eager to admire first-hand the scenery they both provide, they are even more impressed when they learn about the history of the town and how closely its development is linked to these man-made crossings."

The oldest of the three bridges is the Arab bridge, right next to the town's Arab baths. It was used to enter old Ronda and to access the outlying districts and the medina. It was built with stone slabs between the old shrine for the local area and the Arab baths, together with a walled gateway and a barbican (fortified) tower. It is popularly known as the Roman Bridge, although there is no evidence of it being from that period. It has only one arch and has been repaired on several occasions due to flooding from the river.

Zoom Puente Nuevo, New Bridge (18th century). SUR

"The Old Bridge linked the old town and the Padre Jesus district along Calle Real, what was then the town centre in the old Mercadillo [business trading] district. It was built to connect the old Islamic medina with the new district that emerged after the Christian reconquest in the Mercadillo area, what is today Padre Jesus district," said Barrones. The Old Bridge has only a ten-metre arch. "There are some older remains next to its foundations, so it seems clear that there was an earlier bridge on the same site, perhaps from the Muslim period, but there is a lot of controversy on the subject. What is clear is that it must have been destroyed after the re-conquest and had to be rebuilt. In 1486, Juan Torres was ordered to build the bridge." In 1616 it was washed away by a flood and in the 17th century it underwent quite a transformation. In the 20th century they added a parapet and four balconies.

The New Bridge, the work of Jose Martin de Aldehuela, allowed the urban expansion of Ronda and opened to traffic in 1787. Before that, however, another bridge was built on the same site around 1735 that collapsed six years later due to poor workmanship. There was an unknown number of fatalities. This brought about the creation of the Arch of Felipe V, another of Ronda's monumental landmarks. Next to the Old Bridge, they removed part of the fortified walls and built a ramp and this archway in an attempt to improve access to the town from this lower area. Unfortunately, not everyone was trusting of the steep slope, especially because of the difficulty for carriages, so this led to the idea of building another archway in the upper part of the town - aptly named the New Arch.
Ithaca, N.Y.  A driver who police say was impaired and hit an Ithaca College student is a Cornell University police officer, a Cornell official said.

The student was walking in the 1500 block of Slaterville Road in the town of Ithaca around 1:30 a.m. Saturday when the student was struck by the vehicle, troopers said in a news release.

The 19-year-old student was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania with serious injuries, troopers said.
Update Wednesday: Ronn Torossian was charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to a Syracuse University spokesperson. The charges were originally not released by the university.

Related article: Man arrested at Syracuse University encampment was president of Jewish parents council

Original article

Syracuse, N.Y.  A parent of a Syracuse University student was arrested after he threw food and yelled at protesters on campus on Sunday, the school officials said.

A group including three parents approached the student-led Pro-Palestinian encampment on the SU quad when one father started being verbally aggressive, according to a statement issued by the university. The statement was signed by Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves and Craig Stone, who leads the universitys Department of Public Safety.

Students set up an encampment almost a week ago, demanding the university disclose investments in and divest from Israel and other groups that support Israel, according to a list of demands passed out by protesters. The encampment is similar to others started by college students across the country and in other countries such as France and Japan.

The parent was asked to de-escalate by school staff but refused, officials said. Instead, the parent started to throw food, move signs and verbally berate the students, they said.

DPS officers intervened and asked the parent to de-escalate and leave campus but he refused and was arrested, officials said.

It is believed there was no physical contact between the parent and students, officials said. The student protesters remained peaceful, they said.

The parent was not identified by the university and the officials did not say what he was charged with. The DPS daily incident and crime log reports one person arrested for a trespass incident at 117 Crouse Ave. around 1:49 p.m. Sunday; it could not be confirmed it was the parent.

Campus police did not respond when contacted by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard for more information.

The arrest comes one day after the university received reports that a student was punched by someone not affiliated with the university.

On Saturday a group of community members held a protest to show support to students in the encampment. The protest and march around the encampment concluded around 4:30 p.m. in Walnut Park.

Around that time an individual not affiliated with the university was reported to have made the Nazi salute toward a group of students, according to a statement from the school on Saturday. A verbal altercation started and became physical when it was reported a student was punched in the face, officials said.

The student declined to press charges, officials said.

Earlier Saturday, about 20 students, many with U.S. and Israeli flags, arrived as a counter protest to the march.

Students at a nearby fraternity blared the Israeli and American anthems and the sound of dogs barking. Students with American flags stood next to the protesters screaming for them to leave. Cars drove by blaring music and hanging out windows screaming obscenities.

A group of sorority sisters stood on a front porch and yelled for protesters to leave. Some fraternity members yelled and made obscene gestures toward the protesters.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
Syracuse, N.Y.  The Syracuse Common Council may cut 14 vacant or proposed positions in order to redirect some of the $341 million in Mayor Ben Walshs proposed budget into housing development efforts.

The council will hold a study session at noon today and then is scheduled to vote at its 1 p.m. meeting on 30 amendments to Walshs plan, which was released April 8. The amendments would add $500,000 each to the newly created Syracuse Housing Trust Fund Corp., the Great Syracuse Land Bank and nonprofit nonprofit housing and community development organization Home HeadQuarters.
By H. Rose Schneider | Times Union, Albany

Rotterdam, N.Y.  Police are investigating after dozens of headstones were found knocked over in a cluster of Jewish cemeteries off Schermerhorn Street.

The area is used by four congregations for interment, including Congregation Agudat Achim in Schenectady. Jeffrey Handelman, a fourth-generation member of the congregation and past president, said he saw over 50 overturned headstones in the cemetery Saturday morning. WNYT first reported on the story.

With everything thats going on in the world, said Handelman, who is also board chairman of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, it seems like a manifestation of antisemitism.

Police do not know whether the incident is connected to tensions over the ongoing war in Gaza.

The vandalism was first reported to Rotterdam police April 22, and may have occurred anytime between then and April 1, Lt. Patrick Farry said. Children between the ages of 10 and 16 often cut through the cemetery, and nearby families have been interviewed by police, he said.

Farry said it appeared around 30 headstones were pushed over and garbage was strewn about. But there was no graffiti or literature to otherwise categorize the vandalism as a hate crime.

If this is found to be hate-motivated or specific to religion, we would define it as a hate crime, he added.

Schenectady County Legislator Michelle Ostrelich, a member of nearby Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady, said it was painful to see the headstones knocked over when she visited Saturday morning. But she also noted the incident is still under investigation.

I think there are many people afraid right now, she said. But I dont know how it fits in  or if it fits in  to the larger picture.

Handelman said the cemetery dates back to the 1890s and underwent a cleanup about eight years ago. He did not recall headstones being overturned before but was confident the grave sites would be restored.

Its hard, because I think everyone recognizes cemeteries are a special place to honor our deceased loved ones in our community, Ostrelich said. It was heartbreaking to see.

Protests over the war in Gaza  as well as clashes with police  have erupted at U.S. college campuses in recent weeks. Over 150 officers arrested 133 people for trespassing Thursday night at SUNY New Paltz in Ulster County, including a working Spectrum News reporter. University administration told protesters to disperse that night after a student group formed an encampment Wednesday afternoon.

Nearby Union College in Schenectady is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education after a complaint alleging antisemitism over a students Instagram post was made by an alumnus last year, though the college has stated it has not had the types of protests seen at other schools.

A Times Union report last November revealed antisemitic, Islamophobic and anti-Arab incidents were acute in New York.

Hopefully there will be peace in the Middle East at some point, because I know thats driving it, Handelman said. But hate has no place in our community.

___

(c)2024 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  A driver died after a vehicle crashed into an outer perimeter gate of the White House complex, and the incident late Saturday was being investigated as a traffic crash, police said. President Joe Biden was spending the weekend in Delaware, and the Secret Service said there was no threat to the White House.

The male driver, who was not immediately identified, was found dead in the vehicle following the crash shortly before 10:30 p.m., according to a Secret Service statement.
NEW YORK (AP)  The judge presiding over Donald Trumps hush money trial fined him $1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.

The fine marks the second time since the trial began last month that Trump has been sanctioned for violating the gag order, which bars him from making incendiary comments about jurors, witnesses and other people closely connected to the case. He was fined $9,000 last week, $1,000 for each of nine violations.

The violation in this case stems from an April 22 interview in which he criticized the speed at which the jury was picked and claimed it was stacked with Democrats.

It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent. Therefore going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction, Judge Juan Merchan said. Trumps statements, the judge continued, threaten to interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.

But he also expressed reservations about the idea of putting Trump in jail, calling it the last thing I want to do.

You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for me. To take that step would be disruptive to these proceedings, Merchan said.

Former President Donald Trump attends his trial at the Manhattan Criminal court, Monday, May 6, 2024, in New York. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)AP

Meanwhile, testimony resumed Monday with prosecutors moving deeper into Trumps orbit following an inside-the-room account about the former presidents reaction to a politically damaging recording that surfaced in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.

Hope Hicks, a former White House official and for years a top aide, is by far the closest Trump associate to have taken the witness stand in the Manhattan trial.

Her testimony Friday was designed to give jurors an insiders view of a chaotic and pivotal stretch in the campaign, when a 2005 recording showing Trump talking about grabbing women sexually without their permission was made public and when he and his allies sought to prevent the release of other potentially embarrassing stories.

That effort, prosecutors say, included hush money payments to a porn actor and Playboy model who both have said they had sexual encounters with Trump before he entered politics.

I had a good sense to believe this was going to be a massive story and that it was going to dominate the news cycle for the next several days, Hicks said of the Access Hollywood recording, first revealed in an October 2016 Washington Post story. This was a damaging development.

The trial entered its third week of testimony Monday with prosecutors building toward their star witness, Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and personal fixer who pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the hush money payments. Cohen is expected to undergo a bruising cross-examination from defense attorneys seeking to undermine his credibility with jurors.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments made to stifle potentially embarrassing stories. Prosecutors say Trumps company, the Trump Organization, reimbursed Cohen for payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels and gave Cohen bonuses and extra payments. Prosecutors allege that those transactions were falsely logged in company records as legal expenses.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied sexual encounters with any of the women, as well as any wrongdoing.

So far, jurors have heard from witnesses including a tabloid magazine publisher and Trump friend who bought the rights to several sordid tales about Trump to prevent them from coming out and a Los Angeles lawyer who negotiated hush money deals on behalf of both Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Trumps lawyers have tried to chip away at the prosecutions theory of the case and the credibility of some witnesses. Theyve raised questions during cross-examinations about whether Trump was possibly a target of extortion, forced to arrange payouts to suppress harmful stories and spare his family embarrassment and pain. Prosecutors maintain the payments were about preserving his political viability as he sought the presidency.

The case is one of four Trump prosecutions and possibly the only one that will reach trial before the November election. Other felony indictments charge him with plotting to subvert the 2020 presidential election after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden and illegally hoarding classified documents after he left the White House.
samarthnarayan BANNED

Join Date: May 2022 Location: India Posts: 74 Thanked: 148 Times

Re: Citroen C3 Aircross | Dead on Arrival | What now for Citroen in India? Quote: neerajku Originally Posted by Only when they introduce sensibly priced good products else this'll remain a pipe dream. There India leadership or whosever decides things have been making a mess so far with lousy products at outrageous prices. Learn from Kia, Maruti, Hyundai , it is not so tough for a true MNC.



In fact, the build quality and driving dynamics of the Citroen cars is actually better than Kia-Maruti-Hyundai (KMH).



However, they lag seriously on 2 counts currently:



1) Features, and that's where the KMH trio rule.



2) Dealership and Service Network., this is absolutely critical for any manufacturer wanting to become a mass player in India. Our typical Indian middle class thinking is to be as risk-free as possible, very rightly so, and buying a car without local support is a little too much for most.



So if Citroen is serious, it should invest in a dealership and service network. Or maybe do a JV with some other manufacturers, who are either also facing low volumes (hint. Jeep) and / or looking to re-enter the Indian Market (hint. Ford), for them to come up with a mutually beneficial solution for the Indian market.



Considering the ballooning costs of Real Estate and employee salaries for the end Dealership, I think JVs and out-of-the-box solutions in a hybrid like multi-vendor setup, might not be the worst idea, in a future which is only about to get more competitive.



Also profitability for the end Dealership is critical, otherwise why will any local business owner invest in the franchise of any car manufacturer, so hopefully Citroen has that part figured out. In my view, I think their pricing is still okay.In fact, theandof the Citroen cars is actually better than Kia-Maruti-Hyundai (KMH).However, they lag seriously on 2 counts currently:1), and that's where the KMH trio rule.2), this is absolutely critical for any manufacturer wanting to become a mass player in India. Our typical Indian middle class thinking is to be as risk-free as possible, very rightly so, and buying a car without local support is a little too much for most.So if Citroen is serious, it should invest in a dealership and service network. Or maybe do a JV with some other manufacturers, who are either also facing low volumes (hint. Jeep) and / or looking to re-enter the Indian Market (hint. Ford), for them to come up with a mutually beneficial solution for the Indian market.Considering the ballooning costs of Real Estate and employee salaries, I think JVs andsolutions in a, might not be the worst idea, in a future which is only about to get more competitive.Also profitability for the end Dealership is critical, otherwise why will any local business owner invest in the franchise of any car manufacturer, so hopefully Citroen has that part figured out. Last edited by samarthnarayan : 6th May 2024 at 10:55 . Reason: added a line
In a nutshell: Law enforcement agencies across Europe and the Middle East just took down the "largest call center fraud scheme in Europe," as a German minister described it. In a massive coordinated strike dubbed Operation Pandora, police in Germany, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Lebanon raided a dozen call centers tied to thousands of daily fraudulent calls.

The sting, supported by Europol, nabbed 21 individuals believed to be running an enormous criminal network that swindled untold numbers of victims through a variety of scams  from impersonating police to peddling bogus investments and romance fraud. The scammers used some wild scripts, working every angle to try and shock or manipulate people into forking over cash.

As detailed in a Europol press release, this whole saga kicked off last December when a bank teller in the German city of Freiburg got suspicious about a customer trying to withdraw over 100,000. It turned out that the person had fallen for a 'fake police officer' scam in which the callers attempt to deceive individuals into believing they are under investigation.

The teller tipped off the real cops, who not only stopped the victim from losing their life savings but also monitored the scammer's phone lines. They found the criminals were linked to over 28,000 scam calls in just 48 hours.

As investigators dug in, they realized this network was behind all kinds of telephone trickery  posing as relatives, creditors, etc. The scammers had operations separated out geographically too, resembling an assembly line of fraud. The debt collection cons were concentrated in Bosnia, online bank stuff came from Kosovo, investing scams spewed out of Albania, and the prepaid card ripoffs dialed in from Lebanon.

Incredibly, German cops were able to wiretap huge numbers of these scam calls in real time. They set up a call center staffed 24/7 by over 100 officers to monitor the crooks' conversations. Every time it looked like someone was about to get duped, law enforcement would jump in and alert the potential victim.

In just four months, they logged 1.3 million calls  over 7,500 blatant crimes they had to formally investigate. All told, the police saved people from losing over 10 million.

With intel from monitoring the calls plus digital forensics, the shady operations were traced back to those 12 call centers. Europol offered serious backup, hosting planning meetings, lending analysts, and coordinating the entire cross-border crackdown.

When raid day came last month, it was an all-out mobility swarming dozens of homes and businesses. About 60 German officers swept in with hundreds more from the other countries, seizing over 1 million in cash and assets, mountains of evidence, and locking up those 21 ringleaders.

Europol's data crunchers are digging through all the seized equipment now, expecting to uncover even more call centers and scammers in this massive fraud web.

Masthead credit: Mohamed_hassan
Forward-looking: For computer science students, generative AI isn't just the future  it's the present. These smart language models are already reshaping how the next generation of programmers learns to code, with teachers giving their approach a whole new spin.

A report by IEEE Spectrum has shown how generative AI is transforming academia. Students are using AI assistants like ChatGPT to grasp thorny concepts, summarize dense research papers, brainstorm ways to approach coding challenges, and prototype new ideas. Essentially, AI has become the ultimate study buddy for CS majors.

Professors can't ignore the AI wave either. They're experimenting with how to fold generative AI into their curricula while still ensuring students master core programming skills. It's a delicate balancing act as the technology rapidly evolves. "Given that large language models are evolving rapidly, we are still learning how to do this," Wei Tsang Ooi, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, told the magazine.

One major shift is putting less emphasis on code syntax and more on higher-level problem-solving abilities. That's because with an AI assistant available, the hard part isn't writing code from scratch anymore. It's properly testing that code for bugs, breaking down large problems into smaller steps the AI can handle, and knitting together those steps into a complete solution.

Ooi notes that other crucial aspects of software design are the intangibles, such as identifying the correct problem to address and exploring potential solutions. He suggests that students should devote more time to optimizing software, considering ethical implications, and enhancing user-friendliness, rather than concentrating solely on coding syntax.

Tools like GitHub's Copilot are already doing the heavy-lifting for programmers  and their role in coding is only set to go upwards from here.

Another professor teaching at UC San Diego told the magazine that students need to practice skills like decomposing problems into digestible pieces for an AI. "It's hard to find where in the curriculum that's taught  maybe in an algorithms or software engineering class, but those are advanced classes. Now, it becomes a priority in introductory classes."

Professors are getting creative with assignment designs and grading methods. Daniel Zingaro at the University of Toronto Mississauga now has student groups submit video walkthroughs explaining their AI-generated programs, rather than just sharing code files. It allows him to evaluate their overall software engineering process.

Ooi says AI tools provide instructors flexibility to teach those higher-level skills like design, optimization, and considering ethics and user experience. Students' time is freed up from wrangling syntax.

But there are pitfalls to avoid with generative AI's current limitations around occasional hallucinations and lack of true understanding. Professors caution that students can't just blindly trust an AI's outputs; they must verify solutions themselves and maintain a skeptical mindset.

"We should be making AI a copilot  not the autopilot  for learning," Johnny Chang, a teaching assistant at Stanford University, advises in the report. Critical thinking matters and overreliance on AI tools can "short-circuit" the learning process.

There's optimism, though, that a proactively evolving pedagogy like this will pay dividends by better bridging the gap between classroom lessons and real-world job demands.

Tech CEOs have maintained similar (albeit harsher) views to these professors. Nvidia's Jensen Huang suggests coding skills may become obsolete in the near future, thanks to AI. If true, cultivating higher reasoning abilities over syntax knowledge could prove crucial for future job prospects. Emad Mostaque of Stability AI even predicted last year that most outsourced coders in India will be replaced by AI assistants by 2025.
A hot potato: Warren Buffett, one of the ten richest people in the world, has once again spoken about the dangers of AI. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO reiterated a previous statement comparing the technology's dangers to those of nuclear weapons while also warning that it will boost scamming numbers exponentially.

Speaking at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting, Buffett talked about generative AI's well-documented ability to deceive people.

"Scamming has always been part of the American scene [] if I was interested in investing in scamming, it's gonna be the growth industry of all time and it's enabled, in a way, by AI," Buffett said.

Generative AI has been used to scam people for a while now. We heard last year that criminals were using it to spoof voices of targets' families and friends, attempting to convince them to hand over money. The same voice cloning tech was used in January to try and convince New Hampshire voters that Joe Biden was telling them not to vote in the Democratic primary election. The president later said that he wanted to ban AI voice impersonations.

Buffett's own image has also been used by scammers, in a convincing deepfake video that asked people for cash. "I practically would have sent money to myself over in some crazy country," he said.

Buffett went on to repeat a dire warning he made last year: that the creation of modern, generative AI could be likened to the invention of nuclear weapons.

"We let the genie out of the bottle when we developed nuclear weapons," he said. "That genie's been doing some terrible things lately. The power of the genie scares the hell out of me."

"AI is somewhat similar," Buffett added. "We may wish we'd never seen that genie."

At 93, Buffett is the first to admit that he's no expert when it comes to artificial intelligence, but "that doesn't mean I deny its existence or importance or anything of the sort." He also said that AI has enormous potential for good - as well as enormous potential for harm. "I just don't know how that plays out" the CEO concluded.

Buffett, the ninth richest person on Bloomberg's Billionaires Index with a fortune of $12.3 billion, isn't the biggest fan of certain modern technologies  he once said that he wouldn't pay $25 for all the Bitcoin in the world. However, Berkshire Hathaway's largest investment holdings are in Apple, which promises that a major AI reveal is coming soon.

In related news, US State Department arms control official Paul Dean last week said that Washington has made a "clear and strong commitment" to keep humans, not AI, in control of nuclear weapons. The official called on China and Russia to make similar statements.
Facepalm: Microsoft introduced some dramatic UI changes with Windows 11. The company's latest PC operating system now includes ads and "recommendations" in various areas. As a result, software developers have begun to respond with new tweaks and customization options tailored for power users.

A Windows "debloat" application previously known as Bloatynosy has been rebranded as Winpilot. It now features a completely new section aimed at removing all "promotions" and advertising that Microsoft has integrated into the OS interface. According to the app's developer, Winpilot is the "manic cousin" of Microsoft Copilot and was originally designed as a hybrid web/offline application to simplify the removal of all AI features in Windows.

The latest release of Winpilot, version 2024.5.5, introduces a new "Adblock" section that is specifically tailored to remove ads from the Windows 11 UI. It offers toggles to disable Start menu ads, personalized ads, general tips ads, lock screen "tips," and more.

Microsoft recently escalated its efforts to integrate ads into the Start Menu, following experimentation with the feature in the Insider program. While the Redmond corporation still provides some native settings to disable ads and personalizations, third-party applications like Winpilot offer a more convenient solution by consolidating all known Windows 11 ads into a single, easily accessible interface.

After intensifying advertising efforts and frustrating a significant portion of Windows power users, Microsoft has recently been accused of intentionally making the OS worse. A former Microsoft developer described the performance of the Windows 11 Start Menu as "comically bad," even on a high-powered machine equipped with a Core i9 CPU and 128 GB of RAM.

It's unlikely that more ads will help Microsoft regain the trust it lost with its users, and Windows 11 market share is declining as a result. The developer of Winpilot, who also creates other applications aimed at providing a better Windows experience, has adopted a plugin-based approach to introduce several tweaking options. These aim to enhance user privacy, remove unwanted apps, disable Copilot, and more.

Microsoft appears to be doubling down on its efforts to display ads and aggressively promote AI features to Windows users, regardless of their preferences. Third-party applications like Winpilot are likely to continue pushing back, offering Windows 11 users the opportunity to regain full control over the operating system.
In a recent report by CNBC, experts reveal how artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, is poised to transform the field of drug discovery.

The report unveiled the surprising success of AI-generated molecules, notably at Eli Lilly, where scientists expressed astonishment at the designs. Diogo Rau, chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly, captured this sentiment, stating, "They can't possibly be this good?"

AI to 'Hallucinate' New Drugs in Record Speeds

Experts make the case that with AI's capacity to explore millions of molecules in mere minutes, surpassing the traditional yearly output of Lilly's wet labs, there is a compelling rationale to explore the full potential of artificial intelligence in medical research.

Kimberly Powell, vice president of health care at Nvidia, talking about AI's capability to innovate in biology presents, "AlphaFold was this pivotal moment when we could train these transformer models with very large data sets..."

Generative AI enables the rapid exploration of millions of molecules, surpassing the capabilities of traditional methods. Powell emphasizes how AI "hallucinates" new drugs, exploring possibilities beyond human conception. This process accelerates drug design and optimization, offering promising results.

The integration of AI into drug discovery workflows is exemplified by partnerships between academia, industry, and technology companies like Nvidia. By leveraging computational resources and AI microservices, researchers can screen vast libraries of compounds and predict protein structures with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

However, despite these advancements, the importance of validation through human trials remains paramount. Powell emphasizes, "You still have to generate ground proof," highlighting the need for empirical evidence to substantiate AI-generated drug designs.

A man sells painkillers in Cucuta, Colombia, near the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, in the border with Tachira, Venezuela, on February 7, 2019. - According to NGOs and humanitarian groups opponent to the government of President Nicolas Maduro, who is reluctant to recognize a humanitarian crisis, medicines shortage in Venezuela reaches 85% with thousands of chronic patients struggling to access their treatments.

Is AI the Future of Medicine?

Eli Lilly is not the first to explore AI drug discovery - other labs are already in much deeper phases. In January, we reported that New York-based Insilico Medicine has entered clinical trials for ISM5411, an AI-designed medicine for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

With IBD lacking effective treatments without immunosuppression, ISM5411 offers a novel approach focused on repairing and rebuilding the intestinal lining.

ISM5411, an oral drug, is classified as intestinal restrictive, affecting only the gastrointestinal tract. Initial trials with 76 volunteers in Australia are underway, with plans for global multi-center trials following Phase 1.

Furthermore, in late March, Oxford University launched DrugGPT, a useful AI tool for medical professionals. DrugGPT improves decision-making and patient comprehension by providing quick second opinions on prescribed drugs while also highlighting potential side effects and interactions. One proponent stated that it can "show you the guidance - the research, flowcharts, and references..."

Meanwhile, in the fight against antibiotic resistance, researchers are harnessing generative AI to develop potential treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A collaborative effort between Stanford Medicine and McMaster University has yielded promising results, with AI-designed drugs targeting resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.
Co-founder and former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey has officially stepped down from the board of Bluesky, a social media initiative he helped initiate. His departure marks a significant development for Bluesky, as Dorsey was one of its most prominent supporters.

Facing Shake-Up as Jack Dorsey Exits Board

Over the weekend, Bluesky witnessed a noteworthy change as Jack Dorsey, a prominent advocate, stepped down from its board. Dorsey, known for backing the platform, used his philanthropic endeavor to provide updates on grants for open protocols via X.

This prompted inquiries about his position on the Bluesky board, to which Dorsey responded, "No." Despite further queries seeking clarification, Dorsey did not provide additional details about his departure.

It seems that Dorsey quietly removed his Bluesky account sometime last year, which garnered minimal attention at the time and was only acknowledged through sporadic social media posts. He also deactivated his Instagram account.

Nonetheless, his presence remained synonymous with the project, signifying his significant involvement in its development. Dorsey has been notably active on X this weekend, sharing corporate updates and delving into various topics, such as the ongoing feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.

Moreover, he made a notable gesture by unfollowing nearly all other accounts on the platform. He shared a message emphasizing the importance of defending rights through the use of freedom technology.

Uncertain Future for Bluesky

The timing of Dorsey's departure from the board remains uncertain. As of Sunday morning, Bluesky's corporate FAQ continued to list him as a board member. However, later that afternoon, the company issued a statement expressing gratitude to Jack for his contributions to funding and initiating the Bluesky project.

TechCrunch reported that Bluesky highlighted its current success as an open-source social network operating on Atproto, the decentralized protocol it has developed.

Following Jack's exit, Bluesky is actively seeking a new board member for its public benefit company, emphasizing the importance of finding someone who shares their vision of empowering users to control their social network experience.

In 2019, Dorsey initially unveiled Bluesky during his tenure as Twitter's CEO. At the time, he outlined Twitter's support for a small team of open-source architects, engineers, and designers to pioneer an open and decentralized social media standard.

Over time, Bluesky has evolved into an autonomous public benefit corporation, now helmed by CEO Jay Graber and bolstered by venture capital support. Its doors officially opened to the public in February, marking a significant milestone in its journey toward creating a more decentralized social media landscape.
Friday, May 3, a historic event happened in the US Air Force as US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall rode an artificial intelligence-controlled F-16 heading off Edwards Air Force Base.

At the US Senate Appropriations Committee's military conference in April, Secretary Kendall, a visionary leader, unveiled his daring plan to fly in an AI-controlled fighter jet. He declared that the program was advancing rapidly and that he, along with a backup pilot, would be the first 'test non-pilots' in one of these advanced aircraft.

The top Air Force commander carried out his plans. The Air Force has made a strong push into AI, representing one of the most significant developments in military aviation since the advent of stealth in the early 1990s. The service is preparing for an AI-enabled fleet of over 1,000 autonomous warplanes, the first of which will be in operation by 2028, even though the technology is not yet completely matured.

The Associated Press and NBC were given an opportunity to witness the secret flight with the agreement that neither would report on the matter until the flight was complete due to security concerns.

Here's AP's video witnessing a historic ride:

To witness and experience AI flying in real time, Kendall took a plane to Edwards Air Force Base, the exact desert location where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier.

With an AI-controlled F-16 named Vista, Kendall reportedly performed quick maneuvers at over 550 miles per hour, applying pressure to his body that was five times greater than the force of gravity. It raced within 1,000 feet of another human-piloted F-16, going nearly nose-to-nose as both aircraft looped and twisted in an attempt to push their adversary into weak spots.

After the one-hour trip, Kendall emerged from the cockpit beaming. He claimed to have seen enough during his flight to be confident in this AI's ability to make decisions about using force in combat.

Read Also : US Urges China and Russia to Ban AI from Nuclear Weapon Control Forever

First-Ever AI vs. Human Dogfight

Early in April, the US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) unveiled a video of the first-ever demonstration of an unmanned, AI-controlled F-16 aircraft practicing multiple aerial combat scenarios against a human pilot. This is another testament to how AI is continuously making strides in the military.

The US Air Force revealed that the video was shot in September of last year at Edwards Air Force Base in California, showing a duel between two F-16 aircraft.

The two aircraft flew up to 1,200 miles per hour, performing aggressive and protective maneuvers, dogfighting, and battle within visual range. At one point, they were separated by only around 2,000 feet (610 meters). DARPA released a video of the nose-to-nose aerial combat, which showed the two aircraft flying through the sky, orbiting about and in each other.

Pentagon's AI Plans

The Pentagon said in March that it sought to create new AI-guided aircraft and made two contracts available for commercial companies to bid against one another to win.

As part of a $6 billion effort that encompasses the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) project, the Air Force will get at least 1,000 new drones, The drones can deploy alongside human-piloted jets to provide cover, and they are meant to be fully functional escorts equipped with weapons. Sources also suggest that the drones might serve as communication centers or scouts.
Boeing has reportedly locked out about 125 of its firefighters, replacing them with other "highly qualified firefighters" after the aviation giant failed to find an agreement with the firefighters' union during wage negotiations.

The corporation announced on Saturday that it had locked out roughly 125 firemen and a plant located in central Washington, some 170 miles (275 kilometers) distant. In addition to calling in assistance from nearby fire departments, firefighters act as first responders in medical and fire situations.

Boeing said in a statement that it could not agree with the union, even after lengthy talks with the help of an unbiased federal mediator. According to the corporation, they have locked out bargaining unit members and completely executed their backup plan, assigning highly skilled firefighters to handle union members' tasks.

In doing so, Boeing broke a record since no fire department in the US had been shut out for more than 40 years, according to Forbes. Boeing locked out its International Association of Firefighters Local I-66 union members.

Boeing and the Union's Demands

Boeing's insistence on extending the time it takes firefighters to attain the maximum pay scale from 14 to 19 years is at the center of the conflict. For two and a half months, talks have been conducted through a government mediator, but no agreement has been made.

The IAFF union, on the other hand, disputes this, claiming in a statement that Boeing wants to harm, threaten, and force its firemen into taking a contract that doesn't adequately compensate their labor.

IAFF union president Edward Kelly accuses Boeing of prioritizing corporate profit over worker safety. The president continues, saying that safety is compromised by Boeing's choice to lock out union members.

Boeing pays firefighters $25 per hour, or $52,000 annually, as their beginning salary. Boeing claimed to have provided firefighters working 24-hour shifts with a new compensation scheme and a higher pay structure to raise their average annual salary by $21,000.

Currently, Boeing firemen working 24-hour shifts are paid for 20 hours and receive $50 for each additional four hours worked. According to the company, the average salary for its firemen in 2017 was $91,000.

The union claims that some members have to work second jobs or rely on government aid to make ends meet because the pay is not comparable to that of local fire departments and the cost of living in the area around Boeing's operations.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner Issues

The outcome of its failed negotiations is only one of the numerous difficulties the airline behemoth faces. One of Boeing's former engineers recently accused the aircraft giant of having planes, particularly the 787 Dreamliner, that may crash while in flight.

Although Boeing disputes the allegations, the Federal Aviation Administration said at the time that an inquiry was already in progress. Engineer Sam Salehpour, who worked on the aircraft, detailed his assertions in detail in interviews with The New York Times and paperwork filed to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Based on his resume, Mr. Salehpour has over ten years of Boeing experience. He asserted that changes to how the large components were put together and fastened on the assembly line were the root of the problems.

He claims that the airplane's fuselage is made up of several components that, when put together from different sources, do not have the same shape.
Artificial intelligence's energy demands could reportedly go beyond current renewable sources of electricity consumption. Predictions from experts say that natural gas producers must come in play to meet this demand.

Richard Kinder, executive chairman of pipeline operator Kinder Morgan, says big tech is the primary driver behind these data centers, and he believes corporations are beginning to recognize the value of natural gas and nuclear power.

Kinder Morgan is the largest operator of natural gas pipelines in the US, accounting for 40% of the market.

A Wells Fargo projection from April states that after ten years of sluggish power growth in the US, electricity demand is predicted to rise by up to 20% by 2030.

(Photo: JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Since the development of AI aligns with the growth of domestic semiconductor and battery manufacture, the electrification of the country's vehicle fleet, and other factors, power firms are taking swift action to secure energy.

Wells Fargo reportedly projects that by 2030, the U.S. will need around 323 terawatt-hours more electricity due to AI data centers. Seven times as much power is predicted to be required by AI alone than from the 48 terawatt hours of electricity that New York City currently uses annually.

By the end of the decade, data centers are expected to account for 8% of all electricity consumed in the United States, according to Goldman Sachs.

Read Also: AI Electricity Demand Could Make Execs Rely More on Fossil Fuel Power

Natural Gas and AI Demands

According to CNBC, an April analysis by Goldman Sachs says that natural gas is predicted to cover 60% of the increase in power demand from data centers and AI, with renewable energy sources providing the remaining 40%.

The same article states that, as per Wells Fargo, there might be a daily rise of 10 billion cubic feet in gas demand by 2030.

This would be a 10% increase over the country's overall gas consumption of 100 bcf/d and a 28% increase over the 35 bcf/d now used for electricity generation in the United States.

This, according to equity analyst and Wells Fargo report co-author Roger Read, is one of the primary causes of the growing optimism about gas prices. He continues that for a commodity, those are some "pretty high growth rates."

However, the demand estimates differ since analysts are still piecing together the potential impact of data centers on natural gas prices.

While Houston-based investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. predicts a base case of 2.7 bcf/d and a high case of 8.5 bcf/d, Goldman anticipates a 3.3 bcf/d growth in gas demand.

Underestimated AI Energy Demands

The natural gas forecasts follow just a few months after global cloud computing provider CoreWeave claimed that artificial intelligence's demand for more computing power, data centers, and electricity is currently "underestimated." This is an underestimate that will ultimately lead to strain and limitations on the global power grid system.

Brian Venturo, a co-founder of CoreWeave, made the prediction. He says the requests CoreWeave gets on a daily basis from data centers are "absurd," with some asking for entire campuses.

The co-founder claims that supply networks, which have historically supported very physical firms, are ill-equipped to keep up with the rapid pace of the market. He thinks that when there are more "megacampuses," there will be more strain on the electrical system and political unrest.

The demand for data centers is increasing due to the rise in generative AI, which makes Roseland, New Jersey-based CoreWeave one of the most exciting IT companies.

The infrastructure required to fulfill the demand bothers Venturo, who said, "It worries me." Venturo likened the power requirement of AI to a sprint that requires all the money in the world.



He goes on to say that another factor in increasing demand for new data centers is the challenge of updating outdated ones. These kinds of expansions are not possible with the data centers' existing infrastructure.

Related Article: AI Electricity Demand Could Make Execs Rely More on Fossil Fuel Power
Senators reportedly state that several major automakers have admitted to sharing sensitive location data without a warrant. The list includes Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Subaru.

The senators added that Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, and Kia admitted that they just need subpoenas, which do not need a judge's approval, before disclosing location data to government organizations.

The senators noted that Volkswagen's statement requires a warrant for more than seven-day location data.

Senators in the US are pressuring the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take further action to protect consumers.

Through letters to every government, they have brought to light serious privacy abuses.

In her first letter to the FCC, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell urged the committee to offer a comprehensive understanding of and remedies for exploiting connected vehicle technologies.

Her concept stems from recorded cases of domestic abusers using networking equipment in their cars to follow and manipulate their victims.

She's hoping that her letter, along with other initiatives, will lead to a mechanism that allows survivors to quickly halt or delete an abuser's access to private car data.

Additionally, the technique would stop an offender from using a system similar to a service request to get access or data once more.

Two other Senators' conclusions about the privacy practices of over a dozen automakers support Congresswoman Dingell's requests.

Automakers' Violation

They claim that by failing to obtain a warrant or court order before disclosing GPS location data, these automakers are betraying a voluntary commitment they made in 2014.

Only Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Honda, and Teslaout of the 14 automakers who participated in the studyneed a warrant for this information.

Only Tesla, one of those brands, will inform customers about such requests from the authorities. According to the FTC, government organizations currently need a warrant to search an American's phone, seek access to their private images stored on the cloud, and retrieve the contents of their emails. Location-related data is just as critical and needs to be well protected.

Automakers' Response

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the sole visible association representing the global auto industry, declared that automakers are dedicated to safeguarding private vehicle location data.

The statement goes on to say that this is a complicated matter. Only in specific, restricted situationssuch as when the automaker receives a warrant or court order or when there is an immediate risk of significant bodily damage or death to an individualis vehicle location information given to law enforcement.



The declaration contradicted Wyden's conclusions, which he claimed he got from automakers via the unidentified trade group. The reason why the Alliance for Automotive Innovation statement seemed to contradict the disclosures made by automakers to Wyden is unknown.

The association's senior vice president for policy, Hilary Cain, frequently cited the automakers' voluntary principlesdubbed "industry standards"when elucidating the industry's commitment to privacy during a March session organized by the Future of Privacy Forum.

The lawmakers claim that while some automakers promptly delete location data, others keep it on file for up to ten years.



Mercedes-Benz informed the senators that the corporation does not systematically gather past location data from automobiles. According to the statement, it merely keeps track of a car's most recent parking location and removes it when the vehicle is relocated.

(Photo: Tech Times)
Developing the remarkable navigational prowess of insects, a UK-based startup has introduced the Opteran Mind. This innovative edge computing solution features a suite of algorithms inspired by the efficient navigation techniques observed in nature.

Thousands of Bees in Allergic Pregnant Woman's Belly? Here's What The Stunning Maternity Photos Look Like (Photo: Kai Wenzel on Unsplash)

Innovating Autonomy with Insect-Inspired Algorithms

Insect-inspired algorithms are at the forefront of a transformative leap in autonomy, spearheaded by a UK-based startup's latest innovation, the Opteran Mind.

While many companies are heavily invested in deep learning for autonomous systems, this startup is taking a different approach, drawing from the efficient navigational abilities observed in insects.

Over the past ten years, Opteran's research team has been dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of insect brains, studying their visual perception, navigation techniques, and responses to the environment.

Now, their efforts have culminated in the development of the Opteran Mind, an edge-computing solution designed to replicate the natural intelligence of insects.

After extensive research, The Engineer reported that they translated these discoveries into algorithms, branding them as "natural intelligence." This advancement is poised to revolutionize autonomy, offering a more practical and efficient approach.

Opteran's CEO, David Rajan, highlighted the remarkable capabilities of insects like honeybees, with about a million neurons, compared to humans. He emphasized their ability to perceive the environment, spatial localization, and navigation, achieving feats on minimal power consumption.

The team's immediate focus is on augmenting the system with features such as collision avoidance, with plans to integrate decision-making algorithms by the next year.

Rajan envisions a broad spectrum of commercial applications spanning logistics, automotive, mining, security, and beyond. This marks only the initial phase of Opteran's ambitious journey into transforming various industries.

Also read : Ant Brains Inspire AI-Powered Farm Robots

The company has expanded to 45 employees and is experiencing rapid growth. Recently, it unveiled a significant partnership: its technology will be integrated into advanced warehouse robots manufactured by the German company Safelog.

Streamlining Autonomous Navigation

Moreover, Opteran's technology distinguishes itself from existing systems by eliminating the need for extensive training on vast datasets before deployment.

With innate algorithms, it empowers autonomous navigation and dynamic adaptation without continual data gathering and training in a centralized data center, as demonstrated in the Safelog application.

Typically, installing an autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) in a warehouse entails extensive effort. Operators must meticulously survey the entire facility and manage voluminous data before authorizing the robots to navigate within the warehouse.

The Opteran Mind simplifies the setup process significantly, offering a solution that allows AGVs to autonomously map in one shot.

According to Charlie Rance, the company's chief product officer, this approach reduces setup time and eliminates the need for fixed infrastructure like reflectors or QR codes, thus keeping the system cost-effective.

Apart from its partnership with Safelog, Opteran is exploring several undisclosed commercial applications across different sectors, including indoor security drones for consumers and implementations in the mining and automotive industries.
Roughly 1 Million students in New York City have reportedly been notified by the state's Department of Education that their data may have been compromised after a former software vendor of the DOE suffered a major data breach.

According to a letter sent to one graduate and seen by sources, the New York City Department of Education started notifying hundreds of thousands of other current and former students last week that they were victims of the cyberattack involving one of the DOE's former software vendors.

(Photo: Mika Baumeister from Unsplash)

The DOE later disclosed that, in addition to the initial notice of almost 800,000 impacted current and former pupils, the vendor had alerted it in October that a much larger number of youngsters had also been victims, bringing in an extra 380,000 pupils for city public schools.

According to the DOE letter, the compromised personal data include ethnicity, date of birth, student's name, academic records, and enrollment status.

Education officials stated that no financial or social security information was compromised. To help prevent identity theft, the DOE said that it is providing the affected students, who graduated from the program years before the security breach, with two years of free credit and identity-monitoring services through vendor IDX.

More Data Breach Warnings to Come

The recent letter sent to affected current and former students provides a link to an updated security alert on the DOE website.

The notice states that in 2022, some 387,000 current and past NYCPS students were newly identified as being affected by Illuminate's data security problem. According to a DOE representative, it's more like 381,000.

According to the DOE, 94,000 more current and past public school kids will also receive a second warning after Illuminate discovered more of their data that was impacted by the 2022 data security incident.

Illuminate Data Breach

The affected students are linked to the 2022 data breach on Illuminate, a former software vendor to several NYCPS schools that offer educational software applications and technology support.

Before June 30, 2022, several NYCPS schools used Illuminate software to track student attendance, record homework and grades, correspond with parents, administer tests and exams, and assist with other administrative tasks.

Illuminate discovered questionable behavior in a few of their apps in January 2022. Illuminate informed NYCPS in March 2022 that illegal access had occurred to certain systems, including student data, between December 28, 2021, and January 8, 2022.

NYCPS contacted current and former students who Illuminate determined were impacted by this incident in May 2022. NYCPS made complimentary two-year enrollment in identity monitoring services available to impacted kids.

A separate hack attack last summer compromised the Social Security numbers, dates of birth, employee IDs, and OSIS numbers of 45,000 students, staff members, and service providers.

In a letter to staff at the time, the DOE stated that 9,000 Social Security numbers were stolen and that 19,000 documents were accessed from the file-sharing system MOVEIt.

(Photo: Tech Times)
On Monday, May 6, the Russian Defense Ministry declared plans to conduct military exercises simulating the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. This announcement comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Russia Confirms Planned Nuclear Weapon Drills

According to the Associated Press, the drills are a response to what the Defense Ministry perceives as "provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation."

This marks Russia's first public acknowledgment of such drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its strategic nuclear forces regularly undergo exercises.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which include air bombs, short-range missile warheads, and artillery munitions, are designed for battlefield use and have smaller warheads than those of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The aim of the exercises, as stated by the Defense Ministry, is to "increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfill combat tasks."

TOPSHOT - In this pool photograph distributed by Russia's state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to TV host and Director General of Rossiya Segodnya (RIA Novosti) news agency Dmitry Kiselyov (not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12, 2024.

Russia Slams 'Dangerous' Comments by the West

Western leaders' discussions on potential intervention in Ukraine have further fueled tensions. French President Emmanuel Macron's comments regarding the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine were recently tagged as 'dangerous' by the Kremlin, and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron's statements about Ukrainian forces using British weapons to strike targets inside Russia have been particularly concerning for the Kremlin.

The New York Times reports that Dmitry S. Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesman, highlighted these statements as contributing to the escalation of tensions. He emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, "This is a completely new round of escalation of tensions - it is unprecedented."

"And, of course, it requires special attention and special measures," the spokesperson added.

Experts note that while Russia has conducted similar exercises before, this public announcement serves as a clear message to the West. Pavel Podvig, a scholar on Russian nuclear forces, explains, "This is a reaction to specific statements, a signal saying that Russia has nuclear weapons."

The drills are scheduled to involve missile units from the Southern Military District, air force, and navy under President Vladimir Putin's orders. These exercises coincide with Putin's upcoming inauguration for his fifth term as president and the annual Victory Day celebration.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones have reportedly struck vehicles in Russia's Belgorod region, causing casualties. The region, which was a staging ground for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has been frequently targeted by Ukrainian forces in recent months.

Despite the ongoing conflict, Russia plans to evacuate children from the Belgorod region due to continuous shelling. The attacks aim to disrupt Russia's logistics and create a buffer zone to protect border regions, as outlined by Putin.

It is worth noting that while tactical nuclear weapons are being exercised, their actual deployment in the context of the Ukraine conflict remains speculative. As Russian nuclear forces Pavel Podvig suggests, these weapons serve more as a signaling mechanism than a practical battlefield solution.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.
Android users need to be on high alert as Microsoft has unveiled details about a new critical security flaw known as "Dirty Stream." This vulnerability affects numerous Android applications, potentially impacting hundreds of millions of users globally. Here's what you need to know to safeguard your information against this malware strain.

The Dirty Stream Vulnerability Explained

The core of the Dirty Stream issue lies in Android's ContentProvider system, which is designed to facilitate the sharing of structured data between different applications on your device.

As reported by Tom's Guide, it allows Android apps to communicate and exchange files under strict security protocols including data isolation, specific URI permissions, and stringent path validations.

However, Microsoft's recent findings indicate that malicious apps can exploit this system by using custom intents-specialized messaging objects in Android. These intents can bypass the established security measures, allowing hackers to send files with altered filenames or paths to legitimate apps, effectively smuggling in malicious code under the guise of legitimate files.

Related Article : Chinese Threat Actor Goldfactory Deploys Android-Banking Malware Through Deepfakes

How Big is 'Dirty Stream's' Scope

Among the apps compromised by this vulnerability are Xiaomi Inc.'s File Manager and WPS Office, with installations totaling over 1.5 billion. The deceptive simplicity with which the Dirty Stream vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate apps into overwriting vital data within their storage is particularly concerning. This could lead to unauthorized code execution, data theft, and total hijacking of the app without the user's knowledge.

Microsoft's investigations have shown that this is not an isolated problem but a widespread issue across multiple popular Android applications. They estimated that applications vulnerable to Dirty Stream have been downloaded over four billion times.

Steps to Stay Protected from 'Dirty Stream'

To mitigate the risks associated with the Dirty Stream vulnerability and other Android malware, here are several precautions you can take:

Avoid Sideloading Apps: Sideloading-installing apps from outside the official app stores-bypasses many of the security checks that apps on Google Play or other official app stores are subjected to. Stick to downloading apps from these trusted sources to minimize the risk of inadvertently installing malicious software.

Activate Google Play Protect: This built-in security feature on most Android devices works to scan your apps for malicious behavior continuously. Ensuring that Google Play Protect is activated enhances your defense against potential threats.

Install Reputable Antivirus Software: Complementing Google Play Protect with a robust antivirus app for Android can provide an additional layer of security. These apps offer extensive features that enhance your device's ability to ward off malware and other cyber threats.

Regular Updates: Keep your apps and your Android operating system updated. Developers regularly patch security vulnerabilities, and staying updated means you benefit from these fixes.

Educate Yourself on Permissions: Be mindful of the permissions you grant apps. If an app requests permissions that seem unnecessary for its functionality, it might be a red flag.

In other news, Finland urged Android users to be wary when downloading the McAfee app. Instead of protecting them from viruses, this could be the key to hacking their bank accounts.

As Bleeping Computer reported, the country's Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) said the victims' bank accounts were in danger of getting hijacked. Currently, no cases of hacking have affected Apple iPhone users.

In early April, researchers warned that Android users should refrain from easily trusting any third-party apps, especially from untrusted sources. What's worse, the Vultur banking trojan was just hiding under the guise of the McAfee app.
Just like malware, spyware can easily invade your precious iPhone. Even with the most advanced mobile security, Apple still struggles to remove the unwelcomed guests in its handsets.

With the recent surge of mercenary spyware in 92 countries, the Cupertino company issued an alert to iPhone users to be vigilant against the attacks.

With so much spyware that already affected millions of iPhones globally, is there hope to be completely spyware-free one day?

Understanding the Threat: LightSpy and Its Capabilities

The notifications sent out by Apple were stark, informing users of ongoing attempts to compromise their devices via spyware. The scale of this issue became apparent as users from India to Europe received these warnings, prompting widespread concern across social media platforms.

Further research by Blackberry linked these attacks to a Chinese spyware campaign known as "LightSpy," which initially targeted Hong Kong protesters in 2020. The current version of LightSpy represents a significant evolution, offering capabilities such as detailed location tracking and sound recording, particularly during VoIP calls.

The Notorious Pegasus Spyware

One of the most infamous tools in the spyware arsenal is Pegasus, developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group.

Despite assurances from NSO Group that its products are intended for legitimate governmental use to combat crime and terrorism, Pegasus has been used against a wide range of targets including journalists, activists, and political figures worldwide. The consequences of such spyware attacks are profound, leading to breaches of personal security and significant human rights violations.

The Mechanics of Spyware Attacks: Zero-Click Vulnerabilities

Traditionally, spyware required user interaction, such as clicking a phishing link. However, modern threats utilize "zero-click attacks," where no user interaction is needed. These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in popular communication apps like iMessage and WhatsApp, implanting malicious code without the user's knowledge. Notably, a zero-click exploit described by Google's Project Zero in 2021 was used against a Saudi activist, illustrating the severe risks these vulnerabilities pose.

As per Malwarebytes' senior privacy advocate David Ruiz, the "obsessive and oppressive" masterminds behind the spyware should be blamed for adding a danger to society.

Defensive Strategies Against Spyware

The insidious nature of zero-click spyware means that traditional defense strategies may be inadequate. Experts like Aaron Engel from ExpressVPN advise that those targeted by such attacks should consider abandoning compromised devices entirely.

Meanwhile, detection remains challenging; however, symptoms like rapid battery drain, unexpected device behavior, or high data usage may suggest an infection. Advanced measures such as regularly restarting your device can disrupt ongoing spyware activities, potentially aiding in its detection.

Recommendations for Device Security

To safeguard against spyware, users should follow these steps.

Regularly update their devices to patch known vulnerabilities. Use multifactor authentication to enhance security. Install applications only from verified sources to avoid malicious software. Consider disabling features like iMessage and FaceTime if you are at risk of targeted attacks.

For victims of spyware, resources such as Access Now's Digital Security Helpline and Amnesty International's Security Lab can provide crucial support, according to WIRED.

Apple's Lockdown Mode can also shield your iPhone by disabling certain functionalities, thus mitigating the risk of spyware infections.
Microsoft is set to unveil a new in-house AI language model named MAI-1, aiming to rival the capabilities of Google and OpenAI, The Information reports.

What Is MAI-1?

MAI-1 is part of Microsoft's strategy to assert its presence in the AI domain. The model, as reported by Reuters, is being developed internally and is designed to match the scale and sophistication of AI models from tech giants Google and OpenAI.

Mustafa Suleyman, a prominent figure in the AI community, oversees the development of MAI-1. According to The Information, Suleyman, previously associated with Google DeepMind and the CEO of AI startup Inflection, brings extensive expertise to the project. While Microsoft acquired Inflection and its intellectual property for $650 million, MAI-1 is an independent initiative.

The scale of MAI-1 is noteworthy. The model is expected to feature approximately 500 billion parameters, significantly larger than Microsoft's previous AI offerings, The Information reports. Such complexity demands substantial computing power and resources for training.

The Microsoft logo is pictured before CEO Satya Nadella's speech during an event named Microsoft Build AI Day in Kuala Lumpur on May 2, 2024. Microsoft on May 2, 2024 pledged a $2.2 billion investment in artificial intelligence and cloud computing in Malaysia to help develop the country's AI infrastructure, the tech giant said in a statement.

Microsoft's Ballooning AI Spending

CNBC tells us in a recent report that Microsoft's commitment to AI is reflected in its increased capital expenditures. The company's spending surged by 79% to $14 billion, with a significant portion allocated to AI infrastructure.

However, Microsoft faces challenges in meeting the burgeoning demand for AI computing power, with a shortage of data center infrastructure impacting deployment capabilities.

AI services are integral to Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform, CNBC explains. Azure's revenue witnessed a notable 31% increase, with AI contributing significantly to this growth. Nevertheless, supply constraints, including those from hardware suppliers like Nvidia, pose challenges to Microsoft's ambitions in the AI space.

The rise of generative AI models has fueled demand for AI-powered features across various products and services. Microsoft has responded by integrating AI assistants into its offerings, such as the Teams communication app and the Bing search engine.

Microsoft plans to intensify its investment in cloud and AI infrastructure, CNBC reports. The company aims to increase capital expenditures, particularly for cloud infrastructure, to address escalating demand. Azure's AI services are a critical battleground in Microsoft's rivalry with Amazon Web Services.

Read Also : AI Startups are Now Reviving Loved Ones in Hong Kong, Allowing Relatives to Reconnect

In Other News

Google recently added advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to its Security Operations (SecOps) platform to improve its security suite.

These enhancements, first announced at the RSA Conference, aim to improve the detection, investigation, and response processes to cybersecurity threats.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.
Market-based schemes not reducing deforestation, poverty: report



Paris, May 5 (AFP) May 05, 2024



Market-based approaches to forest conservation like carbon offsets and deforestation-free certification schemes have largely failed to protect trees or alleviate poverty, according to a major scientific review published on Monday.

The global study -- the most comprehensive of its kind to date -- found that trade and finance-driven initiatives had made "limited" progress halting deforestation and in some cases worsened economic inequality.

Drawn from years of academic and field work, the report compiled by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), a group of 15,000 scientists in 120 countries, will be presented at a high-level UN forum starting Monday.

Its authors urged a "radical rethink" of increasingly popular market-based approaches often promoted as effective at saving forests, curbing global warming and raising living standards in developing nations.

"The evidence does not support the claim of win-wins or triple wins for environment, economy and people often made for market mechanisms as a policy response to environmental problems," said contributing author Maria Brockhaus from the University of Helsinki.

"Rather our cases show that poverty and forest loss both are persistent across different regions of the world... where market mechanisms have been the main policy option for decades," she told AFP by email.



- No accountability -



Since the last IUFRO assessment in 2010, the report noted a rise in complex and overlapping market-based schemes "with financial actors and shareholders more often interested in short-term profits than long-term just and sustainable forest governance".

Its lead author, Constance McDermott from the University of Oxford, said this may not be true of all individual projects "but overall... it's hard to say they've been a rousing success".

The report said a $120 million project in the Democratic Republic of Congo had "reinforced entrenched interests" by restricting local people from forests without addressing logging by powerful extractive businesses.

In Malaysia, indigenous groups promised better livelihoods from a foreign-backed plantation venture on their customary land received no benefit, the report said.

"As both cases show, 'wins' are often gained elsewhere, while the burdens of forest loss, enclosures and forestland conversion are carried locally," said Brockhaus.

In Ghana, deforestation rates had risen despite a slew of sustainable cocoa standards, corporate pledges, and carbon offset projects, while farmers were earning less today than decades ago, said McDermott.

Meanwhile green trade policies imposed by wealthy countries -- like the EU's ban on imports linked to deforestation -- might look good from Brussels but did not consider the knock-on effects, she added.

"There's no accountability. If this doesn't work -- or farmers are pushed off their farm as a result -- it's not going to hurt the person eating chocolate in the UK or Germany," she said.



- 'Radical rethink' -



Despite recent turmoil, carbon markets are projected to grow into a multi-billion-dollar industry as corporations increasingly turn to credits to meet their net-zero climate targets.

Credits are purchased from projects, often in developing nations, that reduce or avoid the release of planet-heating emissions, such as protecting CO2-absorbing rainforests or peat swamps.

Kenya's President William Ruto has called Africa's carbon sinks an "unparalleled economic goldmine" that could generate billions of dollars every year.

But there are growing concerns about how much of that revenue poor communities might expect to see, with unscrupulous actors accused of exploitation.

Brockhaus said market-based approaches may be appealing to policymakers but would not be a solution without also addressing the broader economic and governance challenges around forest management.

"We advocate for a radical rethink," she said.
In coal country Bulgaria, a losing battle against EU Green Deal



Beli Bryag, Bulgaria, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



The European Union's plans to phase out coal are not going down well in Beli Bryag, a Bulgarian mining village that was sacrificed to expand an open-pit mine.

Empty houses with gaping window openings and 50-odd people remain in the community, down from some 400 in 2009. That was when it was decided to tear down the village to make space for the mine.

Now it seems the facility may not have a long life either. Bulgaria has committed to exiting coal by 2040 as part of EU efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century under its Green Deal.

"The situation is tragic," said Beli Bryag mayor Ivelina Dimcheva, whose husband and brother are miners.

"It's absurd to destroy our houses to expand a mine, which risks closing afterwards," she told AFP.

Her clan is among five families who have refused to accept a compensation deal to relocate. Instead, they have taken their case to court to save their homes.

The Green Deal, unpopular in coal-dependent Bulgaria, is a major issue ahead of the European parliamentary elections on June 9 and the country's own national election the same day.



- Green deal a 'charade' -



Coal workers have been offered "no prospects", said Stanimir Georgiev, 50, a 30-year veteran of the mines who is organising strikes and protests to defend his livelihood in the run-up to the European polls.

"The Green Deal is a charade which threatens our well-being and fuels anti-European feelings," he said outside the Maritsa East coal-fired power plant complex, which gets its supplies from the Beli Bryag mine.

Russian flags fly outside houses in this central region of Bulgaria, which is traditionally close to Russia.

With its three mines, the Maritsa East basin is home to four power plants, employing more than 11,000 people directly and 70,000 indirectly. It has been a boon for the region for decades.

Bulgaria, the 27-nation EU's poorest country, has long fought Brussels to extend the sector's lifespan before eventually conceding to phasing out coal.

Coal-fired power plants supply almost a third of the country's winter energy needs, but the Balkan country became a net importer of energy for the first time this year, as the country has been slow to transition to cleaner energy.

The EU's emissions trading system, which requires companies to pay in order to exceed emissions limits, has made coal-fired power plants less and less profitable.

"It's the fault of our governments that dragged their feet" in preparing for the energy transition, said Diyan Ivanov, 36, from a mining family. His hours have been cut drastically as demand drops.

But former economy minister Milen Keremedchiev said there was no point in denouncing the closure of coal-fired power plants. "It's like protesting against impending old age," he said.



- Coal leader Poland -



While Bulgaria struggles with its energy transition, the EU's biggest coal producer, Poland, appears to be turning the page on the fossil fuel.

The country plans to give up coal by 2049 -- a date that pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk could bring forward.

Its share in the country's energy mix has fallen from 87 percent in 2015 to 63 percent last year, according to official figures, against a backdrop of soaring costs.

There are still around 20 coal mines in Poland, most of them loss-making operations that only survive through state aid.

The sector still employs 75,000 people, down from 400,000 in 1990.

Renewable energies represent a quarter of the energy mix, compared to only five percent 10 years ago, said Grzegorz Wisniewski of the Warsaw-based Institute for Renewable Energy.

He expected that share to increase to between 70 and 80 percent by 2040 despite administrative and technical obstacles, such as an electricity grid which needs to be adapted.

But Poland remains home to the massive Belchatow brown coal-fired power station, the EU's "single largest greenhouse gas emitter", according to environmental nonprofit Ember.
No let up yet for flood-battered south Brazil



Porto Alegre, Brazil, May 6 (AFP) May 06, 2024



The rains may have abated, but floodwaters on Monday continued their assault on southern Brazil, with hundreds of municipalities in ruins amid fears that food and drinking water may soon run out.

Since the unprecedented deluge started last week, at least 83 people have died and 129,000 were ejected from their homes by floods and mudslides in Rio Grande do Sul state, authorities said.

The search is becoming ever more desperate for 111 reported missing among the devastation.

The disaster, which experts and the government have linked to climate change, has left the state resembling "a scene out of a war," the state's governor Eduardo Leite said Sunday.

In total, 364 cities, towns and villages have been hit, many of which remain cut off from the world without access to drinking water or electricity or any means of calling for help.

In Porto Alegre, the state capital with 1.4 million inhabitants, many suburbs remained under water even as the sun shone Monday.

"Last night, the water came up to the corner and had stabilized. Today, we woke up and it was outside my house and rising," Neucir Carmo, a 62-year-old resident of the Floresta neighborhood, told AFP.

"We don't know how high it will go."

The Guaiba River, which flows through the mega-city of high-rise buildings and wide streets, reached a record high level of 5.3 meters (17.4 feet) Sunday -- well above the historic peak of 4.76 meters that accompanied devastating floods in 1941.

By Monday morning, the level had receded slightly, to 5.27 meters.

The MetSul meteorological agency said on its website that some parts of Porto Alegre, the wider metropolitan region and valley settlements "will be uninhabitable for weeks to months."

Some regions had received the equivalent of a third of average annual rainfall in just a few days, it said.

"The scenario is complicated because the weather conditions, excellent today, will not continue like this. On Wednesday, the areas affected by flooding in Greater Porto Alegre and the valleys may experience rain again."



- 'Disastrous cocktail' -



The deluge, which started a week ago, has swept away bridges and dozens of roads, complicating relief efforts that have to rely instead on helicopters and boats.

Some 14,000 soldiers are aiding search and rescue professionals and volunteers working against the clock as concerns grow about supplies of food, potable water and other essentials.

Donations of food and medicine poured in from around the country, and good Samaritans have contributed the equivalent of about $7.6 million to a rescue fund.

At the state's civil defense logistics center in Porto Alegre, mountains of donations were awaiting distribution as state officials flew critical medical supplies to flooded areas.

Authorities said there were more than 20,000 people in public shelters and field hospitals set up after hospitals and clinics were flooded.

Classes in Porto Alegre have been suspended until Wednesday, and schools are being used as makeshift shelters, officials said.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited the region Sunday for the second time in days, promising the federal government would provide "all the necessary" resources needed for the reconstruction of the state of 11 million inhabitants.

South America's largest country has recently experienced a string of extreme weather events, including a cyclone in September that killed at least 31 people in the same region.

Brazilian climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino told AFP the flooding was the consequence of a "disastrous cocktail" of climate change and the meteorological phenomenon of El Nino.

According to MetSul, "the biggest concern is the indications... that between the 10th and 15th of May there would be a new episode of instability with a risk of excessive rain in Rio Grande do Sul."

These would once again affect Porto Alegre and the Guaiba River, it said.
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 Goran Stolevski has lived in Australia  firstly in Melbourne, now in Sydney  since he was 12, but he says he has never felt at home there. His childhood was spent in Macedonia. As a teenager in the 90s, he likes to say now, his best friends were Katharine Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman. He didnt feel any more at home in Macedonia on regular family trips back to Skopje  and even less so now. As a queer person here, its not a fun thing, he told me on a Zoom call when he was shooting his new film, Housekeeping for Beginners. I definitely have to censor myself, so its not home in that way. And the Macedonia I grew up in doesnt exist any more. I dont say that as a bad thing. Its kind of like an interesting adventure. At the same time Im making movies, I find myself living in places I never would, normally. So it feels like Im travelling, being here. Its just convenient I speak the language. Stolevski has always said his films are not autobiographical  even Of An Age, his 2022 drama about gay teenagers set in an outer suburb of Melbourne, draws on aspects of his growing up but the events are entirely fictional. But that longstanding sense of being an outsider permeates Housekeeping for Beginners. It is set in a once stately house that the middle-aged owner Dita (Anamaria Marinca) and her Roma partner Sauda (Alina Serban) have allowed to become a safe house for a motley crew of other social pariahs. Goran Stolevskis Of an Age charts the lives of gay teenagers in outer Melbourne. Ditas moody gay friend Toni (Vladimir Tintor) has just asked his much younger, obviously unsuitable Roma boyfriend Ali (Samson Selim) to move in. The traditionally nomadic Roma people are treated with open contempt by other Macedonians, says Stolevski. I would witness racism, then hear my actors tell me stories of everyday life, not even as experiences of racism but just normality for them. Three young lesbians who have been thrown out of various homes have also moved in. Then there are Saudas children: a snappy adolescent girl Vanesa (Mia Mustafa) and little Mia (Dzada Selim), who is just five but holds her own among these scrapping, posturing, edgy folk.

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It isnt exactly a functioning family; there is a good deal of shouting under a perpetual pall of smoke. When youre on your guard in the outside world, says Stolevski, there is a constant tension. He felt it, too: within a couple of weeks of working in Skopje, his own awareness that he must never touch his partner in public was so firmly inscribed on his muscle memory that he didnt reach out to him even when he walked in front of a car. He could have been killed, with Stolevski having done no more than tell him, too late, to stop. And then its like this anger collects in you, and you need to vent, but there isnt anywhere safe to do it. Goran Stolevski: Its like this anger collects in you, and you need to vent, but there isnt anywhere safe to do it. His characters are bonded by that need for a safe space. Even as theyre fighting, they feel safe. Even if they hit each other. This violence is not as affecting on a primal level as it would be outside. It is only a provisional safety, however. Sauda is dying of cancer, which has focused her mind in alarming ways. Swear to look after the children, she shouts at Dita, holding a knife over her own arm. Dita swears against her will; she has no interest in motherhood and the girls do not want her. Loading But when Vanesa calls the police in a fit of teenage pique, telling them she has been captured by a gay cult, Dita turns into a maternal avenger. This is all the authorities need to confiscate the children, the house and Ditas job. Get rid of anything that looks gay, she shouts. Stuff goes into cupboards. The police duly arrive to find Dita in a frock sitting on a couch with Toni, the consummate married couple. Funny though it is, it is in this moment that we see these people are living in fear. In fact, Stolevski did not set out to tell a story about Macedonia. The idea of making a film about a queer household was sparked by a photograph of a similarly sprawling Melbourne household of the 70s that was posted on social media by Australian filmmaker Tony Ayres. It was just a casual photo from one day in their lives and Tony and his boyfriend  who is still his boyfriend  where they were living with eight women. I loved that energy and that space, but the decision to set it in Macedonia came pretty quickly after that.

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It is the second feature he has made there; the first was an extraordinary story of witches stealing children called You Wont Be Alone (2022). He has never wanted to be defined or confined by his ethnicity but, he says, this hothouse of the oppressed would not make sense set in contemporary Melbourne; the prevailing boots-and-all homophobia wouldnt ring true. Noomi Rapace in You Wont Be Alone. Credit: Causeway Films It was really the idea of a cocoon that I responded to, so I wanted to set it in Macedonia where that space still means something very different from what it would in Australia now. Loading Also that sense of home. You know, I grew up in a tiny apartment with multiple generations of people and cousins coming in and out at all times. The multiple generations were the crux of it. The same scenario would work in Poland or Romania, he adds. But, as a Macedonian, I could get financing in Macedonia. Most of the characters are played by non-actors who were launched into their roles without rehearsal, encouraged to bring their own experiences to the process. I often encourage people to improvise because I know theyll end up saying exactly whats written in the script much more evocatively, says Stolevski. Because theyre trying to come up with the next thing to say based on what theyre feeling, but theyre working it out for themselves.

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In the world of the new big-budget Doctor Who, the gift to the audience is that the wobbly walls and imperfect alien designs of the 1960s, 70s and 80s are long a thing of the past, as the series has reached a level of production design almost unprecedented in its six-decade-long history. But the gift to the shows new star Ncuti Gatwa, a Scottish actor of Tutsi Rwandan ethnicity, is an inscription on the Doctors iconic sonic screwdriver. Engraved in the Time Lord language, it represents a Rwandan proverb: The sharpness of the tongue defeats the sharpness of the warrior. I had no idea that that was going to happen, says Gatwa, who was told about the engraving just before filming a scene with the prop. It was like, Oh my god, Im really the Doctor. I had no idea that they were going to do that. So it feels special. The phrase speaks to the show and speaks to the character. Its one that prioritises compassion over violence and hate, and one that says the Doctor is a hero that fights for every life, including villains, and understands that in the whole ecosystem of the universe light needs dark to shine. The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) step inside the new and improved Tardis in the new season of Doctor Who. Doctor Who is one of British cultures great staples, a science fiction series created in 1963 about an alien time traveller known as the Doctor, one of a race of aliens known as Time Lords, who have tasked themselves with the guardianship of time. The first Doctor, an elderly man accompanied by his granddaughter Susan, was marooned on earth in his ship, the Tardis, whose chameleon circuit was locked in the form of a blue London police box from the era. The circuits purpose was to help the vehicle blend into its surroundings; like most things in Doctor Who it never quite went to plan.

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Since then, with a long production gap between 1989 and 2005, where only a single telemovie was produced in 1996, the series has starred 14 actors as the Doctor, with a handful more playing him in various side-iterations. David Tennant returned as the Doctor in the 2023 Doctor Who holiday specials. Gatwa, best known for his roles in Netflixs Sex Education and as one of the Kens in Barbie, joined the series as the 15th Doctor, who appeared in the third of three specials produced in 2023 featuring David Tennant. Tennant had played the 10th Doctor, but returned as a duplicate 14th Doctor in a twist that was as much about Time Lord genetics as it was about fan service. Gatwas Doctor, like most, is an omnipotent time-traveller, with a macro view of the universe. He blends the fast-talking wit of, say, the Baker/Tennant style, with the slightly more dandy chic of the Patrick Troughton/Jon Pertwee style. Hes chatty, charming and quick with a punchline. Gatwa and Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards in 2022. Credit: Getty But he also comes to the series at a point in its creative history where two separate but connected events are taking place. The first, is that the series is now produced by Disney for Disney+ in all markets except the UK, where it still airs first on the BBC. The second, is that showrunner Russell T. Davies, who relaunched the show in 2005, has returned after leaving in 2010. Gatwa says Davies has a unique dualism in his writing. Hes an expert at matching light with darkness, and exploring all the light and darkness that we see in the human condition, Gatwa says. Hes also funny as f---.

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Davies has a way of tapping into moments of great contradiction. He speaks quite often about how youll have your best laughs at a funeral, that life is full of these contradictory moments and elements, and I feel like hes able to capture that in such a succinct way, Gatwa says. Gatwa and Millie Gibson prepare to film the new season of Doctor Who. Many good writers can do that, but to be able to translate that in a way that we can understand en masse is a particular skill. He is just a very, very deep man, who is also very funny and very clever. And you get all those elements in the script. Gatwas co-star Millie Gibson, who plays the Doctors travelling companion Ruby Sunday, likens working with Davies to a game of racquetball. Hes always taking it to a new level and there is constantly a rhythm, she says. It was like, bam, bam, bam, wed go into something sad, then wed laugh, and then a monster would come in. The 13th Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, centre) with classic era companions Tegan (Janet Fielding, left) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) in Doctor Who. Credit: BBC Russells writing was almost like theatre at one point ... we just felt like the scenes were so long it felt like theatre because we had such a rhythm with it and such a routine, and helped with our chemistry so much as well. The notion of the companion in Doctor Who is a somewhat quaint one. The phrase was first coined in 1963 as a plural  the Doctors companions referring to granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford) and Susans two schoolteachers Ian (William Russell) and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), who ended up stumbling into the Tardis and being catapulted through time and space with the Doctor.

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The finest examples in the history of the series seem to be the pairings which hew close to Shakespeares notion of the battle of wits between Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing: There is a kind of merry war betwixt [them] ... they never meet, but theres a skirmish of wit. The two best pairings were perhaps Tom Bakers fourth Doctor and journalist Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Tennants 10th/14th Doctors and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). But there was also the Time Lady Romana (Mary Tamm, then Lalla Ward), the savage warrior Leela (Louise Jameson), flight attendant Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) and scientist Liz Shaw (Caroline John). Gatwa and Gibson in the new series of Doctor Who. Gatwa and Gibson say Davies never gave them a brief for how they should play the relationship, but they both felt it was platonic. Romances in Doctor Who are  technically  still quite rare; in recent history only Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) made substantial expressions of romantic interest in their Doctors. It was so open, Gibson says. Russell never gave us any pointers because [the chemistry] was very obviously there in the audition process, or I wouldnt have got the part. And every episode as the Doctor and Ruby grew closer, so did we, and it was just a beautiful sort of arc, that you begin to see how much they care for one another. Gatwa calls them besties. Besties at the back of the school bus. That is our vibe, he says. Also, quite sibling-ish. They feel very protective over each other, and theyre each others chosen family. The elevation of the companion is reflective of the times. The original series tended to make them submissive to the Doctors adventurous whims, a sort of explainer-for-the-audience translation tool designed to help make sense of everything from Daleks to Time Lords, Movellans and Weeping Angels.

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Gibson says at one point she sat down with actress Bonnie Langford, who played computer programmer (and companion) Mel Bush in the era of the sixth (Colin Baker) and seventh (Sylvester McCoy) Doctors. Langford has returned to the new series as a guest star. She felt coming back, that the companion now is a friend, a person to hold the doctors hand and to make his humanity aware, Gibson says. Because while Doctor helps anyone he comes into contact with, sometimes he cant really grasp how to emotionally connect with them. And thats where the companion comes to the fore. Theyre the eyes and ears into the world and the audience is following that adventure through Rubys eyes. Perhaps the most significant change to Doctor Who is that, at least for audiences outside the UK, it now airs on Disney+, the Disney-owned global streaming platform. Superficially, it positions the series next to iconic pop culture brands such as Marvel, The Simpsons and the Lucasfilm-owned Star Wars. Where it all began  the Doctor (William Hartnell), Barbara (Jaqueline Hill), Ian (William Russell) and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) in Doctor Who. Credit: BBC It also exposes the brand to more complex layers of the business: the potential for a Doctor Who-themed future inside Disneys parks, and an injection of money into the series that is well outside the scope of a budget-pressured BBC. For the audience, it begins with a Tardis console room that is bigger than anything that has come before it. Gleaming, white and vast, it feels strangely reminiscent of the plain white console room of the 1960s, with its vintage switches and frosted roundels.

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A 24-year-old man charged over an alleged Ponzi scheme scam has been slapped with a further 11 fraud charges.

Mandurah man Jack Endersby made headlines in March after this masthead exclusively exposed him as the director of a company through which he allegedly scammed clients out of millions of dollars.

Jack Endersby is facing 22 counts of fraud. Pictured with his grandmother Lyn Newby.

Those clients allegedly included his own grandmother.

An investigation by this masthead revealed Endersby drove around in a Maserati, made regular trips to Dubai and New York, and lived a lavish lifestyle in an apartment overlooking Elizabeth Quay while his clients raised concerns over their investments.
Parents concerned about a group of students at Rossmoyne Senior High School wrote a letter to WA Education Minister Tony Buti airing fears they were trying to radicalise other students.

The group they were concerned about allegedly included the teenage boy shot dead by police in Perth on Saturday night in a confronting scene WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said had all the hallmarks of a terrorist incident.

Police at the scene of a knife attack in Willetton on Saturday night. Credit: Nine News

On Monday, Premier Roger Cook confirmed Buti had referred the parents letter to the Department of Education for action, but it remains unclear what action was taken.

Its also unclear why the issue was left in the hands of the education department.
A woman has been killed every four days in 2024. We bring you stories of lives lost in recent years. Some of the cases featured are still before the courts.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following story contains an image of a deceased person.

The family of a West Australian woman who was viciously beaten by her partner in an attack that included punching her 40 times, stomping on her head five times and choking her, felt betrayed by the justice system after he was cleared of contributing to her death.

Instead, the cause of death of Jigalong woman, Nyaparu*, 24, was found to be a heart attack suffered in the moments after she was bashed.

Nyaparu died from a heart attack after suffering a sustained beating from her partner in Perths CBD in 2022. Credit: WAtoday

The finding comes a month after Victorian woman Emma Bates was found dead inside her home after allegedly being bashed by her neighbour, who is not facing charges over her death due to a post-mortem being unable to determine if illness played a part.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is worried about the dangers of young people being radicalised online after police shot dead a 16-year-old boy who allegedly stabbed a man in Perth.

The shooting occurred just three weeks after a 16-year-old boy in Sydney was charged with terror offences for allegedly stabbing a bishop during a live-streamed church service, and amid a discussion about the role of the internet in encouraging violence against women.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was concerned online algorithms were pushing young people towards more extreme content. Credit: Alex Ellinguasen

The Perth boy, who police said was shot after rushing at officers with a large kitchen knife in a Bunnings car park and stabbing a member of the public, had been participating in a government-funded deradicalisation program based on the work of federal youth minister and former academic Anne Aly.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said there were indications the 16-year-old had been radicalised online and the states police commissioner, Col Blanch, said the stabbing certainly has all the hallmarks of a terrorism-related incident.
Earlier, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators early on Tuesday (AEDT) that the group accepted their ceasefire proposal, according to a brief statement from Hamas, which gave no details of the accord. Loading Discussion of the ceasefire comes as Australia is preparing to cast a potentially controversial vote on whether to admit Palestine as a full member of the United Nations, a move that would be applauded by Palestinian advocates but denounced by Israel as rewarding the militant groups October 7 terrorist attacks. Australia mulls over Palestine for UN motion Intense, high-level manoeuvring among international diplomats before the UN vote, due later this week in New York, came as the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) began moving an estimated 100,000 Palestinians out of the southern Gazan city of Rafah ahead of a long-planned ground invasion.

The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that theyre holding in captivity are back home, the Israeli military said earlier in a social media post referencing the more than 100 Israeli hostages still believed to be held in Gaza. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wongs office issued a statement on Monday night urging Israel not to invade Rafah: Australia is gravely concerned by the prospect of a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah. More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population has sought shelter in Rafah, from the fighting elsewhere. Australia, the G7 and so many countries have called on the Netanyahu government to change course. The foreign minister has made clear Australias view that Israel should not go down this path. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and other world leaders have forcefully urged Israel not to invade Rafah  where about 1.5 million Palestinians have been sheltering after fleeing fighting in other parts of Gaza  because of the risk to civilian lives.

The Israeli government has said it is necessary to conduct ground operations in Rafah to dismantle the groups remaining battalions. All UN member states will be invited to cast a vote in the General Assembly on Friday (US time) on whether Palestine should be admitted to the global body as a fully fledged member, elevating it from its current observer status. The US used its veto power to block a similar resolution at the UN Security Council last month, but the proposal attracted the support of 12 of the 15 voting nations, including France, South Korea and Japan. The General Assembly vote is symbolic, but would be seen as an important litmus test for the level of support in the international community for Palestinian statehood. Wong laid the groundwork for supporting such a resolution in a high-profile speech last month, in which she floated the prospect of recognising Palestine before a final peace deal with Israel, alarming local pro-Israel advocates.

As pro-Palestine encampments continue to expand on Australian university campuses, Albanese, at a press conference on Monday, opposed the widely used From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free chant because he said it dismissed the two-state solution. Loading The government previously angered the Israeli embassy in Canberra by voting for a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Gaza and by restarting funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency in the Palestinian territories. Ambassadors from nations that supported the April Security Council resolution on full Palestinian UN membership were summoned for protest meetings in Israel following the vote. The unambiguous message that will be delivered to the ambassadors: a political gesture to the Palestinians and a call to recognise a Palestinian state  six months after the October 7 massacre  is a prize for terrorism, Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Oren Marmorstein said at the time.

The Albanese government, which has the option to abstain from voting, has not reached a final decision because the precise wording of the resolution is still being decided. A draft General Assembly resolution circulating among member states describes Palestine as a peace-loving state that should be granted the rights and privileges necessary to ensure its full and effective participation in the sessions and work of the General Assembly ... on equal footing with member states. Loading In a potential problem for the government given Australias close relationship with the US, the draft resolution expresses deep regret and concern that one permanent member vetoed the April Security Council resolution on admitting Palestine to the UN. Palestine is represented at the UN by the Palestinian Authority, which is dominated by Fatah, a more moderate political rival to Hamas.

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni called for the government to seize a historic opportunity to support Palestinian self-determination. Loading The Palestinian people must be granted their basic, inherent right to participate in decision-making at UN level, about issues that directly concern their lives and political aspirations, he said. Its outrageous that Palestines bid for self-determination via UN membership has been stalled and blocked since it first applied in 2011, as part of the ongoing process by Israel, backed by the US, to erase, invisibilise, suppress and ethnically cleanse the Palestinian people. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin urged the government to reject the resolution and pursue a meaningful two-state solution instead of pandering to a Palestinian delusion.
Thousands of workers and union members gathered in Brisbane this morning for the annual Labour Day March to celebrate the international fight for workers rights.

Despite a mostly peaceful event, a pro-Palestine protester was arrested for allegedly throwing eggs.

The march, which began at the corner of Wharf and Turbot streets, was led by Premier Steven Miles, walking with his daughter and alongside fellow state Labor MPs.

Premier Steven Miles with daughter and fellow state MPs leads the annual Labour Day March in Brisbane this morning. Credit: Courtney Kruk

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was notably absent from the event, with Miles telling the mornings press conference he was unsure why the PM was unable to attend.
The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly and requested anonymity to speak about the sensitive exchange, said that the plan detailed by the Israelis did not change the Biden administrations view that moving forward with an operation in Rafah would put too many innocent Palestinian civilians at risk. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to carry out a military operation in Rafah despite warnings from US President Joe Biden and other Western officials that doing so would result in more civilian deaths and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis. The Biden administration has said there could be consequences for Israel should it move forward with the operation without a credible plan to safeguard civilians. A spokesperson for Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: Australia is gravely concerned by the prospect of a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah. More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population has sought shelter in Rafah, from the fighting elsewhere. Australia, the G7 and so many countries have called on the Netanyahu government to change course.

The Foreign Minister [Senator Penny Wong] has made clear Australias view that Israel should not go down this path. Earlier on Monday, Israeli officials seized equipment from Al Jazeera after the nations cabinet approved a decision to shutter the Qatar-based TV news networks operations in the Jewish state  an unprecedented step against an international media outlet. Palestinian politics analyst Nehad Abu Ghoush broadcasting from inside the networks office in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Credit: AP Inspectors from the Communications Ministry, accompanied by police, arrived at the networks offices in Jerusalem, confiscated equipment and cut off access. Al Jazeeras broadcasts and access to its website had already been blocked throughout Israel. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi posted a video clip of the raid on X, formerly Twitter, where the inspectors can be seen and heard naming the equipment they found.

Karhi has been a key advocate for the termination of the networks activity within Israel. He has also threatened Israeli newspaper Haaretz with closure and accused Kan, the countrys public broadcaster, of bias and threatened to cut its budget. Al Jazeera denounced Israels move, calling it a criminal act that violates human rights in access to information. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has petitioned the move to the countrys Supreme Court. This is a dark day for the media and a dark day for democracy, Israels Foreign Press Association said in a statement. Israel joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station. The association expressed concern that Israels government may not be done with censorship as the prime minister now has the authority to target other foreign media he deems to be acting against the state. Several ministers from Benny Gantzs National Unity Party abstained from the vote and criticised its timing, underlining escalating tensions between the various factions of Netanyahus government.

An Al Jazeera reporter speaking live from the networks office in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday. Credit: AP Gantzs party said that while it supported shutting down Qatari-owned Al Jazeera, Israels war cabinet had agreed to postpone any decision at the request of security officials, including the head of Mossad, to avoid harming ceasefire negotiation efforts now under way in Egypt. Israel and Hamas, through intermediaries, continue to work towards a deal that would involve the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Qatar has been a dominant mediator since the war in Gaza broke out following Hamass October 7 attacks on Israel. The idea of shutting down the news channel has been circulating within Netanyahus cabinet, consisted mostly of hard-right, nationalist and Jewish Orthodox parties, since the early days of the war. Al Jazeera was blamed by Israel for what were termed false reports that heavily relied on what was thought to be Hamas propaganda.

In late March, the channel ran a story claiming that Israeli soldiers had raped and murdered women at Gazas Al Shifa hospital, which the Israel Defence Forces denied. It was later removed from all of Al Jazeeras platforms. A law allowing foreign media outlets in Israel to be shuttered was approved by the nations parliament, the Knesset, in early April. It would give the prime minister the power to instruct the Communications Ministry to act against any foreign media entity deemed to be harming the country, pending the opinion of at least one security official and the approval of the cabinet or security cabinet. Media outlets can then be subject to a range of actions, including shutting down offices in Israel, the confiscation of broadcast equipment, prevention of broadcasts by reporters, removal of the channels from Israeli cable and satellite companies, and blocking of websites in Israel. Al Jazeera harmed Israels security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against IDF soldiers, Netanyahu said when the law was passed. It is time to remove the voice of Hamas from our country.
India will get it faster if country hasPM to whom no one can say no to





CUTTACK :

Permanent seat at UNSC

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday reiterated that India will get a permanent member seat at the United Nations Security Council and this would happen faster if the country has a Prime Minister to whom no one can say no. This is a very difficult period. And more important, who do you trust? Who do you want to see in charge of this country? Who do you think will take this country through this challenge? And you asked about Security Council.

I have confidence we will become a member. But we will become a member faster if we have a strong Prime Minister to whom the world cannot say no. And that is what we are trying to do, EAM said during an interactive session in Odishas Cuttack. India has long sought a permanent seat in the Security Council to better represent the interests of the developing world. The nations quest has gained momentum with support from the international community. US has also offered support for reforms to United Nations institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is composed of 15 member States, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

The five permanent members of the UNSC include China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States. The non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Councilareelectedfor2-year terms by the UNGA. Ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), initselectionmanifestotitled SankalpPatra,vowedtopursuepermanentmembership forthe country in theUnited Nations Security Council. Initsmanifestoreleasedon April 14, the BJP stated, We are committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council to elevate Bharats position in global decision-making. Earlier in January, EAM Jaishankar stressed growing globalsupportforIndiaspermanent membership at the United Nations Security Council and said that sometimes things are not given generously, and one has to seize them.

With each passing year, thefeelingintheworldisthat India should be there, and I can feel that support...The world does not give things easilyandgenerously;sometimesyouhavetotakethem, theEAMsaidwhilerespondingtoaquestionaboutapermanent seat for India at the UNSC.Hemadetheremarks atManthan:TownhallmeetinginMaharashtrasNagpur.
Another Judges Ouster





By Adv. R. S. Agrawal

THE dismissal of Judicial Officer, Aniruddha Ganesh Pathak (52), (from Akola) s writ petition by the Bombay High Court division bench consisting of Justice Atul S Chandurkar and Justice Jitendra Jain on April 23, 2024, has been followed by similar result in the case of another Judicial Officer, Pradeep Hiraman Kale (50, from Yavatmal) on April 29, 2024, whose petition against his removal from services, has also yielded adverse verdict to him by the Court. The petitioner Kale has been the judicial officer appointed in 2009 by the State Government After receipt of the complaints, the petitioner was served with Articles of Charge on July 5, 2017 by framing 3 charges. Along with Articles of Charge, the petitioner was furnished with statement of imputation, copy of anonymous complaint along with compact disk (CD) Copy of complaint of December 16, 2013 of Bilal Sultan Mistry, conversation recorded in the CD, copy of complaint of January 18, 2014 from Babbu Mehbul Khan and copy of conversation recorded in the CD sent by the said complainant, report of Principal District Judge, Ratnagiri along with annexures copy of statement of Advocate S S Butala. List of witnesses were also furnished to the petitioner. Charge No 1 related to acceptance of bribe through Harish Keer, peon, attached to the petitioner, in connection with acquittal of an accused for an offence punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, (POCSO) Act, 2012.

In the said charge, it was mentioned that complainants approached the said peon for getting acquittal order in POCSO case. There were telephonic conversation between the complainant and the peon Harish. Initially, the demand was for Rs 3 lakh and thereafter it is stated that on the request made by the complainant, the said peon after consulting the petitioner agreed to give Rs two lakh, out of which Rs 40,000/- were accepted in cash and balance was paid in cheque, which was to be returned after receipt of cash. On February 28, 2018, the respondent-2, the HC Registrar General, after perusing the charges and defence statement decided to drop charge Nos 2 and 3. However, with regard to the charge No 1, it was decided to hold Departmental Enquiry. The PDJ, Ratnagiri, was appointed as the Enquiry Officer and the Adhoc DJ and Addl Sessions Judge, Ratnagiri as the Presenting Officer. The copy of the said letter was sent to the petitioner. After recording of the oral evidence on October 29, 2018, the Enquiry Officer came to a conclusion that the accused-peon demanded and accepted amount from the complainants, but it was not proved that that the petitioner was associated with him for the said purpose and probability of instigation by other person to the accused peon on his own initiation cannot be ruled out, and therefore, the petitioner was not guilty of Charge No. 1. Still, the Disciplinary Authority after considering the reply of the petitioner, found the petitioner guilty of Charge No 1 and recommended his removal.

Pursuant thereto the State Government passed the impugned order on December 5, 2019, removing the petitioner from Government service. At this stage, the petitioner approached the High Court. The High Court has noted that in the decision of the case  Nawal Singh v. State of UP and Another-(2003) 8 SCC 117, it has been held that judicial service cannot be treated as a service in the sense of employment. Judges discharging their functions exercise the sovereign judicial power of the State and hence standards expected to be maintained are of the highest degree. In the High Courts view, the parameters required for conducting disciplinary enquiry cannot be compared with the parameters required in criminal trial. The purpose of disciplinary proceedings is to enquire into an allegation of misconduct against the delinquent employee and such charge is to be proved on the basis of principles of preponderance of probability and not on strict rules of evidence. In this case, after perusing the evidence on record, the High Court is of the view that the impugned order cannot be termed as perverse, but is based upon the principles of preponderance of probability. The High Court has also observed that considering the position in which petitioner was employed, the punishment has to be proportionate to maintain dignity and respect of the judiciary and instill confidence and faith of the litigants in the justice delivery system. According to the High Court, the petitioner ought to have led evidence to dislodge the charge, which he has failed. The principle of strict proof cannot be applied to disciplinary Authority proceedings, more so, when it comes to judicial service.
Bidens costly mistake





By Girish Linganna

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden is receiving criticism from many groups for describing India and Japan as xenophobic because they do not desire an influx of immigrants. This has raised concerns about a possible diplomatic mistake, considering the United States enhanced relations with these Asian countries as part of its strategy to counter China. Xenophobia refers to the fear, dislike, or prejudice against people from other countries or cultures. It involves displaying hostility or discrimination towards individuals based on their nationality or perceived foreignness. Biden made these comments during a campaign fundraising event in Washington, primarily attended by Asian-Americans. It is noteworthy that these remarks followed his hosting of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a state visit to the White House. Biden expressed that one of the contributing factors to the growth of the economy is the presence of immigrants, including the audience and many others. He emphasised that their contributions are valued and appreciated, highlighting the positive impact of welcoming immigrants. In his remarks, Biden grouped both adversaries and allies, stating that China, Japan, India, and Russia were encountering economic challenges due to their xenophobic attitudes. He suggested that their reluctance towards embracing immigrants was a contributing factor to their economic difficulties. He stated that they have a lack of desire for immigrants. The Japanese and Indian embassies in Washington have not yet provided a comment in response to the request, and there has been no official statement from either country.

The comments made by Biden received significant attention on Indian news programs, where influential journalists offered critical responses to his remarks. The Japan Times, a news publication in Tokyo, also covered Bidens comments, noting that Japan is gradually opening its doors to more immigrants due to its ageing and shrinking population. In December 2023, the number of foreign residents in Japan reached a record high, accounting for approximately 2.7 percent of the total population. Overall, these reports shed light on the reactions and demographic situations in India and Japan in response to President Bidens remarks. Bidens comments received criticism from American defence and foreign policy analysts as well. Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official under President Donald Trump, emphasised the importance of speaking respectfully about Japan and India, as they are strong and crucial allies. Ezra Cohen, an adjunct fellow at the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, expressed concern that insulting these key allies would undermine American security. Bill Drexel, an expert on the Indo-Pacific region at the non-partisan think tank Centre for a New American Security, deemed the remarks unnecessary and counterproductive. Cleo Paskal, a non-resident senior fellow at the think tank Foundation for Defence of Democracies in Washington, acknowledged that she didnt believe Bidens comments would have a significant impact on the complex and interconnected relationships between countries.

However, she noted that it could potentially affect how President Biden himself is perceived. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, stated that Biden intended to emphasise that the United States is a nation built on immigration, which is ingrained in its identity. She described the remarks as a broad statement. John Kirby, the national security spokesman at the White House, clarified that Biden did not intend to insult other countries. He emphasised that officials in India and Japan were likely aware that there was no ill intent behind the comments. Both Tokyo and New Delhi are important partners of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region and are members of the Quad, an informal security alliance led by the US aimed at addressing Beijings influence in this strategically significant area. Apart from this Indo-Pacific factor, President Bidens remarks are sure to adversely hit his Presidential poll campaign against his rival Donald Trump. Even among the supporters of Democratic Party, there is resentment against open immigration. Now Trump will intensify his campaign by terming the President Biden as the promoter of infiltrators by making use of his remarks on Japan and India. (IPA)
BJP Govt will never change Constitution nor end reservation, says Rajnath Singh





NEW DELHI,

The BJP Government will never change the Constitution or end reservation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, accusing Congress of creating fear psychosis and resorting to spreading misinformation for vote bank politics. In an interview to PTI, Singh blasted the Congress for spreading canards that the BJP will change the Constitution if it returns to power and especially asserted that there was no question of changing the Preamble of the Constitution. His assurance that the Preamble of the Constitution will not be changed addresses concerns among critics that the word secular to describe India could be removed by the BJP if it retains power. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been alleging that the BJP will tear up and throw away the Constitution if it retains power.

Some other Congress functionaries had expressed apprehensions that the BJP may drop the word secularism from the Preamble of the Constitution. The Congress brought constitutional amendments 80 times. They changed the Preamble during the Emergency, the Minister said. The BJP will never change the Constitution. Constitution makers never imagined that there would be changes in the Preamble. You (Congress) only acted to hurt the core idea of the Constitution, he said. There is no question of changing the Preamble of the Constitution. They changed it and now they are making baseless allegations against us, he added. The Preamble to the Constitution of India presents the principles of the Constitution. The 42nd Amendment in 1976 changed the description of India from a sovereign democratic republic to a sovereign, socialist secular democratic republic.
Campaigning Concludes: Poll ready Bhopal to vote on May 7





Staff Reporter

election campaigning for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections ended on Sunday. It is noteworthy that as per the directions of the Election Commission (EC), campaigning of candidates comes to a halt 48 hours before the election and once it comes into effect, the outsiders who settle in the constituency for campaigning for candidates, leave the region.

Along with this, Section 144 has also been enforced in the radius of 200 metres of the polling booths in the State as per the directions of Collector and District Election Officer Kaushlendra Vikram Singh and citizens will be prohibited in group of five or more around 200 metres of the booths. There is a provision to stop election campaigning in Parliamentary constituencies 48 hours before the scheduled end of voting. After the deadline for campaigning ends, persons from outside the area, who are not voters in that Lok Sabha Parliamentary Constituency, have to leave that constituency. For this, an intensive monitoring campaign is conducted, informed State Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan.

Though, campaigning will be prohibited in this period, citizens will be able to complain about violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), if such instances are observed by people through C Vigil app. Significantly, in the third phase, voters of the State will exercise their franchise in nine Parliamentary constituencies including Bhopal, Vidisha, Guna, Morena, Bhind (SC), Sagar, Rajgarh, Betul (SC) and Gwalior. Voting for the third phase will commence from 7 am till 6 pm. The Commission has taken various steps to encourage voters and increasing the turnout. Some of these initiatives prominently include Kaun Banega Voter number 1 quiz and Chale booth ki ore campaign.
MCC violation: Cong files plaint with EC against BJP chief Nadda, others





BENGALURU,

THE Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Sunday sought the Election Commission to initiate action against BJPs National President J P Nadda and other senior leaders for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by posting a video on social media intimidating members of SC and ST community not to vote for a particular candidate. In a complaint to the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer, the Congress mentioned about a video uploaded on social media platform X by the official account of Karnataka State BJP @bjp4karnataka which is operated by Amit Malviya, the head of IT cell on instructions of J P Nadda, BJP National President, B Y Vijayendra, BJP State President and Social Media incharge- Karnataka BJP on May 4 at 5.34 pm.

The said video posted on social media featured animated characters of Rahul Gandhi and Siddaramaiah. In the clip, SC, ST and OBC community are portrayed as eggs in a nest and it also suggested Rahul Gandhi planting a big egg labelled as Muslim community. It is projected as though funds are being fed to the chick depicting the Muslim community, which then kicks out SC, ST and OBC community. The letter also stated that nowhere in the Congress party manifesto has it been mentioned that allocations of funds to SC, ST and OBC community will be cut and the same will be diverted to the Muslim community.

The BJP has been falsely accusing the Congress party of including Muslims in OBC category and with such false propaganda the BJP has been soliciting votes during Lok Sabha elections, it alleged. The KPCC further alleged that the video was posted on BJPs official X handle with an aim to garner votes in Lok Sabha polls. It is clear that the video social media post by them is to intimidate members of SC/ST community not to vote for Congress party by projecting that funds reserved for them will be usurped by Muslims, it said.
Chhattisgarh: Voting to conclude on May 7 with seven seats going to polls; 168 candidates in fray

Raipur, May 6 (PTI)

Amid heightened security with the deployment of 202 companies of Central forces and more than 60,000 personnel of police force and District Reserve Guard, the remaining seven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh will vote on Tuesday in the third phase with 168 candidates in the fray.

The main contest lies between the BJP, which had won 10 out of 11 seats in the state in the 2004, 2009 and 2014 general elections. In 2019, the BJP bagged nine constituencies and Congress 2.

A total of 1,39,01,285 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in seven seats, including the high-profile Raipur where state minister and BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal is facing off against former MLA Vikas Upadhyay of Congress.

In Korba seat, the BJP has fielded its influential woman leader and former MP Saroj Pandey against Congress' sitting MP Jyotsana Mahant, wife of the incumbent leader of the opposition Charandas Mahant.

Polling will be held between 7 am to 6 pm.

"All the preparations have been completed for conducting polling in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (Scheduled Caste reserved), Surguja (Scheduled Tribe reserved) and Raigarh (ST) seats in the third phase on May 7," state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Reena Babasaheb Kangale said in a press conference on Monday.

A total of 168 candidates, including 26 women, are in the fray. 1,39,01,285 voters, including 69,33,121 men, 69,67,544 women and 620 members of the third gender, are eligible to cast the vote, she said.

A security blanket of around 202 companies of Central forces and more than 60,000 personnel of the district police force and District Reserve Guard have been thrown around the seven constituencies, the chief electoral officer said.

At 38, Raipur has the maximum number of contestants, followed by 37 in Bilaspur, 27 in Korba, 25 in Durg, 18 in Janjgir-Champa, 13 in Raigarh, and 10 in Surguja.

The number of service voters and divyang voters is 11,271 and 1,29,481, respectively. 3,98,416 voters are in the age group of 18 to 19 years, 61,715 are above 85 years, and 2,174 are above 100 years, the CEO said.

Notably, 25 polling booths have been categorised as vulnerable and 1072 as critical, Kangale added.

A total of 15,701 polling booths have been set up across the seven constituencies and 2,809 of them will be 'Sangwari' booths (managed by women personnel), 306 'adarsh' booths, 58 others will be managed by 'diyangjan' and 235 by youths, she said.

All polling booths in Raipur City North assembly constituency under the Raipur Lok Sabha constituency will be managed by women polling personnel, Kangale said.

283 polling booths have been set up in those areas where there is no network coverage, she said.

In the Korba Lok Sabha seat, Kheradan polling booth has been set up for 5 voters, Kato polling booth for 12 voters and Revda polling booth for 23 voters in remote areas under the Bharatpur-Sonhat assembly constituency, the CEO said.

Altogether, 77,592 polling personnel have been deployed for the third phase of polling, she added.

Of the total 11 Lok Sabha constituencies, Naxal-affected Bastar (ST) seat voted on April 19, and Rajanandgaon, Kanker (ST) and Mahasamund in the second phase on April 26.

Bastar seat recorded a turnout of 68,29 per cent, Rajnandgaon 77.42 per cent, Mahasamund 75.02 per cent and Mahasamund 76,23 per cent.

The binary politics of Chhattisgarh is dominated by Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress.

Among the seven constituencies which will vote in the third phase, Congress has fielded a fresh face in Rajendra Sahu from Durg against sitting BJP MP Vijay Baghel.

Bilaspur constituency will see a battle between incumbent MLA Devendra Yadav of Congress and former MLA Tokhan Sahu of BJP.

In Janjgir-Champa, the lone seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, former state minister Shivkumar Dahariya of Congress will take on BJP nominee Kamlesh Jangde.

Surguja seat will see a contest between BJP's Chintamani Maharaj, who defected from the Congress before the last assembly polls, and Congress' Shashi Singh, a fresh face.

BJP's Radheshyam Rathiya and Congress' Dr Menka Devi Singh, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Sarangarh, will square off against each other in the tribal-dominated Raigarh seat.

A high-decibel campaign for the third phase saw acrimonious exchanges between the main rivals BJP and Congress over issues like corruption, reservation, and Naxalism. The saffron party has accused the Congress of building a false narrative around changing the Constitution.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed rallies for the party candidates, while for the Congress, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the campaigning.

Modi addressed two rallies wherein he targeted Congress over Sam Pitroda's remarks on inheritance tax, its leaders skipping the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, terrorism and Naxalism.

Kharge, Rahul, and Priyanka addressed one rally each and mainly spoke about social justice and the "Nyay" guarantees of Congress.
The Nagpuri Street holds sway in Mahal





Staff Reporter

Baatchitdotcom organised a unique street programme The Nagpuri Street at Mahal Square on Sunday with an objective to raise awareness of the significance of the culture and tradition. The programme witnessed the enthusiatic presence of large number of citizens of all age-groups. The citizens experienced the presented of devotional songs, demonstration of lathi kathi, yog and exercise. Santosh Patil, Police Inspector, Kotwali; Sanjay Shirpurkar, Sanjay Chinchole, Shrikant Aglave, Sudhir Abhyankar, Shivani Dani Vakhare, and Rakesh Pathrabe were prominently present on the occasion. The demonstrators also conveyed the importance of yog and exercise to the people, and encouraged them to actively practice it in their life. Some artists also performed zumba dance, this unique event concluded with the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa.

Baatchitdotcom is a podcast channel, and this programme was organised to give a platform to the budding artists.

The organisers assured of holding many such similar initiatives and events for the people of Nagpur, engage them in fun-filled and culturally enriching activities and at the same time also provide a space for young artists to present their talents. This programme was ably supported by Maharudra Yuva Pratishthan, Yoga Life Centre, Swargiya Prabhakarrao Datke Smruti Seva Sanstha, Shree Shiv Rajyabhishek Sohla Samiti Nagpur, Bhosale Vyayam Shala, and others.
Tremors on third consecutive day





By Kaushik Bhattacharya

The recent alternate rains in hot weather, groundwater percolation through cracks, fissures in the strata and development of pore pressure may be a reason behind such back-to-back earthquakes in Nagpur district, Dr Anjan Chatterjee, former Additional Director General, GSI and Former Director Earthquake Geology Division, GSI Central Region, told The Hitavada. On the third consecutive day, Nagpur district felt tremors of 2.7 magnitude that created panic among citizens on Sunday afternoon. The tremor was felt around 2.28 pm on Sunday near Khapri area which is just a few kilometres away from Nagpur city. According to Dr Chatterjee, the geo-mechanical behaviour with fluid migration through multi-directional cracks and fissures resulted into pore pressure that caused the evolution. Only field studies could provide authentication. Micro earthquake (MEQ) recorder studies and on-the-spot macro earthquake surveys by experts need to be undertaken. National Centre for Seismology should work on it to find out the exact reason, Dr Chatterjee added.

The seismic events in and around Nagpur district are taking place since March this year. The first event took place on March 10 of 2.7 magnitude. Thereafter, on March 26 three back-to-back quakes of 2.8 magnitude each were felt in the district. Hingoli, Wardha and Akola districts also felt tremors during these period and now three quakes in Nagpur district have raised concern among experts. Despite so much of panic among citizens, the concerning authorities are yet to release any advisory about the back-to-back seismic events that are taking place in the district. Now, retired geologists and experts are also asking for a study by National Centre for Seismology and GSI in Nagpur district for such events. Whereas, experts are divided on the theories behind such events as Dr Sandeep Shirkhedkar, Earthquake Consultant, believes these activities are taking place near mining areas which are harmless. It may be happening due to blasts in mines.
Trust Fintech on expansion spree Plans to double its workforce in 2-3 months





By Niraj Chinchkhede

Hemant Chafale, the city-based entrepreneur who has mastered the art of the strategic pivot, is unlike his fast-moving peers. Hemant isnt afraid to embrace a slow and steady approach, fostering consistent growth over two decades for his software development company. But now, with a solid foundation in place, the techie is ready to take off. Today, his company is on expansion spree, planning to double its workforce in a matter of months, a testament to Hemants keen eye for the right time to strike. Hemant Chafale led Trust Fintech Limited, currently boasting a team of 300 software engineers, plans to double its workforce in a short time frame of just two to three months. To fuel this ambitious growth strategy, the company has recently launched an Initial Public Offering (IPO) targeting a capital raise of Rs 63.45 crore. This move signals Hemant Chafales willingness to leverage public investment to propel his company towards exciting new heights. Trust Fintech, having its corporate office in the citys IT Park, will also have a footprint in more than 10 countries across US, West Africa, South Africa, East Africa, and Middle East in coming days.

A leading provider of SaaS product-focused fintech software solutions, the company recently made a stellar debut on the NSE Emerge platform. The stock was listed at Rs 143.25, at a premium of 42 per cent over the fixed price band of Rs 101. Earlier, the issue received an overwhelming response from the investors as it recorded 108 times subscriptions till the final day of bidding garnering bids worth over Rs 4,585 crore. Today the market capitalization of Trust Fintech Limited is more than Rs 600 crore. Highlighting the ambitious expansion plan, Hemant Chafale said the company intends to utilise net proceeds from the IPO to set up a new development facility at Mihan SEZ in Nagpur. We are also looking at procuring hardware and upgrading IT infrastructure, to enhance and upgrade existing products, Hemant Chafale said exuding faith in countrys rapidly growing economy. Elaborating on his journey, Hemant Chafale recently told The Hitavada how he set up his company in 1997 after gaining hands-on experience in instrumentation engineering from companies like Bombay Dyeing, Essar Projects and Indo Rama Synthetics. We started with a small investment with a handful of employees.

But right from the beginning, we focussed on developing the skills of team members and developed a strong bond with them. We paid them salaries at par with the markets but refrained from offering huge packages. This conservative approach helped us maintain our balance sheet strong and eventually streamline our cash flow, he said. As of now, the company is working in the BFSI sector, providing core banking software to all types of financial institutions such as banks, co-operative societies, micro finance companies, non-banking financial companies (NBFC) etc. CEO and Managing Director of Trust Fintech Limited, Hemant Chafale, did his schooling form Somalwar High school Ramdaspeth and engineering from Shri Guru Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Technology (SGGSIE&T), Nanded. Besides doing business, he also believes in giving back to the society and thus contributes to various social causes. He is President of Prof Rajendra Singhji Science Exploratory; Director of Nagpur Nagrik Sahakari Bank Ltd, one of the leading scheduled multi-state commercial banks; Member at various associations such as Vidarbha Association of Software Exporters, Rotary Club of Nagpur Downtown and Charter Member of TIE Nagpur.
In light of the increasing involvement of young individuals in political processes, the 'Not Too Young to Run' movement gains significant relevance. This initiative underscores the potential and capabilities of the youth, challenging the traditional thresholds of age for political candidacy. It advocates for the empowerment of young leaders and encourages their participation in governance, which is crucial for the representation of diverse perspectives within the political landscape. By lowering age barriers, the movement aims to foster a new generation of dynamic and innovative leaders who can contribute fresh ideas and drive progressive changes in society.

Without a doubt, youth participation in politics holds immense significance for both individuals and society as a whole. In fact, exploring the benefits shows that youth participation in politics reinforces democracy as it engenders inclusive participation which is not only a fundamental political and democratic right but also crucial for building stable and peaceful societies. Without a doubt, when young people actively engage in political processes, it strengthens democratic institutions and ensures that diverse voices are heard.

In a similar vein, youth participation allows policies to be shaped by the specific needs and aspirations of younger generations. By involving young individuals, governments can develop more effective and responsive policies that address contemporary challenges.

The foregoing view cannot be pooh-poohed as the youth represent a significant portion of the population. Their participation can significantly influence the balance of power and decision-making processes, even as harnessing their demographic strength can lead to better governance and representation.

In fact, when young people participate in politics, they gain a sense of empowerment. Their voices matter, and they can actively contribute to shaping their communities, and by extension, Nigeria. So, this empowerment fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Not only that, political participation hones essential skills such as critical thinking, communication, negotiation, and leadership. These skills are transferable and valuable in various aspects of life.

Still in a similar vein, youth involvement in politics drives social change. They challenge the status quo, advocate for justice, and push for progressive reforms. Their energy and passion can lead to transformative shifts in society.

As if the benefits that are inherent in youth participation in politics are not enough as been highlighted in this context, it ensures that the concerns and perspectives of young people are adequately represented. Policies directly affecting them are more likely to be well-informed when youth have a seat at the decision-making table.

Further to the foregoing viewpoint is that engaging in politics exposes young individuals to civic education as it enables them to learn about governance, rights, responsibilities, and the functioning of democratic systems, particularly as this knowledge contributes to informed citizenship.

Still expressing this view from another perspective, it is expedient to opine that when young leaders actively participate, they inspire their peers to get involved, even as their actions create a ripple effect, encouraging more youth to engage in civic and political activities.

Again, youth participation is an investment in the future. This is as it is crystal clear that by nurturing politically aware and active citizens, societies ensure continuity and sustainable development.

Given the foregoing, it is not a misnomer to surmise that youth participation in politics is not only about individual rights but also about shaping a better collective future. Encouraging young people to participate ensures a vibrant and dynamic democracy that reflects the aspirations of all its citizens.

Ostensibly recognizing the importance of the youths on Nigerias leadership landscape, and given the pressure mounted from not a few of them some of them who can in this context be deemed to be activists, the "Not Too Young To Rule" campaign was introduced as a response to the demographic realities of Nigeria and the need to enhance youth participation in politics. The campaign began in May 2016 with the aim of reducing the age limit for running for political office. It was driven by the recognition that a significant portion of Nigeria's population is young, with nearly 70% below the age of 35.

The federal government acknowledged this demographic trend and the potential of young Nigerians to contribute to governance and leadership. The "Not Too Young To Run" bill was passed into law on May 31, 2018, lowering the age for running for the office of the president from 40 to 35 years, House of Representatives from 30 to 25, and State House of Assembly from 30 to 25. This legislative change was intended to reflect the changing demographics and to usher in younger leaders, providing opportunities for representation that were not previously possible.

The successful passage of this bill was a landmark achievement for youth advocacy and democratic renewal in Nigeria. It represented a significant step towards including young people at the heart of politics and decision-making processes, aligning with global trends of younger leadership. The campaign and the resulting law aimed to empower the youth, encourage their active engagement in politics, and ensure that their voices are heard in the corridors of power.

Without resort to panegyric, the Not Too Young To Run campaign in Nigeria was a beacon of hope for many, signaling a new era of youthful leadership. However, the promise has been tarnished by some young politicians who have been embroiled in corruption scandals.

For instance, Abdulaziz Nyako, a sponsor of the Not Too Young To Run bill, Nyako is facing a N29 billion fraud trial, while Orji Uzor Kalu, the former governor of Abia State faced a N7.1 billion fraud trial, even as Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti State was involved in a N6.9 billion money laundering trial. Added to the foregoing examples is Dimeji Bankole, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives who was cleared of fraud charges in 2012 after allegations of misappropriating tens of millions of dollars of government funds.

Worrisome enough in this context is that of Salisu Buhari, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria, who was involved in a certificate forgery scandal that significantly impacted his political career.

It will be recalled in this context that Salisu Buhari was appointed as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which is the fourth-highest office in Nigeria. However, his tenure lasted for only six weeks before a scandal emerged. Investigative reports revealed that Buhari had falsified his age and forged certificates related to his education. Specifically:he claimed to have been born in 1963, but investigations showed he was actually born in 1970.

He claimed he graduated from the University of Toronto, but disappointedly, he never graduated from the university he claimed he graduated from, despite claiming to have attended it.

Not only that, his age despite being especially relevant because the Nigerian Constitution disqualified anyone below the age of 30 from running for election to the House.

Additionally, he falsely claimed to have completed his **National Youth Service at a specific company. Unfortunately, when confronted with these allegations, Buhari admitted to the forgery and apologized to the nation, resigning from the House of Representatives.

In fact, the alleged involvement of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, in corruption cases has been a source of disillusionment for the youth, who view it as a betrayal of the promise and potential of their generation's leadership.

Given the foregoing, anomalies that were unpatriotically demonstrated by some youths who ventured into politics as been cited in this context, it is disappointing to note that the purpose of the Not Too Young To Run Bill which was passed into law, even as it highlights the need for more comprehensive efforts to put young people at the heart of politics, governance, and decision-making processes in Nigeria is seemingly meaningless as some young political leaders actions cast doubt on the essence of the initiative.

In fact, generalizing the involvement of youthful political leaders in corruption undermined the trust that young people had placed in the political system.

Without a doubt, the realization that young Nigerians have squandered the opportunities afforded to them to pursue various political positions often evokes a profound sense of disappointment. This sentiment is particularly acute given the potential impact that fresh perspectives and innovative ideas could have on the political landscape. This is as the youths of today are equipped with the tools of education and technology, and are thereby well-positioned to instigate positive change.

Given the foregoing, it is disappointing as the failure to capitalize on these openings is not only hindering their personal growth but also stalling the nation's progress. As the heartbeat of Nigeria's future, it is imperative that the younger generation embraces these chances with the seriousness and dedication they warrant, ensuring that the trust placed in them is not misplaced but rather a stepping stone towards a more vibrant and dynamic political arena.

In fact, these cases highlight the challenges that come with integrating young leaders into politics, especially when faced with the temptations of corruption. The journey from hope to disappointment serves as a reminder that integrity and accountability must be the cornerstone of any political system, regardless of age.
Arms, ammos recovered

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IMPHAL, May 6 : The Army and Manipur police recovered several arms and ammunition from the fringe areas of Kangpokpi and Bishnupur district today.

The weapons recovered include one 9 mm Carbine, one 9 mm Pistol, five grenades, ammunition and war-like stores, said IGAR (South).

The joint operation was launched acting on specific intelligence about the presence of arms and ammunition in the fringe areas.

The arms and ammunition have been handed over to the Manipur police.
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS.Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the key prerequisite for a stable and prosperous South Caucasus. We see Armenia's sincere commitment to peace and appreciate clear steps undertaken in that direction. There is no doubt that the peace process must end with a sustainable, comprehensive, lasting peace and a commitment of both sides to respect it, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Lithuania to Armenia, Andrius Pulokas, said in an interview with Armenpress.

The interview has addressed Armenia-Lithuania relations, prospects for the development of relations between the two countries, Lithuania's views on the current situation in the South Caucasus, as well as the rapprochement of Armenia-European Union relations, Lithuania's possible role in it, and other issues.

- Mr. Ambassador, Armenia and Lithuania have always had warm and friendly relations. How would you assess the present level of political dialogue between the two countries and what important points would you highlight?

The political dialogue is very intense and has been increasingly active since Armenias Velvet revolution of 2018. The main challenge is to maintain the pace and provide concrete content  every political process must be focused on a result that must be clear and tangible. Lithuania and Armenia share common historical connections and experiences. Having walked the difficult path of transformation itself, Lithuania is an example of successful reforms. Our successes and lessons learnt are close to the context of Armenia, we understand each other very well, thus the transfer and implementation of experience useful to Armenia is and will remain one of the main tasks in the near future.

Armenia, with the support of the EU as the main partner for the reform agenda and the involvement of civil society, has every opportunity to become the leader in democratic reforms in the South Caucasus. Of course, provided the pace of reforms is maintained or even strengthened, and we continue seeing Armenia confidently climbing up different international democracy, rule of law, transparency rankings. Lithuania is ready to cooperate at all levels in order to strengthen Armenia's resilience at this very difficult stage of historical turning point. The key word is diversification, and in this area, knowing Lithuania's difficult but very fruitful path in diversifying its economy, energy, and other areas, together we could do more to strengthen Armenia's resilience and sovereignty.

- Last year, in October, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Simonyte visited the Republic of Armenia. She announced that Lithuania intends to support the deepening of relations between Armenia and the European Union. Being an experienced member country celebrating its 20th anniversary at the organization this year, how could Lithuania contribute to the deepening of relations between Armenia and the EU?

I am very happy that the EU is being seen and discussed more and more in Armenia. Active involvement of the EU in Armenia means more support for sustainable democracy, resilience, security and sovereignty, and most importantly - peace in the entire South Caucasus region. For this, we call for the active use of all the instruments provided by the EU: the CEPA agreement, which will soon be supplemented by the new EU-Armenia partnership agenda, and the EU mission in Armenia. We also expect Armenia to receive support through the European Peace Facility, and to start a dialogue on visa liberalization.

Lithuania is one of the most active supporters and enthusiasts of Armenias rapprochement  as close as possible  with the EU, we firmly believe that Armenia belongs to the European family, and Armenias future lies in the European Union. Our experience tells us that one should always have a little more ambition than the possibilities sometimes seem to allow  our path to Europe was not the easiest one either, but we always saw the meaning in it and consistently followed that path. I believe that the idea of European integration should become central and dominant both in Armenias political agenda and in public life. We always encourage Armenia to be more ambitious in dreaming, planning and working and the maximum ambition is of course EU membership, as soon as possible. Ambition is not a political declaration, but rather the constant patient and tiring work, and the efforts of the entire state and society. Some call it homework, and it is precisely this homework that Lithuania contributes to, for example, in supporting reform of Armenia's internal affairs system, offering the best practice in the field of environment, as well as in other important sectors.

- Months ago, the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on the need for closer ties between the EU and Armenia and a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. With that resolution, the European Parliament also called to consider the possibility of granting Armenia the status of a candidate for EU membership. In your opinion, how realistic is it to grant Armenia the status of a candidate for EU membership, and how would you evaluate the adoption of that resolution itself?

Armenia is a democratic state, and democracy on our continent has a very specific address - the EU. I would think that there is still a historical chance to jump on the same European train together with the so-called EU-Associated trio  Ukraine, Moldova, and hopefully Georgia as well. I remember the integration process of three Baltic States, more than 20 years ago. The Baltic countries also moved at different speeds, yet we joined. I understand that it may sound bold today, but I remember Lithuanian experience very clearly - the idea of Europe at the time of accession had taken over Lithuania like a virus, we all got infected by the idea of Europe and thus gained immunity to totalitarianism and Sovietism (as well as oligarchisation, by the way). Lithuania's move towards EU membership was based on the understanding that the EU is where we belong, because this organization represents the same values of democracy and the rule of law, which we share, and  let us not hide that as well  the same norms, standards and the level of prosperity we wanted to reach. And the whole process of preparation for the EU accession with related reforms, was about constructing a modern, effective, resilient state, taking over new methods of governance, raising the quality of public services. Looking back, I can confidently say that this process was the best thing that happened to Lithuania in the 20th century. Still today we are the biggest supporters and enthusiasts of the EU. We succeeded, and I believe, Armenia must succeed as well. Aspiring for membership is valuable in itself. So, we did not waste time, we did not reinvent the wheel, we adopted the best European experience.

- Mr. Pulokas, since the 2020, Azerbaijan continues to take destabilizing actions in the region of South Caucasus. It is well known that as a result of an ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan in September of 2023 more than 100 of thousands of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were forcibly displaced. How do these steps influence the peace agenda in the region?

This was a great tragedy, with thousands of Nagorno Karabakh residents fleeing their homes, and this displacement taking place against the backdrop of a lengthy blockage of the Lachin corridor. We understand the frustration and disappointment of people whose lives have been broken, abandoned by those whom they had once considered the guarantor of their security. Armenias government and all the people have demonstrated a unique solidarity in ensuring shelter and dealing with all the problems. Along with many other countries, Lithuania provided humanitarian aid. I believe that the people of Nagorno Karabakh should have the opportunity to return safely to their homes. Peace can only prevail in the South Caucasus through good-faith negotiations, while coercion has never led to any good, and playing with people's destinies, using them as a tool is simply not justifiable. This also applies to the return of all the detainees, which is a very important step towards restoring trust.

- Beginning from 2021, Azerbaijan has attacked Armenia several times occupying Armenias sovereign territories, even now, Azerbaijan refuses to withdraw its troops from those territories. What kind of steps can and should be taken by the international community, particularly the European Union, to force Azerbaijan to stop the aggressive policy against Armenia?

Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is the key prerequisite for a stable and prosperous South Caucasus. We see Armenia's sincere commitment to peace and appreciate clear steps undertaken in that direction. There is no doubt that the peace process must end with a sustainable, comprehensive, lasting peace and a commitment of both sides to respect it, with eventually completed process of border delimitation and demarcation, based on internationally recognized borders  the same borders which existed at the moment of the dissolution of the USSR, - and with the opening of regional communications across all the borders.

Lithuania consistently supports the mediation efforts of the EU and the US in peace negotiations. Peaceful South Caucasus is in the interest of the entire democratic community. There is nothing beneficial for small countries when larger regional powers try to maintain their monopoly. This is why conflict resolution must be re-internationalized  more Europe means more respect for the rules-based international order.

Lithuania not only firmly expresses its political support for the peace process, but also is ready to share its still fresh experience on border delimitation and demarcation, as we were one of the first countries to fully delimit and demarcate all its land borders after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Again, we have a unique experience, as we went through a long and difficult negotiations process. Our neighborhood is not very easy as well, yet we managed to complete those processes based on the principles of international law, and this practice can be used in South Caucasus as well.

It is important that the international community expresses its clear position and condemns the actions of countries that do not respect the core principles of international law. For us in Lithuania, values are at the heart of the foreign policy, and we behave accordingly. We fight for the countries that are striving for their freedom, security, and democracy. We also realize that the fate of the South Caucasus depends greatly on the outcome of Ukraine's heroic struggle for its country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia's war in Ukraine has shown that Russia kills, destroys, and breaks any principles of international law daily. In this context, it is very important that Armenia is trying to diversify its political and security partnerships as well as providing humanitarian support to Ukraine and activating the level of political dialogue. Armenia itself knows very well the price of independence and democracy.

-Mr.Ambassador, in recent years there has been a lot of talks about the need to unblock the regional communications in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan demands the so-called Zangezur corridor from Armenia by threatening at the same time to get it by force. How would Lithuania assess such an aggressive and unprovoked behavior of Azerbaijan?

Lithuania geographically has similarities with Armenia: the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation, like the Nakhichevan region of Azerbaijan, is an exclave for which communication with the mainland country is important. Again, the accession to the EU played a crucial role in this area as well. The EU, Lithuania and Russia agreed on the so-called Kaliningrad transit scheme, and now, even in the conditions of the Russian war in Ukraine, mainland Russias and Kaliningrad regions residents travel through the territory of Lithuania. We managed to harmonize two main things, namely full control of Lithuania in its territory and maximum convenience for travelers to transit without unnecessary obstacles. We have repeatedly shared our experience with both Yerevan and Baku. I believe that some elements of this so-called simplified transit model could be useful in regulating the movement of persons in Armenia. After all, it is a European experience and a model of success. As regards the rhetoric, we understand its importance, and we would prefer the term transit rather than corridor. After all, we are in the 21st century.

In response to these claims of the Azerbaijani side, last year the Government of Armenia initiated the Crossroads of Peace project. What is your opinion on this initiative and how does Lithuania see the peace in the region of South Caucasus?

This idea is indeed logical and understandable, it is an effort to restore functional cooperation among the neighboring countries, using the existing and future transport infrastructure. Regional transport arteries and global transport links must also operate in Armenia. They must work in all directions and for all modes of transport. It might even make sense to expand the project to include pipelines, power lines, etc. After all, it would be beneficial for everyone, it would stimulate the economic growth of the entire region, as well as trade and cross-border cooperation. However, implementation of such a project would require engagement of all the regional partners. I hope that the EU can offer certain stimulus for them to also accept the idea of open communications.

The development of economic ties and mutual trade usually leads to even deeper cooperation and increase of mutual trust, which is the basis for peace. The South Caucasus has every opportunity to become one of the fastest growing and prosperous regions. The EU could also contribute to the restoration of communication links in the region and the implementation of the Crossroads for Peace initiative.

- Economic cooperation between Armenia and Lithuania: What was the trade volume between the two countries in 2023? What trends are seen in the bilateral export and import markets?

The available data on trade between Lithuania and Armenia are very different. We belong to two different trade blocs - EU and EEU, therefore re-exports are seen differently in our statistics. According to Lithuanian data, in 9 months of the last year, bilateral trade amounted to over 100 million EUR, yet only a small part were goods of Lithuanian origin. The level of economic-trade cooperation does not match the level of active political dialogue, so we will have to do a lot to increase mutually beneficial economic links and to transform intensive political dialogue into sustainable economic relations. At the same time, of course it is key that trade relations are not exploited to circumvent sanctions.

- Mr. Pulokas, which economic areas are of greatest interest in the relations between Armenia and Lithuania, and what should the two countries do to develop economic ties?

Both traditional trade areas such as food products, beverages, or tourism services, as well as high-tech sectors demonstrating impressive growth rates, have good prospects. For trade exchanges, the main challenge remains expensive and complex logistics. A direct flight between Vilnius and Yerevan would be truly beneficial for our daily cooperation.

- Mr. Ambassador, are there any planned high-level visits from Lithuania to Armenia in the near future?

Last year, a historic visit took place  the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Ms Ingrida Simonyte visited Armenia for the first time.The Prime Minister of Armenia also visited Lithuania a few years ago, the Presidents of the countries also exchanged visits in the last few years, the exchange of visits of various institutions continues on a regular basis. Just a few weeks ago Speaker of the Armenian Parliament visited Lithuania. This spring, several ministerial visits to Vilnius and Yerevan took place.

- Thank you for the interview opportunity. Is there anything else you would like to add?

It's no secret that Armenia has many friends in Lithuania and this circle has been expanding rapidly in recent years. Historically, our nations have always been extremely close, starting with the Middle Ages and close coordination between our independence movements. We understand and sympathize with each other's experiences. Lithuanians feel great sympathy for Armenia's effort to diversify its relationships and move closer to the West. It is not only a feeling, but also concrete willingness to contribute with proactive support.

For any ambassador, such an environment is very favorable, so we must make the most of this chance. After starting my term in Armenia, I constantly meet open and sincere people who are full of benevolence, new ideas and striving to pursue shared values. I am very grateful for the attitude and warm feelings of Armenians towards my country. For its part, Lithuania will continue to support Armenia in its efforts to increase resilience, protect democracy and establish a closer dialogue with the EU.

We admire the perseverance of the Armenian people to firmly defend your democratic choices, despite all the challenges - this only proves that our countries are moving in the same direction, and shared democratic values are the most important foundation of this relationship.

Interview by Davit Mamyan

Photos by Gevorg Perkuperkyan
BJP MP candidate Tapas Ray, contesting from North Kolkata constituency, has been provided with X-category security by the Central government. Additionally, BJPs district president of North Kolkata, Tamoghna Ghosh, has also been provided security by the Centre. Sources said that Tapas did not request security himself, but recent incidents compelled the Bengal BJP leadership to consider it necessary.

Tapas Ray has been a prominent figure in North Kolkata politics for four decades. Recently, in March, he resigned as the Trinamul Congress MLA of Baranagar and joined the BJP. He cited dissatisfaction with the partys leadership and campaign strategy as reasons for his resignation. After joining BJP, the party nominated him as its candidate in North Kolkata parliamentary constituency. Tapas Ray faced protests from some sections of Trinamul supporters in Burrabazaar and Maniktala. This led to discussions within the saffron camp regarding his security. Finally, central security was provided.

Meanwhile in response to attacks on BJP supporters the state BJP today has approached the Election Commission of India. On Thursday night, BJP youth leader Inder Yadav was attacked by miscreants armed with pistols and iron rods in the Narkeldanga area within Phoolbagan police station limits. After assaulting him, they threw him into a nearby pond. Following the incident, BJP demanded the arrest of the main accused, Prakash Yadav, and besieged Phool Bagan police station on Saturday night. Allegedly, later that night, the miscreants launched another attack on Inders family. Upon receiving the news, Tamoghna Ghosh, the district president of BJPs North Kolkata organisation, took Inders sister to the NRS Hospital.

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Tamoghna stated: On Saturday night, we besieged the police station demanding the arrest of the main accused. Later that night, miscreants attacked Inders house. His sister was seriously injured. Tapas Ray said: This incident once again proves that there is no rule of law in Bengal; there is only lawlessness. The police are sheltering the criminals of the ruling party. However, police claim that three suspects have already been arrested in connection with the attack on Inder. The search for the remaining suspects is ongoing. BJP woman supporter thrashed at Girish Park A woman supporter of BJP MP candidate Tapas Ray was allegedly thrashed in the Girish Park area in north Kolkata last night in an incident blamed on the Trinamul Congress.

The incident occurred after a puja at a temple in Girish Park Ward 26, where BJP candidate Tapas Ray was present. The BJP accused Trinamul supporters of assaulting the partys workers after they left the event shouting Jai Shri Ram slogans. Two BJP workers including a woman supporter were reportedly injured in the incident and are currently hospitalised. A written complaint has been filed at Girish Park police station in this connection.The Trinamul Congress denied any involvement in the incident. BJP supporters clashed with the locals, but theres no involvement of the Trinamul Congress in this dispute, said a TMC leader.
Amidst heavy security in Durgapur due to the presence of VVIPs for election campaigning, a group of burglars sneaked into two houses in the heart of the town and made off with 20 tollas of gold jewelry and Rs 1.70 lakh in cash overnight The Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate has obtained CCTV footage from one of the looted houses, but no significant progress has been made to trace the thieves, officials said.

The CCTV footage shows at least four individuals sneaking into the houses of Adhir Ghosh and his next door neighbour Runa Das on Street 23 of the Bengal Ambuja colony in the City Centre area at around 3:00 a.m. today. In both cases, they entered the houses after removing the iron window frames of vacant rooms. The family members of Mr Ghosh and Ms Das slept through the burglary in other rooms in their respective houses. I realised something was highly wrong when I noticed in the morning that the room next to my bedroom was locked from inside, though no one was sleeping there, said Mr Ghosh. He said: I immediately went to call my neighbours but to my shock I saw the grill frame of the window of the Das family house had also been dismantled.

Runa Das said: We didnt hear any noise. We found 6 tollas of gold jewellery and Rs 15,000 in cash missing. The Ghosh family, meanwhile, found themselves poorer by 12 tollas of gold jewellery and Rs 1.55 lakh in cash. Mr Ghosh said: We were confident that we were fully secure as the top ministers are staying in the city since over a week. But this Sunday morning ruined my faith on the citys law and order situation.

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Abhishek Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Durgapur said: We have already begun an intensive probe into the thefts. Police raided Kalabagan slum, adjacent to City Centre in connection with the robberies. Incidentally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal have been camping in two neighnouring hotels at City Centre itself. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also scheduled to reach Durgapur this evening. The police seem to have prioritised safety and security of the high-profile leaders and ministers and the entire force has been camping around the luxury hotels, leaving the local residents unguarded, complained Debesh Chakraborty, Paschim Bardhaman district president of the Congress.
The Delhi Police have apprehended three fake candidates appearing in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exam from two schools of the South District, the police said on Monday.

All of the three proxy candidates were from the state of Rajasthan, the police said.

According to police, on Sunday the NEET-UG exam was held at some schools in the South District area and out of them, complaints were received regarding fake candidates, who appeared in the exam from two of the schools.

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The separate complaints were received at Police Stations Malviya Nagar and Ambedkar Nagar respectively.

In connection with the Malviya Nagar complaint, a person identified as 24-year-old Abhishek, who is a resident of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan, was found to be allegedly appearing on behalf of a candidate, and accordingly a case under Sections 419/468/471/120B of the Indian Penal Code was registered in the matter.

Similarly, in the matter pertaining to Ambedkar Nagar Police Station where another complaint was received regarding the fake candidates, two people including Gajraj Singh, a resident of Dausa, Rajasthan, aged 21 years and another person Rakesh, aged 21 years who is a resident of Barmer, Rajasthan, were found to be appearing on behalf of the actual candidates, and a case was registered against them under the relevant sections of the law.

The police have initiated a probe in the matter to find out whether there is an involvement of an organized racket behind the proxy candidates being provided for such exams.
Emily Blunt recently opened up about her kids reaction to seeing her on the big screen, and it seems theyre not exactly her biggest fans in that department. The 41-year-old actor, known for her roles in movies like Mary Poppins Returns and Jungle Cruise, shared that her daughters, 9-year-old Hazel and 7-year-old Violet, find it a bit odd to see their mom playing someone else.

Even in family-friendly films like The Muppets or Mary Poppins Returns, Blunts daughters seem to have a tough time reconciling their moms real-life identity with her on-screen characters. But it was the underwater scenes in Jungle Cruise that really got to them. In the film, Blunts character finds herself in perilous situations underwater, and her daughters were understandably upset by it.

They didnt like the underwater stuff where Im trapped and Im in peril, Blunt revealed about her daughters reaction to Jungle Cruise. Theyve only seen Jungle Cruise once. They started crying. They left the room.

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Its a sentiment shared by Blunts co-star, Ryan Gosling, who stars alongside her in the action-comedy The Fall Guy. Gosling, who has daughters Esmeralda Amada, 9, and Amada Lee, 8, with partner Eva Mendes, admitted that his own kids have concerns about his dangerous on-screen antics.

My kids didnt want me to be set on fire. They were like, No. No fire. So I didnt do it, Gosling shared, highlighting the sometimes difficult balance actors face between their work and their familys concerns.

Its a reminder that even Hollywood stars have to navigate the complexities of parenthood alongside their careers. And for Emily Blunt, it seems that the well-being of her kids comes first, even if it means avoiding certain scenes that might upset them.
Actor Ashutosh Rana is stepping into the realm of psychological thriller with Murder in Mahim, a series set to unveil the chilling layers of a murder mystery intertwined with the essence of Mumbais underbelly. Rana, who essays the character of Peter, shares insights into the complexity of his role, shedding light on the toll it takes to embody shades of gray on screen. Playing gray characters takes a toll on artists, he reveals, you become that demon, and you have to act, think, and express in the same way. But the best part is when you get back to reality, you come back with more humanity in you.

Joining Ashutosh Rana in this narrative is Vijay Raaz, who portrays the character of Jende. Raaz delves into the multifaceted persona of Jende, emphasizing the blend of humanity and aggression that defines his character. The most fascinating aspect of Jendes character is the various shades of his persona, Raaz elaborates. My effort was to bring a humane touch to this character, which is evident in the investigation scenes, but at the same time, there is aggression on the personal front which comes out in front of his family.

Based on Jerry Pintos acclaimed novel, Murder in Mahim promises a riveting tale under the direction of Raj Acharya and the creative vision of Tipping Point Films. Alongside Rana and Raaz, the series features Shivani Raghuvanshi and Shivaji Satam in pivotal roles, adding depth to its narrative canvas.

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Speaking about the collective effort behind the series, Raaz expresses, Working on a show like Murder in Mahim is a rare experience. The entire team has put their heart and soul into this show, hoping the audience will enjoy watching it.

Murder in Mahim is set to premiere on OTT platforms on May 10, inviting audiences to delve into a world where friendships are tested, mysteries unravel, and humanity confronts its darkest shadows. Get ready to embark on a journey where every clue leads to another layer of intrigue and every character holds secrets waiting to be unveiled.
Days after many schools in the national capital recieved bomb threat, several schools in Gujarats Ahmedabad recieved similar threat mail, police said on Monday.

The police said that they have launched an investigation into the matter.

According to initial reports, around six schools have confirmed receiving e-mail threatening them with a bomb blast.

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DCP Control Ahmedabad City, however, said that there is no need to panic as they were checking the schools.

No need to panic or exaggerate5-6 schools have been threatened through mail about bomb blastwe are checking. No need to give too much hypepeople should not panic as tomorrow is poll day, said the DCP.

The development comes days after more than 60 schools in Delhi-NCR recieved bomb threat emai recently.

Following the threats, students were evacuated from these schools as police launched intensive searches and opened an investigation.

However, nothing suspicious was found during the checks and the Union Home Ministry termed the bomb threat a hoax.

Some schools in Delhi received threat e-mails this morning. The mails appear to be hoax and there is no need to panic. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking all necessary steps as per protocol, the MHA had said in a statement shared on X.

Later, investigation revealed that the email to the Delhi schools was sent from a Russian domain.
The BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against Maharashtras Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Vijay Wadettiwar, who reportedly claimed that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare was killed by an RSS-affiliated cop, and not by terrorist Ajmal Kasab, during the 26/11 terror attack.

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar in a complaint on Sunday urged the poll body to direct the registration of FIR against Wadettiwar under the stringent provision of law. He also urged the EC to direct the Congress leader to tender an unconditional apology.

In the complaint, the BJP further sought a comprehensive investigation into Wadettiwars statement to ascertain whether the Congress is supporting and propagating this harmful narrative.

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Shelar claimed that Wadettiwars statement violates the Model Code of Conduct and risks inciting communal tension and causing enmity.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the Opposition is worried about Ajmal Kasab and wants to support terrorists by targeting Ujjwal Nikam, the BJP candidate from Mumbai North Central.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, LoP Wadettiwar said Hemant Karkare was not killed by bullets of terrorists like Ajmal Kasab, but by a policeman affiliated to the RSS Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared as special public prosecutor, is a traitor who suppressed this fact and BJP has given an election ticket to a traitor like him.
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffriessaid the United States must continue supporting Ukraine to prevent a broader war, and he blamed the delay in aiding the fight against Russia on a "pro-Putin faction" within the Republican Party, CBS reports.

"We can't let Ukraine fall because if it does, then there's a significant likelihood that America will have to get into the conflict  not simply with our money, but with our servicewomen and our servicemen," Jeffries said in an interview with Norah O'Donnell for 60 Minutes.

Last month, Congress approved a long-awaited bill to provide $61 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The first major aid package since December 2022, it came after months of fighting and deadlock in Congress, driven by Republicans, who are divided over foreign aid to Ukraine, the report adds.

There is a growing pro-Putin faction in the Republican party that does not want to support Ukraine and believes for some reason that Russia is not an enemy of the United States of America," Jeffries said.

In the House, Jeffries claimed Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is leading the support for Russia.

On May 2, French President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with the Economist, reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would "legitimately" arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and if Kyiv made such a request.
An FIR was filed against BJP candidate from Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay and some party workers in West Bengals East Midnapore on Sunday for allegedly attacking sacked school employees at their protest site.

The FIR at Tamluk police station has been registered under various non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act, on a complaint filed by a section of the 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff, who lost their jobs following a high court order and are reportedly close to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The root of the complaint was a procession by BJP supporters at Tamluk while Gangopadhyay was going to file his nomination as a candidate on May 4. Tension started as the procession passed through the area where some dismissed school staff were holding demonstrations against the Calcutta High Court order.

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According to Maidul Islam, President of the West Bengal Primary Teachers Association  which is considered close to the Trinamool, there was an unprovoked attack on the protestors by members of Gangopadhyays procession. He also cautioned that if those involved in the attack on the hunger strike are not quickly arrested, there will be a larger agitation across the state.

Reacting to the FIR, Gangopadhyay said that such FIRs based on fake allegations are quite common and he is ready to face its outcome.

I want to see how long those who are resorting to such fake allegations can escape the clutches of law, he added.
Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren moved the Supreme Court on Monday against the Jharkhand High Court order dismissing his plea challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in an alleged money laundering case.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, on a mention for an early listing, asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, to send an email and it will look into it.

Making a mention for an early listing, Sibal told the bench that the election phase in Jharkhand will begin on May 13. Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31, we moved the high court on February 4 and the high court did not deliver the judgement. The phase of election starts on May 13. This court issued notice and the high court delivered the judgement on May 3. We have filed the SLP, very unfortunate that the rights are being trampled in this fashion, Sibal elaborated.

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The Jharkhand High Court, on May 3, dismissed Sorens plea challenging his arrest by the ED in an alleged money laundering case. The high court pronounced judgment four days after the Supreme Court agreed on April 29, 2024, to hear Sorens plea against arrest in the week commencing from May 6.

The judgement was reserved by the high court on February 28, 2024.

Seeking response from the ED and posting the matter for hearing in the week commencing from May 6, 2024, a bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta had, however, said it would be open to Jharkhand High Court to deliver its judgement on the former Chief Minister Sorems plea challenging his arrest in an alleged money laundering case.

In the meantime, it will be open to the high court to pronounce the order that was reserved on February 28, 2024, the bench had said in its order on April 29, 2024.

Soren had earlier approached the top court for bail, citing the delay by the high court in pronouncing the judgment on his plea against arrest by the ED.

Soren is being investigated for money laundering charges in connection with an illegal mining case, as well as an alleged land scam in Ranchi. The Central agency investigating both cases contended that approximately Rs 8.5 acres of property in question constitute proceeds of crime.
A seven-member delegation from India held a Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting with their Ghanaian counterparts in Accra, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Monday.

The delegation was led by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Amardeep Singh Bhatia accompanied by High Commissioner of India to Republic of Ghana, Manish Gupta and Economic Adviser, Department of Commerce, Priya P. Nair.

The JTC was co-chaired by Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Republic of Ghana, Michael Okyere-Baafi; and Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Amardeep Singh Bhatia.

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In a comprehensive dialogue, both sides undertook a detailed review of recent developments in bilateral trade and investment ties and acknowledged the vast untapped potential for further expansion.

Both sides agreed to work expeditiously towards the operationalization of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of National Payments Corporation of (NPCI) on Ghanas Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS) within a period of 6 months.

Further, both sides delved into discussions regarding the possibilities of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Digital transformation Solutions; Local Currency Settlement System and also deliberated on the opportunities offered by African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

They identified several areas of focus for enhancing both bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial investments. These include cooperation in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, information and communication technology, agriculture and food processing, renewable energy, power sector, digital economy and digital infrastructure, critical minerals, textiles and garments, etc.

A business delegation led by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also accompanied the official delegation with representatives from the varied sectors including power, fintech, Telecommunications, electrical machinery, pharmaceuticals sectors.
The Kashmir valley is, these days echoing with a high pitch campaign for the three Lok Sabha seats across the valley but the interesting key poll plank of the regional parties is of calling each other a stooge of BJP.

The BJP that had in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, fielded its candidates and lost badly on all the three seats in Kashmir, is this time behind the scene supporting candidates of two regional parties. Senior BJP leaders are campaigning in Anantnag, Rajouri, Poonch, Srinagar and Baramulla.

Another national party, Indian National Congress, is campaigning for the National Conference (NC) candidates in the valley where the PDP, JK Apni Party, Peoples Conference, DPAP and a couple of other parties are also in the fray.

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NC, PDP, Peoples Conference, JK Apni Party and DPAP of Ghulam Nabi Azad are publicly calling each other a proxy of BJP. The BJP is being painted a villain because of the abrogation of Article 370 and splitting of the state into two union territories (UTs) in August 2019.

Being the first major election after 2019, the NC and PDP are asking the electorate to vote to display their annoyance against abrogation of Article 370. NC vice-president Omar Abdullah questions the BJP why it has not fielded candidates on the Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir despite claiming to have put Jammu and Kashmir on the path of development following abrogation of Article 370.

Abdullah has accused Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP of being the C-team of BJP as Mehbooba was herself contesting the election against the INDIA bloc from Anantnag. Abdullah alleged that the PDP candidate fighting election against him in Baramulla, who was earlier a Rajya Sabha member, did not vote against abrogation of Article 370 and directly helped the Modi government by abstaining.

NC activists also accuse Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone of having enjoyed ministership from the BJP quota in the PDP-BJP coalition government. Hitting out at Abdullah, Lone accuses National Conference of having shared power with the BJP when the NC vice-president was a minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee led government from 1999 to 2002.

After pulling himself out of the contest, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has floated the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) after parting ways from the Congress, claimed that the NC was seeking time to meet the BJPs central leaders. Abdullah was quick in reacting and accusing Azad of hobnobbing with the BJP to damage INDIA blocs electoral prospects in the Chenab Valley which is his home turf.

The JK Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari, which has fielded its candidates in Anantnag and Srinagar, is being accused of being the B-team of BJP.

Another talking point is deferment of polling for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat to 25 May from the earlier 7 May. It is being alleged that the move was aimed to benefit the BJP backed candidate as most voters belonging to the Gujjar-Bakerwal communities would have moved out to the high pastures with their cattle heads by the date of the poll.

NC leaders Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti have already extensively toured Rajouri and Poonch where they held a series of poll meetings.

Polling for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency that is currently represented by Dr Farooq Abdullah (NC) will be held on 13 May, Baramulla seat on 20 May and Anantnag-Rajouri on 25 May.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family left for a three-nation private tour on Monday.

They took the flight from Cochin International airport. The CM is accompanied by his wife Kamala, grandson, daughter Veena and her spouse, and State Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas.

CM Vijayan and his family will visit Indonesia, Singapore, and the UAE before returning on May 21.

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He will spend six days in Indonesia till May 12 and will spend the next six days (May 12 to May 18) in Singapore. Later, he will visit the UAE from May 19 to May 21.

Pinarayi Vijayans son is based in the UAE and works for a global bank.

The Chief Minister and Minister Mohammed Riaz have informed the Ministry of Home Affairs that it was a personal trip to visit various tourist centres. The Central government granted permission for the CMs trip on Sunday.

According to sources, as the trip is private there was no official announcement of it.
The Congress on Monday launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over the China issue, accusing it of playing directly into the hands of the Chinese.

The party also posed a volley of questions to the Prime Minister over the matter.

In a statement, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said, Today is the fourth anniversary of the clashes that began between Indian and Chinese troops at Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh. These culminated in the fatal engagement in Galwan on 15th June 2020 in which 20 of our brave soldiers made the supreme sacrifice. The PMs clean chit to China four days later when he said na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai was a profound insult to our fallen soldiers and became the legitimisation of Chinese control over 2,000 square kms of land in eastern Ladakh.

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Referring to the India-China border talks, he said, Despite 21 rounds of military talks over four years, the situation remains unfavourable. Lehs Superintendent of Police has clearly shown that our troops were unable to reach 26 out of 65 patrolling points that they could access prior to 5th May 2020. Chinese forces continue to block Indian access in the strategic Depsang Plains in five locations (Patrolling Points 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13).

Alleging that Chinas aggressive build up and intrusions are not restricted to Ladakh, the Congress MP said, Along Arunachal Pradesh, the Chinese continue to build forces and infrastructure that pose a direct threat to Indias Siliguri Corridor, which connects northeast India with the rest of the country. The Modi government has overseen the destabilisation of Manipur and other parts of the northeast, playing directly into the hands of the Chinese. This sorry situation is a complete indictment of the PMs gullibility and naivete regarding China.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080 km border with China.

He asserted that China has made significant inroads into our neighbourhood on the Modi governments watch.

Do you still believe your 19 June 2020 statement ? Has your government surrendered to Chinese control over thousands of square kms in Depsang and Demchok for the foreseeable future or are you still trying to return to the status quo ante before 5 May 2020? When will you take responsibility for the abysmal failure of your China policy? Jairam questioned.
Exuding confidence of winning the.Lok Sabha elections 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he has already prepared a 100-day plan and that not a single day will be wasted after June 4.

In an interview with a news channel, Modi said that in his next term, he will take some big and important decisions.

My 100-day plan is ready and after June 4, I will not even waste a single day. I do not want my nation to suffer even a little. I do not want to nation to suffer due to delays in decision making. You must have seen my trailers for the past 10 years, the PM said.

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Modi said that he had a plan in 2014 and 2019 as well and that advance planning is in his nature.

It is God-giftedmy software has been designed like this. I think in advance and have experience of working in Gujarat. I had a plan in 2014 and even in 2019. The work we have done, if you look at my track record you will come to know. We made a law on Triple Talaq, Abrogation of Article 370 was done by us. To solve and deal with big problems is in my nature. I want to take some big and important decisions, Prime Minister Modi said.

According to sources, the BJPs 100-day plan for its new government may include areas like how to use technology to boost growth, additional measures needed for ease of doing business, more thrust on infrastructure development, ease of living, and social welfare.

The party has also reportedly held talks with business leaders to take their suggestions.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a day-long meeting with his council of ministers.

In the meeting, the PM had discussed the road map of the first 100 days of his new government, if elected, to march towards a Viksit Bharat or a developed India by 2047.

In the meeting PM asked the ministers, that the economic momentum should not stop and new government would have to start working from the very next day after taking the oath.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday came down heavily on the 24-year-old BJD regime in Odisha for poverty amidst rich resources while launching a no-holds-barred attack on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in the coastal State saying that it will pay the price for its sin.

Modi, while addressing a poll rally in Berhampur parliamentary constituency in southern Odisha, predicted the imminent fall of the government saying that Odisha will see the formation of BJP government for the first time after the declaration of poll results on 4 June.

There will be a double engine government in Odisha for the first time. Odisha BJP unit has chalked out a visionary manifesto for the States all round development touching all sections of people right from youth to elders. BJD implements what it does and promises, he said.

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On 4 June, the expiry date of the BJD Government is writ large on the wall. BJP will decide its new Chief Minister on 6 June. The swearing-in-ceremony of BJP Chief Minister will take place on 10 June, Modi said exuding confidence of BJPs victory in the upcoming twin polls in Odisha.

In Odisha, BJDs sunset is imminent. Congress here has collapsed. People here have confidence in the BJP. The BJP has emerged as a new sun for hope and aspiration for people of the State.

BJP should be given the opportunity to serve the people of Odisha. The development speed has picked up wherever BJP is in power in States, he said citing the example of Tripura saying it was virtually destroyed by 30-years of rule by Communist and Congress government, Modi observed.

In 2018, people voted for the BJP and impressed by its performance, people again voted BJP back to power in Tripura. Uttar Pradesh and Assam are also progressing at a rapid speed due to BJP governments in those States, Modi added.

Hitting out at the Congress and BJD rule in the State, he said Congress has ruled for 50 years while BJD has been in government for almost 25 years. The State has abundant water, productive land resources, mining wealth beneath the soil, and a long shoreline. It has a rich history and culture. It has everything; God has given it so much. But people of the rich state remained poor all these years.

Odisha is rich, but its people are poor, he said, charging that the Congress and BJD leaders loot were responsible for this.

The sins committed by them will be reflected in votes in favour of the BJP, Modi pointed out.

BJDs rookie leaders have become owners of huge palatial buildings. Why are the people from the Chief Ministers region (Ganjam district) migrating and fleeing to other places for work?, he asked.

Blaming the Patnaik government for poor governance, he listed out States failure by saying that majority of doctor posts are lying vacant and dropout rate in schools was very high.

The Centre never granted less budgetary grants to Odisha. The UPA government allocated Rs 1 lakh budgetary grants to Odisha in ten years while more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore grants were given to the State by the Modi government during the same period, he said, iterating the central governments emphasis on Odishas development.

Assailing the BJD government, he alleged the State government was not implementing the development projects of the Centre. Instead, it is rebranding the Central schemes and misappropriating the grants released by the Centre, he stressed.

The Centre allocated Rs 10,000 crore Jal Jeevan Mission Programme to Odisha. But the State government failed to properly utilise the funds. The road condition in villages is poor despite the release of generous central grants.

The free rice scheme of the Centre has been rebranded by the BJD government as its own scheme. Why did they resort to such treachery, he questioned.

They are doing so as the BJD government has done nothing over these years, he said.

Criticising the State Government for not implementing the Rs 5 lakh Ayushman Bharat free health scheme, he said more than 6 crore people are reaping benefits across the State.

Those migrating to other States were deprived of Ayushman Bharat benefits, he said, blaming the BJD government for it.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme will be implemented in Odisha on 10 June after it comes to power in the State with peoples blessings.

The Odisha government does not care about the interest of women. But the Modi Government is giving Rs 6,000 to pregnant women. However, the BJD government has stopped it from reaching the beneficiaries, the PM charged.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will on Monday launch the electoral campaign of party candidates Rahul Gandhi and K L Sharma in Uttar Pradesh by holding a high-level meeting.

Priyanka is scheduled to reach Rae Bareli this evening and hold a workers meeting of Raebareli and Amethi.

The Congress party wants to retain the seats of Amethi and Raebareli at any cost. For this, Priyanka Gandhi is busy working with her 40-member team on both the seats. Under this, she will knock on every door and hold street meetings.

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Voting in Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha is to be held on May 20.

Congress sources here on Monday said the responsibility of conducting elections for both these Lok Sabha seats has been given in the hands of the Congress general secretary. Priyanka Gandhi will be camping in Rae Bareli from May 6.

If sources are to be believed, the strategy of booth wise campaigns in Rae Bareli and Amethi has been completed. The review of committees at every booth has been completed. Feedback of every booth is being prepared. Priyanka Gandhi has earlier also campaigned in Rae Bareli and Amethi Lok Sabha by making a booth-wise strategy.

Sources said she will also keep an eye on the social media campaign. Especially the strategy of operation of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp is being worked on strongly. Along with this, communication will also be established with various social organizations, bar associations and womens groups of Raebareli and Amethi.

Priyanka , who is well-versed with the Congress organization and conduct of elections in Rae Bareli and Amethi for two decades, will not only double the enthusiasm of the workers, but will also spread enthusiasm among the people of the constituencies.

On the other hand, the top leadership of the Congress has appointed former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot as Amethi Lok Sabha seat observer and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as observer of Rae Bareli seat.

Rahul Gandhi is the candidate for Rae Bareli seat, while Kishori Lal Sharma, who is close to the Gandhi family, has been made the candidate for Amethi seat. Both had filed their nominations last week.

Meanwhile, tension rose high when some people created a ruckus outside Congress Bhawan on Raebareli-Sultanpur highway late in Amethi on Sunday night. They vandalized several vehicles and ran away.

After this incident that happened on the middle of the road, some workers who came out of the Congress office protested. The Congress workers also tried to block the road.

However, as soon as information about this was received, a heavy police force including CO City reached the spot. Meanwhile, some people present there also made serious allegations against the police.

Congress District President Pradeep Singal reached the spot.

Additional SP Harendra Pratap said that some vehicles have been vandalized outside the Congress office. The matter is being investigated. On receiving the complaint, a case will be registered, he said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation if the opposition-backed INDIA bloc comes to power in Madhya Pradesh.

Taking a jibe at the BJPs abki baar, 400 paar war cry, he claimed the saffron party would not be able to win even 150 seats in the general election.

Gandhi said the Congress has drafted an innovative plan which no other government has ever thought of, adding that it would provide Rs 8,500 per month, totaling more than Rs one lakh a year, to one woman from each poor family.

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Addressing two poll rallies at Segaon in the Khargone (ST) Lok Sabha constituency and Alirajpur in Ratlam (ST) Lok Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh, he reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are planning to end the Constitution.

All that the dalits, tribals, OBCs, poor and downtrodden of the country have received after Independence is thanks to the Constitution, but Modi and the BJP have decided to end this Constitution and deprive you of everything, Gandhi told the gathering at Alirajpur, holding a copy of the Constitution in his hand.

He alleged that the prime minister plans to hand over the land, forest and water resources of the nation to a handful of his industrialist friends.

He cautioned that if the BJP forms the government again, about two-dozen industrialist friends of Modi would control all the resources of the nation and they would run the entire government. He said Modi waived off loans worth more than Rs 16 lakh crore of his industrialist friends, but did not waive off a single penny of the farmers pending loan amounts.

The Gandhi scion asserted that the Congress has genuinely worked for the welfare of the poor and tribals. He said the Congress believes that the adivasis or tribals have the first right on the resources of the country.

 leave aside snatching your reservation, we are going to raise it above the 50 per cent limit, he promised.

The Supreme Court, however, has capped the reservation limit to 50 per cent.

When the Congress forms the government, we will put Rs one lakh a year directly into the bank account of one woman from each poor family till that family is brought above the poverty line, the Congress leader underlined.

Narendra Modi has made some people crorepatis, but we are going to make crores of people lakhpati, Rahul Gandhi asserted.

He encouraged the Congress workers, calling them lions, and urged them to toil in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, to save the countrys democracy and Constitution.

The Ratlam and Khargone Lok Sabha seats would go to polls along with six other seats of the state in the fourth phase of polling on 13 May, the last phase for Madhya Pradesh.
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Rajasthans Education Minister Madan Dilawar on Monday said strict action will be initiated against teachers in government schools for using mobile phones during duty hours.

An order has been issued to stop the use of mobile phones by teachers in schools at the ground level.

Teachers will have to stop bringing mobile phones to schools, Dilawar said.

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Mobile phones are a kind of disease. Teachers in school are busy watching the stock market. Mobile phones will be completely banned in schools. Students suffer loss in studies due to mobile phones..Phones will have to be deposited with the principal, he expressed his objections.

If they bring mobile phones by mistake, then they will have to be deposited with the principal. Action will also be taken against performing puja or offering namaz during school time without permission, he added.

After taking charge of the ministry, Dilwar has taken a number of decisions including ban on wearing burqa by muslim girl students in schools and asked them to wear only school uniform, and imposed Surya Namaskar with morning prayer in every school.
Launching a scathing attack on the opposition parties on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the Congress and the INDI Alliance as Ramdrohi (anti-Ram)and Rastradhrohi (anti-national).

Replying to a query on humiliation meted out to Congress leader from Chhatitsgarh Radhika Khera by her party members for visiting Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya , CM Adityanath said: The incident shows that Ramdroh is there in the DNA of Congress, SP, and the INDI alliance, and whoever is Ramdrohi is Rashtradrohi as well. Chhattisgarh belongs to Lord Ram and any Ram devotee can belong to any party. 

Speaking during a press briefing held at his official residence, he said: This is the character of the INDI alliance. They have always disrespected Lord Ram and his devotees. They make every effort to make the majority community feel insulted. Whether its Congress, SP, National Conference, or DMK, the conduct of all these parties is condemnable. And it is this Ramdrohi conduct of these parties that is throwing them into the abyss.

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CM Adityanath said that the Congress has never missed an opportunity to demean India in the eyes of the world, nor has it hesitated to disparage the Hindu religion.

He urged people to consider the Ramdrohi behaviour as Rashtravirodhi (anti-national), regardless of ones affection shown to them in the interest of the nation. The CM mentioned that the public was vigilant and making their own informed decisions.

Emphasising that the greater the Ram Bhakt, guarantees the greater Rastra Bhakt (patriot), Yogi described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the epitome of Ram Bhakt and Rastra Bhakt. After a 500-year wait, the long-cherished dream of Ayodhya has finally come to fruition with Ram Lalla once again gracing the city. This transformation of Ayodhya was made possible under Modis leadership and guidance. Today, the new Ayodhya unveils a fresh chapter before us, he remarked.

PM Modis presence in Ayodhya not only impressed the nation but also Ram devotees worldwide. Lakhs of devotees eagerly awaited PM Modis visit and he received an unprecedented welcome in Ayodhya, the CM added.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Umar Ansari, son of late gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansar, in a criminal case involving an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Granting bail to Umar Ansari, a bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra noted that other accused in the case have been granted bail and the offending statement attributed to Ansari is the matter for trial.

The court asked Ansari to participate in the trial of the case, as the Uttar Pradesh government objected to his plea for anticipatory bail and told the bench that he must first surrender before the trial court and then seek bail.

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Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Umar Ansari, told the bench that other accused in the case have already been granted bail in the case.

Mukhtar Ansari, who was undergoing incarceration, died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh on March 28.

Umar Ansari was booked for delivering a provocative speech against the Mau district administration while the model code of conduct was in place. Earlier the Allahabad High Court had declined anticipatory bail to him in the same case.

He approached the top court against the High Courts December 2023 order. Rejecting Umar Ansaris plea for anticipatory bail in the case on December 19, 2023, the High Court had said that looking at the facts and the circumstances of the case, the offence is made out.

The FIR in the case was lodged in March 2022 at Kotwali police station in Mau district against Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and others.

It was alleged in the FIR that on March 3, 2022, at Pahadpura ground, Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and organiser Mansoor Ahmad Ansari in a public meeting called for settling a score with the Mau administration.

It is a case of violation of the election code of conduct.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while addressing an election rally in Mahabubabad in Telangana on Monday, promised the nationwide implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Dhami warned the opposition against spreading falsehood against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited Telangana voters to come to Uttarakhand for Chardham pilgrimage in large numbers as his government will make all arrangements for their comfortable travel to the higher Himalayas.

Seeking votes in favour of BJP candidate Ajmeera Sitaram Naik, Dhami said that Uttarakhand has successfully enacted UCC to ensure equal rights and justice to the people, especially women of all communities in the state.

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He invited the people of Telangana to Chardham pilgrimage to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines this season. Portals of Yamunotri, Gangotri and Badrinath will open on May 10 while people can visit Kedarnath from May 12. I appeal to the people of Telangana to come for Chardham pilgrimage, he said.

Accusing the opposition of spreading lies against Prime Minister Modi, he said that our PM brought peace to Jammu and Kashmir, and acted strongly against terrorism, banned triple talaq to provide relief to Muslim sisters and is now working to implement CAA, he added.

He urged Telangana voters not to fall in the trap of false promises made by the BRS and the ruling Congress party.

Attacking the Congress, Dhami said: PM Modi wants the countrys resources to be used for development and wellbeing of the poor, Dalits and tribals while the Congress wants Muslims to have first opportunity on it.
In a relief to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a vigilance Court here on Monday rejected the petition filed by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan seeking an investigation against Vijayan and his daughter in the CMRL monthly pay-off case.

The father-daughter duo has been accused of receiving monthly payments from the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) in return for favouring the operations of the firm.

The Vigilance court has dismissed the Congress MLAs petition stating that the petitioner failed to produce sufficient evidence to order a probe into the allegations.

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Kuzhalnadan sought a direct inquiry by the Vigilance court into the involvement of the chief minister and his daughter in the case.

Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan had in his petition demanded a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department into the allegations against Chief Minister Vijayan and his daughter in the monthly pay-off case. However, later when the court was to deliver its judgment, he changed his position and submitted a fresh request seeking the court to directly probe the case.

In his petition, Kuzhalanadan alleged that Exalogic Solutions, the firm owned by Veena Vijayan, received monthly payments as a reward for providing improper assistance to a private mining company, Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd.

The court had sought evidence from Kuzhalnadan regarding the alleged wrongful assistance to the private company. Following this, the MLAs lawyer during the previous hearing submitted five documents to the court to prove the allegations against the CM and his daughter. However, the Vigilance Court said that it did not find any evidence of wrongful assistance provided by the government in these documents.

Earlier on March 31,the Ministry of Corporate Affairs ordered a Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe into the affairs of Exalogic Solutions, as well as Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).

In the last week of March, the Kochi unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Investigation Report (ECIR)  similar to a First Information Report (FIR) in criminal cases  against Veena Vijayans company under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and started a probe into the transactions.

The central agency has acted on the basis of the report by the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board (ITSIB) in August 2023 stating that Veena and her firm Exalogic Solutions had received Rs.1.72 crore as monthly payments from the CMRL despite there being no evidence of any services given in return.

The ED probe may include the individuals and entities on the record of the ITSIB order. Besides Veena, the role of CMRL and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), which holds 13.4% shares in CMRL, will also come under the ambit of the probe.

The report revealed that CMRL had paid money to other political leaders and trade union leaders as well. ED investigation is also likely to cover other persons who received money from CMRL.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose asked the Raj Bhavan staff to ignore any communication from the police regarding molestation charges levelled against him.

In a letter written on Sunday to the Raj Bhavan staff members, Governor Ananda Bose reportedly informed the Raj Bhavan staff that no criminal proceedings can be initiated against Governors during their term of office.

The move comes a day after the Kolkata Police formed a special enquiry team (SET) to investigate the sexual harassment allegations levelled against him.

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The reports from the media indicate that the police propose to conduct an inquiry into the incident and that they would be examining the staff of the Raj Bhavan. It is also reported that the investigating team intends to collect the CCTV footage from Raj Bhavan, the Governor said in the letter.

The question that arises is as to whether the police can conduct an inquiry and collect evidence in view of the immunity enjoyed by the Governor under Article 361(2) and (3) of the Constitution of India, the Governor added in the letter

According to Article 361(2) of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be initiated or continued against the President or the Governor of a state in any court during their term of office.

Since the Governor has been granted constitutional immunity from any criminal proceedings being instituted or continued against him, it logically follows that the police cannot investigate/inquire into the matter in any manner whatsoever. To say that the inquiry/investigation of the police could continue even during the tenure of the Governor though no court can take cognisance of the final report, would be in derogation of the objective and essence of Art.361 of the Constitution of India, the Governor wrote in the letter

Thus, in view of the immunity enjoyed by the Governor, the police are constitutionally barred from carrying out any kind of preliminary inquiry, registering a First Information Report, the Governor adds in his letter.
Agriculture is perhaps the most climate-sensitive sector. Frequent floods and droughts caused by climate change lead to food shortages and rise in food prices. This causes hunger and malnutrition, the effects of which are felt most strongly by the poor. Along with the heightened food insecurity, climate change causes rising drinking water insecurity. The lack of clean water leads to many diseases including kidney failure. Children seem to be the worst victims.

A UNICEF report shows almost every child in his/her lifetime will now be exposed to at least one major climate change event ~ today most kids will be exposed to extreme weather much more than adults. As a result, they face both multiple and longitudinal exposures. Children invariably need more water and food per unit of their body weight for growth and development, which means climate hazards like drought and crop failures result in a long-term risk to them. As featured in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, it is learnt that extreme heat can stunt child growth through reduced agricultural and protein production which impacts food outcomes for children as well as causing higher risks of infectious disease and direct physiological effects.

Growth stunting in childhood is a risk factor for increased mortality, poor cognitive and motor development and other impairments in function. Children who have been severely undernourished in childhood suffer a later reduction in IQ by as many as 15 points, insignificantly affecting schooling achievement and increasing the risk of dropouts or repeat grades. Moreover, stunting usually persists, leading to smaller size and poor performance in adulthood.

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The lack of water, warming and sea level rise and other crises induced by climate change have caused the fastest growing of new categories of refugees termed as climate refugees. Legally, refugees, as defined under the Geneva Convention of 1951, are people with well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in a paper in 2019, said the Geneva Convention could be applied to persons affected by climate change, as long as they are already marginalised and are facing or are at risk of facing persecution. But this is easier said than done.

In the true sense of the term, climate refugees are not legally classified as refugees (because the definition in the Refugee Protocol requires that the source of their motivating fear be violence or persecution from other people), they are nevertheless routinely described as refugees because their migration is not voluntary. In the UNs State of the Worlds Refugees report from June 2012, then U.N. secretarygeneral Ban Ki-moon noted that the traditional causes of forced displacement, conflict and human rights abuses are now increasingly intertwined with and compounded by other factors, many of them related to the relentless advance of climate change.

A consensus on the legal definition of climate refugees is just the first step, as identifying the people will be the next challenge. In 2021, the World Bank, in its Groundswell report, estimated that by 2050, some 216 million people worldwide would be internally displaced due to the impacts of climate change. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) estimated that in 2023 alone there were more than 32 million displacements because of natural disasters. The other challenge is that countries provide refugee status on an individual basis, but climate change affects entire communities or even nations. The IPCC says climate changeinduced disasters are creating a new dynamic of migration of climate refugees that will not be limited to a countrys borders.

Over time, countries would not be in a position to absorb so many climate refugees. The world is ill prepared to handle these challenges. No doubt, the impacts of warming by GHGs are becoming ever more evident. Droughts and heat waves are occurring frequently and getting more severe. In a report published in the Nature magazine on 27 November 2019, climate scientists said that nine climate tipping points, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), are likely to be crossed sooner than previously thought. The tipping points are losses of the Amazon rain forests, boreal forests, permafrost, Artic Sea ice, coral reefs, Atlantic circulation, Greenland Ice sheet, Wilkes Basin East Antarctica ice and the West Antarctic ice sheet. These tipping points are interconnected both biologically and physically in complex ways which would mean that world would might go into a state of irreversible change.

The tipping points can also now be triggered at much lower level of global warming. Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the planet is already facing the consequences of climate changes. And the situation is expected to reach the point of no return. The future of the planet and of humanity itself hangs in the balance. This is because climate change negotiations always seem to have a new twist ~ the word is net-zero or carbon neutral, which could mean another attempt at creative carbon accounting. Climate change negotiators know that their so-called agreements shall not work in the severely compromised and highly climate-risked world. The decade of 2020 is the last chance we have to walk the talk. To make it right. Let us not lose it. Otherwise, humanity may wake up to reality when it is simply too late to change course decisively.

Amidst the bleakness, many of us seem to be hopeful because we have the knowledge, the technology and the collective will. But Seyyed Hossein Nasr, professor of Philosophy at the University of Tehran, in his book entitled Man and Nature: The Spiritual Crisis of Modern Man, argued that the root of the environment problem now facing humanity lies in the realm of Ideas. Modern Man has arrogated to himself an absolute authority over nature, a complete freedom to use, abuse, subjugate and dominate it as he chose fit. It is precisely the domination of nature that has caused the unsurmountable problems. More precisely, in the words of Marya Mannes: The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
In the political arena, alliances are often forged in unexpected ways, and the recent announcement by US House Democrats to back Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is a testament to the fluidity of power dynamics in Washington. While such a move may raise eyebrows and prompt speculation, it underscores the pragmatic approach taken by lawmakers when faced with the prospect of internal discord.

The genesis of this alliance lies in Johnsons decision to champion aid for Ukraine, a move that drew ire from some within his own party. In a landscape increasingly polarised along partisan lines, Mr Johnsons willingness to prioritise national security over partisan politics is commendable. It demonstrates a commitment to governance beyond ideological constraints ~ a rarity in todays hyper-partisan climate. However, the Democrats decision to support Mr Johnson is not solely motivated by altruism. It is a strategic calculation aimed at preserving stability within the House of Representatives.

The spectre of former Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthys ousting still looms large, serving as a cautionary tale for both parties. By throwing their weight behind Mr Johnson, Democrats are effectively pre-empting any attempt by Republicans to destabilise the speakership ~ a move that could have farreaching consequences for legislative productivity and public perception. Yet, this alliance is not without its detractors. Critics argue that Democrats are compromising their principles by aligning with a figure whose political allegiance lies with the opposing party. They decry what they perceive as a betrayal of party values in pursuit of political expediency.

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However, such criticism overlooks the nuanced nature of political manoeuvring and the imperative of pragmatism in a divided government. Moreover, Mr Johnsons leadership style has been subject to scrutiny from within his own party. His reliance on Democratic votes to advance key legislative priorities has irked hardline conservatives, who view such cooperation as anathema to Republican party principles. However, this criticism fails to acknowledge the reality of governing in a divided Congress, where coalition-building is essential for advancing legislative agendas. At its core, the Democrats decision to support Mr Johnson reflects a recognition of the need for bipartisanship in addressing pressing national issues.

In an era marked by gridlock and acrimony, pragmatic cooperation between opposing factions is essential for effective governance. By prioritising stability and collaboration over partisanship, lawmakers can fulfil their duty to the American people and uphold the integrity of democratic institutions. The alliance between House Democrats and Speaker Johnson may seem unconventional, but it embodies the pragmatic spirit of governance in a polarised political landscape. While critics may decry it as a capitulation of principles, it represents a necessary compromise in the pursuit of stability and effective leadership. Ultimately, the success of this alliance will depend on the ability of lawmakers to transcend partisan divisions and work together in the best interests of their country
Congress leader Rahul Gandhis decision to return to Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming elections has stirred both anticipation and scepticism within political circles. After contesting from Wayanad in Kerala, his return to the heartland of Indian politics ~ albeit to his family pocket borough of Rae Bareli ~ carries significant implications for his partys electoral strategy and broader political narrative.

On one hand, Mr Gandhi signals a reassertion of the Congress partys commitment to reclaiming lost ground in the state. Uttar Pradesh, with its vast electoral significance, holds the key to shaping the national political landscape. By contesting from the state, Mr Gandhi aims to revitalise the partys presence in north India and mobilise support across various segments of the electorate. Moreover, his decision to contest from Uttar Pradesh is aimed at dispelling the perception propagated by the BJP that he is hesitant to engage in direct electoral battles in crucial battleground states in northern India. By actively participating in the electoral fray in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Gandhi is sending a clear message of his willingness to confront the challenges head-on and lead from the front. However, the decision comes with its fair share of challenges and uncertainties. The states complex socio-political dynamics, coupled with the formidable electoral machinery of the BJP, present significant obstacles.

Furthermore, the absence of a strong organisational structure of the Congress in the state poses a significant hurdle in translating enthusiasm into tangible electoral gains. Critics argue that Mr Gandhis decision to contest from Uttar Pradesh represents a calculated gamble, fraught with risks and uncertainties. The states electoral landscape is highly competitive, with the BJP not only vying for supremacy but going all out to better its 2019 performance of winning 64 of the states 80 Lok Sabha seats. In such a scenario, the Congress must navigate a delicate balancing act, consolidating its traditional support base, particularly in Rae Bareli. Some may question the strategic wisdom of contesting from Rae Bareli, arguing that it represents a retreat from more competitive Amethi, the other family seat BJPs Smriti Irani wrested from Mr Gandhi in 2019.

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However, in a state as politically complex as Uttar Pradesh, where alliances shift and electoral dynamics evolve, it is essential to prioritise constituencies where the party has a strong organisational base and a history of electoral success. Mr Gandhis return to Uttar Pradesh also raises questions about the partys broader electoral strategy and the allocation of resources. With limited time and resources at its disposal, the Congress must prioritise its battles judiciously, focusing on constituencies where it stands a realistic chance of success. Mr Gandhis decision represents a strategic calculation aimed at revitalising the partys prospects in north India. While it signals a willingness to confront challenges, it also underscores the formidable obstacles and uncertainties inherent in the states electoral landscape. As the battle unfolds, the true impact of Mr Gandhis return to Uttar Pradesh will become apparent and shape the contours of Indian politics.
It was a year ago  on 6 May 2023  that Charles and Camilla had their formal coronation as King and Queen of the U.K. Charles is about the same age as me and I have seen his pictures on TV, newspapers, magazines, and books all my life but without an understanding of his personality. He was always in the shadow of his mother. I watched the entire ceremony of his wedding to Princess Diana on TV.

It was a modern-day fairytale. Although Charles did not quite fit my image of a prince, with his big ears and somewhat awkward mannerisms, I accepted him as the future British king. Princess Diana was bigger than life: strikingly beautiful but at the same time loving and kind. They had two adorable sons in due course and were destined to live happily ever after. I never followed stories in British tabloids. As a result, it took me a while to catch on with the saga involving Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. When I learned about the affair between them, it did not make any sense. Camilla was married. Why would the future king of the UK go after a married woman when he himself was also married? Secondly, when it comes to beauty, compared to Diana, Camella was an ugly duckling. Thirdly, Camilla was known to be a heavy drinker  not a desirable royal attribute.

Finally, this affair was apparently an open secret, and the tabloids had a field day with it. Then it dawned on me. Charles and Camilla were in love! No one really knows what love is and why people do crazy things when they are in love. We all know stories of people going to war, killing others, abdicating thrones, building the Taj Mahal, going insane, crossing the seven seas or committing suicide, and yet no one knows what love really is. This mystery will probably continue for eternity. Charles and Camilla fell in love on a polo field at a young age before either was married.

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They dated briefly and reportedly shared many common traits and interests. They went their separate ways under the circumstances of their lives; Charles went to serve for his country in the Royal Navy. Camilla knew that she was not qualified to be the wife of a future king because she did not meet two critical criteria. She did not have royal blood and she was not a virgin. As a result, she accepted a marriage proposal from Anthony Parker Bowles. Charles was a womanizer and dated several women (including Dianas sister, Sarah) after returning from his military duties, but never lost his love for Camilla.

He pursued her even when she was married, first in the form of a friendship which evolved into a relationship. Mr. Bowles was reportedly aware of the affair but did not make a fuss. Charles was pressured by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II to marry Diana Spencer who had royal blood, partly to stop scandalous headlines in tabloids about his affair. Diana was young and stunning in her looks. Most men would have given up Camilla for Diana in a second. While Charles obeyed his mothers wishes, fulfilled his duty as a husband by producing two sons with Diana, he did not give up Camilla. Their affair continued and apparently everyone knew about it including the queen and Diana. Charles could have indefinitely carried on the affair with Camilla while still being married to Diana, as many kings in history had done, especially since neither the queen nor Camillas husband were apparently extremely upset.

However, Diana went into a downward spiral in her emotional state with suicidal tendencies, because of her loneliness resulting from Charles neglect and jealousy about Camilla. She cried out for help and reportedly complained to the queen about Charles treatment. No one listened to her nor helped her. Charles did the honourable thing; he separated from Diana and eventually divorced her in 1996 to set her free with a generous settlement. He presumably persuaded Camilla to get a divorce from her husband as well. It was a shocking moment when Princess Diana told Martin Bashir in a BBC interview: There were three people in the marriage; so, it was a bit crowded. It must have been painful and humiliating for her to declare this to a worldwide audience.

No one blamed her for her alleged affairs before the divorce. When Diana was killed in a tragic car accident in Paris in 1997, many were upset with Charles. However, it was the ever-dutiful Charles who went to Paris to retrieve Dianas body and bring it back to London. The queen was initially reluctant to publicly express her grief because she still held grudges for Dianas marital infidelities but eventually caved in, especially at the urging of the prime minister Tony Blair and others.

Then, going against all odds, Charles married Camilla in 2005, presumably with blessings from the queen. Once again, he did not have to do it, but he wanted to give Camilla the dignity she deserved and make her whole. The final chapter came last year when Charles was crowned to be the king of the UK. Camilla became the Queen Consort  a title Queen Elizabeth reportedly approved and requested. A fairytale-end indeed for Camilla. Charles handled the difficult and delicate task of bringing his sons to accept Camilla, knowing that they probably hated her, very tactfully. This is always challenging for any divorced father whose ex-wife was a doting mother to his kids.

Charles invited Prince Harry to his coronation but not at his birthday parade. He is committed to keep Camilla happy without destroying relations with his son. It is a strange and twisted love story spanning almost five decades. King Charles was fortunate. Unlike his great uncle King Edward VIII he did not have to abdicate the throne to marry his lover and had two wonderful sons with a gorgeous first wife. It seems that even the church of England bent over backwards to approve his marriage with Camilla, perhaps persuaded by the queen herself. I am finally beginning to understand the man.

He was pressured by the queen to marry Diana but apparently lacked the courage to say no. The queen probably treated her firstborn and future king as special and raised him as a spoiled brat; Charles was a weak introverted mamas boy. Although he was always faithful to his formal duties, he flaunted his royalty to seduce many women and break their hearts, apparently with no restraint from the queen.

Access to beautiful women probably goes with the royal territory but I will never forgive him for destroying Dianas life by leading her on to the dream of a happy married royal life. However, I must confess that I admire the man for his determination as a lover who gave all the dignity and attention to Camilla that she deserved; he is a lover at heart. I hope that he can exhibit this kind of determination to overcome his medical problems and remain involved in royal duties involving important decisions and events of his country.

(The writer, a physicist who worked in industry and academia, is a Bengali settled in America.)
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Hungary have agreed to open embassies in each other's capitals. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced this during a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Budapest. He noted that since the restoration of diplomatic relations with Armenia, within 1-1.5 years, they have been able to take significant progressive steps aimed at the prosperity of the countries' economy. Armenia and Hungary have signed the program and agreement on economic cooperation and cooperation between the countries.

As a result, a working group will be established to promote economic cooperation, with the goal of expanding and speeding up economic ties between the two countries.

"Last year, our economic development and turnover reached 70 percent. Hungarian pharmaceutical companies are more active in the Armenian market, increasing their market share. I am glad that we have come to the conclusion that we should mutually open embassies in each other's capitals. As of now, we have consulates," Szijjarto said.

He stressed that because of the positive and effective economic relations between Armenia and Hungary, they believe that the time has come to establish embassies in both countries. Starting from July 2024, a direct flight between the capitals of the two countries will also be launched by Wizz Air. Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary were established on February 26, 1992. However, they were suspended on August 31, 2012, after Hungary extradited Azerbaijani criminal Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.

On December 1, 2022, Ministers of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan and Peter Szijjarto met during the OSCE ministerial forum in odz, where they agreed to restore full diplomatic relations. Szijjarto visited Armenia in 2023, and President Vahagn Khachaturyan paid an official visit to Hungary on February 5-7.
French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised blockades at pro-Palestinian demonstrations at French universities, saying that the tactics went beyond legitimate means of debate and protest.

Macron said he understands that the events in the Gaza Strip, in particular, are upsetting people, but preventing a debate has never helped resolve the conflict, according to an interview published on Sunday in the newspapers La Provence and La Tribune Dimanche.

It is perfectly legitimate and even reasonable and reassuring that our youth can say that international events affect them and discuss them. But using violence and blockades to force an institution to adopt this or that policy, to prevent other students from entering a lecture hall on the pretext that they are Jewish  that is not the Republic, Macron said.

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He said such behaviour does not reflect mutual respect, pluralism and a condemnation of racism and anti-Semitism.

On Friday, police broke up a sit-in by pro-Palestinian students at the renowned Sciences Po University in Paris, at which protesters had blocked entrances to university buildings.

The protesters denounced their universitys stance on the Gaza war and are demanding, among other things, that cooperation with Israeli universities be reconsidered.

The university managements attempt to put an end to the conflict with a large-scale internal debate failed.

Pro-Palestinian students at other Sciences Po campuses in France and other French universities also recently blocked parts of the universities. Some protesters reportedly made anti-Semitic statements during the demonstrations.

Israel has been heavily bombarding the Gaza Strip from the air and ground for months now in military operations that were launched in retaliation for unprecedented attacks on October 7 led by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The October 7 attacks, which included massacres of civilians, left more than 1,200 people dead in Israel.

Israel has faced intense international criticism over the very high number of civilian casualties in Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the besieged territory.
At least three soldiers were killed and nine others injured in a Hamas mortar attack, the Israeli army has said.

The Israeli army in a statement on Sunday said that about ten mortars were fired from the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on the Kerem Shalom crossing between the Palestinian enclave and Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attack.

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According to the statement, Israeli warplanes, in retaliation, struck the launcher from which the projectiles were fired and a military structure located in the area.
The Bombay High Court, on Monday, granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

A single bench of Justice N.J. Jamadar said Goyal shall pay a surety of Rs 1 lakh and not leave Mumbai without prior permission from the trial court.

"The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed," the bench said.

The high court also directed Goyal to surrender his passport.

Goyal (75) had sought the interim bail on medical and humanitarian grounds as both he and his wife Anita Goyal are suffering from cancer.

A special court in February refused bail to Goyal but permitted him to be admitted in a private hospital of his choice and seek medical treatment.

Goyal then moved the HC, seeking bail on merits and to be released on interim bail on medical grounds.

Goyal's counsel Harish Salve had urged the court to consider the case on humanitarian grounds.

However, ED's counsel Hiten Venegaonkar opposed the bail and said the agency did not have any problem if Goyal's hospitalisation was extended.

Venegaonkar had submitted that the court may extend Goyal's hospitalisation for a period of four weeks and then call for a fresh medical report to assess his situation.

But Salve said apart from deteriorating physical health, Goyal's mental health was also not good.

Goyal was arrested by the ED in September 2023 on allegations that he had laundered money and siphoned off loans to the tune of Rs 538.62 crore given to Jet Airways by the Canara Bank.

His wife was arrested in November 2023 when the ED submitted its chargesheet in the case.

She was granted bail by the special court the same day considering her age and medical condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday blamed the ruling BJD and the Congress governments for the poverty in Odisha, stating that both the parties looted the state for 50 and 25 years.

Asserting that the BJD government in the state will expire on June 4, the Prime Minister urged the voters to give BJP a chance to make Odisha the "number one state in the country."

"The expiry date of the BJD government here is written as June 4. Today is May 6, the BJP's chief ministerial candidate will be decided on June 6. The swearing-in ceremony of the BJP chief minister will be held in Bhubaneswar on June 10. Today I have come to invite everyone for the swearing-in ceremony of the chief minister of the BJP government," Modi told people at an election rally in Behrampur.

"In Odisha, two 'Yagya' are happening together. One is for making a strong government in India and the other is to form a strong state government in Odisha led by BJP. Your enthusiasm shows that the double-engine government is going to form in Odisha for the first time," he added.

He also claimed that Odisha has not benefitted from Ayushman Bharat Yojana as the "BJD government did not implement" it in the state. The Centre gave Rs 10,000 crore under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' scheme to Odisha but the BJD dispensation could not spend the money properly, he alleged.

Modi said that the people of resources rich Odisha remained poor due to Congress and BJD. "In Odisha, it was Congress for around 50 years, and BJD for around 25 years. But what happened, everyone has seen. Odisha has a fertile land, mineral resources, sea coasts, a trade centre like that of Berhampur, culture, heritage and whatnot...Still, the people of this 'rich' Odisha remained poor...Who is responsible for this sin? The answer is Congress and BJD," said PM Modi.

"We released a visionary manifesto for Odisha promising jobs for youths and women and health facilities for senior citizens. BJP fulfils what it says: Modi added.

The Prime Minister also took a dig at BJD leader and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Modi asked why labourers from his Chief Minister's constituency Hinjili migrate to other states. "Why are doctors' posts vacant in most hospitals here? Why do most children drop out of schools?" he asked.

The assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha will be held simultaneously.
A Delhi court on Monday dismissed the bail applications filed by BRS leader K. Kavitha in corruption and money laundering cases being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged excise policy scam.



Special Judge for CBI and ED, Kaveri Baweja, dismissed the applications, saying the stage was not right to grant the relief. Kavitha is in judicial custody in both the cases lodged by the ED and the CBI.

The ED arrested Kavitha (46) from her Banjara Hills residence in Hyderabad on March 15, and she was in judicial custody in the case. The CBI arrested the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader while she was under judicial custody in Tihar jail.
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, during a joint press conference with the MinisterofForeignAffairs ofHungary PeterSzijjarto expressed his confidence that the programs of Armenia and the European Union will progress significantly during Hungary's presidency.

I am sure you are aware that we are engaged in a process that essentially brings Armenia closer to the EU and the EU closer to Armenia. At the moment, we have a new set of initiatives on our table. Here, we greatly hope and rely on Hungary's upcoming presidency in the European Union. We are confident that the issues and planned programs will progress with tangible steps during your presidency as well.

Hungary will take over the EU presidency from July 1, 2024.
The Karnataka police on Monday registered a FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party President J.P. Nadda, IT cell head Amit Malviya and State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra in connection with a campaign video of the party. The Congress had petitioned with police and Election Commission against the video on Sunday.



The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee petitioned with police and EC alleging violation of model code of conduct in the video which allegedly showed Congress favouring Muslims over backward classes in reservation and fund allocation.

The BJP leaders have been booked under the sections of Representation of People Act and section 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code, a senior police officer told PTI.

Congress in its complaint charged, In the said video, SC, ST and OBC community are projected to be Eggs in a basket and it is narrated that as though Rahul Gandhi is planting another egg i.e. Muslim community and is projected as though funds are fed into mouth of Muslim community and that the Muslim community kicks out SC, ST and OBC community. It added, BJP has been falsely accusing that Congress party will include Muslims to OBC category and with such false propaganda has been soliciting votes during Lok Sabha elections. Congress said it is unfathomable as to how State level media monitoring committee approved this video to be uploaded by the BJP.

This election, the BJP has been accusing the Congress and Opposition parties of appeasing Muslims for votes. During a recent poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged the Congress would take away reservation quota meant for backward classes and give it to Muslims.

-with PTI inputs.
The mortal remains of Indian Air Force (IAF) soldier Corporal Vikky Pahade was brought to his home at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh on Monday morning for his last rites. Pahade lost his life after an ambush an IAF convoy was ambushed by terrorists on May 4.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who reached Chhindwara to attend the last rites of Pahade, paid tributes to the martyr. "The Guard of Honour and state honours will be given to Corporal Vikky Pahade. But, no one can fill the personal loss and we are very proud of Vikky Pahade," Yadav told reporters.

The Chief Minister's office has also announced an assistance amount of Rs 1 crore to the family of Pahade. "The state government will send the proposal to the Election Commission for approval," a statement by the CMO said.

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: The mortal remains of Indian Air Force soldier, Corporal Vikky Pahade arrives in Chhindwara for the last rites.



He lost his life in Poonch Sector after an Indian Air Force vehicle convoy was attacked by terrorists on May 4. pic.twitter.com/Oz9QooKMrc  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

Besides checking vehicles, the security officials have also deployed bulletproof vehicles and dog squad in the area.

According to the officials, as part of the ongoing operation, armed bulletproof vehicles are patrolling the area, while a dog squad has been deployed to check vehicles. The search operation aims to track down the terrorists responsible for the attack and ensure the safety of civilians in the region.

Senior officials from the Army, police, and paramilitary visited Poonch to oversee a massive search operation on Sunday. "Corps Commander of 16 Corps & ADG Jammu Zone Anand Jain accompanied by GOC Romeo Force, IGP CRPF & DIG RP Range today visited the area & monitored the ongoing massive search operation. Many suspects have been picked up for questioning," a post by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu read.
Security forces, on Monday, released sketches of two suspected militants involved in the May 4 attack on Indian Air Force (IAF) vehicles, leading to the death of a soldier in Poonch district. Four other soldiers were injured in the attack.

The Army announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for any information that could help in the arrest of the two terrorists.

Five IAF soldiers were wounded in the attack. Corporal Vikky Pahade, one of the injured, succumbed to the injuries at the Army hospital in Udhampur.

Security forces have detained 20 individuals for questioning, while an extensive Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) is ongoing in Danna Top, Shahstar, Sheindra, and Sanai Top in Poonch.

Top officials from the police and the Army, including the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu, visited the site to assess the security situation.

The attack, carried out by a group of two to three militants, occurred unexpectedly on the IAF convoy near Shaistar Sanai in the Surankote area on Saturday.

Officials said anyone providing credible information leading to the arrest of the militants will be rewarded, and their identity will be kept confidential. A lookout notice has been issued, urging people to share information on the following numbers: 9541051982, 8082294375.

The recent attack on the IAF convoy in Poonch was the second militant strike in the Pir Panjal region within two weeks. On April 22, militants shot and killed Mohammad Raziq near Shahdra Sharief area. Raziq's brother serves in the Territorial Army.

Rajouri and Poonch are part of the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency, set for polls on May 25.

While no militant group has claimed responsibility for the IAF convoy attack, it is suspected the perpetrators are familiar with the area's terrain and may have been involved in previous assaults on security forces.

Similar tactics were observed in attacks last year, such as one on December 21 near Topa Pir and another on April 20 near Bhatta Durrian along NH-144A.

Last year, four militant attacks in Rajouri and Poonch claimed the lives of 19 soldiers. Security forces and police also neutralised around 30 militants in operations across both districts.
The Congress charged the Bharatiya Janata Party and its Amethi Lok Sabha poll candidate Smriti Irani perpetrated the vandalism outside its office in Gauriganj during the late hours of Sunday. Congress charged police remained a mute spectator during the attack.

Vehicles of Congress workers and a few local people parked outside the Congress office in Gauriganj were attacked during the late hours of Sunday. Congress tweeted, Smriti Irani and BJP workers are badly scared in Amethi, UP. Foreseeing defeat, BJP goons armed with sticks and rods reached outside the Congress office in Amethi and vandalised vehicles parked there. There has been a deadly attack on Congress workers and people of Amethi.

Congress said several party workers suffered injuries in the attack and vehicles of local people were also damaged. The police administration remained a mute spectator during the entire incident, Congress charged.

Congress district president Pradeep Singhal alleged that the incident was the result of state police's indifference. Congress district spokesperson Anil Singh claimed that some people sitting inside the cars had sustained injuries. Six people came in a car and damaged the vehicles. Some people got injured and were sent to the district hospital for treatment. A complaint will be made to the Election Commission, Singh said.

UP Congress in-charge Avinash Pande told ANI, "This is a highly condemnable act. PM Modi and Smriti Irani are clearly seeing their defeat. They want to create a situation of violence in Amethi. This clearly shows that BJP is going to be wiped from Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress party has fielded K.L. Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family in Amethi against Irani.

Meanwhile, Gauriganj Deputy Superintendent of Police Mayank Dwivedi said the matter will be investigated and strict action will be taken against the guilty.
With Russian forces making territorial gains in the military offensive in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to exercise with tactical nuclear missiles to increase readiness.

The Russian defence ministry reported on Monday: On instructions from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, in order to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to carry out combat missions, the General Staff has begun preparations for holding exercises in the near future with missile formations of the Southern Military District with the involvement of aviation, as well as naval forces.

During the exercise, a set of activities will be carried out to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, it added.

The exercise is aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to respond and in order to unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation, the ministry added.

President Macron has, in the recent past, been talking about not being averse to having French boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Again on Friday, President Macron said that France is not ruling anything out when it comes to sending Western troops to Ukraine.

I'm not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out. We have undoubtedly been too hesitant by defining the limits of our action to someone who no longer has any and who is the aggressor, he had added.

Russias southern military districtalso the smallest in geographical size among Russias five military districtsis also the one that primarily is mandated with the six occupied Ukrainian oblasts (provinces) of Crimea, Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Sevastopol and Zaporizhzhia.

Putins order comes in the middle of Chinese President Xi Jinpings ongoing visit to Europe beginning with France.

In Paris, President Xi is holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday. After that, Xi is scheduled to visit Serbia and Hungary.

Significantly, the order comes at a time when there are reports of the presence of about 1,500 troops of France's 3rd Infantry Regiment, which is under the French Foreign Legion. The reports add that these soldiers have been deployed to support the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in Slavyansk.

The latest development has underlined the Russian posture of positioning nuclear weapons as a mode of deterrence while also complicating Chinas relations with Europe, mainly France.
Amid strained bilateral ties, the number of Indian tourists visiting Maldives has come down over the last few months. In the wake of the dwindling tourists, Maldives Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal urged India to be a part of its tourism.

During an interview with PTI, Faisal stressed the historical relations between Maldives and India.

"We have a history. Our newly elected government also wants to work together (with India). We always promote peace and a friendly environment. Our people and the government will give a warm welcome to Indian arrivals. As the Tourism Minister, I want to tell Indians to please be a part of Maldives' tourism. Our economy depends on tourism," he said.

After derogatory remarks made against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media by three Maldivian officials, the Maldives-India relations got strained.

Several Indians, including celebrities, cancelled their reservations and dropped plans to visit Maldives. #BoycottMaldives was trending on social media platforms as well.

According to a sun. mv report published on Monday, the number of tourist arrivals from India declined by 42 per cent in the first four months of this year compared to the first four months of last year.

At the start of the year, India was the top tourist market for the Maldives. According to Tourism Ministry statistics, Maldives recorded a total of 43,991 tourist arrivals from India as of May 4. Between January and April of last year, Maldives recorded 73,785 tourist arrivals. This year, the number stands at 42,638.

Since President Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November last year, the India-Maldives relations started to get affected. The India-Maldives ties have come under stress as President Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, maintained after assuming charge as the president in November that he will keep his election promise of evicting Indian military personnel from his country.
The recently recovered three bodies from a well near Baja California state in Mexico have been identified by the authorities as two Australian and one American surfers. The foreigners --Jake Robinson, Callum Robinson and Jack Carter Rhoad--had gunshot wounds on their bodies.

According to the officials, the deceased were robbed before they were killed and dumped into a well nearby. The foreigners were camping along the stretch of coast south of the city of Ensenada when the incident took place. The thieves stole their truck tyres by killing the campers and then got rid of the bodies by dumping them in a well, said officials.

The well was located around 6 km from where the foreigners were killed.

According to the officials, the campers have been posting pictures of isolated beaches and waves before they went missing last weekend. It clearly shows that they were adventurous people, they added.

Jake and Callum Robinson were brothers from Australia, while Jack was from the United States.

How they were killed?

According to the chief state prosecutor Mara Elena Andrade Ramrez, the killers might have driven by and seen the foreigners' pickup trucks and tents and wanted to steal their tyres. But when the campers came up and caught them, they would have resisted and it would have ended up in a fight.

That's when the killers would have shot the tourists.

The thieves then allegedly dumped the bodies into a well that they apparently were familiar with.

The well was covered with boards and it was difficult to find the bodies, said officials. According to Ramrez, the suspects seemed to be familiar with the well.

Dozens of surfers, mourners and demonstrators gathered in a main plaza in Ensenada, the nearest city, to protest and join the sadness at the deaths of the foreigners.

People missing and getting killed is not something rare in the area, said the locals.

Protesters raised placards saying Ensenada is a mass grave and held demonstrations seeking the safety of the people.

Three people were taken to custody

According to Baja California prosecutors, they were questioning three people in connection with the killings, two of them were caught with methamphetamines. The suspects were also being held pending drug charges.

However, a third man was arrested on charges of a crime equivalent to kidnapping, but that was before the bodies were found. Andrade Ramrez said he had a criminal record, and that more people may have been involved.

Earlier in 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California also known as the Sea of Cortez from the Baja peninsula. Three suspects were arrested in that case.

(With PTI inputs)
While India votes in the General Elections of 2024, residents of two cities will be denied a free and fair vote. These are cities that supposedly showcase the India dreamSurat in Gujarat and Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Both are bustling business-oriented towns, places with an educated and aspirational electorate.

Surat and Indore are not rural backwaters. Instead, they are places where democracy should, in normal circumstances, thrive. But instead, democracy has died in Surat and Indore. The voters right to make up their own minds has been snatched away. The voices of the voters of Surat and Indore will not be heard in these elections.

Surat has over 16 lakh voters, and Indore over 25 lakh. Thus, a free choice of almost 40 lakh voters has been invalidated. MPs from Surat and Indore will not come to the Lok Sabha because they have been elected, but because they have been selected.

In Surat, all the BJPs rival candidates have withdrawn, and the BJP has won unopposed. In Indore, the BJPs main rival, the Congress, has withdrawn, leaving the BJP candidate in a fight with only smaller parties in a name-only election. The blatant match-fixing by the ruling BJP in Surat and Indore holds grim portents. The elections of 2024 are turning out to be sinister, unpredictable, and marked by the ominous and menacing presence of a shadowy 12th manor central agencies batting openly for the Narendra Modi-led BJP.

There are eerie goings-on. Two chief ministers belonging to the opposition have been in jail since the start of the election campaign. In West Bengal, reports suddenly emerged that foreign weapons had appeared in Sandeshkhali. Lo and behold, none other than the NSG, the crack commando unit tasked with fighting terrorists arrived. The media arrived right on time too to film a drama-filled NSG operation live on 24x7 TV. NSG? Deployed in an election? Unheard of.

In Gujarats Gandhinagar, where Home Minister Amit Shah is the star candidate at least three candidates have openly said that they were under pressure to withdraw from the race. In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar received an ED summons in a four-year-old khichdi scam on the day (yes, the day) he filed his nomination. In contrast, the ED cases against Kirtikars rival, Ravindra Waikar (Shiv Sena Shinde), who switched sides to the BJP just ahead of the elections, have gone cold. Wah Modiji Wah.

The events in Surat, Indore and Gandhinagar are part of this grim pattern and will go down as symbols of infamy in Indias democracy.

On April 22, the BJPs Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared victorious unopposed. How did this happen? First, the nomination papers of his main rival, or the Congress candidate Neelesh Kumbhani were rejected. Intriguingly, immediately afterwards, Kumbhani disappeared, citing ill health. A posse of police and media gathered outside Kumbhanis home. Reports swirled that he was likely to join the BJP. The next day, on the last day of filing of nomination papers, all other candidates against the BJP, one by one mysteriously withdrew their papers and refused to contest. The BJPs Mukesh Dalal was left as the sole candidate, and therefore the winner.

The irony is that Surat is a safe BJP seat. The BJP has been winning it since 1989; in 2014 and 2019, the BJP's Darshana Jardosh won by massive margins. So why were so many machinations needed to ensure that the Surat candidate did not have to face elections? First, to set a narrative of the BJPs unstoppable and inevitable victory. Rajput protests have roiled Gujarat in recent months and a triumphant show of strength was needed. Second, the Surat candidate was changed for this election leading to unhappiness among cadres. No risks could be taken. Third, economic distress is spiking among migrant workers in Surat. A victory needed to be engineered to protect Surat at all costs and stave off any possible loss of face for the BJP. No drop in vote percentage can be allowed. Simply winning is not enough, margins have to be massive for the vote-hungry Modi election machine. Every possible seat must be captured, if necessary, through foul and nasty means.

The playwright Anton Chekhov said: Despicable means used to achieve laudable goals render the goals themselves despicable. The Modi-led BJP cares two hoots about means. Only the ends matter. In its anything-goes power lust, despicable and decidedly undemocratic means are being pressed into service.

Indore was meant to be a repeat of Surat. But it did not quite go according to plan. In Indore, the BJPs main rival, the Congresss Akshay Kanti Bam, also suddenly withdrew. But contrary to the BJPs expectations, the other candidates did not. So, Operation Indore did not work as well as Operation Surat. As the remaining candidates have refused to withdraw, Indore will see a naam ke vaaste election-for-forms sake because in the absence of the main challenger the result is a foregone conclusion.

Bam found himself obediently dancing to the BJPs tune. He filed his nomination on April 23, and on the very next day a 17-year-old attempt to murder case was brought against him. Four days later, on April 29, he withdrew his candidature and joined the BJP. "Chronology samajhiye."

Like Surat, Indore, too, is a safe BJP seat. It was held for eight terms by BJP veteran Sumitra Mahajan; in 2019, the BJP's Shankar Lalwani won by a huge margin. In fact, Lalwani won the most votes of any candidate--10 lakh votes. So why did the BJP feel the need to secure a Congress defection in Indore?

Because the BJP is aiming for a show of overwhelming power in 2024. BJPs Madhya Pradesh heavyweight Kailash Vijayvargiya wanted to show off his strength. The BJP, increasingly uneasy about the electorates palpable lack of enthusiasm, wanted to demonstrate the dominance of the saffron force in Madhya Pradesh and again set a narrative of the BJPs unquestioned supremacy.

BJP is trying to orchestrate victories even in safe seats because the general elections of 2024 for the party is about fixing the system. It is about using all instruments of government to secure victories, even as the Election Commission looks away. The BJP is desperate to maximize its seats. It is frantically aiming to bolster a diminishing Modi cult. It is trying any and every method to fix the General Elections of 2024.

The Election Commission has designed a poll schedule to allow only one side the BJPto campaign relentlessly by outspending and out-campaigning the others. The Aam Aadmi Partys campaign song was disallowed by the Election Commission on absurd grounds. Open hate speeches are being delivered by Modi with the EC only issuing feeble notices and that, too, attempting to draw false equivalences between Modis poison-filled speeches and Rahul Gandhis more moderate addresses.

The BJPs engineered victories in Surat and Indore are symbols of what this election is turning out to be: the worlds largest democracys most undemocratic election ever. The BJP is trying to snatch away the voters' right to a free and fair vote. Think about it: if the BJP is willing to move mountains for safe seats like Surat and Indore, what is it likely to do in seats which are competitive? For all those who prize democracy, there is cause for worry.

(The writer is Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha AITC)


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ABU DHABI, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. SEE Holding, the UAEs first sustainably focused global holding group, and the mastermind behind The Sustainable City, proudly announces its collaboration with the 13th edition of the AIM Congress as the Sustainability Partner.

The Annual Investment Meeting (AIM Congress), scheduled from May 7th to May 9th, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, serves as a premier global platform for investment strategies, economic development initiatives, and sustainable practices. This year's theme, "Adapting to a Shifting Investment Landscape: Harnessing New Potential for Global Economic Development," underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to propel sustainable growth in an ever-evolving world economy.

AIM Congress has emerged as a beacon of transformative ideas, bringing together thought leaders, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and experts to explore opportunities, foster collaborations, and address pressing global challenges. The participation of The Sustainable City as the Sustainability Partner exemplifies a shared commitment towards building a greener, more resilient future.

The world is intensifying its fight for sustainability, recognizing the urgent need to curb greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. In the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), the construction sector alone contributes approximately 17% of GHG emissions, highlighting the critical role of sustainable urban development in reducing environmental impact.

Amidst challenges such as extreme temperatures exceeding 40C for 4 to 5 months annually, innovative solutions are imperative. SEE Holding is leveraging more than two decades of sustainability knowledge and expertise in creating social, environmental, and economic impact. The Sustainable City in Dubai achieves a remarkable 78% reduction in residents' emissions footprint, along with a 40% decrease in water usage and an 89% diversion of waste from landfills. The 'live-work-thrive' community not only surpasses its emissions targets but has also consistently been rated as the happiest community in the GCC, providing a working model for future cities and spearheading a net-zero emissions future.

The SEE Holding group includes companies such as Diamond Developers, City Solar, and Tadweer, alongside other sustainability-focused companies dedicated to designing, investing in, and building sustainable infrastructure and cities to advance the UN 2050 net zero emissions targets. Currently, SEE Holding is developing three new sustainable cities in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat, which will expand its real estate population capacity to over 23,000 people.

The 2024 AIM Congress, with support from of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development as lead partner, is hosting 150+ high-level dignitaries, 1,000+ speakers, 450 dialogue sessions, 50+ unicorns, and more than 12,000 delegates representing 175 countries worldwide. The event will also host 27 joint events organized in cooperation with 330+ international and global partners.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sparked controversy at a Republican National Committee donor retreat in Florida on Saturday, likening the Biden administration to the Nazi regime.

According to a recording obtained by The New York Times, Trump told donors at his Mar-a-Lago club, These people are running a Gestapo administration And its the only thing they have. And its the only way theyre going to win, in their opinion, and its actually killing them. But it doesnt bother me.

This is not the first time Trump has made headlines with Nazi-related comments. According to his former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, Trump praised Adolph Hitler, saying that he did some good things. He also claimed that Trump envied the loyalty of the Nazi leaders generals.

Trumps remarks come as he campaigns to retake the White House from President Joe Biden in the November elections. However, his political aspirations are being overshadowed by multiple criminal indictments, which he blames on President Joe Biden and other Democrats targeting of him.

Trump is facing charges in New York for falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a woman in the days before the 2016 election, in Washington for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results, and in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified documents after leaving office.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a three-country trip to Europe on Sunday with the continent divided over how to deal with Beijings growing power and the U.S.-China rivalry.

European carmakers are losing ground to subsidized Chinese electric vehicles. Diplomats fret about alleged Chinese spies in European capitals. And Chinas continued defense trade with Russia worries anyone in Europe who supports war-ravaged Ukraine and fears that the Russian army wont stop there.

But Europe and China have hefty economic ties  EU-China trade is estimated at 2.3 billion euros per day  and Xi appears determined to rebuild and deepen relations with European leaders after a prolonged absence prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xi starts Sunday in France, whose president wants Europe to have more economic and strategic independence from other world powers. Then the Chinese president heads to Serbia and Hungary, both seen as China-friendly and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and recipients of substantial Chinese investment.

Xis trip will be closely watched in Washington for signs of diminishing European support for its key foreign policy goals. At the same time, theres increasing uncertainty in Europe about future U.S. support for trans-Atlantic allies.

Xi is being greeted at Paris Orly Airport by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal  and by protests by groups demanding that France pressure China to respect Tibetan and Uyghur rights. Activists seeking a free Tibet attempted to unfurl a banner Saturday beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and protested in the French capital around the same time as Xis plane landed.

On Monday French President Emmanuel Macron will treat the Chinese leader to formal honors of a full state visit. They will also meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is expected to join Macron in pushing for fairer trade policies and for China to use its leverage with Russia to push it toward ending the war in Ukraine.

The EU launched an investigation last fall into Chinese subsidies and could impose tariffs on electric vehicles exported from China.

China claims neutrality in the Ukraine conflict but has refused to call the full-blown Russian assault on its neighbor an invasion, and has been accused of bolstering Russias capacity to produce weapons.

(AP)
A stunning new poll released by Rasmussen Reports has found that over 40% of Americans believe the United States is on the brink of another civil war, with 41% of likely voters thinking its on the horizon and 16% believing its very likely to occur within the next five years.

The national telephone and online survey of 1,105 voters revealed a stark partisan divide, with 37% of voters believing a civil war is more likely if Joe Biden is re-elected, compared to 25% who think its more likely under Donald Trump. Additionally, 54% of Republican voters are concerned about the prospect of a civil war by 2029.

The poll also found that women, younger adults, and non-white Americans are more likely to believe a civil war could erupt within five years. This comes as support for secession is growing in some states, with 36% of Alaskans, 31% of Texans, 29% of Californians, and 28% of New Yorkers wanting to leave the USA, according to a YouGov survey.

Rasmussen Reports noted that the possibility that America could face another civil war soon is not too far-fetched for a lot of voters. The findings suggest a deeply divided nation, with a significant portion of Americans fearing for the countrys stability and unity. As political tensions continue to escalate, it remains to be seen how this growing sense of unease will shape the nations future.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Students protesting the war in Gaza abandoned their camp at the University of Southern California early Sunday after being surrounded by police and threatened with arrest, while Northeastern Universitys commencement ended peacefully at Bostons Fenway Park.

Developments in both places were being watched closely following scores of arrests last month  more than 90 people at USC in Los Angeles and about 100 at Northeastern in Boston.

Dozens of Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived about 4 a.m. at USC to assist campus safety officers. The university had warned of arrests on social media and in person. Video showed some protesters packing up and leaving, while officers formed lines to push others away from the camp as it emptied out. The university said there were no reports of any arrests.

USC President Carol Folt said it was time to draw a line because the occupation was spiraling in a dangerous direction with areas of campus blocked and people being harassed.

The operation was peaceful, Folt wrote in an update. Campus is opening, students are returning to prepare for finals, and commencement set-up is in full swing.

USC earlier canceled its main graduation ceremony while allowing other commencement activities to continue.

Across town at the University of California, Los Angeles, officials announced the creation of a new chief safety officer position to oversee campus security operations. The announcement Sunday came after UCLA was criticized for its handling of demonstrations on a pro-Palestinian student encampment last week.

At the Northeastern commencement Sunday, some students waved small Palestinian and Israeli flags, but were outnumbered by those waving the flags of India and the U.S., among others. Undergraduate student speaker Rebecca Bamidele drew brief cheers when she called for peace in Gaza.

The Associated Press has tallied about 2,500 people arrested at about 50 campuses since April 18, based on its reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement.

Arrests continued apace over the weekend. At the University of Virginia, there were 25 arrests Saturday for trespassing after police clashed with protesters who refused to remove tents. At the Art Institute of Chicago campus, police cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment hours after it was set up Saturday and arrested 68 people, saying they would be charged with criminal trespass.

ARRESTS IN VIRGINIA

In Charlottesville, Virginia, student demonstrators began their protest on a lawn outside the school chapel Tuesday. Video on Saturday showed police in riot gear and holding shields lined up on campus, while protesters chanted Free Palestine.

As police moved in, students were pushed to the ground, pulled by their arms and sprayed with a chemical irritant, Laura Goldblatt, an assistant professor who has been helping the demonstrators, told The Washington Post. The university said protesters were told that tents were banned under school policy and were asked to remove them.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told Fox News on Sunday the police response was justified because students had been warned repeatedly to leave, were violating the schools conduct code, and that outsiders who were not students provided protesters with supplies like wooden barriers.

Weve seen folks that are not students show up in riot gear with bull horns to direct the protesters on how to flank our officers, Miyares said.

He said some had put bear spray into water bottles and thrown them at officers.

It was the latest clash in weeks of protests and tension at U.S. colleges and universities.

Tent encampments of protesters urging universities to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza have spread in a student movement unlike any other this century. Some schools reached agreements with protesters to end the demonstrations and reduce the possibility of disrupting final exams and commencements.

DEMONSTRATIONS AMID COMMENCEMENT

The University of Michigan was among the schools that had braced for protests during commencement this weekend, as were Indiana University, Ohio State University and Northeastern. More ceremonies are planned in the coming weeks.

In Ann Arbor, there was a protest at the beginning of the event at Michigan Stadium. About 75 people, many wearing traditional Arabic kaffiyehs along with their graduation caps, marched up the main aisle toward the stage.

They chanted Regents, regents, you cant hide! You are funding genocide! while holding signs, including one that read: No universities left in Gaza.

Overhead, planes pulled banners with competing messages. Divest from Israel now! Free Palestine! and We stand with Israel. Jewish lives matter.

Officials said no one was arrested, and the protest didnt seriously interrupt the nearly two-hour event, attended by tens of thousands of people, some of them waving Israeli flags.

OTHER PROTESTS CONTINUE

At Indiana University, protesters urged supporters to wear their kaffiyehs and walk out during remarks by school President Pamela Whitten on Saturday evening. The Bloomington campus designated a protest zone outside Memorial Stadium, where the ceremony was held.

At Princeton University in New Jersey, 18 students began a hunger strike to try to push the university to divest from companies tied to Israel. Students at other colleges, including Brown and Yale, launched similar hunger strikes this year before the more recent wave of demonstrations.

(AP)
A new Morning Consult survey found that 47% of likely voters support banning anti-Israel protests on college campuses, with 76% backing police intervention to protect students. The poll comes amid growing tensions on US campuses, with over 1,000 students arrested during anti-Israel protests since mid-April.

The survey revealed that 59% of Republicans and 41% of Democrats support banning the protests, while 41% also believe pro-Israeli protests should be barred. Additionally, 42% of voters oppose universities condemning Israels actions in Gaza.

The poll results come as college students face intimidation and harassment from anti-Israel demonstrators, with some Jewish students forced off campus for their safety. Congressional Republicans have criticized university leaders for not taking swift action to stop the protests, which have spread across over 25 campuses.

The Morning Consult survey also found that less than 40% of American voters support US colleges divesting from companies doing business with Israel, a key principle of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Some lawmakers, like Rep. Ritchie Torres, have suggested installing third-party antisemitism monitors at schools receiving US taxpayer funding.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
An Israeli airstrike on Saturday killed Iman Zareb, a senior commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, along with two other fighters, according to defense officials. Zareb, a key figure in the Iran-backed groups Rafah Brigade, led the elite forces during the October 7 massacre in Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet Security Service announced the killing in a joint statement, stating that Zareb was preparing Islamic Jihad fighters to confront Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a stronghold of the Hamas terror group. Israel has indicated that it may launch an offensive into Rafah imminently if truce and hostage deal talks break down.

Zareb led a group of Islamic Jihad commandos in the October 7 assault on Kibbutz Sufa and a nearby military post, which killed at least 10 people. The attack was part of a broader onslaught led by Hamas, with units from smaller terrorist groups, including Islamic Jihad, participating in the brutal killings and kidnappings across southern Israel.

Islamic Jihad is considered the second most powerful group in Gaza after Hamas, with thousands of operatives and an extensive arsenal. It is blacklisted as a terror group by the United States, European Union, and others.

The Israeli statement alleged that Zareb commanded and directed several attacks and attempted infiltrations into Israel in recent years, without providing details. There was no immediate comment from Islamic Jihad on the assassination.

Israel claims to have killed at least 13,000 fighters inside Gaza, along with around 1,000 killed inside Israel on October 7 and in the days immediately after. The killing of Zareb is a significant blow to Islamic Jihad, and it remains to be seen how the group will respond to his death.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A recent flier distributed by the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has sparked outrage and accusations of antisemitism. The flier demands that the university cut ties with Jewish community groups, including Hillel International, which supports Jewish students and faculty on campuses.

Bronx Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres and others have condemned the demands as clear antisemitism. We are supposed to pretend, for the sake of political correctness, that SJP is simply criticizing the Israeli government rather than targeting Jews, Torres wrote. Attacking Jewish institutions, however, is not criticism. Its antisemitism.

The Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council also spoke out, stating that the demands target Jewish charities and communal groups, revealing underlying antisemitism. Three of the four organizations cited in the academic boycott demand by encampment activists at UCSC are Jewish charities and communal groups, the council wrote. They are pillars of the Jewish community. This isnt just about opposing Israels Gaza actions but seems aimed at Jewish institutions, revealing underlying antisemitism.

Social media users have also condemned the demands, with one user noting that Hillel is apolitical and central to Jewish life on college campuses, and that the demands effectively call for an end to Jewish life on campus. Another user slammed the SJP encampment as a terrorism recruitment festival and accused them of seeking to drive Jews out of universities and suppress safety and hate speech control.

The SJP demands also include divesting from weapons manufacturing companies and severing ties with the local police department. The university has not yet responded to the demandsl

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful address at the opening ceremony for Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem, vowing to defend Israel against its enemies.

Eighty years after the Holocaust, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel will not rely on others for its defense, stating, No amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself. He pledged, If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.

However, Netanyahu expressed gratitude for the support of countless decent people around the world who stand with Israels just cause. He concluded with a resolute message, We will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now!

The ceremony commemorated the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, and honored the heroes who fought against the Nazi regime.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The Biden administration has put a hold on a shipment of American-made ammunition to Israel, citing concerns over a potential Israeli invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinian refugees are seeking shelter. This marks the first time the US has stopped a shipment to the Israeli military since the Hamas attacks on October 7.

The decision has raised concerns within Israels government, with officials expressing worry over the implications of this move. The White House declined to comment, while the Pentagon, State Department, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to questions. In February, it requested that the Israeli military provide proof that US-made weapons are being used in accordance with international law. Israel signed a letter of assurances in March.

Despite this development, Netanyahu has reiterated his intention to invade Rafah  even if a ceasefire and hostage release deal is reached with Hamas. Tensions between the US and Israel are evident, with Netanyahu hinting at the rift in a statement regarding Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Netanyahu and Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a tough conversation about the planned Rafah operation, with Blinken warning that the US would publicly oppose a strike on Rafah and that military action would harm US-Israel relations. The White House has reiterated its stance, with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stating that US policy will be influenced by the progression of the Rafah operation.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
YEREVAN, 6 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 6 May, USD exchange rate up by 0.60 drams to 387.92 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.73 drams to 417.83 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 4.26 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 1.41 drams to 487.81 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 114.00 drams to 28616.19 drams. Silver price up by 3.82 drams to 330.51 drams.
The IDF early Monday morning began the evacuation of Gazan civilians from eastern Rafah to an expanded humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi and Khan Younis areas.

The IDF calls civilians in the specified areas in eastern Rafah to temporarily move to the humanitarian area, the IDF spokesperson stated to civilians via text messages, phone calls, leaflets and broadcasts on the media in Arabic.

We expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. The area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies. The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that theyre holding in captivity are back home.

The evacuation is currently being carried out in a limited area of Rafah only. According to Israeli media reports, the operation in Rafah will be a limited one.

The Israeli Cabinet made the decision on Sunday evening to begin the evacuation and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant informed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin of the decision overnight.

The move comes after Hamas launched a rocket barrage at an IDF base at the Kerem Shalom Crossing on Sunday, killing three soldiers and injuring ten others.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The Hezbollah terror group on Monday launched two explosive drones at Metula in northern Israel. One scored a direct hit on a building, critically injuring two people  likely IDF soldiers.

The second drone was intercepted.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the launch, stating that we damaged a military base south of Metula.

Shortly later, IDF fighter jets carried out strikes against terror sites belong to Hezbollahs elite Radwan Force.

Fighter jets attacked about 16 military posts and terror infrastructure located in a camp of Hezbollahs Radwan force in the Al-Lwaiza area of southern Lebanon, the IDF spokesperson said.

Following drone infiltration alert sirens activated in the north, an explosive drone that crossed into the Metula area from Lebanon was identified.

Earlier on Monday, Hezbollah launched a barrage of 30 Katyusha rockets at Ramat HaGolan. In response, the IDF struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
A senior Hamas source told Al Jazeera on Monday evening that the terror group has informed Qatari and Egyptian negotiators that it agrees to their proposal for a ceasefire deal.

Shortly later, the terror group issued an official proclamation: Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of the political bureau of Hamas, called the Prime Minister of Qatar and the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence and informed them that Hamas accepts their proposal for a ceasefire.

A senior Hamas official tells AFP: After Hamas agreed to the mediators proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it.

The news came hours after Israel dropped thousands of leaflets over Rafah, telling residents to evacuate ahead of what appeared to be an incursion.

Moments after the news, thousands of local residents took to the streets to celebrate the news.

Meanwhile, Channel 12 is quoting Israeli officials as saying that this is not the same proposal for a deal that Israel and Egypt agreed upon 10 days ago, and that served as the basis for the indirect negotiations since then. All kinds of clauses have been inserted.

Earlier, a Hamas source said that the terror group decided to freeze the hostage deal negotiations and postpone the return of its delegation to Cairo.

On Monday morning, a senior Egyptian official told Arabic-language media outlets that the Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom Crossing on Sunday has stymied hostage release talks.

Four IDF soldiers were killed in the attack and ten soldiers were wounded.

The source said that Egypt is engaging in efforts to overcome the hurdle in the negotiations.

Kan News reported that Israel informed Egypt ahead of the start of the evacuation of Gazan civilians from parts of Rafah on Monday morning.

Israeli security officials told Egypt that the evacuation is taking place in the eastern neighborhood of the city, close to the Israeli border, and that the military operation will be a limited one.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Pro-Hamas students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge called to murder Zionists and destroy Israel.

We will sacrifice our blood and souls for you, Palestine! they chanted. Free Palestine. Zionists  get out!

MIT student Talia Khan wrote on X: At MIT, students call for the murder of their peers.

When will they be punished? Are we supposed to wait for them to build the gas chambers? Email President Kornbluth and ask her if calling for the death of Jews and Zionists qualifies as harassment!

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The long-awaited IDF invasion of Rafah, Hamass last remaining stronghold in Gaza, appears to be underway. IDF jets have begun carrying out intense bombing raids on terrorist infrastructure in the city, and a column of Israeli tanks are reported to be raiding the eastern side of the city.

In a statement, the IDF said: IDF forces are now attacking and operating against the targets of the terrorist organization Hamas in a targeted manner in eastern Rafah. More details to come.

The invasion comes shortly after Hamas claimed to have accepted a ceasefire deal  a deal that Israel had never proposed or agreed to. The move by Hamas was almost certainly intended to give the world the impression that Israel was rejecting peace, while the murderous terrorists were embracing it.

An Israeli security source told the Jerusalem Post that the deal Hamas said it had agreed to enter didnt even exist.

This so-called deal is proof that weve just started to apply pressure [on Hamas] by promoting a ground entrance to Rafah, and we suddenly received a green light from Hamas for a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire, the source said.

Prime Minister Netanyahus office said the the invasion of Rafah is in order to apply military pressure on Hamas, with the goal of making progress on freeing the hostages and the other war aims, and that Hamass latest truce offer is far from Israels obligatory demands.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to President Joe Biden earlier in the day, with the latter attempting to stave off the IDF invasion into Rafah  which Netanyahu has consistently insisted would occur with or without a hostage deal.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Concerning news has emerged this morning a P&O cruise passenger has fallen off the ship off the coast of Sydney.

Yahoo's live blog for Monday, May 6 has now finished. Below are some of the day's main talking points.

In a tragic update, a body of a man has been found off the coast of Sydney where a P&O Cruise ship passenger had fallen overboard.

More details have emerged about the radicalised 16-year-old boy who was shot by WA police after he stabbed a man in a Perth Bunnings carpark. He had reportedly attempted to indoctrinate other students at his high school, and was known to police since he was 14.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 13 updates Sydney Airport auctions off unclaimed lost items Have you ever wondered where items left behind at an airport end up? Well for the 2,500 unclaimed items at Sydney airport last year, they're now available at auction in a bid to raise money for a local charity. This year's recipient is the Harding Miller Education Foundation, which awards four-year scholarships to high school girls with high academic potential who are experiencing disadvantage. As you can see in the picture, there's all sorts available, with bidding starting at $10. Available items include: 150+ laptops 300+ headphones & ear buds 100+ phones and tablets 320+ jewellery items 200+ watches 200+ sunglasses and glasses 120+ bottles of wine/spirits an electric scooter a massage table a wedding dress a jaffle maker and kettle a leaf blower a framed and autographed photo of Lionel Messi a Star Wars Storm Trooper voice activated helmet, a Darth Vader helmet and a collection of lightsabers. Plenty is on offer.

Rare sight at world-famous spot wows tourists If you've ever been to San Francisco, there's a good chance you've seen its famous sea lions down at Fisherman's Wharf. But the pier currently looks nothing like what it normally does with hundreds of extra sea lions joining the party to the delight of tourists. The rare sight is thanks to an influx in anchovies. There's believed to be more than 1,000 sea lions at the site  the highest number in 15 years. See remarkable video of the sea lions below. San Francisco's famed Fisherman's Wharf is being swarmed by the most sea lions in 15 years. Experts say the gathering is a good sign the animal population and the bay are healthy. https://t.co/9VWRThsJ5X pic.twitter.com/yRyZD7tO9r  Yahoo News (@YahooNews) May 3, 2024

Brutal forecast for already-soaked NSW There's more bad news for soaked NSW residents with millions already having had a miserable past week of rain. The state's entire coastline is set for a further seven days of rain thanks to a high pressure system that's become stagnant. With the rain falling on saturated ground, there's an increased risk of flooding across the state, Weatherzone warns. The below maps show you just how much rain is set to fall in the next week. Look away now NSW residents. Source: Weatherzone

Girlfriend's heart 'shattered in a million pieces' after brothers killed in Mexico The girlfriend of Callum Robinson, one of the two Australian brothers shot dead in Mexico while on a surf trip, says her heart is "shattered into a million pieces". Emily Horwath took to social media to share a series of photos of the couple together, while sharing tributes left by friends. "You are one of one. I will love you forever," she said. Mexican authorities have now confirmed three bodies found down a well in Baja California are those of Callum and Jake Robinson, and friend Jack Carter Rhoad. Police confirmed they had been shot in the head in what is believed to have been a tyre theft gone wrong. Emily shared pictures of the couple together. Source: Instagram

ATO warns Aussies about three tax mistakes Aussies will be filing their tax returns in less than two months, with the ATO warning today they're paying extra attention to the following three mistakes. Incorrectly claiming work-related expenses Inflating claims for rental properties Failing to include all income when lodging If you "deliberately" make any of them, the ATO could well be in touch. Read more here.

Now here's a story that's gone gangbusters for Yahoo in the past couple of days. Have you seen this bin hack that's saving a bit of time bringing their bins in? By tucking the lid of one bin into the other, residents can bring in two bins at the same time with very little effort. The hack is gaining traction globally, with tens of millions of views on TikTok. Using a rubbish bin and a green waste bin, a TikToker shows just how easy the hack was. Source: TikTok/@kylehume7

Koala disrupts Ironman event How's this for a surprise visitor. Athletes at an Ironman event in Port Macquarie were left navigating their exhausted bodies around a koala affectionally known as "Big Boy" after he made his way onto the course. Local Jason Hannah told the ABC the koala was making his way to a gum tree by the riverside. "He walks around like he owns the joint. Everybody leaves him alone, they let him do his own thing  he's one of the residents, really," he revealed. While spotting a koala in an urban environment can be the result of over-development, an expert told the ABC the koala looked like he was in "excellent condition". 'Big Boy' makes a grand entrance at the Ironman event. Source: Jason Hannah via the ABC

Body found after passenger overboard on P&O cruise ship off Sydney NSW Police have confirmed a body has been found off the coast of Sydney after a passenger fell overboard from a P&O cruise ship in the early hours of Monday. "About 10.30am, officers attached to Police Marine Area Command located the body of a man and it was retrieved," police said in a statement. The ship was 18km from Sydney at the time of the incident.

Why Coca-Cola and other soft drinks could jump in price There is mounting pressure for Australia to slap a new tax on sugary drinks like Coca-Cola in an effort to get to grips with a "huge health problem". The Australian Medical Association says the sugar tax would help combat obesity and diabetes and such a move is backed by a new report from the Grattan Institute. Sugary drinks make us sick, and we know this is a huge health problem for Australia, AMA President Professor Steve Robson said. The AMAs modelling also suggests a sugar tax could result in government revenue of $4 billion across four years, which could be used to fund further preventative health activities. Of course, this revenue is above and beyond the burden and cost we could save the health system. Anything we can do to lessen the strain on our health system, particularly while our hospitals are in logjam, is critical," Prof Robson said. Coca-Cola and other soft drinks could go up in price if the AMA has its way. Source: AP

Sky News host apologises to teen millionaire live on-air Sky News host Peter Stefanovic has apologised live on-air for his heavily criticised interview with the teen winner of the Northern Territory's Million Dollar Fish competition. Keegan Payne, 19, scooped the $1 million prize last week after catching the coveted tagged barramundi and while he was overjoyed with his win, his fairytale story quickly soured when Stefanovic brought up an unsavoury incident from his past live on-air. A remorseful Keegan was forced to admit he was involved in the theft of two work vehicles at his employer's property three years ago, with the business owner later speaking out saying he had forgiven Keegan. Sky News host Peter Stefanovic has been called out for his line of questioning with teen Keegan Payne. Source: Sky News Critics said Stefanovic's "gotcha" moment fuelled unfair stereotypes , with Indigenous rights advocates condemning the host's behaviour. An apology from me, last Wednesday we invited Keegan Payne onto our show to discuss his win in the Million Dollar Fish competition in the Northern Territory, Stefanovic said on Monday. During that interview I asked him about a theft that had occurred several years earlier. I should not have asked him about those claims and I regret doing so. I apologise sincerely to Keegan and his family. It followed a statement released by the network on Friday apologising for the interview.

Titanic and Lord of the Rings star dies aged 79 Bernard Hill, the actor best known for his roles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Titatnic, has died at the age of 79. He died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Coulson revealed, and was accompanied by his fiancee Alison and his son Gabriel. His cause of death has not been confirmed. Tributes are pouring in for the "marvellous" actor. Read more here. Bernard Hill.

Aussie brothers shot in 'execution-style' killing Police in Mexico say three men understood to be Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and friend Jack Carter Rhoad were shot in the head in an execution-style killing. Authorities in Baja California believe three people arrested were attempting to steal the men's ute at their remote campsite and when Callum, Jake and Jack attempted to fight back, weapons were discharged. Three bodies were found dumped in a well 15 metres deep about 6km from where they were camping. Police believe more people were involved in the attack. Callum and Jake Robinson.

Students' 'disgraceful' list ranking female classmates Four boys from a Melbourne private school have been suspended after a list was posted to social media rating their female classmates with one category titled "unrapeable". The shocking list was posted by Year 11 students from Yarra Valley Grammar School in Ringwood onto the platform Discord and was discovered by the school last Wednesday. Yarra Valley Grammar principal Dr Mark Merry spoke to Nine on Sunday and described the post as disgraceful. Respect for each other is in the DNA of this school, and so this was a shock not only to us  but it was a shock to the year level and the boys in the year level that see this as way, way out of line, he said. As a father, I find it absolutely outrageous, disgraceful, offensive. As a principal, I need to make some decisions [about] what we do about all of this, he said. The list has since been reported to police by the school to ensure it wasnt linked to any criminal offence. Read more here.

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A bitter debate has erupted over the 15-metre gum tree on a Perth street with council voting to have it removed.

A gum tree on the verge of a resident's home is causing bitter disagreement among locals, with some who live close by pushing to have it removed while others advocate for it to stay.

Eleven residents who live on Cordelia Place in Perth's Alexander Heights sent a request to the local council to have the 15-metre tree removed from their street, providing 12 reasons why its removal was in the best interest of the community in a petition to the City of Wanneroo council.

Among the reasons were claims the tree is "too large and unsightly" for the street with its roots disrupting walkways and driveways. Bird droppings landing on parked cars underneath has also proved problematic to residents, according to council notes. They also claimed its presence had the "potential for property values" in the street to be diminished.

However, thousands of locals have signed an online petition for the tree to stay, believing "every tree matters" to lessen Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) in the area  a phenomenon which raises the temperature of a suburb due to insufficient tree coverage. UHIE is linked to heat-related illnesses in a community.

According to the council report the suburb has a total canopy coverage of only seven per cent, with the international standard being a minimum of 30 per cent. It has been suggested the gum tree would be replaced by another native plant.

Council vote for tree removal despite arborist's notes

The council arranged for an arborist to survey the gum tree in question and found the mature tree "in good health", noting it has a "fair structural condition" and displays "a full coverage of healthy foliage".

The arborist also noted the gum tree represents a "tolerable risk to persons and property". However, despite the report, last month the majority of councillors voted to have the gum tree removed.

Responding to Yahoo's request for comment, Wanneroo Council confirmed it received the petition calling for the tree's removal in February 2024 and says it is "committed" to maintaining the tree and improving the council area's overall canopy coverage.

"Administration undertook an investigation and determined the trees were in good health and could continue to be managed in accordance of the Citys Street Tree Policy," a spokesperson told Yahoo.

"At its 23 April Ordinary Council Meeting, Council considered the petition and voted to carry an alternative motion supporting the removal of one of the trees.

"The City is committed to improving its canopy coverage and will replace the tree with a suitable species as part of its 2024 Tree Planting Program."

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An old air conditioning vent 'protecting' a Starlink satellite dish was seen sitting on top of a home in the Northern Territory.

A contraption created to protect a Starlink satellite dish was seen sitting on top of a home in the Northern Territory. Source: Facebook

A bizarre makeshift cage seen perched on top of a homeowners roof has confused Aussies.

Numerous people couldnt help but poke fun at what appears to be a former air conditioning vent protecting a Starlink satellite dish after images of it were posted online. A piece of metal mesh can be seen zip-tied to one side of the box so the reception isnt affected.

Yeah, Ill take a 3.5 window rattler to protect my Starlink thanks, a man captioned the photos on Facebook, explaining it was found on top of a home on Elcho Island, otherwise known as Galiwin'ku, which sits off the coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Starlink is an increasingly popular internet option in remote areas of Australia due to its wide coverage. Owned and operated by Elon Musks SpaceX program, it comes with a hefty price tag. Hardware costs around $599, in addition to a $139 monthly fee.

While most Aussies said they believe the contraption was created to prevent theft, others argued it is a wildlife deterrent. Source: Facebook

Several social-media users theorised the box was installed to be a theft deterrent, to which the man agreed, but added he thought it might have more to do with people possibly throwing rocks at the satellite.

Probably been stolen that many times, one person said, while another jokingly asked if theres a black market for Starlink receivers.

Well thatsdifferent. Not sure how obstructions would go, another confused person laughed. There is no way this would not affect the performance  even forgetting what material is on the front, someone else argued.

Although most believed the cages purpose stemmed from theft, one man claimed it was constructed to stop cockatoos from damaging it.

NT Property offences double in 10 years

According to statistics from the NT Police and published by The ABC, property offences and the number of assaults have escalated in the NT after initially dropping during the states first Covid lockdown in 2020.

From 2013 to March 2023, the number of property offences recorded doubled.

Across Australia, an estimated 856,800 households have experienced one or more crimes in the 2022-23 financial year, including break-ins, vehicle theft and property damage, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Last week, Anthony Albanese visited organisations in Alice Springs weeks after a series of violent brawls led local authorities to impose a three-week curfew on the Red Centre. The curfew was first imposed in late March after an 18-year-old was killed in a car crash which triggered clashes between rival families and led to a surge of violence.

With AAP

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You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Mexco Energy (NYSE:MXC  Free Report) in a research report released on Thursday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock.

Mexco Energy Price Performance

MXC stock opened at $13.51 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $11.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.78. Mexco Energy has a fifty-two week low of $9.02 and a fifty-two week high of $16.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.23 million, a PE ratio of 22.14 and a beta of 0.53.

Get Mexco Energy alerts:

Mexco Energy (NYSE:MXC  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter. Mexco Energy had a net margin of 17.77% and a return on equity of 6.70%. The firm had revenue of $1.73 million during the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Mexco Energy

Mexco Energy Company Profile

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Mexco Energy stock. Meixler Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Mexco Energy Co. ( NYSE:MXC Free Report ) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 23,616 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $236,000. Meixler Investment Management Ltd. owned about 1.13% of Mexco Energy as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 5.89% of the companys stock.

(Get Free Report)

Mexco Energy Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It owns partial interests in approximately 6,400 gross producing wells located in the states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Virginia, North Dakota, and Ohio.

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Experts suspect a new variant of HPAI could be mutating because of the way we farm animals.

The spread of highly pathogenic bird flu has been linked to modern farming. Source: Getty

The worlds growing love of meat has been linked to the terrifying strain of avian influenza thats killed millions of birds, thousands of wild animals, and has even spread to humans.

Although wild birds have carried low pathogenic forms of the virus for centuries, the cramped, often dirty conditions common in modern farming have likely created the perfect conditions for it to mutate into dangerous variants.

Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases expert at Australian National University and Canberra Hospital is upfront that he loves meat, but has concerns about industrial farming methods which are used to fill supermarket shelves and fast food restaurants with cheap chicken, eggs, pork, beef and dairy. He argues the widespread use of antibiotics to prophylactically prevent disease indicates theres something wrong with these systems.

My own view is you need to give antibiotics to animals if they're sick. But if you're having to do it routinely and feed it to 1000 animals at a time, there is a problem with your farming practice, he said. Using antibiotics to fix problems is because you need to change your methods to prevent that from happening. It could be vaccination, but it could be less crowding and changing feeding habits

Farming fast facts

Modern-bred meat chickens can reach slaughter weight at just 36 days. Despite their large size, they are still immature and often make a cheeping sound like tiny chicks.

It's hard to breathe inside modern chicken sheds because of the ammonia from the waste.

In the US cattle can be fed waste from chickens.

Industrialised farming has become increasingly popular since the 1960s.

Thanks to modern farming methods, broiler hens can reach slaughter weight in just 36 days. Source: Getty

Related: Are KFC, eggs and dairy safe from the spread of bird flu in Australia?

Concern after cattle fed chicken waste

Last month, the HPAI strain of avian flu was reported to have spread to cows in Texas, and Collignon has suspicions about what caused it to jump species.

Unlike in Australia, cows in the United States can be fed waste thats scraped from the bottom of sheds used to house chickens, populations of which have been devastated by the virus in that country.

One of the things that worries me is in the US they are allowed to feed them litter, which is a mixture of waste from chicken. And in birds, the main way flu is spread is faecal-oral, he said.

The problem now in the US is giving cows food they wouldnt normally eat. Look at Mad Cow Disease in England, we turned cows into meat eaters  we fed them sheep.

Stressed birds in filthy conditions aiding spread of virus

Peter Stevenson OBE, is the chief policy advisor at Compassion in World Farming, an international non-profit that advocates for improvements in animal welfare. Nine months ago it warned avian flu was a ticking time bomb and called for mass vaccinations of poultry, and reform of industrialised poultry and pig farming systems.

Noting there is a very, very strong link between poor animal husbandry and the rise of zoonotic pandemics, Stevenson believes it's likely farming has played a role in the rise and spread of HPAI.

In the large poultry sheds there are a huge number of birds which are hosts for the virus. It can move very quickly amongst them, perhaps mutating as it does so, he said.

That highly pathogenic bird flu can then get out of the poultry sheds, for example, through ventilation systems, and infect wild birds. So youre getting a virus thats continually evolving.

At the core of it is the keeping of poultry in very crowded, stressful conditions. These are birds that are not particularly in good health. Both the egg flock and the meat flock  the broilers  have been genetically selected for either very high egg production or very fast growth rates, and this is putting a huge stress on them, so these are relatively frail birds, very vulnerable to disease.

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Taoiseach Simon Harris and Spainish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have discussed the wish of both Ireland and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine.

In a social media post release on Monday the Taoiseach said this:

"Spoke with Pedro Sanchez this morning on the wish of both Ireland and Spain to recognise the State of Palestine.

Formal recognition of Palestine is important as part of an acknowledgment that a two state solution is the way to bring about peace and stability in the region."

"We are both eager to make progress on this very shortly and our Governments remain in close contact."

As well as Simon Harris releasing a post, so too did Pedro Sanchez:

"This morning I spoke with the Prime Minister of Ireland, Simon Harris, about the willingness of both Governments to recognize the Palestinian State and coordinate our efforts to carry it out.

The two-state solution is the only formula to achieve a future of peace, security and stability in the region."

The full post from the Taoiseach can be seen below:
On April 5, 6 and 7, Boy Scout Troops 11 and 21, from Auburn, visited Gettysburg. The Scouts traveled 600 miles round-trip, and visited the following locations while at Gettysburg:

The Daniel Lady Farm: Used as a field hospital by the Confederates. While at the farm, the Scouts camped in tents on hallowed grounds and learned what life was like for a farm family when the Confederate military took control of their 200-year-old home. Scouts were educated in the medicines, surgical techniques and medical equipment that was used during the battle on the wounded.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center: Here the Scouts watched a cyclorama movie of the battlefield. This movie sets the stage for the tour of the battlefield. It describes the tactics and why Gettysburg was selected for the battle location. From the first shot outside the city to the end of the three-day war, it describes hour by hour the troop movements throughout the engagement, to the end on the third day where the Confederates retreat back to Virginia with the Union Army close behind. Scouts toured the military museum. They learned what military life was like on both sides: munitions, cannons, war fighting tactics, camp life, military gear, general's names, mistakes of the war and, most importantly, the sacrifices of both sides.

Two-hour guided bus tour of the battlefield: This tour was narrated by the guide on the bus as we stopped at many of the monuments displayed on the battlefield. Scouts were able to ask questions and further understand more closely, by now seeing with their own eyes, from what they previously learned from the cyclorama movie, now in real life on the battlefield.

111th New York Infantry: The Scouts' last stop before heading home. This monument was special to Cayuga County and Auburn. These were soldiers from our county and Wayne County. Here the Scouts gathered to pay tribute and to say a prayer thanking all the soldiers for their sacrifices they left on this field of battle. Troop 21's prayer was said by our chaplain, Ian Wolzcyk.

If you are interested in joining Troop 21, located at the Owasco Fire Department, contact me at (315) 730-4319, or contact Troop 11 Scoutmaster Seth Jenson at (315) 727-6502.
An organization has been formed to provide financial support for the New York State Veterans Cemetery-Finger Lakes, the former Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Seneca County.

Friends of the New York State Veterans Cemetery-Finger Lakes aims to raise funds "to achieve a higher standard of care, maintenance and permanent additions to the magnificent and naturally beautiful memorial to our nation's veterans," according to a news release.

The group is chaired by former state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, who long advocated for the establishment of a state veterans cemetery at the Sampson site in Romulus. Other officers include Bruce Tuxill, a retired U.S. Air Force general who is serving as vice chair, and Joan Grela, a longtime aide to Nozzolio who is the group's secretary. Richard Ward, a certified public accountant and partner of the Cuddy & Ward firm in Auburn, has been named treasurer.

Friends of the New York State Veterans-Cemetery-Finger Lakes has already held its first meeting. Attendees included the founding directors  Rick Connors, Don Linborg and Carm Pascarella  of the former Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

"It was an incredibly happy day for all of us when the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery was selected to be the first New York state veterans cemetery, and it's again an honor to bring dedicated individuals to work together to ensure the lasting integrity and quality of this outstanding memorial to our nation's veterans," Nozzolio said.

A selection committee voted in 2021 to choose Sampson as the site of the first New York state veterans cemetery. Sampson had operated as a county-owned cemetery for 10 years before receiving the state designation.

The state officially took ownership of the cemetery in 2023 and renamed it the New York State Veterans Cemetery-Finger Lakes. Late last year, the state learned that the National Cemetery Administration, which is within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, awarded $3.9 million for infrastructure projects at the cemetery.

The federal and state funding covers day-to-day operations and maintenance costs at the cemetery. Friends of the New York State Veterans Cemetery-Finger Lakes plans to provide additional assistance to support projects at the site.

Donations can be sent to: Friends of the New York State Veterans Cemetery-Finger Lakes, P.O. Box 444, Seneca Falls, NY, 13148.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- In April 2024, NETA Auto, a Chinese new energy vehicle maker, reported a total vehicle delivery of 9,017 units, marking an 18.62% decrease compared to the 11,080 units delivered in the same period last year.

Over the first four months of this year, the cumulative sales for NETA Auto reached 33,451 units.

NETA L; photo credit: NETA Auto

The company announced that orders for the NETA L model have surpassed 15,000 units, with large-scale deliveries set to commence in May.

On April 22, 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.

Notably, the entry-level version (priced at 129,900 yuan) will officially go on sale in August. Those who place an order for the 159,900-yuan 310 Flash Charging Hongyi (named in Chinese Pinyin) Edition before May 31 will enjoy a cash discount of 5,000 yuan.

Built on the Shanhai platform, the new model offers both a BEV (battery electric vehicle) and REEV (range-extended electric vehicle) versions, with the REEV version went on sale first.

On April 22, NETA Auto inaugurated its first Eco-Smart Factory in Jakarta, Indonesia, which has already started production. This facility is NETA Autos second overseas smart factory, following the establishment of one in Thailand, and represents another significant step in the companys global expansion strategy. The Indonesian Eco-Smart Factory boasts an annual production capacity of 30,000 vehicles.

Currently, NETA Auto operates an Eco-Smart Factory in Thailand and is actively planning to construct a third overseas factory, which is located in Malaysia.
Tech trouble confronting KCMO worsens amid war across the globe and lower standards here at home.

The latest regarding online attacks confronting 12th & Oak . . .



"On Sunday, the Kansas City Municipal Court sent a notice that it would be closed on Monday, May 6 as a direct result of the outage. "

Via www.TonysKansasCity.com here's the quote and the update . . .

Hearings and trials will be continued to later dates, except the court will work with Kansas City Police, gather information, arraign, and review bonds for people in custody. Right now, court email also is down. Court officials are monitoring the situation in real time and will adjust as needed.

Pay Kansas City Municipal Court cases filed on or after November 6, 2023, online through Missouri CaseNet at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet.

You may post bonds at the designated Kansas City Police Department patrol stations.



KCPD says its systems have remained unaffected by the outage.

Developing . . .
Fact is . . . Most of the news we share about education issues NEVER finds much traction on this blog.

Long, long ago . . . There was a vibrant "school board beat" amongst local newsies but the public slowly lost interest and in this social media era it seems that most people just want to tell off school board officials in order to garner fame and then get on with their lives without contributing much.

However . . .

On the topic of local education . . . A quick thought comes to mind . . .

Kansas City Public Schools are slowly getting ready to ask voters for more cash. It'll be interesting to see so many urban denizens reverse course and ask taxpayers for money without offering much in return. At least the Chiefs & Royals were willing to give some discounts on advanced tickets and a few crumbs for the urban core . . . Meanwhile, most longtime residents know that KCPS has been MOSTLY a source of constant disappointment and training ground for future community problems. Expect the debate on this topic to turn UGLY very quickly in the not to distant future.

Until then . . .

We share notes from local schools that are somewhat hopeful, worth quick consideration and reveal the ongoing challenge of educating the NEXTGEN in a constantly changing world.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

'People are losing their battle': KC man hopes to bring change for students battling with mental health A man from West Africa has found a new purpose in Kansas City, channeling his own struggles into an initiative aimed at supporting student's mental health.

'We cannot continue down this path': KCKPS special education can't shake issues with staffing, trust A report from the University of Kansas says the district is better at complying with state standards but hasn't repaired trust with staff or resolved hiring problems.

What to know about the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools special election Kansas City, Kansas will decide whether to issue $420 million in bonds to build new public schools & fund capital projects for the district.

Appeals court sides with KC charter school in its fight with state to remain open * Missouri Independent Genesis Charter School in Kansas City will stay open, despite the Missouri State Board of Education's attempt to revoke its charter.

'Double-edged sword': Missouri school district takes steps to combat chronic absenteeism Across school districts in the heartland, there's an ongoing struggle to get students to attend classes, and both Kansas and Missouri are no exception.

Developing . . .
Juxtaposition to start the week . . .

Don't agree with sketchy policy and DEI Uber alles??!? Then you're not just a racist . . . But also one of the most unlikable dudes in American pop culture . . . Who makes a handsome living by playing the bad guy.

Here's the argument from a TOTALLY UPSTANDING activist blog mostly funded by dark money . . .



"They generate outrage with bills attacking womens reproductive rights and transgender children. Meanwhile, they pursued tax cuts for the richest Kansans. They have perfunctorily rejected wildly popular policies such as Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization  not with well-reasoned arguments but with reams of self-contradictory rhetoric that wastes the time of those refuting it. And as they bamboozle the people of Kansas, they do so with pious expressions on their faces and condescending words to anyone who questions their motives.



"Anyone can see it, guys. Youre not fooling us. Youre flooding the zone with sewage and expecting thanks, when you should be in here cleaning it up."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
In Sardinia, Italy, a beach is now allowing couples to have nude weddings. The local government in San Vero Milis has approved the request, offering a unique way for pairs to celebrate their love.

The beach, known as Is Benas, has had a nudist area for two years, but now it's set to host marriage ceremonies too.

Sardinia Beach Opens Doors to Nude Weddings

Mayor Luigi Tedeschi of San Vero Milis said the decision came after a request from a German couple who wanted to marry on the beach.

Tedeschi believes that providing a space for nude weddings is a way to support freedom at a time when nationalist movements are restricting people's rights in Europe. He emphasized that the choice to marry naked has nothing to do with sex but is a lifestyle that connects people with nature.

According to CNN, the central part of Is Benas beach, where the nude weddings will occur, is naturally separated from clothed areas, allowing privacy. Tedeschi said that this section of the beach is cleaner and better maintained than the clothed areas.

He added that the local community has welcomed the idea, and there haven't been complaints about the new wedding option.

The mayor hopes to create a network of naturist beaches across Sardinia to encourage respectful tourism. This effort includes promoting small local accommodations that provide a personal cultural exchange instead of large hotels.

Tedeschi believes that naturism is ideal for tourists who want to experience nature up close.

With nearly 17 miles of coastline, San Vero Milis offers one of the most stunning beachfronts in Europe. The area is also near Tharros, a historic Roman city, enhancing its appeal for visitors interested in both natural and historical sites.

Related Article

Historic Day for Naturist Weddings at Cantarrijan Beach

In May 2022, Cantarrijan Beach in Andalucia's La Herradura hosted a remarkable event where eight couples participated in nude weddings, marking a unique celebration not seen since 1934. The event was orchestrated by the Association of Naturist Friends of Cantarrijan Beach (AAPNC). This was the first occasion in decades that saw such a gathering for naturist weddings at one time, as Sur in English reported.

The ceremonies were held at La Barraca chiringuito, a local venue, under the guidance of Luis Aragon, Almunecar's councilor for the environment.

Aragon stepped in for the expected official, Daniel Barbero, the tourism councilor. He expressed his admiration for the couples and shared a poem by Victor Hugo, which was well received with applause.

Following the formalities, the newlyweds and their guests celebrated with traditional wedding photos, toasts, and a shared wedding cake, making the day memorable for everyone involved.

This event highlighted the naturist community's vibrant culture and underscored a growing acceptance and celebration of diverse wedding forms.

Meanwhile, in 2015, George Watts, known as The Wedding Fairy, shared his views on the idea of nude weddings. He believes that weddings should be a personal reflection of the couple's interests and passions.

According to Watts, if a couple feels connected to naturism as a way of life, they should not hesitate to incorporate that into their wedding day.

Watts emphasized that weddings are primarily about the couple, and it's important that they feel comfortable and true to themselves on their special day. He pointed out that if being nude is a significant part of a couple's lifestyle, then family and friends should be supportive of their choice to express this during their wedding celebrations.
Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel in Dubai is All Set for a Strong Show at Arabian Travel Market Dubai



(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - May 3rd, 2024 -

The Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel in Dubai has announced its participation in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, set to take place from 6-9 May at the Dubai World Trade Centre. As the only floating hotel in Dubai, QE2 will be joining the ranks of the most unique exhibitors from across the world, showcasing its exceptional maritime heritage and experiences to the global travel trade community.

Ferghal Purcell, General Manager, Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel, said, The Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel epitomizes the evolution of travel. Combining our storied past with modern comforts, we offer guests unparalleled experiences. At the Arabian Travel Market Dubai we plan to unveil our latest initiatives and services designed to enhance the guest experience. From innovative sustainability practices aimed at protecting the environment and conserving natural resources to the introduction of the latest technology enhancing guest interactions, at the QE2 we are committed to leading by example in the travel industry. Visitors to our booth will have the opportunity to explore the ships rich history, discover our wide range of facilities, and learn about the vessels journey from a legendary ocean liner to an iconic hotel in Dubai.

The Arabian Travel Market 2024, held in conjunction with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Emirates, and other strategic partners, is the premier event for travel professionals. As it celebrates its 31st edition, ATM 2024 will continue to foster innovation, drive industry growth, and provide a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and travel experts to forge new relationships and explore opportunities for the future.

Ferghal stressed, At the QE2 we are honored to be part of an event that not only showcases the best of travel but also sets the stage for the future of the industry. We invite attendees to visit our booth to experience the unique blend of heritage and hospitality that the QE2 offers as well as know more about our green initiatives that are aimed at contributing to a more sustainable world. We believe together, we can create a future where nature thrives.

Visitors can find Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel at the Dubai Stand: ME1120

-End-

About Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel, Managed by Accor

Queen Elizabeth 2 Hotel, managed by Accor, is a historic gem and the only floating hotel in emirates. Located in Port Rashid, in close proximity to Dubais main attractions and shopping malls, its 447 renovated rooms and suites are carefully decorated, offering a peaceful retreat in which to relax and unwind.

Guests can experience a culinary journey with innovative menus onboard the QE2. The hotels dining outlets include Lido - an all-day dining restaurant; The Golden Lion  the oldest pub in Dubai; The Pavilion - an alfresco lounge; and the Queens Grill  serving Afternoon Tea.

For those seeking an event with a difference, the iconic QE2 offers multiple one-of-a-kind venues in Dubai. Included in its facilities are unique indoor and outdoor event spaces. Whether you are planning a birthday bash, an anniversary party, a wedding celebration, or any other social or corporate functions, the QE2 provides an inspiring and impressive backdrop that will delight your guests.

For reservations & Inquiries

Call +971 4 526 8888 or email Reservations.qe2@accor.com

Or visit https://www.qe2.com

For Media Inquiries contact:

Hina Bakht

Managing Director

EVOPS Marketing & PR

Mob: 00971 50 6975146

Tel: 00971 4 566 7355

Hina.bakht@evops-pr.com

www.evops-pr.com

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 30, 2024, the PERIKLINDO Electric Vehicle Show (PEVS) kicked off in Jakarta, where PT SGMW Motor Indonesia unveiled three Wuling-branded new energy vehicle (NEV) models, namely, the Air EV, the Binguo EV, and the Cloud EV.

Photo credit: SGMW

At the PEVS, the automaker began the presale of the Cloud EV model with a transaction price of 410 million Indonesian Rupiah (approximately 180,000 Chinese Yuan), inclusive of the government subsidy.

Over the past seven years, SGMW has built a substantial presence in Indonesia, with over 40% of the components sourced locally. Customers who purchase Wuling-branded EVs can receive a 10% VAT subsidy from the government. In the first quarter of 2024, the Wuling brand captured 64% share of the Indonesian electric vehicle market, according to the carmaker.

Addressing the needs of Indonesian consumers, the Cloud EV offers four major presale incentives: a lifetime warranty on the battery, electric motor, and controller; a complimentary 7-kilowatt charging pile; extended free maintenance; and free charging service at charging stations that meet international standards. These benefits are designed to overcome common barriers to adopting NEVs, with the goal of increasing their market penetration in Indonesia.

Starting April 30, the aforesaid three models will be showcased in 116 major shopping centers across Indonesias principal cities. One thousand trained sales and service consultants across Wuling's 150 dealerships will provide detailed product demonstrations and encourage test drives, aiming to convert potential interest into confirmed orders. This strategy is expected to lay a solid groundwork for the official market launch in May.
Credit: MASN

Kevin Brown is a national treasure and a pop culture icon.

When the Baltimore Orioles play-by-play voice isnt singing Blink-182 in the booth, he references the rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. And even if you dont understand why theres such hatred between the two rappers or have any clue that it was even happening, you have to appreciate the willingness to tackle such timely references.

Lamar is topping the Spotify and Apple Music charts after dropping Euphoria, a more than six-minute diss track that takes aim at Drake, extending their ongoing rap beef. As he waited for Drake to respond, Lamar continued to antagonize the Canadian-born rapper with a May 3 release of 6:16 in LA.

Drake responded with Family Matters, only for Lamar to release Meet the Grahams not even 15 minutes later. And on top of that, he continued to bury Drake with a Not Like Us track release on May 4. Drake responded on Sunday night with The Heart Part 6, but that was well after Brown quipped about Lamar running up the scoreboard.

The Orioles took a 6-0 lead in Cincinnati on Sunday on an Adley Rutschman RBI single in the top of the seventh inning.

2-2 Rutschman; gets a piece, flairs it over (Elly) De La Cruz, which is basically like hitting a ball over a skyscraper, and Ramon (Urias) scores on the RBI single, said Brown. Hes got more hits this week than Kendrick Lamar.

Hes got more hits this week than Kendrick Lamar -Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown pic.twitter.com/wTb4cUPclu  Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 5, 2024

Ben McDonald knew there was a joke or reference in there somewhere, but it went completely over his head  much like the Blink-182 ordeal in the booth.

I got no chance!  Ben McDonald (@realbenmcdonald) May 6, 2024

That went over your head just like it did De La Cruzs, Brown added.

That it did.

While Rutschman certainly had more opportunities to deliver than Lamar, the rave reviews on social media suggest the rappers batting .100. As for Rutschman, he has 11 hits since last Sunday, April 28, and that includes a 3-for-4 performance on Saturday.

The only thing Rutschman and Lamar have in common is that they are both from the West Coast. Yet Brown masterfully found a way to connect them on Sundays broadcast.

[Jomboy Media on X]
Please, if you have information, just share it. It's the plea of the mother of missing teen,
By Alex Greenwood, May 6, 2024

WARRENSBURG, MO  On National Nurses Day, the University of Central Missouri (UCM) announces its recognition as the #1 Most Affordable Online MSN Nurse Practitioner Program for the year 2024, as ranked by Fortune Magazine.

This distinguished ranking highlights UCMs commitment to providing accessible, high-quality educational opportunities in the healthcare sector. In an era where the demand for nurse practitioners is soaringwith the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 46% growth in the profession from 2021 to 2031the University of Central Missouri stands out as a leader in offering a cost-effective pathway to this rewarding career.





A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse who assesses patient needs, orders and interprets diagnostic tests, diagnoses diseases, prescribes medications and formulates treatment plans.

Fortune Magazines evaluation considered the tuition costs of numerous institutions offering online Masters in Nursing programs with a focus on the nurse practitioner specialization. The affordability of the University of Central Missouri's program is particularly significant, considering the financial challenges often associated with advanced nursing education.

The nursing program at the University of Central Missouri is fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing and holds accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

For more information about the University of Central Missouris MSN Nurse Practitioner Program, please visit the website: https://www.ucmo.edu/academics/programs/masters-degrees/chst/nursing/master-of-science-in-nursing/index.php.




The Ukrainian government sees no legal grounds for recognizing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a democratically elected and legitimate President of the Russian Federation, and calls on the international community to not recognize the outcome of the Russian sham election.

Thats according to a statement released by he Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

An upcoming ceremony to install Vladimir Putin in office is an attempt by the Russian authorities to give the entire world and its own citizens the illusion of legality for the nearly lifelong stay in power of a person who has turned the Russian Federation into an aggressor state and the ruling regime into a dictatorship, Ukrainian diplomats stress.

MFA Ukraine recalled that during the so-called March "elections," Russia violated numerous international norms that serve as the foundation for the modern system of international relations. In particular, the UN Charter, the Declaration on the Principles of International Law, the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and dozens of UN General Assembly resolutions.

The illegal organization of another so-called electoral process in the sovereign territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federationparts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the city of Sevastopolaccompanied by threats, blackmail, and coercion of millions of Ukrainian citizens who live in temporarily occupied territories or were forcibly relocated to the territory of the Russian Federation constituted a brutal violation of the generally recognized norms and principles of international law, the statement underlines.

Despite warnings from authoritative international institutions, Russias actions once again demonstrate that its leadership does not admit its responsibility and is unwilling to end the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, which has lasted more than two years and resulted in numerous human casualties and destruction.

The Kremlin regime, through propaganda and manipulation, uses voter participation and voting results to justify its military invasion of Ukraine and aggressive policies toward other countries, diplomats stress.

Based on the foregoing and the International Criminal Court's active arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine sees no legal basis for recognizing him as the democratically elected and legitimate president of the Russian Federation, the statement reads.

The ministry also recalled that the recent resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe dated April 17 No. 2540 (2024) and the European Parliament dated April 25 No. 2024/2665(RSP) confirm the ineligibility of holding so-called "elections" in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories, their undemocratic nature in Russia itself, and, in fact, refute the legitimacy of their outcome.

The foreign ministry has called on other countries, international organizations, and the public to follow suit by not recognizing the results of these pseudo-elections or Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a legitimate president, to resist the demolition of the system of the rule of law and universally recognized democratic values, as well as to continue effectively supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, which poses a threat to European and world security, peace, and stability.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia has scheduled Vladimir Putins inauguration for May 7. Several nations, including Germany, have already stated they would not delegate their representatives to attend the ceremony.
It is important that as many states as possible who are interested in the full force of the UN Charter and international law demonstrate their leadership at the upcoming peace summit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his daily video address, Ukrinform reports.

"In the afternoon, I had several international conversations  we are now working very actively to prepare the inaugural Summit, the Peace Summit in Switzerland. It is important that as many states as possible, as many actors as possible who are interested in the full force of the UN Charter and international law, demonstrate their leadership at the Summit," he said.

He noted that he had invited the Presidents of Lithuania and Poland, Gitanas Nauseda and Andrzej Duda, and the Prime Ministers of Estonia and Canada, Kaja Kallas and Justin Trudeau, to the Peace Summit.

"I thanked them for supporting our work for a just peace  for supporting the Peace Formula. Such peace and the true restoration of tranquility in international relations are possible only if the world majority joins in the establishment of peace and forces Russia into peace, forces it to adhere to the basic rules of normal coexistence of nations. I am grateful to all the partners who help us implement this task. I am grateful to every leader who communicates with others to make sure that they also attend the Summit and have their say," Zelensky said.

In his opinion, today's world is a world of the majority, a world in which no one has or should have the privilege of imposing anything on other nations.

The president said that the Ukrainian Peace Formula is based on the principle that every nation equally deserves respect.

"The Peace Summit is an opportunity to show not just in words but in reality who really stands for equality in the world. Tomorrow and in the coming weeks, we will work and communicate with countries and leaders to ensure that international law is backed by international solidarity," Zelensky said.

The Global Peace Summit will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder loses a tooth live on air Wednesday

For the second time in as many weeks, former Miami Dolphins linebacker and current WQAM Miami radio host Channing Crowder lost a tooth while live on the air.

On April 19 during a discussion about the Cavinder Twins on Hochman and Crowder, the ex-NFL player appeared to have lost his tooth, which was later confirmed in a slow-motion replay of the video feed.

Crowder appeared to have remedied the problem in the time since, but last week it happened again.

Crowder was in the middle of a response when the tooth again flew out and crashed to the floor, sending Marc Hochman and producer Alejandro Solana into a fit of laughter.

What a weird affliction to have that your teeth keep popping out, Hochman noted, before suggesting Crowder see a professional to get his tooth reinsterted. Crowder was able to explain what happened, though, saying, I tried to glue it myself. I dont think the Gorilla Glue did it.

Hochman also likened Crowders dental woes to a pitcher forgetting how to throw strikes. You remember Rick Ankiel, the pitcher? All of a sudden, he couldnt throw a strike, Hochman said. If youre a talk show host and your teeth just keep popping out, like thats the yips.

Itll be interesting to see if Crowders dental issues are behind him or if its just a matter of time before his tooth comes out again.

[560 WQAM]
In recent years, remarkable strides have been made in global rankings, boldly challenging the long-standing dominance of Western institutions, particularly the prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States.

Tsinghua University and Peking University, two of China's most renowned institutions, have been at the forefront of this transformation, consistently ranking among the top universities in Asia and the world.

Quality Over Quantity: A Strategic Shift

One key factor contributing to the rise of Chinese universities is their shift towards quality over quantity. Unlike some Western universities that prioritize attracting a high number of international students, Tsinghua and Peking University have maintained a relatively low percentage of international students, around 14 to 18 percent. This approach ensures that their academic standards remain high, instilling confidence in their educational system.

This strategic approach contrasts with the Western blueprint, where universities often seek to attract the brightest minds from around the world. By concentrating on nurturing local talent and investing in quality research, Chinese universities have significantly improved their rankings and reputation.

READ MORE : Florida International University Ends Chinese Partnerships Amidst State Scrutiny

Investment in Research and Innovation

Another crucial factor in the rise of Chinese universities is the significant investment in research and innovation. The Chinese government has prioritized higher education and research, establishing several high-end research institutions. This targeted investment has resulted in a transformation of the research landscape in China, with Chinese universities now producing a substantial volume of high-quality research papers.

One area where Chinese universities have excelled is in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and big data. By focusing on these cutting-edge areas, Chinese universities have been able to generate a significant amount of research that has led to patents and innovations, further enhancing their global reputation. For example, Tsinghua University has been at the forefront of AI research, with its researchers publishing numerous influential papers and making significant contributions to the field.

Global Impact and Recognition

The impact of the rise of Chinese universities is not just felt in Asia, but also on the global stage. In the Times Higher Education 2024 World University Rankings, Tsinghua and Peking University outranked several Ivy League universities, including Columbia University, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania. This significant achievement underscores the rapid progress that Chinese universities have made in a relatively short period, fostering optimism about the future of global higher education.

Moreover, the success of Chinese universities is not limited to a few institutions. In the Times Higher Education 2024 Asia rankings, China's representation in the top 10 has increased to five universities, up from four the previous year. This growth underscores the broader trend of improvement and excellence in higher education across Asia.

A Transformative Shift in Higher Education

The rise of Chinese universities signals a transformative shift in the global higher education landscape. While Western universities continue to dominate, the emergence of Chinese institutions as global players reflects a broader trend of the East's rising influence in higher education.

According to Phil Baty, Times Higher Education's chief global affairs officer, strengthening Asian universities is driven by a combination of factors, including healthy competition, increased collaboration, more significant investment in research, and greater internationalization. These developments are elevating Chinese universities' status and raising the overall quality of higher education in Asia and beyond.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Despite their remarkable progress, Chinese universities still face challenges on their path to global recognition. One of the key challenges is attracting and retaining top international talent. While Chinese universities have successfully attracted local talent, they need to create an equally attractive environment for international students and researchers. This includes addressing language barriers, cultural differences, and the perception of a less diverse academic environment.

Moreover, Chinese universities must continue to invest in research and innovation to maintain their upward trajectory. As the global higher education landscape evolves, Chinese institutions must adapt to new trends and technologies to remain competitive.

The rise of Chinese universities represents a significant shift in the global higher education landscape. With a strategic focus on quality research and innovation, institutions like Tsinghua and Peking University are challenging the traditional dominance of Western universities. As China continues to invest in higher education, the impact of its universities on the global stage is only expected to grow, ushering in a new era of excellence and innovation in higher education.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's recent lawsuit to block anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students under Title IX has sparked a heated debate.

This move, which challenges the Biden administration's clarification that Title IX's protections extend to sexual orientation and gender identity, has drawn criticism from various quarters. Moody's stance raises important questions about equality, discrimination, and the role of government in protecting vulnerable communities.

The Legal Battle

Moody's lawsuit, filed in federal court, hinges on the interpretation of Title IX, a landmark legislation enacted over 50 years ago to prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. While the law does not explicitly mention sexual orientation or gender identity, the Biden administration's rule clarifies that discrimination based on these factors is covered under the broader umbrella of sex discrimination.

The lawsuit argues that the new rule is an overreach, claiming that it only applies to cisgender men and women and fails to provide equal protection for transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary students. Moody's supporters echo her concerns, raising fears about safety and privacy in schools if transgender students are allowed access to facilities that align with their gender identity.

However, critics of the lawsuit point out that the Supreme Court has already ruled that the term "sex" in Title IX includes sexual orientation and gender identity. They argue that Moody's lawsuit is a thinly veiled attempt to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students under the guise of protecting other students.

READ MORE : University Of Florida Closes All DEI Positions To Abide By State Law

The Impact on LGBTQ+ Students

The implications of Moody's lawsuit are significant for LGBTQ+ students in Florida and beyond. LGBTQ+ youth already face higher rates of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in schools compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Denying them legal protections under Title IX could further marginalize these vulnerable students and limit their access to education in a safe and inclusive environment.

Moreover, the lawsuit sends a message that the state's top legal officer is willing to disregard federal law and the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. This could have a chilling effect on efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools and communities across Florida.

Political Motivations and Public Response

Critics of Moody's lawsuit argue that it is driven by political motivations rather than genuine concern for students' safety or fairness. They point to Moody's aspirations to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis as a possible reason for her stance, suggesting that she is using the lawsuit to appeal to conservative voters.

Public response to the lawsuit has been mixed. While some support Moody's efforts to challenge what they see as federal overreach, others view it as an attack on LGBTQ+ rights and a step backward in the fight for equality. Organizations and activists have voiced their opposition to the lawsuit, calling for greater protection of LGBTQ+ students and condemning attempts to roll back their rights.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's lawsuit challenging LGBTQ+ protections under Title IX has ignited a fierce debate about equality, discrimination, and the rights of marginalized communities. While Moody and her supporters argue that the lawsuit is about protecting students, critics see it as a discriminatory and politically motivated move undermining progress toward inclusivity and acceptance. As the legal battle unfolds, the future of LGBTQ+ rights in education hangs in the balance.
In recent years, campuses across the United States have become battlegrounds where the principles of academic freedom and free speech are being tested. The focus of this clash? Pro-Palestinian expression.

Forces ranging from campus police to state troopers to national lawmakers have targeted faculty and student expression, particularly in support of Palestinians. This trend has sparked heated debates and raised serious concerns about the state of free speech on college campuses.

The Controversial Columbia Incident: A Flashpoint for Debate

One of the most notable incidents that ignited this debate occurred at Columbia University. Republican U.S. House of Representatives members condemned three pro-Palestinian Columbia University faculty members during a congressional hearing, part of a series interrogating elite university leaders over campus antisemitism. Instead of staunchly defending her professors, Columbia's president agreed with some of the politicians' criticisms and indicated that investigations were underway.

On the same day as the hearing, pro-Palestinian students established an encampment on Columbia's campus. The following day, Columbia's president called in the New York Police Department to clear the encampment, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 students. This incident exemplifies the escalating tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian expression and the responses it has elicited from university administrations and law enforcement.

Academic Freedom vs. Campus Order: Balancing Act or Overreach?

The clash between pro-Palestinian expression and campus authorities raises complex questions about the balance between academic freedom and maintaining order on campus. While some argue that encampments and protests may violate campus policies and disrupt university operations, others view these actions as legitimate forms of expression protected by academic freedom.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, argues that encampments raise free-speech issues more than academic freedom worries. He emphasizes that while professors and students have the right to express themselves, universities have the right to impose restrictions on how and when such expressions occur.

However, critics like Robert Cohen, a professor at New York University, see the evictions and arrests as a form of censorship targeting an unpopular movement. They argue that academic freedom is crucial, especially during times of war, to allow for the free exchange of ideas and challenge prevailing orthodoxies.

The Role of Political Pressure and Donor Influence

Political pressure and donor influence have also played a significant role in shaping the response to pro-Palestinian expression on campuses. Some politicians have called for broader definitions of antisemitism when investigating universities over such allegations. House Republicans have summoned university leaders to testify, and state legislatures have passed anti-DEI legislation that could affect what is taught in classrooms.

Critics argue that such interventions undermine the autonomy of universities and threaten academic freedom. They see it as part of a broader attack on higher education and academic inquiry aimed at limiting what can be taught, researched, and discussed on campus.

Navigating the Complexities of Campus Free Speech

As the debate over pro-Palestinian expression on college campuses continues, it is clear that the issues at stake are complex and multifaceted. Balancing the principles of academic freedom and free speech with the need to maintain campus order and address concerns of antisemitism is a challenging task.

Universities must navigate these complexities carefully, ensuring that they uphold academic freedom principles while addressing legitimate concerns about campus safety and order. Ultimately, the ability of universities to serve as spaces for free inquiry and robust debate depends on their commitment to protecting the rights of students and faculty to express diverse viewpoints, even when those viewpoints are controversial.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan said Monday that the government's fresh approach of focusing solely on facilitation has successfully bolstered the confidence of investors and businessmen in its commitments, paving the way for a new era of economic growth and cooperation.

Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of two-day Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Investment Conference, the minister said, unlike in the past, the incumbent government has limited its role to facilitation and promotion of businesses to build a robust economy, which he said was imperative in shaping foreign policies and fulfilling commitments respectfully.

The minister was flanked by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Masood Malik.

This new approach had already yielded positive results, with Saudi investors expressing confidence in the government's commitments, the minister added.

The minister attributed this trust to the government's consistent follow-through on its promises, demonstrated by the frequent meetings between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and meetings of ministers of both the countries during past two months.

The government's efforts have led to an influx of around 100 foreign companies from various sectors, including energy, food, construction, and IT, engaging with Pakistani businesses.

This enthusiasm was palpable at the current conference, where business communities from both countries came together to explore opportunities.

The minister praised the business community's crucial role in improving the country's economic affairs and acknowledged the government's commitment to creating a conducive environment for economic growth. The government has taken concrete steps, including reforms in taxation, energy, and tariff matters, to facilitate export-oriented companies and ease the process of doing business.

This new approach marks a significant shift from the past, when Pakistani companies were leaving the country. Now, they are returning and even considering joint ventures. The government's vision is to promote the business sector, leading to economic growth and relations built on business and work, rather than loans, aids, and grants.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has also acknowledged the positive portfolio in Pakistan, further boosting investor confidence, he added.

He explained that today's conference marked the first stage of a multi-phase process, which would be followed by the concrete implementation of the commitments made here. Ultimately, this would lead to the fruitful outcome of promoting businesses, services, employment opportunities, and most importantly, improving the overall quality of life for the people.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held an interaction with the Pakistani community based in The Gambia, during his visit to the country for the 15th OIC Summit

BANJUL (GAMBIA), (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held an interaction with the Pakistani community based in The Gambia, during his visit to the country for the 15th OIC Summit.

Deputy prime minister and foreign minister apprised the Pakistani community about the activities of the Pakistan delegation led by him at the 15th OIC Summit, said a press release on Monday.

Ishaq Dar highlighted his meetings and activities during the summit to highlight the issues of Kashmir and Islamophobia.

Pakistani community members expressed their appreciation for the deputy prime minister and foreign minister to allow them the opportunity for an interaction.

They highlighted some of their concerns and requested Deputy PM for his consideration. They also presented proposals to strengthen the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Gambia.

Honorary Consul General of Pakistan to The Gambia Keba Krubaly, Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Ambassador Syrus Qazi and Ambassador of Pakistan to Senegal accredited to The Gambia Saima Sayed were also present.
The Operations Coordinator of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Asia Pacific Region, Yoann Davison, affianced in a courtesy meeting with Chairman Pakistan Red Cross Society (PRCS) Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari at the PRCS National Headquarters here on Monday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) The Operations Coordinator of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Asia Pacific Region, Yoann Davison, affianced in a courtesy meeting with Chairman Pakistan Red Cross Society (PRCS) Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari at the PRCS National Headquarters here on Monday.

The Primary objective of the meeting was to strengthen cooperation between PRCS and ICRC on various humanitarian programs and initiatives.

Head of ICRC Delegation, Nicolas Lambert and ICRC Movement Coordinator in Pakistan, Wasif Jan accompanied Mr Davison.

During the meeting, Chairman PRCS Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari provided a comprehensive overview of the various PRCS programs supported by ICRC, highlighting the Red Crescent's crucial role in assisting in natural disasters and emergencies. He shared insights into the 2022 monsoon flood response and the ongoing recovery efforts in affected areas and outlined PRCS's plans aimed at strengthening its humanitarian outreach.

Chairman Laghari emphasised the importance of enhancing collaboration between PRCS and ICRC to advance ICRC-supported programs like National Society Development, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Restoring Family Links, First Aid, Media and Communication, as well as Risk Awareness and Safer Behavior initiatives.

Yoann Davison on the occasion commended the exemplary services provided by the Red Crescent, acknowledging Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari's leadership in driving humanitarian initiatives forward.

He reiterated ICRC's commitment to continued collaboration with PRCS, expressing readiness to enhance programs for the benefit of humanity further.

Nicolas Lambert said, Our partnership with the PRCS is a cornerstone of our mission in Pakistan, adding together, we're stronger in our commitment to serve communities, providing vital aid and support in times of need."

In recognition of the longstanding partnership, Chairman Laghari presented a memento to the Operations Coordinator of ICRC Asia Pacific Region, along with a souvenir symbolizing the spirit of humanitarian collaboration.

Yoann Davison concluded his visit by touring the PRCS library and leaving his impressions in the visitor's book.
(@FahadShabbir)

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan deeply valued its multifaceted relations with Italy spanning over many decades, which had always been marked by goodwill and trust

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that Pakistan deeply valued its multifaceted relations with Italy spanning over many decades, which had always been marked by goodwill and trust.

The prime minister expressed the views during a meeting with Ambassador of Italy Marilina Armellin who paid a courtesy call on him at the Prime Ministers House, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister said that the two sides also shared similar views on a number of important regional and global issues.

Expressing satisfaction over the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Italy bilateral relations, the prime minister urged the two sides to enhance cooperation in the fields of education, trade and investment, legal migration, as well as cultural exchanges.

Thanking the Italian leadership for the congratulatory message that he received on his re-election, the prime minister conveyed his sincere commitment to work closely with Italy to further cement bilateral ties in the days ahead.

Emphasizing the importance of high-level exchanges, the prime minister extended a cordial invitation to Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni to undertake an official visit to Pakistan.

He conveyed his appreciation for Prime Minister Melonis policies at home and abroad that had made Italy an important member of the EU.

He thanked Italy for hosting a large population of Pakistani diaspora who were acting as a bridge between both countries while also contributing to their economic growth.

The ambassador thanked the prime minister for receiving her and assured him that Italy was keen to further enhance its ties with Pakistan.

She said she would strive to promote stronger relations between the two countries.
(@Abdulla99267510)

The PPP senior leader highlights the import of wheat despite a surplus stock in Pakistan, which, according to him, resulted in significant financial losses to the national treasury.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-May 6th, 2024) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Nayyar Hussain Bukhari on Monday called for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the wheat import scandal.

Nayyar Hussain Bukhari highlighted the import of wheat despite a surplus stock in Pakistan, which, according to him, resulted in significant financial losses to the national treasury.

The PPP leader made this demand in a statement.

He urged the NAB to promptly launch an inquiry into the wheat scandal and present its findings to the public. He emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in addressing such matters.

Regarding the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) offer for PPP to join the Federal government, Bukhari stated that while his party is committed to supporting the PML-N-led government in Parliament, a decision on joining the cabinet would be made by the PPP's Central Executive Committee (CEC).

Former caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, in a recent interview with a local private tv channel, dismissed the wheat import issue as a minor matter, labeling it a "storm in a teacup."

Kakar emphasized the need to understand the complexities of the wheat import process and highlighted the government's efforts to save tax money, facilitate private-sector wheat purchases, and generate revenue through import duties.
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Britain's King Charles III on Monday marked the first anniversary of his coronation following a difficult year that has seen a cancer diagnosis and continuing tensions with his estranged son Prince Harry

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Britain's King Charles III on Monday marked the first anniversary of his coronation following a difficult year that has seen a cancer diagnosis and continuing tensions with his estranged son Prince Harry.

To celebrate the occasion a 41-gun salute rang out from Green Park next to Buckingham Palace at noon (1100 GMT), followed an hour later with 62 volleys fired from another central London location.

No official events, however, were planned with the milestone coming less than a week after King Charles resumed public duties since his diagnosis.

He visited fellow cancer patients at a London hospital on Tuesday after doctors said they were "very encouraged" by his progress.

The 75-year-old monarch, who has not disclosed the type of cancer he has, was also reportedly keen to mark the day with minimal "fuss" given the link between his accession and the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who crowned King Charles a year ago at Westminster Abbey, praised his "sense of duty".

"The past year has presented the king with some great personal challenges. But I have been struck by his continued sense of duty, having recently returned to royal engagements following treatment," he said.

"His openness in sharing his condition has been characteristic of his willingness to help and support others," he added.

The anniversary comes as an Ipsos poll for the Daily Mail saw King Charles's personal popularity rating rise slightly to 56 percent.

His son and heir Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, were the most popular members of the royal family on 69 percent each, up 8-10 percent since last April.

- Double blow -

Catherine, 42, also known as Kate, announced her own shock cancer diagnosis in late March following abdominal surgery which had already forced her to withdraw from public life.

The double blow of both Charles's and Catherine's ill health has left the royal family facing a shortage of frontline royals, with William also stepping back for a while to help care for his wife and family.

Queen Camilla, 76, stepped in to take over many of her husband's engagements while King Charles's sister Princess Anne and his youngest brother Prince Edward have also taken on more prominent roles.

But King Charles and Catherine's absence was felt even more keenly as the king's younger son Harry is no longer a working royal.

Harry dramatically relocated to North America in 2020 with his wife Meghan Markle.

Harry will return to the UK this week to attend a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games for disabled military veterans.

The domestic PA agency reported that he was "likely to be reunited with (King) Charles" at some point during his visit.

A demonstration organised by the anti-monarchy group Republic on Sunday, meanwhile, attracted around 100 people in Trafalgar Square.

Protesters shouted "abdicate, abdicate" and two large banners reading "abolish the monarchy" and "change (the) country for good" were hung in front of an art gallery.

Last year's coronation saw tens of thousands of people line the streets of London and street parties held up and down the country.

Television images of the historic ceremony at Westminster Abbey was beamed around the world.
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Far-right populist parties are way ahead of their traditional rivals in the race for voter attention on social media, where disinformation is stirring fear and rage around key issues in June's European elections, experts say.

Platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and others have been used by populist parties to spread misleading or false claims on hot topics such as the war in Ukraine, migration and regulations intended to protect the environment, as AFP's fact-checkers have found.

"Populist parties are masters of a new type of propaganda. Disinformation is at the core of (their) communication strategies," said consultant Johannes Hillje, who advises parties and politicians in Berlin and Brussels.

And the right-leaning parties have a lead in the quest for views and likes.

According to research by Politico magazine in March, the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European parliament -- which includes France's National Rally (RN), AfD in Germany and PVV in the Netherlands -- has 1.3 million followers on TikTok.

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest and oldest parliamentary grouping, has a paltry 167,000.

- 'Scapegoating immigrants' -

A key issue for online misinformation is migration.

With the economy an overriding concern, "opportunistic politicians... are scapegoating immigrants for society's ills," said Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, deputy director of Washington-based think tank Migration Policy Institute.

"Dis/misinformation about migrants and migration has long been used to foment fear and mobilise voters in Europe," she said.

In March, for example, a false claim on X that immigration cost France 40 billion Euros per year was repeated by the lead FN candidate, Jordan Bardella. Economists involved in the research cited as the source for the figure told AFP this was a "misleading interpretation".

Another battleground for the right is the EU's Green Deal measures to stem climate change. In April, a number of AfD politicians shared false claims that France had banned the construction and operation of wind power turbines. In fact, a court had merely issued a ruling regarding the noise levels of such turbines.

Social media is "handy for... organised right-wing populist political parties to impose their lies, conspiracies and frames", said Ayhan Kaya, chair of European politics of Interculturalism at Istanbul Bilgi University.

Many election issues are complicated, making them easy targets for disinformation. People wanted simple black and white answers "to the complexities of today's globalised world", he told AFP.

Far-right politicians such as the AfD's top candidate Maximilian Krah have become veritable TikTok stars, garnering millions of likes for their videos.

In March, however, Krah was forced to deny allegations he accepted money to spread pro-Russian positions on a Moscow-financed news website. Since then, German prosecutors have launched an investigation against him for suspicious links to Russia and China.

The average number of views for AfD's TikTok videos in 2022 and 2023 was 435,394, way ahead of Germany's conservative CDU/CSU parties with an average of 90,583 views, said Hillje.

The gap was also substantial on YouTube, he said.
Iraqi authorities on Monday executed by hanging 11 people convicted of "terrorism", security and health sources told AFP, the second such group put to death since late April

Nasiriyah, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Iraqi authorities on Monday executed by hanging 11 people convicted of "terrorism", security and health sources told AFP, the second such group put to death since late April.

A security official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the executions took place at Al-Hut prison in the southern city of Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar province, where 11 other people likewise convicted of "terrorism" were executed last month.

Under Iraqi law, terrorism and murder offences are punishable by death, and execution decrees must be signed by the president.

The execution on April 22 of 11 people convicted of "terrorism" sparked concern among rights groups, with Amnesty International condemning an "alarming lack of transparency".

Al-Hut is a notorious prison in Nasiriyah whose Arabic name means "the whale", because Iraqis believe that those jailed there never walk out alive.

The security official said the 11 executed on Monday had been convicted in line with Article 4 of Iraq's anti-terrorism law.

A health official in Dhi Qar said his department received 11 bodies of men to be handed over to their next of kin, and that all of them were Iraqi nationals.

But the security official and the health official were unable to say on what specific charges the 11 had been executed.

It was also not clear if they had been convicted -- like the previous group last month -- on the basis of their affiliation to the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda.
Jerusalem, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) The Israeli army Monday called on Gazans living in eastern Rafah to head to an "expanded humanitarian area" in the Palestinian territory, ahead of an expected military operation in the southern Gaza city.

"IDF (military) encourages the residents of eastern Rafah to advance towards expanded humanitarian area," the military said in a statement.

The prospect of an invasion in Rafah has triggered alarm from aid groups and world leaders. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said Israel had yet to present "a credible plan to genuinely protect the civilians who are in harm's way", and without such a plan Washington "can't support a major military operation going into Rafah."

Soon after the war in Gaza began on October 7, Israel told Palestinians living in the north of Gaza to move to "safe zones" in the territory's south -- including Rafah.

But Rafah has been repeatedly bombed from the air and Palestinians regularly say that no area of Gaza is safe.

"The IDF has expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza," the military statement said, referring to a coastal area near Rafah.

"This morning ... we began a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate residents in the eastern part of Rafah," a military spokesman told journalists in an online briefing. "This is a limited scope operation."

In its statement, the military added that messages "to temporarily move to the humanitarian area will be conveyed through posters, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic."

Troops will continue to pursue Hamas militants "everywhere in Gaza until all hostages that they are holding in captivity are back home", the statement said.
Panama City, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th May, 2024) Polls closed in presidential elections in Panama Sunday that featured a crowded field of eight candidates, led by the protege of a graft-convicted former head of state.

The vote comes as the country grapples with deep-rooted corruption, a severe drought that has hobbled the economically critical Panama Canal, and a stream of US-bound migrants passing through its jungles.

There were lines at many polling stations as eligible voters in the Central American nation of 4.4 million people cast ballots for a new president, parliament and local governments.

Conservative lawyer Jose Raul Mulino, 64, entered the race far ahead in opinion polls, with about 37 percent of voter support, according to the latest survey.

But he was made to wait for a last-minute court decision Friday that finally validated his run. Of the seven other candidates, only three neared 15 percent support.

Trailing Mulino are social democrat ex-president Martin Torrijos and two center-right politicians: Romulo Roux, foreign minister under ex-president Ricardo Martinelli, and Ricardo Lombana, a former envoy to the United States.

Polls show there are more undecided voters than support for any of Mulino's rivals.

Mulino replaced Martinelli as the candidate for the right-wing Realizing Goals (RM) party after Martinelli lost an appeal against a money-laundering conviction.

The candidacy of Mulino, who had been Martinelli's vice-presidential running mate until the ex-leader's disqualification, was challenged on the basis that he had not won a Primary vote or picked his own running mate, as required by law.

The Supreme Court dismissed that complaint Friday in a ruling welcomed by Martinelli, who most Panamanians believe will wield control from behind the scenes, according to a recent poll.

Martinelli, who remains popular in Panama, has taken asylum at the Nicaraguan embassy, from where he campaigned for his protege.

After voting Sunday, Mulino went to see Martinelli at the embassy and the two hugged, saying "Brother!" and "We are going to win!" according to a video released by Martinelli.

Many people in Panama long for the days of economic prosperity under Martinelli's government from 2009 to 2014, aided by an infrastructure boom that included the enlargement of the canal and construction of Central America's first metro line.

Polls show voters' main concerns are the high cost of living, access to drinking water and crime.

The main candidates for president have made similar pledges: create lots of jobs, stimulate the economy and enact reforms to fight corruption.

"Panama must change. There is too much corruption," said one voter, 50-year-old teacher Jennifer Navarro.

Mulino, who had served as Martinelli's public safety chief, has dismissed the criminal case against his former boss as politically motivated, and could soon have the power to pardon him.

President Laurentino Cortizo of the majority PRD center-left party will vacate his seat after a term marred by allegations of widespread official corruption, declining foreign investment and high public debt.

Panama's presidency has a one-term limit.

About 45 percent of jobs in Panama today are in the informal market, with unemployment nearing 10 percent and high income inequality.

The country's GDP growth is forecast to slow from 7.3 percent in 2023 to 2.5 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Part of the reason is the Panama Canal, which moves about six percent of the world's maritime trade, limiting traffic amid a crippling drought.

Another headache awaiting the next president is the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, through which more than half a million undocumented migrants passed last year -- subjected to abuses criticized by rights groups.

Three million Panamanians were eligible to vote in the single-round election.

Whoever garners the most votes is the winner.
Four members of the University of Wyoming community were honored for excellence in global engagement during a recent awards ceremony.

President Ed Seidel and Vice Provost for Global Engagement Isa Helfgott recognized staff member Casidy Mittelstadt, student Danish Kumar and faculty members Barbara John and Yan Zhang.

Mittelstadt, a graphic designer with UW Institutional Marketing, was nominated for the 2024 Staff Award by Zhang and Josh Moro, assistant director of UWs English Language Center. She was recognized for promoting UW to international students, scholars and campus visitors. Recent projects by Mittelstadt include building the Israel/Palestine Resource Center website; designing international lecture posters for the Department of History; revamping the English Language Center website and promotional materials; and creating stickers for International Education Week.

Kumar, a graduate student in civil engineering, was nominated for the 2024 Student Award by faculty adviser Charlie Zhang for a commitment to addressing complicated international issues, such as climate change resistance and energy transition technologies. Kumars academic interests include land use change analysis using ArcGIS Pro; energy analysis of residential buildings on Green Building Studio and Autodesk Insight; and the Climate Resilient Cities Initiative. Kumar presented at two international conferences organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

John, a professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, was nominated for the 2024 Faculty Research Award by Dario Grana, her department head. John was recognized for her expertise in extensional tectonics and scientific ocean drilling. Last summer, John took part in International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 399, which retrieved mantle rock samples from the Atlantis Massif, an underwater mountain in the Atlantic Ocean. John also mentors geology and geophysics graduate students.

Zhang, a senior lecturer in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, was nominated for the 2024 Faculty Campus Impact Award by Joy Landeira, her department head. Zhangs recent campus activities include organizing this years Chinese New Year celebration; establishing relations between UW and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Malaysia; and leading the Wyoming and Tianjin Internships and Cultural Exploration program. Zhang facilitates international experiences by serving as a mentor to students, faculty, staff and community members who wish to travel to China and East Asia.

Another round of Excellence in Global Engagement Awards is planned next year. Email UWs Global Engagement Office at global@uwyo.edu with any questions.




China EU relations

(Global Times) Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying state visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary from May 5 to 10. This marks the first visit to Europe by China's head of state in five years. Despite significant changes in the world over the past five years, the relationship between China and the three countries has remained stable under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, showing a positive development momentum. This situation is hard-won. President Xi's visit to the three countries will open a new chapter in the relationship between China and the three countries, as well as the broader China-Europe relationship.

Many observers have noted that the three countries visited by President Xi this time are representative in their own ways: France was the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China at the ambassadorial level, and China-France relations have long been at the forefront of the relations between China and the West. Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe, and is China's "iron-clad friend." Hungary is an important country in Central and Eastern Europe and is also an important partner for China in advancing joint Belt and Road cooperation and China-Central and Eastern European cooperation. It is entirely reasonable to expect that starting with the three countries, the main theme of friendly cooperation between China and Europe will run through the entire visit.

Over the past five years, China-Europe relations have experienced ups and downs. The COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine conflict and other events have had a certain impact on China-Europe relations. With the US designating China as its "most serious competitor" and Washington increasing its attempts to woo and entice Europe, how to maintain strategic autonomy has become a major test facing Europe. It is particularly important for Europe to adhere to the principles that the China-Europe relationship is not targeted at any third party, nor is it subjugated to or controlled by any third party, especially not controlled by any third party. In this situation, an important signal released by the Chinese leader's visit to Europe is that regardless of how the international situation changes, China's desire to expand cooperation with Europe and support Europe's strategic autonomy remains unwavering.

It can be said that the diplomacy of the head of state is the anchor that keeps the China-Europe giant ship stable and on course in the face of storms. Taking France as an example, although there have been ups and downs in China-EU relations in the past few years, the cooperative attitude and position of China and France on many global governance issues have remained stable, which is directly related to the diplomacy of the head of state. Since last year, exchanges at all levels between China and Europe have been fully restarted, and China's patience and goodwill are increasingly recognized by more Europeans. For Europe, China is an opportunity, not a risk, and a partner, not a rival. Overall, Europe's willingness to cooperate with China is increasing.
Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam.
A ground incursion by Israeli forces would pose 'catastrophic risks to hundreds of thousands of children taking shelter in Rafah, the head of the United Nations Children's Fund warned Monday.

The U.N. agency issued the statement after Israel ordered an evacuation of some neighborhoods in Rafah ahead of a possible ground invasion.

Rafah is now a city of children, who have nowhere safe to go in Gaza, said Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director.

If large scale military operations start, not only will children be at risk from the violence, but also from chaos and panic, and at a time where their physical and mental states are already weakened, she added.

UNICEF said children in Rafah should not be forcibly relocated, and the infrastructure and aid they rely on should be protected. Most children in Rafah are injured, sick, malnourished, traumatized or living with a disability.

Following October evacuation orders to move south, an estimated 1.2 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, which was once home to about 250,000 people. About half of the population is children, many of whom have been repeatedly displaced and forced to shelter in tents and unstable housing.

Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of the war in the Gaza Strip, compared to adults. UNICEF says they are disproportionately killed and injured and suffer more acutely from disruptions to health care, education and access to food and water.

Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after its October 7 terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages.

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's counteroffensive, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. At least 14,000 of those deaths are children.

UNICEF reiterated a February statement by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee calling on Israel to facilitate aid operations to Gaza.

"We are calling on Israel to fulfill its legal obligation, under international humanitarian and human rights law, to provide food and medical supplies and facilitate aid operations, and on the world's leaders to prevent an even worse catastrophe from happening, the committee said.
Despite an unprecedented direct attack on Israel last month, Iran has been careful not to engage in an all-out war with Israel at this time. But analysts say other radical elements in Iran might be willing to take more risk in the future.

Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told a recent online seminar that Iran has decided to take a slower approach toward Israel for a number of reasons.

Sadjadpour sees Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who turns 85 later this year, as committed to preserving the regime. But he questions Khamaneis ability to rein in all its forces.

One potential explanation for what was really an unprecedented Iranian attack April 13th from Iranian soil onto Israel is Khamenei is now no longer able to micromanage things perhaps as he was five, 10 years ago, Sadjadpour said. And hes appointed all of these very firebrand, hardline Revolutionary Guard commanders. They may be much less adverse than he is.

Nicholas Heras of the Washington-based New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy told VOA that neither Iran nor Israel wants a military conflict to expand at this time.

Its very clear that Iran wanted to send a global message that it is prepared to meet Israel fire to fire, so to speak, Heras said. However, the current Iranian leadership is not in a position or mindset to escalate into a full-out war with Israel that it knows will involve the United States. The Biden administration has made it very clear that when it comes to a potential war between Iran and Israel, the U.S. will side with Israel.

In April, Israel carried out airstrikes on a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran in retaliation for Irans unprecedented direct missile barrage on Israel that month.

Iran said it conducted the attack in response to an alleged Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Damascus, Syria on April 1 that killed two top Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, thought to be involved in planning the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7.

Researchers Hamidreza Azizi and Erwin van Veen of the Clingendael Institute in The Hague wrote in a recent article that the Islamic Republic is trying to avoid having to fight a domestic and foreign war at the same time.

They point to Irans violent crackdown on women and girls openly defying the countrys strict headscarf laws as well as on the men who support them, following the death of Mahsa Amini and other activists, as part of the domestic turmoil. Amini died in 2022 in police custody following her arrest for alleged violations of the dress code laws.

Azizi and van Veen said the dress code violations symbolize broader social disobedience against Irans ruling conservative elites.

Simply put, by cracking down on dissent at home, Irans ruling elites aim to avoid domestic unrest while facing the threat of war abroad. Similarly, by threatening war abroad, Irans ruling elites aim to avoid deterioration of their credibility and deterrence at home as well as in the region, they wrote in the institutes paper titled Tehrans perpetual motion: The threat of war abroad and contested legitimacy at home.

Observers describe the recent attacks by Iran and Israel as limited, stopping short of eliciting an all-out war, with negligible damage caused on either side.

Still, Amos Harel, a defense analyst for Israels Haaretz newspaper, said that despite the limited nature of the recent direct attacks between Iran and Israel, the balance of deterrence between the two countries [is] unsettled."
Schools in Bangladesh reopened on Sunday and classes were continuing over the weekend after a searing heatwave a week ago that suspended lessons as the country baked in temperatures that surged to well over 40 degrees Centigrade.

Bangladesh has wavered over reopening schools for some 33 million students amid pressure to prepare pupils for exams, even as the worst heatwave in seven decades sent temperatures as high as 43.8 C (110.84 Fahrenheit) last week.

Many people have died across the region, and experts warned the heat could exacerbate inequalities, widen a learning gap between developing and developed nations in the tropics.

Bangladesh, which follows the Islamic work week from Sunday to Thursday, will hold classes on Saturdays until further notice, the education ministry said. Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury has said schools would open on Friday if needed to complete the curriculum.

Parents have welcomed the decision.

"Children don't want to study at home. This will help them make up for the loss," said Fatema Akhtar, who was waiting to pick up her grade-two daughter outside a school.

Scientists have said climate change is causing more frequent, severe, and lengthy heat waves during summer months.

The U.N. children's agency has estimated that one in three children, or nearly 20 million children, in low-lying Bangladesh bear the brunt of such climate change every day.

Separately, a fire that broke out amid the heatwave on Saturday and spread across three acres of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest that is home to the Royal Bengal tiger, was brought under control on Sunday, officials said.

Intense heatwaves have caused water shortages and frequent power cuts, hitting the key apparel sector that accounts for more than 80% of exports and supplies retailers such as H&M, Walmart and Gap Inc.
Jordans King Abdullah II on Monday urged President Joe Biden to take urgent action to prevent a new catastrophe as Israel prepares a ground operation on the Gaza city of Rafah.

The two leaders met privately over lunch at the White House as tensions rose in the Palestinian exclave under the shadow of a threatened Israeli ground assault. Hamas accepted a deal to end the fighting, but Israel had concerns, dashing hopes that the conflict would end before it hits the seven-month mark, on Tuesday.

Enter the Oxford-educated king, whose domain of 11 million people holds 2.3 million Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations. There are even more Jordanians of Palestinian descent in the Hashemite Kingdom, including its queen, Rania.

Abdullah, according to a statement from the The Royal Hashemite Court, warned that the Israeli attack on Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are internally displaced as a result of the war on Gaza threatens to lead to a new massacre. The King warned of the repercussions of the Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, which could cause a regional spillover of the conflict. His Majesty stressed the importance of all efforts that seek an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

White House spokesman John Kirby offered fewer details, saying only that the two leaders spoke about the situation in Gaza, of course, including efforts to secure the hostage deal and to get more humanitarian assistance in to the civilians of Gaza.

In a readout issued late Monday, the White House said the two leaders affirmed their commitment to work together towards an enduring end to the crisis. They further underscored the need for an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas and a sustainable ceasefire that allows for a surge of the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza. Both remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting peace to include a pathway to a Palestinian state, with security guarantees for Israel.

Abdullah met last week with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman, where they discussed efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, as well as Jordanian efforts to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza and to find long-term peace in the region with a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Biden and Abdullah covered similar ground in a February meeting at the White House.

Nearly a month ago, Biden and Abdullah consulted by telephone following Irans massive aerial attack targeting Israel, which the White House said, also threatened Jordan and the Jordanian people.

The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. About 100 of the hostages were freed in a weeklong truce in late November.

Israels ensuing counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Guatemala on Tuesday for regional talks on migration.

Officials discussed enforcement, migration management and refugee integration, the State Department said, two years after a group of 20 countries agreed on a framework of cooperation on migration issues.

"Since then, together, we have partnered to transform our hemisphere's approach to this truly historic challenge. We've taken meaningful steps to expand lawful migration pathways as an alternative to irregular migration, to improve enforcement efforts, to support host communities, to strengthen protections for vulnerable populations," Blinken said at the National Palace of Culture in Guatemala City.

The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection reiterated the need to create the conditions for safe, orderly, humane and regular migration and committed to protecting the safety and dignity of migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons. It also highlighted the need to address the root causes that push people to leave their home countries.

"Countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru have provided legal status to millions of Venezuelans ... and are helping them contribute to host communities through U.S.-supported integration centers," Blinken said.

"Mexico and Canada established new labor pathways for migrants, helping workers build skills and economies grow," he said. "Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras stepped up efforts to counter human smuggling. And just yesterday, the United States and Costa Rica set up a Biometric Data Sharing Partnership that will deepen our collaboration on this critical priority."

As for the United States, Blinken said the Biden administration has led one of the largest expansions of lawful pathways for migrants, including a new family reunification parole process for nationals of Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia, and updated these same processes for Cubans and Haitians.

"And we've helped more than 400,000 individuals lawfully come to the United States.  We've raised our target for refugee resettlement to 125,000 people a year, with up to ... 50,000 coming from our own hemisphere. And we've increased the number of H-2 temporary worker visas, which is a critical part of increasing lawful labor pathways," he said.

Complexity of migration

In a call with reporters Monday, senior administration officials from the National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security said the Biden administration acknowledges the complexity of the increase in migration in the region and emphasizes the importance of coordinated efforts and creation of lawful migration alternatives.

By working together with our partners across the hemisphere, we can address a challenge impacting all of the Americas.  Spikes in migration present a complex challenge, but one we believe we can manage if we coordinate our efforts while creating lawful alternatives for people to migrate, settle and thrive, and of course, addressing the root causes, according to a DHS official speaking on background  a method of sharing information without being identified.

And for the next couple of days, the DHS official said, the 22 endorsing countries to the L.A. Declaration will share the progress made under the combined efforts and identify the next steps, including job creation, programs to support vulnerable populations, and expansion of lawful pathways to the United States and other countries like Brazil and Colombia, among others.

The data is overwhelming that these policies improve security and lead to economic growth. Colombia's approach is already paying dividends, the official said, citing an International Organization for Migration study that showed Venezuelan migrants and refugees in Colombia accounted for a $529.1 million economic impact in 2022.

But we also know it can be difficult because the costs are today and the benefits are tomorrow, the DHS official said, adding that the 22 endorsing countries to the L.A. Declaration recognized the benefits to their societies will outweigh the short-term costs.

Enforcement

U.S. officials also said that with the expansion of lawful migration paths and programs to support migrants, enforcement is in place.

On Monday, the State Department imposed visa restrictions on executives of several Colombian transportation companies moving migrants by sea.

These companies prey on vulnerable irregular migrants by operating services designed primarily to facilitate irregular migration to the United States.  U.S. visa restrictions promote accountability for these actors and send a signal that no one should profit from vulnerable migrants  not smugglers, private companies, nor public officials, per an official statement from State.

In 2023, Biden officials announced visa restrictions on individuals running charter flights into Nicaragua designed primarily for irregular migrants.

For those arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to cross illegally into the U.S., a DHS official reiterated serious consequence, such as deportation for those who do not use lawful pathways and do not have a legal basis to remain.

Take advantage of lawful pathways rather than make the dangerous irregular journey.  Individuals seeking international protection and other lawful pathways into the United States have many options, including refugee resettlement, humanitarian parole, family reunification, labor pathways and seeking asylum in host countries, as well as various other support services provided by international organizations and NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], the DHS official said during Mondays call.

Biden administration officials also urged countries to enforce their border laws. They said countries like Guatemala, Mexico and Panama should continue to work with the United States to streamline the process of repatriations and help where possible.

The DHS official said those repatriated from the U.S. are being incorporated into other development programs.  So, they can enter reskilling programs to be able to get jobs and really reintegrate within their communities.

Ongoing work

Under former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, there was a U.S. strategy for engagement in Central America that focused on pillars similar to the Biden administration strategy.

Facing a sharp increase of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border at the beginning of his administration, President Joe Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris to lead a "root causes" strategy, banking heavily on using American investments to improve living conditions in three Central American nations known as the Northern Triangle: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

In February 2023, Harris announced a public-private partnership known as Central America Forward, bringing $5.2 billion in private-sector investment.

In late March, Biden hosted Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo for talks at the White House.

Cybersecurity

Before heading to Guatemala, Blinken spoke Monday at a cybersecurity conference in California, highlighting the need to work with international partners and promote responsible uses of technology such as artificial intelligence.

Blinken said having a strong position in developing and deploying technologies puts the United States in a position to set standards and advance norms around the world.

Our advantage comes not just from our domestic strength, Blinken said. It comes from our solidarity with the majority of the world that shares our vision for a vibrant, open, and secure technological future, and from an unmatched network of allies and partners with whom we can work in common cause to pass the tech test. Were committed not to digital sovereignty but digital solidarity.
Chads presidential election concludes Monday with civilians going to the polls, a day after members of the military cast their ballots. Transitional President General Mahamat Idriss Deby is facing nine challengers, including his current prime minister. The election, designed to end three years of a military government, has been peaceful so far. However, there is tension over a ban on taking pictures of election result sheets at polling stations.

Hundreds of people started arriving at polling stations in Chad's capital N'djamena as early as 5:30 am local time.

Among the voters at the University of N'djamena was 29-year-old student Abdel Koura. He says he came out early to vote because he wants a president that will bring peace and provide jobs for youths who are unemployed after completing their education.

Koura says voting is his civic right. He says he is calling on all civilians, especially youths, to come out in huge numbers and vote for their leader in peace. He says he is also pleading with Chad's transitional government to avoid chaos by ensuring that the elections are transparent and free and the winner would be who civilians have voted for.

Early voting was peaceful. However, Chads National Election Management Agency, known as ANGE, said that several thousand polling stations opened late due to what they call logistical difficulties.

Chad's transitional president General Mahamat Idriss Deby voted in N'djamenas second district and pleaded with civilians to go out en masse and perform their civic duty of voting for the person who will manage Chad's affairs for the next five years.

ANGE says 8.2 million people are registered to vote. It says Chad's military has been deployed to protect voters safety in over 26,500 polling stations.

Chad says over 2,500 national and international observers from 120 groups are accredited to monitor the elections. It says applications from another 60 groups were rejected for not respecting the countrys laws.

Cyrille Nguiegang Ntchassep is the spokesperson for observers from the six-nation Central African Economic and Monetary Commission. He has concerns that peace will not hold.

He says perceivable tensions over a ban on filming or taking photos of result sheets in polling stations and publishing them on social media and radio and television are likely to degenerate into violent clashes because civilians think that the central African states elections management body is controlled by Deby who created it. Ntchassep says he does not understand why Chad is reluctant to proclaim election results in a day or two as was the case in Senegal's March 24 presidential polls.

Opposition and civil society groups, including the Transformers Party of Debys main challenger Succces Masra, said they planned to photograph the election result sheets and distribute them to the international community. They say the move is to prevent ANGE from rigging the elections in favor of Deby.

Tahir Oloy Hassan is ANGEs spokesperson. Hassan says ANGE is a permanent, independent and impartial body that does not receive orders from any state authority including Deby.

He says the ban on filming and taking photos of result sheets and prohibition of media organs from having access to some polling stations and sensitive areas is to reduce tensions that may arise from misinformation and manipulation by people who want to see Chad in chaos.

He said claims by opposition candidates that Chad's military was instructed to vote for Deby when they went to the polls on Sunday are unfounded.

ANGE says it has up to May 21 to publish provisional results and only Chad's Constitutional Council has the powers to proclaim definitive results.

The elections are design to end three years of transition that followed the death of Idriss Deby Itno in 2021.

Chad's opposition and civil society says the younger Deby's rule was marked by political tensions including October 2022 pro-democracy protests during which the central African state's security forces killed at least 50 people, injured 300 and arrested several hundred others.
China has initiated a series of influence campaigns against Taiwan ahead of the islands inauguration of president-elect Lai Ching-te on May 20. Beijing has increased the scale and frequency of military activities near Taiwan while partially relaxing travel and import restrictions.

Some analysts say Beijing is trying to test how the incoming Taiwanese government will respond to the increased pressure from Beijing while further eroding the longstanding status quo across the Taiwan Strait at a time when Taiwan is preparing for a transition of power.

In the short term, Beijing is trying to see how the new Taiwanese government under Lai may respond to its pressure campaign, said Chen Fang-yu, a political scientist at Soochow University in Taiwan.

At the same time, the Chinese government is attempting to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait when Taipei is focusing on the inauguration, he told VOA by phone.

Taiwans defense ministry detected 26 Chinese military aircraft and five Chinese naval vessels near the island between May 2 and May 3, including 17 Chinese military aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. Some Chinese aircraft got as close as about 76 kilometers from Taiwans northern port city of Keelung, which hosts an important naval base.

Meanwhile, the director general of Taiwans National Security Bureau, Tsai Ming-yen, told Taiwanese lawmakers on May 1 that the Chinese military had incorporated new tactics into its joint combat readiness patrol near the island, including staging night-time combat patrols and using landing ships and minesweepers during these exercises.

Additionally, he said Taiwanese authorities are tracking the increased patrols carried out by the Chinese coast guard near Taiwans outlying island, Kinmen. On April 29, Beijing said the Fujian Coast Guard had organized a fleet of ships to increase the frequency of patrols in waters near Kinmen since April.

Beijing also announced plans to allow residents from its southern province of Fujian to travel to Taiwans outlying island of Matsu while lifting import restrictions on Taiwanese pomelos and two types of seafood late last month.

The news came after a group of lawmakers from Taiwans main opposition party, the Kuomintang, which advocates closer ties between Taipei and Beijing, visited China.

Some experts say the measures rolled out by Beijing in recent weeks are all part of its influence operation against Taipei, which involves using disinformation campaigns, economic coercion, and gray zone operations to impose pressure on Taiwan.

Chinas overall strategy is still to increase pressure on Taiwan but they are also offering some small favors to Taiwans opposition parties, said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

While recent developments should be viewed as part of Chinas overall influence operation against Taiwan, Su said part of Beijings long-term goal is to increase its control over the Taiwan Strait.

By increasing the frequency of deploying Chinese coast guard vessels to restricted waters near Kinmen and flying Chinese military aircraft closer to Taiwans main island, Beijing is hoping to eventually turn the Taiwan Strait into its territorial water, he told VOA by phone.

Beijing has repeatedly threatened to achieve reunification with Taiwan through force in recent years, and the Chinese government views Taiwans president-elect Lai as an advocate of Taiwan independence.

Since the Chinese military usually concentrates military exercises between June and November, Su said the incoming Taiwanese government needs to closely monitor any increase in Chinese military activities around the island after May 20.

In addition to threats posed by a possible buildup of Chinese military activities, some security analysts say Taiwan should also be mindful of Beijings efforts to create division in Taiwans domestic politics.

There is every reason to believe that [the Chinese Communist Party] is ramping up efforts to use Taiwans democracy against itself, J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based security analyst, told VOA in a written response.

He said China will rely on China-friendly political forces in Taiwan to sabotage the Lai administration and these efforts will have serious ramifications for Taiwans ability to counter Chinese infiltration and the Taiwan governments ability to function.

Prioritizing policy continuity

In light of the increasing Chinese pressure, Lai has appointed some current cabinet members to key positions in charge of national security, foreign policy, and cross-strait relations in his cabinet.

Taiwans current foreign minister Joseph Wu will be the secretary general of the National Security Council. The current head of the council, Wellington Koo, will be the new defense minister in the Lai administration.

On the foreign policy front, the current secretary general of Taiwans presidential office Lin Chia-lung will be the new foreign minister, and Chiu Chui-cheng, a former deputy political minister for Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, which handles cross-strait relations, will be the new head of the council.

Cole said Lais personnel picks for national security and foreign policy reflect his intention to continue the policy agenda of the outgoing administration under President Tsai Ing-wen, who has focused on strengthening Taiwans relations with like-minded democracies including the United States and Japan.

The decision will play a major role in reassuring allies and partners around the world that Taiwan will remain committed to the kind of responsible foreign policy that existed under the Tsai administration, he told VOA.

Chen at Soochow University said the incoming Taiwanese governments cabinet lineup will benefit the U.S.-led efforts to strengthen security-related cooperation among democratic countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Since some of his cabinet members are holdovers from the current administration, they have already established relationships with officials in other countries, and some of the existing cooperations can continue, he told VOA.
China's President Xi Jinping is on a rare state visit to France, which started with trilateral talks with French President Emanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Ahead of Xis visit, both von der Leyen and Macron indicated the meetings would focus on establishing fair trade between the European Union and China. Both leaders have complained of overproduction by Chinas subsidized industries, allowing them to flood European markets with cheap goods.

France currently holds the revolving presidency of the European Council, defined as the EU institution that defines the general political direction and priorities of the EU.

Speaking to reporters following the talks, von der Leyen said a China that plays fair is good for everyone. "For trade to be fair, access to each other's market also needs to be reciprocal. And we discussed how to make real progress on market access, von der Leyen said.

The European Commission president expressed confidence the two sides could make progress but, at the same time, said the EU would not waver from taking steps to protect its economy and security and stands ready to make full use of our trade defense instruments if this is necessary."

Von der Leyen said they also discussed Russia and its invasion of Ukraine. She gave credit to China for playing an important role in de-escalating Russia's irresponsible nuclear threats.

Additionally, she sought continued assurances from China that it would not provide any weapons to Russia, as well as dual-use goods, such as technology that could have weapons applications.

Given the existential nature of the threats stemming from this war for both Ukraine and Europe, this does affect the EU-China relations," von der Leyen said.

Following the trilateral meeting, Macron and Xi held bilateral talks.

The Chinese president and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrived Sunday at Orly airport outside Paris, where they were greeted by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

During Xi's two-day stay in France, Macron will take him to the Pyrenees, a mountainous region dear to the French president as the birthplace of his maternal grandmother, on Tuesday before Xi heads to Russia-friendly Serbia and Hungary.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Kenya Airways said Monday that it would resume flights to Kinshasa after military authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo released two of its employees who were detained last month.

The airline announced on April 29 that it would suspend flights to the DRC capital, calling the arrests "unlawful."

"Kenya Airways confirms that military authorities have unconditionally released our two employees who had been detained since 19 April 2024," Kenya's flag carrier said in a statement. "With the necessary ground support in place, we are pleased to announce that Kenya Airways will resume flights to Kinshasa on 8 May 2024."

Earlier, the Kenyan government had announced the release of one of the employees.

"Deeply grateful to inform that Lydia Mbotela, KQ [Kenya Airways] manager in DRC, has just been released by the authorities in Kinshasa," Korir Sing'Oei, Kenya's principal secretary for foreign affairs, said on X, formerly Twitter.

The two employees, who work at the airline's office in Kinshasa, were arrested on April 19 by a military intelligence unit, according to Kenya Airways.

The airline had described it as "harassment targeting Kenya Airways' business," while the head of a powerful parliamentary committee called it a breach of diplomatic rules.

Kenya Airways said the employees were held allegedly because of "missing custom documentation on valuable cargo."

The DRC government has not commented on the allegations.

But the airline's CEO, Allan Kilavuka, had said it did not accept the cargo, whose contents were not specified, because of incomplete documentation.

This cargo "was still in the baggage section being cleared by customs when the security team arrived and alleged that KQ was transporting goods without customs clearance," he said. "All efforts to explain to the military officers that KQ had not accepted the cargo because of incomplete documentation proved futile."

The airline said its employees were held incommunicado in a military facility until April 23, when embassy officials and a KQ team were allowed to visit them.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she will press for "fair" competition with China in talks with its President Xi Jinping, who is in Paris on a state visit.

"We have to act to make sure that competition is fair and not distorted," she said in remarks issued hours before a face-to-face Paris meeting between her, Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

She added that, previously with Xi, "I have made clear that the current imbalances in market access are not sustainable and need to be addressed."

Von der Leyen's European Commission, the European Union's authority on trade issues, has opened a slew of competition probes targeting China in recent months.

Beijing has reacted furiously to the most recent investigation, into suspected inequitable access to China's medical devices market, calling it a sign of EU "protectionism."

China is also angry at an EU probe into Chinese wind turbine suppliers for the European market. Other Brussels investigations have focused on Chinese subsidies for solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs) and trains.

Von der Leyen reiterated the EU's position that it "should derisk its relations, but not decouple from China"  meaning reducing the dependence on Chinese suppliers but not going as far as the United States in penalizing or blocking trade streams in key sectors.

"We have been very clear-eyed about our relationship with China, which is one of the most complex, but also one of the most important," the commission president said.

"Over the last year, I have met with President Xi twice and we have spent some time discussing the EU-China relations from trade to climate, from global affairs to digital issues," she said.

Von der Leyen stressed the problem of Chinese overcapacity and the way that was leading to Chinese goods entering the European Union at prices too low for EU firms to compete with.

"China is currently manufacturing, with massive subsidies, more than it is selling due to its own weak domestic demand. This is leading to an oversupply of Chinese subsidized goods, such as EVs and steel, that is leading to unfair trade," she said.

"Europe cannot accept such market distorting practices that could lead to de-industrialization in Europe."

Von der Leyen said she would "encourage the Chinese government to address these overcapacities in the short-term," adding that the EU will work with other wealthy and emerging economies that were "increasingly affected by China's market distortions."
Global approval of U.S. leadership is higher than China's, according to a Gallup analysis Monday. The report says that although more countries have a higher net support for U.S. leadership, global support for both the U.S. and China decreased in 2023.

The report also specifies that while the U.S. beats China in global leadership approval, support fluctuates depending on who's leading. Gallup data over nearly 20 years shows that Democratic leadership tends to yield higher global support than Republican leadership.

Out of 133 countries surveyed in 2023, the U.S. maintained an advantage in 81 of them, and China in 52. The U.S. held the biggest advantage in Kosovo while China enjoyed the largest advantage in Russia.

Having an advantage in approval for leadership is important for a country's ability to exert influence, Gallup says in the report. "Holding other factors constant, the great power that has a net approval advantage in a country of interest may have a better chance to realize its objectives."

The report also says that the net approval score "offers a useful proxy for an important component of soft power at the population level."

Despite the U.S. holding a clear advantage, support for both China and the U.S. have decreased, and Gallup says in the report that this "suggests a growing lack of enthusiasm for these two global powers."

Despite the overall decline in support for both countries' leadership, the U.S. and China have made respective long-term gains in certain parts of the world. China has made gains in African countries like Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Malawi. The U.S. has made gains in Asian countries like India, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam.

According to the report, "China's muscular activities in its neighborhood appear to have elicited a threat response that pushes these countries toward the U.S. orbit," likely referencing China's ongoing aggression in the South China Sea.

Net support this year could be contingent on a variety of factors, such as changes in leadership or the development of major global conflicts. This year is the largest election year in recorded history with more than half the world's population in more than 50 countries heading to the polls.

Julie Ray, who co-authored the Gallup report, said the impact of this year's elections will be hard to predict, but that "the stakes are definitely high this year."

Support for U.S. leadership could be in question as U.S. President Joe Biden has received criticism domestically and abroad for continued support for Israel during its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians. Israel began its military campaign against Hamas after Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 people hostage.

The impact of U.S. support for Israel "really remains to be seen," said Ray, who added that "when we analyzed the countries surveyed in 2023 with fieldwork before and after October 7, we didn't see any major uniform differences in approval ratings."

Ray added that U.S. support for Israel did have a notable impact on support for U.S. leadership within Israel, saying that ratings soared "to record heights."

The Gallup survey calculates relative net approval, which is the difference between the percentage who approve and the percentage who disapprove of a countrys leadership.

For any country, net approval of the U.S. minus net approval of China results in a score that ranges from +200 to -200.

A score of +200 indicates total support for U.S. leadership and total disapproval of Chinese leadership. A score of -200 indicates the opposite, and a score of zero indicates total parity in support.

Kosovo, the largest supporter of U.S. leadership, had a score of +154 points, while Russia, the biggest supporter of Chinese leadership, had a score of -132 points.
Independent journalists in Georgia are speaking out against a proposed foreign influence transparency law that closely mimics Russian legislation and, they fear, will be used to limit press freedom in the country.

Tens of thousands of Georgians  many of them young  have taken to the streets to protest the legislation, which they believe will undermine Georgias bid for Euro-Atlantic integration.

Police have cracked down on demonstrators, using water cannons, pepper spray, tear gas and sometimes rubber bullets. Several journalists have been injured during the protests.

Parliament, controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has approved the second reading of the bill. If passed, the law will require any media organization, and any nongovernmental organization or other nonprofit, that receives more than 20% of its funding from abroad, to register as pursuing the interests of a foreign power and provide financial statements. Failure to do so would result in fines.

Nino Zuriashvilli, a 25-year veteran investigative journalist and editor who worked for the 60 Minutes program on Georgias Rustavi 2 television channel as well as other media projects, now leads Studio Monitori, an award-winning independent investigative media group.

She told VOAs Georgian Service that more than 250 journalistic investigations and other, smaller projects were made possible thanks to foreign funding, mostly from the United States through the National Endowment for Democracy and U.S. Embassy as well as European and Open Society Foundations.

Over the past three decades, the United States has provided approximately $6 billion in assistance to Georgia, including $1.9 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to strengthen the countrys security and democratic institutions.

Zuriashvilli said foreign funding allows her to serve the Georgian peoples interests, not those of foreign governments or Georgian politicians.

How can we be serving foreign interests when we tell Georgian people the truth about the quality of the air they breathe? [We tell] about the Georgian rivers, forests, Georgian lands, truth about the Georgian judges and the corruption or nepotism in the judiciary, in other Georgian public offices, spending of peoples money. 

When we provide them with the truth that is hard to find and hard to prove about what is going on in their country, for their own informed decisions, how shall this be considered pursuing the interests of foreign powers?

International press freedom and human rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, Amnesty International and Freedom House, believe the law is aimed at limiting press freedom and freedom of expression.

The aim of this legislation is not to increase transparency, but to pressure the media and attack its independence, Ricardo Gutierrez, a former journalist who is general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, told VOAs Georgian Service. Its clear to me that the aim is to impose self-censorship, to make it difficult for journalists to fully fulfill their role as watchdogs.

The Georgian governments aim, he added, is to portray journalists as if they could be spies working in the interest of foreign powers  and, in a way, to criminalize journalism.

Officials of the European Union, which in December 2023 granted Georgia membership candidate status, have said the bill could derail Tbilisis hopes for European integration. Likewise, the U.S. Department of State said the Kremlin-inspired measure puts Georgias Western trajectory at risk.

Officials in the Georgian Dream party claim that the law would actually Europeanize Georgian NGOs and help donors. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused foreign diplomats and Western officials of baseless and humiliating criticism and speaking the language of blackmail.

Kobakhidze accused foreign-funded NGOs and media organizations of exacerbating radicalism and polarization, supporting the revolutionary processes, war propaganda, pseudo-liberal ideology and actions against the national and religious identity of Georgia.

Copied from Russia?

Press freedom defenders say the proposed law dangerously resembles Russias foreign agent law, which has been used to jail or intimidate international reporters who refused to register as foreign agents.

This law is totally against the European legal standards on freedom of association and expression, against EU legal standards, or any country in the EU, there is no example. The countries where these type of laws are long enacted are Russia and Belarus, said the European Federation of Journalists Ricardo Gutierrez.

We have a concrete example from Russia where this foreign agent law exists and we know how journalists are silenced because of this law and the pressure put on them.

In an April 29 speech supporting the proposed law, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire Georgian Dream party founder who is often called Georgias shadow ruler, told supporters that foreign-funded NGOs threaten Georgian sovereignty.

"The financing of NGOs, which presents itself as help for us, is in reality for strengthening [foreign] intelligence agencies, and for bringing them to power," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, told VOAs Georgian Service that such rhetoric echoes that of Russian government officials and autocrats.

The proposed law is against any democratic principles, she said, adding that it is very similar to the Russian foreign agent law and seems to be not just Kremlin-inspired, but maybe even supported and lobbied by the Kremlin.

If enacted by the end of this spring, the law will be in effect during most of the campaign leading up to Georgias parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.

Autocratizing hybrid

International human rights groups have described Georgia as a hybrid democracy and Freedom House recently downgraded it to a autocratizing hybrid, in no small part because of the proposed bill.

Georgia dropped from 77th place to 103rd place out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders 2024 Press Freedom Index. According to the press freedom watchdog, Georgias ruling party continues to polarize society, cultivate rapprochement with Moscow and conduct a policy that is increasingly hostile to press freedom.

It cited Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan as countries where media censorship has intensified in an astonishing mimicry of Russian repressive methods.

Polls by the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute have consistently found that an overwhelming majority of Georgians support the country joining the EU and believe its future lies with the West. Russia currently illegally occupies up to 20% of Georgias sovereign territory.

Some Georgian journalists say the law on foreign influence transparency is just the latest step that the current Georgian government has taken to silence dissent and limit freedom of information.

This law is only the culmination of what weve experienced for the last couple of years, said Studio Monitori investigative reporter Tskriala Shermadini. We have taken several agencies to court for not providing the public information in response of our official, lawful requests.

Lika Zakashvili, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Publika, an online Georgian media outlet, was among the journalists hit with pepper spray and tear gas during the recent protests in Tbilisi.

She says her organization will never register as a foreign agent and that she remains hopeful.

They will have to take back this bill again, Zakashvili said. We work in service of the Georgian people, not foreign powers.
Jose Raul Mulino said he was practically retired from politics just over six months ago.

Now, hell be Panamas president for the next five years.

Standing before a pack of supporters Sunday night, Mulino said: I never imagined this.

In a historic and tumultuous election, preliminary results put Mulino on top to lead the normally sleepy Central American nation through a moment of political tension, historic migration and a struggling economy.

The 64-year-old lawyer, whose last position in politics was as minister of security in then President Ricardo Martinelli's 2009-2014 administration, was initially tapped by the popular former leader to be his running mate after Martinellis wife declined.

But then Martinelli was disqualified from running after he was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for a money laundering conviction. Mulino took his place, and ended up winning Sundays presidential election with 35% of the vote and a nine-point lead over his nearest opponent after dodging constitutional challenges to his own candidacy.

The president-elect got there with strong support from Martinelli, arguably the most important tool in Mulinos campaign as he rode the fiery ex-leaders popularity to victory.

While he lacks Martinellis charisma, the economic boom seen under his ally pushed many voters to support Mulino at a time that Panamas economy has lagged.

The former president, who has been sheltering in the Nicaraguan Embassy since February after receiving political asylum, said his trust for Mulino dates back 30 years.

Mulino seems a little tough, but he is a good guy, serious, and is the only one prepared to take on this great challenge and knows how the economy works to lift the country, Martinelli said in a video broadcast to supporters at Mulinos campaign close.

A maritime law attorney who graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Mulino became known as a private business leader who took part in a civil movement against the dictatorship of Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega, who was ousted by an American invasion on Dec. 20, 1989.

He acted as vice minister of foreign affairs in the 1989-1994 administration of President Guillermo Endara, who took office after the fall of Noriega and the end of the Panamanian military regime. Mulino later remained in charge of the countrys international policy in the last part of that administration.

Mulino remained active in politics and more than a decade later backed Martinelli in the election that the supermarket magnate won in 2009. Mulino was appointed minister of the interior and justice, later taking the reins of the public security office.

Mulino says one of the achievements during that time was to recover a swath of Panama on the border with Colombia, known as the Darien Gap, which was in the hands of the narco-guerrillas of the neighboring country.

As president, he has promised to stop soaring levels of migration through the Darien jungles, where more than a half million people crossed last year, though experts question the viability of his plan due to the sheer quantities of vulnerable people traveling through the passage.

I will make the effort to end this migratory crisis in our territory with respect for human rights and with sincere international participation, Mulino said at the closing of his campaign last week.

As security minister, he was also the target of harsh criticisms following police repression of a protest of Indigenous banana growers in the northern provinces of Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui in 2010. The crackdown left two dead and more than 100 injured by pellet shots, among them some with eye injuries.

He was quite severe in controlling social protests, Panamanian political analyst Rodrigo Noriega told The Associated Press before the election. There are a lot of unknowns about him.
Israel raids the offices of Al Jazeera after ordering the local offices of Qatar's satellite news network to close Sunday. We talk to Professor Joseph Russomanno from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication journalism at Arizona State University. The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after in-depth and serious discussions, the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. Earlier signs of progress dimmed as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist international pressure to halt the war.
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Israel warns civilians to leave Rafah as a military operation appears imminent, plus possible ramifications from the Israeli shut-down of Al-Jazeera. Russia claims to be training with tactical nuclear weapons near Ukraine and Sweden prepares to host Eurovision.
Israels military said Monday that it was carrying out strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, shortly after Hamas announced it had accepted a cease-fire proposal to halt its war with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office said Monday that the cease-fire proposal was far from Israels essential demands, but that Israel would send negotiators to Cairo to continue talks for a cease-fire.

Meanwhile in Washington, the White House urged all sides to make a deal. Negotiators in Egypt have been trying to bring about a temporary halt in the fighting and the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

We want to get these hostages out, said John Kirby, White House national security spokesperson. We want to get a cease-fire in place for six weeks. We want to increase humanitarian assistance and the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium that's going to put that process at risk. Regardless, as weve said before, we still believe that reaching an agreement is the absolute best outcome, not just for the hostages, but for the Palestinian people.

Israel Defense Forces on Monday evening posted on the social media platform X that it was currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah.

Netanyahus office said in a statement, The war cabinet unanimously decided that Israel continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war.

On this, too, the White House expressed a strong stance, with President Joe Biden speaking to Netanyahu in a Monday morning phone call.

It doesn't matter whether it's missiles or rockets; things that kill innocent people, that's not okay, Kirby said. And again, the president made it clear that we don't want to see operations in Rafah that put at risk those million and a half people that are there.



A White House statement said Biden reiterated his clear position on Rafah during his call with the Israeli leader. It also said that Netanyahu agreed "to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need.

Biden also hosted Jordans king at the White House, where they spoke about the situation in Gaza.

Earlier Monday, Israel said about 100,000 people in eastern parts of Rafah should evacuate their homes and go to an expanded humanitarian area that now includes Khan Younis.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, posting on social media in Arabic, said the Israeli military will act forcefully against terrorist organizations in Rafah, and that anyone who is in the area will be putting their lives at risk.

Israel is preparing a limited scope operation in Rafah, a military spokesperson said.

Israel has previously issued such warnings amid its campaign to eliminate the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip. Many of the Palestinians in Rafah traveled there seeking shelter after Israel warned them to flee other parts of Gaza.

Maps provided by the Israeli military previously showed a humanitarian zone along the Gaza coast west of Khan Younis. Mondays announcement expanded that area both to the north along the coast, as well as east to include Khan Younis.

Israel has said an offensive in Rafah is necessary to defeat Hamas, while the United States, United Nations and others have warned of a potential humanitarian catastrophe if Israel carries out a large-scale attack in the area where more than half of Gazas population is sheltering.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

A White House statement said Biden reiterated his clear position on Rafah. It also said that Netanyahu agreed "to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need.

In a statement Monday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned by the indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent. We are already seeing movements of people  many of these are in desperate humanitarian condition and have been repeatedly displaced.

He also called on both Israel and Hamas to go the extra mile needed to make an agreement come true.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted Monday on the social media platform X, A full military incursion into Rafah will plunge the crisis into unprecedented levels of humanitarian need. A ceasefire is urgently needed for the sake of humanity.

Reuters quoted a senior Hamas official calling the evacuation order for Rafah a dangerous escalation that will have consequences.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin highlighted the issue again in a Sunday phone call with Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

A Pentagon statement said Austin reaffirmed his commitment to the unconditional return of all hostages and stressed the need for any potential Israeli military operation in Rafah to include a credible plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians and maintain the flow of humanitarian aid.

Israels Defense Ministry said Gallant emphasized to Austin that military action was required in Rafah, and that there was no alternative.

The U.N. relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, said on social media Monday that an Israeli operation in Rafah would bring more civilian suffering and deaths, and devastating consequences for more than 1 million people sheltering there.

UNRWA said it would maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing lifesaving aid to people.

The Israel-Hamas war was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials. About 100 of the hostages were freed in a weeklong truce in late November.

Israels ensuing counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 34,600 Palestinians, about two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Cease-fire negotiations

Negotiators have been trying to find a breakthrough in cease-fire talks aimed at bringing a temporary halt in fighting and the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

After no apparent progress was reported Sunday in talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the Hamas delegation left Cairo to consult with its leadership and said it planned to return to Cairo on Tuesday.

Israeli officials did not send negotiators to Cairo to take part in indirect diplomacy.

After Hamas issued its statement Monday saying leader Ismail Haniyeh accepted a cease-fire proposal in a phone call with Qatars prime minister and Egypts intelligence minister, Israeli officials told media outlets that the plan approved by Hamas was not what Israel had agreed to.

The U.S. State Department and the White House said they were reviewing the Hamas response.

Kirby told reporters Monday that CIA Director Williams Burns was in the region having discussions on the Hamas response.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday that CIA Director Williams Burns was in the region having discussions on the Hamas response.

We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a cease-fire in place for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance, he said.

Haniyeh said Sunday that the group wants a comprehensive cease-fire that would end Israeli "aggression" and guarantee Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, while Hamas frees about 100 hostages in exchange for hundreds of prisoners jailed by Israel.

Sunday in Jerusalem, Netanyahu rejected any end to the fighting that would leave Hamas in control of Gaza, the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea, and pose a continuing threat to the Jewish state.

The United States  which, like other Western powers and Israel, brands Hamas a terrorist group  has urged Hamas to enter a deal.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Russia plans to perform drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, in response to what it called "provocative statements and threats from France, Britain and the United States regarding the Russian Federation," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, a warning that tensions with the West are deepening over the war in Ukraine.

The statement Monday was in response to recent remarks by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron as well as the delivery of U.S. long-range ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, to Ukraine.

"They are deliberately leading the situation towards a further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis towards an open military clash between NATO countries and Russia," the Russian foreign ministry said, and added, "we hope that this event will cool down the 'hotheads' in Western capitals."

Macron repeated last week that he doesn't rule out sending troops to Ukraine, while Cameron said Kyiv's forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Cameron said in an interview with Reuters last week.

France on Monday dismissed ongoing Russian reports as a "disinformation campaign," denying sending troops to Ukraine.

"No, France did not send troops to Ukraine," the foreign ministry said in a post on X, replying to recent reports about the deployment of the French Foreign Legion to Ukraine.

This was the first time that Russia has announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons. Tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield. They are less powerful than the massive warheads that arm intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are intended to obliterate entire cities.

Russia also lashed out at NATO's four-month-long military exercises, known as Steadfast Defender.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement Saturday that NATOs expansive military exercises close to Russias borders are proof that the Western alliance is preparing for a potential conflict with Russia.

NATO is currently holding the Steadfast Defender" exercise  the largest demonstration of military power the transatlantic alliance has performed in the North Atlantic, Arctic seas and across Europe since the end of the Cold War.

President Vladimir Putin warned the West last March that a direct conflict between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would mean the planet was one step away from World War Three, adding hardly anyone wanted such a scenario.

The Russian president has faced pressure from some hardliners inside Russia to reword Russia's nuclear doctrine, changing the conditions under which Russia would use a nuclear weapon, though Putin said last year he saw no need for change.

"We do not see anything new here," said Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence. "Nuclear blackmail is a constant practice of Putin's regime," he said, reiterating what Ukrainian officials and some Western officials have said in the past that Russia is bluffing over nuclear weapons to scare the West.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has repeatedly warned that the United States and its European allies are pushing the world to the brink of nuclear confrontation by supporting Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars of weapons, some of which are being used against Russian territory.

U.S. President Joe Biden said last year that he felt there was no real prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons, but CNN reported that in interviews top U.S. officials, who wanted to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the U.S. prepared rigorously for a potential Russian nuclear strike in Ukraine in late 2022.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its Western allies say Russias war in Ukraine is an imperial-style land grab by a corrupt dictatorship. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly warned that Russias expansionist goals wont end in Ukraine.

Western leaders have vowed to support a defeat of Russian forces in Ukraine, while ruling out any deployment of NATO personnel there.

Russia and the United States are the worlds biggest nuclear powers, possessing more than 10,600 of the world's 12,100 nuclear warheads. China has the third-largest nuclear arsenal, followed by France and Britain.

Russia has about 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, though there is uncertainty about exact figures for such weapons due to a lack of transparency.

No power has used nuclear weapons in war since the United States unleashed the first atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Some information for this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Russia said Monday it plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what Moscow said were threats from France, Britain, and the United States. A barrage of weekend Russian drone strikes hit civilian targets as Ukrainians celebrated the Orthodox Easter Holiday. A US architect is helping to design and renovate housing for internally displaced Ukrainians.
Several gold mines in northern Niger managed by a Chinese company were ordered to temporarily close after dozens of animals died from drinking wastewater, local authorities told AFP on Sunday.

Herders around the town of Tabelot had pointed to Sahara SARL's mines as the only explanation for their animals' deaths, saying the region was not suffering from drought or any epidemics.

"We counted 24 dead over two days and at the end of April we finally realized that the slaughter was being caused by harmful products in the water the mines were rejecting," said Youssaf Houssa, the chief of Tamannit, one of the affected villages.

Almou Akoli, who lives in Fasso, another village, said he lost 16 animals while some of his "neighbors cannot keep track of how many they have lost."

China's Sahara SARL started mining gold in January in the middle of grazing grounds where there are hardly any natural waterholes.

Following a visit Friday by police investigators, Niger's Ministry of Mines ordered the temporary closure of at least four of the mining sites, according to the sources.

"The Chinese have suspended work, and we are monitoring our animals," said Houssa.

Private local newspaper Air Info said an official report confirmed that "the catastrophe" was caused by chemical products used in the mines that threaten the water table in what is already a hostile environment for animal husbandry.

French company Orano (formerly Areva), which has been extracting uranium in northern Niger for more than 40 years, is regularly accused by NGOs of polluting the environment.
Officials in western Russia said a Ukrainian drone attack killed at least six people Monday in the Belgorod region near the Russia-Ukraine border.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor in Belgorod, said on Telegram the drone struck several vehicles and that the attack injured more than 30 people.

Ukraines military said Monday the countrys air defenses shot down 12 of 13 drones launched by Russian forces in overnight attacks.

The Ukrainian air force said the drones were intercepted over the Sumy region, located in northeastern Ukraine along the border with Russia.

Sumys regional military administration reported on Telegram a Russian airstrike on an energy facility. There was no immediate information about any damage or casualties, with the agency saying the result of the attack was being clarified.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an Easter message Sunday from Kyiv, called on Ukrainians to unite in prayer for each other and soldiers on the front line, saying God has a "Ukrainian flag on his shoulder."

"Let's pray for each other. When we all came closer to each other, we were no longer strangers to each other," he said in a video posted on Telegram. Standing in front of the 1,000-year-old Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has now been fighting for 802 days against Russia.

In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin attended an Easter service led by the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, a staunch supporter of the Russian leader and Russias war in Ukraine.

Eastern Orthodox Christians usually celebrate Easter later than Catholic and Protestant churches, because they use a different calendar and methodology for calculating the anniversary of what they believe is Christs resurrection.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi flew to Iran on Monday to improve his agencys oversight of the Islamic Republic's rapidly advancing nuclear program.

Grossi warned that Iran has amassed enough highly enriched uranium for several nuclear bombs if it chooses to build them.

Iranian officials have threatened they could pursue atomic weapons.

"For us, making the atomic bomb is easier than not building [an] atomic bomb," said Mahmoud Reza Aghamiri, chancellor of Shahid Beheshti University and a specialist in nuclear physics.

Grossi acknowledged the agency cannot guarantee whether Iran's centrifuges are being used for secret enrichment.

"The level of inspection [in Iran] is not at the level we should have," he told Sky News last month.

Iranian media said Grossi will meet Monday afternoon with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

Analysts and diplomats say Grossi has limited leverage and must be wary of empty promises.

Grossi is also expected to attend an Iranian nuclear conference Tuesday in the city of Isfahan while on his two-day trip. Isfahan came under Israeli fire in recent weeks despite it being surrounded by sensitive nuclear sites.

Tehran launched an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel in April. The strike followed Israel's apparent attack on an Iranian consular building in Syria which killed two Iranian generals and others.

Israel's nuclear weapons program did not dissuade Iran's assault. Experts suggest Iran could pursue the bomb itself after a major attack on it.

"With a tiny open attack on Iranian soil by the U.S. and Israel, I believe Iran will conduct its first atomic test," analyst Saeed Leilaz said in April.

Problems will only get worse, Grossi said at an International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors' meeting in March. So, we need to address this in a serious way."

Tensions have heightened between the IAEA and Iran, and since former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. Iran has since abandoned the deals limits on its nuclear program.

IAEA surveillance cameras have been disrupted, while Iran has barred some of the agency's most experienced inspectors from its nuclear facilities.
Bernie Sanders, the U.S. senator from the northeastern state of Vermont, said Monday that he will run for a fourth term.

Sanders said in a video announcement that the upcoming 2024 election may well be the most important election of our lifetime.

Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy or will we move to an authoritarian form of government? Sanders asked Monday. He questioned whether the U.S. government will be a system that works for all and not just for wealthy people who contribute to campaigns.

Sanders, who sought the presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, is supporting Joe Biden in his 2024 reelection bid.

The upcoming elections have left some voters with misgivings about the advanced age of key political figures and questions about whether it is time for the emergence of new leaders.

Sanders is 82. Biden, who at 81 is the oldest American president, will likely face off in the presidential election against former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Trump is 77.

Sanders, who is an independent, generally supports Democrat Bidens domestic agenda. However, the senator has at times been very critical about Bidens response to the growing death toll of Palestinians in Israels military response to the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

"Israel had the absolute right to defend itself against this terrorist attack, but it did not and does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, which is exactly what it is doing," Sanders, the son of Jewish immigrants, said Monday.

Israel has killed almost 35,000 people in Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry reported Monday, the majority of them women and children.

Sanders will almost certainly be returned to the Senate in November by voters in Vermont, where he remains popular. He has served 40 years in the U.S. Congress. He served Vermont as a Democrat in the U.S. House for 16 years, before being elected to the Senate in 2006. He has now labeled himself a democratic socialist, but he continues to caucus with the Democrats.

He is the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "I have been, and will be if reelected, in a strong position to provide the kind of help that Vermonters need in these difficult times, Sanders said.
Police in Zimbabwe say some school children have been seriously injured in a road traffic accident after a kombi in which they were travelling in veered off the road and rolled three times along the Harare-Beitbridge Road near Chivhu, Mashonaland East.

In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, police said all injured Mutero High School children and the driver of the Toyota Quantum Kombi are receiving treatment at a local hospital.

Police said, The kombi was on its way to Masvingo when the driver lost control and the Kombi over turned three times near Munyati Bridge and landed on its wheels. The accident occurred at around 1000 hours this morning. All the vehicle occupants are currently being treated at Chivhu General Hospital.

Police are expected to release further details in due course. Schools are opening for the second term tomorrow in Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, police also report that one person has died and 29 others injured in a kombi road traffic accident along the Gweru-Shurugwi Caravan Road.

Police said the kombi, which was carrying 18 passengers, was involved in a side swipe with another White Nissan Caravan Kombi with a similar number of people on board.

In a message posted on X, police said, The body of the victim was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary awaiting post mortem while the injured are admitted at the same hospital.
Four Montanans died in car crashes this past weekend, following five fatalities the weekend before.

By Sunday, there had been 12 fatalities across 10 crashes in a span of nine days. There have been 55 traffic fatalities this year, compared to 43 at the same time last year, according to MHP.

Two of this past weekends accidents occurred in the region: a Friday night head-on collision outside of Crow Agency and a Saturday night single-car accident in Fromberg. Another single-car accident occurred Saturday afternoon in Lewis and Clark County.

Alcohol was suspected in all three accidents, according to Montana Highway Patrol. None of the eight occupants across the four cars involved were wearing seatbelts.

The crash report for Fridays head-on collision, previously reported by the Gazette, was updated Sunday evening to include an additional fatality and suspicion of alcohol.

On Saturday afternoon, a 58-year-old man from Helena grazed a guardrail, lost control of his vehicle and ended up on an embankment off the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to MHP.

Later that day, a Fromberg teen lost control of her vehicle while navigating a left turn. The car rolled, struck, a fence, and came to rest on its roof. The driver, Payton Stetson, 16, was declared dead on arrival. Two passengers, ages 13 and 16, were transported to Billings Clinic.

Public safety agencies refer to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day as the 100 Deadliest Days, due to a spike in fatal accidents that occur in that time. Last year, there were 84 traffic fatalities in that window, according to reporting by NBC Montana.
Drake. Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage

As you may have heard, Drake and Kendrick Lamar are in the throes of an intense (and seemingly never-ending) rap battle. Though the two artists have long been at odds, this latest chapter ignited in March with the release of Like That, which quickly kicked off an incendiary back-and-forth that can be difficult to keep up with. Here, we break down the play-by-play of this beef by track  the most recent of which is a live version of Euphoria with added disses and a Not Like Us music video chock-full of Easter eggs.

Like That, by Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar (March 22, 2024)

The powder keg that set off this particular chapter of the DrakeversusKendrick Lamar beef was the song Like That, from Future, Metro Boomin, and Lamar. On it, Lamar dismisses the notion that hes in a Big Three with Drake and J. Cole, rapping, Its just big me. He also compares himself and Drake to Prince and Michael Jackson, respectively, rapping, Prince outlived Mike Jack.

Push Ups, by Drake (April 13, 2024)

After several weeks, Drake fired back by mysteriously leaking Push Ups, which featured the lyrics, You aint in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down / Like your label, boy, you in a scope right now / And you gon feel the aftermath of what I write down / Im at the top of the mountain, so you tight now / Just to have this talk with yo ass, I had to hike down / Big difference between Mike then and Mike now. Drake also went after Lamars work on pop songs from the likes of Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift, as well as throwing a stray dig at Rick Ross with the lyric I might take your latest girl and cuff her like Im Ricky / Cant believe he jumpin in, this nigga turnin 50 / Every song that made it on the chart, he got from Drizzy. Ross fired back just hours later with a diss track of his own accusing Drake of getting plastic surgery  but lets try to stay on topic here.

Taylor Made Freestyle, by Drake (April 19, 2024)

While waiting on Lamars response to Push Ups, Drake also put out the since-deleted track Taylor Made Freestyle, on which he used the AI-generated voices of Lamars idols Tupac and Snoop Dogg to go after him  earning a cease and desist from Shakurs estate. After those A.I. verses, Drake came in with his own voice to accuse the rapper of not responding to his original diss because he didnt want to interfere with the release of Taylor Swifts The Tortured Poets Department. Now we gotta wait a fucking week cause Taylor Swift is your new top, and if you boutta drop, she gotta approve, he rapped. Swift has of course not responded  having famously always wished to be excluded from the narrative when it comes to being name-checked in rap songs. While the song has since been taken down, Snoop Doggs reaction is thankfully still up.

Euphoria, by Kendrick Lamar (April 30, 2024)

On Euphoria, which shares a title with the HBO series that Drake produces, Lamar eviscerates his rival with pure hatred, leaving no stone left unturned. The verses attack Drakes parenting (I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin bout that), his rumored plastic surgery (Didnt tell em where you get your abs from), and his rap abilities (You not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of bing accepted). He also called out his use of AI and seemed to confuse actor Haley Joel Osment with televangelist Joel Osteen in the process: Am I battlin ghost or AI? Nigga feelin like Joel Osteen / Funny, he was in a film called A.I.

6:16 in LA, by Kendrick Lamar (May 3, 2024)

Making fun of Drakes penchant for using times and locations in his song titles, 6:16 in LA arrived just days after Euphoria, delivering on that tracks promise to go back to back. It was notably produced by Jack Antonoff, which feels like an acknowledgement of Drakes repeated Taylor Swift references. In the song, he claims to have operatives inside Drakes label, rapping, Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies / You must be a terrible person / Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it.

Family Matters, by Drake (May 3, 2024)

Drake responded with the nearly eight-minute track Family Matters, which suggested that Lamars child was actually fathered by his manager, Dave Free. He also honed in on Lamars relationship with his fiancee, Whitney Alford, alleging infidelity and abuse with lyrics like You the Black messiah wifing up a mixed queen / And hit vanilla cream to help out with your self-esteem / On some Bobby shit, I wanna know what Whitney need, and When you put your hands on your girl, is it self-defense cause shes bigger than you?

Meet the Grahams, by Kendrick Lamar (May 4, 2024)

Lamar didnt give us much time to sit with Drakes last diss, putting out Meet the Grahams just hours later  which continued the theme of going after each others families right from the top by telling Drakes son, Adonis, hes sorry Drake is his father. Speaking of children, the track also alleges that Drake has a secret daughter, a claim Drake responded to via Instagram Story, writing, Nahhhh hold on can someone find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me  these guys are in shambles . Lamar also circled back to his cosmetic-procedure digs, rapping, Get some discipline, dont cut them corners like your daddy did / Fuck what Ozempic did / Dont pay to play with them Brazilians, get a gym membership.

Not Like Us, by Kendrick Lamar (May 4, 2024)

Not even 24 hours after releasing Meet the Grahams, Lamar had more to say with the brutal Not Like Us. In it, he makes explosive accusations against Drake with lyrics like Certified Lover Boy, certified pedophiles, Say, Drake, I hear you like em young / You better not ever go to cell block one, and Tryna strike a chord and its probably A-minor. He also circles back to Drakes use of AI to re-create Tupacs voice on Taylor Made Freestyle, rapping, You think the Bay gon let you disrespect Pac, nigga? I think that Oakland show gon be your last stop, nigga.

The Heart Part 6, by Drake (May 5, 2024)

Drake has responded to Kendricks response to his own response to Drakes response to  theres another one. The Heart Part 6 is a play on Lamars The Heart series, which runs throughout his albums. The last Heart song came on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and had a music video that featured AI deepfakes of OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett, Will Smith, Kobe Bryant, and Nipsey Hussle. So AI is going to be a leitmotif of this feud, apparently. In The Heart Part 6, Drake alleges that the hidden-daughter rumor was started by his own team in a sort of false-flag operation. You gotta learn to fact check things and be less impatient, he raps.

U MY EVERYTHING, by Sexyy Red feat. Drake (May 24, 2024)

Drakes a little late to the BBL Drizzy challenge; preparing for an appearance at the Toronto WNBA announcement couldnt have taken that long. On Sexyy Reds new mixtape In Sexyy We Trust, Drake pops in on U MY EVERYTHING to rap over Metro Boomins BBL Drizzy, attempting to redefine the title by making himself the Willy Wonka of body modifications. He sings, I changed a lot of girls lives for real, they need a new body, they hittin me, ayy (BBL Drizzy)/BBL Drizzy, they want a new body, they ask me for it (BBL Drizzy). Drake also simply just raps over the track What? No sax?

Euphoria (Live at The Pop Out) (June 19, 2024)

Kendrick Lamar's full Euphoria performance at The Pop Out show #ThePopOut https://t.co/easvNq7kh7  Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod  (@big_business_) June 20, 2024

Its been quiet on the Kendrick/Drake front, so why not stir things up on a national holiday? At Kendricks Juneteenth show, he debuted new lyrics in Euphoria, while sporting an outfit seemingly in homage to Tupac. Give me Tupacs ring back and I might give you a little respect, he rapped. He also changed the line three-hour time difference to two hours, because Drake is currently in Houston. Thats thorough!

Not Like Us (Music Video), directed by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free (July 4, 2024)

Kendrick rode his hate train all the way from Juneteenth to the Fourth of July. He rang in another bank holiday with more disrespect, releasing a music video for standout diss track Not Like Us after playing it a fitting six times at the Pop Out last month.

The video asks fans to gather many an Easter egg. He does a brand-new freestyle in the videos intro before the needle drops on a C-walk beat. A new line about Kamasi Washington refers to Zack Foxs viral tweet that prophesied Dot calling Drake a pedophile over free-jazz beats (the comedian and rapper got that first part right). Kendrick even wears a similar outfit to that viral skateboarder who made a diss video that calls his nemesiss hair wack.

Elsewhere in the video, the Compton rapper uses a similar black-and-white shot composition reminiscent of Drakes music video for Family Matters. In Kendricks version, Drake tries to sneak up on him from behind, only to get blasted away down the dark alley. It also alludes to Push Ups, one of Drakes more well-received disses that calls Kendrick short. In the Not Like Us video, the fun-size artist does push-ups over two cinder blocks. Most disrespectfully, Kendrick beats an owl-shaped pinata, the symbol of Drakes label, OVO, and poses with a real-life owl behind bars. Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop.

Super Bowl Announcement Video (September 8, 2024)

Lamar is going to replaying Not Like Us and dissing Drake on the biggest (and most American) stage: the Super Bowl. The rapper confirmed on a Sunday morning that he will perform at the 59th Half Time show next February, but not without referencing the feud. You know its only one opportunity to win a championship  no round twos, Lamar exclaimed, referencing Drakes unfulfilled promise of a second round. Drake needs to find Canadas version of a Super Bowl and perform there to settle the score. Do the Jonas Brothers need a sidekick for the Grey Cup championship game?
Photo: Fadi Kheir

The most vibrant music so often takes place at the point where cultures meet, eras overlap, sensibilities intersect, and traditions fork. That in-between space is also the habitat of the aptly named Junction Trio, three stupendous musicians who glory in artistic instability, the sense that styles are not pure or settled practices and never were. John Zorns Philosophical Investigations, Charles Ivess Piano Trio, and Beethovens Archduke Trio were composed near the start of three centuries on two continents by artistically fearless men with unruly imaginations and a penchant for making a lot of intricate noise. They found kindred spirits in three musicians who are at an age to have accumulated decades of experience but not of rote repetition. Violinist Stefan Jackiw has performed all of Ivess violin sonatas with Jeremy Denk, cellist Jay Campbell is also a member of the tirelessly self-challenging JACK Quartet, and pianist (and composer) Conrad Tao has fashioned an elegantly idiosyncratic career. The Junction Trio made its Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Hall last week, and while the intimate recital room is the ideal chamber-music receptacle, its probably already too small to contain the groups expanding reputation.

Each member brings his separate passions. Campbell has a close relationship with Zorn, who works like a kind of compositional collagist, slicing whatever music crosses his path into strips, then gluing them together into sequences that are both familiar and jubilantly disjunct. Theres nothing contemplative about Philosophical Investigations, or rather it emulates the experience of watching the city swarm from a bench on a Broadway median: anger bumping into laughter, languages briefly intertwining, a hectic sequence of sprints, strides, and close encounters. I couldnt always follow the logic in the musics swerves or a reason for its violent spasms, but the musicians played the piece with such fervent clarity that it seemed self-explanatory at the time.

The concerts highlight was the Ives Trio, a young mans work so exuberantly original and ahead of its time that it must have made no sense at all even when he finally stopped tinkering with it around 1915. Ives wove popular and traditional tunes through the score, so that listeners, if there were any, would latch on to scraps of Marching Through Georgia, My Old Kentucky Home, and Pig Town Fling. Distance helps. The tunes have a cozy, antique quality now, and in any case the works greatness has nothing to do with a menu of sampled excerpts. Instead, it lies in the vigor and finesse with which Ives mingled small-town nostalgia and urban energy, New England landscape and the constant buzz of nonconformityqualities that the musicians tended to in every downbeat and syncopation.

What Ives, Zorn, Beethoven, and the Junction Trio all share is an exciting, spongelike irreverence. The world is made of music, and we dont select most of what we hear any more than we choose what molecules to breathe. Much of the classical-music world, with its history of soundproofed halls and hissless recordings, has organized itself around denying that vital cacophony. In our own time, ubiquitous ear pods isolate people in their own sonic bubbles. But this concert, even in the noiseless cocoon of Weill Hall, evoked the timeless jangle of public life, a culture enriched by constant collisions and relentless curiosity.
Hello, ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between, and welcome to the latest episode of Hating Teresa Giudice. And what are we all going to do? Hate! Teresa! Giudice! Thats right, so lets start the show!

Seriously, that is how I felt watching this episode. Yes, I have always hated her with the fire of a million billion suns, but this year, it somehow seems even worse. Maybe its the new face. Perhaps its the new husband. Conceivably its when she says things like, I was mad at God. I didnt know why I had to go to jail. I do. Because you broke the law! Well, maybe more accurate is to say that her husband broke the law, but even then she knows why and yet still has never apologized or taken accountability for what happened. Or maybe, and I think this is really it, that shes so dumb she drags everyone down to her level. No one can have an actual argument; it just devolves into name-calling and shouting because thats all she can do. Yawn.

Her personal scene was a bit touching, as she helped her daughter Gabriella pack to become a student at the University of Michigan. I have always said that Gabriella, a.k.a. the quiet one, would be the longest-serving senator from New Jersey or the meanest woman on Wall Street. This is the one to watch. Shes packing up her own stuff, taping together her own boxes. Meanwhile, Antonia Gorga is preparing for freshman year at the University of Delaware, and she hasnt even started doing anything other than watching her dog pee on the curtains. I love how she thinks shes going to fit her 52 pairs of blue jeans into a college dorm closet. There was so little room in my freshman dorm closet that I had to come out of it to make room for the clothes. Hey-yo!

While it seems like everyone on the cast is exactly the same as where we left them, what has shifted is the dynamics. In confessional, Melissa says that she doesnt really want to answer any questions about Teresa and felt nothing when she ran into her at Jen Fesslers surprise birthday party.

Margaret is also drawing a red line about how she will negotiate with an emotional terrorist. She visits Jen Fesslers house and somehow manages not to go deaf while Jen practices When the Saints Go Marching In on her guitar. Jen brings up that Teresa texted her for her birthday, and Margaret says that Teresa and her husband are both dead to her. Jen says that she wants to talk to Teresa about what happened between her and Marge, and Marge begs her not to. I dont want them to utter my name, she tells Jen, adding, I dont want to ever talk about her again. Oh, I wish that I could never talk about Teresa again, but here I am, hosting a game show called Hating Teresa Giudice, so its kind of my job.

I dont think this dynamic where some of the cast refuse to film with each other or even talk to each other can last, and it hasnt played out especially well this season of Vanderpump Rules. However, as a reality-television sociologist and historian, Im very curious to see how its going to work. Based on the very beginning of the episode (which was not included in the press screener), it seems like it is going to go Dorinda Medleys favorite way: not well, bitch.

While we check in on everyone at home with their daughters going to school and their dead ex-husbands, Teresa and Luis go out to dinner with Dolores and her boyfriend, Paul. Everyones asking Dolores when theyre going to get engaged, and Dolores says shes waiting for Pauls divorce to be finalized. Um, theyve been separated for ten years, and the divorce is still not done? Who is he married to? Ashley Darby?

At dinner, we find out that Paul is dreadfully allergic to Italian food, and when Doloress brother made him meatballs he was in bed for two days. So where do they take him for dinner? To an Italian restaurant! I know this is northern New Jersey, and it is full of people who call bread foccach with no irony, but couldnt they go to Rails Steakhouse, the most famous eatery in RHONJ history? Or how about just sushi or Chinese? I mean, there have to be other options. Theres no Red Lobster in Franklin Lakes?

At the dinner, we find out that Teresa is upset that everyone met at Margarets house before the last reunion to come up with a plan to take [her] and Luis down. This is such a bullshitt-y reason to get mad. Like Teresa and Jen Aydin werent texting for weeks beforehand, getting their stories straight and their reads together? As Dolores points out, this always happens, so why is Teresa mad this time? Also, if she and Luis didnt give everyone else on the cast a reason to be upset, how could they come up with a case against them? Maybe the best defense against this is, I dont know, not being an asshole to all of your coworkers, some of whom happen to also be your family members.

The other bone of contention at the dinner is that Luis texted John Fuda so that the two of them could clear the air about why Luis may or may not have hired a PI to investigate him. (I totally believe he did this, and Im just a little upset he didnt hire Meghan King Edmonds, PI.) John responded that they were both going to be at Jen Fesslers surprise party, so they should just talk there.

I think this is completely reasonable. When John and Paul start fighting about this at Jenfs birthday party, John says, Why would I give a man who disrespected my family the respect to meet him somewhere? Thats exactly it. Luis did him dirty, and now this guy should make a special appointment to see him. No way. Teresa brings up at the party that Luis wanted to clear the air before everyone was together, which is also a valid point. Rachel tells her that John would have taken Luis aside to talk to him one-on-one so that all the minions, as Luis calls him, dont get into the conversation.

Actually, these are all fairly valid points, but why couldnt they hash this out on text? Couldnt Luis say Id rather talk to you alone, and couldnt John have said When you get to the party lets find a quiet corner and do this just you and I. Problem solved. But its all moot (or mute as Teresa would probably say) because Luis doesnt even go to the party, and he uses the dog-ate-his-homework excuse of getting out of parties. A business meeting came up in Florida, but in his business things come up last minute, Teresa tells us. Um, but what is his business, exactly? What is his job title? What does he actually do? Because last I checked, his business was fending off lawsuits.

Instead, at the party, John and Paul get into it with these two macho meatheads just getting aggro at each other and telling each other to shut the fuck up before Dolores arrives and escorts her man out of the party to stop a fight from happening. It was actually a pretty cute party with lots of Jenfs family there, and a woman wearing a giant skirt that was a table, and the table was full of candy. I want exactly that at my next birthday, but its going to be Evan Goldschneider shirtless with that candy skirt.

As the party is wrapping up, Teresa approaches Rachel and says, I dont want to talk about it here, but your husband went after my husband, trying to ruin his reputation. Okay, well, if you dont want to talk about it there, why are you even bringing it up? Rachel, much like Homie the Clown, dont play that. Rachel calmly tells Teresa that their husbands need to work it out and thats when Teresa talks about how Luis was such a gentleman that he reached out to John to clear the air. I mean, Teresa wouldnt know a gentleman if it hit her in her original mouth.

This is what I cant stand about Teresa, is she makes up the rules as she goes along to benefit herself. Now shes talking about how a gentleman would meet with someone privately if they had an issue. Um, no. A gentleman wouldnt have gotten into that position to start with because he wouldnt go around hiring private investigators to stalk his wifes coworkers.

What really galls me, though, is how she treats the news that apparently went out on the internet that morning. Apparently, Johns ex, the one that his son wants nothing to do with, said that John was a huge drug dealer and that he likes to get it on with double-headed purple dildos. Who cares what he does in the bedroom or shoves up his ass. Have any of these guys tried a double-headed dildo? It can be fun for the whole family (if the rest of your family is also kinky sluts into ass play).

But when Teresa sees John she shouts double-headed dildo and tells him hes a drug dealer. Who said that? John asks. Teresa responds its all over social media. Ugh. This woman! Remember when Margaret tried to get Luis to respond to a video on social media before it could be used against him, and Teresa destroyed their friendship over it? Teresa didnt think that anyone should bring up anything negative about him, even if it was already all over the internet. Now here she is using internet rumors (from a vicious ex no less) to taunt and harass John Fuda. Its not that the rules dont apply to Teresa; its that she makes up the rules as she goes along and then gets mad at people when they dont follow her own arbitrary, selfish rules. I really cant with this woman, but I did love Jen Fesslers final quote at her party, as these screaming matches are raging all around her, Im having a great time, regardless of the bloodshed.
One of the things Ive always wanted in life is to have that much exposure to the public. I was made for those moments. Id like to say the seriousness of the situation dampened my excitement. It didnt.

Thats Nick Chinga Chavin, former best friend to Robert Durst and Susan Berman, talking about how he felt before testifying against Durst for murdering Berman two days before Christmas in 2000. Chavin had craved that level of attention before as Chinga Chavin, the brains behind the crude 1976 comedy album Country Porn and other records, like Jet Lag and Live and Politically Erect, that even the woman he married finds disgusting and unlistenable. When Chavin settled into a career in advertising, with Dursts real-estate business as his sole client and benefactor, it must have been humbling for him to shrink from the public life hes obviously craved as a musician. He may have been reluctant to turn on Durst initially, but he settled into the idea. Maybe he must have been thinking he could star in the popular HBO series The Jinx.

One simultaneously chilling and outrageous aspect of this second season of The Jinx is getting to know Dursts closest friends and realizing how untroubled they are by the likelihood that hes a murderer. Loyalty comes first. Or money. Or celebrity. Or some combination of those three things in one order or another. Its also a reminder of how gummed up The Jinx and Andrew Jarecki have become in how the case has played out, beyond the obvious factors of renewed public scrutiny of Dursts three murders and the cadaver note evidence that made the Berman prosecution more feasible. Chavin comes to like the idea of being in front of the camera, and its pretty evident, based on the footage in this episode, that John Lewin, Dick DeGuerin, the jurors, the judge, and others are clamoring for their 15 minutes, too. The gravity of the situation often feels like its missing here.

Saving My Tears Until Its Official eases into the trial itself, which the opening titles tell us began in 2020 (after preliminary hearings in 2017) and ended the following year after a COVID delay. Jarecki and his team have the benefit of a wealth of footage from the trial and access to crucial pieces of evidence, even one damning taped conversation that Lewin ultimately opted not to submit for strategic reasons. And as with the Galveston case, where Dursts team was able to sell the jury on a ludicrous self-defense angle, the first impression jurors get on the Berman trial is a defendant looking so frail that he couldnt have possibly shot someone in the head over 20 years earlier. Durst gets wheeled into court with his hair shaved, exposing a cerebral shunt jutting out of his head, and a neck brace that looks conspicuously staged. (At least if you watched the Brady Bunch episode where Mike Brady foils a personal injury suit against his wife by dropping his briefcase behind a plaintiff whos faking a neck injury.)

Based on the trio of jurors Jarecki has rounded up here, the ploy worked. One of them even admits to questioning whether [Durst] was even aware of what was going on. But Lewins case against Durst is a strong one, in large part because the disappearance of Kathie Durst can be connected to Berman, essentially putting him on trial for two murders at once. Beyond the fact that a body was never found, the notion that Kathie had taken the train to New York, away from her husband, was the best argument in Dursts defense. She was supposedly spotted by the doorman to the Dursts apartment (which is not true) and she supposedly called in sick from her training at medical school. It is the prosecutions contention that Berman placed the call herself in a bid to protect Durst and Jarecki gives a lot of context and evidence to back that claim.

For context, Lewin and Jarecki offer Lynda Obst, a Hollywood producer whod gotten close to Berman while trying to turn her 1981 memoir Easy Street: The True Story of a Mob Family into a movie. Bermans father was David The Jew Berman, a high-level gangster who had helped Bugsy Siegel build out his glittering empire in Las Vegas. For Obst, watching The Jinx had given her crucial insight into Berman, whod always admired her mother for giving her father loyalty and unconditional support despite the many awful things she must have known hed done. By this logic, Berman was to Durst as Bermans wife was to her husband, a willing co-conspirator and keeper of secrets.

Perhaps that seems too tidy an explanation, but The Jinx offers a remarkable taped conversation between Berman and Albert Goldman, a pop-culture author and freelance reporter, only nine days after Kathie went missing. The recording proceeds from the assumption that Kathie is dead and then has Berman offering up various theories as to what happened to her. Most of the theories are degrading to Kathie, suggesting her as an alcoholic and a coke addict and a lousy med student, but the one Goldman seems to like is that she wore an expensive pair of diamond studs and was raped and murdered for them. (The earrings were never lost.) She ends the conversation with Ill save my tears until its official, which isnt the nicest way to talk about someone who was murdered, particularly a woman you unaccountably claim to be your best friend.

Lewin opts not to use this damning recording under the not-unreasonable logic that the jury will not be sympathetic to the victim in his case, which is Berman, not Kathie. He chooses instead to offer Chavins testimony about a dinner he and Durst had together after Bermans death that ended with a confession before they parted company. I had to, Durst allegedly told Chavin. It was her or me. I had no choice. Chavins reluctance to come forward with this damning line  initially, hed told investigators that he couldnt make out what Durst said  makes him a dodgy witness, but at least he was the rare case of a Durst friend whod turned on him. That was no small matter.

Chavin died last year before The Jinx could offer another round of media stardom. Perhaps a watch party was thrown in his honor.

Beverley Hills

 Some good testimony here from Bermans friend Robin Karr-Morse, who recalls Berman telling her that she was going to blow the situation wide open but was vague in the details because she worried it would put Karr-Morses life in danger. Karr-Morse also reacts with appropriate horror at the Albert Goldman recording and scoffs at the fiction that Kathie and Berman were besties.

 Jarecki likes to have Charles Bagli around to connect pieces of the story, but he also has a funny Greek chorus in the Wonder Twins, who here joke about the distinction between a stint and a shunt.

 Lynda Obst is no small Hollywood player. She cut her teeth working with big names like Peter Guber, David Geffen, and Debra Hill, and her producer credits include Adventures in Babysitting, The Fisher King, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Interstellar.

 A reminder: Only see Jareckis All Good Things if youre hopelessly addicted to this case. A very bad movie, despite Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst in the lead roles.
Missouri Slope Areawide United Way is accepting project proposals for its annual Day of Caring in late summer.

People or organizations with project ideas that would benefit a local nonprofit agency, a park, a church, a school, or a person in need can submit a proposal before Monday at bit.ly/4cNTfuE or by calling 701-255-3601.

Projects should take 4-6 hours to complete and should be appropriate for both skilled and unskilled volunteers. Examples include painting, lawn care, cleaning, minor repairs, food pantry organization, donation sorting, meal delivery, playground building, reading to children, and filling backpacks with food and school supplies.

The Day of Caring is Wednesday, Aug. 14. United Way also is seeking 50 volunteer team captains to work directly with agencies or churches ahead of time, organize tasks and supplies, and assist in communications with volunteer team members. To register, contact Hannah at volunteering@msaunitedway.org.

The program is in its 24th year of connecting community-minded people and businesses with area nonprofits and neighbors in need. Last year, 827 volunteers helped with 52 projects in the Bismarck-Mandan region, ranging from fence-painting at the Dakota Zoo to lipstick removal from a brick wall at the Belle Mehus Auditorium.

Through the years, more than 1,000 projects have been completed, helping nonprofits save hundreds of thousands of dollars to reinvest in programs and services, United Way said.
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Spate of workplace accidents continues in Italy.

Five workers died while carrying out sewage works near Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily on Monday, with a sixth transported to hospital in critical condition.

The workers were conducting maintenance work inside a wastewater purification tank in the town of Casteldaccia when they inhaled toxic fumes, leaving five of them dead.

Firefighters said a sixth worker was extracted alive but unconscious and was taken by helicopter to hospital in Palermo. A seventh worker, who raised the alarm, was uninjured.

#Palermo, intervento #vigilidelfuoco dalle 14 a Casteldaccia per un incidente in un impianto di depurazione delle acque reflue: soccorso 1 operaio in stato di incoscienza e affidato ai sanitari, 1 rimasto illeso. Recuperati i corpi privi di vita di altri 5 [#6maggio 16:00] pic.twitter.com/Pq6M27pOsj Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) May 6, 2024

The workers were reportedly employed by a private firm which had been sub-contracted by Amap, the public-owned Italian company that manages water and sewage disposal.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni sent her condolences to the families of the workers who died and called for "full light to be shed on this tragedy".

Italy's president Sergio Mattarella, visiting New York, expressed his condolences for the victims of "yet another unacceptable massacre at work", noting that it occurred "just a few days" after Labour Day.

Sconvolge la notizia degli operai coinvolti nel tragico incidente avvenuto a Casteldaccia, nel palermitano. Alle famiglie delle vittime il mio profondo cordoglio, unitamente al sentimento di vicinanza verso il lavoratore che si trova attualmente nel reparto di Rianimazione  Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) May 6, 2024

The president of the Sicily region, Renato Schifani, also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims "for the terrible and unexpected tragedy".

The incident is the latest in a spate of workplace accidents in Italy, including the seven workers killed last month at a hydro power plant near Bologna and the five construction workers killed in Florence in February.

Photo Vigili del Fuoco
RAI strike follows Scurati controversy in April.

Journalists at Italian state broadcaster RAI are staging a 24-hour strike on Monday in protest against the "suffocating control" over their work by Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government.

The journalists' trade union Usigrai called the strike in protest over alleged "attempts to reduce RAI into a megaphone for the government" as well as over various other complaints including staff shortages in news rooms and the failure to replace workers who retire or go on maternity leave.

Usigrai has published an animated video outlining the reasons behind the strike which follows the political controversy over the last-minute cancellation of a talkshow appearance by the anti-fascist writer and academic Antonio Scurati last month.

Il videocomunicato Usigrai in onda oggi in tutti i i Tg Rai che annuncia lo sciopero delle giornaliste e dei giornalisti #Rai indetto per domani lunedi 6 maggio pic.twitter.com/gDFu61ZptQ  USIGRai (@USIGRai) May 5, 2024

Scurati had been due to deliver an anti-fascist monologue on the Saturday night show Chesara a few days before the Festa della Liberazione, a public holiday to commemorate the end of the Fascist regime and of the Nazi occupation during world war two, as well as the victory of Italy's Resistance movement of partisans who opposed the regime.

Scurati accused RAI of censorship after his monologue was dropped abruptly for what he was told were "editorial reasons", claiming that the move highlighted alleged attempts by Meloni's government to exert its influence over the state broadcaster.

In his cancelled speech, the Strega Prize-winning writer criticised the "ruling post-Fascist party" for wanting to "re-write history" rather than "repudiate its neo-fascist past".

RAI director Paolo Corsini flatly rejected any talk of censorship, describing the claims as "completely baseless".

Meloni responded to the controversy by posting Scurati's text on her Facebook page, stating that the broadcaster had "simply refused to pay 1800 euro (the monthly salary of many employees) for a minute of monologue".

The premier added that the Italian people could "freely judge" the contents of the text which was later read live on air by Chesara presenter Serena Bortone in an act of solidarity with Scurati.

Over the last year RAI has seen several veteran, high-profile presenters leave the broadcaster including Fabio Fazio, Bianca Berlinguer and Amadeus.

In May 2023, seven months after Meloni took office, RAIs then-chief executive officer Carlo Fuortes resigned, complaining of political conflict over his role.

In recent days RAI responded to Usigrai by claiming that the union's decision to strike is linked to "ideological and political reasons".

The internal "right-wing" union, Unirai, has asked its members to cover the shifts of those striking on Monday, even if that means coming in to work on their day off, reports newspaper Domani.

The strike at RAI comes a few days after Italy dropped five places in the latest world press freedom index report by Reporters Sans Frontieres which cited as one of its reasons the case of a member of the ruling parliamentary coalition - Antonio Angelucci of the Lega party - who is trying to acquire the country's second biggest news agency (AGI).

Photo credit: Antonello Marangi / Shutterstock.com.
Viterbo gets ready for "Bomba Day" after discovery of massive bomb buried for 80 years.

Around 36,000 people will be evacuated from their homes in the central Italian town of Viterbo on Tuesday while army experts defuse a massive unexploded bomb left over from world war two.

The long-lost bomb is one of the biggest ever found in Italy and was unearthed during construction works in the town, located about 100 km north of Rome.

The device weighs 2,000 kg - of which 1,300 kg is explosives - and reportedly belongs to the category of aircraft bombs dropped by the Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber, in 1944.

The discovery of the bomb on Via Alcide De Gasperi last month has prompted a major security and evacuation operation ahead of what the locals are calling "Bomba Day".

Everyone within 1,400 metres of the bomb must evacuate the area by 09.00 on Tuesday, with all activities in the "red zone" to be suspended, leading to the closure of all shops, schools and healthcare facilities.

Parking restrictions will be in place and the area will be completey cordoned off, with police using drones to ensure that everyone has vacated the zona rossa.

Authorities have set up several reception centres for the 36,000 evacuated residents (and their pets), laying on free shuttle buses for those who need transport.
Swiss Guards have protected popes for more than 500 years.

Each year on 6 May the Vatican holds a pomp-filled ceremony to swear in new recruits into the Pontifical Swiss Guards, among the oldest standing armies in the world.

The annual event, held in the S. Damaso courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, sees a cohort of new guards take a solemn oath of allegiance to the pope.

The swearing-in ceremony commemorates 6 May 1527, when 147 Swiss Guards died protecting Pope Clement VII from the army of the Holy Roman Emperor.

The pope fled via the 800-m Passetto di Borgo passageway to the nearby refuge of Castel S. Angelo.

Origins

During the Middle Ages, Swiss mercenaries were much sought after by foreign armies due to their military professionalism and their proven capabilities on the battlefield.

Swiss guardsmen began serving the Papal States in the late 14th and 15th centuries.

Swiss Guards. Photo credit AM113 / Shutterstock.com.

In 1505 a Swiss bishop at the Vatican, Matthaus Schiner, suggested creating a permanent Swiss corps that would operate under the direct control of the pope.

The Swiss Guard was established by Pope Julius II in 1506, with the first contingent of 150 soldiers arriving in Rome on 22 January of that year.

Who can join the Swiss Guards?

Swiss Guards must be male and of Swiss nationality, as well as being Catholic, unmarried, aged between 19 and 30, and be a minimum height of 174 cm.

They must also have undergone military training and have completed a degree or a high school diploma.

Photo credit: Riccardo De Luca - Update

Since the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, there has been a greater emphasis on the guards' non-ceremonial roles, with enhanced training in unarmed combat and counterterrorism techniques.

In addition to protecting the pope, the soldiers perform ceremonial duties, provide security and assist at Vatican functions.

Swiss Guard uniform

The guards carry ancient halberd weapons and swords and normally wear blue doublets and berets.

However they are best known for the blue, gold and red Renaissance-style uniform which, contrary to legend, was probably not designed by Michelangelo.

Worn on ceremonial occasions, the uniform has evolved over the centuries and the current model, redesigned by the Swiss colonel Jules Repond, dates from 1914.

Photo credit: Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com

The guards serve for between two and 25 years at the Vatican, in the service of the pope. They are independent of the Swiss armed forces and are employed directly by the Vatican.

In 2022 plans were announced to rebuild the Swiss Guard residence in the Vatican with single rooms and private bathrooms, leading to speculation in the media that Pope Francis or a future pontiff might decide to allow women to join the elite force.

Led by Commander Christoph Graf, the Swiss Guards currently comprise 135 soldiers - its full complement - including the 34 new recruits being sworn in on 6 May 2024.

Photo credit: Drop of Light / Shutterstock.com.
The former Washington Commanders owner has sought record prices for two mansions. One had its price cut by nearly $20 million, but neither has sold so far in an otherwise-thriving market.
More than 600,000 people are released from U.S. prisons every year, vowing never to go back. Many do. One man is trying to change that.
Defence whistleblower David McBride shared confidential documents with journalists because of arrogance and the pursuit of personal vindication rather than a pure sense of duty, the prosecution argues, as it calls for the former military lawyer to be jailed for more than two years.

While defence barrister Stephen Odgers, SC, told the ACT Supreme Court on Monday his client was motivated by exposing what he believed to be criminal behaviour by military top brass, Crown prosecutor Patricia McDonald, SC, said McBride never articulated through official complaints what the actual criminality was before leaking the files.

David McBride arriving at the ACT Supreme Court for his sentencing on Monday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

He actually did this for personal vindication, McDonald said, adding McBride was under the impression he was better and knew more than others, and eventually this would be revealed.

McBride pleaded guilty in November to three charges, including theft of Commonwealth property and breaching the Defence Act, after his legal team failed to convince Justice David Mossop to allow them to argue before a jury that while he disobeyed orders, he had a duty to act in the public interest.
From 22 to 26 April 2024, the WCO delivered an advanced workshop on Gender Equality and Diversity (GED) in Abuja, Nigeria, for a group of four Customs Administrations from West Africa (the Gambia, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria).

This workshop was organized under the framework of the West Africa Security Project (WASP) - gender equality component, a partnership between the WCO and the German Central Customs Authority, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. Thanks to effective collaboration, the workshop was funded jointly with the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme and the Sida-WCO Trade Facilitation and Customs Modernization Programme, which enabled the participation of four officers from the Liberia Revenue Authority and the valuable contribution of two facilitators from Canada and Zimbabwe, who are candidates to the WCO pool of Recognized GED experts in Customs.

The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to enhance their knowledge of the concepts of gender mainstreaming and inclusion and how they can be implemented on a cross-cutting basis within Customs administrations with the help of the WCO Gender Equality Organizational Assessment Tool (GEOAT).

The workshop had a strong focus on the links between Gender and Security. Among the issues discussed were the differences in how women and men experience conflict, insecurity, and threats and how this could be considered in security policies. The advantages of having more women in security-related positions were also addressed, including how this could be further promoted through increased consideration of work-life balance aspects and improvements in infrastructure. Participants were also provided the opportunity to discuss examples of human rights violations at the border, how these could be prevented, and how gender stereotypes could impact enforcement operations. The objectives of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325  the Women, Peace and Security agenda and their relevance for Customs were also addressed.

The five-day interactive workshop enabled delegates to increase their knowledge of the WCO tools promoting GED in Customs, particularly the GEOAT and its new template, which allows Customs Administrations to conduct their organizational self-assessment, identifying strengths and gaps while also preparing Administrations in drafting dedicated GED action plans.

As a result of the exercises carried out during the week, all four Customs delegations presented updated versions of their GED Action plans on the last day of the workshop, which each Administration will work further on to implement in the coming months.

The WCO was also pleased to welcome a representative from the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, who presented on a project targeting women cross-border traders and how their specific challenges could be addressed in trade facilitation and security policies. The WCO looks forward to continuing to work closely with its Members to advance the GED agenda. For more information about this activity and the WCOs work on GED, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.
From 22 to 26 April 2024, the World Customs Organization (WCO) organized a national workshop on border enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with the financial support of the Customs Cooperation Funds of China (CCF/China).

Led by a WCO accredited IPR expert and supported by a pre-accredited expert, the workshop brought together 24 frontline supervisors and officers from the Honduras Customs Administration with experience in enforcement and risk management.

The objective of this workshop was to increase participants' knowledge on IPR legal framework in Honduras and to develop effective national enforcement strategies to best ensure its enforcement.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Marvin Kevin Pavon, Head of the Intelligence Department of Honduras Customs, expressed his administration's deep gratitude to the WCO Secretariat and went on to say how important the protection of intellectual property was for the economy of his country. He urged the participants to participate very actively in the event and to take advantage of the offered opportunity to learn more about the WCO tools and instruments in the IP field.

During the five-day workshop, participants could learn about the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the theoretical and practical concepts surrounding IPR risk management, the current global IPR infringement landscape, and the WCO IPR CENcomm secure communication tool and how it was working.

The second day of the workshop was devoted to presentations from the private sector, either remotely or in person. Some 7 right holders, representing a variety of brands, presented the essential characteristics of products bearing their trademarks and shared techniques that could be used by Customs officers to detect counterfeit goods at borders.

In addition, other stakeholders, namely the Directorate of Consumer Protection, the National Directorate of Intellectual Property, the Special Prosecutor's Office and the Health Regulatory Agency, were invited to explain to the participants their commitment and strategy to ensure IP protection in Honduras, with the WCO strongly encouraging cooperation between Customs, right holders and other stakeholders to effectively combat IP crime.

At the end of the workshop, participants were able to carry out targeted controls at Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport and the Port of Cortes (or Puerto Cortes) under the guidance of WCO experts. These enabled the participants to put into practice the theoretical concepts they had learned during the workshop. The airport controls resulted in the seizure of counterfeit goods, which was a source of great satisfaction for the participants.

This workshop forms part of the implementation of the WCO IPR Strategy, approved by the Enforcement Committee at its 41st Session, of which capacity-building activities remain one of the core components.

For further details on our activities in the field of IPR protection, please contact us at: IPRteam@wcoomd.org.
To gain an edge, this is what you need to know today.

Benzinga

Holding Cash

Please click here for an enlarged chart of Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B B.

Note the following:

This article is about the big picture, not an individual stock. The chart of BRK.B stock is being used to illustrate the point.

The chart shows Warren Buffetts company BRK.B broke out at the beginning of the year with the rest of the market.

The chart shows that BRK.B has been consolidating in the resistance zone

Buffett has made two important disclosures. Buffett is now holding a record amount of cash, $189B. Buffett reduced his Apple Inc AAPL position by 22% to $135.4B as of March 31, 2024. Buffett was holding $174.3B of AAPL stock at the end of 2023. Buffett appears to have sold about 115M shares or about 13% of his AAPL holdings.

Buffett said, Today things arent attractive. How much cash should you hold? The Arora Report provides this guidance every day in the protection band. Please see the Protection Band And What To Do Now section below.

Buffett also said, Wed love to spend it, but we wont spend it unless we think theyre doing something that has very little risk and can make us a lot of money. This is, in part, also the secret behind The Arora Reports success and popularity among individual investors, investment advisors, and money managers. The Arora Report teaches investors not to rush in and buy just because you have cash. It is to your own benefit to wait for dips in the buy zones and to also not buy when market conditions are not favorable.

In The Arora Report analysis, Buffett chose not to do a major buyback of BRK.B stock because he knows that BRK.B stock, along with the rest of the stock market, is overvalued.

Prudent investors should note the following: Buffett sold a large amount of AAPL stock at a time when he was already holding record cash. Buffett sold AAPL stock in spite of Berkshire having to pay tax on a gain of $11.2B. Even though Buffett sold AAPL stock, he called Apple a better business than Coca-Cola Co KO and American Express Company AXP . Buffett praised Tim Cook as a great manager. Buffett says Apple is a great business and Tim Cook is a great manager, but he sold a lot of Apple stock when he did not need cash. Prudent investors should pay attention to what Buffett did, not what he said. Think about it  if you were still holding a large amount of Apple stock, would you not say positive things about Apple to prop up AAPL stock? As full disclosure, Apple is the largest position in The Arora Report's ZYX Buy Model Portfolio. Since the stock was bought at an average price of $4.68, there are large unrealized gains.

Prudent investors are waiting for remarks by several Fed speakers that are ahead.

The momo crowd is aggressively buying stocks in the early trade based on the weekend pump.

Magnificent Seven Money Flows

In the early trade, money flows are positive in Meta Platforms Inc META, Microsoft Corp MSFT, NVIDIA Corp NVDA, and Tesla Inc TSLA.

In the early trade, money flows are neutral in Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Alphabet Inc Class C GOOG.

In the early trade, money flows are negative in AAPL

In the early trade, money flows are positive in SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY and Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 QQQ.

Momo Crowd And Smart Money In Stocks

The momo crowd is aggressively buying stocks in the early trade. Smart money is inactive in the early trade.

Gold

The momo crowd is buying gold in the early trade. Smart money is inactive in the early trade.

For longer-term, please see gold and silver ratings.

The most popular ETF for gold is SPDR Gold Trust GLD. The most popular ETF for silver is iShares Silver Trust SLV.

Oil

The momo crowd is selling oil in the early trade. Smart money is buying oil in the early trade.

As a full disclosure, there is a new signal to buy oil in The Arora Report's ZYX Buy.

For longer-term, please see oil ratings.

The most popular ETF for oil is United States Oil ETF USO.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin continues to see buying after Fridays jobs report.

Protection Band And What To Do Now

It is important for investors to look ahead and not in the rearview mirror.

Consider continuing to hold good, very long term, existing positions. Based on individual risk preference, consider a protection band consisting of cash or Treasury bills or short-term tactical trades as well as short to medium term hedges and short term hedges. This is a good way to protect yourself and participate in the upside at the same time.

You can determine your protection bands by adding cash to hedges. The high band of the protection is appropriate for those who are older or conservative. The low band of the protection is appropriate for those who are younger or aggressive. If you do not hedge, the total cash level should be more than stated above but significantly less than cash plus hedges.

It is worth reminding that you cannot take advantage of new upcoming opportunities if you are not holding enough cash. When adjusting hedge levels, consider adjusting partial stop quantities for stock positions (non ETF); consider using wider stops on remaining quantities and also allowing more room for high beta stocks. High beta stocks are the ones that move more than the market.

Traditional 60/40 Portfolio

Probability based risk reward adjusted for inflation does not favor long duration strategic bond allocation at this time.

Those who want to stick to traditional 60% allocation to stocks and 40% to bonds may consider focusing on only high quality bonds and bonds of seven year duration or less. Those willing to bring sophistication to their investing may consider using bond ETFs as tactical positions and not strategic positions at this time.
Weber State student accomplishes nursing dream with game-changing hybrid program

May 6, 2024

OGDEN, Utah  Syvanna Murri found family, flexibility and financial aid at Weber State University after being turned away from another institution.

Once a public health major at another university, Murri dreamed of going to nursing school. When her school turned down her application, she wondered if it was the right choice for her.

While Syvanna was trying to get into another nursing program, I advised her to look past her immediate surroundings and look to Weber State, said Rob Holt, enrollment director for the Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing. We house Utahs largest nursing program and the best program in the Intermountain West.

Murris father, a family medicine physician, inspired her healthcare path. He was diagnosed with cancer when Murri was in junior high. Along with seeing her father practice healthcare, she watched nurses and other providers do their best to help him for three years.

My dad provided the best care to his patients. I saw the love his patients had for him. Witnessing this is one of the many things that helped me decide to go into nursing, Murri said.

When she came to Weber State, Murris nursing prerequisites transferred easily. Everything went much better than I expected, she said. Weber State made everything so easy.

Now a newlywed living in Provo, commuting daily to Ogden is out of the question. Thankfully, the nursing programs hybrid option allows Murri to take courses online and travel to Ogden once or twice per week for clinicals using UTA FrontRunner.

Their hybrid program has been a game-changer for me. Not only has it accommodated where I live, but its also been a family for me, Murri said. We all understand where one another is coming from. We have a group chat and encourage each other daily.

Being a newlywed and starting a family also means funds are tight.

Syvanna requested more information about Utah Nurses Foundations grant-in-aid scholarship, said Jodi Waddups, an instructor in the nursing school. I walked her through the process, and she was awarded the scholarship twice.

Murri graduated last month with her registered nursing degree. She recently gave birth to her baby boy and plans to return to WSU to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
After what felt like one of the longest weeks at work this year  yes, I do have a "day job" aside from writing, or more recently complaining, about movies  I was ready to chill and enjoy the latest in an endless stream of mindless superhero flicks. With a beer in one hand and some buttery popcorn at my side, I sat down to watch Madame Web, the most recent entry in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. Only, the infamous web-slinger is nowhere to be found in this 116-minute catastrophe. Yet, we are nonetheless mind-numbingly reminded of its web-like link to the franchise with the cameos of nine-month-pregnant Mary Parker (a terribly bland Emma Roberts) and a soon-to-be-uncle Ben Parker (a meh Adam Scott). Frustratingly, these are not the only examples of filmmakers continuously and blatantly nudging audiences with wink-wink cultural references, like a cobweb of pandering that smacks you in the face with its sticky ickiness.

But before I get ahead of myself, I'm barely sipping my beer and munching on a few popped kernels when I quickly realize that I'm about to watch a strong contender for one of the best worst movies in a long while  the sort of expensive bad movie that potentially could grow into a cult favorite. A few minutes in, I am baffled at seeing a pregnant woman (Kerry Bishe) traveling in the Amazon in search of a mysterious spider with the healing properties that apparently give Cassie Webb (a suitable Dakota Johnson) her mutant psychic powers. And for some bizarre reason, Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim) turns up as the central villain, who later dons a nearly identical black Spider-Man costume that is never explained nor are his abilities (insert a confused face meme here). Seeing Sims in this story, which was conceived by the same people responsible for the equally awful Morbius, has me wondering if they've ever read the Spider-Man comics.

Then, during Sims' betrayal, I'm laughing loudly at the mystifying handheld-style camerawork of S. J. Clarkson in her directorial debut, comically and pointlessly zooming in and out on the actors in what should be a pivotal dramatic exchange. And Clarkson's direction only gets worse as the script jumps thirty years later to find Cassie working as a paramedic alongside Ben. Her directing is further complemented by the obnoxiously amplified teal-orange cinematography of Mauro Fiore (Training Day, Spider-Man: No Way Home), obviously meant to exaggerate the red and blue colors surrounding our supposedly reluctant yet soon-to-be hero. That heroism not-so-subtlety blossoms when Cassie's clairvoyant visions oblige her to save three teenage girls (Sydney Sweeney as Julia Cornwall, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon, and Celeste O'Connor as Mattie Franklin) from Sims' murderous rampage by dumping alone them in . . .

Some random forest in New Jersey? And, as teens are bound to do, draw attention to themselves by awkwardly swaying back and forth  I wouldn't dare call it dancing  atop a table in a diner? For a bunch of teenage boys?

From the script and dialogue to the entire production itself, just about everything is wrong with Madame Web  better enjoyed as an unintentional comedy rather than a genuine superhero actioner. Or as Clarkson would prefer to call this laughable mess, a "psychological thriller." Better still, this dumpster fire is nearly littered with so many familiar superhero movie tropes that it feels more like a satire of the genre, jumping from one hilarious scene to the next even more ridiculous scene. The production is so mediocre and amateurish that it seems made by recent film school graduates, flimsily strung together by practically every gaffe students are typically taught not to overuse. And they clumsily remind the audience every few minutes that this origin story takes place in 2003  just in case you've forgotten. It also features some of the worst, very noticeable ADR work, more stereotypical of a 70s low-budget exploitation flick than a big-budget Hollywood release, earning it my vote for the best laughably bad movie in a long while.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings Madame Web to Blu-ray on Region Free, BD50 disc inside a blue, eco-elite keepcase with a code for a Digital Copy and a glossy cardboard slipcover. After several skippable trailers, viewers are taken to an animated screen with menu options along the bottom, music and full-motion clips.
Young people that are leaving rural Ireland due to a lack of housing and public transport options should be supported, a Mayo European election candidate has insisted.

Saoirse McHugh, an Achill based campaigner, is running in the Midlands North West constituency as an Independent candidate.

The former Green Party member stated invigorating rural communities will mean creating affordable housing and public transport so that young people are able to live, get around and enjoy their lives.

We hear a lot about towns and villages emptying out across Ireland, young people moving to cities or overseas," she said. "The solution is often to try to create more jobs but jobs alone wont cut it unless theres affordable housing and transport options available to people.

Saoirse cited her own experiences on Achill island and called for communities to be proactive in their approach.

Its sad to see schools closing and young people leaving year after year, but in most cases theres no available houses to rent and the only choice is to live at home, which can add its own pressure," she added.

Research by Rural Link revealed that 62% of young people in rural Ireland live at home with their family and cite private transport as their biggest expense, something Saoirse believes has to change.

Ireland is still the most expensive country in the EU to tax and insure a car and its just astronomical for young people.

"Add to this the cost and availability of public transport and you can see how hard it is made.

"Young people want to be able move around, get to work or college and see their friends, if they cant do that theyll soon get fed up and want to leave.

While Saoirse acknowledges there has been some progress on public transport in recent years, she stated it does not go far enough and must be part of a wholesale plan.

Employment, housing and transport must go hand in hand if we are to have a quality of life for young people in rural areas.

"Theres a lot the EU can do on transport and housing policy to facilitate and fund this and I think it would also be great to see communities lead the process, identify their particular housing opportunities and transport needs and guide the policy makers.

"We hear a lot about the death of rural Ireland from certain politicians but they never seem to mention the things that are really hurting us," she concluded.
"An Indian without land loses his soul."

In a nutshell, that's the crux of Devil's Doorway, a little-known yet deeply affecting Western that searingly examines racism in post-Civil War Wyoming and starkly depicts the manipulation and marginalization of Native Americans by greedy, corrupt, and bigoted white men. This sober, somber movie, directed with insight and empathy by Anthony Mann, tackles a shameful subject with uncompromising grit. Watching the drama play out is often a wrenching experience, largely because the shockwaves the era produced continue to reverberate today.

Robert Taylor stars in arguably his most offbeat role as Lance Poole, a highly decorated Civil War soldier who returns to his hometown after the fighting has ended, but doesn't get the hero's welcome a Medal of Honor designee deserves. The reason? He's a member of the tight-knit Shoshone tribe and his family owns a large parcel of lucrative land nearby...land the smug, prejudiced men who run the town would love to seize.

Five years later they get their chance. Lance has become a wealthy cattle baron, but attorney Verne Coolan (Louis Calhern), who reviles him, promises to enact a law that allows homesteaders to claim Native American acreage as their own. Lance vows never to vacate his ranch and turns to the town's only other lawyer for help. That lawyer, much to Lance's surprise, is a woman. Orrie Masters (Paula Raymond) is sympathetic to Lance's plight and hopes to negotiate a compromise, but as townsman Zeke Carmody (Edgar Buchanan) bluntly opines, "An Indian ain't got no more rights than a dog." A violent showdown looms, but Lance refuses to back down and force his people to face confinement on a reservation.

Devil's Doorway was one of the first movies to champion the Native American cause and cast aspersions on the ruthless takeover of their land. Along with Broken Arrow, which was released the same year (and has sadly overshadowed Devil's Doorway ever since), it also broke ground by humanizing Native Americans and portraying them as something other than violent, marauding savages. Mann, who would continue to bring substance and modern sensibilities to the western genre throughout the 1950s, mined similar territory in the previous year's Border Incident, another racially charged film that brutally exposes the complex issues facing migrant workers in contemporary California.

The script by Guy Trosper, who would adapt Birdman of Alcatraz for the screen a dozen years later, paints an uncompromising portrait of an impossible situation and the innocent, persecuted victims caught in the maelstrom. The irony of a Native American soldier who fights against prejudice and oppression only to experience them firsthand in his own backyard is devastating. Orrie tries to help, but like so many bleeding hearts she won't get her hands dirty enough to make a difference. In addition to racism, Devil's Doorway also touches upon sexism, and while I hoped Orrie would rise up against the domineering men determined to quash the Native American spirit, her steadfast loyalty to the law - no matter how repugnant - and blithe acceptance of the fact that she's a woman living in a man's world are more realistic reactions.

Devil's Doorway pre-dates Killers of the Flower Moon by almost 75 years, but the two films explore similar themes. Racism and sexism aside, both examine the insidious nature of white greed and festering resentment that stems from minority success and affluence. Though it's evident early on that Devil's Doorway will end badly for Lance and his people, we're not prepared for the powerful imagery of the denouement. Mann is a master at depicting lone wolves who fight against a corrupt system and refuse to back down even when the deck is stacked against them, and he's at his best here.

It's always tough to accept Hollywood stars portraying characters of a different race, but it was common practice during the Golden Age. Though Devil's Doorway earns points for employing a few Native American actors (most notably Chief John Big Tree in his final film role as Lance's father), casting Taylor as a Native American is a stretch. I suppose the dark makeup he dons was necessary to emphasize the racial divide between Lance and Orrie that prevents them from acting upon their mutual attraction (though they come shockingly close, at least for 1950), but the fact is Taylor doesn't need it. He puts his heart and soul into Lance, filing an impassioned performance that hammers home the movie's messages. Taylor can be wooden at worst and bland at best, but he rises to the occasion here.

James Mitchell, who had just portrayed a Mexican in Mann's Border Incident, takes on another ethnic part as Lance's right-hand man, and such fine supporting actors as Calhern, Buchanan, Marshall Thompson, Rhys Williams, and Spring Byington contribute colorful work. Raymond is adequate as Orrie, but an actress with more gumption and maybe a slight chip on her shoulder would have better served the film and generated more heat with Taylor.

Devil's Doorway may be unheralded, but it's a shame it has flown under the radar for so many years. Hopefully this Blu-ray release from Warner Archive will give this well-crafted, important western the attention and respect it has long deserved.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Devil's Doorway arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.
Click the photo and watch the video.

The warm spring of Beijing welcomed a group of high school students from France. Although the five-day journey was short, an idea gradually took root in almost everyone's mind: come back one day.

Just like 13 years ago, their alumni, Marie Derien. She said that France gave her life, while China filled her life with colors.

She launched a "Handshake Project" on Chinese social media for those French students, which unexpectedly, received heart-warming blessings from all over China.

(Source: Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Sunday that he hopes China and France will light up their way forward with the torch of history, open a brighter future of China-France relations and make new contributions to world peace, stability and development.

Xi made the remarks in a written speech upon his arrival here for a state visit to France.

He said during the visit, he will have an in-depth exchange of views with French President Emmanuel Macron on growing China-France and China-Europe relations under the new circumstances as well as major international and regional issues in the world today.

"I hope this visit will help cement our long-standing friendship, enhance political trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields," he said, adding that it is a great pleasure to begin his third state visit to the French Republic at the invitation of Macron.

Back in 2014 and 2019, Xi paid two visits to France, both in spring, to celebrate the 50th and 55th anniversaries of diplomatic relations together with the people of France.

"As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, I have a strong sense of deja vu when setting foot again on the soil of your beautiful country. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I wish to take this opportunity to extend our warmest greetings and best wishes to the French government and people," Xi said.

As important representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France have a long history of mutual appreciation and admiration, said Xi.

French Enlightenment thinkers turned to study Chinese culture centuries ago, and great French thinkers and writers such as Voltaire, Diderot, Hugo and Balzac have been household names in China, he added.

He also noted that 60 years ago, the two countries broke through Cold War blocs and established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

In the 60 years since, the bilateral relations have always stayed abreast of China's relations with Western countries, setting a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, said Xi.

In recent years, the relationship between China and France has risen to new heights, and the two countries keep making new progress in cooperation on aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, agrifood and green development, Xi said.

He said that the two countries enjoy close coordination and cooperation on climate response, biodiversity protection and global governance, adding that activities of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism are unfolding across the board.

"A growing China-France relationship not only brings benefits to both peoples, but also provides stability and positive energy to the turbulent world," Xi said.

The Chinese president was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport and warmly welcomed by overseas Chinese upon arrival.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. [Xinhua/Ding Lin]

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. [Xinhua/Ding Lin]

People welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. [Xinhua/Lu Ye]

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

(Source: Xinhua)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. [Xinhua/Ding Lin]

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua)  As Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Paris on Sunday for a state visit to France, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal greeted him at the airport with "Nihao," hello in Chinese.

Chinese and French national flags flutter in the wind at the airport as the French side rolled out red carpet for the Chinese leader. A team of high-level French government representatives headed by Attal were waiting for Xi's arrival. This diplomatic protocol arrangement shows that the French side attaches great importance to the visit.

It is Xi's third state visit to France, and his first trip to Europe in nearly five years. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations.

When Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, stepped out of the cabin, they waved to the welcoming crowds.

As Xi walked down the gangway, Attal stepped forward, and said "Nihao" to the Chinese leader.

Attal and Xi walked and chatted as he accompanied the Chinese leader to the limousine.

He told Xi that he once visited China when he was a lawmaker. "I studied Chinese for one year," he said.

"You speak very well, very standard. Welcome to China for a visit," Xi said with a smile.

The Chinese leader is also an enthusiast of French culture, who developed a keen interest in French history, philosophy, literature and art in his youth.

"France holds a special fascination for us Chinese," Xi said in a signed article published Sunday in French media Le Figaro.

(Source: Xinhua)
Drolma, a delegate to the 13th National Women's Congress of China (held in October 2023), and also president of Xizang Association for Women's Development, is committed to fulfilling corporate social responsibilities, fostering the development of talents in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, and helping women in the region acquire technical skills and increase incomes through entrepreneurship.

Drolma left home when she was 13 and she attended a special class for Tibetan students, established as part of the country's initiative to provide intellectual assistance to students from Xizang.

Drolma found a job in a Beijing-based enterprise of Tibetan medicine, after she graduated from the Peking University Law School in 2007. Later, she played her role in assisting the company in bringing its Tibetan medicine brand to a wider market.

When she was pregnant, at 36, Drolma quit her job in Beijing, returned to Xizang and started her own business.

Drolma's company provides enterprises and organizations with management consulting, data survey and career empowerment services.

The company has more than 30 employees, nearly 65 percent of whom are women and 75 percent of whom are Tibetan graduates of prestigious universities. Statistics show that 32 percent of them have 10-plus years of working experiences and 7 percent of them have overseas study experiences.

The company has widely provided consulting services to enhance employees' sense of happiness, has helped local companies design performance-based salary mechanism, conducted inspection tours to Lhasa (capital of Xizang) to learn about healthcare and nursing services for the elderly and give suggestions to improve community-based nursing care, as well as provided employment support to Tibetan graduates.

Additionally, Drolma's company has helped Xizang Women's Federation and Lhasa Women's Federation in further bolstering the development and employment of disadvantaged women and families in the countryside, by signing orders with around 300 handicrafts makers and purchasing their products worth a combined 1.4 million yuan (US $197,183).

In 2022, Drolma was selected as a member of the Standing Committee of Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). In 2023, she served as a part-time vice-president of the Xizang Federation of Trade Unions and a delegate to the 13th National Women's Congress.

Drolma said that she will shoulder a greater responsibility and make utmost efforts to advance the development of her business, and meanwhile, to support more women in Xizang so they will give full play to their potentials in the new era.

(Sources: Women Voice and Xizang Women/Translated by Women of China)


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A483 reopens following full closure due to police incident

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 6th, 2024

Update: The road has now reopened in both directions. No further official update has been made.

Original information below:

Traffic has been stopped between Junctions 4 and 5 on the A483 this afternoon (5pm) due to a police incident.

Nearby roads off the bypass are also closed near Berse Road.

North Wales Police have said ongoing incident, emergency services at scene dealing, expect delays.

A483 close Northbound at Junction 4 Ruthin Road Wrexham. No access Northbound at Junction 4. pic.twitter.com/5bvCYxtU2w  David Kelly (@JaguarBreaker) May 6, 2024

More shortly.
Wrexham Council looking for children from Armed Forces families for D-Day Anniversary Event

This article is old - Published: Monday, May 6th, 2024

Wrexham Council is looking for children from Armed Forces families to take part in a special event to mark the 80th anniversary of the D Day Landings.

The Friends of Bellevue Park, in partnership with Wrexham Council, are marking the historic event on June 6 with a commemorative event.

This will include a service of remembrance at St Giles Parish Church, a march through the city centre and a wreath laying service at the NVA Memorial at Bodhyfryd.

The service will start at 12:30pm with the march from the church to Bodhyfryd commencing at 1:15pm.

Friends of Bellevue Park and Wrexham Council are now appealing for children from Armed Forces families to take part and hold one of the eighteen flags of the nations.

The Military Associations in Wrexham will parade with their Standards on this memorial to those that fought on the beaches of Normandy.

It is planned that an archway with the flags will be created as everyone leaves the church to join the parade.

Armed forces champion, Cllr Beverly Parry Jones said: Wrexham has always had strong links with the Military, so its important for us to remember the sacrifices of the past, and also acknowledge the sacrifices of current serving Military personnel and their families.

If you would like to get involved or know more, please email us at AFCC@wrexham.gov.uk .
More than 200 people were detained across Turkey after the May Day demonstrations, while 49 people were arrested and sent to prison in Istanbul.

Five demonstrators were arrested for previously protesting against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government's collaboration with Israel in the NATO-backed genocide in Gaza.

One Thousand Youth for Palestine and Youth Committees groups protest the detention of their friends in front of Caglayan Courthouse in Istanbul [Photo: komiteler X/Twitter]

The Socialist Equality Group of Turkey and the World Socialist Web Site condemns this police state repression and calls for the release of those arrested. They are part of efforts to crush the growing social opposition around the world to the genocide in Gaza, imperialist war and attacks on working class conditions.

In Istanbul, flouting a ruling by the Constitutional Court, the government and the governor's administration had illegally banned celebrations in Taksim Square and declared a de facto state of emergency. Despite this, tens of thousands of people gathered around Taksim, demanding that the historic May Day square be opened for celebrations. The demonstrators were blocked by riot police and dispersed by violent police action.

The governor of Istanbul, Davut Gul, said in a vengeful statement: No crime goes unpunished. 210 people have been arrested. The state may leave its reaction for tomorrow, but it will not let them get away with it.

Youth Committees group stated that 5 of our comrades who were detained on the morning of 1 May when they said Taksim cannot be closed to the people! were arrested for exposing collaboration with the Zionists.

The group One Thousand Youth for Palestine issued a statement on X/Twitter:

5 of our friends have been arrested for saying that relations with the Zionists should be cut. Our friends who tirelessly raise the voice of the Intifada are our honour. We call on all friends of Palestine for solidarity. Our struggle will continue until Palestine is free from the river to the sea. #ThecrimeiscollaborationwithIsrael.

Erdogan, who rejected widespread calls to cut ties with Israel and continues to keep open US-NATO bases, has been exposed as a pro-imperialist and pro-Zionist politician in the midst of the genocide in Gaza.

On April 9, Erdogan's government was forced to impose restrictions on Turkish-Israeli trade, and last week it announced the suspension of exports and imports with Israel until the Israeli government allows the uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Socialist Equality Group issued a statement on X/Twitter on Sunday strongly condemning the arrest of 38 people for exercising their democratic right to celebrate #MayDay in Taksim Square and called on all workers and youth to demand the release of those arrested and detained.

Regarding the Erdogan government's cooperation with Israel, the statement said: Allowing trade with Israel, which has been subjecting the Palestinians to genocide since October, until a few days ago, maintaining all relations with this country, keeping open the bases in Turkey of Israel's main supporters, the United States and NATO, are undeniable proof of complicity with genocide.

The statement continued:

Erdogan is preparing to meet with US President Biden, who fully supports Israel and the genocide, in Washington. Germany's President Steinmeier, another major imperialist supporter of Israel, was received in Istanbul at the end of April by both Istanbul Governor Davut Gul and CHP Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. In the meantime, pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting against Steinmeier were attacked by police.

This shows that the alliance with US-NATO imperialism and Israel is the common strategic orientation of the ruling class and its main parties.

It is noteworthy that the arrests took place after the meeting on May 2 between the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, and the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Erdogan, in which Erdogan signalled a softening of political tensions.

After the meeting Erdogan said, I also told Mr. Ozel that I would pay a return visit at the first opportunity. Turkey needs this. Turkish politics needs this. I want to start the process of softening politics in Turkey by realizing this visit at the first opportunity. We will take this step.

This softening should be seen as a warning to the working class, as it means that the ruling class is closing ranks. It exposes the pseudo-left tendencies that supported the CHP as a progressive alternative to the Erdogan government in last year's presidential elections and this year's local elections.

The pseudo-left parties have persistently supported the CHP, which has proved to be openly pro-imperialist with its support for NATO expansion, has fuelled anti-refugee sentiment and signed a protocol with the fascist Victory Party against refugees and Kurds.

This anti-working class role of the CHP was manifested in the recent May Day celebrations. The CHP and its trade union allies DISK and KESK tried to pose as democrats and rally opposition behind themselves by calling for the opening of Taksim for the May Day celebrations. But the CHP and the trade union bureaucracy soon called for dispersal and left the meeting area, leaving the remaining demonstrators to face the riot police.

All the parties of the ruling class, despite their tactical differences, agree on the policy of war and genocide, attacks on the working class and the destruction of democratic rights, including freedom of expression.

This is an international phenomenon. Mass protests by US college students against the genocide in Gaza are facing a police crackdown supported by both Democrats and Republicans. Thousands of students marched at graduation ceremonies across the US over the weekend, bravely defying police state repression.

More than 2,300 people have been arrested and criminally charged over the past two weeks for holding non-violent protests at US campuses to demand an end to the deliberate slaughter and starvation of civilians in Gaza, mainly women and children.

In Ukraine, the Zelensky regime, acting as a proxy in the US-NATO war against Russia, is carrying out a violent crackdown on left-wing movements whose opposition to the war is finding growing resonance among the Ukrainian working class. This repression includes the arrest of Bogdan Syrotiuk, a socialist opponent of the reactionary war between the Ukrainian and Russian oligarchic regimes and supporter of the International Committee of the Fourth International, by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in his hometown of Pervomaisk in southern Ukraine on Thursday 25 April.

As the Socialist Equality Group said in its statement, workers and youth must reject all parties allied to imperialism and Zionism. The only social force that can stop imperialist war and genocide and defend democratic rights is the working class, which must be mobilised on the basis of an international socialist programme.
As of May 1, hospitals in the United States are no longer required to report on hospitalizations from COVID-19 or influenza within their facilities to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This act amounts to a final step in the dismantling of all tracking of the COVID pandemic.

Protesters hold placards outside the COVID Inquiry at Dorland House in London, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. [AP Photo/Frank Augstein]

As has often been the case throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC is choosing to implement this policy shift during a lull in rates of infections and hospitalizations across the country. It is part and parcel of the CDCs overall strategy to further conceal the real state of the pandemic and of respiratory pathogens in general.

Just two months ago, the CDC issued guidelines urging people who are actively infectious with COVID-19 to return to schools and workplaces. These policy changes have absolutely no basis in public health principles and undermine the safety of the population.

On their National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) page updated on April 29, the CDC wrote, Effective May 1 hospitals are no longer required to report Hospital Respiratory Pathogen, Bed Capacity, and Supply Data (i.e., COVID-19 Hospital data) to HHS through NHSN.

However, immediately following this statement, they then dubiously slipped in a face-saving suggestion: The COVID-19-related data reporting is important in supporting surveillance of, and response to, COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. Given the value of these data for patient safety and public health, CDC strongly encourages ongoing, voluntary reporting of the data through NHSN. [Emphasis in original CDC document]

Moving forward, information on the number of adults and children admitted to hospitals, whether these were confirmed or suspected cases of COVID or influenza, and if they were severe enough to require care in an ICU setting, will become opaque.

This will have significant implications for patients with their health insurance companies or Medicare. The termination of the COVID public health emergency (PHE) declaration exactly one year ago has resulted in over 20 million Americans being disenrolled from Medicaid to date.

The ending of the reporting mandate on COVID-19 will also raise the threat posed by the widespread infection of the highly pathogenic avian flu (H5N1) among dairy cattle and its potential spread into human populations. This danger has been spelt out in many recent scientific publications by those raising the demand for more transparency and sharing of information with the public.

Although the necessary viral evolution for sustained human-to-human transmission of H5N1 is lacking, and many assert the risk of such a development in the near future remains low, some have correctly postulated that the continued spread of the virus globally means the virus will have ample opportunities to hit on the right combination eventually.

Speaking with Science, Dr. Mathilde Richards, a virologist at Erasmus Medical Center, said of the ongoing bird pandemic that has infected close to 40 different mammalian species, This is the threat thats going to keep knocking at our door until it will indeed, I assume, cause a pandemic. Because there is no way back.

Among the most important lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that society must invest in and prepare to identify the threat of future pandemics, preventing them altogether or extinguishing outbreaks quickly through comprehensive public health measures. Preventive measures include protecting ecosystems and scientifically managing urbanization, which require financial resources to renovate infrastructure and supply sufficient personnel for public health agencies and health systems to prioritize pandemic preparedness.

There must be in place the complex logistics systems that can address material supplies such as PPE, and medical therapeutics like vaccine research, production, and distribution. Communication networks and collaborative research capabilities must be in place to immediately address any outbreak in any part of the world. Furthermore, these require a coordinated global network that works not at the behest of rival nation-states, but the international working class as a whole.

Yet, as evidenced by last weeks bipartisan inquisition of Dr. Peter Daszak, president of the non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, science and truth has become a casualty of the intense geopolitical tensions and rivalry that are rapidly devolving into World War III.

Indeed, science and reason, because they insist on an honest inquiry to guide social developments and refuse to obey the diktats of the imperialist warmongers, are seen as threats by these dangerous political buffoons. From their perspective, Daszaks principled and courageous defense of his work and the science of the pandemic in the service of global populations, must be derided and criminalized as it undermines the imperial aims of the US and EU.

Based on SARS-CoV-2 wastewater data, at present COVID-19 is estimated to be at its lowest level in nine months, according to modeling by Dr. Michael Hoerger from Tulane School of Medicine. There were approximately 390,000 COVID infections per day in mid-April, with rates expected to remain stable over the next several weeks. However, even these lows are higher than at any point after the winter waves in the preceding four years. Notably, in the first week of April, 573 people officially succumbed to their COVID infection in the US alone.

The complete scrapping of all mitigation measures has allowed SARS-CoV-2 to continue evolving unimpeded. Although sequencing data remains limited, the KP.2 (JN.1.11.1.2) lineage of Omicron (24.9 percent of sequences) has now outpaced JN.1 (22 percent) as the dominant variant in the US. It has been rapidly spreading since April 2024. What makes the latest variant problematic, as noted by work performed by Dr. Kei Sato at Sato Lab in Japan, is that in a neutralization test using XBB.1.5 vaccine serum and convalescent serum from breakthrough infections of XBB.1.5, EG.5.1, HK.3, and JN.1, KP.2 showed higher neutralizing antibody resistance than JN.1.

Dr. Sato and colleagues noted in their preprint study, KP.2 shows the most significant resistance to the sera of monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccine without infections (3.1-fold) as well as those with infection (1.8-fold). Altogether, these results suggest that the increased immune resistance ability of KP.2 partially contributes to the higher reproductive number more than previous variants including JN.1.

J. Weiland, an infectious disease modeler and scientist, and also an important resource in providing real-time information on the state of the COVID pandemic in the US, wrote on his social media account on Wednesday, Today marks the first day that US hospitals are no longer required to report on COVID hospital admissions, occupied beds, etc. It makes my job harder, and these changes will lead to a less informed public.

Weiland added, Forecasting has already become more difficult with the significant decline in sequencing data. Globally, we are doing three times less sequencing than last year and 16 times less than two years ago. Fewer data equals more uncertainty in forecasts.

Modelers like Weiland rely on hospital and sequencing data to cross-check the data they obtain from wastewater and assist them in understanding the current situation and what is in store for the future of the pandemic.

In this regard, the widespread outbreak of the bird flu among US dairy cattle becomes ominous. There is very limited data being shared with scientists and the public on the real state of the epidemic among bovines and their handlers.

Although there has been only one recent documented infection with H5N1 in a dairy worker, epidemiologist Gregory Gray of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, an expert on respiratory infections among people who work with animals, told NPR that he suspects the true numbers to be higher based on comments made to him by veterinarians, farm owners and workers.

Gray said, We know that some of the workers sought medical care for influenza-like illness and conjunctivitis at the same time the H5N1 was ravaging the dairy farms. I dont have a way to measure that, but it seems biologically plausible that they too are suffering from the virus.

What concerns Gray most is that the virus could spread to pigs, who may not manifest severe illness. He stated, The virus can just churn, make many copies of itself and the probability of spilling over to those workers is much greater.

In the same report, Jessica Leibler, environmental epidemiologist at Boston University School of Public Health, said, If the idea was to try to identify where there was spillover from these facilities to human populations, youd want to try to test as many workers as possible. She called for broader testing of workers and their families in the event the virus evolves to transmit easily among people.

This is more than just a hypothetical scenario that can simply be ignored. The major pandemics of the modern era have been influenza pandemics. Despite the repeated attempts to assure the public, including a crass and objectionable opinion piece from leading COVID minimizer Leana Wen in the Washington Post, health systems are in a worse position four years into the COVID pandemic and are totally unprepared for the next pandemic, whether it is H5N1 or another pathogen.

With a case fatality rate of roughly 50 percent, an airborne H5N1 virus spreading quickly among the population would make the COVID-19 pandemic seem like childs play. Any claim that vaccines and medical therapeutics would find their way into public hands in short order are simply lies.

The international working class must recognize that all attacks on scientists and public health represent an assault on their rights to a safe and healthy environment. The fight for socialism and against imperialist war also means a fight for a socialist public health program and an emphasis on the necessity of science and reason to shape social consciousness.
The brutal attack on Social Democrat Member of the European Parliament Matthias Ecke in Dresden shows just how far right-wing extremist terror has progressed in Germany.

The 41-year-old Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician, who is once again running for the European Parliament, was attacked and beaten to the point of hospitalisation by four young men late on Friday evening as he was putting up election posters in the Striesen district of Dresden, Saxony. He sustained serious head injuries and had to undergo surgery. Shortly before, the same group is suspected of attacking and injuring a 28-year-old Green Party campaign worker.

All indications are that the attackers were right-wing extremists. A witness confirmed this. The police kept a low profile. Although a 17-year-old youth accompanied by his mother contacted them the following night and confessed to the offence, they did not comment on the motive for the attack. They released the teenager, saying there was no danger of him going into hiding. He had apparently refused to give the names of his accomplices. According to press reports, the police are still searching for persons unknown.

The attack on Ecke was preceded by a significant increase in right-wing extremist violence. In Saxony alone, there were 248 right-wing motivated attacks last year, 21 percent more than in 2022. At least 380 victims were affected. The fact that politicians from Chancellor Scholzs party, the SPD, are now also being brutally attacked shows that the right-wing extremist thugs will stop at nothing.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) condemns the attack on Ecke. In a video recorded on the fringes of a demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Gregor Kahl, who is standing for the SGP in the European elections, says: The SGP condemns the violent right-wing extremist attack on Ecke and members of the Green Party in the strongest possible terms. The fact that the fascists can act so aggressively shows how far the fascist danger has progressed in Germany.

The attack on the SPD politician raises the question: How could it come to this?

The political responsibility for the arrogant behaviour of the far right lies with the governing partiesthe SPD, Greens and Liberal Democrats (FDP), who form the federal government in Germany, and the Christian Democrats (CDU), Greens and SPD who form the state government in Saxony. They have covered up and strengthened the extreme right, adopted its policies to a large extent and normalised social barbarism.

The federal government is investing huge sums in armaments to make Germany fit for war again; and is working in Ukraine with an ultra-right regime that bans socialist parties and worships Nazi collaborators, and insists on defeating Russia militarily, even if it means risking a nuclear war. The German government takes brutal action against anyone who protests against the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. In terms of refugee policy, it has completely adopted the policy of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). And in terms of social policy, it is working with the trade unions to reduce real wages and social benefits, while the wealth of the rich is exploding.

In this climate of social and political reaction, the political heirs of Hitler now thrive. They can also present themselves as the only opposition because the Left Partywhich holds the state prime ministership in neighbouring Thuringiasupports government policy on all key issues. And, like the Left Party split-off Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), competes with the AfD for the most reactionary anti-refugee policy.

Saxony has long been notorious as a hotbed of right-wing violence under the regime of the CDU, which the SPD has served as a coalition partner for 10 years. A trail of right-wing extremist scandals runs through the police and judiciary. The fascist National Socialist Underground (NSU) trio of murderers were able to operate out of here undisturbed for years. When a right-wing extremist mob raged in Chemnitz in 2018, it was not only defended by the head of the domestic secret service, Hans-Georg Maaen, who lost his office as a result, but also by Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU), who is still in office.

Now, leading representatives of the SPD and the Greens express outrage at the attack on Ecke and are calling for the police to be strengthened. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has called a special conference of state interior ministers for Tuesday to discuss tough action. SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil is urging an unequivocal response from the constitutional state.

However, the establishment of a police state does not weaken the right-wing extremists, it strengthens them. The police are themselves permeated by right-wing extremist networks. Police officers in Saxony receive their baptism of fire when they beat up left-wing demonstrators in Leipzig. In some cases, they also work directly with right-wing extremists.

Solidarity demonstration for Matthias Ecke on May 5 in Berlin

Solidarity demonstrations for Matthias Ecke took place in Dresden and Berlin on Sunday. According to the organisers, around 3,000 people attended in Dresden and 1,000 in Berlin. They were mainly SPD and Green Party officials and members and people close to them.

Speakers in Dresden included SPD Chairwoman Saskia Esken, Saxonys Economics Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) and Bundestag (federal parliament) Vice-President Katrin Goring-Eckardt (Greens). CDU representatives, such as former Saxony and Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, also attended the rally.

Speakers in Berlin included SPD Chairman Lars Klingbeil, SPD General Secretary Kevin Kuhnert, Green Party Co-chairs Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour, Green Party politician and Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer, as well as the Minister Presidents of Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, Michael Kretschmer and Hendrik Wust (both CDU).

The speakers spouted hollow phrases about the unity of all democrats and blamed the AfD for the growing violence but uttered not a syllable about their own reactionary role. With their right-wing and dictatorial policies, they have created the basis for the far right and deliberately built up the AfD and the fascist networks in order to suppress any opposition to their pro-war policy and devastating social cuts. This will not change even after the attack on Ecke.

Only the building of an independent movement of the international working class that combines the fight against fascism with the fight against war, social inequality and for a socialist programme can stop the right-wing danger. This goal is at the centre of the European election campaign of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei.
Pro-Israel thugs assault anti-genocide protesters with wooden clubs at UCLA early Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in Los Angeles. [AP Photo/Ethan Swope]

In response to last Wednesdays police-abetted Zionist/fascist assault on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Palestine Solidarity encampment on May 1, UAW Local 4811 announced that it would be holding a strike authorization vote. Local 4811 covers 48,000 graduate students at campuses across the state of California.

The vicious assault at UCLA, the New York Times wrote on May 3, ebbed and flowed for nearly five hours, mostly with little or no police intervention. Despite hours of video footage showing pro-Israel/genocide thugs using chemical sprays and fireworks as weapons against the encampment, as of Friday, the Times admitted, no arrests had been made in connection with the attack.

In its statement announcing the strike authorization vote, the UAW 4811 Executive Board wrote that armed ... counter-protesters attacked the encampment, which included members of UAW 4811. These members, the union wrote, were hit with sticks, pelted with bottles and fireworks and doused with bear spray.

It continued:



At an emergency executive board meeting this morning, our unions leadership voted to hold a strike authorization vote as early as next week to give the Executive Board authority to call a strike if circumstances justify: should the university decide to curtail the right to participate in protected, concerted activity; discriminate against union members or political viewpoints; and create or allow threats to members health and safety, among others, UAW 4811 members will take any and all actions necessary to enforce our rights.

In an interview with the Times, Rafael Jaime, co-president of Local 4811, confirmed the union plans to file unfair labor practice charges against UCLA, essentially accusing the school of discriminating against pro-Palestinian speech by allowing the right-wing rampage on May 1.

The decision is in response to the enormous anger among rank-and-file union members to the police crackdown being carried out by both parties across the country. Among the rank and file, there is growing support for a nationwide strike by both campus workers and industrial workers, including hundreds of thousands of autoworkers in the factories.

The World Socialist Web Site welcomes and encourages this sentiment. Last week, it published a statement by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) calling for national and international strike action to force an end to the police crackdown and to the genocide.

UAW bureaucracy backs Genocide Joe

However, while Local 4811 has been compelled to call a strike vote, the UAW bureaucracy is already stalling for time. In the days since the announcement, it has not yet even said when the vote will begin. Even still, the statement added all sorts of hedges and conditions against actually calling a strike unless circumstances justify. It has also yet to clarify whether a strike would take place across the entire University of California system or just at UCLA.

In reality, all conditions which Local 4811 referred to in its statement have already been met many times over. There is no legitimate reason for this delay, especially given the outcome of the strike vote is a foregone conclusion. Many graduate students have already voted with their feet by participating in the encampments themselves.

In a statement published Sunday on Twitter/X, the Socialist Equality Partys vice presidential candidate Jerry White said: Not only should the 48,000 members of Local 4811 take immediate strike action to shut the UC campuses and protect the rights of students to oppose the US-backed slaughter in Gaza, but the entire 400,000-strong UAW membership, including workers in auto and defense plants must join them.

Everything depends on the initiative of the rank and file. If the UAW continues to stall, grad students and autoworkers must organize their own rank-and-file strike vote and begin preparations for walkouts anyway by forming rank-and-file strike committees in every workplace.

The reason for the UAWs delay is the bureaucracys open support for Genocide Joe Biden, who is directing the crackdowns from the White House. UAW President Shawn Fain has made appearances with Biden five times since last November and has wholly adopted his pro-war rhetoric. This includes the slogan Arsenal of Democracy, which Fain has had printed out on sweaters and t-shirts, which Biden uses to mean that American workers must build aircraft carriers and tanks.

Although the UAW has adopted a toothless ceasefire resolution, written by his Democratic Socialists of America advisers, Shawn Fain and Co. have blocked strikes at General Dynamics, Allison Transmission and other corporations that build weapons for Israel, Ukraine and other US client states, White continued.

While delaying any meaningful action, the UAW has taken charge of suppressing workers voices. At their political action convention earlier this year, the union, over the objection of workers, endorsed Genocide Joe, for president. When workers at the convention objected, they were thrown out.

This endorsement, which was made over the heads of the rank and file, must be rescinded, he said.

Local 4811 officials let cops into UCLA encampment

This extends from the UAWs top officials in Detroit down to the locals. Video has emerged from the police sweep at UCLA on May 2 showing that the reason the police were able to quickly breach the barriers constructed by protesters is because UAW 4811 officials, who had been designated as security, simply let the cops in.

Denouncing this betrayal, Twitter user @afropessimisitc wrote, So it turns out that LAPD was able to enter the back of the encampment via Tongva steps because our spineless ass @uaw_4811 leadership let them! They performatively posed as encampment security and chaotically ordered the human barricade to disperse. Everyone involved must resign.

He added that these spineless cowards sold out their own members to the ... cops! Weve been saying that theyre cops ever since they bowed down to the UC during the strike but never would I have imagined that they would make it so easy for the police to arrest their own members. Wow.

LA-based cop-watcher, William Gude, who was at the encampment Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, confirmed that before the UAW officials allowed police through the barricade, They made a big fuss demanding I leave the steps. Said me standing on the steps puts peoples lives at risk. I [kid] you not.

The UAWs support for war is connected with sellouts of major struggles by the working class on behalf of US capitalism. This includes the six-week graduate student strike across the UC system a year and a half ago, which they shut down before workers had achieved any of their demands using underhanded methods. Last years auto contract, which Fainand Bidenhailed as a historic victory, has led to thousands of layoffs, and it has emerged now that the union quietly agreed to remove restrictions on forced overtime.

Responding to the revelations about the UAWs role at UCLA, Jerry White said: All UAW officials involved in police sweeps at UCLA or any other university, and every UAW official who aids in suppressing workers democratic rights, including the right to protest, should be brought up on charges and expelled from the union.

As the last seven months have shown, appeals to the university or government to defend free speech and end the genocide are less than useless, he concluded. The defense of democratic rights is a class question. It is only through the mobilization of the working class on a socialist program and perspective, independent of all capitalist parties, that rights won in previous eras can be defended and expanded upon today.




A meeting of members of the Committee for Public Education (CFPE), the rank-and-file educators network in Australia, last night called for urgent action by educators to demand the immediate release by the fascistic Ukrainian regime of Bogdan Syrotiuk, a socialist anti-war leader.

In moving the resolution, CFPE convenor Sue Phillips warned that Syrotiuks life was in danger in the notorious Ukrainian prison system after being fraudulently charged with undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine and serving the interests of Russia.

The meeting voted unanimously to support the call issued by the World Socialist Web Site and the International Committee for workers and students to sign the online petition, post statements and pass resolutions demanding his freedom.

The resolution, published below, notes that Bogdan Syrotiuk is a leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist youth organisation active in Ukraine and throughout the rest of the former Soviet Union, fighting for a unified struggle of Ukrainian and Russian workers against the reactionary war of the regimes in Kiev and Moscow

In another resolution, also published below, the meeting unanimously endorsed the statement issued last week by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) for workers everywhere to take action against the violent police-state crackdown on the university protests across the US and internationally against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

We urge all our readers to circulate these resolutions as widely as possible and bring these campaigns to the attention of your co-workers and fellow students.

Free Bogdan Syrotiuk!

The Committee for Public Education, the rank-and-file educators network in Australia, calls on all teachers, school and university staff and students to urgently support the global campaign to demand the release of Bogdan Syrotiuk.

Bogdan Syrotiuk in mid-April 2024.

A socialist opponent of the fascistic Zelensky dictatorship and the NATO-instigated Ukraine-Russia war, he was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, on April 25 in his hometown of Pervomaisk in southern Ukraine.

Bogdan, 25, is a young leader in the fight for a unified struggle of Ukrainian and Russian workers against the reactionary war of the regimes in Kiev and Moscow. He faces trumped-up charges of undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine and serving the interests of Russia. His life is in immediate danger in a prison system where torture and abuse are rife, even according to the US State Department.

The Ukrainian regimes attempt to depict Syrotiuk as a supporter of the Putin regime and its invasion of Ukraine is completely bogus. He is a leading member of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist youth organisation active in Ukraine and throughout the rest of the former Soviet Union. The YGBL opposes the oligarchic capitalist governments in both Ukraine and Russia.

His arrest is part of the Zelensky regimes repression of left-wing movements, whose opposition to the US-backed proxy war is meeting a growing response among Ukrainian workers and youth. His arrest further exposes the lying claim that the US-NATO war against Russia is being waged in defence of democracy. Ukraine is a police state under martial law, in which all dissent is suppressed.

It is no accident that the same governments in the US, Europe and Australia that are collaborating in Israels Gaza genocide are also pouring billions of dollars of military weaponry into the war against Russia. Gaza and Ukraine are interconnected fronts in an escalation of military conflicts for global hegemony that threatens a nuclear catastrophe.

The fight for Bogdan Syrotiuks freedom is therefore an essential component of the struggle against imperialism, genocide and fascism. We support the call issued by the International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site for his immediate release.

We urge school and university staff and students to sign the online petition, post a statement on that Change.org site, bring this campaign to the attention of your co-workers and fellow students, and pass resolutions demanding freedom for Bogdan Syrotiuk.

Workers must halt police crackdown on campus anti-genocide protests!

The Committee for Public Education, the rank-and-file educators network in Australia, supports the call issued by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) for workers everywhere to take action to force an end to the violent police-state crackdown on the university protests across the US and internationally against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Workers must come to the defence of the courageous stand taken by students and faculty members in the face of police and Zionist violence, mass arrests and expulsions, and stop the assault on the fundamental right to free speech.

Riot police arrest peaceful protesters at a demonstration called by Jewish Voice for Peace in Brooklyn, New York. [AP Photo/Andres Kudacki]

As the IWA-RFC statement explains, this repression against anti-genocide and anti-war demonstrationsalso witnessed in Germany, the UK, France and Ukraineis a warning of the martial law conditions that will be imposed as these governments plunge workers and youth into wars against Iran, Russia and China.

In the words of that statement, these issues can only be resolved not on the campuses but in the factories, warehouses, railroads and docks. The working class, the most powerful social force on earth which creates all wealth through its labor, must leverage that power to force an end to genocide and war.

The US-led lurch toward another barbaric world war is driven by the insatiable demand for corporate profit and the struggle for resources and power between the rival capitalist nation-states. This means that the fight against war must be connected to the struggle for socialism to end the capitalist system itself.

We urge university staff to stand with the students and we urge the students to turn to education, health and dock workers and other key sections of the working class for support. Workers can and must organise independently of the trade union bureaucracies to stop weapons deliveries and arms production.

We specifically urge the development of action along the lines called for by the IWA-RFC statement: Demonstrations, mass meetings and delegations of workers to campus protests must be organized, culminating in a nationwide and international strike to force an end to the assault on the basic right to free speech.
On Friday at lunchtime, around 150 students gathered for a sit-in in front of the entrance to Berlins Humboldt University (HU) to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza. When the Israeli assault on Gaza began, the university had immediately declared its solidarity with Israel and banned critical events against the genocide.

The sit-in was initiated by members of the Student Coalition Berlin and other groups. The protesters demanded an immediate ceasefire, an end to German and Western arms deliveries to Israel, comprehensive humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza and democratic rights for all Palestinians.

As soon as news of the sit-in spread on social media, the police arrived with dozens of officers and cordoned off the campus, in agreement with the university administration. A spontaneous gathering of supporters of the sit-in was cordoned off and, in the meantime, no one was able to enter the courtyard and take part in the protest. Students who said they were scheduled to take part in seminars in the building were denied entry by the police on the grounds of suspicion, for example if they were wearing a kufiyah. Officers were also posted in the main university building.

Even the cafeteria adjacent to the student refectory was guarded by police, so that the entire university campus was effectively under police siege for hours. An employee of the universitys security service, who had already tried to snatch the microphone from the hands of speakers at a registered student rally in December, once again physically assaulted a speaker from the Jewish Voice for Just Peace in the Middle East association.

Humboldt University President Julia von Blumenthal (back row right) talks to police officers during the sit-in at Humboldt-University, May 3, 2024

HU President Julia von Blumenthal was present during these events. She grabbed a megaphone herself to condemn the students protest and demand the shouting be stopped. When asked what she had to say about the demands read out and the near 40,000 people killed in Gaza, she initially refused to comment and finally declared: My sympathy goes to the Hamas hostages.

This barely disguised support for the Israeli war effort is in line with the previous record of Humboldt University, which is notorious as a centre of war propaganda. Von Blumenthal is also in favour of the reintroduction of a stricter university regulatory law, including the possibility of deregistering students on a political basis.

"Germany funds genocide in Gazaprotest at Humboldt University, May 3, 2024

Von Blumenthals demand that the protest must give way to dialog was rejected by a student who confronted her with the fact that the university administration had refused to provide the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) university group with a room for an event against the massacre in Gaza. In response, von Blumenthal declared that if the protesters do not leave peacefully now, I will make use of my domiciliary rights.

And this is what then happened. At around 4:30 p.m., police violently dispersed the completely peaceful student gathering. Students were arrested one by one and taken away, with police using painful grips. The police had used the same brutal methods just a few days earlier to break up the Gaza protest camp in front of the Bundestag (federal parliament).

Turn on auto-translate captions to view in English. Click "CC" then "Settings" (gear icon) and select "English."

Protest participants who spoke to members of the IYSSE, expressed solidarity with their fellow students in the United States, who are also protesting against the genocide in Gaza at American universities. There, police are now using firearms against students and have even violently arrested several female professors. Speaking to the protesters, the IYSSE has called for the working class to mobilise against imperialism and war.

In Berlin, Christopher from the IYSSE at the HU said in a statement at the sit-in: The IYSSE supports the courageous protests of the students at the HU. University President Blumenthal must not be allowed to ban any criticism of the horrific genocide in Gaza from campus while protecting the right-wing extremist Professor Baberowski, who declares that Hitler was not vicious and that the Holocaust was essentially the same as shootings in the Russian civil war.

In particular, Christopher called on university staff to walk off the job and defend the students. The goal must be a nationwide and international strike that will end the attack on the fundamental right of free speech. Ultimately, the issues at stake now will not be fought on campusbut in the factories and warehouses, on the railways and in the harbours. The working class, the most powerful social force on earth, which creates all wealth through its labour, must use this power to force an end to genocide and war.
Each year the United Nations hosts World Press Freedom Day on May 3 and, according to the official statement, the day is, dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis.

Among the top objectives of the 31st edition of the event, hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is Preventing and protecting against crimes committed against journalists, and Ensuring the rights to freedom of expression, freedom of scientific research, and access to key sources of information, in addition to combating dis-/misinformation through journalism.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters from a balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on May 19, 2017 [AP Photo/Frank Augstein]

The leaders of world imperialism and their lackeys in the corporate media used Fridays World Press Freedom Day to engage in hypocrisy and lying in order to cover up their collective responsibility for unprecedented attacks on journalists around the world, as they lurch toward a new world war.

The high point of this hypocrisy is their silence on and support for the illegal imprisonment of Julian Assange, the founder and publisher of WikiLeaks, who is currently sitting at HM Prison Belmarsh in London awaiting a decision on his extradition to the US. In his groundbreaking work as a journalist at WikiLeaks, which began in 2006, Assange exposed the war crimes and the state and corporate corruption in the service of imperialist conquest and capitalist profits internationally.

Assange has been held in Britain for more than five years in response to a US government extradition demand that he stand trial on charges under the Espionage Act of 1917 which could bring a sentence of up to 175 years in prison.

As pointed out by the wife of the imprisoned journalist, Stella Assange, on Twitter/X, Tomorrow is World Press Freedom Day. The worlds most consequential journalist is in prison. Speak up. And show up on May 20th. Assange is scheduled for his next court hearing in London on May 20 where a decision on extradition may be rendered by the British High Court.

Two weeks earlier, the US government issued the entirely untrustworthy assurance that, if extradited to the US, Assange will have the right to a First Amendment and free speech defense and that no death penalty charges will be brought against him.

Responding to these claims, Stella Assange described them as blatant weasel words, and further stated, The diplomatic note does nothing to relieve our familys extreme distress about his futurehis grim expectation of spending the rest of his life in isolation in US prison for publishing award-winning journalism.

In a cynical statement released by the White House for World Press Freedom Day, US President Joe Biden said, Journalism should not be a crime anywhere on Earth, and the US calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists who have been put behind bars for simply doing their jobs.

President Biden is responsible for the criminal detention of Julian Assange by the British government for no other reason than being a journalist. In total, Julian Assange has been in detention or house arrest illegally for fourteen years. Bidens World Press Freedom Day statement followed by less than a week, the White House Correspondents Association dinner at which Assange was also not mentioned.

Although he did not issue a statement on May 3, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered the opening keynote to the Society of Editors 25th anniversary conference in London on April 30. Sunak said that journalists and politicians will always clash, but claimed he saw the importance of the media industry in holding power to account.



Sunak went on, Its your job to hold us to account, and for all we might clash, I know how important your role is. So please keep doing what youre doing, constantly questioning, investigating and seeking the truth. Because as long as the British media thrives, so will British democracy. Of course, Sunak did not mention that WikiLeaks held the US and UK governments to account for their crimes and that is why Julian Assange is sitting in prison.

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a contemptible statement saying journalists are the bedrock of our democracy, and Canada will always stand up for journalists in the defence of media freedom and against misinformation and disinformation. Journalists must be able to do their jobsfree from threat or intimidation.

Trudeau could not mention Julian Assange in connection with these words because WikiLeaks actually told the truth and challenged the misinformation and disinformation spread by imperialist governments, including the regime in Ottawa.

Meanwhile, the Israeli governments murder of journalists in Gaza, who have exposed the lies and war crimes of the Zionist regime against Palestinians, was barely referred to on World Press Freedom Day. According to the Gaza media office, more than 140 journalists and media workers are among the 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza and the West Bank since the onset of Israels ethnic cleansing operation. That is an average of five journalists killed each week during the genocide.

Al Jazeera published a report on Tuesday evening that said World Press Freedom Day 2024 is being marked today at a particularly perilous time for journalists globally, with Israels war on Gaza becoming the deadliest conflict for journalists and media workers.

The report continues, On January 7, Hamza Dahdouh, the eldest son of Al Jazeeras Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh, was killed by an Israeli missile in Khan Younis. Hamza, who was a journalist like his father, was in a vehicle near al-Mawasi, a supposedly safe area that Israel designated, with another journalist, Mustafa Thuraya, who was also killed in the attack.

According to reports from Al Jazeera correspondents, Hamza and Mustafas vehicle was targeted as they were trying to interview civilians displaced by previous bombings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday reiterated Israels intention to assault Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, where more than a million displaced people are sheltering.

In a televised speech, Netanyahu rejected demands for a permanent ceasefire, reaffirming his intention to assault Rafah.

An Israeli soldier walks past a line of tanks at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. [AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov]

Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power, Netanyahu said. Israel cannot accept that

Victory, Netanyahu said, is the only way to guarantee our existence and our future.

In making these statements, Netanyahu showed the absurdity of claims by the Biden administration that Israel is seeking a ceasefire. The terms being offered by Israel would amount to a delay in the planned assault on Rafah by a matter of weeks, coupled with a perpetual military occupation of the Gaza Strip. These are the terms that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called extremely generous.

After Netanyahu spoke, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made clear that if Hamas leaders did not accept the terms being offered, Israel would assault Rafah. We recognize alarming signs that Hamas actually does not intend to follow any agreement with us, he said. This means action in Rafah and the entire Gaza Strip in the near future.

He said that Israel was preparing a powerful operation in Rafah, and the order will arrive very soon.

In a post on Sunday, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared, Netanyahu, go to Rafah now! Earlier, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shouted, Rafah now! at a rally in Jerusalem.

These threats were accompanied by an escalation of the bombardment of Rafah. Over the past 24 hours, at least 16 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, taking place in at least two locations in the city.

After days of negotiations in Cairo, a Hamas delegation left Sunday with no agreement. Reuters cited an unnamed official who said, The latest round of mediation in Cairo is near collapse.

The same day, the Israeli government announced that it had shut down the operations of broadcaster Al Jazeera in Israel. The Netanyahu government moved to confiscate Al Jazeeras equipment, block its broadcasts and ban its website inside Israel. Later on Sunday, Israeli police raided Al Jazeeras offices in East Jerusalem.

The Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the move, calling it a criminal act that stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law.

Gazas government media office said in a statement that the ban of Al Jazeera in Israel is a scandal and a blatant violation of freedom of opinion and expression. It continued:

We condemn the shameful silence of many countries that consider themselves guardians of the world and human rights, while they are engaged in a war of genocide and participate in the war to silence media professionals, journalists, and their media outlets.

Reporters Without Borders likewise denounced the shutdown, declaring that it strongly condemns freedom-threatening legislation that censors a TV network for its coverage of the war in Gaza.

Omar Shakir, director of Israel and Palestine for Human Rights Watch (HRW), condemned the move to shut down Al Jazeera, stating, Their offices have been bombed in Gaza. Their staff have been beaten in the West Bank. Theyve been killed in the West Bank and Gaza. He concluded, Rather than trying to silence reporting on its atrocities in Gaza, Israel should stop committing them.

Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, in an interview with Al Jazeera, told the network, I can tell you as a viewer, not as a commentator or writer, that for me, the last seven months of Al Jazeera English have been one of the most important sources of information about whats going on in Gaza. He continued, To close it down means closing down the option of a free press.

Levy, who is a commentator for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, declared, Al Jazeera is a Qatari network, and Qatar is one of those countries that are pulling and pushing for a settlement [to reach a truce deal in Gaza]. Netanyahu is doing everything possible in the last two or three days to sabotage a deal.

Also on Sunday, Israel announced that it had closed the Karem Abu Salem crossing in Rafah, the main crossing point for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

The same day, Israel carried out a strike on a facility used by the UNs agency for Palestinian refugees, claiming it was being used as a Hamas command and control center.

In a statement, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini warned that Israel was carrying out an increase in the denial of humanitarian access and attacks on humanitarian workers and convoys.

He noted:

Only in the past two weeks, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff, including bullying, stripping them naked, threats with arms, and long delays at checkpoints forcing convoys to move during the dark or abort.

On Saturday, Cindy McCain, the head of the World Food Programme, warned that a full-blown famine was already happening in northern Gaza and spreading to other parts of the country. Its horror. Its so hard to look at, and its so hard to hear, she said.

As Israel has deepened its genocide in Gaza, the US media has become increasingly aggressive in advocating war crimes against the population of Gaza. In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, Elliot Kaufman, the newspapers letter editor, openly called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, condemning the public position of both Egypt and the Biden administration opposing the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Kaufman wrote, When you hear that Gazans are trapped, you are encountering a Biden policy choice. It didnt have to be this way.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin hosted a meeting of his counterparts from Japan, Australia and the Philippines in Hawaii last Thursday that was clearly aimed at intensifying the US-led confrontation with China in the South China Sea.

From the left, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, Japanese Minister for Defense Minoru Kihara and Philippine National Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., in Hawaii, May 2, 2024 [Photo: X/Twitter @SecDef]

The presence of Philippine National Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr underscores the rapidity with which the Philippines is being drawn into the network of US-led military alliances encircling China amid escalating preparations for war.

Since coming to power in 2022, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has sharply reversed the geo-strategic policy of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte by boosting ties with US imperialism, including by expanding US military bases and joint war games. He has staged highly-publicised confrontations with Chinese coast guard vessels around the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, currently occupied by Philippine troops on a scuttled warship.

All four defence chiefs sang from the same propaganda song sheet at their joint press conference. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles declared that the global rules-based order is under intense pressure, not only in Ukraine but in the Indo-Pacific as well. He said the meeting had sent a very significant message that our four democracies are committed to the global rules-based order.

The global rules-based ordera phrase constantly repeated by Washington and its alliesrefers to the world order established by US imperialism in the aftermath of World War II, in which it set the rules. Having deliberately provoked a war against Russia in Ukraine, the US is preparing to open another front against China, which it regards as the chief threat to its global hegemony.

As for the tattered democracies, basic democratic rights are being severely undermined in all four countries, including in the Philippines where Marcos has continued Dutertes brutal war on drugs of extra-judicial killings.

Marles provocatively referred to the West Philippine Sea, a term that Manila officials adopted in 2011 for the South China Sea as the Philippines sought to transform it into a dangerous flashpoint for conflict with China.

US Defence Secretary Austin lashed out at China. Referring to the confrontations over the Second Thomas Shoal, he branded Chinas actions as irresponsible behaviour that disregards international law. Asked if the death of a Filipino service member would trigger US treaty obligations to the Philippinesthat is, to join conflict with Chinahe only answered indirectly, saying the US commitment to the Philippines was ironclad.

Austin spelt out the further expansion of military relations. Were looking to conduct more maritime exercises and activities among our four countries, he said. We also want to pursue coordinated security assistance to the Philippines. This will boost interoperability and help the Philippines achieve its defence modernisation goals.

The meeting in Hawaii came less than a month after joint naval exercises on April 7 in the South China Sea. The exercises, including anti-submarine warfare training, involved three Philippine warships, one US combat ship, one Australian warship and, for the first time, a Japanese warship. China has a major submarine base on Hainan Island, directly adjacent to the South China Sea.

The naval drill was followed by the largest-ever iteration of the annual Balikatan war games between the US and Philippines. These began on April 22 and are slated to continue to May 10. Some 11,000 US military personnel and 5,000 Filipino troops are involved in drills in a number of locations. These include the northern tip of Luzon Island and the Batanes Islands, close to Taiwananother key flashpoint for war with China. Among the countries sending troops as participants or observers are Australia and Japan.

The expanding military exercises have been accompanied by a flurry of high-level diplomatic visits involving the Philippines with Japan, Australia and the US. These included a visit by Marcos in late February to Australia where he addressed the national parliament and a summit between Marcos, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Washington on April 11.

Speaking in Hawaii last week, Philippine National Defence Secretary Teodoro took aim at China, declaring that four countries voicing the same message means an important thing in the face of a unilateral declaration by a single theatre actor ... Significantly, he described the grouping as an alliance, saying the four countries working closer together would make this alliance that we have stronger and more sustainable in the long run.

For all of Washingtons pretenses that such groupings are not anti-China military alliances and are aimed at preserving peace and stability, Teodoro blurted out the reality. The four countrieseach of which has formal military pacts with the USform the latest in a network of multilateral military alliances that are all targeted against China.

Pentagon officials have even reportedly nicknamed this alliance informally as the Squad. Its defence chiefs met for the first time in June 2023 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La security dialogue in Singapore.

The Squad is clearly a reference to the four-country grouping of the US, Australia, Japan and India, known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, which held its first summit of top leaders in March 2021. The Quad drew in India, which is not a formal US ally but had been expanding the scope of its strategic partnership with the US, into a US-led quasi-military alliance for the first time.

The Quad was followed just months later in September 2021 by the announcement of the AUKUS military pact involving the US, Britain and Australia, which among other things would provide nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia. Significantly, by including the UK, the new trilateral alliance also made clear the international character of the conflict being prepared by US imperialism. Japan is now considering joining what is known as Tier 2 of AUKUS, involving collaboration in the research and development of advanced military technologies.

A new trilateral alliance is also in the process of formation involving the US and Japan with South Korea, another key US military ally in the Indo-Pacific. Biden and Kishida met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at Camp David, Maryland near Washington DC last August in what amounted to their first stand-alone summit. Military cooperation between Japan and South Korea is regarded as essential by the Pentagon as the two countries have large numbers of US troops and bases, as well as key elements of the US anti-ballistic missile system crucial for nuclear war with China and Russia.

The speed with which these groupings have been formed and consolidated in military and diplomatic exchanges and joint war games to boost inter-operability is another warning that the US is preparing for war with China.
This is the introduction to series of articles on the socially critical films of 1974. Part 1 was posted May 6, Part 2 May 8, Part 3 May 10, Part 4 May 13 and Part 5 May 16.

Starting today, the WSWS is posting a series of articles marking 50 years since the release of numerous socially critical and realistic films in 1974. The films that emerged in the early- to mid-1970s represented the highest point reached by American filmmaking since the anti-communist witch-hunts of the 1940s and 1950s. Moreover, the rightward political and cultural shift that set in from the late 1970s onward and which continued for decades meant that those works continue to stand out.

We are posting the articles in the hope they will shed light on the social and cultural situation a half-century ago and that by examining these works, their strengths and weaknesses, we can assist Marxists today in assessing how our current challenges and difficulties may be met and overcome in a new period of even greater political and social convulsion.

French general strike, June 1968 [Photo by GeorgeLouis / CC BY 3.0

Cinema, particularly carried out on a large scale, which involves setting significant resources into motion and the collective activity of great numbers of people, reacts more slowly to events than more portable and flexible artistic forms. The radicalism and upheaval of the post-1968 era did not find sharp expression in American movies in particular until that process had nearly exhausted itself.

While filmmaking may respond tardily, it is especially sensitive to the ebb and flow of social movements. A mass art form, dependent on a global audience, cinema is susceptible to the trajectories of great numbers of people. It seems to be most in its element at moments of great social drama and popular activity and mobility.

The Historical and International Foundations of the Socialist Equality Party (United States) explains that the period

between 1968 and 1975 witnessed an immense upsurge of the working class. Left-wing and socialist movements grew significantly throughout the world. In the midst of a powerful strike movement of British workers in the summer of 1972, the Daily Telegraph published an editorial headlined, Who Shall Rule?, raising openly the specter of a revolutionary overturn of the capitalist state by the working class.

The unprecedented global upheavals of 197374 certainly formed a fitting background for the generally anti-authoritarian and anti-establishment films that were released that year: the crumbling of the Nixon administration in the Watergate affair, the fall of the Conservative government in Britain, the Arab-Israeli War, the quadrupling of oil prices, the fall of the fascist regime in Portugal and the breakdown of the military junta in Greece.

While the number of US workers on strike in 1974, 2.8 million, was not as great as the figure for either 1970 or 1971 (approximately 3.3 million workers each of those years), that total has not been surpassed in the intervening 50 years.

The relationship between social life and art is complex, but the starting point for grasping it must be the acknowledgment that social being determines social consciousness, that the development of the world determines the development of art.

The turmoil of the first half of the 1970s provided the general conditions in which numerous filmmakers produced their most enduring work in the US. It is only necessary to mention the names of Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, Hal Ashby, Roman Polanski, Mel Brooks, Alan Pakula, Martin Scorsese, Arthur Penn and John Cassavetes, among others. This general process holds true for prominent screenwriters, such as Robert Towne, and actors, like Jack Nicholson, as well.

A period of widespread radicalization draws the film artist closer to the mass of the population in movement and away from the steel embrace of studios and corporations, according to what Leon Trotsky described as the law of social attraction  which, in the last analysis, determines the creative work of the intelligentsia. Not only is there more directly and critical political and social commentary at such moments, but, in general work of a more non-conformist and free-thinking character. Long-held shibboleths, conventional wisdom, official public opinion are called into question.

Downfall of Portuguese regime, 1974 [Photo by Centro de Documentacao 25 de Abril / CC BY 4.0

1974 in particular saw the release of Ashbys The Last Detail (played briefly in December 1973, but released to the general public in February 1974), Coppolas The Godfather, Part II and The Conversation, Polanskis Chinatown, Brooks Young Frankenstein, Pakulas The Parallax View, Altmans Thieves Like Us and California Split and Cassavetes A Woman Under the Influence. In numerous cases, the film or films in question comprise the directors finest effort.

The situation worldwide is too complex to summarize here, but it is certainly worth noting that the New German Cinema was at its height in 1974 (R.W. Fassbinder made Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Martha and Effi Briest, Wim Wenders directed Alice in the Cities and Werner Herzog The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser). French and Italian filmmaking were already in the process of entering a steep decline, after the convulsions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but Bertrand Taverniers The Clockmaker, Louis Malles Lacombe, Lucien and Luchino Viscontis Conversation Piece are important. The Australian New Wave, which first came to prominence in the early 1970s through films like Walkabout and Wake in Fright (both 1971), was also about to make a major mark.

American society has undergone an immense and dramatic deterioration in the last half-century, which makes it all the more striking that the most insightful films of 1974 already directed the publics attention to the criminality, corruption and conspiracy that pervaded the ruling elite.

The films appeared in the midst of the Watergate scandal, but they also inevitably bore the influence, directly or indirectly, of a decade of political murders, the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark of the Black Panthers, George Jackson and more, not to mention the mass shootings at Kent State and Jackson State in 1970. The filmmakers came to maturity during the violent era of the neocolonial, imperialist Vietnam War, with its millions of casualties, and the mass anti-war movement that emerged in response.

It is no accident that sinister, even murderous plots by powerful elements dominate Chinatown, The Parallax View, The Godfather, Part II and The Conversation. A number of the films culminate in ferocious acts of police or other kinds of official violence (Thieves Like Us, The Parallax View, Chinatown, Steven Spielbergs The Sugarland Express and, less fatally, The Last Detail.) The film that is generally considered as having initiated New Hollywood, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), notoriously, if somewhat glamorously, concluded in a hail of official gunfire.

While recognizing the positive attributes of the 1974 films, there is no need to gloss over their limitations or even failings.

As we noted in the introduction to The Sky Between the Leaves, the New Hollywood

produced some fresh and innovative work, which at times took a searching look at official American institutions and mythologies. However, even the most non-conformist films suffered from a diluted interest in the concrete conditions and life of the working class, as well as a profound lack of awareness about the events that had shaped the previous half-century and therefore their own times.

These weaknesses were essential ingredients, more generally, of the middle class protest politics of the day. As we have noted a number of times, the New Left rejected a socialist orientation to the working class and avoided a historical reckoningabove allwith the Russian Revolution and the nature of Stalinism, either because the issues were too complex or because they hit a little too close to home.

President Richard Nixon before his resignation speech in 1974

In this regard, we include a comment on Fassbinders Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, both because of the anarchistic writer-directors more pronounced anti-capitalist views and because of the sway that the German student left politics of the time, with their component of Frankfurt School influence, held over him and his work.

As is well-known, perhaps a little too symmetrically, the appearance one year later, in 1975, of Spielbergs Jaws, in combination with the efforts of George Lucas (American Graffiti, Star Wars), ushered in a new era of massively promoted, expensively produced blockbusters. American filmmaking in the 1980s would enter its weakest decades in history.

No doubt, financial and technological changes played their role in this process, but the decisive factor was the social one, the political and ideological shift that occurred from the mid-1970s onward, especially in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the ending of conscription.

The working class had demonstrated its willingness to defend its interest everywhere in the years 19681975, but the absence of revolutionary leadership remained the critical question.

As the SEP Historical and International Foundations explains:

The old Stalinist and Social-Democratic labor and trade union bureaucracies utilized their positions of influence, with the critical assistance of the Pabloite tendencies, to divert, disorient and suppress mass struggles that threatened bourgeois rule. Situations with immense revolutionary potential were misdirected, defused, betrayed and led to defeat. 

The inability of the working class to break through the log-jam created by its own organizations provided the bourgeoisie with the time it needed to stabilize and reorganize the fragile world order. 

By late 1975 the international bourgeoisie was able to begin exploiting the social frustrations produced by the inability of the working class to implement a revolutionary socialist solution to the crisis.

Overwhelmed and confused by the reactionary turn of events, culminating in the coming to power of figures like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the film writers and directors, and leading performers, became demoralized or cynical in many cases, grew silent, made their peace with the status quo or disappeared into various forms of dissipation.

This does not detract from the contributions they made, which we begin to discuss today.
New Zealands Foreign Minister Winston Peters is being sued for defamation following a verbal attack on former Australian Labor Party foreign minister Bob Carr who criticised NZs plans to become part of the anti-China AUKUS pact between Australia, the UK and US.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters meet with reporters at the State Department in Washington, Thursday, April 11, 2024. [AP Photo/Cliff Owen]

Carr visited Wellington last month to speak at a symposium, hosted by the Labour Party, with former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark. Carr urged New Zealand not to acquiesce to American interests. He labelled AUKUS as fragrant, methane-wrapped bullshit and said he admired New Zealands foreign policy for being not as gullible to the Americans as Australias.

As it moves to strengthen New Zealands military relations with the US and Australia, NZs far-right government is angling to join Pillar two of AUKUS, which involves developing and sharing advanced military technologies. Under AUKUS, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines. New Zealand has not been invited to join Pillar one due to its 1987 anti-nuclear legislation.

In an interview on Radio NZ (RNZ) last Thursday, Peters called Carr a Chinese puppet when asked about his comments. What on earth does he think hes doing walking into our country and telling us what to do? Peters demanded.

Further derogatory comments by Peters were removed from the radio stations website because of their legal risk. Carr told the station he considered the remarks to be entirely defamatory and would instruct his lawyers to commence action.

The following day Peters doubled down, posting on X (Twitter): We should never be accepting of any irrelevant ill-informed shill from some other country to walk into New Zealand and try to tell us what to do. Here in New Zealand, we respect something called a countrys independent nationhood.

In a speech to the New Zealand China Council the same day, Peters criticised China over its activities in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and cyber attacks within New Zealandechoing Washingtons anti-China propaganda.

Peters declared: China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned by increased engagement in Pacific security sectors. We do not want to see developments that destabilise the institutions and arrangements that have long underpinned our regions securitythat is, post-World War II arrangements established by Washington to ensure its global hegemony.

Peters belligerent stance is a signal that the National Party-NZ First-ACT government is determined to clamp down on any opposition to its involvement in the escalating US-led preparations for war against China. This includes battering into line sections of the ruling class elite, including some in the governments own ranks, concerned about the threat to NZs trading relations with Beijing, the countrys largest market.

Peters, who leads the nationalist anti-immigrant NZ First Party in the coalition, is a long-time Washington asset. In 2017, NZ First formed a government with Labour instead of National, and Peters became foreign minister, after US Ambassador Scott Brown publicly declared the previous John Key-led National Party government had been too soft on China.

Clark and Carr, among others, have criticised government efforts to join AUKUS, declaring it to be a shift away from New Zealands so-called 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.

Helen Clark and Bob Carr at New Zealand Labours forum on AUKUS in Parliament House, Wellington, April 22, 2024 [Photo: X/Twitter@bobjcarr]

Similarly, as foreign minister in 201213 Carr backed the Obama administrations surge of troops into Afghanistan and the persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He is, along with former Prime Minister Paul Keating, part of a minority wing of the Australian political establishment that fears the economic consequences of participating in a full-blown war with China, also that countrys largest export market.

Peters recently visited Washington to reinforce New Zealands presence in the anti-China alliance. He also attended a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels where he reiterated the governments support for the escalating US-NATO proxy war against Russia over Ukraine.

Mindful of broad opposition to AUKUS at home and among Pacific Island governments, Peters last week used a speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA) to claim the government is still a long way from joining. He misleadingly said Pillar 2 of AUKUS is not a military alliance but a technology sharing mechanism being in response to a deteriorating strategic environment. In fact, technology developed under AUKUS will have direct military applications.

Before the NZIIA audience, consisting mainly of political and academic insiders and international diplomats, Peters delivered a stark picture of the global situation, declaring it the worst that anyone today working in politics or foreign affairs can remember.

Peters hypocritically excoriated Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine, which was in fact deliberately provoked by the US and NATO and is being relentlessly escalated by the imperialist powers. He noted that NATO member states had seriously lifted defence spending amid their commitment to respond collectively to Russian aggression.

Shedding crocodile tears for the catastrophe in Gaza, Peters called for Israel, Iran, and Iranian proxies to pull back from the brink. New Zealands government is not an innocent bystander in the genocidal war against Gaza: it has supported Israels actions and sent troops to the Middle East to assist the US in bombing Yemen to defend supply lines for the Zionist regime.

On the Asia-Pacific, Peters warned that the regions strategic environment is not benign, far from it. Remorseless pressure is being exerted across it as beachheads are sought and influence peddled. The term beachheads is a clear reminder of the bloody battles fought across the Pacific during World War II.

New Zealand is an imperialist power whose ruling elite regards much of the South West Pacific as its own back yard. In alliance with Australia and the US, it aims to roll back the increasing competition from China for influence in the region.

Parroting Washingtons anti-China talking points, Peters declared that the tensions we see there are another example of the rule of law, and maritime security, being recklessly and unnecessarily challenged.

In fact, responsibility for the soaring tensions rests squarely with the US and its allies, which have militarised the entire region, including by sending troops and billions of dollars in weapons to Taiwan.

In one revealing incident at the NZIIA meeting, Peters stopped speaking to demand security remove a sole protester. An elderly woman stood and silently held up a sign saying diplomacy with a tick, and AUKUS with a cross.

In response to Peters tirades, the Chinese embassy in New Zealand posted a statement on May 4 that emphasised strong economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and said China want[s] to continue to regard New Zealand as a good friend and important partner.

Labours opposition leader Chris Hipkins has called for Peters to be stood down, saying Carrs defamation action was embarrassing for New Zealand, and showed Peters had abused his office. National Party Prime Minister Christopher Luxon flatly rejected the call, saying Peters was doing an exceptionally good job.

There is bipartisan agreement between the establishment parties over the confrontation with China, the only differences being tactical. Labours foreign affairs spokesman David Parker told RNZ that Labour are not peaceniks and he stood by the last Labour governments repeated declarations that China was a regional threat.

Parker maintained that the case for AUKUS has still not been laid by the government. He remained non-committal about Labours position, declaring we shouldnt be lurching into it. There is little doubt, however, about Labours support. Indeed, former Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed AUKUS when it was first announced in September 2021.
The emergence of a global movement of mass protests of workers and youth against the Israeli genocide in Gaza marks a historic turning point in the class struggle. Across the US, mass protests have erupted on campuses and now faces a massive, nationwide police crackdown orchestrated by the Biden administration. In Europe, hundreds of thousands have flooded the streets in London, Berlin, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Geneva and Paris, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and calling on their governments to stop arming and supporting the Israeli genocide.

Spains petty-bourgeois Anticapitalistas party aims to divert mass anger over the genocide by calling on workers and youth not to vote for pro-genocide parties. This is a dead end and a trap for youth and workers opposed to the genocide. The unanimous support for the genocide of capitalist ruling parties of all stripesfrom Bidens Democrats in the US to the British Conservatives and the German or Spanish social democratsmakes one point very clear: one cannot halt the genocide with a vote. The working class must be mobilized against pro-genocide governments.

Anticapitalistas, however, promotes illusions that Spains Socialist Party (PSOE)-Sumar government can be shifted through pressure from below from their policies of austerity, war, militarism, even as it continues to sell and buy weapons from the Zionist regime. This is the character of the article posted on El Salto, titled Not a vote for genocide against the Palestinian people penned by German Montanes, a member of Anticapitalistas and its youth wing, Abrir Brecha (Break New Gound).

Montanes first claims that since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, The international consensus has shifted even further in favor of Zionism. Today, he notes, we have a progressive government made up of PSOE-Sumar.  However, neither in Spains nor in the European political agenda has discussion of the imposition of sanctions on Israel appeared in recent months.

Anticapitalistas helped build the Podemos party, which ruled on an agenda of austerity and militarism from 2020 to 2023 in alliance with the PSOE, and from which Sumar was founded. Montanes makes what is, in effect, a devastating admission of the reactionary role and political bankruptcy of the organizations his tendency has helped to build. He writes:

In Spain, a PSOE and Sumar government continues to buy and sell weapons to the Israeli state, while promising a peace conference in the future, once all Gazans have been murdered or are in refugee camps. In the United States, Biden continues to send weapons to Israel while establishing himself as the great defense against Trumps threat.

He then endorses the Uncommitted campaign of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) earlier this year as the way forward. He states:

To show discontent with the Biden administrations support for Israel, campaigns have been raised in several states to vote non-committed in the primaries. In Michigan, while 618,000 voters voted for Biden as the Democratic candidate, more than 100,000 chose uncommitted. This campaign, which has been reproduced in other states such as Minnesota (20% of Democrats voted not committed), North Carolina or Colorado, is supported by anti-Zionist Jewish organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace Action or socialists such as the Democratic Socialist of America.

Montanes calls not to endorse those political parties that actively or passively support Zionism. In addition to effectively contributing to the struggle of the Palestinian people, this campaign would also be a way to promote ideas in our own societies that reject the postulates of the extreme right.

As the WSWS has warned, however, the Uncommitted campaign in the US is a cynical political maneuver launched by the DSA and other pseudo-left forces. Presented as a way to put pressure on the Biden Administration to abandon its support for genocide, in reality it aims to rescue Bidens campaign for this years Presidential elections and channel disaffected workers and youth back behind the Democrats. It is backed by leading sections of the Democratic Party and was heavily promoted on cable television and from the New York Times.

Anticapitalistas, terrified at mounting opposition to the left of the PSOE-Sumar government over its support to Israel, hopes to launch this campaign in Spain. Montanes writes:

What is happening in Palestine must be clearly named: genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, colonialism. If progressivism, continuing with its policy of resignation, is not even capable of establishing a red line in the face of this barbarism, it should be the target of our most ruthless criticism. Especially regrettable is the position of the left wing of the Government, Sumar.  Sumarand the entire left wing of parliamentrefused to raise the issue of arms sales to Israel as a key demand in Pedro Sanchezs inauguration negotiations in November.

This falsifies the nature of the ruthless criticism of Sumar, Podemos and Anticapitalistas that is needed. Mass opposition among workers and youth must be unified in an international, socialist anti-war movement to stop the genocide. This requires building a Trotskyist revolutionary leadership in the working class against to pseudo-left parties such as the DSA and Anticapitalistas, which are deeply implicated in the imperialist powers support for the Gaza genocide.

The DSA, which is leading the campaign for Uncommitted, is not a socialist party. Like Anticapitalistas, it is a party of capitalist government hostile to socialism and the working class. Its political function is to disorient and confuse workers and youth looking for a genuine socialist alternative and tie them to the capitalist political establishment. It is staffed with petty-bourgeois careerists, dedicated above all to the preservation, under capitalism, of the privileges of the affluent middle class layer they represent.

DSA is a faction of the Democratic Party, one of the two major capitalist parties in the United States. In 2022, it played a critical role in passing enormous war spending and banning a national strike of railroad workers. Last month, its representatives in the US Congress voted another $60 billion for NATOs proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, and $8.1 billion in funding to the Indo-Pacific region for war preparations against China.

In Spain, Anticapitalistas has worked to politically strangle the working class for decades, demanding that workers subordinate themselves to imperialist parties like the social democratic PSOE, Spains main party of capitalist government. In 2014, Anticapitalistas founded Podemos with Stalinist professors with an explicit orientation to the PSOE.

Six years later, it entered into government with the PSOE, leaving Podemos and the government afterwards. It left Podemos not because it opposed any of the governments signature policies: its war, the back-to-work order amid the COVID-19 pandemic which led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, austerity, and its police-state measures. In fact, as it left the government, it pledged to support all the gains made within this [PSOE-Podemos government] framework, adding, there is no doubt that we will find ourselves in many common struggles with the people of Podemos.

At the time, the WSWS warned that Anticapitalistas departure was a maneuver to preserve the ability of Anticapitalistas to intervene in social struggles to block working class opposition. These warnings have been fully confirmed.

From its mayorship of Cadiz, Anticapitalistas demanded 22,000 striking metalworkers in the city respect a union sell-out in November 2021, as the PSOE-Podemos government sent riot police and armoured vehicles against strikers. After war erupted in the Ukraine in February 2022, it defended NATOs proxy war in the Ukraine, as Podemos armed the Ukrainian regime. Fearing an electoral debacle of Podemos after three years of austerity and militarist policies, it called for a vote for Podemos offshoot, Sumar, in last years elections.

Montanes call for an uncommitted vote still plays the same essential role of suppressing the class struggle and tying workers and youth to imperialist parties.

He is calling to not vote for pro-genocide parties, but general elections are not expected until 2027. In the meantime, workers are to be left to march in anti-genocide protests controlled by Anticapitalistas and the Stalinist Communist Party of Spain, which is in the Sumar government and part of the Solidarity Network against the Palestinian Occupation (Red Solidaria contra la Ocupacion de Palestina, RESCOP). In these protests, they promote illusions that if enough pressure is placed on the PSOE-Sumar government, the ruling class will change course.

At the same time, Anticapitalistas will continue working to support the PSOE-Sumar government, by promoting other capitalist parties that back the government in parliament. During last Februarys elections in the region of Galicia, Anticapitalistas called for a vote for the Galician Nationalist Bloc (Bloque Nacionalista Galego  BNG). For the elections in the Basque Country held last month, Anticapitalistas called for a vote for the Basque nationalist EH Bildu. These two parties play a central role in providing the PSOE-Sumar government with a parliamentary majority.

One of EH Bildus lawmakers Jon Inarritu, is a Zionist who signed a manifesto against the boycott of Israel, hailing it as a reference for the peoples who fight for their sovereignty and boasting about Basque companies business ties to Israel.

There is no Uncommitted path to stop war and genocide. The Biden administration and the PSOE-Sumar government aim to continue to supply the genocidal Zionist regime with all the political, military and economic support it needs.

Ending the genocide of Palestinians and opposing the expanding war waged by the NATO powers and their proxies in Ukraine against Russia and across the Middle East demands the building of a global, socialist anti-war movement in the working class. This poses as an urgent task building a political leadership in the working class, based on the perspective of world socialist revolution. This means building of sections of the ICFI in Spain and in countries across Europe.
Helmed by celebrated director Danny Boyle, The Beach is a 2000 adventure drama film. The movie puts Richard, an adventure-seeking backpacker, at the forefront as he embarks on a trip to Thailand. Stumbling upon a cryptic map to a supposed paradise, he decides to visit the place and see the truth for himself. Nevertheless, Richard soon uncovers the faults in the place, leading him to question the meaning of life that he has been searching for.

Heres how you can watch and stream The Beach via streaming services such as Hulu.

Is The Beach available to watch via streaming?

Yes, The Beach is available to watch via streaming on Hulu.

The movie revolves around the escapades of Richard, an adventurous backpacker who visits Bangkok to add to his traveling experiences. There, he encounters a strange man called Daffy, who informs him of a hidden utopia there. Desperate to find an escape, Richard embarks on a journey to the unknown paradise along with a French couple.

Upon arriving at his destination, Richard realizes that the island is not as blissful as it was described. He also socializes with the small and isolated community that has been living there. As things unfold, Richard discovers that life on the island is not as idyllic as it appears, which makes him doubt his own views about disillusionment.

A young Leonardo DiCaprio is seen leading the pack as Richard in this movie, with Virginie Ledoyen partnering him at the front. They are joined by Guillaume Canet, Tilda Swinton, Staffan Kihlbom, Paterson Joseph, and Robert Carlyle, among other supporting artists.

Watch The Beach streaming via Hulu

The Beach is available to watch on Hulu. The American subscription-based streaming platform houses live TV options as well as on-demand content featuring titles like Futurama, Family Guy, Game Night, Modern Family, and more.

You can watch via Hulu by following these steps:

Go to Hulu.com/welcome Select Start Your Free Trial Choose a plan: $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year (With Ads)

$17.99 per month (No Ads)

Hulu (With Ads) is the cheapest option, providing users access to Hulus streaming library with commercials. Hulu (No Ads) is the services premium option, providing access to its library without any advertisements. There are also several bundles available with Hulu that pair the service with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, along with Live TV plans that also include many live TV channels.

The Beach synopsis is as follows:

Twenty-something Richard travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumors state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss  excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it.

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

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The post The Beach Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Hulu appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is a captivating American romantic-comedy film written and directed by Nia Vardalos. The riveting film is the third installment in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise. The films plot revolves around how after their family matriarchs demise, Toula and the rest of the family travel to Greece for a family reunion.

Heres how you can watch and stream My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 via Amazon Prime Video.

Is My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 available to watch via streaming?

Yes, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is available to watch via streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The film is set in the pleasing paradise destination of Greece. The Portokalos family is currently grieving the loss of their patriarch Gus. Sometime later, the family reluctantly agrees to take a Greek trip. They finally reach a scenic village in Greece. On arrival, the Portokalos familys life changes into situational chaos. But, despite the odds, will Toula fulfill her late fathers last dying wish?

The film stars Nia Vardalos as Fotoula Toula Portokalos, John Corbett as Ian Miller, Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos, and, Lainie Kazan as Maria Portokalos, with several others.

Watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 by streaming via Amazon Prime Video

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video is a globally expanding OTT streaming platform with a wide slate of novel rom-com films in multiple languages and different genres for global cinema lovers.

You can watch via Amazon Prime Video by following these steps:

Go to Amazon Prime Video Select Sign in and Create your Amazon account Sign up for a Prime Video membership: $14.99 per month or $139 per year with an Amazon Prime membership

$8.99 per month for a standalone Prime Video membership

Amazon Prime is the online retailers paid service that provides fast shipping and exclusive sales on products, so the membership that includes both this service and Prime Video is the companys most popular offering. However, you can also opt to subscribe to Prime Video separately.

The official synopsis of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is as follows:

Following the death of their patriarch Gus, the Portokalos family travels to Greece for a family reunion, and to deliver Gus journal to his old friends.

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

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The post My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Brokeback Mountain is an iconic and immersive neo-Western romantic drama film. Directed by noted filmmaker Ang Lee, the story revolves around an extremely intimate and fiery star-crossed affair between two American cowboys which creates chaos within the community. The film was adapted for the screens from a 1997 short story of the same name originally written by Annie Proulx.

Heres how you can watch and stream Brokeback Mountain via streaming services such as Peacock.

Is Brokeback Mountain available to watch via streaming?

Yes, Brokeback Mountain is available to watch via streaming on Peacock.

Set in Wyoming and Idaho in the late 19th century, Joe hires two cowboys named Jack Twist, and Ennis Del Mar, to herd his sheep on Brokeback Mountain in the summers. After a night of heavy drinking, Jack eventually starts making advances on Ennis. Initially, Ennis does not respond, but later he reciprocates with moves of his own. Despite that dopamine-infused passionate night, sadly the duo break up and form different families. Years later, their chemistry remains vibrant despite changed priorities. Defying the odds, will Jack and Ennis ultimately confess their non-typical sexuality to their families?

Brokeback Mountain movie boasts an ensemble cast with Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar, Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist, Michelle Williams as Alma Beers, and, Anne Hathaway as Lureen Neusome, among others.

Watch Brokeback Mountain by streaming via Peacock

Brokeback Mountain is available to watch on Peacock. Peacock is a globally booming OTT streaming platform with an immense array of countless American drama films that especially cater to die-hard drama film lovers worldwide.

You can watch via Peacock by following these steps:

Go to PeacockTV.com Click Get Started Choose your payment plan $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year (premium)

$11.99 per month or $119.99 per year (premium plus Create your account Enter your payment details

Peacocks Premium account provides access to over 80,000+ hours of TV, movies, and sports, including current NBC and Bravo Shows, along with 50 always-on channels. Premium Plus is the same plan but with no ads (save for limited exclusions), along with allowing users to download select titles and watch them offline and providing access to your local NBC channel live 24/7.

The official synopsis of Brokeback Mountain is as follows:

Rodeo cowboy Jack and ranch hand Ennis are hired as sheepherders in 1963 Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, they spark a physical relationship. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart and Jack marries a fellow rodeo rider, they keep up their tortured, sporadic love affair for 20 years.

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

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The post Brokeback Mountain Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Peacock appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Each year, the Kentucky Derby promises to be the "most exciting two minutes in sports." The 150th Run for the Roses certainly did not disappoint, with an incredible photo finish win by Mystik Dan. But before the horses left the gates, country music icon Wynonna Judd took center stage to perform the National Anthem.



Wynonna, a Kentucky native, said of the opportunity, "Kentucky, Im coming HOME! Couldnt be more excited to announce Ill be performing the national anthem at this years 150th @kentuckyderby !!! From going to the racetrack as a little girl to now singing the Star-Spangled Banner during this MILESTONE year, its such a full circle moment ."

Before the race, she shared a selfie with one of her horses at her farm and admitted, "Im so excited that Ive been wearing my Derby fascinator around the farm."

Rob Carr

For the special event, the Grammy winner wore a white-and-black pantsuit with lace details paired with a perfectly dramatic top hat. She sung the "Star-Spangled Banner" accompanied by Cactus Moser, her husband of 12 years, on drums. Watch the full performance here.

Rob Carr

Fans on social media left comments like, "Such a strong voice..I got chills," "She was amazing. No one else can sing it better!" " Shes Phenomenal. ," and "Best National Anthem performance ever!!!!"

We have to agree: Wynonna and Cactus's performance was the perfect way to kick off the Derby!

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Bostons home for classic rock announced changes to its popular morning drive show on Monday.

Pete McKenzie and Heather Ford have been dropped from 100.7 WZLXs lineup of on-air personalities, a spokesperson for iHeartMedia confirmed.

First and foremost, wed like to thank Pete McKenzie and Heather Ford for all the laughter, wild stories, and fun moments they have brought to Boston morning radio over the years, a message read on-air stated. We truly appreciate them. With that said, we have decided to close that chapter of WZLX.

McKenzie and Ford launched their show on WZLX in 2005 alongside Kevin Karlson after moving from New York, where they had worked together. Karlson, who worked as a show host in Boston for nearly 20 years, passed away last year.

Great sadness: WZLX announces passing of longtime morning radio host Kevin Karlson

It wasnt immediately clear who WZLX plans to replace McKenzie and Ford with but the new show will debut soon.

After careful consideration, it was our decision to bring you, the loyal WZLX listener, a new show to take us into the future. We will debut this new show soon. Stay tuned to WZLX for more details today, the iHeartMedia spokesperson added.

WZLX was one of Americas first classic rock FM stations. Its studios are in Medford.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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REDINGTON SHORES  Ask Bee and Jim Everett to show off their home of the last four years and theyll boast of its restored terrazzo floors and recently installed boatlift.

We painted it yellow because the house in old Carrollwood where I grew up was yellow, Bee Everett said. The color feels like home.

A tour of their quaint, 1,200-square-foot Redington Shores waterfront house can be finished in about three minutes, but it includes the story of a three-hour tour, as in the three-hour tour.

A former owner of their beach cottage was the late Dawn Wells, the actor who played Mary Ann on Gilligans Island. Just sit right back and youll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, the theme song begins, ending with the professor and Mary Ann, here on Gilligans Isle, and sticking in your head for hours.

Gilligans Island premiered 60 years ago in September 1964.

The Everetts, both 65, treasure a peculiar part of their property: a slab of the old driveway. Its etched with an autograph from Wells and dated 8-18-88.

They consider it as important a part of the home as the Jack and Jill bathroom, Bee Everett said, and they love that bathroom. Two potties. Two sinks  Lots of privacy.

Wells once owned two Redington Shores homes.

The actor purchased her first in 1978, according to the Pinellas County Property Appraisers website, and then, two years later, the home where the Everetts now live. News archives say Wells mother later became a permanent resident in Redington Shores. The Everetts said the mother moved into their home and Wells stayed in the other, which was less than 2 miles away.

Wells was a former Miss Nevada whose Hollywood career included more than 60 credits. But she will forever be known for playing wholesome farm girl Mary Ann on all three seasons of Gilligans Island and the three made-for-television movies that followed.

She also enjoyed performing in dinner theater, gigs that began bringing her to Tampa Bay in the late 1960s. It was during those trips that she fell in love with peaceful Redington Shores, where she enjoyed fishing and a break from life in busy Nashville, Tennessee, and Los Angeles, between which she split time.

I love the beach and the water, the casualness of the area, Wells once told Visit Florida. And when I look out over that ocean, it reminds me of how small we are in the scheme of things.

She performed locally through the 1980s, with venues including the Showboat and Country Dinner Playhouse, both long closed now. She also briefly dated Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary founder Ralph Heath.

In 1992, Wells spoke out against what she believed was the pending overdevelopment of Redington Shores. What God has created, what weve managed to preserve, must be maintained, she wrote in a letter published in the Tampa Bay Times. Why would anyone want to overload the street and crowd the shores?

By 2007, Wells left Redington Shores, telling the Tampa Tribune that she did so due to the threat of hurricanes. Shed survived one storm, Wells joked in reference to the show, so there was no need to further push her luck. Her other home was razed in 2008 and replaced with a duplex after preservationists failed to save it based on its link to the star.

Wells later reminisced about Tampa Bay on Facebook.

Many have asked about my house in Redington Shores, FL, and my love of animals, Wells wrote in a 2014 post that includes a photograph of her feeding a crane at the other house. This wild crane would come see me every time I came to Redington. She would take food right out of my hand. I named her Henriette. Somehow she always knew when I was there and showed up a day or two later. Eventually, I would leave my door open and shed walk right in.

Wells died of COVID-19 in December 2020, two months after the Everetts purchased their home.

While first touring the cottage, Bee Everett noticed the autographed driveway and immediately recognized the name.

We thought it was cool, Jim Everett said.

That had very little impact on why they purchased the house, the Everetts said. They fell in love with the neighborhoods serenity and old Florida feel.

But they both said Mary Ann has always been their favorite character from the show.

I could relate to her, Bee Everett said.

Asked for his reason, Jim Everett just chuckled.
Nearly three months after the monarch announced his cancer diagnosis, Zara Tindall and King Charles finally had the chance to reunite at a recent royal outing. The pair greeted each other with a hugand it turns out that the kings niece broke a pretty major royal practice in the process.

The 42-year-old couldnt help but gush when she saw her uncle at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Berkshire, England, on Friday, May 3. She pulled the 75-year-old monarch into a big hug, with sources telling Us Weekly that they overheard her exclaiming, Ah, Uncle Charles, as they embraced. But in doing so, Tindall happened to break royal protocol.

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While the royal familys website claims there are no obligatory codes of behaviour, around greeting a monarch, royal protocol in the United Kingdom is built on many longstanding traditions and expectations around how people should interact with the king. Apparently, hugging the monarch can break these protocols for several reasons.

For starters, interactions with the monarch are usually meant to remain formal. Considering that hugs are a pretty casual form of physical contact, it could definitely be seen as too familiar and not in line with the usual sense of respect that comes with royal encounters. In addition, security concerns play a role in these protocols, and limiting physical contact is usually one way to ensure the monarchs safety.

Were assuming Tindall gets a pass on this front, given that shes a member of the royal family herself. However, there is also the understanding that people arent meant to initiate physical contact with the monarch unless the monarch takes the lead. In this instance, Us Weekly reports that King Charles looked somewhat surprised when his niece went in for the hug. The outlet also revealed that those without royal titles are usually expected to avoid physical contact with the monarch altogether.

While Tindall is a member of the royal family, she doesnt have any royal titles of her own. Her mother, Princess Anne (who is King Charles only sister) declined an offer of royal HRH titles for her children when they were born. The decision was made to allow Zara and her brother, Peter Phillips, a more private life without the pressures and obligations typically associated with royal titles. Ultimately, this did allow Zara to pursue a more flexible career and lifestyleshe is an accomplished equestrian and Olympic silver medalist in her own right, and continues to live a more low-profile life compared to other members of the royal family.

Given her innocent slip up, were going to go ahead and assume that King Charles can forgive his nieceif theres anything to forgive, that is! After all, Tindalls hug comes amid His Majestys ongoing cancer battle. Her encounter with the monarch also marked the first time seeing him in public since Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. The kings outing at the royal horse show was one of three recent engagements he attended since returning to his royal duties at the end of April 2024, following a short break as he received treatment for his condition.

Who Will Inherit King Charles' Money After He Steps Down?

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National University to Run Online Student Support Pilot Project

Veteran-founded National University (NU) in San Diego has launched a pilot project with digital community platform InScribe to provide emotional and academic support to students in real time online.

The university hopes the platform will help lead to academic success by providing mentoring and guidance whenever needed and supporting a sense of student belonging.

According to an NU release, the university is launching this project in response to national surveys showing increasing student isolation and lack of social connection as a factor in retention, low academic achievement, and mental wellbeing. With InScribe, students can connect with peers in "learning communities" by taking part in classroom discussion, receiving advice, and celebrating each other's achievements.

"This is about tapping into the power of peers to create a rich and supportive online experience where students benefit from the collective support, experience and encouragement of their classmates," said Errin Heyman, NU's associate vice president of learning experience.

The platform also allows students to connect with faculty and staff to ask questions and obtain resources. Students can also connect with communities not directly related to specific courses, the release said, "encouraging networking and knowledge sharing beyond the classroom and increasing a sense of belonging."

InScribe said its platform can be integrated with university systems already in use: the LMS, courseware, web pages, e-mails, portals, chatbots, and text messages. Its technology assistant, ROSI, flags posts and conversations that need immediate attention. The platform can also build "a living repository of reusable FAQs that grow and adapt automatically," the company said.

Read more on integrations here.

For universities, InScribe provides contextualized analytics, "detailed information about which users, content, and topics are most helpful and popular" across their communities, the company said.

The NU project will involve research and evaluation of the platform's effectiveness by tracking student retention and sense of belonging, the university said. To this end, NU has assigned its Learning Experience team to work with internal research and development experts to test the pilot program on 700 students enrolled in the university's Sanford College of Education.

Visit InScribe's platform page to learn more about how it works.
My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video

My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 brings to you two or more teams who are pitted against each other in a series of rounds. However, along with their culinary skills, they also have to showcase their interior design skills by transforming their ordinary spaces into restaurants.

Heres how you can watch and stream the show via streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video.

Is My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 available to watch via streaming?

Yes, My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 is available to watch via streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The series debuts with the contestants being asked to cook delicious kiwi food and wow the audience. It takes place in the seaside suburb of Papamoa, where Sindy and Roger, the love birds, also arrive. Up next, foodie May and Enna prepare a highly ambitious menu for their second restaurant; however, a problem arises.

The cast includes Gareth Stewart, Ben Bayly, Manu Feildel, Pete Evans, and others.

Watch My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 streaming via Amazon Prime Video

My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video is a premium streaming service that brings you high-quality content from networks like Boomerang and HBO Max.

You can watch via Amazon Prime Video by following these steps:

Go to Amazon Prime Video Select Sign in and Create your Amazon account Sign up for a Prime Video membership: $14.99 per month or $139 per year with an Amazon Prime membership

$8.99 per month for a standalone Prime Video membership

Amazon Prime is the online retailers paid service that provides fast shipping and exclusive sales on products, so the membership that includes both this service and Prime Video is the companys most popular offering. However, you can also opt to subscribe to Prime Video separately.

My Kitchen Rules New Zealands official synopsis is as follows:

Reality cooking show based in New Zealand.

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Unfrosted writer Spike Feresten about the comedy movie. He discussed working with Jerry Seinfeld over the years Movies Spencer Legacy 10 hours ago

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The post My Kitchen Rules New Zealand Season 4 Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Hulus Under the Bridge tells the story of Reena Virka fourteen-year-old girl who was murdered by her peers. On the surface, its a true-crime series that explores the dangers of bullying. Beneath that, theres a compelling story about how race and identity affect the experience of people of color in Canada. That narrative is driven by Lily Gladstone, who plays Cam Bentland, a police officer investigating the case.

In an interview with the The New York Times, Gladstone linked Under the Bridge to her Oscar-nominated film Killers of the Flower Moon. Having just come off another true-crime piece that self-indicted sensationalism and looked at the people that were affected as well as unearthing some of the system issues that create these scenarios, I was really interested in this one because of how it indicts all of us in what was happening around Reena Virk, she said.

While Under the Bridge is based on a true story, and many of the characters on the series are inspired by real people, Cam Bentland is not. Her character is a composite of the officers in the police department who investigated Virks case in the nineties. My sincerest apologies to anyone who hoped her romance with Rebecca Godfrey was real! Though Cam is fictional, her role as an Indigenous officer illustrates the inner failings of the criminal-justice system, which is helmed by white men.

Heres everything we know about Under the Bridges portrayal of Cam Bentland.

Is Cam Bentland a Real Person?

Cam is a Native woman who was adopted by a white family as a child. Like Reena Virk, she is a woman of color. Throughout her investigation, she realizes how race affects Reenas casefrom how the police react to the news to whom they deem potential suspects. (The police chief points to Reenas father.) Gladstone told the The New York Times that she felt like her character provided a fresh perspective on true crime as it pertains to women of color. It was really clear to me that this was another opportunity to have a nuanced conversation about the system failures of law enforcement, she said. When youre making a true-crime story about being self-aware about it, you can go on a journey with your audience and have a conversation about these things in a way that didnt happen at the time.

Darko Sikman

Though Cam Bentland isnt real, her character is meant to represent the police department that looked into Reenas murder. Given her identity as a queer, Indigenous woman, she also highlights the tension between the police force and people of color. Cam represents a lot of conversations that are not in the book [which Under the Bridge is based on] itself but that were worth including, said Gladstone. The murder happened just by tribal land. The bridge connects the municipality to a reserve. So inherently, theres a First Nations presence in the story. I thought it was a brilliant construction to have a First Nations, adopted cop who feels compelled to Reena in a way that becomes clearer and clearer to her.

Though Reena isnt Native Americanher family is Indianthe way the two are treated within their community is jarringly similar. Both of their identities are muffled by their environment, which is predominately white. While speaking with the The New York Times, Gladstone noted the Native imagery throughout the series, which is cleverly in the background of most scenes. Its both literal, in that Saanich, Canada, is on Native land, and symbolic, in that non-white experiences are constantly pushed to the sidelines. Theres a really strong First Nations presencethe art on the buildings, the faces in the streets. That was a helpful thing for Cam because she grows up knowing that shes Native, but she doesnt know how to engage with it.



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A play the Milwaukee Repertory Theater commissioned and premiered last season has won a major award for best new play of the year.

Lloyd Suh's "The Heart Sellers," a stunning and touching comedy about two immigrant wives who bond while spending Thanksgiving together, has won the 2024 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award given to the most outstanding script that premiered in a professional production outside of New York City in 2023.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater performed Suh's play Feb. 7-March 19, 2023, at the Stiemke Studio. Jennifer Chang directed the production, which featured actors Nicole Javier and Narea Kang.

"The Heart Sellers" title is a homophone for Hart-Celler, the informal name of The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, sponsored by Sen. Philip A. Hart and Rep. Emanuel Celler, which opened up immigration here to people beyond the previous narrow list of favored western European countries.

Playwright Lloyd Suh, center, consults with actors Nicole Javier and Narea Kang during the first rehearsal for "The Heart Sellers."

In Suh's play set in 1973, Jane, from Korea, and Luna, from the Philippines, are married to first-year medical residents who work all the time, leaving them lonely and bored in their modest apartments. When Luna sees Jane in the grocery store on Thanksgiving, she impulsively invites her over to make a turkey together, which neither knows how to do.

Suh's parents emigrated here from Korea. In a pre-performance interview, he said he drew on their experiences and the experiences of his friend's parents of their generation.

The award to Suh includes a $25,000 prize.

Validating both the Rep and ATCA's judgment, "The Heart Sellers" has already received or been scheduled for several productions around the country.

Steinberg/ATCA also honored a second play that premiered in Wisconsin last year, "I Carry Your Heart With Me" by Jennifer Blackmer, which was produced by Third Avenue Playworks in Sturgeon Bay. Blackmer's play explores the conflicts of a woman who held a top-secret post during the Vietnam War. As one of two runners-up, Blackmer will receive a $7,500 prize.

Both premieres were among the 47 new works staged during the first-ever World Premiere Wisconsin festival in 2023.

The ATCA also presented its M. Elizabeth Osborn Award for emerging playwrights to Jennifer Vosters for her play "Songs Without Words," which premiered at the Milwaukee Fringe Festival.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rep's 'The Heart Sellers' wins national best new play of year award
Editors note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.

Orange County may start an incentives program to bring television and film productions to Central Florida.

On May 7, the Orange County Commission will consider forming a film incentive working group that would propose recommendations to the county on starting a local program, an idea previously floated in 2023. The meeting will include a discussion with Commissioner Emily Bonilla, who has led Sunshine Meetings with interested education and industry partners.

Florida ended its statewide film incentives program in 2016, as other states like Georgia with dedicated funds have drawn more production activity. When it was active, the state program generated nearly $1 billion in total wages for 100,000 Floridians and $1.5 billion in spending.

Read: Allegiant Air to begin service from Orlando International Airport to these 3 cities

Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journals website.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.




Politics and more: New Stark GOP director lands side gig in Netflix series 'The Chosen'

Chris Vogt, executive director of the Stark County Republican Party, has snagged a role in the hit Netflix series "The Chosen." He traveled to Utah to film his part. Vogt, who recently co-created a new dating app, became the party's executive director in January.

PLAIN TWP.  Chris Vogt intends to be the president some day.

Don't bet against him.

He now serves as executive director of the Stark County Republican Party but his ambitions aren't limited to politics.

Vogt is in Utah filming an episode for the hit Netflix series "The Chosen." Now in its fourth season, "The Chosen" retells the story of Jesus' life and ministry in episodic form.

"I've always had interest in acting," Vogt said.

Chris Vogt's passions are acting and politics

The 2020 Jackson High School graduate previously portrayed John the Apostle in Trinity Gospel Temple's annual Passion play "A Hill Called Calvary."

"I've always had an interest in movies; my favorite is 'Indiana Jones,'" he said.

Vogt said he previously applied for a role in the film "The Shift" for Angel Productions, the company that produces "The Chosen." Following a series of emails, Vogt was invited to join "The Chosen" cast as a non-speaking extra.

In the episode, he will portray a bystander. The production is set in Goshen, Utah, a desert town where a replica of Jerusalem has been built.

The episode will be broadcast next spring.

"It turned from an interest in movies, to a hobby, to an actual role," said Vogt, who's been growing out his beard for the role.

New director at Stark County GOP

Vogt became executive director of the Stark GOP in January, succeeding Tom Lapas, who recommended him for the job. Prior to that, he worked as an event planner at Glenmoor Country Club.

There aren't many 22-year-old county party leaders.

"I manage the office when the chairman isn't here, and I help with the campaigns of local candidates," he said. "I helped (Massillon mayor) Jamie Slutz with his campaign. This being a presidential year, we'll also be helping with that campaign."

Stark County Commissioner and county GOP Chair Janet Creighton hired Vogt for the job.

"He's a young person of faith and very devoted to the causes that he believes in," she said. "He holds his family in high esteem. He's not a political professional  he's a novice  but that's how you train the next generation."

Creighton said she learned about the Netflix role when Vogt asked for some time off.

"He came and asked me for a couple of days off and told me where he was going and what he was doing; he already had his costume," she said, laughing.

Canton's favorite son immortalized: President McKinley statue now on display at Stark County Courthouse

Vogt said President Abraham Lincoln, a founding father of the GOP, is his No. 1 political hero and role model.

"You also can't say anything bad about George Washington," he said. "I do admire President Trump and what he did. I also like (U.S. Senate candidate) Bernie Moreno."

More about Chris Vogt

Vogt has all the makings of a polymath. In addition to acting and working for the GOP, he and business partner, Nick Saris, a student at Ohio State University, are on the verge of launching their second app.

DuoDate is an online "double dating" app that connects an individual  and a friend  with another pair of friends.

"Men, and especially women, need to feel safe," he said.

It's the second venture for the two, who also created LinkApp in an effort to "re-socialize" social media, Vogt said.

"There's a lot of scrolling but not a lot of conversation," he said. "We invited people through link-ups, to meet in person. It had 21,000 users in 32 countries, but I felt like the problem we were trying to solve needed more than one project."

The result of that venture is DuoDate.

The two are looking for investors.

"Some of my friends think I'm crazy, doing all these things," Vogt said with smile. "They'll ask me, 'Why are you trying to do all this stuff?' One of the things that motivates me is, everybody's going to die. Rather than sit down and focus on one thing right now, I'm taking it as it comes."

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark GOP's Chris Vogt snags a part in Netflix's "The Chosen"
Princess Beatrice shared the encouraging word during an interview filmed in New York City

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Princess Beatrice and Sarah Ferguson at The Lady Garden Gala 2022 at Claridge's Hotel on Dec. 6, 2022 in London.

Princess Beatrice gave an update about how her mother, Sarah Ferguson, is doing after announcing two cancer diagnoses seven months apart

The eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Fergie was in New York City to support The Outward Bound Trust

The news comes after a source told PEOPLE the Duchess of York was "very relieved" to receive positive news about her health



Princess Beatrice has spoken about how her mother, Sarah Ferguson, is doing for the first time since the Duchess of York announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and skin cancer seven months apart.

Princess Beatrice, 35, opened up on the U.K. talk show This Morning on May 6, which she joined via video from the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. The eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, popularly known as Fergie, joined the ITV talk show to highlight her support for The Outward Bound Trust on an important day for the organization. The educational charity, which works to empower young people through challenging learning expeditions, organized the first-ever rappel off the Empire State Building as a fundraiser on May 6.

According to Hello! magazine, Princess Beatrice said that her mother was "all clear" following her health scares of the last year.

"She's such a phenomenal icon. As a mum, she's been amazing. She's been through so much and her sense of purpose and resilience really keeps me going," Princess Beatrice told co-hosts Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle when they asked about the Duchess of Yorks health.

Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

Related: Sarah Ferguson Speaks Out About Kate Middleton's Cancer News amid Her Own Diagnosis

"She's doing really well. She's had a bumpy health scare last year but all clear now. At 64, she's thriving; she's been through so much, but I think really now she's coming into her own," she continued. "We're just reminded when any parent or individual has a health scenario, just really get the checks that you need to get as early as you possibly can."

"Both my sister and I are so proud of her for taking those steps to get those checks and it really modeled our health considerations on that," Princess Beatrice added, referring to her younger sister, Princess Eugenie.

"There's nothing more important than family," said Beatrice, who is married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The couple are parents to 2-year-old daughter Sienna and Edos 8-year-old son Christopher Woolf, known as Wolfie, from a previous relationship.

Dave Benett/Getty (From left) Princess Beatrice, Sarah Ferguson and Princess Eugenie at the The Anti Slavery Collective's inaugural Winter Gala in London on Nov. 29, 2023.

The Duchess of York has been a vocal advocate around the importance of early detection through screenings since sharing that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2023. Fergie has continued to raise awareness since announcing in January that she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, following post-operative analysis of a mole removed during reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy.

In March, a source told PEOPLE that the Duchess of York was "very relieved" to learn that her skin cancer, which was detected in January, had not spread. Fergie told friends that she had further surgery around the edges of the site of the mole where she had the skin cancer and her lymph nodes.

"Fortunately, they have turned out to be clear. This is the best news she could have on it at this stage," a friend told PEOPLE. "She will have to attend checkups every 12 weeks."

"She is very relieved," the source added.

Related: Princess Eugenie Shares Personal Photos for Husband's Birthday, Including a Snap of Jack Brooksbank in Dad Mode

In an unprecedented crisis for the royal family, King Charles and Kate Middleton both shared this year that they are undergoing treatment for cancer.

Buckingham Palace announced on Feb. 5 that the King, 75, was diagnosed with "a form of cancer" following treatment for a benign enlarged prostate in January. A spokesman clarified he does not have prostate cancer.

On March 22, the Princess of Wales, 42, announced that she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-operative tests following her abdominal surgery in January "found cancer had been present" though her condition was initially thought to be non-cancerous.

King Charles resumed forward-facing duties on April 30 with a visit to a cancer treatment center in London, while Princess Kate has postponed her public work amid her treatment.

Samir Hussein/WireImage; Clive Brunskill/Getty Images (Left) King Charles on Christmas in 2023; (Right) Kate Middleton at Wimbledon in July 2023.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Three days after the Princess of Wales announced the news about her health, the Duchess of York praised her for speaking out about her diagnosis in a statement on Instagram.

"All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she starts her treatment," Fergie wrote on March 25. "I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome."

"As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months, I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis and know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness," she continued. "I hope she will now be given the time, space and privacy to heal."

Looking ahead, the Princess of Wales "will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team. She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery," a Kensington Palace spokesperson said at the time of her cancer news announcement.

A palace source later told PEOPLE that Princess Kate might join family events when she feels able, though it may not signal a full return to work.



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Episode 10 of My Siblings Romance aired on JTBC and Wavve on Friday, May 3, 2024. In the latest episode, the audience sees the participants sending messages to the ones who made their hearts flutter that day. In the process, Jae Hyung sends his message to Ji Won, while she also sends her message to Jae Hyung.

My Siblings Romance episode 10 also sees Ji Won feeling quite upset after her brother, Yun Jae, does not carefully listen to her worries about her feelings. The biggest highlight of the episode is the participants going to Singapore. There, some of the participants get to go on dates with the ones they earlier chose for the dates. The pairs include Cho A and Yoong Woo, and Se Seung and Jung Sub, among others.

My Siblings Romance Episode 10: Participants have dates in Singapore

Episode 10 of My Siblings Romance begins with the participants returning to the house after the duet singing competition is over. At the house, during the messaging session, Ji Won and Jae Hyung sent messages to each other for the first time. However, Ju Yeon, who has a romantic interest in Jae Hyung, feels upset when she does not receive any messages from Jae Hyung.

Later on, Ji Won tries to have a serious conversation with her younger brother, Yun Jae, regarding her feelings. However, Yun Jae seems quite indifferent about it and fails to listen to his sister carefully, which leads to an emotional argument between the two. Ji Won even breaks down in tears in her room due to this incident.

After that, in My Siblings Romance episode 10, viewers see the participants going to watch Yun Has cello performance. Everyone is mesmerized to see Yun Ha perform beautifully. Yun Jae even brings flowers for her. Then, the two go out on their second date. They have a great time on their date. This time, Yun Jae freely expresses his feelings for Yun Ha through words, and it makes Yun Ha feel special.

The next morning, the participants started their journey to Singapore by going to the airport. Cho A and Yoong Woo are traveling together, while Se Seung and Jung Sub are traveling together as well. In the meantime, Jae Hyung and Ju Yeon are also traveling together. Thus, Ji Won, Chul Hyun, Yun Jae, and Yun Ha travel together. Some participants have the opportunity to go on a date in Singapore with the person they are interested in.

At the end of episode 10 of My Siblings Romance, viewers see Yoong Woo and Cho A, and Jung Sub and Se Seung going on dates in Singapore. Despite the amazing location and the great opportunity to talk alone, the dates do not seem to go well. Some of Yoong Woos answers about his feelings seem to confuse and upset Cho A.

Meanwhile, Se Seung and Jung Sub also start feeling uneasy after they focus on past incidents rather than the future. They both feel quite awkward and upset with their conversation. The episode ends right there. It will be interesting to see how the participants navigate their feelings in the upcoming episode.

Viewers can watch My Siblings Romance episode 10 on Wavve.

The post My Siblings Romance Episode 10 Recap & Spoilers: Participants Go on Dates in Singapore appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Something About Her Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video

Something About Her is an American drama film helmed by Carl Colpaert. The story follows the unlikely bond between a wealthy socialite struggling with ALS in California and her caregiver from Senegal.

Heres how you can watch and stream Something About Her via streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video.

Is Something About Her available to watch via streaming?

Yes, Something About Her is available to watch via streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The film revolves around an unexpected connection between a wealthy socialite in California, battling ALS, and her compassionate caregiver from Senegal. Set against the backdrop of her illness, the two friends find themselves navigating through the several complexities of their relationship, including cultural and socioeconomic barriers. The movie also provides insights into the power of compassion and human connection.

The cast members include Cameron Richardson as Kristen, Anna Diop as Anna, Dani Dare as Oscar, Randi Acton as Sara, Brendan Bradley as Gary, and more.

Watch Something About Her streaming via Amazon Prime Video

Something About Her is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Some of the most popular television shows and movies available for streaming with Amazon Prime Video subscription plans are Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Jack Ryan, among many more.

You can watch via Amazon Prime Video by following these steps:

Go to Amazon Prime Video Select Sign in and Create your Amazon account Sign up for a Prime Video membership: $14.99 per month or $139 per year with an Amazon Prime membership

$8.99 per month for a standalone Prime Video membership

Amazon Prime is the online retailers paid service that provides fast shipping and exclusive sales on products, so the membership that includes both this service and Prime Video is the companys most popular offering. However, you can also opt to subscribe to Prime Video separately.

Something About Hers official synopsis is as follows:

A story of an improbable friendship between a Santa Barbara socialite, suffering from ALS and her caretaker from Senegal.

NOTE: The streaming services listed above are subject to change. The information provided was correct at the time of writing.

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The post Something About Her Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Amazon Prime Video appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
A dog owner is battling the Georgia kennel where he claims his dog picked up a case of parasites and allegedly got pregnant by another pup. Steven Schild claims that he sent his Goldendoodle, Nala, to stay at the Savage River Kennels in Chickamauga, Georgia and she came home with an unwelcomed surprise.

Schilds first sent 10-month-old Nala to the kennel for behavior training.

The Doodle dad was hoping that Nala would return leash trained and to have better manners, WFLA reports. Schilds was referred to Savage River by another parent at his daughter's school.

Related: Goldendoodle Eats $4K Worth of Familys Cash and the Outcome Is Priceless

The trip should've been easy enough. Nala was boarded at the facility from January 31 through February 26. Schilds first noticed something was off because the dog had diarrhea for nearly two weeks.

"We thought that the first day or two it was maybe due to the anxiety from being away but after about a week of it, I mentioned to my wife that something wasnt normal so we made a vet appointment," he explained to the news outlet.

It was at that appointment that Nala's veterinarian diagnosed her with Giardia, a parasite that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states is caused by infected feces. Anything that comes in contact with the feces can contract the illness, causing diarrhea, gas, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting.

A few weeks later, Schild was in for another surprise  the Goldendoodle was pregnant. It was two weeks before she gave birth to her seven puppies that the dog owner saw physical changes in his dogs and then felt the puppies moving in her stomach. Nala gave birth on April 17.

Speaking with Fox Nashville, Schild said there was no signs that Nala was in heat before they sent her to the facility.

"We feel that there was not the supervision that she says that there is there at the place," he told them, speaking of Savage River's owner.

The kennel has said it's not responsible for any pregnancies that happen on their premises. The Schilds signed a contract which said the company will not be held responsible for any costs involved with the pregnancy either. Schild told WFLA that he spent over $2,000 training his dog and has yet to receive a refund from the company.

In another astonishing update, Jason Smith, an employee of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, told Fox Nashville the kennel does not currently have a current kennel license either, but continues to market and advertise their services. They did have a license in the past but it has lapsed. It's unclear if any legal charges can be served but an investigation could be possible if a formal complaint is lodged.

As of this reporting, Schild said he will seek legal advice for his predicament. It's unclear if he's obtained a lawyer.

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.
A modest breeze whipped against my face, the sun beaming in the west, as I climbed aboard a 38-foot charter yacht on a recent Sunday. The weather had been hovering in the pristine 70s all day, and the evening showed little signs of an about face. The water is the calmest its been in weeks, our host explained, stating how lucky my friend and I were to hop on today.

But I wasnt anchoring near some beautiful reef in the Caribbean or roaming the Med. Instead, I was heading toward Lady Liberty on a water jaunt around Manhattan via Boatsetter.

More from Robb Report

The company, which has been offering on-water experiences since 2012, is a combination of Uber Lux and Airbnb for the high seas. Click onto Boatsetter.com and youll discover hundreds of boats available for rent. The brand connects you, the renter, with qualified boat owners and captains. Its an insured peer-to-peer service thats easy to navigate with fingertip access to multiple types of water adventures, from chartering a sailing vessel for a week in Greece or the British Virgin Islands to an evening cocktail cruise to see Manhattan from the water.

Manhattan is best seen by water.

Before a boat can be listed on the site, Boatsetter has a set of requirements that owners must meet, including ensuring the vessel has the proper insurance and agreeing to carry the legal number of passengers. Like Airbnb, many boaters list their vessels to offset the costs of ownership.

As for our ride, the plan was to cruise up and down the West Side, exploring the scenery from Manhattans tip up to 74th Street, or so. To be honest, I arrived at Chelsea Piers with moderate expectations. Being a New Yorker, I was familiar with the West Side and wasnt sure how a water view would change that.

When people are on the water, they rediscover the magic of New York, said Amal Salameh, owner of Big Apple Charters, NYCs only female-run charter company. Salameh, our host and skipper for the evening, apparently could count mind-reading with her boat-handling skills.

A handful of marinas on the west side link the city with the Hudson.

The magic started filtering in as soon as we motored from Chelsea Piers into the Hudson. Our three-hour tour (comparisons with Gilligans Island immediately came to mind) came courtesy of a Cruisers Yachts 38 GLS, christened Hudson Star. Its a good boat to cruise the Hudsonlarge enough for a small crowd and serious waves, but not too large to navigate into tight spaces.

The evening trip was relaxing above all else. Manhattans skyscrapers were a beautiful gold in the waning sunlight, while the gentle motion of the 38-footer lulled us into the relaxation you only get on boatsthe same feeling was awakened from many summers floating in Long Islands Great South Bay. It was the first time in a while that I had a pleasantusually confined to rom comsWow, I actually live here moment about the good ol Big Apple.

Nothing beats a picnic with no other boats around and Lady Liberty in the background.

This trip, my first charter, was far different from the boats of childhood. A cheese board sat in a neat display near the stern, along with wine and water bottles. (You can also bring your own food and drinks aboard, of course, though keep their spill potential in mind.) Salameh catered to every whimas most good concierges dodropping factoids about Manhattans landmarks and history during the leisurely cruise up the West Side. With two boats in the fleet, she has become an expert on local waters and a pro at crafting an entertaining ride.

After spending a few hours heading north and then south again, we cruised slowly past Liberty Island, inching as close as we could to the Statue of Liberty without flagging the Coast Guard, Salameh said with a laugh. We managed to get close enough to make out the contours of Lady Libertys face. After a lap around the island, lower Manhattan opened up before us, giving us a fresh view of the dramatic Financial District skyscape. Its a lot more pleasant to see, detached on the water, than walking Wall Streets narrow crowded streets.

Our captain navigated the waves, slightly choppy but manageable, as my friend and I lounged on the bow. Soon enough, we took a turn at the wheel, marveling at how many fish lurked below us on Hudson Stars fish finder.

Manhattan has its share of tree-lined shores.

As mentioned, Boatsetters cruises arent limited to just Manhattan: The website lists more than 50,000 boats of all sizes and classes in over 700 locations around the world. The brand estimates 10 percent of its business is Boatsetter LUX, a high-end experience booked through its concierge team. More often than not, those upscale adventures are multi-day charters.

The Uberization of boats extends beyond Boatsetter to other companies like Clickandboat.com and Getmyboat.com, but Boatsetter seems to have the lions share of listings in the U.S. With Memorial Day officially marking the beginning of the boating season, expect these sites to get busier.

The booking processand all communicationis handled via your Boatsetter account. For our vessel, once our date was approved by the owner, we signed a waiver and a charter agreement, as well as registering how many people would be aboard. After that, it was a matter of showing up at the marina.

A short charter is a great way to escape to sea with friends.

The cost of your ride varies by time of year, vessel, and the trips duration. Note: For a group of 6 or less on this vessel, the captains fee is included in your overall price, but for a bigger party, youll incur an extra fee of $70 an hour, as you need to hire the captain yourself (a process that Big Apple Charter would assist with, but is still an extra hassle). For us, the $2,084 sticker price was worth the quality of the cruise.

As dark storm clouds rolled in over New Jersey, our captain got us back to the marina before the rain dampened the day. I felt disappointed as we neared shore. People get on, and they really dont want to get off, said Salameh, reading my mind again.

But for three splendid hours, that old New York magic had found its way back into my jaded heart. I was happy to let it soak in until my next voyage.

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Who doesn't enjoy the fun and flavor of a well-thought-out fusion dish? For almost as long as humans have been cooking, we have been busily adapting and combining different dish elements and cuisines. This beef and bean nacho burger recipe, created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, follows a well-trodden fusion cuisine path by combining the classic beef burger with the flavors of nachos to create perhaps the ultimate comfort food-burger hybrid.

The burger patties are made using a mixture of beef and beans and are combined with a whole host of spices such as chile powder, paprika, and cumin, to add that classic Mexican punch of heat and flavor. The burgers are topped with melted cheddar cheese, as well as homemade pico de gallo, sour cream, jalapenos, and guacamole, to recreate the perfect fresh, beefy, cheesy, and spicy blend that could only be nachos. Really, the only thing better than a beef burger or a plate of nachos is combining them both into this one knockout dish.

Read more: Tips You Need When Cooking With Ground Beef

Gather The Ingredients For The Beef And Bean Nacho Burgers

beef and bean nacho burger ingredients - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

To begin this beef and bean nacho burgers recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the burger patties you will want a can of kidney beans, ground beef, an egg, paprika, cumin, garlic, hot chile powder, and salt and pepper. For the pico de gallo you will need tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. To make the guacamole you will want some ripe avocados, more red onion, more cilantro, garlic, pickled jalapenos, lime juice, and salt. Finally, to cook and assemble the nacho burgers you will need cooking oil, cheddar cheese, burger buns, sour cream, lettuce, and some more pickled jalapenos.

Step 1: Blend The Beans

blended kidney beans in processor - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Blend the kidney beans in a food processor for 15 to 20 seconds to form a paste.

Step 2: Combine The Beans And Beef

bean and beef patty ingredients - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Add the kidney bean mixture to a large bowl along with the ground beef, egg, paprika, cumin, garlic, chile powder,  teaspoon of the salt, and pepper.

Step 3: Mix The Patty Ingredients

beef and bean patty mixture - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Thoroughly mix the ingredients.

Step 4: Form The Patties

forming beef and bean patties - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Divide the mixture into 6 evenly sized portions, roughly 4  to 5 ounces each, and form them into patties.

Step 5: Refrigerate The Patties

finished beef and bean patties - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Cover the formed beef patties and place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 6: Make The Pico De Gallo

preparing pico de gallo - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Make the pico de gallo: Combine the chopped tomatoes with half of the diced red onion, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice.

Step 7: Mix The Salsa

freshly mixed pico de gallo - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Stir the salsa and set aside.

Step 8: Begin The Guacamole

avocado in a bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Make the guacamole: Remove the flesh of the avocados and add to a bowl.

Step 9: Mash The Avocado

mashing avocados in a bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Use the back of a fork to mash the avocados, forming a chunky mixture.

Step 10: Add The Guacamole Ingredients

preparing guacamole mixture - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Add the remaining half red onion, the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the pickled jalapenos, the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and the remaining  teaspoon salt to the mashed avocado.

Step 11: Mix The Guacamole

guacamole in a bowl - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Stir everything together and set aside.

Step 12: Heat Oil In A Pan

heating oil in a pan - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Cook the burgers: Heat the oil in a large frying pan to medium-high heat.

Step 13: Add The Patties

burger patties in a pan - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Add the patties, making sure not to crowd the pan. (You may need to cook the burgers in stages.)

Step 14: Cook The Patties

browned patties in a pan - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Cook the burger patties for 4 minutes each side, until the outsides are browned and the insides are cooked through.

Step 15: Add The Cheddar

cheddar cheese on burger patties - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Top each burger with a slice of cheese and allow to melt for 2 minutes.

Step 16: Assemble The Burgers

assembling a nacho burger - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Assemble the burgers: Slice a bun in half and, starting with the bottom bun, layer sour cream, lettuce, a cheese-topped patty, guacamole, pico de gallo, and the remaining  cup of jalapeno slices.

Step 17: Serve

beef and bean nacho burger - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Top with the other bun half and serve immediately.

What Are The Advantages Of Adding Mashed Beans To Your Beef Burger?

beef and bean nacho burger - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Beans are a common ingredient in the Mexican cuisine, and any worthwhile plate of nachos will contain this affordable, protein-rich ingredient. This recipe for nacho burgers uses a clever combination of both beans and beef in the patties to give you that classic nacho experience throughout every component of the burger. The addition of beans makes the patties much lighter in texture, with the egg acting as an important binding ingredient due to the lowered meat content of the burger.

As well as giving this dish a hefty nod to nachos, the addition of beans in this burger recipe gives the whole meal a boost. Not only does it help to cut down on the consumption of red meat, which increases the risk of heart disease and other health problems, the beans themselves are packed full of valuable nutrients. From potassium and iron to antioxidants, prebiotics, and a high dose of fiber, beans are a veritable superfood beast in the health-food arena. So if you love the flavor of beef and no other meat or vegetable-based protein will do for your burgers, this beef and bean combo will give you the best of both worlds: A delicious burger that also benefits from the addition of healthy legumes.

Can I Make These Nacho Burgers Ahead Of Time?

beef and bean nacho burger - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

This beef and bean nacho burger recipe is a great option if you are looking for a meal that can be made ahead of time. The beef and bean burger patty mixture can be prepared and shaped, and then either stored in the fridge or even frozen until you are ready to use it. If you do choose to freeze the burger patties, just remember to allow them ample time to fully defrost before cooking.

The pico de gallo will keep fresh for up to 3 days when stored in a sealed container in the fridge, making it easy to throw together when you happen to have a spare 5 minutes in the day. Although avocados are notorious for going brown within a few hours, guacamole can last longer due to the addition of lime juice; the citric acid in the lime slows down the oxidization process of the avocado. To keep your guacamole from turning brown for a longer stretch of time, be sure to store it in an airtight container topped with a shallow layer of water. It may sound a little strange, but this clever tip keeps the dip lovely and green. Simply pour off the water just before serving.

Beef And Bean Nacho Burgers Recipe

beef and bean nacho burger - Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

Prep Time: 1hCook Time: 10mYield: 6 BurgersIngredients

1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained

1 pound ground beef

1 large egg

1  teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

 teaspoon hot chile powder

1 teaspoon salt, divided

 teaspoon pepper

2 large tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

1 red onion, diced, divided

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

2 tablespoons lime juice, divided

2 ripe avocados

1 garlic clove, crushed

 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos, divided

1 tablespoon cooking oil

6 slices cheddar cheese

6 burger buns

 cup sour cream

2 cups gem lettuce leaves

Directions

Blend the kidney beans in a food processor for 15 to 20 seconds to form a paste. Add the kidney bean mixture to a large bowl along with the ground beef, egg, paprika, cumin, garlic, chile powder,  teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Thoroughly mix the ingredients. Divide the mixture into 6 evenly sized portions, roughly 4  to 5 ounces each, and form them into patties. Cover the formed beef patties and place them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Make the pico de gallo: Combine the chopped tomatoes with half of the diced red onion, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice. Stir the salsa and set aside. Make the guacamole: Remove the flesh of the avocados and add to a bowl. Use the back of a fork to mash the avocados, forming a chunky mixture. Add the remaining half red onion, the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the pickled jalapenos, the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and the remaining  teaspoon salt to the mashed avocado. Stir everything together and set aside. Cook the burgers: Heat the oil in a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Add the patties, making sure not to crowd the pan. (You may need to cook the burgers in stages.) Cook the burger patties for 4 minutes each side, until the outsides are browned and the insides are cooked through. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and allow to melt for 2 minutes. Assemble the burgers: Slice a bun in half and, starting with the bottom bun, layer sour cream, lettuce, a cheese-topped patty, guacamole, pico de gallo, and the remaining  cup of jalapeno slices. Top with the other bun half and serve immediately.

Read the original article on Tasting Table
It's Cinco de Mayo time, and festivities are planned across the US. But in Mexico, not so much

FILE - Folklorico dancers from the group Viva Mexico perform their routine during a Cinco de Mayo celebration and mixer hosted by the Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the Odessa Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, Wednesday, May 5, 2021, in Odessa, Texas. The United States is gearing up for Cinco de Mayo. Music, all-day happy hours and deals on tacos are planned at venues across the country on May 5, 2024 in a celebration with widely misunderstood origins that is barely recognized south of the border. (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP, File)

The United States is gearing up for Cinco de Mayo. Music, all-day happy hours and deals on tacos are planned at venues across the country on Sunday  May 5  in a celebration with widely misunderstood origins that is barely recognized south of the border.

In the U.S., the date is largely seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture stretching back to the 1800s in California. Typical festivities include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions and baile folklorico, or folkloric dance, with whirling dancers wearing shiny ribbons with braids and bright, ruffled dresses.

For Americans with or without Mexican ancestry, the day has become an excuse to toss back tequila shots with salt and lime, and gorge on tortilla chips smothered with melted orange cheddar that's unfamiliar to most people in Mexico.

The focus on drinking and eating has brought some criticism of the holiday, especially as beer manufacturers and other marketers have capitalized on its festive nature and some revelers embrace offensive stereotypes, such as fake, droopy mustaches and gigantic straw sombreros.

WHAT IT IS

Cinco de Mayo marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The triumph over the better equipped and more numerous French troops was an enormous emotional boost for the Mexican soldiers led by Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza.

Historical reenactments and parades are held annually in the central Mexico city of Puebla to commemorate the inspirational victory, with participants dressed in historical French and Mexican army uniforms.

WHAT IT ISN'T

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, Mexico's most important holiday.

Mexicans celebrate their country's independence from Spain on the anniversary of the call to arms against the European country issued Sept. 16, 1810, by the Rev. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest in Dolores, Mexico.

Mexico's president reenacts el Grito de Independencia, or the Cry of Independence, most years on Sept. 15 at about 11 p.m. from the balcony of the country's National Palace, ringing the bell Hidalgo rang.

The commemoration typically ends with three cries of Viva Mexico! above a colorful swirl of tens of thousands of people crowded into the Zocalo, or main plaza, in central Mexico City.

THIS YEARS CELEBRATIONS

May 5 this year falls on a Sunday, an ideal day for many people to relax and enjoy the day. There are celebrations planned across the country, especially in places with large Mexican American populations.

Among the festivities In California, San Jose will host a parade and festival featuring live music, dancers and lowrider cars, while in San Francisco there will be a festival at District Six.

An outdoor market in El Paso, Texas, will feature a car show, vendors and live music from Krystall Poppin, Ka$h Go Crazy and 2 Sexy Ashley.

In New Orleans, there will be celebrations on Saturday and Sunday at Fat City Park, with two stages and eight bands, as well as a taco-eating contest.

Across the country, bars and restaurants are promoting their Mexican fare and specials including all-day happy hours. For something different, New York even has a floating Mexican restaurant on a yacht that cruises the Hudson River.
From the Darkroom: Following Shawn Askinosie to Ecuador on the quest for cacao beans

Chocolate-maker Shawn Askinosie, left, and Vitaliano Sarabia (right), president of a cacao farmers cooperative in Ecuador, inspect cacao beans. This photo originally appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Ozarks Signature magazine.

Shawn Askinosie, owner of a gourmet chocolate factory located on Commercial Street in Springfield, Missouri, sources his cacao beans directly from farmers in Ecuador, the Amazon, the Philippines, and Tanzania. He works with the local farmers in those regions to cultivate the beans and share profits.

Askinosie and Vitaliano Sarabia (right), president of the cacao farmers cooperative in the Ecuador, inspect cacao beans during a trip Askinosie took to Ecuador in 2006. Photographer Bob Linder traveled with Askinosie to Ecuador, documenting Askinosies company and his work with local farmers in a featured article in Ozarks Signature magazine, published by the News-Leader.

Askinosie launched his small batch chocolate company that same year, and grew it into an award-winning chocolate factory. Forbes named Askinosie Chocolate one of the Best Small Companies in America in 2016. Before launching Askinosie Chocolate, Shawn was a criminal defense lawyer in Springfield.

This image is part of a much larger collection of historically rich photographs from the News-Leaders photo archive. Each week, the Springfield-Greene County Library will tap into this vast collection and present an interesting image from the darkroom" and share its history. This image is presented in partnership between the Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Springfield News-Leader. For more historical images of the Ozarks, visit: thelibrary.org/fromthedarkroom.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: From the Darkroom: Shawn Askinosie goes to Ecuador for cacao beans
Dunkin is thanking nurses with free cups of coffee. Heres when and what to know

Nurses in search of a caffeine fix can find it at Dunkin  and its on the house.

On Monday, May 6, nurses can get a free medium coffee, hot or iced, at participating Dunkin locations to celebrate National Nurses Day, according to the coffee chain.

No purchase or ID is required.

All year long you help to keep our communities runnin, now its our turn to deliver a dose of gratitude the best way we know how, the Massachusetts-based cafe said in a news release.

Free coffee is limited to one per person and specialty drinks, including frozen coffee and nitro cold brews, are excluded, Dunkin said.

Add-ons, including flavor shots, espresso and cold foam, are allowed but may cost extra.

Find your nearest Dunkin here.

Whataburger is serving free breakfast for teachers. Heres when you can get it

Chick-fil-A brings back retired favorite  but only in this city. Heres what to know

Taco Bell tests two new menu items in select cities. Where can you try them?
'This is everything to us': Cottage homes in Dover a solution for young family

DOVER  Kylani Bryant, 2, is living in her first home at the Cottages at Back River Road.

Kiana Johnston, her husband, Melvin Bryant, and their daughter Kylani found a lifeline at the affordable housing development that opened last year.

"This is everything to us," Johnston said. "We have been homeless for so long, and this is our first time living in a house. This is a community here, and we know our neighbors. I cannot even begin to explain what that means to us."

Kiana Johnston and her daughter Kylani Bryant, 2, show off their home at the Cottages at Back River Road in Dover to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, Friday, May 3, 2024.

John and Maggie Randolph developed the 44 small homes at 54 Back River Road in Dover. All are rentals and are filling up quickly with 28 occupied and some of the homes not yet ready for occupancy. Teachers, firefighters, municipal employees and employees of the Harmony Homes Assisted Living Center also owned by the Randolphs live there.

The small homes of 544 square feet are touted as energy efficient. They have added housing stock at a time when the housing crisis means an estimated 20,000-plus homes are needed in New Hampshire to meet current need and 90,000 homes by 2040, according to New Hampshire Housing.

Johnston and her family came to live in their home with help from the nonprofit Seacoast Family Promise and Executive Director Pati Frew-Waters. The family pays $1,150 per month for their small but cozy home.

"We went to Pati in June of last year and she took us right in," said Johnston. "My husband is working at Harmony Homes, and we got to move in here in November. This is security  for her (Kylani) and for us. It's such a relief."

"The Randolphs are making this work, and they are working with us to help some of our families by allocating some of these units to us," Frew-Waters said.

Solutions for affordable housing

Frew-Waters credited Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, who visited the cottage homes in Dover on Friday, with helping secure $1 million for Seacoast Family Promise to work toward low-income housing.

"But when you start by building new, or even rehabilitating places, that money doesn't go as far as you'd think," Frew-Waters said. "So, thanks God for people like the Randolphs. This is what a solution to affordable housing looks like. We have to care about each other, and this is what it looks like."

"It is so exciting what you have done here, and it is a model for the rest of our state," said Shaheen. "I can't thank you, and the city of Dover enough for working with you to make this happen. This is important because it helps protect the dignity of people by supporting affordable housing."

Ieshia Guillory is a resident of the Cottages at Back River Road in Dover, seen Friday, May 3, 2024.

Shaheen toured the home of Ieshia Guillory, who lives there with her young son.

"I was living with friends for the past few years," Guillory said. "I love it here so much and I plan to stay a long time."

Guillory's home is bright and airy, with a modern kitchen, a living area, washer and dryer and a loft where she and her son sleep.

Dover cottages hailed as model for affordable housing

State Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, said a multifaceted approach to the housing problem is required.

"The Harmony Homes project was an amazing business model," said Watters, noting the company's Durham location also has housing for workers. "Now they are going further. Kudos to them doing it, and to the city of Dover for supporting them."

"John and Maggie Randolph are committed to projects like this one. They don't have to be," said Mayor Bob Carrier.

"They want to do this and as a city we want to support that," said Carrier. "This seems like a new concept but it's not reinventing the wheel. When the mills were operating, they had housing for their workers. There were 150-200 rooms to rent, and they were affordable. It helped them. It helped the mills. This idea is a win for everyone, and we are a model for other communities."

Carrier said he believes providing housing for the workforce helps to stabilize a community.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, says federal programs and work done by developers like John and Maggie Randolph in Dover, is key to addressing the housing crisis. Shaheen toured the Cottages at Back River Road in Dover Friday, May 3, 2024.

John Randolph said they got started on this track when they wanted to help provide housing for the employees of Harmony Homes. They created housing for their workers in Durham who were having trouble finding places they could afford.

"We did that and then this idea came to us," he said. "We only charge our employees 33% of their income for rent."

"We are working with Durham, to build entry level homes," said Randolph. "We are working closely with another municipality but it is too early in the process to say who they are or what the project will be."

"Affordable housing gives both short-term and long-term benefits to people, to a community," said Maggie Randolph. "We are building a community here, but it also helps bring in the workforce that cities need by making it easier for them to live here."

Ryan Crosby, executive director of the Dover Housing Authority, said it's important "to keep replicating this model, or projects like it. The secret is to build more housing inventory, in creative ways like this one."

Crosby said the beauty of the cottage community is in the diversity of its population and in the dignity it offers families.

"We have firefighters, teachers living here," he said "We also have people who were living in their cars. They are together and helping to support each other. We need to all be in this together. If this works in Dover; it can work somewhere else. This model is the future of housing, a way to meet the need."

Shaheen explains how federal government can help

Shaheen said lawmakers in Washington are looking at ways to incentivize projects such as the one the Randolphs have created.

"We are continuing the HUD subsidies for housing," she said. "We were seeing that the subsidies for HUD-backed mortgages were going away when houses were sold. Now they will stay with the owner. We also passed two USDA measures that will increase the life of most loans, making them more affordable."

Shaheen said the measure she is most proud of in the area of affordable housing is allowing the use of tax credits to help put people in homes.

"We authorized the use of $100 million in American Rescue Plan funds for this purpose," she said. "Projects like this one are part of the answer and our providing support for low-income tax credits is another."

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Cottages at Back River Road in Dover creates home for homeless family
San Francisco's Pier 39 has attracted a record number of sea lions this year, according to officials.

Nothing prepares you for mating like a seafood buffet. Well, at least if you're a sea lion .

A massive school of anchovy in the San Francisco Bay has lured approximately 1,700 sea lions to Pier 39 near the city's Fisherman's Wharf district. Not since the early 1990s has the area seen this many sea lions, Sheila Candor, Harbormaster at Pier 39, told the Associated Press . In recent decades, less than a thousand sea lions flopped onto the pier each spring.

Pier 39 is a sea lion rest stop of sorts, a place to fill up on anchovies and herring before heading south to the Channel Islands for mating season. The pier docks use three times the floatation support as normal docks to support the weight of the blubbery sea beasts.

If you're planning to visit this year's herd of sea lions, prepare for a chorus of loud barking and frequent displays of sun-basked lounging and fin-slap bickering. And if you can't make it to San Francisco, enjoy these photos we collected.

Piles and piles of sea lions gather on Pier 39. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

An aerial view provides a different perspective of the California sea lions. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California sea lions lounge on docks at Pier 39 on May 05, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A sea lion soaks up the sun. The sea lions have been a top attraction at Pier 39 for nearly 35 years. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Ghost towns sit abandoned across WA. Here are some you can even visit in states east

If youre looking for a great day trip as the weather improves, try blocking out a few hours to drive to and explore a ghost town. You can soak in the preserved history by visiting each remaining structure in the town. Most have resources available for those who want to learn more about the towns past.

What exactly is a ghost town, though?

While there is debate over the exact parameters of what is considered a ghost town, the term generally refers to a former dwelling that has been largely abandoned by inhabitants because its purpose is no longer beneficial, but some buildings or partial buildings remain.

Whether that means a town that ran dry after the mines did, a community that never recovered from a natural disaster or an attempted economic operation that just didnt pan out, these ghost towns are sprinkled all across Washington state.

Sign at Old Molson entrance

Gold was discovered in the soon-to-become state of California in 1848, leading to a surge of miners moving west in hopes of similar luck. While not as popular as some other nearby states, Washington state had a gold rush-related timber boom and saw miners in search of riches around the 1890s. It wouldnt take long for small timber and mining towns to pop up across the state.

Railroads also brought more small areas of dwelling to the Evergreen State with track line building and train station openings. But both mining towns and railroad worker towns were heavily impacted in the years following settlement. Most of these towns were abandoned before long, especially once interstate highways were put in.

Now, they sit as ghost towns or simply ruins.

McClatchy has compiled a list of ghost towns east of the Cascade Mountains that allow free viewing or visitors:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Ghost towns in Central, Southeastern Washington

 Liberty

One of the most well-known ghost towns in Washington state is Liberty in Kittitas County. Its in the Swauk Mining District, which was established in 1873 so the community of miners could have a functioning government. At the time, it was Williams Creek, and it later was called Meaghersville before becoming Liberty in 1916.

Liberty is one of the oldest mining areas in the state, according to the Washington Trails Association. Several buildings and mining structures remain today. The town was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Theres still a small population within the town boundaries, making it whats called a living ghost town. Theres a campground nearby for those interested in an overnight stay.

 Goodnoe Hills

A pioneer community from around the 1860s, Goodnoe Hills sits in Klickitat County near Rock Creek Canyon.

There is still a schoolhouse, hotel and several residences at the community site today.

 Cloverland

In Asotin County, Cloverland was intended to be an agricultural community for orchards and crops. The population turned to livestock and grains after other crops were unsuccessful. The most residents it ever had was in 1910, when 400 people lived in Cloverland.

Now, the town is just a handful of buildings, including a church, hotel and garage, which are on the National Register of Historic Places. The nearby Cloverland cemetery is just up the road with many graves dated from the towns peak.

Ghost towns in Northeastern Washington







 Nighthawk

Another mining boom town, Nighthawk in Okanogan County is registered with the Historical Society as a ghost town. Its original hotel, schoolhouse, mining office and mill all still stand today. Most of the buildings left date back to 1903, but the town was a mining community and supply center as early as 1860.

Nighthawk sits along the Similkameen River. While its estimated that less than a dozen people live in the town now, it is said there used to be thousands of miners.

Shot of Old Molson

 Old Molson

Okanogan County has another mining boom town that serves as an open-air museum: Molson. The Molson Schoolhouse is now the Molson School Museum, with pictures and displays of Old Molson, and the buildings original library.

Molsons mining boom lasted only a year. The population remained steady following the decline of mining due to railroad construction, but the town eventually dwindled to its current ghost town state.

 Govan

If any of these ghost towns are likely to have any ghosts, itd be Govan, the town in Lincoln County with several notorious unsolved murders. The city boomed around 1890 in keeping with Central Washington Railway construction. Just south of the Grand Coulee Dam, several of the towns original buildings still stand, including the schoolhouse, post office and grain silos.

The towns most infamous case is the unsolved double axe murder of Judge J.A. Lewis and his wife Penelope in 1902.

The installation of U.S. Route 2 halted Govans growth.

 Sherman

Also in Lincoln County is the ghost town of Sherman. You can find a church and cemetery there today, plus partial remains of the schoolhouse. It is said that the town did well in the late 1800s due to wheat demand, but was eventually abandoned when wheat prices fell and better roads were in place.

Its easy to stop by both Sherman and Govan in one day.

 Bodie

One last mining town for the list, Bodie in Okanogan County was established around the late 1880s. Gold found in the area kept its population up for some time. In fact, the Wrigley brothers owned the Bodie gold mine for some years in the early 1900s, and established the Bodie Mining Company. It is said that over $1 million worth of gold came out of Bodie.

The towns gold operations ebbed and flowed in the following decades. But a fire that destroyed much of the towns mining infrastructure in the 60s solidified its fate as a ghost town.

Parts of Bodie are privately owned, so if you visit, check the status of each structure.

Do you have a question or topic suggestion for the Northwest Service Team? Let us know here:
Krispy Kreme unveils new collection of mini-doughnuts in honor of Mother's Day

Mother's Day will be here before you know it, and Krispy Kreme is celebrating with a new collection of mini doughnuts.

Beginning Monday, May 6 and for a limited time, the company is inviting customers to "share a mini moment with all the special motherly figures in their lives" with the Minis for Mom Collection at participating stores in the U.S.

The collection will be available in a 16-count box that also includes four mini Original Glazed doughnuts. You can get the offering in-shop and for pickup or delivery via Krispy Kreme's app and website. Customers can also get all three of the flavors in a mini 8-pack, delivered fresh daily to select retailers.

New flavors include iced rose, Oreos, strawberry icing

The mini-doughnuts will be available in three new flavors, including:

Mini Strawberry Iced Heart Doughnut: A mini Original Glazed doughnut hand-dipped in strawberry icing and decorated with a white sprinkled heart

Mini Iced Rose Doughnut: A mini Original Glazed doughnut hand-dipped in bright teal icing and decorated with a buttercream rose

Mini Chocolate Cookie Crumble Doughnut made with Oreo: A mini Original Glazed doughnut hand-dipped in chocolate icing and crushed Oreo cookies, and decorated with colorful daisy sprinkles and a chocolate buttercream dollop

You love your mom, and your mom would love to spend time with you. Our Minis for Mom Collection is a sweet way to create mini moments with your mom this Mothers Day, said Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme.

Krispy Kreme is celebrating Mother's Day with a new collection of mini-doughnuts that will be available beginning May 6.

Krispy Kreme locations in Oklahoma

There is one Krispy Kreme location in Oklahoma at 13500 N Pennsylvania Ave in Oklahoma City.

Krispy Kreme offers free dozen doughnuts in revamped rewards program

Beginning Tuesday, April 30, Krispy Kreme is giving all rewards members a free original glazed dozen, including new members who join between April 30 and May 11. The company said current members were set to receive their free dozen on April 30.

All rewards members will also receive a dozen consecutive days of deals, including free doughnuts and coffee, beginning April 30 through May 11, according to the news release.

The doughnut giant announced April 30 it is revamping its rewards program with a more generous points system that makes it faster for members to earn and easier to redeem free doughnuts and beverages. Krispy Kreme Rewards members will now earn 10 points for every $1 spent and points can be redeemed for more items, including single, 3-pack, 6-pack and dozen doughnuts, as well as coffees and hot chocolates, according to a news release from the company.

Krispy Kreme is revamping its rewards program to a more generous points system that makes it faster for members to earn and easier to redeem free doughnuts and beverages.

Rewards members will also get additional exclusive and personalized perks, including a free sweet treat on their birthday, opportunities to try limited-time products for free, and double points for celebrating their anniversary month.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Mother's Day doughnuts: Krispy Kreme releases new limited-time flavors
LAKESIDE - This May, birders from across the country will return to Northwest Ohio, the Warbler Capital of the World, to celebrate The Biggest Week in American Birding. Lakeside Chautauqua will host free birding lectures from May 6 to May 10 to welcome birding enthusiasts and families to the Marblehead Peninsula.

While visiting Lakeside, walk the nature trails and lakefront path for scenic views of Lake Erie, pack a picnic and enjoy the many parks and playgrounds, shop and dine in the downtown business district and explore nearby birding hotspots like the Marblehead Lighthouse, Meadowbrook Marsh and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. View the schedule of events and plan your getaway. For more information, visit lakesideohio.com/birdingweek.

Yellow-rumped warbler.

Events this week

LECTURE: OWLS OF OHIO WITH JIM TOMKO

7 p.m., Tuesday at Orchestra Hall, free:

Twelve species of owls have been spotted in Ohio. Several are residents, some are migrants, and a few are accidental visitors. In this lecture, interesting owl trivia will be revealed and some tips on how, when and where to spot owls will be shared.

What birds can I see in Ohio? Hundreds of species are on display during spring migration.

Jim Tomkos interest in birds and wildlife began as a child. While his friends assembled model airplanes and cars, he painted and put together models of robins, bluebirds or goldfinches. Tomko began birding in 1979 at Miami University where he majored in zoology. He earned a masters degree in environmental biology and doctorate in optometry from Ohio State University.

LECTURE: THE LAKE ERIE LANDSCAPE & THE FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF MIGRATORY BIRDS WITH VERNER P. BINGHAM

7 p.m., Wednesday, Orchestra Hall, free:

Although modest in size, the crossing of Lake Erie is a potential threat to nocturnally migrating songbirds. Over the past several years, Verner P. Bingham and his students have used different technologies to record the flight directions of migratory birds as they approach the Ohio coast of Lake Erie and when they fly over the island archipelago of the western basin.

The picture that emerges is that nocturnally migrating songbirds integrate directional guidance from their compasses, based on the stars and earths magnetic field, with information from the land and sea topography being flown over in shaping their response to the risks and benefits of any flight path.

Once an endangered species, bald eagles have rebounded and even flourished in Ottawa County.

Morning bird walk planned for Thursday

BIRD WALK: BIRDWATCHING ON THE LAKE ERIE SHORELINE WITH HOLLY MERKER

10:30 a.m., Thursday, Train Station Patio, free:

The Lake Erie shoreline is a renowned location for viewing all kinds of birds and attracting birdwatchers from around the country, especially during the spring and fall migrations. Join Holly Merker to learn why the region is so important for birds. We will hike Lakesides trails and parks, help you find and identify birds, and learn interesting facts along the way.

Decoy Marsh a unique haven for birding

Some of the species you may expect to see include Bald Eagles, Baltimore Orioles and Northern Cardinals. If were lucky, we may also find Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Purple Martins and any of the 40 species of neotropic warblers that migrate through the region.

Bring a pair of binoculars (a small number will be available to borrow). Suitable footwear should be worn for this walk. Appropriate clothing should be selected based on weather conditions that day.

LECTURE: ORNITHERAPY: THE POWER OF BIRDWATCHING WITH HOLLY MERKER

7 p.m., Thursday 9, Orchestra Hal, free:

Life can be busy, with long to-do lists and digital demands. Allowing birds and nature to slow us down is practicing self-care. Research shows that connecting with nature actively reduces stress, depression and anxiety, while helping build a stronger heart and immune system. Wild birds offer the perfect gateway into deeper experiences with nature, magnifying these benefits.

In this program, Holly Merker will delve into our connections to birds, how to maximize the wellness benefits of birding, and the latest research surrounding the impact of birds on human well-being.

Holly Merker is a professional birding guide, author and lecturer with a background in art therapy, but today uses birds and nature toward the same goals to deliver nature-based wellness programs for people of all ages.

Merker shares her love of birds instructing for the American Birding Association, the National Audubon Society, Hillstar Nature and many other organizations. She holds a certificate in Wellness Counseling and is a Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, weaving birds into both fields. She is also co-host of The Mindful Birding Podcast and founder of the Mindful Birding Network.

LECTURE: ROGER TORY PETERSON  LEGACY & INSPIRATION WITH ARTHUR PEARSON

7 p.m., Friday, Orchestra Hall, free:

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the publication of the first Peterson Field Guide. Since then, across several subsequent editions, Peterson Guides have sold upwards of 15 million copies worldwide.The 40th anniversary of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) is also in 2024.

Chicago native Arthur Pearson has a richly varied background in the arts, conservation, museum collections and philanthropy.

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Speakers slated during Birding Week at Lakeside
It's no secret that dogs are more than pets. They can be playmates, best friends, co-workers, and heroes. There isn't much that a dog can't do when they set their mind to do it, which is why some dogs make excellent police K9s and livestock guardians.

But dogs aren't the only ones who will alert and guard your home! As one Idaho rancher recently learned, you can never truly know who is going to answer when someone calls for backup. His dogs began barking at something on April 28, but the best part of the video isn't how he responds (though be warned: there's some foul language); it's who else responds as backup!

LOL! That is not at all who I was expecting to see or hear from! But that is one beautiful peacock, even without his colorful feathers on full display, and I have a feeling he knows it, too. Why else would he be so confident chiming in with the big dogs?

Related: Moms Reaction to Male Peacock Flirting With His Women Is Just Too Funny

"You know it's serious when the Peacock gets involved," agreed commenter @myboyz_jax_hank. No kidding! The livestock guardian dogs are no strangers to barking, howling, and alerting to unknown sounds, but either the peacock is feeling left out, or he hears something too!

Sound can travel a long way in the vast, clear valleys of Idaho, but surely, the female peahens would be reacting if there really was something nearby. Right? Instead of acting interested, though, they're too busy grazing.

What Sounds Do Peacocks Make?

If you're surprised to hear this kind of sound coming out of a peacock's beak, you're not alone. Commenter @rojacore excitedly asked, "Who was going to tell me that peacocks meow?" Haha! Many people think peacocks' calls sound like meows, but I didn't know this before I heard one for myself...at the crack of dawn!

I was camping with my Girl Scout troop for the very first time when I first heard a male peacock's call. It woke me up on the first morning before it was even light out, and I'd be lying if I said I got any sleep after that. I genuinely thought there was a cat in distress somewhere, but my troop leader explained in the morning that what we heard were actually wild peacocks. Who knew?

Male peacocks are especially loud, and they can call for a number of different reasons. In most cases, the loudest calls are to attract mates or locate a flock, but it sure can feel like they're calling just to wake you up in the morning.

Fortunately for rancher Jason, these kinds of sounds are all too normal. His farm animals can still get his attention when something's going on, but at least their sounds don't startle him like they did to us at Girl Scout camp!

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.
Allie Pepper of Australia summited Makalu today at 3 pm Nepal time, her home team reported. It was a late arrival, and on the difficult, steel-hard blue ice, the descent became a marathon. Four hours after summiting, her tracker located her far from Camp 3. However, eventually she reached it.

Allie Peppers story was posted on Instagram today.

As we noted previously, the Australian set off toward the summit of Makalu yesterday. She is climbing without supplementary oxygen and had waited in Camp 3 at 7,450m for two days until the winds dropped.

Tracker showing the location of Allie Pepper on Makalu on Goggle maps

Not alone

Her tracker showed her location near the summit area, still far from Camp 3, at 9 pm. Her elevation then was 7,900m. Camp 3, at 7,450m, she reached some hours later.

Pepper is not alone on the mountain. She was part of a large summit group from Seven Summit Treks. The outfitter reported 12 summits today, including Peppers, three other clients, and seven sherpa guides.

Two of the guides were Mingtemba Sherpa, known as Mikel Sherpa, and Ngima Wangdak Sherpa. Both supported Pepper on her recent Annapurna climb. Pepper was the only one going without oxygen. It is unclear whether other teams attempted to summit Makalu today as well.

There are extremely dry conditions on Makalus upper slopes this season. Photo: Stefi Troguet

Other no-O2 climbers on Makalu include Stefi Troget of Andorra, who returned to Base Camp from Camp 3 today. Bartek Ziemskis plan is to ski down Makalu, filmed by Oswald Pereira. The two Poles have not reported their whereabouts lately, and one wonders how badly the blue ice will affect their ambitions.

Norrdine Nauar (currently on Everest) reports that Allie Pepper had had some physical problems on Annapurna some weeks ago, but she still made it to the summit without O2. After Makalu, she wants to climb Kangchenjunga. Her goal is to summit the 148,000ers without oxygen, apparently as quickly as possible.

The post Makalu: Allie Pepper Summits at 3 PM; Now in Camp 3 appeared first on Explorersweb.
St. Joseph County residents in need of supplemental food this month may pick up a food box at any of several upcoming food distributions throughout the community.

The first food South Michigan Food Bank distribution will take place at 4 p.m. May 9, at the First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis, 1320 S. Lakeview Ave.

Fresh food is packaged for distribution at the South Michigan Food Bank.

At 4 p.m. May 14, the Centreville Seventh Day Adventist Church, 23683 M-86, in Centreville, will host a food box giveaway. A free ride to and from the premises is available through the St. Joseph County Transportation Authority depending on availability. A 24-hour advanced notice is required and inquiries may be made by calling (269) 273-7808.

Those in the Burr Oak area may visit Railroad Park there at 4 p.m. May 15, for a box of food. Gateway Village Apartments, 409 Gateway Court in Sturgis, will host a distribution at 10:30 a.m. May 16, followed by a giveaway at Colon High School, 400 Dallas St., in Colon, at 4:30 p.m. the same day.

Beginning at 9 a.m. May 18, The Huss Project at 1008 Eighth St., in Three Rivers, will give out food boxes until supplies are depleted.

The White Pigeon Schools campus, 410 Prairie Ave., will be the site of a food distribution at 3:30 p.m. May 28.

For additional food distributions in St. Joseph County through other agencies, food pantry hours and other supportive events, visit the human services calendar and St. Joseph County community resource guide at sjchumanservices.com.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: May food distributions announced St. Joseph County
While there are plenty of fast food giants out there, there's none quite as iconic as McDonald's. Known for its juicy burgers ranging from the Big Mac to simple cheeseburgers, there are tons of options on the menu for you to sink your teeth into. If you're a fan of these burgers and other Mickey D's menu items, however, there's something you might want to know  those juicy beef patties are made by mixing meat from various batches. That means that your burger can actually contain meat from over 100 different cows.

The company states that butchers mince and shape the beef into patties, and it's during this process that beef from various batches can cross over. With that said, McDonald's still takes care to make sure that its hamburgers are up to quality standards. On its corporate website, the chain asserts, "All of our burger patties in the U.S. are always made with 100% USDA-inspected beef." So, although they contain a mix of different cattle, they're still safe to consume.

Read more: The Ultimate Ranking Of American Fast Food Restaurants

Dissecting What's In Your McDonald's Burger

Four raw beef patties - AVN Photo Lab/Shutterstock

While McDonald's patties may be made up of over 100 cows, that doesn't mean that they're packed full of ingredients you don't want to eat. On its website, the company reassures customers that McDonald's burgers are just beef: "Our patties contain no preservatives or fillers, and the only thing we ever add is a touch of salt and pepper when the patties are sizzling hot on the grill."

In fact, the chain states that the pickles are the only ingredients on its burgers that contain any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, which you can always skip if you don't want to consume those kinds of ingredients. Instead, the burgers are made up solely of a variety of cuts of meat, including sirloin, chuck, and round, which are ground together to form the patty mixture. Now, that's not to say that the company's burgers aren't without their flaws.

For one thing, the company gas-flushes its burgers as part of the packaging process to help them last longer. These gases, which could be substances like nitrogen or carbon dioxide, don't affect food safety but might be a bit off-putting to some. Furthermore, up until the 2010s, McDonald's is reported to have made burgers with pink slime, a chemical-containing beef byproduct. While this practice may have ceased, it still gets you thinking about what other methods the company might be implementing that could affect the quality of its beef.

McDonald's Is Making An Effort To Be Ethical And Sustainable

A McDonald's burger and drink - piyaphun phunyammalee/Shutterstock

While you might be prepared to forgo your next McDonald's Big Mac, don't jump the gun just yet. Despite the fact that McDonald's mixes meat from different delivery batches, the chain still takes care to make quality burgers. Besides ensuring that the patties contain 100% beef, McDonald's also makes moves toward limiting the use of antibiotics in its supply chain. Since 2018, the brand has implemented policies regarding sourcing beef and has been following guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) for antibiotic use in cattle.

Still, there's some controversy surrounding the beef suppliers that McDonald's works with, as, although the company is making moves to reduce antibiotic use, some of the products it gets from suppliers have still been linked to antibiotic resistance. At the same time, McDonald's is taking measures to make its beef sourcing more sustainable. For one thing, more than 98% of its beef sources support deforestation-free supply chains. McDonald's has also established regenerative grazing programs.

Despite these efforts, there's still some work to be done. The company produced over 53 metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2019, which is associated with its beef production. However, at the end of the day, while it might not sound ideal to be eating burgers made from hundreds of cows, you can still rest assured that the company is working toward sustainable practices surrounding its beef.

Read the original article on Daily Meal
Oklahoma storm shelter checklist: How to prepare, what to pack in a tornado go-bag

Emergency Go Bag: What to pack for an emergency.

With Oklahoma's spring storm season in full swing, it's time to ensure your storm shelter is ready for the worst-case scenario.

Here's what you need to know to prepare your storm shelter and go-bag in case you need to take shelter during a tornado.

Oklahoma storm shelters: Prepare now for severe weather

The Oklahoma State University Extension office has some tips for getting your storm shelter ready for tornado season.

Clean out your storm shelter, including clearing any pests, removing fire hazards and sealing any openings to ensure pests can't get in.

Make sure your shelter does not have any leaks, and if water is getting in, repair any cracks or divert water away from the shelter entrance.

Keep cases of water and non-perishable food items in sealed containers.

Keep an emergency kit stocked with flashlights, extra batteries, folding chairs, first aid kits, medications, diapers and other needs specific to your family.

Be ready to bring stuffed toys or blankets to comfort small children.

Create shelter-in-place plans

The City of Oklahoma City does not have any public storm shelters. According to the City, this is because of the danger of driving to a shelter during severe weather.

"Many deaths attributable to tornadoes are attributed to being in a vehicle," according to the City of Oklahoma City. "Traffic congestion from hundreds or thousands of other residents trying to get to public shelters could have tragic consequences."

Instead, residents are encouraged to shelter in place.

Pick a safe place with few windows and doors to shelter in. Stay inside your shelter location until officials say the danger has passed.

In that area or another designated place, store an emergency kit with supplies that will last up to two weeks. Dried and canned food, water, prescription medications, a first-aid kit, household cleaning and disinfectant supplies, and personal hygiene items should be on hand. Supplies can be kept in a large plastic container and stored in a designated place for easy access.

If you have a portable generator for power outages, never run it inside your house or connected garage. Always keep it outside. Carbon monoxide  a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas  is dangerous and kills more than 150 people a year.

Making disaster plans for your pet, too

Pets should never be left behind during an emergency. They are likely to get lost, injured, or worse. Creating a pet emergency kit ahead of time will help.

Have a pet carrier for each pet, with your pet's name and contact information printed on the carrier. Have at least two weeks' worth of food and water, litter for cats, and poop bags for dogs.

Make sure to have copies of pets' medical records, which include vaccination status for rabies and other diseases. It's a good idea to practice an evacuation including your pets so everyone knows what to do.

What to do in a tornado warning

If a tornado warning is issued for your area, take shelter immediately, whether that's in your storm shelter, basement or an interior, ground-level room.

The most dangerous places to be are outside, in a vehicle or in a mobile home.

It's also best to keep shoes on in case of debris after a storm, and have your pets on leashes.

Prepare a go-bag: Gathering supplies

A go-bag is usually a small, lightweight backpack you can grab in a moment's notice on your way out the door. It should include personal items, toiletries, food, and water.

This is how you set up your kit:

What type of bag?

Pick something small, portable, and lightweight. A lightweight suitcase with wheels might work as well, but remember, you could be running while carrying this bag!

Essential items for cleanliness and lung protection:

Basic electronics:

Use your electronics only when necessary. Keep your phone handy in case you need to report a life-threatening emergency. Try to avoid phone use to keep lines available for emergency responders.

Personal items:

Layer clothes that can be easily added or removed, depending on temperature. It's best to be prepared for all types of weather. Include toiletry items, backup eyeglasses, bug spray, matches, a pocket knife or multipurpose tool, and a first-aid kit including any prescription drugs.

Have emergency cash and change on hand in case of a widespread power outage in which credit cards won't work. And don't forget keys to your house and vehicles.

Water and food:

Bottled water is a must. You should have at least a day's worth of food and water, enough for each person. Nonperishable foods, such as granola or energy bars, are good since they are small and compact.

Copies of important paperwork:

Keep photocopies of important household paperwork such as proof of address, driver's license, insurance, adoption papers, or naturalization certificates. Include copies of your Social Security cards, medical records, and credit card information. They should be stored in a waterproof bag.

Be sure to check out the Red Cross Emergency Library for safety checklists and more information.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma storm shelter checklist: How to prepare, pack tornado go-bag
Puppies were rescued from the trash and needed homes  then came good news.

The litter of pups made it to safety after the heartbreaking discovery. And now, all four of the babies have been adopted, according to the Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina.

They were scooped up quickly and they all are getting to know their new families, the Raleigh-area rescue wrote in a blog post.

The rescue organization also posted the heartwarming update on social media May 5, about a month after the pups came into its care. The siblings had been found in a dumpster in rural Virginia.

The condition of these puppies was devastating, the animal organization wrote. They had scratched and bitten off much of their fur, and their bodies were covered in painful sores.

The Halifax Dog Squad rescued the dogs, who later arrived at the Triangle Beagle Rescue. As social media users expressed outrage over the pups state of neglect, the little ones kicked off their journey toward recovery.

With the dedication of their loving foster family the puppies started to improve, the North Carolina rescue wrote. They started engaging in play and showed less discomfort after just a few baths.

The pups were named Rocky, Sky, Sweetie and Zuma. They got their names from the childrens cartoon Paw Patrol, reportedly to symbolize a fresh start for these innocent souls in the face of their harrowing past.

The rescue didnt share more details about how the puppies ended up in the trash or whether anyone faced charges. But it later posted the joyful news about their adoptions.

We are happy to announce that all four Paw Patrol puppies, who were found in a dumpster, have found loving forever homes, the rescue said on Facebook, as it shared photos of the babies with their new owners.

Mama dog patiently waited as her puppies got adopted. Then her luck turned around

Rainbow the dog gives birth at NC shelter. See her 7 cute pups  with colorful names

5-day-old kittens and mom found near college campus. Then, caring student stepped in
Ready For The Road - Tragedy Drives Former Officer To Create Simulator-Based Training For Teens

Tina Dodd doesnt mince words when it comes to the gravity of teens driving.

These vehicles are weapons. They're weapons, says Dodd, founder and owner of Drive Alert Training Academy in Greenville.

Tina Dodd's uses computer simulators (as well as one-on-one time behind the wheel of a car) to teach teens and others to drive.

In the military  in law enforcement  we train with simulations before we go into any high-risk environment. Why are we not giving kids the same opportunity?

So, Dodd decided to steer aspiring drivers that direction. Before her students sit behind the wheel of a real car on a real road in real time, they take a seat behind a computer screen that simulates a variety of challenges.

Long before her driving school became a reality, Dodd spent eight years in the military. She landed in South Carolina in the early 1990s, then spent 16-plus years working in state law enforcement and the Greenville Police Department before becoming a federal law enforcement agent in 2008.

Dodd worked primarily out of Washington, D.C., and Florida but also deployed three times to Afghanistan and other hostile environments.

Each week that she was stateside, Dodd would nap after work on Fridays, drive to Greenville, and train young drivers on Saturdays and Sundays. Then shed head back.

I did that for six and a half years without a day off, she says. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to quit. I cant tell you how many times I was exhausted driving back at 2 or 3 in the morning and had to pull over to the side of the road because I couldnt make it to an exit to take a nap.

That commitment was based on a life-altering tragedy. Dodd was on duty as a police officer one night in 2007 when she witnessed a young driver pull into the road and strike another car.

Three teenagers died.

I have been exposed to death in my career. But that incident prompted a lot of emotion, says Dodd, whose son was then the same age as the teens.

When the parents arrived, I did everything in my power to prevent them from seeing the condition that their children were in.

Dodds ex-husband was one of the first responders at the scene. And officers all over the city listened to the call on their radios. Dodds sergeant was working another job. The vehicle description was similar to his daughter's vehicle. To hear him, to hear his emotions . But she says she couldnt immediately reassure him.

Dodd says she doesnt know whether the young driver had taken drivers education. But her own son was on the waiting list for driver training at his school for four years and never made it into a class.

That's when the seed was planted, she says.

Dodd began researching drivers education and trainer certification. She changed her college major to business instead of criminal justice and carried a notepad to jot down advice from other businesspeople and, later, counselors at SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Executives), and her ministers.

I struggled. I didn't know what my purpose was. Then I got the call to go federal, she says.

Her purpose became clear during an assignment in South America. Dodds phone hadnt rung in 40 days because the area was so remote. She was reading The Purpose Driven Life for the second time, and she was praying.

Before dawn one morning, she says she experienced an epiphany. I knew that this is what I needed to be doing. Her phone began ringing with calls and texts from people offering encouragement and help. In the jungle in the Amazon. I cant make that up.

In 2012, Dodd started refurbishing a space at 1325 Miller Road, off Woodruff Road. She opened in 2013 with 14 driving simulators  like flight simulators.

Thats one of her mottos: Learn how to drive the way pilots learn to fly.

Now retired from law enforcement, Dodd and other instructors offer eight classes a month  mostly to teenagers, but also people who have immigrated from other countries, who drive company vehicles, or who have been ordered to take driver training by courts. Mature drivers sometimes take classes to assess their skills.

Dodds passion hasnt waned.

Nobody wants to talk about the numbers of young people who are perishing in vehicle collisions. We've become conditioned to it, says Dodd, who is on the Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

From 2017 through 2021, about 694,000 collisions occurred in South Carolina; 111,000 involved teen drivers; and a teen driver was involved in 564 of the 16,000 collisions with fatalities, according to the S.C. Department of Public Safety.

South Carolina requires that teens take drivers education  unless they are over the age of 17. Then, they can obtain licenses after passing the written test and driving test administered by the Department of Motor Vehicles. They slip through the cracks, Dodd says.

Teens can begin drivers education at the age of 14 years and 10 months. They can take the written test, obtain a permit and drive with a licensed adult at 15 years old. Six months later, they can take the road test. A parent must attest that the teen has had 40 hours of practice, including 10 hours of nighttime driving.

Thats no guarantee that the driver is ready for the road, Dodd says.

Were giving them access to drive a vehicle with only six months of training  if they receive that, she says.

At Drive Alert Training Academy, students get eight hours of lecture and simulator time and six hours driving with an instructor. Then parents are expected to take over.

We make it fun. But they're learning. We put them in situations where they're texting and driving. Theyre distracted. Theyre adjusting their radio. Theyre eating, Dodd says.

Students wear goggles to simulate drunken driving.

With simulators, Tina Dodd and other instructors at Drive Alert Training Academy can (virtually) expose future drivers to dangerous road conditions and unexpected hazards.

The screens show the consequences. Then we home in on the emotional side, she says. Can you deal with the trauma if you survive, but someone else has been injured or killed?

As an entrepreneur, Dodd has also learned. Her advice to other fledgling business owners is to ask for help  not just the spiritual kind. In addition to SCORE, she sought assistance from CommunityWorks and the Small Business Administration.

Its ludicrous not to seek the wisdom from individuals who have already paved a path, especially because their services are free. Every resource you need is out there.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Ready For The Road - Tragedy Drives Former Officer To Create Simulator-Based Training For Teens
Teacher Appreciation Week: what it is, how you can get involved, and ways to thank educators

We've previously reported about the value of teachers and school staff: how they identify their students' needs and develop curriculum to respond to them, how they help students stay engaged in school and how they share their life's work and passion. Last year, we even shadowed a fourth-grade teacher to see what her typical day is like.

Now that the end of the school year is coming up, parents, caregivers and community members have an opportunity to celebrate what teachers do all year.

Teacher Appreciation Week is typically observed during the first full week in May; this year, it will be May 6-10. During that week, National Teacher Day is observed on Tuesday, according to the National Education Association.

Ariana Douglas, a music teacher with the Banta Bilingual Elementary School in Menasha, leads students in song during the city's sesquicentennial celebration in March at the Menasha City Center.

What is Teacher Appreciation Week?

The origins of Teacher Appreciation Week are uncertain. According to a blog post by School Specialty, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt spoke to Congress about the need for a holiday to recognize teachers in 1953, possibly in response to letters from teachers in either Wisconsin or Arkansas.

Regardless of who started it, the first National Teacher Day was observed nearly 30 years later, on March 7, 1980. Four years later, in 1984, the National Parent Teacher Association established the first full week in May as Teacher Appreciation Week. The NEA has also observed National Teacher Day on the Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation Week since then.

Today, schools nationwide celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week in May by thanking teachers and school staff members for their hard work and dedication to their students.

What are area schools doing for Teacher Appreciation Week?

Locally, individual schools and school districts organize events and gifts to celebrate teachers and other staff members throughout the week. These efforts are often led by parent-teacher organizations and associations. Some of the groups this year are planning to donate gifts, breakfasts, lunches or snacks to area teachers and staff members.

Others are showing appreciation in other ways. Families at Houdini Elementary School are planning to decorate the sidewalk outside the school with chalk. The hope, according to Houdini PTO member Michaela Michalski, is that the school's staff and teachers will see the encouraging messages as they come into school that Monday and "boost (their) morale," she said.

"We try to do something different (for Teacher Appreciation Week) every year," Michalski said. She and fellow PTO member Amanda Forster organized this year's "Chalk the Walk" event.

They thought "it would be really nice to go outside, for our families to connect with each other and show their creative skills," Michalski said. "We adore and appreciate our staff and teachers for all the hard work they do daily and all that they give to our students."

Area businesses have gotten into the mix, too. Last year, Taft Elementary literacy teacher Tanya Olson was honored by the Neenah Walmart after she won a "Favorite Teacher" contest at the store, according to the Neenah school district.

Student made cards for fourth-grade teacher Brianna Weyers during class in April 2023 in Appleton.

What gifts should I get for Teacher Appreciation Week?

The question's been posed in area parent groups over the past few days, and members of the Facebook group Moms of the Appleton Area  as well as teacher advocacy groups and school districts  have answers.

In the Facebook group's post asking about Teacher Appreciation Week gifts, several commenters who said they work in education and child care suggested gift cards to Walmart, Target, Amazon or Kwik Trip. These kinds of gift cards can help with classroom expenses; the NEA estimates that teachers spend an average of $500 to $750 of their own money every year on classroom supplies.

As for coffee gift cards and mugs, they suggest going this route only if you know for a fact the teacher likes a cup of joe. Other commenters suggested deciding on a gift after learning what the teacher likes or needs in their classroom.

Teachers and child care workers said they also welcome heartfelt cards and notes from their students and parents. The Wisconsin Education Association Council said something as simple as an appreciative email or text is also welcome.

Staff members also ask parents and caregivers to consider volunteering in a classroom. "The biggest thing we continually hear from staff is that they appreciate the gift of time more than anything," said Jim Strick, Neenah Joint School District communications director.

You can also thank school staff on social media and advocating for public schools in your community. The National PTA also has a "Thank a Teacher" toolkit on its website that includes social media graphics, a printable acrostic poem activity and a digital thank-you card. And, if there's a public school teacher you'd like to thank publicly, WEAC also has a "Thank a Teacher" form you can fill out online at weac.org.

NJSD superintendent Mary Pfeiffer also said she'd like to see parents and community members thank teachers and staff members all year round and "consider the effort and heart they put into their work every day for our children."

Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Teacher Appreciation Week 2024: here's how you can get involved
An East Village crossroads is about to become a lot more colorful.

Capital City Pride plans on giving the intersection of East Grand Avenue and East Fifth Street a makeover this summer, painting the Progress Pride Flag at each corner. It hopes to begin work as early as next week, with the goal being to adorn it with rainbows in time for PrideFest June 7-9.

To be dubbed the Pride Corner, it would be located between Des Moines' two most venerable gay bars, Blazing Saddle and the Garden, and adjacent to another landmark, the Raygun store.

"This project is the result of many people's dreams, effort and work over the last several years," said Wes Mullins, Capital City Pride's executive director. "(We) believe that visibility is education, and Pride Corner is an opportunity to learn about the historic roots of the LGBTQ+ community in the East Village."

An artists concept for Capital City Pride's proposed art installation at the intersection of East Grand Avenue and East 5th Street.

Mullins said the plan, at least for now, is for the rainbows to be temporary. He said the nonprofit has never maintained an art installation and it has no idea how the public may react.

Across the country, from Florida to Washington state, cities with rainbow street decor have struggled with vandalism, and Ames last year pushed back against the Federal Highway Administration after the agency said the city's rainbow crosswalks didn't meet traffic control standards.

More: Meet the Rev. Wes Mullins, Capital City Pride's first ever executive director

"Speaking frankly, we're not sure if terrible people will go down there and graffiti it over and over," Mullins said. "If it's becoming a burdensome thing, we may sunset it."

The organization settled on a trial period of 15 months. It will reevaluate the future of the Pride Corner after September 2025.

"If it's going really well, we'll probably seek to make it a more permanent installation," Mullins said.

Capital City Pride already has obtained consent for the project from the adjoining property owners, including Raygun, Nightingale Cocktail and Ernie's Boondock  and discussed its plan with the Historic East Village Neighborhood Association board.

The Des Moines City Council will hold a hearing at its May 6 meeting to review the use of portions of the streets for the installation. If the plan is approved, work could begin May 8.

A news conference will be held on May 28 to unveil the Pride Corner.

Previously: Presidential candidates flock to Des Moines' Pride Fest, touting their support for LGBTQ rights

Mullins asked that, until then, artists be given space to bring the pride flag to life. The pavement must be power washed and prepared, and the recent abundant rain might lead to delays. He also said any early viewers could further disrupt the work.

"It is coming. For PrideFest this year, you'll have the best selfie spot anyone can ever hope for," he said. "But don't go now!"

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at 608-931-1761 and ALathers@registermedia.com, and follow her on Twitter at @addisonlathers.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Rainbow flags to be painted on East Village sidewalks before Pride Month
Where to find your new furry friend in Livingston County

LIVINGSTON COUNTY  Spring is a time of new beginnings, and Livingston County makes it easy for that new beginning to be a new pet.

The countys many rescue organizations promote an adopt, dont shop policy, with relatively affordability and the comfort that comes with providing an animal a loving home.

Always Hope Animal Rescue is a volunteer-run, tax-exempt nonprofit that strives to transfer rescues from high-kill shelters to new homes.

Livingston County Animal Shelter

Hosting and caring for over 2,000 animals a year, the Livingston County Animal Shelter is one of the largest centers in the county. The Howell-based organization has both foster and adoption programs. They also manage a database of lost and found animals to help owners reconnect with their pets.

In order to adopt an animal from the Livingston County Animal Shelter, all family members and other dogs must first meet the pet they're considering adopting. Dogs at home must be neutered, sprayed and licensed.

From there, families can fill out adoption applications. Fees range from $80 to $200, depending on the age and type of pet adopted. Their website at tinyurl.com/52rmtdkh offers an updated list of their furry friends looking for a new home.

Phone: 517-546-2154

Website: milivcounty.gov/animal-shelter

Address: 418 S. Highlander Way in Howell

Animal Viewing Hours: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1:30-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m.3 p.m. Saturday

Always Hope Animal Rescue is a volunteer-run, tax-exempt nonprofit that strives to transfer rescues from high-kill shelters to new homes.

Always Hope Animal Rescue

Always Hope Animal Rescue is a registered nonprofit and no-kill organization run by volunteers. They help transfer animals from high-kill shelters to foster homes, where they're later adopted by families. Always Hope isn't based in a single facility, but hosts frequent adoption events at Pet Supplies Plus in Howell.

All animals receive vet examinations and are microchipped ahead of time. In order to adopt, interested parties must first fill out applications and have their homes checked. Always Hope runs on a first-come, first-serve basis. Adoption fees average around $200.

Phone: 810-220-7387

Website: alwayshopeanimalrescue.org/?page_id=12

Mailing Address: PO Box 32 in Howell

Michigan Siamese Rescue

Dogs not your thing? Michigan Siamese Rescue specializes not just in cats, but in Siamese cats. Their website acknowledges that Siamese cats are particularly unsuited for shelter environments, and the organization strives to remove them from those situations and provide loving homes.

Michigan Siamese Rescue doesn't operate out of a specific location. The organization's adoption policies stipulate prospective households must have an individual over the age of 25, and existing pets must be indoor-only, up to date on vaccinations, and either sprayed or neutered, among other things.

They also suggest adopting in pairs when it comes to kittens. Interested parties must fill out an application and become approved before they can adopt. The standard adoption fee is $200.

Website: mi-siamese-rescue.rescuegroups.org

Email: siameserescue@gmail.com

Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage

Starting Over Airedale Rescue

Starting Over Airedale Rescue is an animal rescue organization that focuses on Airedale terriers. They coordinate surrenders and adoptions. SOAR has locations in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, along with several satellite states. It's entirely run by volunteers.

The adoption process requires a physical application, a home inspection, a vet check, and a phone interview before Airedales are placed with new owners. Costs range from $300-$450.

Phone: 517-546-8303

Website: soar-airedale-rescue.com/adopt/#adoption-process

Address: 1721 Peavy Road in Howell

Horses Haven provides adoption, surrender, and sponsorship programs as a part of their rescue services.

Horses Haven

Horses Haven is an entirely different type of animal shelter. Founded in 1995, the nonprofit focuses on rescuing, training and providing new homes for horses. They also have ponies, donkeys and mules.

While the organization has standard adoption and surrender processes, they also offer a sponsorship program. Sponsors can pay to cover horses medical costs in exchange for personalized photos, notes and merchandise. This way, interested parties can donate and still be involved without having to take on the full burden of caring for a horse.

Phone: 517-548-4880

Website: horseshaven.org

Address: 8257 N. Latson Road in Howell

Hours: By appointment

 Ari Hickman is a sophomore at Brighton High School and a freelancer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Where to find your new furry friend in Livingston County
1,000+ Palestinian supporters march along Franklin Street in Chapel Hill into UNC campus

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN)  UNC-Chapel Hill on Sunday continues to be at the center of pro-Palestinian protests in the Triangle.

At least 1,000 people packed Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill before marching along Franklin Street and then through the UNC campus Sunday afternoon.

Student leaders from UNCs Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) led the crowd of students and community members through chants continuing calls for the end of fighting in Gaza.

The march was organized by the same students behind the campus encampment that was broken up by police on April 30 after UNC officials said the tents violated policy.

I chose to stand next to my friends and to strangers that I dont know, because I was worried for their safety, Sylvie, a Ph.D. candidate at UNC, recalled about the night the tents were taken down.

The number of protesters grew Sunday as they began to march in Chapel Hill down Franklin Street. Demonstrators included students from UNC, N.C. State, Duke, and people from all over the Triangle.

On Sunday, police blocked areas to create a path through streets as marchers turned toward the campus.

Pro-Palestine protesters continue to demand UNC divest investments with Israel and for an end to the war in Gaza.

A small group of pro-Israel students followed along Sunday as demonstrators made their way to Polk Place in front of the UNC chancellors office.

One pro-Palestine protester placed himself between the two groups to avoid any direct confrontation.

But, David, a freshman at UNC, told CBS17 that people reached for his Israeli flag many times. In one instance, a CBS 17 crew saw a woman grab the students flag.

Freedom of speech. Theyre exercising it, so am I. Theyre out here trying to grab my flag trying to push us, David told CBS17.

Its unclear if Chapel Hill police deployed any extra officers for Sundays march.

Overall the demonstration went off without any major incidents.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
CHICAGO  A deadly shooting outside of a South Side liquor store has Chicago police searching for answers on Sunday evening.

According to police, the gunfire erupted just after 5 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, in Chatham.

Officers say the three victims were all standing outside near a sidewalk in the area when they were approached by a group of four unknown individuals who pulled out pistols and opened fire.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

A 36-year-old man was hit several times and was taken to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Two others, a 25-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, were both hit by gunfire and taken to the hospital in good condition.

Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say an investigation is now underway.

Authorities have not yet identified the victim killed.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Anyone with information on the deadly shooting is asked to contact CPD Area Two Detectives at 312-747-8273 or dial 911.

Those with information that could help authorities in their investigation can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com. Tips can be filed anonymously.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
UPDATE, 2:02 p.m.: Sergeant Billy Dean Hooser, 50, of Santaquin, has been identified as the officer killed in the line of duty on Sunday.

Hooser was a Utah native with eight years of law enforcement experience, Santaquin Police said.

He began his law enforcement career with the San Juan County Sheriffs Office in New Mexico and joined the Santaquin City Police Department in 2017. In February 2024, he was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.

He is survived by his spouse of 29 years, two daughters, and one granddaughter.

He was a top-notch officer, Santaquin Police said.

Billys younger brother, Mike Hooser, said Billy started his law enforcement journey as an unpaid volunteer.

He started that late in life, Mike Hooser said. So it was a decision that he made, something that he wanted to do, and was something that he loved to do.

Mike Hooser said the family takes solace knowing that Billy died a hero  doing the job that he loved, and serving people that he loved.

Gov. Cox has ordered all U.S. and Utah flags to be flown at half-staff on all state facilities in recognition of the passing of Hooser beginning Monday, May 6, until sunset on the day of internment.

The governors office will send a notice indicating when flags may be returned to full-staff position.

ORIGINAL STORY: SANTAQUIN, Utah (ABC4)  A procession for a fallen Santaquin Police sergeant will be held this morning starting at 10 a.m., and it will be followed by a news conference with the department starting at noon.

ABC4.com will stream the event in its entirety live in the video player above.

Fallen Santaquin officer honored with procession, memorial

The sergeant was struck and killed by a semi on Interstate 15 Sunday morning. Suspect Michael Aaron Jayne, 41, was taken into custody later in the morning.

Shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday morning, police received a 911 call regarding a person standing on the back of a semi-trailer that was heading northbound on I-15 in Santaquin.

At around 6:30 a.m., police conducted a traffic stop on the semi-truck driver, identified as Michael Aaron Jayne. Jayne initially fled the scene, but made a U-turn and hit a Santaquin Police officer, killing him.

Jayne also hit the officers vehicle, as well as a UHP troopers vehicle before fleeing on foot. Jayne continued to steal multiple cars before being taken into custody in Vernal.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
CHICAGO  A 15-year-old boy has been taken into custody in connection with a North Side carjacking

Chicago police say the teen, who has not been identified due to his age, has been charged with one felony count of vehicular hijacking.

2 injured in early-morning shooting in Bridgeport

The charge stems from an incident that allegedly unfolded in the 5700 block of North Wayne Avenue, in Edgewater, on Sunday.

Officers say the teen boy allegedly took a 24-year-old mans car by force, just after noon.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Authorities quickly caught up with the teen in the 6000 block of South Albany Avenue, in Chicago Lawn, where he was taken into custody less than two hours after the alleged carjacking.

Authorities have not provided details on when the teen is expected in court.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
More than a dozen Princeton University students began a hunger strike on Friday in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as university campuses in the US continue to see a wave of protest against Israels war in the territory.

Our hunger strike is a response to the administrations refusal to engage with our demands for dissociation and divestment from Israel. We refuse to be silenced by the University administrations intimidation and repression tactics. We struggle together in solidarity with the people of Palestine. We commit our bodies to their liberation, one striker said in a video statement posted on Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divests X account on Friday.

The strikers added that they are drawing their protest from the tradition of Palestinian political protestors going on saltwater-only hunger strikes in Israeli prisons since 1968.

Fourteen students began the hunger strike on Friday morning, the group said, with the number rising to 17 students, with 15 continuing into its third day, according toThe Daily Princetonian, the student news publication at the university.

The group has also invited members of the Princeton community to join them in the hunger strike, asking them to sign up for solidarity fasts that will last 24 hours or the full hunger strike.

The strikers are demanding that the univsetiy will meet with students to discuss their demands for disclosure, divestment and cultural boycott of Israel.

They are also asking for complete amnesty from all criminal and disciplinary charges for participants of the peaceful sit-in, as well as reversing all campus bands and evictions of students.

Students participating in the hunger strike announced their plans on Friday, saying they commit our bodies to their liberation (Princeton Israeli Apartheid Divest/X)

Our demands are not that intense, David Chmielewski, one of the strikers, told the outlet. Theyre simply to have a meeting and to grant amnesty to the students who are arrested and are being impacted through the disciplinary process.

The activist group reposted a post on X claiming that as the third day of the hunger strike continues, the universitys administration refuses the strikers to have tents, leaving them huddled under umbrellas.

The group added that counter-protestors tour down their signs while also claiming that public safety officers have repeatedly harassed them, refusing them to rest.

University spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian that Melissa Marks, the director of medical services at University Health Services (UHS), visited strikers on Friday and Sunday and has been in contact with one of the doctors monitoring the group.

We care about their well-being, Ms Morrill wrote.

The strikers also told the publication that they have a medical team on call around the clock, were checked for risk factors prior to the beginning of the strike and have had their vitals taken twice a day.

While Ms Morill did not address specifically the strikers demands, she added that University administrators are always willing to meet with students to discuss their ideas and concerns when they request such conversations through the channels available to all members of the community.

She also said to the outlet that the university offered on Friday for protesters to use the tent in McCosh Courtyard.

The hunger strike comes after 13 people were arrested last week following a brief occupation of Clio Hall on the universitys New Jersey campus.

Five undergraduates, six graduate students, one postdoctoral researcher and one person not affiliated with the university were arrested for trespassing and have been barred from campus, according to a statement from President Christopher Eisgruber. The students also face suspension or expulsion, officials said.

The officials called the incident "completely unacceptable" and stated that they "will continue to work to ensure that this campus is one where all members of the community feel welcome and can thrive."

The 13 arrested protestors released a joint statement saying that an email from the president to the entire Princeton community was misleading and sensationalizes our roles in a peaceful sit-in.

We are now facing potential academic suspension, expulsion, and further criminal charges for peacefully protesting in solidarity with Palestine, they wrote.

Princeton is one of many universities across the United States that continues to see protests and demonstrations against the war in Gaza, with more than 2,300 people arrested on campuses across the country.

Universities have also started to scale back their commencement ceremonies in response to the protests.

Columbia has cancelled its university-wide commencement ceremony this month for smaller-scale, school-based celebrations.Security reasons were noted as the main reason behind the decision, a university official told NBC News.

The University of Southern California also announced that it would not hold its main commencement ceremony next month after protest on its campus in Los Angeles.

Other universities have decided to go ahead with their commencement celebrations, such as the University of Michigan, which saw students demonstrating in solidarity with Gaza as they waved Palestinian flags and chanted during the ceremony on Saturday.

The Independent has contacted Princeton University for comment.
19-year-old extradited back to U.S. to face charges in fatal 2022 crash that killed Uxbridge teen

A 19-year-old man has been extradited back to the United States to face manslaughter and other charges in connection with a fatal crash that killed another teenager in Upton in 2022, the district attorney said Monday.

Gabriel Dias De Holanda, who was living in Bellingham at the time of the crash, is expected to be arraigned in Milford District Court on Monday on charges in connection with the Aug. 6, 2022 crash that killed Jacob Osanya, 18, of Uxbridge, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said.

Dias De Holanda left the country for Brazil two days after the deadly crash, and he was arrested in London on Dec. 22, 2023 after State Police detectives assigned to Earlys office learned he had traveled to the United Kingdom, Early said.

On Friday, Dias De Holanda was escorted back to the United States by the U.S. Marshals Service, after he consented to extradition at a hearing in London on Feb. 22, and the United Kingdom subsequently ordered his extradition.

Dias De Holanda is charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide by negligent driving, motor vehicle homicide by reckless driving, negligent driving of a motor vehicle, reckless driving of a motor vehicle and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, Early said.

Shortly after 9 p.m. on Aug. 6, 2022, Upton Police and emergency personnel responded to a report of a single car crash on Glenview Way.

Dias De Holanda, then 18, was driving the 2019 Acura ILX sedan that was traveling north on Glenview Street before the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree on the front passenger side, police said at the time.

Jacob Osanya, 18, of Uxbridge

The car overturned and Osanya, the front seat passenger, was trapped inside. Emergency responders removed Osanya from the Acura, and sent him by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where he was pronounced dead, Early said.

Four other occupants of the Acura, including Dias De Holanda, were sent to the hospital with serious injuries, Early said.

Two days after the crash, Upton Police and state police learned that Dias De Holanda, a Brazilian national who had been living with his family in Bellingham at the time of the crash, had traveled to Brazil, a country which does not extradite its own nationals, Early said.

In December, state police detectives learned that Dias De Holanda was traveling to the United Kingdom, from where he was extradited.

Upton Police, the State Police Detectives assigned to Earlys office, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, and the Worcester County Sheriffs Office all worked on the case.

The U.S. Department of Justices Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Marshals Service, and United Kingdom authorities provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Dias De Holanda from the United Kingdom, Early said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Jeremiah Peikert, 30, has been charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to injure a minor, per authorities

Connecticut State Police Jeremiah Peikert, U.S. Army Sgt.

Jeremiah Peikert allegedly helped make payments for his brother's "murder-for-hire plot," police say

A witness who allegedly agreed to help with the plan informed the alleged victim, who then notified police, according to an arrest warrant

Peikert's brother, Joshua Peikert, allegedly aimed to have a 29-year-old woman and two children killed, per the warrant

A U.S. Army sergeant has been arrested and charged with conspiring to commit a murder after Connecticut police intervened in an alleged murder-for-hire plot that included two minors among the alleged victims, authorities say.

Jeremiah Peikert, 30, was arrested on Thursday, May 2, months after his brothers former cellmate notified a 29-year-old woman about an alleged plan to kill her, along with her 23-year-old boyfriend, and her daughters - a 1-year-old and a 10-year-old, according to an arrest warrant reviewed by PEOPLE.

Peikert has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor in connection with the 2022 accusations, per the warrant.

In October 2022, Connecticut State Police began investigating a "suspicious incident" at a correctional facility in Montville, Conn., the warrant states. A prior inmate at the facility had notified the 29-year-old woman in a handwritten letter that detailed a possible murder for hire plot, targeting her and the other alleged victims.

The former inmate, referred to only as a Witness in the report, told police in a statement that Joshua Peikert was his cellmate when he disclosed to him that they wanted the alleged victims killed, per the warrant.

Joshua, 31, is identified in the document as Jeremiahs brother.

Connecticut State Police Jeremiah Peikert (left), Joshua Peikert

I told Josh that I knew a few people that could have that taken care of for him, the witness said in his statement detailed in the warrant.

Joshua allegedly agreed to pay approximately $10,000 for the killing of each of the victims, the witness said.

Joshua allegedly wrote down details for the witness for the commission of the crime, per the warrant. This included the address of the alleged victims and information about where they would be asleep in the home and where to find a spare key.

At no time did I have any intention of hiring a hitman or committing any violence toward [the victims], the witness wrote in his statement but admitted to agreeing on a $250 payment before the commission of the alleged crime.

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The witness alleged that he received the money from Joshuas brother  and police determined through their investigation that Jeremiah had made payments to the witness in July 2022, per the warrant.

Authorities also traced phone records where Jeremiah is heard discussing the payment with the witness and admitting to the witness that he sent the money, per the warrant. In separate phone calls, Jeremiah is heard telling Joshua that he had made the payment.

On Dec. 19, 2023, following an interrogation, Jeremiah alleged in a statement that he did make the payments and was allegedly aware that the payment would be to hurt the 29-year-old woman, the warrant states. He said in the statement he was not aware that children were involved in the plan and that he "reluctantly" helped his brother.

Related: Texas Car Dealer and 2 Ex-Marines Face Life for Murder-for-Hire Plot to Cover Up Salesman's Affair

He further alleged that Joshua had "displayed violent tendencies, even growing up" and had allegedly manipulated him, per the warrant.

Joshua was arrested on April 1 in connection with the alleged offense, and has been charged with murder and risk of injury to a child, according to online records.

Joshua obtained a lawyer and invoked his right to remain silent when police attempted to interview him, the warrant states.

Both Joshua and Jeremiah are being held on $500,000 bond. Plea information was not immediately available for either of the brothers. Online records did not indicate if Jeremiah had retained a lawyer to speak on his behalf.



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Read the original article on People.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  At least two people died and seven were injured in a string of violence over the weekend in New York City, according to the NYPD.

A 25-year-old was shot once in the head near 199th Street and Linden Boulevard in Queens around 2 a.m. on Saturday, according to authorities. Its not immediately clear who pulled the trigger and why, police told PIX11 News.

Two people were shot outside 15 Albany Ave. just an hour earlier in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, according to authorities. A 47-year-old man was hit once in the stomach and a 34-year-old was struck once in the elbow, police said.

NYPD investigates bomb threats targeting NYC synagogues, Brooklyn Museum

Two suspects were seen fleeing on a bike onto nearby Fulton Street, according to authorities.

Four people were shot at a baby shower on Atlantic Avenue in Richmond Hill around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, police said. A 24-year-old was killed and two men, ages 42 and 26, were taken to a local hospital for gunshot wounds, according to authorities.

A 26-year-old man also walked into Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for a gunshot wound in relation to the baby shower shooting, police said.

New Jersey State Trooper dies during training: NJSP

Authorities believe the baby shower shooting likely began as a dispute. Surveillance video showed a clash outside the event space, but police said its not clear yet who opened fire.

Investigators are also working to learn what led to a 41-year-old man being shot eight times. He was shot in a building lobby on Ten Eyck Walk just before 2 a.m. on Sunday in Williamsburg, according to authorities.

Hes expected to survive, police said.

Boy, 14, beaten and robbed of Crocs in the Bronx; 8 suspects wanted: NYPD

EMS crews also pronounced a 37-year-old man dead after finding him unresponsive on the 1600 block of Lafayette Avenue in the Bronx. He suffered trauma to his upper body, according to authorities.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Two people were killed when a small plane headed for South Carolina crashed in Virginia, authorities said.

The Fluvanna County Sheriffs Office received reports of a low-flying plane and an explosion around 9 a.m. Sunday in Palmyra and an aircraft was found on fire in a densely wooded area, Virginia State Police said in a news release.

The twin-engine aircraft departed Manassas Regional Airport, about 71 miles (114 km) northeast of Palmyra, and was headed to Georgetown County Airport in South Carolina, the FAA said in a statement.

Both the pilot of the privately-owned 1975 Rockwell Aero Commander 690A and the passenger were killed, police said. Police identified the pilot as John W. Latham, 63, of Haymarket, and the passenger as Niiben C.A. Ayivorh, 73, of Burke.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, police said. There was a light rain at the time of the crash.

Two National Transportation Safety Board investigators were at the crash site beginning to document the site and the wreckage, which will be taken to a secure facility for further evaluation, the agency said in a statement. The NTSB asked for help recovering an engine, propeller and other airframe parts.

As the plane flew near Miles Jackson Road in Palmyra, parts started to separate from the airplane and some parts have already been recovered from a debris field that stretches nearly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers), the NTSB said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  Two Mobile men were sentenced to prison after they pled guilty to making online threats to injure a Mobile Police Department officer, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Escambia County, Alabama dog missing for more than 2 months; $500 reward offered

The sentencing comes after the two men, 21-year-old Jamarcus Jahleel Manuel and 22-year-old Justin Leland Gormon were arrested in April 2023 after they reportedly posted comments threatening to injure an officer on a video of a traffic stop.

Jamarcus Manuel and Justin Gormon (Photo courtesy of the Mobile County Sheriffs Office)

The Mobile County Sheriffs Office jail log shows they were both charged with making a terrorist threat on April 27, 2023.

Using social media, the internet, or any other communication channel to make threats is unacceptable, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Sean P. Costello said. This is especially true when threats are made to those merely doing their jobs, like the men and women in law enforcement.

Man arrested for stolen SUV, drugs: ECSO

Attorney Costello added, We take any threat seriously and will investigate and prosecute the

criminals who violate federal laws by doing so.

Manuel was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison and Gorman was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to Interstate Communication of Threats to Injure, according to a release from the USDOJ.

The release noted that both men will be subject to three years of supervised release following their sentences.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee S. Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
EUCLID, Ohio (WJW)  Euclid police are investigating the shooting death of a 2-year-old boy.

On Sunday, May 5, police were called to a house in the 800 block of East 236th Street at about 12:30 a.m. for a report of a child with a serious injury.

Twin babies rescued, 2 firefighters hurt in house fire

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According to police, when officers arrived, they learned the 2-year-old had found a gun inside the house.

Police believe that the young boy was able to fire the gun, tragically striking himself, police Capt. Mitch Houser told the FOX 8 I-Team. He was later pronounced deceased at a nearby hospital.

Loaded gun found in local high schoolers backpack

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has identified the boy as 2-year-old Legend L. Davidson.

No arrests have been made at this time, said police. The investigation is ongoing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Two people were killed in a crash in Northeast El Paso when a van and a military bus collided on Sunday evening, May 5, El Paso Police said.

The crash happened at about 6:30 p.m. at Gateway North Boulevard and State Line Road.

Police: Crash in Northeast El Paso injures 6

Police said their preliminary investigation showed that a military bus was traveling northbound on Gateway North and approaching the intersection of State Line Road.

The van was traveling eastbound on State Line when the driver pulled out in front of the bus as it entered the intersection, police said. That caused the bus to T-bone the van, police added.

The driver of van  identified as 50-year-old Ana Sandoval  was transported to a local hospital where she died. A front passenger in the van  78-year-old Maria Del Carmen Sandoval-Cuellar  died at the scene.

Three other passengers in the van  ranging in age from 5 to 12  were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries, police said.

The driver of the military bus remained on the scene and was not injured.

Police did say one passenger on the military bus received a non-life-threatening injury.

These were the 22nd and 23rd traffic fatalities this year compared to 21 at the same time last year.

Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division issued a statement that it was saddened by the crash and that the crash remains under investigation.

Fort Bliss said 24 soldiers on the bus were transported to local hospitals. Twenty-three were treated and released. One soldier is at University Medical Center in stable condition with a good prognosis.

We extend our condolences to the families of the deceased and we wish a quick recovery for the injured, Fort Bliss said in its statement. We are thankful for the actions of the first responders and are grateful for the concerns of the community.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
The photo staff at The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press was honored with 19 total awards, including seven of nine first place spots at The Virginia Press Association awards ceremony. The Virginian-Pilot earned more than 70 awards in total at the conference.

Thank you to the residents of Hampton Roads for opening their homes and lives to allow important stories to be told.
22-year-old Wisconsin man arrested for OWI after deputy clocks radar at 121MPH

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV)  Authorities in Wisconsin arrested a 22-year-old for allegedly driving 121 miles per hour while intoxicated.

According to the Columbia County Sheriffs Office, on Thursday, May 2, shortly before 11:15 p.m., a deputy observed a vehicle northbound on Highway 151 at a high rate of speed.

Sheriff gives update on body found in Fox River, appeared to have been in river for some time

The radar indicated a speed of 121 miles per hour, and the deputy initiated a traffic stop due to the dangerous excessive speed.

Upon contact with the driver, later identified as Bailey A. Lloyd, 22, from Janesville, the deputy observed multiple signs of intoxication. Lloyd was placed through standardized field sobriety testing and was arrested.

Lloyd was booked into the Columbia County Jail for operating while intoxicated and misdemeanor bail jumping.

With warmer weather, there will be more vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians, said officials at the Columbia County Sheriffs Office. Driving at these speeds while sober is extremely dangerous, let alone intoxicated.

Another suspicious situation in Oshkosh as woman comes home to stranger in her bedroom, police give update

On average, more than 18,000 speed-related crashes occur every year in Wisconsin. Excessive speed is the most common cause of traffic crashes.

No additional details were provided.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
SAN DIEGO  The remains of three people found near the Mexican fishing port of Ensenada are those of missing surfers from Australia and the U.S. who were killed in an apparent carjacking, authorities said Sunday.

Family members made the identifications in person at the behest of Baja California state prosecutors, the state attorney general's office said in a statement Sunday obtained by NBC San Diego. The bodies had been recovered from a remote well about 50 feet deep, authorities said.

The attorney generals office said the bodies, found in La Bocana, south of Ensenada, are those of Jake and Callum Robinson, of Australia, and Carter Rhoad, of the U.S.

At least two of the three were believed to be living in San Diego, authorities said, according to NBC San Diego.

mexico surfer victims (NBC News)

The Ensenada medical examiner's office said Friday the three victims were killed by gunshot wounds to the head.

At a news conference Sunday, prosecutors said that the motive was carjacking and that the assailants may have been particularly focused on the wheels of the pickup truck used by the missing surfers.

The three were at a makeshift encampment during a fishing and surfing trip south of Ensenada, where the Baja coast rapidly becomes remote and filled with surprises for surfers seeking relatively rare rides.

Prosecutors said they found the trios encampment, including tents, spent gun shells, bloodstains and marks indicating bodies had been dragged.

Three people were being questioned in connection with the case, authorities said. Two of the three, a man and a woman, were held on methamphetamine-related allegations, they said, and the third was the subject of a kidnapping warrant.

Surfers missing protest (Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images)

Chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said previously there may be evidence, including a victim's cellphone in the possession of one of the three, that might connect the trio to the case.

A fourth body was discovered with the three in the well and may be part of an unrelated case, authorities said.

On Sunday, Andrade Ramirez met with the three men's parents, her office said in its announcement identifying the bodies.

She reassured them, it said, that she was committed to ensuring those responsible face the full weight of the law.

Three bodies believed to be those of two Australian brothers and an American who disappeared on a surfing trip in Mexico have bullet wounds to the head, authorities said Sunday. (Guillermo Arias / AFP - Getty Images)

The three men were considered missing on April 27 when they did not return to an Airbnb rental closer to the border, in Rosarito, Debra Robinson, the mother of Jake and Callum Robinson, said on Facebook.

Cartel and big-city street violence attributed to the drug trade in places like Tijuana has been seen as rare in the world of Baja tourism, which requires off-road-capable vehicles and the ability to start a campfire.

The peninsulas Pacific coast has been a staple destination for U.S. surfers for 60 years, but the U.S. State Department has more recently urged Americans to avoid Baja travel as cartel violence has spread.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  The Montgomery County Department of Police (MCDP) said Monday that representatives from Hyundai would join officers for a three-day event intended to prevent auto thefts.

MCDP said the representatives would be at a news conference with Chief Marcus Jones on Thursday, May 9 to provide details about the free software update available to owners of 2011 to 2021 Hyundai makes and models which have proven vulnerable to thefts.

Person hurt after crashing into tree in Rockville

The software upgrade event will give eligible Hyundai vehicles anti-theft software, free of charge. Additonally, Hyundai owners will receive a complimentary steering wheel lock.

The anti-theft software update event, itself, takes place May 9 and 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Montgomery County Public Safety Headquarters, located at 100 Edison Park Dr. in Gaithersburg. Hyundai representatives also will be there on May 11 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Not far from where Rep. Bob Good defeated his previous Republican challenger in a 2022 convention at Hampden-Sydney College, he recently spoke to a crowd of about 50 in an event room at Charleys Waterfront Cafe.

I was too conservative and now Im not conservative enough, said Good, speaking of how his opponents in both parties have classified him over the years.

The two-term congressman now faces a challenge from state Sen. John McGuire of Goochland in a June 18 primary in which the degree of loyalty to former President Donald Trump has become a litmus test.

The GOP nominating contest likely is tantamount to victory in a sprawling, conservative 5th District that includes all or part of 24 counties and cities. The district extends from Albemarle County south to Halifax County and Danville. In the Richmond area, the district includes western Hanover County and all of Louisa, Goochland and Powhatan counties. In 2022, Good beat Democrat Joshua Throneburg by 15 percentage points.

In December, Good was elected chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a cohort of Congress most conservative members. His firebrand version of politics has meant little of his legislation becomes law, but he has bolstered right-leaning sentiments in Congress while consistently supporting reduced government spending and tightened security at the U.S.-Mexico border.

But he has made enemies, too, as one of eight Republicans who voted to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy in October. McGuire and some other conservatives have called into question Goods loyalty to Trump after he initially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the GOP presidential nomination. Good switched to Trump after DeSantis dropped out of the contest.

McGuire, a former Navy SEAL first elected to the state legislature in 2017, did not make himself available for an interview for this story. He told supporters in a recent email alert: Bob Good has not accomplished a thing for Virginias 5th District except shrinking us down to a one vote House majority and backstabbing Trump again and again.

Good, in turn, calls McGuire a perpetual candidate who has announced multiple bids for Congress in recent years and who declared his 5th District run last November days after he was elected to the state Senate.

Unlike the 2022 convention where roughly 2,000 of the districts more than 700,000 people participated, voters around the district have the chance to head to the polls or mail in a ballot this summer.

A mile from the Farmville cafe where Good spoke to attendees and mingled with the crowd is a store selling Trump-themed merchandise  with a McGuire campaign sign plastered to the front window.

In February, the owner kicked Good out of the stores Feb. 17 grand opening, which McGuire attended, an incident that made headlines around the commonwealth. Store owner Karen Angulo said she had agreed to let McGuire use the store for a meet and greet.

Though Good and McGuire share similarities in policy stances as conservative Republicans, the primary will test the shades of red in the district as well as fealty to Trump, the once-and-possibly-future president.

Three candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination on June 18: business executive Gloria Witt of Amherst County; Gary Terry, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Danville area; and Paul Riley of Albemarle, an Army veteran who works with a defense contractor.

The district has not elected a Democrat to Congress since 2008, when Tom Perriello edged out Rep. Virgil Goode by 727 votes as Barack Obama became the first Democrat to carry Virginia for president since 1964.

The Trump test

Nearly every campaign email from McGuire refers to Good as a RINO  or a Republican in name only  or a Never Trumper. Good, who had backed Trump in 2020, endorsed DeSantis in May 2023. Shortly after DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race, in January, Good immediately reendorsed Trump.

By definition, you cant be a never something that you have documented evidence that you currently are [a supporter of], Good said.

Asked to elaborate on his reasoning for the switch, he declined.

In a January interview, Good cited the prospect of DeSantis serving eight years as president instead of four and the potential political damage to Trump from multiple criminal indictments.

I was concerned about the political prosecution of President Trump, said Good, blaming the indictments on these egregious prosecutors who are simply after him for political reasons.

While speaking with his audience in Farmville, he referred to Trump as the best president of my lifetime.

Trump has yet to endorse either candidate in the race. McGuire, however, was a featured speaker during Trumps March 2 rally in Richmond, which Good attended in the crowd.

Our civilization is at stake, McGuire told the crowd at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. President Trump stands between us, the American dream and total chaos, madness and anarchy.

You know, in 2016 we had the House, we had the Senate  President Trump had both of them  but we had a few disloyal Republicans. They tried to block his agenda.

Now I love serving you in the General Assembly. I love my state Senate [Republican] caucus. But Im running for Congress because we cant let that happen again.

Good objected to the Electoral College certification of Democrat Joe Bidens 2020 victory over Trump. McGuire attended the Jan. 6, 2021, Stop the Steal rally in Washington  though he asserts he did not participate in the violence at the U.S. Capitol. A member of Goods staff also attended the event with the former chair of the 5th Congressional District Republican Committee, but they say they did not storm the Capitol.

Trumps presence looms large over the Republican Party amid this years congressional and presidential elections. Some pundits think this may be reason for Good to be nervous.

All good for Good?

Good is in a really unique position because hes managed to make enemies both in the Trump wing of the party and in the McCarthy wing of the party, said Erin Covey, an analyst with the Cook Political Report. McCarthy is starting to ramp up his revenge tour on all the Republicans who voted to oust him, so Good is a target on that list.

Larry Sabato, head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia and a 5th District resident, concurs.

Good has burned a lot of bridges, he said.

Its the Trumpian bridge, which Good has tried to repair, that has made his reelection bid a target for some Republicans.

In January, Chris LaCivita, a top adviser for Trumps campaign, told Cardinal News in a text message that Good wont be electable when we get done with him.

Meanwhile, Main Street Partnership, a national political action committee that has typically supported more moderate Republicans, is focusing half a million dollars to defeat Good.

Its concerning for former 5th District Rep. Denver Riggleman, who weighed in on the matter on X.

He likened the PACs support of McGuire to election denier vs. election denier.

If they had a shred of decency or love for the USA they would support ANYONE AGAINST these two amoral stains on Americas underwear, wrote Riggleman, who lost the seat after Good beat him for the GOP nomination in 2020.

Good first challenged Riggleman after the incumbent congressman officiated a same-sex wedding in 2019 for two of his former campaign volunteers.

Good, a former Campbell County supervisor, beat Riggleman in a drive-up convention at Tree of Life Ministries in Campbell. Riggleman has since gone on to serve on the Jan. 6 Commission to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

With Good and McGuire both pledging to support Trump and sharing support for core conservative principles, a question for Republican-leaning voters becomes: Who is most trustworthy?

McGuires loyalty issue

On trust to support Trump, McGuire stresses that hes the one to rely on.

Tammy Purcell, a local journalist who produces the Engage Louisa newsletter, said McGuire could also attract people who are not necessarily loyal to a political party but feel loyal to the former president.

I think that you definitely have folks who show up to vote for Donald Trump  they dont show up to vote, necessarily, for the Republican Party, Purcell said. And I think that John is very aware of that. I think John is cultivating those voters.

Speaking at Trumps March 2 rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, McGuire said: Ive been with President Trump since the beginning, since he came down the escalator, a reference to the scene at Trump Tower in New York when Trump announced his first run for president on June 16, 2015.

But some have called into question McGuires loyalty to local and regional legislative constituents.

Good has been able to secure endorsements closer to McGuires northern part of the district as some local Republicans reeled in from his congressional announcement days after winning his state Senate seat. His challenge of Good, which he previously said he would not do, prompted backlash from the Goochland Republican Committee, which passed a resolution of no confidence in McGuire once he announced his run for Congress.

Purcell, whose Louisa newsletter tracks local and regional politics in that northern portion of the district, said the effects of local pushback are yet to be seen. While primaries typically have lower turnout than general elections, its the most tuned-in voters who show up for primaries

McGuires bids for office

McGuire served in the House of Delegates from 2018 to January of this year. In 2020, he lost the 7th District GOP nomination for Congress to Del. Nick Freitas of Culpeper. McGuire initially planned to seek the 7th District GOP nomination again in 2022, but after new boundaries moved the 7th District to Northern Virginia, McGuire announced in February 2022 that he would run for the state Senate in the newly drawn 10th District, which includes all or part of 10 counties, many of them in the 5th Congressional District.

His 2023 nomination contest for the state Senate, against Louisa County Supervisor Duane Adams, became heated with accusations that McGuire was using the position as a steppingstone to run for Congress again.

In contrast, Good stresses that he has run for only two offices: Campbell County Board of Supervisors and Congress. He alleged that McGuire lacks integrity and seeks a relentless pursuit of the next thing on the political ladder.

In January, McGuire skipped part of a day of Virginias legislative session to campaign for Trump in Iowa ahead of the caucuses. He missed votes for a committee he serves on, and two of his bills up for consideration in another committee had to be rescheduled.

In his campaign literature, McGuire has featured a picture of Trump and himself giving a thumbs up together.

While Trump has yet to weigh in formally on the candidates, they have each garnered boosts from some of Congress most conservative members. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has campaigned for Good, while Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene supported McGuire in a video last month. Greene was unable to attend campaign events with McGuire because she had to be in Congress to take votes.

In her video, Greene asserted that the backstabbers like Good who were not always endorsing Trump are everything wrong with the Republican Party.

A classic primary

For all the insults each campaign hurls about lack of loyalty or integrity, Sabato from the Center for Politics said the nuances are the distinction between the candidates.

Both candidates support stricter immigration and border laws, life-at-conception legislation and the Second Amendment.

This is a classic primary, Sabato said. In our highly polarized system, members of the same party really dont differ from one another all that much. So they have to exaggerate the few differences that are there.
Three people are dead following a multi-vehicle crash in Butler County Sunday evening.

>>Ohio Amazon delivery driver accused of shooting, killing suspected armed carjacker

West Chester Police officers and medics were dispatched around 6:15 p.m. to Cox Road between University Pointe and Service Drive on initial reports of a crash, according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati.

Two people were pronounced dead at the scene while the third person died at West Chester Hospital.

Officers have closed Cox Road in both directions between Liberty and VOA Park Drive and its expected to stay closed for the next several hours, WCPO says.

The Butler County Coroners Office has not yet released the victims names.

Officers say they were all adults, Cincinnati TV stations WKRC and WLWT report.

The crash remains under investigation.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Three people were shot after dozens of rounds were reportedly fired along Buchanan Street Sunday night.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said the shooting was called in shortly after 7:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 5 from the 1000 block of Buchanan Street. The shooting appears to have started as some people were leaving the Minerva Avenue Bar.

 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts 

The MNPD said at least 30 rounds were fired, adding that officers found three vehicles with bullet holes in them. Several people are believed to have fired shots, including at least one of the three individuals who were wounded.

Officials told News 2 the three people shot sustained non-critical injuries and were taken to hospitals via private vehicle; two men, ages 27 and 24, went to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), while a 28-year-old man went to TriStar Centennial Medical Center.

Police said the 27-year-old man who went to VUMC was one of the shooters.

Woman dead following accidental shooting near Fisk University, Metro police say

No additional details have been released about the shooting and the investigation remains ongoing.

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 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.
EXETER  The New Hampshire state primary is Sept. 10, more than four months away, but Democratic voters filled the historic Town Hall Sunday to hear the party's three gubernatorial candidates answer questions from a panel of high school students.

Joyce Craig, former Manchester mayor, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington and Jon Kiper, a small business owner and former Newmarket town councilor, spent nearly two hours answering questions from students and the audience on many of the pressing issues the next governor will face.

The candidates appeared one at a time, with Kiper leading off, followed by Warmington and Craig.

The students, from Phillips Exeter Academy, Oyster River High School, and Raymond High School, tailored some questions to individual candidates but all were asked questions about housing, reproductive health care, climate change, gun violence and Education Freedom Accounts (New Hampshire's school vouchers). Below are excerpts of what the candidates had to say on these topics:

Reducing gun violence

Jon Kiper, a Newmarket business owner and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, addresses a panel of students and audience members at Exeter Town Hall on Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Kiper: "I think it's very important that we expand background checks. But I think it's important for Democrats to realize that every time we elect a Democratic president gun sales skyrocket. So the conversation around guns needs to change. We need to speak with gun owners and ask: 'What laws do you want to make guns safer?' Because most gun owners want common sense gun laws. But when they hear gun bans proposed they just go and buy more guns. So we've really got to change how we talk to gun owners and have them help us make the laws so that they will vote for them."

Warmington: "I am calling for a comprehensive gun violence prevention program to include a three-day waiting period, universal background checks, gun free zones for schools, no ghost guns, no large capacity magazines and a ban on the sale of assault weapons. We need to do this and we need to do it now."

Warmington described finding common ground with a Republican lawmaker in the wake of the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting about removing guns from those experiencing a mental health crisis who pose a danger to themselves or others. "That's what it's going to take in New Hampshire is the person who can reach across that aisle and talk to the other side. That's how we're going to make it happen."

Craig: The former Manchester mayor described her daughter being caught in a lockdown at Manchester High School. "I understand firsthand the impact of this. 'We need to make sure we are moving forward with bills to be protective of families in our state. What we saw in Lewiston made me and many of us realize that we are not immune to extreme gun violence and we have to take action. I did put forward a comprehensive, common-sense gun prevention plan, and we did implement a policy plan in Manchester and we saw results. In order to do that we need to find common ground. We need to listen to people and we need to explain that these laws we are suggesting are not going after responsible gun users."

Education Freedom Accounts

Cinde Warmington, an executive councilor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, responds to questions from a student panel at Exeter Town Hall on Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Kiper: "(EFAs) were supposed to cost $126,000 in the first year and they wound up costing $8 million. I called up the Department of Education and I said, 'Do you guys know you went way over budget on this program?' And this person I spoke to said, 'I don't know what you're talking about,' and I said 'Maybe you should look at the memo the department just put out.' (Education Commissioner Frank) Edelblut called me and he was trying to defend this program and I said, 'If a fire chief in Exeter said a fire truck was going to cost $126,000 and it would up costing $8 million, he would be fired on the spot.' That's fiscal mismanagement and it's money coming out of all of our education funds. I would end that program and do away with education freedom vouchers."

Warmington: "When Frank Edelblut came to the legislature with his voucher program the first time and said it was going to cost $130,000. We're now up to $30 million. We're looking at $66 million next year. This is nothing but an effort to drain money from our public schools, put it in the hands of people who already decided not to send their children to public schools, it's just a subsidy for private schools and it needs to stop."

"We are going to put someone in the Department of Education who actually believes in public education and do away with this voucher plan and put those dollars into public education so that every single kid in New Hampshire gets their shot at the future no matter their zip code."

Craig: "As governor I'll ensure that our public tax dollars go to our public schools and on Day 1 I will be asking for Frank Edelblut's resignation."

"I am adamantly opposed to the voucher program. I don't agree with increases that have been happening. My priority is to fund public education. .... I don't agree with providing public dollars to go to private or religious schools."

Climate change

Joyce Craig, former Manchester mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, takes questions from a panel of students at Exeter Town Hall on Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Kiper: "The biggest thing I want to do is sue Exxon Mobile. They knowingly cause greenhouse house gas emissions. They knowingly cause global warming and I think it's really important that we hold them accountable for what they've done. I think we can sue them. A lot of other municipalities have sued them and I think we can sue them the same way we sued Purdue Pharma."

Warmington: "There is a bright and beautiful clean energy economy out there just waiting for us to grab it. That is why I introduced a comprehensive clean energy economy plan that involves combatting climate change and being net zero by 2040, by leading on the electrification of our transportation sector, the largest source of emissions in our state, by investing in renewable and clean energy, by adding jobs to our economy. Those jobs are there. Other places are taking them right now and by nurturing innovation. .... We have an investment coming up on wind in the Gulf of Maine, one of the best sources of wind in the world, and we are not at the table. We need to be at the table."

Craig: "As mayor, I took climate change seriously and we have to act with urgency at the state level. In the city of Manchester we built the largest municipal solar array in the state, saving our residents money. Because of that solar array and other initiatives we put in place we were able to cut (municipal) carbon emissions by 60%. This is an example where leadership matters. We need leadership who understands that we need to promote renewable energy and create clear goals of transitioning away from fossil fuel. It's the right thing to do to save this incredible state we live in and the smart thing to do to save residents money."

Reproductive health care

Kiper: "I don't think the government should play any role in reproductive health care at all."

Warmington: Reproductive freedom is under attack. I have been the lone voice on the Executive Council on this, going toe to toe with [Gov. Chris] Sununu on the danger of his abortion ban, really shaping the narrative around abortion in the statehouse, making sure that people understand that the abortion ban is dangerous, that it undermines our entire maternal fetal healthcare system in the state and that it is an assault on women. We do not need Governor Sununu, we do not need Kelly Ayotte or any other politicians to make our own health care decisions, thank you very much. Women can be trusted to do that.

Craig: "We have to do everything we can to protect reproductive health care in our state and it is under attack right now. I believe in women making their own health care decisions. When I think about the Dobbs decision and that New Hampshire is the only state in New England that hasn't codified Roe v. Wade I think about my two daughters and all of our daughters and granddaughters and the fact that they have less control over their bodies than we did at their age and that is wrong. You have my word that I will do everything to codify access to abortion. But it won't stop there. I think we need to think more about not just protecting but expanding access to reproductive health care."

Housing

Kiper: "I want to legalize cannabis, sell it the same way we sell liquor, and use the profit to build affordable housing through the New Hampshire Housing Authority. Another thing I'd like to do is use some of that money with our vocational schools to build tiny homes for people that are living out on the street. Let's get homeless people off the street while training a new set of tradesfolks to help us with this housing crisis. I'm really all about housing because I think that's what we need to focus on to keep young people in this state."

Warmington: "There is no one in New Hampshire government accountable for how many housing units we have in this state and that is a problem that has has resulted in us being 60,000 units behind by 2030. We need to get busy. There is only one way out of this problem, it's build, build, build. The lack of affordable housing is underpinning our homelessness crisis, our workforce shortage and so many of our young people can't afford to stay in our state."

Warmington also spoke about zoning being a major impediment to the building of affordable housing in the state and the potential of building housing on surplus land owned by the state.

"The community that builds the housing first wins."

Craig: Craig described several large affordable housing projects built while she was mayor, discussed the lack of water and sewer infrastructure in small towns and a lack of support from the state to help smaller communities amend their zoning to encourage affordable housing.

"We need to make sure that communities understand that the affordable housing we're talking about is for our kids and for our seniors and hard-working families so that they can stay in our state and take the good-paying jobs that are available to them."

Bonus quotes

Kiper when asked if there is a border crisis: "I'm much less concerned about poor people coming here to work than I am about rich people coming here to retire and not work because that's actually a much bigger threat to us."

Warmington on her role on Executive Council: "From the council table I see everything that is happening in the executive branch. I am a member of the executive branch of government. It is my job as an executive councilor to serve as a check on the governor and that keeps me pretty darn busy with this governor."

Craig: "I'm the only candidate in this race who flipped a seat from red to blue and I'm ready to do it again. I took on a popular four-term Republican when I became mayor of Manchester. So I know what it takes to get through tough elections. I've done it. I have a roadmap and plan on doing it again."

More: Craig and Warmington seek Democratic nomination for governor. What voters need to know.

Who were the student panelists?

The student panelists were: Aliyana Koch-Manzur, senior, Phillips Exeter Academy; Siena Schaier, senior, Oyster River High School; Lily Rampe, sophomore, Phillips Exeter Academy; Anna Karcz, junior, Raymond High School; Riley Ward, junior, Phillips Exeter Academy; Eliyas Loch-Manzur, freshmen, Phillips Exeter Academy; Rishi Gurudevan, junior, Phillips Exeter Academy and Alex Ma, sophomore, Phillips Exeter Academy.

The program was presented by New Hampshire High School Democrats, Exeter Democrats, Rockingham County Democratic Committee and New Hampshire Young Democrats.

More: Jonny Bostons restaurant owner running for NH governor to be 'a voice' for middle class

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH Democratic governor candidates answer student questions in Exeter
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A mom is being charged with reckless endangerment after police say her three-year-old son shot himself at their home Sunday.

Antwoneshia Thomas, 31, was given a $40,000 bond.

According to reports, Thomas removed her husbands gun from their car to her purse to put it away in their home. When she made it there, she put her purse on the couch and went into the kitchen.

Thats when the toddler found the gun and reportedly shot himself. He is currently in critical condition at Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital.

WREG spoke to her neighbors who told us they are shocked because they believe Thomas is a good mother.

Ole Miss fraternity removes student accused of making racial gestures during protests

She takes them to school every morning, and she picks them up, said Regina Sesse, who has been Thomas neighbor for six months.

Sesse says their kids also play together all the time.

Shes a good neighbor. She loves her kids, and she is always watching them. She never leaves the little babies outside, Sesse said.

But now, the three-year-old will be missing a few play dates.

Hes just a fun little happy baby, said Sesse. To me, its just like a freaking accident.

Man accused of shooting at victim the day he testified against him

Thomas is now being charged for that mistake. In court Monday, she was appointed a public defender.

At this time, she says she will not be able to pay her bond.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
DENVER (KDVR)  Elizabeth Bjorlows son pleaded guilty in his mothers death on Monday, just over two years after Bjorlow was found stabbed to death in her burning home, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office.

Matthew Buchanan, 34, entered a guilty plea on May 6 for second-degree murder, attempt to commit first-degree murder and attempt to commit cruelty to animals. He originally was facing 11 charges stemming from the incident.

Everything seemed fine: Family still processing Castle Rock womans homicide

He is scheduled to be sentenced on the charges on July 24. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 48 years in the Department of Corrections, according to the district attorneys office.

Its despicable to learn a son would kill his own mother in a brutal act of violence, District Attorney John Kellner said in a release. This plea avoids a lengthy, gruesome, and emotional trial. Im advocating for the maximum sentence under Colorado law to protect the community from this defendant.

All charges stem from a house fire that was reported at about 2:30 p.m. on April 26, 2022, on Dove Valley Place. First responders entered the home to find one family member, a paraplegic man, who could not get out on his own. Officers found Bjorlow dead on the kitchen floor.

There were additionally dogs in the house when the fire was set, leading to animal cruelty charges.

Investigators found that Bjorlow had been stabbed, with trauma to her face, head and hands. They also found that her clothes appeared to be set on fire and were partially burned. Her injuries were not consistent with an accidental fall.

Residents say one person is responsible for multiple tire slashes across the Denver metro

Investigators interviewed the paraplegic man, who indicated there was some type of verbal disturbance between Buchanan and his mother before the house fire.

Officers also gathered surveillance footage that showed a white minivan leaving the scene shortly before the fire was reported. Family members reported Buchanan drove that vehicle. Later, Buchanan was captured in Monroe County, Florida, and extradited to Colorado.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
DENVER (KDVR)  Douglas County officials filed an amended complaint that included Elbert, Garfield, Mesa and Rio Blanco counties on Monday, another step in Douglas Countys challenge to two Colorado immigration laws.

Douglas and El Paso counties filed the lawsuit in mid-April to try and force the state of Colorado to allow sheriffs deputies to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. According to Douglas County, the six counties in the lawsuit represent 25% of the states population.

Hosting a migrant family in your home is now as simple as a phone call

The counties are arguing that the state and Gov. Jared Polis have instated unconstitutional immigration laws.

In a press conference held on April 15, Douglas County Commissioner George Teal said the states immigration crisis is due to federal policies along the southern border that resulted in an unlimited string of illegal immigrants into our communities. However, the lawsuit is fighting two state laws:

House Bill 19-1124, Protect Colorado Residents From Federal Government Overreach, according to the text, allows law enforcement officers or employees to cooperate or assist federal immigration authorities in the execution of a federal warrant, but prohibits law enforcement from arresting or detaining individuals based solely on a civil immigration detainer The measure also prohibits probation officers from providing an individuals personal information to federal immigration authorities The measure also ensures that individuals who are to be interviewed via telephone or video with a federal immigration authority are informed of their rights

House Bill 23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement in Immigration Detention, prohibits employees of state or local government agencies from entering into intergovernmental agreements allowing for law enforcement to rent bed space to ICE The measure also terminated two such agreements in the state



Because of these laws, Douglas County, alongside the other five counties, is arguing that the measures violate:

The intergovernmental relationships provision of the Colorado Constitution, which prevents laws that restrict local governments from cooperating with the federal government

The Separation of Powers provision in the Colorado Constitution because the legislature is directing judicial employees

The constitutional amendment publication requirements, that require publication of laws being affected by a statute to prevent confusion

The U.S. Supremacy Clause, which prohibits state laws from violating federal law

The most critical role of government is to protect its citizens, Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said in a release that accompanied the April 15 news conference. I believe this action is absolutely necessary to allow law enforcement to work with our federal partners to help keep all of Colorado safe.

Pro-migrant groups have called the lawsuit a dangerous step.

I think thats dangerous for everyone. If I was a resident in Douglas or El Paso county, I would be very concerned about my sheriffs saying publicly they would do anything to collude with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and put our communities at risk, American Friends Service Committee Member Jennifer Piper told FOX31s Vicente Arenas said on April 15.

Denver introduces nearly $90M newcomer budget plan for migrant aid

Douglas County has been active in its attempts to keep migrants out of its borders, starting in October with a resolution affirming that the county is not a sanctuary jurisdiction (Denver has declared itself such), and continuing with other measures, including:

A public health order setting forth requirements for sheltering migrants in Douglas County, which was extended in March

A letter to the Metro Area County Commissioners in support of expedited employment

An emergency ordinance to prohibit commercial vehicle drivers from stopping and unloading passengers in unincorporated Douglas County other than at planned, scheduled and documented destinations

A letter to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston asking he repeal two sanctuary laws

Douglas Countys efforts are not alone. Recently, the Weld County Commissioners announced a unanimous measure to prevent the use of public funds for migrant sheltering and El Paso County officials have also been vocal about not wanting to shelter migrants.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  New York Sen. Chuck Schumer announced new federal funding to increase security measures in houses of worship.

The announcement was made this Sunday on Holocaust Day of Remembrance and following several threats made against multiple synagogues in New York City.

Authorities said the threats were made via e-mail. On the other hand, Schumer stated these threats came from both overseas and within the United States. He also added that bomb threats in New York are the highest in the country.

More Local News

This day to commemorate the approximately six million Jews murdered comes with heightened security. Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side was one of the synagogues that received a threat.

To think there was a bomb threat so close to home is kind of terrifying, said Sophie Silberberg. This place is very special to her. I went here when I was a kid, and Ive been taking my son to taught sabbath since he was born.

Authorities said the threats were determined to be not credible.

But that doesnt negativize the fear, the trauma when synagogues and houses of worship have to be evacuated, said Schumer, who announced $400 million in new federal funding to protect houses of worship. To help boost security in synagogues, churches, mosques and more. It allows to put in cameras, fences, strong windows, and two years we modified it so you can actually hire personnel.

FEMA will assist smaller houses of worship with grant writing. The money is already available to be distributed, and it comes when it is most needed.

The number of these incidents has gotten up 10 times from what it was in 2020. Not 10%. Ten times, said Schumer.

The FBI is working on tracking where these threats came from. Houses of worship must apply here by May 21.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Follow our storm live blog at this link.

Update: 2:21 p.m.

A Particular Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch has been issued for much of Oklahoma. The Watch is in effect until 11:00 p.m.

Link to Interactive Watches and Warnings Map.

ORIGINAL STORY

OKLAHOMA (KFOR)  Severe storms are expected to hit central Oklahoma Monday evening and night.

According to KFOR Meteorologist Jon Slater, there is potential for all modes of severe weather, including strong tornadoes.

Its a Moderate Risk for severe weather across much of Oklahoma on Monday. All modes of severe possible including long track strong tornadoes. Please round up the family and have a plan in case severe weather warnings are issued for your area. said Slater.

4Warn Storm Team tracks severe weather moving into Oklahoma.

The severe weather threat is predicted to move into Oklahoma City around 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

SEVERE WEATHER: Oklahoma City Weather

According to the City of OKC, having a plan and communicating effectively can help protect your family and friends in a severe weather situation.

Oklahoma Weather Radar

Oklahoma Weather Watches and Warnings Map

KFOR SkyCam Network

Oklahoma Closings and Delays

Watch for weather alerts

Officials say residents should have multiple ways of receiving weather information.

At least one of those ways should be accessible without power, without batteries and without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. That method could be a weather radio with a hand-powered crank.

You can refer to your weather radio, local news organization or official social media accounts for emergency weather information.

Outdoor warning sirens

City officials say Oklahoma City has 182 outdoor warning sirens.

When a tornado warning is issued, the National Weather Service will label a map with polygons showing where the storm is and where it may be going. The City then sounds the sirens in the affected areas, or sectors. This way, sirens in areas that are not affected will not activate.

The sirens are normally loud enough to be heard indoors, but their main purpose is to warn people outdoors that a severe weather threat is close by.

According to the City of OKC:

If you hear a siren, take shelter immediately and get more information about the storm.

OKCs outdoor warning sirens sound in and near areas where the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning or there has been a credible report of a tornado.

There is no all-clear signal.

When the sirens stop, it does not indicate the threat of a tornado has passed.

Sirens are activated as new or additional threats are detected.

Even if you normally can hear a siren inside your home, you may not during a noisy thunderstorm because of wind and rain.

The Citys sirens are tested on Saturdays at noon, unless there is a threat of severe weather. Anyone who can normally hear a siren but does not during Saturdays test should contact the Action Center at action.center@okc.gov.

SEVERE WEATHER: Tornado and Severe Weather Safety Tips in American Sign Language

Tornado Safety

According to the City:

Get inside a well-constructed building and seek shelter if a tornado is nearby. Flying debris is the greatest danger.

Vehicles and manufactured homes are the most dangerous places to be in a tornado. Many deaths are attributable to being inside a vehicle or manufactured home when a tornado strikes.

If youre driving when a tornado threat is nearby, get to the closest well-constructed building to take shelter. Never attempt to outrun a tornado by driving.

The safest place to be is a storm shelter built to FEMA guidelines and ICC 500 standards or a basement.

If theres no storm shelter, get to the innermost room, hallway or closet on the lowest level of the building. Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible and stay away from windows and doors. Most houses provide life-saving protection from 98 percent of tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Wear a helmet and/or use pillows, cushions and thick blankets for additional protection. Wear sturdy shoes that will protect your feet if you have to walk through debris.

If you have a storm shelter at your home, register it with the City of OKC so emergency crews know where to find you in a disaster.

Oklahoma City doesnt have public tornado shelters.

The City says the Storm Shelter Registry is free and voluntary service to ensure police, fire and emergency responders know where to find you. If you do not have access to the internet, call the Action Center at 405-297-2535.

Make a plan & build a kit

Officials say to talk to your family about severe weather and to create a plan in case youre not with your loved ones when it strikes. It is important to plan communication as well as how and where youll reconnect.

You can visit Ready.gov to use their form to help develop a Family Emergency Communication plan.

You cant overcommunicate with your family and friends. the City says.

City officials also advise to create an emergency supply kit that will help you survive for a couple of days after a disaster. It is recommended to build a kit that can last you and your family for 72 hours that includes items like medicine, water, an extra cell phone battery, a weather radio, flashlight with extra batteries, first aid kit, infant formula and diapers and pet food.

It may also be a good idea to visit your childs school to learn about their tornado plan and to develop a plan for your pets, too.

SEVERE WEATHER: Oklahoma City Weather Radar

The 4Warn Storm Team is tracking the storms as they move into the state. Meteorologist Emily Sutton has looked into ways everyone can stay safe, even those in the Deaf community.

ABLE Tech and HLAA Links:

Purchasing / Acquisition Options:

Closings & Cancellations on Monday

OKCPS has canceled after-school and evening activities

OKCPS Board of Educations regular meeting has been canceled

Mid-Del has canceled all evening activities

Mid-Del Technology Center has canceled evening classes

Moore Public Schools has canceled all afternoon events and activites

Mustang Public Schools has canceled all afternoon events and activities

Latchkey and Boys & Girls Club programs have been canceled

Oklahoma County offices and Courthouse will close at 2 p.m.

Putnam City Schools has canceled all activities after school hours. The regularly scheduled Board meeting will still continue at 5 p.m.

You will find a complete list of closings/delays here.

Oklahoma Weather Radar

Oklahoma Weather Watches and Warnings Map

KFOR SkyCam Network

Tips from the National Weather Service (NWS):

It is important not to pay close attention to risk categories . It may not matter what color or number your area is, every storm has the potential of creating dangerous tornadoes and hail.

Many people may not see any storms Monday. A small number of storms are expected, anywhere between 2-3 and 10 storms. Remember, if there is a storm near you, its safe to assume it is dangerous.

There hasnt been a day predicted like this in a while. Storms are expected to become supercells shortly after they form, and remain supercells throughout the event. Storms are not expected to form into a squall line or cluster.

The possibility of tornadoes will increase after the sun goes down . Wind shear will become more favorable at night which may also increase potential for tornadoes.

Clouds will not keep storms from developing on Monday or lessen the severity.

The cap, or the layer of warm air on the surface, will also not keep storms from forming.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
There are two major parties in the U.S., but sometimes it feels like there are more. Within each party are factions that often have competing goals and tactics  and as has been evident in the House of Representatives this congress, the size of these factions matters almost as much as the actual partisan breakdown.

Yet because so many states and congressional districts are safe for one party, the relative strength of these factions is decided not in November, but on primary days throughout the spring and summer. Tuesday's primaries in Indiana are a great example. There are multiple House primary races where more than one Republican is vying to become the nominee in a safely red district, all but guaranteeing the primary winner a seat in Congress. In those races, Republican voters will decide whether to elect nominees who will be faithful party-line voters  or who will give Speaker Mike Johnson new headaches. They'll also choose who will likely become the next chief executive of this state of nearly 7 million people. Here are all the key races to watch on Tuesday:

Indiana

Races to watch: 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th congressional districts; governor

Polls close: 6 p.m. Eastern in most of the state, 7 p.m. Eastern in the northwest and southwest corners

Indiana's primary for governor is the most interesting statewide contest on Tuesday. And the action is all on the GOP side of the aisle because the solidly red state will likely elect another Republican to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb. The leading candidate looks to be Sen. Mike Braun, who won a Senate seat in 2018 but decided to run for governor instead of reelection this cycle. Yet Braun has three notable challengers for the Republican nomination: former state Commerce Secretary Brad Chambers, current Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and businessman Eric Doden. A fourth, former state Attorney General Curtis Hill, has notoriety but for all the wrong reasons: He lost renomination for his old office in 2020 after allegations came out that he had groped a group of women at a party.

PHOTO: Sen. Mike Braun speaks during a Republican Indiana gubernatorial candidate forum in Carmel, Ind., Jan. 25, 2024. (Michael Conroy/AP)

For Braun, the good news is that none of his opponents have broken out from the rest of the pack. In early April, a SurveyUSA/Howey Politics/Indiana State Affairs poll found Braun at 44 percent among likely primary voters, with Crouch, Chambers and Doden all at around 10 percent, similar to the findings in older polls of the race. However, Braun's opponents have certainly put together the resources to push for a breakthrough. Overall, Braun had raised $10.2 million as of March 31, but Chambers had raised more ($12.8 million) and Doden about the same ($10 million)  thanks partly to millions from Chambers's own pocket and Doden's family. Crouch hasn't raised as much (around $7 million post-2020), but she did enter the last weeks of the campaign with $3.1 million in the bank, more than Braun, Chambers or Doden. The field has spent their resources mainly to bring Braun down a peg and promote their candidacies, in particular seizing upon comments Braun made in 2020 following the police murder of George Floyd in which the senator appeared supportive of Black Lives Matter, a conservative apostasy.

Turning to the congressional primaries, just one involving an incumbent is competitive and that's the Republican race in Indiana's solidly red 5th District north of Indianapolis. Two-term Rep. Victoria Spartz decided to seek reelection here, but only after a Hamlet rendition that has left her vulnerable to defeat in her primary as she vacillated between "to run or not to run." For a while, Spartz looked like a potential candidate to replace Braun in the Senate. But in February 2023, Spartz surprised the political world by announcing that not only would she not run for Senate, she also wouldn't seek reelection. She then repeatedly flip-flopped (saying she might run, then saying she wouldn't, then saying she maybe would) before finally announcing in February, just days before the candidate filing deadline, that she would indeed seek reelection.

Spartz's decision upset the plans of the many GOP contenders who'd entered the race in the meantime  11 candidates (including Spartz) are on the primary ballot. However, one of those challengers looks like a real threat to Spartz's chances: state Rep. Chuck Goodrich. The CEO of an electrical contracting company and member of the Indiana legislature, Goodrich has self-funded heavily  $4.6 million of the $5.5 million he'd raised as of April 17  to give himself a significant financial advantage over Spartz, who had only raised $581,000 after barely fundraising throughout 2023. Even with the money she already had in the bank, Spartz has been outspent $4.1 million to $2 million by Goodrich. Plus, outside spending has favored Goodrich as well, according to data from Open Secrets, with groups having spent $394,000 supporting him or opposing Spartz, compared with $234,000 supporting Spartz or opposing Goodrich.

Goodrich has used his financial edge to run ads emphasizing his America First views and to attack Spartz, most notably by trying to cast her as overly supportive of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Spartz is Ukrainian American, and Goodrich has claimed she's been "putting Ukraine first" while using an image of Spartz in the Oval Office with President Joe Biden after the passage of Ukraine military aid in 2022. However, Spartz's record is more nuanced: She has been critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and opposed the most recent round of Ukraine aid that Congress passed in late April. Yet Goodrich's attacks may be working: A late March poll for his campaign by pollster Mark It Red found him almost running even with her, trailing just 33 percent to 30 percent. Just after Spartz announced her reelection bid in early February, the same pollster had found Spartz ahead 47 percent to 15 percent, while a slightly earlier poll conducted by co/efficient for Spartz found the incumbent up 44 percent to 8 percent over Goodrich. If the trend in these campaign-sponsored polls is relatively accurate, Goodrich might just defeat Spartz on Tuesday.

A third of Indiana's congressional delegation is not running for reelection, leaving three safely Republican open seats  so the GOP primaries there will effectively decide those next members of Congress. In the 6th District, Rep. Greg Pence  who, like his brother Mike, is conservative but not angry about it  is stepping aside, and it's very much an open question whether he'll be replaced by a moderate or a hardliner.

Former Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jefferson Shreve, the owner of a successful storage company, leads the money race thanks to a $4.5 million loan to his own campaign  more than his six opponents have raised combined. But wealthy state Rep. Mike Speedy has also loaned himself $1.3 million, and he's using it to remind voters of the moderate positions, like supporting gun control, that Shreve took last year during his failed bid for mayor of Indianapolis (a significantly bluer constituency than the 6th District). To underscore the ideological fault lines of the primary: Shreve has the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while Speedy is backed by the tea party group Americans for Prosperity and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

No other active candidate in the race has raised more than $200,000 except businessman Jamison Carrier, who raised the most from actual donors ($115,000) in addition to a $750,000 self-loan. There's a chance that Carrier sneaks up the middle between the two front-runners, as he's the only one of the three from a part of the district that's not Indianapolis, which accounted for just 23 percent of former President Donald Trump's vote in the district in 2020, according to Daily Kos Elections. There's no polling here, though, so it's hard to know whether Carrier's geographic advantage will erase Shreve's and Speedy's financial edge.

The primary for northeastern Indiana's 3rd District also features an establishment-insurgent battle. Former Rep. Marlin Stutzman was a member of the House Freedom Caucus and helped to oust former Speaker John Boehner during his first stint in the House. Now he's angling for a comeback, as Rep. Jim Banks is running for Senate (Banks is unopposed in that primary). However, former Allen Circuit Court Judge Wendy Davis* has outraised Stutzman $1.0 million to $796,000, and she has also benefited from $1.1 million in outside spending from Winning for Women (a group dedicated to electing more female Republicans). Pro-establishment super PAC America Leads Action has also spent $1.8 million against Stutzman. Tea party groups like the Club for Growth and Protect Freedom PAC haven't kept pace, spending a combined $1.2 million for Stutzman or against his opponents.

PHOTO: Former Rep. Marlin Stutzman speaks in his office in the Longworth House Office Building, July 28, 2014. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll via Getty Images)

Yet the biggest fundraiser in the race is actually a third candidate, businessman Tim Smith (who self-funded $1.1 million), but observers believe his chances have been damaged by a scandal he's been tied to. A fourth notable, state Sen. Andy Zay, is also running and has raised $693,000, but at the end of the day, chances are either Stutzman or Davis will be this district's next congressman.

Finally, another ex-congressman may make a comeback in southwestern Indiana's 8th District  once one of the most competitive seats in the country but now a reliably Republican seat. The two front-runners in the GOP primary here appear to be state Sen. Mark Messmer and former Rep. John Hostettler, and some of the same groups are getting involved: America Leads Action has spent $1.6 million to help Messmer and hurt Hostettler, and Protect Freedom PAC is airing ads for Hostettler.

But the main divide in this race seems to be less about governing philosophy and more about foreign policy. For instance, Protect Freedom PAC  which represents former Rep. Ron Paul's libertarian wing of the party  may be with Hostettler because he and Paul were two of only six Republicans who opposed the Iraq war back in 2002. And Hostettler's record on Israel has provoked strong opposition from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Republican Jewish Coalition. Citing anti-Israel votes Hostettler took in Congress as well as a book he wrote that blamed the Iraq war on Jewish Americans' efforts to help Israel, these two groups have dropped $2.2 million to attack Hostettler or boost Messmer.

In total, pro-Messmer, anti-Hostettler outside groups have outspent pro-Hostettler, anti-Messmer groups by a whopping $5.1 million to $793,000. (And it's not like Hostettler himself has been able to fight back; Messmer has outraised him $763,000 to $41,000.)

Don't write off two other candidates, either. Surgeon Richard Moss, who has pledged to join the Freedom Caucus, has raised $556,000, while 28-year-old Army reservist Dominick Kavanaugh took in $528,000. That said, given the financial disparity, any candidate other than Messmer has to be considered an underdog.

Footnotes

*Not to be confused with the former Democratic candidate for governor of Texas!

5 primaries to watch in Indiana originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
FILE - A Super Tuesday voter walks past a sign requiring a photo ID at a polling location, March 5, 2024, in Mount Holly, N.C. A federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina's photo voter identification law goes to trial Monday, May 6, with expected arguments focusing on whether the requirement unlawfully discriminates against Black and Hispanic citizens or serves legitimate state interests to boost public confidence in elections. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP)  Trial in a federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina's new voter identification law finally began on Monday, with a civil rights group alleging its photo requirement unlawfully harms Black and Latino voters.

The non-jury trial started more than five years after the state NAACP and several local chapters sued over the 2018 law, saying the photo requirement and two other voting-related provisions violate the U.S. Constitution  because lawmakers enacted them with discriminatory intent  and the Voting Rights Act.

The litigation, along with a similar lawsuit in state court, delayed implementation of the requirement until last years municipal elections. The 1.8 million voters who cast ballots in March primaries also had to comply. State election data showed that less than 500 provisional ballots were ultimately not counted in the primary because of ID-related issues.

The NAACP plaintiffs argue that some voters have already have been caught up in the traps of the law" or were deterred from even coming to the polls in the first place, attorney Kathleen Roblez said during opening statements.

This case is about impermissible and intentional racial discrimination, Roblez told U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs, adding the requirement has already produced a discriminatory result for Black and brown voters," who she said are less likely to hold qualifying IDs.

But an attorney representing Republican legislative leaders who helped enact the law said that it's one of the most permissive voter ID requirements among states that have passed them, with free IDs available and exceptions for voters who can't readily obtain one. Legislators passed the law over Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto mere weeks after voters approved a constitutional amendment directing a photo ID mandate.

A legislature bent on discriminating would not have created all of these exceptions, David Thompson, one of the GOP leaders' lawyers, said in a Winston-Salem courtroom where the trial is expected to last several days. The General Assembly was compelled by the people of North Carolina to enact a voter ID law.

Biggs already has signaled that she wont immediately rule from the bench. A favorable ruling for the NAACP could block the requirement in the fall. The November general election  with races for president, governor and other statewide seats  could see turnout three times greater than the primary. And the nations ninth-largest state is a likely presidential battleground where statewide races are often close.

Roblez said it is suspect to cite the constitutional amendment in justifying passage of the voter ID law because it was put on the ballot by General Assembly members at a time when many legislative districts were declared by federal judges to be illegal racial gerrymanders.

Roblez said the NAACP will present data showing Black and Latino voters are more than twice as likely to lack a qualifying ID with a photo than white voters. They plan to bring in witnesses who will say they encountered voting problems in the March primary. Thompson said that by total number, not percentage, there are more white voters who don't have such an ID.

Thompson, who is representing House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, and a state attorney representing the State Board of Elections members also defending the law in court said the rules impose only a minimal burden on voters.

The law greatly expanded the number of qualifying IDs compared to what was approved in a 2013 voter ID law used briefly until federal judges struck it down as discriminatory. Free IDs are provided by county election and Division of Motor Vehicles offices, and people lacking photo ID at the polls should have their votes count if they fill out an exception form or bring in their ID to election officials before the final tallies.

The GOP leaders also argue the General Assembly had legitimate state interests in passing the law: to build voter confidence in state elections and to prevent voter fraud. Still, nationwide voter identity fraud is rare.

State NAACP President Deborah Maxwell, the plaintiffs' first witness, testified that the ID requirement makes it harder to vote and forced her group to allocate additional resources to make sure registered voters had a qualifying ID. She said free IDs from government offices only open on weekdays doesn't help working people who only have weekends free.

Biggs, who was nominated to the court by President Barack Obama, issued a preliminary injunction in late 2019 blocking enforcement of the law, saying it was tainted because the 2013 law had been struck down on similar grounds of racial bias. But the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed her decision, writing that she had put too much emphasis on the past conduct of the General Assembly when evaluating the 2018 law.

In a separate state lawsuit, the state Supreme Court last year upheld the 2018 law, which allowed the State Board of Elections to implement it months later. The now Republican-controlled court reversed a previous Supreme Court decision striking down the law when Democrats held a majority of the court's seats.

Thirty-six states have laws requesting or requiring identification at the polls, 21 of which seek photo ID, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
50-foot sea creature washes up on Delaware shore. But rescue proves too treacherous

On the morning of Sunday, May 5, a member of the second largest ocean species lay at the waters edge in Delaware.

It was a 50-foot sub-adult fin whale, a species rarely seen near shore.

But something was very wrong.

The whale is extremely emaciated which indicates a long-term underlying condition, the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute said in a post on Facebook the day the whale was discovered.

More evidence of the whales ailment was the sheer fact that the whale had been near the coast at all, the nonprofit said.

Fin whales are an offshore species and would not normally come near shore unless they are becoming so weak that they can no longer surface to breathe, and they head into shore.

Hundreds of people started to gather on the beach, including responders from MERR, according to the Delaware News Journal.

It became apparent very quickly that the whale wasnt going to make it. Experts best bet was to sedate the whale to ease its suffering. But attempts to get close enough to do so proved to be harder than expected, the nonprofit said.

Unfortunately the water level and waves made it too treacherous for our responders to do that safely for the whale or for them.

Suzanne Thurman told Delaware News Journal that with water levels that high, the massive creature could easily roll on top of its rescuers and kill them. Although they badly wanted to calm the distressed whale, it wasnt worth losing human lives knowing she would likely pass any minute.

That night, the fin whale took its last breath.

According to the outlet, local efforts have now shifted to moving the gigantic animal off the beach and into a comprehensive whale necropsy to find out what made it so deathly ill.

Officials plan to bury the whale on the beach, according to the Delaware News Journal.

Huge sea creature  the worlds largest  stuns California onlookers in early sighting

Injured orangutan observed treating his own wound with medicinal plant, scientists say

Beluga whales have unique ability to change head shape. Now, researchers may know why
A rollover crash Sunday in the Mid-City neighborhood of Los Angeles sent five people to the hospital, several of whom were in critical or serious condition, authorities confirmed to KTLA.

Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the 4700 block of Venice Boulevard on reports of the two-vehicle collision, according to an LAFD news release.

At the scene, firefighters used hydraulic rescue tools to extract one person from the dark-colored vehicle that rolled on its side during the crash.

A heavy presence of first responders and police were seen in video of the incident posted to the Citizen app.

L.A. police and firefighters on the scene of a two-vehicle rollover collision in Mid-City on May 5, 2024. (Citizen)

L.A. police and firefighters on the scene of a two-vehicle rollover collision in Mid-City on May 5, 2024. (Citizen)

L.A. police and firefighters on the scene of a two-vehicle rollover collision in Mid-City on May 5, 2024. (Citizen)

L.A. police and firefighters on the scene of a two-vehicle rollover collision in Mid-City on May 5, 2024. (Citizen)

L.A. police and firefighters on the scene of a two-vehicle rollover collision in Mid-City on May 5, 2024. (Citizen)

L.A. police and firefighters on the scene of a two-vehicle rollover collision in Mid-City on May 5, 2024. (Citizen)

A crew of firefighters worked to cut a portion of the dark-colored vehicles roof off to access the person trapped inside.

Bus driver violently attacked by homeless woman in Los Angeles

In all there were six patients, including a 51-year-old man who was taken to the hospital in serious condition and two women, 51-year-old and 62-year-old, in critical condition. Two other females, a 40-year-old and a 13-year-old suffered moderate injuries, LAFD said.

A 46-year-old man who suffered only minor injuries refused transport to the hospital.

It is unknown if alcohol and or drugs may have been a factor in the collision. No further details were provided.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Not all EU member states have decided to ignore Vladimir Putin's so-called inauguration on 7 May, including France, which will be represented at the ambassadorial level.

Source: European Pravda, citing Reuters news agency

A European diplomat told the agency on condition of anonymity that 20 EU member states would boycott the Kremlin ruler's "inauguration", but the other 7 states would send representatives.

A diplomatic source in Paris separately told Reuters that "France will be represented by its ambassador to Russia".

The source added that France has previously condemned the repressive conditions under which the elections were held, as well as the organisation of elections in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, which Paris considers a violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Background:

Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it sees no reason to recognise Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia.

EU diplomat Josep Borrell is opposed to EU representatives attending the "inauguration" ceremony of the Kremlin ruler. A number of EU states have already announced that they will not attend the inauguration.

After the fraudulent "elections" in Russia, Putin lost his legitimacy as president of that country, so European Pravda no longer uses the term "president" to refer to this person. Here they justify and explain the importance of this change.

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70 million at risk from dangerous weather: Supercells gather over Plains threatening dangerous weather including tornadoes as hundreds rescued in Texas

Damaging severe thunderstorms are expected to gather over Oklahoma and Kansas, threatening dangerous weather across the region. Meanwhile, hundreds of people are rescued in areas of Texas that have been devastated by floodwaters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center has warned that parts of the central and southern Plains into the Midwest will possibly experience severe storms on Monday that could produce large hail, damaging winds and threats of tornadoes.

Western and central Oklahoma into central and eastern Kansas, including Oklahoma City and Wichita are of particular concern.

Strong and long-track tornadoes are possible and could stretch out into the night, also with the potential for severe and damaging wind gusts up to 80mph and giant hail, up to four inches in diameter.

The thunderstorms are expected to grow by late Monday afternoon into a group of supercells.

By Monday night, this strong weather may become a line of thunderstorms that will sweep eastward into the Midwest.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department game wardens use a boat to rescue residents from floodwaters in Liberty County, Texas, on Saturday (AP)

At least 70 million people are at a slight risk or greater threat level for severe weather during the Monday to Wednesday period, Axios has reported the storm prediction centre forecasting.

Dangerous weather has already seriously affected neighbouring states after a third of Texas counties have announced disaster declarations after heavy rainfall inundated communities with floodwaters.

The body of a five-year-old boy was recovered from floodwaters near Fort Worth at 7.20am on Sunday while authorities were attempting to save people in a vehicle that was stuck in rapidly moving water.

Three occupants escaped from the vehicle that got stuck around 2am, but a 911 caller said they had been swept into the floodwaters while they were trying to reach safety.

A woman steps out of a mobile home in an unincorporated area in east Harris County near Houston on Saturday afternoon (AP)

While a man and a woman were rescued, the five-year-old boy was found deceased, the Johnson County emergency management coordinator said.

Fort Worth has experienced severe thunderstorms over the past few days, and the National Weather Service predicted that more isolated severe storms could be possible on Monday afternoon, with very large hail and damaging winds being the central threats.

Further south in the state, at least 400 people have been rescued from homes, vehicles and even rooftops in neighbourhoods around Houston, the Associated Press reported on Sunday, after days of rain left whole communities flooded with murky water and buildings ruined.

A dangerous outbreak of severe thunderstorms is expected this afternoon into tonight across parts of central/eastern KS and much of OK. Multiple strong, long-track tornadoes, very large hail (2-4 inch) and damaging gusts to 80 mph are all possible this afternoon into tonight. pic.twitter.com/0cDEHyX6KY  NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) May 6, 2024

No deaths or serious injuries had been reported in that area, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county governments top executive, told CNN on Saturday night and added that 153 pets have also been rescued during the efforts.

Moving into Monday, conditions seem to be improving in areas, after the National Weather Service in Houston expired its flood watch after being in effect for 93 hours.

However, the service has warned that moderate to major river flooding will remain a concern for at least the next several days to over a week and is asking residents not to drive around any remaining barricades or enter into any flood waters.

Judge Hidalgo declared a disaster on Thursday in the county after heavy rainpour caused serious flooding in the area.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in areas that were slammed with the worst conditions.

What were going to see tonight and into the weekend will not be Hurricane Harvey, but we are going to see significant impacts, Hidalgo said in a statement on Thursday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced his intention Monday to seek another term in the U.S. Senate.

The 82-year-old independent is already the second-oldest member of the chamber, and if elected, would be 88 by the time his fourth term is up.

He outlined the reasons behind his decision in a video posted to social media Monday morning, in which he called this years election cycle the most consequential election in our lifetimes.

In the message, the popular Vermont progressive hit many of the same notes that he has during his long run in national politicswhich included two competitive but ultimately unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020.

We must fight to make sure that we have a government which represents the working families of our country, not the billionaire class and wealthy campaign contributors, he said in a statement which touted some of Sanders achievements: measures to lower the cost of prescription drugs, green energy initiatives across his home state, his steadfast support for abortion rights, and his efforts to lower the burden of student debt for millions of Americans, among other things.

Let me thank the people of Vermont, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to serve them in the United States Senate. It has been the honor of my life.



Today, I am announcing my intention to seek another term. Here is why: pic.twitter.com/cfO8MF4Cep  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 6, 2024

Sanders also outlined in a video statement posted to X one of the key differences between himself and President Joe Bidens current administration: U.S. support for Israels brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Israel had the absolute right to defend itself against this terrorist attackbut it did not and does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, which is exactly what it is doing, Sanders said. U.S. tax dollars should not be going to the extremist Netanyahu government to continue its devastating war against the Palestinian people.

After a nearly two-decade run in the House prior to his time in the Senate, Sanders is already the longest serving congressional independent in U.S. history.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Georgia Secretary of States Office confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that ballots that were lost in the mail have now been recovered.

The Oglethorpe County Board of Elections reported a number of absentee ballots that voters mailed back in April never made it to the office. The primary election for local and state elections is scheduled for May 21.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The board reported the issue to the Secretary of State. On Monday, both county and state officials confirmed that the ballots have now been returned to Oglethorpe County and are being processed.

The ballots in question were mishandled by the USPS leading to a delay, but never left the custody of the postal service, a spokesman for the Secretary of States Office told Channel 2 Action News.

The county board has not confirmed the exact number of ballots that were lost or for how long they were missing.

RELATED STORIES:

Channel 2 Action News has reported for months about ongoing issues with mail delays across north Georgia. Most of the problems connect back to a distribution center that opened in Palmetto earlier this year.

Frustrated customers told Channel 2s Tyisha Fernandes that they have been waiting weeks and at time months for important mail to be delivered, including medications. Fernandes found that trucks full of mail were waiting outside the center for hours.

Georgia lawmakers from both sides have been demanding answers from USPS officials. Sen. Jon Ossoff wants to know what went wrong when USPS opened the Palmetto facility. Rep. Mike Collins has said he wanted to tour the facility along with U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy.

A U.S. Senate committee grilled DeJoy about the issues in Georgia during a hearing last month.

Atlanta has been one of our worst. The Georgia area has been one of our worst-served areas over the last 10 years, U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy said during the hearing.

We had to move 2,000 people from all these different plants to one location and we had strict requirements as to when they move. Its a big facility we opened up, we had inbound transportation issues, DeJoy said.

The Oglethorpe County Board of Elections has not confirmed if the Palmetto distribution center led to its absentee ballot issues.

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Nearly half of the state's childre have experienced one adverse childhood experience (ACE), and almost 20% of Arkansas students have dealt with two or more traumatic life events. (Getty Images)

Daniel started 5th grade in 2022 in Kathys reading class as a social, well-behaved student with good grades. He laughed easily and took pride in entertaining the class with his signature corny jokes at the end of lessons.

His behavior started to change in late October of that year and progressively continued throughout his 6th grade year in Joshuas class. He stopped laughing.

Daniels teachers tried to determine the cause, but he would not open up and calls home went unanswered. His grades plummeted, and his behavior escalated until one morning when he threw his Chromebook.

When we finally reached his mom, she told us that she had advanced cancer and had only recently told Daniel. She passed away a few weeks later.

According to the Arkansas Trauma-Informed Education Initiative, nearly half of the states children, like Daniel, have experienced one adverse childhood experience (ACE), and almost 20% of Arkansas students have dealt with two or more traumatic life events.

Arkansas ranks 43rd out of 50 in a national state ranking of ACEs, with a ranking of 50 being the state with the highest percentage of students with multiple adverse childhood experiences, due largely to a connection between ACEs and poverty.

If we want to prioritize learning for all students in Arkansas, we must systematically address the needs of children and families affected by trauma by working together just like we have done on behalf of Daniel.

First, we must investigate the root causes of trauma in our state, such as poverty, violence, and systemic inequalities.

Trauma does not occur in isolation. Ignoring the effects of second-hand trauma can negatively impact a students learning and their community, including classmates, teachers, and families.

Daniel moved in with his grandmother who was not only traumatized by the loss of her daughter but also living with the stress of having to unexpectedly raise a child who was acting out his trauma at home and school. She was supportive at first, but as calls from school became more frequent, she began to blame his teachers for his behavior.

Training acts as a protective factor for teachers to better help students with trauma. Instead of viewing Daniels behavior as an isolated behavior issue, we had the training to look deeper into his situation to determine the root cause.

Next, there must be systematic collaboration between schools, healthcare providers, social services, and community organizations.

Trauma awareness and de-escalation strategies training, in which Kathy was trained, should be required for all classroom teachers alongside school resource officers (SROs) and counselors. This would improve the academic success of all students and protect the emotional health of teachers like us so that we may better serve their students.

Programs such as Handle with Care, in which Josh was trained, should be systematically implemented to teach strategies to school personnel on how to keep a child safe during a behavioral breakdown.

Another program, TRIS, the Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools, could provide professional development for all classroom teachers in Arkansas in everything from care management consultation after a crisis to Trauma 101 training.

Finally, we must explore legislative solutions.

In Arkansas, the only trauma training the LEARNS Act currently requires is for SROs and counselors, who must renew Youth Mental Health and First Aid certification every four years.

Lawmakers should revise the act to include mandatory trauma training for classroom teachers, in concert with SROs and counselors, to protect the health of everyone in the school setting. Funding needs to be allocated to pair each SRO with a social worker to support the traumatized students and their families better, something that would have helped Daniel from the start.

Although the healing process is a long one, Daniel is making progress both academically and socially in 6th grade. He now sits in Joshs science class, fully engaged in the lesson. No Chromebooks have been snapped in half this year. Daniels grades are decent, and he is not disrupting the lesson or yelling at his classmates.

Vertical collaboration, like that between us, has helped Daniel transition more easily from 5th grade to 6th. He smiles more frequently, and occasionally, he makes a detour on the way to Joshs Room to visit Kathy, making his way around the room, high-fiving the 5th graders like hes a visiting celebrity.

Daniel was fortunate to have teachers with the training to recognize the risk factors and warning signs of mental health issues in adolescents and how to help students in crisis. We had a supportive network of school administrators to create safe, compassionate, and nurturing learning environments for Daniel and his classmates. Every student deserves a trained and supportive learning community like this one to foster a culture of resilience that empowers students to overcome traumatic experiences and reach their full learning potential.

The post Addressing trauma in Arkansas classrooms creates a path to better learning appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Zakia Wardak made no mention of the gold in her resignation statement

Afghanistans only female diplomat has resigned days after she was caught by airport authorities allegedly smuggling nearly 1.6 million of gold into India.

Zakia Wardak announced her resignation on social media after Indian media reported that she and her son had been stopped last month on arrival in Mumbai from Dubai carrying 25kg of gold.

Ms Wardak is understood to have been appointed to India before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 and was the Afghan Consul-General in Mumbai.

She had been acting as the countrys most senior representative in India since Afghanistans embassy in New Delhi shut down in November.

Ms Wardak was reportedly not arrested when she was stopped because of her diplomatic immunity, but the gold was confiscated by Indias Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

She made no reference to the gold in her resignation statement, but said she had encountered numerous personal attacks and defamation over the past year.

Such incidents have demonstrated the challenges faced by women in Afghan society, she said, adding: It has become increasingly clear that the public narrative is unfairly targeting the only female representative within this system, rather than focusing on constructive assistance and support.

Statement in Dari, Pashto & English. pic.twitter.com/pQwLCMun0O  Zakia Wardak (@ZakiaWardak) May 4, 2024

Many Afghan diplomats remained loyal to the internationally-backed government when Kabul fell despite their administration having been swept away.

They have refused to cede official buildings and positions to the new Taliban emirate and have remained in post issuing visas and paperwork.

The Taliban authorities have full control of only around a dozen Afghan embassies abroad  including in Pakistan, China, Turkey and Iran.

Ashraf Ghanis government was notorious for corruption before it was swept away by the Taliban and public disgust at thieving officials proved a powerful recruiting tool for the insurgents.

No nation has yet formally recognised the Talibans new government, but many acknowledge them as the de facto ruling authority.

Since the Taliban took control in August 2021, they have barred women from most spheres of public life and employment. Girls are stopped from going to classes beyond primary school age.

They have also restricted womens access to work, travel and health care if they are unmarried or do not have a male guardian, while those who do not cover their heads and faces risk arrest.

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Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch addressed NC Central School of Law on May 3, 2024. (Photo: Screengrab from NCCU video stream)

In a week marked by pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses across the country, former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch told graduates of the North Carolina Central University School of Law that now more than ever, emissaries of the law are needed to reach across the aisles of disagreement.

Lynch, the nations first Black woman to hold the office of AG, said there is no doubt the country is entering challenging times. But each student should look back to understand how far weve come.

Fridays ceremony also honored the 85th anniversary of the law schools establishment. When it was launched in 1939, it was known as the North Carolina College for Negroes. Today it remains one of the nations six HBCU law schools.

You were founded 15 years before Brown v Board of Education was even decided, said Lynch. You were founded 26 years before anybody even heard of Miranda rights. It was a world of Jim Crow, it was a world of poll taxes, it was a world of literacy tests, but the leaders of this school stepped out on faith and began the bold and the daring and the audacious mission of training Black lawyers.

Lynch said founders of NC Centrals law school in Durham had faith in the strength and the resiliency of Black America, and faith in the power of the law.

The path to justice is rarely direct

She reminded graduates that just four years ago the world watched in horror as George Floyd lost his life under the knee of a uniformed police officer in in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

But I also remember that something else happened during that time. As people marched and spoke, they were joined by a broad swath of humanity, both in this country and around the world, Lynch said. We came together in an epiphany of understanding and empathy that began to fuel what we hoped was systemic change. We saw the possibility of change that recognized the costs of a pernicious racism, not just to its immediate victims, but to all of us.

Now graduates are facing a world in which authoritarianism is rising and there are great threats to global peace. Even at home, there are efforts to shut down the fundamental right to vote, she said.

I know its especially painful to see the opponents of equality and inclusion actually use the law to roll us back to the last century, the law which has made an imprint on everyone of us in this room, the law which has been our sword and shield in some of the most important fights in our history, we have used the law to open our society, to level the playing field, to unlock our greatness. Now, we see it being turned around and being used to close opportunity and even to close minds, Lynch cautioned.

This is a backlash to progress that the nation has witnessed before, she said.

The lesson we take from this is that the pendulum has swung this way before, it likely will again, but we have not lost this fight, as our gains and our progress have struck a chord with those who fear our power. Its not that our values are not true, and our efforts arent strong, but it comes to every generation to defend those values in their own time.

The Greensboro native said even as they celebrate the achievement of getting through school, the work is just beginning.

We have pushed even when the law was not on our side, there was a time in this country when the law didnt even recognize our humanity, and we didnt give up then, we will not give up now. We worked to change things then, and we will do so now.

Lynch, who was nominated in 2014 by then President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Attorney General, told the graduates they needed not have a powerful title to make a difference. Some of her favorite moments came from when she was a young attorney just starting out.

People may seek to challenge your right to your place in this world based on your race, based on your gender, where you went to school, or your southern connections. Never let them do it, never, never, Lynch stressed. Class of 2024, you did not come this far to make small-minded people comfortable. You came here to this place to make a difference.

The post AG Loretta Lynch to NC law school grads: Diversity is our greatest strength. appeared first on NC Newsline.
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  A six year old was shot in south Columbus last week. Now, the Columbus Police Department has issued a warrant for the arrest of an aggravated assault suspect.

Robert Walker, 20, is wanted on four counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Columbus police say Walker is armed and dangerous.

The warrants stem back to Wednesday, May 1 at about 12:30 a.m. when Cameron Thomas, 6, was shot in the driveway of a south Columbus home while he was playing with his toy truck.

One arrest has been made in the case so far  Makaliah Briscoe, 22.

Additionally, Zytavius Short, 16, turned himself into the Talbot County Sheriffs Office on Monday. Short is facing four counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He has been brought back to Columbus where he will have a hearing on Tuesday.

Walker remains at large. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 or Cpl. Jared Berger at (706) 225-4325.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
Virginia State Police said a plane flying from Manassas to South Carolina crashed in Fluvanna County on Sunday morning, killing the pilot and one passenger.

Police identified the pilot as 63-year-old John W. Latham of Haymarket in Prince William County and the passenger as 73-year-old Niiben C.A. Ayivorh of Burke in Fairfax County.

Police said the Fluvanna County Sheriffs Office received a 911 call at 8:54 a.m. from residents in the 200 block of Miles Jackson Road about a low-flying plane and explosion. Sheriffs deputies, Virginia State Police and Virginia Conservation Police responded to a densely wooded area off Miles Jackson Road and found the plane wreckage, which was on fire.

Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished fire.

State police said the plane, a twin-engine 1975 Rockwell Commander 690A, left the Manassas Regional Airport on Sunday and was flying to Georgetown County Airport in South Carolina. It was lightly raining at the time of the crash.

The remains of the two victims were transported to the chief medical examiner in Richmond for examination. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were both notified.
An Akron police officer who has faced scrutiny for shooting a teen who had a fake gun  as well as for his troubled history with the department  has been fired.

City and police leaders terminated officer Ryan Westlake Monday because of actions he took during two use-of-force incidents that they say violated police rules and procedures.

Your actions in these instances demonstrate your continued disregard for the rules, regulations, and policies of the Akron Police Department, police supervisors wrote in a notice of the latest disciplinary action against Westlake. "Your previous disciplines and counseling sessions have not corrected your behavior. Your actions bring the city of Akron into disrepute or ridicule and demonstrate that you are unable to safely and effectively serve as a police officer."

Westlake, who has been has been disciplined five times and was fired then reinstated in 2021, will have 10 days to request a hearing before Mayor Shammas Malik. The matter could also then go before an arbitrator.

City leaders said the recommendation to fire Westlake is unrelated to the April 1 shooting that has prompted many community leaders to call for his termination. Community leaders also have questioned why Westlake, who has been an officer for nine years, has been allowed to remain a police officer, given his troubled past.

Akron Officer Ryan Westlake presses an assault rifle to a man's head while other officers handcuff him during a Dec. 31 incident. This happened after Westlake and other officers chased the man on foot and caught up to him. Officers thought he might have a gun.

The two incidents that city leaders say are the basis for their termination recommendation involve:

A Dec. 31 incident in which Westlake put the muzzle of his assault rifle to the back of a mans head while other officers handcuffed him, according to Westlake's body-worn camera video.

A March 1 incident in which Westlake appears to swing a teen around as he attempted to get her into his cruiser, resulting in her falling to the ground against the cruiser, a surveillance video shows.

Police supervisors deemed Westlakes use of force in the December incident to be unreasonable and disagreed on whether his actions in the March incident were justified. The first supervisors who evaluated the March incident found it to be reasonable, but internal affairs supervisors found it was not.

Brian Lucey, president of the Akron police union, couldn't be reached for comment Monday afternoon about Westlake's firing.

Imokhai Okolo, the attorney for Tavion Koonce-Williams, the 15-year-old who was shot by Westlake, applauded the decision to fire Westlake, though he said this should have happened long before Tavion was shot.

"The community is safer with Westlake off the streets," Okolo said.

Westlake, 33, has already been involved in five use-of-force incidents in the first four months of this year. The department has an early warning system that kicks in when an officer has six use-of-force incidents in a year in which police supervisors are notified. The most use-of force Westlake had in prior years was seven in 2021 and eight in 2023, according to his personnel records.

Westlake has a troubled history as an officer

Westlake has been involved in more than 30 use-of-force incidents, with most of them deemed to be reasonable by his supervisors.

Mayor Dan Horrigan fired Westlake on July 20, 2021, saying he wasnt fit to be an Akron officer. He pointed to two drunken and violent off-duty incidents between Westlake and his girlfriend, including one in which she accused him of punching her, holding a gun to her head and threatening to kill her and her father.

Westlake was charged with domestic violence and aggravated menacing, but these charges were dropped and the case expunged after his girlfriend refused to cooperate.

Westlake was reinstated the day after he was fired and instead suspended for 71 days after a deal was struck between the police union and city leaders.

Westlake has also been disciplined for ramming a truck during a chase, operating a patrol wagon unsafely, refusing to give his name or identification number to a citizen during a call, and improperly handling drug evidence.

Shooting of teen with fake gun is still being investigated

Westlake had never been involved in a shooting before April 1, when he responded to a call about a male pointing a gun at houses, his personnel file shows.

Westlake drove up near a teen holding a gun, told him to show him his hands, then, seconds later, shot him in the hand.

In this screen grab, the fake gun carried by Tavion Koonce-Williams can be seen a moment before he was shot in the hand by Akron Police Officer Ryan Westlake.

The gun that Tavion Koonce-Williams, 15, was holding was fake. He was facing a misdemeanor facsimile firearms charge, but this charge was dismissed Monday in Summit County Juvenile Court, pending the outcome of the investigation into the shooting.

More: Can de-escalation training help prevent police shootings? Here's what the experts say

The shooting is being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The BCI findings then will be presented to a grand jury. The police department and the Citizens Police Oversight Board will then also investigate.

After the shooting, Okolo made several demands, including that Westlake be fired and that the department look into other officers with problematic histories who also should no longer have badges. He reiterated those demands in his press release Monday.

"There are officers with a pattern of unleashing violence and harm against members of our community, and Black residents are disproportionately the recipients of that violence," Okolo said in the release. "Despite this, there has been no real accountability and certainly no justice."

Tavion Koonce-Williams, the 15-year-old boy who was shot by an Akron police officer April 1, appears with his parents James Koonce and Angel Williams and other family members and supporters as they listen to his attorney, Imokhai Okolo address the media during a press conference at 8 Point Hall in Akron on Friday, April 12, 2024.

The shooting prompted a protest in front of City Hall and questions being raised during recent meetings, including Akron City Council and the Akron school board.

Supervisors find Westlake's actions unreasonable in December incident

Westlake had a pre-disciplinary hearing last week before city and police leaders about the use-of-force incidents in December and March.

They allowed Westlake time to respond, then met with him again Monday and told him they were terminating him.

The city provided the Beacon Journal videos and documents pertaining to these incidents Monday.

In the Dec. 31 incident, Westlake and other officers surrounded a house to arrest a 23-year-old Akron man who was wanted on several felony warrant and had been involved in a vehicle chase with Westlake the day before. The man ran out of the front door of the house, and Westlake and other officers chased him.

Westlake, who was carrying an assault rifle as he ran, deployed his Taser at the man, as did another officer. The man kept running.

Westlake saw the man hiding in bushes and alerted other officers. Another officer shot the man with his Taser and the man dropped to the ground.

Hands behind your back! Westlake yelled at the man who was laying on his stomach. Hands behind your [expletive] back now!

Westlake pressed the barrel of his assault rifle to the back of the mans head while other officers placed handcuffs on his wrists. He then moved the rifle away. Westlake grabbed the mans hair to move his head.

A police supervisor said he contacted the training bureau and asked if the use of a rifle in this was taught in rifle training. The supervisor was told officers have never been taught to use a rifle in this manner, according to a supervisors report.

Westlake said in his use-of-force report that he touched the mans hair to evaluate getting a Taser wire untangled. He also said he was tired from his foot pursuit and was in an adrenalized state.

Police supervisors found the actions of all the officers except for Westlake to be reasonable. A supervisor said Westlakes use of his rifle and grabbing the man's hair to be a violation of the departments rule that says force can only be used in circumstances specified by law, and then only when necessary to accomplish a police task successfully.

Police supervisors disagree on reasonableness of March incident

In the March 1 incident, Westlake responded to a complaint by a convenience store owner that a customer and her friends were stealing from him.

The teenage customer denied that anything had been stolen.

While other officers searched for the teens friends outside the store, Westlake told the teen to turn around so he could handcuff her. She refused and told him not to touch her.

Dont fight be because its not going to go well for you, he told the teen as he handcuffed her, then led her from the store.

Westlake told the teen to get into his cruiser. He then swung her around and she fell, landing on the ground beside the cruiser, a surveillance video showed.

Im reporting you, [expletive]! the teen screamed.

He then placed her in the back of the cruiser.

The first supervisor who reviewed this incident found the use of force to be reasonable. When the video is watched at full speed, the supervisor said, it looked like Westlake threw the teen to the ground. But the supervisor said that doesn't appear to be the case when the video is viewed frame-by-frame.

I find it reasonable to believe he lost control of the suspect after she lost her balance while he was trying to get her in his cruiser, the supervisor said.

Supervisors in the department's internal affairs division, though, found that Westlakes use of force wasnt reasonable and violated the departments use-of-force procedure and the rule that requires an officer to be responsible for the safety and protection of a person in his or her custody.

Westlake said in his use-of-force report that the teen pulled away from him and he pulled her toward the cruiser. He said her back struck the door and she fell to the pavement, landing on her backside.

I felt it was imperative to get her in the cruiser reasonably quickly, Westlake said.

All use-of-force incidents are investigated, police spokesman says

The Beacon Journal recently talked to police and union leaders about how the department handles use-of-force incidents.

Capt. Michael Miller, a spokesman for the police department, said all use-of force incidents are investigated by a police supervisor.

The investigations are then forwarded to Internal Affairs, which does its own review.

The investigations normally take between 30 and 60 days, Miller said.

If a use-of force incident is deemed to not be reasonable, Miller said Internal Affairs determines what rule or rules were violated and then submits this to the chief, who decides what punishment is appropriate. Miller said the chief looks at factors like whether this was the first time the officer was found to have violated this rule or rules.

Miller said its not uncommon for patrol officers, who are the ones responding to citizens calls, to have several use-of-force incidents in a year. He said the number could depend on how busy of an area the officer is assigned to patrol.

More calls/more arrests could make a difference, he said.

Miller said the police union is involved in the discipline process, as required by the contract.

Lucey, the FOP president, said officers may need to resort to force when someone isnt cooperating or is having a mental health crisis.

Thats part of our job, he said.

Lucey said use-of-force incidents represent less than 1% of the calls that officers handle.

Miller said in a press release Monday about Westlake's firing that the department and city administration won't provide further comment but will provide "future updates to the community as appropriate."

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ryan Westlake fired for 2 use-of-force incidents as Akron police officer
Al Jazeera decries Israeli move to shut down the TV channel in Israel

The lettering and logo of the Arab news channel Al-Jazeera can be seen on the company's premises. Tim Brakemeier/dpa

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his Cabinet unanimously voted to close broadcaster Al Jazeera's operations in Israel.

The move came after Israeli lawmakers recently approved a new media law - widely referred to as the "Al Jazeera law" - that gives the government powers to ban foreign broadcasters if they are deemed a risk to state security.

Netanyahu announced the Cabinet decision in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which he called Al Jazeera "the hate channel."

Qatar-based Al Jazeera decried the Israeli decision and vowed to pursue "all avenues" available to protect its rights and employees.

Al Jazeera's offices in East Jerusalem were raided on Sunday following the government's decision, according to Israeli media reports.

Television equipment had been confiscated, it said.

Al Jazeera said Israeli cable and satellite network providers had removed the channel from their services.

Two leading international organizations that campaign for freedom of the press and freedom of expression strongly condemned the closure.

"CPJ condemns the closure of Al Jazeera's office in Israel and the blocking of the channels websites," CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna said in New York.

"This move sets an extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel," he added.

"The Israeli cabinet must allow Al-Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime."

The French-based organization Reporters Without Borders said on X: "RSF strongly condemns freedom-threatening legislation that censors a TV network for its coverage of the war in Gaza."

The United Nations also emphasized the importance of press freedom following Israel's decision.

"We stand firmly against any decision to roll back freedom of the press," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York. "A free press provides an invaluable service to ensure that the public is informed and engaged."

The Israeli government has accused Al Jazeera, which is based in the Gulf emirate of Qatar and has a wide reach in the Arab world, of biased reporting on its ongoing war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera has reported extensively on the catastrophic situation in the Palestinian territory and shown images of death and destruction that are rarely seen on Israeli television stations. The channel also regularly shows videos of attacks on Israeli soldiers by Hamas' military arm, the Qassam Brigades.

On Sunday, Al Jazeera again categorically denied accusations from Israel of biased reporting on the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

"The Netanyahu government has decided in a highly misleading and calumnious step to endorse the order to shut down Al Jazeera offices in Israel," the network said.

The channel condemned what it called an "Israeli criminal act" that violates the human right of access to information.

"We confirm that we will pursue all avenues at international and legal organizations to protect our rights and crews," it added without elaborating.

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said he had signed the closure order and that it would be implemented immediately.

According to Israeli reports, this means that offices in Israel could be closed, broadcasting equipment confiscated, the station removed from cable and satellite television channels and its website blocked.

The channel has repeatedly rejected the allegations of bias and, in the past, accused Netanyahu of spreading "new lies and inflammatory slanders" against the network.

Al Jazeera has also accused the Israeli military of deliberately targeting journalists on several occasions.

Netanyahu has accused Al Jazeera of "damaging Israel's security, actively participating in the massacre on October 7 and inciting against Israeli soldiers."

Al Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Doha. It was one of the first Arab TV stations to publish critical reports on the region and quickly gained popularity.

There was some criticism of the ban in Israel on Sunday. Benny Gantz's National Union party, which is represented in the Israeli security cabinet, agreed with the closure, but criticized the timing.

It was "terrible timing" that could torpedo the current indirect negotiations with Hamas on the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza war, the centre-right party explained.

The Israeli government's efforts to ban Al Jazeera have drawn criticism from some of the country's most prominent allies, including the United States and Germany.

The US State Department expressed irritation of the decision and reiterated support for the free press all over the world.

A German Foreign Office spokesman also criticized the so-called Al Jazeera law last month: "A free and diverse press landscape is the cornerstone of a liberal democracy."
A 22-year-old Davenport man was shot and killed in East Moline Saturday night.

On Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11:44 p.m., East Moline Police Officers responded to the 1000 block of 51st Avenue in East Moline on a report of shots fired with an unresponsive male subject on the ground who was shot. This is in the Deerfield Woods Apartment complex. Upon arrival, officers located a man who was shot multiple times and unresponsive, according to a Monday release.

Responding officers provided life-saving measures on the man, turned over to Fire and EMS services with the man being transported to Genesis Illini Hospital. The man, Michael J. Robinson, 22, of Davenport, died at the hospital shortly afterward. Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson said Robinson had been shot multiple times.

An investigation immediately began into this incident by the East Moline Investigations Division. A male suspect was soon identified as Jarquez D. Robertson, 21, out of Huntsville, Ala., with him possibly fleeing the area in a vehicle back to Alabama, police said.

An arrest warrant was obtained for Jarquez Robertson for First Degree Murder with no bond.

Jarquez Robertson (East Moline Police Department)

An alert was put out nationwide to be on the lookout for the suspect and vehicle he was driving. Huntsville Alabama Police Department was also contacted as it was suspected he was headed to that area. At approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 5, the Huntsville, Ala., Police Department located Jarquez Robertson and arrested him without incident. He is being held at the Madison County Jail in Alabama and processes will take place to extradite Robertson back to the Rock Island County Jail in Illinois.

The Silvis Police Department, Moline Police Department, Rock Island County Sheriffs Department, East Moline Fire Department, Genesis Ambulance, Illinois State Police, and Huntsville Police Department assisted on this incident.

The investigation into this incident continues by East Moline Police Criminal Investigation and Illinois State Crime Scene teams and Rock Island County. Police ask anyone with information to contact the East Moline Police Department at 309-752-1555, Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities at 309-762-9500, or use the P3 Tips mobile app. You can remain anonymous.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.
A new law in Alabama showcases how the war on sex trafficking is mirroring the war on drugs, with all of the negative consequences that implies. The law, signed by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey in mid-April, is called "The Sound of Freedom Act," after a recent hit movie about sex trafficking.

It's never a good sign when public policy takes its cues from Hollywood. It's even worse when the film in question was inspired by a group (Operation Underground Railroad) that stages highly-questionable "sting" operations and was founded by a truth-challenged man (Tim Ballard) fending off multiple sexual assault lawsuits.

Alabama's lawwhich takes effect on October 1, 2024stipulates a mandatory life sentence for anyone found guilty of first-degree human trafficking of a minor. On its surface, this might not sound too objectionable. But in fact it will likely to lead to extreme overpunishment for people whose offenses are far less nefarious than those in movies like The Sound of Freedom.

It could even lead to life in prison for trafficking victims.

How Human Trafficking Laws Really Work

If you're a regular reader, you probably know by now that "human trafficking" in America looks nothing like it does in the movies. Something needn't involve force, abduction, or border crossings to be legally defined as human trafficking. Adult victims often start off doing sex work consensually, then wind up being exploited, threatened, or abused by someone they initially trusted to help them. And when someone under age 18 is involved in any exchange of sexual activity for something of value, it qualifies as sex trafficking even if no trafficker is involved.

Two 17-year-old runaways could work together, meeting up with prostitution customers. They would both be considered trafficking victims under U.S. law. If one of them turned 18 and they continued to work together, the 18-year-old would be guilty of child sex trafficking. Helping them post an ad online or driving them to meet a customer would also suffice.

A teenage victim need not even be a legal adult to be labeled a sex trafficker. Take the case of Hope Zeferjohn, in Kansas. Starting at age 15, she was victimized by an older boyfriend, who pressured her into prostitution and asked her to try to recruit other teens to work for him too. Zeferjohn wound up convicted of child sex trafficking for these attempts.

And people need not know they're involved with a minor to be guilty of child sex trafficking. A 17-year-old could post an ad online, pretend to be 19, and meet up with someone (perhaps barely over 18 himself) looking to pay another adult for sex. The person paying would be guilty of human trafficking in the first degree even if he had no reason to believe the person he paid was a minor. In fact, Alabama law specifically states that "it is not required that the defendant have knowledge of a minor victim's age, nor is reasonable mistake of age a defense to liability under this section."

There doesn't even need to be a real victim involved for someone to be convicted of human trafficking of a minor. Police could pretend to be an adult sex worker, chat with a prospective customer, and then casually drop into the conversation that they're "really" only 17-years-old. The prospective customer may believe this to be actually true or not (after all, the actual police decoy may be and look like a young adult). But for purposes of the law, it doesn't matter what the person believed or that there was no actual minor involved.

None of these scenarios resemble the sort of sex trafficking situations imagined by Hollywood or by groups like Operation Underground Railroad. That doesn't mean everyone involved is totally blameless. But

Existing Laws Provide Plenty Harsh Penalties

Whatever culpability should accrue to individuals in the above situations, I think most people would agree that life in prison would be too harsh. But under Alabama's new Sound of Freedom law, a life sentence would be possible in all cases and mandatory in cases where the offender was at least 19 years old.

This is insaneand especially so when you consider the existing punishments available.

Human trafficking in the first degree is a Class A felony in Alabama. Class A felonies already come with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, and a life sentence or up to 99 years in prison is possible.

Under existing law, then, it's not as if people guilty of truly heinous acts will get off easy (even if additional charges, such as abduction or assault, are not added on).

Someone guilty of Hollywood-style sex trafficking could still be sentenced to life in prison. Someone guilty of less heinous but still serious crimes could be sentenced to decades in prison. But an 19-year-old who takes a 17-year-old friend along to meet a customer would be subject to only 10 years in prisonstill too much, if you ask me, but at least not life in prison regardless of circumstances.

Following Drug War Trends

What we're seeing in Alabama is a perfect example of how the war on sex trafficking mirrors the war on drugs.

At a certain point in the drug war, everything was plenty criminalized but (surprise, surprise) people were still doing and selling drugs. And politicians still wanted ways to look like they were doing something about it.

An honest broker might say: Look, the laws we have are already quite tough, but the truth is that no amount of criminalization will ever eradicate drugs entirely. Instead of throwing more law enforcement at the problem, maybe we should look at ways to help people struggling with addiction. But no one in power wanted to appear soft on drugs.

So instead of dealing in reality, they proposed harsher and harsher penalties for drug offenses. First mandatory minimums. Then even harsher mandatory minimums, along with sentencing enhancements for various circumstances (like being in a certain proximity to a school, even if no minors are involved) and three-strikes laws (which automatically impose a harsher sentence on people if they've been convicted of certain previous crimes, even when the prior offenses are unrelated to the third offense). This is a large part of how America ended up with a devastating mass incarceration problem.

Over the past two decades, we've been seeing this same pattern play out with prostitution-related offensesincluding ones where the sexual activity involves consenting adults, rather than force, fraud, coercion, or minors. We've seen the introduction of harsher and harsher penalties, mandatory minimums, and now Alabama's mandatory life sentences. And we've seen this at the same time that authorities keep expanding the categories of activities that count as sex trafficking, from activities directly and knowingly connected to the core crime to activities only tangentially or unwittingly involved.

In this way, actual problems are blown up into moral panics, after which any measure of proportion is thrown out and any effort to deal with root causes or victim services falls way behind efforts to mete out harsher and harsher punishments to as many people as possible.

We didn't arrest and imprison our way out of drug addiction. And we're not going to arrest and imprison our way out of sexual abuse and exploitation, or out of young people in desperate circumstances turning to sex work to get by. But approaches like opening up more shelters don't get the same headlines as flashy legislation named after popular sex-crime melodramas.

More Sex & Tech News

 NetChoice is suing over an Ohio law requiring young people get parental consent to be on social media. Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the governor just signed a similar bill into law.

 A new law in Georgia "allows the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy to initiate inspections of massage therapy businesses and board recognized massage therapy educational programs without notice," per Gov. Brian Kemp's office. Laws like these are often justified by invoking speculation about sex trafficking; in practice, they get used to bust a bunch of immigrant women for giving massages without a license.

 Meta is starting to test age verification in the U.S. for Facebook Dating.

 "It is perhaps inevitable that taking sexual misconduct seriously, as with any other social ill, would open the door for opportunistic people to use that effort to get what they want," writes Freddie DeBoer in a rant about the incoherence of many progressive attitudes toward sex right now.

Today's Image



Gemini dreams of sunshine on this rainy Monday. (ENB/Reason)

The post Alabama's New Sex Trafficking Law Could Mean Life in Prison for Trafficking <i>Victims</i> appeared first on Reason.com.
FALL RIVER  Fifteen jurors saw images of a disturbing scene caught on surveillance video inside the Stop N Save convenience store on Rock Street in 2021, and heard a witness' testimony that the defendant was involved in fatally shooting the owner, as the murder trial of Nelson Coelho began last week.

The images showed 54-year-old owner Lal Kishor Mahaseth being gunned down during a robbery by a man disguised head to toe in black.

Mahaseth would be hit by a single fatal bullet to the chest when he attempted to fend off the robber by throwing a desk chair over the stores counter. He was found by a customer more than an hour later.

Coelho, 39, is on trial for Mahaseths murder, which occurred inside Mahaseth's store on Oct. 18, 2021. Coelho is also charged with possession of an illegal firearm and armed robbery, which prosecutors say he committed at another convenience store on Durfee Street the night before Mahaseth was fatally shot with a bullet to his heart.

Coelho has been held on bail since his arrest a week after the murder.

Closing arguments are set for today. As is his legal right, Coelho did not take the stand to testify.

Defendant Nelson Coelho looks at evidence during his trial for the 2021 murder of Lal Kishor Mahaseth on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Jury sees images from security camera

On Wednesday, the first day of the trial in Bristol County Superior Court, Maheseths three grown children and four other family members stepped out of the room briefly as Assistant District Attorney Dennis Collins, chief of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn IIIs homicide unit, and Assistant District Attorney Patrick Driscoll played videos capturing the murder from the different angles from the seven surveillance cameras installed inside and outside the convenience store.

Judge Raffi Yessayan sidebars with attorneys in the Nelson Coelho trial in Fall River on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Coelho is accused of shooting and killing Lal Kishor Mahaseth during an attempted robbery in 2021.

Superior Court Judge Rafi Yessayan warned the jurors of the video's graphic nature, but said that shouldnt influence their verdict. In one video, the shooter is seen walking past the front door. Another shows him entering. Other camera angles show the shooter, who prosecutors allege is Coelho, pointing a gun in his left hand directly at Maheseths chest.

Another shows an injured Maheseth crumple to the ground.

Fall River Police released this image from surveillance footage taken inside the Stop N Save convenience store on Rock Street the night Lal Kishor Mahaseth was killed in 2021, showing the suspect in the killing.

Other still images presented at the beginning of the trial show several $5 bills littering the floor near the cash register.

Coelho, who prosecutors said was homeless at the time of the murder and on a crack cocaine bender with friends, is also on trial for robbing the 7 Days Food Mart at 182 Durfee St., less than 24 hours before Mahaseth, who owned a second Stop N Save on Locust Street, was shot to death.

Assistant District Attorney Dennis Collins looks at evidence during the Nelson Coelho trial, accused of murder, on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Witness testifies to drug-fueled robbery

Meredith Silvia testified on Thursday that she, Coelho and friend Samuel Junior Lozano smoked crack on Oct. 17, 2021, at a condemned multi-family home on 251 Pine St., where Coelho was living in a second-floor hallway.

After they consumed the crack, yes, they were getting antsy and wanted to get some more, Silvia told Driscoll.

Witness Meredith Silvia testifies for the prosecution during the trial of Nelson Coelho, accused of the 2021 murder of Lal Kishor Mahaseth, on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Silvia testified that Coelho then changed his clothes.

Nelson puts on some dark-colored clothing, he covers up the tattoos on his hand and he also covers his head so you can only see his eyes, said Silvia, testifying that Coelho used a black T-shirt to cover his head and wore an across-the-body backpack.

Silvia said Coelho covered the tattoo with a black Sharpie marker. Later, on cross-examination, defense attorney Dana Sargent referenced statements Silvia made to law enforcement that Coelho used a ball-point pen to hide the tattoo.

Lozano gave Coelho a gun, she said, and the two men drove away in Lozanos Volvo SUV. She said they returned within minutes and began counting money, which they used to buy an eight-ball" of crack cocaine. After splitting the drugs, Silvia testified, she and Coelho became romantic and smoked crack cocaine into the early hours on Oct. 18.

The day of the killing

Collins alleged that on Oct. 18, 2021, when Maheseth had kept his store opened after its 9 p.m. closing, Coelho entered the business at 9:16 p.m. He said Coelho had been pacing outside, dressed in black, with a black mask and a black shoulder bag over his chest.

He alleged that Coelho pointed the gun at Mahaseth's chest, but the magazine clip fell from the gun to the ground. In the confusion as Coelho picked it up, he said, Mahaseth threw a chair at him.

The defendant moved out of the way, went back in front of the counter, pointed the gun over the counter at Mr. Maheseths chest and fired one shot, struck Mr. Maheseths heart and killed him, said Collins.

He didnt take any money. He fled from the store, went out around the corner and went east on Pine Street, said Collins.

Witness: Coelho admitted to murder, asked for an alibi

Silvia testified that she returned to the Pine Street apartment building later that night. She said she noticed on her way the Rock Street convenience store had a large police presence and crime scene tape was wrapped around the building.

Something serious happened there, I could tell, said Silvia.

When she got to Pine Street, she noticed that Coelho and Lozano were acting strange and seemed like they were in bad moods.

The pair, said Silvia, had discussed the convenience store murder both at her home and in her car.

And what is that conversation with him? asked Driscoll.

He asked me to be his alibi, said Silvia.

Silvia said Coelho told her that they were involved in the shooting.

He said that they were trying to get money from the gentleman who worked behind the counter and that the gun accidentally went off, said Silvia.

Nelson Coelho's defense attorney Dana Sargent speaks during the trial in Fall River on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Coelho is accused of shooting and killing Lal Kishor Mahaseth during an attempted robbery in 2021.

Defense warns jury: Listen to evidence without prejudice

Mahaseth was remembered as a kind man by Rock Street neighbors and customers. After his killing, his body was flown back to his homeland in Nepal for a traditional Hindu ceremony.

Defense attorney Dana Sargent in his opening statement asked the jury to listen to all of the evidence without drawing any conclusions.

Because each piece of evidence, whether they are asked by the commonwealth or they are asked by myself, are equally as important to look at the entire picture, said Sargent. Then you use your life experiences, your common sense. Your sensibilities of what makes sense and what doesnt.

The defense is not expected to call any witnesses before resting its case.

Final day of testimony

On Friday, the third day of trial, the jurors were taken to the crime scenes before another day of testimony at the courthouse.

Mary Jo Duncan, who lived on the first floor of the Pine Street apartment building, testified she was a drug user and she had often used crack cocaine with Lozano and Coelho. Lozano, she said, took money she made from prostitution, kept the money and provide her with drugs.

"He'd be in control of the money," said Duncan.

She said a few days after Oct. 18, Lazlo, who she described as "aggravated" told her to get rid of sneakers. The same sneakers seen in the BOLO released after the murder.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Robert Twitchell took the stand and said he recovered the Nike sneakers wrapped in a plastic bag in the woods off Wilson Road after warrants were served at the Pine Street apartment and interviewed Duncan.

Prosecutors presented multiple still photos, including a photo of a man they alleged to be Coelho wearing a shirt with insignia "I will not lose."

The same shirt prosecutors said was found at the residence of Silvia, who Coelho allegedly spent a day and a half with after the Oct. 17 robbery and Oct. 18 murder.

Friday afternoon the prosecutors rested their case while the defense did not present any witnesses.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River convenience store fatal shooting trial under way
Allbirds director of sustainability shares how the brand is challenging the shoe industry: 'It's a great mechanism for accountability and connection'

Nearly a decade ago, Allbirds launched its first wool sneaker  front and center sustainability, full-on comfort, free of flashy logos. Now, the company is focused on another type of labeling: carbon labels, so that before you even try on a shoe, you can see its exact impact on the environment.

In other words, a literal carbon footprint.

As the team gets ready to introduce its "net-zero" M0.0NSHOT shoe this fall  in the middle of headwinds around leadership and profitability  they're doubling down on sustainability-inspired innovation and carbon labeling as a differentiator and leadership opportunity.

In an interview with The Cool Down, Allbirds' Director of Sustainability Aileen Lerch told us the brand isn't forgetting about comfort and "the core silhouettes that we know consumers love and have loved from the start."

Lerch walks us through Allbirds' plan to emphasize classic comfort  while reaching the next generation of consumers looking for full transparency and planet-friendly shoes.









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Despite what our high school math teachers said, sometimes a zero is actually the best grade. At least that's the case for Allbirds' M0.0NSHOT shoe, which aims to be the world's first net-zero carbon shoe (hence the "0.0" nod in its name).

Announced last year, M0.0NSHOT is "a really great example of a product that is emphasizing all of the sustainability strategies that we're working on  but bringing it into a real, tangible solution," Lerch told TCD.

The shoe, which can be described as "minimalist" or "space age," is basing its claim to be net zero primarily on the fact that it's made with regeneratively farmed wool that compensates for some other transportation and production emissions. Lerch explains that the shoe's wool comes from "a farm in New Zealand called Lake Hawea Station  and this farm actually draws down more carbon than it emits."

"It's this incredible story of how natural materials and farming practices can be part of the solution," Lerch said.

When M0.0NSHOT hits stores later this year, the big question will be how to integrate this sustainable-sourcing story  this "statement of the progress that is possible," as Lerch puts it  with "your style and your identity."

Sustainability from the start

For some companies, a sustainability strategy is a "nice-to-have," not a core principle. But Allbirds differentiates itself with a built-in, not bolted-on approach: "Sustainability has really been a priority since day one," Lerch said.

From the jump, Allbirds has been a B Corpcertified company focused on using sustainable materials, which means that while it's still a for-profit enterprise, it balances that with a mission-driven approach. "That was a really core element of the company getting started."

That remains true even as Allbirds went public in 2021 along with a wave of similarly trendy, mainly direct-to-consumer brands like Warby Parker. It is one of only 48 B Corps (out of over 6,400 worldwide) that is a publicly traded company. Despite now having Wall Street stakeholders to keep happy, Allbirds is still committed to reducing its carbon footprint to near zero by 2030.

Are carbon labels the new calorie?

Regular running shoes generate roughly 30 pounds of carbon pollution, but Allbirds' classic wool runners generate roughly half that, and as discussed, the M0.0NSHOT claims to generate zero.

Allbirds labels all its shoes with their carbon footprint and hopes the practice will become the norm in the industry.

"It's a great mechanism for accountability and connection with the consumer," Lerch told us. But standardization is key so everyday shoppers can understand what labels like these really mean. "The key thing that needs to happen  is that it needs to be commonplace.  Everyone needs to be doing it."

"A great example or comparison is with calories [for] food," Lerch noted. "If only one brand put calories on food, you wouldn't have a lot of ability to understand that metric. It's meaningful because everybody's doing it."

Allbirds' challenge for the footwear industry to step up

One way to help other companies jump on this carbon labeling "calorie train" is to share the recipe.

"We have this unique history in the footwear industry of open-sourcing solutions and calling on others," Lerch said. Rather than keeping company secrets under lock and key, Allbirds is emphasizing carbon-labeling transparency for its products to both consumers and competitors. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats.

"There's been a lot of brands actually over time that have felt that same desire but haven't been able to quite get started," said Lerch, "whether it's because of data gaps or being scared to voluntarily share that information.

"And one area that I'm really excited and anticipate change from over the coming years is from regulation and from the legal landscape of [carbon labeling] becoming more mandatory.  So it's something I feel a lot of hope for. And in the meantime, we see this as an urgent issue of our time and need to get started."

Staying on target

Long-term plans are often easy to set aside and worry about later  and at some companies, climate pledges have fallen into this category. For Allbirds to keep pace with its ambitious targets (e.g., cutting its carbon pollution in half by the end of 2025), it needs to stay sharp.

"You hear a lot of companies these days have these far-off targets. And the reality is they don't really know how they're going to achieve them," Lerch said. "What's really unique is at Allbirds, with every product from our very first shoe  the wool runner  we've calculated the carbon footprint of our products. So measuring the emissions across materials, manufacturing, transportation, use, end of life  we have really detailed calculations for that.

"And so with our  sustainability strategy, we were able to identify very specific initiatives to hit to reduce our emissions."

Beyond labels, how does Allbirds stand out?

Veja, Cariuma, Rothy's (which TCD also recently profiled), Nike Flyknits  sales of eco-friendly sneaks are on the rise, and Allbirds isn't the only shoe on the shelf anymore. But Allbirds' strategy these days is to stick with what put it on the map back in 2016 rather than chase the newest fashion trend.

"Allbirds has this element of simplicity and it's a bit of a different approach in this sea of bright colors and bold statements and very seasonal fashion," Lerch told TCD.

Carbon labeling is a great product differentiator, but at the end of the day, "Comfort has always been a really big selling point for our products.  We see that the consumers really love this shoe as a staple in their closet."

Bottom line: Comfort is key, and "Sustainability is a free gift with purchase," Lerch said.

Hands down, favorite shoe?

"Right now it's probably the Trail Runner," Lerch said. "I just went on a hike this morning.  And I wear it to our office too."

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ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR)  One school district in the Alleghany Highlands is working to ensure children have a meal to enjoy during the summer.

In support of its efforts, No Kid Hungry Virginia awarded $4,600 to the Alleghany Highlands Public Schools (AHPS) for its Summer Food Service Program. The program provides free breakfast and lunch to children 18 and under.

No child should have to struggle with an empty stomach or stress about when they will eat again. This grant will help reach more kids with the food they need to grow up healthy, educated and strong, said Sarah Steely, director of No Kid Hungry Virginia.

The school district says the money will be used to buy insulated cargo containers and coolers.

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank participating in annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

We are so grateful to No Kid Hungry for providing us with grant funding to benefit our students and the community. This latest grant we are receiving is very generous, and the $4,600 will help us maintain our Summer Food Service Program. So many of the participating families who have taken advantage of this wonderful program in past years have expressed their gratitude to us for providing this service, said Debra Buckner, supervisor of child nutrition for AHPS.

For summer 2024, the school district is planning to host its Summer Food Service Program from June 17 to Aug. 7.

The packaged meals will be distributed once every week and will include breakfast and lunch for seven days. The school division says multiple meals are provided once through a special provision for rural communities.

AHPS is still working to establish distribution sites based on community interest. For updates, visit the school districts website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
Alligator queues up in Starbucks drive-thru and gets promptly booted, Florida cops say

An alligator was found standing in line at a Starbucks drive-thru in southwest Florida, and somebody called the fire department.

It happened before 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, and the alligator was dragged away before it could order whatever it is alligators order at a Starbucks.

North Port Fire Rescue had quite the surprise when we got a call about an alligator sighting at the Starbucks drive-thru! the department wrote on Facebook. Even on your morning coffee run, always expect the unexpected!

The alligator appears to be in the 4 to 5-foot range and photos show it was minding its own business when firefighters and police officers ganged up on it.

It was safely relocated to a nearby pond behind Fire Station 81, with the help of a catch pole, officials said.

That would seem to be the end of the story, but questions are being raised on social media as to whether the pricey national coffee chain has a double standard for wildlife, given dogs are served Puppuccinos (cup full of whipped cream).

Petition for Starbucks to create a Gatorccino to go with its one for pups, Daniel Finton wrote on the departments Facebook page.

Do you have any idea (of) the psychological ramifications he must be going through for not getting his coffee? Phil German posted.

Probably wouldnt have been messed with if he went to Dunkin, Chris Michael said.

May is alligator mating season in Florida, when males are known to travel into unfamiliar turf in search of females, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

North Port is about an 85-mile drive south of Tampa.

Alligator found hiding in landing gear of plane at Florida Air Force Base, photos show

Barefoot man recorded jumping on alligator in Florida highway. Hold my sweet tea

Do you see it? Big surprise awaits car owner in Florida driveway, photo shows
When Americans go to the polls in November, they will be choosing a president  and, depending on the results of the election, setting up a replay of 2020s post-election chaos. We need to face that fact now and acknowledge the likelihood that we will be in for another national trauma in about six months.

Some people, like Georgetown Professor Rosa Brooks, are less worried about what may happen in 2024 than about what happened in 2020, when Donald Trump was in the White House. As Brooks puts it, an incumbent has a level of coercive power that a candidate (like Trump) just does not have.

Brooks expects this year, with Biden still in office, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security would be successful in keeping any political violence from getting out of control.

Or, as an analysis in The Washington Post says, if Trump loses he wont be the incumbent president he was in 2020, debating about the federal government seizing voting machines, reportedly entertaining conversations about imposing martial law, using the presidential megaphone to convince his supporters that rampant voter fraud stole a second term from him.

But even the Post concedes that Trump will still have an unusually strong bond with his followers. Some of the 2021 rioters said he motivated them, raising questions of what he might do if defeated in 2024.

In fact, Trump is leaving little to the imagination about what he might do after the election, and Americans cannot afford to be complacent about what might unfold.

Trump has made clear that 2024 will be a high-stakes election. This is the final battle.  Either they win, or we win.

He has ominously predicted that If we dont win this election, I dont think youre going to have another election in this country,

And more than a year ago, Trump refused to commit to accept the results of the 2024 presidential election. At that time, the former president said he would only accept the 2024 results if he believes no voter fraud occurred. If I think its an honest election, he said, I would be honored to.

In the last few days, Donald Trump again has signaled that, whatever the results of the election, he will not go down without a fight.

In an interview with Time published last Tuesday, Trump tried to sidestep the question about what he would do if he lost while reciting his familiar litany of complaints about 2020.

Well, I do think were gonna win. Were way ahead. I dont think theyll be able to do the things that they did the last time, which were horrible. Absolutely horrible. So many, so many different things they did, which were in total violation of what was supposed to be happening. And you know that, and everybody knows that. We can recite them, go down a list that would be an arms long. But I dont think were going to have that. I think were going to win.

He then acknowledged that he might not concede if he lost. As he put it, And if we dont win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election.

This is a reminder that in Trumps world there seem to be only two possible election results. If he wins, the election is fair. If he loses, it is rigged.

On May 1, Trump again refused to promise he would accept the results of the 2024 presidential election. If everythings honest, Trump said, Ill gladly accept the results. I dont change on that. If its not, you have to fight for the right of the country.

As the New York Times observes, Mr. Trumps vow to fight for the right of the country also echoes his speech on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, where he told his supporters that if you dont fight like hell, youre not going to have a country anymore, before urging his supporters to march to the Capitol.

Over the last several months, as the Times puts it, Trump has repeatedly tried to sow doubt about the integrity of the fall election, while repeating many of the same lies he used to assail the integrity of the 2020 election. Months before any voting has taken place, Mr. Trump has regularly made the baseless claim that Democrats are likely to cheat to win.

Trump has repeatedly called his criminal trial now underway in New York election interference. Im here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania, Georgia and lots of other places, campaigning, and its very unfair.

His lawyers have reiterated these election interference arguments as well: The Special Counsel, they told the Supreme Court in a brief in the presidential immunity case, seeks urgently to force President Trump into a months-long criminal trial at the height of campaign season, effectively sidelining him and preventing him from campaigning against the current President.

A CNN poll now shows that Nearly three-quarters of Americans, 74 percent, believe former President Trump will refuse to concede if he loses the 2024 election. That poll noted that this a significant increase from similar surveys in 2020.

President Biden has voiced similar concerns. According to Biden, Losers who are losers are never graceful. I just think that hell do anything to try to win. If  and when  I win, I think hell contest it. No matter what the result is.

Biden is clearly right. The question is what he  and we  will do between now and November.

State election officials and the Biden administration need to put in place plans to ensure the fairness of the 2024 election and to defend the election results. The national news media will have a big part to play in that effort.

But voters must play their part as well.

The CNN poll found that an overwhelming majority of survey respondents, about 86 percent, said the losing candidate in a presidential election has an obligation to concede. That is a reassuring finding. But it wont do much good unless the people who feel that way turn their commitment into a voting issue.

Over the next several months, voters need to make clear that they do not want a repeat of 2020. And in November, Americans need to go to the polls and vote against anyone who refuses to discharge his obligation to concede.

Austin Sarat is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor Jurisprudence & Political Science at Amherst College.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Amid steeply escalating school crime, drug use and fighting, individual Los Angeles public school campuses should be allowed to decide whether to station a police officer on campus, a safety task force said, a recommendation that, if adopted, would reverse wins by anti-police student activists but respond to calls by many parents to restore officers.

Recent practice in the L.A. Unified School District has been to keep police off campus. Instead, school police  a department paid for and operated by the school system  patrol areas around schools and respond to emergency calls off and on campus.

The task force, established by the Board of Education, has operated quietly during the current school year against a backdrop of rising fights on campus and difficulty controlling vaping and the use of serious drugs, such as fentanyl, which killed a student on campus in 2022. District data show a sharp rise in what the school system refers to as reported incidents.

The latest data leave out the two peak-pandemic years of 2019-20 and 2020-21 because students were learning from home for all or much of the time. But with that caveat, incidents under "Fighting/Physical Aggression" have climbed every year since 2017-18, despite declining enrollment. Incidents especially surged once students returned from remote instruction.

Before the pandemic, in 2017-18, there were 2,270 such incidents; the next year, also pre-pandemic, recorded a 2% rise to 2,315. Then came the pandemic and remote learning. After on-campus instruction resumed, these incidents increased 28% in 2021-22 and by 54% year over year in 2022-23.

Brenda Fernandez, an LAUSD staff member, listens in between writing down notes from parents concerned about school safety during a meeting May 2 at Patrick Henry Middle School. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

Put another way, during the two full years since police were removed from campus, incidents of fights and physical aggression rose to 4,569 from 2,315, almost doubling. And as of April 15, with about two months left in the school year, the number was higher still  at 4,786.

It was on April 15 that tension at Washington Preparatory High School in South L.A. boiled over in an after-school confrontation a few blocks from campus. A student fending off at least five other students pulled out a gun and opened fire. A 15-year-old died.

In that incident, a nonpolice school-safety worker, part of the "safe passages" program, allegedly declined to intervene when approached by students just before the fight began.

Read more: L.A. student dies after safety team member allegedly does not intervene to stop fight

"One student died because safe passages does not work," said Diana Guillen, a leader on a key district parent advisory council. She said a parents group is going to have at least 2,000 signatures calling for a restoration of school police to present to the Board of Education at Tuesday's meeting, when the task force's recommendations will be presented.

The school board is not expected to take immediate action, but L.A. schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho is developing a revised safety plan, part of which may require the board's authorization.

At an April meeting of the Board of Education, more than two dozen parents called for increased police staffing and the return of officers to campuses.

A chart from a Los Angeles school board committee meeting in April indicates that incidents among students involving suicide risk, fighting, weapons and illegal/controlled substances have risen steeply since students returned to in-person instruction after pandemic campus closures.

Any member of the public could participate in the task force, but most involved appear to have been district employees  including within the school police  as well as community members and parents who are not anti-police. The outgoing head of the school administrators union, Nery Paiz, also took part. No anti-police activists attended the task force's April meeting.

Anti-police student activists and professional organizers working with them are likely to have a presence Tuesday at the Board of Education meeting. They typically have speakers at board meetings at least once a month and stage rallies at least twice a year. The anti-police effort also is backed by the leadership of the politically influential teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles.

Read more: Carvalho faults alleged actions of school safety worker who failed to stop fatal fight

Anti-police activists successfully advocated for pushing officers off campus during the Black Lives Matter protests that peaked after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis city police. That board action, by a 4-3 vote in June 2020, also slashed the police budget by 35%.

Although celebrating that action, activists wanted more  the complete elimination of school police  and are angry at what they see as broken promises and backsliding: The school police budget has crept upward, pulled along by districtwide salary increases and higher costs. Overall, police staffing remains at a reduced level.

Before the cuts, a high school typically would have one full-time officer and two middle schools would share one officer.

In the recently released data, the categories of "suicide risk" and "illegal/controlled substances" also showed small rises in the last year of the on-campus police presence  suggesting that all was not well even with officers assigned to schools. But as with the fighting, during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, the district experienced sharp rises in the number of incidents.

In two categories, threats and weapons, the numbers were lower in 2018-19 but then rose over the last two years.

Cause and effect related to school police is difficult to determine because so many factors are at play. Student mental health issues, for example, worsened across the nation in the wake of the pandemic and there were widespread  largely anecdotal  reports of increased campus fighting. It's hard to know the extent to which the L.A. Unified data reflect the lack of police, post-pandemic stresses or other factors.

It's also hard to evaluate the consistency of incident reporting. The school system has long refused to release even redacted incident reports that would permit an independent assessment. Nor will the district release information about incidents in relation to specific campuses.

Marcos Tapia holds a card for the school safety meeting at Patrick Henry Middle School on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Granada Hills. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

Last year, student activists at Dorsey High in South L.A. said that they felt safer, more respected and better able to focus on coursework thanks to the removal of the school's police officer and the addition of more counselors.

Last week, more than 100 parents attended a school safety town hall at Patrick Henry Middle School in Granada Hills. At this meeting, parents called for more police, but also acknowledged the complexity of the problem.

Read more: Voters approved more arts money for schools. Powerful unions allege funds are being misused

Several parents focused, for example, on what they said was ineffective behavior management by school staff, poor communication with families and the district policy to avoid student suspensions. Parents complained that children were being bullied and beaten  only to see the perpetrators continue at school and in their classes as though nothing had happened.

Avoiding suspensions is not meant to be the same as avoiding consequences. Ideally, students who are acting improperly are counseled and taught to take responsibility for their actions and to make things right through a "restorative justice" process. This is widely viewed as an alternative to heavy-handed discipline and suspensions that can interfere with learning and increase the number of dropouts.

But the uniform success of restorative methods has been called into question even by school board President Jackie Goldberg, who strongly supports these reforms in concept.

Carvalho said the safety dynamic is more nuanced than simply pro-police or anti-police.

"Good systems understand the culture within schools  are able to anticipate and solve some of these issues before they happen," he said. "It's about supervision. It's also about engagement with parents. It's also about providing kids an opportunity for outlets within their own communities."

"We need to go deeper," he said. "It cannot just be pro-police or against police. That is not an approach that alone will solve the issue."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
King Sargon II was a big fan of seeing his name around townat least, thats what one expert believes after reviewing a series of repeating mystery images that have confounded researchers for well over a century.

Ruler of the Neo-Assyrian empire from 721-704 BCE, Sargon II oversaw huge portions of ancient Mesopotamia , and is considered one of the eras greatest military strategists. By the time of his death in 705 BCE, the king had either conquered or neutralized all his major political threats, a feat celebrated by his establishment of a new Assyrian capital in present day Khorsabad, Iraq, called Dur-Sarrukin, or Fort Sargon, in 706 BCE.

Excavations of the city during the late-nineteenth century revealed a sequence of five symbols repeated across multiple temples throughout Dur-Sarrukina lion, an eagle, a bull, a fig tree, and a plow. In some cases, however, there is similar art using just the lion, tree, and plough. Although the images appear similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics , the Assyrian empire during Sargon IIs reign had long utilized their non-pictorial cuneiform for written communication. Because of this, researchers have spent years theorizing about what the five total images might represent. Given Sargon IIs regal ego, historians have previously surmised the art could potentially represent his name in some form, but werent clear how that could be the case.

Sargon II's eagle and bull artwork depicted by French excavator Victor Place.

"The study of ancient languages and cultures is full of puzzles of all shapes and sizes, but it's not often in the Ancient Near East that one faces mystery symbols on a temple wall, Martin Worthington, a Trinity University professor specializing in ancient Mesopotamian languages and civilizations, said in a recent statement .

But according to Worthington, the answer is relatively simple and characteristic of the time. In his new paper published in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research , Worthington argues the five images, when sounded out in ancient Assyrian, approximate sarginu, or Sargon. Even when just the trio of pictures appears, their combination phonetically still resembles a shortened form of Sargon. Combined with the religious undertones of Assyrian constellations, Worthington contends the king was intent on making sure everyone knew just how great and powerful he was.

The effect of the symbols was to assert that Sargons name was written in the heavens, for all eternity, and also to associate him with the gods Anu and Enlil, to whom the constellations in question were linked, he writes in his new papers abstract. It is further suggested that Sargons name was elsewhere symbolized by a lion passant (pacing lion), through a bilingual pun.

[Related: How cryptographers finally cracked one of the Zodiac Killers hardest codes .]

[It was] a clever way to make the king's name immortal, Worthingon added through Trinity Universitys announcement. And, of course, the idea of bombastic individuals writing their name on buildings is not unique to ancient Assyria.

Fig tree and plough depicted by French excavator Victor Place.

Of course, given these are millennia-old metaphors sans concrete language reference points, its arguably impossible to state without a doubt these were Sargons regal brag banners. Cuneiform used at the time didnt rely on literal pictures, and no codex is available to match the temple art with any translation. That said, Worthington believes the underlying logic, combined with Assyrian cultural reference points, makes a pretty convincing argument.

I cant prove my theory, but the fact it works for both the five-symbol sequence and the three-symbol sequence, and that the symbols can also be understood as culturally appropriate constellations, strikes me as highly suggestive, Worthington said. The odds against it all being happenstance areforgive the punastronomical.
Antisemitism surged worldwide in 2023, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to a new report.

The new report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Tel Aviv University found that there was an increase in antisemitic incidents in Western countries in 2023 when compared to the previous year, including a steep jump in incidents following the October attack on Israel.

The report said that the ADL recorded 7,523 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in 2023 compared to 3,697 in 2022. It also noted significant increases in incidents in large U.S. cities, including New York City and Los Angeles.

The report said the New York Police Department recorded 325 anti-Jewish hate crimes in 2023  up from the 261 recorded in 2022. The Los Angeles Police Department recorded 165 incidents in 2023 compared to 86 incidents in 2022, according to the report.

Jonathan Greenblatt, ADLs CEO and national director, said the attack on Israel was followed by a tsunami of hate against Jewish communities worldwide.

This years report is incredibly alarming, with documented unprecedented levels of antisemitism, including in the US, where 2023 saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents in the US ever recorded by ADL, he said in a statement.

There was also a rise in antisemitic incidents in other countries, including France, the United Kingdom and Germany. France had 1,676 incidents last year, up significantly from the 436 recorded in 2022, according to the report.

The report also noted that most countries with large Jewish populations saw increases in antisemitic incidents even before Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Particularly alarming is that also in the nine months leading to October 2023, in which no exceptional event happened, most countries with significant Jewish populations saw a rise in the number of antisemitic incidents compared to the same period in 2022, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Brazil, and Mexico, the report states.

This means that the war in Gaza helped spread a fire that was already out of control, the report added.

The number of anti-Muslim complaints in the U.S. also increased in 2023, according to an annual report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released last month. The report said it recorded 8,061 complaints of anti-Muslim incidents, surpassing the previous record in 2021 when 6,720 incidents were reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Goes to D.C. for native figure to be honored at U.S. Capitol

Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Goes to D.C. for native figure to be honored at U.S. Capitol

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Early Sunday morning, the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission traveled to Washington DC for its 2024 Dream Keepers Anti-bullying Tour and to honor a new statue of Daisy Bates representing Arkansas that will be placed at the U.S. Capitol.

Bates was the well-known mentor of the Little Rock Nine while they desegregated Central High School.

MLK Commission to hold food giveaway in North Little Rock on July 3

The commission at Bates home In Little Rock on their way to DC where a student among a handful traveling with the commission said she was excited to learn the history.

We have an event on Tuesday, the Anti-bullying campaign where we are taking anti-bullying to the nations capital and also the installation ceremony of the Daisy Bates statue in the Statuary hall, Tiffany Pettus, Historian for the commission said.

The commission also took along students from Pine Bluff, Little Rock, and Stuttgart School District.

Takirah Rodgers, who is a senior at Pine Bluff high school, says shes looking forward to learning about the steps Bates and others took throughout history.

Im very happy and excited to be at her home where some stuff originally started, where Martin Luther King took his steps at and where the Little Rock Nine took their steps at, Rodgers said.

Pettus says she hopes every student learns something.

The more assets we build in them, the more they will be exposed to positive experiences that will inspire them to do great things, Pettus said.

Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission hosting nonviolence youth summit at Hall STEAM Magnet High School

Rodgers says shes excited for everything that is to come.

You would never think you would have the opportunity to see something like this where people are actually excited and to learn about things of this nature, Rodgers said.

All week the commission has events planned for the tour. The 7 ft 6-inch bronze sculpture of Bates will be unveiled Wednesday, May 8.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not attend Vladimir Putin's "inauguration" ceremony following his so-called re-election.

Source: Alen Simonyan, the speaker of the Armenian Parliament, in a conversation with reporters, writes News.am, as reported by European Pravda

Details: When asked whether the Armenian Prime Minister would be visiting Moscow to attend the ceremony, he answered no.

Quote: "But I believe that we should participate in the EAEU meeting as a presiding country," Simonyan added. (The Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU, is a customs union of five post-Soviet states, including Russia and Armenia.)

Pashinyan himself recently said his attendance at the Eurasian Economic Union meeting was being discussed, but had left the question of whether he would attend Putin's "inauguration" unanswered.

Czechia, Estonia and Latvia have already confirmed that their representatives will not be attending Russian leader Vladimir Putins so-called inauguration on 7 May.

Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is opposed to European Union representatives attending the "inauguration" ceremony for Russian leader Vladimir Putin following his sham re-election.

Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it sees no reason to recognise Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia.

After the sham "elections" in Russia, Putin has lost his legitimacy as Russia's president, so from 19 March 2024, the outlets of the Ukrainska Pravda group have not used the word "president" to refer to Vladimir Putin. Here we explain why this change is important.

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ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL)  An assistant district attorney was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after crashing his car at a girls academy in Elizabethton, according to police.

The First Judicial District Attorneys Office confirmed that Assistant DA Austin Vanhoy has been suspended without pay pending a review of the incident.

Elizabethton police responded to a suspicious vehicle at the East Tennessee Christian Home and Academy, an organization for at-risk girls, around 8 p.m. Sunday. A caller told dispatch that a black SUV had been at the facilitys gym building for about 10 minutes and that the vehicles headlights were flashing.

THP: Dump truck crashes into Carter Co. church

When police arrived, they found Vanhoy lying in the grass and his black Toyota 4-Runner located off a wooded embankment due to an apparent crash with the drivers side door open, according to an Elizabethton Police Department report.

An officer asked Vanhoy if he needed medical attention, but Vanhoy refused and had no apparent injuries, according to the report.

I observed Austin was having difficulty moving to a sitting position, he had dilated pupils, and glossy eyes, Officer Matthew Goldberg noted in the report. When speaking to Austin to determine if he needed medical attention, Austin had slurred speech, he struggled forming sentences, and spoke in one-word answers.

The officer also said Vanhoy was unable to stand without assistance.

Officers smelled alcohol on Vanhoys breath and asked Vanhoy if he would be willing to perform a field sobriety test, but Vanhoy refused, the report states.

CCSO: Driver taken to hospital after medical emergency causes light pole crash

According to one officer, Vanhoy said he did not know where he was and when asked how much he had drunk, Vanhoy replied I dont know. He also reportedly could not tell the officer where he had come from or how he got there.

Officers arrested Vanhoy and charged him with driving under the influence. Vanhoy refused to consent to a blood draw and was additionally charged with violation of implied consent law, according to the report.

When officers searched Vanhoys SUV, they reported finding a loaded Glock 43 in a holster in the unlocked glovebox. That resulted in officers also charging him with possession of a handgun under the influence.

According to the report, police obtained a search warrant for a blood draw and transported Vanhoy from the jail to Sycamore Shoals Hospital for the blood draw before taking him back to jail.

District Attorney General Steve Finney is seeking the appointment of a pro tem district attorney to avoid any potential conflicts of interest or appearance of impropriety. The pro tem will be appointed by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Iowa Workforce Development manages unemployment claims filed on behalf of Iowans. (Photo by Getty Images, logo courtesy the State of Iowa)

A worker at an assisted living center was fired recently after being accused of falsely documenting that he had provided residents with their medication.

State records indicate Jacob B. Patterson worked as a medical assistant for Midwest Homestead of Mason City, operator of the Homestead Assisted Living Center of Mason City, from August 2021 through February 2024 when he was fired.

Patterson subsequently applied for unemployment and collected $2,926 in benefits from the state before Homestead appealed the matter. That led to a recent hearing before Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden.

According to Goldens April 26 decision, Homestead conducted an investigation of Pattersons conduct shortly before he was terminated and found that he had falsely documented giving patients their medications on Feb. 8, 2024. The drugs in question were found, still in their original packaging, after Feb. 8, the home alleged.

Homestead reviewed Pattersons personnel records and reportedly found that he had previously been warned about medication errors four times in 2023  on March 2, March 29, May 10 and July 15. Due to the prior warnings, the company fired Patterson.

After finding there was substantial and credible evidence that (Patterson) falsified medication-administration records after having been warned, Golden ruled Patterson was ineligible for unemployment benefits.

Patterson will not have to repay the benefits already collected as those payouts were due to a procedural error by the state in making the initial determination of eligibility.

The post Assisted living worker fired for falsifying patient records appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Attorney Clermont Ripley on two new workplace rules regarding salaried workers and non-competes

NC Justice Center Workers Rights Project Co-Director Clermont Ripley (Photo: Phyllis Nunn)

Last week a pair of federal agencies announced some important new rules to protect workers. A new Federal Trade Commission rule bans non-compete clauses that have hindered the rights of workers to take better jobs. Meanwhile, a new Department of Labor rule will make millions of salaried workers employed in executive, administrative and professional industries eligible for overtime pay.

Recently NC Newsline sat down with North Carolina Justice Center workers rights attorney Clermont Ripley to discuss the details and what it will mean for North Carolinians.

The post Attorney Clermont Ripley on two new workplace rules regarding salaried workers and non-competes appeared first on NC Newsline.
AURORA, Colo. (KDVR)  FOX31 first brought you the story two weeks ago about Aurora neighbors frustrated with street racing happening near and in their neighborhoods.

The Aurora Police Department is now taking action and said it will continue to crack down on street racing after recent a joint operation ended up with two people being arrested.

Aurora police cracking down on expired vehicle tags, illegal license plates

Aurora police teamed up with eight local and state agencies to identify and arrest those involved.

Heres a breakdown of what law enforcement agencies found during the 10-hour operation.

Aurora police responded to street racing events/gatherings at these locations:

Parking lot of 20500 East Colfax Avenue Parking lot of Aurora Hills Golf Course Parking lot of 13450 East Smith Road Parking Lot of 16075 East 32nd Avenue Parking lot of 1400 Lisbon Street Parking lot of 2650 South Havana Street 13801 East 33rd Place 1700 South Buckley Road Parking lot of Arapahoe Crossing, 6626 South Parker Road Felony eluding at Parker Road and Lehigh Avenue Parking lot on the Southeast corner of 6th Avenue and Chambers Road Parking lot of 2690 South Havana Street

Authorities say they have been able to identify these hotspots throughout the city by using technology and investigative techniques.

The Metro Street Racer Enforcement Operation conducted last week ended with 21 traffic stops, two arrests, one criminal citation, 13 traffic tickets, one recovered firearm, one vehicle nuisance abatement, field interviews and six towed vehicles.

Participating agencies include the Colorado State Patrol, Denver Police Department, Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office, Wheat Ridge Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Thornton Police Department, Douglas County Sheriffs Office and the Broomfield Police Department.

Denver Police investigating shooting downtown after reports of broken glass

An Aurora police spokesperson told FOX31 that some vehicles were towed for a variety of traffic offenses including no drivers license, no license plates and eluding.

Police said vehicles will only be held until they are legally operable to drive (properly registered, released to a licensed driver, etc.) The vehicle that eluded was the only vehicle that has a hold on it, and that hold will be released once the investigation is completed.

Loud as can be, drowning out my TV with the windows shut, and Im several blocks away, if not a mile away. Just the way it carries, its choking through the neighborhood here, said Mike McMillan, who witnesses the street racing.

FOX31 spoke to him two weeks ago. At the time, he had donut marks outside his window. He also shared still images of street racing happening near Del Mar Park.

Were not talking two to three cars, were taking 50 to 100, 200 cars gathering, McMillan said.

At the time, FOX31 found the parking lot of Concorde Career College on North Havana covered in tire tracks from burnouts and drivers doing donuts. Staff there told FOX31 they often find bullet casings and beer cans in the parking lot.

This is not a normal car show activity, this is a disruptive automotive flash mob of hundreds of people whose sole purpose is to do donuts and make social media videos on their phones, and oftentimes shoot guns in the air. Where are those bullets landing? said McMillan.

Police identified people that evening of the operation who were involved in sideshow activities like burnouts or donuts. They were contacted that night and issued summonses.

Colorado counties, roads with the most speeding citations in 2023

There are no pending arrest warrants at this time.

The majority of the locations are identified by tips from upset neighbors and business owners who call the Aurora 911 center.

If you see street racing happening you can report it online. It comes in as an anonymous tip to the police.

According to the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Information Analysis Center, they forwarded 24 tips so far this year and 133 tips in 2023.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
In this undated photo provided by the Australian Defence Force, a Seahawk helicopter prepares to take off from the deck of HMAS Hobart during flying operations while on a regional presence deployment off northern Australia. Australia has protested to Beijing through multiple channels that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares over international waters, the prime minister said Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (LSIS Matthew Lyall/Australian Defence Force via AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  Australia has protested to Beijing through multiple channels that a Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian navy helicopter with flares over international waters, the prime minister said Tuesday.

Beijing retorted that the Australian aircraft deliberately flew close to China's airspace in a provocative move and had to be warned off.

The incident occurred Saturday as the Australian air warfare destroyer HMAS Hobart was enforcing U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea in international waters in the Yellow Sea, Australian officials said Monday. There were no injuries or damage reported.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Australian public expected an explanation from China.

Weve just made it very clear to China that this is unprofessional and that its unacceptable, Albanese told Nine Network television.

Weve made it very clear ... through all of our channels, at all measures at our disposal, including here publicly, Albanese said.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a regular briefing Tuesday that China lodged an official protest with Australia over its military's risky moves.

What truly happened is an Australian military aircraft deliberately flew within close rage of Chinas airspace in a provocative move that endangers Chinas maritime and air security in the name of enforcing a U.N. Security Council resolution," spokesperson Lin Jian said.

The Chinese military took necessary measures at the scene to warn and alert the Australian side, he added.

Lin said China urged Australia to stop its provocations to prevent misunderstanding and miscalculation.

Albanese said it was important for Australian officials to speak out when such events occur.

Its important that we make clear our position, which has been done at the diplomatic levels, at government-to-government, but also defense-to-defense as well. And all of those avenues have been made clear. This issue, we have made public in order to be able to speak out very clearly and unequivocally that this behavior is unacceptable, the prime minister said.

Defense Minister Richard Marles said Monday that a Chinese Chengdu J-10 fighter jet released flares in the flight path of an Australian navy Seahawk helicopter deployed from the Hobart.

He said the flares were 300 meters (986 feet) in front of the helicopter and 60 meters (197 feet) above it and the helicopter pilot had to take evasive action in order to not be hit by those flares.

The consequence of being hit by the flares would have been significant, Marles said.

We will not be deterred from engaging in lawful activities and activities which are there to enforce U.N. sanctions in respect of North Korea, Marles added.

It was the most serious encounter between the two nations forces since Australia accused the Chinese destroyer CNS Ningbo of injuring Australian navy divers with sonar pulses in Japanese waters in November. Australia said China disregarded a safety warning to keep away from the Australian frigate HMAS Toowoomba.

China maintains that encounter happened outside Japanese territorial waters and that the Chinese warship caused no harm.

Albanese said the encounter would be raised with Chinese Premier Li Qiang when he visits Australia next month.

Albanese referred to the period since 2020 when China ended minister-to-minister discussions with the previous Australian government which lost power at elections in 2022.

One of the things that had broken down over a period of time was any dialogue. Dialogue is important. Its always, always important to have avenues of communication, Albanese told reporters.

During a visit to China earlier in November, Albanese invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Australia for the first time in a decade as bilateral relations have improved in recent years from unprecedented lows. He said Tuesday that Xi would not visit Australia this year.

But Albanese said he expected to have some face-to-face engagement with the Chinese leader when they both attend G20 and APEC summits late this year.

Australian National University expert on the navy and former naval officer Jennifer Parker described the Chinese use of flares as incredibly dangerous.

If the helicopter had ingested one of the flares into its engine, it could've shut down the engines of the helicopter and we could have seen the helicopter need to ditch with potential injuries or loss of life, Parker told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

So this isn't normal by any stretch of the imagination, Parker added. Impeding its flight path I would interpret as a breach of international law.

___

Associated Press writer Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, and video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.
By Lewis Jackson

SYDNEY (Reuters) -A Chinese fighter jet endangered an Australian military helicopter during an "unsafe" and "unacceptable" confrontation over the Yellow Sea, Australia said on Monday.

The Chinese air force J-10 jet dropped flares above and several hundred meters ahead of an Australian MH60R Seahawk helicopter which was on a routine flight on Saturday in the Yellow Sea as part of an operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea, Defence Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

The helicopter, flying from destroyer HMAS Hobart, dodged the flares, but the possible impact would have been "significant".

"This is a very serious incident, it was unsafe and it is completely unacceptable," he said.

"We have formally expressed our concerns about this incident, and formally expressed that this was both unsafe and unprofessional."

The confrontation put the aircraft and those on board at risk, although no one was hurt, the Department of Defence said in a separate statement.

This is the second such incident in six months to mar what has otherwise been a growing rapprochement between the two countries after years of strained relations and trade disputes.

Australia said in November a Chinese naval vessel injured some of its divers in Japanese waters using an underwater sonar. China denied it had used its sonar, however Australia rejected the explanation.

HMAS Hobart continues to operate in the area despite Saturday's confrontation, Marles said. Australia has been participating in missions to enforce sanctions against North Korea in the region since 2018.

China's Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Lewis JacksonEditing by Bernadette Baum and Nick Macfie)
A Sky News Australia anchor has made an apology live on air after his line of inquiry during an interview with a teenage fishing champion was widely slammed.

News.com.au reports that Peter Stefanovic, who hosts the First Edition flagship news show, made his apology after he was criticised for interviewing Northern Territory fishing champion Keegan Payne, and asking him about the alleged theft of two vehicles more than three years before.

More from Deadline

Critics said Stefanovics questioning of the 19-year-old fisherman tapped into stereotypes of Indigenous youth in the region.

Stefanovic made his apology Monday, telling viewers:

An apology from me, last Wednesday we invited Keegan Payne onto our show to discuss his win in the Million Dollar Fish competition in the Northern Territory, Stefanovic said during First Edition on Monday.

During that interview I asked him about a theft that had occurred several years earlier. I should not have asked him about those claims and I regret doing so.

I apologise sincerely to Keegan and his family.

Sky News also apologised in a statement.

Last week, Payne bagged a AUS $1million (US$662.4k) prize for hooking a giant-sized barramundi fish, and was interviewed by Stefanovic. When he was asked about the alleged theft of the vehicles from his former employer Bob Cavanagh, Payne replied, We werent thinking at the time.

News.com reports that Cavanagh has revealed Payne has now offered to repay him for the damage to the cars. No charges were ever brought against the teenager.

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Authorities Reveal How Missing Surfers from U.S. and Australia Found at Bottom of Well in Mexico Died

Brothers Jake Robinson, 30, Callum Robinson, 33, and Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were last seen on April 27 before being discovered dead

callum10robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson Jake Robinson Jack Carter Rhoad

All they wanted was to surf.

Now, two brothers from Australia and their friend from the U.S. who all traveled to Mexico in April for a fun getaway are dead, and authorities have revealed why.

Australian brothers Jake Robinson, 30, of Victoria, Callum Robinson, 33, of San Diego, and American Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, also of San Diego, were last seen on April 27 while they were surfing and camping along the Mexican coast, south of Ensenada.

They were reported missing after they failed to show up at the accommodations they had booked in Rosarito, Debra Robinson, the brothers mother, posted on Facebook, the Associated Press reports.

Authorities searching for the men found three bodies at the bottom of a well 50 feet deep in a desolate section of Santo Tomas, Baja California, FBI San Diego said in a statement Friday, NBC San Diego reports.

callum10robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson, Jake Robinson, Jack Carter Rhoad

All three had suffered gunshot wounds.

At a press conference Sunday, Baja Californias chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez Andrade Ramirez said they believe the three men were killed for their truck, because the killers wanted the tires, the Associated Press reports.

She said she believes the killers spotted the tents the three surfers had set up, saw the truck and wanted to steal the tires, the AP reports.

When (the surfers) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted, she said.

They men were likely killed when they fought off the robbers, she said.

Their relatives identified the bodies, which were found about four miles from where they were killed, Ramirez said on Sunday.

A fourth body was found in the well, she said.

callum10robinson/Instagram Callum Robinson and Jake Robinson

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The thieves allegedly covered the well with boards. It was literally almost impossible to find it, Andrade Ramirez said.

Authorities worked for two hours to get the bodies out of the well, she said, the AP reports. Police are questioning three people they believe may be connected to the crime, she said.



A working team (of investigators) is at the site where they were last seen, where tents and other evidence was found that could be linked to these three people we have under investigation, Andrade Ramirez said. There is a lot of important information that we cant make public.

Later on Sunday, surfers honored the slain men by forming a circle floating on their boards in the ocean in a paddle-out ceremony, the AP reports.

AP Photo/Karen Castaneda Surfers throw flowers during a ceremony honoring the slain men.

Baja California is one of Mexicos most violent states, the BBC reports.

Callam moved to the U.S. to pursue his dream of becoming a professional lacrosse player, his parents, Deborah and Martin Robinson, said, the BBC reports.

Jake was taking the trip of a lifetime before starting a new job as a doctor in Australia, they said, the BBC reports.

Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings, they said. We love them so much and this breaks our heart.



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Read the original article on People.
Russian troops shelled the village of Uhroidy in Sumy Oblast on May 6, injuring three people, including two children, Suspilne reported, citing Iryna Yukhta, a secretary of the Krasnopillia village council.

The village of Uhroidy lies less than 10 kilometers from the Ukraine-Russia border.

Russian attack reportedly damaged three houses. All the injured were hospitalized with mine-blast injuries, according to Yukhta.

Residents who live along Sumy Oblast's northeastern border with Russia experience daily attacks from nearby Russian troops. Russian strikes against the region have become increasingly destructive in recent months.

Russian forces launched a drone attack in Sumy Oblast overnight on May 6, targeting the region's energy infrastructure, according to local authorities.

Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator, reported later that one of its high-voltage facilities had been damaged as a result of the strikes.

Read also: One night with Ukrainian drone hunters near Russia

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The Arcadia Police Department announced early Tuesday morning that a woman who was reported missing has been located.

Authorities earlier said 21-year-old Susana Celest Pelaez was last seen on May 3 in Arcadia but Pelaez was located and reunited with her family, a post on the Police Departments Facebook page stated in an update shortly after midnight.

Arcadia Police and Pelaezs family had asked the public for help in the search because they were concerned for her well-being.

No further details about her disappearance or how she was located were provided.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
To background of bombs, Palestinians flee Rafah to seek shelter elsewhere once again

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike after the Israeli military began evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault on Rafah

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike after the Israeli military began evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault on Rafah

By Hatem Khaled and Mohammed Salem

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Lashed by the rain and fearful of Israeli bombs, Palestinian civilians headed out of sodden tented camps or family homes in Rafah on Monday to seek refuge elsewhere in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected Israeli army offensive.

Some loaded children and possessions onto donkey carts, some packed into cars, others simply walked. The roof of at least one car was piled high with mattresses. Another had a wheelchair stowed in the boot.

The question on people's minds was where could they go. Many had already relocated at least once during the seven-month Israeli assault on Gaza. Much of the coastal enclave has been turned into a wasteland of bombed-out buildings.

"The Israeli occupation told people to go to Rafah and that it is a safe area. Today, they're telling us to get out of Rafah. Where will the people go?," said one man, Abu Ahmed.

He was speaking in a displaced persons camp where overnight rains had turned pathways into puddles and mud, compounding their misery.

Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah early on Monday, apparently getting ready for a long-expected assault on Hamas militants holding out in the southern Gaza city.

More than one million people uprooted by the war have been sheltering there. The Israeli military told them they should relocate to what it called an "expanded humanitarian zone" 20 km (12 miles) away.

Even as people began packing up and moving out, explosions were heard from air strikes on eastern Rafah, the smoke and dust providing an eerie backdrop to the forced evacuation.

"We have been awake since two in the morning because of the bombardment, and we woke up in the morning to find rain pouring, we drowned in the rain, our clothes and items as well - we are out on the streets," said camp resident Aminah Adwan.

"We also woke up to much worse news, the call to evacuate Rafah. The biggest genocide will take place, the biggest catastrophe will take place in Rafah," she said.

She appealed to Arab countries to arrange for a ceasefire to save Palestinian civilians.

More than 34,700 Palestinians have been killed and at least 78,000 wounded, according to Gaza health ministry figures, in the war that began after Hamas carried out a cross-border raid on Oct. 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli counts.

Israel says Rafah harbours thousands of Hamas fighters and potentially dozens of hostages, and capturing the city is critical for its campaign to defeat Hamas and release all those still held hostage.

'GOD OUR ONLY SUPPORT'

In the camp, women hung clothes and blankets to dry while children looked after their younger siblings and men dug trenches to channel the rainwater.

Maher al-Jamal said he had fled from Al Mughraqa, a town near Gaza City in the north of the enclave, to Nuseirat in central Gaza, then on to Rafah.

"Now they threaten Rafah, they will commit massacres here in Rafah, it will be a genocide. We honestly don't know where to go. God is our only support," he said.

People were evacuating their homes as well as the displaced camps. Areas targeted included the main Rafah hospital and the Rafah crossing - the only window to the world for most of Gaza's population - as well as the Israeli-run Kerem Shalom. The two crossings are vital for the flow of goods into the enclave.

A fleeing woman who was standing in a main street in Rafah said the Israeli military had called them by telephone all night telling them to evacuate.

"The people are all dead, what do they want from us?," Rahmah Naser said, waving her arms in anguish. "They killed our children. My nephew (was found) in pieces, with no head or legs. Shame on them. These people have had enough, where should they go?"

Mohammad al-Najjar, a 23-year-old trainee lawyer who lives with his family in western Rafah, said people were gripped by fear and anxiety following the Israeli evacuation order.

"No area is safe," he told Reuters by phone.

The few relatively safer areas that Palestinians could flee to were already packed with tents and thousands of people who had been displaced, he said.

"All that remains in Gaza is death," he said. "I wish I could erase these last seven months from my memory."

(Reporting by Hatem Khaled and Mohammed Salem in Gaza, additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Henriette Chacar, Writing by Angus MacSwan, Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
A Sioux Falls resident votes in the city and school board election at Southern Hills United Methodist Church on April 9, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

A Sioux Falls resident votes in the city and school board election at Southern Hills United Methodist Church on April 9, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

South Dakota voters might decide in November if future primary elections should be open to all voters and whether recreational marijuana use should be legalized for adults.

Backers of each ballot measure said theyre turning in petitions this week, bringing the number of measures on the ballot or pending for addition to the ballot to six, with potential remaining for more. The deadline to submit petitions for a new law or law change is Tuesday. The deadline to refer a law passed by the Legislature to the ballot is June 25.

The Secretary of States Office must now verify that the open primary and recreational marijuana petitions have enough signatures from registered voters.

Joe Kirby, chairman of the South Dakota Open Primaries ballot question committee, drove the groups petitions to the Capitol in Pierre on Monday.

Its basic democracy, Kirby said of the measure.

He said the group is submitting about 46,000 signatures to the secretary of state, surpassing the 35,017 signatures required for a proposed constitutional amendment.

A primary is a preliminary election used by political parties to select candidates for the general election.

Democrats allow everyone, including the states approximately 150,000 independents and non-politically affiliated voters, to participate in their primaries, while Republicans limit theirs to party members.

Under the open primaries proposal, all candidates for an individual office would run in the same primary, regardless of their party, and the top two vote-getters would advance to the general election.

Kirby, a Republican, said the current primary system rewards and encourages partisan politics. He said when politicians are held accountable to more voters in their district, they are likely to listen to their district over party leadership.

He said an open primary system would result in more moderate, South Dakota-focused candidates gaining traction.

The only real opponents are the party bosses on the left and right, Kirby said.

Republican critics, however, argue that the system would dilute party ideologies and allow non-party members too much influence over the selection of candidates.

We are 110% opposed to the idea, South Dakota Republican Party Chair John Wiik told South Dakota Searchlight last year. It is our job in the Republican Party to put out the best candidates and decide whos going to represent us on the general election ballot.

The initiative to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in the state has more than enough signatures and will be submitted around noon Tuesday, according to Matthew Schweich, who is leading the effort. He said the group has yet to count its signatures, but it has a good, healthy buffer, beyond the 17,508 needed for proposed laws not amending the state constitution.

Advocates believe the measure would create a new source of tax revenue and provide regulatory clarity for cannabis use. South Dakota voters legalized medical marijuana in 2020. A portion of that same ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana was challenged in court and invalidated.

More submitted petitions and ballot measures

Among other citizen-led measures for which petitions have already been submitted, one proposal aims to reinstate abortion rights in the state constitution.

Another would repeal the state sales tax on anything sold for human consumption, except alcoholic beverages and prepared food. The measure, which targets grocery taxes, would not prohibit cities from taxing groceries. Currently, the state has a 4.2% sales and use tax, and cities can tack on an additional 2% tax.

Verification of the signatures on those measures is pending.

Meanwhile, the Legislature has placed two constitutional amendments on the ballot for voter consideration. The first would modernize state constitutional language by replacing references to male officeholders with gender-neutral terms. The second seeks to lift a ban on work requirements for Medicaid expansion enrollees, potentially altering access to the joint federal-state health care program.

Other possible ballot measures

Voters could also be asked to reject a new state law passed by the Legislature that would regulate aspects of carbon dioxide pipelines. The deadline for turning in signatures to refer a legislative measure to the ballot is June 25.

Supporters of the legislation, passed last winter, said it implements new protections for landowners while providing a path forward for a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline project. Opponents view it as a capitulation to the pipeline company that takes some power from counties and gives it to the state.

Jim Eschenbaum is managing the petition effort. He said the group has not counted its signatures but is confident it will collect the 17,508 it needs.

Other petitions that may be circulating in search of signatures, according to the Secretary of States Office, include efforts to revise legislative term limits, to prevent the Legislature from amending or repealing successful ballot measures for seven years, and to repeal the states medical marijuana program.

Ballot question list

Measures placed on the Nov. 5 ballot by the Legislature:

An amendment to the state constitution updating references to certain officeholders and people (replacing male-specific pronouns with neutral language).

An amendment to the state constitution authorizing the state to impose work requirements on certain people who are eligible for expanded Medicaid.

Measures submitted or soon to be submitted for inclusion on the Nov. 5 ballot, which are pending verification of the required number of petition signatures:

An initiated measure prohibiting state sales taxes on items sold for human consumption, specifically targeting state sales taxes on groceries.

An initiated amendment to the state constitution re-establishing abortion rights.

An initiated amendment to the state constitution establishing open primary elections.

An initiated measure legalizing adult recreational use, possession and distribution of marijuana.

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The post Ballot groups are submitting petitions for open primaries and recreational marijuana appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
The 50-foot fin whale that beached itself at Delaware State Park on Sunday died overnight.

Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute volunteers and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control employees are working to move the whale to perform a necropsy to determine the cause of death, MERR board member Rob Rector said Monday morning. The whale will then be buried on the beach.

They can work only as the tide allows, Rector said, because the area of the beach where the whale died, just north of the Indian River Inlet, is a very narrow stretch. It's in the area where the ocean breached the dunes during a storm a few months ago.

The fin whale that beached itself at Delaware Seashore State Park May 5, 2024, died overnight.

The whale was an emaciated sub-adult, MERR Director Suzanne Thurman said Sunday.

"This is a species that lives way off the coast, so they would never come in near shore, except when they get too weak to be able to surface to breathe and their instinct is to get out of the water," she said.

Thurman hoped to at least sedate the whale, she said, but the water level made it too dangerous.

"With the water going around her, she can roll on us and we would be killed," Thurman said.

Reports of the beached whale started coming in Sunday morning. MERR, a Lewes-based nonprofit, responded to the area and set up a perimeter. Hundreds of people came to the beach to see the ocean's second-largest whale.

Many people even parked on the side of Coastal Highway and walked across the dunes to get a glimpse. The dunes serve not only as protection for the road but as a delicate ecosystem for wildlife.

The whale will be moved for necropsy and then buried on the beach, according to MERR board member Rob Rector.

"Delaware Natural Resources Police remind the public that crossing the dune to try and get a better view of the beached whale is prohibited and can result in a fine," department spokesman Michael Globetti said in a statement.

Heading to the beach: Travel website's top 20 list includes 2 beach towns in or near Delaware. What earned nods?

The last whale to beach itself in Delaware was in 2021 when another fin whale died at Cape Henlopen State Park. In that case, Rector said, the cause of death was intestinal parasites.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Fin whale that beached at Delaware Seashore State Park on Sunday dies
Smoke billows after an Israeli strike on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip - AFP

Israel rejected a ceasefire offer from Hamas on Monday night, vowing to continue with its invasion of the southern Gazan city of Rafah and saying a last-minute proposal had failed to meet its key demands.

Hamas officials said on Monday that they had agreed to a ceasefire deal mediated by Egypt and Qatar that would see it release hostages in exchange for the end of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

But Israel later said the terms of the deal were far from its obligatory demands and that it would continue with a planned ground invasion of Rafah in order to apply military pressure to Hamas and to free hostages.

Mr Netanyahus office said it would send a negotiating team to Egypt to discuss an agreement, but officials earlier warned that the Hamas plan would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal.

On Monday night, Israeli jets launched a bombardment of Rafah, striking 50 targets according to the IDF. Earlier in the day, Israel signalled that it had begun its long-awaited offensive on the city, warning 100,000 people to evacuate an eastern section.

By the early hours of Tuesday, two sources had reported seeing IDF tanks enter the city.

An Egyptian official told Associated Press that the ground operation so far appeared to be limited in scope. He and Hamas Al-Aqsa TV said Israeli officials informed the Egyptians that the troops would withdraw after completing the operation, according to AP. The IDF declined to comment.

The launch of the operation came despite fierce opposition from Israels key allies. Joe Biden, the US president, urged Mr Netanyahu not to go ahead with the invasion in the hours before news broke of Hamass ceasefire offer.

Weve made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk, said John Kirby, the White Houses national security spokesman.

During this call with prime minister Netanyahu, the president again made this clear. He also made clear that we continue to believe that the hostage deal is the best way to avoid that sort of an outcome.

Mr Kirby added that the White House was examining Hamass ceasefire proposal and would soon communicate its views to Qatar, Israel and Egypt. He said Mr Netanyahu had agreed to keep aid flowing into Gaza through Kerem Shalom, the key crossing into the south of the Strip.

Four Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack at the crossing on Sunday, which was claimed by the armed wing of Hamas.

On Monday, Rishi Sunak said he was deeply concerned by the prospect of a Rafah offensive, and Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, called for it to be dropped entirely.

Jordans King Abdullah, who met Mr Biden in Washington on Monday, said the Israeli attack on Rafah threatened a new massacre.

Palestinians had taken to the streets of the city on Monday to celebrate news of a potential peace deal  but the launch of Israeli strikes dampend hopes that Rafah would be spared.

There was a lot of tension in the morning because of the leaflets the army was dropping [warning people to evacuate]  many people were distressed and tried to leave, roads were clogged, Said, a 35-year-old, told The Telegraph on Monday night.

In the evening, we got the news. People want to be happy, but theyre cautious and waiting, and we still hear bombings. We really hope the war in Gaza will stop and we will see better days.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas member, said the group had signed up to an Israeli-backed deal in three stages of 42 days, with hostages released in the first stage and the war ended in the second stage.

He said the deal would also involve the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israeli sources told local media that the terms suggested by Hamas on Monday had been softened since a framework agreement proposed by Israel last week, which would have involved three prisoners being released every three days the ceasefire lasted.

The deal supported by Hamas would instead have seen three hostages released each week, according to Israeli media reports.

Foreign diplomats briefed on the ceasefire negotiations later told Reuters that the deal Hamas offered was close to that proposed by Israel on April 27. What happens next depends on Israel to accept or reject Hamass response. The ball is in Israels court, said a source.

One US official told Reuters that Mr Netanyahu had not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations [with Hamas] in good faith.

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said Israel was exploring every single thing that we hear, but that no deal had been reached.

We are exhausting the potential of negotiations and bringing back the hostages and that is our main mission, to bring them home as quickly as possible, he added. But in parallel, we are continuing to act in an operational manner in the Gaza Strip, and we will continue to do so.

The months-long negotiations over a ceasefire have been held up by disagreements over the number of hostages to be released by Hamas, and whether the war would end once they had been returned.

Despite pressure from the US, Mr Netanyahu has said he will continue with the Rafah offensive to eliminate Hamass battalions there, with or without a deal.

Hamass acceptance of a ceasefire deal increased internal pressure on Mr Netanyahu to end the war, with the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcoming the Hamas announcement and calling for an agreement.

The group said: Now its time for the Israeli government to prove, with action, its commitment to its citizens. The cabinet must take Hamass acceptance and turn it into a deal for returning all [hostages].

But Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, said Hamas was playing games and called for Israel to occupy Rafah immediately, adding: Military pressure must be increased until the complete defeat of Hamas and its absolute surrender.

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Germany's ambassador in Moscow Alexander Graf Lambsdorff speaks during the debate on the national security strategy in the German Bundestag. Berlin recalls its ambassador from Moscow after cyber attacks on Schulz's party and German companies Carsten Koall/dpa

The German government has asked the German ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, to come to Berlin for a week of consultations following cyberattacks on the governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) and German companies.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in Berlin spoke of a"standard procedure" on Monday. "The German government takes this event very seriously as behaviour against our liberal democracy and the institutions that support it."

Cyberattacks on the SPD and German companies from the logistics, defence, aerospace and IT services sectors have become public recently.

Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin blames a unit of the Russian military intelligence service GRU for a 2023 cyberattack on the centre-left SPD.

"Russian state hackers have attacked Germany in cyberspace," Baerbock said during her visit to Australia in Adelaide.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is running for a fourth term in the Senate, he announced Monday, likely cementing the longtime progressive for the coming years in the upper chamber.

This is the most important national election in our lifetimes, Sanders said in a statement. We must fight to make sure that we remain a democracy, not an authoritarian society. We must fight to make sure that we have a government which represents the working families of our country, not the billionaire class and wealthy campaign contributors. We must fight to make sure that women can control their own bodies, and that we save the planet from the ravages of climate change. The stakes are enormous. This is an election we must not lose.

Sanders, 82, is the second-oldest member of the upper chamber behind only Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.), and others around his age have made plans to depart.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is leaving his post atop the GOP conference at the end of the year and has said he will not run for another term in 2026. Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin have all said they will retire at the end of this year.

The decision will in all likelihood keep Sanders in his seat for the foreseeable future. The self-described democratic socialist has handily won all three of his Senate races, including his 2018 contest by a 40-point margin.

It also means he will continue to wield the increased power and influence that has come in the wake of his two bids for the Democratic presidential nomination and through his post as chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The Vermont independent has served more than 40 years in public office. On top of his three terms in the upper chamber, Sanders was a House member for eight terms and held the position of mayor of Burlington, Vt., throughout most of the 1980s.

His operation has spawned a number of acolytes, including members of the squad in the House, while he kept up his disdain for the nations billionaires and wealthiest earners.

Sanders has made waves in recent months as one of the foremost critic on the left of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus handling of the war in Gaza. He has consistently called for the Biden administration and Congress to cut off unconditional aid for what he has labeled Netanyahus war machine.

Last month, he voted against the $95 billion foreign aid package and cited the money included for Israel.

U.S. taxpayers should not be providing billions more to the extremist Netanyahu government to continue its devastating war against the Palestinian people, Sanders said in his statement at the time.

The housing in Gaza is destroyed; the infrastructure in Gaza is destroyed; the health care system in Gaza is destroyed; the educational system in Gaza is destroyed, he continued. Enough is enough. No more money for Netanyahus war machine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Biden administration halted a shipment of ammunition bound for Israel last week, Axios first reported, as pressure rises over the Israeli militarys promised invasion of Rafah in Gaza.

Israeli officials were left scrambling as to why the shipment was withheld, Axios reported, while CNN reported that the decision was unrelated to U.S. opposition to an invasion of Rafah.

The Biden administration has committed to strongly backing Israel in its war against Hamas, signing $26 billion in military and humanitarian aid for the war last week, but officials have repeatedly warned against moving into Rafah, where over a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering from the war.

The National Security Council said in a statement to The Hill that the Biden administrations backing of Israel has not changed.

The United States has surged billions of dollars in security assistance to Israel since the October 7 attacks, passed the largest ever supplemental appropriation for emergency assistance to Israel, led an unprecedented coalition to defend Israel against Iranian attacks, and will continue to do what is necessary to ensure Israel can defend itself from the threats it faces, a NSC spokesperson said.

The move also raises pressure on ongoing cease-fire and hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, as rifts between the two sides widen following progress in talks earlier this week. CIA Director William Burns attended negotiations Saturday in Cairo, and will remain in the Middle East to work towards a diplomatic solution in the coming days.

A Rafah invasion hangs over the conflict, with Israeli leaders saying a ground attack against the city is inevitable, while the U.N. warns such an attack could have catastrophic civilian casualties. The Biden administration has repeatedly urged Israel not to attack Rafah without a clear plan to avoid civilian losses.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that a Rafah invasion is likely, with or without a diplomatic agreement with Hamas or U.S. backing.

In the terrible Holocaust, there were great world leaders who stood by idly; therefore, the first lesson of the Holocaust is: If we do not defend ourselves, nobody will defend us. And if we need to stand alone, we will stand alone, he said.

Biden is also facing criticism from Democrats who have pushed him to garner assurances that U.S.-manufactured munitions are being used in accordance with international law.

Federal law requires that military aid be used lawfully, though an increasing number of Democratic lawmakers have pushed Biden to draw a stronger line on the issue, especially after the State Department determined last week that certain units of the Israeli military were involved in gross violations of human rights.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Biden administration is rolling out a strategy Monday for how to build global cybersecurity cooperation, following years of stepped up threats from China, Russia and cybercriminals.

The State Departments international cybersecurity strategy is the first articulated U.S. global cyber strategy in over a decade. If successful, it could elevate the U.S.s role globally in countering cyber threats and creating global consensus on artificial intelligence, and position the U.S. against China in setting cybersecurity norms.

While the strategy will be formally unveiled by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the RSA Conference in San Francisco on Monday afternoon, POLITICO was provided an early look at the document, which lays out four main areas of focus. These are promoting a secure digital ecosystem globally; upholding rights-respecting digital technology approaches with allied nations; building coalitions to counter malicious cyberattacks; and enhancing the cybersecurity resiliency of partner nations.

This final commitment includes a major focus on the State Departments newly created Cyberspace and Digital Connectivity fund. The most recent round of federal appropriations signed into law by President Joe Biden gave the fund $50 million, intended to help allied nations enhance their cybersecurity. Before the funds creation, the U.S. gave one-time grants for this purpose to countries including Albania and Costa Rica following separate cyberattacks on government services in those nations.



The new strategy will only carry forward these efforts. Nathaniel Fick, the State Departments ambassador-at-large for cyberspace and digital policy, acknowledged in an interview prior to the strategys release that the funds are limited. He teased that his team is working on identifying candidate projects to put the fund toward.

In an overall 5 to 6 percent declining budgetary environment, we're seeing a net new $50 million foreign assistance fund, Fick said. Now, it's incumbent upon us, me, our team to prove that it's worth the investment.

The U.S. also plans to take an enhanced role in cyber diplomacy efforts at the United Nations. The strategy calls for pushing more action-oriented conversations at the U.N. on cyber issues, including implementing a framework for responsible behavior in cyberspace. Fick said a program of action to implement this framework is already in progress.

The advent of artificial intelligence is set to rapidly change all sectors, and massively alter the world of cyber threats and offensive measures. The new strategy pledges that the U.S. and its allies will reach consensus on guiding principles around the development and use of AI technologies, including advancing global norms in this space.

There are a lot of issues that are far from geopolitics, that are far from military applications, where the United States, China, and economies and governments around the world have ample common ground to collaborate, Fick said on the AI goals.

The international cyber strategy is the latest in a series of plans put forward by the Biden administration in the past year aimed at strengthening the nations approach to cyber and technology policy. The most significant of these was the White Houses National Cyber Strategy, which listed enhancing international cyber partnerships as one of the top five priorities.

The national cyber strategy was accompanied by an implementation plan, outlining steps to put the strategy into force. Fick noted that there will also be an implementation plan for the State Departments strategy, and that we will have a really concerted effort over the next six months to get as many of these ideas and initiatives baked into our diplomacy as we can.

The timeline is directly shaped around the upcoming presidential election in November that could spell a change in administration. The Heritage Foundations Project 2025 report, widely seen as a playbook for how a second term in office for former President Donald Trump may pan out, recommends that the U.S. engage in cyber diplomacy, but that the nation establish enforceable norms of behavior in cyberspace, a more forceful approach to cyber policy.

Fick acknowledged that while U.S. foreign policy may evolve should Trump be elected in November, the main goals of the strategy are likely to remain in place, noting that he was in touch with cyber leadership from the former Trump administration.

It is so important in the world that the United States be a reliable, consistent partner, Fick said. We're trying to ensure that we have maximal continuity beyond November.  and it's certainly something that we're trying to make clear to allies and partners when we engage with them.
The Japanese and Indian governments pushed back Saturday against President Bidens description of the nations as xenophobic last week, after he said at a campaign event the countries and others do not welcome immigrants.

Biden grouped Japan and India alongside China and Russia as xenophobic countries, claiming being less open to immigrants has caused the countries economies to struggle since the COVID-19 pandemic.

I havent seen such an open, pluralistic, and diverse society anywhere in the world, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at an Economic Times event Saturday. We are actually not just not xenophobic, we are the most open, most pluralistic and in many ways the most understanding society in the world.

A Japanese official told The Associated Press that Bidens remarks were unfortunate and based on a misunderstanding of the countrys policies, and they accepted the White Houses characterizations of the statement as a mistake.

Biden at a campaign event said the U.S. economy was booming because of immigrants.

The reason  look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because theyre xenophobic, Biden said. They dont want immigrants. Immigrants are what makes us strong. Not a joke; thats not hyperbole. Because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and want to contribute.

The White House later said the comments meant no harm and did not intend to hurt relations with the close U.S. ally Japan.

Japan is known for its extremely strict immigration policy, which has been loosened in recent years as its economy struggles with a low birth rate. India also has few foreign-born residents when compared to the U.S., though the countrys economic growth has outpaced the U.S. in recent years.

The remarks came just weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Washington, where the pair reiterated the countries unbreakable alliance and stance against China in the Pacific.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington last year and gave an address to a joint session of Congress.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a frequent critic of Donald Trumps lies about how election fraud cost him the 2020 election, endorsed President Joe Bidens re-election campaign.

In an op-ed Monday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Duncans remarks read like a clarion call, urging sane conservatives not to align themselves with a self-centered wannabe authoritarian. But they go further than some Republican Trump critics  such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie  by urging fellow Republicans to back Biden.

I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass, Duncan wrote.

As Georgias No. 2 executive in 2020, Duncan pushed back against Trumps false claims of election fraud in the state, before declining to run for re-election in 2022. In the op-ed, he pointed to Trumps cockamamie schemes to stay in power as one of the reasons hed be leaps and bounds worse than Biden if he were to regain the presidency. He wrote:

Duncan lists several reasons for conservatives with a conscience to defy the former president, including Trumps recent Time interview previewing his illiberal policies if he were to win a second term.

It would be naive to think Duncan represents most Republicans with his stance. But its entirely possible hes speaking on behalf of a sizable share of Georgia Republicans  perhaps one large enough to help swing the battleground state in Bidens favor in November. So Trump has reason to worry.

Biden won Georgia by nearly 12,000 votes in 2020. Nikki Haley won almost 80,000 votes in Georgias presidential primary in March, with about 20,000 of those votes being cast on Election Day  a week after she dropped out of the race. In addition, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are two staunch conservatives who have won re-election in recent years despite criticizing Trumps false claims of election fraud, suggesting that theres a potent strain of Republicanism in Georgia thats averse to Trump.

And for the former presidents sake, he better hope the others arent as sober-minded as Geoff Duncan when it comes to voting this fall.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
By Nandita Bose and Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Jordan's King Abdullah told U.S. President Joe Biden in a private meeting on Monday that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to a "new massacre" of Palestinian civilians and urged the international community to take urgent action.

"The king warned of the repercussions of the Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, which could cause a regional spillover of the conflict," a statement from the Jordan royal court said after Abdullah had lunch with Biden at the White House.

Israel carried out airs strikes in Rafah on Monday and told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city where more than a million people uprooted by the seven-month war are crowded together.

On Sunday, Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruled that out. Hamas also attacked the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, which Israel said killed three of its soldiers.

In a phone call on Monday, Biden pressed Netanyahu not to go ahead with a large-scale Israeli military offensive in Rafah. The U.S. president has been vocal in his demand that Israel not undertake a ground offensive in Rafah without a plan to protect Palestinian civilians.

The Jordanian statement said Abdullah in his meeting with Biden "warned that the Israeli attack on Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are internally displaced as a result of the war on Gaza, threatens to lead to a new massacre."

"His Majesty stressed the importance of all efforts that seek an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," it said. "The king and the U.S. president affirmed their commitment to working to reach a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, stressing the importance of facilitating the delivery of sustainable humanitarian aid to the Strip in light of the dire needs."

The White House said in a separate written statement that the two leaders discussed "the need for an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas and a sustainable ceasefire that allows for a surge of the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza."

"Both remain committed to achieving a durable, lasting peace to include a pathway to a Palestinian state, with security guarantees for Israel," the White House statement said.

The Biden administration and Israeli officials remain at odds over Israel's planned military incursion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah where it told Palestinians to start evacuating some parts on Monday.

Biden last met King Abdullah at the White House in February and the two longtime allies discussed a daunting list of challenges, including the looming Israeli ground offensive in southern Gaza and suffering of Palestinian civilians.

Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israel's actions and have been demanding a ceasefire since mid-October as civilian casualties began to skyrocket.

The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 wounded in Israel's assault, according to Gaza's health ministry.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland in Washington and Hatem Maher and Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington and Michael Perry)
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning as a potential ground assault in Rafah looms and as negotiations over a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel moved closer to an agreement.

A little while after their call, Hamas announced that it had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal. Israel has not yet commented on the plan.

A White House readout of the call said Biden updated Netanyahu "on efforts to secure a hostage deal" including through talks happening Monday in the Qatari capital, Doha.

"The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need. The President reiterated his clear position on Rafah," the White House said.

The two leaders discussed Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, which takes place Monday, the readout said.

Biden and Netanyahu discussed the shared commitment of Israel and the United States to remember the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and to forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence, the readout said.

Before the call, a National Security Council spokesperson said it would touch on possible military action in Rafah.

We cant speak for IDF operations," the spokesperson said. "We have made our views clear on a major ground invasion of Rafah to the Israeli government, and the President will speak with the Prime Minister today. We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing now.

Joe Biden meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv (GPO / Anadolu via Getty Images)

Cease-fire talks over the weekend appeared not to have yielded any breakthroughs. CIA Director William Burns was expected to travel to Israel on Monday for additional negotiations after having participated in discussions Sunday in Doha, a source with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

Burns traveled to Doha for an emergency meeting with Qatars prime minister to explore avenues to see if the talks could be brought back on track after negotiations stalled in Cairo. The Israeli prime ministers office blamed Hamas for "not moving a millimeter from its extreme demands that no government in Israel can accept."

Pressure has been mounting for a long-term cease-fire as Israel has made moves that signal a ground assault in Rafah could be imminent. Overnight, flyers were dropped on eastern Rafah calling on people thereto move to humanitarian areas, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF estimated Sunday that 100,000 people from that area were told to evacuate.

Biden and his administration have warned Israel against launching a military offensive in Rafah. Last week, the White House halted a large shipment of offensive weapons to Israel, as the IDF is ramping up that possible ground invasion, according to two senior administration officials familiar with the decision.

The shipment included 2,000-pound bombs and other ammunition that would most likely be used in Rafah, the officials said. Israel already has a large arsenal, so while this shipment is not likely to stop an offensive, it could have been very helpful to it in one.

While the officials said this does not indicate a larger change in policy about providing weapons to Israel, it has been very rare for the U.S. to withhold weapons and equipment from Israel because of concerns over how they can be used.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Axios was first to report the shipments being halted.

A statement from a group representing families of the hostages held in Gaza urged Netanyahu to ignore any political pressure from far-right members of his government not to make a deal with Hamas.

Today, on the eve of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day, we want to remind you, as you have promised every year  Never Again. You must disregard all political pressure," said a statement from the Hostage Families Forum headquarters.

"This is the time to lead, show courage, and bring about the return of all 132 being held by the terrorist monsters of Hamas  the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial," it said. "Mr. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, history will not forgive you if you miss this opportunity, as the return of the hostages is a necessary condition for national healing, redemption, and revival.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
President Biden on Monday spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterating his concerns during the conversation about an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, even as Israel appeared poise to move forward with such an operation.

Biden updated the Prime Minister on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through ongoing talks today in Doha, Qatar, the White House said in a readout of the call.

The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need. The President reiterated his clear position on Rafah, the White House said.

Karem Shalom has been a major crossing point between Israel and Gaza for trucks carrying humanitarian aid.

The call came after Israel on Monday began evacuating civilians from parts of Rafah, a populous city in the southern part of Gaza, a sign a military operation could be near.

The White House has urged Israel against sending forces into Rafah for weeks, warning of the potential consequences for civilians in the area in a war that has already left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead.

But Netanyahu has been adamant about plans to destroy Hamas, the group that controls Gaza and orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,100 Israelis.

Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu in private, and last month suggested the U.S. could reassess its support for Israel moving forward if it did not do more to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.

Weve made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk. During his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the President again made this clear, White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a briefing.

The timing of the call between Biden and Netanyahu came as the world marked Holocaust Remembrance Day. The two leaders discussed the shared commitment of Israel and the United States to remember the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered in the Holocaust, one of the darkest chapters in human history, and to forcefully act against antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence, the White House said.

Biden is set to deliver remarks on fighting antisemitism on Tuesday, when he will speak at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museums annual Days of Remembrance ceremony.

Updated at 2:39 p.m. EDT

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President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and "reiterated his clear position on Rafah," according to the White House.

The call lasted approximately 30 minutes and was "constructive," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

The two leaders spoke as a major Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city appears imminent, despite opposition from the United States and other nations due to concerns over the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Israel Defense Forces on Monday urged 100,000 people in the southern Gaza city to evacuate and dropped flyers warning of danger. More than 1.4 million Palestinians are thought to be sheltering in Rafah in the wake of Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

MORE: Israel-Gaza live updates: Warnings issued to 100,000 as Israel weighs Rafah invasion

Kirby said Biden in his call with Netanyahu "made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk."

The Pentagon said Monday it had not seen a comprehensive plan for protecting civilians if Israel's military were to move into Rafah -- something U.S. officials have repeatedly called for.

Still, Netanyahu has pledged to go into Rafah in order to root out the Hamas terrorist group.

"We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will complete all the objectives of the war, including the repatriation of all our hostages," Netanyahu said last week.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Evan Vucci/AP/Menahem Kahana/Getty Images)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday that Israel believed it had "no choice" but to forge ahead with an offensive in Rafah.

Strikes have intensified in Rafah and surrounding areas in recent days.

At least four Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Sunday that was orchestrated by Hamas, the IDF said.

In response, Israel closed the crossing, one critical to delivering humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. But according to the White House, Netanyahu agreed to reopen the crossing for aid into northern Gaza during his call with Biden.

At least 12 Palestinians were killed in IDF strikes on Rafah on Sunday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israel's military said it continued strikes on Monday on "terror targets" and military structures. Those "targeted" operations will continue on Tuesday, the IDF said.

PHOTO: Smoke billows following bombardment east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement, May 6, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)

MORE: Netanyahu again vows military operation in Rafah, as Biden administration hopes for cease-fire in 'coming days'

Also during Monday's call, Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts to secure a hostage deal and temporary cease-fire with ongoing talks in Doha, Qatar.

Hours after their conversation, Hamas announced it had accepted a cease-fire proposal, though few specifics were provided. The U.S. said it could confirm Hamas had issued a response to a recent cease-fire proposal, but is still trying to figure out the details of the apparent deal.

The White House largely declined to weigh in on the proposal as Israel worked on its response.

The prime minister's office said in a statement the war cabinet "unanimously decided that Israel continues the operation in Rafah" but would send a delegation to "to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel."

ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler and Joseph Simonetti contributed to this report.

Biden speaks with Netanyahu as Israeli invasion of Rafah appears imminent originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
An Oklahoma bill that sought to raise the age of sexual consent and ban most childhood marriages failed to advance. (Photo by Kenji Lau/Getty Images)

OKLAHOMA CITY  An effort to raise Oklahomas age of sexual consent appears dead for the session after lawmakers tried to take it a step further by also banning most childhood marriages.

Senate Bill 615 sought to increase the age of consent from 16 to 18. It also contained provisions that would have protected adults who had sex with children 15 or older from prosecution if they were within four years of age.

State Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, said the bill was designed to make it easier to prosecute statutory rape, but a bipartisan group of lawmakers approved a last-minute amendment to also ban most childhood marriages.

Fugate, who filed the amendment, said it would have allowed child marriages only after a court had emancipated a minor. Current law requires parental consent for children to marry, he said.

He said if someone has to seek parental permission, theyre too young to marry. Parents should not be consenting for children to marry adults, but rather should be reporting them as groomers and rapists, he said.

Respectfully, you shouldnt be marrying off your kid, he said. You should be reporting the adult that had sex with your kid.

Fugate said Oklahoma is in the minority of states that still allows child marriages but said some people still back laws allowing children to marry adults who impregnate them.

He also said he had fundamental issues with proposed changes to the law that would have allowed children to have sex with adults if theyre within four years of age.

This body talks all the time about its concerns about pedophilia and groomers, and the fact that we even had a bill on the floor that would have permitted adults to have sex with children is just appalling, Fugate said. And for all those folks who talk about marriage and the sanctity of marriage to also be pitching a bill on the floor that says its OK for them to have sex outside the confines of marriages, its just bewildering to me.

Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, the measures House author, said the bill is dead this year. When lawmakers attempted to add a childhood marriage ban, he decided to postpone consideration.

Olsen said he can see both sides of including a minimum marriage age, but he said thats an entirely different section of law. He wanted the age of consent provisions considered on their own merits.

Olsen said teenagers dont always wait until marriage to have sex and get pregnant.

So youre in a situation, is it better to send them out of state for an abortion? Is it better for her to be a single mom? Or is it better for them to be married? I dont know, but I dont want to take that option off the table, he said.

Olsen said hes disappointed that the bill wont become law. The bill was designed to prevent a 35-year-old from convincing a 16-year-old to have sex, he said.

Its a different thing, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old versus a 16-year-old and a 35-year-old, so the bill made what I consider to be a reasonable exception, Olsen said.

Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, said in a statement that hes disappointed the bill failed.

Hamilton, the Senate author, said some miscommunication led to the demise of the bill, which would better protect children.

This will not be a deterrent, he said. I plan to refile this legislation next year, work harder to make sure everyone is on the same page and make the protections for children as strong as possible. I appreciate my Senate colleagues and House counterparts who agreed with me and voted for it. I am confident we will make it happen next year.

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The post Bill increasing age of sexual consent dies in Oklahoma House amid flap over childhood marriage ban appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
DENVER (KDVR)  The Colorado House considered a measure on Monday that sponsors say is intended to prevent book bans in libraries across the state.

The bill is called Standards for Decisions Regarding Library Resources and was sponsored by three Democrats. If passed, it would ensure public libraries have written policies for retention, acquisition, display, use of library resources and use of a public library facility.

Using your cell phone in your car could cost you $85+ soon

Under the bill, libraries could not remove content based on the authors demographics or partisan disapproval of the topic.

Librarians work hard to provide their patrons with an inclusive array of materials, but culture war extremists are attacking them trying to deny other library-goers materials and programming they dont agree with, said primary sponsor Sen. Lisa Cutter in a release. As more states move to ban books and limit citizens freedoms, we have to protect free speech and ensure access to information in Colorado. This bill protects librarians and ensures libraries remain welcoming and enriching spaces for all.

Colorado saw several fights over library book content in 2023, including a fight with the Douglas County Libraries, in which a conservative mens group sought to ban four books with LGBTQ+ themes.

The bill that advanced through the Senate last week isnt the first such bill presented this legislative session  another bill died in February that would have provided similar protections for public libraries and public school libraries. The present measure does not include schools.

The freedom to read is one of our most precious rights, providing us with knowledge and skills to think critically and be informed citizens, Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet said in a release. Most books challenged have been written by or about a historically marginalized group. This political tactic has dire consequences, especially for children, whom research shows benefit from culturally and racially responsive representation. Our communities deserve to be represented in public spaces like libraries, and codifying those legal standards demonstrates our commitment to protecting all Coloradans.

Lane filtering for motorcyclists will soon be legal in Colorado: What it means

If the measure passed, libraries would be able to remove materials based only on the policies that are adopted. Librarians would also be protected from retaliation, discrimination and termination if they refuse to remove a resource before it has been reviewed under the policy, or for making displays, acquisitions or programming decisions that the employee believes to be following the standards established by the state bill.

The bill would also publicize all requests for an item or resource to be removed and require that the person making that request reside in the librarys service area. For example, if someone requests a book be removed from Elbert County, they must live in Elbert County.

The measure passed the Senate with amendments and was sent to the House Committee on Transportation, Housing and Local Government, which also passed the measure. It was heard on the House Floor on Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
The bill is part of a broader trend toward pay transparency that supporters say is key to closing wage gaps between men and women. (Getty Images)

A bill that would require New Jersey employers to include pay information in job postings advanced out of a state Senate committee Monday.

The bill, which includes fines for employers who skirt its requirements, is part of a broader trend toward pay transparency that supporters say is key to closing wage gaps between men and women. A handful of other states, including New York, have enacted similar laws.

Sen. Paul Moriarty, who sponsored the measure, said pay transparency benefits both job seekers and employers. People can spend weeks going through job interviews before knowing the compensation  a large waste of time for both sides if the pay isnt enough for the applicant, Moriarty said.

I think its overdue, said Moriarty (D-Gloucester).

Under the measure, employers would be required to include hourly pay or salary ranges in job postings. The postings must also include a general description of benefits and other compensation employees would be eligible for within the first year of employment.

New Jersey employers would also have to take reasonable steps to make opportunities for promotions known.

The maximum fines would range from $300 to $600 under amendments made to the bill, down from $1,000 to $10,000 in the original version. The New Jersey Business Industry Administration had originally opposed the legislation but said after those changes were made that it is taking no position on the bill.

The measure advanced unanimously out of the Senate Labor Committee. Its Assembly companion, introduced in April, still faces a hearing in the Assembly Labor Committee.

The post Bill would require pay information in job postings appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
While debates over the governor's controversial private school voucher program and gun control often took center stage during the Tennessee General Assembly's 2024 legislative session, lawmakers were spending much of their time from January to late April making changes to Tennessee's criminal justice system.

The GOP-controlled supermajority kept up its tough-on-crime attitude by lengthening sentences, allowing more juveniles to be tried as adults and trying to expand when the death penalty can be imposed. In the wake of recent tragedies, lawmakers also passed measures aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence and requiring mental health treatment for some mentally incompetent defendants.

Here are some of the bills affecting the justice system, from arrest to sentencing, that the Assembly passed in 2024:

Jillians Law requires treatment for mentally incompetent defendants

Belmont University student Livia Mechalovich wears a T-shirt honoring fellow student Jillian Ludwig during an Edgehill community memorial on April 13. Ludwig was jogging in the park when she was struck and killed by a stray bullet in November.

Named in remembrance of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig, who was killed by a stray bullet while on a walk in November, Jillians Law requires that people who are found mentally incompetent to stand trial for a felony be committed to a mental health facility for treatment. The man charged with firing the bullet that killed Ludwig had been arrested many times before and found by a court to be mentally incompetent.

The law also prohibits those who are committed to a mental health institution under the law from owning or possessing a firearm.

The bill received unanimous support in both chambers, although some lawmakers questioned whether the state has enough facilities to treat all the individuals required to be committed under the law.

Changes to prison sentences

Prison sentences will not be getting shorter in Tennessee.

As of now, people incarcerated in Tennessee prisons can earn credits called good time that can reduce the length of their sentences by up to 15%. Under a new law going into effect July 1, those serving a sentence of two years or more can earn good time, but it will only shorten when they can first go up for parole, leaving the full length of their sentence unchanged.

Another law allows judges to order people convicted of misdemeanors to serve 100% of their sentences in a correctional facility, up from the prior 75% maximum.

Those convicted of child rape could be sentenced to death

The Tennessee and U.S. flags fly in the wind in front of Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tenn., before the execution of death row inmate Nicholas Sutton Thursday Feb. 20, 2020.

A bill on Gov. Bill Lees desk would allow juries to impose the death penalty when an adult is convicted of aggravated rape of a child under 12.

The bill passed through both GOP-controlled houses of the General Assembly mostly along party lines.

Supporters plan to use the bill to challenge a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court decision that prohibits capital punishment in cases where the victim did not die.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, worried that victims may be hesitant to report sexual assault knowing that it may result in an execution, particularly if the offense was perpetrated by a family member. Lee has indefinitely paused executions in Tennessee after a report found several issues with how the state puts the condemned to death.

Children in the justice system: Trying teens as adults, fining parents and recording interrogations

Lawmakers pushed through bills that change how juveniles interact with the justice system, including provisions that allow children above age 16 to receive both a juvenile sentence and a sentence of adult probation.

Under the bill, which awaits Lees signature, when someone age 16 or above is convicted of a crime that would be a class A, B or C felony if it was committed by an adult, then a judge can impose a period of probation to begin after they turn 18 and end at some point before they turn 25. Another law, already signed by Lee, will allow courts to try minors 15 and up as adults when they are of accused of organized retail crime or firearm theft.

Another bill on Lees desk called the Parental Accountability Act would impose a fine of $1,000 against the parents of a child who commits a second or subsequent offense. If the family cant pay, a judge can require the parent or guardian to perform community service.

In July, a new law will go into effect requiring that interrogations of children accused of crimes be recorded by audio or video unless there is a technical issue with the recording equipment.

Wheels in motion to expand when bail can be denied

Outside the Davidson County Criminal Court and Jail as pictured on Friday, June 4, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn.

An effort to let judges deny bail in more cases made it through the first part of a multiyear process.

The General Assembly passed a resolution for an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that would allow judges to deny bail to people charged with terrorism, murder, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated rape and grave torture. Under current law, judges can deny bail only in first-degree murder cases.

The measure was introduced to curb crime committed by defendants out on bail for other charges.

The proposed amendment will next have to be approved in 2025 or 2026 by a two-thirds vote of the legislature before going to voters. It would need 50% approval by popular vote in the 2026 gubernatorial election.

Law bars local traffic stop reform

A direct rebuke of reforms in Memphis in the wake of Tyre Nichols death, the legislature passed a law preventing local governments from enacting policies that limit what types of traffic stops police can make.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black motorist, was fatally beaten by Memphis police officers during a traffic stop that police claimed was for reckless driving, although the citys police chief later said she could not find any evidence of probable cause for the traffic stop.

In response, the Memphis City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting pretextual traffic stops  ones in which police use the pretense of a minor infraction like a broken taillight to search for evidence of other crimes without probable cause.

Police must tell feds if someone lacks legal immigration status

A new law requires law enforcement to communicate with the federal government if they learn that someone is in the country without legal status, and it also mandates that they cooperate with federal officials in the identification, apprehension, detention or removal of undocumented immigrants.

The law goes into effect July 1.

Officers have been only authorized to communicate with federal immigration authorities once learning of a defendants immigration status since the law was put on the books in 2018. Now that they are required, some law enforcement offices  including Nashvilles police department  worry it may erode trust among immigrant communities. Immigrant rights groups also say it permits racial profiling by police.

GPS monitors required for people accused of domestic violence

A bill awaiting signature says that courts must order people arrested for certain crimes of alleged domestic abuse to wear a GPS monitoring system as a condition of bail. The system would notify the alleged victim through a cellphone app or other electronic receptor if the defendant is within a proximity to them set by a judge. The judge must also enter a no contact order before the defendant is released on bail.

The bill is called the Debbie and Marie Domestic Violence Protection Act after Marie Varsos and her mother Debbie Sisco, who were killed by Varsos' husband Shaun Varsos in April 2021. Shaun Varsos had been released on bail after Marie Varsos reported his domestic violence to police. Shaun Varsos took his own life after killing the two women.

Other changes

Here are a few other bills that passed:

A conviction for prostitution no longer places the offender on the sex offender registry.

The statute of limitations for a minor victim to sue for sex trafficking is now 30 years.

The statute of limitations to sue for sexual assault of adults is now five or three years, depending on if the assault was reported to law enforcement.

The Tennessee Department of Correction is required to report back to the legislature by the end of 2024 about an December 2023 audit that found several issues in state prisons, including understaffing and poor investigation of sexual abuse.

Contributing: Melissa Brown and Vivian Jones

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN legislature: New bills passed in 2024 will change justice system
Nearly two years after a federal judge said that Louisianas congressional map diluted Black voting power, Black voters are at risk of voting for a second time in an election under a plan that likely violates the Voting Rights Act.

In response to the judges ruling, the states Republican legislature had created a second majority-African American district in the states six district congressional plan. But now, a different federal court has said that adding the second majority-Black district is unconstitutional.

The new ruling, issued Tuesday by two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump, leaves the state without a congressional map six months before the election and has fueled complaints of political gamesmanship from critics on the left who fret that the clash could provide another opening for opponents of the nations premier civil rights law to attack one of its remaining pillars.

The legal fight may influence which party controls the US House next year as the second majority-Black district would likely vote for a Democrat.

Some Louisiana officials, meanwhile, contend that the ongoing legal fight over the congressional map has put them in a tough spot  caught between the Voting Rights Acts demands for empowering minority voters and the Constitutions limits on the governments ability to consider race at all.

They say the Supreme Court must clear up what they contend is an ambiguous legal landscape - despite the justices reaffirming their position only last year in an unexpected 5-4 decision that sided with Black voters in Alabama.

The Louisiana federal court that struck down the most recent congressional map held a hearing Monday on next steps. The court ordered briefs to be filed by close of business Tuesday that address whether it is feasible for the legislature to draw a new map in time for Novembers elections. State officials have said they need to know the contours of the district by May 15.

In a statement posted on social media, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the state should be allowed to implement the map passed by the state legislature that allows for two Black-majority districts  or failing that, revert to the map used in the 2022 election with a single district in which African American voters are in the majority.

She said the dispute appears headed to the Supreme Court this week. The Black voters who are defending the second majority-Black district have also signaled they will likely seek an emergency intervention from the Supreme Court.

The current turmoil reflects a larger pattern of courts striking down redistricting plans as discriminating against voters of color, only for those plans to remain in place for elections because of procedural delays and other litigative gambits. How the high court handles the dispute will signal the degree with which the justices will tolerate legal maneuvers that prolong the resolution of redistricting disputes that crop every decade after the census.

Right now, Louisiana has no map, said state Sen. Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat and former member of Congress, who is one of the candidates running in the new 6th Congressional District created by the state legislature.

The courts cant say, Comply with the law. You have the right to draw the lines, but then say, We dont like the way you complied with the law, he said.

Although Black residents make up roughly a third of Louisianas population, the state has just one Black lawmaker  who is also the lone Democrat  in its six-member US House delegation.

Claims of affirmative action in redistricting

In the current phase of the dispute, a three-judge trial judge panel sided with a group of 12 self-described non-African American voters who alleged that their personal dignity had been injured because the new map with two Black-majority districts racially stigmatizes, racially stereotypes and racially maligns them.

Their lawsuit said that the congressional plan amounted to the application of affirmative action in redistricting, unseen in previous racial gerrymandering cases and violated the Constitutions equal protection clause.

Last week, the two Trump-appointed judges in the majority rejected arguments from the state that the lawmakers had other reasons besides race for drawing the plan the way they did. The state had pointed to the desires by state lawmakers to protect certain congressional incumbents.

The new district slashes diagonally from Shreveport in the northwest of the state to Baton Rouge in the southeast for some 250 miles to create a district where Black residents make up some 54% of the districts voters  up from about 24% under the old lines. The court majority knocked the redistricting plan both for its shape and how it divided cities and parishes along racial lines.

The majority  US District Judges Robert Summerhays and David Joseph  said that even if the lawmakers had an obligation to comply with the Voting Rights Act, that requirement did not override the mandate that they adhere to traditional redistricting principles, like geographical compactness and reasonable configurations.

In a dissent, Bill Clinton-appointed Circuit Judge Carl Stewart said that the court should have let the most recent map stand. Stewart, who is Black, noted that none of the plaintiffs in this case demonstrated that (the map) had a discriminatory effect on them based on their race, nor did they share their racial identities with the court hearing the case.

A lawyer for the challengers, Paul Hurd, told CNN that the harm the map was doing to his clients was that of racial stigmatization.

Hurd declined to comment when asked about the racial identities of his clients, but the list includes prominent White Republicans in the state.

Louisiana lawmakers drew the contested plan this year in order to resolve a lawsuit brought by Black voters that challenged the states initial congressional plan after the 2020 census  a map with only one majority Black district  as a violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Our case is a really good example of a situation where youre damned if you do, youre damned if you dont, Murrill told WBRZ 2 in Baton Rouge after Tuesdays ruling.

She has said she will be asking the court to allow her to implement the map drawn by the legislature in the coming election, as she also appeals the ruling to the Supreme Court.

The jurisprudence and litigation involving redistricting has made it impossible to not have federal judges drawing maps, Murrill said. Its not right and they need to fix it.

Hurd  who has spearheaded successfully racial gerrymandering cases in the past  doesnt believe there is a lack of clarity that the Supreme Court must address.

The law is not that unsettled, he said.

State lawmakers say map was designed to keep most incumbents safe

Supporters of the map argue that political decisions  not just race  shaped the actions of state lawmakers and Louisianas recently elected Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who backed the new lines.

During a special session to craft congressional map in January, legislators said they aimed to protect their incumbents, including the two most powerful Republicans in the US House of Representatives: Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

Lawmakers said they also sought to preserve a seat held by GOP Rep. Julia Letlow, the only woman in the states congressional delegation.

The map lawmakers approved carved up the district of one Republican, Rep. Garret Graves, who had endorsed Landrys opponent in the 2023 gubernatorial primary.

Not surprisingly, he welcomed the latest ruling. The courts ruling speaks for itself, Graves said. Its the most powerful statement.

Republicans involved in national redistricting issues scoff at the idea that the lawmakers push to protect incumbents  and punish Graves  somehow proves that politics drove their actions.

All this talk of politics and everything else in this Louisiana case is secondary to the reason they had a special session, Adam Kincaid, president of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, told CNN. The reason they had a special session wasnt to get rid of Garret Graves. The reason they had a special session was to draw a second Black majority district because they didnt want (the) judge  to draw it for them.

Allegations of gamesmanship and running down the clock

Regardless of whether the Supreme Court decides to take up the case, the ongoing court fight shows how gamesmanship can undermine the Voting Rights Act protections, said Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor specializing in elections and constitutional law.

You dont need to strike (the law) down for it not to work, said Levitt, who also did stints in the Obama and Biden administrations.

The Black voters who initially sued the state over its 5-1 map secured a ruling in their favor in June 2022. US District Judge Shelly Dick  a Barack Obama appointee who is the chief judge of the district court for the Middle District of Louisiana, in Baton Rouge  issued a preliminary order finding that the state likely violated the VRA by drawing only one Black majority district.

She gave the legislature a chance to redraw the maps by June 15 of that year. The 5th Circuit denied the states efforts to pause her ruling, but at Louisianas request, the Supreme Court ultimately intervened. The high court took the dispute up but said it would be putting the litigation on hold while it considered an Alabama redistricting case teeing up similar legal questions. The 2022 congressional elections in Louisiana took place under the 5-1 map.

Once the justices handed down their Alabama ruling last year  which upheld its previous precedents for applying the Voting Rights Act to redistricting cases  the Louisiana case went back down to the 5th Circuit. Rather than letting Judge Dick move forward with her previous preliminary order, the appeals court wiped it away and said that the state should be given more time to redraw its map, prompting the special session in January where the latest map was adopted.

But when the non-Black voters challenged the new map, they went to a different federal court  the district court of Louisianas Western District. The court allowed the Black voters who sued over the original map to play only a limited role in the proceedings and denied their request to insert into the record the original Baton Rouge proceedings.

Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said the latest challenge to the map was a clear example of forum-shopping by the voters challenging the map. A nonprofit arm of Jenkins group helped fund the initial litigation decided by Dick.

Within days of the legislature approving the second-Black majority district, you get these non-Black voters immediately running to a super-conservative court in the Western District of Louisiana because they didnt like the decision in a Baton Rouge-based court, she said.

Some of Louisianas critics have questioned why the legislature, when it met in the special session this year to redraw the map, rejected other proposals that would have drawn the new districts in a more compact way to comply with traditional redistricting principles.

Plenty of maps that were suggested had a little bit of disruption to the incumbent-protection scheme, but sometimes complying with the law means you dont get everything you want, Levitt said.

Fields  the former Democratic congressman who had proposed a different map in an earlier round of the redistricting fight than the one ultimately approved by lawmakers  said the state needs resolution.

Was this the map that was my preference? No, he said. But its the desire and will of the legislature.

And the longer the current impasse lasts means more delay and uncertainty for candidates  and Black Louisianians, he contended. At the end of the day, Black people should have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice to the US Congress, he said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
An antiques store owner who became known as The Black Widow of Las Vegas when she was convicted of the murder of her millionaire husband has filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit against the state of Nevada after being freed by a federal judge.

Margaret Rudin, now 80, was accused of shooting real estate developer Ron Rudin in the head with a .22 caliber pistol while he slept before dumping his body in the desert in the hope of enriching herself by his death.

She maintained her innocence but was found guilty of murder on 2 May 2001 and subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

Then, after more than two decades behind bars at the Florence McClure Correctional Center for Women in North Las Vegas  which she spent fighting tirelessly to clear her name  US district court judge Richard Boulware finally ruled on 22 May 2022 that her conviction should be vacated.

The justice found that Ms Rudins initial defence counsel, the late Michael Amador, had been ineffective and compromised by conflicts of interest and the case against her highly flawed.

After being released, she told The Daily Mail: You think of your kids, your grandkids and think, I dont want them to believe that [Im guilty].

So, I kept fighting, did every appeal I could do while hoping some wonderful attorney would come along, take it on, work on it and eventually win.

Ron Rudin  Ms Rudins fourth husband, whom she met in church but later found to have a drinking problem  first vanished on 18 December 1994.

His car was found in the parking lot of a Nevada strip club known as the Crazy Horse Too shortly after he was reported missing and, a month later, his burned remains were discovered at Nelsons Landing near Boulder City, a popular hiking destination in the Eldorado Mountains.

Despite consistently denying involvement in the disappearance, Rudins wife was indicted in 1997, at which point she went on the run to Mexico and evaded the authorities for two years using a string of aliases and assumed identities before being apprehended in Massachusetts in October 1999.

Margaret Rudin seen in her prison mugshot (Nevada Department of Corrections)

Now absolved of wrongdoing and seeking restitution, Ms Rudins attorneys wrote in a statement announcing the lawsuit that her late husband had a long list of enemies from a complicated personal life, a known history of dubious business dealings and ties to criminal elements.

They also allege that the club outside which his car was found was known to have connections to organised crime.

Of the initial investigation that cast Ms Rudin as chief suspect, her attorneys said it had been impacted by salacious media stories and wild theories.

There was never any evidence such as fingerprints, DNA or eyewitnesses connecting Margaret Rudin to Ron Rudins murder, they wrote.

However, inexperienced homicide detectives focused on Margaret Rudin from the beginning in a biased police investigation.

Today in her early 80s, Margaret Rudin intends to prove, under a Nevada statute amended in 2019 to address the rights of persons wrongfully convicted, that she was not involved either directly or indirectly in her husbands death and did not commit the crime.

Now living in Illinois, Ms Rudin is seeking  according to her legal representatives  a certificate asserting her innocence, compensation for the ordeal she endured, that her attorneys fees and legal expenses be covered and all other relief that the court may deem just and proper.
The EU is planning to ban political parties and think tanks from accepting Russian funding as part of its latest round of sanctions against Moscow, Bloomberg reported on May 6.

The European bloc has already adopted 13 sanction 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.

EU leaders are expected to introduce a 14th round of sanctions in the coming months.

According to Bloomberg, the ban on Russian funding could impact far-right parties in Europe, such as Germany's AfD and France's National Rally, both of which have previously been accused of links to Russia.

Several European countries have accused Russia of funding far-right politicians and disseminating pro-Kremlin propaganda in the EU ahead of the elections for the European Parliament.

The EU is also working on a proposal to limit imports of Russian liquified gas (LNG) as part of the upcoming 14th package of sanctions, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on May 6, as reported by European Pravda.

Despite Brussels' target to be free of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, several EU members remain heavily reliant on Russian gas, and imports of LNG from Russia reached record highs last year.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kyiv, Simson said there are currently no sanctions against Russian LNG, but EU energy ministers "made a decision and proposed a tool to limit the access of Russian liquefied natural gas to our energy terminals," European Pravda reports.

Simson also said the EU is preparing for a sudden end to the Russian pipeline gas supply when the transit contract between Ukraine and Moscow expires at the end of this year.

Read also: Whats happening with Russias assets frozen in the West?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX)  Back in early April, the Aquatic Nuisance Species team (ANS) inspected a boat coming from Lake Powell caked with a lot of quagga mussels and mud. They were all dead, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife public informations officer for the Northwest region Rachael Gonzales tells WesternSlopeNow just one live mussel can cause serious problems.

Gonzales also stressed the importance of cleaning your boat, whether its a motorboat, paddle board or canoe. She also says you need to clean things like your fishing gear before transferring bodies of water.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
Bodies found in Mexico confirmed as those of missing American and Australian tourists

Three bodies found dumped in a well with gunshot wounds to the head have been confirmed as missing tourists, including a US citizen, Mexican authorities said Sunday.

Relatives of American Jack Carter Rhoad and Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson identified their bodies without having to perform genetic tests, the Baja California Attorney Generals office said in a statement on Sunday.

Three Mexican citizens previously questioned in relation to their disappearance have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, the attorney generals office said. One of the suspects was identified as Jesus Gerardo N, alias El Kekas.

The three friends were on a surfing and camping trip near the town of Ensenada, about 60 miles south of the border city of Tijuana, when they went missing on April 29.

Baja California Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez met with parents of the victims on Sunday and reaffirmed the institutions total commitment to continue the investigation into these unfortunate events until those responsible are fully prosecuted by the law, she said.

The surfers may have been attacked in an attempted vehicle robbery, officials said, citing preliminary investigations. Baja California has been plagued by cartel violence in recent years, though it rarely occurs in tourist areas like Ensenada.

A burned-out white pickup truck was found at a ranch in Santo Tomas, about 40 miles from where the bodies were found, a local police source told CNN. The vehicle was confirmed to be the same one Callum Robinson posted an image of on Instagram a week before the trio went missing.

Infectious spirit

The confirmation of the surfers deaths is heartbreaking news for desperate relatives who had flown to Mexico hoping for better news  and for their friends back home.

Jake Robinson, a 30-year-old doctor, had left Australia about two weeks ago for a trip of a lifetime with his brother, his parents previously told CNN affiliate Seven News.

The siblings went to Coachella music festival a week before they crossed into Mexico with their American friend, planning to surf for a few days, parents Martin and Debra Robinson said last week.

Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and this breaks our heart, they said in a statement before departing Perth, Western Australia.

The bodies of Callum and Jake Robinson were found in a well in Baja California, Mexico. - Callum Robinson/Instagram

Callum, 33, was a member of Australias national lacrosse team and a Stevenson University alumnus. He was based in San Diego, California.

In an Instagram post, the Maryland college said, Callum will be remembered for his infectious spirit and larger-than-life personality.

With his beautiful long hair and charming smile, he truly embodied the nickname big koala warm, friendly, and always there to lend a helping hand, the post said. Though he may be gone, Callums legacy will live on in our hearts forever.

Callums friend Hayley Jacobs told CNN affiliate Nine News that he lit up a room.

She said she saw him on the morning he left for Mexico, but quickly felt something was wrong when she didnt hear from him.

I dont know whats going on but I think hes mad at me, like something doesnt seem right, she said.

Photos of the American and Australian surfers on a beach in Ensenada, Mexico on May 5, 2024. - Karen Castaneda/AP

We need security

While parts of Mexico are established tourist destinations, violent crime including kidnapping and human trafficking plague parts of the country, particularly in border areas. Mexicos homicide rate is among the highest in the world, and more than 100,000 people remain missing in the country.

Drug cartels have terrorized the country with ever-increasing levels of violence and cruelty, fueled in part by huge demand for drugs from US consumers and armed with an arsenal of weaponry from north of the border.

In 2015, the bodies of Australian surfers Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman were found in a burned-out van in Sinaloa state. Authorities said they were killed by low-level drug dealers who had been robbing motorists.

The latest suspected murders sparked outrage in the surf community of Ensenda, where about 500 people marched on Sunday to call for justice and better security, Australian public broadcaster ABC reported.

We are here in solidarity with our friends from Australia and the United States, local surfer Hector Estrada told the ABC.

We are a big community of surfers all over the world and we need security, we need the beaches to be safe [for] camping around, surfing or just playing with your family, friends.

A demonstrator holds photos of the surfers during a protest in Ensenada, Mexico, on May 5, 2024. - Karen Castaneda/AP

Another resident, Ana Acosta, told the ABC: Im asking for justice and security from the government and for the state to provide to us surfers.

In a statement Sunday, Mexicos Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences over the suspected killings.

The Foreign Ministry stands in solidarity with the families of the victims in this tragic event and deeply regrets the outcome of the events, it said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNNs Jose Alvarez, Sandi Sidhu, Fidel Gutierrez, David Shortell, Michael Rios and Chris Lau contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
May 6 (UPI) -- Family members identified the bodies of three people who went missing in Baja California, the Mexican state's attorney general said.

Mexican officials said the bodies found in a remote well in La Bocana, Baja California were those of Australian brothers, Jake Robinson and Callum Robinson and Jack Carter Rhoads, of the United States.

The three surfers had been vacationing in Baja California and went missing on April 27 when they did not appear at their AirBnB in Rosarito, Mexico as expected, and Callum did not appear at work in San Diego the following Monday.

Officials said a fourth body was found in the well but it was believed to be from an unrelated incident.

All three men were killed by gunshot wounds to the head, the Ensenada medical examiner's office said on Friday.

Authorities earlier had arrested two brothers and a woman romantically linked to one of them in connection with the investigation into the deaths.

Authorities said they believe the Robinsons and Rhoads were attempting to stop the theft of their pickup truck when they were killed. Baja California prosecutors believe the suspects shot the tourists because they wanted the tires from the vehicle.

Ensenada, near where the bodies were found, is about 75 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. It has been an attractive location for surfers because of its waves and has been considered safer for tourists.

Violence in Baja California has increased as local drug gangs fight for turf control but has remained popular among tourists.
Body found in home of man accused of trying to shoot pastor during sermon, PA cops say

Hours after a man is accused of trying to shoot a pastor during a sermon, a body was found in his home, according to Pennsylvania police and news reports.

Im thankful to God that Im still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger, Glenn Germany, the pastor at Jesus Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, told WTAE.

Pennsylvania State Police said the attempted shooting at the Pittsburgh-area church happened just after 1 p.m. Sunday, May 5.

As Germany was giving his sermon, a man identified as 26-year-old Bernard Junior Polite came to the front of the church and pointed a gun at the pastor, state police said. He attempted to shoot, but the weapon failed to discharge, authorities said.

Video shared by Germany on Facebook shows a churchgoer subdue Polite before Germany wrestled the gun away from him.

I thank God because only God stopped and jammed this gun, Germany told KDKA.

According to a complaint obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Polite said he tried shooting the pastor because the spirits in his head told him to.

Polite said God told me to do it, according to the complaint, which said no one at the church knew who he was.

About seven hours later, police said officers found a man shot and killed in Polites home, WPXI reported. He was identified as 56-year-old Derek Polite, a relative of the accused church shooter.

Its unclear if Bernard Junior Polite is responsible for the killing, KDKA reported.

He was charged with attempted homicide from the church incident, reports say.

North Braddock is a suburb of Pittsburgh, and is a roughly 11-mile drive southeast from the citys downtown.

Teen wanted for murder found when he goes to church with gun in waistband, AL cops say

Man threatens massacre at church he says destroyed his marriage, Oklahoma cops say
Boeing will send astronauts into space after spate of in-flight problems on planes

Despite its ongoing challenges with aeroplanes, Boeing is setting its sights further afield Monday night as it launches astronauts into space for the first time.

The historic launch of the companys Starliner capsule will be manned by two NASA pilots and head for the International Space Station at around 10.34pm Eastern time.

Boeings capsule is on top of the Atlas V rocket, which will lift off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

We are going to have a whole new adventure. This is very much a part of our exploration of space and what I call the golden age of space exploration, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a briefing on Friday.

Its a historical day. Its a wonderful day.

From left, NASA astronauts Barry Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) commander and pilot (NASA/Glenn Benson)

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, are due to reach the ISS on Wednesday and will stay for around a week, the agency said.

If successful, the mission could provide a huge boost for Boeing, which has seen finances plummet in 2024 after a number of high-profile incidents involving its planes, including an emergency door plug falling out of an Alaska Airlines plane, as well as questions from Congress over its manufacturing processes.

Ms Williams, 58, told The Associated Press that she was not worried about that.

Were not putting our heads in the sand, the helicopter pilot from Massachusetts said. Sure, Boeing has had its problems. But we are the QA (quality assurance). Our eyes are on the spacecraft.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose for a picture after a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard was rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASAs Boeing Crew Flight Test, Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ((NASA/Joel Kowsky))

The Starliner spacecraft has a diameter of 15 feet and can carry up to four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit for the agencys Commercial Crew Program.

It can fly autonomously or be steered manually, NASA said. When the crew returns to Earth, they will make a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwest of the United States.

Weve been through training and we have our fingerprints on every single procedure that exists for this spacecraft, Wilmore, 61, said earlier this month. Were fully trained in all aspects of Starliner.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft arrives at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (NASA/Kim Shiflett)

The pair arrived at the space centre on 25 April and have been quarantined ever since so that they are ready for Monday nights flight.

I couldnt be more proud of this team. Were at peak performance right now and we are really excited to execute this launch. Were ready to go, Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of the Commercial Crew Program at Boeing, said on Friday.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASAs Boeing Crew Flight Test, Monday, May 6, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ((NASA/Joel Kowsky))

The hope for Boeing is that this test flight is successful, meaning it can then be certified for NASAs future Commercial Crew Program.

The journey to Mondays launch has not been without issues, with software glitches and fuel valve problems causing delays.

A successful, unmanned return trip was made in 2022.
Bomb threat emailed to nearly two dozen Jewish sites in NYC as disturbing text revealed: sources

Authorities are investigating a disturbing bomb threat emailed to more than two dozen synagogues and Jewish institutions in the Big Apple  and to temples upstate and on Long Island.

Hello, if you see this email just have notice of a bomb I have set inside of your

building, the email sent Saturday read, law enforcement sources told The Post.

A disturbing bomb threat was sent to more than two dozen synagogues across NYC. William Miller

Several synagogues in the Big Apple were evacuated after an emailed bomb threat on Saturday, soruces said. REUTERS

This isnt a threat, it said. I have set a bomb in your building, you have a few hours to

disarm or else blood will shatter everywhere.

Sources said the threat came from a group calling itself Terrorizers111.

The targets included 14 Manhattan synagogues and Jewish centers, five in Queens and another two in Brooklyn  with two more upstate temples and one on Long Island, the sources said.

A similar threat was emailed to the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

The threats come amid heightened antisemitism in the five boroughs and beyond, as pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets and have set up anti-Israeli encampments on college campuses, including Columbia University and City College in recent weeks.

On Sunday, US Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that $400 million in federal assistance would be earmarked to protect houses of worship by funding security guards, cameras and barriers.

Last nights bomb threats targeting New York City synagogues created immense fear, but sadly, these threats are not a total shock given the rise in antisemitism that we have seen and the overall spike in threats to places of worship, Schumer said in a statement.

Protecting our nonprofit community spaces, like our synagogues, mosques, churches and more has unfortunately demanded more help at the federal level as the threats have increased, he said. These funds are to help lessen the unease across the city in the places where we worship, pray, and learn.

The threats come in the wake of a surge in antisemitism in the Big Apple and beyond. Ron Adar / M10s / MEGA

According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were 8,873 antisemitic incidents in the US last year, a 140% increase of the 2022 figure.

The number spiked after Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists carried out a deadly sneak attack on Israel the prompted a massive counter-offensive by the Jewish State in the Gaza Strip.

The Anti-Defamation League said antisemitic incidents in the US spiked after a Hamas sneak attack sparked the Israeli conflict in the Gaza strip, with more than 5,000 after the Oct. 7 terror attack. REUTERS

In all, there were 5,204 antisemitic incidents recorded by the ADL after Oct. 7.

The 2023 incident included 1,009 bomb threats against Jewish institutions, the ADL said.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturdays bomb threats.
In February, Capital Books on K in Sacramentos downtown received a two-star review critical of the stores childrens book section.

It was Black History Month, and the store was adorned with posters of Black children, families and books to celebrate African American literature.

Childrens section is littered with woke leftist ideologue literature, the review read. However, it was nice that the childrens section had a small chair and bean bags.

In support of its selection of diverse literature, and in opposition of the review, Capital Books put the review on a shirt. The move has been lauded as an example on how to deal with push back by those in favor of book bans by the American Booksellers Association, Capital Books co-owner Ross Rojek.

Somebody wants to claim theres too much Black representation in a bookstore that is during Black history month, Rojek said. You cant please everybody.

Book bans have been going on for as long as books have been printed, Rojek said. But now, critics often target features stories from LGBTQ+ and communities of color.

What it does is reduce representation and the ability for children to find books that represent them or their family, Rojek said. Not every child in public school is a white straight evangelical child., so those (children of color) need to see books that represent themselves.

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With book bans spreading across the country, a new piece of legislation seeks to prohibit censorship and protect the First Amendment rights of literature in California.

Assembly Bill 1825, also known as the California Freedom to Read Act, aims to prevent public libraries from banning literature in a discriminatory manner.

We want professional librarians to be making decisions on how and what books to provide to their local readers. Rather than these vocal minorities with an agenda to attack and suppress the voices and perspectives of LGBTQ and communities of color. said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, who authored the bill.

AB 1825 would require libraries to establish a book challenging process for community members where criticism could not stem from the origin, background, or views of those contributing to the creation of the materials, the bill proposes. Additionally, a book could not be banned because the topics addressed or opinions expressed in the literature. This requirement seeks to protect stories about LGBTQ+ and communities of color from being disproportionately targeted.

During these dangerous times for our community, we refuse to be silenced or erased, said Tony Hoang, the director of Equality California Executive, in a news release. AB 1825 will ensure that our public libraries remain committed to intellectual diversity and grant all Californians the ability to see their own stories and communities reflected in the books they read.

If passed, local libraries would be required to create collection development policies which would provide an explanation on why a book is in its collection, Muratsuchi said. This legislation would also protect material about gender identity, religion, disability, political affiliation and social economic status.

Book challenges in California

A majority of Californians, around 69%, are against efforts to ban books from school boards, a study from the Public Policy Institute of California found. That number drops slightly to 55% from parents with students in public schools. School board book bans are opposed altogether on both sides of the political aisle, the study stated.

Yet, across the United States, public challenges to ban books have increased 65% from 2022 to 2023, according to the American Library Association. A challenge refers to public petitions to take books off library shelves, Muratsuchi said. This uptick is the highest increase documented by the association.

These efforts are prevalent in California as well, with a vocal minority fueling the outrage against books, said Muratsuchi. In communities like Huntington Beach and Fresno County, Muratsuchi said there have been 52 challenges of 98 books in public libraries in 2023.

In Fresno, the County Board of Supervisors approved a proposal to start a review process to remove books that contain age-inappropriate content from the childrens section, The Fresno Bee reported in November.

Fresnos resolution states that a county library, or any county facility, is not allowed to provide access books classified as age-inappropriate to a child without a parent or guardians consent.

This proposal was led by county board supervisor Steve Brandau, who said this effort is not a ban, but removing books with the sketchy material out of the childrens section.

The American Civil Liberties Unions Northern California chapter spoke out against this proposal, saying it violates the free speech rights of Fresno residents.

The Resolution is an invasive and unconstitutional form of censorship that targets books based on seemingly disfavored speech, namely references to bodily anatomy, sexual content, and gender identity, the ACLU letter reads, as reported by The Fresno Bee.

Conservative organizations and right-wing activists have been fueling book bans across the country, said Muratsuchi. These groups specifically target material about LGBTQ+ and communities of color, arguing the material is inappropriate or a part of critical race theory.

Muratsuchi said these groups are trying to ban the perspectives, and histories of these communities.

Unfortunately, its the culture wars that were seeing across the country and including right here in California, Muratsuchi said.
State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, speaks on the Missouri House floor during a May 2022 debate on an education bill (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).

The Republican 19th Senatorial District Committee met Sunday evening in Columbia to decide on a replacement candidate for the Boone County Senate seat.

The only problem is that they dont have one.

Were working with some people behind the scenes on this but some of them need a little bit more convincing, said Anthony Lupo, chairman of Boone County Republican Central Committee.

Former Republican state Rep. Chuck Basye of Rocheport withdrew from the race last month after receiving a cancer diagnosis.

The local GOP must have a candidate nominated and the certificate of nomination filed to the Office of the Secretary of State by May 23.

A Senate term in Missouri lasts four years. Outgoing state Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch said the commitment can be tough.

Its a serious commitment of time, money, freedom, faith, she said, and were just looking for the candidate that can do that for the Republican Party.

The committee says the lack of an opponent for former state Rep. Stephen Webber, the Democratic nominee, is also a concern in other elections. A Webber campaign official told the Missourian Sunday that theyve raised nearly $1 million so far.

If unopposed, his PAC could provide money to help other Democratic candidates campaigns. Republican committee members said that the predecessor of the seat, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, had to raise double Webbers contributions in 2016 . The party believes it will have to do that again to be competitive.

In 2022, the boundaries of Senate District 19 were redrawn to include only Boone County, dropping a lot of Cooper County voters who leaned Republican. Reisch recognized that the new boundaries make winning as a Republican harder, but she says that a Republican nomination is necessary because of the makeup of the Missouri Senate, where the GOP currently holds a super majority.

Democrats wont get anything done, she said, the (University of Missouri) doesnt go to Democrats to carry legislation because they cant get anything done.

The primary election for the seat will be held Aug. 6.

This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.

This story was corrected to indicate any potential candidate for the Senate seat must get nominated by the local committee.

The post Boone County GOP worried about finding candidate for Senate seat appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Boy shot dead after Perth stabbing was in deradicalization program, but no ties seen to Sydney teens

In this image from a video, Western Australian Police Commissioner Col Blanch speaks at a press conference in Perth, Australia Sunday, May 5, 2024. A 16-year-old boy armed with a knife was shot dead by police after he stabbed a man in the Australian west coast city of Perth, officials said Sunday. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  A 16-year-old boy who was shot dead by police after stabbing a man in the Australian west coast city of Perth had been in a deradicalization program but had no links to an alleged network of teen extremists in the east coast city of Sydney, authorities said.

The boy had participated in the federally funded Countering Violent Extremism program for two years but had no criminal record, Western Australia Police Minister Paul Papalia said Monday.

The challenge we confront with people like the 16-year-old in this incident is that hes known to hold views that are dangerous and potentially he could be radicalized, Papalia said. But the problem with individuals like this is they can act at short notice without warning and be very dangerous.

On the potential for the boy to have been radicalized, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was concerned by social media pushing extreme positions.

Its a dynamic that isnt just an issue for government. Its an issue for our entire society, whether it be violent extremism, misogyny and violence against women. It is an issue that of course Im concerned about, Albanese told reporters.

Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the boy had phoned police late Saturday saying he was about to commit acts of violence but did not say where. Minutes later, a member of the public reported to police seeing the boy with a knife in a hardware store parking lot.

Three police officers responded, one armed with a gun and two with stun guns. Police deployed both stun guns but they failed to incapacitate the boy before he was killed by a single gunshot, Blanch said.

The stabbing victim is a man in his 30s who was wounded in his back. He was in serious but stable condition at a Perth hospital, police said.

Blanch said members of the local Muslim community had raised concerns with police about the boys behavior before he was killed on Saturday.

The boy had said in a text message to associates, "I am going on the path of jihad tonight for the sake of Allah," Australian Associated Press reported, prompting several to alert police.

Police said the stabbing had the hallmarks of a terrorist attack but have not declared it as such. Factors that can influence that decision include whether state police need federal resources, including the Australian Security Intelligence Organization domestic spy agency.

Blanch said the Western Australia Police Force investigation did not need additional federal resources and he was confidence the situation was different from the one in Sydney.

We are dealing with complex issues, both mental health issues but also online radicalization issues, Blanch said Sunday. But we believe he very much is acting alone and we do not have concerns at this time that there is an ongoing network or other concerns that might have been seen over in Sydney."

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook said his government and the state education department had been aware of concerns at the boy's school about his behavior. Cook didn't directly respond to reports that several boys at Rossmoyne Senior High School, the prestigious government school he attended, were attempting to radicalize classmates.

I'll leave that up the the Education Department to clarify, Cook told reporters. This young man was harboring some extremist thoughts, which is the reason why he was part of the Countering Violent Extremism program.

Amanda Spencer-Teo, a parent of a Rossmoyne student, said multiple red flags had been raised about the behavior of some students.

Parents have been raising this with the school for some time, Spencer-Teo, who will be an opposition party candidate at state elections next year, told The Australian newspaper. The school and the department have failed to provide information to those concerned parents.

In the stabbings at a Sydney church on April 15, New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb declared the stabbings of an Assyrian Orthodox bishop and priest as a terrorist act within hours. The boy arrested was later charged with committing a terrorist act. In the subsequent investigation, six more teenagers were charged with terror-related offenses.

Police alleged all seven were part of a network that adhered to a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology.

Some Muslim leaders have criticized Australian police for declaring the church stabbing a terrorist act but not a rampage two days earlier in a Sydney shopping mall in which six people were killed and a dozen wounded.

The 40-year-old attacker, who was shot dead by police, had a history of schizophrenia and most of the victims he targeted were women. Police have yet to reveal the mans motive.
The death toll from a series of catastrophic floods in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has risen to at least 83, the states civil defense unit said Monday.

Authorities are also investigating another four deaths to determine if they were related to the storms.

A further 276 people are reportedly injured and at least 111 people are missing, while at least 121,000 people have been displaced, according to the Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul.

The disaster has affected more than 850,000 people in 345 municipalities, destroying homes, roads and bridges.

Military firefighters rescue a man using a helicopter. - Renan Mattos/Reuters

People being rescued in Canoas. - Amanda Perobelli/Reuters

CNN spoke to local residents and evacuees who reported seeing dead bodies still in the flood water, likely not yet counted in the death toll.

Col. Jose Carlos Sallet, subcommander of Rio Grande do Sul Military Firefighters, told CNN on Sunday that approximately 1,000 firefighters are working on rescue missions.

When the rain stops, they have been doing short operations to save as many people as possible. Yesterday (Saturday) were we able to intensify operations, Sallet said.

Images show muddy brown waters rising as high as rooftops in some areas, while rescue teams were out with inflatable rafts, taking people and pets on board.

Mud left after floodwaters receded in Jacarezinho. - Diego Vara/Reuters

Destroyed buildings in the town of Roca Sales. - Gustavo Ghisleni/AFP/Getty Images

Rio Grande do Sul has been increasingly hit by extreme weather events in recent years, and at least 54 people died in the state in September after it endured a sub-tropical cyclone.

The climate crisis, caused primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, is supercharging extreme weather around the world, making many events more intense and more frequent.

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BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is traveling to Sao Paulo on Monday for treatment of an intestinal obstruction and a bout of erysipelas, a bacterial skin infection, his lawyer Fabio Wajngarten said on social media.

The former president, who was admitted to a hospital in the Amazonian northwestern city of Manaus during the weekend, will undergo treatment with antibiotics in the hospital in Brazil's largest city.

Bolsonaro, who was stabbed in the abdomen during a presidential campaign event in 2018, has already been hospitalized several times for intestinal problems caused by the attack.

He also had the same skin infection in November 2022, after losing to current leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in that year's presidential election.

An electoral court last year declared Bolsonaro ineligible for public office until 2030 for abusing his presidential powers to undermine trust in Brazil's electoral system. He is still the target of investigations, such as one into an alleged coup d'etat conspiracy.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello; Writing by Steven Grattan; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Breastfeeding moms sent naked photos, videos to purported lactation consultant on Facebook. Now they fear it was a scam.

CHICAGO  Sleep-deprived and anxious about feeding their babies, tens of thousands of moms in Illinois and elsewhere recently turned to a variety of Facebook groups offering support for breastfeeding, pumping breast milk and postpartum care.

Direct responses were often remarkably prompt from the creator and admin of these groups, a Facebook user named Cathy Marie Chan, whose profile featured a smiling picture of a woman purporting to be a board-certified lactation consultant and founder of Chan Lactation LLC.

Via Facebook Messenger, Cathy Marie Chan would request photos and video recordings of the mothers naked breasts  and in some cases vaginal areas  for supposed health care purposes, according to multiple members of the groups and screenshots of private messages.

Some of the images of breasts that women sent were bare, others were taken while expressing milk or feeding infants; some women received specific instructions to include their face in the shot, according to group members recollections and screenshots of messages.

In one Facebook Messenger exchange captured in a screenshot, Cathy Marie Chan offered to perform a quick assessment of your vagina with you for a postpartum mother who was worried about a possible prolapse, a medical condition in which one or more of the pelvic organs slip down from their typical position. Multiple lactation experts said a lactation consultant would not be qualified to provide this type of assessment.

Soon members of the Facebook groups  including at least two board-certified lactation consultants  began asking for more details about Cathy Marie Chans credentials. They also questioned the nature of some of her requests for videos and photos, which seemed unnecessarily sexual and had dubious clinical or therapeutic value, according to several lactation experts.

Shortly after these questions surfaced, the Cathy Marie Chan Facebook profile suddenly vanished. The Facebook account was deactivated in early March and many of the various lactation and motherhood groups it created and ran  at least 17, by one group members count  were archived by Facebook because they lacked an admin, according to messages posted on some of the group sites.

You can only review posts but not react, create new posts or add members, the archive messages stated.

Now many of these new moms fear they were victims of what appears to be an elaborate and well-researched scam: Theyre left wondering who was actually behind the now-defunct Cathy Marie Chan Facebook profile  and how all of the nude images and recordings they sent are being used.

A few days after her Facebook profile disappeared, Cathy Marie Chan admitted she wasnt actually a board-certified lactation consultant to one Facebook group member in an email, using an email address that has since been deactivated.

Cathy Marie Chan is similar to the name of a real lactation consultant who is listed on the public International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Commission certification registry, though they have different middle names. Several Facebook group members told the Chicago Tribune they had assumed that the real credentialed lactation consultant was the same person they were communicating with on the social media platform.

The Tribune reached the real lactation consultant, who said she was aware of this situation, adding that she was not affiliated with Cathy Marie Chan.

I was never a part of these Facebook groups, and I have no leads to who this person is, therefore I have no further information about what occurred, she said.

The Tribune searched all 50 states and could find no business named Chan Lactation LLC. The website once used by Cathy Marie Chan to accept payment for services shows an error message.

I felt hurt. Betrayed, said Christina Gonzalez, 35, of northwest suburban Des Plaines, who was a member of several of these Facebook groups, including one for mothers of multiples.

Gonzalez said she sent the Cathy Marie Chan Facebook account video of her breastfeeding her twins via Facebook Messenger; she said Cathy Marie Chan had insinuated doing so would help promote education and better lactation support for other moms.

Many mothers describe feeling tremendous pressure to breastfeed their babies. The Chicago-based American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximately the first six months of an infants life, citing numerous health benefits for the mother and baby.

Yet following those recommendations can often be difficult for a plethora of reasons. Some moms have a low milk supply. Babies can have trouble latching on to the breast. Breastfeeding moms can develop mastitis, an inflammation of breast tissue that often causes pain and swelling.

All of these women are coming together because they have similar problems and they want help, Gonzalez said. And you form like a connection with them because youre all going through the same thing. Motherhood is tough. You want to know that youre not alone.

Looking back, Gonzalez was just grateful the videos she sent were low-quality with poor lighting and didnt show her face. Gonzalez still has no idea who was behind the Facebook profile. She never spoke with Cathy Marie Chan on the phone nor had she ever seen her in a video.

I think thats the scariest part, Gonzalez said. She  and I say she, because thats how I perceived her, everyone perceived her. Thats how she presented herself. Who knows? It could be  I would say they/them, because it might even be like a group of people. It might be a guy. It might be a girl. We dont even know.

Gonzalez also fears for the fate of all of the sensitive videos and photos the Cathy Marie Chan Facebook account might have collected; one of the Facebook groups lists its creation as December 2022, though others appear to have been started more recently.

Thats the part that makes people question everything, Gonzalez said. Because she could have sold them. She could have put them on the dark web.  She could have done anything.

Magnitude of scale

Its unclear how many women were impacted by these Facebook groups.

One that focused on breastfeeding and pumping support had more than 43,000 members, according to screenshots. There were groups designed for different populations: Young moms. Older moms. Asian moms. Another focused on postpartum sexual health and self-care, with discussions about healing after childbirth.

Since the Cathy Marie Chan profile was deactivated, some members started a new Facebook discussion group for those who feel they were victims, which has grown to more than a thousand members.

The Tribune has interviewed eight women  three from Illinois and the rest from other parts of the United States  who said they sent naked photographs or videos of their breasts to the Cathy Marie Chan profile through Facebook Messenger.

One lactation consultant said some of her clients had sent pictures of their breasts and vaginal areas to Cathy Marie Chan on Facebook. Another woman said she never sent images but recalled some of Cathy Marie Chans comments to her in private messages seemed oddly sexual and inappropriate for a supposed health care professional.

Several of the women the Tribune interviewed said they filed complaints about the Facebook groups with the FBI. An FBI spokeswoman said in a written statement that the agencys policies prevent confirming the existence or nonexistence of any specific investigation that may be occurring.

Scammers regularly target societys most vulnerable citizens during times of increased stress, and lactation scams certainly follow this established pattern, the statement said. As with any business transaction, anyone seeking lactation assistance should be wary of services offered online by unknown individuals. Many hospitals and nonprofit organizations maintain lists of locally based, vetted providers who can provide feeding assistance to new parents.

The statement also encouraged anyone who believes they have been a victim of an online lactation service scam to file a complaint through the FBIs Internet Complaint Crime Center.

A spokesperson for Facebook parent company Meta said in a statement, We have strict rules against soliciting, sharing or threatening to share someones intimate images. The statement also said the company has worked with experts to develop online tools such as StopNCII.org, which was designed to help people take back control of their intimate images and try to prevent them from being shared online.

The spokesperson added that we work with law enforcement to investigate criminal activity.

The Illinois attorney generals office has not received any complaints about the Facebook groups or a user named Cathy Marie Chan, but recommends anyone impacted contact local law enforcement, a spokesperson said.

Some lactation experts say part of the problem is a lack of state licensing of lactation consultants across much of the nation, including in Illinois. While most health care professionals are licensed by state agencies, only three states  New Mexico, Oregon and Rhode Island  license lactation consultants.

Proponents of licensure believe that having this layer of government oversight in more states could help prevent problems, as well as offer another avenue to report lactation support practices that seem inappropriate or suspected fraudulent behavior.

If a (state) board gets information that someone is impersonating and its in their auspices of authority  they have the authority to investigate and to send cease-and-desist letters, and perhaps even initiate court proceedings, said Merrilee Gober, board member of the National Lactation Consultant Alliance. Clinical patient care needs to be delivered by licensed practitioners.

As for Gonzalez, the new mother of twins, she said Cathy Marie Chan contacted her on Facebook Messenger in November asking about how she breastfeeds her son and daughter at the same time, ostensibly to learn more about tandem feeding.

If you could just record that first like minute or so as you get them onto the breasts and then the minute or so of you getting them off, one message said. I think Id love to learn from you on how to easily get them on and off.

I really wanna (sic) help mommas with twins and tandem feeders but I cant have tons of exposure to them, reads another message.

At one point, Cathy Marie Chan asked about the size of her breasts, Gonzalez recalled. She said she gave that information because she believed she was communicating with a health care professional.

Just trying to feed my child

After giving birth in October, 24-year-old Sophie Harpster of central Illinois found breastfeeding to be a struggle.

Her baby wanted to feed frequently and for long stretches, so the first-time mom decided to supplement with pumped breast milk in bottles. To get advice, Harpster said, she joined three Facebook groups with 30,000 to 40,000 members each that focused on breastfeeding and pumping.

She recalled the admin of the groups, Cathy Marie Chan, was offering help with sizing for breast pump flanges, the plastic or silicone shield that goes on the breast when pumping milk. So Harpster sent the admin a message on Facebook Messenger requesting that service, which cost $25 for priority sizing  paid through Cathy Marie Chans website  or free for those willing to wait a few days.

Harpster opted for free sizing but was surprised that she actually got back to me super-fast anyway.

Via Facebook Messenger, Cathy Marie Chan sent a list of instructions: Harpster recalled she was told to send photos of her bare breasts to compare nipple symmetry, images of the breasts alongside a coin for sizing comparison and recordings of each nipple while pumping. She said she didnt send any recordings or photos with her face included. Several other group members described receiving similar instructions for flange sizing from Cathy Marie Chan, and some sent the Tribune screenshots of the list.

Based on her credentials and how many women were in the group, I trusted what she said and sent the photos and videos, Harpster said.

Cathy Marie Chan responded with a recommendation for a specific flange size, and that was their last message exchange, Harpster recalled. She said she was never asked to sign any patient consent forms or other paperwork.

Harpster said she didnt think about the photos and recordings again until a few months later when the Cathy Marie Chan Facebook account was suddenly deactivated and the Facebook groups were archived.

Then Harpster saw posts on Facebook from other moms warning that Cathy Marie Chans credentials couldnt be verified.

My heart just sank and my stomach turned. I felt  extremely violated, recalled Harpster, who added that she had previously survived sexual assault. So having something like this happen where I was vulnerable and trusted someone with something  it just felt awful.

She describes herself as typically very careful with whom she trusts and what she puts on the internet.

As a new mom who just wants to feed her baby, also being in a postpartum fog, its really hard to have the best sense of judgment, she said. Youre so tired. You dont think clearly. Youre emotional. You have lots of hormones going on.

New moms are an extremely vulnerable population, Harpster added.

In retrospect, Im just trying to give myself grace, she said. Because I was really just trying to feed my child.

These kind of requests for nude images and recordings via private message on a public social media site were red flags, which would constitute inappropriate behavior for a real board-certified lactation consultant or any type of health care professional, according to several lactation experts.

The Cathy Marie Chan Facebook profile used the credential IBCLC, or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, which requires 95 hours of lactation-specific education, 300 to 1,000 hours of lactation-specific clinical practice, health sciences education courses and passage of an exam.

An IBCLC should require patients to sign consent forms before providing any kind of care, said Katie Cohen, professional development coordinator for the United States Lactation Consultant Association.

Cohen said IBCLCs in the United States must also comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, national standards that protect sensitive patient health information. They should only be providing care online using secure, encrypted platforms, she added.

An IBCLC failing to provide care in this manner would risk being stripped of their credential, Cohen said.

We have a pretty strict code of ethics. . Were allied health professionals, said Cohen, an IBCLC and registered nurse. So an IBCLC would never  and really no legitimate health care provider  would ask somebody to send, not even photos or videos, but even just discussing in any way protected health information on Facebook. Or anything like that thats not secure.

Still conflicting

Each IBCLC has a credential number thats available on the public certification registry, where names and credentials can be verified. But there was the IBCLC listed on the registry with a name thats similar to Cathy Marie Chan, and several Facebook group members said they had just assumed that this was the same person as the Facebook admin they were interacting with.

Nicole Santana, a registered nurse and IBCLC in Rockford, was a member of some of these Facebook groups. She said she emailed Cathy Marie Chan asking her to verify her credentials after her Facebook profile disappeared in March.

In response, Cathy Marie Chan said she was not a credentialed IBCLC but had started training to become one and never finished, adding that she had inflated in some places, according to the email.

The Gmail account Cathy Marie Chan used included the acronym IBCLC in its username.

Cathy Marie Chan went on to claim in the email that she had become an RN but stopped practicing after having her son, though no documentation of her having been a registered nurse was provided in the email.

She also said in the email that she had a certificate in lactation from an online program but added that she would rather not say which program and offered no proof; someone with this kind of certificate would not qualify to use the credential IBCLC, which requires much more education and training.

Cathy Marie Chan also claimed she had deleted all the photos and videos and made sure to wipe down my computer, according to the email to Santana.

First of all, I apologize. What I did was wrong, the email said. In an attempt to feel better about myself and feel helpful, I created this so I could stop being a stay at home and feel like I was actually working and helping others. My husband wont let me work so I needed some outlet.

Another Facebook group member said she had used the same email address to contact Cathy Marie Chan and sent the Tribune screenshots of her own email exchanges with the same account from March.

When the Tribune sent an email in April to the address to try and seek comment from Cathy Marie Chan, the email bounced back with the message the address couldnt be found, or is unable to receive mail.

Santana said she didnt find any of Cathy Marie Chans explanations or promises in the email exchange reassuring, since nothing could be proven.

Her story was still conflicting, said Santana, owner of Soak Lactation. I just want moms to find qualified, appropriate care.

About 83% of infants born in 2020 were breastfed at some point and roughly 45% were breastfed exclusively through three months; by six months, only about a quarter of babies exclusively received breast milk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Roughly 21% of breastfed infants received formula supplementation within the first two days of life, CDC data showed.

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants can be a critical source of support for breastfeeding moms, according to the 2011 U.S. Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding.

Research shows that rates of exclusive breastfeeding and of any breastfeeding are higher among women who have had babies in hospitals with IBCLCs on staff than in those without these professionals, the report stated.

Yet data indicates there arent enough IBCLCs to keep up with potential demand.

The report cited the need for 8.6 IBCLCs for every 1,000 live births nationwide. As of February, there were 19,930 IBCLCs in the United States, according to the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners; thats about 5 IBCLCs for every 1,000 live births, based on the roughly 3.6 million births in 2023, according to the CDC.

Several women the Tribune interviewed cited various barriers to accessing a lactation consultant including poor internet service, cost in cases where their insurance wouldnt cover lactation care, a lack of nearby providers in more rural areas and the challenge of leaving the house to seek in-person care while parenting.

One Facebook group member, a 28-year-old mother from New Jersey who wanted to remain anonymous, commented that Cathy Marie Chans services had been easy and accessible.

She seemed like a good person that was there to help, the mom recalled. I thought, Shes so busy, how nice of her to follow up with me. Shes nice.

Unknown identity, dubious tests

After a traumatic cesarean section in September, 23-year-old Rose Baxter of Kalamazoo County, Michigan, had lost so much blood she didnt have the strength to hold her newborn daughter right away, let alone breastfeed.

Following a blood transfusion and a little time to get her energy back, Baxter tried to nurse but her daughter wouldnt latch, she said. So the new mom began exclusively pumping but developed milk blisters, mastitis and clogged milk ducts, which she attributed to poor flange size fitting in the hospital.

She had joined several Facebook groups created by Cathy Marie Chan to get help and support through this new, beautiful, exhausting journey of motherhood.

Everyone had recommended Cathy for flange sizing. I was very, very on the fence and was very hesitant to go to her, Baxter said. I went back and forth on it for about a month but decided I needed to do this so I can feed my precious baby girl.

Baxter said she checked online and found a LinkedIn profile for a lactation consultant with a similar name to Cathy Marie Chan.

I again hesitated, but I knew my baby needed me to get sized so she can have my breast milk, Baxter said. I went ahead and sent Cathy pictures and videos of my breasts and while pumping.

Baxter said she believes Cathy Marie Chan did size her correctly. Afterward, her problems with pumping went away. But ever since the Facebook profile was deactivated, Baxter has been wondering who gave her this advice and what would happen to her photos and videos.

She seemed genuine, but I still had this weird (gut) feeling that I pushed aside in order to get help, Baxter said, adding that she filed a complaint with the FBI. Unfortunately, in the situation Im in, its hard for me to be able to get out and go to a lactation consultant in person, and I dont have the greatest internet connection for an online consultant.

Baxter cautioned others to be wary of who you trust, even if they come with hundreds of recommendations.

This Cathy person now has pictures and videos of my breasts and I have no control over what they do with it, she said. I feel helpless, embarrassed, and full of shame. This isnt something I would wish upon anyone.

Jessica Anderson, an IBCLC in Hawaii and owner of Genuine Lactation, said she first encountered Cathy Marie Chans Facebook groups close to 18 months ago; Anderson said women had come to her in the past trying to figure out if the admin was a legitimate provider.

Then, after the profile was deactivated, more women began sharing strange or off-putting encounters with Cathy Marie Chan, Anderson recalled.

Screenshots of messages show Cathy Marie Chan giving a mom instructions for what she refers to as an emptiness and pain test, which specifically request the woman show her face in the video recording.

Record yourself hand expressing on each side for 45 seconds. Prop the phone up in front of you so that you can use two hands, the message said. One to express and one to catch the milk. Also include your face in the frame so I can look for any pain cues as you are expressing. Talk aloud about how it feels and if there is any pain. This way I can understand how the milk is flowing as well as understand if you are giving any pain signs.

Anderson and Santana said there would be no clinical reason to request this kind of recording.

In another message, Cathy Marie Chan asked someone to record herself topless with no bra on and to trace her fingers over her breasts.

Keep your full face in frame so I can watch your reaction as you do it, the message said, according to screenshots.

Anderson, who reviewed the screenshots, called these requests sexual exploitation.

There was nothing clinical about some of these photos or videos that were obtained, she said. There would be no therapeutic value in it. It is strictly stuff that would be of a sexual nature.

Lack of state licensing

Anderson said 40 to 50 clients have contacted her about their encounters with the Cathy Marie Chan Facebook profile. Roughly 10 of them told her they sent images of their breasts or vaginas to the Facebook account via Messenger; Anderson said those clients have also sent the images to her via a secure patient portal, because they wanted to know if this was appropriate care.

Thats why I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, this is not lactation care, she said.

One client who Anderson had recommended see a physician about a medical condition turned to Cathy Marie Chan for help, but Cathy Marie Chan was actually exploiting her for weeks and weeks on end, Anderson recalled.

Shes like I thought about telling you, but then thought that if there was something wrong youd think that I was stupid. So I just kept my mouth shut. And I feel awful for her, Anderson added. This person was supposedly meeting with (the client) nightly via Facebook chat to get these videos, for weeks on end. Which is not the behavior of a professional.

To Anderson, part of the problem is that very few states license lactation consultants, a landscape she believes makes it easier for someone to pose as a lactation professional.

Most health care professionals are licensed by state agencies, which means the public can typically search a government site for their name, address, when the license expires and whether theyve been disciplined. The National Lactation Consultant Alliance says this kind of state regulation is needed to protect the public and profession.

Licensure validates a minimum standard for education, training, and expertise, upholds the integrity of a profession, and helps assure the provision of competent care, states the organizations position paper on licensure.

Measures to license lactation consultants are pending in Connecticut and New Jersey. Illinois does not license lactation consultants, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Yet licensing can be controversial. Georgia in 2016 passed a law requiring providers of lactation care and services be licensed by the state and that only International Board Certified Lactation Consultants were eligible to receive a license.

But in May 2023, the Georgia Supreme Court determined the law was unconstitutional because it violated the due process rights of other types of lactation care providers to practice their profession.

Thus, it may well be true that regulations promoting quality care are desirable as a policy matter, but that is not a sufficient interest to justify an unreasonable burden on the ability to pursue a lawful occupation, the ruling states.

Critical, emotional situation

Thirty-three-year-old Hala Hardy of Virginia, another member of some of the Facebook groups, said she was never asked for images or recordings. But she recalled that Cathy Marie Chans conversations with her on Messenger became really, really unprofessional  just very sexual.

Conversations started turning into a lot of talk about masturbation and sexual things, Hardy said.

Hardy said Cathy Marie Chan began sending her direct messages in the middle of the night.

She would talk about how she has a fetish for Black women. And I am Black, Hardy said.

One 25-year-old first-time mom from Tennessee who asked that her name be withheld said she was embarrassed that she sent photos and video recordings of her naked breasts to Cathy Marie Chan.

Now someone out there has photos and videos of me, she said. And who knows what theyre doing with them?

Yet shes still puzzled by how knowledgeable Cathy Marie Chan seemed, at times.

Whats crazy is  a bunch of people say they got good advice. And I feel I got kind of good advice from this person, she said. Its almost like they did their research to know, this is what I need to know in order to get these pictures and videos sent to me.

Nick Nikiforakis, associate professor of computer science at Stony Brook University in New York and a cybersecurity expert, said these Facebook groups have all of the earmarks of a social engineering scam, where an online actor uses deception and manipulation to get another individual to act in a way thats not in their best interest.

After the truth comes to light, the online profile is often deleted, he said.

They can just delete it and create a new one with a new identity, he said. And then again, ultimately, the problem is they can claim to be whoever they want to be or whatever they want to be.

This becomes kind of a whack-a-mole game, he added, because there are so many versions of the same scam.

The onus unfortunately, for better or for worse, is on users, on members of the Facebook platform to kind of cautiously use the site in a way that makes sense, he said. I dont foresee a world where it makes sense to send pictures of your naked breasts lactating to a stranger.  I think people fall for this because they are in this critical, emotional situation, where probably they feel they need urgently to give milk to their babies. And then they do things they wouldnt normally do.

_____
New bridge along busy North Fulton County road expected to open on Wednesday

The Georgia Department of Transportation said it expects to open the new bridge along Kimball Bridge Road that crosses over GA 400 in Alpharetta on Wednesday.

The bridge has been closed since May 2023.

GDOT says the new bridge features a raised profile, a multi-use path and sidewalk, and two additional lanes with a raised median.

TRENDING STORIES:

As the bridge nears completion, continued construction activities will include final roadway striping. Additional work will be required for the placement of the decorative fencing and pavers, as well as general clean-up over the coming weeks, GDOT said in a news release.

There is still work going on along the nearby Roberts Drive and Pitts Road bridges in Sandy Springs. Those are expected to be finished later this year.

These bridges were pulled forward as part of the phased delivery of the planned SR 400 Express Lanes, GDOT said. The new bridges have been replaced with taller, wider structures which will feature multiuse paths and sidewalks.

IN OTHER NEWS:
British students occupy university campuses in protest against conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Oxford

British students occupy university campuses in protest against conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Oxford

By Hollie Adams

OXFORD (Reuters) - British students set up pro-Palestinian protest encampments on Oxford and Cambridge universities' historic campuses on a cloudy spring Monday, in a show of solidarity with their American peers.

By early morning, students had erected dozens of brightly coloured tents on the lawns outside the relatively dull, yellow, 19th-century neo-Gothic Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Standing in front of the camps, some of which bore the black, white and green Palestinian flag, the students said they were joining 100 universities across the world to protest Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,700 Palestinians so far.

The footage of protests in Britain was in stark contrast to the jarring scenes from the U.S. over the past couple of weeks, where riot police wielding batons and flash-bang grenades dispersed and arrested hundreds of protesters.

There was no visible police presence at the Oxford protest, according to a Reuters photographer at the scene.

The Columbia University protests in New York, which drew national attention, have inspired similar demonstrations at dozens of universities around the U.S. and elsewhere, with students calling for a ceasefire and demanding their schools divest from companies with ties to Israel.

"In terms of why we're doing this style of protest now is that solidarity is so important in every movement," 19-year old Rosy Wilson, a student at the University of Oxford, said in an interview.

By replicating the student protests in America, "we are showing a united force where we are united with them, we are united with Gaza and we are united with this movement all over the world," she added.

An Oxford University spokesperson said the university, whose many alumni include the likes of Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson and authors Oscar Wilde and J.R.R Tolkien, was aware of the demonstration.

"We respect our students' and staff members' right to freedom of expression in the form of peaceful protests," the spokesperson said. "We ask everyone who is taking part to do so with respect, courtesy and empathy... There is no place for intolerance at the University of Oxford."

(Reporting by Hollie Adams; writing by Muvija M; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL)  The Bristol, Virginia Fire Department was awarded a Community Risk Reduction Smoke Alarm grant, the department announced on Monday.

The grant was awarded through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and aims to enhance fire and life safety of residences in Bristol, Virginia.

The fire department will receive a supply of smoke detectors that will be installed in Bristol, Virginia homes for free.

New retail store, MINISO, coming to the Mall at Johnson City

Renters or those who lease can also receive a free smoke detector from the owner of their rental property.

For a free smoke detector, call the Bristol, Virginia Fire Department at (276) 645-7420. Smoke detectors will be available while supplies last.

The department stated they hope to begin installation in June.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
The European boss of Budweiser has said the brewer has learned to stay in our lane following a backlash over Bud Lights work with a transgender influencer.

Jason Warner, president of brewery giant AB InBev in Northern Europe, said the company would keep contested political and societal issues separate from its beers after consumers boycotted Bud Light for working with Dylan Mulvaney.

Mr Warner said: The major learning was, hey, I want to enjoy [Bud Light] when Im not having to think about all of this, and I want to enjoy it with my friends.

I want sports, I want music. I want fun. I want friends. I want everyone to be happy together. Unfortunately, the output of that was the complete opposite, which is not what were there to do.

AB InBev is the worlds biggest brewer and makes beers including Stella, Budweiser, Bud Light, Corona and Becks.

The company suffered a slump in Bud Light sales and its share price last year after its decision to send personalised cans of the low alcohol beer to influencer Ms Mulvaney, marking her one year anniversary of transitioning gender.

Bud Light's marketing stunt initially prompted calls for a boycott from Donald Trump - Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Bloomberg

The marketing stunt enraged sections of the American Right and prompted calls for a boycott from no less than Donald Trump, though he has since rowed back on his position. The furore led to Bud Light losing its position as the best-selling beer brand in the US.

Mr Warner called it a very difficult moment and said the brewer learned to stay in our lane as a result.

He added: There are very few categories in the world where people care that much. I dont think people would look at mayonnaise that way, or care that much about mayonnaise, but they care about their beer.

AB InBevs decision to retreat from what some would characterise as activism comes amid a broader reassessment of the focus on so-called ethical, social and governance (ESG) concerns in boardrooms.

Consumer goods giant Unilever recently watered down and abandoned a pledge on diversity after investors told it to focus more on profits and less on social and environmental issues.

Investors had accused the company of virtue signalling by seeking to define a social purpose for all of its brands, including the likes of Hellmanns mayonnaise and Vaseline.

Mr Warners comments come as AB InBev seeks to move on from the Bud Light controversy and rebuild momentum at the Paris Olympics, where alcohol-free Corona Cero will be the first ever beer to sponsor the event.

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California bill could force some stores to close self-checkout lanes

A California bill would change how stores regulate self-checkout lanes, which could result in some stores abandoning the service altogether.

The bill, officially known as SB 1446, would prohibit grocery or retail drug stores from offering self-checkout options unless all the following conditions are met:

New California law will ban restaurant surcharges on customer bills, other fees

Self-service checkouts are limited to purchases of 10 or fewer items

At least one manual checkout station is staffed

Customers are prohibited from purchasing certain items like alcohol and tobacco products

One employee cant monitor two self-checkout lanes simultaneously

An employee should be relieved of all duties if they have to monitor a self-checkout lane

The bill, proposed by Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, would also require stores looking to implement the new technology that would significantly affect or reduce employees job duties to conduct a study prior to implementation.

Employers would also have to notify employees at least 60 days before drafting the study and employee or collective bargaining representatives with the study at least 60 days before implementation, according to the bills text.

The bill has received support from organized labor unions and opposition from business groups, such as the California Chamber of Commerce.

California bill could change how third-party airport security vendors operate at state airports

We respectfully oppose SB1446, which would place unnecessary restrictions on retail grocery and pharmacy stores implementing self-checkout and autonomous retail technologies, an opposition letter from the organization said.

The safety and well-being of retail employees and consumers is our top priority, but the stringent restrictions outlined in SB 1446 are misguided and unnecessary and will not reduce retail theft in stores.

The bill comes as cities across the state deal with brazen thefts at grocery stores and pharmacies.

Most recently, eight suspects were arrested after authorities discovered several million dollars worth of stolen merchandise from stores across Los Angeles County.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The California Supreme Court in December held court for the first time in Los Angeles since before the pandemic, in the North Tower of the Ronald Reagan State Office Building. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The battle between business and labor is headed for a high-stakes showdown at the California Supreme Court this week over a ballot measure that would tip the balance of power at the state Capitol.

The court on Wednesday will hear oral arguments on the legality of an initiative backed by business interests that strips the state Legislature and the governor of the ability to increase taxes and requires statewide voter approval.

In an effort to quash the measure, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats petitioned the Supreme Court last September to intervene. They argued that change revises the California Constitution and, therefore, can only be placed on the ballot if ratified during a Constitutional Convention or by winning a two-thirds vote in the Legislature.

The proposal has alarmed Democrats, unions and their liberal allies. The measure could limit state and local funding, hamstring the ability to generate new money for programs and make it more challenging for the governor and Legislature to offset a budget deficit in an economic crisis without slashing progressive policy priorities.

"They should be afraid because the people of California are fed up," said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, a proponent of the measure. "This gives the people of California the right to vote on future taxes, and voters are going to support it if it's on the ballot."

If approved by voters, the proposal would mark a historic win for the business community. Lapsley said establishing new checks and balances on taxation is essential to creating jobs and attracting companies to California.

Labor unions representing state workers, teachers, police and firefighters have joined forces with Democrats and dozens of other organizations to ask the high court to strike down the measure. They argue it would impair essential government functions and threaten services that rely on state dollars.

"I want to make it clear that the 'Taxpayer Deception Act' lets wealthy corporations, who can afford expensive campaigns, to block taxes on their industry while regular Californians, regular people, shoulder more of the cost of critical services," said Tia Orr, executive director of Service Employees International Union California, which is leading the charge to defeat the measure on the ballot.

Read more: Newsom and Democratic lawmakers detail first California budget cuts totaling $17 billion

Officially dubbed the "Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Initiative," the measure pushed by Lapsley's group and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. asks voters to require local governments to vote on all fee increases, which can now be approved administratively. The threshold to increase local special taxes would increase from a majority to a two-thirds vote of the people.

Fee increases at the state level, which are often approved by state agencies and boards, would need support from a majority of the state Legislature. The measure would expand the requirements necessary for a statewide tax increase, which currently can be done with a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Under the ballot measure, support from a majority of California voters also would be required.

Taxes are often applied to the sale of goods, or income, for example, and pay for a variety of government expenses through the state general fund. A fee is typically collected and spent on a more specific service.

The measure expands the definition of taxes and restricts the potential use of fees to only cover the cost of the service, potentially prohibiting government from redirecting revenue to other purposes to close a budget deficit. The changes would take effect retroactively and reverse many local and state tax and fee increases approved since Jan. 1, 2022.

Carolyn Coleman, chief executive of the League of California Cities, said the new requirements for local ballot measures would effectively erase more than 100 measures that voters already approved with a majority vote. In Walnut Creek, for example, it would rescind a local public safety measure that voters approved with a 65% majority in 2022. The measure funded five new police officers, she said.

Opponents and supporters said that, if approved, the taxpayer ballot measure could rescind the "mansion tax," also known as Measure ULA that took effect in Los Angeles last year. The measure applies a 4% charge on all property sales above $5 million and a 5.5% charge on sales above $10 million to fund housing and homelessness initiatives.

Lapsley argued that the mansion tax is "singularly the worst economic policy that you can possibly have in freezing the whole commercial, retail and residential real estate market in L.A."

Read more: The year of the mansion tax: Hundreds of millions raised, but a chill to L.A.s luxury market

The luxury real estate market has slowed since the measure was adopted, but the charge has also raised about $215 million in funding in its first year.

Groups that have given money directly to Lapsley's campaign, or funded other political action committees that contribute to the measure, include developers, landlords and real estate managers, among others with an interest in ending the mansion tax.

In addition to weighing whether the state ballot initiative constitutes a revision of the Constitution, the Supreme Court will consider the argument that it affects essential government functions.

Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for Newsom, said that in the event of a financial crisis the measure would require government to wait up to two years for the next ballot to raise taxes, "potentially putting lives and our economy at risk."

"The governor is not a proponent of tax increases and has fought against propositions seeking to add new taxes, but the recession 15 years ago  and the current budget challenges facing our state  underscore the need for government to use every tool in the toolbox to respond to crises," Mellon said in a statement. "The California Supreme Court should keep this radical effort led by wealthy business interests off the ballot because it violates the Constitution by attempting to completely restructure our system of government in a way that will prevent government from protecting Californians from future crises."

The case elevates the ongoing fight between progressive labor unions and the business community from the halls of the state Capitol to California's highest court.

Companies in California often complain that they can't get a fair shake in a state Legislature dominated by Democrats and under the powerful political influence of labor unions. Business interests are increasingly turning to the statewide ballot to block and stall progressive laws from taking effect, or to push their own policy agenda directly to voters.

Read more: Corporations turn to ballot to combat California's progressive agenda, raising alarms

The proposed ballot measure could deal a blow to labor unions and other interest groups, who would find it more challenging and more expensive to convince voters to increase taxes to back their policy agenda than making their case just to legislators. Requiring lawmakers to pass bills to increase every new fee could also become a political challenge.

Lapsley and others said it's rare for the Supreme Court to take up this type of pre-election challenge to a ballot measure. He said he feels that it's fair for the court to consider the arguments, but he criticized Democrats for bringing the case.

"The fact that the Legislature and the governor are using taxpayer money to try and deny the voters of California, over 1.43 million who signed our petitions, the opportunity to have their voice heard is a direct violation of everything they talk about in terms of direct democracy," Lapsley said. "They're complete hypocrites when it comes to this case."

Each side has 30 minutes to present an oral argument to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in San Francisco. The court is expected to release a ruling sometime before the June 27 deadline for measures to qualify for the ballot.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Protests over the war in Gaza have overwhelmed some college campuses across the country.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are divided on how to handle the unrest.

Both Republicans and Democrats say violent protest is unacceptable, but they disagree over how President Biden and some universities have responded.

Graduation season is underway, and police are stepping in on some college campuses to clear encampments and break up clashes over the Israel-Hamas war.

They should not have been allowed to fester on campus for two weeks, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton says universities have been too slow to act.

Liberal politicians refused to send in the police to clear them out the very first day, Cotton said.

The president addressed the protests at length for the first time last week.

He denounced violence but said he supported peaceful protest.

His campaign co-chair says the president believes all students should feel safe.

The President has been very clear about this. Hes also been very strong about the need to stamp out antisemitism and islamophobia, said Campaign Co-Chair Mitch Landrieu.

Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio says the presidents comments came too late.

Seven days into this crisis. We should have heard from him from the very beginning, said Rubio.

While President Biden said the protests have not affected his policy when it comes to the war in Gaza California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna says he thinks the protests have made a difference.

Everyone from the president on down is aware that young people are upset at whats going on in the Middle East. and I do think its had an awakening in Washington that this war has to end, said Khanna.

So far, more than 2000 people have been arrested across 50 campuses since this started mid-April.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
The copy-cat occupations at Oxford and Cambridge in response to the Israeli incursion into Gaza risks spreading to other institutions, especially if an attack is ultimately launched against Rafah in the coming days. The news tonight that Hamas has accepted a Egyptian-Qatari brokered peace deal may stay Israels hand, though senior sources in the country called it a ruse.

In Britain, students began setting up shanty camps on the lawns of their colleges, emulating the widespread protests taking place at American universities. There, the police were called in to end an occupation at Columbia in New York. Here, academic authorities will face a headache if the action expands at a time when many students are about to sit their final exams.

An encampment outside Oxfords Pitt Rivers Museum was partly organised because the building displays a disturbing hoard of artefacts stolen from colonised peoples across the world. The demonstrators said in a statement: There is no university in the history of human civilisation that is more complicit in violence, dispossession, and the building of destructive colonial empires than the University of Oxford. If they think that, why did they go there?

On the lawn of Kings College, Cambridge, students said their protest was because the university supports Israels genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Many sported the keffiyeh headdress worn by Palestinians in a show of solidarity, thereby engaging in the cultural appropriation they normally oppose.

There is a long tradition of student agitation down the years for a variety of causes. In 1968, the London School of Economics was occupied in a demonstration against the Vietnam War and the following decade saw a rash of occupations and rent strikes. But the latest wave sweeping the US, and possibly now Britain, owes more to the culture wars inspired by hatred of the West being waged by the very people who have benefited most from its freedoms and prosperity. Todays protesters are allied to illiberal, authoritarian and repressive regimes against the one democracy in the region. They wave banners in support of a terror group that murdered more than 1,000 Israelis last October and took hundreds of hostages, many of whom are now dead.

They are not alone in fearing the worst for civilians in Gaza if the Israeli Defence Force attacks Rafah. Benjamin Netanyahu is facing opposition both at home and internationally to another assault. But the students one-sided approach and failure to condemn Hamas and its refusal to release the hostages places them in a compromised position. They may congratulate themselves on claiming the moral high ground, but they do not occupy it.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Campus unrest, free speech out of control? These damn kids think they can say whatever they want

Pro-Palestine protesters at Florida State University move away from a sprinkler during a protest on the Tallahassee campus on April 25, 2024. (Photo by Jackie Llanos)

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Kids today, I swear.

Standing around on college lawns, protesting against genocide, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to arms shipments  what are they thinking? These students should be shopping, getting wasted at end-of-semester parties, and engaging in meaningless sex.

Instead, theyre going around acting like citizens, engaging in civil disobedience, exercising their right to free speech, telling university administrations to get rid of all investments in Israel, and demanding humanitarian aid for Palestinians.

Dont they know protests are unnecessary pointless, and annoying?

Look at the civil rights nonsense in the 1950s and 1960s: Sure, the March on Washington, the Freedom Rides, and that business in Selma bullied the federal government into letting Black people sit in the front of the bus and even vote, but was it really worth all the discomfort it caused the nice White People Who Built America?

If only that Martin Luther King fellow hadnt been so impatient. Im sure we would have gotten around to giving minorities some rights. Eventually.

Columbia Universitys Butler Library at nighttime. Author Andrew Chen. Wikimedia Commons.

Some of these smart-mouthed campus wokesters will argue that it was their protests that pushed Columbia and other schools to dump perfectly good stocks in the private prison industry.

Back in 1985, students at that same, now-notorious New York alleged institution of higher learning, blockaded Hamilton Hall and threw such a tantrum the university had no choice but to divest from funds involved in South Africa, just because they didnt approve of apartheid.

They are actually proud of this.

But think about it: Where would the United States of America be if we allowed people to buck authority, say what they like, and make a big noise over injustice and inequality?

(OK, we might still be a colony of Great Britain, but would that be so bad?)

Cops arrest pro-Palestinian protestors

Just look at whats going on at these so-called colleges: at UCLA protestors built a tent city  most unsightly  and full of youth wearing those Yasser Arafat scarves.

The Radical Youth say the whole thing was pretty peaceful, at least until a bunch of masked pro-Israel folks began shooting fireworks into their encampment.

The pro-Palestinian students claim they called for help, but the cops probably had the evening off.

The cops did show up the next morning and arrested 132 pro-Palestinian protestors but left the firework-throwers alone.

Surely they were simply celebrating the end of classes.

But seriously, these demonstrations and occupations and whatnot are getting out of hand.

Students march outside the administration building on Emory Universitys campus Thursday in late April. Photo contributed by Nora Xu

Things got a little nasty at Emory when this uppity woman, chair of the Philosophy Department, objected to a cop clubbing a student, pointing out that perhaps he was using excessive force.

Well, the cops showed her! They knocked her down and cuffed her  just as she deserved.

The situation at Washington University in St. Louis was equally terrifying. The police, terrified by what observers called the festive atmosphere complete with peace-demanding chants, were forced to go in hot, hitting demonstrators, zip-tying them, and beating up this 65 year-old history professor.

Not that they wanted to, but the guy was standing right there, you know, filming the police whomping on everybody.

The professor obviously  a whineris currently in the hospital with broken ribs and a broken arm.

Undergrad radicals

Those Columbia students are still the worst, though. Theyve been talking back to adults since at least 1968 when undergraduate radicals took over five buildings. Seems they were bummed over a lot of stuff including the universitys determination to destroy a park in Harlem for a nice new gym plus the universitys ties to the military industrial complex fueling the Vietnam War.

Colleges back in the day were hotbeds of irrational unrest over Vietnam.

I mean, just because you or your brother or your son was going to get drafted and shipped off to Long Binh to fight against an imaginary communist threat was no reason to pitch a fit.

The First Amendment has clearly gotten out of hand when a bunch of snot-nosed college kids can go around demanding social justice when they should be training to become worthy cogs in our beautiful capitalist machine.

Shut em up and shut em down!

Demonstrators gathered in Tallahassee near the Florida Capitol on May 31, 2020, to protest the police killing of George Floyd. Credit: Peter T. Reinwald

That Columbia student who said Zionists dont deserve to live? Sure, he apologized and took it back, but the guy wears a Black Lives Matter t-shirt which, as you know, shows hes clearly a terrorist.

Its obvious these protestors are all antisemitic, even the Jewish ones.

Maybe especially the Jewish ones: dont they like being Gods Chosen People?

Dont these brats realize there are some things more important than principles? Commencement ceremonies at which some banker tells the graduates to go forth and create value, for one.

Being able to lie around on expensively maintained campus grass without having to see Free Palestine signs or hear about starving children in Gaza.

Or keeping right-wing donors happy.

Sadly, some colleges have gone the way of appeasement. Northwestern and Brown and a few others have sat down with protestors and agreed to talk about divestment.

Wimps.

Shutting down

Well, university administrations have had enough: theyre shutting down all that free inquiry stuff.

Students at the University of Georgia have been arrested for trespassing on their own campus.

Other colleges are suspending students, kicking them out of their dorms.

Hell, kick them out of school.

Thatll teach these kids to go around expressing opinions contrary to the wisdom of politicians from the President of the United States on down.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton rightly calls the campus protests little Gazas (obviously those kids are building bombs and taking hostages out there on the quad!). He wants Joe Biden to send in the 101st Airborne or at least the National Guard.

Mary Ann Vecchio, photographed by photojournalism student John Filo kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller. May 4, 1970. In this widely circulated version of the photo, a fencepost behind Vecchio has been airbrushed out. Author John Filo. Wikimedia Commons.

You will remember the National Guard did a bang-up job in 1970 showing those Kent State punks whos boss.

Here in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis agrees. These troublemakers need to be taught a sharp lesson.

Our governor insists were a law-and-order state, an Israel-loving state. Bibi Netanyahu is our cool fascist-adjacent friend.

We are not a lets-help-the-desperate-people-of-Gaza state. So when an unwashed bunch of students at UF, FSU, USF, and UNF had the gall to set up their little camps where nice normal students might want to have picnics or do a bit of tanning  important, much-cherished college experiences  DeSantis got tough.

Deploying syntax which admirably demonstrates how he remains untainted by his fancy Ivy League education, the governor said, what they did at Florida State and the University of Florida, they turn the sprinklers on. So thats how its gonna be, but its about conduct and about making sure youre doing the code of conduct.

Maybe they should be expelled. And deported.

Free speech

There are two big problems with this pro-Palestinian student political engagement thing.

One is free speech. Its out of control. These damn kids think they can say whatever they want, demanding human rights and condemning our righteous friends in the Netanyahu government.

Dont they know the whole purpose of college is training to become worthy cogs in our beautiful capitalist machine?

The ACLU says, Sudden and harsh punishment, whether it be suspension or banishment, should not apply to this protest movement because that message is unpopular with university officials and political leaders.

Come on: whats more American than sudden and harsh punishment?

The other problem is education itself.

The New York Times. Photo by Diane Rado.

These students are being ruined by universities where theyre being taught crap about settler colonialism, the excesses of the IDF and encouraged by their pointy-headed leftist profs to read books about the complicated history of Israel and Palestine.

Some even read newspapers.

Our Youth are being corrupted into thinking for themselves.

Truly the End Times are upon us.

The post Campus unrest, free speech out of control? These damn kids think they can say whatever they want appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
Cape Coral grill cook wins national title and $15K. Here's where you can try his steaks

Jacob Montgomery is the comeback kid.

And he earned a national title in the process.

The Cape Coral resident won $15,000 and was crowned champion of LongHorn Steakhouses Steak Master Series.

It means everything to me, Montgomery said in a news release. I really just zoned in on my grill and took it by the reins.

Jacob Montgomery celebrates his title in the LongHorn Steakhouse 2024 Steak Master Series.

Thousands of grill cooks from LongHorns 580-plus locations entered the annual nationwide competition that highlights grill masters skills.

Montgomery, who works at the LongHorn Steakhouse on Pine Island Road, reached the finals of the 2022 competition, ultimately finishing fourth.

I focused, I came back and I killed it, the eight-year LongHorn employee said in the news release.

Jacob Montgomery competes in a one-day grill-off in LongHorn Steakhouse's Steak Master Series final in Orlando on May 2, 2024.

Seven finalists participated in a one-day grill-off in Orlando on May 2. Montgomery outgrilled them all to become the events seventh winner.

Reigning 2023 champion Kylie Hall from Farragut, Tennessee, was second, while Esterling Rosario from Temple, Texas, took third.

More: Want award-winning seafood, sandwiches and more? Here's where to go from Sanibel to Naples

LongHorn Steakhouse, owned and operated by Darden Restaurants and based in Orlando, serves steak as it was meant to be, plus ribs, chops, chicken and more.

Montgomery represented the LongHorn Steakhouse at 1851 NE Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. It's open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call (239) 599-3324 for details.

Cape Coral's Jacob Montgomery grilled his way to a national title in LongHorn Steakhouse's 2024 Steak Master Series competition.

Other local locations, open at 11 a.m. daily, include Gulf Coast Town Center and Market Square (anchored by Target and Barnes & Noble) in Fort Myers and on Trail Boulevard off Tamiami Trail North in Naples. For more information, go to longhornsteakhouse.com.

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyers.gannett

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Grill cook from LongHorn Steakhouse in Cape Coral wins national title
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.
If at first you dont succeed, try again.

That seems to be the approach South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is taking regarding press interviews for her controversial new political memoir, No Going Back: The Truth on Whats Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.

Noems book is being released tomorrow, but the governor and her book have already come under fire.

One of the anecdotes, a supposed meeting she had with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while serving in Congress on the House Armed Services Committee has been called bullshit by people in the know on Capitol Hill.

Noem refused to deny the anecdote Sunday on Face The Nation, and again on Monday during an interview on CBS This Morning where she continued to avoid giving straight answers.

In the process, she frustrated CBS anchors Natalie Morales and Nate Burleson.

It started when Morales noted that the passage where Noem claimed she met the North Korean dictator is now being removed from the book at the governors request.

Noem tried to make it sound like it wasnt completely sketchy to delete an anecdote from an already-published book saying that the content was changed when she became aware of that.

She added: And, you know, I appreciate that. Ive met with many, many world leaders. Ive traveled around the world. I should not have put that anecdote in the book. And at my request, they have removed it.

Burleson tried to pin her down.

That specific meeting didnt happen? he asked.

Im saying that Im not talking about that meeting. Im not talking about my meetings with world leaders, she said.

Morales quickly noted that Noem actually does talk about meetings with world leaders in her book.

There are some that are in the book, and then theres some thats not in the book, Noem said.

Morales immediately pointed to two specific mentions of meeting Kim, and quoted a line from the book before asking, Did you tell your ghostwriter to write them?

Noem didnt give a straight answer, saying that over the past 30 years she has traveled around the world and met with various leaders.

And that anecdote, Ive asked them to change the content, and it will be removed, she said.

Its a simple question, Morales snapped. Did you or did you not meet with Kim Jong Un?

Noem continued to dodge the question.

Thats the answer that I have for you, is that Im It will be adjusted. And as soon as I became aware of it, that content was removed, she said.

You can see the exchange below.

Beyond parody: On CBS this morning, Kristi Noem still wouldn't provide a straight answer to the question of whether she ever met Kim Jong Un. She brought up other unspecified meetings she had with world leaders as though that justifies fabricating a meeting with the NK dictator. pic.twitter.com/REuhbIlp4x  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 6, 2024

Noems insistence on continuing to avoid directly answering questions about the Kim Jong Un meeting resulted in much mockery on X, formerly Twitter.

Why am I getting the feeling that she wanted to eat dog with Kim Jong Un https://t.co/y4SmqvubkI  Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) May 6, 2024

The lie is bad, and probably disqualifying from any position of public trust.



The utter inability to construct a response is an indication of actual incompetence. https://t.co/BPtrMBZ2wK  Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) May 6, 2024

Maybe Kristi Noem should just stop going on tv. https://t.co/klylZKz4vU  Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) May 6, 2024

BREAKING: Kristi Noem continues to dodge questions about her imaginary meeting with Kim Jong Un.



For someone who tried to cast herself as courageous, her refusal to admit she lied is craven and cowardly.pic.twitter.com/cXatxg958H  Really American  (@ReallyAmerican1) May 6, 2024

Two days in a row she says this gobbledygook. Maybe it's me, but I think I'd be pretty dadgum certain I'd remember if I met with Kim Jung Un, who's fairly notorious. There's zero reason to equivocate. What the heck? https://t.co/8bzjkRwW4b  PatMcManamon (@PatMcManamon) May 6, 2024

She literally claimed she met with Kim(total lie), then said it was the fault of her ghost writer, but probably cant account for why the lie is narrated by her in the audio version. Freaking mendacious nut job. https://t.co/mucH3JnCtG  HawaiiDelilah (@HawaiiDelilah) May 6, 2024

Here's the point: after she lied on @cbs yesterday why the fuck did these idiots on @CBSMornings put Kristi Noem on AGAIN this morning? #KristiGnomehttps://t.co/28QOtZt6Li  Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) May 6, 2024

How does this happen?



A ghostwriter doesn't just put this story into the book without it coming from somewhere.



She knew this wasn't true, why didn't she take it out BEFORE the book was printed?



Did she even read the book? pic.twitter.com/nC3wAlszdv  Andrea Katherine (@AndreaKatSTL) May 6, 2024

Related...
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) Central Dauphin School District is having its first school board meeting on Monday night since the death of high school student, Justin Johnson.

The Dauphin County Coroner ruled Johnsons death natural, caused by sickle cell disease and cardiomyopathy after the 16 year old died on April 26.

During the board meeting students and parents addressed the board about racial discrimination they or their kids have faced.

My little brother attends Mountain View Elementary, and he comes home and tells me about kids at his school looking at him and treating him differently because hes a brown kid. Ive seen how its affected him, and it breaks my heart watching my nine-year-old brother coming home to tell me he wishes he was white, said a student during public comment.

About 2 to 3 times a month, me and my mom do my sisters hair, who is only eight years old. She cries and says she hates her hair because when she wears it natural to school, the kids bully her. So, we keep her hair done so she can feel comfortable and confident, said a student during public comment.

One parent speaking about a recent conversation he has with his daughter at breakfast.

She just casually told me that theres a kid at her school that makes flipping noises towards black kids. I asked her, how can we all say anything? She just said, nothings going to happen. So, she didnt say anything about it, said a parent during public comment.

One student saying this to the board, We could all go on and on about what we experienced but theres simply not enough time in the day to get all of that out.

While there was no response from the board to the emotional public comment, Board President Michael Jacobs shared a statement at the start of the meeting- in part saying, Earlier today, I had the opportunity to meet with and listen to several East High students discuss their concerns about our district. They are absolutely an impressive group of young people.

Jacobs also said about Johnson, losing a student is heartbreaking, he was a great kid, his peers and teachers described him as funny, caring and a good friend.

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Nittany Insiders

On the night he died, classmates came to Johnsons Dauphin County home to play what Dauphin County officials are calling a tag game, also known as Senior Assassin. Security footage shows the boys chasing Johnson and at one moment you can hear racially insensitive language being used.

This video sparked outrage online and on Friday, students protested outside the school districts administration building, calling for justice for Johnson.

Lower Paxton Township Police say their investigation is ongoing but may conclude this week. Johnsons family has also hired a private attorney to review the incident.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
By Mahamat Ramadane, Desire Danga Essigue and Portia Crowe

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) -Chad deployed dozens of security forces in the capital amid rising tensions on Monday as polls closed and vote counting began in the first presidential election in Africa's Sahel region since a wave of coups.

Soldiers and riot police patrolled the streets alongside at least 30 armoured and other military vehicles in the opposition-friendly southern neighbourhoods of the capital N'Djamena, according to Reuters reporters.

The streets, normally bustling in the final hours of voting, were quiet.

At least one voter was killed in the Central African country's second-largest city Moundou, south N'Djamena, after unidentified gunmen opened fire at a polling station, Chadian media reported.

Nomads, who make up around 7% of Chad's population, were meant to begin early voting on Sunday. But by Monday afternoon, they were still unable to vote due to logistical problems, leaving many frustrated, according to the Reuters reporters.

"No one brought us a polling station or people to tell us where to vote," one said.

Analysts say President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took over the day rebels killed his long-ruling father, Idriss Deby, in April 2021, is most likely to win, although his chief opponent drew larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail.

Monday's election pitted Deby against his prime minister Succes Masra, previously a political opponent who fled into exile in 2022 but was allowed back a year later. Also running were former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacke and seven other candidates.

Yaya Dillo, an opposition politician who had been expected to run against Deby despite coming from the same clan, was shot and killed in N'Djamena on Feb. 28, the day the election date was announced.

Some opposition members and civil society groups had called for a boycott, citing concerns about possible vote-rigging.

That has raised fears of potential violence.

SECURITY AND ECONOMY KEY ISSUES

Some observers did not get their accreditations before the vote and were not given any reason for the refusal, Citizens' Alliance for Elections, a platform that monitors the poll, said in a statement on Sunday.

Deby, who voted early on Monday in N'Djamena, has promised to bolster security, strengthen the rule of law and increase electricity production.

Some 8.5 million people were registered to vote. Provisional results are expected by May 21 and final results by June 5.

If no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, a run-off will be held on June 22.

Security and the economy have been key campaign issues. Voters are also concerned about the high cost of living and access to water and electricity.

Ahaya Khalil, a voter in N'Djamena, said she was supporting Deby because he had promised to create jobs.

"We've come to vote for our president of the republic," she said. "We hope he'll give our children jobs once he's elected."

Another voter, Mahamat Issa, said he was voting for "peace, security and stability" for the country.

"Also, the population suffers from the cost of living  the future president must think about social issues," he added.

The vote coincides with a temporary withdrawal of U.S. troops from Chad, an important Western ally in a region of West and Central Africa courted by Russia and racked by jihadism.

Since replacing his father at the helm of the oil-producing nation, Deby has remained close with former colonial power and longtime ally France.

While other junta-ruled Sahel countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have told Paris and other Western powers to withdraw and turned to Moscow for support, Chad remains the last Sahel state with a substantial French military presence.

The U.S., however, announced a temporary withdrawal of at least some troops last month following an order by Chad's air force chief that the U.S. halt activities at an air base.

(Reporting by Mahamat Ramadane and Desire Danga Essigue; Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Nick Macfie)
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  We have dry and comfortable conditions in the forecast for today, but the chance for strong to severe storms will increase tomorrow.

Even though our Tuesday will start dry with partly cloudy skies, a weakening area of low pressure will bring two chances for rain and storms in the afternoon and evening.

(WLNS)

(WLNS)

(WLNS)

(WLNS)

(WLNS)

A warm front will move into Mid-Michigan Tuesday afternoon, sparking our first chance for precipitation. This first round of rain will occur between 1 and 2 oclock, with a few isolated rumbles of thunder possible. Our severe weather potential will increase as a second, more potent round of scattered storms arrives Tuesday evening between 4 and 9.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed areas south of I-96 in a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) for severe weather. The primary threats will be damaging wind gusts and large hail. However, a brief and isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.

The StormTracker 6 Team will continue to monitor the potential for severe weather and keep you updated on-air, online, and through the StormTracker 6 Weather App.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
An illegal street racing event that resembled a military offensive was halted at 1 a.m. on a Sunday when sheriffs deputies showed up at an office park near Tampa, Florida.

Video shows the sounds of roaring engines and exploding fireworks were mingled with smoke from burning rubber as the cars spun in circles around an intersection.

Four people were arrested and two vehicles were confiscated, one of which was abandoned at the scene, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

The organized but illegal event was staged early Sunday, May 5, at a site just outside Tampas city limits, officials said.

Upon arrival, deputies encountered a chaotic scene with multiple vehicles engaged in reckless behavior, including burnouts and fireworks being discharged, the sheriffs office reports.

Four individuals, all occupants of a 2022 Dodge Challenger, were identified and arrested. ... A 2006 Chrysler 300 was seized after its driver and passengers fled the scene on foot.

A search of the Challenger revealed Roman candles and video equipment, the sheriffs office said.

The four suspects traveled to the event from Lee County, officials said. Lee County is about 125 miles southeast from Tampa.

Two were charged with being passengers in an illegal race and the other two were charged with participating in the race, jail records show. The four ranged in age from 20 to 22.

These individuals learned the hard way ... street racing is not only illegal but also incredibly dangerous, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. Those who choose to engage in illegal activities here will face the inevitable consequences.

Illegal street race in Target parking lot injures a spectator in Florida, video shows

Man was playing a real-life Grand Theft Auto during 120-mph chase, Florida cops say

Race between Mustang and Corvette ends with driver ejected from car, Florida cops say
(Bloomberg) -- Mozambiques ruling party chose Daniel Chapo as its new leader, making the provincial governor the clear frontrunner to succeed President Filipe Nyusi after Oct. 9 elections.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The party, known by its Portuguese acronym Frelimo, made the decision on Sunday following a three-day meeting of its central committee near Maputo, the capital, Catarina Dimande, a member of the panel, announced on state television. Its pick comes as a surprise as Chapo has never served in the national cabinet and his name didnt feature on most lists of potential winning candidates.

Chapo demonstrated that he is committed to the party and the country, Nyusi said in a speech, in which he committed to stepping down after the election. The soap opera of speculation ends, including speculation about a third term.

A law graduate and former radio announcer, Chapo, 47, was appointed governor of the central Inhambane province in 2016. Before that, he taught constitutional law and political sciences.

Gas Bonanza

Chapo, who garnered 221 votes, or 94% of those cast in a second round of balloting, takes over Frelimos leadership at a critical juncture in Mozambiques history. The nation is anticipating TotalEnergies SEs imminent return to a $20-billion-plus natural gas project it paused three years ago after militants staged attacks nearby. The revival of TotalEnergies plan is crucial for a nation thats among the poorest in the world.

Nyusi has led Frelimo for the past decade and spent much of his two terms as president dealing with the fallout of scandal that erupted when the government admitted that it had failed to disclose debts of about $1.2 billion. He also sought to cut a peace deal with the main opposition party, known as Renamo, but while he was focused on demilitarizing Frelimos old political foe, a new threat took hold in Mozambiques northern Cabo Delgado province.

Attacks by a group that affiliated itself with Islamic State began in 2017 and rapidly escalated, ultimately derailing the gas project  Africas biggest private investment at the time. Mozambiques military struggled to assert control and maintain the trust of communities.

After a major strike in March 2021 prompted Totals consortium to evacuate its staff and declare force majeure on the project, Nyusi reached a deal with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to send hundreds of soldiers to help restore order. He later agreed to accept other troops from the Southern African Development Community, a regional bloc. While the interventions were initially successful, the militants have escalated attacks this year.

Containing the violence and convincing the gas developers that its safe to resume work will be a key priority for Chapo.

Renamo is scheduled to hold its own internal elections this month. Ossufo Momade, its current president, has faced internal criticism of his leadership. He got 21.5% of the national vote in 2019, compared with Nyusis 73%.

(Updates with official announcement of new party leader starting in first paragraph.)

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After four officers were killed in the line of duty in east Charlotte one week ago, several Charlotte-area organizations, businesses, and restaurants are stepping up to help.

Scott Harris, the president of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation, described the display of solidarity.

READ MORE: 4 officers killed, 4 shot during east Charlotte standoff

Love and support, Harris said. Coming together through tragedy.

Its a compassionate and loving response from a place Harris calls a big city with a small town heart. He said since last Mondays tragedy, people have reached out to him endlessly looking for ways to help.

Charlotte was immediate to help and be positive, and we always are, he said. Were very, very fortunate to live in this community.

The money the foundation brings in has and will continue to help in multiple ways. Itll be part of a fund to directly help the families of the four men killed Monday. Itll also help all first responders with their mental health in the wake of the killings.

All donations can be directed to either of those funds. Click here to learn more.

But the foundation isnt the only place help is coming from. A warehouse is also printing up some help, and its coming from someone who said the shooting hit close to home.

That was the neighborhood I grew up in. The elementary school I went to was right beyond that neighborhood, said Sarah Baucom, one of the owners of Girl Tribe Co.

Girl Tribe Co., along with 704 Shop and Glory Days Apparel, are selling shirts with 100% of their profits going to the families of the fallen heroes. Baucom said Girl Tribe alone has already sold over 200 shirts at $18 apiece.

Obviously, a lot of our own audience is female. And so weve heard of a lot of women coming to us and saying, Im the wife of a CMPD officer or a law enforcement officer and this means so much that you guys would even think about this, Baucom said.

There are even more ways to help. On Tuesday, 35 local McDonalds restaurants will donate 10% of their sales between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to fallen and injured officers and their families. Check out the map below to see which locations are participating:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

On Wednesday, the following restaurants are donating 5% of all their sales to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation:

Duckworths Grill & Taphouse

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The Cellar at Duckworths

(WATCH BELOW: Funeral honors fallen deputy US Marshal Thomas Weeks)




Is Chechnya preparing for Kadyrov's demise  and what could come next?

New reporting has put the Chechen warlord's health in the headlines once more. But there are other, subtler, signs that the republic might be preparing for a regime change.

Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov is used to speculation about his imminent demise. Pundits have discussed the 47-year-old's failing health since September when the Chechen leader disappeared from the public eye, and rumors began to circulate that he was seriously unwell.

In the months since Kadyrov's appearance had changed, his face appeared swollen, and his words sometimes slurred. Russian news outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that Kadyrov was suffering from necrotizing pancreatitis.

The warlord was reportedly diagnosed with the condition, which happens when a person's pancreas starts to die, in 2019. By 2022, Kadyrov was struggling with both kidney failure and fluid build-up in his lungs, Novaya Gazeta Europe wrote.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (L) attends a meeting with Vladimir Putin (L) in Moscow, Russia, on Jun. 28, 2023. (Kadyrov's Telegram channel)

It also reported that the Kremlin was looking for a successor.

Chechen officials moved quickly to dispel the rumors. A behind-the-scenes clip of Kadyrov's war cabinet appeared on social media hours after Novaya Gazeta Europe's reporting went live, apparently to show a vibrant leader rallying his generals.

The play quickly backfired.

The cabinet clip showed a barely moving Kadyrov slurring a rambling monotone. A second clip, this time showing Kadyrov at a gym, made international headlines but appeared to convince few of the Chechen leader's well-being.

Most have no doubt that Ramzan Kadyrov is unwell. But this doesn't automatically mean that the warlord will die in the immediate future.

"Kadyrov is undoubtedly seriously ill. The decline is so evident," says Harold Chambers, an analyst focusing on nationalism, conflict, and security in the North Caucasus. "But at the same time, he's getting some of the best treatment. That's how it is for government officials around the world: they get the healthcare they need."

Yet there are signs that power dynamics are changing within the Chechen Republic (Chechnya): whether to lay the ground for when Ramzan dies or allow him to take a less active role in daily governance.

A family legacy

One of the most noticeable changes in Chechnya's political scene has been the growing role played by Kadyrov's eldest sons: 18-year-old Akhmat and 16-year-old Adam Kadyrov.

In February 2024, Akhmat received his first ministerial posting as Chechnya's minister for youth and sports, a job given to him after less than two years of leading the region's state-backed youth movement. Akhmat also met Russian President Vladimir Putin in a highly unusual one-on-one meeting when he was just 17. Russian media outlets reported that the teenager was married soon after  a move which could help the Kadyrov family shore up alliances.

The son of Chechen strongman, Akhmat Kadyrov (L), with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) in Moscow, Russia in March 2023. (Ramzan Kadyrov's Telegram channel)

The son of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, Adam Kadyrov (R), with Kadyrov's right-hand man Adam Delimkhanov, on Oct. 6, 2023. (Adam Delimkhanov/Telegram)

Adam, meanwhile, was appointed to his father's bodyguard in November 2023 and named as a trustee at a training school for Chechen special forces at the end of April. The institution also happens to be named in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Previously, the teenager was best known for being captured on camera, beating an unarmed prisoner accused of burning the Quran.

To a certain extent, this is an expected transition. Ramzan Kadyrov effectively inherited his role as head of Chechnya from his own father; it's unsurprising that he would start grooming his children so that they could take a similar position in adulthood. Yet the speed with which these changes are taking place is noticeable.

"(Ramzan Kadyrov's) eldest kids are all coming of age, so they probably would be starting their transition into government roles anyway," says Chambers.

"But I think it's safe to say there are probably certain things that are happening faster than they would. That can probably be ascribed to his illness, at least in part."

Yet whether Akhmat or Adam Kadyrov would actually take over in the event of their father's death is debatable. When Ramzan's father died, he was 28  and still had to wait several years to take office as Russian law bars those under 30 from serving as Chechen leader. His experience is a far cry from that of his eldest son, who has only just reached adulthood and has thus far only led a youth group.

The archival photo shows Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov (R) and his son Ramzan standing in front of Ramzan's house in Tsentoroy, Kadyrov's native village, some 40 km from Chechen capital Grozny on Jan. 30, 2004. (Stringer /AFP via Getty Images)

"It's quite clear what (Ramzan Kadyrov) has been trying to do by picking out particular family members, but age is not on their side," says Cerwyn Moore, associate professor in International Relations specializing in the North Caucasus at the University of Birmingham.

He speculates that placing the elder Kadyrov males in the public eye could be a way of protecting the teenagers and their younger siblings from potential threats from would-be rivals.

But ultimately, neither Akhmat nor Adam has a good chance of taking their father's place, says Moore. "They're just too young."

A matter of trust

Other high-ranking Chechen officials have also started taking on tasks that previously would have fallen to the Chechen leader. In one recent example, Adam Delimkhanov, a Russian lawmaker and one of Kadyrov's right-hand men, traveled to Iran to represent the republic on an official visit.

Kadyrov has built a trusted network within his inner circle, allowing him to keep some kind of hold on Chechnya even if his health declines, says Chambers. "These are long-time stakeholders with specific roles in managing specific parts of both the republic's formal and informal politics," says Chambers.

But it's also these men who could foreseeably take over Chechnya's top spot in the event of Ramzan's death. The republic's leading families are already well-versed in jostling behind the scenes to move up the ranks and gain advantageous positions, says Chambers. Without Kadyrov in the picture to keep them in line, that fighting is likely to become much more apparent and potentially even bloody.

The three most likely men to take over from Kadyrov are Apti Alaudinov, who commands Chechen Akhmat unit fighting in Ukraine, Magomed Daudov, the speaker of the Chechen parliament, and the aforementioned Delimkhanov, leading the Chechen branch of the National Guard of Russia which is de facto independent from Moscow.

(L-R) Russian lawmaker Adam Delimkhanov, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and Magomed Daudov, head of the local council, attend a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on June 22, 2015. (Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images)

All have been called Kadyrov's "right-hand men" in the past.

Each has their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to their ability to seize power  and getting the Kremlin's approval to do so.

Delimkhanov has been described by Kadyrov as "a brother," but his connections to the criminal underworld tarnish his credibility; he has been accused of multiple killings and assassinations, including those of people close to the Russian administration.

Delimkhanov has been linked to several high-profile murders  Chechen warlords Sulim Yamadayev (killed in 2006) and Movladi Baisarov (killed in 2009) and high-profile Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, killed near the Kremlin in 2015.

Daudov has consistently proven himself to be a loyal and reliable Kadyrov ally, but he currently operates exclusively within Chechnya, making it more difficult for him to win approval in Moscow.

Alaudinov fell out of favor with Chechnya's inner circle in 2019 when he was linked to other officials who were caught privately criticizing the Kadyrov family. His star, however, is now on the rise again, thanks to his effectiveness on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Delimkhanov also took multiple videos in full military uniform in occupied Mariupol, following Russian victory in the battle for the city.

Yet ultimately, all three  as well as the many others who could see their star rise as Kadyrov declines  are similar in that they have a vested interest in keeping Chechnya's status quo, where a handful of families rule the region with an iron fist.

All have luxurious properties in Russia and abroad. There is little appetite for bloodshed or ideological change, says Moore.

"There is no specific ideological difference between, say, Delimkhanov and Magomed Daudov. These are all people who have pledged their loyalty to the Kadyrov brand or will have connections to the Kadyrov family. There is a careful, interlocking house of cards in place," he says.

"They all have bought into the system of corrupt power and governance within Chechnya. Many of them have blood on their hands from the things that they have done."

Moscow's approval

Ultimately, anyone hoping to take Kadyrov's place  whether that means taking a more active role as the warlord's health declines or replacing him following his death  would need the Kremlin's blessing.

Moscow has its own web of posturing officials, each with their own preferences. "I'd consider Adam Delimkhanov, for example, to be on the Kremlin's blacklist. Reasonably, he is the best qualified, but he also knows where all the skeletons are buried," says Moore. "Too many in Moscow hate him, especially in the security services."

But in many ways, the individual ruling the Chechen Republic does not matter to Moscow as long as they meet key commitments, such as unwavering loyalty to the Kremlin and support for the invasion of Ukraine. With the memory of the two Chechen wars still recent, it is also vital that any successor to Kadyrov be able to maintain security and stability in the region.

A Russian soldier patrols a destroyed residential area in the city of Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine on July 12, 2022. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)

Civilians come back to the main Grozny market after its destruction by a Russian missile, Chechnya in 1999. (Antoine GYORI/Sygma via Getty Images)

Groups such as the Islamic State continue to prove a threat in Russia, as the recent Crocus City Hall shooting shows.

It is unlikely that movement amongst the Chechen leadership could provoke large-scale civil unrest or revive the independence movements of the 1990s and 2000s, says Ali Askerov, associate professor at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

"The Chechen people  the people who were in the war and fighting against Russia, those who now live abroad  those guys are still dreaming of Chechnya's independence. But for them to return, they need new leadership, and that's not in place. The conditions are not ripe for that," he says.

Moscow's destabilization, rather than Grozny's, will have the greatest impact on security in Chechnya.

"If Putin dies, that's going to have a serious effect," says Askerov. "Ramzan's death? That won't change a lot."

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Chic hotel in heart of Broadway converted to migrant shelter in latest sign of growing NYC migrant crisis

A chic hotel in the heart of Broadway has been quietly operating as a migrant shelter for over a year, The Post has learned, as the Big Apple continues to grapple with the ongoing crisis.

The 141-room Square Hotel at 226 West 50th Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway is just across from Gershwin Theatre, where the musical Wicked is playing.

To our valued guests: it is with great sadness that we announce the Square Hotel will be closed for the foreseeable future. We appreciate your patronage and hope to welcome you back someday soon, the Square Hotel says on its Facebook page.

A chic hotel in the heart of Broadway has been quietly operating as a migrant shelter for over a year, The Post has learned. Google Maps

The Square hotel is operating as a migrant shelter. LP Media

The 141-room Square Hotel is located at 226 West 50th Street between Eighth Street and Broadway. LP Media

The hotels website says, Please pardon our appearance as we slip into something new! We look forward to welcoming you in the future.

The hotel site still boasts a Japanese restaurant and bar in its lobby and Art Nouveau styled hotel rooms with sophisticated furniture, plush beds with down comforters and deluxe linens, flat-screen televisions with cable and C.O. Bigelow toiletries.

But recent visits to the Square Hotel found a much different scene.

A National Guard soldier is seen stationed at the entrance of the lobby.

A couple with carry on luggage walked into the hotel on Sunday, but were escorted out by National Guardsmen.

A sign placed at the lobby entrance last week warned that motor bikes chained to scaffolding and poles in front of the hotel would be cut and removed.

One critic said lazy hotel operators even in the Great White Way have concluded that its more profitable to take the easy money from the city to fully occupy their rooms with migrants rather than book tourists.

These hotels could be doing a fine tourist business right now, but they are being lazy, and a sure-thing 100-percent occupancy on the city dime, and without having to provide traditional hotel services, is just too good a deal to pass up, said Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

A National Guard soldier is seen stationed at the entrance of the lobby. LP Media

Other pro-business advocates said its sad that the city and the hotel industry are turning the Broadway District into a migrant district.

We consider the Broadway District a key to the citys economy. There is only one Broadway in the entire world! said state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar

Kassar said its another blow for the Big Apple after the historic Roosevelt Hotel near Grand Central Terminal was converted into a massive migrant shelter and intake center.

But migrants fleeing poverty and upheaval in their homelands said the shelter was a lifeline while they try to find work and become self-sufficient.

Migrants seeking asylum in the United States gather outside of hotel. Stephen Yang

We all pay the price for one or two bad guys. One guy goes to do something bad and then they say all Venezuelans are bad, Jesus Delber, 27, told The Post.

But not everyone is like that. I came to work. I didnt find work for three months. But I didnt give up. If you are willing to work hard, life will always help you find honest work, said Delbert.

Theatergoer Nina, a 64-year-old retired executive secretary from Brooklyn was on her way to see Sign of the Times, playing at the nearby New World Stages and said the asylum seekers have to go somewhere.

I am an empathic person, she said.

A sign placed at the lobby entrance last week warned that motor bikes chained to scaffolding and poles in front of the hotel would be cut and removed. LP Media

But the mayor is not handling this well. The president is not handling this well.

Retiree Judie Rudman, 57, who came to see Arthur Millers Enemy of The People with her husband and three kids, said, Im more concerned about the migrants than the theater goers, Rudman said. If they have a place to stay it makes the city safer.

A mayoral spokesman said the Square Hotel has been a migrant shelter since last spring.

The nonprofit that works for the improvement of Times Square said that during that time, there have been no issues with the Square Hotel.

This hotel has been operating as a shelter for over a year without incident or complaint. We have every reason to believe the hotel management and the NYC DHS will continue to do so, and work with the community should an issue arise, said Tom Harris, president of Times Square Alliance.

More than 100 city hotels have agreed to convert into emergency shelters for migrant families and individuals who have flooded the city from the southern border.

Its been a godsend for many hotels reeling from closures and lost business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city also paid hotels to provide temporary lodging to recovering COVID patients, and medical workers and homeless individuals.

The Post reported last September that the city extended contracts with the hotel association for three years at a staggering price tag of $1.3 billion  nearly five times the original $275 million deal  just to pay rental fees to the vast network of hotels converted into emergency shelters.

The head of the Hotel Association of New York City said hotels are helping the city address a migrant crisis.

The hotels website says, Please pardon our appearance as we slip into something new! We look forward to welcoming you in the future. LP Media

The hotels make their own choices as to whether or not to participate. During the Covid crisis, hotels stepped up to the plate, and when it ended they went back to their normal course of tourism business, Hotel Association CEO Vijay Dandapani said in a statement.

We hope when this crisis abates, the hotels will receive help from the City and State such as tax reductions so they can recover, as well.

Nearly 200,000 migrants have arrived in the Big Apple since spring 2022, overwhelming the citys shelter population and forcing the Department of Homeless Services to rely on hotels and massive tent cities in Floyd Bennett Field, Creedmoor Psychiatric Center and on the grounds of Kennedy Airport.

Other pro-business advocates said its sad that the city and the hotel industry are turning the Broadway District into a migrant district. Christopher Sadowski

New York City is forking over an average of $387 per day to put up a single migrant household in taxpayer-funded shelters, recent data from City Hall show.

Mayor Eric Adams has moved to curb mushrooming migrant costs by setting 30- and 60-day shelter stay limits for individuals and families, respectively.

A mayoral spokesman said the Square Hotel has been a migrant shelter since last spring.
Who will be the Chieftain's Student of the Week? Vote here by May 9

The Pueblo Chieftain's latest installment of the Student of the Week poll is open to readers from May 6 to May 9.

Five high-achieving high school students representing Central High School, Pueblo County High School and South High School are nominees for this week's feature and poll. Evan Hernandez, a senior from Centennial High School, is the Chieftain's most recent Student of the Week.

Readers can choose the next Student of the Week at the bottom of the page. Here are the nominees for this week's poll.

Bella Cappellucci

Bella Cappellucci, Pueblo County High School

Bella Cappellucci is a senior in Pueblo County High School's School of Engineering and Biomedical Science. She has a 4.76 GPA, dances with Pueblo's Sarah Shaw Dance Studio and plans to study mathematics at the University of Denver. Cappellucci also has volunteered with Upward Bound, the Colorado Lottery "Runyon to the Res" cleanup, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes pancake breakfast at Colorado State University Pueblo.

Madyson Garner

Madyson Garner, South High School

Madyson Garner is an active community volunteer in her senior year at South High School. She spends her falls raking leaves for disabled veterans and also has helped with food distribution events. Garner participates in the color guard, Colt Crew, JROTC, marching band, National Honor Society and orchestra at South. She plans to attend Pueblo Community College to study early childhood education.

Joshua Sanchez

Joshua Sanchez, Central High School

Joshua Sanchez will be attending the University of Notre Dame upon graduating from Central High School this spring. He is Central's student body president, a three-year letter winner in two sports, and a city high jump champion. Sanchez has given back to his community through participation in the Tom and Louie's Cupboard food drive and by organizing donation drives for homeless individuals.

Ava Tucci

Ava Tucci, Pueblo County High School

Ava Tucci starred as Karen Smith in the Arts Academy at Pueblo County High School's recent production of "Mean Girls: The Musical." She is a member of the school's dance team, National Honor Society and DECA program  for which she is a two-time state qualifier. Tucci also maintains a 4.29 GPA and works Fridays as an assistant at Park West Dental. She aspires to study political science at the University of Colorado.

Xavier Velasquez

Xavier Velasquez, South High School

Xavier Velasquez has cultivated a passion for video and audio production while at South High School. He hopes to take that passion to Colorado State University Pueblo in pursuit of a broadcast journalism degree. He has volunteered with the Steelworks Center of the West, Link Leaders and local food banks. Velasquez also has participated in South's Key Club, the SkillsUSA program and Upward Bound.

Vote here for the Pueblo Chieftain's Student of the Week

How to nominate a student: The Chieftain needs Student of the Week nominations. Here is how you can participate

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Who will be the Chieftain's Student of the Week? Vote here by May 9
Child care providers are closing fast in the Hudson Valley and it could get worse

Where can you find child care in the Hudson Valley? Parents are finding fewer answers.

The number of child care centers in the Hudson Valley is shrinking fast, outpacing the declining birthrate and leaving fewer options for families, according to a report released by Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a research and planning organization based in Newburgh.

The dire state of child care came to the fore in recent months as federal pandemic relief money dwindled. The report shows how bad things have gotten across the region.

"There's so few seats left in some of these places that when one place closes, the parents are on an island. They have nowhere else to go," Adam Bosch, president and CEO of Pattern for Progress, said during a recent presentation on the report.

Howard Milbert, executive director of the Ossining Children's Center, builds with pre-k students on the playground Nov. 8, 2023.

The report examined data from nine counties: Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

Between those nine counties, the report found, there are 1,685 child care providers licensed for 82,301 seats. With a total of 143,000 kids younger than 5 in the nine counties, there would only be enough seats for 58% if every seat was filled, the report concluded.

Columbia County saw a 63.9% loss in child care providers from 2007 to 2023, the largest in the region, followed by Sullivan County (61.9%), Green County (45.5%) and Ulster County (45.1%).

Bosch said that Hudson Valley employers need quality, affordable child care for their employees and that women in the workforce are disproportionately affected when unable to find child care.

Number of child care providers shrinking, but so is child population

The number of child care providers in the nine Hudson Valley counties decreased by 27% from 2007 to 2023. Statewide, the decline was 22%.

Birthrates have been declining fast, but the loss of child care has happened at a faster rate, the report found.

Here are other key takeaways:

Eight of the region's 13 cities saw a significant decline in the number of child care providers. Hudson and Newburgh saw the biggest losses, both down 61.5% in 2023 compared to 2007. Kingston was down 58.6%, Poughkeepsie down 51.9% and Middletown down 50%.

There were 28,000 fewer children in the Hudson Valley in 2022 than in 2010 because of the declining birth rate and migration patterns.

A declining population of children could mean that more child care providers will close.

On average, the yearly cost for child care for one child in the Hudson Valley is $12,000 to $15,000.

Westchester County was the only county among the nine that had the same number of child care providers as it did in 2007. Also in the Lower Hudson, Putnam lost 34.1% of its providers and Rockland lost 32.1%.

The report noted that Orthodox Jewish communities in Orange, Rockland and Sullivan counties have higher birthrates that break the regional trends.

In Rockland, the town of Ramapo, home to the county's large Orthodox population, saw a 41% increase in births from 2002 to 2015, while the other four towns in the county saw declines ranging from 10 to 32%.

Orthodox communities have "relatively few licensed childcare facilities because they rely on different social support structures to care for their kids," the report said.

Universal pre-K taking 4-year-olds from child care

The report outlined other factors that have impacted the child care industry in perhaps unintended ways.

The growing availability of universal pre-kindergarten "has unintentionally wounded the business model that private childcare businesses relied on," the report said.

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul announces that the state will dedicate $88 million in federal CARES Act funding to aid families seeking child care and providers adapting to COVID-19 needs, at Mount Kisco Child Care Center on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020.

Many 4-year-olds who would've been in child care have instead gone to publicly funded universal pre-K programs run by school districts, BOCES and other providers. But 4-year-olds were a major source of revenue for child care providers.

The report said that strict regulations for operating child care centers in New York and low wages paid to child care employees have also made it difficult for centers to stay open.

Many households qualify for subsidies but don't seek them.

Only a fraction of households that qualified for childcare subsidy claims received money through the New York State Child Care Assistance Program. Less than half of the money available through the program was used by Hudson Valley families in 2022. The report blamed poor marketing, inefficient application processes and language barriers.

Calls for change

Pattern for Progress reached conclusions and made recommendations:

Private child care in New York will likely disappear unless New York subsidizes it.

The state should examine how universal pre-K has impacted the child care system.

The state's child care subsidy program needs to reach more people who need it.

Child care regulations should be updated so it is easier to open and run a business as a child care provider.

New York needs more programs to support child care and early childhood education professionals.

Contact Diana Dombrowski at ddombrowski@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @domdomdiana.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hudson Valley NY child care providers are shrinking fast
Toys seen on the floor of the Rhode Island State House during a press conference on Feb. 1, 2024 for RIght from the Start  a child advocacy coalition that includes Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, a policy and data analysis organization. (Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

This year marks the passage out of young adulthood for Rhode Island KIDS COUNT as the data-focused advocacy nonprofit celebrates its 30th birthday with the release of the 2024 Factbook  an annual look at the quality of life for babies, kids and teens in the Ocean State.

The first edition of the Factbook, published in 1995, ran 70 pages and featured 21 indicators. As the years have passed, the page count has grown. Now, in the 2024 edition, there are 70 indicators and 196 pages worth of statistics and data on Rhode Island kids.

The babies who we first tracked in the first book are now 30 years old  and are of age to have their own children, Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Paige Clausius-Parks said. For a full generation, weve been taking stock in how our kids are doing, and we owe it to them to make sure that their children have better chances and opportunities to succeed.

What are the children going through, exactly? Some things of note in this years Factbook:

There are more homeless children in the states public schools. In the 2022 academic year, school employees identified 1,739 children as homeless, compared to 1,461 the previous year.



From 2018 to 2022, 65% of youth living in poverty resided in four cities: Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket. Lead levels in the bloodstream of children in these cities average 6% compared to 2.1% in the remainder of the state. High poverty levels are also seen in Newport and West Warwick, and Newport, with its high concentration of housing stock built before 1978, also showed high levels of lead at 5.4%. The highest level overall of elevated lead exposure was 7.8% in Central Falls.



Improvements were observed in several areas: 2023 saw a reduction in average wait times for psychiatric admission, with kids waiting around 3.5 days compared to 6.2 wait times in 2022. The state saw legislative support for matching early learning programs, known as Head Start, at the federally required 20% match.



The 2022 school year saw chronic absenteeism at a rate of 25% from kindergarten through third grade and at a rate of 33% among highschoolers. Thats down from the 2021 school year, when those rates were at 31% and 38%, respectively



The 2024 Factbook was scheduled for release Monday with a sold out breakfast event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick. Scheduled to attend were U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, and Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. This years event is being held in person for the second consecutive year after a three-year hiatus during the pandemic.

The event features two keynote speakers: Tricia Rose, a professor of Africana studies and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University, and Wujuudat Balogun, a senior at Classical High School, co-chair of the board of directors at Young Voices  and a recurring guest star at the State House, where shes testified on a variety of bills.

The organizations 30th anniversary is accounted for with data points about changes in the past 30 years. In 1990, for instance, there were 225,690 children under age 18 living in Rhode Island. In 2020 that population was 7% smaller, with 209,785 Rhode Islanders under age 18.

The Factbook acknowledges the growing diversity of Rhode Islands population, with children leading the way. But there are apparently blindspots in census data that can make it hard to accurately detail the states populations of color.

The 2020 Census reveals that People of Color and young children continue to be undercounted, and Children of Color were undercounted at an even higher rate than in 2010, the Factbook states.

Collecting and reporting on data disaggregated by race and ethnicity is an important first step to identifying ways to eliminate [disparities].

Among those disparities: Black youth are 6% of Rhode Islands child population, but in 2023 they comprised 27% of offenses referred to Family Court. That level of representation in the juvenile criminal justice system is echoed in the Rhode Island Training School, where non-Hispanic Black youth were 26% of the population there. Hispanic youth made up 37% of youth at the Training School, but are only 27% of the total child population.

Data was compiled from across five areas: family and community, economic well being, health, safety and education. Returning indicators point to everything from basic demographic data like population to more troubling statistics on homelessness, violence and neglect.

All areas of child well-being are interrelated and critical throughout a childs development, the books introduction reads. A childs safety in their family and community affects school performance; a childs economic security affects that childs health and education.

Two new indicators assess young Rhode Islanders attainment of science skill and arts education. The former measures fifth, eighth, and 11th graders who met standards on the Rhode Island Next Generation Science Assessment test. Across all three of those grades, the average attainment peaked at 32% in 2023.

2024 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook

Physical copies cost $30, but anyone can read the full digital copy online at the KIDS COUNT website.

There are similar Factbooks across all 50 states, and the national data is compiled yearly in a Factbook by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. The data is collected from a variety of publicly available sources, mostly state and federal agencies.

The Factbook cites the role of the pandemic in boomeranging scores from 2021 to 2023: Fifth graders met expectations on the science assessment 32%, 30% and 32% of the time in 2019, 2021 and 2023, respectively. Eighth graders were up to the tests standards 31% of the time in both 2019 and 2021, then fell back down to 28% in 2023. And 36% of 11th graders met the science test expectations at the height of the pandemic in 2021  but decreased to 31% in 2023, the same number they scored in 2019.

The arts education metric calculates the number of students enrolled in courses like music, visual arts, theater, dance, and media arts. The Factbook shows that enrollment in arts courses actually decreases as children get older. In the 2021 school year, 98% of elementary students took some kind of arts course  but by high school that number dropped to 64%. The least represented categories are theater and dance, with K-12 enrollment rates observed at an average of 3% or less across all grade levels.

And while state curricular initiatives require arts education, the Factbook states that 30% of Rhode Islands schools fail to meet even the minimum requirements. Foster had zero percent of students enrolled in arts courses. But even towns where 100% enrollment was achieved were unable to deliver instruction on every kind of expression: Jamestown saw 100% enrollment in music and visual arts but no enrollment in media arts, dance or theater across grade levels.

But the kids are apparently quite capable of self-expression, as evidenced by the Factbooks inclusion of kid-penned poems.

A poem by Mia Malo, a ninth grader from Warren, reads: my friends and family say that they wish they were as wise as me at 15/but how is it that i dont feel wise at all?

The post Child homelessness up, chronic absenteeism down, latest KIDS COUNT Factbook finds appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
A nurse walks inside a quarantine room for coronavirus patients at finished but still unused building A2 of the Shanghai Public Clinical Center, in Shanghai

By Andrew Silver

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China should increase the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds over the next few years as part of its public health measures, several state agencies recommended in a joint statement published on Monday.

The world's second most populous country has gradually increased ICU beds over the years, but critics say its health system remains under-resourced and it was severely stretched after authorities abruptly ended national COVID pandemic restrictions in late 2022.

China had only 4.37 ICU beds per 100,000 people in 2021, compared with 34.2 in the United States as of 2015, according to a paper by Shanghai's Fudan School of Public Health.

ICU beds nationwide should reach 15 per 100,000 people by the end of 2025 and 18 per 100,000 by the end of 2027, the National Health Commission and other state agencies said in a proposal.

The proposal also recommended the number of hospital beds convertible to ICU should reach 10 per 100,000 people by 2025 and 12 by 2027.

(Reporting by Andrew Silver; Editing by Miyoung Kim)
FILE PHOTO: Women take part in a nursing skills class for confinement carers, in Shanghai

FILE PHOTO: Women take part in a nursing skills class for confinement carers, in Shanghai

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's National Health Commission said it was investigating a hospital in the southwest megacity of Chongqing for its alleged involvement in surrogacy, which is illegal in China, after wide circulation of the issue on social media.

The incident comes after a series of official investigations last year related to the issuance of fake birth certificates at a time when China is trying to boost its birth rate.

Chongqing Angel Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital has been cooperating with illegal surrogacy agencies, a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo said on Sunday.

Surrogate mothers would use forged ID cards to give birth in the hospital and forged birth certificates would be made after the babies were born, according to the post, made by a user called Shangguan Zhengyi, who describes himself as a volunteer fighting child trafficking.

A team had been set up to investigate and verify the situation, the local Chongqing health committee said in a statement on its website on Sunday in response to the post.

"Once verified, it (the hospital) will be dealt with seriously in accordance with laws and regulations."

Chongqing Angel Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

The Weibo post on the hospital was one of the top trending items on Monday, drawing hundreds of comments.

"This industry always seems to have existed," said one comment by a user called Wensheng. Another user called XJ said: "This is an industrial chain, not something that can be accomplished by one person."

China said last year it would "severely crack down" on illegal activities related to the use of assisted reproductive technologies such as the buying or selling of sperm or eggs and surrogacy.

It suspended a hospital and judicial institute in Wuhan in November after they were accused of surrogacy and issuing fake paternity results.

Birth certificates are required in China for obtaining household registration and are necessary for vaccinations, medical insurance enrolment and application for a social security card.

(Reporting by Farah Master and the Beijing newsroom; editing by Lincoln Feast.)
By Elizabeth Pineau, John Irish and Ingrid Melander

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen urged Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday to ensure more balanced trade with Europe, but the Chinese leader showed little sign of being ready to offer major concessions.

In meetings in Paris, Macron also pressed the Chinese leader to use his influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

Xi arrived in Europe for the first time in five years, at a time of growing business tensions that include the European Union investigating Chinese industries such as electric vehicle exports, while Beijing probes mostly French-made brandy imports.

The European Union "cannot absorb massive over-production of Chinese industrial goods flooding its market," von der Leyen said after the three held talks under the gilded ceilings of the Elysee Palace.

"Europe will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its market," she said, in reference to the trade probes and the sanctions that could follow. The relationship between Europe and China is hurt by unequal market access and by Chinese state subsidies, she said.

Speaking later alongside Xi after the two met several times during the day, reviewed troops together and repeatedly shook hands for the cameras, Macron told reporters: "The EU today has the world's most open market ... but we want to be able to protect it."

The EU's more assertive stance on trade with China dovetails with Washington's approach. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned Beijing that Washington will not accept new industries being "decimated" by Chinese imports.

During their talks, held behind closed doors, Xi agreed that economic and trade frictions should be addressed through dialogue, Chinese state media said.

But he also told Macron and von der Leyen that the problem of China's over-capacity "does not exist either from the perspective of comparative advantage or in light of global demand", Chinese media said.

He later said China and France would work on rebalancing trade from the top, but gave few details.

Macron's official gifts for Xi included cognac by LVMH-owned Hennessey and Remy Cointreau, which are among the French companies affected by China's retaliatory anti-dumping brandy investigation.

Macron thanked Xi for what he described as his "open attitude" in the cognac probe.

While the French president gave little details and Xi did not mention it, a French diplomatic source said this meant no taxes or custom duties until the probe was over, but did not preclude measures once it is wrapped up.

"I thank the President for his open attitude regarding provisional measures on cognac and for his wish not to implement them," Macron said.

'COLD WAR'

French diplomatic sources said Xi seemed receptive to concerns about trade imbalances, adding that the objective of the visit was to get messages across. Whether any action would follow remained to be seen, the sources said.

In brief comments televised before one of his meetings with Macron, Xi urged his counterpart to join him in showing "independence" and "prevent a 'new Cold War'" between blocs.

"We need to be forward-looking and work together for an equal and orderly multi-polar world," Xi said, calling on Macron to joining him in opposing "decoupling" China's supply chains and other economies.

The EU's 27 members - in particular France and Germany - are not unified in their attitude towards China. While Paris advocates a tougher line on the EV probe, Berlin wants to proceed with more caution, sources say.

Some French government officials privately expressed concern that Berlin will try to undermine the electric vehicle probe, which has zeroed in on Chinese carmakers BYD, Geely and SAIC. China is a key market for Germany's export-led economy and its carmakers such as BMW and Mercedez-Benz.

France is also pushing China to open its market to French agricultural exports and resolve issues around the French cosmetic industry's concerns about intellectual property rights.

"Among ourselves, French and Chinese companies and authorities, we talk to each other continuously," Jean-Paul Agon, the chairman of French cosmetics giant L'Oreal, told a Franco-Chinese business forum. "What matters is our common, shared desire to find solutions and move forward together."

China, meanwhile, may announce an order for around 50 Airbus aircraft during Xi's visit.

After a dinner at the Elysee Palace, Macron will take Xi to the Pyrenees on Tuesday, a mountainous region dear to the French president as the birthplace of his maternal grandmother.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, Tassilo Hummel, Geert de Clercq, Leigh Thomas, John Irish, Ingrid Melander, Dominique Patton, Mimosa Spencer and Gabriel Stargardter in Paris, Sudip Kar-Gupta in Brussels, Ryan Woo, Laurie Chen and Ethan Wang in Beijing; additional reporting by Andrew Gray in Brussels; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Stephen Coates, William Maclean, Nick Macfie and Tomasz Janowski)
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Paris as he embarks on a week-long visit to Europe. Beijing hopes the display of could help distance Europe from US influence.

On Monday, Xi joined French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen for a meeting where the pair pressed Xi on Chinas high-capacity exports of cheap green technology that they say hurt European competition. They also warned Xi about potential EU tariffs on Chinese EVs, which could come within weeks.

Xi may be received with more open arms at later stops along his whistlestop tour in Hungary and Serbia, but his visit to France spotlights Macrons recent campaign to re-envision Europe as strategically independent from the US.

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Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Xi is doing damage control

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Sources: Financial Times, Sinification

China wants to stop the EU from swinging toward the US, and there will be a renewed charm offensive from Beijing to try and get the bloc on side. But European lawmakers are deeply concerned about Chinese green tech exports, one Chatham House analyst told the Financial Times, a fear Xi wants to quell. Xi sees France as a potential counterweight to the US; Macron recently advocated European strategic autonomy instead of defaulting to US security via NATO. Still, Xi doesnt want to risk losing the European market, but he is expected to play hard ball, and warn EU leaders that restricting Chinese exports could spur retaliation in kind, the FT reported.

EU worries Germany may undermine EV probe

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Sources: Semafor, Nikkei Asia

France and Germany are split on how to work with China, and Xis agenda reflects the divide. The French government worried inviting German representatives to Xis Paris meeting could undermine an EU probe into Chinese electric vehicles, French officials told Nikkei Asia; Germany didnt attend the meeting. Germanys export-driven economy relies on China: German automakers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen are opposed to tariffs on Chinese EVs because they fear retaliatory action from Beijing might blackball them from the crucial Chinese market, as Semafor previously reported.

Cognac is drink of choice for geopolitics

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Sources: Semafor, Bloomberg, Chinese Embassy in France

Shortly after France imposed restrictions on Chinese-made EVs last year, Beijing opened an anti-dumping investigation into European brandy, sparking fears among cognac makers in France, including alcohol giant Remy Martin. Similar tariffs on Australian wine coming into China almost eliminated Australian winemakers from the Chinese market, Reuters reported. The cognac industry is a significant slice of Frances economy, with more than 70,000 employees and $3.6 billion in exports, the majority of which go to China, Bloomberg reported. China has denied the probe was retaliation for Frances EV measures. Europeans should look for the reasons [about why the probe was launched] within themselves instead of just blaming others, Chinas ambassador to France said.

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Chinese leader says he wants to cooperate with France to "resolve crisis" in Ukraine

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has stated on the pages of the French newspaper Le Figaro that China wants to "cooperate with France and the entire international community" to end the war in Ukraine, which he has referred to as "crisis resolution".

Source: French TV news channel TF1info with reference to Xi Jinpings words in Le Figaro

Details: After arriving in Paris on Sunday, 5 May, Xi Jinpings words were published in Le Figaro, where he stated that he came to France with "three messages". He revealed what he wants to share with French President Emmanuel Macron during this two-day state visit, the Chinese leaders first official visit to Europe since 2019.

The trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries are among the main issues, along with the search for ways to resolve the war in Ukraine.

The Chinese leader stated that he understands what is at stake for Europeans in the "Ukrainian crisis" and is committed to a range of norms regulating international relations. Among them are "mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence."

Xi Jinping claimed that China "faithfully follows these principles". "Since the founding of New China over 70 years ago, it has never started a war or occupied an inch of foreign land," he wrote.

The Chinese leader also mentioned the "constructive role" in the Russian-Ukrainian war. "China did not cause this crisis. It is not a party to or participant in it," he stated.

Xi Jinping expressed hope that "peace and stability will quickly return to Europe".

He stated that he wants to "cooperate with France and the entire international community" to "resolve the crisis" in Ukraine.

Previously: John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the White House National Security Council, said on 2 May that he does not regard China as being ready to accept the Ukrainian Peace Formula  a key factor in influencing Russia.

Background:

On 30 April, the US Department of State pledged to take action against China if it confirms the country was facilitating the supply of weapons from North Korea to Russia. Prior to this, reports emerged that a Russian ship transporting North Korean weapons was using a Chinese port.

During his visit to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the White House's readiness to impose new sanctions on Beijing if it continues to support Russia in its full-scale war against Ukraine.

US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said that China is helping Russia achieve its military goals in Ukraine by continuing to sell goods such as drone technology or gunpowder components.

Earlier, Blinken criticised China for supporting Russia's defence industry, saying that Beijing is currently the main supplier of critical components for the war of aggression that Russia is waging against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United States has seen no evidence that China is providing Russia with direct military support.

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A nearly two-decade study of whale songs recorded in the Southern Ocean suggests that blue whales, the largest creatures ever to have roamed the Earth, may be recovering in Antarctica after being hunted to the edge of extinction.

Commercial whaling reduced the number of Antarctic blue whales from around 125,000 in the early 1900s to a few thousand today. But bans on whaling have made it possible for the critically endangered creatures to begin to rebound.

Measuring up to 100 feet long and weighing up 200 tons, blue whales can grow to the size of a passenger airplane, and make even more of a ruckus. The loudest animal on the planet, a blue whale can sing at a volume upwards of 180 decibels  louder than a jet engine.

Lead author Brian Miller listens for the sound of an Antarctic blue whale. Elanor Miller / Australian Antarctic Division

For the new study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, researchers from the Australian Antarctic Division deployed floating listening devices in the Southern Ocean, recording the distinctive songs of Antarctic blue whales that were sometimes hundreds of miles away.

From 2006 to 2021, they analyzed thousands of hours of audio, as well as videos, photos, and other observations. Over the course of the study, scientists could hear the whales singing with greater regularity, indicating that their numbers may be growing, though more work is needed to know for sure.

Maybe theyre getting louder, or maybe theyre calling more frequently. Maybe this population is increasing and thats why were hearing them more often, lead author Brian Miller told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Its going to take a bit more work for us to be able to answer that conclusively.

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ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  On May 4, the District 4 Justice of Peace for Benton County announced his official campaign for Mayor of Rogers.

Chris Latimer is the first person to announce a mayoral campaign in Rogers.

He is focused on three things for the city: work, protect and build, according to his website. He claims that he will make City Hall more transparent, build more housing and infrastructure, bring more entrepreneurs and businesses with less red tape and delays.

He also claims that crime is on the rise and the increase in violent crime is particularly concerning.

FBI data shows that from 2012 to 2022 Rogers has had an increase of 40% in violent crimes, from 203 to 285.

Above are all the violent crimes reported to the FBI from the Rogers Police Department from 2012-2022.

He said the city needs a stronger police presence on his website. He has a three-minute video on his website with more information on his plans.

Latimer has lived in Rogers for more than 15 years. He works at Gibson Real Estate. He has more than 15 endorsements from state representatives, justice of peaces and Republican chairmans.

Latimer will be on the November ballot.

The deadline for candidates to file for the mayoral race is August 7. Residents can check their voter registration online.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  As people across Tampa Bay hit the bars to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, authorities in Hillsborough County upped patrols to combat drunken driving.

Over the course of the weekend, the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office arrested 37 people on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The agency highlighted two arrests as the most significant.

Deputies said Casey Willard, 39, was taken into custody after they found him asleep behind the wheel of a vehicle that was parked at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and U.S. Highway 301. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possessing a controlled substance.

Deputies also arrested Ivan Wu, 30, on suspicion of driving under the influence. This was Wus second DUI arrest since February, when he was found asleep behind the wheel on a Selmon Expressway off-ramp. He faces charges of driving under the influence (second conviction) and refusal to submit to testing.

DUI enforcement is a top priority for the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, especially during high-traffic periods like the Cinco de Mayo weekend, said Sheriff Chad Chronister. These arrests are not just statistics; they are reflections of lives saved from the senseless and tragic impacts of impaired driving. These 37 individuals will now face the consequences of their reckless actions.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Telecom Argentina and OSS vendor Intraway have announced plans to establish a joint digital company to create a platform that allows regional CSPs to monetise their networks using Open APIs under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both companies on Thursday, the planned new JV will develop a cloud-native, multi-tenant Open Gateway platform that other Latin American CSPs can use to securely and scalably expose their network APIs and create new revenues.

The Telecom Argentina-Intraway JV will also provide consulting services for API integration, and product design and architecture.

The new company ultimately wants to position itself as the main partner for operators in Latin America to leverage the GSMAs Open APIs and the Open Gateway initiative, as well as Telecom Argentinas experience with developing Open APIs, said Telecom Argentina CEO Roberto Nobile.

"The objective of this joint venture is for regional operators to accelerate the adoption of this new standard, leveraging the responses and solutions we have already applied in Telecom, Nobile said in a statement. "This joint venture marks a milestone not only in boosting the digital economy and the Open Gateway standard in Latin America but also represents a key step in our strategy to consolidate ourselves as a technological hub and continue expanding our operations beyond the footprint of our networks.

Telecom Argentina  which also has operations in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile  joined the Open Gateway initiative in June 2023. Since then, it has launched its first in-house developed API, SIM Swap, which it says is in an advanced testing phase with fintech clients worldwide.

The telco is also working on other APIs focused on security and combating fraud, such as number verification, device status, and device location, some of which will be included in the Telecom-Intraway platform.

"This strategic alliance with Telecom Argentina represents a unique opportunity to democratize and expand direct access to operators mobile networks for banks, e-commerce, digital wallets, transportation, governments, and many other industries, allowing them to innovate and offer more secure, tailor-made, and efficient services, said Lucas Lodeiro, CTO of Intraway and interim CEO of the new JV.

Telecom Argentina and Intraway plan to commercially release the first version of their joint solution during the second quarter of this year.
Coming on the heels of the recent whistleblower settlement, the city of Abilene is once again being sued by someone who previously worked for the Abilene Police Department.

Patricia Anderson filed a lawsuit March 1, alleging she was fired after she reported sexual harassment by a male Abilene police officer to a female co-worker. She also alleges that while both she and the female coworker were fired, the male officer was not.

Anderson's petition seeks over $1 million from the city, according to court documents.

The Abilene Police Department

The city replied April 12, stating a general denial of the allegations.

When asked to comment further on Thursday, communications officials issued a statement: The City of Abilene does not comment on litigation matters.

Fired in retaliation?

Anderson was employed by APD as an emergency dispatcher for over five years after starting work in July 2017.

Dispatchers at the Abilene Police Department answer calls from officers on patrol on January 26, 2024.

In October 2022, she was promoted to telecommunications dispatch supervisor.

By February 2023, however, Anderson was terminated in what she deems "retaliation for her internal reporting of sexual harassment against a female coworker by a police officer," according to allegations in the lawsuit.

According to Texas labor laws, an employer commits an unlawful employment practice if the employer "retaliates or discriminates against a person" who files a charge or a complaint.

'Failure to report sexual harassment'

A female coworker reported to Anderson in December 2022 that she "received an inappropriate romantic overture from a male police officer in the Abilene Police Department," according to Anderson's lawsuit.

That coworker told Anderson that she had been "afraid to report the incident" even though it had occurred four to six weeks prior.

Anderson subsequently reported the alleged sexual harassment to a male supervisor.

During the first week of January 2023, Anderson and the male supervisor went to then-Assistant Police Chief Doug Wrenn to report the alleged harassment.

APD subsequently "conducted an internal investigation," according to the lawsuit. Anderson cooperated with the investigation, providing testimony that supported the accusations of sexual harassment.

The investigation found the male police officer had in fact "made romantic overtures to the female employees at work" and sent photos of himself being sexually aroused in uniform via What's App, according to allegations in the lawsuit. The officer had also "attempted to delete evidence from his phone."

Following the internal investigation, Anderson and the female employee were fired.

Anderson "was fired for 'failure to report sexual harassment in the workplace,'" according to a police department internal report cited in the lawsuit.

The male police officer in question "continues to be employed by the Abilene Police Department," according to the petition.

'Male-dominated administration'

Anderson's petition alleges her termination sent a message to APD's "female employees that reporting sexual harassment will result in swift punishment from the department's male-dominated administration."

The petition also alleges Anderson's termination violates Texas Commision on Human Rights by alleging that the city of Abilene retaliated against Anderson "for her reporting and opposition to the sexual harassment of a fellow employee by a male police officer."

She now seeks monetary compensation for lost wages and benefits, attorney fees and emotional distress, including "damage to her good name and reputation."

Anderson is also seeking "an injunction ordering the defendant (the city of Abilene) to implement a new training program to train management on how to properly investigate and respond to employee reports of sexual harassment."

The petition ends by requesting the court to "impanel a lawful jury to hear this case."

The city's response

Abilene city officials denied "each and every, all and singular, the allegations made and contained in the Plaintiff's Original Petition," according to the city's response filed April 12.

The city contends Anderson's termination was "based solely on her failure to timely report the alleged workplace sexual harassment, in violation of the Abilene Police Department's policy."

The petition goes on to assert that her termination "was also based on her dishonesty during the Abilene Police Department's investigation," according to the city's allegations.

In the city's response, one of the major tenets is that "the Plaintiff's claims are barred, in whole or in part, by the doctrine of governmental and qualified immunity."

Anderson's case could be thrown out due to the city's claim of immunity from the lawsuit, or she could have her day in court.

The whistleblower settlement Abilene Police whistleblower lawsuit settled in city council

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: City of Abilene slapped with another APD-related lawsuit
CHICAGO  Plans for a temporary migrant shelter at a building on the citys South Side have been scrapped after pushback from community members and a local leader.

In a statement released Monday, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) said that the city is no longer considering the site at 3951 South Canal Street, in Bridgeport.

This site was under preliminary consideration and a site visit by various City departments had not been conducted. As part of our standard site vetting process, there were several assessments and physical improvements that would need to happen before a decision was made to move forward, a DFSS spokesperson said.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Alderwoman Nicole Lee (11th Ward), said the decision to not move forward with the proposal was the result of concerns voiced by her office, the building owners and the community.

I expect that the City will continue to explore other locations that would be safer and more appropriate for the migrants and community residents of Chicago alike, Lee said in a Facebook post on Monday.

The initial plan to temporarily house migrants at the site was proposed to the 11th Ward alderwoman by the mayors office as a means to replace the citys downtown Standard Club shelter ahead of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, 2022, which will take place at the United Center.

In a Facebook post shared on Friday evening, Lee detailed several reasons why she opposed the plans for the shelter, which included safety, location and lack of justification.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

We have asked Mayor Johnson that if they are going to move forward with this plan against our fervent opposition, that he and his team pursue a proper community engagement process prior to signing a lease and committing any funds. This must include community meetings with the multiple impacted communities in our ward and surrounding wards, so that constituent questions can be answered and our concerns addressed. These meetings must be conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and English to accommodate constituents in the area, Lee said in the social media post.

Currently, it is unclear if the city will continue efforts to move migrants from the downtown shelter ahead of the DNC.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
This provided map shows the revised area the city of Mishawaka is seeking for a new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) for the Ironworks Plaza and Beutter Park areas. A proposed ordinance is being introduced to the Common Council for consideration.

MISHAWAKA  The city is making its second attempt at establishing a downtown outdoor refreshment district where people can carry drinks from designated vendors in a defined area.

Called a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), state law now allows cities and towns in Indiana to set up an area where licensed businesses could sell alcoholic drinks that people could carry outside the establishments in specially designated cups. With special stickers and cups, strictly defined areas and certain times of operations, the DORAs are known to offer people more freedom to experience parks and city amenities without the restrictions of open container laws.

An ordinance introduced for first reading on Monday night before the Common Council would set up a DORA for the Ironworks Plaza and Beutter Park areas. The first reading simply brought the proposal for council consideration. The council on Monday night set a public informational meeting for 6 p.m. June 12 in the City Hall council chambers, at 100 Lincoln Way W., to provide details of the ordinance.

The council sent the measure to its pubic health and safety committee for review. After the informational meeting, the council would have to set a second reading and schedule a public hearing on the proposal prior to a vote.

Backgrounder: Mishawaka council seeking input on whether to allow open drinks in area of Ironworks Plaza

Last August, a DORA proposal was introduced to the council but was tabled after many public comments and the public hearing.

Lentsch said the city spoke to residents of The Mill apartment complex located adjacent to the DORA. Meetings with the West End and Twin Branch neighborhoods gave the city insights that resulted in changes to the original DORA ordinance.

The current DORA ordinance submitted to the council would do the following:

 Create a trial period for the DORA. The city would set up the DORA from July 1 to Oct. 31 on a trial basis. The ordinance would be evaluated after that time period to see whether the designation would continue through the winter hours or be suspended until the spring of 2025.

 Limit days and hours of operation. The area would operate from 4 to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. There would be a "last call" provision in effect where licensed vendors would have to stop serving the drinks for the DORA 30 minutes before its end. The DORA also would not be in effect on Mondays and Tuesdays.

 Reduce the DORA footprint. The Riverwalk area and the street area along West Front Street by The Mill complex were removed from the DORA for safety reasons, Lentsch said. The reductions would eliminate concerns from apartment dwellers over people walking along the street and the river.

Lentsch said the city believes the DORA measure will serve to attract more visitors and citizens to the downtown businesses and restaurants while showing them the recreational opportunities there.

Last year, the Indiana General Assembly set up the DORA process. Many communities have set up DORAs to stimulate economic development and bring people to the area as a way to enhance the visitor experiences. The city would also need approval from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission to establish the district.

The city of Warsaw last week had its DORA approved by the state. Other states, including Michigan and Ohio, have established DORA regulations on their books, and many cities and towns, including Niles, have had the outdoor refreshment districts in place for years.

Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: City to consider new downtown outdoor drinking area proposal
TOPEKA (KSNT)  The City of Topeka has been awarded a grant from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide a treatment program to victims of domestic violence.

A division of the DOJ, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is awarding more than $488,000 in grants to improve treatment at local providers Halley Counseling Services and the Family Peace Initiative.

This grant represents a significant step forward in our efforts to address domestic violence in our community, said the City of Topekas Chief of Prosecution Kelly Trussell. By providing access to intervention programs, we are better equipped to support both victims and offenders, fostering safer and healthier environments for residents and stopping the cycle of violence.

The grant will be extended as part of the Improve the Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) program. The program gives the prosecutors office tools to aid offenders who lack the means to participate in intervention programs, according to a press release from the City of Topeka.

Baseball-sized hail, tornadoes possible today in NE Kansas

For more information on the OVWs ICJR program, click here.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Traffic moves east down South M-43 near Marshall Street in front of Lansing Eastern High School, Thursday morning, Aug. 31, 2023.

LANSING  Jaquez Moye-Young, the 14-year-old boy shot and killed Saturday in north Lansing, was a student at Eastern High School.

Lansing School District Communications Manager Ryan Gilding confirmed that Moye-Young attended Eastern on Monday, just hours after Lansing police released his name.

"Eastern High School and the Lansing School District have a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school personnel," Gilding said in an email. "At Eastern, there are school counselors available for any student who may need or want help or any type of assistance surrounding this loss. Our students also have access to, a licensed therapist in the Ingham County Health Center at Eastern High School."

The shooting happened about 3 p.m. on Saturday, according to police. Moye-Young was found with a gunshot wound in the 1400 block of West Oakland Avenue, near University of Michigan Health-Sparrow's St. Lawrence campus.

Lansing firefighters provided medical assistance before transporting him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police have characterized Moye-Young's death as a homicide.

Gilding said the school district "reached out to parents with community resources/organizations and the names of available school counselors if additional support is needed."

Moye-Young's death is the city's fifth violent death this year, all by firearms. Police have made no arrests in connection with the shooting. They are investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lansing Police Department at 517-483-4600, lead Detective Martha McGonegal at 517-483-4823, or Crime Stoppers at 517-483-7867. Those with information also can send a private message through the Lansing Police Department Facebook page.

READ MORE:

Police release name of boy, 14, fatally shot in north Lansing over the weekend

14-year-old boy dies in shooting on Lansing's west side

Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com. Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: City's latest fatal shooting victim was Eastern High School student
Claim of bill banning certain 9/11 speech is baseless, uses fabricated news story | Fact check

The claim: Congress is considering a bill that would criminalize questioning 9/11

An April 29 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a supposed news article that claims certain kinds of speech about the 9/11 terror attacks would be outlawed under a new congressional proposal.

Congress to vote on bill that would criminalize questioning the events surrounding 9/11, reads the headline of the article.

Additional text in the article reads, With strong support from AIPAC and the ADL, Congress is set to vote on a bill that would criminalize any questioning of the events that took place during the September 11th attacks. The bill calls for fines up to $10,000 and 5 years imprisonment of anyone who questions or challenges the official narrative.

Other versions of the claim spread widely on X, formerly Twitter.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

There is no such legislation mentioned on bill tracking websites or in legitimate news outlets. The image is a cropped version of a fabricated New York Post article.

Post is a 'complete fraud,' Anti-Defamation League says

The idea of banning questions about 9/11 runs counter to the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech. Any legislation seeking to do so would be covered by legitimate news outlets, but there is no credible news reporting on the supposed bill.

Theres also no mention of any such bill on Congress' website or on GovTrack.us, both of which list and track legislation in Congress. However, terrorist attacks have been mentioned throughout the current Congressional session, including a successful Senate resolution to designate the week of Sept. 11 as Patriot Week and a House resolution to encourage states to discuss the attacks in their elementary and secondary education curriculum, which did not make it out of committee.

Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

The acronyms in the Instagram post refer to the Anti-Defamation League and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, both of which told USA TODAY that claims of their purported involvement in the 9/11 legislation are false.

This post is a complete fraud, Anti-Defamation League spokesperson Todd Gutnick said. There is no such legislation.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has also not supported any such legislation, spokesperson Marshall Wittmann said.

Fact check: False claim Trump said World Trade Center attack didn't happen in speech

The Instagram post is a cropped version of an image posted on X that includes a New York Post banner on top. But like the claim itself, the image isn't legitimate.

No such article appears on the outlets website. The image appears to be an altered version of an April 26 report on Harvey Weinstein that includes the same date, timestamp and byline.

This is not the first time a post has claimed the First Amendment is in danger. USA TODAY previously debunked a false claim that its now illegal to protest in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment. One told USA TODAY they realized the information was false after posting.

The Associated Press, Lead Stories and Reuters also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

Congress.gov, accessed May 4, Legislation search

GovTrack, accessed May 4, Legislation search

Marshall Wittmann, May 3, Email exchange with USA TODAY

Todd Gutnick, May 3, Email exchange with USA TODAY

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim of legislation to ban questioning 9/11 | Fact check
About the Claim King Charles III's Funeral Plans Were Updated, Saying Cancer Prognosis 'Looking Grim'

In early May 2024, a Facebook user claimed King Charles III's funeral plans had been updated because the outcome of his battle with cancer was not looking favorable.

The user wrote: "King Charles' Funeral Plans Updated As His Cancer Prognosis Looking Grim."

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02VYebnZHrHSksfTGCpKnPg8vLJJ2Heari3sdaJGg5y3QaKHUoY9FVqM3DDGzAMGBsl&id=100076380136210

Similar posts appeared elsewhere on Facebook earlier that month, and likewise on X, including on the accounts of a range of news outlets, such as the New York Post, Page Six and Insider Paper.

Together, the posts had amassed more than 5.7 million interactions.

King Charles funeral plans reportedly being updated regularly after cancer diagnosis: He is really very unwell https://t.co/ySkxhL5iRV pic.twitter.com/7JpEBcmeNF  New York Post (@nypost) April 25, 2024

But the story originated from the U.S. news website The Daily Beast, according to the New York Post, and cited anonymous sources. On April 25, 2024, The Daily Beast published an exclusive article claiming the British monarch's funeral plans were being regularly updated because he is "very unwell."

The article's headline read: "King Charles' Funeral Plans Dusted Off, as His Health Remains a Mystery."

The story said:

"Officials are reviewing copies of a several-hundred-page document entitled 'Operation Menai Bridge'the codeword for King Charles' death."

Friends of the king reportedly told The Daily Beast his health was "not good," but the story also said officials would not respond to formal requests for comment. The website allegedly learned Charles' funeral plans were being regularly updated, and a document reviewing what went well following Queen Elizabeth II's death was being shared around the British government.

The story added the king was "really very unwell" and "more than they are letting on":

One old friend of the family, for example, told The Daily Beast, "Of course he is determined to beat it [cancer] and they are throwing everything at it. Everyone is staying optimistic, but he is really very unwell. More than they are letting on."

The Daily Beast also posted the article numerous times on its X account, amassing more than 144,000 views.

Snopes could not substantiate the claims made in the article due to the website's use of anonymous sources, so we contacted The Daily Beast for further information, along with Buckingham Palace and the British Cabinet Office, and will update this article if we receive a response.

The British monarch's health was the focus of another unproven rumor in March 2024, when a celebrity gossip magazine claimed Charles had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given just two years to live. The magazine's article was also based on quotes from anonymous sources.

At the time of this writing, Buckingham Palace had only issued two statements regarding the King's health since its original news release on Feb. 5, 2024. Neither mentioned his cancer diagnosis worsening or "looking grim," while the latest statement said Charles "will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation."

On May 3, 2024, the monarch appeared at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, Berkshire.

Sources:

'A statement from Buckingham Palace'. Royal.UK, 5 Feb. 2024, https://www.royal.uk/a-statement-from-buckingham-palace-5Feb24.

'A thank you message from His Majesty The King'. Royal.UK, 10 Feb. 2024, https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2024-02-10/a-thank-you-message-from-his-majesty-the-king.

Hardinges, Nick. 'King Charles III Was Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, Given 2 Years To Live?' Snopes, 1 Apr. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/king-charles-pancreatic-cancer/.

'King Charles Hugged by Zara Tindall at Royal Windsor Horse Show'. BBC News, 3 May 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9rn4qeryro.

Sykes, Tom. 'King Charles' Funeral Plans Dusted Off, as His Health Remains a Mystery'. The Daily Beast, 25 Apr. 2024. www.thedailybeast.com, https://www.thedailybeast.com/king-charles-funeral-plans-dusted-off-as-his-health-remains-a-mystery.

'The King returns to public-facing duties'. Royal.UK, 26 Apr. 2024, https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2024-04-26/the-king-returns-to-public-facing-duties.

The Royal Family Channel. Cheerful King Blown-Away at Royal Windsor Horse Show. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgGJvpPKC6A.
Who is Claire Woodall? What to know about the Milwaukee election official being replaced

Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall finalizes the ballot counting process by exporting results from tabulators, as election observers challenge the seal process of the USB drive on Tuesday November 8, 2022 at Central Count at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wis.

Claire Woodall, the executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, is being replaced by Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Her deputy, Paulina Gutierrez, is being nominated to take over her position.

The major change in leadership comes six months before the November election. Milwaukee's elections are closely watched, especially for the large numbers of absentee ballots that are processed after polls close and can switch up results late in the night.

State lawmakers had considered a bill last session allowing clerks across the state to begin that work on the Monday before Election Day, rather than on Tuesday night, but the proposal failed.

More: Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson to replace elections chief Claire Woodall, email shows

Johnson has declined to say why he did not reappoint Woodall. Here's what we know and don't know so far:

What is the Milwaukee Election Commission?

The Milwaukee Election Commission oversees elections in Wisconsin's largest city. Unlike a typical clerk's office (which the city also has), the body has commissioners.

It's distinct from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which is a state-level agency that provides guidance to clerks across the state.

How long has Claire Woodall led Milwaukee's elections?

Woodall was confirmed as executive director of the commission in July 2020, a tight window before the city's August primary election. She started working for the commission in 2013 and had two other roles, including overseeing voter services and analyzing registration and absentee data.

In a 2020 statement supporting her nomination, Johnson called Woodall a "dedicated public servant, who is passionate about quelling voter suppression and overcoming the barriers faced by our electorate to ensure that everyone in our city has free and fair access to electoral participation."

In between her work on Milwaukee's commission, Woodall was the clerk for the City of Cedarburg.

Why is Claire Woodall being replaced?

The mayor's office has not yet given a reason for the change in executive director. A press release that announced the new nominee for the position did not share more information about why Woodall is being replaced.

In an interview with WISN-TV, Johnson denied Woodall was fired and said she had been offered a different position that she does not plan to take. Johnson said he did not want to discuss personnel decisions when asked if Woodall was accused of any wrongdoing.

Deputy Director of City of Milwaukee Election Commission Paulina Gutierrez fixes a jammed tabulator containing ballots for the 2023 Wisconsin spring general election on Tuesday April 4, 2023 at Central Count in Milwaukee.

Who will replace Claire Woodall?

Paulina Gutierrez, who has been Woodall's deputy since 2023, is in line to replace her. But the Common Council will have to sign off on her nomination.

Paulinas integrity and capabilities are ideally suited to this position. She will lead the office at an important juncture when public scrutiny of the work of the department will be extremely high, Johnson said in the press release. I have confidence in her, and I will make certain the department has the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.

Gutierrez has held management positions previously in state and local government, according to the Mayor's Office. She is a graduate of Alverno College and earned a master's degree from Marquette University.

Why are Milwaukee's elections closely watched?

Milwaukee's election officials have faced intense scrutiny in recent years, especially from conspiracies that stem from absentee-ballot returns that are often posted late in the night, sometimes changing which candidate is in the lead.

In 2020, the later tally helped move Democrat Joe Biden over President Donald Trump, fueling the former president's false claims about election fraud in Wisconsin.

More: Here's how votes are counted in Milwaukee and when to expect election results in Wisconsin

More: In 2018 governor's race, Milwaukee absentee ballots took center stage. That could happen again in November.

Under current state law, clerks cannot process absentee ballots until after polls open on Election Day. A proposal to allow clerks to start working earlier and avoid late-night results failed in the Legislature this session.

A fictional storyline about the city's absentee ballots was featured in an episode of HBO's "Succession," about which Woodall consulted with show writers.

Has Claire Woodall received threats?

Woodall has received threats in her public position fueled by election conspiracies, which Milwaukee Police and the FBI have reviewed.

In 2022, she tweeted she would work remotely if the RNC were held in Milwaukee due to death threats  a post that the mayor's office called "flippant" but acknowledged threats against her.

Are there recent controversies with the commission?

A reason for Woodall's replacement wasn't given. But the commission has been in the news lately.

The commission's former deputy director, Kimberly Zapata, was given one year of probation and a $3,000 fine last week for ordering three military absentee ballots under fake names ahead of the 2022 midterm elections and having them sent to a state legislator known for embracing conspiracy theories.

In a letter ahead of Zapata's sentencing, Woodall described the personal and professional toll she felt from Zapata's actions but maintained that Zapata was trying to highlight a gap in the election system.

"As the executive director of the Election Commission, I faced severe skepticism and criticism from my colleagues, employees, and the citizens that I serve after Kim's actions came to light," Woodall wrote. "Despite the harm she has caused, her actions were rooted in a very real security vulnerability that state statute has created and that continues to persist."

Milwaukee election officials also made errors ahead of the April 2 election. The commission sent the wrong absentee ballots to 237 Milwaukee voters across four voting wards. The commission took disciplinary action against the employees involved. Woodall said she didn't believe there was any malicious intent, but rather "gross negligence."

This story may be updated.

Alison Dirr contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What we do and don't know about why Claire Woodall is being replaced
Employees with Quick AC Quote install new high efficiency heat pumps at Linden Green Apartments in Christiansburg, Virginia in May. ( Photo courtesy of Bradley Strahm / Community Housing Partners)

Its a phrase that has been called less sexy than other energy conservation efforts to combat climate change, but a local group is focused on making energy efficiency available to a narrow sector.

Community Climate Collaborative, also known as C3, is expanding from Charlottesville to Richmond after working the past few years to help businesses reach carbon neutral emission goals, a more modest approach to ultimately reaching zero-carbon goals.

The group is working to make the concept of energy efficiency appealing to the business community, currently responsible for about 28% of the states average annual average emissions between 2016 and 2020 of 84 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions scientists say contribute to climate change.

Were just getting started, said Susan Kruse, executive director. If we can collect [businesses] energy data and meet with them on a regular basis, we can help people stay on track.

Energy efficiency is the process of sealing up buildings, upgrading lights or replacing appliances using fossil fuels with modern ones in order to cut down on the amount of energy needed.

The changes C3 seeks are in line with the goals of the cities of Charlottesville and Richmond, which have plans to reduce emissions by mid-century.

We need to advocate for more funding opportunities to really move the needle further, said Tray Biasiolli, a climate program specialist with the city of Charlottesville. I think theres wide recognition its a tough nut to crack.

Enter the Virginia C-PACE program, designed to spur economic development with the goal of making buildings more energy efficient. Its getting off the ground with a senior living facility in Prince William County and a historic hotel in Petersburg by taking advantage of a unique lending mechanism.

Its a way that does not require utility incentives that can come and go [or] can run out if its oversubscribed. Its not a requirement by the state government depending on whos in the office, what they want to do, said Abby Johnson, executive director of the Virginia PACE Authority. Its something that never goes away.

From Cville to RVA

Both the cities of Charlottesville and Richmond outlined energy efficiency goals in plans theyve crafted.

In 2019, Charlottesville set its sights on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2050. At that time the city had just over 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in total, with 30% coming from the commercial sector, according to their Climate Action Plan.

The city identified increasing energy efficiency and onsite renewable energy use in existing buildings as one strategy to reduce emissions. Charlottesville has some mechanisms in place to help the business community reduce their carbon footprint, such as providing a grant program to help businesses install electric vehicle charging stations available to employees and the public.

But where C3 came into play was making some of the smaller, fine-tune adjustments to help businesses realize savings on their utility bills by using less energy through efforts like installing smart thermostats to turn down temperatures in the evening. The organization has also provided grants up to $2,000 for improvements.

The green banks and green financing are really going to help, said Cole Jennings, director of corporate sustainability, at a recent panel event held in Richmond.

Susan Kruse, executive director of Climate Community Collaborative, speaks before a panel event at Quirk Hotel in Richmond April 18. (Charlie Paullin/Virginia Mercury)

In Richmond, the city has a near-identical plan to Charlottesvilles, with a goal of reducing emissions by 45% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. Some 40% of the citys 2.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide comes from the commercial/industrial sector.

Recognizing the need to address climate change, the city adopted the plan in 2022 with an objective to maximize energy efficiency, performance and resilience in all existing buildings.

The impacts of climate change in the city are already here, said another panelist, Michael Smart, sustainability engagement coordinator in Richmonds office of sustainability, while referencing heat island studies.

C3 board chair Grey McLean and member Emily Francis said in an interview with the Mercury after the panel there are opportunities for businesses to improve their energy efficiency, such as audits Jennings provides that determine where leaks or energy efficient gains can be made within a building.

A lot of times the businesses just need a plan, said McLean, They dont know what they dont know. What you can measure, you can manage.

Kelli Lemon, co-founder of the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, owner of Urban Hang Suite and a member of the panel, recognized how energy-conscious building upgrades, such as improved lighting, can have an impact on whether customers return to a restaurant or leave a bad review on the internet.

The younger generation is asking about climate, they are talking about climate, where my generation [couldnt] care less, Lemon said. Its the small things but they do add up to maybe you are actually losing customers.

C-PACE financing

Included in the Charlottesville climate plan is a goal of tapping into Virginias C-PACE program, as Petersburg has done, making it one of the first areas of the state to take advantage of the funding opportunity for retrofitting buildings or developing new ones.

The program is a way to provide a long-term loan through a fixed rate that gives some assurances for lenders to get their money back through a special assessment placed on a property. The assessment provides localities with a legal force to keep a propertys unpaid balances and consider them delinquent, compared to a mortgage that doesnt have that strength.

Because a local ordinance has been needed for that mechanism to be adopted, recent changes to make the program available statewide through the Virginia Energy department will likely make the program more accessible.

The developer puts in 20%, the loan comes in at 60% [because] youre not getting as much as used to, so theres a gap, Johnson said. That gap can be filled multiple ways, but pace is a less expensive way to do that for 7 to 8% [financing costs], versus 15 to 20% on mortgage [financing].

Jessa Coleman, director of sustainability and programs at Nuveen Green Capital, the lender for the Prince William project, said the market is massive, pointing to its $7 billion size around the country.

Our assessments do sit on a property until theyre fully repaid unlike a mortgage, [which] some people may like that more than others depending on their financial position and what they need, Coleman said.

But otherwise, C-PACE is a very flexible tool, she added, by funding anything thats not a single-family, private home; a multi-family building with four units or less; or any publicly- owned property.

If you take those things out, were still funding multi-family, were funding offices, were funding hotels, were funding mixed use facilities, were funding retail, we can fund industrial facilities, we can fund manufacturing.

The historic Hotel Petersburg (Photo courtesy of Virginia Pace Authority)

In the eyes of PACE Equity executive vice president Ethan Elser, who was involved with the Petersburg hotel project, the program is very rare.

Its a chance to improve emissions, fund buildings in an attractive way that doesnt have a government subsidy, Elser said. Thats very powerful and exciting for us.

Following other legislative changes to expand the types of projects eligible to receive the funding, more projects are in the pipeline, Johnson said. The program is promoted by the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council, a leading non-profit focused on increasing energy efficiency around the state.

C-PACE is an innovative way to finance clean energy and resiliency projects on commercial, multifamily, and nonprofit buildings, states the Councils website.

This article was updated to correct the name of Community Climate Collaborative.

The post Climate group expanding to Richmond with focus on businesses energy efficiency appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Raise Your Hands Texas, in partnership with Clint ISD, will be hosting an event for the community on public education on Monday, May 6, according to a press release from the organization.

The El Paso Education Celebration will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday at the Clint ISD School Board Room, at 14521 Horizon Blvd.

According to the news release, the event aims to have the community talk about present and future initiatives to provide better public education in Texas.

State Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, will also be present at the event, focusing on legislative updates for public education in Texas, according to the press release.

Students from Clint ISD are able to have a Q&A session with the senator.

Raise Your Hands is a nonprofit organization that educates, engages, and activates Texans through public education and advocacy, according to its website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
But sometimes you get new information, or something shakes up our attitudes. Maybe you try a different pizza topping and like it even more than pineapple. Maybe you get some rotten pineapple and start feeling grossed out by it.

Changing your mind about pizza toppings isnt a big deal. But its harder to change your attitude about something that feels important to who you are as a person.

I recently watched a cartoon about a world full of humans and elves. They hated each other and lived in separate places. But then some humans went on a journey with an elf. They eventually became friends. That was a huge change because disliking each other was part of being a human or an elf. Its how they fit in with their families and friends.

White told me that when a person has an attitude and then has an experience that doesnt fit with the attitude, they feel cognitive dissonance. Thats the uncomfortable feeling when the things you think or the ways you act clash with each other.

Like if youre a human who thinks elves are terrible and scary. But youre also friends with an elf whos not terrible or scary at all. Thats going to make your brain uncomfortable. Then you must decide what to do about it.

You can stick with your old attitude and run away from your elf friend. You can make an excuse for why your friendship with this one elf doesnt mean you were wrong before. Or you can examine the attitude and change the kind of human you are.

White says it may be easier to change your mind if you have a growth mindset. That means believing you can change and grow. It means letting go of attitudes that dont work for you anymore.

Maybe thats why I was able to figure out my lab-coat-wearing destiny. Maybe someday Ill try something new and like that, too.

Its just a matter of adjusting my cat-titude.

Have a science question? Ask Dr. Wendy Sue Universe, WSUs resident science cat and writer, by email at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu, on her website at askDrUniverse.wsu.edu, via Twitter at @AskDrUniverse.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD)  A disbarred Coldwater attorney has been sentenced to months in jail for stealing over $100,000 from a 95-year-old law firm client, the attorney generals office said.

James OBriant, 64, was sentenced to four months in the Kalamazoo County Jail and three years of probation Monday. He will also have to pay $168,067.73 in restitution, the AGs office said.

In October, he pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny, $20,000 or more, and two counts of taxes-failure to file/false return. The AGs office said OBriant entered a plea agreement where he would only be sentenced on one of each charge and the remaining charges would be dismissed as long as he paid $154,511.73 to the victim by the end of April. He also agreed to pay $13,556 to the Michigan Department of Treasury. However, OBriant did not pay the victim by the deadline and was sentenced on all six counts, the AGs office said.

AG: Coldwater man pleads to stealing from law client

OBriant, who was previously disbarred, had access to the victims money while he was working under a licensed attorney, according to the AGs office. The licensed attorney, who had a representation agreement with the 95-year-old victim, was temporarily holding the victims money in the law firms trust account to keep it safe, the office said.

OBriant transferred the money to the law firms business accounts and then transferred it again for his own purposes, the AGs office said  including more than $40,000 to his personal investment accounts. He didnt report the stolen money on his taxes in 2018 or 2019, according to the office.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A college student died after being shot while riding in a car. Here's how two men will pay.

WEST PALM BEACH  A judge sentenced two men each to 10 years in prison last week after they pleaded guilty to lesser offenses in the 2020 shooting death of an 18-year-old college student.

Circuit Judge Sarah Willis imposed the prison terms for Keion Tyson, 30, and Javarous Finklea, 24, after both men entered pleas to one count each of manslaughter with a firearm and of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Jan. 31, 2020, death of Cykera Wright. Both Tyson and Finklea also pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted manslaughter.

During a hearing on Wednesday, May 1, at the Palm Beach County Courthouse, Willis imposed 10-year sentences on each count, ordering that they be served concurrently. She granted a motion to recommend that the state Department of Corrections house the men in a facility near Palm Beach County.

From the courts: Was a shootout and a crash that ended in man's death an act of murder? How a jury decided.

Finklea and Tyson previously faced first-degree murder and attempted murder charges after a grand jury in February 2023 indicted them in the death of Wright, a college student who died in Boynton Beach when someone opened fire on a car in which she and a group of friends were traveling.

Cykera Wright

Wright, an Atlantic High School graduate, was home on break from Warner University in Lake Wales, her relatives told The Palm Beach Post in the days after the deadly shooting. Wright was studying social work and working at a local fashion retail store to save money to buy a car for her return to college that spring, relatives said.

The fatal shooting occurred on the 2000 block of Northeast First Court, near Gateway and Seacrest boulevards. The grand jury indictment did not specify a motive or indicate whether Wright was an intended target.

The indictments did not include a place of residence for either Tyson or Finklea. Court records indicate both lived in the Delray Beach area at the time of Wright's death.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County judge sentence men in 2020 death of college student
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX)  As school wraps up, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) is starting its oldest youth employment program. The Governors Summer Job Hunt (GSJH) is beginning its 44th year. Since 1981, this program has helped thousands of high school and college students in Colorado find summer jobs. These jobs give them a chance to learn, use their skills and see how businesses work.

Joe Barela, the head of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, says, Were excited for another successful season of the Governors Summer Job Hunt. This program is important for building a strong workforce in Colorado. Were ready to help another group of young job seekers this summer.

This year, Colorado workforce centers have organized over 130 workshops and events to help youth get ready for jobs. More than 12,000 young people and 700 employers have attended these events.

Steve Wright, who runs the Governors Summer Job Hunt program, says its about more than just finding a job. It teaches young people skills they need for work, like having a good work ethic and building towards their future careers. Theyve held over 60 workshops on resume writing, interviewing and job searching. Workforce centers have also organized over 70 events to help students explore careers.

Students looking for a summer job can find out more on the GSJH website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
More than 70 years after an American teenager vanished while fighting overseas in the Korean War, modern forensics finally allowed the United States military to identify his remains.

John A. Spruell, a U.S. Army soldier from Cortez, Colorado, was declared missing in action on Dec. 6, 1950, the military said in a news release. He disappeared in the midst of a brutal battle that lasted more than two weeks in a frozen and remote North Korean mountain range, and even though the remains of some killed in that area were eventually returned to the U.S., no one knew for decades whether Spruell's body was among them.

Presumed dead, the 19-year-old was officially listed as lost and unaccounted for by the Army. The remains that military scientists would not confirm belonged to him until 2023 were buried in a grave labeled "unknown" at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

Days before Spruell was declared missing, his unit, a field artillery branch, had fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, a notoriously violent conflict that American historians have since dubbed "a nightmare." It marked a turning point in the broader war, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers with the newly involved People's Republic of China launched an unexpectedly massive attack on the U.S. and its allies while trying to push United Nations forces out of North Korea.

The remains of U.S. Army Corporal John A. Spruell were accounted for in August 2023, more than 70 years after he was declared missing in action during the Korean War. / Credit: DPAA

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir is remembered as one of the most treacherous on record, because the freezing weather and rugged terrain in which it unfolded was so extreme and because there were so many casualties. Military officials say Spruell disappeared in the wake of intense combat near Hagaru-ri, a North Korean village at the lower tip of the reservoir where U.S. forces had set up a base.

It was unclear what exactly happened to Spruell after the battle, since "the circumstances of his loss were not immediately recorded," according to the military, and there was no evidence suggesting he had been captured as a prisoner of war.

An international agreement later allowed U.S. officials to recover the remains of about 3,000 Americans who had been killed in Korea, but none could be definitively linked back to Spruell.

In 2018, the unidentified remains of hundreds of slain soldiers were disinterred from buried the military cemetery in Honolulu, also called the Punchbowl, and they were examined again using advanced methods that did not exist until long after the Korean War.

Spruell's identity was confirmed in August. He will be buried in Cortez on a date that has not been determined yet, according to the military. The announcement about Spruell came around the same time the military confirmed another American teenager had been accounted for after being declared dead in the Korean War in December 1953. Forensic tests identified the remains of Richard Seloover, a U.S. Army corporal from Whiteside, Illinois, in January. Seloover was 17 when he was killed.

The U.S. military has said that around 2,000 Americans who died in the Korean War were identified in the years immediately following it, and around 450 more were identified over the decades since. Some 7,500 people are still unaccounted for, and the remains of at least several hundred are considered impossible to recover.

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Columbia University has canceled its main commencement ceremony, following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled its campus and sparked a wave of similar demonstrations across the nation.

Holding a large commencement ceremony on our campus presented security concerns that unfortunately proved insurmountable, Columbia said in a statement Monday, adding that it looked for an alternate venue but couldnt find one large enough to hold the May 15 event. The school will still host smaller ceremonies for specific programs.

It comes as universities nationwide grapple with how to preserve the ceremonies while ensuring guest safety as pro-Palestinian demonstrations continue. More than 2,000 students and activists have been arrested across the country since the protests began, and counterprotesters have provoked violence at some universities.

The University of Southern California has also canceled its mainstage ceremony, while The University of Michigan opted to designate specific areas for protesters outside of its commencement ceremony.

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Columbia president previously said she called the cops to preserve commencement

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Sources: The New York Times, Columbia University, The Columbia Daily Spectator

Embattled Columbia President Minouche Shafik previously cited her desire to preserve the graduation as a key reason for calling the police to remove protesters who had occupied a university building and dismantle the main encampment. We cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view, she said on April 22, days after she called the police to disperse the encampment.

Shafiks decision could further affect her currently unpopular standing on campus. A conducted by The Columbia Spectator and New York Magazine found that 77 percent of students, faculty and staff polled do not think Shafiks administration has handled the demonstrations well; 57 percent felt the use of police to clear protesters was totally unwarranted.

For many students, this marks their second canceled graduation

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Source: The Wall Street Journal

Many members of the class of 24 didnt have in-person high school graduations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making colleges decisions to cancel commencements sting even more. I am very disappointed to once again be deprived of a typical graduation experience, one Columbia senior told The Wall Street Journal. I feel like they had other options, another senior said. It feels like [the university is] doing this to save their own reputations.

Shafik addressed the sad irony in a video message: For those of you who are seniors, youre finishing college the same way you started: online, she said.

GOP seizes on commencement cancellations

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Source: The Hill

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been sharply critical of the Columbia demonstrations and how the university has handled them, excoriated Shafik for the decision to cancel commencement. Shafik and other administrators have displayed a shocking unwillingness to control their campus, he said, allowing outside agitators and terrorist-sympathizing students and faculty to rewrite campus rules and spew vile, anti-Jewish aggression. Johnson said Shafik should be immediately removed as president because it is abundantly clear that she would rather cede control to Hamas supporters than restore order.

The White House also weighed in on the cancellations, albeit much more mildly. It is unfortunate that a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday.

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Columbia University has canceled this years main commencement ceremony days after calling on New York City police to arrest dozens of students and faculty participating in pro-Palestinian protests.

We have decided to make the centerpiece of our Commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15, the university wrote in an announcement posted Monday morning.

Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families. They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their schools invited guest speakers. As a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly, the school added.

Last week, NYPD officials stormed Columbias campus for the second time in less than a month. On April 18, dozens of students were arrested after University President Nemat Shafik requested the NYPD clear a student encampment protesting Columbias investment in Israeli companies and defense contractors amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Shafik once again requested the NYPD on Thursday to clear the re-establishment of the encampment and remove students from Hamilton Hall, a campus building occupied by protesters. Law enforcement showed up heavily armed and clad in riot gear The NYPD arrested112 people in a night of violent action during which one officer fired his gun inside Hamilton Hall.

Columbias crackdown on protesters sparked a nationwide student movement against U.S. support for Israels ongoing siege against Gaza, which has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians. Across the country, protesters on university campuses have been met with similarly violent police responses.

Over the weekend, students protested at the University of Michigans commencement ceremony. Dozens of students clad in their academic regalia marched toward the stage at Michigan Stadium. Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest, they chanted, adding: Israel bombs, U of M pays, how many kids have you killed today? Several other schools, including the University of Vermont and the University of Southern California, have canceled their central commencement events in response to on-campus protests.

With Columbia serving as a focal point for the nationwide protest movement, students and faculty remain embittered by Shafik and the administrations response to protesters. A poll of students, faculty, and other Columbia staff conducted by The Columbia Spectator and New York Magazine found that 77 percent of the more than 700 individuals polled think Shafiks administration has not handled the demonstrations well, and 57 percent felt the use of the NYPD to clear the protesters was totally unwarranted.

Fifty percent of those polled felt Shafik should resign from her leadership of the college.

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Columbia law students want school to cancel finals, pass all students because theyre irrevocably shaken after protest breakup

The Columbia Law Review wants finals canceled and students automatically passed after cops stormed the campus last Tuesday.

The student editors at the Columbia Law Review want administrators to cancel the law schools exams and pass all its students after cops cleared out an anti-Israel encampment last week  claiming in a letter that the police action left the student body irrevocably shaken.

The letter  penned right after the NYPD dismantled protesters tent city Tuesday night and evicted them from nearby Hamilton Hall  also said the school should at least let students receive a simple pass/fail grade because theyre just so upset.

The violence we witnessed last night has irrevocably shaken many of us on the Review, the editors whined in the letter, published by Above The Law.

The Columbia Law Review wants finals canceled and students automatically passed after cops stormed the campus last Tuesday to clear out a pro-Palestinian tent city. REUTERS

Officers also breached historic Hamilton Hall that night, which had been occupied by demonstrators who trashed the place. REUTERS

We know this to be the same for a majority of our classmates, the editors continued.

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.

The letter added that the confrontation followed growing distress students have felt for months as the humanitarian crisis abroad continues to unfold, and as the blatant antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism on campus have escalated.

We believe that canceling exams would be a proportionate response to the level of distress our peers have been feeling, the editors said.

In the alternative, making courses mandatory pass/fail would be the next most equitable solution.

The letter was also signed by five other law journals at the school. Columbia Law Review Journal

The demonstrations at the Manhattan Ivy are part of dozens of demonstrations at colleges across the country in which students have sought to take over buildings, build encampments and disrupt classes in protest of Israels war in Gaza.

Many students have called for those universities to review their investments in Israel, or stop doing business with the embattled country altogether.

There have been 2,400 arrests at 46 campuses nationwide since April 17.

In the letter, the editors wrote that the school administration has refused to consider our calls for making all classes this semester mandatory pass/fail, despite the fact that three-quarters of its students support it.

We recognize our position as a student-run academic journal that simply cannot function if our students are not well, said the letter, which was co-signed by five other law journals at the school.

Many are unwell at this time, and cannot study or concentrate while their peers are being hauled to jail.

The university called in the NYPD on Tuesday after weeks of protests. REUTERS

On Sunday, a law school spokesperson would only say that exams resumed Thursday after a one-day suspension and will be administered through the conclusion of the exam period.

Hundreds of cops swarmed the Ivy League schools Morningside Heights campus at about 9 p.m. Tuesday after they were finally given the green light to clear out the pro-Palestinian encampment, which had been disrupting campus life since it began weeks ago.

Officers also rooted out rogue rioters who seized control of historic Hamilton Hall, which saw its windows smashed, furniture destroyed and entrances barricaded during the occupation.

Groups of students have been protesting at Columbia for weeks. LP Media

Afterward, the university said it regretted having to rely on New Yorks Finest to clean up the mess.

After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized and blockaded, we were left with no choice, the administration said.

Columbia public safety personnel were forced out of the building, and a member of our facilities team was threatened. We will not risk the safety of our community or the potential for further escalation.

Police arrested about 100 protesters. AP

Altogether, authorities arrested about 100 protesters. Some students said they still fear for their safety, even as officers trampled the tent city beneath their heels.

Im definitely concerned for my fellow students here, because a lot of the students here have never experienced this disconcerting mob mentality, junior Drake Harding-Paul told The Post. I definitely dont feel safe on campus.

I think the response last night was long overdue, he continued. I really do think it should have happened a long time ago.

With Post wires
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Just a few days before Columbia Universitys graduation ceremony, the school announced it would cancel commencement.

This comes after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests on the campus. Columbia University said it would hold smaller school-based ceremonies rather than the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15.

A small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The White House said the president understands the frustration students feel from this decision.

These are graduates who are going to miss out on an incredibly important day of commencement, Jean-Pierre said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) accused Columbias president of allowing outside agitators and terrorist-sympathizing students and faculty to rewrite campus rules and spew vile, anti-Jewish aggression. Hes called for her removal.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) told CBS Face the Nation, these protests are doing more harm than good.

These kinds of protests have not been helpful, Fetterman said.

This is a defining moment for this generation, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said.

Khanna said many of these protestors just want to see the war end. The problem is with those who go too far.

Those few protesters who are inciting violence or engaging in that kind of antisemitism or diminishing the thousands of young people who simply want the war to end, he said.

Columbia University joins other schools that have either canceled their own graduations or beefed-up security for the event.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
After weeks of demonstrations over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Columbia University has canceled its main commencement ceremony, according to The Wall Street Journal. Moving forward, the 2024 year will be celebrated with smaller-scale graduations.

Safety concerns were cited as the reason for this change. Originally, the main ceremony was scheduled to take place on May 15 outdoors on the universitys New York City campus. The exact location that would have been used for the ceremony was the same site as a pro-Palestinian encampment that set up by students, which was taken down last week by police.

The smaller ceremonies will be for each of Columbias different schools, including nursing, journalism and teaching. Events that were previously scheduled to take place outdoors will now be held indoors, the university said. This news comes as the University of Southern California announced in late April is was canceling its main commencement ceremony over similar concerns.

More than 2,000 people participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations have been arrested across the U.S., according to NBC News. Columbia has stood as a center for these college protests for weeks. Last Tuesday, NYPD, dressed in what was described at the time as riot gear, entered the colleges Hamilton Hall, which was occupied by roughly 60 students for most of the day. During the protest, the students renamed the building to Hinds Hall in honor of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed under Israeli fire.

The passion and fervor around the protests even led to New York Magazine enlisting the help of students from the universitys independent student newspaper, Columbia Daily Spectator, for its cover story.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 17, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik was scheduled to address Congress about antisemitism on campus, a post about the collaboration reads. Hours earlier, in the dead of night, pro-Palestinian students began executing plans to occupy the schools South Lawn. The events that unfolded over the next 14 days  protests, counter-protests, the takeover of Hamilton Hall, and an NYPD crackdown authorized by Shafik herself  convulsed the Columbia community and college campuses nationwide.

The post Columbia University Cancels Main Commencement Ceremony After Gaza Protests appeared first on TheWrap.
Over the years PAAA raised funds mainly by selling Asian food at the Moscow Renaissance Fair.

Thousands of dollars were then contributed to Asian related community projects and causes.

These included establishing scholarships at the University of Idaho and Washington State University, donating funds to eight area libraries to purchase childrens books on Asian subjects, and helping to support Palouse visits and programs by Asian and Asian American scholars, scientists, authors and performing artists. Donations were also made to the UI Arboretum for Asian flora and to the Asian American Comparative Collection for the purchase of books and artifacts and towards the development of an endowment for this unique research asset at UI. In 1998, a donation of $300 was made to the UI International Friendship Association to help start a new program called Cruise the World, which continues to the present day.

Annual popular PAAA events included the December Holiday Party at the 1912 Center and the February Lunar New Year banquet held in various Asian restaurants. Rural potluck gatherings took place each year at the Genesee Valley Daoist Hermitage and in the barn of the Murai-Wolf farm in Uniontown, Washington where children were treated to rides on tractors and combines. Other activities for children included picnics and fishing trips.

One of PAAAs most notable accomplishments was producing a documentary, Other Faces, Other Lives: Asian Americans in Idaho as part of Idahos Centennial in 1990. This project was sponsored by PAAA with the assistance of a grant from the Ethnic Heritage Committee of the Idaho Centennial Commission. Lily Wai, then head of the Government Documents Department at the UI Library, was the project administrator of the endeavor which also included involvement by PAAA members Jeff Mio, Loreca Stauber and Joann Muneta.

Muneta, Mio, and videographer Alan Lifton traveled to Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Boise and Caldwell, as well as in Moscow to interview eight Asian American families about how they arrived in Idaho. They were also asked about their experiences living here, how they maintained their cultural heritage practices and identity, and if there were any benefits of living in Idaho as an Asian American. Other Faces, Other Lives has been broadcast on numerous Idaho PBS stations and shown at several public meetings in Moscow. The video as well as all the full interview tapes have recently been digitized by the University of Idaho Library, and can be accessed by visiting lib.uidaho.edu/digital/otherfaces.

The list of the many events, organizations and people helped by PAAA and enriched by its programs goes on and on. Above all, the many current and past members of the organization treasure the memories of working together and enjoying good food and fellowship which united them in celebration of their various cultures no matter what their background or heritage. This history provides a wonderful example of the beauty and strength of peaceful sharing of the diversity of the human experience.
After taking a break for some self-reflection, Ruth S, Taylor will resume her journey. (Canva)

I have been writing commentary for the Rhode Island Current for over a year now, and it seems like a brief moment, and forever, all at once.

With some hesitation, I decided to reread my columns from the past year. I was curious to see how they held up; if I had changed any of my opinions, and if new events either amplified, or contradicted, what I had written. I also wanted to remind myself of any resulting commentary or rebuttal, for which I am always grateful.

I have certainly been privileged to write about a plethora of topics. Because it is a bit like re-reading your old love letters. I prepared myself to be embarrassed. Mostly, I found ideas and concerns that remain very timely now.

My second column, published on March 22, 2023, took issue with a bill to have Ramadan recognized as a Rhode Island state holiday. I suggested that our governments, state and federal, should not be recognizing religious holidays at all. The true practice of religious tolerance, I wrote, should not require the state to answer the question of Where and how  to draw a line on whose religion is important enough to recognize. I heard from friends, colleagues, and strangers with differing views, and an equal number who agreed.

A related column (May 22, 2023) pointed out that withholding abortion, or other reproductive health care, on claims of moral grounds, was in fact a violation of the rights of those whose religious beliefs do not include the idea that life begins at conception. The Dobbs decision of the Supreme Court, a month later, explicitly opened the door for states to do this very thing. An ongoing lawsuit in Indiana is examining the issue, and both Jewish and Muslim groups have taken the position that the decision was wrongly based on Christian theology.

With some hesitation, I decided to reread my columns from the past year. I was curious to see how they held up; if I had changed any of my opinions, and if new events either amplified, or contradicted, what I had written.

It seems that a year ago, I was reflecting on a concern that our 250-year history of tolerance in religious matters in America might be at risk. That has now gone from a spark to a 4-alarm fire. The misunderstanding about what religious tolerance is  a civic disinterest in how people talk to and obey their deity  is only part of the problem. When people in power, in the Congress and on the Supreme Court, reject the very notion of religious tolerance, and seek to create a nation based on a particular version of Christianity, we have come pretty far from our roots.

Speaking of roots, this is a moment where I think often of Roger Williams. A devout Christian, he brought the idea of true religious tolerance to Rhode Island, and ultimately our nation. Williams believed that in religious matters coercion stinks in Gods nostrils. I know very few things for sure about the nature of the infinite, but I am certain he was correct.

Perhaps no column engendered more response than the one I wrote after the October 7th attack by Hamas in Israel, and the subsequent Israeli response. I wrote a column (Nov. 13, 2023) encouraging people to avoid inflammatory rhetoric on either side of this conflict. As time goes on, the rhetoric becomes elevated and solidified, and has the effect of promoting more violence.

Many of the responses may have proved my point, but so has the passage of time, especially in the past two weeks. We are awash in violent commentary about Israel and Hamas, and supporters of each continue to devalue the others. Protests simmer on the edge of eruption, and some do explode. While the horrific unfolding of this conflict may encourage the intensity of the dispute, it still does us, and our civic body, no good to have it play out this way.

Looking back into history is what I have done for most of my career; this rather short-term, personal look-back still seemed familiar. One thing seems clear: things escalate easily in this connected world. Issues that were a breeze a year ago are a hurricane today and may be just as destructive.

Look further back, though, and we can see clearly that we have weathered periods of dissent and division before. In fact, our country was born in one. This should give us some comfort, but not complacency. It should inspire us, in the American tradition, to think about our issues and make our voices heard.

The post A commentary writer looks back to assess how far she has come appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
The EU is working on a proposal to limit imports of Russian liquified gas (LNG) as part of the upcoming 14th package of sanctions, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said on May 6, as reported by European Pravda.

Despite Brussels' target to be free of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, several EU members remain heavily reliant on Russian gas, and imports of LNG from Russia reached record highs last year.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kyiv, Simson said there are currently no sanctions against Russian LNG, but EU energy ministers "made a decision and proposed a tool to limit the access of Russian liquefied natural gas to our energy terminals," European Pravda reports.

Simson also said the EU is preparing for a sudden end to the Russian pipeline gas supply when the transit contract between Ukraine and Moscow expires at the end of this year.

The EU knew that Russia was not a reliable supplier of gas, and all of its risk assessments were designed in such a way that in one moment, Europe could be without supplies of Russian gas, Simson said.

The European bloc has already adopted 13 sanction 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.

EU leaders are expected to introduce a 14th round of sanctions in the coming months.

Read also: Whats happening with Russias assets frozen in the West?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Senate Bill 403 would allow community health workers to receive Medicaid reimbursement if they opted to be state certified. Currently, workers cover their services with grant funding. (Getty Images)

Understanding the impact of a community health care worker requires connecting the dots. Paula Smith, director of the Southern New Hampshire Area Health Education Center, did that for lawmakers recently while asking them to secure funding for that workforce.

A New Hampshire community health care worker she knows was asked to check in on a man living in his van. She helped the man get glasses, which allowed him to get a job. With a job, he was able to afford an apartment. With housing and employment secure, he had a better chance of avoiding health problems.

Helping to build an individuals capacity to care for themselves is a fundamental part of the (community health care workers) role, Smith said. When people are healthy, health experts argue, they are not using limited resources, like emergency rooms and medical appointments.

Health care leaders moved a step closer to securing the funding Thursday with the Houses passage of Senate Bill 403, which would allow community health workers to receive Medicaid reimbursement if they opted to be state certified. Currently, workers cover their services with grant funding; when a grant ends, their services often end unless they can find another grant.

But Thursdays 188-178 party-line House vote suggests the bill still faces hurdles as it heads next to the Republican-controlled House Finance Committee. Members could recommend the full House change or defeat the bill when it returns to the floor for a second vote.

House Republicans have raised concerns about the estimated $4.2 million annual cost of expanding Medicaid coverage to community health workers. Though, the Department of Health and Human Services aims to cover the expense with existing federal funding.

The department is among those supporting the proposed Medicaid funding. Patricia Tilley, director of the Division of Public Health Services, told lawmakers during a hearing that the states 100 community health care workers in New Hampshire have served almost 10,000 people since 2021.

Wanda Castillo-Diaz has been a community health care worker in New Hampshire for almost 24 years, most of those for Amoskeag Health, a primary care provider in Manchester. She currently works for the Manchester Health Department. Her daughter has followed in her footsteps and works with Nashuas Public Health and Community Services Department

We basically fill in the gap between community health and social services, Castillo-Diaz said in an interview last week. In Manchester, that can be following up with people who call the police frequently seeking help not for criminal matters but basic needs like food, medication they cant afford, or transportation. In other communities, community health workers help residents monitor glucose levels or connect with nutritional counseling. Often the nature of the grant dictates the services they offer.

As long as there are individuals in need in the community, community health workers are needed, Castillo-Diaz said. It does not matter if its around health education, human services, or public safety.

Dr. Paul Friedrichs, now retired after 35 years of practice on the Seacoast, told lawmakers the bill is a slam dunk.

It is critical to our patients and makes a big difference in the long run, he said. It saves a lot of money by helping us keep people out of emergency rooms, in their own homes, and out of the hospital and nursing facilities.

As a community health worker for Lamprey Health Care, Sue Gigliotti is a big part of the follow-up care for patients at risk of heart disease, the states leading cause of death in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gigliotti helps them get free gym memberships and learn how to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity. She follows up with them for the next six months, to check in on their progress and help them work around challenges.

Grant funding also covers a second program for women at risk for breast and cervical cancer. Gigliotti can offer free mammograms, breast exams, Pap smears, physicals, and lab tests to eligible women.

There are just huge benefits to this program, not only with their physical health but also their mental health, Gigliotti said.

An 82-year-old woman she worked with wanted to begin practicing yoga for the health benefits but was concerned she did not have the arm or leg strength to do it. Gigliotti was able to connect her with a personal trainer for free.

When Gigliotti checked in on her, the woman had developed the strength to practice yoga  and more.

She said it gets her out of the house, interacting with people, and she was making friends, Gigliotti said. All those benefits are just huge. They may look small but that was a big big win for us.

The post Community health workers, Republicans disagree over who should pay for their services appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin.
Watch Live: Community to honor the life and service of fallen Deputy US Marshal Thomas Weeks

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Family, friends and the community will come together on Monday to honor the life and service of fallen Deputy US Marshal Thomas Tommy Weeks Jr.

The memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 6, at the Bojangles Coliseum located at 2700 E Independence Blvd in Charlotte. All members of the community are welcome.

Listen to Weeks last radio call tribute below:

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Director Ron Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service will deliver remarks at the memorial service. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco will also attend.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks. (US Marshals Service via AP)

Weeks, 48, of Mooresville, died in the line of duty on April 29 when a suspect, identified as Terry Hughes Jr., 39, opened fire on law enforcement officers, killing Weeks and three others.

Weeks was part of a team executing a warrant for the arrest of Hughes, who was wanted out of Lincoln County, around 1:30 p.m. in the 5000 block of Galway Drive in east Charlotte.

Lowes giving away blue lightbulbs for people to show support for law enforcement

The other three law enforcement officers who were killed have been identified as:

CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer (Also a Sergeant First Class in the North Carolina Army National Guard  211th Military Police Company)

Samuel Poloche, NC Dept. of Adult Corrections (Member of U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force)

William Elliott, NC Dept. of Adult Corrections (Member of U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force)

Weeks started his USMS career in February 2011 in the District of Columbias Superior Court, Washington, DC. He transferred in November 2014 to Charlotte.

CMPD Officer Joshua Eyers wife speaks at funeral: I will carry his love with me for the rest of my life.

Prior to USMS, he spent eight years with Customs and Border Protection.

You can watch the memorial service on-air and online at QCnews.com

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Barstow Police Department officials recently announced the death of retired Police Chief Dallas Hawes.

Dallas Clair Hawes, also known as D by many, died on April 22, his family said.

Chief Hawes' exceptional service and commitment to the Barstow community will never be forgotten, Barstow Police Department officials said. Our thoughts are with Chief Hawes' family during this difficult time.

Barstow Police Department officials recently announced the death of retired Police Chief Dallas Hawes. The 83-year-old Hawes, aka D by many, died on April 22, 2024, his family said.

Chief Hawes

Chief Hawes joined the Barstow Police Department in 1962 as a police officer and served for 37 years before retiring in 1998.

"Throughout his distinguished career, Hawes served the Barstow community with dedication and honor, holding various positions including police officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and ultimately chief of police, department officials stated.

In 1995, Hawes was close to retirement when he was appointed police chief, replacing Chief Robert Sessions, who was battling cancer, the Desert Dispatch reported.

Its not the way I wouldve wanted to get it for sure, Hawes said. My whole responsibility has been to support Chief Sessions in running the department and programs.

Hawes explained that when Sessions stepped down, the duo was working on several projects, including a mini-task force for drug and gang eradication and another the feasibility of community-oriented policing.

Sessions died in May 1995.

From Idaho to Barstow

Hawes was born on July 5, 1940, in the farming town of Aberdeen, Idaho. He was the second child of Sarah Afton and Clair Hawes, his family said.

Hawes joined the Marine Corps on July 30, 1958, at the age of 18. He started his law enforcement career as a military policeman at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow.

In the early '60s, military police officers worked patrol with the Barstow Police Department and were offered jobs there when they left the military.

Hawes met and married Nancy Barnes, and together they had one son, Danny Blair.

Joining the Barstow Police Department

After exiting the military on April 24, 1962, Hawes worked for one year as a civil service employee at the Marine Corps base until he joined the Barstow Police Department, the Desert Dispatch reported.

Hawes' one-year hesitancy to join the police department was due to a false notion that police officers had to be over 6 feet tall and weigh close to 200 pounds, he said.

I was only 150 pounds at the time and 5 foot 9, Hawes told the Desert Dispatch.

While working at the (Barstow Police Department), he had the honor and privilege of becoming the face of the D.A.R.E. Program, a program which he held near and dear to his heart, his family said. D was known for his infectious personality, generosity and his smile would often unite the community in which he proudly served.

When he announced his retirement, Hawes said what made his job so nice was the support he received from members of the police department.

They have just been wonderful they are my extended family, Hawes said. Ive been so lucky to serve in this capacity.

A blessed life

Hawes is preceded in death by his father Clair Hawes, mother Sarah Afton Hawes, daughter Candice Hawes, brothers; Gary Hawes (Suzan), and Rodney Hawes.

Dallas is survived by his son, Danny Blair (Evelyn) and their three children and four great-grandchildren, siblings Danny Hawes (Anne), Hope Young, Joye Neal (Gary), and Ryan Hawes.

Of all Dallas blessings in this life, he treasured most his grandchildren, who affectionately called him Pops, his family said. Pops leaves behind Danya Muir (Jaccob), Shelby Hawes, and Dallas Hawes. He also leaves behind four great-grandchildren, Jackson, Venice, Ralphie-Grace and Myles, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

Pops would always remind his grandchildren, Be good, be kind, be generous and always remember who loves ya? his family said.

Remembered by the community

Laura Stankavich took to Facebook to offer condolences and deepest sympathies to the Hawes' family.

He and my husband Joel had a great friendship that lasted until they both passed, Stankavich said. I will never forget being the cashier at the car wash and helping him. He would always greet Joel and I with a big smile and had a different flavor of gum that he would share every week.

Stankavich added that Hawes was dedicated to Barstow and kept residents safe for years. He was a great man and so much fun.

Joyce Rodriguez Hill Renfro said she first met Dee when she moved to Barstow in 1964.

I worked at Super S and he would pick up the film customers brought in and take it to Daggett airport to be flown down the hill to be developed and pick up the film that was developed and bring it in, Joyce said. He was an awesome guy, always had a smile. RIP D. Prayers to the family.

A private viewing for Hawes will be held on Wednesday, May 8, at Mead Mortuary.

Services will be held at 10 am. on Thursday, May 9 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, at 2571 Barstow Road, in Barstow.

Following the funeral, there will be the committal service at noon at Mt. View Memorial Park, at 37067 Irwin Road in Barstow.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Community remembers retired Barstow Police Chief Dallas Hawes
Publishing company Conde Nast reached a last-minute agreement with staffers on Monday morning, averting a strike ahead of Monday nights Met Gala in New York, according to union leaders.

We are excited to announce that we have a tentative agreement with @condenast on our first contract, the Conde union said in a statement on X. Our pledge to do whatever it takes ahead of the #metgala2024 moved the company and our progress at the bargaining table kicked into high gear.

The union said it secured a $61,500 starting salary floor and total of $3.3 million in wage increases. The tentative agreement also includes expanded bereavement leave and two more weeks of family leave, bringing the total to 14.

The union represents more than 500 editorial, video, and production workers across all Conde Nasts brands that havent already unionized, including publications it owns like Vogue, Bon Appetit, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest and GQ. The union was created in 2022 and has alleged the company provided low pay and shows a lack of diversity and equity.

It comes months after the media conglomerate announced late last year it will cut hundreds of jobs in the wake of recent digital advertising pressures and a decline in social media traffic across the industry.

For those laid off, the union said Mondays contract includes eight weeks severance, three months of COBRA coverage, or continuation of health coverage. Or in lieu of COBRA, laid off employees will receive a onetime lump sum payment, or additional $1,000 payment.

Two days prior to the deal, the union demanded Conde Nast management meet the union at the table, or well meet you at the Met, in reference to the Metropolitan Museum of Arts annual Costume Institute Benefit.

The media company is one of the top news outlets to cover the annual event, with a Conde Union bargaining committee member calling it fashions big night and likened it to the Super Bowl in an interview with The Washington Post.

Once the work stoppage entered the conversation, all of a sudden the company was like, Okay, well we can give you a little more, bargaining committee member Alma Avalle told The Post.

The union has increased pressure on Conde Nast in recent months. In January, it staged a one-day walkout to coincide with the release of the Academy Award nominations, the Post reported, and in April, union members marched in front of the home of Conde global chief content officer Anna Wintour to post fliers reading, Anna wears Prada, workers get nada.

In a statement shared with The Hill, Stan Duncan, Conde Nasts chief people officer, said the company is pleased at the tentative agreement.

We are happy to have a contract that reflects and supports our core values  our content and journalism; our commitment to diversity and professional development; our industry-leading hiring practices; and our competitive wages and benefits, he said. We look forward to the ratification of the contract by its members.

This story was updated at 10:53 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) made her case to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at a press conference last week, she brought props.

With cameras focused on Greene trollishly waving a custom Make Ukraine Great Again hat, the more revealing visual aid was obscured: a poster depicting Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrapping his arms around Johnson.

Hakeem Jeffries Swoops In to Save Mike Johnson From Pro-Putin GOP

The photo on the poster was captured last October, just moments before Jeffries handed Johnson the House Speakers gavel following a weeks-long interregnum punctuated by the little-known Louisianans ascent to power.

For many, the hug showcased a rare instant of mutual respect and hinted at a promise of bipartisanship after Kevin McCarthys nasty removal. Greene is framing the embrace another way.

Now we have Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats coming out and embracing Mike Johnson with a warm hug and a big wet sloppy kiss, Greene said, standing in front of the sign.

Its true that Jeffries and his Democrats are preparing to bail out Johnson when Greene calls the vote to oust the Speaker this week, furious over his support for Ukraine aid.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) stands next to a poster of Johnson and Jeffries embracing, displayed at her May 1 press conference in Washington. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

But as for Greenes suggestion that Johnson and Jeffries are actually enjoying their sudden alignment, nobody seems to know if its true. In fact, few on Capitol Hill seem to know much at all about what is becoming the most important working relationship on Capitol Hill.

At the very least, lawmakers in both leaders orbits arent eager to talk about it on the record.

I want to read your article, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)the ranking member on the House Oversight Committeetold The Daily Beast. Id be curious to know, he said of the inside scoop on Johnson and Jeffries.

Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), a member of Democratic leadership, told The Daily Beast shes never seen them speak and never seen them engage.

Vocal advocates for Ukraine aid were equally stumped. Asked about the dynamic, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), a leader of the Ukraine Caucus, replied, Too small a sample size.

Its a similar story within House Republican ranks, where source after source had little insight to offer about the two most powerful men in the House of Representatives.

Some Democratic sources offered glimpses.

Theyre cordialI wouldnt say friendlybut businesslike and pretty direct, said one senior Democratic lawmaker who said theyve witnessed the two engage and requested anonymity to describe the interactions. I think it was much more difficult with Kevin to even have a conversation.

Mike Johnson Came to Ukraines Aid. Will Democrats Come to His?

Neither leader has been eager to talk about their dynamic. Jeffries told reporters in February that he had a functional relationship with Johnson. The Speaker, meanwhile, has said hardly anything. In public, they arent afraid to besmirch each other for political points, as opposing leaders typically do.

Neither Johnson nor Jeffries' offices provided any statement to The Daily Beast regarding their relationship.

Its clear they have a relationship: sources in both parties say the men are in semi-regular contact. On the surface, they make for an odd couple. Johnson is a hard-right, Trump-loving conservative from the Deep South. Jeffries is a center-left Democrat who cut his teeth in the rough-and-tumble Brooklyn political scene and rose to prominence as a vocal Trump foe in Congress.

But one stark political truth has bound them together: No Speaker has ever needed a Minority Leader more than Johnson needs Jeffries. Its a fact that makes the mystery of the duos relationship not only merely interesting but crucial to understanding the functioning of the House.

Facing a razor-thin majority and a hard-right faction that is opposed to passing most essential legislation, Johnson simply cannot do anything of substance without Jeffries help.

Last month, for instance, Democratswith a go-ahead from Jeffrieshanded Johnson the votes to pass a yearly spending package, breaking months of bitter logjam in the House GOP. More recently, scores of Democrats voted to approve long-sought aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, which Johnson supported but many in his conference did not.

The passage of that aid package set into motion the most dramatic way Jeffries will help Johnson: by saving his job. With Greene expected to force a vote to vacate the speakership amid hard-right outrage, Jeffries has confirmed that House Democrats will ensure the revolt fails, unlike how they allowed McCarthy to go down last year.

Johnson seems to have tacitly accepted the painful political truth that he cannot advance any meaningful legislation with his fractured conference alone. Thats a fact Jeffries has embraced, stepping in to save the day when, of course, theres something in it for the blue team.

Indeed, the upcoming Democratic rally for Johnson is widely seen as repayment to the Speaker for bringing $65 billion in Ukraine aid to a vote, something every Democrat desperately wanted. Johnson insists that he did not strike a backroom deal with Democrats amid rampant hard-right outrage and speculation.

Jeffries speaks with Johnson during a memorial ceremony for the late U.S. Army Col. Ralph Puckett, as he lie in honor in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on April 29, 2024. Photo by J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Amid all the scrutiny, there are plenty of reasons both Johnson and Jeffries would want to keep their connection under wraps.

In general, neither man is considered a gossip. They both like to keep their cards close to their chest. With the press, theyre painfully on message.

The senior Democratic lawmaker characterized Jeffries as not a guy who likes to describe in dramatic form, discussions, or conversations, or interactions, adding that when it comes to the interpersonal stuff, he's less focused on that. Hes more down to business.

Any suggestion that the two have a warm or cooperative bond would likely be unhelpful to both.

The duo's Senate counterparts have navigated such a dynamic. In January, hard-right Senate conservatives cried foul that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) were working better than ever, as The Daily Beast reported, while negotiating a Ukraine aid and border security package.

Even if Johnson shares a friendly handshake with Jeffries, the gesture could sharpen MAGA wing attacks that hes the Democrats willing accomplice atop the so-called uniparty controlling Washington.

And if Jeffries appears too chummy with Johnson, he risks undercutting the blitz of ads his party is already running that tie vulnerable Republicans to their new Speakers 2020 election denialism and hard-right views on abortion. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has hit Johnson personally, gleefully dubbing him MAGA Mike in a scathing November memo.

Republican lawmakers acknowledge that Johnson is a potentially valuable tool for the Democrats. On the campaign trail, hes a convenient foil for their message and even Republicans who support the Johnson speakership know there are more reasons than good will for Democrats to keep him around.

Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumers Big Secret: Theyre Closer Than Ever

They've demonstrated their ability to influence [Johnson], a GOP lawmaker said of Jeffries and the Democrats. I expect in the November election, they will use him, his January 6 positions, and Trump papers, and all that stuff as a way to define Republicans. And I think that he becomes an asset to them in the election.

Strangely, the dynamic between the two has offered rare glimmers of bipartisanship and serious legislating in an era of deep polarization and dysfunction.

In the early days of Johnsons speakership while a government shutdown loomed, Jeffries told reporters that he had several, very positive, forward-looking, authentic conversations with Johnson he intended to continue.

I will continue to say to him that we are ready, willing, and able to work with House Republicans in a bipartisan fashion to solve problems for hardworking American taxpayers, on any issue, Jeffries said. But at any time we will continue to push back against Republican extremism whenever necessary.

I hope that we can find a partnership for the American people, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, he added.

Despite the vast political distance between Johnson and Jeffries, they should have plenty to talk about. Theyre both in their early fifties. Johnson is 18 months younger than Jeffries. (In Zodiac terms, Johnson is an Aquarius, and Jeffries is a Leo. Supposedly, that makes for magnetic compatibility.)

Both men have law degrees: Johnsons from Louisiana State University and Jeffries from New York University. They both served in their respective state legislatures before arriving in Congress. Though Johnson has only three full terms on Capitol Hill, Jeffries has served in the House for over a decade.

During the Trump years, the two served on opposite sides of the House Judiciary Committee, which was the forum for contentious partisan brawls over the Russia investigation and impeachment.

GOP Reps Slam MTGs Mutinybut Mike Johnson Still Faces Gangplank

Both are men of faith. Johnson is known as a devout evangelical Southern Baptist; Jeffries is a Baptist who was raised going to an important Black church in Brooklyn. Johnsons father died in 2016, right after his election to Congress; Jeffries dad passed earlier this year. They both have teenagers and twentysomething children of their own.

Theyve also both carefully cultivated reputations in Congress as amiable but savvy operators. And they are new to the top jobs they occupy. Johnsonformerly a lesser known member of GOP leadershiplanded himself in the speakership in October after his predecessors ouster. Jeffries, meanwhile, has climbed the House Democratic ranks for years. He was the heir apparent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) until he officially replaced her in 2023.

Perhaps the best way to define the Johnson-Jeffries relationship is in comparison to what its not: the frosty standoff that defined the dynamic between McCarthy and Jeffries. Democrats largely didnt trust McCarthy, and Jeffries caucus declined to reach a helping hand when McCarthy faced the revolt that ended his speakership.

Ultimately, whether Johnson and Jeffries like the otheror even know the other well at allmay miss the point.

With McCarthy, there was never anybody who could trust him on either side of the aisle, the senior Democrat said. With Johnson, theres a lot of disagreement, but so far, no indication that he cant be trusted to stick to an agreement once he shakes hands. Thats a pretty big difference.

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Solicitor General Liz Murrill speaks to the press Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, after qualifying for the attorney generals race at the Louisiana State Archives building in Baton Rouge.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator)

Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill said she would prefer to implement a Louisiana congressional map approved in 2022 with only one majority-Black district  one that a federal court has already rejected  if a new version remains tied up in litigation.

Last week, a three-judge panel from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the new map lawmakers created in a January special session, siding with a group of white voters who argued the boundaries in Senate Bill 8 were racially gerrymandered against them because it included a second majority-Black district at the insistence of GOP Gov. Jeff Landry.

The parties in the lawsuit were scheduled for a conference with the court Monday to chart a path forward. Secretary of State Nancy Landry, a Republican who is not related to the governor, has said she needs a new map by May 15 for it to be used in the November congressional elections. One possibility is a court-imposed map, but another is to revert to the 2022 map, contained in House Bill 1, that could disenfranchise Black voters.

The Secretary of State has consistently said May 15 is a hard, real deadline, Murrill said in a press release Monday afternoon. Yet the (5th Circuit) Panel seems inclined toward creating more chaos in our Congressional elections in a presidential election year. While we will not have a definitive ruling for another day at least, we appear to be heading to the Supreme Court this week.

My position has been clear: SB8 is the current will of the Legislature and should be implemented, she added. If that isnt an option, for whatever reason, then HB1 from the 2022 session, which is whats currently loaded in the system, should remain in place while this matter goes up to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court needs to provide instructions to State Legislatures so States are not on a perpetual federal litigation roller coaster over good faith efforts at redistricting. Its confusing to voters, its expensive for taxpayers, and its inconsistent with the federal Constitution.

The 2022 map was the subject of voting rights litigation and ruled invalid by a federal judge who found it too was racially gerrymandered  against Black voters.

Before becoming governor, Jeff Landry, as attorney general, defended the previous map in court alongside Murrill, his solicitor general at the time. But after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last June against a similar map in Alabama, he took a different route as governor. Wanting to end the 2022 litigation, Jeff Landry urged the Republican-majority Legislature to draw a map with a second Black district and called lawmakers into a five-day redistricting session in January.

The new map would have effectively ended the 2022 case, but a group of white voters filed a lawsuit, arguing lawmakers focused primarily on race when adopting Senate Bill 8.

While Jeff Landry and Republican allies argued that politics was the predominant factor in the drafting of the new map, two of the three judges found race was the true motivator. Partisan gerrymandering remains legal in the United States, but racial gerrymandering is not. The two judges who sided with the white plaintiffs are appointees of former President Donald Trump, while the dissenter was a nominee of former President Bill Clinton.

The result is a situation in which Murrill is being asked to embrace and defend a legal position she spent two years attacking at virtually every level of the federal judiciary. And its a situation she and others foresaw during the January special session.

During a Jan. 15 committee hearing, Murrill voiced her disappointment with Gov. Landrys decision to give up on the 2022 case and shared other thoughts on having to defend a map with a second majority-Black district. She told lawmakers she would defend any map they drew but repeatedly signaled that she would prefer to continue the 2022 case defending the old map with five majority-white districts.

I just think that we should have a trial on the merits, Murrill told lawmakers. I have argued that in court. I signed off on those pleadings. I still believe that that is true.

Having to switch sides also means Murrill is defending a politically liberal cause that could help Democrats gain a seat in the U.S. House where Republicans hold a perilously slim majority.

The post With congressional map in limbo, AG Murrills fallback plan keeps five white districts appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
By Nate Raymond and Karen Sloan

(Reuters) - A group of 13 conservative U.S. federal judges said on Monday that they would not hire law students or undergraduates from Columbia University in response to its handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The judges, all appointees of former U.S. President Donald Trump, called the Manhattan campus an incubator of bigotry in a Monday letter to Columbia President Minouche Shafik and Law Dean Gillian Lester.

"Both professors and administrators are on the front lines of the campus disruptions, encouraging the virulent spread of antisemitism and bigotry," the letter said.

Spokespeople for Columbia University and Columbia Law School did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Columbia on Monday canceled its main graduation ceremony due to the ongoing protests.

Federal judges hire law grads annually for year-long clerkships that can lead to prestigious and high-paying legal jobs. The boycott will apply to students who enter Columbia this fall, the judges wrote.

The letter called for serious consequences for students and faculty who participated in campus disruptions and for the enforcement of free speech rules.

Protests against the war in Gaza have spread to dozens of U.S. universities. Demonstrators maintained an encampment on Columbias main campus for weeks before some temporarily occupied a campus building last week. New York City police cleared out the building and arrested more than 100 people.

The judges who signed Monday's letter were all appointed by Trump, who has praised the New York Police Department's response to the protesters, calling them "raging lunatics and Hamas sympathizers."

Two-thirds of the signatories are based in Texas, including Matthew Kacsmaryk, who gained national attention last year by suspending approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Two of the lead signers, U.S. Circuit Judges James Ho of the 5th Circuit and Elizabeth Branch of the 11th Circuit, had previously announced boycotts of clerks from Yale and Stanford, citing disruptions of conservative speakers on campus.

The 13 judges boycotting Columbia represent a small slice of the nation's nearly 900 federal judges.

(Reporting by Karen Sloan; Editing by David Bario and Deepa Babington)
This story originally appeared in our Daytripping section on May 19, 2022

The hike to Elk Creek Falls, especially if youre coming from the arid Lewiston-Clarkston Valley midsummer, is a refreshing forest foray, complete with the magic of a rainbow.

The short hike, most of it on wide, gentle trails once part of an old wagon road, makes for a leisurely half-day, which can be rounded out with a visit to nearby Elk River where youre likely to find huckleberry ice cream  reason enough to get out of the house.

The series of trails is well marked, no matter which of the three falls you visit first. Interpretive signs at each  upper, middle and lower  offer details about the areas geological and human history. For example, the proliferation of green, including Western red cedar and maidenhair ferns typically seen in coastal regions, can be attributed in part to ash-fortified soil resulting from a volcanic eruption about 6500 B.C.

Also keep an eye  and an ear  out for avian life. Theres a reason its designated an Idaho Birding Trail, which you can learn more about at idahobirdingtrail.org.

The three falls total more than 140 feet, according to the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests website, at bit.ly/ElkCreekFilesHike.

Its at the lower falls where the midday sun creates a rainbow in the spray, where Elk Creek plummets nearly 50 feet into a rocky pool on its way to the North Fork of the Clearwater River, according to the sign there.
A week after extending their assault on commercial vessels hundreds of miles southeast of the Red Sea and neighboring Gulf of Aden, Yemens Houthis are threatening to expand their attacks on shipping into the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

At a televised rally Friday, Houthi armed forces spokesperson Yahya Saree said the Yemeni-based militant group will target all Israeli-affiliated vessels in any reachable area within our ample zone that are headed to Israeli ports.

More from Sourcing Journal

Implementation of this comes into effect immediately, said Saree.

Container ships have largely avoided the Red Sea and the Suez Canal since December in the weeks after the Houthis started their missile and drone attacks, forcing those traveling between Asia and Europe to instead reroute around the southern part of Africa.

Such a diversion has added a week or two to most transit times for ships, resulting in some product delays for retailers and brands and an escalation in freight rates since the attacks began in November.

While 21 cargo ships traveled through the Suez Canal on April 30, that number is a far cry from the 55 that did so on Nov. 30, according to data from IMF Portwatch.

For the most part, the container shipping industry believes the Red Sea will remain too dangerous for its vessels to cross for much of 2024. Ocean carriers and new Gemini alliance members Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd say the rerouting of ships is likely to linger throughout most of the year, although the latter is more confident that the conflict will conclude by the end of 2024.

Nevertheless, many of these major carriers, which also include Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, Cosco Shipping and Israel-based ZIM among others have a new concern on their hands, especially if they are dropping off and picking up cargo at Israeli ports.

The Iran-funded Houthis have shown little evidence that they can reach beyond their home waters bordering Yemen, but made their first foray outside the area when they successfully hit an MSC ship that was roughly 350 to 450 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.

Israels Mediterranean ports are roughly 1,240 miles from northern Yemen. The known Houthi arsenal includes ballistic missiles with a range of 1,000 to 1,200 miles, and drones that can travel slightly longer than 1,200 miles, according to a report from The Times of Israel.

Joint U.S.-U.K. airstrikes have degraded the Houthis capabilities, but theyre still able to target ships.

According to a threat update from global maritime risk management firm Ambrey, the Houthis and other Iranian-backed groups based in the eastern Mediterranean may attempt to target shipping offshore.

Ambrey advised all vessels considering calling Israeli ports to undertake a voyage risk assessment, including an affiliation check, prior to making any final route decision.

Vessels destined for Israeli ports are advised to engage intelligence and security services to assist with voyage planning, the selection and application of best management practices, digital watchkeeping and crisis management, said the Ambrey advisory. All shipping headed to Israel with Israel or an Israeli port as their AIS (automatic identification system) destination should withhold this information immediately.

The maritime risk management company also advised ships to report their positions hourly to their companies and intelligence and security providers.

Saree posed the threat as Israel weighs another offensive in its war against Palestinian militant group Hamas, who were responsible for a terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. On Friday, Israel gave Hamas one week to agree to a ceasefire deal or it will go ahead with its military operation in Rafah, a city located in southern Gaza.

If the Israeli enemy intends to launch an aggressive military operation against Rafah, the Yemeni armed forces will impose comprehensive sanctions on all ships and companies that are related to supplying and entering the occupied Palestinian ports of any nationality and will prevent all ships of these companies from passing through the armed forces operation zone, regardless of their destination, Saree said.

The drama throughout the waterways surrounding the Middle East at least yielded one positive Thursday. Nearly three weeks after seizing the MSC Aries container ship and brought it into Iranian territorial waters, Iran released the crew of the Portuguese flagged vessel.

The 24 remaining seafarers are safe and accounted for, but Iran has since kept the ship on the grounds that the crew violated international maritime law.
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)  An ExxonMobil contractor was found dead Sunday at the Baton Rouge chemical plant site.

The East Baton Rouge Coroners Office said they were called to plant on Scenic Highway at 4:50 p.m. Sunday, May 5, where Danny Ellsworth, 33, was found dead. The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy.

These are the hardest places to save money in America, study finds

An ExxonMobil spokesperson released the following statement.

On Sunday, May 5, a contractor was found unresponsive in a Chemical Plant warehouse and was evaluated and treated by onsite first responders until EMS arrived. Multiple attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. The cause of death is unknown. We are greatly saddened by this tragic event and express our deepest sympathy to his family. ExxonMobil Baton Rouge

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com.
Its hard to resist the delicious smell of food cooking at restaurants, food trucks and street vendors across Los Angeles. However, a new government study suggests those aromas may be negatively impacting air quality.

Researchers from NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have released their findings from a multiyear study of what they call underappreciated sources of urban air pollution.

They focused on three cities: L.A., Las Vegas and Boulder, Colorado, where they measured human-caused volatile organic compounds (VOCs) related to cooking.

If you can smell it, theres a good chance its impacting air quality, researchers summarized.

Seeing orange and white lines on the freeway? Heres what they mean

Over the years, weve measured all sorts of different VOCs across the U.S. from different sources, like vehicles, wildfire smoke, agriculture, and consumer products, wrote Matt Coggon, the studys lead author. We kept seeing a specific class of compound in the urban measurements, what we call long-chain aldehydes, that we couldnt explain from these other sources.

Researchers found that Las Vegas, which has one of the highest densities of restaurants in the U.S., has persistent air quality issues  especially along The Strip. On average, 21% of the total mass of VOCs present in Vegas outdoor air were from cooking activities, NOAA estimated, and generally ranged from 10% to 30%.

NOAA also found elevated levels in L.A. and downwind in Pasadena.

Overall, researchers concluded that air pollution from cooking is vastly underestimated and could account for nearly a quarter of VOCs in urban areas. The problem is even more acute indoors and inside homes.

What this means for air quality management remains to be seen. Having the data, Coggon believes, is the first step.

Its crucial to have the full picture of emissions and sources to help policymakers understand the effectiveness of their decisions, Coggon said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
An Indiana man is suing after he says he was sexually assaulted by a community corrections officer.

On Jan. 10, 2018, the man reported to Jason Bertram, the deputy director of Henry County Community Corrections, to be fitted for an ankle monitor and to provide a urine drug test after a probation violation, according to a federal lawsuit filed May 5.

The man was supposed to bring $350 with him, but he didnt have the entire amount, the lawsuit said. While providing a urine sample, Bertram was required to watch. Afterwards, in Bertrams office, Bertram told the man he should have been in porn, according to the lawsuit.

Bertram then asked to see the mans genitals, according to the lawsuit. The man initially told Bertram no. The man expressed he didnt understand what was going on, but that he knew his urine would test positive for cocaine, the lawsuit said.

Bertram threw (the mans) urine sample in the garbage can by his desk and told (the man) that he did not need to worry about it. (The man) believed that Bertram indicated to him that he would keep him out of jail if (he) would show (Bertram) his penis, the lawsuit said.

The man eventually agreed and Bertram then asked the man to perform sexual acts, the attorney representing the man said in the lawsuit. Bertram also told the man he did not need to worry about the ankle monitor, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said Bertram then took photos of the mans genitals on his cell phone before the man left.

The man saw Bertram two more times during his probation, at which time he says Bertram gave him methamphetamine, which he said he had not used in the past.

By the fall of 2018, (the man) was experiencing severe emotional distress because of what Bertram had put him through. (The man) was later incarcerated in Henry County for other offenses. Bertram would have (him) segregated inside the Henry County Jail. Bertram would put (the man) in areas with less surveillance or outright blind spots to obtain access to (him), the lawsuit said.

The man contacted law enforcement about what had transpired and submitted a polygraph test, but said nothing was done, according to the lawsuit. He was eventually released from jail, but later arrested again on charges related to his meth addiction, which he said started after Bertram provided him with drugs.

The man went on to report the abuse to multiple law enforcement officials, who are listed as defendants in the lawsuit, but said they willfully and/or recklessly failed to stop Bertram from abusing (the man) and other incarcerated people.

The defendants did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on May 6.

On Jan. 11, 2023, Bertram was criminally charged in connection to the abuse allegations against the man, as well as three other men, court records said. Six days later, on Jan. 17, Bertram died by suicide.

The lawsuit said as a result of law enforcement officials disregard for the mans reports of sexual abuse, the man continues to suffer.

The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages.

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Read our ongoing coverage of Donald Trumps first criminal trial here.

Last week, members of Donald Trumps defense team put the first serious dent in the prosecutions case in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. It came when they got their turn to cross-examine one of the prosecutions witnesses, former Daniels attorney Keith Davidson, who represented the adult film actor at the earliest stages of this scandal. Trumps attorney Emil Bove hammered Davidson with secretly recorded conversations between Davidson and Trump fixer Michael Cohen. In those conversations, Davidsonwho spent much of the week testifying about Cohens extraordinary efforts to keep Daniels quiet in the days leading up to the 2016 electionappeared to reveal private conversations with his client that portrayed her as trying to extort Trump.

It was from this approach to Davidson that a view of Trumps ultimate defense in this case began to take shape. This was not a conspiracy to illegally influence the 2016 election via unreported in-kind contributions, it seems Trumps attorneys will argue. Instead, it was a shakedown by a porn star making false charges and a sleazy celebrity extortion-artist lawyer of a presidential candidate.

This defense case will have its benefits and its downsides. First, the upsides: It appears partially supported by some of those audio recordings between Davidson and Cohen that were played for the jury Thursday. In one such recordingtaken March 7, 2018, after the Wall Street Journal had broken the hush money story but while all parties were still denying itDavidson suggests that Daniels had settlers remorse and, hypothetically, when you realize you have a lot more leverage, you try to settle it twice.

Even more damning was another recording, this one from April 4, 2018just a few weeks laterin which Davidson suggested that Daniels, who by that point had fired Davidson and hired Michael Avenatti, was lying in her public suggestions that she had been forced into a settlement.

That transcript from Davidsons side of the conversation, discussing an upcoming interview set to be given by Anthony Kotzev, then the boyfriend of Daniels publicist Gina Rodriguez:

I wouldnt be the least bit surprised if he comes out and says, You know what? Stormy Daniels, she wanted this money more than you can ever imagine. I remember hearing her on the phone, saying, You fucking Keith Davidson. You better settle this goddamn story. Because if he loses this electionand hes going to loseif he loses this election, we lose all fucking leverage. This case is worth zero. And if that happens, Im going to sue you because you lost this opportunity. So settle this fucking case.  Thats a far cry  from being, you know, bullied and pushed into settling a case.

Theres also a third such recording, in which Davidson implies that Avenatti was lying his ass off and Daniels was lying as well when they claimed she had been harassed by an apparent Trump henchman back in 2011.

How damning is any of this? Its worth remembering that Davidson and Daniels had parted ways at this point and Davidson was being portrayed in the press as a villain who had forced Daniels to take a bum deal, so perhaps its unsurprising that he was venting to Cohen. Still, even prior to playing the audio, Bove had muddied Davidson up by asking him if these conversations had ever taken place, and getting I cant recall for answer after answer after answer. (Davidson also could not recall the details of a number of other similar celebrity settlement deals he had allegedly orchestrated over respective sex scandals, involving, among others, Hulk Hogan, Charlie Sheen, and Tila Tequila.)

Irrespective of how transparently uncredible Davidson may seem, this was the first time that the defense began to present something that may be compelling to this jury as a reason to vote to acquit. And as a reminder: All the defense has to do is convince one juror that the innocent victim here was Trump, a person who, the team is arguing, was targeted in an extortion plot by Davidson, a lawyer who has in the past come dangerously close to the line of breaking the law in similar cases. If just one juror is convinced, Trump gets a hung jury (and he will declare that a win).

Which brings me to the flaws with this defense. The problem is that what its reaching for is a jury nullification argumentthat is, the strategy doesnt argue the legal merits of the case but leans on the potential emotions of jurors to sympathize with Trump and to vote to acquit, despite the evidence.

Another problem for the members of the defense is the narrative it could present outside the courtroom. This approach goes after Daniels in a way that might backfire, with her coming off as the victim of Trumps abuse yet again. Given Trumps history with women, and the fact that this trial concerns the question of whether he had been cheating on his wife with a porn star months after the former had given birth, tearing down Daniels might not be the best approach while their client is also a candidate for president.

But the third problem, and perhaps the biggest one, is that these recordings may actually help disprove one of Trumps other major defenses. Remember, the prosecution has elevated its charges to a felony level specifically because of how it has argued that the payoff counts as campaign finance crimes. One of the former presidents responses to that claim is to negate the campaign finance parthis lawyers argue that Trump agreed to the hush money deal in order to protect his family, not to win an election.

The reference to leverage going away after a certain date is totally consistent with a theory that the payments were election-related rather than personal, election law expert Richard Hasen told me. After all, there is no expiration date on a spouse being pissed off about an affair.

Indeed, the suggestion that Daniels was maximizing her leverage against Trump to receive a payout may serve to undermine her credibility, but it doesnt explain away Trumps own alleged motives and actions. Specifically, it does nothing to rebut former American Media honcho David Peckers incredibly damning testimony about his scheme with Trump to cover up such stories in order to influence the election, starting during an August 2015 Trump Tower meeting with Trump himself.

The tapes serve not just the defense. The prosecution has its own recordings of Davidson and Cohen that look much better for its case. One that was played on Thursday, from Oct. 16, 2017, displayed Cohen venting his rage at Trump for his lack of support following what Cohen believed were his own extreme displays of loyalty in the Stormy Daniels matter. Who else would do that for somebody, who else? Cohen complains. What about me? And I cantI cant even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, I hate the fact that we did it. 

If Cohen gets on the stand and is able to convince the jury that the he in this statement was Donald Trump and the we was him and Trump, it might not matter how badly the defense is able to portray Stormy Daniels.
Attorneys for state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Oklahoma State Department of Education have asked an Oklahoma County judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by two teachers who each received a $50,000 bonus in error.

In the lawsuit, teachers Kharis Kay Bojorquez and Kristina Stadelman alleged breach of contract by the agency and defamation by Walters. But in last weeks court filing, attorneys retained to represent the agency and Walters told District Judge Richard Ogden their clients are the actual victims.

Jason Reese, Paul Cason and Emmalee Barresi  attorneys for the private law firm Goodwin/Lewis, filed a counterclaim against Stadelman and Bojorquez, asking the judge to grant an order against the teachers for breach of contract for $50,000 each, along with attorney fees and such other legal and equitable relief as the Court finds just and proper.

No hearing has been set in the case. In the lawsuit originally filed Jan. 29, Bojorquez and Stadelman said Walters defamed them by accusing them of lying on their bonus applications. The lawsuit seeks an amount exceeding $75,000 in damages from Walters for both teachers. It also seeks a ruling that the teachers should not be liable for repayment of the bonus.

In January, the nonprofit news agencies Oklahoma Watch and StateImpact Oklahoma reported at least nine teachers  including Stadelman and Bojorquez  had received letters from the state Education Department, demanding that by the end of February, they pay back all, or portions of, the bonuses they received in error. Bonus amounts ranged from $15,000 to $50,000.

More: 2nd teacher joins defamation lawsuit against Ryan Walters over teacher bonus program claims

The news reports said at least $290,000 was overpaid to teachers who were either not qualified for the bonus or qualified for a lower amount. Walters since has said the number of teachers affected were four, but the news agencies showed documentation that agency spokesman Dan Isett confirmed the number was nine.

Efforts by the agency to try and claw back the money from the teachers did not receive a positive reaction from state lawmakers. Walters insisted federal regulations required the agency to do so.

Walters first blamed the teachers, and later the media's reporting of the story, for the issues with the program and has yet to accept responsibility for any errors that might have been made by him or the agency he leads. Days after the initial report came out, he said, without providing details, that the agency was working with teachers on ways they wouldn't have to pay back the money they received in error, which already had had federal taxes taken out and/or been spent in good faith.

What does the counterclaim filed by Ryan Walters' attorneys say?

The counterclaim filed last week essentially again blames the teachers for the situation. It alleges Stadelman and Bojorquez represented to OSDE that neither were employed by an Oklahoma public school during the 2022-2023 school year and said both teachers have refused to repay the bonus amounts. That caused damages to the Education Department, the agencys attorneys said. Stadelman worked during that school year for Moore Public Schools while Bojorquez worked for Epic Charter School.

In the filing, Walters attorneys also said the plaintiffs claim of Defamation falls due to the truth of the statement and because the statements alleged to be defamatory were not directed to the Plaintiffs.

During the current session of the Legislature, lawmakers have reworked the bonus program, which was designed to lure teachers from outside Oklahoma, or who lived in Oklahoma but didnt teach during the 2022-23 academic year, to teach in the state if they committed to do so for at least five years. Under the proposed new system, the bonuses wouldnt be as high and would be paid out yearly, instead of in a lump sum. The claw-back language has been removed and responsibility for fact-checking applications is specifically assigned to the state Education Department. The bill, House Bill 4017, passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate Education Committee, but stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The state Education Department is using outside counsel in part because the agency currently has no in-house attorneys. In March, all four attorneys once employed by the agency left. They are among more than 130 employees who have left the agency  most through resignations or retirements  since Walters took office in January 2023.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters blames teachers for bonus issues in new court filing
TechCrunch

In January last year, German biotech company BioNTech acquired African AI startup Instadeep for over $550 million, a deal finalized in July of the same year. Instadeep, whose exit is currently the largest from Africa, has been operating under the German pharma umbrella for just over a year. Notably, the decade-old startup collaborated with BioNTech to develop an early warning system that could detect high-risk COVID-19 variants months ahead of time during the pandemic.
Throughout my childhood, my parents would repeat the same mantra to my siblings and me: La unica herencia que una familia pobre le deja a sus hijos es una buena educacion (The only inheritance a poor family can leave its children is a good education).

Those words stuck with me as I became the first college graduate in my family. Access to higher education changed the whole trajectory of my life and that of my entire family. Now, as the first Latina chancellor of the California State University system, I am proud to say that we are serving as an engine for social mobility for historically underserved populations  moving students from lower class to middle class and beyond at an incomparable scale.

Opinion

But we must continue to fight for that accessibility.

Nearly half of our undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the foundation of federal student aid in the CSU system and across the country. A staggering 220,000 CSU students in 2022-23 depended on this money to fund their education, stay out of debt and achieve their goal of graduating.

The importance of Pell Grants goes way beyond accessibility for college: Those who receive Pell remain in school at greater rates, finish college with less or even no debt and graduate more quickly.

However, there is a lot of misinformation presented to students about the affordability and value of college. There have been stories in recent months about college costs hitting $100,000 a year at elite schools. But what is not noted is that this is the sticker price without financial aid factored in. These stories also do not differentiate between the cost of Harvard and, say, CSU, Dominguez Hills. The reality is that the average CSU tuition costs about $8,000 per year  sometimes less or free with financial aid.

There are also stories of students graduating with $50,000 to $100,000 in debt. Thats a worst-case scenario. More than half of CSU students graduate with no debt, and for those that do, it is  on average  roughly $15,000 for four years or more of college.

Finally, some members of Congress that want to bash high-price colleges use hearings to further exaggerate this misconception, leading some to believe that individuals are better off not going to college. Combine this with difficulties in accessing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and you have a perfect storm.

Students who would otherwise apply for college are working low-income jobs instead, not realizing that Pell can make their dreams of a better life a reality. Because of this, some funds could and should be spent on Pell sitting idle. At present it largely goes unused (at times, Congress raids these funds for other purposes).

This is unacceptable. If we used the Pell reserves solely as intended  for Pell-eligible students  we could easily increase the maximum Pell Grant significantly and still maintain an emergency reserve. This, in turn, would enable more students to follow their dreams of pursuing higher education and a better life.

This is not just a California problem, it is a national problem, impacting those on the lowest economic rung to the greatest extent. Pell is meant to level the playing field for all Americans. We need to ensure that it is used that way to successfully increase opportunities for all.

Thats why the CSU system stands as a leader in the push to double the Pell Grant. It would improve college access for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds, restore automatic cost-of-living increases to the maximum grant and reserve any surplus funds for future program needs or improvements. It would also deliver meaningful returns in the form of improved student persistence, higher completion rates and enhanced basic needs support for students from modest financial means.

Doubling the Pell Grant would be significant for the state and the country: The CSU drives the economic vitality of California, the largest economy in the U.S. and the fifth largest economy in the world.

As our federal lawmakers debate and vote on the bipartisan bill to expand access to Pell Grants for short-term academic programs, the CSU calls upon them to strengthen and expand our investment in the Pell for the sake of all students seeking higher education and for the sake of our state and the country which depends on the success of these young scholars.

Dr. Mildred Garcia is the California State Universitys 11th chancellor.
An Ohio man was arrested after authorities said his fathers dismembered body parts were found in two separate towns.

Edgar Keiter Jr. was charged with three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of gross abuse of a corpse. An attorney for Keiter was not listed in court records.

It all unfolded for police over a 12-day period.

On April 22, Trotwood police were called to a home after a man said he found a bag with human remains in it near his driveway, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Police found a white tarp and what smelled to be a deceased human with flies around the bag, the news outlet reported.

Officials determined the human remains belonged to Edgar Keiter Sr., according to WKEF.

On April 26, the Kettering Police Department assisted Trotwood police executing a search warrant at Keiter Sr.s home, according to a May 6 new release.

On April 30, an alert was put out for a vehicle authorities believed may have been involved, police said. Theft charges were also filed against Keiter Jr. after police said items in the home, including carpet, came up missing.

On May 1, police located the vehicle and Keiter Jr. They then conducted a search warrant at a storage unit in Dayton. Inside, they found Keiter Sr.s remaining body parts, police said.

On May 3, charges were filed against Keiter Jr. in connection to the body parts found.

Landlord finds trail of blood, leading police to woman killed in home, Arizona cops say

Man strangles 18-year-old to death, dismembers her in apartment bathtub, Texas cops say

Man was tortured with blowtorch and shot to death over stolen RV in Missouri, feds say
Dangerous winds cause power outages across Denver: Which areas are affected

DENVER (KDVR)  High winds battered the Front Range Monday, causing power outages for thousands of homes in the area.

The Pinpoint Weather team issued a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day for the winds, with gusts of up to 80 mph forecast for some areas. Parts of the Front Range were under a high wind warning until midnight on Monday.

FOX31 Weather: View the latest Denver forecasts, maps and radar

There were no preemptive shutoffs ahead of the high-wind event, unlike in April when power to around 55,000 customers across the Front Range was turned off to avoid wildfires and other issues, according to the company. During that storm, approximately 100,000 additional customers suffered damage-related outages.

Xcel Energy confirmed to FOX31 that there were no plans to conduct any preemptive shutoffs as of Monday afternoon.

Xcel Energy outages

As of 5 p.m., there were 159 outages affecting 3,825 customers in the Denver metro area and Front Range. The majority of the outages were in Jefferson County.

The following counties were experiencing the most outages:

Jefferson County : 2,340

Boulder County : 710

Weld County : 208

Adams County: 145

Customers can check specific locations on the outage map to find if Xcel has an estimate for when power will be restored.

People can report outages through the companys mobile app, at this webpage, by texting OUT to 98936 or calling the company at 1-800-895-1999.

Xcel told FOX31 that outages could be more frequent and last longer due to the weather event. Normally, the system will attempt to restore power automatically within a few seconds if something like a tree or a branch makes contact with a power line.

However, Xcel said that for the current weather event, it is changing the settings to prevent the automatic restoration and instead have crews patrol the area to ensure it is safe to restore power ahead of time.

FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up for weather alerts from the Pinpoint Weather team

No other power companies reported customer outages as of Monday afternoon.

According to the Pinpoint Weather team, it will be windy throughout Monday and into Tuesday, but the winds should die down by Wednesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
A day in the life of Jeff Bezos, the second richest person in the world

A day in the life of Jeff Bezos, the second richest person in the world

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the second richest man in the world.

He's no longer CEO of Amazon, but he now spends extra time with his space company.

Business Insider rounded up what Bezos and his fiancee have said over the years about his daily routine.

Jeff Bezos may no longer be running Amazon, but he's kept busy.

The Amazon cofounder has a net worth of $195 billion, according to Forbes. In addition to founding the online retail behemoth Amazon, Bezos also owns The Washington Post and an aerospace company, Blue Origin.

Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon in 2021 to focus on his rocket company Blue Origin, but he still advises the company as chairman and gives his input on AI efforts. Andy Jassy took over the CEO role. Now, Bezos spends most of his time on his rocket company, saying recently in a podcast interview that he's "working harder than I ever have."

Bezos has also been dating his fiancee Lauren Sanchez since 2019.

So what does daily life look like for the tech mogul? Sanchez described their morning routine in an interview with People.

Here's a look inside his daily routine:

He wakes up every morning naturally, without the aid of an alarm clock.

Jeff Bezos prioritizes eight hours of sleep every night. Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Bezos makes sure to get enough rest  he sleeps for eight hours every night. The former CEO told CNBC in 2021 that while he could sleep less and be more productive, the quality of his decisions would be lower, which isn't worth it to him.

"I prioritize it," he said at a dinner hosted by the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. "I think better. I have more energy. My mood is better."

Bedtime is 9:30 p.m., according to his fiancee.

Jeff Bezos like to "putter" around in the morning.

Jeff Bezos likes a slow morning. Amy Harris/Invision/AP

"I like to putter in the morning," Bezos told a gathering of Economic Club of Washington, DC, Axios reported "So I like to read the newspaper. I like to have coffee."

Bezos and Sanchez have a no-phone rule in the mornings

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Aspen, Colorado, last holiday season. BG041/Bauer-Griffin

Sanchez told People she and Bezos have a "magic moment" before the kids wake up, where it's just the two of them talking in the morning. She said during this time, the two don't use their phones and it's "one of the rules."

"He definitely made that rule," Sanchez told People. "It wasn't me. But the mornings are just us for as long as we can."

Bezos and Sanchez also like to start off their morning with journaling, although Sanchez said in a Vogue interview in November that the two weren't quite there yet.

"We'll do it, like, three days a week," she told Vogue.

Whoever wakes up first makes the coffee, Sanchez said.

The billionaire Amazon drinks his morning coffee in a self-heating Ember mug. Alex Wong / Getty Images

While the billionaire Amazon founder drinks his morning coffee in a self-heating Ember mug, Sanchez says she uses a mug Bezos got her from Amazon that says, "woke up sexy as hell again."

Bezos reportedly never schedules early-morning meetings, in order to spend quality time with his family.

Jeff Bezos and his fiancee, Lauren Sanchez. MEGA / Getty Images

Bezos has said he likes a slow morning to spend time with his family.

Sanchez told Vogue Bezos calls out, "don't learn anything I wouldn't learn." The line has become a staple in their everyday routine and her daughter now finishes it for him.

Once the kids leave, Sanchez and Bezos get to work

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos at the Sun Valley Conference 2024. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Sanchez told People that once the morning rush is over and the kids drive to school, her and Bezos get to work.

"After the kids leave, it's just me and Jeff and the dogs," she said, People reported.

Bezos also reads the newspaper and chats with his fiance before heading to the gym for cardio and weightlifting, he said.

The Amazon founder goes to the gym even when he doesn't feel like it. Drew Angerer, Getty images

"Most days, [going to the gym is] not that hard for me, but some days it's really hard and I do it anyway," he said.

The billionaire said he goes to the gym almost every day.

Bezos said in a Lex Fridman podcast on a good day he does 30 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weightlifting or resistance training of some kind.

"I have a trainer who you know I love who pushes me," Bezos said in the podcast. "Which is really helpful."

But Sanchez said they don't do the same exercises.

"He's on a whole different level than I am," Sanchez said in the Vogue interview. "He is a monster in the gym."

But he does like to get his more intensive meetings rolling before noon. "I do my high-IQ meetings before lunch," he told the Economic Club of Washington, DC.

Jeff Bezos likes to schedule mentally challenging meetings before noon. Joshua Roberts/Reuters

"Like anything that's going to be really mentally challenging, that's a 10 o'clock meeting," Bezos said back in 2018, according to Axios.

Bezos usually keeps his afternoons clear of high-intensity meetings.

If high-IQ meetings come up at the end of the day, Jeff Bezos holds them off. Alex Wong/Getty Images

If something that necessitates a "high-IQ meeting" pops up later in the day, Bezos typically puts it off until the next day.

"By 5 p.m., I'm like, 'I can't think about that today. Let's try this again tomorrow at 10 a.m,'" he told the Economic Club of Washington, DC in 2018.

When it comes to meals, Bezos has a taste for unusual dishes.

Jeff Bezos once famously ordered an octopus for breakfast. Alex Wong / Getty Images

He was photographed eating an iguana once.

And, during a meeting with Woot founder Matt Rutledge, he ordered octopus with potatoes, bacon, green garlic yogurt, and eggs for breakfast.

"When I look at the menu, you're the thing I don't understand, the thing I've never had," Bezos said. "I must have the breakfast octopus."

Bezos and Sanchez like to cook. Sanchez said Bezos makes churros in his deep fryer, a recipe passed down from his Cuban grandfather.

Both Jeff Bezos and his fiancee like to cook. David Ryder/Stringer

"Abuelo made churros whenever we were with him," Bezos said.

Bezos also has a fondness for food trucks.

Jeff Bezos told the former BI editor in chief about a food truck outside Amazon's office. Scott Olson / Getty Images

In 2014, he told Henry Blodget, who was then Business Insider's editor-in-chief, about a phenomenally popular truck outside of Amazon's headquarters. "It's out of control, actually," he said.

Bezos said he's never worked harder than he has since he left Amazon.

Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin has a multi-million dollar contract with NASA to build a space station. Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images

His day revolves around reading documents and having meetings in person or over Zoom, he told Lex Fridman in a podcast.

Architecture and technology meetings almost every day about different subsystems inside the vehicle and engines.

"My favorite part of it is the technology," Bezos said.

His least favorite part is building the organization, he said.

Bezos does "little thinking retreats."

The billionaire said he's very good at focusing. Scott Olson / Getty Images

The billionaire said he's very good at focusing but he doesn't keep to a strict schedule.

He told Lex Fridman he believes in wandering and his "messy" meetings often go overtime.

Family movie nights are a Saturday night tradition in the Bezos household, according to his fiancee.

The Amazon founder's favorite movie was "Oppenheimer," his fiancee said. Mike Segar/Reuters

"Of course, Jeff's favorite movie was Oppenheimer, and I love Barbie," she told Vogue. "And there you have us summed up in two movies."

Sanchez told People it takes a "little bit of time" to decide what to watch but the two "love" their TV time. They recently watched Baby Reindeer, Fallout, Presumed Innocent, and Severance, People reported.

Amazon now runs several popular original series, like "The Man in the High Castle" and "Transparent," but the former Amazon CEO is a Trekkie.

Bezos on the set of "Star Trek Beyond." Jeff Bezos/Vine

Bezos even made a surprise cameo in the 2016 film "Star Trek Beyond."

Other than watching "Star Trek," Bezos has another space-related hobby: gliding about in a submarine looking for old NASA rockets.

Bezos with a model rocket. Win McNamee/Getty Images

He's brought his kids along for the adventure.

"As a senior executive, you get paid to make a small number of high-quality decisions. Your job is not to make thousands of decisions every day," he said, according to Axios.

Jeff Bezos said his job isn't to make thousands of decisions every day. Reuters/Lindsey Wasson

"Is that really worth it if the quality of those decisions might be lower because you're tired or grouchy?" Bezos asked the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Heavy rain soaks parts of the Prairies, risk of 100 mm by Wednesday

A 123-year-old, daily May rainfall record belonging to Medicine Hat, Alta., is in jeopardy of falling this week as the city faces an inundation of precipitation.

In fact, almost a month's worth of rainfall is expected to fall across parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan early this week. The amounts will exceed the average May rainfall totals the areas receive in just three days. Some areas could see 50-100 mm by the time it wraps up Wednesday, so there will be a risk of localized flooding.

YOUR MAY OUTLOOK: Spring into summer or a stalling spring ahead, Canada?

In Medicine Hat, rainfall totals are likely to hit 40-50 mm on Tuesday, potentially enough to exceed its largest, single-day rainfall event for the month of May (40.1 mm in 1901). If broken, it would be the rainiest May day for the community in 123 years.

Winds between 50-70 km/h threaten parts of the region, although they won't be as widespread of a risk. Regardless, residents are urged to plan ahead, and keep devices charged in case of some localized outages.

Heaviest rain arrives Tuesday, lingers into Wednesday

Its going to be a formidable low-pressure system for this time of year. Its minimum central pressure is expected to drop near 980 millibars, which could set records in this region during the month of May.

Record low pressures for May

Rainy conditions will continue Tuesday, but will increase in intensity during the day. Heavy downpours at times are forecast in eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan.

In fact, Tuesdays rain could be record-breaking in Medicine Hat, Alta.

The Alberta community's rainfall totals are likely to hit 40-50 mm, potentially enough to exceed its largest, single-day rainfall event for the month of May (40.1 mm in 1901). If it is broken, it would be the rainiest May day for the community in 123 years.

Medicine Hat top rainiest day on record in May

Fortunately for farmers, the heaviest rain will fall over the western grasslands, likely avoiding a tough situation as we approach planting season east of Regina.

Persistent heavy rainfall could lead to flooding issues in vulnerable areas. Remember, never try to drive across a flooded roadway. Its impossible to tell how deep the water is until its too late.

Wind gusts of 50-70 km/h are anticipated to accompany the heavy rainfall at times on Tuesday in Alberta and parts of southwestern Saskatchewan. The combination of gusty winds and rain-soaked soil could lead to isolated power outages.

May total rainfall averages on the Prairies

SEE ALSO: May is here, along with all its Canadian weather extremes

Rain continues on into Wednesday but will ease in the morning.

All told, widespread rainfall totals 30-50 mm are in the forecast for much of the southern half of the Prairies. Locally higher totals of 50-100 mm are possible in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.

The amounts will exceed the average May rainfall totals these areas receive in just three days.

Baron_Prairies rainfall map through Wednesday_May 6

"Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible," says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the rainfall warning issued for parts of Alberta. "Watch for possible washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts."

Stay with The Weather Network for your latest forecast across the Prairies.

WATCH: What makes a flood, and what can we do about it?

Click here to view the video
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it arrested a man for a stabbing that happened in Northwest D.C. on Saturday night.

MPD said the victim flagged down officers at about 9:17 p.m. The person had been stabbed in the 600 block of H Street NW. Crews transported them to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

One dead, multiple injured after bus carrying 24 people crashes in Harford County

A short time later, police said they arrested the suspect near the scene.

MPD charged 32-year-old Tanade Qarn Warsame of Northwest D.C. with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Poll workers arrange stickers to read "Thanks" at Stiles Point Elementary School on Election Day in on Nov. 3, 2020, in Charleston, South Carolina. (File/Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

COLUMBIA  Eligible South Carolinians who want to vote in the June 11 primaries but arent yet registered need to sign up this week. There are three ways to do so.

The cut-off to register in person is this Friday, May 10. Applications can be filled out at county election offices as well as Department of Motor Vehicles branches and local offices for state agencies that provide government assistance, including the Department of Social Services.

Two other options give a little more time.

South Carolinians have until midnight Sunday, May 12, to register online. That method requires a state drivers license or other identification issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. People can also download and mail in a registration form. The mail must be postmarked by Monday, May 13, according to information from the South Carolina Election Commission.

Nearly 3.3 million people are registered to vote in South Carolina, according to the commission.

Almost twice as many new voters have registered in the first quarter of this year as registered in the same time period two years ago, according to state records. In the first quarter of 2024, there were almost 71,000 new registrations, while the first quarter of 2022 saw 39,000.

People dont register by party in South Carolina.

Every registered voter can vote in either primary. But voters must pick one. They just cant vote in both. They also cant cross between parties for primary runoffs. For example, someone who votes in the Democratic primary would be ineligible to vote in a Republican primary runoff, and vice-versa.

Early voting will begin on Tuesday, May 28, and end on Friday, June 7. There is at least one early voting location for each county, and they will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A number of counties have added early voting locations for the June primaries. Two counties, Greenville and Richland, are opening seven locations  the maximum per county allowed under the 2022 early voting law. In the presidential contests, no county opened more than four. Click here for all locations available to voters in each county.

On June 11, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Many counties consolidated polling locations for the presidential primary to save on cost, but there will not be a systematic consolidation for the June primary, according to a spokesman for the election agency. A few locations may be consolidated if a building is unavailable or due to other conflicts.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is May 31.

To request an absentee ballot, voters must give a reason why they cant vote in person. Allowed reasons include being out of town for the entire early voting window as well as the day of the primaries, serving in the military, being 65 or older or having a physical disability. Ballots can be returned by mail or in person. People returning a ballot in person must show a photo ID.

Voters who have moved within a county should update their registration, and those who have moved from one county to another need to register in the new county of residence by the deadline.

The post Deadlines for registering to vote in SCs June primaries are quickly approaching appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  A member of the Bloods street gang was killed by rival gang members in a drive-by shooting as he walked along a central Bakersfield street, police say in court documents that recently became available.

Rodney Gipson, 35, and Marlon Burch, 31, are facing charges including murder and are being held without bail. Police say the two are close friends and members of the Eastside Crips street gang.

Bakersfield dog with two legs needs help getting a wheelchair

The victims name had not been released as of Monday morning.

Police responded to the area of 8th and V streets the evening of April 25 after receiving a ShotSpotter activation. They found a man lying partly under a pickup and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.

Surveillance video captured a Toyota Camry drive east on 8th Street and pass the man at about 6:45 p.m., reports say. The car made a U-turn at V Street.

As the Toyota approached the man the front passenger, whose window was rolled down, used his right hand to make an E, according to the reports. Then he pulled a gun with his left hand and opened fire.

The car took off, leaving an area which police say is within the traditional boundary of the Bloods gang.

Police found the Toyota abandoned the next day

Through the video  and witness statements  police identified Gipson and Burch as suspects, according to the reports.

Police say Gipson was the shooter, Burch the driver.

Police took Gipson into custody April 26 after he left his apartment carrying a backpack and duffel bag, the reports say. He had a loaded gun in his waistband, police say, and the backpack contained underwear, shirts, socks and pants.

He also had $4,000 in cash, according to the reports.

It appeared as if Gipson was preparing to go on an out of town trip, an investigator wrote in the reports.

Never miss a story  Make KGET.com your homepage

Burch arrived at the apartment complex 30 minutes later and was arrested, police say.

Questioned about the Toyota, Gipson told police he ran over a center divider, breaking the axel, and had to leave it. He said the crash happened around 2 a.m.

As investigators tried to establish a timeline of Gipsons movements the night before, he became evasive, police say, and didnt provide specifics. He blamed alcohol for his poor memory, according to the reports.

I got drunk as hell last night, Gipson told police.

He added he bought the gun they found on him around 10 p.m. the day before  more than three hours after the shooting.

Asked to describe who sold it to him, Gipson said he couldnt because the m had a mask on, the reports say.

Questioned further, Gipson again said he got drunk and didnt remember anything, then asked for an attorney, the reports say. Burch immediately asked for an attorney when detectives tried to interview him.

Gipson and Burch are due back in court Friday. Both have pleaded not guilty.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
Death of SC pastors wife was announced to the congregation. Her story has gone national

The death of a Myrtle Beach area pastors wife has received national media attention.

The 30-year-old, whose husband, John-Paul Miller, leads the Solid Rock Church in Market Common, was found with a gunshot wound to her head in her vehicle in a North Carolina state park.

The New York Post wrote about the death, which is being investigated by the Robeson (North Carolina) County Sheriffs Office and has been the topic of social media posts from church and non-church members, many using #justiceforMica.

There were two memorials held for Mica Miller on May 5, one at Solid Rock Church and another along the beach in North Myrtle Beach led by Mica Millers family.

Chief Deputy Damien McLean with the Robeson County Sheriffs Department confirmed Friday that the case is under investigation, adding that anytime there is a death the department does an investigation. He would not provide information about the case.

Her death was announced to the church congregation by her husband during a sermon on April 28 - a day after Mica Miller was found dead. Miller told the church her death was self-induced and details of her memorial service on May 5, 2024.

The video of that sermon has since been deleted from YouTube and the churchs website.

Mica Millers family have posted on social media regarding her death, alluding to false information and abuse that Mica had suffered. It is unclear what the abuse was. Mica Miller too posted on her Facebook about abuse and leaving a dangerous situation with the hashtag, abuseawareness.

Mica Millers mother posted on the Facebook page Voices in the Wilderness that her daughter had a no contact order and a divorce was filed just days before this tragedy.

Mica Millers death in North Carolina is being investigated by the Robeson County Sheriffs Department.

Husband says wife was battling mental illness

John-Paul Miller confirmed that his wife had filed for divorce. He was notified by police of his wifes death late April 27.

He was told that Mica had purchased a gun and drove two hours to Lumber River State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, where she was found in her vehicle by a kayaker, Miller said May 3, 2024.

Miller described his wifes battle with mental illness, adding that this wasnt the first time she tried to take her own life. Mica Miller has been open about her mental health struggles, posting videos about it on social media and offering testimonies at her church.

She had been in the hospital in February, one of many times Mica had been placed there during their marriage, Miller said.

That was just our life, Miller said.

Miller described his wife as caring with a great love for the church. She did everything, Miller said.

Mica Miller, who would sit in the front row, was the leader for worship, youth and womens ministry as well as operating as her husbands personal assistant and taking care of other problems that people may have, Miller said.

Miller said he is glad that the sheriffs department is investigating his wifes death.

I want them to find out every detail, Miller said. I want to know everything, every detail.

Family has seen problems before

This isnt the first time the Miller family has been placed in the national media spotlight.

In 2014, John-Paul Millers father, Reginald Wayne Miller, who founded the Cathedral Bible College, pleaded guilty in federal court to felony charges related to his treatment of international students who came to the Myrtle Beach college to earn degrees in theology, ministry and other Christian studies.

The senior Miller also was embroiled in controversy over allegations of sexual improprieties that forced him to move his ministry from Florence to Myrtle Beach.

Miller once led one of South Carolinas largest charismatic churches and was a leading spokesman for the movement, which emphasizes speaking in tongues, prophecy and faith healing.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in South Carolina, you can call 1-833-364-2274 for free and confidential crisis counseling. The 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline is 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
Both ran in states with a top-two primary.

Newhouse stayed alive in the primary with 25.5% and then went on to defeat Democrat Doug White in November with 66.5%.

A second-place finish in his states top-two primary was good enough to place Valadao on the November ballot, where he won reelection over Democratic challenger Rudy Salas by a narrow 51%.

And of the four Republicans who lost their primary elections, Herrea Beutler came the closest  losing to Kent by a half percentage point and fewer than 1,100 votes. At the very least, its left her politically viable enough to wage a comeback campaign for commissioner of public lands.

Thats not to say the top two primary system in Washington and California is a prescription for the kind of political courage Valadao, Herrera Beutler and Newhouse displayed those many months ago.

But it is to say that the closed Republican primary in Idaho guarantees such a move from a Gem State politician would be political suicide. Not only does that primary block any Democratic voter from crossing over, but voting in the Republican primary requires a public affiliation with the GOP  something thousands of Idaho voters are unwilling to do.

For a dozen years, that overt voter suppression has provided the acolytes of Idaho GOP Chairperson Dorothy Moon with undue influence over who gets their partys nomination. Because Idaho is a one-party state, the general election is little more than a coronation of the GOP nominee.

Moon and her wing of the GOP despise the OPI for the very fact that it decapitates their control of the process. She does not want to muddy the waters with the voices of Democrats, independents or even Socialists.

If Idahoans approve OPI at the polls and it becomes law, any voter, regardless of affiliation, could cast a ballot in the open primary without publicly declaring allegiance to any party.

The candidates who score the top four positions in any race  regardless of party  would advance to the general election.

And in November, ranked-choice voting  a process used in Alaska as well as 47 cities including Seattle and Salt Lake City  would enable voters to select their first, second and third preferences. Candidates with the fewest votes would be eliminated until one with a majority emerges.

Such a system would finally give more independent Republicans  such as Congressman Mike Simpson or Gov. Brad Little  an even chance to survive the primary and then appeal to the broader, more ideologically diverse electorate that votes in November.

Does that mean Simpson  or any of his fellow Idaho GOP members of Congress  would have followed the path of Cheney in voting to impeach or Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, in voting to convict Trump if an OPI had been in place?

Probably not. Its a rare Republican who demonstrates the kind of courage it takes to challenge Trump. Still, if a top two primary gave politicians in Washington and California enough cover to at least try, the message to Idaho is clear:

-- How many times has an elected official in Idaho deterred from following his conscience  and his understanding of what the broad cross section of his constituents want  for fear of getting primaried by the small but devout ultra right that dominates the GOP closed primary?

-- How many times have voters in the Gem State  indeed, voters everywhere  complained about political gridlock and polarization? If Idahoans take a first step toward empowering the broad swath of voters who want solutions, not bombast and distraction, from their government, perhaps they could encourage others across the country to take the same kind of step.  M.T.
Death of South Carolina pastors wife has gone viral on TikTok. Heres what we can confirm

Reality Check is a new Sun News series holding those in power accountable, shining a light on local issues, and answering readers essential questions. Have a question or concern we can answer? Email online@thesunnews.com.

Had Mica Miller filed for divorce from her husband prior to her death on April 27, 2024?

Several Horry County public record reports provide some details of the couples relationship.

The death of the Myrtle Beach area pastors wife has received national attention after she was found with a gunshot wound to her head in her vehicle in a North Carolina state park, according to her husband.

The husband, John-Paul Miller leads the Solid Rock Church in Market Common.

According to public online records, Mica Miller had filed for divorce from her husband on Oct. 8, 2023. However, it was disposed on Feb. 12, 2024.

More than a week later, records show that John-Paul Miller filed for separation on Feb. 22, 2024. That too was disposed on March 11, 2024.

Mica Miller also filed for separation on April 15, 2024 - two weeks before she was found dead in Lumber River State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, where she was found in her behicle by a kayaker, John-Paul Miller said May 3, 2024.

On March 11, 2024, Mica Miller contacted Horry County Police for a report of a razor blade being placed in her tire, telling police this was the second time a razor had deflated her tire in the last week, according to an incident report. Police were dispatched at 1:30 a.m.

The name of the person she accused of placing the item in her tire was redacted from the report. Mica Miller also told police that she has noticed strange activity and what she believes as people following or watching her, the report said. She told police that the subject in the report has a history of similar actions against her.

Later, about noon, police were again contacted by Mica Miller, who was at a Honda dealership in the Myrtle Beach area, in reference to harassment.

She told the officer that she had gone to a gas station to get gas after meeting with the previous officer. While at the gas station, the suspect in the earlier incident showed up next to her at the pump, trying to talk to her, according to an incident report. Mica Miller said she told him to go away, she does not want to talk and then when she pulled her phone out to record, he sped off.

While at the dealership, the suspect showed up again. He was advised that the victim did not want further contact and if he proceeds, then warrants may possible be written up, the report said.

The victim told the officer that she was afraid for her life. She also said that she blocks his numbers and still gets calls and texts from him on other numbers, the report said.

After the officer left the dealership, Mica Miller contacted the officer saying that mechanics had found a tracking device on her vehicle, the report said. About an hour later, she had notified the officer that she was at the magistrates office trying to get a restraining order. The officer went to get the GPS from Miller, and while the officer was standing out front of the office with the victim, the suspect again showed up, then sped up and drove off.

Pastor tells church of wifes death

John-Paul Miller announced his wifes death to the church congregation during a sermon on April 28 - a day after her death. Miller told the church her death was self-induced and details of her memorial service on May 5, 2024.

The case is being investigated by the by the Robeson (North Carolina) County Sheriffs Office and has been the topic of social media posts from church and non-church members, many using #justiceforMica.

Chief Deputy Damien McLean with the Robeson County Sheriffs Department confirmed Friday that the case is under investigation, adding that anytime there is a death the department does an investigation. He would not provide information about the case.

There were two memorials held for Mica Miller on May 5, one at Solid Rock Church and another along the beach in North Myrtle Beach led by Mica Millers family.
By Leonardo Benassatto, Andre Romani, Lisandra Paraguassu

CANOAS, Brazil (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked Congress on Monday to recognize a state of public calamity for the heavy rains that have killed at least 85 people in the country's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.

More than 130 people are still missing after flooding that has affected more than two-thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state, leaving about 150,000 people displaced, the state civil defense authority said.

Floods have destroyed roads and bridges in several cities triggering landslides and leaving a path of destruction.

Lula's measure asks Congress to declare a public calamity in the state, which would authorize extra government spending with no need to comply with a spending cap stipulated by fiscal rules approved last year.

Expenses and tax waivers related to the state's recovery will also not be counted in the government's fiscal result under the measure.

"We don't have an estimate yet of what will be necessary," said Planning Minister Simone Tebet.

"Only when the water recedes will we see the immense extent of the damage in the state...," she added.

Flavio Rosa, 72, from the small city of Canoas says it is the first time he has seen destruction of this scale in Rio Grande do Sul caused by the rains, which are a common annual occurrence in this part of Brazil.

"I've seen other floods, but nothing like this," Rosa said.

Weather conditions improved on Monday, but showers are expected to return at lower volumes this week and could pick up again between May 10 and 15, according to local weather forecaster MetSul Meteorologia.

"The hydrological and meteorological scenarios are not at all favorable in the short and medium term," it said. "Despite improvements in parts of the state, some areas will remain under severe conditions for a very long time."

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite has emphasized that the death toll could still substantially increase as rescue workers gain access to more regions.

Businesses have been severely hit, with meatpacker lobby ABPA saying 10 pork or poultry plants were fully or partially halted.

Oil regulator ANP temporarily lowered mandates for the blend of biofuels into gasoline and diesel in the state as local ethanol and biodiesel supply was affected. Petrobras' Canoas refinery was still supplying fossil fuel, it said.

State capital Porto Alegre's Salgado Filho International Airport, one of Brazil's busiest, had its operations suspended indefinitely, operator Fraport said.

Railway operator Rumo said train circulation in the state was partially interrupted due to the extreme weather and damage to assets is "still being duly measured."

(Reporting by Leonardo Benassatto in Canoas and Andre Romani in Sao Paulo; Writing by Gabriel Araujo and Peter Frontini; editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Richard Chang and Josie Kao)
Delaware GOP chair won't run for governor now that House Rep. Mike Ramone plans to run

Delaware GOP chair Julianne Murray will not run for governor following the announcement that state House Rep. Mike Ramone intends to run for the gubernatorial seat.

The state GOP on Monday announced Murray would not declare candidacy for Delaware governor to ensure party unity and organizational strength.

Ramone on Friday announced he would not seek reelection to the 21st District seat, instead intending to run for Delaware governor. Gubernatorial candidate Jerrold Price remains the only official Republican candidate for governor on the ballot, having filed his candidacy in December.

Rep. Danny Short, right, talks with Rep. Mike Ramone as Tony Allen speaks as members of the House discuss the WEIC redistricting bills during the final session of the legislative season in 2016.

Ramone has said he intended to file his candidacy Monday and hosted news media forums across the state in preparation for his filing.

REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Ramone won't seek reelection. Plans run for Delaware governor

I am excited to launch our first statewide tour and bring our message to communities throughout Delaware, he said in a news release. Delawareans want a breath of fresh air, and that is exactly what this campaign is about. I look forward to sharing our vision for simplifying our tax code, investing in our infrastructure, and fixing our broken education system.

Julianne Murray is the chair of the Delaware GOP.

Murray said it is imperative that she focus on strengthening the political party to fight the potential threat of a Democrat super-majority in the General Assembly.

I cannot sit idly by as our party faces the prospect of division and distraction, she said in a news release. Now, more than ever, unity is our greatest asset in championing conservative values and reclaiming Delaware from the grip of radical Democrat governance. We must break the stranglehold of one-party rule.

PENSION PLANS: Delaware made changes to its lawmaker pension plan 27 years ago. Why they didn't stick

With Murray out of the gubernatorial race, this now leaves Ramone to face Price in a Republican primary in September.

The winner in the primary would then face one of the three Democratic candidates for governor: Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer or former state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin OMara.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware GOP chair won't run for governor
West Wichita resident Becky Howell wants to share the story of what happened to her English Setter, Finn, last week, both as a cautionary tale and to let people know theres still good in the world.

She and her husband, Nick, were running errands late Wednesday afternoon and returned to their home in the Savanna neighborhood at 13th and 143rd streets and realized Finn wasnt in the yard where they left him, which she said is extremely unusual.

He wont leave the yard unless we encourage him to, Howell said. Hes just a 14-year-old little treasure.

In fact, though theres an invisible fence in the yard, it wasnt on because Finn is so good about staying home.

Hes kind of a neighborhood favorite, Howell said.

Everybody knows him, she said, and hes just as friendly as he can be.

The Howells started calling neighbors as soon as they realized Finn was missing.

One neighbor was able to share photos and video from a security camera that showed a man in a truck taking Finn, who had been sleeping under his favorite front-yard tree where he likes to watch people as they walk by.

A former FBI agent who lives nearby saw the footage and asked why the man might have been in the neighborhood.

That started us to question a little bit more about what he was doing, Becky Howell said.

Becky Howell said her dog, Finn, wont leave the yard unless we encourage him to. . . . Hes just a 14-year-old little treasure. Courtesy photo

That led to the son of their next-door neighbor telling them the person had made a DoorDash delivery to his house.

The man dropped off the food and then he came over and took our dog, Howell said.

She was able to reach DoorDash and shared with the San Francisco-based company the drivers phone number.

While Howell stayed on the phone, DoorDash reached out to the driver.

He admitted that he took our dog and said he thought it was a stray.

Except Finn was wearing a collar and a fresh scarf from having just been groomed.

Theres no way he thought that was a stray, Howell said.

To DoorDashs credit, they played along, she said.

At the moment, a company representative knew the important thing was to get Finn back to the Howells, and he instructed the driver to return him, Howell said.

Later, she said, a DoorDash representative told her the driver was fired.

Finn had been gone almost five hours before he was returned.

Well, of course, we were so relieved, right? Howell said. By this time, all our neighbors had gotten involved.

When the driver arrived and handed over Finn, neighbors confronted him.

He barely reacted, Howell said. He just stared straight ahead.

The Howells filed a police report, and Becky Howell said DoorDash is cooperating.

DoorDash has zero tolerance for theft of any kind on our platform and have permanently removed the individuals account, a DoorDash representative said via e-mail. We know this was a distressing experience for the dogs owner, and are incredibly relieved that theyve been reunited.

Howell said she wants others to be aware of what can happen.

It could have been a child, not a dog. You just never know.

It took a little bit for Finn to adjust to being back.

He was nervous and wanted to kind of avoid us . . . for 30, 45 minutes, Howell said. I think he was almost in shock.

Though Finn is back home with is family, Becky Howell said, Whats hard is that this dog has lived 14 years with the freedom to roam his yard, and we hate to take that away from him. Courtesy photo

Finn eventually settled and ate a bit and slept pretty well, Howell said. A veterinarian examined him Thursday and didnt find any injuries or issues.

Whats hard is that this dog has lived 14 years with the freedom to roam his yard, and we hate to take that away from him, Howell said.

Still, in addition to getting back Finn, Howell said it was fabulous to receive help and support from about a dozen neighbors.

Its a nice reminder that we do have good citizens who want to help, and that made us feel good.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) uttered the obvious logic that he wanted progressives to hear in case they want to vote against President Joe Biden  or not vote at all. (Watch the video below.)

The lawmaker cited apathy and perhaps voters voting against their own self-interest as possible contributors to a Trump victory.

In an interview on Sunday with public affairs expert Mathew Littman for MeidasTouch, Lieu pleaded with unconvinced liberals to look deeply at their self-interests and embrace them. Casting a vote for Trump or any other candidate besides Biden out of disgust, or sitting out the election altogether, is inviting disaster on a volatile scale, Lieu said. That includes a possibly continued right-wing shaping of the Supreme Court.

Littman, a former speechwriter for Biden, noted the prospect of the Justice Department being gutted, opponents of the administration going to jail, and Trumps extreme immigration crackdown if apathy prevails.

Lieu took it from there.

Donald Trump incited an insurrection, an attack on our nations Capitol, he said. A hundred and forty law enforcement officers were assaulted and injured, some critically. And if he becomes president and he feels like he was rewarded for that behavior, what else do you think hes gonna do? He can do quite a bit, because in his mind, he incited insurrection and the American people made him president again. You think theres going to be anything to hold him back? I dont think so.

Lieu: Trump incited an attack on our nations Capitol If he becomes president and feels rewarded for that behavior, what else do you think he's going to do? He can do quite a bit. Do you think there's going to be anything that will hold him back? I dont think so. pic.twitter.com/VEyTTOwExm  Acyn (@Acyn) May 5, 2024

Low turnout could put Trump over the top, meaning bad news for progressives who voted and for those who stayed home.

Trump has hinted again at the possibility of violence if he loses the vote count.

If everythings honest, Ill gladly accept the results. I dont change on that. If its not, you have to fight for the right of the country, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week.

In another suggestion of upheaval if he were to lose, he told Time magazine that there would be no political violence if he wins the November election  but if we dont win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election.

Related...
As Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, speaks to reporters, on the floor of the House of Representatives on April 10, 2024, Democratic lawmakers look on and chastise him. Democratic Reps. Oscar De Los Santos and Analise Ortiz are now facing ethics complaints because of their protests on the House floor. Photo by Gloria Rebecca Gomez | Arizona Mirror

The ethics complaints lodged against two Democratic lawmakers for protesting Arizona Republicans refusal to repeal a 160-year-old abortion law should be thrown out, according to the duos attorney.

In order to protect the spirit of debate and the marketplace of ideas on the floor of the Arizona Legislature, the Committee must not interpret rules of decorum and civility as barring passionate debate, attorney Jim Barton wrote on May 1, in letters responding to the complaints.

What happened?

On April 10, a day after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a near-total abortion ban from 1864 could once again be enforced, Democrats in the state House of Representatives pushed for a vote to repeal the law. After the GOP-majority chose instead to block that move, Democrats in the chamber erupted into furious shouts of Shame!, Save womens lives! and Blood on your hands!, while pointing and waving at Republican lawmakers across the aisle, most of whom quickly filed out through a side door. The protest was led by Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, and Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, an outspoken abortion rights advocate.

The angry display continued when Rep. Matt Gress, the only Republican in the chamber who supported the Democratic bid to repeal the law, remained behind to speak with reporters after the rest of his party had dispersed. Ortiz and De Los Santos, along with a handful of other Democrats, disrupted interviews with Gress and called on reporters to ignore him, saying that he didnt care if women died. Ortiz pointed to Gress track record of introducing fetal personhood laws and his siding with the rest of his party to delay the vote on a repeal as proof that the Phoenix Republican was being insincere.

While the emotional reaction from Democrats was repeatedly criticized by Republicans during later debates on whether to repeal the 1864 law, the bid to do so eventually succeeded two weeks later, on April 24. That same day, three anti-abortion Republicans, Reps. Jacqueline Parker, Barbara Parker and David Marshall  all of whom voted against the repeal  filed an ethics complaint against De Los Santos and Ortiz for their actions during the first repeal attempt. The trio accused the Democrats of insurrectionist behavior and violating the legislatures standard for disorderly conduct, and urged the House Ethics Committee to launch an investigation.

Attorney: uphold free speech rights and dismiss the complaint

Barton said that opening an investigation into what was nothing more than passionate debate would risk chilling the free speech rights of all the chambers members. Ethics complaints, he added, should be reserved for truly egregious violations, but the ones launched at De Los Santos and Ortiz are clearly nothing more than political retaliation and they should be rejected.

The issue for the Ethics Committee to consider is whether it will take this as an opportunity to turn the tide of overblown rhetoric and political games, and indeed take these complaints as an opportunity to establish an environment in the House of Representatives that fosters free exchange of ideas, Barton wrote.

In the ethics complaint, Republicans said the angry reactions from De Los Santos and Ortiz made some lawmakers fear for their safety, and accused the two of improperly disrupting the legislative process to force a vote on the repeal. Barton dismissed claims that lawmakers were concerned about their safety, saying that legislators cannot be expected to moderate every emotional reaction to avoid making others uncomfortable, especially during such controversial debates as that concerning abortion access. And while Barton acknowledged that De Los Santos and Ortiz began yelling before the gavel fell and the House went into recess, he said their intent wasnt to offend Republicans, but rather to convince them to take up the vote.

When dealing with restricting the access to medical procedures that are literally a matter of life and death, use of the phrase Shame, Shame is not offensive, Barton wrote. Calling out delay tactics employed by the Majority is not intended to hold members of the Republican Caucus up to contempt; it is intended to call them to action.

Barton particularly objected to the multiple accusations in the complaint that De Los Santos and Ortizs behavior amounted to inciting an insurrection. Insurrections by definition involve violence and are intended to undermine official actions, according to Barton. The two Democrats neither threatened anyone nor sought to interrupt legislative proceedings; instead they were expressing anger that the official actions were unnecessarily delayed. Barton criticized what he said was clearly an effort to equate the reactions from De Los Santos and Ortiz with the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 and said the committee members should rebuke such hyperbolic claims.

Instead of endangering the exercise of free speech in the House by agreeing to investigate the two lawmakers, Barton suggested that the committee consider more clearly defining what constitutes disorderly conduct. While the legislature has deemed such behavior worthy of an ethics violation, a definition for the crime doesnt exist in state law and the complaints filed in the legislature based on that charge tend to rely on historical descriptions. The complaint against De Los Santos and Ortiz cites a legal definition used in a legal dictionary from 1910, that describes it as behavior that scandalizes the community and is offensive to the public sense of morality, is contrary to law, or conflicts with good order and decorum.

The committee might also consider looking into the unjust retaliation taken against De Los Santos by GOP leadership, Barton added. Minutes after the House voted to repeal the 1864 law, House Speaker Ben Toma, who was vocally opposed to doing so, removed De Los Santos from the Rules and Appropriations Committees, with no explanation.

The Majority has already disrespected this very process by doling out a punishment to (De Los Santos) before any ethics complaint was even filed, Barton wrote. Perhaps this Committees holdings should comment on such an abuse of process and recommend Representative De Los Santoss reinstatement.

In the end, Barton said, the display from Ortiz and De Los Santos was nothing more than an emotional protest, and not something that rises to the level of an ethics violation.

The matters considered by the Arizona House of Representatives are important; they impact the life and liberty of everyday Arizonans; sometimes, they will demand a passionate response. Dissent cannot be made synonymous with Disorderly Behavior, he wrote.

What could be the outcome?

Its up to the House Ethics Committee to decide whether it will open an investigation, but if it does it can only make recommendations on what actions the full state House of Representatives can take. A formal censure or expulsion must be voted on by the entire chamber. And while censuring Ortiz or De Los Santos only requires a majority vote, a move to expel either of the two would require a supermajority vote  a distinct impossibility, as it would mean the support of Democratic lawmakers as well as Republicans. Its also unclear if a vote to censure the duo would prove successful. The complaint relies heavily on the actions taken against Gress, who joined Democrats in voting down the 1864 law. Gress didnt respond to requests for comment on whether he would testify against the Democrats or if he thought their behavior merited an investigation at all, but if the Republican refuses to side with the rest of his party in a censure vote, his objection could kill the move to punish the duo.

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The post Dem lawmakers say ethics complaints over abortion ban repeal outburst should be thrown out appeared first on Arizona Mirror.
They say democracy dies in darkness. Thats what The Washington Post has been telling us anyway, ever since MAGA rose to power in 2017  our daily reminder that without a free press to shine its light on wayward politicians, democracy will eventually succumb to bad actors like Donald Trump and his pro-Vladimir Putin enablers in Congress.

I never liked that slogan, not because its a little too melodramatic, but because its wrong. Our democracy is in peril because of todays free press, not for want of it.

Im not talking about the David Pecker brand of yellow journalism thats easy to spot, the kind thats been around since Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst invented it back in the 1890s, with its catch-and-kill schemes and its creepy feedback loops (Putin and Tucker Carlson, Trump and Jesse Watters). Im talking about a relatively new kind of journalism. Lets call it blue-sky journalism.

Blue-sky journalism is more insidious and dangerous than yellow journalism because its subtle and slick and classy, in the same way that subtle and slick and classy racism is more effective than a mulleted screamer with a pointy white hood and a tiki torch he got on sale at a big box store. Blue-sky journalism is respectable because its perpetrated by respectable journalists who probably dont shop there, folks who move with ease in the bluest of circles, like Anderson Cooper, Chris Licht, Carrie Budoff Brown and Lesley Stahl.

Inevitably, in todays ratings-obsessed newsrooms, for every Jake Tapper or Margaret Brennan or Abby Phillip with the backbone to say no, theres a Kaitlan Collins with the ambition to say yes, to platform a demagogue in the name of fairness to both sides. At least thats what she tells herself  presumably  in makeup before going on air: Mirror mirror on the wall, I do this not for ratings at all. I do this because Im a good, objective, nonpartisan journalist, and doggone it, both sides deserve to be heard.

But do they? Do they really? Russian disinformation deserves its rightful place in our American town hall conversation? Thats the hill youre planting your fair and balanced flag on? Our former Republican vice presidents daughter Liz Cheney deserves to be heard. Her fellow former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger deserves to be heard. Past GOP presidential candidate Sen. Mitt Romney deserves to be heard. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene does not.

And lets stop calling them never-Trumpers and start calling them what they are: decent conservatives.

Trump supporters showed they will use violence

Blue-sky journalism is going to get a lot of people killed if it delivers the Electoral College to MAGA in November. And the violence wont start with SEAL Team Six knocking on Rachel Maddows door. Instead, Trump will follow his Russian mentors playbook by giving all the Proud Boys out there the only thing they need: a wink and a nod. These are the kinds of people who would drag a 14-month-old puppy to a gravel pit and blow its brains out, for goodness sake. These are the kinds of people who would kill 100,000 Ukrainians just to make Russias coin-operated grocery carts great again.

So do not underestimate MAGAs willingness to make the hard choices that need to be made. And by the way, why hasnt SEAL Team Six issued a statement yet? If the Supreme Court was spitballing my name as some kind of depraved homicidal slave to Trump, Id want very much to set that record straight. And why do we all just know that in a second Trump term, the makeup of SEAL Team Six will go from 90% MAGA to 100% MAGA? If we let Trump back in the White House again, are we going to need a SEAL Team Seven to protect us from SEAL Team Six?

Heres the point: We are on our own. There isnt going to be a Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to turn darkness to light and save the day this time. The world just doesnt work that way anymore. If anything, theres too much light, and its blinding us to the danger were in. For the news media has lit up our politics like the clear blue sky  less in the name of fair and objective journalism, and more in the name of TV ratings mastermind Arthur C. Nielsen.

And if you think our military will save us from the MAGA gravel pits to come, think again. Trump may be book dumb, but hes street smart. He would replace Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, probably with conspiracy theorist Michael Flynn or someone Flynnish. Heck, we cant even rely on the better angels of the Supreme Court  that judicial centipede of textualist hypocrisy  which right now is shamelessly dragging at least nine of its 18 feet in a cynical attempt to put the kibosh on Judge Tanya Chutkans trial of Trump for the Jan. 6 insurrection, as it bends over backward to help Trump normalize a thing that isnt supposed to be a thing: American autocracy.

Our only hope is us, we the people, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

And should we fail on that day, I dont know about you, but Id be willing to jump in front of a bullet to protect Liz Cheney, and I disagree with almost everything shes ever said.

Tom Heehler is the author of The Well-Spoken Thesaurus and Notes Ex Machina, a pro-democracy almanac debuting in 2025  assuming it isnt banned by a coming Trump administration. He lives in Lolo, Montana.
Mike McCorkle and more than 60 attendees crowd together for a group photo at the end of McCorkle's May 4, 2024, campaign fundraiser event in downtown Wichita

Mike McCorkle and more than 60 attendees crowd together for a group photo at the end of McCorkle's May 4, 2024, campaign fundraiser event in downtown Wichita. McCorkle is a Democrat running for the seat currently held by House Speaker Dan Hawkins. (Mia Hennen for Kansas Reflector)

WICHITA  Mike McCorkle relies heavily on three key issues in his run to knock House Speaker Daniel Hawkins out of office: protecting womens reproductive rights, expanding Medicaid and  especially  how McCorkle thinks Hawkins has failed to listen to his constituents.

McCorkle, a Democrat running for a seat in the Kansas Houses 100th District, is focusing his campaign on grassroots tactics. Since his initial run against Hawkins in 2022, hes garnered support from local politicians, members of Women for Kansas and John Carlin, Kansas 40th governor from 1979-1987 and archivist of the United States from 1995-2005.

Mike McCorkle holds the door for an attendee of a May 4, 2024, meet-and-greet fundraiser for his campaign.

Mike McCorkle holds the door for an attendee of a May 4, 2024, meet-and-greet fundraiser for his campaign. (Mia Hennen for Kansas Reflector)

McCorkle said its hard to believe Hawkins has been reelected five times since he first won the 100th District seat in 2012.

Winning House 100 means removing your current speaker, which would be good for most Kansans since he supports extreme minority agendas, McCorkle said during a meet and greet campaign event Saturday in Wichita. Hes out of touch with House 100 and a majority of Kansas in general.

McCorkle referenced Hawkins unwillingness to hold a hearing on Medicaid expansion for years and said that, when Hawkins did, it was a joke.

Hes a friendly guy on a personal level, but hes just some kind of bipolar person who can be friendly person (to) person but yet still say its OK that 150,000 people dont have adequate health care, which is wrong, McCorkle said.

Vowing to protect womens reproductive freedom, McCorkle criticized Hawkins pro-life stance.

I expect House 100 voters to confirm their disappointment with his actions against women  by voting for change, he said.

McCorkle also pointed to Hawkins 99% corporate donor list.

During the 2022 cycle, Hawkins received thousands of dollars in support from various companies and entities, notably Koch Industries, the NRA and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors of Kansas.

Which begs the question: Who does he really represent? McCorkle said.

Hawkins spokeswoman did not respond to email and phone requests seeking comment for this story.

Former Gov. John Carlin speaks to attendees of Mike McCorkle's May 4, 2024, campaign fundraiser in Wichita. Carlin expressed his support for McCorkle and other candidates running for seats in Kansas

Former Gov. John Carlin speaks to attendees of Mike McCorkles May 4, 2024, campaign fundraiser in Wichita. Carlin expressed his support for McCorkle and other candidates running for seats in Kansas. (Mia Hennen for Kansas Reflector)

Raising campaign awareness

In McCorkles first run for the 100th District in 2022, he received 3,808  or 40% of  votes, while Hawkins secured 5,641 votes.

McCorkle also ran for Kansas 27th District in the Kansas State Senate in 2020. Republican opponent Gene Suellentrop beat McCorkle with double the votes  26,296 to McCorkles 13,143.

Despite the losses, McCorkle said these past races elevate his 2024 attempt at unseating Hawkins. He cited his increased name recognition, experience and amount of volunteers.

More than 60 supporters congregated Saturday in downtown Wichita at the fundraiser for McCorkle  including Carlin.

Now retired and in his mid-80s, Carlin resides in northern Kansas, but he said he drove to Wichita to support McCorkle.

The fact that Im coming ought to say something in itself  because I dont travel very much, Carlin said.

Carlin, who served as House speaker from 1977 to 1979, said he knows exactly what power the speaker has.

Mike is not running against somebody that voted wrong: (Hawkins) engineered all this crap, Carlin said. Seriously, the speaker of the House makes all the appointments, the committees, the chairs, controls the agenda. Nothing comes up on the floor unless the speaker (allows it).

Carlin said the turnout for the constitutional amendment on abortion in August 2022 could work in favor of McCorkles campaign.

(The issue of abortion) motivates a lot of people. I mean, you look at campaigns across the country right now, not just in Kansas, that issue motivates and wins a lot of elections, Carlin said.

McCorkle and other supporters said they think the energy of this election cycle is different.

Its a much broader support and much, much better-coordinated community, McCorkle said. And so we just have a really good synergy.

Jonathan Jones, deputy executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party, said electing moderate candidates like McCorkle is one step to breaking up Kansas Republican supermajority, which produces legislation that Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes.

I feel lucky at the end of the veto session that we succeeded in sustaining those deals, Jones said. Im tired of feeling lucky. I want to do everything we can to make sure we know whats going to happen, that we can give the governor as much power as we possibly can for her last two years in the cycle.

Mike McCorkle delivers a speech to more than 60 attendees of a May 4, 2024, meet-and-greet fundraiser for his campaign

Mike McCorkle delivers a speech to more than 60 attendees of a May 4, 2024, meet-and-greet fundraiser for his campaign. (Mia Hennen for Kansas Reflector)

Why McCorkle is running

Born and raised in Wichita, McCorkle said he enjoyed a safe secure childhood near Seneca and Harry. He attended public schools throughout his youth and, in his senior year of high school, enlisted in the Army in 1976.

During his 13 years of service, he worked on 14 photo and intelligence analyst assignments, including volunteering for Desert Storm.

Following his military service, McCorkle lived and worked abroad. The candidate has done various work from being a manager to a machinist. In 2019, he returned to his home city to take care of his parents.

Id been watching these elections from abroad for years, and I kept thinking, Man, we just got a  crisis of citizenship, McCorkle said. And so, I resolved that when I came back  I would just get involved.

McCorkle said he initially wanted to help a candidate, not be a candidate.

And, of course, no one would run, and so I ended up being the name on the ballot against Suellentrop, which was a steep learning curve, McCorkle said. Nonetheless, (I) made some allies, and this third time, we got a good group of strong allies, people that want to work together, and I believe were gonna get it right.

Correction: Mike McCorkle served in the military for 13 years. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated his years of military service.

The post Democrat hopes to unseat Kansas House speaker with focus on reproductive rights, Medicaid expansion appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Dennis Gaddy, Executive Director of the Community Success Initiative (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

For most people who leave North Carolina prisons each year, readjusting to life on the outside is incredibly difficult. A record of incarceration can prevent people from landing apartments or jobs. And even people who have been arrested but never convicted can also have a hard time shaking that history when their mugshots appear forever online.

Recently, in an effort to convince lawmakers to enact reforms that could address some of these roadblocks, advocates gathered at the state legislature for a Second Chance lobby day, and during the event, NC Newsline caught with one of the leaders of the effort, the executive director of the North Carolina Community Success Initiative, Dennis Gaddy.

The post Dennis Gaddy of the Community Success Initiative on second chances, legislation to improve reentry appeared first on NC Newsline.
DENVER (KDVR)  The Denver Police Department is investigating a shooting after responding to reports of broken glass from a tall building downtown.

California Street was closed between 15th Street and 17th Street for several hours Sunday evening while police were on the scene investigating how and why a glass window broke.

FOX31 was on the scene, where pieces of glass could be seen scattered across the road.

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (KDVR)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (Photo courtesy: Vincent M)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (Photo courtesy: Vincent M)

The Denver Police Department is investigating how and why a glass window broke from a tall building downtown on Sunday. (Photo courtesy: Vincent M)

Later, DPD told FOX31 that the window was broken due to shots fired and that police were now investigating a shooting.

The building was closed at the time, police said, so there were no injuries reported.

DPD said the incident happened sometime overnight, and that the broken glass was located on the 23rd and 25th floors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Hundreds gathered Monday morning to honor one of the four law-enforcement officers killed in last Mondays shootout in Charlotte when a wanted man opened fire on officers trying to arrest him at a home.

During a memorial service at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, they described Deputy Marshal Thomas M. Tommy Weeks Jr. as someone who loved his family and was committed to public safety.

Weeks was a 48-year-old father of four from Mooresville. He was part of the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, which was trying to serve a warrant Monday when the suspect fired on officers, police said.

While Weeks has become a hero after his death, said his wife, Kelly Weeks, he was already a hero to her and her family.

She said he was a devoted father and husband, describing him as a protector who would walk closer to the street when the two were on a sidewalk to protect her from passing cars, and wanting her within arms length so he could hold her hand or rub her back.

I woke up every single day to a man telling me he loved me, Youre the most beautiful woman, How lucky I am to have you. What he didnt realize is I was the lucky one.

She said that after marrying her husband, she became more aware of the sacrifices law enforcement officers make on the job. She said she needs the country to come together to support law enforcement.

They continue to fight for justice, just like my husband did, she said. Thank an officer, every single day.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking at the ceremony, said that when he called Kelly Weeks to express condolences in the loss of her husband, he did not expect her to end the call by asking what she could do to support the Marshals Service and the Justice Department in such a sad time.

Hundreds gathered at Bojangles Coliseum on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Charlotte to honor the life of Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Tommy Weeks Jr., a husband and father of four from Mooresville.

I called hoping to lift your spirits. The call ended with you lifting mine, and I know that is what you have been doing all week for both your family and for the U.S. Marshals Service family.

Mrs. Weeks, I did not have the honor of knowing Tommy, but from everything I have heard about him, I know he would be very proud of you.

Garland said Weeks loved his family deeply. I know that no words can adequately describe the pain that you are feeling now. That nothing can undo this horrible loss.

Weeks was a 13-year veteran of the marshals service, and had been in Charlotte since 2014, according to the marshals service. He started with the service in 2011 in Washington, D.C. Before that, Weeks spent eight years with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Also killed last Monday were Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer and Department of Adult Correction Officers Sam Poloche and William Alden Elliott. Four other officers were shot and injured at the home on Galway Drive, and an additional officer was treated for a broken foot.

Law enforcement officers, Garland said, put their lives at risk for the public they serve. That is what Tommy did every single day during his career in law enforcement.

Weeks took his work seriously and with care, colleagues said.

Kelly Weeks, center, the widow of slain Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr., glances over at attendees at her husbands memorial service at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Monday, May 6, 2024. U.S. Marshal Weeks Jr., died during a standoff with a gunman on Monday, April 29th 2024.

Garland, a former federal judge, said federal judges put their lives in the hands of U.S. marshals, who secure federal courthouses, and are the best of what public servants should be  dedicated, selfless and courageous.

That is what Tommy did. That is what Tommy was. And that is how he lived his life. And that is how he always will be remembered.

Weeks and the other officers who died made the ultimate sacrifice, he said.

Their deaths stand as a stark reminder of the enormous risks our law-enforcement officers face every day, even when making the relatively routine arrests they make every day.

Kelly Weeks, center, the widow of slain Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr., hugs attendees at her husbands memorial service as she went to the podium to speak at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Monday, May 6, 2024. U.S. Marshal Weeks Jr., died during a standoff with a gunman on Monday, April 29th 2024.

The loss of the officers means the community will never be the same, but it will always be safer because of them. There is no more honorable legacy than that.

Joe Graham, supervisory deputy U.S. marshal in Charlotte, said the turnout for the service was a testament to Weeks impact on the community and his country.

Let it not be in vain, and let us not forget, he said.

As members of the United States Marshals Service conducting daily fugitive task force operations  we suppress evil every day, he said, pausing to collect himself. But there is a price for this dedication. It requires that we operate in the darkness and maneuver in the shadows so that others may know comfort and safety in the light.

He said the environment for officers made it difficult not to become skeptical, but witnessing the outpouring of support for the four officers killed last Monday renewed his faith in the community.

He described Weeks as likable, dry-witted, intense and full of conviction, and said Weeks meeting his wife, Kelly, gave him renewed joy in life. There was a change in Tommy. A softness in his demeanor. A lightness in his walk. A renewed joy in his life. That was Kelly, and we all saw it.

Kelly Weeks said she and her husband would often look at the stars over Lake Norman.

The largest and brightest stars actually die  they just burn too fast for the universe to hold them, she said. And then in the end, they sacrifice all the parts that made them glow so that other stars are born.

She said her husbands star shined fast and bright, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to shape and inspire others.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland climbs the stairs to the lectern to speak during a memorial service for slain Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr., at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Monday, May 6, 2024. Weeks died during a standoff with a gunman on Monday, April 29th 2024. Two other law enforcement officers were also killed in the shootout, and CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer passed away later Monday evening from injuries sustained during the shootout.

Border Honor Guards get ready before the Memorial Service for Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Tommy Weeks Jr. at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte on Monday, May 6, 2024

Hundreds gathered at Bojangles Coliseum on Monday, May 6, 2024 in Charlotte to honor the life of Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas M. Tommy Weeks Jr. and father of four from Mooresville.

U.S. Deputy Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr.s, gear and remains stand during a memorial to the slain officer at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Monday, May 6, 2024. Weeks died during a standoff with a gunman on Monday, April 29th 2024. Two other law enforcement officers were also killed in the shootout. CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer passed away later Monday evening from injuries sustained during the shootout.

Officers begin to fold the flag during The Presentation of Flag ceremony at U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr.s memorial service at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Monday, May 6, 2024. The flag was presented to Weeks widow Kelly Weeks. U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr., died during a standoff with a gunman on Monday, April 29th 2024. Two other law enforcement officers were also killed in the shootout. CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer passed away later Monday evening from injuries sustained during the shootout.

Officers begin to fold the flag during The Presentation of Flag ceremony at U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr.s memorial service at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC on Monday, May 6, 2024. The flag was presented to Weeks widow Kelly Weeks. U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks Jr., died during a standoff with a gunman on Monday, April 29th 2024. Two other law enforcement officers were also killed in the shootout. CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer passed away later Monday evening from injuries sustained during the shootout.
USF campus police using tear gas on protestors on the USF campus in Tampa on April 30, 2024 (photo credit: Tampa Bay SDS)

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is lambasting administrators at the Ivy Leagues Columbia University in New York City after cancelling its May 15 university-wide commencement amid pro-Palestinian demonstrations. But there will be smaller-scale, school-based celebrations starting from Friday of this week.

Its sad and pathetic that Columbia University canceled their university-wide commencement because of the out-of-control pro-Hamas protests, DeSantis wrote on X on Monday in the late afternoon. Last week, I directed Floridas colleges and universities to ensure commencements were not canceled or disrupted. Our students deserve that, and we champion law and order in Florida.

Police arrested pro-Palestinian protesters on Florida campuses in recent weeks, and at the University of South Florida, deployed tear gas after declaring a protest an unlawful assembly.

You have a right to support or not support Israel, thats the First Amendment. You dont have a right to pitch a tent in the middle of campus and commandeer some of the property, DeSantis said during a press conference last week in Naples.

The private Columbia University released a statement this morning announcing the cancellation of the university-wide commencement but avoided making any direct references to the protests for Palestinian rights that have taken place for weeks on the Manhattan-based campus.

Our Deans and other colleagues who work directly with our students have been discussing plans with student leaders, and, most importantly, listening, read the statement. Based on their feedback, we have decided to make the centerpiece of our Commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15. Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families. They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their schools invited guest speakers.

The post DeSantis blasts NYC Columbia University officials for cancelling commencement ceremony appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
Last week was a bad one for libertarianism.

Actually, its been a bad decade for libertarianism. No, its been a bad century, a devout libertarian might counter, accurately enough.

Still, things seem to be going especially badly when the Libertarian Party excitedly announces as a guest speaker at its upcoming convention a guy who relishes tariffs, resents immigration and has taken to chattering lately about deploying the U.S. military domestically if hes elected president again.

The Libertarian Party has often been a poor servant to thoughtful libertarianism. Its always had trouble resisting the temptation to ally itself with candidates who arent very libertarian in practice in hopes of gaining a wider audience. Its also always had a major kook problem, one thats gotten worse over the last few years as alt-righters have gained influence within the organization. Inviting Donald Trump to the convention feels like the culmination of both trends simultaneously.

That wasnt the worst moment for libertarianism last week, though.

DeSantis' ban on lab-grown meat is solution in search of a problem

The worst moment for libertarianism came on Wednesday when the second-most popular populist in the GOP made an exciting announcement of his own. No more will the scourge of meat grown in labs trouble the Sunshine State, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared. Henceforth, producing or selling the stuff is an honest-to-goodness crime punishable by up to 60 days in jail.

If you want to make a living peddling meat in Florida, you had better be hacking off pieces of a cow, pig or chicken. Which made it not just a grim week for libertarians in the GOP but an unusually grim one for animals as well.

RFK Jr. can't win. But he and Cornel West could put Trump back in the White House.

I often write about the excesses of populism and thats what Floridas new law demonstrates, in spades. With unusual efficiency, it combines the most loathsome elements of the sort of New Right politics that DeSantis has embraced to get ahead in his party. Its imperious, protectionist, deeply corrupt and panders to the paranoia that animates so much of the GOPs crankish base.

Amid the crimes, coup attempts and general amorality, its a nice reminder that populism is terrible for mundane policy reasons as well.

Every conservative will have the same intuition about Floridas dumb law. If there are people willing to try lab-grown meat (and there assuredly are) and there are people willing to sell it to them, by what right does the government interfere in that transaction?

In the free state of Florida, why shouldnt residents be free to participate in a market for fake meat?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs legislation on Thursday in Jacksonville.

The only good answer I can think of would involve safety concerns with the product. But there arent any. Even if there were, those concerns might plausibly be addressed by regulating production rather than criminalizing it.

Nor is DeSantis seriously arguing that lab-grown meat poses a grave public health risk: How could he when just two companies have received Food and Drug Administration approval to produce the stuff, and neither one has stock available for purchase anywhere in the United States?

Floridas law is a solution in search of a problem, as bad legislation often is.

DeSantis embraces government paternalism

The pre-Trump "Tea Party" version of DeSantis would agree with all of that emphatically, I suspect. The post-Trump populist version not only sees no problem with state paternalism in this matter, he reveled in it with authoritarian bombast at Wednesdays news conference.

"Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere. We're not doing that in the state of Florida," the governor crowed at one point. At another, he compared eating the meat to eating insects and sneered that Florida has heard enough on that."

Individual Floridians could decide for themselves whether theyve heard enough. Why does DeSantis Augustus feel obliged to decide for them?

This episode reveals an ideological fault line between the two factions of the right. Conservatives believe that the government should override individual agency when a compelling public interest requires it to do so. Populists seem to believe that advancing a right-wing cultural agenda is always a compelling interest  even in cases like this one where the specific interest in question is anything but compelling.

Needless to say, that populist license to behave imperiously runs only one way. If President Joe Biden signed a law passed by a Democratic Congress banning meat and declared that we Americans have heard enough about eating animals, the New Rights indignation at his contempt for individual agency would erupt like Krakatoa.

DeSantis own remarks illustrate the point. Compare his disdain for the fact that the World Economic Forum recommends eating insects to reduce carbon emissions with his obliviousness to his own petty authoritarianism in banning lab-grown meat. At least the WEF is offering you a choice. In Florida, the governor chooses for you.

It would be bad enough if the fake meat ban were merely pointless and authoritarian, but its also terrible economic policy. It will be terrible for Florida and it might be terrible for America, depending on how many other red states are foolish enough to follow DeSantis lead. But its terrible any way you slice it.

A piece of Good Meat's cultivated chicken is displayed at the Eat Just office on July 27, 2023, in Alameda, California. Back in June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized two California-based companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, to sell chicken grown from cells in a lab. Cell-cultivated or lab-grown meat is made by feeding nutrients to animal cells in stainless steel tanks.

The worst-case scenario is that other Republicans emulate Florida and start banning the production and sale of fake meat in their own backyards.

This bill sends a terrible message to the investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs that have built Americas global leadership in alternative proteins, one executive at a company producing lab-grown meat told Green Queen, a website focusing on decarbonizing food systems.

The fact that the United States isnt aggressively producing cultivated meat wont stop global competitors like China from doing so, and so jobs and dollars will flow there instead.

Eventually, well either be dependent on imports to meet domestic demand, or U.S. legislative efforts to choke off the global supply will succeed well enough to kill a promising industry in its crib. Thank Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature if it happens: The free state of Florida, forever boasting of its dynamism, will have led the way.

But wait. It gets worse.

Florida's 'fake meat' ban is really a Big Ag play

Floridas fake meat ban is actually a grotesquely brazen case of rent-seeking lightly disguised in culture-war trappings to make it more palatable to populist suckers.

Theres nothing more high-minded behind the ban than shielding the states 15,000 cattle ranchers from competitive pressure, and DeSantis administration isnt straining to pretend otherwise.

We must protect our incredible farmers and the integrity of American agriculture, Floridas agriculture commissioner said in a news release. Lab-grown meat is a disgraceful attempt to undermine our proud traditions and prosperity, and is in direct opposition to authentic agriculture.

The governor himself was explicit about the bans protectionist intentions. What were protecting here is the (cattle) industry against acts of man, against an ideological agenda that wants to finger agriculture as the problem, that views things like raising cattle as destroying our climate, DeSantis said at his news conference, reminding the audience that Florida has one of the top cattle industries in the country.

Exactly why that industry should be protected from a competitor that potentially might produce more jobs, more wealth, fewer hungry people and a better environment is unclear except for the fact that Big Ag has vastly more money and political influence than the nascent fake meat industry does.

To grasp how grim the state of the GOP is under the leadership of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, meditate on the fact that the following quote came from a Democrat rather than a Republican: I dont think the state of Florida should be choosing winners and losers and allow corporate capture to take place, where were basically bending laws to benefit specific industries, state Rep. Anna Eskamani said in March about banning lab-grown meat.

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Still, even a politician as popular and powerful as DeSantis will struggle to sell a policy to his base if he cant find a justification more stirring than Ive been bought and sold by a special interest.

Trump understands that, too, per his recent flip-flop on banning TikTok. He claimed that his newfound opposition to the ban is a matter of not wanting the dastardly Big Tech progressives at Facebook to benefit from having one of their chief competitors go dark in America, but the likely truth about his reversal is far more mundane. Culture war is a wonderful fig leaf for financial motives. Ask any populist demagogue with a presence online.

DeSantis' bad judgment would make him a bad president

I confess to being biased about all of this.

Not in the sense that I dislike DeSantis and his brand of politics, although I do. And not in the sense that I love animals and would greatly prefer to see fewer of them killed for my dinner, although thats also true.

Im biased because I live in Texas. And increasingly, novel-ish technologies that were traditionally championed by the left and scoffed at by the right are keeping me and other Texans alive.

Hate Texas? Get over it. Why so many people are moving to the Lone Star State.

If the power grid in this state ever goes down during one of our infernal summers, many people will die. The heat is indescribable, routinely above 100 degrees for months on end. And with Americans moving here in droves every year, the odds of that grid failure happening are theoretically rising. More people means more demand for electricity means more stress on the grid.

But it hasnt happened yet. And the reason it hasnt happened is because green energy  wind and solar  is meeting the rising demand and then some.

Texas, Americas paradigmatic red state, is now one of the countrys most robust producers of wind and solar energy. That surge in production kept the grid stable last summer as the state melted under relentless heat and power demand reached record levels.

If Republican lawmakers in Texas had treated green energy the way DeSantis is treating fake meat, demagoguing it on populist grounds as some sort of hippie cultural affront to tradition or whatever, the state would be unlivable for months each year. Because they didnt, Texas is a powerhouse  in every sense.

Lab-grown meat wont change lives that dramatically anytime soon, but every useful technology begins as a fledgling. The governor of Florida would rather smother the latest one for political advantage than give it space to compete.

Thats the sort of bad judgment that would make him a bad president, and should be held against him  along with numerous other things  when he runs again in 2028. Conservatives can do better.

Nick Catoggio writes the Boiling Frogs newsletter for The Dispatch, where this column first appeared.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DeSantis bans lab grown meat in Florida. And abandons small government
Hopes of a ceasefire appeared to be over Monday as the Israeli Defense Force ordered residents of eastern Rafah to flee the city before launching an invasion.

It is the nightmare scenario we have been dreading for months.

In the midst of the chaos that engulfed Gaza last October, I, like many others, initially believed that the conflict would only target specific Hamas-affiliated hideouts and neighborhoods. The reality soon dawned upon us all, however, this was a war against every facet of life in Gaza.

Im a lawyer, but I soon found myself displaced and stripped of everything familiar: my home, my job, even the necessities of life like food, clothes, medicine, and water. In this war, we Gazanswhether rich or poor, powerful or powerlessall stood together, equally vulnerable against the brutal Israeli attacks.

In the initial onslaught, my family and I sought refuge in the Christian Orthodox cultural center in Gaza City. But after enduring days of relentless bombardmentwith strikes perilously close to our refugewe fled to the south of the Strip just two days before the center was obliterated.

Isolated from the world, with no means of communication except for a journalists' tent at the Shuhadaa Al-Aqsa hospital, we felt the full weight of despair. Even that sanctuary was not spared, as the hospital fell victim to Israeli strikes.

Feeling lucky to have survived numerous close calls yet burdened with guilt for those who remained in Gaza battling death on a daily basis, I was able to escape across the border but my family is now divided. Our brother Maher, 31, remains trapped in Rafah, where we were all told to seek shelter by the Israelis, who are now preparing to storm the city in a terrifying blitz of bombs, tanks and automatic weapons.

Palestinians inspect damaged houses after Israeli warplanes bombed homes in Rafah, southern Gaza. Abed Rahim Khatib/picture alliance via Getty Images

A surge of hope passed through Rafah over the weekend as reports emerged that a ceasefire deal could be close. By Monday, those hopes appeared to be over and an invasion looked imminent.

President Joe Biden had been urging Israel not to raid the final refuge but unconfirmed reports recently suggested that U.S. opposition was lifted as a bargaining chip to stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launching a full military assault on Iran.

The population of Rafah remains in disbelief following the news that the American approval of Israeli operations in Rafah in exchange for a canceled response to Iran's attack on Israel, said Maher. People are in shock; all the talk in the market and streets centered around where to seek refuge if the operation in Rafah commences.

A feeling of horror pervades the city where more than a million people forced from their own homes have multiplied the population of the city ten-fold. They did what they were told by the Israelis, now they are captive and waiting for more torment to befall them.

Theres a massive human gathering in Rafah now, says Ahmed Qishta, 40, a farmer and father of five. Did they come here to perish by the hundreds?

Relatives of Palestinians killed in Israeli bombing mourn near their corpses in the yard of the Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah in southern Gaza on May 3, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

There is a feeling of utter helplessness. The Israeli media claims that the army will evacuate us. But how can they do so when theres no space to set up additional tents elsewhere? Khan Younis is in ruins, the central area is overcrowded, and returning to Gaza City is forbidden. Will they compel us to leap over the wall into Egypt, or will they resort to lethal force against those attempting to flee?

On Monday, the IDF said residents in the east of the city should evacuate towards a tent city at al-Mahwasi before they deployed extreme force against miliants in the area.

The only way out of Gaza for most people is to pay an Egyptian company to co-ordinate their passage at the Rafah crossing. It is unclear exactly how this company persuade Egyptian officials to add the names of their customers to travel lists, but the price you must pay has shot up as the crisis continues to worsen.

Maybe theyll shut down the sole crossing available for travel, the Rafah crossing. If I were to apply for travel permission, I'd have to endure a wait of about 20 days for Egyptian approval. Will this timeframe be enough to escape before the invasion? Or is it too risky to gamble with the $5,000 dollars required for this permission? says Qishta.

That fee has already gone up for male travelers, who are being asked to pay $12,000.

Our family made the agonizing decision to leave, a decision that has become inevitable for all my friends in Gaza now. But leaving isn't simple; it required funds we didnt have, but the specter of impending death and destruction loomed large.

With the help of a GoFundMe campaign, we hoped to gather donations to cover the costs of paying an Egyptian coordination company but eventually my two sisters, one brother and I were accepted for coordination through the Israeli army. My mother and sister followed after selling all their jewelry but we have another brother left behind.

Now, we are desperate to raise the funds to get him out but the price has skyrocketed out of our reach and reports every day suggest the invasion is coming. A friend, Sabine Devins, has helped organize the fundraiser on GoFundMe for us.

Our friend, Ghadeer Abu Hassira, 30, a mother of twins born during Ramadan this year in Rafah, is stuck in the same position with her young family.

Ghadeer Abu Hassiras twins. Courtesy of Ghadeer Abu Hassira

She hasnt even been able to set up a GoFundMe because she has access to no bank account outside of Gaza. I dont have family outside, so I can't find a reliable bank account to collect donations via GoFundMe, leaving me unable to use this approach to collect the amount needed for the coordination to leave.

Ghadeer recounts the devastation wrought upon her household and that of around 100 family members. She recalls, Fleeing Gaza City in November while pregnant, I endured childbirth without essential resources, losing everything I ownedmy house, my car, my jewelry, even my clothes. Then I was rescued from the debris in the central area, my husband and I sought refuge in Rafah, where I gave birth in dire conditions.

I survived many times with my husband and twins but now no way to go out of Rafah, and no clarity were we will evacuate if they started the operation, she told The Daily Beast.

Mustafa Ibrahim is Palestinian human rights researcher, who is now himself displaced in Rafah and awaiting the chance to escape to Egypt. He explained that it took four months for Israel to destroy Khan Younis in continuous bombing and ground attacks but now that Israel has withdrawn, Hamas can just return to the remains of cities like Khan Younis. And yet, he says, they are about to launch another pointless assault on Rafah.

People here are dying slowly; they don't know if they'll return to their homes soon or not. There are tens of thousands of sick and injured people who cannot travel for treatment. If the war begins in Rafah, this means that more of the wounded will not be able to travel, he said. What awaits Rafah is a catastrophe because there will be no way for the already scarce aid to enter.

Will the war end after the Rafah operation? he asked. Israel wants to make Rafah an uninhabitable place. Netanyahu claims that absolute victory will be achieved with the invasion of Rafah but it will be nothing but revenge.

Part of my family, like so many others, is waiting, powerlessly, for that vengeance to be unleashed.

Hanady Sala is a lawyer who specializes in advocating for human rights, particularly womens rights.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Travena Woods has her mind set on finding out who killed her brother.

Shes knocked on doors in the north side neighborhood where he was gunned down, hoping to find surveillance footage of the shooting.

Printed off at the library, she has hundreds of fliers with her contact info and photos of her brother. She has hung the fliers around the community and hopes someone will call with info she can pass along to investigators.

He was so sweet and never would have harmed anybody, Woods said of her older brother. I'd do anything for him whether he is alive or dead, and we need justice.

Robert Lewis Woods, 28, was found with gunshot wounds in the 2800 block of Ralston Avenue on April 26 just before 10 p.m. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition and died three days later, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Woods, who was an organ donor, cared about and put others first, his family said.

Travena Woods has printed off and hung up copies of this flier near where her brother was shot in hopes that someone will come forward with information.

More news: Police investigating death of boy placed in foster care by Department of Child Services

Investigators have not released much information on the killing, but Travena Woods said her brother told family members he was going to a friends home the day he was killed.

Robert Woods left the home he shared with his sister on foot then was later found shot about six blocks away, his sister said. She believes he may have been killed during a robbery.

It is so despicable and unimaginable what happened, Travena Woods said. I can't just sit around waiting on the police. I have to do something to help figure this out.

Robert Woods was only a few weeks away from his 29th birthday when he was killed. He grew up in Indianapolis with four siblings and graduated from John Marshall High School in 2015.

Travena Woods, left, and Robert Woods, second from left, pose for a photo with two of their sisters.

"He was the rock of our family, Travena Woods said.

Robert Woods did gig work for companies such as Instacart and the scooter company Bird before he was killed. He enjoyed the freedom of being an independent worker, his sister said.

Latisha Martin, the mans cousin, said Robert Woods was always the calm and quiet member of the family. She remembers the last time she saw her cousin.

He met my new 3-month-old baby for the first time, Martin said. We were just laughing together, cracking jokes and catching up.

When he was in school, Robert Woods stood out from his peers for his positive attitude and politeness, his teacher from John Marshall High School said.

Robert Woods, left, is pictured with Julanne DuBois at his graduation from John Marshall High School in 2015.

I can't remember Robert ever even being in a bad mood, said Julanne DuBois. He was just a really good kid all the time.

Over the years, DuBois and her colleagues have lost several former students to gun violence in the city. Shes tired of it.

We never imagined this happening to Robert, DuBois said. All the teachers I've talked to are upset and devastated. There's no explanation for this.

For Travena Woods and her family, they wont rest until they know who is responsible for the killing.

If you have any info on my brother, my family would be grateful if you just came forward, she said. I can't sleep at night knowing his killer is still out there.

Anyone with information in Robert Woods death is asked to contact Detective Steven Gray at 317-327-3475 or steven.gray@indy.gov. Those with information can also contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 to remain anonymous.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis crime: Woman pleads for info in her brother's killing
More protests at UCLA on May 6 resulted with police arresting 44 people. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

An independent journalist and prominent police critics were among the dozens of people detained by police at the UCLA campus amid ongoing protests of the Gaza war on Monday morning  raising objections from legal experts and press organizations.

Journalist Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, who has a long history of covering protest movements in Los Angeles and whose video work in particular has been featured in various mainstream news outlets, was detained  with his hands zip-tied behind his back  while observing the detention of dozens of others in a campus parking garage, according to video of the incident.

William Gude, a prominent police critic in L.A. who regularly records officers on the street for his many social media followers, was also among those detained, according to a livestream he recorded that was posted to YouTube.

The university said 44 people were arrested but did not release further details. Its Police Department did not immediately respond to questions about the situation Monday, or about a possible curfew.

Read more: More than 100 arrested at UCLA, UC San Diego as campuses step up security

As of Friday afternoon, L.A. city prosecutors had not received "any submissions from law enforcement arising out of the protests at USC or UCLA for consideration," said Ivor Pine, a spokesman for the city attorney's office. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In an interview Monday afternoon, Beckner-Carmitchel said he spent several hours in custody, during which he repeatedly told members of the UCLA Police Department that he was a member of the press. At one point, he said, an officer told him to "shut up. That's not our problem."

L.A. County Sheriff's brought in their bus to transport those arrested at UCLA on May 6. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

Beckner-Carmitchel said he first had contact with campus police around 6 a.m., when he was stopped for "violating curfew" but let off with a warning. He entered a parking garage and filmed a group of at least 30 protesters being detained, at which point someone came up from behind and placed in him in "flex cuffs," effectively zip-ties.

Officers later told Beckner-Carmitchel he was being held on conspiracy to commit burglary, an allegation he said they did not explain to him.

"I cannot stress enough, I had no contact with the students," he said. "I dont know what they were planning, or if they were even planning anything.

Eventually, after being driven across the city to the Los Angeles Police Department's Van Nuys jail and fingerprinted multiple times, officers told Beckner-Carmitchel a mistake had been made.

"They said it turns out that you are a member of the accredited press, to which I replied thats what Ive been saying for the last [expletive] four hours," Beckner-Carmitchel said.

Beckner-Carmitchel said it was impossible to ignore the stark disparity between how fast campus police moved to arrest journalists and activists on Monday with how slow they were to respond to a violent mob attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment last week.

"I was there on Tuesday.  I watched a bunch of grown men assault protesters for four sustained hours with absolutely no arrests. The last hour law enforcement literally watched some of the worst of the violence happen," he said. "It's pretty ridiculous that Ive had more law enforcement action than those guys.

An LAPD spokeswoman referred all questions to UCLA.

The detentions brought immediate demands for their release from others.

"Unless you can provide an explanation, please ensure both Beckner-Carmitchel and Gude are immediately released," Adam Rose, press rights chair for the Los Angeles Press Club, wrote in an email to campus leaders.

In her own email to campus officials, Susan E. Seager, who directs the Press Freedom Project at UC Irvine School of Law and represents independent journalists in court, called Beckner-Carmitchel's detention illegal  including under a recent California law expanding journalists' rights at protests  and demanded his release.

"Sean had the right to film police even if police had set up police lines or even if they had declared a curfew," she said in an interview with The Times.

Seager also warned that it would be illegal for police to search any of Beckner-Carmitchel's devices.

Read more: Do the pro-Palestinian protests signal a generational shift in U.S. attitudes about Israel?

"It appears he was arrested for simply filming UCLA police conducting arrests or completing arrests of students in a public parking lot," Seager said. "The arrest of Sean is illegal, period. He wasn't interfering with police."

Similar 1st Amendment protections are also enjoyed by other "citizen journalists" such as Gude and legal observers, she said.

In addition to Beckner-Carmitchel's detention and his own, Gude's video showed the detention of Gina Viola, another prominent progressive activist and former mayoral candidate. Gude announced his release on X around 3:30 p.m., saying police told him they planned to charge him with a felony but then let him go.

"Reporters and legal observers were SPECIFICALLY TARGETED because we were documenting the arrest," he said on X.

Beckner-Carmitchel said Viola was also released Monday afternoon, but it was unclear what, if any, crime she was booked on suspicion of.

Audio from the stream that continued after the image went black when Gude was detained suggested legal observers were also detained.

Legal observers are often lawyers trained to watch over interactions between protesters and police and to watch for rights violations while refraining from direct protest action themselves. Arresting them raises similar concerns as arresting journalists  namely that it stifles independent oversight of police at such events.

Gude's video showed a line of detained people seated against a parking garage wall as he and other independent journalists and legal observers watched. Some of the observers had on bright green hats  a recognizable item worn by National Lawyers Guild. The guild did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gude said in the video that he was outside when he saw police start driving into the parking structure. He followed and observed officers starting to detain people on the structure's third floor, he said.

As his stream continued, sheriff's deputies arrived and joined what appear to be campus police, surrounding the observers. Officers then detained Beckner-Carmitchel.

"He's got a press badge on," Gude objected.

Officers then detained and zip-tied Viola, and then Gude.

"Put your hands behind your back," one said to Gude.

"Why am I being detained?" Gude asked. "You're detaining journalists."

Gude's video then went black, but audio continued as he railed against the officers.

"We'll see how this looks  you guys detaining press members because you don't want anybody seeing what's happening," he said. "You don't want the world to see what's happening, so you know what, shut off their cameras so nobody can see."

Police agencies have consistently drawn complaints for detaining and arresting journalists at protests in recent years.

The LAPD in particular has faced criticism for detaining journalists, including at the clearing of a homeless encampment in Echo Park in 2021. Seager represents two Knock LA journalists suing the department over their arrests. A detained Times journalist was released without charges.

Read more: Columbia University cancels main commencement after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests

Beckner-Carmitchel was also arrested during the Echo Park incident. When a Times reporter contacted an LAPD spokesman to inform them that Beckner-Carmitchel was a working journalist, the spokesman said Beckner-Carmitchels credentials were not valid.

The LAPD also faced accusations of targeted harassment of a journalist when officers arrested, and later pursued charges against, journalist Lexis-Olivier Ray during raucous celebrations downtown after the Dodgers 2020 World Series victory. Police made 18 arrests during the fracas, but the reporter was the only person the city attorneys office filed failure-to-disperse charges against. The charges were later dropped.

Gov. Gavin Newsom later signed a law expanding journalists' right to cover protests, and the LAPD adopted a policy asserting the right of journalists from major media organizations and independent outlets to cover protests and enter areas that police have blocked off.

However, the LAPD and other police agencies have been accused of continuing to violate the rights of journalists covering protests. Similar complaints from the news media have been made against police agencies nationwide.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Jean Ribault High School is the first Duval high school being built with money from a sales tax that voters approved in 2020 to improve school system buildings and equipment. But School Board members are weighing a suggestion to close dozens of other schools.

Facing budget problems and falling enrollment, how would the candidates to be Duval Countys next schools superintendent decide whether to close schools, and which ones?

The Duval County School Board asked about that and a stack of other subjects in a letter last month to the six people the board named semifinalists for the job (one dropped out, so there are five now).

The contenders gave their answers last week and the board will consider them when it meets Tuesday at 2 p.m. to choose finalists to succeed Superintendent Dana Kriznar.

Considered so far: To plan feeder patterns for Jacksonville schools, administrators figured in these closings

The next superintendent should be on the job before the board decides, maybe around September, what to do about a consultants suggestion to close dozens of schools and consolidate others.

Residents of Atlantic Beach are rallying to save Atlantic Beach Elementary School, one of many Duval County schools that officials have weighed closing due to rising building costs.

The school district posted full texts of the candidates answers on a webpage about the superintendent search. But its not quick reading, given that the full answers could be as much as 500 words per person.

For people wanting the highlights, the Times-Union trimmed each candidates answer to 250 words or less, printed below in the order the school district used to present the responses.

The School Board's question

"Given significant declines in student enrollment in recent years and escalating construction costs, our district is facing school closures to address district budget shortfalls and will also need to revise the 15 Year Facility Plan funded by our half penny referendum. If selected as our new superintendent, what steps would you take to bring our current district budget into alignment and prioritize projects within the 15-year facility plan? Additionally, how would you incorporate community feedback into your decision-making process?"

Former Lee County schools superintendent Christopher Bernier is seeking to be superintendend for Duval County schools.

Christopher Bernier, former superintendent for Lee County schools in southwest Florida

"...Strategically realigning an existing budget or facility plan to cover potential shortfalls requires thoughtful planning, communication, and effective decision-making. Reprioritizing someone elses plan involves reflective consideration and collaboration. Below are principles I have utilized:

Assess the Plan (Existing Budget and 15 Year Plan):  Evaluate to determine if current allocations and plans align with the districts mission, values, and strategic outcomes. 

Assess the Context: Consider factors such as decreasing student enrollment, population shifts, class size, organizational goals, district history, and resource/revenue availability. 

Identify Priorities: Prioritize student needs, academic programs, and essential services. 

Analyze For Trade-Offs: Be honest and transparent; not all is possible, and everything cannot be accomplished. Review and determine if there is overlap between the budget and the referendum language that can be utilized to an advantage. Establish if categorical funds may be utilized before impacting the general fund. 

Engage Stakeholders: Communicate with the people who created the plan you are reprioritizing and those impacted by your decisions. Seek input on budget priorities and potential changes.  Involve the board, teachers, staff, parents, and community members in regular cadence of meetings and updates.

Explore Cost-Saving Measures: Determine and consider efficiencies Evaluate contracts and vendor agreements for cost-effectiveness.

"Propose All Changes Respectfully:Present the rationale for reprioritization with openness to feedback and adjustment  Make it known and acceptable to revisit priorities.

"Focus on Equity and Fairness: Ensure and demonstrate that changes consider the needs of all stakeholders. "

Finding a superintendent: Do-over of Duval schools' superintendent search draws 21 applicants; cuts start next week

YouTube screen shot of Duval County schools uperintendent candidate Adam Taylor

" As Superintendent, I would begin with independent audits of the budget and facilities. It is critical that an independent audit of the fiscal solvency of the district and the condition and need of facilities to provide accurate and up to date information. This information allows for actions that align the district budget and prioritize projects in the 15 Year Facility Plan. The resulting actions can mitigate declines in student enrollment and actually lead to increases, by providing state of the art facilities to promote safety and inclusion resulting in equitable outcomes for students.

"[C]urrent costs for rehabilitation, maintenance and new construction are vital to guiding the work. This information allows me to prioritize maintenance over further erosion, because maintenance is much cheaper than rehab or new construction. As superintendent this is critically important in developing a new Facility Master Plan by partnering with the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee.  [I]ts important to gather information from students, teachers and staff and members of the community in order to incorporate their priorities into the budget and facility plans.

"As Superintendent, I recognize that the budget is an indication of our values and our facilities are a reflection for the public. My work as Superintendent focusing on student learning requires engaging the district in a rigorous and robust budget process that is inclusive and transparent. A process which aligns our facilities, personnel and community resources creating a great school district and ensures the public continues to trust and invest in the DCPS."

Daniel Smith, Loudoun County. Va. schools chief of staff, is shown in a YouTube video posted as part of his application to become superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.

"Fundamentally, I believe that we, the school district and School Board, should represent the values and wishes of the community in which we serve. 

"Our community needs to understand the issues facing our district and it is our responsibility to have a clear and transparent process for understanding, review, and decision-making. The recent third-party report on enrollment and information on boundary options and potential school closures are helpful points for the community to understand. While seeking to listen and understand, we need to recognize that there will be differing opinions and perspectives. By listening and considering differing ideas, it will allow us to consider alternative solutions. ...

"As a part of our transparent process, shared across our district and community, we will need to analyze and consider all the data to drive our decision-making. As we revise our 15 Year Facility Plan we will need to prioritize projects based on need and impact, recognizing the escalating construction costs and limitations on funding. The six factors that were used to propose prioritization of projects in the February 13, 2024, Board Workshop, are a great starting point for consideration and discussion. Using data to drive our decision-making, not emotion, we can leverage the expertise inside and outside of our district and community to make the best decision for the future of our students. 

"I recognize that we must act and that not doing anything is not a solution or option. I am willing and able to have these difficult conversations "

YouTube screen grab of Josiah "Joe" Phillips, Duval County schools superintendent candidate

" I will be committed to addressing these issues head on with a strategic, data-driven approach that balances fiscal responsibility with the educational needs of our students. I will also work diligently to ensure we do everything we can to take care of our impacted employees. 

"My first action will be to conduct a thorough review of our current and projected expenditures against the backdrop of changing enrollment. 

"I will begin working closely with the CFO and other stakeholders to implement zero-based budgeting practices where every dollar spent is justified back to our core functions that directly impact student achievement

" I will review our current financial models and work with the CFO and other stakeholders to develop new robust financial forecasting models

"A clear, collaborative, and transparent methodology is essential to the reprioritization of the 15-Year Facility Plan.

" [I]t is essential that I work in partnership with the board, district staff, and community stakeholders to develop a clear and consistent methodology  [that] will:

Incorporate input from parents, teachers, students, and community leaders.

Define clear prioritization criteria on safety, educational impact, class size, programing, cost efficiency, legal compliance, parity, and resource adequacy.

Align the project prioritization with the districts strategic educational goals and financial capabilities, ensuring that every decision supports our overarching mission of enhancing student learning and well-being.

Establish a process for regular review and adaptation of the prioritization methodology.

" I am committed to involving community stakeholders in our budgeting and facility planning processes"

Cheryl Proctor, deputy superintendent of instruction and school communities for Portland, Ore. public schools, listens to a question as she is interviewed in February for the superintendent's job in Memphis, Tenn. She's a semifinalist in Duval County's superintendent search.

Cheryl Proctor, deputy superintendent for instruction and school communities, Portland, Oregon

" My approach to addressing these challenges and revising the Duval County Public Schools Master Facility Plan would involve a multi-faceted strategy aimed at fiscal responsibility and community engagement.

"Firstly, regarding budget alignment and consolidation of schools, I would conduct a thorough review of our current facilities, considering enrollment trends, operational costs, and educational outcomes. Through this evaluation, I would identify opportunities for consolidation  This process would involve collaboration with stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and community members, to ensure that any decisions reflect the best interests of students and the community as a whole.

"Regarding the revision of the facility plan, I would prioritize projects based on several factors, including urgency, impact on student learning, and alignment with our educational goals.  I would work to scale projects appropriately based on their start dates, considering the projected 3% compounded increase per year. This approach would allow us to make informed decisions that maximize the effectiveness of our resources while staying within budgetary constraints.

"To address funding challenges, I would explore various options, including taking advantage of returning debt capacity and extending the bond payback period beyond 2036 by issuing additional bonds. Additionally, I would consider increasing the use of millage allocated to the Master Facility Plan, under financial advisement. 

"Community feedback is essential in shaping decisions that impact our students and families.  By actively seeking input from the community, we can ensure that our decisions are informed by the perspectives and priorities of those we serve. "

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Superintendent hopefuls give opinions on whether to close Duval schools
Rep. Don Davis faced criticism in 2020 as a state senator, after siding with the governor over the states budget that cost East Carolina University funding to expand its school of medicine.

So last month, when Davis said during a town hall that he worked to expand the Brody School of Medicine at ECU, it caught the attention of Republicans, who are closely monitoring his every move in hopes of flipping his congressional district red in the 2024 election.

The National Republican Congressional Committee accused Davis in a written statement of taking credit for funding ECU even though, they say, he voted against it.

Vulnerable Democrat Don Davis has been caught taking credit for funding that he voted against while in the State Senate, according to a statement from Delanie Bomar, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Bomar states that Davis supported Gov. Roy Coopers 2019 veto of the state budget, including ECUs funding. And she added, funding for the medical school was one of his campaign promises.

Don Davis is a classic two-stepping politician who says one thing but does another, Bomar said, in a statement to McClatchy. Whether its in the state Senate or in Congress, Davis allegiances are clearly with his Democrat bosses, not eastern North Carolina.

Hannah Spengler, Davis chief of staff. said in her own statement that Davis is a passionate advocate for eastern North Carolina.

He voted in favor of Senate Bill 105, 2021 Appropriations Act, and was appointed as one of only four Democrat conferees and engaged in budget negotiations, she said. As the most senior Democrat, Congressman Davis signed off on the final budget report, which included funding for the new East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine.

So who is right?

The budget vote

It is true that in January 2020, key Senate Democrats, including Davis, said they would vote to maintain Gov. Roy Coopers veto of the budget.

Because of that, however, it was never brought to a vote in the Senate.

Six months earlier, in June 2019, Cooper vetoed the budget, saying it prioritized the wrong things.

Chief among Coopers complaints about the budget was that it failed to include Medicaid expansion, gave teachers limited pay raises, failed to restore masters degree pay for career educators or invest $80 million over two years for schools to promote student mental health and school safety.

The House overrode the governors veto on Sept. 11, 2019.

But the Senate wasnt so easily moved.

Davis had originally voted for the budget. But after Coopers veto, Davis was caught between his partys leader, and people in his community who wanted him to vote for the budget because of the funds at ECU.

Expanding the Brody School of Medicine was estimated to create an annual $300 million economic impact and 1,700 more jobs in the state.

Additionally, ECU is ranked in the top 10% of medical schools that train physicians who stay in-state, as well as the top 10% for training Black and Native American physicians.

Opinion pieces from college leaders targeted Davis in local newspapers asking him to support the veto override. The Greenville City Council passed a resolution in support of the budget. And once it became clear that the Senate Democrats would not be moved, radio host Henry Hinton had Davis on his program, Talk of the Town, and told him he lost his mind.

I dont understand how anyone who is an elected official for this community, could behave the way you behaved yesterday and not have done anything and everything in your power to get this Brody School of Medicine, and this $220 million for your district, Hinton told Davis on air.

Davis stood with his party, and helped keep Coopers veto in place.

My position, as of right now, would (be) sustaining the veto, Davis told McClatchy at the time. He said they needed to continue negotiating teacher pay, school construction and franchise tax cuts.

Behind the scenes

The General Assembly survived off mini-budgets until November 2021, when Cooper signed into law a new budget that earmarked $215 million for the Brody School of Medicine to expand. Davis did vote to pass that budget.

And Davis was working beyond the budget to get funding for the school.

Earlier, in 2019, Davis proposed a bill that would earmark $14.3 million to ECU to develop plans for construction of a new building at the medical school. The bill died in committee.

In January 2021, he sponsored a new bill to provide $215 million to ECU to expand that Brody school of medicine. That bill ultimately became part of the budget.

Then, in Nov. 2022, Daviss constituents voted for him to represent them in Congress, after former Rep. G.K. Butterfield retired.

Maintaining status quo

VoteView, a website tracking the votes of members of Congress, shows that Davis has a 95% attendance record in Congress and has voted with his party 88% of the time. The rest of North Carolinas Democrats vote with their party at least 94% of the time.

Nearly a year after Davis took office, state lawmakers redrew North Carolinas 14 congressional districts, which are currently split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. The new districts give Republicans 10 easily winnable districts, and Democrats just three. That leaves one true swing district that leans slightly red.

And thats Daviss.

The NRCC wants to maintain its slim majority in the U.S. House next session. Republicans currently have five more members than Democrats, with six vacancies.

In February 2023, the NRCC named Davis as vulnerable in the 2024 election and began targeting him with negative news releases and paying close attention to his every move.

He is facing off against Army veteran Laurie Buckhout, a Republican who lives in Edenton.

The general election is scheduled for Nov. 5.

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
Dire need for substitute teachers drives one Tri-Cities district to make some changes

The Pasco School District is bumping substitute teacher pay for the remainder of the school year as part of an effort to retain and attract a scarce number of fill-ins.

Luis Flores, Pascos substitute dispatcher, said they are in dire need of more subs, also known as guest teachers, to help out at every level.

Pasco hopes to add to its pool of 280 on-call substitutes who help out when regular certificated staff are unavailable.

All schools are in need of substitutes, Flores told the Tri-City Herald last week.

So much so theyre temporarily increasing their pay, from $145 per full day of subbing to $175 a day, between May 1 and June 13.

Subs can even earn up to $200 on Fridays  a day when finding replacements for teachers and staff are usually most difficult  and earn additional pay for subbing during planning periods.

Were trying to motivate the substitutes to work on a Friday, as well, Flores said.

In new promotional materials, Pasco claims new substitutes can earn more and learn more by choosing to work in their schools, adding that they can take advantage of free professional development and a new unmatched compensation.

In order to meet Pascos new higher pay, subs must work 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. leading instruction time, maintaining the upkeep of classrooms and assisting students with their classwork.

Fail to fill

Its already having an impact in Pasco schools, Flores said.

Classes are marked fail to fill when schools are unable to find a substitute for an absent teacher.

In most of these cases, the burden of teaching the class falls on a rotating list of building staff, who jump in whenever they have their free  oftentimes during their lunch or prep period  to keep students on track with their assignments.

Flores said their rate of fills on Thursday was at 80%, meaning that four of every five classes with an absent teacher had a substitute filling in. That rate hovered around 70% before this weeks kickoff of the initiative, but it also has the tendency to swing dramatically given the time of the year.

Flores said Pascos fill rate is on par with Richlands and Kennewicks.

But their ultimate goal is to ensure every class has a full-time instructor so that students have an equal opportunity to learn.

Substitute pay Richland, Kennewick

Substitute teachers are important for public schools because they ensure quality education for students and keep classrooms functioning smoothly while teachers are gone.

Pascos new pay initiative means their substitutes are the highest paid in the Tri-Cities.

Kennewick School District has a larger pool of substitutes  about 373 on call  and pays them $145 per day of instruction. Subs also see a pay bump up to the same rate as a regular teacher after theyve been on assignment for more than 20 days at a site.

We also have some permanent substitutes who serve a school building full-time, wrote Robyn Chastain, Kennewicks communications and public relations director, in an email.

When a substitute is not available, other teachers are compensated to provide the necessary coverage to ensure students continue to receive instruction each day. We continue to work to recruit and retain high quality substitutes for our district, she wrote.

Substitute teachers in the Richland School District are paid $20 an hour, or about $150 for a full day, according to an online job listing. The size of Richlands pool of substitutes was not immediately available.

Substitute pay in Washington schools depends on certification requirements, and some positions are paid higher than others.

For example, substitute bus attendant operating bus lifts for disabled students may earn a few dollars less in hourly wages compared to an in-class substitute teacher, who is required to hold certain certifications.

How to earn a sub certification

Substitute teachers in Washington state are paid anywhere from $116 in daily compensation to more than $900, depending on the school district, according to 2021-22 school year data.

The average daily pay across the state is about $192. The state reports nearly 16,000 registered substitutes.

Flores said there are two ways for teaching subs to get certificated to work in the classroom.

Both require subs to have earned a bachelors degree or higher in any field of study.

The first is by obtaining emergency substitute teaching certification through the school district. That is the fastest way, Flores said, and requires subs to renew them every two years.

The second way is by earning a regular certification, which is valid for life.

But that also means subs must undergo additional tests through the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Two men with disabilities filed a class-action lawsuit Monday to correct discriminatory practices involving parole and supervised release, according to a release from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

People with disabilities are over-represented among the supervision population and face heightened barriers to meeting supervision requirements, the ACLUs release said.

The lawsuit was filed against the United States Parole Commission, its acting chairman, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency and its director.

Pro-Palestine encampment at GWU enters 12th day

According to the ACLU, former inmates are held to onerous conditions and if they do not follow those conditions, they often end up back in jail.

The lawsuit outlined the experiences of plaintiffs W. Mathis, 70, and K. Davis, whom the ACLU said is middle-aged.

Mathis, a military veteran, has been on parole for 18 years. He said that he was locked up after he missed supervision appointments while he was at the hospital for treatment of congestive heart failure.

The ACLU said that Mathis then was released on the same supervision conditions he had struggled to meet due to his disability, without any accommodations.

Because it is difficult for me to walk and get around the city, I have a hard time keeping up with these frequent supervision appointments.  Nobody [] has ever asked me if my disabilities would make it hard to follow supervision rules[or] if I need reasonable accommodations, or supports, in order to follow my supervision requirements.  Simple adjustments to my conditions would make it possible for me to comply, as I would like to do, without hurting my health, Mathis said in a declaration filed in court, according to the ACLU.

MPD increases reward to $50K in Southeast shooting that killed 3-year-old girl

The ACLU said that Davis has chronic pain and limited mobility due to third-degree burns. He also has anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, the release said. As of May, he was serving a 12-month sentence for a technical violation that the ACLU said was related to his disabilities. The statement also said that Davis missed surgery for his burns while serving his sentence.

The plaintiffs are not seeking money in the lawsuit. Instead, they are asking the court to find that this unlawful discrimination against people with disabilities violates the Rehabilitation Act. The ACLU is seeking that this alleged discrimination be prohibited.

You can find the full complaint on the ACLUs website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Airstrikes are frequent, drones buzz constantly overhead and an Israeli ground invasion looms large. But on a small patch of sandy wasteland on the outskirts of Gazas southernmost city of Rafah, a group of teachers has set up classrooms in tents, determined to continue educating as war rages around them.

This magnificent scene sends a message to the world: We are a nation that loves to learn and loves education, that rejects ignorance, Nehad Badria, the principal, said in an address to students as they lined up outside the tents on Tuesday.

The students, all girls between the ages of 6 and 15, listened intently before Badria led them in call-and-response chants. We love to learn, they shouted, pumping their fists in the air as they were filmed by an NBC News cameraman. We are free, Arab Palestine.

Set up to serve some of the tens of thousands of children displaced by the fighting in Gaza, the school is named Al Awdah, which means return in Arabic, a nod to the hope that students and teachers can one day return to their homes in other parts of the enclave.

Rafah school classroom set up inside makeshift tents (NBC News)

Badria said hed been forced to leave his home in northern Gaza for Rafah, which had a population of around 250,000 before Israeli troops drove many of the strips residents south, swelling the citys numbers to more than 1 million.

Israel began its counteroffensive in Gaza after Hamas launched mutlipronged attacks on Israel that left 1,200 dead and saw over 240 people taken hostage. Israels military has regularly bombarded Rafah from the air as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to launch a full-scale ground invasion of the city, he says to ensure the elimination of Hamas, despite repeated calls from the U.S. and other allies for restraint.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of people to start evacuating from the city, signaling that the ground invasion there could be imminent. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said 100,000 people were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said last month that 80% of schools in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since the war began, and an NBC News investigation found last month that Israeli forces have destroyed or damaged at least five of the strips seven major universities.

Last month, more than 20 experts from OCHA questioned whether Israel has targeted educational infrastructure deliberately  a strategy they call scholasticide. Israel denies accusations that it deliberately targets civilian buildings and has accused Hamas fighters of using them as cover  a charge the militant group denies.

We saw our students playing between the tents amid the waste and stagnant water, which aggravated the humanitarian, health and environmental disaster, Badria said, adding: We said we must return the students to normality and study after being deprived of education for more than seven months.

Palestinian children lined up outside the school before class, singing the national anthem, listening to the school principal. (NBC News)

The school was overwhelmed with applicants, he said. To cope with demand, the headmaster explained, he and his nine fellow teachers ration lessons for the 600 pupils selected to study there to three days a week for girls and three days for boys, all between ages 6 and 15.

After the students file in through the wire fence surrounding the school, a piece of paper stuck on the entrance of each tent indicates the grade being taught.

Addressing her ninth grade class in English on Tuesday, volunteer teacher Diana Sabouh, 36, asked her class of 24 students to tell her the beautiful places in Gaza.

Al Omari mosque, one girl replied, referring to Gazas oldest mosque, which Palestinian officials say was leveled by an Israeli airstrike. NBC News has verified video of the destruction.

Rafah school set up inside temporary encampment (NBC News)

In another class, the sentence War is cruel was written on a whiteboard to illustrate a point of Arabic grammar.

Outside, a group of envious boys pressed their faces against the schools gate, waiting for their turn in class.

Before the war began, UNICEF reported more than 500,000 children already needed mental health and psychosocial support in the Gaza Strip. In February it estimated the number had risen to more than a million.

And at Al Awdah the toll the war has taken on some of the pupils was clear.

Lian Shamaly, 14, said her family had moved several times after leaving their home in Gaza City in the north of the enclave before they ended up in Rafah.

I heard my teachers were martyred, she said, adding matter-of-factly that many of her friends had been killed. No one left, just three or four girls.

Almost 36,000 people have been killed since Oct. 7, according to health officials in the enclave, although many more bodies are believed to be below the rubble of Gazas destroyed buildings.

As Netanyahu struggles to keep afloat his coalition, the most right-wing government in the countrys history, some members of his Cabinet have insisted Israel should focus on attacking Rafah, despite warnings from the United Nations and multiple aid agencies that an incursion would have catastrophic consequences.

As Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed efforts to broker a cease-fire with Hamas last week, the Israeli leader said he would order his forces into the city even if some of the remaining Israeli hostages were released. We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there  with or without a deal, in order to achieve total victory, he said.

The Israeli military has also released video of dozens of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles a short drive away from Al Awdah, across the border in southern Israel.

For Shamalys classmate Malak Qanoa, 13, the scale of war had already hit home. She said three of her friends and some of her teachers at the school near her home in Gaza City had been killed.

Were going to get such a shock finding out whos dead and whos alive, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
'Our district is in chaos.' Cincinnati Public Schools unions to take vote of no confidence

Cincinnati Public Schools' teachers union will meet in May to take a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Iranetta Wright. Five other labor unions that contract with the district will do the same, according to an email sent to school board leaders Friday morning.

"None of the unions have faith in the superintendent's leadership," the letter reads. The Enquirer obtained the email through an Ohio Public Records Act request. "Our district is in chaos, and we need decisive action and a change in leadership to move forward."

Wright emailed district staff Monday afternoon regarding the upcoming votes. She encouraged her staff to "consider the progress we have made in a short time" and listed ways in which she has tried to strengthen collaboration across the school system through meetings with union leaders and making budget sessions open to all staff. But the district still has a ways to go, she said.

"Success is achieved through hard work and by unapologetically prioritizing students and their outcomes in every decision we make," she wrote. "Every school in this district should offer top-notch educational opportunities, but we're not there yet."

School board leaders did not immediately respond to questions about the unions' plans.

Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Iranetta Wright was hired in spring of 2022.

Cincinnati Federation of Teachers leadership emailed school board President Eve Bolton and Vice President Mary Wineberg with the letter signed by all six union leaders:

Wright began in her role as superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools in 2022, and this isn't the first time district employees have raised an issue with her leadership. Last spring, union leaders representing more than 200 Cincinnati Public Schools administrators, principals and assistant principals wrote a letter to the school board asserting that Wright had established a "culture of intimidation and fear."

Administrators said in the letter that Wright "embarrasses employees in meetings," micromanages to a fault and won't collaborate with other district leaders.

At the time, Wright acknowledged shed shaken things up in the district. But she maintained that those adjustments were for the greater good, to align with board approved goals and to best serve kids.

This spring, employees have voiced concerns during school board meetings about delayed building budgets that make it impossible to plan for next school year, plans to consolidate schools, overall district budget cuts and administrative bloat that slow down daily processes.

More: Why a CPS plan to add middle schools could both save and complicate the budget process

The school board gave Wright an overall satisfactory rating on her most recent evaluation, in December. Her lowest rating was for the state standard to "establish processes to communicate and collaborate effectively." The board said Wright's strengths were in establishing a vision and leading the district toward student achievement.

In her Monday email to district staff, Wright emphasized her commitment to collaborating with union leaders, board members and other staff to improve student outcomes.

"I have 100% confidence in each of you," she wrote.

The school board will meet with the district's union presidents Monday in executive session, Friday's letter reads. All of the unions will meet with their members by May 14 to take a vote of no confidence in Wright.

The board will have a public meeting after executive session Monday at 5:30 p.m., at the Mary A. Ronan Education Center located at 2651 Burnet Ave.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: CPS unions will take vote of no confidence in Superintendent Wright
Divisions in the Dirt: The Armys plan for the next big war

Thousands of enemy troops pour across the border, invading the sovereign nation of Pirtuni  a staunch U.S. ally.

The Donovians rush infantry, armor and anti-aircraft systems across their border  which looks much like Russia  into Pirtuni, which resembles Poland on a map. In response, the Pirtunians rapidly assemble their own division to counter the attack, but they need support.

The Armys 3rd Battalion, 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade, already in the region working with local forces, lends its aid, and more troops are coming. Thousands of soldiers from the 1st Armored Division quickly arrive, followed by a battalion of Marines and Air Force assets of all stripes are on stand-by.

Pouring over maps stretched out across folding tables inside an abandoned building at Fort Irwins National Training Center in California, 1st Armored Division commanders, mission planners, operations and intel officers, and a host of other soldiers try to decide how best to respond to the combined live and simulated campaign  a wargame designed to get them ready for a conventional fight.

Theyd spent months preparing, rehearsing how to maintain control when on the move, or under fire. They practiced hiding in buildings instead of relying on custom-built tent cities  a far cry from the sprawling bases of the so-called Forever War era. They limited their communications to reduce their electromagnetic and visual footprint, dumping big satellite dishes, computer server stacks and fields of antennas in favor of commercial equipment and low-profile radios.

Maj. Johannes Halthen briefs Col. Jayson Morgan, 1st Armored Division Field Artillery commander during National Training Center Rotation Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 24, 2024. (Maj. Jessica Rovero/Army)

For roughly two weeks, the 1st Armored Division moved nonstop, finding the enemy and striking from hidden locations all while marching through their battle plan to push back the invaders. Sleepless nights and long, cold, windy days piled on units whod never done this kind of work en masse.

Many of those at the training exercise, which took place in January, spent their careers fighting insurgencies and terrorist groups in brigades of perhaps 4,000 soldiers or even smaller units. That was by design. The Army converted to a modular brigade combat team formation in the early 2000s for a more nimble global force.

But, as the U.S. shifted its focus toward adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, the Army had to examine its role, and how it would fit into the new strategy. The Army sees its role as providing major ground combat power for large-scale combat operations. To do that, theyll have to fight with divisions and corps  which range from 12,000 to 45,000 soldiers, respectively. Those formations headquarters units will orchestrate the battle, striking deep with long-range fires, attack aircraft and hooking into joint capabilities from the Air Force, Navy and Marines.

The last time the service fought with a division was in the 2003 Iraq invasion. Before that, the last major combat operation of that scale was in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War.

The service regularly conducts simulated training events designed to stress-test division headquarters staff on their duties and combat functions. But experts say keystroke-type exercises cant expose weaknesses in fieldcraft  or the realities of combat.

This is why the Army began sending these headquarters units to the field in 2020, where they took part in combined exercises, such as the recent fictional invasion of the equally fictitious Pirtuni  actual soldiers in the field doing live fire training, working against an opposition force both in real life and also in simulated computer-driven scenarios.

Leaders dubbed the effort divisions in the dirt.

A 1st Armored Division soldier monitors radio traffic during the unit's rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 20, 2024. (Staff Sgt. Julie Jaeger/Army)

A division cavalry squadron conducted a limited rotation at Fort Irwin in 2020. In 2023, the 3rd Infantry Divisions headquarters did a similar rotation.

You have real soldiers driving real equipment, flying real helicopters, traveling hundreds of kilometers a day and dealing with fatigue and dealing with rain and cold and equipment maintenance, said 1st Armored Division Command Sgt. Maj. James Light.

The 1st Armored Divisions rotation in January was the first large-scale rotation with the subordinate units that theyd direct in an actual conflict  division artillery, a combat aviation brigade, air defense and a sustainment brigade.

Plans call for a division headquarters rotation at least once a year, with 1st Infantry Division scheduled for January 2025. The remaining rotations will continue to be focused on brigades.

As a rotation, theyre completely different, said Col. Ted Stokes, III Corps operations officer. Really, a brigade is looking at mastering the close fight, tank on tank, Bradley on infantry fighting vehicle. A division approaches the fight much differently. Theyve got a lot of sensors collection, a lot of fires capability to shape the enemy force before they get into the close fight.

When a brigade goes to war it moves its smaller units, such as battalions, companies and platoons around the map. Those units have primarily ground combat vehicles, infantry and limited fire support capability. The brigade must call on outside units or its command for extra tools such as air support, long-range fires or electromagnetic attacks.

But when a division hits the battlefield, its moving entire brigades or their capabilities into the fight. So, it has those extra tools at its fingertips. And the division command uses those assets to destroy anything threatening their lower brigades. Pulling that off takes countless rehearsals, ensuring all of the moving parts are in sync. Building that kind of muscle memory can take years.

In 10 years, theyll be doing a division rotation, Lt. Col. Tim Boswell, division chief of plans. They will be me, if its that young company commander, in 10 years theyre going to be the chief of plans. Its more the future for them and what its going to look like.

Soldiers assigned to 75th Field Artillery Brigade supporting 1st Armored Division fire a Multiple Launch Rocket Systems during the unit's rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 21, 2024. (Pfc. Aliza/Army)

Testing an Army division

The National Training Center has been the testing ground for Army units for decades. During the Global War on Terror tens of thousands of soldiers sweated out their time in the box as they practiced their trade. It often served as the final measure of their readiness before heading to actual combat.

The 1,200-square-mile training area is well-suited for brigade-centric training. Trainers can replicate the distances a brigade would encounter, forcing commanders to operate as they would in theater. The training staff are experts at stressing the units. The cadre serve multi-year tours and conduct dozens of virtual battles annually using tactics pulled from the latest combat reports.

But a division fight is larger, ranges farther and adds more complicated scenarios requiring timing, communication and coordination between more and distinct types of units.

Depending on the makeup, an armored brigade combat team holds about 4,000 soldiers, 400 tracked vehicles and 800 wheeled vehicles. The opposition force is typically another brigade-sized element.

In the 1st Armored Division rotation, which only included its headquarters and enabling brigades, the division brought more than 3,000 soldiers, and 400 vehicles  the unit drew another 500 vehicles from the training center. The combination of real-life and simulated soldiers, support staff and Pirtuni fighters totaled 70,000, said Maj. Gen. Kurt Taylor, NTC commander.

Maj. Gen. James Isenhower, 1st Armored Division commander, began planning the rotation with the training center more than a year ago. He knew he needed realistic field conditions to stress his unit.

To conduct a division-level operation with a partner force defending its territory, Isenhower had to stretch distances, which meant his units might be 60 miles apart or more. Fighting an enemy division meant his soldiers would see constant targeting, strikes and attacks.

A soldier with 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade supporting 1st Armored Division advises a simulated allied partner during the unit's at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 23, 2024. (Spc. Richard Monyer/Army)

In a typical brigade rotation, the unit might run one or two deep attacks of more than 100 miles with aircraft. He needed at least one deep attack each day.

Units needed to communicate by a variety of methods over long distances. That meant leaving some portions of the command back at Fort Bliss, Texas, more than 800 miles away.

Another aspect of communication needed testing: working through an intermediary and loosening control. The Pirtunians were the lead in this fight. The armored divisions headquarters, enabling brigades and a simulated division were supporting their offensive and defensive moves.

The Americans were there to help, but they were not in charge.

That meant working through the Security Forces Assistance Brigade team embedded with the Pirtunians and providing their allies with options as they moved through the battlespace, rather than simply telling them what to do and where to go, as they would with their own units.

This scenario echoes whats happening now in Ukraine  a larger force invading an ally that has U.S. equipment and training. Should the Army enter such a fight for real, a nearby division would race to the nations aid, as the 1st Armored Division did during training, and roll out its toolkit of weapons and forces wherever they were needed most.

Retired Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Army Times the shift to divisions makes sense given the need for large-scale combat coordination.

It takes the (command and control) of a division with its increased signal capacity to best employ an allied unit, Spoehr said. Those kinds of capabilities dont exist at the brigade.

But even that command and control footprint must be more efficient on the modern battlefield where adversaries can detect, and strike, in minutes.

Even the smaller tactical command post for a corps is large, including as many as 20 tents, three large satellite terminals and 40 vehicles or more, Stokes said.

Thats going to be seen on a battlefield and thats going to be destroyed, he said.

Isenhowers soldiers practiced setting up in buildings. In the months leading up to the rotation, they used an airfield hangar and an abandoned warehouse at Fort Bliss. They constructed an ad hoc command post in the downtown El Paso County Coliseum.

Soldiers had to learn to set up antenna arrays in shadows and hide equipment so that the building looked the same as it did before becoming their hidden headquarters.

The unit ditched their bulky stacks of servers, traveling light and lowering their electronic footprint; they used commercial tools for internet access, hiding their presence in plain view online; and minimized or altogether cut other forms of communication, like smartphones.

The division remained split into its standard forms  main, rear, tactical, early entry command posts and a mobile command group.

The setup created more friction than other exercises, which was the point.

The various command posts would hand off control of the simulated fight when one needed to move or jump to avoid detection.

During one jump, about 10 minutes into the movement the main command post was hit with simulated artillery, so they went down while the tactical post was still moving, said Maj. Nicholas Drake, a III Corps planner. The commanding general moved from the main to his mobile command group, a couple of vehicles and skeleton staff to run the operation until the tactical post could re-establish communications.

Its easy to synchronize a staff when youre all sitting in the same room, said Lt. Col. Nate Garner, division operations officer. You definitely had to trust in the plan and the planning because you cant have the control that you would if youre all sitting in the same room.

Lt. Col. Ronald Yuhasz, commander of the 4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, briefs his units planned actions during the 1st Armored Divisions Combined Arms Rehearsal at Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 15, 2024, in preparation for the National Training Center Rotation. (Master Sgt. Jose Ibarra/Army)

Soldiers under surveillance

From the moment these soldiers left their home stations at Fort Bliss and Fort Cavazos, Texas someone was watching. Opposition forces, in the form of 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the training center, had been searching for online information, mobile phone data, and using other tracking means.

Civilian role players at the training center snapped selfies and photos of the soldiers locations, passing on information much as an adversarial population might in a real warzone.

Lt. Col. Brian Burbank, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment information operations officer, said his team used social media, low earth orbit commercial satellite imagery, and electromagnetic spectrum assets along with fake information.

Taylor, the NTC commander, likened mobile phone use to a previously deadly combat practice. Soldiers learned a hard lesson in World War II foxholes that lighting a cigarette at night would give away their position, often drawing a snipers bullet.

Im convinced the cell phone is the new cigarette in the foxhole, Taylor said.

For instance, there have been numerous accounts on both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war that have shown how mobile devices gave away troops positions, getting them killed.

The opposition force uses online information and commercial equipment to track units aircraft back to their home station and even trace individual mobile phones to see where troops live, eat and sleep.

But the staff has shared these vulnerabilities with the wider Army.

Since we published that article we have not successfully been able to track the deployment and employment of (tactical) aviation, said Lt. Col. Eric Megerdoomian, the opposition force aviation operations officer.

Units face constant attack

Division soldiers during that January training exercise did not sit back, far from danger, and pick their targets. Training center opposition forces simulated 100 artillery strikes daily, forcing them to move often.

In recent years, the training staff added more than 100 drones to their arsenal and sent swarms of 20, as many as six times a day, to harass the divisions defenses, Taylor said.

The center also used integrated air and missile defense systems equipped with laser targeting for simulated strikes on division aircraft.

To stretch the divisions aviation reach, 1st Armored Division flew a 300-mile round trip deep strike on two targets using two dozen Apache helicopters at night masking the movement by flying close to the ground.

Support aircraft ran electromagnetic detection and interference on the enemys sensors and simulated defenses. Fixed-wing Air Force aircraft provided extra protection from anything targeting the divisions helicopter fleet.

The long flight stressed distances that attack helicopter pilots dont routinely fly in training, Megerdoomian, the opposition aviation officer, said. The experienced pilot, with more than 3,500 hours of flight time, said he was exhausted after 12 hours in the aircraft, half of that in flight.

Apache helicopters with the 1st Armored Division positioned at a Forward Area Resupply Point during the unit's rotation at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Jan. 19, 2024. (Spc. Jeffrey Garland/Army)

On the offensive side, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Calvin Cameron, the divisions senior targeting officer, said firing live rounds during the training meant synchronizing many moving parts.

Much of that is done at the moment, ensuring that friendly Apache helicopters arent flying in the path of an artillery round or rocket. Part of targeting is also seeing where the fight is headed. At the same time, the unit is planning targets three days out, anticipating where the battle will go, Cameron said.

On the second to last day of the two-week exercise, the divisions main command post was concealed in buildings at a forward operating base running their mission. But other units coming to join them in the area gave away their position.

The Donovians were able to find them by tracking their reinforcements and strike with a simulated theater ballistic missile, much like what actually hit U.S. troops on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq in January 2020.

The simulated missile strike at the training center caused nearly 60 casualties ranging from sprained ankles to KIA.

Field time for everyone

Across the ranks of the division and corps, one thing was clear: Whether its logisticians delivering supplies on long nighttime drives, pilots flying extended missions, or moving command posts and rotating sleep schedules  a division fight cant be simulated fully from behind a desk. It must be trained in the field.

If the divisions rotation is any indicator, support units such as combat aviation brigades, artillery, sustainment and air defense will see a lot more field training soon. And soldiers wont have to wait for a combat training center rotation to practice.

Division Command Sgt. Maj. James Light said that even in future simulated exercises at home station, soldiers will be going into the field to practice their tasks.

The Army spent a generation fighting one kind of war against terrorists and insurgents. To do that, it shelved its skills on moving big units across big battlefields fighting a big enemy.

The 1st Armored Divisions rotation is the services first tangible step toward relearning how to fight big wars.
DNC requests judges throw out RNC lawsuits in Michigan and Nevada, arguing they are aimed at sowing distrust in 2024 election

The Democratic National Committee is requesting that judges in Michigan and Nevada throw out dangerous and flawed lawsuits, related to voter rolls and to mail-in ballots, that were launched by the Republican National Committee earlier this year. The DNC is warning that the lawsuits represent former President Donald Trumps attempts to undermine the American publics confidence in the upcoming November elections.

The DNC on Monday filed three amicus briefs on behalf of the Biden reelection campaign in the two battleground states. The briefs, viewed by CNN, attack the RNCs lawsuits as meritless and nothing short of political theater. They offer an early window into how the Biden campaign plans to try to push back on what Democrats expect to be an onslaught of Republican election integrity challenges this year.

Two RNC lawsuits  one each in Michigan and Nevada  contend that the numbers of active voters in key counties in those states are suspiciously high and seek to have election officials cancel voter registrations. The DNC is also asking the court to dismiss a challenge from Republicans to the guidance that Michigans secretary of state has given to local election clerks to verify signatures on ballots.

Donald Trump and Republicans know they cant win this election fair and square, so theyre doubling down on their losing 2020 playbook and taking aim at our voting rights and democracy. They will fail again, Biden campaign spokesman Charles Lutvak said in a statement to CNN. Our team is prepared and continuing the fight for democracy, we are defending the right to free and fair elections against Republicans junk lawsuits, and we will defeat Donald Trump once and for all in November.

In Michigan, the DNCs amicus brief responding to the voter roll lawsuit states that after losing the 2020 presidential election, Republicans filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to invalidate election results  including several in the Wolverine State  and lost.

This case fits that dangerous pattern of unsubstantiated election-related claims, which serve only to undermine public confidence in the electoral process, the brief says of the RNCs lawsuit. In reality, the greatest threat to public confidence in the integrity of our elections is not fraud or voter-roll maintenance, but unfounded attacks on our elections themselves.

Similarly in Nevada, the DNCs brief says that the Republican lawsuit there is designed less to address any real (much less substantial) issue with Nevadas voter registration lists, than to sow public distrust in the security and integrity of our electoral systems.

This lawsuit is not meant to protect the integrity of upcoming elections, but instead to provide the RNC with ammunition to undermine the general elections results, the brief says. Indeed, former President Trump is already asserting interference with the 2024 general election, months before a single vote has been cast or counted.

The Biden reelection campaign has since last year been building out a legal team and infrastructure aimed at taking on Republican efforts to question election integrity.

Biden campaign officials told CNN that they see Republicans this year as trying to re-use a playbook from 2020 of casting doubt on and sowing distrust about election results  and doing so well before the first ballots have even been cast. And this time, the campaign argues, Republicans are acting even earlier in the election cycle and with more force.

The RNC, too, has pursued an aggressive legal strategy, and officials say they have engaged in more 80 election-related lawsuits, including the litigation in Nevada and Michigan that seek to cancel voter registrations ahead of Novembers elections.

The top election officials in Nevada and Michigan  both Democrats  have argued that those lawsuits are groundless.

Critics say that Republicans are relying on a faulty formula to arrive at the claim that the states voter rolls are bloated. Their lawsuits compare current day voter roll numbers to population estimates from a rolling survey conducted by the Census  a survey that looks at a five-year period that started several years ago. In a letter to the RNCs lawyers last year, an official in the Nevada Attorney Generals office defended the states maintenance of its voter registration records and called the partys methodology akin to comparing apples to orangutans.

In Michigan, a lawsuit brought by the RNC and other Republican groups accuses Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson of issuing guidance covertly that instructed election clerks to apply a presumption of validity when checking voters signatures on returned absentee ballots against the signatures on file with local election offices.

In its Monday filing, the DNC argues that Bensons guidance is consistent with Michigan law and makes clear that clerks must review all signatures.

Some of the RNCs recent litigation has taken particular aim at mail-in and absentee voting  which Trump has baselessly argued corrupts elections.

In addition to the Michigan signature verification challenge, for instance, a separate lawsuit brought last week by the RNC and the Trump campaign targets Nevadas mail-in voting law and aims to block the counting of any ballots received after Election Day.

That lawsuit focuses on the states mail voting law, enacted in 2021. Nevada permits the tallying of ballots received up to four days after the election if they are postmarked by Election Day or received up to three days later if the postmarked date cannot be determined.

The Republican lawsuit claims that counting those ballots dilutes what it says are honest votes and disproportionately harms GOP candidates and voters because Democrats are more likely than Republicans in the state to vote by mail.

The RNC also has sued to overturn a Mississippi law that permits tallying ballots received after the election. In all, 19 states permit counting mailed ballots received after Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Trump, as his party presumptive presidential nominee, engineered a takeover of the RNC in March, installing a new chairman, Michael Whatley, and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as the partys co-chair. Over the weekend, another recent hire, Charlie Spies, resigned as the RNCs top lawyer  just two months after taking the position.

Spies and the RNC cited potential time conflicts with Spies commitments to his law firm clients as the reason he left.

Sources told CNN that Trump grew displeased with Spies, a veteran GOP election lawyer, after Trumps allies pointed to clips of Spies criticizing false claims of a stolen 2020 election.

In an interview Sunday on Fox News, Lara Trump cast the recent litigation in Nevada over mail-in ballots as one of the many lawsuits we have out across this country to ensure that  we have a free, fair and transparent election.

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Doctor Who Drove Tesla Off Cliff with Family Inside Thought Kids Would Be Sex Trafficked: D.A.

Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 40, has pleaded not guilty and is seeking a mental health diversion

Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock; Alamy Dharmesh Arvind Patel.

The doctor who drove his car off a California cliff with his family inside in January 2023 suffered a psychotic break that compelled him to believe his kids would be sex trafficked, the district attorney in charge of his prosecution says.

According to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, two doctors testified on April 24 that Dharmesh Arvind Patel was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the crash, leading him to believe that his two children may be sex trafficked, The Los Angeles Times reported. Doctors for the defense also reportedly said he suffered from major depressive disorder and was experiencing a psychotic break at the time.

On Jan. 2, 2023, the radiologist, who was 40 at the time of the crash, allegedly drove his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff at "Devils Slide" while his wife Neha and their two children, at the time a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were inside. ("Devil's Slide is a stretch of treacherous, rocky coastline on Highway 1 about 15 miles south of San Francisco.)

Patel and his family survived, but the father was subsequently charged with three counts of attempted murder, PEOPLE previously reported.

Related: Wife of Doctor Who Drove Tesla Off Cliff Asks Court to Spare Him Prison: 'We Need Him in Our Lives'

According to the L.A. Times, Patel pleaded not guilty and is seeking mental health diversion. If granted, he would be released from jail and put on a two-year treatment plan.

But prosecutors believe the case should remain in court, alleging that the doctor who diagnosed Patel on behalf of the prosecution found that he is suffering from schizoaffective disorder, not major depressive disorder with a psychotic feature, per the L.A. Times.

Related: Father Who Drove His Family Of 4 Off Cliff Suffered Psychotic Break, Doctors Say

If he goes off his medication, how do you know? Wagstaffe previously said, according to the L.A. Times. Its not like being on probation or on parole. Its purely the visits with the psychiatrist.

According to the Mayo Clinic, schizoaffective disorder is marked by a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions, and mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania.

Related: Neighbor of Calif. Family Driven Off Cliff by Father Says, 'We Don't Know What Goes on Behind Closed Doors'

During a court hearing that took place via Zoom on May 2, his wife Neha asked the court to spare him prison time and consider mental health treatment.

Facebook Dharmesh Arvind Patel and family.

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.

I dont want to see Dharmesh prosecuted with any of his charges, she said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. I am pleading with the court to grant him his mental health diversion.

She added that her husband never had an episode" in the 25 years that she knew him and said "we are not a family without him," the outlet reported.

Judge Susan Jakubowski will determine if Patel poses a public safety threat and if mental health contributed to his decision, according to the Chronicle.



If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.



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In a first-of-its-kind procedure, physicians performed a successful in utero surgery to repair a rare and potentially deadly prenatal condition in a fetus. In utero surgery has been used for other conditions, but this is the first time it has been attempted to treat vein of Galen malformation  a rare blood vessel abnormality inside the brain that can cause a rush of high-pressure blood into the veins.

Details of the procedure, which was performed in March, were published on Thursday in Stroke, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. In a two-hour procedure, when the fetus was at 34 weeks and 2 days gestational age, doctors used ultrasound imaging to guide a needle through the uterus of the mother and into a vein in the back of the fetuss head. A catheter in the needle was then used to insert tiny coils to decrease blood flow in the vein.

The tiny patient was the first in a clinical trial currently underway at Boston Childrens Hospital and Brigham and Womens Hospital, performed with oversight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and was delivered by induced vaginal birth two days after the procedure.

The babys parents, Derek and Kenyatta Coleman, told CNN that they learned of their child's condition during a 30-week ultrasound, and that the doctor told them that something wasnt right in terms of the babys brain, and also her heart was enlarged. Although Kenyatta said she was aware of the possible risks of joining the clinical trial, the Colemans felt there was no other option for them, CNN writes.

Weeks later, doctors say the Colemans baby daughter, Denver, is thriving.

In our first treated case, we were thrilled to see that the aggressive decline usually seen after birth simply did not appear, lead study author Dr. Darren B. Orbach said in a press release. We are pleased to report that at six weeks, the infant is progressing remarkably well, on no medications, eating normally, gaining weight and is back home. There are no signs of any negative effects on the brain.

Orbach added that this is only their first treated patient, and that its vital to continue the trial to assess safety and efficacy in other patients. Still, the results are promising.

This approach has the potential to mark a paradigm shift in managing vein of Galen malformation where we repair the malformation prior to birth and head off the heart failure before it occurs, rather than trying to reverse it after birth, Orbach said. This may markedly reduce the risk of long-term brain damage, disability or death among these infants.
Dr. Samuel Cook, a resident at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on May 2, 2024, about the need for more support for HBCU schools of medicine. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate webcast.)

WASHINGTON  Doctors last Thursday urged Congress to pass legislation addressing the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality throughout the country and to lower barriers that have hindered people of color from becoming medical professionals.

During a hearing in the U.S. Senates Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, a panel of five medical professionals detailed health disparities for communities of color, including higher rates of maternal mortality.

Research consistently demonstrates that patients from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds experience better outcomes when treated by health care providers who share their racial and ethnic backgrounds, said Dr. Yolanda Lawson, president of the National Medical Association and an OBGYN in Texas. In short, patients can have better health outcomes when their doctors look like them.

Yet, Black doctors remain vastly underrepresented, Lawson added.

Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, ranking member on the committee and a doctor, noted that African American physicians account for only 8% of all physicians despite comprising 13.6% of the population.

Cassidy said that reducing maternal mortality has been a top issue for him during his time in Congress and said its important to acknowledge that this issue disproportionately affects African Americans.

California Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler testified that the United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among high-income nations.

Within recent years, thousands of women have lost their lives due to pregnancy-related causes, Butler said. And over the past decade, while the birth rate in this country has declined by roughly 20%, maternal mortality rates have steadily risen.

She implored the committee to debate and approve the so-called Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, legislation introduced last year by New Jersey Democratic Sen. Senator Cory Booker, Illinois Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood and North Carolina Democratic Rep. Alma Adams. It currently has 31 co-sponsors in the Senate and 193 in the House.

This legislation is not just about the life and death of Black women  its enactment will improve birthing outcomes for all women, Butler said.

HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, indicated the panel would take up the legislation in the months ahead.

Sanders also said Congress should also look at increasing funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC; increasing class size at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to increase Black representation in the health care workforce; and making medical schools tuition-free to reduce the mountains of student loan debt that can serve as an obstacle to more people of color becoming doctors.

Thursdays hearing coincided with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions release of new maternal mortality data, showing that 817 women died during 2022  a decrease from the 1,205 deaths the year before, but roughly in line with the 861 deaths from 2020.

The maternal mortality rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19 for white women, 16.9 for Hispanic women and 13.2 for Asian women.

Funding for HBCU medical schools

Dr. Samuel Cook, a resident at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, said during the hearing that medical students of color sacrifice our physical, mental, spiritual and financial wellbeing to be the change in the medical field we so desperately seek.

So now we ardently advocate for the reintroduction of legislation which would specifically fund and protect the growth of HBCU medical schools, he said.

Cook told the committee that the exorbitant cost of medical school is the greatest impediment in recruiting Black and brown doctors to our workforce. He currently holds nearly $400,000 in student loan debt.

Dr. Brian Stone, president of Jasper Urology Associates in Jasper, Alabama, told senators there are serious challenges that must be addressed in access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, education for Black and brown students.

Theres a wealth of data showing better health outcomes when Black patients have Black physicians. And this applies across different cultures, Stone said. This is because when you have cultural connectivity, you have better communication, you have shared experiences and you can overcome the mistrust that has developed over the decades.

Stone said his home state of Alabama has a population of about 4.8 million people, of whom about 25.8% are Black. Yet we only have 7% of the physician workforce thats Black.

Stone told the committee that theres a huge need to replace retiring physicians. And he said that making several changes, like providing mentors early and reducing the financial burden, can help to bridge the gap thats forming.

Currently, we have about 71,000 physicians retiring per year for the past few years. We only graduated 21,000 medical students per year, Stone said. And if you follow the mathematics, you see where were going to end up. Were going to need some very creative ideas to get us out of this situation.

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Dr. Samuel Cook, a resident at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Thursday about the need for more support for HBCU schools of medicine. (Screenshot from U.S. Senate webcast)

WASHINGTON  Doctors on Thursday urged Congress to pass legislation addressing the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality throughout the country and to lower barriers that have hindered people of color from becoming medical professionals.

During a hearing in the U.S. Senates Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, a panel of five medical professionals detailed health disparities for communities of color, including higher rates of maternal mortality.

Research consistently demonstrates that patients from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds experience better outcomes when treated by health care providers who share their racial and ethnic backgrounds, said Dr. Yolanda Lawson, president of the National Medical Association and an OBGYN in Texas. In short, patients can have better health outcomes when their doctors look like them.

Yet, Black doctors remain vastly underrepresented, Lawson added.

Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, ranking member on the committee and a doctor, noted that African American physicians account for only 8% of all physicians despite comprising 13.6% of the population.

Cassidy said that reducing maternal mortality has been a top issue for him during his time in Congress and said its important to acknowledge that this issue disproportionately affects African Americans.

California Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler testified that the United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among high-income nations.

Within recent years, thousands of women have lost their lives due to pregnancy-related causes, Butler said. And over the past decade, while the birth rate in this country has declined by roughly 20%, maternal mortality rates have steadily risen.

She implored the committee to debate and approve the so-called Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, legislation introduced last year by New Jersey Democratic Sen. Senator Cory Booker, Illinois Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood and North Carolina Democratic Rep. Alma Adams. It currently has 31 co-sponsors in the Senate and 193 in the House.

This legislation is not just about the life and death of Black women  its enactment will improve birthing outcomes for all women, Butler said.

HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, indicated the panel would take up the legislation in the months ahead.

Sanders also said Congress should also look at increasing funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC; increasing class size at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to increase Black representation in the health care workforce; and making medical schools tuition-free to reduce the mountains of student loan debt that can serve as an obstacle to more people of color becoming doctors.

Thursdays hearing coincided with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions release of new maternal mortality data, showing that 817 women died during 2022  a decrease from the 1,205 deaths the year before, but roughly in line with the 861 deaths from 2020.

The maternal mortality rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19 for white women, 16.9 for Hispanic women and 13.2 for Asian women.

Funding for HBCU medical schools

Dr. Samuel Cook, a resident at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, said during the hearing that medical students of color sacrifice our physical, mental, spiritual and financial wellbeing to be the change in the medical field we so desperately seek.

So now we ardently advocate for the reintroduction of legislation which would specifically fund and protect the growth of HBCU medical schools, he said.

Cook told the committee that the exorbitant cost of medical school is the greatest impediment in recruiting Black and brown doctors to our workforce. He currently holds nearly $400,000 in student loan debt.

Dr. Brian Stone, president of Jasper Urology Associates in Jasper, Alabama, told senators there are serious challenges that must be addressed in access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, education for Black and brown students.

Theres a wealth of data showing better health outcomes when Black patients have Black physicians. And this applies across different cultures, Stone said. This is because when you have cultural connectivity, you have better communication, you have shared experiences and you can overcome the mistrust that has developed over the decades.

Stone said his home state of Alabama has a population of about 4.8 million people, of whom about 25.8% are Black. Yet we only have 7% of the physician workforce thats Black.

Stone told the committee that theres a huge need to replace retiring physicians. And he said that making several changes, like providing mentors early and reducing the financial burden, can help to bridge the gap thats forming.

Currently, we have about 71,000 physicians retiring per year for the past few years. We only graduated 21,000 medical students per year, Stone said. And if you follow the mathematics, you see where were going to end up. Were going to need some very creative ideas to get us out of this situation.

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Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 25, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

If someone handed you sheets of Census data on Shelby County, it wouldnt take long to see how fast its growing.

The population jumped 14% between 2010 and 2020. Thats a number most governments would throw an Animal House-type celebration over. But in Shelby, it represented a fall from the 36% growth of the decade before.

I doubt anyone in Columbiana will complain, though. Growth means a healthy economy; a health economy means an expanding tax base. The median household income in Shelby is $98,000 a year, way higher than the state level of $60,000. Educational attainment is more than double Alabamas overall rate. Unemployment and poverty are both low.

There are challenges, of course. Median home prices shot up from $272,000 at the start of 2017 to almost $400,000 in February (though thats a drop from two years ago). Median rent in 2022 was also much higher than in Alabama. Its $1,337 a month in Shelby, versus $913 for the state.

Affordable housing is a perfect issue for state legislators. Theyre close to local governments dealing with the problem and in a place to make laws to address it. They can also help manage growth by securing money for roads, sewers and broadband to manage that growth.

But many members of Shelby Countys legislative delegation seem to have their attention elsewhere.

A woman gestuing

Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives on April 18, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, seems determined to drive transgender youth out of public spaces. Shes sponsored bills to ban them from playing sports. (There were no records of transgender athletes playing in Alabama before the ban.) Alongside Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, she sponsored bills putting definitions of sex in state law.

This panic ties directly to what the delegation has planned for public libraries, inside and outside the county.

Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, is sponsoring a bill that would allow the arrest of librarians if theyre slow to respond to someones complaint about obscenity at the library, including sexual conduct.

Maybe Shelby County libraries are wilder than most. But go a bit deeper into the bill and youll see that the definition of sexual conduct includes sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes.

The obvious targets here are drag queens holding readings in libraries. Mooney tried to ban those last year. But does the bill define what revealing or provocative clothing entails?

No.

Libraries have seven days to respond to valid complaints or face arrest. Does the bill define what a valid complaint is? Or provide a process for separating good faith complaints from rants by sheltered weirdos?

No.

The vagueness is the point

As first filed, librarians could have faced felony charges under this bill. House Republicans reduced the offense to a misdemeanor.

But as Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, noted, that makes it easier to arrest a librarian. Law enforcement has to investigate felony complaints. A misdemeanor charge only needs the approval of a warrant clerk. If the Anthony Comstock Memorial Association thinks wearing shorts at a library is sexually revealing, exaggerated or provocative, theres no way to laugh them out of the room. Not without risking jail time.

As with the divisive concepts bill, the vagueness is key. The Republican-controlled Legislature government is happy to let right-wingers swing law enforcement and the court system at anything that doesnt fit a Ken doll mold. It encourages silence and subjection to extremist prudes.

And Shelby Countys prudes must feel encouraged by another bill that their delegation passed this session.

Shelby County may be unusual in having an elected library board. Its been in place since 1988. In other counties, the local commission appoints the board.

Thats about to end.

HB 89, which Mooney and DuBose both sponsored, gives Shelby County lawmakers the power to appoint board members, and the power to fire them.

DuBose last year criticized a Shelby County Library that displayed childrens books with LGBTQ+ themes. Didnt matter that only 1% of visitors to the library complained about the display. Community standards are too important to be trusted with the local community.

This phantasmagoria passes for public policy. Its in line with what these lawmakers have done before. Mooney two years ago filed a bill to create a system to nullify federal laws. Gotta put Andrew Jackson in his place.

Im not expecting Shelby County, where 69% of voters supported Donald Trump in 2020, to become Massachusetts. But you would expect the representatives of a county to touch grass and work for the people who live there.

Building a road doesnt get you a flattering headline on a conservative news site. Its just a basic service critical to a growing area like Shelby County.

But maybe the way to manage growth isnt funding roads and bridges. Or getting broadband or water pipes installed.

Maybe its turning Shelby County into an area run by obsessive Puritans ready to terrorize librarians at the drop of a hat.

I cant think of a better way to discourage people from living there.

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Dont throw away your vote on freaking p---- RFK Jr, says only grandson of JFK

Jack Schlossberg criticisea his family member in videos in which he puts on a heavy Boston accent in the comic persona of a voter called Jimmy

Since Robert F Kennedy Jr announced his independent bid for the White House bid last October, he has received little support from his own family.

The rest of the Kennedy clan, including his own siblings, have condemned his campaign and backed Joe Biden, describing their relative as a threat to the United States.

Now a millennial family member has come up with a novel way of opposing Mr Kennedys presidential run: mocking him on Instagram.

Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of John F Kennedy, has released a series of videos in which he puts on a heavy Boston accent in the comic persona of a voter called Jimmy.

A lot of people talking about Robert F Kennedy Jr, he says from the front seat of his car.

You know, Im a fan of his father and you know, his uncle - rest in peace. I remember the day where I was the day he was killed. I mean, it was a tragic day. The entire country wept.

Jimmy then goes on to criticise the campaign.

But listen, that guy, hes a p----, the new guy, the young guy, hes a freaking p----, he says.

Hes lying to you, alright? Independent, third party, yeah freakin right. Hes got Trumps donors. Hes got Trumps advisers, him and Trump go away freaking back. Dont be fooled by that. Dont throw away your vote.

The 31-year-old lawyer continues: Vote for Biden. Itll feel good. Its gonna be fun! Were gonna keep growing. This economy is gonna keep freakin booming. Were gonna boom, everybodys gonna get freaking loaded.

Robert F Kennedy Jr's campaign is gaining ground, with some polls estimating he has more than double-digit support among the American public - Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

Mr Schlossbergs videos follow public statements from other members of the Kennedy family, including at a Biden 2024 campaign stop in Philadelphia last month.

At the event, Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former attorney general Robert F Kennedy, and sister of the presidential candidate, called Mr Biden my hero.

We want to make crystal clear our feelings that the best way forward for America is to re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years, she said.

The influential Kennedy family previously appeared by their dozens in a photoshoot with Mr Biden on St Patricks Day.

Patrick Kennedy, a former congressman, Caroline Kennedy, the US ambassador to Australia, and Joe Kennedy II, Mr Bidens special envoy to Northern Ireland, all featured in the photograph.

RFK Jrs campaign is gaining ground ahead of Novembers election, with some polls estimating he has more than double-digit support among the American public.

However, he faces an uphill battle to get onto the ballot in some states, where there are tough rules for independent candidates not running on behalf of a major political party.

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Win-loos: All new restaurants, bars, offices and shopping centres will be legally obliged to provide separate facilities for men and women thanks to a change to building regulations - y-studio/iStockphoto

There is a rather wonderful poem that I love by Kim Addonizio. It is called To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall. It details bad sex, bad haircuts, bad bleeding and bad heartache. Its last line is a message from one woman to another in the next toilet cubicle: Listen I love you joy is coming.

I have been that woman crying in the toilets. I have been that woman listening to others crying, vomiting, pouring their hearts out, passing tampons and tissues under the door. I have seen girls patch each other up emotionally and physically, find out they are being cheated on by the same guy, wash the blood from their clothes, swap make-up, take drugs, plan to run away together.

It is not that womens loos are some kind of utopia, but they are a female space where female bodies do female things. They have never felt entirely safe, especially public loos, but safeish, I would say.

The advent of the gender-neutral toilet has stopped all that. Many places now have a gender neutral loo or mens, womens, plus gender-neutral  which effectively means twice as many toilets for men as for women.

Theatres have excelled themselves in alienating women. At the Lyric, in London, for instance, women are invited to walk past a row of urinals to get to a cubicle. Who actually wants this? Do men want to pee in public? Do women want to see them doing so? And if somehow trans rights is your answer, then, again, we must ask why it is women who must always make way, have less provision than men, when womens needs for clean and safe loos matter.

So I am relieved that the Government has said that new buildings  restaurants, schools, hospitals  must have separate male and female toilets and not these universal lavatories.

Thank God. Wanting to maintain women-only spaces has been a ridiculous ongoing fight over the past few years. The tide is turning. Our privacy, dignity and safety are not to be given away by men or anyone who cannot be bothered to think about why women might need those things.

Last week, a man who knows all about invading spaces where he is not wanted  the ever cocksure Alastair Campbell  tweeted a picture of the door of a gender-neutral toilet with the boast: My Tree of the Day is the one that was made into this door. I mean, honestly, what is the problem? You go into a communal space, there are men and women, no urinals full of fag ends and chewing gum, no spraying and checking out for size, just private toilets for all. Much better.

My Tree of the Day is the one that was made into this door. I mean, honestly, what is the problem? You go into a communal space, there are men and women, no urinals full of fag ends and chewing gum, no spraying and checking out for size, just private toilets for all. Much better pic.twitter.com/FXDY1ZL0qm  ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) April 26, 2024

Countless women replied to explain to him just what was wrong with this statement. To put it bluntly, mens toilets are smelly and dirty and women fear getting attacked by men.

Indeed, there is a fundamental refusal from those who believe that being female is just a feeling in a mans head to accept that there is a difference between male and female bodies. Menstruating women have different needs to men. This can be hugely difficult for teenage girls. My daughters always came home from school bursting because the school loos were horrible places at the best of times. It is ludicrous to me that we are made to feel like blushing naifs for wanting privacy. Menopausal women may find themselves flooding and need space to sort that out. Remember when Fleabags sister miscarried in the restaurant loo? Well, that happens. I am sorry if this is all too much information for you, but female experience is always somehow too much, too real, too damn inconvenient for those who think what matters is simply disembodied gender.

When I was put on a mixed-sex ward after nearly dying because of an ectopic pregnancy, I was throwing up constantly because of the morphine, had a catheter and was emotionally in a right old state. The men in the beds around me probably were in a bad way too, but I just didnt want anyone seeing me like this. Do I really need to explain myself? Does any woman?

Gender neutral has meant, in reality, fewer facilities for women and more for men. But thats part of the current stupidity that calls restricting womens access to safe, private spaces progress. In reality, there is nothing neutral about shutting down women-only spaces.

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The News

In last weeks 54-page indictment, federal prosecutors charged Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar with bribery, money laundering, and a conspiracy on behalf a foreign government.

Donald Trump had another theory for Cuellars reckoning: Joe Biden, getting revenge.

The Respected Democrat Congressman wouldnt play Crooked Joes Open Border game, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday evening. He was for Border Control, so they said, Lets use the FBI and DOJ to take him out! This is the way they operate.

Since Feb. 2020, when Trump commuted the sentence of disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Republican presidential nominee has shown support and empathy for Democrats convicted or charged with public corruption.

Days before he left office, Trump commuted the sentence of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick; now a resident of Georgia, Kilpatrick attended a Trump rally in Michigan last week. He considered pardoning the late former New York legislative leader Sheldon Silver, then in prison on corruption charges, and only stopped after an overwhelming backlash from state Republicans. In September, Trump called last years indictment of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez an attack by Biden, because he wasnt getting along too well with the Democrats.

And over the weekend, Trump welcomed Blagojevich to donor events in Palm Beach, Fla., where the self-proclaimed Trumpocrat shared a stage with potential Trump running mates and got singled out for praise in a speech first reported on by the New York Times. Trump repeated an argument hed made for years about Blagojevich: He had the right enemies.

A lot of people thought it was unfair, Trump said in Aug. 2019, when he was considering commuting most of the 14-year sentence Blagojevich got after soliciting bribes for a U.S. Senate appointment. And it was the same gang, the Comey gang and all these sleazebags, that did it.

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Davids view

Trump has been playing a similar game for years now: Constantly demanding individual Democrats be investigated or jailed, while also rallying to defend ones who actually do end up charged with crimes.

Democrats, who have potentially outdated ideas about political optics, believe that the Menendez and Cuellar indictments disprove any theories about the Biden administration weaponizing law enforcement. Both the senator and the congressman had been investigated for years; Menendez has now been indicted under two different Democratic presidents.

These facts cant defeat Trumps monomyth: That the justice system hes tangled with throughout his business and political careers is crooked, picking favorites and treating its enemies unfairly. People advocating for pardons when Trump was president knew how to reach him, sharing sympathetic stories of what convicted politicians had to endure in prison, and highlighting how people Trump didnt like  James Comey  put them there.

Republicans frequently take their leads from Trump, but not on this. Republicans hope to link vulnerable Democrats to Cuellar and Menendez, separating the charges against them (legitimate) from the charges against Trump (election-meddling lawfare). And Trump doesnt absolve every politician of wrongdoing. One reason he was skeptical of the Menendez charges, he told the Daily Caller, was that Biden had taken a lot more money than Menendez.

House Republicans have been unable to prove that Trumps opponent benefited when his son Hunter and brother James peddled influence in Washington. They, and Trump, insist that Biden did anyway. Embracing and even celebrating Democrats whove been charged with corruption  Cuellar, Menendez, Blagojevich, Kilpatrick  fits into the candidates theme, that federal prosecutors cant be trusted and need to be brought to heel.

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The View From Henry Cuellar's Opponents

Two Republicans are competing in a May 28 runoff for the right to face Cuellar in November, and neither has adopted Trumps theory of the case. Rancher Lazardo Garza said in a statement that the indictment created a sad situation for the Rio Grande Valley district, but that Cuellar was innocent until proven guilty. Navy veteran Jay Furman was harsher, calling Cuellar corrupt, and saying that the indictment was proof that the uniparty is crumbling.

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Notable

In an interview with Time Magazine, Trump said he would consider firing a U.S. attorney who did not prosecute someone on his orders, which would be a massive breach of the Justice Departments traditional independence. It depends on the situation, honestly, he said.

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Women staff a table on Monday that spotlights some of the missing or murdered Kiowa citizens. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Dozens of advocates for missing and murdered Indigenous people gathered at the state Capitol on Monday in an effort to spotlight the plight of hundreds of Oklahomans.

They pressed for increased collaboration between Native residents and their local law enforcement, tribal, county and state leaders.

The annual event coincided with the national Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, which took place Sunday. The Capitol Rotunda was filled with pictures of people who have gone missing, been murdered, killed by law enforcement, or whose deaths or disappearances remain unsolved.

Most years, advocates hold the event outdoors, but this year, they held it indoors so that lawmakers could see them and hear their speeches, cheers and drumming.

Fawn Tsatoke, president and founder of the Kiowa MMIP chapter, said there are officially over 530 missing and murdered Indigenous Oklahomans. She said the true number of missing and murdered is likely much higher due to issues with data and recordkeeping.

Tsatoke said the chapter, which primarily serves southwest Oklahoma, started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It formed during a time when the number of runaways and incidents of domestic violence had increased.

Were the in-between for the communities, law enforcement, OSBI, Tsatoke said. Sometimes people go missing, sometimes theyre hurt, sometimes theyre in danger, but they dont know who to reach out to or how to reach out. Sometimes they have warrants. That doesnt take away the fact that they need to be safe.

She said MMIP advocates are involved in just about everything a person can think of in Indian Country, including education.

The states MMIP advocates, she said, were responsible for the creation of Savannas Act and Idas Law. The latter is supposed to improve coordination between law enforcement working cases involving Native people.

It started here in this place with most of these ladies here advocating, walking around, getting people to sign, talking to others, trying to get them to bring it to the floor, Tsatoke said.

Tsatoke said the advocates fight for those who might otherwise be forgotten.

She said she presses for increased education for law enforcement who are interacting with Native residents. She wants them to visit Indigenous communities more and perhaps be more of a friendly face.

If they did, maybe there wouldnt be such an issue, Tsatoke said.

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Heightened and quick-moving police actions against protesters unfolded Monday at UCLA and other campuses, as university officials said there would be little tolerance for demonstrators who disrupted campus and violated laws and student conduct codes in the wake of last weeks violence and tensions at pro-Palestinian encampments.

At UCLA on Monday, campus police arrested 44 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in a parking structure  actions students called harassment and intimidation  as they assembled before a peaceful protest. Other protesters were ordered to disperse when they entered a campus building. Classes were moved online for the rest of the week as a security precaution.

The action came after UCLA officials vowed to improve security after a violent mob last week attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment that was later torn down by law enforcement. The UCLA police chief has come under intense criticism for the violence and failure to bring in police fast enough to quell the melee.

At UC San Diego, 64 people, including 40 students, were arrested. A growing pro-Palestinian encampment was declared illegal by the chancellor and was cleared out Monday morning. After antisemitic graffiti was found on Cal State L.A. buildings over the weekend, the university president increased campus security to act swiftly and decisively if further unlawful activity occurs."

More protests emerged at UCLA on Monday, with police arresting multiple people who gathered in a campus parking garage. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

At USC  the site of a Sunday predawn police sweep and dismantling of a pro-Palestinian camp  security remained tight days before graduation. Only two entrances of the campus were open, with long lines of students waiting to get through identification checkpoints. Days before graduation, tall fencing cordoned off Alumni Park in the center of campus, where the encampment had been cleared.

USC President Carol Folt, in a letter to the USC community after police dismantled the encampment Sunday, said, When free speech protests devolve into illegal occupations, violating the rights of others, we must draw a line.

The heightened enforcement of campus rules at UC San Diego and UCLA represents a shift in tactics from a more light-handed approach that had allowed students to erect encampments under their free speech rights to support Palestinians and demand an end to Israeli's bombardment in Gaza.

The response had to change at some encampments, where growing conflict was leading to skirmishes, blockages of some walkways, fortifications with plywood and, ultimately, the mob violence at UCLA, said a UC source who was not authorized to speak publicly.

As things begin to escalate, universities are shifting from a tolerant Its OK, its free speech, to more These things are going beyond free speech. Its impeding the universitys delivery of services," the source said. "It causes each of the universities to respond to how they are going to mitigate or work around or resolve what is happening on campus.

"One size doesnt fit all. The campuses all have their own identity and culture. And they are all at different stages, the source said.

Some students are pushing back against the stepped-up security and have expressed concerns about abuse of police power after the Monday arrests at UCLA.

This is really apparent that the university is showing us their force, their power  whether it's legal or not  to suppress what were trying to say," said Marie Salem, a media liaison for the UCLA Palestine Solidarity Encampment. She was not among those arrested but spoke about how the arrests were igniting concerns among demonstrators who remained dedicated to calling for peace in Gaza.

The response of the university is more police presence, more silencing, more intimidation," a 28-year-old graduate student said. "We will continue on."

UC police stand outside Dodd Hall as more protests emerged at UCLA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Initially, an unidentified UCLA police officer told some reporters and observers that those detained were being held for delaying an investigation when asked for identification to look into a possible curfew violation, according to a video posted on social media platform X from a KNX News reporter. Hours later, however, a UCLA police lieutenant told the Daily Bruin that the 43 individuals were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary.

One student called this allegation false. The student shared a text sent Sunday about a low-key "sit-in style building occupation" with the rendezvous point at 6 a.m. Monday in the parking structure.

The LAPD and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, both at the scene, declined to comment on the incident, saying UCLA's Police Department is the lead agency. The Sheriff's Department "is only involved in transporting," said agency spokesperson Deputy Grace Medrano. UCLA officials did not respond to multiple questions about the nature of the arrests.

Those who were arrested Monday, who all appeared zip-tied, were escorted from the parking garage to an L.A. County Sheriff's Department bus. There was at least one independent journalist among those arrested. He said he was booked on conspiracy to commit burglary, despite initially being stopped  and let go  by officers who said he was violating a curfew for people unaffiliated with the university. He refuted that he engaged in any unlawful behavior.

Read more: Dueling Gaza protests at UCLA draw hundreds as USC sees peaceful demonstration

Meanwhile, at UC San Diego, students faced off with officers in riot gear, who descended on the encampment established five days ago, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The UC San Diego police tore down the structure and arrested 64 people, 40 of them students, on suspicion of unlawful assembly, a university spokesperson said.

The crackdown came the day after Chancellor Pradeep Khosla called the encampment illegal and said the group must disperse. Khosla emphasized in a letter to the community that he continued to support free speech but said the camp, which had tripled in size since its establishment, now posed an unacceptable safety and security hazard.

As time passes, the threat and potential for violent clashes increases," Khosla said.

Wooden stakes, propane tanks, metal and plywood shields, aerosol spray cans and a sword were found inside the camp, Khosla said in a statement Monday. Two minor injuries were reported in connection with the police activity, he said.

"After the encampment was removed," the statement read, "protesters interfered with police operations, including physically obstructing San Diego County Sheriff officers and buses, blocking movement and banging on windows in an attempt to hinder the arrest process. This resulted in one additional arrest."

Police detained multiple people Monday in a campus parking garage at UCLA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Read more: UCLA struggles to recover after 200 arrested, pro-Palestinian camp torn down

Under UC community safety guidelines, campuses are directed to rely on communication with protesters first to try to resolve issues and bring in police as a very last resort. Those guidelines were adopted after UC Davis police pepper-sprayed students protesting economic inequality in 2011  actions that sparked a storm of controversy, the firing of at least one police officer and a systemwide review and report laying out new practices.

But as protests over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are evolving at some campuses, so has the approach in dealing with them, the UC source said.

Among encampments put up at eight of the nine UC undergraduate campuses, only UCLA and UC San Diego have called in law enforcement to take them down and made arrests as the sites began to experience more conflict.

UC Irvine was moving in that direction, but as things calmed down and conversations with protesters continued, the encampment has stayed intact. UC Davis students put up an encampment in the grassy quad Monday; campus officials are allowing it for now as it has remained small and peaceful. Such camps also remain at UC campuses in Santa Barbara, Berkeley and Santa Cruz.

After a mob attack last week, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block on Sunday announced a new Office of Campus Safety to oversee the university Police Department and emergency management operations. The new office is headed by former Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel. Braziel reports directly to Block in a new unit that is focused solely on safety. Previously, the security operations were overseen by Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck as one of several responsibilities.

More protests emerged at UCLA on Monday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Although Braziel began his duties immediately Sunday, UCLA Police Chief John Thomas remains in control of the Police Department. It was not clear whether Thomas had increased the number of UCLA officers on duty Monday or what direction he gave them.

But as turmoil continued on campus Monday, Thomas ability to manage the operations effectively and communicate critical information to the media and public, including details of the arrests, was being questioned.

Calls for him to step aside were now ear-splitting, according to one source who was not authorized to speak publicly. Three sources told The Times last week that Thomas failed to provide a written security plan and secure enough law enforcement officers to keep the campus community safe.

He has defended his actions, telling The Times last week he did "everything I can" to call in enough police to protect the community.

Times staff writers James Queally, Summer Lin, Ashley Ahn and staff photographer Brian van der Brug 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.
BAIRD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A driver involved in the fatal collision that claimed three lives was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

3 Baird teens killed in Sunday morning crash

On May 5 at 2:10 a.m., the Texas Department of Public Safety responded to a fatal crash in Baird. At the scene, Ashlie Haynes of Clyde was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated after she voluntarily took a breath test showing her blood alcohol concentration was over the legal limit of 0.08.

DPS Sergeant Marc Couch states, This crash is under investigation, and additional charges could be filed based upon the analysis of the evidence and facts once it has been completed.

BigCountryHomepage has requested a mugshot and will provide an update.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
A driver crashed into the White House gates and died late Saturday night, authorities said.

Police did not release any information about the man behind the wheel, but the Secret Service said there was no threat to the White House.

President Joe Biden was not home at the time, according to the Secret Service. He was spending the weekend in Delaware.

Officers responded to 15th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW around 10:30 p.m. after a vehicle struck the White House security perimeter gates at a high rate of speed, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a tweet.

At this time, the incident is being investigated only as a traffic crash by MPDs Major Crash Investigations Unit, the department wrote.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said security personnel attempted to save the mans life while implementing standard protocols.

It was the second time in five months that someone drove into the White House gates. In January, a man struck an exterior gate and was arrested by Secret Service agents. Authorities said they were unsure at the time if the man was trying to intentionally attack the building or if the crash was an accident.

About a month before that, a Delaware man crashed into Bidens motorcade in Wilmington, Del. The driver, identified as 46-year-old James Cooper, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Authorities said there was no threat to the president in either incident.

And in May 2023, a man driving a U-Haul slammed into the barriers around Lafayette Square, across the street from the White House. The man, 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula, had a Nazi flag in his vehicle and was arrested.
"I Voted" stickers are displayed at a Richmond polling place during the 2022 midterm elections. (Graham Moomaw/Virginia Mercury)

Virginias 45-day early voting window began Friday for the June 18 primaries that will set the stage for the states U.S. Senate race as well as a handful of competitive races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republicans are choosing a nominee to challenge U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. in a statewide contest this fall, and at least one party is holding a primary in six of Virginias 11 congressional districts.

In-person early voting is underway at all local voter registrar offices, and many localities also offer satellite early voting sites. Would-be voters can find details on their local election office on the Virginia Department of Elections website, which also offers an online citizen portal allowing voters to check their registration status, register to vote, find out which congressional district theyre in and apply for an absentee ballot to be sent through the mail. The deadline to request a mail absentee ballot is June 7.

Voters casting ballots in person will need to present an acceptable form of identification, but anyone lacking an ID will still be able to cast a provisional ballot that will only be counted if elections officials verify their eligibility later.

In districts with both a Republican and Democratic congressional primary, voters will be asked to choose a ballot for one party.

Kaine is considered a strong frontrunner in the Senate race. Virginia has voted Democratic in every presidential election year since 2008, and the five Republicans vying to compete against him in November arent particularly well-known.

The GOP Senate field includes former congressional candidate and U.S. Navy veteran Hung Cao, U.S. Army veteran Eddie Garcie, attorneys Jonathan Emord and Chuck Smith and Scott Parkinson, who works for the conservative economic group Club for Growth.

More competition is anticipated in the U.S. House races, particularly in the Hampton Roads-based 2nd District and two Northern Virginia seats coming open in the 7th and 10th House Districts. A closely watched Republican primary is also playing out in the 5th District, which leans Republican and stretches through the central part of the state.

7th District

U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger  a Democrat who currently represents the 7th District anchored in Prince William County and the Fredericksburg area  isnt running for election this year because shes running for governor in 2025.

Seven Democrats and six Republicans are competing in their respective primaries for the 7th District seat.

The top fundraisers in the Democratic race are retired Army colonel Eugene Vindman, Del. Brianna Sewell, former Del. Elizabeth Guzman and Prince William Supervisors Margaret Angela and Andrea Bailey. Vindman  the brother of whistleblower Alex Vindman who called attention to a controversial 2019 phone call former President Donald Trump made urging Ukrainian officials to investigate President Joe Biden  has raised more than $3.7 million for his campaign, giving him a substantial money advantage over rivals that have more experience in Virginia politics.

The most well-funded Republican candidates are Army veteran Derrick Anderson, who previously ran for the seat in 2022, and former Navy SEAL Cameron Hamilton.

10th District

A dozen Democratic candidates are competing for the opportunity to replace U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Loudoun, who announced she wont run for reelection after being diagnosed with a severe form of Parkinsons Disease.

Several big names in Democratic politics are in the running for the Democratic-leaning Northern Virginia seat, including former House of Delegates Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, Sen. Jennifer Boysko, Del. Dan Helmer, Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, Del. David Reid and former Virginia education secretary Atif Qarni.

Running on the Republican side are attorney and technology executive Mike Clancy, Marine Corps veteran and former Youngkin administration official Aliscia Andrews, retired military officer Alex Isaac and defense contractor Manga Anantatmula.

2nd District

U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, is a top target for Democrats after narrowly flipping the 2nd District in 2022 by defeating former congresswoman Elaine Luria.

Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal, a Navy veteran and business owner, is being backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to take on Kiggans, but shes facing primary competition from civil rights and constitutional law attorney Jake Denton.

5th District

U.S. Rep Bob Good, R-Campbell, who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, is being challenged from the right by state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, in a hard-fought GOP primary where both candidates are angling for support from the Trump wing of the party.

Good has drawn criticism from McGuire over his decision to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president instead of Trump, but Goods campaign has returned fire by calling McGuire a political opportunist whos constantly seeking higher office.

The winner of the GOP primary would be the frontrunner in a Republican-leaning district that runs from the Charlottesville area to the outskirts of Richmond and includes the cities of Lynchburg and Danville.

Three Democrats  Gloria Tinsley Witt, Paul Riley and Gary Terry  are also competing in a 5th District primary.

The post Early voting begins for Virginias June congressional primaries appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
TYLER, Texas (KETK)  The Hogg Foundation awarded three East Texas Institutions flexible funding grants.

Longview ISD passes $456M bond this year after two failed attempts

According to a release, the Hogg Foundation awarded their Reliable Flexible Funding for Mental Health and Well-being (RFF) grants for mental health organizations throughout Texas that are historically under-resourced. According to the Hogg Foundation, Arp Independent School District, the City of Longview and Smith County Clubhouse are among the institutions to receive grants.

The Hogg Foundation said that the RFF grants are designed to be flexible, rather than other grants that are restricted to particular projects.

Mabank ISD voters approve $116 million bond

The RFF initiative gives organizations the flexibility and autonomy to determine how to best sustain their overall capacity and stability, support their operational needs, deepen their presence and expand their reach. Ultimately this approach fosters greater mental health outcomes for these communities in the long-term, Crystal Viagran, director of finance and operations and project lead for the RFF initiative, said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
The Rafah border crossing remains open for aid and passenger movement, an Egyptian source and the border authority in Gaza said on Monday.

The information came after Israel began to evacuate Rafah city in southern Gaza, which borders Egypt, ahead of its expected military operation there.

An Egyptian security source denied reports that Egypt closed the border crossing, adding that humanitarian aid trucks have crossed to get into Gaza.

"Work continues at the Rafah crossing, as the Egyptian gate has been opened for passenger buses," the border authority in Gaza said in a statement.

An Egyptian Red Crescent official said 40 trucks carrying medical and humanitarian aid have crossed the border so far on Monday, as 250 other trucks are being prepared.

More than 1,000 people have also crossed from Gaza into Egypt, including 800 Palestinians as well as Egyptians and other foreign nationalities, the organization said, adding that 25 aid workers have crossed into Gaza.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that he is closely following the positive developments taking place in the current negotiations to reach a comprehensive truce in the Gaza Strip.

I call on all parties to make more efforts to reach an agreement that will lead to an end to the human tragedy that the Palestinian people are suffering and the completion of the exchange of hostages and prisoners, al-Sissi posted.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  El Paso County will be selling surplus inventory through an online auction starting on Monday, May 6, according to a press release from the County.

The County says the online action will start on Monday, May 6, and will last until Friday, May 17.

Those who are interested in participating can click here: https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/elpasoco,tx/list/current?orgid=172929.

According to the listed description on the site, all items are sold: As is. Where is. Without any warranties and guarantees.

Arrangements shall be made for all purchased items to be picked up after the closeout of the auction and the completion of payment. The County has the right to add, delete, and/or place a reserve price on all items, the County said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center (EPHM) wants the El Paso region to remember the words Never Again, Again  remember the catastrophic events of the Holocaust during World War II.

EPHM is commemorating Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Days of Remembrance) Sunday, May 5.

The commemoration highlights the rise of antisemitism in the United States and the importance of remembering the Holocaust while honoring local survivors and their families, according to a press release sent by the museum.

According to the museum, speakers from EPHMs Youth Advisory Committee read local survivors testimonies, calling attention to the question of why we remember the Holocaust and how it remains relevant because of contemporary hate and intolerance seen in todays world.

In addition, 11 memorial candles were lit in remembrance of the estimated 11 million lives

destroyed by injustice and bigotry, according to the museum.

On this day, it is not only imperative to remember and reflect on the history and impact of the Holocaust but also to respond and act in the face of inhumanity and injustice today, read the press release. El Paso Holocaust Museum invites the community to join in memorializing the tragedy of the Holocaust and honoring the survivors and their descendants, while also taking a stand against bigotry and intolerance in our present and future. All are welcome and there is no charge to attend.

This years commemoration was made possible by a grant from the Jewish Federation of El Paso and with support from El Paso Museums & Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD), according to the museum.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
A Sun Metro bus passenger was fatally stabbed when he tried to intervene during an argument between two other passengers on a city bus, El Paso police officials said.

Homicide detectives continue asking for the public's help to identify the unknown assailant in the fatal bus stabbing on Thursday evening, May 2, in the South Side. The case is Crime Stoppers of El Paso's "Crime of the Week."

Police officials have not officially disclosed the victim's name, but he was identified on an online fundraising page and an interview given by his family to Channel 14-KFOX.

Crime: Neighbor stabbed, hospitalized after intervening in El Paso County domestic assault

Manuel Arturo Aguirre, 43, was riding the city bus home from doing some work in Northeast El Paso when a man and a woman began arguing on the bus, according to police and a GoFundMe page set up by his sister.

A Sun Metro bus passenger was stabbed and killed during an altercation on a bus on Thursday, May 2, near Downtown El Paso. A Sun Metro bus in seen in this file photo.

About 6 p.m., Aguirre attempted to intervene in the argument and he and the other man began fighting, police said. The unknown passenger was armed with a knife and stabbed Aguirre. The assailant exited the bus in front of the American Fabrics building at 1630 Texas Ave. near Cotton Street in South El Paso.

The unidentified man left the scene and there have been no arrests, Crime Stoppers said Sunday, May 5. A description of the assailant has not been disclosed.

More news: US Rep. Veronica Escobar secures $19M for 15 projects in El Paso, surrounding areas

Aguirre, of the Lower Valley, was transported to a hospital, where he died that night, police said.

Aguirre's family described him as a hero for standing up for another passenger on the bus. "This is who my brother was. He would always stand up for anyone being mistreated," his sister, Carmen Dahl, stated on the GoFundMe page.

An investigation by the Crimes Against Persons Unit continues. Anyone with any information may call the police nonemergency number at 915-832-4400 or may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915- 566-8477 (TIPS).

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Sun Metro passenger killed in stabbing on El Paso city bus
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele further solidified his grip on power with last week's inauguration of a new Congress. His party, New Ideas, now controls 90 percent of the seats, giving Bukele significant influence over legislative decisions, including potential changes to the Constitution for his reelection.

With 54 out of 60 seats secured by New Ideas and three seats held by its allied parties, the opposition finds itself with only a marginal presence in the new Congress. The current distribution of seats empowers Bukele to push forward his ambitious agenda to "re-found" the republic. After all, his party has not opposed a single one of his proposals since 2021.

New Ideas will no longer have to negotiate with the opposition to approve "the nation's general budget, international loans, authorize the issuance of debt, approve emergency regimes, elect the attorney general, the member of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Court of Accounts, the attorney for the Defense of Human Rights, and the magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal," reports Infobae.

Most concerning, New Ideas will be able to easily amend El Salvador's Constitution.

Previously, any constitutional amendments had to be proposed and approved in one legislative term, then ratified in the subsequent Congress following elections. But that constitutional procedure was changed last week. Days before the new legislative term began, the previous Congress approved a change that would allow the legislature to make constitutional changes without having to wait for a new legislative term, requiring only a three-quarters majority vote to make the change, according to the Associated Press.

"We are not taking anything away from the Constitution, what we are doing is adapting it to the changes demanded by the new reality," Christian Guevara, leader of the New Ideas fraction in Congress, told the plenary during the vote.

But critics remain skeptical of the congressional decision, arguing that the move could lead to Bukele's unchecked authority. "President Nayib Bukele's deputies will have the power to make constitutional changes at will, as many times as they want," wrote El Faro.

"This is a shot to the democracy of our country. The only thing they are demonstrating is the petty interests and ambition to maintain and not let go of power," Rosa Romero of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance told the A.P.

Bukele's presidency has been characterized by unconventional policy initiatives, making him one of the most popular leaders in Central America. From embracing bitcoin as legal tender to launching an aggressive crackdown on criminal gangs, his administration has garnered both acclaim and controversy. While his efforts have contributed to a remarkable decline in homicide rates and the detention of over 76,000 alleged gang members, they have also come under scrutiny for alleged human rights abuses and constitutional overreach.

Despite constitutional restrictions that limit presidents to a single five-year term, Bukele leveraged his influence to obtain approval from loyalists within the Supreme Court to pursue another term. In February, Bukele secured a landslide victory for his reelection, winning 85 percent of the vote. He declared his victory "a record in the entire democratic history of the world."

Bukele's constitutionally dubious second term is set to end in 2029. But his administration has hinted at the possibility of extending his tenure beyond his current term. With the recent consolidation of power in the new Congress and no obstacles in his way to make constitutional changes, Bukele's ambitions for an extended presidency may well materialize.

The post El Salvador's New Congress Strengthens Bukele's Grip on Power appeared first on Reason.com.
If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was JP: Mica Millers siblings describe her fears amid split from pastor husband

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  Two of Mica Millers siblings allege in court documents that their sister feared for her life amid divorce proceedings, according to documents filed in Horry County Probate Court and obtained by News13.

Mica stated to me on many occasions, If I end up with a bullet in my head, it was JP,' Micas sister, Sierra Francis, said in an affidavit asking to be named the special administrator of Micas estate. JP refers to Micas husband, John-Paul Miller, a senior pastor at the Solid Rock Church in Market Common.

The body of Mica Miller, 30, was found on April 27 at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County, just two days after Sierra Francis affidavit indicates she had filed for divorce from her husband. An official cause of death has yet to be released, but Sheriff Burnis Wilkins told News13 in an email on Monday that he expects a report to be available on Tuesday.

Rumors have swirled since John-Paul announced at the end of a recent sermon that his wife had dealt with mental illness and taken her own life.

News13 reached out to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in North Carolina to ask about a cause of death and was referred to local law enforcement. The Robeson County Medical Examiners Office also has not responded to requests for information about their investigation.

The Robeson County Sheriffs Office said on Facebook Monday that Wilkins had a meeting scheduled with Millers family and that they would be releasing more detailed information to substantiate the medical examiner findings tomorrow [Tuesday] evening.

News13 learned on Monday that John-Paul no longer is a pastor at the Solid Rock Church. An email sent to the congregation on Sunday said he had been released from all ministerial functions.

The May 2 affidavits filed by Sierra Francis and Nathaniel Francis, allege a pattern of abuse and harassment toward Mica by her husband.

I know my sister to have expressed the abuse and violence against her by her husband to others, including family members and members of the church congregation, Sierra Francis affidavit said.

Sierra Francis said her sister told her that people were following her and indicated that her husband had hired people to follow her. The affidavit also alleges that John-Paul transferred assets, including the deed to their home, to one of his sons and moved his wifes personal belongings from their home while she was undergoing treatment at a mental-health facility.

Sierra Francis said her sister was hopeful for her future after filing for divorce but still afraid.

My sister also expressed to me that she was fearful that she would not make it to the divorce and that her life would be taken from her, Sierra Francis wrote. It is my belief that she told multiple people, including other family members.

Nathaniel Francis said Mica expressed many of those same fears to him, according to his affidavit.

Mica confided in me that John-Paul moved her belongings out of their marital residence  so that he could keep an eye on her, Nathaniel said. Following this, Mica then retained an attorney for the purposes of filing for divorce from her husband and joined a new church.

Nathaniel Francis also said he had received communications from John-Paul in the past that indicated he knew no reason for divorce, but wanted a separation and gave reasons why.

Nathaniel Francis affidavit also references incidents on March 11 when Mica reported to Horry County Police that a tire on her car had been slashed early in the morning while she was at the Springmaid Pier. Later in the day, when she took her car to East Coast Honda to have the tire repaired, the report said mechanics found a GPS tracking device installed on her vehicle.

Nathaniel Francis said in his affidavit that Mica forwarded him an email from her husband in which he apologized for the tires and causing damage to her vehicle.

Mr. Millers email to my sister continued to state that he was angry when Mica confided or put her family before him and that made him want to hurt her. In his words, the affidavit said. When someone hurts me, I try to hurt them back rather than forgive and instead of me forgiving you  I just attack and try to cause pain.'

* * *

Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Researchers in Sweden have developed a powerful new tool: an AI method that identifies toxic chemicals solely by analyzing their molecular structure.

The method can contribute to better control and understanding of the ever-growing number of chemicals used in society, and can also help reduce the amount of animal tests.

The use of chemicals in society is extensive, and they occur in everything from household products to industrial processes. Many chemicals reach our waterways and ecosystems, where they may cause negative effects on humans and other organisms. One example is PFAS, a group of problematic substances which has recently been found in concerning concentrations in both groundwater and drinking water. It has been used, for example, in firefighting foam and in many consumer products.

Negative effects for humans and the environment arise despite extensive chemical regulations, that often require time-consuming animal testing to demonstrate when chemicals can be considered as safe. In the EU alone, more than two million animals are used annually to comply with various regulations. At the same time, new chemicals are developed at a rapid pace, and it is a major challenge to determine which of these that need to be restricted due to their toxicity to humans or the environment.

Valuable help in the development of chemicals

The new method developed by the Swedish researchers utilises artificial intelligence for rapid and cost-effective assessment of chemical toxicity. It can therefore be used to identify toxic substances at an early phase and help reduce the need for animal testing.

Our method is able to predict whether a substance is toxic or not based on its chemical structure. It has been developed and refined by analysing large datasets from laboratory tests performed in the past. The method has thereby been trained to make accurate assessments for previously untested chemicals, says Mikael Gustavsson, researcher at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Chalmers University of Technology, and at the Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Gothenburg.

There are currently more than 100,000 chemicals on the market, but only a small part of these have a well-described toxicity towards humans or the environment. To assess the toxicity of all these chemicals using conventional methods, including animal testing, is not practically possible. Here, we see that our method can offer a new alternative, says Erik Kristiansson, professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Chalmers and at the University of Gothenburg.

The researchers believe that the method can be very useful within environmental research, as well as for authorities and companies that use or develop new chemicals. They have therefore made it open and publicly available.

Computational tools for finding toxic chemicals already exist, but so far, they have had too narrow applicability domains or too low accuracy to replace laboratory tests to any greater extent. In the researchers study, they compared their method with three other, commonly used, computational tools, and found that the new method has both a higher accuracy and that it is more generally applicable.

The type of AI we use is based on advanced deep learning methods, says Erik Kristiansson. Our results show that AI-based methods are already on par with conventional computational approaches, and as the amount of available data continues to increase, we expect AI methods to improve further. Thus, we believe that AI has the potential to markedly improve computational assessment of chemical toxicity.

The researchers predict that AI systems will be able to replace laboratory tests to an increasingly greater extent.

This would mean that the number of animal experiments could be reduced, as well as the economic costs when developing new chemicals. The possibility to rapidly prescreen large and diverse bodies of data can therefore aid the development of new and safer chemicals and help find substitutes for toxic substances that are currently in use. We thus believe that AI-based methods will help reduce the negative impacts of chemical pollution on humans and on ecosystem services, says Erik Kristiansson.

More about: the new AI method

The method is based on transformers, an AI model for deep learning that was originally developed for language processing. Chat GPT  whose abbreviation means Generative Pretrained Transformer  is one example of the applications.

The model has recently also proved highly efficient at capturing information from chemical structures. Transformers can identify properties in the structure of molecules that cause toxicity, in a more sophisticated way than has been previously possible.

Using this information, the toxicity of the molecule can then be predicted by a deep neural network. Neural networks and transformers belong to the type of AI that continuously improves itself by using training data  in this case, large amounts of data from previous laboratory tests of the effects of thousands of different chemicals on various animals and plants.

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UPDATE: MONDAY 5/6/2024 2:05 p.m.

(COLORADO SPRINGS)  The Broadmoor Fire Department said it received the call at around 8:20 a.m. for the fire on Transmitter Lane on Cheyenne Mountain. The fire was contained to less than one acre and to what the Broadmoor Fire Department said was the point of origin.

ORIGINAL STORY: EPSO: Fire on Cheyenne Mountain, crews responded

MONDAY 5/6/2024 12:29 p.m.

The El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO) said wildland fire units were dispatched to a fire on Cheyenne Mountain on Monday, May 6.

According to EPSO, at around 9:30 a.m. Wildland Fire was responding to a fire on Cheyenne Mountain, with Broadmoor Fire Department in command of operations.

FOX21 has reached out to Broadmoor Fire Department for more information and will update this article when we learn more.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
A Lake Township man accused of Rwandan genocide may be linked to a woman convicted last month of genocidal murder and three other crimes.

Eric Nshimiye, a married father of four and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. electrical engineer, was arrested at his home on March 21. Federal prosecutors say he's repeatedly lied about his past since fleeing the African country in 1994 to enter and remain in the U.S., eventually becoming a citizen in 2003.

The cases against the 53-year-old Nshimiye initially landed in Youngstown. However, they were since transferred to U.S. District Court in Boston. It's the same court where he testified on behalf of an old Rwandan friend who was convicted in 2019 of the same type of charges Nshimiye now faces.

Nshimiye's attorneys have asked the court to set a bond so he can be free and available to help them present a defense for a future trial.

A hearing has not been scheduled.

Prosecutors oppose bond. They say Nshimiye should remain behind bars so he can't flee the country. In a recent court filing, they linked him to Beatrice Munyenyezi, who operated a hotel and roadblock during the genocide.

"Ms. Munyenyezi is a genocidaire who had been convicted in the District of New Hampshire in 2013 of crimes similar to those the defendant faces in this case," Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Amanda Beck wrote in the filing.

They explained that after she was convicted in New Hampshire and served 10 years in prison, she then was sent to Rwanda to face charges there.

"Notably, Ms. Munyenyezi was convicted for conduct in Butare, the same town in which (Nshimiye) is alleged to have perpetrated his crimes as a medical student," the prosecutors wrote. "Moreover, the government anticipates that it will offer evidence at trial in this matter which links the defendant to the hotel and roadblock which Ms. Munyenyezi controlled during the genocide."

Munyenyezi killed a nun during genocide

Family and friends of Eric Nshimiye gather in front of federal courthouse in Youngstown, following his detention hearing on Friday afternoon.

The office of acting District of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy declined comment for this story. Nshimiye's attorneys, Kurt Kerns of Wichita, Kansas, and Maksim Nemtsev of Boston, did not respond to requests for comment.

Prosecutors wrote that they expect to present evidence, which connects Nshimiye to Munyenyezi, at trial.

According to a recent story in The New Times, an English-language Rwandan newspaper, Munyenyezi was convicted on April 12 in the Huye Intermediate Court. She was sentenced to life in prison.

She was found guilty of murder as a genocide crime, complicity in genocide, incitement to commit genocide, and complicity in rape.

The court said Munyenyezi killed a nun and instructed Interahamwe  a violent youth Hutu group to which Nshimiye allegedly belonged  to kill a person named Aimable, according to the story.

She also encouraged the Interahamwe to kill Tutsis and played a key role in facilitating rape at her mother-in-law Pauline Nyiramasuhuko's hotel.

Munyenyezi's 2013 New Hampshire convictions were for lying about her past to secure U.S. citizenship. During those proceedings, she was accused of being a commander of a notorious roadblock where Tutsis were captured and killed, and for being the wife of an Interahamwe militia leader.

Chantal Nshimiye, Eric Nshimiye's wife, with children Tiffany Nshimiye, Nestor Nshimiye and Destiny Nshimiye at their home April 1.

Nshimiye's family has said he's not guilty of any genocidal crimes, and that he wasn't even in Butare at that time. Friends, family, co-workers and even priests at St. Paul Catholic Church in North Canton  where the Nshimiyes are longtime members  have written letters on his behalf.

But prosecutors say he was in Butare  that he did kill and rape Tutsis. In court filings, they say he's effectively lived a lie in the U.S. for three decades. They're not concerned with the man Nshimiye is now. It's about who he was in 1994.

"Our refuge and asylum laws exist to protect true victims of persecution  not the perpetrators," Levy, the Massachusetts U.S. attorney, said in a press release after Nshimiye's arrest. "The United States will not be a safe haven for suspected human rights violators and war criminals."

Hutus, Tutsis and Nshimiye's alleged role

The 100-day Rwandan genocide began on April 7, 1994, the day after Rwanda President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira, both Hutus, died when their plane was shot down.

The Tutsis were blamed for downing the plane and were targeted by Hutu extremists during the bedlam. However, moderate Hutus who tried to intervene to protect Tutsis also died during the mayhem.

In arguing for bond, Nshimiye's attorneys said their client has no intention of fleeing. They said he was aware he was a suspect, since he testified on behalf of his former college roommate at the National University of Rwanda, Jean Leonard Teganya.

Prosecutors in Teganya's case accused Nshimiye of lying about his own background on the witness stand.

"The fact that Eric remained in the United States after the governments accusation is concrete evidence of his commitment to remain with his family and to contest the charges against him," his attorneys wrote in their request for bond.

Rwandan memorial

In previous court documents used to secure his arrest, then indictment for perjury; obstruction of justice; aiding and abetting; and falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme and device, prosecutors presented details of Nshimiye's alleged Rwandan crimes, including that he:

Killed a 14-year-old Tutsi boy and helped kill the boy's mother.

Helped round up as many as 30 Tutsis in a forest near the university, killed them and burned their bodies.

Smashed a woman on the head with a nail-studded club before he proceeded to hack her to death.

Bragged about killing a Tutsi tailor, while holding a bloody spiked club in his hand.

An estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed during the genocide. Today, Rwanda's population is about 13.5 million. About 85% of the residents are Hutus, while Tutsis account for 14%.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or tim.botos@cantonrep.com.On X: @tbotosREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Eric Nshimiye has alleged connection to woman who killed nun in Rwanda
Gov. Dan McKee speaks to the news media at Pier 2 in Middletown on Monday, May 6, 2024, after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Operations Center-Atlantic. (Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)

Gov. Dan McKees office on Monday announced the tab to demolish and replace the western Washington Bridge will be over $400 million  and thats not even including $46 million in emergency expenses related to the bridges closure.

When McKee first announced the reconstruction project in March, his administration estimated the tab would be between $250 million and $300 million. The new and much higher price tag is due in part to expanding the scope of the project beyond just demolition and reconstruction, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Chief Operating Officer Loren Doyle said in an interview Monday afternoon.

That includes new wider on- and off-ramps that feed into the bridge and new material for the new westbound bridge.

It could be an all-steel bridge, it could be pre-stressed concrete, Doyle said.

The state is also offering up to $13 million in incentives for contractors to demolish and replace the bridge ahead of schedule  demolition is slated to begin this summer and projected to be complete by March 2025. A new bridge is expected to be open in August 2026.

There is no change in the states timeline, according to officials.

The proposals and cost estimates take all of that into consideration as an abundance of caution so we can plan for the most expensive approach, Doyle said. So we may not need all the contingency funds we planned for and we may not expend all of the incentive funding.

To pay for this project, McKees office announced Monday it is applying for a $221 million U.S. Department of Transportation National Infrastructure Project Assistance discretionary grant, also known as a Mega Grant, which was created under the federal 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Officials said they should know by October or November if the state wins the grant. If that plan doesnt work out, Doyle said the state would instead qualify for $170 million in federal funds from the Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program.

While neither are guaranteed, we have support from the congressional delegation as well as many private sector entities like AAA and Lifespan, Doyle said. She added the states congressional delegation also plans to push for $20 million in congressionally directed spending toward the project.

McKees administration has identified another source of potential funding as it awaits a federal response for the Mega Grant: a budget amendment to authorize borrowing $334.6 in Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles (GARVEE) bonds.

Rhode Island Director of the Office of Budget and Management Brian Daniels explained such a bond allows the state to borrow against future allocation of federal transportation money it receives  which is usually about $350 million a year.

If we spent all that on the bridge, it would mean we couldnt do anything else, he said. This is an opportunity to spread these costs over time.

Daniels said Rhode Island used such bond money in 2003 to relocate Interstate 195, highway projects following the passage of Rhode Works in 2016, and in 2020 to replace the northbound section of the Providence Viaduct Bridge on I-95.

Should the state get the Mega Grant, Daniels said the state would borrow far less than the full $334.6 million GARVEE bond.

McKee is also proposing the state tap into $37 million redirected from the previous project to rehabilitate the bridge, $40 million from borrowing against the states gas tax, and $20 million from unspent federal COVID relief money.

Traffic travels on the eastern portion of the Washington Bridge at 5:33 p.m. on Monday, May 6, 2024. (Rhode Island Department of Transportation Traffic Camera)

What about that day of reckoning?

While the timeline for grants and getting a new bridge open is mostly firm, it is still anyones guess when the forensic audit detailing who is to blame for the abrupt emergency bridge closure will be released.

A report was initially supposed to be released in late March, but was indefinitely postponed after the McKee administration said it needed more time to conduct its own public records request.

We got to make sure that were following the process thats going to allow us to keep as many people accountable, McKee told Rhode Island Current after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Operations Center at Pier 2 at Naval Station Newport Monday.

But the governor said the reckoning ball is rolling as the legal team the state hired last month has sent letters to a dozen contractors who previously worked on the Washington Bridge.

The letters from Providence-based attorney Max Wistow advise each of the firms to notify their insurance companies that the states legal team is investigating potential claims relating to the Washington Bridge and that they should suspend all destruction or disposal of any documents that relate or are relevant in any way to the bridge.

Failure to preserve this information could have serious consequences, Wistow wrote.

The firms are also invited to inspect the bridge  under supervision  before it is demolished. The companies that received the letter are AECOM Technical Services, Steere Engineering, PRIME AE Group, Cardi Corporation, Barletta Heavy Division, Aetna Bridge Company, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, TranSystems Corporation, Collins Engineers, Michael Baker International, Jacobs Engineering Group.

The 12 engineering companies have until Saturday, May 11, to contact Wistows firm to schedule an inspection.

Editor Janine Weisman contributed to this report.

The post New estimates put Washington Bridge replacement project at over $400 million appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union is proposing to ban political parties, think tanks and other groups from accepting funding from Russia as part of its next round of sanctions aimed at punishing Moscow over its war on Ukraine.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The European Commission, the blocs executive body, is recommending that member states agree to the steps as part of its 14th sanctions package, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The measures being discussed include banning the import of Russian helium, tightening export restrictions on manganese ore and other rare-earth components, and prohibiting port access for around 11 shipping vessels suspected of aiding Russias war effort, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters.

The proposal, which would also ban four additional media outlets from broadcasting in Europe, needs to be agreed unanimously by the blocs 27 member states to enter into force and could still change. Previous packages have required weeks of closed-door negotiations.

European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said on Sunday that the EU would sanction Voice of Europe, a website accused of spreading pro-Russian disinformation, along with Rossiiskaja Gazeta, Ria Novosti and Izvestia.

We dont recognize them as media, they are simply Putins propaganda tools, Jourova told Czech public television.

The push to crack down on Russian political funding into the EU comes amid rising concerns about disinformation pushed by Moscow tied to the European Parliaments elections in early June. France, along with the Baltic nations, Poland and the Netherlands, had urged the bloc to sanction Russian election interference, Bloomberg reported previously.

Czech intelligence services in March said they had uncovered a Russian network trying to influence politics and public opinion across the continent using Voice of Europe. German far-right lawmaker Petr Bystron has denied taking money from the website, while Belgium in April opened an investigation into political meddling by the Kremlin.

Far Right

The moves could constrain some far-right parties in Europe, given some officials have been accused of receiving Russian financing. Frances far-right National Rally party last year said it paid back 6.1 million ($6.6 million) to close out a loan originally taken from a Russian bank in efforts to distance itself from accusations of foreign influence.

Support for the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, slipped after allegations of links to Chinese intelligence and a pro-Russian media organization.

In addition to the measures on Russian political funding, the EU sanctions are expected to include a ban on the use of the Russian central banks Financial Messaging System.

Russia started the Financial Messaging System, its own version of SWIFT, at the end of 2014 following the initial sanctions after the country annexed Crimea from Ukraine. As of January, the system was working with 20 countries, according to Interfax. This includes banks from Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

European exporters would also be asked to step up due diligence on their trading practices and could face action if they fail to impede circumvention because of a lack of checks.

In addition, the proposed package includes a swath of sanctions on Belarus for its role in the conflict, including banning imports of navigation technology and luxury goods, exports of crude oil and diamonds, and any transactions that could boost Belorussian industrial capacity.

On energy, Bloomberg previously reported the EU would propose a ban on re-loading and transshipment services for liquefied natural gas from Russia destined for third counties, as well as prohibit servicing Russian LNG projects in the Arctic.

Read More: EU Weighs Sanctions on Russian LNG Projects, Transshipments

The EU has also proposed adding more than dozen companies to an export restrictions list, including several in China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, over the alleged role in aiding Moscow circumvent trade sanctions on goods used in weapons or needed to make them.

Another proposal from the blocs executive arm is to ban transport companies that are at least 25% Russian-owned from operating in the EU, as well as listing dozens more individuals and entities.

(Updates with additional sanctions measures, including on Belarus, starting in 13th paragraph)

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Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is opposed to European Union representatives attending the "inauguration" ceremony for Russian leader Vladimir Putin following his sham re-election this spring.

Source: Peter Stano, spokesperson for EU foreign affairs and security policy, during a briefing in Brussels on 6 May, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Stano said the Kremlin had issued invitations to Putins "inauguration" on Tuesday, 7 May to the offices of the missions of EU member states and the EU in Moscow.

He explained that discussions are currently being held with EU member states regarding the appropriate response. While the EU wants to take a unified foreign policy approach, the final decision has not yet been made, Stano said.

He added that EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell is opposed to the EU taking any part in tomorrows event.

Background:

Czechia, Estonia and Latvia have already confirmed that their representatives will not be attending Russian leader Vladimir Putins inauguration on 7 May.

On 25 April, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the manner in which Vladimir Putins sham re-election was conducted and calling for those elections not to be recognised as legitimate.

Read more: Were no longer referring to Putin as "president". Why not, and why it matters

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The European Commission said on May 6 that it had taken the first steps to drop its sanctions procedure against Poland over the rule-of-law issues.

The EU's executive arm launched the procedure, which can lead to the suspension of certain rights, in 2017 against the Polish government at the time led by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.

"Today marks a new chapter for Poland. After more than 6 years, we believe that the Article 7 procedure can be closed," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

"I congratulate Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government on this important breakthrough."

PiS failed to win a majority in the October 2023 parliamentary elections, losing to a coalition of center-right and left-wing parties led by Tusk.

Upon taking office, the new prime minister promised to address the rule of law issues and restore Warsaw's relationship with the EU.

"The Commission considers that there is no longer a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law in Poland within the meaning of Article 7," the commission's statement read.

Poland's PiS-led government had come under the EU's scrutiny for violations of fundamental values and encroachment on judicial independence. Hungary, led by conservative-populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is the only country other than Poland to have been subjected to Article 7.

Read also: Rise of populism in Ukraines neighborhood: Not as gloomy as you think

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The European Union has started work on establishing the new Defense Innovation office in Kyiv, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on May 6 at the EU-Ukraine Defense Industries Forum.

The Defense Innovation office will support the further integration of Ukraine into European defense programs, while at the same time allowing European countries to learn from the experiences of the Ukrainian military on the battlefield.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was the first to announce in February that the EU planned to open the Defense Innovation office in Ukraine's capital.

Breton said that Europe needs to continue to increase its ammunition production capacity and sign new contracts so that this ammunition could be sent to Ukraine.

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The EU Commissioner stressed that this is the sense of the EU's new European Defense Industrial Strategy (EDIS).

"The strategy is meant not only to support European defense industrial readiness but also to enhance ties between the European and Ukrainian defense industries," Breton added.

"This is why we will open a Defence Innovation office in Kyiv to create a bridge between EU innovative startups and Ukrainian companies and its Armed forces so that European startups can help Ukrainian soldiers on the field."

In March, the European Commission presented the first-ever European Defense Industrial Strategy (EDIS) at the EU level to support the competitiveness and readiness of the bloc's defense industry.

The strategy was introduced amid worries in Europe that the U.S. may not be a reliable partner for European security and in backing Ukraine if Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential election.

As part of the strategy, the commission proposes developing closer ties with Ukraine through its participation in the blocs initiatives to support the defense industry and stimulating cooperation between the EU and Ukrainian defense sectors.

Read also: EU-Ukraine to host Defense Industries Forum in Brussels

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The European Commission has sent EU countries a draft proposal for a 14th package of sanctions against Russia. The proposal includes, among other things, restrictions on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, although there are no plans for a full embargo.

Source: Polskie Radio, reported by European Pravda

Details: The package is to include a ban on the transshipment of Russian LNG at European ports, from where it is then shipped around the world. Belgium and its port of Zeebrugge are the leaders here, but France and Spain are also among the largest recipients of Russian LNG.

In addition, sanctions will apply to Russia's Arctic and Murmansk LNG projects.

The Commission also wants to impose sanctions on several vessels from Russias so-called "shadow fleet" that transport Russian oil in defiance of EU restrictions. They will be banned from entering European ports.

The proposal would also ban transport companies that are at least 25% Russian-owned from operating in the EU.

The Commission has also drawn up a sanctions list of over 50 non-EU companies that are subject to trade restrictions for providing Russia with Western components and helping it to circumvent sanctions.

Companies from China, Hong Kong, Turkiye and Kyrgyzstan will reportedly be hit by the sanctions.

Russia will also be banned from funding political parties and foundations, NGOs and research centres.

Symbolically, the European Commission has proposed to ban the sale of Ukrainian artworks on the EU market if there are suspicions that they may have been looted by the Russians.

There is no ban on aluminium imports in the draft, but there is a ban on helium imports.

An export ban will apply, in particular, to manganese ore, mining machinery, monitors, and electronics.

Background:

Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice President of the European Commission, confirmed in April that the EU had begun work on the 14th package of sanctions against Russia due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The previous (13th) package of restrictive measures against Russia was approved by the EU Council on 23 February, right before the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

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The European Union says it is preparing for a possible sudden cessation of Russian gas supplies after the transit contract between Ukraine and the Russian Federation expires at the end of 2024.

Source: a briefing in Kyiv by Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, as reported by European Pravda

Simson gave a reminder that the gas transit contract between Russia and Ukraine will soon expire, so the EU wants to coordinate its actions on this with Ukraine.

She noted that the EU has been preparing for this situation for two years.

"We knew that Russia was not a reliable gas supplier, and all our risk assessments were designed around the fact that Europe could be left without Russian gas supplies in an instant," Simson said.

Background:

EU countries were recommended to reduce their gas consumption in 2022 in response to the energy crisis caused by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

The relevant regulation was subsequently extended for a year in 2023.

Thanks to demand reduction measures, the EU was able to phase out approximately 65 billion cubic metres of Russian gas in 2023, primarily in households and industry.

At the end of March this year, the EU officially recommended cutting gas consumption by a further 15%.

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Brokers benefit, patients perish in illegal organ trade

On learning he was behind almost 5,000 other people in the queue to receive an organ transplant, the 40-year-old man lost hope in the system.

Thanh (name changed on request) searched the black market for organs twice in vain.

He had been diagnosed with final-stage kidney failure just a few months after the birth of his youngest son.



His two older children were about to go to school soon. His business, over which he had struggled for the last two decades, was in big trouble due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He also had a loan of VND3 billion (US$118,400) he had taken out to build his house.



Thanh only had two options: make three visits a week to a hospital for kidney dialysis or receive a kidney from a living or dead donor.

Since Vietnam made its first successful transplant in 1992, it has been the best option to improve the survival rates of patients with end-stage organ failures.

Thanh had sobbed to his doctor: "I wish to do the transplant. I cant live like this."

He did not want to get tied to the hospital for the rest of his life.

To get an organ from a dead donor, he registered himself on the national organ transplant waiting list, but learned there were almost 5,000 people in it before him.

Every year there are only 10 around successful transplants from donors, according to Vietnams National Organ Transplant Coordinating Center. Vietnamese law currently only allows organ donation involving brain-dead donors.

"When will be my turn?" Thanh desperately asked every time he saw the long queue of patients getting dialysis at Thong Nhat Hospital in HCMC.

Losing hope in the centralized, government-controlled system, he thought about looking for organs from living donors.

In the history of organ transplantation in Vietnam, 96% of over 7,600 donations have been from living donors, with a meagre 4% coming from dead people.

With his strong desire to live, Thanh could manage to simply wait his turn and decided to embark on a journey to find a kidney.

Surreptitious kidney transactions

According to doctors, patients looking for a potential organ donor should start with family members due to the lower possibility of rejection.

Thanhs father was the first to volunteer. He traveled from the northern Nam Dinh Province to HCMC, a 1,600-kilometer journey to check, but was unfortunately not a match.

Continuing his dialysis, Thanh kept looking for a donor since he "had so many uncompleted dreams and hopes."

He learned from a fellow patient about the black market for organs.

Thanh runs dialysis three times a week at the Thong Nhat Hospital in HCMC, March 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Phung Tien

According to the Law on Donation, Removal and Transplantation of Human Tissues and Organs and Donation and Recovery of Cadavers, any individual aged above 18 who is registered as an organ donor and is sufficiently healthy can legally donate organs without any other restrictions.

However, commercial transactions and brokerage related to organs are strictly prohibited.

Under the law, anyone involved in buying, selling or appropriating human tissues or body parts face imprisonment of three years to life, depending on the seriousness of the crime.

Despite being fully informed of the legal stipulations, Thanh decided to go ahead and buy a kidney on the black market regardless of the consequences.

He did not want to be one of thousands of patients desperately waiting for a transplant and dying before their turn came.

Through an acquaintance, Thanh met a broker named Van from Hue. While the supply of legal organs from dead donors is limited, Van claimed that the supply in the black market was "abundant."

After several months of discussions Thanh boarded a flight to Hue in mid-2022 and met him at a cafe. Van introduced him to a stranger, a man a few years younger than himself and ready to "donate" a kidney.

The deal was sealed at a price of VND400 million ($16,000) excluding other expenses.

He had to immediately make a down payment of VND100 million ($4,000). It was a transaction that involved no bargaining: The buyer fully knew it was a seller's market.

But the first two candidates' kidneys were not a match. The third, a 35-year-old man, was a match, which gave Thanh hope.

But he had many more hurdles to jump through.

The screening procedure for non-family donations typically has nine steps, the most difficult of which is the legal consultation between the donor and the receiver, specifically designed to uncover illegal transactions like the one Thanh was preparing for.

When Van told him that the legal consultation was complete and he should fly to Hue to sign the documents, Thanh was in seventh heaven.

Meeting Van at a cafe next to a hospital, he signed and sealed the contract. Van told him to transfer the remaining VND300 million ($12,000) later that day.

The contract, handwritten on a plain A4 paper, was the only evidence of the illegal transaction.

Thanh returned home, feeling hopeful about the day when he would meet the transplant committee.

One day Van just disappeared.

Thanh heard rumours that he had been caught in a drug-related bust by the local police.

"But for his arrest, I think Van was an honest broker," Thanh says with a sigh, holding the handwritten contract.

His hands are darkening as his kidneys continue to weaken.

The scamming organ broker

After Vans arrest, another broker approached Thanh. Hue, a former acquaintance, told him: "Im helping you because I care about you."

The same procedures were carried out again with the new broker.

Every other day Hue would ask Thanh to transfer a small amount of money.

The money might not have been big, but the frequency kept increasing. There were more and more calls and messages for amounts as little as VND500,000 ($20) to VND22 million ($880), and the amounts stacked up.

Thanhs wife kept telling him to be careful of scams. As a businessman himself, Thanh knew the risks, but decided to keep going.

He says in explanation: "We were already halfway, with many flights and a lot of money spent. I could not give up at that point."

This time Thanh went through six of the nine steps in the process. The broker told him that after the Lunar New Year in February 2024 his case would come up to the transplant committee.

Organ sale receipts between Thanh and Van. Photo by VnExpress/May Trinh

He was again excited since the transplant had come very close.

Thanh says from there "things went south pretty fast."

His fingers point at his phone screen that shows a large number of phone calls with Hue on Zalo, the popular Vietnamese messaging application.

The closer it got to D-day, the increasing demands the broker and the organ seller made.

As Lunar New Year (Tet) approached, the latter demanded that Thanh sent money in advance if he wanted the person to come to Hue and appear before the transplant committee.

Thanh mustered VND20 million ($800) and sent it to Hue's account as usual.

But the seller kept saying he had not received the money, while Hue remained silent.

Desperate as he was, Thanh borrowed VND30 million ($1,200) from a loan shark at a staggering 1% interest per day, to transfer to the seller "for him to celebrate Tet."

February arrived and the broker and seller continued to demand more money.

Meanwhile, the bank demanded the payment of unpaid debts warning it would otherwise seize the house he had pledged as collateral.

Thong Nhat Hospital, where Thanh was still getting dialysis done, demanded the VND12 million ($480) he owed.

Only then did Thanh understand that he could not be in a game where the rules were constantly changing based on the interests and whims of other players.

People line up for dialysis at the Thong Nhat Hospital in HCMC, April 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Phung Tien

The transplant black market

Thanh is a typical victim of the illegal organ trade, which is rampant not only in Vietnam but also globally.

The demand for organ transplants remains high and is increasing daily.

The enormous gap between supply and demand means there is a thriving black market for illegal organ transactions.

There are no statistics on the organ black market in Vietnam.

Globally, according to a report by the international database Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation ("GODT"), there are 12,000 cases of illegal organ transplants annually.

Though this number accounts for only 10% of the total number of transplants, it fetches illegal brokers an income of $840 million-1.7 billion annually.

Of the organs, the kidney is the most traded, with over 8,000 sold annually due to the organs easy accessibility: An individual can lead a relatively healthy life with only one kidney, which means many people are ready to sell one of their two kidneys for money.

Organ Watch, an international non-governmental organization tracking human organ commercialization, estimates that over 10,000 kidneys are illegally transacted every year.

Vietnam, Costa Rica and Egypt are three hotspots of organ commercialization, according to a 2015 European Union report on human organ trafficking.

Vietnams Ministry of Public Security says that between 2018 and 2022 there had been 394 cases of organ commercialization with 837 individuals involved.

Organ sellers are typically individuals with financial difficulties; the main buyers are people with end-stage kidney failure who are typically willing to pay VND700 million to VND1 billion (US$28,000 to 40,000).

Brokers usually scour for potential buyers on social media or hang outside major hospitals.

They even hire rooms for potential sellers to stay near major hospitals after finding a buyer and wait for the transplant.

If a transplant goes through successfully, they earn VND 150-250 million ($6,000-10,000).

The parasitic brokers earn big money while the risks mostly devolve on the buyers and sellers.

Research by the World Health Organization found that over 70% of organ sellers no longer have the physical capacity to work like a normal person.

The relatively small amount they get in exchange for an organ typically runs out in around five months, and the sellers quickly return to financial deprivation.

Vietnams Ministry of Public Security estimated that organ sellers lose 45-70% of their health, and some die due to post-surgery complications.

Bypassing the laws

Prof Dr Tran Ngoc Sinh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Transplant Association, says: "There are some institutions where leaders promote ethics related to organ transplantation while some employees find a way to bypass the laws and sneakily, sometimes openly, conspire with black-market dealers."

There are numerous instances of organ sellers being taken by foreign brokers to medical institutions near the countrys borders, where the laws are often flouted, to harvest organs, says Sinh, who has nearly 50 years experience in the organ transplant field.

But when there are medical complications, the organ sellers, now patients, are left to fend for themselves and have to travel back to urban hospitals to seek help, he says.

Medical personnel support the illegal brokers in operating these schemes, he laments.

Organ transactions, due to their illegal nature, typically do not involve the signing of contracts but carry significant risks.

A large part of the money falls into the hands of brokers.

As brokers become more organized, they increasingly take a larger cut, benefiting from the misery of organ sellers and receivers.

Nevertheless, a large number of patients still seek organs through illegal means, Dr Tran Thi Cam Thu, deputy director of the transplant center at Hue Central Hospital, said at a conference in 2021.

The Hue Central Hospital has been one of the main hubs for kidney transplants in the last decade.

At the end of 2016 doctors there discovered abnormalities in the documents furnished by some kidney donors.

The hospital swiftly established a department of transplant regulation to independently verify cases. Since 2018 the hospital has worked with the local police to examine the legality of organ donations. Some cases are rejected by the hospital because the documents are dubious, but the people involved just go elsewhere to get the procedure done, Thu says.

Assoc prof Dr Nguyen Bach, head of kidney and blood filtration at HCMCs Thong Nhat Hospital, says if hospitals scrupulously follow procedures and thoroughly conduct all tests, many cases will be disqualified due to the risks of potential diseases.

Medically, kidney donors and recipients need to pass 71 tests, and over 50% fail to do so on average.

In many cases, despite the donor and receiver matching medically, doctors advise against the donation due to the risk of declining health for donors.

Cho Ray Hospital, southern Vietnams donation hub, only conducts around 100 transplants out of 300 cases that come to it every year.

Assoc Prof Dr Thai Minh Sam, head of the urology department, says the rest are rejected due to a medical mismatch or failure to prove the relationship between donors and receivers.

Besides their medical board, all hospitals have also established legal boards with independent legal personnel.

Organ donors and receivers need to submit documents proving their identity, such as birth and marriage certificates, and their relationship with each other.

The hospitals then verify the documents with local authorities.

Typically, kidney transplant patients are on dialysis, and the medical staff at hospitals typically have a clear understanding of each of them.

"If there is a new patient who was getting dialysis elsewhere and comes to the hospital for transplant, we find it very suspicious," Bach says.

"In such cases, the hospital has to be very careful with the legal procedures."

His department recently received two patients who had had illegal transplants and then post-surgery organ rejection, and had to return to the hospital for dialysis.

People on dialysis at the Thong Nhat Hospital in HCMC, April 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Phung Tien

Bach said if he had known that Thanh, who used to be one of his patients, had looked for a kidney in the black market, he would have intervened.

All Thanh had to show after two years of borrowing money for the organ transaction and flying back and forth between HCMC and Hue was a tired body.

Khoe, his wife, said one day: "So much money and travel went without any benefit. Can you check with the doctors if I can donate a kidney to you?"

Thanh was silent and looked at their three children, the oldest 15 years old and the youngest three. He began to contemplate his wifes question.

The couple decided to see if it was possible. After two rounds of tests doctors found them to be a match medically. On hearing it, Khoe burst out crying and tightly squeezed her medical files.

For her, donating a kidney to her husband was a given. After marrying him, Khoe was a stay-at-home mother taking care of the children, and Thanh was the sole breadwinner.

She was not sure she could shoulder the responsibility if something happened to him.

She says in her strong Mekong Delta accent: "I love him and care about him. He is my husband."

After getting the green light from doctors for the donation, she walked for almost three hours every day to lose weight and improve the success rate of the surgery.

She needed to lose 10 kg, the doctors had told her.

After struggling for three years with kidney failure, Thanh had never thought he would take a kidney from his wife. He thought about their three children and that if he died she needed to be there, and healthy, to take care of them.

But after a long and arduous search for a kidney, his will weakened. Now getting a kidney from his wife is his best, and only, bet.

Story by May Trinh, Le Phuong, Le Nga

Photos by Phung Tien

Graphics by Dang Hieu
European Commission president sums up Paris meeting with Xi Jinping where Ukraine was discussed

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has given a brief summary of a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris which included a discussion of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Source: Von der Leyen at a briefing on Monday, reported by European Pravda

Details: Von der Leyen said that all parties had agreed that China and the European Union have a shared interest in peace and security.

"We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," von der Leyen said.

She noted that Xi Jinping "has played an important role in de-escalating Russia's irresponsible nuclear threats".

"I am confident that President Xi will continue to do so against the backdrop of the ongoing nuclear threats by Russia," von der Leyen said.

She said they had discussed China's commitment not to provide Russia with any assistance with lethal weapons.

"More effort is needed to curtail delivery of dual-use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield," she added.

Background:

Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in France on the afternoon of 5 May, beginning a European tour that will last several days.

Xi Jinping will pay state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary. This is his first visit to the continent since the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Everybody Eats gang member shot a man 3 times and fired at FBI. He was just sentenced

A 24-year-old Miami gang member has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting someone who drove by his house and of firing shots at an undercover FBI agent during two separate incidents in 2020.

Geno St. Flerose was sentenced Friday in Miami federal court by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom after the murder conviction and several other related crimes.

St. Flerose, a member of the Everybody Eats gang, chased the first victim for four blocks before shooting 13 rounds into his car, striking him three times, a jury found at his trial in February. The victim was 22 years old at the time of the murder in April 2020.

Then in June 2020, the FBI agent was doing surveillance in St. Fleroses neighborhood when the gang member saw the agents car, according to trial evidence. St. Flerose ran into the street and fired multiple shots at the car, hitting the vehicle but not the agent, the jury found.

Investigators also discovered that St. Flerose had hundreds of peoples personal ID information, such as Social Security numbers.

He was arrested in July 2020, court records show.

At trial, St. Flerose was found guilty in a 23-count indictment of murder in aid of racketeering, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He was also found guilty of aggravated identity theft.

St. Fleroses case, investigated by the FBI and U.S. Secret Service, was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Miami.
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade sits in court on March 1 in Atlanta. The hearing is to determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the election interference case against Donald Trump because of a relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired. Alex Slitz via Associated Press

Nathan Wade, the former Fulton County special prosecutor involved in former President Donald Trumps election interference case who resigned after his relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis was made public, said workplace romances are common.

Workplace romances are as American as apple pie, Wade told ABC News on Sunday. It happens to everyone. But it happened to the two of us.

Wade continued, not confirming whether he regretted the relationship with Willis: I regret that that private matter became the focal point of this very important prosecution. This is a very important case.

I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case, he said.

In January, rumors began that Wade and Willis were in a romantic relationship when a lawyer for one of Trumps co-defendants alleged that Willis benefitted from Wades hiring because Wade took Willis on dates.

Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee found no evidence that supported this claim, however, he said Willis could continue prosecuting the case as long as Wade stepped down, which he did.

In March, Trump and his team asked if they could appeal the judges decision, but the court hasnt decided if theyll allow an appeal.

Wade told ABC News that he and Willis thought about pausing the relationship until the case was over, but that the feelings are so strong.

But there again, when you are in the middle of it, these feelings are developing and you get to a point where the feelings are, are so strong that, you know, you start to want to do things that really are none of the publics concern.

Related...
Ex-prosecutor Nathan Wade Monday defended himself over the affair with Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis that threatened to derail the Georgia RICO election interference case against former President Donald Trump.

Breaking his silence over the affair, Wade insisted there was nothing particularly earth-shattering about the fact he bedded his boss even as they laid the legal groundwork for one of the four potential criminal trials that Trump is facing.

Workplace romances are as American as apple pie, Wade told ABC News in an interview that aired Monday. It happens to everyone. But it happened to the two of us.

Tiptoeing around his own alleged misconduct, Wade conceded that it was a shame the affair threw a monkey wrench in the effort to hold Trump accountable for alleged historic crimes.

I regret that that private matter became the focal point of this very important prosecution, Wade said. I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case.

Wade resigned from his post as the top lieutenant to Willis in March after Judge Scott McAfee effectively ordered either him or Willis to step aside.

Trump and his co-defendants sought to use the affair to undermine the legitimacy of the entire Trump prosecution, which they suggested Willis and Wade misused as a money-making exercise for themselves.

The couple went on romantic day trips together and vacation cruises, for which they claimed they split expenses, often using cash.

Willis and Wade claimed under oath they only started dating after Willis appointed him as the top prosecutor in the Trump case, although some witnesses suggested the funny business started earlier.

The affair led to a lengthy trial within a trial that significantly delayed the Georgia case. It could also give Trump grounds for appeal if he is convicted.

Willis says she still hopes to start the trial before the presidential election in the fall, but that seems unlikely. McAfee has not yet set a trial date.

The Georgia case is one of four criminal cases that Trump faces, including the Manhattan case stemming from hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

He is also facing a federal election interference case that is on hold pending a Supreme Court ruling on Trumps claim of blanket presidential immunity as well as a federal trial on charges he took classified documents after leaving the White House.
FILE PHOTO: A screen shows the trading info for The Walt Disney Company company on the floor of the NYSE in New York

FILE PHOTO: A screen shows the trading info for The Walt Disney Company company on the floor of the NYSE in New York

By Anirban Sen and Dawn Chmielewski

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walt Disney and Comcast are seeking to hire a financial adviser to resolve a dispute over how to value the 33% stake in streaming platform Hulu that the former will acquire from the latter, according to people familiar with the matter.

The move is in accordance with a deal the companies struck for Hulu last year. It is an action their contract foresees if JPMorgan Chase, which provided a fairness opinion on Hulu for Disney, and Morgan Stanley, which provided such an opinion for Comcast, are too far apart in their valuation assessments.

JPMorgan has valued Hulu for Disney at close to $27.5 billion, which is the floor valuation for Hulu that the companies had set as part of their 2019 "put-call" agreement, one of the sources said. Morgan Stanley valued Hulu for Comcast at more than $40 billion, another source said.

Disney and Comcast are now in talks to hire an investment bank that will independently value Hulu, the sources said, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential.

Hulu, which boasts popular original titles such as "Shogun", "The Bear", "Prey", and "Only Murders in the Building", had 49.7 million subscribers at the end of Dec 2023, representing a growth of 2% from the September quarter.

In remarks at a Goldman Sachs conference last year, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts called Hulu a "scarce kingmaker asset" that is "way more valuable today" than when the deal was initially struck.

Disney has already completed the addition of Hulu to its Disney+ streaming service, which is home to titles such as "Moana" and "Frozen."

In regulatory filings last year, Disney and Comcast had outlined that if the valuation reached by their two banks were within 10% of each other, a deal will be consummated at a valuation that is the average of the two appraisals.

Since the two appraisals are more than 10% apart, Comcast and Disney are jointly in talks to pick a third bank to do an independent appraisal, the sources said.

As per the terms of the agreement, if the third appraisal is closest to the valuation of that produced by Disney's bank, the average of those two valuations will be the value at which the deal gets done.

Similarly, if the third appraisal is closest to the valuation of that produced by Comcast's bank, the average of those two valuations is the value at which the deal gets done.

If the average of the third appraisal is below $27.5 billion, the final valuation will be $27.5 billion.

In 2019, Disney and Comcast signed an agreement for Hulu with an option strike date of January 2024, after Disney's $71 billion takeover of Fox's assets, including its minority stake in Hulu. The deal gave Disney majority control over Hulu as it already owned a 33% stake in the streaming service. Comcast retained its stake in Hulu at the time believing that its value would increase significantly by 2024.

In November last year, Disney agreed to take full control of Hulu and pay Comcast at least $8.6 billion for the remaining 33% stake, after Comcast triggered the deal as part of the 2019 agreement.

(Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Milana Vinn; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Former U.S. President Trump's criminal trial on charges of falsifying business records continues in New York

By Alexandra Ulmer

(Reuters) - Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who testified at Donald Trump's criminal trial last month, was targeted in a fake emergency the same day he took the stand in New York, according to police records seen by Reuters.

The previously unreported April 25 "swatting" incident, or filing of a false report to trigger a potentially dangerous response, is one in a wave of violent threats against U.S. officials and other public figures in recent years.

A person using the name "Jamal" claimed in an email to a local newspaper that he had tied up his wife in the basement and killed his wife's lover. Jamal gave the address of the crime as Pecker's home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

"I fucked up really bad," Jamal wrote. "Please help me."

The incident report by the Greenwich Police Department said when police were alerted to the email they were already aware of Pecker's home address due to his "being involved in a highly publicized trial."

"A check ... revealed no emergency," said the report, which was seen by Reuters through a records request. "The email was likely a swatting by proxy attempt." Reuters was unable to confirm whether any arrests were made.

It appeared to be the first report of a swatting attempt against someone testifying in the Republican presidential candidate's 12-day-old hush money trial.

On the day of the swatting attempt, Pecker testified that he wrangled with Trump and his former lawyer ahead of the 2016 presidential election over who should buy the silence of women who said they had sexual encounters with Trump.

It does not appear that Pecker was home at the time of the incident, which the police report put at 4:44 p.m. Another unnamed resident was home, according to the report.

Elkan Abramowitz, a lawyer for Pecker, declined to comment.

Reuters reviewed several emergency calls to authorities of hoax calls across the U.S. from a person identified only as "Jamal" who called police to say he had killed his wife.

The hoax email "Jamal" sent about Pecker's home came from the address nobody@dizum.com, the Greenwich police report said, describing the email address as untraceable.

(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer, Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller)
This story was updated May 6 at 6:01 p.m. EST with details about the squadron the aircraft is assigned to and a comment from the leader of the Air Dominance Center.

The Air Force is investigating the cause of a mishap involving an F-22 Raptor during an Air National Guard fighter exercise Monday.

The pilot was not injured in the mishap, which occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia, according to the 165th Airlift Wing, which hosts Savannah Sentry, a counterair exercise for fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets from across the Air National Guard.

Pilot treated after ejecting from F-16 jet that crashed in New Mexico

The aircraft is assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Additional details about the incident and the status of the aircrafts damage was not available Monday evening.

Thank you to all the first responders who arrived on scene, Col. Stephen Thomas, commander of the Air Dominance Center at Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, said in a statement. Sentry Savannah is all about showcasing readiness and todays mishap affirmed our airmens ability to respond at a moments notice.

Sentry Savannah will continue as scheduled, with no impacts to future flying operations, the 165th Airlift Wing said.

The mishap is the second to occur in the last week. On April 30, an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 49th Wing crashed outside of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The pilot in that crash received minor injuries and was treated and released from a medical facility the same day.

Designed to take down other aircraft, the Raptor is a single-seat supersonic fighter that joined the service in 2005. It relies on stealth technology, sophisticated maneuvers can carry as many as eight short- and medium-range air-to-air missiles.

Air Forces costliest accidents, maintainer injuries rose in 2023

The F-22 Raptor fighter led manned aircraft in the Air Forces most serious noncombat mishaps at nine accidents in fiscal year 2023, according to an analysis of Air Force Safety Center data obtained by Air Force Times. Six of those incidents involved flight operations, including a bird strike that forced an emergency landing and other mishaps that bent blades on an engine and other engine troubles. Another three incidents included mishaps during maintenance, including two while the aircraft were being towed.

Class B incidents involved between $600,000 and $2.5 million in damages, a permanent partial disability, inpatient hospitalization of three or more personnel, or a combination of those factors.

On average, 3 1/2 F-22s have been involved in Class B incidents annually during the past decade, according the latest available data compiled by the Air Force Safety Center in 2021.

The service owns a total 185 Raptors, an inventory it has proposed reducing to 153 in its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal.
Fact Check: Biden Told Story About Being Arrested as a Kid While Standing with Black Family as White People Protested Desegregation. Here's What We Found

Claim:

U.S. President Joe Biden was arrested as a kid while standing on a porch with a Black family as white people protested desegregation.

Rating:

Rating: False

On April 26, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden was interviewed by radio personality Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show, where he made the claim that as a child growing up in Delaware, he was arrested while standing with a Black family on their porch during protests by white people against racial desegregation. The claim swirled across news outlets and social media platforms. However, multiple investigations by news organizations and fact-checkers, including Snopes, have failed to find evidence to support this claim.

During the interview, the president recounted a conversation with his mother, Catherine Finnegan, recalling her warning against joining protests during the desegregation of Lynnfield:

"I looked at my mom. I said, 'Honey, you haven't said anything.' She said, 'Joey, remember,' true story, she said, 'Remember when they were desegregating Lynnfield the neighborhood into 70 homes?'" President Biden told Stern during the interview. "'And I told you, there was a Black family moving in and there were people down there protesting. I told you not to go down there and you went down. Remember that? And you came, you got arrested for standing out on the porch with a Black family. And they brought you back, the police.' And I said 'Yeah, Mom, I remember that.'"

Biden's assertion on Stern's show gained traction across various accounts on X, sparking skepticism among users about its veracity.

One X user, Greg Price, a spokesman for the State Freedom Caucus Network, shared the alleged incident, stating that "On Howard Stern's show today, Biden claimed  he was arrested as a kid while standing with a black family on their porch as people were protesting desegregation. (Lie)." That post had received 4.3 million views at the time of this writing.

An account managed by the Republican National Committee, RNC Research, wrote, "Biden claims he 'got arrested standing on the porch with a Black family' during the civil rights movement. That never happened."

Snopes agrees with that assessment and rates this claim "False." We reached out to the White House, which did not respond to a request for comment.

The origins of this story trace back to October 2018, when Biden told the anecdote to the Economic Club of Southwest Michigan in the context of a conversation he had with his mother in 2008, when he was deciding whether to join Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as his vice-presidential running mate. According to PolitiFact, he said:

"She said, 'Joey, didn't I call you about a month ago and ask you about Barack?' I said, 'Yeah, mom.' She said, 'Didn't you say to me you thought he was really bright and had a great deal of integrity and would make a good president if he was the nominee?' I said, 'Yeah.' "She said, 'Joey, remember at 15 years old and that real estate agent sold a house to the Black couple in Lynnfield.'  This was in suburban sprawl, the neighboring neighborhood. 'I told you not to go down there because of the protests, and you went down and you got arrested because you were standing on the porch with the Black couple?' I said, 'Yeah, mom. I remember that.'"

Investigations into Biden's past have found no records indicating that he was formally booked at a police station or faced any consequences in the criminal justice system. In some instances, when recounting the Lynnfield anecdote, Biden himself has characterized the police's actions as merely driving him home, rather than taking him into custody.

During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden repeated the anecdote while appearing via Zoom as a guest on Oprah Winfrey's show, but did not mention being arrested, only that his mother had said the "police brought you home because they thought you'd get in trouble."

While instances of racial discrimination in housing occurred near Biden's Delaware residence during his teenage years, there is no credible evidence to support the claim of his arrest in connection with these incidents.

A report published Feb. 25, 1959, in Wilmington newspaper The News-Journal documented seven arrests linked to a protest at a Collins Park residence, about 10 miles south of Lynnfield. According to PolitiFact, among those arrested were three men charged with disturbing the peace and four teenagers apprehended for possessing fireworks.

Similarly, an Associated Press article from the same year mentioned arrests at the home of a Black family but did not name Biden. According to the report, a 17-year-old, described as the son of a "Harold Figgett," was arrested for juvenile delinquency, alongside three members of his family, during a protest that took place on a Saturday at the home of a Black family "in a previously all-white housing development." It's worth noting that Biden would have been 16 years old at the time.

Forbes, in its "Biden-Trump Gaffe Tracker," noted that the claim that Biden was arrested during civil rights protests has been disputed, highlighting the lack of evidence to support the assertion. Furthermore, CNN investigated Biden's claim and found it to be unsupported by available evidence. PolitiFact investigated the allegation and concluded that evidence supporting Biden's arrest during civil rights protests is scant. Similarly, The Washington Post also found little substantiation for Biden's repeated claim of being arrested when he was younger.

Biden's 2007 memoir "Promises to Keep," does not mention the president having been arrested at any point in his life. Additionally, his 2017 memoir "Promise Me, Dad" does not include any mention of being arrested.

Sources:

"PolitiFact: Evidence Scant That Joe Biden Was Arrested Protesting For Civil Rights." NBC 6 South Florida, 26 Jan. 2022, https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/politics/politifact/politifact-evidence-scant-that-joe-biden-was-arrested-protesting-for-civil-rights/2672132/.

Dale, Daniel. "Fact Check: Biden Repeats His Claim That He 'Got Arrested' Defending Civil Rights. There's Still No Evidence for It | CNN Politics." CNN, 26 Apr. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/26/politics/fact-check-joe-biden-claim-arrested-defending-civil-rights/index.html.

Desk, ALEC SCHEMMEL |. The National. "Biden's Claim about Getting Arrested given 4 'Pinocchios' by Fact-Checker." WPMI, 13 Jan. 2022, https://mynbc15.com/news/nation-world/bidens-claim-about-getting-arrested-given-4-pinnocchios-by-wapo-fact-checker-president-biden-washington-post-black-family-election-reform-barack-obama-glenn-kessler.

DocumentCloud. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21178511-clipping_92493385. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

---. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21178514-25-feb-1959-page-1-the-news-journal-at-newspaperscom. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Dorn, Sara. "Biden-Trump Gaffe Tracker: Biden Repeats Disputed Claim He Was Arrested During Civil Rights-Era Protests." Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/04/26/biden-trump-gaffe-tracker-biden-repeats-disputed-claim-he-was-arrested-during-civil-rights-era-protests/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Glueck, Katie, and Thomas Kaplan. "Biden Adds a Claim to His Biography: An Arrest in South Africa." The New York Times, 21 Feb. 2020. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/21/us/politics/biden-south-africa-arrest-mandela.html.

"Https://Twitter.Com/Greg_price11/Status/1783900381346410512/Video/3." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1783900381346410512/video/3. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/Lovelynancie/Status/1784042491529875695." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/lovelynancie/status/1784042491529875695. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/Nuked4Every1/Status/1783886394257015179." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/Nuked4Every1/status/1783886394257015179. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

"Https://Twitter.Com/RNCResearch/Status/1783877375328993575." X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1783877375328993575. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Jacobson, Jeff Cercone, Louis. "No Evidence Biden Was Arrested in Civil Rights Protest." @politifact, https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jan/13/joe-biden/evidence-scant-joe-biden-was-arrested-protesting-c/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kessler, Glenn. "Analysis | Biden Claims yet Another Arrest for Which There's Little Evidence." Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2022. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/13/biden-claims-yet-another-arrest-which-theres-little-evidence/.

Morris, Kyle. "'NO EVIDENCE': Biden Mocked for Stretching the Truth on Shock Jock Howard Stern's Show." Fox News, 27 Apr. 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/no-evidence-biden-mocked-stretching-truth-shock-jock-howard-sterns-show.

"President Joe Biden Says He Was 'Arrested Standing On The Porch With A Black Family.'" Yahoo News, 27 Apr. 2024, https://www.yahoo.com/news/president-joe-biden-says-arrested-154508087.html.

Biden, Joe. Promise Me, Dad. Macmillan, 2018, https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250171696/promisemedad.

"Promises to Keep by Joe Biden: 9780812976212 | PenguinRandomHouse.Com: Books." PenguinRandomhouse.Com, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/13392/promises-to-keep-by-joe-biden/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Fact Check: California Was Supposedly Named After Fictional Isle of Black Women Who Kept Griffins as Pets. Here's the Story

Claim:

California got its name from a fictional island inhabited solely by Black women who kept griffins as pets and were led by a queen named Calafia.

Rating:

Rating: True

For years, claims have circulated that the state of California got its name from a fictional island depicted in a 16th-century Spanish romance novel:

This post, published in 2020, garnered 12,000 upvotes. The claim was also shared on other social media platforms, including Instagram, X and TikTok.

The claim is true. In the after Christopher Columbus arrived on an island in the Caribbean, the Spanish writer and poet Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo published the chivalry romance novel "Las sergas de Esplandian"  "The Adventures of Esplandian."

The novel recounted the feats of the medieval knight Esplandian, son of the mythical King Amadis of Gaul. In the book, Rodriguez de Montalvo described an island called "California." He located it "on the right-hand side of the Indies," near the "Earthly Paradise."

He wrote that Black women inhabited it, without a single man among them. Their lifestyle was very similar to that of the mythical Amazons. He said their bodies were brave and vigorous, and their hearts ardent. The women were very strong, their weapons were made of gold, the only metal available on the island. They tamed "wild beasts" and rode them. They warred against men, though kept some of them for mating before killing them. If they gave birth to girls, Rodriguez de Montalvo wrote, they kept and raised them. If they had boys, they killed them. The women also tamed griffins  mythical lion-eagle hybrids  he said, and trained them to attack and eat men and boys.

Arabic Influence

Calafia was the queen of the island. Rodriguez de Montalvo did not expound on the etymology of her name, but Spain at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century was still under heavy Arabic influence. An estimated 4,000 Arabic words still pervade Castilian  the standard form of the Spanish language  out of roughly 93,000 words in use today, according to the Real Academia Espanola. A viral TikTok video illustrates this linguistic influence:

It is therefore more than likely that "Calafia" comes from the Arabic "khalifa," the feminine of "khalif"  a word that means, literally, "successor," but is used widely as leader or head of state.

The Naming of the State

In 1510, Spanish conquistadors were still at the very early stages of the exploration of the Americas. The name "California" first appeared in 1562, when Royal Cartographer Diego Gutierrez mapped the area (see the full image here):



(Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division)

At the time of its discovery, explorers thought that Mexico's Baja California was an island. Still, the name stuck. California the "island" became California the peninsula, which then became Baja California when the U.S. state got its name.

Sources:

'California, Calafia, Khalif: The Origin of the Name "California"'. PBS SoCal, 15 Dec. 2015, https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/departures/california-calafia-khalif-the-origin-of-the-name-california.

Rodriguez de Montalvo, Garci. Las Sergas de Esplandian (excerpts). 1510, https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/descargaPdf/las-sergas-de-esplandian-v-libro-amadisiano-1510-seleccion/.

'Why Is It Called California? Here's How the State Got Its Name.' Abc10.Com, 8 Sept. 2019, https://www.abc10.com/article/news/history/how-california-got-its-name/103-a471dc13-3bde-4b4b-90ae-9c926e3e47a9.

'Americae Sive Qvartae Orbis Partis Nova et Exactissima Descriptio'. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3290.ct000342/. Accessed 3 May 2024.
Well over two years into Russias war on Ukraine, there seems to be little inclination on the part of the belligerents toward negotiations to end the conflict. So, the question is, at this point, does a path toward peace in Ukraine exist?

It depends mostly on Vladimir Putin and what he decides, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. I think Putin has believed that he can outlast Ukraine and outlast Ukraines supporters.

The success in  getting the supplemental budget request is a demonstration that were not going anywhere, that support is continuing, and in fact the 61 or so billion dollars is as we speak moving forward. And thats critical because I think its both a practical and psychological boost to Ukrainians who have had a tough nine months or so, but also a clear demonstration that the support remains, and it endures.

Clearly, Were in this for Ukraine to be strong in the long haul and to stand strongly on its own two feet militarily, economically, democratically, said Secretary Blinken.

Militarily  beyond the support that were providing in the immediate and Europeans are providing  Ive never seen a better example of burden sharing than in the case of Ukraine, where European partners, Asian partners, others, for as much as weve done, have done even more, and that continues, he said.

We have now more than 30 countries that have negotiated or will soon complete negotiations on bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, said Secretary Blinken. At the same time, were driving private-sector investment into Ukraine.

There are tremendous opportunities despite the difficult circumstances, and were seeing tremendous interest in that.  Ukraines  actually exporting more through the Black Sea now than it was before February of 2022. Revenues are going into the state coffers. You can see a future where Ukraine will be strong economically.

And then democratically  the European Union opened accession talks with Ukraine, and thats the best pathway to deepening Ukraines democracy, he said.

All of that is the strongest possible answer to Putin, because it says that Ukraine will not only survive  it can thrive going forward.

I hope that Mr. Putin gets the message and demonstrates a willingness to genuinely negotiate consistent with the basic principles that are at the heart of the international community and the UN Charter: sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence, said Secretary Blinken. If those are appropriately affirmed, there should be a resolution.
Claim:

Donald Trump supporters wore diapers at rallies in spring 2024, holding signs that said "Real men wear diapers."

Rating:

Rating: True

In April and May 2024, reports circulated that supporters of 2024 Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump were gathering at rallies wearing diapers.

Several X users made posts with such pictures, and on April 24, 2024, the blog Dispatches from Trumpland posted photographs of one such rally, which reportedly took place in Pennsylvania. The same blog had another post about Trump and diapers on April 11.

According to the posts, Trump supporters began to appear at rallies donning diapers and holding signs that said "Real Men Wear Diapers." Some of them reportedly nicknamed the former president "Diaper Don," and one woman wore a sweater that said "Diapers Over Dems." We found some of the clothes they wore for sale, though we weren't able to establish when those designs were posted for purchase  it may have been after the purported trend went viral.

We noticed that the photographs that circulated all came from Dispatches from Trumpland, so we contacted the writers of the blog to ask for more details about the rallies. The writer replied that the photographs posted on April 11 had been taken at rallies in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Detroit. He added that he took the photographs in the April 24 post himself, in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

He also shared an article from the Greensboro News & Record, published March 2, 2024, that included a photograph of a man it identified as Alfredo Alcala, who wore a red T-shirt that said "Real Men Wear Diapers."

He also shared a Feb. 17, 2024, post on X by Nick Smith, a reporter at Gongwer News Service  a Michigan-based outlet that focuses on the state's politics  who posted four photographs, including one of Trump supporters standing outside on snow-covered ground who held a banner that had the same slogan:

Spending the afternoon in Waterford Township, where former President Donald Trump will be speaking this evening at a get out the vote rally ahead of Michigan's presidential primary election later this month #mipol pic.twitter.com/OODnKJijNt  Nick Smith (@NSmithReports) February 17, 2024

Because this trend was documented in coverage by reputable news outlets in addition to the reports by Dispatches from Trumpland, we have rated this claim as "True."

The Smell

It's unclear where this trend originated, but it appears the participants chose to embrace jokes and comments about Trump's smell and purported intestinal distress. Rumors about Trump's digestive problems, which allegedly necessitated diapers, have spread at least since he became president. For example, internet users speculated that he had a bowel movement during a 2019 meeting with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Later, on Dec. 16, 2023, then-U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, posted on X about the former president's odor, writing that it was "something to behold":

Im genuinely surprised how people close to Trump havent talked about the odor.



Its truly something to behold. Wear a mask if you can  Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini)  (@AdamKinzinger) December 16, 2023

Kinzinger went on to describe it a bit more specifically for MeidasTouch, a progressive media network. "Take armpits, ketchup, a butt and makeup and put that all in a blender and bottle that as a cologne," he said. "That's kind of that. I've been amazed that everybody is just kind of learning about this now."

Several days later, on Dec. 22, 2023, filmmaker Morgan J. Freeman posted a digitally altered photo of Trump with a comment that "Apparently #TrumpSmells because he rarely changes his adult diapers!":

Apparently #TrumpSmells because he rarely changes his adult diapers! F*ck*ng gross!!! pic.twitter.com/trUNLtUnZE  Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) December 22, 2023

Von Sh**zInPantz

This movement may have found new life with an April 22, 2024, X post by Michael Cohen, an attorney and former adviser to Trump who was a key player in the criminal trial against Trump over charges that he falsified business records in order to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels hush money ahead of the 2016 election. Referencing long-standing rumors and alleged incidents, Cohen wrote:

Hey Von Sh**zInPantzyour attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all hoping that you take the stand in your defense.

Hey Von ShitzInPantzyour attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all hoping that you take the stand in your defense. pic.twitter.com/FVsWbRnNkB  Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) April 22, 2024

The post came days after rumors emerged that the former president was passing gas in the courtroom.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche read the post aloud in the courtroom to Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, causing the court stenographer to commit Cohen's post to the record. Blanche was protesting the fact that while Trump was under a gag order, prosecution witnesses had no such limitations.

Sources:

Black, Michael Ian. 'Michael Ian Black: Trump Diapers Would Be a MAGA Phenomenon'. The Daily Beast, 24 Apr. 2024. www.thedailybeast.com, https://www.thedailybeast.com/michael-ian-black-trump-diapers-would-be-a-maga-phenomenon.

Trumpland, Dispatches From. 'More Trump Diapers At Pennsylvania Rally'. DispatchesTrumpland, 23 Apr. 2024, https://www.dispatchesfromtrumpland.com/post/more-trump-diapers-at-pennsylvania-rally.

Why Are Trump Supporters Wearing Diapers to His Rallies? | Indy100. https://www.indy100.com/politics/trump/trump-supporters-wearing-diapers. Accessed 3 May 2024.

Scannell, Maureen Chowdhury, Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle, Kara. 'Gag Order Hearing in Trump's Hush Money Case: What to Know | CNN Politics'. CNN, 2 May 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/02/politics/gag-order-hearing-trump/index.html.

'Diaper Don': Internet Celebrates 'Trump Smells' Trending on Social Media - Raw Story. https://www.rawstory.com/trump-smells-trends/. Accessed 3 May 2024.

'Something Stinks: Why #TrumpSmells Is Trending On X'. Yahoo Entertainment, 23 Dec. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/something-stinks-why-trumpsmells-trending-010339466.html.

Trumpland, Dispatches From. 'Trump Supporters Embrace His Diaper Rumor'. DispatchesTrumpland, 10 Apr. 2024, https://www.dispatchesfromtrumpland.com/post/trump-supporters-embrace-his-diaper-rumor.

Updates:

May 9, 2024: The rating on this report was updated from "Research In Progress" to "True" based on additional information confirming the trend.

May 21, 2024: This post was updated to indicate that an image in an embedded X post was digitally altered.
Claim:

An image shows a Princeton University 3D model accurately depicting what Eve, the first woman created by God in the Bible, looked like.

Rating:

Rating: Miscaptioned

On May 4, 2024, X account @XHabib posted an image claiming to be a three-dimensional model of Eve, the first woman created by God in the Bible. The post received more than 5.5 million views and 1,600 likes, as of this writing.

Scientists at Princeton University have reconstructed this 3D model of how Eve, the first human woman created by God, may have looked pic.twitter.com/Tr0PkhaxZV  XHabib (@RealXHabib) May 4, 2024

The post did not support this claim with any corroborating evidence, and several users in the comments pointed out the resemblance of the 3D model to pop star Taylor Swift. "I thought the first set of humans would be, idk, hairier than this," wrote one commenter.

Although the post claims that "scientists at Princeton" reconstructed the model, a keyword Google search revealed no such publication from the university.

When the image was put through AI-detection software Hive, the result was 100% AI-generated.

(Hive)

The same X account posted similarly unfounded claims and images in the past, such as an apple tree that produced iPhones and another image that claimed to depict a 3D rendering of the biblical Adam. The format of the joke  scientists at a prestigious university have reconstructed a 3D model of a historical figure, paired with a rendering that resembles a celebrity  is a well-known meme.

In reality, there is no scientific evidence for the biblical Adam and Eve, let alone any physical identifiers for an actual human such as Eve that would allow scientists to render a 3D model. Fossil evidence indicates that our earliest ancestors were a part of a larger population; they were not alone on earth.

We've previously debunked a similar post that claimed scientists at Stanford University had reconstructed a 3D model of Joseph, father of Jesus Christ, that closely resembled French actor and wrestler Andre the Giant.

Sources:

'Https://Twitter.Com/AlamoNYC/Status/1585689420023332881'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/AlamoNYC/status/1585689420023332881. Accessed 6 May 2024.

'Https://Twitter.Com/RealXHabib/Status/1786814879455711702'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/RealXHabib/status/1786814879455711702. Accessed 6 May 2024.

Ibrahim, Nur. 'No, This Is Not a 3D Recreation of Joseph, Husband of Mary'. Snopes, 2 Nov. 2022, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/3d-model-joseph-husband-mary/.

Is It True That the Biblical Adam and Eve Existed? - The Tech Interactive. https://www.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/articles/2015/y-adam-and-mteve-are-not-biblical/. Accessed 6 May 2024.

'No, This Is Not the 3D Model of Adam, the First Man, Reconstructed by Princeton University'. FACTLY, 7 Nov. 2022, https://factly.in/no-this-is-not-the-3d-model-of-adam-the-first-man-reconstructed-by-princeton-university/.

"Scientists Have Reconstructed This 3D Model." Know Your Meme, 27 Oct. 2022, https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/scientists-have-reconstructed-this-3d-model.
What's in the three-phase ceasefire deal Hamas backs, but Israel does not?

(Reuters) -Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Monday it had agreed to a three-phased deal for a ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap, although an Israeli official said the deal was not acceptable to Israel because terms had been "softened".

The United States, which alongside Qatar and Egypt has played a mediation role in the talks, said it was studying the Hamas response and would discuss it with Middle East allies.

Based on details announced so far by Hamas officials, a copy of the proposal and an official briefed on the talks, the deal that the Palestinian group said it had agreed to included the following:

PHASE ONE

- 42-day ceasefire period

- Hamas freeing 33 Israeli hostages, alive or dead, in return for Israel releasing 30 children and women for each released Israeli hostage, based on lists provided by Hamas according to the earliest date of detention.

- Starting from the first day of the ceasefire, the entry of intensive and sufficient quantities of humanitarian aid, relief materials, and fuel (600 trucks per day, including 50 fuel trucks, of which 300 are for the north), including the fuel necessary for operating the power plant, trade, and equipment needed for rubble removal, rehabilitation and operation of hospitals, health centres and bakeries in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and the continuation of this in all stages of the agreement.

- Hamas will release three Israeli hostages on the third day of the agreement, and then release three more hostages every seven days, prioritising women if possible, including civilians and conscripts.

- In the sixth week, Hamas will release all remaining civilian hostages covered by this phase. In exchange, Israel will release the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, according to the lists that will be provided by Hamas.

 Israel partially withdraws troops from Gaza and allows the free movement of Palestinians from south to north Gaza.

- Cessation of military flights over the Gaza Strip will take place for 10 hours per day and 12 hours on the day of releasing the hostages and prisoners.

- On the third day after releasing the first Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli forces will completely withdraw from al-Rashid street in northern Gaza, and all military sites will be dismantled.

- On the 22nd day of the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from the centre of the strip, east of Salah al-Din road to an area near the Israeli border.

PHASE TWO

- Another 42-day period that features an agreement to restore a "sustainable calm" to Gaza, language that an official briefed on the talks said Hamas and Israel had agreed in order to take discussion of a "permanent ceasefire" off the table.

- The complete withdrawal of most Israeli troops from Gaza.

- Hamas releases Israeli reservists and some soldiers in return for Israel releasing Palestinians from jail.

PHASE THREE

- The completion of exchanging bodies and starting the implementation of reconstruction according to the plan overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations.

- Ending the complete blockade on the Gaza Strip.

- Start of the implementation of a 3-5 year plan for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, including homes, civilian facilities and infrastructure, and compensation for all those affected, under the supervision of a number of countries and organisations including Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.

(Reporting by Andrew Mills in Doha and Nafisa Eltahir and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Tala Ramadan in Dubai; Editing by Edmund Blair, Josie Kao, Michael Georgy and Alison Williams)
By Francois Murphy

VIENNA (Reuters) - U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi will hold talks with senior officials in Iran on Monday and Tuesday, hoping to bolster his agency's oversight of Iran's nuclear activities.

Since then-President Donald Trump's decision in 2018 to pull the United States out of a landmark deal between Iran and major powers that restricted Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, that accord has unravelled.

Iran retaliated to the re-imposition of sanctions lifted under the deal by breaching and going far beyond the nuclear restrictions. It is now enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% of weapons grade, and has enough uranium enriched to that level, if enriched further, for two atom bombs.

Western powers say there is no credible civil justification for that. Iran says its aims are purely peaceful.

Below are some of the difficulties the International Atomic Energy Agency currently faces in Iran.

SNAP INSPECTIONS

Under the 2015 deal between Iran and major powers, Iran agreed to implement the Additional Protocol, an agreement between the IAEA and member states that lets the IAEA carry out snap inspections at locations of interest including undeclared ones, not just the declared facilities it inspects regularly.

As part of measures it announced in February 2021, Iran stopped implementing the Additional Protocol, ending snap inspections.

MONITORING SCOPE

As a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is subject to IAEA inspections of its core nuclear facilities, such as its uranium-enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow. The 2015 deal, however, expanded the scope of IAEA monitoring to more activities and facilities.

Those included production and inventory of parts for centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium, as well as yellowcake, a form of uranium that needs further processing before it can be fed into centrifuges for enrichment.

Iran scrapped those extra measures in February 2021. The IAEA has now lost "continuity of knowledge" on items including the number of centrifuges Iran has, heightening fears that Iran could set up a secret enrichment site. Without snap inspections, that would be much harder to detect.

CAMERAS

To cushion the blow of the measures announced in February 2021, the IAEA struck a deal with Tehran under which surveillance cameras and other equipment carrying out extra monitoring introduced by the 2015 deal would stay in place but the data collected would remain in Iran's hands, under seal.

The IAEA still has not had access to any of that footage.

In June 2022, Iran had the IAEA remove those cameras. In March 2023, Iran and the IAEA agreed on a "Joint Statement" that was short on detail but that the IAEA understood to be a sweeping pledge of cooperation by Iran, including on re-installing those cameras.

In the months following the statement a fraction of the cameras the IAEA wanted to instal were installed but the IAEA says there was "no further progress" after June of last year on cooperation as outlined in the Joint Statement.

INSPECTORS

In September 2023, Iran barred many of the IAEA's top enrichment experts assigned to the country, which diplomats said left only one such expert on the highly sensitive technology.

The IAEA condemned the move, saying that although it was technically allowed, it was unprecedented and a "very serious blow" to its ability to do its job properly in Iran.

URANIUM TRACES

The IAEA has been demanding for years that Iran explain the origin of uranium traces found at largely old but undeclared sites in Iran.

The IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution in June 2022 urging Iran to cooperate with the IAEA on the issue "without delay" and then another in November 2022 ordering Iran to cooperate urgently with the IAEA's investigation.

Iran has said such resolutions are "anti-Iranian" and politically motivated. Recent IAEA reports have said Iran has still not provided technically credible explanations for the uranium traces.

MODIFIED CODE 3.1

According to the IAEA so-called modified Code 3.1, part of the agreement spelling out Iran's obligations under the NPT "provides for the submission to the Agency of design information for new nuclear facilities as soon as the decision to construct, or to authorize construction of, a new facility has been taken, whichever is the earlier".

Since February 2021 Iran has said it is no longer implementing the code, but the IAEA says it is a legal obligation that Iran cannot suspend.

This again raises the question of whether Iran is planning or has started to build nuclear facilities in secret. It has publicly announced plans for new nuclear power plants and broken ground on them without informing the IAEA.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy, Editing by William Maclean)
(BCN)  A Fairfield man has pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and identity theft charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Steven Miller, 48, used someone elses social security number to fill out a credit application to purchase a Dodge Challenger Hellcat in Yuba City in 2018. Based on the credit he stole, a bank approved the load and paid over $75,000 to the dealership. Miller drove away in the car, but it was subsequently seized by law enforcement, according to prosecutors.

1 killed after Oakland shooting, car crashes into parking lot

Miller is facing up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for bank fraud. He is also facing two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft, which will run consecutively with any time he gets for fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8.

Copyright  2024 Bay City News, Inc.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
FILE - Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son with attorney Ben Crump, left; her older son, Leon Ochieng; and attorney Mark Krudys, at the Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Va., March 16, 2023. On Sunday, May 5, 2024, a Virginia judge signed off on a prosecutor's request to withdraw charges against five more people in connection with the 2023 death of Otieno, a young man who was pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes while being admitted to a state psychiatric hospital. (Daniel Sangjib Min/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, File)

A Virginia judge has signed off on a prosecutor's request to withdraw charges against five more people in connection with the 2023 death of Irvo Otieno, a young man who was pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes while being admitted to a state psychiatric hospital.

Judge Joseph Teefy of Dinwiddie Circuit Court on Sunday approved the prosecutor's motion to nolle prosequi  or effectively drop for now  the case against five sheriff's deputies, according to court records. The prosecutor could still seek to renew the charges, attorneys involved with the matter said.

The move means prosecutions are now actively pending for just three of the 10 Henrico County deputies and Central State Hospital workers initially charged with second-degree murder in Otieno's death, which was captured on video that sparked outrage and calls for mental health and law enforcement reforms.

Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man, had been taken into custody in suburban Richmond amid a mental health crisis. He was initially transported to a private hospital but later jailed after law enforcement officials said he became combative. Later, he was transferred to the state mental health hospital south of Richmond, where he died in March 2023 of what a medical examiner found was positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints."

Hospital video captured a scrum of deputies and hospital workers restraining Otieno while he was in handcuffs and leg shackles.

Otieno's mother and her attorneys, who spoke at a news conference Monday, said they disagreed strongly with the prosecutor's action. But they also said the prosecutor had assured them the decision had been made for strategic reasons and that she planned to renew pursuit of the charges.

Caroline Ouko, Otienos mother, called the move a radical, reckless decision with great ramifications."

We demand justice and nothing less, she said, renewing her long-running call for the U.S. Department of Justice to get involved in the case.

The prosecutor, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth's Attorney Amanda Mann, did not respond to questions from The Associated Press. She said in a news release that her motions to nolle prosequi the charges speak for themselves and she would have no further comment.

In those motions, Mann wrote that her predecessor, an interim commonwealth's attorney, had scheduled the order of the defendants' trials. The timing of the trials is strategically important, Mann wrote in each individual's motion, adding that she did not "find the order to be sound and competent prosecutorial decision making.

Russ Stone, a defense attorney for one of the five deputies, Dwayne Bramble, said Mann could elect to pursue the charges again. But he said such a development would be extremely rare."

It's been our position all along that it was prosecutorial overreach" by the first commonwealth's attorney on the case, who charged innocent people without an adequate basis," Stone said.

"And we appreciate the fact that the current commonwealth's attorney has corrected that, he said.

Defense attorneys for the other individuals  Jermaine Branch, Randy Boyer, Bradley Disse and Tabitha Levere  did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.

The prosecutor who initially handled the case  and has since left the job  dropped criminal charges against two hospital employees last June.

The two deputies and one hospital worker with active cases have jury trials scheduled for October and December, according to online court records.

In a separate civil case, Otieno's family reached an $8.5 million settlement with the state, county and sheriff's department whose deputies helped restrain him.

Otieno's family, its legal team and other advocates have raised concerns that Otienos race played a role in the way he was treated. The group of individuals who have faced charges in connection with his death was multiracial, according to court records.

Nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is part of the family's legal team, has drawn comparisons between Otieno's death and the killing of George Floyd, whose family he also represented.

At Monday's news conference, he said the case against the individuals who had been charged was not complicated, given that their interactions with Otieno were captured on camera. They should be zealously prosecuted, he said.

"The troubling issue for many of us in the Black community is ... we are quick to be prosecuted when we are accused of a crime. However, when we're the victims of crime by the authorities, there seems to be delay, delay, delay," he said.
A Riverside County mother is hoping to get some help from the public after her 10-year-old son has been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer.

Sebastian Guerra fell ill and found out he had the rare cancer on his 10th birthday in January.

Im just surprised that I have brain cancer, the boy said to KTLA 5s Jennifer McGraw. I dont think anybody knows how I got it.

Guerra was diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma, which is the most aggressive type of brain cancer. The tumors are central nervous system-based, meaning they begin in the brain or spinal cord, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Data from the NCI shows that roughly 577 people are diagnosed across the country each year. Children who have diffuse midline glioma typically have a survival rate of one to two years.

10-year-old Sebastian Guerra has been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer called diffuse midline glioma. The boy and his mother shared their story with KTLA on May 5, 2024. (KTLA)

Sebastian Guerra, 10, has been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. He and his mother spoke with KTLA on May 5, 2024. (KTLA)

10-year-old Sebastian Guerra has been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer called diffuse midline glioma. The boy and his mother shared their story with KTLA on May 5, 2024. (KTLA)

Sebastian Guerra, 10, has been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. He and his mother spoke with KTLA on May 5, 2024. (KTLA)

Sebastian Guerra, 10, has been diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. He and his mother spoke with KTLA on May 5, 2024. (KTLA)

Guerras mother, Katherine Mosier, says the family is trying everything it can to get the proper care for the boy. The only option available to them is radiation treatment.

Mosier is taken aback by how much fight, and patience her son is showing through treatment.

Every single day, 30 times, sit still so were able to get him treatment, she said. He never complains, he just was like, I can do this.'

Mosier adds that it has been difficult for her to watch her child go through this serious health issue.

There are moments in this journey, where as a parent, you feel like you have no control, Mosier said. Its very hard.

On top of the radiation treatment, Guerra is also going through a clinical trial to try and shrink the tumor. The family is hopeful that the trial will buy them some more time and for the cancer to go into remission.

Mosier says the financial burden has been heavy.

Our government funding only provides 4% of funding to all pediatric cancer, she said. And about only 1% goes to pediatric brain tumors.

Mosier adds that the lack of funding has resulted in fewer clinical trials being available to anyone who is diagnosed with the rare, aggressive cancer.

Guerra has been staying strong throughout treatments and is trying to remain optimistic that he will get better.

Im hoping for Jesus to fix my brain, Guerra said.

The family has started an online fundraiser to help with the cost of medical bills and treatment for Guerra.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
President Joe Biden believes in responsibly managing the relationship between the United States and China. Furthermore, responsible management of this relationship is also something that the rest of the world expects of us, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. And the best way to do that is to be talking, to be engaged.

President Biden and President Xi met at the end of last year on the margins on the APEC summit outside of San Francisco, he said. And they agreed that we would work to make sure that we were responsibly managing the relationship, putting as much stability into it as we possibly could, dealing directly with our differences, but also looking to see if there were areas where we can cooperate.

The two countries have already agreed on several areas of cooperation. One, making sure that we actually restored the military-to-military communications that we had but that had been interrupted. said Secretary Blinken. Thats been restored, ensuring that we dont have a miscommunication, a misunderstanding that could lead to conflict.

They then looked for areas where it made sense to cooperate. One of those is on the scourge of synthetic opioids. The number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 is a synthetic opioid: fentanyl.

The nature of this challenge is that chemicals that are made for perfectly legal purposes can be manufactured on one side of the globe and then diverted to criminal enterprises that turn it into an opioid, and thats whats been happening in the United States, he said.

As our own market gets saturated, we see these criminal enterprises developing markets in Europe, in Asia, in Latin America.  Its why weve put together a coalition of more than 140 countries to work on this, said Secretary Blinken. China has a critical role to play because its a huge chemical manufacturer.

Many of the chemicals that are used to synthesize fentanyl start in China, get sent near us, typically to Mexico, turned into fentanyl, come into the United States, kill a lot of people, he said. Weve seen positive steps that China has taken in terms of taking down some of the companies that are involved, putting in place new regulations.

More needs to be done  to really carry this forward, said Secretary Blinken, but its progress, and its a demonstration that we can work together when its in our mutual interest to do it.
FBI: Woman wanted in Baton Rouge bank robbery turns herself in

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)  A woman who the Federal Bureau of Investigation wanted in connection to a Baton Rouge bank robbery turned herself in to authorities over the weekend.

Investigators said Jazmine Johnnie, 22, was accused of robbing a bank on Oct. 10, 2023. The FBIs wanted notice said, After entering the bank, she allegedly demanded cash from the tellers while threatening that she had a bomb in her purse and her boyfriend had an AK-47.

She reportedly left the scene in a gray Dodge Challenger.

Judge warns Trump of jail time after being found in contempt for gag order violation

Federal investigators said an arrest warrant was issued on Feb. 28, 2024.

The FBI issued a notice asking for help locating Johnnie on Friday, May 3.

Latest News

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to BRProud.com.
Greenwood Park in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo via Google Earth)

A New York artist has won a court injunction temporarily blocking the planned demolition of a 30-year-old outdoor art installation in Des Moines Greenwood Park.

At the same time, however, the court has refused to order the repair and restoration of the project, leaving the eventual fate of the deteriorating art installation in the hands of the city rather than the Des Moines Art Center.

The installation  which consists of a pavilion and walkways surrounding a pond  was commissioned by the Des Moines Art Center in 1994 and was designed by New York artist Mary Miss. Greenwood Park is located just south of Grand Avenue and the art center.

In 2023, the art center announced that because the installation had fallen into disrepair it posed a threat to public safety and would be demolished due to the high cost of repairs and ongoing maintenance. Since then, Greenwood Park neighbors and individuals within the art community have protested the decision.

Last month, Miss filed a lawsuit against the art center in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in an effort to block the demolition.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher issued the injunction late Friday.

Although judges should never shy away from deciding difficult issues, there are some problems that the legal system is simply ill-equipped to solve, Locher wrote in his decision. This is one of those problems.

Locher noted that both the center and Miss agree that the ravages of weather have altered the installation to such an extent that both are dissatisfied with its current appearance. They disagree, however, on what to do about it, Locher noted. The art center believes the artwork is in poor enough condition that it presents a safety risk and must be demolished, while Miss believes it can and should be restored or repaired Neither side is entitled to what it wants.

Locher found that the center cannot demolish the artwork without Miss consent given that it promised in writing not to do so. The court therefore must grant Misss motion for preliminary injunction insofar as it seeks to prevent the art center from tearing down the artwork. Miss cannot, however, force the art center to repair or restore the artwork to its original condition because the same contract gives the art center unilateral discretion to decide whether to undertake repairs or restoration, and the art center has reasonably decided the cost is too high.

Locher observed that the end result is, therefore, an unsatisfying status quo: The artwork will remain standing, for now, despite being in a condition that no one likes but that the court cannot order anyone to change.

He added, however, that the City of Des Moines can  and presumably would  override Misss position and order the site to come down if the risk to public safety is as severe as the art center claims.

The current dispute grew out of citizen complaints that the installation had fallen into such disrepair that it posed a safety hazard. During an October 2023 inspection, the art center staff concluded the freestanding arches, cantilevered boardwalk and pavilion were damaged by rotting wood.

The arches, in fact, were so structurally unsound that they could be moved several feet by one person simply pushing against them. Within days, the arches were taken down  without the permission of Miss  and the centers director informed Miss that portions of the artwork were being closed to the public due to deterioration. A permit for demolition was then secured from the city.

All parties agree that Miss original contract with the art center stipulated that the Art Center agrees that it will not intentionally damage, alter, relocate, modify or change the work without the prior written approval of the artist.

According to a structural engineers report, the cost to fully repair and restore the artwork would exceed $2.6 million, which equals one-third of the centers annual operating budget.

In her lawsuit, Miss has argued the center is contractually obligated to protect the installation from the effects of time and weather, and that demolition would be in violation of the Visual Arts Rights Act of 1990.

That law, which is part of the federal copyright law, provides artists with certain rights in preventing the destruction of works of recognized stature even when ownership of the works has been transferred to others.

The project is an original work of art and cannot be found anywhere else on planet Earth, the lawsuit states. Its destruction is its extinction.

In his ruling, Locher found that it is unlikely Miss would prevail in a lawsuit based on the Visual Arts Rights Act of 1990.

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The post Federal judge blocks demolition of Des Moines art project appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, up for re-election in 2022, released a new campaign commercial challenging Republican nominee Amanda Adkins' assertion she would oppose a national ban on abortion in absence of Roe v. Wade. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allocated $28.6 million to Kansas for replacement of lead water pipes through program funded by federal infrastructure law supported by Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and opposed by the five Republicans in the Kansas congressional delegation. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

TOPEKA  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set aside $28.6 million from the bipartisan federal infrastructure law to replace a portion of the estimated 160,000 lead water lines in Kansas capable of causing severe illness, especially among young children.

Lead service lines bringing water into residences from main lines under the street have been identified as a contributor to poisoning of humans. Lead exposure disproportionately harms communities of color and low-income families.

From the water in our taps to the rain in our gutters, water infrastructure touches many parts of our lives, said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas. People dont always realize how important those systems are until they fail, but its our responsibility to ensure they never get to that point.

So far, approximately $85 million has been allocated to Kansas to deal with lead pipe installed before 1986 when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to prohibit use pipe, solder or flux that wasnt lead free in public water systems or plumbing for water destined for human consumption.

The Natural Resources Defense Council reported in 2021 that Kansas had the third-highest number of lead pipes per 100,000 residents among the 50 states. Wisconsin led the nation with 5,597 per 100,000 people, with Ohio at 5,519, Kansas at 5,446, Missouri at 5,362 and Illinois at 5,302. Iowa, with 5,012, and Nebraska, with 4,945, were also in the top 10 nationally on a per-capita basis, NRDC said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains there was no safe level of lead exposure for children. Low levels of exposure to the potent neurotoxin in children has been linked to brain and nervous system damage and contributed to learning disabilities, harm to blood cells and impaired hearing. In adults, lead contributed to cardiovascular disease, kidney damage and reproductive complications.

We know that lead has serious and harmful health effects on individuals, especially children, said Janet Stanek, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This investment from the bipartisan infrastructure law gives Kansas the resources it needs to continue replacing water infrastructure that ultimately ensures safe drinking water, which is essential for the health and safety of all Kansans.

The EPA funding earmarked for Kansas was drawn from the 2021 federal infrastructure law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden. It was opposed by the five GOP members of the Kansas congressional delegation.

This historic funding to replace lead service lines is a significant step toward a healthier tomorrow for our heartland communities and future generations, said Meghan McCollister, administrator of the EPA region that covers Kansas.

EPA estimated 9 million lead service lines were currently in use across the United States. Overall, the federal infrastructure law would invest $15 billion for lead pipe removal. Federal funding released by EPA to this point would replace an estimated 1.7 million lead pipes across the country.

Under federal law, 49% of infrastructure funding for countering the lead problem must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities.

The post Federal law delivers $28.6 million to Kansas for replacing lead pipes for drinking water appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Victims' advocate and attorney Darlene Gomez comforts the sister of Johnathan Wacondo after she gave an impassioned speech as part of a MMIP demonstration addressing attendees walking into the UNM School of Law for a speech given by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (Photo by Shelby Wyatt for Source NM)

Among Native American communities, people go missing and experience violence at disproportionately high rates.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna)  the first Native cabinet secretary  has been working to implement the Not Invisible Act, which she helped pass as a Congresswoman in 2019.

A commission traveled round the country hearing testimony from survivors, advocates, law enforcement and tribal leaders. It released a list of recommendations last November, and now the Departments of Justice and Interior have responded.

Darlene Gomez is an attorney who represents families of missing and murdered Indigenous people. She welcomed the commissions report.

I think this report really took in everything thats going on in Indian country, from the federal level, to the state level, and to victims and how it impacts almost all of the communities, she said.

She agrees with its conclusions that agencies meant to help victims and survivors of violence and trafficking should work more closely together.

And it seems like that is going to be difficult because everybody operates under their own regulations.

The report also recommends tracking domestic and sexual violence and thats important said Jolene Holgate (Navajo), who works with the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

I think its important that were also uplifting these types of protections for survivors who are here with us today so that they dont become another statistic, she said.

The Departments of Interior and Justice issued their response to the reports recommendations in March.

U.S Attorney for New Mexico Alexander Uballez said his office has heard the voices of people who say communication about missing people is a huge problem.

Tribal communities and survivors and their families will say, we have never heard back, something happened, it really struck our community. And we just dont know whats going on. Its been months, years, whatever, he said.

Uballez said he coordinated with an FBI initiative to understand the scope of missing Native people within New Mexico and the Navajo Nation. He said now five assistant U.S. attorneys and five support staff serve different regions nationwide.

If anyone there, from the leadership to the law enforcement has an issue that they need solved, they have a number that they can call and a person who is directly assigned to them, whose responsibility is to get to know their government, get to know their people, their culture and their needs, and respond to it.

Uballez said the FBI project  called the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative  was created to help coordination.

A lot of the things that we need to do to improve our response to both missing and murdered individuals exist in many different areas separately, but dont always work with each other, dont always talk to each other, he said.

And he adds his office is going back through cold cases.

If there are additional steps that can be taken, we go back to law enforcement, he said. We say here are the things that we need to do to follow up on this case.

Unfortunately, some of the cases may just need to be closed.

But then our responsibility is giving some finality to those families giving them answers, saying weve tried everything that we can, he said.

Some people are concerned about whether all the reports recommendations will be implemented. Gomez says she would have liked to see specific timelines.

Oftentimes we see the federal government putting out reports, and then we just never see what comes out of them because of all this red tape, she said.

Shed like to see a law mandating that agencies act on the reports recommendations. Also, she points out a lack of funding.

Were talking about billions of dollars that have to be pumped into Indian country and pumped into this crisis of MMIP, Gomez said.

Uballez said he and his colleagues are pushing for that money.

We as US attorneys, collectively across the Nation, decided that funding the MMIP program was a priority, he said.

The report addresses what the federal government should do. But Melody Delmar from New Mexicos Indian Affairs Department (Navajo) said the recommended changes are unlikely to happen quickly.

We as a state have been working tirelessly and nonstop to ensure that were responding to families, she said. Were responding to our community and ensuring that our voices are involved. Were not waiting on the federal response.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham created a state task force on missing and murdered Indigenous people, but then disbanded it last year.

Delmar said the task force did have an impact.

And that laid the foundation in terms of community partnerships, from all levels, even from grassroot levels to working with families to inform the state response plan which is a comprehensive report to recommend to the state how we can respond, she said.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is leading the creation of a new task force and online portal to track cases.

However, some advocates, like Jolene Holgate, said its the families of the missing who are doing much of the work to address the problem.

So you have these communities who are empowering themselves to take on some of these responsibilities that the systems who have the power and the resources to be doing them. Yet you have these wonderful community volunteer groups that are doing it themselves, she said.

She said its those groups who can give families hope, and its their models the federal and state agencies should look to.

Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.

The post Feds respond to recent report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis appeared first on Source New Mexico.
Feeding Our Future trial: Key witnesses say they never saw anyone serve meals

The Feeding Our Future trial is being held at the Diane E. Murphy United States Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer.

The finance director for Shakopee schools testified Monday that the district distributed meals to students during the COVID-19 pandemic, but far fewer than those reported by Feeding Our Future defendants charged with defrauding the federal government.

The federal prosecutors implication via the testimony was clear: The Feeding Our Future defendants were juicing  and inventing  their totals.

Bill Menozzi, director of finance for Shakopee schools, said the district continued to offer weekday meals for pickup at its high school and by delivering to 10 low-income areas of the southwest Minneapolis suburb.

Menozzi said about 300 to 600 students picked up meals during the pandemic, with numbers varying based on weather and the day of the week. Another 30 to 60 students showed up to get meals delivered to the 10 mobile home parks, townhomes and apartment complexes.

Prosecutors allege the defendants only served about 10% of the 18.8 million meals they claimed to serve during the pandemic program, and used most of the $40 million they were paid by the government to buy luxury cars, vacations, homes and property.

Seven people went on trial last week in Minneapolis out of 70 people charged in connection with the $250 million fraud case. The trial is expected to last up to six weeks.

Menozzi testified about three sites where the school district gave out free meals that were also purported food distribution sites run by the defendants.

He said school employees handed out 20 to 40 meals on average at Clifton Townhomes, and he never saw any other people distributing meals there.

The defendants claimed to be feeding about 400 people daily  ballooning to about 1,000  during the pandemic.

I dont believe that would be possible, Menozzi said, citing the logistical challenges of serving that many people in the densely populated area with a small parking area with room for 50 to 70 cars.

Menozzi testified that the school district served about 20 to 50 meals per day at the Sarazin Flats Apartments, in contrast to about 500 meals the defendants claimed they served daily.

School employees also served about 40 meals daily at the Bonnevista mobile home park, in contrast to the defendants claim of over 200 per day. The mobile home park is right across from Menozzis school district office, and he said he never saw anyone else delivering meals at the location.

Defendants also said they had a food distribution site at The Landing, a historical park in Shakopee.

But William Walker, former cultural resource manager at The Landing, testified that he never saw anyone serving meals  and nobody asked for permission to do so  during the six months defendants claimed to have served nearly 100,000 free meals.

Walker and another former Landing employee said they never saw cars lined up to get food or signs of wear and tear from thousands of people visiting.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea Walcker took Walker through each of the six months of 2020 when defendants said they were serving breakfasts and lunches in numbers that grew from 3,000 in July 2020 to 14,260 in December 2020.

I didnt see any meals being served at The Landing, he testified.

The post Feeding Our Future trial: Key witnesses say they never saw anyone serve meals appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
When one of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon's top advisors was charged with 11 felonies last month, his critics were quick to pounce.

Though Gascon himself has not been charged with any wrongdoing, the case against Assistant Dist. Atty. Diana Teran has set off the latest in a seemingly endless wave of controversies for the embattled progressive as he seeks a second term.

Teran is accused of improperly downloading confidential police records in 2018  while she was the constitutional policing advisor to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department  and then making improper use of that data when she joined the D.A.'s office in 2021.

Read more: High-ranking L.A. prosecutor booked on felony charges, released on $50,000 bond

The D.A.'s detractors have described the charges as further evidence of Gascon's mismanagement of the nation's largest prosecutor's office, arguing Teran was one of many outside hires he should not have made. Gascon's November election opponent, Nathan Hochman, pointed to the charges as an indictment of Gascon's decision-making and questioned if the D.A. "blessed" the alleged misconduct.

Gascon's allies and some legal experts, however, have cried foul, questioning whether California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta overstepped and is effectively punishing Teran for carrying out the D.A.'s police accountability agenda.

State prosecutors have not specified what documents Teran allegedly took or what she did with them, leaving an information vacuum. Teran is not due in court until July, and the affidavit that would lay out more about her alleged actions was filed under seal, meaning clarity on the charges is not imminent.

Teran's defense attorney, James Spertus, said his client is being prosecuted for uploading the information to a database of law enforcement officers whose credibility could be called into question at trial. The database is commonly referred to as a "Brady List" in reference to a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The documents used, Spertus told The Times, either stem from cases in which deputies appealed disciplinary findings in public civil lawsuits, or were made public through California's landmark police transparency law, SB 1421, in 2019.

Ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva paints a much more nefarious picture. After Teran was charged last month, Villanueva claimed on social media that she had downloaded "about 2400 personnel files," largely for the purposes of collecting dirt on him and his allies in the months before his election in 2018. Villanueva said taking those records would have been illegal unless she had the permission of then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who declined to comment when reached by The Times.

Read more: Oversight inspectors accuse Sheriff's Department of retaliation after reports on jail fires

A few months after Villanueva took office and found out about the "massive data breach," he said, several top department officials met with the FBI and the state attorney general's office to convey their concerns.

One of the people at that meeting in early 2019 was Villanueva's former chief of staff, Larry Del Mese, according to a transcript of testimony in an unrelated case, which showed discussion of allegations that more than a dozen people improperly downloaded files about Villanueva and several of his supporters.

Del Mese testified that federal and state authorities told the Sheriff's Department they weren't interested in pursuing the matter. It remains unclear whether the current charges involve those same files, as the criminal complaint against Teran does not identify the deputies whose record she allegedly used.

The case is a headache Gascon does not need as he gears up for a tough re-election fight against Hochman. And with the charges coming from Bonta, a fellow progressive elected on a similar reform platform, Gascon can't easily parry criticisms as sour grapes from conservatives.

Teran had oversight of some of the office's most complex cases, including the Justice Systems Integrity Division, which prosecutes law enforcement officers.

Teran is no longer the "assistant district attorney over ethics and integrity operations," according to district attorney's office spokeswoman Venusse Dunn, who declined to comment further on Teran's job status.

A high-ranking district attorney's office source said Teran has been placed on administrative leave. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss a confidential personnel matter.

Calls for an investigation into the cases Teran handled are mounting.

"Now that Teran is facing prison time, what steps has or will the district attorney take to ensure that her alleged wrongdoing did not infect more matters than those referenced in the A.G.s complaint?" wrote Ryan Ehrlich, vice president of the union that represents rank-and-file prosecutors, in an open letter. "Will there be a top-to-bottom review of her work? Will that review be internal or external? Who will run it?"

It does not appear any such review is coming. Dunn said there is "no indication that the D.A.s discovery compliance system was compromised nor issues with any filing decision."

Dunn also said Teran does not have final say on any charging decisions.

Even so, Teran is influential in reviews of cases involving sheriff's deputies. A civil lawsuit filed last year accuses her of delaying the announcement of a decision not to prosecute several deputies because it might have affected Villanueva's failed 2022 reelection campaign. Teran has not commented on the suit, which is pending.

In an interview, Hochman wondered if Gascon hired Teran because he knew she had access to such materials.

Did he bring her on to explicitly take advantage of the illegal downloads that she had already done in the Sheriffs Department? Hochman asked, acknowledging he had no direct knowledge or evidence to support that suggestion. It's either an indictment of his judgment, that he would be willing to risk bringing someone like this on and putting them in charge of police prosecutions  or perhaps it means hes willing to double down and bless or condone these illegal acts as well.

Read more: George Gascon survived the primary. Can Nathan Hochman unseat him as D.A.?

Gascon's chief of staff, Tiffiny Blacknell, dismissed Hochman's assertion, saying Teran was hired for her "unparalleled expertise in the complicated processes of law enforcement transparency, to which she's dedicated her career and is among the best at what she does."

Hochman went on to argue that the office needs to review any case where Teran could "have tainted the D.A.s review process." Her actions, he said, could have also affected cases in which the "Brady material" she allegedly brought over was used to impeach a deputy's testimony at trial.

Though Hochman and other Gascon critics have been quick to blast Teran, legal experts have approached Bonta's filing decision with skepticism.

"It's really hard to know whether this is legitimate or not without learning more details," said Jonathan Abel, an expert on Brady material and associate professor at the University of California College of the Law in San Francisco. "One of the issues youre seeing is that theres so much data out there these days and a lot of people have access to it and there can really be confusing rules about sharing it. Its very possible that someone can make a mistake."

Hanni Fakhoury, a San Francisco defense attorney with a background in computer crimes, said the charge against Teran is California's analog to the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Based on the few facts Bonta's office has made public, Fakhoury described the filing as "weird" and making use of a "novel theory."

If what theyre saying is she made a copy three years ago and then held on to it  Im not seeing it. I have a lot of questions about that theory," Fakhoury said. Not only does it not sound like a crime, it doesnt sound like the kind of crime the computer hacking statute would criminalize."

The criminal complaint alleges Teran committed all 11 felonies on April 26, 2021. At the time, Gascon was pushing to improve the office's Discovery Compliance Unit, asking every law enforcement agency in L.A. County to provide the names of officers and deputies with disciplinary histories that might affect their credibility as witnesses. This "Brady compliance" was among the topics Teran was hired to advise on in early 2021.

In June of that year, The Times reported that more than 40 county agencies had failed to comply with Gascon's request, including the Sheriff's Department.

Read more: California DOJ civil rights probe of Sheriff's Department headed to settlement, sources say

Six months out from the general election between Hochman and Gascon, it's unclear what, if any, impact the controversy will have. Some have taken the filing as a political betrayal since Bonta endorsed Gascon in 2020 and defeated Hochman in the 2022 attorney general's race. Hochman has referred to Bonta as one of Gascon's "biggest supporters." Bonta has not endorsed Gascon in the current cycle.

Roy Behr, a political consultant who has advised on dozens of Los Angeles-based races, said the facts of the Teran case might be too complex for an election hyper-focused on perceptions of crime and public safety. Unless Gascon were to be implicated in Teran's alleged crimes, Behr believes the incumbent has bigger obstacles to his reelection bid.

"The people who want to beat him are focusing on the supposed increase in crime and anarchy in Los Angeles, and they want to tag him with that. And that is a very powerful message. Its the primary reason that he is potentially vulnerable," Behr said. Im not saying it's insignificant, Im saying it is relatively minor compared to the bigger problem for Gascon.

Times staff writers Richard Winton and Alene Tchekmedyian contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Female prison guard on trial for giving gangster the kiss of death

Police at the scene of the shootings in 2017 - PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA/AFP

A French female prison guard stood trial on Monday for planting a kiss of death on an incognito mafia boss that helped rivals identify him and gun him down.

Pleading for leniency, her lawyer described Cathy Senechal as an Emma Bovary figure, bored with her dull existence as a mother-of-four, who gradually became fascinated with the Corsican underworld.

Senechal, 48, is accused of singling out Jean-Luc Codaccioni, a Corsican gangster, at the islands Bastia airport in 2017 by giving him a baiser de la mort  a kiss pre-arranged as a signal to mark him out for assassination  along with a second mafia enemy, Antoine Quilichini.

Both were members of Corsicas notorious Brise de Mer gang.

Quilichini, known as Tony the Butcher, had been released from prison 15 days earlier and was killed instantly. Codaccioni, an inmate at Borgo jail who was on prison leave, died of his wounds seven days later.

Codaccioni was gunned down by a hitman

A minute before the shots were fired, Senechal, a prison guard in Borgo, was seen on surveillance cameras running up to embrace Codaccioni.

After finishing his victims off with a Kalashnikov and handgun, the killer turned to witnesses and said, its nothing, were shooting a film, before driving off.

While Corsican gangsters are notorious for respecting an omerta on crimes, Senechal, one of 16 defendants due to appear in court in Aix-en-Provence, has been far more talkative.

She admitted that she had given the hitmen information about the dates on which the two victims were leaving and that she had offered to go to the airport to describe Codaccionis outfit to the killer.

Senechals story inspired a film by Stephane Demoustier, Borgo, released in cinemas on April 11, much to the chagrin of the lawyers, who say it could influence the trial.

Quilichini was known as Tony the Butcher

Her lawyer, Renaud Portejoie, on Monday said: Some have rightly underlined the romanesque side of her actions a la Emma Bovary, namely a form of weariness regarding her daily life as a rather bored mother-of-four.

I think she needed this thrill.

He said that Senechal, pleading guilty, had admitted everything and cooperated fully with investigating magistrates in the six years she spent behind bars awaiting trial.

She is brave. She knows she must pay for what she committed. She will take responsibility for it. I hope the jury will understand her singular act and deliver an intelligent verdict.

In the indictment, Senechal is cited as telling investigating judges: I was hired to do a job and I did it. She admitted she acted for the money  she was promised a six-figure sum  but above all because it spiced up my life.

A Parisian like me who arrives in Corsica, who doesnt speak a word of Corsican and who gets involved in something like that, thats quite something, she told judges.

Poisoning plot

Senechal was to perform another service: recovering poison and introducing it into prison, then pouring it into the cafe of Stephane Luciani, who, like the two men shot dead, was linked to mobster Jean-Luc Germani.

She got cold feet after the first suspects were arrested.

Im a killer, yes, Ive killed people. Lets face it, I knew exactly how this was going to end, she added.

Detectives were able to incriminate the suspects by managing to decrypt for the first time telephones considered inviolable and reading crucial messages they contained, said prosecutors.

They said that the defendants had aimed to avenge the deaths of their fathers, the founders of the Brise de Mer, and to revive the criminal gang.

Named after a cafe in Bastias Old Port, where its members had been meeting since the late 1970s, the Brise de Mer dominated French crime for 25 years, carrying out dozens of armed attacks on banks and armoured vans, both in France and Switzerland. The gang also controlled nightclubs and gambling dens on the island and in Aix-en-Provence.

Feuding godfathers

In the late 2000s, a feud developed between two founding members of the group, Richard Casanova and Francis Mariani. Casanova was murdered in April 2008 and Francis Guazzelli  another founding member  in November 2009. Mariani died in a hangar explosion in January 2009.

The war continued via the godfathers heirs, leading to the latest deaths. Their desire for revenge is clinically laid out in decrypted text messages, such as, We have avenged our fathers and, I have given all its power back to the Brise.

Among the defendants are brothers Christophe and Richard Guazzelli, aged 26 and 28. Christophe is charged with pulling the trigger. Their father, Francis, was murdered in 2009, and they grew up convinced that his death was the work of the Germani clan.

Also in the dock are two other sons of godfathers who died violent deaths: Jacques Mariani, 58, son of Francis Mariani, and Ange-Marie Michelosi, 35, whose father was gunned down in 2008. Investigators have dubbed them the clan of orphans.

A 17-year-old defendant, Jean-Louis Andreani, was murdered before the trial opened.

Jean-Luc Codaccioni, son of one of the victims, has not registered as a civil plaintiff in the trial, prompting one police source to tell Le Monde: We fear that he does not intend to settle this dispute in court.

The trial continues.

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Fewer Americans see climate change as very serious problem: Survey

Fewer Americans see climate change as very serious problem: Survey

Fewer Americans today see climate change as a very serious problem than they did three years ago, according to a new survey released Monday.

The Monmouth University poll, conducted on April 18-22 shows a 10-point decline in Americans who says climate change is a very serious problem, falling from 56 percent in September 2021 to 46 percent in April.

The decline was less steep overall  with 66 percent describing climate change as a problem thats either very serious or somewhat serious. Thats down from 2021, when 70 percent of respondents described the climate change problem as either very serious or somewhat serious.

Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, attributed this trend to a decline in urgency among Americans.

Most Americans continue to believe climate change is real. The difference in these latest poll results is a decline in a sense of urgency around this issue, Murray said.

The decline in urgency can be seen most acutely among young people  who have historically viewed climate change as a very serious problem at significantly higher rates than other age groups.

Among adults ages 18-34, there was a 17-point drop over the last three years in those calling climate change a very serious problem. Sixty-seven percent in this age group said climate change was a very serious problem in 2021, compared to 50 percent this year.

Adults ages 35-54 saw a 4-point decline in those thinking climate change is a very serious problem, from 48 percent to 44 percent, while adults ages 55 and older saw a 10-point decline, from 54 percent to 44 percent.

The poll shows the trend extends to Democrats and Republicans.

Today, 77 percent of Democrats describe climate change as a very serious problem, down 8 points from 2021.

Thirteen percent of Republicans say climate change is a very serious problem, down from 21 percent in 2021.

Among independents, 43 percent say climate change is a very serious problem  down 13 points from 2021.

Meanwhile, the share of Americans who say climate change is not happening has ticked up slightly, from 18 percent in September 2021 to 23 percent in April 2024.

The poll included 808 adults and was conducted using phone interviews and online surveys. The margin for error is +/-4.1 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  Crews were on the scene of a restaurant fire Sunday afternoon in Wilkes-Barre.

Officials say the Wilkes-Barre City Fire Department was called before 4:00 p.m. to The Golden Star Chinese Food Take Out restaurant on the 300 block of North River Street in Wilkes-Barre for a reported structure fire.

One man dead after Lycoming County crash

Officials told 28/22 News that crews were still on the scene at 7:00 p.m. and say there are no reported injuries.

28/22 News will give updates as new information is made available.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France, his first trip to Europe in nearly five years, coincides with the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between China and France, a milestone event in China-Western relations.

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France, with the two sides poised to bolster bilateral ties and reiterate their commitment to fortifying their partnership amid shifting global landscapes.

The discussions and agreements during Xi's third state visit to France, following visits in 2014 and 2019, are expected to encompass a broad spectrum of critical areas. From trade and investment to innovation and cultural exchange, the agenda reflects the comprehensive nature of the bilateral relationship between China and France.

Meanwhile, the visit will go beyond being bilateral. Dialogues on international and regional issues of mutual concern, as well as multilateral cooperation, are anticipated. This emphasizes the enduring tradition of both nations' shared dedication to addressing complex challenges through collaborative diplomatic endeavors.

Noting that multilateralism appears to be "the most effective way of resolving most of the problems of our multipolar world," former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius said that France and China share "certain similar, if not identical, visions of global governance."

In a signed article published Sunday in French media Le Figaro, Xi noted that the longer the Ukraine crisis drags on, the greater harm it will do to Europe and the world.

"China hopes that peace and stability will return to Europe at an early date. We stand ready to work with France and the whole international community to find a reasonable way out of the crisis," Xi said in the article.

As to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Xi noted in the article that China and France have many in common on the Palestine-Israel issue. "It is thus critical that we strengthen cooperation and help restore peace in the Middle East."

This visit, Xi's first trip to Europe in nearly five years, coincides with the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between China and France, a milestone event in China-Western relations.

The decision of France to establish diplomatic ties with China 60 years ago went against the prevailing attitudes of the major Western powers at the time, Eric Alauzet, president of the France-China Friendship Group of the French National Assembly, said here Saturday at a forum on France-China people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

"France and China can now look back on a singular history," he said.

In his written speech upon arrival on Sunday, Xi said in the 60 years since, the bilateral relations have always stayed abreast of China's relations with Western countries, setting a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation.

The development of China-France bilateral relations attests to Xi's remarks. Despite differing political systems, the two countries have forged a robust partnership marked by cooperation and mutual respect.

Apart from being the first major Western nation to formalize diplomatic relations with China in 1964, France is the first major Western country to form a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. The European country is also the first Western nation to strike a deal with China for air transportation and the first to cooperate with China on civil nuclear energy projects.

This visit unfolds amid calls from certain Western policymakers for "de-risking" from China. However, the fruitful win-win cooperation between China and France serves as a robust rebuttal to such protectionist rhetoric.

Over the past 60 years, bilateral trade between China and France has surged dramatically, increasing 800-fold to reach 78.9 billion U.S. dollars last year. From 2019 to 2023, China's imports and exports with France grew by 5.9 percent annually.

China is now France's largest trading partner in Asia, while France ranks as China's third-largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment in real terms within the European Union.

Moreover, data from China's General Administration of Customs underscores France's pivotal role beyond agricultural imports. France is also a critical source of imports for aircraft and aerospace components, constituting approximately 30 percent of China's total import volume in these sectors over the past five years.

Meanwhile, according to a 2023 survey of French companies in China conducted by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, 47 percent of member companies are planning to further invest in China.

"The importance of the Chinese market, from my point of view, has not changed," Barbara Frei, the executive vice president of Schneider Electric, told Xinhua. She voiced confidence in China's position as a more mature economy and the biggest market in industrial automation and highlighted China's role as an "innovation driver."

Editor: ZAD
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Fire crews responded to a fire early Monday morning that damaged at least four homes in North Nashville.

According to the Nashville Fire Department (NFD), crews were sent to the 1600 block of Berrywood Way at approximately 12:15 a.m. on Monday, May 6 to respond to reports of a house fire.

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Fire officials said the 911 caller claimed the fire started in the backyard and was rekindled from a bonfire.

Photo: WKRN

Photo: WKRN

Photo: WKRN

Photo: WKRN

The home was reportedly engulfed in flames when units first arrived and everyone inside was evacuated.

At least three additional homes in the area were damaged by the blaze, officials said. However, no injuries were reported.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

According to NFD, the fire marshal is working to determine what led to the fire and Red Cross has been called in to assist residents who were affected.

No other information was immediately released.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Firefighters found the remains of two people inside what they described as a human-dug cave or excavation in Northridge on Sunday, authorities confirmed.

The discovery came as the Los Angeles Fire Department was investigating hazardous materials around 10:38 a.m. at 8700 North Lindley Avenue.

Upon arrival, firefighters found two deceased people inside the man-made cave. A white, powdered substance was also found, LAFD said.

LAFD didnt specify what the substance was, or if it could be connected to the deaths.

The listed address is for Pacifica Senior Living and it wasnt immediately clear where the area the cave was located, but KTLAs Rachel Menitoff confirmed with authorities that the two victims were transients.

No additional details were immediately made available, and the investigation remains ongoing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
CLEVELAND (WJW)  Firefighters reported a mayday call from a burning home in Cleveland on Monday morning.

Firefighters said a mother and her twin 11-month-old babies were out safely, but two firefighters were injured, as well as a witness who entered the home to help save one of the children.

Ohio man faces charges after puppy found abandoned in drawstring bag

According to officials, the mother was able to escape with one of her twins. Before fire crews arrived, a 50-year-old witness entered the burning home and pulled the second baby from the fire.

I think he saved that childs life, said Lt. Mike Norman. My understanding is he risked his life, went into that house to bring that baby out.

The mother and children were transported to the hospital and were reported to be in stable condition. The witness was transported to the hospital due to smoke inhalation, and is also in stable condition, officials on scene said Monday morning.

FOX 8 Photo

FOX 8 Photo

FOX 8 Photo

FOX 8 Photo

Crews said when they arrived at the scene in the 3600 block of West 102nd Street, at about 9:30 a.m., the three-story home was fully engulfed in flames.

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According to officials, a mayday call was reported shortly before 10 a.m. after a firefighter became trapped in a porch collapse. Officials on the scene said three firefighters were on the porch at the time.

Three overnight shootings within an hour

According to a social media post by the Cleveland Fire Department, the injured firefighter was taken to a nearby hospital. Officials on the scene said he suffered a leg injury but was in stable condition. A second firefighter was also hurt in the fire with a shoulder injury.

According to fire officials, the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental/electrical.

Its not clear if the home had working smoke detectors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
ST. LOUIS  Local Breweries are battling it out for blood. The Metro St. Louis Battle of the Breweries Blood Drive benefiting the American Red Cross takes place Thursday, May 9, from 1-6 pm. Individuals who donate blood can vote for their favorite participating brewery. The winning brewery that wins the friendly competition will earn a trophy, and blood donors will get a free t-shirt.

Those who take part and donate blood may visit any of the eight Red Cross locations May 9, between 1-6 pm.

St. Louis City: The Bellwether

Brentwood: Mid County YMCA

Florissant: American Red Cross blood donation center

St Charles: Embassy Suites St Charles

South County: South County YMCA

Crystal City: Elks Lodge 1721

Franklin County: Sullivan Bank in St Clair

Illinois: OFallon Illinois YMCA

Appointments can be made through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, RedCrossBlood.org, of by calling 1-800 Red Cross.

While making the appointment, enter sponsor code BREWERYBATTLE to vote for your favorite brewery.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
As she mourned the sudden death of her son, a 26-year-old Army sergeant felled by a heart condition, Sharon Hartz learned some surprising news:

She would receive a death benefit and life insurance totaling half a million dollars.

But she said the Armys casualty assistance officer, who had helped her with the funeral arrangements, told her she first had to meet with an Army financial counselor.

[He] insisted that we be educated on the finances so they were properly handled, she said.

Sgt. Thomas F. Anastasio. (Courtesy Sharon Hartz)

Hartz and the officer drove to Fort Dix, where she first sat down with Caz Craffy, an Army reservist whose 9-to-5 civilian job was offering advice about money to Army families.

Craffy was very charismatic, Hartz said. Very, very friendly, very welcoming.

That turned out to be a facade. Craffy was a con man, who has now pleaded guilty to bilking Hartz and dozens of other Gold Star families  the survivors of service members who died on active duty  out of millions of dollars.

Ive lost a little over $200,000, she said. Now Im up in the air. I cant afford to retire. I feel taken advantage of. Im embarrassed. I feel like I let my son down, because, you know, this was his way of taking care of me and my children. So its devastating.

Prosecutors say Craffy was only supposed to be giving families generic financial guidance. Instead, he also had a second civilian job as an investment manager and handled their investments in violation of Army rules. Court records say he convinced Hartz and other Gold Star relatives to hand him their money  then racked up huge commissions even as he made unwise investments that plummeted in value.

Natasha Cruz-Bevard signed $500,000 over to Craffy after she lost her husband, staff sergeant and Iraq combat veteran Rodney Bevard, to suicide.

When they explained all that to me and I opened up my statements, I saw that in a short amount of time I lost a lot of money, close to $90,000 in just commissions alone, she said. Ive lost like $260,000 overall.

Caz Craffy. (LinkedIn)

Cruz-Bevard said she told Craffy she wanted to invest very conservatively, but she learned later he had listed her as seeking an aggressive risk profile.

Cruz-Bevard and Hartz said Craffy appeared to have targeted families who were not sophisticated about investments. And he convinced them that he was not just their financial adviser, he was their friend.

If I said my daughter was looking for a car, he would say, Oh, I know somebody in the car business. You know, dont forget, youre part of the military. We have a big circle of friends, blah, blah, blah, Hartz said. And he would say, Dont make any moves without checking with me first. He was grooming me, basically.

Story continues

Prosecutors say he would also urge them not to look at their statements and assure them that any high commissions or losses would be made up by big gains later.

I dont know how the man sleeps at night, Hartz said. He has a wife and children. How could he just be so blatantly greedy without any guilt?

Caz Craffeys house. (Google Maps)

Hartz said Craffy invited her to his lavish wedding, though she didnt attend.

Public records show Craffy bought a $2.1 million house in 2022 on Country Club Lane in Colts Neck, New Jersey. Its now in foreclosure, and he is facing 10 years in prison.

Those who target and steal from the families of fallen American service members will be held accountable for their crimes, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement when the plea was announced.

But many victims say accountability in this case should extend beyond one man and that the Army still has questions to answer.

I do believe that theres blood on the hands of the Army here, said Natalie Khawam, who is representing Hartz, Cruz-Bevard and other victims in an attempt to get the Army to explain how Craffy was able to break the rules for so long without detection. They are contemplating a lawsuit.

Khawam said Army casualty assistance officers consistently steered families to Craffy.

The Army introduced this man to all these vulnerable families, she said. They were at their lowest, they lost their loved one, they lost their child. And here, the only person that they believed was going to take care of them, which was the Army  sends in a person that just basically took advantage of them.

In a statement to NBC News, the Army said it conducted a thorough criminal investigation and found this to be an isolated case. The Army said it remains dedicated to caring for families of fallen soldiers.

Hartz said she assumed Craffy could be trusted, given that he was an Army employee.

The military took care of us after my sons death  it was like they were with us every step of the way, she said. And everything was very formal or protocol was met. I just assumed this was part of the benefit.

Natasha Cruz-Bevard holds a photo of her husband Rodney C. Bevard. (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Cruz-Bevard said no one from the Army has contacted her, other than the criminal investigator who brought the case.

He worked for the Army. They should be held accountable as well. I know these are his acts, but you should have checked on these families. You should have confirmed what type of interaction, what type of conversations were happening, especially with this amount of money.

She added, We are Gold Star families, and we need to make sure that this doesnt happen again to future Gold Star families. So I really feel that the Army should really step up and be held accountable for this.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Marijuana leaves. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

The Republican Party of Florida has officially decided that it will oppose Amendment 3, the constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would legalize recreational cannabis for adults 21 years and older.

The move came from a vote from the Republican Party of Floridas Executive Board at its quarterly meeting in Orlando, according to RPOF Vice Chair Jesse Phillips.

Floridians are confident that their legislature has been passing laws that reflect the priorities of our state, said RPOF Chair Evan Power in a statement released on Monday. Amendments 3 and 4 are unnecessary attempts by an increasingly shrinking minority who know the only way to win support for their radical agenda is to confuse and mislead the electorate.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Smart and Safe Florida, the organized campaign working to get Amendment 3 approved, dismissed the GOPs announcement.

The decision to authorize the use of adult-use cannabis will be made by the citizens of Florida at the ballot box  not at a gathering of political insiders. Amendment 3 has wide bipartisan support because Floridians know legalization means accountability, transparency and safety, said Smart and Safe communications director Morgan Hill.

Smart & Safe Florida is committed to safe access to cannabis products while empowering the legislature to enact comprehensive regulations, spanning from cultivation to consumption, including where people may or may not smoke in public. Such protections are customary with the implementation of any policy in our state regardless of industry.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated last week that he was prepared to use the power of his bully pulpit to lobby against both the adult cannabis and the abortion rights constitutional amendments that voters will weigh in on later this year.

My view is both no on both of those, the governor said last Tuesday at a bill ceremony in Tampa. Well be getting involved in different ways I think across those initiatives.

DeSantis has not been hesitant in slamming the idea of Florida legalizing recreational cannabis, repeatedly saying that it will result in the entire state to start to smell like marijuana.

And like some other Florida Republican officials who have spoken about the issue, DeSantis maintains that because Florida already has a robust medical marijuana program  currently at 880,596 patients and the largest in the nation  theres no good reason to legally allow more individuals to be able to consume the product in the state.

Below is the RPOF Executive Boards recommendations on all six constitutional amendments on the ballot on Nov. 5 in Florida.

A YES vote on Amendment 1, Partisan Election of School Boards

A YES vote on Amendment 2, Right to Fish and Hunt

A NO vote on Amendment 3, Adult Personal Use of Marijuana

A NO vote on Amendment 4, Abortion Amendment

A YES vote on Amendment 5, adjustment to homestead

A YES vote on Amendment 6, repealing campaign finance

The post FL Republican Party officially comes out against initiative to legalize adult cannabis appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
Flagler Beach Police looking for suspect in shooting, victim hospitalized, roads reopened

Flagler Beach Police are looking for a suspect in a Sunday shooting that injured one person and blocked traffic for hours, according to law enforcement.

The shooting was reported at about 6:38 p.m. Sunday in the 400 block of South Flagler Avenue, police said. One person was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The suspected shooter fled the scene. The Flagler County Sheriff's Office was assisting Flagler Beach Police in the investigation.

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Police closed South Flagler Avenue from the Flagler Beach Fire Department to South Seventh Street. By 12:35 a.m. Monday, South Flagler Avenue had been reopened.

Few details have been given out by law enforcement. The names of the suspected shooter and the victim were not released. The shooting investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Beach Police looking for suspect in shooting, roads reopened
Water leaking into an aging and shuttered city hydro-electric generating facility at the O'Shaughnessy Dam, near the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and other construction issues have put a city project to rehabilitate two small-scale generators behind schedule.

The city initially had hoped to have the project completed by mid-2023 but ran into unanticipated issues, including the need for "dewatering" an equipment chamber that was flooding due to leaks.

Hydro-turbines are lifted from beneath the O'Shaughnessy Dam for refurbishing as part of a city green-energy project

Stacked logs that are used to hold back water in the "tailraces," the chutes where the water is sent back into the Scioto River below the dam, were leaking and needed to be reconstructed and resealed to protect equipment from water damage. Also, rocks that had accumulated there had to be removed to create a safe space for divers inspecting the work, said George Zonders, a spokesman for the Columbus Department of Public Utilities, which serves more than 17,000 residential and business electric customers.

The leaking "was more than dewatering pumps could remove," Zonders said in an email. "...There was quite a bit of rock since the hydro unit hasnt operated since 17."

Also, work crews are still "now working to assess damages that occurred when water entered the powerhouse in April," Zonders said. "We dont yet know the extent of that damage, but we can say completion of the project will likely be delayed beyond the previous expected finish date of September."

But with those issues now largely resolved, the city Department of Utilities hopes to have two former water turbines up and running by the end of 2024.

5 megawatt hydro-power capacity

The hydro-generators, which began producing power in 1987 as part of a federal grant program to reduce reliance on foreign oil, have a combined 5-megawatt capacity  enough to potentially power several thousand homes when at full throttle.

Being at full power is dependent on the amount of water the Scioto can feed the units throughout the year. Given a high enough river, the operation will produce a maximum of 120 megawatt hours of power a day. But if dry weather means the river can't keep sufficient water flowing, generation could drop to zero at times, officials have said.

It's unclear how big of a dent the hydro units could put in the city Division of Power's carbon footprint.

Hydro-turbines are lifted from beneath the O'Shaughnessy Dam for refurbishing as part of a city green-energy project

The city purchases wholesale power from American Municipal Power, or AMP, a Columbus-based conglomeration of municipalities that operate a public electric system mostly in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Some of its members own and operate facilities that generate power.

The city couldn't provide its total fuel mix breakdown, but AMP's 2022 "Sustainability Report" says that 21% of its generation is from hydro, solar and wind, another 44% is from coal and natural gas facilities, and 35% is "purchased" wholesale, without listing the fuel source.

Michele Lemmon, an AMP spokeswoman, said in an email that the power purchased wholesale by AMP is provided by "PJM," the regional transmission organization for 13 states and the District of Columbia. Last week, PJM was showing in real time most of its generation - around 60% - was coming from coal, natural gas and oil, and about 30% was nuclear.

This spring, the division started for the first time getting power from new solar facilities on the South Side. Zonders said two of three new solar facilities on city land recently started producing partial power. When completed, those facilities will eventually provide about 10% of the Division of Power's current generation needs.

The city of Columbus used to be a major producer of electricity after fighting for the legal "home rule" right to do so in the early 1900s to help save its residents money. But it shuttered its aging Columbus Municipal Light Plant, whose shell still stands near Lower.com Field, in 1977.

The city experimented with its "trash-burning power plant," which opened several years later, but it turned into a costly environmental debacle by emitting cancer-causing dioxins over the South Side. It had to be shuttered in 1995, with the city stuck paying back hundreds of millions in bonds.

That left only the two O'Shaughnessy generators, which were aging, leaking and in general disrepair  and eventually abandoned in February 2017. When they went dark, the city ceased its in-house power generation program and began purchasing all its power to resell.

Bringing hydro power back in 2020

The Columbus City Council breathed new life into the generation program in 2020 by approving $15.3 million in bond money to repair and reopen the hydro operation.

Aside from leaks, the project also ran into issues with delays in obtaining generator parts, and a broken construction crane, Zonders said.

The two hydro-generators themselves, one a 3.5-megawatt capacity unit and the other a smaller 1.5 megawatts were dismantled and shipped to the Ideal Electric Company's Ohio Works in Mansfield for inspection, cleaning and minor repairs.

An aging hydro-electric generator gets repaired for a city of Columbus project to start producing power again, which halted in 2017.

"The generators were found to be in good condition," Zonders said.

The power sold directly by the city's Division of Power is not to be confused with the city's much larger electric "municipal aggregation" program, Clean Energy Columbus, whose sole supplier is AEP Energy.

wbush@gannett.com

@ReporterBush

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A Columbus hydro-turbine refurbishing project is nearing completion
BRUSSELS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Amid lush greenery, fragrant flowers, and the gentle murmur of grazing flocks of sheep lies an endless array of photovoltaic panels, creating a mesmerizing scene of sustainable energy production at the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic (PV) plant in southwest Spain.

The Iberdrola group, a leading Spanish multinational electric utility company, inaugurated the plant, Europe's largest, in 2022. With around 1.5 million solar panels imported from China, the plant's clean energy output is substantial, catering to the needs of 334,000 households and creating over 1,500 jobs.

A herd of sheep take a rest under solar panels at the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic power plant in Caceres, Spain, on March 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

As exemplified by the Spanish PV plant, China's rapid progress in the renewable energy sector has played a pivotal role in advancing the European Union's (EU) green transition.

WIN-WIN GREEN COOPERATION

The European Green Deal, launched by the European Commission in 2019, targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To achieve this, the EU has pledged to increase the binding renewable energy share to at least 42.5 percent by 2030. However, with the current renewable energy share at approximately 23 percent, innovation is urgently needed.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, an association for the European solar PV sector, has warned that Europe must ramp up its solar deployment to meet the necessary targets, while WindEurope, a major wind energy association, also stressed the need for immediate action.

This photo taken on Sept. 27, 2020 shows a lifting operation at the construction site of the Senj Wind Farm project in Senj, Croatia. (Photo by Ding Decai/Xinhua)

China's green energy equipment manufacturing industry is well-established and competitive. Chinese solar products and wind turbines would be indispensible for EU to achieve its 2030 emission reduction targets, said Qin Yan, a lead analyst at Refinitiv and researcher at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

In fact, many European countries have reaped the benefits of green energy collaboration with China in recent years.

Pedro Amaral Jorge, president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, highlighted the growing cooperation between China and Portugal in the solar energy sector, as Portugal aims to install approximately 8 gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2026 or 2027 and reach 22 GW by 2030.

"To achieve the objectives set for increasing installed capacity, cooperation with China must increase," Jorge told Xinhua in an interview.

In Croatia, the Chinese-built Senj Wind Farm, inaugurated in December 2021, produces about 530 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green electricity each year and reduces Croatia's carbon dioxide emissions by about 460,000 tonnes per year.

This photo taken on May 27, 2021 shows the Kaposvar solar power plant built by China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) in Kaposvar, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

"These are projects where the benefit of cooperation with large countries like China, which have the knowledge and potential to realize such large projects, can be seen," said Mladen Plese, Croatian political analyst and Asia expert, in an interview with Xinhua.

For Zlatko Prpic, chief engineer of the Senj Wind Farm, the project, the largest of its kind in Croatia so far, represents a "miracle" and a shining example of China-Croatia cooperation.

China's Norinco International, a civil engineering company, has been the main contractor and builder of the farm.

As Croatia and the EU ramp up their transition to green and renewable energy, it presents a significant opportunity for Norinco International and other Chinese firms to demonstrate their cutting-edge technology and equipment in large-scale projects, Prpic said.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COOPERATION

The United Nations has urged countries to accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy resources, prioritizing energy efficient practices, and adopting clean energy technologies and infrastructure.

This photo taken on March 25, 2022 shows silicon wafers at a monocrystalline silicon solar cell factory of LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

In the global drive towards a greener future, China assumes a pivotal role in facilitating the transition for both developed and developing nations, experts said.

"The future of Europe and the world hinges on them," said Plese, underlining the necessity for a united front transcending borders and political affiliations in combating climate change.

"China is developing technology and we need the cooperation of Chinese companies in that area as well," he said. "Croatia has the potential for similar green energy projects and cooperation with China is still welcome."

The 2021 report from the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU highlighted the impressive growth of China's PV cells and modules industry over the past decade. With affordable prices and significant economies of scale, Chinese enterprises emerge as the prime choice to complement the EU industrial chain, meeting the region's escalating demand for PV products.

Converting the roof of Brussels' 130-year-old Marche des Abattoirs into one adorned with solar panels from China and high-power density inverters produced by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, the Belgian renewable energy specialist ESE Group demonstrates the efficacy of these products in sustainable energy solutions.

A drone photo taken on Sept. 8, 2023 shows wind turbine blades ready for transportation at a port in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

The project involves the installation of 5,400 solar panels on the building's 10,000-square-meter steel roof. Under the Belgian regulations on the preservation of cultural heritage, the look and feel of the original building cannot be altered, so the design team at ESE customized a batch of special solar panels manufactured in China.

"It is a very good example of how to secure a listed building by using state-of-the-art architectural solutions," said Paul Thielemans, director of public relations at the Anderlecht Abattoir.

Climate change cooperation, which enjoys bright prospects, has emerged as a focal point in the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe.

In April, a delegation of climate envoys from the EU and member states including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark visited China and had productive discussions with their Chinese counterparts. Both sides were committed to intensifying climate dialogue and cooperation to bolster global climate governance.

A man checks Chinese-made solar-powered equipment installed at his house in Schwarzenbek, Germany, May 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz toured a China-Germany hydrogen technology cooperation project in Chongqing, southwest China, during his official visit to China in April. This underscores the extensive partnership between China and Germany in green energy, offering a glimpse into their broad collaboration.

(Video reporters: Chen Wenxian, Peng Zhuo, Kang Yi, Guo Shuang, Martina Fuchs, Yuan Hengrui, Li Hanlin, Che Yunlong, Li Chao, Li Xuejun, Relja Dusek; Video editors: Hong Liang, Miu Xuyao, Zhang Yucheng)

Editor: GSY
Floridas ban on lab-grown meat: How does it differ from Impossible, vegan substitutes?

Gov. Ron DeSantis started a beef with lab-grown meat, calling it a "threat" to Florida's agriculture.

DeSantis signed a bill on Wednesday banning the manufacture and distribution of lab-grown meat within the state, seeking to protect cattle ranchers and the "integrity of American agriculture."

Florida is fighting back against the global elites plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals, DeSantis said. Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.

But in the wake of this news, many unfamiliar with cultivated meat have wondered if this bill will also affect vegan meat substitutes already for sale. Is 'Impossible' meat considered lab-grown? Here's what to know.

What is lab-grown meat and how is it made?

Also referred to as "cultured meat" or "cultivated meat," lab-grown meat is a meat alternative made from animal stem cells. According to the Good Food Institute, it uses the same cell types that can be arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, thus replicating the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat.

GCF Global further explains the cells are then placed in petri dishes with amino acids and carbohydrates to help the muscle cells multiply and grow. Once enough muscle fibers have grown, the result is a "meat that resembles ground beef," or whatever meat you are trying to replicate.

Guide to cultivated meat: What is lab-grown meat, and why did Governor Ron DeSantis ban it in Florida?

USA Today reported the first cultivated beef was eaten in 2013, and the industry has since expanded to about 60 startups around the world focused on making the meat in 2023.

What are vegan meat substitutes made out of?

Tofu

According to Healthline, these are some of the most common vegan substitutes found in grocery stores and served in dining establishments:

Tofu - Curd made from mashed soybeans. High in protein and may contain added nutrients such as calcium and vitamin B12

Tempeh - Traditional soy product made from fermented soy, where soybeans are cultured and formed into cakes. Stronger flavor and firmer texture than tofu, which only uses soymilk.

Texturized vegetable protein - Developed in the 1960s, it's made by taking soy flour  a byproduct of soy oil production  and removing the fat using solvents. The end result is a high-protein, low-fat product.

Seitan - Made by adding water to wheat flour and removing the starch. Experts say it's dense and chewy, with little flavor on its own.

Mushrooms - Naturally have a meaty flavor, rich in umami  a type of savory taste.

Jackfruit - Large, tropical fruit with flesh that has a subtle, fruity flavor said to be similar to pineapple.

Beans and legumes - Every bean has a slightly different flavor, so they work well in a variety of cuisines.

As for popular brands, Impossible Foods is one of the most known meat-free alternative brands, launching its products in retailers and in restaurants. Their product is made from wheat, corn, soy, coconut and potatoes, and flavored with heme, the molecule that gives meat its characteristic flavor.

Is cultivated meat vegan?

A piece of Good Meat's cultivated chicken is displayed at the Eat Just office on July 27, 2023, in Alameda, California. Back in June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorized two California-based companies, Upside Foods and Good Meat, to sell chicken grown from cells in a lab. Cell-cultivated or lab-grown meat is made by feeding nutrients to animal cells in stainless steel tanks.

Not exactly. While some longtime vegan, as well as animal and environmental advocates, are encouraging the production of cultivated meat, many are still hesitant on whether to refer to it as a "vegan" option.

VegNews said because it is taken from real animal cells, it's not technically vegan.

Does SB 1084 also ban vegan meat substitutes?

SB 1084 will not target any plant-based vegan meat substitutes, only those being derived from animal cells.

Are you still vegan if you eat lab-grown meat?

No, cultured meat is still taken from animal stem cells, so it can't be considered vegan.

However, VegNews said a poll from the dating app Veggly found 24% of vegans it asked would be open to eating lab-grown meat since it does not involve slaughter.

Contributing reporting: Ana Goni-Lessan, Tallahassee Democrat

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: DeSantis bans lab-grown meat in Florida. Do vegan substitutes count?
Florida bans lab-grown meat. Have any other states passed their own bans against it?

Florida became the first state to outlaw lab-grown meat last week. But have any other states started their own bans with man-made beef?

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that would outlaw the manufacture and distribution of lab-grown meat in the state, warning those to "take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere  we're not doing that in the state of Florida."

What is lab-grown meat? How is it made?

Lab-grown meat is exactly what it sounds like  meat made in a laboratory. But that still doesn't answer many questions.

Also referred to as "cultured meat" or "cultivated meat," lab-grown meat is a meat alternative made from animal stem cells. According to the Good Food Institute, it uses the same cell types that can be arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, thus replicating the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat.

GCF Global further explains the cells are then placed in petri dishes with amino acids and carbohydrates to help the muscle cells multiply and grow. Once enough muscle fibers have grown, the result is a "meat that resembles ground beef," or whatever meat you are trying to replicate.

But does it actually taste like meat? It depends. Reviews have ranged from AP's "tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be," to Inverse's "it tastes like chicken, to use an old cliche, but it doesn't necessarily feel like chicken."

USA Today reported the first cultivated beef was eaten in 2013, and the industry has since expanded to about 60 startups around the world focused on making the meat in 2023.

Why did Gov. DeSantis ban lab-grown meat? What to know about SB 1084

In a press conference, DeSantis shared he signed SB 1084 protect farmers and the "integrity of American agriculture."

Florida is fighting back against the global elites plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals, DeSantis said. Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.

He made fun of The World Economic Forum, an international non-governmental organization in Switzerland that has advocated for insects as an alternative edible protein source instead of animal protein. DeSantis also targeted those who advocate for "fake meat" as a way to combat climate change.

"They will say that you can't drive an internal combustion engine vehicle. They'll say that agriculture is bad. Meanwhile, they're flying to Davos in their private jets," DeSantis said.

DeSantis says: 'Take your fake meat elsewhere' and signs bill banning lab-grown meat.'

According to his press release, SB 1084 seeks to support the states agriculture and meat industry by:

Modernizing Floridas Right to Farm Act to protect reasonable agricultural activities from frivolous lawsuits.

Signing legislation to ensure that agri-tourism operators qualify for protection against property tax assessments when operating on agricultural lands.

Simplifying the steps for Florida Farmers to receive sales tax exemptions for agricultural materials.

Reestablishing funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program in 2022 at $300 million.

Protecting through that program over 36,000 acres of farmland.

Investing more than $2.8 billion into Floridas agricultural industry in The Framework for Freedom Budget.

Have any other states banned lab-grown meat?

So far, it's just Florida. Three states  Alabama, Arizona and Tennessee  have recently considered bills banning lab-grown meat:

Alabama's bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food products made from cultured animal cells. The state House passed it April 30, but an amendment requires it goes back to the Senate before being sent to Gov. Kay Ivy, Food Safety magazine reported.

In Arizona , two different bills passed the House  one banning lab-grown meat and another for tougher meat labeling  but neither made it out of the Senate, Food Safety News reported.

Tennessee's bill, which would ban the sale of cultured meat and impose fines of up to $1 million, was not considered by either house before the General Assembly session ended.

Why is lab-grown meat so controversial? See the pros and cons

The FDA accepted Upside Foods' conclusion that its cultivated chicken, a lab-grown meat developed using living chicken calls, is safe to eat.

Despite the Food and Drug Administration in 2022 declaring it safe to eat and the U.S. Department of Agriculture giving its approval in 2023, lab-grown meat still sees hesitation and disapproval by many.

Many meat-alternative companies and supporters believe lab-grown meat is a way to address the environmental and ethical concerns tied to traditional mass production of meat. Scientists have also highlighted lab-grown meat can reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Additionally, Good Food Institute has also cited research published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment forecasting cultivated meat to eventually be nearly three times more efficient than conventional beef production, with the potential to reduce the carbon footprint by 92%, land use by 90%, and water use by 66%.

But others are not convinced, as it's still a new product and its public health consequences are unknown.

There are several concerns that the taste of cultivated meat might not appeal to all consumers, which can become an issue to manufacturers. Critics who have already tried the products have noted how the taste isn't exactly the same, which some claim is reasons enough to avoid it.

It's also noted how expensive it is to make. Health and wellness website Dr. Axe highlighted the first lab-grown burger, created in 2013, cost nearly $400,000 to produce. Despite the technological advancements over the last decade, critics of lab-grown meat products say it will be out of reach for the average consumer for quite some time.

Where can I eat lab-grown meat in the United States? You can't buy it even if you want to

Lab-grown meat is not currently being sold in U.S. grocery stores.

The Department of Agriculture cleared two companies, Upside Foods and GOOD Meat, to start manufacturing and selling lab-grown chicken products last year. However, the products still havent made their way to U.S. stores as of April 2024.

"Two cultivated chicken products have been approved for sale in the U.S., and the production volumes of these two products can only currently provide for limited offerings in select restaurants, Elliot Swartz, the principal scientist for cultivated meat at the Good Food Institute, said.

WIRED reported in February that cultivated meat is no longer available in any restaurants in the country, with the small handful of restaurants that sold cultivated meat having paused or stopped sales.

Contributing reporting: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today Network

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida lab-grown meat ban is law. Three other states considering it
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) on Monday took down a social media post regarding South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noems (R) meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after being accused of reinforcing the stereotype that Asians eat dogs.

The remarks were made in Moskowitzs repost of a clip from CBS Mornings interview with Noem  a potential vice presidential pick for former President Trump  in which the governor discussed her request to remove an anecdote about her meeting with Kim from her new book, No Going Back. In the clip, Noem explained she should not have put the anecdote in the book and dodged questions about whether the anecdote was accurate after doubts were raised last week.

Moskowitz on Monday reposted the clip on the social media platform X, making a reference to Noems separate revelation in her soon-to-be-released book that she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog about 20 years ago. Why am I getting the feeling that she wanted to eat dog with Kim Jong Un, Moskowitz wrote.

The post immediately drew accusations of spreading the racist and false stereotype that Asians eat dogs. It was deleted hours later.

In a statement shared with The Hill, Moskowitz said he removed the post as he did not want it to be misconstrued and offend the broader community.

I condemn those stereotypes and would never want to feed into them, he added.

The Houses only two Korean American Democrats weighed in on the issue, Politico reported.

While we appreciate our colleague standing up to GOP extremism, we cannot perpetuate harmful stereotypes in the process, Reps. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.) said in a statement. We thank Rep. Moskowitz for apologizing and taking down his tweet.

The Florida Democrat later replied to a screenshot of his since-deleted post by Politico reporter Nicholas Wu, who wrote, Rep. Moskowitz using a stereotype here about Asians and dogs.

I have a tremendous respect for Nick as a fantastic journalist. I made a joke about 2 specific people. No one else. However, I would never want to be insensitive and feed into a stereotype. He called me out, deserved, Moskowitz wrote in response.

Moskowitzs post comes after Noem came under fire over her revelation about shooting the dog. Noem defended the move, saying she shot the dangerous dog to protest her children. She said it was not a pleasant job but had to be done.

Moskowitz drew criticism in March for a separate social media post, in which he published side-by-side pictures of actor Sydney Sweeney wearing a revealing outfit on NBCs Saturday Night Live and President Biden as he arrived at his latest State of the Union address.

The latter photo captured the moment Biden looked shocked to see Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). The photos were arranged to make it look like Biden was reacting to Sweeney. Moskowitz captioned the post with an emoji that depicts a pair of eyes looking to the left.

He later took down the post, calling it inappropriate.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Florida Democrats have shown the donkey the door and have adopted as a new mascot the Florida panther  an endangered species.

The iconic panther, once reduced to fewer than two dozen in Florida and now numbering close to 300, was introduced Saturday as the new icon for Florida Democrats.

They too once ruled the state but have been out of power and in the wilderness since the 20th century.

A Florida panther will serve as the 2024 campaign mascot for the Florida Democratic Party

The Florida panther wont back down from a fight, Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said about the animal that nearly disappeared from Florida.

We gave the donkey the boot. It is time to kick ass, Fried added in a video produced at the Leadership Blue fundraiser in Orlando Saturday.

Nikki Fried was elected FDP chair in February 2023

Florida Republicans quickly embraced the irony of their opponents picking an endangered species as their symbol. Republican Party of Florida chair Evan Power said that a nearly-extinct animal is a fitting choice for a party that has lost 1.2 million net registered voters over the past four years and has not won a statewide contest since Fried's election to one term as state agriculture commissioner in 2018.

If you come into contact with a Florida Democrat in the wild, whether they identify as a donkey or a panther, we urge them to notify Nikki Fried and her team immediately, Power said.

Once kings of the wilderness, panthers now dwindle

Fourteen months ago, Fried assumed control of a party that, like the range the panther once roamed, has become a shell of what it once was.

The GOP routed the Democrats in 2022, left them in a super-minority status in the Florida Legislature, without any statewide office holders, and outnumbered 20-8 in the congressional delegation.

But in the weeks leading up to the annual statewide fundraiser, Fried suspended three party chairs for a lack of cooperation and repeated failures to follow party rules, recruited candidates for all 28 congressional races, and launched an aggressive campaign to find candidates for legislative races.

St. Petersburg College political science professor Tara Newsom found the one-minute video that announced the mascot change to be spot on rebranding for a political party.

We gave the donkey the boot. Its time to kick ass in Florida. #LeadBlue24



New Swag Alert https://t.co/yzjeabiqey pic.twitter.com/nqIFkl5lch  Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) May 5, 2024

It features a dozen officials who won election the past two years, along with Democratic veterans U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida Senate Democratic Leader-designate Jason Pizzo, and state Rep. Anna Eskamani.

The tightly edited montage dissolves into a panther eye and then a frame of a panther over the Everglades. It ends with a panther roar.

Newsom, founder of the Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, said the hype video and new mascot is an attempt to realign the Democratic Party with voters.

While it showcases President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the editing subtly addresses what many suspect is the Democrats biggest weakness in the fall campaign  Biden's age.

Images of Biden, 81, and Harris, 59, are juxtaposed with the Democratic mayors of Jacksonville and Tampa, Donna Deegan and Jane Castor; state Rep. Tom Keen, who flipped a GOP seat; and U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress.

Theres this narrative about how tired Biden is. This new branding is saying, 'No, no, no. Take a closer look. Were more than just Joe Biden. We are young, nimble, agile and we want your vote,'  Newsom said.

Democrats stuck with donkey since 19th century

Democrats have never claimed a symbol but have long been associated with the donkey  thanks to 19th century political cartoonist Thomas Nast. He depicted the party as a stubborn beast headed towards financial chaos, according to art critic Jackson Arn.

Leon County Democratic Party chair Ryan Ray said he appreciates the party adopting a symbol of Florida wildlife as a party symbol.

If its a symbol of fighting back and protecting the essential Florida we all grew up with, then I like it, Ray said.

In 1982, schoolchildren asked the Florida Legislature to name the Florida panther the official state animal. And around 36,000 Floridians pay extra to sport a "Protect the Panther" license plate for their vehicle, the 17th most popular specialty plate out of the 174 offered.

James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and is on X as @CallTallahassee.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Democrats kick donkey to curb, welcome panther as new mascot
A 14-year-old angler who was hospitalized in Florida over the weekend has only himself to blame. The teenager was flying his fishing drone on Dania Beach, where drones are strictly prohibited, when he was cut by the drones propeller blades, according to 7-News Miami. The incident occurred Sunday morning on the Dania Beach Fishing Pier, which overlooks the popular beach just south of Fort Lauderdale. Officials with the Broward County Sheriffs Office told 7-News that by the time deputies arrived at 9 a.m., the teenager was bleeding badly from multiple lacerations. Paramedics then transported him to a nearby hospital. The boys identity has not been released, and his current condition is unknown. The BCSO did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An eyewitness identified only as James, who frequents the public pier and was there when the teen injured himself, told reporters that he and others had warned him not to fly his drone. The devices are prohibited at Dania Beach, and there are multiple signs on the pier stating this, according to 7-News. Drones are a growing source of ethical and regulatory controversy in sporting circles, with some arguing that drones give sportsmen an unfair advantage and violate the fair-chase principles that guide ethical hunting. On the fishing side, drones are most often used as bait-delivery devices, allowing anglers to fly their baits out much farther than they could otherwise cast them. Its illegal to do a lot of things here, but he snuck [the drone] under his cooler, James told 7-News. We told him not to fly it. He said, Its fine, so we just let him do what he wanted to do. Read Next: Will Drones Take Over Fishing or Be Banned From It? James said the teen was retrieving his drone when his wrist and finger were torn up by the drones propellers. He described a lot of blood gushing and said he and others tried to help. A few people stopped, and he took his shirt off, and we tied it up, and then, after that, we called 911, James said. He also clarified that the teenager was from out of town. The boys parents were contacted after he was taken to the hospital, according to NBC-6 News, and they cooperated with deputies. The BCSO told reporters that they have not charged the boy, and that any charges or penalties would be determined by the Federal Aviation Administration. Drones are classified as unmanned aircraft in the U.S., and theyre regulated as such by the FAA. Drone operators who conduct unsafe operations that endanger other aircraft of people on the ground could face fines that exceed $30,000, the FAA explained in a statement shared with 7-News. In addition, we can suspend or revoke drone operators pilot certificates. Its not immediately clear how the case will be handled given the offender is a minor. The Broward County Sheriffs Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

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Foreign Ministry calls on allies not to recognize Putin as Russia's legitimate president

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry urged on May 6 other countries and international organizations not to recognize the results of Russia's most recent presidential election, as well as Vladimir Putin's legitimacy ahead of the inauguration.

Kyiv sees "no legal grounds for recognizing Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia," the ministry said.

According to evidence published by election experts, observers, and media, the March 15-17 presidential election, which Putin "won" with 87% support, was the most rigged in Russia's modern history.

Estimates of vote rigging range from at least 22 million votes to about 31.6 million votes, without taking into account the online voting and the election at gunpoint in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Russia "brutally" violated the principles of international law when it organized the so-called voting in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson oblasts, and Crimea, Ukraine's ministry said.

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"Despite warnings from authoritative international institutions, the Russian Federation's actions once again demonstrate that its leadership does not recognize its responsibility and is unwilling to end the illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine," the ministry's statement read.

Moscow also violated the provisions of "numerous international documents that form the basis of the modern system of international relations," including the Charter of the United Nations, according to the statement.

"Based on the above, as well as taking into account the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine sees no legal grounds for recognizing him as the democratically elected and legitimate president of the Russian Federation," the ministry said.

The Russian presidential election was widely viewed as neither free nor fair, and a number of Western countries have already said they will boycott the inauguration scheduled to be held in Moscow on May 7. Some of Ukraine's allies have yet to confirm whether their representatives will be in attendance at the event.

The European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on April 25 condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's March presidential election as illegitimate.

Read also: Evidence shows recent presidential elections most rigged in Russias modern history

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
TOWN CREEK, Ala (WHNT)  A former Decatur Field Officer for the Bureau of Pardons and Parole has been arrested on several child abuse charges in Morgan County.

According to Morgan County Sheriffs Office (MCSO) spokesperson Mike Swafford, 47-year-old Joddie Brooke King was arrested on a grand jury warrant for assault-aggravated child abuse. The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles has confirmed to News 19 that King is a former Decatur field officer.

Madison shooting deemed accident, charges possible

Swafford said King is charged with four counts of aggravated child abuse and four counts of willful abuse of a child under 18. Jail records show that King was booked into the Morgan County Jail at 1:30 p.m. Monday and was released on a $30,000 bond at 3:06 p.m.

The Bureau of Pardons and Paroles released a statement regarding Kings arrest saying it was aware of the investigation.

Former Decatur Field Officer Joddie King has been terminated by the Bureau, a bureau spokesperson said. We are aware a criminal investigation is being conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation.

News 19 has reached out to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency regarding the SBI investigation and is awaiting more information.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
A former Columbus vice cop will be sentenced Thursday. Here's how much time he could get.

Former Columbus police vice officer Andrew Mitchell will be sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court. In December, Mitchell agreed to a plea deal on charges of deprivation of rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. He could get up to 11 years in federal prison.

A former Columbus police office will find out Thursday how many years he will have to spend in federal prison after admitting to holding two women against their will and obstructing a federal investigation.

Andrew Mitchell, 60, has been in custody since his arrest in 2019. In December, Mitchell entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court to two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of obstruction of justice.

Mitchell had initially been accused of forcing two women to engage in sexual activity in exchange for Mitchell not arresting them. The plea deal did not include any charges involving sexual assault or kidnapping.

However, federal prosecutors say in their memo that Mitchell could have had no other motive besides wanting sex.

"More was going on that just Mitchell abusing the powers of his badge to only detain someone," the memo says. "Mitchell took full advantage of the nature of the vice unit responsibilities to benefit his own selfish sexual vices."

Part of the plea agreement was a jointly recommended sentencing range of between seven and 11 years in federal prison.

What did Andrew Mitchell's attorneys say about his sentencing?

Mitchell's attorneys, Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens, argue in a sentencing memo filed in advance of Thursday's hearing that the seven-year sentence is enough given Mitchell's lack of criminal history, the support of his family and the improbability of Mitchell ever repeating his behavior.

They said Mitchell would not have agreed to a plea deal had allegations of sexual activity been included.

"The defendant denies having had sex with prostitutes but does per the statement of facts ... acknowledges and takes responsibility for handcuffing the prosecuting witnesses and detaining them against their will," the document says.

"Andrew has never done something like this before," his attorneys wrote.

Attached to the memo from Mitchell's defense team are letters from Mitchell's wife and other family members, as well as a retired detective who worked with Mitchell and current Columbus police Cmdr. Melissa McFadden.

Mitchell's attorneys said the time behind bars will let Mitchell be rehabilitated while also "continuing to pay his debt to society for betraying society's trust as a law enforcement officer."

What did federal prosecutors say about Andrew Mitchell?

Prosecutors on the case asked U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus, who will sentence Mitchell, to impose the full 11-year sentence, noting that the agreed sentencing range is much lower than in other similar cases around the country.

Andrew Mitchell: Former Columbus cop admits to holding women against their will, may get 11 years in prison

"Mitchell was hardly behaving consistent with his responsibilities as a Columbus Division of Police officer tasked with protecting and serving his community," prosecutors wrote. "Mitchell was well aware of the special vulnerabilities of the sex workers and ... purposely targeted them in the belief that their complaints ... would not be believed."

"Mitchell routinely used this dynamic to his advantage ... in seeking sexual conquest and control while ignoring the law he was sworn to uphold," prosecutors wrote, saying Mitchell was "an embarrassment to his badge."

In their memo, prosecutors said the two victims in the case remained willing to testify against Mitchell at a trial but wanted to resolve the case without having to if at all possible.

What did Andrew Mitchell admit to doing?

Mitchell admitted to a statement of facts that said he picked up the first woman in July 2017 in the Hilltop area where the woman was working as a sex worker. Mitchell, who was in plain clothes and did not have his badge, identified himself as a police officer and told the woman she was under arrest.

The woman told investigators Mitchell handcuffed her to a zip tie that was on the doorknob of his car before driving to a nearby area where Mitchell said there were no cameras.

"Mitchell then parked his car and continued to forcibly hold and detain (her) against her will for a period of time," the statement of facts says.

A similar encounter was detailed for the second victim, who said Mitchell picked her up on two different occasions in September 2017. The second woman told investigators Mitchell showed her a badge, according to court records, and drove her to a nearby area where she was detained against her will.

The FBI's Public Corruption Task Force began investigating Mitchell in September 2018, weeks after Mitchell fatally shot 23-year-old Donna Dalton Castleberry while working undercover. A jury found Mitchell not guilty of any criminal charge in connection with Castleberry's Aug. 23, 2018, death.

Mitchell knew the investigation was underway by October 2018, when he began cleaning out an apartment at a rental property he owned with the goal of getting rid of evidence. Bleach was used in cleaning the apartment, court records say.

Federal prosecutors said investigators determined that at least six women who had rented apartments from Mitchell admitted to having sex with him in exchange for money or reduced or free rent.

Mitchell's sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

bbruner@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ex-Columbus vice officer will be sentenced Thursday. Here's what we know.
A former employee alleged Van Horn auto group racially discriminated against him. A judge will hear the appealed case next month.

SHEBOYGAN  A Wisconsin Administrative Law Judge will hear an appeal in June of a former Van Horn Automotive Group employee who alleges the company violated the states fair employment law and fired him because of his race.

Zach Norman filed a discrimination complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Developments Equal Rights Division in August 2022, alleging he received different treatment than white counterparts and the company didnt afford him the same due process, which ultimately led to his employment termination.

The ERD investigator on the case dismissed the complaint in November 2023, with an initial determination there was no probable cause that Van Horn violated the Fair Employment Law by terminating Normans employment because of his race. Portions of the complaint were dismissed because they were untimely.

Norman filed an appeal soon after.

Through its lawyer, Van Horn declined to talk with the Sheboygan Press or give a comment for this story because the case is being litigated. However, the lawyer said Van Horn will continue to vigorously defend against Normans allegations.

Former Van Horn employee says two incidents during employment made him uncomfortable as a person of color

Norman was rehired by Van Horn in 2018  with a stint as a sales associate from 2014 to 2016  and began as a customer service manager. He served as the Business Development and CSI director in his most recent role. He is mixed race, half white and half Black, and was one of the companys only non-white employees in a management role, according to the initial statement of discrimination obtained by the Sheboygan Press.

It notes two alleged instances that made Norman uncomfortable. One on occasion, a Van Horn executive asked Norman, So what race are you anyway? The other happened in fall 2019, when his direct supervisor pitched a training called White Men as Full Diversity Partners, described as white men teaching other white men diversity.

His supervisor, according to the statement, explained white men were in the best position to teach diversity because they often hold more upper management and executive roles. This instance made Norman, the only person of color in the meeting, uncomfortable.

The statement said Norman was never disciplined and his performance always met or exceeded expectations over the years. Additionally, it said Van Horn continues to employ white managers who are verbally abusive to subordinates, unlike Norman.It said the company treats these employees differently than Norman because they are white and he isnt.

Both parties attempted mediation in fall 2022, which couldve avoided further investigation and determination of fault, but it was unsuccessful. Norman told the Sheboygan Press it felt like Van Horn offered a very low settlement amount compared to his proposition before meditation and wasnt open to negotiations during the mediation.

And I was just like, This is ridiculous, Norman said.

Apartment building access: Nearly 12 weeks later, wheelchair lift at Sheboygan apartment building could be working again soon

Van Horn denies racial discrimination allegation, says complaint has 'no merit.'

The investigation process continued, with Van Horn submitting a position statement to Normans complaint Feb. 17, 2023, via a lawyer, that requested the complaint be dismissed because it had no merit.

It said Normans two examples have alleged racial undertones, but arent direct evidence of discrimination and were time-barred from being considered in the case, arguing they exceed the 300-day limit. It then said Norman couldnt prove there was indirect evidence of discrimination, by showing he is a member of a protected class, met employers expectations, subject to materially adverse employment action and the employer treated similarly positioned employees outside the protected class more favorably.

Van Horn denies that it discriminated against Mr. Norman ('Complainant') in any way, and it specifically denies that it discriminated against him based on his race, the position statement read.

The position statement said Van Horn terminated Normans employment for discriminatory and behavior toward female subordinates in his department, as the company said it is committed to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.

After Norman returned to the company in 2018, the position statement said he rose to higher roles and became more arrogant, rude and condescending toward female staff on his team and created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that was hidden from Van Horn leadership.

On different occasions, the position statement said three women in Normans department told executive leadership he treated female employees horribly and berated women for taking time off for child care reasons. This awful work environment ultimately led to employees leaving the department and asking for internal transfers, it said.

One of the women reported Norman and said she resigned because of him, for receiving similar treatment as the other female employees. She said she was also put on a performance improvement plan in retaliation for other employees finding out Norman, who was married, was on a dating app.

The position statement said Norman approached his supervisor about demoting that female employee, replacing her with a male employee and paying him double the salary. It goes on to say Norman admitted to making the inappropriate comments toward the female employees, putting one on a PIP and wanting to replace her with a male counterpart.

Van Horn said the companys themes of respect, professionalism and positivity are explained at employee orientation, reinforced in daily interactions, reiterated in equal opportunity employment, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, and sought out in diversity, equity and inclusion trainings. It alleges these behaviors exhibited by Norman did not uphold the company culture or values.

In the position statement, Van Horn said it has a commitment to a positive work environment and has taken action when instances of harassment or discrimination were discovered, like the termination of a white male manager a few years ago because of attempts to proposition one subordinate female employee and for an innuendo and behavior that made a group of women uncomfortable.

Norman says the company didn't properly investigate allegations against him.

Norman denies in an April 2023 rebuttal the companys assertion that he created a toxic environment, would berate my female subordinates and managed with fear and intimidation. He said it couldnt be farther from the truth.

Though used as a catalyst for his termination, Norman denied berating women for taking off for child care reasons.

Norman said a leadership accountability meeting was held where taking excessive time off was discussed. Some supervisors were taking off more time than was acceptable to spend with their kids, which put stress on the female employee who eventually resigned. In the meeting, he shared how constantly missing work can create stress on co-workers and is unfair for female employees without kids who have to take up the extra workload.

With two young children himself, Norman shared how he and his wife share child care responsibilities, the rebuttal said.

I also never said that people couldnt miss work because of them having sick kids, Norman said in the rebuttal. I said that they couldnt miss a week at a time without using their PTO and vacation. Again, I understand what its like to have kids and the stress and struggle that happens when kids are sick.

This issue was seemingly resolved after the meeting, with more use of PTO and vacation time for excessive absences and splitting time with significant others for child care.

Norman said in the rebuttal that executive management didnt conduct a proper investigation before firing him, like speaking with other people in that meeting.

The companys complaint procedure says an investigation into an employee complaint could include interviews with the person making the complaint, the person whom the complaint was made against, witnesses identified by either party or other individuals the company deems have relevant information.

Norman put the female employee who resigned on a PIP, following a reassessment of lack of leadership skills, which he was transparent about with his supervisor. Norman said she wasnt put on the plan out of retaliation for the dating app assertion, which he said was a rumor started by a former member of the female employees team after they were terminated. Anyone who truly knows me understands how I live my life and what kinds of moral standards I have, he said in the rebuttal.

Norman said he supported and empowered the female employee. Employees are put on PIPs when the company wants them to grow and stay, not be replaced or terminated, he said. Norman said managers were given the directive of Right Person, Right Seat at the end of 2021 and put her on the PIP to improve her leadership skills. He said he was following the direction of his supervisor.

Norman denied he wanted to replace the female employee, hire a male and pay him twice as much. He also added, This also differs from what was said to me during my termination.

Norman said he was told he was being fired because he was unkind and had made a comment to the female employee that he didnt hire her. This was taken out of context, Norman said. He told the female employee, Youre right I didnt hire you, but I will still support you like everyone else.

Norman said this was not a sufficient reason for termination and there was not a proper investigation into the female employees allegations against him.

In an additional rebuttal submission, Norman said his supervisor told him he couldnt make mistakes.

Norman, and several character and witness statements, share examples in the complaint of white employees who have engaged in inappropriate conduct but have not been terminated. Among the list, some are accused of having engaged in intimidation, harassment, yelling and berating co-workers and subordinates. For these, they received punishments like temporary leave, position demotion and department reduction.

Why couldnt a black employee make mistakes, but white employees can? Norman wrote in the rebuttal.

Former colleagues and some current Van Horn employees share statements of support for Norman. One says he was an 'amazing person and boss.'

Overall, Norman said he strove to build a winning culture in which all my employees could grow within the company.

He said he created workplace committees to build camaraderie and teamwork and an anonymous digital suggestion box for employees to voice their concerns. He would discuss concerns he received with management in an effort to resolve them. Norman said he also fought for pay increases for his employees, 90% of whom were women, for more than a year. This was refused three times by his superior, he alleged.

This was the opposite of the culture of sexism and fear that Van Horn is portraying my department to have had, Norman said in the rebuttal. This was a culture of growth and learning, specifically for females.

More than a dozen individuals  some colleagues, former and current Van Horn employees  shared character and witness statements in support of Norman. General sentiments throughout remarked that he was an amazing person and boss, respectful and had positively impacted their lives. Several individuals shared Normans firing was a shock and didnt make sense to them. Another said they hoped the termination was a "racial thing."

Whatever reasons there were, just remember Zach is a good, honest person with more integrity than any of them will ever have, one statement said about his employment termination.

Another noted: I was very proud to be part of the great team and culture that Zach created at BDC. It felt like a family.

Sheboygan marina meeting: Community input and boater concerns: Here's what to know about the first Sheboygan marina meeting

Initial determination dismissed the case, but it's now being appealed because of lack of substantial evidence.

The Equal Rights Division officer determined Norman didnt bring forth sufficient evidence to substantiate that he was fired because of his race.

Although the Complainant argued that there were Caucasian comparators, who harassed subordinates and were not discharged, it does not appear that those individuals singled out employees due to their membership in a protected class, like sex, the determination said.

Portions in the case that occurred before Oct. 29, 2021, like the conversation about White Men as Full Diversity Partners, were dismissed because they exceeded the 300-day statute of limitations to file an allegedly discriminatory act occurred.

Norman said in his appeal he wasnt confident the ERD investigator considered his second rebuttal that had specific, detailed witness statements that showed white managers received more favorable treatment than he did when allegations were brought against them.

Norman will bring his appeal before an administrative law judge next month. There, he will have the opportunity to present his case.

Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Former Van Horn employee alleges company racially discriminated against him
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Sunday that he hopes China and France will light up their way forward with the torch of history, open a brighter future of China-France relations and make new contributions to world peace, stability and development.

Xi made the remarks in a written speech upon his arrival here for a state visit to France.

He said during the visit, he will have an in-depth exchange of views with French President Emmanuel Macron on growing China-France and China-Europe relations under the new circumstances as well as major international and regional issues in the world today.

"I hope this visit will help cement our long-standing friendship, enhance political trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields," he said, adding that it is a great pleasure to begin his third state visit to the French Republic at the invitation of Macron.

Back in 2014 and 2019, Xi paid two visits to France, both in spring, to celebrate the 50th and 55th anniversaries of diplomatic relations together with the people of France.

"As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, I have a strong sense of deja vu when setting foot again on the soil of your beautiful country. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I wish to take this opportunity to extend our warmest greetings and best wishes to the French government and people," Xi said.

As important representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France have a long history of mutual appreciation and admiration, said Xi.

French Enlightenment thinkers turned to study Chinese culture centuries ago, and great French thinkers and writers such as Voltaire, Diderot, Hugo and Balzac have been household names in China, he added.

He also noted that 60 years ago, the two countries broke through Cold War blocs and established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

In the 60 years since, the bilateral relations have always stayed abreast of China's relations with Western countries, setting a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, said Xi.

In recent years, the relationship between China and France has risen to new heights, and the two countries keep making new progress in cooperation on aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, agrifood and green development, Xi said.

He said that the two countries enjoy close coordination and cooperation on climate response, biodiversity protection and global governance, adding that activities of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism are unfolding across the board.

"A growing China-France relationship not only brings benefits to both peoples, but also provides stability and positive energy to the turbulent world," Xi said.

The Chinese president was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport and warmly welcomed by overseas Chinese upon arrival.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

People welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Lu Ye)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Editor: GSY
LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  A former lawyer in Lackawanna County was sentenced for forging and tampering with evidence.

Court documents show that former attorney James Conaboy pled guilty to two counts of forgery and two counts of tampering with evidence.

Pa. testing pilot program to shorten construction runoff permit approval

Investigators say Conaboy intentionally led his clients to believe he settled a malpractice lawsuit for $700,000 when in reality the case was dismissed. He signed two court documents pretending to be a judge that stated his clients would be paid out $700,000, according to court records.

In this case, Conaboy admitted to lying to his clients.

The court sentenced Conaboy to spend 2-24 months in prison, serve 10 years probation, and pay $3,298.88 to the PA Office of Attorney General.

The sentencing noted that Conaboy would be granted immediate parole upon serving the minimum sentence.

Conaboy has also been disbarred after resigning from his position.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
A prosecutor recently dismissed a homicide case after learning of a botched autopsy by former Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Dr. Brian Peterson.

The autopsy of the victim, a 2-month-old baby named Kai Ivy, did not meet national standards for investigating sudden infant deaths, said Deputy District Attorney Matthew Torbenson.

Torbenson dismissed the homicide charge he filed against the babys father, 23-year-old Jakob Ivy, last month.

The case raises questions about the forensic work of Peterson, who abruptly retired in September 2022.

His retirement and subsequent failure to testify to his prior work in ongoing court cases delayed at least one case, the homicide trial of former Milwaukee police officer Michael Mattioli, who ultimately was acquitted by a jury.

Peterson has told other media outlets he was forced to retire. Both he and County Executive David Crowley have not provided details about the circumstances of his departure. In response to a public records request after Peterson's retirement, Milwaukee County officials said there were no disciplinary records or complaints in his personnel file.

After Peterson retired, Torbenson asked the new medical examiner, Dr. Wieslawa Tlomak, to review the file for the Ivy case and provide an independent opinion.

Tlomak could not do so, in part, because too little tissue was preserved to be retested, according to the prosecutor.

Peterson did not return phone calls and text messages requesting an interview about the Ivy case or his prior work. Tlomak did not respond to an interview request.

Travis Schwantes, the public defender who represented Ivy, suggested if the autopsy had been done correctly, his client may never have been charged in the first place. An outside expert hired by the defense theorized the baby likely died from a bacterial infection based on initial lab results at the hospital.

Had there been a complete autopsy  maybe the process never swings into motion and this isnt a homicide investigation," Schwantes said.

Torbenson remained unconvinced, telling the Journal Sentinel there was clear evidence of blunt force trauma in this case.

The issue is we dont have a medical expert to say the injuries resulted in the childs death, he said.

Dr. Brian Peterson, former chief medical examiner for Milwaukee County, is pictured outside the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office in 2020.

What happened to baby Kai

Just after 2:30 a.m. April 26, 2021, Ivy called 911 to report his son was not breathing.

Kai was taken to Childrens Wisconsin where medical staff tried to revive him. He was pronounced dead at 3:34 a.m.

At the time, there were no signs of injury or trauma and no obvious signs of abuse or neglect, according to a medical examiners report.

But the doctor felt the story provided was odd,' the report says.

Ivy had told investigators he was feeding his son formula when the baby started choking and formula came out of his nose. He notified his mother, whom he lived with, and she started CPR while he called 911.

The childs mother told authorities her son had a swallowing problem and history of regurgitating from the nose while feeding.

On April 27, Peterson performed an autopsy on the infant. He noted bleeding in the retina and signs of brain bleeding and traumatic brain injury, according to the criminal complaint. He ruled the cause of death blunt force head injury and the manner as homicide.

The next day, Milwaukee detectives arrested Ivy and interviewed him again. They started by asking him about a text message he sent to his sons mother in which he apologized for killing the baby. Ivy explained he felt responsible because his son had died while in his care, the complaint says.

Then, the detectives told Ivy the results of the autopsy. Ivy initially denied shaking or abusing his son in any way.

But eventually, the complaint says, he told detectives he shook his son on April 24 and that the infant was lethargic the entire next day.

Autopsy did not meet standards set by National Association of Medical Examiners

At the hospital, staff took blood from baby Kai and sent it to a lab for testing.

The initial results found Group B strep in his blood, a bacteria that can cause severe, even fatal, infections and sepsis.

Dr. Jane W. Turner, an outside expert hired by Ivys attorney, noted Petersons autopsy did not include microbiology testing as recommended in standards set by the National Association of Medical Examiners. Such testing could provide more detail about what role, if any, an infection may have played in the baby's death.

The infant also was not tested for COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses despite his death occurring during the pandemic.

The autopsy was narrowly focused on inflicted head trauma at the onset and the lack of testing or investigating of strep B as a potential cause showed Petersons bias, Turner wrote.

There was every indication in this case to do that testing, Schwantes, the defense attorney, said. There were blinking red caution lights.

Schwantes submitted Turners report to the court in June 2022.

Peterson retired three months later, after a series of controversies, including statements he made on a listserv for pathologists in response to a 2021 study examining how often Black and white infants' deaths were ruled homicides.

The study suggested that medical examiners' roles in the criminal justice system might be more subjective than usually presumed, as well as being influenced by cognitive bias.

What is woke today is fodder tomorrow," Peterson wrote. "Is there anyone in our profession that has not, at one point or another, quipped about 'spinning the wheel of death' and picking one? How many cases do we see in which there are multiple competing causes of death, any one of which, or combination, would work just fine?"

At least one pending child homicide case involves an autopsy review by Peterson.

Ronald Schroeder, 54, who used to work professionally as Silly the Clown, was charged in the 1991 death of his 1-month-old daughter, Catherine. Schroeder had long been suspected of the homicide but was not charged until August 2021.

In that case, there was enough tissue and records saved for Tlomak, the current medical examiner, to provide another opinion. She found the death was the result of blunt force trauma and the manner was homicide, according to the prosecutor.

Without a medical expert to testify about death, charge dismissed

Soon after Peterson's retirement, the prosecutor asked officials at the medical examiner's office to review all available evidence in the Ivy case.

Tlomak requested the police reports in February 2023.

Her review found Petersons autopsy of Kai did not meet the standards of the National Association of Medical Examiners' recommendations regarding autopsies on infants who die suddenly and unexpectedly  the same issue identified by the defense expert.

There was no microbiology testing for infection, no staining of brain tissue samples to look for injuries and a limited description of the severity of the brain injuries, Torbenson said.

Moreover, there was little tissue preserved that would allow for additional follow-up testing, the prosecutor said.

As recently as this February, Torbenson expected Tlomak to appear in court and testify that the baby died of blunt force trauma to the head, according to court filings.

Then, just days before the trial was to begin, the medical examiners office informed Torbenson it could not render an independent outside opinion in the case.

Without a medical expert witness to testify to the cause and manner of death, Torbenson said he "made the difficult determination that the interests of justice required that the charges be dismissed at this time."

Ivy, who had no prior criminal record, had been free on $5,000 bail while the case was pending.

The homicide case was dismissed April 19, nearly three years after baby Kai died.

Vanessa Swales of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Ashley Luthern can be reached at ashley.luthern@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jakob Ivy case dismissed due to botched autopsy by Milwaukee medical examiner
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A former Tennessee Department of Corrections tactical officer was sentenced on Monday for using excessive force on an inmate and writing a false report in an attempt to cover it up.

Javian Griffin, 38, pleaded guilty to the offense in October of 2023. On Monday, he was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release, according to the Department of Justice.

Nine-time convicted felon gets $9,500 bond on assault charge

According to court documents, Griffin, without justification, punched an inmate in the head, breaking the inmates jaw. Documents say that the inmate did not pose a threat or resist, making the actions of the officer unjustifiable.

After the incident, Griffin wrote a false report to cover up the assault. His co-defendant, Sebron Hollands, assisted with the cover-up by providing false information in a report in order to obstruct the investigation of the incident.

Former TN corrections officer sentenced for covering up excessive force

Sebron Hollands also pleaded guilty in October of 2023 for writing a false report. He was sentenced in February to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised released.

The officers worked at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee.

No correctional officer is above the law, said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. The defendant assaulted an inmate and then tried to cover it up. This offices National Security and Civil Rights Unit will continue to prioritize the prosecution of public employees who violate the civil rights of others.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Former Town of Tonawanda employee admits to DWAI stemming from street sweeper crash

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  A former Town of Tonawanda employee has pleaded guilty to DWAI in connection to him crashing a street sweeper truck on I-290 in 2023, the Erie County District Attorneys Office said Monday.

54-year-old Roger D. Murphy admitted to one count of DWAI. It stems from him crashing while driving a Tonawanda street sweeper truck westbound on I-290 on April 7, 2023 near the Colvin Boulevard exit.

After the crash, investigators found a single prescription painkiller inside the vehicle. He was placed on administrative leave, and was later terminated.

Murphy received one year of conditional discharge, was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, and his drivers license was revoked.

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.
Former Trump attorney William Brennan said Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the New York hush money case involving former President Trump, is a pro and a pleasure to work with.

Trump has frequently targeted Merchan before and during the hush money trial, lashing out and saying he is running an unfair proceeding.

But Brennan offered praise for the judge during an appearance on Fox Newss America Reports on Monday, offering a stark contrast to Trumps comments.

Brennan described Merchan and Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorneys office, each as a pro in his comments Monday.

As a lawyer whos been knocking around this country for three and a half decades trying criminal cases, a pleasure to work in front of him. And frankly, that prosecution team, a number of those people, Steinglass was one, our case. Hes a pro. Its just so much easier when the judge is a pro and the prosecution team are professionals, he said.

Brennan is a former Trump payroll corporation attorney who also represented Trump during his second impeachment trial. He also said earlier in the interview that Merchan treated him very well while arguing before him in a previous payroll tax case.

Im not the presidents lawyer in this case. Ive had the opportunity to represent the president in his second impeachment and in a payroll tax case before this judge. But my personal opinion of Judge Merchan, he treated me very well, Brennan said on Fox News.

He was a gentleman, he is smart, he works hard, and I really dont  its above my pay grade to get into political issues. I have no political agenda, he added.

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to reimbursements made to his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, for making a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair. The former president has denied all wrongdoing and the affair.

Trump has frequently taken aim at Merchan over the case, saying before the trial kicked off that the judge is crooked and criticizing him for imposing a gag order on him.

Merchan had issued a gag order against Trump ahead of the trial, barring him from throwing insults at witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the judges family. The gag order does not prevent Trump from criticizing Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).

Merchan determined Monday that Trump violated the gag order for a 10th time  bringing the total fines Trump must pay for the violations to $10,000  and warned that additional violations could result in jail time for the former president.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Officials arrested an Army sergeant earlier this month for allegedly attempting to help his brother arrange a murder-for-hire plot, according to state police in Connecticut.

Sgt. Jeremiah Peikert, a soldier stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, was taken into custody May 2 and charged for his alleged role in the unsuccessful scheme from two years ago to recruit a hitman to murder four people, including two minors, police papers and court documents show.

While not the only alleged murder-for-hire plot involving a service member to be foiled in recent years, this case revolves around a scheme from 2022, when Peikerts older brother Joshua  already incarcerated in Connecticut  allegedly asked his unnamed cellmate to solicit a hitman to carry out the plan, according to court documents.

At no time did I have any intention of hiring a hitman or committing any violence, the unidentified inmate later told investigators, according to court documents. Instead, he said he played along in the plot against an unnamed adult woman, her children and her boyfriend.

To arrange the plan, the cellmate shared that he told the soldiers brother Joshua he would need $10,000 per person, plus a $500 finders fee, with half paid up front and the other half presented following completion of the crimes.

Help wanted: Guardsman applies to be hitman, gets arrested instead

Shortly after, Peikert reportedly transferred the initial $250 on behalf of his sibling to the anonymous inmate, who wrote to the adult female, would-be victim warning of the alleged plot, the court documents noted. She then contacted the police, who began investigating the incident, the documents added.

In December 2023, officials interviewed Peikert at Cavazos about his involvement in the alleged scheme, which the service member had discussed with his brother and the cellmate under the false pretense of it being a construction job.

He detailed the money transfers, the documents stated, contending that while he was aware of the true nature of the plot, he was reluctant to participate and did not know the kids would be involved.

Peikert is being held on a $500,000 bond, according to the most recent information released last week by Connecticut police. His brother has also been arrested and charged for the alleged crimes.
France denies having sent troops to Ukraine

France formally disputed the deployment of the Foreign Legion's first 100 military personnel in the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, which had been reported the day before.

Source: French Foreign Ministry on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Earlier, the Asia Times portal cited Stephen Bryen, an ex-aide to the deputy chief of the Pentagon, who said that approximately a hundred Foreign Legion soldiers stationed in Sloviansk were being sent to help Ukraines 54th Mechanised Brigade.

This information was shared by a number of Ukrainian media agencies.

Quote: "Disinformation campaigns about France's support for Ukraine continue unabated, here is proof. No, France did not send troops to Ukraine," the message said.

Emmanuel Macron admitted that he had invited Western countries to send their troops to Ukraine at the end of February 2024 after a meeting in Paris between the presidents and heads of government of about two dozen European countries.

He recently confirmed that he didn't change his mind but considers this approach correct.

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France and US: Two wildly different takes on in vitro fertilization

Here, a Petri dish with fertilized eggs is placed in an incubator at a European fertility centre. Jens Kalaene/dpa

Montpellier, France (dpa/tca)  In vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure first used more than 45 years ago, has suddenly become the topic of political debate on both sides of the Atlantic  but for wildly different reasons.

In France, President Emmanuel Macrons government is eyeing policies to promote the use of assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, to increase the nations declining birth rate. But French feminist groups say the proposal unduly inserts the government into private lives of women. They also worry that nationalist sentiment is driving the effort to boost birth rates.

The political fault lines look quite different in the US, where conservatives are the primary obstacle to IVF access. Despite former president Donald Trumps endorsement of IVF this month, the fertility treatment has left many ultraconservative and evangelical conservatives conflicted, particularly when it comes to the disposal of unused embryos.

Legislatures in at least 13 states have introduced so-called personhood legislation that would classify an embryo as a human life. And in February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos created for the purpose of IVF can be considered children  a decision that caused some IVF clinics to close their doors.

By comparison, fertility experts in France are drafting a national fertility plan at Macrons request to combat the countrys declining fertility rate. Those drafting the plan are recommending increased government investment in IVF as well as other fertility treatments.

Birth rates in France have been steadily declining in recent years, and decreased roughly 7% between 2022 and 2023. This isnt as sharp a decline as in some other European countries, but in a January speech, Macron declared that France needs a demographic rearmament.

In France, IVF is paid for by the French national health plan, and each woman is entitled to four cycles of IVF per child. About 4% of French births are a result of IVF, and in the process the country discards roughly 150,0000 embryos per year.

In 2021, slightly more than 2% of US births were a result of IVF. But Democrats and advocates now worry access to the procedure may become more challenging, as some fertility clinics are shutting their doors out of fear that they could be criminalized for discarding embryos.

Despite public comments from many Republicans in support of the procedure, its clear some hesitation remains. When Senate Democrats brought up a vote to protect IVF,Republicans shot it down.

Its crazy, its absolutely crazy, Samir Hamamah, a Montpellier, France-based infertility doctor charged with writing Macrons fertility plan, said of the IVF landscape in the US. Its strange and stupid to consider an embryo with five, six cells a human.

Parisian pregnancy push

In a January 16 address, Macron said he wanted to prioritize fertility. Part of that effort is making IVF and other forms of medically assisted reproduction more widely available while limiting factors that cause infertility.

You have to consider that infertility is a disease like others, Hamamah said, when asked why the French health system covers the costs of IVF.

France is a rare Western country to fully cover the costs of IVF. There are 103 IVF centers across France to serve a population of about 68 million.

By contrast, US health plans, including Medicaid and TRICARE, do not cover infertility treatments. The 2010 health care law does not mandate coverage of infertility services on the health exchanges, but at least eight states mandate coverage of IVF on exchange plans.

Beginning this year, the US federal government expanded IVF benefits for federal workers. Government employees have the option to select a health plan covering up to $25,000 per year for in vitro procedures and up to three artificial inseminations per cycle. But federal health benefits are much more generous than typical employer health plans for nonfederal workers.

The government supports everything here, Hamamah said, noting that France first began covering the cost of IVF in 1994. More recently, in 2022, the government extended IVF coverage to LGBTQ couples and single women for the first time.

The limiting factor in your country is the money, he added, speaking of the U.S. health care system.

A draft copy of Frances national plan, which is set to be finalized this fall, emphasizes the importance of government investment in IVF, medical research for new fertility treatments as well as research into the causes of infertility.

French feminist pushback

But Macrons plan isnt being well-received by womens groups in France. Many see his fertility plan as government overreach into womens reproductive rights and worry that the push to have more French babies stokes nationalist fires. A big part of Macrons proposed plan is allowing for free fertility tests for women beginning at age 25.

In a wide-ranging, hour-long conversation, Hamamah, the infertility doctor tasked with writing the fertility plan, said Frances burgeoning immigrant population is directly linked to the countrys fertility crisis, and thats creating a problem in French society.

As true French people are having fewer babies, immigrants are helping to prevent huge population dips, he said

We have to anticipate all problems of integration generated by these people, he said.

This sort of attitude toward fertility has repelled leading womens health groups.

We dont agree with this plan, said Carine Favier, the co-president of the Occitanie branch of Le Planning Familial, the French group that acts similarly to Planned Parenthood. She added that she believes it should be entirely up to the couple, not the country, to make babies.

Judith Migny, a volunteer at a family planning clinic in Montpellier, described Macrons fertility plan as a step backward for the abortion rights movement because it involves the government too much in womens reproductive decisions.

She also cautioned about the nationalist, anti-immigrant ideology surrounding the plan.

Its to scare people that we are not a country, not united, not French enough anymore, she said of the fertility plan.

Across the Atlantic

In the US, the battle over IVF is dividing Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., an anti-abortion, evangelical Christian, said he supports IVF, but refuses to take up a bill protecting in vitro fertilization on the House floor.

Particularly divisive is the anti-abortion movements focus on personhood and giving embryos and fetuses legal rights on par with people outside the womb. The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision said that personhood does not apply to the unborn, but the Alabama decision declared that embryos have personhood.

Some Republicans reacted quickly to the Alabama ruling: In March, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a law aimed at providing civil and criminal immunity to providers and patients for the destruction or damage to embryos. That law spurred at least two of the IVF clinics to say they would resume operations.

On April 8, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trump released a video statement declaring his support for IVF.

He also said abortion policies, including personhood bills, should be left to the states.

The Republican party should always be on the side of the miracle of life... IVF is an important part of that, the former president said on Truth Social.

But advocates arent convinced this could protect access to IVF at the state level, arguing the anti-abortion movement still supports personhood bills that could threaten IVF.

And at the federal level, some 126 Republicans have signed onto a bill from Rep. Alex X. Mooney, R-W.Va., that would declare that the right to life guaranteed in the Constitution is including the moment of fertilization.

When asked about next steps for the bill, Mooney said I am proud that a majority of the House Republican Conference once again believes life begins at conception. The pro-life spirit is alive and well in the Republican Conference.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who introduced the Senate counterpart of the bill in the last Congress, did not respond to requests for comment.

Prominent anti-abortion lobby Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, meanwhile, argues that Louisianas IVF law is a model that could be applied nationally.

A 1986 law in that state grants embryos some personhood rights and prevents the destruction of embryos created during IVF. As a result, clinics often must ship unused embryos to out-of-state storage facilities, and women have to pay storage fees for nonviable embryos.

Others take a more strict view. Jon Haas, the president emeritus of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Boston, argues that IVF is immoral because it circumvents the natural process of creating new life and is dehumanizing.

But Democrats say its important for Congress to protect IVF access nationwide.

IVF is popular: 86% of US adults say IVF should be legal, according to a recent CBS-YouGovpoll. Roughly 10% of women and men in the United States experience fertility problems, according to the National Institutes of Health.

We really see that as the next frontier. We knew that Republicans were not going to stop at abortion... and IVF is definitely the next frontier here, said Samantha Paisley, national press secretary at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

In March, Iowa House Republicans passed a personhood bill that caused concern about access to IVF. After an outcry, the GOP Senate blocked the measure.

Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst said shes frustrated that Republicans in the Iowa House would not protect IVF access with legislation, but pay lip service to the concept because they know fertility treatments are popular with voters.

Even though this effort was stymied, she said shes worried this is just the beginning of GOP efforts to advance so-called personhood bills.

They have made it clear that IVF is not a barrier to their efforts to ban abortion, Konfrst said of Republicans in the Iowa legislature.

A two-cell organism seen through a microscope: The fusion of a paternal and maternal pronucleus. Jens Kalaene/dpa
France warns that forcing civilians from Rafah may be a war crime

Palestinians inspect damaged houses after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The French Foreign Ministry has emphasized its "firm opposition" to Israeli plans to launch a military ground offensive against the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

"France also recalls that the forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes a war crime under international law," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The French government demanded that the Palestinian militant group Hamas immediately release all hostages, and that parties to the conflict agree to a permanent ceasefire that protects the needs of the civilian population.

French President Emmanuel Macron had already made a similar statement on Sunday.

Israel's military began evacuating Rafah on Monday and demanded that the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city to move to the al-Mawasi camp on the Mediterranean.
Visitors watch the demonstration of a battery swap station of Chinese brand NIO at the 2024 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Shunyi District, Beijing, capital of China, April 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

By Xinhua writer Zheng Jingxia

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Standing in the bustling exhibition hall of the Beijing International Exhibition Center, I was overwhelmed by the crowds during the first day of the Beijing auto show.

"Today is exclusively for media. Just imagine how crowded it will be on public days," said a colleague bluntly. We couldn't agree more.

Official data soon confirmed what we felt. Thousands of media organizations and approximately 20,000 reporters attended the auto show on this day, surpassing the attendance of all other auto shows worldwide in history, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Reporters were spotted at nearly every car booth, wielding cameras or filming with cameramen. Some were engaged in live-streaming, busy showcasing the details of newly unveiled vehicle models or fielding questions from netizens.

Social media traffic naturally gravitates towards topics that pique public interest. At the Beijing auto show, one significant draw is the new electric vehicles (NEVs). It's fair to say that NEV fleets and manufacturers like BYD, Chery and Xiaomi garnered the most attention, not only from Chinese visitors but also from foreigners. The latter, typically in groups of three to four, were just as eager as their Chinese counterparts to experience new models at the launch events of Chinese-brand cars.

There were no indications of oversupply as representatives from automakers were fully occupied addressing customer inquiries or networking with business partners. Sadly, few of them had the opportunity to sit down for a talk with us reporters. More often than not, we had to settle for exchanging WeChat contacts and arranging possible interviews for later.

The sentiment for continued demand growth is strong, supported by industrial data and expert analysis. In the first half of April, the retail penetration rate of new energy passenger cars in China surpassed 50 percent for the first time, indicating that one out of every two cars sold is an NEV.

Ouyang Minggao, an expert on new energy power systems and a professor at Tsinghua University, has predicted that the NEV market share in China will be between 36 percent and 41 percent in 2024, up from 31 percent last year. Given that about 30 million NEVs were sold in China last year, the market share growth would be translated to an increase of as many as 3 million NEVs.

The NEV market share expansion will continue till 2026, when NEVs are expected to dominate the market with a share of over 50 percent, according to Ouyang.

Contrary to the narrative of excess capacity hyped up by some overseas politicians, the NEV sector and the broader green industry worldwide need a boost in production, especially considering the climate crisis and the pressing need to decarbonize the transport sector.

According to the International Energy Agency, both the global demand for NEVs and newly installed capacity of photovoltaic power will be about four times that of 2022 in 2030, surging to 45 million units and 820 gigawatts, respectively.

These predictions suggest that the global green industries are still in the early stages of development and need to ramp up capacity to meet the growing demand.

Given the demand for environmentally friendly products, it might be a more rational decision to address the root cause of global warming by cutting back on the excessive capacity of combustion engine-driven vehicles.

Companies are quick to adapt to market shifts. The impressive display of NEVs highlights the eagerness of carmakers to meet market demand, whether they are Chinese or foreign manufacturers.

At the show, the German auto giant Audi unveiled its first fully-electric model tailored for the Chinese market, while Mercedes-Benz also debuted its all-electric SUV.

The auto show is abuzz with excitement as companies, reporters and the public engage in lively interactions. It's evident that an irreversible and unstoppable change is underway in the global auto industry, with NEVs poised to dominate the roads in the future. 

Editor: JYZ
Maryland transportation officials said Thursday that they expect to replace Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge with a new span by fall 2028.

The project to replace the bridge, which collapsed into the Patapsco River early March 26 after the Dali cargo ship crashed into one of its support columns, is estimated to cost between $1.7 and $1.9 billion, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.

More from Sourcing Journal

The Port of Baltimore plans to handle the return of cargo at the end of May after being forced to shutter its operations when much of the 1.6-mile bridge collapsed. In the time since the incident, Unified Command response and recovery team has been cleaning the wreckage of the bridge, and opened up multiple shipping channels so vessels idling in the harbor could finally exit on their route.

The main 50-foot-deep channel is still expected to open around the end of May.

Reopening this port and rebuilding this bridge as quickly as possible is in the interest of every American, said Congressman Steny Hoyer in a statement. I praise the Unified Command for its continued dedication during this difficult hour. As I saw during my visit to the wreckage, emergency personnel are working around the clock to get the Port of Baltimore back up and running. Its crucial that the federal government provide them with vital resources for this project immediately. This is not an act of charity; its an investment in the American economy.

For the past six weeks, container shipping companies have rerouted away from Baltimore to instead drop off goods at alternate ports including New York & New Jersey, Norfolk, Va. and Philadelphia, where the goods are being transported to the Baltimore area via truck.

In the grand scale of things, this is not tremendously severe, said Timothy Stone, vice president of supply chain risk management at Exiger, of the lingering supply chain impacts potentially caused by the collapse. If anything, like the Red Sea crisis, this has shown that our supply chains are more adaptable and resilient, and since Covid, theyve gotten better at adjusting to these jolts.

Ocean carriers have told the ports management they have begun accepting bookings for shipments to the port, according to Jonathan Daniels, CEO of the Maryland Port Authority.

The Maryland Transportation Authority, which oversees the bridge, will be holding a virtual forum May 7 with the construction industry as the agency develops a formal request for proposals.

As of April 30, 41 percent of shipments originally destined for Baltimore were rerouted primarily to New York, while another 30 percent went to Norfolk, according to data from supply chain visibility platform Project44. Ten percent have instead been transported to Newark-Elizabeth.

Overall port dwell has not increased at these ports, but dwell of rerouted containers is trending up to 85 percent higher than overall dwell, Project44 says.

If theres one area shippers may still have to worry about going ahead of, its the potential fines for keeping cargo at the new ports.

Project44 estimates that the demurrage charges on the containers being rerouted totals $3.9 million weekly. Last month, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) warned carriers that these fees would have to be reasonable.

The demurrage charges come on top of the added costs shippers must worry about in the wake of the container shipping giants invoking force majeure. This clause frees the carriers from fulfilling contract obligations due to events out of their control, and makes shippers fully responsible for finding transportation to move the cargo to its final destination before container late fees are charged.

Scott says the continued investment in more vessels has enabled more container shipping companies to bounce back from disruptions like those in Baltimore quicker, with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and CMA CGM alone accounting for 198 new ships in their orderbook, according to data from Alphaliner.

Weve built up more capacity. With the container lines and the tankers making tremendous amounts of money during that period of time when the rates were so high, they were able to invest in more capacity which has been coming online which has helped which has helped absorb these disruptions, Scott told Sourcing Journal in April. Just anyone now as a professional and who lived through the pandemic, is much more accustomed to a bigger shock, because it was such a shock to the system that this kind of pales in comparison.
FILE - Mike Collins participates in a Republican primary debate for Georgia's 10th Congressional District, June 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Collins, who won a U.S. House seat in 2022, issued a statement Monday, May 6, 2024, saying that he stands by his admiration of college students who push back against those protesting the Israel-Hamas war, but he backtracked somewhat on his earlier praise of a counter-protest at the University of Mississippi that included a man appearing to make monkey noises and gestures at a Black woman. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A Republican congressman on Monday backtracked on some of his praise for a campus conflict that included a man who made monkey noises and gestures at a Black student who was protesting the Israel-Hamas war.

Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia said he understands and respects feedback about one person during the protest at the University of Mississippi.

If that person is found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness, Collins wrote on the social media site X. Frankly, I did not believe that to be the focal point of the video shared at the time, but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should seek to glorify.

A national fraternity, meanwhile, said it has removed one of its members for racist actions at the University of Mississippi as a large group of students heckled a smaller group of pro-Palestinian protesters.

The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter, the national fraternity said in a statement Sunday. The responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3.

The Associated Press left a voicemail message with the fraternity's national office Monday, asking whether the student who was removed was the one shown making the monkey noises and gestures. There was no immediate response. The fraternity did not release his name.

Collins was first elected to Congress in 2022 and made several social media posts criticizing campus protests. On Friday, he posted to X: Ole Miss taking care of business, with a with a link to the video showing the racist jeers.

The national NAACP president and CEO, Derrick Johnson, criticized Collins.

A Black Woman was victim to pandering, racist remarks and gestures, and hateful speech with the hope of breeding fear, isolation, and retreat, Johnson wrote Saturday on X. She marched forward anyway. I hope racists like Mike Collins took note of that as well.

Collins said Monday that he admires students who stand up against pro-Hamas, anti-American protesters, including at schools such as the University of Georgia.

I believe any school, like Ole Miss or UGA, that does not allow the occupiers to run roughshod over the 99 percent of students who are there to learn and enjoy college are taking care of business, Collins said.

Nobody was arrested during the demonstration at the University of Mississippi, where hecklers vastly outnumbered war protesters. According to a count by AP, more than 2,400 arrests have occurred on 46 U.S. university or college campuses since April 17 during demonstrations against the war.

The student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, reported about 30 protesters on the Oxford campus billed themselves as UMiss for Palestine. Videos and photos from the event showed the protesters were in a grassy area near the main library, blocked off by barriers erected by campus security.

They chanted Free, free Palestine, and carried Palestinian flags and signs with slogans including, Stop the Genocide and U.S. bombs take Palestine lives.

Student journalist Stacey J. Spiehler shot video that showed campus police officers and the dean of students standing between anti-war protesters and hecklers. After the Black woman protesting the war had what appeared to be a heated exchange of words with several white hecklers, one of the men made the monkey gestures and noises at her.

About 76% of the universitys students were white and about 11% were Black in 2022-23, the most recent data available on the schools website.

University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the school is committed to people expressing their views. He said some statements made on campus Thursday were offensive and unacceptable. In another statement Friday, Boyce said one student conduct investigation had been opened and university leaders were working to determine whether more cases are warranted.

To be clear, people who say horrible things to people because of who they are will not find shelter or comfort on this campus, he said.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  A Fremont man who used the dating app Grindr to meet his victim was convicted by a jury on a slew of charges this week, prosecutors said.

A San Francisco jury found 27-year-old Ronald Anthony Silveria guilty of first-degree robbery, false imprisonment by violence or menace, identity theft, assault, and false imprisonment.

The jurys verdict holds Mr. Silveria accountable for his despicable crimes, District

Attorney Brooke Jenkins said on Monday.

At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Silveria met a man through the Grindr dating app. On September 15, 2022, they traveled in separate cars to a San Francisco motel where the victim had rented a room. Prosecutors described the victim as an unsuspecting romantic partner.

After hanging out in the room for a while, Mr. Silveria pulled out a gun and tied the victim, who was naked, to the bed, prosecutors said.

While the victim was still tied up, Silveria searched through the victims possessions and demanded the victims banking passwords.

The District Attorneys Office wrote, Silveria eventually agreed to release the victim if he withdrew $400 from an ATM. The victim agreed and Mr. Silveria allowed him to dress, then forced him to wipe down the room, and get into his car to drive to a nearby ATM. After taking the $400, Mr. Silveria refused to return the victims car keys and belongings.

Silveria abandoned the victim in Emeryville at 4:30 a.m., stole the victims phone, iPad, and wallet, and drove across the Bay Bridge, according to prosecutors.

Cupertino girl, 11, dies after suspected DUI crash

Mr. Silveria preyed on a man who was in a trusting, compromised, and vulnerable position,

said Assistant District Attorney Edward Mario. I thank the victim for his bravery in testifying and re-living traumatic life events.

Silveria is currently in custody. He will face up to twelve years in state prison when he is sentenced on May 22.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
French president thanks Chinese leader for his promise not to sell arms to Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Paris and thanked the latter for his commitment to "refrain from selling any weapons" to Russia or aiding their war against Ukraine.

Source: Macron at a joint press conference in Paris on 6 May, European Pravda citing Le Figaro

Details: Macron said that France "respects the long-standing ties between China and Russia".

"Given this difficult history, we welcome the commitment of the Chinese authorities to refrain from selling any weapons or aid to Moscow and to strictly control the export of dual-use goods," he added.

The French president also noted that Paris is committed to "maintaining a close dialogue" with China, and that Xi Jinping's visit is an opportunity to ensure that Beijing does not explicitly support Russia's military efforts.

Macron also welcomed his Chinese counterpart's willingness to "ask all parties involved" in various conflicts to "declare an Olympic truce" during the Paris Games this summer.

Background:

Xi Jinping arrived in France on the afternoon of 5 May, beginning his several-day tour of European countries. He will stay in France on Monday and Tuesday, after which he will travel to Serbia and Hungary. This is his first visit to Europe since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

It was reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may pay a visit to China in May.

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Sen. Bill Eigel (right) inquires of Majority Leader Cindy O'Laughlin about the time to review bills and substitutes on the Senate floor. She accused him of hogging floor time in his latest inquiry (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

The end of a 41-hour filibuster early Thursday was a cease-fire in the Missouri Senates Republican civil war, not a peace settlement.

But the only place it applies is in the chamber itself.

Outside, on social media and conservative talk radio, the barrage continues.

The Missouri Freedom Caucus surrendered the floor under threat of being forced to do so with a motion to shut off debate, Senate Majority Leader Cindy OLaughlin wrote Friday in a social media post.

The motion, known as the previous question, requires the signatures of 10 members of the 34-member Senate and its use to end a filibuster is seen as a last-resort option by Senate leadership.

Using it to close down members of the minority party is rare. Using it on members of the majority party is considered beyond the pale.

But that is where they were at 3 a.m. Thursday, OLaughlin wrote. The motion not only had the signatures of the necessary 10, but every member of the Senate had signed, she wrote.

The filibustering Freedom Caucus members were told we had it and if they didnt sit down wed use it, OLaughlin wrote. They sat down.

State Sen. Bill Eigel told a different story Thursday morning on a Kansas City radio station. Eigel is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

In his version, the end came when there were 18 other Republicans willing to vote in favor of changing the majority requirements to pass constitutional amendments.

At that point, the bill renewing medical provider taxes necessary to finance the state Medicaid program received first-round approval.

We allowed as a measure of goodwill for that to take a step forward towards completion, Eigel said on the Pete Mundo show on KCMO Radio.

The bill needs a final roll call vote to send it to the House and Freedom Caucus members are ready to renew their filibuster, Eigel said.

The commitments better be kept as we go into next week or were going to end up right back where we were this week, Eigel said.

State Sen. Mike Cierpiot, a Lees Summit Republican, followed Eigel on the Mundo program and said he was lying. The Freedom Caucus caved under threat of being shut down, he said.

It took 41 hours, he said, because so many Republicans were reluctant to use the previous question motion. Finally, he said, 18 Republicans of the 24 in the chamber had put their names on the motion.

Cierpiot and Eigel have a bitter enmity, and at one point in the 2022 session had to be physically separated as they made selections from buffet-style meal being served during a Senate break.

I would sign that against Bill Eigel any time, any day, because he does this silliness all the time, Cierpiot told Mundo.

Crunch time

The next two weeks as the legislative session comes to a close are the busiest of the year. The budget  17 separate spending bills including one to provide money for programs short of funds to finish the year  must be finished by Friday.

All legislative work must cease on May 17.

As majority leader, OLaughlin is essentially the Senate traffic cop, giving members the green light to bring their bill up for debate. Her plan when the chamber convened last Tuesday was to give Republican state Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the floor to first get the provider tax bill through, then lead debate on the budget bills.

The Freedom Caucus came to the floor demanding that the Senate debate a proposal changing the majority requirements for passing constitutional amendments.

An agenda change seemed designed to trigger a filibuster by Democrats. The measure has already been through the Senate once and Democrats held the floor for 21 hours to force removal of provisions that the House reinserted before returning it.

In her Friday post, OLaughlin said she wanted the budget finished before beginning an extended debate on initiative petition legislation.

If you take away the political theater you understand the budget has to go first, OLaughlin wrote. This week, the Freedom Caucus burned up virtually the entire week with a filibuster. They denounced other senators (myself included), read from the Bible and basically lectured anyone who would listen on the emergency we have and how they should be the ones determining the schedule.

The spur behind changing the majority requirements for constitutional amendments is the prospect of an abortion rights proposal on the November ballot.

Supporters of abortion rights on Friday delivered 380,000 signatures on an initiative petition to enshrine reproductive rights in the Missouri Constitution. If there are enough valid signatures in six of the states eight congressional districts, it will go on a ballot later this year.

Republicans want to put the changes to majority requirements  raising the threshold to require a majority vote in five congressional districts in addition to a statewide majority  on the August ballot. That could put the higher bar in place for the November election.

Every Republican in the Senate supports the changes to majority requirements, OLaughlin wrote.

Basically it gave more weight to rural votes, OLaughlin wrote, and requires not only a 50 + 1 % vote to win an issue but also a majority in five of eight congressional districts.

The week that includes the budget deadline is a time of maximum leverage. Passing a budget is the only work that lawmakers must complete in any given year and only once, in 1997, have lawmakers missed the deadline on any spending bills and returned to complete appropriations work in a special session.

In an interview early Thursday, Hough said he has been working to reduce the steps necessary to pass a budget this year to help meet the deadline. Hes preparing Senate substitutes for the committee-passed bills, written after consultations with House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, leadership in both chambers and Democrats.

Last week, Smith said agreement on final budget provisions was needed by Wednesday to provide enough time for staff work and the workings of House rules. Sending the House revisions that are acceptable would eliminate days of work.

It is not the norm, but nothing in this environment is the norm, Hough said.

Cracked caucus

Republican Sens. Jill Carter of Granby, Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring and Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg speak at a rally March 20,2023, in the Missouri Capitol (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

When the Missouri Freedom Caucus formed late last year, it counted six Republican Senators among its members  Eigel and Sens. Rick Brattin, Jill Carter, Denny Hoskins, Andrew Koenig and Nick Schroer.

But last week, Carter refused to participate in the filibuster, refused to speak to Eigel on the Senate floor and renounced her membership soon after the filibuster ended.

While I remain loyal to the same conservative principles and the advancement of legislation that benefits our state and my constituents, I can no longer, in good conscience, be part of behaviors, and actions behind the scenes that defames grassroots, and violates the needs of my constituents, Carter wrote on social media.

Carter did not return calls seeking comment on her decision.

In a response to a Facebook comment, Carter said she would not discuss why she acted.

I did what I did because it was best for me and my conscience, and how I represent my district, thats what I want people to know, Carter said. If I need to say more in time I will, but I am not in the habit of bashing on social media platforms just to keep up with the vitriol.

Eigel and the Freedom Caucus, however, engaged in no such restraint.

After her refusal to speak to Eigel on the floor, he accused her of betraying the group, failing to keep a promise and selling out.

It seems like so often, when, when individuals get down to this chamber, something happens, Eigel said. They lose that desire to fight for the things that they said they were gonna fight for in campaign season. You dont often get to see the moment when it happens for a legislator.

A statement posted to the Missouri Freedom Caucus social media accounts said Carters loyalty to the group was under suspicion before the public break because she had voted against caucus priorities previously.

It is easy to lose your way and be overwhelmed by the Jefferson City swamp and the Missouri Uniparty, the statement reads.

And Eigel on Friday said on social media that Carter would remain in his prayers to regain her bearings.

Nobody wins when commitments are broken so publicly on (the) Senate floor, and many of the folks celebrating this fracture dont share Jills belief set to begin with, Eigel wrote.

Carters break is akin to OLaughlins withdrawal from a group, with several of the same senators, that called itself the conservative caucus. Like Carter, she was the only female member.

And then, as now, the most aggressive member of the caucus was Eigel.

In January, speaking to editors and publishers visiting the Capitol with the Missouri Press Association, OLaughlin said she was ready to vote to expel Eigel from the Senate.

She also told them why she quit the conservative caucus.

I felt like the conservative caucus was really all about Sen. Eigel, she said. He wanted to make all the decisions and I didnt agree with the decisions and after being in there awhile, we start filibustering our own bill and I thought something is not working here.

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The post Friday budget deadline tests Republican factional fractures in Missouri Senate appeared first on Missouri Independent.
Frontier remains leader when it comes to delayed flights at Charlotte Douglas Airport

Frontier Airlines, the low-cost carrier known for pictures of wolves, squirrels, big-horn sheep and other animals on its planes tails and wings, will add four new flights from Charlotte in the coming months, the company announced recently.

But will its flights take off on time?

One-third of all Frontier flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport were delayed at least 15 minutes last year, according to a Charlotte Observer analysis of U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data.

About 13% of Frontiers flights from Charlotte were an hour or more late and 3% were canceled.

Among U.S. carriers, only Spirit Air Lines had a higher percentage of delayed domestic flights leaving the Queen City, BTS data show.

Most of the flights from Charlotte Douglas are American Airlines, which had a quarter of its domestic flights leave late last year, The Observer found.

We were disappointed in our operational performance last year and have been gradually implementing a network redesign to shift heavily towards more out and back aircraft routings versus multi-day trips, said Frontier spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz, in an email to The Observer.

Delays because of weather or air traffic control problems have less of an effect on flights that travel back and forth between two cities rather than to a third airport, de la Cruz said.

But bad weather accounted for about 20 of Frontiers more than 700 delays last year, The Observer found. Issues with the National Air System accounted for about 120 late flights. Problems with Frontier itself caused about 200 delays, data show.

Charlotte Douglas ranks 10th for delays

About 195,000 domestic flights took off from Charlotte Douglas last year. They crisscrossed the country, landing in Bangor, Maine; Key West, Florida; Seattle, Washington, and dozens of cities in between.

About one in five flights from Charlotte last year were delayed, data show. That ranked 10th among the nations major airports, according to BTS. The Minneapolis/St. Paul airport had the best on-time departure performance with less than 17% of its flights leaving late in 2023.

Frontier was responsible for some 2,200 flights and about 730 delayed flights leaving Charlotte, The Observers analysis found.

Both numbers will likely increase in 2024, as the Denver-based company adds daily and weekly service to New York, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, N.Y, Miami, Cincinnati, Ohio and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Frontier stopped flights from Charlotte to Las Vegas this year.

The worst day for delays

Some other takeaways from the federal delay data include:

 Sundays saw the highest percentage of delays leaving Charlotte, with 24% of departures leaving at least 15 minutes late.

 The longest delay was more than 28 hours for an American Airlines flight to San Francisco last July.

 Just three of Frontiers flights were diverted to another airport last year. Two were traveling to Las Vegas and one to Orlando.

 Like Frontier, Allegiant Air, which flies from Concord to several cities in Florida, left late about one-third of the time.

NC Reality Check reflects the Charlotte Observers commitment to holding those in power to account, shining a light on public issues that affect our local readers and illuminating the stories that set the Charlotte area and North Carolina apart. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@charlotteobserver.com
Russia is plotting violent acts of sabotage across Europe, with intelligence agencies warning countries on the continent to expect more covert bombings and arson attacks on infrastructure, the Financial Times (FT) reported on May 6.

Several high-profile incidents in recent weeks have put a spotlight on cases of attempted sabotage by people accused of working on the Kremlin's behalf.

According to assessments from three different European countries shared with the FT, this and other evidence point to a more direct and concerted effort directed by Russia as it commits to a course of permanent conflict with Western countries.

"The obvious conclusion is that there has been a real stepping up of Russian activity," Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, told the FT.

Russia has long engaged in a variety of disruptive behavior toward Europe, often using its cyber capabilities to target civilian infrastructure.

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Lithuania and other countries have accused Russia of being responsible for a recent uptick in GPS jamming against civilian aircraft.

In recent weeks, several more violent acts of sabotage have been thwarted by European security services.

On April 18, it was announced that German authorities had arrested two German-Russian nationals suspected of planning a military sabotage plot on behalf of Russian intelligence.

The two men are accused of preparing a plot to carry out explosive and arson attacks on military and industrial sites in Germany, including on U.S. military bases in the country.

They are thought to have actively begun the preparation for potential attacks by secretly photographing possible targets.

On April 26, it was reported that Dylan Earl, a 20-year-old U.K. citizen with alleged ties to the Wagner mercenary group, had been charged with organizing an arson plot after being recruited as a Russian spy.

Earl was charged with planning an attack against London businesses connected to Ukraine. He was also accused of fraud, carrying out research and reconnaissance activities, and attempting to recruit individuals to aid a foreign intelligence service.

Read also: Lithuanias FM: Russian GPS jamming of commercial flights too dangerous to ignore

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Fulton Co. Jail inmate suffers serious injuries after falling through stairs in housing unit

An inmate inside the Fulton County Jail is has suffered serious injuries after falling through housing unit stairs, the department confirmed to Channel 2 Action News.

The jail released the following statement:

On Saturday night, a detainee fell from the stairs in a housing unit and is in critical condition. The incident is under investigation. Preliminary findings indicate there is no foul play suspected. There is no other information to release at this time.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Last month, two men reportedly died inside of the jail.

Travis Landrey was found dead in his cell on April 10. A preliminary investigation determined Landreys death to have been a suicide.

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Just days earlier, Leonard Fortner, 37, was attacked shortly before 6:30 p.m. He was stabbed multiple times in what is called the day room of the housing zone. He was rushed to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

The Fulton County Jail is in crisis, and it has been for decades, Labat said.

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From the Wanderland on The Dispatch

There is a certain kind of political partisan who always believes that the peoplethe People!are always with them. The People lack a coherent political outlook and so arent really on anybodys side, of course, and I dont see why youd want them on your side.

The people are, generally speaking, the worst.

Theres a very fine scene in Lincoln in which a couple who have come up to Washington from Missouri to lobby the president about a business matter are asked whether theyd support the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, if the Confederacy first capitulated and the war came to an end without an abolition amendment. The Missourians confess that theyd rather not see the institution abolished. Secretary of State William Seward asks why, and the husband looks at him like the answer is too obvious to need saying:

Ns.

Seward turns to President Lincoln and observes acidly: The People.

In her very sour review of Nellie Bowles new book, Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History, Becca Rothfeld of the Washington Post chastises the writer and Free Press co-founder for failing to appreciate the importance of mass movements, citing the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and the current ruckus on a few high-profile college campuses as examples. Bowles is, in Rothfelds telling, guilty of a moral offense: casting doubt upon the authenticity of these movements by suggesting that they have been popularized by the members of the elites that have taken them up rather than by the People. Rothfeld:

It is telling that Bowles is not entirely above the more openly conspiratorial approach. At one point, she writes that BLM gained support primarily thanks to the warm embrace from glossy magazines and CEOs. It takes a conspicuous lack of humanity to see a man murdered by police on camera and conclude that protesters took to the streets en masse because glossy magazines put them up to it. For the average person, it isnt so hard to conceive of being moved by an injustice.

First appreciate the illiteracy and dishonesty of the above sentence, a willfully stupid misreading undertaken to facilitate landing on conspicuous lack of humanity. (There simply is no good-faith reading of Bowles work that suggests she finds it hard to conceive of being moved by an injustice. Rothfeld is wrong and intellectually dishonest to write such a thing, and her editors at the Washington Post are irresponsible to indulge that kind of journalistic incompetence. Its a bad-faith misrepresentation, i.e., the opposite of journalism.) The most obvious problem with holding up BLM as a mass movement is that it is not a mass movement and never was one.

Neither are the current celebrations on U.S. college campuses of Hamas genocidal campaign.

There are more than 20 million people in the New York City metropolitan area, and the Columbia campus is not very large. Neither was Zuccotti Park, the site of Occupy Wall Street, where I spent a fair amount of time. You do not have to turn out a very large shareor even a significant shareof the local population to fill these spaces. (Compare the protests at campuses with similar student populations in smaller metros, such as Virginia Tech or Texas Tech, and youll see the difference.) Estimates vary, but the available data suggest that fewer than 5 percent of Americans attended a protest, rally, or other event during the 2020 apex of the BLM demonstrations, something on the order of 15 million people.

Thats not nothing, but its not really all that much, either. Nearly five times as many people came out to vote for the second-place presidential candidate four years ago. The Big Bang Theory outperformed those numbers when it was still putting out new episodes, and The Last of Us had about 32 million viewers per episode at its height. These are not mass social phenomena, even by the standards of television programming. (By way of comparison, about half of the country watched the final episode of MASH in 1983.)

Its a big country, but 3,000 people in Dallas, 1,000 in Tampa Bay, etc., is not especially remarkable; or, rather, it is remarkable only by the low expectations of U.S. political demonstration. The United States doesnt really do a lot of mass social mobilizationnostalgia for the World War II years is to a great extent founded on the fact that this period is an exception to the American rule of civic stand-offishness. The old proverb used to be that Republicans dont stage protests because they have jobs and families, which is  less the case today!

Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman," screams "Freedom" inside the U.S. Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

But it is the case that Americans do not go in for mass movements that much, and that this is probably because they arein spite of everything you hear about on Facebooknot all that displeased. Black Lives Matter never became a mass movement because most Americansincluding most black Americansare generally satisfied with the state of their lives and optimistic about the prospects of racial progress.

Dont ask meask the people. Gallup does.

In its most recent comprehensive survey, Gallup documents no year in which the majority of Americans say that they worry a great deal about race relations, and as late as 2014 those who said they worried not at all about the subject outnumbered those who worried a great deal. As of 2024, the share of Americans who say they are very dissatisfied with the position of Blacks and other racial minorities in the nation had fallenby halfsince 2021. The majority of Americans said in 2021 that they believe that Black people have as good a chance as White people in your community to get any kind of job for which they are qualified. About 57 percent of Americans said they believe that black-white relations are an issue that eventually will be worked out. (The share of black adults who held that view rose from 32 percent in 2001 to a high of 54 percent in 2020 but had declined to 40 percent by 2021.)

Other Gallup findings bolster the case for such optimism: At 94 percent, the share of Americans who approve of interracial marriage, for example, has never been higher; majorities say they generally favor affirmative-action programs for racial minorities; majorities support civil-rights laws and antidiscrimination laws; the great majority of Americans believe that the civil-rights situation of black Americans has improved in their lifetimes, and the share of black respondents who say the situation has grown a great deal worse is only 11 percent; only very small numbers (8 percent of whites and 12 percent of blacks) believe that violence and destruction of property in racial protests is justified.

And, no surprise: 87 percent of whites reported being very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their own lives, as did 88 percent of blacks.

By way of comparison, on my first day of work at the Indian Express newspaper in New Delhi in the mid-1990s, there was a Communist Party (I forget which one; India has a few communist parties) demonstration on the street in front of my office, and more than 1 million red-banner-waving partisans marched in itand it barely made the morning paper.

Of course, survey responses can be funny. The share of both white Americans and black Americans who reported that relations between them were very good or somewhat good declined about 30 percentage points from 2013 to 2021. It is the case that 65 percent of black adults in 2021 said they were very dissatisfied with the way black Americans are treated in general, double the number from 2001; the white response (about black treatment) went from 9 percent very dissatisfied in 2001 to 32 percent in 2021. They said this even as they reported by very large majorities that their own lives were satisfactory. This is a variation on the old American theme of I hate Congress but my congressman is okay.

Againsurvey data should be taken with some context. One variable to keep in mind is that people very often want to think of themselves as being in the majority. Ask people what the average opinion on abortion is and, in the majority of cases, theyll tell you that the most popular opinion is the one they themselves happen to hold. Politicians do this all the time, of course: Whatever it is they want to do, they are certain that the People demand it, and they are equally certain that the People wont stand for whatever it is their opponents want to doeven when the People turn around and vote for their opponents. Taken to a level of group hysteria, that is the kind of thing that led to the attempted coup detat of January 2021, the Capitol riot that accompanied it, and the conspiracy kookery that continues to try to justify it.

Ill get to the little savages at Columbia in a minute. I promise.

There is a lot of 1968 envy going around, but the protests against the Vietnam War are a classic example of recruiting into ones service an imaginary majority. In reality, most Americans supported the war for much of its duration, including during the entire presidency of Lyndon Johnson. And it was the young who were most supportive. In the mid-1960s, a majority (56 percent) of Americans under 30 approved of Johnsons handling of Vietnam. Contrary to the story you hear around the countercultural campfire, it was not the young who led the effort against the American effort in Vietnam but their parents and grandparents. In fact, even when the war was at its least popularin the 1970s, when it was coming to an end and Americans had finally in a substantial majority turned against U.S. policy under the unlovable Richard Nixonyoung Americans were disproportionately in favor of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, while antiwar sentiment was disproportionately associated with their elders. In 1973, only a small majority of those under 30 (53 percent) said U.S. involvement in Vietnam had been a mistake, compared to 69 percent of those over 50. As the Pew Research Center reports:

The generation gap in attitudes toward the Vietnam War did not erode over time. Gallup surveys conducted between 1965 and 1973 show that over time people of all ages increasingly expressed the view that U.S. involvement in Vietnam was a mistake, but the broadest criticism always came from older generations. In August of 1965, people ages 50 and older were already twice as likely as those under 30 (by a 29% to 15% margin) to say sending troops to Vietnam was a mistake. Nearly eight years later, as U.S. forces were about to be completely withdrawn, majorities in all age groups saw Vietnam as a mistake, but younger people remained far less likely to take this view (53%) than those age 50 and older (69%).

Opposition to Vietnam must have looked like a very big deal if you were one of the relatively few Americans attending college at that point. And those people may not be the ones who write the history books, but they are the people who edit them, publish them, and market them. It would be easy to think that John Lennon was correct in his sardonic observation that the Beatles and the counterculture for which they stood were more popular than Jesus. We saw the same thing during the Iraq War, when protests played out in popular culture as though they were an echo of 1968, which they werebut not in the way those who idealize campus protest culture imagine: As with Vietnam, opposition to the Iraq war was much more prevalent among other Americans than among the young.

Me and my friends from college do not a mass movement make. And it is hard to make one in these United Statesespecially if you mean to make one in the real world and not just on a couple of social media accounts. The sheer comfortableness of American life is our great national shock-absorber: The big ideas of 1968 started as political radicalism and ended as fashion; Black Lives Matter devolved into that least destructive of pursuits, a scheme to make money; Occupy Wall Street was absorbed into the more conventional personal social and economic ambitions of figures such as Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Trump movement may look like a protofascist monolith at the moment, but it will go where the doggie-vitamin dollars go, and already it is, seen clearly, a kaleidoscopic and schismatic collection of everybody from neo-Nazis to flat-Earthers.

The antiwar movement may have been a very big deal in Berkeley in the 1960s, but it represented a minority view in the country. Americas top newsrooms are run by people who went to graduate school at Columbiait is no surprise that they care a great deal about what happens at Columbia. (I am not very much interested in what happens at the University of Texas, but, then, the University of Texas never was very much interested in me, either.) But we shouldnt mistake that double-ought (onanistic and ouroboric) bias for a reflection of reality. Becca Rothfeld is an Ivy League-educated journalist married to an Ivy League-educated academicno doubt whatever happens at Columbia today and tomorrow seems intensely interesting from her point of view, for the same reason my dachshund is intensely interested in other dachshunds.

I dont find the youngsters very interesting, myself. I used to write about local politics in Philadelphia, so this isnt my first turn on the bronco at the Jew-hating-weirdo rodeo. I wrote about politics in India, too, which was a first-rate education in conspiracy-minded horsest and the persecution complexes of very powerful people and powerful classes of people. I have also been represented by Ted Cruz in the Senate, so I am familiar, on a civic level, with the most contemptible kind of self-interested moral grotesquery as a factor in public policy. Hooray for me.

We should begin by acknowledging the facts. Of course the protests are fundamentally antisemitic. The antisemitism is at one level incidental and at one level foundational. It is incidental in that the students who revert to antisemitic tropes and truisms are simply delving into an American political culture in which such ideas and tendencies have long festered. The antisemitism is foundational in the sense that the protests are being orchestrated by Students for Justice in Palestine, which is, as a recently filed lawsuit argues in detail, a dedicated propaganda operation in the service of Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. These are protests orchestrated by Hamas for the benefit of Hamas, an organization engaged in the murder, torture, kidnapping, and rape of Jews wherever it finds them, which is as a matter of its publicly stated policy dedicated to the extermination of Jewish populations around the world, not only in Israel.

It should not surprise us that the little cretins at Columbia and elsewhere have lined up shoulder-to-shoulder with the bullies, the murderers, the torturers, the rapists, the kidnappers, etc., against the very people who have suffered the violence and hatred of those savages. They always do. Of course, they tell themselves a fanciful story in which the victims of all that violence are, somehow, the real perpetrators of it, that they are part of an all-powerful cabal against which the most brutal kinds of violence not only are acceptable but are morally necessary. We have heard that story beforeyou can read all about it in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

We should not be surprised to see the young in particular lined up on the side of violent fanatics and totalitarians: The extent to which both Nazism and Italian fascism were sustained by idealistic youth movements is a fact known to anybody familiar with the history of 20th-century Europe. These are not the first callow young cretins to declare, The Future Belongs to Me. This is a perfect time for a revival of Cabaret, though I do worry that all those people watching Eddie Redmayne swan around in that leather dress are going to take the wrong lesson from the spectacle. (Cabaret isnt for everyoneShia LaBeouf couldnt sit still for it even when Alan Cumming was carrying the show.) They dont know much, but they dont lack confidence.

Go back to Poland! they say. Well. Poland is an overwhelmingly Catholic country, of course, but it is not monolithic. You wont find a lot of Jews there, though. In fact, there are about eight times as many Orthodox Christians in Poland today as there are Jews, thanks largely to recent immigration from Ukraine. The numbers are not very large. But there are also more Jehovahs Witnesses, Pentecostals, and Lutherans in Poland than there are Jews. The Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland claims fewer than 2,000 membersabout the same number as the Mormons claimthough there probably are about 20,000 Jews in the country in all. There were about 3.5 million Jews in Polandsome 10 percent of the populationbefore they were systematically exterminated in the Holocaust. Almost all of them were murdered by people like the ones leading the protests at Columbia todayvicious, hate-filled, full of righteousness, besotted with an imbecilic, juvenile ideology.

It is a familiar ideology, of course. As the administrators of the Auschwitz Memorial write:

It would be a mistake to see the reasons for the Nazi electoral successes of 1930-1933 as limited to the exploitation of antisemitism rooted deep in the national psyche. Besides his call for reducing the role of the Jews, Hitler offered the Germans a relatively coherent vision of national greatness, in which history and geopolitics destined Germany for the leading role in Europe. This vision swept many off their feet. They regarded the recovery of the territory lost during World War I, the integration into Germany of German-populated areas in neighboring states, and an as yet undefined form of hegemony over the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, populated by racially inferior peoples, as right and just. Some Germans learned with satisfaction that there was a credible, scientific justification for their intuitive belief in their superiority not only to the Jews and Roma, but also to the Slavs. To turn this vision into reality, it would suffice to gather together all the strength of the nation and submit to the leadership of Adolf Hitler, who always knew best what needed to be done, and who was always right.

Your hatred is just. Youre better than them. Youll get your land back. Youll get whats been coming to you and your people for generations. Just maintain revolutionary discipline. It is as predictable as cancer.

But, Poland? Poland, they say.

Of course, most American Jews do not come from Poland. Neither do most Israeli Jews. Most Israeli Jews do not come from Europe at all but from the Middle East, having been expelled from their homes by the Arabs and Persians among whom they had lived for some centuries. But I suppose even the little savages at Columbia might blush before telling a Jew: Go back to Yemen. Or, maybe not. You cannot shame the shameless.

There isnt much to say about people who sign up to do Hamas bidding. And, please, spare me the nonsense that the Palestinian peoplethe poor, longsuffering, noble Palestinians, heroes of the Battle of the Pizza Shop, and dauntless blood-soaked conquerors of daycares and peace festivalsare not to be associated with the atrocities of Hamas or Islamic Jihad or the rest of them. If there were a meaningful difference between the Palestinians and their leaders, more than 19 percent of Palestinians in a March poll would have said Hamas was incorrect to launch its pogrom on October 7.

People resist vicious and autocratic leaders all the time, including to the point of death. It is easier with the benefit of elections, a benefit of which the Palestinians are generally deprived. But the last time they had one, they elected Hamas. Instead of resisting the worst of Hamas, they celebrate the worst of Hamas. If the Palestinians truly wanted different leaders, they would have different leaders. They will murder Jews all dayand jump for joy every time a Jewish baby is murdered or a Jewish woman is raped to deathbut they havent lifted a finger in the better part of a century for decent governance or representation for themselves.

If anything, the opposite is the case, and the masses are more forthrightly bloodthirsty than at least some of the leadership, in a perverse way: Palestinian authorities threatened to murder an Associated Press photographer if he published photos of Palestinians celebrating after the al-Qaeda attacks on New York City and Washington on September 11, 2001. That isnt some talk-radio conspiracy theory: Thats the Associated Press reporting about the Associated Press.

(The Palestinian leaders are, of course, irony-immune: If you suggest that we are sympathetic to terrorism, Ill have you killed.)

The little savages at Columbia and elsewhere would like you to believe that the People, Hegelian capital-H History, the arc of justice, and everything else is on their side, that, as the Hitler Youth put it once upon a time, the future belongs to them. Maybe the People are on their side, maybe noteither way, it doesnt tell you anything about the rightness or goodness of their cause. The People get it wrong at least as often as they get it right. It is hard to say who is on the side of the Columbia protesters, but we know whose side the Columbia protesters are on: the murderers, the torturers, the rapists, the arsonists, the propagandists, the book-burners, the people who kill inconvenient reporters and critics, the people who dream of incinerating every Jew walking the face of the Earth.

Was there something else we needed to know?

Words About Words

I started this with that dumb piece in the Washington Post, an example of the problem of asking an inferior writer to write about a better one. See if you can spot the irony in this excerpt:

The real question is not about whether there are Narrative Enforcers at the New York Times, as Bowles alleges, but why there is a market for so many books like this, even though they are all so predictably indistinguishable from one another. Bowless book appeals for the same reason that other conservative memoirs of political growth do: because they reassure their readers that progressivism is not a genuine political philosophy but an almost biological byproduct of youth, like acne. Bowles and her ilk are thereby absolved from contending with the principles of those who oppose them, or from seeing their political nemeses as rational moral agents.

A minor secondary point: alleges.

Economics for English Majors

Banking should be boring. You know youre in for trouble when banking gets exciting. From the Wall Street Journal:

Vernon Hills Commerce Bancorp was about to open its first New York City branch in 2001 when his wife, Shirley, called wanting to know whether dogs could be allowed inside. Shirley Hill, also the branch designer, had been stopped from bringing the couples Yorkshire terrier, Sir Duffield, into other banks. Vernon Hill, the banks founder and chief executive, declared it just another stupid bank rule and launched a campaign to encourage dogs to visit Commerce. Hill, now 78 years old, thought a lot of bank rules were stupid. At the three different lenders he ran over the past 50 years, he wanted to upend how consumers bank. He kept his banks open on Sundays, threw extravagant parties for customers and employees and splurged on prime locations for the banks branches. He stocked the locations with dog treats and gamelike Magic Money Machines where customers could deposit spare change. Commerce became one of the fastest-growing banks in the U.S. in the early aughts, a thorn in some big banks sides who tried to replicate some of his practices. But the rules also had a way of catching up to Hill. He was fired from Commerce after regulators complained about conflicts of interest, including paying his wifes design firm millions of dollars for architecture and marketing services. He left Metro Bank in the U.K. when an accounting scandal erupted. His latest project, Republic First Bancorp in Philadelphia, was seized by regulators last weekend, after shareholders had ousted Hill in a last-ditch effort to save the bank.

I am a let-markets-work kind of guy, and generally skeptical of government interventions in business, particularly in business failures. That being said, the FDIC has always seemed to me to be one of those things that, whatever your ideological preferences, just seems to work pretty well. But  maybe not? Peter Coy in the New York Times:

Michael Ohlrogge has a theory about the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the agency that makes sure ordinary depositors dont lose their money when their bank goes bust. Ohlrogge, an associate professor at New York University Law School, argues that when banks fail, the F.D.I.C. is not resolving them in the manner that is least costly to its Deposit Insurance Fund. If hes right, then the F.D.I.C. is going against the explicit instructions of Congress, so this is kind of a big deal.

The FDICs real mandate isnt financial at allit is psychological. The FDIC doesnt exist to make people whole on the $8,000 or so they have (on average) they have in a checking or savings accountit is to prevent panics. Like most regulators, it tends to end up adopting the point of viewand the interestsof the institutions it regulates. One of the things that stuck in my mind about the 2007-08 financial crisis is the fact that the FDIC basically didnt collect insurance premiums from member banks for a decade before the crisis. They just thought everything was cool and that theyd never need the money.

Back to Coy:

The Deposit Insurance Fund is financed by assessments on banks, so when it loses money, banks have to pay more into it, and they pass along their higher costs to their various stakeholders: depositors, shareholders, borrowers. Another bad result is that zombie banks stay in operation longer than they should because uninsured depositors happily supply them with funds, knowing the F.D.I.C. has their back. Ohlrogge speculates that the F.D.I.C. is experiencing mission creep, taking on a responsibility for uninsured depositors that it was never assigned. He has been elaborating and pressure-testing his theories for several years in scholarly presentations, including a working paper in November, Why Have Uninsured Depositors Become de Facto Insured? In that paper he estimates that the F.D.I.C.s practices have added at least $45 billion to the cost of bank resolutions over the past 15 years. In an interview, he told me he cant prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that the F.D.I.C. is breaking the least-cost rule, and one reason is that the agency doesnt divulge how it evaluates different options it has. The F.D.I.C. reveals its evaluation standards to the Government Accountability Office but not to bidders, for fear that they could use that information to game the system.

Do read the whole thing.

Elsewhere 

You can buy my most recent book, Big White Ghetto, here.

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You can check out How the World Works, a series of interviews on work Im doing for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, here.

In Conclusion

I have a lot of friends and colleagues who are, to one degree or another, pro-choice. There are plenty of well-meaning and honorable people who are. But I always advised conservatives that people who arent on our side on abortion arent really on our side in general.

Ive rethought that some in recent years. But what seems most obvious right now is that even the people who are on our side on abortion probably arent really on our side, either, when it comes down to it. Sometimes, I lean more libertarian, sometimes I lean more conservative, but Im going to end up an Ent: on nobodys side, because nobody is on my side. And Im okay with that.

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The chief assistant in the Fresno City Attorneys Office has been appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve as a superior court judge in Fresno County.

Raj Singh Badhesha has worked in the City Attorneys Office since 2012 and as chief assistant since 2022. Prior to that, he was an associate at Baker Manock & Jensen in Fresno from 2008 to 2012.

City Attorney Andrew Janz said Badhesha has been an instrumental part of his management team because of his broad knowledge of various aspects of the law and ability to deal with sensitive situations.

Raj has all the qualities one hopes to find in a judge; he is open-minded, thoughtful, deliberate, well researched, and diplomatic, Janz said. While his broad legal experience and expertise is going to be a big loss to the City of Fresno, there is not a more fitting individual to serve Fresno County and the State of California with honesty and integrity.

Badhesha thanked the governor for the judicial appointment.

My commitment to justice, coupled with my understanding of the legal system and the needs of our community have prepared me to serve with integrity, fairness and compassion, Badhesha said in a statement. I am glad to be able to represent a segment of our community that we dont often see on the bench, and I appreciate the Governors commitment to diversity.

Badhesha is the first Sikh appointee in the state who observes the practice of adorning the Sikh headdress known as the dastar or pagri, Janz said.

Badhesha, a Democrat, earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. He fills the vacancy left open by the retirement of Judge Jon N. Kapetan.
Hayden Laye joined protesters outside the Supreme Court last month as the justices weighed a case that could change access to abortion pills. An LGBTQ advocate and proud Democrat, he wore a blue shirt and waved a small rainbow flag.

Laye was there as part of the push to end abortion in America.

We stand up for the less fortunate than us and the most vulnerable, Laye said of like-minded Democrats. We stand up for those being affected by climate change. We stand up for the single mother and we also need to stand up for preborn children, because they dont have a voice.

Laye said hes heard plenty of people tell him that his positions are incompatible. Unfortunately, when people tell me that I cant do something, I normally go and do it, he told The Hill.

Laye, a recent high school graduate in South Carolina, is the development coordinator of Democrats for Life of America and is on the Rainbow Pro Life Alliance board. He is part of an often overlooked coalition of young voters who are pushing the anti-abortion movement to expand its tent and tap into the growing political power of Gen Zers.

Partisan gap on abortion larger than ever: Analysis

Younger anti-abortion activists are pushing a more positive message focused on supporting pregnant women, and debating how to make space for a more diverse and less religious generation in what has long been a Christian-dominated movement.

Out of all the pro-lifers I know, I know very few pro-lifers who are straight white conservative men, and thats what youre always told that pro-lifers always are, Laye said. Most of the people that I know are queer, nonreligious  or at least not Christian  a woman, a person of color.

Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, said young people are the most likely to actually experience unwanted  or at least unexpected  pregnancies, making them the best leaders in the fight against abortion access.

Also, young people are the drivers of our culture, Hawkins said. You know, its not lost, I think, on a lot of folks that you can see a legislative or a political victory today, but if you fail to persuade and educate the younger generation, all of your work will be or be erased in 10, 20, 30 years.

But that reality isnt always evident in anti-abortion campaigns. William Reynolds, a high school senior who identifies as a Democratic Socialist, said some young people who oppose abortion are deterred by the movements outdated messaging and lack of inclusivity.

He works with Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, an anti-abortion group primarily comprising young people who dont fit into the traditional pro-life mold. He said the group is sometimes shunned for being too radical.

We get in trouble, with a lot of, you know, mainstream pro-life people, Reynolds said. The sticker on the megaphone says f abortion, right, like were willing to say and do things that many mainstream pro-life people wont do.

Reynolds said the main reason abortion rights won on the ballot in places like Ohio and Kansas is because organizations opposing abortion are not being inclusive or making compromises on issues like access to contraception.

Kansas voters protect abortion rights in first major post-Roe test

We wonder why we keep losing in all these ballot measures, Reynolds said. Its because we all were coming across as disjointed jerks, and we really need to fix that.

Gen Z is overwhelmingly progressive and increasingly secular, and there is just nobody holding space for that in the pro-life movement, Reynolds added. And thats a real problem, and theyre gonna vote that way. Theyre gonna continue to vote that way unless we change something.

Kenzi Bustamante, a senior at the University of Chicago, is the president of her universitys Students for Life organization. She said the anti-abortion movement is making a mistake when it unnecessarily shuts the door on certain communities.

She gave the example of an anti-abortion group that published a story condemning a gay couple for using surrogacy to have a child. Surrogacy is criticized by some abortion opponents for its use of in vitro fertilization (IVF), which often requires some embryos to be destroyed.

It seems like the message was, We condemn gay couples for raising children. Like thats how it was perceived, Bustamante said. Whereas like, what they were really saying is IVF and surrogacy destroy life, but they didnt focus on that enough.

Bustamante sees significant overlap between the effort against abortion and progressive movements, such as a focus on human rights, equality and treating people with dignity. She said that the anti-abortion movement has also started to appeal to a wider variety of people and students by supporting policies such as making birth free.

She said part of that strategy is emphasizing that the movement cares about women and babies equally.

Because thats one common misconception is that we dont care about women at all, Bustamante said. I think that theyre doing a better job of doing that by having those make birth free initiatives, having more resources, free resources available for pregnant women than they had in the past.

However, Bustamante said some differences are hard to overcome. She recalled one person involved in the University of Chicagos Right to Life group who cared deeply about transgender rights and ending abortion.

Its just uncomfortable for either person on either side trying to come to the middle, Bustamante said.

But she said the movement at its core should be accessible to anyone.

Its a one-issue kind of movement, Bustamante said. The primary thing is reduce abortions.

Kylie Gallegos is a senior at the University of Notre Dame and heads Notre Dame Right to Life, a group she said is specifically not branded as being Republican or Democrat and doesnt use Catholic labels like traditional.

Our goal is simply to spread the message that everyone  Catholics, protestants, atheists, LGBTQ+, young, old, rich, and poor  are called to be pro-life, Gallegos said in an email to The Hill. Our message of the dignity of every human person does not leave anyone out. It is a shame that being pro-life has become something that people dont understand should extend to everyone. Being pro-life is not just a political identity, its a way of life.

Gallegos said the club has a different approach than the Grim Reaper type abortion opponents who preach on street corners or people who show graphic aborted baby pictures.

We believe life is good and should be valued and protected; acting in ways that only show hate for another group of people is not going to give us the result we are working toward, she said.

She said Notre Dame Right to Life prioritizes creating a low bar of entry so more people attend their programming, and the club pushes a positive perspective on life and human life and when the value of human life begins.

Reynolds said he has seen significant movement in the amount young people with progressive ideas who are finding a place in anti-abortion organizations. He said the full impact on the anti-abortion movement will come as these students gain more influence.

Because ultimately, one day, especially if I have anything to say about it, were going to completely change the way people think about pro-life people in this country, Reynolds said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Georgia Black clergy endorses DA Fani Willis for reelection as she gets Trump case threats

A group of African-American faith leaders vowed Monday to support Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as she deals with death threats and political pushback, both stemming from her prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

Gathered on the steps of historic Big Bethel AME Church in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood renowned for its connection to the civil rights movement, the group endorsed Willis bid for a second term as Fultons top prosecutor. Willis is being challenged in the May 21 Democratic primary by former Fulton County prosecutor Christian Wise Smith.

We make this endorsement today because of her record, her principles, and her commitment to service, said Georgia AME Bishop Reginald Jackson. Fani Willis is a person of tremendous courage and integrity.

Willis drew national and international attention last August when the grand jury she empaneled indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants on racketeering charges accusing them of taking part in a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of Georgias 2020 presidential election.

With that fame came death threats from Trump supporters, including an announcement just last Friday that Marc Shultz, 66, of Chula Vista, Calif., was indicted late last month for allegedly posting two separate YouTube videos threatening that Willis will be killed like a dog.

On Monday, Willis said she will not let such threats dissuade her from doing the job she was elected to do.

I dont care how many times they threaten me, she said. If we brought an indictment, we plan on prosecuting it.

Willis also pushed back at criticism leveled by Smith and Republicans in the state Senate that focusing so much of her offices attention on prosecuting Trump and his allies has diverted away resources her agency should be using to go after violent criminals in Atlanta.

She said the DAs office was swamped with a backlog of cases going back seven years when she took office.

Weve been able to get rid of that massive backlog, she said.

Willis said homicides have decreased more than 21% on her watch.

Atlanta had a gang problem, she said. Weve been able to bring crime down.

Willis said she could do more to reduce overcrowding at the Fulton County Jail if the county commission would provide her and Sheriff Patrick Labat with more funding.

Were doing the best job we can with the resources we have been given, she said.

The Republican-controlled state Senates Special Committee on Investigations has invited Willis to testify about her use of public funds to pursue the Trump case. Committee Chairman Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, said last Friday the committee would issue a subpoena to Willis if she doesnt come voluntarily.

I dont think they have the authority to subpoena me, Willis said Monday. I will not appear for anything that is unlawful.
A South Georgia-based manufacturer dedicated an expansion Friday with the capacity to produce millions of packets a day of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to prevent and treat acute malnutrition.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a $200 million initiative to maximize the procurement and distribution of RUTF produced by MANA Nutrition in Fitzgerald. USIA Administrator Samantha Power was on hand for the ceremony.

This U.S. government investment in RUTF ... can save millions of the most vulnerable children in our global village - and it will enable MANA to draw upon the strength of our village in Georgia, which proudly supplies the workforce and key ingredients required to produce RUTF, said Mark Moore, MANAs founder and CEO.

Severe malnutrition claims the lives of one in five children under the age of five. But the disease is treatable with RUTF, a shelf-stable product made from peanuts, milk powder, oil, sugar, and a blend of nutrients. It costs less than $1 a day to treat a child with RUTF, and its highly effective, with a recovery rate of 90%.

MANA Nutrition, a nonprofit, currently produces three million packets of RUTF each day. The expansion is the culmination of two years of planning, engineering, and construction.

The packets it produces will be distributed through UNICEF and the UN World Food Program to people in Sudan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, and other areas where hunger is rampant. The new initiative will build on USAIDs ongoing nutrition support efforts in places like Gaza and Ethiopia.

Others attending Fridays ceremony included U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton; Amy Towers, MANAs board chair; and British philanthropist Sir Chris Hohn, who announced hes making a $50 million investment in the companys operation.
Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert asked several Fulton County officials at a May 3 investigation committee hearing whether they believed county officials should have a greater influence over the special prosecutor appointed by the district attorney. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

This story was updated on Monday, May 6 at 8:18 p.m. with comments from the Fulton County district attorney.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Monday that she will not testify before a Georgia Senate committee investigating her on accusations of misconduct while pursuing a felony racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and his allies.

On Monday, Willis announcing that she will not appear before the special investigative panel was in response to committee Chairman Bill Cowsert, an Athens Republican, stating last week that the Fulton DA would be subpoenaed if she refused to voluntarily testify.

Willis cannot be sanctioned by the Senate committee, but it can issue subpoenas for her to turn over evidence and to testify under oath. Former Gov. Roy Barnes, who declined Willis offer to serve as special prosecutor in 2021 in the case against Trump,,

On Monday, Willis questioned whether the special committee had the legal authority to compel her to testify.

I will not appear before anything that is unlawful and I have not broken the law in any way, she said during a press conference where she was joined by Black religious leaders endorsing her reelection bid.

On Friday, Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts, Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore, and County Attorney Soo Jo testified at a four-hour committee hearing at the Georgia State Capitol about the degree of autonomy constitutional officers like district attorneys have, as well as recent changes county officials have made to close ethical and financial reporting loopholes for those elected officials.

The county officials said Friday that they updated a county code in April to close loopholes that allowed Willis to avoid getting county approval before hiring Nathan Wade in November 2021 as special prosecutor in the 2020 presidential election interference case.

Willis has dealt with a hit to her public image since January after it was revealed that she had a romantic relationship with Wade, who was leading a case that in August resulted in felony racketeering charges against Trump and 18 co-defendants. Wade resigned in March.

Athens Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert, chairman of the special investigation panel, said Friday he hopes Willis will appear voluntarily before a state Senate panel that is investigating allegations that Willis committed prosecutorial and financial misconduct.

Willis cannot be sanctioned by the Senate committee, but it can subpoena her to turn over evidence and to testify under oath. Former Gov. Roy Barnes, who declined Willis offer to serve as special prosecutor in 2021 in the case against Trump, attended Fridays hearing with plans to serve as legal counsel for Willis if she is subpoenaed.

Shes a key part of the investigation that her viewpoints are valued by us, Cowsert said. We need to hear what she has to say and her explanation of what she thinks are the appropriate rules ought to be going forward so we dont have this kind of scandal give Georgia a black eye.

The first public accusations that Willis and Wade were romantically linked became public in January in a motion filed by an attorney for Trump co-defendant, Michael Roman, who argued that Wade and Willis undisclosed relationship improperly financially benefited Willis.

In April, the Fulton County Commission updated its ethics and anti-nepotism policies to cover elected officials like the district attorney. Under the new rules, all constitutional officers must report any gifts valued at $100 on their financial disclosures. Willis would have been prohibited from having a personal relationship with someone she supervises under the expanded anti-nepotism policy.

Cowsert asked Fulton County Attorney Soo Jo if she agreed with his interpretation of the state law, which would seem to imply that Willis would need permission from the County Commission in order to hire an independent contractor such as Wade.

According to Jo, previous court rulings have interpreted the law as allowing district attorneys to appoint and determine compensation for special assistant district attorneys without the county boards consent.

She also said disputes over finances and control usually turn into a tug-of-war between constitutional offices and local elected officials, who set the budget but must also cover shortfalls and legal ramifications.

I do believe there are some practical and legal challenges for all counties and elected officials who are in and in between state where you have independence, but you depend on the county for finances, Jo said.

Cowsert on Friday recommended state legislators consider implementing a statewide policy that addresses tensions between county commissioners and constitutional officers over how much discretion and autonomy they should have.

We need to have a state law that provides ethical guidelines for prosecutors, for sheriffs, for clerks of court, for tax commissioners, Cowsert said. They are not county officers, but they need to have accepted norms of conduct and ethical guidelines. Its our job in the state government to come up with that from the state level.

Pitts said that the Fulton commission should be able to have more control since the board sets the multimillion dollar budgets.

Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said following a May 3 Senate committee meeting that he would support legislation that gives county commissions more authority over budgets for constitutional officers. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder

Pitts said that he agrees with prosecutors having the right to determine which cases their office will prosecute, including sweeping racketeering cases like the one Willis is pressing against Trump and his co-defendants. However, he said he believes that the county officials who set the budget should have similar financial control over elected officials like the sheriff, district attorney, tax commissioner, probate court judge and superior court clerks as they have with other local departments.

Pitts said that he and other county commissioners were unaware of Willis hiring Wade until it was reported by local media.

We give millions of dollars and I think as an elected official with a fiduciary responsibility that I should have the right to know how the money is being spent, Pitts said following Fridays committee hearing.

Willis told a crowd at a community outreach event in Atlanta Friday that she finds it interesting that the Republican majority Senate is attacking her credibility at a time when more Black people like herself are being elected as district attorneys in Georgia.

This year, Willis is seeking a second term as district attorney. Her biggest challenge will be in the May 21 Democratic Party primary when she faces Christian Wise Smith, whos served as Atlanta city solicitor and as a Fulton County prosecutor. The winner of the Democratic primary will have a significant advantage in the Nov. 5 general election in a match up against Courtney Kramer, a self-described MAGA attorney who has worked in the Trump White House. Kramer faces an uphill battle in heavily Democratic Fulton.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis would take the stand as a witness during a Feb. 15 hearing for the 2020 election interference case. Alyssa Pointer-Pool/Getty Images

Willis said prosecutors and law enforcement have been working closely as part of an increased emphasis on locking up violent criminals and outreach programs that led to a significant drop in Atlantas crime rate this year.

They can look all they want, Willis said in a video footage taken by several Atlanta news outlets on Friday. The DAs office has done everything according to the books. We are following the law.

I can prosecute high-profile cases and I can prosecute every day cases when they need to be prosecuted, Willis later said.

The scandal surrounding Wade and Willis relationship garnered national headlines as hundreds of thousands of people watched live streams of Wade and Willis testifying at a February hearing on motions from Trump and co-defendants seeking to disqualify Willis from the election interference case on grounds of prosecutorial misconduct.

Willis has denied any allegations of professional misconduct and misappropriation of government money. Both Wade and Willis testified during the Superior Court hearing that they did not become romantically involved until several months after Wade was hired as a special prosecutor in November 2022 and that they stopped dating in the following summer.

But critics of Willis not disclosing having a personal relationship have accused the two of taking advantage of Wade being paid about $750,000 by Fulton by splurging on vacations that included a Caribbean cruise and touring wineries in California. To cover her share of vacation expenses, Willis testified that she paid Wade several thousand dollars in cash in order to cover her share of vacation expenses.

Four of the co-defendants pleaded guilty to various charges in the case, while Trump and the remaining 14 defendants have pleaded not guilty.

A Georgia Court of Appeals is expected to render a ruling by May 13 whether to grant a motion by Trump and several of his co-defendants asking the court to review Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfees decision to allow Willis to remain on the case following Wades resignation. In the March 3 ruling, McAfee wrote that Willis actions showed a tremendous lapse in judgment but that the defense was unable to prove there was conflict of interest that warranted dismissing the case.

Sen. Harold Jones, an Augusta Democrat, said that Fridays lengthy committee meeting was a waste of time, arguing Fultons government website and a few follow up questions could have answered a most of the senators questions.

Theres nothing that you learned as far as the state Senate committee is concerned except maybe now were about to start having constitutional officers just change the way they do their budget, a process that has been in effect for over 30 years, Jones said. I want all constitutional officers to realize that apparently the Georgia State Senate is about to change the law because of one event to happen in Fulton County.

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From the The Morning Dispatch on The Dispatch

Happy Monday! Its literally our job to stay up-to-date on the news, so maybe thats why Declan kept sending us play-by-play updates of the ongoing rap battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar over the weekend.

Editors Note: My note was intended more as a public service announcementdont get on Kendricks bad side.

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Protests Rock Georgia

Demonstrators hold European and Georgian flags during a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 3, 2024, against the parliament's reintroduced "Foreign Agent Bill." (Photo by Nicolo Vincenzo Malvestuto/Getty Images)

The last time we wrote about protests in Georgiathe country, not the state, in case theres any confusionwe explained how Georgians turned police sirens into the soundtrack for a street rave. Just as they did last year, Georgias ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), this spring advanced a Russian-style security law designed to squash civil society organizations, sparking renewed demonstrations over the last month with tens of thousands of Georgians taking to the streets, and yes, continuing their dancing.

Protesters and opposition groups say GD is continuing to pivot away from the European Union (EU) and America and toward Russia and a more authoritarian system of government. As GD leaders become more vocally hostile to the U.S. and turn to repressive laws to help maintain their power, Georgians are calling for the West to impose sanctions on government leaders before elections this fall.

The Georgian Parliament, controlled by GD, voted last month to advance legislation that would require any organization that receives 20 percent of its funding from abroad to register as a foreign agent, effectively allowing the government to gut independent media and government watchdog groups. The law closely resembles a 2012 Russian foreign agents law that provided the pretext for a government crackdown on civic organizations. If passed, a foreign agents law would align Georgia with the likes of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, Freedom Housea D.C.-based non-profit focused on promoting democracy and human rights around the worldsaid of the law. [It] would be a step back from democracy-oriented European integration.

The Georgian parliaments first reading of the bill last month reignited the protests, which grew in size and intensity in the capital of Tbilisi and other large cities following a second vote on the bill. The third and final vote is expected later this month.

And the raucous atmosphere isnt confined to the streets: A Georgian opposition lawmaker punched the GD party leader in parliament when the bill was introduced, something not altogether uncommon in the legislature. The protest is even more significant and larger-scale than last year, and it turns out to be more disciplined than anyone expected, said Giorgi Kandelaki, a former member of the Georgian parliament who has been at the protests in Tbilisi.

The protests have continued in the face of repressive tactics by the police, including the deployment of hired mercenaries dressed in black to attack demonstratorsa tactic the pro-Russian government in Ukraine used in 2014 to suppress protests. Its a clear sign that the majority is just telling Georgias ruling party that they want to be heard, said Eto Buziashvili, a Tbilisi-based research associate with the Atlantic Council and former adviser to the National Security Council of Georgia.

Protesters and opposition lawmakers argue that the ruling party will use the foreign agents law to hollow out government accountability groups and dissent in advance of the countrys October elections. One of the key motivations for this law, Kandelaki told TMD, is to demolish the civil society infrastructure that does election monitoring. He added that [foreign monitors] themselves rely on local watchdogs to do election monitoring.

Many current and former U.S. State Department officialsincluding those whom TMD spoke toagree with the assessment. The intent of the law is to silence critical voices and destroy Georgias vibrant civil society, which serves as a critical check on government in any democratic nation, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday.

GD, the ruling party in Georgia since 2012, has grown more explicitly anti-West in recent years and increasingly aligned with Moscowa strange shift for an American partner that Russia invaded in 2008 and which, as of December, is an official EU candidate nation.

The recent pivot could be the result of concern that a full-throated embrace of the Westand EU membership, to bootrisks antagonizing Russia and sparking another costly war. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Georgian government has maintained a warmer posture toward the Kremlin than its Western partners, refraining from criticizing the invasion or joining sanctions against Moscow. Consequently, Russia reinstituted direct flights between the two countries that had been banned since 2019, and trade between the two nations has also soared.

But its also possible that aligning with Russia gives GD the best chance of remaining in power and stands to benefit the partys central figure, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who made much of his fortune from Russian investments in the 1990s. The oligarch founded GD in 2012, served as prime minister between 2012 and 2013, and was GD party chair until 2021. After Georgia received EU candidate status, Ivanishvili announced his public return to politicsalthough observers of Georgian politics say hed remained the guiding force for GD since leaving politics the first time.

The transparency that comes with pursuing membership in the EUindependent judiciary, rule of law, all of these things that come with pursuit of Euro-Atlantic orientationrun counter to his personal interests, David Kramerthe U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the George W. Bush administrationtold TMD. Amid the protests over the foreign agents bill, GD also passed a new tax law last month that critics say is designed to benefit Ivanishvilis offshore holdings.

If GD and Ivanishvili once walked the line between Russia and the West, the events of the last month seem to have tipped the scale decisively toward Moscow. In the beginning, Georgian Dream tried to camouflage itself as a pro-Western force, Buziashvili, the Atlantic Council analyst, told TMD. Their statements were pro-Western, pro-democracy while their actions were not. GD would have good reason for disguising its intentions: 79 percent of Georgians support joining the EU and 67 percent support joining NATO. The Georgian constitution even includes an article directing the government to take all available measures to join those two Western institutions.

But now, GD and Ivanishvili are saying the quiet part out loud.

Ivanishvili delivered a Soviet-style conspiratorial speech last Monday casting the West as responsible for Russias invasions of both Georgia and Ukraine. The important decisions in this world are taken by the global party of war, he said of Europe and the U.S., according to the text of the speech provided by GD. It is this global force that first forced the confrontation of Georgia with Russia and then put Ukraine in even worse peril. NGOs and radical opposition are acting on their behalf. The laws that we are proposing are there to expose those dark linkages. NGOs are pseudo-elite nurtured by a foreign country. He described NGOs calls for judicial and electoral reforms as attempts by the global party of war to engineer a revolution.

Kramer described the speech as a virtual declaration of war against the West by Ivanishvili. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvilielected in 2018 to the mostly ceremonial post with GD supportcondemned the remarks. Some are trying to portray our 30-year partners and allies as some foreign and faceless war party, she said on Tuesday. This is a blatant lie.

Perhaps cognizant of the enduring popular support for Western integration, Ivanishvili ended his speech by affirming that Georgia would become part of the EU. But opposition figures point out that his Western antagonism makes the duplicity clear. There is no difference between this rhetoric and [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenkos rhetoric, Kandelaki, the former parliamentarian, told TMD. Its [the] rhetoric of a Russian satellite.

GD party leader and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze doubled down on some of Ivanishvilis rhetoric on Friday. Following a call with Derek Cholletthe U.S. State Department counselor who advises Secretary of State Antony BlinkenKobakhidze issued a statement that appeared to break off relations with the U.S. He accused the U.S. of working with NGOs to foment revolution in Georgia and said it would require a special effort to restart the relations against this background.

After the call, Chollet assessed the damage. Georgia is at an inflection point, he said. After many years of partnership, we regret Georgias Euro-Atlantic aspirations now hang in the balance.

Last month, Alexander Dugina Russian philosopher known as Putins brainpraised GDs pivot toward Russia. Georgia is on the right track, he said. We have embarked on this path, and we are just scratching the surface. There are still so many liberal agents entrenched in various sectors of the societyamong the elite, bureaucracy, education, culture, and business. Its akin to cleaning the Augean stables, but with Gods help, we will purify them.

Ivanishvili is not exactly hiding his plans, admitting last week that, after the October elections, he intends to prosecute his political opponents. We will have the opportunity to give the collective National Movement the harsh political and legal judgment it deserves, he said. They will pay for all the crimes against the Georgian people.

The elections will determine whether Ivanishvili can bring those plans to fruition. The issue at stake is much larger than this bill, President Zourabichvili said on Wednesday, referring to the foreign agents law. What is at hand is the decision, the choice, the existential choice that Georgia will have to make by the time of the elections of Europe or Russia. GD has benefited from a fragmented and divided opposition movement. In a national poll released in November, 25 percent of Georgians said theyd vote for GD, compared to 13 percent whod vote for UNMthe rest of the respondents broke for a dozen other parties each with four percent support or less.

Protesters and pro-democracy advocates are looking to the U.S. for additional support, namely in the form of targeted sanctions against GD leaders. The State Department did sanction four Georgian judges for corruption last year, but protesters think theres more that can be done. The sanctions are one of the vital things discussed in Georgia, Buziashvili told TMD. Because many people think that [the] inaction of the West enabled Ivanishvili as well as Russias increased influence in Georgia.

Kramer believes the U.S. should individually sanction Ivanishvili, followed by Prime Minister Kobakhidze, and, if necessary, the GD lawmakers who supported the foreign agents law. They need to understand that it is time to pay a price for what theyre doing, Kramer said, arguing the stern statements from the Biden administration arent deterring GD. We are in a position to impose such a price.

Sanctions or no sanctions, the protests continued late last night. Georgia is on the verge of a major cataclysm unheard of since independence, Kandelaki said. People have this sense of what this is about. Its a major geopolitical shift. And thats why people are in the street.

Worth Your Time

Whos funding the ongoing anti-Israel protests across college campuses? A report by Politico paints a politically complicated picture. President Joe Biden has been dogged for months by pro-Palestinian protesters calling him Genocide Joebut some of the groups behind the demonstrations receive financial backing from philanthropists pushing hard for his reelection  include some of the biggest names in Democratic circles: Soros, Rockefeller and Pritzker, Shia Kapos reported. Two of the organizers supporting the protests at Columbia University and on other campuses are Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow. Both are supported by the Tides Foundation, which is seeded by Democratic megadonor George Soros and was previously supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  Another notable Democratic donor whose philanthropy has helped fund the protest movement is David Rockefeller Jr., who sits on the board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. In 2022, the fund gave $300,000 to the Tides Foundation; according to nonprofit tax forms, Tides has given nearly $500,000 over the past five years to Jewish Voice for Peace, which explicitly describes itself as anti-Zionist.  The trail of donations shows a series of blurred lines when it comes to liberal causes and Democratic politics. Often those missions are aligned, but they also sometimes have different andparticularly when it comes to Gazaconflicting agendas and tactics.

Theres been a rash of congressional retirements from the 118th Congress, and a handful of those heading for the door are ready to talk about it. Twelve members of Congress leaving office gave video exit interviews to the New York Times, discussing topics ranging from corruption, money, perks, frustrations, [and] solutions in our nations capital. When I became a member of Congress, I was conscious of the fact that I was joining an organization that, according to recent polling, is less popular than head lice, colonoscopies, and the rock band Nickelback, said Democratic Rep. Derek Kilmer of Washington. Asked to describe todays Congress in one word, former Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado replied: dysfunctional.

Presented Without Comment

New York Times: At Donor Retreat, Trump Calls Biden Administration the Gestapo

Also Presented Without Comment

National Review: MIT Scraps Diversity Statements in Faculty-Hiring Process after Discovering They Dont Work

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Politico EU: [Russian President] Vladimir Putin Cut Out the Heart of a Deer and Gave It to [Then-Italian Prime Minister] Silvio Berlusconi

In the Zeitgeist

Its apparently a big year for movies about photojournalists named Lee.

Toeing the Company Line

In the newsletters: The Dispatch Politics crew covered Bidens handling of the campus protests, Nick suggested () the demonstrations are elite students attempt to atone for their undeniable privilege, Jonah dove back into some Kristi Noem and Ron DeSantis punditry, and Chris crunched () the numbers to understand how the electorate is different now than it was in 2020.

On the podcasts: Jonah ruminated on Robert Kagans criticisms of conservatism on this weekends episode of The Remnant . Today, CBS News correspondent Robert Costa joins Jamie on the Dispatch Podcast to discuss what a second Trump administration could look like.

On the site over the weekend: Michael Lucchese reflected on the American Revolution as displayed in Apple TV+s Franklin, Tim Rice critiqued Lyndsey Stonebridges portrayal of Hannah Arendt in her new book, and Scott Salvato penned an ode to the Catholic-Jewish neighborhood on Long Island in which he grew up.

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German chancellor urges Europe to supply Ukraine with more military aid from their stockpiles

Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, has called upon European countries to supply Ukraine with more military equipment from their stockpiles.

Source: Scholz during his visit to Lithuania, as reported by Tagesschau and European Pravda

Details: In this context the German chancellor mentioned that Germany would supply Ukraine with a supplementary Patriot system from its stocks.

"This is a very clear signal that we are ready to help when ammunition and artillery are lacking," Scholz stated.

He urged others to follow his example.

"Because we cannot wait until new systems are made. We must provide more air defence systems for Ukraine from existing stockpiles," Scholz stressed.

Background:

After the US supplied Kyiv with ATACMS missiles, Christoph Heusgen, the head of the Munich Security Conference, urged Scholz to reconsider his refusal to provide Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles.

Scholz confirmed recently that he still refused to provide Taurus missiles.

Reportedly, the US hopes that the decisions on the ATACMS supply to Ukraine will push Germany to provide its own Taurus cruise missiles as well.

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Friedrich Merz, Federal Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), holds his bouquet of flowers after being re-elected during the CDU Federal Party Conference. Carsten Koall/dpa

Members of Germany's centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) have re-elected conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz to another two-year term as the party's chairman.

Merz, 68, received just short of 90% of the vote at the CDU's national party conference in Berlin on Monday.

Merz expressed his thanks "for the great vote of confidence."

"I am looking forward to the work that lies ahead of us over the next two years," said Merz, who has previously pledged to bring his party - along with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) - back to power at the next parliamentary elections in 2025.

Merz is seen as the frontrunner to challenge Chancellor Olaf Scholz as the CDU's top candidate in that election. But Merz is not universally popular within the party, with some seeing him as gaffe-prone.

He retired from politics in 2009 after protracted disputes with former chancellor Angela Merkel, who dominated the CDU for years, but made a comeback after Merkel stepped down in 2018.

He was frequently seen as more conservative than Merkel, who often steered the party more toward the middle.

In his speech to party delegates on Monday, Merz castigated Scholz's left-leaning coalition government and said that the country could ill afford another term under the leadership of the Social Democrat.

"Every day sooner that this spectacle comes to an end is a good day for Germany."

Merz said that securing peace and freedom to be the most important task in the coming years, but said that Germany will have to invest more in its ability to defend its country and alliances.

Friedrich Merz, Federal Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), sits between the delegates during the election at the CDU Federal Party Conference. Michael Kappeler/dpa

Friedrich Merz, Federal Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), shows a poster as a gift for Otto Wulff, as he speaks during the CDU Federal Party Conference. Michael Kappeler/dpa
Germany recalls its ambassador in Russia for a week in protest over a hacker attack

FILE - Then European Union Election Observation Mission to Myanmar chief Alexander Graf Lambsdorff speaks during a press briefing in Yangon, Myanmar, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. The German foreign office says that Germany has called back its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations, following an alleged hacker attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholzs party. The ministry said Monday, May 6, 2024 that the government is taking the incident serious. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)

BERLIN (AP)  Germany said Monday it recalled its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations in Berlin following an alleged hacker attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholzs party.

Germany last week accused Russian military agents of hacking into the top echelons of Scholz's Social Democrats party and other sensitive government and industrial targets. Berlin joined NATO and fellow European countries in warning that Russias cyberespionage would have consequences.

The Foreign Office in Berlin said Monday that the government is taking the latest incident seriously and that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had decided to call back German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff. He would return to Moscow after a week, it said.

The German government takes this event very seriously as behavior against our liberal democracy and the institutions that support it," Foreign Office spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said.

Baerbock said last week that Russian military cyber operators were behind the hacking of emails of the Social Democrats, the leading party in the governing coalition. Officials said the hackers had exploited Microsoft Outlook.

The German Interior Ministry said in a statement last week that the hacking campaign began as early as March 2022, a month after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with emails at the Social Democrat party headquarters accessed beginning that December. It said German companies, including in the defense and aerospace sectors, as well as targets related to the war in Ukraine were the focus of the hacking attacks.

The statement said international efforts led by the FBI shut down in late January a botnet of compromised network devices used by the Russian hackers  known as APT28 or Fancy Bear. The group has a history of malicious and destabilizing behavior, according to the U.S. State Department.

German officials said the attacks persisted for months.

Relations between Russia and the West have been tense since Moscow's attack on Ukraine. The U.S., Germany and many other European countries have been providing military support to Ukraine in the ongoing war.

In Copenhagen, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that some Europeans still think that the war is only taking place in Ukraine, but right now we are seeing more and more aggressiveness from Russia.

We will probably see hybrid attacks in different areas. It can be critical infrastructure, he added after a meeting with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen. What Russia is doing and planning is not acceptable. Russia is ready to use any means possible to harm our societies.

In Prague, the Czech Foreign Ministry summoned Russias ambassador over the attacks by the same APT28 group linked to Russias GRU military intelligence unit.

I have decided to summon the Russian ambassador because of the cyber attacks against Czech institutions and critical infrastructure, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on X, the social media network. We have called on the Russian Federation to refrain from this behavior, which is contrary to UN standards and its own obligations.

-

Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark and Karel Janicek in Prague, Czech Republic contributed.
Germany temporarily recalled its ambassador from Moscow on May 6 after Berlin accused Russia of launching cyberattacks, Reuters reported, citing a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

German authorities said that the hacker group APT 28, linked to Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU), has carried out cyberattacks against Germany's defense and industry sectors and officials of the ruling Social Democratic Party since 2022.

"The foreign minister (Annalena Baerbock) has recalled Ambassador (Alexander) Graf Lambsdorff to Berlin for consultations," where he will remain for one week before returning back to Moscow, the spokesperson said.

The move is in line with diplomatic protocol, the spokesperson added.

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Germany's accusations on May 3 were echoed by Czechia, who said that APT 28 targeted unspecified Czech institutions.

NATO said that the Russian cyber campaign also aimed at government bodies, critical infrastructure, and other entities in Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden.

Prague recalled its ambassador from Moscow on May 5 but did not openly link the decision to the cyberattacks and said it is searching for a new suitable candidate to fill the spot.

The timing of the ambassadors' recall means they will not be present at Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for his fifth term in power on May 7. Estonia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Latvia, and Lithuania also said they are boycotting the event.

Read also: EU, NATO denounce Russias cyberattacks on Germany, Czechia

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(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to defend Germanys three Baltic NATO allies in case of a Russian attack and to complete the establishment of a permanent brigade in Lithuania by the end of 2027.

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Germany is determined to defend every inch of alliance territory, Scholz said Monday after talks in Riga with his counterparts from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, saying the security of the three nations bordering Russia and Belarus is also key for Germanys safety.

And I would also like to say this here: an attack on you would also be an attack on all of us, he added, at a joint news conference with Latvias Evika Silina, Estonias Kaja Kallas and Lithuanias Ingrida Simonyte.

A preliminary command of some 20 German soldiers arrived in Lithuania in April and is set to expand to around 150 personnel by the end of the year.

As many as 5,000 soldiers will be permanently stationed at the military bases of Rukla near Kaunas in central Lithuania and Rudninkai near the capital Vilnius and the border with Belarus.

Read More: Rheinmetall Moves Forward With Lithuanian Ammunition Plant

Speaking alongside Scholz during a visit to a German tank battalion in Lithuania earlier Monday, President Gitanas Nauseda urged Germany to speed up the new deployment, given Russias invasion of Ukraine and threats against other former Soviet states.

We cant afford the luxury of wasting even a minute, Nauseda warned.

Sending a brigade to the Baltic states is part of Scholzs historic turning point in military policy, which he proclaimed in a speech to parliament only a few days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Despite Germanys strict rules on borrowing, Scholz pushed through a debt-financed special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr armed forces worth 100 billion ($108 billion). It helped Germany lift defense spending above 2% of economic output as pledged by NATO allies.

Germany is investing massively in the expansion of its defense capabilities, Scholz told reporters in Lithuania, on what is his third trip to the region since taking office in 2021.

This is linked to the decision that investment in the military will account for 2% of our economic output in the long term, year after year. That has been achieved this year and will not change again.

In addition to the permanent stationing of a brigade in Lithuania, Germany is strengthening NATOs eastern flank with the ongoing air policing mission over the Baltic nations and a German-led Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup.

Read More: Germany Slams Russia For Cyber Attacks on Firms, Party Officials

We are all well aware of the shadow war that Russia is waging against our societies, Estonias Kallas told reporters.

We need to make it clear to Kremlin that we are aware of their methods, we will expose them, and the Russian tactics will have consequences, she added. Together we are stronger militarily, economically and in our effort to counter destabilizing activities.

--With assistance from Milda Seputyte and Ott Tammik.

(Updates with Scholz, Kallas comments starting in third paragraph)

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Annalena Baerbock (R), German Foreign Minister, talks to Christine Fung, employee of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, about the effects of flooding and land erosion caused by the climate crisis on the village of Vuniniudrovo. Sina Schuldt/dpa

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has assured the Pacific island states of her continued support in the fight against the consequences of climate change.

"The climate crisis is literally washing the ground away from under the feet of the people here," she said during a visit to Fiji, the first German foreign minister to visit the island.

"We will not leave the region alone, not alone with the greatest security challenge of this century, the climate crisis."

Fiji is one of the 14 island states in the South Pacific that account for a negligible proportion of global emissions of climate-damaging gases, but whose very existence is threatened by the consequences of climate change.

The more than 1,000 Marshall Islands, for example, most of whose land area is barely more than two metres above sea level, could sink into the Pacific Ocean in just a few decades if global warming continues to melt the polar ice unchecked.

According to an assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) last year, the average global sea level has risen by 20 centimetres since the beginning of the 20th century.

During this time, the rate of rise has almost tripled from 1.3 to 3.7 millimetres per year.

Extreme weather phenomena such as increasing tropical storms, droughts and heavy rainfall are exacerbating the situation - including in Fiji.

"The Pacific region is quite literally on the front line of this climate crisis," Baerbock said.

Annalena Baerbock (C), Germany's Foreign Minister, visits the village of Vuniniudrovo, which has been affected by flooding and land erosion due to the climate crisis. Sina Schuldt/dpa
Trump's creative comparisons: At a donor retreat in Florida on Saturday, former President Donald Trumpwho is facing 88 criminal charges from four separate indictmentsdelivered a 75-minute broadside that compared the Biden administration to Nazis.

"These people are running a Gestapo administration," said Trump. "And it's the only thing they have. And it's the only way they're going to win, in their opinion, and it's actually killing them. But it doesn't bother me."

The Gestapo comments were in reference to Trump's "complaint that [President Joe] Biden's White House is behind the multiple criminal prosecutions of the presumptive GOP nominee, including his ongoing hush money and fraud trial in New York and additional cases stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election," reports the Associated Press.

"This was a short comment deep into the thing that wasn't really central to what he was talking about," said North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (who, if you recall, was running for the GOP nomination early in the cycle) on a Sunday panel for CNN. "A majority of Americans feel like the trial that he's in right now is politically motivated."

Trump peppered in some more points as well. "When you are Democrat, you start off essentially at 40 percent because you have civil service, you have the unions and you have welfare," said Trump at another point in the speech. "And don't underestimate welfare. They get welfare to vote, and then they cheat on top of thatthey cheat."

As usual with Trump, there's a tiny bit of truth nestled between the lies and exaggerations: Union members and poor people who rely on government handouts are disproportionately Democrat voters. The point is made even more salient by Biden's repeated yet ill-fated attempts at student loan forgiveness, which looks like an obvious ploy to win over younger voters, prudence (and legality of the policy) be damned.

Trump's frequent allegations that Democrats cheated to win the 2020 election, on the other hand, are not well-substantiated. The courts have repeatedly considered the question of whether Democrats committed voter fraud in the aftermath of the 2020 election, with outcomes that have been decidedly unfavorable to the "stolen election" types, across all jurisdictions and considered by judges of all political persuasions. (Dear readers, before sending me hate mail for this point, please do take the time to read some substantial number of the 12 links I inserted above.)

Scenes from New York: Went to Streecha in the East Village this weekend.

(Liz Wolfe)

"More akin to eating at someone's home than a formal restaurant, Streecharun by volunteers and considered a hub for Ukrainian immigrantsserves a small menu of Ukrainian favorites," reports Eater.

"An extension of the nearby St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church, the money Streecha makes from food orders serves as a fundraiser for it."

Really solid, easy on the budget, and full of information about the war effort in Ukraine. My toddler loved the holubtsi (and being cooed over by old ladies).

QUICK HITS

The Israeli military has started telling civilians to move out of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Stripa sign that it is soon to start carrying out a long-predicted attack in that region.

New birth/fertility-rate data just dropped. Some highlights: Chile is down 20 percent, Macao down 16 percent (for a shockingly low total fertility rate of 0.59), Hungary down 9 percent (but the total fertility rate there remains high, possibly in part because it has tried to engineer a baby boom via tax breaks). All in all, very little good news for those concernedas I amabout dropping fertility rates.

Tonight is the Met Gala. Employees of Conde Nast, which puts on the event, are threatening to picket.

"A hyped venture space only exists after the winning company in that space has already been created, discovered, funded, and become popular," writes Trae Stephens for Pirate Wires. "The very existence of the space proves the search for a winning investment is already over. This is the reality of venture investing, and the herd behavior operating in open defiance of this reality is necessarily limiting fund returns while denying capital to promising companies simply because they aren't on trend."

"There are people out there in the world who may decide, based on their democratic rights, to elect Donald Trump as president," New York Times executive editor Joe Kahn told Semafor's Ben Smith. "It is not the job of the news media to prevent that from happening. It's the job of Biden and the people around Biden to prevent that from happening." Naturally, the peanut gallery of angry liberals has positively exploded at Kahn forspeaking truth.

"Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite news network to close Sunday, escalating a long-running feud between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government as Doha-mediated cease-fire negotiations with Hamas hang in the balance," reports Politico.

Not good:

Russian forces are now deployed next to withdrawing US troops in Niamey. This supports CTP's assessment that Russian troops will also backfill the US base in northern Niger, which will create several long-term opportunities for the Kremlin to strategically threaten Europe. 1/9???? https://t.co/mWtWuvBHl8 pic.twitter.com/80ToSFGD2I  Critical Threats (@criticalthreats) May 3, 2024

The post Gestapo Administration appeared first on Reason.com.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Operation Thin Mint, a program created in San Diego to send boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to deployed troops, hit a milestone of 23 years and 4.2 million packages this year.

Saturdays Operation Thin Mint Sendoff and Family Festival hosted more than 1,500 Girl Scouts and their families at the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego for an evening of music, interactive booths, and a patriotic pep rally.

What happens to thousands of boxes of unsold Girl Scout cookies?

The top 10 Operation Thin Mint Entrepreneurs, along with 69 Elite Entrepreneurs who marketed 2,024 cookie packages or more, were honored at the event.

2024 Operation Thin Mint Sendoff and Family Festival (Credit: Girl Scouts San Diego)

2024 Operation Thin Mint Sendoff and Family Festival (Credit: Girl Scouts San Diego)

2024 Operation Thin Mint Sendoff and Family Festival (Credit: Girl Scouts San Diego)

2024 Operation Thin Mint Sendoff and Family Festival (Credit: Girl Scouts San Diego)

Girl Scout Cookie season underway in San Diego, Imperial counties

The CEO of Girl Scouts San Diego, Carol Dedrich, and Sky Williams, co-host of The Show on Rock 105.3, led a patriotic pep rally on the flight deck honoring the top Girl Scout cookie entrepreneurs and military troops, along with highlighting the impact of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and Operation Thin Mint.

During the 2024 cookie program, Girl Scouts in San Diego and Imperial counties marketed more than 2.3 million packages of cookies, and secured 152,500 packages of donated cookies for Operation Thin Mint.

San Diego teachers can get free admission to USS Midway Museum in May

Operation Thin Mint started in 2002 in San Diego. Since its inception, over 4.2 million Girl Scout Cookie packages have been sent to U.S. Military personnel.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Glastonbury's derelict Zig Zag Building, which is being occupied by out-of-towners

A hippy camp in Glastonbury is causing a spike in shoplifting, neighbours have claimed.

Many have complained after about 200 caravans, campervans and temporary residences were set up in the Somerset town, which is famous for its summer music festival.

It has been labelled a shanty town made up of a group seeking to live an alternative lifestyle and has sparked concern about a rise in anti-social behaviour in the area.

Supermarket staff have reportedly complained that they are seeing an uptick in shoplifting owing to the presence of the camp.

Weve had a real problem

Some of the group have moved into the towns historic Zig Zag Building which was built in 1934 and previously used for sheepskin product manufacturing, but is now derelict.

Retired carpenter Les Webb, 76, told The Sun: Weve had a real problem with those seeking an alternative lifestyle coming to Glastonbury.

They come here looking some sort of idyllic life and end up living in the grounds of a derelict listed building.

Some have even made the Zig Zag Building their home.

Michael Dobson, 56, told the newspaper: To talk about Glastonbury as a place of refuge and compassion is to absolutely ignore the awful experiences of people who have to live near these loose-knit shanty towns.

Staff at local supermarkets have complained to us about the amount of shoplifting which is coming from the people living in the caravans around their shops.

People are frightened about the amount of people coming into the town who have got absolutely no connection with the area.

The Zig Zag Building is now derelict but has been used as a dancefloor

An inquiry into alleged planning breaches regarding the use of the Zig Zag Building ended last week.

Somerset council has issued enforcement notices amid concerns about the buildings new use and living conditions of those inside.

The council has called for the unauthorised use of the land for storage and residences to cease.

It demanded the removal of all caravans, steel containers, goods and chattels were permanently removed, and for the land to be restored to its original condition before the unauthorised material change of use.

On the buildings Facebook page, a spokesman wrote in April: During [the] last decade Zigzag became a sanctuary or home for 146 people from 21 nationalities (so far we can remember), who stayed more than 2 weeks, mostly for months, many for years...

People from different cultures, countries, backgrounds, race, sexual orientation and beliefs.

Zigzag connected us with more than 250 Friday food nights, music events, theatres, performances, open days, b day parties, wedding, textile, pottery, basket making, paper making, archery and wood workshops...

We had yoga lessons, dance lessons, ceilidhs, therapies, filmmakers, music video makers and much much more...

We will always be grateful to Zig Zag, this amazing, magical, crazy and never boring place in the edge of industrial estate of Glastonbury...

Zig Zag our home, playground and the best dancefloor in the world.

A spokesman for Somerset council told The Sun: If people witness anti-social behaviour such as street drinking, vandalism or littering they should report it to the police or to Somerset council.

Reports of anti-social behaviour will help the council and its partners to tackle problems together.

The council was contacted for comment by The Telegraph.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
An Indian lawmaker whose party is allied with the countrys prime minister is believed to have fled to Germany amid allegations that he sexually assaulted or raped as many as 400 women, reports say.

Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Indian prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, allegedly fled after thousands of flash drives were left in public places including parks and bus stands last month in the southern state of Karnataka, where Revanna holds office. The drives contained videos allegedly showing the abuse which Revanna filmed himself, according to The Times.

Humiliating Shock for Narendra Modis Mega-Hyped Vanity Project

The Janata Dal (Secular) or JDS party, which is allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), last week suspended Revanna amid the allegations. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the claims has reportedly sought the help of Interpol in locating the 33-year-old, who allegedly left the country using a diplomatic passport.

An official from Revannas office has denied the alleged assaults and has claimed the footage was doctored.

The scandal has erupted during Indias six-week-long general election, with opposition figures using the uproar to attack Modi and his party. This is not a sex scandal but a mass rape, Rahul Gandhi, a member of the opposition party the Indian National Congress, said at a rally last week. Gandhi also accused Modi of having supported a mass rapist and alleged that Modi and his party had allied with Revanna despite being aware of the allegations.

In a police complaint, one woman who worked for Revanna alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by both the lawmaker and his father, H.D. Revanna, a legislator in the Karnataka state assembly. The older politician, who has denied the claims, was arrested Saturday in connection with the alleged abduction of a maid reportedly being held captive at a farmhouse to stop her from testifying against his son.

One woman who claims to have been victimized by the younger Revanna claimed in a police report that she had been assaulted by him for over three years. She also alleged that he would record the attacks and threatened to leak them on social media if she spoke about the incidents.

Keeping those videos, he used to video call me over the phone and would ask me to strip, the woman alleged. He also raped me several times. She added that she had not previously reported Revanna out of fear, but chose to do so now after the SIT was formed.

In his own complaint filed before his apparent disappearance, Revanna reportedly said the videos being circulated had been altered and are being shared to tarnish his image and poison the minds of voters.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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On the afternoon of July 6 last year, Paul Grice went to the county clerks office at the Cimarron County Courthouse at Boise City, Oklahoma, and paid $104 to file a peculiar document in an attempt, among other things, to renounce his U.S. citizenship.

You may have heard of Grice, a member of an anti-government group in the Oklahoma panhandle called Gods Misfits, because he was recently the fifth member of the group to be charged with the murder of a pair of Kansas women in connection with a custody battle.

But the custody dispute is only part of the story. It appears the Misfits may have embraced reckless and vengeful violence as an extension of their apocalyptic religious beliefs that children are property and that no government or other human institution can interfere in parental authority.

Grice had turned 31 a few days earlier, so maybe he was thinking about his place in this world  and perhaps the next. We dont know exactly what was on his mind when he walked into the historic red brick courthouse at the center of town to deliver his bundle of papers, but the story told by the 35-page document is of a world vastly different from the one the rest of us inhabit.

Grices world was based not on reality but instead spun from poisonous conspiracy theories, half-baked legal hypotheses and religious delusion. Im assuming he must have walked into the courthouse in Boise (pronounced Boyce) City because he lived with his wife and three kids only 16 miles to the northeast, at Keyes, a town of just a few hundred people. Theres no indication in the documents of whether he delivered them in person or mailed them, but I imagine he would have visited in person.

We know Grice sent copies of the renunciation document to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken by certified mail. The return receipt is in the filing.

I am a creation of nature and natures God, he declared in the courthouse document, in the curious spelling and punctuation that has become the legal patois of the sovereign citizen movement. A people, a man, found alive and living, commonly known by my family, friends and neighbors as Paul Grice and so here I (w)ill stand.

He had dominion over all things, he asserted. His three children were his God-given property and subject to none other. He lived not in Oklahoma, but in the Oklahomat Republic, and the United States had been under martial law since the Civil War. The 14th Amendment, which most of us understand as granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people and guaranteeing due process and equal protection under the law, had actually made slaves of us all. The Federal Reserve was illegitimate. The U.S. had become a corporation that sold its citizens as debt to foreign powers, and 1930s Pennsylvania congressman Louis T. McFadden was right when he said there was a Jewish conspiracy for world domination.

He also claimed state and federal authorities, in cooperation with judges and attorneys, were engaged in child kidnapping and trafficking.

All of it is nonsense, but its the kind of nonsense associated with anti-government rhetoric from sovereign citizens, topped with QAnon conspiracy theories.

The sovereign movement has been around for decades and has typically been linked to militias, but recently it has gained strength from QAnon.

Consider themselves exempt from US law

Sovereign citizens believe they are not under the jurisdiction of the federal government and consider themselves exempt from U.S. law, Travis McAdam, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told me. And that is all based on a variety of conspiracy theories and falsehoods they use to justify their beliefs and activities.

The sovereign movement has been around for decades and has typically been linked to militias, McAdam said, but recently it has gained strength from QAnon. Although the movement has usually been seen as irksome by public officials, because of the copious court filings that are a favorite tactic of sovereigns to avoid paying taxes or confound the legal system, sovereign resistance has sometimes taken violent forms. The FBI classifies the movement as a domestic terrorism threat.

Terry Nichols, the convicted Oklahoma City bomber, was part of the movement. In 1992, Nichols  like Grice  attempted to renounce his U.S. citizenship.

I am no longer a citizen of the corrupt political corporate state of Michigan and the United States of America, he wrote in a letter to officials.

Such attempts arent legally recognized. You can renounce your citizenship, according to the State Department website, only from outside the U.S., and only by following established procedure.

Weve seen more and more sovereign groups trying to recruit people who are involved (in disputes) with child protective services, McAdam said. They really try to use the idea of this is an illegitimate government, this is an illegitimate court system trying to take your kids away, and maybe we can help.

On April 24, Grice became the fifth Misfit to be arrested.

He faces the same charges as his former prayer partners, Tifany Adams, Tad Cullum, and Cole and Cora Twombly. Adams was in a bitter custody dispute with the mother of her grandchildren and, according to court documents in the criminal case, the five were involved in a conspiracy to kidnap and kill. The plan was to ambush the childrens mother, Veronica Butler, and a court-approved supervisor when they came to pick up the children for a birthday party March 30, the day before Easter, the documents say. Both women were from Hugoton, just across the state line in Kansas.

Their car was found abandoned along a dirt lane in Texas County, Oklahoma. Smashed windows, a broken hammer, a purse with a pistol magazine and blood at the scene indicated something violent had taken place. The women were the object of an intense search for two weeks after their disappearance.

The bodies of Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, the supervisor, were located following the initial arrests. They had been mothers and church members in their hometown of Hugoton. Their remains were found in a freshly dug hole covered by dirt and hay at a rural property rented by Cullum for grazing cattle. Tifany Adams, according to an affidavit filed by prosecutors, had confessed to participating in the murder of the women.

Affidavits in the case also named Grice as being involved, including helping to block the highway and divert Butler and Kelleys car. Authorities have not said where Grice was before he was arrested. He was arraigned Wednesday at Texas County District Court at Guymon, Oklahoma. Like his co-defendants, he was denied bond.

On April 23, 2024, Grice was interviewed and admitted that he was part of the planning and killing of both Butler and Kelley, an affidavit supporting probable cause for his arrest said. Grice admitted to (an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent) that he participated in the killing of Butler and Kelley and their subsequent burial.

Timothy McVeigh cited the Waco, Texas, siege as a reason he carried out the Oklahoma City bombing.

Manifesto recalls Timothy McVeighs motivation

In his manifesto-like filing at Boise City last year, Grice cited a litany of perceived governmental abuses that are common among sovereign citizens and Christian Identity adherents. Grice recalled the April 19, 1993, siege at Waco, Texas, as the murder  of 86 men, women and children by agents of the federal government. Part of Timothy McVeighs motivation in bombing the Alfred P. Murrah federal building on April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City  which killed 168 people and was the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history  was the Waco siege.

I am not anti-government, anti-military, or anti-America, Grice claimed in the document. The eccentric capitalization that follows is his: Quite the contrary. For Generations, My family served the united States of America in both active and inactive service all over the world.

The sovereign citizen movement began with William Potter Gale, a World War II veteran who formed an anti-tax resistance movement called the California Rangers in the 1960s. Gale also was a key figure in Christian Identity and white supremacy and a founder of the Christian Patriots of the 1980s. At one point, he broadcast his message to radio listeners from a studio in Dodge City. He was convicted of tax crimes, sentenced to prison and died awaiting appeal in 1988.

In the document filed July in Cimarron County, Grice rails against government oversight and regulation, the genetic manipulation of food, vaccines and the United Nations. He does get two things right: The Tuskegee Experiment, in which hundreds of Black men were left untreated for syphilis so the course of the disease could be studied, and Project MK-Ultra, a CIA project in which unsuspecting individuals were given experimental drugs in an attempt at mind control.

Near the end, he references the Book of Revelation.

I must now also leave Babylon the Great and not partake of her sins any longer lest I receive her plagues, he writes, for her sins have reaching unto Heaven, and God will remember her iniquities. May God have mercy on the people of the United States/UNITED STATES!

They spell their name and others in all caps or they use weird punctuation, McAdam said. They think the Treasury Department has set up these accounts when any child is born, and that somehow there is this corporate account, that exists differently (but represents) the actual child. And so youll see in these court filings where theyll think that OK, if I just get the punctuation right, if I get the capitalization right, Im going to be able to reclaim my sovereign status.

Its as if the sovereigns believe there is a kind of magic code to legal documents, that if only they get the weird spelling and capitalization right, all of their problems will be solved. But there doesnt appear to be a Sovereign Citizens Stylebook, and every document looks a bit different.

Difficult to track conspiracy theorists

Some sovereign citizens also believe that the only legitimate governmental entity is the state, but they tend to view each state as a republic. McAdam said, however, he did not know why Grice spelled Oklahoma as Oklahomat Republic.

Reading Grices manifesto left me wondering how many others out there believe what he does, or at least what he professed to. McAdam said the SPLC had not heard of Gods Misfits until news broke about the arrests. He also said the center doesnt have a way to track actual members in a movement, but that it was pretty clear the sovereign citizens were growing.

McAdam, who works for the SPLC from his home in Montana, compared the movement to a prairie twister.

Many of these movements are like a funnel cloud or tornado, where way up in the clouds at the big end of the funnel, you have people the get pulled in for all kinds of reasons, McAdam said. They kind of spin out and back in again. But then there are people who really start to go down into the funnel. And as they do that, they become steeped in these conspiracy theories and worldviews. And if you go all the way through down to the ground and pop out, well those are people like Timothy McVeigh.

Max McCoy is an award-winning author and journalist. A Kansan, he started his career at The Pittsburg Morning Sun and was soon writing for national magazines. This commentary originally appeared in The Kansas Reflector.
King Charles met with Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at Buckingham Palace ahead of the Coronation in May last year - GARETH FULLER/AFP via Getty Images

An African ruler is attempting to reclaim gold from the collection of King Charles, the Telegraph can reveal.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the king of the Asante people in Ghana, celebrated a landmark repatriation deal last week in which the V&A and British Museum loaned him golden treasures taken by British forces in the 20th century.

The Telegraph can reveal that the Asante ruler will press on and seek to reclaim all ancestral gold held in Britain, including treasures in King Charless art collection.

A number of artefacts seized from the Asante capital of Kumasi are on display as part of the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle, where the African leader stayed as a guest ahead of the Kings Coronation in 2023.

In the immediate wake of his UK visit, The Telegraph understands that the Asante king, or Asantehene, set in motion plans to repatriate treasures taken from his ancestors which are now scattered across a number of British collections, including at the University of Oxford.

The ultimate aim is to ensure all of the ceremonially important looted treasures can be reunited.

Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, an Apagyahene or prince of the Asante people and a member of the kings inner court, told The Telegraph: That is the end goal.

He added: Certainly, that is the vision. That is the hope of most Asante and Ghanaians at large that eventually these artefacts will come home where they truly belong.

One of the artefacts the Asante want repatriated is a golden trophy head taken from King Kofi Karikari, on display at Windsor Castle

An Asante golden state sword from the 19th century forms part of the Royal Collection

Speaking about returns from the Royal Collection and a string of UK museums, the Apagyahene said: That is the greater goal, the eventual hope, that we can have all of these things assembled.

Why should I, as an Asante wanting to see my history, have to travel across the world to see it, instead of the world coming here to see it?

Ivor Agyeman-Duah, an academic and writer and the director of the Asante kings museum, confirmed that an approach has been made with regard to reclaiming treasures from the Royal Collection Trust, saying that it would be discussed with the participation of key players.

The Apagyahene and Mr Agyeman-Duah spoke at the ceremonial opening of the kings Manhyia Palace Museum in the Asante capital Kumasi, where scores of chiefs were assembled along with British dignitaries to mark the return of golden artefacts taken from the Asante 150 years ago.

The objects loaned by the V&A and British Museum were taken as a war indemnity by the British in 1874 following the Third Anglo-Asante War, then auctioned off by the Crown jeweller to major museums in order to raise funds for injured soldiers.

Many of the objects were golden royal regalia of sacred significance to the Asante and their ruling dynasty, and a selection of 32 of these pieces have been repatriated in a loan negotiated with the V&A and British Museum.

Some of the Asante artefacts on loan from the British Museum on display at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi - Eddie Mulholland

A gold headpiece returned to Ghana as part of the temporary agreement

The Telegraph revealed on Sunday that the Asante king wants to keep the items on loan permanently and is hopeful that a future Labour government will change laws currently preventing their return.

The Asante also wish to see more objects returned, eventually on a permanent basis, and the kings palace museum in Kumasi is currently being expanded to increase its capacity to have the house in order for future repatriations.

The Royal Collection, held in trust by the King on behalf of the British people, boasts a golden state sword which was taken from King Kofi Karikari, the ruler who lost the 1874 Anglo-Asante War, and then sent to Queen Victoria.

This is on display in the Grand Vestibule at Windsor, alongside a golden trophy head taken from the same king as part of a war indemnity.

The Royal Collection told The Telegraph that the collection is held by the Sovereign for his successors and the nation, and is not owned by the King as a private individual, adding in regard to returning artefacts: The King would take advice from Royal Collection Trust, who would consult a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Buckingham Palace was approached for comment.

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A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPMs Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version.

Dem Rep Indicted For Two Alleged Bribery Schemes

Lets take a break from the existential threat to democracy for a return to those thrilling days of yesteryear when run-of-the-mill political corruption was a big fat juicy target for prosecutors and muckrakers.

A federal grand jury in Houston has indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), the last remaining anti-abortion-rights Democrat in the House, in two alleged bribery schemes: one to benefit Azerbaijan and the other a Mexico City bank.

Cuellar and his wife Imelda were both charged in the almost-readable 14-count indictment, which lays out in great detail the alleged scheme to bribe Cuellar in return for favorable treatment of Azerbaijan, as CNN reports:

Among those promises, prosecutors allege Cuellar agreed to influence US policy through a series of legislative measures relating to Azerbaijans conflict with neighboring Armenia, by giving a pro-Azerbaijani speech on the House floor, inserting language favored by Azerbaijan into legislation and committee reports, and advocating for series of legislative measures relating to Azerbaijans conflict with neighboring Armenia.

As for the alleged bank scheme:

The Texas Democrat also allegedly promised to influence financial regulations in a way that would benefit the Mexican bank and its affiliates, including by working to pressure the Executive Branch on anti-money laundering enforcement practices that threatened their business interest and supporting revisions to the criminal money-laundering statutes.

The charges in the two schemes, which came after a 2022 raid of Cuellars home and campaign office, largely parallel each other: conspiracy, bribery, honest services wire fraud, public official acting as an agent of a foreign principal, and money laundering.

Cuellar declared his innocence and intention to still seek re-election this year.

The Insurrectionist Party

WELKER: Will you commit to accepting the 2024 election results?



TIM SCOTT: At the end of the day, the 47th president will be Donald Trump



WELKER: Wait  yes or no, will you accept the results?



TIM SCOTT: That is my statement pic.twitter.com/3a2OI6wmfV  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2024

Trump Trial Picks Back Up Today

TPMs Josh Kovensky is back at the courthouse in Manhattan this morning as the third week of testimony in the hush-money trial gets underway. Were closing in on the expected big witnesses  Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels  but no clear timetable for when to expect their testimony.

Two highlights from Fridays proceedings:

Judge Juan Merchan called Trump out in a way that was especially telling, given Trumps years of spewing lies and deliberate misstatements. Let me set the stage briefly. After trial Thursday, Trump went before cameras and in response to a reporters question declared that Merchans gag order was preventing him from testifying at trial. Anyone with a brain knew that wasnt true, and Trumps false claim was quickly and widely debunked. But Merchan brought it up in court Friday morning before the jury came in, pointedly telling Trump that the gag order didnt prevent him from testifying in his own defense and that the choice was Trumps to make. Bluff called.

Hope Hicks reluctant testimony against Donald Trump was damaging enough that she broke down in tears after her direct examination.

A gentle reminder that juries are nearly impossible to read during trial and their verdicts are nearly impossible to reliably predict.

Keep Projecting

Trump continues to work furiously to blame Joe Biden for his legal travails, even the state court ones over which Biden doesnt even have theoretical control. This weekend, Trump let loose in a private meeting: These people are running a Gestapo administration.

Big Ooops 

Recently hired RNC lawyer Charlie Spies has already resigned in the face of displeasure from Donald Trump that Spies was previously critical of the 2020 Big Lie charade.

Killed Like A Dog

California man charged with threatening to kill Fani Willis in two separate YouTube live streams.

Keep An Eye On This

WSJ: Biden Races to Trump-Proof His Agenda

Kristi Noems Book Tour Is Going Great

MARGARET BRENNAN: Did you meet Kim Jong Un?



KRISTI NOEM: As soon as this was brought to my attention, I made some changes and looked at this passage



BRENNAN: So you did not meet with Kim Jong Un?



NOEM: I've met with many world leaders. I'm not going to talk about specifics. pic.twitter.com/SCfdaMOpDN  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2024

Mike Johnsons Speakership Is Safe For Now

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is expected to launch her bid this week to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), but for a variety of reasons  support for Johnson from House Democrats, drama-fatigue among Republicans, and MTGs own shortcomings  its not likely to go anywhere.

Abortion Watch

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) says he would support ditching the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade.

The Alabama Supreme Court denied a request for a rehearing on its ruling that frozen embryos are children under the law.

Why abortion bans in Florida and Arizona disproportionately affect the Latina population

An American Tragedy

Esquire: Right-Wing Media and the Death of an Alabama Pastor

Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know!
WELLSBORO, Pa. (WETM)  Goodwill of North Central Pennsylvania held an open house and ribbon cutting for its newest ShopGoodwill location in Wellsboro on May 6, 2024. Staff members gathered outside of the store on 11631 Route 6 to celebrate the occasion.

Customers were able to help themselves to refreshments and participate in giveaways.

Why is thrifting so popular?

ShopGoodwill locations are different from regular Goodwill stores as customers cant shop in the store. They have to look through the items online and pick them up at the specific location.

You can pick items that you buy here locally; so you dont have to pay for shipping. But, you cant come in and actually buy like a store. This is a unique, almost like eBay. So, theres 135 Goodwills across the country that can only sell on Shop Goodwill and were one of them, said Vice President Ecommerce & Technology, Goodwill of North Central Pennsylvania Chad Smith.

The Wellsboro location opened in July 2023 and is one of five ShopGoodwills in North Central Pennsylvania.

For more information on Goodwill North Central Pennsylvania, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WETM - MyTwinTiers.com.
Monday's Google Doodle celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week. Image courtesy of Google Doodle

May 6 (UPI) -- Monday's Google Doodle celebrates the start of Teacher Appreciation Week.

The colorful artwork features a frog as an educator teaching several eager wee ones, who are variously holding books, blocks, crayons and drawings.

The week to honor instructors comes as the 2023-24 U.S. school year is wrapping up.

"Teachers are the heart and soul of our Nation," U.S. President Biden, whose wife, Jill, is a teacher, said in a proclamation on Friday.

"They care for our Nation's students, pass on knowledge to rising generations, and inspire our children to dream up new possibilities for their futures."

First lady Eleanor Roosevelt first persuaded Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day in 1953.
A dozen GOP senators threatened the International Criminal Court (ICC) with sanctions if the body moves forward with an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other Israeli leaders.

The ICC has reportedly considered a warrant for Netanyahus arrest for weeks as accusations rise of war crimes in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Target Israel and we will target you, the senators, led by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), wrote in a letter late last month, threatening to sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States.

You have been warned, it concludes.

The letter, first reported by Zeteo, warns the ICC that the U.S. could invoke the American Service-Members Protection Act (ASPA) in any response to arrest warrants. The ASPA, signed into law in 2002, prohibits U.S. cooperation with the ICC and authorizes the president to take any action to prevent Americans or allies from being detained by the court.

Neither Israel nor the U.S. is a member of the ICC, though the Palestinian territories were given member status in 2015.

The Biden administration has stated it does not support an ICC war crimes investigation into Israel, but it has not commented on whether it would pursue sanctions against the court if Netanyahu or others are ordered arrested.

Weve been really clear about the ICC investigation. We do not support it. We dont believe that they have the jurisdiction. And Im just going to leave it there for now, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week.

The letter says any attempt to issue warrants against Israeli leaders would be illegitimate and lack legal basis, adding that issuing warrants would align the ICC with the largest state sponsor of terrorism and its proxy, referring to Iran and Hamas.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) doubled down on the letter in a statement to The Hill on Monday.

The credibility of the ICC is already suspect, which is why the United States would never yield to its authority, Cramer said. If they go forward with charging Israels leadership with crimes for defending their citizens against terrorists, the ICC may as well declare themselves enemies of freedom.

The court shot back against unspecified threats in a public statement last week, a week after the GOP senators letter was sent to the body.

The Office seeks to engage constructively with all stakeholders whenever such dialogue is consistent with its mandate under the Rome Statute to act independently and impartially, the ICCs Office of the Prosecutor said in a statement posted on the social platform X.

That independence and impartiality are undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the Court or against Court personnel should the Office, in fulfillment of its mandate, make decisions about investigations or cases falling within its jurisdiction, the statement continues.

Such threats, even when not acted upon, may also constitute an offence against the administration of justice under Art. 70 of the Rome Statute.

Potential action against Israel comes after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin last year over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. President Biden backed the action, calling it justified.

The letter was also signed by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), as well as Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tedd Budd (R-N.C.), Cramer, Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

240424-COTTON-ET-AL-LETTER-TO-ICC-RE-ISRAELDownload

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Signage at an early voting center in 2016 in Minneapolis. (Photo by Stephen Maturen | Getty Images)

A dozen GOP lawmakers are calling for a special session to consider bills allowing Supreme Court judge candidates to list their party affiliation on the ballot.

In their letter to the Secretary of State requesting the special session, the Republicans said with an election to fill two vacant seats on the state Supreme Court this year, the current non-partisan designation for judicial candidates deprives voters of the most important information about the candidates running for these seats: their party affiliation.

As a result, Montana voters may unknowingly cast their ballots for judicial candidates who do not share the voters worldview, the letter read.

Judicial races in Montana are currently nonpartisan.

The Secretary of State has five days to send out a poll to legislators on conducting a special session, with a simple majority needed to call lawmakers back to Helena. The legislature has convened in a special session 33 times in Montanas history, six times since the turn of the century.

For several years now Republican legislators in Montana have been decrying the unfairness of the states judicial branch for striking down laws the court finds unconstitutional. This call for a special session, which was not signed by party leadership, isnt the first time lawmakers have tried to require Supreme Court candidates to declare a party affiliation; a bill aiming to do just that failed to get out of its first committee last legislative session.

Republicans have been at odds with the judiciary for several years now, but especially after winning the Governors Office in 2021.

The GOP established a commission in 2022 to examine judicial transparency after Republicans pushed for more court oversight when the court struck down several GOP bills that were signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte, the first Republican governor in 16 years. Republicans more recently established a similar commission claiming the courts had overstepped the separation of powers and violated the state Constitution.

Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, proposed a bill in the 2023 legislative session to allow judicial candidates to list their party affiliation on the ballot, which Hertz said was about transparency.

Do we really want to stick our head in the sand and believe the nonpartisan races are truly without partisanship? he asked in a committee hearing.

The bill was opposed by at least one current justice who said its hard enough to be impartial without partisanship, as well as the Montana Trial Lawyers Association, Montana Judges Association and Montana State Bar Association, among other Montana groups.

The only support for the bill came from a member of the Lewis and Clark Republican Central Committee which said it would be helpful for voters, and would also allow the party to give money to candidates.

The bill died in committee with a unanimous vote.

Another bill to change the judicial election process, which would have sent a constitutional amendment to voters to put the legislature in charge of appointing justices, also died unanimously in committee.

In the race to fill a Supreme Court seat in 2022, Republicans including Gianforte, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Attorney General Austin Knudsen endorsed President of the Public Service Commission James Brown in the race, which analysts said injected partisan politics into the nonpartisan race. Incumbent Ingrid Gustafson retained her seat.

The Montana Freedom Caucus submitted a call for a special session at the end of 2023 over residential property taxes, but it failed. Nearly half of the legislators who signed this current effort are also Freedom Caucus members.

Legislators proposed to convene on Monday, June 24.

Legislators who signed the call for a special session included:

Rep. Lee Deming, R-Laurel

Sen. John Fuller, R-Kalispell

Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Bozeman

Rep. Lyn Hellegaard, R- Missoula

Rep. Caleb Hinkle, R-Belgrade

Sen. Greg Hinkle (Replacement for Sen. Bob Brown), R-Thompson Falls

Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls

Sen. Brad Molnar, R-Laurel

Rep. Greg Oblander, R-Billings

Rep. Bob Phalen, R-Lindsay

Rep. Jerry Schillinger, R- Circle

Sen. Jeremy Trebas, R-Great Falls

The post GOP legislators call for special session to make Supreme Court races partisan appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) was forced to walk back his praise for a group of pro-Israel counter protesters at Ole Miss who were caught on video jeering at a lone Black pro-Palestine demonstratorincluding one fraternity member who made monkey noises at the woman while acting out crude primate mannerisms.

Collins, who helped make the clip go viral by sharing it Friday with the caption Ole Miss taking care of business, conceded in a statement Monday that the video included behavior that none of us should seek to glorify.

If that person is found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness, Collins wrote.

Ole Miss taking care of business. pic.twitter.com/JiL9hs2pHz  Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 3, 2024

The video was taken from a chaotic scene on the campus of the University of Mississippi, where a predominantly white group of college-aged men were spotted clashing with a Black, pro-Palestine protester.

Other clips preceding the apparent racist outburst showed the same group of counter-protesters chanting, Lizzo, Lizzo, and, Fuck you, bitch, at the woman, who countered by yelling, filming, and flicking off the crowd.

The NAACP identified the student behind the monkey chants over the weekend as James JP Staples. He was expelled from his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, which condemned his actions over the weekend in a statement to The Daily Beast.

The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter, the national fraternity wrote in a statement. The responsible individual was removed from membership.

Fraternity Boots Bro Who Made Monkey Noises at Black Ole Miss Protester

In a letter addressed to the campus community on Friday, Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the university was aware of behavior that was offensive, hurtful and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones.

Collins tried to justify his actions by saying that he didnt believe Staples questionable conduct was the focal point of the video and that he was instead praising students for going up against anti-Israel protesters on campus.

Despite seemingly changing his mind about the Ole Miss clip, Collins had not deleted his post glorifying the incident as of Monday afternoon.

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Twelve GOP senators vowed to go after the UN court that prosecutes individuals for war crimes if it issues an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in connection with his relentless military campaign in Gaza.

In a letter that was first reported by Zeteo, the Republican senators, led by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, promised to target the International Criminal Court and its employees if it issues a warrant for Netanyahus arrestan act several Israeli leaders believe is imminent.

Target Israel and we will target you, the letter reads. It threatens to use the 2002 Bush administration American Service-Members Protection Actalso known colloquially as The Hague Invasion Actto compel the ICC to release any U.S. person or ally it detains.

If you issue a warrant for the arrest of Israeli leadership, we will interpret this not only as a threat to Israels sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States, it continues.

We will move to end all American support for the ICC, sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States. You have been warned, it finishes.

The letter is dated to April 24, one week before the ICC Prosecutors Office issued an unusual statement denouncing individuals who threaten to retaliate against the Court or against Court personnel in prosecutorial decisions. It warned that the mere threat of retaliation against the ICC could violate the Rome Statute which established the court.

Statement of the #ICC Office of the Prosecutor pic.twitter.com/Cw331pMcDm  Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) May 3, 2024

The Office insists that all attempts to impede, intimidate, or improperly influence its officials cease immediately, the statement reads.

The Biden administration has been clear that it doesnt support a possible ICC investigation into Netanyahu, although the White Houses allies were quick to condemn the GOP senators bully tactics.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) characterized his conservative colleagues behavior as befitting of a mob, not members of Congress.

It is fine to express opposition to a possible judicial action, but it is absolutely wrong to interfere in a judicial matter by threatening judicial officers, their family members and their employees with retribution, Van Hollen told Zeteo.

This thuggery is something befitting the mafia, not U.S. senators.

The 12 senators included party leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), former presidential hopefuls Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), and current Trump VP hopeful Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

The ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which the Biden administration backed.

The court is also believed to be exploring arrest warrants for Hamas leaders, the New York Times reported.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) slammed the Biden administrations proposal to incorporate Air National Guard Service members into the Space Force, arguing the move is a threat to the Texas National Guard.

In a letter to President Biden sent last week, Abbott contended the proposal would give the Secretary of the Air Force unilateral authority to transfer parts of the Air National Guard units into the Space Force without consent from the governor.

In a March legislative proposal to the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Defense Department asked Congress to override an existing law requiring governors to approve changes to National Guard units in order to shift hundreds of members to the Space Force.

Although the Texas Air National Guard does not have these types of missions, I strongly oppose any attempt to sideline governors when it comes to their respective National Guards, Abbott wrote in his letter, dated May 3. Congress has long required the consent of a governor before units can be transferred out of the National Guard he commands.

By departing from this sensible arrangement and allowing the Secretaries to dismantle National Guard units on a whim, Legislative Proposal 480 would set a dangerous precedent. Members of the Texas National Guard must always stand ready to respond to natural disasters, civil disturbances, and cartel activity that threaten our way of life, Abbott continued.

The Texas governor called on the Department of the Air Force to retract the proposal, calling it an attempted power grab.

Secretary of Air Force Frank Kendall maintained that the proposal would affect about 14 space units, equal to about 1,000 Air National Guardsmen, Air and Space Forces Magazine reported.

A White House official told The Hill the Biden administration supports the Defense Departments recommendation for a one-time transfer of a certain amount of Guard missions into the Space Force, noting it is consistent with the structure approved by Congress in the annual defense policy bill.

The official noted the Biden administration has consistently been against the establishment of a Space National Guard.

The letter came just days after a group of governors from 48 states, territories and commonwealths wrote a letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Llyod Austin in opposition of the proposal.

Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) were notably absent from the list of signatories, and DeSantis penned his own letter to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Services committees.

DeSantis argued the move would flout more than a century of precedent and undermine federal law protections for state control of their National Guard forces. He said his states National Guard should already be larger than it is and blamed the federal government for making it under-resourced.

The proposal comes after the Air Force announced in February it planned to make sweeping changes to the military branch and Space Force to ensure the U.S. can meet security demands. These changes include the development of a new command center, called the Integrated Capabilities, to oversee specific areas of the military branch.

The Space Force will also get a new field command, the Space Futures Command, responsible for experimentation, wargaming and mission planning.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  A Myrtle Beach woman found dead last week in Robeson County had a tracking device placed on her car that was discovered after she took it to a dealership to repair a tire that had been slashed, according to Horry County police reports.

Mica Miller, 30, made two complaints on March 11  the first coming after her vehicles tire was found slashed near Springmaid Pier, the report said. The second complaint, filed hours later, came after Miller took her vehicle to East Coast Honda on Highway 17 Bypass to have the tire repaired.

The police reports indicate that the suspect in both incidents was a male.

Millers husband John-Paul Miller was the senior pastor at Solid Rock Church in Market Common. An email sent to church members on Sunday said Miller was released from ministerial duties. The churchs website is currently suspended.

Millers body was found on April 27 at Lumber River State Park. An official cause of death has yet to be released. Sheriff Burnis Wilkins told News13 in an email on Monday that he expects a report to be available on Tuesday.

We have Detectives in SC now and plan to have the findings of our full investigation as it relates to the death of Mica Miller available tomorrow, Wilkins said.

On Friday, Millers sister, Sierra Francis, asked to be named special administrator over Millers estate in Horry County Probate Court, her attorney Jarrett Bouchette confirmed to News13 on Monday.

News13 has also asked for a copy of Millers death certificate and other documents from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner but has not received them.

According to the police reports, Miller first contacted officers at about 1:20 a.m. on March 11 to report one of her tires had been slashed. Officers met her at a Margarita Drive address.

Miller told officers that this is the second time a razor has deflated her tire in the last week, the report states. Miller said she was leaving Springmaid Pier when she heard a pop and noticed that a piece of metal was protruding from her tire.

By the time she got to Margarita Drive, the tire was fully deflated. The officer observed the tire and upon removal of the metal piece it was found that the metal was a tire deflation device that can be purchased online, according to the reports.

The suspects identity is redacted in both reports, but Miller said she noticed strange activity and what she believes as people following or watching her. Miller also told officers that the suspect has a history of similar actions against her.

Police said there was not enough evidence to charge anyone in the tire-slashing incident. Then, just before noon on March 11, an Horry County police officer went to East Coast Honda to investigate a harassment complaint.

Miller told him that another officer had helped change her tire and that she then headed to a gas station before going to East Coast Honda.

While getting fuel, the suspect in this incident showed up next to her at the pump trying to talk to her, the report said. She told him to go away she does not want to talk and then when she pulled her phone out to record he sped off.

As Miller was talking to the officer at the dealership, the report said she received a call from the suspect using a No ID number. The suspect was advised that the victim does not want any further contact and if he proceeds then warrants may possibly be written up.

The victim advised me she was afraid for her life, the officer wrote in the report. She also advised she blocks his numbers and still gets calls and texts from him on other numbers.

After the officer left, the report said a mechanic discovered the tracking device on Millers vehicle. She then headed to court trying to get a restraining order. Miller handed the GPS device over to police outside the courthouse.

While I was standing out front of the magistrates office with the victim a white in color Honda Accord slow rolled down Scipio Lane in front of the magistrates office, the officer wrote.

Miller said the suspect was driving her car. The vehicle sped up and drove off, the report ends.

No charges were filed in either incident.

* * *

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.

* * *

Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & read more of her work here.

* * *

Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
Is Green Bay School Board ever going to discuss internal report that cited 'a dynamic of distrust'

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Green Bay School Board did not approve that the district switch from an income protection plan to a short term disability plan in March.

GREEN BAY  Over two months after Green Bay School Board members said they wanted to discuss a district culture report, they still havent talked about it.

The report, authored by district-hired consultant Burns/Van Fleet, detailed a "seemingly impenetrable barrier" causing district senior leadership to resist engaging with principals and other staff at schools, creating "a dynamic of distrust and antagonism.

Since January 2023, over 250 employees have resigned from the Green Bay School District, not including retirements. In the Appleton Area School District, which is similar in size to Green Bay, 133 employees have resigned in that same timeframe, according to school board meeting records.

More: Green Bay School Board members got internal culture report 5 months ago. They havent discussed it.

Board members received the report in August 2023, but it wasn't made public until the Press-Gazette obtained it through an open records request in January.

While still serving on the board, Nancy Welch told the Press-Gazette in early February that she wanted a meeting on the report, since the board hadnt discussed its findings yet. Welchs seat was up for reelection in April, and she did not run.

Board member Andrew Becker also told the Press-Gazette in February that a meeting on the report would be helpful and that he would put in a request to get it on an agenda. Becker was elected to his eighth term on the board in April.

Yet the report and its findings still have not been on a board agenda.

Green Bay School Board member Nancy Welch talks during an April board meeting. Welch, who did not seek reelection this spring, previously requested the board discuss the Burns/Van Fleet report, which reported difficult relationships between the administration and schools.

Will the board ever discuss the report?

At its Feb. 26 board meeting, the board talked about getting the report on an agenda and bringing in its author, Stuart Berger, to answer questions. Welch requested a meeting, and board member Lynn Gerlach seconded the request.

I would like it to be seriously looked at as soon as possible, Welch said at the time.

Multiple board members  including Board President Laura McCoy, Vice President James Lyerly and member Bryan Milz  have said they question the report's lack of concrete numbers and anecdotal findings.

I know the report kind of was like, Oh, we cant take this report because theres no quantitative analysis and data, Welch said Feb. 26. As I understand it, the report writer was given direction on how to do the preparation, and so I think that has to be looked at as well.

McCoy said at the Feb. 26 meeting that she didnt know whether discussing the report and bringing in the author would be the work of the board.

Im wondering about if this is our superintendent, or our interim superintendent, gets to invite this person to make a report about this and meet in open session, she said.

Welch said that in her three years on the board, it had been very hard for her to get anything on the agenda.

This has been going on for a long time now, trying to talk about this with the board, she said at the February meeting.

Green Bay School Board member Lynn Gerlach has also said she want's the author of the Burns/Van Fleet report to come speak with the board.

At the Feb. 26 meeting, Becker said he didn't want discussion of the report to slip away into April. He did not respond to the Press-Gazettes multiple requests for an interview.

At that same meeting, Gerlach said she would like to have the reports author come speak with the board.

I would like to have a discussion and have the author here for the purpose of seeing what insight we can gain as we move forward with leadership in our district, Gerlach said. Because, as Ive said to so many of you so many times, it doesnt make sense to choose a leader until you know where you want and need to go.

The report was created as part of former superintendent Claude Tillers transition into the role as district leader and cost $30,000. Tiller resigned in February amid a controversy over comments he made on an Atlanta radio show. He was only seven months into the position.

No movement from board members to discuss the report, though concerns are being addressed

Gerlach told the Press-Gazette in an interview that, to her knowledge, nothing has been done to bring Berger to talk with the board.

I'm open to having conversations about where to go next, if anywhere, she said.

McCoy declined the Press-Gazettes interview request and did not answer the Press-Gazettes questions about whether the board will discuss the report or bring in Berger to answer questions. Instead, she pointed to a March board work session where associate superintendent of continuous school improvement, David Johns, presented on building a thriving workforce in the district.

In that work session it was clearly stated that some of the suggestions from the Burns Van Fleet report have been incorporated already into administrative planning and work, etc., she said in an email.

While she's no longer on the board, Welch said she feels the district was starting to address the reports concerns before her tenure ended.

Board members James Lyerly (left) and Laura McCoy conduct candidate interviews during a School Board meeting in April.

I feel what David Johns said in his presentation showed that they are definitely starting to address things, she said in an interview.

Welch declined to answer what happened to bringing in Berger to answer the boards questions.

Berger did not answer the Press-Gazettes emailed questions about whether he was contacted by the board to speak with them, saying it has been made very clear to me that Im not supposed to communicate with (the press).

In his March presentation, Johns highlighted that work teams often dont feel their voices are included in decisions and that teachers struggle to collaborate, given the demands on their time outside of teaching.

Johns said the district is hosting listening circles with staff, administrators having a larger presence in school buildings and establishing a principal advisory team as a sounding board for leadership decisions.

Trustee Andrew Becker talks during a Green Bay School Board meeting on Monday, April 15, 2024, at 200 S Broadway St in Green Bay, Wis. The board interviewed six candidates for an open seat on the board after former trustee Laura Laitinen-WarrenOs resignation in February. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

The district is also studying administrative positions and reviewing the roles of executive, associate and standard directors. It is also looking at positions below the senior level to compare them with other Wisconsin districts and update job descriptions.

The district is eliminating the executive director roles for teaching and learning, student services, and school leadership. It is hiring for two new director roles for recruitment and inclusion.

In March, the board did not approve replacing the districts income protection plan with a short-term disability plan, as recommended by the report, for staff that have to take leave from work.

What was in the report?

The 34-page report was authored by consulting firm Burns/Van Fleet for Tiller, who started as superintendent in July 2023.

The firm conducted 60 interviews with district employees and administrators throughout June and July. The report details a district whose senior administration undermines its employees and whose members are tethered to their desks and have turf wars among colleagues.

Principals often spoke of "initiative overload" with virtually no coordination, and frequent undermining, from the department heads of teaching and learning, student services and school leadership.

Burns/Van Fleet also reviewed administrative staffing and compensation compared to other districts. It found the district has sufficient staffing in its administration, but compared to other districts of similar size  like Appleton, Madison and Milwaukee  Green Bay has more administrators below the senior level. Administrators are compensated at a competitive rate compared to other Brown County districts as well as other Wisconsin districts of similar size, given Green Bay's low cost of living.

Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Is the Green Bay School Board ever to discuss internal culture report?
The long-simmering feud between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is set to boil over this week when the Georgia Republican moves to force a vote on the GOP leaders ouster  which is all but certain to fail.

Greene  who filed a motion to vacate against Johnson in March  is vowing to force a vote on her removal resolution this week, a long-time-coming for the GOP rabble-rouser who has dangled the ouster mechanism over the Speakers head while sharply criticizing his legislative decisions at every turn.

Her gambit, however, is poised to fall flat: A large number of conservative Republicans have said they plan to oppose her effort  only two are supporting it  and the top three House Democrats said they will vote to table Greenes ouster effort. The Georgia Republican, nonetheless, is vowing to plow ahead.

Mike Johnson must resign or be removed, she wrote Friday on the social platform X.

Also this week, the Senate is poised to continue consideration of a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. A short-term extension, however, may be necessary as lawmakers race the clock to meet Fridays deadline.

President Biden is scheduled to appear alongside Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) at the Capitol for an event honoring individuals killed in the Holocaust. And the House is set to consider a bill that would add a citizenship question to the bicentennial census.

Greene vows movement on Johnson ouster gambit

Greene is vowing to plow ahead with her crusade to oust Johnson this week, an effort that has failed to gain traction in the GOP ranks and among former President Trump, and one that has faced opposition among Democrats  dynamics that are all but ensuring the push will fail in an embarrassing fashion on the House floor.

Those facts have been apparent for days  conservatives have been voicing skepticism of Greenes gambit for weeks, and Democratic leadership last week said it would vote to table the Georgia Republicans ouster measure if it hit the floor for a vote.

But Greene and her two co-sponsors  Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)  are, nonetheless, moving forward with the effort, seeking to put Republicans on the record about whether or not they support Johnson.

This week we vote on whether Mike Johnson should remain as Speaker, Massie wrote Sunday on X. If youre happy with what hes done this year and if youre looking forward to what he will do the remainder of the year, you should join the Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries in supporting Mike Johnson. #uniparty.

Greene and Massie announced last week that they would move to force a vote on their resolution this week, though it remains unclear which day they will pull the trigger. The House returns to session Monday.

Once the Republicans move to force a vote on their resolution, House GOP leadership has two legislative days to move on the legislation. Leadership is expected to stage a vote on a motion to table the measure, which will be successful with support from both Democrats and Republicans.

Johnson, meanwhile, has brushed off the looming threat to his gavel, characterizing it as an ill-advised move for the GOP  and entire country.

I dont think too much about the motion to vacate, he said on SiriusXMs The Laura Coates Show on Friday. I think its wrong for the Republican Party, I think its wrong for the institution, I think its wrong for the country. These are very serious times that were living in, and the American people need and deserve a functioning Congress, and I think that is the prevailing factor here.

In the lead-up to Greenes imminent move, conservatives have amped up their criticism of Greene.

Shes pretty much operating on her own, with one or two others who have expressed support for what shes doing, Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), the chair of the House Freedom Caucus who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in October, said on NewsNations The Hill Sunday in an interview. She doesnt lead anyone.

The ouster threat comes against the backdrop of Novembers elections, which are less than six months away. Republicans of all stripes have urged GOP lawmakers to remain united in the lead-up to those contests, a message that the head of the Republican National Committee (RNC) re-upped as Greene promises to pursue her ouster effort.

We need to flip the Senate, and we need to expand our majority in the House. Were not going to do that if were not unified, RNC Chair Michael Whatley told NBC News in an interview. We need to make sure that all of the Republicans understand the gravity of this election cycle, and they do, and we need to make sure that we are on the same page as were moving forward.

Senate stares down FAA reauthorization deadline

The Senate is continuing consideration of a bill to reauthorize the FAA for five years this week, though a short-term extension may be needed as Congress stares down a Friday deadline.

Senate GOP Whip John Thune (S.D.) told reporters last week that a short-term extension may be necessary to avoid a lapse in the authority and wrap up the process for the full reauthorization bill, citing the large number of amendments senators have requested votes on and the short window for votes. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene Tuesday, leaving just four days until Fridays deadline.

Well see, Thune said when asked about the prospect of a short-term extension. May 10 is just around the corner.  My assumption is that if were gonna not have a lapse in the authority, theyll probably need to be a short-term extension.

He did not say how long that extension would last.

Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas)  the top Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee  however, said last week that he thinks the upper chamber can get the bill over the finish line with enough time to spare.

I dont think that will prove necessary, he said of a short-term extension. I think well get it done next week.

The FAA bill cleared its first procedural hurdle in the Senate last week in an 89-10 vote. Senators, however, are trying to add some unrelated priorities into the legislation since it is the final must-pass measure Congress has to consider before the fall, a reality that is slowing down the consideration process.

One related priority that is likely to get a vote is an amendment that would nix language in the legislation adding five slots, or 10 flights, at Reagan Washington National Airport.

Senators who represent Virginia and Maryland have pushed for the amendment, arguing that National Airport already sees plenty of traffic, while lawmakers from states further from Washington, D.C., have advocated for the additional flights, claiming it would increase convenience for travelers.

Biden, House leaders to appear for Holocaust remembrance event

President Biden is scheduled to visit Capitol Hill this week for a Holocaust remembrance event, appearing alongside Holocaust survivors, Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

The event  formally called the Holocaust Memorial Museums annual Days of Remembrance ceremony  is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. Biden and Johnson are both scheduled to deliver remarks.

Days of Remembrance is the U.S.s annual commemoration to honor the 6 million Jewish men, women and children who were killed in the Holocaust. The event in the Capitol honors the American troops who fought to defeat Nazism and recognizes the U.S. Army divisions that liberated concentration camps, according to an advisory from Johnsons office.

The gathering comes amid a wave of pro-Palestinian protests taking place on college campuses across the country, which have cropped up as the Israel-Hamas war continues in the Middle East. Some lawmakers have accused the demonstrations of taking an antisemitic turn.

In December, the Anti-Defamation League said that more than 2,000 antisemitic incidents had been reported in the U.S. since Oct. 7  the day Hamas launched its attack on Israel  which marked a 337 percent increase year-over-year.

Last week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will discuss our moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism and the Biden-Harris administrations work to implementing the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism to make real the promise of never, never again.

House to consider bill on census citizenship question

The House this week is slated to vote on a bill that calls for adding a citizenship question to the decennial census.

The legislation  titled the Equal Representation Act  would direct the Census Bureau to add a question to the 10-year survey that asks for the respondents citizenship status, and require that the U.S. only consider citizens when determining the number of congressional seats each state receives.

The citizenship question did not appear on the 2020 census. The Trump administration had pushed for the question to be added to the decennial survey before dropping the effort in July 2019 after the Supreme Court blocked the idea.

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee advanced the legislation in a party-line 22-20 vote in April.

The Equal Representation Act will make sure that American citizens  and American citizens only  are given fair and equal representation in their federal government, Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), the sponsor of the bill, said in a statement in January, when he announced its introduction.

Al Weaver contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
GRUNDY COUNTY, Ill.  A traffic stop in the southwest suburbs last week resulted in the seizure of more than 200 grams of fentanyl and almost $2,000 in cash, according to a press release from the Grundy County Sheriffs Department.

According to the release, around 3 p.m. last week Wednesday (May 1), members of the Grundy County Proactive Unit pulled over a Toyota for a speeding violation on the Ridge Road off-ramp of Interstate 80 in Minooka.

Police: West Side Cinco de Mayo parade on Cermak canceled due to gang violence; alderman says parade went on

After speaking with the driver and passenger of the vehicle, the release states, officers observed cannabis in plain view that was not properly packaged. They conducted a search of the vehicle and found 307 bags suspected of containing fentanyl and weighing 216.5 grams, along with $1,961, according to authorities.

Both occupants of the vehicle, Eugene Walker, 32, of Chicago and Christopher Sherry, 42, of Homer Glen, were taken into custody on charges of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance (fentanyl), 100-400 grams.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

Thats a Class X felony in Illinois, which calls for mandatory sentencing.

According to authorities, Walker was transported to the Grundy County Jail, where he was held pending a pre-trial release hearing. Sherry was taken to an area hospital due to health issues, where he was cited and released with a court date.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  An immigrant from Guatemala was arrested over the weekend for kidnapping a minor under the age of 13 and sexual assault, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office (PBSO) said Monday.

PBSO said Marvin Perez Lopez, who is in the country illegally, was arrested on May 4.

Man injured in overnight Clearwater shooting

Perez Lopez reportedly left Guatemala in early January, crossed through Mexico, and turned himself in to Border Patrol.

PBSO said Perez Lopez was given a court date set for some time in 2027 and was released, at which point he made his way to Florida by the end of January.

Perez Lopez is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail without bond.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Gunman at large after shooting in Flagler Beach, police say

Law enforcement in Flagler County is searching for a shooter who left one person hurt.

The sheriffs office and Flagler Beach police were called to South Flagler Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators say one person received non-life-threatening injuries.

Read: What are the odds you have unclaimed property in Florida? Pretty good, actually

The victim told police that the shooter ran off.

Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to call the Flagler Beach Police Department.

Read: Man driving tractor damages college dorm in Florida Keys, police say

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Need to find this guy; Masked thief steals $800 Lego set during childs birthday party

A Kettering business owner said a man almost hurt kids trying to steal nearly $1000 worth of LEGOs.

As reported at 5:30, a video showed a thief stealing during a childs birthday party, and the owner said this is the second time his business has been targeted.

We just need to find this guy, Nick ODonnell, the owner of Brick Shop said.

>> 2 people injured after crash involving Beavercreek school bus

Brick shop, located on Bigger Rd in Kettering is a popular place for children.

We always have kids in the store. Were a toy store. Were here for families. Were here for kids. We do a lot of birthday parties, a lot of community events, ODonnell said.

Sunday, ODonnell said there were about 40 kids in the store for a birthday party when a man walked in with a mask, walked in, grabbed a Lego set worth $800, and ran out.

>> Police asking for help locating missing 12-year-old in Dayton

Within 18 seconds, walked in, grabbed it, and ran out, ODonnell said.

But ODonnell said the thief did more damage trying to leave.

As he was running out, he almost hurt some kids and broke our door, ODonnell said.

>> UPDATE: 1 in critical condition after crash in Jackson Township

As a small business, ODonnell said the damage this guy caused doesnt seem small at all.

[He] caused about 1000 dollars in damage to the store on top of stealing 1000 dollars in Lego sets from us, ODonnell said.

But ODonnell said hes more worried about the people who come here.

>> Suspect points AR15-style rifle at police before being shot in Huber Heights

He thinks this is the second time this guy has targeted his business, and hes worried hell come back and do this again.

Our customer safety is our highest priority. The safety of our kids is absolutely the highest priority, ODonnell said.

ODonnell said police think the guy who stole from the store was driving a dark gray four-door Ford Focus that may be missing a hub cap on the front passenger side.




The president of George Washington University (GW) released a statement Sunday saying the pro-Palestinian encampment on its campus is potentially dangerous and has been co-opted by individuals unaffiliated with the school.

Ellen Granberg started her message by reiterating the schools commitment to protecting protests that are peaceful and occur within the law, but said the demonstration, like many around the country, has grown into what can only be classified as an illegal and potentially dangerous occupation of GW property.

[W]hen protesters overrun barriers established to protect the community, vandalize a university statue and flag, surround and intimidate GW students with antisemitic images and hateful rhetoric, chase people out of a public yard based on their perceived beliefs, and ignore, degrade, and push GW Police Officers and university maintenance staff, the protest ceases to be peaceful or productive, Granberg said. All of these things have happened at GW in the last five days.

She partly blamed those unaffiliated with the university for the state of the encampment, a similar message to what other schools have given amid the protests.

At numerous schools where police force has been used, some of those arrested have been found to have no affiliation with the university.

GW has reportedly requested the help of the D.C. police, but they have refused to get rid of the encampment.

As a university, we are not equipped to single-handedly manage an unprecedented situation such as this. The GW police force is, and should only be, prepared to protect our community during normal university operations and to respond to routine and urgent incidents. When unlawful activities go beyond these limits, we must rely on the support and experience of the DC Metropolitan Police Department, Granberg said.

At this time, the District is in communication with the university, and the DC Metropolitan Police are providing an increased security presence on and around University Yard, she added.

The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter in the D.C. area denounced the presidents statement, saying she is lying and trying to villainize students.

This statement is an implicit threat to employ escalated state force against the students, staff, faculty, and DC community members who have been steadfast in our solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is shameful that Granberg would rather brutalize our community to please her zionist donors than confront the universitys complicity in genocide, the group said.

The group said claims of outside influence on the encampment ignore the will of the community, and that the attempts to use police force have failed while support from the community has allowed us to sustain the encampment.

The situation escalated last week after House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) called for a hearing Wednesday to address why the police wouldnt respond to the request by the private university.

Multiple Republican House members also visited the campus last week amid the protests, getting into arguments with demonstrators and having to yell as activists tried to drown out their speeches.

If the faculty here, who many are involved in this right now  I had people proudly saying that they are faculty  and not wanting to remove a Palestinian sign from the George Washington statue. If they dont want to do something to address this? Well, then kiss your federal funding goodbye, Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) said during the event, into a megaphone so she could be heard.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hamas on Monday agreed to a proposal for a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, but Israel soon afterwards said it would expand its U.S.-backed offensive in the Palestinian enclave  dashing hopes that diplomacy led by the Biden administration would bear fruit soon.

Basem Naim, the chief of Hamas political and foreign relations department and a member of its Gaza bureau, had told HuffPost that Hamas accepted ideas crafted by Qatar and Egypt amid intensive negotiations that involved the U.S. It was early to reveal terms of the plan, Naim said.

Israeli officials quickly questioned the bargain to which Hamas was referring, suggesting it was nowhere near anything Israel had offered. Diplomatic sources told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that was untrue, saying the deal resembled an offer previously accepted by Israel.

Shortly thereafter, the Israeli cabinet announced that it saw Hamas position as far from Israels necessary requirements and it would continue ratcheting up an Israeli assault on the Gazan town of Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering and remaining Hamas battalions operate.

Israel will dispatch a team for discussions with their Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries with Hamas to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel, the statement added. Its unclear how seriously the Palestinian faction or other players involved in the negotiations will now take that effort: A U.S. official told Reuters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet  including his rival, Washington favorite Benny Gantz  have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations in good faith.

The talks address the release of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas and its allies in the Oct. 7 attack that began the war, a halt to Israeli bombing and deployments in Gaza and Israel freeing Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya told Al Jazeera the agreement his group accepted envisioned a three-stage truce, culminating in a full Israeli withdrawal from the strip.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he believes the war cannot end until he has captured Rafah and that he seeks to retain control of Gaza for years to come. He has rejected concerns from the U.S. and humanitarian groups over the devastating likely toll of invading the city, as well as U.S. suggestions to allow Palestinian self-governance in the region by entities other than Hamas.

The fast-moving developments felt like whiplash for many of those most directly affected by the conflict. Palestinians in Rafah had been panicking after receiving Israeli evacuation orders earlier in the day, then celebrated when they heard about Hamas agreement of a cease-fire. In Israel, protesters against Netanyahu, many of whom see him as fixated on prolonging the war and insufficiently committed to bringing home Hamas hostages, led huge demonstrations urging him to accept the agreement, only to ultimately be disappointed.
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The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday they now have operational control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing, a border checkpoint between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

The announcement comes a day after Hamas said it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal, a deal that Israeli officials said wasnt acceptable. The terms of the truce, including what it would mean for Israeli hostages, remain unclear.

Israel said it will send a negotiating delegation to Cairo to discuss the proposal further, while still moving forward with its military operation in Rafah. Israel has threatened to invade Rafah for weeks, despite international outcry over the safety of the roughly one million Palestinian civilians sheltering there, many of whom were displaced by Israeli assaults to the north.

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Residents told to flee to barren coastal town

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Sources: CNN, +972 Magazine

East Rafah residents were ordered to evacuate to Al-Mawasi, a coastal town near the city of Khan Younis, where Israel said an expanded humanitarian area had been created. But the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Al-Mawasi is inhabitable; it was largely empty before the war, and since then displaced Palestinians arriving there did not find any shelter or infrastructure, the left-leaning +972 Magazine wrote in January. A CNN reporter in Rafah said people appeared terrified and in a state of panic, and videos show Gazans frantically packing up cars, trucks, and even donkey-drawn carts in a bid to escape the coming assault. One Palestinian man said he didnt get an evacuation order, but Im leaving before others do. Nothing is left.

International condemnation grows as attack looms

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Sources: The Guardian, Politico, Axios, Haaretz

The evacuation order prompted renewed international rebuke of Israel. France warned that Israel would commit a war crime if it forcibly displaced Palestinians from Rafah; EU diplomat Josep Borrell called it unacceptable. And Egypt  which is worried about a flood of refugees trying to enter the country, and had reportedly threatened to abandon its peace deal with Israel  issued another warning to deter an invasion. US President Joe Biden spoke with Netayahu early on Monday about the ongoing ceasefire talks in Qatar. Analysts said Washington was searching for leverage: Axios reported the White House suspended an arms shipment to Israel last week, while a Haaretz columnist speculated that International Criminal Court warrants against Israels leadership may be a chance for the US to shift its position.

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Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Palestinian militant organization Hamas has approved a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza war put forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar, according to a post in Hamas' official Telegram channel on Monday evening.

The Hamas statement said that the head of Hamas' Politburo Ismail Haniyeh "called Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and the Egyptian Minister of Intelligence Abbas Kamel, informing them of Hamas' acceptance of their proposal for a ceasefire agreement."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the announcement, WAFA news agency reported and Al Arabiya channel aired images of jubilant people in the streets. "Enough war. We are happy," one resident told the channel.

Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, dismissed the announcement as a "trick" and said the only Israeli response should be "an immediate order to conquer Rafah, increase military pressure, and continue to crush Hamas until it is utterly defeated," according to the Israeli television station Channel 12.

It was not immediately clear what conditions were included in the ceasefire proposal. Hamas sources in Beirut, however, told dpa this is "a key development."

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a possible deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages being held in Gaza are being conducted indirectly.

The announcement came as Israeli forces began evacuating the city of Rafah in southern Gaza on Monday as it gears up for an expected military operation there.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called on the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp on the Mediterranean a few kilometres to the north.

An estimated 100,000 people are affected, according to an IDF spokesman. They were informed by text message, telephone, leaflets and via Arabic-language media.

Eyewitnesses in Rafah reported that many people quickly fled, some transporting their belongings in donkey carts.

Israel's allies and other international leaders have been urgently warning against a Rafah offensive. Large numbers of Palestinian civilians have sought shelter in the city, located on the border with Egypt, after fleeing Israeli airstrikes and ground operations elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.

"We believe a military operation in Rafah right now would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Monday, casting doubt on whether the evacuation demanded by Israel could be done safely.

The White House said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured US President Joe Biden in a phone call on Monday that the Kerem Shalom border crossing near Rafah will remain open for humanitarian aid.

The border crossing with Egypt is the most important corridor for the delivery of food, medicine and other urgently needed supplies to Gaza. An Egyptian security source told dpa that the border crossing remains open.

In the conversation, Biden also reaffirmed his "clear position on Rafah," according to the White House. The US, Israel's most important ally, has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the ground offensive in Rafah.

Biden also briefed Netanyahu on the status of the faltering negotiations with Hamas on a ceasefire, the White House said.

Several countries had earlier also warned Israel not to launch an offensive in Rafah, including France, Germany, Britain and Jordan, as well as the EU and the UN.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash Hamas' remaining battalions, which it has been fighting in the coastal strip since Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. The more than 100 remaining hostages are believed to be held in Rafah.

Israel has been threatening to launch a ground offensive into Rafah for months, and Netanyahu has struck an uncompromising stance in recent weeks, vowing to attack the city even if a deal to release hostages is reached.

Relatives of hostages have urged the Israeli government to negotiate a deal, and demanded an explanation in a letter to Israeli Cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot on Monday.

"We family members are watching in horror what is happening," they wrote. "Netanyahu is deliberately destroying the deal and leaving the hostages to die."

"Now it's time for the Israeli government to prove, with action, its commitment to its citizens," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said. "The Cabinet must take Hamas' acceptance and turn it into a deal for returning all the hostages."

Mahmoud Merdawi, a senior Hamas member, told dpa on Monday that Israel's preparations to attack Rafah would have a negative impact on the indirect negotiations and "catastrophic consequences" for the local population.

Israeli media reported that Hamas has prepared its fighters in Rafah to resist Israeli troops and supplied them with provisions and weapons. The number of militants guarding the hostages has also reportedly increased.

The Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza announced on Monday that at least 28 Palestinians had been killed in various Israeli attacks in Rafah since Sunday evening. There were also reports of heavy attacks in the east of the city of Rafah on Monday.

According to the health authority, 34,735 Palestinians have been killed and more than 78,000 others injured since the war began seven months ago.

The figures, which do not distinguish between civilians and fighters, cannot be independently verified.

Palestinians celebrate in Rafah streets, after Hamas announced it has accepted the truce proposal, put forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Palestinians celebrate in Rafah streets, after Hamas announced it has accepted the truce proposal, put forward by mediators Egypt and Qatar, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Palestinians stand in the ruins of a family home in Rafah on Friday. An Israeli strike on the city killed several people, including children, hospital officials said. (Ismael Abu Dayyah / Associated Press)

Hamas announced Monday that it had accepted a cease-fire agreement with Israel in Gaza, a diplomatic breakthrough that came hours after Israel ordered civilians in eastern Rafah to evacuate in what was seen as a prelude to a long-anticipated offensive on the area.

Israel has yet to accept the terms and launched a new wave of air strikes late Monday against sites in Rafah but said it would dispatch a delegation to finalize details, even though significant gaps in the agreement remained.

Hamas said the head of its political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, spoke by phone with the Qatari prime minister and the Egyptian minister of intelligence to inform them of the group's "approval of their proposal regarding the cease-fire agreement."

The cease-fire is seen as key to the release of some of the dozens of hostages, including several Americans, who have been held in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which nearly 1,200 Israelis and others were killed. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been reported killed in the massive airstrikes and land operations Israel launched in response.

Monday's announcement  during which Hamas released some details of what it said was in the proposal  marked a moment of optimism after months of agonizing negotiations, with Qatar, Egypt and the United States pushing for a cease-fire that remained stubbornly out of reach. It came after CIA Director William Burns spent the weekend shuttling among Arab capitals in intense last-ditch talks to push the cease-fire agreement.

"We will be encouraged when we get the deal in place and we can start seeing hostages getting back to their families," White House national security spokesman John F. Kirby said Monday when asked to gauge prospects of a successful cessation of hostilities. "We are at a critical stage right now."

Hamas made its announcement hours after Israel's military began dropping leaflets in eastern Rafah ordering people to evacuate immediately. Israel has been threatening for weeks  against U.S. advice  to launch a major military ground operation in the city where more than 1 million displaced Gazans have taken refuge. Israel argues that the last remaining Hamas battalions are holed up in Rafah, while the U.S., United Nations and others say any military invasion would unleash a humanitarian disaster there.

Already, tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza face starvation because fighting and destruction have made the delivery of food, medicine and water extremely difficult, aid officials say.

In recent days, Israel insisted that an attack on Rafah would take place whether a deal was made or not, and that a truce would not include an end to hostilities, which Hamas demanded as a condition for any deal. That difference between an overall cessation of hostilities, as the Palestinian side seeks, and Israel's intention to continue its military offense has not been bridged.

Palestinian officials said the Israeli airstrikes against sites in Rafah killed several dozen civilians. The Associated Press reported that Israeli tanks moved into the region within 200 yards of the border with Egypt.

Israel claimed the attacks were "limited" and "targeted" air strikes. The U.S. did not immediately comment on the new wave of attacks amid the cease-fire negotiation.

Still, speaking earlier, Egyptian and Hamas officials said the deal as agreed to thus far comprises several phases. Under the first phase, which includes a six-week cease-fire, the militant group would release 33 civilian hostages. Israel in return would release about 800 Palestinian prisoners and allow displaced Gaza residents to return to their homes in the northern part of the coastal enclave.

The second phase also lasts 42 days and involves the release of the remaining hostages, including soldiers, for a thus-far unspecified number of Palestinians; it would also aim to finalize arrangements for a permanent end to fighting.

The "main goal is a permanent cease-fire, or the return of sustainable calm which would achieve a permanent cease-fire; the full [phased] withdrawal [by Israel] from the Gaza Strip; and the return of the displaced," Khalil Al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, told Al-Jazeera television.

A "serious" release of Palestinian detainees held by Israel, the arrival of more humanitarian aid and first steps to rebuilding the Gaza Strip are other elements that would come gradually, Al-Hayya said.

The first group of hostages to be freed would be women, including female soldiers; anyone under 19 or over 50; and the sick, Al-Hayya said. For each Israeli woman and child released, 30 Palestinian women and children would be released from Israeli prisons. Fifty Palestinian detainees sentenced to long prison terms would be released for each female soldier.

Al-Hayya said the U.S., Qatar and Egypt will serve to verify compliance with the cease-fire, but Doha and Cairo will insist that hostilities not resume.

"The ball is now in Israel's court," he said.

The Biden administration has repeatedly said it believed the "ball was in Hamas' court" because Israel had made what it termed a generous offer on the cease-fire/hostage deal. U.S. officials accused the militant group of moving the goalpost in the negotiations.

That said, the administration vehemently opposes a major invasion of Rafah because of the inevitable loss of life in the overcrowded refuge. President Biden recently told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the enormous quantities of U.S. military aid to Israel might be jeopardized if the country did not take better care to protect civilians.

"We have made clear we don't support Israel launching a full-scale military operation on Rafah," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday. He said that there were "better ways" to "take on" the Hamas battalions that remain in Rafah, and that the U.S. has outlined those to Israel. He declined to describe them.

Some diplomats suggested that Israel's apparent preparations to go ahead with the Rafah invasion early Monday were a way to pressure Hamas to accept the deal.

The Israeli military released a statement on X saying it had called on civilians in eastern Rafah to move temporarily to what it described as an "expanded humanitarian area" in Mawasi on Gaza's coast. The humanitarian area, it said, has "field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies." The statement added that evacuation calls "will be conveyed through fliers, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic."

On Monday morning, Israeli warplanes began to drop leaflets on Rafah, warning those in the Rafah and Brazil camps and the neighborhoods of Shabura and Zohour to evacuate. The leaflets said the Israeli military "will act with great force against terrorist organizations in your areas of residence" and that anyone nearby would be exposing themselves to danger. The fliers added that Gaza City, home to many displaced people, remained an area for combat operations, and that people should not try to return to the northern part of the enclave.

Many Gazans have fled to zones created by Israel as safety areas, only to be attacked there, Palestinians say.

The relocation orders issued by Israel today to thousands of Gazans, directing them to move to Al-Mawasi, are beyond alarming," said Jan Egeland, secretary general for the Norwegian Refugee Council aid group, in a statement released Monday. "The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services."

Bulos reported from Beirut and Wilkinson from Washington.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hamas says it has accepted an offer for a temporary cease-fire with Israel, as diplomatic negotiations intensify to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas and ward off an Israeli military operation on the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Hamass head of political and international relations, Basem Naim, confirmed to The Hill that Hamas had communicated with Egyptian and Qatari mediators that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal.

The U.S., along with Egypt and Qatar, has engaged intensively for weeks on a truce proposal between Israel and Hamas.

Israel on Monday said it would send a delegation to engage in negotiations over efforts to secure a temporary cease-fire, but said Hamass proposal is far from Israels necessary requirements, according to a Hebrew-language statement from the prime ministers office.

At the same time, the Israeli wartime Cabinet on Monday decided unanimously to continue military operations against Hamas targets in Rafah.

The Biden administration, which has sought to warn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching an attack on Rafah, expressed caution over Hamass cease-fire response.

President Biden spoke Monday morning with Netanyahu, but White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said the call took place before Hamas issued its response.

We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a cease-fire for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance and the last thing I want to do is say anything at this podium thats going to put that process at risk, Kirby said at a press briefing Monday afternoon.

The administration says a temporary cease-fire is the best way to secure the release of Israeli hostages, and protect more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah.

The southern Gazan city sits on the border with Egypt and is a priority crossing point for humanitarian aid deliveries into the besieged territory. Israel has carried out an intensive seven-month war against Hamas in the strip following Hamass shocking Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which it killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 people hostage.

A weeklong temporary cease-fire in November secured the release of more than 100 hostages, an effort the administration has sought for months to try and replicate.

Cease-fire mediators have not publicly detailed the full contents of the truce proposal.

Naim did not answer questions from The Hill about the proposals details.

But the broad contours of the deal is a six-to-eight week pause in fighting, in which Hamas would release Israeli hostages it has held since it kidnapped them from Israel on Oct. 7. The release of the hostages would occur in phases, with the most vulnerable of the 133 believed to be in Gaza released first.

In exchange, Israel is expected to release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, withdraw its troops from certain regions of the Gaza Strip, and allow for Palestinians in Gaza to travel from the south of the territory to the north.

The pause in fighting is also expected to allow for a surge of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, where more than 1 million Palestinians have been displaced by fighting, tens of thousands have been wounded amid the war, and starvation and disease are rampant.

Updated at 4:33 p.m. EDT

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Palestinian inspects a damaged house after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas has sharply criticized the start of Israel's evacuation of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, ahead of a military operation.

Israel is damaging all efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official, told dpa on Monday.

The move would have a negative impact on the indirect negotiations and have a "catastrophic effect" on the local population, he said.

Mardawi emphasized that an Israeli military operation in Rafah, which is located near the Egyptian border, would not increase the pressure on Hamas. Israel would not succeed in achieving its war aims.

On Sunday, members of the Hamas military wing fired rockets at the Israeli border crossing Kerem Shalom, which is not far from Rafah, killing four Israeli soldiers.

Kerem Shalom is the most important border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to the coastal strip. The army temporarily closed it to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack.

The military then reportedly bombed the site in Gaza near the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the attack had originated.

The Hamas-controlled health authority announced on Monday that at least 28 Palestinians had been killed in various Israeli attacks in Rafah since Sunday evening. There were also reports of heavy attacks in the east of the city of Rafah on Monday.

A Palestinian woman inspects a damaged house after Israeli warplanes bombed buildings in Rafah. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.

In August 2018, authorities apprehended a man named Chris Watts for the mysterious disappearance of his wife and children. Within a day of his arrest, police announced that they discovered the lifeless bodies of the missing trio at Watts workplace. In the initial interrogation, Watts admitted that he killed his pregnant wife in a rage after he allegedly saw his wife killing their daughters. He received five life sentences for the murders.

According to The Denver Post, Watts murdered his wife inside their house in Frederick. After committing the heinous crime, he took her body to his workplace, along with their daughters. The publication also stated that he slayed his children at the site before putting their bodies in an oil tanker. On the other hand, it was revealed that Watts was having an affair with one of his co-workers, who told the authorities that the accused might have killed his family because of financial troubles.

Two days after the disappearance and the murder, authorities called Chris Watts for a polygraph test, which he failed. He admitted that he killed his wife but didnt tell the truth while talking about the death of his daughters. Watts received three life sentences for killing his wife. Meanwhile, in February 2019, he admitted that he killed his daughters as well. According to The Mirror, he told true crime author Cheryln Cadle how he killed his entire family.

In a letter written to Cadle, Watts wrote, I went to Bellas room, then Ceces room, and used a pillow from their bed (to kill them). Thats why the cause of death was smothering. After I left Ceces room, then I climbed back in bed with Shanann and our argument ensued. However, things didnt go as planned because both his daughters woke up. As a result, he took their lives at the oil site. Citing the letter, The Mirror also mentioned Chris Watts tried inducing a miscarriage by slipping in a painkiller to his wife.

As per The New York Times, authorities charged him for the murders of his wife and the two children. Overall, he faced nine criminal counts, including unlawful termination of a pregnancy.

Chris Watts murder case explored

Right after the disappearance of his wife and children, Chris Watts requested his pregnant wife to return home. While speaking in an interview with Denver7, Watts begged his wife and children to return and asked the Colorado people to help him. Watts said, Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if youre out there, just come back. If somebody has her, just bring her back. I need to see everybody, I need to see everybody again. This house is not complete without anybody here.

Although he initially claimed that he didnt murder his children, in November 2018, Chris Watts later admitted that he killed all members of the family. According to NBC News, Watts took a plea deal and pleaded guilty to all nine counts against him, including five counts of first-degree murder. Moreover, the plea deal ensured that Watts would not face the death penalty but instead be sentenced to life in prison.

The family of Watts wife also made it clear that they are okay with him not receiving the death penalty. Citing their statement, the prosecutor announced that the victims family wanted to conclude the case without resorting to the death penalty. The prosecutor said, Sandy (mother of Watts wife) said it very, very poignantly to me. She said, he made the choice to take those lives. I do not want to be in a position of making the choice to take his.

Before his guilty plea, The New York Times mentioned that Chris Watts allegedly had an affair with one of his co-workers. Meanwhile, People Magazine reported that the woman told the authorities that Watts wanted to divorce his wife.

During the hearing, the prosecutor claimed that Watts smothered his daughters before hiding them in an oil tanker. The attorney said, The man seated to my right smothered his daughters. Almost three months after the brutal murders, the court sentenced Chris Watts to five life sentences without the possibility of parole. As per People Magazine, Watts is currently serving his sentence at the Dodge Correctional Institute in Wisconsin.

Did the authorities allow him to keep his familys photos in his cell?

People Magazine reported that Chris Watts kept the photos of the deceased family members in his cell. Upon the news going online, people initiated an online petition urging the officials to remove the pictures from his cell. However, the outlet mentioned that the prison authorities didnt remove the photos from his cell. At the time, the officials told People Magazine that they had no legal basis for eliminating those pictures.

However, the authorities confirmed to People Magazine that Chris Watts received two conduct reports while in prison.

The brutal murder case is featured in the Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door.

The post What Happened To Chris Watts Wife and Children? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Hard right wants more EU power to reflect likely election gains

By Philip Blenkinsop

STRASBOURG (Reuters) -From his office in a distant annexe, French right-wing lawmaker Jean-Paul Garraud has his sights set on a spot much closer to the decision-making heart of the European Parliament.

The chair of France's Rassemblement National (RN) lawmakers expects nationalist and eurosceptic parties to surge in the June 6-9 EU assembly election, giving them a first taste of influence in Brussels and Strasbourg, if other right and centre-right parties work with them.

Polls predict radical right parties will gain across the EU, including France, Germany and Italy where many seats are at stake, as voters frustrated by a cost of living and energy crisis, illegal migration, and rattled by a changing geo-political landscape seek alternatives beyond mainstream parties.

"We will be in a different position and will not be blocked.... We could have positions in the committees or a president or vice-president in the European Parliament," Garraud told Reuters, anticipating new influence as the chamber considers issues crucial to the far-right.

"What I am sure of is that we will have a majority in a certain number of votes," Garraud said, adding this could allow the blocs of far-right parties to water down green policies or restrictions of free trade. "And above all, less immigration," he said, highlighting a crucial issue for the radical right.

Polls forecast the two radical right groups Identity and Democracy (ID) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) will add 30-50 seats, to rise to 22-25% from 18% now.

Support is not limited to a traditional base of disgruntled older men. A recent German poll showed 22% of under-30s would vote for the country's far-right AfD. RN's president is 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, a telegenic poster on TikTok, the short video platform little used by the mainstream.

Many of the parties are heavy users of social media, which mainstream groups warn will bombard EU voters with lies.

In the French port of Dunkirk, long a leftwing bastion, some parents worry about what messages young people are exposed to.

Jean-Francois Engrand, 53, said his two step-children were tempted to vote RN by messages about foreigners getting money for nothing. "It's scary. They're being bombarded. They don't check the information they get on their phones," he said.

HARD RIGHT SHUT-OUT

Corina Stratulat, associate director of think tank the European Policy Centre, said radical, populist parties were filling a growing gap between the mainstream and distrustful voters in an "age of perma-crisis" from pandemic to war in Ukraine and energy price spikes.

Efforts to fill the gap have backfired. French President Emmanuel Macron's party is polling at about 16%, half that of RN. Critics say his highlighting of immigration and crime has helped the right and driven away left-leaning voters.

Green policies, heralded in 2019 after school climate strikes, have also become a right-wing target.

"People are aware the green deal can bite and that the next five years will be crucial for its implementation," said Armida van Rij, senior research fellow at Chatham House.

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the Social Democrats and the centrist liberals have so far shut out the hard right, dividing up top EU jobs and forging policy consensus. They are expected to have a majority, albeit reduced, after the 2024 vote.

Garraud says a shut-out will not be possible this time, while Nicola Procaccini, co-chair of the ECR group, sees Italy's government of his and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy, the further right Lega and centre-right Forza Italia as a model.

"I think this is the way to go," he said, pointing to a situation in which the hard right would have far greater say on policy and who staffs the European Commission.

CHINA, RUSSIA LINKS?

The EPP, likely to remain the biggest group in parliament, has ruled out working with the AfD. Its parliamentary chief Manfred Weber said he would tell voters of its true nature as "ambassadors of Putin and of Xi".

Garraud said allegations that his party and ID allies such as the AfD were pro-Russian or accepted money were merely efforts by rivals to demonise the right.

Last month saw the arrest of an aide of the AfD's lead candidate on suspicion of spying for China and a report that its number two received money from a website with links to the Kremlin, an allegation he denies.

The message about foreign interference is starting to resonate, with a German poll showing 75% of respondents seeing it as a danger. AfD support has since slightly dipped.

At the AfD's EU election campaign launch in Donaueschingen, several of the 500-odd attendees were certain the arrest was timed to hurt the party's chances. In the wealthy corner of southwest Germany, many supporters railed against an out-of-touch mainstream that had backed COVID-19 lockdowns and mask mandates.

"It was the coronavirus pandemic that radicalised me," said Justus, a besuited production engineer in his early 20s with a neatly trimmed beard, who arrived with equally dapper friends in a BMW convertible.

Van Rij said it was important to distinguish between the AfD along with its disparate ID allies like RN and the broadly less radical ECR, likely to be steered by Italy's Meloni, whose support European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen might need to secure a second term.

"The ECR could have a bigger impact," she said.

Stratulat said the EPP would play a central role. It might team up with the hard right on a few issues, such as migration, or simply shift rightwards itself, such as over green measures.

The Greens say the future of green policies and European security will be vital election issues.

"Do you want Russian and Chinese influence and weakening Europe?... For them a strong Europe is the biggest danger. So they want to weaken Europe. And let's be honest, the far right will weaken Europe," Greens co-leader Bas Eickhout said.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; additional reporting by Michel Rose in Dunkirk, Thomas Escritt in Donaueschingen; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
BIG SANDY, Texas (KETK)  Harmony ISD announced on Monday that they are mourning the death of an intermediate school student.

What are these invasive fuzzy black caterpillars taking over East Texas?

The school district said the death happened over the weekend.

We ask that you join with us in humbly praying for their families, the district said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
Harvard, MIT leaders call on protesters to stop encampments on campuses

Citing increasing concerns for safety on their campuses, the heads of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Monday called on protesters to end encampments on both campuses.

We have directed students to leave the encampment peacefully by 2:30 p.m. today, M.I.T. President Sally Kornbluth said in a letter to the school community on Monday.

I hoped these measures could be avoided through our efforts to engage the students in serious good-faith discussion. But recent events, and my responsibility to ensure the physical safety of our community, oblige us to act now, Kornbluth said.

In an open letter to members of the Harvard Community, Interim Harvard President Alan Garber on Monday called for an immediate end to the occupation of Harvard Yard.

Garber said the continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the educational environment at Harvard and that anyone who participates in or perpetuates the encampment will be referred for involuntary leave from their Schools.

Student protestors at @MIT have shut down Mass Ave, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. This comes after the university ordered them to clear their encampments on campus today. Updates on @boston25 at 5 & 6pm pic.twitter.com/5eI36gwrBC  Litsa Pappas (@LitsaPappas) May 6, 2024

Among other implications, students placed on involuntary leave may not be able to sit for exams, may not continue to reside in Harvard housing, and must cease to be present on campus until reinstated, Garber said.

Kornbluth called the ongoing encampment at M.I.T.s campus highly unstable.

My sense of urgency comes from an increasing concern for the safety of our community, Kornbluth said. I know many of you feel strongly that the encampment should be allowed to continue indefinitely  that the protest is simply a peaceful exercise of the right to free expression, and that normal rules around campus conduct shouldnt apply in the face of such tragic loss of life in Gaza.

But I am responsible for this community, Kornbluth said. Without our 24-hour staffing, students sleeping outside overnight in tents would be vulnerable. And no matter how peaceful the students behavior may be, unilaterally taking over a central portion of our campus for one side of a hotly disputed issue and precluding use by other members of our community is not right. This situation is inherently highly unstable.

Kornbluth and Garber said anyone who does not comply with the schools requests to end the encampment will face consequences. MIT students will be placed on an immediate interim academic suspension, and be prohibited from participating in classes, exams, or research for the remainder of the semester.

The ongoing encampment at Harvard over the last 12 days has disrupted our educational activities and operations, Garber said, adding that the actions of some protesters towards Harvard staff and passersby are indefensible and unacceptable.

The right to free speech, including protest and dissent, is vital to the work of the research university. But it is not unlimited, Garber said. It must be exercised in a time, place, and manner that respects the right of our community members to do their work, pursue their education, and enjoy the opportunities that a residential campus has to offer.

Students protesting against the war in Gaza, and passersby walking through Harvard Yard, are seen at an encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Furthermore, Garber said, The encampment favors the voices of a few over the rights of many who have experienced disruption in how they learn and work at a critical time of the semester. I call on those participating in the encampment to end the occupation of Harvard Yard.

Garber said the persons participating in encampment activities have been informed repeatedly that violations of University and School policies will be subject to disciplinary consequences and that further violations and continued escalation will result in increasingly severe sanctions.

Last week, faculties across the University began delivering disciplinary notices to students who continued to participate in unauthorized, disruptive activity in the Yard despite these notices, Garber said.

Last week, Massachusetts Congressman Jake Auchincloss called on Garber to remove the Pro-Palestine encampment and re-engineer a more accepting environment on campus.

The oppressive and overbearing culture that is antizionist does not represent the median American, nor does it represent the core values of America, said Auchincloss, who spent the day on Thursday speaking with Israeli and Jewish students at Harvard.

Students protesting against the war in Gaza, and passersby walking through Harvard Yard, are seen next to the statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, draped in the Palestinian flag, at an encampment at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Garber issued the call to end the encampment at the university about two weeks before Harvard is set to hold its commencement on May 23. Thousands of family members and friends are expected to celebrate the achievements of graduate and undergraduate students who have earned the right to walk in Commencement.

This celebration is the culmination of years of hard work and accomplishment. The members of the Class of 2024 deserve to enjoy this milestone uninterrupted and unimpeded, he said.

His comments came as another Ivy League school, Columbia University in New York, on Monday announced that it is canceling its main commencement ceremony amid ongoing protests.

The days leading up to Harvards planned commencement later this month have been disruptive for both students and staff at the historic Cambridge campus, Garber said.

The disruptions from this encampment at the heart of the University have been numerous. Harvard College exams and other important activities and events have had to move elsewhere, Garber said. Safety concerns over the past two weeks, including those raised as a result of students sleeping outdoors overnight, have required us to sharply limit access to Harvard Yard.

A student protester stands in front of the statue of John Harvard, the first major benefactor of Harvard College, draped in the Palestinian flag, at an encampment of students protesting against the war in Gaza, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Especially troubling are the increasing reports that some within, and some supporting, the encampment have intimidated and harassed other members of our community, Garber said.

When Harvard staff have requested to see IDs in order to enforce our policies, supporters of the encampment have at times yelled at them, tried to encircle them, and otherwise interfered with their work. We have also received reports that passers-by have been confronted, surveilled, and followed, Garber said. Such actions are indefensible and unacceptable.

In February, the co-chairperson of Harvard Universitys talk force on antisemitism resigned amid concerns that the prestigious Ivy League school would not act on the groups recommendations. That same month, Harvard condemned what it called a flagrantly antisemitic cartoon that an undergraduate group posted on social media.

House Republicans last week launched an investigation into federal funding for universities amid the campus protests and reports of growing antisemitism on college and university campuses, The Associated Press reported.

In his message to the Harvard community on Monday, Garber said that enforcement of university policies are essential to our educational mission and an obligation we owe to our students and the Harvard community more broadly.

It is not, as some have suggested, a rejection of discussion and debate about the urgent issues that concern the University, the nation, and the world, Garber said. As an academic institution, we do not shy away from hard and important questions. There are many ways for our community to engage constructively in reasoned discussion of complex issues, but initiating these difficult and crucial conversations does not require, or justify, interfering with the educational environment and Harvards academic mission.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Harvard University administrators on Monday told demonstrators camped out on parts of the campus lawn that they will face involuntary leave from their schools if they do not leave the encampment, meaning they will be barred from being on campus until reinstated.

The continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the education environment of the University, Harvards interim president Alan Garber wrote in a statement Monday. Those who participate in or perpetuate its continuation will be referred for involuntary leave from their schools.

Students placed on involuntary leave risk the ability to sit for their exams and are not allowed to from stay in Harvard housing or remain on campus, Garber said.

Monday marked the 12th consecutive day protestors have remained at an encampment in Harvard Yard to protest Israels war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, per university officials. The encampment, which has featured several students sleeping overnight, is one of a series of demonstrations that have roiled college campuses across the country for nearly three weeks.

Hundreds of students and faculty calling on their schools and the U.S. to sever ties with Israel have been arrested at these demonstrations, after administrators authorized local and state police forces to break up encampments.

The demonstrations, especially those in the form of encampments or building takeovers, have raised questions over whether they are legally permissible. Legal experts told The Hill last week, most universities, at least private ones, can impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions that are designed to prevent disruption and allow the campus to efficiently operate.

The right to free speech, including protest and dissent, is vital to the work of the research university. But it is not unlimited, Garber wrote. It must be exercised in a time, place, and manner that respects the right of our community members to do their work, pursue their education, and enjoy the opportunities that a residential campus has to offer.

School administrators have repeatedly warned individuals participating in the encampment that they are violating university and school policies, Garber noted.

The encampment favors the voices of a few over the rights of many who have experienced disruption in how they learn and work at a critical time of the semester, he added. I call on those participating in the encampment to end the occupation of Harvard Yard.

Garber said the school has received reports that students ability to move throughout campus is being disturbed by the encampment, and that some within or supporting the encampment have intimidated or harassed other members of our community. The Hill was not able to independently verify those claims.

He further alleged some protestors at the encampment yelled and interfered with the work of Harvard staff when asked to show their IDs.

He pointed to the schools upcoming commencement and said the class of 2024 deserves to enjoy this milestone uninterrupted and unimpeded.

Columbia University, the site of the first major encampment last month, announced earlier on Monday it canceled its main graduation ceremony due to security concerns, while the University of Southern California (USC) did the same after criticism over its pro-Palestinian valedictorians speech.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  On Sunday morning, a Santaquin police officer  whose identity has not yet been released by officials  was hit and killed by a semi-truck on I-15. The suspect fled the scene before ultimately being taken into custody.

Later that day, fellow officers, community members and Utah leaders expressed their support for the fallen officer with a procession, memorials and statements via social media and press conferences.

PREVIOUS STORY: Santaquin Police officer hit, killed by semi-truck on I-15, suspect in custody

Emotions ran high during press conferences and community gatherings on the day of the officers death.

Through tears, Lt. Mike Wall of Santaquin Police Department said that, in addition to the family of the officer, the entire department was hurt by the senseless act of Michael Aaron Jayne, 41, who was the suspect that was arrested on Sunday.

We have family members who will miss their father at their nearing wedding, Wall said during a press conference. But I can assure you, we as a police department will stand up and we will be there and we are one family.

In Santaquin, a police patrol car has been designated as a temporary memorial, as residents place flowers on and around the car. Across the street from that memorial, at the Santaquin city offices, flags were being flown at half-staff out of respect for the officer.

Memorial for Santaquin officer hit and killed by semi-truck on I-15 on May 5, 2024. (KTVX)

Its just a great loss for the community in general, Santaquin resident Tina Miller told ABC4.com. Thats why were out here  rain, snow, whatever it takes to show the family and the community that we all support our men in blue.

Miller said the Santaquin community is patient and understanding, and fellow resident Heather Brown said its a tight-knit community. Brown called the death of the officer devastating.

Our hearts go out to you, Miller said to the family of the fallen officer. As a community, we wrap our arms around you.

Utah leaders also addressed the situation, both on social media and in a press conference. Lt. Gov. Deidre Hendersons statement is as follows:

Were devastated by the loss of this officer from Santaquin. God bless all our law enforcement heroes this morning. Were praying for the safety of those still working this situation. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson via Twitter/X

Gov. Spencer Cox posted on social media to say he was praying for the officers loved ones and others affected by the tragedy. During a press conference later on Sunday, Gov. Cox addressed the family of the fallen officer and thanked law enforcement officers.

During his Sunday evening press conference, Gov. Cox said it was a tragic day.

We are fortunate to live in a country and in a state where we have so many dedicated law enforcement officers, the governor said. Our hearts are broken, and our thoughts, our prayers are with the family and the widow of this hero.

Gov. Cox expressed his gratitude for the law enforcement officers who responded to the situation even knowing the suspect was dangerous.

Well make sure that this family is taken care of, Gov. Cox said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
An event designed to advance women journalists was held at the Heinz History Center on Sunday.

WPXI news anchor Lisa Sylvester joined a panel of local women journalists to talk about the role women play in all aspects of the industry, from print to television.

Author and journalist Brooke Kroeger was also featured at the event. Kroeger presented her book, Undaunted: How Women Changed American Journalism.

The event also commemorated the 160th Birthday of of Nellie Bly, who was an investigate journalist from Apollo who uncovered atrocities at the Blackwell Island Insane Asylum, the Heinz History Center said.

A new exhibit was kicked off in the museum called A Womans Place which shows how women helped shape the city of Pittsburgh.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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TRENDING NOW:

American runners take top spots in 2024 Pittsburgh Marathon Channel 11 sits down with grieving family of woman killed in Oakland construction site accident Bernard Hill, Titanic Lord of the Rings actor dies at 79 VIDEO: Former Ligonier Valley police chief facing multiple felonies for alleged sexual assault DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Xi aims to open brighter future of China-France ties via visit

Xinhua) 08:03, May 06, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Sunday that he hopes China and France will light up their way forward with the torch of history, open a brighter future of China-France relations and make new contributions to world peace, stability and development.

Xi made the remarks in a written speech upon his arrival here for a state visit to France.

He said during the visit, he will have an in-depth exchange of views with French President Emmanuel Macron on growing China-France and China-Europe relations under the new circumstances as well as major international and regional issues in the world today.

"I hope this visit will help cement our long-standing friendship, enhance political trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields," he said, adding that it is a great pleasure to begin his third state visit to the French Republic at the invitation of Macron.

Back in 2014 and 2019, Xi paid two visits to France, both in spring, to celebrate the 50th and 55th anniversaries of diplomatic relations together with the people of France.

"As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, I have a strong sense of deja vu when setting foot again on the soil of your beautiful country. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I wish to take this opportunity to extend our warmest greetings and best wishes to the French government and people," Xi said.

As important representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France have a long history of mutual appreciation and admiration, said Xi.

French Enlightenment thinkers turned to study Chinese culture centuries ago, and great French thinkers and writers such as Voltaire, Diderot, Hugo and Balzac have been household names in China, he added.

He also noted that 60 years ago, the two countries broke through Cold War blocs and established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.

In the 60 years since, the bilateral relations have always stayed abreast of China's relations with Western countries, setting a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, said Xi.

In recent years, the relationship between China and France has risen to new heights, and the two countries keep making new progress in cooperation on aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, agrifood and green development, Xi said.

He said that the two countries enjoy close coordination and cooperation on climate response, biodiversity protection and global governance, adding that activities of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism are unfolding across the board.

"A growing China-France relationship not only brings benefits to both peoples, but also provides stability and positive energy to the turbulent world," Xi said.

The Chinese president was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport and warmly welcomed by overseas Chinese upon arrival.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

People welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Lu Ye)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane arrives in Paris, France, May 5, 2024. Xi arrived here Sunday for a state visit to France. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Here's what we know about the latest status of Louisiana's elusive congressional map

Three federal judges who threw out Louisiana's new congressional map asked the state's chief elections officer Monday for a hard deadline on the latest a map can be in place to conduct the Nov. 5 elections.

The three-judge panel issued a 2-1 decision last week ruling Louisiana's congressional map creating a second Black majority district was unconstitutional because of an impermissible racial gerrymander, siding with the plantiffs who sued to block the boundaries.

That left Louisiana without a congressional map and the state's U.S. House members and their voters in the dark on representation.

Monday's status conference wasn't conducted in open court. It was held virtually and only included the official parties in the case.

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry has previously said she needed clarity on a map by May 15 in order to conduct the fall congressional elections, but the judges asked her to respond by Friday with a hard deadline they believe can be extended.

A spokeman for Landry reitered her position Monday.

"That is indeed a hard deadline for us to implement the November map," Landry spokesman Joel Watson said in a statement to USA Today Network. "That's what we've been saying since this case began."

Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed frustration following Monday's status hearing.

"The secretary of state has consistently said May 15 is a hard, real deadline," Murrill said in a statement to USA Today Network. "Yet the panel seems inclined toward creating more chaos in our congressional elections in a presidential election year.

"While we will not have a definitive ruling for another day at least, we appear to be heading to the Supreme Court this week. My position has been clear: (The overturned map) is the current will of the Legislature and should be implemented. If that isnt an option, for whatever reason, then (the map) from the 2022 session, which is whats currently loaded in the system, should remain in place while this matter goes up to the Supreme Court.

"The Supreme Court needs to provide instructions to stare Legislatures so states are not on a perpetual federal litigation roller coaster over good faith efforts at redistricting. Its confusing to voters, its expensive for taxpayers, and its inconsistent with the federal constitution."

The judges also asked the those representing the state and intervenors who defended the overturned map and the plaintiffs who successfully challenged it to be ready to present their own proposed maps moving forward, according to Jared Evans with the NAACP Defense Fund.

"They want to know whether May 15 is a must have or if there's wiggle room," said Evans, who attended the virtual hearing. "Obviously, the judges don't believe a new map can be in place by May 15."

USA Today Network is also seeking comment from Landry and Paul Hurd, one of the attorneys and plaintiffs who won the case after a three-day trial last month in Shreveport.

Evans said the judges gave little other direction other than establishing a deadline.

Tom Stagg United States Court House in Shreveport on April 8, 2024.

Evans said the judges did ask all parties - the state, intervenors and plaintiffs - to be prepared to submit one map, but they also specifically mentioned the possibility of having a neutral special master draw a new map.

Meanwhile, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a group of Black voters and other civic organizations have already filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to allow the rejected map to remain in place as an emergency remedy for the 2024 election until a new map can clear the courts.

At stake are the political careers of the incumbents and scope of representation for the state's Black voters.

The plaintiffs successfully challenged the map by attacking the new majority Black 6th Congressional District boundaries stretching from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Alexandria to Shreveport as unconstitutional, arguing they they didn't meet traditional redistriction principles like compactness and preserving communities of interests.

The state contended additional factors drove the map, including the politics of protecting powerful incumbent Louisiana Republicans U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (4th District), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (1st District) and Julia Letlow (5th District), a member of the Appropriations Committee that controls the country's pursestrings.

Doing so put Republican U.S. Rep. Graves, the current 6th District congressman, in peril by dismantling his boundaries in favor of a majority Black voter population.

U.S. Western District Judges Robert Summerhays and David Joseph, both nominated by President Trump, sided with the plaintiffs. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Carl Stewart, nominated by President Bill Clinton, dissented.

More: Election chaos in Louisiana as only state without a congressional map for fall ballot

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Here's the latest on Louisiana's congressional map court drama
Two recent, volatile arrests may end an Akron officer's tumultuous time with the department.

Officer Ryan Westlake, who has been an officer for nine years, was fired, then reinstated the next day and instead suspended in 2021. He has faced four other disciplinary actions and has had more than 30 use-of-force incidents, most of which were deemed reasonable by supervisors. He has recently come under scrutiny for shooting a teen in the hand who had a fake gun on April 1.

The video from Akron Police Officer Ryan Westlake's body came shows what happened when he tried to stop 15-year-old Tavion Koonce-Williams after a dog-walker reported that someone was pointing a gun at houses. In the first frame, as Westlake emerges from his police cruiser, he asks Tavion, "Can I see your hands real quick?"

City and police leaders terminated Westlake Monday after use-of-force incidents on Dec. 31 and March 1 that police supervisors found to be in violation of the department's rules and regulations.

Westlake will have the opportunity to request a hearing before the Akron mayor and for this matter to be taken to arbitration.

Here's a look at Westlake's troubled history with the Akron Police Department, based on records and videos provided by the city and police department. All use-of-force incidents were deemed reasonable by the Akron Police Department and didn't lead to discipline unless otherwise noted:

Aug. 29, 2014: Ryan Westlake is hired as an Akron police officer.

Feb. 17, 2017: Westlake and other officers responded to a call about a man passed out in a car. After being woken up and assessed by paramedics, the man charged toward officers, then tried to run. Westlake punched the man in the upper body and, along with two other officers, took him to the ground. Westlake used his Taser to stun the man in the back and the officers then handcuffed him.

March 4, 2018: Westlake was on his way to work when he saw a man running in and out of traffic on state Route 8. Westlake ran after the man and ordered him to the side of the road. He placed a handcuff on one of his wrists, but the man wouldnt let him handcuff on the other wrist. Westlake wrapped his arms around the man and pulled him to the ground. With the man flailing his arms, Westlake put his knees on his back until another officer arrived and helped handcuff the man.

Aug. 11, 2018: Westlake and another officer pulled over a man whom they knew had a suspended drivers license. The man knocked down the other officer and tried to run past him, but the officer stopped him. Westlake deployed his Taser but missed. Westlake punched the man in the abdomen several times and then in the face, and he and the other officer handcuffed the man.

Sept. 27, 2018: Westlake and another officer saw a motorcycle rider being pursued by an unmarked car driven by a Summit County sheriffs deputy. Westlake tried to help the deputy handcuff the driver, who dragged the two of them down a driveway and onto the ground. The officers handcuffed him.

Jan. 2, 2020: Westlake and other officers responded to a domestic dispute involving a mother and her son who has mental issues. The man threw punches at two officers and they both deployed their Tasers, which werent effective. Westlake punched the man in his mid-section twice. Two officers punched the man, who was refusing to be handcuffed, in the face. Officers then handcuffed him.

Sept. 8, 2020: Westlake and another officer attempted to pull over a vehicle with a driver whose license was suspended. The driver fled and officers pursued him for two blocks before the driver stopped. Westlake pulled the driver from his vehicle, placed him on his stomach and handcuffed him.

Dec. 4, 2020: Westlake is involved in a dispute with his girlfriend at a hotel in Fort Lauderdale. She told police he threw her into a coffee table, pinned her arms to the ground and struck her. She declined to press charges.

Jan. 7, 2021: Westlake and another officer pulled over a vehicle, with the driver fleeing on foot while holding a gun. An officer caught up to the man, who threw his gun, and wrestled with him. Another officer deployed his Taser, and Westlake handcuffed the man.

Jan. 9, 2021: Westlake is involved in another dispute with his girlfriend at his Cuyahoga Falls apartment in which she told police he pushed her to the ground, hit her in the eye, and held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her and her father. He is charged with domestic violence and aggravated menacing. These charges were later dismissed and the case expunged after his girlfriend refused to cooperate.

March 13, 2021: Westlake and another officer are involved in a car chase, followed by a foot chase. An officer deployed his Taser, striking the driver. Westlake tried to handcuff the man, who refused to give up one of his hands, and Westlake punched the man in the back. Officers handcuffed the man.

March 14, 2021: Westlake and another officer followed a car that pulled into a driveway. The driver became argumentative and gestured with his arms. Westlake and other officers forced the man to the ground and handcuffed him.

July 20, 2021: Mayor Dan Horrigan terminates Westlake, pointing to the two off-duty incidents involving his girlfriend and to a call in which he used foul language.

July 21, 2021: Westlake is reinstated and instead suspended for 71 days without pay.

Nov. 23, 2021: Westlake and another officer chased the driver of a truck who drove onto a closed entrance to Interstate 77 and, after officers surrounded him, struck two cruisers. Westlake rammed into the truck with his cruiser in an attempt to disable it. The truck fled and officers pursued it, with the driver slamming on its brakes twice and Westlake rear-ended it. The chase was called off after the driver went on Route 8 and into Cuyahoga Falls, reaching up to 86 mph. Westlake is eventually suspended for two days for ramming the truck and not immediately reporting it.

Dec. 8, 2021: Westlake and another officer saw a car with an expired registration that pulled into a driveway. The driver refused to give officers his keys so they could search his vehicle prior to having it towed. He also refused to put his hands behind his back. Westlake struck him in the lower back several times. Westlake, with the help of other officers, handcuffed him.

Dec. 11, 2021: Westlake and another officer attempted to stop a vehicle for having illegally tinted windows. The vehicle didnt stop but then pulled over. A passenger fled and Westlake chased him and deployed his taser, with the man falling to the ground. The man tried to flee again but fell. Westlake stunned the man with his taser in the lower back and rear of his head. Westlake punched the man several times, then handcuffed him.

Dec. 18, 2021: Westlake and other officers attempted to stop a vehicle that was suspected of having been in an earlier chase. Westlake, who was on the drivers side, deployed his Taser, striking the passenger in the back who was being taken out of the vehicle by other officers. The passenger and the officers who were handcuffing him were shocked by the Taser. A supervisor found Westlakes use of a Taser wasnt reasonable. The police union says the incident later was deemed reasonable and Westlake wasnt disciplined.

Jan. 15, 2022: Westlake and another officer responded to a call about a burglary, with two suspects having fled. Westlake chased a man matching a suspects description. He took him to the ground, placed his knee on his back and handcuffed him.

July 12, 2022: Westlake responded to a dollar store in response to a man trespassing who had been banned. Westlake tackled the man and handcuffed him with help from other officers.

July 25, 2022: Westlake received a written reprimand for failing to operate a patrol wagon safely when he was involved in a minor accident with a cruiser in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in June.

Aug. 25, 2022: Westlake went to a mans home to interview him about a cellphone he was accused of stealing. The man was sitting on his porch with a bag of marijuana on his lap. Westlake tackled him and handcuffed him with help from another officer.

Aug. 31, 2022: Westlake pulled over a vehicle for having an unreadable temporary tag. He chased the passenger when he fled and deployed his Taser, but it missed. Westlake lost the man when he jumped a fence.

Sept. 12, 2022: Westlake responded to a call about a man alleged to be on drugs and trespassing at an apartment complex. He found marijuana on the man. While Westlake was checking the man for warrants, he fled. Westlake deployed his Taser, hitting the man in the back, then handcuffed him.

Dec. 12, 2022: Westlake is suspended for one day for failing to provide his name or identification number during a call for service.

Dec. 16, 2022: Westlake is suspended for 45 days for failing to follow the proper procedure for disposing of drugs. This was his third violation of this rule.

April 14, 2023: Westlake and another officer responded to a call about a domestic dispute involving a man threatening a woman with a bat. The man struggled with Westlake and another officer as they handcuffed him and then refused to walk. Westlake applied a pressure point behind his left ear. Westlake and the other officer pulled the man along to get him to a cruiser.

May 7, 2023: Westlake chased a motorcycle that had been reported stolen during a breaking and entering by Norton police. When the motorcycle stalled, Westlake grabbed the rider, who attempted to flee again. Westlake pulled the rider off the motorcycle and sat on him. He handcuffed him with the help of another officer.

June 8, 2023: Westlake saw a vehicle parked in a driveway that was suspected of being used in a music video at a drive-thru in which males displayed guns and threatened to shoot and rob an employee. Westlake tried to stop one of the occupants who ran. Westlake deployed his Taser but it missed. He saw the man get a handgun from his pocket. Westlake took out his gun and continued to chase the man. The man tripped and Westlake tackled him. Another officer tried to help Westlake handcuff him but the man tried to flee again and Westlake swept his leg and took him down. Westlake and the other officer handcuffed him.

Aug. 7, 2023: Westlake was among the officers who responded to a call about a man who stole a dump truck in New Franklin and fled from officers. The driver stopped the truck at Derby Downs in Akron. Ten officers used verbal commands, knee strikes, punches, elbow strikes, pinching and three five-second Taser blasts before they could get the man into handcuffs.

Sept. 18, 2023: Westlake responded to a call regarding a landlord/tenant dispute. He noticed that a passenger in the landlords car had a warrant for child endangering. The man refused to provide his identification or exit the vehicle. Westlake bent his arm against the door panel of the vehicle, then continued to pull him by the arm and took him to the ground. Westlake and another officer sat on the man and then handcuffed him.

Sept. 27, 2023: Westlake responded to a report of a breaking and entering at an apartment. Westlake chased one of the juvenile suspects. Westlake shot him with his Taser, striking him in the back. Other officers then handcuffed him.

Oct. 25, 2023: Westlake responded to a call about a stolen vehicle. He had information that the suspect was inside an apartment. Another officers K-9 searched the apartment and found the suspect hiding in a bedroom closet. The officer drug the man from the closet and Westlake handcuffed him.

Dec. 31, 2023: Westlake and other officers chased a man on foot. Officers believed the man may have a gun. When they caught the man, Westlake put the barrel of his assault rifle to the back of his head while other officers handcuffed him. Westlake then withdrew his weapon. Supervisors found Westlake's actions to be unreasonable.

Jan. 8, 2024: Westlake assisted another officer with a traffic stop involving a vehicle seen leaving an illegal gambling establishment with an expired registration. The passenger refused to identify himself and Westlake learned he had previously been involved in a volatile arrest. The man had felony warrants. An officer grabbed the mans arm and told him to put his hands behind his back. The man began hitting his forehead on the bumper of a cruiser. Westfall took the man to the ground and he and other officers handcuffed him.

Jan. 24, 2024: Westlake responded to a call about a theft from a dollar store. He saw a man matching the suspects description and tried to stop him, but he fled. Westlake deployed his Taser twice, but it was ineffective. Westlake pulled the man to the ground and sat on him, with the man refusing to give up his hands. Westlake applied pressure behind the mans left ear. Other officers arrived and helped Westlake handcuff the man, who had a pack of stolen cigarettes in his hand.

March 1, 2024: Westlake responded to a convenience store for a complaint by the owner about a customer and her friends who had been stealing from him. While other officers searched for the teen-age customer's friends, Westlake handcuffed the teen and took her out to his cruiser. Westlake swung her around and she fell, landing on the pavement next to the cruiser, a surveillance video shows. He then put her in the back of his cruiser. A police supervisor found Westlake's actions to be reasonable but internal affairs supervisors disagreed.

March 15, 2024: Westlake saw a car with illegally tinted windows that turned into a driveway. He learned the vehicle had been involved in a pursuit with Tallmadge police. He tried to arrest the driver, but he fled on foot. Westlake deployed his Taser but it had no effect. Another officer released her K-9, which caught the man as he was trying to climb a fence. Westlake handcuffed him.

April 1, 2024: Westlake responded to a non-emergency call about a male pointing a gun at houses. He told the male to show his hands, then, seconds later, shot him in the hand. The gun the 15-year-old was holding was fake. The incident is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ryan Westlake's tumultuous history as an Akron police officer
Rocky James, current Eldorado, Ill., mayor, formerly worked at Illinois Youth Center - Harrisburg

Google Maps IYC - Harrisburg and IYC - St. Charles

Warning: This story describes graphic descriptions of sexual abuse

A new lawsuit alleges a harrowing pattern of sex abuse inside Illinois juvenile facilities and implicates a former youth center employee who is now a small town mayor.

The lawsuit, which was obtained by PEOPLE, has nearly 100 plaintiffs and lists the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Corrections and/or the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice as defendants, accusing those entities of permitting rampant sex abuse spanning years.

Some of the allegations accuse Rocky James, now the mayor of Eldorado, Ill., of sex abuse from 2002 to 2010.

One of the accusers was a teen who'd been incarcerated at Illinois Youth Center (IYC) -Harrisburg, who alleged his mattress had been taken from him as punishment. In the complaint, the accuser claims James made numerous sexual comments to him and offered to give back his revoked mattress if he masturbated him or administered oral copulation on him, the lawsuit alleges, adding that the claimant did not comply.

Another allegation, from a separate claimant, reads, James put his hands down [the claimant's] pants and masturbated him, and then [a correctional officer] administered oral sex on [the claimant] and sodomized him while Rocky James watched and masturbated himself."

The identity of the correctional officer, referred to in the complaint only by the nickname "Crank," is not known. According to the complaint, the accuser "expects to learn the full name and identity of his abuser through the course of discovery."

James is also accused by some of the claimants in the lawsuit of making sexual comments about their bodies. The claimants  who say James abused them  were between the ages of 13 and 17 during the time of the alleged abuse.

According to a March 2011 story in the Harrisburg Register, James, who is currently the Eldorado, Ill., mayor, was employed at the Department of Juvenile Justice at IYC - Harrisburg for many years. (In the 2011 story, he stated that he held that position for 26 years at that point.) James has been the Eldorado mayor since 2007. Eldorado is roughly 330 miles south of Chicago and has a population of less than 4,000 people.

IYC - Harrisburg is a medium-security facility for male youth, according to the John Howard Association, a prison oversight organization. According to the Illinois Department of Justice, the facility offers a "broad range of services to youth incarcerated at the facility," including educational programs, vocational training and substance abuse and mental health services.

James did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment about the allegations. The current superintendent at IYC - Harrisburg and the Illinois Department of Justice also did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Google Maps Illinois Youth Center - Harrisburg

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Staff members from additional IYC facilities in St, Charles, Chicago, Warrenville, Kewanee, Joliet, Murphysboro and Pere Marquette are also accused in the lawsuit. The alleged abuse ranges from inappropriate comments and touching to rape and sodomy.

A claimant in the lawsuit alleges he was abused at 12 years old by an employee at IYC - St. Charles, labeled as Abuser 1, who is not identified.

Abuser 1 would come into [the accuser's] cell with other inmates and make the other inmates pin down [the accuser], remove his clothes and physically abuse him, the lawsuit alleges. Abuser 1 would sodomize [the accuser] with his fingers and allow the other inmates to sodomize [the accuser] with objects such as a toothbrush and a broom handle. This happened on multiple occasions.

AP Photo/Daily Herald, Rick West Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles

According to the John Howard Association, IYC - St. Charles is a level 2 medium-security facility.

"Illinois' past is stained with the tears of innocent children, victims of unspeakable horrors ignored by those entrusted with their care," Todd Mathews, Lead Attorney for the Bailey Glasser Institutional Abuse litigation team, tells PEOPLE in a statement. "But today, their silence is shattered: 'No More.' No more turning a blind eye, no more excuses. Today, we demand justice for every soul scarred by the system's negligence. The time for accountability is now."

The Illinois Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment regarding the lawsuit.



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.

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Read the original article on People.
DENVER, Colo. (KREX)  Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with 16 other senators, have introduced a bill called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. This bill aims to change the federal laws around marijuana. It wants to take marijuana off the list of drugs controlled by the federal government, which is called descheduling. It also wants to let states make their own rules about marijuana.

Hickenlooper said, Lots of Americans want marijuana to be legal. The federal government should stop treating it as a serious drug and let states handle it. We need better rules for marijuana, focusing on fairness and fixing the harm caused by past drug policies.

Bennet added, This bill is overdue. It will protect legal marijuana businesses and workers in Colorado, promote research on marijuana, bring in more taxes, and address unfairness in our justice system. Congress should update our marijuana laws like Colorado has.

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act has several goals:

Make rules to keep people safe and healthy. Help fix the damage caused by past drug laws, especially to communities of color and low-income areas. Stop discrimination in federal benefits based on marijuana use. Invest more money in research on marijuana. Improve protections for workers.

This bill also wants to make sure that businesses in states where marijuana is legal can use banks and other financial services without any problems.

The bill is led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Cory Booker and Ron Wyden.

Recently, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) changed the classification of marijuana. It was listed as a Schedule I drug, meaning it was seen as very dangerous and not useful for medical purposes. Now, its listed as a Schedule III drug, which means its seen as less dangerous. Hickenlooper and other members of Congress have been asking for this change. Hickenlooper has been pushing for marijuana to be taken off the federal list of controlled substances since January. In 2023, he introduced a bill called the PREPARE Act, which would set up rules for when marijuana is legal at the federal level, based on Colorados system.

You can read the full bill here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority gave Fresno residents an up-close look at the finer aspects of the planned downtown station during an evening show-and-tell at the Doubletree Hotel.

Sure, the big picture remains hazy. But lets set that aside for now and focus on the details.

Poster boards displayed artists renderings of the station design, which features a passenger platform stretching more than a quarter-mile and a pedestrian bridge connecting an entry plaza at Mariposa and H streets on the east side of the tracks to one in Chinatown on the west side.

The platform and bridge are covered by distinctive canopies that look modern, but not overly futuristic. Is it just me, or does the platform resemble a refill of giant-sized staples?

Opinion

Other exhibits depicted how the station, meant to serve as a multi-modal transportation hub, fits into the downtown street grid and blends with existing structures, such as the Southern Pacific Depot.

We have an interesting dialogue between the new station and the historical station, said architect Peter Sokoloff of Foster + Partners, one of the principal designers.

What? You didnt know buildings could talk?

Following the official unveiling of the four Central Valley station designs earlier this year, weve now reached the public comment period. Officials invited attendees of Wednesdays open house to provide input via sticky notes and interest forms.

(Rae Lakes in the Sierra high country was chosen as one of Fresnos signature locations. Which tells me someone involved is a backpacker.)

Margaret Cederoth, the rail authoritys director of planning and sustainability, told the gathering their suggestions will be considered, and that she and other officials plan to return later this year or in January 2025 to show everyone the finalized designs.

Margaret Cederoth, director of planning and sustainability for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, speaks to a crowd of interested parties during an informational open house by the High-Speed Rail Authority to discuss what is envisioned for the future Fresno Station at the Hilton DoubleTree in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

Cederoths power-point presentation included a timeline indicating construction of Fresnos high-speed rail station was scheduled to begin in 2027 and take roughly three years.

By then, a 171-mile stretch of electrified tracks in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley will be completed so that testing of the 220-mph trains could begin in 2030 with actual passenger service no later than 2033.

Thats if all goes according to plan, of course. Never been the case with Californias bullet train, which is years behind schedule, billions over budget and still has no guarantee of completion.

By completion, I dont mean Merced to the northern outskirts of Bakersfield. High-speed rail must connect the Valley with the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Anything less than that  a rump railroad to borrow Assemblyman Jim Pattersons colorful phrase  is a failure and wont be nearly as transformative to downtown Fresno as everyone around here hopes and envisions.

Sorry to be such a spoilsport.

This could all come to a stop

Even though preparations are being made and environmental clearances gathered for a future route to the Bay Area and L.A., getting the Central Valley segment built and operational has been the rail authoritys primary focus.

The plan seems to be, Once everyone sees how fast and cool our trains are, theyll kick in billions more to keep things moving ahead.

Not sure how sound a strategy that is. Especially if a competing high-speed rail project between Southern California and Las Vegas gets completed in the meantime, which would cause this one to be viewed with even more skeptical side-eye from the states politicians and voters.

Residents and other interested parties look over plans and renderings that show whats envisioned for the future Fresno Station of Californias High-Speed Rail project during an informational open house by the High-Speed Rail Authority at the Hilton DoubleTree in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

To hear anything but sunny optimism, one had to seek out people like Morgan Doizaki. The owner of Central Fish Company is hopeful for Chinatowns future, but worried federal funding for Californias bullet train will dry up if Donald Trump gets reelected in November.

He did it before  delayed, delayed and took funding away, said Doizaki, mindful of Trumps first term in the Oval Office.

This could all come to a complete stop, and theres nothing we can do about it.

No one associated with the rail authority mentioned the LA to Vegas bullet train Wednesday evening. Nor was Trumps name uttered. (President Joe Biden did receive thanks for signing off on $3 billion in funding in December.)

Rather, the emphasis was on ironing out the finer points of the downtown Fresno station and its environs. Take a few steps back, though, and the big picture still has some major pieces missing.

A rendering shows a high-speed rail train as it enters a station during an informational open house by the California High-Speed Rail Authority at the Hilton DoubleTree in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
Businesses at Coligny Plaza on Hilton Head Island are stepping up to help residents affected by the deadly and destructive outbreak of tornadoes across Nebraska and Iowa in April.

All day on Wednesday, May 8, businesses will be donating 10% or more of their sales to Operation BBQ Relief, a nonprofit organization that provides meals to communities in the wake of natural disasters.

The event includes some of Colignys most popular restaurants, such as Earle of Sandwich, Sandbar Beach Eats, Carolina Coffee and Crumb, Fish Coastal Casual Seafood, Skillets Cafe and Grille, The Ice Cream Cone, Big Bamboo, Frosty Frog, Forrest Fire, Cafe Al Dente, Bad Biscuit and Sweet Als.

Operation BBQ Relief is known for its rapid response in providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2011 following a devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri, OBR has served millions of meals with the help of volunteers and donations from across the country.

The collaboration with Coligny is part of a longstanding relationship that previously saw over 25,000 meals distributed to the Hilton Head community during the early months of the COVID pandemic-related business closings.

For more information, go to ColignyPlaza.com/Events.
Toby Henry, Margaret Vargas and Karen Borne take photos of the U.S.S. Kidd as it is towed through the Houma Navigational Canal, May 2.

At the Dulac-Pontoon Bridge about 30 well-wishers were gathered as the U.S.S. Kidd sliced northward, headed for a year-long overhaul in Houma, when an unexpected admirer provided the retired warship with its own greeting.

A bald eagle landed on a nearby utility pole, greeted the approaching vessel with two shrieks, then began its own repair task, preening its mahogany feathers as the tug-towed vessel continued on its course.

Eagle perched on a utility pole alongside the Houma Navigational Canal in Dulac, as the U.S.S. Kidd is towed to the Thoma-Sea shipyard in Houma for overhaul.

The Kidd, a 370-foot Fletcher-class destroyer, saw major action in WWII, was later deployed in the Korean War, and has been in Baton Rouge since 1982, where it serves as an integral component of its namesake veterans museum and memorial. The destroyer completed a 315-nautical-mile voyage Thursday from its Mississippi River berth to Houmas Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors shipyard, where it will undergo an overhaul and restoration for almost a year.

Walter Thomassie, the marine firms managing director, said his team is excited about the prospect of working on the vessel, especially those who are veterans.

We want to do the best we can to honor it, said Thomassie, whose recent time on board the Kidd in Baton Rouge, as preparation for the job ahead, gave him a special perspective on the 300-man crews who called the vessel home during its 20 years of naval service.

I have been up in the bowels of that vessel the past couple of weeks, and theres a reason they are called Americas greatest generation Thomassie said. Its tight, and its hot in there. They had to sleep three on top of each other. Some may have been 18- or 19-year-old boys, but they were men.

The U.S.S. Kidd ferried through the Houma Navigational Canal, May 2. It is being towed to Thoma-Sea Marina for repairs.

Bill Purvis, Thoma-Seas conversion and repair manager, said the Mississippis constant rise and fall over four decades, pounding the Kidds hull against its steel subsurface cradle, is among the reasons the ship requires an overhaul. The exterior will be repainted with WWII camouflage, Purvis said. Craftsmen and technicians will perform restoration tasks, including returning the crew quarters to their original WWII configuration, undoing post-war modifications.

The timing of the Houma trip was crucial, because the river reached its high point this week, allowing transit. Its return to Baton Rouge will not occur until next spring, when the waters rise again. The Coast Guard did a full inspection of the Kidd before approving it for the tow.

Another Bayou Region company, Crosby Marine Transportation of Galliano, was entrusted with the task of getting the Kidd from Baton Rouge to Houma. Chief Executive Officer Kurt Crosby said two of the companys tugs  one fore and the other aft of the Kidd  trekked down the Mississippi to the Southwest Pass, following that into the Gulf of Mexico before heading up from Terrebonne Bay to the Houma Nav, for the last leg of the journey. The Kidd, he said, could not come across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway  which would have been a shorter trip  because it was way too big to travel through the marine locks required for that route.

Houma residents flock to the Houma Navigational Canal to watch as the U.S.S. Kidd is towed to Thoma-Sea Marina for repairs, May 2.

This trip, Crosby said, was hardly the companys first time towing a large military vessel, up to and including an aircraft carrier.

We towed the U.S.S. Ranger four or five years ago from Washington State to Brownsville, Texas, a 16,000-mile move that took five months, Crosby said. We have great captains and leaders on our vessels. They find a way to figure things out.

The two veteran captains charged with seeing to it that the Kidd made it safely to Houma were Clint Babin at the 95.7-foot tug Crosby Integritys helm and Brent Savoie piloting the 66-foot tug Big Eddie. Another captain, Tony Verdin, joined the team with the tug Crosby Carrier, to ensure that there were no snags during some tricky Houma Nav turns.

U.S.S. Kidd Veterans Museum Director Parks Stephenson  himself a 20-year Navy veteran  said the overhaul is long overdue, and that this year funding sources from the state and elsewhere lined up, allowing it to happen.

This is a once-in-a-generation overhaul,: Stephenson said "It is the biggest milestone in Kidds history since she was moved to Baton Rouge in 1982. There is not a whole lot of money out there for a non-profit museum ship. The Department of the Interior says museum ships must undergo overhaul every 10 to 20 years if they are in fresh water. The museum here was set up to honor all service branches. Its part of our mission to honor the people who served their country. I have in mind those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

At various points along the channel, spectators waved at the destroyer and the colorful Capt. Kidd logo on one of its smokestacks.

Near the Thomassie yard, about 25 people gathered.

Its hard to put into words  its emotional. said Navy veteran Margaret Vargas. It brings back memories.

The U.S.S. Kidd ferried through the Houma Navigational Canal, May 2. It is being towed to Thoma-Sea Marina for repairs.

Will Theriot, president of Houmas Regional Military Museum, was among people who followed the ships progress along the ship channel in their vehicles, stopping wherever they could catch a view.

This is a historic event not only for Houma but for the whole United States, said Theriot, whose organization has offered members of the U.S.S. Kidd Museum and Memorials staff who will be in Houma use of office space.

He joined the crowd gathered at Falgout Canal Road, where the pontoon bridge swung open to accommodate the Kidd and its towboat caretakers, which were escorted by Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office Water Patrol deputies, about 11 a.m.

Its important, its a part of history, Bayou Dularge Volunteer Fire Department captain Chris Lowell said. Thats what prompted him to be there.

Like others at the location, Lowell marveled at the arrival of the bald eagle, as if eerily on cue, and videoed it with his phone.

That eagle stayed there the whole time the ship passed, he said.

Lowell was asked what the eagles presence during such a noteworthy event and significant moment meant to him.

America, he said.

Colin Campo contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Gonzales Weekly Citizen: USS Kidd arrives in Houma to repairs after voyage from Baton Rouge
A horrible feeling: Domestic violence survivor says connected car was used to track her

Christine Dowdall said she knew it was time to leave her husband in 2022 after a violent fight.

Our last confrontation was pretty brutal, said Dowdall. Thinking God what am I going to do? If I stay here, this is not going to end well.

Deputies at the Bossier Parish Sheriffs Office in Louisiana investigated the domestic violence incident. Records show they reported seeing multiple areas of discoloration on her arms and face.

Dowdall got an order of protection and left the abusive marriage behind.

But even after getting away, Dowdall said she would get text messages from her estranged husband, then a DEA agent, taunting her with clues that he knew exactly where she was and sometimes who she was with.

I kept wondering, how in the world does he know where Im at? said Dowdall.

Dowdall said she soon noticed a strange message pop up in her car that said: An authorized location-based service was turned on using mbrace.

It turned out to be a location tracker through her car. She then realized her estranged husband was using her Mercedes Benz to trace her.

Its a horrible feeling knowing somebody knows your every move, said Dowdall.

Records show a judge granted Dowdall exclusive use of the car during divorce proceedings.

Dowdall and Detective Kelly Downey said they repeatedly called Mercedes to try and get her estranged husband removed from the cars connected system. They said multiple requests to Mercedes went nowhere because he was the legally registered owner.

They said he had to be the one to disconnect it and that sort of thing and I said well, thats going to be kind of tough because I cant contact him and I dont want to contact him because were separated over a domestic abuse charge and Im telling you hes stalking me on this car, said Dowdall.

A spokesperson for Mercedes told our Washington News Bureau in a statement: This is a rather unfortunate case in which the MBrace system (this was the name of the system used when the subject vehicle was built, now MercedesMe) was used beyond its intended purpose We can acknowledge that upon contact with MBUSA, we worked with our provider partner (Verizon) who reportedly terminated the account within days of the initial contact with us. We cannot provide more specific details of individual customer matters, per company policy. However, we do consider exigent circumstances on an individual basis when supporting our customers.

Dowdall said Mercedes never told her anything about the account being terminated and to the best of her knowledge, that didnt happen despite repeated requests.

Mercedes said it could not provide further details because of policies to protect customer information.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made a rule that allows domestic violence survivors to separate a phone line from an account shared with an abuser. The agency is now taking a closer look at the law to see if it can enforce a similar rule with connected cars. The FCC is collecting public input and information from car makers.

The connected vehicle industry said car manufacturers are also taking their own steps to better protect customers.

The manufacturers are implementing stronger security measures to protect against unauthorized access to vehicle systems, said Scott McCormick, President and CEO of Connected Vehicle Trade Association. There are a number of automakers and tech companies that are partnering with domestic violence advocacy groups and human trafficking groups to understand what their survivors or victims needs are so that they can develop technology and provide safety without compromising privacy. Its not as pervasive as Id like to see across the industry.

We asked McCormick about what people can do in Dowdalls situation.

Fortunately, you can go to a third-party service center or garage, and theyll do it, said McCormick.

Thats what Dowdall ended up doing. She said she paid an independent mechanic $400 to disable the remote tracking system.

She said while she was disheartened over the lack of help from the car manufacturer, she was grateful she had Detective Downey in her corner.

She didnt give up. Just so thankful that she believed me, Dowdall said about Downey.

Domestic violence survivor advocates argue it shouldnt be that difficult or expensive for people to get the help they need. Theyre calling on manufacturers and the federal government to create more clear pathways for protection.

For Dowdall, the imminent danger in her life is now gone. Her estranged husband died by suicide last year.

But Dowdall said she worries for others who may unknowingly be traced while behind the wheel  and thats why shes speaking out.

Its just something that sticks with you, said Dowdall. Ive been trying to do what I can you know by talking about it.

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Tax chairs Rep. Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, (left) and Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, congratulated each other over the tax bill on May 20, 2023. Photo by Senate Media Services.

The Minnesota House passed a tax bill on Friday that includes a slew of tax changes: large corporations that make $250 million or more in gross domestic sales would have to publicly disclose their tax returns; the child tax credit would include 18-year-olds; and the Department of Revenue would be tasked with creating a state-run tax filing system  mirroring an IRS program  so Minnesotans could e-file their state tax returns for free.

The bill has major differences with the Senate tax bill, however, and the two chambers have just two weeks to hash out differences.

House Taxes Chair Aisha Gomez, DFL-Minneapolis, and Senate Taxes Chair Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, last year agreed upon a historic $3 billion tax bill that included rebate checks, a significant and highly progressive child tax credit and a number of other influential provisions after some fierce negotiations that saw Rest siding with the business lobby in some key areas.

The Senate is scheduled to take up its tax bill on Tuesday, after which the House and Senate will meet in conference committee  comprising members of both chambers who gather to find a compromise  that could include some DFL division and drama, though most of the negotiations will occur behind the scenes.

Here are some major differences between the House and Senate tax bills:

House aiming for more corporate accountability

House DFL lawmakers are aiming to force corporations to disclose more about their finances in the face of increasingly opaque tax avoidance strategies by the nations biggest companies.

The House tax bill would require large corporations that make $250 million or more in gross domestic sales to publicly disclose their corporate franchise tax returns, meaning it would apply to the biggest corporations that do business in Minnesota, like Amazon and Target.

The bill is unsurprisingly facing fierce opposition from the states business lobby and trade organizations. Its unclear whether Gov. Tim Walz would support corporate tax disclosure; he meets frequently with major executives. The corporate tax disclosure provision is not in the Senate tax bill.

The House tax bill also includes allocating $655,000 to study the impact of whats called worldwide combined reporting, which would require multinational corporations to pay income taxes based on their entire global profits rather than what they make in the U.S.

DFL lawmakers last year dropped this proposal during the eleventh hour after corporations successfully lobbied lawmakers and Walz to kill it.

Changes to the child tax credit

Last year, the Legislature passed a child tax credit aimed at assisting low-income Minnesota families. The full child tax credit is $1,750 per child, which begins to phase out for married filers who make $35,000 annually and $29,500 for single taxpayers.

This year, the House is proposing expanding the credit to 18-year-olds, and adopting the governors Child Tax Credit Payment Protection Pilot, a $32 million program that gives families the option to receive the child tax credit in installments throughout the year, rather than in one lump sum.

The program creates a guaranteed minimum credit, meaning those who qualify for the child tax credit one year would be guaranteed to receive up to 50% of the amount for each child in the next tax year, without a tax penalty even if their income goes up. The point is to ensure families arent punished even if they find better paying work.

The Senate tax bill includes nearly $10 million for this child tax credit program, but its cheaper since it doesnt include the eligibility for 18-year-olds and the guaranteed minimum credit has an income ceiling.

Local sales tax changes

The House tax bill would also create a more equitable distribution of sales tax revenue across all Minnesota cities.

Gomez, who has long argued that local sales tax hikes hurt low-income families and cut against the logic of the Minnesota Miracle, is proposing an equalization account that would require cities and counties to contribute 15% of the annual proceeds of their local sales tax into the account.

The Department of Revenue would allocate the account funds to cities or counties on a needs-basis.

On Friday, Gomez said that the equalization account is needed because cities have different retail economies. A Bloomington local sales tax generates piles of cash because of Mall of America compared to a rural town with few retail options.

Its that inequality in sales tax base and resultant inequality in a local governments ability to meet the needs of their citizens that this equalization fund is designed to address, Gomez said on the House floor.

This equalization account isnt in the Senate tax bill.

Other differences

The Senate tax bill, however, does include expanding the definition of snuff tobacco, which would result in a $3 million in revenue for the states general fund in the current biennium. The House bill doesnt have this income generator.

The Senate bills largest expense is a one-time $34 million allocation for sales tax relief on the purchase of supplies used in many public construction projects, which is not in the Houses bill.

The House bill would create a state-run direct tax filing system  similar to H&R Block, Turbotax or IRS Direct File  for Minnesotans to file their state tax returns for free. The program would not work for federal tax returns, however. The House also provides $5 million in one-time funding for local homelessness prevention aid.

The Senate and House could meet to hash out differences in the bill as early as this week, and the compromise bill will need to be approved by both chambers before it goes to Walzs desk.

The post House and Senate DFL to battle over progressive tax provisions appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
Minnesota Capitol. Photo courtesy House Information Services.

Minnesota legislative leaders announced a deal with members of the Minneapolis City Council on Monday on minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers. Notably absent from the deal, however, are Gov. Tim Walz and the two companies.

Uber and Lyft both said on Monday they will leave Minnesota if the rates in the deal  $1.27 per mile and 49 cents per minute  take effect.

A spokesperson for Walz called the deal a positive step, and that the governors goal remains to be finding a solution that ensures workers are paid fairly while allowing these essential services to remain in Minnesota. Last year, Walz issued the only veto of his tenure on a bill setting minimum pay for drivers after Uber threatened to dramatically curtail service in the state.

House Majority Leader Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis, acknowledged that the companies were not involved in the negotiations, but said he doesnt think they will follow through.

I think theyre bluffing, Long said in a news conference with reporters on Monday. Theyre operating in Washington state at rates that are above what were proposing.

Thats only half true: Washington state mandates a higher per mile rate of $1.31 outside of Seattle but its per minute rate of 38 cents is significantly lower. (In Seattle, drivers are entitled to $1.55 per mile and 66 cents per minutes.)

As part of a deal with the companies, Washington state also defines drivers explicitly as independent contractors in state law, a significant prize for Uber and Lyft and which Minnesota Democrats dont support.

While the companies and the governor may not be on board, Long emphasized the concession of Minneapolis City Council members to reduce their per mile rate 13 cents. The Minneapolis City Council overrode a mayoral veto in March to pass minimum rates of $1.40 per mile and 51 cents per minute, which are set to take effect on July 1 after the council chose to delay enactment at the request of state lawmakers.

This was a really big move for the Minneapolis City Council, Long said.

A spokesman for House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, declined to comment when asked if she supports the deal.

The state does have the power to override local leaders through preemption, but Democrats say its not an option they want to pursue. They want to avoid setting the precedent of preempting cities from enacting more stringent labor laws than the state.

In a statement, Minneapolis Council President Elliott Payne said, It was refreshing to work with our state leaders who were willing to engage in tough conversations without compromising the core DFL value of making sure every worker, regardless of profession, can earn a minimum wage.

With just two weeks left in the session, legislative leaders are under pressure to keep their narrow majorities together to pass their entire agenda, which includes some spending and a major infrastructure package. In the Senate, Democrats have just a one-seat majority, giving any one senator significant leverage.

The author of the Uber and Lyft bill in the Senate  Omar Fateh of Minneapolis  wielded his de facto veto last session to push the Uber and Lyft bill through the Legislature even though it was ultimately vetoed. Sources familiar with the negotiations say Fateh is again dug in and aligned with the progressive flank of the Minneapolis City Council that wants to push rates above the recommendations in a state study of more than 18 million trips taken in the state in 2022.

That study, commissioned by the state Department of Labor and Industry, estimated that typical Twin Cities drivers would have to be paid at least 89 cents per mile to pay for vehicle costs and their share of payroll taxes plus 49 cents per minute to earn the Minneapolis minimum wage of $15.57 per hour.

The researchers  economists Michael Reich of University of California-Berkeley and James Parrott of the New School  also calculated a higher per mile rate of $1.20, which would compensate drivers for benefits like health insurance, paid sick leave, paid family medical leave and retirement savings. Neither calculation includes tips.

Long justified the higher rate by noting it moves closer to the rates proposed in the state report for greater Minnesota of $1.39 per mile and 49 cents per minute. Higher rates are needed in greater Minnesota to guarantee drivers a lower minimum wage  the state minimum of $10.85 per hour  because drivers spend more time waiting for fares and driving to pick up riders.

That means typical drivers in greater Minnesota would be guaranteed less than the state minimum wage of $10.85 while Twin Cities drivers  who provide about 95% of rides in the state  would be entitled to more than the Minneapolis minimum wage of $15.57 per hour if demand stays constant.

Asked about that disparity, Long said: Sounds like a good compromise.

Uber sent rate proposals to lawmakers last week that are significantly lower than those recommended in the state study. The company criticized the state study for what it called exaggerated cost estimates. The company told lawmakers it would support an earnings floor 68 cents per mile and 39 to 42 cents per minute.

Last year, Uber told drivers it would agree to $1.17 per mile and 34 cents per minute on the condition that there would be preemption over local regulations and drivers would be defined as independent contractors.

A spokesman for Lyft said the company supports the lower cost estimate in the state report.

Uber says since Seattle set minimum pay rates, drivers have seen their overall income decline even while their per trip earnings have increased. The company says thats due both to lower demand and more drivers signing up to work on their platform.

Long served on an interim task force on Uber and Lyft pay that recommended the state pass two different rates, one for greater Minnesota and one for the metro, due to the significant market differences.

Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, the lone Republican to endorse the deal in a news release from legislative Democrats and members of the City Council, later said through a spokeswoman he was misinformed about Uber and Lyfts lack of participation in the negotiation.

I trust those in the room will keep negotiating in good faith to keep ride share companies operating for those who need them, he said in a statement.

Other state Republicans held a news conference to blast the deal, saying it wasnt a deal at all since it didnt involve the companies.

Theres a two word message for the DFL today: Grow up, said Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington. We have a Minneapolis City Council off the rails, jeopardizing a critical component of transportation infrastructure in our state. The time for DFL dithering and delays must come to an end.

The post House, Senate leaders announce deal with Minneapolis council on Uber and Lyft driver rates appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  This week could see another GOP attempt to force a sitting House speaker out of his job, but will Democrats step in this time to save Mike Johnson from members of his own party?

Whether or not Speaker Johnson survives the expected vote it will present a major test of his leadership.

Mike Johnson is not capable of that job. He has proven it over and over again, said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene says this week shell call for a motion to vacate potentially forcing Johnson from his job as Speaker of the House.

We are holding him accountable. We didnt vote for him to be speaker for the Democrats and thats what he is, Greene said.

Greene and a handful of others in the party are unhappy Speaker Johnson brokered deals with Democrats, in particular over military funding for Ukraine.

I dont want to predict what she will or wont do. Shes pretty much operating on her own with one or two others who have expressed support for what shes doing, said Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.).

Given House rules Greene has the power to force a vote on Johnsons future even as Democrats say theyll step in to kill that effort, but only once.

Weve made clear that this is a vote of conscience, said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Already some pro-Johnson Republicans say they want to avoid the kind of circus that happened when the party forced out former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Descending into chaos and closing the House down and vacating the chair again is exactly the opposite of what needs to happen, said Johnson.

The majority of Republicans say they stand with the speaker.

I want to say I think Speaker Johnston is doing an outstanding job. I agree with President Trump on that, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

Greene hasnt said when shell introduce that motion other than promising it will be sometime this week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
Hundreds of faculty and staff members call on UNC-CH to dismiss charges against student protesters

File photo of UNC-Chapel Hill (Photo by Eros Hoagland/Getty Images)

More than 750 faculty and staff members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have signed onto a letter calling on administrators to dismiss the charges against college students involved in the April 30th protest at Polk Place.

In an online letter addressed to interim Chancellor Lee Roberts and Provost Chris Clemens, the faculty said prior to the police arriving on the scene, the student encampment was an example of the kind of peaceful free expression that the university claims to uphold.

But when the administration opted to call in police to break up the encampment, it created a militarized and unsafe climate on the UNC campus creating trauma for some students, the faculty wrote.

In a statement to the Carolina community last Friday, three of the schools vice chancellors said the actions taken at the pro-Palestinian encampment were necessary as some of the protesters were not UNC students and had caused significant damage to campus property.

Faculty members criticized the vice chancellors statement, and the interim chancellors claims that the arrested students had violated university policy without providing any specific details of the misconduct.

Heres more from the faculty petition:

We call for accountability for the administrators whose decisions during the protest dishonored the universitys noble traditions of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and respecting students rights to protest.  UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and staff

Days ahead of the Spring Commencement, faculty are calling on UNC-Chapel Hills top leaders to dismiss all suspensions and additional charges against students involved in the protest, to remove the fence around the universitys flagpole outside South Building, to return any student items that were confiscated during the police action, and to re-open the Campus Y.

The university reopened the Campus Y to students this week.

As of Monday evening, more than 800 people had signed onto the petition advocating for students right to free speech and protest. Among the many names, James Moeser, chancellor emeritus of the university.

Following the protests at UNC-CH and other college campuses, Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07) co-sponsored legislation that if passed would deport foreign students who participate in criminal activity during pro-terrorism or antisemitic demonstrations.

America must not tolerate the criminal behavior by radical protestors occupying campuses across the country, including those the United States has allowed into our country on student visas, said Rouzer in a press release.

Read the text of H.R.8221 here.

The post Hundreds of faculty and staff members call on UNC-CH to dismiss charges against student protesters appeared first on NC Newsline.
The rolling green mounds of Ah-Nab-Awen Park in Grand Rapids, Mich., glimmered red on Friday, May 03, as hundreds of tribal citizens, leaders and allies gathered to demand justice for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) crisis.

The gathering, organized by the state's MMIP task force, was one of hundreds that took place around Indian Country for National MMIP Awareness Day, proclaimed by President Joe Biden as Sunday, May 5. Many attendees wore red clothing and donned red hand prints on their faces. Red is the official color commemorating MMIP, drawn from the common Native belief that red is the only color spirits can see.

The event began at noon with a grand entrance from representatives of Michigan's 12 federally recognized tribes, followed by a water ceremony. Speakers included filmmaker Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (Cherokee); Uniting Three Fires Against Violence Project Director Sandra Pilgrim Lewis (Oglala Lakota Sioux); and Chief Judge of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Court Melissa Pope. Representatives from regional chapters of the RedRum Motorcycle Club also spoke. Anong the speakers were Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten.

Speakers addressed the factors driving the crisis, marked by the disproportionally high number of cold cases involving Indigenous people who go missing or are murdered.

The MMIP crisis is prevalent across the United States, with Indigenous peoples being murderedat a rate ten times the national average. Homicide is the leading cause of death for Native women ages 10-24 and the fifth-leading cause of death for Native women 25-34, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Advocates say jurisdictional confusion, systemic limitations, and apathy leave many cases unsolved. Devastated families in Native communities are often left to look for their loved ones alone.

In addressing the crowd, Whitmer underscored that lawmakers need to pay attention and take action to mitigate the crisis.

"We must remember that these issues are not unsolvable," Whitmer told the crowd. If we act, we can and will save lives."

She noted that Michigan is one of six states in a national pilot program launched in 2020 to address community response plans to MMIP cases.

Pope closed out the speaker portion of the event with a powerful call to Indigenous people and allies to become educated on the enduring impact of federal assimilation policies and intersecting disparities that culminate in the MMIP Crisis.

The needs surrounding missing and murdered women and Indigenous people are long-standing issues connected to this countrys history of assimilation policies, Pope said. We need allies in this work, and we need every advocate to remember the historical trauma and suffering of Indigenous people throughout the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii.

The event concluded with a mile-long march through downtown Grand Rapids.

National MMIP Awareness was first recognized in 2017, prompted by a resolution introduced by Montana Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester. The date of May 5 was selected to honor the birthday of Hanna Harris, a 21-year-old member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe who went missing on July 4, 2013. Events honoring the day will continue to take place across Indian Country throughout this week.

{gallery}MMIP Grand Rapids{/gallery}

About the Author: "Elyse Wild is senior editor for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. "

Contact: ewild@indiancountrymedia.com
Budapest will not hand over male Ukrainian refugees who are liable for military service to Kyiv, Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen has said.

Source: European Pravda with reference to atv.hu

Details: Semjen said that "every refugee" from Ukraine is "completely safe and receives all the assistance [they need]".

"Hungary will not extradite refugees to Ukraine. We do not investigate whether a person is liable, according to the Ukrainians, for military service or not. Out of basic humanity, we will not allow them to be sent to their deaths," Semjen said.

Semjen noted that in the case of Transcarpathian Hungarians, this is Budapest's "natural national duty", and in the case of Ukrainians, it is a humanitarian and legal gesture, as no one whose life is at risk is subject to extradition.

"The Ukrainians want them to be handed over to be sent to the war, to the front line, where people are being killed. For that reason, those who fled to us from Ukraine are all safe, and we will not extradite them," he said.

Background:

On 23 April 2024, Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to temporarily suspend the provision of consular services to men liable for military service.

Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, has said that Ukraine will not force military-age men to return from abroad.

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Hungary Plans At Least 16 Agreements With China During Xi Visit

(Bloomberg) -- Hungary plans to sign at least 16 agreements with China during President Xi Jinpings three-day visit from Wednesday, according to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The agreements, which may total 18 as two are still under negotiation, will focus on expanding the Hungarian chapter of the Belt and Road Initiative to include further rail, road and energy projects, Szijjarto was quoted as saying in a ministry statement on Monday. The sides will also review the possibility for nuclear cooperation.

Read more: Chinas Billions Help Xi Make Useful Friends in Eastern Europe

Szijjarto denied an earlier report that Xi may travel to the southern city of Pecs to announce an investment by Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor. Xis delegation will include Chinas foreign, finance and trade ministers.

Xi will visit Hungary after talks in France and a stop in Serbia, part of the Chinese leaders first visit to the European Union in five years. Xi is scheduled to depart Hungary on Friday.

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What is Hunter Biden doing near this administration?

Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden at the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 1 - Anadolu

Joe Bidens officials questioned why his son Hunter was anywhere near this administration ever after he appeared in public with the US president while under investigation for tax fraud.

In emails released by the State Department under Freedom of Information laws, officials in Mr Bidens administration scrambled to deal with the political fallout of an investigation into the presidents son in 2022 and 2023.

Hunter Biden has been indicted for tax fraud and for illegal possession of a firearm, in a case that has threatened to damage his fathers reelection prospects this November.

The 54-year-old lawyer, who denies all charges, is also the subject of a political investigation by Republicans in Congress, who have seized on an opportunity to tie the US president to his sons business activities.

Heavily-redacted emails, seen by The Telegraph, show private frustration of the presidents officials that he faced scrutiny because of his sons legal woes.

In one message to Stacey Thompson, the State Departments House director, an unnamed official wrote: But also, why is Hunter Biden anywhere near this administration ever?

The message came on April 28 2022, shortly after Mr Biden Jr was invited to the White Houses annual Easter Egg Roll.

He had not been seen in public for a fortnight, since fresh questions emerged about the contents of his laptop, which has since become a key part of the congressional investigation into his conduct.

The previous week, officials on a separate email chain said it was only a matter of time before journalists started asking questions about Mr Biden Jrs laptop, and that it might be worth having a few lines in our back pocket.

In a separate email, from March 2023, officials discussed the political pivots for Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, to take in response to questions about the investigations into Mr Biden Jr.

They included possible responses for Mr Blinken to questions about the presidents son and his laptop.

Republicans in the House of Representatives launched an impeachment inquiry into the president over his alleged connection to his sons business dealings in Ukraine, which they allege were corrupt.

Peddled fathers influence

It is claimed that Mr Biden Jr peddled his fathers influence as vice president in Barack Obamas administration to secure business, and that his father was aware of this arrangement.

The inquiry has been unable to establish any solid evidence of wrongdoing.

However, the story does have the potential to damage Mr Bidens reelection bid, with a poll conducted in November showing a majority of the public believe he was aware of his sons activities.

In response, the White House has accused Republicans of tying Mr Biden to his sons activities in an attempt to distract from legal proceedings against Donald Trump.

Mr Biden has issued statements of support for his son and invited him to public events since it was revealed in 2018 that he was under investigation for tax fraud.

Mr Biden Jr has since been indicted on the tax charges and a separate charge that he lied about his drug use to buy a gun, which is a federal crime.

Trials over both sets of charges in Delaware and California are set to begin in June.

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Husband of American woman reported missing in Spain arrested in Florida, FBI says

The husband of Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, a woman who was reported missing while in Spain in February, has been arrested in Florida, the FBI confirmed Monday.

David Knezevich, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is in federal custody for his alleged involvement in his wifes kidnapping on or about February 2, 2024, according to FBI spokesperson James Marshall.

David Knezevich, 36, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is in federal custody for his alleged involvement in his wifes kidnapping, according to the FBI. - Broward County Sheriff's Office

His arrest was made without incident Saturday by the Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI at Miami International Airport, Marshall said. Knezevich has not yet had his initial appearance in Miami Federal Court, according to court records.

The Spanish National Police, US Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the FBI are continuing their investigations.

Knezevich Henao, 40, was reported missing in February after she failed to meet a friend in Madrid.

Her brother, Juan Felipe Henao, told CNN she was supposed to take a train to Barcelona with a friend on February 5, but his sister never showed up at the Madrid station.

Knezevich Henaos friend, Sanna Rameau, said she last exchanged messages with her on February 2.

Rameau told CNN she is happy and emotional after learning of the arrest. Im hoping we are going to get some answers, she said.

Around the time she went missing, Rameau said she received a WhatsApp message from Knezevich Henao which read: I met someone wonderful!! He has a summer house about 2h (hours) from Madrid. We are going there now and I will spend a few days there. Signal is spotty. Ill call you when I get back.

The text message, seen by CNN, added the man had approached her on the street a day earlier while she was walking. Amazing connection. Like I never had before, the text ended.

Around the time she went missing, someone spray-painted the lens of two security cameras of the apartment building where Knezevich Henao was staying in Madrids upscale Salamanca neighborhood, the buildings superintendent told CNN.

The cameras disabled were at the entrance of the building and near the elevator, the superintendent said. Its unclear if the incident is related to her disappearance.

The building superintendent and two other people with knowledge of the situation told CNN that police had entered Knezevich Henaos apartment on February 12 with judicial authorization.

Her brother and Rameau told CNN they had been in contact, separately, with Knezevich in the days after her disappearance, and he told them he was in Serbia. CNN attempted to reach Knezevich in February but did not get a reply.

Two people who know the situation told CNN Knezevich Henao initially rented the apartment in Madrid from January 5 to February 5. She then asked to extend the booking for another month  until March 5.

CNN reached out to Spanish police at the time, but they declined to comment because they are still investigating.

The website of a computer services company in South Florida, EOX Technology Solutions, lists David Knezevich as the CEO and managing director. It says David Knezevich is Serbian and Knezevich Henao is a native of Colombia and a project manager. CNN has contacted the company but did not immediately get through to anyone.

The US Embassy in Madrid had no comment on the case in February and cited privacy restrictions when asked by CNN.

CNNs Pau Mosquera, Al Goodman and Carlos Suarez contributed to this report.

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Husband of Florida woman missing in Spain is charged with her disappearance

A banner of a Colombian-born American missing woman Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, 40, is displayed on a streetlight in Madrid, Spain, Feb. 16, 2024. The estranged husband of the woman who disappeared three months ago in Spain has been charged by U.S. federal agents with her kidnapping. U.S. marshals arrested David Knezevich at Miami International Airport on Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, file)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  The estranged husband of a Florida woman who disappeared three months ago in Spain has been charged by U.S. federal agents with her kidnapping.

The FBI and other federal agents arrested David Knezevich at Miami International Airport on Saturday. The Fort Lauderdale resident is charged in connection with the Feb. 2 disappearance of his 40-year-old wife, Ana Knezevich, from the Madrid apartment where she had been staying since shortly after their separation last year.

David Knezevich, a 36-year-old business owner originally from Serbia, briefly appeared in Miami federal court Monday and will have a bond hearing Friday.

The Spanish National Police, Customs and Border Protection, the Diplomatic Security Service, and the FBI continue their investigation. Because this is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released, the FBI said in a statement.

Knezevich's attorney, Ken Padowitz, did not return a call Monday afternoon seeking comment. Padowitz has previously denied his client had anything to do with his wife's disappearance.

Ana Knezevich, a naturalized American originally from Colombia, vanished shortly after a man wearing a motorcycle helmet disabled her apartment complexs security cameras by spray-painting the lenses.

A friend, Sanna Rameau, and another woman received text messages from Ana Knezevich's phone the next day saying she was running off for a few days with a man she had just met. Rameau said the messages were not written in Ana's style and she would never leave with a stranger.

I am happy that there has been an arrest," Rameau said Monday. We are hoping that this next chapter will bring justice and find answers about what has happened to Ana.

The Knezeviches, who sometimes spell their surname Knezevic, have been married for 13 years. They own EOX Technology Solutions Inc., which does computer support for South Florida businesses. Records show they also own a home and two other Fort Lauderdale properties, one of those currently under foreclosure.

Anas brother, Juan Henao, called the divorce nasty in an interview with a Fort Lauderdale detective, a report shows. He told police David was angry that they would be dividing a substantial amount of money.

Padowitz, in a February interview, denied that the divorce was contentious and said his client was cooperating with police. He said his client was in Serbia when his wife disappeared.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  FBI agents, with help from the Spanish National Police, arrested the husband of a missing South Florida woman who vanished after she traveled to Madrid last February, according to NBC affiliate WTVJ.

David Knezevich was arrested Sunday at Miami International Airport after flying in from his home country of Serbia, where he had been for months, WTVJ said.

A banner of a Colombian-born American missing woman Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, 40, is displayed on a streetlight in Madrid, Spain, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Spanish police are looking for an Colombian-born American woman who has been reported missing in Madrid since early February. A police spokeswoman said a friend of Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, 40, filed a a missing persons complaint in a Madrid city center station on Feb. 4. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The station reported that Knezevich was arrested as the alleged perpetrator in his wifes disappearance.

Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, 40, disappeared on February 2 in Madrid. Ana Maria lived in Fort Lauderdale and arrived in Madrid last December amid a nasty divorce from Knezevich, according to WTVJ.

She vanished after a man in a motorcycle helmet reportedly spray-painted the lenses of the security cameras at Ana Marias Madrid apartment.

Two of her friends received separate messages the following day in both English and Spanish saying she ran off with a man she just met, according to WTVJ.

Police in Madrid and Fort Lauderdale began investigations shortly after.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Husband and wife in their 80s are run over and killed during evening walk, PA cops say

A married couple in their 80s were run over as they were out for an evening walk and later died, according to Pennsylvania authorities and news reports.

The two pedestrians were found with serious injuries following the crash at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, in Allentown, the Allentown Police Department said in a news release. They were taken to a hospital, where they both died, authorities said.

They were identified by the Lehigh County coroner as Frank Wyant, 83, and Marcella Wyant, 80, according to LehighValleyNews.com. The couple had been out on an evening walk, the coroner told Lehigh Valley Live.

Police said the driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with officers. No charges have been announced as of Monday, May 6.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk told The Morning Call he is fed up over pedestrian fatalities in the city.

Ive had enough. Last night we had a police officer posted here until 8 p.m. Then this crash happened at 8:30 p.m., Tuerk told the news outlet. Im pleading with people in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley, when you are in Allentown, slow down.

Allentown is about 65 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

5-year-old dies after getting hit by car at apartment complex, Georgia police say

Driver playing air guitar to radio hits and kills 61-year-old, Minnesota cops say

Cop knew he likely killed woman, but kept silent and investigated her death, feds say
Trump Rages As Prosecutors In Hush-Money Trial Estimate Two More Weeks Needed To Finish Their Case  Update

UPDATED, 3:04 PM: The judge in Donald Trumps hush-money trial hasnt tossed the ex-president behind bars yet for violating a gag order, but the former Celebrity Apprentice host wont be getting out of the courtroom anytime soon either.

On a dry day in front of Judge Juan Merchan, the jury on Monday saw prosecutors put another Trump Organization accounting employee on the stand in the start of the third week of Trumps trial to walk jurors through the gritty details and record-keeping behind checks signed by the Art of the Deal author to his fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen.

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Deborah Tarasoff, who still works for Trump as an accounts payable supervisor, followed her former boss, the companys retired comptroller Jeffrey McConney on the stand today in the Manhattan courtroom.

With cable news jumping to a possible ceasefire in Gaza for parts of the day, Tarasoffs and McConneys testimony took up almost the entire day in court. As the talking heads played legal keepy-uppy, Tarasoffs turn after lunch produced the only real courtroom fireworks, when Trumps lawyer Todd Blanche complained to Merchan that prosecutors gave him just 30 minutes of advance notice that Tarasoff was their next witness.

After Tarasoff was done and jurors were sent home for the day, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Joshua Steinglass took exception to Blanches complaint. I dont like the impression being left that were somehow sandbagging the defense, Steinglass said, adding that Trumps legal team has the prosecutions entire witness list, just not where they are in the queue.

Steinglass cited the judges contempt rulings against Trump for his public statements about other case witnesses  Cohen and hush-money recipient Stormy Daniels  as a reason for limiting the defense teams access to the prosecutions witness calendar.

Steinglass also said the prosecution needs about two more weeks from Tuesday to finish its case but called that a very, very rough estimate.

Outside the court, Trump, who has clinched the GOP nomination for his third presidential run, told pool reporters: The government just said they want two to three more weeks. That means they want to keep me off the [campaign] trail for two to three more weeks. Now, anybody in there would realize theres no case, they dont have a case.

This is just a political witch hunt, Trump added. Its election interference, and this is really, truly election interference and its a disgrace, its a disgrace. And every poll, Im leading by a lot.

Tarasoff, questioned by Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy, identified the invoices, vouchers, ledger entries, pay stubs and signed checks that prosecutors say are the falsified business records at the heart of their case. They went month by month through a years worth of payments to Cohen totaling $420,000, with Conroy repeating questions to the plain-spoken, white-haired Tarasoff.

Do you recognize the signature? Conroy said, meaning Trumps spiky, Sharpie-width handwriting.

Yes, Tarasoff replied.

Whose signature is that? Conroy asked.

Mr. Trumps, Tarasoff replied in an exchange repeated multiple times.

The payments to Cohen in 2017 were coded as a legal expense in the companys electronic ledger, Tarasoff testified. Prosecutors say the payments in 2017 werent for legal work: They were reimbursements puffed up to $420,000 and disguised as monthly taxable income so Trump could quietly cover the $130,000 Cohen paid to Daniels in 2016.

Cohen paid Daniels for her silence during the 2016 election about a claim of a sexual encounter years earlier between her and the married real estate mogul and Apprentice star. Trump denies the encounter ever happened. His lawyers have suggested that Cohen  who pleaded guilty and went to jail on charges related to the payment  was acting alone.

Theyve also argued that non-disclosure agreements like this one are routine  and legal  in business, that Trump was trying to spare his family embarrassment whether or not stories of infidelity were true and that he also had a right to protect himself from salacious claims in the middle of an election.

There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election: Its called democracy, Blanche said in opening arguments.

The case resumes Tuesday. Steinglass said he also wants to recall an earlier witness, Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal in the DAs office who scoured Trumps social media history for tweets and posts on Trumps Truth Social network that jurors saw last week. One post from October 2016 read: Nothing ever happened with any of these women. Totally made up nonsense.

Steinglass said Longstreet had more posts to share, but her testimony was kept short to accommodate a juror who needed to leave early for a medical appointment. Over objections from Blanche, Merchan said hell allow Longstreet another turn in the witness box later this week, when she is expected to share more Trump posts. He ordered Steinglass to give Trumps lawyers 24 hours notice of Longstreets testimony schedule so they can prepare their defense and cross-examination.

PREVIOUSLY, 11:20 AM: Prosecutors in Donald Trumps hush-money trial on Monday walked jurors through the financial specifics of their case against the former president.

A former chief of accounting at the Trump Organization testified today that he was instructed to pay $420,000 to Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, using a form of reimbursement that was totally unfamiliar to him.

Allen said we had to get some money for Michael, former Trump company comptroller Jeffrey McConney said on the stand, referring to Cohen and to McConneys supervisor, Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg, who is serving five months in jail.

The companys chief financial officer called McConney into a meeting in January 2017  the month of Trumps inauguration as president  and presented him with a bank statement from Cohen that also contained handwritten notes and dollar amounts from Weisselberg.

The bank statement listed a $130,000 payment to a lawyer representing adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say the bank account was for a shell company set up by Cohen to pay Daniels lawyer.

Weisselbergs notes showed dollar amounts totaling $420,000 to be paid to Cohen in monthly installments of $35,000 beginning in February 2018.

McConney spent three hours on the stand  over numerous defense objections  combing through invoices, emails, Trump company ledger entries, tax forms and a government ethics filing as he was questioned by a prosecutor and then a defense lawyer about the payments to Cohen, which were billed by the company as legal work covered by a retainer agreement between Trump and Cohen.

Prosecutors say the payments in 2017 werent for legal work, but were instead reimbursements disguised as monthly taxable income so Trump could pay Cohen back for a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels. According to prosecutors, the payments were made using illegally falsified paperwork including invoices from Cohen and official Trump company ledger entries.

Weisselbergs notes included an instruction to double the total amount that Cohen was claiming for expenses  $130,000 for the payment to Daniels lawyer, Keith Davidson, plus $50,000 to a tech company  to $360,000, which McConney interpreted as a way to cover Cohens tax obligations. Weisselberg also said to add a $60,000 bonus.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo asked McConney if he was aware of anyone at the company ever asking for an expense reimbursement  which isnt something normally reported to the IRS  to be doubled to cover a tax bill. No, McConney said.

McConney testified that Weisselberg told him to hang on to Cohens bank statement, which McConney tucked into a payroll ledger kept in a locked cabinet in his office at Trump Tower. Weisselberg  who is serving a jail sentence on Rikers Island for perjury in connection with a civil case against Trump  never told him what specifically the payments were for beyond what he saw on the bank statement, McConney testified.

But McConney, who recently retired after more than three decades with the Trump Organization, showed some skepticism of Cohens legal capabilities.

What was his position? Colangelo asked.

He said he was a lawyer, McConney replied curtly.

Within days of McConneys meeting with Weisselberg, he was receiving Cohens monthly invoices  forwarded by Weisselberg with no covering note  for $35,000 apiece for services rendered for each month there was an invoice. McConney forwarded the invoices to one of his staffers for payment. The checks to Cohen came initially from a trust that Trump set up to control his assets during his presidency, and later from Trumps personal bank account  which meant that Trump had to personally sign the checks.

Somehow wed have to get a package to the White House, McConney testified.



Emil Bove, a Trump defense lawyer, cross-examined McConney by highlighting email traffic between Cohen and Weisselberg that appeared to show Cohen was, in fact, still handling personal legal affairs for the president  now as Trumps private attorney. After January 2017, Cohen was no longer employed by the Trump Organization.

Bove also pointed out that the obligations to Cohen were disclosed in the government ethics form that Trump signed and dated in May 2018, and that the ethics officer who reviewed and signed the document wrote, I conclude that the filer is in compliance with applicable laws.

Over objections from the defense, Colangelo asked McConney if he had later come to learn that there were matters that Allen Weisselberg kept you in the dark about. McConney said yes.

Ted Johnson & Dominic Patten contributed to this report

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Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks during a press conference at the Agency headquarters in Vienna. Dean Calma/IAEA/dpa

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has travelled to Iran for talks for the first time in more than a year.

Grossi arrived in the capital Tehran on Monday, according to Iranian media reports. The visit comes at a turbulent time given the recent direct military clashes between Iran and Israel.

As in previous years, the IAEA chief is expected to negotiate with top Iranian politicians on the country's nuclear programme.

In addition to the bilateral negotiations, according to Iranian media reports, Grossi is also due to take part in the country's first international nuclear conference on Tuesday.

Grossi has long been trying to get answers from Iran about past secret nuclear activities. According to Grossi, there are still "important information gaps."

A few days ago, Iran's nuclear chief Mohammed Eslami expressed confidence that the IAEA leader's trip could bring an end to the differences.

Iran had committed to severely restricting its nuclear programme in an agreement in 2015 in exchange for relief from sanctions.

The pact, which was intended to prevent Iran from building nuclear bombs, was terminated by then-US president Donald Trump in 2018.

In response, Tehran greatly expanded uranium enrichment and restricted IAEA inspections.
IAEA leader Grossi arrives in Iran for meetings on nuclear programme

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) welcomes International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (L) before their meeting in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, arrived in Tehran on Monday for the first talks with Iranian officials in more than a year.

The visit comes at a turbulent time given the recent direct military clashes between Iran and Israel.

After arriving in the Iranian capital on Monday, Grossi met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, according to Iranian media reports.

As in previous years, the IAEA chief is expected to negotiate with top Iranian politicians on the country's nuclear programme.

In addition to the bilateral negotiations, according to Iranian media reports, Grossi is also due to take part in the country's first international nuclear conference on Tuesday.

Grossi has long been trying to get answers from Iran about past secret nuclear activities. According to Grossi, there are still "important information gaps."

A few days ago, Iran's nuclear chief Mohammed Eslami expressed confidence that the IAEA leader's trip could bring an end to the differences.

On Monday, Eslami reiterated plans to push ahead with the domestic nuclear programme for energy production in remarks at the start of the nuclear conference, as reported by the state news agency IRNA.

At the same time, Eslami lamented the relatively high number of IAEA inspections of Iranian facilities as compared to other countries.

"We hope that the agency [IAEA] can fulfil its role free from political influence and pressure," he said, according to the state agency.

Iran had committed to severely restricting its nuclear programme in an agreement in 2015 in exchange for relief from sanctions.

The pact, which was intended to prevent Iran from building nuclear bombs, was terminated by then-US president Donald Trump in 2018.

In response, Tehran greatly expanded uranium enrichment and restricted IAEA inspections.

But amid rising military tensions in the Middle East, an Iranian military commander hinted in mid-April that the country could take a new course on its nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Ministry, however, has categorically denied that Iran was striving for nuclear weapons, despite renewed speculation following the clashes with Israel and the war in the Gaza Strip.

Iran is currently enriching uranium to a purity level of 60%, and in the past, critics have expressed doubts about the civilian use of such highly enriched uranium.

According to experts enrichment to more than 90% is required for nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) welcomes International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (L) before their meeting in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Coroner identifies man who was killed in shooting by Gulfport police officer

The name of the person shot and killed by a Gulfport police officer Saturday night during a fight has been released

Kendrall Tate, 27, of Gulfport had multiple gunshot wounds, said Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer. He was pronounced dead shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, where he was taken after the shooting.

Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reported in a press release that officers were called to William Bell Apartments on Reed Avenue, near the Seabee base, with a report of a stabbing. A fight broke out at the scene between the officer and Tate, who was shot multiple times.

An autopsy will be performed Tuesday, Switzer said.

The officer had no serious physical injuries.

MBI will share its findings with the attorney generals office when the investigation is complete.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. On May 6, First Deputy Minister of Defense  Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev met with the delegation led by Professor Talat Canbolat and Lieutenant General Yasar Kadoglu, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Within the framework of the Foreign Study Trip, the guests visited the graves of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva in the Alley of Honor, as well as the Alley of Martyrs and Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery. The guests laid wreaths and flowers and paid tribute to their bright memory.

Colonel General K.Valiyev welcomed the guests at the meeting held at General Staff of Azerbaijan Army and expressed his satisfaction with seeing them in Azerbaijan. The Chief of General Staff noted that bilateral military cooperation with Turkiye is based on friendship and fraternity. The importance of further expansion of cooperation in the field of military education between Azerbaijan and Turkiye was highlighted.

The Turkish delegation expressed gratitude for the hospitality and noted the high level of cooperation aimed at expanding experience in military education.

Then the guests met with the Advisor to the Minister of Defense, Colonel General Bakhtiyar Ersay, and the First Deputy Commander of the Air Force  Chief of Staff Colonel Mazahir Rustamov.

The meetings discussed reforms carried out in the Azerbaijan Army and expressed the importance of further development of cooperation in military education and the exchange of mutual experience.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  May 5 through 11 marks Arson Awareness Week. The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is warning against committing this serious crime, focusing this year on the theme of Protecting Houses of Worship Against Arson.

From 2020-2022, the United States Fire Administration said an average of 1,300 fires a year were reported at places of worship. These resulted in an annual average of $74.6 million in property loss. 33% of the fires were due to cooking, while 15% were a result of intentional actions.

Municipal fire departments across the country responded to more than 52,000 intentionally set structure fires from 2014-2018, the National Fire Protection Association reported. These fires led to a yearly average of 400 deaths, 950 injuries and $815 million in property damage. A heavy amount of these incidents involved homes, and more than half were ignited by a lighter or match.

Illinois firefighters become prize-winning fishers for 40th Crappie Tournament

The OSFMs Arson Division closed 44 cases last year that were related to arson with an arrest.

I encourage all congregations in houses of worship to host a fire safety day. Groups can go over fire extinguisher use, candle use in services and candle alternatives, such as flameless candles, State Fire Marshal James Rivera said. Work with your local fire department to help design a fire escape plan and inspection of your building to ensure everyone will be safe in the event of an emergency. Host a cleanup day with tasks that include trimming trees and shrubbery, cleaning windows, and removing all possible items that can start a fire, like flammable liquids, things that can burn and trash. Contact your local police department to help identify any security weaknesses, which can help prevent break-ins or intentionally set fires.

A statewide Arson Hotline is available to anonymously report suspicious fires. Simply call 800-252-2947.

Maroa Fire Chief to be honored at national firefighter memorial service

To help prevent arson, the OSFM provided some tips below:

Keep leaves, firewood, overgrown brush, and shrubbery and other combustibles away from buildings.

Keep doors and windows locked when a building is unoccupied. Board up abandoned buildings. Do not use double cylinder deadbolt locks without keeping a key nearby, bars without quick release mechanisms, or other security provisions that could trap a person in a building with a deadly fire.

Store all flammable liquids such as paints, gasoline, and mowers in an approved storage location: locked cabinets, locked storage units, and locked garages (prevent access to kids). Also, keep away from heat sources such as furnaces and any type of heaters.

Report suspicious activity near houses or other buildings to the local police and support Neighborhood Watch programs.

If you suspect a child is setting fires, notify the proper authorities. Keep matches and lighters out of reach and out of sight of young children.

If you know or suspect that an arson crime has been committed, contact your local fire or police department.

The OSFM also offers the Youth Firesetter Intervention Program to help raise awareness and education about arson. To request this program, call 1-844-689-7882.

Visit the OSFM website at www.sfm.illinois.gov for more information on the program, arson prevention and the OSFM Arson Division.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
FINDLAY, Ill. (WCIA)  Champaign Firefighters Local 1260 hosted their 40th Annual Shawn Marmion Memorial Crappie Tournament at Lake Shelbyville last week, assembling Illinois first responders for a day of fishing and fellowship.

The tournament serves as a light-hearted, outdoorsy get-together for firefighters from across the state. L1260 President Zach Tish said some firefighters have attended the event for decades, and even out-of-state crews will join in on occasion.

Beloved toons set sail on Kaufman Lake in annual tradition

Tish said prizes are given for the first fish and biggest fish. Teams of firefighters can compete in either the Active or Retired divisions. But this year, the tournament didnt only include fire crews  a Police division was also invited into the fun.

Ahead of Wednesdays competition, participants were able to meet one another through a steak dinner at the boat launch. The next morning, around 100 boats were floating on Lake Shelbyville for the 2024 tournament.

(Photos provided by the Facebook page of Champaign Firefighters Local 1260.)

Tish said the Crappie Tournament provides a great opportunity for Champaign Firefighters to bond outside of work, which improves their ability to work together while on the clock.

Kickapoo Adventures hosts paddling fundraiser for veterans

The yearly competition is held in memory of Lieutenant Shawn Marmion, who served with the Champaign Fire Department. Tish said Marmion was a member of L1260 and really helped the tournament grow. After his passing in 2007, the event was renamed to the Shawn Marmion Memorial Crappie Tournament.

While Tish was unsure who won the Police division for its inaugural year, a team from Champaign Fire won the Active division and a team from Harristown won the Retired division for 2024s tournament.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Kucinski previously worked for Newark City Schools in Ohio.

For Steve Kucinski, teaching is a calling  one that he still loves 30 years later.

"The thought that each day you have the chance to influence kids  I've always felt like it's an important job, even on days that for me didn't feel like a good day," Kucinski said.

Kucinski is a Dublin Coffman High School English teacher and was recently named one of Ohio's 2024 Teachers of the Year for his excellence in the field of educating and inspiring students.

"It might have been my worst day, but it's somebody's best day," Kucinski said of his approach to teaching. "So, I tried to examine my career day-by-day like that."

Kucinski looks back on over 30 years teaching kids in a rapidly changing society

Kucinski began teaching as an assistant teacher at Dublin Coffman in 1993, and then went to Newark City Schools in Ohio to teach until 1999 when he returned to Dublin Coffman High School. In his more than 30 years as a teacher, he has seen the field of education totally change.

"There's been a lot of changes, where I would say we're struggling to figure out where we are now as far as what kids need and what, who's, what's the best way to deliver it to them," he said.

When he first started teaching, the focus for teachers was less on working collaboratively with the students and was more about learning "This is what you're doing. Do it this way. Do it well, and you're good"  which Kucinski called "doing school."

However, after researching innovative teaching strategies about 10 years ago, Kucinski said he believed there are better ways to teach kids, especially considering all the new pressures teens face at home, work or with school extracurriculars.

"I just started to feel like there's so much more I could get out of (the students)  it may be more work for me, it may be a little uncomfortable  but it was fun to me and reignited my desire to get more out of them."

Authenticity in education and forming connections with your students

Dublin Coffman teacher Steve Kucinski was selected as one of Ohio's 2024 Teachers of the Year. He said despite challenges in the industry, he still loves making connections with students.

Part of the secret sauce to great teaching, Kucinski said, is engaging authentically with your students. And that may mean working collaboratively with them, offering them choices and helping them actually take something from an English curriculum.

For example, on his wall was student artwork from books like Animal Farm  the assignment was to visualize what they had taken away as a theme from a book they had read and explain what the drawings meant.

"They're tougher to do for the students meaning they take more time, but they usually enjoy them," Kucinski said. "Truly it was not this 'You're all writing this essay topic,' why as a teacher would I want that?"

However, he said that in 2024, educators are finding that it is harder than ever to connect with students and engage them in learning, or even school activities like pajama day that are meant to be fun.

"It's not just COVID backlash. It's not just social media  It's there's some strange combination now that's got students kind of in a fog," Kucinski said.

And the need for authenticity reaches new heights in a world with artificial intelligence that can do homework for you. While teachers across the country grapple with how to handle students abusing AI, Kucinski said he wants to create assignments for students that are either impossible to fake with AI, or one a student wouldn't even want to cheat on.

"You could go, you know, back to paper pencil, you can go to presentations, I'm trying to more say: 'I really want to know what you think,'" Kucinski said. "I want to know what you think, and you really can't be wrong as long as you explain yourself."

'I'm still really loving it.'

Kucinski was among 11 teachers selected as the Ohio Department of Education Teachers of the Year from across the state. Of his time meeting Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, he said he felt like he was actually being listened to as an educator.

"As educators, I think that's always a complaint is nobody understands what we're doing or wants to hear from us," he said. "I think educators can do more to speak up when asked, or to get into influential positions if they want change made."

Aside from more than 30 years teaching, Kucinski also holds a doctorate in educational psychology from Ohio State University, where he serves as an adjunct lecturer. He also published a young adult novel and a guide to the Ohio Graduation Test.

Kucinski encourages new and growing teachers to remain focused on the positives of the jobs, despite increasing challenges like politicization of schools or the financial challenges many districts face because of failing levies.

"I'm still really loving it," Kucinski said of his career. "So even after getting closer to where I can officially retire, I'm still really enjoying what I'm doing."

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dublin teacher reflects on over 30 years teaching after state award
(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.

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India is trying to clamp down on fake news spreading widely on social media as the worlds biggest election enters its next phase.

The social media head of the Indian National Congress was arrested on May 3 over accusations he may have doctored a video of Home Minister Amit Shah, a top ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Tuesday, the Election Commission of India ordered social media platform X to take down an animated video posted online by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka state, calling it objectionable.

Kolkata police have also instructed social media users to remove a doctored video of opposition leader Mamata Banerjee for being offensive.

The Election Commission of India on Monday issued a notice to political parties reminding them to be responsible and ethical in their use of social media.

Campaigning in Indias multi-phase elections have become increasingly acrimonious in recent weeks. Modi and other BJP leaders have ratcheted up anti-Muslim rhetoric at rallies and on social media, attacking the Congresss welfare policies.

The Election Commissions statement came three days after the arrest of Arun Reddy, who runs an account under the handle Spirit of Congress on social media platform X. Hes accused of doctoring and sharing a video online of Shah at a rally saying hell end affirmative action policies for socially and economically backward classes in India. The BJP and Shah have repeatedly denied it would take such steps.

The Congress party in Kerala and Telangana condemned Reddys arrest on its social media accounts and demanded his release. The partys spokesperson, Shama Mohamed, declined to comment Monday when contacted for further information.

The Election Commission has been tracking any cases of false information which could lead to voters being misled. Last month, a video circulating on social media showed a single person casting multiple ballots at a polling booth. The ECI clarified that the video was taken during a mock poll exercise, adding that action would be taken against the officer presiding over the exercise in Assam as it was not meant to be filmed.

There have also been several videos shared online showing Bollywood stars like Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan criticizing the ruling party, which have turned out to be fake.

Modi is seeking to extend his decade in power by another five years, predicting his party and its allies will win 400 of the 543 seats up for grabs in the lower house of parliament. Indias elections end on June 1 and counting will take place on June 4.

(Updates with comments from Election Commission in second paragraph.)

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An Indian woman accused her husband of forcing her to have unnatural sex. A judge said thats not a crime in marriage

An Indian judge has dismissed a womans complaint that her husband committed unnatural sex, because under Indian law its not illegal for a husband to force his wife to engage in sexual acts.

The ruling, made in the Madhya Pradesh High Court last week, shines a light on a legal loophole in India that doesnt criminalize marital rape by a husband against his wife, if shes over age 18.

Campaigners have been trying to change the law for years, but they say theyre up against conservatives who argue that state interference could destroy the tradition of marriage in India.

A challenge to the law has been winding its way through the countrys courtrooms, with the Delhi High Court delivering a split verdict on the issue in 2022, prompting lawyers to file an appeal in the countrys Supreme Court that is still waiting to be heard.

According to the Madhya Pradesh High Court order, the woman told police her husband came to her house in 2019, soon after they were married, and committed unnatural sex, under Section 377 of Indias penal code.

The offense includes non-consensual carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, and was historically used to prosecute same sex couples who engaged in consensual sex, before the Supreme Court decriminalized homosexuality in 2018

According to court documents, the woman alleged the act happened on multiple occasions, and that her husband had threatened to divorce her if she told anyone about it. She finally came forward after telling her mother, who encouraged her to file a complaint in 2022, the court heard.

The husband challenged his wifes complaint in court, with his lawyer claiming that any unnatural sex between the couple was not criminal as they are married.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Gurpal Singh Ahluwalia pointed to Indias marital rape exemption, which does not make it a crime for a man to force sex on his wife, a relic of British rule more than 70 years after independence.

When rape includes insertion of penis in the mouth, urethra or anus of a woman and if that act is committed with his wife, not below the age of fifteen years, then consent of the wife becomes immaterial  Marital rape has not been recognized so far, the judge said.

Indias Supreme Court increased marital consent from the age of 15 to 18 in a landmark judgement in 2017.

The woman also accused her in-laws of mental and physical harassment on account of nonfulfilment of demand of dowry, the court order said. A trial is pending.

Ahluwalias remarks have once again raised questions over Indias treatment of women, who continue to face the threat of violence and discrimination in the deeply patriarchal society.

The worlds largest democracy of 1.4 billion has made significant strides in enacting laws to better safeguard women, but lawyers and campaigners say its reluctance to criminalize marital rape leaves women without adequate protection.

Lawyer Indira Jaising, who is among several advocates fighting to outlaw rape within marriage, said many women will benefit if the exception is struck down.

She called for the courts to address the issue as a matter of urgency.

The crime has been invisible. Today these women have nowhere to go, she said. Fast-tracking the case will send a message to everyone that violence against women matters.

According to the 2019-2021 National Family Health Survey by the Government of India, 17.6% of more than 100,000 women ages 15-49 surveyed said they were unable to say no to their husband if they didnt want sex, while 11% thought husbands were justified in hitting or beating his wife if she refused.

Women alleging rape in India have some avenues of potential legal action against their husbands.

For example, they can seek a restraining order under civil law or charges under Section 354 of Indias Penal Code, which covers sexual assault short of rape, and Section 498A, which covers domestic violence.

These laws are open to interpretation and judges can use them to impose prison sentences for sexual assault in cases where a married woman has alleged rape, but many dont, lawyer Karuna Nundy previously told CNN.

Many married women are also ignored when they try to file a police complaint, a 2022 study showed.

The study examined records from three Mumbai public hospitals from 2008 to 2017 and found that of 1,664 rape survivors, no rape cases were filed by police. At least 18 of those women reported marital rape to the police, including 10 women who alleged rape by a former partner or husband.

Four women were explicitly told by police that they could not do anything as marital rape was not a crime, the report said.

CNNs Esha Mitra contributed reporting.

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FILE PHOTO: A full-scale mockup of South Koreas KF-X fighter jet is displayed at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in Seongnam

SEOUL (Reuters) - Indonesia has proposed to cut its share of payments for a joint fighter jet development project with South Korea to about one-third of the originally agreed amount, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Monday.

Indonesia recently suggested to the South Korean government that it would pay about 600 billion won ($442.47 million) for the KF-21 joint fighter jet project, Yonhap reported, citing multiple unnamed government sources.

The original amount due for Indonesia's share of the joint fighter project was set to be at about 1.6 trillion won by June 2026, the report said.

"In order to successfully complete the development of the KF-21 system, the governments of both South Korea and Indonesia are conducting final negotiations to resolve the current cost sharing issues," South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration said in a statement to Reuters.

Indonesia's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The KF-21 fighter jet developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in a project partially backed by Indonesia is designed to be a cheaper, less stealthy alternative to the U.S.-built F-35, on which South Korea relies.

Indonesia said it would receive fewer technology transfers from South Korea as part of its move to cut its financial contribution, Yonhap reported.

South Korea and Indonesia resolved in 2022 a dispute over funding for the joint fighter jet project worth more than 8 trillion won after Indonesia had halted payment of its 20% share of the development costs.

The Indonesian government's latest proposal comes after South Korea police raided KAI's head office in March in connection with two Indonesian nationals accused of leaking technology related to the KF-21 fighter jet project.

($1 = 1,356.0200 won)

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Stanley Widianto in Jakarta; Editing by Jamie Freed)
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A pair of Polk County deputies who were injured during a shooting involving a Moorish sovereign citizen in late April have been released from the hospital.

On April 27, Deputy Sheriff Craig Smith and Lieutenant Chad Anderson were shot while responding to a call in the Duff Road area of Lakeland, according to Sheriff Grady Judd.

Lt. Chad Anderson was shot in the arm, the bullet becoming lodged near his heart. Deputy Sheriff Craig Smith was shot twice in the arm.

It is through the grace of God our Lieutenant and Deputy did not die that evening, the sheriffs office wrote in a video post. They both have extensive injuries, and today we are happy to report that they have both been released from the hospital.

The video features photos of Deputy Sheriff Craig Smith, including shots of him on duty and one of him with a cast on his arm in the hospital alongside Sheriff Judd.

Also shown in the video is Lt. Chad Anderson, seated in a wheelchair, being taken out of the hospital as other sheriffs deputies cheer him on.

The video ends with a thank you message to the staff at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center and the community.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Inmate who escaped from Newton County hospital spotted in Covington

Police, deputies, and Georgia State Patrol Troopers continue their search for an inmate who escaped from a hospital on Saturday in Newton County.

The Newton County Sheriffs Office released an update Sunday afternoon stating there was a confirmed sighting of Kendrick Hurst, 34, near City Pond Road in Covington.

According to the sheriffs office, he was seen again early Tuesday morning in the area of Roy Dial Road, and units were in the area to continue searching for him.

He was wearing what appeared to be a red durag, no shirt, and dark blue jeans.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Hurst escaped from Piedmont Newton Hospital in Covington.

He was arrested on April 28 and charged with making terroristic threats, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, obstruction, and several traffic violations.

He is described as being five feet, 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 190 pounds, and has a lip piercing and face tattoos.

Anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
NEW Cooperative reported in March that a valve that had been open all weekend long released 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen into the East Nishnabotna River. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the spill killed 750,000 fish

More than 60 Iowans have signed a letter to the states environmental chief asking her to investigate a massive nitrogen fertilizer spill in March that killed about 750,000 fish for 50 miles along the Nishnabotna and East Nishnabotna rivers.

"We formally request you investigate this incident of water pollution to determine the cause and identify who was responsible," Neil Hamilton, a Drake University law professor emeritus, wrote to in the letter to Kayla Lyon, Iowa Department of Natural Resources director.

Sixty-two other Iowa residents, including former gubernatorial candidate Fred Hubbell and former Iowa Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson, joined Hamilton in signing the letter. It asks that Lyon pursue all available remedies, including civil and criminal action through the Iowa Attorney Generals Office, if needed.

The letter also asks Lyon to work with the Iowa Department of Agriculture to examine policies for storage of agricultural fertilizers to determine whether Iowa has gaps or inadequacies in the rules or their enforcement.

"The extent of this pollution event is unprecedented and requires the attention of all Iowans," wrote Hamilton, former director of the Drake Agricultural Law Center.

'Counting dead fish is inadequate,' letter to DNR director says

The Iowa DNR already has been investigating NEW Cooperatives March 11 report that 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer ran from a valve left open over a weekend at its Red Oak location, reaching a drainage ditch that fed into the East Nishnabotna River.

The spill flowed downstream to the main body of the Nishnabotna River, crossing into Missouri and reaching the Missouri River, killing most of the fish along the way.

Often, agricultural spills result in a $10,000 administrative fine and restitution for each fish killed. But referring enforcement to the attorney generals office would allow the state to pursue larger fines.

Counting dead fish is inadequate to measure and truly understand the magnitude of this unfortunate and preventable disaster, Hamilton wrote.

More: Eastern Iowa farmer accused of leaving fertilizer spill in Burlington

The Iowa DNR declined to comment on the letter, dated Monday. The agency said it expects enforcement action to be determined by mid-May.

NEW Cooperative said the Fort Dodge-based business has worked with state regulators and others on the cleanup.

"We are deeply disappointed in what has happened, as NEW Cooperative has a strong environmental record, and it is also the first time in the companys 50-year history that our emergency environmental response procedures have needed to be activated," the company said in an email. "NEW Cooperative was founded by local farmers with roots in these communities, which furthers our resolve to work to cleanup and mitigate this issue."

Hamilton and the others joining his letter ask the state to require corrective action so the potential for another incident like this is eliminated.

NEW Cooperative reported in March that a valve that had been open over the weekend released 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen into the East Nishnabotna River. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the spill killed 750,000 fish.

This just as easily could have happened on the Raccoon, Des Moines or Cedar rivers, which supply drinking water in the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids metros, Hamilton told the Des Moines Register Friday. What would Des Moines Water Works have done?

The central Iowa utility already struggles with high nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, running a costly-to-operate nitrate removal system when needed to keep meet federal drinking water standards.

At the time of the spill, the state environmental agency warned residents along the Nishnabotna to test their wells for high nitrate levels, which can be dangerous for infants, and warned people and livestock owners to avoid the water.

The agency said that due to low water levels caused by a prolonged drought, the concentration of the liquid nitrogen fertilizer is higher than during normal stream flows, causing concern for all animals due to high nitrate and urea levels.

Hamilton said the nitrogen spill may have dissipated, but its unclear what the residual effects are, and how it's affected animals that rely on the river for their food.

Area where leak occurred didn't have permanent, protective berm

Co-op workers discovered the spill around 5:30 a.m. March 11, and built berms to contain it, as well as applying lime to soak up the fertilizer. The Iowa DNR said it expected that NEW Cooperative would need longer than 30 days to file its final report on its cleanup efforts, which was due at the end of April.

There was a permanent berm around the tank that contained the fertilizer, but the open valve was in a loading area that lacked such protection, the DNR has said.

NEW Cooperative said Friday it "wants all communities where we have operations to know we are dedicated to safety and being good environmental stewards." The cooperative said it's "having discussions with residents of southwest Iowa" about the company's response to the spill.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa DNR must act after Red Oak fertilizer spill, Iowans say in letter
TBILISI, Georgia, May 4. The first meeting of the CAREC working group on climate change will be held in Astana on May 29, Head of ADB's regional cooperation department for Central and West Asia Lyaziza Sabyrova said during the briefing at ADB's annual meeting in Tbilisi on May 4, Trend reports.

The CAREC Climate Change Working Group was formed in April 2024, comprising members from countries and development partners, she said.

Sabyrova recalled that the establishment of the working group was endorsed by CAREC countries at the 22nd Ministerial Conference in November 2023 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The vision of the working group urges sharing best practices identification of priority sectors for adaptation and mitigation mobilization of climate finance promotion of a unified CAREC voice on the global climate agenda, the ADB representative added.

The meeting of the Board of Governors started today. The opening marks the official start of the annual meeting. It is attended by distinguished guest from the host country.

To note, the theme of the 57th Annual Meeting, to be held May 2-5, is Bridge to the Future.

The Annual Meeting is an opportunity for ADB Governors to address development issues and challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region. Several thousand participants regularly join the meeting, including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, representatives of the private sector, international and civil society organizations, youth, academia, and the media.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The Fleur Heights Center for Wellness and Rehab in Des Moines. (Photo via Google Earth)

Three Iowa nursing homes have been added to the federal governments list of the worst care facilities in the nation.

Over the past two months, the three homes were deemed eligible for inclusion on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services national list of Special-Focus Facilities. They join seven other Iowa care facilities already deemed eligible for inclusion on CMS periodically updated list of nursing homes that have recurring, serious quality-of-care problems.

The three Iowa homes added to the eligibility list since February are Fleur Heights Center for Wellness and Rehab in Des Moines, Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center in West Des Moines, and Dunlap Specialty Care.

They join seven other Iowa facilities that were already considered eligible for special-focus status and increased oversight by regulators: Correctionville Specialty Care; Embassy Rehab and Care Center of Sergeant Bluff; Genesis Senior Living of Des Moines; Harmony West of West Des Moines; Iowa City Rehab & Health Care Center; The Ivy at Davenport; and Westwood Specialty Care of Sioux City.

Of the 10 eligible facilities in Iowa, three of them  those located in Dunlap, Sioux City and Correctionville  are operated by the West Des Moines chain Care Initiatives.

In addition to the homes deemed eligible for special-focus status, Iowa has two care facilities that are officially designated special-focus facilities and, as a result, are operating under additional scrutiny and oversight by the government.

Iowas special-focus facilities are Aspire of Gowrie, which has had special-focus status for seven months, and Arbor Court of Mount Pleasant, which has had special-focus status for 13 months.

The three Iowa homes deemed newly eligible for inclusion on the federal list have a recent history of regulatory issues:

 Dunlap Specialty Care: In December 2023, state inspectors alleged the staff at the Dunlap home failed to adequately respond to a fatal head injury sustained by a resident in a fall.

In June 2023, CMS imposed a $45,075 against the home due to allegations of resident abuse and failure to keep residents safe. At the time, inspectors alleged a female resident of the home had physically abused her fellow residents  slapping one of them in the face, hitting another in the back of the head, punching a resident in the face, and throwing water at another resident.

Im not a target, I am a human being.

 Resident of Dunlap Specialty Care

A woman who was struck by a full can of soda thrown by the resident later told inspectors the abuse was part of a pattern the facility failed to address. The police were summoned on at least two occasions, but the abuse continued, she said, adding, Im not a target, I am a human being. Something has to get done  How do I know if I am going to be safe?

Dunlap Care Center was on the list of eligible special-focus facilities for most of 2023, but appears to have dropped off the list at some point, then added back to it, as CMS currently claims it has been on the list for only one month.

 Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center: In July 2023, state officials visited this nursing home to conduct an inspection, but not before the home had racked up 13 complaints  the oldest of which dated back 109 days. Over the next several weeks, an additional 12 complaints were filed against the home, and a second inspection took place. Eventually, all of the 25 complaints were substantiated by inspectors and Pine Acres was cited for 62 regulatory violations.

Last year, CMS fined the facility $189,685 for violations tied to a residents leg amputation as the result of the homes failure to respond to signs of blood poisoning, septic shock, a serious bone infection and gangrene. Pine Acres primary owner, New York investor Akiko Ike, has ties to other nursing home owners who currently stand accused of defrauding the government, according to CMS.

 Fleur Heights Center for Wellness and Rehab: This nursing home has Iowas worst record of compliance with a federal requirement that nursing homes maintain sufficient staffing levels to care for residents. Over a nine-month period between May 2023 and February 2024, the home was cited, but never fined, five times for insufficient staff  more than any other care facility in the state.

Im a human being, I need help.

 Resident of Fleur Heights Center for Wellness and Rehab

In October 2023, state inspectors visited this facility to investigate a backlog of 14 complaints alleging substandard care. While one inspector watched, a male resident of the home called out from his bed, Help me. A worker reportedly turned off the mans call light and left, telling the man she was busy. Im a human being, I need help, the man told the inspector. The man switched his call light back on, and after 15 minutes another worker allegedly came in, asked what he needed, switched off the light, and left.

In their report, the inspectors noted there had been no director of nursing on the Fleur Heights payroll for three months, and there werent enough workers on hand to get residents out of bed, serve meals or assist those who needed help eating.

Homes eligible for oversight dont receive it

The federal Special-Focus Facilities list is updated periodically by CMS and includes homes deemed by the agency to have a history of serious quality issues.

Nationally, there are 88 nursing facilities on the list, with one or two slots filled by each state. Those homes are enrolled in a special program intended to stimulate improvements in their quality of care through increased regulatory oversight.

Because the number of Special-Focus Facilities is capped, new facilities  even those that have earned CMS lowest ratings for quality  cant be named a special-focus facility until other homes in that same state shut down or improve and graduate from the program.

Thats a process that can take four years or more. As a result, there are several homes in each state that are designated as eligible for special-focus status due to their ongoing quality-of-care issues, but they are unable to benefit from actual enrollment in the program. Iowa generally has 10 nursing homes on the list of eligible facilities.

Currently, the only Iowa home listed as having graduated from the program after a sustained period of improving care is Touchstone Healthcare Community in Sioux City. However, Touchstones graduation appears to coincide with the homes closing in July 2022 amid ongoing quality-of-care issues.

Typically, all of the homes that are deemed eligible for special-focus designation have about twice the average number of violations cited by state inspectors; they have more serious problems than most other nursing homes, including harm or injury to residents; and they have established a pattern of serious problems that has persisted over a long period of time.

The post Iowa nursing homes added to national list of worst care facilities appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
We Are Iowa welcomes back a member of the team. Who is the new morning meteorologist?

The Local 5 weather team, from left, are Hannah Dennis, Brad Edwards, Bree Sullivan and Chris Kuball.

Iowans tuning into Good Morning Iowa on Local 5 may spot a familiar face delivering the latest weather report.

Meteorologist Bree Sullivan will join the weather team at the ABC station on Monday, May 6, We Are Iowa announced in a news release on May 3.

Sullivan was part of the Local 5 weather team part-time from 2015 to 2018, and previously worked at the station as an intern in 2007.

Its kind of me coming full circle, she told the Des Moines Register.

She replaces meteorologist Brandon Lawrence who left Local 5 in mid-April. He has since joined DART as a communications specialist, according to a post on social media.

Bree offers a wealth of experience in the market with a deep understanding of Central Iowa weather, and she brings a fresh perspective to our team forecasts, said Local 5 news director Perry Pace in a news release.

Who is Bree Sullivan at We Are Iowa?

Sullivan was most recently a meteorologist at NBC affiliate KWWL in Waterloo. Her final show was in late April, according to a broadcast clip posted to KWWLs website.

She described her time with KWWL as a fantastic experience.

Sullivan has 10 years of experience forecasting Iowas weather, including at KCCI, according to the news release.

Her pursuit of meteorology stems from her fascination for weather  Sullivan has lived on the East Coast to Texas, hurricanes to Tornado Alley.

My grandpa and grandma live on a farm in northwest Iowa, she said. So, I used to spend my summers up there and I would watch the storms roll in with my grandpa and that just fueled the love of the field.

Sullivan is a graduate of Iowa State University and mother of four, according to the news release.

What can viewers expect from meteorologist Bree Sullivan on 'Good Morning Iowa'?

The meteorologist, like viewers, wants to know how the weather will impact her family. It's that kind of relatability she brings with her to Local 5.

I'm in the thick of it with all the parents out there, she said. I'm sitting at the ball field. So, I want to know is it going to be canceled? Am I going to be sitting in rain?

Sullivan added that she has family who are farmers interested in knowing about Iowas drought and the timing of rain.

I'm out there doing the same stuff everyone else is doing, she said.

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former KWWL meteorologist Bree Sullivan returns to We Are Iowa
Iowa's new immigration law relies on local police, but many doubt they can enforce it

A new law passed by Republican lawmakers and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds criminalizes "illegal reentry" into the state, tasking Iowa officers with arresting undocumented immigrants who have previously been deported.

But police chiefs across the state say they lack both guidance from the state and the resources and training to take on responsibilities normally held by federal officers.

And they expressed clear misgivings about whether they would be able to enforce the law.

"We weren't consulted on it," said Greg Stallman, the legislative chair for the Iowa Police Chiefs Association and chief in Altoona. "So we're unaware of what the intent of this legislation is, or what they're trying to get accomplished."

Senate File 2340 has been touted by Reynolds as a response to the Biden administration on immigration, granting Iowa officers the power to "enforce immigration laws already on the books."

It creates the new state crime of "illegal reentry," applied to anyone who has previously been deported, removed or denied admission to the United States.

In most cases, the offense is an aggravated misdemeanor, which carries a two-year prison sentence. In certain circumstances, it can rise to a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. If the person had been previously arrested for another felony, it can become a class C felony, with up to 10 years of prison time. The law takes effect July 1.

More: Justice Department warns it will sue if Iowa tries to enforce its new immigration law

As she defended the law in comments to reporters Wednesday, the governor said law enforcement had been briefed before it was signed.

"Well make no mistake, we talked to them," Reynolds said. "We talked to them before we implemented it."

Gov. Kim Reynolds says law enforcement was briefed on Iowa's new "illegal reentry" law. Some law enforcement officers dispute that.

She pledged to continue communicating with police about the measure and, if necessary, provide additional guidance.

"Of course we'll continue to work with them," Reynolds said. "And if we need additional legislation or if we need to provide rulemaking authority or whatever we need to do, we'll work with (Public Safety) Commissioner (Stephan) Bayens and we'll make sure that information gets out to law enforcement.

"But at least it begins to give them a tool to address," she added, "and it just, it sends a message."

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote to Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird that the department would sue to block the law if it was still being enforced on May 7.

Questions abound for local law enforcement as they wait for guidance

Multiple current and former police chiefs who spoke to the Des Monies Register said the responsibilities laid out for officers in the law were beyond both their resources and their management capabilities.

Des Moines Police Dana Wingert said in a statement that when a person is arrested, their immigration status is checked during booking at Polk County Jail. But confirming a person's immigration status short of that falls to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement  a federal agency. Local police lack access to such a database.

"I'm not interested, nor are we equipped, funded or staffed to take on additional responsibilities that historically have never been a function of local law enforcement," Wingert said.

Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert says his department isn't equipped to deal with immigration enforcement.

Confusion persists, too, about the process after a person is brought to court and convicted. The law requires a judge to issue an order "requiring the person to return to the foreign nation" from which they entered.

That order must specify how to transport that person to a legal port of entry, as well as the officer or state agency "responsible for monitoring compliance."

Paul Allen, county attorney for Buena Vista County in northwest Iowa, said that needs more clarity.

"That's not really on a prosecutor's office, but that isn't fleshed out in the statutes," Allen said. "I don't know if they're planning administrative rules or something like that, but I'm not sure how that would work."

A former Iowa public safety director said the law, even if properly enforced, would place a further administrative burden on departments that are already stretched thin.

"You've created a law in a negligent fashion that's full of fearmongering to our immigrant community, with no process on how it's going to work," said Mark Prosser, who now serves as a Catholic deacon and is on the national Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force.

"Our chiefs and sheriffs, they'll come out and they'll have to determine if they even have the staff to do it," Prosser added. "And in most cases, they don't, because they're struggling to maintain staffing for their current levels of calls for service."

Is guidance on the 'illegal reentry' law coming from state officials?

State officials are still examining the law but have not issued guidelines on enforcement or prosecution.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Safety said in a statement that "to the extent other law enforcement agencies may seek our input, we provide it but generally do not issue statewide guidance to all law enforcement agencies."

DPS is "still working through the language of SF 2340 and the ways it can be enforced," according to the statement, and preliminary enforcement "will likely turn on cooperation from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement" and its database of those deported or removed from the country.

Bird's office has also not issued guidance on prosecutions under the law to county attorneys, a spokesperson confirmed.

The chief of staff for Polk County Attorney Kimberly Graham said in an email that their office will "judge each case referred to us on its individual merits," and that Graham had discussed the legislation with police chiefs.

The group Latinx Immigrants of Iowa demonstrates in opposition to the state's new "illegal reentry" law Wednesday, May 1, 2024, outside the Iowa State Capitol. The demonstration was one of four similar ones held across the state.

Law is 'already having negative impact' on community relations, police say

One of the top concerns stemming from the law, chiefs said, was how it could affect departments' relationships with immigrant communities.

"I'll tell you what's going to lead an officer to ask questions  it's going to be unintentional, or maybe in some cases intentional profiling," said Prosser, who also served as police chief in Storm Lake. "They're going to ask that question to individuals of color, or who speak a different language."

"And it's going to take our officers and our law enforcement professionals into a slippery slope," Prosser added.

Marshalltown Chief of Police Michael Tupper said he was "already seeing some negative impact" in his city, which is 33.6% Hispanic or Latino and home to many who work at the JBS meatpacking plant.

"I think our community's worried about profiling," Tupper said. "We don't want people to be afraid to call the police."

He added that the law would also give more ammunition to criminals who point to the law to evade law enforcement.

"They will tell people, 'You can't call the police,'" Tupper said. "We already see that now. We already see criminals telling people, 'If you call the police, you're going to deported.'"

The group Latinx Immigrants of Iowa demonstrates in opposition to the state's new "illegal reentry" law Wednesday, May 1, 2024, outside the Iowa State Capitol. This demonstration was one of four similar ones held across the state.

Law could be taken to court as soon as this week

Like the Texas law it's modeled after, Iowa's law is poised to be fought in court.

A top DOJ official warned Reynolds and Bird in a letter last week that if the law remains in effect by May 7, the department will take action.

"The only reason we had to pass this law is because the Biden administration refuses to enforce the laws already on the books," Reynolds said in response to the letter. "I have a duty to protect the citizens of Iowa. Unlike the federal government, we will respect the rule of law and enforce it."

Bird said that "Iowa will not back down and stand by as our states safety hangs in the balance. If Biden refuses to stop the border invasion and keep our communities safe, Iowa will do the job for him."

Texas' law, which the DOJ also took to court, is currently blocked while the lawsuit is decided.

Iowa's law has been strongly opposed by advocacy groups, including Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, which called it a "ridiculous stunt" to "perpetuate partisan campaign rhetoric." Protests were organized around the state last week in response to the law.

The ACLU of Iowa declined comment but referred the Register to its statement from April 10 calling the law "one of the most extreme, discriminatory and unconstitutional anti-immigrant bills in the country."

Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed reporting.

Galen Bacharier covers the Statehouse & politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa's new illegal reentry law leaves police wondering how to enforce it
WATSEKA, Ill. (WCIA)  The Iroquois County Public Health Department is again asking for help with collecting dead birds throughout the county this summer.

Its the Health Departments annual effort to keep tabs on West Nile Virus. Dead birds, officials said, have been the most important indicators of West Nile activity.

Douglas County gets ILs first bird with West Nile virus in 2024

Dead birds will be collected until Oct. 15. People who find them are asked to double bag their bodies in plastic bags (preferably bags that seal) and bring them to the Health Departments headquarters at 1001 East Grant Street in Watseka.

Perching birds such as crows, blue jays, finches, sparrows and robins are the birds the Health Department is specifically looking for. Blackbirds, bluebirds, catbirds, cardinals, chickadees, starlings and purple martins can also be accepted for testing.

Asian longhorned tick found in Illinois for the first time

Birds should only be submitted if they are believed to be dead for less than 24 hours, if their bodies are intact (no decomposition or damage by a scavenging animal) and if they have no obvious cause of death such as a gunshot or vehicular strike.

For more information on the collection of dead birds, contact the Iroquois County Public Health Department at 815-432-2483 or visit the departments website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Israel launched a volley of strikes in the Gazan city of Rafah and said it would continue military operations there, even as the Biden administration has openly warned against the launch of any large-scale mission in the city without civilian protections.

In response to a Sunday attack by Hamas on Israel, Israel on Monday ordered 100,000 people to evacuate a section of eastern Rafah, leading the Biden administration to fear Israel was speeding up its timetable for a Rafah invasion.

In the hours following, the Israel Defense Forces said they were bombing the southern Gaza city  Hamas last stronghold  both to target the militants and pressure the group to agree to Israels terms for a cease-fire.

Hamas had announced earlier that it agreed to a cease-fire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar that didnt meet Israels demands.



"Even though the Hamas proposal is far from Israel's basic requirements, Israel will send a delegation of mediators to exhaust the possibility of reaching an agreement under conditions acceptable to Israel," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Monday statement. In the meantime, "Israel will continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas to advance our war aims: the release of our hostages, destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities, and reality where Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future."

The escalation shows Netanyahu has no qualms about defying President Joe Biden. The American leader has pushed Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza but has refused to exert all leverage on the country  namely through arms transfer restrictions  to convince Netanyahu of a different military course. Now he has to decide whether to issue a rebuke as Israel puts civilians in Rafah at risk.

Both men held a 30-minute call on Monday morning that touched upon the situation in Rafah.

For months, the Biden administration has warned Israel against launching any form of operation in the city. Around 1.1 million Palestinians are perched there in tents, a quintupled total after hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza fled south to avoid fighting elsewhere in the enclave. On Monday, before Israels Rafah decision, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the United States opposed "Rafah operations in general" that endangered civilians.



The IDF asserts that its doing everything possible to protect innocent men, women and children by ordering them to move to al-Mawasi and Khan Yunis, zones the military says is an expanded humanitarian area.

The people who go there will receive full humanitarian aid and where water, food, medical equipment and shelter will be provided, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokesperson. He also announced that Israel struck 50 Hamas targets on Monday.

Maj. Nir Dinar, another spokesperson for the IDF, told POLITICO earlier in the day the evacuations were part of the preparation for an eventual invasion of Gaza to keep civilians out of harms way.
Hamas said it agreed to a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar on Monday, just as Israel prepares to launch a controversial military operation in Rafaha city in the southern Gaza Strip thats currently home to tens of thousands of war refugees.

That agreement doesnt appear to have satisfied Israel, however. An unnamed official told Reuters the agreement was softened from what Israel has demanded, reportedly adding that it was too far-reaching for Israel to give its own green light.

Details on what the agreement entailed were not released, and it remains unclear if the deal will have any impact on Israels planned operation in Rafah.

Israeli leaders have long said they wouldnt accept a ceasefire dealpermanent or temporarywithout the release of all Israeli hostages captured in Hamas brutal Oct. 7 raid into the country.

Hamas Threatens Consequences as Israel Orders Rafah Evacuation

The announcement came hours after Israel ordered over 100,000 Gazans to evacuate Rafah on Mondaya maneuver seen as clearing the area ahead of an attack on the city, which for months had served as a relatively safe refuge for Palestinian civilians fleeing Israels bombardment of Gaza.

Israel has defended the imminent assault by claiming Rafah is hosting the last bastion of Hamas, which it has vowed to eradicate entirely before it ends military operations in the besieged enclave.

Rumors of an imminent Rafah offensive drew condemnation from the west, including from France, who said the displacement of refugees from the city would be a war crime. President Joe Biden, who reportedly spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also relayed that the U.S. opposes an assault there on humanitarian grounds.

Biden has pushed for a ceasefire for months, but reports out of the Middle East indicate Israel and Hamas remain far from reaching an agreement that would end the warwhich has killed an estimated 35,000 people, the vast majority of which were Palestinians.

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By Mohammed Salem, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Ari Rabinovitch

RAFAH, Gaza Strip/CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah while planning to continue negotiations on a deal.

The developments in the seven-month-old war came as Israeli forces struck Rafah on Gaza's southern edge from the air and ground and ordered residents to leave parts of the city, which has been a refuge for more than a million displaced Palestinians.

Hamas said in a brief statement that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had informed Qatari and Egyptian mediators that the group accepted their proposal for a ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said later that the truce proposal fell short of Israel's demands but Israel would send a delegation to meet with negotiators to try to reach an agreement.

Qatar's foreign ministry said its delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

In a statement, Netanyahu's office added that his war cabinet approved continuing an operation in Rafah. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on social media site X that Netanyahu was jeopardizing a ceasefire by bombing Rafah.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal that Hamas approved was a watered-down version of an Egyptian offer and included elements that Israel could not accept.

"This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal," said the Israeli official.

Another official briefed on the agreement said Hamas had agreed to the phased ceasefire and hostage release deal Israel proposed on April 27 with only minor changes that did not affect the main parts of the proposal.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington would discuss the Hamas response with its allies in the coming hours, and a deal was "absolutely achievable".

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gaza health officials. The U.N. has said famine is imminent in the enclave.

The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 252 others, of whom 133 are believed to remain in captivity in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

RAFAH HIT BY STRIKES

Any truce would be the first pause in fighting since a week-long ceasefire in November, during which Hamas freed around half of the hostages.

Since then, all efforts to reach a new truce have foundered over Hamas' refusal to free more hostages without a promise of a permanent end to the conflict, and Israel's insistence that it would discuss only a temporary pause.

Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official and adviser to Haniyeh, told Reuters the proposal met the group's demands for reconstruction efforts in Gaza, return of displaced Palestinians and a swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The Hamas deputy chief in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, told Al Jazeera television the proposal comprised three phases of six weeks each, with Israel to pull its troops out of Gaza in the second phase.

Earlier on Monday, Israel ordered the evacuation of parts of Rafah, the city on the Egyptian border that has served as the last sanctuary for around half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.

An Israeli strike on a house in Rafah killed five Palestinians, including a woman and a girl, medics said.

Israel believes that a significant number of Hamas fighters, along with potentially dozens of hostages, are in Rafah and has said that victory requires taking the key city.

Israel's closest ally, the United States, has called on it not to assault Rafah, saying it must not do so without a full plan in place to protect civilians there, which has yet to be presented.

A separate U.S. official said that Washington is concerned about Israel's latest strikes against Rafah but does not believe they represent a major military operation.

Israel said on Monday it was conducting limited operations on the eastern part of Rafah. Palestinian residents said there were massive air strikes.

They have been firing since last night and today after the evacuation orders, the bombardment became more intense because they want to frighten us to leave, Jaber Abu Nazly, a 40-year-old father of two, told Reuters via a chat app.

Others are wondering whether there is any place safe in the whole of Gaza, he added.

Instructed by Arabic text messages, phone calls and flyers to move to what the Israeli military called an "expanded humanitarian zone" around 20 km (12 miles) away, some Palestinian families began trundling away in chilly spring rain.

Some piled children and possessions onto donkey carts, while others left by pick-up or on foot through muddy streets.

As families dismantled tents and folded belongings, Abdullah Al-Najar said this was the fourth time he had been displaced since the fighting began seven months ago.

"God knows where we will go now. We have not decided yet."

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Sharon Singleton and Idrees Ali; Editing by Peter Graff, Cynthia Osterman and Michael Perry)
Palestinians holds a leaflet dropped by the military aircraft of the Israeli army on the east of the city of Rafah, ordering them to evacuate and move towards the west of the city and the city of Khan Yunis. The leaflet says that all residents of eastern Rafah must evacuate immediately. The aforementioned area is area of conflict and fighting. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday started to evacuate the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip ahead of its expected military operation there.

"We begin a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate inhabitants of eastern Rafah," an IDF spokesman said.

The IDF called on the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp on the Mediterranean a few kilometres to the north. An estimated 100,000 people are affected, according to an IDF spokesman. They were informed by text message, telephone, leaflets and via Arabic-language media.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist terrorist organization Hamas in Cairo on a new ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners had previously failed to produce any immediate results.

People were to go to an "expanded humanitarian area" in the al-Mawasi area. Food, water and medicine are available there, the IDF spokesman said. The army had also set up field hospitals there. The spokesman could not say how much time people have to evacuate.

He emphasized that the supply of humanitarian aid to the population would continue unhindered during the evacuation operation. These could be brought to the coastal strip via various routes, for example via the port in Ashdod.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash Hamas' remaining battalions, which it has been fighting in the coastal strip since October. Hostages are also believed to be held in the town on the border with Egypt.

Israel has been threatening to launch a ground offensive into Rafah for months.

Israel's allies have been urgently warning against a Rafah offensive because hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have moved there.

Overnight Israel's Defence Miniseter Yoav Gallant spoke with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Gallant's office said.

Gallant briefed Austin on the Sunday Hamas attack, in which approximately 10 projectiles were fired from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing toward the area of the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing. Three Israeli soldiers were killed in that attack.

Kerem Shalom is the most important border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to the Gaza Strip. The army temporarily closed it to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack. The military then reportedly bombed the site in the Gaza Strip near the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the attack had originated.

Gallant's office said the minister discussed the hostage release efforts and said at this stage Hamas refuses the frameworks at hand, adding that military action is required, since there is a "lack of an alternative."

The state of Israel cannot tolerate a situation in which Hamas continues to attack its citizens while showing a "lack of seriousness" on releasing the hostages.

Israel is committed to achieve its war goals, the spokesman said - destruction of Hamas and the return of the remaining 132 hostages still in Gaza.

Gallant expressed his appreciation to Austin for the US and its "partnership and leadership" and highlighted the US' important role on the hostage issue.

Israel said it wants to evacuate the city before conducting combat operations in Rafah. This is expected to take several weeks. Hamas has prepared its fighters in Rafah for deployment against Israel and supplied them with provisions and weapons, according to reports from Israel. The number of militants guarding the hostages has also increased, according to media reports.

Palestinians holds a leaflet dropped by the military aircraft of the Israeli army on the east of the city of Rafah, ordering them to evacuate and move towards the west of the city and the city of Khan Yunis. The leaflet says that all residents of eastern Rafah must evacuate immediately. The aforementioned area is area of conflict and fighting. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Palestinians inspect damaged houses after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Israeli military has asked residents of eastern Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, to evacuate to an "expanded humanitarian area," ahead of a possible offensive.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it "encourages" the residents of Eastern Rafah to move to an expanded humanitarian area in the al-Mawasi refugee camp, on the Mediterranean not far from the border with Egypt.

"In accordance with the approval of the government, an ongoing situation assessment will guide the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas, to the humanitarian areas," the IDF said in a Telegram post.

The IDF characterized the evacuation as "temporary," adding that calls for the relocation would be "conveyed through posters, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in arabic."

"The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they are holding in captivity are back home."

Palestinians inspect damaged houses after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

A Palestinian inspects a damaged house after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
TBILISI, Georgia, May 6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the package of technical assistance for Azerbaijan to prepare for COP29, ADB Director General for Central and Western Asia Eugenue Zhukov said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the ADB annual meeting in Tbilisi.

He pointed out that this is a special year for ADB and Azerbaijan, because this year marks 25 years since Azerbaijan joined the Asian Development Bank in 1999.

Also, this year we're preparing our new country partnership strategy, which will cover the next five years from 2024 to 2028, and it will define the areas of collaboration between ADB and the Republic of Azerbaijan. We're very excited that Azerbaijan has been selected as the host for COP29, which will be held in Baku in early to mid-November this year. When this announcement was made in December of last year, ADB president sent congratulations note to President Ilham Aliyev, and offered ADB support to the government of Azerbaijan, said Zhukov.

Zhukov recalled that three weeks ago or so, he had a chance to visit Baku together with ADB climate change colleagues to discuss specific areas for possible collaboration in this area.

We had an opportunity to discuss this with Azerbaijans Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov, who is the ADB governor, and had a productive meeting with president-designate for COP29, Minister of Environment Mukhtar Babayev.

Since then, we've already approved a package of technical assistance, which will help the country to build the capacity to conduct COP-related negotiations and to conduct the meeting itself. That is a kind of helping the country to prepare for COP. Of course, we'll be happy to discuss any further areas for collaboration, added the ADB director general.

Supporting Azerbaijans green agenda

We're also helping the country to develop and implement more green energy projects, so to demonstrate to the world that Azerbaijan is serious about climate change agenda. Two years ago, ADB invested in the largest solar power plant in the Caucasus. This is a 230-megawatt power plant run by Masdar company in Alat, which I also had a chance to visit. It's a very modern plant, and it's a step towards fulfilling government's desire to implement a strategy 30 by 2030, meaning that by that year, the country should be able to produce 30 percent of its all energy from renewable sources, he said.

Zhukov noted that ADB is discussing with Azerbaijan and also with the private sector further opportunities to invest in solar energy projects.

I hope that we will have more specific announcements for this later this year. But also in general, we are discussing with the country possibilities of investment in the offshore wind power projects. And in addition, we are piloting a solar floating power project. That's when we put the panels on a lake or on any body of water and produce energy that way. We have a small 100 kW project which is currently being implemented in one of the lakes in Baku. We'll see if this works, if we can work on it more, he said.

Zhukov went on to add that ADB is also working with the government of Azerbaijan to decarbonize the transport sector.

For example, we have an ongoing project and we'll be providing additional assistance to electrify parts of the North-South railway project. We'll be happy to work on additional scope of such projects in the future, he said.

ADB director general noted that the Bank is a keen supporter of regional cooperation, because it is probably one of the few MDBs where the regional cooperation is mandated in its charter documents.

In the case of Central Asia and Caucasus, in early 2000s we established Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC). Since that time, total investments in regional cooperation, including connectivity, have exceeded $50 billion. There is of course ongoing study on the Black Sea cable, going from Azerbaijan to Georgia, from Black Sea to Romania and the rest of the European Union. Feasibility study ongoing now. We hope that it is preliminary finished by mid or end of this year. So if the study demonstrates that the project is feasible, we are very keen to participate in that. I think it is a very large project and if it is going to happen, I think there will be room for many IFIs to participate. Then if we look to the east, indeed we saw that a few days ago in Tashkent, the governments of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed a preliminary MoU on the possible underwater cable crossing the Caspian Sea from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan and to Azerbaijan on the so-called green energy corridor. Uzbekistan has been investing quite a lot to produce renewable energy, solar and wind, in the western parts of the country, while most of the economic base is actually in east of Uzbekistan. We think that these projects have potential to produce green energy, which then can be supplied for this proposed green corridor, but we believe that a lot of investments will be needed for this to happen, he said.

Zhukov noted that since Azerbaijan joined ADB in 1999, the Bank provided assistance package totaling $4.2 billion.

But the biggest part of it for now is done for the public sector. And our private sector window outstanding is only about $50 million. Its an important lending. For example, the $21 million project we did two years ago, which we helped to develop 230-megawatt solar power plant, is very good. But basically what we would like to do, that in a country like Azerbaijan, which is upper-middle-income country, we see more scope for direct private sector investments from ADB with other partners, but without government guarantee, meaning that we will not be adding to the government debt. The other aspects of this is that many people call this COP29 the finance COP. So we're very keen to work with the government and other IFIs to work on more innovative modalities to help address the issues related to climate change, which will require quite substantive investments, he said.

Details of New Country Strategy

We are preparing the New Country Partnership Strategy. But I have to say that the overwhelming agenda for this strategy would be dealing with the consequences of climate change and helping Azerbaijan to decarbonize its economy and to increase the share of renewable energy. So, no matter what sectors that we work in, this is an overarching agenda for ADB, not only in Azerbaijan, but in all of Asia and Pacific. Overall, ADB committed to invest $100 billion by the year 2030 in this agenda, he said.

Transport sector

But if you look in sectors, we also want to work more on transportation, continue expanding our cooperation with the Azerbaijan Railways, because there is a lot of unfinished agenda there to rehabilitate and rectify the whole network, said Zhukov.

He pointed out that ADB also looks forward to successful negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, because once the peace agreement is reached, that would allow the country to unlock additional transportation corridor, connect Azerbaijan and the region better to the world.

There is quite an old railway which runs from the southern part of Azerbaijan through Armenia to Nakhchivan. So, if peace agreement is reached and other agreements are in place, we will be very excited to invest in rehabilitating that network, but of course subject to government of Azerbaijan's priority resolutions, he added.

Cooperation in education

Another area which we will work on is education. For a while, we've been discussing with the government the possibility of improving technical education in Azerbaijan, because you need to skill up your young workforce for the remainder of the 21st century. We hope to provide investment in this area. The earlier, the better. And in general, as I highlighted earlier, we'll probably be looking at shifting our focus a bit more in balancing between public sector investments and the private sector investments, he concluded.
Palestinians inspect damaged houses after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Israeli military called on residents of eastern Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, to evacuate to an "expanded humanitarian area," ahead of a possible offensive.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) early on Monday said that it "encourages" the residents of Eastern Rafah to move to an expanded humanitarian area in the al-Mawasi refugee camp, on the Mediterranean not far from the border with Egypt.

"In accordance with the approval of the government, an ongoing situation assessment will guide the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas, to the humanitarian areas," the IDF said in a Telegram post.

The IDF characterized the evacuation as "temporary," adding that calls for the relocation would be "conveyed through posters, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic."

"The IDF will continue pursuing Hamas everywhere in Gaza until all the hostages that they are holding in captivity are back home."

In a followup post, the IDF told Gaza residents that it "will continue fighting the terror organizations that use you as human shields."

Indirect negotiations between Israel and the the Palestinian militant organization Hamas in Cairo at the weekend on a new ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners failed to produce any results.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash the remaining Hamas battalions. Hostages captured during the October 7 attacks which triggered the conflict are also believed to be held in the city on the border with Egypt.

Israeli allies, including the United States, have been calling on the government not to carry out such an operation in Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons have taken refuge from fighting elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian inspects a damaged house after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

A Palestinian inspects a damaged house after Israeli warplanes bombed a home for the Al-Shaer family, leading to widespread destruction in the Al-Salam neighbourhood, east of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
Palestinians holds a leaflet dropped by the military aircraft of the Israeli army on the east of the city of Rafah, ordering them to evacuate and move towards the west of the city and the city of Khan Yunis. The leaflet says that all residents of eastern Rafah must evacuate immediately. The aforementioned area is area of conflict and fighting. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

The Israeli army on Monday began evacuating the city of Rafah in southern Gaza as it gears up for an expected military operation there as the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is reportedly making a "last-ditch" effort for a hostage deal.

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, "We begin a limited scope operation to temporarily evacuate inhabitants of eastern Rafah."

The IDF called on the inhabitants of the eastern part of the city on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp on the Mediterranean a few kilometres to the north.

An estimated 100,000 people are affected, according to an IDF spokesman. They were informed by text message, telephone, leaflets and via Arabic-language media.

On Sunday, a further round of indirect negotiations on a ceasefire between delegates of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group and mediators from Egypt and Qatar in Cairo failed to produce any tangible results.

Egypt, Qatar and the United States are acting as mediators in the efforts to end the Gaza war.

The Times of Israel has reported that CIA chief William Burns plans to make a "last-ditch" effort for a hostage deal when he speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

Burns, who is part of the US mediators' delegation, "is working to find a way to keep hope alive for a deal even as Israel begins to evacuate civilians from parts of Rafah in advance of a likely military operation," the report said.

Meanwhile, in the embattled coastal trip, the IDF spokesman said food, water and medicine are available in the "expanded humanitarian area" of al-Mawasi.

The army said it is facilitating the establishment of additional field hospitals there. But the spokesman could not say how much time people have to evacuate.

He emphasized that the supply of humanitarian aid to the population would continue unhindered during the evacuation operation. These could be brought to the coastal strip via various routes, for example via the port in Ashdod.

The Rafah border crossing remains open for aid and passenger movement despite the evacuation, an Egyptian source and the border authority in Gaza said on Monday.

An Egyptian security source denied reports that Egypt closed the border crossing, adding that humanitarian aid trucks have crossed to get into Gaza.

An Egyptian Red Crescent official said 40 trucks carrying medical and humanitarian aid have crossed the border so far on Monday, as 250 other trucks are being prepared.

Israel wants to use the military operation in Rafah to smash Hamas' remaining battalions, which it has been fighting in the coastal strip since Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage. The more than 100 remaining hostages are believed to be held in Rafah.

Israel has been threatening to launch a ground offensive into Rafah for months.

Israel's allies have been urgently warning against a Rafah offensive because hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians have moved there.

Overnight, Israel's Defence Miniseter Yoav Gallant spoke with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, Gallant's office said.

Gallant briefed Austin on the Sunday Hamas attack, in which approximately 10 projectiles were fired from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing toward the area of the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing. Four Israeli soldiers were killed in that attack.

Kerem Shalom is the most important border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to the Gaza Strip. The army temporarily closed it to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack. The military then reportedly bombed the site in the Gaza Strip near the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where the attack had originated.

Gallant's office said the minister discussed the hostage release efforts and said at this stage Hamas refuses the frameworks at hand, adding that military action is required, since there is a "lack of an alternative."

The state of Israel cannot tolerate a situation in which Hamas continues to attack its citizens while showing a "lack of seriousness" on releasing the hostages.

Hamas has prepared its fighters in Rafah for deployment against Israel and supplied them with provisions and weapons, according to reports from Israel.

The number of militants guarding the hostages has also increased, according to media reports.

Palestinians holds a leaflet dropped by the military aircraft of the Israeli army on the east of the city of Rafah, ordering them to evacuate and move towards the west of the city and the city of Khan Yunis. The leaflet says that all residents of eastern Rafah must evacuate immediately. The aforementioned area is area of conflict and fighting. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
As the Israel-Hamas war crosses the seven-month mark, renewed negotiations are underway to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization, as Israeli forces continue to prepare for an apparent invasion of the southern Gazan town of Rafah.





Latest Developments





May 7, 3:51 PM

White House expects Kerem Shalom crossing to open, fuel to be delivered through Rafah Wednesday

The White House expects the Kerem Shalom crossing to reopen on Wednesday, but are working to move up that timeline to get vital humanitarian assistance into northern Gaza even sooner.



Israel has committed to reopening the Kerem Shalom, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News. We've been told that that's going to happen tomorrow. We are working to move that up.



Fuel deliveries through Rafah should also commence tomorrow. That's what we've been told. And we believe Rafah border crossing should also be quickly reopened for the movement of humanitarian assistance. We are insisting that there should be no disruptions of humanitarian assistance flows," Jean-Pierre said.



Jean-Pierre would not say if the U.S. still expects the Israelis to alert them when they do plan to go ahead with a full-scale operation in Rafah, but reiterated that they do not support the IDF carrying that out.



"We do not want to see a major operation happening in Rafah. We want to see a plan, a comprehensive plan, on how Israel plans to protect the 1.5, more than 1 million civilians that are currently seeking refuge in Rafah," Jean-Pierre said.



-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Justin Gomez





May 7, 4:07 PM

Israeli hostage declared dead

Lior Rudaeff, 61, an Israeli hostage taken by Hamas, has been declared dead, after being killed in the Oct. 7 attack, the Hostage Release Center said.



Rudaeff volunteered as an ambulance driver. He was married to his wife, Yaffa, for 38 years and had four children: Noam, Nadav, Bar and Ben.

PHOTO: Lior Rudaeff is shown in this undated file photo. (Hostage Families Forum)

"The Israeli government has a profound moral duty to pursue every avenue in the current negotiations to bring Lior home. He deserves a dignified burial in his homeland, alongside the 38 other hostages brutally murdered. The government must also secure the swift return of all living hostages, so they can begin the long road to healing and recovery," a spokesperson for the Hostage Release Center said in a statement Tuesday.



The bodies of 35 hostages who have been declared dead continue to be held by Hamas.



-ABC News' Will Gretsky





May 7, 2:37 PM

Situation in Rafah is not yet a major ground invasion, US says

The White House is watching the situation that is playing out in Rafah "very, very closely," but arguing that based on what Isarel has told them, this is not equivalent to the full-scale invasion the U.S. has been warning Israel against undertaking, U.S. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.



"We've been told by our Israeli counterparts this operation last night was limited and designed to cut off from Hamas' ability to smuggle weapons and funds into Gaza. Our views on Rafah remain the same. We've repeatedly and consistently expressed those views about a major operation in Rafah in densely populated areas that would give higher risk to civilians and civilian casualties," Kirby said.

PHOTO: Palestinians inspect a house damaged in an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians flee Rafah with their belongings to safer areas in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)

"President Biden made that very clear yesterday when he spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu as I said yesterday, and we're going to be monitoring this situation very closely to see how it unfolds," Kirby said.



Kirby was also asked if he believes that Isarel was abiding by international law, given the two main arteries to get aid into Gaza have been choked off. Kirby sidestepped the questions, underscoring the U.S. desire to get more aid into Gaza and Biden's explicit ask of Netanyahu to make sure that happens during their call Monday.



-ABC News' Molly Nagle





May 7, 2:32 PM

Hamas delegation back in Cairo for negotiations

Hamas' delegation has arrived in Cairo as cease-fire negotiations continue with mediators in Egypt and Qatar.



Hamas said Monday it had agreed to a cease-fire deal, but Israel said the agreement included "significant gaps" that needed to be worked out in negotiations.



-ABC News' Will Gretsky





May 7, 2:27 PM

Biden administration delaying ammunition deliveries to Israel: Sources

The Biden administration is delaying shipments of ammunition that were expected to be sent to Israel, according to three U.S. officials.



The Biden administration has been trying to pressure Israel to hold off on a full-scale invasion of Rafah until it has a plan to protect the million civilians now living there.



PHOTO: Israeli soldiers stand next to military vehicles, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, near the Israel-Gaza Border, in southern Israel, May 7, 2024. (Amir Cohen/Reuters)



The Air Force has been told by the White Houses National Security Council to pause shipments of ammunition deliveries specifically from Dover Air Force Base, according to a U.S. official. The NSC was behind the decision to pause the munitions, a second U.S. official confirmed.



The National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



-ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Anne Flaherty, Matt Seyler and Ben Siegel





May 7, 12:41 PM

Republican leaders blast Biden over reports US is withholding aid to Israel

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise have publicly accused the Biden administration of withholding aid to Israel following reports that some aid shipments have been halted. Johnson said that the Biden administration as recently as Friday had assured his staff that there would be "no delay" in assistance to Israel.



Johnson said he received a report this morning from on the ground in Israel that said "a shipload of munitions and precision weapons, which are to be used to help protect civilians and Rafah, is being withheld."



In a letter to President Joe Biden, Senate Republicans Jodi Ernst and Ted Budd said they are "shocked" and "deeply concerned" that the Biden administration failed to notify Congress before withholding ammunition to Israel.



"If these reports are true, then you have once again broken your promise to an American ally," they said.



-ABC News' Lauren Peller and Shannon Crawford





May 7, 12:07 PM

Netanyahu says Hamas' proposal intended to 'torpedo' Rafah operation

In his first comments since Israel's offensive into Rafah began, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas' cease-fire proposal on Monday was "intended to torpedo the entry of our forces into Rafah."



"It did not happen. As the War Cabinet unanimously determined, the Hamas proposal is very far from Israel's necessary requirements," Netanyahu said.



"I instructed the working-level delegation that went to Cairo: continue to stand firm on the conditions necessary for the release of our abductees, continue to stand firm on the essential requirements for guaranteeing Israel's security," Netanyahu said.



-ABC News' Will Gretsky





May 7, 5:26 AM

Israeli tanks control Rafah border crossing, IDF says

Israeli tanks controlled Gaza's Rafah border crossing early Tuesday, as military officials accused Hamas of using the crossing for "terrorist purposes."

PHOTO: This image grab taken from footage released by the Israeli army on May 7, 2024 shows the 401st Brigade's combat team tanks entering the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 7, 2024. (Fayez Nureldine/Israeli Army/AFP via Getty Image)

"Following intelligence that indicated that the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes, IDF troops managed to establish operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing," Israel Defense Forces officials said in a statement.

Mortars had on Sunday been fired "from the area," killing four IDF soldiers, the Israeli military said.

PHOTO: This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows the 401st Brigade's combat team tanks entering the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 7, 2024. (Israeli Army/AFP via Getty Image)

A video and photos taken by the Israeli military and released Tuesday appeared to show several Israeli tanks operating on the Gazan side of the border.



-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey





May 7, 2:59 AM

Israeli troops enter Rafah in 'precise' operation, taking control of border crossing

The Israeli military moved into eastern Rafah late Monday to begin a "precise counterterrorism operation" targeting Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday.

PHOTO: This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows Israeli forces operating on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in the southern Gaza Strip on May 7, 2024. (Israeli Army/AFP via Getty Image)

IDF troops also took "operational control" of the Gazan side of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, officials said in a statement.

The operation in Rafah overnight included air strikes and on-the-ground troops, the military said. About 20 "terrorists" were killed and three tunnels were located, IDF officials said.

PHOTO: Palestinians inspect houses damaged in an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip May 7, 2024. (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)

"IDF ground troops are continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist operatives and infrastructure in the area of the Rafah Crossing in eastern Rafah," the statement said.



-ABC News' Jordana Miller, Jessica Gorman and Kevin Shalvey





May 6, 6:36 PM

Qatar to send mediators to Cairo

Qatar will send a delegation of mediators to Cairo on Tuesday to work on negotiations for a cease-fire deal, according to a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry.



In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said they hope "talks will culminate in reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners and detainees, and the sustainable flow of humanitarian aid into all areas of the Strip."

Click here to read the rest of the blog.
Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks have stalled. Heres why neither side may want a deal

Negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza have once again stalled as Israel and Hamas failed to reach an agreement on a framework this weekend.

The key sticking point is Hamas demand that Israel commits to ending the war as part of an agreement, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused, two Israeli sources said.

But talks have not broken down altogether. The efforts to reach a deal will still continue this week and some Israeli officials hope that the evacuation orders in eastern Rafah, that can set the stage for an Israeli ground offensive, will pressure Hamas to change its position.

The leaders of Israel and the Palestinian militant group have failed to agree on a deal after months of negotiations, with Netanyahu and Hamas accusing each other of deliberately obstructing an agreement.

The last round of talks took place in Cairo over the weekend, with Israel waiting a week for Hamas to respond, but both sides emerged unsatisfied, showing few signs of a breakthrough.

Netanyahu on Sunday said he cannot accept Hamas demands. Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement the same day that the group was still keen to reach an agreement with mediators that includes a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israel has maintained that its operation in Gaza will continue until Hamas is eradicated.

Haniyeh also lambasted the Israeli government and accused its leadership of seeking to sabotage the efforts made through the mediators and various parties.

Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrate with the hostages families against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate hostage deal and general elections, in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 6. - Matan Golan/Sipa/AP

Netanyahu in turn accused Hamas of making unacceptable demands in the Cairo talks, and that withdrawal from Gaza was out of the question. Israel had demonstrated a willingness to go a long way in the negotiations, he said, but Hamas demands meant surrender for Israel.

Experts say both sides are pushing for maximalist demands because their political survival depends on it.

Theres no hostage deal because apparently neither side wants one, Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, told CNN. This has to do with their respective concepts of end of war: If the war ends, Hamas can claim victory just by standing on its feet. Israel cannot. This difference prevents a deal.

Frank Lowenstein, who worked as Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations under US President Barack Obama during the 2014 Israel-Gaza war, said both sides only want a ceasefire deal that ensures their political survival.

For Hamas, thats a permanent ceasefire that allows them to retain some military capabilities. For Bibi (Netanyahu), its only a temporary pause on the path to total victory, he told CNN.

Israel has said that the war could end if Hamas surrenders and hands over the hostages, which the militant group has refused to do, opting instead to push for a deal that would ensure its survival and continued control over Gaza.

Negotiation teams have for months oscillated toward and away from a deal, with talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.

Critics have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war to continue his grip on power and that of his far-right coalition amid calls for him to step down at home.

Pressure on Netanyahu

Seven months on, more than 100 captives remain in the enclave. On Saturday, Thousands protested in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, demanding that Netanyahu accept a hostage deal as negotiators met in Cairo. Pinkas said that while the war prolongs Netanyahus tenure, it does not ensure it. Quite the contrary, he said.

A poll conducted between April 15 and 17 by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) found that 58% of Jewish Israelis believe that the time has come for those who were responsible for the failure of October 7 to resign from their positions.

Netanyahu has refused to hold elections and has not publicly taken responsibility for failure to prevent the October 7 attack.

The prime ministers coalition is also at stake, with ministers pressuring him to press on with the war despite criticism from Israels allies in the West, including the US. Itamar Ben Gvir, Israels far-right National Security Minister, has threatened to leave Netanyahus coalition if a ceasefire is reached before Israel achieves its war aims.

Over the weekend, Ben Gvir warned that Netanyahu knows very well what the price of not sticking to other commitments, which the far-right minister said included pressing on with a ground incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Israel has for months threatened to enter the city it says is Hamas last bastion, where over 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. The US has warned that it wont support the operations unless Israel ensures the safety of civilians there.

Displaced Palestinians, who left with their belongings from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip following an evacuation order by the Israeli army, arrive in Khan Younis on Monday. - AFP/Getty Images

On Sunday, after a barrage of rockets hit the Kerem Shalom crossing, killing three Israeli soldiers, Ben Gvir called on Netanyahu to enter Rafah now. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed the attack. Israel subsequently shut the crossing to humanitarian aid trucks.

Gazans began leaving eastern Rafah on Monday after Israels military issued a call for residents there to evacuate immediately. Its not clear if the Kerem Shalom attack prompted the evacuation orders.

A senior Biden administration official told CNN Monday that Israels warnings about Rafah are directly related to the lack of progress in the ceasefire talks. Israel is trying to put pressure on Hamas, the official said.

A Rafah operation may however be in the interest of both Israel and Hamas, Lowenstein said.

Bibi wants to show how tough he is by standing up to us (the US) and the world to defend Israel. And Hamas thinks hes walking into a trap in Rafah that will leave Israel even more isolated, including from the US, and subject to even greater international condemnation.

But Hamas is also wary of its fate if the war ends, experts say.

With Qatar being one of the few countries that engage with it, the militant group is surrounded by Arab and Western actors that dont want to see it play a part in post-war Gaza.

Since the short ceasefire deal in November, Hamas has not been interested in a deal with Israel that doesnt include a permanent end to the war, Lowenstein said, as the group believes that is the only scenario that ensures its survival.

Unless that deal takes place, Lowenstein said, Hamas is more than happy to sacrifice the lives of thousands and thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians if they think its going to advance their cause.

The current stagnation has been seen in previous mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, Lowenstein added, when mediators wanted a ceasefire much more than either one of the parties did.

If the sides dont want a ceasefire, then it just wont work, he told CNN, And thats what we learned in 2014 in our negotiations.

CNNs Jeremy Diamond, Alex Marquardt, Ibrahim Dahman, Tim Lister, Michael Schwartz, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Eugenia Yosef, Tareq El-Helou and Kareem Khadder contributed to this story.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Palestinians in Rafah celebrate news that Hamas had accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire deal - Reuters TV/REUTERS

The UNs secretary-general has warned that Israels impending ground invasion of Rafah would be intolerable.

Israels war cabinet on Monday night voted unanimously to go ahead with the planned invasion of the Gazan city, despite opposition from the US due to the likelihood of significant civilian casualties.

It comes after Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, on Monday night rejected a ceasefire offer from Hamas and vowed to push on into the southern Gazan city where 100,000 people were earlier in the day ordered to evacuated.

The purpose of the operation is to apply military pressure on Hamas, with the goal of making progress on freeing the hostages and the other war aims, Benjamin Netanyahus office has said in a statement.

Hamass latest truce offer is far from Israels obligatory demands, the statement said.

However, the Israeli prime ministers office said Israel would also send negotiators for talks to try to find a deal that meets Israels demands.

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general called on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to stop the suffering.

This is an opportunity that cannot be missed, and a ground invasion in Rafah would be intolerable because of its devastating humanitarian consequences, and because of its destabilising impact in the region, he said on Monday night.

11:59 PM BST

What happened today

Here are todays top stories:

Israel rejected a ceasefire offer from Hamas on Monday night, vowing to press ahead with plans to invade Rafah

Israel said the terms of the deal were far from its obligatory demands and officials warned that the Hamas plan would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal

On Monday night Israeli jets launched a bombardment of Rafah, striking 50 targets according to the IDF

Earlier on Monday Israel told 100,000 people in eastern Rafah to evacuate the city

Joe Biden, the US president, urged Mr Netanyahu not to go ahead with the invasion

Rishi Sunak said he was deeply concerned by the prospect of a Rafah offensive

11:46 PM BST

Five reported dead in Rafah strikes

Israeli strikes left at least five people dead in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a local hospital said on Tuesday morning, as Israel vowed to launch a vast ground operation there.

The citys Kuwaiti hospital said it had received five martyrs and several injured after Israeli strikes overnight.

The area is currently the site of intense Israeli military strike activity, according to witnesses and Palestinian security sources.

11:33 PM BST

Peace talks will resume on Tuesday  Qatar

Hamas on Monday sent its response to the truce proposal to mediators and it can be described as positive, according to a spokesperson for Qatars foreign ministry.

Qatars delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas through the mediators, Majed Al-Ansari said.

11:06 PM BST

US: Strikes on Rafah not a major military operation

The United States is concerned about Israels latest strikes against the southern Gaza city of Rafah but does not believe they represent a major military operation, a US official has said.

The official told Reuters that the White House is focused on heading off a major military operation into densely populated areas of Rafah and that it does not appear the Israelis are doing that.

10:47 PM BST

Biden warns Netanyahu against Rafah assault

Joe Biden has tonight warned Benjamin Netanyahu against invading Rafah as Israel defiantly issued evacuation orders and carried out intense air strikes on the crowded Gaza city.

The United States said it was reviewing a response from Hamas, which said it has accepted a deal to halt seven months of war and free hostages, with CIA Director Bill Burns in the region to negotiate through Arab allies.

The US president told Netanyahu in April that invading Rafah would be a mistake, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told him last week in Jerusalem that there should be no offensive due to the safety of more than one million civilians sheltering there.

The president reiterated his clear position on Rafah, the White House said in a brief readout of the call.

10:04 PM BST

Netanyahu jeopardising peace deal  Jordan

Jordans foreign minister has said that Benjamin Netanyahu is jeopardising a ceasefire agreement by bombing Rafah.

Tremendous effort has been made to produce an exchange deal thatll release hostages & realize a ceasefire, Ayman Safadi said on X.

Hamas has put out an offer. If Netanyahu genuinely wants a deal, he will negotiate the offer in earnest. Instead, he is jeopardizing the deal by bombing Rafah.

09:45 PM BST

Rafah celebrations will be cut short

Palestinians in the city of Rafah erupted in cheers as news of a potential ceasefire deal broke on Monday, hoping it would prevent an Israeli invasion of the sanctuary where more than one million people have taken shelter.

In one square in the southern city near the border with Egypt, young men clapped, danced and rode on each others shoulders shouting Allahu Akbar.

Children joined in the celebrations with some climbing to the top of a white van as onlookers filmed on their phones.

But the jubilation appeared premature as Israeli officials briefed that Hamas had in fact carried out a ruse by accepting a ceasefire deal that was not on the table, in an effort to paint Israel as the party obstructing peace.

Read more: Rafah erupts in celebration after Hamas accepts ceasefire offer even as Israeli offensive continues

09:43 PM BST

Families of hostages join protest in Tel Aviv

Hamass announcement that it will accept a ceasefire deal must accelerate the return of Israeli hostages, the The Hostages Families Forum said.

In statement, the group said: Hamas announcement must pave the way for the return of the 132 hostages held captive by Hamas for the past 7 months.

Now is the time for all that are involved, to fulfil their commitment and turn this opportunity into a deal for the return of all the hostages.

On Monday night the families of hostages taken by Hamas joined a protest in Tel Aviv urging the government to do more to release their loved ones.

A woman holds a sign identifying Matan Zangauker (24) , one of the hostages taken captive by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip during the October 7 attacks, as she stands on the roof of a car during a demonstration by hostages' relatives and supporters in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on May 6, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas group.

Relatives and supporters of hostages taken captive by Palestinian militants in Gaza during the October 7 attacks, hold placards and wave national flags during a demonstration calling for their release, in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on May 6, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas group.

Protesters block a highway demanding the immediate release of hostages who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7 attack, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 6, 2024

09:23 PM BST

Israel not sure which proposal Hamas accepted  report

The Israeli government is unsure which ceasefire proposal Hamas has accepted because the terms are different to those seen by Israel, according to a report.

An anonymous Israeli official, cited by the Guardian, said it was not clear which peace proposal Hamas had agreed to because some of the terms appeared to be fundamentally different from those shown to mediators by Israel and signed off by the Israeli government last week.

09:18 PM BST

FCK HMS  Israeli minister

Israels minister for diaspora and combating anti-Semitism has posted on X: FCK HMS

09:01 PM BST

Pictured: Palestinians get out of Rafah

Palestinians flee following Israeli army orders to evacuate the eastern side of the city, ahead of military operations in Rafah, Gaza, on Monday, May 6, 2024. Israel rejected a statement from Hamas that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal to end the fighting in Gaza, saying its forces would continue their operation in Rafah to eradicate the Palestinian militant group. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg

Palestinians flee following Israeli army orders to evacuate the eastern side of the city, ahead of military operations in Rafah, Gaza, on Monday, May 6, 2024. Israel rejected a statement from Hamas that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal to end the fighting in Gaza, saying its forces would continue their operation in Rafah to eradicate the Palestinian militant group. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg

Palestinians flee following Israeli army orders to evacuate the eastern side of the city, ahead of military operations in Rafah, Gaza, on Monday, May 6, 2024. Israel rejected a statement from Hamas that it had accepted a cease-fire proposal to end the fighting in Gaza, saying its forces would continue their operation in Rafah to eradicate the Palestinian militant group. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg

08:55 PM BST

Jordan denounces attack on Rafah

Jordans King Abdullah has denounced Israels attack on the city of Rafah.

In a meeting with Joe Biden, the King said the Israeli armys operation  which the IDF confirmed has begun this evening  would lead to a new massacre in Gaza.

His Majesty King Abdullah II, during a meeting with #US President Joe Biden at the White House, says the international community must take urgent action to prevent a new catastrophe in #Gaza as a result of the Israeli attack on #Rafah #Jordan pic.twitter.com/PqsvP1rti1  RHC (@RHCJO) May 6, 2024

08:49 PM BST

Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Auschwitz remembrance march

Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a remembrance march to honour the victims of Nazi atrocities at the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp, write Daniel Hardaker and Natalie Lisbona.

The demonstrators chanted slogans at the marchers, unfurling Palestinian flags and banners reading stop genocide.

Survivors of the Holocaust and the Oct 7 Hamas attacks on Israel took part in the march on Monday, alongside thousands of others who came to reaffirm the vow: Never again.

Read more here.

Protesters chanted slogans at those attending the solemn march from Auschwitz - WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP

08:43 PM BST

UN chief urges Israel and Hamas to go the extra mile to get deal done

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, has urged the Israeli government and Hamas to go the extra mile needed to make an agreement come true and stop the present suffering, his spokesperson said.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The Secretary-General reminds the parties that the protection of civilians is paramount in international humanitarian law.

08:35 PM BST

Israeli military strikes Hamas in east Rafah

The Israeli military said on Monday it was currently conducting targeted strikes against targets belonging to Hamas in the eastern part of Rafah.

The military, in a brief statement, said that more details would follow.

08:18 PM BST

Israel still plans to go ahead with Rafah operation, says US official

Israel still plans to proceed with a 90-day plan to invade Rafah, which Washington is committed to stopping, a US official familiar with truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel said on Monday.

Netanyahu and the war cabinet have not appeared to approach the latest phase of negotiations [with Hamas] in good faith, the official told the Reuters news agency, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

08:10 PM BST

Biden urged Netanyahu not to go ahead with Rafah assault

Joe Biden urged Benjamin Netanyahu not to invade Rafah in a phone call this morning, the White House said.

Mr Kirby told reporters: Ill reiterate again that we cannot and we will not speak for IDF operations, but weve made clear our views about operations in Rafah that could potentially put more than a million innocent people at greater risk.

During this call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the president again made this clear. He also made clear that we continue to believe that the hostage deal is the best way to avoid that sort of an outcome while securing the release of those hostages, and as I said, those conversations continue.

07:59 PM BST

White House refuses to comment on ceasefire deal

The White House said it would not comment further on the ceasefire deal until the details had been established, writes Tony Diver.

John Kirby, the White Houses national security spokesman, said US officials were discussing it with countries in the region.

I know everybodys curious about whats in this response and what the Israeli reaction to it is, he said. Im just not getting ahead of the process. We want to get these hostages out. We want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance.

And the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium thats going to put that process at risk.

07:54 PM BST

Hamas says Gaza three-phase proposal aims for permanent ceasefire

Khalil al-Hayya, a Senior Hamas member, said the ceasefire proposal agreed by the group for a Gaza ceasefire includes a three-stage truce with the goal of a lasting ceasefire.

Mr Hayya told Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel that each phase would last 42 days, and the deal includes plans for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the return of Palestinians displaced by the ongoing war, an exchange of hostages and prisoners and the aim of a permanent ceasefire.

07:50 PM BST

Pictured: Palestinians celebrate after Hamas agrees to truce proposal

Palestinians celebrate in a street in Rafah after Hamas announced it has accepted a truce proposal - AFP

Palestinians gather outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah - Anadolu

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh informed mediators Qatar and Egypt that his Palestinian terror group had accepted their proposal - AFP

07:40 PM BST

Egypt urges all parties to exert more effort to reach deal in Gaza

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Egyptian president, has called on all sides to exert more effort to reach a deal in Gaza, saying he was closely following positive developments of the current negotiations to reach a comprehensive truce.

07:35 PM BST

Hamas agreed to latest Israeli proposal

Hamas agreed to the latest proposal that Israel had made on April 27 and there were no major changes since then, an official briefed on the ceasefire talks said, adding the Qatari mediators had spoken to Hamas about this on Sunday and Monday.

What happens next depends on Israel to accept or reject Hamas response. The ball is in Israels court, the source told the Reuters news agency, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

07:31 PM BST

We want to get a ceasefire in place

Admiral John Kirby, US National Security Council Spokesman, says the US is examining the deal that Hamas said it had accepted.

We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a ceasefire in place, he told a press briefing.

Reaching the agreement is the absolute best outcome, not only for the hostages but for the Palestinian people, he added.

07:28 PM BST

Erdogan discusses Hamas ceasefire acceptance with Haniyeh

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he held a phone call with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to discuss efforts to end the fighting in Gaza, as well as the militant groups decision to accept a ceasefire in the enclave.

During the call, in which I stated that I found it positive for Hamas to take such a decision with Turkeys suggestion, we emphasised that Israel must take a step for a lasting ceasefire too, Mr Erdogan said on X

07:19 PM BST

Israeli army says it examines all hostage deal proposals

All proposals regarding negotiations to free hostages in Gaza are examined seriously, Israels military spokesperson has said.

Asked during a media briefing whether Hamas saying it accepted a ceasefire proposal would impact a planned offensive in the Gaza city of Rafah, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: We examine every answer and response in the most seriously manner and are exhausting every possibility regarding negotiations and returning the hostages.

In parallel, we are still operating in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so, he said.

07:06 PM BST

US to discuss Hamas truce response with allies

The United States will discuss Hamas response to a ceasefire proposal with allies in the Middle East in the coming hours, Matthew Miller said.

07:02 PM BST

US still opposes Rafah operation

The US has said it continues to oppose an Israeli military operation in Rafah, following reports that Palestinians had been told to evacuate further north.

We made quite clear our position on Rafah for some time, which is that we cannot support an operation in Rafah as it is currently envisioned, Mr Miller said.

We have made clear, the Secretary made this clear in his conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government last week, that we have not seen a humanitarian plan that is credible, and that is implementable.

We believe a military operation in Rafah right now would dramatically increase the suffering of the Palestinian people would lead to an increase in loss of civilian life, which would dramatically disrupt the delivery of humanitarian assistance, he said.

07:01 PM BST

US concerned as Israel shuts down Al Jazeera

The United States is quite concerned about Israel shutting down Al Jazeeras operations in the country, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Mr Millers comments came a day after the Israeli authorities raided a Jerusalem hotel room used as the TV stations local office.

Washington thinks Qatari-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera ought to be able to operate in Israel, Mr Miller added.

06:55 PM BST

Top priority to try to reach a ceaesfire agreement, says US

Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, declined to comment on reports that Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal that was not on the table from Israel.

He said US officials would discuss the Hamas statement in the coming hours with Egypt, Qatar and Israel.

Reaching a ceasefire deal of some sort is a top priority, he said.

The US has not seen a credible Israeli plan for the evacuation of Rafah and would not support an invasion of the southern Gazan city, he added.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller

06:49 PM BST

Turkeys Erdogan welcomes Hamas accepting ceasefire

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, said he welcomes the decision by Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal in Gaza, adding he hopes Israel would do the same.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Mr Erdogan called on Western countries to increase pressure on Israels leadership to accept the ceasefire.

We welcome the statement by Hamas that they accepted the ceasefire with our suggestion. Now, Israel must take the same step, he said.

06:39 PM BST

Hamas agreed to proposal including prisoner swap deal

The ceasefire proposal Hamas agreed to entails a ceasefire, reconstruction of Gaza, return of the displaced and a prisoner swap deal, Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official said.

06:26 PM BST

Israel cannot accept softened truce deal

A truce Hamas said it agreed to was a softened version of an Egyptian proposal that included far-reaching conclusions that Israel could not accept, an Israeli official has said.

This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal, said the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

06:21 PM BST

Crowds celebrate in Rafah after Hamas leader approves truce plan

Crowds cheered and fired in the air in the streets of the southern Gaza city of Rafah Monday after Hamas said it approved a ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar.

People were crying tears of happiness, chanting Allahu Akbar and shooting guns in the air in celebration of the news, footage from the city showed.

06:15 PM BST

Ball in Israels court, says Hamas

A senior Hamas official has said Israel must decide whether it accepts or obstructs a truce in Gaza after the terror group announced it had accepted mediators latest proposal.

After Hamas agreed to the mediators proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it, the official told the AFP news agency.

Hamas had approved a softened Egyptian proposal that is not acceptable to Israel, an Israeli official said.

05:45 PM BST

Watch: Hamas release video of rocket attack on Israeli forces

Hamas claims responsibility for three rocket and mortar attacks on the Netzarim Corridor in the central Gaza Strip today, where the Israeli military has several forward operating bases.



The IDF says no injuries or damage were caused in the attacks. pic.twitter.com/1KB8m2njLL  Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 6, 2024

05:41 PM BST

Rafah evacuation order is inhumane, says UN

Israels order for Palestinian civilians to evacuate from eastern Rafah is inhumane, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights has said.

In a statement, Volker Turk said: Gazans continue to be hit with bombs, disease, and even famine.

They have been told that they must relocate yet again as Israeli military operations into Rafah scale up.

This is inhumane. It runs contrary to the basic principles of international humanitarian and human rights laws, which have the effective protection of civilians as their overriding concern.

05:27 PM BST

Netanyahu agrees to keep crossing open for humanitarian assistance after call with Biden

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza is kept open for humanitarian assistance, the White House said in a statement.

The move came after Joe Biden, the US president, held urgent talks with Mr Netanyahu on Monday as Israel ordered 100,000 Palestinian civilians to evacuate from eastern Rafah ahead of an expected ground offensive.

During the call, the White House said the US president reiterated his position on a Rafah offensive.

Washington has previously said it would not support an offensive in the Rafah area without a credible plan to aid some 1.2 million civilians sheltering there.

04:28 PM BST

Sunak: UK concerned deeply about possible Rafah offensive

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said that Britain was concerned deeply about a possible offensive in Rafah after Israel told around 100,000 Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city.

We are concerned deeply about the prospect of a military incursion into Rafah given the number of civilians that are sheltering there and the importance of that crossing for aid, Mr Sunak told Sky News in an interview.

03:58 PM BST

600,000 children face catastrophe in Rafah, Unicef warns

Unicef has warned that 600,000 Palestinian children in the southern Gaza city of Rafah face further catastrophe as it urged against Israels evacuation of the city ahead of an expected ground offensive.

Given the high concentration of children in Rafah... Unicef is warning of a further catastrophe for children, with military operations resulting in very high civilian casualties and the few remaining basic services and infrastructure they need to survive being totally destroyed, the United Nations childrens agency said in a statement.

Catherine Russell, Unicefs executive director, said that More than 200 days of war have taken an unimaginable toll on the lives of children.

The agency said there are some 78,000 infants under the age of two sheltering in the city, along with 175,000 children under five who are affected by infectious disease.

03:42 PM BST

Hamas is suspending peace talks, reports suggest

Hamas has said it is suspending ongoing peace and hostage release negotiations, according to a London-based Qatari media organisation citing a Hamas source.

According to the source, the Islamist group is suspending its involvement in the Egyptian-mediated peace talks and will not return to Cairo, where the negotiations are being held.

03:23 PM BST

Biden to hold urgent talks with Netanyahu as Rafah assault fears grow

Joe Biden, the US president, will hold urgent talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, on Monday after Israel defied US warnings and told Palestinians to evacuate part of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Mr Biden told Mr Netanyahu in April that invading Rafah would be a mistake, and Washington has said it would not support an offensive without a credible plan to aid some 1.2 million civilians sheltering there.

The move comes as the US launches a diplomatic offensive to get ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas back on track after they reportedly reached an impasse when Hamas demanded an immediate end to fighting before any release of hostages.

Israels military on Monday called for the evacuation of roughly 100,000 Palestinians from eastern Rafah in a move the US believes is in response to a rocket strike by Hamas militants that killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday.

03:02 PM BST

Pictured: Palestinians flee Rafah after Israeli warning to evacuate

Palestinians flee eastern Rafah - Anadolu/Anadolu

Children flee from Rafah after Israel warning to evacuate - Anadolu/Anadolu

02:34 PM BST

Pro-Palestine protestors chant at Holocaust survivors outside Auschwitz

Pro-Palestine protestors have reportedly chanted at Holocaust and October 7 survivors taking part in an annual remembrance march outside Auschwitz death camp in Poland.

Images of protestors waving Palestine flags and chanting slogans at participants of the March of the Living have emerged on social media.

March participants reportedly sang back Am Israel chai, a Jewish solidarity anthem, which means the people of Israel live.

The March of the Living is an annual three kilometre silent march between the former Auschwitz and Birkenau death camps.

Police sirens sound outside Auschwitz - Holocaust survivors and Oct 7 victims are walking for March of Living and Gaza protesters are chanting at them. #Auschwitz #marchoftheliving pic.twitter.com/kdnkqhkFwa  Natalie Lisbona (@NatalieLisbona) May 6, 2024

02:14 PM BST

Pictured: Displaced Palestinians flee Rafah with their belongings

Displaced Palestinians flee Rafah with their belongings - AFP

Displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip pack their belongings in a truck following an evacuation order by the Israeli army - AFP

01:41 PM BST

EU: Israels Rafah evacuation order is unacceptable

Israels order for around 100,000 civilians to flee from the southern Gaza city of Rafah ahead of an expected ground assault is unacceptable, the EU has said.

Israels evacuation orders to civilians in Rafah portend the worst: more war and famine. It is unacceptable. Israel must renounce to a ground offensive, Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign affairs chief, wrote on social media.

The EU, with the International Community, can and must act to prevent such scenario, he added.

01:18 PM BST

Hamas: Rafah operation will not be a picnic for Israeli forces

An Israeli offensive in Rafah will not be a picnic for Israeli soldiers, Hamas has said in a statement.

The Islamist group added that they are fully prepared to defend Palestinians in Rafah, and that Israels evacuation order underscores an insistence on pursuing genocide against Palestinians.

The Israeli military said on Monday that it is evacuating about 100,000 people from eastern Rafah, ahead of an expected ground assault.

Despite growing international opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has vowed to attack Hamas in Rafah in order to achieve total victory.

12:59 PM BST

Rafah offensive must not go ahead, says David Lammy

David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, has urged Israel not to go ahead with its expected offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

In a post on X, Mr Lammy wrote: An Israeli offensive in Rafah would be catastrophic. It must not go ahead. We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of hostages, and immediate unimpeded aid to Gaza.

12:38 PM BST

France: Civilian displacement in Rafah could constitute a war crime

France has reiterated its strong opposition to Israeli military action in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and warned that the displacement of civilians could be considered a war crime.

France also recalls that the forced displacement of a civilian population constitutes a war crime under international law, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli military said on Monday that it is evacuating about 100,000 people from eastern Rafah, ahead of an expected ground assault.

12:21 PM BST

Former Israeli hostage joins IDF

A former hostage held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip joined the Israeli military on Monday, according to an Israel Defence Forces publication.

Noga Weiss, 18, was kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 attacks on southern Israel along with her mother Shiri. Her father, Ilan, was killed during the assault.

Noga and her mother were subsequently released in a hostage deal in November.

I always wanted to enlist and provide myself for the country, Ms Weiss said. I feel that I can contribute a lot, be significant and help others, she added.

Ms Weiss will serve as a mashakit tash, which is the Israeli equivalent of a welfare officer.

12:01 PM BST

Palestinians flee Rafah by car after Israeli warning

11:54 AM BST

Germany condemns Israels closure of Al Jazeera

The German foreign ministry has criticised Israels decision to shut down Al Jazeeras operations in the country.

A free and diverse press landscape is an important cornerstone of any liberal democracy, the ministry wrote in a post on social media.

The Qatari government-funded station was taken off-air in Israel on Sunday as police raided the stations Jerusalem office and seized its broadcasting equipment.

Israeli officials said the move was justified because Al Jazeera posed a threat to national security. The station said the accusation was a dangerous and ridiculous lie.

11:29 AM BST

Rafah evacuation zone not suitable for meeting basic needs, UNRWA says

The area demarcated for evacuation from Rafah is not suitable for meeting basic needs, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has said.

Its really not somewhere thats quite suitable for people to put up tents and to be able to sit and try to live and meet their basic necessities every day, Scott Anderson, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, told CNN on Monday.

I know they expanded the area recently, but a lot of thats in Khan Younis which were still trying to recover from an operation that happened there, he added.

Israel has urged Palestinian civilians in Rafah to evacuate to a designated a humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, a coastal town west of Khan Younis, where it says field hospitals, tents, increased quantities of food, water, medicines, and additional supplies have been made available.

11:11 AM BST

Teenage Israeli soldier killed in Hamas border crossing strike

The Israel Defence Forces announced Sergeant Michael Ruzal, 18, as the fourth soldier killed in a Hamas strike on the Kerem Shalom border crossing on Sunday.

The IDF announces the death of a fourth soldier killed in the Hamas-claimed rocket attack against a staging ground near Kerem Shalom in southern Israel yesterday.



He is named as Sgt. Michael Ruzal, 18, of the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion, from Rishon Lezion.



Last night, the pic.twitter.com/JPbQcvsgBv  Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 6, 2024

11:04 AM BST

Why a ceasefire is a problem for Netanyahu

Over the weekend, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, made several statements to the effect that he will not agree to ending the war and that an operation in Rafah will happen with or without a hostage deal.

Some Israeli officials see Netanyahus statements as an attempt to provoke Hamas and sabotage the talks, an analysis by US news website Axios has suggested.

According to Axios, a deal could create a political crisis for Mr Netanyahu as two of his coalition partners, the ultranationalist ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, have threatened to leave government if a truce is approved.

Without the pair, Netanyahus coalition would collapse and early elections would likely be called. According to recent polls, Netanyahu would not win if a vote was held today.

Hamas has demanded an end to fighting before the group signs any peace deal with Israel. The original proposal stipulates that a ceasefire would only occur after an exchange of prisoners and hostages.

10:27 AM BST

Hamas attack on Israeli troops caused ceasefire talks to stall

A Hamas rocket attack that killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday caused Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks to impasse, Egyptian state-affiliated TV news quoted an unnamed source as saying.

Israel said the barrage was fired from Rafah and hit an Israeli military staging post near the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

The crossing was then closed before the Israeli military launched strikes on Rafah, which reportedly killed at least 12 people.

Egyptian negotiators are intensifying talks to contain the current escalation between Israel and Hamas, the source said according to the channel.

10:04 AM BST

Pictured: Israel marks Holocaust Remembrance Day

An Israeli soldier marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, at an installation at the site of the Nova festival massacre

An Israeli soldier stands during a two-minute siren marking the annual Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day, at an installation at the site of the Nova festival where party goers were killed and kidnapped during the October 7 attack

09:46 AM BST

Hamas: Israels evacuation order is a dangerous escalation

A senior Hamas spokesman has said that Israels order for civilians to evacuate parts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah is a dangerous escalation.

Sami Abu Zuhuri said that the escalation would have consequences, but did not elaborate further. He however added that the US administration, alongside the occupation, bears responsibility for this terrorism.

Zuhuris statement is the first reaction from Hamas since the Israeli military urged 100,000 civilians to evacuate Rafah earlier this morning.

09:31 AM BST

Israel blames Hamas for collapse of peace deal

Hamas insistence on an immediate end to fighting caused the current round of peace talks to collapse, an unnamed Israeli official told the Times of Israel.

Hamas wants to declare victory, thats its entire aim in the talks, the official said.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, told his US counterpart earlier that a Hamas refusal to discuss the frameworks at hand meant Tel Aviv now needed to take military action.

On Friday, reports indicated that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader, had demanded an unconditional end to fighting before the group signed any peace deal with Israel.

The Egyptian-mediated proposal had originally stipulated that a phased de-escalation in fighting would only occur after an initial exchange of prisoners and hostages between Hamas and Israel.

09:03 AM BST

Pictured: Israel warns people to evacuate with leaflet drop

Israel is warning people to evacuate Rafah with leaflets dropped from the sky - Anadolu/Anadolu

In Rafah, people received flyers Monday morning in Arabic detailing which neighborhood blocks needed to leave and where humanitarian zones had expanded to. The flyers said that aid services would spread from Deir al Balah in the north to the center of Khan Younis city in the middle of the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians in Rafah said people gathered to discuss their options after receiving the flyers. Most said they did not want to move alone and preferred to travel in groups.

So many people here are displaced and now they have to move again, but no one will stay here its not safe, Nidal Alzaanin told The Associated Press.

People were being ordered to move to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi.

Israels army said Monday on X it would act with extreme force against militants and urged the population to evacuate immediately for their safety.

08:51 AM BST

Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets at Israeli base

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group said it fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at an Israeli base in the occupied Golan Heights on Monday in retaliation for a strike in Lebanons east.

Earlier, Lebanese official media said three people had been wounded in an Israeli strike early Monday in the countrys east, with the Israeli army saying it had struck a Hezbollah military compound.

Hezbollah fighters launched dozens of Katyusha rockets targeting the headquarters of the Golan Division... at Nafah base, the group said in a statement, saying it was in response to the enemys attack targeting the Bekaa region.

Israel and Lebanons Hezbollah have exchanged regular cross-border fire since Palestinian militant group Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel sparked war in the Gaza Strip.

In recent weeks Hamas-ally Hezbollah has stepped up its attacks on northern Israel, and the Israeli military has struck deeper into Lebanese territory.

08:22 AM BST

Pictured: People flee Rafah

Photographers on the ground in Rafah have captured photos of people evacuating, as Israel prepares a limited scope operation in the city.

Some 100,000 people have been told to evacuate, Israel says - Hatem Khaled/Reuters

People flee the eastern parts of Rafah - Hatem Khaled/Reuters

07:54 AM BST

Evacuation comes after violent reminder of Hamass presence

Israel had a violent reminder of Hamass presence and operational abilities on Sunday, a military spokesman said.

On Sunday, three Israeli soldiers were killed and a dozen wounded when a barrage of rockets was fired towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza.

The army said the rockets were fired from an area adjacent to Rafah.

The soldiers were hit while guarding heavy machinery, tanks and bulldozers stationed in the area.

Hamass armed wing claimed the rocket attack, which led Israeli authorities to close the crossing, used to deliver aid into Gaza.

07:47 AM BST

Israel evacuating people from eastern Rafah

The Israeli army says it is evacuating about 100,000 people from eastern Rafah, ahead of an expected ground assault.

The estimate is around 100,000 people, a military spokesman told journalists when asked how many people were being evacuated.

About 1.2 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, according to the World Health Organization, most having fled there from elsewhere in Gaza during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants.

This is an evacuation plan to get people out of harms way.

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Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

A few hours after the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement announced that it would agree to the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli army attacked targets in the east of the city of Rafah late on Monday evening.

According to an army spokesman, the targets were Hamas facilities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war Cabinet had previously decided to continue the military operation in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip in order to increase the military pressure on Hamas and achieve Israel's war aims.

"While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel's core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

Egypt and Qatar had brokered the proposal, the content of which is still officially unknown.

The Israeli military had previously called on the approximately 100,000 inhabitants of the eastern part of Rafah on the border with Egypt to move to the al-Mawasi camp a few kilometres to the north. The United Nations and the governments of numerous countries, including Germany and France, warned of the consequences of a military operation in Rafah.

Demonstrations in favour of a negotiated solution for the release of the hostages held by Hamas took place in several Israeli cities on Monday evening. "Time to decide - life or death," read a large banner at a demonstration by relatives of the hostages abducted to the Gaza Strip on October 7.

"Instead of ending the war in order to return all the hostages home, the government is threatening a military operation in Rafah that will endanger their lives," said a representative of the families.

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
GENEVA (Reuters) - Aid groups said on Monday their medical services in Rafah have been affected by the start of Israel's operation in the southern Gaza city, with some services suspended and medical teams blocked.

Israel carried out airstrikes in Rafah on Monday and told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city where more than a million people uprooted by the seven-month war have been crowded together, often in filthy conditions that have contributed to the spread of diarrhoea and disease.

U.S.-based medical aid group Project HOPE said in a statement that it had to close its Al Shouka facility which is in the so-called evacuation zone. With most of Gaza's hospitals shut, the centre had been giving basic health services to displaced people, including treatments for diarrhea and malnutrition tests amid famine warnings.

Operating hours were reduced at other sites as staff members scrambled to prepare for evacuations, the group said.

"As more people flee and violence continues here, services like these will be forced to suspend indefinitely  cutting thousands off from lifesaving food, medicine, and other aid," said Moses Kondowe, Project HOPE's Gaza team lead based in Rafah, warning of a spike in malnutrition and illness.

A Project HOPE team of four doctors including two surgeons, an emergency medicine doctor and an anesthesiologist was denied entry at the Rafah crossing, together with their medical supplies and equipment, a spokesperson told Reuters.

Another humanitarian aid group, MedGlobal, said in a statement it had scrapped a medical mission set to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing on Monday due to security reasons. The World Health Organization has previously voiced concern that an Israeli operation on Rafah would close the Egypt-Gaza crossing which is currently being used to import medical supplies.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has once again rejected the idea proposed by the French president that Western allies could potentially send their troops to Ukraine.

Source: Guido Crosetto in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Crosetto, in an interview over the weekend, criticised the position of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has not ruled out the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine and believes that Western countries should not give Moscow a clear understanding of what they will or will not do while supporting Ukraine.

Crosetto believes that the discussion about the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine increases tension.

Quote: "Our position remains unchanged: we have always said that Ukraine needs to be helped in every possible way and we are doing that. But we have also always ruled out direct military intervention that involves our troops."

Rome's reaction was the same after the initial wave of publicity surrounding Macron's statement in early March.

Meanwhile, Radosaw Sikorski, Poland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, supported Macron's position that the Kremlin should be kept in the dark about the West's possible next steps.

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TBILISI, Georgia, May 6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is keen to participate in Black Sea Cable project, if it proves feasible, ADB Director General for Central and Western Asia Eugenue Zhukov said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the ADB annual meeting in Tbilisi.

ADB director general noted that the Bank is a keen supporter of regional cooperation, because it is probably one of the few MDBs where the regional cooperation is mandated in its charter documents.

In the case of Central Asia and Caucasus, in early 2000s we established Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program (CAREC). Since that time, total investments in regional cooperation, including connectivity, have exceeded $50 billion. There is of course ongoing study on the Black Sea cable, going from Azerbaijan to Georgia, from Black Sea to Romania and the rest of the European Union. Feasibility study ongoing now. We hope that it is preliminary finished by mid or end of this year. So if the study demonstrates that the project is feasible, we are very keen to participate in that. I think it is a very large project and if it is going to happen, I think there will be room for many IFIs to participate. Then if we look to the east, indeed we saw that a few days ago in Tashkent, the governments of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed a preliminary MoU on the possible underwater cable crossing the Caspian Sea from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan and to Azerbaijan on the so-called green energy corridor. Uzbekistan has been investing quite a lot to produce renewable energy, solar and wind, in the western parts of the country, while most of the economic base is actually in east of Uzbekistan. We think that these projects have potential to produce green energy, which then can be supplied for this proposed green corridor, but we believe that a lot of investments will be needed for this to happen, he said.

On December 17, 2022, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary signed a strategic partnership agreement that provides for the construction of an energy bridge from the Caucasus region to Europe.

As per the agreement, a 1,000 MW Black Sea Energy submarine electric cable spanning 1,195 kilometers is set to be constructed. The cable is intended to transmit 'green' electricity generated in Azerbaijan, routed through Georgia and the Black Sea to Romania, and further distributed to Hungary and the rest of Europe. This infrastructure will facilitate the supply of up to four gigawatts of green energy.
The West should seek a truce in Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview with the newspaper Il Messaggero published on May 6.

The comments indicated a change of heart from Crosetto, who said in November 2023 that the "time is not yet ripe" for ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Western sanctions against Russia have failed, Crosetto said, adding that "we can only resolve this crisis by involving everyone: first with a truce and then with peace."

While Crosetto's remarks went further, Ukrainian officials have also said in recent days that an outright Ukrainian victory on the battlefield is unlikely.

Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence, told the Economist earlier in May that wars such as Russia's full-scale invasion "can only end in treaties."

Ukraine will hold a peace summit in Switzerland in June, presidential spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov said on May 2. After the summit, participants will formulate a common negotiating position on the end of the war and submit it to Russia.

The Swiss government said Russia will not be invited "at this stage" of the talks.

Despite the insistence that negotiations were ultimately the only way to end the war, Crosetto said that Italy would continue to send weapons to Ukraine.

Military assistance will help Ukrainians find "the time and the conditions to achieve a truce and peace," Crosetto said.

Read also: French FM: Discussions with Russia not in Pariss interest due to Moscows false statements

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L.A. County's former top prosecutor, Jackie Lacey, announced her support Monday for Nathan Hochman in the 2024 district attorney's race, telling voters it was time to oust the man who booted her from office four years ago, George Gascon.

Standing next to Hochman on her mother's lawn at the edge of the Crenshaw district, Lacey said it was time to "excuse the current district attorney and elect someone with a conscience."

Criminals are more brazen because they know they have allies in that office  it is time to elect somebody who will be pro-active in making us safer," she said. "I have watched as the current administration harmed our community by rolling out ill-conceived, poorly implemented, ham-fisted policies.

Read more: Felony charges against Gascon's top advisor spark confusion, criticism in L.A. D.A.'s office

Lacey was both the county's first female and first Black district attorney, serving two terms in office from 2012 to 2020 after working for decades as a county prosecutor. But her pursuit of a third term fell short when her history of declining to prosecute police officers in excessive force cases ran up against Gascon's criminal justice reform agenda in the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other killings sparked nationwide protests against police brutality.

For Hochman  a veteran attorney and former federal prosecutor who ran as a Republican in a failed bid for state attorney general in 2022  the endorsement of a lifelong Democrat could be an important shield against criticisms that he's too conservative for L.A. County. Hochman is running as an independent and has described his policies as "the hard middle," but he's also received significant contributions from Republican fundraisers and worked with a Republican firm that organized fundraisers for then-President Donald Trump in 2020. Hochman has said repeatedly he does not support Trump.

Lacey, however, urged voters to disregard political affiliations and focus on public safety matters. She argued that Gascon has abandoned crime victims and instituted policies that have contributed to an air of lawlessness in L.A.

Im speaking out because I know that job, I did it for eight years and I can spot malfeasance and incompetence," she said.

Lacey also pointed to the prosecution of high-level Gascon advisor Diana Teran as a failure in her successor's decision making.

The mistake was made in not having the wisdom to put the right person in power in the first place, Lacey said.

Read more: George Gascon survived the primary. Can Nathan Hochman unseat him as D.A.?

Jamarah Hayner, Gascon's chief political strategist, said the endorsement is a sign that Hochman will restore tough-on-crime policies that California legislators have been trying to steer away from.

"Mr. Hochman continues to struggle with attracting relevant support, instead relying on names like [former L.A. County Dist. Atty.] Steve Cooley and Jackie Lacey, whose political views voters have consistently rejected," Hayner said.

Gascon has been endorsed by the L.A. County Democratic Party, the powerful county Federation of Labor and a number of well-known local politicians including U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) and L.A. County supervisors Lindsay Horvath, Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell.

Since March, Hochman has been endorsed by two of his former primary opponents, Deputy Dist. Attys. John McKinney and Maria Ramirez.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Jacksonville Beach Police Department is asking the public for assistance locating a missing juvenile runaway.

Fifteen-year-old Keturah Hannah Thomas was last seen wearing burgundy sweats and a black shirt.

She is described as having dreads in a ponytail.

Keturah was last spotted leaving the vicinity of 6th Street South and 5th Avenue South. Authorities believe she may be heading towards West 13th Street in Jacksonville, though her mode of transportation remains unknown at this time.

Law enforcement urges anyone with information on Keturahs whereabouts to contact the Jacksonville Beach Police Department immediately at 904-270-1661. In case of emergency, dial 9-1-1 without delay.

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JACKSONVILLE, Ark.  Police in Jacksonville said a weekend argument between workers at a fast-food restaurant ended with shots being fired.

Officials with the Jacksonville Police Department said officers responded to the Taco Bell located at 1809 N. First St. Sunday night after getting reports of gunfire.

Locals react to officer-involved shooting at Jacksonville Waffle House

When the officers arrived at the restaurant, they said they determined there had been a disturbance between some of the employees that led to the gunfire.

The officers noted that no one was injured during this incident. They also said there was no threat to the general public.

Jacksonville police arrest man accused in early Sunday morning shooting

Department officials said the investigation into this case is ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Jacksonville Police Department at 501-982-3191. The department can be reached at 501-985-2802 after normal business hours.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
TOKYO (AP)  Japan and India on Saturday decried remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden describing them as xenophobic countries that do not welcome immigrants, which the president said during a campaign fundraising event earlier in the week.

Japan said Biden's judgment was not based on an accurate understanding of its policy, while India rebutted the comment, defending itself as the worlds most open society.

Biden grouped Japan and India as xenophobic countries, along with Russia and China as he tried to explain their struggling economies, contrasting the four with the strength of the U.S. as a nation of immigrants.

Japan is a key U.S. ally, and both Japan and India are part of the Quad, a U.S.-led informal partnership that also includes Australia in countering increasingly assertive China in the Indo-Pacific.

Just weeks ago, Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on an official visit, as the two leaders restated their unbreakable alliance and agreed to reinforce their security ties in the face of Chinas threat in the Indo-Pacific.

Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi also made a state visit to Washington last year, when he was welcomed by business and political leaders.

The White House said Biden meant no offense and was merely stressing that the U.S. was a nation of immigrants, saying he had no intention of undermining the relationship with Japan.

Japan is aware of Biden's remark as well as the subsequent clarification, a Japanese government official said Saturday, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The official said it was unfortunate that part of Biden's speech was not based on an accurate understanding of Japanese policies, and that Japan understands that Biden made the remark to emphasize the presence of immigrants as Americas strength.

Japan-U.S. relations are stronger than ever as Prime Minister Kishida showed during his visit to the U.S. in April, the official said.

In New Delhi, Indias External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday also rebutted Bidens comment, saying India was the most open society in the world.

``I havent seen such an open, pluralistic, and diverse society anywhere in the world. We are actually not just not xenophobic, we are the most open, most pluralistic and in many ways the most understanding society in the world, Jaishankar said at a roundtable organized by the Economic Times newspaper.

Jaishankar also noted that Indias annual GDP growth is 7% and said, You check some other countries growth rate, you will find an answer. The U.S. economy grew by 2.5% in 2023, according to government figures.

At a hotel fundraiser Wednesday, where the donor audience was largely Asian American, Biden said the upcoming U.S. election was about freedom, America and democracy and that the nations economy was thriving because of you and many others.

Why? Because we welcome immigrants, Biden said. Look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because theyre xenophobic. They dont want immigrants.

Japan has been known for a strict stance on immigration. But in recent years, it has eased its policies to make it easier for foreign workers to come and stay in Japan as a way to mitigate its declining births and rapidly shrinking population. The number of babies born in Japan last year fell to a record low since Japan started compiling the statistics in 1899.

India, which has the worlds largest population, enacted a new citizenship law earlier this year by setting religious criteria that allows fast-tracking naturalization for Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians who fled to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, while excluding Muslims.

___

AP writers Ashok Sharma in New Delhi and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.
DENVER (KDVR)  A K-9 with the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office who was killed in the line of duty last February will be honored at a national memorial in Washington D.C.

Graffit was shot and killed while helping in the search for an armed subject at the Colorado School of Mines.

The schools police department tried to apprehend a man who was unconscious in his vehicle, but when officers woke the man he drove, swerving into oncoming traffic before losing consciousness again, according to police reports. When officers woke him again he started ramming into patrol cars in an attempt to flee.

Man gets maximum sentence in shooting death of Jefferson County K-9 Graffit

When officers broke a window and put the car in park, he ran into a wooded area and pointed a handgun at an officer, according to police reports. Police tracked him with Graffit, who the subject, identified as Eduardo Armando Romero, 30, shot and killed.

Last month, Romero received a maximum sentence in the case after pleading guilty to charges including aggravated cruelty to animals, identity theft, menacing, driving under the influence and aggravated motor vehicle theft in the second degree.

Jefferson County Sheriffs Office deputy Zach Oliver is working with a new K-9 named Ragnar after the death of his previous K-9 Graffit. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office)

Jefferson County Sheriffs Office deputy Zach Oliver is working with a new K-9 named Ragnar after the death of his previous K-9 Graffit. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office)

Jefferson County Sheriffs Office deputy Zach Oliver is working with a new K-9 named Ragnar after the death of his previous K-9 Graffit. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office)

K-9 Graffit (Credit: Jefferson County Sheriffs Office)

Jinxs Law creates stricter punishments for cruelty to law enforcement animals

National Police Dog Foundation honoring K-9 Graffit in memorial service

The National Police Dog Foundation will honor Graffit at the Annual National Police K-9 Memorial Service in Washington, DC on Saturday, May 11.

The ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The service will include a wreath laying ceremony for fallen police K-9s who gave their lives in the line of duty last year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said chaos and dysfunction in the House GOP has effectively given Democrats the majority, lending credence to far-right criticism of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the GOP majority slims.

Jeffries said Sunday in a CBS 60 Minutes interview with Norah ODonnell that Democrats hold outright influence over the House because of how fractured the GOP majority is.

Even though were in the minority, we effectively have been governing as if we were in the majority because we continue to provide a majority of the votes necessary to get things done, Jeffries said. Those are just the facts.

Its a difficult situation on the other side of the aisle, because many of my Republican colleagues are more interested in creating chaos, dysfunction, and extremism, he continued.

The Republican majority in the House stands at just five seats, with all in attendance, meaning Johnson has no room for error on controversial bills to ensure passage without working with Democrats.

Johnson also faces an ouster threat from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has blasted the Speaker for working with Democrats and creating a uniparty. Jeffries and Democrats have said they will protect Johnson against Greenes motion to vacate.

He said that Johnson has not asked him for help, but that backing the Speaker is what needs to be done.

Our view would traditionally be, Let the other side work its own mess out, he said. But when that mess starts to impact the ability to do the job on behalf of the American people, then the responsible thing at that moment might be for us to make clear that we will not allow the extremists to throw the Congress and the country into chaos.

Greene is expected to make her motion to vacate privileged this week, potentially setting up a vote. Two other GOP lawmakers have backed her effort.

Jeffries has already used Democrats influence to pass some bipartisan priorities in the House. Congress passed a $95 billion foreign aid package last week after weeks of negotiations with hard-line Republicans who resisted the effort.

Unable to make a deal with his own party, Johnson voted with Democrats to advance the bill. Greene cited that vote in her decision to go after the Speaker.

I voted for Mike Johnson because his voting record before he became Speaker was conservative  but once he became Speaker, he has become a man that none of us recognize, she said last week. Were not going to have a House majority if we keep Mike Johnson.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The mother of convicted Tri-Cities serial rapist begged a judge for mercy for her son on Friday.

But Judge Diana Ruff said she couldnt show Brandon L. Jones more mercy than hed shown the 12 women he attacked.

You showed no mercy to your victims. ... You fooled your family. You fooled your friends. But you didnt fool the jury, Ruff told him. At your core you are a serial rapist and you are a robber. ... There is zero reason for me to show you any mercy.

A jury convicted Jones of 11 counts of first-degree rape, six counts of first-degree robbery and 4 charges of attempted first-degree robbery following a three-week trial in March.

Each sentence for first-degree rape must be served separately for a total range of 194 of 226 years in prison, said Benton County Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petra.

Ruff handed down the maximum sentence following an emotional two-hour hearing in Benton County Superior Court.

For two years, Jones targeted sex workers through a website that allows escorts to post ads looking for work.

Petra said he chose them because they were the least likely to report the attacks.

Jones, now 28, was a prominent figure in one of the three Black Lives Matter groups in the Tri-Cities during the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd.

At his sentencing, he maintained his innocence, saying he is a social justice advocate who is a voice for people without one.

I went into this knowing that this entire thing is stacked against me, Jones said. I want the system to know that Im going to carry that weight on my back.

He thanked everyone involved for the time and effort that they put into the trial. He said he still believes in the system and loves the Tri-Cities community. His attorney Tim Dickerson said Jones plans to appeal his convictions.

Benton County Justice Center in Kennewick, Wash. Bob Brawdy/Tri-City Herald

Serial rapist

For each of the 12 attacks from August 2020 to 2022, Jones scheduled a meeting with each woman in a motel room, in his car or once at a home.

Many of the victims testified that he pressed a gun against them as he raped them. Two were raped twice. At least one overdosed from drugs taken after the attack.

Later, he also joined an internet forum discussion where escorts shared information and tried to discourage one victim from calling the police.

Before the sentencing hearing, three victims submitted statements for Judge Ruff to consider.

They noted that he chose to prey on the most vulnerable women, and asked Ruff to sentence Jones to the maximum.

He made me feel like a piece of meat. Im usually so strong. I always thought my response would be to fight. ... I didnt. I froze, one of them said. He didnt care about what he was doing to us. I hope that he gets the same punishment every day.

Another one pointed out that Jones cried when the verdict was read and said she was sure his actions made her feel worse.

Maintains his innocence

Jones mother, Felicia Jones, spoke at Fridays hearing online from Boston.

She said Jones comes from a good family, and that she and Jones father, a police officer, raised their children to have good morals.

Brandon L. Jones Kennewick Police Department

My son is innocent in this, Felicia Jones said. My son Brandon Lamon Jones is an awesome individual. ... These are not the actions of Brandon Lamon Jones. ... I hope you have mercy on my only son today.

Other members of his family also supported Jones, saying they loved him and would continue to fight the convictions.

Jones maintained throughout the trial that he is innocent. He testified that he paid the women for sex, but denied raping or robbing them.

On Friday, he said the two years awaiting trial and the three-week trial were grueling and intense.

He called himself a model citizen who loved the country and supports the justice system. He sees himself as giving a voice to people without one and plans to continue that work.

Dickerson told the judge that Jones intends to use his time wisely in prison and plans to be a model inmate.

Hes going to do the best that he can to make the best of the situation he finds himself in, Dickerson said.

Rape sentence

Ruff did not mince words as she sentenced Jones.

Benton County Superior Court Judge Diana Ruff. Bob Brawdy/bbrawdy@tricityherald.com

She noted that each of the women described the fear for their lives and the feeling of the gun pressed against their bodies. The women believed they were going to die at the hands of their rapist.

She noted the hypocrisy of saying he was a voice for the voiceless, when he stripped these women of their voice, their agency and dignity. She said they would never feel whole because of what he did.

You didnt kill any of them. You let them live with their sense of shame, she said. You showed no love to these women. You treated them as less than human. ... You dont care about equality or respect.

She ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation once he gets to a Washington state prison, saying that he had a level of cognitive dissonance worthy of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Ruff said the sheer scale of his crimes the level of planning and the devastating effects, made it worthy of a sentence at the top of the range.

This is the least that I can do to make them feel safe is to put you behind bars for as long as possible, she said.
MSNBCs Jen Psaki on Sunday recalled being struck by the main thing that Hope Hicks wanted to know when she visited the White House with then-President-elect Donald Trump after his 2016 victory.

Former Trump spokesperson Hicks sat down with then-Obama White House communications director Psaki to talk about the mechanics of the presidents media team.

And of all the things she could have asked us about, and granted it was two days after kind of a shocking outcome of an election, she had one major question, Psaki remembered on Inside with Jen Psaki. Hicks asked her: How do you get the president to approve every statement that goes out in his name?

Psaki explained to Hicks how, If we need a statement to commemorate, say, National Pancake Day, the president doesnt have to approve it. Obviously if its a more significant one, he does, he works with us on it.

Hicks response was interesting, Psaki said. She reportedly said Trump will want to approve everything. It made clear to me that when it came to all things PR, her boss was the definition of a micromanager, Psaki said.

Fast forward to Friday and thats exactly how Hope Hicks portrayed Trump in her testimony at the presumptive GOP nominees hush money trial when, said Psaki, Hicks essentially depicted him as obsessed and controlling when it comes to his media coverage and said he was very involved with his 2016 campaign.

The takeaway, Psaki said, was Trump was intimately involved in minutiae of his 2016 campaign and if he was aware of the small things, how could he not be aware of the big things such as payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.

Watch Psakis commentary here:

Related...
Jewish students must not be intimidated by pro-Palestine protests, says Gillian Keegan

Tents, flags and banners have been erected near the University of Oxford, outside the Pitt Rivers Museum - Jamie Lorriman

Jewish students must not be intimidated by pro-Palestine protests at universities, the Education Secretary has said after demonstrators occupied lawns at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Writing for The Telegraph, Gillian Keegan noted the alarming levels of division and violence at recent US protests and tells university leaders in the UK that the Government expects them to take swift action where necessary to ensure the safety of staff and students.

On Monday morning, a co-ordinated protest saw groups of people erect tents near famous sites in Oxford and Cambridge and call for tougher action on Israel over the Gaza conflict.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has summoned university leaders for a meeting in Downing Street on Thursday about anti-Semitism on campuses which is expected to include how protests should be handled. He is expected to tell them that a vocal and aggressive minority must not be allowed to intimidate other students and academics.

Ms Keegan writes: The sad fact is since the abhorrent 7 October [Hamas] attacks, there has been an unprecedented rise in incidents of anti-Semitic abuse and intimidation.

This is creating a hostile and toxic atmosphere on campus, which these protests will add to, when students are beginning some of the most important exams of their lives.

In light of this, I am making myself very clear: anti-Semitic abuse and intimidation must not be tolerated on university campuses and we will not stand by as Jewish students suffer.

Freedom of speech and expression is vital to academic communities, but it must not be used to harass and intimidate, or cause significant disruption to the vital business of higher education.

The Oxford and Cambridge protests began shortly after 8am yesterday, when demonstrators carrying sleeping bags, tents, and supplies began setting up camps.

In Oxford, activists targeted the Pitt Rivers Museum, declaring the grounds outside the building a Liberated Zone.

Simultaneously, in Cambridge, students carrying the same assortment of camping supplies and banners, occupied the lawn outside Kings College.

On social media, the two groups proclaimed that they were carrying out a coordinated protest after being inspired by similar events in the US.

In Oxford, protesters named their makeshift camp after the now infamous set up at Columbia University in the US which was stormed by riot police.

Thousands of students across Americas east and west coasts have brought their institutions to a standstill with the demonstrations, which at times have escalated into violent clashes with hundreds of arrests.

In a post explaining why they had targeted Oxbridge, the two groups claimed that they lend financial and moral support to Israels genocide, occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

The camp protest in Oxford was supported by more than 100 academics who wrote an open letter stating they stood firmly in support of the members of the university community who have begun an encampment outside the Pitt Rivers Museum.

The lecturers demanded that Oxfords vice-chancellor unequivocally condemn the killing of university professors in Gaza and Israels bombardment of its education system.

Many of the protesters were masked and refused to reveal their identities, however among them was Rosy Wilson, an activist who previously heckled Nancy Pelosi, the former US Speaker, and confronted Anneliese Dodds, the Labour MP for Oxford East, over her stance on oil and gas licences.

In Cambridge, Harvey Brown, a student welfare officer who previously liked a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, that supported the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, was spotted at the camp.

At Cambridge, protesters set up camp outside King's College - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph

Protesters hold signs outside the Oxford University Museum of Natural History - Hollie Adams/Reuters

Chants of From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free were heard at both events with activists leading the calls through a megaphone.

The police presence at both events was minimal and both universities issued statements saying they respected the right to free speech and to protest but would not tolerate anti-Semitism.

While the events were mostly peaceful, an American Jewish student who walked past the Cambridge camp said he was pushed by protesters before having an Israeli flag torn from his hand.

Jewish societies at both universities issued statements saying the creation of the camps left students feeling on edge, adding that University inaction only serves to alienate Jewish students from campus

Meanwhile in London, students set up a pro-Palestinian camp at SOAS University. SOAS is the second university in the capital to set up a camp behind University College London, where pro-Palestinian protesters allegedly spat at a group of counter-protesters on Sunday and told them to go back to Poland.

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 loan agreement with Bank Respublika will offer attractive terms and conditions, making it easier for small businesses to access finance.

EIB Global, the arm of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for financing activities outside the European Union, has signed a 10 million loan agreement with Bank Respublika to support micro small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Azerbaijan. This agreement will promote financial inclusion by providing loans to small businesses at competitive terms and with the option to be disbursed in local currency, to boost investments, growth and employment.

The loan is being provided as part of EIBs MSME Outreach Initiative for the Southern Caucasus, which aims to improve access to finance for MSMEs. The initiative will stimulate competition in the banking sector and increase the quality and quantity of finance accessible to small businesses. It will support creation or maintaining of some 26,500 jobs in the Southern Caucasus region, fuelling private sector-driven growth and promoting social inclusion.

The operation contributes to the goals of the European Unions Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Eastern Partnership, in line with the flagship initiative to support 25,000 MSMEs in Azerbaijan.

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwinska, responsible for the Banks activities in Azerbaijan, remarked, The EIB is pleased to support small businesses in Azerbaijan. Thanks to the partnership with Bank Respublika, this loan will promote financial inclusion for underserved MSMEs and increase their contribution to the economy. It will contribute to a diversified, sustainable and innovative economy in line with the European Unions Economic and Investment Plan in the country.

Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission Gert Jan Koopman emphasized, The EU places a strong focus on supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises  a key part of the implementation of the EUs Economic and Investment Plan in Azerbaijan. This loan is an important milestone of EIB activity in Azerbaijan and a welcome opportunity to support business opportunities and economic development, improving livelihoods across the country.

Tariyel Ismayilov, CEO of Bank Respublika remarked, We are proud to be the key partner bank in Azerbaijan for the EIB, the world's largest financial institution. The signing of this agreement is another important indicator of the confidence of international financial institutions in both the stability of the countrys banking system and the reliability of Bank Respublika. Attracted funds will allow us to strengthen credit support of real sector which is our main priority, in particular small and medium-sized businesses, contributing to the economic development of the country.

About Bank Respublika

Bank Respublika was established in 1992 and is one of the five leading banks in Azerbaijan. The bank's shareholders include Germany's largest financial institution - Sparkassen International Development Trust (a member of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe financial group). The bank has one of the highest international ratings in the banking sector of Azerbaijan - a rating of "B2" with a "Stable" outlook from Moody's.

About the EIB and EIB Global

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term financing institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It provides long-term finance for sound investments in pursuit of EU policy goals, supporting projects in four priority areas: infrastructure, innovation, climate and environment, and SMEs.

EIB Global is the EIB Groups specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, contributing to the three overarching priorities of the European Union: the European Green Deal, the Global Gateway and jobs, and sustainable and inclusive growth. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society in close cooperation with other multilateral development banks. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices around the world.
Missouri State University Provost John Jasinski talks with guests at a meet and greet with MSU Administration on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.

John Jasinskis position as provost of Missouri State been extended an additional 13 months, pending approval Thursday by the university's Board of Governors.

MSU President Clif Smart made the offer in an April 22 letter and Jasinski immediately accepted.

Jasinski, former president of Northwest Missouri State University, has been provost at Missouri State for two years. He was one of three finalists to replace Smart, who will retire July 1.

The board unanimously agreed to hire Richard "Biff" Williams as the university's 12th president, leaving Jasinski's future at Missouri State up in the air.

Even though Smart extended the offer, he made it clear that Williams was on board. "I can honestly think of no one better suited for this role and I know the incoming president looks forward to working with you."

If approved by the board, Jasinski's new contract term will begin June 1 and run through June 30, 2025.

In an interview Tuesday, Williams  who will arrive in Springfield to start work in a matter of weeks  said Smart has been incredibly helpful during the transition and gave him a heads-up that Jasinski's current contract was coming to an end.

"I spent four or five days and called about 30 people and had nice conversations with deans and with those on the administrative council, with faculty senate officers and staff senate officers and wanted to get a lay of the land about what should happen," Williams said. "From that feedback, it was clear there is a feeling of momentum right now."

Williams said he did not want to take any step that might slow progress.

"Although there are a lot of people on campus that could be interim provost, that would be somewhat disruptive because if you appoint a dean to interim provost then you need to appoint an interim dean and whatever position they vacated you need to appoint another one there," Williams said. "I just heard a lot of positivity from everyone, especially the deans, wanting to extend that (Jasinski contract) for a year and then start a search."

Williams plans to start the national search this fall. His goal is to have a permanent provost in place by July 1, 2025.

The provost is the university's chief academic officer and provides the primary administrative leadership, direction, and evaluation for academic affairs.

In the role, Jasinski will report directly to Williams and continue to be responsible for developing and executing what Smart described in the letter as a "transformation plan for academic affairs."

Jasinski was handpicked by Smart to spearhead a large-scale academic realignment during the past two years, which meant reducing spending by millions, shifting staff and reallocating resources. The most visible element was the merger of two existing colleges into the expanded Judith Enyeart Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.

"The amount of work that has been accomplished in academic affairs is just amazing," Williams said. "The faculty, staff and administrators in academic affairs have just done a tremendous job, especially with this realignment and moving forward and serving our students."

Williams said even though Jasinski did not get the university's top job, he has not stopped working. "He did not get the presidency but he's been working hard and so have the deans and I was really impressed by that."

John and Denise Jasinski attend a Choral Gala in downtown Springfield in late September 2023.

Jasinski spent 13 years as the president of Northwest and questions surrounding his departure in 2022 surfaced during the Missouri State presidential search.

He served as a faculty member, department chair and associate provost before being appointed president.

More: Here's why Biff Williams was unanimous choice for Missouri State University presidency

He has also been a leader at Northwood University, a senior consultant with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the owner of his own consulting company.

I look forward to continuing to advance Missouri States academics in partnership with incoming President Williams and our remarkable leadership team, faculty and staff," Jasinski said. "Im confident that our communitys teaching and research, along with our commitments to our public affairs mission, will only grow stronger.

In the letter, Smart outlined Jasinki's compensation during the 13-month extension. His annual salary will be $325,000 as well as the standard health insurance, retirement plan, vacation time and sick leave.

His existing contract, obtained by the News-Leader, was updated in January 2023 and was set to expire June 30 this year. His current salary is $240,000 a year plus a 4% raise last July. He also receives a housing allowance of $3,000 a month.

The MSU Board meets at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Plaster Student Union. The meeting is open to the public.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jasinski to remain MSU provost for one year, pending board approval
Jordan warns of 'massacre' in Rafah if Israeli attack not halted

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike on the east of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Jordan has warned of a looming "massacre" of Palestinians by Israeli troops if the international community fails to prevent the expected Israeli military offensive against the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

"Another massacre of the Palestinians is in the making. Israel is warning Palestinians to leave Rafah as it threatens an attack," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced on Monday on X, formerly Twitter.

"All must act now to prevent it."

Failure to halt the planned offensive would leave "an indelible stain" on the international community, Safadi said.

"Too many massacres have been allowed. Enough," he wrote.

Israel's military has told the inhabitants of eastern Rafah to move to the town of al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean coast, a few kilometres to the north.

An Israeli military spokesman estimated that 100,000 people are affected by the order.

Israel contends that the military operation in Rafah would smash the remaining battalions of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The announcement of the attack came after Hamas fired rockets at the Israeli border crossing Kerem Shalom on Sunday, which is not far from Rafah, killing four Israeli soldiers.

Kerem Shalom is the most important border crossing for the delivery of aid from Israel to the coastal strip. The army temporarily closed it to humanitarian shipments after the rocket attack

Israel is facing international criticism for its plan to attack, particularly because hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians who fled airstrikes and fighting elsewhere in the Gaza Strip are currently crowded into Rafah, located on the border with Egypt.
JSO: Woman shot in argument at hotel on Jacksonvilles Northside

Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said a woman is expected to be okay after she was shot at a hotel on New Kings Road.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

According to detectives, at around 12:30 a.m. Monday, a man and a woman got into an argument inside a hotel room. Detectives believe the man then brandished a gun and shot the woman.

The woman was transported to a local hospital in a non-life-threatening condition.

Read: Large fire reported at Putnam County landfill, multiple units working to control spread

JSO said the suspect is in custody, and the incident poses no public threat.

Detectives are currently doing interviews to learn what led up to the shooting.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.

Action News Jax will continue to follow the story and will bring you updates as we learn more.

Read: Recall alert: Planters nuts recalled in 5 southeastern states over possible listeria concerns

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A judge is demanding the medical staff at Brooklyns troubled Metropolitan Detention Center explain in person why they didnt give an inmate all his medication after an emergency appendectomy, then apparently lied about it to the mans lawyers.

Brooklyn Federal Court Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall called for a hearing after she grilled a Bureau of Prisons attorney during a status conference last week, repeatedly asking who at the jail lied that detainee Jonathan Goulbourne was given all five days of his antibiotic regimen.

At a certain point the MDC is going to have to understand that the judges of this court are no longer going to tolerate the mismanagement of the medical care of the defendants that are in their charge, DeArcy Hall said at the May 1 proceeding.

And so, it appears to me that our efforts up until this point havent been sufficient. And so, Im going to try another route. Here we go.

DeArcy Hall named a clinical director, a health administrator, a Bureau of Prisons lawyer and a correction lieutenant, demanding they all appear Wednesday in court to explain what went wrong.

This is not an anomaly. I am tired of hearing the defendants that are held at the MDC are not being provided with the necessary medical treatment, DeArcy Hall said.

The move by the judge is the latest in a series of frustrated responses from Brooklyn and Manhattan federal judges over the medical care at the Sunset Park jail, and the jail staffs seeming unwillingness to respond to legal requests and judges orders.

Despite the orders of numerous judges  for MDC to provide adequate medical care to defendants in their custody, MDC has failed to do so over and over, putting our clients at great risk, Deirdre von Dornum of the Federal Defenders told the Daily News. Judge DeArcy Hall now has made clear that she is going to find out why these failures continue.

Goulbourne, 45, whos awaiting sentencing for his role in a robbery and pot dealing ring, doubled over in his cell and started vomiting on April 14. When he told the correction officer on duty, he was essentially told to stop complaining, according to an April 30 motion from his lawyer, Noam Biale.

He was hospitalized hours later with a burst appendix. After emergency surgery, he returned to MDC on April 18 with a three-day Percocet prescription and a five-day antibiotics regimen.

Goulbourne couldnt get all three days of Percocet, though, because the hospital still had his ID, and the official running the jails pill line wouldnt dispense the narcotic without it, according to Biale. Then, on April 20, the jail went into lockdown  as it often does on weekends for staffing reasons.

On April 23, after the lockdown ended, he had a conversation with a nurse about the Percocet that jail staff interpreted as a threat, and was sent to the segregated housing unit  without his final two doses of antibiotics.

When his lawyers inquired, MDC legal staff responded, The antibiotic medication was completed on 4/24/2024. Therefore, he would not have those in his possession at this time, according to Biale.

When DeArcy Hall started asking, she got a different response, she said.

The message that was given to my chambers was: Were looking for the medication because we dont know where we put it when he was placed in the SHU, DeArcy Hall told Bureau of Prisons lawyer Sophia Papapetru.

Somebodys lying, you see? the judge said.

In one withering exchange, DeArcy Hall pressed Papapetru to admit Goulbourne had missed two doses, and that she was repeating bad info that the inmate was given all his medication.

So who was it that lied to you? the judge asked.

The medical staff, Papapetru responded, and the judge pushed back, Which specific medical staff lied to you?

DeArcy Hall then called for a 10-minute recess so Papapietrou could provide her with names.

Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, Biale said, Mr. Goulbourne appreciates the courts concern for his health and well-being.

Goulbournes treatment is the latest in a series of problems at the MDC. In 2019, the jail lost power for eight days in the dead of winter, and in 2021, defense attorneys highlighted complaints of no water or hot food, and grievously low staff levels.

In December, Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Dora Irizarry blasted the jail for defying her order to send an inmate with a severe contagious infection to a medical facility, and in January, Manhattan Federal Court Judge Jesse Furman ruled that conditions there were so bad they constituted extraordinary reasons to not lock up a 70-year-old convicted drug dealer awaiting sentencing.
Judge Juan Merchan has found former President Donald Trump in contempt for violating the gag order in his hush money trial for the 10th time and said hell consider jail time going forward.

Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction, Merchan said Monday.

Mr. Trump, its important you understand, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well, Merchan said.

The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me but at the end of the day I have a job to do, the judge added. So as much as I dont want to impose a jail sanction  I want you to understand that I will if necessary and appropriate.

Merchan fined Trump $1,000 for the violation and ordered he pay the fine by close of business Friday. Last week, the judge fined Trump $9,000 for nine previous violations of the judges gag order.

Violations of the gag order are punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, by jail time of up to 30 days, or both.

The gag order blocks the defendant from speaking out about potential witnesses and most people in or associated with the court or the New York district attorneys office.

The contempt order comes several weeks into Trumps hush money trial in New York. Prosecutors have accused Trump of 34 counts of falsifying business records for allegedly hiding the way Michael Cohen was reimbursed for paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to keep her quiet before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the affair.

In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called the gag order unconstitutional and un-American and criticized the judge and his ruling.

President Trump has not violated this wrongful edict by a partisan operative, he said. The threat to throw the 45th President of the United States and the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election in jail for exercising his First Amendment rights is a Third World authoritarian tactic typical of Crooked Joe Biden and his comrades.

Possible options for the judge

CNN legal analyst Karen Friedman Agnifilo says Merchan has options that dont involve putting Trump in prison. For instance, he could start with a short amount of time in detention in the courthouse.

He has several options: for example, he could put him in for a few hours. There is a holding cell behind the courtroom, she said.

He could put him in for the day. He could put him in over lunch. He could do it like that, as a graduated step towards putting him in overnight.

The US Secret Service, New York State Court Officers and the New York City Department of Corrections continue to look at contingency plans in case Merchan does put Trump in jail for repeatedly violating the gag order.

Secret Service agents have been huddling with their counterparts trying to produce a page that has never existed in the manual for protection of a former president: The jail plan.

What they have gamed out informally, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the ongoing conversations, is a plan that assumes that Merchan sentences Trump to a period of hours in custody. A short sentence like that could be served in the courthouse where the trial is being held under the guard of Secret Service and court officers. But a longer sentence, say, one of multiple days, would require the Secret Service to make major adjustments.

Law enforcement officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because the matter is still in discussion told CNN that another plan the Secret Service has looked at is asking the judge to remand Trump to the custody of the United States Marshal who would hold Trump at the federal courthouse just south of the New York State courthouse where the trial is being held. On the other hand, if Merchan insisted that Trump be held in New York City custody by the Department of Corrections, arrangements would have to be made that would ensure that Trump was not held in general population, that his food could be screened and that his team of armed Secret Service agents could be on hand, just outside, or perhaps even inside whatever offsite or isolated location Trump might be held in.

A spokesman for the New York City Department of Corrections told CNN that they were aware of the possibility and would make whatever arrangements might be necessary.

Trump spoke about the makeup of the jury

The contempt ruling Monday found Trump violated the gag order for his comments about the makeup of the jury in this case.

Trumps comments came in an April 22 interview with a program called Just the News No Noise on Real Americas Voice. You know [the judge is] rushing the trial like crazy. Nobodys ever seen a thing go like this. That jury was picked so fast  95% Democrats. The areas mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a  just a purely Democrat area. Its a very unfair situation that I can tell you, Trump said.

In a written ruling, the judge said those comments violated the gag order.

Defendant violated the Order by making public statements about the jury and how it was selected, Merchan wrote. In doing so, Defendant not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones.

The ruling also makes clear the possibility of jail time going forward.

(B)ecause this is now the tenth time that this Court has found Defendant in criminal contempt, spanning three separate motions, it is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Courts lawful orders, Merchan wrote. THEREFORE, Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration.

Other comments didnt violate gag order

Prosecutors had alleged Trump violated the gag order on four separate occasions, including once about the jury, once about David Pecker and twice about Michael Cohen. The judge ruled that the three other comments did not violate the order.

Under the circumstances here, this Court cannot find beyond a reasonable doubt that the statement in question constituted a veiled threat to Mr. Pecker or to other witnesses, the judge ruled.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNNs John Miller contributed to this report.

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Judge Juan Merchan has once again held former president Donald Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order in his hush-money criminal trial.



Judge Merchan fined Trump $1,000 for the violation and warned him of potential jail time should he violate the order again. Previously, the judge fined Trump $9,000 for nine other violations.

It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent, Merchan said. Mr. Trump, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are a former president of the United States and possibly the next one as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for you.

The judge has repeatedly said he doesnt want to jail Trump, but that he will do what he has to to protect the dignity of the justice system, as continued violations constitute a direct attack on the rule of law.

Merchan found that Trump violated the order during an April interview in which he commented on the political makeup of the jury.

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Merchan gives most credence to gag-order violations involving jurors

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Sources: The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post

Prosecutors filed four new alleged gag-order violations with Merchan on April 30, but only one met the bar. This time, Trump broke the order speaking to conservative channel Real Americas Voice: That jury was picked so fast  95% Democrats, Trump said. Merchan said Trumps statements raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones. One post he previously held Trump in contempt for echoed the unfounded theory that undercover liberal activists were infiltrating the jury. Merchan has taken alleged violations involving the jury most seriously. A post he previously held Trump in contempt for echoed the unfounded theory that undercover liberal activists were infiltrating the jury. One juror was excused from serving after friends and family, reading news reports about the trial, guessed her identity. Other jurors have raised similar concerns, fearful that their identities could be exposed.

Its all politics, Trump team argues

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Sources: NPR, Newsweek, The Associated Press

Trumps lawyers argue he must be allowed to defend himself publicly during his presidential campaign. He cant just say no comment repeatedly when hes running for president, lawyer Todd Blanche said. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung has denounced the gag order as an attack on free speech that limits Trumps ability to speak out against unconstitutional tyranny. Trump falsely claimed last week that hes not allowed to testify under the gag order. Merchan is sensitive to the former presidents rights: In his latest ruling, he rejected prosecution arguments that two of Trump s comments involving Michael Cohen were in violation and appeared to be protected speech.

Trumps micromanaging could be his downfall

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Sources: The New York Times, MSNBC

Trump is apparently frustrated with Blanche, his head lawyer, venting to his inner circle that Blanche has not been following his instructions closely, and has been insufficiently aggressive, The New York Times reported. But Trumps displeasure and attempts to micromanage could be his downfall, MSNBC columnist Glenn Kirschner wrote: A defendant who refuses to let his attorney do what the attorney does best risks tanking his own defense. Some attorneys rise to the challenge and refuse to cater to a clients ill-advised tactical demands, Kirschner said, but others let the defendants call the shots  and the client often went down in flames.

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NEW YORK  Donald Trump was threatened with jail time by Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Monday after being found in criminal contempt again for the tenth violation of a gag order in his hush-money case.

In his sternest warning yet, Merchan, in stunning courtroom remarks, said it appeared the $1,000 fines he has issued for Trumps violations were not serving as a deterrent and that he must start considering more severe punishment. He told the Republican frontrunner, Its important you understand that the last thing I want to do is put you in jail.

You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next [POTUS] as well, the judge said.

Merchan said Trumps repeated violations were direct attacks on the rule of law and that he cannot allow that to continue.

The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day, I have a job to do and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system, Merchan addressed Trump.

In a written order on Monday, Merchan found Trump had violated the order in an interview on the conservative channel Real Americas Voice when he talked about the jury and how it was selected.

You know [the judge is] rushing the trial like crazy. Nobodys ever seen a thing go like this. That jury was picked so fast  95% democrats. The areas mostly all democrat. You think of it as a  just a purely democrat area. Its a very unfair situation that I can tell you, Trump said in the April 22 interview.

The presumptive Republican nominee in this years presidential election has pleaded not guilty to 34 felonies that allege he repeatedly and fraudulently falsified business records to cover up reimbursement to Cohen for paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 as part of a hush-money scheme to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election.

DJT needs to sign the check

After the warning, prosecutors called their tenth witness to the stand  former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney.

Over the last two weeks, the prosecution has laid out an alleged conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election. They are now expected to begin linking that scheme to the falsification of business records charges Trump is facing.

Documents displayed for the jury showed that many of the checks to Cohen  the core of the case  were paid directly out of Trumps personal bank account.

Under questions from prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, McConney, who oversaw Trumps companys general ledgers, walked the court through two critical pieces of evidence: a bank statement and notepad scribbles memorializing the transactions.

In chicken scratch handwriting, they showed how McConney and convicted ex-finance chief Allen Weisselberg arrived at the $420,000 they sent Cohen in installments of $35,000 and how theyd wire funds monthly from President Trumps personal account.

DJT needs to sign the check, read one notation displayed in court.

McConney said that then-President Trump was the only signatory for checks coming out of his account, which meant the controller had to ensure they were sent to the White House for his signature.

Somehow, wed have to get a package down to the White House, get the president to sign the checks, get the checks returned to us and then send the checks out.

Gag order warning follows previous fines

Merchans warning came after prosecutors last week flagged four more instances of Trump potentially violating a gag order implemented before the trial started by criticizing witnesses and jurors on his social media website, Truth Social, and in media interviews. Merchan has fined him $9,000 so far.

The gag order prohibits Trump from making public statements  or directing others to make them  about the jury, witnesses, potential witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and the relatives of all trial participants. The judge expanded it to include his own relatives after Trump publicly targeted Merchans daughter online.

Merchan, who did not find Trumps comments about witnesses Michael Cohen and David Pecker clearly violated the order, said Trumps comments about jurors were an unambiguous breach.

Defendant not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones, the judge wrote.

_____
Donald Trump speaks to reporters at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Monday - Win McNamee/Pool Getty Images

Donald Trump was on Monday given a blistering dressing down by the judge overseeing his hush money case who again threatened to put him in prison for any further gag order violations.

Judge Juan Merchan found the former president in criminal contempt for the 10th time for claiming the jury was 95 per cent Democrat during a broadcast interview last month.

Mr Merchan fined Mr Trump $1,000 (795) for the violation, but said given the financial penalties were not working as a deterrent he would have to consider a jail sanction.

The last thing I want to do is put you in jail, youre a former president, possibly next president as well, Mr Merchan told Mr Trump.

He said that for many reasons incarceration is truly a last resort, including that it would disrupt proceedings and he would worry about the staff who would have to execute such a sanction.

The magnitude of that decision is not lost on me, but I have a job to do, Mr Merchan added.

Your continued wilful violations of orders of the court constitute a direct attack on rule of law, I cannot allow that to continue.

Donald Trump sits in the courtroom at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Monday - Steven Hirsch/UPI/Shutterstock

Prosecutors last week argued that Mr Trump had violated his gag order on another four occasions with corrosive and insidious attacks of witnesses and jurors.

Mr Merchan found in the Republican frontrunners favour for his jibes against his former fixer Michael Cohen, claiming Mr Trump had been responding to political attacks.

He also ruled that Mr Trumps comments that former tabloid boss David Pecker had been very nice  which the prosecution had argued was meant as a thinly veiled threat to witnesses to behave  did not constitute a violation at all.

But Mr Merchan found Mr Trumps comments to Real Americas Voice about the jury called into question the legitimacy of the trial and again raised the spectre of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones.

Porn star payment allegation

Issuing his ruling on nine previous violations last week, Mr Merchan had lamented the limited tools at his disposal to deter the defendant.

Criminal contempt is only punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or by 30 days in prison for each violation.

Mr Merchan said it would be preferable to impose a fine more commensurate with the wealth of the contemnor, such as a fine of up to $150,000 per violation.

Mr Trump is accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up reimbursing Mr Cohen for an alleged $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He denies having a sexual relationship with Ms Daniels. The trial continues.

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In what he called one of our favorite events at the White House on Friday, President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, to 19 exemplary Americans, including Judy Shepard, an advocate for LGBTQ + rights, and other notable figures such as out astrophysicist Jane Rigby, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and television pioneer Phil Donahue.



Shepard, who has been a beacon of hope and resilience in the LGBTQ+ community, received the award in recognition of her tireless advocacy following the tragic murder of her son, Matthew Shepard , in a hate crime over two decades ago. The incident, which shocked the nation, catalyzed significant legislative advancements, including the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

The commendation noted, Judy Shepard took a mothers most profound pain and turned her sons memory into a movement. Matthew Shepards brutal death 25 years ago shocked the conscience of our nation and galvanized millions of Americans to stand against anti-LGBTQI+ hate. Together with her husband, Dennis, their courageous advocacy has since driven tremendous progress in our laws and culture, giving young people and their families strength and hope for the future. The Shepard familys compassion reflects the best of America, where everyone is equally deserving of dignity and respect.

In his address, Biden reflected on the profound impact of Judy Shepards work.

For some of you today, I know from personal experience that you wish youd never had to be an event like this one with a piece of your soul having been gone, Biden said. The brutal murder of your son galvanized the movement into a law in his name [to] protect LGBTQ Americans. Your relentless advocacy is a reminder that we must give hate no safe harbor.

The Human Rights Campaign and PFLAG expressed admiration and support for the honorees. Brian K. Bond, CEO of PFLAG National, praised Judy Shepards enduring commitment, saying, Congratulations to the indomitable Judy Shepard, who has been leading with love for decadesas a PFLAG mom and a tireless advocate with her husband Dennis for compassion so others would never experience their son Matthews fate. Our world is better because Judys love took action, so every LGBTQ+ person could have the freedom to be themselves.

Related: Judy Shepard, Nancy Pelosi, and queer scientist Jane Rigby among Medal of Freedom honorees

HRC president Kelley Robinson also highlighted Judy Shepards significant impact.

Judy Shepard has been a champion for equality, and President Bidens choice to honor her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom is a testament to what shes done to be a force of good in the world, she said. A mother who turned unspeakable grief over the loss of her son into a decades-long fight against anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence, Judy continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community.

Jane Rigby, Nancy Pelosi, and Phil Donahue also received the medal for their substantial contributions to their fields and impacts on social issues. As an out astrophysicist, Rigby has been a significant role model in the science community, inspiring LGBTQ+ youth to pursue STEM. The commendation highlighted her journey: A daughter of the great state of Delaware, Jane Rigbys passion for astronomy began as a child peering at the stars through a small telescope in a soybean field. Following her instinct and imagination, she has become a pioneering astrophysicist. Now managing the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever launched into space. A brilliant and prolific author, Dr. Rigby is an inspiration and tireless champion for the LGBTQI+ community in both her professional and personal life. Dr. Rigby reminds us to never lose our sense of wonder, hope, and spirit of adventure as Americans.



Pelosi has been a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, championing numerous legislative measures. Biden remarked, History will remember you, Nancy, as the greatest Speaker of the House of Representatives. I mean it. Donahue was one of the first to bring positive representations of LGBTQ+ people to American television, significantly contributing to public understanding and acceptance of the community.

The ceremony was not only a tribute to the individual achievements of the honorees but also a celebration of their collective contributions to the nations progress and the betterment of society. Each recipient has led efforts that have enriched American lives in various sectors, including public service, science, arts, and civil rights.
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A robbery suspect was killed during an officer-involved shooting at an Abilene store Monday afternoon.

The incident happened at United on N Willis Street around 2:00 p.m.

Report: Abilene woman killed by police was squatter who fired shots at victim, officers

UPDATE  5:00 P.M.

In a press release, the Abilene Police Department (APD) said officers were called out to the United Supermarket at North 10th and Willis streets at around 2:00 p.m. Upon their arrival, store employees allegedly told police that a man was threatening them and customers with a bladed weapon. A cashier also told police the man demanded money from the register.

This suspect eventually left the store and employees locked the doors to prevent him from reentering. Officers found the man outside of the store, holding the weapon.

The release reads in part:

The subject did not comply with multiple commands from officers to surrender his weapon. An officer deployed a Taser, but it did not have an effect on the male. Officers fired on the suspect, striking him.

Shortly after, the man was pronounced dead. As per APD policy, two of the officers involved will be placed on paid administrative leave.

The situation is now being investigated by the Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers.

Police will not release the deceased suspects name until his family can be notified.

ORIGINAL REPORT  2:30 P.M.

Abilene police say the suspect robbed the store then ran out into the parking lot, where he got into an altercation with officers.

During the altercation, police say he pulled a knife, prompting officers to open fire.

This suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.

No further information has been released.

Stick with BigCountryHomepage.com for any additional details on this shooting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov participated and addressed the 15th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during his working visit to Gambia on May 4, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Bayramov expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its successful stewardship in fostering unity and collaboration within the OIC, extended congratulations to Gambia on assuming the OIC presidency, and conveyed wishes for their success in further strengthening Islamic solidarity.

Aligned with the summit's overarching theme of "Enhancing Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development," Azerbaijan affirmed its commitment to solidarity in addressing contemporary challenges, drawing upon the principles enshrined in the UN and OIC charters, along with the shared interests of the Islamic community.

Emphasis was placed on the imperative of effectively promoting Islamic faith and culture to counter the gravest threats, including unwarranted trends of Islamophobia and the desecration of the Qur'an.

Azerbaijan reiterated its endorsement of fostering a more tolerant and enduring peace among diverse religions and cultures, drawing upon its rich multicultural heritage and experience.

The Azerbaijani minister, reflecting on the OIC's steadfast and unequivocal stance on the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity during the past occupation, underscored Azerbaijan's active role within the organization, consistently advocating for peaceful conflict resolution within its framework.

Highlighting Azerbaijan's support for a two-state solution to the Palestinian issue, which remains a pressing concern for the entire Islamic community, emphasis was placed on ongoing assistance to alleviate the severe humanitarian repercussions endured by the Palestinian people.

Acknowledging the gratifying cooperation across various sectors such as economic development, education, health, and culture within the OIC framework, it was emphasized that there exists significant potential for collaborative endeavors in other realms. Specifically, Azerbaijan expressed keen interest in bolstering cooperation with OIC member states in these sectors, particularly amidst the nation's diversification of its energy portfolio toward renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro, alongside its strategic focus on enhancing communication infrastructure.

Bayramov provided a comprehensive overview of the current regional landscape, highlighting both opportunities and challenges in the aftermath of conflict, the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in recently liberated areas, the persistent threat of landmines to these endeavors, and the progress in normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Addressing Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the minister underscored the imperative for the OIC, as one of the regions most impacted by global climate change, to unify its stance and mobilize collective efforts against this looming threat.

The concluding communique from the OIC Banjul Summit welcomed the restoration of sovereignty across all Azerbaijani territories with satisfaction, reaffirming unwavering support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. It also endorsed the ongoing normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, contingent upon mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty, calling upon Armenia to fulfill its obligations in this regard.

The communique also noted the change in the name of the "OIC Contact Group on the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia Against the Republic of Azerbaijan" to the "Contact Group for the Elimination of the Consequences of the Aggression of the Republic of Armenia Against the Republic of Azerbaijan" and the renewed condemnation of Armenia for its destruction of Islamic heritage.

Apprehension was voiced regarding the displaced Azerbaijanis expelled from territories now within Armenia during previous conflicts, along with support for their dignified repatriation.

The communique confirmed the forthcoming convening of the 16th Islamic Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Azerbaijan in 2026, urging collaborative efforts for the summit's successful realization in Baku.

Additionally, the communique embraced the 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, conducted under the auspices of the "Baku Process," and advocated for a more balanced geographical representation within the UN system, particularly within the Security Council.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Justice for Carlos: Evicted tenant sentenced in murder of employee at West 7th apartments

A tenant who shot an employee during an argument over being evicted from his West 7th area apartment pleaded guilty Monday to murder, authorities said.

Devin Smith, 30, was sentenced by a Tarrant County district court judge to 31 years in prison.

On April 21, 2023, Smith started a heated argument with an employee in the leasing office at The Marq on West 7th apartments, at 701 Arch Adams Lane in Fort Worth, according to police and the district attorneys office.

Carlos Aybar, a maintenance worker at the apartments, stepped in to try to defend his co-worker. Smith shot and killed Aybar.

He was my only son and you took his life without remorse, Aybars mother, Rachel Canelon, said through a translator in court Monday morning, according to the district attorneys office.

At the hearing, Canelon and other family members and friends wore T-shirts with a photo of her son and the words Justice for Carlos.

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A juvenile faces an attempted murder charge after a shooting that left another juvenile injured Saturday at a Tuscaloosa apartment complex.

At around 11:29 a.m., officers with the Tuscaloosa Police Department were called after reports of a shooting at Rosedale Court apartments, said Capt. Marty Sellers of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.

At the scene, officers found a juvenile male who had been shot once in the chest. He was taken to a hospital for medical treatment and he is in stable condition, Sellers said.

The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit was called out to assume command of the investigation.

After an investigation, officers found that the victim and another male juvenile got into a fight. During the fight, the female juvenile produced a gun and shot the victim.

The female juvenile was charged with attempted murder, as well as certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm. She is being held at the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center.

The male juvenile who was involved in the fight with the victim was charged with certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm. He is also being held at the juvenile detention center.

There will be no identifying information released about any of the involved parties because they are all younger than 18 years old.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Juvenile charged with attempted murder in Tuscaloosa shooting
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert, delivering a speech to the Legislature in January, says information systems compromised in an October cyberattack would start to be restored in December. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Chief Justice Marla Luckert said the Kansas Supreme Court prioritized storing data securely and has implemented more data security controls since the breach. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA About 150,000 people who had some form of interaction with Kansas courts might have had their data breached in the October cyberattack that took the judicial system offline for weeks.

The Office of Judicial Administration on Monday announced findings from a third-party investigation into the cyberattack. The office said information accessed during the attack came from files given to the office through appellate court litigation, applications to the Kansas bar and other administrative records.

Information such as Social Security numbers, drivers licenses, government identification cards, payment card information, tax identification card numbers, passports, and health insurance policy information could have all been accessed, among other data.

Chief Justice Marla Luckert apologized on behalf of the Kansas Supreme Court.

Were sorry anyone was personally impacted by the actions of the criminals who attacked our court computer systems, Luckert said. The judicial branch respects the privacy of information given to us, and its a high priority throughout the court system to keep that information secure.

People impacted by the breach have been sent notification letters. In cases where the persons address information wasnt available, their notifications have been published on the judicial branch website.

Court officials stressed that notifications have not been made through phone, text or email, and warned Kansans against engaging with anyone using these forms of communications to talk about the cybersecurity attack. A court webpage has been implemented to help address questions.

The attack disrupted all but one of the states appellate court operations for weeks, with networks locked down and attorneys and judges relying on manual filing of court documents. In November, justices confirmed the attack was the result of a sophisticated foreign cyberattack, and that perpetrators stole data and threatened to post it to a dark website.

Luckert said the office has placed additional security controls in place and will work to reduce the possibility of future cybersecurity attacks.

This story has been corrected to clarify information on the perpetrators demands.

The post Kansas court investigation confirms cyberattack compromised personal data of 150K people appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Kansas Gas Service, which delivers natural gas to nearly 650,000 residential and business customers in Kansas, requested permission from the Kansas Corporation Commission for implementation of a plan increasing revenue by $93.1 million. Kansans can take part in KCC public hearings in June in Topeka and Wichita. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  The Kansas Corporation Commission invited public comment from nearly 650,000 customers of Kansas Gas Service on the request for an overall revenue increase of $93.1 million that would translate into an average increase of less than $10 in monthly residential bills.

Proposed changes subject to June public hearings in Topeka and Wichita would apply to portions of a KGS customers bill tied to fixed monthly service and delivery charges. If approved by the KCC in October, the average increase for residential customers using lower volumes of natural gas would be about $6.71 per month and the surge in average cost for customers with higher usage rates would be $9.48 per month.

In March, the company asked state regulators to endorse revenue changes applicable to 592,000 residential customers and 56,000 business customers in 360 Kansas communities. The request by the largest natural gas public utility in Kansas included a $58.1 million escalation in base rates and the transition of a $35 million gas system reliability surcharge into the base rate.

The last KGS base rate increase was granted in February 2019 by the KCC and amounted to $21.5 million.

Sean Postlethwait, a vice president at KGS, said the company invested more than $600 million in delivery of safe, affordable and reliable natural gas to its customers since the KCC resolved the previous rate case. KGS has an obligation to continue investing in that delivery system, he said.

Throughout this period, he said, KGS has worked to efficiently deploy capital and prudently incur expenses. KGS must be afforded an opportunity to earn a reasonable rate on its investment.

He said the proposal reflected the companys need to attract capital and talented employees to provide the level of customer service our stakeholders expect. KGS, which is a division of ONE Gas Inc., says the company experienced rising payroll expenses that could be addressed through employee incentives.

Public hearings have been scheduled for 6 p.m. June 13 at Washburn Institute of Technology, Building A, 5724 SW Huntoon Street in Topeka, and 6 p.m. June 17 at Wichita State University, Lowe Auditorium, Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5014 E 29th Street in Wichita.

An alternative to in-person participation would be available through Zoom. Anyone choosing the online option must register on the KCCs website by noon the day before the hearing. KCC hearings are broadcast live on the KCCs YouTube channel.

In addition, the KCC would accept written comments regarding KGSs rate increase request until 5 p.m. Aug. 5. Remarks can be sent to the commissions office at 1500 SW Arrowhead Road, Topeka, 66604-4027.

In terms of considering this KGS request, the KCC scheduled a three-day hearing starting Aug. 12 at the commissions Topeka office. The schedule called for the KCC to issue a decision by Oct. 24.

The post Kansas Gas Service asking KCC to authorize $93.1 million overall revenue increase appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Steve Bannon and Kris Kobach speak at a We Build the Wall event on March 14, 2019, in Cobo, Michigan.

Steve Bannon and Kris Kobach speak at a We Build the Wall event on March 14, 2019, in Cobo, Michigan. (Ken Coleman/Michigan Advance)

If you tracked this years session of the Kansas Legislature and ended up with a headache, dont worry.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate meant for that to happen.

Throughout 2024, they followed the advice of once and future Donald Trump henchman Steve Bannon. The perpetually rumpled Bannon told author Michael Lewis back in 2018 that the Democrats dont matter. The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with s***.

To put it less profanely, he recommended achieving policy goals by generating a mass of low-quality news stories, controversies and arguments, which would distract reporters intent on separating fact from fiction. In the background, White House officials and their allies could then work toward their nefarious goals unimpeded.

In matters large and small, Kansas GOP politicians have adopted the same approach.

They generate outrage with bills attacking womens reproductive rights and transgender children. Meanwhile, they pursue tax cuts for the richest Kansans. They have perfunctorily rejected wildly popular policies such as Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization  not with well-reasoned arguments but with reams of self-contradictory rhetoric, wasting the time of those refuting it. And as they bamboozle the people of Kansas, they do so with pious expressions and condescending words for those who question their motives.

Anyone can see it, guys. Youre not fooling us. Youre flooding the zone with sewage and expecting thanks, when you should be in here cleaning it up.

You can look back at that six-year-old Bannon quote and wonder whether he was justifying chaos rather than articulating strategy. It doesnt matter, though. In pursuing and embracing an approach that makes truth all but impossible to define, Kansas legislative leaders have done their state a grievous wrong.

Lets look at how they did it.

A capacity crowd on April 11, 2024, filled the Plainville Township Hall to hear House Speaker Dan Hawkins talk about Medicaid expansion

A capacity crowd filled the Plainville Township Hall to hear House Speaker Dan Hawkins talk about Medicaid expansion on April 11, 2024. (Dale Hogg for Kansas Reflector)

Bad faith

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, made his case against Medicaid expansion on April 11 in Plainville. Lets run down some of his preposterous claims, as recounted in the Kansas Reflector story from Dale Hogg.

Hawkins told the audience that doctors and others working in Kansas health care opposed expanding the program.

He called the proposed work requirements in Gov. Laura Kellys expansion proposal a joke.

He said that workforce participation will decline under expansion and that it would encourage people not to work.

He said some of the people who would benefit are already eligible for other coverage and would be switched from private to government programs.

He disputed the idea that hospitals would benefit from expansion because of Medicaid reimbursement rates.

He claimed that Kansas has to decide between expansion on one hand and quality roads and schools on the other.

You should say no because you are the ones who are going to have to pay for it, he informed the crowd.

You might expect that at this point Im going to dismantle this array of weak and discredited nonsense. For instance, doctors and hospitals obviously support expansion. Being eligible for health care coverage doesnt mean you can afford it. Most people who would qualify for the program already work. Kansas has more than enough cash on hand to expand and then some.

But Im not going to dig into fact-checking right now. You can look through Kansas Reflector archives and find stories explaining why and how Hawkins is mistaken. Im not addressing the substance of his remarks because  as Bannon suggested  the substance doesnt matter. Shoveling a barrage of nonsense into a community meeting shuts down discussion and closes off avenues for change. No one with a genuine interest in improving policy enters a discussion offering nonsensical lies.

Or as Hawkins said at one point when confronted by an audience member: I didnt come here for an argument.

Health care policy can be complicated, with numerous trade-offs. I myself believe that a single-payer, government-administered program would radically lower costs and improve outcomes for most Americans. But entertaining such proposals supposes that people actually want to improve the health of Americans rather than scoring short-term political points against opponents.

Thats what bothers me most about Hawkins approach. He never offers a clear answer to the question that Medicaid expansion seeks to address. How do we cover Kansans who cant afford lifesaving health insurance?

Tony Mattivi, director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, said legislation legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas would eventually lead to adopting of recreational use law and invite criminals from Mexico and China to increase violent crime in the state. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Legislature's YouTube channel)

Tony Mattivi, director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, said legislation legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas would eventually lead adoption of recreational use law and invite criminals from Mexico and China. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Legislatures YouTube channel)

Round in circles

Hawkins and his ilk follow a three-part approach to inundating the plains with waste.

First, they dismiss any practical, commonsense arguments in favor of policy. As noted above, Medicaid expansion solves an obvious and pressing problem. It would benefit 152,000 Kansans, mostly through money that Kansans already send to Washington, D.C. Hawkins just denies that theres any issue beyond the supposed laziness of his fellow Kansans.

Second, they barrage the audience with loosely connected arguments that suggest they apprehend a complex subject. They can throw in random facts and figures as well, anything to overwhelm a listener. The point here isnt to offer good arguments  many of Hawkins points can be immediately refuted. This approach instead sows doubt and confusion. It makes doing nothing and continuing the status quo seem reasonable.

Finally, and most importantly, they never argue in good faith.

Those following Bannons advice will never admit defeat or even the possibility of being wrong. Disproving one strand of their argument simply shifts them to another and another after that. Share heart-rending personal story and youll hear it later distorted beyond recognition. Try doing good for fellow humans, and youll be ridiculed as supporting welfare.

Lets see how this plays out with medical marijuana. Like Medicaid expansion, it enjoys support from an overwhelming majority of Kansans. Also like Medicaid expansion, it faces scattershot opposition. A March 28 hearing offered four examples from Kansas Bureau of Investigation director Tony Mattivi.

Mattivi claimed the medical marijuana program would lead to legalized recreational cannabis.

He said organized crime from Mexico and China would exploit the law and take advantage.

He predicted that Kansans would experience higher crime rates as a result.

Beyond potentially opening the door to wider marijuana use, Mattivi said, the second purpose of SB 555 is clearly profit.

A fifth example comes from state GOP chairman Mike Brown, who wrote April 12 that modern cannabis isnt the same weed as we all knew about in the 1960s-early 1990s. It is MUCH more potent And dangerous.

To summarize: Establishing a legal framework conjures up crime. Medical marijuana inevitably leads to recreational marijuana, even though legislators would have to pass a bill to do so. And if baby boomers feel a tiny bit hypocritical given their pasts, just remember that the weed they smoked was somehow safer than todays professionally cultivated plants.

Yes, yes, I wrote earlier that I dont want to respond to arguments made in bad faith. But theyre just so dumb.

Neither Mattivi nor Brown responds to or acknowledges the central issue. Kansas law criminalizes a nonviolent activity enjoyed by many for health and recreation. Law-abiding people across the Sunflower State smoke marijuana now, and enforcing prohibition serves no rational purpose.

Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison Republican and family physician, said the Legislature's passage of a bill restricting authority of state and local public health officials was a misguided response to government actions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison Republican and family physician, supported a bill that would have banned gender-affirming care in Kansas. Gov. Laura Kellys veto was sustained. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Behind the curtain

We finally come to the proposed ban on gender-affirming care.

GOP leaders tried to sell Senate Bill 233 as the solution to a pressing problem. Yet all major health organizations support such care for transgender youths, and actual trans Kansans opposed the legislation at every opportunity. None of the testimony in favor of the bill appeared to come from Kansans who had transitioned and then regretted their decisions. You might expect that such folks would be eager to make their case, but legislators heard from out-of-state groups instead.

As such, the arguments during a March 7 House committee hearing overflowed with nonsense, distractions and contempt. To use Bannons word, s***.

Rep. John Eplee, R-Atchison, claimed that 80-90% of the time people changed their minds, though he noted that just one patient in his decades as a physician had transitioned.

Were in the middle of what I think is a social contagion right now, that I see, he said, as though LGBTQ+ teens coming out can infect others.

Rep. Ron Bryce, R-Coffeyville, mentioned studies and conversations that shaped his views, without specifying sources or naming names.

Hormones are raging. They dont know exactly what theyre doing, said Rep. Doug Blex, R-Independence.  To me, its pretty simple. Its like two bobcats in a bag.

Just remember that official Kansas legislative committee debate about this bill came down to two bobcats in a bag. Advocates earned their stripes this session by persuading House lawmakers to sustain Kellys veto.

You might be outraged now.

But I would encourage you to take a wider view and think of all the examples weve seen so far. Think about the dismissive approaches, the discursive arguments and the air of self-righteousness enveloping them all. Then ask yourself if the legislators involved actually give a fig about any of it.

This kind of legislating  torrents of bills that take ones breath away with their cruelty and heartlessness  obscures other priorities. If you followed Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson for much of the session, youll understand that their main goal was passing a tax plan to benefit the richest Kansas.

Thats the whole game. Thats the whole ball of wax. Thats the whole point.

Kansas lawmakers are more than willing to risk the lives of transgender children, threaten peaceful marijuana users and deny health care to working families  as long as they can pad rich peoples bank accounts. They want to enrich a tiny, influential, entitled elite. Not you.

Coping with a flood of bad arguments and misinformation can take time and energy, but its worth the effort for dedicated Kansans. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Coping strategies

Journalists and the general public can battle this flood-the-zone approach in several ways.

Most importantly, all of us can understand the tactic and watch for it. Dont fall into the trap of taking bad-faith arguments at face value. Yes, reprehensible rhetoric might require correction at times, but not every fact or figure deserves your response or attention. Listen carefully and look for holes in logic  or holes in hearts.

Journalists should be prepared to rebut obvious untruths near instantaneously. They should be on guard for those looking to manipulate stories or coverage. Well-informed and deeply researched opinion columns also help excavate the truth behind verbiage.

The most difficult part of Bannons strategy to overcome? Sheer exhaustion.

This session wore me out. Im sure it wore you out. Grappling with untruths and legislation meant to harm our friends and families takes a toll on the soul. You want to tune out. You want to give up. Perhaps you even want to move to a state where every legislative session doesnt feel like a battle against the forces of prejudice. Progressives in Kansas know the drill. (At the very least, legislators should legalize marijuana so everyone can chill out.)

We have to take care of ourselves, our friends, our families and our communities.

We cannot surrender to despair, but we should also take breaks when needed and come back even more willing to do the work needed for our state to flourish.

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 GOP leaders follow Bannons advice for manipulating media: Flood the zone with s*** appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  High school students from across the Sunflower State were honored for their hard work in the Capital City Sunday.

Gov. Laura Kelly recognized this years recipients of the 41st annual Scholars Award program. Only the top 1% of high school students in Kansas qualify for this award which is based on the classes they choose to take and the grades they earn.

It tells a lot about the skills these students have, said Melanie Has, chair of the State Board of Education. So we talk a lot about social, emotional skills, and what it means to be able to communicate with others, um to have resiliency and a lot of grit and thats what gets these students here.

Kansas gov. orders flags to fly at half-staff

Each student had the opportunity to meet with Kelly as they walked on stage to receive their award. Around 500 students received the award this year. To find the full list of this years recipients, click here or check out the document below:

Governor Scholar Program 2024 by Matthew Self on Scribd

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Gov. Laura Kelly said the 2024 Holocaust commemoration in Topeka took on new urgency as antisemitic prejudice, hatred and conduct escalated in Kansas and elsewhere, especially in response to the military fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Gov. Laura Kelly said the states annual Holocaust commemoration Monday inspired by one of humankinds darkest chapters of genocide felt more significant given escalation in blatant acts of antisemitism in Kansas and elsewhere in the United States.

Kelly said the Jewish Community Relations Board reported a 500% increase in antisemitic incidents in Kansas City. A budget bill approved by the 2024 Legislature included $500,000 for bullet-resistant window film and anti-vehicle limestone barriers at Jewish centers in the state.

Last year, a vendor had to be expelled from Overland Parks farmer market because of antisemitic threats on social media. A Topeka synagogue was graffitied with pro-Palestinian messages in February.

It was 10 years ago on April 13 that a former Klansman and neo-Nazi from Missouri murdered three people at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish retirement community Village Shalom, the governor said.

Kelly said the Jewish Community Relations Bureau reported that from 2014 to 2022, the level of antisemitic incidents tripled in the United States. And, she said, that period preceded surge in antisemitism associated with fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Im glad to be with all of you again for such a meaningful tradition that feels more important than ever, Kelly said during the 2024 Holocaust commemoration ceremony in Topeka. It is critical that we stand with the Jewish community during this difficult time. Jewish people deserve peace and security in every part of the world, and that includes here in Kansas.

Kelly said the 6 million Jews and millions of other people from marginalized communities who died in the Holocaust of World War II must not be forgotten. Their memories should be preserved by pushing back against bigotry, hatred, prejudice as well as indifference whenever it surfaced, she said.

Discrimination of any kind, including anti-Semitism, has no place in Kansas. As governor, I will continue to call out and condemn antisemitism and any rhetoric or behavior that aims to discriminate and divide, Kelly said.

The governor signed a proclamation that affirmed May 5-12 as the days of remembrance. It described the Holocaust as the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945.

She said the history of persecution and tyranny of the Holocaust offered an opportunity for people to reflect on moral and ethical responsibilities of individuals, societies and governments.

The state of Kansas urges its citizens to actively rededicate themselves to the principles of individual freedom in a just society, the resolution said.

The post Kansas governor points to contemporary echoes of Holocaust in cities, state and nation appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Gov. Laura Kelly said the new law would lead to more "red tape." Her veto of the legislation was overridden. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Kansas lawmakers have restricted the governments ability to impose regulations on corporations without their approval, citing the need to stand up for Kansas taxpayers.

House Bill 2648, now enrolled as law, prohibits the governors administration from adopting any rule or regulations that are estimated to cost $1 million or more in compliance costs over five years without the Legislatures approval.

The Kansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity applauded the change.

Todays final vote to override the Governors veto is a triumph for common sense and accountability in government, said AFP state director Elizabeth Patton. This action will stimulate economic growth, encourage entrepreneurship, and create more jobs across our state.

The move shifts more power into the Legislatures hands, as exceptions would be allowed for cases in which the Legislature creates a bill authorizing the rule or regulation and then votes to approve the bill. There are no provisions for conducting this review process outside of the legislative session, further limiting the scope of regulations.

Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill due to its interference with government operations.

House Bill 2648 would insert bureaucratic red tape intended to legislatively interfere with the timely implementation of necessary and important rules and regulations, Kelly said. Many of these regulations are for the protection and safety of Kansans.

Lawmakers overrode her veto by 87-38 in the House and 27-12 in the Senate. House Republican leadership applauded the move in a joint statement.

Kansas is highly regulated when it comes to rules and regulations, the statement reads. Many of those rules and regulations, that are put in place by unelected agency bureaucrats, end up costing taxpayers big money. By overriding the governors misguided veto today, were putting an extra set of guardrails on the big government spending of the rules and regulations process and standing up for Kansas taxpayers.

The post Kansas lawmakers add obstacle to placing regulations on businesses appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
In our Reality Check stories, Wichita Eagle journalists dig deeper into questions over facts, consequences and accountability. Story idea? tips@wichitaeagle.com.

Since 2012, a number of Kansas counties have offered tempting financial incentives for relocation to boost local economies and combat declining population.

The program, operating in 95 of the 105 counties in the state, advertises the areas as Rural Opportunity Zones, where new residents can receive student loan repayment assistance or potentially qualify for a tax credit to cover 100% of state income taxes. Rural areas are defined as places with a population of less than 50,000 residents.

The program receives $1,037,748 annually, according to Trisha Purdon, the director of the Office of Rural Prosperity. Butler, Sedgwick, Reno, Saline, Riley, Shawnee, Douglas, Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson are the only Kansas counties that are not part of the program.

But how many individuals have taken advantage of the program, and is it working?

How many people have relocated to Kansas Rural Opportunity Zones?

Between 2012 and 2022, 1,670 people have participated in the student loan payment program, receiving a total of about $13.3 million.

According to a program audit reviewed by The Wichita Eagle, 600 people had completed the program and received five years of student loan assistance, 560 had either withdrawn or been disqualified, 260 were involved in the program at the time of the audit, 160 withdrew before receiving any payment and 90 were on the wait list.

Because some tax information may be confidential, its harder to estimate exactly how many people have participated in the tax credit portion of the program, Purdon said. The audit reports about 1,700 people applied for that part of the program between 2012 and 2022.

While its hard to pinpoint the influence on the population by the ROZ program, the audit estimates the participating counties still lost about 29,400 residents from 2012 to 2022. An estimated 1,430 individuals moved to ROZ-participating counties in that time for the sole purpose of the program, while the remaining individuals, the audit reports, would have moved to the counties regardless.

The audit reports individuals moving to those counties as part of the ROZ program offset 5% of the people who moved out of them.

Some counties saw more changes than others, the audit shows. Rawlins and Scott counties saw a 10% boost in population, and Marshall and Nemaha flipped from population loss to a population gain as of 2022.

This screenshot shows an interactive map offered by the state of Kansas Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZ) program. The grey counties are not participants, and the stars indicate city or foundation sponsors. Kansas Commerce screenshot

Purdon said she believes the program has become a valuable tool for workforce recruitment, however.

When this program was created in 2011  they really only were talking about addressing the depopulation of rural areas, she said. It quickly became a workforce recruitment tool. So businesses and counties were then using it to recruit people to fill critical positions, mostly health care and education positions.

The ROZ program has filled 806 jobs in an 11-year period, the data indicates. Fifty percent of those relocating work in either education or health care.

Its hard to determine if the program has been successful in retaining residents longterm after initial relocation, Purdon said, but the department is trying to find a way to figure it out.

What weve been able to do [is] based on survey responses, Purdon said. Its a randomly selected survey that they do every year of all participants in the ROZ program and so typically, it seems like were keeping at least over half of the ROZ participants over two and half years. That seems to be  the average. And then it does fall off a little bit more from our survey data.

Kansas introduces changes to the ROZ program

Significant changes to the ROZ program were announced mid-April to broaden the scope of who could qualify for the financial benefits.

Previously, people had to live outside Kansas for five years prior in order to be eligible to receive the student loan debt assistance after moving to a different county. Now, individuals only have to live in a separate location for two years prior to applying.

Additionally, rural residents who lived somewhere else for college, but had their permanent address as their parents residence will now not be denied entry in the program when returning home after graduating.

The new rules will make it easier to participate in the program for individuals who complete required internships, practicums and residencies or are traveling nurses to remain in an ROZ county and establish permanent residency there, the April 18 press release reads.

How to apply for the Kansas ROZ program

The application period for the ROZ program is open this year through Sept. 30. The applications are available online through the programs portal on the Kansas Department of Commerces website.

To qualify for student loan assistance, applicants must:

Have a new address in participating county that was established after the county started participating in the program.

Have an active student loan balance.

Provide proof of current address, previous address and student loan balance.

To qualify for the tax credit, individuals must:

Have moved to an established county between July 1, 2011, and Jan. 1, 2026.

Must have lived in the Kansas county for the entire tax year the tax credit will be claimed.

File their tax return before the deadline.

For a full list of qualifications and direct links to the online applications, visit the Kansas Department of Commerces website.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. In accordance with previously reached agreements, negotiations between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will be held in Almaty on May 10, 2024, Trend reports.

On April 30, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Aibek Smadiyarov announced that Baku and Yerevan confirmed their participation in the negotiations in Almaty.

Earlier, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed a platform for negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"Welcome the agreement of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to hold, at the proposal of the Kazakh side, negotiations of the foreign ministers on the preparation of a peace treaty between the two countries. Symbolically, this important event will take place in Almaty, where in December 1991 the historic Alma-Ata Declaration was signed, which laid the foundations for the independent development of the CIS countries and confirmed the principles of determining inter-state borders. I proceed from the fact that the upcoming meeting will serve as a practical implementation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian agreements, and will contribute to the earliest establishment of a strong and long-term peace in the South Caucasus," said President Tokayev.
Can you keep a loaded gun in your car in SC? Heres what the law and officials say

In less than two months, two shootings involving handguns taken from stolen pickup trucks have led to teenagers being shot by Richland County deputies.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said juveniles with guns and people leaving firearms in their cars were common denominators in the recent shootings. They also have led to a host of other crimes in Columbia.

Thats probably one of the biggest problems weve got, is young people going through neighborhoods at night and going through unlocked vehicles, then finding guns, Lott said. And then those guns end up on the street used in other crimes.

In South Carolina, its no longer illegal to leave a loaded gun in an unlocked, unattended vehicle.

Before March, gun owners  even those with permits  were required to secure their guns in a closed glove box, center console, trunk or secure container. In March, the General Assembly passed a law that permits people in South Carolina to openly carry handguns without a permit.

Now, there are no restrictions on legal gun owners keeping firearms in their cars in South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Divisions Constitutional Carry Guidance. Loaded guns can be stored openly or concealed anywhere in the vehicle. They can also be left unattended.

Gun owners are still required to secure their weapons in an attended or locked vehicle when on property owned by a school, according to the nonprofit Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Gun laws in the rest of the South vary by city and state. In North Carolina, you can openly display a gun in your vehicle or keep it somewhere inaccessible to passengers like in the trunk or a locked glove box. However, you need a concealed weapons permit to store it under your seat or in an unlocked glove compartment, according to King Law, a law firm servicing western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

In Tennessee, a gun needs to be kept out of sight if the person is in the vehicle and securely locked away if the vehicle is unattended, according to Giffords Law Center.

Georgia law permits gun owners to openly carry a gun in their vehicle, according to Giffords Law Center. But Savannah recently passed an ordinance that requires people to secure their guns when leaving a car unattended and to lock the car itself, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Its the first city in the state to pass such an ordinance.

Both of the recent local incidents of youths stealing guns from trucks left teens injured.

The first incident happened in March after two teenagers stole a pickup truck from a South Kilbourne neighborhood. Both of the teens were armed, with one of them using a handgun taken from the stolen truck. A shootout ensued between law enforcement and the teens, and 17-year-old Jeremy Taylor was shot and taken to the hospital for his injuries. A K9 was also shot and wounded.

The second incident on April 28 followed a similar sequence of events. A 15-year-old, whose name was not released because hes a juvenile, stole a pickup truck from a convenience store in the town of Lexington. The keys to the truck and a handgun had been left inside the vehicle. The teen later picked up two other teenagers in the truck. A car chase ensued when law enforcement spotted the stolen vehicle and was followed by a chase on foot. An unnamed 16-year-old raised a handgun taken from the stolen truck at K9 specialist Cody Sox, who shot the teen, striking him several times. The 16-year-old was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.

Gun thefts on the rise

The recent incidents are part of a larger issue, data shows. Gun thefts from cars have rapidly increased over the past few years, according to Everytown, a nonprofit that advocates for gun safety. An analysis of FBI data collected from 2011 to 2020 shows that a decade ago, less than a quarter of gun thefts were from cars. Now, guns stolen from cars make up over half of all gun thefts in the United States. An average of at least one gun is stolen from a car every 15 minutes, according to Everytown.

The problem is particularly bad in Columbia. The city has the third highest rate of gun thefts from cars in the country, Everytowns research shows.

The ability for guns to be stolen from cars makes it easier for people not legally allowed to carry guns, like juveniles, to access firearms. In turn, this can increase the frequency of young people being involved in gun violence.

Thats where most of our young people get their gunsoriginally they stole it from somebodys car thats usually not even locked, Lott said.

South Carolina is one of only 17 states with legislation requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen guns, according to Everytown.

If a gun is lost or stolen in Columbia, the owner is legally required to report the theft within 24 hours of discovery, according to the City of Columbia Ordinance No. 2022-080, which amended the 1998 Code of Ordinances.

If the gun owner fails to report the theft, they could be charged a fine equaling $500 per stolen firearm.

Lott said he doesnt think the ordinance has done much to prevent guns from being stolen and used in violent crimes. He emphasized gun owners keeping guns out of their cars entirely, regardless of what the law says.

Your vehicle is not a holster, so you shouldnt keep your gun in it, he said.

If people do choose to leave guns in their car, they should keep them locked in the back of their trunk, Lott said.






A pair of campaign managers for former Presidents Trump and Obama are teaming up for an across-the-aisle podcast that promises to engage rather than enrage while diving into the 2024 White House race.

Kellyanne Conway, who headed up Trumps 2016 campaign, and David Plouffe, who steered Obamas 2008 White House bid, will join forces for The Campaign Managers, podcast platform PodcastOne announced Monday.

The weekly show will feature fierce discussions between the two hosts and their guests and delve deep into the complexities of the 2024 election.

Conway teased on social media that the podcast will be a chance to share her and Plouffes first-hand experiences running the campaigns of history-making presidential candidates.

She and Plouffe, Conway said in a statement, have been in the room where it happens, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with unique, historic candidates who defied the critics, exceeded expectations, won the presidency, and governed.

The two of us have fierce disagreements on issues and who we want to win this race, Plouffe said in a statement about the podcast.

But we agree on what it takes to get to 270 electoral votes. We think its important to have a place where audiences can get the full picture of where the race stands and how it could change and will assess those not wearing the blue and red shirts of our respective parties but as practitioners who have led successful campaigns for the White House, he said.

The Campaign Managers is poised to premiere on May 22.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A super PAC backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to sue Meta this week, alleging that the parent company to Instagram and Facebook brazenly censored a documentary about the candidate.

Meta insists that American Values 2024 is being melodramatic. In a statement to The Daily Beast, a spokesperson said the film was mistakenly blocked and that the problem was quickly resolved after it was flagged. The company previously told The New York Times that the resolution took at most a few hours.

According to a press release issued by American Values on Monday, many Facebook and Instagram users were unable to share the 30-minute, Woody Harrelson-narrated documentary about the candidate, Who Is Bobby Kennedy?

They were notified that there was a problem with the link, which isnt the case; later, they were informed that the link was removed because it goes against Instagrams Community Guidelines, due to alleged violations related to spam, support or praise of terrorism, organized crime or hate groups, solicitation of sexual services, or the sale of firearms and drugs, the statement said.

The film was produced by Jay Carson, who also created The Morning Show on Apple TV+. Carson added in the statement that political infomercials for presidential candidates have a rich and effective history in American politics and that his team set out to make a modern version of that format.

RFK Jr. Event Hosted by MAGA Group With Jan. 6 Ties

The super PAC also complained that the film continues to underperform on Metas platforms, which it views as evidence that the project is being shadow banned even if it is not being blocked outright. In contrast, the statement continued, the video has been viewed more than 12 million times on X.

American Values plans to declare in its lawsuit that Metas temporary lapse amounted to a violation of the First Amendment, of civil rights laws dating back to the Civil War, and of the American peoples fundamental right to a presidential election decided by voters, not by trillion-dollar corporations.

Kennedy previously sued Google and YouTube over claims that they were censoring his speech, after the platforms removed two videos on the basis of alleged medical misinformation. Last summer, a judge denied his request for a temporary restraining order against the companies. The case remains ongoing.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Kentuckys attorney general this week rebuked a Biden Administration rule change that requires foster and adoption care agencies to place LGBTQ+ youth in supportive environments in order to receive safe and proper care.

The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Requirements, first proposed last September and slated to take effect July 1, would require LGBTQ youth be given the option to be placed with foster care providers trained to meet their specific needs related to their sexual orientation and gender identity, and who would facilitate access to age-appropriate services to support their health and well-being.

Attorney General Russell Coleman, a first-term Republican, publicly opposed the new rules Thursday, saying they penalize and disfavor religiously-affiliated foster care and adoption agencies, like Kentucky Baptist-run Sunrise Childrens Services.

Coleman called the rules burdensome and said they will make it harder for religious-based organizations and families of faith to care for children.

Under the new federal rules, not every foster care agency would need to meet these specific, tailored needs for LGBTQ youth, and an organization that cant meet those needs would not be penalized.

But supportive placements must be made available to LGBTQ minors as an option, since that population experiences significant disparities in the child welfare system.

Additionally, the new rules clarify that a LGBTQ foster childs placement be free from harassment, mistreatment, abuse and retaliation, regardless of whether the child was in a specially designated Safe and Appropriate placement.

Sunrise, Coleman said, has put its religious principles in action by providing high-quality services for foster parents and children.

Now, because the Biden Administration disapproves of its beliefs, Sunrise will be relegated to a second-class status and families will face additional hurdles in opening their homes to children.

Sunrise is operated by Kentucky Baptist Convention and is contracted by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide foster and adoption care.

One of the largest and oldest Christian foster care agencies in the commonwealth, Sunrise refused to initially sign its 2021 state contract because of language that banned discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.

Sunrise eventually signed the agreement after Kentucky nixed sexual orientation and gender identity from the contract that also banned discrimination based on race, religion, sex, age or disability. The executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention at the time told the Courier Journal that it came down to a deeply-held religious conviction that homosexuality is a sin, which is why the organization doesnt place youth with same-sex foster or adoptive parents.

Separately that year, Sunrise agreed to settle a lawsuit dating back to 2000 brought by former Sunrise staff, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The lawsuit alleged Sunrise had perpetrated LGBTQ discrimination and religious coercion of youth under its care.

Dale Suttles, CEO of Sunrise, said in a statement issued by Colemans office Thursday that the Biden rule is big and bad government at its worst.

It will drive foster parents and foster homes out of the mission of helping kids when there is already a severe shortage, said Suttles, who did not respond to emailed questions from the Herald-Leader as of Friday afternoon.

Sunrise and its dedicated foster families will not rest until this travesty is thrown out by the courts.

This is the second federal policy aimed at supporting LGBTQ individuals that Coleman has come out in opposition of this week.

The other is a proposed rule change to Title IX, the longstanding policy prohibiting sex-based harassment and discrimination in educational settings receiving public dollars. The U.S. Department of Education plans to broaden the laws application to also stop discrimination and harassment based on gender identity, sexual orientation and sex characteristics.

Coleman and five other Republican attorneys general sued the DOE Tuesday over the regulatory change. Coleman said the rule change to include protections for LGBTQ people would rip away 50 years of Title IXs protections for women and put entire generations of young girls at risk.

Suing over the foster and adoption care agency regulatory change might not be out of the question, either, he implied.

The Biden Administrations regulation should be concerning to all people of faith because it keeps children out of loving homes and adds unnecessary strains to the foster care system Coleman said. We are closely reviewing the rule to decide how to respond.

This story may be updated.
The nursing home industry says the cost and a shortage of nurses make it impossible to comply with a new federal rule on staffing levels in nursing homes. (Getty Images)

The nursing-home industry is pushing back against a new Biden administration rule that sets minimum staffing requirements for federally funded long-term care facilities and will require many of them to hire more nurses and nurse aides.

Morgan Jemtrud, director of communications for the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities and the Kentucky Center for Assisted Living, told Kentucky Health News in an email that the staffing mandate is not attainable for several reasons, including the health-care workforce shortage.

The staffing mandate is impossible. CMS estimates it will cost around $300,000 per building (AHCA estimates more), but there is no funding to support the implementation of the rule, said Jemtrud. Also, the required staff are simply not available. RNs are in demand across all health-care sectors, and no pipeline is being built to produce the number of RNs this rule requires.

Jemtrud was referring to an analysis from the American Health Care Association, a nursing-home lobby, that says meeting the mandate would require nursing homes to hire more than 100,000 more nurses and nurse aides at an annual cost of $6.8 billion. The analysis also says 94% of nursing homes were not meeting at least one of the proposed staffing requirements.

New staffing requirements

The Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule requires all nursing homes that receive Medicare or Medicaid payments to provide 3.48 hours of direct nursing care per resident per day, including a defined number for registered nurses (0.55 per resident per day) and nurse aides (2.45 hours per resident per day).

This means 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 (which could be registered nurses, licensed professional nurses, or nurse aides) per shift to meet the minimum staffing standards, says a White House fact sheet about the rule.

It will also require facilities to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide skilled nursing care.

The new staffing requirements will be phased in over three years, except at rural facilities, which will get up to five years. The law allows for some limited, temporary exemptions for facilities in areas with workforce shortages that demonstrate a good faith effort to hire the required staff.

Within 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, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. But the analysis says only 19% meet the defined number of hours required for RNs (.55) and nurse aides (2.45) that is required under the full implementation of the law.

When facilities are understaffed, residents may go without basic necessities like baths, trips to the bathroom, and meals  and it is less safe when residents have a medical emergency, said the fact sheet, noting that it will also ensure that workers arent stretched too thin by having inadequate staff on site.

Brice Mitchell, spokesperson for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, told Kentucky Health News in an email that the administration is reviewing the federal rule and its impact.

Medicaid funds 70% of all long-term care in the state and there is ongoing work to expand a nurse career ladder to help increase recruitment, Mitchell said. At this time, we are unable to determine the number of Kentucky nursing homes that dont meet the new federal rules.

Good first step, says nursing home ombudsman

Denise Wells, executive director of the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass, said her group was very pleased with the 24-hour RN requirement, but didnt think the minimum hours per resident per day went far enough.

She said the 24/7 RN requirement is important because the acuity level of patients has increased over the years, meaning patients need more assistance with their activities of daily living than ever before. And, she said, Medical emergencies dont just happen for eight hours of the day; they can happen 24 hours a day.

Wells said they were disappointed in the hours per resident per day only being 3.48 because research shows that the minimum care that an average resident needs is 4.1 hours per day.

And that is simply to avoid negative health outcomes, she said. Its not to live their best lives, its not to have the greatest quality of life, its just to have that minimum care provided.

Wells called the new staffing rules a good first step.

We are trying to make sure that the message is that this is not the ceiling; that its a floor, said Wells. Its the absolute minimum, but facilities should be staffing higher than this. . . . Nursing homes are required to staff to sufficient levels to meet resident needs, and so if they have residents that their care plan indicates that they need more than the 3.48 hours per day, then the facility needs to staff to meet that need.

Can nursing homes afford more staff?

Jemtrud with KAHCF and KCAL was asked about the financial impact of the rule. She said Kentucky nursing homes are already financially strained and there are no funds to help meet the new requirements.

Before this rule, 79.9% of Kentucky facilities are in distress or at risk of financial distress using the Altman Z-score, Jentrud said, citing a formula used to determine a companys risk of bankruptcy.

CMS estimates the total cost of the final rule at about $4.3 billion per year, but AHCA continues to estimate the cost above $6 billion per year, she said. There are no funds from Medicare, Medicaid, or other payers to increase payment rates to providers for any of the rule requirements.

Wells, asked how facilities can address the health-care workforce shortage, said her group prefers to call it a job quality crisis caused by low pay, poor conditions and little support. She pointed to reports from the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care that have showed how nursing homes hide profits, and saif there is not enough transparency in how Medicaid and Medicare dollars are used these facilities.

KFF Health News also points to researchers who are 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.

In a lengthy statement from the American Hospital Association, Stacey Hughes, AHA executive vice president, said, in part, CMS one-size-fits-all minimum staffing rule for nursing homes creates more problems than it solves and could jeopardize access to all types of care across the continuum, especially in rural and underserved communities that may not have the workforce levels to support these requirements.

The American Health Care Association issued a statement in opposition of the mandate and said the industry will keep pressing Congress to overturn the regulation.

While it may be well intentioned, the federal staffing mandate is an unreasonable standard that only threatens to shut down more nursing homes, displace hundreds of thousands of residents, and restrict seniors access to care, Mark Parkinson, CEO of the AHCA, said in a statement. Issuing a final rule that demands hundreds of thousands of additional caregivers when theres a nationwide shortfall of nurses just creates an impossible task for providers. This unfunded mandate doesnt magically solve the nursing crisis.

The mandate also implements stronger transparency measures to ensure nursing home residents and their families know when a nursing home is using an exemption, according to the fact sheet.

Brett Guthrie

Guthrie expresses concern

Jemtrud said industry associations will continue to reach out to Congress where theres been bipartisan support for helpful legislation.

Providers have been hosting legislators for visits within their facilities to share firsthand the challenges theyre facing, she wrote. Also, the AHCA/NCAL Congressional Briefing scheduled June 3-4 will allow members to discuss their concerns directly with members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

On Tuesday, U.S. House Republicans at a House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee voiced their concerns about the new staffing mandate.

The subcmmittee chair, Republican Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentuckys 2nd District, said he was extremely concerned about the mandate along with the 80/20 rule which requires agencies that provide home- and community-based services to spend 80% of their Medicaid payments on compensation for workers who directly provide care.

Guthrie said both rules threaten access to long term care services for Medicaid beneficiaries by setting arbitrary staffing and pay standards. . . . This approach simply wont work. He added later, These rules come at a time where we have seen more than 500 nursing home facilities close since the start of the pandemic and where we have 150,000 fewer long-term care workers than we did before 2020.

This article is republished from Kentucky Health News, an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

The post Kentucky nursing-home industry says Biden staffing mandate impossible to meet appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Kids reel in highly decomposed human leg while fishing at Mississippi pond, cops say

A group of young fishers reeled in part of a human leg  and then more remains were found in the same Mississippi pond, police said.

Authorities made the additional discovery Monday, May 6, one day after the kids reported finding the highly decomposed appendage, Detective Sean Haddakin with the Flowood Police Department told McClatchy News.

The group were fishing at about 7:15 p.m. May 5 in a pond when they spotted the possible remains and called police, Haddakin said. Authorities confirmed it was a human leg bone.

The bone had a sock still on it, the Clarion Ledger and WLBT reported, citing Flowood police.

A subsequent search of the pond on Monday turned up more skeletal remains, including part of a skull, according to the Clarion Ledger. Authorities said its not clear how long they were in the water.

While the pond is on city property, police said its in a remote area thats roped off.

It is gated with No trespassing signs, No fishing, signs, Haddakin told WAPT. There is minimal traffic back here.

Rankin County Coroner David Ruth took possession of the remains on Sunday and will begin the process of identifying the person, according to WLBT.

Police didnt release additional details but said the incident is under investigation.

Flowood is about a 10-mile drive northeast from downtown Jackson.

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To commemorate the upcoming anniversary King Charles' crowning ceremony, Buckingham Palace has announced who within the monarchy will take over the late Queen's many charitable causes.

"Following His Majesty The Kings Accession in September 2022, a major review of more than 1,000 Royal Patronages and charity Presidencies has been undertaken," the Palace announced via an online press release. "To mark the first anniversary of Their Majesties Coronation, the conclusions will be shared with relevant organizations in the coming week.

"The King and Queen will continue to serve as Patron to many of the charities and institutions with which His Majesty was affiliated as Prince of Wales, and respectively Her Majesty as Duchess of Cornwall," the announcement continued. "In addition, Their Majesties are pleased to continue the patronage of a great variety of charities and organisations previously supported by Queen Elizabeth II."

Kensington Palace also announced that "other members of The Royal Family" will be responsible for a "number of organizations previously supported by The late Queen," adding to their "existing portfolios."

A post shared by The Royal Family A photo posted by theroyalfamily on

According to People, King Charles will maintain patronage of 367 of the 441 groups he was previously affiliated with prior to his accession, while Queen Camilla will continue to be linked to 99 of the 100 groups she was previously affiliated with as the Duchess of Cornwall.

People also reports that some of the late Prince Philips patronages were also included in the official review.

In addition to maintaining many of his previous patronages, King Charles will become the patron of the Royal British Legion, Us Weekly reports, a nonprofit that provides financial, social and emotional support to military veterans.

King Charles will also take over his mother's role as the patron of Dogs Trust, a charity that re-homes dogs.

King Charles III departs with Queen Camilla after receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate at The London Clinic on January 29, 2024 in London, England.

We are delighted to welcome His Majesty The King as our new Royal Patron, Owen Sharp, the chief executive of Dogs Trust, said in a statement, Us Weekly reported. The Kings passion and affection for dogs is clear for all to see, and his support will help us to continue the work we do to help dogs and the people who love them both here in the UK and across the world.

In addition to retaining the majority of her patronages, Queen Camilla will take ownership of the late Queens roles at the Royal Literary Fund, the Royal Academy of Dance and the Royal Voluntary Service, Us Weekly reports, and in addition to becoming the president of the Sandringham branch of the Womens Institute.



King Charles officially resumed public-facing royal engagements after he publicly announced he has been diagnosed with an unspecified type of cancer and is currently undergoing treatment.

A post shared by The Royal Family A photo posted by theroyalfamily on

Recently, Buckingham Palace released a statement on the Kings health, announcing that his "treatment program will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that the King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties.

Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majestys continued recovery," the Palace continued, later confirming that the King is "greatly encouraged" and "grateful" for his medical team and their continued care and expertise.
We know about helpers whenever there's a need in Maryland. But who is helping THEM?

Every day, local nonprofits quietly go about the business of trying to help where help is needed.

They serve children. Teens. Adults. Seniors. Everyone. And sometimes the work is overwhelming. The "helpers" need a little help.

United Way of Washington County, for example, plays a role in much of business of caring locally, with 85 active mission partners or organizations served, and affecting nearly 65,000 county residents through community impact programs and collaborations, according to President and CEO Heather Guessford.

Last year, the agency looked for ways to meet a need that might not be obvious, but was having a serious effect on school attendance.

Volunteers form JLG Industries ponder needed repairs to a drive-through apparatus for use by United Way of Washington County.

"Heather was very receptive to food insecurity," said Stacey Abeles, United Way's community education advocate and Books United coordinator, but "there's also hygiene insecurity," particularly in rural school districts where families don't have easy access to aid.

And students sometimes don't go to school because they don't feel clean, and they're embarrassed.

"We were notified by a school counselor at a remote WCPS that they had an increase in absenteeism due to hygiene issues with their students," Guessford said. "The families were in service deserts and lacked the transportation to go to a nonprofit who offered free hygiene supplies," and only two agencies were offering them, she added.

"As a result, we delivered hygiene to them."

Hygiene products are stocked on shelves assembled by JLG Industries volunteers, and ready for distribution by United Way of Washington County.

But meeting that need has gotten to be such a large undertaking that United Way needed a little help.

United Way has established "hygiene pantries" in a few schools, at Hagerstown Community College, and at Zion Reformed United Church of Christ and Parkside Community Center in Hagerstown, where these families can get the items they need. There are 10 hygiene closets in all, but the program is growing.

"This was a niche that no one was doing," Guessford said. "Since then, it's grown like crazy."

What difference do these hygiene closets make?

Last September, this project served 400 county residents, Guessford said. "By January it was 1,176," she said, "and at the end of March we were over 1,200 lives impacted."

"We had five essential items that were supplied by the closet," Abeles said, "toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, deodorant, body wash  we started to get all these requests; we had (someone) call us and say, 'Hey, can you possibly get us some body wipes?' And we were like, 'You mean like the Purell, the hand sanitizer, the flushable wipes?' They said, 'No, we need body wipes because we don't have running water and we want to wipe our kids down before they go to school in the morning so they're clean.' It still chokes me up."

Volunteers Charlie Foreman, left, and Ted Kajencki help United Way's community education advocate Stacey Abeles pack hygiene products for delivery to a local school.

The good news is that United Way has corporate partners who donate the hygiene products most of us take for granted. The project has financial support from the Community Foundation of Washington County, The Women's Giving Circle, the Kershner Sisters Foundation & Albert E. & Naomi B. Sinnisen Foundation, and a group of private donors, Guessford said.

United Way also has a hygiene mission partner in Children in Need of Washington County, which "serves hygiene needs of their clients as well. They contribute items when they have enough to spare, especially specialty items like lice kits."

But the agency needed a place to store items for the pantries, and a system for distributing them. And not just for the pantries themselves.

United Way's landlord offered space in the basement of its West Washington Street office building, which also offered a drive-through window where the products could be safely distributed.

"We are working on solving requests during the summer as well as during off-peak hours with our drive-through revamp," Guessford said.

JLG Industries volunteers make repairs to a drive-through mechanism that United Way of Washington County will use to distribute hygiene items.

But everything needed to be cleaned up, and the drive-through facility  unused for some time  needed some work to be functional.

It's Good 2 Give Back

Enter the Hagerstown office of JLG Industries.

JLG and Jerr-Dan, both subsidiaries of Oshkosh Corporation, have been serving communities through the "Good 2 Give Back" program since 2017.

"Good 2 Give Back was started in 2017 as a way to celebrate our team members passion for volunteering and also to help coordinate the vast volunteering opportunities in the areas where we operate," JLG spokesman Richard Wright said in a statement to The Herald-Mail.

"JLG and Jerr-Dan team members have always been focused on volunteering in the communities where we live, work and play."

Volunteers from JLG Industries and Jerr-Dan aided more than a dozen local organizations through their companies' Good 2 Give Back program.

For National Volunteer Week in late April, 15 JLG volunteers went to work at United Way to:

clean and paint the new hygiene storage facility

clean and repair the drive-through equipment in preparation for walk-up and drive-through services

install new shelving and storage solutions

itemize and stock new hygiene items including shampoo, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine products, pull-ups, lice kits and more

install a new hygiene closet at Smithsburg High School  a project instigated by the school's chapter of Students United

And they did it in two days  and they packed 50 "hygiene bags" for a drive-through distribution at another school.

JLG Industries volunteers load hygiene products for delivery to a local school. JLG's Good 2 Give Back volunteer program helped United Way of Washington County with its "hygiene closet" project during National Volunteer Week.

Amplifying the impact

United Way isn't the only local agency JLG and Jerr-Dan serve. Between the companies, Wright said, 231 employees performed volunteer work at United Way and 14 other Washington County organizations, including:

Micahs Backpack

Children in Need

Salvation Army

Pangborn Elementary School

The Center Rescue Mission

Holly Place

Habitat For Humanity Washington County

The Maryland Theatre

Brookes House

Lasting Change

Discovery Station

REACH Cold Weather Shelter

Leitersburg Ruritan

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County

Good 2 Give Back "is a global celebration and effort for our company. The volunteer events extend to every location in the world where JLG and Jerr-Dan operate."

Wright said giving back to the community was a core principle of JLG founder John L. Grove, "and were proud to continue his legacy through volunteering."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: When United Way needed help, JLG came to the rescue in Maryland
What we know about various investigations stemming from Key Bridge collapse

Authorities were quick to respond when a massive cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the span and killing six people, and several agencies promptly launched probes into the deadly disaster.

The 984-foot Dali weighed some 112,000 tons loaded with containers when it left the Port of Baltimore early in the morning of March 26. The ship lost all power while approaching the bridge and drifted into one of its support columns, toppling the span.

Heres what we know about the various investigations:

National Transportation Safety Board

The NTSBs Office of Marine Safety and Office of Highway Safety are examining what went wrong aboard the Dali and the structural components of the bridge, respectively.

The agency investigates through the lens of safety and with the goal of preventing similar tragedies from occurring, not holding anyone liable.

Investigators have searched the Dalis engine room for answers about why the vessel lost power. They brought in representatives from the ships manufacturer, Hyundai, to help extract data from the electrical system and circuit breakers.

Alarms indicating an inconsistent power supply to refrigerated containers sounded on the Dali before it left the port, according to the City of Baltimores lawsuit against the ships Singaporean owner and manager.

NTSB investigators have interviewed members of the Dalis predominantly Indian crew and the Maryland pilots who boarded the vessel to guide it out of port and under the Key Bridge safely. They also questioned Coast Guard watch standers and took statements from tugboat operators.

Two tugs guided the Dali away from the ports Seagirt Marine Terminal but cast off once the ship was in the main McHenry shipping channel.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told senators in April that she expected the agencys preliminary report will not be out until the first week of May. The NTSB is still preparing that report but expects to announce the release date in the coming weeks, spokesman Peter C. Knudson said last week.

The preliminary report outlines the agencys factual findings. A final report, which comes one to two years after an investigation begins, includes conclusions and safety recommendations.

The Coast Guard

Coast Guard officials convened a Marine Board of Investigation, tasking investigators with thoroughly examining the ship crash in accordance with all applicable statutory and regulator mandates, according to a March 26 memorandum outlining the investigation. The board has to submit a report to the Coast Guard Commandant with its findings, conclusions and recommendations within a year.

Petty Officer Michael Himes described the Marine Board investigation as complementary to the NTSB investigation, saying the NTSB was designated as the lead agency. He declined to further comment.

At a news conference the day after the bridge collapse, Homendy credited the Coast Guard with boarding the Dali to download information from its voyage data recorder  a simplified version of an aircraft black box  and providing it to the NTSB for further analysis.

Describing the Coast Guard as the regulator of U.S. maritime operations, Knudson said the NTSB relies on the Coast Guard to provide a range of data for its investigation, such as information about mariner licenses and vessel operations, ship inspection and violation history, as well as local knowledge of the port.

In addition, the USCG provides significant on-scene assistance, such as travel to vessels at anchor or assisting with interviews of crew members, and general coordination of on-scene activities, Knudson said.

Its common for those agencies to work together in a maritime accident investigation, said Thomas Roth-Roffy, a former NTSB investigator of almost 20 years.

He said its possible the NTSB took the lead in this case because its a multimodal investigation involving a bridge, highway and ship.

In a phone interview, Roth-Roffy harked back to investigations he led, such as the NTSBs probe into the U.S.-flagged cargo vessel SS El Faro, which lost propulsion in the middle of a hurricane in 2015 and sank near the Bahamas along with its 33-person crew

The Coast Guard was more than just another party in the investigation, he said. They were a close partner.

While the agencies investigations may be complementary, Roth-Roffy said, the Coast Guard, unlike the NTSB, can enforce violations of marine regulations or law.

Conclusions and recommendations concerning commendatory actions or misconduct that would warrant further inquiry shall be referred by separate correspondence to the cognizant District Commander for consideration and action, the Coast Guards investigative memo says.

The FBI

The FBI was at the scene of the bridge collapse the day it happened, but its involvement escalated April 15, when agents boarded the Dali to serve a search warrant.

The exact scope of the FBIs investigation into the Key Bridge collapse is unclear. Its also not known what agents confiscated while aboard.

Before federal agents serve search warrants, they have to articulate in writing their suspicion that a crime occurred. Only if the evidence meets the legal standard of probable cause will a judge sign off on a search warrant.

Its common for the paperwork associated with search warrants to remain under seal in court records long into an investigation and any subsequent criminal case.

The FBI likely is looking at whether a pre-Civil War statute known as seamans manslaughter, which has been applied in past American maritime disasters, is applicable here.

That law says neglect or misconduct leading to death by the ship officer is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It also applies to the companies that own and charter vessels when their fraud, neglect, connivance, misconduct, or violation of law leads to death.

FBI agents typically do not investigate in a vacuum, but in collaboration with prosecutors from the Maryland U.S. Attorneys Office or from another branch of the Department of Justice.

Often in these high-profile matters there would be significant involvement by prosecutors in Washington in addition to the local U.S. attorneys, former Deputy U.S. Attorney General and Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said in an April interview after agents raided the ship.

Maryland Occupational Safety and Health

Seven construction workers from Brawner Builders Inc. were on the Key Bridge, taking a break from filling potholes on Interstate 695, when the Dali struck. A state inspector who also was present was able to get to part of the span that didnt collapse, while one of the construction workers survived by clinging to a piece of debris.

The six others died. Five of their bodies have been recovered.

Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, or MOSH, a branch of the state Department of Labor that investigates workplace injuries and deaths, launched an investigation the same day workers were sent plummeting into the river.

A MOSH spokesperson declined to comment, citing the agencys ongoing investigation.

William F. Alcarese, a former safety officer with MOSH and its federal counterpart, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said such workplace probes look at whether employers abided by regulations designed to keep their workers safe.

He believes investigators will be looking at whether there was an emergency plan in place for the Brawner employees working on the bridge.

In this case, you had workers on the bridge, was there a communication plan in place? Was there a policy in place for communication? said Alcarese, noting that bridges are often closed because of inclement weather, such as high winds. Its like trenches: Most trenches dont cave in, but when one does, it can be catastrophic. Thats why there are plans in place.

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Alcarese also pointed to a federal occupational safety regulation that requires employers who put workers over or adjacent to water have a lifesaving skiff  immediately available.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner, declined to say whether the company had a rescue boat in the water, citing the MOSH investigation.

I dont know that Brawner Builders couldve taken any more action than that which was taken the evening of the tragedy. Brawners safety protocols were consistent with those taken over the last 40 years with similar work, Pritzker said. Who would have ever anticipated that a bridge would come down?

Alcarese expects the workplace investigation to examine the roles of Brawner and the state, which contracted the company.

Officials were quick to praise the work of Maryland transportation police officers who swiftly blocked traffic from going onto the bridge after receiving a mayday call about the drifting ship from the pilot. But attorneys for the families of two victims and one survivor say the workers werent notified.

Transportation police, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Port Authority declined to say whether they are conducting reviews in response to the collapse, citing the Dalis owner and managers civil court action to clear themselves of liability related to the disaster.

The pending litigation related to the Key Bridge collapse (limitation of liability action) and anticipated future litigation prevents the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the Maryland Port Administration from disclosing the existence of investigations or reviews, the agencies said in a joint statement.
Moscow plans to hold a military exercise simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced, just days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine.

The drills are in response to provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation, the Defence Ministry said in a statement Monday.

The exercise is intended to increase the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to fulfil combat tasks and will be held on President Vladimir Putins orders, according to the statement. The manoeuvres plan to involve missile units of the Southern Military District along with Russia's air force and navy.

It is the first time that Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, though its strategic nuclear forces regularly hold exercises.

Tactical nuclear weapons have a lower yield compared to massive warheads that arm ballistic missiles intended to obliterate entire cities.

Instead, tactical nuclear weapons include air bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on the battlefield.

Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal, with the vast majority of it inherited from the Soviet Union.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has repeatedly threatened it might use its nukes against its adversaries  which would be the world's first since the US bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

A message to the West?

The announcement appeared to be a warning to Ukraines Western allies about becoming more deeply involved in the more than two-year war.

Some of Ukraines Western partners have previously expressed concern about stoking the war amid fears it could spill beyond Ukraine and into a conflict between NATO and Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron repeated last week that he doesnt exclude sending troops to Ukraine, and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Kyivs forces will be able to use British long-range weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

My message from Kyiv: supporting Ukraine's security is the best investment we can make in our security. pic.twitter.com/5Fr0azyCVK  David Cameron (@David_Cameron) May 3, 2024

The Kremlin branded those comments as dangerous, heightening tension between Russia and NATO. The war has already placed significant strain on relations between Moscow and the West.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree On approval of the Agreement on Economic Cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Council of Ministers of Albania, Trend reports.

According to the decree, the above document, signed on March 1, 2024, in Baku city, was approved.

Following the agreement's entry into force, the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan must ensure the implementation of its provisions.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry must send a notification to the Council of Ministers of Albania regarding the completion of internal state procedures necessary for the agreement's entry into force.
Kristi Noem claims liberal bias is why her interview on CBS went so poorly

When all else fails, blame the interviewer.

Kristi Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota, is lashing out at Margaret Brennan, host of CBSs Face the Nation, after a ruinous interview over the weekend.

Before her appearance on the show Sunday, Noem said on X that she was excited to promote her new book, "No Going Back," which she described as a how-to guide for how Americans can help Make America Great Again!

But Noem seemed unprepared for any questions about the most newsworthy claims in that book: that she shot and killed her dog, for example. "I wonder if you have regrets about sharing this story?" Brennan asked.

"This book is filled with vulnerable, painful moments in my life," Noem explained. "The reason that this story is in the book is because people need to understand who I am. This was a dangerous animal that was killing livestock and attacking people."

Noem took to X again after the interview to complain about the interviewer.

This morning in our 15-minute interview, Margaret Brennan interrupted me 36 times  once every 25 seconds on average, she complained, arguing that other guests, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had an easier time.

What Noem describes as interruptions, however, were the CBS host's efforts to clarify details, more often than not giving Noem the last word. And the hard questions Noem faced were entirely a product of her own claims, which have attracted bipartisan condemnation. Besides describing how she killed her dog, Noem's book also includes an account of a meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un  a meeting that never happened, forcing the publisher to issue a correction.

But Noem, who refused to address the false anecdote or otherwise discuss her "many, many" interactions with foreign leaders, insists she is a victim.

In the fake news media, there are two sets of rules, and conservative[s] are always treated differently, she said. Thats why Americans dont trust the Fake News.
Lake, Porter County voters have contested races to choose from in Tuesdays primary

As Lake and Porter County residents head to the polls Tuesday, they will face a few contested races, including Republican candidates for governor and Republican candidates for U.S. House of Representatives District 1.

Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Wieser said the party has strong incumbents seeking reelection. A few Democratic races, like State Representative District 3 and Lake County Commissioner District 3, have contested primaries.

Given the Democratic races, Wieser said he anticipates a larger voter turnout in November.

I do expect a big turnout in the fall, but not right now, Wieser said. I dont expect it to be different from other primaries.

Porter County Republican Party Chairman Mike Simpson said the party has been working toward encouraging people to go out and vote. But its likely the voter turnout will be abysmal, he said.

Simpson said the Republican party has found a number of strong candidates for each office.

I am looking forward to seeing their success and then getting ready for the fall, Simpson said.

Six Republican candidates are running to replace Gov. Eric Holcomb when he leaves office in January, including U.S. Senator Mike Braun, Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill. Also on the ballot are businessmen Eric Doden and Brad Chambers, and stay-at-home mom Jamie Reitenour.

The winner of the Republican primary race will face former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick in the race for governor in the general election.

Democratic candidates Marc Carmichael, a former business executive, and Valerie McCray, a psychologist, are running for U.S. Senate. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Jim Banks in November.

Republicans Randy Niemeyer, Lake County Councilman District 7; Ben Ruiz, a businessman; and Mark Leyva, a steelworker are seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives District 1 seat. The winner will face U.S. Rep Frank Mrvan in November.

In Lake County, Commissioner Michael Repay is seeking reelection for his District 3 seat. Former county councilman Al Menchaca, Attorney Matthew J. Celestin and Richard A. Deleon are also running in the Democratic primary for the District 3 commissioner seat.

Humberto Prado and Kimberly Poland are facing off in the Republican primary for the District 3 Lake County commissioner seat.

Lake County Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr. is running for reelection and facing challenger Reginald Tisdale in the Democratic primary.

Lake County Coroner David Pastrick is running for reelection and facing challengers Danielle E. Carter and Elizabeth Ann-Marie Hmurovic in the Democratic primary.

For State Representative District 3, Ragen Hatcher is seeking reelection and facing attorney Heather McCarthy in the Democratic primary.

Republicans Jeff Larson and Manuel Maldonado are vying for State Representative District 10. Whoever wins will face State Rep. Charles Moseley in November.

For State Senate District 3, Gary Mayor Eddie Meltons former seat, David Vinzant is seeking reelection and facing challenger Mark Spencer, a Gary Council member, in the Democratic primary.

Republicans Maya Angelou Brown and Will Miller are seeking their partys nomination in the State Senate District 3 race.

In Porter County, three Republicans are running for the Commissioner District 1 seat including Ed Morales, Dean Moretton and Corrie Sharp. The winner will face Democrat Dan L. Whitten in November.

Six Republicans are seeking the Porter County Council At-Large seat: Incumbents Andy Bozak and Mike Brickner are facing Nicole Baker, Michelle Harris, Dawn Miller and Nate Uldricks. On the Democratic side incumbent Sylvia Graham is facing Bob DeRuntz, Susie Talevski and Erik Wagner, who are seeking the at-large council seat.

Porter County voters of each party are being asked to select three at-large candidates on their ballots.

Polls are open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. For polling locations, visit the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration or the Porter County Elections and Voter Registration websites.

akukulka@chicagotribune.com
Landlord finds trail of blood, leading police to woman killed in home, Arizona cops say

A landlords discovery of blood on his driveway led officers to find a woman slain inside her home, Arizona police reported.

A man called authorities to report finding blood outside his home at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, May 5, Phoenix police said in a news release. The blood led into a part of the home that was being rented.

Officers followed the trail of blood inside and found the body of Andrea Casarrubias Romero, 24, police said.

Romero, who had been stabbed to death, died following an altercation sometime during the night before, police said.

Detectives identified a possible suspect and are searching for him, police said.

An investigation into the death continues.

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Lara Trump is being blasted on social media for bragging about a Republican lawsuit that could disenfranchise huge numbers of voters.

You cannot have ballots counted, Maria, after elections are over, Trump, who is the daughter-in-law of Donald Trump and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. And right now, that is one of the many lawsuits we have out across this country to ensure that just that happens, that we have a free, fair and transparent election.

The lawsuit filed by the RNC in Nevada doesnt seek to stop counting ballots after Election Day, but rather seeks to prohibit counting any mail-in ballots received after that date, even if they were postmarked in time.

Under the states current law, ballots received up to four days after Election Day are counted, as long as they are postmarked before the end of the day on Election Day.

But RNC Chairman Michael Whatley claimed to The Associated Press that the deadline violates federal law and undermines election integrity.

Other Republicans  including Donald Trump  have gone even further, arguing against counting any ballots at all after Election Day. Trump in 2020 infamously demanded that states STOP THE COUNT! as election officials worked for days to count an unprecedented number of absentee ballots after millions of Americans opted to vote by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Critics on social media tore into Lara Trump over her claims on Fox News:

These are immensely stupid people. If the Military and Veterans Service Organizations are doing their jobs they will sue Trump and the RNC for disenfranchising military voters who vote by absentee ballot from overseas and across the country...by law. https://t.co/7J9BkC7flL  Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) May 5, 2024

I have a super weird counter . An election cant be over until the votes are counted. So .  andyroddick (@andyroddick) May 5, 2024

This entire segment is a mess. Here is what you need to know.



Republicans are in court trying to make it harder to vote and easier to cheat.



My legal team is fighting back. https://t.co/OZJpbGJxIt  Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) May 5, 2024

I assume she means dont count ballots received after Election Day.



If we didnt tabulate anything after Election Day, that would be devastating for Republicans in Arizona.



In both 2020 and 2022, Republicans accounted for more of the early ballots dropped off on Election Day  Stephen RicherMaricopaCountyRecorder (prsnl acct) (@stephen_richer) May 6, 2024

Republicans dont want your vote counted. https://t.co/AfU4BgkaxJ  Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) May 5, 2024

A number of states formally *prohibit* the counting of any votes until after polls close on Election Day.



And a bunch of those laws were enacted by Republican-controlled state legislatures. https://t.co/as3XnTk11G  Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) May 5, 2024

That isn't how that works.

That isn't how any of that works.

jfc https://t.co/PQLp4yJL2g  Roger ZenAF (@RogerZenAF) May 5, 2024

Well, you can. And we have for the entire history of our country. There's no principle that says votes must be *counted* by Election Day. There might be a stronger argument for votes being *cast* by Election Day, but that's a different topic of discussion.  Matthew Spira (@MatthewSpira) May 5, 2024

The Republican party is literally sueing to prevent legal votes from being counted. https://t.co/Bs0XNRepZc  KevinlyFather  (@KevinlyFather) May 5, 2024

Or you can count all the votes https://t.co/rSF7G2Bglv  MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) May 5, 2024
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) is inviting the community to an event to bring awareness to the dangers of fentanyl use.

National Fentanyl Awareness Day event will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7 at Young Park, at 850 South Walnut St.

The Las Cruces Fire Department, Dona Ana County Health and Human Services and many more informational booths will be at the event, according to the news release by the LCPD.

National Fentanyl Awareness Day first began in 2022 to recognize the growing risk of fentanyl. According to the news release, 150 people die everyday from overdoses related to fentanyl.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas woman faces DUI-related charges after an early morning crash in the south Las Vegas left a man dead.

On Monday, May 6, at around 12:15 a.m., officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were called to the collision on Bermuda Road north of the intersection with East Erie Avenue.

According to police, a 2003 Lexus sedan was driving south on Bermuda Road approaching the East Erie intersection when a 2008 Mercedes-Benz hit the back of it at a high rate of speed.

Medical personnel took both drivers to a local hospital. The driver of the Lexus, a 31-year-old Las Vegas man, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The driver of the Mercedes-Benz, identified as Katie Lucier-Fant, 30, was treated for moderate injuries from the collision. Lucier-Fant showed signed of impairment and was arrested for DUI resulting in death, reckless driving resulting in death or serious bodily harm, and driving without a valid drivers license.

Lucier-Fant is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on a $6,000 bail. Her initial court appearance is scheduled for May 7 at 9 a.m.

The Lexus drivers death marked the 61st traffic-related death in the LVMPDs jurisdiction.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  More than a year after a crash claimed the life of a 19-month-old, police are still searching for her father  the man they said was responsible.

New details about the crash were revealed in documents obtained by 8 News Now.

Fredy Escamilla-Lopez, 29, is wanted for charges of second-degree murder, reckless driving, child abuse/neglect resulting in substantial bodily harm, duty to stop at the scene of a crash involving death, according to a video posted on the LVMPDs X account.

Police continue to search for Fredy Escamilla-Lopez, 29, who is wanted on several charges including second-degree murder. (LVMPD)

The crash occurred on February 18, 2023, at around 11:15 p.m. near the intersection of Spanish Drive and Spanish View Lane in the east valley. Escamilla-Lopez intentionally oversteered his 2004 Nissan Titan in order to drift or fishtail from side to side while he was driving on Spanish Drive, according to an arrest warrant filed in September 2023.

This caused him to lose control of the vehicle and cross into oncoming traffic before hitting a block wall just north of Spanish View Lane, injuring the two young girls who were in the vehicle with him, police said.

The warrant said Escamilla-Lopez was likely unrestrained and was holding the 19-month-old victim, Maya Escamilla, in his lap. Nevada law states that any child younger than 6 must sit in an approved car seat. Children under 2 must ride in a rear-facing safety seat in the back seat of the vehicle.

The nine-year-old victim was also likely unrestrained and was sitting in the front seat of the vehicle. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles recommends that all children under 12 sit in the back seat.

The impact of the crash caused Escamilla-Lopezs body to crush Mayas body against the steering wheel, according to the warrant.

A witness who lived nearby heard the collision and saw the pickup truck crash against the wall and saw Escamilla-Lopez running toward him, holding the baby with the 9-year-old victim following him. The witness said Escamilla-Lopez asked him to give him a ride to a nearby residence, the warrant said.

As they arrived at the residence, Escamilla-Lopez recognized a vehicle drive toward them. After a brief physical fight, Escamilla-Lopez gave both children to their mother, the driver of the vehicle, before running away.

Another witness told police she heard a woman, the mother, screaming outside shortly after the collision. The witnesss son and daughter helped perform CPR on the unconscious baby until the fire department arrived, the document stated.

Medical personnel took both children to a local hospital. Maya sustained critical injuries, which she succumbed to two weeks after the crash on March 2, 2023. Her cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries with the manner being accidental.

More than a year after the crash took Mayas life, police continue to search for Escamilla-Lopez and are asking for help finding him.

The video on LVMPDs account listed Escamilla-Lopez as six feet tall, 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. If you know where he is located, the LVMPD asks that you call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or visit the Crime Stoppers website.

Information leading to his arrest may be eligible for a cash reward, police said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas man with a previous felony conviction for assault with a deadly weapon was sentenced Monday to 44 months in prison for unlawful possession of a ghost gun.

Justin Edward Brown, 37, pleaded guilty in February to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Nevada.

Ghost guns are untraceable weapons either built from kits or assembled from separate pieces. They dont have serial numbers.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Brown after a June 14, 2022, incident when Brown was caught with a privately manufactured 9x19mm semiautomatic pistol. The weapon had a Polymer 80 lower receiver and ammunition. Because of previous convictions, Brown is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

In February 2013, Brown was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, and in May 2014 he was convicted of possession of a firearm by an ex-felon. His Nevada Department of Corrections record indicates he was paroled from High Desert State Prison, but was caught possessing a firearm again in May 2018.

In addition to the 44-month prison term, Brown was sentenced to three years supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.

If you have information about illegal firearms activity, you are urged to submit a tip to ATF by calling the hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Officers found dozens of animals deceased in a freezer in the kitchen of a cluttered home as part of an ongoing animal abuse and hoarding case.

Boulder City police arrested Carolyn Luke, 72; and Timothy Miller, 79, in March. Last month, a judge sentenced each to a suspended jail sentence on multiple animal abuse charges.

In March, after receiving a tip about the animals, a Boulder City police officer stopped the car for a broken taillight, documents said. The officer observed several chunks of fur on the vehicles center console while speaking with Luke and Miller.

Booking photos for Timothy Miller and Carolyn Luke. (Credit: Henderson Police Dept.)

When the occupants rolled down a window, officers could smell dead animals inside the car, officers said in a news release. In all, police and animal control officers found 51 guinea pigs and rabbits, including the 11 deceased animals.

During the Boulder City stop, Luke told police the couple was heading to California to give some of the guinea pigs to a friend, documents obtained Monday said. Luke and Miller reportedly told police they would find more animals at their Las Vegas home and at a nearby hotel, documents said.

Officers found dozens of animals deceased in a freezer in the kitchen of a cluttered home as part of an ongoing animal abuse and hoarding case. (Clark County/KLAS)

Employees at the west valley hotel evicted Luke and Miller due to repeated animal complaints, including the smell of death coming from the room, according to documents. Inside the room, police found 39 guinea pigs, 21 live dogs and 12 deceased dogs, including several other animals, documents said.

Inside the southwest valley home, police said they found 21 live dogs, 38 guinea pigs and 12 deceased dogs, police said. Inside a freezer in the kitchen, officers located 42 deceased animals, including 30 guinea pigs and four small dogs.

An animal control report shows officers made numerous attempts to enter the home before the discovery. Officers entered the home on March 30 after obtaining a search warrant.

Officers found dozens of animals deceased in a freezer in the kitchen of a cluttered home as part of an ongoing animal abuse and hoarding case. (Clark County/KLAS)

In an interview with police, Miller reportedly said she took multiple animals to the hotel to hide them from neighbors and animal control officers, documents said. She referred to the animals as her babies, police said.

Luke and Miller each face 14 animal abuse-related charges in connection with their Las Vegas case. They were due in court in August and ordered not to have any animals.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
PANAMA CITY  Jose Raul Mulino, the stand-in candidate for disqualified former President Ricardo Martinelli, was on a path to victory in Panamas presidential election Sunday night as his three closest rivals conceded.

The 64-year-old former security minister had nearly 35% of the vote, giving him a nine-point lead over other candidates. He was in line to take over leadership of a Central American country with pressing challenges and simmering discontent.

Martinelli, a firebrand politician who was barred from running after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering, threw his support behind Mulino, a 64-year-old former security minister who replaced him on the ballot as the candidate for the Achieving Goals and Alliance parties.

While lacking his allys charisma, Mulino coasted on Martinellis popularity and the booming economy seen under the former leader, who is currently holed up in the Nicaraguan Embassy, where he has sought asylum.

Mulino has promised to help Martinelli with his legal woes if he wins, usher in a new wave of economic prosperity, and stop historic levels of migration through the Darien Gap. He will also have to face the economic aftermath of mass protests last year and a drought that is handicapping the Panama Canal.

Panamas next president faces an uphill battle, on the economy especially. Last year, the Central American nation was roiled for weeks by mass anti-government demonstrations, which came to encapsulate deeper discontent among citizens.

The protests targeted a government contract with a copper mine, which critics said endangered the environment and water at a time when drought has gotten so bad that it has effectively handicapped trade transit through the Panama Canal.

While many celebrated in November when the countrys Supreme Court declared the contract unconstitutional, the mine closure, the recent slowdown of economic growth and slashed Canal transit will put Panamas new leader in a tight spot.
The Latest | Hamas says it agreed to a Gaza cease-fire deal, no comment yet from Israel

[Watch related Associated Press coverage in the player above.]

(AP)  The Hamas militant group says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel. It issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatars prime minister and Egypts intelligence minister.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

God told him to do it: What stopped gunman from shooting pastor at church

The announcement came hours after Israels military said it ordered some 100,000 people to evacuate the southern Gaza city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion could be imminent. Israel says Rafah is Hamas last stronghold.

Over a million people in Rafah are huddled in tents and overcrowded apartments after fleeing Israels military offensive in other parts of the territory. The Israel-Hamas war has driven around 80% of Gazas population of 2.3 million from their homes and caused vast destruction throughout several cities. The death toll in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials.

The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, abducting about 250 people and killing around 1,200, mostly civilians. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Man charged after fathers body parts found in two separate cities in Ohio

News of Hamas announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets. People rushed into the streets in front of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, chanting and cheering the news.

Details of the proposal were not immediately released. But in recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages in which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Baiba Braze, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, has stated that Latvian diplomats will not attend the so-called "inauguration" of the ruler of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, following his "re-election."

Source: European Pravda, citing Baiba Braze on Twitter (X)

Quote: "Latvian Embassy representatives will not attend the inauguration of the head of an aggressor state, which is attacking everything we stand for. Putin is wanted for war crimes by the ICC."

Latvijas diplomati nepiedalisies agresorvalsts vaditaja inauguracija.



Latvian Embassy representatives will not attend the inauguration of the head of an aggressor state, which is attacking everything we stand for.



Putin is wanted for war crimes by the ICC.  Baiba Braze (@Braze_Baiba) May 5, 2024

Background:

Earlier, Czechia and Estonia confirmed that their representatives would not attend Vladimir Putin's so-called inauguration on 7 May.

On 25 April, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the manner in which Vladimir Putin's sham re-election was conducted and calling for those elections not to be declared legitimate.

Read European Pravdas interview with Baiba Braze: Ukraine has received Western weapons with permission to hit Russia. An interview with Latvia's Foreign Minister

After the sham "elections" in Russia, Putin has lost his legitimacy as Russia's president, so from 19 March 2024, the outlets of the Ukrainska Pravda group have not used the word "president" to refer to Vladimir Putin. Here we explain why this change is important.

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Now that a potential TikTok ban has been passed by Congress and signed by President Biden, some lawmakers are getting more comfortable saying what exactly the ban would help them accomplish. In recent days, at least two prominent Republican lawmakers have linked the possible ban to their concerns that content on the extremely popular social media app is too sympathetic to Palestinians under siege in Gaza.

On Friday, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) hosted an interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at this years McCain Institute Sedona Forum. Romney questioned Blinken as to why PR in favor of fomenting American support for Israels ongoing war in Gaza has been so bad.

The way this has played out on social media has dominated the narrative, Blinken said of the war. You have a social media environment in which context, history, facts, get lost  and the emotion, the impact of images dominates.

In a telling response, Romney noted that while some wonder why there was such overwhelming support for us to shut down potentially TikTok, if you look at the posting on TikTok and the number of Palestinians relative to other social media sites, its overwhelmingly so on TikTok.

So I know thats of real interest, and the president will have a chance to take action in that regard, Romney added.

Here's Sen. Romney telling Blinken that one reason lawmakers banned TikTok is that there are more pro-Palestinian posts on the platform. Back in November, @jdcapelouto and I wrote about why that's really the case: TikTok is popular in Muslim countries https://t.co/RBx1PQGXkY https://t.co/90Jz17nn6M  Louise Matsakis (@lmatsakis) May 6, 2024

Last month, Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok in the United States unless it divests from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. While the law was publicly marketed as an answer to lawmakers concerns that TikToks affiliations with China posed a cybersecurity risk to American users, Romney is not the only Republican lawmaker citing support for Palestinians as a justification for the ban.

Last Wednesday, the dark-money group No Labels held a webinar with prominent figures opposing student protests in support of Gaza. According to a recording of the meeting obtained by The Intercept, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told attendees that the student protests were exactly why we included the TikTok bill in the foreign supplemental aid package because youre seeing how these kids are being manipulated by certain groups or entities or countries to foment hate on their behalf and really create a hostile environment here in the U.S.

Lawler, who co-sponsored the legislation behind the prospective TikTok ban, also pushed dubious claims that the student protesters were being organized and coordinated by outside paid agitators and activists.

In November, former Rep. Mike Gallagher penned an op-ed in which he accused TikTok of brainwashing our youth against the country and our allies by promoting pro-Hamas content. That same month Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) accused the app of being a tool China uses to spread propaganda to Americans, now its being used to downplay Hamas terrorism.

TikTok has maintained that they are in no way artificially boosting pro-Palestinan content, or suppressing pro-Israel content. According to the social media app, in the six months since October 7, 2023, we have removed more than 3.1 million videos and suspended more than 140,000 livestreams in Israel and Palestine for violating our Community Guidelines, including content promoting Hamas, hate speech, violent extremism and misinformation.

On Tuesday, the social media app filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, accusing lawmakers of violating both the company, and its users First Amendment rights.

Congress has taken the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok: a vibrant online forum for protected speech and expression used by 170 million Americans to create, share, and view videos over the Internet, the company wrote in their filing to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The global nature of TikToks reach is most likely the driver of the massive uptick in pro-Palestinian content on the app. According to a study conducted by Semafor in November, the apps popularity with users in Muslim-majority countries was a decisive factor in the spread of pro-Palestinan content during the early weeks of the war. By contrast, content being produced in the United States was nearly evenly split in its support for Palestine or Israel.

While TikTok is a convenient scapegoat for lawmakers, the reality is that American public support for Israels continued assault on Gaza has waned considerably since the start of the war. In the face of widespread devastation in Gaza, impending famine, and the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians  many of them women and children  Americans increasingly feel that Israels response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack has been outsized and excessive. The sentiment has resulted in nationwide protests calling for the end of American military support for Israel, and no social media ban will make that go away.

This post was updated on Tuesday, May 7, to include additional information regarding TikToks lawsuit against the United States government.

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Louisiana lawmakers are considering whether they should allow non-accredited consultants profit off of VA claims for disabled military veterans. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

Should private companies be allowed to assist disabled veterans while taking a cut of their benefit payments in exchange? Louisiana lawmakers are weighing that question as they consider two competing bills on veteran benefits that drew lengthy debate at a committee hearing Wednesday.

House Bill 496, sponsored by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, cleared the House Judiciary Committee with unanimous support and is headed to the chamber floor for consideration. Shortly thereafter, Senate Bill 159, sponsored by Sen. Stewart Cathey, R-Monroe, advanced from the same committee with a 9-3 vote.

Both bills are derived from legislation pending in Congress: the Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or GUARD Act; and its countermeasure, the Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services Act or PLUS Act.

Dysfunction on Capitol Hill has grounded both proposals indefinitely. Horton and Cathey and their supporters each claim they want to protect disabled veterans from unscrupulous actors in a shady and questionably legal industry that has made a windfall off of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits in recent years.

But the differences between their bills are vast. Only Hortons proposal, based on the GUARD Act, would impose criminal penalties on non-accredited companies trying to profit off of veterans disabilities through claims consulting schemes. The VA offers accreditation to claims agents, lawyers and others that involves a background check and a written exam to ensure they can properly assist veterans with claims and represent them in appeals.

Catheys bill, modeled after the PLUS Act bill, would attempt to legalize the non-accredited consulting practice and establish a maximum consulting fee of $12,500.

Search the internet for VA claims consulting, and it will generate listings for hundreds of websites offering consulting or claims handling for veterans and their dependents to obtain disability benefits or benefit increases. Critics say the consulting services amount to telling veterans how to fill out VA forms, and for that they often charge a fee or take a percentage of the disability payments.

Most of these companies do not have VA accreditation and are not staffed with lawyers, accountants or other credentialed professionals. Many are only a few years old and were formed after Congress passed the PACT Act in 2022 that approved billions in additional benefits for veterans exposed to hazards such as burn pits and Agent Orange.

Some veterans might not realize if consultants arent affiliated with Veterans Affairs or know that such services are available for free from VA-accredited law firms, agents and organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), among others. Those groups employ thousands of staffers who provide claims preparation work for free. In Louisiana, the VFW has accredited service officers in every parish.

Predatory and unethical

Three of the largest non-accredited companies are Veterans Guardian, the National Association of Veterans Rights (NAVR) and Veteran Benefits Guide. Each sent an executive to Baton Rouge to testify at Wednesdays legislative committee hearing.

They explained they typically charge a one-time fee equal to five times the monthly increase of a disability payment. For example, a new veteran rated for 100% disability would receive a monthly benefit of about $4,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs and would then owe the consulting company approximately $20,000, though Veterans Guardian says it offers discounts if the fee is paid in a lump sum.

Paul Hermann, a disabled veteran and the adjutant of Louisianas DAV chapter, said that is an unfair amount to charge just for filling out paperwork.

Why do you pay somebody to fill out a piece of paper? Hermann said. You shouldnt. You earned your money. You earned your disabilities in the VA. I shouldnt have to give anybody a penny of that money.

Veterans Affairs contends this practice amounts to illegal exploitation and profiteering. About 40% of complaints to the VAs legal office in 2022 were about non-accredited claims consultants, according to an August 2023 news report in Military.com.

Hortons bill to shut down the practice has overwhelming support from veterans, the VA, the American Legion, VFW, Disabled American Veterans and other groups. Dozens of veteran advocates attended Wednesdays hearing in support of her proposal and in opposition to Catheys.

Tensions were thick at the hearing. VA officials and veteran advocates referred to the unaccredited consultants as claim sharks and accused them of exploiting disabled veterans.

These unaccredited disability claim consultants who are not subject to the VA standards strategically advertise their services to avoid regulatory oversight and  may engage in predatory and unethical practices targeting veterans and potentially robbing them of their VA disability compensation benefits, Louisiana VA Secretary Charlton Meginley told the committee.

The Guard Act, the federal version of Hortons bill, also has wide bipartisan support and the backing of 44 state attorneys general who memorialized it in a Aug. 9 letter that included the signature of Gov. Jeff Landry, who was Louisianas attorney general at the time.

Illegality in question

On the other side of the issue are business owners who argue they provide legitimate consulting services, and that their veteran customers are happily paying to learn how to fill out VA forms. Their supporters include U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, who co-authored the PLUS Act bill.

It is already against federal law for non-accredited non-attorney agents to assist anyone in the preparation, presentation or filing of claims on behalf of veterans. The VA has been sending cease-and-desist letters to the companies and trying to take other legal action against them, but in 2006 Congress removed the penalties for violating that law.

Since then, officials at the state level have stepped in, including in Louisiana. In 2021, Landry, as attorney general, shut down a non-accredited claims consulting operation called VetAttend, accusing the company of exploiting veterans by helping them fill out VA forms and then taking a cut of their veteran benefits.

The consultants say what theyre doing isnt illegal because theyre not physically preparing the claims but merely telling veterans how to fill out the forms.

Peter ORourke, former VA secretary in the Trump administration, is now an executive with the National Association of Veterans Rights (NAVR), one of the companies the VA has been trying to close. He told the committee businesses like his provide an alternative to help veterans navigate what has become a complex process at an agency that has a growing backlog of disability claims.

Mark Christensen, a former high-ranking officer in the U.S. Army and now an executive at Veterans Guardian, told lawmakers his company is a paid alternative to the free services.

Unfortunately, the VA disability process is bureaucratic and difficult to navigate and presents challenges to most veterans, Christensen said.

The motive for this, its financial

The suggestion that a veteran can pay a private consultant to somehow speed up a disability claim or avoid the bureaucratic backlog at the VA is false, according to veterans advocates who testified Wednesday. All disability claims go through the same path at the VA regardless of who is filling out the forms. The unaccredited consultants dont have any special tools or elite access that could get a veteran to the front of the line, they said.

Only accredited claims agents have access to the VAs files and can look up a veterans claim status and service record and communicate directly with the VA  administrative advantages the non-accredited consultants dont have.

Charlie Aucoin, national vice commander of the American Legion and a lifelong Louisiana resident, said veterans already have numerous options for hiring private agents or firms that are VA-accredited to help them with claims.

Let me tell you that there are few insults that are more offensive than to take advantage of veterans and their families under false pretenses, Aucoin said. We know its immoral to exploit any veteran filing for VA benefits  As it now stands, nothing stops and deters profiteers from overcharging and taking advantage of veterans. That has to end.

Aucoin and other veterans pointed out that nothing stops consulting companies from obtaining VA accreditation. Mike Figlioli, deputy director of the VFW National Veterans Service, said accreditation is quick and easy. He told lawmakers he gets 400 to 500 people accredited every year.

NAVR and other consulting companies have deliberately not sought accreditation because doing so would end their profit windfall, according to Figlioli. Once a company becomes accredited, it falls under federal oversight and can no longer charge fees just for helping veterans fill out forms. They would instead have to work on appeals and more complicated matters in order to make money, he said.

As to the motive for this, its financial, Figlioli said.

Under questioning from the committee members, ORourke said his company employs no lawyers, medical practitioners or other such professionals. When Rep. Robby Carter, D-Amite, questioned the legality of the company providing what could be considered legal advice, ORourke said his company doesnt officially advocate for any of its veteran customers.

We dont represent the veteran to the department, ORourke said. We dont stand between the veteran and the Department of Veterans Affairs  We dont expose ourselves to the VA. Were working with the veteran. The veteran chooses to hire us.

Taking a cut

ORourke said his company and several others like it are veteran-owned.

But critics point out that many of those veteran owners are former high-ranking officers with much more education and experience than the majority of their customers who come from the lower enlisted ranks.

Generally, to serve as a commissioned officer in the military, one must have at least a bachelors degree. The larger majority of the armed forces are the enlisted ranks, which require a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Companies might also be taking advantage of a lack of awareness among veterans who dont realize they dont have to pay someone to receive their VA benefits, according to critics.

Why do I need to pay someone when I can go have that same service done free? VFW member Ray Bass told the committee.

Cathey, who is a proponent of the unaccredited consultants, is also a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.

One veteran, Milford Monroe, testified in support of Veterans Guardian, saying the company helped him increase his disability rating to 80%, up from the 30% that he said the DAV had secured for him for ailments caused by asbestos exposure. The VA raised his monthly payments from roughly $600 to $2,000, he said. In exchange, Monroe paid Veterans Guardian an $8,000 fee.

The DAV got me another 30% on the asbestos, Monroe said, but they werent going any further with it. Veterans Guardian got me bumped up to 80% with the depression caused by the asbestos  So yeah, I didnt want to give them that $8,000, but they earned it and I paid them. That was my agreement.

Monroe said he didnt find out until about four years ago that he could even qualify for VA disability benefits for his ailments. He told lawmakers they should focus on eliminating the need for companies such as Veterans Guardian.

Spend a little bit of my tax money with a marketing campaign in the state of Louisiana, telling veterans the illnesses that may have been caused by their military service and where to go to find out, he said.

Tax return comparison iffy

One of the biggest arguments made in defense of claims consultants is that they give veterans a choice between a paid service and a free service. Christensen, the Veterans Guardian executive, compared the business model of his company and other unaccredited consulting firms to private third-party tax prep services charging to file returns with forms and websites that the Internal Revenue Service offers at no cost.

We would equate it the same way as if somebody could use IRS.gov to do their taxes, but plenty of people use H&R Block, he said.

Cathey repeated this same comparison during his closing argument on his bill, but there are some discrepancies with the analogy.

H&R Block and other third-party tax preparers must be registered with the Internal Revenue Service and have a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN), which the agency issues. When filing someones tax return, the preparer signs their name and includes their ID number on the IRS forms, attesting to the accuracy and integrity of the claim.

Unlike an unaccredited claims consultant, a third-party tax preparer puts their name on the line and takes responsibility for their clients tax return in the same way an American Legion rep, a private lawyer or some other VA-accredited agent would do with their clients disability claim.

As ORourke told the committee, his and other unaccredited claims companies dont expose themselves to the VA. They essentially work in the background without signing anything or placing their names on any forms, so the VA has no indication if a veteran has even hired a consultant unless a complaint is filed.

The American Legion and VFW dont oppose the existence of third-party claims agents. Rather, they oppose the existence of unaccredited ones. The groups said the NAVR and other companies should obtain VA approval and be subject to the same rules and oversight as the thousands of other third parties that have been working claims for decades.

Meginley said the Legislature shouldnt help out-of-state companies take a cut out of the taxpayer-funded benefit payments going to Louisianas disabled veterans and the spouses and children of deceased service members.

Both bills are headed to the House floor for consideration, but Rep. Carter pointed out that their contradictory nature would not allow both to become law, so either lawmakers or the governor will have to decide which one to enact.

The post Lawmakers ponder whether consultants for veteran benefits should see big profits appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Heres a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

Along with roll call votes this week, the House also passed these measures: the Investing in All of America Act (H.R. 5333), to exclude from the limit on leverage certain amounts invested in smaller enterprises located in rural or low-income areas and small businesses in critical technology areas; the Plain Language in Contracting Act (H.R. 7987), to require plain language and the inclusion of key words in covered notices that are clear, concise, and accessible to small business concerns; and the Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act (H.R. 1069), to require reporting regarding clean energy demonstration projects.

The Senate also passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act (H.R. 1042), to prohibit the importation of unirradiated low-enriched uranium produced in Russia; and the Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act (S. 2116), to require the Commerce Department to produce a report that provides recommendations to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of Commerce programs related to supply chain resilience and manufacturing and industrial innovation.

HOUSE

WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT COLLABORATIONS: The House has passed the Fire Weather Development Act (H.R. 4866), sponsored by Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., to take several measures for improving inter-government collaboration on wildfire management at the federal, state, and local levels. Garcia said the bill invests in fuel mapping, unmanned vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, wildfire behavior models and more, and all the steps to make 1 firefighter fight like 10 and to minimize the need to put them in danger. The vote, on April 29, was 341 yeas to 48 nays.

YEAS: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick R-Bucks; Mike Kelly, R-Butler; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Chester; Madeleine Dean, D-Montgomery; Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia; Matt Cartwright, D-Lackawanna; Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster; Guy Reschenthaler, R-Washington; Glenn Thompson, R-Howard; Dan Meuser, R-Luzerne; Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Delaware; Summer Lee, D-Allegheny; Chris Deluzio, D-Allegheny

NOT VOTING: Reps. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia; Susan Wild, D-Lehigh

NAYS: Reps. Scott Perry, R-York; John Joyce, R-Blair

TECHNOLOGIES TO INCREASE PRIVACY: The House has passed the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act (H.R. 4755), sponsored by Rep. Haley M. Stevens, D-Mich. The bill would require several federal government agencies to fund the development of technologies to decrease exposure of private information from data processing. Stevens said the research could produce the necessary tools to fully implement privacy legislation without stifling innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence. The vote, on April 29, was 354 yeas to 36 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

NOT VOTING: Evans, Wild

NAYS: Perry

CO2 SEQUESTRATION: The House has passed the Carbon Sequestration Collaboration Act (H.R. 4824), sponsored by Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., to require the Energy Department to include geological and terrestrial, plant-based sequestration of carbon dioxide in its carbon storage research and development program. Baird said the expanded research areas would help give Americans the best information that is available when making informed decisions about their land and their community. The vote, on April 30, was 364 yeas to 44 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

NAYS: Perry

NOT VOTING: Wild

OLD OIL AND GAS WELLS: The House has passed the Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act (H.R. 4877), sponsored by Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., to require the Energy Department to institute a research program for handling abandoned oil and natural gas wells and reducing environmental harms caused by the wells. Lee said the roughly 3 million abandoned oil and gas wells nationwide expose our families to cancer-causing toxins like benzene, leave our homes vulnerable to explosive gases, and lower property values making it tougher for families to maintain and sell their homes. The vote, on April 30, was 333 yeas to 75 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

NOT VOTING: Perry, Wild

NAYS: Meuser

REGULATING USE OF FEDERAL LANDS: The House has passed the Western Economic Security Today Act (H.R. 3397), sponsored by Rep. John R. Curtis, R-Utah, to require the withdrawal of a proposed Bureau of Land Management rule regarding conservation and landscape health that was published in April 2023. Curtis said the rule was preventing responsible use of federal lands by the public, including farmers and ranchers. A bill opponent, Rep. Melanie A. Stansbury, D-N.M., said the rule was needed to protect our public lands, wildlife, and cultural sites and access to the outdoors. The vote, on April 30, was 212 yeas to 202 nays.

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

YEAS: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

USING LEAD AMMUNITION ON FEDERAL LANDS: The House has passed the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 615), sponsored by Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-Va., to bar, except for certain exceptions, the Agriculture and Interior Departments from restricting the use of lead ammunition or fishing tackle on federal lands under the two agencies jurisdiction. Wittman said a broad ban on using lead to fish or hunt on the lands would hurt sportsmen by forcing them to use higher-cost alternative metals. An opponent, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said the bill would likely lead to less access to hunting and fishing by prompting litigation under the Endangered Species Act that will result in no use of lead on the federal lands. The vote, on April 30, was 214 yeas to 201 nays.

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

YEAS: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

GRAY WOLF ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING: The House has passed the Trust the Science Act (H.R. 764), sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., to direct the Interior Department to reissue a November 2020 rule to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered species. The rule was vacated by a federal court in February 2022. Boebert cited examples, dating to 2009, of federal intent to delist the gray wolf because the species had fully recovered, and said the bill would focus scarce taxpayer funding on endangered species that actually need help being recovered. A bill opponent, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said: The gray wolf is one of Americas most iconic species. While it is making a comeback, the science and the facts on the ground tell us that it still needs help. The vote, on April 30, was 209 yeas to 205 nays.

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

YEAS: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

MINNESOTA MINING: The House has passed the Superior National Forest Restoration Act (H.R. 3195), sponsored by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., to direct the U.S. Forest Service to issue leases and permits for mining to take place on agency lands in northern Minnesota. Stauber said allowing the mining would revitalize an essential pillar of northern Minnesotas economy, provide for the production of critical minerals, secure our supply chain, strengthen our national security, and bolster the entire domestic mining industry. An opponent, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said the bill seeks to destroy now and deal with the ramifications not later but not at all. The vote, on April 30, was 212 yeas to 203 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

NAYS: Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

ANTI-SEMITISM AND HIGHER EDUCATION: The House has passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R. 6090), sponsored by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., to declare the need to increase awareness of anti-Semitism, take measures against it and seek to improve security for Jewish communities, and have the Education Department use a specific definition of anti-Semitism when investigating allegations of discrimination based on Jewish ethnicity. Lawler said the specific definition will help the Department of Education and school administrators, who have been feckless, clearly identify instances of anti-Semitism and protect the safety of all students, including Jewish students. An opponent, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., criticized the definition because it may include protected speech in some contexts, particularly with respect to criticism of the State of Israel. The vote, on May 1, was 320 yeas to 91 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly , Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker , Joyce, Reschenthaler, Meuser, Wild, Deluzio

NAYS: Evans, Scanlon, Lee

NOT VOTING: Thompson

OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION IN ALASKA: The House has passed the Alaskas Right to Produce Act (H.R. 6285), sponsored by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., to require the Interior Department to hold sales of leases for oil and natural gas drilling in sections of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Stauber said preventing fossil fuel production in Alaska was hurting hardworking Alaskans who stood to benefit from the jobs, opportunities, and revenue that the responsible production of these resources would create. An opponent, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said: Exploiting these sensitive areas is equivalent to sacrificing those on the front lines of the climate crisis as martyrs in order to temporarily quench the insatiable thirst of Big Oil for money. The vote, on May 1, was 214 yeas to 199 nays, with 2 voting present.

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

YEAS: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

REVISING MINING REGULATIONS BILL: The House has agreed to a motion sponsored by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., to recommit the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act (H.R. 2925) to the House Natural Resources Committee and have the committee add a provision barring mining operations on federal land by companies that are controlled by a nation, such as China, deemed an adversary to the U.S. Leger Fernandez said the companies shouldnt be allowed to exploit American resources and pollute our public lands and to take those resources back to China for free. An opponent, Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said the motion was irrelevant because under the Biden administrations regulatory regime, nobody is going to be mining in the United States. The vote to recommit, on May 1, was 210 yeas to 204 nays.

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

YEAS: Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

SENATE

ILLINOIS JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Georgia Alexakis to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Over the past two decades Alexakis has variously been a federal prosecutor in the district and a private practice attorney at two different law firms. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said her courtroom experience, management credentials, and knowledge of the Northern District make her well-positioned to serve on the bench with distinction. The vote, on May 1, was 54 yeas to 44 nays.

YEAS: Sens. Bob Casey D-PA, John Fetterman D-PA
They need to learn the law. Fulton DA says she likely wont testify before Senate committee

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she may refuse to testify before a state senate committee.

They are investigating allegations of misconduct during her prosecution of former President Donald Trump and others.

Willis made those comments as a coalition of Black clergy endorsed Williss re-election campaign Monday.

Afterward, Willis took questions and when Channel 2s Richard Elliot asked if she would appear before that senate committee investigating her if subpoenaed, she said she didnt think that subpoena was lawful.

Fani Willis has a terrific record, said Bishop Reginald Jackson with Big Bethel AME Church

Willis conduct, particularly her relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade, is under investigation by that committee.

Athens Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert told Elliot that after the last hearing Friday that if she doesnt testify on her own, he will subpoena her.

If shes not willing to come and explain her conduct, then we will subpoena her and ask her to come, require her to come, Cowsert said.

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But Willis said she has no plans to comply because she doesnt think she has to.

First of all, I dont even think they have the authority to subpoena me. But they need to learn the law, Willis said.

One senate source told Elliot they believe the subpoena would be legal but added, it is a legal gray area.

Willis meanwhile insisted she will not come to testify over what she believes is a highly partisan political committee and also insisted her prosecution of Donald Trump will continue.

I will not appear to anything that is unlawful, and I have not broken the law in any way. Ive said it, you know, Ill say it amongst these leaders, Im sorry folks get pissed off that everybody gets treated equally, Willis said.

Elliot asked her if she thinks she can begin that trial before the November presidential election. Willis said its really up to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfees scheduling if that will happen.

RELATED NEWS:
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark W. Libby has met with Special Representative in Shusha district Aydin Karimov as part of his visit to Karabakh, Trend reports via the US Embassy in Azerbaijan.

It was highlighted that Libby held discussions with Karimov during his visit to the city. The purpose was to learn more about development efforts and the return of Shushas IDP community to their homes.

They also discussed the regions green energy and continued US support for Azerbaijans IDP communities and demining initiatives, the embassy said in a statement.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
(Bloomberg) -- Each day, Bloomberg journalists take you across a selection of towns and cities as they gear up for the big vote.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Hello, this is Chiranjivi Chakraborty, Asia Equities Reporter in Mumbai. My birthplace is Ambikapur in Sarguja district of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. About 1,100 km south-east of Indias capital New Delhi, Sargujas hills  some of the oldest terrain in the Asian continent  are home to several tribes, dense forests and rich reserves of bauxite and coal. Witness to left-wing violence that still afflicts parts of the state, the region suffers poor health and education services as well as inadequate infrastructure. The constituency has voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party since 2004. Still, the opposition is putting up a strong fight and has fielded a popular young candidate.

Top Stories

Canadian police charged three Indian nationals on Friday with first-degree murder in the death of a prominent Sikh activist and said officers are actively investigating links to Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, last year sparked a major diplomatic clash between India and Canada.

Read more:

Indian Air Force Soldier Killed in Convoy Attack in Kashmir

Buffett Says India Has Loads of Opportunities for Investing

Campaign Trail

Indian police arrested Arun Reddy, the social media chief of the countrys main opposition Congress party, over accusations he doctored a widely shared video of Indias powerful interior minister Amit Shah during an ongoing national election.

The Congress has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Modis party for alleged flagrant and brazen violations of the law and the model code of conduct, Spokesman Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X, citing inappropriate advertisements published by the BJP.

Global Media

Al Jazeera reported that a growing number of Indians are bearing the brunt of the increasing informalization of work in India. A study released in March by the International Labour Organization and the Institute for Human Development, said that Indias workforce is getting more informalized and that the quality of employment has suffered especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Who Votes This Week?

Indias mammoth election runs through June 1, with counting scheduled for June 4. This map from the Election Commission of India shows which constituencies vote when.

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TOP ELECIN for top India election stories; readers on the app click BTDY ELECIN

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Indians have started voting in the worlds biggest election. Understand how money and business intersect with politics and power by following Bloomberg Indias channel on WhatsApp, and sign up for the weekly India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi.

This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

--With assistance from Supriya Batra.

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NEW YORK  Dozens of pro-Palestine protesters arrested on college campuses in New York City last week were unlawfully jailed by the NYPD  and the Department of Investigation should launch a probe into the matter, the Legal Aid Society said Monday.

In a letter to DOI obtained by the Daily News, Legal Aid wrote that a review by its lawyers found that at least 46 demonstrators arrested during the NYPD raids at Columbia University and City College last Tuesday were jailed even though they were arrested on low-level charges like trespassing. Defendants facing such charges should by law not be detained, but given desk appearance tickets and released, said the letter, addressed to Jeanene Barrett, DOIs inspector general overseeing the NYPD.

Additionally, Legal Aid alleged dozens of the arrested protesters were kept in custody for more than 24 hours. The letter charged thats a violation of a 1991 court case that established a requirement for defendants to be arraigned within 24 hours of an arrest.

Legal Aid wrote in its letter that the NYPDs overall reckless and militaristic response to the campus protests should be part of DOIs probe, too.

The OIG-NYPD must immediately launch a probe into these widespread abuses of authority, Legal Aid criminal defense practice chief attorney Tina Luongo said, referring to Barretts office.

A Legal Aid spokesman said the group hasnt yet been able to confirm an exact number of protesters allegedly kept detained beyond the 24-hour limit. The NYPD press office didnt immediately return a request for comment.

DOI spokeswoman Diane Struzzi confirmed Barretts office has received Legal Aids letter and is reviewing it.

In total, 282 protesters demonstrating Israels ongoing military campaign in Gaza were arrested on the Columbia and City College campuses last Tuesday as part of NYPD raids involving hundreds of officers. The officers stormed the campuses after demonstrators broke into Columbias Hamilton Hall and occupied the academic building following a weeks-long encampment protest on a campus lawn.

During the raids, an officer accidentally fired a gun  a detail NYPD didnt initially disclose  while other officers used pepper spray and were seen in videos tackling protesters to the ground.
Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, testifies on cross-examination by a state prosecutor during his misdemeanor criminal trial at the Burleigh County Courthouse on May 3, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

House Majority Leader Mike Lefor said it may be time for the Legislature to work with the Ethics Commission to clarify North Dakotas ethics regulations after the Friday conviction of a state lawmaker of a conflict-of-interest misdemeanor.

My thought is that I think its important for us to revisit Century Code, legislative rules and have a thoughtful, positive discussion with the Ethics Commission, Lefor said. Because I dont think voting on a bill should rise to the level of a criminal act.

Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, was found guilty of voting on legislation he had a financial interest in. Lefor said Monday he disagrees with the verdict. House Minority Leader Zac Ista called for Dockters resignation.

The financial interest in question involved a lease of a Bismarck building Dockter helped facilitate with the Attorney Generals Office in 2020. At the time, the building was already leased to the Department of Health. A company Dockter partly owns later bought the property and acquired both leases. Dockter later voted on the Attorney Generals Office and Department of Health budgets.

North Dakotas tangle of ethics regulations, most of which are rarely used, was complicated to explain during a trial before a 12-person jury last week.

Dockter was charged under a statute that says an official is guilty of a misdemeanor if as a public servant he takes official action which is likely to benefit him as a result of an acquisition of a pecuniary interest in any property, transaction, or enterprise, or of a speculation or wager, which he made, or caused or aided another to make, in contemplation of such official action.

The statute is 49 years old, according to Lloyd Suhr, Dockters attorney. To Suhrs knowledge, Dockter is the first to be charged under it.

While some attorney general opinions mention the statute, there hasnt been any formal judicial review of the law by the North Dakota Supreme Court, Suhr said.

What I can tell you is that this is a very untested, and I think poorly written, statute with a lot of review thats yet to happen, he said.

In a Monday interview with Joel Heitkmap, a commentator for KFGO radio, prosecuting attorney Ladd Erickson said he also had some reservations about the statute. Erickson did not return a request for comment by the North Dakota Monitor by publication.

This one could have gone either way with the jury, Erickson, states attorney for McLean County, told Heitkamp. I dont think the jury verdict is an indication of whether a charging decision was ultimately right or wrong.

He said he did not take the decision to charge Dockter lightly. Because he could not find case law on the statute, he was worried about applying the statute incorrectly.

Erickson ultimately looked to the Legislatures in-house ethics regulations for guidance.

I used the legislative rules that they imposed on themselves for how they handle conflicts, and I didnt feel that those were followed, he said.

The House and Senate both have rules that hold that a conflict of interest is only present if a lawmaker is voting on legislation that affects them directly, individually, uniquely, and substantially. This clause dates back to the early 1980s, the North Dakota Monitor reported previously.

John Bjornson, director of Legislative Council, said during the trial that the Legislature generally interprets this provision to mean that lawmakers should only consider recusing if theyre voting on legislation that is specially designed to benefit them and no one else.

But this is practically unheard of; Bjornson said he cant recall a time when a North Dakota lawmaker has ever been recused from voting because of a conflict.

Rep. Emily OBrien, R-Grand Forks, testified that, in her opinion, Dockter hadnt violated the ethics rule. Erickson argued he did.

The Ethics Commission has provided some training to lawmakers on how to apply conflict of interest rules, but has also recommended that the Legislature flesh out its policies. The Ethics Commission in a 2023 advisory opinion said that there were some areas where the Legislatures conflict rules were not up to the commissions standards.

In March, Bjornson and Binstock told the North Dakota Monitor that the Ethics Commission and Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee would work together to bring the rules into harmony.

Erickson in his closing argument on Friday told the jury that the House and Senate rules ultimately didnt matter, and that they should make their decision solely on the jury instructions read by South Central Judicial District Judge Bobbi Weiler, which closely mirrored the language of the statute.

Weiler did not sentence Dockter on Friday. Erickson told Heitkamp he wont advocate for jail time and he doesnt think the conviction should go on Dockters permanent record.

Suhr, Dockters attorney, told the North Dakota Monitor on Monday that the representative has not yet made a decision on whether to appeal.

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The post Legislative leaders to discuss ethics rules after guilty verdict appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Lightning strike believed to have caused house fire in Gwinnett County neighborhood

The Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services officials say the responded to a house fire Sunday morning in the 1900 block of New Hope Road in Lawrenceville.

When they arrived, they found a single story home engulfed in flames.

Because of how heavy the fire was, firefighters were forced to attack the blaze above the home to get the fire under control.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

After the knock down of the fire, firemen re-entered the home and conduct searches, clearing it of any occupants inside.

Neighbors told fire officials that they heard a loud crash of lighting, and then smoke filled the attached garage. Two adults and several animals were displaced due to the fire.

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The American Red Cross is assisting those displaced by the fire.

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Little Caesars manager shot dead inside restaurant, Georgia cops say. Loved his job

Theres no doubt Joseph Dorminey loved his job, family members say.

He took pride in his work as the regional manager of a Little Caesars in Leesburg, near Albany, where authorities said he was gunned down by a fellow employee Friday, May 3.

Lee County deputies were called at about 9:20 p.m. Friday to the pizza shop on U.S. 19 and found Dorminey with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

He was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries.

Authorities arrested Daquan Divonte Harris, 28, on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault in Dormineys death, investigators said.

Harris, whos from Lithonia, was an employee at the pizza shop but normally worked at a different location, Special Agent in Charge Bryan Smith told McClatchy News. Investigators are still working to identify a motive.

News of Dormineys death rocked the tight-knit community where loved ones said he was very involved.

In his spare time, he enjoyed spending time with his friends, according to an online obituary. Most of all he loved his dogs and recently helped organize a fundraiser for the animal shelter.

The restaurant remains closed, though residents have stopped by to leave flowers in Dormineys memory, according to WALB.

We are devastated to learn about what happened last night at one of our franchise locations in Georgia, a Little Caesars spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of this crew member.

Harris remained in custody at the Lee County Sheriffs Office as of May 6, online records show.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Lee County Sheriffs Office at 229-759-6012, or contact the GBIs regional office in Americus at 229-931-2439.

Leesburg is about an 180-mile drive south from Atlanta.

Body found in home of man accused of trying to shoot pastor during sermon, PA cops say

Man wanted in fatal stabbing arrested after calling 911 for help with bike, cops say

Two women found shot dead at park, missing baby found, New Mexico police say
"As much as I don't want to impose a jail sanction," Merchan told the former president, "I want you to understand that I will if necessary."

Donald Trumps hush money trial resumed Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court, where the prosecution continued its historic case against the former president.



Ahead of testimonies, Judge Juan Merchan informed Trump that he had found him in contempt of court for a 10th time for violating the gag order.



"The last thing that I want to do is to put you in jail," Merchan said.

Last week, the court heard testimony from Hope Hicks, Trumps former longtime aide and press secretary for his 2016 campaign who testified about behind-the-scenes efforts to bury negative stories about his alleged extramarital affairs in the wake of the infamous Access Hollywood tape.

Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels, who is among the witnesses expected to testify in the weeks-long trial.

Follow our live blog below for the latest updates from inside and outside the courtroom.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 28 updates Trump rails against trial and gag order after court wraps for the day Donald Trump speaks to the media, next to his attorney Todd Blanche. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Trump complained to reporters Monday that his trial was eating into his time on the campaign trail, after prosecutors estimated they need about two more weeks to present their side of the case. Outside the courtroom, Trump also laid into the gag order against him as well as Judge Merchan for threatening the former president with jail time. The former president suggested he would continue to speak out. Frankly, our Constitution is much more important than jail," Trump told reporters. "Its not even close. Ill do that sacrifice any day."

Trial could stretch beyond Memorial Day weekend The prosecution said it needs about two more weeks for its side of the trial, according to NBC News, which would bring the trial up to the week before Memorial Day. Even if the defense decides to put on its side of the case that week, the court is not planning to be in session on May 22 or 24. The defense's case would be followed by closing arguments, then left up to the jury to render a verdict. This means the trial could feasibly stretch until after Memorial Day, according to NBC News.



Trial wraps for the day after brief cross-examination of Deborah Tarasoff Before the trial wrapped for the day, Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche did a brief cross-examination of Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor in the accounting department of the Trump Organization. According to the New York Times, Blanche established that Tarasoff got permission from her boss, Jeffrey McConney, to cut the checks that Trump signed and never from Trump himself. She was also never present for conversations between Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and Trump.

Documents submitted as evidence can be seen on court's website Monday's testimony from two witnesses  Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization accountant, and Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor  described a small-scale accounting operation, where Trump would personally sign any checks, regardless of the amount, that were coming from his personal account. The evidence that was presented in court Monday (May 6) has already been posted to the New York court's website. While the documents show that reimbursement payments were made to Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer who allegedly made hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, there is no clear and direct link that Trump himself directed anyone to fraudulently report the payments.

Trial resumes after short break Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench following a brief afternoon break. Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor in the accounting department of the Trump Organization, has returned to the stand.

Court is taking a break The court is now taking a short afternoon break.

Tarasoff testifies 'only Mr. Trump' could sign checks from his personal bank account, regardless of amount Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor in the accounting department of the Trump Organization, testified that after 2015, any invoice above $10,000 had to be approved by Trump or one of his sons Don Jr. or Eric Trump. This is notable because each reimbursement payment made to Michael Cohen was for $35,000 or more. According to CNN, Tarasoff would receive an approved invoice, put it in the system and would cut a check. For anything coming from Trump's personal account, Trump would sign the check himself, regardless of the amount, Tarasoff testified. "If he didn't want to sign it, he didn't sign it," Tarasoff said, according to CNN, adding that he would write "VOID" on the check and send it back if it wasn't approved. When asked how she knew it was Trump who signed it, she said it was because he used a black Sharpie marker. This matters because the prosecution needs to prove that Trump knew about the hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had an affair with Trump.

Read Judge Merchan's latest contempt of court ruling against Trump Earlier Monday, Judge Juan Merchan informed Trump that he had been found in contempt of court for violating the gag order that prevents him from attacking witnesses or talking about the jury. Trump was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. Here is a copy of Merchan's ruling. This embedded content is not available in your region.

Court is back in session After a 75-minute break for lunch, Donald Trump's hush money trial resumed with the prosecution calling its next witness: Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor in the accounting department of the Trump Organization.

Judge Merchan overrules a series of objections from Trump's lawyers New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan listens to Trump lawyer Emil Bove, in this courtroom sketch. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg/Pool) Before court broke for lunch on Monday, Trump's defense team objected when prosecutors sought to enter new evidence into the trial. But Judge Juan Merchan ruled against them, allowing the evidence to be entered, according to CNN. That included the following: A series of emails in February 2017 sent from Jeffrey McConney requesting that Michael Cohen submit invoices to the Trump Organization for an expense reimbursement. Invoices and documents tied to each monthly reimbursement payment to Michael Cohen. CNN notes each payment to Cohen is connected to a separate criminal count in the charges against Trump. Legal expenses under the general ledger of Trump's revocable trust for the 2018 full calendar year. Financial disclosure document (OGE 278-e form for 2017).

Court is taking a lunch break Jeffrey McConney concluded his testimony, and the court is taking a lunch break until 2:15 p.m. ET.

Defense cross-examination of McConney is over Trump's lawyers finish their questioning of former Trump Organization accountant Jeffrey McConney.

Defense tries to put distance between Trump and the Trump Organization's accounting department During cross-examination, Trump attorney Emil Bove asked Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization accountant, whether he ever talked to Trump about the company's accounting software. "No," McConney reportedly replied. The line of questioning suggests that the defense wants the jury to see that Trump did not personally falsify business records. But, as the New York Times pointed out, the prosecution does not need to prove that; it needs to prove only that he "orchestrated their falsification."

Defense cross examination of McConney is over The defense concluded its cross examination of McConney, and the prosecution is now following up with a few questions for the former Trump Organization accountant.

McConney testifies that Trump used funds in his revocable trust to reimburse Cohen Jeffrey McConney, the former Trump Organization accountant, testified that the former president used money in his revocable trust to reimburse Michael Cohen for the hush money payment he made to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels. What is a revocable trust? According to the New York City Bar's Legal Referral Service, it is a trust that includes language allowing you to draw money from it while you're still alive. McConney said that the first checks used to reimburse Cohen were cut from Trump's revocable trust. Later, they were taken from his personal bank account.  Big picture: Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The jury is being shown many of the documents that prosecutors say show those crimes.

Defense begins cross-examination of McConney Emil Bove, Trump's defense attorney, has begun cross-examination of Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization accountant.

Courtroom sketch depicts McConney testimony A courtroom sketch depicting Monday's testimony in Trump's hush money trial shows the prosecution's witness, Jeffrey McConney, a Trump Organization accountant, being questioned about documents relating to reimbursements made to Michael Cohen, Trump's "fixer" and former lawyer who made the alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels's attorney. Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom during the trial. Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney is questioned by prosecutor Matthew Colangelo before Judge Juan Merchan on Monday. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Donald Trump in profile. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters) Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney. (Jane Rosenberg/Reuters)

What Trump was up to this past weekend Donald Trump at the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. (Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Trump has complained at length that the hush money trial, which he is legally required to attend, is preventing him from campaigning. But he is free to campaign on days he's not in court: Last week, during Wednesday's day off, Trump held rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan. On Saturday, Trump hosted wealthy donors at a private GOP retreat at Mar-a-Lago. On Sunday, he attended a Formula 1 race in Miami. The former president is scheduled to hold his next campaign rally on Saturday in Wildwood, N.J., at the Jersey Shore.

Court back from break, McConney resumes testimony Court is back from its midmorning break. The prosecution's witness Jeff McConney, the Trump Organization accountant, has returned to the stand. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo has resumed his questioning.

McConney testifies on origins of hush money payment reimbursement paper trail As the jury takes a mid-morning break, here's a brief summary of the testimony from Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization accountant who said he arranged the reimbursement payment to Michael Cohen, Trump's so-called fixer, who made the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels's lawyer, according to CNN, New York Times, and other reporters inside the courtroom McConney learned from Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg that Cohen was owed money. The prosecution showed several exhibits in the courtroom, displaying hand-written notes from McConney and Weisselberg that detailed their plan to reimburse Cohen the $130,000 as well as additional money to cover taxes and a bonus. McConney advised Cohen to submit invoices for the reimbursement payments. He was not able to approve invoices  only Trump, and executives Weisselberg and Matthew Calamari were authorized to do that. The invoice for Cohen's reimbursement payment wasn't sent to the Trump Organization's legal department for approval, which strayed from typical practice in the organization. Weisselberg got approval from Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. to pay the first invoices to Cohen from a trust account. Then in March 2017, reimbursement to Cohen started coming out of Trump's personal bank account.

Court is taking its midmorning break Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization accountant, is expected to continue direct testimony when the trial resumes.

Will Michael Cohen testify? As we hear testimony from Jeffrey McConney, the Trump Organization accountant who arranged to reimburse Michael Cohen for the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, anticipation is building for Cohen himself to be called to the witness the stand. Both Daniels and Cohen are on the list of potential witnesses submitted by the prosecution ahead of the trial, and both are expected to appear. But that's ultimately up to the prosecutors presenting the case. Yahoo News Senior Editor David Knowles explains how prosecutors have laid the groundwork for Cohens testimony.

McConney testifies that Trump was heavily involved in day-to-day accounting Under direct questioning from prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization executive, testified about the inner workings of the companys accounting department  often in granular detail. Among other things, McConney told the court that: Trump used a Capitol One checking account. McConney hand-delivered the organization's cash position reports to Trump once a week. Trump reportedly told McConney to "negotiate my bills."  Big picture: The prosecution wants to show that Trump was deeply involved in his day-to-day finances, and therefore deeply involved in the hush money payments at the center of this case.

Prosecution calls next witness to testify, Jeffrey McConney Trump Organization senior vice president and controller Jeffrey McConney walks to the courthouse in the company's trial on Nov. 1, 2022, in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP) Prosecutors have called Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization controller, to testify on the witness stand. He worked directly under the organization's former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. The prosecution says McConney helped arrange the reimbursement payment for the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump. According to the CNN, McConney testified, "[Trump] ran the organization. He was the brains behind it," McConney siad. He said he was in charge of the accounting department and oversaw the approval of company expenses, but those were really handled by accounts payable. McConney said he hasn't spoken to the former president since he retired last February, but he said the Trump Organization is paying his legal fees. He has previously testified twice at two previous Trump trials: during the 2022 Trump Organization tax fraud trial and last fall during Trump's civil fraud trial.

Judge Merchan finds Trump in contempt for 10th time and warns he could be put in jail Before testimony resumed Monday, Judge Juan Merchan informed Trump that he's holding him in contempt of court for a 10th time for violating the gag order. Merchan warned that further violations could result in jail time. "The last thing that I want to do is to put you in jail," Merchan reportedly said. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well. "The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day I have a job to do," the judge added. "So as much as I don't want to impose a jail sanction ... I want you to understand that I will if necessary and appropriate."

What Trump said as he arrived at the courthouse Trump speaks to reporters after arriving at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP) Speaking to reporters after arriving at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse for the fourth week of his hush money trial, former President Donald Trump railed against the case and the gag order imposed on him, falsely claiming Judge Juan Merchan has "taken away my constitutional right to speak." Trump then moved on to commenting on news of the day, including the cancellation of Columbia University's commencement ceremony amid ongoing protests over the war in Gaza. "Columbia just canceled their commencement," the former president said. "That shouldn't happen."

What to expect today in court Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan criminal court is set to resume at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The prosecution has not revealed who it plans to call today, but Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels remain on its witness list.

Last week Trump was fined $9,000 by Judge Juan Merchan for violating a gag order aimed at preventing him from attacking witnesses and court staff.

Merchan heard arguments last week over four additional alleged violations , and could issue a ruling at any time.


BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. The notoriously famous Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is launching yet another campaign against Azerbaijan.

This time, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby came under fire. The US Ambassador finally made his long-delayed visit to the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Naturally, this fact did not go unnoticed by Armenians back in the ambassador's homeland.

Of course, the "last straw" for the US Armenians was Mark Libby's words in a video message, where he stated that he is "happy to be in Shusha" and that he is "impressed by the restoration work in the city". The actions and words of the US Ambassador were not what the Armenian lobby expected from him. Naturally, Mark Libby's video message was followed by angry publications from the ANCA on social media.

This is not the first time though that the Armenian lobby in the US has attacked accredited diplomats in Azerbaijan. In January, the ANCA launched a campaign against the Ambassador of Israel George Deek, who visited the Alley of Martyrs on the day commemorating the tragic events of January 20, 1990.

Armenian-Americans accused the ambassador of supposedly making "anti-Armenian decisions" and even claimed that he has Armenian roots. Quite an absurd claim - but what else can be expected from the ANCA. At that time, Ambassador Mark Libby also attended the event with his colleague from Israel and other diplomats - however, there were no accusations against him from the Armenians. Until the end, Armenians hoped that the current US Ambassador would promote their interests in our country. But once again, they miscalculated.

Mark Libby did not support their campaign to discredit Azerbaijan but instead focused on improving and strengthening bilateral relations between Baku and Washington - which is what any ambassador should do. His task is clearly not to promote the interests of third parties.

Despite ANCA's efforts, it fails yet again. With their "ambitious plans", they overlook critical factors that virtually guarantee the failure of their intentions.
By Joseph Ax

(Reuters) -Reuters won two Pulitzer Prizes on Monday, taking home the breaking news photography award for searing images of the Israel-Gaza conflict as well as the national reporting award for a series of investigations into Elon Musk's manufacturing empire.

ProPublica won the coveted public service award for stories detailing undisclosed gifts and trips that U.S. Supreme Court justices, particularly Clarence Thomas, accepted from wealthy donors. The New York Times and the Washington Post each captured three prizes.

The annual Pulitzers, first presented in 1917, are the most prestigious honors in U.S. journalism.

Reuters photographers - often working at great risk to their personal safety - produced what the Pulitzer jurors called "raw and urgent" images documenting the early days of the war between Israel and Hamas, which began with the militant group's early-morning Oct. 7 attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people.

Since then, Israel's retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 34,000 people, including many children, and displaced the majority of its 2.3 million residents. Nearly half of the population is suffering catastrophic levels of hunger, according to the World Food Programme.

The winning photos include an image taken in October by Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem, depicting a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her 5-year-old niece in Gaza. That photograph previously won the prestigious 2024 World Press Photo of the Year.

Reuters' Musk series, "The Musk Industrial Complex," revealed a spate of worker injuries and one death at Musk's rocket company SpaceX and the mistreatment of animals at his brain-implant company, Neuralink.

In addition, Reuters found that electric car pioneer Tesla covered up dangerous defects, rigged its cars' dashboard driving-range estimates and shared sensitive images recorded by its vehicles without drivers' knowledge. The series prompted investigations in the U.S. and Europe and calls for action from U.S. lawmakers.

Reuters shared the national reporting prize with the Washington Post, which won for its examination of the AR-15 rifle and its role in U.S. gun violence.

"These Pulitzer recognitions showcase some of Reuters' greatest strengths  urgent, expert, on-the-ground coverage of historic world events as they unfold, and dogged, revelatory and agenda-setting business journalism that serves our global audience and the public interest," Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni said.

She noted that many of the winning photographers risked their lives and had lost their homes, friends and relatives during the violence. Issam Abdullah, a Reuters visuals journalist, was killed by an Israeli tank in October while filming shelling at the Lebanon-Israel border.

In addition to Salem, the Pulitzer photography team included staff photographers Ahmed Zakot, Amir Cohen, Ammar Awad, Evelyn Hockstein, Anas al-Shareef, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa and Ronen Zvulun, and freelance journalist Yasser Qudih.

Marisa Taylor, Steve Stecklow, Norihiko Shirouzu, Hyunjoo Jin, Rachael Levy, Kevin Krolicki, Marie Mannes, Waylon Cunningham and Koh Gui Qing produced the Musk series.

"Our winning work exemplifies why journalism is so vital to informing the public and holding power to account," Reuters President Paul Bascobert said.

The Times won the international reporting prize for its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict, while the newspaper's Hannah Dreier was awarded the investigative reporting prize - her second Pulitzer - for exposing the use of migrant child labor in the U.S.

The Associated Press won for feature photography for its coverage of migrants trekking from Latin America to the U.S.

Lookout Santa Cruz, a digital-only local news outlet, won the breaking news reporting prize for its coverage of catastrophic flooding that struck California in January 2023.

The prizes are administered by Columbia University. They are named for newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who died in 1911 and left money to create the awards and establish a journalism school at the university.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax and Eric Beech; Additional reporting by Rich McKay; Editing by Frank McGurty and Bill Berkrot)
(Bloomberg) -- Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and key cabinet members arrived Sunday in the countrys south where record-breaking floods have shut-down a main airport and submerged neighborhoods, leaving dozens dead and many others missing.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Heavy rains over the state of Rio Grande do Sul caused main rivers to overflow, straining damps and displacing more than 88,000 people in more than 330 municipalities. At least 75 have died and 103 are missing, according to the latest official report. Several neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, the most populated city in the region, are under water while its international airport announced on Firday night it would close for an undetermined amount of time.

Companies that had announced they were suspending activities due to the heavy rains are now announcing they will resume their normal work on Monday.

Landing in Rio Grande do Sul for the second time this week, President Lula was to met with state Governor Eduardo Leite, according to social media posts. Leite is calling for federal aid to rebuild the infrastructure of his region, saying the effort needed compares to the billions of dollars spent by the US government after World War II.

President Lula toured the flooded areas and held a press conference surrounded by several members of his cabinet, including Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Chief of Staff Rui Costa, along with leaders of congress and members of the countrys justice courts.

This is a very important state in Brazil, said Lula, who pledged federal aid to rebuild roads. Rio Grande do Sul is one of the key states for agriculture, a main driver for the countrys better than expected economic performance last year. Its time for Brazil to give back and help Rio Grande do Sul, he said.

This is the fourth wave of extreme weather Rio Grande do Sul has faced in less than a year. Experts say the floods are the worst in 80 years, surpassing those of 1941, when rains continued for more than 30 straight days. Some municipalities are facing heavier rains than last September, when 54 died people and damage spread across 40 cities along the Taquari River.

(Updates with details from presser starting in fifth graph)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Lying to court and pulling a gun among reasons these Broward attorneys got disciplined

Misappropriated funds, lying to a court and going dark on the Florida Bar after a complaint are among reasons six attorneys from Broward and Palm Beach counties made the monthly list of lawyers disciplined by the state Supreme Court.

This months list included no attorneys from Miami-Dade.

In alphabetical order:

Roger Davis, Hallandale Beach

Hallandale Beachs Roger Davis, who joined the Florida Bar in 1973, says someone must have it in for him after 50 years with a clean disciplinary record. The Florida Bar says it has two misappropriated funds grievances, one from a Kendall client and one from the niece of a man for whom Davis was appointed guardian in 1976.

READ MORE: A Broward attorney of over 50 years denies misappropriating $15,200 of clients money

Davis is under emergency suspension. Hes got a hearing on Wednesday before the referee, 18th Circuit Court Judge Ed Sherman.

Lee Feinberg, Coral Springs

After what an arrest report describes as a road rage incident during which Coral Springs attorney Lee Feinberg (admitted to the Bar in 1992) drew and pointed a gun at another driver after cutting him off several times, Feinberg was arrested in 2019. He reported that to the Florida Bar as well as his eventual guilty plea to misdemeanor improper display of a weapon.

Feinberg completed his probation. He received a public reprimand.

Don Gonzalez, Weston

To settle a matter having to do with her mothers estate, Gaby Gisella Solari Montoya retained Westons Don Gonzalez (admitted in 1993) in January 2022. Solari fired Gonzalez a year later. Through Schutts & Bowen, Solari filed a Bar complaint:

Mr. Gonzalez failed to communicate with Ms. Solari in a timely manner regardingthe litigation in her case; failed to timely present the appropriate documents to the probate court; failed to properly investigate the matters of the estate; failed to provide Ms. Solari and her new counsel with the estate proceeds rightfully belonging to Ms. Solari in her capacity as personal representative of the estate; and failed to provide Ms. Solari with an accounting of the alleged trust account despite her continuous demands.

Gonzalez hasnt responded to any letters or communication from the Bar. His voice mail asks callers to text him, but he didnt respond to a text from the Miami Herald.

As database checks dont show Gonzalezs death, hes suspended as of May 22 until he answers the Bar inquiries.

Frantz Nelson, Hollywood

Frantz Nelson (admitted in 2006) was the back end of Font & Nelson, a Fort Lauderdale law firm. The front end, Jose Font, filed over 700 motions to withdraw from cases involving Southern Fidelity Property & Casualty, each motion a 189-page pile of conspiracy theories, accusations of criminal behavior by other attorneys and attachments concerning lawyers unconnected to that case.

READ MORE: Misused money among things that get Miami metro attorneys disciplined

Font is serving a three-year suspension until Nov. 29, 2026, for the numerous ethics violations in his motions. For signing or allowing his name to be signed onto Fonts motions, Nelson started serving a 30-day suspension Saturday.

Michael D.P. Phillips, Boynton Beach

As the attorney for the defendants in a civil suit, Boynton Beachs Michael Phillips (admitted in 2003) didnt have his clients sit for a previously scheduled deposition, didnt answer discovery requests, then said he did satisfy discovery requests. The court ordered a hearing to clear up what was done and what wasnt and Phillips didnt file a witness list, exhibit list or even show up for the hearing.

So, the court found Phillips lied to the court, violated court orders and engaged in obstructionist and dilatory discovery behavior. The court then awarded the plaintiffs a default judgment that included attorney costs.

Thats all in Phillips guilty plea. Hell begin a 90-day suspension on May 18.

Gregory Schwartz, Hollywood

With a pending Bar discipline case over misappropriated funds, Hollywoods Gregory Schwartz (admitted in 1996) chose disciplinary revocation in 2018. That means, when Schwartzs petition was granted, the discipline case went away and Schwartzs law career went away for five years, from Jan. 20, 2019, through Jan. 20, 2024.

Schwartz would be back in attorney action, but admitted in 2019, he helped a former employee set up a law firm and appeared as a signatory on the trust account of the new firm. [Schwartz] issued some checks to clients during that period.

Thats a no-no. Schwartzs essential disbarment has been extended to Jan. 20, 2025.
By John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau

PARIS (Reuters) -China's President Xi Jingping on Monday called for a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after the French president and the head of the European Commission urged him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the Chinese leader for his first visit to Europe in five years and held talks with him and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paris as they sought to show a united front on issues ranging from trade to Ukraine.

China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on both countries, especially on Moscow since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

China-Russian trade hit a record of $240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3% from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments to Russia jumped 46.9% in 2023 while imports from Russia rose 13%.

"The world today is far from being calm. As member of the United Nations Security Council and as a responsible country, China urges with France for a truce in the world during the Paris Olympic games," Xi said, speaking through an interpreter alongside Macron during a joint statement.

Suspending armed conflicts under an "Olympic truce" is a longstanding tradition, and Macron has said he would work towards achieving one when Paris hosts the Summer Games from July 26 to Aug. 11 and the Paralympic Games until the end of August.

French officials hope Xi's endorsement is a sign that he could use his influence to persuade Russia to reach a truce when President Vladimir Putin travels to China later this month.

Their hope is that a small truce could open the window to broader diplomacy.

"We wanted to explain the impact of this conflict on Europe's security and our determination to support Ukraine for as long as necessary," Macron said, adding that Paris was not looking to change the regime in Moscow.

Macron said he hoped Putin's visit to China would help assess the perspectives for peace.

Xi said he supported an international peace conference supported by Russia and Ukraine, appearing to be lukewarm on a peace conference organised by Switzerland on June 16, to which Moscow has not been invited.

"We are opposed to using this crisis to place the responsibilities on a third country and tarnish its image and incite a new Cold War," he said.

"History has shown conflicts can only be resolved by negotiations."

Fighting on Ukraine's eastern front has worsened in recent weeks as Kyiv's troops await crucial U.S. and European military aid to beat back a Russian advance. Russia has previously been lukewarm about a truce saying Ukraine might use it as an opportunity to regroup and rearm.

CHINA SUPPORT TO RUSSIA

Beyond the financial ties, Western powers have been especially worried that Beijing could provide weapons to Moscow and circumvent existing sanctions on materials that can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

Macron said he was encouraged by Xi's commitments on the issue.

The two European leaders were keen to underline to Xi that despite Ukraine's current difficulties they were determined to continue backing it and that Beijing needed to realise that the conflict was likely to last, with Western powers not ready to abandon Kyiv.

"We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," von der Leyen told reporters after a trilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

Western powers have been trying for more than a year to persuade China to not give Russia military support.

French diplomatic sources said Xi had been clear that Beijing did not intend to supply weapons to Moscow and that it was ready to look into the issue of dual-use materials that enabled Russia's war effort.

They said they would now have to see whether commitments turned into actions. The EU is currently discussing possible sanctions against some Chinese firms.

(Reporting by John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Todays installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* The latest national ABC News/Ipsos poll found President Joe Biden leading Donald Trump among likely voters, 49% to 45%. Among all adults, however, the former president narrowly leads, 46% to 44%.

* In case there were any doubts about Sen. Bernie Sanders re-election plans, the Vermont independent announced this morning that he is, in fact, seeking another term. The longtime lawmaker will turn 83 in September.

Let me thank the people of Vermont, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to serve them in the United States Senate. It has been the honor of my life.



Today, I am announcing my intention to seek another term. Here is why: pic.twitter.com/cfO8MF4Cep  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 6, 2024

* Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas was indicted on Friday, and soon after, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota became the first House Democrat to call on Cuellar to resign.

* In Nevada, election officials count mail-in ballots, even if they arrive after Election Day, so long as theyre postmarked before polls close. The Republican National Committee has filed suit to prevent this practice.

* Gov. Kristi Noem is still talking about her decision to shoot and kill her familys dog, and for reasons I dont understand, the South Dakota Republican suggested during a Face the Nation appearance that President Joe Bidens dog Commander should meet a similar fate.

* On a related note, during the same CBS interview, Noem appeared reluctant to acknowledge the fact that her upcoming book includes a made-up story about an interaction with North Koreas Kim Jong Un, though the GOP governor said she was removing the anecdote from the text.

* In the wake of Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr.s recent death, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced late last week that there will be a July 16 primary, followed by a general election on Sept. 18 to fill the vacancy.

* And the Associated Press reported that Republican Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of States Office, is part of an effort begun after the last presidential election that seeks to bring together Republican officials who are willing to defend the countrys election systems and the people who run them. They want officials to reinforce the message that elections are secure and accurate, an approach they say is especially important as the country heads toward another divisive presidential contest.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Almost immediately after Donald Trumps handpicked team took the reins at the Republican National Committee  a team that includes his daughter-in-law  the partys new leaders got to work making significant staffing changes. In fact, in mid-March, the RNC hired two new lawyers to oversee the partys election-year legal efforts.

Ordinarily, that wouldnt be especially notable, but nearly two months later, its worth checking in on the duo.

One of the attorneys hired at the RNC was Christina Bobb, who was tapped to serve as the partys senior counsel for election integrity. It wasnt long, however, before an unfortunate problem emerged: Bobb was recently indicted for alleged election-related crimes.

The other attorney was longtime Republican lawyer Charlie Spies, who was hired to serve as the RNCs chief counsel. At least, that was the idea two months ago. NBC News reported over the weekend:

After the news was made official, Trump turned to his social media platform to celebrate the developments. Great news for the Republican Party. RINO lawyer Charlie Spies is out as Chief Counsel of the RNC, the former president wrote, denouncing the experienced Republican lawyer whod been hired by his own RNC team.

At first blush, Spies appeared to bring an impressive partisan resume to the table. The attorney has worked for a variety of prominent Republican officials and party entities, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Jeb Bushs super PAC, and Mitt Romneys 2008 presidential campaign.

But thats not the kind of experience Team Trump finds impressive. In fact, Spies recent history related to the former president helps explain his brief RNC tenure.

NBC News report added, for example, that in 2021, Spies publicly contradicted false claims about voting machines switching votes. When asked during a Conservative Political Action Conference panel what he'd do about voting machines switching votes, he pushed back against the false conspiracy theory that has been backed by Trump allies.

I may get booed off the stage for this, but I have to say thats simply not true. There is just zero evidence thats true, Spies said at the time.

Indeed, a Washington Post report over the weekend noted that the lawyers RNC career was cut short, at least in part, because Trump grew angry about his criticism of the former presidents false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

When the former president recently sat down with Time magazine, he said hed have a problem hiring someone who rejected his ridiculous election lies. Evidently, this attitude extends to the RNC, too.

All was not well at the RNC before its new leadership team took over. Recent developments suggest the party's troubles persist.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov had a telephone conversation Monday with Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Malta, OSCE Chair-in-Office Ian Borg, Trend reports.

During the telephone conversation, the discussions revolved around the issues on the OSCE agenda, as well as the regional situation.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov highlighted the key areas of the Azerbaijan-OSCE bilateral cooperation agenda and the countrys position on the current challenges facing the OSCE.

FM Bayramov provided an insight into the current post-conflict situation in the region, the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process, as well as the country's approach to the issues.

The sides also discussed prospects for cooperation with the OSCE and its current chairmanship within the framework of the Baku-hosted 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

During the conversation, the two also exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
Sen. Tim Scott hasnt exactly been subtle about his national ambitions. After the South Carolina Republicans presidential campaign was an expensive flop  Scott struggled to reach 5% in the polls, in part because he appeared terrified of differentiating himself from Donald Trump  the senator started embarrassing himself in the apparent hopes of joining the former presidents 2024 ticket.

Theres one important part of Scotts resume, however, that his intraparty critics seized on.

Time magazine reported a few months ago that the senator will have to surmount an irredeemable MAGA World sin: He voted to certify Joe Bidens 2020 election victory.

He did, indeed. Just hours after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Senate voted to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Of the chambers 100 members, only eight far-right Republicans voted against certification  and Tim Scott wasnt one of them.

Whats more, during a presidential primary debate last summer, the senator said then-Vice President Mike Pence absolutely did the right thing on Jan. 6. In case this isnt obvious, thats not Trumps position.

With this in mind, what, pray tell, is the South Carolinian prepared to do about his partisan problem? As NBC News noted, Scott appears to have settled on the most unfortunate fix possible.

Over and over again, host Kristen Welker pressed the Republican to simply say, yes or no, whether he was prepared to accept the results of the 2024 presidential election. He wouldnt say  though Scott was willing to question the integrity of NBC News journalism for reasons unknown.

WATCH: @kwelkernbc asks @SenatorTimScott (R-S.C.) if hell accept the outcome of the 2024 election.



Scott: The 47th president of the United States will be Donald Trump.



Welker: Will you accept the election results of 2024, no matter who wins?



Scott: That is my statemen... pic.twitter.com/EN9ZeNFDSp  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 5, 2024

Its worth pausing to appreciate the extraordinary circumstances we find ourselves in. Traditionally, high-profile senators werent even asked whether they were prepared to accept their own countrys election results, because the answer wouldve been clear.

But in 2024, as the radicalization of Republican politics intensifies, Scott wasnt just asked, he also refused to answer  no doubt because the senator knew that if he answered in such a way that expressed support for democracy, this wouldve caused fury at Mar-a-Lago.

In other words, Scott believes the key to addressing his Team Trump problem is to appear more openly hostile toward the American political system, which in turn might boost his national ambitions.

As the GOPs race to the bottom unfolds, I continue to believe that no one should want to be vice president this badly.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Maddow Blog | Why it matters that Trump wants to see Jack Smith get arrested

Over the course of the last couple of years, Donald Trump has, from time to time, shared a few unkind words about special counsel Jack Smith. The former president has, for example, referred to the prosecutor as a thug in a mental state of derangement.

The Republican has also condemned the special counsel as a mad dog psycho. Hes also accused Smith of being an animal and a lunatic. At one point, Trump suggested the special counsels investigation was treasonous and deserving of sanctions.

With this in mind, it didnt come as a big surprise over the weekend when the presumptive GOP nominee delivered remarks at a closed-door donor retreat, at which point he called Smith an evil thug and deranged. A Washington Post report added that Trump went on to tell his audience that he believes the prosecutor is a f---ing a--hole.

The former president, in the same comments, said the fact that hes facing multiple criminal indictments doesnt bother me. Yeah, sure it doesnt.

But while Trumps hysterical whining about Smith reflects the Republicans apparent fear and anxiety, its par for the course. What was arguably more important was something Trump wrote to his social media platform late Friday night. Newsweek reported:

Specifically, the former president wrote, ARREST DERANGED JACK SMITH. HE IS A CRIMINAL!

Hes been gradually moving in this direction for a while. Early last year, for example, for reasons unknown, Trump published a lengthy online tantrum that said Smith may very well turn out to be a criminal.

Evidently, 16 months later, Trump has made up his mind  and he now wants authorities to arrest the special counsel.

To be sure, those familiar with the Republicans routine online meltdowns might not find this especially surprising. After all, the former president tends to define criminal as people Trump doesnt like.

The trouble is, theres a very real possibility his palaver will, early next year, become presidential directives. Axios reported last month, for example, Trump has vowed retribution against his enemies if he wins in November. ... [P]eople close to Trump are still plotting to use the Justice Department against Biden and his family.

If Team Trump intends to use federal law enforcement to go after the Biden family, it stand to reason that there would be plenty of other names, including Smith's, on the enemies list.

We can say with some certainty that Trump wanted to prosecute his perceived political foes during his first term, in part because his former White House chief of staff has said as much on the record. Even former Attorney General Bill Barr said he expects Trump to "weaponize" the Justice Department if he returns to the White House for a second term.

With this in mind, I dont much care whether he calls Smith foolish names, but I do care that the former president wants to see the special counsel arrested.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
A political ploy designed by Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro to regain international legitimacy through heavily manipulated elections appears to be spiraling out of control for the socialist leader as support for a previously unknown rival reaches apparently insurmountable levels.

A new poll over the weekend shows that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia now has a 40-point lead over Maduro, less than two weeks after the 74-year-old former diplomat unexpectedly got the united support of the main opposition parties.

The margin is expected to grow even higher as Venezuela nears the July 28 presidential election, and while the regime has for long been accused of holding fraudulent elections, observers say that Gonzalez Urrutias lead might now be too large to steal.

The question no longer is if Gonzalez Urrutia can win in July because that has already been settled. The question now is if the government would actually be willing to yield power in January, said Venezuelan pollster Jesus Seguias, whose firm Datincorp provided the new numbers. Venezuela is in a huge mess. You dont really need a poll to see that the entire country wants a change.

According to the Datincorp poll, the opposition candidate now enjoys a lead of 62% over Maduros 20%. The other nine candidates got a total among them of 12%.

But the poll, conducted on April 28th and based on 1,200 interviews conducted in 19 different states, showed that only 55% of those consulted actually knew who Gonzalez Urrutia is. If this is the support he has when only half the country knows who he is, what will it be like when 95% of the people do? Seguias said.

The 40-point margin came only a week after another poll, made by firm Meganalis, showed the beginning of the trend, with the former diplomat with a 20-point lead.

After a series of month-long negotiations with the Biden administration, Maduro had agreed to hold a presidential elections in an accord signed in October with the Venezuelan opposition. Getting important concessions from the U.S., which partially lifted its oil sanctions on the South American country, the regime had agreed to reform the often criticized electoral system and to allow any opposition leader to compete.

Maduro reneged on the deal soon after it became evident that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado would soundly beat him in an election. He proceeded to ban her candidacy and then moved to block the candidacy of her proxy, university professor Corina Yoris. The Venezuelan strongman had hoped to have conditions in place for an election victory despite his abysmal lack of popularity, by running against 12 little known, or other wise little-liked, contenders, who would split up the opposition vote among them.

The plan had seemed likely to succeed until Machado and the main opposition parties suddenly decided to unite and back Gonzalez Urrutia.

The U.S. has reimposed its sanctions on the regime since then.

The opposition candidates lead is cause of concern at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, as regime insiders contemplate how to deal with the growing threat.

Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, said there is little change that Maduro will allow the trend to continue, as thousands of supporters begin to rally in favor of Gonzalez Urrutia in major cities, spurred by the appearances of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the real force behind the rise of the former diplomat.

Maduro has not been in power this long by being naive, Ellis said. When you look at the fundamentals, you see that the people who are aligned with Maduro cannot afford the prospect of a fair change that would lead to a transparent regime, because they know that the things that theyve done not only leave them at risk of losing power, but at risk of losing their fortunes and at the risk of going to jail for a very, long time.

And these risks would continue even if immunity promises were made by opposition leaders during some sort of negotiation process establishing the basis for a political transition, Ellis said, citing examples of Latin American dictators who received such promises and later came to regret stepping down from power.

Maduro and many members of his regime face a long list of criminal charges, ranging from drug trafficking to crimes against humanity.

When I look at this situation, I see the complete lack of incentives and of logic for Maduro to take any real risk of losing power, Ellis said, adding that the regime will most likely attempt to steal the election or devise a way to eliminate Gonzalez Urrutias candidacy.

The second option looks more likely at this point, given the growing fervor surrounding the opposition candidate and the fact that the election is still 12 weeks away. Recent rallies held by Machado in major cities have shown massive street support in favor of the opposition, creating an environment of hope that poses new challenges to the unpopular regime, said political analyst Antonio De La Cruz.

Maduro can always kick the table over, but that is going to have a very high political cost, because now you are dealing with a massive popular movement that is being empowered by the expectation of change, De La Cruz, executive director of InterAmerican Trends, said from Washington.

Maduro can dismantle the election because, with the military on his side, he has the power to do it, but it is unclear if he would have the strength to resist the aftermath, given his lack of popularity, De La Cruz said.
Magura V5 drone sent by Ukrainian intelligence hits Russian speedboat in Crimea  source

Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) has hit a Russian speedboat with an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in the Vuzka (Narrow) Bay area of temporarily occupied Crimea.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda source in DIU

Details: The source reported that a Russian speedboat had been struck while in dock by a Magura V5 USV in the area of Vuzka Bay (Chornomorske district) on the night of 5-6 May during a DIU operation.

Read more: Target and eliminate: How Ukraine's Magura drones devastate Russian ships

Update: DIU has confirmed it conducted a special operation overnight on 5-6 May in temporarily occupied Crimea, during which a Russian speedboat was destroyed, and has posted a video of the strike.

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BLANTYRE (Reuters) - A court in Malawi has dropped corruption charges against the country's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima, clearing a legal hurdle over his potential candidacy in next year's presidential election.

Chilima was arrested in 2022 over graft allegations after the country's corruption watchdog alleged he was rewarded for assisting Xaviar Ltd and Malachitte FZE, two companies connected to British businessman Zuneth Sattar, to be awarded contracts by the Malawi Government.

Both Chilima and Sattar denied any wrongdoing.

In a notice seen by Reuters, Judge Redson Kapindu said the decision to drop the charges was after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) filed a notice for the case to be discontinued.

Kapindu ordered the DPP to provide reasons for discontinuing the case to the legal affairs committee of parliament within 10 days as required by the country's constitution.

Chilima's lawyer, Khumbo Soko, said his team was relieved that the criminal charges against the vice president had been dropped.

"As of now, we do not know the reasons for the discontinuance, suffice to say only parliament has the mandate to know," said Soko.

(Reporting by Frank Phiri; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Susan Fenton)
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A familys seven-year quest for justice for their Army combat veteran sons murder is now over.

Brandon Olsen accepted a plea deal Monday morning, May 6 for his role in the death of 23-year-old Tyler Croke on May 7, 2017. Five defendants were indicted in the case.

Earlier this month, Tristan Chilton and Adam Acosta also accepted plea deals. Olsen, Chilton, and Acosta will all be sentenced May 17. Tyler Crokes mother, Kjersten Croke, says the family will be in El Paso to testify for the victim impact statement portion of sentencing.

Stephanie Fernandez, who was the getaway driver, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2018. Another co-defendant, Zachary Johnston, pleaded guilty in Dec. 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison.

As KTSM previously reported, the five defendants are accused of slitting Crokes throat during a violent drug robbery inside Crokes apartment in the 1500 block of Lomaland.

Documents indicate that Tristan Chilton told investigators that Acosta made his way into Crokes apartment with a shotgun, and once inside, Chilton and Johnston held Crokes legs down while Olsen slit his throat as he tried to crawl away.

Fort Bliss officials confirmed Olsen was an active duty soldier stationed at the post at the time of Crokes murder. Johnston and Acosta were separated from the Army one month prior to the murder.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
SANTAQUIN, Utah (ABC4)  Michael Aaron Jayne, the man accused of hitting a Santaquin police officer with a semi and killing him over the weekend, has previously faced charges of violent crimes against law enforcement.

Jayne, 41, was originally taken into custody in 2009, according to the Herald and News in Klamath Falls, Ore. There, he was originally charged with the attempted murder of an Oregon State Police Trooper after he tried to ram two cruisers. Jayne was eventually convicted to serve a lengthy prison sentence, according to reporting from the Record Searchlight in his native California.

A year later, Jayne was the subject of 17 criminal counts in California for assault upon a correctional officer and making criminal threats. Record Searchlight reported at that time that Jayne had threatened officers on several occasions while incarcerated in Shasta County, Calif.

LIVE: Procession for fallen Santaquin officer to be followed by news conference

Jayne made headlines again in 2012 in Barton County, Kan. after he allegedly fled from a traffic stop in a stolen vehicle. According to the Great Bend Tribune, the Barton County Sheriffs Department described Jayne as a fugitive who was armed and dangerous.

The Barton County Sheriffs Office reportedly told news outlets that Jayne has been willing to enter into high-speed chases and cause accidents to avoid capture. Authorities reportedly ended their manhunt for Jayne in July 2012, according to the Associated Press. By October 2012, Jayne was in Texas facing federal charges for possession of a firearm by a felon, court documents show.

Court documents show he was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison and was released in 2021. Jayne did not reappear again until the incident in Utah this past weekend where he allegedly hit and killed a Santaquin police officer with a semi-truck. Jayne then reportedly stole multiple cars until he was taken into custody in Vernal.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  An international jewelry thief sought by Interpol is accused of swiping two diamond rings worth close to $300,000 from Tiffany and Cartier stores in Manhattan, authorities said.

Interpol was looking for Yaorong Wan, 49, in connection to an alleged theft in South Korea, officials said. The suspect has also been linked to thefts from Cartier stores in California and Miami before he was recently busted in the Manhattan heists, authorities said.

Wan allegedly swapped a $255,000 ring with a dupe while browsing at the Tiffany & Co. store in Midtown on March 4, according to the criminal complaint. The thief allegedly asked the store worker to look at an engraved platinum ring before he replaced it with the cubic zirconia mounted in an 18-carat white gold ring, prosecutors said.

Wan was allegedly caught on surveillance video putting the real ring in his palm before making the switch. The store noticed the swap about a week later.

After the Tiffany heist, Wan asked to see two engagement rings before allegedly stealing a $25,000 ring from Cartier at Hudson Yards on March 12, according to the complaint.

Wan was arrested Friday and charged with grand larceny in the Manhattan case. He pleaded not guilty and was released without bail during his arrangement on Saturday, according to court records.

The charges were not bail-eligible and the judge ordered supervised release, according to a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorneys Office.

Wan is accused of a similar theft at a Long Island jewelry store on April 19, officials said. The suspect allegedly stole a $17,800 Chopard watch from London Jewelers, according to the Daily News.

In the Long Island case, Wan pleaded not guilty, and bail was set at $500,000 cash/$1 million bond, according to court records.

Wan is also a suspect in jewelry thefts in New Jersey, officials said.

Wans attorney could not be immediately reached on Monday.

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.
(KRON)  A San Francisco resident was arrested after stealing multiple tools from a store, according to the Colma Police Department.

Colma police officers responded to a business in the unit block of Colma Boulevard on a report of a theft at approximately 1 p.m. on April 28. Officers learned a man took multiple tools without paying and fled the store on foot en route to the retail store.

Colma Police Department

Fairfield man pleads guilty to using stolen credit to buy Dodge Challenger Hellcat

Responding officers located a man matching the description of the suspect. The stores loss prevention officer identified the man as the suspect. The suspect was identified as 31-year-old San Francisco resident Jason Clouser.

Police say Clouser stole $131.10 worth of merchandise. According to police, officers found drug paraphernalia while searching Clouser.

Clouser was arrested and booked for petty theft and having drug paraphernalia. Clouser was issued a citation for the charges and released on his promise to appear in court, according to police.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
ST. LOUIS  Police and prosecutors say a dispute at a Metro East strip club led to a rolling gun battle on the McKinley Bridge in 2023 that left one person dead and another injured.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, the shooting happened in the early morning hours of March 4, 2023.

Police claim the situation began at Roxys Gentlemens Club in Venice, Illinois. Two groups of people interacted in some kind of dispute. At some point, the victims left the club and drove away.

Around the same time, police claim Brandon L. Allen, 34, took his girlfriends keys and got into the drivers seat of her Mercedes Benz. Others got in the vehicle and Allen drove off in pursuit of the victims car.

Brother and sister killed in St. Louis County; charges filed

Surveillance video shows the two vehicles exchanging gunfire on the bridge around 2:50 a.m. Douglas Sanders, 31, was in the backseat of the victims vehicle when he was struck in the head by a bullet and died. A second person in the backseat was struck in the back and spent weeks in the hospital.

Investigators claim the Mercedes used in the shooting is the same vehicle parked outside Roxys that Allen had been driving.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Allen with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and two counts of armed criminal action. On May 3, Allen was ordered to remain jailed until trial. Hes due in court for a detention hearing on May 14.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk discussed with the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mukhtar Babayev preparation for the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held in Baku, Trend reports citing the website of the Russian government.

The negotiations discussed current issues of environmental cooperation between the two countries and preparations for the participation of the Russian delegation in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is scheduled to be held in the Republic of Azerbaijan in November 2024, the statement said.
The incident, which took place on May 4 at the intersection of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near the South Lawn, marks the second crash near the White House since January

Getty The White House

A man has died after crashing his car into a security barrier outside the White House.

According to reports from the Associated Press and DC News Now, authorities said the crash occurred at the intersection of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest  near the South Lawn of the White House and the Ellipse  around 10:30 p.m. on May 4.

Officers responded to the incident within about 15 minutes, and the man  who has not been publicly identified  was pronounced dead at the scene, the outlets reported. Per the AP, President Joe Biden was away in Delaware at the time.

The DC Police Department wrote in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that its Major Crash Investigations Unit was investigating the incident as a traffic crash.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi wrote in a statement posted on X that the crash did not pose any "threat or public safety implications."



"Shortly before 10:30pm on May 4th, a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed collided with an outer perimeter gate on the White House complex," Guglielmi wrote. "Security protocols were implemented as officers cleared the vehicle and attempted to render aid to the driver who was discovered deceased. There was no threat to the White House."

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"The fatal crash portion of this will be turned over to the Washington Metropolitan Police Department Crash Investigation Unit and the Secret Service investigation continues," Guglielmi added.



This is the second crash to take place outside the White House this year. According to Reuters, a man crashed his car into a gate outside the White House complex on January 8. At the time, Guglielmi said that the driver was taken into custody due to "the cause and manner" of the crash.

Just one month prior, in December 2023, a 46-year-old driver who was allegedly drunk crashed into a parked car that was guarding President Biden's motorcade in Wilmington, Del., according to an AP report at the time. The driver's sedan then continued into an intersection that had been sealed off by officials, as Biden was visiting his campaign headquarters at the time, police said, with a Secret Service spokesman adding that the incident was not a threat to the president, per the AP.

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Additionally, in May 2023, a 19-year-old man identified by authorities as Sai Varshith Kandula crashed a U-Haul truck into yet another security barrier outside the White House, The Washington Post reported at the time. He allegedly got out of the truck and displayed a Nazi flag, according to prosecutors. Investigators at the time believed Kandula was planning to denounce the U.S. government, and charged him with destruction of government property, per the outlet. A hearing in Kandula's case  which has not yet gone to trial  is scheduled for May 13.

Guglielmi noted of the May 4 crash that "limited traffic closures" were in effect, and Washington, D.C., fire and police departments were still investigating the incident.

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Read the original article on People.
Man dead after crashing into wall on I-93 in Boston, state police say

A man died after authorities say he crashed his SUV into a wall while driving along Interstate 93 in Boston over the weekend.

Troopers responding to a report of a single-vehicle crash on the northbound side of the highway in the area of Exit 17 shortly after midnight on Saturday learned the driver of a 2015 Jeep Compass had lost control and struck a wall on the western edge of the road, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The driver, identified as 59-year-old Robert Smith, of Cambridge, was pronounced dead at the scene. State police noted that he wasnt wearing a seatbelt.

There were no other injuries reported in the crash.

State police detectives assigned to the Suffolk District Attorneys Office are leading an investigation into the cause of the crash.

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.

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Man dies after falling off cruise ship in Australia

A general view of Sydney Heads after the body of a man who went overboard a cruise ship was recovered in the waters outside of Sydney. Bianca De Marchi/AAP/dpa

Australian police have found a man's body off Sydney's coast while searching for a cruise ship passenger who went overboard on Monday.

The man fell overboard before dawn near Sydney Heads, about 18 kilometres from the shore, with police and other emergency services launching a search, New South Wales police said.

About 10:30 am (0030 GMT), officers located the body and retrieved it, police said.

Police will now prepare a report for the Coroner and have launched an investigation into how the incident unfolded.

P&O Cruises' ship Pacific Adventure was due to arrive in Sydney Harbour on Monday.

"We thank guests for their care, understanding and patience on what's been a distressing day for guests and crew," a statement from the company said, as quoted by local media. "Our thoughts are with the family of the guest at this difficult time."

The ship was making its way back to Sydney from a three-day trip to Queensland's Morton Island.

A general view of Sydney Heads after the body of a man who went overboard a cruise ship was recovered in the waters outside of Sydney. Bianca De Marchi/AAP/dpa
Man found dead in Cherokee area, MPD releases video of person of interest

Man found dead in Cherokee area, MPD releases video of person of interest

UPDATE: As MPD continues to investigate this homicide, they have released more information to the public.

In a social media post on the MPDs Facebook page, they provided more details about the shooting and a video of a person of interest.

On May 6 at 7:46 a.m., officers responded to a man-down call in the 2900 block of Filmore Avenue.

Officers arrived and located a male victim who had been shot and was unresponsive. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

MPD uploaded the following video of a woman they say is a person of interest in this homicide:

Investigators are seeking the identity of the woman and ask that if you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

*****

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Memphis Police are investigating after a man was found dead in a Cherokee neighborhood Monday morning.

A little before 8 a.m., officers responded to a man-down call at 2999 Filmore Avenue, which is less than a minute from Cherokee Park.

A man was found dead on the scene.

Police have not released much information, although, detectives have confirmed this was a homicide. A WREG reporter on the scene says police in the area were searching for possible nearby surveillance video.

Memphis murders and homicides 2024

There is no suspect information. Anyone with tips is urged to call CrimeStopper at 901-528-CASH.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11)  Authorities found a dead man floating in the water near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Manhattan on Saturday, police said.

The NYPD Harbor Unit pulled the unconscious man from the East River near the Whitehall Terminal at around 3:45 p.m., accoridng to the NYPD. The body was taken to Pier 16, where he was pronounced dead, police said. It was unclear if the body had any visible signs of trauma.

More Local News

The man has not been identified and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death, police said.

No other information was immediately available.

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.
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now)  The Prince Georges County Police Department (PGPD) said a man was found shot and killed inside an apartment on Sunday night.

Police said that at about 11:20 p.m., they responded to the the 2600 block of Southern Avenue for the report of a shooting.

A man was found shot inside the apartment. He died there.

Fairfax County police say man injured in shooting

Officers encourage anyone with information to call @PGCrimeSolvers at 1-866-411-TIPS or submit your tip using the P3 Tips app.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A Kansas City, Missouri man has pleaded guilty in the April 2023 shooting death of 18 year-old Zameyanna Williams.

Sirtain Wilson, 18, who was 17 years old at the time of the killing, was charged in August 2023 with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action.

On Monday, Wilson pleaded guilty to first-degree involuntary manslaughter. The charge of armed criminal action was dismissed.

According to court documents, Kansas City police officers responded to a reported disturbance on April 8, 2023, just after 3:30 a.m., at a home in the area of E. 48th Street and Palmer Avenue.

Woman shot, man injured after dog attack in Lawrence

Officers responded to the basement of the home where they located Williams dead from an apparent gunshot wound.

A witness told detectives the victim and suspect had been in a toxic relationship for two years and said she received a call from Wilson just before 3:30 a.m. on April 8, 2023, saying that hed accidentally shot the victim, court records say.

After the call, the witness and several family members responded to the victims location. Wilson told the witness that the victim shot herself, according to court documents.

While being interviewed, Wilson wrote a statement saying that during an argument with the victim he grabbed his firearm to put it up when he started waving it around yelling when the firearm discharged and struck the victim.

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I would never hurt her on purpose I am very sorry. She never grabbed for the gun, Wilson said in his statement.

Wilson said he was aware the round he fired from his gun struck the victim in her finger and continued traveling after exiting her finger, court documents say.

Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on July 9, 2024.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Man points gun at Pennsylvania pastor during church, police later find body at man's home

Law enforcement in Western Pennsylvania are investigating after video footage shows a 26-year-old man pulled a gun on a preacher during a live-streamed church service Sunday.

Police are also investigating after they reported that officers also found a man fatally shot to death in the suspect's home later that evening.

Just before 1:10 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police say troopers responded to Jesus' Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock after the suspect enter the church and attempted to shoot the preacher during his sermon.

North Braddock, a borough in Allegheny County, is about 9 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh.

Bernard Junior Polite, 26, (holding gun) of North Braddock in Pennsylvania was arrested on an attempted murder charge after state police said he entered Jesus' Dwelling Place Church on May 5, 2024, and attempted to shoot the preacher as he was giving a sermon. Troopers reported the gun jammed.

'Jezebel spirit': Pastor kicked off stage at Christian conference in Missouri

Suspect identified, pastor speaks

Troopers identified the suspect as Bernard Junior Polite of North Braddock.

"Polite pointed a firearm at the pastor, attempted to shoot, but the firearm failed to discharge," police wrote in a news release.

"The gun did not go off, but he definitely pulled the trigger," the preacher, Glenn Germany, told USA TODAY Monday morning by phone. "It was a gentleman who randomly did something up the road... and the next place he came was the church. He said spirits were telling him to shoot a pastor."

Video shows suspect point gun directly at preacher in pulpit

Video obtained by USA TODAY shows a man in a black T-shirt walk directly toward Germany as he preaches, pull out a firearm and aim it directly at him.

Immediately, a church congregant runs up behind the armed suspect, tackles him and Germany and another churchgoer help disarm the suspect on the ground.

Germany identified the congregant who tackled the suspect as Clarence McCallister, a 63-year-old deacon who has attended the church for the past nine years.

"Everything is well," Germany said, his voice raspy as if he had not slept much. "At this point it's just about being grateful. "

Bernard Junior Polite, 26, of North Braddock in Pennsylvania, was arrested on an attempted murder charge after state police said he entered Jesus' Dwelling Place Church on May 5, 2024, and attempted to shoot the preacher as he was giving a sermon. Troopers reported the gun jammed.

'He smiled at me', pastor says of man who pulled gun on him

Prior to the armed suspect entering the sanctuary, Germany said he noticed the suspect in the building.

"He came in and out of the church a couple times, during praise and worship and then all the sudden he sat in the back and came to the front and he smiled at me," Germany recalled.

"He stopped in the middle of the pulpit, pulled the gun out and it just jammed," Germany recalled, before covering his face with his hands and trying to take cover.

Body later found at home near church

Later that day, at 8:15 p.m., the Allegheny County Police Department reported officers found a man fatally shot inside the home where Polite lives.

Police reported the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office identified the fatal shooting victim to USA TODAY as Derek Polite, 56, of North Braddock.

As of Monday afternoon no charges had been filed in connection to the homicide and it was not immediately known how the armed church suspect and person found dead in the home were related.

USA TODAY has reached out to state troopers and police for confirmation.

Australian church stabbing: Sydney church stabbing that left 4 including bishop hurt deemed 'terrorist' act, sparked riot

Germany was preaching about miracles before gun jammed

Germany, who has worked at the church for 14 years, said about 50 people regularly attend the Sunday morning church service,

The preacher said his brother, Gary Germany, is the church's senior pastor who usually preaches each Sunday.

Before the melee, Germany said he was preaching about understanding God's ways.

"How he is able to heal and perform miracles, and how his ways can keeping you out of harms way," Germany said.

After police arrived and took the suspect into custody, Germany said the congregation stayed at the church for several hours to support one another and try and make some sense of what took place

"We stayed until 5 p.m. trying to decipher the whole situation," Germany said. "We were all ignorant as to why he came in. No one knew him."

"I really thank God because I was informed after church the police were at his house and found (a relative) shot to death," Germany said.

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: Man pulls gun on pastor mid-sermon, members come to the rescue: Watch
Seattle Fire Department responded to a rescue call for an approximately 35-year-old man in the water near the 800 block of Alaskan Way on Sunday night.

Rescue boat crews located the man and pulled him out of the water, where he was taken to paramedics on shore for medical care.

According to SFD, the man is in stable condition and is being transported to a hospital for further care.

Water rescue response for a person in crisis and in the water near the 800 block of Alaskan Way. Please avoid the area.  Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) May 6, 2024
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  A 56-year-old man was convicted on Wednesday of misdemeanor sexual battery and sentenced to nine months in jail.

Court records show that on Aug. 7, 2023, Dmitriy Vladimirovic Vakhrushev groped and made verbal sexual advances toward a nurse at the residential medical facility where he lived.

Vakhrushev lived in the facility due to a traumatic brain disorder he suffered in an accident.

The nurse was able to record some of the sexual advances on her cell phone. During the interaction, the nurse could be heard repeatedly rejecting the 56-year-olds overtures and asking him to leave.

On Aug. 31, 2023, Vakhrushev was found guilty of misdemeanor sexual battery in Norfolk Circuit Court.

Vakhrushev appealed his conviction, but on Wednesday plead guilty no contest to the same charge with no plea agreement.

Our nurses and other healthcare professionals do difficult and thankless jobs. We owe them a duty to protect them from harm and sexual assault in their workplaces, and we have done just that, said Commonwealths Attorney Ramin Fatehi. While we are sympathetic to those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, Mr. Vakhrushev had no excuse for what he did, and that is why he earned his sentence. Once again, my office has handled the prosecution of a dangerous public-safety misdemeanor with no financial support from Richmond. I call on our state government to fund all prosecutors in Virginia to participate in cases like these.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Fragments of supposedly human bones have been found in Azerbaijan's liberated Sugovushan settlement, Aghdara district, a source in the Prosecutor General's Office told Trend.

According to the source, a relevant investigation is underway.

The source noted that on May 5, the prosecutor's office of the Tartar district was conducting an investigation into the discovery of bone fragments during excavations for the construction of new buildings in the settlement's territory.

Will be updated
A man found wandering Interstate 40 surprised a passing state trooper when he randomly confessed to a 2016 killing that went unsolved for 8 years, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

It happened Thursday, May 2, after a passerby reported someone sitting on the side of I-40 just east of Oklahoma City.

Trooper (Matt) Snyder stopped to check on the man who began voluntarily telling him about his involvement in a 2016 Edmond death, the highway patrol said in a May 3 news release.

Joseph Tyler Beck, 28, was taken to the Edmond Police Department, about a 15-mile drive north of Oklahoma City, and detectives there were convinced he was being truthful, officials said.

Beck has been charged with first-degree homicide in the suspicious death of Jennifer Kyli Molloy, police said.

Molloys body was found Oct. 5, 2016, in her Edmond apartment, officials said. Her dad, Johnny Molloy, told KFOR that the news of Beck being arrested was a complete blindside.

Everybody knows him, he told the TV station. Everybody thinks he was the sweetest person and never would do anything to anybody.

Police said they hope this (arrest) ultimately ends in answers for the family.

Aggressive 19-year-old dressed like a cop pulled over drivers, Oklahoma sheriff says

Rascal dog lures rookie cop into Oklahoma lake under pretense of needing rescue

Video shows mouth full of large teeth biting trail camera in Oklahoma. What was it?
RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF)  One of the suspects wanted in reference to the Augusta Mall shooting in April has been arrested, according to the Richmond County Sheriffs Office.

Authorities stated on Monday that Kay-Sean Nealy, 20, was arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Kay-Sean Nealy, 20

The shooting incident according on Sunday, April 28th at 1:43 P.M. at the Dillards inside of the Augusta Mall, and authorities say that one person was shot.

ALSO ON WJBF: Aiken man found dead in backyard shed in River Bluff subdivision

Tybrea Nelson, 24, was arrested on Monday, April 29th, on two counts of Aggravated Assault for her role in the shooting, but authorities made clear that Nelson WAS NOT the shooter.

Tybrea Nelson, 24

On Wednesday, May 1st, Samoney Tanskley, 26, was also wanted by the Richmond County Sheriffs Office for aggravated assault.

Samoney Tanksley, 26

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
Ed Proffitt, a professor of marine ecology at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, left, and Max Portmann, a PhD student with the Proffitt-Delvin Lab of Coastal Ecology and Genetics, look at a young black mangrove near Oso Bay in Corpus Christi on April 18, 2024. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

This story is part of the Pulitzer Centers nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. For more information, go to pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines.

PORT ARANSAS  Dead mangroves cover Harbor Island near this coastal city, creating a bleak landscape that contrasts with the calm, blue water that laps at the shore. The intense 2021 winter freeze killed these plants, which can tolerate some cold but not for that long. A few leafy, green saplings now sprout among them.

Black mangroves like these were expanding along the Texas coast for years before the freeze. The shrubs are native to the state, but, as climate change pushed temperatures generally higher, scientists saw them growing in greater numbers and spreading farther north than their typical range.

Biologists who study mangroves say little can be done about the plants expansion. Instead, they are analyzing what changes the mangroves bring as they spread to new areas  good and bad.

In some cases, mangroves have shaded out salt marsh plants that some fish, shrimp, whooping cranes and other species rely on. And even though the freeze killed off many mangroves along the Texas coast, researchers expect them to return and keep growing in fits and starts as periodic freezes punctuate the generally warmer weather.

The way mangroves are re-making the Texas coastline is one more example of how human-caused climate change is already altering our environment. Like other animals and plants, mangroves can now live farther north because temperatures are warming.

The expansion and also the contraction [of mangroves] is a really striking and powerful example of the role of climate, said Michael Osland, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Dead mangroves line a salt marsh near Aransas Pass on April 18, 2024. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

Anna Armitage, a professor at Texas A&M University at Galveston and a leading Texas mangrove researcher, said scientists have been evaluating how mangroves affect different species and the environment along the coast.

Mangroves do some things better, and marshes do some things better, she said. But theyre not the same.

Why mangroves can be good: They could help protect against sea level rise because their stick-like roots help build up the soil height and their falling leaves decompose into soil. One study determined that they were better than salt marsh succulent plants at protecting against erosion. They offer habitat for migratory songbirds.

Why mangroves can be bad: They displace the marsh habitat that acts as a nursery for some fish and shrimp and where endangered whooping cranes spend winters. And when mangroves die during a freeze, they form a skeleton forest, as one scientist described it, leaving the shoreline vulnerable to the erosion they once helped prevent.

Mangroves expanded in Texas before the 2021 freeze

The white, shallow-water boat hummed where Victoria Congdon had navigated it to Harbor Island on a short, speedy trip from the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve office. Congdon, the reserves research coordinator, was showing a reporter places where mangroves were plentiful and places where they had more slowly creeped in.

Congdon wore Chacos and toe rings on her feet. She grew up Lockhart and wanted to be a marine biologist as a kid. Today, shes passionate about plants because  although they lack the charisma and likability of, say, a turtle  they play important roles for entire ecosystems.

She gestured toward the thick tangle of mangroves that she thought could eventually rebound. This is the future, essentially, she said.

The mangroves here used to provide habitat and protect the shoreline, which made losing them a negative thing. But she said scientists could learn from that loss  and from their potential recovery.

It is what it is; we cant do anything about it. All we can do is learn from it.

Black mangroves have been in Texas forever, said Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, an associate professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, who specializes in restoration ecology. They dont stretch as continuously along the Texas coastline as they do farther south in Tamaulipas, Mexico, but grow in patches.

Victoria Congdon, a marine scientist with Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, navigates a boat through the entrance to the Lighthouse Lakes area off Port Aransas. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

Fierro-Cabo said its possible that the Texas coast may begin to look more like Mexicos mangrove-covered shore as temperatures continue to warm.

Last year, the states average temperature was the hottest ever recorded: 68.1 degrees. And last winter was the mildest ever recorded based on the coldest minimum temperature on average, according to research by Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon.

By 2036, Nielsen-Gammons latest study predicts, the average annual surface temperature in Texas will be 3 degrees warmer than the 1950-1999 average.

We need to assume and accept and embrace that this change is happening in the coastline, with change of vegetation from salt marsh to mangrove, Fierro-Cabo said. Some species will be displaced.  But the ecosystems, the coastal ecosystems, will keep functioning, will keep providing ecosystem services for us and things like that, like carbon sequestration, like storm protection."

The plant transition can clearly be seen in the middle portion of the Texas coast. Katie Swanson, who is the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserves stewardship coordinator and acting manager, has been monitoring the transition of a study site on Mud Island from a mix of marsh and mangrove to mangrove-dominated. She said they were seeing a lot of that pattern on the mid-Texas coast.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is using aerial images to determine how coastal habitat has changed. Comparing images from 2015 to 2018 around Aransas Bay with images from 2004, the agency found a net increase of 632 acres of mangrove, said Jacob Harris, a coastal ecologist on the agencys habitat assessment team.

Walking down a slope on the back side of the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi campus, marine ecology professor Ed Proffitt pointed out the healthy, bushy mangroves near the edge of Oso Bay  one of the locations where he and students study mangroves. Marsh plants stretched out around and behind the mangroves.

Before the 2021 freeze, the researchers documented how plentiful and big the shrubs grew; some rose higher than graduate student Max Portmann, who is 67. After the freeze, they thought many of the mangroves they studied were dead. But some sprouted up again from their old roots, reaching skyward. The scientists estimated about 40% of those they studied on campus survived.

Here the mangroves numerous, small leaves extended from long skinny branches. The leaves are a darker shade of green than the lime-colored marsh plants. Three years after the winter storm, some of the mangroves reached waist-high or higher.

Wearing sandals, a wide-brimmed hat and a peach-colored Columbia fishing shirt, Proffitt, who has researched mangroves for 30 years, explained how he expects the mangroves to continue to fill in the shoreline by Oso Bay so long as there isnt another big freeze.

Theyre coming back in some places faster than others, but theyll probably come back in all these places, Proffitt said. Its just going to take a while. The question becomes: Are they going to come back before theres erosion and subsidence that will convert it all to something else like open water?

Max Portmann, a PhD student with the Proffitt-Delvin Lab of Coastal Ecology and Genetics, hikes through a black mangrove thicket near Oso Bay in Corpus Christi. Under the right conditions, mangroves can grow into tall trees. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

Portmann squelched in scuba boots across the marsh muck to get closer to the plants, squatted down and sorted through the tangle of green to show how the mangroves roots spread more than three feet from the plants trunk. This would help hold soil in place better than a dead mangrove  which could be blown away in a strong storm.

Portmann sees the mangroves expansion as just one piece of a changing coastline: With climate change, the marsh isnt going to stay the same way it is regardless, he said, as the duo walked back to the parking lot.

And some animals here like the mangroves. When Texas Parks and Wildlife researchers used nets to collect species in the bays along the central coast, they found that spotted seatrout and brown and white shrimp preferred marsh. Red drum and blue crabs preferred the mangroves.

Its not something that we can necessarily control  or should we be even controlling? said Harris, the TPWD ecologist, adding, Theres a lot of mixed emotions with it because mangroves do provide very useful habitat.  But is it a good thing that some salt marsh is being converted into mangroves?

Thats something Harris and other scientists will be watching closely as mangroves march north.

Its going to be good for some species and it wont be good for others.

A whooping crane hunts in a salt marsh where a few mangrove trees dot the shoreline. Mangroves crowd out native plants, including Carolina wolfberry, a food source for the endangered cranes. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

Mangroves could be a problem for whooping cranes

One species in particular that advocates worry about when it comes to mangroves is whooping cranes, which have been a success story after being pushed to the brink of extinction.

Carter Crouch, director of Gulf Coast Programs for the International Crane Foundation and Katie Fernald, an ecologist with the foundation, told the story as Crouch drove on a recent afternoon to get gas for the foundations boat, Crane Seeker.

During the winter of 1941 into 1942, the number of whooping cranes in Texas dwindled to 15 or 16. Six other whooping cranes lived in Louisiana.

How did their numbers get so small? There probably werent too many of the birds to begin with, maybe 10,000 before their decline. And people hunted the large birds, which stand around five feet tall, for their meat and feathers. They also snatched up their eggs.

Intense conservation efforts focused on teaching people why they needed to stop shooting the creatures  it was illegal. As it happened, land at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge where the cranes spent the winter was also federally protected in 1937.

The cranes in Louisiana died, but the number of endangered whoopers in Texas rose from near extinction to around 550 in Texas. They make up the last wild population in the world.

Crouch wore a wide-brimmed hat and aqua fishing shirt as he put the Crane Seeker into the water and motored toward the refuge. He loved to hunt and fish growing up in Wichita Falls and has long been a pretty big bird nerd, he said. He spent time at the same reservoirs and rivers where whooping cranes sometimes stop when they migrate.

Andy Stetter navigates the Intracoastal Waterway near Port Aransas on April 1, 2024. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife wildlife biologist manages and monitors habitats at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

Crouch and Fernald are bird people: They paused to admire an American oystercatcher on its nest. They debated whether it was a sandwich tern (with a yellow-tipped bill that looks like it was dipped in mustard) or a gull-billed tern flying overhead against the overcast sky. Fernald heard a marsh wren that she said sounded like a sewing machine.

At the refuge, Crouch slowed the boat to point out the lush green marsh habitat where whooping cranes spend the winter. It was mid-April now and most, if not all, of the cranes had left for Canada. One could see clear across the marsh.

This is why whooping crane people are nervous about mangroves: The birds are known to prefer open landscapes, like a duck prefers water or a songbird might prefer a forest. Scientists arent sure if the birds will avoid areas with a lot of mangroves.

I dont think we really know what would happen, Crouch said.

In some spots, dead mangroves dotted the shoreline. Crouch and Fernald got off the boat at another island covered more densely by dead mangroves. They expected mangroves would continue to expand again.

Its tough because they are a native species; theyre not intrinsically bad, Fernald said earlier in an interview. Mangrove habitat is also habitat for other wildlife species. Its just not what was typically and historically here.

The mangroves are also just one of a number of problems they have to consider, Crouch said. Cranes are losing habitat to development and sea level rise. Drought can make the bay waters that the birds drink saltier, which can also mean fewer blue crabs for them to eat. The wetlands where they stop when they migrate are drying up, and the permafrost where they breed is melting. People still shoot them.

A young black mangrove grows near dead pickleweed along Oso Bay. Credit: Angela Piazza for The Texas Tribune

Its a weird species to work with because theres a lot of reasons to be very optimistic, given (nearly) 70 years of data, Crouch said. But  were not out of the woods, and the threats are increasing fairly quickly still.

Scientists at the refuge have been aware of the mangrove expansion for years, said Andy Stetter, the refuges supervisory wildlife biologist. But with 116,000 acres of land in their care, they dont really have good options to keep them out if they wanted to. And right now theyre not sure that they do.

Stetter said that although mangroves theoretically may harm whooping cranes by taking away their habitat, how the plants could impact the marsh in the future remains an area of research for scientists. The mangroves may actually be helpful in combating sea level rise and benefit the blue crabs that whooping cranes eat.

Were managing the habitat for the benefit of not only whooping cranes but other wildlife, of course, Stetter said, adding, We just dont understand the relationship between mangroves and how its going to impact whooping cranes, and thats something were trying to understand.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University and Texas Parks And Wildlife Department have been financial supporters 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.

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Many Florida women cant get abortions past 6 weeks. Where else can they go?

When Florida enacted its six-week abortion ban last week, clinics in several other Southern and mid-Atlantic states sprang into action, knowing women would look to them for services no longer available where they live.

Healthcare providers in North Carolina and three states to the north are rushing to expand availability and decrease wait times.

We are already seeing appointments, said Katherine Farris, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. We have appointments on the books with patients who were unable to get in, in the last days of April in Florida.

Their reaction is part of a growing trend in the United States: Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, spurring more than 20 states to adopt laws banning or severely limiting abortions, states with looser restrictions have taken steps to welcome women who want or need to end their pregnancies.

Since the court overturned Roe in June 2022, some Democratic-controlled states have made it easier for out-of-state women to obtain abortions. Several have adopted laws protecting in-state health care workers from being investigated for providing abortion to women from states with bans. Such measures have included allowing providers to prescribe abortion pills, the most common abortion method, via telehealth.

Officials in California, New Mexico, Oregon and other states have used taxpayer money to increase abortion access.

Florida recorded more than 84,000 abortions in 2023, a slight increase from 2022. As of April 1, the state reported approximately 14,700 abortions this year, potentially leaving a substantial number of women to consider going out of state.

Patients will travel when theyre desperate to get an abortion, said Mara Buchbinder, a social medicine professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We know that.

At one point, Florida was a go-to state for women from other Southeastern states with restrictions, including neighboring Georgia and South Carolina, which both ban abortions around six weeks of gestation, before many women even know they are pregnant.

Last year, about 7,700 abortions in Florida were for out-of-state patients, according to state data.

But the state has steadily narrowed access. In anticipation of Roe being reversed, the Legislature passed a 15-week ban in April 2022 that took effect despite a court challenge. In 2023, it passed a six-week abortion ban that would take effect only if the earlier ban held up in court. The state Supreme Court upheld the ban last month, and the new law quickly went into effect.

Read: Orlando Police asks the publics help to identify a man who exposed himself to a minor

A referendum in November asking voters to codify abortion rights in Floridas constitution could reverse the ban. But at least until then, Florida abortion advocacy groups will still need to organize many out-of-state trips.

For women who are more than six weeks pregnant, South Florida is now the farthest from a legal provider of any highly populated area in the U.S. Subsequently, the average cost per abortion is expected to jump from $600 or $700 to as much as $1,800 or more, said Daniela Martins, a board member and caseworker team leader at the Womens Emergency Network, a nonprofit organization that helps people in the region pay for abortion and other reproductive health care.

Martins said her group anticipates helping women get to Virginia and places even farther north, such as Maryland and Washington, D.C. She said it is committed to not turning away clients in need, though raising enough money to honor that commitment could be challenging.

Weve seen a lot of outpouring of support, she said. Its nowhere near what we project well need.

Another group, The Brigid Alliance, which provides travel and support across the country for women seeking abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, is preparing for more needs in the coming months.

Serra Sippel, the groups interim executive director, said the alliance is adding six new logistical coordinators, including four who speak Spanish, and is partnering with a clinic in Puerto Rico, an option particularly for Spanish-speaking people.

One of the largest patient influxes is anticipated in North Carolina, where, even before Floridas ban, 32% of abortions provided at the states Planned Parenthood clinics were for out-of-state patients, Farris said.

But while it might be the most convenient place for Florida women given its geographical proximity, North Carolina is not without its own set of hurdles. The states 2023 law allows for abortions through 12 weeks of pregnancy, but requires two in-person visits to a provider 72 hours apart.

Those extra steps can turn a single-day procedure into a weeklong affair, said Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler, engagement director for Carolina Abortion Fund, a nonprofit in North Carolina and South Carolina that operates a helpline to assist callers with abortion care.

Providers in North Carolina also fear the arrival of new patients will lengthen the wait time for an abortion, currently five to 20 days. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which serves North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, is trying to avoid that by rolling out seven additional days of abortion services and adjusting providers schedules at North Carolina clinics to expand availability, Farris said.

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We are all willing to do the work, she said. Operationally, it is incredibly challenging, and I think its important to remember that this is a chaotic system.

Farris, who provides abortions in North Carolina, has to turn away patients who dont qualify under the states law because they are more than 12 weeks along. She initially refers them to Virginia, which allows abortions until 24 weeks. If there are no appointments available, women can travel to Maryland, Washington or places farther north.

Carolina Abortion Fund has six staff members and a volunteer network, but working there could often feel like having two full-time jobs even before Floridas ban, Orlovsky-Schnitzler said.

Volunteers have sometimes stayed up until midnight to help someone coordinate an emergency abortion, and there have been months in which the organization has received as many as 1,000 calls, she said. After Roe was overturned, calls rose by 400%.

Thats not an exaggeration, she said.

The center received 650 calls in April alone, according to data it provided.

The organization often runs out of money, but Orlovsky-Schnitzler said that doesnt stop workers from answering every call to get people the help theyre seeking.

Staff at A Preferred Womens Health Center in North Carolina, with clinics in Charlotte and Raleigh, are fielding about 4,000 calls weekly, most from women in Southern states, Executive Director Calla Hales said.

Since Roe was overturned, about 70% of the clinics approximately 13,000 abortions each year have been with out-of-state patients, she said.

The center also operates two clinics in Georgia under the states six-week ban. The clinics operations there may give a preview of whats to come in Florida, Hales said.

As soon as they pee on a pregnancy stick, theyre running in, she said.

Read: Isolated storms throughout the evening. Record heat in some areas by the end of the week.

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Many states are eager to extend Medicaid to people soon to be released from prison

Community health worker Ron Sanders, right, helps a patient at San Franciscos Southeast Family Health Center, part of the Transitions Clinic Network that assists former inmates navigate health care after release. A new policy allows states to provide Medicaid health care coverage to inmates for specific services 30-90 days before their release. (Courtesy of Transitions Clinic Network)

A new policy that allows states to provide Medicaid health care coverage to incarcerated people at least a month prior to their release has drawn bipartisan interest and a slew of state applications.

Federal policy has long prohibited Medicaid spending on people who are incarcerated in jails or prisons, except for hospitalization. As a result, when people are released, they typically dont have health insurance and many struggle to find health care providers and get needed treatment. In a population that is disproportionately likely to have chronic conditions such as heart disease and substance use disorders, that can be deadly.

Some states terminate residents Medicaid coverage when theyre incarcerated, while others just suspend it. Either approach can cause delays in seeking health care for people recently released from incarceration, with sometimes disastrous outcomes: A seminal 2007 study found that former prisoners in Washington state were 12 times more likely to die from all causes within two weeks of release, compared with the general population. The leading causes were drug overdoses, cardiovascular disease, homicide and suicide.

Because a disproportionate number of Black, Native and Hispanic people are incarcerated, lowering their death risk after release might reduce racial health disparities in the overall population.

In 2022, about 448,400 people were released from prison, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Under federal guidance released a year ago, states can connect prisoners with case managers 30-90 days before they are released to develop plans based on their health needs. The case manager can help the person make post-release appointments with primary care doctors, mental health counselors, substance use programs, and housing and food assistance.

States that want to extend Medicaid coverage to people in prison or jail must request a federal waiver to do so. At a minimum, participating states must provide case management, medication-assisted treatment for people with substance use disorders and a months supply of medication upon release, though states are free to do more.

Imagine if we had three months to prepare. Having a plan of action and even having appointments already scheduled for their needs  its going to be game changing.

 Alfonso Apu, director of behavioral health services at Community Medical Centers Inc., in California

The Health and Reentry Project, a policy analysis organization focused on health care for former prisoners, called the new policy groundbreaking.

What these waivers enable states to do is build a bridge to access to health care  a bridge that starts before someones released and continues after their release, said Vikki Wachino, executive director of the Health and Reentry Project and a former deputy director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Its about starting the process before they leave prisons and jails, so that they can have stronger connections to health care providers and treatment providers after they leave prison and jail.

As of last month, federal officials had approved waiver applications from four states  California, Massachusetts, Montana and Washington. Nearly 20 other states are waiting for approval, according to health research organization KFF.

Jack Rollins, director of federal policy at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said states that want to participate are focusing on different incarcerated populations and medical conditions. Some would start with jails, others with state prisons or youth detention facilities. Some states would provide coverage to all inmates, others just to those with a substance use disorder.

Washington, for example, will cover people incarcerated in jails, prisons and youth correctional facilities beginning three months before they are released, an estimated 4,000 people each year. It will connect them to community health workers, bring in doctors and counselors for consultations, and provide lab services and X-rays.

Montana will limit its program to people in state prisons who have a substance use disorder or mental illness and will provide services beginning a month before release. It did not give an estimate of how many people would receive help each year.

California, where an estimated 200,000 people will be covered each year, also included community health workers in its plan. Dr. Shira Shavit, executive director of the Transitions Clinic Network, a California-based national network of clinics focused on formerly incarcerated people, said ex-prisoners are especially well suited for that role.

Community health worker Ron Sanders, standing, talks with a patient outside Southeast Family Health Center in San Francisco. Courtesy of Transitions Clinic Network

Shavit said her group consults them on where to locate new clinics and on strategies to reach recently released inmates, because the workers are adept at knowing where people are when they come out into the community and finding them there.

Research suggests that connecting recently released people with others who know what its like to be incarcerated makes it less likely that they will end up in the emergency room.

They know how to connect with people, and people trust them, and will follow them to come to clinic and feel comfortable coming, Shavit said.

Alfonso Apu, director of behavioral health services at Community Medical Centers Inc., a California network of neighborhood health centers that serves patients in San Joaquin, Solano and Yolo counties, said its easy to lose people once they are released.

The complexity of these patients is so intense that they are going to need three, four, five hours of encounters with primary care every month, at least, Apu said.

Imagine if we had three months to prepare, he said. Having a plan of action and even having appointments already scheduled for their needs  its going to be game changing.

Dr. Evan Ashkin is a physician who founded the Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program at the University of North Carolina, a network of community health centers that works with local health departments, clinics and community health workers to connect former inmates with health care. He agreed that employing community health workers who share the experience of previous incarceration is essential.

Im hoping well be able to expand this workforce, Ashkin said. In our state, North Carolina, theres not a lot of folks focusing on access to health care for people post-release.

North Carolina is awaiting word on its application.

Ashkin added that racial equity issues are really important.

We have to have our eyes wide open on the type of services we provide, that they are set up to bring in the communities most impacted, he said.

Editors note: This story has been updated to more accurately describe the Health and Reentry Project.

This story was originally published by Stateline, which like Maine Morning Star 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.

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The post Many states are eager to extend Medicaid to people soon to be released from prison appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
How March tornado victims can get FEMA aid

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  People affected by disaster-related losses due to the fatal March 14 tornadoes can now apply for assistance from the federal government.

Homeowners and renters in Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland, and Union counties can call, go online, or use an app to file their claims with FEMA.

Ohio State speaker says he took psychedelic drugs to write Bitcoin commencement speech

People with insurance should file a claim with their insurance company; those whose coverage isnt enough or are uninsured should apply for the FEMA assistance.

FEMA assistance can include temporary housing, basic home repairs, and other related expenses.

In a press release announcing the assistance, Darke County recommends those people who have started or already made repairs should still apply for relief.

Anyone filing for relief should have the following available:

A current phone number where you can be contacted

Your address at the time of the disaster and address where are now staying

Your social security number

A general list of damage and losses

Banking information if you choose direct deposit

If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

Three people died when a line of strong storms and multiple tornados tore through central Ohio on March 14; the lives were lost when an EF-3 tornado touched down in the Indian Lake area of Logan County.

To apply for FEMA assistance, visit www.disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app, or call the FEMA hotline at 800-621-3362. FEMA officials will visit each area at a later date to offer more assistance.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa speaks during the launch of her book <em>How to Stand Up to a Dictator</em>, in Manila in 2022. <br> Credit - Ezra AcayanGetty Images

Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient who has been recognized as one of TIMEs 2018 Persons of the Year as well as one of the most influential women of the century for her fight for press freedoms and against disinformation, was announced in March as the deliverer of the principal address at Harvard Universitys commencement on May 23.

Maria Ressa embodies Veritas, said Harvard interim President Alan Garber at the time, referencing the schools Latin motto meaning truth. For nearly 40 years, she has dedicated herself to truth  its pursuit, its advocacy, and its defense  no matter the repercussions.

While some students initially expressed disappointment that the chosen speaker wasnt as fun as previous speakers, like last years Tom Hanks, Ressas selection seemed mostly uncontroversial at first. But as college campuses have been roiled by pro-Palestinian protests and accusations of antisemitism in recent months, Ressa has now been accused by a Republican congresswoman and prominent Harvard alum of being antisemitican imputation that Ressa categorically denied to TIME on Monday.

Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who has led the charge in Congress against Ivy League university administrators over alleged antisemitism on campuses, first criticized the choice on Friday on X, writing: Harvard chose an antisemitic commencement speaker. The university has failed to stand up for Jewish students at every turn, revealing the depths of its moral delinquency.

Stefanik included a link to an article by right-leaning news organization Washington Free Beacon, which suggested that a November editorial in Rappler, the Philippine publication Ressa cofounded in 2012 and leads as CEO, likened Israel to Hitler.

Last week, Stefanik was among the majority in the House of Representatives that voted in favor of a bill for the U.S. government to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism, which includes drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

In a statement to TIME, Rappler said that the Free Beacon article misrepresented its editorial, which was published in Filipino. Rep. Stefanik should get an accurate translation, said Rappler cofounder and executive editor Glenda M. Gloria. Rapplers editorial, published on November 6, 2023, calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, a challenge to humanity that, we believe, is shared by many. We also refuse to be dragged into the binary anti-Semitic vs anti-Palestine argument. There is only one side in this war: the side of peace, the side of truth over propaganda, the side of humanity over weapons and hate.

The Free Beacon also criticized an open letter that Ressa signed in January by the International Press Institutes (IPI) global executive board that called for Israel to stop killing journalists. The Free Beacon said that there is no clear evidence that Israel has targeted journalists and alleged that some Palestinians use journalism as a cover for terrorist activities.

Reporters Without Borders announced last week that more than 100 journalists have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. The Committee to Protect Journalists counted 97 journalists and media workers, including 2 Israeli journalists, that have been killed in the war, as of May 3. Families of Palestinian journalists killed have rejected Israels claims that they were linked to terrorists.

Since when does calling for an end to journalist killings in Gaza or a ceasefire become antisemitic?! Ressa told TIME on Monday.

Ressa had just returned from Chile where she gave a keynote address at a World Press Freedom Day conference held by UNESCO over the weekend. There, she spoke about the ways social media and search algorithms promote outrage over engagement with facts: There are many, many more novel ways of silencing journalists today when free speech is literally used to pound you to silence. Lies, Ressa has emphasized throughout her career, spread faster than facts.

Stefaniks tweet and the Free Beacon article appear to feed into such outrage.

Under Duterte, I was CIA and a communist, Ressa told TIME, referencing former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose deadly drug war she famously documented. Now apparently, Im antisemitic and a Zionist, she added, referencing also allegations that shes insufficiently critical of Israel. None of these are true, but these lies are distributed, with impunity, by social media. We need accountability.

Stefanik told TIME in a statement sent after publication: The moral rot is clear for all to see that even amidst Harvards institutional crisis for their failure to condemn antisemitism, Harvard doubled down and chose an antisemitic speaker for Commencement. It is a disgrace.

Harvard University and IPI did not respond to TIMEs requests for comment.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Marijuana theme park was scam to make man $600,000, feds say. Bud and breakfast

Nearly two dozen investors were duped by a salesmans wildly optimistic promises about a marijuana theme park in Alaska, according to federal prosecutors. Those promises cost them more than $600,000.

Brian Keith Cortys proposed cannabis theme park resort  dubbed a Bud and Breakfast  caused 22 people to invest thousands of dollars into the venture, prosecutors said.

Investors were misled into believing the resort would be located at a lodge Corty had bought along a highway near Salcha, about a 30-mile drive southeast from Fairbanks in central Alaska, according to prosecutors.

There, Corty told investors that guests would enjoy marijuana on the premises and gaze at the northern lights while staying overnight in rooms with glass ceilings, prosecutors said. Investors also believed cannabis would be grown, cultivated and sold to customers at the resort.

Corty promised the business would make millions of dollars yearly when it was up and running, according to prosecutors. He projected nearly $4 million in profits during the first year, more than $13 million the second year and more than $23 million the third year, court documents state.

It is unclear how anyone could project that a lodge selling rooms and marijuana in Salcha, Alaska, could possibly generate the returns he promised, prosecutors wrote in court documents.

To raise money, Corty sold investors units in Ice Fog Holdings LLC, a company purportedly created for medical and recreational marijuana production and sales, according to prosecutors.

Ultimately, Corty used the investors money to pay off personal debt and refinance his house, according to prosecutors.

Corty simply lived off of investor funds while continuing to lie to them, they wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

His scheme that spanned from 2017 to 2020 has now landed him in federal prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Alaska announced in a May 3 news release.

A judge sentenced Corty, 53, of Delta Junction, to two years in prison on May 3 for a conspiracy to commit wire fraud after entering a guilty plea, the U.S. attorneys office said.

He must also pay more than $580,000 in restitution, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Corty manipulated unknowing investors by promising millions in proceeds and used their money for his personal gain, U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker said in a statement.

Federal defenders representing Corty didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Ahead of sentencing, his legal counsel contended he did not set out to just steal peoples money and live off the proceeds. He had a real plan, with real intentions, and a true hope that it would all work out in the end.

Charges against wife to be dropped

A year ago, Corty was indicted in the case along with his wife, the U.S. attorneys office said last year.

However, as part of the terms of his plea agreement, the government agreed to dismiss the charges against his wife during his sentencing, court records state.

In his plea agreement, Corty agreed he was the organizer and manager of the marijuana theme park scheme.

An attorney appointed to represent his wife didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on May 6.

Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors wrote Corty is clearly capable of earning an honest living and described him as a good salesman.

They said that while he also has significant health and physical problems and provides care for his wife, the health concerns should not entitle him to much of a break here.

According to Cortys legal counsel, his proposed cannabis resort was a failed dream.

Corty hoped it could be a place where visitors to Alaska could stay on site, purchase and consume marijuana, eat fine food, and enjoy the vast wilderness experience that interior Alaska is famous for, his counsel wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

He thought he could make his dream come true. However, despite his best, persistent, and indeed even illegal actions, he failed miserably, the sentencing memo states.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, things only spiraled for Corty and his business plans struggled, according to his legal counsel.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day, of the agencys Anchorage field office, said in a statement that Corty lured investors with promises of prosperity and guaranteed returns, when in truth, he diverted the investor money to fund his own lifestyle.

Meanwhile, his attorneys wrote that Corty and his wife never lived lavishly, that he wants to make things right for the people he has harmed, and argued in support of a noncustodial sentence for him in the sentencing memo.

Cortys prison sentence will be followed by supervised release, according to prosecutors.

HOA treasurer stole $230,000 from neighbors, deposited money in her accounts, feds say

Meat market owner fled US over $10M food stamp fraud, feds say. Now, hes sentenced

Interior designer scams customers out of $900,000 to fund her lifestyle, feds say

Risky gas station heroin sold online as mood enhancer made man $2.2 million, feds say
WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  A jackpot-winning Match 6 Lotto ticket was sold to a Pennsylvania Lottery player over the weekend.

According to the lottery, the big-winning ticket was sold in Wayne County and correctly matched all six winning numbers, 2-22-24-36-38-39, from the Saturday, May 4 drawing.

The Weis Markets located at 1199 Texas Palmyra Highway in Honesdale earned a $10,000 bonus for the sale.

According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, more than 59,700 other Match 6 Lotto tickets also won prizes in Saturdays drawing.

Winners have one year from the drawing date to claim prizes.

Players should check every ticket, every time,

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
With the onset of summer, Azerbaijan's national air carrier, AZAL, is pleased to offer passengers flights to approximately 60 destinations and has plans to expand its flight schedule to cities in Europe and Asia.



This summer, Azerbaijan Airlines is extending a warm invitation to travellers to explore a myriad of cities in Turkiye, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Pakistan, and other countries.



In Europe, the airline's flight network is set to grow with the introduction of new flights to Bucharest and Sofia starting in June. This expansion will bring the total number of European cities accessible to AZAL passengers during the summer season to 10. Among the exciting options available are visits to Italy for delicious cuisine, Spain for beach relaxation and vibrant celebrations, Austria for stunning mountain vistas, and the Czech Republic for a glimpse of medieval castles, along with many other captivating destinations.



AZAL provides a diverse range of flights to beach resorts along the Black, Mediterranean, and Aegean Seas, as well as to cities along the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and various other enticing locations, ideal for leisure getaways. Passengers can embark on journeys from Baku to enchanting locales such as Barcelona, Batumi, Sochi, Trabzon, Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum, Izmir, and beyond, including Dubai, Tivat, Bahrain, and numerous other cities worldwide boasting endless beaches and intriguing attractions.



For travellers looking to delve into new cultures and traditions, the airline offers flights to destinations like Beijing, Mumbai, New Delhi, Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.



The current summer schedule will see a significant uptick in flight frequencies, particularly on popular international routes, enhancing travel flexibility. Destinations witnessing increased flight frequencies include Berlin, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Sochi, Antalya, Izmir, Trabzon, Bodrum, Tel Aviv, Chisinau, Almaty, Batumi, Beijing, Sofia, Tivat, Dammam, Delhi, Mumbai, among others.



It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan Airlines expanded its summer schedule from 27 destinations in 2022 to 55 in 2023, and further to 58 in 2024.



Istanbul, Antalya, Moscow, Dubai, and Tbilisi are among the top 5 international destinations with the highest number of flights this summer by Azerbaijan Airlines.



Seize the opportunity to create unforgettable memories with AZAL! The airline recommends planning journeys well in advance to secure cost-effective flights during the summer, particularly during peak vacation periods when demand is high.



To view the flight schedule and purchase tickets, please visit the airline's official website at www.azal.az, use AZAL mobile application, or approach to the ticket offices or accredited agencies of Azerbaijan Airlines.
Media: Finland considers building TNT factory in response to war in Ukraine

The Finnish government is considering building a domestic TNT factory in the short term due to the critical shortage of explosives amid Russia's war in Ukraine, Finnish media outlet Yle reported, citing the country's defense minister Antti Hakkanen.

The ongoing full-scale Russian invasion, which has entered its third year, has caused an unprecedented increase in demand for TNT explosives in Western countries.

TNT is primarily used in artillery and mortar ammunition, and is much cheaper in mass production than newer types.

The only plant in the European Union is in Poland, but its production level does not meet the demand.

"We need to increase the production of explosives significantly. Therefore, we must seriously consider the role of domestic industry in this matter," Hakkanen said.

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The decision on the plant's construction must be made now to launch the production in a year or two, the minister said.

The Finnish government has already discussed the matter with the local business community and defense industry market representatives, as well as investors. Allied countries, particularly those from Northern Europe, are also involved in the construction project, Hakkanen added.

According to the minister, the final decision on the future factory's location will be taken by the end of spring.

Finland has recently ramped up its investments in domestic ammunition production.

In March, Finland received EU funding for ammunition production of 32.5 million euros ($35 million). This assistance followed the Defense Ministry's funding of nearly 24 million euros ($26 million) allocated in December.

Earlier, Finish-Norwegian company Nammo's Lapua ammunition factory announced that it would increase production fivefold in 2024 due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Artillery shells produced at the factory in southwestern Finland's city of Sastamala play a crucial role in Finland's aid to Ukraine.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Chinese President Xi Jinping supported on May 6 the idea of a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, Le Monde reported.

Xi arrived in France a day earlier as part of his European tour, marking his first visit to the EU in five years.

The Chinese leader's visit comes at a strenuous time, as Beijing and the European countries are increasingly at odds over China's support for Russia during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron previously voiced hope for China's support of the Olympic truce, a longstanding tradition allowing the safe passage of athletes to and from the Olympics.

Macron welcomed the willingness of his Chinese counterpart to "appeal to all concerned parties to establish an Olympic truce during our upcoming Games," according to Le Monde.

"Together, we believe that this initiative can be an opportunity to work towards a long-term solution in full compliance with international law," the French president said.

Macron also thanked Xi for Beijing's promise to "refrain from selling any weapons to Moscow," the media outlet reported.

China has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war, tightening economic cooperation and disrupting Western attempts at isolating Russia.

The U.S. warned its allies in April that China is increasing its support for Russia through geospatial intelligence, missile propellants, and microelectronics.

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After meeting with Macron and Xi on May 6, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "more effort is needed to curtail the delivery of dual-use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield."

"We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," she said.

Beijing supports the convening of a peace conference "recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all peace plans," Xi said, according to Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.

Ukraine's peace summit will be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland, and 160 national delegations will be invited to the talks.

Russia, the aggressor in the ongoing war, will not be invited "at this stage," the Swiss government said. China has been invited to take part in talks on Ukraine's 10-point peace formula and said it was considering its participation.

The formula envisages withdrawing all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, release of all prisoners of war and deportees, preventing ecocide in Ukraine, and punishing those responsible for war crimes.

Read also: Media: Chinese leader wants to work with international community to end war in Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
One candidate is running in the primary election to represent Iowa House District 39, which includes Pleasant Hill and part of northeast Des Moines.

Incumbent Democrat Rick L. Olson is running for an 11th term in the Iowa House of Representatives. No other candidates filed to run in the primary.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The primary election is scheduled for June 4 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

Who is Rick L. Olson (incumbent)?

Rick Olson

Age: 73

Party: Democratic

Current town of residence: Des Moines

Education: Law degree

Occupation: Attorney

Political experience and civic activities: 10-term state representative; former assistant Polk County attorney; member of the Iowa State Bar Association; Polk County Bar Association; Iowa Association for Justice; Des Moines Elks, Moose International; and Farm Bureau. Past board member of the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and past member of the Polk County Magistrate Appointing Commission.

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Olson: Improving educational results for our children and guaranteeing a woman's right to make her own reproductive choices.

What policies would you support to improve Iowas education system?

Olson: Eliminate vouchers for private schools paid for by Iowa taxpayers.

What do you think Iowas tax policy should be? Do you believe the states priority should be on lowering rates or spending on services for Iowans?

Olson: We can lower taxes for working Iowans, increase taxes on the wealthy, and in so doing, maintain spending on necessary services for Iowans.

What policies would you support to improve school safety in Iowa?

Olson: In that schools, K-12 vary in enrollment and building design, I think it is best that school safety choices be left to the local school boards. Obviously, we want to keep our children safe, but what works in Davenport may not work in Clarinda. Public safety needs to be tailored to the community i.e.: school resource officers, firearms screening, classroom panic alarms connected to law enforcement.

What next steps do you believe the Iowa Legislature should take when it comes to abortion?

Olson: Pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a woman's right to choose.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern and northern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet the candidate, Rick Olson, running for Iowa House District 39
Two candidates are running in the primary election to represent Iowa House District 40, which includes Altoona, the far northeast corner of Des Moines, a portion of southern Ankeny and sections of unincorporated Polk County, such as Norwoodville, Berwick and the area around Saydel High School.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Bill Gustoff is seeking a second term in the Iowa House. Democrat Heather Sievers also is running. Gustoff and Sievers are expected to face each other in the November general election.

To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to all federal and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The primary election is scheduled for June 4 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

Who is Bill Gustoff (incumbent)?

Age: 56

Party: Republican

Current town of residence: Des Moines

Education: Juris Doctor from University of Iowa College of Law in 1995

Occupation: Attorney

Political experience and civic activities: I have spent decades supporting and serving on boards of many nonprots and being active in church leadership circles. This includes Habitat for Humanity of Iowa, Ruth Harbor Ministries, Iowa State Bar Association, Board of Trustees for a small private college in Iowa, and the Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee (including the honor of being trusted by my peers to serve as the partys treasurer for eight years). Serving in the Legislature is a family decision and an extension of our shared desire to serve where we can have the most impact for the people and causes we love.

Who is Heather Sievers?

Heather Sievers

Age: 38

Party: Democratic

Current town of residence: Altoona

Education: Dual master's degree in counseling psychology and nurse leadership

Occupation: Manager of Performance Improvement, UnityPoint Health for the four Des Moines hospitals focused on implementing improvement and reform in health care

Political experience and civic activities: 1. Founder of Advocates for Iowa's Children: a group of 5,300 Iowans across the state fighting for improvements in public education, teachers, students, and our Area Education Agencies that have served my own daughter with rare disabilities called Smith-Magenis Syndrome since she was 2 years old. 2. Advocate for American Civil Liberties Union fighting for reproductive freedoms and LGBTQIA rights and protections. 3. Union supporter and advocate (with a husband who is a proud union member) and recently endorsed by AFL-CIO.

What would be your top issue should you be elected?

Gustoff: Keeping Iowa on track as a national leader for its economy and protection of individual liberties, as well as ensuring it remains the best state to run a business and raise a family.

Sievers: Fighting against chronic under-funding of our public schools, shutting down harmful voucher programs that only support private schools, and fixing damage done this legislative session to our AEAs are on the top of my list. However, as a medical professional, substance abuse and mental health services are critical to expand and improve, as well as improving accessibility and affordability of all health care (including significant improvements to care for our elderly). I will also never stop protecting individual freedoms for all and advancing racial justice. Iowa used to be progressive and support diversity, caring for all people. I plan to work very hard to help restore this.

What policies would you support to improve Iowas education system?

Gustoff: I was very proud to lead the bill to raise starting teacher pay to the fifth highest in the nation through the Iowa House. I also worked hard to see the passage of a number of bills to better Iowas education system by giving parents more control over their childs education, helping teachers regain control of classroom discipline, protecting children from indoctrination over education, and delivering record-level funding to K-12 education. Putting parents in control of their children's education, ensuring accountability in the system, and rewarding schools and teachers who are getting results for their students is the best way we can continue to improve Iowas education system.

Sievers: I will support policies that repeal the voucher program bill that over time will shift millions of dollars away from public schools to private schools that only serve 50,000 kids. These bills passed by the Republican Party are not "Parent Choice," they are "Private School Choice" bills that take money away from 500,000 kids served in public schools across this state. I will fight for 6%+ SSA funding that we've needed for years and our government can afford. I intend to write policies that implement nutrition and well-being programs into schools and early childhood programs and advance inclusion programs. I will help restore our AEAs.

What do you think Iowas tax policy should be? Do you believe the states priority should be on lowering rates or spending on services for Iowans?

Gustoff: Iowans overwhelmingly support continued efforts to make our tax rates as low and fair as possible and that's what we have been delivering. Iowa is a national leader in allowing hardworking taxpayers to keep more of their money while fully funding Iowans' priorities. In addition to our great work on income taxes, we need to deliver property tax relief to Iowans.

Sievers: The Republican legislation cutting income taxes to a flat rate might sound good on paper, but flat rates still allow the wealthy to have big write-off loopholes. This will create billion dollar cuts to state revenue that pay for roads, infrastructure and public services that must be paid to sustain our towns. Lower to middle income families will not feel enough of an impact on their paychecks to make up for the increases to sales and/or property taxes that will inevitably come when the one-time money bank the Republicans plan to use runs out. The rich pay the same price for an apple as the poor. When food costs go up more, Iowans will suffer. We need balanced tax reform that helps all Iowans.

What policies would you support to improve school safety in Iowa?

Gustoff: The first 30 seconds in an active shooter situation are the most critical in determining the outcome. If a shooter can't be stopped in 30 seconds, decades of historical data indicate it will almost certainly result in more than single-digit casualties. The new permit system to train and arm teachers and staff will be an effective strategy to lower response times for schools that choose to implement it. Iowa law already allowed teachers to carry firearms in schools. Our bill raises the bar on the training required to do so. No teacher or school district is required to participate in the new permit system, however, I believe doing so will lower response times and make students safer.

Sievers: We should be focusing on improving mental health, not using more violence to solve violence. Republican legislation allowing more guns after the Perry shooting is against the majority voice. I've asked my school board to vote no to allowing teachers/staff to be armed. Guns in schools is so risky that Republicans wrote in civil and criminal liability protections, meaning if a kid is accidentally killed, no one can be held accountable. Police don't even have criminal liability protections and are highly trained in use of guns. We need to focus on school security, one point of entry, scanning backpacks and ensuring people cannot get into the school with weapons. Our kids deserve better.

What next steps do you believe the Iowa Legislature should take when it comes to abortion?

Gustoff: Iowans do not believe in unrestricted abortion for any reason or at all stages of pregnancy. Our duly elected Legislature has passed laws reecting the will of the people, only to be struck down by unelected activist judges. Recent court decisions put this issue back where it belongs  in the hands of Iowans through their elected representatives, and the Iowa Legislature acted in special session to put back into place the same law expressing the will of the people. I am pro-life and believe in doing all we can to protect the lives of innocent unborn babies and in supporting expectant and new mothers by making adoption easier and implementing the recently enhanced MOMS bill.

Sievers: As a medical professional, I will always protect the sanctity of medical decisions being upheld in confidentiality between a doctor and the patient. National abortion rates are only 7%. Many are due to medical reasons. No one in government should decide for a woman or her family. Abortion laws reduce access to quality reproductive health care, doctors leave, women die, children are left without their mothers, women are forced to deliver babies that have no heartbeat, forced into trauma and babies born with minimal quality of life. Your body, your choice. People can choose not to have an abortion. People must be able to make their own medical decisions. Government needs to stay out of it.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern and northern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The candidates running for Iowa House District 40 in the June 4 primary
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has selected Halei Heinzel of Oconomowoc as Wisconsins 77th Alice in Dairyland. In this position, Heinzel will work for the contract year as a full-time communications professional for DATCP, educating the public about the importance of agriculture in Wisconsin.

Heinzel will graduate in May 2024 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Life Sciences Communication. Before starting at UW-Madison, Heinzel was active in her high schools FFA chapter. She graduated from the Farm and Industry Short Course program with certificates in Agribusiness Management and Dairy Farm Management. While on campus, Heinzel was involved with the Babcock House Student Cooperative, Science Communication Club, UW Polo Club, and serves on the board of the Wisconsin Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association. Heinzel has held internships with the Farm and Industry Short Course program, Professional Dairy Producers, and worked with the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Promotion Board.

I am so excited and honored to be spending the next year serving as the 77th Alice in Dairyland, the official ambassador of Wisconsins diverse and abundant agriculture industry, said Heinzel. I am looking forward to connecting Wisconsinites with agriculture, sharing the impact of this vibrant industry both in local communities and across the state, and sharing the stories of the hardworking individuals who dedicate their lives to agriculture every day.

Heinzel was selected at the 77th Alice in Dairyland Finals hosted by Door County this weekend. She will begin her term as the 77th Alice in Dairyland on July 8, 2024. She succeeds the 76th Alice in Dairyland, Ashley Hagenow of Poynette, who will continue her current term until the transition in July.

About Alice in Dairyland

Alice in Dairyland is a one-year, full-time communications professional with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). The Alice program is supported by several partner organizations, including Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Kettle Moraine Mink Breeders Association, Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board, Goodmans Jewelers, Wisconsin Potato Industry Board, Ginseng Board of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Beef Council. For more information about the 77th Alice in Dairyland Finals in Door County and the Alice in Dairyland program, visit aliceindairyland.com and follow Alice online on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
"But Not Enough to Save You" is the work by Fort Defiance senior Abby Driscoll that drew criticism, but ultimately no action, by the Augusta County School Board.

FORT DEFIANCE  When Abby Driscoll began putting together her art projects for Fort Defiance High School's spring show, she asked a few friends if they thought anyone would find it offensive. It was one particular piece that included Bible pages, part of a series of paintings about trauma, that she was thinking about.

The series, which included seven pieces that were hung together in the lobby of Fort Defiance High School Sunday afternoon, describes trauma that people experience in their lives.

The particular piece, titled "But Not Enough to Save You," shows praying hands holding a rosary over layered Bible pages. Over the image are the words "God Loves You, But Not Enough To Save You." It represents the idea that some people who are Christian don't believe those who are LGBTQ can be saved. "Devotion vs. identity" Driscoll wrote in the description of the piece.

"The whole thing is about showing light through the darkness of trauma," Driscoll told The News Leader Sunday. "That piece in particular was about religious trauma and trauma faced from not being accepted in a quote-unquote loving community. I wanted to really portray that. I know the message is a little strong and in your face, but the kind of shock factor is what I wanted to get out of it."

Friends told her it might offend some, but her message was strong enough that she shouldn't worry about any backlash. That was enough for Driscoll to push ahead with the project.

There was backlash.

Growing up queer

Augusta County is a conservative county. Politically, 77.93% of Augusta County voters chose Republican Glenn Youngkin in the most recent governor's race and 72.65% chose Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

And, according to at least one source, BestPlaces.net, more than 38% of people in Augusta County identify as Christian.

Driscoll, 17, has lived here her entire life. She is a lesbian and living her entire life in Augusta County hasn't been easy.

"In this county, it's very hard," Driscoll said. "There's a lot of discrimination and backlash. A lot of non-accepting people. But within the LGBTQ community itself, the people I have found have been very strong and very good for me. The community I have found has been really supportive and trusting."

Driscoll first took art seriously as an eighth-grader. She had always enjoyed doodling, but it was a middle-school art class that really took her from a casual to a serious artist. By high school, she said the teachers really pushed her and that just increased her love. She enjoys working with acrylic paint and pen the most, saying those are her strongest mediums.

She will continue to pursue art after high school, but in a different medium  photography. Driscoll is headed to James Madison University to study business, but that's so she can learn the ins and outs of owning a photography business.

She views photography and painting as similar in some ways. Both can be pleasing to the eye. Both can also tell a story.

At Sunday's art show, Driscoll was telling a story about trauma.

One of her pieces, "Outlaw," is about masculinity and conforming in a society that doesnt accept you. Another, "Lost Innocence," is representative of substance abuse due to trauma and trauma due to substance abuse. Its the constant cycle of never getting better because you are too focused on what happened in the past. "Torn in Half," was inspired by the idea that trauma can strip away a person and their personality.

The school board didn't threaten to remove her right to display any of those works. Those pieces of art didn't cause the board any concerns. "But Not Enough to Save You" did.

Abby Driscoll, a Fort Defiance senior, is the artist behind "But Not Enough To Save You," a piece of work that prompted the Augusta County School Board to hold a closed session Saturday to discuss banning it.

The backlash

It all began Friday, shortly after Driscoll finished putting up the work for display, she started getting texts that her work was being posted on social media in part of Augusta County, and not in a favorable away. Someone had seen it in the lobby, was offended and started spreading the work on social media. More people were then critical of the work, including at least two school board members.

A day later, on a Saturday night, the Augusta County School Board was meeting to talk about Driscoll's work and whether or not it should be allowed to remain in the show. The News Leader first found out about the issue when Tim Simmons, who represents the Pastures District, posted on his Facebook page that people had reached out to him about the art and the school board was going into a closed meeting Saturday night to discuss.

In a text response to The News Leader Saturday, Simmons said he would happily send a link to the art but he hadn't included details on his page because, "I personally find it offensive."

All throughout this, until Sunday morning, Driscoll's parents were unaware any of this was taking place. While the Augusta County School Board was meeting about their daughter's work, the board hadn't bothered to tell the family they were meeting.

Dawn and Jeff Driscoll, Abby's parents, didn't hear about what was happening until Sunday morning. Abby was reluctant to drag her parents into the middle of an issue that she really didn't think would be that big of a deal. By Sunday morning, the teenager realized it was a pretty big deal, that the topic had blow up on social media and had been covered by the traditional media, so she told her parents.

"She's always been fairly independent," Dawn Driscoll said. "She can stand up for herself and speak for herself. She mentioned it this morning that there was the art show today. Then she told me what was going on."

Dawn was surprised that no one from the school board ever reached out to the family or, specifically, to Abby, to let her speak to the piece before going into a meeting to discuss it.

"I guess a lot of blowback or backlash against the piece kind of proves the (art's) message," Dawn Driscoll said.

Abby Driscoll said the only people in the school division she heard from was her art teacher, Jess Herr, and the school principal, Alan Shull. Both, she said, had been very supportive of her and her art, something she appreciated.

When Abby began hearing about the criticism, it wasn't herself that she was worried about. It was her art teacher. Driscoll said it was her own decision to make the piece and she didn't want Herr to face any consequences for the art.

"Ms. Herr has been really the reason I have stayed with art," Abby said. "She has pushed me to be my best and even when I'm struggling she has helped me and pulled me out of some deep, dark pits. She's really given me a place to express myself freely."

Abby was following along with others in the county through the media as the school board discussed their decision Saturday. When she heard that they would let her art remain, she was happy.

"I was relieved that they thought I should keep it up," she said. "That there were at least some people who thought that I should have the right to keep it up."

Driscoll said she has heard from a lot of people supporting her. A lot of them were at the art show Sunday. Even Angus Carter, the executive director of the Staunton Augusta Art Center, stopped by just to offer his support of Driscoll.

"My principal, he's been behind my back and he's been supporting me," Driscoll said. "It means a lot. My friends and family are the building blocks. They've really helped me and put me where I am. My teachers, my friends, I really appreciate them being here for me."

Now the question is, will future students have that same right to display their art? After Saturday's meeting, Augusta County School Board chair David Shiflett told The News Leader that the policy about art work "needs some tweaking." He did admit that the board really hasn't studied the policy closely because the meeting was called on such short notice.

Dawn Driscoll said if the school board begins changing the policy about displaying art work, it will cause problems.

"It opens a big can of worms," she said. "When you start tweaking freedom of expression, then you call into question whose viewpoint are you allowed to express then."

Abby agrees.

"I think everyone has the right to display what they want as long as its not inciting violence or promoting drug use, because I know that's an issue in schools, as long as it's not doing anything like that I think that it should be allowed to be up," Abby Driscoll said. "We have a freedom and we have a right to do that."

More: Do no harm: A nursing home patient had a bowel movement in his clothes. The nurse aide's response got her license revoked.

More: Investigation into missing PTA funds leads to Staunton School Board chair resigning position

 Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: The Fort Defiance High School artist who the school board tried to ban
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  Hundreds of people on Sunday paid tribute to a Myrtle Beach woman whose body was found last week at Lumber River State Park in Robeson County.

Mica Miller, 30, originally of Wichita, Kansas, died on April 27, according to her obituary. Her husband John-Paul Miller is pastor of Solid Rock Church in Market Common.

Authorities told News13 last week theyre investigating circumstances behind Millers death, but so far have declined to offer any more details.

A morning Justice for Mica rally at the church drew more than 100 people. She was active in the church, running its womens ministry, helping with its graphic design and heading up worship sessions, according to her obituary.

I came out today to support her, to support her family, to support her story, said Melissa Snyder. Because her story is important, and it needs to be told.

Don Sites, who also attended the morning event, recalled Miller for her warmth.

I remember one time, just passing by saying hi, and she had the biggest smile on her face saying hi back, he said.

Later Sunday, a 3 p.m. beach memorial was planned at 91 S. Ocean Blvd. in North Myrtle Beach, hosted by members of her family. Solid Rock planned to conduct a celebration of life at the same time, according to Millers obituary.

Solid Rocks official website has been suspended.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The White House is postponing the FDAs plan to ban menthol cigarettes nationally.

After previously endorsing a federal rule, the Department of Health and Human Services says, Its clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.

The decision is sparking backlash from anti-smoking groups that have pushed for ban since the passage of the 2009 Tobacco Control Act.

Unfortunately, every day that theres a delay, more kids will become addicted to tobacco and fewer people will end their addiction, says American Lung Association spokesperson Erika Sward.

The FDA proposed to ban menthol cigarettes in 2022, citing years of science and evidence showing the products are harmful and addictive.

NAACP Health Equity Director Dr. Chris Pernell says delaying the rule from being finalized will disproportionately harm Black communities. According to the FDA more than 80% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes.

The administration has talked a lot about the importance of health equity, this was a moment to demonstrate health equity in action, says Dr. Pernell.

Opponents of a ban argue outlawing cigarettes could create a black market that would fuel racial inequities in the criminal justice system.

The FDA rule does not target individuals, instead it states FDA enforcement will only address manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers who manufacture, distribute, or sell such products.

Dr. Pernell calls the allegation misinformation and believes delaying a ban will not help President Joe Biden in the November election.

The FDA says its still committed to banning menthol cigarettes but has not provided a timeline.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
After threatening to walk off their jobs and to picket outside of Mondays Met Gala, hundreds of Conde Nast union members have struck a new contract deal with the companys top brass.

Shouting and sign-carrying picketers would not have been a welcome sight outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for Anna Wintour, Conde Nasts chief content officer and global editorial director. A 25-year trustee at The Met, she is co-chairing the celebrity-studded extravaganza with Zendaya, Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez.

More from WWD

In an email that went out to employees at 3:30 a.m.  half an hour after the Zoom bargaining session wrapped up Monday, the companys chief people officer Stan Duncan said, On behalf of the management bargaining committee and leaders throughout the business, we are pleased to come to tentatively agreed terms on a contract with the union. The email was shared with WWD.

While a few Conde Nast-owned titles like The New Yorker and Wired have their own unions, the latest one represents multiple media entities including GQ, Allure, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Bon Appetit, Epicurious, Self, Teen Vogue, Them, Conde Nast Traveler, Ars Technica, Wired, Pitchfork and Architectural Digest, as well as staffers in audience development, commerce and video.

A Conde Nast spokesperson declined comment Monday.

Announcing the deal, Vanity Fairs social media manager and Conde Union bargaining team member Mark Alan Burger flagged the groups pledge to take any necessary action to get a contract, including walking off the job ahead of the Met Gala, and all the actions we took this week, pushed the company to really negotiate.

We made every effort this week to meet with them and get this contract completed and were thrilled to say we did it, he said.

Union supporters had made their plan clear in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Saturday that read, Were doing whatever it takes: Meet us at the table or meet us at the Met on Monday.

After winning its card count in September 2022, the Conde Union posted on the social media platform that it had been officially recognized as a union after a six-month wait. The era of prestige paying the bills is over, the supporters posted.

There are 540 editorial workers in the Conde Nast union, which is affiliated with the NewsGuild of New York. The union will vote to ratify the contract in the coming week, according to the NewsGuild of New York. Globally, the media conglomerate has 5,500 employees.

The new contract would secure a minimum starting salary of $61,500, and end the two-tier permalance system, referring to long-term freelance. Union members have bargained for expanded bereavement leave and two more weeks of family leave (for 14 weeks total), guaranteed comp time after 40 hours of work and conversion of sub-contracted employees to permanent staff among other demands, according to the NewsGuild of New York. In addition, $3.6 million in total wage increases was cited by the NewsGuild of New York as a highlight of the contract. But how that figure would break out is said to be still under consideration, according to someone, who was familiar with the negotiations.

As is the case with many other media outlets, Conde Nast has had its share of layoffs. Chief executive officer Roger Lynch announced the latest round  270 people representing about 5 percent of the companys workforce  in November.

The guild said Monday that it had successfully negotiated the terms of the layoffs Monday, which included eight weeks of severance with all applicable wage increases, continued employment through ratification, accrued and unused vacation time paid out and a layoff moratorium through the end of July among other demands. Currently, Conde Nast is believed to be only back filling existing vacant posts versus advertising job positions.

The union has used other key pop culture events to draw attention to its efforts. Earlier this year supporters held an Oscar-themed rally complete with a red carpet outside of Condes One World Trade corporate office in lower Manhattan on the day that the 2024 Oscar nominations were announced. A similar scenario at The Met would not have just attracted global publicity, but also the attention of scores of celebrities. Vogue employees were said to not be on board with that plan, given that Conde is a corporate sponsor of The Mets Sleeping Beauty: Reawakening Fashion and of the Met Gala.

Duncan informed staffers, We are happy to have a contract that reflects and supports our core values  our content and journalism; our commitment to diversity and professional development; our industry-leading hiring practices, and our competitive wages and benefits.

He concluded, We look forward to the ratification of the contract by its members.

Best of WWD
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. I am so happy to be in Shusha today, said US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby in a video message, Trend reports.

"We have been preparing for this visit for almost two months and I am glad it has finally come together. Thank you for your hospitality. I was extremely impressed by my tour and seeing first-hand how the city is developing. I look forward to continuing my travels throughout Azerbaijan," the ambassador said.

Earlier today, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby traveled to Fuzuli and Shusha today.

"Ambassador and Danusia Libby traveled to Fuzuli and Shusha today. The Ambassador is meeting with government representatives; touring the Shusha Fortress, Khurshidbanu Natavan House, Khan Gizi Spring, Vagif Mausoleum, and Jidir plain; and meeting with local educators who have participated in Embassy-supported English Language programming," the US Embassy wrote on its Facebook page.
CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE)  New Mexicos Supreme Court ruled that the conviction of a Carlsbad man for the death of his 8-year-old daughter stands. In a unanimous decision, the court rejected arguments by Juan Lerma that he failed to receive a fair trial.

In 2020, Carlsbad Police arrested Lerma on suspicion that he had killed his daughter after Lermas mother went to the police. According to a detectives statement filed in Eddy County Magistrate Court, Lerma told his mother that he had killed his daughter.

Police later found Samantha Rubinos body inside black trash bags in a garbage can. An autopsy showed evidence of blunt head trauma and bruises.

Lermas son testified at trial, saying that his father beat him and his sister several times a week. The day before her body was found by police, the boy testified that his sister was kicked by the father, and she fell to the ground, making an unusual rasping noise. The father put a comforter over her, kicked her again, and the noises stopped.

Lerma told the jury he had spanked his daughter with a strap for misbehaving, she had a seizure on the floor after he struck her a second time, and that he placed a blanket on her after rolling her on her side. He testified that he later laid the girl on the couch to sleep and found her dead the next day.

New Video: Suspect arrested after gunshots ring out at ABQ apartment complex

In December 2022, Lerma was sentenced to life in prison for intentional child abuse resulting in the death of a child under 12 years old, which is a first-degree felony. He was sentenced to an additional three years for a conviction of tampering with evidence, but did not challenge that in the appeal before the Supreme Court. Under New Mexico law, life imprisonment requires serving at least 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.

The court concluded there was nothing erroneous about the instructions to the jury explaining the law and what must be proven for a conviction. A reasonable juror would not have been confused or misdirected as the jury was instructed on an accurate statement of the law, the court wrote in a nonprecedential decision by Chief Justice David K. Thomson.

Lerma claimed there were multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct, including a statement regarding the sons testimony in which the prosecutor told the jury the boy was trying to be the voice for all children in Eddy County as well as that of his sister. The defense claimed the prosecutor was improperly appealing to the jurys emotions

This kind of pandering to the jury to decide the case on other than the particular guilt or innocence of the defendant is unprofessional, but it is not grounds for reversal, the court wrote. The justices explained that the statement was isolated in the context of the trial, and the jury was instructed not to issue its verdict on the basis of sympathy or prejudice.

Lerma also argued that the trial court unduly restricted his attorneys questioning of his mother and the son, but the justices disagreed and concluded there was no violation of the defendants constitutional right to confront the witnesses against him.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele called into question Donald Trumps self-perception of strength with a blistering analysis of the former presidents recent comments on election integrity.

In a Time magazine interview published last week, the presumptive GOP nominee said his acceptance of the 2024 election result would depend on the fairness of an election. Trump still refuses to accept his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden with his baseless claim that it was rigged against him.

Steele suggested during an interview on MSNBC that of all the elections that we have had in the history of this country, that your [Trumps] election is the least honest and the most corrupt, it just shows the fallacy of what the man is laying out there.

Trump is afraid of losing because it strikes at the core of the thing that is most important to him, and that is his ego, Steele continued.

The four-times-indicted ex-POTUS doesnt want to do the work to actually win but instead just wants to goad and cajole and bully people into believing something about our system because he is too weak of a man to actually go out and campaign like any other normal candidate would go out and campaign, he added.

So that is your truth, Donald Trump, said Steele.

Trump is trying to game the system as he did in 16 and 20, to say that, If I dont win, then the system is corrupt. No, Donald Trump, if you dont win its because more people voted against you than for you and our electoral system confirm that, he added.

Watch the video here:

Related...
When Lisa Grodsky turned on the news during her lunch break and heard an announcer say kinship caregivers in Michigan will now get the same support foster parents do, she practically choked on her sandwich.

Grodsky, who runs a support group for grandparents raising grandchildren through the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency, hears heart-wrenching stories every month about kinship caregivers who took in children and are living in poverty because of it.

Good thing she has that little button that lets her rewind live TV, because Grodsky had to play that news story again. I couldnt believe what I was hearing: that kinship caregivers will be treated equally  financially  like foster care, said Grodsky. And I just thought, no, no, no, no, no.

Grodsky had already read about a new federal rule, which Michigan will be the first state in the nation to implement, that allows for a less burdensome approval process for kinship caregivers and the allocation of federal funds to support them. But she hadnt paid much attention. She knew it only applied to children CPS had removed from their parents and placed after March 4. And only to kin who are licensed as foster parents.

Currently, thats only 11% of kinship caregivers in Michigan. The rest have legal custody, power of attorney, guardianship, notarized authority or kinship care by family agreement  undocumented to keep things out of the court system. Its a paperwork jungle out there.

For the 89% of kinship caregivers who arent licensed, this new rule does nothing to provide them the financial support the state gives foster parents  support they say they desperately need and deserve.

But Grodsky wasnt the only one who heard the simplified version of the news. Soon, grandparents from around the tri-county area were calling her, asking if this was finally it. If they would finally get some financial help to pay for the grandchildren they were raising.

And she had to tell them: No, no, no, no, no.

Michigan is the first state to get the go-ahead for kin-specific approval process

Around 40% of foster parents in Michigan are kinship caregivers, raising children theyre connected with to keep them from placement with strangers. And until recently, these foster parents  many of whom are grandparents to the children they take in  had to go through the same licensure process as those strangers.

A federal rule passed in September changed that requirement, simplifying and expediting the process of getting approved as a kinship caregiver. Last month, Michigan became the first state in the nation to receive the go-ahead to implement the policy, following the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona.

Im really excited to see the movement forward at the federal level and set a standard for other states to follow, said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel. We know that placing families with relative providers is better for those outcomes so I'm just really excited to see this step forward in supporting families in the system.

Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Rule reflects a culture shift in child welfare

The new rule allows Michigan to create a separate approval pathway for kinship caregivers that Elyse Welser, a foster care program manager with Bethany Christian Services, said is much less of a burden than the grueling process other foster parents must go through to earn licensure  they are required to attend an orientation, complete more than 30 hours of training, submit an application, provide references, submit to a home evaluation and cough up medical information.

Foster care workers can now proceed with placing a child with kin after finishing a state approval process that includes background checks and fingerprinting, though Welser said they still recommend kinship caregivers go through foster parent training.

Its just a lot of work and a lot of paperwork and extra requirements that make it very difficult when someone already has their family in crisis; they just added children to their home, probably with very little warning, said Emily Schab, vice president of regional operations at Bethany Christian Services. I think this kinship- or relative-specific licensing process will help us tailor and better meet those specific needs.

The change aligns with federal priorities to keep families together and increase equity in the child welfare system, the Department of Human Services announced.

Children placed with extended family members or close family friends are better able to stay connected with their siblings, friends, culture and community. Placements tend to be more stable, with better health, educational and social outcomes for kids.

Child welfare professionals said making it faster and easier for kin to get approved signals a strong commitment on the part of the state to keep children with family until they can reunify with a parent.

I think that the changes in the legislation are just emphasizing and allowing the state to really continue to push forward and move in a kinship-first culture within child welfare, Welser said.

Our hearts are in a different place

The new rule also allows federal funds to be spent on paying kinship caregivers a maintenance payment. Those in Michigan say the change will be felt by the state, not caregivers; since 2019, Michigan has provided unlicensed kinship caregivers with the same monthly payments licensed foster parents receive.

Those payments drove the number of children placed with kin from 35% of the child welfare population up to 50% or higher, according to Jessica Sweet, responsible for kinship efforts within MDHHS's children's services agency. "That, I would say as far as data goes, is really the best indicator that I could say of why it's so important to financially support our kinship providers equally, from placement," Sweet said in a webinar on kin-specific licensing.

With the new rule, that money won't have to come from state accounts.

Michigan has been leading in the country, supporting unlicensed kin caregivers for children who are in the state welfare system, and we've been using our state funds, said Hertel. So we're really excited to see this rule put in place so that we can start using our federal funds to support these families.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the approval of Michigans plan aligns with the Biden administrations priorities to keep families together and increase equity in the child welfare system.

But this new rule supports only family members who are willing to get licensed as foster parents. Not all of them are.

Craig Nash, a grandfamily advocate who is raising his granddaughter, says besides the financial benefit, he understands why kinship caregivers wouldnt want to be licensed.

There is a reluctance with some of the caregivers to enter into this type of process because, you know, they just want their independence, Nash said. And yet they definitely need the support.

That was one consideration for Jan Wagner, another advocate who is also raising her granddaughter. She said kinship caregivers shouldnt have to answer to MDHHS in order to get training and support.

I'm not a big supporter of families having to be under control of child welfare, Wagner said. We're different and our hearts are in a different place  our lives are in a different place.

More: Growing number of grandparents face crushing costs as they raise kids

More: Michigan takes foster kids' federal benefit money and reimburses itself for their care

No going back for services

Some kinship caregivers, many of whom are making quick decisions to avoid child welfare involvement, are advised not to become foster parents but to go another route  guardianship, for example. They lose out on foster care payments before they even know theyre an option.

Wagner was advised by a Child Protective Services worker to become her granddaughters guardian lest the toddler end up in the child welfare system and out of her reach. Wagner hightailed it to the court to make it official. No one told me that once I got guardianship there was no going back for services, she said.

Wagner had to go back to work just to cover day care costs and spend down the couples 401(k) accounts to qualify for Medicaid and food stamps.

That's how families get into the situation like we are, Wagner said. And there are more unsupported, uncounted, hidden grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings caring for relatives than there are actually licensed CPS cases.

And so, while shed never change raising her granddaughter, whom she later adopted, Wagner does think there needs to be a separate but equal option for kinship caregivers like her.

This new rule would never touch a family like mine anyway, Wagner said. Im saying, lets find a way to get the funding without getting the licensing.

Jan Wagner was her grandchild's legal guardian before adopting her. She now advocates for unlicensed kinship caregivers to get equal support as foster parents.

Grodsky said while the new rule affects the smallest slice of kinship caregivers, it was the right place for the state to start. And hopefully, she said, grandfamilies can garner more attention and support soon.

Michigan owes it to them, she said. They should recognize what savings these types of kinship caregivers are providing to our state, she said. Kinship caregivers nationwide save the child welfare system more than $6.5 billion in formal foster care costs.

Grodsky is glad that at least the new rule has people talking about kinship care  something, she said, that even those providing it dont always know has a name.

That is a silver lining, that were talking about it, Grodsky said. What isnt the silver lining is that a lot of kinship caregivers  are feeling very robbed.

Jennifer Brookland covers child welfare for the Detroit Free Press in partnership with Report for America. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Reach her at jbrookland@freepress.com. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan is first state to give kin separate foster licensing process
Middle GA honors teachers this week. Heres where educators can get freebies, discounts

Its National Teacher Appreciation Week, which means restaurants and businesses are offering specials for teachers to mark the occasion.

The celebration runs from May 6 to May 10. Many local businesses are getting involved, but national chains with local locations are offering discounts too.

Heres where Middle Georgia teachers and school staff can get discounts on food, supplies and more.

Macon, Warner Robins, Forsyth and more

Blossom Nutrition (Macon): Teachers with a valid ID can get 20% off a tea of choice.

Chick-fil-A (Perry): Based entirely on Perry students voices, one lucky teacher will win 52 free Chick-fil-A meal cards to redeem for a year. Students can stop by the restaurant, vote for their favorite teachers, and help them win free meals that include a choice of a chicken sandwich or nuggets that comes with a side of fries and drink. The giveaway will be open until Friday.

Full Circle Health and Wealth (Warner Robins): Teachers and nurses with appropriate ID can receive a $10 discount on a vitamin infusion all week.

Georgia Association of Educators: Members of GAE can enter a drawing to win a $100 gift card.

Guitarras Mexican Grill (Macon): From Monday through Friday, teachers with a valid ID can enjoy 25% off a meal while dining at this Mexican restaurant.

Jeremiahs Italian Ice (Warner Robins): Teachers can receive a free small ice or gelati with show of ID or homeschool credentials on May 7.

Nothing Bundt Cakes (Warner Robins): With a valid school ID, teachers and nurses can have a free red velvet bundtlet. Supplies are limited, and the special is only for May 6.

Perry Players (Perry): Teachers, nurses, law enforcement and other public service workers can purchase 50% off tickets to Perry Players musical spring performance Bright Star until May 12.

Premier Heating and Air (Forsyth): 20% off repairs and $250 off unit replacements for all Monroe County Schools teachers.

Sugar Magnolia of Macon: From Monday through Friday, teachers can apply a 20% discount at checkout with valid employment ID.

The Vine Boutique (Warner Robins): 15% off purchases at this womens clothing store. Teachers will also receive an entry to win a Teacher Essentials Basket and Beach Swag Bag with each purchase.

National chains offering specials

7 Brew Coffee: From Monday through Friday, any customer who purchases $25 in gift cards will receive a free drink card that will have an expiration date of Aug. 1.

Buffalo Wild Wings: 20% off the entire order for teachers and school staff with a valid ID. The discount is only available for dine-in, call-in and walk-in orders through May 12.

Chick-fil-A: Participating Chick-fil-A locations will offer teachers a free sandwich or 4-piece chicken minis on May 7 with show of school ID.

Golden Corral: Teachers get 20% off one adult buffet purchase Monday through Friday this week with valid ID.

Sonic Drive-In: From Monday through May 20, teachers a part of the Sonic Teachers Circle membership can enjoy several deals:

Buy one Sonic Blast, get one free

Buy one entree, get one free

Free Sonic cheeseburger with any purchase

Free large drink or slush with any purchase

Free small side with entree purchase

Raising Canes: Between Monday and Friday, teachers can enter the Raising Canes sweepstakes to win two round-trip tickets to anywhere in the U.S., a two-night hotel stay and a $200 gift card for vacation spending. Ten winners will be chosen.

Staples: Teachers with valid ID can get a free teacher supply kit at Staples and 20% off on purchases between Sunday and May 11. Supply kits are limited to 20 per store and may not be available in all stores, but the kit can be substituted with an item of equal or greater value.

Whataburger: Teachers and school employees with a valid ID can receive a free breakfast entree of their choice: taquito, breakfast on a bun or honey butter chicken biscuit. The burger chain will also select 63 teachers to receive a $1,000 grant for their school. Offers end on May 10.

As deals are announced, we will add to this list. Did we miss any specials? Let us know!
Midlands women charged with bringing contraband to inmate at SC prison, officials say

Two Midlands women were charged with multiple crimes recently including bringing contraband to a prison in South Carolina, according to the state Department of Corrections.

Jirah Shakanah Walker, a 30-year-old Richland County resident, and Lynetta McCloud Mitchell, a 60-year-old Fairfield County resident, each were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, providing contraband to an inmate and criminal conspiracy, the South Carolina Department of Corrections said in a May 3 news release.

On April 7, Walker and Mitchell were involved with providing contraband to an inmate at Lieber Correctional Institution, according to the S.C. Department of Corrections.

The contraband items included tobacco, jewelry and 85 grams of a substance that field tested positive for marijuana, the S.C. Department of Corrections said.

Walker, who lives in Hopkins, drove Mitchell to the prison in Dorchester County and gave the Winnsboro woman a package containing the contraband to pass to an inmate during visitation, according to the S.C. Department of Corrections.

Mitchells bond was set at $50,000 on the combined charges and was posted April 9, Dorchester County court records show.

Information about Walkers bond status was not available, but she is not currently listed on the Dorchester County Detention Centers inmate roster.

The inmate locked up at Lieber was not publicly identified by the S.C. Department of Corrections.

Lieber is a male-only, close custody level prison in Ridgeville, according to the S.C. Department of Corrections.

Close security facilities are high-security facilities designed primarily to house violent offenders with longer sentences, and inmates who exhibit behavioral problems, the S.C. Department of Corrections said on its website.
Military: Russia trying to regain control of Nestryha Island in Kherson Oblast

Russian forces have launched repeated assaults in an attempt to retake the recently liberated Nestryha Island in Kherson Oblast, a military official said on May 6.

Speaking on national television, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, said Moscow's troops had tried unsuccessfully to storm Ukrainian positions three times, losing four tanks in the process.

Fierce fighting has been ongoing on the Russian-held east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast for months, where Ukrainian forces have established limited footholds and managed to hold them for months.

On April 28, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops had taken control of Nestryha Island and advanced near the village of Veletenske.

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Located in the Dnipro River delta in Kherson Oblast, Pletenchuk previously said Nestryha Island is "tactically important" as Russian forces had been using it to launch attacks on Ukrainian positions.

The village of Krynky, currently under Ukrainian control, is heavily-fought over. On May 6, Pletenchuk said Russian forces had attacked the village twice, dropping six guided bombs on the area during the morning.

In February, Russia falsely claimed it had seized the Ukrainian bridgehead in the village of Krynky.

Read also: Ukrainian soldiers storming eastern bank of Dnipro fear their mission is hopeless

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A military spokesperson denied statements made by a serviceman for the media on May 6 indicating that Ukrainian forces had destroyed a key bridge over a Donbas canal to hinder Russian forces in the area around Chasiv Yar.

Speaking to Espreso TV, the head of the Council of Reservists of the Ground Forces, Ivan Tymochko, initially said a bridge over the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal had been destroyed, indicating that it was done deliberately by Ukrainian forces.

Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces, later clarified on national television the bridge was still standing. He said Ukrainian forces were actually repairing the bridge when it was hit by Russian FPV drones.

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Voloshyn did not elaborate on possible casualties or damage to the structure. He also said Russian forces are unlikely to capture the embattled town of Chasiv Yar as they do not have enough strength for a full-scale offensive.

His comments are at odds with those made by a military intelligence deputy head, Major General Vadym Skibitsky, who said in a media interview on May 2 that the fall of the embattled Donetsk Oblast town in a way similar to Avdiivka is probably a matter of time.

"Not today or tomorrow, of course, but all depending on our reserves and supplies," the general added.

Russian forces shifted their focus toward Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that potentially opens the way to further advances into the oblast, after capturing Avdiivka in February.

Read also: Battle of Chasiv Yar begins: On the ground with Ukrainian forces defending city key to Russias plans

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. A working group has been established at the Territorial Medical Units Management Association (TABIB) to implement the action plan related to the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), the 19th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 6th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, Trend reports.

According to information, on the first day of the event, 4 medical stations and 4 ambulance brigades established by the association will operate at the COP29 venue.

A total of 30 ambulance crews are planned to work during the event. During this period, a medical station and medical aid brigades will work round the clock in the districts where more than a thousand guests will live. The Central Oilmen's Hospital and Yeni Klinika are allocated to provide qualified medical assistance in cases of need for inpatient medical care. A 10-bed burn center will be established in the Central Oilmen's Hospital with 60 beds. The Yeni Klinika will have 550 beds for inpatient care. Besides, in case of infectious diseases or emergencies, modular hospitals in Muhammadi, Bilgah, and a modular hospital at the Clinical Medical Center have been adapted to meet the needs," TABIB informs.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. The COP28 plenary meeting in Dubai on December 11 last year made this decision. Baku will become the world's center, receiving about 7080,000 foreign guests.

At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, the United Nations signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change as an agreement to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. The COPthe Conference of the Partiesis the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. 198 countries sign the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

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Claire Woodall-Vogg, executive director of the City of Milwaukee Election Commission, teaches a class to poll workers Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee's election leader has been ousted by the mayor in a surprise move that comes just six months before Wisconsin's largest city will be in the spotlight in the presidential swing state. Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced Monday, May 6, 2024, that he would be replacing Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Woodall with her deputy, Paulina Gutierrez. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Milwaukee's election leader has been ousted by the mayor in a surprise move that comes just six months before Wisconsin's largest city will be in the spotlight in the presidential swing state.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced Monday that he would be replacing Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall with her deputy, Paulina Gutierrez.

Milwaukee has been at the center of attention in Wisconsin, a state known for close elections and where four of the past six presidential contests have been decided by less than a percentage point.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump and others were quick to cry fraud after late-arriving results from Democratic-dominated Milwaukee helped Joe Biden narrowly carry the state by just under 21,000 votes. Recounts demanded by Trump confirmed Bidens victory.

The change has nothing to do with how Woodall ran elections, but instead had to do with other issues internal to the election commission office and to city government that raised concern, said the mayor's spokesperson Jeff Fleming. He declined to say what those issues were.

People see one side on this side of the camera, but there are other things on the other side of the camera that I also have to deal with and thats exactly what I did with my decision, Johnson told WISN-TV. He declined to elaborate.

Woodall did not return messages seeking comment. Her replacement, Gutierrez, also did not return messages.

Woodall has been outspoken about the challenges she and other election officials have felt in recent years.

She has described being harassed and threatened after the 2020 election via email, phone calls and letters to her home  threats serious enough that she has an assigned FBI agent to forward them to.

The change came a week after Woodalls former deputy, Kimberly Zapata, was sentenced to probation and fined $3,000 after being convicted of misconduct in office and fraud for obtaining fake absentee ballots. Zapata argued that she was acting as a whistleblower, exposing vulnerabilities in the states election system.

Johnson and others who work in elections stressed that the change would not affect how elections are run in Milwaukee.

Paulinas integrity and capabilities are ideally suited to this position," Johnson said in a statement announcing the change. "She will lead the office at an important juncture when public scrutiny of the work of the department will be extremely high. I have confidence in her, and I will make certain the department has the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.

Gutierrez has only been a staff member at the city election commission for a little over a year. Neil Albrecht, who led the office for 15 years before retiring in May 2020, has offered his assistance as a volunteer, Fleming said. Woodall took over for Albrecht in 2020 and had been leading the office until now.

Following his reelection in April, Johnson had to renominate all of his Cabinet-level positions for city council approval. That is why he decided to make the change at this time, Fleming said.

None of the city's three election commissioners returned messages seeking comment. But Ann Jacobs, a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission from Milwaukee, said she was surprised by the move.

Changes like this are always challenging, but given how many elections Wisconsin has theres no good time for these sort of changes to happen," Jacobs said. "I expect the office to be professional and to continue their work and that the election will be run smoothly and properly.

Jacobs stressed that elections are run by teams of people.

The administration of elections isnt something that is dependent on one person," she said. It is dependent on the workflow, the task flows and the operations of an entire office.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is charging eight people in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the state's Medicaid program out of nearly $2.6 million.

In charges filed Friday in Rice County District Court, Ellison alleged that co-conspirators used the stolen identities of hundreds of people, largely in the Faribault area, to bill Medicaid for services the victims did not receive and the co-conspirators did not provide.

They are charged with 67 felonies, including racketeering, felony theft and identity theft, according to a news release issued by Ellison's office. The charges come about five months after Ellison brought charges in another Medicaid fraud case, which involved about $11 million in billing.

In the latest case, "the co-conspirators' conduct primarily involves fraudulently billing the Medicaid program for transportation, interpreter, and specialty-clinic services, including acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractor, and mental-health services, that were not provided at all, or were not eligible for reimbursement from the Medicaid program," the office said in a news release.

Medicaid is a state-federal health insurance program that primarily serves lower-income residents. The program in Minnesota is called Medical Assistance, which often provides benefits through private managed care companies such as Minneapolis based-UCare.

In the scheme, defendants used patient identities, Ellison says, to bill for Medicaid-funded services throughout the Twin Cities, often between 50 and 60 miles from the Faribault area even though service providers were available much closer to home. UCare permits members to travel up to, but not over, 60 miles for a medical service without pre-authorization, according to the attorney general.

Ellison alleges the co-conspirators often steered victims towards clinics that lay just under the 60-mile limit, enabling transportation drivers who were part of the scheme to maximize their reimbursement.

"A criminal complaint is merely an allegation," the news release states, "and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."

According to the news release: Nasro Aden Takhal, the principal actor, is charged with one count of racketeering, six counts of identity theft, and ten counts of aiding and abetting felony theft. Takhal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Three co-conspirators were charged with racketeering, identity theft and aiding and abetting felony theft, according to the news release. Four other co-conspirators are charged with identity theft and aiding and abetting felony theft.
Twenty states authorize civil commitment of sex offenders who have completed their criminal sentences but are deemed too dangerous for release. Minnesota, which deploys that option against a larger share of its population than any other state, spends $100 million a year to detain about 750 individuals who are deemed "likely" to commit sex offenses. Although those detainees are notionally eligible for release when they no longer pose a threat, that rarely happens: As of last September, just 21 of 946 people committed to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) had been fully discharged, while 94more than four times as manyhad died in custody.

In effect, the MSOP, which is overseen by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), imposes life sentences on its "clients," not as punishment for crimes they have committed but in anticipation of crimes they might commit in the future. That system, researchers at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul argue in a new report, is not only unjust but also highly inefficient, squandering public resources on a preventive detention scheme that delivers little, if any, public safety benefit. The program is so riddled with conceptual and practical problems, they conclude, that it should be abolished.

"Civil commitment's reduction of sexual violence is vanishingly small compared to its expense," says the report from Mitchell Hamline's Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center, which notes that it costs about $175,000 a year to keep each detainee in the program. Because civil commitment "focuses on preventing a small fraction of recidivist offenses," law professor Eric Janus and his co-authors argue, it "neither addresses nor repairs the vast majority of sexual harm in Minnesota."

Civil commitment "has failed to serve the purported purpose of treating individuals to facilitate safe community reentry," Janus et al. write. "The state commits too many, and keeps them too long, compounding [the program's] ineffectiveness with civil and human rights violations." At bottom, they say, civil commitment of sex offenders "embodies a dangerous principle: that impassioned majorities may indefinitely detain a reviled and degraded 'other' in the name of preventing some future harm."

Officially, the MSOP's locked facilities in Moose Lake and St. Peter, both of which "have secure perimeters fenced in by razor wire," are treatment centers, not prisons. Although it defies reality, that distinction is legally crucial: The U.S. Supreme Court has approved indefinite detention of sex offenders "who suffer from a volitional impairment rendering them dangerous beyond their control," which it deems remedial rather than punitive. In that situation, the safeguards that are constitutionally required for criminal cases, such as trial by jury, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and the bans on double jeopardy and ex post facto punishment, do not apply.

As Janus et al. note, civil commitment nevertheless is subject to several constitutional requirements. To be committed, an individual must have a "mental disorder" that makes him dangerous to himself or others. In the case of sex offenders, that "mental disorder" must distinguish people subject to commitment from others convicted of similar crimes. The program must provide treatment when it is feasible, and "the nature and duration of commitment must bear a reasonable relationship to the purpose of the commitment." The MSOP falls short on all counts.

Minnesota's Sexually Dangerous Person Act, enacted in 1994, authorizes civil commitment of anyone who "has engaged in a course of harmful sexual conduct"; "has manifested a sexual, personality, or other mental disorder or dysfunction"; and "as a result, is likely to engage in acts of harmful sexual conduct." Anyone convicted of a sex offense meets the first criterion, while many, if not most, convicted criminals would meet the second. According to a study that Janus et al. cite, for example, "estimates suggest that between 40% and 80% of all imprisoned males would meet the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder." Finally, assessments of how "likely" someone is to "engage in acts of harmful sexual conduct" are highly contentious and prone to error.

"The Minnesota Supreme Court held that a trial court must find that future sexual crime is 'highly likely,' but neither the legislature nor the courts have further defined the term," Janus et al. explain. "The result is an amorphous and highly subjective standard." They cite examples of sex offenders who were committed even though they were deemed to pose a "moderate risk," along with evidence that commitment decisions are driven by political factors, such as public outrage at specific crimes and the "philosophies of local prosecutors."

Despite the notional requirement that commitment end when it no longer serves its ostensible purpose, Janus et al. note, "Minnesota does not regularly review detainee risk levels to assess the feasibility of safe reentry into the community." And while the MSOP's executive director can independently recommend a detainee's transfer or release at any time, "this prerogative is rarely, if ever, exercised."

That abdication of responsibility jibes with the attitude of Minnesota's political leaders. Even while defending the MSOP in 2015, then-Gov. Mark Dayton conceded that civil commitment decisions are no better than guesswork, because "it's really impossible to predict whether or not [sex offenders] are at risk to reoffend." As Dayton saw it, the solution was to err on the side of keeping everyone locked up. That was consistent with the position that Dayton's predecessor, Tim Pawlenty, took in 2003, when he issued an executive order barring the release of MSOP detainees "unless required by law or ordered by a court." Pawlenty's chief of staff explained that "the governor doesn't want these guys to get out, and he's made that clear ever since he was running for office."

In practice, each detainee has the burden of petitioning for transfer or release, and that process is plagued by bottlenecks, redundant reviews, and backlogs. "MSOP detainees wait an average of 625 days"nearly two years"for a final decision to be made on their petitions for transfer to a less restrictive environment or discharge," Janus et al. note.

Until 2015, when a federal judge deemed the MSOP unconstitutional, no detainee had ever been fully discharged, even though the program at that point had been operating for two decades. "Since that time," Janus et al. note, "a slow trickle has begun, but releases are still outpaced by deaths in custody." As of September, nearly three-quarters of MSOP "clients" had been detained for more than a decade, nearly half for more than 15 years, and about a fifth for more than two decades.

Even when a petition is approved by the Commitment Appeal Panel (CAP), that does not necessarily mean transfer is imminent. "In December 2021, the CAP held the DHS Commissioner in contempt for failing to transfer an MSOP detainee to [Community Preparation Services] after CAP had granted his petition for transfer," Janus et al. note. "In CAP's findings of contempt, the Court noted that '55+' MSOP detainees have had their progression similarly delayed by a failure to transfer for two years or more."

The opacity, unpredictability, and painfully slow pace of this process have fostered an "overall culture of hopelessness and frustration" that deters detainees from even filing petitions, Janus et al. report. That frustration has provoked hunger strikes by detainees who complain that the standards for measuring treatment progress and eligibility for transfer or release are utterly mysterious. "The level of hopelessnessaround here has reachedalmost crippling levels," one detainee said in an email that Janus et al. quote, "to the point where people don't even try, people don't attempt anything, and people don't have any motivation. People are willing to do nothing, to try nothing, to get out of here because nothing we do works."

The MSOP originally was presented as a stopgap measure aimed at compensating for insufficiently long prison sentences. That rationale was inherently problematic, since it implicitly admitted that legislators were retroactively increasing the punishment imposed on people who had already served the sentences prescribed by law. In any event, that explanation was contradicted by subsequent trends.

"Running parallel to civil commitment's expansion over the last three decades, Minnesota has also increased criminal sentences and post-confinement supervision for those convicted of sex offenses," Janus et al. note. For example, "the average prison sentence for First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct increased from 75 months in 1988 to 190 months in 2017," and in 2005 the legislature authorized a life sentence for "a single 'heinous' sex crime." But "despite the material lengthening of criminal penalties, Minnesota's program of civil commitment continues to grow, contradicting the solemn promises of legislators that this form of extraordinary confinement would soon disappear, restoring the criminal justice system to its primary role in holding harm-doers accountable."

Politicians and their constituents, of course, are unlikely to care much about the civil liberties of convicted sex offenders, even when they supposedly have paid their debt to society. They nevertheless should care about the waste of taxpayer money that the MSOP entails.

The hope that civil commitment would have a significant impact on public safety stemmed partly from widespread misconceptions about recidivism. "Contrary to the often quoted and erroneous claim that sex offense recidivism rates are 'frightening and high'" an assessment endorsed by the Supreme Court"those convicted of sex offenses have one of the lowest same-crime recidivism rates across all offender categories," Janus et al. note. A 2019 Department of Justice study, for example, found that less than 8 percent of people who were released after serving sentences for rape or sexual assault were arrested for a new sex offense within nine years of release, and "other studies have found similarly low rates for both 'low risk' and 'high risk' offenders."

A 2013 study of 105 people committed to the MSOP estimated that the upshot was a small reduction in the four-year sex offense recidivism rate (as measured by new convictions), from 3.2 percent to 2.8 percent. A study published the same year, based on interstate comparisons, found that civil commitment programs "have had no discernible impact on the incidence of sex crimes." Either "there are no preventive benefits associated with these laws," the authors concluded, or "the benefits are too small to measure with these methods."

These results are not surprising, Janus et al. say, since civil commitment programs address "only a sliver of a sliver of sex offense convictions," and people arrested for sex crimes typically do not have prior convictions for that sort of offense. From 2001 through 2015, according to data from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, "93% of criminal sexual conduct convictions in Minnesota involved defendants with no such prior convictions."

Given that reality, Janus et al. argue, the money that Minnesota devotes to civil commitment of sex offenders would be better spent on community programs that aim to "prevent sexual violence before it occurs." Minnesota's current budget, they note, devotes about $2.3 million a year to such programs, while spending 50 times as much on the MSOP.

The MSOP has been subject to much criticism over the years, including a 2011 report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor, 2012 and 2013 reports from the Sex Offender Civil Commitment Advisory Task Force, and the aforementioned 2015 decision in which U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank concluded that the program was unconstitutional (a decision that was later overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit).

"It is undisputed that there are civilly committed individuals at the MSOP who could be safely placed in the community or less restrictive facilities," Frank wrote. He noted that adjudication of detainees' petitions "can take years" and described the MSOP as a "treatment system with 'chutes-and-ladders'-type mechanisms for impeding progression, without periodic review of progress, which has the effect of confinement to the MSOP facilities for life."

Janus et al. recommend specific procedural reforms, several of which could be implemented without new legislation. But judging from the history of proposed changes that went nowhere, they say, "future efforts to progressively reform MSOP will be unsuccessful, not because they are unneeded, but because legislators are unwilling to engage with what is perceived to be a political third rail."

Instead of a piecemeal approach, the report says, legislators should scrap the entire system and "reinvest MSOP's $100 million annual budget into community and victim support, holding harm-doers accountable through restorative practices, and

sexual violence primary prevention efforts." Even if the MSOP's manifest defects could be ameliorated through less ambitious changes, it says, the program would still entail "a misallocation of prevention resources and a dangerous endorsement of unequal justice."

The post Minnesota's Indefinite Detention of Sex Offenders Is Ineffective As Well As Unjust appeared first on Reason.com.
(Reuters) - Veteran British naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough turns 98 on May 8, but according to his longtime collaborator Mike Gunton, he has no plans to retire.

Gunton, who is Creative Director of the Natural History Unit at the BBC, first met Attenborough in the 1980s working on animal behaviour show "The Trials of Life". The two have since made acclaimed programmes such as nature series "Planet Earth", wildlife show "Life" and "The Green Planet", about plants.

In an interview with Reuters, Gunton reflected on his relationship with Attenborough and the broadcaster's work.

Below are excerpts edited for length and brevity.

Q: What has your working relationship with David meant to you?

Gunton: "I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to make the programmes that he's been a key part of, which would never have been seen and appreciated and loved by so many people without him front and centre."

Q: What is it like working with David?

Gunton: "Every time you go on location with David it's fun. He's got an amazing sense of humour. He's a fantastic anecdote raconteur. He offers opportunities to go places and see things that you would never normally see with your eyes."

Q: What is the key message at the heart of David's work?

Gunton: "He has always had a curiosity about the natural world but always had concern for its vulnerability. He must be unique in that nobody is an eyewitness like he is of the change that has happened across the natural world, often because he's been back to the same places. That's why he's such a powerful advocate because you can't argue. He's seen it with his own eyes."

Q: What is David most proud of?

Gunton: "He's undoubtedly proud of the sheer scale of the body of work, that almost every aspect of the natural world at some point he has been able to tell a story about and engage millions upon millions of people around the world."

Q: What has David's role been in developing the way his nature documentaries resonate?

Gunton: "It's a group effort but he is the best storyteller of all. He's a genius when it comes to unfolding a story that is both powerful, beautiful and sometimes quite sobering, in a way that audiences will accept and absorb. I think that's going to be a very hard thing for anyone else to do."

Q: Will David ever retire?

Gunton: "Somebody did ask him this the other day, and he said, 'Retirement, retirement? I don't even know the word'. It's never going to happen."

(Reporting by Sarah Mills; Editing by Gareth Jones)
The video from Akron Police Officer Ryan Westlake's body came shows what happened when he tried to stop 15-year-old Tavion Koonce-Williams after a dog-walker reported that someone was pointing a gun at houses. In the first frame, as Westlake emerges from his police cruiser, he asks Tavion, "Can I see your hands real quick?"

A facsimile firearm charge filed against Tavion Koonce-Williams, who was shot by an Akron police officer last month, was dismissed Monday morning pending further investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Summit County prosecutors asked for the case to be dismissed during a preliminary trial hearing. Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Teodosio approved the motion, dismissing the charge without prejudice  which means the charge could be reintroduced depending on the conclusion of the BCI investigation.

Pursuing charges at this time against Mr. Koonce-Williams could undermine the independence of BCIs investigation, Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said. Charging decisions should only be made after the completion of a thorough review of the incident by independent investigators.

Tavion, 15, of Akron, was shot in the wrist by an Akron police officer on April 1 after police received a non-emergency call about a man pointing a gun at homes in the Goodyear Heights neighborhood.

Immediately after being shot, Tavion repeatedly yelled that the gun was a fake before he was arrested. Ryan Westlake, the officer who wounded Tavion, had previously been fired and then rehired by the city after violent incidents both on and off the job. He was fired again by the city on Monday for two unrelated use-of-force incidents.

Tavion is represented by attorney Imokhai Okolo, who has accused the city and police department of pursuing the facsimile firearm charge as a way to avoid civil liability and shield themselves from political backlash.

"The possibility of criminal charges for simply doing what kids do is still looming over his head," Okolo said in a news release issued Monday evening.

Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Fake gun charge dismissed against Akron teen who was shot by police
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.

Missouris child welfare agency missed warning signs and failed to protect dozens of children from dying of fentanyl, according to a recent state report.

Written by a panel created by the Department of Social Services to study 2022 fentanyl deaths, the report further stated that safety protocols in place were inadequate.

The Childrens Divisions (CD) approach to child safety lacked essential procedures, missed warning signs, and left vulnerable children at risk, the Fentanyl Case Review Subcommittees report said. The subcommittee identified issues like inadequate case assessments and families declining services, leading to case closures.

In 2022 alone, 43 children in Missouri  from babies and toddlers to older teens  died of fentanyl. And since January, the subcommittee of experts, social workers, health officials, law enforcement, and child advocates have spent hours each week analyzing those deaths.

In the end, the panel said agency leaders now must focus on training, improve safety standards, and make sure drug concerns inside families are thoroughly investigated. Other recommendations include improving the coordination between the Missouri Department of Mental Health and CD and educating workers on the best options when fentanyl is involved.

The loss of a child to a drug-related incident is a heartbreaking occurrence that should never transpire, said DSS Director Robert Knodell in a letter included in the report. It is imperative that we collectively strive for improvement on both a personal and communal level.

Emily van Schenkhof, executive director of the Childrens Trust Fund, was a part of the subcommittee and said she was surprised by much of what she read in the case reports. The Childrens Trust Fund is the states foundation for child abuse prevention.

There were cases where we knew at the birth of the child that there was a serious substance abuse problem, she said. And I think those cases were not handled the way they should have been.  So those were very hard to see.

The state, van Schenkhof said, has changed some protocols since 2022, altering how those cases are handled.

There were other cases, she said, where we have a hotline call, or someone would say, Mom or Dad is using fentanyl, Im really worried.

But there was a failure to adequately investigate that, van Schenkhof said.

Jessica Seitz, also a member of the subcommittee, said as she reviewed the cases and met with the group she learned how fatal fentanyl is and how much imminent danger a child is in if fentanyl is around.

It was shocking to me just how much the presence of fentanyl ranks you on the overall safety assessment, said Seitz, executive director of the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, formerly known as Missouri KidsFirst.

And in many of the cases reviewed, she said, the presence of fentanyl within the family wasnt properly assessed at that level of urgency.

This threat is incredibly unique

The Stars series, Deadly Dose, first revealed late last year that babies and toddlers in Missouri were dying from fentanyl at an alarming rate. In 2022, 20 Missouri children  ages 4 and under  died from fentanyl. Seven of those babies and toddlers were from Jackson County.

Unlike other drug crises, including crack, these children didnt suffer from debilitating addictions because their parents were using; they died of actual fentanyl overdoses. The babies and toddlers came across the synthetic opioid and its residue in their homes, inside hotel rooms and even at a city park.

Their deaths largely went unnoticed, ending up as statistics inside annual state reports on child deaths or in records kept by county medical examiners. Most of the attention on fentanyl has focused on teens or young adults and the awareness that one pill can kill.

The subcommittee also found concerns with the older children. While many of the babies and toddlers were known to Childrens Division, so were some of the teens. And many of those were the hardest cases, van Schenkhof said.

What we saw were kids that over a period of 10 to 15 years, they never got their needs met, she said, and then in order to kind of cope with the trauma that they experienced they turned to alcohol and drugs.

In December, two months after The Stars report on children dying of fentanyl, Knodell formed the subcommittee.

As the threat and the presence of Fentanyl across the country and in Missouri has escalated, DSS felt it was important that we review our practices and trainings, and update them with the help of professionals across the spectrum, Knodell said in an email. This threat is incredibly unique, and we view the subcommittees report as a vital starting point for a sustained effort.

A perfect storm

The report gives crucial insight into the struggles that Missouri has had in containing the devastating toll fentanyl has taken on the state, including its most vulnerable children.

The rise of the illicit drug  and the childrens deaths in 2022  occurred at a time when the states child welfare system struggled with turnover and vacancies that plagued the Childrens Division in every pocket of the state. Underpaid and overworked employees told The Star back in 2022 that they were forced to carry caseloads up to two and three times the standard.

In Kansas City alone that year, officials scrambled to hire employees as the turnover rate in that office reached nearly 100 percent.

It was a perfect storm of those very big risk factors that led to fatalities, Seitz said. And then a lack of understanding of all of the different options available.

As the state continued to deal with the COVID-19, fentanyl was still fairly new in Missouri.

When something emerges this quickly, our systems and our workforce are not equipped to be able to shift on a dime and recognize something until some time has passed, van Schenkhof said. And so it was just too new of an issue for a struggling overburdened, chronically underfunded, and under-resourced system to be able to adequately respond.

She applauded Knodells actions in seating the subcommittee and telling members that he wanted to know what they found.

The reason that the director asked us to do this is because it is the culture right now in the Department of Social Services that we take a hard look at where we are not living up to our obligations and that we make changes, van Schenkhof said. And so I think we will see good things coming out of this and I think we will see it soon.

The report did not include a timeline for when the improvements should be made.

But Baylee Watts, a DSS spokeswoman, said the states child welfare agency is assessing the recommendations provided in the report and will make every effort to establish procedures to tackle these issues.

The Department of Social Services, including the Childrens Division, is committed to enhancing processes, Watts said in an email, and working closely with our partners to enhance collaboration and ensure a safer Missouri for our most vulnerable citizens.
Lawmakers in the Missouri House of Representatives passed a law curtailing the government's ability to take private property. Unfortunately, the bill seems more like a culture war posturing than a genuine reclamation of private property rights, and it does not go nearly far enough.

House Bill 1750, sponsored by state Rep. Mike Haffner (RPleasant Hill), passed the House on Thursday by a comfortable 11527 margin. The bill would amend the state's law on eminent domain to exclude "any plant, tower, panel, or facility that utilizes, captures, or converts" either wind or solar energy "to generate or manufacture electricity."

Eminent domain is the government's power to seize private property for public use, authorized by the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Traditionally, a government would take private land in order to, for example, build a highway or run utility lines; the property owners would have to go along with it but would be entitled to "just compensation."

But in 2005, the Supreme Court decided in Kelo v. City of New London that eminent domain could include seizing private property to give to private developers; Justice John Paul Stevens wrote that "there is no basis for exempting economic development from our traditionally broad understanding of public purpose." Connecticut homeowner Susette Kelo originally brought the lawsuit when the City of New London moved to seize her house, among others, so that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer could build a research and development facility. By 2009, Pfizer abandoned its plans for the area, leaving Kelo's former property an empty lot.

Some states offer citizens greater protection from seizure. In 2006, one year after the Kelo decision, Florida passed H.B. 1567, which removed the state's ability to condemn properties for "blight" and required cities to wait at least 10 years after taking a property before transferring it to another owner. The following year, New Mexico passed H.B. 393, which "remov[ed] the ability to condemn property for economic development" in state law.

Unfortunately, not every state responded to Kelo with such forthright protections for private property. "Missouri is a state sorely in need of eminent domain reform," according to the Institute for Justice (I.J.), a public-interest law firm. "For years, redevelopment agencies throughout the state have used bogus blight designations to acquire private property for private development. Further enabling abuse, provisions in the Missouri Constitution authorize eminent domain for blight clearance and redevelopment."

To that end, Haffner's bill could have strengthened private property rights in the state by meaningfully constraining the government's power. Instead, the bill would have little actual effect and reads more like Haffner is simply virtue signaling to his base.

"In recent years, we've seen a troubling trend of companies attempting to leverage eminent domain to advance their private interests in renewable energy projects," Haffner stated in a press release after his bill passed. "We believe that solar and wind turbine companies should negotiate with landowners rather than resorting to eminent domain to acquire property. This bill restores balance by limiting eminent domain to essential public utilities and infrastructure, safeguarding the property rights of Missouri citizens."

That's a noble goal. But Haffner's bill would only constrain the state's eminent domain powers for solar or wind developments; if a pharmaceutical company wanted to bulldoze a neighborhood to build a research facilityas happened to Susette Kelonothing in the bill would prevent that.

Not only that, but so far, no wind or solar developer has even tried to obtain land in Missouri through eminent domain. "This has not happened," Haffner acknowledged before the vote, according to KSMU. "But property rights are so importantwe want to make sure that it doesn't happen."

State Rep. Peter Merideth (DSt. Louis) criticized Haffner's bill for "singling out this specific type of energy and saying we want them to have different constraints on the use of eminent domain than an oil pipeline or a coal-generating plant."

Missouri Republicans previously tried to reform eminent domain laws, but similarly only in reference to one particular project: the Grain Belt Express, a transmission line that would have run 4,000 megawatts of renewable energy through the Midwest. Last year, the project finally won approval after lawmakers passed legislation that would require greater compensation for homeowners whose property is taken and would terminate the developer's rights to the land if construction did not begin within seven years.

The post Missouri Bill Would Ban Eminent Domain, but Only for Wind and Solar Projects appeared first on Reason.com.
In this Missouri county, Republicans go to war over who can run as a Republican

No one blinks when Republicans and Democrats go to battle with each other. But eyebrows and tempers rise when the fight turns inward.

That is precisely what is happening now in rural Vernon County, Missouri, some 90 minutes south of Kansas City, where the Vernon County Republican Committee is headed to circuit court on Tuesday against the county clerk  a Republican  over who gets to determine who runs for office and call themselves a Republican.

As fights go, this one has turned nasty.

Leading the charge on one side is Cyndia Haggard, a self-described pro-Trump, MAGA Republican and election denier who in 2023 appealed to the court for clemency for a Vernon County man convicted of breaking into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2020, dressed in a Revolutionary War costume.

One hundred percent, Haggard told The Star last week, the 2020 election was stolen.

The chairwoman of the countys Republican Committee, Haggard is also president of another organization, the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO, which holds that too many fake Republicans or RINOS (Republicans in name only) are being allowed to run for office under the Republican banner.

RINOs, the organizations website states beneath a photo of a rhinoceros in a suit, are like a virus that infects & destroys our partys values.

As such, the group has been promoting extensive vetting of prospective candidates before they are allowed  by a countys Republican party committee  to run as a Republican. The vetting includes a 25-question values survey to be graded on a pass/fail basis.

We are at war to save our party, says the groups website, which bears Haggards name. Thats not an overstatement.

Legislators ignore us. They kowtow to lobbyist interests. Fake Republicans have filed under the Republican banner for years. No one in the Republican leadership says a word. No one stops them. WE. WILL.

Because the case on Tuesday involves Vernon County officials, it is being heard before Judge Gayle L. Crane of Jasper County Circuit Court. The scope of the case is narrow. It does not directly involve the issue of vetting, per se, but it does center on who has the right to determine who can run as a Republican candidate.

The webpage of the Republican Association of Central Committees of MO calls for vetting of candidates and declares war against fake Republicans or RINOs, Republicans in name only.

Republicans take Republicans to court

In March, the Vernon County Republican Committee filed what is known as a writ of mandamus through their attorney, Mark McCloskey, to, in effect, compel the Vernon County clerk, Adrienne Lee, to do what they believe to be her public duty.

McClosky, a personal injury lawyer, is popular in conservative circles as a podcast host. In 2020, he and his wife, Patricia, gained instant notoriety when, during the Black Lives Matter protests, they emerged from their affluent St. Louis home brandishing weapons to ostensibly project themselves from the protesters.

In the filing, the plaintiff maintains that, just like a club is allowed to determine who its members are, the Vernon County Republican Committee is solely responsible in the county for determining who may run for office under the Republican banner.

The county clerk, they insist, went beyond her authority when, in February, she took the filing fees from several candidates who were rejected by the committee and told them that their names would be placed on the Republican primary ballot in August.

Four individuals were initially named in the suit. All are current Republican office holders: Vernon County Administrator Kelsey Westerhold, County Treasurer Brent Barnes, County Assessor Lena Kleeman and Rich Hill Police Chief Michael Buehler, running forcounty sheriff. All refused to go through the committees vetting process. Four others have since been added to the suit.

The committees interpretation of state law is that, while the county clerk can take a filing fee, those checks are then passed on to the party committees. They argue that it is ultimately up to a the political parties  Republican or Democrat  whether to accept or reject those fees and accept or reject any particular candidate. In this case, they did not accept those candidates and did not cash their checks. Thus the candidates names should be taken off the ballot, the committee argued.

The whole purpose of the vetting program is to verify that people who run as Republicans adhere to Republican values and principle and arent merely putting an R behind their name so they can get elected, McCloskey told The Star. We believe the courts have backed us up  that a party should have the exclusive right to determine who gets to run under that partys banner.

The litigation, Haggard said, is about one thing only: Did the county clerk overstep her authority by putting people on the ballot that we have rejected?

What the law is

Travis Elliott, w ith the Springfield firm Ellis, Ellis, Hammons & Johnson, is representing the county clerk. He argues that she followed the law. She did her job. The prospective candidates submitted their fee to the court and, per state law, she forwarded them to the central committee.

We are not talking about what the law should be, were talking about what the law is, he said. Our position is basically that the county clerk is in the position of wanting there to be free and fair elections, not taking sides, and there being integrity in the election process.

In Vernon Countys political corners, the issue of a small committee controlling the process is being met with great umbrage.

I can tell you that Im very against it, said Shelly Baldwin, a Republican in her second term as Vernon County recorder. Every elected official is against it.  Theyre dictating who can and cant run. She (Haggard) tells you that thats not true. I mean, you have to go take a survey, she calls it. But its a test, because you have to pass it. I dont know of any other survey you have to pass.

She picks and chooses who she has on the committee. They didnt even get elected to those positions.

Some worry over the makeup of the committee, noting that one member is Dan Gayman, whom the Anti-Defamation League identified as the leader of the Church of Israel, based in Schell City.

He has popularized the two seedline theory  which purports that Jews descend from a sexual union between Eve and Satan (only white Christians descend from Adam and Eve), the Anti-Defamation League has stated for years. He has been credited with inspiring such groups and figures as The Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord  and Eric Rudolph, who pleaded guilty to bombing three abortion clinics, a gay nightclub, and the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

On its website, the churchs mission statement says that among its immediate goals: To Call the Covenant People of Jehovah God to repentance!  To promote the increase of spiritual strength and physical size of the Christian family. To encourage large families, home birthing, Christian education, moral and ethnic purity, and obedience to the commandments and other laws of the Living God.

Haggard confirmed that members of the Church of Israel are part of the committee, but argues that any members religious affiliation is not relevant to their work with the Vernon County Republican Party.

There have been a lot of hit pieces leveled at us from those who dont want vetting and think its OK to just be vicious and hateful toward individuals or religions or whatever, Haggard said. We do have people on our committee from that church. We also have people on our committee from the Catholic Church.

Im sure you know the Catholic Church has a pedophile problem. So is that a problem for us? I get real resentful real fast when people start tying to say, Well, this religion is OK and that religion isnt. I dont belong to any church. But I support the First Amendment right of everyone to have freedom of religion.

I typically tell people who get angry or hateful about the Church of Israel, Why dont you just give me a list of approved churches or religions. Catholics got this pedophile thing. Theres people who dont like Baptists. So should we excommunicate them from our committee as well?

Missouri State Sen. Bill Eigel, at center, currently running for governor, supports vetting of Republican candidates. He made national news last year saying he would use a flame thrower to burn what he deemed to be inappropriate books.

Vetting candidates

Haggard also argues that the vetting does not keep anyone from running for office, it just keeps certain individuals from running as Republicans. Others can run as Democrats, independents or under any other party affiliation.

Its not going away, she said of vetting.

Statewide, some 300 Republicans seeking office have either agreed to or sought out vetting. The Republican Association of Central Committees of MO website lists an array of Republican Values Approved Vetted 2024 candidates for multiple state offices, including governor.

Gubernatorial candidate Jay Ashcroft, Missouris current secretary of state, has been vetted by the group, as have candidates Chris Wright and Bill Eigel, a Missouri state senator, who last year made national headlines after a video of him handling a flamethrower at a fundraiser went viral.

In the video, I am taking a flame thrower to cardboard boxes representing what I am going to do to the leftist policies and RINO corruption of the Jeff City swamp, Eigel told The Star at the time. But lets be clear, you bring those woke pornographic books to Missouri schools to try to brainwash our kids, and Ill burn those too  on the front lawn of the governors mansion.
Washington Post reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, left, speaks to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., center, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, right, at the McCain Institute's Sedona Forum in Sedona, Ariz., on Friday, May 3, 2024. | McCain Institute

Sen. Mitt Romney had high praise for his colleague Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, crediting her with bringing senators together from both major parties to pass legislation, and for standing up for the filibuster at a time when she was pressured to change the Senate rules to see it eliminated.

Sinema, an independent from Arizona, was elected as a Democrat in 2018, but she left the party in 2022, telling CNN at the time, Ive never fit neatly into any party box. Ive never really tried. I dont want to. Earlier this year, Sinema announced she would not run for reelection.

As Sinema was speaking with Washington Post reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez at the McCain Institutes Sedona Forum in Sedona, Arizona, on Friday, Romney joined the conversation from the audience to share his perspective on why he believes Sinema is an effective senator.

By virtue of intelligence, personality, energy, and a willingness to dig in, shes been able to get people to work together, Romney said.

Mitch McConnell said she is the most effective senator in the United States Senate  thats Mitch McConnell on the other side of the aisle, who said she is the most effective, he said. McConnell is the Republican Senate minority leader.

Weve worked together on a number of bipartisan bills. She was the power behind them, Romney said.

Romney, a Republican, said there are some members in his own caucus who he finds it difficult to work with, but Sinema loves them.

Before I left last week, I was sitting next to my colleagues in the back row of the Senate, it was Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on one side, and (North Carolina Sen.) Thom Tillis on the other, he said. And we were talking about, how is this place going to work without Kyrsten Sinema?

When there are impasses  and there are often impasses  she goes back and forth. And I have to tell you, theres some people in my own party that I find distasteful, and she loves them.

I love them, Sinema chimed in. I love them. I know who hes talking about and they are great.

She loves them, and shes able to get them to do things I would never be able to get them to do, because they can tell I dont like them, he said, as the audience and Sinema laughed. And she does, and shes highly effective.

Romney also spoke about why he thinks Sinema lost support among Democrats.

Why did she become so toxic to the base of the Democratic Party? What was it? What was the point when that really came home? And that was on the so-called filibuster rule, he said.

The Senate cloture rule, referred to as the filibuster, requires 60 votes to move most legislation forward in the Senate.

Romney said he thinks the term filibuster is a terrible misnomer, saying the rule is really about requiring Republicans and Democrats to come together to find compromise.

Kyrsten Sinema felt that was important, he said.

During the early years of Donald Trumps presidency, when Republicans held the House and Senate, there was internal pressure among Republicans to get rid of the filibuster, he said.

In the midst of that pressure, 33 Democratic senators sent a letter to McConnell saying, do not get rid of that rule. It is absolutely essential to the preservation of democracy to make sure that we compromise, Romney said.

And guess what? When the time came when the Democrats had the House and the Senate and the White House, every single person who had signed it on the Democratic side decided to vote to get rid of the 60 vote rule, every one of them  and who was it that took the blame for saying no?, Romney asked, referring to Sinema, who refused to vote to get rid of the filibuster, leading to her censure by the Arizona Democratic Party.

Whats extraordinary to me is that there was not a hue and cry for the Democratic Party to say, Wait a second, this person has integrity and the other 33, where the heck are they? But instead they went after her. It speaks volumes about the divisiveness in our country, he said.

Sinema said she felt her vote to keep the filibuster was the most important vote I ever took in my entire 20 years, adding she doesnt regret it at all.

Romney asked Sinema what she thought would heal the divisiveness in the country. He said he does not believe a third party can succeed, naming the political party Forward and political organization No Labels.

In response, Sinema said Americans need to tamp down their selfish tendencies and instead think about what is good for the long term.

Weve got to shift back to this place of thinking (about) more than just the short-term personal victory. And think about the impact of our desires, our behaviors and our actions, not just for ourselves, but in our communities, she said.

How does our behavior impact others? Are we are we thinking about tomorrow, or the next thing, or 10 years from now? she continued. And if we as a culture can begin to do that, thats how we can tolerate differences of opinion, embrace the idea that someone else might have an opinion different than your own, and  crazy, I know  but that they actually might have a better idea than yours, and that you could learn and change or grow from it.
Utah Senator Mitt Romney revealed the motivation for the bipartisan consensus to ban TikTok, and it has little to do with protecting users data.

Speaking at the McCain Institute on Friday alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Romney lamented Israels inability to control the flow of information out of and about Gaza, despite its best efforts to restrict press access.

I mean, typically the Israelis are good at P.R. Whats happened here? How have theyhow have they, and we, been so ineffective at communicating the realities there and our point of view? Romney asked Blinken, seemingly in disbelief that images of Israels indiscriminate bombing of Gaza have prompted outrage in the United States.

Then Romney explained that the TikTok ban overwhelmingly passed both chambers of Congress because of the widespread Palestinian advocacy on the app.

Some wonder why there was such overwhelming support for us to shut down potentially TikTok or other entities of that nature. If you look at the postings on TikTok and the number of mentions of Palestinians relative to other social media sites, its overwhelmingly so among TikTok broadcasts. So Id note thats of real interest, and the President will get the chance to make action in that regard, Romney said.

Incredible mask-off moment: Romney and Blinken say that the ban of TikTok was directly because "the emotion, the impact of images has a very challenging effect on the narrative", the narrative being "Israel's PR".pic.twitter.com/WkIGTAXG2X  Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) May 6, 2024

The admission is not exactly surprising. Republican Representative Mike Gallagher argued in November that the app was digital fentanyl turning young Americans into Hamas supporters. Still, Romneys openness, after supporters of the ban bleated about data security and privacy concerns for months, is shocking.



Romneys comments betray a general bipartisan disinterest in engaging Israels conduct in Gaza on its own terms, preferring instead to complain about protesters, interrogate university presidents, and, apparently, muse about social medias role in boosting pro-Palestinian activism. As Israel moves closer to a catastrophic invasion of Rafah, having already banned Al Jazeera in the country, Romney and Blinken would be wise to consider whether TikTok is the real problem.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. The VII International Music Festival Kharibulbul will be held on May 1113 under the organization of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

The festival, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, will be held in the cities of Shusha and Lachin.

Additionally, it should be noted that the city of Shusha has been declared the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2024. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on events in this regard in November last year. The International Music Festival Kharibulbul, in turn, will give impetus to the development of cultural ties between the countries of the Islamic world. This year's participants in the festival will also include performers and creative groups from ISESCO member countries.

The program of the festival will be memorable not only for the variety of performers but also for the repertoire and various performances.

The opening concert of the Year Shusha - the cultural capital of the Islamic world - 2024 and the VII International Music Festival Kharibulbul will be held on May 11 at Jidir Duzu Plain.

The festival will continue in Lachin on May 13. A concert with the participation of performers from different countries will be presented to the guests near the Hakari River.

The Kharibulbul music festival, named after the flower, the symbol of Shusha city, has been held since 1989. The festival was held in May of the same year in Abdal Gulabli village of Aghdam district in connection with the 100th anniversary of the famous khanende, teacher, People's Artist Seyid Shushinsky, continued in Shusha and ended with a concert in Aghdam. Since 1990, the Kharibulbul festival has acquired international status.

During the period of the Karabakh conflict, the main concerts of the festival were held in Aghdam. Some concerts for the festival were also held in Barda and Aghjabadi.

After the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from occupation during the 44-day war, which ended with the historical victory of the country, the festival returned to Shusha again. This year, the space of the festival will be expanded to Lachin city as well.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Defence lawyers for Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, who is serving a life sentence for his role in the bloody 1992-95 war in Bosnia, are seeking his urgent release to Serbia on health grounds.

According a motion published on the U.N. court's website on Monday, they are petitioning judges to release the elderly general for treatment of an unnamed but potentially life-threatening condition.

Descriptions of the 82-year-old's medical condition are redacted in the court papers but he has been known to suffer cognitive impairments and was hospitalised at least twice this year.

The former general, nicknamed the butcher of the Balkans, resides in the U.N. detention centre in The Hague since his final conviction on appeal in 2021.

Mladic led Bosnian Serb forces during Bosnia's 1992-95 war, part of the bloody break up of Yugoslavia. He was convicted on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes including terrorising the civilian population of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo during a 43-month siege, and the killing of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys taken prisoner in the eastern town of Srebrenica in 1995.

According to his lawyers, Mladic can get special treatment in Serbia for his undisclosed illness and a move to the country would remove language barriers which present communications difficulties.

It is not clear when the judges of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), which deals with Mladic's case, will rule on the application.

(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  A Mobile man was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after he reportedly made threats to kill his former boss, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

42-year-old Cloepha Darneyl Franks was convicted of transmitting interstate threats to injure at a trial in November 2023.

Citronelle man accused of shooting wifes boyfriend: Mobile County Sheriffs Office

A mugshot of Cloepha Franks (Photo courtesy of the Mobile County Sheriffs Office).

The release said Franks had been fired from a local construction company after he sent a series of threatening text messages to his former boss where he threatened to kill him.

Franks had sent the messages from Alabama to the former boss who was in Mississippi.

The victim testified about receiving the threats. He and other witnesses from the construction company testified about precautions taken after Franks transmitted the threats and the fear his actions caused, the release said. The FBI testified concerning the ongoing threat to life investigation and evidence obtained from Franks cell phone records.

After Franks serves his 33 months in prison, he will have a 3-year term of supervised release.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Even California has its limits to government spending. When San Diegos bill to shower the homeless came in at $7 million, the city sued its provider for price gouging. If $1.7 million gets you a single toilet in San Francisco, how many showers do you get for $7 million?

None actually  you just get some people who are suffering from homelessness temporarily suffering from cleanliness. The showers, you see, were temporary rentals. Never mind that you could have purchased 150 shower trailers with six stalls each, enough to let every homeless person in San Diego take a two-hour shower daily with room left to spare.

The lesson? Every time a nutty story pops up about the Golden State, you think it must be the nuttiest, but youre wrong. Whether it is spritzes, potties or houses, Gov. Gavin Newsoms woke wonderland is spending money on the homeless like, well, water.

In some places, one unit of supportive housing for people who are homeless costs a cool million dollars. And, every month after it is built taxpayers fork over $17,000 for security, maintenance, social workers to help them get government assistance, utilities, cleaning and such.

To put that in perspective for people in normal America, you could buy each Californian suffering from homelessness two first-class tickets to Kansas City International Airport, get them a limo ride to their new home, which would be a new three-bedroom ranch, fully furnished (natch) with a new Tesla in the garage, and still save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Every month, you could give them a salary for picking up cans and other debris along the highways that would be greater than half of what working Missourians make and still save $10,000 off that monthly bill.

If money and houses could solve homelessness, this is what California would do  and Missouri would be a winner, as all those formerly homeless people paid property and income taxes thanks to the taxpayers of the palm-festooned paradise on the Pacific.

But thats not how homelessness works, either here in the Midwest or in California. The Golden State learned that recently when a government-funded watchdog audited the states spending. In two out of its three (!) billion-dollar-plus programs for the homeless, the state couldnt tell whether its spending was doing any good because it didnt keep track of the formerly unhoused after they got houses, or kept records so sloppily that the auditors couldnt tell what happened.

Perhaps that is why after all the platinum-plated programs, the number of homeless people went up. Its almost as if when you subsidize something, you get more of it. No one would ever think about that outside a freshman economics class.

Story continues

The fact is that homelessness has more to do with substance abuse and/or mental and other health problems. I know because Ive spent more time than you might think at a homeless shelter, and my mom used to live with one such person getting over an opioid addiction.

Saying this used to get conservatives roundly mocked by smarter people, but more and more the experts are coming around to this view, though you can still depend on universities to produce studies that show throwing money at the problem will fix it.

Eventually, this fact will get through some thick skulls, even in California, but dont worry. California will always produce my favorite export  crazy tales of government spending run amok. Maybe my next column will be about how Californias solar subsidies are so generous and its solar mandates so onerous that the state has built enough solar power that utilities have to pay people to use it.

Thats almost as crazy as a $7 million shower.

David Mastio, a former editor and columnist for USA Today, is a regional editor for The Center Square and a regular Star Opinion correspondent. Follow him on X: @DavidMastio or email him at dmastio1@yahoo.com
FILE - Madison, Wis. businessman and Republican Senate candidate, Eric Hovde speaks April 2, 2024, at a rally in Green Bay, Wis. Frustrated by the seemingly endless cash flowing to Democrats, Republicans aiming to retake the Senate have rallied around candidates with plenty of their own money. But it also risks elevating untested candidates who might not be prepared for the scrutiny often associated with fiercely contested Senate campaigns. Hovde may have to dip into the $8 million he loaned his campaign to combat questions about the depth of his ties to Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Frustrated by the seemingly endless cash flowing to Democrats, Republicans aiming to retake the Senate have rallied around candidates with plenty of their own money.

The goal is to neutralize Democrats' roughly 2-to-1 financial advantage, among the few bright spots for a party defending twice as many Senate seats as Republicans this year. But it also risks elevating untested candidates who might not be prepared for the scrutiny often associated with fiercely contested Senate campaigns.

In Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, GOP Senate candidates are being pressed on whether they live in the state. In Montana, the party's Senate candidate recently admitted lying about the circumstances of a gunshot wound he sustained. And in Ohio, the Republican contender pitched himself as financially independent but now may be turning to donors for help repaying loans he made to his campaign.

One of the challenges they face, as opposed to established politicians, is that established politicians have already gone through the process," said David Winston, a Republican pollster and senior adviser to House Republicans.

The GOP needs to gain only two seats to win Senate control, and the party's top Democratic targets have vulnerabilities of their own that run counter to their carefully curated images as advocates for the working class. Those liabilities include Montana Sen. Jon Tester's ties to defense industry lobbyists; Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, repeatedly failing to pay property taxes on time; and Pennsylvania's Bob Casey spending more than $500,000 in campaign cash at his sister's printing business.

But for Republicans, the dynamic is sensitive because they've been here before.

Since the rise of the tea party movement more than a decade ago, Republicans have lost what were seen as winnable Senate seats by elevating candidates out of sync with mainstream voters who are often critical in statewide contests. The GOP shifted tactics this year, taking a more active role in the primary process and identifying candidates who could help fund their own campaigns. Such contenders, the party hoped, would have the benefit of both presenting themselves as political outsiders and being less reliant on an exhausted donor class.

While that has largely helped Republicans avoid bruising primary fights and go into the general election with well-funded candidates, other complications are surfacing.

RESIDENCY QUESTIONS

In Wisconsin, businessman and real estate mogul Eric Hovde is the leading contender to face two-term Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. While it's unclear how much Hovde is worth because he has not yet filed a mandatory financial disclosure, he had the wherewithal to lend his campaign $8 million in the first quarter of 2024  and may have to tap into those resources again to combat questions about the depth of his ties to Wisconsin.

He was born in Madison and educated at the University of Wisconsin, but he's the CEO of a Utah-based bank, owns a luxury home in California and voted absentee from the Golden State in 2023 and 2024.

Hovde has taken pains to share the story of his Norwegian immigrant great-grandparents' arrival in a northwest Wisconsin logging town and is airing an ad featuring his wife, Sharon, leafing through a photo album featuring his days at Madison East High School and UW. He also posted a video clip of him plunging through a thin layer of ice on Lake Mendota near the house he owns on Madison's west side.

Hes Wisconsin through and through," said campaign spokesman Ben Voelkel. They are trying to distract from literally every other issue that they dont want to talk about."

Dave McCormick, the Republican Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, has faced similar questions. The former hedge fund CEO has plenty of money to help fund a campaign in one of the most politically divided states. His 2024 net worth, with his wife, was between $61.6 million and $183.6 million. He lent over $14 million to his 2022 campaign for Senate, and so far he has plunged nearly $2 million into his bid this year.

While he was born and raised in Pennsylvania, where he managed a business and worked after college, he more recently lived and worked in Connecticut, only buying a home in Pittsburgh before his unsuccessful try for the Senate in 2022.

During this year's campaign, McCormick has acknowledged making frequent trips to Connecticut, where his daughter is completing high school and he rents a luxury home in Westport. McCormick has said he goes there to see his daughter following a divorce but maintains his primary residence in Pennsylvania.

And, if thats a political problem, so be it," he told reporters in Pennsylvania.

BIOGRAPHICAL QUESTIONS

In Montana, Tim Sheehy has invested more than $1.5 million of his own money into his campaign. With a household net worth of between $72.9 million and $255.9 million, he has the ability to tap into far more. The wealthy executive's military service is central to his campaign against Tester, a three-term incumbent in a Republican-friendly state.

But the retired Navy SEAL, who runs an aerial firefighting company, recently acknowledged that he lied to a Glacier National Park ranger on a police report in 2015. He told the ranger he was wounded when his personal handgun discharged accidentally, but he has since said he was wounded in Afghanistan in 2012. He says he didn't report it to protect fellow service members because it may have come from friendly fire.

Sheehy's conflicting accounts, first reported by The Washington Post, could undermine the potentially compelling profile of a combat veteran who started a Montana company. He has blamed a liberal smear machine for using the shooting to help Tester.

In Ohio, meanwhile, anxiety about Bernie Moreno was building among Republicans well before he won the party's Senate nomination last month.

The Associated Press reported in March that in 2008, someone with access to Morenos work email account created a profile on an adult website seeking Men for 1-on-1 sex. The AP could not definitively confirm that it was created by Moreno. Morenos lawyer said a former intern created the account and provided a statement from the intern, Dan Ricci, who said he created the account as part of a juvenile prank.

Questions about the profile have circulated in GOP circles, sparking frustration among senior Republican operatives about Morenos potential vulnerability in a general election, according to seven people who are directly familiar with conversations about how to address the matter. They requested anonymity to avoid running afoul of former President Donald Trump, who endorsed Moreno, and his allies.

PAYING OFF DEBT

Moreno, a former car dealership owner, had a net worth as high as $168 million last year, more than enough to power his bid to unseat Brown. That's what made the language in an invitation to a recent high-dollar fundraiser in Cleveland all the more notable.

The invitation, obtained by the AP, stated that the first $3,300 of each contribution would be used for debt retirement, until such debt is extinguished, and before raising money for his general election contest.

Its common for candidates who emerge from competitive primaries, as Moreno did March 19, to ask donors to help pay off debt. Whats unusual in Morenos case is that he is the only person identified on his most recent campaign finance disclosure who would benefit from retiring the campaigns debt. The records show he lent his campaign $4.5 million in personal and bank loans, which means that the bank would also benefit by receiving interest payments. But no other debts are listed on the document.

In a statement, Morenos campaign said not one dime of the money raised at the event would be used to help him recoup his loans. Instead, they said, it would be used to pay off separate debts that the campaign racked up during the primary, but they declined to offer additional details on what was owed.

Ozzie Palomo, a Connecticut-based Republican fundraiser who was part of former 2024 GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haleys finance committee, called the priority of retiring debt a bit of an unorthodox approach that could be a turn-off for donors.

You invest in a campaign in hopes of them winning, Palomo said. Not in hopes of paying off someone elses debt.

___

This story was first published on May 6, 2024. It was published again on May 7, 2024, to correct that McCormick was the CEO of an existing business, FreeMarkets, in Pennsylvania. He didnt start the company.

___

Associated Press reporters Marc Levy from Harrisburg, Pa., Julie Carr Smyth from Columbus, Ohio, and Matthew Brown from Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.
A month before trial, city of Chicago agrees to $5.8 million settlement in lawsuit alleging rampant racism at Water Department

CHICAGO  A month before what could have been an embarrassing trial, the city has agreed to a $5.8 million settlement in a lawsuit alleging Black employees at the Chicago Department of Water Management were subjected to years of racist and sexist slurs, including some by politically connected top-level supervisors.

The parties announced they had reached an agreement during a status hearing Monday before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, who vacated the June 5 trial date.

Plaintiffs attorney Victor Henderson later confirmed the $5.8 million settlement figure, which has not been finalized and will need to be approved by the City Council.

A lawyer for the city told the judge the parties were confident the settlement would be ready for consideration at the City Council meeting in mid-June.

The settlement comes less than a month after Kennelly ruled there was sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find that the city had a custom or policy of condoning racial harassment and discrimination at (the Water Department) as well as inaction in the face of a risk of potential constitutional violations.

The trial was expected to feature a number of current or former high-ranking city officials as witnesses and will shine a harsh light on allegations of unseemly treatment.

Among the allegations by the plaintiffs: Repeated use of the N-word, references to Black employees by supervisors as you people, and, in one instance, a foreman who allegedly mocked an African American employees skin tone and instructed the employee to stand next to a door to see if it was painted black.

In a written statement Monday, Henderson said the entrenched racism at the department lasted for decades and affected countless Black employees, which raises the question why the citys uppermost leaders failed to act.

The sad and most obvious answer is that they did not care, Henderson said. It is plain to anyone who looked that the racism cascaded from the very top of the organization like water travels down a hill.

A spokeswoman for the citys Law Department declined to comment Monday.

After Kennellys ruling last month cleared the case for trial, lawyers for the plaintiffs filed a motion to force former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify via a video hookup from Japan, where Emanuel is currently serving as U.S. ambassador.

According to the motion, Emanuel should be compelled to testify about his comments about an Inspector General investigation into the toxic culture at the Water Department, as well as his decision to fire then-Commissioner Barrett Murphy.

We were made aware from an IG report on one particular employee, Emanuel told news outlets at the time. But in that process, it exposed a culture in the Water Department and in the workplace that, in my view, does not represent what the citys values are.

Although Emanuel was careful to avoid using the word racism, his comments indicate racism is what he was referring to when he was speaking about the culture at the (Water Department), the plaintiffs motion stated. Plaintiffs should be permitted to question Emanuel at trial where they can follow up about what he referring to in his comments.

The city objected to Emanuel being subpoenaed, writing in response last week that Emanuel had no independent knowledge of the plaintiffs claims and that Emanuel had already provided a written declaration to the court affirming the quotes attributed to him were accurate.

There is no evidence whatsoever that Emanuels statements to the media were unclear or evasive, or that the declaration he submitted in this lawsuitwas incomplete or untruthful, the citys response stated.

Kennelly had held off ruling on the issue while settlement negotiations proceeded.

The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in 2017 after a monthslong watchdog probe ferreted out racist and sexist emails shared among department supervisors, prompting Emanuel to order the leadership shakeup.

In his final report issued in 2018, then city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson recommended that total of seven water department employees be disciplined for their actions in sharing or failing to report racist and sexist emails, which circulated among city employees for at least five years.

Among the communications examined in Fergusons investigation were offensive jokes about Barack Obama, the nations first black president, which were periodically shared among department employees, including one email with the subject line Obama Angry with Texas!!

According to Fergusons report, the email states in part: Obama will be making no more public speeches in Texas.  He claims every time he gets up on stage to make a speech, some South Texas cotton farmers start bidding on him.

Another email had the subject line Black NASCAR drivers?? It purported to list reasons why there are no black NASCAR drivers, according to the report. They included: Pistol wont stay under front seat, Engine noise drowns out the rap music, They keep trying to carjack Dale Earnhardt Jr.

____
A month before what could have been an embarrassing trial, the city has agreed to a $5.8 million settlement in a lawsuit alleging Black employees at the Chicago Department of Water Management were subjected to years of racist and sexist slurs, including some by politically connected top-level supervisors.

The parties announced they had reached an agreement during a status hearing Monday before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly, who vacated the June 5 trial date.

Plaintiffs attorney Victor Henderson later confirmed the $5.8 million settlement figure, which has not been finalized and will need to be approved by the City Council.

A lawyer for the city told the judge the parties were confident the settlement would be ready for consideration at the City Council meeting in mid-June.

The settlement comes less than a month after Kennelly ruled there was sufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find that the city had a custom or policy of condoning racial harassment and discrimination at (the Water Department) as well as inaction in the face of a risk of potential constitutional violations.

The trial was expected to feature a number of current or former high-ranking city officials as witnesses and will shine a harsh light on allegations of unseemly treatment.

Among the allegations by the plaintiffs: Repeated use of the N-word, references to Black employees by supervisors as you people, and, in one instance, a foreman who allegedly mocked an African American employees skin tone and instructed the employee to stand next to a door to see if it was painted black.

In a written statement Monday, Henderson said the entrenched racism at the department lasted for decades and affected countless Black employees, which raises the question why the citys uppermost leaders failed to act.

The sad and most obvious answer is that they did not care, Henderson said. It is plain to anyone who looked that the racism cascaded from the very top of the organization like water travels down a hill.

A spokeswoman for the citys Law Department declined to comment Monday.

After Kennellys ruling last month cleared the case for trial, lawyers for the plaintiffs filed a motion to force former Mayor Rahm Emanuel to testify via a video hookup from Japan, where Emanuel is currently serving as U.S. ambassador.

According to the motion, Emanuel should be compelled to testify about his comments about an inspector general investigation into the toxic culture at the Water Department, as well as his decision to fire then-Commissioner Barrett Murphy.

We were made aware from an IG report on one particular employee, Emanuel told news outlets at the time. But in that process, it exposed a culture in the Water Department and in the workplace that, in my view, does not represent what the citys values are.

Although Emanuel was careful to avoid using the word racism, his comments indicate racism is what he was referring to when he was speaking about the culture at the (Water Department), the plaintiffs motion stated. Plaintiffs should be permitted to question Emanuel at trial where they can follow up about what he referring to in his comments.

The city objected to Emanuel being subpoenaed, writing in response last week that Emanuel had no independent knowledge of the plaintiffs claims and that Emanuel had already provided a written declaration to the court affirming the quotes attributed to him were accurate.

There is no evidence whatsoever that Emanuels statements to the media were unclear or evasive, or that the declaration he submitted in this lawsuit  was incomplete or untruthful, the citys response stated.

Kennelly had held off ruling on the issue while settlement negotiations proceeded.

The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in 2017 after a monthslong watchdog probe ferreted out racist and sexist emails shared among department supervisors, prompting Emanuel to order the leadership shakeup.

In his final report issued in 2018, then-city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson recommended that total of seven water department employees be disciplined for their actions in sharing or failing to report racist and sexist emails, which circulated among city employees for at least five years.

Among the communications examined in Fergusons investigation were offensive jokes about Barack Obama, the nations first black president, which were periodically shared among department employees, including one email with the subject line Obama Angry with Texas!!

According to Fergusons report, the email states in part: Obama will be making no more public speeches in Texas.  He claims every time he gets up on stage to make a speech, some South Texas cotton farmers start bidding on him.

Another email had the subject line Black NASCAR drivers?? It purported to list reasons why there are no black NASCAR drivers, according to the report. They included: Pistol wont stay under front seat, Engine noise drowns out the rap music, They keep trying to carjack Dale Earnhardt Jr.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Months after cash bail ended in Illinois, more changes could be coming. What to know.

Early into the implementation of a first-in-the-nation law, criminal justice advocates are urging caution in drawing major conclusions from the first seven months of the Pretrial Fairness Act  an Illinois law ending cash bail.

The Pretrial Fairness Act, part of the broader Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, eliminated the use of cash bond to grant pretrial release and went through several revisions before going into effect last September. So far, bookings at county jails have decreased statewide, including down nearly 10% at the Sangamon County Jail.

While proponents have stood by the policy's aimed goals, holding an individual in jail before trial based on their potential to endanger others or attempting to flee instead of their ability to post bail, many believe further changes are necessary.

More than six months into implementation of a first-in-the-nation law ending cash bail in Illinois, jail populations are down statewide and at the Sangamon County Jail seen on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Already, the Illinois Supreme Court approved amendments after a substantial increase of pretrial detention release appeals. According to a recent report from the Pretrial Release Appeals Task Force, appeals went from an average of 17 annual bond appeals under the prior cash-based bail system to a projected 4,557 appeals under the Pretrial Fairness Act  a 268-fold increase.

The amendments, going into effect last month, ended a 14-day deadline to file an appeal and allow individuals to file only one appeal at a time. Attorneys are also now required to file a motion for relief before they can file an appeal notice through the new changes.

Related: Judge grants pre-trial release of emergency medical worker charged with murder

Sharlyn Grace, senior policy advisor at the Cook County Public Defender's Office, said the amendments were necessary to alleviate some of the burden placed on the courts under the new law. The increase in appeals under the cashless bail system, she believes, shows the shortcomings of the prior bond system.

"It was a system that operated basically without review and I would say that is a system that is broken," Grace said of the bond system during a panel discussion in Chicago last week. "We don't want to see a return to a few dozen appeals every year. That's not a system that recognizes the importance of these decisions for the individuals whose liberty is at-stake."

Now in the closing weeks of the spring session, state lawmakers are considering further changes to the Pretrial Fairness Act. Here's what you need to know.

Tackling domestic violence

Under the Pretrial Fairness Act, the prosecution can seek pretrial detention of an individual accused of domestic violence. Yet, analysis conducted by Loyola University found that prosecutors do not file petitions in the majority of these cases. Those that do file petitions, claiming an individual poses a threat to a person or is liable to flee, are similarly unsuccessful.

The Loyola study looked at four counties  Cook, DuPage, Kane and McHenry  that have made their data public and determined petitions were filed between 16% and 53% of cases. Pretrial detention ranged from 4% to 13%.

Amanda Pyron, executive director of the Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, said the data from the first six months since implementation is promising.

"What it means is that it's possible the system's working," she said at the panel. "We made these categories and defenses detainable and that judges are using their discretion on who to detain and when."

Opponents, however, point to a recent murder-suicide in Villa Park, a Chicago suburb as evidence of the legislation's shortcomings. DuPage County authorities said Winston Elguezabal shot and killed himself and his wife last week after being granted pretrial release with charges of misdemeanor domestic battery charges reports The Daily Herald. Earlier in April, Elguezabal was ordered to stay at least 1,000 feet from his wife, Julie, and to surrender any firearms he had by a judge and placed on electronic monitoring.

More: No new taxes being considered to pay for potential Bank of Springfield Center expansion

Under the current system, the prosecution is required to file a motion if they believe an individual should be detained pretrial. New legislation from Senate Minority Leader John Curran would "flip" that burden onto the alleged abuser to file a petition to prove they are not an imminent threat.

"This is going to protect more women and children who are the victims of domestic violence, but also it's going to increase the number of abusers that are actually detained," Curran, R-Downers Grove, said during a news conference last week.

Democrats have in-turn said increased urgency is needed to pass Karina's Bill, legislation requiring law enforcement to remove any guns from a person who is facing an order of protection. Balancing the safety concerns of domestic violence victims and police attempting to remove these firearms has proven difficult, as the legislation waits in committee.

Gov. JB Pritzker supports the legislation, but also sees the concerns.

"In the instance where youve got to go confiscate the firearm, literally you have to bring sometimes four officers to one situation in order to remove the weapon," he said at an unrelated press conference earlier last week. "And if somebody doesnt want to give it to you, it becomes quite complicated and maybe dangerous.

Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Fixing 'broken' system, advocates stand behind cashless bail in Illinois
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said encampments like this one at Columbia University in New York will not be allowed on Virginia campuses. On a growing number of college campuses throughout the country, student protesters are setting up tent encampments on school grounds to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and for their schools to divest from Israeli companies. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

Following the strong reaction to the Israel-Hamas war across the country, some Virginia colleges and universities are still responding to last weeks series of on-campus demonstrations that resulted in dozens of students arrests and lingering questions about upcoming graduation ceremonies.

Some of the most notable Virginia protests that led to arrests occurred at the University of Mary Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech and, most recently, the University of Virginia.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a Sunday appearance on Fox News that protesters at UVA  where 25 people were arrested Saturday after Virginia State Police deployed pepper spray to clear an encampment that several staff and students described as peaceful  ignored multiple warnings to leave the area and blocked and surrounded campus officers, and thats when they had to ask for state police to intervene.

On Friday, May 3, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said during an interview with Bloomberg TV that his administration determined that nonstudents are causing real problems and inciting hate speech, antisemitism and violence during demonstrations.

If theyre peaceful, then of course, thats part of our constitutional right and part of the American fabric, but we cant allow hate speech, antisemitism and most importantly, violence and disruption and threats, said Youngkin.

According to media reports, multiple arrests have been made on Virginias college campuses as the world waits for a resolution in the war between Palestine and Israel that has lasted for over six months, following the Palestinian militant group Hamass assault on Israel near the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators across the country are calling for a cease-fire, for America to reject forms of hate and for universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel, which they see makes them complicit in the war.

This weekend, some state colleges and universities will hold their commencement ceremonies, hosting graduates families and other guests on campuses. On May 11, Youngkin will speak at VCUs commencement ceremony at the universitys convention center. 13 people were arrested during last weeks demonstration on VCUs campus.

Commencement is an official university event and disruptions will not be tolerated, said Brian McNeill, a spokesman for VCU. We expect our graduates and their guests will celebrate with behavior that allows everyone to enjoy this milestone occasion. But anyone who engages in a prolonged disruption may be asked to leave the ceremony or could be removed from the Convention Center.

According to Michael Stowe, a spokesman for Virginia Tech, where more than 80 protesters were arrested last week, no changes are being made to any commencement activities in Blacksburg. He said any updates will be posted on the universitys commencement webpage.

Demonstrations

On Saturday afternoon, 25 protesters were arrested at the University of Virginia, the culmination of a nearly week-long demonstration that University President Jim Ryan said in a statement started as a peaceful public demonstration near the universitys chapel Tuesday. It is not clear how many of those arrested were UVA students.

We hoped and tried to handle this locally, Ryans statement read in reference to the efforts of UVA Police Chief Tim Longo to allow protests to continue on campus for most of the week.But when UPDs attempts to resolve the situation were met with physical confrontation and attempted assault, it became necessary to rely on assistance from the Virginia State Police, Ryan wrote, noting that people unaffiliated with UVA presented safety concerns at Saturdays protest.

The reality is that what you had at UVA is students that were warned repeatedly they were violating both the student code of conduct, that it was an unlawful assembly, there was trespassing, there were outsiders that were there, Miyares said on Fox News Sunday after Saturdays incidents at UVA. One thing I want to stress is Virginia is not New York; you have a very different governor, you have a very different AG and were not gonna tolerate that.

34 members of the schools history department faculty released a statement Saturday afternoon on X as the events on campus continued unfolding, condemning the repression of a peaceful protest of our students by armed state police in riot gear. The statement said university staff, students, and administrators had been collaborating since April 30 to ensure the protests stayed nonviolent so the educators were stunned by the universitys decision to call in state police.

Beginning in the evening on Saturday, April 27 protesters in Fredericksburg, including college students, were arrested by law enforcement amid demonstrations at the University of Mary Washington. Combined with those taken into custody at Virginia Tech and VCU, a total of 107 people were arrested, 68 of them students, at all three campuses.

In Richmond, demonstrators set up encampment structures that VCU said in an April 30 statement impacted campus operations and safety, and violated the universitys Reservation and Use of Space policy.

After law enforcement and university staff asked demonstrators respectfully and repeatedly to comply with policies throughout the day, including ones that bar the setting up of tents and other structures, the university said officers provided four mass warnings to individuals who chose not to leave the encampment before declaring an unlawful assembly.

Some demonstrators who chose not to leave threw objects at officers and sprayed them with unknown chemicals. Law enforcement officials responded using pepper spray to disperse the crowd. VCU Police report that officers did not use other chemical agents, such as tear gas.

VCU said 13 individuals were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly and trespassing. Six of those arrested were students; these students will proceed normally through the universitys student conduct process.

VCU will enforce its directive that prohibits encampments, including the installation of structures and stockpiling items that could be used to build a structure or aid an encampment, the university said in a statement. This will be done to comply with our policies and to support allowing students, faculty and staff to complete the semester successfully.

In Fredericksburg, law enforcement arrested 12 demonstrators, including nine students, for trespassing, according to a letter from University President Troy Paino.

Paino wrote that demonstrators were allowed to protest at Jefferson Square, according to the universitys policy on expressive activity. But by the late afternoon on April 26, a threat assessment taken by officials determined the encampment was prohibited and tents were not permitted.



Against the guidelines, demonstrators put the tents back up on April 27, leading officials to cancel the remainder of the event.

Paino said attendees were instructed to leave, but some remained, resulting in 12 being arrested for trespassing.

Events that do not follow instructions, attempt to disrupt classes or activities, or endanger the health, safety, and security of our campus community will not be allowed, Palino wrote in a letter to the university community.

In Blacksburg, Virginia Tech reported that 82 individuals, including 53 current Virginia Tech students, were arrested and all were charged with trespassing.

Reaction from legislature

In the aftermath of arrests at Mary Washington, Virginia Tech, VCU and UVA, leaders and lawmakers have reacted to the protests, with most asserting that they value free speech, but responding differently on how to demand change.

Democrats have leaned on President Joe Bidens message that states peaceful protest is protected in the United States and violent protest is not protected. Its against the law.

Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, said Friday on X that UVAs protests had been peaceful and questioned the polices reaction to the demonstrations.

Im not sure what change provoked this sort of response by the police. Violence is unnecessary. I will be interested in knowing whether the change in tactics was decided in Charlottesville or Richmond.

Others have taken a stance to condemn the policing of the First Amendment, according to a joint statement signed by five Democratic lawmakers: Sen. Saddam Azlan Salaim, D-Fairfax, and Dels. Rozia Henson Jr., D-Prince William, Adele McClure, D-Arlington, Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg, and Nadarius Clark, D-Suffolk.

Freedom of speech and the right to protest are rights protected by the United States Constitution. Full stop, said Henson. Arresting students for exercising their constitutionally protected rights to peacefully assemble and protest violence erodes confidence in our own governmental institutions and must be closely scrutinized.

The group of lawmakers also urged colleges and universities that have arrested their own students for participating in constitutionally protected protesting to de-escalate tensions, to reconsider their actions and re-engage with students to facilitate a more peaceful path forward.

House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said his colleagues referenced in the joint statement fail to recognize the unlawful nature of some of these protests and associated themselves with the worst of the bigoted messages from demonstrators.

As long as these protests remain inside the rules of these universities, they have a right to happen, no matter how nauseating and odious the views on display, Gilbert said in a statement applauding the governor, Attorney General Jason Miyares and law enforcement for the even-handed way they have handled the demonstrations.

He added that if demonstrations turn into intimidating Jewish students, trespassing, or other illegal activity, they can be shut down.

Virginias colleges are not preschools where petulant children need to learn basic rules and manners, Gilbert said. Campus officials and law enforcement officers told these young adults the rules. They broke the rules, and now theyll face the consequences.

Mercury editor Samantha Willis contributed to this report.

The post More than 125 arrested at four Virginia universities amid nationwide protests over Israel-Hamas war appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Costa Rican and Azerbaijani Gymnastics Federations, Trend reports.

The memorandum was signed with the purpose of developing and promoting gymnastics.

The memorandum was signed by the Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation, Nurlana Mammadzada, and the President of the Costa Rica Gymnastics Federation, Iveth Lorena Villarreal Guadamuz.

This cooperation is important in terms of the exchange of experience between the federations.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Attendees cheer during a Missourians for Constitutional Freedom rally after the campaign turned in more than 380,000 signatures for its initiative petition to enshrine abortion rights in Missouris constitution Friday morning (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

A campaign to enshrine abortion rights in Missouris constitution said Friday that it collected more than 380,000 signatures in just three months, more than twice the likely total needed to qualify for this years statewide ballot.

The coalition, called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, is hoping to put on the November ballot a measure that would legalize abortion up to the point of fetal viability. Since June 2022, nearly every abortion has been illegal in the state with the exception of medical emergencies.

In order to put a citizen-led constitutional amendment before voters, the campaign had to collect signatures from 8% of voters in six of Missouris eight congressional districts. That total equates to more than 171,000 signatures.

The campaign on Friday morning announced they officially turned in 380,159 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of States office. A breakdown of how many signatures came from each district, which will ultimately determine if they met the threshold needed to qualify, was not provided. But the coalition said they collected signatures from each of Missouris counties and congressional districts.

Hundreds of thousands of Missourians are now having conversations about abortion and reproductive freedom; some are sharing their own abortion stories for the very first time; and all are ready to do whatever it takes to win at the ballot box this year, Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri and spokesperson for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement. Together, we are going to end Missouris abortion ban.

Coalition behind ballot initiative

Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, speaks during a rally to celebrate collecting over 380,000 signatures in an initiative petition to legalize abortion in Missouri (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

The effort kicked off 90 days ago, requiring a massive undertaking to reach the May 5 signature deadline. The coalition is led by Abortion Action Missouri, the ACLU of Missouri and Planned Parenthood affiliates in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Like abortion campaigns that have played out in other states, Missouris coalition has been able to raise more than $5 million dollars in donations, including from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money organization based in Washington, D.C., that gave $1 million. Separately, more than 3,200 individual Missourians contributed $1.8 million in the first three months of the year, according to a campaign finance report published last month.

This year, more than 1,800 volunteers from around Missouri helped collect signatures, according to a news release from the coalition. In the three weekends leading up to the deadline, the coalition said volunteers collected 18,000 signatures and knocked on 40,000 doors.

Dr. Iman Alsaden, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Great Plains and advisor to Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said they became an abortion provider in part to sit with patients and help counter any narrative that they are bad people for having an abortion. But the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 made the job much more difficult.

Medical decision-making is clouded by unclear and harsh laws that make providers feel scared to do the right thing, Alsaden said.

The initial attempt to place abortion on the ballot began in March 2023. Legal fights over the ballot language and internal disagreements on whether to include a viability ban stalled signature gathering attempts until January. Viability is often considered to be around 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The initiative petition language the coalition settled on would allow the legislature to regulate the provision of abortion after fetal viability provided that under no circumstance shall the government deny, interfere with, delay or otherwise restrict an abortion that in the good faith judgment of a treating health care professional is needed to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.

I felt like a burden

Also among those gathered in front of Missouris Capitol to celebrate Friday was Sam Hawickhorst, who in 2015, at 22 years old, had an abortion in Missouri.

It felt like everyone I reached out to for support made my pregnancy about themselves while I, the pregnant person, was an afterthought, she told a crowd of about 200 people. I felt like a burden. But despite these initial hurdles, I knew I had to look out for myself because no one else was.

Sam Hawickhorst speaks about her experience getting an abortion when she was 22 during the Missourians for Constitutional Freedom rally Friday morning at the Missouri Capitol (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).

After reaching out to a friend who had recently had an abortion, Hawickhorst went to Planned Parenthood where she was prescribed abortion pills. During the multiple appointments and the transvaginal exam then required by state law, Hawickhorst said she felt as if the government was ensuring cruelty every step of the way in order for her to have an abortion.

Abortion is health care. Abortion is normal. And those who have had and will have abortions deserve dignity and respect, she said. This amendment, this movement, is about who makes personal decisions for yourself and your family.

Around the same time the abortion campaign was announced, a separate coalition organized to oppose them. That group, called Missouri Stands with Women, spent the past few months leading a decline to sign campaign, urging people not to sign the initiative petition. So far, theyve been vastly out-fundraised by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom.

Out-of-state Big Abortion supporters think the fight is over, Stephanie Bell, with Missouri Stands With Women, said in a statement Friday. They could not be more wrong when it comes to standing up for life in Missouri.

The Independents Annelise Hanshaw contributed to this report.

This article first appeared in The Missouri Independent, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

The post More than 380,000 Missourians sign initiative petition to put abortion on the ballot appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  One of Nashvilles Most Wanted fugitives turned himself in to authorities over the weekend after being accused of raping a teenage girl.

Mateus Alves, 18, was listed among the Metro Nashville Police Departments Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives on April 24. According to police, Alves had an outstanding warrant for one count of rape stemming from an incident that happened on Dec. 31, 2023.

Nashvilles Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives: Week of May 1, 2024

The girl told investigators she had gone to a New Years Eve party at a home in Davidson County that evening and her ex-boyfriend, Alves, reportedly showed up to the same party.

In an arrest affidavit, officials noted that the girl and Alves had stopped dating several weeks beforehand. While at the party, the girl said Alves was being physically abusive toward her.

(Courtesy: MNPD)

They eventually went upstairs to talk after getting interrupted multiple times. Despite repeatedly telling him no, the victim said Alves sexually assaulted her while they were upstairs, at one point telling her, I will do it whether you want to or not.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

Alves surrendered himself on Sunday, May 4 and was booked into the Davidson County Jail on a $76,000 bond. Jail records show he is also scheduled to appear in court for a DUI charge that happened only a few months ago.

On March 29, Metro Nashville police responded to a crash on Belmont Drive in which Alves was the driver. A juvenile passenger in his car was taken to a hospital to be treated for her injuries, according to an arrest affidavit.

During the investigation, officers said they noticed Alves was slurring his words and kept asking the same questions multiples times. He was arrested after officials said he failed a field sobriety test.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Alves is now among at least 108 Most Wanted fugitives who have been taken into custody since the program was started in October 2022. The police department has largely attributed the programs success to tips from the public.

To see the latest list of Most Wanted fugitives out of Nashville, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A Memphis mother is upset Monday evening after learning that her two-year-old ingested THC gummies at daycare.

I was scared. I was in all in disbelief, the mother said.

She didnt want to show her face, but told WREG that last Friday, she received a call from her sons daycare saying that he was acting strangely.

He was lethargic. Like he wouldnt move his eyes and stuff and they brought him to my husband and he is walking, but they brought him out, the mother said. And then he was just lazy.

Then the couple got another shock.

They was like, Well, mom, something happened. And immediately you know, I got nervous, the mother said. And she was like, Well, they got a hold to some gummies. They originally told me sleeping gummies.

She says the toddler and another child got into one of the daycare workers purses and found edible gummies.

Father facing amputation after car accident sends him over bridge

When she asked the daycare how the children were able to get to the gummies, she was told that the employees purse was on a bookshelf.

The director called me [and] she said that her purse was on the bookshelf, the mother said. And you know the bookcases  just kind of low.

The couple took their child to LeBonheur Childrens Hospital, where the mother says they ran tests and found that the toddler had ingested THC gummies.

I was upset. You send your child to daycare thinking they safe and then something like this happens, the mother said.

She told WREG that her son spent the night at LeBonheur and should be okay, but he still has to be monitored.

LeBonheur doctors say edibles are like a child ingesting someones medication and thats dangerous.

The child can be very lethargic or sleepy, Dr. Rudy Kink with LeBonhuer Pediatric Emergency said. And so what can happen is they can fall, hit their head, hit their arm, break an arm or leg, or something to that effect.

Now, the upset mother wants answers from the LaPetite Academy located on New Allen Road.

I think it was very negligent on their part because anything could have happened, The mother said. What alarmed me was that they did not call 911 when they noticed that he had got a hold of something.

Ole Miss fraternity removes student accused of making racial gestures during protests

WREG went to LaPetitie looking for answers.

A woman who identified herself as the director said that we needed to call the corporate office, and that the worker involved was no longer working there.

Child Services and Memphis Police were also called. Police say this is still under investigation.

WREG is still waiting to hear back from LaPetites Corporate Office.

I hope that justice is served and that this teaches her a lesson that this could have went totally wrong, the mother said.

The mother says she has removed her children from the daycare and is considering hiring a lawyer.

Meanwhile, La Petite sent WREG the following statement:

The safety and wellbeing of our children is our highest priority. Our staff members are expected to follow childcare regulations and uphold our policies at all times, and we do not tolerate deviations from these standards of care. This teacher is no longer with our school. Additionally, we informed the Tennessee childcare licensing department and are working with them as they assess the matter; we will also work with other authorities that might investigate. We remain committed to providing a safe, nurturing learning environment for all children in our care. La Petite Academy

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Through their tears, Dakota Levi Stevens family and loved ones talked about a creative, bright boy who loved bugs and frogs and Legos, whose smile was incomparable and who was likely to teach any adult he interacted with more than they could ever teach him.

Dakota, 10, affectionately referred to as Levi by his family, was remembered during a private funeral service Monday at Geisen Funeral Home in Crown Point.

Despite all the hardships he went through, Levi was truly optimistic, said Jamie Constant, the pastor who led the memorial service.

Dakota died two days after what police have called a medical emergency on April 25 at the foster home in the 200 block of Falcon Way in Liberty Township where family and his former foster father believe he had been for less than a week.

More than 100 mourners filled the funeral home Monday morning, where an inflatable shark outside greeted those who attended, a nod to another one of his favorite creatures. Thomas the Tank Engine cars sat on tables in the funeral home along with pictures of him as a baby, and two large Lego replicas flanked his blue casket.

He didnt deserve this. He was better than a lot of people here, Dakotas aunt, Nicole Rubalcava, who also works at Geisen, said during his funeral. Even if he battled stuff, this kids heart truly was not made for this world. He taught me so much, he truly did, and I didnt think a kid could teach you stuff like that.

Logan Mills, Dakotas cousin, and his former longtime foster father, Hayden Hetzel, have said Dakota and a younger sister were removed from their biological parents home because of their reported drug use. Their father died and their mother eventually relinquished parental rights. His sister was later adopted.

The Porter County Sheriffs Office has released few details about the investigation and an autopsy report is not expected for several weeks, according to the St. Joseph County Coroners Office. The sheriffs detective bureau is investigating.

Mourners wore white T-shirts with Dakotas picture on the front with Forever 10. The back of the shirts said, Loved beyond words, missed beyond measure.

Displays plastered with pictures of Dakota lined the memorial chapel, depicting a boy whose large eyes were sometimes framed behind black-rimmed glasses. One display featured Dakotas schoolwork, including something on cicadas, which Dakota dubbed the best bug in the world.

A yellow woven potholder hung from the school display, which also included an essay by Dakota called Im feeling 22 and dated Feb. 22, 2022.

When I am 22, I will live with Mrs. Tarnowski, my favorite teacher I love so much. I will be tall. I will have 100,000 frogs, a big leopard shark, 500 fish, 2 dogs and 1 cat. Thats what I want to be like when Im 22 years old.

Amber Tarnowski, Dakotas elementary school teacher during the 2021-2022 school year when he was in second grade in the Duneland schools, told those gathered for the funeral that the boy arrived in her classroom with no records or data. She only knew he was placed with a foster family after a traumatic experience.

I learned quickly that Dakota was extraordinary, she said of the boy who she said had big emotions and became her heart and soul that school year.

Dakota was always about fairness and respect, Tarnowski said, and while she was teaching him algebra, he was teaching everybody patience.

Tarnowski never let him use his past as an excuse but told him he could talk to her about it.

Ive heard many bad things about what happened to this child. He told me all of it, but it was never about his family, she said. Dakota was his own hero each day and the reason for that was the foundation from his family.

Dakota helped Tarnowski accept traumatic experiences in her life, too.

I just need you to know he loved you, too, every single day, she said.

Outside the funeral home before the service, Melaina Blanchard of Highland wept as she said Dakota was her foster son for more than two years. Blanchard is Hetzels former girlfriend. Dakota first stayed with the couple in their Hammond home from 2019 to 2021, and again for a couple of weeks in November 2022.

He was so kind. He had a beautiful laugh and a beautiful smile, she said, adding Dakota loved to dance.

Dakota was 5 when he arrived as a foster child at Hetzel and Blanchards home.

He was just a baby but his personality showed from the day we got him, Blanchard said. Even all the trauma hed been through, he still managed to see the good in things. He was troubled, he was hurt, but his soul was beautiful.

A spokeswoman with the Department of Child Services has said that the Liberty Township foster parent where Dakota was staying before his death has been licensed since 2017 and was in good standing, having completed the required training and education required to achieve and maintain licensure,

Foster parents must complete intensive training and education to achieve licensure, which is reexamined each year to ensure the foster family continues to meet DCS requirements, including additional training each year to maintain this license, a department spokesman has said in an email.

DCS policy also addresses termination of licensure, which includes circumstances where a foster parent or member of the household has been substantiated for abuse or neglect, he said.

Rubalcava, Dakotas aunt, said the boy stayed with her for a time and that three days before he left her care, she sat him on her lap and asked him for a promise.

Promise when you make it out of this system, I just want you to tell me everything you make with your Legos, she told him, and they touched thumbs to seal the promise.

Rubalcava found out while she was at work that Dakota had died, and cried in her car on the way home.

He came back to me, she told fellow mourners. He made it out of the system.

alavalley@chicagotribune.com
Drivers in Washington state were in for a surprise when they spotted a group of zebras, possibly inspired their friend Marty from "Madagascar," galloping on the highway.

Washington State Patrol, in an email to USA TODAY, said that four zebras were on their way to Montana, when the driver of their trailer stopped off an exit to secure the trailer that had reportedly become unsecure. The four  which included two adult mares, one stallion and one filly  saw it as an opportunity and escaped from the trailer, running amok on the highway.

While officials and passersby were able to corral three of the zebras, a fourth, the stallion, continues to remain loose, the spokesperson said Monday morning.

Escaped zebra caught: Shrug captured in Washington yard after 6 days on the run: 'It was quite a show'

#Update. 2 Zebraa back in their trailer, baby Zebra corralled. One still outstanding.  Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) April 28, 2024

No injuries reported

Four zebras were on their way to Montana when they saw an opportunity and escaped from their trailer, running amok on the highway, the Washington State Patrol said.

Cameron Satterfield, a spokesperson of the Regional Animal Services of King County, confirmed the same, adding that the three zebras who were corralled were returned to their owner, while the fourth remains at large.

Satterfield said that a "nearby good Samaritan with a horse pasture was able to help corral the zebras."

"The zebras' owner was able to bring their trailer to the pasture to pick up the three that were captured and make sure they were secured," Satterfield said via email. "No people were injured in the incident, and the three animals that were re-captured seem to be in good condition as well with no injuries."

An investigation report viewed by USA TODAY showed that the incident took place shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday. The owner of the four zebras, Kristine Keltgen was driving them from Winlock, Washington to Anaconda, Montana when she noticed the trailer's "floor mat flapping and dragging." As Keltgen stopped and opened the door of the trailer to adjust the mat, the zebras rushed out of the trailer and onto the roadway.

Video footage from the incident, captured by passersby, shows the zebras trotting on the highway among cars and munching on grass before making their way to the backyard of a house near the highway.

'They're in my yard'

Whitney Blomquist, who lives at the house, where the zebras wound up, told KOLOTV that she was shocked to see the zebras in her backyard.

I called someone and was like, Um, so I found the missing zebras. Theyre in my yard," Blomquist said. "Uh, you know, not sure what to do.'"

Blomquist told KOMO News that her security cameras have caught bears multiple times, but spotting the zebras was a first.

I've had plenty of bears in my yard, but this was a new one, for sure," Blomquist said.

The four zebras, of which 2 were adult mares, 1 a stallion and one a filly, running on a highway in Washington.

One of the drivers on the highway Dan Barnett told KOLO TV that several cars on the off-ramp pulled over by the guardrail to contain the zebras and prevent them from escaping onto the interstate where they could be hit by speeding vehicles.

Authorities have requested anyone who spots the 4th zebra to call RASKC at 206-296-7387 or law enforcement at 911. Meanwhile, the other 3 continue to be transported back to Montana, according to the investigation report.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zebras run wild by interstate in Washington after escape: Watch video
MAPUTO (Reuters) - Mozambique's ruling FRELIMO party has announced Daniel Chapo will be its presidential candidate in an election scheduled for October.

FRELIMO has governed the southern African country since gaining independence in 1975 and hopes Chapo will lead the party to another victory in the Oct. 9 election.

"The soap opera of speculation is over, including speculation about the third term," President Filipe Nyusi said on state television on Sunday, dismissing the prospect of contesting elections again.

"We must all unite around comrade Daniel Francisco Chapo, in the demanding march towards electoral victory next October," Nyusi said.

Mozambique's constitution limits the president to two five-year terms. However, there had been media speculation that Nyusi would seek a third term after his re-election as party leader in 2022.

A relatively unknown figure in national politics, Chapo is the governor of the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane. He won 225 votes (around 94%) cast by the party's central committee, according to a party statement.

"We are going to work with all social strata," Chapo said on television after his win.

A former radio announcer, Chapo was born in 1977, making him the first FRELIMO candidate born after the country's independence.

He holds a law degree and a Master's degree in development management and has filled a string of political roles including as an administrator of the districts of Nacala and Palma.

(Reporting by Manuel Mucari; Writing by Tannur Anders; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Sharon Singleton)
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said its investigating a shooting that killed a man and injured another in Southeast.

On May 5 at about 7:40 p.m., police responded to the 3500 block of Stanton Road for the reports of sounds of gunshots.

While police were at the scene, two victims who had been shot went to the hospital.

Man arrested in connection to road rage shooting in Fairfax County

One of the men died while the other one was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The man who died was identified as 31-year-old Anthony White, of Northwest.

Anyone with information should call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Departments TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Individual entrepreneur (IE) Humaya Mammadova received a soft loan from the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Azerbaijan, which promotes local industry and entrepreneurship, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said on X, Trend reports.

Entrepreneur Humaya Mammadova will be able to carry out her proposal for Guba's hotel and restaurant services with the help of a concessional loan from the Entrepreneurship Development Fund, which amounts to 150,000 manat ($88,235). Our organization places a premium on assisting female entrepreneurs, the publication says.

In 2023, the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of Azerbaijan provided soft loans worth 193.8 million manat or $114 million to finance 3,276 investment projects.

Investment projects total 459.9 million manat ($270.5 million), with loans rising by approximately 33 percent, creating over 3,000 jobs. This was the credit distribution: 46.4 percent for agriculture, 43 percent for industrial and processing, 5.5 percent for services, and 4.5 percent for tourism. Regional soft loans totaled 72 percent, with 28 percent going to Baku and Absheron.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
The water is blue and the salt breeze keeps blowing, but Mississippi keeps sounding the same warning again and again.

The states Department of Environmental Quality routinely issues beach advisories when it finds bacteria in the water, and it has alerted swimmers of pollution more than a dozen times already this year.

No beaches are closed. But the familiar drama has become a frustration for many  and while some say the warnings do little to change swimmers habits, others are raising new questions about whether the bacteria is a problem or just part of coastal life.

You get sick more from eating raw oysters, said Barney Foster, who has rented out jet skis on the beach in Biloxi for more than four decades, and said the water has never made him ill.

Instead, he said, the warnings hurt tourism and threaten his business.

We could shut down, he said. All because of what? It doesnt make sense.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has long tested beaches for a type of bacteria that can indicate runoff from septic systems or boat sewage in the water. They test 21 beaches weekly and use the results from repeat offenders to trace possible sewer leaks to their source.

The advisories err on the side of caution, said Chris Wells, the agencys executive director.

We want to make sure people are aware of it, he said. We just let people know there could be a risk.

The trouble often begins upriver. Cracked septic tanks, overflowing manholes and crumbling sewer lines can release untreated wastewater into roadside ditches, where storm water drains that twist and turn beneath the Coast eventually carry it past Highway 90 and into the Sound. The bacteria can also come from wildlife, Wells said, like a pelican colony on a pier.

Once it reaches the Sound, the bacteria just sticks around, said Anna Linhoss, an Auburn University professor who studies water quality in Alabama and Mississippi. The shallow waters of the Sound and the rush of sediment from the Mississippi River already make Coast beaches murkier than those in Alabama and Florida, and barrier islands block pollution from washing away into the Gulf.

The worry hits hardest when the beaches are closed, and the worst impacts to tourism come during long-term problems like the red tide in 2019. Foster said he let go of 17 workers  mostly college students on break  that summer.

It hurts us, he said. One report estimates closing beaches too often could cost the Coast $152 million in annual tourism sales.

All of which is why Wells said the Department of Environmental Quality lifts the advisories as soon as it can. Millions of dollars the state earned after the BP oil spill are also spent in part to improve water quality on the Coast, and he said the agency uses the money to convert leak-prone septic tanks to sewer systems and repair or replace old pipes.

Still, beach habits die hard. Vic Johnson, the road manager in Hancock County, said his staff posts signs and raises red flags each time they hear of a water advisory. But at most, swimmers move a mile down the beach.

The ones who wanna go, he said, nothings going to stop them.
Alerts Issued for Our Region

FLOOD WATCH until midnight Tuesday for Mercer, Bland and Tazewell counties. Storms with heavy rainfall rates could cause high water issues to develop, especially in areas where storms move over the same areas. Remember that when encountering high water on flooded roads, turn around, dont drown!

Severe Weather Awareness Week: Flash flood Safety

Tonight features the risk for a few scattered showers and storms, mainly before midnight with a stationary front draped over our northern counties and a trough exiting the region, which will get rid of most shower chances after midnight until dawn. That front will lift to the north as a warm front on Tuesday. Its a breezy and mild night in store with a southwest breeze gusting up to 20 mph and low temperatures only dropping into the upper 50s. Though severe weather is not expected for tonight, storms could produce locally heavy rainfall.

Tuesday sees more chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms, as our stationary front nudges north and a new trough moves into the region. This will allow for scattered thunderstorms, which will be capable of locally heavy rainfall. A couple of storms  primarily in our western counties  will be strong to severe, with damaging wind gusts, hail and even an isolated tornado possible during the late afternoon and early evening hours.

The Storm Prediction Center has placed our far western counties in a level two out of five risk for severe weather with the western half of our region under a level one risk for flooding by the Weather Prediction Center. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 70s. Storms will diminish in coverage once again after midnight, though a few downpours are still possible with low temperatures in the low 60s.

Wednesday features our best chance for severe weather for our region this week, with an approaching cold front lifting to the north as a warm as a low pressure system heads into the Great Lakes. Scattered showers and thunderstorms  some of which will be strong to severe  is expected.

The best chance for severe weather will be in our western counties, where the Storm Prediction Center placing most of our region under a level two out of five risk for severe weather. Scattered thunderstorms late Wednesday afternoon into the evening will be capable of damaging wind gusts, large hail and an isolated tornado once again. The Weather Prediction Center once again places our region under a level one risk for flooding, as storms will be working in an efficient environment and capable of dropping heavy rainfall. High temperatures will reach right around 80 degrees.

Thursday continues chances for scattered showers and storms with a cold front moving through. Rain and thunderstorms once again expected, with the chance for strong to severe thunderstorms being possible. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary threat. The best chance for severe weather for Thursdays setup will be in our eastern counties, where a little less rain shower activity is expected during the morning hours. This front will cross during the evening hours, with much cooler weather expected for Friday. Highs will be in the low to mid 70s Thursday. The Weather Prediction Center once again has placed our region in a level one risk for flooding.

Friday features lingering showers with a northwest flow setting up behind a cold front and a trough kicking in behind our low pressure system. Mostly cloudy conditions, with periods of light showers and drizzle will hold high temperatures down into the upper 50s to around 60 in what looks to be a dreary day.

Saturday finally features a drier day on the way, with sunshine expected for most of the day. Late in the afternoon, an approaching weak cold front will try to squeak an isolated shower or two into the region toward dinnertime, but these showers will be isolated at best during the day. Well see high temperatures remain a bit cool for this time of year in the low 60s.

Mothers Day sees our cold front cross, with a few morning isolated sprinkles followed by sunshine returning for the afternoon. Its not a bad forecast for moms day, with high temperatures in the mid 60s.

Monday brings even more sunshine into the forecast, with high pressure setting in to our west and then south. That will keep a cooler westerly breeze ongoing but will mean plenty of sunshine, with high temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. As high pressure shifts south, a front up to our north will sag south closer to our region, with a rogue isolated shower or two possible. Shower chances should remain isolated.

Looking ahead in your extended forecast, temperatures will be rebounding back to around normal for this time of year. Well see highs return to the 70s for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Isolated chances for showers will be possible Tuesday and Wednesday with a better chance for showers Thursday with a cold front crossing, which will bring cooler air into the mix for the following weekend.

Only 1 type of tick carries Lyme disease in WV; what to look out for

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!

TONIGHT

Scattered showers and storms, mainly before midnight. Lows in the upper 50s.

TUESDAY

Scattered thunderstorms likely. A couple of strong storms are possible, along with the threat for heavy rainfall. Highs in the mid to upper 70s.

WEDNESDAY

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs near 80.

THURSDAY

More scattered showers and storms. Highs in the low to mid 70s.

FRIDAY

Mostly cloudy with light showers/drizzle. Cool! Highs near 60.

SATURDAY

Partly sunny, isolated shower late. Highs in the low 60s.

MOTHERS DAY

AM sprinkles. PM sunshine. Highs in the mid 60s.

TUESDAY

Isolated storms. Highs in the 70s.

WEDNESDAY

Isolated storms. Highs in the 70s.

THURSDAY

Better chance for showers and storms. Highs in the 70s.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  So far in 2024, Multnomah County is on track to surpass 2023s record-high drug seizures, the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office announced Friday.

The announcement comes after the end of a 90-day fentanyl emergency initiative on April 29 led by Gov. Tina Kotek, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to address the fentanyl crisis in Portlands central city.

The Multnomah County Sheriffs Office said deputies and detectives continue to see a steady flow of fentanyl in the county and state.

Police release identities of those arrested during Portland State University protests

In the first four months of 2024, the sheriffs office has seized over 27 pounds of fentanyl powder, making up 89% of total seizures, along with 26,248 fentanyl pills. MCSO also seized over four pounds of cocaine (6% of total seizures), over three pounds of meth (3% of total seizures) and .75 pounds of heroin (2% of total seizures.)

The sheer volume of drugs [MCSOs Dangerous Drugs Team] is removing from our community is astounding and highlights how widespread the crisis is, Sheriff Nicole Morrisey ODonnell said in a statement. I appreciate DDTs tenacity in facing this emergency head on.

In 2023, the sheriffs office had a record year of drug seizures with 92 pounds of fentanyl taken off the streets compared to four pounds in 2022.

Portland ranks in top 10 cloudiest U.S. locations, others rank higher

The sheriffs office noted DDT has seized 59 guns during their investigations, including ghost guns, or guns without a serial number, stolen guns, and guns used in other crimes.

With fentanyl making up a majority of seized drugs, the sheriffs office warns that seven out of every 10 pills seized by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.

According to the DEA, it takes two milligrams of fentanyl, about the weight of a few grains of salt, to cause a fatal overdose.

No ambulances: Gresham victim rushed by police to hospital

Leaders held a press conference on Friday reflecting on the 90-day fentanyl emergency, which saw the suspension of two bottle drop sites  that law enforcement officials said were hotspots for the fentanyl market  increased bike patrols, and distribution of the overdose reversal medication naloxone.

Just over three months ago, the Mayor, Chair and I shared that the uniqueness of the fentanyl

crisis required us to respond with the highest possible level of coordination. The 90-day tri-government fentanyl emergency achieved that and much more, Gov. Kotek said.

There is certainly more work to do, and the state will continue to be a key partner.

Officials said next steps to address the crisis include developing a sobering center, creating more recovery housing for those facing addiction, and building a peer overdose team, including people with lived experience and harm reduction service providers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Henderson

A murder charge has been dismissed against a Hockley County man accused of killing his ex-wife 30 years ago.

Ricky Don Henderson, 62, is being held at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Smith Unit in Lamesa, were he is serving a 25-year and 20-year prison sentence for unrelated drug charges out of Hockley and Taylor counties.

He is also a person of interest in the death of his girlfriend 20-year-old Jeannie Quinn, whose body was found in 2018 in Abilene.

Person of interest in Jeannie Quinn case transferred to Abilene jail

Murder charge dismissed

He was set to stand trial on Monday in the 286th District Court for a murder charge in connection with the 1993 disappearance of his ex-wife, Stephanie Henderson of San Angelo, whose body has not been recovered. The charge was dismissed Friday.

An indictment states he is accused of killing his ex-wife on or about Nov. 27, 1993 by an unknown means.

Stephanie Henderson disappeared on Thanksgiving Day. She called her grandmother, Martha Meeks, to fetch her at her home in Opdyke West and take her back to San Angelo, according to A-J Media archives.

When Meeks arrived to pick up Stephanie Henderson, Ricky Henderson said he didnt know where she was.

The dismissal comes after Hockley County District Attorney Angela Overman's April 29 motion to continue to the trial was denied.

Attempts to reach the DA's office for comment have been unsuccessful.

Henderson's attorney, Jeff Nicholson, said there were "unresolved matters relevant to physical evidence which were of such a nature they very likely would have assisted both sides in reaching a resolution -- whether proceeding to trial or handling the matter in another method."

Ricky Don Henderson charged with murder in wife's disappearance

He said understood why the case was presented to a grand jury, which return indictments if its members find an investigation supports probable cause that the accused committed a crime.

However, Nicholson said he believed prosecutors presentend the case based on evidence they believed investigators would have developed through further investigation before the trial and would have proved the case to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt.

"In most all cases, investigation continues, which may or may not affect positively either side of a matter," he said. "That is what investigations are for."

Court records show prosecutors planned to call on witnesses who would tell jurors about Henderson's violent and manipulative nature.

One witness was expected to testify about a time she escaped Henderson's attempt to strangle her with a rope.

When she sought refuge with a friend, Henderson reportedly tried to run them off the road.

Another witness was expected to testify about Henderson's plan to blow up his parents' house. She also reportedly woke up to Henderson trying to rape her and she was assaulted when she tried to resist.

She said Henderson threatened to kill her and made her dig her own grave.

A third witness was expected to testify that Henderson was an abusive husband to Stephanie Henderson, who she had seen with black eyes a day after Ricky Henderson lost his temper.

She said Stephanie Henderson was at Ricky Henderson's home the day she disappeared and she did not take any belongings with her.

Overman also filed a motion to recuse in the case, citing potential conflicts of interest including her close ties to the victim's family.

Her former brother-in-law, who assisted and donated financially to her campaign, was the victim's first cousin.

Overman also stated that an essential witness in the case shared information about the case before she was elected as Hockley County's district attorney.

Once she became DA, Overman said she told the witness she could no longer discuss the case with him alone. However, the witness would share information with Overman's ex-husband who would repeat the information against her repeated requests not to.

Henderson's attorney, Jeff Nicholson, said Overman made the right call to dismiss the case.

"The fact that Ms. Overman has chosen to dismiss the case at this time in both ethically and fiscally responsible," he said. "It will save Hockley County all costs related to trial, appeals, writs and the inevitable responses to the Texas Innocence Project."

The case against Henderson can be brought back before a grand jury if new evidence surfaces since there is no statute of limitations for murder charges.

Person of interest in Abilene homicide

Meanwhile, Henderson is also a person of interest in the 2018 homicide of his girlfriend 20-year-old Jeannie Quinn, also from Levelland, whose body was found on April 17, 2018, hanging in a wooded lot near North 10th and Marigold streets in far northwest Abilene.

Abilene police officials investigated her death as a homicide after an autopsy indicated Quinns death was a staged hanging and that she died of asphyxiation, according to A-J archives.

At present no charges have been filed in that case.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Murder charge dropped in Hockley County cold case of San Angelo woman
Murder charges against five sheriff's deputies in the death of Irvo Otieno at a Virginia mental health facility last year have been dropped as his family blasted the prosecutor and urged the Justice Department to "bring your boots to Richmond and stand for Irvo." Photo courtesy of Ben Crump Law

May 6 (UPI) -- Murder charges against five sheriff's deputies in the death of Irvo Otieno at a Virginia mental health hospital last year have been dropped as his family expressed outrage Monday over the prosecutor's decision.

Dinwiddie County Commonwealth Attorney Amanda Mann filed a motion Sunday to withdraw the charges against five of the eight Henrico County sheriff's deputies, which a judge granted.

"We did not endorse her plan. I don't know what video others are looking at, but we all know what we saw. This is a solid case," Caroline Ouko, Otieno's mother, told reporters Monday after meeting with Mann, as she urged the Justice Department to intervene.

"We hope that the Dinwiddie commonwealth attorney can do her job. And if she is not willing to prosecute, the DOJ, where are you? Where are you? The Department of Justice, where are you?" Ouko asked as her voice broke.

"It is time. It is time for you to bring your boots to Richmond and stand for Irvo. And get justice for my son."

While charges remain against two deputies and one hospital employee, second-degree murder charges against deputies Randy Joseph Boyer, Dwayne Alan Bramble, Jermaine Lavar Branch, Bradley Thomas Disse and Tabitha Renee Levere have been dropped.

"We're pleased that this prosecutor was willing to make a decision that was based on the law and the evidence rather than other factors," said Russ Stone, attorney for Bramble.

The motions to drop the charges are formally known as "nolle prosequi," which "means the commonwealth's attorney can bring these cases back, but it is an agonizing wait," said family attorney Mark Krudys. "We were going to begin less than a month from now, and now we have to begin in the fall."

Otieno died March 6, 2023, as he was being admitted to the Central State Hospital in Virginia for treatment following his arrest for alleged burglary. Surveillance video shows sheriff's deputies and medical staff restraining him after he "became physically assaultive towards officers." The video shows 10 people piling on top of Otieno, who was handcuffed, for more than 10 minutes.

Otieno's death was ruled a homicide the following month, with the cause being "positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints."

"He was restrained, they had him," said the family's attorney Benjamin Crump. "He wasn't going anywhere. He was in the mental health hospital, for God's sake. Why the need to put all this weight on top of him to the point of suffocating him to death?"

In September, Otieno's family reached an $8.5 million settlement with Henrico county, the state and the sheriff's office which in exchange denied any liability in Otieno's death.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  On the night of January 29, 2022, off-duty Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota was at his home near Battle Ground when a man entered his home and attacked him. Sahotas wife called 911 as Sahota fought with the intruder.

Sahota and the intruder, later identified as Julio Segura, were just outside the home when Sahota was stabbed.

Within minutes, Sahota, 53, was shot to death by Clark County Deputy Jonathan Feller as he struggled with Segura on his own front porch. Feller mistook Sahota for the suspect.

Vancouver Police officer Donald Sahota was off-duty when he was killed after a robbery incident escalated. (Courtesy: VPD)

On Monday, Segura began to stand trial in Clark County Superior Court for Sahotas death. He is facing three counts of first-degree murder, and one count each of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree murder, attempted first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle.

Investigators said Julio Segura was armed with a gun when he robbed a Chevron convenience store in the Orchards area that night more than two years ago. He then allegedly took off in a stolen vehicle and drove randomly to Sahotas home.

During the altercation, Segura stabbed Sahota puncturing his lung, which would have been life-threatening without immediate medical intervention, the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team investigators said. However, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy said the gunshot wounds to Sahotas chest were so traumatic that those were the injuries that took his life.

Julio Segura in court on the first day of his murder trial in the death of off-duty Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota, May 6, 2024 (KOIN)

Julio Segura (right) in court on the first day of his murder trial in the death of off-duty Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota, May 6, 2024 (KOIN)

Julio Segura in court on the first day of his murder trial in the death of off-duty Vancouver Police Officer Donald Sahota, May 6, 2024 (KOIN)

After a lengthy investigation, the Clark County Sheriffs Office announced Deputy Feller would not be charged for shooting and killing Sahota.

KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this trial and will have updates as they develop.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Lord Dannatt raised concerns that Britain is not doing enough to deter Russian aggression - David Rose

The former head of the British Army has said Britain must raise defence spending to five per cent of GDP to deter Russia as it did during the Cold War.

Richard Dannatt, who was in charge of the Army from 2006 to 2009, raised concerns that Britain is not doing enough to deter Russian aggression.

Lord Dannatt called on the Government to increase defence funding to five per cent  double Rishi Sunaks plans to raise it to 2.5 per cent.

He believes the five per cent mark  which would equate to around 174 billion a year  is the price required to keep Russia at bay and said politicians were too focused on whatever is the top story on the Today programme.

Currently, the UK spends around 2.2 per cent of GDP on defence  roughly 75 billion a year. Last week, the Prime Minister announced that the budget would increase to 2.5 per cent  87 billion  by 2030.

In an interview with The Lady magazine, Lord Dannatt highlighted the under-funding of the Armed Forces. He said in 1935 the UK spent three per cent of GDP on defence, but by 1939 it shot up to 18 per cent and by 1940 it was at 46 per cent.

He said: Today were spending about 2.2 per cent, with a number of us calling for an increase to 2.5 per cent or three per cent pretty quickly.

During the Cold War, we were spending five per cent on defence  that was the price of deterrence. If were trying to deter Putin, then maybe weve got to be thinking about numbers as big as that, which is certainly off the radar as far as any political parties in the coming election are concerned.

I think this is a weakness of democracy and a strength of dictatorships. A dictator who doesnt care about public opinion can take long-term decisions and drive them through, whereas our politicians now are very much driven by the top story on the Today programme.

Lord Dannatt was instrumental in some of Britains operations in the Middle East and became Chief of the General Staff in 2006. The retired general, a recipient of the Military Cross, later went on to serve as defence adviser to David Cameron.

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An activist who heckled Nancy Pelosi and a student welfare officer who liked social media posts celebrating Hamas, were among dozens of students seen taking part in protests at Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Rosy Wilson, 19, was among the activists who set up a pro-Palestinian camp outside Oxfords Pitt Rivers Museum.

Ms Wilson was previously removed from the Oxford Union after she and another protester hijacked a speech by Ms Pelosi, the former speaker of the US House of Representatives.

The students waved Palestinian flags after they disrupted her address at the debating society on April 25.

They were removed by Thames Valley Police as the crowd inside the chamber applauded.

Ms Wilson and a fellow protester were ejected from the Oxford Union after interrupting Ms Pelosi's speech - X (FORMERLY TWITTER)

Ms Wilson also joined a number of activists from Just Stop Oil who disrupted a fundraising dinner held by Anneliese Dodds, chairman of the Labour Party and MP for Oxford East, in February.

She said she was supporting the environmental activists as a member of protest group Oxford against War Crimes, and presented a letter to Ms Dodds demanding that Labour stop all new oil and gas licences.

In a video, filmed by Just Stop Oil, she is seen holding a Palestinian flag, and shouting: Labour is supposed to be the party of the people and yet it refuses to stand up for human lives.

We know that all genocide is interlinked, we know that all human suffering is interlinked and we have to stand up against it.

Ms Wilson, who is studying philosophy, politics and economics, was pictured at the camp protest on Monday, despite her fellow activists denying she was in attendance.

Face masks

At the encampment in Cambridge, Harvey Brown, Cambridge Students Unions welfare officer, was spotted wearing a floral top and a face mask.

Mr Brown was seen coming and going throughout the afternoon and, on Monday evening, The Telegraph saw him climb into a tent with a large bag, which appeared to suggest he may stay overnight.

He came under fire in October when The Telegraph revealed that he had liked a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, that supported the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

One such post heralded a day of celebration as Hamas fighters cross into their colonisers territory.

Ms Wilson also joined a number of activists from Just Stop Oil who disrupted a fundraising dinner held by Anneliese Dodds - Tom Bowles

After an outcry from Jewish students, Mr Brown apologised for his rash actions.

While he is not thought to be among the lead organisers of the Cambridge camp, he answered no comment when The Telegraph approached him on Monday afternoon to ask about his involvement.

Ringleaders remain anonymous

None of the ringleaders of the protests, either in Oxford or in Cambridge, wanted to be named and the majority were wearing masks, or keffiyehs, a scarf symbolic of Palestinian nationalism.

One woman, who led chants with a microphone in Oxford, was approached by the Telegraph but she refused to give her name or explain why she had decided to protest.

Another Oxford protester, who was willing to talk, albeit anonymously, said they had been inspired to set up camp at the university after seeing similar protests in the US.

The woman, a PhD student, said: Were here with these demands, and were not planning to leave until the demands are met.

Were taking a lot of inspiration from the international movement in the US.

Campus demonstrations across America descended into violence last last month as riot police forcibly shut down encampments at several universities.

The demonstrations began in the US earlier this year to protest against Israels offensive in Gaza, which followed Hamas launching its deadly attack on Israel.

Global chain reaction

Kendall Gardner, a Jewish-American PhD politics student, was one of a small number of protesters in Oxford willing to be named.

The one aim of the protest that comes to mind first, is following this global chain of reaction that Columbia started and showing solidarity with them, Ms Gardner said.

Asked why they had targeted the Pitt Rivers museum, she said: This museum has not returned the artefacts that were taken and pillaged during extraordinarily violent times of the British Empire.

We are trying to call attention to the role that this university has played in the ongoing colonisation of many places around the world, including Palestine.

She added: As a Jewish person, it means a lot to me to be able to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and carry on these legacies of resistance that honestly connect us more than divide us.

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Nathan Wade, the former Fulton County, Ga., special prosecutor involved in the Georgia election fraud case against ex-President Trump, described his romantic relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis as American as apple pie.

In his first sit-down interview since resigning from the high-profile case, Wade told ABC Newss Linsey Davis he regretted that the relationship became a focus of the case, but he maintained it did not damage the case itself.

Workplace romances are as American as apple pie. It happens to everyone. But it happened to the two of us, Wade said, in the interview that aired Monday on ABC Newss Good Morning America.

You dont plan to develop feelings. You dont plan to fall in love. You dont plan to have some relationship in the workplace. You dont set out to do that. Those things develop organically. They develop over time. And the minute we had that sobering moment, we just continued, he said.

Asked whether he regrets the relationship, Wade said: I regret that that private matter became the focal point of this very important prosecution. This is a very important case. I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case.

My private life has nothing to do with the merits of that prosecution, he later added, saying not at all when asked if he thinks hes done any kind of damage to the case.

A Georgia judge ruled in March that the relationship between Willis and Wade created a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team and said Willis could remain on the case, only if Wade left.

The ruling created a pathway for Willis still to prosecute the historic election interference case, in which she indicted Trump and his allies on racketeering and other charges, contending they entered a months-long criminal conspiracy to overturn Joe Bidens 2020 victory in the state.

While I will concede, Ms. Davis, that the relationship did not happen in ideal timing. I dont think that anything that occurred during the course of the relationship should cause question as it would relate to the sufficiency of the indictment, as it would relate to any of the evidence that was uncovered and may or may not be presented at trial, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Clay County is on the hunt to hire 170 new teachers to fill vacancies in the district.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

We just want people who are friendly, love kids, want to become a teacher, said Clay Superintendent David Broskie.

Clay Schools isnt alone, according to the Florida Education Association, there were more than 4,000 teaching vacancies statewide as of January.

Broskie said salaries can be a challenge, but they have improved in recent years.

I think it becomes a challenge when we want to retain teachers, said Broskie.

But a new report published by the National Education Association suggests Florida continues to fall behind on teacher pay.

While the state ranks 16th in the nation for starting teacher pay, at just over $53,000, Florida ranked 50th out of 51 for average teacher pay.

Florida in these rankings was 36th in the nation in 2010, said Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar.

Spar argued that low pay is one of the main obstacles to hiring and retaining teachers in the Sunshine State.

The reason we have this massive teacher and staff shortage is because pay is so bad and its so bad because Florida refuses to invest, said Spar.

This year, the legislature funded teacher salary increases to the tune of $1.2 billion.

More than $4 billion has gone towards increasing teacher pay since 2019.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education released an email statement:

The bogus NEA report does not consider a variety of factors, such as cost of living and state income tax. We also have no way to verify that the union is accurately collecting and reporting teacher salaries and not artificially inflating the data with benefits and other forms of compensation.

Still, Spar contends the states teacher pay ranking proves the funding isnt moving the needle far enough.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed the law On Approval of the Agreement between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of Turkiye on the Abolition of Double Taxation in Respect of Taxes on Income and Prevention of Tax Evasion," Trend reports.

According to the document, the agreement signed on February 19, 2024, in Ankara was approved.

This agreement strengthens economic cooperation between the two countries, allowing companies from both countries to invest more and participate more in mutual trade.

Commenting on the issue, Azerbaijani expert Eldaniz Amirov said that Turkiye became the 56th country with which Azerbaijan has signed such an agreement.

"Non-residents engaged in activities in another country's territory and earning income pay tax in the amount provided for by that country's legislation. They then pay the income tax that their own country's legislation stipulates. With the signing of this agreement, the non-resident is exempt from paying this tax in their own country upon return.

This means that the non-resident pays tax only once. This is undoubtedly one of the main factors creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurial activity, and most importantly, it also stimulates the activities of foreign entrepreneurs (non-residents) in the country.

This law will stimulate the activities of non-resident Turkish businessmen. At the same time, it will encourage the activities of Azerbaijani entrepreneurs. This will contribute to the growth of trade turnover, the improvement of the investment climate, and the increase in employment in both countries," he added.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week from Monday, May 6 through Sunday, May 12 at Nauticus in Norfolk.

Complimentary admission to Nauticus and Battleship Wisconsin will be offered to Virginia educators and support staff from pre-K through college. During the week, enjoy free activities from the museums exhibits, daily programs, educational films and a self-guided tour around the Battleship.

At Nauticus, education is our mission, said Nauticus Director of Education and Community Engagement, Nate Sandel. So, we are proud to invite educators and support staff who dedicate their careers to educating others, to experience Nauticus for free.

Teachers and staff will also receive 20% off one item in the gift shop and 10% off at The Norfolk Grille.

Guests are encouraged to reserve tickets online as there is a limited quantity of free tickets each day. A valid Virginia School ID is required upon entrance at the Nauticus front desk during check in. Any additional guests with the teacher or staff member must have their own ticket.

Click here to reserve tickets and find out more information.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
The state is shutting down a long-running charter school thats been accused of misspending taxpayer dollars.

The N.C. Charter Schools Review Board unanimously voted on Monday to not renew Childrens Village Academy in Kinston when its charter expires at the end of June. The school has faced multiple state investigations over the past school year and had agreed to repay $152,050 in federal grant money it was accused of misspending.

Theyre just not running the place in a way that would warrant this type of trust with public funds, Eric Sanchez, a Review Board member said Monday. I just want to go on record as saying that. Its sad to always vote when a school gets closed.

Childrens Village can appeal the non-renewal decision to the State Board of Education. Non-renewal usually means closure, but charter schools can try to stay open by converting to a private school.

Yes I admit theres room for improvement in internal controls, enrollment and academics, Wilma Troublefield, chair of Childrens Village board of directors, told the Review Board on Monday. But we are still in compliance, and we ask that you not only renew the school charter but do grant us the opportunity to do what you have mandated us to do.

Prayerfully we embark on another year, we will see that all these mandates are completed.

In April, the State Board upheld the Review Boards decision to not renew Ridgeview Charter School in Gaston County, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

School wants more time to repay money

Childrens Village is one of North Carolinas oldest charter schools. It opened in 1997. It has 147 students this school year.

The state Department of Public Instruction received several allegations questioning how the school was handling a loan from one of its leaders and how it was spending federal funds for an after-school tutoring program.

DPI ordered the school to repay $162,597 in tutoring program funds. Childrens Village appealed DPIs order before reaching an agreement to repay $152,050.

DPI is expecting the money to be repaid by Wednesday. But the school wants to use an installment plan that would have them provide a $50,000 down payment this week with the final payment in November.

James Harper, the schools treasurer, told the Review Board he isnt sure they can pay all $152,050 this week.

Financial policies questioned

Childrens Village also made changes such as adopting a new internal financial controls policy and resolving issues with its outstanding loan balance. DPI had questioned how board member Peggy Carr had gotten $140,000 in interest payments from a $188,000 loan she gave the school in 2008.

Carr told the Review Board she and the church her late mother led have donated more money to the school over the years than it has collected back in interest payments. Her mother founded the Eastern North Carolina charter school.

Carr said she is no longer a voting member of the board. She is commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education.

Despite the changes, Susan Brigman, section chief of DPIs specialty programs, told the Review Board we do have significant concerns about their ability to manage the financials.

Inaccurate or fraudulent data

More recently, DPI said its investigations found Childrens Village inflated the number of students attending the tutoring program and didnt comply with federal regulations on reporting the employment status of some employees.

The school changed the status of 13 employees to independent contractors before changing them back. DPI says the school needs to address the tax issues that the change caused, as well as remove two independent contractors from the state Health Plan.

Brigman told The Review Board that the school reported inaccurate or fraudulent data on the number of students attending the after-school program. She cited the much lower number of students seen when DPI did unannounced visits in April. Funding for the program is tied to enrollment.

The students are just not there, Brigman said.

Jessica Jones, the schools principal, said that after-school attendance drops over the school year.

The state Office of Charter Schools initially was going to recommend Childrens Village get a three-year renewal. But after the DPI audits, the Office of Charter Schools cited material violations in the charter and failure to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management for recommending non-renewal.

It just doesnt seem that the school has the right infrastructure to get better, said Sanchez, the Review Board member. It doesnt seem like theyre owning their mistakes.
Judges of the Nebraska Supreme Court (and when they were appointed), front row from left: Lindsey Miller-Lerman (1998), Chief Justice Michael Heavican (2006), William Cassel (2012). Back row, from left: Jonathan Papik (2018), Stephanie Stacy (2015), Jeffrey Funke (2016) and John Freudenberg (2018). (Courtesy of the court)

LINCOLN  A new Nebraska Supreme Court decision added fuel to some lawmakers desire to try again, as early as this year, to increase accountability for child sexual assault and abuse.

Mike Heavican

Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court Mike Heavican (Courtesy of the Nebraska Judicial Branch)

An unsigned majority of the states highest court, in a 4-1 opinion in Joshua v. State, issued Friday, upheld certain immunity for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services after three siblings alleged negligence after more than a decade of sexual and physical abuse in foster care. The opinion built upon the 2020 decision Moser v. State and overruled related cases, too.

Justices Jeffrey Funke and John Freudenberg did not participate in the decision.

State lawmakers passed legislation to change the underlying state law before Gov. Jim Pillen vetoed those revisions last month. Leading senators said they might try to call for a special session this summer on their own if the governor does not.

We need a special session immediately to address this issue, State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who helped lead legislative efforts this spring, said in a Friday text.

Public policy or statutory construction

At hand is the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act, which forbids certain lawsuits against political subdivisions, upholding sovereign immunity. This includes cases of assault or battery, which the majority said could be changed by the Legislature as a matter of public policy.

This court is required by settled principles of strict construction to read that exemption broadly in order to preserve the states immunity, the majority wrote.

State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha led legislation this year to amend state law, picking up 2023 proposals from State Sens. Steve Halloran of Hastings and George Dungan of Lincoln. Feb. 22, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

A penned dissent from the courts longest serving member, Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman, said the court overlooked an opportunity to limit the 2020 decision and differentiate between immune child assault and nonimmune child abuse.

Miller-Lerman said even under the Moser decision, the actions of DHHS are nonliable. She also dissented on the Moser decision, stating then that it diverted from the U.S. Supreme Court.

The senior justice would have returned the decision to a lower court to consider allegations of non-assault claims, including emotional abuse and domestic violence involving the foster familys dogs.

The problematic outcome in this case is the result of the application by the majority of its statutory interpretation in Moser and the progeny thereof with which, as I have repeatedly written, I respectfully disagree, Miller-Lerman wrote.

In my view, this issue is one of statutory construction, not public policy, and the solution is within the majoritys grasp, Miller-Lerman continued. In the absence of ambiguity, statutory interpretation is not a matter of public policy.

Timeline of abuse

In January 1996, three siblings (Joshua, Sydnie and Abigail) became wards of the state after a serious car accident left their mother severely disabled and unable to care for them. Their biological father was deemed an unfit parent due to active alcoholism and instability in employment and housing.

Loree Woods, left, joined with State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln for an informal news conference following the veto of legislation that would have allowed new lawsuits against political subdivisions if negligence was a proximate cause of child sexual assault or abuse. Conrad holds a picture of Woods daughter, Taylor, a survivor of sexual assault. April 25, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

The siblings were placed in a foster home with Miles Ruch Sr. and Carol Ruch during which it is generally undisputed that the siblings were subjected to frequent physical and sexual abuse.

In August 2004, Sydnie and Abigail each told their foster mother that her husband had been sexually abusing them, and Miles Ruch was arrested, charged and convicted of multiple counts of sexual assault of a child.

The siblings remained in Carol Ruchs custody for several months until reports indicated Carol Ruch had physically assaulted and injured Joshua.

In July 2005, the siblings were returned to their biological fathers custody, based in part on DHHS recommendations. Several months later, he was arrested for sexually assaulting Sydnie and Abigail.

A decade later, in December 2015, the siblings alleged DHHS failed to properly screen and monitor their foster home placement and later remove them from their home. The agency also failed to protect the children, they alleged, when they were reunited with their biological father.

Trial court passed on immunity

The district court issued $2.9 million in damages against Miles Ruch  but it concluded that the siblings had adduced no evidence suggesting DHHS had any reason to foresee that he [the biological father] would sexually abuse the siblings.

DHHS had argued it had immunity, which the lower court said was somewhat compelling, though it ultimately ruled a 1977 state case precluded immunity.

Gov. Jim Pillen speaks on Aug. 27, 2023, in La Vista, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

The Nebraska Supreme Court disagreed, stating the facts of the case were undeniably tragic and abuse of a child entrusted in the states foster court system is deplorable.

But it is not the proper role of this court, even when faced with tragic and compelling facts, to pick and choose which tort claims arising out of an assault or battery should be permitted under the [laws] and which should not, the court wrote.

Miller-Lerman said DHHS received multiple reports of abuse, yet the courts reluctance means the majority has effectively ruled that once there is an assault in the picture rendering the State immune, the State is also immune from suit resulting from cruel emotional child abuse.

I do not think this holding is supported by statute or the record, she said.

Fridays decision does not affect the $2.9 million award against Miles Ruch.

This is the wrong outcome

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, an attorney, said the courts decision to explicitly overrule a handful of other related cases, while it had done so implicitly before, was breathtaking.

For four years, lawmakers have sought to amend the act and expand lawsuits against political subdivisions  such as schools and state agencies. In the latest case, it would have been if subdivisions failed to use reasonable care to control or protect a child in their care in cases of sexual assault or abuse. Damages could have been awarded up to $1 million.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. March 13, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Lawmakers passed that measure 28-17 last month, but Pillen said it was overly broad and would substantially erode sovereign immunity protections, passing off costs to taxpayers.

We must hold perpetrators accountable and protect children from abuse by enforcing the criminal laws that exist and by targeting the wrongdoer, Pillen said in his April 24 veto letter. Taxpayers should not bear this burden.

The callous veto along with the courts bad decision, Conrad said, was yet another example of why the Legislature must act to reset the scales of justice and ensure that big government is held accountable when their actions or inactions hurt or harm its citizens.

You dont need to be a legal scholar to understand that this is the wrong outcome, Conrad said. This shouldnt be a political issue  this is a common sense issue.

Special session could be next step

In Nebraska, a special session can only be called through a governors proclamation, which the governor or 33 senators can initiate.

Lawmakers gather on the last day of the 2024 legislative session, though many expect to return for a special session later this year. Not pictured: State Sens. Joni Albrecht, Ben Hansen, John Lowe and Tony Vargas. April 18, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

In the case of the Legislature itself  which has not happened in Unicameral history  10 or more senators must formally declare the purpose or purposes of the session to the Nebraska Secretary of States Office. Within 10 days, the secretary must poll the body; if 33 or more agree, the governor has five days after receiving notice to convene the special session.

Special sessions are not limited to one topic, and a consideration of such legislation could come at the same time as an expected session on property taxes this summer.

Make no mistake: whether its through a special session, which I think is the best remedy, or in next years regular session, this issue is not going away, Conrad said. We need Nebraskans to join us, to call for change to right this wrong, to say, Not in our name.

The post Nebraska Supreme Court dismisses foster care abuse case against DHHS, expands immunity appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Nervous about falling behind the GOP, Democrats are wrestling with how to use AI

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. The White House announced new rules in March 2024 for how the federal government should use artificial intelligence, building off an executive order to a create a set of standards in AI development. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens campaign and Democratic candidates are in a fevered race with Republicans over who can best exploit the potential of artificial intelligence, a technology that could transform American elections  and perhaps threaten democracy itself.

Still smarting from being outmaneuvered on social media by Donald Trump and his allies in 2016, Democratic strategists said they are nevertheless treading carefully in embracing tools that trouble experts in disinformation. So far, Democrats said they are primarily using AI to help them find and motivate voters and better identify and overcome deceptive content.

Candidates and strategists are still trying to figure out how to use AI in their work. People know it can save them time  the most valuable resource a campaign has, said Betsy Hoover, director of digital organizing for President Barack Obamas 2012 campaign and co-founder of the progressive venture capital firm Higher Ground Labs. But they see the risk of misinformation and have been intentional about where and how they use it in their work.

Campaigns in both parties for years have used AI  powerful computer systems, software or processes that emulate aspects of human work and cognition  to collect and analyze data.

The recent developments in supercharged generative AI, however, have provided candidates and consultants with the ability to generate text and images, clone human voices and create video at unprecedented volume and speed.

That has led disinformation experts to issue increasingly dire warnings about the risks posed by AIs ability to spread falsehoods that could suppress or mislead voters, or incite violence, whether in the form of robocalls, social media posts or fake images and video.

Those concerns gained urgency after high-profile incidents that included the spread of AI-generated images of Trump, the former president, getting arrested in New York and an AI-created robocall that mimicked Bidens voice telling New Hampshire voters not to cast a ballot.

The Biden administration has sought to shape AI regulation through executive action, but Democrats overwhelmingly agree Congress needs to pass legislation to install safeguards around the technology.

Top tech companies have taken some steps to quell unease in Washington by announcing a commitment to regulate themselves. Major AI players, for example, entered into a pact to combat the use of AI-generated deepfakes, or deliberately manipulated images, around the world. But some experts said the voluntary effort is largely symbolic and congressional action is needed to prevent AI abuses.

Meanwhile, campaigns and their consultants have generally avoided talking about how they intend to use AI to avoid scrutiny and giving away trade secrets.

The Democratic Party has gotten much better at just shutting up and doing the work and talking about it later, said Jim Messina, a veteran Democratic strategist who managed Obamas winning reelection campaign.

The Trump campaign said in a statement that it uses a set of proprietary algorithmic tools, like many other campaigns across the country, to help deliver emails more efficiently and prevent sign up lists from being populated by false information. Spokesman Steven Cheung also said the campaign did not engage or utilize any tools supplied by an AI company, and declined to comment further.

The Republican National Committee, which declined to comment, has experimented with generative AI. In the hours after Biden announced his reelection bid last year, the RNC released an ad using artificial intelligence-generated images to depict GOP dystopian fears of a second Biden term: China invading Taiwan, boarded up storefronts, troops lining U.S. city streets and migrants crossing the U.S. border.

A key Republican champion of AI is Brad Parscale, the digital consultant who in 2016 teamed up with scandal-plagued Cambridge Analytica, a British data-mining firm, to hyper target social media users. Most strategists agree that the Trump campaign and other Republicans made better use of social media than Democrats during that cycle.

DEMOCRATS TREADING CAREFULLY

Scarred by the memories of 2016, the Biden campaign, Democratic candidates and progressives are wrestling with the power of artificial intelligence and nervous about not keeping up with the GOP in embracing the technology, according to interviews with consultants and strategists.

They want to use it in ways that maximize its capabilities without crossing ethical lines. But some said they fear using it could lead to charges of hypocrisy  they have long excoriated Trump and his allies for engaging in disinformation while the White House has prioritized reining in abuses associated with AI.

The Biden campaign said it is using AI to model and build audiences, draft and analyze email copy and generate content for volunteers to share in the field. The campaign is also testing AIs ability to help volunteers categorize and analyze a host of data, including notes taken by volunteers after conversations with voters, whether while door-knocking or by phone or text message.

It has experimented with using AI to generate fundraising emails, which sometimes have turned out to be more effective than human-generated ones, according to a campaign official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss AI.

Biden campaign officials said they plan to explore using generative AI this cycle but will adhere to strict rules in deploying it. Among the tactics that are off limits: AI cannot be used to mislead voters, spread disinformation and deepfakes. The campaign also forbids the use of AI-generated content in advertising, social media and other such copy without a staff members review.

The campaigns legal team has created a task force of lawyers and outside experts to respond to misinformation and disinformation, with a focus on AI-generated images and videos. The group is not unlike an internal team formed in the 2020 campaign  known as the Malarkey Factory, playing off Bidens oft-used phrase, What a bunch of malarkey.

That group was tasked with monitoring what misinformation was gaining traction online. Rob Flaherty, Bidens deputy campaign manager, said those efforts would continue and suggested some AI tools could be used to combat deepfakes and other such content before they go viral.

The tools that were going to use to mitigate the myths and the disinformation is the same, its just going to have to be at a higher pace, Flaherty said. It just means we need to be more vigilant, pay more attention, be monitoring things in different places and try some new tools out, but the fundamentals remain the same.

The Democratic National Committee said it was an early adopter of Google AI and uses some of its features, including ones that analyze voter registration records to identify patterns of voter removals or additions. It has also experimented with AI to generate fundraising email text and to help interpret voter data it has collected for decades, according to the committee.

Arthur Thompson, the DNCs chief technology officer, said the organization believes generative AI is an incredibly important and impactful technology to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

At the same time, its essential that AI is deployed responsibly and to enhance the work of our trained staff, not replace them. We can and must do both, which is why we will continue to keep safeguards in place as we remain at the cutting edge, he said.

PROGRESSIVE EXPERIMENTS

Progressive groups and some Democratic candidates have been more aggressively experimenting with AI.

Higher Ground Labs  the venture capital firm co-founded by Hoover  established an innovation hub known as Progressive AI Lab and partners regularly with Zinc Collective and the Cooperative Impact Lab, two political tech coalitions focused on boosting Democratic candidates.

The goal was to create an ecosystem where progressive groups could streamline innovation, organize AI research and swap information about large language models, Hoover said.

Higher Ground Labs, which also works closely with the Biden campaign and DNC, has since funded 14 innovation grants, hosted forums that allow organizations and vendors to showcase their tools and held dozens of AI trainings.

More than 300 people attended an AI-focused conference the group held in January, Hoover said.

Jessica Alter, the co-founder and chair of Tech for Campaigns, a political nonprofit that uses data and digital marketing to fight extremism and help down-ballot Democrats, ran an AI-aided experiment across 14 campaigns in Virginia last year.

Emails written by AI, Alter said, brought in between three and four times more fundraising dollars per work hour compared with emails written by staff.

Alter said she is concerned that the party might be falling behind in AI because it is being too cautious.

I understand the downsides of AI and we should address them, Alter said. But the biggest concern I have right now is that fear is dominating the conversation in the political arena and that is not leading to balanced conversations or helpful outcomes.

HARD TO TALK ABOUT AN AK-47

Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic front-runner in Californias Senate race, is one of few candidates who have been open about using AI. His campaign manager, Brad Elkins, said the campaign has been using AI to improve its efficiency. It has teamed up with Quiller, a company that received funding from Higher Ground Labs and developed a tool that drafts, analyzes and automates fundraising emails.

The Schiff campaign has also experimented with other generative AI tools. During a fundraising drive last May, Schiff shared online an AI-generated image of himself as a Jedi. The caption read, The Force is all around us. Its you. Its us. Its this grassroots team. #MayThe4thBeWithYou.

The campaign faced blowback online but was transparent about the lighthearted deepfake, which Elkins said is an important guardrail to integrating the technology as it becomes more widely available and less costly.

I am still searching for a way to ethically use AI-generated audio and video of a candidate that is sincere, Elkins said, adding that its difficult to envision progress until theres a willingness to regulate and legislate consequences for deceptive artificial intelligence.

The incident highlighted a challenge that all campaigns seem to be facing: even talking about AI can be treacherous.

Its really hard to tell the story of how generative AI is a net positive when so many bad actors  whether thats robocalls, fake images or false video clips  are using the bad set of AI against us, said a Democratic strategist close to the Biden campaign who was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. How do you talk about the benefits of an AK-47?

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Associated Press writers Alan Suderman and Garance Burke contributed to this report.

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This story is part of an Associated Press series, The AI Campaign, which explores the influence of artificial intelligence in the 2024 election cycle.

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The Associated Press receives financial assistance from the Omidyar Network to support coverage of artificial intelligence and its impact on society. 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.

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Contact the APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will defend itself even if forced to stand alone, defying international pressure for Israels military to limit its campaign in Gaza ahead of its expected incursion into Rafah.

Even if Israel is forced to stand alone, we will stand alone, and we will continue to strike our enemies powerfully until victory. Even if we have to stand alone, we will continue to fight human evil, Netanyahu said in a fiery speech Sunday at the opening ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Netanyahus comments came shortly before Israel on Monday ordered Palestinians in parts of Rafah to evacuate, after the countrys defense minister told troops in Gaza to expect intense action in the city in the near future. More than 1 million Palestinians have been displaced to Rafah, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped after Israels destruction of most of the north of the strip.

While negotiators in Egypt struggle to strike a ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas  which could see as many as 33 Israeli hostages released in exchange for a pause in the fighting that has raged for nearly seven months  Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from the extreme wing of his coalition to prioritize entering Rafah to attempt to destroy Hamas.

Netanyahu also warned the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders and commanders after its investigation into the war in Gaza. Israeli media has reported that several government officials, including Netanyahu, are concerned that such arrest warrants are imminent.

Issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials would leave an indelible stain on the edifice of international law and justice, Netanyahu said. He stressed that the ICC was founded as a consequence of the Holocaust and should not attempt to undermine Israels fundamental right to self-defense.

Netanyahus comments may represent Israels growing isolation, as some of its closest allies have attempted to dissuade him from launching an incursion into Rafah.

In a phone call late last month, United States President Joe Biden reiterated to Netanyahu his clear position on a potential Israeli invasion of Rafah, according to a White House readout. The Biden administration has made clear to its Israeli counterparts that it wants to see a clear and actionable plan on how they would protect civilians in Rafah.

Asked by CNN for comment earlier this week on the possibility of arrest warrants being issued, the ICC said it does not give a running commentary in relation to ongoing investigations, nor does (it) respond to speculation in media reports. Accordingly, we have no further comment to make at this stage.

In a post on X in February, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said his office has an ongoing and active investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine, adding that his office was actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed. Those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable.

Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects the courts jurisdiction. That has not previously stopped the court from investigating its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Fatou Bensouda, a former ICC prosecutor, spent five years conducting a painstaking preliminary examination in which she concluded she was satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. But no arrests were made, and Bensouda left office in 2021.

Since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7 that left 1,200 people dead and some 250 taken hostage, both Hamas and Israel have been accused of war crimes. Since Israel launched its devastating military response to that attack, more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

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The Netherlands plans to start delivering its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this autumn after Denmark begins transferring its aircraft already in the summer, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said during a press briefing in Vilnius, Delfi reported on May 6.

Previously, the Netherlands has pledged to deliver 24 of its fourth-generation U.S.-made jets to Ukraine as Kyiv seeks to bolster its Air Force.

Speaking alongside her Lithuanian counterpart Laurynas Kasciunas, Ollongren said that the deliveries are part of a detailed plan also involving training for Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel.

If the allies manage to stay on course, the first Danish F-16s should arrive in Ukraine this summer, she added. The Netherlands hopes to take part in the deliveries starting this autumn.

The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have pledged to supply Ukraine with dozens of F-16 jets.

Denmark, the Netherlands, and the U.S. have led an international coalition established last year to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots.

Read also: F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Netherlands expects to send F-16 fighters to Ukraine this autumn  right after Denmark, which expects to deliver first fighter jets in the summer.

Source: Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren at a briefing in Vilnius, writes Delfi, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Ollongren stated that such a timeframe for supplying fighter jets to Ukraine is part of a detailed allied plan.

Quote: "Everything has been arranged according to the project, which comprises training Ukrainian pilots, training service staff, and transferring actual aircraft," she said.

The Dutch minister reported that Ukrainian pilots are now being taught in a variety of countries.

"And if we can keep on this path and everything works out for Ukraine in their own country, Denmark will send the first aircraft this summer. And we plan to take part in deliveries starting in the autumn with our F-16s," she added.

Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, the Danish Ambassador to Kyiv, noted that he is optimistic about the arrival of F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine this summer.

Earlier it was reported that the Belgian government decided to accelerate the supply of its own F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine and make it happen by the end of 2024, without waiting for the formation of a new cabinet.

There have been media reports that the first F-16 fighter jets may appear in Ukrainian skies around June 2024.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  KXAN announced on Monday Nick Bannin is the KXAN First Warning Weather Teams new chief meteorologist.

Bannin joined KXAN in 2021 after spending a total of 10 years in western Massachusetts as a meteorologist in the area, where he won the First-Place award for Best On-Air Personality from the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association, an AP Award for Best Weather Coverage along with several team Emmy and Regional Murrow awards.

Bannin was born in Bristol, England, then moved to Manchester, England, where he lived for several years before coming to the states, where he eventually attended the Ivy Leagues Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He graduated with a bachelors degree in Atmospheric Science while minoring in Applied Economics and Management.

Central Texas is such an incredible place to live, and my wife and I couldnt imagine raising our two children anywhere else, he said in an announcement. As part of KXANs First Warning Weather team, I am dedicated to keeping viewers safe during dangerous weather and well-informed so they can plan their lives in all types of conditions.

Nick Bannin at the First Warning Weather desk (Nick Bannin/KXAN Photo)

Nick Bannin on the pitch at Austin FCs Q2 Stadium (KXAN Photo/Nick Bannin

Nick Bannin with his family at Austins Trail of Lights. (Photo: Nick Bannin)

KXAN Meteorologist Nick Bannin reports on the 2023 winter storm in Central Texas. (KXAN Photo/Nick Bannin)

Nick Bannin in the KXAN studio (Photo: Nick Bannin)

KXAN Vice President & General Manager Eric Lassberg announced the promotion by saying, Nicks performance over his three and a half years here at KXAN has been nothing less than outstanding. He is 100% KXANs core values especially in the humility category. We look forward to implementing some of Nicks ideas that will grow KXANs weather coverage and provide an even greater value to our audience.

Bannin assumes the role of Chief Meteorologist starting Monday, May 6. In the interim period between David Yeomans departure and Bannin taking on the role, Jim Spencer, the longest-serving weathercaster in the history of Austin television, had stepped back into the role temporarily.

We are so lucky that Nick has a four-year running start as our new Chief Meteorologist. He wont have to learn a thing about the peculiarities of our Central Texas geography or climate, Spencer said. And Nick brings our viewers the whole package  Ivy League meteorological skills expert weather graphics designer, great storyteller and hes one of the nicest guys youll ever meet. Our audience is going to love him even more now that they will get to see him every day!

Bannin previously served as KXANs weekend meteorologist and helped fill coverage of various shows whenever needed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Sarah Huber, whose property suffered damage in the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire, speaks to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other state and federal officials during a town hall meeting Thursday in Las Vegas, N.M. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann /Source NM)

Survivors of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire told federal and state officials at a town hall meeting late last week that they are concerned about how much compensation is going to repair smoke and ash damage while many in the burn scar are still struggling to get back on their feet.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is overseeing a $4 billion fund to compensate victims of the wildfire, caused by two botched prescribed burns that merged in April 2022, burning more than 530 square miles and several hundred homes. So far, the agency has spent about $554 million of the fund, a little more than 14%.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham led a town hall meeting Thursday in Las Vegas to hear from survivors and to express cautious optimism that the federal agency had turned a corner after widespread frustration with delays and red tape. But multiple survivors who spoke up said they thought those who lost the most to the fire were not being prioritized.

Theres a lot of people in here angry that you have a formula for smoke damage and thats brought up your numbers, said survivor Jane Lumsden, referring to recent FEMA payouts. But meanwhile, people who have lost everything still do not have money. There are many claims that are way past 180 days. People are waiting for their livelihoods.

On March 14, the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office announced it would begin paying survivors to fix smoke and ash damage and discoloration, using a formula that pays a set amount per square footage in a smoke-damaged home based on proximity to the burn scar, plus additional payments for furniture replacement and other costs. The standard formula has allowed payments to proceed more quickly, the claims office has said.

According to the latest figures from office spokesperson Deborah Martinez, FEMA has since paid 201 smoke damage claims totaling $21.3 million  an average of about $106,000 apiece. Another 265 claims are in the works, she said.

At least four survivors who spoke up in front of Lujan Grisham mentioned the perception that smoke damage was being prioritized over lost homes, often drawing applause from the audience of more than 100 people in a lecture hall at New Mexico Highlands University.

You were getting pressure from politicians; you were getting pressure from fire victims; and you were getting a lot of pressure from the media, because the money wasnt going out the door, survivor Cyn Palmer said. So you figured out a way to make it go out the door really freaking fast.

Ben Krakauer, a senior adviser to FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell, sat alongside the governor and Ali Rye, the deputy secretary for New Mexicos emergency response department. He said that the claims office has greatly increased payouts since January of this year after doubling the number of employees working for the office.

He said the sharp increase in payouts for smoke damage is because the agency didnt complete the policy until February. And he stressed that the office is making payments for those who lost their homes as its highest priority.

I also want to talk about our operational priorities: No. 1 on that list are total-loss homes, he said. We are processing those every single day. I will say, often those claims are more complicated, which is why it takes a little bit longer to process those.

Ben Krakauer, a senior adviser to the FEMA administrator, speaks Thursday at the town hall. From left are Krakauer, deputy state emergency department secretary Ali Rye, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Maj. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, interim director for the state emergency department.

Martinez, the claims office spokesperson, told Source New Mexico that the office has received 149 completed claims forms for homes that were totally destroyed in the fire or ensuing floods. Of them, the office has paid $31.8 million to 116 individuals or families, she said  about $274,000 on average.

Krakauer said at the meeting that 190 homeowners whose homes were destroyed have stepped forward to seek claims so far, but its possible that there are more homeowners who have not yet come forward seeking compensation, he said.

Laura Silva, whose children and grandchildren lost their home in the fire, said she personally knows of several elderly households in the burn scar living in substandard housing, awaiting compensation for months through cold winters and windy springs.

Weve got elderly people living in travel trailers, living with relatives, their children, or homeless because they cant get their claims taken care of, she said.

Lujan Grisham asked Silva to reach out privately with more information to see if the state could assist. The governor took questions for nearly three hours, offering condolences to survivors and apologies for how long the recovery is taking.

But she also said shes seen improvements this year in the claims office, with money getting out the door and policies put in place to help claimants understand and navigate the process.

Weve got a better operation at both the state level and the federal level for FEMA and moving those claims, she said. Were feeling good about that. That does not mean that everyone is getting what they need.

The post NM fire survivors raise concerns about smoke damage payments appeared first on Source New Mexico.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A pair of New Mexico law firms have filed a second lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso for alleged sexual abuse of children by priests in the diocese.

The lawsuit was filed in the Third Judicial District in the State of New Mexico by Davis Kelin Law Firm, LLC and Huffman Wallace & Monagle, LLC (HWM) on behalf of a then 8-year-old girl born in 1952, according to a news release sent out by the law firms.

The alleged assault happened in Dona Ana County, where the woman still resides.

The alleged perpetrator has been identified as Fr. Lucio Lopez, who told the plaintiff that she was chosen by God to obey him and fulfill his sexual needs, according to the law firms.

When the alleged incident took place, Las Cruces and Southern New Mexico Catholic churches fell under the El Paso Diocese. The Las Cruces Diocese wasnt created until 1982.

The amount of priest abuse that has been documented not only in New Mexico but nationally is shocking, said Levi Monagle, a partner with HWM and a lead litigator. Much of this abuse happened decades ago, and we encourage people to come forward no matter how long ago the abuse happened.

We know there are many more victims of CDEP priests in southern New Mexico, said Zackeree Kelin, principal at Davis Kelin Law Firm LLC, and one of the lead litigators. No matter how long ago this happened, its not too late.

The bottom line is this: the Catholic Church had and continues to have a duty to hire, supervise and retain priests who will not molest, abuse and harm vulnerable parishioners, said Ben Davis, principal at Davis Kelin Law Firm, LLC. This is about more than the pursuit of compensation. It extends to the important work of increasing transparency, increasing child safety, and increasing checks and balances on the Catholic Church as an incredibly important institution in our society.

The law firms are asking anyone who feels they have been victimized or know people who have been victims of sexual abuse or assault to call (575) 573-8503 or go to the website.

The two law firms also filed a lawsuit in the Third Judicial District in New Mexico against the El Paso Diocese and the St. Joseph Parish in Lordsburg, N.M., over alleged sexual abuse committed by priests and bishops against young children while they were employed by the diocese, according to a news release sent out earlier this year.

Some of the alleged abuse in that first lawsuit is alleged to have happened as long ago as 50 years.

We have reached out to the El Paso Diocese for comment about the two lawsuits

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. The Azerbaijan Investment Holding (AIH) and the World Bank (WB) discussed promising projects, Trend reports.

According to AIH, a meeting took place between AIH's CEO, Ruslan Alikhanov, and WB Country Manager for Azerbaijan, Stephanie Stallmeister.

The meeting discussed the current state of cooperation between AIH and WB and saw an exchange of views on promising projects that may be of mutual interest.

To note, the AIH was established by Azerbaijan's Presidential Decree dated August 7, 2020, for the purpose of managing state-owned companies and enterprises, as well as business entities with a state share, on the basis of common principles.

The holding is financed by the state budget.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
No matter the election results, 2024 will be a big year for turnover in Olympia

These individuals are leaving office this year. Top row (l-r) Jay Inslee, Andy Billig, Frank Chopp, Lynda Wilson, Sam Hunt, Mike Padden, Karen Keiser. Bottom row (l-r) Ann Rivers, Mike Kreidler, J.T. Wilcox, Spencer Hutchins, Joel Kretz, Gina Mosbrucker, Bruce Chandler. (Photos courtesy of Legislative Support Services)

Washingtons state government is in for much change this election season due to officeholders leaving and pursuing new political posts.

Heres what we know with candidate filing set to begin Monday.

Candidate filing

Candidates can begin filing Monday, May 6 for hundreds of local, state and federal offices up for grabs in this years election.

Online filing begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Friday, May 10. Candidates for local offices should check specific deadlines with their county auditor as they may differ.

This year, Washingtons primary is Aug. 6 and the general election is Nov. 5. In each primary race, the two candidates with the most votes will advance regardless of their party affiliation.

For more on candidate filing, see here.

Four statewide executive jobs are open.

Gov. Jay Inslee and Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler are retiring. Attorney General Bob Ferguson passed on re-election to compete for governor. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz is running for Congress.

Nine state senators wont be back in 2025 for certain.

Five are Democrats  Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, Sam Hunt, Mark Mullet, Kevin Van De Wege and Karen Keiser. Four are Republicans  Lynda Wilson, Mike Padden, Ann Rivers and Brad Hawkins.

Voters wont pick Keisers successor, however. She is retiring in December, midway through her current term, so an appointment to the seat will be made after she leaves.

And, Mullet and Van De Wege are campaigning for new political gigs in Olympia  Mullet as governor and Van De Wege as lands commissioner.

Sixteen House members wont be in the chamber next session. Half may end up in the Senate, however.

Five Republicans  J.T. Wilcox, Joel Kretz, Spencer Hutchins, Bruce Chandler and Gina Mosbrucker  are retiring. Two others are vying for new offices outside Olympia  Jacquelin Maycumber is a candidate for Congress and Kelly Chambers for Pierce County executive.

Four Republicans  Greg Cheney, Leonard Christian, Paul Harris, and Keith Goehner  are trying to fill seats of retiring Republican senators.

On the Democratic side, former House speaker Frank Chopp is retiring.

Four others,  Marcus Riccelli, Bill Ramos, Jessica Bateman, and Mike Chapman  are hoping to succeed retiring Democratic senators.

And four other senators may not be back because they are campaigning for new offices.

Democratic Sen. Patty Kuderer is running for insurance commissioner and Democratic Sen. Manka Dhingra is in the race for attorney general.

Democratic Sen. Emily Randall and Republican Sen. Drew MacEwen, along with Franz are battling for the same congressional seat.

The post No matter the election results, 2024 will be a big year for turnover in Olympia appeared first on Washington State Standard.
Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, say a big rebound in the number of migrating gray whales with calves helped them declare an end to their unusual mortality event investigation. (Courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Theres good news for whale lovers on the Oregon coast.

The number of gray whales that migrated south along the Pacific Coast this winter have rebounded sharply to numbers not seen in four years, according to the fisheries unit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.

The increase is large enough and signs of healthy North Pacific gray whales are visible enough that NOAA also announced it had ended its five-year unusual mortality event investigation into what may have led to their decline from 2018 through 2023.

The latest counts were conducted between late December and mid-February.

Researchers estimate there are 19,260 gray whales along the West Coast  a surprising 33% increase from the 14,530 whales counted during the same period of 2022-23. Last seasons count was the lowest since 1971-72.

Researchers have been counting whales during their southward migration since 1967 and use three months of visual surveys along the central California coast that are plugged into a formula used and refined for decades.

But a spokesman for NOAA Fisheries cautioned against reading too much into one years dramatic increase.

People shouldnt get too hung up on the 33% specifically but more importantly see that the numbers are increasing, said NOAA spokesman Michael Milstein. The numbers are trending up. The indications are consistent that the whales have gone from a decline to a recovery.

Thats good news for scientists and whale enthusiast along the Oregon, Washington and California coasts.

The recovery is evident enough that NOAA officially declared an end to its five-year investigation into why many north Pacific gray whales appeared undernourished and why strandings increased starting in 2018.

NOAAs investigation began in 2019 after hundreds of gray whales stranded along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Alaska, including in whales in their wintering, migratory, and feeding areas.

There was a roughly 40% decline in the gray whale population, leading to the official designation of an unusual mortality event which then triggered a required effort to understand why it was happening.

The mortality event occurred between December 2018 through last November, with peak strandings occurring during a two-year period ending in December 2020. There were 690 gray whale strandings, including 347 in the United States, 316 in Mexico, and 27 in Canada.

While the number of strandings spiked at the start of the unusual mortality event, they have since declined to annual numbers similar to those recorded before the event began, NOAA Fisheries said in a statement. The number of calves born to the population also appears to be improving, with other signs that the population may have begun to recover.

The number of calves born in 2022 was estimated at 217, down from about 950 in 2018. NOAA researchers estimate that 412 female gray whales swam north last year  nearly twice the 2022 count. Still, that number was far below the estimate of roughly 1,500 gray whale calves in 2016.

NOAA said the decline in gray whale numbers during from 2018 to 2023 resembled a similar but shorter decline between 1999 and 2000. The population rebounded in the following years eventually reaching a recent height of 27,500 whales in 2015-16 before declining again in 2019-20.

We know the population has demonstrated strong resilience in the past, and we will be watching to ensure we know how the whales recover from this unusual mortality event, said Deborah Fauquier, NOAAs coordinator of the investigation.

Studies of dead whales supported malnutrition as a common cause of death and did not identify other causes or infections. NOAA investigators concluded that localized ecosystem changes, including both access to and the quality of prey, in the northern Bering and Chukchi seas contributed to the poor nutritional condition observed in live and stranded gray whales.

Killer whale predation, entanglement in fishing nets, biotoxins and collisions with vessels also contributed to gray whale deaths. But these factors were not as significant as malnutrition, researchers said.

NOAA said marine mammal stranding networks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will continue to respond to whale stranding reports this year and collect samples when feasible. NOAA Fisheries will also conduct a survey this spring and summer to evaluate whale calf production.

Carrying capacity limits numbers

Gray whales were hunted to near extinction during the whaling era, but with the protections of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, the animals have recovered to the point where they were removed from endangered species protection in 1994.

The whales migrate in the spring from the warm waters of Mexicos Baja peninsula to the icy waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, where they feed until they return to Mexico in the fall to birth their calves.

The kind of dramatic die-off that started in 2018 also occurred between 1999 and 2000 and two other times in the early 1990s, John Calambokidis, researching biologist and part of the group that investigated the recent unusual event, told the Los Angeles Times last week.

What he and other scientists found interesting, Calambokidis said, was the dramatic fluctuation in the gray whale population before the mortality event.

He said that when the whale population reaches the limits of the environments carrying capacity, there would be a decrease in the reproductive rate and a slight increase in the mortality rate that would bring the population to a plateau.

Gray whales seem to have gone through these more dramatic vacillations, he said, enduring three different periods of major mortalities and bouncing back before the most recent five-year event.

As gray whales recover to levels that are near the limits of the food supply, then suddenly they become much more vulnerable to any fluctuations in that food supply, Calambokidis told The Times.

Gray whale counts

Here are the counts of gray whales, starting in 1967.

2023-24: 19,260

2022-23: 14,530

2021-22: 17,430

2019-20: 20,630

2015-16: 27,450

2014-15: 23,440

2010-11: 20,820

2001-02: 16,033

1992-93: 15,762

1984-85: 23,499

1971-72: 11,079

1967-68: 13,426

This story was originally published by Yachats News and is republished here with permission.

The post NOAA researchers announce 33% increase in gray whale numbers, end investigation into die-off appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
A North Carolina Medical Examiner has released the cause of death of a Myrtle Beach area pastors wife, who was found dead in a North Carolina state park.

Dr. Richard Johnson said that Mica Miller died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a story by WPDE TV.

Miller, 30, died April 27 after being found in her vehicle in Lumber River State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, according to her husband, John-Paul Miller, on May 3, 2024.

John-Paul Miller leads the Solid Rock Church in Market Common.

Mica Millers death is being investigated by the Robeson, North Carolina, County Sheriffs Office and has been the topic of social media posts from church and non-church members, many using #justiceforMica.

Chief Deputy Damien McLean with the Robeson County Sheriffs Department confirmed Friday that the case is under investigation, adding that anytime there is a death the department does an investigation. He would not provide information about the case.

The sheriffs office posted on its Facebook page Monday that it was aware that information pertaining to the death of Mica Miller has been released by the North Carolina Medical Examiners Office.

The post said that Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins has scheduled a meeting with the family of Mica and will be releasing more detailed information Tuesday evening.

The post also said Sheriff Wilkins is also asking for everyone to please await the full timeline of events before making assumptions and coming to conclusions.

Mica Millers death was announced to the church congregation by her husband during a sermon on April 28 - a day after Mica Miller was found dead. Miller told the church her death was self-induced
A north Georgia man has pleaded guilty to producing child pornography.

Ian Alicea Prewett, 30, of Cartersville, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and admitted he had sex with girls under the age of 18 and enticed a child under the age of eight to produce sexually explicit images.

According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan and other information presented in court, Prewett uploaded sexually explicit images of minors to Instagram between 2020 and 2022.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

In May 2023, federal agents identified him as the person who uploaded those images and obtained a search warrant on his home.

During the search they found a cell phone associated with the Instagram accounts that Prewett used to distribute child pornography.

At the time agents served the search warrant, Prewett was awaiting trial in Cobb County for statutory rape, child molestation, and child enticement.

Buchanan said those charges resulted from Prewett chatting with a 14-year-old girl on Instagram, asking her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself, meeting her at her school bus stop, having sex with her, and then dropping her off at her school.

One of his victims was a child under eight years old living in the United Kingdom.

Prewett convinced her to send him pictures and videos of herself performing sexual acts. He also asked an underage girl from Mobile, Ala. to do the same.

Prewett later traveled to Alabama to meet, photograph, and have sex with the girl.

TRENDING STORIES:

Sentencing for Prewett is scheduled for Sept. 3 in Rome, Georgia.

Prewett preyed upon innocent children by enticing them to send him sexually explicit images and then victimized two minors, including during an out-of-state trip, by sexually assaulting those children, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. This office remains steadfast in our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute child sexual predators attempting to lurk behind the anonymity of the internet.

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Parts of Gaza are currently experiencing a "full-blown famine" and it could spread even further amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a top United Nations official warned.

World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain said during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that northern Gaza is in a dire situation.

"Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens," McCain said. "And so, what I can explain to you is there is famine -- full-blown famine -- in the north, and it's moving its way south."

MORE: Gaza aid timeline: How the hunger crisis unfolded amid the Israel-Hamas war

McCain clarified there has been no formal declaration by the U.N. or any other agency that there is a famine but that it was an appropriate term for conditions in the north. She also said the WFP is calling for a cease-fire to be able to deliver more aid.

"It's horror," she said. "It's so hard to look at and it's so hard to hear, also. So, I'm so hoping that we can get a cease-fire and begin to feed these people, especially in the north, in a much faster fashion, but also including water, sanitation, medicine. It's all part of the famine issue."

PHOTO: Palestinians gather to receive food meals cooked by World Central Kitchen after the charity resumed operations at a school sheltering displaced people in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, May 1, 2024. (Ramadan Abed/Reuters)

Meanwhile, Phillipe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), accused Israel of denying humanitarian access to the strip and increase in attacks when humanitarian workers and convoys are allowed access.

"Only in the past two weeks, we have recorded 10 incidents involving shooting at convoys, arrests of UN staff including bullying, stripping them naked, threats with arms & long delays at checkpoints forcing convoys to move during the dark or abort," he wrote in a post on X on Sunday. "These incidents happen repeatedly at the time we are engaged in a race against the clock to avert famine in #Gaza. It also creates fear among courageous & committed humanitarian teams."

Several aid organizations have warned that Gaza is experiencing "catastrophic" levels of hunger. At the beginning of the war, Israel implemented a blockade, severely limiting the amount of food and other supplies into Gaza. However, as border crossings opened, officials have said the aid is not enough to reach the level of need.

Some aid organizations have accused Israel of not providing enough authorization to deliver sufficient aid and, even when it does give authorization, heavy fighting makes it difficult to deliver that aid. Israel denies the accusations and said the U.N., its partners and other aid agencies have created logistical challenges, resulting in a bottleneck. Additionally, the Israeli government said Hamas often steals aid meant for civilians. The U.N. and Hamas dispute the respective claims.

MORE: 'Unimaginable situation': Doctors report malnourished patients dying from infections at Gaza hospital

Over the last several weeks, more aid has entered Gaza, mostly though the south. On April 9, a total of 468 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza, marking the highest number to enter Gaza in one day since the war began, according to COGAT. Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened the Erez Crossing for the first time since the beginning of the war to allow aid to reach the north.

A report from the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative warned in March that famine was "imminent" in northern Gaza and would likely occur by the end of May. The report also warned that, in the most likely scenario, an estimated 1.11 million people -- half of the population in Gaza -- could be experiencing famine levels of hunger by mid-July.

A few weeks later, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power, a top humanitarian official, testified on Capitol Hill, saying it is "credible" to believe famine is currently underway in parts of Gaza based on the IPC initiative analysis.

It comes amid an announcement from Hamas that it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal regarding a ceasefire agreement. A senior Israeli official with knowledge of negotiations said Israel has received the Hamas response and it will be studied. The official added that it will take some time before there is response from Israel.

talks between Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire stalled over the weekend. Hamas has insisted that any ceasefire hostage deal must include a commitment from Israel, in writing, for a comprehensive cease-fire, and an end to the war. Israel has refused to agree to end the war.

PHOTO: People gather with jerrycans and other containers to collect water from a tanker cistern in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Apr. 30, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)

Amid the negotiations, at least four Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in a rocket attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, and Israel says Hamas launched the rockets from Rafah.

The IDF dropped leaflets on Monday and sent text messages in Arabic calling for about 100,000 people to evacuate the eastern part of Rafah and to head north to the Al Muwasi humanitarian corridor ahead of a likely coming invasion.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise terrorist attack in Israel, more than 34,790 people have been killed in Gaza and more than 78,000 have been injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. In Israel, more than 1,700 have been killed --including at least 600 soldiers and police officers -- and more than 8,700 injured.

ABC News' Nasser Atta and Jordana Miller contributed to this report.

Northern Gaza experiencing 'full-blown famine': UN official originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  In Israel and across the U.S., commemorations are taking place for Holocaust Remembrance Day, known in Hebrew as Yom HaShoah.

Nearly 80 years after the Holocaust, many are honoring the memories of those killed by looking to the past.

When Holocaust Remembrance Day began Sunday evening, nearly 100 Jews in Nashville gathered and lit memorial candles to pay tribute to the innocent victims. Frances Hahn, the citys last living Holocaust survivor, was present at the event and was visibly emotional, reflecting on the tragedies that took place when she was just a young child.

Hamas accepts Gaza cease-fire; Israel says it will continue talks but launches strikes in Rafah

Felicia Anchor, chair of the National Holocaust Memorial, estimated the area once had around 50 survivors.

Frances Hahn, Nashvilles last living Holocaust survivor, lights candle memorial candle for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Courtesy: Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville

The names of Nashvilles Holocaust victims are listed on the memorial in Bellevue. Those in charge of the site told News 2 that it serves as concrete evidence of their existence and the tragedies they faced. They said it was built to be a place for Nashvillians to pay their respects to their loved ones, many of whom dont have graves. Its also an educational opportunity being the only location that makes the history and lessons of the Holocaust available to the general public in Middle Tennessee.

The Nashville Holocaust Memorial

Courtesy: WKRN

This years day of mourning comes almost seven months after Hamas committed the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust on Oct. 7, 2023.

Nashville residents return home after volunteering in Israel

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Jews experienced an unprecedented amount of anti-Semitic incidents in 2023, an increase of 140% from 2022 and the highest level recorded since the organization started tracking this data in 1979. The ADL Audit of Antisemitic Incidents also recorded a dramatic spike of 5,204 anti-Semitic acts following the Oct. 7 massacre.

Dov Wilker, director of the American Jewish Committees Southeast region, said its concerning to see stark similarities in the hatred Jews were facing during World War II being echoed today.

Unfortunately, more than ever, people are denying what has happened to the Jewish people; people are denying what happened on Oct. 7, the sexual violence that Hamas committed against women in Israel, the fact that people were questioning that Oct. 7 even happened, as well as Israels right and responsibility to defend itself, Wilker said. For the Jewish people, Yom HaShoah is an important reminder of all that we have been through and all that we are dealing with today.

Its the strength of the Jewish community of the present that Wilker said gives him hope for a better future.

Jewish students grapple with how to respond to pro-Palestinian campus protests

As the Jewish people continue to grow and thrive, we are reminded on Yom HaShoah that the story of being massacred is not the end of our story, Wilker said. Jewish history has taught us that people will always try to destroy us; people will always try to get rid of us, but our resiliency as a people has enabled us to thrive for over 2,000 years.

To learn more about the Nashville Holocaust Memorial, click here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Myctophids, also known as lanternfish, are considered a key connection between the deep ocean food web and marine life closer to the surface. (Austin Straub / For the Times)

For several years now, one question has held the key to understanding just how much we should worry about the hundreds of tons of DDT that had been dumped off the coast of Los Angeles:

How, exactly, has this decades-old pesticide  a toxic chemical spread across the seafloor 3,000 feet underwater  continued to reenter the food web?

Now, in a highly anticipated study, researchers have identified tiny zooplankton and mid-to-deep-water fish as potential links between the contaminated sediment and the greater ecosystem.

For the first time, chemical analyses confirmed that these deep-sea organisms are contaminated by numerous DDT-related compounds that match similar chemical patterns found on the seafloor and animals higher up on the food chain.

"This DDT pollution happened several decades ago, theres no new source, its been banned ... but this old source is still polluting the deep-ocean biota, which is really alarming," said Eunha Hoh, whose lab at San Diego States School of Public Health led the study's chemical analysis. "We're not talking about zooplankton collected in 1960  we're talking about zooplankton collected now, in the deep ocean, that is still polluted with DDT."

Hohs team had already found significant amounts of DDT-related chemicals in present-day dolphins and coastal-feeding condors (and a recent study by another team even connected an aggressive cancer in sea lions to DDT). But even though DDT has clearly been accumulating at the top of the food chain, how the DDT reached these animals has been somewhat of a mystery. Key questions remain on whether it has been coming from more shallow sources (such as the Palos Verdes Shelf Superfund site, where DDT had been discharged for years via the sewer system), or from the deep-sea sediment itself.

"It really [hits home] this concept that nothing is untouched," said Lihini Aluwihare, a chemical oceanographer whose lab at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography helped piece together the many multi-disciplinary aspects to the study. Establishing the current distribution of DDT contamination in deep-sea food webs lays the groundwork for thinking about whether those contaminants are also moving up through deep-ocean food webs into species that might be consumed by people.

Margaret Stack, first author of a new study that found DDT in deep-sea organisms, prepares for a chemical analysis at San Diego State's School of Public Health. (Austin Straub / For the Times)

The study, published Monday in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, is one of many research efforts sparked by a 2020 Los Angeles Times report that detailed the little-known history of ocean dumping off the Southern California coast  and how the nation's largest manufacturer of DDT had for years disposed of its waste at sea.

One team of scientists, in an attempt to map and scan the seafloor for DDT-related waste, discovered instead a multitude of discarded military explosives from the World War II era. Another team unearthed records showing that barrels of radioactive waste had also been dumped at sea.

And during an urgent investigation into old and forgotten records, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discovered that from the 1930s to the early 1970s, 13 other areas off the Southern California coast had also been approved for all manner of dumping  including the disposal of various refinery byproducts and 3 million metric tons of petroleum waste.

Read more: History of DDT ocean dumping off L.A. coast even worse than expected, EPA finds

As for the DDT, which is short for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, scientists have so far confirmed that much of what's still sitting on the seafloor remains in its most potent form and is buried barely 6 centimeters deep  raising concerns about just how easily it could remobilize and spread by reentering the food web.

In a world dominated with concerns over microplastics and "forever chemicals," DDT persists as an unresolved problem  long after the pesticide was banned in 1972 following Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring."

Read more: Heres what we know about the legacy of DDT dumping off L.A.'s coast

With this latest study, researchers sought to demonstrate how the chemical is still likely making its way up from the deep seafloor by coming into contact with zooplankton, which get eaten by deep-sea fish, which then swim around and get eaten by midwater fish and marine mammals higher and higher up the food chain.

Hoh joined forces with Aluwihare's lab at Scripps, where a microbiology team also provided sediment analysis and a deep-sea biologist helped determine which organisms to sample  and where across Southern California to collect them.

In addition to zooplankton, which are a window into the base of the food chain, one particular type of fish, myctophids, proved to be key.

To analyze myctophids for DDT and other related toxins, environmental chemists begin by extracting the lipids through a multistep process. (Austin Straub / For the Times)

Also known as lanternfish, myctophids are tiny, unassuming fish that travel remarkable distances from the deep ocean all the way to the surface. (One of the most abundant and widespread fish in the world, myctophids make up roughly 65% of all deep-sea biomass on Earth.) The researchers methodically ground up each fish sample, extracted the lipid (DDT tends to be stored in fat), and assessed the contamination with an unprecedented level of scrutiny.

The findings have been sobering: Wherever they looked, they found DDT. Even the "control" samples they tried to collect  as a way to compare what a normal fish sample farther away from the known dumping area might look like  ended up riddled with DDT.

"This is one of the missing pieces that we've been waiting to see," said David Valentine, who has been leading the broader research community on this issue since his team at UC Santa Barbara first shed light on the startling amounts of DDT still spread across the seafloor. "We know there's a ton of stuff down there ... but seeing these compounds in deep-dwelling organisms really points to a link."

Valentine, who was not involved in the study, noted a number of interesting new clues.

One key to tracking the legacy of DDT through the marine ecosystem is identifying and then comparing the patterns of every chemical that appear in various animals  a technique called "non-targeted analysis." That can help fingerprint where all the DDT is coming from, and how it's moving and accumulating at different levels of the food chain.

Monitoring programs typically use a targeted approach  searching for only four to eight specific DDT compounds. But by using non-targeted methods, scientists in this new study were able to identify an entire suite of DDT-related chemicals, including a particularly suspicious compound, TCPM, that poses unknown threats to the ecosystem. These currently unmonitored chemicals were also present in the blubber of dolphin carcasses that had washed ashore, as well as in the sediment collected near the known dumping area.

"This gives us a much more realistic view of what the potential ecological and human health impacts can be, said Mark Gold, an environmental scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The study, he says, lays bare how the traditional approach to testing and monitoring for only a few DDT compounds grossly underestimates the concentrations of DDT in the sediment and in organisms."

Gold, who was not affiliated with the study but has spent more than 30 years pushing for DDT cleanup along the coast, said much more work needs to be done on all fronts to truly reckon with the chemical's legacy in Southern California. In addition to the DDT spread across the deep sea and the Palos Verdes Shelf, the mouth of the Dominguez Channel has also been identified for decades as a hot spot.

The road ahead is long. Twenty-four members of Congress, led by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), recently urged the Biden administration to dedicate long-term funding to both studying and remediating the issue. Officials at the EPA, meanwhile, have been considering their next steps in collaboration with a number of state and federal agencies.

Academic research groups, including the ones in San Diego and the one led by Valentine at UC Santa Barbara, are also continuing to seek answers. Chief among them are determining the boundary of the dump site, mapping the spread of the pollution and tracking its migration across the food web.

For environmental chemists Margaret Stack, the first author of the latest study, and fellow author Raymmah Garcia, a doctoral candidate at Scripps, seeing once-popular pesticides such as DDT continue to move so pervasively through the ecosystem makes them wonder about all the other chemicals still being used today without question  chemicals that might also come back to haunt us many decades from now.

"I often find myself feeling frustrated when looking at this data and then seeing that we're still using chemicals without testing them, without understanding their impacts," said Stack, a research specialist at San Diego States School of Public Health. "It feels like we're not doing anything differently."

"How many more times," she said, "are we going to go through the same story?"

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Now that Noem knows whats in her own book, she should tell us how it got there

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks to members of the public at a town hall in Mitchell on March 13, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks to members of the public at a town hall in Mitchell on March 13, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Kristi Noem owes South Dakotans an explanation for the embarrassment shes caused herself and the state.

The Republican governor has not yet told us how or why she included a false story in her forthcoming book about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation pressed Noem for an answer Sunday on CBS.

Noem replied, This anecdote shouldnt have been in the book, and as soon as it was brought to my attention, I made sure that that was adjusted.

So Noem would have us believe that she didnt know until last week  when The Dakota Scout broke the story  that her own memoir falsely claimed she had met one of the worlds most notorious dictators.

The relevant portion of the book isnt a passing mention of Kims name. Its a full-on boast.

I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Noem wrote. Im sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (Id been a childrens pastor, after all).

How could such a passage be included without Noems knowledge, when shes the only credited author? South Dakotans arent as dumb as she apparently thinks we look, so we can deduce three possibilities:

She fabricated the story and thought nobody would catch her in the lie.

She met some other official from an Asian country and mistook or misremembered that person as Kim Jong Un.

She relied on a ghostwriter so heavily that she didnt read her own book before it went to the printer.

We can rule out the third possibility, because we know Noem read her own manuscript. Prior to anyone else reading it, she posted social media videos of herself narrating the audiobook.

That leaves two explanations: She lied, or shes incompetent. When those are the only answers, its no wonder she avoids the question.

Noems other starring television role this weekend was on Saturday Night Live  but not as the host. Instead, she was the butt of several jokes about another portion of her book, in which she disclosed that she fatally shot a hunting dog and a billy goat.

The shows focus on Noem made it abundantly clear that shes the main object of ridicule in the country right now. Thats no small feat while a former president is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star.

The governors shocking fall is an abrupt flip of the script for South Dakotans, after Noem and her enablers spent the past few years promoting her rising political fame as a boon to the state.

Now South Dakotans can only wait to see how far Noem might drag down the states reputation before she hits rock bottom. With the book not even scheduled to be released until Tuesday  all the damage so far has arisen from advance copies  who knows what further humiliation might be in store.

Noem intended the books title, No Going Back, as a rallying cry for her plans to move the country forward. Instead, it now stands as a sadly ironic reference to a turning point in her career.

But the title isnt the only ironic part of the book. Its 200-plus pages include pronouncements by Noem that excuses are not accepted in her state, and that we need truth from our leaders.

Perhaps Noem should take her own advice by dropping the excuses, telling the truth about why the false Kim Jong Un anecdote is in her book, and saving what little dignity she and her state have left.

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The post Now that Noem knows whats in her own book, she should tell us how it got there appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Now that Noem knows whats in her own book, she should tell us how it got there

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks to members of the public at a town hall in Mitchell on March 13, 2024. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

This commentary originally appeared in the South Dakota Searchlight.

Kristi Noem owes South Dakotans an explanation for the embarrassment shes caused herself and the state.

The Republican governor has not yet told us how or why she included a false story in her forthcoming book about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Margaret Brennan of Face the Nation pressed Noem for an answer Sunday on CBS.

Noem replied, This anecdote shouldnt have been in the book, and as soon as it was brought to my attention, I made sure that that was adjusted.

So Noem would have us believe that she didnt know until last week  when The Dakota Scout broke the story  that her own memoir falsely claimed she had met one of the worlds most notorious dictators.

The relevant portion of the book isnt a passing mention of Kims name. Its a full-on boast.

I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Noem wrote. Im sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (Id been a childrens pastor, after all).

How could such a passage be included without Noems knowledge, when shes the only credited author? South Dakotans arent as dumb as she apparently thinks we look, so we can deduce three possibilities:

She fabricated the story and thought nobody would catch her in the lie.She met some other official from an Asian country and mistook or misremembered that person as Kim Jong Un.She relied on a ghostwriter so heavily that she didnt read her own book before it went to the printer.

We can rule out the third possibility, because we know Noem read her own manuscript. Prior to anyone else reading it, she posted social media videos of herself narrating the audiobook.

That leaves two explanations: She lied, or shes incompetent. When those are the only answers, its no wonder she avoids the question.

Noems other starring television role this weekend was on Saturday Night Live  but not as the host. Instead, she was the butt of several jokes about another portion of her book, in which she disclosed that she fatally shot a hunting dog and a billy goat.

The shows focus on Noem made it abundantly clear that shes the main object of ridicule in the country right now. Thats no small feat while a former president is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to a porn star.

The governors shocking fall is an abrupt flip of the script for South Dakotans, after Noem and her enablers spent the past few years promoting her rising political fame as a boon to the state.

Now South Dakotans can only wait to see how far Noem might drag down the states reputation before she hits rock bottom. With the book not even scheduled to be released until Tuesday  all the damage so far has arisen from advance copies  who knows what further humiliation might be in store.

Noem intended the books title, No Going Back, as a rallying cry for her plans to move the country forward. Instead, it now stands as a sadly ironic reference to a turning point in her career.

But the title isnt the only ironic part of the book. Its 200-plus pages include pronouncements by Noem that excuses are not accepted in her state, and that we need truth from our leaders.

Perhaps Noem should take her own advice by dropping the excuses, telling the truth about why the false Kim Jong Un anecdote is in her book, and saving what little dignity she and her state have left.

South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. South Dakota Searchlight maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seth Tupper for questions: info@southdakotasearchlight.com. Follow South Dakota Searchlight on Facebook and Twitter.

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The post Now that Noem knows whats in her own book, she should tell us how it got there appeared first on Colorado Newsline.
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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  The number of tents on the streets of San Francisco hit a new five-year low, SF Mayor London Breed announced Monday. According to the mayors office, the citys latest quarterly tent count found 360 tents and structures on the streets across the city.

That represents a 41% drop since July of 2023, the last count before the U.S. Court for the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling on how the city could enforce sleeping bans on city streets. Some of the stats included in the citys latest count, which was the second in 2024, included:

Of 360 tents and structures counted, 182 were tents and 178 were structures

Only 9 encampments of 5 or more tents/structures were found citywide

No encampments of 10 or more structures were found in the count

The average tent count rate in 2024 is the lowest of any year since the city began doing tent counts in 2018

Newsom announces record-breaking California tourism

The mayors office cites increased efforts to offer people shelter and housing and clean up encampments as being behind the drop. The Healthy Streets Operations Center (HSOC), a multi-agency team, conducts daily operations around encampments, offering shelters and services, Mayor Breeds office said.

That agency has placed 460 people from encampments into shelter since the beginning of the year, Breeds office said.

Our encampment teams and outreach workers are working tirelessly to go out and help bring

people into shelter and clean up encampments, said Mayor Breed. We are continuing

to use all of the resources we have and working to add more, but there is a lot more to do. We

will be relentless in our efforts to help people into safer, supportive facilities, and make our

neighborhoods cleaner and healthier for everyone. I want to thank our outreach workers across

all of our agencies for their commitment to getting people help. This is not easy work, but it is

making a difference.

A clarification issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in September has allowed SF to change its enforcement policy when offers of shelter are refused. The clarification, which specified that people who refuse offers of shelter dont meet the definition of involuntarily homeless allows the city to get around the federal preliminary injunction and enforce enjoined laws when offers of shelter are refused.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
The number of religious nones has soared, but not the number of atheists  and as social scientists, we wanted to know why

The number of individuals in the United States who do not identify as being part of any religion has grown dramatically in recent years, and the nones are now larger than any single religious group. According to the General Social Survey, religiously unaffiliated people represented only about 5% of the U.S. population in the 1970s. This percentage began to increase in the 1990s and is around 30% today.

At first glance, some might assume this means nearly 1 in 3 Americans are atheists, but thats far from true. Indeed, only about 4% of U.S. adults identify as an atheist.

As sociologists who study religion in the U.S., we wanted to find out more about the gap between these percentages and why some individuals identify as an atheist while other unaffiliated individuals do not.

Many shades of none

The religiously unaffiliated are a diverse group. Some still attend services, say that they are at least somewhat religious, and express some level of belief in God  although they tend to do these things at a lower rate than individuals who do identify with a religion.

There is even diversity in how religiously unaffiliated individuals identify themselves. When asked their religion on surveys, unaffiliated responses include agnostic, no religion, nothing in particular, none and so on.

Only about 17% of religiously unaffiliated people explicitly identify as atheist on surveys. For the most part, atheists more actively reject religion and religious concepts than other religiously unaffiliated individuals.

Our recent research examines two questions related to atheism. First, what makes an individual more or less likely to identify as an atheist? Second, what makes someone more or less likely to adopt an atheistic worldview over time?

Beyond belief  and disbelief

Consider the first question: Whos likely to identify as an atheist. To answer that, we also need to think about what atheism means in the first place.

Not all religious traditions emphasize belief in a deity. In the U.S. context, however, particularly within traditions such as Christianity, atheism is often equated with saying that someone does not believe in God. Yet in one of our surveys we found that among U.S. adults who say I do not believe in God, only about half will select atheist when asked their religious identity.

In other words, rejecting a belief in God is by no means a sufficient condition for identifying as an atheist. So why do some individuals who do not believe in God identify as an atheist while others do not?

Our study found that there are a number of other social forces associated with the likelihood of an individual identifying as an atheist, above and beyond their disbelief in God  particularly stigma.

Many Americans eye atheists with suspicion and distaste. Notably, some social science surveys in the U.S. include questions asking about how much tolerance people have for atheists alongside questions about tolerance of racists and communists.

This stigma means that being an atheist comes with potential social costs, especially in certain communities. We see this dynamic play out in our data.

Political conservatives, for instance, are less likely to identify as an atheist even if they do not believe in God. Just under 39% of individuals identifying as extremely conservative who say they do not believe in God identify as an atheist. This compares with 72% of individuals identifying as extremely liberal who say they do not believe in God.

We argue that this likely is a function of greater negative views of atheists in politically conservative circles.

Adopting atheism

Stating that one does not believe in God, however, is the strongest predictor of identifying as an atheist. This leads to our second research question: What factors make someone more or less likely to lose their belief over time?

In a second survey-based study, from a different representative sample of nearly 10,000 U.S. adults, we found that about 6% of individuals who stated that they had some level of belief in God at age 16 moved to saying I do not believe in God as an adult.

Who falls into this group is not random.

Our analysis finds, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the stronger an individuals belief in God was at age 16, the less likely they are to have adopted an atheistic worldview as an adult. For instance, fewer than 2% of individuals who said that I knew God really existed and I had no doubts about it as a teenager adopted an atheistic worldview later on. This compares with over 20% of those who said that I didnt know whether there was a God and I didnt believe there was any way to find out when they were 16.

However, our analysis reveals that several other factors make one more or less likely to adopt an atheistic worldview.

Regardless of how strong their teenage belief was, for instance, Black, Asian and Hispanic Americans were less likely to later identify as an atheist than white individuals. All else being equal, the odds of individuals in these groups adopting an atheistic worldview was about 50% to 75% less than the odds for white individuals. In part, this could be a product of groups that already face stigma related to their race or ethnicity being less able or willing to take on the additional social costs of being an atheist.

On the other hand, we find that adults with more income  regardless of how strong their belief was at 16  are more likely to adopt the stance that they do not believe in God. Each increase from one income level to another on an 11-point scale increases the odds of adopting an atheistic worldview by about 5%.

This could be a function of income providing a buffer against any stigma associated with holding an atheistic worldview. Having a higher income, for instance, may give an individual the resources needed to avoid social circles and situations where being an atheist might be treated negatively.

However, there may be another explanation. Some social scientists have suggested that both wealth and faith can provide existential security  the confidence that you are not going to face tragedy at any moment  and therefore a higher income reduces the need to believe in supernatural forces in the first place.

Such findings are a powerful reminder that our beliefs, behaviors and identities are not entirely our own, but often shaped by situations and cultures in which we find ourselves.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Christopher P. Scheitle, West Virginia University and Katie Corcoran, West Virginia University

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Christopher P. Scheitle receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. The research presented here was supported in part by the Explaining Atheism project at Queen's University Belfast.

Katie Corcoran receives or has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Presbyterian Health Foundation, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, International Research Network for the Study of Belief and Science, and West Virginia University Humanities Center.
The New York City Department of Corrections said it has suspended its use of body cameras after one of the devices caught fire, hospitalizing an officer.

The camera ignited without warning during use at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island on Friday, resulting in the unidentified captain suffering burns and smoke inhalation, DOC press secretary Annais Morales said in an emailed statement.

The safety of our staff is paramount, which is why I am removing all body-worn cameras from service out of an abundance of caution while we investigate how and why this incident occurred, said Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie.

New York City's Department of Correction has temporarily pulled over 3,000 body-worn cameras after a camera caught fire and injured a correction captain, a department spokeswoman said. New York Daily News via Getty Images

The investigation into the DOCs 3,480 cameras, identified as the Reveal Media D5 series, is expected to take one to two weeks. The DOC is in contact with the camera manufacturer to determine how the incident occurred, according to a DOC spokesperson.

Reveal did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

In 2018 the NYPD suspended its use of certain body-worn cameras after one reportedly exploded during use. An investigation into the incident found that the battery had the potential to ignite inside of the camera, NBC New York reported at the time.

The officer was in the George R. Vierno Center in Rikers Island, pictured, when the incident occurred. New York Daily News via Getty Images

The devices used by the DOC are similar to ones used by the NYPD  which reports the nations largest body-worn camera program  but they are not the same kind, a NYPD spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost.

The citys correctional facilities have a long history of abuse and negligence toward its inmates, resulting in the notorious Rikers Island complex being ordered to close by 2027 due to safety and humanitarian concerns.

A federal monitor has also been appointed to review the prisons following a 2015 civil rights lawsuit alleging cruel and unusual punishment. That monitor described the DOCs facilities last fall as increasingly dangerous and unsafe to both staff and those in custody.

The federal monitor appointed to oversee the city jails has been made aware of the decision to temporarily remove the body cameras, the DOC said on Monday.

There is still significant surveillance at all DOC facilities, with more than 12,400 security cameras operating 24/7 in all facilities, a spokesperson said.

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  The NYPD is investigating bomb threats targeting three synagogues and the Brooklyn Museum made over the weekend, according to authorities.

Synagogues on West 83rd Street, West 30th Street and Remsen Street were all threatened, along with the Brooklyn Museum, via emails from an unknown sender, the NYPD said. Two of the synagogues were forced to evacuate and Nos. 2 and 3 subway trains were searched for explosives, according to authorities.

The threats were deemed not credible, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul and the NYPD.

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We will not tolerate individuals sowing fear and antisemitism, Hochul said. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions.

Sen. Chuck Schumer announced $400 million in new federal funding to protect houses of worship on Sunday. The same program allocated $305 million to nonprofits to help defend them against potential attacks.

Jewish and Muslim communities are facing a rise in threats amid the Israel-Hamas war, according to Schumer.

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Houses of worship interested in receiving funding must apply by May 21.

The FBI is tracking the origin of the emails. No arrests have been made in connection to the threats as of Monday morning.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Senate Bill 36 would permit chaplains to provide support, services, and programs for students in public schools. Unlike the qualified counselors they might replace, the chaplains would not be required to undergo certification by the state Department of Education, a guest columnist writes.

An Oklahoma bill allowing public schools to hire paid or volunteer chaplains to proselytize school-age children has recently passed the Oklahoma House and is headed to the Senate. It must be voted down.

Senate Bill 36 would permit chaplains to provide support, services, and programs for students in public schools. Unlike the qualified counselors they might replace, the chaplains would not be required to undergo certification by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. They would only have to pass a background check confirming they are not a sex offender.

Notably, the bill has no safeguards against the fundamental constitutional violations it produces. Public schools are not allowed to promote religion over nonreligion or to prefer one religion over another. Yet, school officials could presumably choose to hire chaplains who share their own beliefs to proselytize children of other religions or no religion during school hours. Religious instruction or counseling has no place in our public schools  and students should not be made to feel disfavored or othered for not belonging to the same religion or church as school officials.

If SB 36 were to pass through both chambers, it would invite schools to launch headlong into costly, unwinnable lawsuits. Were already seeing this play out in Texas, where a similar bill was passed last year, and schools are now voting on chaplain programs. Those who hire chaplains to religiously counsel students during the school day can look forward to lawsuits from students and parents represented by groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

More: Satanist group will participate in Oklahoma public schools chaplaincy program if approved

The National School Chaplain Association is championing chaplains in schools. Its parent organization, Mission Generation Inc., aims to reach the largest unreached people group inside of the schools around the world to influence those in education until the saving grace of Jesus becomes well-known, and students develop a personal relationship with Him. In Mission Generations own words, the organization wants to exploit the massive lack of school counselors throughout public schools by filling the void with religious chaplains in order to win and disciple school-age children.

Oklahoma state Rep. Kevin West, who authored drastically revised language for SB 36, which originally regulated law enforcement recording equipment, has stated that his bill does not run afoul of our Constitution. West is wrong. It is clear that the bill was written with one specific religion in mind, and chaplains would undoubtedly push their religious beliefs onto vulnerable children during the school day.

The Oklahoma Senate should outright reject this imprudent and unconstitutional bill. The Sooner State must keep its public school system secular and inclusive of all students.

Ryan D. Jayne

Ryan D. Jayne is senior policy counsel for the FFRF Action Fund, the lobbying arm of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national nonprofit with approximately 40,000 members across the country, including hundreds of members in Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate should reject unconstitutional school chaplain bill
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. A delegation of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is scheduled to take part in the 26th international oil and gas exhibition and conference, OGU 2024, and Uzbekistan Energy Week, to be held on May 1416 in Tashkent, SOCAR told Trend.

President of SOCAR Rovshan Najaf has been invited to attend these events, in particular, as a speaker at the Harmonization of Energy Policy plenary session on May 14, the source said.

According to Uzbekneftegaz JSC, the organizer of OGU 2024 and Uzbekistan Energy Week, delegates from over 400 companies from various countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, USA, Turkiye, Iran, and EU nations, are invited to participate in the events in Tashkent.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Previous reports can be seen in the player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  The Columbus police officers that fired shots in response to last years shootings in the Short North will not face charges.

The Franklin County Prosecutors Office confirmed that none of the officers that fired shots on May 6, 2023 in the Short North will face charges. Columbus police did not reveal the identities of the officers that responded to the two simultaneous shootings that left at least 10 people shot, one of them by an officer.

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Monday marks one year since multiple people were shot in the Short North, prompting months of heightened security measures. With Ohio State graduation, art shows, and street festivals this past weekend, Columbus residents and visitors got to see first hand the latest security measures in the Short North.

NBC4 has an edited version of the body camera recording from the fight below. Viewer discretion is advised.

The first shooting on May 6, 2023 occurred at 2:33 a.m. Saturday at 624 N. High St. As multiple officers responded to that area, CPD said a second explosion of gunfire rang out at 847 N. High St. Three officers there were trying to break up a fight involving multiple people on the sidewalk, and returned fire, hitting at least one person.

In total, Columbus police Chief Elaine Bryant said investigators recovered 11 firearms from the Short North shootings.

NBC4 has an edited recording of the police shooting below. Viewer discretion is advised.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
People gather for the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom Bans OFF Columbus rally for Issue 1, October 8, 2023, outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)

The road toward the November general election will include many more debates about abortion and reproductive rights in Ohio.

The conversation is taking shape in the form of campaigning candidates and their stances on upholding the constitutional amendment approved by 57% of voters last November, and the potential for a national abortion ban floated by Republicans on the federal level.

Several lawsuits and legislative measures are working their way through the Ohio Statehouse and the court system.

Most recently, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed his opposition to a request in a Franklin County court by abortion providers that would pause a 24-hour waiting period required in state law before an abortion can be conducted, among other laws the suit challenges.

In the court documents, Yost acknowledged the new amendment to the Ohio Constitution that legalized abortion services and other reproductive treatments, and maintained a previous concession that the amendment invalidated Ohios 2019 law prohibiting most abortions, absent certain exceptions, after a fetal heartbeat was detected  around six weeks after conception.

That law is still the subject of its own lawsuit in Hamilton County, where clinics have asked for the six-week abortion ban to be eliminated, and for which the Ohio Supreme Court said it would not intervene in an enforcement pause due to a change in law.

But the attorney general would not bend to the idea he said was being argued by providers: that the amendment bars all laws that touch on abortion  and even some laws that have nothing to do with abortion or anything else the amendment mentions.

Just as it is the state governments duty to respect the will of the people by conceding the invalidity of a statutory provision that conflicts with the current language of the Ohio Constitution, it is also the state governors duty to respect the will of the people by defending statutory provisions that the amendment does not invalidate against meritless attack, Yosts office said in the court filing last week.

Yost also argues the abortion clinics lack standing to challenge laws like the waiting period provision, the requirement that patients attend in-person appointments to hear possible risks and other information about abortion, and a requirement that an ultrasound be conducted to identify a heartbeat.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Official photo.

Yosts argument explains that though the amendment keeps the state from burdening, penalizing, prohibiting, interfering with or discriminating against anyone seeking an abortion or assisting with an abortion, only the physician plaintiff must comply with the challenged statutes, and only she can be penalized for the violations of those laws. Thus, the clinics as a whole cant claim a violation of rights, only the physicians themselves.

No party in this case has asserted a claim based on the individual right to obtain an abortion created by the amendment, Yosts office wrote.

Because the amendment was enacted to restore the rights from the national abortion legalization in Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision of June 2022, and not the laws of the state related to abortion, these laws remain valid under the amendment, the attorney general claims.

Responding to claims by clinics, which argued the 24-hour waiting period creates a situation in which in practice, patients are often forced to wait much longer based on physician availability, procedural requirements like fasting for sedation and anesthesia, and even things like transportation barriers for the patients, Yost said delays were not a legal issue.

But the fact that patients often wait longer than 24 hours is not because of the law, but rather is attributable to several factors outside of the states control, Yosts filing stated.

The opposition filing further argues the requirement to check for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion in no way acts to prevent any abortion, and indeed, plaintiffs have long admitted that they easily complied with that law for years.

Blocking enforcement of the laws at issue in the lawsuit would irreparably harm the public, Yost concluded. The public interest would be at stake in the lawsuit as well, because the General Assembly is democratically elected to represent the public interest of the state as a whole.

Abortion and the 2024 general election

The General Assembly election and the race for the U.S. Senate seat that Sen. Sherrod Brown currently holds could become a referendum on how Ohioans feel about abortion and the candidates stances on it.

One legislator running for reelection in the 45th Ohio House district, the staunchly anti-abortion GOP state Rep. Jennifer Gross, has said she will not swear allegiance to the reproductive rights amendment included in the Ohio Constitution if shes reelected. She also made comments to the public that she believes Issue 1 is unconstitutional, and helped author a bill in the legislature to take enforcement of Issue 1 away from the judicial branch and lay the authority upon the legislature itself. House Speaker Jason Stephens has dismissed concerns about the bill, or even the likelihood that the bill will be taken up.

Also up for reelection is state Sen. Sandra OBrien, R-Ashtabula, in the 32nd state Senate district. She introduced a bill that would allow tax credits for those who donate to pregnancy resource centers, highly criticized centers who are often affiliated with anti-abortion entities, and does not allow for a tax credit for a donation going to any center that performs or is affiliated with abortion services.

The bill was brought to committee just weeks after the abortion amendment passed, and currently sits in the Senate Finance Committee.

Most recently, the incumbent up for reelection in the 41st House district, state Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania, introduced a bill that would keep state funds from going to any entity that supports, promotes or provides abortions, even threatening to withhold local government funds from municipalities found to reimburse for abortion services. Its been assigned to the Ohio House Government Oversight Committee, but has yet to receive a hearing.

Days after the constitutional amendment passed last year, the Ohio Democratic Party was already working to connect the anti-abortion rights views that failed to convince a majority of voters in Ohio on Issue 1 to the opinions of Browns November opponent, Bernie Moreno, and the other candidates in the March primary.

Fundraising emails and press releases sent out in the months that followed continued to spotlight Morenos anti-abortion views and comments about a national 15-week abortion ban that has been floated by Republicans.

Even in Ohio after the abortion amendment passed, Senate President Matt Huffman pondered the idea of a 15-week ban as a potential idea in the future.

Dr. Courtney Kerestes, an OB/GYN practicing in Columbus and a member of Physicians for Reproductive Health said there is no medical significance to the 15th week as a landmark to ban abortion, but sees the marker as merely a talking point to bolster supporters against abortion rights. The Mississippi case that would become the Dobbs case through which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade involved a 15-week ban.

According to the most recent induced abortion report released by the Ohio Department of Health, only 10.4% of all abortions happened between 13 and 22 weeks gestation, with a vast majority (67.4%) happening at less than nine weeks.

But the talk of an abortion ban at any gestational age causes confusion for patients in Ohio, who also know the amendment exists with a provision stating the decision about pregnancy and abortion is left up to the patient and their treating physician based around fetal viability.

Kerestes said patients who had strongly desired pregnancies came to her afraid that a fetal anomaly could arise in their pregnancy, and that the decision as to whether or not they were allowed a say in the fate of the pregnancy may not be up to them. The same would not be said of someone getting a colonoscopy, or those in need of cardiac care, she said.

Its important to think of all of these unfortunate complications that can come with pregnancy, Kerestes said. I dont want to be sitting there wondering if I need to refer to a lawyer before I provide care.

Moreno did not respond to requests for comment from the Capital Journal, but has previously said he would support a national 15-week abortion ban and has called himself 100% pro-life, no exceptions.

On Twitter, he called Roe v. Wade a terrible decision made over 50 years ago that led to the ending of millions of unborn lives.

A statement from Browns campaign said the incumbent U.S. senator stands with the overwhelming majority of Ohioans who voted to protect abortion rights in Ohios constitution last year.

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The post Ohio abortion law court cases moving slowly forward after amendment appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
An alleged armed carjacker is dead after an Amazon delivery driver shot and killed them in Cleveland Sunday morning, WOIO-19 and WKYC-3 reported.

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At approximately 4:05 p.m., Cleveland Division of Police officers were dispatched to the west side of the city, near the intersection of West 28th Street and Franklin Boulevard, on reports of a shooting.

An initial investigation found that just after 4 p.m., the suspect approached the delivery driver as they were working in the area, both stations reported.

An initial investigation found that the driver was working in the area just after 4 p.m. when the suspect approached them.

The suspect then attempted to take the vehicle at gunpoint, both stations reported.

At some point during the encounter, the delivery driver shot the suspect, according to police.

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After being shot, the suspect got into the car and tried to drive away but crashed, WKYC-3 reported.

The suspect was pronounced dead on scene.

The identities of the Amazon driver and the suspect were not immediately available.

The Cleveland Division of Police is still investigating this shooting.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Ohios Secretary of State has ordered boards of elections to begin tallying the voters whose registrations will be canceled ahead of the November general election.

The process, required by state and federal law, will be enhanced this time, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said in a news release. Elections boards must mail notifications to affected voters by May 31.

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Voters flagged to be purged from the rolls are usually identified four years prior in the U.S. Postal Services National Change of Address registry and are notified at that time as having four years to take action. Such voters will be identified and notified under this purge, but LaRose has directed county elections boards to cross-reference voter registrations to identify other issues, including:

Past due removals: Voters who were previously flagged for registration cancellation but who werent purged will be flagged again. This was an issue identified as part of an ongoing data integrity review, LaRose told elections boards.

Notices returned undeliverable: Inactive voters whose original notification was returned as undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service.

BMV mismatches: Voters whose name, date of birth, Social Security number or drivers license number does not match the states BMV records.

To be purged from the rolls, a voters registration status must meet the following requirements:

Was notified no later than June 30, 2020, that they appeared in the NCOA out-of-county database; whose notice was returned undeliverable; or whose BMV records contradict voter registration

No voting history since April 28, 2020

Registered to vote before Feb. 18, 2020

Has not engaged in voter-initiated activity since they received the 2020 notice

Voter-initiated activity includes voting, updating voter registration, submitting an absentee ballot request form, and signing a candidate or issue petition that is verified by a board of elections.

Republican-sponsored bill aims to further tighten voter ID laws

Once notified, potentially affected voters have until July 15 to update their registration or otherwise engage in voter-initiated activity. Voters who take no action will be purged from the rolls on July 22.

County boards of elections will identify affected voters by May 21 and will mail notices by May 31. After May 21, the Secretary of States searchable database of inactive voter registrations will be updated.

LaRose quietly canceled more than 26,000 voters registrations in September 2023. Voters were supposed to be purged from the rolls that July, but LaRose delayed the cancellations until after the August special election.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Ohio has done nothing to disclose dark money after major pay-to-play scandal

Dark money is influencing Ohio campaigns. Some states have passed laws to require it be disclosed.

A powerful utility spent millions through a web of dark money groups to hand-pick candidates with influence over customers' electric bills.

But in this scenario, the voters of Arizona passed legislation to unmask the donors behind dark money groups influencing their politics.

In Ohio, federal and state prosecutors are untangling one of the largest corruption scandals in the nation, involving a powerful utility, Akron-based FirstEnergy, that admitted it bribed one top lawmaker and a utility regulator through multiple dark money groups.

The fallout from the House Bill 6 scandal has been significant. Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the scheme, ex-Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges was sentenced to five years incarceration and FirstEnergy fired several executives.

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a pay-to-play scandal at the Ohio Statehouse.

But no one has passed a law to disclose the source of secretive spending that continues to influence Ohio politics.

"Ohio remains dry tinder for another forest fire of corruption to sweep through this state because the General Assembly has done nothing to prevent it," said former Rep. Jessica Miranda, D-Forest Park, when pitching a proposed fix. "The exact same conditions exist today."

More: Despite bribery scandal, influence of dark money in Ohio remains unchecked

How dark money influences politics

In 2010, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protected corporations' and unions' right to donate to independent expenditure groups, which can support candidates but aren't run by their campaigns. The case was Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and it stemmed from a film criticizing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2008.

In the years since that ruling, corporations have donated large sums to groups that are not required to disclose their donors publicly, such as 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations. The groups have innocuous names like Generation Now, Partners for Progress, Honor and Principles PAC, Liberty Ohio, Sixteen Thirty Fund and Securing Ohio's Future that hide their actual donors and purposes.

OpenSecrets, a nonprofit reporting on campaign spending, has tracked $2.8 billion in dark money spending and contributions since the 2010 election. These donations benefit both Democrats and Republicans, and the spending keeps increasing, OpenSecrets found.

Akron-based FirstEnergy, the company at the center of Ohio's scandal, described dark money groups as their "preferred manner of giving" in records because "they are not required to disclose where the donations come from. The company later paid a $230 million fine after admitting it bribed public officials.

While these groups largely operate in the shadows, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that the government could require corporations and unions to disclose who paid for political ads and mailers.

"The First Amendment protects political speech; and disclosure permits citizens and shareholders to react to the speech of corporate entities in a proper way," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. "This transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages."

But Congress has done nothing to require disclosure of secretive spending despite frequently introduced bipartisan proposals to report donors who give more than a certain threshold in an election cycle. Some states, such as Alaska, California and Rhode Island, have rules to require some disclosure of dark money donors.

In 2022, Arizona voters approved a new law, 72%-28%, that requires any independent expenditures group spending more than $50,000 in a statewide race to disclose any donor giving $5,000 or more. Several groups have sued to block the law but none have been successful, the Arizona Republic reports.

There is no imminent effort to put this issue on the Ohio ballot. Ohioans could vote on redistricting reform and a $15 minimum wage later this year.

While secret spending, also known as 'dark money,' continues to influence elections across the country and at all levels of government, voters across the country are taking action to enact real transparency about who is spending big money on elections to reduce the influence of wealthy special interests," said Patrick Llewellyn, state campaign finance director for the Campaign Legal Center, which advocated for the Arizona measure.

What has Ohio done to unmask dark money?

Former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard was a key proponent of requiring dark money be disclosed in that state.

Unlike Arizona, Ohio has done nothing to require dark money to be disclosed  even after its prominent scandal.

Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Citizens United, then-state Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican, tried to require corporations and unions to report expenditures regularly. His proposal passed the GOP-controlled Senate only to fail in the Democratic-controlled House. Husted is now the lieutenant governor.

After ex-House Speaker Householder's arrest in 2020, a bipartisan group of lawmakers tried again with the backing of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, but that effort also failed.

The latest proposal has no Republican co-sponsors in a Legislature controlled by the GOP. The sole hearing on House Bill 112 offered a window into the uphill climb that any dark money disclosure bill would face in Ohio.

The bill's two Democratic sponsors, Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney of Westlake and Jessica Miranda of Forest Park, answered questions about why their proposal applied to ballot issues in addition to candidate campaigns and why it punished legal spending because of a few bad actors.

Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, asked about the threat of corporations being doxxed and disparaged for their donations. They could be the worst people on the planet but if they have a good idea, they should be able to do that anonymously without being vilified."

Sweeney replied that she understood that concern but sided with Ohioans' right to know who was spending money on ads and political messages. She also agreed that honest, law-abiding groups were using dark money in Ohio elections.

Just because youre spending dark money does not mean youre corrupt or doing bad things," Sweeney said. "The reality is if you are corrupt, you are going to utilize that, and they have.

Is there the political will to change it?

Federal and state investigations  and the records they created  have revealed FirstEnergy's prolific political spending in Ohio, including through dark money groups to support Husted, Gov. Mike DeWine and Senate President Matt Huffman. But the public learned these details years after the checks were cashed and the votes were tallied.

Ohio's top three Republicans  DeWine, Huffman and House Speaker Jason Stephens  all say they're open to a legal way to disclose dark money donors.

"Having more information for the voters, where money is coming from, is always a good thing," Stephens told reporters.

And yet, nothing has passed.

House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said she knows why: "The reality is there seems to be no political will here to put in place protections that prevent this type of scandal from happening in the future."

USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Haley BeMiller contributed to this article.

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why doesn't Ohio require dark money groups to disclose donors?
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BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WJW)  An Ohio man faces animal cruelty charges after investigators say he allegedly left a puppy tied up in a drawstring bag later last month.

Deputies with the Butler County Sheriffs Office arrested 34-year-old Harold Dean Lilly on Friday. Hes charged with cruelty to a companion animal and abandoning animals, both second-degree misdemeanors.

Harold Dean Lilly_mugshot

The investigation started on April 24, when a small puppy was found in a closed drawstring bag at a Hamilton park on Joe Nuxhall Boulevard, according to the sheriffs office.

After dayslong manhunt, deputies find suspect who caused city lockdown

Butler County Dog Wardens then took the pup, named Ryder, to the Animal Friends Humane Society.

Ryder, puppy found in string bag

The animal shelter posted photos of Ryder on Facebook, saying he wasnt acting like a normal puppy during intake.

He was lethargic and weak. While we accounted for his traumatic experience, we also had to rule out sicknesses, the post read. He tested negative for parvo and was vaccinated and dewormed. We then let him rest and regain his strength and stability, under the watchful eye of our medical team.

At the time, the Animal Friends Humane Society said Ryder appeared to be two to three months old.

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The shelter provided an update a few days later, saying the sweet guy has been through it and is improving everyday. Today he is up moving around his cage, wiggling his little butt and crying for attention.

The spokesperson from Animal Friends Humane Society told FOX 8 Saturday night that Ryder is doing well and acting very much like a puppy should.

Court records show that Lilly was booked into the Butler County Jail on Friday. Hes awaiting an appearance in Hamilton Municipal Court.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Last month in long-telegraphed vote, the Federal Trade Commission approved a rule banning non-compete contracts. The commission determined non-competes represent an unfair method of competition because they restrict the free flow of workers.

Since the initial draft rule was released, business groups have criticized the idea. Non-compete agreements serve vital procompetitive business and individual interests, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued in comments to the FTC. The Chamber and others contend non-compete agreements act as a moat  protecting and encouraging businesses investments in research or worker training.

In a press release U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark argued, This decision sets a dangerous precedent for government micromanagement of business and can harm employers, workers, and our economy.

But the FTC dismissed those critiques. The commission noted businesses have other mechanisms, like non-disclosure agreements and trade secret laws, to protect their intellectual property.

FTC estimates put the number of employees currently operating under a non-compete contract at roughly one in five Americans, or about 30 million workers.

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 an announcement following the vote.

The Commission also estimates the average worker will see their pay increase by about $500 a year, and more than additional 17,000 patents will be filed annually for the next ten years.

Carveouts and headwinds

Although the rule bans new non-compete contracts across the economy, in response to pushback, the FTC included a carve out for senior executives. The rule defines that class a people with policy making decisions who bring home more than about 150,000 a year. Existing non-competes for senior executives can remain in force, but the rule prohibits any future agreements.

Also, in response to pushback, the FTC simply prohibits companies from enforcing noncompete contracts. The initial rule required them to officially rescind the contracts which couldve been cumbersome and expensive. Under the final rule companies would also need to notify employees they are no longer bound by the agreements.

Notably, the FTCs vote wasnt unanimous. The two Republican members wrote dissenting statements arguing the rule goes too far and relies on an understanding of the agencys authority that fell out of favor decades ago. Both commissioners acknowledge reservations with non-compete agreements, but argue any sweeping changes fall within Congresss ambit. They add Congresss inability to muster the political will to make changes is a feature, not a bug.

The final rule doesnt take effect until early September  that is unless the courts step in and put it on hold. The same day the FTC voted to approve the rule, a tax services firm in Texas filed the first challenge in federal court. Like the dissenting commissioners, the firm argued the FTC has exceeded its delegated authority.

If ever a federal agency attempted to pull an elephant out of a mousehole, this is it, the companys initial complaint argued.

Commission spokesman Douglas Farrar pushed back.

Our legal authority is crystal clear, he insisted. In the FTC Act, Congress specifically empowered and directed the FTC to prevent unfair methods of competition and to make rules and regulations for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of the FTC Act.

This authority has repeatedly been upheld by courts and reaffirmed by Congress, he added. Addressing non-competes that curtail Americans economic freedom is at the very heart of our mandate, and we look forward to winning in court.

At least two other challenges have been filed since the initial one.

I only survived it.

The Ohio Capital Journal reported on the FTCs proposed rule in March of last year, highlighting the experiences of a handful of people who work or worked in Ohio. Last week, the Capital Journal followed up to hear their reactions to the FTC rulemaking.

Sarah Eischen and Cindy Holbrook are moving on with their lives, but the experience left them confused and scarred.

Holbrook described a former coworker texting her about the FTCs vote, she said you did it, Cindy.

And I responded to her, I didnt do anything. I only survived it.

Holbrook is a cosmetologist who moved to Toledo to take a job with a high-end salon. She already had more than two decades of experience in the industry. Eischen was an account manager for a plumbing manufacturer in Cleveland. Similar to Holbrook, she walked in the door with substantial industry experience  in her case 15 years.

Sarah Eischen (Photo courtesy of Sarah Eischen.)

Sarah Eischen

Eischen signed a non-compete as part of a large package of paperwork. Her former employer ended terminated her without explanation after less than a year, but warned they would still enforce the non-compete contract  an explicit, global prohibition on her taking a job with 20+ companies for a year, and a demand that she get permission before taking a job with any other company in the plumbing field.

On the way out the door she attempted to negotiate modifications that would pare back the list to the companys direct competitors. They wouldnt budge. Eischen wound up leaving her severance on the table over it.

About nine months into her non-compete she got a job with Zurn Elkay.

And they found it kind of funny, she said, because they didnt think that my previous employer was a competitor of theirs.

After some discussions with Eischens attorney and Zurns legal team they decided to go forward quietly. They didnt publicize Eischens new gig and they kept her off accounts that would overlap with her former role until the non-compete ran its course.

My attorney thought that they would probably just let it ride rather than try to go after me for it, she explained, And it seems that thats kind of what happened.

You know, it was kind of like you saw a little bit behind the bluff of a poker game, she added.

Still, the experience was bruising. Shes hesitant to invoke PTSD, but its the closest comparison she can come up with.

I was a very confident professional before all this and it has just completely been shaken, she said. To the point where I question myself probably, at least once a week.

And I know that Im doing the job that Im supposed to be doing and like I said, my boss is great and everything, but it really did like, affect me, personally, and mentally as a professional.

Cindy Holbrook (Photo courtesy of Cindy Holbrook.)

Cindy Holbrook

Holbrooks non-compete barred her from working at any other salon within 15 miles. She found a job with a salon in a different town; it was 11 miles away in a straight line, but a 14-mile drive. Her former employer sent a cease-and-desist letter.

Holbrook had to quit and started picking up shifts at her old salon in Michigan every other weekend. To make ends meet she picked up a string of other gigs  First Watch, Crunch fitness, a local wellness center. Eventually she landed at her current salon, and like Eischen, she started quietly before the non-compete had run its course.

I went down to just like two days, she said. Anytime there was a walk in or somebody called looking for somebody I was able to take that but not able to advertise, not able to grow my clientele.

She still works weekends at a restaurant, and shes started going to therapy.

For that entire year, I would have people be like, Oh, Septembers not that far. Oh, September is not that far, she described.

Once the non-compete ended, old clients and her current salon owner congratulated her, but Holbrook just felt empty.

I remember telling my boyfriend, I dont know why I cant be excited about this, she said. I should be excited about this, but I dont feel excited about it. I feel like Im constantly looking over my shoulder.

She explains when she left Soto she had built a small client base but knew she couldnt solicit those customers when she moved on to her next salon. She then built a new list of clients at the salon 14 miles away before getting the cease-and-desist letter. Now, shes on her third round of trying to build up her business.

In some ways, Holbrook says, things are goodshe loves her current salon and her co-workers. But after a year in survival mode shes still picking up the pieces, and when it comes to actually turning the page, she feels stuck.

I know the thing to do, Holbrook said, but bringing myself to do it, Im like 

Ive kept my book with my clients on my nightstand for the entire time, she went on. Like, its there. It reminds me every single day: pick it up and just call the numbers, text the numbers, send something  and I dont.

Follow OCJ Reporter Nick Evans on Twitter.

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The post Ohio workers, still bruised by their experience, pleased to see FTC banning non-compete agreements appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KFOR)  An officer fired his weapon Sunday afternoon after responding to a call about a woman who shot a man near Northwest 63rd in Oklahoma City.

The officer is said to have not hit anyone after he fired his weapon. Officials said that the man is alive, its unknown exactly what his injuries are.

| SULPHUR STORIES OF SURVIVAL > Everybody inside is screaming, Sulphur survivors save others Saturday night >

The shooting happened near Northwest 63rd and May Avenue just after 4 p.m. Sunday.

Oklahoma City Police said that there are no details as to what led up to the shooting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
An Oklahoma County judge is being criticized after a woman was reportedly raped by an inmate the judge released from prison early.

Editor's note: This story contains references to sexual assault and may be troubling to some.

A veteran Oklahoma County judge is under fire after a Lyft driver reported she was repeatedly raped by a man the judge let out of jail two months earlier through a diversion program.

District Judge Cindy Truong set the man free on a so-called TEEM bond on Feb. 12 even though he admitted to illegally possessing a gun for the third time in the last three years, court records show. The man, Andre Hunter, 20, was also awaiting sentencing on a 2023 drug charge. Police have identified him as a member of the 456 Piru street gang.

Prosecutors allege he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and robbed the female Lyft driver April 18.

TEEM is a nonprofit in Oklahoma City that provides services to defendants on pretrial release. Its full name is The Education and Employment Ministry.

Hunter, of Oklahoma City, was ordered in February to go there and participate in educational classes and gain employment through its assistance program. The judge was going to see how he did there before sentencing him for drug and gun offenses.

The Lyft driver said the leniency shown Hunter is incomprehensible and "put me through this hell I'm living with now."

"She is sending all victims a message that we don't matter," the woman said in a written statement sent through a victim's advocate. "I was raped by him and the judicial system. She is supposed to protect us from people like him but didn't. SHE FAILED ME!!!"

Criticism of the judge's decision has become the talk of the courthouse. A new Facebook page, "Diversion Programs Gone Wild," spotlighted the case as an example of Oklahoma County jail inmates who should not have been released.

Cindy Truong

The judge declined to address the criticism directly. She told The Oklahoman "the TEEM bond was legally authorized" and that she issued a warrant for Hunter's arrest in early April for violating it.

"The Court notified the proper authorities immediately upon issuance of the warrant," she also said.

Truong was first elected as a judge in 2010. The former prosecutor has become known for her willingness to release inmates on their own recognizance or on TEEM bonds while they await trial. She regularly goes to the jail on weekends to let inmates out.

She was praised for those efforts during the years when the troubled jail was overcrowded. She's like our 24-hour judge, a detention officer said in 2018.

"We want to protect the public, but at the same time, we want to get people into treatment and get jobs and be productive citizens," Truong told The Oklahoman in 2018.

Community activist Jess Eddy defended her last week.

"This is one bad example out of hundreds of success stories," he said.

"No one could have known he would commit such a horrible crime," Eddy also said. "I know I speak for the courts, legal professionals and community service providers when I say our hearts are broken for the unconscionable harm the victim has suffered here."

The interim chief public defender, Brigitte Biffle, has heard the criticism but pointed out Hunter's past charges involved nonviolent offenses. "So there was nothing to really predict what could or would happen in the future," she said.

She declined to comment on Hunter's case.

What TEEM says about Andre Hunter

TEEM Executive Director Kris Steele said Hunter at first was going to classes and taking drug tests but then twice failed to meet with his case manager.

"We reported the information to Judge Truong that he was noncompliant. And almost immediately, in real time, Judge Truong issued a warrant for failure to comply. It was a warrant for Mr. Hunter's arrest. That was issued on April 5," Steele said.

Truong asked about Hunter on April 2 and then asked for a violation report after being told he had missed appointments, according to a text exchange Steele sent The Oklahoman.

Lyft driver said man threatened to kill her amid attack

Hunter was arrested by Langston police after the Lyft driver reported being raped April 18 at a Del City park by a passenger. He was charged April 26.

The woman said her attacker had her cellphone when he drove off in her car, according to a court affidavit. She subscribed to the Life360 app that showed her cellphone was in the area of Langston University.

Hunter was located exiting the victim's car in Langston in possession of her cellphone, according to the affidavit.

In a request for a victim's protective order, the Lyft driver wrote the attack began when her passenger "grabbed me and started choking me."

"Any resistance I showed, he would just threaten that he was going to kill me," she wrote. "He kept asking if I had a boyfriend and saying to call him. He wanted my boyfriend to hear him sexually assaulting me."

She wrote she hid in a bush after her attacker dropped her off.

Maj. Brad Cowden, with the Del City Police Department, told KOCO: "It was very disturbing in the interview. This suspect showed no remorse. His demeanor was essentially he knew he was going back to prison, so he didnt really care."

As a juvenile, Hunter got in trouble for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in 2018 and for having a gun illegally in 2021, court records show.

He was caught with a gun again in January 2023 and with ecstasy during a traffic stop. He was the driver. He and five others in the car were at first charged with drug trafficking.

He pleaded guilty last year to illegally possessing the gun and illegally possessing ecstasy with intent to distribute. He had been on probation for those offenses.

He was caught with a gun in January again after his girlfriend reported he had pointed it at her head and said he was going to kill her in front of their child. He pleaded guilty in February to the third weapon offense. He also agreed he should be sentenced again on his 2023 case.

The judge had set sentencing for April 15.

That sentencing didn't happen until last week, after his arrest in Langston. The judge ordered him to prison for 27 years. She warned him he could face additional time on the rape case.

"You want to be with the big boys," Truong said. "That's where you're going."

The judge also told Hunter that she had given him a second chance but that he had blown that "big time."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Lyft driver says judge Cindy Truong 'failed me' in preventing attack
TBILISI, Georgia, May 6. Middle-income countries need full involvement in green transition, Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank Avinash Persaud said during panel discussions on the topic "Achieving Climate Outcomes for Transformation" within the ADB (Asian Development Bank) annual meeting in Tbilisi on May 4, Trend reports.

According to him, most of the countries are ADB members.

"The countries see the highest growth in future energy needs, and there some of the poorest and most vulnerable people live," he pointed out, reminding that 70 percent of the world's poor population resides in countries with medium-income levels.

Therefore, we need global efforts. In terms of scale, one of the significant achievements we have made in the past couple of years has been reaching consensus on the scale issue, which sounds quite simple. It's really more complicated, especially dealing with economists. Getting economists to agree is a challenging task.

However, last year's G20 communique, COP communique, and Bridgestone initiative were all based on figures from an independent, high-level expert group, indicating that developing countries need $2.4 trillion per year in climate financing. One figure, a unified opinion on scale, and how important is that: if we had several figures from different sources, people would lose sight of what it is. $2.4 trillion, which is 12 times the total global aid budget," he added.

To note, the theme of the 57th ADB Annual Meeting in Tbilisi, which runs from May 2 through May 5, is "Bridge to the Future."

The annual meeting provides ADB governors with a platform to address developmental issues and challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific region. The event typically attracts several thousand participants, including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, private sector representatives, members of international and civil society organizations, youth, academics, and media personnel.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A University of Mississippi fraternity has removed a member who was accused of mimicking a monkey to harass a Black protester at the colleges pro-Palestinian encampment.

Video of the protests went viral last week, showing a group of white men standing across from a lone Black woman participating in the protest, with the men dancing, hooting and chanting. One man mimicked a monkey.

Ole Miss opened a conduct investigation Saturday into the incident, with Chancellor Glenn Boyce saying the counterprotesters chants and actions Thursday contained hostility and racist overtones.

The Phi Delta Theta fraternity said in a statement Sunday that the racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter. The responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3.

The pro-Palestinian protesters at Ole Miss were significantly outnumbered by counterprotesters, as campus demonstrations have spread to hundreds of colleges across the country in recent weeks.

The video garnered additional attention when it was shared by Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.). The NAACP criticized Collins for sharing the video and sent a letter to House leaders demanding an Ethics Committee investigation.

Black America refuses to accept blatant racism from any representative sworn to uphold our constitution, NAACP spokesperson Alicia Mercedes said in a statement to The Hill on Sunday. Representative Collins decision to publicly condone, and perhaps even celebrate these racist taunts is not only shameful, but also reprehensible.

Collins defended the decision to share the video Monday but denounced the students conduct.

I understand and respect the feedback thats been shared regarding a single individual during the Ole Miss protests, Collins wrote in a statement Monday. If that person is found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness.

Frankly, I did not believe that to be the focal point of the video shared at the time, but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should see to glorify, he continued.

The confrontation adds to the schools long history of racial conflict. Deadly riots broke out when Ole Miss first enrolled a Black student in 1962, and the university has long been associated with Confederate imagery.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A fraternity at Ole Miss has removed a student for allegedly making racial gestures during a protest on campus last week.

Congressman praises heckling of war protesters, including 1 who made monkey gestures at Black woman

Videos and photos from the event showed the protesters were in a grassy area near the main library, blocked off by barriers erected by campus security.

They chanted Free, free Palestine, and carried Palestinian flags and signs with slogans including, Stop the Genocide and U.S. bombs take Palestine lives.

Student journalist Stacey J. Spiehler shot a video that showed campus police officers and the dean of students standing between anti-war protesters and hecklers.

A Black woman protesting the war had what appeared to be a heated exchange of words with several white hecklers. One of the men made monkey gestures and noises at her.

Sunday, Phi Delta released the following statement:

Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters is aware of the video regarding the student protest at the University of Mississippi. The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter. The responsible individual was removed from membership on Friday, May 3.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
In this photo taken from video provided by Stacey J. Spiehler, a pro-Palestinian protester is confronted by hecklers at the University of Mississippi. Stacey J. Spiehler via AP

The University of Mississippi has launched an investigation aftera student was accused of mocking a Black protestor by making monkey noises during an anti-war demonstration.

Ole Miss said it was looking into actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones when demonstrators gathered on campus Thursday to protest U.S. support of Israel during the countrys ongoing war against Hamas.

Footage of racist abuse being directed at a pro-Palestine protester quickly spread online, with a GOP congressman even going as far as to endorse their actions. Ole Miss taking care of business, Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) wrote Friday on the social platform X. He has since acknowledged there was potentially inappropriate behavior.

The incident came amid a growing wave of demonstrations on university campuses around the country.

The hecklers vastly outnumbered pro-Palestine demonstrators and video shot by a student journalist showed one white heckler making monkey gestures and noises at a Black woman who was supporting pro-Palestinian protesters. Stacey J. Spiehler via AP

Videos of the confrontation showed a small group of students chanting Free, free Palestine, and carrying signs with slogans including Stop the Genocide and U.S. bombs take Palestine lives. A larger group of counter-protesters were filmed surrounding and yelling at the demonstrators. At one point, a white student is seen making monkey noises directed at a Black woman as others taunt and cheer.

On Friday, university Chancellor Glenn Boyce said that university leaders are aware that some statements made were offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, and that the institution has launched an investigation into the conduct of one student.

We are working to determine whether more cases are warranted, he added. To be clear, people who say horrible things to people because of who they are will not find shelter or comfort on this campus, he said.

A fraternity member was kicked out of the organization after the encounter drew widespread condemnation online.

Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters is aware of the video regarding the student protest at the University of Mississippi, the organization wrote in a statement on Sunday. The racist actions in the video were those of an individual and are antithetical to the values of Phi Delta Theta and the Mississippi Alpha chapter.

On Monday, Collins changed tack after facing a backlash, issuing a statement saying he does not condone racism or discrimination. He added that if a student was found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness.

Frankly, I did not believe that to be the focal point of the video shared at the time, but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should seek to glorify, he said.

Related...
Inside the small waiting room of All Families Healthcare in Whitefish, Montana, beside the reception desk, theres a side door covered from top to bottom in a paper trail of gratitude. There are homemade or store-bought thank-you cards. There are long and detailed letters, handwriting cramped to fit limited space. Theres also humor: Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers.

All Families Healthcare is one of only five clinics providing abortion services in the entire state. It is a cozy property that looks more like a house than a medical facility, although the anti-abortion protesters who regularly congregate on the sidewalk outside are an easy giveaway of its function. For owner Helen Weems, the clinics mission has become ever more critical in the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

A door covered with thank-you notes at All Families Healthcare

Montanas abortion laws have remained unchanged since that seismic Dobbs ruling: Despite repeated efforts by the Republican-controlled legislature to limit access, the state Supreme Court has upheld the right to obtain an abortion through fetal viability, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But Montana is surrounded by states that have restricted or outright banned the procedure since Dobbs, making it a haven for abortion access in the upper Mountain West.



Nonetheless, Montana itself could still be considered hostile territory for abortion providers. Whitefish is a small, Democratic-leaning city in the otherwise red Flathead County in northwest Montana. The original All Families Healthcare clinic in nearby Kalispell was destroyed by arson in the 1990s. It was rebuilt, but owner and founder Susan Cahill closed it down after it was broken into and vandalized in 2014. When Weems, a nurse practitioner, moved to the area in 2016, she asked Cahill to come out of retirement and act as a mentor, so that she could reopen the clinic. Cahill acquiesced, and the new All Families opened in 2018.

Its a new clinic, its a new site, its my business. Its a new All Families. But its a little bit of a phoenix rising kind of thing, Weems told me in an interview in the clinic in April. The work was too important. The legacy was too important. [Cahill] came back and trained me, and I have proceeded and not once looked back.

The significance of the facility is evidenced by its isolation: The next-closest abortion clinic is a two-and-a-half-hour drive away in Missoula. (All Families also provides additional health services beyond abortion care.) In its first year, Weems said, All Families provided around 100 abortions; in 2023, it provided nearly 400 abortions, around three-quarters of which were medication abortions. For patients from neighboring states, Weems instructs them to cross the border into Montana and pick up the medication at a local post office.

This is also convenient for patients from more remote parts of Montana44 percent of the states population live in rural areaswho may need to travel to a faraway P.O. box to pick up the mailed medication. Eastern Montana is a desert for abortion access, with some residents a nine-hour drive or more from the closest clinic. Many of Weemss patients may already have children at home or be working full-time, she said.

It just becomes totally untenable for them to be able to take that time off to be able to travel for abortion, and so medication abortion by mail has just really revolutionized access, she continued. In 2021, the Montana state legislature passed laws aiming to severely limit access to this method, by prohibiting the prescription of medication abortions via telehealth services, requiring a 24-hour waiting period for medication abortions, and mandating an ultrasound before providing an abortion. These laws were struck down by the state Supreme Court, upholding a 1999 precedent that the Montana Constitutions right to privacy allows for access to abortion.

All Families is especially affected by cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court: one which could limit access to mifepristone, a key medication used for abortions, and one on whether to uphold a total abortion ban in Idaho, a case that could have far-reaching consequences for access to abortion across the country in emergency circumstances. All Families has seen an increase in patients from Montanas neighbor to the west.

Theres so much fear among people coming from Idaho, and such gratitude for being able to access services here, said Weems, adding that she recommends that patients do the procedure inside Montanas borders so that they know theyre not pregnant when they go back to Idaho, because its scary to be pregnant in Idaho. Its dangerous to be pregnant in Idaho.

It may also be considered dangerous to operate an abortion clinic in Montana, particularly when its predecessor was shut down due to external threats twice before. But Weems considers it her responsibility to continue servicing northwestern Montana.

Theres a moral calculation about what level of risk Im willing to take to provide what is completely essential health care, and can really change lives, she said. And my calculation is that its the right path and that I will continue this work, really no matter what.





The future of access to abortion in Montana may soon be on the ballot. Abortion rights advocates are collecting signatures for an initiative that would amend the state constitution to protect abortion access through fetal viability. Supporters need to collect more than 60,000 signatures by the June 21 deadline. (The state Supreme Court recently ruled that signatures could be gathered without legislative review.)

The initiative may have repercussions for critical elections in Montana. Senator Jon Tester, an endangered Democrat, is up for reelection this year, while Democrat Monica Tranel is hoping to unseat GOP Representative Ryan Zinke in a competitive House race. Support for protecting abortion rights could help turn out voters who might be inclined to support Democrats, such as college students. One bright April morning in Missoula, home to the University of Montana, several students were posted on street corners, asking passersby for signatures to get the initiative on the ballot.

Freedom is an important issue in Montana. This is a fundamental freedom, said Tester, adding that the abortion ballot initiative could possibly motivate voters who might not otherwise turn out. He was quick to add: Regardless of whether its on the ballot or not, I still win.

However, Robert Saldin, a political science professor at the University of Montana, expressed skepticism that the initiative would turn out many new voters. He noted that several of the abortion ballot initiatives that have been approved in other red states occurred during off yearsfor example, in Kansas in August 2022 and in Ohio last yearwithout a presidential election at the top of the ticket.

Whos otherwise not going to be motivated to turn out for a presidential [election] featuring Trump? Whos going to come out to vote because of the abortion issue, who otherwise wouldnt have? Im just skeptical that thats a large number, Saldin said.

Still, Tranel told me that she believed the issue could motivate Republicans as well as Democrats. She recalled talking to a conservative voter who nonetheless believed that abortion access was important. I think this is an issue that will get crossover votes in a way other issues wouldnt, Tranel told me.

Zinke said that he believes the overwhelming majority of Montanans would stand by the legislatures efforts to limit the procedure after 20 weeks, even though it had been thwarted by the state Supreme Court. Tranel is open-ended on the issue of abortion, Zinke argued, and Montanas not there.

Regardless of the politics of the issue, Weems is hopeful the initiative will make it onto the ballotand then be approvedbecause it would provide clarity for All Families Healthcare and the states other clinics. She has spent several years fighting for the right to provide abortion care: as a plaintiff in a case that overturned legislative efforts to prevent nurse practitioners from providing abortion services in Montana, and more recently in a lawsuit that she joined challenging a law requiring abortion clinics to be licensed by the state.

It might not slow down the attacks on abortion access, but it would make their defense more robust, she said. I would like to think that I wouldnt have to spend as much time fighting.
In a sea of excited, new Northeastern University graduates, support for both Palestine and Israel was visible, with flags waved at commencement at Fenway Park Sunday.

A chant accusing the university of funding genocide began during the graduation ceremony where nearly 30,000 students and guests were in attendance, prompting a request from Kellee Tsai, Dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.

We respect your passion and opinions. We respect your right to voice them  in the appropriate setting, Tsai said.

Also during commencement, police arrested a person the university said tried to interrupt the event.

During Saturdays graduation events, a pro-Palestine protester took the stage with fake blood on his hands and wearing a shirt with the words NEU kills, videos on social media show.

Northeastern has held more than 15 academic ceremonies this week to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students, Renata Nyul, Vice President of Communications at Northeastern University, told Boston 25 News in a statement. The disruptive stunt by one student at a college ceremony was upsetting to everyone who attended the event. Out of respect for members of our community, we will not amplify this disgraceful behavior by making it available online.

The graduation events come just over a week after 98 Pro-Palestine supporters were arrested on the Northeastern University campus, 29 of whom were university students and 6 faculty and staff.

Protesters had set up encampments at Northeastern and campuses across the country calling for schools to cut financial ties to Israel amid its war with Hamas.

Im a Palestinian American. My grandparents grew up in PalestineIts very near and dear to my heart. And its just heartbreaking to see whats happening in Gaza right now, said one student who asked not to be named. Im calling for Northeastern to divest, disclose, and really just show their support for all of their students, not just some.

Among the Class of 2024 was sentiment for those affected by the conflict while also celebrating their personal accomplishments.

Im Jewish. So, I have a strong connection to the state of Israel, and obviously I dont gain any satisfaction from the things that are happening in Gaza especially, said new graduate Jorge Batievsky.I personally didnt want to put any political beliefs in front of me, because I just want to take the time to appreciate the hard work I did and celebrate this great achievement.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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One injured, one arrested after shooting incident in Clinton

CLINTON, Utah (ABC4)  One person was injured and one suspect was arrested after a shooting incident in Clinton on Sunday afternoon, according to the Clinton City Police Department.

According to a social media post from police, the incident happened around 4:45 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Dispatchers received a call about a person who needed immediate medical assistance after being shot near 1090 N and 750 W in Clinton, according to officials.

READ NEXT: Our hearts are broken: Santaquin community, Utah leaders honor officer killed by semi-truck on I-15

Police said the suspect was located and arrested when officers arrived on the scene, while the victim was taken to a local hospital.

Officials did not immediately disclose information about the condition of the victim. On Sunday evening, police said there were no outstanding suspects and there was no active threat to the community.

The investigation is ongoing.

There is no further information at this time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Oregon's state Senate District 29 is the second largest in the state. (Courtesy of Oregon Legislature)

Oregon's state Senate District 29 is the second largest in the state. (Courtesy of Oregon Legislature)

For the first time in more than a decade, the expansive eastern Oregon state Senate district held by Republican Sen. Bill Hansell is open in this election.

Hansell announced in early March that hell retire this year, drawing four Republican candidates seeking to represent state Senate District 29, which stretches across northern Oregon from Wasco to Wallowa counties and includes Boardman, Pendleton, Hermiston and La Grande.

The candidates have a mix of experience: Jim Doherty is a rancher and former Morrow County commissioner; Dave Drotzmann is an optometrist and the mayor of Hermiston; Andy Huwe is a 20-year old Eastern Oregon University student; and Todd Nash, is a rancher and Wallowa County commissioner.

No Democrats are running which means whoever wins the Republican primary on May 21 will win the seat.

Heres a look at the candidates.

Jim Doherty

Name: Jim Doherty

Age: 59

Residence: Boardman

Education: Bachelors degree in business and history, Eastern Oregon University, 2015

Current occupation: Rancher

Prior elected experience: President of the Association of Oregon Counties, 2020; Morrow County commissioner, 2016-22

Family status: Married, one son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren

Fundraising: $44,361 as of April 26

Cash on hand: $2,689 as of April 26

Doherty is a longtime farmer and rancher and spent six years on the Morrow County Commission before he was recalled in late 2022 along with another commissioner, Melissa Lindsay. According to the recall petitioners, the two commissioners were not transparent in terminating a county administrator. Both Doherty and Lindsay said the campaign was backed by powerful interests from food processing and agricultural industries responsible for groundwater contamination.

In early 2022, Doherty launched a door-to-door water testing campaign with Ana Pineiro of the Morrow County Health Department. When results from their testing showed many residents in Boardman had high levels of nitrate in water coming from their wells, Doherty backed a county-wide emergency declaration to usher in state support for water testing and to provide clean drinking water to residents. Doherty said the recall was linked to his campaign against the contamination.

As state senator, Doherty said he would prioritize bringing rural voices, especially rural Latino voices into discussions and decisions around state funding and policy and would focus on solving the drinking water contamination issues in eastern Oregon. He said he would reinstate the Office of Rural Policy that was established by former Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski in 2004 and which was dismantled in 2008 when the state Legislature left it unfunded. The goal was to help bring more rural Oregonians into formulating state policies and economic development projects.

Folks out here are feeling disenfranchised, and are trying to be heard  whether its infrastructure, housing, veterans issues, whatever the case may be  and it feels like thats fallen short, or they feel like theyre concerns have fallen on deaf ears, Doherty said.

Additionally, hed focus on growing affordable housing in the region, particularly for agricultural workers and veterans, as well as introducing legislation that would prevent large foreign investment in Oregon agricultural land.

Dave Drotzmann

Name: Dave Drotzmann

Age: 54

Residence: Hermiston

Education: Bachelors degree in biology, Central Washington University, 1992; professional degree in optometry, Pacific University, 1996

Current occupation: Optometrist and mayor of Hermiston

Prior elected experience: Mayor of Hermiston, 2012-present; Hermiston School District Board, 2003-2011; president, League of Oregon Cities Board, 2024

Family status: Married, two kids

Fundraising: $154,070 as of April 26

Cash on hand: $33,129 as of April 26

Drotzmann is running for District 29 while holding down three jobs. He is mayor of Hermiston, president of the League of Oregon Cities and an optometrist running his clinic, Lifetime Vision Source, in Hermiston. He attributed his civic slate of professional and volunteer roles to a sense of responsibility he feels to the people who raised him.

I grew up with a single mom who raised us while working two jobs, and I was surrounded by community, he said. Our church family, our neighbors, they kept us off the street and kept a roof over our heads.

Dave Drotzmann

Dave Drotzmann

Drotzmann said his first priority, if elected, would be to grow affordable housing in the region and the state. Drotzmann said the city of Hermiston has increased its housing supply by about 1,000 since he was first elected mayor in 2012.

Im hoping to take some of the lessons that weve been able to build on and learn in my community  across the district, and share that across the state. So housing has got to be first and foremost, he said.

Additionally, hed like to do a deeper dive into our budget at the statewide level to reduce taxes and fees that he said have become untenable to Oregonians.

I think government is too expensive, and were not providing enough value, he added.

Hes been endorsed by several trade and electrical unions, including the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Hes also endorsed by the Oregon Gun Owners Political Action Committee and the Clean Energy for Oregon Political Action Committee, funded mostly by the Bend- and Tucson-based solar company NewSun Energy, according to reporting from Willamette Week.

Drotzmann said under his tenure as mayor Hermiston, residents wages have grown and property values have risen. He said he oversaw the addition of staff in libraries and among police, and that these would be priorities for the region at large. Drotzmann, who also spent a decade on the Hermiston School Board, said another campaign priority would be to increase the supply and affordability of child care and preschool statewide.

Andy Huwe

Name: Andy Huwe

Age: 20 (will be 21 by the general election)

Residence: Enterprise

Education: Undergraduate student in cybersecurity and public policy, Eastern Oregon University, Current

Current occupation: Student at Eastern Oregon University; hotel night manager; director of political affairs, Associated Students of Eastern Oregon University

Prior elected experience: None

Family status: Single; brother, one of a triplet, and brother to a younger sibling

Fundraising: $1,095 as of April 26

Cash on hand: $69 as of April 26

Huwe is the youngest candidate running in a statewide race, turning 21 by the May 21 primary, which will make him eligible to run under the Oregon constitution. A junior at Eastern Oregon University, Huwe is studying cyber security and public policy, and anticipates graduating in 2025.

Hes held a number of volunteer civic and political roles, including as secretary of the Young Republicans of Oregon, precinct committee member for the Wallowa County Republicans and as a liaison for House Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo.

Andy Huwe

Andy Huwe

Huwe said his youth is an advantage in an area of the state that he says is losing young people.

This is a brain drain district, he said. Kids come to the universities here but they all leave, they dont stay. We have to have somebody whos able to connect with this younger generation and bring them to the table.

He said hed prioritize developing a technology economy in east Oregon and direct state funding to attract more data centers, technology companies and bring semiconductor manufacturing east of the Cascades.

I am a unique person in that I have experience in tech, which is going to be one of the top industries in my district, he said.

Hes also interested in improving data transparency and use at state agencies by getting digital archives and records in a centralized area where all Oregonians can access them.

Todd Nash

Name: Todd Nash

Age: 61

Residence: Enterprise

Education: Associates degree in animal sciences, Linn Benton Community College, 1982

Current occupation: Rancher and Wallowa County commissioner

Prior elected experience: representative, Association of Oregon Counties, 2019-2022; representative, National Association of Counties, 2018 to present; president, Oregon Cattlemens Association, 2021-2023.

Family status: Married, four kids and six grandchildren

Fundraising: $108,110 as of April 26

Cash on hand: $20,880 as of April 26

Todd Nash is a rancher and veteran leader of the Oregon Cattlemens Association as well as the Wallowa County Commission.

He said his journey into politics began with state conservation laws in the 1990s focused on protecting forest habitat, wolves and salmon. He said voices of rural people working in those industries were left out of state policy conversations.

It all put so much pressure on grazers and loggers. I was working at a sawmill in 1994 when it shut down. These things have had large consequences for me and my community over time, Nash said.

Hes been endorsed by nonprofit industry groups Oregon Farm Bureau and Oregon Business & Industry; the anti-abortion group Oregon Right to Life; and the conservative rural activist group Timber Unity.

He chose to run following the encouragement of several area politicians and former state Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove. Nash said he worked on several bills with Barreto and with Hansell over the years related to agriculture and natural resource policy.

Almost all the policies that Ive worked on have statewide implications. I havent sought just to try to do something for Wallowa County or a city. Ive worked on those statewide issues for a long time, he said.

Nash said hes interested in addressing and remedying the drinking water contamination in Morrow and Umatilla counties, and getting people on wells hooked up to potable water. Hed also support structural overhauls in state governance, including making agency boards advisory rather than lawmaking bodies, and ending the use of ballot measures to enact new state laws.

The post Open state Senate seat in eastern Oregon draws four Republican candidates appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Editors Note: Dean Obeidallah, a former attorney, is the host of SiriusXM radios daily program The Dean Obeidallah Show. Follow him on Threads. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

At the Republican National Committees annual retreat this weekend, former President Donald Trump took the stage to a recording of the national anthem sung by the J6 Prison Choir, whose members were incarcerated for taking part in a violent effort to keep Trump in power following his loss in the 2020 election.

Dean Obeidallah - CNN

Its not the first time Trump has kicked off an event by playing this song that celebrates the January 6, 2021, attackers. Every time he does, it should disgust patriotic Americans. But that wasnt even the most offensive thing Trump did at Saturdays private luncheon for donors, which was held at his Mar-a-Lago club.

Trump launched into a profanity-laced tirade in which he declared  despicably  that President Joe Biden was running a Gestapo administration, invoking the name of the notorious Nazi political police infamous, as the Holocaust Encyclopedia explains, for organized deportations of Jews from across Europe to ghettos, concentration camps, killing sites, and killing centers.

Trumps reprehensible remark, made to a room packed with individuals who had donated $40,000 or more to the Republican National Committee, was part of a 90-minute harangue in which he groused indignantly over having been charged with 88 felonies across four different jurisdictions  something he often does publicly and loudly. Prosecutors at his current trial underway in New York City allege that the former president was at the center of what they have called an elaborate election fraud that involved covering up the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump denies the allegations.

Its hard to catalog all the ways in which likening the current administration to the brutal Gestapo is so deeply offensive and so off the mark, including the casual use of language that invokes Nazis  something Trump does all too often.

For one thing, it trivializes the history of the Holocaust and the perpetrators of the unspeakable crimes carried out by Adolf Hitler and his followers. For another, there is not a scintilla of evidence that the current administration harbors authoritarian tendencies. But, as is so often the case with Trump, he tarnishes the object of his scorn with the failings that he himself could reasonably be accused of.

It was Trump, after all, who has said that he would be a dictator on day one of his administration. It is Trump whose actions and statements increasingly seem to invoke authoritarianism as the presidential campaign marches on. And the fact is, there is one major party presidential candidate who repeatedly has invoked Nazi language  and its not Biden.

In December, Trump caused a firestorm when he parroted language used by Hitler by describing migrants as poisoning the blood of the United States. The previous month, Trump described his political opponents as vermin, which concerned many given that that dehumanizing term has antisemitic connotations and was employed in Nazi rhetoric. Scholars of the Holocaust have pointed to Hitlers manifesto Mein Kampf and his speeches in which he called for racial purity and said German blood was being poisoned by Jews.

Trump hasnt apologized for using such language. Instead, in December, he told supporters at a rally in Iowa, I never read Mein Kampf. Trump then added that Hitler used the term poisoning the blood of the country in a much different way. He then repeated the same dangerous rhetoric about migrants, saying, Theyre destroying the blood of the country. Theyre destroying the fabric of our country, and were going to have to get them out.

Was there an uproar among the big GOP donors at Saturdays event over Trump deploying the word Gestapo or over his Nazi-like language at a time when we are seeing an alarming spike in antisemitism across the United States? Have Republican leaders denounced this rhetoric? Not that Ive seen, and I dont expect to hear them publicly criticize their presumptive presidential nominee and undisputed leader of their party. Not if past is prologue.

Interestingly, Trumps celebration of those who waged the January 6 attack conjures up Hitlers tactics after his own attempted coup in 1923 known as the Beer Hall Putsch  a thwarted attempt by the would-be dictator and his followers to violently overthrow the government of the German state of Bavaria.

Hitler would publicly honor those killed in that failed attempt to seize power by making them martyrs for the cause and celebrating them publicly as heroes. Hitler became chancellor of Germany 10 years later in 1933, where one of the first orders of business was the formation of the Gestapo, the German secret police, under the leadership of his loyal aide Hermann Goring.

At the GOP event Saturday, Trump offered anyone who would donate $1 million a chance to speak at the podium. Reportedly, three people took Trump up on his offer. One of those donors claimed that God chose Trump to lead the country.

And while the former president was speaking Saturday, the RNC co-chair, his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, presented Trump with a plaque commemorating the success on the Billboard music charts of the song by the January 6 attackers. Last week, Time magazine published an interview in which Trump once again praised the January 6 attackers, some of whom brutally beat up police officers, as patriots and vowed that if re-elected he would consider pardoning those still in jail for that attack.

All this leaves me asking myself once again which is the presidential candidate who loves democracy and our Constitution, and which is seeking to pull us backward into dark and dangerous times.

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As former President Donald Trumps criminal trial in New York begins another week of proceedings, The New York Times reports that Trump has been venting behind the scenes that his lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, has not been following his instructions closely. More specifically, Trump believes Blanche is not being aggressive enough with the witnesses, the judge and even the jury pool.

During my time as a federal prosecutor, I occasionally saw defendants try to micromanage their cases and run roughshod over their defense attorneys. This approach is always a recipe for disaster. In other words, it looks like Trump may be not only his own worst enemy, but his own worst advocate.

Although criminal defense attorneys must always consult with their client on trial strategy and tactics, it is the attorney who, at the end of the day, typically controls those strategic and tactical decisions. The defendant only gets to make a handful of decisions him or herself, including decisions that may go directly against the advice of his counsel. For example, it is exclusively up to the defendant whether to plead guilty or not guilty, whether to accept or reject any particular plea offer and whether to testify or not testify in his own trial.

But all tactical trial decisions  whether and to what extent to cross-examine prosecution witnesses, what witnesses (if any) to call for the defense, what evidence to introduce (i.e., business records, phone records, text messages, emails, photographs, etc.)  are the province of the defense attorney, not the client.

I have seen defense attorneys struggle with difficult, obstinate or overbearing clients. Ive seen some defense attorneys rise to the challenge and refuse to cater to a clients ill-advised tactical demands. The more zealous and effective attorneys will tell the client, I make the tactical decisions, and I will make them in your best interest. I know how to try criminal cases; you dont. Ive also seen defense attorneys who were not up to the challenge  who let the defendants call the shots  and the client often went down in flames.

One prime example of Trump hurting his own defense is the fact that he will not let his attorneys concede that he had relationships or encounters with Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels. This pits Trump against those two women in the eyes of the jurors. By not allowing his attorneys to concede that he may have had relationships with these women, Trump will force the jury to believe him or believe them.

Thats a problem for a defendant who made tens of thousands of false claims in just his four years as president. McDougals 2018 interview with CNN suggests she will come across as a credible witness. In the interview, she was reluctant to directly criticize Trump, and answered questions in a slow, careful way. Her emotions appeared genuine as she described that she had a 10-month relationship with Trump, that she was in love with him, and that he loved her. She came across as a thoughtful, circumspect communicator.

Theres a tactic that is often used to defend cases involving intimate relationships that are part and parcel of, or lead to, the commission of alleged crimes. The argument from the defense attorney goes something like: My client may have violated the good book, but he didnt violate the law book. In other words, concede the dalliance, but fight over the commission of the crime. When former presidential candidate John Edwards was on trial for using campaign funds to conceal an affair, his lawyers adopted this strategy, arguing that he committed many sins but no crimes.

Because defense attorneys have to pick their battles, the smarter tactical move for Trumps attorneys would have been to concede the relationships while still vigorously contesting that the payments made to the women had anything to do with the 2016 election. But Trumps obstinacy closed off that option. And if the jurors believe McDougal and Daniels over Trump, that may color every other decision they will be called upon to make about Trumps other claims at trial.

Theres an old saying, A defendant who represents himself has a fool for a client. What Donald Trump is doing represents a twist on that saying: A defendant who refuses to let his attorney do what the attorney does best risks tanking his own defense.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
TBILISI, Georgia, May 6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is developing plan for new sustainable lending level to address climate change, ADB Vice President for Sectors and Themes Fatima Yasmin said during panel discussions on the topic "Achieving Climate Outcomes for Transformation" within the ADB annual meeting in Tbilisi on May 4, Trend reports.

She said the ADB focuses on liquidity support, aid resilience, key urban regions, private investments, fair financial institution governance, and ecological and fair trade changes.

"The ADB's reform program includes a new operating model to support developing countries faster and more actively. In 2023, we implemented a new operational model that prioritizes climate change and private sector development to make the ADB more effective and responsive to its stakeholders.

To implement changes in climate action, at COP28 we presented the ADB's Climate Action Plan for 2023-2030, which paves the way for accelerating regional climate action and assisting in achieving improved climate outcomes.

Let me share with you a few examples of our actions outlined in the ADB's Climate Action Plan. By supporting countries in debt restructuring, the ADB enhances financial opportunities to support countries' climate action.

We are now developing a plan to achieve a new sustainable level of lending through high-quality support, meeting the needs of our developing member countries," Yasmin added.

To note, the theme of the 57th ADB Annual Meeting in Tbilisi, which runs from May 2 through May 5, is "Bridge to the Future."

The annual meeting provides ADB governors with a platform to address developmental issues and challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific region. The event typically attracts several thousand participants, including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, private sector representatives, members of international and civil society organizations, youth, academics, and media personnel.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
When it was reported that a demonstrator near Columbia University had loudly suggested that Jews should go back to Poland, I was already there. My wife, son and daughter and I were visiting Holocaust sites in Eastern Europe. My fathers family is from Poland and Ukraine, and many of our relatives perished in the Holocaust.

I dont know if any of my ancestors were Zionists although I suspect some of them must have been. The definition of Zionist that Ive always used is a person who believes the Jews deserve a state where they can be safe. That is something I believe. I also believe the Palestinians deserve a state where they can be safe, the Israeli occupation has been a disaster and Benjamin Netanyahu needs to be replaced.

Read more: Hamas says it accepts cease-fire as Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah

As for the suggestion that Jews, or more precisely Ashkenazi Jewish Israelis  those of European heritage  should book a one-way ticket to Warsaw, I realize its not a point of view representative of the whole of the protesters on U.S. campuses. Yet it is undeniably a reflection of the settler colonialist position on Israel, a narrative that has gained traction despite more than half of Israeli Jews being Mizrahi  that is, from the Middle East. Palestinians and Israelis are two Indigenous peoples occupying the land that is being fought over.

And what about Poland? Almost 3 million Jews lived in Poland before World War II. Now the population that self-identifies as Jewish is less than 5,000 . Its instructive to remember that most of the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, perhaps 300,000 , were taken to Treblinka where they were murdered alongside another 500,000 or so Jews.

Treblinka is now a vast field covered with a massive memorial consisting of hundreds of stones laid side by side, pointing heavenward. I wandered among them and thought about the catastrophe that led to this place and what was now unfolding at universities across America  the anti-Israel chants, Jewish students fear of being on campus, the protests and counterprotests creating a climate of menace.

Read more: Do the pro-Palestinian protests signal a generational shift in U.S. attitudes about Israel?

The same day my family visited Treblinka, another Columbia student, described as a leader of the protests there, was quoted in the New York Times as saying, Zionists dont deserve to live. He apologized, and I dont want to compare him to Nazis. He and his compatriots are young and with youth comes the right to let your heart dominate your brain. His words, however, wore a swastika.

Of course, what has happened to the Palestinian people since 1948 has been its own catastrophe, of which the war in Gaza is the latest iteration. The number of civilian deaths is appalling, the suffering of the families profound and seemingly endless. It is not hard to understand the anger and heartbreak animating pro-Palestinian encampments, although one wishes more protesters would acknowledge that the Israeli onslaught did not occur in a vacuum, and that Hamas itself has an affinity for dead Palestinians.

Go back to Poland taunts are grotesque and willfully misinformed. To read about them while in Poland, where a ghost country of murder victims exists alongside the current population, is deeply disorienting. Where a synagogue used to be is now a delicatessen; a ritual bathhouse is a police station; a cemetery a derelict patch of ground or a verdant grove in the woods bereft of gravestones because they were stolen to be used to pave roads. So many Jews died in Poland that you could say that the entire country is a Jewish cemetery. In Poland, Jews are like the Native Americans in America. They are celebrated, sometimes sincerely, but mostly they are erased.

Read more: UCLA faculty protest at Hammer Museum gala, decrying treatment of pro-Palestinian students

We visited a town that was nearly 100% Jewish before the war; now not one Jew lives there and there is virtually no indication that Jews ever made it their home. I am by inclination sympathetic to the protesters. I am even inclined to forgive their ahistorical point of view, although it is ironic given that so many of them are being educated at elite institutions. But they must know: Jewish collective trauma, like that of the Palestinians, is undeniable. One shouldnt have to go to places like Treblinka to be reminded of this. Have we learned nothing?

That the protesters are not all antisemitic is a given. Some will happily take a break from chanting From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free to inform you that they count Jews among their number. And yet, from their encampments in privileged Los Angeles and Manhattan, they envision a progressive paradise where everyones wounds are salved and racism a dim memory, but there is no place for Zionists, which for many (once again: not all!) is simply a dog whistle meaning Jews.

Go back to Poland? It is impossible. And the maximalist daydreams of American protesters will not help Palestinians.

Seth Greenland is the Los Angeles-based author of six novels and a memoir. His most recent book, "Plan Americain," was published in France last year.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Charter reforms under consideration are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address City Hall corruption. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images)

Los Angeles city government has a corruption problem. Since 2020, three L.A. council members and a former deputy mayor were found guilty of or pleaded guilty to such charges as bribery and lying to authorities , another council member has been charged with embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest, and yet another stands accused of violating city ethics laws . During the same period, three other council members (including a former City Council president) were caught on tape engaged in racist commentary as they discussed how to gerrymander council districts to their advantage.

This cascade of scandals has eroded trust in local government. Now the City Council is considering charter reforms that would grant new powers to the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. The council should be commended for attending to its corruption problem. However, the proposed reforms are inadequate.

Read more: L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price accused of 21 violations of city ethics laws

What is on offer has good points  the reforms include expanding the membership of the Ethics Commission, setting a minimum budget for it and increasing penalties for violations of the L.A. Ethics Code. But the overall package is less than ideal because the City Council will not cede enough of its power to ensure that the commission will have the independence it needs to do its watchdog job.

Specifically, the proposed charter reforms do not grant the Ethics Commission authority to place ordinances related to its mandate directly on the local ballot  without the City Council having the final say.

That kind of independent power has worked well in San Francisco. In the decade 2013-2023, in response to government scandals, the San Francisco Ethics Commission has placed two ethics-related measures on the local ballot. Both passed by significant margins. Those two measures accounted for just 2% of all San Francisco ballot measures during that time period. In other words, the S.F. commission has not abused its authority to independently update the citys ethics laws, as some Los Angeles council members fear would happen in L.A.

Giving the Ethics Commission the power to go directly to voters would not prevent the agency from first engaging with the City Council to achieve its ends. In fact, that would be preferable: Angelenos elected representatives should be able to weigh in and come to an agreement with the commission on repairing flaws in ethics laws as they arise. But if the council and the commission cannot find common ground, the commissioners need the option of putting an ordinance on the ballot.

In other words, ballot placement would be an action of last resort, a lever to help move the council to adequately address city ethics problems.

Unfortunately, the proposal the full City Council is scheduled to vote on this week only looks like it provides a way for the Ethics Commission to enlist voters against a recalcitrant council. The loopholes are gigantic.

Read more: Former L.A. Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan found guilty in sprawling City Hall corruption case

First, the charter reforms would allow the commission to place ordinances on the ballot only if the council ignores its proposals altogether or disapproves them with zero amendments. If the council takes up a commission proposal and waters it down or even guts it with amendments, the commission would have no recourse. Worse, if the council ignores or votes no on an ethics reform, and the commission does decide to take it to the ballot, the council could veto that decision.

This is far from the tried and true San Francisco model, and it isnt likely to result in changes that will strike at the heart of corruption: consolidated power and inaction on reform.

The barrage of scandals at L.A. City Hall has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to clean up Los Angeles government. It should not be squandered with half-fixes. The reform package the City Council approves, which will have to be passed by voters in November, should give the Ethics Commission the independence it needs to hold officials accountable to the people they represent.

To meet the moment, the City Council must cede power for the greater good.

Sean McMorris is the California Common Cause program manager for transparency, ethics and accountability.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Editors Note: Casey Michel is the author of the forthcoming book, Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World. The views expressed in this piece are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

On Monday, for the first time in American history, a sitting senator is going on trial for allegedly conspiring to act as a foreign agent. The trial centers on the allegations swirling around New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who faces a range of accusations about his connections to Egypt and Qatar.

Casey Michel - courtesy Versha Sharma

Earlier this month, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were charged with accepting bribes from two foreign entities. Cuellar said he and his wife are innocent.

Both of these cases are shocking and unprecedented, marking the only times sitting congressmen have ever been formally accused of working on behalf of foreign regimes. But they shouldnt necessarily be a surprise, given how much foreign influence scandals have grown in recent years.

The 18-count indictment against Menendez includes bribery and obstruction of justice, but it all centers on one question: Was Menendez  who spent years serving as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the most powerful congressional official helping steer American foreign policy  secretly working as an agent of Middle Eastern regimes?

According to prosecutors, the answer is an unequivocal yes. Per the indictments, Menendez allegedly not only passed along internal information to Egyptian contacts  including highly sensitive details about the staff at the American embassy in Cairo  but he further acted as a ghost writer for Egyptian officials, helping them sway Menendezs Senate colleagues to support the country. Prosecutors also alleged that Menendez acted to help the Qatari government by issuing statements publicly supporting Qatar.

In return, prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife received gifts, including gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and a luxury car. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The filings are, on their own, shocking. According to prosecutors, a sitting American senator secretly worked at the behest not of his constituents, but for a pair of foreign countries. Rather than turn to traditional lobbyists, these regimes infiltrated the highest ranks of Congresss policy-making community and allegedly flipped Menendez, one of the most prominent figures directing American foreign policy, all to their benefit  and all without Menendezs colleagues or the rest of us being aware.

Because again, Menendez wasnt a simple, back-bench politician. From his perch atop the Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez was the most powerful congressional official dedicated to shaping American foreign policy, ranging from questions about strategy to arms shipments to financial planning.

Outside of the White House, Menendez was the most prominent American politician foreign regimes could target to sway him to their side, so its little surprise that both Egyptian and Qatari interests launched such bribery efforts. Whats surprising  and whats so unprecedented, and so galling  is that they allegedly got to Menendez in the first place.

Then again, its possible that these kinds of practices have actually been in place for years, and go far beyond Menendez  and that were only just now learning about them. After all, it was only a few years ago that prosecutors finally became interested in enforcing even basic disclosure requirements about Americans working as agents for foreign regimes.

The first regulations forcing Americans to disclose their links to foreign governments were enacted in 1938 with the passage of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). A remarkably progressive piece of legislation, FARA didnt ban Americans  even congressional officials  from working as lobbyists for foreign regimes. Instead, it simply required that they disclose their efforts to US authorities  and to the American public.

Unfortunately, however, FARA quickly transformed into an afterthought. For decades, the number of FARA-related prosecutions remained few and far between. There were a handful of prosecutions targeting secret Nazi and Soviet agents, and a few related to those trying to lift sanctions on places like Iraq and Zimbabwe, but that was it. FARA was, in many ways, forgotten  even as the foreign lobbying industry itself exploded in the 21st century.

Then, in 2016, then-President Donald Trump entered the White House, and thanks to the number of alleged foreign agents in his administration, prosecutors finally began focusing on how wide-open Washington was to these kinds of foreign agents  and how necessary enforcing FARA was.

As a result, by the late 2010s, prosecutors began launching a number of FARA-related prosecutions among a wide range of figures close to Trump. Among the figures targeted for their secret foreign lobbying links were individuals such as Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, who was later convicted for failing to disclose his foreign lobbying work (among other charges). Trumps former national security adviser, Mike Flynn, acknowledged failing to register as a foreign agent as part of his guilty plea for lying to the FBI, before the Justice Department dropped the case and cleared his record. Prosecutors targeted others along the way, including former Trump adviser Tom Barrack, who was acquitted, and former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates. While not all of the prosecutions were successful, the efforts breathed new life not only into FARA, but shone a new light on how foreign regimes target and corrupt American politicians overall.

Which is where Menendez and his trial enter the picture. Its not just that the allegations against Menendez illustrate how bipartisan such foreign lobbying efforts are. But they further illustrate just how far these efforts go beyond figures like Trump or his inner circle  and just how successful these regimes can be, if they target the right Americans.

Regardless of this trials outcome, the allegations should be a wake-up call not only for American officials, but also for Americans across the country. After all, if foreign regimes could target and recruit the most important congressional official tasked with crafting American foreign policy  and if they could do it as successfully as Egypt and Qatar allegedly did  then no congressional official is off-limits.

This story has been updated with the latest news developments.

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A college campus is an intimidating place for young people who are the first in their family to experience higher education. Everything about campus life is unfamiliar, and as exciting as it is to be there, these students have few people to help them deal with the many ways in which college life works differently from what theyre used to, from understanding what resources are available when they struggle academically to knowing how to make use of everyday tools like a course syllabus or faculty office hours.

Not many make it all the way through to graduation. And for those who do, even with a degree, entering the workforce can be equally difficult.

If they come from a family that struggles to make it from one paycheck to the next, theyll feel pressure to contribute right away, which may lead them to accept jobs below the education level they worked so hard to attain. First-generation graduates are 8% more likely to take a job that doesnt require their bachelors degrees.

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They need help, clearly. Thats why my organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, has been running a College and Career Success Program for about five years. Some 600 students have participated in that time, and around 350 undergraduates  all of whom are former Littles in our other programs  are in this project now. The majority attend the State University of New York or City University of New York, but participants are enrolled at about 75 schools across the country. Most are in bachelors degree programs, but we support students at community colleges as well.

The idea is simple: Littles have the opportunity to opt into our College and Career Success Program while they are in high school. We help them identify colleges as juniors and apply, with the support of a counselor. After graduation, theyre able to formally join the program, which guarantees them support through college and into their first career job. They then connect with a mentor, or Big, who checks in on the students throughout their undergraduate years and ensures they have the support, guidance and resources they need to graduate. It is the role of the Bigs to explain their own journey and the help they accessed along the way. This is important because many students feel they have to do it on their own and that asking for help is a sign of weakness or failure. But in reality, no one succeeds alone.

Students and mentors have a monthly check-in guide that brings structure to their conversations around college persistence and success. These check-ins have themes that shift each semester, covering everything from navigating campus life to laying the foundation for success after graduation. They include understanding and accessing college life and resources; getting engaged on campus in ways that align with interests and potential career aspirations; identifying a peer group that can support overall college and career goals; and identifying opportunities on campus that can introduce a potential career path and bolster a resume.

During the first two years of college, these check-in guides are meant to help students stay on track to graduate in a major they are interested in. Right now, its working for 82% of our college students.

The conversation shifts starting in the third year toward career exploration and access. We leverage corporate partners to offer what we call Career Pathways programming, which pairs college students with a mentor in an industry they are interested in. Career Pathways are done in cohorts with 15 students and 15 employees from a company or professional organization. They meet weekly for 10 sessions, where students learn about the different careers that exist in a particular industry.

Students have the chance to identify a career and then map out with their mentor actions they can take in college to build their resumes. They will also participate in informational interviews with someone who has the job they want and have an opportunity to connect with the entire cohort of mentors to build their professional network. We also ask mentors to share their professional networks and opportunities with the students.

Its still early, but results are promising. We had our first graduating class last year, and 80% of participants left the program with a career job or internship. If those results continue, scholars in our program will make it to the finish line and be positioned well for the life that starts beyond it.Most professionals know that embarking on a path to career success takes more than just a degree. It also needs the helping hands and guidance of a network that can open doors that students might otherwise not have access to. The norms of campus life and college resources are unknown to most first-generation students, as is the concept and importance of networking. We hope this program helps level the playing field for these young people.
Being trolled online is an unfortunate part of life for celebrities in the age of social media. But actor Tiffany Haddish has taken a more direct approach toward handling this epitome of 21st century problems, according to a recent Los Angeles Times profile. In response to increasingly negative comments shes gotten online, shes created a fake Instagram account where an alter ego named Sarah will go in and destroy anyone hating on her by deploying details from their personal lives:

On the one hand, I cant necessarily say I blame Haddish for wanting to fight back against the nastiness people can send her way  but I also cant say that her methods sit well with me. Her digital vigilantism is an extremely unsettling reminder of how much personal information we all have floating out there on the internet. Moreover, it highlights what a determined person with cash to spare can dig up, especially if their motives are more nefarious than Haddishs.

The internet is filled with what are called data brokers  companies that purchase the breadcrumbs of personal information that we leave strewn across websites and willingly upload onto apps daily. They can then sell off that data to whomever wants to put up the money, including advertisers, marketers, health insurers, employers running background checks, and, worryingly, just about anyone who will pay. Haddish most likely used whats known as people search data brokers  or white pages websites  which as she noted can compile things like police records and credit reports for individuals.

Its a system thats ripe for abuse, as researcher Justin Sherman wrote for Lawfare last year. Stalking  and potentially doxing  is made simple with information that once required having to travel to a physical location but now is being digitized and made available for sale. Most semi-legitimate and/or reputable sites have an option for requesting your information be removed, but it can be deeply tedious to go through the hundreds upon hundreds of brokers to hit them all. As then-staff writer Kaveh Waddell wrote in The Atlantic in 2017: Trying to scrub your identity from the internet is like trying to drain a bucket of water with an eyedropper, while a dripping faucet slowly fills it back up again.

There are some services that offer to undertake a mass purge for subscribers, seeking out clients information and requesting its removal. But thats not a perfect solution: Some brokers wont allow third parties to request information be removed; any data thats removed can be put right back into place later; and these removal services cant monitor all of the data brokers out there effectively. Gennie Gebhart, the Electronic Frontier Foundations activism director, compared the process to a high-stakes Whack-A-Mole when talking with CNET last year, adding theres always going to be something they miss.

Some states have passed laws that require users to provide their knowledge and consent before companies are allowed to sell their data to third parties. California, where Haddish lives, has the most comprehensive of these laws: The Delete Act, which goes into effect fully in 2026. The law will allow residents to either ask data brokers to delete their personal data or forbid them to sell or share it, with a single request, according to The Verge.

Like most states, though, California has public record carve-outs in its privacy laws that would allow data brokers to keep listing anything that someone could reasonably gather from publicly available information. Its a superficially sensible metric, one that allows for journalists for example to continue using digitized records for reporting. But, as Lawfares Sherman points out, even though a court record may be public already, the personal information from it was not previously available online, linked to a person (and a profile of them), and for sale by a private company with its own autonomy over whether or not to vet buyers.

The complexities of the matter, and how clearly the issue can transcend state lines, means that the matter should be taken up federally sooner rather than later. The good news is that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in the process of drafting new rules to potentially rein in some of the industrys worst abuses. The House also recently passed a bill focused specifically on data brokers selling sensitive information to foreign adversaries. But for now, that means that theres still little oversight preventing someone with a bone to pick with you from shelling out a little bit of money to learn reams of information about your past  and potentially find yourself in a very testy phone call with Haddish on the other end.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Former President Donald Trumps constant legal troubles and court appearances are eating up a lot of his time lately. To make the most of his remaining time, he has to focus on high-impact campaigning and fundraising events. But amid his time-starved schedule, hes carving out one night later this month to address an oddly niche crowd: the Libertarian Partys national convention.

Its a bit of a head-scratcher. Presidential candidates are typically focused on preparing for their own parties conventions; it is not the norm for nominees of the two major parties to attend, much less address, the convention for a third party, which typically consists of activist types who dislike the other parties and who in most states will rack up only tiny percentages of the vote. President Joe Biden was also invited by the Libertarian Party to speak at its convention, but he has not taken up the offer  and its pretty safe to assume he will not.

But Trump did accept, making him, according to the party, the first former president ever to attend the convention. Libertarians are some of the most independent and thoughtful thinkers in our Country, and I am honored to join them in Washington, DC, later this month, Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. We must all work together to help advance freedom and liberty for every American, and a second Trump Administration will achieve that goal. He added, If Libertarians join me and the Republican Party, where we have many Libertarian views, the election wont even be close. (Notice how strange it sounds when Trumps rhetoric turns collaborative and coolly strategic?)

The simplest explanation for Trumps interest in addressing libertarians is his growing anxiety about competition from anti-establishment movements, particularly independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s presidential campaign. Trump might be calculating that he can use the Libertarian Party convention to win over libertarians and other two-partyskeptical voters ahead of whats likely to be yet another election decided by small margins in battleground states where independent candidates are polling unusually well. He also needs to find ways to shore up his weakness among more traditionally conservative Republicans and independents  and Trump might see third parties as a supplement to compensate for that softening support.

Libertarians would not seem a natural fit for todays Republican Party. They are generally free market fundamentalists who want minimal government intervention in economic and social life, who favor non-interventionist foreign policy and tend to like highly permissive immigration policies. Thats starkly at odds with MAGA Republicanism in a number of ways. Trump is an economic protectionist who loves tariffs and who has expressed limited interest in cutting government programs like Medicare and Social Security. He wants to deport immigrants en masse, not let them into the country. He is fervently devoted to an authoritarian theory of governance, in which he plans to further centralize power in the hands of the president.

But there is an odd wrinkle here that might be influencing the Trump camps interest in showing up at the convention, where party members will be voting for their presidential nominee. In the past few years, the Libertarian Party has been overtaken by a faction called the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus (named after the famous libertarian economist), and under its leadership the party has become less traditionally libertarian and more MAGA-friendly  as well as more interested in engaging with the mainstream political scene. As Mother Jones Tim Murphy has noted, some of this caucus changes to the party have made it strange bedfellows with the modern GOP:

Assuming the Trump campaign is aware of this, it might see libertarians as a more receptive crowd than they have been in the past  whom he can possibly woo to his side. There is also the possibility that Trump just wants to cast as wide a net as possible among anti-establishment voters and sees the Libertarian Party convention as an efficient venue to begin honing and disseminating that message.

Trumps camp and his allies are increasingly nervous about the threat posed by Kennedy, who takes a bigger chunk out of Trumps vote share than Bidens in some recent polls with hypothetical matchups. Given that much of Kennedys political platform has taken on a pronounced libertarian tone on issues like Covid policy and climate change, Kennedy and Trump are potentially vying for an overlapping pool of voters with anti-big-government sensibilities. And while the Libertarian Party is niche, it is still big enough to matter for Trump in a tight race. In 2020, Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensons vote share was larger than Bidens margin of victory over Trump in a number of swing states. In 2016, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson took more than 3% of the popular vote  at that point both Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had levels of unpopularity that mirror the unpopularity of Biden and Trump today.

On a big-picture level, Trumps appearance at the Libertarian Party convention is a pretty odd spectacle. But it's not odd that Trump is maneuvering to monopolize the anti-establishment vote as aggressively as possible.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
(Bloomberg) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans new challenger fired up his growing crowd of supporters at a rally in a ruling party stronghold, taking aim at the enrichment of the premiers friends and family amid a stuttering economy.

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Five weeks before European Union and municipal elections, protesters filled the main square in the eastern city of Debrecen on Mothers Day to cheer on Peter Magyar, the former regime insider whos jumped from relative obscurity to being the nations most popular opposition figure.

Following an even larger rally a month ago in the capital, Budapest, he took his campaign to Hungarys second-largest city, a conservative bastion where Orbans Fidesz party has ruled since 1998.

We are holding the largest political demonstration in the countryside in recent decades, Magyar told the rally. We are all feeling the momentum, the hope and wish that this time well be able to achieve real change.

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A 43-year-old lawyer and former diplomat, Magyar reaffirmed his campaign pledges of rooting out corruption and pivoting back toward the European mainstream after 14 years of Orban rule marked by closer links to Russia and China and feuds with allies in the EU and NATO.

He listed widespread grievances, starting with Hungary being ranked as the most corrupt in the 27-nation bloc, the dwindling resources in public health care and education, all the way through to the concentration of power in the hands of Orbans propaganda chief.

Billions of euros of EU funds have been channeled to private equity funds, yachts, palaces, hotels and wineries, Magyar said, accusing Orban and his allies of turning Hungary into a family enterprise.

Read more: Orban Challenger Soars in Hungary Poll Ahead of EU Elections

The opposition wants to turn EU and local elections on June 9 into a de facto referendum on Orbans tenure. Magyar seized the momentum after a political scandal in February toppled key Orban allies, including Hungarys then-president and a former justice minister, who was also Magyars ex-wife.

Poll Surge

His nimble use of social media has allowed the former state company executive to deflect government propaganda seeking to portray him as an opportunist and a former beneficiary of the system he now decries. Hes drawn sizable crowds on a nationwide tour, mobilizing support in a way no other politician besides Orban has done since 2010.

In the span of a few weeks, Magyars Tisza party has gone from having no support to polling at 25% among decided voters in a Median survey published in the past week. While thats still 20 points behind Fidesz, its well ahead of other opposition parties.

It puts Magyar on track to become Orbans main challenger in the next parliamentary election in 2026.

Orban is on the defensive for the first time in 14 years, Magyar said, inviting his backers to another mass rally in Budapest on June 8.

(Updates with quotes from Magyars speech throughout)

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Ebony Clarke, Oregon's behavioral health director, speaks on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Peerpocalypse, a conference for behavioral health peer workers in Seaside. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon Health Authority Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke told hundreds of peer workers in a Seaside conference that they are a vital link in the states response to an ongoing addiction and mental health crisis.

Clarke spoke Monday at Peerpocalypse, a gathering of people who work in peer support roles. Peer workers draw upon their life experiences to help people, including those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and other issues. The four-day event, organized by the Portland nonprofit Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, has grown in the past decade from less than 100 people in 2013 to nearly 900 in attendance on Monday.

Were in a crisis, Clarke said. First and foremost, to me its about safety, trust and belonging. To me, its about connection, and we have to have a workforce that truly understands the need.

The gathering comes as Oregon faces a herculean task of reining in the states tide of fentanyl overdoses and addiction, as well as a broader behavioral health crisis and workforce shortage that makes access to services difficult. State lawmakers have allocated millions of dollars in recent years to the problem, including the approval of more than $1.3 billion for behavioral health needs in 2021. This session, lawmakers allocated $211 million as part of House Bill 4002, which aims to encourage people to enter treatment for fentanyl and other addictions and allow counties to set up diversion programs if they wish to do so.

Clarke, addressing the event for the second time as the states behavioral health director, asked the audience what they need to meet the needs of suffering Oregonians.

People shouted money and outcomes and housing in the conference room at the Seaside Civic & Convention Center.

Peers, Clarke said, answering the question for the audience.

Clarke said the state has fallen short at times in addressing the behavioral and addiction crisis and promised to do her best to give peers  and their experiences  a voice.

Quite frankly, I recognize that we, as government, I recognize that we as system providers, have continuously done harm, Clarke said. And so every day that I stand up, every day that I can come before you all, Im committed to holding myself accountable and living out the value of what it means to truly integrate lived experience and your voice.

Clarke also gave a historical overview of the history of the peer worker and consumer rights movement in Oregon, which can be traced to 1970, naming landmarks, such as the health authority formally incorporating peers into agency staff in 2014. In 2022, the health authority opened the Office of Recovery and Resilience, which spearheads peer work in the authority and looks for ways to give people with experiences a voice in the states work.

Wed love for you to hold us accountable, Clarke said. We expect for you to ask us questions. We expect for you to push us.

Peers have specific roles

Oregons behavioral health and addiction system is in a state of transition. Twenty-three of Oregons 36 counties have agreed to set up new programs to allow people to start recovery instead of face criminal drug possession charges and go to jail. Through House Bill 4002, counties will have flexibility to set up the programs based on input from community mental health providers, prosecutors, law enforcement and public defenders.

At this stage, counties are still planning the programs before the new law takes effect in September. It includes a new misdemeanor penalty for defendants who dont participate in the programs.

Janie Gullickson, the executive director of the Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon, said in an interview that peers, who are certified by the state or the association, can play a role in those programs and their planning.

But she stressed she doesnt want to see peer workers put in a position where they are expected to be compliance officers reporting on whether or not someone is participating in a deflection program.

The caution I would add and the hill Im going to die on and advocate on my soapbox for is that peer services remain peer services, Gullickson said.

The post Oregon behavioral health director pushes workers to hold agency accountable appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Orlando police search for man who exposed himself to girl

Orlando police are looking for a man who is accused of exposing himself to a child in the Thorton Park area on Friday.

According to an Orlando Police Department release, the incident happened between 8:40 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday.

Police said the girl was walking to school when a white male, around six feet tall, in a blue sedan, approached the girl in his vehicle unclothed.

Read: What are the odds you have unclaimed property in Florida? Pretty good, actually

The victim walked away, and the vehicle attempted to follow her until she ran away.

The mother of the victim reported the incident to OPD.

Read: Man driving tractor damages college dorm in Florida Keys, police say

Patrol officers were searching the area Sunday as detectives worked with the police departments Crime Center to review surveillance cameras from nearby businesses and residents, according to the release.

Its believed the suspect may have been in the area of the 7-Eleven on Summerlin Avenue prior to the incident, police said.

Read: Woman brings two inert grenades to Florida police station she acquired after her fathers death

If you see the vehicle and or suspect, do not approach and call the police.

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Calcea Johnson and Ne-Kiya Jackson sat for an interview with CBS News 60 minutes, which aired on Sunday May 5, 2024, to discuss their achievement. The two teens created one of the first trigonometric proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem. | Screenshot from 60 Minutes

When she started a math contest with a bonus question challenging students to create a new proof for the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, teacher Michelle Blouin Williams didnt expect anyone to complete the task.

I was just looking for some ingenuity, she said, per CBS News.

Calcea Johnson and NeKiya Jackson, however, blew Williams expectations out of the water by figuring it out in 2023. The teens were seniors at St. Marys Academy in New Orleans, a prestigious Catholic school for girls which has maintained a 100% acceptance rate to colleges and 100% graduation rate for 17 years, CBS News reported.

They appeared in an episode of CBS News 60 Minutes on Sunday to talk about their achievement.

How did the teens find the answer?

While they were motivated initially by the math competitions $500 prize, an internal drive to finish what they started manifested when they reached the tricky bonus question. For two months, the high school seniors worked tirelessly to finish their proof.

CeCe Johnson, Calceas mother, told 60 Minutes, It was pages and pages and pages of, like, over 20 or 30 pages for this one problem.

Her father, Cal Johnson, added, Yeah, the garbage can was full of papers, which she would, you know, work out the problems and  if that didnt work she would ball it up, throw it in the trash.

When they finished, teachers at St. Marys recognized the importance of their work and submitted their proof to the American Mathematical Society for recognition at a conference in March 2023, where the students presented their work.

What is the Pythagorean theorem and whats a proof?

In essence, the mathematical theorem states that knowing the lengths of two sides of a right triangle enables you to figure out the length of the third using this formula: a + b = c.

Its associated with Greek mathematician Pythagoras, but evidence suggests it was known earlier, in Babylon and Iron Age India, per Britannica. Its practical uses include construction and architecture, two-dimensional navigation, and surveying.

A mathematical proof is exactly what it sounds like: reasoning that proves a mathematical theorem is true. American mathematician Daniel Kane explains proofs as being like essays, but using math.

Why is Calcea Johnson and NeKiya Jacksons work significant?

According to the 60 Minutes episode, there had been more than 300 documented proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem using algebra and geometry, but for 2,000 years a proof using trigonometry was thought to be impossible.

In 1927, mathematician Elisha Loomis said as much in his book, The Pythagorean Proposition. Loomis argued that there could be no trigonometric proof of the theorem because it would be circular.

Stuart Anderson, a professor emeritus of mathematics at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, told Scientific American, A lot of the basic trig identities are nothing more than Pythagoras theorem.

So, because trigonometric functions are based upon the Pythagorean theorem, using them reflexively to prove the theorem would be akin to going in circles and a fundamental mathematical error, Loomis argued.

According to Scientific American, the teens refuted this in their presentation in 2023 and said that a trigonometric identity called the law of sines didnt depend on the Pythagorean theorem and that they could use it to prove the theorem.

Calcea and NeKiya have joined an extremely small group whove accomplished the same feat, including mathematician Jason Zimba, who successfully created a new proof in 2009. The two submitted their proof for final peer review this spring and continue to work on creating more proofs.

How did the world respond to their accomplishment?

The teens were given the keys to the city of New Orleans and a commendation from the governor of Louisiana, among other public recognitions.

While their achievement blew up, as NeKiya described it, the two students remain humble, and laughed at being called geniuses.

When news of their accomplishment broke, some people seemed to be shocked and dismissed the news as fake, St. Marys president Pamela Rogers said in the interview.

They were saying, Oh, they could not have done it. African Americans dont have the brains to do it. ... People  have a vision of who can be successful. And  to some people, it is not always an African American female. And to us, its always an African American female.

When interviewer Bill Whitaker asked why they thought thered been such a response, NeKiya said, Probably because were African American, one. And were also women. So I think  oh, and our age. Of course our ages probably played a big part.

Id like to actually be celebrated for what it is. Like, its a great mathematical achievement, she continued.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Experts of the Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency (AREA) under the Ministry of Energy, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Synergy Consulting have held the first meeting of the Gobustan solar power plant construction project auction committee, Trend reports via AREA.

In a hybrid format, the panel evaluated proposals from April auction participants for a 100 MW Gobustan solar power facility. This is the first ever open international tender for a renewable energy project in Azerbaijan.

Javid Abdullayev, Director of AREA, highlighted the collaboration with EBRD under the project "Support for the Implementation of Renewable Energy Auctions in Azerbaijan," underscoring its significance in advancing strategic climate and energy objectives.

Starting in April, the auction began with company qualification documents. By the end of summer, the winning bidder will be chosen to complete this turnkey project by 2024.

Azerbaijan aims to elevate the contribution of renewable energy sources to 30-33 percent of its energy balance.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A view of the Colorado Capitol on May 4, 2024. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline)

Colorado senators gave initial approval to two bills meant to boost the creation of accessory dwelling units and spur denser housing development along transit corridors.

The bills are part of a multi-year effort by Democrats in the Legislature to address an affordable housing shortage in the state.

House Bill 24-1152, which has already passed the state House, would require Colorado cities with 1,000 residents or more that are in a metropolitan planning organization to allow ADUs on the same property as a single-family home. The measure would apply to dozens of cities on the Front Range and Grand Junction but exclude most of rural Colorado and Western Slope resort towns.

An ADU, sometimes called a granny flat, is an independent home thats often smaller and more affordable than a primary residence on the same property. It can be an extension of or detached from the primary structure, and it can be new construction or a converted section of an existing structure.

ADUs are a cog in the wheel of solutions to the states affordable housing shortage, said Democratic Sen. Kyle Mullica of Thornton late Saturday, as the bill was debated on the floor of the Colorado Senate.

We know that theres broad bipartisan support within our communities to have this ability and to make sure that all communities have that ability to build ADUs, Mullica said.

Some senators, including Democratic members, argued that the bill would sweep away substantial efforts on the part of some Colorado communities that have already adopted local ADU provisions, and they asked that the bill be amended to allow those local rules to remain.

If you are already doing this, I dont see the need for why we should come in and tell them to do it a different way, Democratic Sen. Rachel Zenzinger of Arvada said.

The amendment failed. The bill must still win final approval from the Senate. Other sponsors are Democratic Sen. Tony Exum of Colorado Springs, Democratic Rep. Judy Amabile of Boulder, and Republican Rep. Ron Weinberg of Loveland.

Transit-oriented housing

House Bill 24-1313 originally contained forceful tools by which the state would encourage local authorities to allow more housing density near rail and bus lines. By the time the bill was debated on the Senate floor Saturday night it had undergone more than 100 amendments, including revisions that stripped the bill of many of the carrots and sticks meant to nudge cities toward compliance. The measure would apply to jurisdictions located mostly along the Interstate 25 corridor.

Despite a raft of diluting changes to the bill, opposition remained Saturday.

Democratic Sen. Julie Gonzales of Denver objected that the number of amendments on the bill, including several amendments on Saturday, made it difficult to understand the full implications of the complex bill in her district.

Ive seen firsthand what happens when communities who are often overlooked and not taken into consideration get left out of planning processes, get left out of input, Gonzales said. Poor people, Black and Brown people, young people get left out of these conversations. People who speak languages other than English get left out of these conversations.

The Senate gave preliminary approval to the bill. The House passed the bill in April. It is sponsored by Democratic Sens. Faith Winter of Westminster and Chris Hansen of Denver and Reps. Iman Jodeh of Aurora and Steven Woodrow of Denver.

Another housing-related measure, House Bill 24-1304, which would ease minimum parking requirements mostly along the Front Range, cleared the Colorado Senate on Saturday after sponsors narrowed the number of areas where requirements would be prohibited. Critics of such ordinances say that excessive minimum parking requirements inflate costs for higher-density housing developments and exacerbate traffic congestion and vehicle pollution.

Democrats have strong majorities in both chambers of the Legislature. Bills must earn final approval by Wednesday, the last day the Legislature is in session this year.

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The post Pair of affordable housing bills pass initial Colorado Senate vote appeared first on Colorado Newsline.
Words fail as 2,000-pound bombs shred lives and limbs.

The sheer number of children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza is devastating  at least 13,000 children in the first six months of the war. But somehow I am even more dumbfounded by the headlines, piled one after another, about children who have managed to survive a bombing but at the cost of one of their limbs:

In November: I want my legs back: the child amputees of Gazas war.

A few days after Christmas:  Children in Gaza Face Amputations Without Anesthesia 

In January: More than 10 children losing legs in Gaza every day 

By February, the grim had turned grotesque: Dining table amputation 

Though the current scale of pediatric amputations is unprecedented, the loss of limbs and the dividing of territories have been all-too-common features of the Palestinian experience since the Nakba, or catastrophe, of 1948, when 750,000 Palestinians were forced off their land or fled from it.

For this reason, amputation has long played an important role in Palestinian literature. In the narratives of the Palestinian writers whom Ive studied and translated, lost limbs represent both physical and metaphorical loss.

Amputation as indignity

During the Nakba, thousands of displaced Palestinians fled to countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, where conditions for refugees were dire.

Ghassan Kanafanis 1963 novel Men in the Sun is his most famous work. Al Jazeera

Ghassan Kanafanis 1963 novel Men in the Sun is the story of three Palestinians who try to migrate clandestinely from Iraq to Kuwait in search of a better life.

At the novels climax, the refugees suffocate while hiding in a lorry tank at the border  the consequence, Kanafani suggests, of their timidity in the face of oppression. However, two examples of amputation in the story reveal the authors more complex thoughts on internalized victimhood.

The first amputee readers meet in the novel is Shafiqa, the stepmother of one of the refugees, Marwan.

Shafiqa lost her leg during the bombardment of Jaffa by Zionist paramilitary groups in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Her husband  Marwans father  married her purely to improve his economic situation: Hes able to access the money she receives from charity. Marwan despises Shafiqa, seeing her as a cause of his familys splintering and calling her that deformed woman.

At one point, he looks at his stepmother with a kind of disgusted curiosity:

She was sitting on a carpet of goatskin. The stick was lying beside her, and he thought: I wonder where her thigh ends?

Kanafanis portrayal of amputation is so pitiless that some readers might wonder whether he strays into victim-blaming. But Shafiqas character actually represents the authors worst fears about victims becoming objects of exploitation, and Men in the Sun is ultimately a cautionary tale that calls on Palestinians to fight against victimhood at all costs.

Yet Kanafani also wants readers to understand that even those who resist may be humiliated and debased. Thats what happens to the character of Abul Khaizuran, the smuggler whom Marwan and his companions hire to help them cross the border.

Khaizuran is the novels antihero. He is ultimately responsible for the death of the three refugees, but he refuses to accept any blame.

In his glory days, Khaizuran had been a resistance fighter, but in the 1948 war, he sustained an injury that led to a different kind of amputation: surgical castration.

For ten long years he had been trying to accept the situation. But what situation? To confess quite simply that he had lost his manhood for the sake of the homeland? And what good had it done? He had lost his manhood and his homeland, and damn it all to hell!

Fighting for ones dignity is not in the slightest guaranteed to preserve it; at the same time, victimhood and nihilism can go hand in hand.

In a flashback, a doctor tries to reason with an inconsolable Khaizuran following his operation. At least its better than dying, the doctor says.

No, he responds. Its better to be dead.

Palestinians undergoing amputation today are confronted with a similar impossible choice between life and limb. In normal circumstances, many of the amputations taking place in Gaza could be avoided. But because of unsanitary conditions and limited access to hospital care, patients risk infection, forcing doctors to resort to amputation as a lifesaving measure.

Modern medicine generally allows child amputees to have a healthy future with regular care. But this level of treatment is impossible in Gaza. With hospitals ravaged by Israeli bombings and medical supplies blocked from arriving, every step in the process of amputation  from the operation itself, to postoperative treatment, to disability management  is marred by pain and indignity.

In 1972, Israeli operatives assassinated Kanafani, who also served as spokesman for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a leftist Palestinian faction. Moments after his wife, Anni, kissed him goodbye, an explosion rocked their house in Beirut.

Anni rushed downstairs and found the wreckage of their car and, next to it, Kanafanis left leg.

Amputation as disunity

Yousri Alghoul, a 43-year-old Palestinian author, grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza. He is currently enduring the war with his family in the northern part of the strip.

A recurring theme in Alghouls work is the disruption of burial rituals and the mourning process. He also describes the visceral horror of bodies with limbs blown off. For Alghoul, amputation serves as a symbol of the fragmentation of Palestinian society.

In Alghouls 2021 novel Gallows of Darkness, a character named Hudhayfah undergoes amputation.

Hudhayfah is a high-profile Hamas member released in the 2011 prisoner exchange deal, in which Israel freed more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Upon returning to Gaza, Hudhayfah makes it his mission to end infighting between Palestinian factions and bring them together to forge a unified front against the Israeli occupation.

During the novels depiction of Israels 2012 military campaign in Gaza, Hudhayfah coordinates war efforts with fighters representing other Palestinian groups, including the PFLP and Hamas rivals, the Fatah party. One day, Hamas militants show up at his door to take him away, supposedly to save him from an imminent Israeli assassination attempt. They say they want to bring him down into the tunnels to safety. But as he descends in a makeshift elevator, it malfunctions and falls down its shaft.

Yousri Alghouls 2021 novel Gallows of Darkness. Independent Arabia

When Hudhayfah awakens, he discovers that his leg has been amputated. There is a cosmic irony in the separation of his limb from his body, given his efforts to unite Palestinian factions. And he gets the strange sense that the Hamas members who are with him underground are pleased that hes in this condition.

He wonders: Was this a deliberate attempt on his life by his fellow fighters?

While the reader is left to assume that the elevator malfunction was the result of foul play from Hamas members, the possibility lingers that the incident was caused by an Israeli attack. The ambiguous circumstances of Hudhayfahs death can be read as a reminder that Israel helped create the conditions for violent Palestinian infighting. Indeed, for years, Israel used the Hamas movement as a cudgel against other Palestinian political groups as a part of a divide-and-rule strategy.

Hudhayfah is given the option of being smuggled out of Gaza to be treated in a European hospital. He declines and instead seeks unity  not political unity this time, but the physical unity of his own body.

His leg has already been buried in a cemetery in Gaza, in accordance with Islamic custom. Hudhayfah jokes that if he were to die abroad, his body and leg would be buried separately, and on the Day of Resurrection, he would be forced to hop around on one leg, looking for his other one.

He dies a few days later.

Amputated stories

After the creation of Israel in 1948, Emile Habiby, the late Palestinian writer and politician, resolutely remain[ed] in Haifa, as his tombstone in that city reads.

Habibys collection of short stories, Sextet of the Six-Day War, describes the pain felt by Palestinian citizens of Israel for the 19 years during which they were cut off from their loved ones who had been expelled from Israeli territory.

The motif of being severed runs throughout Sextet. But the most striking cutoff of the entire collection comes in the third story. It ends prematurely when the narrator jumps in to recall a bedtime story his grandmother used to tell. Due to her age, she often became confused and would start the story in the middle.

Habiby writes:

Not once did we stay awake until the end of the story, and not once did she make it to the end without falling asleep. And when we grew up wed remember my grandma and her story, which we called al-batra [the incomplete  literally, the amputated] and wed drown in laughter.

For all its brilliance, the grandmothers story has no beginning or end. In the same fashion, in place of an ending to his story, Habiby simply inserts the bedtime story, adding: Let this story remain batra, until we write its ending together.

Readers know from Habibys earlier pieces in Sextet that the real amputee is Palestine  its map and lands physically cut into pieces.

In much of the medias coverage of the ongoing conflict, Ill often see the beginnings and ends of Palestines stories amputated.

For example, Israeli forces responded to the overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations of the 2018-19 Great March of Return by killing scores of Gazan protesters and maiming others, leading to 156 amputations. These and many other crucial details of the Palestinian narrative have often been severed from stories told in Western mainstream media outlets.

And yet, one of Habibys best known authorial traits is his ability to trudge absurdly through catastrophe to find tiny nuggets of positivity, an attitude dubbed pessoptimism.

Emile Habiby in Israel in February 1991. Esaias Baitel/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

What would it look like to write the ending of this war in Gaza? If Gaza has been amputated from Palestine and the rest of the world, how can it be grafted back on again?

Efforts toward this kind of figurative prosthesis have been underway since the start of the war. Such efforts are exemplified by Palestinian journalists refusing to let stories of life under the bombs go untold, and by global solidarity initiatives at grassroots and multilateral levels.

Despite these attempts at prosthesis, many of Gazas wounds may never heal. Even literal prosthetic treatment on a massive scale wouldnt give Gazas children back their legs. No words can change that.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Graham Liddell, Hope College

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I have translated Yousri al-Ghoul's and Emile Habiby's work.
(Bloomberg) -- Panama elected investor-favorite Jose Raul Mulino as its new president who pledges to revive the once-stellar economy, crack down on drug cartels and shut down migration routes to the US.

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Mulino ran as the substitute for fugitive former leader Ricardo Martinelli, who was banned from participating and sought asylum in the Nicaraguan embassy after a court upheld a conviction for money laundering.

With 94% of votes tallied on Sunday, Mulino, a 64-year-old lawyer, had 34% of the vote, to 25% for his nearest rival Ricardo Lombana. The electoral authority declared Mulino the winner, and the other main candidates all conceded.

Well promote a government thats pro-investment, and pro-private enterprise, Mulino told supporters in his victory speech.

He will take office on July 1, replacing President Laurentino Cortizo, who was not eligible for reelection. Early results for congress indicated a fragmented legislature.

The nation has been battered by unrest, credit rating downgrades, low water levels in the Panama canal and the closing of a major copper mine. During the campaign, Mulino said he would use public works projects and incentives for foreign investors to target nominal economic growth of 7%.

For much of this century, Panama had the top performing economy in Latin America, but it will grow just 2.5% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Investors are focused on whether Mulino will find a way to reopen First Quantum Minerals Ltds $10 billion copper mine. Following months of violent protests, the supreme court ruled in December that a contract for the mine violated the constitution, and ordered it shut. The project represented 5% of gross domestic product, and was a large source of tax revenue and exports.

In his concession speech, Lombana warned Mulino against attempting to renegotiate the mine contract, warning that this would bring people into the streets.

Fitch cut the country to junk in March citing large fiscal deficits aggravated by the loss of the copper revenue. S&P and Moodys still rate the country one notch above junk, but the once market-darling risks further downgrades if the next government doesnt pursue tax and pension reforms and seek to reopen the mine, according to local economist Rene Quevedo.

Read more: A $10 Billion Copper Mine Is Now Sitting Idle in the Jungle

Mulino will also need to weigh environmental concerns and community protests as the country seeks new sources of water for the Panama canal after a severe drought this year forced it to restrict transits through the waterway.

Panamas debt already trades as though it were junk, and investors demand about 40 extra basis points to hold Panama compared to the average risk premium for BB-rated sovereign securities, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. data.

US Election

Mulinos policies could potentially have an impact on the US presidential election in November, at which migration is one of voters main concerns.

Read more: 10,000 Migrant Crossings a Day Upend US Presidential Election

Hes said hell shut the trails through the dense jungle region between Colombia and Panama. More than half a million migrants, mostly Venezuelan, passed through this route last year, making Panama one of the most important transit countries for people hoping to reach the US.

He also promised a full-frontal assault on drug trafficking. Mulino served as security minister during Martinellis administration from 2009-2014. A court upheld a money laundering conviction against Martinelli this year and barred him from running for president.

(Adds quote from Mulinos victory speech in fourth paragraph)

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By Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panama's President-elect Jose Raul Mulino told a cheering crowd moments after he won Sunday's general election that he was "no one's puppet", having parachuted into the presidential race late to replace his former boss Ricardo Martinelli who was barred from running after a money laundering conviction.

Mulino is widely regarded as gruff and less charismatic than ex-president Martinelli whose popularity propelled Mulino to victory on Sunday night. Before the election, Mulino was best known for his tough stance against anti-government protesters during his time as security minister under Martinelli's administration which governed from 2009 to 2014.

Martinelli, who was leading the polls before he was banned from running in March because of a money-laundering conviction, campaigned for Mulino from the Nicaraguan embassy, where he was granted asylum following his conviction.

Sunday's result shows that, at the polls at least, Mulino was able to channel the popularity of Martinelli who is affectionately known as "El Loco", or The Crazy Man, for his sometimes off-the-wall demeanor.

"Martinelli is Mulino and Mulino is Martinelli" was even one of the main campaign slogans.

But governing in his shadow could be a different challenge.

Mulino promised to put more money in the ordinary Panamanian's pockets, build a public hospital for pets and a large train line.

"I don't laugh much, but I know how to get things done," Mulino said during his speech in Panama City, the capital of the Central American nation home to the vital shipping canal.

Mulino promised he would work closely with the private sector to boost the economy but without leaving the poor behind, uniting the country and leaving behind differences with other politicians to focus on work.

MARTINELLI, "DEAR FRIEND"

The former security minister won the election with some 34% of support from Panamanians.

He was also deputy foreign minister in the 1990s under the presidency of Guillermo Endara, who took power after the December 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama that ousted former dictator Manuel Antonio Noriega.

Mulino is known for his participation in Panama's civil crusade to end Noriega's rule. Noriega had governed the country from 1983 to 1989, and spied for the United States before his drug trafficking and brutality triggered an invasion to oust him.

Panama's president-elect referred to Martinelli as a "dear friend" on Sunday - having previously promised to help him avoid jail - but then swiftly moved on to emphasize his own vision for Panama.

Mulino, who is married and has four children, has given few interviews and did not attend the presidential debates.

In one rare interview, Mulino addressed frequent tensions between the government and the teachers' unions by saying "the government is the one in charge", only for a union to call his stance arrogant.

After leaving Martinelli's administration, Mulino spent about six months in preventive detention for alleged embezzlement from a contract with a company that sold radars, though the case was later dismissed.

Mulino's political future was also briefly at risk this year when a lawyer challenged whether his candidacy was even valid, arguing the party did not elect him and he lacked a vice president.

Panama's top court ruled in the candidate's favor just days before the election.

(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Elida Moreno; Editing by Josie Kao)
Presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino, of the Achieving Goals party, celebrates after winning on the day of the general electing in Panama City, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

PANAMA CITY (AP)  Jose Raul Mulino said he was practically retired from politics just over six months ago.

Now, hell be Panamas president for the next five years.

Standing before a pack of supporters Sunday night, Mulino said: I never imagined this.

In a historic and tumultuous election, preliminary results put Mulino on top to lead the normally sleepy Central American nation through a moment of political tension, historic migration and a struggling economy.

The 64-year-old lawyer, whose last position in politics was as minister of security in then President Ricardo Martinelli's 2009-2014 administration, was initially tapped by the popular former leader to be his running mate after Martinellis wife declined.

But then Martinelli was disqualified from running after he was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for a money laundering conviction. Mulino took his place, and ended up winning Sundays presidential election with nearly 35% of the vote and a nine-point lead over his nearest opponent after dodging constitutional challenges to his own candidacy.

The president-elect got there with strong support from Martinelli, arguably the most important tool in Mulinos campaign as he rode the fiery ex-leaders popularity to victory.

While he lacks Martinellis charisma, the economic boom seen under his ally pushed many voters to support Mulino at a time that Panamas economy has lagged.

The former president, who has been sheltering in the Nicaraguan Embassy since February after receiving political asylum, said his trust for Mulino dates back 30 years.

Mulino seems a little tough, but he is a good guy, serious, and is the only one prepared to take on this great challenge and knows how the economy works to lift the country, Martinelli said in a video broadcast to supporters at Mulinos campaign close.

A maritime law attorney who graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, Mulino became known as a private business leader who took part in a civil movement against the dictatorship of Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega, who was ousted by an American invasion on Dec. 20, 1989.

He acted as vice minister of foreign affairs in the 1989-1994 administration of President Guillermo Endara, who took office after the fall of Noriega and the end of the Panamanian military regime. Mulino later remained in charge of the countrys international policy in the last part of that administration.

Mulino remained active in politics and more than a decade later backed Martinelli in the election that the supermarket magnate won in 2009. Mulino was appointed minister of the interior and justice, later taking the reins of the public security office.

Mulino says one of the achievements during that time was to recover a swath of Panama on the border with Colombia, known as the Darien Gap, which was in the hands of the narco-guerrillas of the neighboring country.

As president, he has promised to stop soaring levels of migration through the Darien jungles, where more than a half million people crossed last year, though experts question the viability of his plan due to the sheer quantities of vulnerable people traveling through the passage.

I will make the effort to end this migratory crisis in our territory with respect for human rights and with sincere international participation, Mulino said at the closing of his campaign last week.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that controlling migration was one of the countries' shared goals in congratulating Mulino for his victory.

"I look forward to continuing our strategic partnership and advancing our shared goals of democratic governance and inclusive economic prosperity," Blinken said in a statement Monday. Looking ahead, the United States will continue to work with Panama on our common goals of inclusive, sustainable economic growth, bolstering citizen security, and cooperatively curbing irregular migration through the Darien.

As security minister, he was also the target of harsh criticisms following police repression of a protest of Indigenous banana growers in the northern provinces of Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui in 2010. The crackdown left two dead and more than 100 injured by pellet shots, among them some with eye injuries.

He was quite severe in controlling social protests, Panamanian political analyst Rodrigo Noriega told The Associated Press before the election. There are a lot of unknowns about him.
Ukraine's Air Force has reported that Russian troops launched a Shahed UAV attack through Sumy Oblast on the night of 5-6 May, causing partial power and water supply outages in the city of Sumy. A part of the city of Kharkiv's districts have also lost power.

Source: Suspilne Sumy, a Sumy-related branch of Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne; Suspilne Kharkiv, a Kharkiv-related branch of Suspilne

Details: Suspilne reported that the power supply had been cut off in some parts of Sumy, and the "water supply had been partially lost". Before that, explosions had been heard in the city.

In addition, partial power outages were reported in the settlements of Lebedyn, Bilopillia and Okhtyrka (Sumy Oblast).

Suspilne Kharkiv reported a power outage in some districts of Kharkiv after midnight.

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Mayors in the Pascack Valley region are pushing to have the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection make a stronger effort to address flood mitigation in the state.

The Pascack Valley Mayors' Association  which represents Emerson, Oradell, Washington Township, Hillsdale, Park Ridge, Montvale, Old Tappan, River Vale, Woodcliff Lake and Westwood  sent out a joint letter recently in response to the DEPs draft 2024 New Jersey Statewide Water Supply Plan, a document that details water supply challenges and potential solutions.

In the letter, the mayors said they were happy to see that the state was looking to address water chemistry quality concerns and computer forecasting to inform reservoir operations. In the past, the DEP was able to combat algae blooms with information from the software.

The elected officials, however, were disappointed that the plan did not include "a single clearly defined proposal to address the effects of flooding," despite references to increased flooding throughout the state.

Daniel B. Atkins, 23, is shown in the flooded backyard of his Harding Avenue home, in Westwood, as he holds two pieces of lumber, Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

While disheartened that there was not a specific action plan for flood mitigation, the mayors did find it encouraging that the DEP may research how computer forecasting software could be used for predicting droughts. The mayors believe the DEP could use this same technology to help support flood mitigation efforts to maximize water supply while minimizing loss.

We applaud the DEPs efforts but believe they are incomplete without addressing the flood mitigation component, the mayors said in the joint letter. While drought affects water supply, flooding affects water quality.

Westwood is currently in the midst of two studies that are looking into ways to address heavy flooding in the area. One of the studies includes using a drone to create an aerial map of clogged waterways, such as the Pascack and Musquapsink brooks, that contribute to flooding issues. Nearby Washington Township, River Vale and Hillsdale are doing similar studies.

Bergen County: Never mind Adopt-a-Highway. This NJ town asks you to adopt a storm drain to fight flooding

The Westwood map and recommendations on how to address fixing the brooks are expected to be ready by mid-June. Once the four towns complete their studies, they plan to seek grant funding to help cover the cost of remediation.

Westwood Mayor Raymond Arroyo said this is a task that cannot be effectively addressed by municipalities on their own and hopes to see support from the DEP.

We are similarly hopeful that the DEP will be supportive of the remedial measure that emerge from this joint venture, Arroyo said.

A request for comment from the DEP about the letter did not bring a response by Friday.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ flooding needs to be addressed by DEP, say Pascack Valley mayors
Pennsylvania has investigated more than a dozen UFO incidents in the past decade, records show

The March 2023 conjunction of Jupiter and Venus photographed from the International Space Station. The appearance of the two planets close together in the sky prompted multiple UFO reports in Lebanon County, according to records from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. (NASA photo)

Mysterious lights following a motorist on a dark country road, a saucer-shaped craft hovering over a suburban subdivision, and a flaming orb falling into the woods are among phenomena Pennsylvania residents have reported to authorities, state records show.

After the head of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) casually mentioned during a legislative hearing earlier this year that the agency tracks UFO sightings, the Capital-Star obtained records showing PEMA has investigated more than a dozen such events in the last decade.

We take all reports and we share it with the appropriate agencies to be able to investigate, Padfield told members of the state House Appropriations Committee in February.

Often dull and tedious, state budget hearings nonetheless are a chance for the Legislature to grill administration officials about how they plan to spend the taxpayers money.

The cabinet secretaries flesh out the details of the governors budget proposal but deliver few bombshells. Every once in a while, however, an answer prompts lawmakers to look up from their stacks of white papers with surprise and demand more.

It was thus as Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield fielded a question from state Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) about potential threats to the states nuclear power plants from drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.

We have had reports of unidentified flying objects in the past, Padfield said before quickly moving on to the role of the Federal Aviation Administration in regulating drones.

So, wait. Run that back again. What did you say about UFOs? House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) asked when Padfield had finished his answer.

Padfield replied that PEMA occasionally gets reports of lights in the sky from county 911 centers and upon investigation authorities can attribute them to astronomical or earthly sources, such as helicopter traffic around the Pennsylvania National Guard base at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Most of them are unfounded, or theyre attributable to some other mechanisms, Padfield concluded, prompting another follow up from Harris.

So, what about the un-most? Harris asked. Youre talking like ET phone home or something?

Padfield conceded that some sightings are undefined and are difficult to understand unless the person reporting the phenomenon gets pictures but everything is passed along to the appropriate agencies.

Not satisfied with Padfields answer, the Capital-Star filed a right-to-know request with PEMA seeking records of unidentified flying objects and aerial phenomena and, for good measure, encounters with unknown beings including those of suspected extra-terrestrial or cryptozoological nature.

PEMA responded, perhaps appropriately, on April 1, with 40 pages of records on UFO reports passed to the Commonwealth Watch and Warning Center, which receives reports of certain events from county emergency dispatch centers and distributes them to appropriate state and federal agencies.

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The records PEMA provided in response to the right-to-know request go back to 2013, when the agency received a half-dozen UFO reports.

Padfeild said during the budget hearing that some sightings are easily explained. That was the case last year when multiple people called 911 in Lebanon County to report suspicious lights and a hovering object that made no sound.

One caller in Bethel Township reported that the lights had followed his wife from Hamburg in Berks County to their home and that the object was stationary in the sky above their house. Another in the city of Lebanon reported seeing an oval shape that changed colors from gray to black to transparent and all she could see were the objects lights.

Those calls happened on March 1, 2023, which was the height of a convergence of Jupiter and Venus in the night sky, when the planets appeared to almost merge into a single point of light. The spectacular astronomical event had been widely reported in the news, PEMAs records noted.

Stan Gordon, a Westmoreland County resident who operates a 24-hour UFO, bigfoot and cryptid reporting hotline, said he regularly receives reports from across the state. Gordon said he became fascinated with UFOs as a kid in the 1950s. He describes himself as the principal investigator of Pennsylvanias most famous UFO case.

In 1965, residents across six states saw a fireball cross the sky. Residents of Kecksburg said they saw an object shaped like an oversized acorn make a controlled crash into the woods not far from where Gordon lived. Four years later, Gordon set up his hotline.

Its never stopped ringing, Gordon said, adding that the number of cases, including reports of unexplained objects in broad daylight and at close range, has increased in recent years.

Many are resolved with a little bit of research, he said. Weve always taken these cases very open mindedly. We approach them scientifically.

Starlink satellites, which are launched dozens at a time from a single rocket, appear as a train of lights in the early evening sky and have prompted many recent reports. High altitude balloons and plumes of rocket exhaust and other space research activities also look unusual but are attributable to human activity, Gordon said, adding that he has never seen a UFO himself.

Other reports are less easily explained.

On Sept. 21, 2023, a Shermans Dale man reported a UFO with eight vertical lights he described as white, yellow, and a hint of green hovering about 200 feet above the road near a Perry County gas station. The man attempted to take a video with his cellphone before the lights disappeared but he later discovered the video had not been saved, the PEMA records say.

A Lower Saucon Township man called the Northampton County 911 center Dec. 19, 2021, to report a flying saucer with seven or eight lights on its underside over his development. Police responded but its unclear from the records whether they took any action. PEMA provided the caller with contact information for Gordons hotline, the records say.

Montgomery County authorities investigated after an Upper Pottsgrove Township man reported a glowing orb about the size of a small aircraft fell from the sky on Sept. 15, 2014. The object, which he described as orange and yellow fire-colored, floated behind the treeline and did not reappear. An officer who responded reported seeing flashes in the area but no other suspicious activity.

There are a lot of cases that are very, very detailed that are not easy to explain away, Gordon said.

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 Pennsylvania has investigated more than a dozen UFO incidents in the past decade, records show appeared first on Source New Mexico.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. A dialogue conference on COP29 and Beyond - Peace, Security, and Climate Change was concluded in Bonn (Germany) with the participation of leading representatives of civil society and think tanks active in the field of climate in Europe, Trend reports.

The conference discussed measures to combat the depletion of water resources, improve food security, support populations affected by climate change, and mine action.

Delivering a final report at the conference as a representative of the COP29 presidency, Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Elshad Iskandarov, noted that the issues of global climate change and international peace are closely linked and have mutual influence.

More and more data demonstrates that wars and conflicts, as well as their consequencesthe destruction of biodiversity, emissions of harmful substances, mine pollutionnot only pollute the environment but also bring humanity closer to the irreversible 'red line of climate change. Iskandarov noted that COP29, which Azerbaijan will host this year, is an important opportunity to discuss these threats and find concrete solutions.

The Ambassador emphasized that the unanimous election of Azerbaijan as a COP29 host is proof of the world community's trust in the political will of our country and its ability to contribute to the solution of global problems, taking into account the interests of all parties. Azerbaijan is committed to creating opportunities for a broad discussion of the complex of issues Peace, Security, and Climate Change with the participation of representatives of civil society and experts and is open to concrete proposals in this field.

Additionally, noting that meetings with representatives of international NGOs were held in connection with Azerbaijan's chairmanship last month, the diplomat regarded this as an indicator of our country's persistence in realizing the principle stated in connection with the inclusiveness of COP29.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. The COP28 plenary meeting in Dubai on December 11 last year made this decision. Baku will become the world's center, receiving about 7080,000 foreign guests.

At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, the United Nations signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change as an agreement to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. The COPthe Conference of the Partiesis the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. 198 countries sign the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.
What could have been a deadly Sunday service at a Pennsylvania church, turned into a rather frightening one.

In the middle of a sermon on Sunday (May 5) at Jesus Dwelling Place church in North Braddock, a gunman posing as an attendee walked up to the pulpit and aimed a gun directly at a pastor named Glenn Germany  which was all caught on the churchs livestream.

Fortunately for Germany, the firearm jammed, giving a congregant and a minister time to bravely tackle the 26-year-old man named Bernard Polite and displace the gun. With all glory to a higher power, no one at the church was hurt, CBS News reported.

Im thankful to God that Im still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger, Germany stated to the news outlet. I started to begin to preach and all of a sudden, from my left-hand side, I saw him move from the back to the front of the church, and he set up in the front corner of the church and smiled at me.

All of a sudden, I just saw a gun pointing right at me, he continued. And at that point, all I could try to do is run for cover.

Germany also stated that he had never seen Polite before the attempted shooting on Sunday, but it was clear to him that Polite was dealing with some form of mental illness.

This guy was just dealing with spirits, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot somebody, he went on to CBS. The pastor also recalled Polite saying that he was hearing voices during his restraint and even apologized to him. Germany noted that he had forgiven him.

According to a police reports, Polite stated to police that God told him to do it and that he was hoping to go to jail to clear his mind. The assailant now faces multiple charges, including attempted homicide. He is reportedly being detained in a Pittsburgh jail.

In addition to the already bizarre story, Polite is now being questioned in a possible connection to the shooting death of a man found in the North Braddock home that he resides in.

Per WTAE, officers were called to a home around 8 PM, where they found a man identified as 56-year-old Derek Polite. Its unclear if he was responsible for the shooting or if he has any connection to the crime.

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Pennsylvania Pastor Has Gun Pulled on Him During Sermon, Police Later Find Dead Body in Gunman's Home

"He actually apologized to me. I told him, 'I forgive you and I want you to know I love you,' " Pastor Glenn Germany said

Today Show/X Pastor Glenn Germany

A gunman tried to shoot a pastor at a church in Pennsylvania over the weekend, and a dead body was later discovered in his home, authorities said.

Glenn Germany was delivering his service at Jesus' Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock on Sunday, May 5, when the suspected gunman  who was identified by police as Bernard Junior Polite, 26  allegedly attempted to shoot him, according to a news release from Pennsylvania State Police.

Polite's gun "failed to discharge," however, police said, which allowed a congregation member and the pastor to "subdue and disarm" the perpetrator before anyone was harmed.

The alleged gunman was then held until authorities arrived, according to police. He is currently charged with criminal attempt - criminal homicide, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, per court records obtained by PEOPLE. He is not facing any charges in relation to the body found at his home.

Polite had bail denied and is currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for later this month, the documents show.

It is not immediately clear if Polite has legal representation to comment on his behalf.

Getty A stock image of police tape

According to the criminal complaint obtained by WTAE, Polite told authorities that he tried to shoot Germany because "God told him to do it."

He also said he wanted to go to jail to clear his mind, the outlet reported.

After Polite's arrest, police discovered the body of a man who was shot to death inside his home, per WTAE.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as Derek Polite, 56, on Monday, May 6, PEOPLE can confirm. So far, no charges have been filed in connection with the body that was found.



A church service was interrupted when a man pulled a gun on the pastor. @EmilieIkedaNBC has more from the pastor and the deacon who leapt into action to disarm the gunman. Warning: These images may be disturbing. pic.twitter.com/1Ra0MFsmma  TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 6, 2024

Speaking with the Today show, which shared footage of the incident from a live stream of the sermon, on May 6, Germany shared more details about the ordeal and said he forgives Polite for what he did.

"He said, 'Look, spirits was in my mind. They got in my mind and they told me come in and shoot the pastor,' " Germany said of what Polite allegedly told him.

"He actually apologized to me. I told him, 'I forgive you and I want you to know I love you,' " the pastor continued.

Also speaking with Today, Clarence McCallister, a deacon at the religious establishment, reacted, stating, "God has his hands on the pastor."

"He wouldn't let him go nowhere," he added.



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A Pennsylvania man tried to shoot a local pastor in the middle of a Sunday sermon, but the attackers gun jammed, giving a congregant and the minister a chance to subdue him without anyone being hurt.

The harrowing encounter was caught on the churchs live stream before authorities found a man shot to death at the home of the pastors would-be shooter, CBS News reported.

No charges were immediately brought in connection with the slaying.

Pastor Glenn Germany was in the middle of a sermon at Jesus Dwelling Place church in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, when 26-year-old Bernard Polite approached the pulpit and allegedly attempted to shoot the minister, as seen in video footage that quickly went viral online.

A church service in Pennsylvania was interrupted by a man who pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot the pastor, but the gun jammed https://t.co/fitPuvleZV pic.twitter.com/6dRhnOCaCG  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 6, 2024

The gun failed to discharge, allowing Germany to run for cover while another church member tackled Polite.

Germany then managed to wrestle the gun out of the gunmans hand.

Im thankful to God that Im still here, because he definitely pulled the trigger, Germany told the CNN affiliate WTAE.

Germany told WTAE that he had not seen the gunman before the attempted shooting on Sunday.

He added that he saw the gunman smile at him before the attempted shooting.

I started to begin to preach and all of a sudden, from my left-hand side, I saw him move from the back to the front of the church, and he set up in the front corner of the church and smiled at me, Germany told WTAE.

He added: All of a sudden, I just saw a gun pointing right at me. And at that point, all I could try to do is run for cover.

Germany spoke with Polite briefly after police arrested Polite. Germany said it was clear to him that Polite was dealing with some form of mental illness.

This guy was just dealing with spirits, he said, and he came in and wanted to shoot somebody, Germany recounted to CBS.

The pastor also said that Polite told him he was hearing voices, a symptom seen in cases of schizophrenia.

Germany added that Polite apologized to him and that he had forgiven him.

The preacher also praised the member of his congregation who jumped in to take down the gunman.

He could have lost his life in that struggle, Germany said. But he sacrificed himself for everyone, and hes the hero.

Polite faces multiple charges, including attempted homicide, and is being detained at a jail in Pittsburgh ahead of a criminal court appearance.

According to a criminal complaint, Polite told police that he had tried to shoot Germany because God told him to do it  and that he was hoping to go to jail to clear his mind.
FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.

FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon building is seen in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has not seen a change to Russia's disposition of its strategic nuclear forces, it said on Monday, despite what it called "irresponsible rhetoric" from Moscow detailing plans for exercises involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.

Russia said on Monday it would hold military drills that will include practicing the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons after what Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United States. It said the exercises were ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Missile forces in the Southern Military District, aviation and the navy will take part, the defense ministry said.

"We've not seen any change in their strategic force posture. Obviously, we'll continue to monitor," said U.S. Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson.

The exercise of what Russia calls its non-strategic nuclear forces were aimed at ensuring Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, its defense ministry said.

Russia's foreign ministry said the drills also aimed to cool down "hotheads" in the West, who Moscow accused of pushing for a direct military confrontation between the U.S.-led NATO military alliance and Russia.

Ryder slammed the comments coming from Moscow.

"This is an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric that we've seen from Russia in the past. It's completely inappropriate, given the current security situation," Ryder said.

Russia and the United States are by far the world's biggest nuclear powers, holding more than 10,600 of the world's 12,100 nuclear warheads. China has the third-largest nuclear arsenal, followed by France and Britain.

Russia has about 1,560 non-strategic nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists, though there is uncertainty about exact figures due to a lack of transparency.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
People with two copies of a risk gene have genetic form of Alzheimer's, scientists say

FILE PHOTO: A scientist looks at hypometabolic and hypoperfusion patterns at the single-subject level from a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG) i

FILE PHOTO: A scientist looks at hypometabolic and hypoperfusion patterns at the single-subject level from a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG) i

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) -People who carry two copies of the APOE4 gene are virtually guaranteed to develop Alzheimer's and face symptoms at an earlier age, researchers reported on Monday in a study that could redefine such carriers as having a new genetic form of the mind-wasting disease.

The reclassification could change Alzheimer's research, diagnosis and approaches to treatment, according to the researchers, whose study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

"Through these data we are saying that perhaps this is a genetic form of this disease, not merely a risk factor indication," study co-author Sterling Johnson of the University of Wisconsin's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center told reporters in a briefing.

Scientists have known for three decades that people with two copies of APOE4 gene variant have significantly higher risk of developing the disease than people with the most common version of the APOE gene, known as APOE3. About 2% to 3% of the general population, or 15% of people with Alzheimer's, have two copies of the APOE4 variant.

"This study adds compelling data to suggest that people with two copies of this gene are almost guaranteed to develop Alzheimers if they live long enough, and that they will develop Alzheimers earlier than people without this gene," said professor Tara Spires-Jones, an Alzheimer's researcher at the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the study.

Dr. Juan Fortea of the University of Barcelona and colleagues studied more than 3,000 donated brains from the U.S. National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, as well as biological and clinical data on more than 10,000 individuals from three countries.

They found that by age 65, at least 95% of people with two copies of APOE4 - known as homozygotes - had abnormal levels of an Alzheimer's-related protein called beta amyloid in their spinal fluid, and 75% had positive brain scans for amyloid.

Nearly all APOE4 homozygotes in the study had higher levels of amyloid at age 65 than people who did not carry the risk variant.

The findings suggest APOE4 homozygotes meet the three main criteria for being a genetic disease: nearly everyone with these two variants have Alzheimer's biology; they develop symptoms at about the same rate; and clinical and biological changes occur in a predictable sequence, the researchers said.

Professor David Curtis of the UCL Genetics Institute, who was not involved in the research, remained unconvinced. "I do not see anything in this paper to justify the claim that carrying two copies of APOE4 represents some 'distinct genetic form' of Alzheimer's disease'," he said in a statement.

"No matter how many (copies) of APOE4 one carries the underlying disease processes seem similar across cases of Alzheimer's disease," he said.

TREATMENT IMPLICATIONS

The findings could have implications for the recently approved Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi from Eisai and Biogen, a drug that removes amyloid from the brain.

In clinical trials, patients with two copies of the APOE4 variant have much higher rates of brain bleeding and swelling associated with the treatment. Because of this, some centers do not treat these patients, Dr. Reisa Sperling, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mass General Brigham who worked on the study, said in a briefing with reporters.

The findings suggest they should be treated at a younger age because "we know they're very, very likely to progress to impairment quickly," she said.

Dr. Samuel Gandy, an Alzheimer's researcher at Mount Sinai in New York, said the findings stress the need to enroll APOE4 homozygotes into trials designed to prevent the disease before they develop symptoms. Sperling is conducting one such trial.

Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer's Association said the findings, if correct, could have significant implications for how disease risk is assessed, how it is studied in clinical trials and how treatments are developed.

The new designation would be for Alzheimer's that develops later in life. Other genetic forms include Autosomal-dominant Alzheimer's Disease, which is caused by mutations in three different genes, and Down syndrome.

A key limitation of the study is that it involved mostly people of European ancestry. The team said more study is needed in people of African descent, a population in which APOE4 appears to convey a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

(Reporting by Julie SteenhuysenEditing by Bill Berkrot)
When Peoria leaders met in February to give the city manager a 15% raise, no public discussion occurred.

It was approved unceremoniously as part of a package of other topics that cities and government agencies call the "consent agenda."

Thats the block of items, passed in one vote, that were previously discussed or reviewed or are considered routine or non-controversial  at least, in theory. Its meant to eliminate the need for more discussion and streamline meetings.

Peorias councilmembers couldnt openly speak nor ask city staff questions about the raise. That is, unless the mayor granted a request to remove or pull the item from the consent agenda.

Councilmembers Denette Dunn and Brad Shafer submitted such requests.

Mayor Jason Beck denied both.

Those marked the 21st and 22nd requests hes blocked while in office, according to a review of emails The Arizona Republic obtained through a public records request  which took the city nearly three months to complete.

The emails reveal that councilmembers cumulatively sent 30 requests to Becks office, representing 27 total items asked to be removed from the consent agenda for discussion.

Not every email received a response from Beck granting or denying the requests. The Republic watched the portions of recordings of each meeting where a request occurred to confirm any action Beck did or didnt take.

Becks repeated refusal to allow councilmembers to weigh in on various topics listed in an open meeting doesnt violate any state law or local policy.

However, it does conflict with the Arizona attorney generals guidance on the subject, as outlined in the offices Agency Handbook.

A good practice is to require the removal of an item from the consent agenda upon the request of any member of the public body, according to the open meeting section of the handbook  guidelines on state laws and regulations meant for government employees, officers and attorneys.

Generally, mayors grant their councilmembers requests to take an item off, letting them make their comments and ask staff questions before voting.

To Shafer, Becks actions prevent Peoria councilmembers from doing some of the basic functions of their jobs as elected officials and raise questions about the citys transparency.

I believe in a democratic government where we can have respectful conversations and our intentions are to represent the people, Shafer said in January when he announced that he wouldnt run again for his Mesquite District seat, representing about 30,000 residents.

Right now, in Peoria, he continued, I dont feel like a democratic government exists. I feel like its a totalitarian government where the peoples voices are not taken into consideration when decisions are made.

The Republic made multiple attempts to interview Beck. He and his office did not respond to those requests.

Peoria Unified district: proposes bathroom remodels to manage student behavior

How are consent agendas approved?

During the Feb. 6 meeting, Peoria City Manager Henry Darwin became one of the highest-paid chief executives in metro Phoenix, earning a new annual salary of $317,255.

Afterward, Beck spoke with The Republic, explaining that an executives salary is better discussed behind closed doors.

Peoria leaders had met twice in executive session to discuss Darwins performance and contract. They approved the raise in a 5-2 vote with Dunn and Shafer opposed.

I dont think it shouldve been on the consent agenda, Shafer said this week, noting he had questions that needed to be asked publicly, like how much Darwin would be paid and what was in the contract.

The citizens should have the ability and right to come up and make comments, Shafer said.

On consent agendas, councilmembers either vote yes, approving the entire package, or they vote against it, even if they oppose one specific thing.

Since that meeting in February, Shafer hasnt bothered asking Beck to pull items from consent.

There have been two or three items that I would have liked pulled, but I know that they were going to be denied, and therefore I voted no as a whole, Shafer said.

Wheres the public discussion?

The vote on the raise had been the second high-profile item approved on consent and without any open discussion in recent months.

In mid-November, the council was asked to approve a five-year lease agreement for hangar space in Glendale.

The city was a month from purchasing a helicopter with $3.5 million from the state and needed a place to park the aircraft.

The hangar lease was on the consent agenda. Any mention of it during previous council meetings, however, wasnt found.

Through the citys online portal for meeting agendas, a keyword search for the terms hangar, helicopter and aviation only yielded results for three meetings in 2023: June 6, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12, the latter two dealing directly with the hangar lease and the helicopter purchase, respectively.

The agenda for the June 6 meeting had a report that mentioned the need for a helicopter in passing, but nothing related to owning or storing one.

The citys fiscal year 2024 budget did, however, include funding for the citys anticipated aviation unit.

City officials explained to councilmembers in December that $2.5 million was earmarked as a one-time cost for the aircrafts purchase. The remaining $1 million was set aside for ongoing operational costs.

But no specific mention of a hangar in the budget.

So, when a report on the lease appeared on the mid-November consent agenda, it caught the eyes of Dunn and Shafer.

The day before, they each asked Beck to pull the item. They wanted staff to present information to the public about the ongoing expenditure, estimated to cost the city about $452,080 through 2028.

Beck denied those requests, too.

My understanding is that you have been fully briefed on the nature of the use of the building," Beck stated in an email to Shafer, the rest of which was redacted.

Darwin sent a follow-up email stating: For the record, the information regarding (redacted) is a confidential communication, subject to the public records provision that allows the city to withhold information if it is in the best interest of the city to do so.

The city managers office declined an interview request and did not respond to emailed questions.

After asking for the items removal, Shafer did receive an overview of the hangar from city staff, he acknowledged.

Asked whether councilmembers discussed it in executive session beforehand, he said he couldnt recall.

The hangar lease and the rest of that consent agenda passed in a 6-1 vote, with Dunn dissenting.

Which Peoria leader submitted the most requests?

Among the 30 requests that appeared in Becks inbox, 24 were Dunns.

Beck denied 19.

All were since September  after Beck and the rest of the council asked Dunn, the then-vice mayor, to resign for what he called breaching the publics trust.

A police report had revealed that a family friend of Dunns, a registered sex offender, had been intermittently staying at her home, potentially in violation of state law.

Dunn refused to resign, stating, I work for the citizens, not the council. She claimed that Beck had targeted her over their disagreement on LGBTQ issues.

Hes granted only one of her requests since. It was to pull a Dec. 12 item approving a one-time lump sum payment to city staffers represented by the American Federation of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees.

The item also was one that Shafer had asked to discuss in public.

Dunn denied multiple interview requests for this story.

What is the mayors process for removing an item?

Under the Beck administration, Shafer submitted five requests to pull items from the consent agenda, three of which were denied.

Councilmember Jon Edwards submitted one. It was for an ordinance to update the service fees charged by the citys parks, human services and arts departments.

He emailed Deputy City Manager Kevin Burke directly, copying Darwin and other city staff. However, he didnt include Beck.

When Darwin notified the mayor of Edwards' request, Beck responded, approving the items removal  with a caveat.

They (councilmembers) do need to ensure if they want something pulled, they need to request it to the mayor, cc city manager and chief of staff so we can give it the attention it deserves and follows the correct process, Beck wrote, ending the email with a smiley face.

In response to The Republics request to interview Darwin, the city emailed Peorias policies governing council agendas.

The citys charter gives the mayor authority, with input from the city manager, to set the councils agenda for a regular meeting and outlines a process for councilmembers to get an item of interest included.

It does not, however, formalize a policy for consent agendas and removing items.

Only language printed on a councils regular agenda addresses the topic: If the Presiding Officer receives a timely notice of a request for removal, an item may be removed from the Consent Agenda for consideration on the Regular Agenda.

While there hasnt been an official policy, Shafer noted, the process was the same under Cathy Carlat, Peorias previous mayor: email her and copy the city manager.

During the years Shafer was in office while Carlat was mayor, requests werent denied, he said.

I dont recall that far back, but I know there were no requests that were denied under Mayor Carlat, Shafer said.

Carlat echoed the statement, noting that she wanted councilmembers to submit any request they had 24 hours before the meeting so city staff could get a presentation on the item ready.

Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat was succeeded in 2022.

Its just common courtesy, she said. And I never ever refused to let someone pull something off consent.

Denying a councilmember the opportunity to speak, Carlat said, gives the appearance that theres something hidden in the item.

Using the consent agenda to hide information is the opposite of transparent, she said. And its just wrong.

Does this come down to policy or politics?

Danee Garone is the senior staff attorney for the Arizona Ombudsmans Office.

He pointed to the states Open Meeting Law to note that as long as cities comply with it, its really in your public bodys discretion on how to use consent and regular agendas.

As Arizona law requires, government agencies must hold meetings in public. They also must publish agendas that provide information as reasonably necessary to inform the public of the matters to be discussed or decided.

You don't have to use (consent agendas), Garone said, but there's nothing that says you can't and how you want to go about it and how you want to set them up and decide who does what and who has authority.

The very question of who has what authority during a government meeting is a common one Garone gets. Whether a councilmember has the right to speak on topics listed on consent, the Open Meeting Law doesnt address that, he said.

I'll hear it from the mayor of a city or town, or I'll hear it from a member of the public body, saying, They wont put what I want on the public agenda,' or 'No one wants to discuss this, what do I do? Garone said. Well, the Open Meeting Law doesn't address any of that. That's more of a political issue.

As for citizen input, the Open Meeting Law doesnt directly open the agencys decision-making process to public participation, Garone said.

It's more like a window into what's going on, he said.

While the residents cant always participate, they can at least rely on their elected officials to get answers to their questions.

Carlat said, They have a responsibility to those people, not just the mayor. Each and every one of them has a responsibility to the residents. Thats why the meetings are public.

Shafer said he understands the need for cities to streamline meetings for efficiencys sake. But, he said, theres a fine line between being efficient (and) managing taxpayer dollars and citizen input.

(Residents) need to know what were voting on, Shafer said. If its a contentious item or an expensive item that costs a lot of dollars or an item that is of extreme importance, we should be able to have that conversation  and get public input before we make a single vote.

Shawn Raymundo covers the West Valley cities of Glendale, Peoria and Surprise. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peoria mayor stymies council discussion, questions on consent agendas
The case against Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of drunkenly running over her cop boyfriend and leaving him for dead in a blizzard, took another turn on Monday when a prosecution witness was accused of lying.

Its very clear to us that Katie McLaughlin perjured herself, defense lawyer David Yannetti told Judge Beverly Cannone before jurors entered the courtroom for the second week of the murder trial.

Prosecutors allege that Read hit her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John OKeefe, with her SUV after a night out drinking and abandoned him there. Defense attorneys and Reads fans, however, insist she is being framed for OKeefes murder in an elaborate police cover-up.

Last week, McLaughlin testified about the chaotic scene that unfolded after OKeefe was found unconscious on fellow officer Brian Alberts snow-covered front lawn. She said that Read was distraught as authorities loaded her boyfriend into an ambulance and repeatedly insisted that she had hit OKeefe.

Under cross-examination, McLaughlin was grilled about her relationship with the Albert family and said there was no conflict of interest because, while she went to high school with the officers daughter in 2014, they were not close friends.

First Responders Recall Karen Reads Freakout Near Boyfriends Body

Yannetti told the judge on Monday that his team received a deluge of photographs over the weekend that suggest a deeper relationship. Among the new photos, he said, is one that shows Alberts daughter and McLaughlin at a June 2021 baby shower. On Friday, McLaughlin said other photos of her and Alberts daughter were old and they never had a one-to-one friendship.

The defense lawyer asked that the group shot and other photos of McLaughlin and Alberts daughter be entered into evidence to impeach her testimony. He also said that Alberts daughter is a possible prosecution witness, which could further a conflict of interest.

Cannone said he would rule on the request on Tuesday.

Read, 44, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and other charges and faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

In opening arguments last week, Yannetti told the jury that OKeefes injuries were consistent with a fatal beating. The defense attorney alleged that after the beating, OKeefe was allegedly bitten by a pet dog outside Alberts house and left outside during a blizzard.

First responders arrived at the scene about six hours later, where they found Read was running around with blood on her face after trying to give OKeefe CPR.

The only response I personally was given was just, I hit him, I hit him. Oh my God, I hit him, Canton Firefighter Anthony Flematti testified last week. She just repeated the phrase over and over again. I hit him, I hit him.

McLaughlin testified she also tried to ask Read if her boyfriend had experienced any significant trauma before he was foundand she kept repeating that she hit him.

On the way to the hospital, which McLaughlin said took longer than usual because of the winter road conditions, OKeefe was intubated. Another paramedic, Matthew Kelly, testified that OKeefe had no pulse and was almost frozen-like. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) is a viable alternative for transit transportation of cargo between China and Europe, Kestutis Jankauskas, EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan, told Trend.

"Kazakhstan is at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, the European Union and China. The majority of land cargo between China and the EU transits Kazakhstan. For decades, many of these trade flows went through the Northern Route via Russia. Since Russia started the war against Ukraine and the EU introduced sanctions against Russia, some companies have been shifting their logistic operations away from countries under sanctions. This gave a boost to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. It offers a viable alternative for the trade between the EU and Central Asia, as well as for transiting cargo between China and Europe faster than by sea," he said.

As the Ambassador pointed out, according to several studies, there is a huge potential to at least triple the traffic through this corridor by 2030.

"This would help to better connect Kazakhstan to the global economy and contribute to economic growth in the region. Kazakhstan is working on several projects simultaneously to provide better services along the Middle Corridor," he noted.

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.
Woman, 53, identified by fingerprints after falling to her death at Ohio State graduation

Emergency services were seen outside the Ohio State Stadium in Columbus after a woman fell to her death on 5 May 2024 (WBNS)

The woman who fell to her death during a graduation ceremony at Ohio State University has been identified.

Larissa Brady, 53, was identified by her fingerprints following the tragic incident, according to the Franklin County Coroners Office.

The incident happened at around 12.25pm on Sunday as students arrived for the ceremony in Columbus, Ohio. Brady was declared dead by medics who arrived on the scene, 10WBNS reported. The ceremony carried on as planned following the fatality.

Tragically, an individual fell from the stands and is deceased. We have no additional details to share at this time, an Ohio State spokesperson told The Independent on Monday. For anyone affected by yesterdays incident, we will make counselling and other support resources available.

The Independent has approached the Ohio State University Police Department for further comment.

Around 12,500 students were in the stadium at the time. A reporter for The Columbus Dispatch, who was at the event, said some students were visibly upset.

Ohio State Universitys graduation ceremonies took place after weeks of Gaza protests on campus, part of a wave of demonstrations sweeping colleges across the US. In Indiana, some students walked out of their graduation ceremony on Saturday, while pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan interrupted the event there.

In Columbus, Melissa Shivers, Ohio States senior vice president of student life, called for a day without interruptions on Sunday.

"Today is a day for focusing on and celebrating our graduates, she said, according to the Dispatch.
A person died during Ohio State Universitys commencement ceremony in Columbus on Sunday after falling from the stands at Ohio Stadium, a school official said.

The person was pronounced dead just before 12:30 p.m. local time, the Franklin County medical examiners office confirmed to HuffPost. The persons identity has not been made public.

University spokesperson Ben Johnson said there were no additional details to share as of Monday morning.

For anyone affected by yesterdays incident, we will make counseling and other support resources available, he said in an emailed statement.

A person fell from the stands and died at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, during a commencement ceremony on Sunday, authorities said. Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin) via Getty Images

The ceremony, which was scheduled from noon to 3 p.m., continued uninterrupted, even as news of the death spread among attendees, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Commencement speakers reportedly did not mention the death in their remarks.

Students leaving the ceremony were seen walking past the area, cordoned off with crime scene tape, where the body fell, according to the Dispatch.

A spokesperson for the Columbus Police Department told HuffPost that the university is handling the investigation. The department offered no further comment.

Related...
Person dies after falling from stands during Ohio State graduation

A person died after having fallen from spectator stands to the ground level during Ohio State University's graduation ceremony Sunday in Columbus, school leaders said.

The incident was under investigation. The identity of the deceased was unavailable.

The ceremony at Ohio Stadium featured entrepreneur Christopher Pan as the spring commencement speaker. A school spokesperson told NBC affiliate WCMH of Columbus the death did not affect the day's schedule of events from noon to roughly 3 p.m.

The ceremony took place during a spring filled with controversy over pro-Palestinian protests and roiled by deadly tornadic activity from the Midwest to the South.

Ohio State University students staged multiple protests on campus criticizing Israel's war in Gaza after Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack on the country. They were widely characterized as peaceful.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
This story was originally published by ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a proposal this week to ban a controversial pesticide that is widely used on celery, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.

The EPA released its plan on Tuesday, nearly a week after a ProPublica investigation revealed the agency had laid out a justification for increasing the amount of acephate allowed on food by removing limits meant to protect childrens developing brains.

In calling for an end to all uses of the pesticide on food, the agency cited evidence that acephate harms workers who apply the chemical as well as the general public and young children, who may be exposed to the pesticide through contaminated drinking water.

Acephate, which was banned by the European Union more than 20 years ago, belongs to a class of chemicals called organophosphates. U.S. farmers have used these pesticides for decades because they efficiently kill aphids, fire ants and other pests. But what makes organophosphate pesticides good bug killers  their ability to interfere with signals sent between nerve cells  also makes them dangerous to people. Studies have linked acephate to reductions in IQ and verbal comprehension and autism with intellectual disability.

Environmental advocates, who have been pushing the agency to restrict and ban acephate for years, said they were not expecting the agency to make such a bold move.

Im surprised and very pleased, said Patti Goldman, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, who has been part of a farmworker led group that expressed concerns to EPA officials over the past years about the ongoing use of acephate and other organophosphates.

As much as 12 million pounds of acephate were used on soybeans, Brussels sprouts and other crops in 2019, according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey. The federal agency estimates that up to 30% of celery, 35% of lettuce and 20% of cauliflower and peppers were grown with acephate.

A draft risk assessment issued in August by the EPAs Office of Pesticide Programs found little to no evidence that acephate and a chemical created when it breaks down in the body harm the developing brain. The document said there was no justification to keep restrictions on the bug killer that are designed to protect children from developmental harm. Removing that layer of protection would allow 10 times more acephate on food than is acceptable under the current limits.

The draft risk assessments conclusion relied in large part on the results of a new battery of tests that are performed on disembodied cells rather than whole lab animals.

The tests have been in development for years, but the EPAs review of acephates effects on the developing brain marked one of the first times the agency had recommended changing a legal safety threshold largely based on their results.

Multiple science groups, including panels the EPA created to help guide its work, had discouraged using the nonanimal tests to conclude a chemical is safe. A member of the Childrens Health Protection Advisory Committee, one of the panels providing guidance to EPA, described the earlier acephate proposal as exactly what we recommended against.

But even as it proposed a new outcome this week, the EPA did not change its stance on the use of the cell-based tests.

Even in this good news proposal, the EPA continues to misuse the cell-based assays, said Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at the environmental advocacy organization Natural Resources Defense Council.

Sass said she believes that both pressure from advocates and questions from journalists helped the EPA decide to change course on acephate. ProPublica began submitting a series of detailed inquiries to the agency about the pesticide starting in January.

An EPA spokesperson said late Tuesday that the agency had been working for months on its proposal to ban acephate from food and that neither advocates nor journalists played a role in the decision.

The EPA proposal would ban acephate on all plants with the exception of trees that do not produce fruit or nuts.

While lauding the proposed ban, Nathan Donley, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed concern about the possibility that, after pesticide companies and agricultural groups respond to the proposal, the agency might not finalize its proposed ban. (The agency is accepting public comments through its portal until July 1.)

The pushback on this is going to be really intense, Donley said. I hope they stick to their guns.

Sharon Lerner covers health and the environment. Previously, as an investigative reporter at The Intercept, she focused on failures of the environmental regulatory process as well as biosafety and pandemic profiteering.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Business owners who say they lost about $30 million because of a temporary bridge launched a petition on Monday to stop the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Ferraros Ristorante, Battistas Restaurant and Stage Door Casino are behind the petition, as well as Madgy Amer, who lost all of his small businesses including Tex Mex Tequila on Las Vegas Boulevard, according to a Monday news release.

Business owners are targeting this years race, saying Clark County commissioners have not yet approved the special use permit required to run the race. The petition asks commissioners to deny the permit until the issues from 2023 have been settled, the news release said.

To date, F1 has not held a public meeting or even sat in a room with all of us together who lost millions in 2023, Gino Ferraro, owner of Ferraros Ristorante, said. F1 is selling tickets and moving ahead as if these issues do not exist, as if we do not exist. My family restaurant has been here for 39-years, we matter.

8 News Now reached out to county representatives for reaction, but a public information official said only, The county does not have a comment. We have also reached out to F1 officials, and this story will be updated when their comments are received.

Ferraro's restaurant_1446693023726.JPG

Las Vegas Grand Prix submitted their traffic plan and special use permit application to the county last week, according to Clark County spokeswoman Stephanie Wheatley. No timeline yet on when the documents will be made public, she told 8 News Now.

Some of the same people involved in todays petition threatened to sue F1, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the county in late February.

And a report detailing the countys problems throughout preparations for last years race shows that F1 officials have a history of moving ahead  even when they dont have the proper permits to do so. Last-minute changes and safety concerns were outlined in a report to the County Commission on March 19.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA  NOVEMBER 18: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Formula One, owned by Liberty Media, has enjoyed enormous popularity created in part by the Netflix series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and it returned to Las Vegas in November 2023. Locals questioned whether the traffic headaches were worth hosting the race, and the drumbeat has not subsided. Resorts that werent located right on the racecourse didnt share in the high-dollar hotel business serving a clientele accustomed to luxury. And the bridge became a flashpoint for local business owners.

The bridge is expected to return this year despite protests from businesses in the area.

We know many more people were negatively impacted by the F1 race in 2023, Randy Markin, owner of Battistas Restaurant and Stage Door Casino, said in a statement contained in the news release.

The Formula 1 temporary vehicular bridge at Flamingo Road and Koval Lane is gone, but the foundation remained Saturday. Road closures are expected to last through February 1st. (KLAS/Lauren Negrete)

Uber drivers, casino employees, and other business owners up and down the Las Vegas Strip wire negatively impacted, Markin said. We firmly believe that we need public input on this event that proved to be devastating to my business and others.

Amer said F1 needs to be accountable for the damage caused to local businesses.

The petition on change.org had gathered 368 signatures as of 1 p.m. Monday. The text of the petition appears below.

Stop The Las Vegas Grand Prix (F1)

We, the undersigned residents and concerned citizens of Las Vegas, hereby petition the local authorities to halt the organization and execution of the proposed Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 scheduled to take place in our city on November 21-23, 2024. Until a fair and undisruptive plan can be made to host this event without closing the Las Vegas Strip, the Clark County Commission should not issue a Special Use Permit or Event Permit.

Reasons for Petition:

Negative Impact on Local Businesses: Contrary to the purported economic benefits, hosting of the Las Vegas Grand Prix adversely affects small businesses, strip employees, and transportation companies, who face large revenue losses, decreased foot traffic, and general business interruptions, during the event period. Traffic Congestion and Disruption: The closing of the Resort Corridor and constructing a bridge at Flamingo and Koval disrupts the normal flow of transportation in our city. This disruption not only inconveniences residents but also poses logistical challenges for tourists, employees, and public transportation, and forcing businesses to incur revenue losses. Community Input and Transparency: The decision to host such a large-scale event should involve transparent communication and active participation from the community. However, the lack of meaningful consultation with residents and stakeholders raises concerns about accountability and the democratic process.

In conclusion, we urge the authorities to heed our concerns and take immediate action to halt the organization of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Our citys well-being and the interests of its residents must always come first.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Phi Delta Theta has removed an individual from its fraternity following a heated exchange between a group of pro-Palestinian protesters and a much larger group of counter protesters at the University of Mississippi last Thursday.

In a statement shared with CNN Monday, the fraternity said while it recognizes that freedom of expression is part of the collegiate experience, it is committed to upholding its values.

After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individuals behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values, the fraternity said.

In partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership, and the university, disciplinary due process was initiated which resulted in the removal of membership.

The individual has not been identified.

Multiple video clips captured the scene at the University of Mississippi last Thursday as an estimated 200 counter protesters, some of whom were holding American flags and Trump flags, surrounded a group of about 30 pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

One clip shows a group of mostly White young male counter protesters yelling at a Black woman as she walked toward them while holding her phone. One is seen making what appeared to be monkey gestures at the incident.

It is unclear whether the person is the individual whose membership Phi Delta Theta revoked.

Jaylin R. Smith, 24, confirmed to CNN she was the woman seen in the video.

One thing that will never break me is people taunting me or making monkey noises at me, the journalism and new media graduate student told CNN on Friday.

CNN has been unable to identify any of the counter protesters in the video.

Georgia Republican congressman Mike Collins faced criticism after he shared video of the viral encounter last week on X with the caption, Ole Miss taking care of business.

In response to the post, the NAACP set a letter to congressional leadership Saturday requesting an investigation into the lawmakers conduct.

These actions conducted by a member of the House of Representatives, regardless of intent, legitimize and propagate racism and undermine the principles of equality and justice that our government is sworn to uphold, the letter, shared exclusively with CNN, said.

In a statement on Monday, Collins said he does not tolerate discrimination.

I understand and respect the feedback thats been shared regarding a single individual during the Ole Miss protests. If that person is found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness, Collins said.

Frankly, I did not believe that to be the focal point of the video shared at the time, but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should seek to glorify.

The University of Mississippi opened a student conduct investigation in response to the incident, which Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce described as including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtone.

The fraternity said it will continue to monitor the situation and cooperate with any further investigation.

A wave of pro-Palestinian campus protests swept across colleges and universities in the US, leading to more than 2,000 arrests since April 18. Many demonstrations have called for colleges to divest from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza, CNN previously reported.

CNNs Kara Nelson and Alta Spells contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
New Philadelphia man who raped 3 children will serve a prison term of 55 years to life

NEW PHILADELPHIA  A New Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 55 years to life in prison for sex crimes involving three children younger than the age of 10.

Common Pleas Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos imposed the sentence Monday on Jason M. Gordon, 32. Gordon was convicted by a jury in April on three counts of rape, first-degree felonies; and three counts of gross sexual imposition, third-degree felonies. The offenses occurred from Jan. 18, 2008, to Oct. 20, 2012.

The judge sentenced him to a total of 40 years to life in prison on the three rape charges, and 60 months for each count of gross sexual imposition. The sentences will be served consecutively.

Jason M. Gordon appears with his attorney, Richard Drake, in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court on Monday, where Gordon was sentenced on three counts of rape and three counts of gross sexual imposition.

Gordon was indicted on the charges in 2022, but his case has seen numerous delays.

Assistant Tuscarawas County Prosecutor Kristine Beard had asked the judge to sentence Gordon to life in prison without parole, but she said the court was not inclined to hand out that sentence. She told Judge Thomakos, "The fact remains that he is a danger, frankly, to kids in our society. The public needs to be protected from that."

More on Jason Gordon: Guilty plea vacated, competency evaluated in sex crime cases in Tuscarawas County

Beard said that Gordon continues to take no responsibility for what happened in this case.

Apology from defendant

Speaking on his own behalf, Gordon told the judge, "First, I'd like to apologize to your honor for wasting your time. I'd also like to apologize to (New Philadelphia) Detective Capt. Ty Norris and Detective (Chaz) Willett for also wasting their time when they should be out helping other people. I'd also like to apologize to the state and Miss Kristine Beard for wasting their time. And I'd like to apologize to the people I hurt."

He then asked for mercy from the judge.

Because of his conviction, Gordon will be classified as a Tier 3 sex offender.

Before passing sentence, Judge Thomakos told the defendant, "In this particular case, we have a matter that is more serious. The injury was worsened by the ages of the victims, who were of tender years."

Jason M. Gordon is escorted out of Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court after being sentenced to 55 years to life in prison on six sexually related charges.

She noted that the victims suffered psychological harm.

Thomakos explained why she was imposing consecutive sentences. "You have three victims here, and they were very, very young at the time of the offense, and their lives have been affected. I think it would demean the seriousness of the offense and the harm caused to impose a single term."

Gordon has been held in the Tuscarawas County Jail since 2022.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: New Philadelphia man gets 55 years in prison for raping three children
(Bloomberg) -- Two senior Philippine officials on Sunday denied a claim by China that Manila had agreed on a new model in handling their territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano issued separate statements, with Teodoro branding the claim devious machination and Ano calling it absolutely absurd, ludicrous, and preposterous.

A spokesperson by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Saturday said the Philippine militarys Western Command, which oversees the South China Sea, early this year agreed on a new model to manage the situation in the Second Thomas Shoal. Thats where tensions between the two countries have escalated in recent months.

Read more: Why China, Philippines Keep Clashing at Sea and What Comes Next

Details of the new model have not been released, but the Chinese Embassy said the Western Command made repeated confirmation that it had been approved by all key officials in the Philippine chain of command, including the national defense secretary and the national security adviser.

Teodoro said he had disallowed any contact between his department and the Chinese Embassy following his meeting with Ambassador Huang Xilian in July. Ano said neither he nor any concerned officials have consented nor committed to any proposal that will compromise the national interest.

The Chinese Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the remarks of the Philippine officials outside of usual business hours.

Chinas statement on the new model came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s administration disowned a similar pact dubbed gentlemans agreement, which China said was reached during former President Rodrigo Dutertes tenure.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
By Mikhail Flores

LAOAG, Philippines (Reuters) - U.S. and Philippine armed forces fired missiles and artillery to thwart a simulated invasion in the Philippines' northern waters facing Taiwan on Monday, in a show of military force and strengthening ties as regional tensions rise.

About 200 soldiers took turns defending the shores of the coastal city of Laoag in Ilocos province, launching Javelin missiles and firing howitzers and machine guns to repel an unnamed enemy trying to storm the beach.

U.S. and Filipino military personnel sank five floating pontoons standing in for amphibious landing ships as part of their annual exercises called Balikatan, or "shoulder-to-shoulder".

The annual drills, which involve about 16,000 Filipino and American troops and began last month, will run until May 10. They come at a time of escalating tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.

Last week, the Philippines accused China of using water cannons against their vessels around the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which damaged naval vessels and injured people onboard.

On Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country would not retaliate in kind, saying the Philippines did not want to raise tensions.

The exercises have irked China, which has warned of destabilisation when countries outside the region "flex muscles and stoke confrontation".

Several of the drills this year were set in islands and provinces facing Taiwan and the South China Sea. Laoag City is about 408 km (254 miles) from Taiwan's southernmost point.

'NOT FOR MESSAGING'

U.S. Marines Lieutenant General Michael Cederholm, commander of joint task force Balikatan, told reporters on Monday the exercises were meant to improve how the forces operate alongside each other and were not directed against a specific adversary.

"We don't do this for any third party. We don't do this for messaging. We do this to create interoperability," Cederholm said, without mentioning China.

The main exercises will culminate with a "maritime strike" on Wednesday, in which the combined forces of the Philippines and the United States will sink a decommissioned Philippine navy ship. The annual drills will officially end on Friday.

Other exercises have included simulations of retaking occupied islands and a multilateral sail with France and Australia in the South China Sea, inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Security engagements between Manila and Washington have increased under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has allowed Americans to access more Philippine bases under an enhanced defence cooperation agreement, including facilities close to Taiwan and facing the South China Sea.

The United States and Philippines also began joint patrols in the South China Sea last year.

U.S. officials, including President Joe Biden, have affirmed its "ironclad" commitment to defend the Philippines against any armed attack under their 1951 mutual defence treaty.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 6. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the law "On ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye on international combined transportation of goods", Trend reports via Akkorda.

Meanwhile, Vice Minister of Transport Satzhan Ablaliyev stated while presenting the draft law on ratification in the Senate of the Parliament that the document provides for regular railway and ferry operations on the Caspian Sea, the provision of appropriate communication and transit services on railway lines connecting the states, in particular for international container block trains, as well as determining the conditions of cargo transportation between the two countries, taking into account the rules of customs clearance.

We are currently working to reduce the time of cargo delivery from China to Europe via the combined Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor). It involves rail, road, and water transportation. Already today, the terms of cargo and goods delivery along the route have been reduced to 1923 days, of which 6 days are through the territory of Kazakhstan. This is two times faster than last year. This agreement will affect the development of TITR," Ablaliyev said.

He added that a Joint Committee for the Development of Transportation will be established to settle all issues arising from the agreement. Its main task will be to increase the speed and quality of transit transportation.

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.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Placer County deputy shot and critically injured while on duty to be released from hospital

(FOX40.COM)  The Placer County deputy who was critically injured after a shootout in Colfax is expected to be released from the hospital on Monday.

At around 11 p.m. on Friday, PCSO said it was investigating a van parked in McDonalds parking lot that was suspected of being involved in burglary. A man who was identified by law enforcement as 37-year-old Stephen Todd was living in the vehicle, according to the sheriffs office.

Placer County deputy in critical condition, man dead following shooting in Colfax

For unknown reasons, the situation escalated and deputies said Todd shot at the deputies. PCSO fired back and during the shootout, Todd died and a deputy was critically injured and taken to a local hospital.

Were thrilled to share some uplifting news about Deputy Porters recovery! His spirits are high, hes eating well, and he even took some steps today, Placer County Sheriffs Office said in a social media post on Sunday. Tomorrow marks a significant step with hopes for a possible discharge by Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
Publix and Dollar Tree shoppers should check their pantries for two types of Planters brand nuts that were recently recalled across five states.

In a company announcement dated May 3 and posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, Planters' parent company, Hormel Foods Sales, LLC, announced a voluntary recall of two Planters peanut and mixed nuts products produced at one of its facilities in April "because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes."

"Our commitment to food safety remains our utmost priority. A full investigation is currently under way to determine the potential source of the contamination," the company stated.

Details of Planters recall on honey roasted peanuts, mixed nuts

PHOTO: Hormel Foods initiated a voluntary recall on two Planters brand products for honey roasted peanuts and mixed nuts sold in 5 states. (Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

The recall is limited to two items, according to Hormel Foods: 4-ounce packages of Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of Planters Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts.

As of time of publication, the company said there had been "no reports of illness related to this recall," adding that "all retailers that received the affected product have been properly notified."

A representative for Hormel Foods told ABC News the company had "no additional updates beyond the [recall] notice at this time."

Planters product label information for recalled nuts

Impacted products can be identified by their "Best if Used By" date and UPC code.

Recalled Honey Roasted Peanuts bear the UPC code 2900002097 and a "Best if Used By" date of April 11, 2025.

Impacted Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts products bear the UPC code 2900001621 and a "Best if Used By" date of April 5, 2026.

"The 'Best if Used By Date' is located on the bottom of the Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts can and the UPC code is located on the side of the can," Hormel Foods stated in its recall announcement.

Click here for additional information and photos of the affected products.

PHOTO: Hormel Foods initiated a voluntary recall on two Planters brand products for honey roasted peanuts and mixed nuts sold in 5 states. (FDA)

PHOTO: Hormel Foods initiated a voluntary recall on two Planters brand products for honey roasted peanuts and mixed nuts sold in 5 states. (FDA)

No other varieties of Planters branded products were included in this recall.

Where recalled Planters nuts were sold

According to Hormel Foods, the recall impacts only "two retailers in five states."

"The products were shipped to Publix distribution warehouses in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina and to Dollar Tree distribution warehouses in South Carolina and Georgia," the company said Friday.

It added, "If a consumer has this product, they can discard the product or return it to the store where purchased for an exchange or full refund."

Customers with questions can contact Hormel Foods Customer Relations via the email portal on the company's website, via chat at https://www.planters.com or by phone at 1-800-523-4635, Monday through Friday, 8-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. CT, excluding holidays.

Potential health impacts, symptoms of Listeria

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause severe illness "when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body" after a person consumes contaminated food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC states.

"For people who are pregnant, Listeria can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in their newborn," the agency states. "For people who are 65 years or older or who have a weakened immune system, Listeria often results in [severe illness that may lead to] hospitalization and sometimes death."

Other people can be infected with listeria, but rarely become seriously ill, according to the FDA. According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience "mild food poisoning symptoms" such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.

Some Planters nuts recalled for potential listeria contamination originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
An attendee looks at a series of banners for National Crime Victims Rights Week Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall on April 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime held the event to pay tribute to victims and survivors of crime and individuals who provide service and support. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  States and local organizations that aid victims of sexual assault and other crimes are raising the alarm about a multi-year plunge in funds, a major problem they say Congress must fix soon or programs will be forced to set up wait lists or turn victims away altogether.

Affected are rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers and more that serve millions of Americans and cant necessarily rely on scarce state or local dollars to keep the doors open if federal money runs short.

The problem has to do with a cap on withdrawals from the federal crime victims fund, put in place by Congress years ago in an earlier attempt at a solution.

Under the cap, how much money is available every year is determined by a complex three-year average of court fees, fines and penalties that have accumulated  a number that has plummeted by billions during the past six years. The fund does not receive any taxpayer dollars.

National Childrens Alliance CEO Teresa Huizar said in an interview with States Newsroom that child advocacy centers, which help connect children who have survived sexual or domestic abuse to essential services, have no fat left to trim in their budgets.

What childrens advocacy centers are really looking at now are a set of extremely hard choices, Huizar said. Which kids to serve, which kids to turn away? CACs that have never had to triage cases previously, now will have to. CACs that have never had a waitlist for mental health services will now have long, lengthy waitlists to get kids in for therapy.

I mean, imagine being a kid whos been sexually abused and being told youre going to have to wait six months to see a counselor, Huizar added. Its terrible.

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, chairwoman of the spending panel that sets the cap every year based on the dwindling revenue, and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, the subcommittees ranking member, both indicated during brief interviews with States Newsroom that a fix is in the works, but declined to provide details.

There is an effort to address that and were in the process of doing that, but in the meantime theres not as much money there, Shaheen said.

Fund goes up and down by billions every year

Congress established the crime victims fund in 1984 when it approved the Victims of Crime Act. Its funding comes from fines, forfeited bonds and other financial penalties in certain federal cases.

The money flowing into the fund fluctuates each year, making it difficult for the organizations that apply for and receive grant funding to plan their budgets. Congress hoped to alleviate those boom-and-bust cycles by placing the annual cap on how much money can be drawn from the crime victims fund.

But that cap has sharply decreased recently, causing frustration for organizations that rely on it and leading to repeated calls for Congress to find a long-term solution.

The cap stayed below $1 billion annually until fiscal year 2015 when it spiked to $2.3 billion before reaching a high of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2018.

The annual ceiling then dropped by more than $1 billion, starting the downward trend, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service and data from the Department of Justice.

The cap was set at $2 billion in fiscal year 2021 before rising to $2.6 billion in fiscal 2022 and then dropping to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2023.

Congress set the cap on withdrawals at $1.2 billion for fiscal 2024 when it approved the latest round of appropriations in March, and states and localities have reacted with concern at the prospect of such a dramatic cut. In Iowa, for example, where the state receives $5 million a year, the potential loss of funding posed a major question as legislators wrote their budget for judicial services.

A better fix sought

Congress approved legislation in 2021 to increase the types of revenue from federal court cases moving into the crime victims fund, but advocates say a longer-term answer is needed.

Huizar said the National Childrens Alliance and prosecutors as well as organizations that combat domestic and sexual violence have been urging Congress to fix the funding stream or supplement it to provide stability and consistency.

Now is the time for Congress to turn urgent attention to this issue if they do not want the safety net for kids and families and serious crime victims to just fall apart, Huizar said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers  Reps. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Jim Costa, D-Calif., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas and Ann Wagner, R-Mo.  have introduced legislation that would move unobligated funds collected from entities that defraud the federal government under the False Claims Act to the crime victims fund. The act is a main tool the federal government uses to fight fraud.

That bill is not a long-term solution, but a temporary infusion of resources, according to a summary released by lawmakers.

As for the Senate appropriators, Moran said he and others on the spending subcommittee are waiting for the Judiciary Committees examination of the issue, so that we can take the authorizers suggestions and take them into account when we appropriate.

Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, wrote in a statement the sustainability of the CVF is extremely important, as evidenced by Senator Durbins work on the VOCA Fix that passed in 2021, and we continue to work with our colleagues and survivor advocates and service providers to examine further ways to strengthen the CVF.

Shaheens office did not provide details about what changes may be in the works, following multiple requests from States Newsroom.

Should taxpayer dollars be tapped?

National District Attorneys Association President Charles Smith said his organization supports the House bill, but noted one problem with the short-term fix is that the crime victims fund would be last in line to get the additional revenue.

I believe that the government gets their money first, the whistleblower second and then were in kind of third place there, Smith said.

One struggle over the fluctuating revenue and available funding, Smith said, is debate about whether taxpayer dollars should be used to offset low balances.

We need to set a number that everybodys happy with, so to speak, and fund it through these available sources, Smith said. But if theres a deficit, there needs to be some mechanism in place for it to come out of the general fund.

The crime victims fund is essential for witness coordinators and victims assistance coordinators in prosecutors offices as well as other services for people who survive crimes.

Theyre critical for the well-being of the victim and a lot of times they are critical for the witness even showing up and testifying, said Smith, who also is the states attorney for Frederick County, Maryland.

The organizations that support crime victims, like child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, are crucial to prosecutors, Smith said.

Not only are we directly impacted by a loss of staffing and loss of resources, but a lot of the partner agencies that we rely on collaborating with are going to be hurt as well, Smith said of the reduction to the funding cap.

Real alarm in states

Karrie Delaney, director of federal affairs for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, said the slowdown of court cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and the last administration not prosecuting as many corporate cases has impacted the fund more than usual.

RAINN is the countrys largest anti-sexual-violence organization. It operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) alongside local organizations and runs the Defense Departments Safe Helpline. It also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, according to its website.

I think whats important from RAINNs perspective is the actual impact that those fluctuations have on the survivors that we support and organizations and service providers across the country, Delaney said.

When the federal cap decreases, she said, organizations that support crime victims often turn to state and local governments to make up the gap. And a lot of the times there arent enough funds to do that.

What weve seen across the states is real alarm that the cuts coming down are not just impacting the ability of these organizations to offer certain services, but to really keep their doors open, Delaney said.

Child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, Delaney added, are the real boots on the ground organizations that are helping people in times of very active crisis that are at risk of seeing their programs drastically cut to the point where service is placed in jeopardy.

If you are a victim of crime, there are toll free, text and online hotlines available. A list from the Office for Victims of Crime is here. You can also find help in your state here.

The post Plummeting balance in federal crime victims fund sparks alarm among states, advocates appeared first on Michigan Advance.
An attendee looks at a series of banners for National Crime Victims Rights Week Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall on April 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime held the event to pay tribute to victims and survivors of crime and individuals who provide service and support. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  States and local organizations that aid victims of sexual assault and other crimes are raising the alarm about a multi-year plunge in funds, a major problem they say Congress must fix soon or programs will be forced to set up wait lists or turn victims away altogether.

Affected are rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers and more that serve millions of Americans and cant necessarily rely on scarce state or local dollars to keep the doors open if federal money runs short.

The problem has to do with a cap on withdrawals from the federal crime victims fund, put in place by Congress years ago in an earlier attempt at a solution.

Under the cap, how much money is available every year is determined by a complex three-year average of court fees, fines and penalties that have accumulated  a number that has plummeted by billions during the past six years. The fund does not receive any taxpayer dollars.

Hotlines available

If you are a victim of crime, there are toll free, text and online hotlines available. A list from the Office for Victims of Crime is here. You can also find help in your state here.

National Childrens Alliance CEO Teresa Huizar said in an interview with States Newsroom that child advocacy centers, which help connect children who have survived sexual or domestic abuse to essential services, have no fat left to trim in their budgets.

What childrens advocacy centers are really looking at now are a set of extremely hard choices, Huizar said. Which kids to serve, which kids to turn away? CACs that have never had to triage cases previously, now will have to. CACs that have never had a waitlist for mental health services will now have long, lengthy waitlists to get kids in for therapy.

I mean, imagine being a kid whos been sexually abused and being told youre going to have to wait six months to see a counselor, Huizar added. Its terrible.

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, chairwoman of the spending panel that sets the cap every year based on the dwindling revenue, and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, the subcommittees ranking member, both indicated during brief interviews with States Newsroom that a fix is in the works but declined to provide details.

There is an effort to address that and were in the process of doing that, but in the meantime theres not as much money there, Shaheen said.

Fund goes up and down by billions

Congress established the crime victims fund in 1984 when it approved the Victims of Crime Act. Its funding comes from fines, forfeited bonds and other financial penalties in certain federal cases.

The money flowing into the fund fluctuates each year, making it difficult for the organizations that apply for and receive grant funding to plan their budgets. Congress hoped to alleviate those boom-and-bust cycles by placing the annual cap on how much money can be drawn from the crime victims fund.

But that cap has sharply decreased recently, causing frustration for organizations that rely on it and leading to repeated calls for Congress to find a long-term solution.

The cap stayed below $1 billion annually until fiscal year 2015, when it spiked to $2.3 billion before reaching a high of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2018.

The annual ceiling then dropped by more than $1 billion, starting the downward trend, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service and data from the Department of Justice.

The cap was set at $2 billion in fiscal year 2021 before rising to $2.6 billion in fiscal 2022 and then dropping to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2023.

Congress set the cap on withdrawals at $1.2 billion for fiscal 2024 when it approved the latest round of appropriations in March, and states and localities have reacted with concern at the prospect of such a dramatic cut. In Iowa, for example, where the state receives $5 million a year, the potential loss of funding posed a major question as legislators wrote their budget for judicial services.

A better fix sought

Congress approved legislation in 2021 to increase the types of revenue from federal court cases moving into the crime victims fund, but advocates say a longer-term answer is needed.

Huizar said the National Childrens Alliance and prosecutors as well as organizations that combat domestic and sexual violence have been urging Congress to fix the funding stream or supplement it to provide stability and consistency.

Now is the time for Congress to turn urgent attention to this issue if they do not want the safety net for kids and families and serious crime victims to just fall apart, Huizar said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers  Reps. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Jim Costa, D-Calif., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas and Ann Wagner, R-Mo.  have introduced legislation that would move unobligated funds collected from entities that defraud the federal government under the False Claims Act to the crime victims fund. The act is a main tool the federal government uses to fight fraud.

That bill is not a long-term solution but a temporary infusion of resources, according to a summary released by lawmakers.

As for the Senate appropriators, Moran said he and others on the spending subcommittee are waiting for the Judiciary Committees examination of the issue, so that we can take the authorizers suggestions and take them into account when we appropriate.

Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, wrote in a statement the sustainability of the CVF is extremely important, as evidenced by Senator Durbins work on the VOCA Fix that passed in 2021, and we continue to work with our colleagues and survivor advocates and service providers to examine further ways to strengthen the CVF.

Shaheens office did not provide details about what changes may be in the works, following multiple requests from States Newsroom.

Should taxpayer dollars be tapped?

Charles Smith, president of the National District Attorneys Association, said his organization supports the House bill, but he noted one problem with the short-term fix is that the crime victims fund would be last in line to get the additional revenue.

I believe that the government gets their money first, the whistleblower second and then were in kind of third place there, Smith said.

One struggle over the fluctuating revenue and available funding, Smith said, is debate about whether taxpayer dollars should be used to offset low balances.

We need to set a number that everybodys happy with, so to speak, and fund it through these available sources, Smith said. But if theres a deficit, there needs to be some mechanism in place for it to come out of the general fund.

The crime victims fund is essential for witness coordinators and victims assistance coordinators in prosecutors offices as well as other services for people who survive crimes.

Theyre critical for the well-being of the victim and a lot of times they are critical for the witness even showing up and testifying, said Smith, who also is the states attorney for Frederick County, Maryland.

The organizations that support crime victims, like child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, are crucial to prosecutors, Smith said.

Not only are we directly impacted by a loss of staffing and loss of resources, but a lot of the partner agencies that we rely on collaborating with are going to be hurt as well, Smith said of the reduction to the funding cap.

Real alarm in states

Karrie Delaney, director of federal affairs for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, said the slowdown of court cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and the last administration not prosecuting as many corporate cases has impacted the fund more than usual.

RAINN is the countrys largest anti-sexual-violence organization. It operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) alongside local organizations and runs the Defense Departments Safe Helpline. It also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, according to its website.

I think whats important from RAINNs perspective is the actual impact that those fluctuations have on the survivors that we support and organizations and service providers across the country, Delaney said.

When the federal cap decreases, she said, organizations that support crime victims often turn to state and local governments to make up the gap. And a lot of the times there arent enough funds to do that.

What weve seen across the states is real alarm that the cuts coming down are not just impacting the ability of these organizations to offer certain services, but to really keep their doors open, Delaney said.

Child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, Delaney added, are the real boots on the ground organizations that are helping people in times of very active crisis that are at risk of seeing their programs drastically cut to the point where service is placed in jeopardy.

The post Plummeting balance in federal crime victims fund sparks alarm among states, advocates appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
An attendee looks at a series of banners for National Crime Victims Rights Week Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall on April 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime held the event to pay tribute to victims and survivors of crime and individuals who provide service and support. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  States and local organizations that aid victims of sexual assault and other crimes are raising the alarm about a multi-year plunge in funds, a major problem they say Congress must fix soon or programs will be forced to set up wait lists or turn victims away altogether.

If you are a victim of crime, there are toll free, text and online hotlines available. A list from the Office for Victims of Crime is here. You can also find help in your state here.

Affected are rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers and more that serve millions of Americans and cant necessarily rely on scarce state or local dollars to keep the doors open if federal money runs short.

The problem has to do with a cap on withdrawals from the federal crime victims fund, put in place by Congress years ago in an earlier attempt at a solution.

Under the cap, how much money is available every year is determined by a complex three-year average of court fees, fines and penalties that have accumulated  a number that has plummeted by billions during the past six years. The fund does not receive any taxpayer dollars.

National Childrens Alliance CEO Teresa Huizar said in an interview with States Newsroom that child advocacy centers, which help connect children who have survived sexual or domestic abuse to essential services, have no fat left to trim in their budgets.

What childrens advocacy centers are really looking at now are a set of extremely hard choices, Huizar said. Which kids to serve, which kids to turn away? CACs that have never had to triage cases previously, now will have to. CACs that have never had a waitlist for mental health services will now have long, lengthy waitlists to get kids in for therapy.

I mean, imagine being a kid whos been sexually abused and being told youre going to have to wait six months to see a counselor, Huizar added. Its terrible.

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, chairwoman of the spending panel that sets the cap every year based on the dwindling revenue, and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, the subcommittees ranking member, both indicated during brief interviews with States Newsroom that a fix is in the works, but declined to provide details.

There is an effort to address that and were in the process of doing that, but in the meantime theres not as much money there, Shaheen said.

Fund goes up and down by billions every year

Congress established the crime victims fund in 1984 when it approved the Victims of Crime Act. Its funding comes from fines, forfeited bonds and other financial penalties in certain federal cases.

The money flowing into the fund fluctuates each year, making it difficult for the organizations that apply for and receive grant funding to plan their budgets. Congress hoped to alleviate those boom-and-bust cycles by placing the annual cap on how much money can be drawn from the crime victims fund.

But that cap has sharply decreased recently, causing frustration for organizations that rely on it and leading to repeated calls for Congress to find a long-term solution.

The cap stayed below $1 billion annually until fiscal year 2015 when it spiked to $2.3 billion before reaching a high of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2018.

The annual ceiling then dropped by more than $1 billion, starting the downward trend, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service and data from the Department of Justice.

The cap was set at $2 billion in fiscal year 2021 before rising to $2.6 billion in fiscal 2022 and then dropping to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2023.

Congress set the cap on withdrawals at $1.2 billion for fiscal 2024 when it approved the latest round of appropriations in March, and states and localities have reacted with concern at the prospect of such a dramatic cut. In Iowa, for example, where the state receives $5 million a year, the potential loss of funding posed a major question as legislators wrote their budget for judicial services.

A better fix sought

Congress approved legislation in 2021 to increase the types of revenue from federal court cases moving into the crime victims fund, but advocates say a longer-term answer is needed.

Huizar said the National Childrens Alliance and prosecutors as well as organizations that combat domestic and sexual violence have been urging Congress to fix the funding stream or supplement it to provide stability and consistency.

Now is the time for Congress to turn urgent attention to this issue if they do not want the safety net for kids and families and serious crime victims to just fall apart, Huizar said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers  Reps. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Jim Costa, D-Calif., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas and Ann Wagner, R-Mo.  have introduced legislation that would move unobligated funds collected from entities that defraud the federal government under the False Claims Act to the crime victims fund. The act is a main tool the federal government uses to fight fraud.

That bill is not a long-term solution, but a temporary infusion of resources, according to a summary released by lawmakers.

As for the Senate appropriators, Moran said he and others on the spending subcommittee are waiting for the Judiciary Committees examination of the issue, so that we can take the authorizers suggestions and take them into account when we appropriate.

Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, wrote in a statement the sustainability of the CVF is extremely important, as evidenced by Senator Durbins work on the VOCA Fix that passed in 2021, and we continue to work with our colleagues and survivor advocates and service providers to examine further ways to strengthen the CVF.

Shaheens office did not provide details about what changes may be in the works, following multiple requests from States Newsroom.

Should taxpayer dollars be tapped?

National District Attorneys Association President Charles Smith said his organization supports the House bill, but noted one problem with the short-term fix is that the crime victims fund would be last in line to get the additional revenue.

I believe that the government gets their money first, the whistleblower second and then were in kind of third place there, Smith said.

One struggle over the fluctuating revenue and available funding, Smith said, is debate about whether taxpayer dollars should be used to offset low balances.

We need to set a number that everybodys happy with, so to speak, and fund it through these available sources, Smith said. But if theres a deficit, there needs to be some mechanism in place for it to come out of the general fund.

The crime victims fund is essential for witness coordinators and victims assistance coordinators in prosecutors offices as well as other services for people who survive crimes.

Theyre critical for the well-being of the victim and a lot of times they are critical for the witness even showing up and testifying, said Smith, who also is the states attorney for Frederick County, Maryland.

The organizations that support crime victims, like child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, are crucial to prosecutors, Smith said.

Not only are we directly impacted by a loss of staffing and loss of resources, but a lot of the partner agencies that we rely on collaborating with are going to be hurt as well, Smith said of the reduction to the funding cap.

Real alarm in states

Karrie Delaney, director of federal affairs for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, said the slowdown of court cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and the last administration not prosecuting as many corporate cases has impacted the fund more than usual.

RAINN is the countrys largest anti-sexual-violence organization. It operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) alongside local organizations and runs the Defense Departments Safe Helpline. It also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, according to its website.

I think whats important from RAINNs perspective is the actual impact that those fluctuations have on the survivors that we support and organizations and service providers across the country, Delaney said.

When the federal cap decreases, she said, organizations that support crime victims often turn to state and local governments to make up the gap. And a lot of the times there arent enough funds to do that.

What weve seen across the states is real alarm that the cuts coming down are not just impacting the ability of these organizations to offer certain services, but to really keep their doors open, Delaney said.

Child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, Delaney added, are the real boots on the ground organizations that are helping people in times of very active crisis that are at risk of seeing their programs drastically cut to the point where service is placed in jeopardy.

The post Plummeting balance in federal crime victims fund sparks alarm among states, advocates appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
An attendee looks at a series of banners for National Crime Victims Rights Week Candlelight Vigil on the National Mall on April 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime held the event to pay tribute to victims and survivors of crime and individuals who provide service and support. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  States and local organizations that aid victims of sexual assault and other crimes are raising the alarm about a multi-year plunge in funds, a major problem they say Congress must fix soon or programs will be forced to set up wait lists or turn victims away altogether.

Affected are rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, child advocacy centers and more that serve millions of Americans and cant necessarily rely on scarce state or local dollars to keep the doors open if federal money runs short.

The problem has to do with a cap on withdrawals from the federal crime victims fund, put in place by Congress years ago in an earlier attempt at a solution.

Under the cap, how much money is available every year is determined by a complex three-year average of court fees, fines and penalties that have accumulated  a number that has plummeted by billions during the past six years. The fund does not receive any taxpayer dollars.

If you are a victim of crime, there are toll free, text and online hotlines available. A list from the Office for Victims of Crime is here. You can also find help in your state here.

National Childrens Alliance CEO Teresa Huizar said in an interview with States Newsroom that child advocacy centers, which help connect children who have survived sexual or domestic abuse to essential services, have no fat left to trim in their budgets.

What childrens advocacy centers are really looking at now are a set of extremely hard choices, Huizar said. Which kids to serve, which kids to turn away? CACs that have never had to triage cases previously, now will have to. CACs that have never had a waitlist for mental health services will now have long, lengthy waitlists to get kids in for therapy.

I mean, imagine being a kid whos been sexually abused and being told youre going to have to wait six months to see a counselor, Huizar added. Its terrible.

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, chairwoman of the spending panel that sets the cap every year based on the dwindling revenue, and Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran, the subcommittees ranking member, both indicated during brief interviews with States Newsroom that a fix is in the works, but declined to provide details.

There is an effort to address that and were in the process of doing that, but in the meantime theres not as much money there, Shaheen said.

Fund goes up and down by billions every year

Congress established the crime victims fund in 1984 when it approved the Victims of Crime Act. Its funding comes from fines, forfeited bonds and other financial penalties in certain federal cases.

The money flowing into the fund fluctuates each year, making it difficult for the organizations that apply for and receive grant funding to plan their budgets. Congress hoped to alleviate those boom-and-bust cycles by placing the annual cap on how much money can be drawn from the crime victims fund.

But that cap has sharply decreased recently, causing frustration for organizations that rely on it and leading to repeated calls for Congress to find a long-term solution.

The cap stayed below $1 billion annually until fiscal year 2015 when it spiked to $2.3 billion before reaching a high of $4.4 billion in fiscal year 2018.

I mean, imagine being a kid whos been sexually abused and being told youre going to have to wait six months to see a counselor.

 National Childrens Alliance CEO Teresa Huizar

The annual ceiling then dropped by more than $1 billion, starting the downward trend, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service and data from the Department of Justice.

The cap was set at $2 billion in fiscal year 2021 before rising to $2.6 billion in fiscal 2022 and then dropping to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2023.

Congress set the cap on withdrawals at $1.2 billion for fiscal 2024 when it approved the latest round of appropriations in March, and states and localities have reacted with concern at the prospect of such a dramatic cut. In Iowa, for example, where the state receives $5 million a year, the potential loss of funding posed a major question as legislators wrote their budget for judicial services.

A better fix sought

Congress approved legislation in 2021 to increase the types of revenue from federal court cases moving into the crime victims fund, but advocates say a longer-term answer is needed.

Huizar said the National Childrens Alliance and prosecutors as well as organizations that combat domestic and sexual violence have been urging Congress to fix the funding stream or supplement it to provide stability and consistency.

Now is the time for Congress to turn urgent attention to this issue if they do not want the safety net for kids and families and serious crime victims to just fall apart, Huizar said.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers  Reps. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Jim Costa, D-Calif., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas and Ann Wagner, R-Mo.  have introduced legislation that would move unobligated funds collected from entities that defraud the federal government under the False Claims Act to the crime victims fund. The act is a main tool the federal government uses to fight fraud.

That bill is not a long-term solution, but a temporary infusion of resources, according to a summary released by lawmakers.

As for the Senate appropriators, Moran said he and others on the spending subcommittee are waiting for the Judiciary Committees examination of the issue, so that we can take the authorizers suggestions and take them into account when we appropriate.

Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, wrote in a statement the sustainability of the CVF is extremely important, as evidenced by Senator Durbins work on the VOCA Fix that passed in 2021, and we continue to work with our colleagues and survivor advocates and service providers to examine further ways to strengthen the CVF.

Shaheens office did not provide details about what changes may be in the works, following multiple requests from States Newsroom.

Should taxpayer dollars be tapped?

National District Attorneys Association President Charles Smith said his organization supports the House bill, but noted one problem with the short-term fix is that the crime victims fund would be last in line to get the additional revenue.

I believe that the government gets their money first, the whistleblower second and then were in kind of third place there, Smith said.

One struggle over the fluctuating revenue and available funding, Smith said, is debate about whether taxpayer dollars should be used to offset low balances.

We need to set a number that everybodys happy with, so to speak, and fund it through these available sources, Smith said. But if theres a deficit, there needs to be some mechanism in place for it to come out of the general fund.

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The crime victims fund is essential for witness coordinators and victims assistance coordinators in prosecutors offices as well as other services for people who survive crimes.

Theyre critical for the well-being of the victim and a lot of times they are critical for the witness even showing up and testifying, said Smith, who also is the states attorney for Frederick County, Maryland.

The organizations that support crime victims, like child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, are crucial to prosecutors, Smith said.

Not only are we directly impacted by a loss of staffing and loss of resources, but a lot of the partner agencies that we rely on collaborating with are going to be hurt as well, Smith said of the reduction to the funding cap.

Real alarm in states

Karrie Delaney, director of federal affairs for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, said the slowdown of court cases during the COVID-19 pandemic and the last administration not prosecuting as many corporate cases has impacted the fund more than usual.

RAINN is the countrys largest anti-sexual-violence organization. It operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE) alongside local organizations and runs the Defense Departments Safe Helpline. It also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, according to its website.

I think whats important from RAINNs perspective is the actual impact that those fluctuations have on the survivors that we support and organizations and service providers across the country, Delaney said.

When the federal cap decreases, she said, organizations that support crime victims often turn to state and local governments to make up the gap. And a lot of the times there arent enough funds to do that.

What weve seen across the states is real alarm that the cuts coming down are not just impacting the ability of these organizations to offer certain services, but to really keep their doors open, Delaney said.

Child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers, Delaney added, are the real boots on the ground organizations that are helping people in times of very active crisis that are at risk of seeing their programs drastically cut to the point where service is placed in jeopardy.

The post Plummeting balance in federal crime victims fund sparks alarm among states, advocates appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Poland verifying if judge who asked for asylum in Belarus was a spy

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is verifying if a Polish judge who had access to confidential information and asked for political asylum in Belarus had been spying, authorities said on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, Tomasz Szmydt, a judge from a Warsaw administrative court, asked for asylum in Belarus, saying he acted in protest to Poland's policy towards Russia and Belarus, according to a video aired by Russian TV.

A hub for Western military supplies to Ukraine as it fights Russia's invasion, Poland says it has become a major target of Russian spies. It accuses Moscow and its ally Belarus of trying to destabilise it.

Prosecutors are checking if Szmydt has been spying against Poland given his Monday's statement and information he had access to as a judge, a Polish State Prosecutor's Office spokesperson told Reuters.

Szmydt was slated to rule on cases concerning issuing security clearances to information on NATO and European Union secrets next month, according to a calendar of court sittings of the Warsaw administrative court. "The matter requires immediate clarification," Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters on Monday, adding that going to Belarus makes previous activities a matter that "gives a lot to think about."

Separately, the Polish Internal Security Agency said it is checking the scope of confidential information that Szmydt had access to, said a spokesperson for the coordinator of Poland's secret services.

(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki and Anna Koper; Editing by Josie Kao)
Camay De Silva was never an intended target.

The 18-year-old was shot and killed when visiting Delaware State University on April 21, according to police, after an altercation unrelated to her visit sparked gun violence near a residential hall that weekend. And two weeks after her death, Dover police called a press conference Monday to identify two Dover men arrested in connection to it.

Destry Jones and Damien Hinson have been arrested in connection to the shots "that claimed the life of Ms. De Silva," Chief Thomas Johnson said Monday morning.

Following a police investigation and cross-state collaboration, Jones was arrested in a Brooklyn apartment on May 2. The 20-year-old now awaits extradition on six charges, including murder. Later the same day, Hinson was arrested in the parking lot of a Dover shopping center. The 18-year-old was committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on cash bail exceeding $3 million under similar charges.

What happened?

Thomas Johnson Jr., chief of the Dover Police Department, speaks at a press conference on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023.

Back in the early hours of that Sunday, before 1:40 a.m., De Silva was shot just outside the north end of an underpass outside Warren Franklin Residential Hall.

Chief Johnson said Dover officers heard what they believed to be shots fired in the area of Gate 3 along College Road, at nearly the same time university police received the call reporting shots fired and a fight breaking out on campus. At first, neither agency located a fight or crime scene.

Then, another call reported a woman lying on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Police now understand Jones and Hinson were part of a group that took part in a "physical altercation," Johnson said, outside the Tubman Laws building before shots were ever fired. Police said an investigation later showed the two left the fight and fired the shots that ultimately killed De Silva.

The prosecution was present Monday, too. Dan Logan, state prosecutor with Delaware's Department of Justice, said his office will "remain laser-focused on pursuing justice to the fullest extent of the law," noting the help of witnesses to bring the case together. Further details were not shared.

Police said Jones and Hinson will each face one count of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, one count of possession of a firearm while committing a felony, one count of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited to do so, alongside one count of conspiracy.

Delaware crime: Campus crime is spiking to pre-pandemic levels. University of Delaware tells similar story

A life lost to gun violence at Delaware State University

A photo collage shows pictures of Camay De Silva at a press conference on Thursday April 25, 2024.

After the call that reported her shooting, police said, De Silva was found unconscious and rushed to the hospital. It was too late, and she died from a head wound.

Police said no one else was injured. De Silva was identified by the following Monday morning, and by that Tuesday, Delaware State shared resources with the university community in a virtual forum. The next night, a vigil was hosted on campus.

De Silva is survived by a large extended family and one little sister. The New Jersey native had her eyes on a career in cybersecurity, planning to transfer and finish a degree in computer science at Delaware State University.

Deeper read: Wilmington family remembers a 'bright light' in teen lost to shooting at Delaware State

"I know she would have been an exceptional, exceptional student," University President Tony Allen told Monday's crowd. "We continue to pray for your family, and we will take an important moment to honor Camay during this year's commencement ceremony."

That undergraduate ceremony is set for 8 a.m. this Friday, May 10, in Memorial Hall Gymnasium.

Got a story? Contact Kelly Powers at 231-622-2191 or kepowers@gannett.com. Follow her on X @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Fatal shooting at Delaware State: 2 Dover men arrested on charges
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  Max Gentilin, charged with hitting and killing two women early Sunday morning on Morrison Drive, has been released from the Al Cannon Detention Center on a $300,000 surety bond.

Affidavits from the Charleston Police Departments investigation into the deadly crash appear to show the 25-year-old Charleston man knew police were looking to speak with him hours after striking the two victims.

The Sunday morning crash

Lizzy Zito and Ariana Gamber were walking home in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to Zitos family members.

It was like 1:15 a.m., she said she was going to be home in 15 minutes and that didnt come; so, we figured the incident was between one and two oclock in the morning, said her father, Frank Zito.

An investigation by the Charleston Police Department determined a Honda Acura, driven by Gentilin, was traveling north on Morrison Drive around 1:43 a.m. when it ran off the right side of the roadway, struck the two women, and ran onto the curb which had thick brush and foliage.

Charleston police respond to deadly hit and run on Morrison Drive

The vehicle continued on the raised area along the curb for several feet before reentering the roadway.

Affidavits show the bodies of both victims were found hours later among the foliage with traumatic injuries when a citizen called 9-1-1 around 8:30 a.m. to report seeing two unresponsive victims.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Evidence at the scene

Investigators said several vehicle parts were found at the crash site. They also observed dark tire markings in the roadway, indicating the vehicles path of travel. Those markings were consistent with that of a flat tire and led to a parking spot on the street near the Morrison Yard Apartments, not far from the incident location.

Affidavits show the Honda had sustained damage and the right passenger side tire was flat. There were also leaves and twigs on the interior and exterior of the vehicle.

South Carolina underbuilt for a decade. Now the Lowcountry is paying for it

Video obtained from the apartment complex shows a person exiting the drivers side of the vehicle and inspecting the damage. Another shows the man, Gentilin, removing twigs and leaves from outside the vehicle. He can also be heard saying, What am I supposed to do? according to the documents.

The affidavit states that Gentilin told a friend that he had struck a tree by the bridge immediately after the crash.

A search of the license plate through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) came back as registered to an address belonging to Gentilins parents. They told law enforcement that their son was the driver and in possession of the Honda Acura.

It was revealed during a Thursday afternoon bond hearing that Gentilin stayed at his parents home after the crash.

Behavior at work

Gentilin arrived to work at a downtown Charleston restaurant around 10:00 a.m. Sunday, hours after the deadly crash, according to the affidavits.

The mans co-workers told investigators that his behavior appeared to be abnormal and out of character, even seeming to be panicked.

Charlotte officer Eyers wife gives emotional speech at fallen husbands funeral service

At one point, the affidavit said Gentilin told one of his managers, I crashed my car last night and the police are calling me. I need to go handle this. He also stated, I f up. I f up.

Gentilin left work about an hour and a half before his scheduled end of shift.

The victims

The victims, both 20, were from Simpsonville in South Carolinas upstate. Family members for Zito said she and Ariana Gamber were in town visiting friends for the weekend.

This photo shows Lizzy Zito and family members, courtesy Christopher Zito

Zito was a psychology major at the College of Charleston with plans to graduate on May 10 after having completed her degree in three years.

College leaders described her as being musically talented with a passion for creating music. Her father said Lizzy loved animals and was working at a local clinic.

Shed sing every night in the other bedroom with her headset, and she made up her own music, recorded her own music, Zito said. Lizzy was everyones heart and soul. Everybody loved her. Our lives will never be the same.

Not much is known about Gamber; however, her mother, Nicole Gamber, told News 2 in a phone interview that she was in love with life and said they were praying that justice would be brought to both families.

Gentilins bond hearing

Gentilin turned himself in to law enforcement on the afternoon of April 30. He was charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident causing death and held at the Al Cannon Detention Center.

Family members of both women spoke during a Thursday afternoon bond hearing and asked for harsh penalties against Gentilin as they sought justice for their daughters.

[He] has family here that harbored him since Sunday until yesterday when the warrant was issued. I dont believe that leaving the scene of an accident, abandoning your vehicle, and not turning yourself in shows a lack of flight risk by any means, said Gamber.

Bear cub filmed in viral video doing well at NC refuge

He needs to stay in jail. Those two girls need to have justice. He left them laying [] he left them there and just dumped the car and didnt turn himself in for days. He has zero sympathy for life for any person in the world. He put a hole in our heart that will never be full, Zito said.

The judge who oversaw the hearing said she had to follow what state law would allow when setting Gentilins bond.

These are terrible cases because I do not have the ability to deny bond. South Carolina law only allows me to deny bond on cases that are deemed violent, and amazingly, this is not one, she said.

Max Gentilin attends a bond hearing in Charleston County on Thursday, May 2.

He was given a $150,000 bond on each charge for a total surety bond of $300,000. Jail records show he was released from the detention center around 11:00 p.m. Thursday.

In the affidavits, investigators said that dispatch records indicate Gentilin never attempted to contact law enforcement after the crash, nor did he stay at the scene or render aid to the victims.

The defendant was aware that he had been involved in a collision, the affidavits state.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 6. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov took part in a solemn ceremony of laying a time capsule at the site of the new village of Zhany-Barak, where Kyrgyz people resettled from the Barak exclave will live, Trend reports.

According to the Kyrgyz president's press service, the head of state emphasized the historical significance of this event for all Kyrgyz people, as the village of Barak was an exclave on the territory of Uzbekistan, and its residents experienced serious difficulties for many years due to partial isolation and restrictions on entering and exiting their homeland.

In his speech, Zhaparov recalled the signing of the agreement "On the Delimitation of Certain Sections of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek State Border between the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Uzbekistan" on November 3, 2022, in Bishkek.

The president emphasized that Barak residents' relocation to the new territory of Kyrgyzstan will be an important step towards improving their living conditions and stability.

The master plan calls for 38-hectare construction of the new community. It includes awarding 8-acre plots for 164 residents, building 101 new dwellings, and giving plots to the adult children of new village members. House construction is slated to finish by August 31.
An encampment set up by pro-Palestine activists on the University of Iowa campus was shut down by police within a half hour of it being set up Monday morning. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

An encampment set up by pro-Palestine activists on the University of Iowa campus was dismantled within half an hour by university, county and state police.

University of Iowa Action for Palestine, described on its social media as an autonomous network of students, community members, alumni, and staff organizing and acting for a free, Liberated Palestine, set up tents in Hubbard Park early Monday morning.

University of Iowa police became aware of the encampment at 7:18 a.m., according to a news release from the University of Iowa Police Department, and told those setting up the encampment that the police would remove any materials and possibly make arrests if they didnt tear it down within 30 minutes. The individuals were also informed of university policy, which does not allow encampments on campus.

The group then continued building a fence to reinforce the camp with chicken wire, wood pallets, plywood with handles, and a sheet of corrugated metal, the press release stated. When this occurred, UIPD made the decision to immediately enforce university policy and began to remove the materials.

Organizers were warned again that they could be arrested if they didnt leave, the release stated, after which people left. No arrests were made. According to the release, Iowa State Patrol and the Johnson County Sheriffs Office assisted UI police.

Mondays action came after Iowa City Students for Justice in Palestine held a three-day event in support of other student encampments across the U.S. and to reiterate demands that the UI call for a ceasefire in Gaza and stop its work with companies and organizations with Israeli ties. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said last week during a press conference that protests that involve destruction or hate speech would not be tolerated.

Protests in support of Palestine have also taken place at Iowa State University and Grinnell College. Nationwide, more than 2,000 people have been arrested at protests on college campuses, according to the Associated Press.

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Police identify three further suspects of attack on German politician

MEP Matthias Ecke at the state party conference of the SPD Saxony in Chemnitz, where he was again nominated as a candidate for the upcoming election. Heiko Rebsch/dpa

Following an attack on a German member of the European Parliament and a Green Party election worker in the city of Dresden, police have identified all four suspects.

A 17-year-old had previously turned himself in to police on Sunday following the attack on Matthias Ecke, who represents the Social Democrats (SPD) in the European Parliament, during campaign work on Friday evening.

Evidence was seized during house searches and is now being analysed.

The four young men are 17 and 18 years old. It will be some time before the investigation is finalized, the statement by the police and the state's public prosecutor's office said.

The background to the offence is still unclear.

Ecke was brutally beaten by a gang of four assailants on Friday evening while hanging campaign posters in the eastern German city.

He is still in hospital where he underwent surgery on Sunday.

Witnesses described the assailants as dressed in dark clothing and said they seemed to be part of the far-right extremist scene.

Ecke is the SPD's top candidate in the state of Saxony for June's European elections. He has served in the European Parliament since 2022.

Minutes before Ecke was attacked, according to the police, a group of four assailants had also assaulted a 28-year-old Green Party campaign worker while he was putting up posters in the same part of Dresden.

The attacks triggered a debate about the escalation of violence during election campaigns. Several thousand people demonstrated to denounce the attacks and defend Germany's democratic values in Dresden and Berlin on Sunday.
Police identify three further suspects of attack on German politician

A fence surrounds the Dresden-Sued police station. After the brutal attack on the SPD politician Ecke, a 17-year-old turned himself in to the police here. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

Following an attack on a German member of the European Parliament and a Green Party election worker in the city of Dresden, police have identified all four suspects.

A 17-year-old had previously turned himself in to police on Sunday following the attack on Matthias Ecke, who represents the Social Democrats (SPD) in the European Parliament, during campaign work on Friday evening.

Evidence was seized during house searches and is now being analysed.

The suspects are four young men, aged 17 and 18. As there are no grounds for arrest, they are at large, according to the public prosecutor's office.

The motive for the offence is currently under investigation. It will take some time before the investigation is finalized, the statement by the police and the state's public prosecutor's office said.

Ecke was brutally beaten by four assailants on Friday evening while hanging campaign posters in the eastern German city.

He is still in hospital where he underwent surgery on Sunday.

Witnesses described the assailants as dressed in dark clothing and said they seemed to be part of the far-right extremist scene.

Ecke is the SPD's top candidate in the state of Saxony for June's European elections. He has served in the European Parliament since 2022.

Minutes before Ecke was attacked, according to the police, a group of four assailants had also assaulted a 28-year-old Green Party campaign worker while he was putting up posters in the same part of Dresden.

The attacks triggered a debate about the escalation of violence during election campaigns.

Several thousand people demonstrated to denounce the attacks and defend Germany's democratic values in Dresden and Berlin on Sunday.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has described the recent attacks on politicians as a major threat to democracy itself.

"If local politicians - and this applies equally to members of state parliaments, the German Bundestag and the European Parliament - no longer dare to run for office, no longer dare to put up posters or attend election rallies, (...) then democracy is dying from the ground up," Pistorius said on Monday.

Nothing worse could happen to democracy, the minister added.

"We will not leave this democracy, our way of living in freedom and security, to fascists, right-wing extremists or those who do this business for others on the streets as the extended arm of the AfD," he said, referring to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

He said the attacks on Friday are reminiscent of Nazi Storm Troopers "beating people on the streets before 1933." Parts of the AfD are right-wing extremist, he added, "and that is how we must finally treat them."

An election poster for Matthias Ecke, the Saxon SPD's leading candidate in the European elections, hangs on a lamppost on Schandauer Strasse in the Striesen district of Dresden. Robert Michael/dpa
Police: Man shot, killed in Yorks first homicide since 2022

A 21-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday night in the city of Yorks first homicide since 2022, according to police.

The York Police Department said officers were called just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday to Galilean Road, where they found a 21-year-old man had been shot. He died at the scene.

ALSO READ: FEMA, SBA tour areas severely hit by York County storms

The victim, JaiShaun Young, was from Gastonia, North Carolina.

Youngs mother, Shauna Burger, told Channel 9s Ken Lemon on Monday that shes heartbroken.

You dont know what you just did to me, you took my whole life away from me, Burger said.

She showed Lemon a picture of Young, saying he loved his family. She said Young has a 4-year-old son.

When he walked into a room, he had the biggest smile. He made sure he gave everybody a hug, Burger said.

Burger says she cant imagine why anyone would want to hurt him.

Police investigators said that Young and some friends from Gastonia went to the home on Galilean Road to visit girls they met on social media. Young was on the back porch when witnesses said they heard gunfire.

Burger said one shot killed her son, and it wounded her to the core.

I have such a void, she said.

On May 20, the York Police Department announced that two 15-year-olds were charged with murder and 10 counts of attempted murder in connection with the case. The suspects werent identified due to their age.

Its not yet clear if the juveniles will be tried as adults. York police said the 16th Circuit Solicitors Office would make that decision.

Demanding justice

Burger is pleading for answers, saying someone out there can help her grieving family.

If they come to you or they question you, please tell them everything you know, she said.

Burger says she wants her grandson to know the shooter wont escape justice.

You have to give his son some type of closure, she said.

Those who wish to assist the family can donate here.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of York County at 877-409-4321.

(WATCH BELOW: York Co. court acquits Gastonia man in September 2022 double homicide)
Police: One killed during shooting in Chesapeake, near an Exxon

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY)  One man is dead after a shooting in the 5100 block of W. Military Highway, near a 7-Eleven and an Exxon station, police said.

Around 6:25 p.m., the Chesapeake Police Department responded to a report of a man being shot at a business. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.

The victim was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. This is an active investigation. No additional details have been released.

If you have any information about this case, you can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, downloading the P3 tips app to a mobile device, or visiting www.P3tips.com and submitting a tip.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
Russian forces struck Kharkiv Oblast with a FAB-1500 air-dropped bomb for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Kharkiv Oblast Police reported on May 6.

Russian troops used the bomb in the May 5 attack on the village of Monachynivka in the Kupiansk district.

The strike killed an 88-year-old woman and injured a 34-year-old man. The woman's body was found under the rubble after the fire was extinguished.

Serhii Bolvinov, head of the investigative department of the regional police, said that the FAB-1500 bomb, a 1.5-tonne weapon of which nearly half comprises high explosives, was equipped with a special module that allowed it to glide in the air after being dropped.

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"Everything around shuddered as if an earthquake had begun. A single blow destroyed an entire street,"Bolvinov wrote on Facebook.

The Russian military previously used the FAB-1500 bombs in Donetsk Oblast to hit local factories, energy infrastructure, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces' positions.

This bomb is usually delivered from above by fighter jets from 60-70 kilometers, out of range of most Ukrainian air defense systems.

Russia recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast, using missiles, glide bombs, and drones to destroy energy infrastructure and kill civilians. Over the past day, at least 20 people were injured, and one person was killed due to the recent strikes.

Read also: Surviving through the darkness: How Kharkiv endures new wave of brutal Russian attacks (Photos)

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  The Oregon State Police are trying to find two people who they said were poaching elk.

According to officials, on Feb. 6, 2024, troopers responded to a private ranch in Umatilla County where there were reports of several elk killed unlawfully.

Two people were spotted trespassing on trail cameras a few months prior in December 2023 and authorities said they believe those same people were seen packing out elk meat on the property.

Oregon State Police are seeking suspects after dead elk found in Umatilla County (OSP)

Oregon State Police are seeking suspects after dead elk found in Umatilla County (OSP)

Anyone with information about the poachers is asked to contact Oregon State Police.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
MEP Matthias Ecke at the state party conference of the SPD Saxony in Chemnitz, where he was again nominated as a candidate for the upcoming election. Heiko Rebsch/dpa

At least one of the four suspects of the attack on a German member of the European Parliament is part of the right-wing political scene, the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Saxony said.

It is believed that the suspect belongs to the "politically-motivated right-wing category," a spokeswoman for the LKA announced on Monday.

Matthias Ecke, who represents the Social Democrats (SPD) in the European Parliament, was brutally beaten by four assailants on Friday evening while hanging campaign posters in the eastern German city of Dresden.

Police have identified four young men, aged 17 and 18, as suspects. As there are no grounds for arrest, they are at large, according to the public prosecutor's office.

Evidence was seized during house searches and is now being analysed.

The motive for the offence is currently under investigation. It will take some time before the investigation is finalized, the statement by the police and the state's public prosecutor's office said.

Ecke himself sent a message of thanks from the hospital: "I am overwhelmed by your sympathy and solidarity," he wrote on X.

It does him good and gives him strength, he wrote on Monday, adding that it's not just about him. "In a democracy, nobody should have to fear speaking their mind!"

Ecke also posted a photo showing him with a black eye and plasters on his face and what appears to be a hospital room in the background.

Ecke, who is the SPD's lead candidate in the state of Saxony for the European elections, underwent surgery on Sunday. The 41-year-old suffered a fracture to his cheekbone and eye socket as well as haematomas to his face, said Saxony's SPD leader Henning Homann.

Witnesses described the assailants as dressed in dark clothing and said they seemed to be part of the far-right extremist scene.

Minutes before Ecke was attacked, according to the police, a group of four assailants had also assaulted a 28-year-old Green Party campaign worker while he was putting up posters in the same part of Dresden.

The deputy government spokeswoman, Christiane Hoffmann, said in Berlin on Monday that attacks on politicians and voluntary campaigners "threaten our democracy."

The attacks triggered a debate about the escalation of violence during election campaigns.

Several thousand people demonstrated to denounce the attacks and defend Germany's democratic values in Dresden and Berlin on Sunday.

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has described the recent attacks on politicians as a major threat to democracy itself.

"If local politicians - and this applies equally to members of state parliaments, the German Bundestag and the European Parliament - no longer dare to run for office, no longer dare to put up posters or attend election rallies, (...) then democracy is dying from the ground up," Pistorius said on Monday.

Nothing worse could happen to democracy, the minister added.

"We will not leave this democracy, our way of living in freedom and security, to fascists, right-wing extremists or those who do this business for others on the streets as the extended arm of the AfD," he said, referring to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

He said the attacks on Friday are reminiscent of Nazi Storm Troopers "beating people on the streets before 1933." Parts of the AfD are right-wing extremist, he added, "and that is how we must finally treat them."

An election poster for Matthias Ecke, the Saxon SPD's leading candidate in the European elections, hangs on a lamppost on Schandauer Strasse in the Striesen district of Dresden. Robert Michael/dpa
Tomasz Szmydt, a judge of the Voivodeship Administrative Court of Warsaw, has appeared at a press conference in Minsk declaring that he wants to stay in Belarus and will be applying for political asylum, as he does not agree with the policy of his country.

Source: BelTA, a Belarusian state-owned news agency, and TASS, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet

Details: At the briefing, Szmydt read out a statement "resigning as a judge" and stating that he plans to claim political asylum because he disagrees with the policy of the Polish authorities, which, he said, "under the influence of the United States and the UK, are leading the country to war".

Szmydt, who said he would like to "show Belarus as he sees it as a foreigner", suggested that citizens of the Baltic states should visit Belarus and see the situation as it really is and not as it is apparently distorted by the media.

He described Belarus as "a country with great potential" and stated that it has "a very wise leader".

Szmydt is reported to have previously held various positions in the Polish judiciary, including head of the legal department at Polands National Council of Judges.

Background:

There was a similar case at the end of 2021 when Polish soldier Emil Czeczko fled to Belarus. He faced 10 years in prison for desertion but was found hanged in March 2022.

It also became known that he had problems with the law: he had been found guilty of beating and torturing his mother by a Polish court of first instance and could have had his sentence confirmed on appeal before he fled.

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On 6 May, Ukraine and Poland's presidents, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Andrzej Duda, spoke by phone about the impending Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

Source: Zelenskyy and Duda on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy thanked Duda for the unwavering support for Ukraines Peace Formula and the "confirmation of his attendance at the Peace Summit in Switzerland".

Quote: "We discussed steps to ensure the broadest possible participation of Global South countries. The only reliable peace is one based on fair conditions. Our Peace Summit provides the best opportunity to accomplish this," he added.

I spoke with President of Poland @AndrzejDuda and thanked him for his unwavering support for the Peace Formula and confirmation of his attendance at the Peace Summit in Switzerland.



We discussed steps to ensure the broadest possible participation of Global South countries. pic.twitter.com/lo9URA1vHb  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) May 6, 2024

The Polish president acknowledged that he informed his Ukrainian counterpart about his participation in the next peace summit in Switzerland.

"We are united for the sake of a just peace!" Duda concluded.

Today I had a phone call with President @ZelenskyyUa. During the conversation I declared my participation in the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland. We are united for the sake of a just peace!  pic.twitter.com/QphG9QKACS  Andrzej Duda (@AndrzejDuda) May 6, 2024

The Global Peace Summit will be held on 15-16 June in the Swiss city of Burgenstock. Switzerland has invited over 160 countries and international organisations, but not Russia.

Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, has announced that the Pope was invited to the Global Peace Summit.

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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 6. Turkmenistan and Afghanistan discussed issues of increasing trade relations, Trend reports.

According to the official source, these issues were discussed between the Governor of the Afghan province of Herat Noor Ahmad Islamjar and the delegation of Turkmenistan headed by Chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Nokerguly Atagulyev during their visit to Afghanistan.

During the visit, the delegation from Turkmenistan visited marble processing plants in the industrial zone of Herat province, where they became acquainted with the production of local enterprises.

The Governor of Herat noted that the private sector of the province produces all products, and there are currently about a thousand factories in the city.

Meanwhile, earlier on April 26, a meeting was held in Kabul under the leadership of Mammetkhan Chakiyev, Director General of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, and Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, at which the issue of creating a joint logistics center in Torghundi city was discussed.
Poland is hoping its out-of-power populists can help turn Donald Trump against Russia and persuade him to further support Ukraine, Politico reported on May 6.

Trump has long pushed for NATO countries to increase their defense spending and unsettled international allies in February when he said he would allow Russia to do "whatever the hell they want" to member countries failing to meet defense spending criteria.

Polish President Andrzej Duda met with the former president in New York City on April 17, where the two "discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict with Israel in the Middle East, and many other topics having to do with getting to world peace," a statement by the Trump campaign read.

A day after the meeting, Trump, who has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and often criticized aid to Ukraine, wrote on social media: "As everyone agrees, Ukrainian Survival and Strength should be much more important to Europe than to us, but it is also important to us! GET MOVING EUROPE!"

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Duda also met with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, with some crediting the meeting with helping the long-delayed vote on U.S. military aid for Ukraine.

"Duda is our Republican whisperer," Michal Baranowski, who leads the German Marshall Funds Poland office, told Politico.

Conservative politicians close to the formerly ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and Duda played up the apparent role he had played in persuading Trump and Johnson to take a more pro-Ukraine stance.

"A big round of applause for President Andrzej Duda, who has gained powerful resources to fight Russian imperialism," said Dariusz Matecki, a lawmaker of the Sovereign Poland party allied with PiS.

But others were less inclined to believe that Polish officials had such sway over U.S. politics. EU lawmaker Andrzej Halicki told Politico the idea was "nonsense."

Ahead of U.S. presidential elections later this year and a possible Trump victory, his stance on Russia and Ukraine is cause for concern in European capitals, particularly Kyiv.

Trump has repeatedly said he could end Russias war within 24 hours if elected president, without specifying the steps for reaching a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

The former president "made it very clear" that he believed Ukraine "must be part of Russia," his former advisor Fiona Hill said, according to The Guardian, citing an excerpt from a book by The New York Times reporter David Sanger.

Read also: Opinion: Trump is Putins only hope now

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
MEXICO BEACH  One person is dead following a fatal traffic crash in Bay County on Sunday.

According to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident occurred about 7 a.m. along U.S. 98 near Research Road. The area is located in Bay County near Mexico Beach.

The victim was a 23-year-old woman from Port St. Joe.

A 23-year-old woman from Port St. Joe died in a head-on traffic crash in Bay County near Mexico Beach on May 5, 2024.

The release notes the woman was traveling east on U.S. 98, just east of Research Road, when she crossed the center line and into the path of oncoming traffic. There were foggy conditions at that time.

At about the same time, a pickup truck driven by a 69-year-old man from Panama City Beach was traveling along the road in the opposite direction. The truck was following an unmarked Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission law enforcement vehicle.

When the woman crossed the center line of U.S. 98, she collided head-on with the pickup truck.

She was pronounced dead on scene, while the man driving the truck survived and was transported to a local hospital, according to the FHP.

Upcoming traffic: Expect delays: Bay County to host 2024 Visit PCB IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast on May 11

Responding to the crash were first responders from Tyndall Air Force Base, Tyndall Air Force Base Fire Rescue, Bay County Emergency Management Services, Mexico Beach Fire Rescue, Bay County Sheriff's Office and FWC.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Port St. Joe woman, 23, dies in head-on traffic crash in Bay County
When Potawatomi Chief Shab-eh-nay left his home in present-day DeKalb County to visit family in Kansas, he returned just weeks later to seized lands. The U.S. government had illegally auctioned off the 1,280-acre reservation.

They said he abandoned his land and sold it, said Joseph Rupnick, the chairman of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.

The generational trauma of the past 175 years weighed heavily on Rupnick, Shab-eh-nays fourth great-grandson. And it remained at the forefront of his mind April 19 when he signed a deed placing 130 acres of that land in trust  a bureaucratic process that grants Prairie Band sovereignty in the territory.

It means for the first time in nearly two centuries, Illinois is home to a federally recognized tribal nation.

All those years of fighting, and trying to get folks to see the injustice that was done, actually is starting to make change, Rupnick said. Its kind of surreal.

The designation marks a long-awaited victory in the tribal nations fight to recover its ancestral home. When the land is placed in trust, the legal title is transferred to the U.S. government, which will hold it on behalf of Prairie Band and establish tribal governance. It opens up a string of benefits including tax credits and land use exemptions.

Prairie Band first purchased a piece of the acreage in the small village of Shabbona in 2004 and another swath of farmland two years later. Proposed legislation at the state and federal levels would allow the newly established reservation to expand further.

This is a chance for us to right that historical wrong, Rupnick said. We know that this fight was not in vain.

Millions of Indigenous people once lived in the Midwest. But as settlers began to expand west, tribes were forced to relinquish their lands, often through arbitrary treaties. An 1829 treaty had protected the land in DeKalb County for Shab-eh-nay and Prairie Band before its seizure decades later.

The Indian Removal Act in 1830 eventually drove all tribes in the region west of the Mississippi, including the Potawatomi. Prairie Band purchased a reservation in Kansas, where most of its 5,000 citizens still live today.

The 1833 Treaty of Chicago forced Native Americans off their land, but legal disputes continued for years

Because of the intentional invisibility and erasure within this country of Indigenous people, its like you have to teach people that we still exist, said Jasmine Gurneau, the board president of the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative.

The recent land transfer was made possible by a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case, McGirt v. Oklahoma. The court determined that tribal nations still have sovereignty over historic reservations if they were never formally disestablished by Congress. It allowed Prairie Band to apply for trust status within the grounds of the former Shab-eh-nay Reservation, according to Rupnick.

Usage for the reservation has yet to be determined. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs confirmed the land transfer in a statement.

It is the Departments policy to acquire land in trust for Tribes to strengthen self-determination and sovereignty, and to ensure that every Tribe has protected homelands where its citizens can maintain their Tribal existence and way of life, the statement said.

For Gina Roxas, the designation is long overdue. The Prairie Band citizen grew up on the South Side of Chicago hearing stories of the tribal nations ancestral home. She had assumed little would change in her lifetime.

I was taught we were all descendants of Chief Shab-eh-nay, and so it is our birthright to this land and it is up to us to ensure the well-being of the land, said Roxas, the executive director of Trickster Cultural Center in Schaumburg, an intertribal cultural arts nonprofit.

Roxass grandmother was raised on the Kansas reservation. She spent most of her life working as an archivist, collecting oral migration stories and historic photographs in hopes that they could be used to support the reacquisition of Illinois land. Other Prairie Band citizens would travel to Springfield to lobby lawmakers.

Although tribal government was integral in bringing this forward, it was community-driven, Roxas said. (My grandmother) would cry tears of joy. She would be so happy that this is going on.

The impact will resonate far beyond Prairie Band  its a milestone for all Indigenous peoples in the state, Gurneau said.

It puts Indigenous peoples on the map in Illinois, said Gurneau, a citizen of the Oneida Nation and a descendant of the Menominee. It was just really, really beautiful to be able to witness that in my lifetime when I dont think I would have thought that could happen.

Prairie Bands footprint may continue to grow. Federal legislation proposed last year would grant the tribal nation cash settlements so it can buy back more land in the area.

At the state level, a bill would immediately turn over Shabbona Lake State Park, around 1,500 acres adjacent to the reservation. If passed, Prairie Band would assume ownership but continue to operate the property as a public space. The bill is still in committee, but Rep. Mark Walker, a Democrat from the Northwest suburbs and one of the co-sponsors, is optimistic that it will go forward.

It was an unfair taking of land that we had given to this band, primarily because, in their negotiations with us, they supported the local settlers, Walker said. Its really remarkable that this is the group that we then turn around and steal the land from.

Lawmakers efforts have left Rupnick with a lingering sense of hope. It seems a decadeslong quest for recognition is at last making ground.

I know that a lot of the pushback was, Well, theres no reservation there in Illinois, there will never be any reservation, he said. Attitudes have changed. Folks are more receptive to correcting historical wrongs than they were in the past.
A Sacramento high school newspaper printed an offhand remark purportedly made by a student praising Adolf Hitler, touching off a debate over campus antisemitism and cavalier attitudes toward genocide.

Last week, C.K. McClatchys student newspaper, The Prospector, published its spring edition with a feature called What did you say? The features introduction said it included some of the weirdest stuff overheard on campus. The paper listed nine remarks that it called our favorites, including items such as I would definitely get suspended if I beat up the mascot and I miss my ex. Im probably gonna stalk him.

The ninth and final item that was reportedly said by a student was Hitlers got some good ideas. An editor reportedly overheard the utterance in government class along with many other students, the newspapers adviser said in an email.

The comment refers to Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Germany dictator who started World War II and was responsible for the Holocaust, a genocidal campaign that persecuted and murdered Jewish people as well as others  including the Roma, the Slavs, people with disabilities and homosexuals  targeted by the Nazi regime.

Under Hitlers leadership, 6 million Jewish people were murdered.

In response to the antisemitic remark, McClatchy Highs principal, Andrea Egan, said in an autodial message to parents and the school community Sunday that she found the comment alarming.

My primary goal was and is to ensure that our campus is a safe and welcoming community for all students while navigating the complicated free speech issues associated with student publications, she said in the message. I promptly met with the journalism students early the next day to discuss my concerns, and shared with them the importance of exercising good judgment in their editorial decision-making. ... Words have the power to cause harm.

Egan said in her message Sunday that she would be meeting with representatives from a local Jewish congregation this week to strategize on a response.

Brian Heap, the chief spokesman for the Sacramento City Unified School District, said in a statement that the highly offensive comment had not been reported to a teacher or administrator before its publication. Our principals are first and foremost instructional leaders and, in this capacity, Principal Egan felt that addressing the (journalism) class directly and promptly was an important and necessary teaching opportunity.

Heap said that Egan and other members of the school community would continue searching for ways to stop the use of hurtful language in schools.

The only context The Prospector included with the statement that Hitler had some good ideas was the location in which it was made  government class  as well as the greater context that it was on a list of strange remarks.

The papers faculty adviser, Samantha Archuleta, characterized the message as troubling but said it was important for The Prospector to report it. She said that it was unclear to that student editor whether the teacher also heard the comment, but that it was never addressed in the classroom. The editor of the paper, Archuleta said, stressed that using the word favorite in the intro was a mistake that they will rectify in future editions.

Archuleta said that student journalists, including the editor who overheard the statement by her classmate, are currently working on a follow-up story to provide more context. She said the feature was structured as a list so that more people would read it.

A comment overheard in a class about Adolf Hitler was reprinted in The Prospector student newspaper at C.K. McClatchy High School, sparking controversy and a meeting with local Jewish leaders.

Which is worse: An offensive statement or its publication?

Archuleta, writing with her student-editor, Ilijah Curtin, told The Sacramento Bee, The discussion before the publication was that the students intent was to show a variety of overheard statements on campus, from innocuous to harmful.

She said they chose to include the comment about Hitler because the student who said it was overheard by many kids and the kids do not know if the teacher heard it, but it was not addressed in class. They also asked the journalism class what they thought of the section and it was approved by all who reviewed it (nobody was opposed to it). I also read and approved it after we discussed possible alternatives and effects the quote could have.

Archuleta said that, as Egan and the school community have emphasized the papers publication of the comment, There has been absolutely no focus on the fact that a student said this on campus. That was the point of the column as well. The kids say that they hear things like this daily on our campus without any accountability or consequences.
DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)  Its been more than a week since Central Dauphin High School student Justin Johnson passed away.

Tonight, dozens of people were at a prayer vigil held for Justin at New Life Christian Church in Harrisburg.

The senior pastor of the church, Dr. Jason Davenport, Justins father Orville Johnson, and community members spoke during the vigil.

Davenport explained why he felt the need to organize this vigil.

One thing that I noticed when the situation happened, there were a lot of people talking, but I didnt see too many spiritual leaders or too many pastors speaking up about what they could do to help. Its important that somebody says, Lets come together in prayer, united as one community, regardless of your faith or your background, lets come together and we can all pray and ask God for direction, said Davenport.

During the vigil, some community members also shared their outrage.

Unfortunately we get triggered because we hear this narrative so many times of young Black boys dying before there time, Steelton Mayor Ciera Dent said. So regardless of what the facts are right now. We have to deal with what surfaces when things like this happen. So, a lot of us we are outraged because we didnt know if it was racial, we didnt know if he was being bullied, we still dont know these things.

PAST COVERAGE: Dauphin County investigators lay out game that preceded Justin Johnsons death

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
He preyed on women struggling with addiction, police say. Then, one reported him

New Castle County police arrived at Wilmington Hospital's emergency department a little before 3 a.m. on a Monday in mid-March.

Hospital staff were treating a woman whod been brought to the hospital by ambulance with cuts on her face and bruises on her thighs. Shed also reported that she was raped.

Not long before police arrived at the hospital, a man had dialed 911. Hed encountered the woman on Route 9 (New Castle Avenue) and was told that a man had tried to kill her. Shed asked that he call the police, and he obliged.

As officers began investigating, they said they learned that the woman had escaped from the New Castle-area home of 56-year-old Andrew Manny Williams hours earlier. Shed hidden in the neighborhood for about three hours before making her way to Route 9, where she encountered the 911 caller.

Now she was at Wilmington Hospital, where shed undergone a forensic exam, also known as a rape kit. As she recovered in emergency room 10, she began to recount the previous two, horror-filled days.

Nurses work the floor at ChristianaCare Wilmington Hospital Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

The womans courage that morning would launch an investigation that resulted in the discovery of multiple additional rape victims in both New Castle County and other jurisdictions, police said.

It would also land Williams in prison while awaiting trial for what detectives say was a pattern of targeting women who struggle with addiction, then using their drug use as an excuse to assault them.

In a country where the U.S. Department of Justice estimates more than two-thirds of rapes go unreported, the womans actions were significant. Add in her struggles with addiction  a stigmatized disease that has long resulted in users receiving lesser care as a result of being disbelieved  and the New Castle County police investigation is a remarkable one.

The victim recounts her story

Two days before the woman landed in the hospital, she was at Wilmingtons Riverfront when Williams approached her for a date, she told police. She said date meant prostitution.

She rebuffed the 56-year-old, telling him she had an abscess on her arm due to syringe use. A friend had also previously warned her about Williams, saying that he was a liar and he was going to entice (her) with drugs to get her to leave with him, an arrest warrant says.

Williams, the woman said, didnt accept no as an answer and gave her a baggie of fentanyl. He told her he could take care of her, and within 15 minutes had arranged a ride to Wilmington Hospital to treat the abscess.

READ: He almost lost his arms to addiction. But Christiana Hospital did more than save his limbs

For more than four hours, she sat in the emergency departments waiting area with Williams. Finally, about 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 17, she left without seeing a doctor.

From the hospital, the duo made their way back to Williams home on foot, arriving around 4 a.m., the woman told police. Along the way, she spotted a man she knew and asked him to tag along. He remained at the home until shortly after dawn, when his mother came to pick him up.

After the man left, Williams behavior changed, the woman said.

He had assaulted her when the man was at the home by rubbing his genitals on her body, she said. But once the man left, Williams became increasingly aggressive and barricaded the front door of the split-level home.

On many occasions, she told police, he told her to strip naked so he could make sure that she did not steal any of his crack. Williams would then check her body, including by forcefully penetrating her with his fingers and hitting her with a broom.

As the hours progressed, Williams became more violent, the woman told police. He punched her in the face, causing her nose and lip to bleed. Hed hit her elsewhere, too, she said, and strangled her once.

At some point, he broke a necklace she was wearing.

Eventually, Williams began raping her, she told police. This occurred on and off for much of the day before a drug dealer arrived at the house to buy crack from Williams, the warrant says.

When the man came into the house that evening, the woman mouthed help me, she told police, though he said he did not want to get involved." As he turned to leave, however, she spotted an opportunity to flee and ran to the door.

After escaping the home, she ran to a walking path near the house, she told police, where she stayed for about three hours before venturing out to Route 9 early on the morning of Monday, March 18. Thats where she encountered the 911 caller and was brought to the hospital.

No ones going to help you

As a New Castle County police detective began his investigation into Williams, the 56-year-old continued his Monday as normal, court documents indicate.

Early that evening, Williams was driving near the New York Fried Chicken on Route 9 when he encountered a woman whom he had used drugs with in the past. Given the two were acquaintances, she agreed to go to his house to hang out, she later told police.

As they sat on a couch in the home, Williams asked if she wanted to smoke crack. She took a single hit, she said, then told Williams she (didnt) really want to do this because shed been sober for about six months.

She did not want to mess up just because (she was) out here, she told him.

RELATED: 'Beats living on the streets:' The Delawareans who call motels home during the holidays

According to the woman, Williams responded that she'd smoked all my crack six months earlier and she owed him.

Im going to get what you owe me, she recalled Williams saying.

Soon after, Williams pulled her pants down and got on top of her, the woman told police. Thats when he assaulted her, then punched her in the head really hard.

For a short while, Williams left the woman alone, she told police. But after informing him she was leaving, he again became aggressive.

Oh, you did my drugs and now you want to leave, she remembered him saying before he again pulled down her pants, repeating the same assault as before.

At one point, the woman told police, she began screaming for help, to which Williams reportedly replied: No ones going to help you.

She added that she kept fighting until Williams got angry and shoved her out of the home. She wasnt able to get her phone, purse or other items before being forced out.

The logo of the New Castle County Police Department

Two days later, just before noon on March 20, she met with the detective.

Like the woman on Monday, she recounted the assault. But, she added, she had never previously been scared of Williams.

His aggression, she told police, was a lot worse than anything shed seen previously.

Youre lucky I dont put a gun to your head

As the detective delved deeper into Williams, he learned that 10 months earlier, another woman had reported that shed been raped at Williams Oakmont Drive home.

That time, however, Delaware State Police were also involved.

According to court documents, the woman had let an acquaintance borrow her car but he hadn't returned the vehicle. She later found the car at the Budget Inn off Route 9.

Dr. Sandra Gibney and other outreach workers make house calls to those staying at the Budget Inn on Thursday, April 20, 2023. They handed out food and the opioid-reversing drug naloxone.

While its not clear exactly what occurred when the woman found the car, a Delaware State Police spokesperson said troopers responded to the motel for a disorderly conduct call.

There, the woman told police about the assault, court documents say. Delaware State Police said given the crime occurred in New Castle County police jurisdiction, the investigation was turned over to that department.

Knowing there was now possibly a third victim and that there could be more, the New Castle County detective contacted the woman, who agreed to meet him at a Pennsylvania police department.

There  less than 24 hours after the detective had met with the second woman  the woman told her story.

In early May 2023, she had come to Delaware after a dealer in Philadelphia gave her drugs to sell. She and her girlfriend met an acquaintance at the Super Gas on Route 9 near New Castle, where she tried to sell him what she had.

He declined and they drove around for a bit, she told police. Eventually, the acquaintance asked to borrow her car for an hour or two and she agreed. He dropped her off at this guys house, saying it was a friends house, she told police.

The acquaintance added that there would be drugs there and that it was a free-for-all, the warrant says. It was Williams' home.

READ: Overdose surge in Sussex: Beebe ER in Lewes sees over 30 overdoses in 6 days

At first, things were OK, the woman told police. She and her girlfriend fell asleep on the couch, and she was later awoken by Williams.

He told her to come upstairs, as there was crack she could smoke, she told the detective. She replied that she wanted her girlfriend, but Williams reportedly told her to let the other woman sleep.

Williams, the woman said, wanted her to sit on his lap  something the other two women had also reported. When she declined, he pulled her onto him, she said.

Within minutes, Williams began accusing the woman of stealing his crack and made her strip so he could search her entire body, she told police. Then, he demanded oral sex.

When the woman refused, instead asking for her girlfriend, Williams responded Youre going to do this for me, the arrest warrant says.

I let you stay in my house, you need to do this, he reportedly said before forcing her. Then, he told her to lay on her stomach on the floor and raped her.

The woman told police she cried loudly in hopes that her girlfriend would wake up. Williams, meanwhile, got angry and threatened to throw her out the window, she said.

Youre lucky I dont put a gun to your head and shoot you, she also recalled him saying.

Eventually, Williams allowed the woman to get dressed. The two went to the living room, where the girlfriend had finally woken up.

The woman told police she tried to give her girlfriend a look that something was wrong, but Williams spotted the facial expressions and confronted her. She said she didnt initially tell her girlfriend she was raped because Williams was there.

After the woman recounted her story to the New Castle County detective, he showed her a photo lineup of possible suspects. She picked out Williams.

Less than two weeks later, officers arrested Williams and charged him with multiple counts of rape and assault, as well as kidnapping, strangulation, theft and drug charges.

When they searched his home, they found the necklace that had been broken during the March 17 assault as well as other items belonging to the woman. They also found blood on the floor.

'These women feel they have no voice'

As Williams awaits trial from prison, those who work with drug users are quick to note that these kinds of sexual assaults are not uncommon. Studies have long shown that those who struggle with addition are at higher risk for sexual violence.

But assaults are also not frequently reported, said Dr. Sandra Gibney, a local doctor and addiction medicine expert. She said this presents a unique challenge for victims, healthcare providers and police.

These women feel they have no voice and no way to get (out) from under the manipulation, Gibney said. Oftentimes, providers and first responders see their situation as her fault.

Dr. Sandra Gibney

In her time as an emergency department doctor at St. Francis Hospital, Gibney saw women who only reported incidents because they were so badly hurt that they needed medical care, she said. In several cases, they hid in their hospital room or even in the CAT scan room because they were so afraid.

Thus, it makes it all the more remarkable that the women did speak up  and that an arrest was made.

New Castle County Police Chief Joseph Bloch commended his detective, Joshua Willis, for his relentless work on the case, noting how much the victims went through during their toughest of times.

I hope that the result of this investigation gives these victims some hope as our agency continues to be committed to seeking justice for all victims within our community, Bloch said.

The investigation continues, as Willis believes there may be more victims. Police ask anyone with information to call the detective at 302-395-8016, or email him at Joshua.Willis@newcastlede.gov. Tips can also be reported to Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800- TIP-3333.

Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: How police nabbed Delaware man accused of preying on women drug users
multiple $100 bills laid out on top of each other so that Benjamin Franklins eyes are peeking through

Gubernatorial candidate Chris Miller took out four new self-funded loans for his campaign in April, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday. (Getty Images)

As the primary election quickly approaches Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Miller is betting big on ad buys, taking out four new self-funded loans for his campaign throughout the month of April to cover the costs, according to campaign finance reports filed Friday.

Despite collecting about $68,000 in contributions in April, Miller spent nearly $2.9 million over the months 30 days, which is the period covered by the final campaign finance reports filed before the primary.

Miller, a businessman and son of U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., self-financed four loans to his campaign  on April 10, April 16, April 23 and April 26  totalling $2.1 million. Those, on top of the five loans he had previously furnished for the primary race, brings the total for his campaigns loan debt to $5.15 million.

According to campaign finance reports, Miller  who has nearly $520,000 cash-on-hand  spent a bulk of his campaign funds in April on 11 different media buys, totaling $2.24 million.

Thats nearly double the total expenditures spent through the month by all other candidates in the race.

According to a MetroNews poll released Friday, Miller is neck-and-neck with former state lawmaker Moore Capito in the governors race, with 25% of likely Republican voters saying theyd vote for him compared to 24% for Capito.

Both candidates, however, are trailing behind Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who got 32% of voters in the poll.

Morrisey, according to campaign finance reports, has vastly outraised Miller and Capito in the primary race, with $3.6 million in total contributions to date compared to their $1.6 million and $2.1 million raised respectively. To date, he has about $695,000 cash-on-hand, also more than the other candidates.

Miller, however, has spent more money than any other candidate through the primary race, with a total $6.12 million in expenditures. Morrisey is the second-highest spender but still far behind Miller, spending about $3.1 million on the race to date.

Over the last month, Morrisey raised about $296,000 while spending nearly $1.28 million, with a majority of that spending ($1.13 million) going toward media buys. According to the report, the Morrisey campaign solicited four total ads throughout April, about one per a week.

Capito, per the filings, collected about $169,000 in contributions over April while spending $642,000. A majority of his campaign spending for that period went to consultant fees totalling $582,000. The second highest expenditure was nearly $20,000 in returned contributions.

Rounding out the Republican primary race for governor is current Secretary of State Mac Warner, who in last weeks poll is predicted to earn about 10% of the vote. Warner has both collected and spent the least amount of money of any candidate to date, with about $546,000 in contributions and $379,000 in expenditures.

Over April, Warners campaign brought in nearly $36,000 while spending almost $60,000. The campaigns highest expenditure was $31,000 for three ad buys: two to Morgantown-based WVRC Media and another to a company in Oklahoma.

The primary election is on Tuesday, May 14. Polls are currently open for early voting, and will remain open until Saturday, May 11. Visit the West Virginia Secretary of States website to find your polling location.

The post As primary election approaches, Miller campaign takes out four more self-funded loans appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
MARYSVILLE, Ohio  The incarcerated women looked eager as they gathered outside the building where they would attend a course on Black feminism.

The class of 11 convened last month in a room at the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) that was mostly empty except for chairs, with one big desk with a computer on it for an administrator.

We are all hungry for knowledge, Amber Swain, one of the inmates, told The Hill.

The course, one of several offered at the prison, will be part of a discussion Monday with a group of Ohio State University professors as the school looks to ramp up its prison education degree program following the implementation of Pell Grants for prisoners last summer.

Mary Thomas, director of Ohio State Universitys Ohio Prison Education Exchange Project, told the class the meeting is an opportunity for the professors to learn from them as much as the other way around.

The Ohio State University just received its accreditation for a new degree site at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. The degree will be a Bachelor of Arts in womens, gender and sexuality studies. This summer, OSU will submit an application to the U.S. Department of Education for Pell Grant utilization at the site to begin in academic year 2025-2026, Thomas said. We are currently exploring funding opportunities to begin next academic year, so we may begin in autumn semester 2024.

Last summer, the Department of Education announced it would allow Pell Grants for prisoners again, after they were barred from the money since 1994.

Thomas said every individual education program has to get countless approvals  from the prison system, the school theyre working with, the state government and at last the Department of Education  making the process a slow and laborious one.

I know one program who has been waiting for approval from the [Department of Education] for five months, she told The Hill.

The effort to get Pell Grants to prisoners started back in 2015 under the Obama administration, when the Second Chance Pell Experiment began. That program gave federal funding to a limited number of incarcerated people to pursue their education.

Then, in 2020, Congress voted to repeal part of the 1994 Pell, allowing for access to the grants to be greatly expanded. When the FAFSA Simplification Act was passed in 2020, it defined what a prison education program would be and what qualifications a program needed to get that title.

The first step toward prisoners getting Pell Grants is for the classes they attend to get approved as a federal prison education program (PEP), and applications for that approval opened in July.

But the Education Department has so far approved only one institution as a PEP: the California State Polytechnic Universitys Humboldts Bachelor of Arts in communication at Pelican Bay State Prison, though it hopes to approve 50 more by 2025.

A department spokesperson said more resources will become available soon to help programs apply for the PEP.

The Department expects to have data about the PEP once participating schools offering approved programs have reported information about confined and incarcerated students enrolled in a PEP. The Department expects to be able to report PEP data  at the earliest  fall 2024, the spokesperson said.

In the meantime, Ohio State has been offering free courses to the women at ORW, who had to go through an interview process to be selected due to high demand.

Swain said she has also taken gender studies, African American history and creative writing courses with OSU, emphasizing the classes will not only help when I get out but that they are useful in prison as she unlearns societal norms.

The students at ORW range from women who are in prison for just a few years to those with a life sentence. This group has read four to five books on Black feminism since August.

Arianna Cannon, who is incarcerated for 15 years to life, says anything that we adapt, we pour back into our communities and that their education impacts the people we meet and have in our lives.

Inmates Arianna Cannon and Amber Swain discuss their presentation on discrimination for OSU professors.

Studies have shown education programs reduce recidivism rates, and Thomas emphasized how even those serving life sentences can affect the prison culture and create a more stable environment.

The expansion of Pell Grants is just beginning to rectify some of the damage caused by the near-total elimination of higher education programs in prison after 1994, said Marc Howard, a professor of government and law at Georgetown University, during a recent discussion about prison education with the Brookings Institution. For nearly 30 years, incarcerated people have had extremely limited access to college, leaving them with almost no avenues to pursue a higher education. We cant even begin to measure the negative impact of decades worth of lost opportunities.

During the ORW class, the women were told by Tiyi Morris, a professor of African American studies at OSU, to split off into groups to discuss what topics they would be presenting at the workshop with the schools other representatives.

When they pulled the chairs back in a circle, the women had many different ideas, such as discussing mass incarceration, transphobia, homelessness, climate change and classicism, among other subjects.

They sounded anxious about having to present to professors, with one inmate drawing general agreement when she exclaimed, How am I going to teach a teacher?

The women broke off into groups again to talk about what freedom dreaming meant to them after reading Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination by Robin D. Kelly. Freedom dreaming is defined by a focus on what a person wants the future to be and what tools they need to make that a reality.

Mary Thomas and Tiyi Morris lead the class discussion on how students can combine topics and weave their ideas together for the workshop.

Inmate Danielle Ennis said, No one has ever asked me that question before, specifically mentioning the life she wants to see for her daughter.

I closed my eyes and realized the future of what I can do here and now, but also what I can do in the future, Ennis said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) The George Washington University president is now calling the encampment illegal and potentially dangerous.

The Pro-Palestine encampment is now entering its 12th day with protesters standing firm.

Protesters say they are digging in for the long haul despite the GWU Presidents statement.

GWU President Ellen Granberg is saying this is not a peaceful protest adding that it is a potentially dangerous occupation of university property.

George Washington University President: At no point was this encampment lawful

Protesters are calling for a free Palestine and demanding GWU to divest from any businesses that support the Israel-Hamas war.

Granberg says the university supports freedom of expression and it has offered an alternative demonstration site which has been so far refused.

She detailed instances when protesters overran barriers, vandalized a university statue and flag, chased people out of University Yard and paused GW police and maintenance staff.

The protesters remain undeterred by the statement.

Miriam, a Jewish protester who refused to give her last name says, I think our safety [is] all intertwined  as one people and I know that Jews cannot be safe while Palestinians are being oppressed, and while Palestinians are being bombed and killed or starved.

The GWU president says campus police are unequipped to handle this situation and is asking for D.C. police for support.

Why are college students protesting?

The Pro-Palestine protesters say they plan to hold their own press conference Monday afternoon.

I think that is really just a testament to what we already knew, that the students have the power, that we have reclaimed power from this institution, that the university has tried to get rid of us and they have failed, and that the only way that they can get rid of us is by meeting our demands because we have the power here, said Miriam.

DC police has increased its presence on and around University Yard.

DC News Now reached out to MPD for a response to the university presidents statement and has yet to hear back.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
A group of pro-Palestine protesters erected an encampment Monday at UC Davis amid a nationwide chorus of protesters on campuses calling on universities to divest from Israel amid the war in Gaza.

The group, calling itself the Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine, brought at least 20 tents to Memorial Quad, said university spokesman James Nash. UC Davis joins at least 27 schools in which protests have erupted in recent weeks, according to a Sacramento Bee analysis, some of which have turned violent, others resulting in arrests by police.

The group sent UC Davis leadership a letter echoing similar sentiments of many pro-Palestine protesters at college campuses. Chancellor Gary May said in a statement university officials are reviewing the demands and are working on responding.

We have members of our community who have lost anywhere from 10 to 40 family members, said protester Stanford McConnehey, a third-year UC Davis law student. So we have our eyes on Palestine.

The group seeks for UC Davis to disclose & divest from companies complicit in Palestines occupation; calling for a total academic & cultural boycott by cutting ties with an exchange program conducted with the Hebrew Universitys Korest School of Veterinary Medicine.

The demands also seek the university to invest in Palestine, Arab American and ethnic studies; offer full amnesty, promise to respect free speech and not repress protesters; and seek Chancellor May to resign from the board of directors of defense contract Leidos or resign from his university post, according to a social media post. He has served as a director for the Virginia-based firm  which provides engineering and technical services in the aerospace, defense, health care and IT industries  since 2015.

McConnehey said the protesters have not yet had formal discussions with university officials over their demands.

Were willing to be here until our demands are met, McConnehey said.

May said in a statement the administration is engaging the students to mitigate any disruption of campus operations, including access to classrooms and residence halls.

As a public university, UC Davis cannot and will not discipline students for speech protected by the First Amendment, May continued. We allow peaceful protests, and are committed to keeping everyone safe.

Students can file complaints of harassment under the assistance and prevention program and access counseling services here.

UC Davis is committed to a safe and peaceful campus environment that respects our communitys right to free expression while maintaining our educational and research mission without disruption, May said.

A UC Davis student, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal from the school, said the UCs investments in companies collaborating with Israel make a big difference.

Its important that we recognize that difference and act because of that difference, the student said.

Sacramento State has watched its encampment grow after it began protesting last week. President Luke Wood gave protesters until Wednesday to vacate their encampment at the library quad, which has remained peaceful. He noted the deadline could be extended if the protesters continue to abide by university policies.

A pro-Palestinian protester sits among tents at an encampment on the UC Davis quad on Monday.

A cyclist carries an Israel flag as he rides near a pro-Palestinian encampment on the UC Davis quad on Monday.
Five days after university police removed a protest encampment at UNC-Chapel Hill, sparking confrontations and arrests, hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters marched down Franklin Street on Sunday, vehemently denouncing the actions of the school administration, U.S. politicians, and the Israeli government.

Many of the protesters calls and responses were widely familiar seven months into the current Israel-Gaza war; chants of Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest and Resistance is justified when people are occupied rang throughout the afternoon. But recent campus turmoil fueled new frustrations among the crowd, which appeared to number in the high hundreds. Every mention of UNC interim Chancellor Lee Roberts over rally speakers was meet with volleys of boos and calls of shame.

There were also calls for UNC students who were suspended and arrested during the encampment clearing and subsequent clashes on April 30 to receive amnesty and for end-of-semester grades to be withheld until this demand is met. The UNC chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine later reiterated this ultimatum on X, formerly Twitter.

In a statement online after last weeks arrests, UNC said Protesters were warned that they were violating University policies and the law and were asked to comply on multiple occasions before any detainments and arrests took place on April 30.

Stand with Palestine protesters march down Franklin Street in Chapel Hill on May 5, 2024. Brian Gordon /bgordon@newsobserver.com

The protest Sunday began in front of the U.S. Post Office & District Court on Franklin Street before moving onto the main Chapel Hill thoroughfare and then through campus. One of the main organizing groups was called the Party for Socialism and Liberation Carolinas, and several speakers made broader indictments against capitalism and colonialism amid more frequent accusations of genocide being perpetrated by Israels government in Gaza.

The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched an attack into Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. Since then, at least 34,700 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the latest figures from the local health ministry.

In Chapel Hill on Sunday, police remained in the background to redirect cars while protesters blocked off roads. This was in contrast to Tuesday when university police arrested 36 people, including 13 students, after clearing an encampment that had been erected by the local Students for Justice in Palestine chapter on the grounds of Polk Place, a university quad on north campus.

Protesters and counter-protestes jockeyed for position on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill during a pro-Palestinian rally on May 5, 2024. Brian Gordon /bgordon@newsobserver.com

A handful of counter-protesters followed along during Sundays march. There was a smattering of heated exchanges when marchers passed UNC fraternity houses and began to wrap around Polk Place, though these arguments remained on the periphery.

Im here to show there are two sides to this, and these people dont represent all UNC students, said a counter-protester who held up an Israel flag. He declined to give his name but said his family is from Israel and that he is a student at the university.

As the rally stopped at Polk Place for final remarks, no one was seen going near the flagpole, which on Tuesday was the scene of escalated conflict when protesters took down an American flag and mounted a Palestinian flag in its place. Tall black fences now ring around the American flag.

Two pro-Palestinan protesters with keffiyehs leave Polk Place on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill on MAy 5, 2024. Brian Gordon /bgordon@newsobserver.com
A marcher wears a yellow badge appearing to resemble those the Nazis forced Jews to wear as a demonstrator raises a Palestinian flag - Omar Marques/Getty Images

Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a remembrance march to honour the victims of Nazi atrocities at the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The demonstrators chanted slogans at the marchers, unfurling Palestinian flags and banners reading stop genocide.

Survivors of the Holocaust and the Oct 7 Hamas attacks on Israel took part in the march on Monday, alongside thousands of others who came to reaffirm the vow: Never again.

Some protesters wore yellow badges in the shape of stars, which appeared to resemble those that the Nazi authorities forced Jews to wear shortly after the German invasion of Poland in 1939.

In response to the protesters chants, participants in the march sang back Am Yisrael Chai, a Jewish solidarity anthem, the title of which means the people of Israel live.

Pro-Palestinian protesters hold flags on the route of the annual International March of the Living outside Auschwitz - Kuba Stezycki/Reuters

Jules Koifman, a Canadian living in London who attended the march, said: Pro-Palestinian protesters here at the Yom HaShoah ceremony  its really disgusting.

It really shows that theyre here to continue what Hitler set out to do, that Hamas stands on the shoulders of the Nazi regime. We will never let that happen.

Alyssa Annis, another march attendee, said: It was a little bit disturbing, but at the same time it is a sign of hope because as we walked by, we walked by with our flags and in groups of people from all over the world, groups of people of all different religions.

And so its even more proof, not only what they managed to do and they wanted to do here, they didnt win and we are still here, and that humanity is still in existence.

The remembrance march, called the International March of the Living, is an annual 3km silent walk between the former Auschwitz and Birkenau death camps. Historians believe as many as 1.1 million people, including a million Jews, died at Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945.

Participants display a large Israeli flag during the march, which honoured victims of the Holocaust - Wojtek Radwanski/AFP

The march, now in its 36th year, draws thousands of participants. In response to Mondays protest, its organisers said: We marched today to give a voice to the six million victims of the Nazis industrial genocide of the Jewish people.

We marched with survivors of the Nazi atrocities as well as survivors of Hamass crimes and families of those still held in captivity.

The half a dozen protesters who perversely saw this as an opportunity to voice hatred against Israel and the Jewish people serve as a timely reminder of the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance and of teaching the dangers of hatred and extremism.

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Police arrest a pro-Palestinian demonstrator near the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024 in New York City (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered and marched near the Met Gala in New York City on Monday night, with several arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Amid a heavy police presence, protesters marched down Madison Avenue one block east of the gala venue, carrying Palestinian flags, banging drums, and chanting free, free Palestine!

Videos and photos from the scene also showed protesters walking through Central Park and being arrested by police officers, as well as filling the street and blocking traffic on nearby Park Avenue.

The NYPD confirmed to The Independent that it had arrested multiple people, but did not provide additional details.

The protest occurred despite a heavy police presence outside of the event this year, including steel barricades and street closures. NYPD deputies were also spotted near the event with masks and zip tie handcuffs.

In recent years Protesters have frequently used the glittering event, in which celebrities don surreal and extravagant gowns to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as a platform for social causes.

In 2021, nine Black Lives Matter demonstrators were arrested outside of the event while calling on officials to defund and abolish the NYPD and taking apart barricades set up by police.

This year, numerous protests relating to the Israel-Hamas War were scheduled throughout New York City on Monday, with demonstrations taking place at Columbia and New York University in whats been dubbed a Citywide Day of Rage for Gaza.

This story is breaking and will be updated.
A super PAC backing Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy in Montana is launching its first general election ad campaign targeting Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) over his comments on the southern border.

More Jobs, Less Government, a pro-Sheehy super PAC, is spending roughly $1.5 million on the ad, which spotlights comments from Tester opposing a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and crediting President Biden for his handling of the border. Details of the ad campaign were obtained exclusively by The Hill.

The 30-second ad cites an interview Tester gave in which he said Biden had helped secure the southern border, as well as a March 2023 interview with NPR in which the senator said a wall from sea to shining sea is not the way to go.

While Tester has been critical of the situation of the southern border in recent weeks, the ad reflects how Sheehy allies are working to tie him to Biden, who remains unpopular with much of the public.

No matter how much Jon Tester attempts to fool Montanans into believing that he is some sort of moderate, there is no running from his pro-Biden, leftwing record on the border, Andy Surabian, chief strategist for More Jobs, Less Government, said in a statement to The Hill.

Tester has supported Bidens open border agenda every step of the way and no one has been a bigger opponent of building President Trumps border wall than he has been, Surabian added.

The ad will run from May 7 through June 3 on cable and broadcast channels in the Missoula and Bozeman markets in Montana, as well as digitally.

Tester, who is also one of the most vulnerable senators up for reelection, has been outspoken at times about the situation at the border, particularly with regards to fentanyl coming into the U.S. He confronted Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at a hearing last month about the situation.

The fact is the border needs to be fixed, and we need to step up as Congress, the administration needs to step up, you need to step up, Tester said, his voice rising in volume.

If were able to do that, we can fix it, but its going to take continuous due diligence on the border to make it happen, he added.

Testers campaign in a statement to The Hill pointed to the senators efforts to secure funding for the border wall, border patrol personnel and to target fentanyl trafficking.

He will continue to fight to pass one of the toughest border security bills in decades and crack down on the fentanyl crisis, the campaign said. Meanwhile, Tim Sheehy opposes the bipartisan border security bill endorsed by border patrol agents, and repeatedly called to defund the agency in charge of securing the border.

There has been limited polling in the race between Tester and Sheehy, but surveys that have been published show a close contest.

A March survey from Emerson College Polling/The Hill published in early March found that when Montana voters were asked about a hypothetical Senate match-up between Tester and Sheehy, 44 percent backed Tester, while 42 percent supported Sheehy. Fourteen percent of respondents said they were undecided.

A poll published in late March from J.L. Partners found Sheehy leading Tester by 3 percentage points, 48-45.

Updated at 9:44 p.m. EDT

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Prosecutor moves to drop fake gun charge against 15-year-old who was shot by police

[Watch previous FOX 8 News coverage in the player above.]

AKRON, Ohio (WJW)  The Summit County prosecutor has asked the county juvenile court to dismiss a complaint against a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly carrying a fake gun when he was shot by a police officer last month.

Akron police officer Ryan Westlake responded April 1 to a report of a man pointing a gun at houses near the intersection of Brittain Road and Ottawa Avenue.

Firefighters injured; mom, twins safe from burning home: Officials

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There, he found 15-year-old Tavion Koonce-Williams carrying what appeared to be a firearm, and opened fire, striking him in the hand. Police later determined the gun was a fake.

A complaint accused Koonce-Williams of brandishing a fake firearm in the presence of law enforcement, a first-degree misdemeanor, according to city code. Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich on Monday announced his office has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues its investigation into the shooting.

Pursuing charges at this time against Mr. Koonce-Williams could undermine the independence of BCIs investigation, Kolkovich is quoted in the news release. Charging decisions should only be made after the completion of a thorough review of the incident by independent investigators.

Family attorney Imokhai Okolo in a Monday statement said prosecutors had no choice but to drop the charges without prejudice  meaning they can be refiled later  but that the threat of criminal charges still looms.

What a contradiction to charge a 15-year-old for doing what kids do, while waiting for an investigation to finish before charging the adult police officer that shot him with no justification, reads the statement, in which the term police officer is struck through, presumably to recognize Westlakes loss of position. What a contradiction to use your power to place blame on a 15-year-old and refuse to use that same power to hold a police officer accountable who has a pattern of violence.

Westlake was placed on paid administrative leave following the April 1 incident. He has since been terminated for violations in two unrelated use-of-force incidents, the department announced on Monday.

A city spokesperson on Monday issued a statement on behalf of Mayor Shammas Malik:

I respect the Summit County Prosecutors decision in this case, and my thoughts are with this young man and his family, it reads.

God told him to do it: What stopped gunman from shooting pastor at church

Koonce-Williams is an East High School student with a promising future who is now grappling with the trauma of being profiled and having his life flash before his eyes after being shot, reads a statement from his familys attorney, Imokhai Okolo of Akron.

The familys attorney called for the officers dismissal. The police union has argued the shooting was justified and that the officer had little time to react.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Russian troops carried out an airstrike on the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on May 6, injuring four people, the regional Prosecutor's Office reported.

Kostiantynivka comes under regular strikes by Russian forces. Russia attacked the city in the afternoon, purportedly with a UMPB D-30SN glide bomb, damaging three high-rise buildings, a boiler room, and a car, according to the prosecutors.

"The epicenter of the damage was a neighborhood with dense residential buildings," the statement read.

Two men, aged 34 and 53, were reportedly hospitalized with blast injuries and shrapnel wounds. One of them is in serious condition.

Settlements in Donetsk Oblast suffer from daily Russian strikes due to their proximity to the front line. Heavy fighting continues in Donetsk Oblast as Russia seeks to occupy the entire region.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast have destroyed and damaged at least 116,000 residential buildings, including over 7,000 high-rise apartment blocks, regional governor Vadym Filashkin told the Kyiv Independent in an interview published on April 19.

Read also: Battle of Chasiv Yar begins: On the ground with Ukrainian forces defending city key to Russias plans

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
'Proud of what weve done': Farmington arts foundation sunsetting after more than 10 years

Officials at a Farmington-based foundation that has provided millions of dollars in funding to local arts organizations, projects and individuals over the last 10-plus years have announced they will be calling it quits at the end of the year.

Mick Hesse and Cathy Pope, two of the founders and current board members of the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation, made the announcement in a May 1 news release, explaining that the organizations funding is due to expire at that point. The foundation will cease operations on Dec. 31.

The foundation  which was launched in 2013 after the 2012 death of local artist and radio host Connie Gotsch, for whom it is named  derived its funding from Gotschs estate of approximately $1.5 million. Gotsch had directed the money be used to encourage the arts and support artists in San Juan County.

Before her death, Gotsch met with her friends Hesse, Pope and Kristen Cochran, according to the news release, and asked that they form an organization to meet her goal.

Over the next 11 years, the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation did exactly that, awarding hundreds of grants for various projects. The organization has its fingerprints all over the San Juan County arts and cultural scene, having provided money for bricks-and-mortar projects, concert series, educational and therapeutic programs, recording projects and even scholarships for music lessons for disadvantaged young people.

Mick Hesse, one of the founders of the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation, says the organization never had the resources to operate in perpetuity, leading to a decision to cease operations at the end of this year.

We had a pretty good run, Hesse said, assessing the length and breadth of that list, and the impact the foundation has had on the development of arts and culture in the county.

Foundation officials were able to stretch Gotschs original $1.5 million estate into more than $2 million through investments and some additional donations, according to the news release, allowing them to carry on the benefactors dream for more than a decade.

But Hesse and his fellow organizers always knew the foundation did not have the resources to operate in perpetuity, he said.

Partway through this process, I think it was about five or six years ago, we brought up the question of, How long is this going to last? he said. This seemed like the right time (to end it).

A long list of recipients

Among the entities to benefit from foundation funding over the years are the San Juan Symphony, the San Juan College Foundation, the city of Farmington, the Caliente Community Chorus, the San Juan Jazz Society, the Southwest Civic Winds and Inspire HeArt.

The foundation provided more than $120,000 to the symphony over the years, prompting Chandra Stubbs, the symphonys executive director, to express her gratitude to the organization in a 2023 letter that was quoted in the release.

Your investment in our organization has enabled us to continue to bring world-class music to our community, Stubbs wrote. The San Juan Symphony has always been dedicated to providing access to classical music to all members of our community, and your support has made this possible  

Hesse said he was proud of the foundations support of the symphony over the years, as well as its funding for the Young Audience program through which a group of 12 to 15 musicians, a visual artist, dancers and a poet toured local schools, performing for fifth-grade students and discussing their work. The program reached thousands of young people throughout the county over several years, offering many of them an introduction to various creative pursuits.

It gave them an insight into what they could consider when they got into sixth grade (and were eligible to take part in band, choir and art programs), Hesse said.   Thats a wide swath of introducing kids to the arts.

Pope said one of the organizations she was most pleased to have provided funding for is Inspire HeArt, an Aztec-based nonprofit organization that offers art and music therapy programs for young people experiencing mental distress.

I think thats a worthwhile project, she said. Thats a fantastic part of what we do.

Christy Clugston, center, CEO and founder of the Aztec-based nonprofit organization Inspire HeArt, says the financial assistance the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation has provided her organization over the years has been invaluable.

Christy Clugston, the founder and CEO of Inspire HeArt, said the foundation had provided more than $20,000 for her organization over the past few years to purchase art supplies. She recalled how gratified she was when, shortly after launching Inspire HeArt in 2020, foundation officials paid a visit to the organizations home in the Aztec Theater and took a genuine interest in what Clugston and her husband Danny were trying to accomplish.

More: Legacy Tile Project at Farmington's Aztec High School helps students channel their emotions

Inspire HeArt had only a shoestring budget at the time, and Clugston acknowledged that she had neither the skillset nor the patience for sitting down and writing a well-crafted grant application. But Hesse guided her through the process step by step, she said, even refusing to let her quit when Clugston said her frustration got the best of her.

Christy Clugston of Inspire HeArt works with a student during a December 2020 painting class at the organization's headquarters at the Aztec Theater in Aztec.

Im an artistic, not an analytical person, she said. He had so much patience with me.  That was going way beyond. He believed in us enough to put in the time.

Eventually, Hesse became a mentor for her, Clugston said, demonstrating the kind of graciousness and commitment to community-building that she said is rare these days. Clugston said all the foundation officials made the same impression on her.

They are some of the kindest people I have ever met, she said.

Clugston said she was sorry to hear the foundation will be ceasing operations at the end of the year.

It is sad, but I dont think theres a way to thank them enough for what theyve done, especially for us, she said, noting how the foundation helped Inspire HeArt reach many more young people than it would have been able to otherwise.

Helping fund all that jazz

Farmington jazz band leader Delbert Anderson also has seen many of the causes with which he is associated benefit from foundation funding. When his group, the Delbert Anderson Trio, was getting its start in 2013 and 2014, he said a grant the foundation awarded to his group allowed it to take a jazz introductory program into nine or 10 San Juan County schools  the first in a series of such initiatives the group now takes part in regularly.

When local jazz bandleader Delbert Anderson launched the weekly Jazz Jams several years ago under the auspices of the San Juan Jazz Society, the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation provided early funding for the series.

And when Anderson founded the nonprofit San Juan Jazz Society several years ago and began holding free, weekly jazz jam sessions in local parks, it was the foundation that underwrote many of the costs associated with the series, he said.

That was sort of my entry into the community, he said. And its grown into a group of musicians and community members who really like jazz.

More: The Long Walk: Farmington jazz artist Delbert Anderson launches years-long musical project

The process of working with foundation officials taught Anderson how to properly write a grant proposal, a skill he apparently has mastered these days, as he has managed to attract hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding from regional and national organizations for music concert series and educational programs. That has helped Anderson elevate his own profile, as he and his group now travel internationally and were the subject of a New York Times profile last year.

There is no overstating the importance of that early support from the foundation in helping Anderson establish his credibility, he said.

Farmington jazz bandleader Delbert Anderson, who now tours internationally, says the support the Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation provided to him early in his career was crucial in establishing his credibility.

It was very crucial, he said. They made it very easy to understand. They were always there to help us through the application process.

Pope said those kinds of success stories make her proud, but she said the foundations biggest contribution to arts and culture development in San Juan County may take years to become evident. Hundreds of young people who wouldnt have been able to take music lessons without the foundations scholarship progrram have developed a love for an instrument, she said, and that is something that will benefit them for years to come.

We hope so, she said. That was one of the goals  to have a lifelong impact on kids interested in music or the arts.

The foundations impact also will continue to be felt in other ways. Hesse noted that his organization has provided the city of Farmington with $35,000 to purchase musical instruments for the new Boundless Journey Adventure Park. It also supplied the San Juan College Foundation with $600,000 a few years ago to renovate the colleges little theater, which has been renamed the Connie Gotsch Theatre.

Part of the foundations arrangement with the college is that local nonprofit arts groups are allowed the use the facility for free once a year for their events, Hesse said, ensuring that his organizations legacy will continue well beyond the end of this year.

Im proud of what weve done, he said. Weve made an impact and hopefully planted some seeds that will grow further.

The release indicates the foundation will continue to accept applications for grants and scholarships through Oct. 1, but any organization or individual receiving funding must complete their project by Dec. 15. Applications can be requested by writing PO Box 6475 Farmington, NM 87499 or emailing conniegotschaf@gmail.com.

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This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Connie Gotsch Arts Foundation is ending after years of support
During the 202122 election cycle, an obstinately pro-government union majority took over Michigans state government after the four largest public employee unions spent $2.6 million to elect politicians of their choice. And the union-backed majority has launched an attack on Michigan workers and taxpayers in the 15-months since.

Before the union takeover, Michigan law prohibited the use of public resources to help unions collect dues. Now, taxpayers are paying for the collection of union dues and contributions to union political funds. Michigan lawmakers also expanded the number of employee groups eligible for collective bargaining, meaning that taxpayers will subsidize those additional collective bargaining costs.

Bad as this is for taxpayers, the union-backed legislators have made things even worse for workers. A new law requires government employers to provide unions with employees personal contact information within 30 days of hiring. Employers must update and resubmit this information every 90 days. Unions are thus given free rein to inundate workers with political or other material whether it is wanted or not.

Union-financed lawmakers also established a legal provision to reinstate union dues as a condition of employment if the Supreme Court ever overturns Janus v. AFSCME, the landmark decision prohibiting government unions from collecting fees from nonunion workers. And Michigan stripped private-sector workers of their right to work in a unionized workforce without being forced to join the union.

This is an undated file photo of the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg.

To top it off, Michigan legislators relaxed campaign-finance regulations for unions. Government unions will now find it easier to continue putting their preferred candidates in public office, creating a vicious cycle of union control in the Michigan legislature.

Sadly, the Keystone States government unions have the same ambitions as those in the Wolverine State. Pennsylvania taxpayers are already responsible for collecting government union PAC deductions, and private-sector workers dont have the safeguard of the right to work. But that evidently isnt enough.

In the 202122 election cycle, Pennsylvania government unions set a record for political spending, using more than $20 million in donations to support candidates and fund PACs. And new research from the Commonwealth Foundation reveals that they spent $5.6 million in the 2023 off-year elections  surpassing the $4.6 million record they set in 2021. With this spending, Pennsylvanias government unions and the legislators they back want to further expand union influence over state policy.

In the 202324 legislative session, these lawmakers introduced numerous troubling legislative initiatives. House Bill (HB) 1481 would provide striking workers with taxpayer-funded unemployment benefits  a proposal so radical that even California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it. Another proposal, HB 861, would allow the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board to overrule employees who voted to decline union representation, forcing unionization on workers who dont want it.

Opinion: For Republicans, victory in Pennsylvania will require focus, unity  and turnout

Yet, of the union-backed initiatives, HB 950 is the most extreme. The bill would create a state constitutional right to collective bargaining, allow collective bargaining agreements to trump state law, and prevent future attempts at labor reform.

Thankfully, for Pennsylvania workers and taxpayers, these are just proposals. But if government unions help elect their preferred lawmakers, these bills could become law. That is why lawmakers must act now to curb government unions undue influence.

Currently, Pennsylvanias government unions benefit from a host of legal privileges, chief among them the ability to use the taxpayer-funded government payroll system to collect dues and PAC deductions. Unions, not taxpayers, should be responsible for these collections. HB 357 remedies the political-activity side of this, barring unions from using public resources to fund their PACs.

Government unions are among Americas most influential special interest groups. In Michigan, they demonstrated that fact by effectively taking control of a state legislature and extending their influence over policy at the expense of workers and taxpayers. Lawmakers in Harrisburg must act now to protect the majority of Pennsylvanians and not elevate well-financed special interests above everyday citizens.

Andrew Holman is a policy analyst with the Commonwealth Foundation, Pennsylvanias free-market think tank.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennsylvania public employee unions should fund dues collection
Pueblo sheriff says he's sought legal advice on deputies union. Where is he getting it from?

A majority of Pueblo County Sheriffs Office deputies have voted to unionize, but Sheriff David Lucero, who is affiliated with the Democratic Party, has been reluctant to start negotiating a contract.

The deputies unionization drive was enabled by Senate Bill 22-230, a state law that passed in 2022. County Commissioner Daneya Esgar, then a legislator in the Colorado House of Representatives, was one of the prime sponsors of the bill.

Lucero said in a news release Wednesday afternoon  which was issued by the sheriff's office less than an hour before a planned demonstration by local union leaders to ask Lucero to go to the negotiating table  that the new law could conflict with his statutory duties as sheriff and he is seeking legal advice about how to proceed.

But where is he getting that legal advice?

Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero speaks about crime statistics throughout the county on Thursday, November 2, 2023.

Lucero has reached out to the office of Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser but has not received a response, said Gayle Perez, a spokesperson for the PCSO.

Perez said that Lucero first reached out on Jan. 30 and followed up on April 29.

Lawrence Pacheco, a spokesperson for the AGs office, said in an email to the Chieftain that the AG's office is obliged to defend Colorado law and mentioned how the office defended the bill enabling county employees to collectively bargain after El Paso County sued the state. A judge in Denver district court dismissed the case in December 2023.

The attorney generals office is committed to defending SB22-230 to protect workers and will continue to do so when necessary, Pacheco said in a follow-up email.

Pacheco confirmed that Lucero has reached out but declined to confirm the specific details that Perez shared.

Our office is always open to hearing from elected officials about their concerns and have heard from Sheriff Lucero who has voiced issues he sees with this law, Pacheco wrote.

Where else is Lucero getting legal advice?

Aside from reaching out to Weisers office, Perez said she wasnt sure about other places from which Lucero has sought legal advice.

The International Brotherhood of Police Officers, which represents the Pueblo Police Department as well as the PCSO's new union, filed an unfair labor practice complaint with a state agency in March.

Pueblo County commissioners discussed the IBPO complaint in executive session Thursday. It is unclear if Lucero was present during the closed-door discussion.

Pueblo County Attorney Cynthia Mitchell did not respond to a request for comment from the Chieftain about if Lucero was attending the executive session meeting or if her office had given Lucero legal advice prior to deadline.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics at the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftian.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Where Pueblo Sheriff David Lucero is getting legal advice on unions
Putin cut out heart of deer as gift for Berlusconi, who vomited behind a tree

Berlusconi, right, often boasted of his close relationship with Putin - ALEXEI PANOV/AFP

Vladimir Putin shot dead a deer on a hunting trip, cut out its heart and offered it to Silvio Berlusconi, a political ally of the late Italian prime minister claims.

Mr Berlusconi, who died last year, was so shocked by the incident that he stepped behind a tree and vomited, according to the account.

The bizarre and bloody vignette was recounted by Fabrizio Cicchitto, a former senator and a member of Mr Berlusconis centre-Right Forza Italia party.

He said Mr Berlusconi, who famously boasted of his close personal relationship with president Putin, was on a hunting trip with him in 2013 in the Russian countryside. The pair were staying at one of the Russian leaders dachas.

Vladimir showed me a violent side that I had not imagined in such a kind and rational man, the Italian prime minister said, as recalled by Mr Cicchitto to Corriere della Sera newspaper. Putin said to me, lets go hunting and I thought hunting? Ive never touched a rifle in my life. But he insisted and so I went with him.

They were walking through the snow when Putin spotted a pair of roe deer. He handed Mr Berlusconi a rifle and offered him the first shot. Mr Berlusconi, who had no interest in hunting, demurred.

The Russian leader then promptly shot both the deer himself. He gave me a satisfied look and said: Today I will present you with an extraordinary meal, Mr Berlusconi told his political ally.

Walking over to the animals corpses, he pulled out a hunting knife, cut one of the deer open and wrenched out its heart. He placed it on a wooden tray that was brought to him by a member of the hunting party. Presenting the hunk of bloodied flesh to Mr Berlusconi, he said: This will be an exceptional dish.

The gesture turned Mr Berlusconis stomach. I went behind a tree and I vomited, he said, according to Mr Cicchitto.

Berlusconi, centre, in 2012 enjoying a break with Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president in Sochi, Russia - EPA/Dmitry Astakhov/Ria Novosti/Pool

The Italian politician once gave Putin a duvet cover printed with a life-size image of the two of them - Viktor Korotayev/AP

The Italian leader often boasted of his close relationship with Putin, which lasted for abount two decades. They spent time together in Italy and Russia and were famously photographed on one occasion wearing giant fur hats and on another tossing a ball for Mr Berlusconis pet poodle at his residence in Rome. The Italian politician even gave Putin a duvet cover printed with a life-size image of the two of them.

Mr Berlusconis apologism for Putins regime became increasingly contentious after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, the Italian billionaire boasted that he had received 20 bottles of Russian vodka and a very sweet letter from Putin for his 86th birthday.

The remarks prompted anger from Ukraine, with Ukrainian diplomats in Italy saying that twenty bottles of free vodka are not a good enough reason for rekindling relations with a criminal and an assassin.

Mr Berlusconi claimed that the Russian invasion was intended simply to install decent people in Kyiv. The troops were supposed to enter, reach Kyiv in a week, replace the Zelensky government with decent people and then come back after a week, he told an Italian television programme.

Instead, they encountered an unexpected level of resistance which was then fed by the supply of weapons of all kinds from the West.

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Russia has warned it could target British military sites as it announced snap nuclear weapons drills in response to provocative comments by Lord Cameron and Emmanuel Macron.

The countrys foreign ministry summoned Britains ambassador on Monday to protest the Foreign Secretarys backing for Kyiv to fire British-made weapons into Russia.

An answer to a Ukrainian strike on Russia using British weapons would be made against any British military facilities or equipment in Ukraine and beyond, the ministry said in a statement.

Frances ambassador in Moscow was also summoned to the ministry for a complaint about President Emmanuel Macron after he said that French soldiers could be sent to Ukraine.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that striking Russia with Nato missiles and deploying Nato forces to Ukraine were red lines that should not be crossed.

He added: They were talking about being prepared and even intending to send armed deployments to Ukraine, which is essentially putting Nato soldiers against the Russian military.

This is a completely new round of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented and requires special measures.

It came as Vladimir Putin, Russias president, ordered his army to simulate the use of tactical nuclear weapons over the threats from Britain and France.

The Russian defence ministry told its Southern Military District, which borders eastern Ukraine, to hold tactical nuclear weapon drills to practice the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

We hope that this event will cool down the hotheads in Western capitals, it added.

Drills soon

Russias military doctrine allows it to use tactical nuclear weapons on battlefields and it has previously threatened to fire them at Ukrainian forces in Donbas.

Tactical nuclear weapons are small missiles and bombs designed to destroy large numbers of enemy units on a battlefield, rather than strategic intercontinental ballistic missiles which can wipe out cities.

Rocket, naval and aviation forces would hold the drills soon, the ministry said.

Analysts said that Russia announcing the drills specifically in response to Western statements marked a fresh development in its nuclear signalling.

William Alberque, the former director of Natos Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation centre, said: My impression is that this is a clear attempt to use nuclear coercion against Macron himself for his recent statements on Ukraine and Russia.

We are certainly embarking on unknown territory in terms of nuclear signalling.

The Kremlin has not tested a nuclear warhead since 1990 and is a signatory to the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which bans all nuclear tests.

Even so, the Kremlin regularly makes a show of testing strategic missile systems capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

Last year, Sergei Karaganov, chairman of Russias influential Council for Foreign and Defence Policy think tank, said that tactical nuclear weapons should be used in Donbas to blunt a Nato-backed Ukrainian offensive and to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.

Quite surprising

However, Andrew Baklitskiy, Senior Researcher at the UNs Institute for Disarmament Research, said that it was likely that Russia was planning to test tactical weapons systems rather than an actual nuclear warhead.

He said: Even so, this is definitely nuclear signalling and what is quite surprising is how clear this is. Normally countries dont say specifically why they are exercising their nuclear forces.

Putin will be inaugurated for his fifth presidential term on Tuesday, meaning he will extend his rule until at least 2030.

Russia has been ramping up nuclear tension since it invaded Ukraine two years ago.

The Kremlin has delivered nuclear missiles to Belarus for the first time since the end of the Cold War and its propagandists have threatened to sink Britain with a nuclear attack.

It has also tested Satan II, which has been described as the deadliest missile on the planet and can carry up to 12 nuclear war warheads to almost any target on Earth within minutes.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered military drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons, his Defense Ministry announced Monday, in an apparent retaliation to comments made by Western leaders about Moscows ongoing war in Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry statement announcing the exercises said they came in response to provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation. The announcement follows a furious reaction from the Kremlin last week to recent remarks from British and French politicians.

Do Not Launch Nuke-Armed Satellite Killer, U.S. Warns Russia

Although Russias strategic nuclear forces routinely conduct exercises, Moscow has not previously publicly announced drills for the use of tactical nukes. Tactical nuclear weapons typically feature less powerful warheads than those arming strategic missiles and are designed for battlefield use rather than the destruction of city-sized targets.

The drills will involve the practice of the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry said, adding that missile formations of the Southern Military District and the navy would take part.

The statement did not name which officials had made the provocative statements which had supposedly caused Putin to order the exercises, but the announcement followed the Kremlins condemnation last week of remarks made by French President Emmanuel Macron and David Cameron, the former U.K. prime minister and current foreign secretary.

In an interview published last Thursday, Macron said that he would not rule out the possibility of sending ground troops to Ukraine, reiterating a position hed publicly taken earlier in the year which received significant blowback both in France and internationally. On the same day, Cameron said during a visit to Kyiv that Ukraine has the right to use long-range British weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday called Macrons comment a very important and very dangerous statement and similarly branded Camerons words another very dangerous statement. This is a direct escalation of tensions around the Ukrainian conflict, which potentially may threaten European security, the entire European security architecture, Peskov said, according to the Associated Press.

While its unusual for nuclear powers to publicly announce that weapons drills have been arranged in response to specific provocations, Putin has previously turned to nuclear rhetoric during the war in Ukraine. In March 2023, he said he planned to station tactical weapons in Belarus following Britains decision to supply Kyiv with armor-piercing shells made with depleted uranium.

He also warned in March this year that a direct conflict between NATO and Russia would put the world one step away from World War III. Putin nevertheless said hardly anyone wants such a scenario.

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President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to rehearse deploying tactical nuclear weapons, as part of military drills to respond to what he called threats by the West.

Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Putin has repeatedly made veiled threats to use tactical nuclear weapons against the West, but Monday marked the first time Russia has publicly announced drills.

During the exercises, a set of measures will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, Russias defense ministry said.

Non-strategic, or tactical, nuclear weapons can be used in battlefield situations, carrying less power than strategic nuclear weapons, which have the potential to level entire cities.

Russias defense ministry said the drills were ordered after provocative statements and threats by Western officials against Russia, which Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said had reached unprecedented levels.

French President Emmanuel Macron last week reaffirmed that he would not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine, as he warned of the risks Russia poses to European security and other countries near its borders.

Im not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out, Macron told The Economist magazine. I have a clear strategic objective: Russia cannot win in Ukraine. If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe. Who can pretend that Russia will stop there?

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he cannot rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine. - Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images

And during a visit to Ukraine last week, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Ukraine could use British-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia.

In terms of what the Ukrainians do, in our view it is their decision about how to use these weapons. They are defending their country. They were illegally invaded by Putin and they must take those steps, Cameron told reporters after the United Kingdom pledged continued financial and military support for Ukraine.

The drills announcement also comes shortly after the United States last month passed a long-delayed aid package for Kyiv, which will allow desperately needed military equipment and ammunition to flow to Ukraine as it tries to shore up its frontlines in the face of a renewed Russian onslaughts.

Russian forces last month made further gains in at least three locations along Ukraines eastern front, as Moscow tries to press home its manpower and ammunition advantage before the bulk of the US aid arrives in Ukraine.

Russia has tended to raise the nuclear specter when its invasion of Ukraine has hit obstacles or when other countries make new pledges of support for Ukraine. After Ukraine liberated large swathes of its territory in late 2022, Putin conceded that the war is going to take a while and warned of the increasing threat of nuclear war.

In February last year, Putin announced that Russia would suspend participation in the New START treaty, a key nuclear arms reduction agreement with the United States, the last remaining pact that regulates the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals. Putin said Russia would not be the first to test nuclear weapons, but would do so in the event of a US test.

After Macron said in February that sending Western troops to Ukraine could not be ruled out, Putin warned this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.

US President Joe Biden and State Department officials have previously downplayed concerns that Putin could deploy a nuclear weapon, but continue to take the threats seriously.

In response to Russias latest announcement, the US said it had seen no change in Russias strategic force posture following Moscows announcement that it would begin tactical nuclear weapons drills, according to Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder.

Ryder said Russias announcement is completely inappropriate, and an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric that weve seen from Russia in the past.

In late 2022, the US began preparing rigorously for Russia potentially striking Ukraine with a tactical nuclear weapon, in what would have been the first nuclear attack in war since the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki nearly 80 years before, two senior administration officials previously told CNN.

In Mondays announcement, Russias defense ministry said the militarys General Staff had begun preparations for conducting exercises in the near future with missile formations of the Southern Military District involving aviation as well as naval forces.

On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry of Belarus said on Telegram it had held a surprise inspection of non-strategic nuclear arms carriers. President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the inspection to test the entire range of activities from planning, preparation, and use of strikes with tactical nuclear weapons, according to Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin.

Khrenin also said that a division of the Iskander operational-tactical complex and a squadron of Su-25 aircraft have been transferred into positions for the drills.

Belarus does not possess its own nuclear weapons. Russia and Belarus signed an agreement to place Moscows non-strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus in May of 2023 and the transfer was completed by October of that year. Lukashenko has previously said that the nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus are for defensive purposes only and could be used to respond to aggression.

CNNs Natasha Bertrand and Mariya Knight contributed reporting.

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As a result of pop culture's fascination with crime, even the most casual viewer is exposed to myriad dramas, podcasts and documentaries dealing with murder mysteries and usually ending with someone in handcuffs.

For the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy's attorneys in Kenton County, their work is only just beginning once someone is charged with a crime.

Each of the nearly dozen public defenders working in the departments Covington trial office handles hundreds of felony cases each year in the course of advocating for clients who cant afford legal representation.

Kenton County Circuit Court averages around 1,500 criminal cases filed each year ranging from drug possession to murder, state court data show. And unlike in television courtroom procedurals, these cases take months or even years to resolve.

To shed more light on a public defenders role, The Enquirer interviewed Tatum Goetz-Isaacs, who was promoted in January to lead the department's Covington trial office.

Heres what Goetz-Isaacs had to say about what it takes to defend someone charged with a serious crime. Her responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Why did you want to become a public defender?

A: So, I got super lucky in college. I just kind of stumbled into an internship, and at the time I was down in Lexington, and so I worked with the Lexington office, their south office, and I just fell in love with it.

The people were very fierce advocates for their clients. They were smart, they were put together, they were fun to be around. I mean, I just felt like it was this culture that I had never seen before and I really wanted to be a part of.

Q: How long have you been doing this work?

A: Ive been here for about five and a half years. From graduating law school I worked here. I started in August 2018 as a law clerk, so that was before I was licensed, but I became licensed in October (2018). So in those first months, its like doing a lot of legal research, helping out with the things you can  and then carrying a full caseload by October.

Q: What were your first cases?

A: When you start out, you take misdemeanors and child support cases and juveniles as well. So it started with a full caseload of all of that but primarily adult misdemeanor cases.

Q: What are some of the most challenging parts of the job?

A: First and foremost is caseload. We do have large caseloads  thats inherent to the public defense system at large, so thats not happening just here but we do certainly see that. It can be challenging. Youre in court all of the time, you have lots of clients. Its not unusual for our attorneys to carry a caseload over 100 people at a time. Of course, that cycles through a few times a year, so most people are handling over 300 within a year and that can include just felony caseload. Its a massive caseload. That leads to burnout, that leads to fatigue.

Public perception can be a big challenge. I think a lot of people think that because we work within a state agency, we're paid by the state, that we're in it for the conviction too and that we're all kind of in cahoots with each other. There's a kind of a stereotype out there of the public pretender.

I guess the third thing is you often have to go in and advocate for an unpopular position, and oftentimes you will get some pushback from the judges or the prosecutors that are there in the courtroom with you. Thats not always easy, but you do have to stand firm in that and make sure that your client is being represented in the way that they should.

Q: What are the rewarding aspects of your job?

A: The one that comes to mind is client relationships. Getting to work with people who are looked down on I think by everybody going through this system, and getting to build trust and be somebody who treats them with some dignity, I think, is the most rewarding thing that we get to do.

We don't always get to tell them good news, we don't always get to get them good outcomes or outcomes that they're happy with, but getting to see the humanity in them and let them know that we see that I think is the best part of the job and really what keeps me going every day.

Q: What is your offices philosophy? How do you want to lead that mission going forward?

A: I see this office as an office that works very hard for our clients, that fights for people, that doesn't give up and that gives it our all, even on days when it's really challenging. My hope is that people feel inspired to do that because they see it happening around them and I think we largely do. I want people to provide really excellent legal representation to the people that they get to work with because we often are expected not to as public defenders.

Im excited to see the potential of this office bear out because I think it has a lot of potential to be a very, very great trial office in Kentucky.

Kenton County's new lead attorney for the public defender's office, Tatum Goetz-Isaacs.

Q: How do you approach highly publicized cases?

A: I think we really try to talk with each other about cases as much as possible, especially the bigger cases because you do need to sometimes get out of your own head and try to think through your case the way that somebody who doesnt know your perspective is going to see it.

We do try to keep an eye on whats being put out there in the news so that we have an idea of whats getting into peoples hands about it. But you know, ideally, people who have that level of familiarity with it are disclosing that and not even ending up on a jury.

Q: How do you deal with peoples preconceived ideas of the justice system and what it means to be accused of a crime?

A: I think very often the question that we get asked by family members or friends or just acquaintances even, is, "How could you defend those people?" Or, "How could you defend guilty people?" You try to help people understand that it's so much bigger than that. Our job isn't just to get people acquitted, because that's not realistic in most cases.

So, it goes so much outside of just the question of whether somebodys guilty or not guilty and you try your best to help people see that. But I think its really hard to do where theres such a fascination with crime, and just the facts of the case especially, that you really have to work hard, I think, to open peoples eyes up to the scope outside of that. Because at the end of the day, these are human beings with whole lives that theyve lived. Theyve got families, theyve got loved ones, theyve got circumstances that many of us cant even begin to relate to and so you try your best to make that stuff seen.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kenton County public defender on what it takes to defend the accused
Palestinians react after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, in Rafah

Palestinians react after Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar, in Rafah

CAIRO (Reuters) - Hamas sent on Monday to mediators its response to a truce proposal which could be described as positive, a spokesperson for Qatar's foreign ministry said early on Tuesday.

A Qatari delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday to resume indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas through the mediators, Majed Al-Ansari added in a statement.

Qatar, which alongside Egypt and the United States has played a mediation role in the talks, said it hoped the negotiations would culminate in an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas on Monday agreed to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators, but Israel said the terms did not meet its demands and pressed ahead with strikes in Rafah while planning to continue negotiations.

(Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates)
The University of Mississippi has opened an investigation into one student's conduct at a May 2 counterprotest surrounding a pro-Palestinian demonstration after administrators were made aware of "offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable" actions "that conveyed hostility and racist overtones," according to school officials.

In a letter to students on May 3, Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce said school officials are working to determine whether further investigations are warranted.

"As a public institution, we are committed to supporting the rights of our students, faculty, and employees to express their views in a respectful manner and to assemble peacefully as guaranteed by the First Amendment," said Boyce in the May 3 email, which school officials shared with ABC News. "However, some individuals at the demonstration acted in ways that conflict with our universitys values. Behaviors and comments that demean people because of their race or ethnicity marginalize them and undermine the values that are fundamental to a civil and safe society."

PHOTO: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold signs protesting the Israel-Hamas war in addition to calling on the University of Mississippi to stop doing business with Israel or companies they say support the war in Gaza, May 2, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. (Antonella Rescigno/The Daily Mississippian via AP)

The dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered on the campus to call for the university to divest of any investments that might benefit Israeli military operations in Gaza. They are also calling for the university to condemn what they call "genocide" against Palestinians amid Israel's war in Gaza, which began on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, and Israel retaliated with its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

MORE: Campus protesters are demanding universities divest from Israel. Here's what that means.

Since Oct. 7, Israeli forces have killed at least 34,183 people in Gaza and injured 77,143 others, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. At least 1,700 people have been killed and 8,700 others injured in Israel by Hamas or other Palestinian militants, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Mississippi said in a statement that they were subject to racism, violent threats, and having food thrown at them by counterprotesters, some of whom allegedly said, "here's your humanitarian aid."

In one video, a Black protester can be seen recording and speaking to counterprotesters while outside of the protective barricades surrounding the pro-Palestinian protesters.

Law enforcement officers can be seen urging her to walk back inside the barricades as counterprotestors taunt her, including one student apparently impersonating a monkey and others chanting "lock her up," according to student Stacey Spiehler, who took the video.

Law enforcement also urged the counterprotesters to step back from the barricades.

PHOTO: A neutral campus organizer, center, tries to direct a pro-Palestinian demonstrator away from being so close to a group of counter-protesters at the University of Mississippi, May 2, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. (Antonella Rescigno/The Daily Mississippian via AP)

MORE: College protests updates: Columbia calls off schoolwide commencement ceremony

Phi Delta Theta fraternity general headquarters also released an online statement, saying it is aware of the video and has rescinded the fraternity membership of one individual connected to "the racist actions in the video."

In a statement following the confrontations, protesters said they were met with "blind reactionism that had little to do with the genocide we were protesting as well as our demands."

ABC News' Chris Looft contributed to this report.

'Racist' actions from counterprotesters at University of Mississippi prompt investigation originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The anti-Israel protesters who stormed Columbia Universitys Hamilton Hall were urged by a radical activist group to rekindle the bloody Black Lives Matter riots of the summer of 2020, a new report says.

Furiously pumping the bellows is New York City nonprofit The Peoples Forum (TPF), an anti-Israel organization with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party and backed by American businessman Neville Roy Singham, a self-described socialist known for financially supporting left-wing causes through Goldman Sachs charity arm.

At a Monday night meeting in Manhattan hosted by TPF  hours before the infamous building takeover  around 100 mask-wearing activists were worked into a lather by the organizations executive director, Manolo De Los Santos, who called for a final blow to destroy Israel in a viral video earlier this year.

Addressing the group, De Los Santos spewed invective about Columbias Zionist administration, whom he skewered for wanting to be more like their masters in Israel, the Washington Free Beacon wrote.

The Peoples Forum Executive Director Manolo De Los Santos, who reportedly encouraged a group of Columbia University protesters to bring back the summer of 2020 before they broke into Hamilton Hall last week, is arrested during a rally in the Big Apple in January. Instagram/@peoplesforumnyc

He urged the crowd, many of them shrouded in keffiyehs, to give Joe Biden a hot summer and to make it untenable for the politics of usual to take place in this country.

He also referenced bringing back the summer of 2020, invoking the widespread violence that besieged major US cities from coast to coast in the weeks and months after the police-involved killing of George Floyd on May 25 of that year.

The riots  infamously couched by CNN as fiery but mostly peaceful  caused more than $400 million in damage nationwide, including to more than 450 Big Apple businesses that were looted or damaged.

A few hours after Mondays meeting convened, dozens of the criminal protesters illegally raided the Manhattan campus building, gaining access through a glass-paneled door one activist smashed with a hammer.

A cowardly masked criminal with a hammer smashed a window at historic Hamilton Hall to gain entry. Getty Images

The mob vandalized the historic structure  breaking doors and windows  and blockaded entrances, a university spokesman said at the time. They also hung at least one sign from a Hamilton Hall window emblazoned with the word intifada, photos and videos showed.

Cops descended on the Morningside Heights campus late Tuesday after being called in by Columbia President Minouche Shafik, with officers clad in riot gear using a ramp-like setup to gain access to the building through a window facing Amsterdam Avenue.

In all, 44 people were arrested, including two university staff members and 13 outsiders who were not affiliated with the school, Columbia said in a press release Thursday.

How The Post helped cover the travesty. rfaraino

The presence of these outside agitators was echoed by the NYPD as well as Mayor Eric Adams.

As the anti-Israel protests began to escalate, it became abundantly clear that individuals unaffiliated with these schools had entered these different campuses and, in some cases, were even training students in unlawful protest tactics, many which we witnessed escalating into violent conduct, Adams said in a statement after the mass arrests.

One such outside group that has played a hand in numerous anti-Israel protests around the city since Hamas Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel is The Peoples Forum, an organization primarily funded by Singham.

Members of the NYPD arrest protesters blocking the entrance to Columbia University. Getty Images

Billing itself as a movement incubator for working class and marginalized communities, TPF is bankrolled by Singham and his wife Jodie Evans  founder of activist group Code Pink  who donated more than $20 million to the organization between 2017 and 2022, according to The Free Press.

Much of it was funneled through the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, according to funds Form 990, which revealed TPF received $12 million in 2019, $4.4 million in 2018 and $2.5 million in 2017.

A spokesman for the investment banking giant has disavowed any connection to the activist group, emphatically clarifying that contributions made through its charitable wing come from clients funds, not the bank itself.

Goldman Sachs has no relationship with The Peoples Forum and does not share its values, the spokesman told The Post.

Widespread violence besieged major US cities in the weeks and months after the police-involved killing of George Floyd in 2020. Christopher Sadowski

In January, South Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) urged Goldman Sachs to cut ties with TPF after a viral video surfaced showing De Los Santos at what appeared to be an event in New York City spewing Nazi rhetoric and calling for that final blow to destroy Israel.

As a tax-exempt non-profit, TPF could lose its charity status under IRS regulations governing 501(c)(3) organizations if it is found to have engaged in planned activities that violate laws or induce the commission of a crime.

The Peoples Forum did not respond to a request for comment by The Post on Sunday.
Israel's military ordered Palestinians in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip city of Rafah to evacuate Monday ahead of a ground offensive long promised by the Jewish state's leaders. The message was delivered with fliers, phone calls, messages and media broadcasts in Arabic after a weekend that saw hope for a new cease-fire in the seven-month Israel-Hamas war dashed yet again.

People quickly started fleeing from the eastern part of Rafah on Monday, on foot or by any other means available to them. There were reports of Israeli airstrikes hitting eastern Rafah just hours after the evacuation order was given, but the military did not immediately confirm any new strikes on the crowded city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had stressed its intent to carry out an incursion into Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, over the last week despite last-ditch efforts led by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt to broker a new cease-fire deal.

Displaced Palestinians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, pack their belongings following an evacuation order by the Israeli army, May 6, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. / Credit: AFP/Getty

Those diplomatic efforts appeared to fizzle by Sunday however, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the impasse and Hamas then carrying out a deadly rocket attack on an Israeli military checkpoint near a key border crossing between Israel and Gaza.

President Biden has pushed Israel for weeks to limit the scope of any Rafah operation and not to launch a ground offensive on the city without ensuring the safety of more than 1 million displaced Palestinian civilians believed to have sought refuge there from across the Gaza Strip.



Mr. Biden spoke with Netanyahu again on Monday in a phone call that lasted about half an hour, a White House official told CBS News. In a readout on that call, the White House said Mr. Biden had "reiterated his clear position on Rafah."

A U.S. official said before the conversation that the Biden administration had already made its views clear about the prospect of a major ground invasion of Rafah, saying: "We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering."



The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it expected to evacuate as many as 100,000 people from the eastern part of Rafah. Residents were told in the messages to head several miles to the northwest, to the al-Mawasi area on Gaza's Mediterranean coast, where humanitarian relief has been prepared. The military said those preparations included basic necessities such as food, water and medicines, in addition to a field hospital.



While there had been hope last week that the latest flurry of international diplomacy might yield a new agreement to secure the release of dozens more Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a halt in the fighting  averting a Rafah offensive  the IDF appeared to be preparing for that operation in the wake of the Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

Israeli soldiers and medics walk near an ambulance after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas claimed responsibility for an attack on Kerem Shalom crossing, near Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel, May 5, 2024. / Credit: Amir Cohen / REUTERS

Hamas militants launched the rocket attack Sunday from the eastern part of Rafah, hitting the IDF checkpoint only about 1,000 feet away, next to the crossing point. The strike killed four IDF soldiers and wounded at least several more, the military said Monday, raising the death toll given the previous day by one.

The IDF would not confirm that the evacuation order issued Monday was linked directly to the Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhuri was quoted by the Reuters news agency Monday as saying the evacuation order constituted "a dangerous escalation" on Israel's part, which he warned would "have consequences."

Zuhuri blamed the U.S. for continuing to back Israel in the war, which was sparked by Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which saw the militants kill some 1,200 people and take about 240 others hostage. About 100 of those captives, including five U.S. nationals, are still believed to be alive, held by Hamas or its allies in Gaza.

Queen Rania of Jordan says U.S. is seen as "enabler" of Israel

The Axios news outlet, citing an unnamed official with Hamas, said Monday that the group  long designated a terrorist organization by Israel and the U.S.  was threatening to walk away from the negotiations for another hostage release and cease-fire over the evacuation order.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, addressing IDF troops in Gaza during a visit Sunday, said Israel saw "signs that Hamas does not intend to follow any plan" for a cease-fire, which he said would mean "an intense action in Rafah in the near future, and in other places all over the strip."

For the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who've sought refuge in Rafah  many of them displaced multiple times already by Israel's war with Gaza's Hamas rulers  Monday morning brought more fear and uncertainty.

"They are calling people in the eastern area of Rafah, some also in the west, near the Rafah crossing, ordering them to leave," said Palestinian Abu Muhey, who has been sheltering with family members north of Rafah. "We don't know what to do, but I will take my family to Deir Al-Balah," he said, suggesting they would try to flee even further north in the decimated Palestinian territory.

A map shows southern Israel, the Gaza Strip and surrounding countries, including the location of the Rafah border crossing from Gaza into Egypt's Sinai peninsula. / Credit: Getty/iStockphoto

Given the scale of destruction in Gaza already, U.S. officials have voiced concern for weeks about the feasibility of moving so many people out of harm's way in advance of any Rafah offensive. The United Nations, meanwhile, along with neigboring nations and a range of aid organizations, has issued a series of increasingly dire warnings that a full-scale military operation in the city would leave hundreds of thousands of civilians at risk of death.

Why Israel is so determined to launch a ground operation in Rafah

"An Israeli offensive in #Rafah would mean more civilian suffering & deaths. The consequences would be devastating for 1.4 million people," the U.N.'s humanitarian agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, reiterated in a social media post on Monday.

"UNRWA is not evacuating," the U.N. agency stated bluntly in its tweet. "The Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible & will continue providing lifesaving aid to people."

The foreign minister of neighboring Jordan, in a message posted Monday on social media, warned that "another massacre of the Palestinians is in the making."

"Israel is warning Palestinians to leave Rafah as it threatens an attack," said Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. "All must act now to prevent it. Failure to prevent the massacre will be an indelible stain on Int'l Cmyt (the International Community). Too many massacres have been allowed. Enough."

Netanyahu has balked publicly at the tremendous international pressure, refusing to back down from his plan to order a ground offensive in Rafah, which he says is needed to destroy Hamas combat battalions still operating in the city.

"If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone," Netanyahu said Sunday in a speech as his country marked its annual Holocaust memorial day. "I say to the leaders of the world: No amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself."

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Groups of smiling students clad in graduation gowns to get their pictures taken were juxtaposed by a group of more than 100 people expressing their support for Israel in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

A week after pro-Palestinian protests that led to more than 70 arrests at Arizona State Universitys Tempe campus, a group advocating to support Jewish students congregated Sunday morning

The group of people, many of whom waved or wore both Israeli and American flags, stood near University Drive and College Avenue. The demonstrators called for Hamas to release the remaining hostages that were captured during an attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that led to the deaths of about 1,200 people.

Pro Israel supporters gathered at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on May 5, 2024 to express their support for the country and called for Hamas to release its remaining hostages.

The rally came as a wave of pro-Palestinian protests arose on college campuses across the country with protesters criticizing Israels attacks and bombings that have killed thousands of Palestinian civilians  including women and children  as well as aid workers and journalists attempting to cover the war.

More than 30,000 Palestinians have been reported to be killed in Gaza according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health since Oct. 7. UNICEF reported that more than 13,000 children have been killed since.

More than 130 hostages, including five Americans, are believed to be in Hamas captivity in Gaza since the start of its war with Israel last fall.

Pro Israel supporters gathered at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on May 5, 2024 to express their support for the country and called for Hamas to release its remaining hostages.

Debbie Yunker Kail, executive director of ASUs Hillel chapter, called for unity among the Jewish community.

Ive never had a year like this, Kail said to the crowd. In my young Jewish adult life we have never had a year like this. And what we need more than anything is to be together in community.

Kail said she described what a protest was to her 7-year-old son and why she was participating.

Pro Israel supporters gathered at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on May 5, 2024 to express their support for the country and called for Hamas to release its remaining hostages.

In 7-year-old terms, I tried to explain the world to him just a little bit, Kail said. And afterwards, I realized that is what were doing for each other every single day  trying to make sense of the world just a little bit.

Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel, founding executive director of the group Chabad at ASU, said Jewish leaders and students held the rally to express their public support for Israel and Jews everywhere.

We stand with Israel, Tiechtel said. ASU stands with Israel. The community stands with Israel. And were here together to show that Israel has a lot of support. And also, we support the Jewish students on campus. Theres been some challenging times in campuses around America recently  anti-Israel encampments that have led to anti-Semitism in a number of places.

The Anti-Defamation League tracked 163 antisemitic incidents in Arizona in 2023, a sharp spike from 53 such instances in the state only the year before.

There were 8,873 antisemitic incidents nationwide in 2023, according to the ADL. A 140% surge from the year before, the number of incidents of antisemitism in 2023 was the highest the ADL has recorded since it started gathering data in 1979.

More: 'Our world has stopped': Phoenix-area Jewish community grapples with antisemitism, identity

When asked about growing condemnation from those who accuse Israel of killing non-combatants in its response to the October 7 attack, Tiechtel said no innocent lives should be lost but maintained that Israel had a right to defend itself from aggressors.

I dont want any civilians to be killed, Tiechtel said. That is my prayer. I pray for that regularly. And this war can be over quickly if the hostages will come home and Hamas will stop doing its terror. Once they attack, we have to do what we can to make sure the terror does not come back to Israel  October 7 does not happen again.

A handful of counter-protestors waved Palestinian flags across the street, sometimes exchanging verbal barbs with pro-Israel supporters crossing the street as the rally drew to a close.

(Supporting Israel) doesnt mean that everybody agrees with whats going on over there, a pro-Israel rally member said to a man holding a Palestinian flag.

Dude, you can disagree on pizza toppings  not on genocide, the man said back.

In January, the International Court of Justice  the U.N.'s top court  ordered Israel to take measures to limit death and destruction in Gaza as part of a case brought by South Africa alleging that Israels military action in its war with Hamas amounts to genocide.

Israel has argued that Hamas fighters hide behind civilians and use buildings typically barred from being targets during armed conflicts under international law, such as hospitals, as hideouts.

Hamas and medical staff denied fighters were present at Al-Shifa Hospital, one of the oldest Palestinian health institutions. The destruction of the hospital was followed by a two-week military operation and siege by the Israeli military, where at least 21 patients died, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported.

ASU police officers at times separated members of the two groups when tensions became more heated but didnt appear to make any arrests.

Marina Thomas said she wanted to show her support for the Palestinian people as a Native American woman who equated Israels actions to what the United States did to the indigenous tribes.

Being indigenous, I know my own history and what happened to my ancestors and how all of this land was obtained, Thomas said. It was through the genocide of our own people and it was through the manipulation of the United States government. And so now were watching real live what happened to my ancestors.

Thomas said people can oppose Israels actions without being anti-Semitic and believed some supporters of Israel misunderstood what its critics want changed.

It just boils down to humanity, Thomas said. They should be upset that theyre just dropping bombs on babies. They should be upset that  like I'm seeing children with white phosphorous poured on them."

"I see my nieces and my nephews and I see my own relatives in these kids and I go if a government entity is able to do this, then they could do it to anybody.'

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pro-Israel rally held at ASU following pro-Palestinian protests
A dusty breeze swept over the hillsides of the Camatta Ranch, causing golden grasses to ripple like waves as far as the eye could see.

The San Luis Obispo County ranch is home to a diversity of critters, from red-tailed hawks to migrating mountain lions. The hills also serve as an excellent runway for cardboard sleds, according to Emilee Morrison, who grew up on the ranch.

Morrison spent much of her childhood outdoors, herding cattle with her family and strumming guitar under her favorite oak tree.

It was every kids dream, she said.

Since 1978, the Morrison family has grazed cattle on the 32,000-acre ranch east of Santa Margarita. They consider themselves stewards of the land and wish to protect it, Emilee said.

Its almost like a sibling because you look after it, she said. Were borrowing it from our grandchildren. We believe were just a link in the chain.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County completed a conservation easement on most of the Camatta Ranch, which spans from the Los Padres National Forest on Highway 58 to Shandon. The preserved area is about the size of San Francisco.

On April 19, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County entered into a conservation easement on the Camatta Ranch. Members of the Morrison family will continue to own and manage the ranch, but the easement blocks future development on 27,512 acres of the property, close to the size of San Francisco.

Its an incredible landscape filled with rolling hills, green grass, oak woodlands and really important wildlife habitat, Land Conservancy executive director Kaila Dettman said during a recent tour of the property. Its really, really exciting to protect something of this scale.

The Camatta Ranch is the largest conservation easement the Land Conservancy of SLO County has supported, and the second-largest countywide  exceeded only by the Hearst Ranch.

The Camatta Ranch will remain private property, but the public can tour the land through the familys business Lazy Arrow Adventures, which offers camping and safari tours of the ranch.

We feel the ranch is a blessing, and when you have a blessing, you need to share it, co-owner Felicia Morrison said.

Morrison Family, Land Conservancy save ranch from development

After generations of ranching in Southern California, the Morrison family purchased the Camatta Ranch in 1978. Since then, six generations have lived and worked on the 32,000-acre property.

Previously, Mark and Felicia Morrison owned about a third of the ranch, another family member owned a third and the family corporation owned a third, Felicia said.

When Marks mother died in 2017, some of the Morrisons wanted to split and sell the land.

They saw dollar signs, Felicia said. Meanwhile, Felicia, Mark and their children saw value in keeping the property whole  so they searched for ways to purchase the ranch from the rest of the family.

Southern California used to look like this, Felicia said, gesturing to miles of grassy hillsides behind her. Theres no guarantee that it will stay like this unless we protect it.

Haustin Morrison and his father Mark Morrison look out over the Camatta Ranch in eastern San Luis Obispo County. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has completed a conservation easement on most of the ranch, which spans from the Los Padres National Forest on Highway 58 to Shandon.

The family partnered with the Land Conservancy of SLO County in 2019. By 2021, the family entered into what Felicia called The Global Agreement, where the other owners agreed to sell the majority of the ranch to Felicia, Mark and their children if they acquired the funding within two years.

After a few deadline extensions, the Land Conservancy secured the necessary grants to buy the easement. Mark and Felicia Morrison used the funding from the easement to purchase most of the remaining property from their family.

The easement was funded by $17.52 million in grants from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the California Department of Conservation, and the California State Coastal Conservancy, along with $880,000 in private donations to the Land Conservancy of SLO County.

The Morrison family will continue to own and manage the ranch under the conservation easement, but the Land Conservancy of SLO County now owns the development rights to the property. This prevents future owners from splitting up and developing the land.

Our job is to make sure that it largely stays the way it is and we protect it from development, Dettman said.

The Morrison family poses for a photo on the Camatta Ranch east of Santa Margarita. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has completed a conservation easement on most of the property in eastern SLO County.

The Morrison family considers themselves stewards of the land, and they prioritize sustainable operations.

They wrangle cattle on horseback instead of with vehicles because its better for the soil and easier on the cattle, according to Haustin Morrison, the owners son who helps manage the ranch.

Its such a dying tradition, itd be a shame not to do it that way anymore, he said.

The family also rotates the cattle between fields to avoid over-grazing the grass. During drought years, they limit the size of their herd, he said.

Some people want to take from the land, but we are caretakers of it, Felicia said. How you take care of your children, you take care of the land.

Penstemon blooms on the Camatta Ranch where Lazy Arrow Adventures offers wildflower tours in the spring, shown on April 26, 2024. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has completed a conservation easement to preserve the property.

Easement protects migrating mountain lions, black bears

Grasslands carpet the Camatta Ranch, decorated by purple lupine and yellow tidy-tips. Willow trees sway in the breeze along the creek, while oak woodlands stand firm across the property.

The ranch was once an inland lagoon, which carved the hillside and littered the property with aquatic fossils. The Morrisons often find fossilized barnacles, shells and sand dollars among the shrubs  all bleached white with age.

With its varied habitats, the ranch serves as a wildlife corridor for migrating animals, according to Dettman.

It really is a corridor of statewide significance for our local critters that call this county home, she said.

Fossilized shells remain in a portion of the Camatta Ranch that used to be an inland lagoon, shown here on April 26, 2024. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has completed a conservation easement to preserve the property.

A herd of pronghorn antelope migrates from the Carrizo Plain to Shell Creek though the ranch, while black-tailed deer travel from the Carrizo Plain to the La Panza Mountain Range, according to Haustin Morrison. Even burrowing owls use the ranch as a flyway from the Carrizo Plain to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mountain lions and black bears also migrate through the ranch to the Los Padres National Forest. While mountain lions are often captured on the propertys wildlife cameras, the felines have so much space to roam that the Morrisons have never seen one in person, according to Haustin.

The easement will keep the land wild and protect these migration paths for future generations of critters.

The Morrison Family also takes care of more than 250 exotic animals on the ranch  including buffalo, according to Haustin.

Haustin Morrison points out the boundaries of the 27,512-acre Camatta Ranch from a hilltop on April 26, 2024. The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has completed a conservation easement to preserve the property.

Meanwhile, the ranch is home to about 90% of the population of the Camatta Canyon amole, an indigo, star-shaped lily native to the La Panza Range. The easement offers the threatened flower the protection it needs, according to Dettman.

The biodiversity on this ranch is phenomenal and so important to preserving threatened and endangered species, she said.

Preserving the habitat also helps to keep the common species common, she said.

California condors, golden eagles, bald eagles and red-tailed hawks swoop through the sky  a common sight at the ranch.

It was very important to protect this place so they can continue to thrive here, Dettman said.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has completed a conservation easement on most of the Camatta Ranch, which spans from the Los Padres National Forest on Highway 58 to Shandon.
Rare collection of centuries-old fabric and shoes discovered in Poland. Take a look

As archaeologists examined the site of a future film center in Poland, they noticed pieces of fabric sticking out from the dirt.

When the soil was brushed away, long strips of clothing emerged, and the soles of shoes poked out from beneath the surface.

The site is in Torun, a city once at the center of trade and connections between the east and west in the days of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 16th and 17th centuries, according to a May 4 news release from the Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyzszego, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The fabric and shoes belong to outfits hundreds of years old  and possibly the largest collection ever found in Europe.

Archaeologists said the collection may be the largest ever found in Europe, and represents a collision of eastern and western culture and design.

Uncover more archaeological finds

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Archaeologists said the collection includes silk fabric, fragments of pleated dresses, floral ornaments, entire shoes in two different styles, butterflies for holding spurs, shoes with cutouts and the trimmings from necklines of clothing, according to the release.

Overall, the clothing is very well preserved, the archaeologists said, and found in larger sets than ever before.

Similar artifacts have been found across Europe, including in Amsterdam, London, Gdansk, Elblag, Wrocaw, Lubeck, Riga and other cities, according to the release, but rarely are multiple types of clothing found together and with multiples.

For example, woolen stockings have been discovered one or two at a time. At the site in Torun, 11 stockings were discovered, and the majority of them were preserved, the archaeologists said.

Woolen clothing and pieces of silk showed great craftsmanship and were likely worn by the elite, researchers said.

Researchers said the design of the clothes also show how cultures were colliding in the historic city.

Some of the shoes follow a more western style, while others belong to eastern trends, archaeologists said.

The fabric also stood out because of its connection to the elite, according to the release. The silk fabric has only been found in crypts of churches, and a piece of gold cloth that was discovered at the site was one of the most expensive fabrics to be imported to Poland from Turkey or Persia at the time.

One researcher said the quality of the woolen fabric, which was very high, suggested it had been found in the plot of a wealthy person, not with other fabric scraps and pieces.

The quality of the fabric and leather is proof that they were made by a proper worksman and may have been made in the outskirts of town for the citys high social classes, according to the release.

Butterflies on the shoes were worn as high regalia, the archaeologists said, and were worn by officers who would not have been living in the area.

Because so many pieces were found together, the researchers said its possible this was the site of a shoemakers workshop or even a repairers workshop, where clothes and shoes that had been damaged in the city were brought out to be fixed, according to the release.

Shoes, and pieces of heel, showed designs from the east and west, and represent the era when men first started to wear heeled shoes, researchers said.

One piece, a woolen glove, may have even belonged to a member of clergy, the researchers said. It was made from woolen yarn and was lined with silk, only done for an officer or someone high up in the church, according to the release. Similar gloves have been found in the graves of bishops from the time.

Other discoveries included a metal braid with gilded silver ribbon that would have been in Renaissance hairstyles, as well as other fabric scraps that could have been used to attach pieces together, the researchers said.

The researchers also found pieces of heels that would have marked the beginning of heel-wearing, which was first done by men to slim down their figure and appear taller, according to the release.

Together, the full collection is considered by the researchers to be one of the most impressive in Europe, but the analysis of the pieces is just beginning.

Very little has been written about Torun during this period of history, according to the release, so the clothing may be a way to begin telling the story of the city.

Torun is in central Poland along the Vistula River.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyzszego.

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Metal detectorist stumbles on centuries-old artifact  once banned by tsar  in Poland
People flee the eastern parts of Rafah after the Israeli military began evacuating Palestinian civilians ahead of a threatened assault on the southern Gazan city

(Reuters) -The Islamist Hamas militant group said on Monday it had accepted a proposal by mediators from Egypt and Qatar for a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israel played down that likelihood and still plans to proceed with a 90-day plan to invade Rafah.

Here are some reactions:

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS

"We hope that Israel will commit to stopping the aggression and completely withdrawing from the Gaza Strip."

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

"The war cabinet unanimously decided that Israel continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas in order to advance the release of our hostages and the other goals of the war."

ISRAELI REAR ADMIRAL DANIEL HAGARI

"We examine every answer and response in the most serious manner and are exhausting every possibility regarding negotiations and returning the hostages.

"In parallel, we are still operating in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so."

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON DAVID MENCER

"We've asked civilians to move out of harm's way. We've been extremely specific about the areas which we'll be targeting."

US STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON MATTHEW MILLER

"I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region."

A deal is "absolutely achievable."

WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY SPOKESPERSON JOHN KIRBY

"We want to get these hostages out, we want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance." Reaching an agreement would be the "absolute best outcome."

UNITED NATIONS SPOKESPERSON STEPHANE DUJARRIC

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the indications that a large-scale military operation in Rafah may be imminent. ... The Secretary-General reminds the parties that the protection of civilians is paramount in international humanitarian law."

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Compiled by Richard Chang; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Hope Hicks was gushing in her praise of Donald Trump, the man she followed from the Trump Organization to the White House as part of his inner circle, describing the former president as a hard worker who ran his multi-billion dollar enterprise like a small family business.

It may have caused some eyes to roll, but Hicks commitment to the Trump brand is also what made her emotional testimony last week in the Republican candidates criminal trial all the more damning: here was a loyal aide  one who has never been the target of a late-night Truth Social rant  backing up the prosecutions argument that a hush payment to an adult film star, unreported in campaign finance documents, was meant to influence the 2016 election.

Its really devastating, as criminal defense attorney David Oscar Markus said on CNN over the weekend. She's an ally of Trump and is seen as someone who still is loyal to Trump in many ways. So when she's up there and crying, it's really tough on the Trump team and it's much different than [Michael] Cohen who has an axe to grind, who will be coming up."

The defense team's argument is that Cohen is a disgruntled former employee out to smear a boss who never gave him a plum White House gig. It was Cohen, the argument goes, that took it upon himself to pay $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels for the right to bury her story: that she slept with a married Trump just a few months after his wife, Melania, gave birth.

But prosecutors say not only was Trump aware of the payment  theyve introduced a recording of him discussing it with Cohen  but of the plot to cover it up by falsifying business records. Cohen himself was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the alleged scheme, in which the cost of buying Daniels silence was listed as legal expenses in Trump Organization paperwork; if the intent was to help Trumps presidential campaign, the payment should have been reported as a campaign expense and made public knowledge, prosecutors say.

In her testimony Friday, Hicks described a Trump campaign in crisis, rocked by the October 2016 release of the Access Hollywood tape, in which the candidate boasts of sexual assault, and a general feeling that it might not survive another scandal before the November election. It was after the Access Hollywood tape, and before voters headed to the polls, that the decision was made to pay off Daniels.

Hicks said she was first made aware of that payment in 2018, after the Wall Street Journal reported on the existence of an agreement with Daniels. At the time, she testified, the president told her that Michael [Cohen] had paid this woman to protect him from a false allegation, and that Michael felt like it was his job to protect him and thats what he was doing and he did it out of the kindness of his heart.

But that doesnt sound like Michael Cohen, Hicks admitted under questioning. Id say that would be out of character for Michael, she said, adding: I didnt know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless person. (David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, earlier testified that he had entered into a catch-and-kill arrangement with Trump and Cohen to buy up potentially damaging stories.)

Hicks testimony did help Trumps defense in one sense: she said Trump was indeed concerned about his wife, Melania, learning about another allegation that he cheated on her with Playboy model Karen McDougal But she also made clear that was not his stated concern in 2018, when Daniels claim went public; then, she testified, Trump told her it was being talked about now because it would have been bad to have that story come out before the election.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen said that Hicks testimony, speaking to Trumps own political concerns, will make it difficult if not impossible to maintain the argument that he acted only to spare his wife from learning about affairs that he denies ever having.

"As a matter of law, if the prosecution can show that Trump had a mixed motive  but he would not have made these payments but for the campaign  legally, the judge is going to instruct the jury that's enough to establish the intent to commit a crime, Eisen said.

Andrew Weissmann, a former federal prosecutor who worked for special counsel Robert Mueller, argued that Hicks testimony was more than just damaging to Trumps defense; he said it could be game over.

"You can really see the end of this coming up fast and furious with the [district attorney] just closing it out on the actual reimbursement scheme, which is something that cannot really be denied credibly by Donald Trump's team," Weissmann said on MSNBC.
The spring of 2020 saw one of Southern Californias most prolific red tides on record, and while the bioluminescence left beaches from Santa Barbara down through Baja California with ravishing visual displays at night, the algal inundation  more of a chocolate-brown than a crimson-red resulted in graver consequences for many creatures within it.

Red tides are notorious for causing grandiose algal blooms (in this case, of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedra), then sucking up all of the oxygen in the water and leaving for dead everything from small invertebrates to any fish unfortunate enough to be in the area at the time. Last week week, a multi-institutional team of researchers led by UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a report on a several-years-long study in the academic journal Elementa, identifying deteriorating water quality.

The 2020 incident saw mass mortality among snails, topsmelt, round stingray, sarcastic fringehead, sanddabs, rockfish, and thornback guitarfish. Marine mammals were spared, it seems, with no more reported strandings than usual  probably because they were able to bail out and away from the bad water.

Related: Study Shows Ocean May Be Spitting Toxins Back at Us

What does that mean for land-based surf-going mammals? Should we worry? Should we stay out of the water? We asked NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center marine biologist and lead author of the report, Zachary Skelton, whether we should take caution, or stay out of the ocean altogether during the next red tide.

I want to emphasize that we just don't know much about the health effects of these blooms because they are hard to predict and thus to systematically study, he said, refraining from making any sweeping claims. But, he went on, For those reasons, I would urge caution to surfers and water goers.

This map shows the 2020 red tide extent (in red shading) along Southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico, with black dots marking reported fish and invertebrate mortality sites. Courtesy of UCSD

Specifically, Skelton added, There has been anecdotal evidence that past red tides from Lingulodinium polyedra have caused minor allergic responses in some humans. Obviously, surfing in such conditions would likely increase the risk for exposure but to my knowledge there has been no widespread study on the health effects caused by this specific type of bloom. There was a study at UC San Diego that tried to examine the mechanisms behind the allergic responses but they were unable to uncover the specific causes."

Whats a little skin rash? Should we tell everyone else to stay out of the water and take advantage of the unusually vacant lineups?

Mike Latz/UCSD

This phytoplankton (L. polyedra) also produces yessotoxin which potentially could cause harm upon ingestion but the concentrations of the bloom were quite low and likely would have had little effect on humans, Skelton explained somewhat ambiguously. All in all, I would say yes that surfing in these types of red tides (L. polyedra blooms) can potentially lead to allergic responses or increased risk of infection due to the high concentrations of bacteria that are associated with bloom dynamics. Thankfully, according to Skelton, the species does not tend to be as harmful to humans as other algal bloom species, though noted that he would personally not recommend swimming in the bloom. But that is up to the person. More up to date information on California red tides can be found here.

So what are our two cents on the matter? Surf at your own risk, as always. Decide whether the surf is worth it and then play your luck wisely or just as you will. Far as were concerned, well err with caution when the waves are on the squabbly side, and when its firing, well throw it to the wind. But you can bet all the oxacillin, vancomycin, and all the rest of the -cillans and -mycins in the world that well be booking it straight to the shower for an industrial-grade scrubbing when we get home.
(KRON)  Two teenagers were arrested in connection to an armed robbery at a Safeway store on Sunday afternoon, according to the Redwood City Police Department. Police were dispatched to the Safeway Sequoia Station location at 12:44 p.m. on a report of armed robbery.

Employees at the store told police that one of the suspects brandished a handgun while stealing alcohol. Officers disseminated a surveillance photo of the suspects to assisting units that began circulating the area, police said.

Cupertino girl, 11, dies after suspected DUI crash

Two suspects matching the description were located in a parking garage at 750 Marshall Street. The suspects were identified as Walter GonzalezHernandez, 18, of Redwood City and a 17-year-old boy, who was also a Redwood City resident.

Officers found a lighter that resembled a handgun on GonzalezHernandezs person.

GonzalezHernandez was booked into the San Mateo County Jail for robbery and conspiracy charges. The boy was booked at the San Mateo County Youth Services Center on the same charges.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Regulators approve killing twice as many bears as originally allowed in Nevada hunt

Black bear in Lake Tahoe Basin (Photo: California Fish and Wildlife Department)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

The Nevada Wildlife Commission voted Saturday to allow hunters to kill 42 bears a year, more than twice the number permitted to be slaughtered in the first decade of the hunt, which began in 2011.

The move is the latest in a series of decisions that have prompted criticism of the commission for failing to represent the interests of a plurality of Nevadans, who prefer to coexist peacefully with animals, according to studies, including the Nevada Department of Wildlifes own survey.

Advocates for allowing more bears to be killed note the population has not declined since the inception of the hunt. But critics complain no one knows how many bears are in Nevada.

NDOW estimates the black bear population in Nevada at between 239 and 740 with 95% confidence, and growing at a rate of 5% annually.

Thats a real wide gap of confidence when were trying to estimate the population, said Commissioner David McNinch, the lone member of the board charged with representing conservationists, who took issue with NDOW using 700 bears, the high end of the range, in its calculation for increasing the quota. Not sure why we wouldnt equally land on 240.

A 95% confidence level that varies by several hundred animals means you have no confidence level at all, Dr. Donald Molde of the Nevada Wildlife Alliance said via email. Pick a number.

Molde says estimating populations of any species is not easy. That means to me they must be conservative in their choice of numbers.

The mortality rate under the new hunting regulation is projected at 1.9% to 2.7% of the population. NDOW biologists say up to 14% of the population could be killed each year without compromising the species.

Fred Voltz of the Nevada Wildlife Alliance told commissioners the selective information presented by NDOW raises more questions instead of providing complete answers regarding wildly fluctuating bear population guesstimates.

Voltz noted that NDOW reported 74 bear deaths from all sources in 2021 and 71 in 2022, when 20 bears could be killed by hunters. Yet the departments report justifying the increased hunting quota failed to include sources of mortality other than the hunt.

These numbers dont reflect bears that are orphaned and killed by other species, hit by cars and die in the woods. and other sources not counted by NDOW, Voltz told the commission.

How many times

NDOW, which is entrusted with conservation of the states wildlife, says it manages species, not individual animals.

Is it fair to think of animals only as part of a larger population, not as an individual whose suffering is very real? Cathy Smith of No Bear Kill Nevada asked commissioners during public comment. I think not, and I think most of you know that animals suffer, and humans can and do increase that suffering.

The new regulation limits hunters to killing no more than 14 females, one-third of the quota, each season. Last year, almost half of the bears killed  nine of 19  were female, including one that was still lactating and another with young cubs.

Hunters have defended the practice of hounding  using dogs to chase bears up a tree  as a means of determining gender before the kill.

McNinch, referring to the almost 50/50 gender split among hunted bears last year, called the notion that hounding spares females from being killed malarkey.

Only 13% of Nevadans condone hounding, according to NDOWs own survey.

How many times will you have to listen to members of the public like myself before you take us seriously? No Bear Hunt Nevadas Kathryn Bricker asked commissioners.

Bricker recalled a video posted to social media by a houndsman of his hounds at the base of a tree in the Mt. Rose forest. A two-year-old female was looking down. The look on her face, and her vocalizations of sheer terror will haunt me until I die. She was not even old enough to have had cubs of her own. I and others only pray that she was dead when she hit the ground and not still alive to be mauled by the dogs.

Hunters speaking in favor of increasing the bear hunt quota asked the commission to eliminate restrictions on killing female bears.

Do we even need hounds at that point? asked Commissioner Alana Wise, the only member of the board charged with representing the public. Can we eliminate them?

The unpopular method, which is illegal in California, has spawned a growth industry in Nevada of guides and houndsman, who are paid thousands of dollars to lead tag winners on their quest.

The commission quickly moved to approve the amendment as drafted, keeping intact the limit on killing females and the ability to hound.

Brain dead

During the meeting, McNinch told his colleagues of a number of incidents, primarily in Northern Nevada, that prompted calls from irate residents.

In one instance a deer was snared in a legally set trap. In another, a person shot a deer with a bow and arrow in a residential neighborhood.

Apparently it was not the first one, he said of the illegal shooting.

McNinch went on to describe an incident in which a Wyoming man intentionally ran over a wolf in that state with a snowmobile, then tortured the animal before shooting it.

Animal advocates see little distinction between the suffering of the wolf, the two-year old bear chased up a tree to her death, or a deer ensnared for days in a trap.

These are the types of things that happen when we dont tend to our business  when we dont have strong laws that say these activities are not condoned, but theyre condemned, and were going to do something about it, McNinch told his colleagues. Were primed for those same things happening in Nevada.

Tommy Caviglia, the commission chairman, called the perpetrator of the wolf incident brain dead. Caviglia supports the increase in the bear hunt quota and has repeatedly defended coyote killing contests, in which prizes are awarded for racking up the most dead coyotes.

McNinch, the only commissioner to vote against allowing more bears to be killed and an opponent of killing contests, says hes at a loss to describe his colleagues embrace of what critics call wanton killing.

Youd have to ask them, he said during an interview. Im struggling with this more and more. I dont understand the commitment to that mind set.

Caviglia did not respond to requests for comment.

The post Regulators approve killing twice as many bears as originally allowed in Nevada hunt appeared first on Nevada Current.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Iran's nuclear power plants will be commissioned as scheduled (2041), Vice Chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Ghannadi Maragheh said, during the 1st International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology, Trend reports.

According to him, the Bushehr nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1,000 megawatt-hours is currently operating in Iran. Several nuclear power plants are under construction.

Ghannadi Maragheh stated that by 2041, the country plans to put into operation NPPs capable of producing 20,000 megawatts of electricity.

The official noted that Iran has also fully determined the production of radioisotopes in industry, agriculture, laser, and other fields for the next 20 years.

To note, the 3rd International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology, which kicks off today in the Iranian city of Isfahan, will be attended by high-ranking Iranian officials, including Iranian Vice President and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Additionally, it should be noted that last year (2023) it was decided to build a nuclear power plant in Iran with a production potential of 20,000 megawatts. Accordingly, relevant companies have been established in the country. Nowadays, work on the construction of NPPs is continuing in 5 provinces of Iran.



Meanwhile, the only operating NPP in Iran is the 1st unit of Bushehr NPP. The first power unit of Bushehr NPP started operating in 2011. The operation of the unit was transferred to an Iranian company in 2013 by the Russian Atomic Company. This unit has been producing a maximum of 1,000 megawatt-hours of electricity since 2013.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Fossils from a newly discovered species of mammal in Colorado may offer clues into how life rebounded after Earths last mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs, researchers say.

The new species is called Militocodon lydae and was about the size of a chinchilla, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science said in a May 3 news release. It is part of a group of animals that would eventually lead to all modern hoofed mammals, including deer, cows, and pigs, researchers said.

Researchers uncovered remarkably complete fossils from the skull and jaws of the mammal in rocks that date back to the period just after the extinction of the dinosaurs in the Corral Bluffs area at the edge of Colorado Springs, the group said.

Researchers havent been able to figure out exactly how and when life started bouncing back after the dinosaur extinction because of notoriously poor fossil record.

The Militocodon lydae discovery provides important clues about the explosive diversification of mammals after dinosaurs and may allow researchers to paint a vivid picture of how and when life rebounded after Earths darkest hour, researchers said.

Rocks from this interval of time have a notoriously poor fossil record and the discovery and description of a fossil mammal skull is an important step forward in documenting the earliest diversification of mammals after Earths last mass extinction, said Dr. Tyler Lyson, the museums curator of vertebrate paleontology.

Elementary school students playing in mountains stumble upon fossil of iconic mammal

Gigantic bones stumped experts for centuries. Now, prehistoric mystery is solved

11-year-old finds bones on UK beach with dad  solving multimillion-year-old jigsaw
Monday marks one year since a gunman fueled by his Neo-Nazi beliefs killed eight people and wounded seven others in an attack at the Allen Premium Outlets mall.

Audio from 911 calls and body-camera video from a police officer at the scene when the shooting started painted a detailed picture of terror at the North Texas mall. A father watched his daughters die. A boy saw his family killed. For the families of the eight people who died that day and the seven others wounded, the horror of May 6 didnt end when the gunman was killed.

The victims

Daniela Mendoza, an 11-year-old in fourth grade, and Sofia Mendoza, an 8-year-old in second grade, were killed. Their mother was shot but survived. Their father was the man who called 911, begging for help.

Daniela Mendoza, 11, and Sofia Mendoza, 8, were killed in the May 6 shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets mall.

William Cho, 6, lost his mother, Cindy Cho, father Kyu Song Cho and brother James Cho, a 3-year-old boy in preschool who loved elephants.

Cindy Cho, Kyu Song Cho and their 3-year-old son James Cho were three of the victims killed in a mass shooting attack at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday. Their 6-year-old son, William Cho, was also shot but survived and has been released from the ICU, according to a GoFundMe raising money to help the family.

Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard, evacuated one person from the mall. When he went back in to help more to safety, he was shot and killed.

Christian LaCour, a 20-year-old security guard from Farmersville, was killed in the Saturday, May 6 shooting while working at the Allen Premium Outlets mall, according to his family

Aishwarya Thatikonda, 26, an engineer who lived in McKinney, was at the mall shopping for a dress for her upcoming birthday with a friend who was injured in the shooting.

Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 26-year-old engineer who lived in McKinney, was among the victims killed in the Allen mall shooting.

Elio Cumana Rivas, 32, was out with friends at the mall when they split up to go their separate ways after they finished shopping. He lived in Dallas after fleeing violence in Venezuela and seeking asylum in the U.S.

Elio Cumana Rivas, 32, was one of the victims killed in the Allen outlets mall shooting.

The attack

It lasted less than four minutes. An Allen police officer already at the mall jumped into action when he heard the gunshots. That officer found the gunman, 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, exchanged fire with him and killed him.

The shooter was a Neo-Nazi who made posts on a Russian social media site glorifying mass shootings and referring to kill counts of mass killers. His account boasted of scouting the mall before the shooting.

On May 6, 2023, Garcia drove to the Allen Premium Outlets and got out of the vehicle and started shooting. Around that time, according to his bodycam video, the Allen police officer was speaking to a mother and children, telling the kids to listen to their mother.

Make sure yall be good, OK? the officer was saying to the children. And make sure yall wear your seat belts when Mommys driving, OK?

One of the children asked the officer what kind of weapon he uses. He just chuckled in response before the mother changed the subject back to car safety.

Then the gunshots start.

Theyre distant, rapid pops. Everyone pauses. Theres a second where it seems the mother and the officer process what theyre hearing. Around two dozen reverberating pops of tsh tsh tsh sounded like something you might almost be able to convince yourself were firecrackers. But then the realization kicks in as the officer starts backing toward his police vehicle and the mother leans down to grab her children by their arms, urging them to hurry as they move to a car.

One-forty five, I think weve got shots fired at the outlet mall, the officer spat into his radio.

The gunfire stops for a second and the officer leans into the open door of his police vehicle. His movement and his tone of voice are urgent, but theyre steady. Not panicked. It seems like hes trying to get something out of the vehicle. Not even a moment later he gets a response.

Three-two, shots fired at the outlet, a dispatcher acknowledges.

Calls to 911 began flooding in just before 3:40 p.m.

Operators jumped from one call to the next for more than an hour, recordings of the 911 calls obtained by the Star-Telegram showed. After the first couple of calls, they got into a routine of immediately asking two questions when they answered calls: Are you calling about the shooting at the outlets? and Is anybody around you injured?

If the answers were no, they hung up and moved on to the next caller.

The officer got a rifle from the vehicle and started running when the gunshots started again. He followed the sounds of the shots, then ran into people fleeing. They told him where they thought the shooter was and he headed that way. When he reached the shooter he was alone.

The officer engaged the shooter, firing rounds in his direction. He dodged from cover to cover as the shooter returned fire. When he had a shot, he took it.

For almost an hour after, 911 operators continued fielding calls from people at the mall asking if they were safe, reporting injuries and offering tips to police about the shooter. Callers who had family at the mall pleaded with operators for information on their loved ones.

A year later

One year later, advocacy groups, the city and Medical City Healthcare hospital in Plano are remembering the victims and demanding change.

The city will be holding a remembrance event at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, according to a news release. There, the Allen High School choir and Allen Philharmonic Orchestra will perform and attendees will be asked to participate in a time of interfaith reflection.

City leaders are asking for a citywide moment of silence that will be observed in Allen at 3:36 p.m. on Monday, at the time the shooting started.

The orchestra will perform In Lumine, a piece that was specially commissioned by the community orchestra as a tribute to the eight individuals who lost their lives, the city said in its release.

Eight soloists, playing the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola and cello, are meant to represent the eight victims, according to the city. The piece is meant to remember the victims as they lived, in the light of life.

Medical City Healthcare shared the story of Suneetha Pinnamaneni, a survivor of the attack. Pinnamaneni was taken to the hospital after she was shot. Now shes volunteering there to help others by meeting with trauma patients.

I was so scared when the incident happened, but I was realizing how lucky I was to survive, she said in a video released by the hospital.

Taking action

And eight advocacy groups are working to commemorate the lives of the eight victims killed May 6, 2023, according to a joint news release. Among their list of goals: have Texas officially label the attack a hate crime.

Asian Texans for Justice, Dallas Asian American Historical Society, De Colores Collective, KA:LL Community, South Asian American Voter Empowerment Education Fund, Remembering Black Dallas, Dallas Truth Racial Healing & Transformation, and Stop AAPI Hate are working to get the attack recognized as a hate crime.

Despite authorities finding that the gunman held Neo-Nazi ideology and targeted a location with a large AAPI population, Texas government leadership has failed to acknowledge the role of racism and refused to pass legislation preventing further gun violence, the organizations wrote in the joint release.

The organizations are also calling for the Texas Legislature to reintroduce a bill that would raise the legal age of purchasing a long rifle to 21 and invest in community violence intervention.

We urge Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature to focus their priorities on issues that better serve Texans of color, and keep all Texans safe, the organizations said in the joint news release. On this day of remembrance, we honor the lives of those lost in the Allen Mall Shooting and fight for gun control policies that will make Texas safer for all those who call this place home.
State Rep. Bob Bezotte (R-Howell) attends a right-wing rally at the state Capitol on the 2020 election, Feb. 8, 2022 | Laina G. Stebbins

Updated, 3:08 p.m., 5/6/24

The 50th House District, which had been a four-way contest for the GOP nomination, has one less contender after incumbent state Rep. Bob Bezotte (R-Howell) was dropped from the ballot last week.

Livingston County Clerk Elizabeth Hundley confirmed for the Michigan Advance that Bezotte had been disqualified and provided a copy of a letter dated Friday in which she informed the lawmaker and his attorney of the decision.

Upon review of your May 1, 2024 letter and the accompanying Affidavit of Robert Bezotte, and based upon all of the evidence provided, the Livingston County Clerk has concluded that Mr. Bezottes recitation of his residential address on the Affidavit of Identity (AOI) was false, wrote Hundley. He did not provide any evidence that the stated residential address was his actual residential address in light of the challenge, did not state what his actual residential address is, and did not provide any evidence that his actual residential address is within the electoral district. Therefore, the Livingston County Clerk has disqualified Robert J. Bezotte from the ballot as a candidate for State Representative for the 50th District, and will not certify his name to the Livingston County Board of Election Commissioners.

Bezotte sent the Advance an emailed statement after the story was published in which he indicated he would be challenging his removal in court.

I have been a Howell resident for close to three decades. My candidate filing followed the law, and my filing to the county clerk in response this week was crystal clear, Bezotte said. This decision is an obvious misreading of both the text and the spirit of the law that mistakenly takes away options from the voters I serve. It must be fixed. I am accused of living at an address that I explicitly wrote on my affidavit of identity, that is 3 miles away from the home I own together with my wife, and is within the district. This isnt how certification is supposed to work at all. I look forward to getting this resolved once and for all in court and moving forward with my campaign to represent this community once again.

Kristina Lyke | Ballotpedia photo

The race for the GOP nomination is now down to Jason Woolford, Kristina Lyke and Dominic Restuccia. Austin Breuer is the lone Democrat seeking the seat.

The disqualification follows a filing made April 24 by Brighton attorney Dan Wholihan, who also serves as chair of the 7th District GOP, alleging Bezotte did not use the correct address on his affidavit of identity.

I have reason to believe that Mr. Bezotte falsified his affidavit of identity in terms of his residence, wrote Wholihan in his complaint. It is known that Mr. Bezotte has spent much of the past five months in either Arizona or in Illinois, even [though] he currently is a sitting Representative in the State House. In addition, when he is not dwelling in Arizona or Illinois, he is staying at [a] mailing address which is not what he claims as his residential address. The mailing address is believed to be the home of one of Mr. Bezottes daughters.

Bezotte, a one-time county commissioner and former Livingston County sheriff, had originally said he would not seek another term. He ended up endorsing two other Republicans  Woolford and Lyke  but then changed course and filed for reelection on April 22.

Wholihan, who is Lykes husband, included an affidavit from Bezottes estranged wife, Sheila Bezotte, alleging the lawmaker moved out in December 2023 of their Howell residence, where she still lives.

I have personally [sic] knowledge that the mailing address that was used on the affidavit is the address of our daughter Wendy and Bob Bezotte has been residing with Wendy since approximately December 20, 2023, Sheila Bezotte stated in her affidavit. I am also aware that Bob Bezotte has not spent any evenings in the bed at the house  because Bob Bezotte and I are going through a divorce. I am writing this affidavit because of my fear of safety concerns. If Bob Bezotte states on his affidavit that he resides at the same house I reside at  he may reenter the marital house.

Shelia Bezotte filed for divorce Nov. 30 in Livingston County Circuit Court alleging she had been subjected to mental, emotional and physical abuse throughout the years of marriage. Rep. Bezotte has denied there was any abuse.

Lyke said she didnt have a comment when reached by the Advance, while a request for comment sent to Wholihan has yet to be returned.

Bezottes attorney, Cole Lussier, disputed that Wholihans complaint barred his client from the ballot.

Livingston County Candidate Filings for August 6, 2024 Primary Election

Rep. Bezottes AOI contained all information required by the Michigan Election Law, and Mr. Wholihans request to deny Mr. Bezotte access to the ballot is meritless, wrote Lussier, who unsuccessfully argued that because Bezotte listed the address of his daughter as his mailing address all of the requested and required identification information and statements, were provided as required by Michigan law.

If Rep. Bezotte had hoped to conceal the address where he allegedly lives, listing that address on his public AOI would have been a curious way to do so. It of course was never Rep. Bezottes intention to conceal anything, wrote Lussier.

Bezottes daughter, Kelly Sanborn, posted to social media her concerns about the motivations behind her fathers disqualification.

I think its worth noting that the Brighton attorney is the husband of the candidate, Lyke. I think its unfortunate that this candidate & her husband are exploiting my mother, a 68 year old woman, during such a difficult time in order to get the incumbent off the ballot and use her to further their political aspirations, she said.

The post Rep. Bezotte bounced from primary ballot amid GOP saga for the Livingston Co. seat appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, testifies during his misdemeanor criminal trial at the Burleigh County Courthouse on May 3, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

Rep. Jason Dockter told jurors Friday he believes he didnt vote on the Attorney Generals Office budget in 2023 because he was at home with COVID-19.

Legislative records, however, conflict with the testimony Dockter gave under oath on the witness stand.

The House journal, which records actions of the Legislature, and archived video from April 2023 showed that Dockter was at the Capitol on the two days the AGs Office budget came to the House floor for a vote. While he didnt vote on that budget, which was Senate Bill 2003, he did vote for bills that came to the floor just minutes before and after the AGs Office budget was approved.

The discrepancy in his testimony was not brought up during Fridays all-day court trial, in which jurors found Dockter guilty of a misdemeanor ethics-related charge.

But that testimony is easy to fact-check on the Legislatures website, which has a publicly available video archive and House journal entries showing attendance roll calls for each day.

Lawmakers have four options when a bill comes to the floor. Typically they will vote yay or nay.

They also can declare a conflict of interest, but longtime Legislative Council Director John Bjornson testified he cant recall a time when a lawmaker was recused from voting.

A fourth option Ive seen some lawmakers exercise is to step away from their desk when a vote is taken to avoid going on the record about a bill. They can simply step into the hallway when a certain bill comes up, or perhaps take a strategically timed bathroom break to avoid voting or publicly declaring a conflict.

It appears that fourth option is what Dockter did in 2023 on the two days the Attorney Generals Office budget bill came up for a vote. His vote on that bill was examined in court because the budget included rent payments to a building that he has an ownership stake in. A 12.5% ownership stake to be precise, according to testimony from Fridays trial.

Dockter chose to take the stand in his own defense on Friday. During direct examination, defense attorney Lloyd Suhr asked Dockter why he didnt vote on the AG budget in 2023.

Dockter replied, I believe I was at home. I think I got COVID. And they had a procedure  I think five days I had to quarantine.

Rep. Jason Dockter, right, R-Bismarck, converses with defense attorney Lloyd Suhr during his misdemeanor trial at the Burleigh County Courthouse on May 3, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

Suhr then followed up, asking Dockter if he typically votes on agency budget bills and why. Doctor said yes before elaborating.

We need a functioning government. And its my job as a District 7 rep to vote for the citizens, Dockter testified. We need roads. We need social services. We need this to function as a government. So its my job to vote for all these bills. And unless Ive had COVID or Ive been sick, I take every vote. I vote on everything.

But the House journal and video from House floor sessions conflict with his testimony.

On April 10, the first time the AGs budget came to the House floor, Dockter was absent and not voting at 1:01 p.m. But video from the floor session shows him in his seat for other votes. In fact, he cast votes for bills right before and after the AGs budget bill, one at 12:53 p.m. and another at 1:04 p.m., video shows.

On April 27, when the AGs budget came back to the House for a final vote after it was amended in conference committee, Dockter was counted as absent and not voting at 12:41 p.m. But video of the floor session shows him in attendance that day. He voted for the State Auditors Office budget minutes later at 12:48 p.m., video shows.

Meanwhile, other testimony from the trial offers a different explanation for why Dockter didnt vote on those budget bills.

Ethics Commissioner Rebecca Binstock testified she cautioned Dockter through his attorney against voting on the AGs budget in the 2023 session. Dockter had voted for that budget in 2021, but that was before cost overruns with the building project were disclosed and the building became the subject of inquiries by the state auditor and the Ethics Commission.

Binstock testified she was not aware at the time that the Department of Health budget also had a link to Dockter. The Department of Health also rents space in the same building. Dockter voted for that departments budget bill in both 2021 and 2023.

Rebecca Binstock, executive director of the North Dakota Ethics Commission, testifies for the prosecution during the trial of Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, at the Burleigh County Courthouse on May 3, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

Binstock declined to comment after the trial. Shes not allowed to discuss ethics complaints under rules governing the Ethics Commission, and she was only able to testify due to a court subpoena.

Suhr said in an interview Monday that Dockter was testifying to the best of his recollection, and he recalled having COVID-19 around the time of the April 27 vote.

He did not perjure himself, Suhr told the North Dakota Monitor. I am confident that he got up there and testified absolutely truthfully with respect to what he recalled.

Legislative records show Dockter missed two days of the 2023 session  Monday, Feb. 13, and Tuesday, Feb. 14, and was back at the Capitol on Feb. 15.

Reasonable people will disagree with the verdict and the criminal charge. Some will say the votes werent consequential because the budget bills would have passed either way. Others will say Dockter is a minority owner of the building and his actions werent different from how other citizen legislators have handled similar situations.

But its hard to understand why a lawmaker, particularly one who holds leadership positions, would not be truthful on the witness stand.

Was he confused when he gave that answer? If Dockter didnt want to answer questions about his votes, he didnt have to testify. Dockter did appear nervous when he took the witness stand, but his attorney was polished and well prepared. The testimony came under direct examination, which surely Dockter and his attorney had rehearsed. As an experienced lawmaker, Dockter would know how to research his voting record if he needed to refresh his memory when preparing for trial.

Dockter owes the public a better explanation.

This was updated with comments from attorney Lloyd Suhr and information about Rep. Dockters legislative absences in the 2023 session.

The post Rep. Dockter should explain discrepancy in his testimony appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speak to reporters in Statuary Hall after meeting with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) in the U.S. Capitol Building on May 06, 2024 in Washington, DC. Last week, Greene threatened to move forward with a 'motion to vacate' over her dissatisfaction with the speakers handling of the government funding legislation. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene plan to meet privately Tuesday amid her calls for him to resign or face a floor vote that could, but likely wont, remove the Louisiana Republican from leadership.

Greene announced the meeting Monday evening after she and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie met privately with Johnson for two hours over disagreements about how hes been running the House with a narrow GOP majority.

Greene, speaking briefly to reporters outside the speakers office after the meeting wrapped up, didnt divulge details of what she, Massie and Johnson discussed.

Let me tell you, I have been patient. I have been diligent. I have been steady. And Ive been focused on the facts, Greene said. And none of that has changed. So I just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Greene, standing next to Massie, then said they would be meeting again on Tuesday.

Greene repeatedly has expressed her anger that Johnson has brought successful pieces of legislation to the House floor with bipartisan backing. Some of those recent bipartisan measures include government funding packages in March and military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in April.

Johnson last week issued a statement that Greenes motion to vacate was wrong.

This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country, he wrote.

House Democratic leaders last week issued a statement vowing to back Johnson if far-right Republicans try to remove him as speaker, which makes it unlikely the motion to vacate will succeed.

In late March, Greene filed a resolution to remove Johnson, following a bipartisan vote to approve the last remaining appropriations bill of fiscal year 2024. Since then, she has gained support from Massie and Arizonas Paul Gosar.

Johnson was unanimously elected to the post about seven months ago following three weeks of chaos in October, in which Republicans were unable to agree on a lawmaker to take the speakers gavel after a small group of GOP lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California.

The post Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene huddles with U.S. House speaker shes trying to oust appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speak to reporters in Statuary Hall after meeting with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., in the U.S. Capitol Building on May 06, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Last week, Greene threatened to move forward with a motion to vacate over her dissatisfaction with the Speakers handling of the government funding legislation. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene plan to meet privately Tuesday amid her calls for him to resign or face a floor vote that could, but likely wont, remove the Louisiana Republican from leadership.

Greene announced the meeting Monday evening after she and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie met privately with Johnson for two hours over disagreements about how hes been running the House with a narrow GOP majority.

Greene, speaking briefly to reporters outside the speakers office after the meeting wrapped up, didnt divulge details of what she, Massie and Johnson discussed.

Let me tell you, I have been patient. I have been diligent. I have been steady. And Ive been focused on the facts, Greene said. And none of that has changed. So I just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Greene, standing next to Massie, then said they would be meeting again on Tuesday.

Greene repeatedly has expressed her anger that Johnson has brought successful pieces of legislation to the House floor with bipartisan backing. Some of those recent bipartisan measures include government funding packages in March and military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in April.

Johnson last week issued a statement that Greenes motion to vacate was wrong.

This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country, he wrote.

House Democratic leaders last week issued a statement vowing to back Johnson if far-right Republicans try to remove him as speaker, which makes it unlikely the motion to vacate will succeed.

In late March, Greene filed a resolution to remove Johnson, following a bipartisan vote to approve the last remaining appropriations bill of fiscal year 2024. Since then, she has gained support from Massie and Arizonas Paul Gosar.

Johnson was unanimously elected to the post about seven months ago following three weeks of chaos in October, in which Republicans were unable to agree on a lawmaker to take the speakers gavel after a small group of GOP lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California.

The post Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene huddles with U.S. House speaker shes trying to oust appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speak to reporters in Statuary Hall after meeting with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., in the U.S. Capitol Building on May 06, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Last week, Greene threatened to move forward with a motion to vacate over her dissatisfaction with the Speakers handling of the government funding legislation. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene plan to meet privately Tuesday amid her calls for him to resign or face a floor vote that could, but likely wont, remove the Louisiana Republican from leadership.

Greene announced the meeting Monday evening after she and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie met privately with Johnson for two hours over disagreements about how hes been running the House with a narrow GOP majority.

Greene, speaking briefly to reporters outside the speakers office after the meeting wrapped up, didnt divulge details of what she, Massie and Johnson discussed.

Let me tell you, I have been patient. I have been diligent. I have been steady. And Ive been focused on the facts, Greene said. And none of that has changed. So I just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Greene, standing next to Massie, then said they would be meeting again on Tuesday.

Greene repeatedly has expressed her anger that Johnson has brought successful pieces of legislation to the House floor with bipartisan backing. Some of those recent bipartisan measures include government funding packages in March and military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in April.

Johnson last week issued a statement that Greenes motion to vacate was wrong.

This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country, he wrote.

House Democratic leaders last week issued a statement vowing to back Johnson if far-right Republicans try to remove him as speaker, which makes it unlikely the motion to vacate will succeed.

In late March, Greene filed a resolution to remove Johnson, following a bipartisan vote to approve the last remaining appropriations bill of fiscal year 2024. Since then, she has gained support from Massie and Arizonas Paul Gosar.

Johnson was unanimously elected to the post about seven months ago following three weeks of chaos in October, in which Republicans were unable to agree on a lawmaker to take the speakers gavel after a small group of GOP lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California.

The post Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene huddles with U.S. House speaker shes trying to oust appeared first on NC Newsline.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speak to reporters in Statuary Hall after meeting with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., in the U.S. Capitol Building on May 06, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Last week, Greene threatened to move forward with a motion to vacate over her dissatisfaction with the Speakers handling of the government funding legislation. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

WASHINGTON  U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene plan to meet privately Tuesday amid her calls for him to resign or face a floor vote that could, but likely wont, remove the Louisiana Republican from leadership.

Greene announced the meeting Monday evening after she and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie met privately with Johnson for two hours over disagreements about how hes been running the House with a narrow GOP majority.

Greene, speaking briefly to reporters outside the speakers office after the meeting wrapped up, didnt divulge details of what she, Massie and Johnson discussed.

Let me tell you, I have been patient. I have been diligent. I have been steady. And Ive been focused on the facts, Greene said. And none of that has changed. So I just had a long discussion with the speaker in his office about ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Greene, standing next to Massie, then said they would be meeting again on Tuesday.

Greene repeatedly has expressed her anger that Johnson has brought successful pieces of legislation to the House floor with bipartisan backing. Some of those recent bipartisan measures include government funding packages in March and military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in April.

Johnson last week issued a statement that Greenes motion to vacate was wrong.

This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country, he wrote.

House Democratic leaders last week issued a statement vowing to back Johnson if far-right Republicans try to remove him as speaker, which makes it unlikely the motion to vacate will succeed.

In late March, Greene filed a resolution to remove Johnson, following a bipartisan vote to approve the last remaining appropriations bill of fiscal year 2024. Since then, she has gained support from Massie and Arizonas Paul Gosar.

Johnson was unanimously elected to the post about seven months ago following three weeks of chaos in October, in which Republicans were unable to agree on a lawmaker to take the speakers gavel after a small group of GOP lawmakers ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California.

The post Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene huddles with U.S. House speaker shes trying to oust appeared first on Nevada Current.
A group of Republican senators have threatened the International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, and his family against issuing arrest warrants for any Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



In a letter to ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan on April 24, 12 Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, and Tim Scott, warned that if an arrest warrant was issued for any Israeli leaders, We will interpret this not only as a threat to Israels sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States, according to a report from Zeteo.

Target Israel and we will target you, the letter from April 24 added, noting that the senators would sanction the courts employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States.

You have been warned, the letter concluded.

Other signatories include Katie Britt, Rick Scott, and Pete Ricketts.

In response, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said that it is absolutely wrong to interfere in a judicial matter by threatening judicial officers, their family members and their employees with retribution. This thuggery is something befitting the mafia, not U.S. senators.



On Friday, the office of the chief prosecutor posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) denouncing threats against it as well as attempts to intimidate and impede its officials.



The GOP senators cited the American Service-Members Protection Act, a bill that has been referred to by some as the Hague Invasion Act because it could be used to justify a military operation against the ICC in The Hague if it prosecutes American officials or soldiers. In recent years, and especially after the court in 2023 issued an arrest warrant against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials for war crimes issued in the invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration pledged to help the ICC in its efforts.

Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC, but the Palestinian territories were admitted with the status of a member state in 2015. A week before Khan, a British attorney, was appointed to the court in 2021, the court ruled unanimously that it had jurisdiction over Gaza and the West Bank.

Its telling that allegations of war crimes by Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu dont seem to faze leading Republicans in the Senate, even as at least 34,735 people have been killed, including over 14,500 children. Instead, they are attacking anyone who seeks to hold the Israeli government accountable, whether college students or the International Criminal Court, rather than doing so themselves.
The 2024 short session of the North Carolina General Assembly has barely begun, and already GOP legislators who see punching down on public schools as a reelection campaign tactic are taking aim at our states long-suffering teachers.

Only weeks after the N.C. Department of Public Instruction released data showing North Carolina teachers are quitting in record numbers (1 in 9 resigned last school year), and just in time for Teacher Appreciation Week, N.C. House Republicans have filed a bill titled Academic Transparency which would force all teachers to post their lesson plans online with their names attached no later than 10 days after the lesson was given.

Justin Parmenter

The bills author, Rep. Jake Johnson, who represents Henderson, McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties, has a history of fanning fake culture war flames and encouraging the public to distrust public schools because he believes it may help his chances at being reelected and holding on to power.

For example, in May 2022 Johnson shared this Facebook video crowing about stamping out Critical Race Theory in North Carolinas schools but neglected to tell voters that Gov. Roy Cooper had vetoed the bill he was flexing about in September 2021.

North Carolina teachers are so used to serving as the punching bag for state Republicans that this new legislation doesnt really qualify as front page news. But there are some real problems with the bill, apart from the fact that its driven by cynical politics rather than an actual need.

One is that its labor intensive. Teachers are currently so overworked due to having to cover for the extraordinary number of job vacancies that this onerous requirement could be the straw that breaks the camels back. With record numbers of teachers leaving, we need state legislators to focus on how to make the job more attractive rather than making it worse.

Secondly, many teachers spend hours developing their own supplementary materials due to the subpar curriculum theyre often saddled with. Those materials are their intellectual property, and they deserve to have some control over who has access to it.

Another point to consider is that this burdensome requirement applies only to public schools but not to the private schools that Republicans are keen to pour billions of taxpayer voucher dollars into. Why should public schools be required to make their materials freely accessible to private schools that are already siphoning away our desperately-needed funding? Why not require private schools to do the same?

Finally, dropping a bill with transparency in the title at this moment is terrible timing  and Im not talking about Teacher Appreciation Week.

Buried in last years budget bill was a provisions that exempted state legislators from N.C. public records law. The law gives legislators  like those who sponsored the Academic Transparency bill  the power to determine if any documents produced through their work on behalf of the people qualify as a public record and whether to retain or destroy those. This law shields them from having to share their lesson plans even after theyve left office.

So this bill stings a little more than the usual anti-public school legislation coming out of the General Assembly because its just so damn hypocritical.

Id bet my bottom dollar that the House members who sponsored this bill dont actually believe there is socialist indoctrination going on in North Carolinas schools. This is nothing more than a lazy boogeyman campaign tactic by individuals who should be out there talking about the actual improvements theyre bringing to their districts in the way of things like more jobs, better health care, etc.

But for anyone who really does want to see whats happening in North Carolinas public schools, I suggest you come to any one of them and offer to volunteer. We could really use the help.

Justin Parmenter is a seventh-grade language arts teacher at South Academy of International Languages in Charlotte.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. Italy will host the Asian Development Banks (ADB) 58th Annual Meeting in 2025, Trend reports.

According to ADB, the theme of Annual Meeting to be held on 4 to 7 May next year is Sharing Experience, Building Tomorrow.

The bank said that the meeting will be held in Milan, marking Italys first time to host and the first ADB Annual Meeting in Europe in almost a decade.

In his remarks, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa emphasized the need to keep working to address the climate and development crises.

"The Italian city of Milan is a great place to meet, share ideas, and work together for a better future because it is a global economic leader in innovation and industry. In the exciting city of Milan, I have no doubt that the 2025 Annual Meeting will provide a fantastic chance to further our common objectives, he emphasized.

To note, the 57th Annual Meeting of ADB was held in Tbilisi on May 2-5, 2024.

The annual meeting provides ADB governors with a platform to address developmental issues and challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific region. The event typically attracts several thousand participants, including finance ministers, central bank governors, senior government officials, private sector representatives, members of international and civil society organizations, youth, academics, and media personnel.

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An aerial view of a natural gas fired electrical generation station being built near the Yellowstone River in Laurel, Montana. (Photo by Ed Saunders, used with permission).

A controversial new methane-fired electric plant being built by the states largest public utility hit another bump on Monday as a group of residents filed a lawsuit charging Montanas largest county with intentionally switching zoning maps, cutting the public out of the process and railroading the project to NorthWestern Energys advantage.

A lawsuit, filed by four residents  Kasey Felder, Aaron Felder, Michele Kelley and Steve Krum  said that the Yellowstone County Commissioners have switched maps intentionally during a rezoning process to hide the heavy-industrial use zoning that is necessary for an 18-turbine power plant being built close to the Yellowstone River and CHS refinery in Laurel.

It asks a Yellowstone County District Court judge to reverse the county commissioners approval of a growth policy, and send the matter back to the countys zoning board for a redetermination of the zoning.

The lawsuit also accuses Yellowstone County Commissioners of playing games or cutting out public comment altogether. It also accuses longtime county commissioner John Ostlund, a Republican, of appearing on promotional videos for NorthWestern Energys power plant while casting a vote on the project.

Yellowstone County Commissioners (from left to right): Don Jones, John Ostlund and Mark Morse. All three are Republicans. Yellowstone County is Montanas largest county by population (Photo courtesy of Yellowstone County).

Phone messages for the Yellowstone County Attorneys Office were not returned Monday afternoon.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday and assigned to Yellowstone County District Court Judge Rod Souza, alleges that the commissioners have repeatedly shut the public out of participation and comment in the planning board meetings, contrary to the Montana Constitution.

The plaintiffs said that no member of the public was allowed to speak during some of the planning sessions unless requested by a member of the planning board. It details two meetings in January where the planning board met but no public input was taken.

Moreover, the lawsuit claims that a series of changes to an updated growth policy map involving the area around the new power plant were made several times with no explanation to the public for the changes. Different color coding and keys made it difficult to understand the reasoning behind the succession of maps.

Maps that were included in the 2020 Growth Plan did not include NorthWestern Energys land where the power generation plant is located, according to the suit.

Yet, the land use maps accompanying the 2023 Revised Growth plan show an area, including a sliver of NorthWestern Energys land, designated as (heavy industrial). The Planning Board was unable to explain or justify this change in designation, and the plaintiffs have been unable to locate any documentary support for this change, the lawsuit said. Until that question is answered, it is questionable whether any of NorthWestern Energy land was ever properly designated heavy industrial.

The group of residents claim that even after the Planning Boards updated plan, the county commissioners made several other modifications, including changing the land from agriculture to heavy industrial.

The county board justifies changing NorthWestern Energys land use designations by saying that the planning boards maps were erroneous. However, the record of the Jan. 31, 2024 meeting show that the Planning Board knew exactly what it was doing. Video from that meeting show that the Planning Board expressly declined a request to change the designation of land between Interstate 90 and Yellowstone River, the suit said.

Attorney Gene R. Jarussi said in the lawsuit, the Planning Board agreed the commercial businesses along the interstate did not want to look at some smokestacks.

The suit also claims that NorthWestern has capitalized on the gray area of zoning that existed in the location between the City of Laurel and Yellowstone County. Meanwhile, residents in the area and county have waged a public information and relations battle against NorthWestern Energy for using more fossil-fuel based energy generation in a place where air quality standards due to industrial businesses, for example, a refinery, have always been a concern.

NorthWestern Energy proceeded at its own risk, taking advantage of a cloud of confusion that surrounded local zoning jurisdiction at the time, to move ahead with its plans, the lawsuit said. The County Boards substitution of maps before adopting the Updated Growth Plan was not the product of any principled analysis and did not include any consideration of the serious impacts of this controversial project on the community or surrounding areas.

Bullying board members?

The lawsuit also accuses two of three County Board members of telling members of the public that there was nothing the public could do to stop the plant. The lawsuit calls out Ostlund by name. Furthermore, it accuses Ostlund of appearing on a promotional video for the plant prior to the commissioners decision about zoning.

Two county board members, each on separate occasions, advised members of the public that (1) public comment about the methane plant didnt matter because the county board already knew what it was going to do; and (2) the methane plant would be built and there was nothing anyone could do about it, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit charges that Ostlund appeared in a promotional video put out by NorthWestern Energy that promoted the plant, but the video was immediately removed after the April 2 adoption of a growth plan.

The evidence of bias and a predetermined outcome taints the entire endeavor and constitutes an arbitrary and capricious exercise of the County Boards authority, the lawsuit said. While the County Board has leeway in deciding whether to adopt, modify or reject a growth plan, its discretion is not boundless and unfettered.

The post Residents allege Yellowstone County swapped maps, cut public out of process for Laurel power plant appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Local residents and advocates called on Rep. John Duarte, R-Modesto, to support the Bidens administrations budget that would support lowering housing costs.

Central Valley constituents and advocacy groups rallied April 25 to demand that Duarte act to lower the high costs of housing impacting thousands of Californians. The rally coincided with a downtown Modesto political fundraiser hosted by Duarte, who by deadline did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Our communities are suffering due to a lack of affordable housing options. We urge Congressman Duarte to support initiatives that alleviate this crisis and ensure every individual has access to safe, stable and affordable housing. Its time Rep. Duarte puts the interests of working families in his district before the corporate interests of his wealthy donors, said Pedro Ramirez, a Central Valley community organizer.

The rally of a dozen or so people also marked the first anniversary of Duartes vote in favor of the Default on America Act, which threatened affordable housing for more than 80,000 California families. Families would lose access to rental assistance, including older adults, people with disabilities and families with children.

A year later, Central Valley residents urged Duarte to endorse the Bidens budget for fiscal year 2025, aimed at tackling the urgent issue of affordable housing. The budget includes proposals to:

Increase affordable housing supply through grants and tax credits for building, renovating and preserving homes.

Expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Offer tax credits for first-time homebuyers and middle-class families.

Assist first-generation homebuyers with down payments.

Increase funding for rural affordable housing.

The presidents budget offers grants and tax credits to help more people afford homes, support veterans and foster care graduates and assist first-time homebuyers, many of whom live in the Central Valley.

Irene Kao, executive director of Courage California and Valley Families Unite, highlighted findings from their 2020 polling in Californias 13th Congressional District, which includes Modesto and Merced. According to the survey, housing affordability ranked as the second most significant concern, following issues related to jobs and the economy at No. 1.

Were really calling on [Duarte] to do the right thing, which is to vote for the budget and make housing more affordable for residents of the district, Kao said.

Reports from the California Housing Partnership Corporation show a gap of nearly 35,000 affordable housing units in Fresno alone, with the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimating a countywide shortfall of 41,000 units.

Moreover, around 45% of households in Central Valley counties are renters, grappling with difficulties amplified by the housing crisis. About 2,000 individuals are homeless in Stanislaus County alone, according to data from Stanislaus Community System of Care.

Kim Warmsly, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, expressed her belief that the administrations budget will profoundly affect the community.

She noted significant housing inequities in the Central Valley, particularly impacting vulnerable groups like essential workers. Warmsly emphasized that these workers face stiff competition from individuals with higher salaries who can work remotely from home.

I think that now really is time to work across party lines and come together collaboratively to really echo and champion the needs of the people, Warmsly said.
Restrictive abortion laws have caused a small but real climb in fatal violence committed against women, new research out Monday suggests. The study found that so-called TRAP laws were associated with an increased rate of murders among young girls and women committed by their intimate partners. The continued rise in tough abortion laws, fueled by the Supreme Courts dismantling of Roe v. Wade in 2022, will likely contribute to further violence, the study authors argue.

The research was led by scientists at Tulane University in Louisiana. Their previous work had found that pregnant women or women who recently gave birth are more likely to be murdered than women of similar reproductive age, while also confirming homicide as the leading cause of maternal death in American women (though the study only focused on the most current data at the time, the trend has likely been true for decades).

Homicides are most frequently perpetrated by people in the victims life, and murders committed during pregnancy are often tied to domestic violence in particular. Partners (usually men) confronted with an unwanted pregnancy might become violent or worsen their violence toward the pregnant woman, for instance, while those pregnant might feel it even harder to attempt ending an abusive relationship.

With the rapid rise of restrictions designed to target the regulation of abortion providers, also known as TRAP laws (meaning targeted regulation of abortion providers laws), seen in recent years, the researchers wanted to get a better sense of how these laws may have affected the likelihood of these murders.

To do so, they analyzed nationwide death data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as data on TRAP laws compiled by the Guttmacher Institute between 2014 to 2020. In total, 23 states had TRAP laws on the books at the time. The researchers focused specifically on states where up to five common TRAP laws had been enacted during that time period, comparing the number of homicides among girls and women between the ages of 10 to 44 before and after these laws came into effect. They also tried to control for other factors such as the differences in violent crime rates or the percentage of gun ownership between states.

During those years, there were at least 8,319 recorded homicides of girls and women in this age group. Of these, 41% were judged to involve intimate partner violence. The researchers found a modest but noticeable connection between TRAP laws and more of these murders. For each additional TRAP law enacted in a state, there was a 3.4% increase in homicides related to intimate partner violence, they estimated. And overall, across all states during those years, the team estimated that TRAP laws were associated with an additional two dozen murders of young girls and women tied to partner violence.

The study authors also noted that homicide rates among women ages 10 to 44 in general were associated with increased TRAP laws, suggesting that these laws have worsened violence against women in other ways. One possibility they bring up is that underage pregnant girls in these states still living at home are also now more likely to be killed by their families as well as their partners.

In this analysis, we found that policies constraining womens ability to obtain abortion care are associated with violent consequences for this population, the researchers wrote in their paper, published Monday in the journal Health Affairs.

The teams findings are estimates, so its possible that other researchers, using different variables or assumptions, might come up with different numbers. But this is far from the only piece of research suggesting that restrictive abortion laws are harmful to the women most impacted by them. Studies have linked the passing of these laws to higher rates of suicide among young women, for instance, or the worsening of health care provided by obstetrician-gynecologists.

Given that many states have since enacted even more restrictive abortion laws in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, the researchers expect that things have and will continue to get worse without aggressive action to protect womens reproductive rights.

Protecting this right requires participation and accountability by policy makers responsible for repealing laws that constrain the degree to which women may exercise bodily autonomy. This is especially critical when doing so may prevent their violent death, they wrote.

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France will send its ambassador to attend the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported on May 6, citing a diplomatic source.

Putin easily won another six-year term in office in an election in March that is widely viewed as being rigged.

Many European countries, such as the U.K., Estonia, Czechia, and others, have said they will boycott the inauguration ceremony.

A spokesperson for Estonia's foreign ministry said, "Estonia cannot legitimize diplomatic relations with an aggressor state, and we have decided not to attend Putin's inauguration ceremony."

While the source told Reuters that France condemned the circumstances of the election, as well as organizing voting on occupied Ukrainian territory, it would nonetheless send its ambassador.

The U.S. has not made a public announcement, but diplomatic sources told Reuters that it was unlikely there would be an American representative in attendance.

In a sign of the deterioration of relations between the two countries, the speaker of Armenia's parliament also said on May 6 that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan would not join the ceremony.

Armenia has long been an ally of Russia, especially vis-a-vis its primary regional foe Azerbaijan, and has thus largely refrained from getting involved in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

The calculus began to change as Russia refused to intervene in Azerbaijan's 2022 blockade of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was primarily populated by ethnic Armenians.

After Russian "peacekeepers" failed to prevent Azerbaijan's September 2023 offensive into the region, resulting in the reintegration of the territory into Azerbaijan, relations between Armenia and Russia have fallen to an all-time low.

Read also: European Parliament condemns Putins election as illegitimate

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RFK Jr. reads attacks from pundits in new video from super PAC: He is nuts

A group backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president released a new long-form ad in which he reads aloud personal attacks from media outlets for the first minute.

The 30-minute video, released by the super PAC American Values 2024 (AV24) on Friday, takes a comical approach in which the controversial independent presidential candidate addresses his critics head-on.

The first minute of the video appears to be modeled on the popular Jimmy Kimmel Live segment called Mean Tweets, in which the host has his celebrity guests read aloud criticism about themselves that people posted online.

The video begins with Kennedy reading: He is nuts and clearly disturbed, The Standard; Hes angry, Vanity Fair; His own family hates him, The New York Post; He sounds like he is transmitting from another galaxy he is so crazy, The New York Post; Kennedy is a humorless bully living in a paranoid fantasy, Vanity Fair; What the f is wrong with Bobby Kennedy?

Someone off-camera then hands Kennedy notecards, from which he continues to read.

Hes a walking, talking, conspiracy theory, The New York Times; Hes completely divorced from reality, The Guardian; He is vile, the White House; Being with him was the low point of my summer, Vanity Fair. Bobby Kennedy speaks with a croaking, rasping, painful-sounding voice. His vague explanation is that its a virus, but more likely it is a crackpipe voice, The Standard; Kennedy is a crank, The New York Times; He is a crank, The New York Times; Hes a crank who cranks out whoppers the way Taylor Swift disgorges perfect pop songs, The New York Times; He has conversations with dead people, The Guardian.

Kennedy then laughs to himself, and the camera switches to a low, profile shot, giving the appearance of a behind-the-scenes view of the production team. Kennedy leans over his shoulder, looks into the camera directly and says, I wouldnt vote for that guy either.

The title of the video  Who is Bobby Kennedy? with the subheading, What if hes not crazy?  then flashes across the screen. The remainder of the video introduces the audience to the candidates biography.

The video was produced by Apple TV+s The Morning Show creator Jay Carson and director Mike Piscitelli, AV24 said in a press release.

The film tells Kennedys story in an eloquent, candid, motivating, and entertaining way. It details how the prevailing narrative about him  crazy, dangerous, unhinged  bears little resemblance to the reality of who he is and the work hes done as a successful environmental attorney and corruption fighter, the press release said.

Following the videos release Friday, Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram initially blocked it on both platforms. A spokesperson for Meta said the video was incorrectly flagged as spam and the issue was addressed soon after it was discovered.

The link was mistakenly blocked and was quickly restored once the issue was discovered, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

AV24, however, has pledged to move forward with legal action, claiming censorship.

When social media companies censor a presidential candidate, the public cant learn what that candidate actually believes and what policies they would pursue if elected, Tony Lyons, co-founder of AV24, said in a statement.

We are left with the propaganda and lies from the most powerful and most corrupt groups and individuals. This is the hallmark of an oligarchy  not a democracy, he added.

The Hill has reached out to Meta for a response.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Richland forced to reconsider retail cannabis sales. Its one vote away from lifting it

A dozen years after it banned local cannabis sales, the Richland City Council is just one vote away from allowing a store to open in its city limits.

An unofficial poll of the citys elected leaders during last weeks workshop revealed a 4-3 split in favor of keeping the ban, with Mayor Theresa Richardson providing the tie-breaking voice to keep cannabis sales out of town.

The council is being forced to revisit the ban after Shanna Kaiser of Fire Cannabis Co. formally applied to the city to amend its code to allow a store at 2415 Robertson Drive, in the Horn Rapids Industrial area.

Fire Cannabis has stores in Omak and Yakima and is part of a larger cannabis network with stores across Washington state. Fire is owned by Kaiser, along with Randy Lentes and Clifford Olsen.

Kaiser declined to comment on their plans.

Application forces review of ban

The application triggers a review by the citys planning commission and a decision by the city council.

Before proceeding, Heather Kintzley, Richlands city attorney, reviewed the situation with council members in the workshop session so they could advise staff on their current thinking.

The discussion offered a preview to the more formal deliberations to come and the promise of more opportunities for citizens to share their views.

Washington law bans cannabis businesses in buffer zones around schools, playgrounds and other facilities. Most, but not all, of Richland is off limits thanks to buffer zones.

Richardson along with Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Kent and Councilmen Ryan Whitten and Shayne VanDyke indicated they still support a ban.

Council members Ryan Lukson, Johanna Jones and Kurt Maier said its time to let it go.

Still, the Fire Cannabis plan is likely doomed on legal grounds. Kintzley said staff will recommend the council reject it because it does not establish a full legal framework for cannabis shops to operate in the city.

Advisory ballot, sort of

The council was divided on the ban, but not on keeping it off the ballot, which they called a waste of tax dollars.

Instead, theyll use an upcoming vote in neighboring West Richland as a proxy for what their own voters might be thinking.

Paying by credit card for marijuana at a cannabis dispensary.

West Richland faces a similar challenge to its own cannabis ban. After a heated recent public meeting, the city council opted to ask its voters to weigh in via an advisory vote on the Aug. 6 primary ballot.

Maier argued its the Richland councils responsibility to make a clear decision one way or the other.

I dont want to waste money on a public referendum. The folks who voted for us know who we are, he said.

The cost of adding it to the November general election ballot is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000.

I-502 and the Tri-Cities

Washington voters decriminalized the possession and sale of recreational amounts of cannabis via Initiative 502 in 2012, with 55.7% of the statewide vote favoring legal weed.

It passed in 20 counties and failed in 19, including both Benton and Franklin.

The popular vote carried the day and I-502 became the law of the state in 2013.

Most, though not all, local governments opted out. Franklin County and the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland enacted local bans.

Benton County, notably absent from the initial round of cannabis banning, embraced the idea after retail cannabis shops opened in unincorporated corners in Finley (Green2Go) and just outside West Richland (Nirvana Cannabis).

Twelve years later, enthusiasm for bans has eased.

Benton City and Prosser, the only communities that allowed cannabis sales, were joined by Pasco in 2023 on a 4-3 city council vote. Two stores, Lucky Leaf and Green2Go, opened in November, on Road 68 and near Road 90.

The new Green2Go cannabis store opened on Road 90 in west Pasco last year.

Cannabis is heavily taxed, with a 37% excise tax along with regular sales taxes. The state, however, keeps most of the revenue, leaving cities and counties with little financial incentive to encourage cannabis businesses.

In fact, cities and counties get laughably small checks from the state and none at all if they outright ban sales.

Benton County received $450,000 in 2023; Franklin received nothing. Yakima received $258,000, Prosser $23,000 and Benton City $5,900.

Pasco will get its first distribution in September, according to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. It wont make much of a dent in the citys budget. Auburn, with a similar population as Pasco, received $246,000, according to LCB distribution figures.

Freedom of choice and old hippies

Richland flirted with lifting its ban in 2018 and a Libertarian Party-led effort tried to put it on the ballot.

The signature gathering initiative was a success, but it never made it to the ballot. Washington law reserves the right to change zoning to local jurisdictions  cities and counties  not the ballot box.

At the time, though, some in city hall were friendly to the idea of letting voters have a say.

Councilman Ryan Lukson was one of them.

He and then-Mayor Bob Thompson favored putting it before voters. Thompson left the council, but Lukson said he embraces the Libertarian view of letting people, not government, make their own decisions.

This is not an access issue. This is freedom of choice, he said. And the point may be moot, he added: A future Legislature is likely to force local governments to accommodate I-502.

I would rather control it ourselves, he said.

Jones said crime stats shared by the city attorney show police are called to grocery stores far often than cannabis stores.

I just found out that going to the grocery store is more dangerous than going to get pot, she said.

Noting that customers are often seniors or people using cannabis for pain relief, she said the industry has put its back alley days behind it.

Opponents cited traditional concerns, such as crime, addiction and the widespread availability in neighboring communities.

Kent, the mayor pro tem, said this is one occasion where Richland can be the last to embrace change.

If we have folks in Richland who want to go buy, they can buy somewhere in the Tri-Cities, she said.

Whitten said cannabis doesnt come up often in conversation. When it does, people adamantly oppose it in Richland, even if theyre regular users.

Whitten said he visited stores and observed that customers were all old hippies.

It was hilarious, actually, he said.

Mayor Richardson cited crime, including a recent smash-and-grab incident at Green2Go in Pasco, along with rising potency. Legal cannabis is widely available, she noted.

Why do we need another one? she asked. If we were talking about a Trader Joes, it would be a different conversation, but if anything, I think I would favor going for an advisory vote or waiting until we see what happens in West Richland.

Follow Richland agendas at richlandw.portal.civicclerk.com.

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Charlie Spies, a well-respected lawyer at the Republican Party, has resigned after angering Donald Trump by criticizing his false claims about the 2020 elections being rigged, The Washington Post reported.

Spies was hired in March, with the former presidents approval, after Trump orchestrated a takeover of the Republican National Committee, under which prospective hires are generally required to say that the 2020 election was stolen before being offered a job. In Spies' case, Trump approved of the initial hiring but withdrew support after learning that the lawyer had been critical of his voter-fraud conspiracy theories.

At the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference, Spies rebutted some of the false allegations surrounding voting machines in Michigan, in particular, and defended the recounts in Georgia that did not show any significant voter fraud in the 2020 election. Republicans should shift their attention away from things that arent true, Spies said, and focus instead on trying to win elections.

Spies had been hired to lead the RNC's legal spending and election integrity program after previously working for the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney. He was "flabbergasted" by the controversy over his hiring, the Post reported, believing when he took the job that he enjoyed the backing of Trump and his aides.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Trump campaign denied that Spies' departure had anything to do with him angering the former president. Instead, Danielle Alvarez, a campaign spokesperson, said Spiers was leaving to focus on his private legal practice.
If Roe v. Wade can fall, anything can fall, says Jeffries in stressing importance of elections

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emphasized the stakes of the 2024 election in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday, warning that much more than abortion rights are at risk if former President Trump gets a second term.

He told CBS Norah ODonnell that reproductive freedom will be an incredibly significant issue in the race.

And the extreme MAGA Republicans have set in motion the erosion of reproductive freedom, he said. Were gonna fight for it with everything that weve got at our disposal.

If Roe v. Wade can fall, anything can fall, he continued. Social Security can fall. Medicare can fall. Voting rights can fall. And God help us all, but democracy itself can fall. If Roe v. Wade can fall, then anything can fall.

Jeffries comments come as Democrats turn their sights on battleground states focusing on abortion rights arguments, as Arizona, Florida, Montana and others prepare for abortion rights ballot issues.

GOP state lawmakers in Arizona overturned a Civil War-era abortion restriction last week after multiple attempts and mass criticism from Democrats, while another strict abortion law went into effect in Florida on Wednesday.

But Jeffries also said that Democrats need to run on a positive message, in addition to warning about what Republicans could take away. He pointed to the gun safety regulation and investments in manufacturing as the real results.

However, most Americans still perceive the Biden economy as weaker than the economy under President Trump, according to polls, as the Biden campaign struggles to change the narrative.

We have to do a better job of laying out the facts that the economy has dramatically improved under the leadership of President Joe Biden, Jeffries said.

He called the messaging issue a work in progress.

Voters understand that more needs to be done, that there are challenges that remain, he said. We understand we have to lower costs. We have to end price gouging. We have to grow the middle class. We have to keep our communities safe. We have to solve the problems and challenges at the border.

Were on the right side of those issues, he continued. And we just have to make sure we make that case in a compelling, a clear, and a comprehensive way to the American people.

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Russian forces struck 11 communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 31 separate attacks throughout the day, the regional administration reported on May 6. At least 169 explosions were reported in Sumy Oblast over the past 24 hours.

The regional administration also confirmed that the Russian attack on the Krasnopillia community injured three people, including two children - a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old. All the injured were hospitalized with mine-blast injuries, according to Iryna Yukhta, a secretary of the Krasnopillia village council.

Other communities targeted by Russia included Khotin, Yunakivka, Myropillia, Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Esman,m Seredyna-Buda, and Znob-Novhorodske.

Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, artillery, grenade launcher, and drone attacks. Several guided and unguided rockets targeted at least four communities, while the village of Znob-Novhorodske saw mines dropped onto the settlement.

The communities of Esman and Myropillia experienced the bulk of the attacks, with 27 explosions reported in each of the areas.

Russian forces launched a drone attack in Sumy Oblast overnight on May 6, targeting the region's energy infrastructure, according to local authorities. Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator, reported later that one of its high-voltage facilities had been damaged as a result of the strikes.

Sumy Oblast borders Russia's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts. Russian attacks against the region have become increasingly destructive in recent weeks, killing and injuring civilians.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian Mangust-class vessel destroyed in Crimea, military intelligence says

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Russian forces attacked six communities in Sumy Oblast, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on May 5. More than 22 explosions were recorded.

The communities of Khotin, Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, and Esman came under fire.

Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, artillery, mines, and drone attacks.

No casualties were reported.

During the early hours of May 6, the Sumy Military Administration reported that Russian forces had carried out drone attacks on the region's energy infrastructure, leading to partial blackouts in the area.

Sumy Oblast lies along Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. Residents of vulnerable border communities endure daily attacks launched by nearby Russian forces. Russian attacks against the region have become increasingly destructive in recent weeks, killing and injuring civilians.

An attack against the region on April 29 damaged a school in Yampil.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: US aid will help launch counteroffensive in 2025, Sullivan says

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. The Israeli military cabinet unanimously decided to continue military operation in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, Trend reports.

"The Israeli military cabinet unanimously decided that Israel will continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas, facilitate the release of hostages and achieve other military goals. Israel considers Hamas's response proposal on Gaza insufficient," the statement said.

At the same time, the office also announced Israel's intention to send a delegation to Cairo to continue negotiations on the situation in Gaza.

Yesterday the Palestinian Hamas movement has informed Egyptian and Qatari mediators that it approves of their proposed draft agreement to establish a truce in the Gaza Strip.
12 Shahed loitering munitions have been destroyed. Photo: Ukraines Air Force

Russian troops attacked Sumy Oblast with 13 Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions on the night of 5-6 May, and Ukrainian air defence units destroyed 12 of them.

Source: Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of Ukraine's Air Force

Quote: "Mobile fire groups of Ukraine's Defence Forces destroyed 12 enemy attack UAVs in Sumy Oblast during combat operations."

Details: Oleshchuk noted that Russian forces had launched Shaheds from Kursk Oblast, Russia.

Background: Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russian troops had launched a Shahed UAV attack through Sumy Oblast, resulting in a partial power and water supply outage in Sumy.

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A drone attack in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on May 6 reportedly killed six people and injured at least 35, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed.

Gladkov said that drones had struck vehicles transporting workers to a factory near the village of Berezovka, and that six people died on the spot.

The information could not be independently verified, and Ukraine does not usually comment on purported attacks on Russian soil.

Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts. Claims of rocket or drone attacks against the region have recently become a common occurrence after anti-Kremlin Russian militias' incursions into the border areas.

Russia reportedly often uses Belgorod Oblast as a launching ground for cross-border missile strikes against Ukraine.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: US aid will help launch counteroffensive in 2025, Sullivan says

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FILE - Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza gestures standing in a glass cage in a courtroom during announcement of the verdict on appeal at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, on July 31, 2023. (AP Photo, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has written columns as a contributor for The Washington Post from his prison cell in Russia, has won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

Kara-Murza, 42, is a Russian politician, author and historian who has been imprisoned in Russia since April 2022. He was convicted of treason last year for denouncing the war in Ukraine.

He is serving 25 years, the most severe sentence given to a Kremlin critic in modern Russia. He is among a growing number of dissidents held in increasingly harsh conditions under President Vladimir Putins political crackdown.

The prize was awarded to Kara-Murza for passionate columns written at great personal risk from his prison cell, warning of the consequences of dissent in Vladimir Putins Russia and insisting on a democratic future for his country, according to the Pulitzer announcement on Monday.

Kara-Murza wasn't available to comment on receiving the award because of his imprisonment, The Washington Post reported. His wife, Evgenia Kara-Murza, thanked the newspaper on Monday for making sure that the voice of Vladimir is heard, that he is not forgotten and that his vision is not forgotten.

The Russian Embassy in Washington didn't immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Members of Congress last month called for the immediate release of the Russian opposition figure. The charges against Kara-Murza, a dual Russian-British citizen, stem from a March 2022 speech to the Arizona House of Representatives in which he was critical of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Kara-Murza has survived poisonings twice that he blamed on Russian authorities. He has rejected the charges against him as punishment for standing up to Putin and likened the proceedings to the show trials under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Evgenia Kara-Murza, who lives in the U.S. with their children, has said that her husband has spent months in solitary confinement, a punishment that has become common for Kremlin critics and is widely viewed as designed to put additional pressure on them.

Kara-Murza had been held in a maximum security prison in Siberia, though his supporters said earlier this year that he was no longer there.

Vadim Prokhorov, Kara-Murzas lawyer, said in a Facebook post that he thinks the best way to congratulate Kara-Murza would be active efforts to get him released and corresponding public demands aimed at the Putin regime.

The Pulitzers were established in the will of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer and first awarded in 1917.
Russia defends veto of UN resolution to prohibit nukes in outer space, urges vote to ban all weapons

FILE - Russian Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia addresses members of the U.N. Security Council during a meeting on Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at the United Nations headquarters. Russia has defended its veto of a U.N. resolution calling on all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space. Nebenzia, on Monday, May 6, accused the West of planning for the military exploration of outer space, including the deployment of weapons. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Russia on Monday defended its veto of a U.N. resolution urging all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space, challenging the U.S., Japan and their Western allies to support Moscows rival resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space for all time.

Russias U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said the United States and Japan, which sponsored the vetoed resolution, are guilty of of hypocrisy and double standards. He accused the U.S. and Western nations more broadly of planning for the military exploration of outer space, including the deployment of weapons, in particular strike combat systems.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood countered, telling the U.N. General Assembly: The truth is that Russia currently has several conventional anti-satellite weapons already in orbit, one of which it tested in 2019. He added Russia has threatened to target satellites with weapons, and said there is credible information that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device.

The verbal clash came on a day that Russia threatened to strike British military facilities and said it plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons. Moscow's actions were a response to comments by senior Western officials about possible deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine.

In February 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to rising tensions with the West over its support for Ukraine by announcing that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty  the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States.

The United Nations warned Monday of growing concern about recent increasing talk about nuclear weapons by various parties when asked about Russia's planned drills simulating the use of tactical nukes.

Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. All actions that could lead to miscalculation, escalation with catastrophic consequences, must be avoided.

Under a General Assembly resolution adopted in April 2022, any of the permanent member of the Security Council  the U.S, Russia, China, Britain and France  that vetoes a resolution must appear before the 193-member world body to explain why.

Before the U.S.-Japan resolution was put to a vote April 24, Russia and China unsuccessfully proposed an amendment that would have called on all countries to prevent all weapons  not just weapons of mass destruction  in outer space.

In the ensuing vote on the U.S.-Japan resolution, 13 countries voted yes, China abstained, and Russia voted no, vetoing the measure.

A week later, Russia circulated its rival resolution that calls on all countries to stop all weapons from being deployed in outer space as well as the threat or use of force in outer space, also for all time.

On Monday, Nebenzia argued that the United States and its allies oppose a ban on all weapons in outer space because they plan to deploy weapons there and hold out the threat of using force in outer space  from outer space and against objects in outer space.

Wood questioned the sincerity of Putin's public comments that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space.

If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution, Wood said. Russias actions cast significant doubt as to whether it will uphold the existing legal obligations under the Outer Space Treaty and raise concerns about what this could mean for international peace and security.

The vetoed U.S.-Japan resolution would have affirmed that countries which ratified the 1967 Outer Space Treaty must comply with their obligations not to put in orbit around the Earth any objects with weapons of mass destruction, or install them on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space. The treaty was ratified by 114 countries, including the U.S. and Russia.

Wood said all countries should support the Outer Space Treaty and not let Russia distract from the pact's provisions by seeking to advance its own resolution, which he said has language being discussed in other bodies where there is not yet consensus.

Russias actions only seeks to divide states not unite us, he said.

Japanese Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki asked U.N. member nations to imagine what would happen if a nuclear weapon detonated in outer space.

A large number of satellites and other critical space infrastructure would be taken down, he said.

But the consequences wouldnt be limited to outer space, Yamazaki said, saying there would be repercussions on peoples lives and it would obstruct development in every region on Earth, disastrously and irreversibly.
Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday it would launch tactical nuclear drills with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov citing comments by Emmanuel Macron about sending Western troops to Ukraine. File Photo by Kremlin Pool/UPI

May 6 (UPI) -- Russia announced Monday that it would conduct tactical nuclear drills in response to what it claimed were "provocative statements and threats" from Western officials concerning the Ukrainian war.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the nuclear exercises would be to "maintain the readiness of personnel and equipment" and to ensure the "territorial integrity and sovereignty" of Russia. The drills would practice the use of "non-strategic nuclear weapons."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the drills were in response to French President Emmanuel Macron last week as well as additional comments from the British and U.S. governments.

Macron made the comments in a story published in The Economist, saying he was "not ruling anything out" in support of Ukraine, including sending Western troops there.

"We have undoubtedly been too hesitant by defining the limits of our action to someone who no longer has any and who is the aggressor," he said.

Emmanuel Macron said he was "not ruling anything out" in support of Ukraine, including sending Western troops there. File Photo by Gonzalo Fuentes/EPA-EFE

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev responded to Macron's comments on Monday, saying that any deployment of Western troops into Ukraine to fight Russia would amount to declaring war.

"Sending their troops to the territory of former Ukraine will mean their direct involvement in the war," Medvedev said, according to the state-run news agency TASS. "We will have to respond to this. And, alas, not on the territory of former Ukraine."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to take the use of nuclear weapons off the table since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. File Photo by Kremlin/UPI

He called the comments by Macron a "shameless calculation for political bonus points," adding that Western leaders who move to send troops to Ukraine "won't be able to hide on Capitol Hill, or in Elysee Place, or on 10 Downing Street."

Ukraine's military intelligence agency described Moscow's plans for the drills as "nuclear blackmail."

"We do not see here anything new except for the information effect and statements," Ukraine's Andriy Yusov said. "Nuclear blackmail is a constant practice of Putin's regime."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to take the use of nuclear weapons off the table since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow has even moved nuclear weapons to ally Belarus but has not followed through to use them.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military exercises focused on the preparation and deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, the Russian military announced Monday.

This is the first time Russia has declared publicly that it will conduct drills involving tactical nuclear weapons, although its military regularly holds nuclear exercises. Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for battlefield use, and represent the kind of escalation Western officials have feared that the Kremlin might opt for in Ukraine.

The defense ministry said the exercise will involve forces of the Southern Military District, which includes Russia-occupied Ukraine and parts of Russia that border on Ukraine, adding that it was in response to provocative statements and threats by the West.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov elaborated that the drills are a response to French President Emmanuel Macron recently doubling down on the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, and similar statements from Western officials. This is a totally new level of escalating tensions. It is unprecedented, it demands special attention and special measures, Peskov said.

Maj. Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Semafor that Russias attempt to use military exercises involving nuclear weapons as a pressure tactic is irresponsible. He added that the US Department of Defense had not seen a reason to adjust its nuclear posture or indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.

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Russian nuclear threats aim to deter the West

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Sources: CSIS, Foreign Policy, Atlantic Council

Russia has sought to limit the Wests involvement in Ukraine by threatening to go nuclear. The nuclear messaging has consistently followed the Kremlins fortunes on the battlefield, with threats ramping up when Russia is on the backfoot, a report from the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies found. This is not about the exercise itself, its about going public with it to send a signal, Nikolai Sokov, a Russian nuclear expert at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, wrote on X. While some experts have emphasized the risks of escalation with the worlds largest nuclear power, others have warned that yielding to nuclear blackmail would only encourage more threats in the future.

Experts divided on how the West should respond

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Sources: Atlantic Council, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research

Russias nuclear threats regularly leave Western security officials guessing about Putins intentions and whether increased support for Ukraine would lead to a nuclear crisis. Amy Woolf, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council said the West would be best served paying little attention to Russias nuclear drills. Exercises happen  and it would help cheapen the currency of nuclear signals to just ignore this, she wrote on X. Pavel Podvig with the the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research called on the international community to condemn the exercise: The right response is to double down on nuclear threats are inadmissible and rally everyone around that.

Russian media hypes up nuclear tensions

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Sources: BBC Monitoring , War on the Rocks, Moscow Times

In Russian media, commentators and political pundits have been eager to express their confidence in the countrys nuclear strength. Last week, staunch pro-Putin news presenter Dmitry Kiselyov warned that if NATO troops go to Ukraine, well send everything flying everywhere. He claimed that Russian nukes would target US nuclear launch sites, France will be disarmed in an instant, and the British isles will simply go underwater. Last year, Western researchers were perturbed when once-restrained Russian nuclear experts threw caution to the wind and called for the possibility of preemptive nuclear use. Nobel prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov said that coverage of Russian nuclear weapons has become so commonplace on television that it already looks like an advertisement for dog food.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6. For the first time since October 7, 2023, the US administration this week suspended arms supplies to Israel, two Israeli officials said, Trend reports.

According to them, this step seriously worried the Israeli authorities, and they began to study the reasons for the delay in the supply of shells.

They noted that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a tough conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel regarding the military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
Moscow can hit back at "any British military installations and equipment in or outside Ukraine" if Ukraine strikes on Russian territory with U.K.-made weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on May 6.

British Ambassador to Moscow Nigel Casey was summoned to Russia's Foreign Ministry for a formal protest after U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Kyiv had a right to use the weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," he said.

The Russian ministry claimed that Cameron "had de facto recognized his country as a part of the conflict," calling his remarks a "serious escalation."

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"Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad could be targeted," the ministry's statement read.

Russia has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons in response to Western support for Ukraine, but the threats have so far failed to materialize.

Ukraine has continued to press its Western allies for longer-range weapons, but partners have hesitated about delivering arms that could potentially be used to strike within Russian territory.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Kyiv will not use weapons supplied by foreign partners to hit targets outside of the country's borders. Such restrictions do not apply to domestically produced arms, some of which are reportedly capable of striking deep into Russia.

Some of Ukraine's allies have sent weapons to Kyiv with no restrictions on strikes inside Russia, according to Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze.

Ukraine has also reportedly used U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to target Russian military targets Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia.

Read also: Ambassador: Washington doesnt support strikes with U.S.-made weapons in Russia

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Russian attacks across Ukraine killed two people and injured 27 over the past day, regional authorities said on May 6.

Russian forces targeted 10 Ukrainian regions  Poltava, Chernihiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter three regions.

Russian troops struck the regional center of Kharkiv with KAB gliding bombs, injuring 16 people, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

The Kyivskyi and Shevchenkyvskyi districts were hit, while 14 apartment buildings and eight houses were damaged, as well as three cars, a medical facility, a dormitory, an office, a cafe, and garages. Three more houses were destroyed completely.

Russian military carried out the strike on the village of Monachynivka in the Kupiansk district using aerial bombs. Two men, aged 34 and 66, were injured. An 88-year-old woman was killed in the attack.

The village of Kivsharivka in the Kupiansk district was also under Russian attack on May 5. Russian forces shelled it with multiple rocket launchers and injured a 79-year-old man.

The Zolochiv village was struck with gliding bombs at around 2:30 a.m. local time on May 6. A 59-year-old woman got a concussion and shrapnel wounds. Two houses and the boiler room of the sports school were destroyed in a direct hit. The other 10 houses were partially damaged, as well as a sports school, a court, a village council, and a culture house, among others.

In total, nearly 15 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast were shelled by Russian troops over the past day.

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In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured the other six. Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on one person killed and the other one injured in the embattled town of Chasiv Yar.

Three people were also injured in the village of Mykhailivka due to the drone attack. One person was confirmed injured in the Krasnohorivka city and the other one  in the Heorhiivka village.

Over the past day, Russian forces attacked 16 settlements in Kherson Oblast, including the regional center of Kherson, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. One person was injured due to the recent strikes.

Russian forces also targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure in Sumy Oblast. The attack was carried out with Shahed-type drones and led to the critical infrastructure facilities, including water supply and hospitals, being transferred to backup power.

Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator, reported later that one of its high-voltage facilities had been damaged as a result of the strikes.

Read also: Air Force: Ukraine downs 12 Russian drones overnight

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The Russians continue to attack Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, launching a kamikaze drone attack on Sunday evening (5 May), and causing damage to a high-voltage power line in Chervonohryhorivka. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.].

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Lysak: "The enemy keeps terrorising the Nikopol district. They hit Marhanets hromada with a kamikaze drone in the evening. Two more were sent to Chervonohryhorivka around midnight. A high-voltage power line has been damaged."

Details: Lysak noted that there were no fatalities or injuries.

Background: Earlier, it was reported that the Russians had launched an airstrike on energy facilities in Sumy Oblast and that invincibility centres were being set up in Sumy. [An invincibility centre is heated premises stocked with food and power banks to assist residents facing hardships due to power cuts  ed.].

On the night of 5-6 May, Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast with 13 Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions, nd Ukrainian air defence units destroyed 12 of them.

The Russians, among other things, damaged a high-voltage facility belonging to Ukrenergo, Ukraines national energy company, in Sumy Oblast.

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The Russians have launched an airstrike on energy facilities in Sumy Oblast, and invincibility centres are being set up in the city of Sumy. [An invincibility centre is heated premises stocked with food and power banks to assist residents facing hardships due to power cuts  ed.]

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration; Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, citing Oleksii Drozdenko, Head of Sumy City Military Administration

Quote: "All the necessary services are working on the ground. Recovery efforts are underway. Information on the aftermath of the attack is being gathered."

Update: Suspilne reported that critical infrastructure facilities in Sumy had been switched to backup power.

Drozdenko further noted that invincibility centres are being deployed in the city.

Background: Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russian troops had launched a Shahed UAV attack through Sumy Oblast, resulting in a partial power and water supply outage in Sumy.

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The Russians launched a missile and drone strike in Sumy Oblast on the night of 5-6 May, damaging, among other things, a high-voltage facility belonging to Ukrenergo, Ukraines national energy company (NEC).

Source: Ukrenergo on Telegram

Quote: "The damaged civilian infrastructure includes a high-voltage facility belonging to NEC Ukrenergo. Emergency repair works commenced immediately after the all-clear was given. Ukrenergo's repair teams are working to gradually resume power supply to consumers."

Details: The Russians are reportedly persisting in their attacks on energy facilities in Kharkiv Oblast.

Protective measures kicked in to shut down the equipment of the local power distribution system operator on the evening of 5 May.

"Most of it has already been put back into operation, but full restoration of the power supply is being hampered by the hostilities near the energy infrastructure facilities. Repairs are being carried out based on the security situation," Ukrenergo explained.

Background: Earlier, it was reported that the Russians had launched an airstrike on energy facilities in Sumy Oblast and that invincibility centres were being deployed in Sumy. [An invincibility centre is heated premises stocked with food and power banks to assist residents facing hardships due to power cuts  ed.].

On the night of 5-6 May, Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast with 13 Shahed-131/136 loitering munitions, and Ukrainian air defence units destroyed 12 of them.

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Over the past day the Russians launched 2 missile attacks and 69 airstrikes, as well as 52 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 on social media

Details: Reportedly, there are sadly civilians injured as a result of Russian terrorist attacks. Apartment blocks and private houses were damaged, as well as other infrastructure facilities.

A total of 87 combat clashes have occurred over the past 24 hours.

On the Volyn and Polissia fronts, there have been no significant changes and no signs of formation of offensive groupings of the Russians.

On the Siversk and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians preserve their military presence in border areas, conduct sabotage and reconnaissance activity, launch attacks on settlements from the territory of Russia, increase the density of mine-explosive fences along the state border of Ukraine. Airstrikes were launched near the settlement of Hremiach (Chernihiv Oblast); Oleksiivka, Minakove, Bilopillia (Sumy Oblast); Zolochiv (Kharkiv Oblast). Russian artillery and mortar attacks were launched on over 20 settlements.

On the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian forces repelled nine Russian attacks near the settlements of Synkivka, Pishchane (Kharkiv Oblast) and Stelmakhivka (Luhansk Oblast), where the Russians, supported by aircraft, tried to improve their tactical positions. About 10 settlements were attacked from artillery and mortars.

On the Lyman front, Ukrainian forces repelled four Russian attacks near the settlements of Nevske, the Serebrianka forest (Luhansk Oblast) and Terny (Donetsk Oblast). Over 10 settlements were attacked from Russian artillery and mortars.

On the Bakhmut front, Ukrainian troops repelled 11 Russian attacks near the settlements of Bilohorivka (Luhansk Oblast); Verkhnokamianske, Vyimka, Rozdolivka, Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk Oblast) where the Russians, supported by aircraft, tried to improve their tactical positions. The Russians launched airstrikes near the settlements of Andriivka and Druzhba (Donetsk Oblast). Over 10 settlements were attacked by the Russians from artillery and mortars.

On the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian forces repelled 22 attacks near the settlements of Novooleksandrivka, Novopokrovske, Umanske, Yasnobrodivka, Netailove and Nevelske (Donetsk Oblast) where the Russians, supported by aircraft, tried to drive Ukrainian troops away from their positions. The Russians also launched airstrikes near the settlements of Prohres, Sokil and Kalynove (Donetsk Oblast). About 20 settlements were struck by the Russians from artillery and mortars.

On the Novopavlivka front, Ukrainian forces continue to hold the Russians back near the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Paraskoviivka,Vodiane and Urozhaine (Donetsk Oblast), where the Russians, supported by aircraft, tried to break through Ukrainian defences 14 times. The Russians launched an airstrike near the settlement of Antonivka. Over 10 settlements were attacked from artillery and mortars.

On the Orikhiv front, the Russians, supported by aircraft, launched five attacks on the positions of Ukrainian forces near the settlement of Staromaiorske (Donetsk Oblast) and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia Oblast). About 20 settlements were attacked from artillery and mortars.

On the Kherson front, the Russians did not give up the attempts to dislodge Ukrainian forces from their positions on the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River. Over the past day, the Russians launched two attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian forces near the settlement of Krynky (Kherson Oblast) but to no avail. They also launched airstrikes near the settlements of Chervonyi Maiak and Ivanivka (Kherson Oblast). About 20 settlements were attacked by the Russians from artillery and mortars.

Over the past day the aircraft of the Defence Forces of Ukraine struck 11 clusters of Russian personnel. Units of Ukrainian Rocket Forces and Artillery struck one artillery system of the Russians. Ukrainian air defence destroyed one Kh-59 guided aerial missile.

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The Russians struck the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on the afternoon of 6 May, injuring four civilians.

Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office

Quote: "On 6 May 2024 at about 14:20 the occupying Russian army launched an airstrike on the city of Kostiantynivka, likely using UMPB D-30 SM glide munitions. A heavily populated district was in the epicentre of the strike.

As a result of the Russian attack on the frontline city four civilians have received injuries of varying degrees of severity."

Details: The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutors Office reported that two men aged 34 and 53 were taken to hospital with mine-blast injuries and shrapnel wounds, the condition of one of them is evaluated as severe.

The explosion in Kostiantynivka damaged three apartment blocks, a boiler house and a car.

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Developer Ryan Cos. will distribute the drug naloxone at 100 construction sites and train 2,000 employees on overdose-response techniques as part of an enhanced mental health services for employees, officials announced Monday.

The drug, which is better known by brand name Narcan, will also be placed in 17 Minneapolis-based Ryan corporate offices by the end of summer, officials said.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently reported the sector has one of the construction highest instances of opioid abuse in the nation. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) noted overdose deaths among construction workers increased nine times from 2011 to 2018.

The CDC also found one of three construction workers suffers from soft-tissue injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and rotator cuff injuries. Prescription of opioid pain killers was found to be three times higher among construction workers with those ailments.

"The opioid epidemic has severely impacted the construction industry in recent years, and we realize it's more important now than ever for our teams to have access to life-saving opioid reversal medication," said John Gaddini, Ryan's safety director. "Our hope is that employees will never have to administer naloxone but with the training they will receive, they will be ready to act in the event of a life-threatening scenario."

Ryan's nationwide effort with naloxone is launching during Mental Health Awareness Month and National Construction Safety Week. It comes after Ryan joined ranks in March with the new White House Challenge to Save Lives From Overdose.

The move is the latest in a swirl of actions taken to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in the construction industry.

Ryan, which built several high-profile Twin Cities projects such as CHS Field in St. Paul, has about 2,000 employees in 17 states and regularly works with hundreds more subcontractors.

Ryan will partner with the nonprofit Safe Project to make sure its employees know how to use the highly effective naloxone drug in the event of an overdoses on the jobsite or office.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved naloxone for non-prescription, over-the-counter use for the first time. The drug is increasingly being tucked into first aid kits in classrooms, college campuses and now worksites as Americans strive to combat a national epidemic.

The number of Minnesotans dying from opioid overdoses rose 43% to 1,002 deaths between 2020 and 2022, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Last year, the 3,500-member International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 82 (DC 82) and the Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest (FTIUM), both in Little Canada, began offering mental health and substance abuse services to members and and staffing its union halls with Narcan in an effort to curb deaths by overdoses and suicide.

The carpenters union hall in St. Paul is considering a similar move, officials said.
Judge rules that Sacramento DA must revise allegations for court to consider homeless lawsuit

A Sacramento judge rejected District Attorney Thien Hos lawsuit to compel Sacramento to crack down on the citys homeless encampments but he will get the chance to restate his case.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jill H. Talley agreed with city attorneys who argued that the courts lack the power to interfere with legislative action at either the state or local level. Talleys final ruling came Monday.

The Court agrees that the separation of powers doctrine bars all of the Peoples claims as presently alleged, Talley wrote.

Talley gave Hos office 30 days to amend its complaint.

But the ruling is a setback for Ho, who sued the city in September and has been a sharp and frequent critic of official Sacramentos response to the citys homeless crisis.

Hos lawsuit alleged the city caused a public nuisance by allowing homeless camps to exist on public property and violated the states Water Code by allowing waste from city encampments to end up in the American and Sacramento rivers.

The district attorney also alleged that the city violated the states Fish and Game Code by allowing its homeless population to pollute creeks and streams. Talley said the city failed to prove it isnt legally liable under state law.

But Talley also ruled that the district attorneys lawsuit is based entirely on the Citys alleged failure to enforce its ordinances against the unhoused population and its failure to adopt new policies to address the unhoused population and their encampments, while providing no path to addressing the issues other than through legislation or enforcing existing laws.

The Court finds the Peoples argument is not persuasive, Talley wrote.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said the focus now should be on solving the citys homelessness crisis and took a swipe at the lawsuit:

Anyone who is serious about helping people and our community should be measured on two things: Have you done your part to increase shelter and housing, and have you helped provide more mental health and substance abuse treatment to the people who need it most? Steinberg continued. Anything else is a sideshow and an unnecessary distraction.

Sacramento City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood was more pointed on Monday. She called the lawsuit flawed and for Ho to focus instead on helping city and Sacramento County leaders solve the crisis.

The lawsuit and Hos earlier public remarks led Wood to speculate that Ho may be priming for a run at state Attorney General, potentially against Steinberg. Ho has denied the speculation.

Playing politics with homelessness helps no one. Right now, both the City and County of Sacramento need to be focused on providing outreach and support to unsheltered residents, Wood said in a statement following the Monday ruling. It is time for the D.A. to finally abandon this exercise and start contributing to the ongoing work to create meaningful and lasting solutions to the homelessness crisis.

In a statement Monday, the District Attorneys office insisted its civil suit has spurred action from City Hall, claiming the city has done more enforcement and compliance in the last 7 months than they have done in the last 7 years, and said it would amend its complaint.

The community has seen and felt the difference, the D.A.s statement concluded. We will not give up on the City of Sacramento.

Steinberg said the citys work to reduce homelessness is producing results on Sacramentos streets.

Todays decision is a reminder to all leaders in our community to focus on the work. Our citys steadfast focus on providing help for people and enforcing our laws is starting to produce results on our streets. This will not change, Steinberg said.

City officials have disputed the District Attorneys claims, saying under its interpretation of the 2018 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Martin v. Boise ruling, the city cannot legally move people off public property unless a shelter bed to offer them is available.

The citys roughly 1,300 shelter beds are all typically full, with a wait list topping 2,400. The city has cleared people off certain public properties when they have fully blocked sidewalks or fire station entrances, or are near schools  places where its ordinances prohibit camping.

The Bees Theresa Clift contributed to this story.
The Russian director of the Yeralash program, and later a prisoner, Ilya Belostotsky received the medal "For the Rescue of the Perished" from dictator Vladimir Putin. In the fall of 2023, he tried to escape from the detention center where he was placed for molesting a 13-year-old boy, and of his own free will went to fight against Ukrainians at the front.

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Now the man is happy because he is "no longer a convict," although at the time of signing the contract with the Russian Defense Ministry, he had 2.5 years left to serve out of the alleged 4.5 years. Belostotsky told the propaganda media that all charges against him were dropped after he received a medal and allegedly saved his commander from death.

"By presidential decree, I was awarded a state award  the medal 'For the Rescue of the Perished'. According to Russian law, I am exempt from punishment and my criminal record has been expunged. I don't know what exactly is written in the nomination for the award, because I am a private, and we are not shown much. If I am ever given a vacation, I will come to the location of our unit in Russia, where there is an order to award me, and then I will find out for sure. So, friends, rejoice, and opponents, bite your elbows  from now on I am no longer a prisoner," he boasted.

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The former director of the program, which was once a favorite among Ukrainians, is now a combat medic at the front, which means he probably does not hold a weapon. He is shocked by the number of wounded and dead Russians. Bilostotsky told the Russian media that during the very first combat mission, more than 300 people passed through his medical center, but it is not known in what condition: dead or on the verge of death.

The pedophile claimed that he went to war against Ukraine not to launder his reputation and escape from the gray, cold walls of the detention center, but to be needed somewhere for his people. Moreover, he went to kill not for "patriotic" reasons, but to "pay back the bastards who put him behind bars."

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Belostotsky was sent to prison after he was "caught" raping a 13-year-old boy in his apartment, and later, during the investigation, videos of other underage children were found. The pedophile denied all the accusations, and later the parents of the victim did the same.

The boy's mother told the Russian media that she was not going to interfere with the process of his "release" from the detention center. She has no complaints against Ilya Belostotsky and was against the charges.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Sacramento jury convicts man who killed his wife as she slept next to their infant son

A Sacramento County Jury found a man guilty of first-degree murder for killing his wife as she slept next to their 7-month-old son because the husband claimed Allah instructed him to do so, prosecutors said.

Asghar Ehsan, 49, who had a history of mental illness, was convicted of murder in the Jan. 14, 2020, death of his wife, Asmaa Ehsan Ashooqullah, a 32-year-old mother of two children. His murder charge included an enhancement of using a knife in the attack on his wife, the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office announced Monday in a news release.

The jury in Sacramento Superior Court returned with the guilty verdict on April 26. Ehsan entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. On Thursday, the jury found that Ehsan was legally sane when he committed the murder, prosecutors said.

The murder occurred at the married couples home in the 6700 block of Calvine Road in Sacramentos Valley Hi/North Laguna neighborhood. About 3:44 p.m., officers were called to check on the residents at the home and found the wife dead, Sacramento police has said.

Prosecutors said Ehsan stabbed and strangled his wife before leaving the home with his infant son. Ehsan then met with a friend.

Ehsan told his friend that he had killed his wife because Allah instructed him to do so, according to the District Attorneys Office. His friend tried to persuade Ehsan to turn himself into authorities.

Prosecutors said Ehsan refused to turn himself in, prosecutors said. The father left his son with his friend.

About three hours after the wife was found dead, the Roseville Police Department received a be-on-the-lookout alert from Sacramento police regarding a homicide suspect, who had been identified as Ehsan, along with a suspect vehicle description. Patrolling officers spotted a matching vehicle about an hour later.

Roseville police said officers surrounded the vehicle, but Ehsan refused to get out. The suspect then drove away; an officer had to jump out of the way to avoid the fleeing vehicle, a police spokesman said at the time.

Ehsan then tried to escape on North Sunrise Boulevard, but his vehicle crashed into a city bus, police said. Officers took Ehsan into custody shortly after.

One bus rider reported minor injuries in the crash, and Ehsan was hospitalized with minor injuries, police said. No officers were reported injured.

During the Sacramento homicide investigation, authorities discovered Ehsan tried to kill his roommate in 2000 in Santa Rosa, prosecutors said. In that case, Ehsan claimed he had been commanded by Allah to start a holy war and needed to kill someone close to him, according to the DAs news release.

In Sonoma Superior Court, Ehsan was later found to be legally insane. Prosecutors said Ehsan was released from a state hospital in 2002 with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Ehsan went on to earn an associates degree in psychology and worked for over a decade as a mental health worker for Sonoma County. Prosecutors said Ehsan also was a member of the Sonoma County Mental Health Panel, and he gave critical incident training presentations to law enforcement officials on how to handle mentally ill suspects.

Ehsan on Monday remained in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail. He is scheduled to return to court July 12 for his sentencing hearing. Prosecutors said Ehsan faces a maximum sentence of 27 years to life in prison for the murder conviction.
An inmate died Sunday while in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

A 45-year-old man, facing a felony burglary charge, was booked on Thursday and was in a cell used by inmates to detox from narcotics, a news release said.

Sheriffs deputies came across the man, the sole occupant in the cell, and saw he was unresponsive. They began to render medical aid and called the Sacramento Fire Department, the release said.

Firefighters were told of the incident at 10 p.m. The inmate was declared dead about 10:30, the release said.

The Sacramento County Coroners Office will release the mans identity and cause of death. The Sheriffs Office will also investigate his death.
My Safe Florida Home funded with $200 million. When you can apply for hurricane protection grants

Hurricane season is coming in less than a month and it's time to get ready. But Florida homeowners will soon have another chance for help from the state now that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill adding $200 million in funding for the extremely popular My Florida Safe Home program.

The My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program, which matches up to $10,000 of the costs Florida homeowners pay for home improvements designed to harden their homes against tropical storms and hurricanes, has run through funding nearly as quickly as legislators could provide it. This year the Florida Legislature unanimously passed SB 7028 and bumped the original provisional funding from $100 to $200 million.

We do realize that theres a waiting list, DeSantis said. And I think its good they re-upped the program. If there was nobody signing up for it then they (the Legislature) probably wouldnt have appropriated more money for grants. So theres more help on the way.

The bill also made several changes to the program, including streamlining the process and weighting new applications toward residents aged 60 and older, and residents who qualify as low- or moderate-income.

Here's what changed, and when you can apply.

What is the My Safe Florida Home program?

The My Safe Florida Home Program was originally started in 2006 but the Republican-controlled Legislature stopped funding it about three years later. It was brought back during a 2022 legislative special session on the state's property insurance crisis amid complaints over the state having the highest homeowner premiums in the nation.

MSFH provides eligible Florida homeowners with free home inspections for hurricane readiness and offers recommendations for wind mitigation features such as roofing materials, better exterior and garage doors, storm shutters, attachments for walls and roofs like hurricane clips and more.

Just getting the inspection can help homeowners save money on their insurance premiums, but homeowners who receive the wind mitigation inspection may also apply for matching grant funds to help pay for the recommended improvements, with the state matching $2 for every dollar the homeowners spend, up to a cap of $10,000.

Of the homeowners who have received grants, completed improvements and disclosed their insurance premium discounts, they report an average savings of $1,014 per year, the News Service of Florida said in 2023.

'Hyperactive' hurricane season ahead? Our models say count on it | WeatherTiger forecast

What types of mitigation projects are eligible for My Safe Florida Home grants?

ROOFS AND STRUCTURES

Improving the strength of roof deck attachments

Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections

Installing a secondary water barrier for the roof

OPENINGS

Upgrading exterior doors

Upgrading garage doors

Upgrading windows

Townhouses are now eligible for upgrades on openings (doors and windows) but are not eligible for roof repairs.

What changed in the My Safe Florida Home program in 2024?

Under the new changes, there are now application windows of specific dates to give low- and moderate-income Florida homeowners who are 60 and over first crack at home-hardening grants. Low-income grants were increased from $5,000 to $10,000, the MSFH said.

Homeowners also would be permitted to use any certified Florida state contractor for the recommended improvements rather than requiring them to choose from a state-approved list, and all grant money will be paid directly to the homeowner for disbursement. Grant-eligible improvements for windows and skylights were added.

The option for local governments and nonprofits to seek grants to help homeowners has been removed.

Other bills (HB 943/SB 988) exempted portions of My Safe Florida Home application information from public records requests, and HB 1029/SB 1366 created a similar program for condominiums.

Who can apply for a My Safe Florida Home program grant?

Any homeowner who has received a wind mitigation inspection may apply for a matching grant if they:

Provide proof of homestead exemption

Provide proof the home is insured, to a maximum of $700,000 (not required for low-income homeowners)

Provide a building permit for the home issued before Jan. 1, 2008.

Allow the home to be reinspected after the work is completed

Low-income homeowners who meet these qualifications are not required to provide matching amounts to receive the grant.

When can I apply for My Safe Florida Home grants?

Applications will reopen July 1, according to MSFH, and will be accepted and prioritized as follows:

July 1-15: Homeowners who qualify as low-income and are 60 or older

July 16-30: Any homeowners who qualify as low-income

July 31-Aug. 14: Homeowners who qualify as moderate-income and are 60 or older

Aug. 15-30: Any homeowners who qualify as moderate-income

Aug. 31 and after: Any Florida homeowners of any age or income

What does Florida consider 'low income' and 'moderate income'?

Low-income persons means they live in a household earning 80% or less of the median income for households in the county.

Moderate-income persons means they live in a household earning 120% or less of the median income for households for the county.

You can see a chart of those percentages county by county here.

Workers on Thursday, May 27, 2021, repair Nellie Dean's roof, which was destroyed by Hurricane Delta. Dean's roof was replaced after the Knights of Peter Claver #166 collected funds to fix it for her.

How much money was allocated to the My Safe Florida Home program?

The program has received $215 million in funding since it was relaunched in 2022, with an initial $115 million and an additional $100 million added last June to the state's fiscal 2023-2024 budget.

That money ran out last October leaving nearly 18,000 people hanging who had already submitted MSFH applications, but in November, during an emergency session, the Florida Legislature unanimously approved funding of $176.17 million as part of a bill for hurricane relief to keep it going.

The new bill adds another $200,000,000.

How many people have used the My Safe Florida Home program?

According to My Safe Florida Home, the program:

Accepted more than 150,000 applications

Approved over 38,000 grants

Completed more than 95,000 free wind mitigation inspections

Allocated more than $332 million in state funds

The average disbursement in 2023 was $9,183 per homeowner, according to an analysis of SB 7028, and nearly 50% of the homeowners who completed the process saw a discount in their insurance premiums, with an average annual savings of $981.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: My Safe Florida Home grants coming soon for home hurricane hardening
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage)  San Angelo Gives is back, and the San Angelo Area Foundation is celebrating the events 10-year anniversary. Heres how you can give back to your community during a donation extravaganza a decade in the making!

What is San Angelo Gives?

Hosted by the San Angelo Area Foundation, San Angelo Gives is a day-long online event during which Concho Valley residents can donate money for several causes, ranging from major nonprofit organizations to small community outreach initiatives.

Local nonprofits involvement in the event will give members of our community the chance to find and support an organization whose mission aligns with their passion, the San Angelo Area Foundation said.

And, as the money has shown, its a chance the Concho Valley community has gladly taken. San Angelo Gives has raised $22 million since 2015 according to the events website, with $4.1 million of that amount being donated in 2023.

We have really seen our community embrace San Angelo Gives and support their favorite causes throughout the years, Janet Karcher, the San Angelo Area Foundations vice president of community engagement and marketing, said. Our community has responded with heartfelt generosity, and we have been able to pump $22 million back into community causes.

San Angelo Gives also features a unique prize system that allows causes to earn additional sums of money on top of their donations based off certain criteria, such as having the most amount of money donated within a given set of hours. Sponsored by businesses from across the Concho Valley, these prizes serve as another way to give back to the community by incentivizing donations.

How Can I Give?

While advanced giving opened on April 23, the main event begins on May 7. During this time, you can visit https://www.sanangelogives.org/organizations and select the cause youd like to give to. Once you find your cause, click on the blue Donate button and complete the steps youre prompted with.

Multiple donations can be given to a singular cause by the same donor, though they will all be counted as a singular donation when it comes to certain prizes. A single donor is more than welcome to give donations to as many causes as they like, however, meaning that giving to your hearts content is as easy as a few button presses!

Those who want to watch how San Angelo Gives progresses throughout the day can visit sanangelogives.org and the San Angelo Area Foundations Facebook page. Viewers can also tune in to KLST and KSANs live broadcasts to learn more about organizations that will be accepting donations as the event unfolds.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  A San Francisco woman was convicted Friday of stealing more than $60,000 worth of merchandise from a Target store by pretending to pay for the items at self-checkout machines, the San Francisco District Attorneys Office said.

Aziza Graves, 43, now faces up to three years in prison.

The district attorneys office said Graves had been accused of stealing from a single Target location at the citys Stonestown Galleria dozens of times between Oct 3, 2020, and Nov. 16, 2021. Her scam allegedly involved bringing items to the self-checkout, scanning them, and then inserting a single coin or bill into the machine before leaving, the DAs office said.

The total value of the stolen goods amounted to over $60,000, authorities said.

Scammers unknowingly call sheriffs employee in Missouri

Officers with the San Francisco Police Department said they watched Graves leave Target twice after carrying out her scheme. She was later seen selling the stolen goods at the citys UN Plaza.

Graves was arrested in November 2021 and accused by officials of stealing Target merchandise over the course of 120 visits. San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott described her as a particularly brazen and prolific retail theft offender.

Graves was originally charged with eight felony counts of grand theft and 120 misdemeanor counts of petty theft. She was ultimately convicted of one felony count of grand theft and 53 misdemeanor counts of petty theft. (One of these counts stemmed from a theft at Abercrombie & Fitch; the rest took place at Target.)

Individuals such as Aziza Graves commit egregious thefts through brazen and repeated conduct that greatly impacts retailers ability to operate and serve the general public in their area, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said. These crimes demand accountability and we need to send the message to others who engage in open and brash thefts that, with the support of our local law enforcement partners, our office will continue to pursue and prosecute those involved.

Graves is currently not in custody. She is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Sarasota County currently is between 500 and 549 on the Keetch-Byram drought index, which is a continuous reference for soil dryness, prompting both Sarasota County and the city of Venice to institute outdoor burn bans.

Sarasota County has imposed its burn ban ordinance because of dry local conditions and an increased chance of fire hazards.

The measure took effect May 3.

Though Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties are experiencing only abnormally dry rather than drought conditions according to the latest information from the U.S. Drought Monitor, Sarasota County currently has a score between 500 and 549 on the Keetch-Byram drought index, which is a continuous reference for soil dryness.

Rodney Wynn, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Ruskin noted that rainfall at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport for the year is at 9.67 inches  which is 0.66 inches below the normal rainfall level of 10.33 inches.

However, 2023 was the driest year on record for the Sarasota-Bradenton area, according to the weather service, with a rainfall deficit of almost 2 feet.

Regular summer rains typically don't begin until June.

The U.S. Drought Monitor lists Sarasota County as abnormally dry.

Sarasota Countys ordinance calls for a burn ban to automatically go into effect and prohibit almost all open burning when that index is at or higher than 500.

The Sarasota County ban automatically includes the city of Sarasota.

City of Venice Fire Rescue Chief Frank Giddens issued a similar citywide recreational burn ban Monday.

Dave Ingalls, a District Chief with North Fort Fire Rescue noted that the city mirrors the same criteria used by Florida Forest Service to enact a ban. That criteria calls for a ban to be enacted when the index is between 575 and 600.

North Port already prohibits open burning with the exception of permitted burns that go through proper Forest Service approval with an official burn permit issued.

Our last ban was in 2022, Ingalls wrote. But it appears we may be headed that way and could be following (Sarasota County) shortly with a ban unless we get some more much needed rain.

What does a burn ban mean?

All outdoor burning is prohibited unless a permit has been issued and is applicable for the unincorporated areas of Sarasota County and the city of Sarasota.

Exceptions to this include cooking on barbeque grills or pits that do not exceed three feet in diameter and two feet in height, or any other valid state or county authorized burn.

In Venice, outdoor cooking fires in approved grills such as gas or charcoal BBQ grills are permitted; however, extreme caution is urged with these devices as well. Fire pits/cooking pits are not permitted.

The Sarasota County burn ban would automatically lift after the drought index falls under 500 for seven consecutive days.

Recommendations to reduce fire danger

The Sarasota County Fire Department recommends several steps to reduce fire danger, including clearing trash and dead vegetation around homes and businesses; removing leaves and debris from roof, gutters and under decks; following the National Fire Prevention Association recommendation to create three zones of defensible space around your home or business.

Those recommendations can be found at https://bit.ly/3yhuabJ sota County instituted its burn ban ordinance based on dry local conditions and an increased chance of fire hazards, effective May 3.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County, Venice issue burn bans; North Port may follow suit
Moscow has switched to using overland routes in annexed eastern Ukraine to supply its front lines after repeated attacks by Ukraine on the Kerch Bridge, which links mainland Russia to Crimea.

Analysis of satellite images shows that the bridge, which Russia built after annexing Crimea in 2014, has almost no traffic and may therefore no longer represent an effective military target for Ukraines ammunition-strapped troops, according to analysts at Molfar, Ukraines biggest private intelligence agency.

Images taken by satellite specialists Maxar  which have been analysed by Molfar and shared with The Independent  show that almost no military freight trains have plied the bridges rail line in over three months.

In that period just a single Russian freight train carrying around 55 fuel cars was seen crossing the bridge on 29 February.

There was no movement involving Russian military assets on the bridge in March or April, according to Molfar. The agency, based in Dnipro, used a combination of Maxars images, railcar counts and cargo identification for its analysis.

Freight train with fuel tanks was on the bridge on 29 February. Train length is 820 metres, approximate number of cars is 55 (Molfar)

Russias use of the bridge has gone down significantly since Ukraine attacked it with drones on 17 July 2023 and blew up a section of the roadway and the rail line, the analysis noted.

After the attack, which killed a couple and injured their daughter, Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the Kerch Bridge a legitimate military target, claiming that, by connecting Russia to Crimea, it was bringing war, not peace and had to be neutralised.

This is the route used to feed the war with ammunition and this is being done on a daily basis, he said. And it militarises the Crimean peninsula.

Ukraine had earlier attacked the bridge, which spans 19km (12 miles), by detonating an explosives-laden truck on it. That attack in October 2022 killed four people. In August last year, Kyiv fired three missiles aimed at bringing down the bridge but they were intercepted by Russia.

A truck laden with explosive blew up on the Kerch Bridge in October 2022 (AFP)

The closure of the bridge at the beginning of this year mirrors the aftermath of last years attack, with satellite images showing there was no major train movement on it in July or August. Prior to the 17 July attack, Russia was operating more than 40 trains carrying weapons across the bridge every day, according to Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukraines security service.

Movement of a locomotive on the Kerch bridge detected on 10 July last year, a few weeks before the Ukrainian drone strike (Molfar)

Traffic is now down to just four passenger trains and a single general goods freight train a day, said Mr Maliuk.

The decision to stop using the Kerch Bridge to resupply Russian forces has corresponded with a surge in freight traffic via Taman in the Rostov region, Molfar CEO Artem Starosiek told The Independent.

Kyiv should now focus its attentions on Melitopol, Berdyansk and Mariupol, where Russia is laying new rail lines to connect these occupied Ukrainian regions with Crimea and mainland Russia, Mr Starosiek said.

The new rail line, which runs from Melitopol citys Akimivka and extends to Berdyansk and Mariupol before reaching Rostov in Russia, will probably be used by Russian forces for a new offensive widely expected to begin this summer.

Satellite images show railway rolling stock moving from Crimea to Russia as eight passenger cars are spotted at the Kerch railway station (Molfar)

The line, which includes 63km (39 miles) of new track and around 140km (87 miles) of track that has been restored, was tested with its first freight train in March, Molfar said. It is expected be completed by the end of the year, with the full network connecting more areas of the annexed Donetsk region.

Mr Starosiek suggested Ukraine could benefit by targeting these overland routes rather than wasting its resources on the Crimean bridge. It is these paths that are currently a more serious threat than the non-working railway path of the Crimean bridge, he said.

Western aid should also be supplied in the manner where it can cover Ukraines need to target these active Russian ammunition hotspots, he added.
ST. IGNACE, Mich. (WJMN)  The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians held an awareness march in St. Ignace on Sunday afternoon.

Sault Tribes Advocacy Resource Center (ARC) hosts an event each year to promote awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives. May 5 is most widely recognized in the United States and Canada as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Day. Research published by the National Institute of Justice indicates that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. This includes stalking, sexual violence, and physical abuse by an intimate partner.

Jess Gillotte-King, the community educator for Sault Tribes ARC, says Sundays march was a huge success.

This year we chose St. Ignace for the location of our event. The people of St. Ignace did not disappoint and showed up in droves to represent their community, said Gillotte-King. Standing in solidarity with so many kind and caring people who gathered together for a common goal, to end the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people, was an honor. The ARC looks forward to hosting more events in each of our seven counties to continue to fight for our rights and protection for our indigenous communities.

Survivors of Indian Boarding Schools, Kim Fyke (L) and Linda Cobe (R), attended Sundays march.

Resources are available to Indigenous peoples who are experiencing or have experienced violence. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Division of Victim Services (DVS) partners with federally recognized tribes in Michigan and provides funding for sexual assault, domestic violence and victims services programs that offer services to individual survivors with a culturally honoring approach. Services include a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, shelter, victim rights advocacy, victim advocates, housing relocation assistance and individual client assistance.

DVS also funds the StrongHearts Native Helpline, which is an anonymous and confidential domestic and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives offering culturally appropriate support and advocacy. To contact the StrongHearts helpline, call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) or visit www.StrongHeartsHelpline.org to chat with an advocate.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com.
On Saturday, dozens of police officersmany in riot gearbroke up a small pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Virginia.

The tent encampment had formed less than 24 hours prior. According to a letter from UVA President Jim Ryan, protesting students started what they called the "UVA liberation encampment for Gaza" on April 30 but complied with orders not to set up tents, which would violate university policy. However, following rain over Friday night, students put up several tents, leading university police to attempt to remove the encampment.

According to a statement from the university, university and local police arrived around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday to inform protesters that their demonstration was in violation of school policy and directed them to leave. But "police were met with aggression and protesters swung objects at officers. University police then requested the assistance of Virginia State Police to assist in declaring an unlawful assembly."

Controversy has sprung up around the university's tent policy after a section on tent permits that had explicitly exempted "recreational tents for camping" was apparently removed Saturday morning. UVA insists the change wasn't an attempt to entrap protesters.

"University officials said camping tents or other recreational tents are not allowed on University property without permits under a policy that has been in place since 2005," a Sunday statement reads. "However, the permit applicationnot the policy itselfcontained contradictory language," which was edited after a faculty member notified the administration.

When I arrived on UVA's campus at around 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, police had already surrounded the encampment. The number of students actually in the encampment was dwarfed by the crowd that gathered to watch the standoffa mixture of encampment supporters, pro-Israel counterprotesters, and rubberneckers.

I fell in that last group, jostling to get a good view of the standoff between police and protesters. Most people around memyself includedspent much of the time recording the spectacle on their phones.

I can't say for sure whether the alleged aggression police were met with earlier in the day justified the police response, but as far as I saw on Saturday, the protest was confined to peaceful civil disobedience. The number of police alone was staggeringa mixture of state, county, city, and university police departments, many in full riot gear and several sporting large rifles. Even if the university was within its rights to break up the encampment, it was hard not to think about how disproportionate it looked.

It's difficult not to assume that the sheer size of the police presence was connected to the chaos and violence that has erupted at colleges like Columbia and UCLA in recent weeksand UVA's hope to stifle the encampment before it grew unmanageable. However, compared to the mayhem at other universities, UVA's encampment looked incredibly, almost laughably tame.

The same went for the actual content of the protest. While students at Columbia shouted odious (though First Amendment-protected) slogans like "There is only one solution: intifada revolution," the protesters at UVA stayed away from controversial or violence-endorsing messages. All the chants I heard were focused on Gaza and generic support for a free Palestine. At one point, a protester attempted to start a chant of "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," but no one joined her.

Regardless, the afternoon was ugly. After pushing protesters away from the actual encampment, police and protesters remained in an extended standoff. Police deployed chemical irritants into the crowd multiple timesspraying enough that area I was standing in was also hit with waves of it, despite being several yards away from the main protest. By the end of the day, 25 protesters were arrested, and the encampment was destroyed.

University administrators are in a genuine bind when it comes to protest encampments on their campuses. For starters, colleges are generally well within their rights to ban tent encampments. "Restrictions on encampments and building occupations generally satisfy the criteria of a legitimate time, place, and manner regulation," writes Jessie Appleby of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment group. "Institutions must be able to regulate on-campus expressive activity to ensure it doesn't interfere with their primary educational and scholarly missions."

If a college doesn't respond to a disruptive, prohibited tent encampment, it risks setting a precedent that incentivizes students to indefinitely take over patches of campus in protest. (Plus, it risks its president getting hauled before Congress.) If it responds too harshly, it creates a scene like the one at UVA, where police presence eclipses peaceful protesters and makes university leadership look like rank bullies.

At UVA, the administration seems to have gotten what they wantedat least for now. As of Sunday, protests have begun again. This time, without the tents.

The post What I Saw at the University of Virginia's Protest Crackdown appeared first on Reason.com.
Journalist and interviewer Ramina Eskhakzai spoke about her breakup with her ex-fiance, lawyer Yevheniy Porinin. The couple had been together for over 5 years, but in April 2023, it became known about the breakup.

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The blogger invited Pronin and her friend Yevhen Yanovych to the 30+ show. The topic of the new episode was "friendship between exes". The interlocutors raised the issue of couples therapy.

Eskhakzai and her ex-boyfriend went to a psychologist in the hope of saving their relationship. However, this did not help the lovers, but rather only added fuel to the fire: the couple began to quarrel even more. According to Porinin, it was the girl's idea to sign up for therapy. In total, they attended three sessions with a psychologist.

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Ramina and Eugene eventually broke up. On the show, the ex-lovers admitted that they had lost their feelings for each other. Eskhakzai raised the problematic topic, and later her husband started talking about it. "For the last two years, we probably had a relationship that could have been ended," the journalist says.

She recalled a message she had once sent to Pronin: "I wrote that I am grateful to you for two moments in my life: when I met you and when we broke up." However, the exes maintained mutual respect and remained on friendly terms.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured NATO partners in the Baltic Sea region of Germany's reliable military defence support during a visit to the region on Monday.

"Germany stands firmly at the side of the Baltic states," Scholz said in Pabrade, Lithuania, where he visited Bundeswehr soldiers.

Germany's commitment with the Bundeswehr is serious, he added, referring to the country's obligation to stand by NATO. "And that means that we provide each other with protection and that all states can rely on us to defend every inch of their territory."

Scholz's trip underscores the strategic importance of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

The three NATO and EU countries are among Kiev's most ardent supporters and fear the Kremlin's military aggression will not stop at Ukraine. They all share a border with Russia and were once part of the Soviet Union.

Reflecting this new reality on NATO's eastern flank, Germany is preparing for the deployment of a permanent Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania numbering around 4,800 soldiers. The aim is for the unit to reach full combat readiness by 2027.

A preliminary detachment has arrived. Soldiers from the Bundeswehr's 10th Armoured Division are also currently taking part in a major NATO exercise in Lithuania.

Scholz met the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the Pabrade military training area. He plans to travel on to the Latvian capital Riga, where he meets with the prime ministers of the three Baltic states.

The talks with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte will focus on issues including security and defence policy.

A joint press conference is expected in the early evening.

The permanent stationing of the brigade in Lithuania is progressing at a rapid pace, Scholz said. This is the most important sign "that this is important to us and that it will now succeed."

Germany is investing massively in expanding its defence capabilities, Scholz said. "This is also linked to the decision that investment in the Bundeswehr will comprise the 2% of our economic output in the long term, year after year. That has been achieved this year and will not change again."

He emphasized the importance of further military aid for Ukraine, especially for air defence against Russian attacks.

The fact that Germany is providing Ukraine with a third Patriot air defence system should serve as an example to others, he said. This is "also the desire to signal to others that they will also join in, because we will not be able to wait until new systems are produced."

Scholz said, "We must ensure that more air defence options are made available to Ukraine from existing stocks."

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz climbs out of a Boxer wheeled armored vehicle next to Lithuanian President Gitanas Naueda during a visit to the NATO exercise Quadriga 24. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a joint press statement with Lithuanian President Gitanas Naueda (not pictured) during a visit to the NATO exercise Quadriga 24. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Scholz in the Baltics: Germany will defend 'every inch' of NATO

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a press conference together with the Baltic prime ministers in Riga. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured NATO partners in the Baltic Sea region of Germany's reliable military defence support during a visit to the region on Monday.

In Riga, Scholz also responded to Russian plans to hold tactical nuclear exercises, which has been seen in the West as an attempt at intimidation by the Kremlin.

"It is always important to say loudly that nuclear weapons must not be used in this war," Scholz said while in Riga on Monday, during his first visit to Latvia as German chancellor.

In Riga, Scholz met the leaders of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Earlier in the day, the chancellor visited German soldiers stationed in the small Lithuanian town of Pabrade, alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The trip is intended to highlight the strategic importance of the Baltic states, particularly in the wake of Russian aggression, and Germany's commitment to defence of the three NATO allies.

Scholz said that Russia had miscalculated with its invasion of Ukraine.

Instead of dividing Europe and weakening NATO, Scholz said, Russia's aggression has unified and strengthened the alliance.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina, along with her counterparts Kaja Kallas from Estonia and Ingrida Simonyte from Lithuania, welcomed Germany's military support for the Baltic states on Monday.

All three Baltic leaders called on the partners in the European Union and NATO to spend more money on defence in view of the Russian threat.

"We know that Russia's goals and its unjustified imperial ambitions go far beyond the borders of Ukraine," Simonyte said. "The security of the Baltic states depends directly on the victory of Ukraine."

Russia is on the way to a long-term confrontation with NATO and the entire democratic world, she said, and emphasized that the joint "top priority should be effective deterrence."

The Baltic states, which are all members of the EU and NATO, are among Kiev's most ardent supporters and have expressed fears that the Kremlin's military aggression will not stop at Ukraine.

All three countries share a border with Russia and were once part of the Soviet Union.

Simonyte touted the increased defence spending by the Baltic states and Poland - all of which are spending well above NATO's target of 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) - as a strong example for other allied countries.

Earlier on Monday during his visit to the military training ground in Lithuania, Scholz along touted Germany's increased investment in its defence capabilities: "This is also linked to the decision that investment in the Bundeswehr will comprise the 2% of our economic output in the long term, year after year. That has been achieved this year and will not change again."

Scholz highlighted Germany's military commitment and plans to permanently station a brigade in Lithuania.

"Germany stands firmly at the side of the Baltic States. And that means that we will protect each other and that all states can rely on us to defend every inch of their territory," Scholz said.

Germany is still making preparations for the permanent Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania, which will eventually include around 4,800 soldiers. The aim is for the unit to reach full combat readiness by 2027.

A preliminary detachment has arrived. Soldiers from the Bundeswehr's 10th Armoured Division are also currently taking part in a major NATO exercise in Lithuania.

Nauseda thanked Scholz for Germany's commitment to Lithuanian defence, and said the country would make sure that the soldiers are comfortably welcomed. But has also urged speed: "We cannot afford the luxury of wasting even a minute."

The future base for the German brigade is expected to be located near the border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia, and near the Suwaki Gap that runs along the Polish-Lithuanian border.

There is concern that Russian forces could attack in a future conflict along the Suwaki Gap from Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, cutting off the Baltic states from the other NATO countries.

Scholz also met with some of the 12,000 German soldiers who are in Lithuania as part of large-scale NATO manoeuvres dubbed Steadfast Defender. According to the German government, the exercises - involving a total of around 90,000 NATO troops - are the largest NATO manoeuvre since the end of the Cold War.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (2nd L) attends a press conference together with (L-R) Ingrida Simonytem , Prime Minister of Lithuania, Evika Silina, Prime Minister of Latvia, and Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (2nd L) attends a press conference together with (L-R) Ingrida Simonytem , Prime Minister of Lithuania, Evika Silina, Prime Minister of Latvia, and Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) observes the NATO exercise Quadriga 24 alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Naueda. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz climbs out of a Boxer wheeled armored vehicle next to Lithuanian President Gitanas Naueda during a visit to the NATO exercise Quadriga 24. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes a joint press statement with Lithuanian President Gitanas Naueda (not pictured) during a visit to the NATO exercise Quadriga 24. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
Scholz visits German brigade in Lithuania that is to deter Russia

Olaf Scholz and Gitanas Nauseda during Scholz's visit to German soldiers in Lithuania. Photo: Scholz on Twitter (X)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Lithuania on Monday to visit German soldiers who will be members of a future German brigade.

Source: LRT, reported by European Pravda

Details: The initial members of the German brigade that will be based in Lithuania arrived in early April. More than 20 soldiers have settled in Vilnius and are responsible for planning the brigade's redeployment to Lithuania and coordinating military infrastructure requirements.

On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited these and other German soldiers stationed in the Baltic country. During his visit, Scholz said that Berlin's commitment to Lithuania is part of a shift in German security policy.

"Germany recognises its responsibility for security in NATO, therefore we are deploying an entire brigade here in Lithuania, and this is a convincing contribution on Germanys part to deterring any threat on NATO territory," Scholz said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that the tense geopolitical situation in the region requires more rapid deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania.

"I am pleased with the progress of the brigade's deployment, but our strategic security environment requires an even faster pace. We don't have the luxury of wasting a single minute," Nauseda said in a speech to journalists on Monday.

Scholz is visiting Lithuania during the Grand Quadriga 2024, a large-scale exercise involving the German Bundeswehr.

The brigade deployed to Lithuania will consist of about 5,000 German soldiers.

The deployment of a German brigade was discussed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Germany announced a firm commitment to this end last June.

A German-led NATO international battalion deployed to Lithuania in 2017 will also be integrated into the brigade. This is planned for 2026.

According to media estimates, the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania could cost around 11 billion.

The Lithuanian brigade has drawn increased attention because it is the first Bundeswehr unit to be permanently deployed abroad.

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Japanese scientists are set to kick off the world's first clinical trials of "tooth regrowth medicine" at the Kyoto University Hospital, The Mainichi reports.

Researchers from the Japanese startup Toregem Biopharma are planning to enroll patients who were born missing some or all of their teeth from birth, a condition called congenital anodontia, for the trials.

The patients will receive an antibody treatment that deactivates a protein called USAG-1, believed to stop "tooth buds," which most people have, from developing into either baby or permanent teeth.

People with the condition conventionally resort to getting implants or dentures. However, Toregem's treatment could provide them with a "third option," as co-founder Katsu Takahashi explained in a statement, as quoted by Nikkei Asia.

The team is hoping to treat not only those who haven't been able to grow teeth from birth, but eventually also those who are simply missing teeth due to cavities as well.

A Phase 1 of the trial in September, which is designed to ensure that the treatment is safe, will involve 30 healthy male adult participants who are missing at least one back tooth. Phase 2 is tentatively scheduled for next year and will involve patients aged two to seven with congenital anodontia who are missing at least four teeth from birth.

The team has already successfully tested the treatment in animals with no observed side effects. In 2018, the team tested the drug on ferrets, which have similar tooth buds to humans, and found that new teeth grew successfully.

"The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist's dream," Takahashi told Japanese newspaper The Mainichi last year. "I've been working on this since I was a graduate student."

More on regrowing teeth: Japanese Company Testing Drug to Regrow Teeth in Humans
After scrutiny, Legislature looks to loosen compensation rules for some top county officials

The bills sponsor said Union County officials asked for the change after a state comptrollers report criticized them for shielding pay changes from public view. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)

A Senate panel approved a bill Monday that would lower the bar for counties to set non-salary compensation for top officials, a move that comes months after a state comptrollers report found Union County bigwigs received more than $400,000 in stipends and tuition reimbursements that were not properly approved.

The bill, which the Senate Urban and Community Affairs Committee approved in a 3-0 vote with abstentions from both the panels Republicans, would remove a requirement that compensation for county commissioners, department heads, and county executives or their equivalents be approved through ordinances. The bill would require ordinances only for annual salaries.

The proposal  which would touch Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, and Union counties  met with opposition from acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh and good government advocates who warned it would leave taxpayer dollars open to abuse.

Whatever the intent of this bill was in a particular situation, in our view [it] opens a loophole you could drive a truck through, and this is not the kind of thing that should go unchecked, said Maura Collinsgru, director of policy and advocacy at New Jersey Citizen Action.

We see this as an attempt to spend taxpayer dollars without adequate transparency, public oversight, or scrutiny.

 Lucy Del Gaudio, with the League of Women Voters of New Jersey

In New Jersey, ordinances are subject to stricter disclosure requirements than resolutions. Before an ordinance sees a vote, a county must provide at least one weeks notice, and no ordinance can be voted on until at least 10 days after its introduction.

Resolutions can be passed at the meeting of their introduction, and theres no requirement they be made available  or even described  to the public in advance of a vote.

Bill sponsor Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson) said Union County officials brought the matter to his attention.

They just felt that this would be an easier way of doing it and it would also keep up with the salary guide, said Stack, who praised Union Countys government.

The comptrollers December report cited one Union County resolution that approved $120,000 in annual stipends for the countys finance director, Bibi Taylor, yet the wording of the resolution only allowed the county to enter a memorandum of agreement with its improvement authority. It made no mention of providing extra compensation to Taylor.

Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)

Walsh urged lawmakers on Monday to amend the bill before advancing it.

At minimum, the bonuses, the stipends  the things that go in the paycheck  those are the things that I would urge you to give a second thought to before moving this bill forward, Walsh told the committee.

Though other counties face notice requirements on compensation-setting resolutions, no such requirement is levied on the six counties affected by the bill because state statute requires they set top officials compensation by ordinance.

Taxpayers do not and should not distinguish stipends, bonuses, benefits, tuition reimbursements and other compensation from annual salaries, said Lucy Del Gaudio, director of advocacy and organizing for the League of Women Voters of New Jersey. We see this as an attempt to spend taxpayer dollars without adequate transparency, public oversight, or scrutiny.

Officials from the New Jersey Association of Counties charged the bill would codify existing practice into law for the six counties organized under the Optional County Charter Law.

The ordinance piece, for the past 50 years for the six counties that adopted the optional charter form of county government, has been to include just base salaries, said John Donnadio, the associations executive director.

Much of Donnadios testimony centered around attacks leveled at the comptroller, reairing complaints the group made in a letter to legislative leaders last month that urged the Legislature to hold hearings on whether the comptroller had outstripped his authority.

New Jersey counties have faced scrutiny from Walshs office in recent months.

Last month, a report from Walshs office said Essex County officials flouted federal, state, and local procurement rules in administering its $40 million vaccination program.

The county made 15 payments totaling $871,211 for which no invoices exist, the report says. At one point, the comptroller noted in the April report, the county made a duplicate $110,514.41 payment to a politically connected consulting firm then did not seek to recoup the full value of the erroneous payment.

In March, Walshs office released a report noting Hudson County repeatedly violated procurement laws when approving more than $50 million of prison health service contracts.

The post After scrutiny, Legislature looks to loosen compensation rules for some top county officials appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
By Joe Brock and Mike Stone

(Reuters) -The U.S. Navy's efforts to build a fleet of unmanned vessels are faltering because the Pentagon remains wedded to big shipbuilding projects, according to some officials and company executives, exposing a weakness as sea drones reshape naval warfare.

The lethal effectiveness of sea drones has been demonstrated in the Black Sea where Ukraine has deployed remote-controlled speed boats packed with explosives to sink Russian frigates and minesweepers since late 2022.

Yemeni-backed Houthi rebels have employed similar vessels against commercial shipping in the Red Sea in recent months, albeit without success.

These tactics have caught the attention of the Pentagon, which is incorporating lessons from Ukraine and the Red Sea into its plans to counter China's rising naval power in the Pacific, Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon told Reuters.

In a signal of the Pentagon's intent, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced an initiative in August - named Replicator - to deploy hundreds of small, relatively cheap air and sea drones within the next 18-24 months to match China's growing military threat.

This public show of commitment masks years of hesitation by the U.S. Navy to build a fleet of unmanned vessels despite repeated warnings this was the future of maritime warfare, according to interviews with a dozen people with direct knowledge of the U.S. sea drone plans, including Navy officers, Pentagon officials, and sea drone company executives.

Two Navy sources and three executives at sea drone manufacturers said the biggest impediment to progress has been a Department of Defense (DoD) budget process that prioritizes big ships and submarines built by legacy defense contractors.

"At some point, you hit the D.C. problem," said Philipp Stratmann, CEO at Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), a New Jersey-based firm that supplies the U.S. Navy with the WAM-V, an autonomous surface drone.

"You hit the fact that there is a military industrial complex that has the best lobbyists and knows exactly how the money flows and contracting works in the DOD."

A Navy spokesperson said it "acquires capabilities based on fleet demand signals", referring to the messages headquarters receive from commanders at sea.

The Navy has a budget of $172 million this year for small and medium-sized underwater sea drones, falling to $101.8 million in 2025, the spokesperson said. That's a tiny fraction of the $63 billion Navy procurement budget proposed by President Joe Biden's administration for 2025.

Military sea drones can range from missile-armed speed boats to minehunting miniature submarines and solar-powered sailboats equipped with high-definition spy cameras, underwater sensors and loudspeakers used to holler warnings at enemy ships.

But when the Navy has deployed sea drones on reconnaissance missions in recent years, it hasn't always had the fleet expertise to use them, the two Navy sources said, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

There aren't enough Navy sailors trained to pilot drones or to analyze vast swathes of data sent back from the craft's cameras and sensors, the sources said.

The spokesperson said the Navy was in the process of improving its data collection and analysis from sensors.

Pentagon spokesman Pahon said the DoD has been "laser-focused on accelerating innovation over the last three years", including the use of sea drones.

Acknowledging budget challenges, Pahon said the Pentagon was using innovative ways to cross "the valley of death", a term used to describe the torturous approval process new inventions travel through to be purchased in large quantities.

REPLICATOR

One example Pahon cited was the Replicator program: the short-term, $500 million-a-year project is designed to cut through bureaucracy and fast track the deployment of thousands of cheap aerial and sea drones.

These drones will be used to match China's rapidly-growing air and naval power in the Asia-Pacific region, the Pentagon's Hicks said at the project's launch in August. She said Replicator is being funded mainly by reallocating funds from the existing Pentagon budget.

As part of the initiative, the Pentagon in January issued a solicitation for private companies to deliver small sea drones to the Navy, demanding production capacity of 120 vessels per year, with deployment beginning in April 2025.

On Monday, the Pentagon said the Switchblade-600, an aerial loitering munition made by AeroVironment Inc, was the first weapon publicly confirmed to be included in the Replicator initiative. The program's first tranche also includes undisclosed maritime surface products, other aerial drones and counter-drone systems (c-UAS), the Pentagon said.

Duane Fotheringham, president of unmanned systems at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest U.S. military shipbuilder, acknowledged the Pentagon and Navy had shown their "intent" to accelerate the deployment of sea drones but he said the industry wanted to see long-term funding in the defense budget. "We hear the demand signal  but we all have to work together very closely to understand what that demand is and when it will be available," Fotheringham told Reuters. At a cost ranging between $1 million and $3 million apiece, according to Navy and defense contractor sources, drones offer a relatively cheap and fast way to expand the Navy's fleet, especially as several large traditional shipbuilding projects - like a new class of frigate warships - are running years behind schedule. The U.S. is testing using robot ships in active combat scenarios. But their more immediate use is for missions that are too costly and numerous for manned naval fleets. This includes maritime surveillance, minehunting, and protecting critical undersea infrastructure, like gas pipelines and fiber-optic cables, four drone companies told Reuters. Swarms of small sea drones could also act as a shield for valuable crewed assets like aircraft carriers and submarines, and tangle up troop-carrying ships in the event China tries to invade Taiwan, said Bryan Clark, an advisor to the Navy on autonomous craft and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute - a think tank headquartered in Washington.Clark estimates the Navy has around 100 small drones for use on the ocean surface and another 100 underwater drones, while China has a similar-sized autonomous force that is growing fast. The Navy spokesperson declined to comment on how many drones it has in operation. "Ukraine has shown how effective they can be and how they can be employed in current operations," Clark said. "The U.S. Navy needs to embrace that lesson and field combat (sea drones) right away." The Navy's 5th fleet, which operates out of Bahrain, has been testing unmanned vessels for three years, led by its Task Force 59 unit.

The project has deployed surveillance drones built by private firms, including startups, as well as those backed by defense heavyweights like Lockheed Martin and HII. "The situation in the Red Sea gives the work of Task Force 59 added urgency and we look forward to fielding solutions to help counter Houthi malign behaviour," Colin Corridan, commander of the task force, told Reuters. MISSILE TEST In October, the Navy carried out its first live missile test from an unmanned speedboat in the Arabian Peninsula. The T38 Devil Ray, built by Florida-based sea drone firm MARTAC, successfully launched a miniature missile system to destroy a target boat, with a human operator ashore giving the order, according to a Navy announcement and video. MARTAC's Chief Marketing Officer, Stephen Ferretti, referred questions about the operation to the Navy. The use of unmanned vessels was expanded to the Navy's 4th Fleet in central America last year where they have been used to crack down on human smuggling off the northern coast of Haiti. One of the companies operating there is Saildrone, a California-based firm that makes wind-, solar- and diesel-powered autonomous vessels that collect images and data with cameras and sensors. Saildrone has circumnavigated Washington's funding politics. Because the company operates and maintains its own vessels, and charges a service fee for the data they collect, the Navy can pay to use the drones out of its operating expenses rather than procurement budget. Saildrone launched the Surveyor, its largest vessel, which has been tailored for the military, at an event in March attended by Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti. The drone firm, which also supplies coast guards and ocean survey departments, has a fleet of 130 vessels and is building several more every month, said Richard Jenkins, the company's founder. "Right now, we are struggling to keep up with demand," Jenkins told Reuters in an interview. He declined to comment on how much Saildrone charges the Navy. Ocean Aero builds the autonomous Triton vessel, which can move on the surface or underwater to collect data and hunt for mines using sensors. The company, which is backed by Lockheed Martin, opened a 63,000 feet manufacturing facility in Gulfport, Mississippi last October that is capable of churning out 150 Tritons a year. Lockheed Martin did not respond to a request for comment. HII was awarded a contract last October to build nine small underwater drones for the U.S. Navy's Lionfish program, with the potential for this to rise to 200 vehicles over the next five years. The contract could total $347 million, although that is far from guaranteed. The Lionfish program - which is focused on the Indo-Pacific where the U.S. is vying for control with China - is based on HII's Remus 300, a minehunting drone that can be launched like a torpedo from a crewed ship or submarine. These programs are proof that the Pentagon is trying to move faster to deploy sea drones, spokesman Pahon told Reuters. "We know we need to keep pushing to stay ahead," he said.

(Reporting by Joe Brock in Singapore and Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Daniel Flynn)
Second suspect arrested after man found dead near Las Vegas Strip

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A second suspect is in custody related to a man found dead near the Las Vegas Strip, apparently shot to death.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials announced that Gennady Zhuravlyon, 48, was in custody on charges unrelated to the homicide. Police say upon his release from Las Vegas City Jail, he will be booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges related to the case.

On Sunday, April 28, just after 9 p.m., a man was found on the 800 block of East Sahara Avenue, apparently shot to death.

Photo of Loth Rodriguez provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

On Friday, May 3, Loth Rodriguez, 67, was arrested by law enforcement officials. He faces one charge of open murder with a deadly weapon and is being held with no bail. Rodriguez is due in court on Tuesday.

A booking photo of Gennady Zhuravlyon was not immediately available, police said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Second teen arrested in Kayla Rincon-Miller murder will move to adult court, judge says

Christopher Devin Horn Jr., 16, is being charged in connection to the homicide of Kayla Rincon-Miller.

More than 10 relatives of a second teenager arrested in connection with the murder of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller sat in the courtroom, waiting for Christopher Horne, Jr., to face a judge.

Horne, 16, of Cape Coral, didn't appear in court Monday. Lee Circuit Judge Andrew Marcus addressed the family, letting them know the charges would be filed in adult court, similar to Thomas Stein, 16.

Horne was arrested March 17 by Cape Coral police and was held in juvenile detention for 21 days, as well as ordered no contact with Rincon-Miller's family or Thomas Stein, the other teenager arrested in the case.

Police arrested Horne on charges of principal to a homicide while engaged in a robbery. Meanwhile, Stein's case moved to adult court April 11.

During an April 11 hearing, after the testimony of Cape Coral police Detective Michael Lasalandra, Lee Circuit Judge Robert Branning ruled that Thomas Stein be held without bond related to the March 17 shooting. He will be tried as an adult.

Kayla Rincon-Miller murder: Thomas Stein to be held without bond in March murder of Kayla Rincon-Miller, judge says

Lasalandra, who's been a detective at Cape Coral police's Violent Crimes Unit for four years, said he was working March 17 and responded to the shooting of Rincon-Miller at Southeast 20th Street and Southeast 16th Lane.

Lasalandra said he spoke with two witnesses who were with Rincon-Miller, and they gave descriptions of the people who robbed them.

Lasalandra revealed that surveillance footage captured the car, but not the murder.

Were Thomas Stein or Christopher Horne the shooters?

While a preliminary report from Cape Coral police indicated investigators didn't believe Stein was the shooter, Lasalandra said that piece of the puzzle remained under investigation as of April 11.

Cape Coral police Chief Anthony Sizemore on April 17 didn't confirm Horne's role in the homicide. There have been no updates since.

Are any further arrests expected in Kayla Rincon

"There will be a few," Sizemore said when asked April 17 if any further arrests are expected in Rincon-Miller's death.

Police reports indicate at least two individuals brandished firearms when the SUV blinded Rincon-Miller and her two friends with its headlights.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Christopher Horne will be charged as adult in Kayla Rincon-Miller murder
How to see missile ships, meet sailors and judge salsa moves. Miami Fleet Week is here

Fleet Week has arrived in Miami. And with it comes three Navy ships and one Coast Guard ship giving free tours to the public, along with thousands of men and women in uniform looking to share their experiences with civilians.

Free concerts are also planned by the Navy and Marine Corps bands. And theres a Dancing with the Stars-like event planned in Little Havana.

You dont have to be just a spectator. Volunteers are needed at the docks.

Fleet Week is a newcomer to Miami, after having stopped each year in Fort Lauderdale since 1990.

Heres what to know about Miami Fleet Week:

Fleet Week 2024 in Miami

Members of a heavy marine helicopter squadron talk outside the CH-53K super stallion helicopter during the opening day of Fleet Week on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Norwegian Cruise Lines Terminal in PortMiami. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

When: Through Sunday, May 12

Where: PortMiami in downtown Miami and other venues; check website in English https://fleetweekmiami.org/schedule or Spanish https://fleetweekmiami.org/ship-tours-espanol

The ships in Miami

What to expect: The Navy has sent four ships. One is the USS Harry S Truman, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. That ship will be about three miles offshore so the Navy isnt offering public tours. But sailors from the Truman will participate in Fleet Week events.

The Navys three other ships:

 USS Bataan (LHD 5)  Amphibious Assault Ship

 USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55)  Guided Missile Cruiser

 USS Normandy (CG 60)  Guided Missile Cruiser

Coast Guard ship:

 The U.S. Coast Guard is providing the USCGC Seneca (WMEC 906), a Medium Endurance Cutter.

Fleet Week tours

Erick Washington, religious program specialist, walks across the flight deck of the USS Bataan (LHD-5) during the opening day of Fleet Week on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Norwegian Cruise Lines Terminal in PortMiami. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

When: Tours for the USS Bataan, USS Leyte Gulf, and USS Normandy are:

 Monday-Friday 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

 Saturday and Sunday 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.

Note: Arrive at the terminal at least 30 minutes before your ticketed time and expect a possible wait up to 30 minutes before boarding.

Where: Tours of the USS Bataan will be conducted at Norwegian Cruise Lines Terminal B at PortMiami. Tours of the USS Leyte Gulf, USS Normandy, and USCGC Seneca will take place at Terminal E.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

Tickets: Tickets, maximum six per booking, are required. Not that tours on May 6 and 7 are all gone. Tickets for tours on May 8 are available.Tickets for tours for May 9-12 will become available 48 hours prior to the day and can be reserved at fleetweekmiami.org

What about parking for Fleet Week?

Parking is available at PortMiami.

But organizers encourage visitors to use public transportation or ride-sharing apps.

What to know about the tours

Restrictions on children: Children should be 5 years old and able to climb stairways and ladders without assistance. Infants and toddlers are not allowed for safety reasons, and childcare is not available at the terminal. Strollers are not allowed, and children cannot be carried or ride in a carrier.

What to bring: All guests should print out their tickets and bring a government-issued photo ID (adults over 18.) Foreign nationals must bring a passport.

What to wear and not to wear: Sandals, flip flops, heels, and any kind of open-toed shoes arent permitted for safety reasons. People without proper footwear will not be allowed to board. Organizers recommend you were rubber-soled sneakers or walking shoes. For women, shorts or pants are suggested. Avoid jewelry or straps that may get caught on a ladder or the ships equipment.

Photos: You can take photos only in marked areas. You may post them on social media, too, with the hashtag #FleetWeekMiami

What are other public events for Fleet Week?

Carlos Del Toro, United States Secretary of the Navy, speaks during the opening day of Fleet Week with the assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) behind him on Monday, May 6, 2024, at Norwegian Cruise Lines Terminal in PortMiami. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

Here are some other events open to the public:

 8 p.m. May 8: Dancing with the Stars and Stripes  Twenty visiting military will receive several hours of intense dance instruction at the Tower Theater, 1508 SW Eighth St., leading up to a performance at before judges and a live audience in Domino Plaza. The public is invited.

 May 10: Military Night at the Miami Marlins  Visiting military will be feted this evening at LoanDepot Park. Navy Band Southeast will perform, and a F-18 flyover will precede the first pitch.

 May 11: Fleet Week 5K  GoRun Miami is hosting this debut 5K at Tamiami Park, 11201 SW 24th St. near FIU. Starting gun at 7:30 a.m. To register, go to https://www.gorun5k.com

 May 11, 9 a.m.: City of Miami Beach Top Gun Beach Olympics  Teams from the Navy, Marine Corps. Coast Guard, and local first responders will compete in volleyball, tug of war, and other sports. Free and open to the public. No tickets needed.
Ukrainian actress Kateryna Kuznetsova, known for the TV series Kitchen, spoke about the position of her Russian husband. Until February 24, 2022, the celebrity lived and worked in Russia, but after the full-scale invasion, she cut all ties with the aggressor country.

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The Ukrainian woman met her beloved Maxim Aplin, a Russian businessman, in 2017. It was he who, long before the full-scale war in Ukraine, shared his disappointment with the Russian government and its actions. In particular, the Russian was impressed by the resilience of Ukrainians after the annexation of Crimea. Kuznetsova spoke about this in an interview with host Oleksiy Sukhanov.

"He immediately told me: "We will not live in Russia". And I told him that I had projects, so I couldn't. He said: "Katiusha, time will pass, you will understand everything, we will leave," the actress said.

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According to her, her husband was very interested in politics. Aplin visited Moscow 2-3 months a year, and spent the rest of the time in Sri Lanka for work.

"He has always supported both my family and me. That's why he has a Russian passport, but his heart has always been with Ukraine," Kuznetsova says.

The star adds that the couple has never had any disputes over political views. In addition, after February 2022, the Ukrainian woman's lover cut out friends who support the war and those who "have not decided on their position" from their lives.

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Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
WASHINGTON  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced on Monday his intention to seek reelection to a fourth term in the Senate, citing the threats to democracy at home and abroad.

The 82-year-old independent senator made the announcement in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter:

Let me thank the people of Vermont, from the bottom of my heart, for giving me the opportunity to serve them in the United States Senate. It has been the honor of my life.



Today, I am announcing my intention to seek another term. Here is why: pic.twitter.com/cfO8MF4Cep  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 6, 2024

In the video, Sanders hit on familiar themes he has championed during his time in office, including doing more to address wealth inequality, climate change, health care, and abortion rights. He also called the 2024 presidential election the most consequential election in our lifetimes.

Will the United States continue to even function as a democracy, or will we move to an authoritarian form of government? Sanders asked.

Sanders currently serves as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, where he has been focused on bringing down the cost of prescription drugs and expanding government support for seniors.

A member of the Senate Democratic leadership team, the progressive senator has also been focused on Israels war in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, advocating for conditioning U.S. aid to Israel unless it changes its military tactics.

Israel had the absolute right to defend itself against this terror attack, but it did not and does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people which is exactly what it is doing, Sanders said.

Sanders would be 89 years old by the time he completes another term. In 2019, during his run for president, he revealed he had a heart attack and was briefly hospitalized. Hes since served in the Senate with no public health issues.
Photo by Larry Mayer/Getty Images.

The Minnesota Senate is expected to approve $3 million in one-time funding to address nitrate pollution in southeastern Minnesota.

Nitrate pollution is often the result of farm fertilizer runoff.

The funds are included in a large agriculture, energy and environment omnibus bill that came to the Senate floor Monday.

The bill directs $2 million to the state Department of Health to establish a mitigation fund for contaminated wells in eight southeastern counties: Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona. The department can spend the money on testing residents water, repairing and replacing polluted wells, and reverse osmosis water filtration systems.

An additional $750,000 will go to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to provide in-home water treatment systems, and for outreach and education efforts.

The legislation also includes a one-time $500,000 boost to the states soil health financial assistance program in the same eight-county region. The program covers up to 50% of the cost of new equipment for farmers who want to adopt practices that can reduce fertilizer runoff.

Sen. Torrey Westrom of Alexandria, the Republican lead on the Senate Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development Committee, said he fully supported the agriculture section of the omnibus, but that its inclusion in a more controversial omnibus would force Republicans to vote against it.

After little discussion of the agriculture portion of the legislation, the Senate moved on to a lengthy debate over whether to require licenses to sell copper wire.

The post Senate expected to pass $3 million nitrate treatment package for southeastern MN appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy this week for Frank Tyson, a Black man who died after telling Ohio police officers I cant breathe as they attempted to arrest him.

Sharpton announced that Tysons family has asked him and civil rights attorney Ben Crump to be at the funeral on Wednesday. Crump is representing Tysons family and is expected to issue a call to justice during the services.

Frank Tysons cries of I cant breathe are ones we have heard far too often when Black men and women die in police custody, Sharpton said in a statement on Monday.

Authorities in Canton, Ohio released body camera footage of the arrest of the 53-year-old Tyson last month. His cries of I cant breathe were reminiscent of those of George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Other Minneapolis officers were convicted of crimes in Floyds death.

The 36-minute video footage showed Canton officers entered an AMVETS post where Tyson was after crashing his car. As officers restrained and arrested Tyson, one can be seen putting his knee on Tysons upper body.

When Tyson told officers he couldnt breathe, one responded, Youre fine.

After officers place handcuffs on Tyson, the footage shows him lying motionless for about five minutes before police checked on him and found him unresponsive. Officers eventually administered CPR and Narcan to Tyson.

Medics then transported Tyson to a hospital, where he later died.

Once again, we have seen footage of those pleas for help not only ignored but dismissed by officers using excessive force  who then left him to lie unconscious for several minutes, said Sharpton on Monday, adding that he is committed to delivering justice for Tysons family.

The two primary officers, Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch, have been placed on administrative leave as an investigation unfolds.

Last week, the NAACP called for the Department of Justice to investigate the incident, saying that the police officers may not be held accountable for their actions without federal intervention.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo illustration by Getty Images.

As representatives of Montanas diverse and pluralistic Jewish communities, we are disappointed and offended to see hateful messaging in a recent Tim Sheehy for Senate political ad and in public comments by one of Sheehys staffers.

Hate has no home in Montana, and we call on candidate Sheehy and all politicians to reject hatred, antisemitism and bigotry. Its time to make that a reality every day, and we need all of our leaders to do their part to maintain this great states values.

Sheehys campaign ad presents Jewish Senator Chuck Schumers face above a pair of hands manipulating puppet strings over the words radio, TV, and money. The imagery in this ad is blatantly antisemitic. It invokes very old, false conspiracy theories about Jewish people controlling the media and international banking.

An advertisement promoted by U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy.

This image and its messages are dangerous and only threaten Montanas Jewish citizens in a time of rising antisemitism. We are horrified that anyone seeking public office would promote such material, and the ad should be stopped and renounced immediately.

Moreover, we recently learned that one of Tim Sheehys paid staffers circulated hate speech and supported (by reposting) white supremacist, racist, and anti-LGBTQ views on social media.

Caleb Oriet, the paid staffer, has said on social media that Black people are the most criminal, dependent and socially destructive part of the population. He also leads the Montana chapter of the American Populist Union, which promotes a white supremacist and neo-nazi platform, including antisemitic, racist, and anti-LGBTQ messaging.

Montana is bigger and better than these messages. We believe that all Montanans want to live in a state that values the safety and well-being of all its citizens, whatever their faith tradition, race, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Our leaders have united to denounce antisemitism and hatred in the past and we hope they will do so again.

In December 2016 Montanas elected officialsboth Republicans and Democratsunited to issue a statement against hate in our state. What follows are portions of a statement signed by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, (former)Gov. Steve Bullock, and (former) Attorney General Tim Fox.

(W)e as Montanas elected leaders are focused on the values that reflect our true character. Therefore, we condemn attacks on our religious freedom manifesting in a group of anti-Semites. We stand firmly together to send a clear message that ignorance, hatred, and threats of violence are unacceptable and have no place in the town of Whitefish, or in any other community in Montana or across this nation. We say to those few who seek to publicize anti-Semitic views that they shall find no safe haven here.

. . .We will address these threats directly and forcefully, putting our political differences aside to stand up for whats right. Thats the Montana way, and the American way

Sheehy can learn from this example and we call on him to immediately discontinue the political ad; apologize to Montanas Jewish citizens and remove Mr. Oriet from the Sheehy campaign staff.

All politicians in Montana should join in rejecting hatred, antisemitism and bigotry.

We need our leaders, and all of Montanas citizens, to join with us as we all work to uphold this great states values and keep Montana free from bigotry.

This column was written by Rabbi Francine Roston as part of the Montana Association of Rabbis, with congregations in Billings, Bozeman, Missoula and the Flathead Valley. Its also written through the support of the Montana Jewish Project.

The post Sheehy must reject hatred, antisemitism and bigotry appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Sheriff Details Final Moments of Mom Who Shot 3-Year-Old Son and Herself: She Told Him to Say Bye to Daddy

Savannah Kriger, 32, and her son, Kaiden, were found dead with gunshot wounds at a park in March amid a custody battle

Bexar County Sheriff's Office Kaiden and his mother Savannah

Authorities have put together a timeline of the final hours of a Texas moms life before she shot her son and herself in a murder-suicide incident.

On Thursday, May 2, Bexar County Sheriff Sheriff Javier Salazar detailed the last moments of the lives of San Antonio resident Savannah Kriger and her 3-year-old son, Kaiden, who were found dead with gunshot wounds at a park on March 18 amid a custody battle.

The Bexar County Medical Examiners Office previously confirmed to PEOPLE on May 1 that her death was ruled a suicide and Kaidens was ruled a homicide. The cause of death for both was a gunshot to the head.

In a press conference posted to Facebook, Salazar said Savannah left work at 12:49 p.m. in her 2023 Lincoln Aviator and traveled to her ex-husband's residence in Verde Bosque, where it is believed she entered his home and damaged his personal items while the unidentified man was at work.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office

The sheriff added that she then traveled to her home in Dovers Den, San Antonio, where it is believed she was alone while she laid out wedding dresses on a bed and and potentially fired two shots into her wedding portraits, which were also displayed on her bed, with bullet holes in them.

Salazar noted that the bullet shell casings matched the shell casings of the bullets found at the crime scene, where her body was found with Kaidens body on March 19 after an Amber Alert was issued the previous day.

Savannah then left her home and went to Kaidens daycare, checking him out at 2:33 p.m.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office Kaiden Kriger

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She FaceTimed her ex-husband at around 2:46 p.m. Salazar said that, per a recording taken by the man, Savannah told him in part, You won't have anything at all by the end of the day.

Savannah then drove to Tom Slick Park, while her ex-husband simultaneously called authorities to make a criminal mischief report related to his residence.

After a failed FaceTime call, Savannah sent her ex-husband a text that read, Say goodbye to your son, per Salazar.

After more failed attempts to reach him, Savannah made a 21-second video while at the drainage ditch where the two bodies were found.

Salazar said that in the video viewed by law enforcement, Savannah instructed Kaiden to say bye to daddy, which he did. She also kissed her son.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office Savannah Kriger.

Salazar said the video isnt graphic, but her intentions were pretty clear.

At 3:30 p.m., Savannah looked up cartoons on her phone.

Savannah and Kaidens bodies were found in the drainage ditch on March 19  19 hours after the video was made.

Kaiden was at the center of a custody battle between his parents.

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.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.



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It has been almost a year since the Indian government arrested Vivek Raghuvanshi, a longtime freelancer journalist with Defense News, with officials having declined to provide information about his safety, legal representation and allegations.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cracked down on the freedom of the press for several years, and reporters are in danger of physical attacks, mob violence, and violent demonstrations, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. CPJ recently released a warning to journalists in India amid Modis reelection campaign.

The evolving nature of these press-related attacks necessitates heightened attention and proactive measures to safeguard journalistic integrity and ensure the free flow of information, particularly in politically charged environments, the organization wrote in March.

The Indian Express reported a year ago that Indias Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Raghuvanshi and accused him of espionage. The newspaper quoted a CBI spokesperson, who said the bureau had conducted multiple searches.

We again call for the immediate release of freelance reporter Vivek Raghuvanshi following his arrest in India in May 2023, said Cary OReilly, senior managing editor for emerging markets at Sightline Media Group. We have repeatedly asked for information on his case and have heard nothing. The government of India must provide the public with information about Viveks case.

In our long relationship with Vivek, we have always found him to be a person of deep integrity, trusted by his colleagues and by his readers in the defense industry, OReilly added. One year later, Sightline has still seen no evidence to substantiate these charges.

Sightline Media Group is an independent, for-profit U.S. media company with correspondents around the world. It is not affiliated with the U.S. government.
Matthew Broncho's remains were found in a remote mountain range in Utah, near where his truck was found abandoned in March 2019

Box Elder County Sheriff's Office Matthew Jay Broncho, a Native American man who disappeared in 2019 when he was 34 years old

The remains of a Native American man who disappeared in 2019 have been located in a remote mountain range in Utah, authorities said.

Members of the Box Elder County Sheriff's Office responded to the Hansel Mountains on Monday, April 27, after an individual reported finding skeletal remains while looking for shed antlers, Chief Deputy Sheriff Cade Palmer said in a news release on Facebook.

The remains were later recovered from the site near Snowville "and sent to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for further processing, Palmer added.

Using dental records, the medical examiner identified the victim as Matthew Broncho.

Related: Human Remains Found in 'Quiet' Neighborhood Could Be Tied to Man Missing Since 2021

Broncho was 34 years old when he was last seen on March 20, 2019, according to a missing person bulletin shared at the time.

Four days later, the Fort Hall Police Department in Idaho informed the BESCO in Utah that the missing man had abandoned his pickup truck, which was later found by exit 7 in Snowville on Interstate 84, Palmer said.

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Bronchos wallet and phone were found inside the truck. His dog was also missing, but was found on March 27, 2019, wandering a few miles west of Snowville, the chief deputy sheriff added.

Related: Car Likely Submerged for Decades Pulled from Florida Pond with Possible Human Remains Inside

Broncho had no known connection to Snowville, where his vehicle was found five years after he disappeared, according to KIDK.



In 2023, a group called Carrying the Message organized a caravan to bring awareness to Bronchos disappearance as well as "others who have been murdered or are missing," the Idaho State Journal reported.

For the people out here, for the Native American, its like its really hush-hush, and we have to force [information] out there to be heard, said Willeena George, one of the group's founders, per KIDK.

Related: Search Continues for Girl Who Went Missing at Michigan River Where Boy Drowned the Day Before

Paul Frank, another founder, told the Journal in 2023 that he was not satisfied with the efforts by authorities to find Broncho.

Sometimes the [Fort Hall Police] drop the ball or make excuses and dont take it seriously enough, he explained at the time. Its a non-stop battle with them when theyre supposed to be on our side.

In 2018, an Associated Press investigation determined that the true number of Native Americans who are missing in the United States is unknown. By the end of 2017, Native Americans and Alaska Natives made up about 1.8% of ongoing missing cases in the FBIs National Crime Information Center database, despite only representing 0.8% of the countrys population.

An investigation into Broncho's case is ongoing, Palmer said in the news release. Although this is difficult news to receive and there are still unanswered questions, we hope they can find some comfort in knowing that he has been found, he added.



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FILE - Reach House, a halfway house for sex offenders where visiting nurse Joyce Grayson was found dead, sits atop a small hill, Nov. 21, 2023, in Willimantic, Conn. The husband of the visiting nurse who was killed during an appointment with a convicted rapist filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday, May 6, 2024 alleging her employer repeatedly ignored workers' safety concerns about treating some patients with mental illness and violent pasts. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton Robb, File)

The husband of a Connecticut visiting nurse who was killed during an appointment with a convicted rapist filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday, alleging her employer repeatedly ignored workers' safety concerns about treating dangerous patients.

Ronald Grayson sued Elara Caring, its affiliated companies and others over the killing of his wife, Joyce Grayson, a 63-year-old mother of six who was found dead in the basement of a halfway house in Willimantic on Oct. 28. She was strangled and suffered multiple blunt force injuries, authorities said. Elara Caring, based in Dallas, Texas, denies the allegations.

For years prior to October 28, 2023, employees of Elara Caring affiliates experienced multiple, repeated instances in which they were verbally, physically and sexually harassed, assaulted, attacked, yelled at, chased, threatened, punched, kicked, grabbed and brushed up against by mentally unstable and/or violent patients of Elara Caring, according to the lawsuit, which seeks undisclosed damages.

Instead of addressing nurses' concerns, the lawsuit alleges, the company encouraged employees to focus on increasing profitability while nurses were chastised, shamed and gaslit, led to believe that they were overreacting. Staff were required to treat patients who were dangerous, mentally unstable and, frequently, unsuitable for home health care services, the lawsuit says.

The suit, filed in Middletown Superior Court, also accuses the company of failing to implement a policy allowing escorts or other staff to accompany nurses when they visit potentially dangerous clients.

Joyce Graysons death was entirely preventable and those who failed to protect her from a violent offender should be held accountable, said Kelly Reardon, a lawyer for Grayson's family.

Elara Caring called the allegations "unwarranted in a statement released Monday. The company says it provides home care for more than 60,000 patients in 17 states.

Joyce Grayson had an appointment to administer medication to Michael Reese that morning. Reese, who was on probation after serving 14 years in prison for stabbing and sexually assaulting a woman in 2006 in New Haven, is charged with murder and other crimes in the nurse's death. His lawyers have not returned messages seeking comment.

Elara repeated previous comments it made saying Connecticut officials determined Reese was not a danger to the community and were responsible for monitoring and managing his activities.

Elara Caring provided services only after Connecticuts Department of Correction, Board of Pardons and Parole, and the Judicial branch determined it was safe to put Reese back into the community, the statement said. Joyce Grayson was a trusted friend, colleague, and mentor. We remain devastated and angered by her loss."

The killing spurred a call for greater protections for home health care workers in Connecticut and across the country. Connecticut lawmakers are now considering a bill that would improve safety for health care workers.

Grayson's family is also asking for permission to sue the state Judicial Branch, which oversees probation, and the Department of Correction for $25 million in connection with their oversight of Reese. The Judicial Branch declined to comment and the Correction Department did not return messages. People who want to sue the state need approval of the claims commissioner's office and the legislature.

The lawsuit also names The Connection, which runs a community treatment program at the halfway house where Grayson was killed. The provider declined to comment on the lawsuit's allegations.

The death of Joyce Grayson was a senseless crime, and The Connection continues to mourn her immeasurable loss, it said in a statement. We will let the legal process address the root causes of this tragedy.

Last week, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed fining Elara Caring about $161,000 after finding the company failed to protect Grayson.
In the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv, a warhead of an X-69 missile was found in a forest area. To neutralize the explosive find, sappers were called to the scene.

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This was reported by the press service of the State Emergency Service. Residents of the capital were once again urged not to ignore the air raid alert.

"In the Holosiivskyi district of the capital, a local resident noticed a suspicious object, similar to a rocket part, sticking out of the ground in a forest. The sappers of the Interregional Rapid Response Center of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine thoroughly examined the area, removing the warhead of the X-69 precision-guided missile," the press service said.

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The SES added that since this is a newer weapon, it took longer for specialists to safely remove it from the ground, load it into a special vehicle, and transport it to the blast site.

The Kh-69 is a Russian high-precision, low-observable air-to-surface cruise missile. The Kh-69 is a further development of the Kh-59 missile. It is designed to engage ground stationary targets and surface targets that do not have radar, infrared and optical contrast to the surrounding background.

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As a reminder, a warhead of a Russian X-101 missile was found in the Vyshhorod district of Kyiv region. The dangerous discovery was removed and destroyed by the State Emergency Service.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, a 120-mm artillery shell for the Nona self-propelled artillery system was found in Irpin, Kyiv region, during repair work on a railway track. Sappers were called to remove the dangerous find.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Over the weekend, a gathering of northern Baja surfers banded together to honor three travelers who were murdered a week before. A memorial paddle-out was held at Playa San Miguel, in addition to calls for justice and increased safety measures.

Australian brothers Callum (33) and Jake Robinson (30), and American Jack Carter Rhoad (30), were killed while camping at La Bocana, a rural site south of Ensenada. Their bodies were found dumped in a nearby well, and their identities were later confirmed by their families. The cause of death for each was gunshot wounds. Local authorities believe thieves had attempted to steal the tires from their truck, which was found burnt out on a ranch in the area. Three suspects are in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

Related: Bodies Found in Search for Missing Surfers in Mexico

Meanwhile, the surf community worldwide is in mourning; and during the demonstrations over the weekend, locals expressed their sadness surrounding the situation, memories of the deceased in the days prior, and demands for action.

The memorial paddle-out at Playa San Miguel. Photo: Carlos Oviedo

Here's a handful of statements from local northern Baja surfers:

The unfortunate, horrible events that happened to these three guys, we can all relate, said David Kamena, an America living in northern Baja. All of us know that camp spot really well. So, this hits home to us. Were calling to the government for more security. It happens every day all over the world, including the US. But were standing up, and saying we dont like it.

This horror story happened to some good people, who in their short stay on the beaches of Ensenada left among those of us who had the opportunity to talk with them a great pleasure of meeting people from another world, admired by our country, wanting to listen to traditional music, eat tacos and surf, said Beatriz Ibarra, a local surfer with a Master of Science degree. Today it was them, yesterday it was others, tomorrow we don't want it to be us. We will continue fighting for a Baja California with decent and safe access and space to all beaches.

Local surfers stand for justice and peace in Baja. Photo: Nacho Felix

These young men  Callum Robinson, Jake Robinson, and Jack Carter Rhoad  surfed together with a group of us Mexican surfers in the morning at Playa San Miguel, Ensenada B.C. remembered Miguel Alcazar Sr. They were very happy, educated, kind and gentle people. We shared waves and anecdotes.

Alcazar Sr. continued:

Without a doubt Carter was very happy in Playa San Miguel. First, he had a hard time standing on his board and he fell. Callum and Jake were laughing at him and since Carter was just laughing, I approached him and said, Can I give you a tip? When you catch the wave and stand up, stay low... He tried twice and he did it! His friends and I cheered and applauded him. He was still surfing and turned to look at me and he had a face of surprise and happiness. This is how I will remember your friends, who just for that day were also my friends.

A GoFundMe account has been created to support the families in this terrible tragedy.
The Black Eagle Dam, one of the "Five Falls of the Missouri," is pictured on Jan. 20, 2021 (Photo by Nicole Girten)

Crews will this week start cleaning up yards filled with lead and arsenic in Black Eagle left over from decades of smelting and refining at the ACM Smelter and Refinery in an effort that will likely run through at least next summer.

The cleanup of soils at Operational Unit 1 of the Superfund site on the north side of Great Falls stems from a consent decree the sites owner, Atlantic Richfield, agreed to last August and will cost an estimated $3.9 million, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA said the overall project will likely take two summers to finish, and only property owners who have already returned agreements for crews to access their property will have their soil replaced. Operable Unit 1 includes the Art Higgins Memorial Park and areas west of the former smelter and refinery site.

How the operable units for the soil contamination cleanup are broken up. (Image via EPA)

How the operable units for the soil contamination cleanup are broken up. (Image via EPA)

Teams will start on the southwestern side of Black Eagle and move north and east from there, working under individual site work plans specific for each property. They will remove soil contaminated with lead and arsenic and replace it with new soil and other landscaping that was there beforehand.

The EPA said the toxic soil will be dumped at the former smelter site for now and addressed as the future cleanup plans are developed.

Jordan Construction Inc. will lead the cleanup effort with oversight from EPA contractor HelioTech and Woodard and Curran, the contractor for Atlantic Richfield. Crews will work from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays.

Crews will be working through the summer and will clean as many yards as possible before cold weather sets in, the EPA said in a news release. Care will be taken to minimize disruptions, but residents should expect to see machinery and trucks in town.

For more than 80 years starting in 1893, companies smelted and refined various heavy metals, including copper, zinc, arsenic and cadmium. Atlantic Richfield bought the site in 1977 and continued refining copper until 1980, when the plant closed.

But the refinery put lead, arsenic and other toxic metals into the air that contaminated soils nearby. Early on its operations, the companies also put tailings and slag either into the Missouri River or into the ground at the site.

The smelter site when it was operational had a 501-foot tall stack that spread arsenic and lead over the area. (Photo via EPA)

The smelter site when it was operational had a 501-foot tall stack that spread arsenic and lead over the area. (Photo via EPA)

After the plant closed in 1980, Atlantic Richfield undertook reclamation activities at the site over the next 20 years, and the EPA began investigating the site for contaminants in 2002, an investigation which expanded in 2007 and 2008.

That expanded investigation found about 45% of about 420 yards in Black Eagle had elevated lead and arsenic levels, some several times above federal and state standards. In 2011, the site was added to the Superfund National Priority List, leading to initial soil cleanups at the Moose Lodge just north of the smelter site and at the Art Higgins Memorial Park.

Yard soil sampling also expanded that year and further ecological investigations were done for the Missouri River, and in 2020, crews started replacing water and sewer lines along with some toxic soil. In 2021, the EPA finalized its Record of Decision that allows it to move forward with overseeing the soil removal and replacement.

Atlantic Richfield will bear the costs of the cleanup as a potentially responsible party. Leaders with the EPA and in Montana have said the start of the cleanup effort marks an important milestone in restoring the Superfund site.

Im hopeful that this consent decree will restore the natural resources and lead to a healthier and safer environment for the people of Great Falls, U.S. Attorney for Montana Jesse Laslovich said in a statement.

Similar soil cleanup efforts are also underway in East Helena, as the EPA announced in February another $40 million in federal funding to clean up hundreds of yards whose soil are contaminated with lead and other heavy metals.

Anyone with questions about the cleanup is asked to call Luke Pokorny with Atlantic Richfield at 406-723-1832.

The post Soil cleanup at portion of Black Eagle Superfund site to start this week appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Source New Mexico wins 10 awards at the SPJ Top of the Rockies contest

The sun begins to set on David Martinezs trailer in Monte Aplanado,

The sun begins to set on David Martinezs trailer in Monte Aplanado, on April 14. Martinez used $5,000 from the first FEMA payout as a downpayment on the travel trailer he calls a tin can. (Adria Malcolm for ProPublica)

DENVER  Stories from the Land of Enchantment told by local journalists were highlighted among the top news articles last year in the region.

On Saturday, the annual Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism competition honored 67 articles published in 2023 by nine news outlets from journalists across the state. Judges picked award-winners from submissions by reporters in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

Outlets in New Mexico picked up 21 first-place awards for articles on topics ranging from Indigenous issues, immigration, federal disaster relief, elections, health, environment, food, opera, education and science.

The SPJ Top of the Rockies Excellence in Journalism contest awarded Source New Mexico and eight other outlets that cover the state, they include:

The Albuquerque Journal, Capital & Main, Gallup Independent, KUNM, New Mexico In Depth, New Mexico Political Report, Santa Fe Reporter and Searchlight New Mexico.

Designers, photographers and columnists in local newsrooms also won several first-place awards.

Principles and objectives from The Society of Professional Journalists is the foundation for how judges pick the winners at the annual awards ceremony in Colorado, and at similar events across the country.



Newsrooms are sorted by staff size that range from small to extra-large. Online, radio and print outlets all compete in a battle royale of sorts about who brought the best news to their audience.

Source New Mexico won 10 awards in as many categories.

Reporter Patrick Lohmanns coverage on the federal response to the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire won first place for Best Solutions Journalism in the large newsroom class. Lohmann exclusively covered the recovery process for one year as part of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network, and SPJ allowed his submission to move up a newsroom size class.

He lived in Las Vegas last year, visiting people in Northern New Mexico trying to navigate how to receive disaster relief administered by FEMA from the $4 billion approved by Congress and President Joe Biden to compensate people harmed by the fire that the U.S. Forest Service started.

Judges noted the rigorous, in-depth reporting and said, The series provides heartbreaking accounts of the many survivors that were let down by the federal government and offers potential solutions to an urgent problem.

Reporter Danielle Prokop and photojournalist Corrie Boudreaux followed another major federal policys impact. They worked early days and nights on the border ahead of new immigration standards for people seeking asylum. They were at the El Paso crossing when Title 42 expired and talked with people entering the new immigration process.

Their work won first place for Extended Coverage in the medium newsroom class. On a competitive national story, Source New Mexico distinguished itself through dogged, ground-level coverage, the judges wrote. It did so by explaining the implications of the lifting of Title 42 and resulting increase in immigration from all viewpoints.

Senior reporter Austin Fisher took on breaking news coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court issuing its ruling to affirm the Indian Child Welfare Act.

He quickly found legal and child welfare experts to interview. He sourced and attributed reaction from Dine, Shoshone-Bannock, Cherokee, Laguna and Isleta people to react to the courts opinion and what it means for the civil rights of Native American children.

The contest judges agreed and called the article a notably thorough analysis of a locally important U.S. Supreme Court decision, outlining the opinions national implications, as well.

Other Source New Mexico articles that received honors:

Second place

Columns/Op-Ed Pieces: Shaun Griswold for Real conversations with family taught me about life after loss

Third place

Ag and Environment News: Danielle Prokop for Rescuing silvery minnows like slapping a Band-Aid on a severed limb

Education Feature: Megan Taros, Liam DeBonis for Dine teen takes to lobbying for inclusive textbooks while lawmakers push reform to next session

Features: Short Form: Ryan Lowery for Balloon Fiesta: A view from above

General Reporting-Series or Package: Danielle Prokop, Diana Cervantes for Crisis on the Rio Grande

Headline Writing: Danielle Prokop, Shaun Griswold for Aint no sunshine when the settlement data is gone

Public Service: Megan Gleason for Black Fire Recovery

The post Source New Mexico wins 10 awards at the SPJ Top of the Rockies contest appeared first on Source New Mexico.
Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill Thursday that bans abortion in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. The new law allows exceptions for fatal fetal anomalies, when the mother's life and health are at-risk. Victims of rape or incest can obtain abortions for up to 12 weeks if they filed a police report and obtained certification from two doctors.

South Carolina's is just the latest in a string of strict restrictions on abortion passed by individual states since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court last summer.

Prior to the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, 18 Republican states across the South and West, such as Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi and South Dakota, passed so-called trigger laws, which outlawed abortion the moment the court handed down its verdict.

In recent months, eight other Republican-led states have enacted new laws that outlaw abortion at various stages of pregnancy.

Here is a guide to the new abortion restrictions states have passed since last summer:

South Carolina

The state had a 2021 trigger law that banned abortion after cardiac activity can be detected in a fetus, at around six weeks of pregnancy  but the state Supreme Court overturned that law in January, saying that it violated privacy rights in the state constitution. That left abortion legal until 22 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion providers in the state immediately filed suit against the law in state court, asking the court to put in place a temporary restraining order preventing the law's implementation. On Friday, a South Carolina judge granted abortion providers' request to block a newly enacted six-week abortion ban while a legal challenge proceeds.

Nebraska

In May, Republican lawmakers in Nebraska's one-chamber Legislature amended a bill that outlaws gender-affirming surgeries for anyone younger than 19 and will impose new rules limiting access to hormone therapy and puberty blocking drugs for trans youth to also outlaw abortion after 12 weeks and then passed the measure. It was subsequently signed into law by Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. There are exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger. Nebraska previously outlawed abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. An effort in April to ban abortion after six weeks failed by one vote.

North Carolina

The state's House and Senate overrode the governor's veto on a party-line vote, with Republicans having attained the three-fifths majority in both chambers after one Democratic state representative changed parties. State law previously banned nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and Cooper spent last week unsuccessfully trying to persuade at least one Republican to side with him and uphold his veto. North Carolina law previously banned nearly all abortions after 20 weeks.

North Dakota

North Dakota adopted a law on April 24 banning abortion almost entirely, with exceptions in the first six weeks of pregnancy for cases of rape, incest, and medical emergencies. After six weeks, only certain medical emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies would qualify for legal abortions. In March, a previous North Dakota abortion ban that was almost as far-reaching was temporarily suspended by the state supreme court while a legal challenge proceeds. There are no longer any abortion clinics in North Dakota. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the states only abortion clinic moved operations to Moorhead, Minn.

Florida

A law signed on April. 14 by Gov. Ron DeSantis would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy except for victims of rape or incest or for women whose health is at risk. Those seeking one of those exceptions would also be required to produce evidence. The new law will take effect only if the existing 15-week ban is upheld by the state Supreme Court in a current legal challenge. The states top court has a conservative majority.

Indiana

The Hoosier State became the first in the country to create new abortion restrictions after the Dobbs decision. In August 2022, Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, signed a bill that banned abortion, with limited exceptions. Abortions are now permitted in Indiana only in cases of rape and incest in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, in order to protect the pregnant womans life or physical health, or if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Doctors who provide illegal abortions are to be stripped of their medical license. Abortions can also now be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals  abortion clinics are no longer legally able to operate in the state. Enforcement of the new law, however, has been blocked pending the outcome of legal challenges. The Indiana state Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case in January.

West Virginia

Last September, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, signed a law banning abortion except in cases of rape or incest for up to eight weeks of pregnancy for adults and 14 weeks for minors. It allows abortions of a nonviable fetus or embryo, and when there is a medical emergency or an ectopic pregnancy. Providers of abortions not covered by those exceptions face up to 10 years in prison.

Wyoming

In March, Wyoming became the first state to ban abortions conducted via oral medication, which account for a majority of abortions nationwide. The state already had a full abortion trigger ban on the books, but it is currently enjoined by court order from enforcing it. The same abortion pill is at the center of federal lawsuits, as a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas recently overruled the FDAs approval of the drug.

Idaho

Earlier this month, Idaho became the first state to criminalize helping a minor get an abortion in another state, with persons convicted of breaking the law facing two to five years in prison. The law allows the state attorney general to prosecute a case if local prosecutors decline to do so. It also allows family members of a pregnant child or the person who impregnated her to file lawsuits against medical professionals who provide her abortion care, with up to $20,000 for damages.
South Carolina underbuilt for a decade. Now the Lowcountry is paying for it

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  It is no secret the Lowcountry, like many areas, is facing a housing crisis with the demand for housing outpacing the supply.

Dr. Joseph Von Nessen, a research professor at the University of South Carolina, said the gap between supply and demand is a problem nationwide, resulting from a decade-long period of underbuilding.

This isnt a unique problem to South Carolina, but it is exacerbated by the fact that we have had more population growth, he explained.

Queen City News

Investigations

Data from the U.S. Census showed South Carolina as the fastest-growing state in the nation in 2023. In Charleston, one realtor estimates that more than 30 people move to the area every day.

Were seeing a lot of new construction happening right now to try and keep up with demand and its going to take several years to make a dent in that supply and demand  that shortage, said Dr. Von Nessen.

The trends of underbuilding are seen in the number of new privately owned housing units that have been authorized over the last 15 years in South Carolina.

In 2009, data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau showed the number of new privately owned housing units authorized in the state was 15,529. In 2010, that number dropped to 14,021.

The numbers began to rebound, and by 2021, 50,680 units were authorized across the state.

But, as communities work to meet the housing needs, the Lowcountry faces other unique problems with limited areas for new housing development and a need for new infrastructure.

Michele Reed, the Planning Director for the Town of Mount Pleasant, said these are a few reasons why the town has decided to limit how quickly growth can happen.

If you look back at the growth in 2000, we were up at about 14% average annual growth rate  so it was huge, she said.

Deck collapse leaves 12 hurt in western Mecklenburg County: Fire Dept.

Reed explained that the town has a history of putting a moratorium on new development through its building permit allocation system, which limits how many single-family, accessory dwelling, and multi-family permits are authorized.

When you put a building permit allocation system in place you have to justify it and you have to have very sound reason on why youre adopting it, she said. They talked about the projected growth they wanted to see, how much they wanted it to slow down  they tied it to those infrastructure and transportation improvements.

The system has been successful for the town, decreasing the growth rate to about 2%. However, when it comes to single-family homes, Reed said not all available permits get used because the town is running out of land for this kind of development, and there are other limitations on where developers can build.

I really think our urban growth boundary and water and sewer infrastructure really kind of dictates those sorts of things, she explained. I think what were going to see more of for the town in terms of any sort of growth or development is going to be those areas of infill development.

Reed said its also a priority for the town to protect its settlement communities.

You have developers coming in you know wanting to develop those areas and so I know for the town its really about protecting those areas.

However, realtors say the lack of inventory in Mount Pleasant is now impacting the price of homes in the town.

Last quarter, the average price of a home in lower Mount Pleasant was $1.3 million. In North Mount Pleasant, the average price was $1.1 million  a 20% increase from the previous quarter, according to data from the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors (CTAR).

Drew Grossklaus, the 2024 President of CTAR and the Broker in Charge at William Means Real Estate, said this is concerning for future generations and workers in Mount Pleasant.

At those prices, its pretty easy to do the math and say its very hard to have incomes to support those housing prices, he said.

Almost 2 pounds of fentanyl seized in major drug bust at SC home

While attainable or affordable housing projects are exempt from the town of Mount Pleasants permit caps, in many cases, people are being pushed to the outskirts of the area.

Grossklaus said this has now created a domino effect with further issues like traffic congestion as more people travel for work.

He said creating more options to help manage the growth will be important moving forward.

Lowcountry Rapid Transit is something thats going to be coming in I think could be huge, and again that affects that housing ability for people to afford and then work other places, he explained. So those types of things being looked at by our leaders are huge and being thought out and something that were going to need.

Dr. Von Nessen also added that while creating more inventory is the solution to the gap in supply and demand, fixing the problem varies between each local municipality in the state.

How long does it take to make up this lack of supply  really depends on the local area that were focused on, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
A student at a Southern California university was suspended and ordered to stay away from campus after an assault rifle and other items were discovered in their on-campus housing unit.

The University of California, Riverside announced the suspension on Sunday after a search warrant was served at a room inside the North District residential apartments on campus.

In the room, UCR police found an assault rifle registered to a student, ammunition, five high-capacity magazines and hand-drawn images in a journal depicting a violent act. The content of the images were not immediately disclosed.

UCLA appoints former Sacramento police chief to lead new Office of Campus Safety

In addition to the suspension, the student was ordered to stay away from campus until the completion of an administrative hearing. UCR said campus police will submit the case to the Riverside County District Attorney, who will decide whether or not to press charges.

UCR said the incident does not appear to be related to recent on-campus events, which include pro-Palestinian protests.

An on-campus occupation of campus, which remained completely peaceful according to officials, ended Friday night when protesters reached an agreement with administration.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Ukraine has received Patriot anti-aircraft missiles from Madrid, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced on May 6, according to the EFE news agency.

Robles confirmed arrival of missiles less than 10 days after promising to deliver them to Kyiv at the Ramstein-format summit. Patriot missiles were sent by Spain in coordination with other allied countries, she said.

"These missiles are designed for air defense, and it should be very clear that they are designed to protect Ukraine from the attacks that it suffers," the minister said while visiting military facilities in the city of Zaragoza, where Ukrainian soldiers are trained.

Media previously reported that Spain would send "a limited number" of Patriot missiles, as the country only has around 50 total in reserve. Robles did not say how many of them Ukraine had received.

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Spain's move is among the latest from Western nations responding to calls from Kyiv for more air defenses in the face of escalating Russian missile and drone attacks on cities across Ukraine.

U.S.-made Patriots 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.

Germany said on April 13 that it would provide Ukraine with one more Patriot air defense system, bringing the total number of Patriots supplied by Germany to three.

Read also: Russian strikes overwhelm Ukraines overstretched air defense amid Western aid delays

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
SPD cop who joked about pedestrians death to speak at national conference

Daniel Auderer, the Seattle Police officer who triggered a furious backlash with his comments after the death of student Jaahnavi Kandula, is due to speak at a national conference.

Publicola reports that Auderer will speak at the August event on traffic safety in Washington, D.C., despite the controversy surrounding his comments.

UPDATE: After this story was published, a spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department said Auderer is not representing the Seattle Police Department at the national conference. The spokesperson also said SPD is not covering the costs and Auderer did not put in a travel request.

Auderer was captured on bodycam making jokes and insensitive remarks about Kandulas death, a day after she was hit and killed by another officer, Kevin Dave.

Dave crashed into the international student while she was in a crosswalk in South Lake Union in January 2023.

He was going more than 70 mph while heading to an overdose call, but Auderers video wasnt publicly released until months later. It led to an immediate outcry in Washington and in Kandulas native India.

Seattles Office of Professional Accountability found Auderers behavior was biased and unprofessional.

OPA Director Gino Betts Jr. described the officers words as derogatory, disturbing, and inhumane.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued 11 fines in March.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality levied 11 fines in March, totaling $231,281.

Among those fined were a Springfield wood ceiling manufacturer with hazardous waste violations, a Portland university not testing and maintaining underground fuel storage tanks and a Carlton property owner releasing turbid pond water into a stream.

Recipients can appeal their fines by requesting a hearing within 20 days of receiving their penalty letter. DEQ sometimes reduces or eliminates fines after appeals.

Recipients also may be able to resolve part of their penalty by completing or sponsoring an environmental improvement project instead of paying a fine.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's March citations

East Side Plating, Portland, $87,600: For failing to make hazardous waste determinations; failing to close containers storing hazardous waste; storing hazardous waste without a permit, and storing universal waste in open containers and without labels.

Shamrock Foods Company, Portland, $31,079: For failing to implement a stormwater plan, to conduct stormwater monitoring, to prepare reports in response to visual observations of stormwater pollution and to conduct monthly inspections.

Portland State University, Portland, $25,472: For multiple violations at two underground storage tanks holding fuel for emergency generators. Those include failing to have adequate release detection equipment, failing to test spill prevention and overfill prevention equipment, failing to conduct line tightness testing, and failing to conduct annual operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections.

Industrial Knife & Machine, Wilsonville, $24,667: For discharging industrial stormwater without a proper permit since at least Dec. 14, 2022. DEQ also ordered the company to apply for permit coverage within 30 days from the date the order becomes final.

Pressure Safe, Wood Village, $21,960: For discharging industrial stormwater without a proper permit since at least April 7, 2023. DEQ also ordered the company to apply for permit coverage within 30 days from the date the order becomes final.

9Wood, Springfield, $18,142: For 12 hazardous waste violations, including failing to conduct a hazardous waste determination and failing to properly store and label hazardous waste.

Curtis M. and Nicole H. Graham, Carlton, $8,400: For causing pollution to Millican Creek by releasing about 370,000 gallons of turbid water from their 2.5-acre pond into the creek.

Caswell Thompson, Grants Pass, $7,511: For conducting construction activities on property on North Fork Louse Creek without a proper permit.

IXS Coatings, Lebanon, Tenn., $4,800: For failing to provide information about hazardous substances to DEQ. The waste was illegally dumped by a third party along Highway 164 near Millersburg. DEQ has not been able to determine who was responsible for the dumping.

City of Dundee, $1,200: For failing to adopt an ordinance to protect riparian, stream and wetland areas within its jurisdiction, as required by a previous agreement with DEQ. DEQ has signed a new agreement with the city extending the deadline to July 1, 2024.

Express Auto Body, Portland, $450: For failing to timely submit an annual report required by its air quality permit.

Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Portland State University fined for environmental violations
The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) has started the auction process for the "PentoPack" plant, which provides a full cycle of production of packaging for meat products, confiscated from a Russian oligarch. The starting price of the lot is UAH 203.7 million.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by the SPFU. "The State Property Fund has approved the starting price of the "PentoPack" plant for UAH 203.7 million. The lot for privatization will be published in the Prozorro. Sale today. The auction is scheduled for May 31," the statement said.

It is noted that this asset was seized from the family of the Russian-Greek oligarch Ivan Savvidi, who has close ties to the leadership of the Russian Federation and supports the occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. "PentoPack" performs a full cycle of packaging production for meat processing products, using advanced technologies, including high-quality printing with UV, water, and alcohol inks.

ADVERTISIMENT

Among its clients are well-known Ukrainian brands such as "Rud", "Globino", and "Meat Guild", as well as customers from more than 30 countries. Currently, the company is a profitable business, continues to fulfill its tax obligations, and provides jobs for a team of 193 employees.

"We are talking not just about production facilities, but about a well-established profitable business in a promising segment of the food industry. The new owner will have all the opportunities for further growth and development," said Vitalii Koval, Head of the SPFU.

ADVERTISIMENT

Who is Ivan Savvidi?

Ivan Savvidi is a Russian oligarch of Greek origin. In 2023, he was included in the Forbes magazine's "110 Russian Billionaires" rating, where he took 71st place with a fortune of $1.7 billion.

The Greek-Russian businessman's federation "Greeks of Russia," funded by Savvidi, transferred off-road vehicles and generators to terrorist structures to the leader of the so-called DPR Denis Pushilin. Earlier, during the investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, his assets, as well as a complex of non-residential premises, bank accounts totaling UAH 23.4 million and USD 345 thousand, as well as vehicles were seized and transferred to the management of the ARMA.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
From the Dispatch Politics on The Dispatch

Happy Monday! We hope everyone had a great May the Fourth. The White House was in a festive mood, as Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, visited press secretary Karine Jean-Pierres briefing Friday to spin for President Joe Biden.

Up to Speed

Former President Donald Trump met with several rumored vice presidential contenders at the Republican National Committee retreat in Florida over the weekend, CNN reports. Attendees included South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. However, it is unlikely that the campaign will announce the former presidents pick any time soon, as Trump said earlier this week that he will likely make his decision closer to the July Republican National Convention.

Multiple attendees were coy about their prospects in the aftermath of the meeting. Scott told Kristen Welker on NBCs Meet the Press Sunday that being Trumps running mate did not come up. I hope that the president will choose a person who helps the country unite and heal, Scott said. I certainly expect to have a decision from President Trump in the next 60 days or so. But he did not bring it up. I certainly didnt bring it up. Stefanik did not give a direct answer to Maria Bartiromo on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures when Bartiromo asked whether Trump had brought up the possibility of Stefanik being his VP pick. There is a lot of names that are in the mix, she said. Im honored to have my name as one of them in the mix right now.

John Hammond III, a longtime Republican national committeeman from Indiana, will not run for another term, he wrote in a letter first reported Sunday by Howey Politics. Hammond has been critical of Trump, as well as the presumptive GOP nominees allies on the Republican National Committee, having previously called for assurances that he was not using RNC funds for his legal bills. My leadership style is one of consensus building, not division. My party-building philosophy is one of addition, not subtraction, Hammond said in an interview with journalist Brian A. Howey.

Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama signed legislation Thursday to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the states ballot. Alabamas Republican-controlled legislature sent a bill to her desk to move back the states deadline for political parties to certify their nominees with the secretary of states office, accommodating the dates of the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to end after the default deadline. The Alabama and Ohio secretaries of state warned the Biden campaign last month that the president could be left off the ballot because the convention concluded after their deadlines. Members of Ohios Republican-controlled legislature are negotiating a measure to accommodate the convention before the states May 9 deadline to enact the legislation.

The Department of Justice on Friday indicted Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife on charges of bribery, money laundering, and acting as a foreign agent. Authorities alleged that the couple received $600,000 from a Mexican bank and an Azerbaijani oil and gas company between 2014 and 2021 in exchange for the congressmans attempts to influence American policy to favor them. Cuellar in a statement insisted he was innocent and said he intended to run for reelection to his South Texas seat this fall. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates his race as likely Democratic.

Tiffany Smiley, the 2022 Republican nominee for Senate in Washington state, is running for a House seat in the nonpartisan blanket primary for the 4th Congressional District, a direct challenge to sitting Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse. Smiley told Audrey Fahlberg at National Review that the district needs fresh leadership and criticized Newhouse for voting to impeach Trump in 2021. Newhouse is one of the last impeachment 10 House Republicans still in office, with most having retired or lost to Trump-backed primary challengers in 2022. Smiley joins a crowded field that includes Jerrod Sessler, a Republican endorsed by Trump.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont will run for reelection this fall, he announced Monday. The self-identified democratic socialist, who turns 83 in September, will be nearly 90 when what would be his fourth term ends in 2031. First elected to the House in 1990 and then to the Senate in 2006, Sanders is the second-oldest member of the body, just behind Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who will turn 91 in September.

RNC Upheaval Continues With Defenestration of Top Lawyer

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, speaks at the organization's spring meeting on March 8, 2024, in Houston. (Photo by CECILE CLOCHERET/AFP via Getty Images)

Donald Trump has pushed out the chief legal counsel for the Republican National Committee, Charlie Spies, just weeks after his hiring. The move marks yet more personnel turnover at the RNC and undermines the former presidents own directive that the national party prioritize voter integrity.

The official line from Spies was that this was his decision. Working full time at the RNC wasnt the right fit with my law firm client commitments, but I will remain focused on getting President Trump and Republicans at all levels elected in November, the veteran election lawyer told Dispatch Politics Sunday in a prepared statement. But few believe that, or at least, the part about Spies RNC duties conflicting with his other client work.

Republican sources tell us its clear to them that Spies is gone because opponents of his hiring who have Trumps ear prevailed on the former president. Trump was convinced to cashier Spies because he said emphatically (and publicly) in the past that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, legitimatelythat it was not stolen or rigged. It might not have helped that Spies previously worked for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in their respective 2016 and 2024 White House bids.

Of course, senior Trump campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles knew all of this in mid-March when they hired Spies and when the presumptive GOP nominee apparently signed off on his being hired. Spies came aboard amid a massive personnel shakeup ordered by Trump that included the ousting of then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and her deputies. It was part of the former presidents effort to shift the RNCs focus from voter turnout to combating voter fraud.

Im sure Chris and Susie wanted him in there because they wanted someone who was rational, a Republican operative who has advised presidential campaigns said. This feels to me like warring factions in Trump world and blind loyalty winning out. As a result, six months before Election Day, the RNC and the Trump campaign are still playing catch up on voter turnout and voter integrity efforts.

Spies was to lead RNC and Trump campaign efforts to monitor polling places and field scores of lawyers across key battleground states to litigate against expected Democratic legal maneuvers to make voting rules and regulations more favorable to Biden. But as of Monday, the RNC confirmed that Spies replacement has not been chosen, although a committee spokesman flatly denied that he had been pushed out and rejected the suggestion that his departure would hamper the partys voter integrity program.

Charlie approached RNC Chief of Staff, Chris LaCivita, about potential time commitment conflicts and it was agreed that, while we appreciate and value Charlies expertise and professionalism, he cannot do this role full time and still maintain the obligations to his law firm that he has spent years successfully building, RNC spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said, in a statement also shared with other media outlets.

Trump leads Biden in most national and battleground state polling. But infrastructure is one facet of the 2024 campaign where the president has his challenger beatand the Democrats team is taking every opportunity to point out the seeming dysfunction of his opponent.

Donald Trumps MAGA takeover of the RNC has already led to mass staff firings and an election denier litmus test for new hiresand now the committees top lawyer is the latest GOP official purged for disagreeing with Trumps dangerous conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, Alex Floyd, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement.

Trump never conceded to Biden following the 2020 election and has continued to insist the contest was stolen, despite the lack of any evidence. In a recent interview, the former president unsurprisingly declined to commit to honoring the results this November should he once again fall short. Maintaining the twin facadesthat he did not lose to Biden the first time and could not possibly lose to him again in a fairly administered electionremains singularly important to Trump.

In interviews, the Republicans vying to be selected as the former presidents 2024 running mate have responded accordingly. At the end of the day, the 47th president will be Donald Trump, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said Sunday to Kristen Welker, host of NBCs Meet The Press. Waityes or no, will you accept the results? Welker asked again. That is my statement, he responded.

Angela Alsobrooks Piles Up Democratic Endorsements

A recent ad for Angela Alsobrooks, a Democratic candidate for Marylands Senate seat, features a whos who among the states political elite. The sitting governor, lieutenant governor, a U.S. senator, and several Democratic members of Marylands congressional delegation all gather in the ad, Avengers-style, to show their support for Alsobrooks over her primary opponent, Rep. David Trone.

We know Maryland, says Gov. Wes Moore, standing alongside Alsobrooks and Sen. Chris Van Hollen as a dozen other elected Democrats fan out around them. And we know Angela is the Democrat who will win, says Van Hollen.

Alsobrooks is vying with Trone to take on the likely Republican nominee, former Gov. Larry Hogan, in the general election. The Prince Georges County executive is attempting to use her clout in Democratic circles in Maryland to balance out the money advantage enjoyed by Trone, a three-term congressman with plenty of personal wealth to finance his campaign.

Of the nine Democrats in the Maryland congressional delegation, six are behind Alsobrooks, including five House members and Van Hollen in the Senate. Meanwhile, Trone has the endorsement of just one of his fellow Maryland House Democrats, the retiring Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger. The primary is May 14.

So why are so many of Trones own colleagues in the delegation siding with Alsobrooks?

Angela Alsobrooks is a consummate insider, Len Foxwell, a political strategist who has worked in Maryland politics for decades, told Dispatch Politics. She has risen up the political ranks in Prince Georges County, which is a jurisdiction with a very top-down, vertical, machine-driven power structure. And, consequently, thats the environment in which shes comfortable, and she has cultivated relationships with the power elite within the Democratic Party for years, and those relationships are now coming to bear.

A former prosecutor who grew up in Prince Georges County in the Washington suburbs, Alsobrooks has long been involved in Democratic politics. She attended the 1992 Democratic National Convention and volunteered for eventual President Bill Clintons campaign before also working on Al Gores 2000 campaign and serving as voting delegate to the 2008 DNC.

She was an intern of mine, going back to 1992, Rep. Kweisi Mfume of Baltimore, who has endorsed Alsobrooks, told Dispatch Politics. Ive known her since she was a teenager, and so, my belief in her values, what she can do is real.

Mfume said other members have different reasons for endorsing Alsobrooks and added that none of those endorsements in any way take away from Davids attributes or his hard work. Another Maryland Democrat supporting Alsobrooks, Rep. Jamie Raskin, compared her to retiring Sen. Ben Cardin, whose seat she is running to fill.

Im impressed by her record as a former prosecutor and a former county executive, and I think her career to me really resembles that of Ben Cardin, because he worked his way up through local and state politics, the same way that shes been doing, he said.

By contrast, Trone is what Foxwell calls a consummate outsider. He founded and co-owns alcohol retailer Total Wine & More, amassing a formidable fortune. After having gained a reputation as a major Democratic donor, he ran for Congress in Maryland in 2016, spending $12.4 million of his own moneymore than any self-funded candidate ever. But he lost in the primary to Raskin, who had served in the state legislature since 2006. Trone later won the 2018 election in a neighboring district.



When asked why he is supporting Trone, Ruppersberger, the retiring congressman from the Baltimore suburbs, told Dispatch Politics he knew the congressman better than Alsobrooks.

I know Trone, I respect Trone, Ruppersberger said. Hes a businessman, and I think we think a lot alike. I like his opponent. I think shes done a good job. I was a former county executive. I just dont know her like I know Trone. Trones a close personal friend. But hes competent, and hes someone I think the state of Maryland needs. Hes got experience here, and that all makes a difference when youre running in this race.

There are other elements at work in the race as the primary approaches later this month. As Dispatch Politics reported last week, Alsobrooks supporters are also making explicit appeals for her based on her identity as a black woman.

We dont have a woman in the delegation. I think thats an untenable position to be in for any state to have  to have no womenany more than no malesrepresenting in the delegation, Rep. Steny Hoyer told Dispatch Politics, adding that she would be a stronger contrast to Hogan than Trone.

But Hoyer also touted Alsobrooks large collection of endorsements from prominent Maryland Democrats as predictor of her success against Hogan, listing many of them off one-by-one.

The overwhelming pool of the state has endorsed her, and I think that makes her a very, very strong candidate in the general.

The Trone campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Leaders like Gov. Moore, Sen. Van Hollen, Congressman Raskin, Congressman Hoyer and many more Maryland leaders know that Angela is the strongest candidate to both represent Maryland and to defeat Larry Hogan in November, Alsobrooks campaign communications director Gina Ford told Dispatch Politics. They know both candidates, and theyve decided that Angela is the strongest Democrat.

Notable and Quotable

Commander, say hello to Cricket for me. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in her upcoming book, apparently suggesting that President Joe Bidens dog, Commander, who has bitten several people, should suffer the same fate as Cricket, a dog Noem shot on her familys farm.

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State officials offer thousands in grants to solve concerning issue in local waterways: 'It's imperative'

Maryland's waters are overwhelmed by unwanted visitors, and the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering thousands of dollars in grants to solve the problem.

The DNR announced that up to $5,000 is available for schemes to humanely remove invasive fish from the waters and devise ways for them to benefit the area and its residents. Blue catfish and northern snakeheads are of particular concern, with these fish wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem.

"It's imperative to remove more blue catfish and northern snakeheads from Maryland waters to protect our ecosystem," said invasive fishes program manager Branson Williams. "These funds will support grantees with innovative ideas for successfully taking invasive species out of the water and finding constructive uses for them."

Applications for the grants closed in mid-April, and winners are expected to be announced in May.

Native to Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Rio Grande river basins, blue catfish were introduced to other water systems for the benefit of recreational fishers. However, the animals have adapted to water types that were previously considered inhabitable and have now spread quickly and abundantly.

This is upsetting the balance of water ecosystems, as catfish are prolific predators that are devouring native plant and fish species.

Northern snakeheads, meanwhile, are also predatorial and have established themselves in the United States despite being native to parts of Asia and Africa. According to the New York Invasive Species website, they may have been introduced after aquarium owners released unwanted fish into waterways.

In addition to fish and plants, northern snakeheads are also known to feast on reptiles, amphibians, and even some bird and mammal species.

Maryland isn't the only area struggling with voracious invasives causing harm to the local ecosystem. In Florida, for example, a competition has been created for the humane capture of Burmese pythons, with a $10,000 prize on offer for the largest haul.

Back in Maryland, though, it is hoped the removal of blue catfish and northern snakeheads from the state's water will help boost the population of hard blue crabs, striped bass, and yellow perch, which have seen declines that are affecting the profitability of state fisheries.

"The impact of invasive species cannot be underestimated, nor can we delay action to address the damage they are causing," Maryland DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz said in a statement.

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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA)  As the University of Illinois Urbana Champaigns pro-Palestine encampment continues into its second week, three state lawmakers are visiting to warn about upticks in antisemitism.

State Representatives Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield), Dan Didech (D-Buffalo Grove), and Tracy Katz Muhl (D-Northbrook) spoke at University of Illinois quad on Monday (Holocaust Remembrance Day) about the rise of antisemitism. They were joined by local Jewish leaders, including Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel from Illini Chabad and Erez Cohen from Illini Hillel.

Were proud to be Jewish: UI Jewish community comes together after recent protests

The representatives said encampments built on college campuses across the state increase safety concerns for Jewish students, staff and faculty with some chants. They also pointed out the encampment on the quad violates University policies.

I am here to support Jewish students, staff and faculty of the University of Illinois and their allies, Morgan said in a news release ahead of the visit. No one should ever bully them in a public institution like our flagship University. It is important that the University of Illinois shows leadership by enforcing its own policies and reducing lawlessness.

The state representatives also met with University leadership.

I am very hopeful that the environment at UIUC will continue to be a welcoming place, not just Jewish students but for all students, especially with commencement right around the corner, Didech said.

Some Jewish students say the encampment has been a positive place for them.

Ive been spending a lot of time at the encampment and it has been a Jewish supportive space, a very Muslim supportive space, supportive for people of all identities and backgrounds, Izzy Grosof, a UIUC student said.

On Friday, two other state representatives, Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) and Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Berwyn) visited the encampment on campus, and spoke to the pro-Palestinian gathering. The UIUC Faculty for Justice in Palestine announced a rally on the main quad Monday evening.

The University has doubled down that campus protests will not affect graduation ceremonies later this week.

U of I commencement will go on amidst encampment protest

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Chief Justice Stuart Rabners decision is a win for a Treasury worker who sued New Jersey over a regulation barring employees from speaking about investigations into harassment or discrimination claims. (Mary Iuvone for New Jersey Monitor)

The New Jersey Supreme Court on Monday struck down an administrative regulation that called for investigators to request silence from victims and witnesses in public-sector sexual harassment investigations, finding the provision unconstitutionally chilled speech.

The decision is a victory for Viktoriya Usachenok, a Treasury employee who sued New Jersey and the department and asked the courts to quash a portion of the regulation after being directed to keep silent about a sexual harassment complaint she lodged against her supervisor.

In short, the request is as simple as it is wide-ranging: not to speak with anyone about any aspect of any investigation into harassment or discrimination. That request encompasses a great deal of protected speech, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner wrote in the unanimous decision.

When Usachenok filed her complaint in 2016, the regulation included a directive for witnesses and victims to maintain their silence or else face discipline. The state amended the regulation in 2020, making the directive a request and removing the threat of disciplinary action, but the court found even the softened requirement fails constitutional tests.

The provision sought to curtail speech without real limits, the justices found. The request for silence extended indefinitely  apparently past the life of any related investigation  and a lone exception for legitimate business reasons was entirely undefined within the text, the ruling says.

It extends to all witnesses without exception, Rabner wrote. Taken at face value, victims and witnesses are asked not to speak with their spouse or an attorney.

Victims could also believe the request would prevent them from contacting other government agencies, including law enforcement, about their complaint, the justices wrote.

The high courts ruling reverses a decision reached by an appellate panel, which upheld the rule and said a request to stay silent would not infringe on speech protections because the request was not compulsory and did not have to be observed.

The Supreme Court turned its analysis on power imbalances between those who file sexual harassment complaints and those who investigate them. Because the rule does not require victims to be told they will face no penalty for ignoring the confidentiality request, such individuals fears of retaliation are reasonable, the court found.

It does not require that victims be told they are free to decline to follow the request, Rabner wrote. They are not told they can consult with an attorney about it. Nor are they told there will be no repercussions if they exercise their protected right to free speech.

Attorneys for the state had argued the rules unconstitutionality could be remedied by additional text requiring investigators to inform victims they would face no penalties for breaking confidentiality, but the court found such changes would extend beyond the limits of judicial surgery.

Justice Rachel Wainer Apter did not participate in the decision.

The post State cant request victims silence in sexual harassment probes, high court rules appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
A rendering of the planned French museum in Jersey City called Centre Pompidou x Jersey City. (Courtesy of OMA)

The state could yank funding from a planned French art museum in Jersey City if officials there fail to provide a balanced budget to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority by the end of the month, the authoritys director warned.

The $34 million in funding the agency promised to build the Centre Pompidou outpost wont be released by the state until city officials prove the museum wont be a financial black hole, said the agencys chief, Tim Sullivan. Sullivan recently sent a letter to a city official threatening to revoke its funding pledge because of a $19 million revenue shortfall.

If we get a letter in response saying heres a really credible plan to move forward, I think thatll change the circumstances. If we cant, then I think the Legislature and the governor deserve the transparency to know that this funding may not be able to be deployed, Sullivan said.

State officials have supported the transformative project to bring a satellite of the Parisian art museum to Jersey City  and still hope it happens, Sullivan stressed.

But poor revenue numbers the city shared in late March kind of blew our hair back, he added. Thats when he said the city first disclosed a plan that found Jersey Citys Pompidou would bring in about $4 million in revenue annually, but have recurring expenses of $23 million.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop revealed the Economic Development Authoritys funding threat late last month, alleging on social media that it was political retribution for his criticism of Gov. Phil Murphys administration and his withdrawal of support for the first ladys Senate bid.

In an interview, Fulop adamantly denied that state officials just became aware of the projected revenue shortfall.

City officials shared emails dating back months that show similar paltry revenue projections. In a June 2023 email the city sent to Sullivan and Eric Brophy, a senior economic staffer in Murphys office, attachments show an estimated $3 million from ticketing, programs, events, shops and retail, and $6 million in projected fundraising. The estimates say that fundraising will be an important leverage to fund the $24 million annual operating budget.

The city also shared operating budgets of museums around the country, with revenues ranging from $7 million to $38 million annually.

Fulop said the state supported the project from its inception until January, when he criticized the Murphy administrations job overseeing NJ Transit.

Sullivan agreed the Murphy administration has been supportive of the museum project. He declined to say outright that the letter was not politically motivated, saying the facts speak for themselves.

Sullivan also wouldnt say how much Jersey City would have to kick in for the state to recommit to the project, but the gap has to be a lot closer to zero than 19.

An email obtained by the New Jersey Monitor shows Brophy told city officials in January that no funding will/can be released until there is a full funding plan in place. This was before Fulop pulled his endorsement, but after his critique of NJ Transit.

While Sullivan and Fulop feuded last week, Republican legislative budget officers criticized the Pompidou project, telling Lt. Gov. and Secretary of State Tahesha Way in a letter that state funding promised for the museum should go toward a more responsible purpose. The state has pledged an additional $24 million for the museum in this years budget.

City officials have until May 26 to respond to Sullivan, though Fulop told NJBiz hed reply within a week. He did not respond to the New Jersey Monitor for further comment.

The path ahead

Preconstruction work on the museum has begun near the citys Journal Square PATH station. Construction was supposed to begin this month, but workers havent broken ground yet because the city is awaiting funding from Economic Development Authority, Sullivan said.

Its unusual for the authority to drop a project once grants are allocated, Sullivan said. But he noted there arent many comparable situations of this size. Thats part of the reason why the state agency is involved, he added.

The project has been delayed several times since it was announced in 2021. It was first set to open in early 2024, and that got pushed back to 2026. An economic impact study the city conducted now shows a projected opening date of 2027.

Fulop said the goal is to present the state with a project that is consistent for what the states involvement is with other similar institutions, like the Liberty Science Center and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

We are going to do our best to help and work with them to get to a plan to solve for a structure similar to institutions, said Fulop. But heres the thing  theyve been partners every step of the way, but if they want to say no, they control the cards.

He said it would be a missed opportunity for New Jersey and Jersey City if the state pulls funding for punitive reasons.

Sullivan stressed the project is far from dead.

We would love to see it happen. If theres a way to do that, were happy to work as hard as we can, he said.

But, he added, if the project is not viable, its time to call it a day.

The post State vows to nix funding for planned museum if revenue projections dont improve appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
(Getty Images)

A child care task force made up of 24 South Dakota lawmakers, business leaders, parents and early childhood professionals had its first meeting last month, and the group plans to tackle the issue in meetings throughout the rest of the year.

South Dakotas lack of affordable and accessible child care has been a concern in political and economic sectors for years, especially after the coronavirus pandemic widened cracks in the child care industry and Gov. Kristi Noem campaigned on the issue in 2022. South Dakota suffers an estimated $329 million loss in productivity due to its inadequate child care landscape, according to a study from ReadyNation, a nonprofit organization focused on business and economic development across the country.

We know that child care is critical to both the states prosperity and the workforce participation of thousands of South Dakotan parents, said Brookings Sen. Tim Reed in a news release. Its time we take a careful look at what we might do to better support access and quality across the state and to explore common sense reforms that might better enable the state to meet the needs of its children, families and employers.

The first meeting allowed members to explore challenges the child care industry faces and examples of how other states are working to stabilize the industry and support the workforce.

The meetings are not open to the public, said Kayla Klein, executive director of Early Learner SD. She said it would be too messy if too many people attend or dont attend all meetings, since itll be a progressive learning experience.

Klein said future conversations among task force members will lead to an idea of what investments might be feasible or what bills might be introduced at the next legislative session. The task force will not only focus on child care, Klein added, but the whole perspective for early childhood education, including preschool.

Its working with legislators  and state departments, too  to figure out what they want as long-term plans, Klein said, and then working with advocates and getting some field perspective so we can find where to meet in the middle.

The task force will meet in Aberdeen in June, Pierre in August, and Deadwood in October ahead of a final report detailing recommendations by the group in December.

I think this is just a really great jumping off point, Klein added. Its great the legislative body is taking an interest along with fellow advocates and stakeholders across the state to consider what types of investments South Dakota should be making when it involves our youngest learners in the state.

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The post Statewide child care task force meets, sets plan for the rest of the year appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
LEWISTON, N.Y. (WIVB)  The Niagara County Sheriffs office says a woman drove a stolen car while impaired by drugs, crashing into and shearing off a utility pole in Lewiston after hitting another vehicle Monday morning.

Authorities said it happened shortly before 8 a.m. on Lower Mountain Road in the area of Bond Lake.

After investigating, deputies and Lewiston police concluded that Sarah Becker was driving east when she crossed into the westbound lane and struck another vehicle before continuing into the pole, according to the Niagara County Sheriffs office.

The vehicle she was allegedly driving was reported stolen from an address on Upper Mountain Road in Cambria on Sunday, leading to a charge of criminal possession of stolen property against her.

Additionally, deputies said Becker showed signs of impairment at the scene. She was taken into custody and charged with DWAI by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation and multiple vehicle and traffic violations.

The Sheriffs office said additional charges may be pending.

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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.

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Stray dog shot by homeowner in Battle Creek, police say

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD)  A Battle Creek homeowner may face animal cruelty charges after shooting a stray dog on Saturday.

Around 3 p.m., officers with the Battle Creek Police Department were sent to Lathrop Avenue near Main Street after receiving an animal complaint.

Responding officers learned that a homeowner had shot a stray dog that was in their backyard.

Officers brought the dog to the Calhoun County Animal Center for treatment. It is expected to survive. The police department said that the dog is described as a labrador and German shepherd mix.

Police are investigating possible animal cruelty charges, the police department said.

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The case remains under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows

FILE - A section of a human brain with Alzheimer's disease is displayed at the Museum of Neuroanatomy at the University at Buffalo, in Buffalo, N.Y., Oct. 7, 2003. A long-feared gene appears to do more than raise peoples risk of Alzheimers: Inheriting two copies can cause the mind-robbing disease, according to research published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/David Duprey, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimers disease  in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.

Scientists have long known a gene called APOE4 is one of many things that can increase peoples risk for Alzheimer's, including simply getting older. The vast majority of Alzheimers cases occur after age 65. But research published Monday suggests that for people who carry not one but two copies of the gene, it's more than a risk factor, it's an underlying cause of the mind-robbing disease.

The findings mark a distinction with profound implications, said Dr. Juan Fortea, who led the study the Sant Pau Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain.

Among them: Symptoms can begin seven to 10 years sooner than in other older adults who develop Alzheimers.

An estimated 15% of Alzheimers patients carry two copies of APOE4, meaning those cases can be tracked back to a cause and the cause is in the genes, Fortea said. Until now, genetic forms of Alzheimers were thought to be only types that strike at much younger ages and account for less than 1% of all cases.

Scientists say the research makes it critical to develop treatments that target the APOE4 gene. Some doctors wont offer the only drug that has been shown to modestly slow the disease, Leqembi, to people with the gene pair because theyre especially prone to a dangerous side effect, said Dr. Reisa Sperling, a study coauthor at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston.

Sperling hunts ways to prevent or at least delay Alzheimers and this data for me says wow, what an important group to be able to go after before they become symptomatic.

But the news doesnt mean people should race for a gene test. Its important not to scare everyone who has a family history of Alzheimers because this gene duo isnt behind most cases, she told The Associated Press.

HOW DO GENETICS AFFECT ALZHEIMER'S?

More than 6 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, have Alzheimers. A handful of genes are known to cause rare early-onset forms, mutations passed through families that trigger symptoms unusually young, by age 50. Some cases also are linked to Down syndrome.

But Alzheimers most commonly strikes after 65, especially in the late 70s to 80s, and the APOE gene  which also affects how the body handles fats -- was long known to play some role. There are three main varieties. Most people carry the APOE3 variant that appears to neither increase nor decrease Alzheimers risk. Some carry APOE2, which provides some protection against Alzheimers.

APOE4 has long been labeled the biggest genetic risk factor for late-in-life Alzheimers, with two copies risker than one. About 2% of the global population is estimated to have inherited a copy from each parent.

RESEARCH POINTS TO A CAUSE FOR A SUBSET OF ALZHEIMER'S

To better understand the genes role, Forteas team used data from 3,297 brains donated for research and from over 10,000 people in U.S. and European Alzheimers studies. They examined symptoms and early hallmarks of Alzheimers such as sticky amyloid in the brain.

People with two APOE4 copies were accumulating more amyloid at age 55 than those with just one copy or the neutral APOE3 gene variety, they reported in the journal Nature Medicine. By age 65, brain scans showed significant plaque buildup in nearly three-quarters of those double carriers  who also were more likely to have initial Alzheimers symptoms around that age rather than in the 70s or 80s.

Fortea said the disease's underlying biology was remarkably similar to young inherited types.

It appears more like a familial form of Alzheimers, said Dr. Eliezer Masliah of the National Institute on Aging. It is not just a risk factor.

Importantly, not everyone with two APOE4 genes develops Alzheimers symptoms and researchers need to learn why, Sperling cautioned.

Its not quite destiny, she said.

HOW THE NEW FINDINGS MAY AFFECT ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH AND TREATMENT

The drug Leqembi works by clearing away some sticky amyloid but Sperling said its not clear if carriers of two APOE4 genes benefit because they have such a high risk of a side effect from the drug  dangerous brain swelling and bleeding. One research question is whether theyd do better starting such drugs sooner than other people.

Masliah said other research aims to develop gene therapy or drugs to specifically target APOE4. He said it's also crucial to understand APOE4s effects in diverse populations since its been studied mostly in white people of European ancestry.

As for gene tests, for now theyre typically used only to evaluate if someones a candidate for Leqembi or for people enrolling in Alzheimers research  especially studies of possible ways to prevent the disease. Sperling said the people most likely to carry two APOE4 genes had parents who both got Alzheimers relatively early, in their 60s rather than 80s.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The terrorist country Russia has once again announced military exercises of its non-strategic nuclear forces. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the events are being held on behalf of dictator Vladimir Putin to increase the readiness of nuclear weapons to perform combat missions.

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The terrorist agency also noted that the exercises will be conducted by units of the Southern Military District with the involvement of aviation and the Navy. This was stated by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The occupiers said that during the exercise they would carry out a set of measures to practise the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that these exercises are aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment to respond to "provocative statements and threats" by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation.

However, in reality, it is the terrorist state of Russia that regularly organizes nuclear blackmail of the entire civilized world. In particular, in the first days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, dictator Putin announced the transfer of nuclear forces to a "special mode" of combat alert, and six months later threatened to use "all available means" to "protect" the occupied territories of Ukraine.

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One of the last portions of Russia's nuclear threats came in early 2024. Back then, the Kremlin dictator said that if European troops appeared in Ukraine, Russia could use nuclear weapons.

Moreover, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev also linked the current exercises to the West's intention to send troops to Ukraine. Following the dictator, the Ukrainophobe revealed that Russia could use nuclear weapons if European troops enter Ukraine.

"There is some kind of total degradation of the ruling class in the West. This class does not want to logically connect elementary things. Sending their troops to the territory of Ukraine will entail their countries' direct entry into a war, which we will have to respond to," Medvedev said.

In his turn, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the exercises of non-strategic nuclear forces are being held to blackmail the West. According to him, the exercises are related to the West's statements about its readiness to send troops to Ukraine.

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Peskov also complained that the West is allegedly provoking an unprecedented round of tension in Ukraine, which requires retaliatory measures from Russia.

As a reminder, Russia is actively developing an "indiscriminate" anti-satellite nuclear device for use in space. It will threaten all satellites of all countries and companies in the world.

Earlier it became known that Russia blocked the UN Security Council resolution on the prohibition of nuclear weapons in space. In fact, the world agreed on this many decades ago, when more than 130 countries signed the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which prohibits any anti-satellite systems and nuclear weapons in space.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Supporting democracy is hard for many who feel government and the economy are failing them

Whats the future of democracy in the U.S.? (Richard Sharrock | Moment | Getty Images)

The Conversation

Americans, it seems, can both value the idea of democracy and not support it in practice.

Since 2016, academics and journalists have expressed concerns that formerly secure democracies are becoming less democratic. Different measures of democracy, such as scores produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House, and the Varieties of Democracy Institute, have suggested as much based on data over the past decade.

The surveys have sounded alarms about the future of democratic governance in places such as the U.S., which the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance listed as backsliding since 2019.

A number of countries that were once considered stable democracies  such as Hungary, India, and Nicaragua  have seen their leaders and representatives undermine government institutions in common ways: by encouraging division and polarization, spreading misleading or biased messages, pursuing strategies to unfairly dominate in elections, promoting loyalists and marginalizing opponents, and attacking efforts to hold leaders accountable.

This pattern across democracies raises questions about whether whats called democratic backsliding is happening globally and which democracies are at risk of failing.

A report released recently by the Pew Research Center that describes the results of public opinion surveys on democracy and political representation in 24 countries, including the U.S., has added to those concerns.

A substantial portion of respondents feel unrepresented by their governments, and 59 percent are dissatisfied with how their democracy is functioning. Three-quarters of respondents indicate that elected officials do not care what people like them think, and 42 percent say that no political party in their country represents their views.

In the U.S., Pew reports that 66 percent are dissatisfied with how democracy is working, 83 percent feel overlooked by officials, and 49 percent feel overlooked by political parties. Such pessimistic trends are not new; a Gallup Poll in 2021 and a Pew survey from 2022 both reported that Americans trust in government is low.

One of the most unsettling statistics from the recent survey is that 32 percent of Americans think that rule by a strong leader or the military would be a good way of governing their country. This particular finding has been taken as evidence for the idea that a growing number of Americans support replacing democracy with an authoritarian government.

Are Americans losing faith in democracy?

Not quite. Instead, respondents may be losing faith in current institutions ability to deliver what they expect out of democracy.

A large white mansion with dark clouds over it, behind a fence.

What kind of leader will Americans vote to put in the White House this election year? (Getty Images)

Democracys different definitions

Most Americans support democracy as a concept.

Pew found that about 75 percent of respondents in the U.S. think that representative democracy is a good way of governing. A 2023 study also showed that Americans tend to see themselves as being more committed to democracy, while viewing members of the other party as being more likely to subvert democracy.

But people hold different ideas about what democracy is and what it should look like.

When asked to define democracy, those who emphasize electoral and liberal aspects  such as free elections and civil liberties  are more likely to indicate support for democracy. Research shows that commitment to these values is strongly related to democracy support.

In contrast, those who define democracy in terms of its ability to deliver economic security, such as taxing the rich and helping the unemployed, show weaker support for it. This suggests that when people in more democratic countries think that democracy is supposed to alleviate income disparities, they tend to be less satisfied with how democracy is working.

Respondents evaluations of whether their country is democratic  or whether democracy is functioning as intended  can therefore be influenced by whether they are economically well off and whether they feel their values are represented in society. Those who are benefiting more from the current political situation are more likely to support it.

Citizens desires for a strong leader may largely reflect economic dissatisfaction that overlaps with social and political shifts, such as changes in demographic diversity, family structures, and religiousness. Competition with other groups over power and resources presents threats that make people more concerned about their future well-being than about how democracy is functioning.

Many may think that democracy is broken because it neither provides what they expect nor reflects the values they hold. Being laid off and experiencing rising food prices, or disapproving of prevailing positions on socially divisive issues such as abortion, can lead a person to think that supporting mainstream politicians and the usual practice of electing officials is not enough to guarantee that their interests are represented.

Using dissatisfaction to undermine democracy

The Pew survey does not directly indicate that American citizens do not support democracy. But it does reveal an important vulnerability.

The results suggest that a substantial portion of citizens might support a leader working outside of democracys institutions  by breaking laws and avoiding accountability for it  because they have lost faith in those institutions ability to deliver their version of good governance.

Dissatisfaction with government performance and concerns about socioeconomic well-being can lead citizens to support someone who is willing to flout constitutional rules to restore what they consider to be a broken democracy.

When facing changes that they deem a threat to their economic and social security, voters may gravitate toward someone who can fix the problem.

This has the potential to erode the very freedoms that respondents profess to care about. Populist leaders can use dissatisfaction and peoples feelings of being left behind or excluded to build support and justify antidemocratic stances.

Recognizing this is important for understanding how citizens can intrinsically value democracy  and undermine it at the same time. Although people may think they share similar definitions of it, democracy is a complex concept.

Concluding that citizens do not support democracy based on the survey does not address what those citizens think democracy is.

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The Ontario Police Department says two people are dead after a dangerous pursuit, and an officer-involved shooting Sunday morning.

Authorities initially received a call about a disturbance in the 400 block of West Maple Street around 10 a.m.

The caller informed emergency officials that his sisters ex-boyfriend was parked outside their home, and was threatening to enter the residence if the woman did not come outside.

The male caller informed officers that there had been numerous instances of domestic violence involving the suspect, and he had threatened his sister with a firearm previously.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located the suspect, who had an outstanding warrant, sitting inside his vehicle. Ontario police commanded the suspect to surrender, but he refused telling responders that he did not want to go back to jail.

The man then fled the scene, leading officers on a dangerous pursuit throughout the city. Ontario PD says the suspect was speeding on surface streets and proceeded to drive against traffic on a nearby freeway.

A short time later, the suspect collided with multiple vehicles near the intersection of Grove Avenue and Philadelphia Street. Following the crash, the man fled his vehicle and attempted a carjacking on a passing motorist.

After the failed carjacking, the suspect ran towards the intersection of Cucamonga Avenue and Philadelphia Street with a firearm in his hand. Authorities located the suspect and an officer-involved shooting occurred.

Ontario PD says the suspect received medical attention and was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. Officers say a handgun was recovered at the scene.

The two motorists who were struck during the pursuit were taken to a nearby medical center, where one of the victims succumbed to their injuries. The second motorist was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released.

No further details are available about the suspect, or the deceased innocent bystander.

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Ontario Police Department at 909-986-6711.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Police: Man points AR15-style rifle at officers before being shot in Huber Heights

A male suspect pointed an AR15-style rifle before he was shot by a Huber Heights police officer early Sunday morning, a spokesperson from the Huber Heights Police Department said.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Suspect hospitalized after being shot by officer in Huber Heights

Huber Heights police officers were dispatched at 1:33 a.m. to the area of State Route 4 and Chambersburg Road on initial reports of a road rage incident, according to a previous News Center 7 report.

A male victim told police he was trying to get away from the suspect who allegedly shot out his window and rammed into his car. They ended up at the Shell Gas Station at the 8000 block of State Route 235.

As officers arrived at the scene, they tried to stop the suspects vehicle while attempting to leave the gas station parking lot.

The suspect continued south on State Route 235 at a high rate of speed and turned onto New Carlisle Pike, the spokesperson said.

Officers tried a PIT maneuver on the suspects vehicle but were unsuccessful. They continued north on New Carlisle Pike and officers saw objects thrown from the suspects vehicle, according to a previous News Center 7 report.

>>Person shot by sheriffs deputy during welfare check in Butler County

The suspect traveled west on Taylorsville Road and pulled into a residence.

An officers cruiser video shows the suspect get out of the car, face the officers, raise a black AR15-style rifle, and point it directly at the officers, the spokesperson said.

The officer closest to the suspect opened fire and struck the suspect.

The suspect then ran from officers but continued to turn around and point the weapon at officers, the spokesperson said.

Officers chased the suspect on foot until he collapsed on the front porch of the residence on Taylorsville Road.

Medics were dispatched to the scene and administered first aid to the suspect.

They transported him to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspects identity will be released once the Montgomery County Prosecutors Office approves charges, the spokesperson said.

This shooting remains under investigation by the Huber Heights Police Department and Ohio BCI.

We will continue to provide updates.
MORRISANIA, the Bronx (PIX11) Authorities are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot a 17-year-old boy in the stomach on a Bronx street last month, police said.

The shooter fired several rounds before hitting the teen once in the stomach near 1700 Crotona Park in Morrisania at around 8:40 p.m. on April 29, according to the NYPD. The teen was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

There have been no arrests. Police released a photo and video of the alleged gunman on Monday.

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.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  Greenville police named the suspect and issued charges in Saturdays incident, where a camper was set on fire and a nearby store robbed before a standoff that closed part of Memorial Drive/NC Hwy. 33.

Almost 2 pounds of fentanyl seized in major drug bust at SC home

Police said the suspect was Brandon James Messier, 31, of Graniteville, Vermont. He was charged with the following:

Felony burning personal property

Felony flee to elude

Felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle

Misdemeanor reckless driving to endanger

Misdemeanor conceal handgun

Misdemeanor resisting, delaying, or obstructing an investigation

Misdemeanor open container

He was arrested at ECU Health Medical Center just before 5 a.m. on Sunday. Additional charges are likely, officials said.

Officials said Messier was the suspect who set a camper on fire, which resulted in police responding to Colony Tire at 110 Dautridge Drive just after 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Hes also the suspect in the robbery of The Fuel Doc that happened shortly after.

(Sarah Gray Barr, WNCT photo)

Police said Messier was driving a white pickup truck that had been stolen in Vermont. Officials ended up in a brief chase of the pickup truck before it crashed and came to a stop in a field.

After about an hour of negotiations with the suspect, police took him into custody and sent him to ECU Health Medical Center to be evaluated.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Syrskyi: Russia trying to break through defenses to reach Kurakhove, Pokrovsk

Russian troops are trying to break through Ukraine's defenses and reach the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 6.

Russia is carrying out intense attacks in multiple sections of the eastern front, which covers much of Donetsk Oblast, after it captured the city of Avdiivka in February.

Russian forces have been focusing their efforts near Chasiv Yar, which they see as crucial for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military reported in March.

Syrskyi said he had spent two days working with units deployed in Ukraine's east in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors, which he called Russia's "main attack direction."

"The main enemy's attack forces are concentrated here with attempts to break through the defense of our troops and, after building on their success, reach the towns of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk," the general said.

Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukrainian soldiers face daily attacks by Russian troops, according to Syrskyi.

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The commander said he had met with brigade commanders and other officers and "made

all the necessary decisions to strengthen the defense with reserves, to allocate additional missiles, ammunition, electronic warfare equipment, and unmanned aerial vehicles."

"Our task in these conditions is to hold frontiers and positions, to inflict maximum losses on the enemy, to exhaust them, thereby disrupting the enemy's plans and gaining time to form and prepare our reserves," Syrskyi added.

Ukrainian troops retreated in late April west from the villages of Berdychi, Semenivka, and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast. The Khortytsia Group of Ukraine's Ground Forces said that Russian forces also managed to break in and gain a foothold in a part of the village of Ocheretyne in the region.

Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), said that Ukraine should expect to face a renewed Russian offensive in late spring or early summer, with the offensive intensifying around the eastern Donbas region.

Russia aims to completely occupy Donetsk, Luhansk, and, if possible, Zaporizhzhia oblasts in 2024, said Oleksandr Pavliuk, Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander.

Read also: Battle of Chasiv Yar begins: On the ground with Ukrainian forces defending city key to Russias plans

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Cattle stand in the burn scar from the Smokehouse Creek fire March 3, 2024, in Hemphill County. Credit: Justin Rex for The Texas Tribune

LUBBOCK  U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, both Republicans, are pushing legislation offering additional financial aid to ranchers who lost an excessive amount of unborn livestock in a disaster. It could help those in the Texas Panhandle trying to recover from devastating wildfires that killed more than 15,000 head of cattle, including pregnant cows.

The bill aims to enhance the Livestock Indemnity Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program was first introduced in the 2018 Farm Bill and pays livestock producers for excess deaths from severe weather, disease, or attacks by certain other animals. These payments are determined by the Secretary of Agriculture and typically equal to 75% of the average market price for the animal.

But the program doesnt cover the death of unborn livestock. This has created another financial setback for Panhandle ranchers, who are trying to recoup their losses after the region was engulfed by wildfires in February and March. The largest of the fires was the Smokehouse Creek fire  which became the largest in state history after burning more than 1 million acres in the rural region.

Current federal law fails to compensate producers for unborn calves, said Allison Rivera, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemens Beef Association. This legislation would change that.

The proposed legislation would add an additional payment rate for unborn livestock to what is already in place with the Livestock Indemnity Program. The payment amount will be capped at 85% of the market value for the lowest weight class of the animal. The amount will also be determined based on the type of livestock and the average number of babies the animal typically gives birth to.

Jackson said the current program will help livestock producers.

Their recovery has been set back several years due to the limitations on the programs ability to compensate for unborn livestock losses, Jackson said.

According to a report released by a Texas House Committee tasked with investigating the fires, cattle losses are estimated to be $27 million. In Hemphill County, which suffered much of the damage, 7,000 cows out of 23,000 in the county were killed. Another 15 to 20% were likely to be put down as a result of extensive injuries.

This will give Texas cattle producers the relief they need to build back their herds and restore this pillar of Texas agriculture, Cruz said.

Help toward recovery is still needed in the Texas Panhandle. In the report, the committee notes that pastures will not be suitable for grazing for another three to five years.

As Texas farmers and ranchers continue working to recover from devastating wildfires, it is critical to provide as much assistance and flexibility as possible to help them get back on their feet, said Russell Boening, president of the Texas Farm Bureau.

The committee determined the wildfires were sparked by poorly maintained power equipment. Since 2006, five of the largest wildfires in Texas history have burned nearly 2.7 million acres in the Panhandle, according to data from the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Disclosure: Texas Farm Bureau 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.

Weve got big things in store for you at The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Join us for three days of big, bold conversations about politics, public policy and the days news.
Search and rescue teams have recovered the body of a hiker who fell into a river at a popular Georgia state park.

Exauce Kabeya, 19, went for a hike at Tallulah Gorge when he fell into the river above Oceana Falls on Friday, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He never resurfaced.

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DNR along with several other agencies launched a search for Kabeya after they were alerted about the hikers fall around 12:40 p.m.

After hours of searching and using drones, officials pulled the 19-year-olds body out of the water.

Tallulah Gorge stretches for several miles and is nearly 1,000 feet deep with waterfalls and cliffs throughout the park.

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IN OTHER NEWS
When two dogs meet, they often try to sniff each other from behind. Cats behave similarly, as confirmed by those who have several pets at home.

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It turns out that there is a good reason behind the sniffing habit, LiveScience writes. In this way, four-legged animals learn about the health of another animal.

"Dogs can determine the reproductive status of another dog, what it has been eating, and generally get 'news' by sniffing each other's hindquarters," says Ellen Furlong, an associate professor of psychology who specializes in animal cognition at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

The instinct to reproduce also plays a role. To this end, males can spend more time sniffing females.

But how do dogs manage to get all this information? One of the first clues to solving this mystery appeared in 1976 when a study on dogs and coyotes was published.

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It showed that two small pouches, one on each side of a dog's anus (anal pouches), secrete a cocktail of smelly chemicals, including fishy-smelling trimethylamine and caustic propionic and butyric acids. According to a study published in 2021, these anal sac secretions may serve as chemical communication signals.

Each chemical probably conveys some information to another dog, but scientists have yet to crack this code of odors. A 2023 study compared the anal sac secretions of male and female dogs. It turned out that certain chemicals are released only by females, while others are released only by males.

The researchers also noted that even in same-sex individuals, the chemicals, their composition, and concentration differ. So, in addition to gender, other parameters affect a dog's scent profile.

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So dogs sniff out the existing chemical composition. Thanks to their much better sense of smell, dogs can identify individual odors in a mixture and detect them in much lower concentrations than humans.

"A dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours. Dogs can smell out of a trillion others," Furlong said.

Cats can do it too

Cats' sense of smell is also much more developed than humans'. Research shows that scent recognition plays a central role in the behavior and overall well-being of cats, Christine Vitale, an assistant professor of animal health and behavior at the University of the Environment in Maine, told Live Science in an email.

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Like dogs, cats have small glands that produce chemicals with distinct odors.

"By smelling the back of another cat's body, a cat can determine whether it is familiar with it or not, as well as its gender and even possibly its reproductive capabilities," Vitale says.

"Both male and female cats use scent to identify and communicate with social partners," she added.

In 2023, researchers from the University of California, Davis, studied 23 domestic cats. It was found that the anal glands of animals are home to bacteria that are likely involved in the production of foul-smelling anal gland secretions. Different cats had different bacteria in their anal glands, and the types of bacteria varied depending on the age and weight of the cat.

Scientists believe that these bacteria help cats and dogs communicate. This hypothesis is supported by a similar study conducted on hyenas.

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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Lansing Police have identified the 14-year-old boy who was killed over the weekend as Jaquez Moye-Young.

Police were called to the 1400 block of West Oakland around 3 p.m. Saturday.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

When they arrived they found Moye-Young with gunshot wounds. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

At this time police have not made any arrests in this shooting and did say it is not considered to be a random act of violence.

Lansing Police investigate 14-year-olds shooting death (WLNS)

Lansing Police investigate 14-year-olds shooting death (WLNS)

Lansing Police investigate 14-year-olds shooting death (WLNS)

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to contact the Lansing Police Department

at 517- 483-4600, Lead Detective Martha McGonegal at 517-483-4823, Crime Stoppers at 517-

483-7867, or send a private message through the Lansing Police Department Facebook page.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
A teenager in Colorado was critically injured after they fell 30 feet into an abandoned missile silo, according to police.

The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said the 18-year-old tumbled into the underground silo near Deer Trail  approximately 45 minutes east of Denver  at around 3.30am on Sunday morning.

He and his friends were reportedly trying to gain access to the site by crawling through a broken grate at the silo's entrance, according to a statement by the sheriffs office.

The 18-year-old spent approximately five hours trapped in the silo. Two of his friends stayed with him throughout the night until rescuers arrived. He was removed from the silo around 8.30am, and just before 9am was transported to a hospital by Airlife Denver with "serious injuries," Fox 31 reports.

The teen is expected to survive.

Rescuers had a difficult time communicating with the trapped teens due to poor reception at the site and from within the silo, according to the sheriff's office.

The entrance to an abandoned Titan 1 missile silo near Deer Trail, Colorado, where an 18-year-old fell 30 feet and sustained serious injuries on 5 May, 2024. The teen was rescued by firefighters from nearby communities (Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office)

Responding police found three teens  the injured 18-year-old included  inside the silo, and another five above ground. The group was made up of boys and girls. Only two of the boys were 18. One was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing and the injured teen may also face charges. The rest of the teens were juveniles, according to the sheriff's office.

All of the teens involved attend Cherry Creek High School in the Denver metro area, according to police.

The silo has reportedly been abandoned since the 1960s and was described by rescuers as one of the most dangerous rescues they had ever conducted, according to Fox31 Denver.

Update on teenager injured in Deer Trail Missile Silo



ARAPAHOE COUNTY  On May 5, 2024 at 3:30 a.m., Arapahoe Sheriff deputies were dispatched to a report of an 18-year-old male who fell approximately 30 feet into an abandoned missile silo in Deer Trail. Rescue units from four pic.twitter.com/4KVH576HjO  Arapahoe Sheriff (@ArapahoeSO) May 5, 2024

Rescuers said the silo was a "mess" of "twisted metal, collapsed floors" and "concrete pieces everywhere."

One of the rescuers told the broadcaster the teen was "lucky to be alive".

Colorado has six abandoned Titan missile silos across the state, according to 9 News. All of the sites were built to house Titan 1 missiles, which were among the first intercontinental ballistic missiles developed by the US. Each of the missiles was designed to carry a nuclear warhead.

The sites were decommissioned and the missiles were removed from inside in 1965.

The Deer Trail silo is currently under private ownership. The owner, Jerry Linnebur, told 9 News that he posted numerous warning signs that the silo was dangerous and for people to stay out, but said he still frequently sees signs of trespassing.

"You can see there's been a lot of people down here," Mr Linnebur told 9 News at the time. "When you're a kid, you don't think of [the risks]. It's all fun and games to them."

This is the gate the owner placed over the entrance. He has replaced it multiple times. People continue to cut the bars to gain access.



I know the owner of the land. There is a fence around the property, and iron bars over the entrance.



What else can the owner do? pic.twitter.com/HdKt1udmyx  T.P.F (@Tpf421) May 6, 2024

The entrance to the silo has been covered in graffiti, including what appears to be a message saying "Welcome to Paradise."

Reporters from 9 News visited the silo seven years ago. At that time, the owner said he planned to cover the entrance because the site had become too dangerous. He erected a grate over the silo's mouth, but it was later broken, allowing would-be explorers access to the site.

"It's been a pain. We have people coming in here, Mr Linnebur said at the time. Because of the liability that's involved in this and keeping people out, it's a pester to the people that live close by, so we're gonna seal it up to where nobody can get into it."

Ginger Delgado, the Arapaho County Sheriffs Office Public Information Officer, told The Independent that because the land is privately owned, re-sealing the entrance to the silo will be Mr Linneburs decision, not the countys.
Dozens marched to Flint City Hall on April 25, 2024, considered the 10th anniversary of the start of the Flint water crisis | Ken Coleman

ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.

Flint, Michigan, is less than 70 miles from the Great Lakes, the most abundant fresh water on the face of the planet. Its laced with creeks and a broad river that bears its name. Yet in 2014, Flints drinking water became a threat  not because of scarcity, or a natural disaster, or even a familiar tale of corporate pollution.

Ten years ago this spring, public officials made catastrophic changes in the citys water source and treatment, then used testing practices that hid dangers. As problems emerged, they failed to appropriately change course. Residents raised repeated concerns about the color, odor and taste of the water but struggled to get a sufficiently serious response, especially from state and federal authorities.

It didnt help that the distressed city was under the authority of state-appointed emergency managers, an unusually expansive oversight system that residents decried. For a crucial period of about 3 1/2 years, local decision-making was not accountable to voters. The result: excess exposure to toxic lead, bacteria and a disinfection byproduct in Flints drinking water. An outbreak of Legionnaires disease sickened 90 people and killed 12. (The toll is likely higher, as Frontline documented.) The water, now drawn from the Flint River, wasnt treated with corrosion control  a violation of federal law  so the pipes deteriorated more every day.

At one point, saying the water damaged its machinery, a General Motors plant switched to another communitys system. Flints emergency manager and other officials still insisted that nothing was seriously wrong with the water. But if the water was harming machines, many wondered, what was it doing to people?

It took about 18 months, and an extraordinary effort by residents and a few key researchers, before the state reconnected Flint with Detroits water, which is drawn from Lake Huron. In the years since, remediation efforts have included replacing corroded pipes, at-home filtration and infrastructure investments, which seem to have yielded promising results. Michigans Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said in December that Flints water had met federal standards for more than seven straight years. Recent testing followed Michigans requirements, adopted in 2018, which are even tougher than federal standards. The state and city are working to resolve deficiencies to the supply system that can affect water safety.

But no one can flip a switch on public trust. And Flint was vulnerable long before the water crisis.

Many point to the crisis as an extreme example of environmental injustice, where people of color and poor people, and especially those who are both, are disproportionately exposed to toxic conditions. A state commission acknowledged that race and class contributed to Flint not having the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards as that provided to other communities. Moreover, by virtue of their being subject to emergency management, Flint residents were not provided equal access to, and meaningful involvement in, the government decision-making process.

That emergency manager law is still on the books. The work to replace the pipes is mostly done  but the city has blown repeated deadlines to complete it. Two state investigations under two administrations led to high-profile criminal charges, including allegations of involuntary manslaughter, official misconduct and willful neglect of duty. Primarily, state officials and employees were charged, including the former director of the state health agency and the former governor. Two emergency managers were also charged; both pleaded not guilty. One has said there was overwhelming consensus for the switch, and he was grossly misled by state water experts.

Residents held a rally drawing attention to the Flint water crisis starting five years ago | Nick Manes

No case made it to trial. A new attorney generals team dismissed the initial cases and started a new investigation. But the second wave of charges fell apart when courts rejected the use of a one-man grand jury to gain indictments.

The Environmental Protection Agency didnt use its authority to effectively protect public health in Flint, according to the agencys inspector general. The EPA has denied liability, however, and earlier this year asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that it failed to properly intervene.

While it was announced in 2020, not one penny of the class-action settlement of more than $626 million has reached residents. With more than 40,000 claims and 30 compensation categories, a special master indicated recently that the initial review should be complete this summer, but there will still be more vetting to do before claims are paid. (Some lawyers and contractors, though, have already been paid preliminary fees and expenses.)

Water is Flints origin story. The city was founded on a riverbank, and water powered its rise. Each spring, the water turns neighborhoods and parks lush. But these days, the betrayal of trust by the very institutions meant to protect residents has made some extra cautious as they look to keep themselves and their community safe. Their relationship with water is forever changed.

McCatherns church served as a bottled-water distribution site during the crisis, which, he said, strengthened relationships and community trust. But he worries for the next generation, especially their psychological well-being. And he has his own fears too. He said he often smells a foul odor from the water. He is apprehensive when showering and usually drinks bottled water, he said, but sometimes lets his guard down to make tea with tap water.

In recent years, McCathern was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer. He believes its connected to chemicals in the water but will never know for sure. Over his 22 years at Joy Tabernacle, McCathern said, hes seen an uptick in youth suicide. He wonders about a connection between lead exposure and violence. He recalls sitting at one funeral and thinking, Oh my God, if it produces violent tendencies, thats not just outward violent tendencies  thats internal.

An investigation published in Science Advances showed an 8% increase in the number of school-aged children in Flint with a qualified special educational need. But, the researchers indicated, its difficult to pinpoint to what extent lead is the direct cause.

A cross-sectional study backed by the federal Office of Victims of Crime found that five years after the onset of the crisis, an estimated 1 in 5 residents  roughly 22,600 people  had met the criteria for clinical depression in the past year. One in 4, or 25,000 people, were estimated to have had post-traumatic stress disorder. According to researchers, only 34.8% of residents were offered mental health services to assist with psychiatric symptoms related to the crisis. Most people used them, if offered.

Medlin said she uses her food stamp benefits on bottled water deliveries from Walmart for Audrinas bottles. For her first months, Medlin relied on the infants father to bathe her at his home outside the city.

Ambitious programs aim to support Flints most vulnerable residents. Medlin is enrolled in Rx Kids, which prescribes a no-strings-attached payment of $1,500 for pregnant Flint residents and $500 for each month of the babys first year. A Medicaid initiative that covers youth up to age 21 and pregnant parents who were exposed to Flints water was extended in 2021 for another five years. And the Flint Registry connects people with health services while monitoring the effectiveness of efforts to prevent lead poisoning.

Reynolds is the executive director of a local literacy organization, tutoring children and adults on reading, writing and African American culture. She said her hair began falling out during the water crisis. While she was diagnosed with alopecia, she said, another doctor later told her that the hair loss is likely connected to the water. She too feels like shell never know for sure. Because of the lack of information about the water at the time, she didnt think to track her symptoms.

The waters effect on hair and skin was among the earliest concerns raised by residents, though a direct correlation has been difficult to prove. A 2016 state and federal analysis  conducted after Flint switched back to Detroits system  identified nothing in the current water supply that affected hair loss. A survey of more than 300 residents by academic researchers found that more than 40% of respondents said they experienced hair loss beyond what they considered normal before the crisis. Black respondents reported significantly higher percentages of hair loss. The more physical symptoms respondents reported, the more likely they were to report psychological symptoms.

Having taught and tutored Flint families for decades, Reynolds feels the weight of the communitys unmet needs.

Nearly 80,000 people now live in Flint, according to recent census data, a drop of about 20% in the past 10 years. Fifty-seven percent are Black, 34% are white and 4% are Hispanic. Median household income is $33,036. Nearly 38% are in poverty. Population loss and disinvestment make it difficult to maintain a water system, with fewer people paying for infrastructure designed for a much larger city.

Flint had almost 200,000 residents in 1960; it built water infrastructure to support 50,000 more, according to the citys communications director. It connected to Detroits system in the first place because it expected continued growth. Vacancy can worsen water quality because water sits longer in pipes before reaching a tap  a problem made visible when metals from corroding pipes saturated the water more in some Flint neighborhoods than in others.

In addition to service-line replacement efforts, the city offers free filters to residents. Beyond legally mandated testing, a unique community water lab provides residents with a free way to learn about their water. Young people lead much of the work. As lab director and Flint City Council member Candice Mushatt put it, Were training the next generation to be prepared in a way that we were not.

Results range from 0.031 parts per billion up to over 50 ppb of lead from water samples tested in Flint, according to Mushatt. Under federal law, if a community water system reaches 15 ppb of lead, based on the 90th percentile of samples, certain public health measures must be taken. No amount of lead is safe.

Flint residents have emphasized the importance of determining for themselves when justice has been done. In a 2020 paper, a cohort of community advocates wrote that they expect accountability, policy reform and community-driven investments. And we will be insisting, they wrote, as always, that people ask us and our fellow residents before concluding that Flint has been made whole.

The post Ten years after the Flint water crisis, distrust and anger linger appeared first on Michigan Advance.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Members of multiple Middle Tennessee emergency response agencies are heading to Texas as part of a task force to provide assistance in the aftermath of devastating flooding.

On Sunday, May 5, the Nashville Fire Department (NFD) announced the Tennessee Task Force 2 (TNTF2) was preparing to deploy to later in the day to Texas, where floodwaters have left hundreds stranded and forecasters predict more rainfall.

PREVIOUS: Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms

According to NFD, the task forces deployment came at the request of Texas officials, serving as a function of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

(Courtesy: Williamson County Emergency Management Agency)

(Courtesy: Williamson County Emergency Management Agency)

(Courtesy: Williamson County Emergency Management Agency)

EMAC is a mutual-aid agreement among states and territories of the United States, NFD explained. It enables states to share resources during natural and man-made disasters, including terrorism.

SEE ALSO: As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters

Fire officials said members of TNTF2 are deploying as a Type 1 Swiftwater Search and Rescue team, so they will help with water rescues and other emergency responses as needed.

TNTF2 includes personnel from NFD, the Nashville Office of Emergency Management, the Williamson County Emergency Management Agency, and the Franklin Fire Department, but each agency reportedly has enough staff members and resources to handle incidents that may happen while the task force is deployed.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

NFD said TNTF2 members will stage in Bryan, Texas, adding that the deployment is expected to last 14 days.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
CHICAGO  Tensions ran high in Lincoln Park on Sunday as pro-Palestinian student protestors from DePaul faced a line of counter-protestors on campus.

The atmosphere was calm on campus on Sunday afternoon, but it was a much different scene hours earlier when tensions escalated between demonstrators, leading to some altercations.

No arrests were made, but police did have to step in on a couple of occasions during the demonstrations.

Obviously, right now, we are rallying, as we have been since I believe Tuesday, and then obviously we had a counter-protest and things escalated a little bit, but we got it back down, DePaul sophomore Henna Ayesh said.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

According to Ayesh, things heated up on Sunday morning.

There were, on the other side, a lot of Islamophobic remarks. The other side, the counter-protesters, were actually throwing rocks and sticks at us as well. But Im proud of us, we stuck through it and were still here, Ayesh said.

University officials issued alerts just before noon that said Chicago police needed to calm things down.

When WGN-TV crews arrived on the scene, officers were still present and some were quick to intervene as a scuffle broke out.

But across the street, a small group of pro-Israeli counter-protestors voiced their opinions on the demonstration.

They need to promote a dialect and not just activism. This campus is supposed to be about science and education, counter-protestor Kirill Magidson said.

West Side Cinco de Mayo celebrations canceled after reports of gang violence

Magidson said he is not a student at Depaul, but felt that he needed to speak out against the recent protests.

I am a Northwestern graduate student, I came here just to support Israel and speak against whats happening on campuses, Magidson said.

Similar scenes have unfolded at college campuses around the country in recent weeks, as students call for greater financial transparency from their institutions.

Pro-Palestinian protestors say they will stay on campus for as long as it takes to see change.

Some negotiations between the university and protestors have taken place over the last few days, but no resolutions have been reached.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
'Terrifying': Democrats say they have plans to keep electors safe from political violence

When it came time to cast his ceremonial Electoral College vote for Joe Biden in 2020, Democrat Khary Penebaker had to keep things hush-hush.

He wanted to bring his girlfriend at the time but wasn't allowed a guest. He couldn't even walk through the front door of Wisconsin's statehouse.

Instead, Penebaker and other Badger State electors met at an undisclosed location. Law enforcement escorted the group through tunnels to arrive at a room in the statehouse, which had been closed to the public.

The 46-year-old Democrat, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2016, called the experience "terrifying." He was scared after seeing stories of election workers being harassed in other swing states.

Penebaker, who is Black, said he thought back to how civil rights activists more than half a century ago had crossed Alabama's Edmund Pettus Bridge knowing they would be beaten by police officers on the other side. He said if they could survive that, he could muster the courage to cast an electoral vote.

Law enforcement officers restrain a member of the Proud Boys as a fight breaks out during a Stop the Steal rally on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. Hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump, including members of the Proud Boys, a far-right, male-only political organization, came to the Statehouse to protest the congressional certification of Democratic President-Elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., who defeated the incumbent Republican President Trump during the November 2020 elections and whose victory was certified by the Electoral College in December 2020.

Democrats, scholars and election watchdogs are keenly vigilant about the safety of people like Pennebaker, who sign up to cast votes for their political parties on behalf of the Electoral College a month after Election Day, and who typically assemble at statehouses as a key part of the Constitutionally mandated ceremonial process of choosing the next president.

Political violence can slow down the process of electing the president because officials end up needing to evacuate buildings and halt proceedings to shore up security, such as what happened on Jan. 6, 2021. The additional time can give bad actors time to sow doubt in the democratic process.

Democrats did not disclose the specifics of their security plans, but a top official with the Democratic National Committee said they had one in 2020 and have one for 2024. When electors are placed, which is happening all over the country, the party will hold a security briefing for them.

The concerns about electors' safety are similar to the ones about election workers, which a new survey released this month by the Brennan Center for Justice shows 38% of whom have experienced threats, harassment, or abuse for doing their jobs, forcing many to quit.

Secretaries of state have said its getting harder to recruit and retain poll workers, and Democrats say people are less willing to sign their names to be electors. Even when they do, they experience anxiety.

USA TODAY spoke with five Democratic Party officials in four swing states  Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nevada  who all said electors are feeling apprehensive. The Republican National Committee and presumptive 2024 GOP nominee Donald Trump's campaign did not respond to requests for comment about security concerns. Efforts to reach Republican officials in Pennsylvania were unsuccessful.

This chorus is likely to intensify in the coming months, especially given Trump's refusals to explicitly rule out political violence in multiple interviews should the former president lose this fall and his previous attempt to fraudulently replace those slates in 2020 to overturn his election loss.

Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party, pointed to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol  which pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject the legitimate electoral votes from people like Penebaker so that Trump could win the election  as an example of what could happen.

"Wed be foolish not to take the security of electors and everyone involved in our presidential electoral process very seriously  for good reason," he said.

Security concerns based on 'credible threats' in 2020

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 20: Attorney Scott Grubman, center, and Serreen Meki, left, answer questions from the media after their client, Kenneth Chesebro, accepted a plea deal during a hearing in front of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee at the Fulton County Courthouse October 20, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Chesebro was facing seven charges related to his alleged role as the legal architect in using Trump electors in Georgia and other key states to undermine the 2020 elections. (Photo by Alyssa Pointer/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776052042 (Via OlyDrop)

Penebaker said he received hundreds of emails threatening him with lynching if he didnt change his 2020 electoral vote from Biden to Trump.

He had panic attacks, fearing something could happen at any minute. He said he'll never sign up to be an elector again.

"They took what should be the pageantry, the majestic feel of being an elector," Penebaker said. "Youre one of (538) people in the country who get to do this, and thats a huge honor, and to have it robbed of you  its unfair."

Michael McDonald, a University of Florida political science professor who authored a book about the 2020 election, said the fears are legitimate.

He pointed to actual violence that occurred on Dec. 14, 2020, the day electors across the country assembled in their respective states and that served as a preview of the attack on the U.S. Capitol a few weeks later.

"There were examples of actually people being physically hurt," he said. "There was a person shot in Washington State and there were people stabbed in Washington, D.C. So there was violence on the day that the electors met."

On that day Delaware relocated its electors ceremony to a gymnasium so they could provide better security at that location when they cast their votes for Biden, for example.

Similarly, Michigan Republicans, who at the time still controlled the state legislature, closed the capitol on Dec. 14, 2020. They had urged legislative staff to work remotely, "based on credible threats of violence."

Similar prudent steps were taken in the Biden-won states of Wisconsin and Arizona amid protests happening across the country fueled by Trump's rhetoric.

Ken Martin, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and head of Minnesotas Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, said this has made it harder to recruit people to do the job in 2024.

"Its had a little bit of a suppressive effect because now people who went through that four years ago, of course, arent willing to do it again, and the new people coming in have expressed some concern about their own physical safety, Martin said.

Balloons drop on the Obama and Biden families at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Democrats discussed elector security at pre-convention meeting

Ahead of the 2024 election, state Democrats have established security plans for their electors, according to multiple officials.

It was at the forefront of a discussion with state-level leaders who gathered in Chicago in April for a pre-DNC convention huddle, USA TODAY has learned.

"We have talked about security plans for electors, and we did have a whole plan in 2020 after the threat level increased on our electors to keep them safe," Martin said.

"There are conversations that have happened, that continue to happen, to help protect the safety of people who administer elections."

Georgia leaders in particular expressed apprehension given how Peach State poll workers were targeted by Trump and his allies in the weeks leading up to the U.S. Capitol attack. State Democratic officials told USA TODAY they have specific worries about electors facing doxing, online harassment and physical harm.

The Georgia party officials declined to provide details about their security plans but emphasized there are real-world fears about ensuring their 16 electors  who were selected by the party chair earlier this year  are protected.

"I remain hopeful that that is not going to be the place that we find ourselves in after Nov. 5, but we'll have to wait and see how people behave and what happens," said Olasanoye, the Georgia Democratic executive director.

"But I think I would be lying if I did not say that we are certainly on high alert, and figuring out and thinking through how would we respond," he added.

Experts warn of 'weak points' in picking the president

Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi preside over the certification of Electoral College votes at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

As part of the Electoral College, each state gets two electors per senator, plus the number of congressional districts. That means California, the most populous state, has 54 electors. Wyoming, the least populous, has 3 electors. It takes at least the votes of 270 electors to win the White House.

There are general requirements under the U.S. Constitution for the electors. They cannot be members of Congress, hold high-level federal positions, or have engaged in an insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. They must convene a month after the November election to select the presidential and vice presidential candidates who won their respective states. Each state can also have additional procedures.

For decades, electors largely had a bit part in a presidential race, playing a role that flew under the political radar until Dec. 14, 2020. That's when the ceremonial assemblies were met with varying degrees of altercations and the shuttering to the public of state legislative buildings in a few key battleground states.

What happened in 2020 has changed how the job was once viewed by both parties, and it also explains the Democrats' apprehension going into 2024, McDonald said.

Unlike poll workers and other election officials, he said, electors tend to be more partisan and experienced players, whose selection often reflects longstanding civic service or political stature.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez signs the certificates of vote during a meeting of the Florida Presidential Electors at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.

"So, at the outset, I think people who were going to be electors have their eyes wide open and understand that they're going to be involved in a very political process," McDonald said.

"Given our heightened polarization and rhetoric that we have around elections now I would reasonably assume that if you were an elector you could imagine that you could have your life threatened in some way," he added.

In terms of protecting electors, very little has been accomplished to codify their safety.

Democratic officials underscore how even attempts to create guardrails against fake elector schemes have also been thwarted by GOP opponents.

Nevada Democrats, who control both chambers of the state legislature, for instance, tried that last year when they proposed a bill that would have carried a penalty of up to a decade in prison for those found guilty of signing elector certificates falsely claiming a losing candidate had won.

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo said he agreed there "should be strict punishments" for those who "engaged in schemes to present slates of false electors." But he still blocked the measure, saying the punishments were too severe.

Congress did address some legal holes by enacting the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, which was a bipartisan idea requiring states to follow rules in place before the election, such as electors respecting a state's popular vote.

Anyone who decides to be an elector should follow the safety guidelines from the party and make sure to keep them quiet because you dont know whos going to turn on you," Penebaker said. He also advised that electors come up with individual safety plans for themselves.

Kermit Roosevelt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, said electors tend to be obscure players.

"It used to be the case that most people wouldnt even know who the electors were," he said.

Roosevelt, a great-great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, said that safeguarding against threats to the country's democratic process, including security for the 2024 electors, stands out among the unresolved issues from the last presidential race.

"I would be worried that the people who tried to subvert the election in 2020 have more experience and understand the weak points in the system better so that theyre going to be more sophisticated and more effective," he said, adding: "I am not sure our attempts to protect the system have kept up."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Democrats plan to keep 2024 electors safe from political violence
TEXARKANA, Texas (KETK)  The Texarkana Police Department said that they were a part of a multi-day sting that resulted in the arrests of five men.

Human remains found off FM 346 East in Smith County

According to the Texarkana PD, they participated in a sting alongside the Bowie County Sheriffs Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, Miller County Sheriffs Office and the FBI.

The police department said that the purpose of the operation was to arrest individuals attempting to solicit sex with a minor. The operation led to the arrest of three men, Dylan Dickens, Jesus Rosales and Keith Godfrey for online solicitation of a minor after they allegedly communicated with an officer they believed to be an underaged girl.

Keith Godfrey, 54 of Prescott Arkansas, courtesy of Bi-State Jail

Jesus Rosas Rosales, 37 of Texarkana, courtesy of Bi-State Jail

Dylan Dickens, 32 of Texarkana, courtesy of Bi-State Jail

The Texarkana PD said that there were two additional arrests made as a part of the operation that were not related to solicitation of a minor, Henry Oller and Lance Bradshaw were arrested and charged with solicitation of prostitution.

Lance Bradshaw, 42 of Cove Arkansas, courtesy of Bi-State Jail

Henry Oller, 67, courtesy of Bi-State Jail

All five of the men have been booked into the Bi-state County Jail, Dickens has been released after posting bail on Friday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
Texas Mailman Drives 5 Hours On His Day Off To Deliver Lost WWII Letters To Arkansas Family

Alvin Gauthier, a veteran himself, understands how important letters are to soldiers.

Alvin Gauthier

A mailman from Texas used a precious day off to deliver WWII letters to a soldiers family in Arkansas.

Grand Prairie USPS carrier Alvin Gauthier, a Marine Corps veteran, told KXAS-TV that he knew how important the letters were as soon as he spotted them in his work bag.

"I was getting ready for my route and found some letters that were dated back to 1942, so World War II," Gauthier told the outlet. "Being a veteran myself, so I'm like man, this is some history! Because mail boosts morale for all soldiers, so my main thought was I have to find this family."

The letters, which were dated between 1942-1945, were sent from Marion Lamb to his parents in Jacksonville, Arkansas. There was no street address to go off of.

So Gauthier reached out to KARK-TV in Little Rock. The station ran a story that helped find Lambs sister, Jo Ann Smith, who was still living in Jacksonville.

Gauthier decided it would be best to hand deliver the letters to Smith, and used his day off to drive the five hours from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He also used his own money to pay for gas and a hotel.

"I could have stuck them in the mail, but it's kinda like sometimes you have to go above and beyond," Gauthier told KXAS. "Just go the extra mile ... or 379 miles," he joked.

Smith said she could hardly believe it when he appeared at her door with the lost letters.

Im very excited and very tearful, she told KLRT-TV. For me, its a connection to my family.

With her five older siblings gone, Smith said the letters mean the world. Marion died in 2010 at the age of 89.

Smith was just two years old when her older brother went off to war. According to KXAS-TV, the letters were recently sent by another family member to Smith's daughter, Debbie Smith, in Grand Prairie. The package was damaged and the letters fell out before they could be delivered.

Alvin Gauthier Alvin Gauthier with Jo Ann Smith and Family

I just appreciate Alvin, Smith told KLRT-TV. He has really gone out of his way and people connect on different levels and I feel as connected to Alvin as I do my family.

Gauthier feels the same. Were family now, he told Southern Living.



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Read the original article on Southern Living.
The program will try to decrease Americas reliance on China and the global supply chain.

The Biden Administration has opened applications for $285 million in CHIPS Act funding for an institute to develop digital twins for the chip manufacturing industry. The investment aims to speed up silicon design and engineering while boosting national security. Its part of a multi-billion-dollar push to establish the US as a thriving chip fabrication powerhouse, reducing dependence on the global supply chain and establishing technological dominance over China.

Digital twins are advanced software models of hardware (in this case, processors) that can help save time and money and increase efficiency. The virtual clones allow engineers to anticipate problems and adjust designs accordingly before manufacturing even begins. The auto industry and Space Force (for satellite simulations) have also used the tech.

The Department of Commerce says AI also plays a role. Digital twin-based research can also leverage emerging technology like artificial intelligence to help accelerate the design of new U.S. chip development and manufacturing concepts and significantly reduce costs by improving capacity planning, production optimization, facility upgrades, and real-time process adjustments.

Flow chart showing a circle with three hubs and arrows connecting them. They include (Nvidia)

The funding is part of the 2022 CHIPS Acts $39 billion allocated for semiconductor R&D. The US had already doled out billions in CHIPS Act manufacturing incentives, including $6.4 billion to Samsung, $6.6 billion for TSMC, $6.1 billion for Micron and $8.5 billion for Intel. However, Bloomberg notes that R&D funding like this could be the most crucial piece of the Biden Administrations long game to spark homegrown silicon innovation and avoid scenarios where supply chain shutdowns halt parts of the US economy and national security.

The government says the institutes funds will go toward basic operations, research on digital twins, establishing and supporting shared digital facilities and workforce training. The Biden Administration wants to avoid scenarios like depending on foreign adversaries for tech that can influence Americas national security (as the US military increasingly relies on advanced tech), economic independence and supply chain control.

The Biden Administrations CHIPS program will host a meeting for potential applicants on May 16.

This new Manufacturing USA institute will not only help to make America a leader in developing this new technology for the semiconductor industry, it will also help train the next generation of American workers and researchers to use digital twins for future advances in R&D and production of chips, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo wrote in a press release.
United States Ambassador Bridget Brink showed how Eastern Rite Christians in Kyiv blessed Easter baskets despite two years of full-scale Russian invasion. She emphasized that the spirit of the Ukrainian people cannot be defeated.

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The American diplomat published the post on her page on the social network X on Sunday, May 5. The photo was taken at St. Vladimir's Cathedral in the capital.

"Easter morning in Kyiv. Ukrainians continue to celebrate the holidays with friends and families more than two years after Russia's full-scale invasion. The spirit and determination of Ukrainians cannot be defeated," the statement said.

On May 5, US President Joe Biden congratulated Eastern Rite Orthodox Christians on Easter and emphasized that on this day "we remember with special love the people who suffer from war and persecution."

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"We will continue to pray and work for peace and justice for all people," the White House said in a statement.

On that day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that in the most difficult period of Ukraine's modern history, our people are learning the true meaning of the biblical commandments and clearly understanding who is who in the modern world. He emphasized that Ukrainians are now waging a just war, defending their right to exist, and God is definitely on the side of those who are right - on the side of the Defense Forces.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on the eve of Easter, May 4, Russian invaders shelled Ukrainian cities and villages in ten regions of our country throughout the day. In total, 113 settlements and 110 infrastructure facilities came under enemy fire.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!

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"They're going to blame the accountant": Expert says Trump lawyers set up witness to be "fall guy"

As the third week of testimony in Donald Trumps criminal trial in Manhattan begins, prosecutors are launching into the financial nitty gritty of the catch-and-kill scheme that quashed salacious stories about the then-presidential candidate as the 2016 election approached.

One key issue is whether the $420,000 that Trump paid to his former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen was to pay Cohen back for paying off adult film star Stormy Daniels to the tune of $130,000.

On Monday, former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney testified that he was told Trump was reimbursing Cohen for an unknown reason. McConney said former Trump chief financial officer Allan Weisselberg told him the payments should be grossed up to help cover Cohens state, federal and city taxes, NBC News reported.

In Trump counsel Todd Blanches opening statements, he acknowledged Daniels signed an NDA in October 2016 in exchange for $130,000.

But, he told jurors: youre going to learn this was not a payback. The $35,000 a month was not a payback to Mr. Cohen for the money that he gave to Ms. Daniels.

That statement conflicts with Trump's filings in a 2020 California case, where filings submitted by his lawyers said defendant Trump admitted that Defendant reimbursed EC for ECs $130,000 payment to Plaintiff, which was in consideration for Plaintiffs promises not to disclose confidential information pertaining to Trumps then-alias David Dennison.

Still, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said those statements alone cannot be used against Trump in the trial.

Unless they were verified pleadings, or like a declaration, they are not something that can be used against Trump, Rahmani said. Just because his lawyers are making inconsistent arguments is not something that can be used against Trump.

In August 2018, Trump himself said Cohens payments to women did not come from the campaign.

"They werent taken out of campaign finance, thats the big thing," Trump said in an interview in a "Fox & Friends" interview. "Thats a much bigger thing. Did they come out of the campaign? They didnt come out of the campaign; they came from me."

And in notable testimony on Monday, McConney also testified that the bulk of the payback came from Trumps own bank account, according to The New York Times.

Rahmani said that leaves Trump's lawyers with their main argument: "I think what theyre going to say is: Trump had nothing to do with them. Someone else created the records.

"One important takeaway from the defendant's opening is, they're going to blame the accountant," Rahman said. "The accountant is going to be the fall guy. I think they're going to say that Trump had no involvement in booking these payments to Cohen as legal expenses, that that was something the accountant did."

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, with prosecutors saying he was part of a scheme to kill damaging stories about extramarital affairs ahead of his 2016 campaign.

Prosecutors are elevating the falsification of business records charges to felonies because they allege Trump caused the falsification to conceal an underlying crime  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged that Trump tried to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws." New Yorks election conspiracy statute says its a misdemeanor to conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means.

Trump denies those charges, as well as the affairs. Each count is punishable by up to four years behind bars.

In a key piece of evidence played for jurors last week, a Sept. 6, 2016 audio recording includes Trump and Cohen apparently talking about making a $150,000 payment to model Karen McDougal, who claims she and Trump had a ten-month affair after he married Melania Trump.

"I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David, Cohen said, apparently referring to National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

In the recording, Trump says: "So, what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?"

Trump later suggests paying in cash.

Cohen responded: "No, no, no, no, no, I got it.

For me, thats the most compelling evidence of all  its on tape, and its clear that hes involved in this scheme, said Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers.

Chris Truax, an appellate lawyer in San Diego who has served as a legal advisor for the Republican Accountability Project, said Trumps team have done a pretty good job to build reasonable doubt among jurors with the case in front of them.

But Truax said he himself is surprised by the strength of the prosecutions case.

And he said though he believes the recording is a key piece of direct evidence, he thinks jurors will ultimately be swayed more by the bulk of the circumstantial evidence.

Does it makes sense that the people working for Donald Trump decided to go out and organize this catch and kill deal for these two women, and especially of course for Stormy Daniels, which is the charges at issue, organize this catch and kill system, paid a lot of money, and then just keep it quiet because we dont want to bother Donald Trump with this? 'We paid $130,000. But let's not distress him,'" Truax said. "It doesn't make any sense that they wouldn't have at least gone to see him and say: There's this allegation against you. Is it true and what should we do about it? But they decided not to involve Donald Trump, who was a famous micromanager in any of this discussion, and simply do it on their own out of the goodness of their heart?

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Other prosecution key witnesses so far include former Trump aide Hope Hicks, who Rahmani said didnt have a smoking gun but testified to corroborate Trumps involvement in day-to-day campaign matters.

She was able to connect the dots between Cohen and Trump, Rahman said.

Hicks also said that Trump was worried about his wifes reaction to reports of affairs following release of the Access Hollywood recording  a key argument posed by the defense.

Truax said that statement alone doesnt sink the prosecutions case. Something that the prosecution will probably raise is that people very rarely do things with only one idea in their mind," he said.

To me, it's quite clear that he was deeply concerned about his political campaign, and that was the reason why he was pushing this so hard, Truax added.

Keith Davidson, a former lawyer for both Daniels and McDougal, testified about the agreement to pay off Daniels, as well as his knowledge of Cohens role and Cohens frustration while awaiting reimbursement from Trump.

Pecker, meanwhile, in his testimony set the scene for the catch-and-kill scheme and the National Enquirers role in killing negative stories about Trump and instead running positive ones.

Trump was also hit with another $1,000 fine for violating his gag order, which in part prohibits him from talking about jurors.

The judge has warned him that another violation could land him behind bars.

Trump has continued to portray himself as a victim of a vast witch hunt and complained that the courts and prosecutors are persecuting him.

I dont know if Trump will ever conform his behavior, Rahmani said. Nothing leads me to believe his is willing to comply with his gag orders.
The idea that all Americans share a commitment to the nations founding principles has always been a pleasurable myth, or perhaps a noble lie. Its a cliche, as Robert Kagan knows, but no less true for that: the novel circumstances of the United States creation havent spared it from the ravages of division. The commandments of the Founding Fathers have never been as clear-cut as national mythology suggests. The US constitution has been amended for a reason.

A noble lie that reduces American nationhood to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness  followed to the letter, if not in spirit  is easy to maintain in times of peace, when the spectre of civil war has seemingly been exorcised. Yet the election of Donald Trump brought that ghost back to the feast. Kagans latest book, Rebellion: How Antiliberalism is Tearing America Apart Again, places the phenomena of Trumpism into a dark American tradition: the anti-liberal heritage of slaveholders, insurrectionists and subversives.

Modern America is indebted to the manner of its formation. That the country was created was itself an oddity; Kagan frames the radicalism of the Declaration of Independence as a consequence of the search for a justification for breaking free of British control. That search led the Founding Fathers to Rousseaus untested concept of natural rights, instead of the hereditary principle that was still hegemonic in Europe. While Washington and co were still white, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon men, in creating a rights protection machine they had struck a blow against all manner of privileges and hierarchies. The declaration, and its levelling force of individualism, set America on a path towards the liberal expansion of rights.

Yet, Kagan writes, there was a mammoth contradiction in the carving-out of exemptions for slavery. For Northerners, that practice was easily abandoned, but Southerners who had built their fortunes upon it couldnt do the same. (Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration, did not emancipate his slaves.) Nonetheless, the rights-recognition machine thundered on, which meant that, divided as they were, a union of North and South wasnt going to last forever  not without military coercion. Jefferson Daviss struggle for inherited rights over the rights of men made clear the degree of separation. Secession, then, was a reassertion of Southern realities. They werent revolutionaries, they were resisting one  the American revolution.

For all the detail above, Rebellion is more polemic than history. Kagan argues that a secession crisis threatens once again to tear apart the foundations of the American nation, this time under the Trumpist banner. His background is here relevant: he served under Ronald Reagan, set up a hawkish think-tank with Bill Kristol, and married the great diplomat Victoria Nuland. He is, in short, neo-conservative royalty. He has written several books on foreign policy, but Rebellion is his first centred solely around domestic affairs; having spent his career cheerleading Americas place as a global policeman, he has brought the war on terror home.

A Civil War print depicting the Union capture of Fort Fisher in North Carolina - Alamy

Illiberalism is portrayed in Rebellion as an unbroken thread, with the charge of white supremacy ascribed to Klansmen and William Buckley in the same breath. Opposition to globalism can only be anti-Semitism. Resistance to rights expansion is traced all the way back to anti-American slaveholders. Lyndon Johnson may have been a tyrant when he enforced civil rights at gunpoint, but in some ways so too was Lincoln, as Kagan admits.

Kagan, it seems, has no problem with American authoritarianism when its employed for a moral cause. The reconstruction of the South, he thinks, failed to break their rebellious spirit; the belief that racists needed time to adjust, as if just living in the American liberal system would over time acculturate them to accept liberalism, was a painful miscalculation. Only the decisive action to enter the Second World War allowed Americas liberal golden age to start. But, for Kagan, the year is once again 1938, and the nation is appeasing the illiberals. Take the Muslim bans, attacks on the justice system, election denial, corruption, sleaze; Trumps thuggish character has been tantamount to a direct attack on America.

Kagans geopolitical framework is rigidly black-and-white, and applied to domestic politics, it reduces complex intellectual trends to a hysterical battle of ultimate good and ultimate evil  a hysteria thats characteristic of neoconservative thought. Kagan has played fast and loose with Hitlerisation-by-proxy before, but here his relentless attempts to link the Fuhrer to Trumpism strain credulity. Hitler is mentioned by name four times in the concluding chapter in relation to the former (and perhaps future) US president; fascism, about a dozen. Mass politics itself is seen as suspect, for in democracies the voters allow bad men to win  that is, were reminded, how Hitler came to power in Germany.

Trump, then US president, at a 'Save America' march in January 2021 - AP

Rebellion fails to convince. Reclamation of the nation is not the same as secession from it. Kagan can only see the former president as something foreign to the United States altogether, closer to German fascists and Southern rebels than William F Buckley. It is not enough to call Trump an anti-liberal: Kagans Trump Derangement Syndrome compels him to overstep, conjuring fantastical visions of goose-stepping invaders and secession. For the first time since the Civil War, Kagan warns, a fundamental challenge to America has arisen: regime change.

Opponents of Trumpism ought to recognise the dangers of this overwrought rhetoric. A conservative refusal to play second fiddle to liberalism does not mean that an insurrection is imminent. When Trump exhorts the audience at his re-election campaign rallies to fight to restore our American birthright, he looks to the founding of the nation to frame his patriotic revival. Trumps view of what it means to be an American citizen may be narrower than some modern liberals prefer, but he never rejects the concept of Americanness outright. No one man has ownership of history; Kagan should know better that a shared interpretation of founding principles is nothing more than a pleasurable myth.

Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart Again is published by WH Allen at 18.99. To order your copy for 16.99, call 0808 196 6794 or visit Telegraph Books

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Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal

Voters line up outside of a Takoma Park, Md., polling place. Takoma Park is one of 17 jurisdictions nationally that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard election integrity, even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of Novembers presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. Theyre using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote. Noncitizens can vote in a handful of local elections in several states, but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots  long a boogeyman in conservative politics  reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud, all to boost turnout among the GOP base.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky  which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment  noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on Novembers ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administrations open border policies, Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And theyre combined with concerns on election integrity.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation  despite an existing 1996 ban  that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said its common sense to require proof of citizenship.

It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election, he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominees Mar-a-Lago resort. We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid. Though this political strategy has worked to galvanize support among GOP voters in the past, he questions whether this will be effective politically in the long term.

Theres no problem being solved here, said Madrid, whose forthcoming book, The Latino Century, outlines the groups growing voter participation. This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New Yorks State Supreme Court struck down New York Citys 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermonts local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

 Mike Madrid, Republican strategist and author

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the citys registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote, they wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned, Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, theyre not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though theres room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

Its a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

The imaginings that there is some sort of plot by an entire major political party is just remarkably evidence-free, he said.

Fighting the left

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their voting systems to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgias voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections, Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the states constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited Californias parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that every U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

Its a pretty simple fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country, Tomczak said. And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.

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Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal

A voting sign at the entrance of a polling station at Takoma Park Middle School, in Takoma Park, Md., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard election integrity, even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of Novembers presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. Theyre using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote. Noncitizens can vote in a handful of local elections in several states, but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots  long a boogeyman in conservative politics  reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud, all to boost turnout among the GOP base.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky  which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment  noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on Novembers ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administrations open border policies, Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And theyre combined with concerns on election integrity.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation  despite an existing 1996 ban  that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said its common sense to require proof of citizenship.

It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election, he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominees Mar-a-Lago resort. We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid. Though this political strategy has worked to galvanize support among GOP voters in the past, he questions whether this will be effective politically in the long term.

Theres no problem being solved here, said Madrid, whose forthcoming book, The Latino Century, outlines the groups growing voter participation. This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New Yorks State Supreme Court struck down New York Citys 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermonts local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

 Mike Madrid, Republican strategist and author

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the citys registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote, they wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned, Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, theyre not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though theres room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

Its a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

The imaginings that there is some sort of plot by an entire major political party is just remarkably evidence-free, he said.

Fighting the left

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their voting systems to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgias voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections, Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the states constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited Californias parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that every U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

Its a pretty simple fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country, Tomczak said. And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.

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 Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal

Voters line up outside of a Takoma Park, Md., polling place. Takoma Park is one of 17 jurisdictions nationally that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard election integrity, even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of Novembers presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. Theyre using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote. Noncitizens can vote in a handful of local elections in several states, but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots  long a boogeyman in conservative politics  reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud, all to boost turnout among the GOP base.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky  which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment  noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on Novembers ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administrations open border policies, Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And theyre combined with concerns on election integrity.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation  despite an existing 1996 ban  that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said its common sense to require proof of citizenship.

It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election, he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominees Mar-a-Lago resort. We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid. Though this political strategy has worked to galvanize support among GOP voters in the past, he questions whether this will be effective politically in the long term.

Theres no problem being solved here, said Madrid, whose forthcoming book, The Latino Century, outlines the groups growing voter participation. This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New Yorks State Supreme Court struck down New York Citys 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermonts local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the citys registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote, they wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned, Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, theyre not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though theres room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

Its a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

The imaginings that there is some sort of plot by an entire major political party is just remarkably evidence-free, he said.

Fighting the left

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their voting systems to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgias voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections, Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the states constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited Californias parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that every U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

Its a pretty simple fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country, Tomczak said. And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.

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 Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal

A voting sign at the entrance of a polling station at Takoma Park Middle School, in Takoma Park, Md., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard election integrity, even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of Novembers presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. Theyre using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote. Noncitizens can vote in a handful of local elections in several states, but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots  long a boogeyman in conservative politics  reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud, all to boost turnout among the GOP base.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky  which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment  noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on Novembers ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administrations open border policies, Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And theyre combined with concerns on election integrity.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation  despite an existing 1996 ban  that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said its common sense to require proof of citizenship.

It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election, he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominees Mar-a-Lago resort. We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid. Though this political strategy has worked to galvanize support among GOP voters in the past, he questions whether this will be effective politically in the long term.

Theres no problem being solved here, said Madrid, whose forthcoming book, The Latino Century, outlines the groups growing voter participation. This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New Yorks State Supreme Court struck down New York Citys 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermonts local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the citys registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote, they wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned, Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, theyre not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though theres room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

Its a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

The imaginings that there is some sort of plot by an entire major political party is just remarkably evidence-free, he said.

Fighting the left

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgias voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections, Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the states constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited Californias parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that every U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

Its a pretty simple fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country, Tomczak said. And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.

This story was published earlier by Stateline, a partner of the nonprofit States Newsroom network, which includes the Florida Phoenix.

The post Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal

Voters line up outside of a Takoma Park, Md., polling place. Takoma Park is one of 17 jurisdictions nationally that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. (Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press)

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard election integrity, even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of Novembers presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. Theyre using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote.

Noncitizens can vote in less than two dozen municipalities in several states but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Those include South Carolina, where noncitizens arent allowed to vote anywhere. But legislators say they want to make sure that never changes.

The House gave final approval last Thursday to a resolution that puts the question to voters. The legislation received unanimous approval, 105-0, though some House members who were there didnt vote. Senators approved it 40-3 last month.

The resolution doesnt need Gov. Henry McMasters signature. In South Carolina, a constitutional amendment question bypasses the governors desk.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky  which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment  noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on Novembers ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administrations open border policies, Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And theyre combined with concerns on election integrity.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation  despite an existing 1996 ban  that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said its common sense to require proof of citizenship.

It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election, he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominees Mar-a-Lago resort. We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid of California.

Theres no problem being solved here, said Madrid, whose forthcoming book, The Latino Century, outlines the groups growing voter participation. This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New Yorks State Supreme Court struck down New York Citys 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermonts local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the citys registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote. They wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned, Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, theyre not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though theres room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

In South Carolina, however, a review of election records from 2020 through 2023 found zero instances of a noncitizen voting, the state Legislative Audit Council reported in January.

Automatic voter registration in other states did result in a small number of people accidentally voting illegally.

When California and Illinois implemented laws that automatically registered people to vote when they visit departments of motor vehicles, hundreds of noncitizens were accidentally registered due to technical glitches. At least 16 noncitizens in Illinois cast a ballot because of the confusion.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

Its a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

Fighting the left

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their voting systems to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgias voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections, Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the states constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited Californias parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that every U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

Its a pretty simple fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country, Tomczak said. And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.

SC Daily Gazette Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.

Like SC Daily Gazette, 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 Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal

Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus

Preventing people who are not United States citizens from casting a ballot has reemerged as a focal point in the ongoing Republican drive to safeguard election integrity, even though noncitizens are rarely involved in voter fraud.

Ahead of Novembers presidential election, congressional and state Republican lawmakers are aiming to keep noncitizens away from the polls. Theyre using state constitutional amendments and new laws that require citizenship verification to vote. Noncitizens can vote in a handful of local elections in several states, but already are not allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.

Some Republicans argue that preventing noncitizens from casting ballots  long a boogeyman in conservative politics  reduces the risk of fraud and increases confidence in American democracy. But even some on the right think these efforts are going too far, as they churn up anti-immigration sentiment and unsupported fears of widespread fraud, all to boost turnout among the GOP base.

While Republican congressional leaders want to require documentation proving U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures in November that would amend their state constitutions to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in state and local elections.

Over the past six years, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota and Ohio have all amended their state constitutions.

In Kentucky  which along with Idaho, Iowa and Wisconsin is now considering a constitutional amendment  noncitizens voting will not be tolerated, said Republican state Sen. Damon Thayer, who voted in February to put the amendment on Novembers ballot. Five Democrats between the two chambers backed the Republican-authored legislation, while 16 others dissented.

There is a lot of concern here about the Biden administrations open border policies, Thayer, the majority floor leader, told Stateline. People see it on the news every day, with groups of illegals pouring through the border. And theyre combined with concerns on election integrity.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed similar concerns last month when he announced new legislation  despite an existing 1996 ban  that would make it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. During a trip to Florida to meet with former President Donald Trump, the Louisiana Republican said its common sense to require proof of citizenship.

It could, if there are enough votes, affect the presidential election, he said, standing in front of Trump in the presumptive presidential nominees Mar-a-Lago resort. We cannot wait for widespread fraud to occur, especially when the threat of fraud is growing with every single illegal immigrant that crosses that border.

That rhetoric is rooted in a fear about how the U.S. is changing demographically, becoming more diverse as the non-white population increases, said longtime Republican strategist Mike Madrid. Though this political strategy has worked to galvanize support among GOP voters in the past, he questions whether this will be effective politically in the long term.

Theres no problem being solved here, said Madrid, whose forthcoming book, The Latino Century, outlines the groups growing voter participation. This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

Noncitizens are voting in some elections around the country, but not in a way that many might think.

Where noncitizens vote

In 16 cities and towns in California, Maryland and Vermont (along with the District of Columbia), noncitizens are allowed to vote in some local elections, such as for school board or city council. Voters in Santa Ana, California, will decide in November whether to allow noncitizens to vote in citywide elections.

In 2022, New Yorks State Supreme Court struck down New York Citys 2021 ordinance that allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, ruling it violated the state constitution. Proponents have argued that people, regardless of citizenship status, should be able to vote on local issues affecting their children and community.

During the first 150 years of the U.S., 40 states at various times permitted noncitizens to vote in elections. That came to a halt in the 1920s when nativism ramped up and states began making voting a privilege for only U.S. citizens.

The number of noncitizen voters has been relatively small, and those voters are never allowed to participate in statewide or national elections. Local election officials maintain separate voter lists to keep noncitizens out of statewide databases.

In Vermonts local elections in March, 62 noncitizens voted in Burlington, 13 voted in Montpelier and 11 voted in Winooski, all accounting for a fraction of the total votes.

In Takoma Park, Maryland, of the 347 noncitizens who were registered to vote in 2017, just 72 cast a ballot, according to the latest data provided by the city. And in San Francisco, 36 noncitizens registered to vote in 2020 and 31 voted.

This is all politics. Its all about stoking fears and angering the base.

 Mike Madrid, Republican strategist and author

Voter turnout among noncitizens is low for two reasons, said Ron Hayduk, a professor of political science at San Francisco State University, who is one of the leading scholars in this area. Many noncitizens in these jurisdictions do not realize they have the right to vote, and many are afraid of deportation or legal issues, he said.

Registration forms in jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in local elections do acknowledge the risks. In San Francisco, local election officials warn that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other agencies could gain access to the citys registration lists and advise residents to consult an immigration attorney before registering to vote.

Immigrants were very excited about this new right to vote, they wanted to vote, but many of them did not ultimately register and vote because they were concerned, Hayduk said.

While there are some noncitizens participating in a handful of local elections, theyre not participating illegally in any substantial way in state and national elections.

Though theres room for legitimate debate about whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote at the local level, there is no widespread voter fraud among noncitizens nationally, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

In 2020, federal investigators charged 19 noncitizens for voting in North Carolina elections. A national database run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, shows that there have been fewer than 100 cases of voter fraud tied to noncitizens since 2002, according to a recent count by The Washington Post.

Trump continues to falsely assert that he was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election and that he had more of the popular vote in 2016. He has claimed without evidence that voter fraud was to blame, including in part from noncitizens.

With illegal immigration near the top of major issues for voters ahead of November, Trump and his movement sense they have momentum with the public to tie immigration concerns with their continued election claims, Olson said.

Its a way of keeping Democrats on the back foot, by falsely accusing them of allowing immigrants to come into the country illegally so they can vote, he added.

The imaginings that there is some sort of plot by an entire major political party is just remarkably evidence-free, he said.

Fighting the left

Although voter fraud among noncitizens is not happening widely, states should still add protections to their voting systems to prevent that possibility, said Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican.

Raffensperger has been a major proponent of a Peach State law that requires documentation to verify the citizenship status of voters. In 2022, he announced that an internal audit of Georgias voter rolls over the past 25 years found that 1,634 noncitizens had attempted to register to vote, but not a single one cast a ballot.

I will continue to fight the left on this issue so that only American citizens decide American elections, Raffensperger wrote in a statement to Stateline.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia are actively considering legislation that would add ballot initiatives for November to prevent noncitizen voting. Those bills are at various points in the legislative process, with many having already passed one chamber.

During a committee hearing last week, Republican Missouri state Sen. Ben Brown said the states constitutional language is vague enough to allow cities to let noncitizens vote. While presenting his bill, he cited Californias parallel constitutional wording and how cities such as Oakland and San Francisco allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.

Most state constitutions have similar language around voter eligibility, saying that every U.S. citizen that is 18 or over can vote. The proposed amendments usually would change one word, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can vote, eliminating an ambiguity in the text that has left room for cities in several states to allow noncitizen participation in elections.

Its a pretty simple fix, said Jack Tomczak, vice president of outreach for Americans for Citizen Voting, a group that works with state lawmakers to amend their constitutions so that only citizens can vote in state and local elections.

It does dilute the voice of citizens of this country, Tomczak said. And it also dilutes the nature of citizenship.

This article was originally published by Stateline, a sister publication of Arizona Mirror and a member of the States Newsroom network of local newsrooms.

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The post Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal appeared first on Arizona Mirror.
Senator Tim Scott over the weekend exposed exactly where the Republican Party is headed, when he refused to answer a question on whether he would accept the 2024 election results.

MSNBCs Kristen Welker on Sunday asked the South Carolina Republican point-blank if he would accept the 2024 election results, no matter who wins.

Scott replied, At the end of the day, the forty-seventh president of the United States will be President Donald Trump. When pressed further, he said, That is my statement.

WELKER: Will you commit to accepting the 2024 election results?



TIM SCOTT: At the end of the day, the 47th president will be Donald Trump



WELKER: Wait -- yes or no, will you accept the results?



TIM SCOTT: That is my statement pic.twitter.com/3a2OI6wmfV  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2024

Scott is a top contender for Trumps 2024 running mate. And Trump of course has long refused to say whether hed accept election results where he lost, even in 2016, when he often complained of a rigged election on the campaign trail. Just weeks before Novembers election, he claimed hed accept the results only if I win.

In 2020, Americans saw what Trump meant with those words. He refused to concede his loss to Joe Biden, fighting the results with fake elector schemes from his lawyers and even arguably inciting an insurrection at the Capitol building on the day the countrys election results were certified. His refusal to acknowledge his loss would become the Big Lie: that the 2020 election win was stolen from him, the legitimate winner. As Tim Scotts words demonstrate, many of his faithful supporters still believe it in earnest.

Scotts answer sounds much like those of other contenders for Trumps V.P. In the past, J.D. Vance and Elise Stefanik, for example, both admitted they would not have certified the 2020 election results if they were in Vice President Mike Pences shoes on January 6.

Scott went on in the interview to assert that the Democratic Party is supporting abortion up until the day of birth, only to get pushback from Welker, who noted that no Democrats have said that.

Welker calls out Tim Scott when he pushes Trump's grotesque lie about Democrats supporting the murder of born babies. Scott then refuses to answer a question about if he supports a national abortion ban. pic.twitter.com/TyZCrgG8sF  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2024

Its not the first time that Scott has tried and failed to give an answer on abortion, as was the case in April 2023, when he could only manage a word salad in two different attempts. While this time he attempted to attack Democrats for their supposed stances, he still didnt articulate a policy of his own. If Scott, Trump, and the rest of the GOP plan to win in November, it would be smart to actually give concrete answers, whether its on abortion or a peaceful transition of power.


On the afternoon of April 16th, vehicles shuttled through the lush wheat fields into a secluded courtyard in Xuwa Village, Sanhe Town, Huainan City, Anhui Province. This is the site of the Wuwangdun archaeological excavation, where the legend of a late Warring States period tomb of a Chu state king has begun to unveil its mysteries. Dozens of reporters immediately spotted Gong Xicheng, a researcher from the Anhui Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the person in charge of the Wuwangdun archaeological project, waiting outside the tent. He was surrounded by journalists as they attached various sound-recording devices to him. Since the start of the Wuwangdun archaeological excavation, Gong Xicheng has declined numerous media interviews. This is the first media open day in four years. As he led everyone towards the excavation site under the tent, he explained that the entrance to the tomb chamber is about 51 meters long and located beneath 21 steps. Although no staff were busy at the moment, the reporters could almost feel the bustling crowds from over 2000 years ago. In March of this year, the Wuwangdun site began the extraction of cultural relics, starting with the uncovering of 443 coffin lid plates across three layers. At the excavation site, it took five or six workers to lift a single coffin lid plate, which, after being carefully wrapped, was then transported by crane to one side. Some of these plates weighed over a ton. One can only wonder how the craftsmen over 2000 years ago managed to cut, transport, and install such massive pieces. This simple task alone reveals the extraordinary status of the tomb's occupant. The identity of the tomb's owner has been a focal point of media interest. At the "Archaeological China" major project progress meeting for "Wuwangdun" held on the morning of April 16th, a question regarding the owner's identity was posed to Gong Xicheng. His response was, "Why am I reluctant to discuss this issue prematurely? If we are to associate the tomb owner with a specific individual, we need evidence that points clearly to an identity. Given the current stage of our excavation, we are still far from fully understanding the contents inside. Our time and energy are now primarily focused on safely documenting the artifacts at the site. As for who exactly the owner of the tomb is, we have yet to find any evidence." Due to changes in the tomb chamber environment, the extraction of artifacts is a race against time. Currently, over a thousand numbered cultural relics, including lacquered wooden objects and bronzes, have been retrieved. In this archaeological excavation, multiple scientific techniques have been employed for archaeological detection, artifact extraction, interdisciplinary research, and on-site preservation, and an integrated management platform for Wuwangdun archaeology has been established.

Source: Anhui Daily
Over the past day, Russian terrorist forces shelled the regional center and several localities in Kharkiv region with precision-guided bombs. In the village of Monachynivka, such an enemy attack destroyed an entire street and killed an elderly woman.

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This was reported by Serhiy Bolvinov, head of the Investigation Department of the National Police in Kharkiv region. He showed a photo of what the houses of civilians had become.

"Everything around us shook as if an earthquake had started. The whole street was destroyed in one blow. Residents of Monachynivka village had to feel and see this," said the law enforcement officer.

He emphasized that the enemy launched a powerful weapon at people and their homes in the village of Kupyansk district, where no more than a hundred locals are left and there is not a single military man. It is a high-explosive air bomb weighing one and a half tons, equipped with a special module that allows it to plan in the air after being launched from an airplane.

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"This is the first time weapons of this power have been used against us. The only thing they managed to achieve was to destroy villagers' houses and kill an 88-year-old woman. Her body was taken out of the rubble after the strike," Bolvinov said.

According to the OVA, the occupants attacked Monachynivka with air bombs around 15:25 on Easter Sunday, May 5. The actions of Russian war criminals damaged at least 15 residential buildings. An old woman was killed and two men aged 34 and 66 were injured.

"Despite such a powerful attack, residents immediately started helping the police. First of all, everyone thinks about helping a neighbor in need, recording every destruction and rebuilding their homes on their own land," the police officer added.

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Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, said Sunday that Sen. Tim Scotts (R-S.C.) interview in which he dodged repeatedly on whether he would accept the election results in 2024 sends a very chilling signal ahead of the November election.

Taylor, who worked in the Trump administration, told CNNs Jessica Dean that he saw Scotts interview as an informal audition to be former President Trumps running mate in 2024. Scott is one of a handful of Republicans considered to be in the running to be the presumptive nominees No. 2 pick.

Well, the hesitation, the faltering in his voice: Its an audition. Hes auditioning, and he was thrown a question by the casting directors that he didnt expect, Taylor said. And I think this is something that is sending a very chilling signal.

Taylor later added, Im very personally disappointed in some of these members of Congress who Ive known, like Tim Scott and Elise Stefanik, and others who are hewing to this line to get close to Trump. Its taken something that we thought was a threat to democracy from one man, and its extrapolated it through the upper ranks of the entire party.

In an interview on NBC Newss Meet the Press, anchor Kristen Welker pressed Scott on Trumps refusal to commit to accepting the 2024 election results and then asked whether Scott whether he would commit to accepting the results.

Scott repeatedly avoided answering the question  even when pressed at least three times for just yes or no on accepting the results of the election  and said, at the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump.

Welker followed up, asking, Wait, wait, senator. Yes or no. Yes or no? Will you accept the election results of 2024, no matter who wins?

That is my statement, Scott replied, later adding, The American people will make the decision, and the decision will be for President Trump.

Taylor said he was concerned about the similarities in Scotts rhetoric to Trumps remarks ahead of the 2020 presidential election, when Trump hinted repeatedly that he would not accept the election results if he lost.

Taylor said he was concerned that mainstream Republican politicians appear to be pushing similar talking points, already casting doubt on election results.

Im going to compare it to the last time this happened four years ago, and six months before the election, Donald Trump was doing the same thing. He was signaling that he might not accept the election results of 2020, Taylor said.

He noted that Republican members of Congress at the time were largely not echoing Trumps sentiment.

Largely you heard reassurance from Republican members of Congress about how it would be a free and fair election, and there would be a transfer of power regardless, and they mostly dismissed these claims that Donald Trump would try to hold on to power, and they did that right up until the last minute, Taylor said about 2020.

This time is very different, because they know what Donald Trump is capable of. And they dont want to get on the wrong side of him, because they want to be on his side. They want to be next to him on that ticket.

A spokesperson for Scott declined to comment for this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(The Hill)  Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a Sunday interview that former President Donald Trump did not raise the possibility of being his running mate at a gathering this past weekend.

Scott added, however, that he expects a decision on Trumps vice-presidential running mate to be made within the next 60 days.

No, maam, Scott told NBC Newss Kristen Welker when asked on Meet the Press whether Trump mentioned the possibility of being vice president while at the gathering.

We had no conversations about the VP pick, to be honest with you, to be clear, but we had a lot of conversations about the failures of Joe Biden and the success of Donald Trump, Scott added.

Scott was among the half-dozen or so Republicans who gathered at Mar-a-Lago for a private event this weekend with top GOP donors and high-profile party leaders. The event was seen largely as an audition to be Trumps running mate in 2024.

In addition to Scott, the Republican guest list included South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. JD Vance (Ohio), House GOP conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.).

Tim Scott dodge on accepting election results sends very chilling signal: Miles Taylor

On whether he thinks hes on the shortlist, Scott did not say directly.

I hope that the president will choose a person who helps the country unite and heal, Scott said on Sunday when asked the question. l I certainly expect to have a decision from President Trump in the next 60 days or so, but he did not bring it up. I certainly didnt bring it up.

Im excited that in this nation, a poor kid from South Carolina could rise to the level of being a United States senator, Scott continued. It just tells me that all things are possible for kids growing up in poverty today. Listen to this show and know that all things are possible for your future.

Later in the interview, when asked about Trump refusing to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election, no matter who wins, Scott dodged repeatedly.

The American people will make the decision, and the decision will be for President Trump, Scott said, as he was pressed to say yes or no whether he will accept the 2024 presidential election results.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
In 1978, from my station at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, I received the order to deploy to the Marshall Islands to assist with the Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project. I was assured that as part of this deployment, I would not receive any more radiation than I would from walking the streets of New York City. I worked 12-hour days, six days a week, digging up irradiated soil and drinking heavily irradiated water. Since returning, Ive experienced myriad health problems, including sterility, autoimmune diseases, degenerative bone disease, and spinal stenosis. By the age of 40, I was told I had the bone structure of a ninety-year-old.

I am far from the only victim. The Departments of Veterans Affairs is overwhelmingly failing to care for those who served in nuclear-related operations, from U.S. nuclear testing to environmental cleanup, and now Congress is racing the clock to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) before it expires June 10. As the custodian of our national defense, Congress has a responsibility to care for the Americans, veterans and civilians alike, who risked life and limb to protect our fellow countrymen.

As the National Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans, I work with veterans whose lives were forever changed by exposure to radiation and other toxins. One thing that has remained stagnant since I began this advocacy 18 years ago is that the path to financial help is staggeringly difficult. Many veterans petition the VA for over a decade before receiving compensation. Even then, success is far from certain: from August 2022 to August 2023, the VA reportedly rejected 86% of radiation-related claims.

Radiation exposure is a triple whammy: the effects of radiation can take decades to appear, leaving aging veterans too sick to work, all while medical expenses are rising. Financial compensation through RECA, which comes in one lump sum, is often the difference between a veteran and their family going bankrupt or becoming homeless, and financial stability.

The VAs failure to provide timely benefits makes RECA a critical lifeline for many veterans. Created in 1990 to provide compensation to those sickened by U.S. nuclear tests and administered through the Department of Justice, RECA includes benefits for onsite participants of U.S. nuclear testing sites, some populations who lived downwind of test sites, and select uranium workers.

RECA has helped atomic veterans like Mike Cobb, from California. Cobb witnessed 21 nuclear tests at the Pacific Proving Grounds as part of Operation Dominic. He was one of the few men in his unit equipped with protective gear  and even then, it was inadequate: just goggles. Sixty years later, Cobb was diagnosed with bladder cancer, an illness associated with radiation exposure and successfully received compensation through RECA.

RECA is an efficient option for atomic veterans who need help now. The last above-ground nuclear tests in the United States were in 1962, meaning the youngest on-site participants are nearing their 80s. They do not have decades to wait for the VA to approve their claim. But a veteran applying for RECA can have help in hand in just six to twelve months. RECA includes fewer benefits than the VA, but is much simpler to navigate and has been a godsend to many veterans.

As of May 1, $2.6 billion has reached over 41,000 claimants through the RECA program. To put this number in perspective, the U.S. plans to spend approximately $50 billion per year to maintain its nuclear forces over the next decade  almost 20 times the historical cost of RECA.

But RECA is in jeopardy. If it is allowed to expire in June, atomic veterans will be left without a meaningful path to timely compensation.

For decades, Congress has ignored the many communities that have been excluded from RECA, like the downwinders of the Trinity Test, the first-ever nuclear weapons test in New Mexico. On March 7, the Senate voted 69-30 to reauthorize RECA and finally include some of these communities that were left out. The bill isnt perfect  for one, it doesnt include cleanup veterans like myself, who were sent in after the nuclear tests. But it is critically important for atomic veterans that RECA be expanded, and not be allowed to expire.

I often hear from struggling veterans that they fear the government is simply waiting for them to die. It doesnt have to be this way. Extending and expanding RECA can give atomic veterans the gift of time, allowing them to focus on their health and their families, rather than fighting a bureaucratic behemoth for their due. We owe them that much.

Keith Kiefer is an Enewetak radiological cleanup veteran and the national commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Its National Nurses Appreciation Week and that means the spotlight is on more than 5 million nurses in the United States, who have dedicated their lives to making sure patients are taken care of  both physically and emotionally.

Its a very selfless job, some days are really hard; some days are really long so really just feeling a lot of love from people for Nurses Appreciation Week is great, Angela Teremi, Elara Caring Home Care Company, St. Johns said.

Teremi said there are a lot of emotions when patients come home from the hospital. Sentiments shared by Surgical Specialties Nurse at University of Michigan Health Sparrow, Zachary Delgado.

Delgado said a lot of his time is spent having normal conversations with patients- to help them forget theyre even at a hospital.

To not just think about this as a job that we come to just to say hey Im clocking in, I got to do work and then I want to go home, its that Im looking to make a difference in someones life today, Delgado said.

Teremi said her care is very impacting on the person who might not have a family or might not be able to get out of the home.

They might not have anybody, we might be their only person; that is very heartwarming and very touching to my heart to be able to help them, Teremi said.

Delgado said not everyone can do this job-  that he said is more than just passing meds, but about listening and building a relationship with the patient.

Teremi agrees that a patients needs are a top priority and its a quality nurses need to have.

The University of Michigan Health Sparrow will be holding a tea ceremony on Thursday of this week to recognize nurses who have made a difference in the community- and will also name and recognize nurses of the year later this month.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Photo illustration by Getty Images.

HERNDON, Virginia.  Juan Ramirez, watching his dog play in Chandon Park here in suburban Virginia on a Saturday morning, tries to imagine the massive office buildings next to the park becoming apartments and townhouses.

I guess its inevitable. People dont use offices as much now. I hope its affordable. Maybe itll bring more young people to town, more taxes for parks, said Ramirez, 38, who grew up in the area and returned recently to take a restaurant management job after living in Minnesota and Ohio.

Cities and suburbs around the country are struggling with vacant office space as remote work becomes an established post-pandemic reality. States are stepping in with tax breaks and zoning changes to help replace the unwanted cubicle farms with much-needed housing. In suburbs such as Herndon, the answer might be tearing down an office complex and replacing it with a residential building. In more urban environments it might mean renovating and retrofitting office buildings to create apartments.

Office vacancy has climbed to a 30-year high and at the same time theres a housing shortage. So naturally the question is, Why can we not convert all these vacant office buildings into housing? said Jessica Morin, research director for CBRE, a commercial real estate firm. CBRE research shows converting offices to other uses, mostly housing, is set to peak this year at more than 20 million square feet, up from 6.3 million in 2021.



Some places that started conversions before the pandemic are leading the way: New York state and New York City changed their laws during a 1990s downturn to allow more office-to-apartment conversions in Manhattan, although now theres a state vs. city standoff on zoning rules to convert newer offices.

Ohio, where interest in city living grew when Cleveland spruced up its downtown for the 2016 Republican convention, now has three cities  Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus  in the top 15 list for office conversions to housing, according to CBRE.

Nationwide, 119 office conversion projects, including for residential and other use, are under construction or were completed this year, the most since CBRE began tracking them in 2016. Those projects could add about 44,000 new housing units when completed.

Since 2016, projects representing 125 million square feet of offices have or are slated to be converted to other uses, usually to housing but sometimes to warehouses or laboratories. But despite the recent increase, that represents only about 2% of all U.S. office space.

Story continues

Impediments to making apartments out of offices include the still-high value of office buildings in some downtown areas in cities such as San Francisco, and the cost of demolishing or refitting old office buildings with plumbing for individual kitchens and bathrooms. Many office buildings also lack windows with natural light, which apartment-dwellers often demand.

Thats why state incentives have played a large part, as well as streamlined zoning that makes project costs more predictable for developers. Some states are further along than others. A new California law allows residential building by right in office and other commercial zones, meaning developers dont have to petition for a zoning change. Washington state passed a law last year requiring cities to ease zoning requirements for housing in existing commercial buildings. And an Arizona bill signed into law this month will allow larger cities to convert more commercial buildings into housing without zoning changes.

Predictable zoning rules are important to developers who dont want to get bogged down in negotiations and refusals that could sink a project.

Developers just urge their states and localities to be really transparent, streamline the process, make the unknowns limited, because its the unknowns that drive risks, said Julie Whelan, a vice president at CBRE. Otherwise, theyre going to go look at the next pasture.

Incentive programs

In addition to the Ohio cities, Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth; Houston; Hartford and Fairfield County in Connecticut; the Kansas City metro area; Louisville, Kentucky; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Pittsburgh; Milwaukee; New Jersey; and Washington, D.C., are on CBREs top 15 list for rate of office space converted to apartments.

Ohio has two incentive programs for office conversion to housing. A 2020 program for transformational projects that could spur further development helped convert four floors of offices to apartments under construction at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. A historic building preservation incentive in place since 2007 helped partly convert Carew Tower in Cincinnati to apartments, said Mason Waldvogel, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Development.

Missouri is hoping to replicate that success in St. Louis, where about a quarter of the commercial space, including offices, is vacant. That includes the massive 44-story One AT&T Building downtown, with almost 1.5 million square feet, that sold for $3.6 million this month, compared with $205 million in 2006.

Missouri state Sen. Steven Roberts, a Democrat who represents the downtown St. Louis area, said a bill hes sponsoring has bipartisan support from suburban Republicans, and is aimed at creating downtown areas in St. Louis and elsewhere where people can live, shop and eat as well as work. The bill was voted out of committee in February and is awaiting consideration by the full Senate.

The bill would create a state tax credit for up to 30% of the cost of converting office space to housing, retail or other uses.

Its a creative workaround to make downtown more vibrant and successful. We want to get more restaurants, more stores, more nightlife  and the way to do that is to get more people living there, said Roberts. Its an issue for downtown and also for the whole state.

Other states have enacted laws to encourage more conversion of offices to housing, according to a Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank report last year. Laws passed by Florida and Montana in 2023 allow new and converted multifamily housing in commercial areas, and laws in Rhode Island and Wisconsin support conversion of existing commercial and office buildings.

A Colorado bill now in committee would provide tax credits for commercial conversion to housing starting in 2026, supporting Denvers plans to transition its office-oriented Central Business District to a Central Neighborhood District. Denver identified 16 commercial buildings as prime candidates for housing.

Zoning changes

Starting in the mid-1990s, a combination of state and city laws helped transform lower Manhattans business district with more apartments, a process that accelerated after 9/11. A proposal by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to expand the program to newer buildings failed to pass the legislature as part of a broader measure that included requirements for suburban and upstate communities to build more housing. Negotiations are continuing with lawmakers to make the change for New York City this year.

When you have a 20% office vacancy rate and a 1.4% rental apartment vacancy rate, it makes a lot of sense to substitute one for the other.

 Casey Berkovitz, spokesperson for the New York City Department of City Planning

New York City also has begun working on its own rules to allow office-to-housing conversions citywide for buildings built before 1990, said Casey Berkovitz, spokesperson for the Department of City Planning. The state could do it faster and could also create tax incentives that the city cannot create on its own, and thats also part of current negotiations with the state legislature, Berkovitz said.

When you have a 20% office vacancy rate and a 1.4% rental apartment vacancy rate, it makes a lot of sense to substitute one for the other, Berkovitz said. We dont want our own regulations standing in the way of that if it makes financial sense.

In Herndon, town officials last month approved a zoning change that would clear the way for demolition of the Worldgate Drive offices and the construction of a combination of rental apartments, townhouses and two over two units with accessory living areas an owner can rent out or share with family members. All apartments would be market rate without subsidized affordable units, Ken Wire, an attorney for the developer, Boston Properties, said at last months hearing on the zoning change.

We believe that by providing more housing in the area, we are adding to the overall supply, which thereby reduces price pressures in the market, Wire said.

Virginia considered two state Senate bills this session that would have created incentives to convert offices to apartments but neither has passed, said Allison Brown, policy associate for the nonprofit Virginia Housing Alliance. One would have created a state income tax credit for office-to-residential conversion, and another would have allowed more residential building in commercial areas if they included affordable housing.

The Worldgate Drive housing plan may spur Herndon to change its zoning rules to allow similar projects without zoning changes, said Elizabeth Gilleran, the towns director of community development.

Herndon wants to retain its sense of community and historic small-town feel but also keep a strong commercial tax base that has helped support the towns tax coffers when home values inevitably rise and fall, Gilleran said. The town recently approved conversion of a small office park and a hotel to homes. But offices and other commercial buildings will remain a key component of the towns suburban building mix as density grows with a recent new commuter rail stop that opened in 2022.

The town doesnt wish to become a bedroom community, Gilleran said.

This story was produced by Stateline which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

The post Too many cubicles, too few homes spur incentives to convert offices to housing appeared first on Daily Montanan.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the months-long delay in aid to Ukraine was the result of the "growing pro-(Russian President Vladimir) Putin faction in the Republican Party," in an interview with 60 Minutes released on May 5.

The U.S. assistance for Ukraine had been blocked in the U.S. Congress since October 2023 until April, when House Speaker Mike Johnson called a vote on a foreign aid package that included $61 billion for Ukraine.

The Ukraine aid bill was promptly approved by both chambers and signed by U.S. President Joe Biden, restoring the flow of American military assistance.

Jeffries singled out Republican congresswoman and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who he characterized as leading the faction.

Greene has led the effort to oust Johnson over his decision to hold a vote on Ukraine aid and has also repeatedly disparaged Ukrainian leaders and spread widely debunked conspiracy theories about the country.

The minority leader added that his views were largely shared by top Republicans in Congress, who have also recently expressed concern about the growing influence of Russian propaganda within the party.

The obstruction of the faction has not just hurt Ukraine's defensive efforts, said Jeffries, but also undermined U.S. national security.

Russia's previous history of aggression toward Ukraine and Georgia illustrates that allowing Putin to win in the current full-scale war would encourage future military adventurism, he added.

"We can't let Ukraine fall because if it does, then there's a significant likelihood that America will have to get into the conflictnot simply with our money, but with our servicewomen and our servicemen."

Jeffries also disputed the notion that U.S. support for Ukraine has been an unsuccessful endeavor, which has been regularly argued by Republican opponents of aid.

Beyond the fact that Ukraine has been able to hold off Russian forces for more than two years, Jeffries said that "at least half of the Russian military that existed in February of 2022 is gone."

"This has been a strategic success by any definition."

Read also: What Ukraine lost while waiting for the US aid bill to pass

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Top EU diplomat supports idea of procuring weapons for Ukraine from Ukrainian defence industry

Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, believes that EU countries could procure weapons for Ukraine from Ukrainian defence companies and swiftly send them to Kyiv for military support.

Source: European Pravda, citing Borrell's opening remarks at the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum on 6 May

Details: Borrell stated that the EU needs to be more creative and explore new pathways for delivering military support to Ukraine.

"Denmark has shown the example, starting the path of directly investing in the Ukrainian defence industry. This is the way to go. Purchasing equipment from Ukrainian companies or from European and Ukrainian joint ventures established in Ukraine, is an option that we will explore together with the Member States," Borrell stated.

" If the military equipment that Ukraine needs can be rapidly produced by the Ukrainian defence industry, I say lets buy from them. Lets help them produce at home," he added.

Borrell noted that over 140 companies from 25 EU member states are at the EU-Ukraine Defene Industries Forum.

Background:

The European Commission presented the first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy at EU level on 5 March, which envisions Ukraines close involvement.

Borrell has advocated that a portion of the profits from frozen Russian sovereign assets be directed towards military support for Ukraine.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  Topeka police arrested a local man for allegedly trying to set a school on fire Sunday.

The Topeka Police Department (TPD) announced in a press release Monday morning that officers were called at 5:45 p.m. on May 5 for Robinson Middle School at 1125 SW 14th Street. Officers were informed someone was trying to light the building on fire.

Rosie Nichols, TPD spokeswoman, says officers found a 28-year-old Topeka man at the scene. He was identified as a suspect in the investigation and placed under arrest. He was taken to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the charges of arson and transporting an open container of liquor.

Woman serving life sentence for first-degree murder dies at Topeka Correctional Facility

If you have any information to share with police regarding this incident, you can send an email to telltpd@topeka.org or call 785-368-9400. You can also contact Shawnee County Crime Stoppers to leave an anonymous tip by calling 785-234-0007 or clicking here.

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.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
(Bloomberg) -- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing calls from Conservative lawmakers to adopt an immigration cap, as he comes under pressure to move his party further to the right after it was routed in last weeks local elections.

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While internal critics of Sunak decided against trying to replace him, prominent party members renewed their attacks on the leader after the Conservatives lost almost half the local council seats they were defending. Keir Starmers resurgent Labour Party also won 10 out of 11 mayoralties up for grabs, increasing its vote share in London and toppling the popular Tory mayor Andy Street in the West Midlands by just 1,500 votes.

Now, Sunak is facing calls to consider policies including an immigration cap and a withdrawal from the European Court of Human Rights, even though the prime minister has urged the party to stick to the plan ahead of a general election expected in the second half of the year. Although many of its seats were captured by Labour and other left-leaning parties such as the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, some Conservatives worry the populist Reform UK founded by Brexit-campaigner Nigel Farage poses a bigger threat.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said during an interview with the BBC that she regretted backing Sunak to become prime minister in 2022, although she stopped short of calling for a new leader. She criticized the governments failure to make a bold offer of tax cuts to voters and said Sunak needs to put a cap on legal European migration and pull the UK out of the ECHR.

The plan is not working and I despair at these terrible results, said Braverman, whos among several past and present Sunak cabinet officials mentioned as possible successors.

Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick is set to publish a pamphlet this week urging more action to bring down migration before the election, according to a person familiar with his plans. Andrea Jenkyns, a Tory MP and former minister who submitted a letter of no confidence against Sunak in November, separately exhorted the prime minister to take a really strong stance on illegal immigration and push ahead with plans to deport migrants to Rwanda.

Hes staring down the barrel of a gun, Jenkyns said on Sky News. Weve got to actually start delivering true conservative values.

Sunaks team said he would attempt to fight back with a series of media appearances and policy announcements in the days ahead, focusing on the economy, migration and healthcare. Tory officials said they would seek to argue in the election campaign that there was a risk of a Labour coalition government with the Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats or Greens if Starmers party failed to secure a majority.

These were disappointing results, but the point is what they demonstrate from that scenario is that Labour is not on course for that majority, Keir Starmer hasnt sealed the deal with the public, Transport Minister Mark Harper told Sky News, speaking for the government.

Allies of the prime minister are embracing an analysis by local elections expert Michael Thrasher that projects Labours advantage in the national vote at just 7 percentage points, well short of what the party expects to need to win an outright majority. However, some polling experts caution against drawing firm conclusions about what local elections mean for general elections, due to differing match-ups with independent parties and tactical decisions by voters.

Sunak on Sunday conceded that the Conservatives was on course to lose its majority, but warned that a Starmer premiership thats propped up by other parties would be a disaster for the UK.

The country doesnt need more political horse trading, but action, Sunak told the Times newspaper. We are the only party that has a plan to deliver on the priorities of the people.

The prime minister has some breathing room after internal critics called off a planned effort to depose him after last weeks votes. While the Tories lost 473 seats, it avoided a wipeout, after Ben Houchen, the popular mayor of Tees Valley, held his seat and the Labour opposition was denied victory in a crucial London suburb of Harlow in Essex.

Read More: Tories Drop Bid to Oust Sunak After He Avoids Election Wipeout

The calls to move further to the right are familiar to Sunak, who has lurched between populist and centrist rhetoric as his government rolls from crisis to crisis. After a failed rebellion against his Rwanda policy, which some harder-line Tories deemed too weak, he turned his focus back to the economy and tax cuts, arguing that the Conservatives fortunes would improve as election day neared.

In the run-up to last weeks elections, Sunak pledged to hold the first deportation flights to Rwanda by July and vowed to increase defense spending to 2.5% GDP by 2030  policies aimed at fending off potential leadership rivals. Through it all, support for the Conservatives has only declined, with voters seeking change after 14 years of Tory rule.

Still, some Conservatives argue that the party faces a more secure future by seeking the middle ground. They point to London Mayor Sadiq Khans decisive victory over Susan Hall, who had expressed support for former US President Donald Trump and ran a populist campaign focused on crime and opposition to the citys low-emissions zone.

Street, the Tories defeated mayoral candidate in the West Midlands, told Sky News that he only came so close to winning reelection because his campaign presented a moderate, inclusive and tolerant message. That is what the Conservative Party should concentrate on, not the personality politics, he said.

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Hordii Tiahnybok, a fighter with the "Rubizh" Brigade, who is the son of Oleh Tiahnybok, head of the Svoboda party, was wounded in a battle against the Russian occupiers in the Donetsk region. The soldier underwent two surgeries, and doctors gave a positive outlook for his recovery.

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This was announced on May 5 by his father on Facebook. He posted a photo with his son in the hospital.

According to the former MP, Hordii was defending the country in the Bakhmut sector of the frontline and was wounded the day after his 27th birthday.

"He says that now he will celebrate his birthday twice  day after day, on May 3 and 4. Of course, this is not a holiday... but thank God for that. He saved him on the eve of Easter," the soldier's father emphasized.

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He added that after the second surgery, doctors assessed his son's condition as moderate, and the prognosis was positive.

"There will be a victory! Moscow will fall!" Oleh Tiahnybok wrote.

It should be noted that 27-year-old Hordii Tiahnybok is fighting as part of the "Force of Freedom" battalion of the 4th "Rubizh" National Guard Brigade. His father, a politician, is a major in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and after the outbreak of a full-scale war, he also joined the army.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Incarcerated learners take part in a Mt. Tamalpais College educational program at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif., in July 2023. Currently, California stands as the sole state with a fully approved Pell-eligible prison education program, at Pelican Bay State Prison through California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. (Photo by Eric Risberg/The Associated Press)

Incarcerated learners take part in a Mt. Tamalpais College educational program at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif., in July 2023. Currently, California stands as the sole state with a fully approved Pell-eligible prison education program, at Pelican Bay State Prison through California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. (Photo by Eric Risberg/The Associated Press)

When the U.S. Department of Education announced last summer that federal Pell Grants would become available to incarcerated college students, lawmakers and state corrections agencies scrambled to adjust statutes and step up potential partnerships with universities.

But nearly a year later, colleges and agencies are recognizing the steep administrative challenge to winning approval from the U.S. Department of Education. So far, just one new program eligible for the federal financial aid grant  in California  has gotten off the ground.

Were going to see an impact  its coming. Its been a bit slow to arrive because of this quality focus within the regulations, said Ruth Delaney, who leads a program at the Vera Institute of Justice to help scale up college programs in correctional institutions. Whats great is that theres a lot of energy in colleges and corrections to start new prison education programs.

Pell Grants were officially restored for incarcerated students in July 2023, following a nearly 30-year federal ban that prohibited most incarcerated students from receiving the aid. The ban was one of the provisions in the sweeping 1994 federal crime bill signed by President Bill Clinton.

More than 750,000 incarcerated students could potentially become eligible for Pell Grants. But to qualify, they must be below the family income limits and be at a prison that offers a college program approved by the federal Department of Education.

To date, only one program has been fully approved, at Pelican Bay State Prison in northern California. Students there will be eligible to receive Pell Grants starting next fall to study for a degree in communications from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.

Still, officials from state corrections agencies in Maryland, Michigan and Wisconsin told Stateline that since Pell dollars became available, more colleges and universities have become interested in establishing prison education programs. Since last summer, 44 state corrections agencies and the federal Bureau of Prisons have developed applications or other systems to approve prison education programs, according to the Vera Institute of Justice.

There are people in prison who have been waiting 30 years for this opportunity to come back, and they are just so eager to enroll, Delaney said in an interview. Anything we can do to move quickly to get high-quality programs in place  thats what wed like to see.

State action

The Pell Grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, is provided to low-income students across the country to help cover college expenses. Most students apply online using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Incarcerated students are usually required to submit paper applications because internet access is restricted. The current maximum grant is $7,395 for a full academic year.

College saved my life. It was a place where I could be free. I could read, I could learn, and I could grow. It was very transformative for me to realize that my life wasnt over.

 Alexa Garza, an analyst for The Education Trust who was formerly incarcerated

While states pay to house incarcerated people in their prison systems, many dont pay for higher education; prison college programs often rely on alternative funding, such as donations and state grants. Some are a part of a federal pilot program called the Second Chance Pell Experimental Sites Initiative, which has included about 40,000 incarcerated learners. Otherwise, students have to pay out of their own pockets or use scholarships and donations from nonprofits and colleges.

No matter how its paid for, the goal of providing college-level instruction in prisons is to make it easier for incarcerated people to reenter society once they are released and to connect them to meaningful, good-paying jobs.

College saved my life. It was a place where I could be free. I could read, I could learn, and I could grow. It was very transformative for me, and I realized that my life wasnt over, said Alexa Garza, who obtained two associate degrees and a bachelors degree while incarcerated in Texas. Garza now works as a Texas policy analyst and higher education justice initiatives analyst for The Education Trust, an education access advocacy group.

Prison education advocates say its important for schools to expand the college experience in prison beyond just offering classes. That means fostering meaningful relationships between professors and students.

I didnt have family in the courtroom. I had professors in the courtroom, said William Freeman, who served time in Maryland and now leads the Justice Policy Fellowship at The Education Trust. Now, Im a first-gen everything  college graduate, homeowner. I dont think my parents ever made the kind of money Im making now.

Many state lawmakers have worked, with varying outcomes, to boost prison college programs in anticipation that Pell Grants could help more incarcerated students earn degrees.

In Washington state, for example, a law set to take effect in June will allow more incarcerated learners to seek both federal and state financial aid grants to cover the costs of postsecondary education programs.

Marylands legislature has sent Democratic Gov. Wes Moore a bill that would require that the state corrections department help incarcerated students in accessing Pell Grants and set goals for participation. Moores office said the legislation is under consideration.

A Florida bill that would have allowed students to be eligible for in-state tuition even if they had been incarcerated in the state in the past year made it out of House and Senate committees but was tabled before the legislature adjourned.

And in Montana, lawmakers grilled state corrections officials after a legislative audit found that prison education and workforce programs are limited, featuring long waitlists and inequitable access between private and public facilities.

New programs and partnerships

Corrections agencies and colleges in several states have recently announced new partnerships, with some soon to become Pell-eligible.

Marylands corrections department recently announced a memorandum of understanding with the University System of Maryland to provide incarcerated students with the opportunity to obtain bachelors degrees or credit-based certificates from any of the 12 system universities. The university system will also be able to accept Pell Grants.

Danielle Cox, the state corrections departments education director, said she aims to have a college or university program at every state facility by 2027.

In Utah, female incarcerated students at the Utah State Correctional Facility can apply to a new bachelors program at the University of Utah through the schools Prison Education Project. At least 11 of 15 prospective students already have received their admissions decisions, according to Erin Castro, an associate professor of higher education at the University of Utah and co-founder of the Prison Education Project.

This is the first time that the flagship public institution is admitting a currently incarcerated cohort, Castro said.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and Southeast Community College are expanding their partnership to offer more higher education opportunities to students in five state facilities. The college enrolled 229 students this spring semester, and also is working on gaining the federal approval to offer Pell Grants as an official prison education program.

The college now offers an associate of arts degree in academic transfer, and in the fall will offer an associate of applied science in business and more career and technical education programs.

Bureaucratic barriers

But navigating the new application process from the U.S. Department of Education has required significantly more administrative labor, some advocates say.

At least one university so far has decided to pull the plug on its prison education program. Georgia State University cited the feds new rules for Pell Grants and a $24 million budget cut as reasons to close its program this summer, according to Open Campus, a nonprofit news outlet that reports on higher ed. The program has been in operation since 2016.

The shape and tenor of this new system is causing significant damage to the framework of college-in-prison, Jessica Neptune, the director of national engagement for the Bard Prison Initiative at Bard College in New York, wrote in an email to Stateline.

Much of the recent policy work related to Pell, especially, is moving in a direction that makes it harder and harder for colleges to just be colleges and not criminal justice interventions, she said.

The Department of Education did not directly respond to advocates concerns about the new application requirements, but said it held a negotiated rulemaking process that enlisted significant stakeholder input to put forward the best regulations possible.

Some prison education advocates also argue that the new bureaucratic process isolates the mission of educating incarcerated students from that of other students and encourages the othering of current or formerly incarcerated individuals.

Whenever we are creating separate systems for individuals  particularly when theyre incarcerated  that reinforce processes, isolation and marginalization, it is not going to go well, said Dyjuan Tatro, a senior government affairs officer with the Bard Prison Initiative and a Bard College alum.

Incarcerated students should have the same access to Pell Grants, full stop, as any other students in this country, Tatro said.

Stateline originally published this article. Like the Alaska Beacon, 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.

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The post Transformative: More college programs are slowly coming into prisons appeared first on Alaska Beacon.
An image created by the Bailey family for Tristyn's memorial.

The Tristyn Bailey Family, the St. Johns County Sheriffs Office (SJSO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are hosting an online safety presentation for cheerleaders on May 8 at 6 p.m. at the Tocoi Creek High School Auditorium. Members of the Bailey family will be among those present to encourage cheerleaders and their families to continue Tristyns legacy by championing education on the dangers of social media.

According to SJSO, HSI special agents will review topics to include tactics used by adult predators online; growing trends of sextortion; information detected from external devices; and apps, online games, and social networks children use.

Scenarios based on local investigations for online child victimization will also be reviewed.

Project iGuardian, HSIs public awareness campaign, Know2Protect: Together We Can Stop Online Child Exploitation, will be used for the presentation.

According to the HSI website, Project iGuardian, the official in-person educational arm of the Know2Protect campaign, focuses on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness.

"The project is an outreach effort to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity," they said. "In addition, the iGuardians team is here to help kids stay safe online by providing safety tips, a number to call, and a website with links to more information and resources. Project iGuardian helps kids, teens and parents be smarter about online safety and stay safe from online sexual predators."

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Know2Protect is a national public awareness campaign that educates and empowers children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to:

Prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Explain how to report online enticement and victimization.

Offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters.

Tocoi Creek High School is located at 11200 St. Johns Parkway.

In 2021, Tristyn Bailey was a seventh grade student attending Patriot Oaks Academy in Saint Johns County. On Sunday, May 9, hours after the Bailey family reported her missing, she was found dead in the woods east of the cul-de-sac on Saddlestone Drive. The Charger cheerleader had been stabbed 114 times.

Fourteen-year-old fellow classmate Aiden Fucci, the last person to be seen with Bailey on the night she disappeared, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge in Bailey's death. In March of 2023, Fucci was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder by Judge. R. Lee Smith in a St. Augustine courtroom.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Tristyn Bailey Family, SJSO and Homeland Security host safety event
House Speaker Mike Johnson got it right in his impassioned speech shortly before going forward with a vote on Ukraine aid, in which he said, We cant play politics with this. ... Im willing to take a personal risk for that because we have to do the right thing, and history will judge us. This moment showed Johnson to be the man many hoped he would be.

Voices from many corners  from Ivy League faculty who hailed the move as Johnsons Profile in Courage moment, to former Vice President Mike Pence, who lauded the speakers moral courage  have rightly applauded Johnsons decision.

The vote was a victory for everyone who cares about standing up to tyranny. Its also a victory for the U.S. Constitution. It is a triumph of these institutions over what the American founders called faction, or what we call tribalism or partisanship today.

The Ukraine aid passed the House overwhelmingly, by a vote of 311-112, and by an even greater margin in the Senate. Yet Johnsons critics on the left point out it came only after Johnson reversed the stance he held before becoming speaker, and after months of delay, which has cost Ukrainian lives. There is some truth to this, but the criticism misses important context.

Johnsons decision to go forward was difficult, not because its hard for a politician to change his stance, but because the Republicans incredibly narrow majority gave disproportionate influence to a small minority of Johnsons own caucus. This group, egged on by the small but influential band of neo-isolationists on the right, threatened to oust Johnson as speaker, just as they had former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Johnsons caucus ended up splitting about 50/50 on the final vote, with a small majority of Republicans voting no, but few of those who voted against Ukraine aid wanted to oust him over it.

Its easy to say Johnson should have moved faster, and, in my view, it would have been better if he had. But even putting Johnsons personal ambitions aside, one should not underestimate the costs of having a third election for speaker inside of six months. The spectacle could easily have led to complete paralysis for the rest of this Congress. This was not a small issue. The tiny minority that threatened to oust Johnson, however, was only viable because both Republicans and Democrats routinely vote for their own candidate for speaker, and reflexively vote against the other sides candidates. This is especially true in our era of high polarization. Given the narrowness of the Republican majority, in essence, Johnson needed a clean sweep of his own party.

This is a problem that James Madison warned about in The Federalist Papers. In Federalist 10, Madison described a faction as a number of citizens  who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse(d) to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community. In other words, the faction does not represent the permanent will of the majority, is indifferent to the good of the whole and does harm to the interests of the country.

Johnson was able to push forward this important vote, in large part, because Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, made the extraordinary decision  at first tacitly and then, after the vote, explicitly  to support Johnson against the fringe faction of his caucus. Democrats would refuse to vote to oust him, as they would usually reflexively do. Their reasoning was clear: They wanted Ukraine aid to pass, they understood the position Johnson was in, and rather than allow a faction to control policy, they would join with their usual rivals to ensure that the aid passed.

Politics is often messy and confusing, and sometimes its dirty and dishonest. Because of that, Madison wrote Federalist 10 in support of ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

One of the fears at the time was that faction would eventually destroy the ability of the government to function. Madisons argument was clear: The relief from faction Is supplied by the republican principle, which enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote. It may clog the administration, it may convulse the society; but it will be unable to execute and mask its violence under the forms of the Constitution.

Put another way, the constitutional framework of checks and balances, both internal and external from the House of Representatives, would eventually defeat the efforts of a small faction to derail policies that represented the clear will of the majority. Both Johnson and Pence alluded to this fact, with Johnson saying his move would allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will, and Pence saying that the the vast majority of members of Congress knew that this was needed. Minority Leader Jeffries made the more partisan statement that Democrats partnered with Johnson so that pro-Putin Republicans could not break democracy in the free world.

Its worth noting that even this maneuver posed risks for both Johnson and Jeffries. Getting the backing of the opposing party, for any reason, will be seen as a bad thing by some in a politicians base. This was minimized because both the Biden administration and former President Donald Trump tacitly blessed the union, even if for different reasons. This, too, shows how the constitutional structure should work.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the de facto leader of Johnsons right-wing antagonizers, denounced this maneuver as the will of the uniparty. In a sense, shes correct. It represents the clear will of the majority of Americans that affiliate with both major parties, and no small number of independents and third-party members. Shes wrong to think this is a negative. Indeed, our entire constitutional structure is based on the idea that the uniparty, as Greene derisively calls it, will eventually triumph over faction.

These events bring hope, hope that Ukraine and the civilized world will triumph over barbarism, and also hope that the American system will not eternally be rendered dysfunctional. Blind ideological factions and narrow, short-term political interests can only threaten the clear majority for so long before the majority reasserts itself. But while the system is designed to encourage these results, it is not inevitable.

The better angels of Johnsons character rose up at a pivotal moment, as they have with others such as the late Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, the Michigan Republican who supported Harry Truman in early Cold War containment policy; Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democrat then Independent from Connecticut who championed the surge in Iraq at great personal cost; and Vice President Mike Pence who saved the country from a constitutional crisis on Jan. 6, 2021, by refusing to reject rightful electoral votes for President Joe Biden. While a system can encourage these outcomes, no system can constrain selfish or shortsighted decision-makers forever.

As John Adams once said, a politics that cares nothing for morality would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. That is something every American should remember when they cast a vote.

Cliff Smith is a lawyer and a former congressional staffer. He lives in Washington, D.C., where he works on national security related issues. His views are his own.
MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH)  Theres a money mystery in Marysville, Ohio, after tens of thousands of dollars were found in a couple of bathrooms around the city.

The money was found in publicly accessible bathrooms, according to the Marysville Police Division (MPD). Capt. Nate Sachs said more than $20,000 was found in a bathroom at the Avalon Theater last weekend. Less than a week later on Thursday night, more than $10,000 was found in a bathroom at a Kentucky Fried Chicken.

They were hidden in a way that you would have to know where to look to find them. Wasnt like you walk in and they were behind a trash can or anything like that. It was hidden, Sachs said.

Nearly $22M in counterfeit currency was seized last year: How to tell if your cash is fake

Employees at both of the establishments found the cash, according to Sachs.

Truly bizarre. Just weird, especially two times in one week in our town, he said. Theres disbelief. Its disbelief, and honestly, [the businesses are] just curious as to why the money would be there in the first place.

Investigators are currently trying to figure out where the cash came from, who put it in the bathrooms, and who it was meant for. Sachs said this type of find is a first for him, never having seen anything like it in his 18-year career.

Were looking at the avenues that theyre probably connected, he said. At this point with an open investigation, we have not linked it up yet. But anythings possible at this point. Were just looking at everything.

The MPD does not believe there are any additional bundles of cash hidden in Marysville establishments. Anyone with information on one of the finds is urged to call police.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
A New Hampshire middle school is apologizing to parents after their spring concert theme about nature accidentally contained an anti-Israeli message.

Hampton Academys spring concert in June was originally titled From the River to the Sea, based on songs about the different bodies of water, according to a district spokesperson.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says the phrase From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free is an anti-Semitic slogan commonly featured in anti-Israel campaigns and chanted at demonstrations. Officials say supporters of terrorist organizations have used this phrase in their rhetoric.

This was truly a mistake on our schools part as we have used this concert theme in the past and it was solely selected to highlight the water themes in our musical selection, Superintendent Lois Costa said in a letter sent to the school community. Please know that our concert has nothing to do with present world affairs. We would like to extend our deepest apologies for any confusion or concern this has caused within the community.

The new theme of the spring concert has since been changed to Sound Waves.

This was by no means a comment on the political climate nor world affairs, Superintendent Costa said.

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Trump Hints He's Willing To Violate Gag Order And Go To Jail

Former President Donald Trump seemed to hint on Monday that hes willing to go to jail rather than comply with a gag order issued by the New York judge overseeing his hush money trial.

On Monday, New York state Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan found Trump to be in contempt of court for again violating a gag order and warned the former president that future violations could mean a trip to jail.

Trump suggested he was OK with that possibility when he spoke to the media outside the Manhattan courtroom.

This judge is giving me a gag order and said youll go to jail if you violate it, Trump griped. And frankly, our Constitution is much more important than jail. Its not even close. Ill do that sacrifice any day.

Trump: This judge is giving me a gag order and said you'll go to jail if you violate it. And frankly, our constitution is much more important than jail. It's not even close. I'll do that sacrifice any day. pic.twitter.com/TkbnLajOSt  Acyn (@Acyn) May 6, 2024

Social media was soon rife with posts from those who were OK with the possibility that Trump might go to jail for his repeated violations of the court order.

In fact, many openly encouraged the former president to keep it up.

Im willing for Trump to make this sacrifice. https://t.co/uuUsDIEAUg  Outspoken (@Out5p0ken) May 6, 2024

All you gotta do is violate again. Its easy enough to do. You want to be a martyr, go right ahead big boy. Lets see if this might be the first time you back up your false bravado with action. https://t.co/rzg1VpxkkP  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 6, 2024

Oh this will be fun. https://t.co/NTvmqSzsld  Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) May 6, 2024

Cool. Looking forward to it. https://t.co/9Qa3SPqVYs  Janet Johnson (@JJohnsonLaw) May 6, 2024

Some were skeptical Trump could handle being behind bars.

Lets see what he says after spending a few nights in jail. Mr. Gold Toilet has no idea what he is talking about, but if he keeps needling this judge, hes going to find out. https://t.co/xj6WoRQJBFpic.twitter.com/qHmasRkNIy  Maris Kay Lenhart  (@kaysra) May 6, 2024

- Gag orders arent unconstitutional.



- The idea that Trump cares about the constitution is laughable.



- Trump being ordered to jail, where he would be totally protected by the secret service, would give him an massive fundraising boost. He wants that. It is not his bravery or https://t.co/aHH2mOWADZ  Peter Henlein (@SwissWatchGuy) May 6, 2024

Trump claims the constitution is more important than the gag order.



Trump also called for the termination of the constitution to give him the 2020 election.



Like always, Trump cant keep his story straight. https://t.co/DeT4EX6IIm  Hal_For_NY__ (@HalforNY__) May 6, 2024

Do it, Donnie.



Play chicken with Uncle Sam.



Nap before you inevitably blink. https://t.co/8id4BrzbJA   StrawHatRican | RG  (@StrawHatRican) May 6, 2024

Prosecutors told Merchan on Monday that they expect to finish presenting evidence by May 21.

Related...
Donald Trumps hush money trial enters its fourth week Monday following the Star Wars Day weekend, which was seized on by both Republicans and Democrats alike as an opportunity for some pop culture-infused PR for their respective presidential candidates. Joe Biden posed alongside actor Mark Hamill in the White House, while the North Carolina Republican Party depicted Trump as A New Hope in a Star Wars-themed post (which drew mockery for seeming to inadvertently cast him as a villain).

But the Hope that will be on the mind of jurors at the beginning of the 12th day of Trumps trial is Hope Hicks, his former senior aide who broke down into tears on the stand while testifying Friday about how the campaign responded to the explosive emergence of the Access Hollywood tapein which Trump boasted about groping womenon the eve of the 2016 election.

How Hope Hicks Ended Up in the Hush-Money Hot Seat

Hicks said she knew the tape was going to be a massive story and that it would be a damaging development. The infamous recording had also figured earlier in the week in the testimony of lawyer Keith Davidson, who said it had had a tremendous influence on the interest in claims being made by his client, porn star Stormy Daniels, of an alleged affair with Trump.

Trump denies having sex with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors claim Trumps business falsely recorded as legal expenses payments to Trumps former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen that were actually reimbursements for a $130,000 payment Cohen had made to Daniels in order to buy her silence about the affair.

The first weeks of testimony in the trial have seen the prosecution attempt to establish that Trump used hush-money payments to prevent damaging stories from coming to light in order to protect his 2016 bid for the White House and therefore unlawfully influence the election.

Trumps defense team, on the other hand, has worked to undermine the theory that Trump was behind a conspiracy to protect his campaign and have questioned the credibility of some of the witnesses in the case.

Its not yet clear who could take the stand this week, but some key expected witnesses have yet to testify. They include Daniels and Cohen, two of the figures at the heart of the prosecutions case.

Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, could also rule at any time on allegations that Trump has continued to breach his court-imposed gag order.

Merchan has already hit the former president with a $9,000 fine for nine violations of the order, which is intended to stop Trump from intimidating witnesses, jurors, and others closely connected to the proceedings. Prosecutors on Thursday sought further penalties over another four alleged breaches of the order.

Merchan has even threatened Trump with jail if the violations continue. The 2024 GOP presumptive nominee could face similar admonitions if a ruling on the latest alleged breaches does come this week.

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Donald Trump was fined $1,000 and was once against held in contempt of court Monday, this time for violating a gag order. That marked the 10th time the ex-president has been held in contempt, inching Judge Juan Merchan closer to throwing him behind bars, he warned.

Merchan asserted that he doesnt want to have Trump imprisoned ahead of his trials completion, but said the court-imposed finestotaling a mere $10,000have done little to deter the billionaire businessman-turned-politician from behaving during his hush-money trial.

If Trump were to be thrown in the clink, hed be the first U.S. president to spend time behind bars. However, hed be far from the first world leader to find himself imprisoned. Below are some notable politicians to be jailed and how they ended up there.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela upon being released from prison after 27 years in apartheid jails on Feb. 11, 1990. Reuters

The nature of Nelson Mandelas imprisonment and the potential lock-up of Trump could not be any more different. Mandela, South Africas first Black president, who led his nation between 1994 to 1999, spent 27 years in prison for opposing its apartheid system. He was released in 1990, months before apartheid officially ended, after facing harsh prison conditions for decades. That included a particularly brutal spell at the Robben Island Prison off the coast of Cape Town, where he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry and was permitted to just a single visitfor 30 minutesfrom loved ones annually. Despite being behind bars, Mandela became a household name across the globe, representing the struggle of Black South Africans and exposing the crippling racism that persisted in South Africa.

While Mandela was a champion of peace and justice, traits Trump routinely flouts, the ex-president has still made it a point to speak ofand even compare himself tothe late South African leader on multiple occasions. That included the day Mandela was released from prison on Feb. 11, 1990, when Trump announced he was divorcing his first wife, Ivana Trumpa news story Trump claimed received more attention stateside than that of Mandelas release. Nobody knew that Nelson Mandela existed, he said. He came out of jail that day and nobody knew it in New York and throughout the country.

Most recently, Trump compared his prosecution to that of the South African leader in April by saying, I dont mind being Nelson Mandela, because Im doing it for a reason. Weve got to save our country from these fascists, these lunatics that were dealing with. Theyre horrible people and theyre destroying our country.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had his corruption conviction overturned in 2021, opening him up to run for the presidency once again. Reuters

Like Trump hopes to achieve this election season, the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was re-elected to lead Brazil in 2022 after a tumultuous period followed his first stint in office. Silva, who was president between 2003 to 2010, was convicted of money laundering and corruption in 2017 and was sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Petitions to stave off jail time were rejected by Brazilian courts, and he was ultimately thrown in prison the following yearsparking the Free Lula Movement that put pressure on authorities to allow Silva, who continued to campaign from behind bars, to again appeal his conviction. Those efforts culminated with his conviction being overturned in 2021.

The following year, he defeated Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro to win the presidency. Bolsonaro himself is now the subject of multiple investigations, including allegations he harassed a humpback whale off the Brazilian coast and that he fudged his COVID-19 vaccine card to travel to the U.S. at a time when tight entry restrictions on un-vaccinated foreigners remained in place.

Moshe Katsav

Moshe Katsav spent five years in prison after he was convicted of rape and other sexual offenses. Reuters

Moshe Katsav, the Israeli president from 2000 to 2007, is among the few world leaders to spend time behind bars for sex crimes. He was accused of rape and sexual harassment by 10 women who worked under him in previous stints within the Israeli government. He resigned from the presidency in 2007 and was convicted of two counts of rape, obstruction of justice, and other charges in 2011a landmark ruling that eventually made its way to the Israeli Supreme Court, which upheld the conviction. Katsav was sentenced to spend seven years in prison, but was released after five. The conviction decimated his standing in Israeli politics, despite still having the support of powerful allies, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said his conviction in 2011 marked a sad day for Israel.

Katsav asked a court to allow him to serve his sentence from his home, arguing he may divulge state secrets if he was attacked by fellow inmates. That request was ultimately denied and, later in 2011, he reported to the infamous Maasiyahu Prison in Ramla. While there, where he was denied access to television and newspapers, and was ordered to study sacred Jewish texts for large swaths of the day. He was said to have been harassed by fellow convicts he refused to pardon as president, leading to at least one being transferred. He was released in 2016, but was barred from speaking to the media and returning to politics.

Park Geun-hye

Park Geun-hye was sentenced to spend 24 years in prison on corruption charges, but was released after just five. Reuters

South Korea hasnt been kind to its former leaders in recent decades. Four of its former presidents have been jailed for corruption since the 1980s, and another ex-president, Roh Moo-hyun, died by suicide in 2009 while being probed on similar allegations. While each instance made international news, the prosecution of Park Geun-hye still lives fresh in the minds of those in South Korea and elsewhere. Geun-hye, the first woman to be elected president in Korea and as the head of state anywhere in East Asia, was impeached in 2017 on accusations of bribery and abuse of power. She was criminally convicted the following year and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. However, Geun-hye was pardoned in 2022, five years into her sentence, and retreated to a life outside of politics. South Korea presidents are limited to a single five-year term, which insulates it against former leaders seeking to regain power in hopes they can stave off their own legal investigations.

Close calls in France

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has managed to save off prison time despite being convicted of corruption and influence peddling. Reuters

France has pursued charges against two former presidents after they left office, but, despite convictions, neither has had to spend a second in the clinkat least, not yet. Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France between 2007-2012, was convicted of corruption, influence peddling, and illegal campaign financing in a pair of trials in 2021. He was handed twin custodial sentencesa year in jail and a years house arrestbut had those sentences placed on hold while he appeals. In a third case, which could go to trial this year, hes accused of accepting illegal campaign funding from Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi in 2007more allegations that could eventually land him in prison if convicted.

Sarkozy has maintained hes innocent of each charge against him and maintains sway in French politics, though nowhere the degree Trump has maintained in the U.S.

Sarkozys predecessor, Jacques Chirac, also faced criminal charges. He was slapped with a two-year suspended sentence in 2011 after he was found guilty of influence peddling, breach of trust, and embezzlement while he was mayor of Paris, but never had to spend time behind bars. He died in 2019, aged 86.

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Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats and minority in the U.S. House of Representatives, blamed the "pro-Putin faction" within the Republican Party for the delay in helping Ukraine fight Russia. Washington, however, must continue to support Kyiv to prevent a wider war in the region.

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Otherwise, he believes, the Americans will have to intervene in the struggle not only with money but also with troops. The politician expressed this opinion in an interview with CBC News.

"We can't let Ukraine fall, because if it does, there's a good chance that America will have to get involved in the conflict - not just with our money, but with our troops," Jeffries said.

In his opinion, Russian dictator Putin "seeks to recreate the Soviet Union," so he will continue to threaten NATO allies. He reminded that the Russian president's plans did not stop with the invasion of neighboring Georgia, as well as the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine.

"Are we to believe that in the face of such consistent aggression, if we allow Putin to succeed in Ukraine, he will stop there? Of course not," the Democrat emphasized.

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He believes that the so-called pro-Putin faction in the Republican Party, among other things, influenced the delay in the adoption of a large aid package worth $61 billion to Ukraine. According to him, it "does not want to support Ukraine and for some reason believes that Russia is not an enemy of the United States."

CBC News journalists noted that the Democrat is not alone in this assessment. In the past, House Republican Michael McCaul and his colleague Mike Turner have admitted that "Russian propaganda has infiltrated their party." It is known that Taylor Greene is the head of the party's support for Russia.

It is noted that in the Senate, 15 Republicans voted against the bill, which included an increase in aid to Ukraine. Some explained this by saying that the country already lacks the soldiers and military power to win, so American support is not enough to change this.

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Jeffries responded to these claims by pointing to the ability of the Ukrainian Defense Forces to deter Russian troops for more than two years.

"This is a strategic success by any definition. And that's why those who want to convince the American people that Ukraine's efforts have failed are promoting Putin's propaganda, because the facts are the opposite. So, it is important for us to finish the job. This is a Churchill or Chamberlain moment," Jeffries said.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the day before, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica wrote about the "red lines" through which NATO can directly intervene in the war in Ukraine. The journalists emphasized that they are extremely confidential, but are being considered, and whether they will be applied depends on the actions of the Russian Federation.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Day 12 of Donald Trump's Manhattan trial began with a new witness to the stand, Jeffrey McConney, a former employee of the Trump Organization who prosecutors say helped arrange a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, who alleges had a sexual encounter with the former president.

In his testimony on Monday, McConney, who served as a financial controller, reprised his role in the Trump Organization's 2022 civil fraud trial, The New York Times reported, discussing his interactions with the company's former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.

McConney said that he and Weisselberg, who is currently in jail, had been close and would eat lunch together every day. He was less close with the former president's ex-fixer, Michael Cohen; asked to describe Cohen's role at the Trump Organization, McConey flatly stated that, He said he was a lawyer."

But the former Trump Organization staffer also spoke to Trump's interactions with Cohen. In 2017, he testified, Trump told him that Michael Cohen was owed money, some of which was said to be a for a bonus but the rest was "other money." This other money was specifically for the hush payment, which prosecutors allege was falsely described in business records as "legal expenses," and was meant to cover the taxes Cohen would incur by claiming the money as income.

McConney, who started working for Trump in 1987, also testified that, about a year into his employment, he was warned by the Trump himself against paying the former president's bills without first seeing if he could negotiate for a lower payment. That claim could help prosecutors show that Trump would have been intimately involved in any scheme to misclassify the payments to Cohen.

Indeed, on Monday jurors were shown an email, from Weisselberg to McConney, discussing the payments to Cohen, "as per agreement with Don and Eric." McConney said that he had emailed Cohen in 2017, asking him to submit invoices for the money. The subject line read: "$$."

The money to Cohen, McConney testified, came from Trump's personal bank account.
Trump promises to deport all undocumented immigrants, resurrecting a 1950s strategy  but it didnt work then and is less likely to do so now

While campaigning in Iowa last September, former President Donald Trump made a promise to voters if he were elected again: Following the Eisenhower model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history, he said. Trump, who made a similar pledge during his first presidential campaign, has recently repeated this promise at rallies across the country.

Trump was referring to Operation Wetback, a military-style campaign launched by the Eisenhower administration in the summer of 1954 to end undocumented immigration by deporting hundreds of thousands of Mexicans. Wetback was a widely used ethnic slur for Mexicans who illegally crossed the Rio Grande, the river dividing Mexico and the U.S.

Trump says that he can replicate Operation Wetback on a much grander scale by setting up temporary immigration detention centers and relying on local, state and federal authorities, including National Guard troops, to remove the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants now living in the U.S.

As a migration scholar, I find Trumps proposal to be both disturbing and misleading. Besides playing to unfounded and dehumanizing fears of an immigrant invasion, it misrepresents the context and impact of Eisenhowers policy while ignoring the vastly changed landscape of U.S. immigration today.

Border Patrol agents track footprints in the desert along the California-Mexico border in August 1950. Associated Press

Operation Wetback

In May 1954, U.S. Attorney General Harold Brownell appointed Joseph Swing, a retired general, to lead the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS, in a special program to apprehend and deport aliens illegally in this country from areas along the southern border. Until 2003, the INS was responsible for immigration and border control, now handled by multiple federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Swing ramped up a decade-long practice of using special task forces composed of INS agents who could be rapidly deployed where needed in order to locate and deport undocumented workers. The operation began in California and then spread to Arizona and Texas. INS agents set up roadblocks and raided fields, factories, neighborhoods and saloons where immigrants were working or socializing. The INS also built a vast wire-fenced security camp, according to the Los Angeles Times, in order to detain apprehended immigrants in Los Angeles before sending them to the border.

Captured immigrants were put on hot, overcrowded buses or rickety boats and sent to designated border crossings in Arizona and Texas, where they were forced to cross back into Mexico. Some found themselves stranded in the Mexican desert just over the border. In one incident, 88 migrants died of sunstroke before the Red Cross arrived with water and medical attention. Others were delivered to Mexican authorities, who loaded them onto trains headed deeper into Mexico.

By mid-August, INS agents had deported more than 100,000 immigrants across the U.S. Southwest. Fearing apprehension, thousands more reportedly fled back to Mexico on their own. Most of these immigrants were young Mexican men, but the INS also targeted families, removing nearly 9,000 family members, including children, from the Rio Grande Valley in August. There is also evidence of U.S. citizens getting caught up in the INS sweeps.

Operation Wetback wound down its operations a few months later, and Swing declared in January 1955 that the day of the wetback is over. The INS disbanded its special mobile task forces, and the deportation of undocumented immigrants plummeted over the next decade.

Not just about deportation

Operation Wetback made the headlines and disrupted countless lives, but it was more show than substance when it came to deportation.

The governments claim to have deported more than 1 million Mexicans during the summer of 1954 does not stand up to scrutiny. The 1.1 million figure was for the entire fiscal year, which ended in June 1954, and a sizable share of these apprehensions were repeat arrests, sometimes in a single day. Moreover, over 97% of these deportations occurred without a formal order of removal. Instead, migrants agreed, or were coerced, to leave the country after being apprehended.

Despite Trump-like rhetoric decrying a wetback invasion across the U.S.-Mexico border, Operation Wetbacks main objective was not to remove Mexican immigrants but rather to frighten U.S. farmers, especially in Texas, into hiring them legally.

This tactic largely worked. A crucial but often overlooked detail about Operation Wetback is that it happened at the same time as the Bracero Program, a massive guest-worker program between the U.S. and Mexico. Between 1942 and 1964, U.S. employers issued over 4.6 million short-term contracts to more than 400,000 Mexican farm workers. Nearly three-quarters of these contracts were issued between 1955 and 1964  after the INS carried out Operation Wetback.

Operation Wetback is unlikely to have led to a dramatic decline in undocumented immigration had Mexican workers not had a legal option for entering the United States. As one immigrant caught up in Operation Wetback commented, I will come back  legally, if possible. If not, Ill just walk across again.

The INS explicitly recognized the connection between the Bracero Program and the decline in undocumented immigration in a 1958 report, stating that should  a restriction be placed on the number of braceros allowed to enter the United States, we can look forward to a large increase in the number of illegal alien entrants into the United States.

It is no coincidence that the lull in migrants illegally crossing the U.S-Mexico border after Operation Wetback did not last once the Bracero Program ended in 1964. Mexicans still had strong incentives to migrate, but now they had to do so without visas or work contracts, contributing to a steady increase in border arrests after 1965 that surpassed 1 million in 1976 and reached nearly 2 million in 2000.

Mexican agricultural workers are seen in California in 1943. Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information photograph collection (Library of Congress)

Real lessons

If he were to win the presidency again, Trump would have the legal authority to deport undocumented immigrants, but the logistical, political and legal obstacles to doing so quickly and massively are even greater today than they were in the 1950s.

First, most undocumented immigrants now live in cities, where immigrant sweeps are more difficult to carry out. The INS learned this lesson when Operation Wetback shifted from the largely rural Southwest to urban areas in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest in September 1954. Despite transferring hundreds of agents to these locations and using similar tactics, INS agents produced far fewer apprehensions as they struggled to find and detain immigrants.

Second, the U.S. undocumented population is much more dispersed and diverse than in the 1950s. Today, Mexicans are no longer in the majority, and nearly half of undocumented immigrants live outside the six major hubs for immigrants  California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois.

Third, most undocumented immigrants in the U.S. did not sneak across the border. An estimated 42% entered the country legally but overstayed a visa illegally. Another 17% requested and received a short-term legal status that protects them from immediate deportation.

Finally, mass deportations are likely to spark a more broad-based resistance today than happened in the 1950s. Once staunchly opposed to undocumented immigration, most labor unions and Mexican-American organizations are now in the pro-immigrant camp. Likewise, the Mexican government, which helped with Operation Wetback, is unlikely to allow massive numbers of non-Mexicans to be deported to its territory without the proper documentation.

Trump has not supported a way to provide undocumented immigrants with a legal alternative, which means that migrants will keep finding ways to cross illegally.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Katrina Burgess, Tufts University

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Katrina Burgess does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
In one of his most bizarre interviews in recent memory, Donald Trump insisted abortion is not that big of an issue, claimed Republicans are the party of fertilization and said every legal scholar in the world supported overturning Roe v. Wade.

During an interview last week with a local Michigan TV station FOX-2 Detroit, Trump repeatedly downplayed the significance of abortion rights on the national stage  despite it being a driving factor in Democrats strong performance at the ballot box in the aftermath of the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Recent polling shows many voters see the 2024 election as a high-stakes election for the future of abortion and contraception access. President Joe Biden has made the issue central to his campaign, as have countless Democratic candidates.

I think the abortion issue should be largely taken off the table because the individual states are doing what theyre doing, the GOP presidential hopeful said.

Its really not that big of an issue, he added.

Trump suggested it was actually a good thing for women that the 6-3 conservative-led court overturned a 50-year precedent guaranteeing women a constitutional right to abortion. He put three of those conservative justices onto the court when he was president.

I say, what the people decide, and whatever it is, its within the state and what the people decide, and its working out, he said. For many, many years, people have said weve got to bring this back to the states to decide, and thats now working.

Trump also called the GOP the party of fertilization, apparently trying to make the case that Republicans have fought to ensure womens access to in vitro fertilization, or IVF. But not only is that false, he lost that point completely in an indecipherable word salad.

We want to help the women because they were going to end fertilization, which is where, when the IVF, where women go to the clinics and they get help in having a baby, and thats a good thing, not a bad thing. And were for it a 100%. They tried to say that they werent for it. They actually werent for it and arent for it as much as us, but women see that, he said.

"We want to help the women because they were going to end fertilization, which is where, when the IVF, where women go to the clinics and they get help in having a baby, and thats a good thing, not a bad thing." Huh? NurPhoto via Getty Images

Republicans in Congress have long opposed womens access to IVF. The only reason its getting national attention now  and that Trump is talking about it  is because the Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this year a frozen embryo is a child, a decision resulting in IVF clinics halting their services around the state because they didnt want to face prosecution or lawsuits by discarding unused embryos. Alabama Republican legislators soon scrambled to pass a new law to give IVF clinics immunity from lawsuits, but they did not take up a bill to revisit the states legal status of embryos.

Elsewhere in the interview, Trump falselyclaimed that women routinely have abortions in the ninth month of pregnancy, said women are somehow having abortions after the ninth month and are able to kill the baby after the baby is born, and that every legal scholar  all over the world supported overturning Roe v. Wade.

You have to understand, every legal scholar from all over the country, all over the world, they said, You have to get abortion out of the federal government, you have to take it away from the federal government, give it to the states, and now thats what weve been able to do, he boasted of throwing out Roe v. Wade. Weve given it to the states, and some states have already decided, and people are satisfied with it.

Trump has made this claim before, and legal scholars have shot it down as utter nonsense and patently absurd.

Most legal scholars, like most Americans, didnt want Roe overturned, Mary Ziegler, a professor of law at the University of California, Davis, told FactCheck.org last month. We can name any number of professors who submitted briefs to SCOTUS asking Roe not to be overturned.

Related...
Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Freeland, Michigan. | Kyle Davidson

Calling the Republican Party the party of fertilization, former President Trump continues to make false claims in a recent interview with a Detroit TV station, while simultaneously taking credit for the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

In an interview last week with FOX-2 Detroit following his Wednesday rally in Saginaw County, anchor Roop Raj asked Trump about the issue of abortion and how much it would impact the November election. The former president argued that the erasure of a 50-year precedent that provided women a constitutional right to an abortion was a positive development.

I say what the people decide, and whatever it is, its within the state and what the people decide, and its working out, said Trump. For many, many years, people have said weve gotta bring this back to the states to decide, and thats now working.

Trump then outlined how different states were dealing with abortion rights, but appeared unaware that Michigan had already enshrined those rights in its constitution.

All the states are deciding, and you know, for 53 years, people wanted to be able to get it out, Roe v Wade, get it out so the states can decide, Trump said. Your state [Michigan] will decide probably a liberal policy if it hasnt already done it.  I think Michigans gonna actually be very loose. Theyre gonna vote on it, and thats gonna be the law.

In 2022, Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved securing the right to an abortion and other reproductive rights, less than six months after the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization that the Fourteenth Amendments Due Process Clause no longer provided a federal right to an abortion. Three of the six votes in favor of that decision were made by justices appointed to the court by Trump.

Pro-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Proposal 3 sign in Ann Arbor, Nov. 8, 2022 | Laina G. Stebbins

Trump also told Raj the GOP was the party of fertilization because we are for the women, referencing one of the issues that resulted from the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, namely in vitro fertilization (IVF).

We wanna help the women because they were gonna end fertilization, which is where when the IVF, where women go to the clinics and they get help in having a baby, and thats a good thing, not a bad thing. And were for it a 100%. They tried to say that they werent for it. They actually werent for it and arent for it as much as us, but women see that, said Trump.

The IVF issue came to the forefront in February when the Alabama Supreme Court, citing the Dobbs decision nine times, ruled that embryos had the full legal rights of citizens. That left IVF clinics facing costly litigation, prompting a temporary halt to the procedure in that state until it passed a law extending criminal and civil immunity to IVF providers and patients. But because the measure didnt declare when life begins, clinics there are still moving away from providing the service out of litigation concerns.

Trumps claim that they werent for it, presumably meaning the Democratic Party, is false. In fact, Democrats like U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois  a disabled veteran who used IVF to become a mother  had been warning since at least 2022 that IVF would be the next target of GOP-led legislatures and courts if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Additionally, Senate Republicans have rejected attempts to protect access to IVF treatments, while a bill sponsored by House Democrats, H.R. 7056, the Access to Family Building Act, which would establish a federal right to access assisted reproductive technology, including IVF, remains bottled up in committee by the Republican-led chamber.

Trump continued to insist in the interview that abortion was not that big of an issue, and should be largely taken off the table.

He also continued to push the false claim that abortions were routinely being done in the final month of pregnancy, or beyond.

Nobody wants to see abortions in the ninth month and the eighth month and the seventh month, and nobody wants to see abortions or, in this case, killing after the baby is born, Trump told Raj. Right now, thats what the Democrats can do. They can have it in the seventh, eighth, ninth month, and they can kill the baby. In numerous states, they can kill the baby after the baby is born, and nobody wants that. Nobody.

Since at least 2016, Trump has been making the claim of abortions in the final days of pregnancy or even killing babies after they are born, and it has been fact-checked time and again as false.

And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all abortions are performed after 21 weeks of gestation  in the fifth month of pregnancy..

Raj asked Trump about Floridas six-week abortion ban that went into effect last week.

You have to understand, every legal scholar from all over the country, all over the world, they said You have to get abortion out of the federal government, you have to take it away from the federal government, give it to the states, and now thats what weve been able to do. Weve given it to the states, and some states have already decided, and people are satisfied with it.

While there were certainly scholars who believed Roe had been decided incorrectly, they didnt represent a majority, much less anything close to unanimity.

Any claim that all legal scholars wanted Roe overturned is mind-numbingly false, Rutgers Law School professor Kimberly Mutcherson, a legal scholar who supported the preservation of Roe, told CNN, which quoted several other legal experts in fact-checking that assertion as false.

The people within the states  they seem to be very happy with the way its working out, added Trump.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights, since the overturning of Roe, 30 states have enacted abortion policies that range from restrictive to the most restrictive.

Raj also asked Trump about labor policies, unions, immigration and the war against Hamas in Gaza.

When asked about the success of union efforts in southern states, such as the UAWs historic victory last month with Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn., who voted by a nearly 3-1 margin to join the UAW, Trump instead talked about China building car plants in Mexico, insisted the public didnt want all electric vehicles (EVs) and ended up in a diatribe against President Joe Biden.

This character thats destroyed our country, the worst president weve ever had, without question, said Trump. Hes destroying our country. What hes doing with cars, hes forcing the auto industry into China and other countries, and its so sad. And, by the way, Mexico is doing things that nobody can believe. They just started, and theyre doing them in conjunction with China, and its gotta be stopped. We cant let that happen.

Raj restated his question about growing union support in states like Tennessee that have been less than welcoming to organized labor in the past.

Well, it could be happening, Trump said. I mean, its gonna be happening, but you gotta be very careful about whats gonna happen in two years from now when China wants to take all of the jobs. Because frankly, then union or non-union, everybodys gonna be hurt. Everybody.

There have been concerns about Chinese automakers looking to avoid U.S. tariffs by building vehicles in Mexico and the Biden administration has addressed the issue. Last month, Reuters reported that under pressure from the U.S., Mexico was refusing to offer Chinese automakers incentives to build factories there such as low-cost public land or tax cuts for investment in EV production.

The report also quoted an official with the Office of the United States Trade Representative as saying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which was negotiated during the Trump Administration, did not allow a back door to China and others who may be seeking to access our market without paying  tariffs.

On the topic of Israeli military attacks against Hamas in Gaza, in which more than 34,000 people have been killed according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, Trump was asked how he would try and end the hostilities, and indicated he would give Israel a free hand.

A general view over the Gaza Strip as seen from the Israeli side of the border on January 8, 2024 in Southern Israel. | Amir Levy/Getty Images

You gotta finish it off fast. You gotta get it done, and then you gotta have peace. And well make peace fast. But you gotta get your work done and you gotta have peace. You know that Oct. 7 was terrible, Trump said, referring to Hamas terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians that killed about 1,200 people.

The interview closed with Raj asking Trump if he would debate Biden on statewide television in Michigan.

If you can get him, Im there. Ill go anywhere he wants to go, said Trump. What hes done to Michigan is so bad. What hes done to our country is so bad. What other man, what other person, would allow 15, 16 million people right now in our country? They came from prisons and jails. They came from insane asylums and mental institutions, not from South America, from all over the world, theyre pouring into our country at levels that nobodys ever seen. Drug dealers. One stat before we go, Venezuela was very crime-ridden. They announced the other day 72% reduction in crime in the last year. You know why? They moved all their criminals from Venezuela right into the good old USA, and Biden let them do it. Its a disgrace.

But, sir, where are those numbers coming from? asked Raj.

I guess I get them from the papers in this case. I think its a federal statement or well, theyre coming actually from Venezuela. Theyre coming from Venezuela. Thats where they cant come from, said Trump.

Punishing sanctions imposed against Venezuela during the Trump administration have been blamed as at least one cause of the mass migration out of that nation. Trump also didnt mention that one of his last acts as President was to give Venezuelan exiles in the U.S. illegally protection from deportation.

The post Trump says GOP is the party of fertilization, seems unaware of Michigans abortion amendment appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Trump signed off on Michael Cohen's invoices after they were sent to White House, accountant says

Prosecutors in Trump's criminal trial on Monday called to the stand a current Trump Organization accountant as part of an effort to show that the former president was intimately involved in an illicit hush money scheme.

Deborah Tarasoff is currently an accounts payable supervisor at the Trump Organization, which she testified is paying for her legal counsel. That's also where she worked in 2016 and 2017, when the Manhattan District Attorney's Office charges that Trump conspired with his former fixer, Michael Cohen, to falsify business records and cover up a $130,000 hush payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, in violation of campaign finance laws.

Prosecutors began Monday's afternoon session by asking Tarasoff about Allen Weisselberg, the former Trump Organization chief financial officer who is currently serving a jail sentence at Rikers Island. "He had his hands in everything," Tarasoff said.

That comment came after a former Trump Organization controller, Jeffrey McConney, testified earlier in the day that Weisselberg had directed him to make monthly $35,000 payments to Cohen in what were labeled "legal expenses" but which prosecutors say was reimbursement for the money and time he invested in buying the rights to Daniels' story. McConney also noted that most payments to Cohen came from Trump's personal bank account.

But, Tarasoff testified, it was Trump and his sons who had to approve the payment of any invoice of $10,000 or more; in the former president's case, he always used a black Sharpie, and would write "VOID" if he didn't want to approve a payment.

Prosecutors then introduced as evidence a check stub for the first payment to Cohen, totaling $70,000 to cover January and February 2017, and signed by Weisselberg and Eric Trump, CNN reported.

Of the $420,000 total paid to Cohen, $105,000 came from a Trump trust; the rest came from his personal bank account. After he became president, Tarasoff testified that invoices and checks that Trump needed to sign would be sent via FedEx to the White House.

"If he didn't want to sign it, he wouldn't sign it and send it back," she said, per The Washington Post.
The jury heard testimony Monday from two Trump Organization employees about payments former President Donald Trump made to his lawyer Michael Cohen. Prosecutors allege those checks were to reimburse Cohen for the money he paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged extramarital affair. This is Yahoo News' succinct update on the criminal and civil cases against Trump. Here are the latest developments.

 What happened today

Questioning two Trump Organization employees  former corporate controller Jeffrey McConney and accounts payable supervisor Deborah Tarasoff  prosecutors showed the jury all the business records Trump is accused of having falsified to hide the $130,000 payment allegedly made to keep Daniels quiet about her claims of having sex with Trump. Those included vouchers of payments Trump made to Cohen from his personal bank account that were marked legal expenses. The day began, however, with Judge Juan Merchan fining Trump another $1,000 for violating his gag order that prevents him from attacking witnesses, court staff and family members during the trial. It was Trumps 10th violation of the gag order and Merchan made it clear that if Trump did so again, he could be sent to jail.

Zoom in

Trumps reimbursement of Cohen for Stormy Daniels payment: McConney testified about 11 invoices paid out to Cohen and told jurors that his boss, Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, directed him to pay the money to Cohen but did not specify the reason for the payments. Weisselberg is in prison for perjury stemming from his testimony this year in the financial fraud trial brought against Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Prosecutors allege that the payments McConney helped facilitate, which were recorded as legal expenses, were actually made to reimburse Cohen for having paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Under cross-examination by Trump attorney Emil Bove, McConney was pressed about Trumps direct involvement in the transfer of funds. "President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you described?" Bove asked.

"He did not," McConney replied.

Only Mr. Trump: Tarasoff, the days second witness, testified that Trump had to sign every check from his personal account, including those he signed from the White House after becoming president. In addition, Tarasoff testified that Trump didnt always simply sign what she and her colleagues sent him. "If he didnt want to sign it, he didnt sign it," Tarasoff said. In attempting to build their case that Trumps employees were heeding his wishes when they guided payments to Cohen, prosecutors showed jurors detailed records of the transactions, as well as an email from McConney telling her to "Please pay [Cohen] from the Trust. Post to legal expenses. Put 'retainer for the months of January and February 2017' in the description." During a brief cross-examination, Trumps lawyer Todd Blanche tried to shift blame away from his client.

"When Mr. Weisselberg on some of the emails or Mr. McConney told you to go ahead and pay it, generate a check, you didnt get permission from President Trump himself, correct?" Blanche asked Tarasoff.

"Correct," she said.

Judge fines Trump, suggests jail time could be next punishment: At the start of Mondays court proceedings, Merchan released a written ruling that fined Trump an additional $1,000 for violating his gag order. Trump had already been fined $9,000 for earlier violations. Merchan also wrote that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of his gag order occurs, Trump could wind up in jail.

Outside the courtroom, Trump referenced Merchans jail threat, saying, Ill do that sacrifice any day.

 Whats next?

A new witness, who has yet to be identified, will take the stand Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. ET. Prosecutors also said Monday that they will need approximately two weeks from tomorrow to wrap up their case.

 The background

 Trump's trials and legal cases
As a practical matter, Donald Trumps hush-money trial is fundamentally about election interference and hiding information from the American people that could have influenced the outcome of the 2016 election. Legal experts generally agree that the testimony by witnesses for the prosecution  including David Pecker, former publisher of The National Enquirer, and Stormy Daniels former attorney Keith Davidson, as well as the bankers and assistants who had knowledge of Trumps financial matters as they relate to the hush-money payments, have been very damaging to the ex-president's defense.

To that point, a highlight (or low point, depending on one's point of view) of this trial came last Thursday when an audio recording of Trump speaking with his then-attorney Michael Cohen about buying the silence of Karen McDougal (one of Trump's alleged sexual partners) was played in court for the jurors. This evidence is critical to the prosecution's case because it establishes a pattern of behavior.

In a dramatic moment on Friday, longtime Trump aide and confidante Hope Hicks testified for the prosecution. She explained how her former boss was pleased that the information about his alleged encounter with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels became public years before the 2020 election, when it would have potentially been much more damaging. Hicks began to cry as prosecutors questioned her, prompting Judge Juan Merchan to order a brief recess so she could compose herself. Hicks' testimony once again confirmed that the hush-money operation was fundamentally a political maneuver intended to keep damaging information from the American people.

Exasperated and frustrated in the pressure of the courtroom, Trump continues to show contempt for the court, the judge and the rule of law by repeatedly falling asleep, as well as by continually violating Merchan's gag order.

In his fundraising emails and other communications, Trump continues to amplify his lies that he is the victim of a witch hunt and conspiracy by Joe Biden, Barack Obama, the Democratic Party and anyone and everyone else who is trying to keep him from Making America Great Again.

Trump has also reportedly told members of his inner circle that he is upset with his attorneys for not defending him more aggressively. His combative strategy is likely to backfire. Last Tuesday, Judge Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violating the gag order, warning the defendant that he risks being jailed if he continues to threaten or otherwise seek to intimidate and harass witnesses, jurors and others people involved in the case. On Thursday, prosecution requested that Merchan punish Trump again after his social-media comments about the jurors, David Pecker and Michael Cohen.

As revealed in a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump has real plans to be Americas first dictator. He is not being hyperbolic or just posturing. His public statements are consistent with the ways Trump has repeatedly shown that he is an obvious megalomaniac with a god complex, who believes that he is a type of prophet or messiah for the MAGA movement and American neofascism. In his speeches, campaigns ads and elsewhere, Trump has basically  and explicitly  said these things over and over again.

Donald Trump and his allies campaign to end Americas multiracial democracy has been emboldened by the right-wing justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, who now appear to be willing to grant Trump some amount of presidential immunity.

Any person with Trumps personality and politics will inevitably feel enraged by the very idea that they could be held accountable by the courts and the rule of law, as if they were an ordinary citizen in a functioning democracy. As Trumps hush-money trial continues, his behavior will in all probability get much worse and not better. If he is actually elected president again, he will, as promised, weaponize the Department of Justice and federal law enforcement to seek revenge and retribution on his enemies, including Joe Biden and other prominent Democrats and liberals.

Ultimately, Trumps criminal trials, his aspirations to become an American dictator and the antisocial, dangerous and destructive forces both swirling around him and being projected by him offer a study in how one mans damaged personality can interact with mass politics in the worst ways possible.

Donald Trumps niece Mary Trump is a trained psychologist. In a recent essay in her Substack newsletter, she connects her uncles pathological personality to the larger democracy crisis:

Ive lost count of how many times hes gotten away with the lies and fraud and alleged criminality and simply being a horrible human being. Hes a charlatan with nothing but snake oil to sell. His promises are empty, because he has nothing of substance to offer. And his antisocial behavior is directly tied to his psychopathology  because he believes himself to be above the law and cannot fathom that he would ever be held to the same standard as us mere mortals. The fraudulent financial statements he used to secure loans and build his real estate empire concealed the dark truth that his wealth was a mirage. The 34 felony charges relate to his falsifying business records as a result of payments to suppress an embarrassing fling with a porn actor from voters at a crucial point before the 2016 election. His inability to concede loss after the 2020 election  indeed, his inability to believe that he could lose at all  was behind the buildup to the January 6th insurrection, the calls to the Georgia attorney general to find votes in order to change that states results, and the fake elector scheme in multiple states, including Michigan and Arizona. His theft of government documents reflects his continuing attempt to assert his sense of impunity, which, in all but one of his criminal cases, remains unchallenged.

She continues:

His narcissism knows no bounds. He gazes into the mirror, sees a god, and expects us all to bow down. His ego is like a black hole, sucking in praise, adoration, and any semblance of humility. He surrounds himself with sycophants, those who nod and clap like trained seals. His self-love is a theatrical spectacle, a masquerade of grandeur. He revels in the spotlight, basking in the adoration of crowds. Yet, this dance is a diversion  a sad waltz to distract from the void within. His mirror reflects an image he desperately wants to believe: the infallible titan, impervious to doubt. But beneath the bravado lies a wounded child  the boy who yearned for approval, who hungered for his fathers love but never got it. His narcissism is a bandage, covering old scars. His insecurity whispers: Youre not enough. Youll never be. And hes right.

In a conversation with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, Mary Trump offered these suggestions about how to leverage her uncle's personality defects and bad character in order to defeat him in the 2024 election:

He needs to be relentlessly mocked at every turn....We see in the courtroom he's not handling the circumstances well. He's not handling the confinement or the fact that he has no power in this space and that's why....So it would be so much better if he were just forced to wallow in the consequences of his actions,....We see him looking like he's falling asleep. Whether or not he's falling asleep  he's complaining about the temperature. It's something I don't see being paid attention to, but it's important. Donald Trump is there  trapped in that courtroom because of what he did. There are a lot of other people trapped in that courtroom because of what he did. He doesn't seem to care that they're also cold and tired and don't want to be there."

Mary Trump advised that pro-democracy Americans should "hammer away on his weakness and his frailty, and I mean that psychologically."

Nicole Wallace is also keenly aware of the existential danger that Donald Trump and his MAGA people and the larger anti-democracy movement pose to American democracy, freedom of the press, and to her personal safety and future. On last Monday's episode of her MSNBC show "Deadline: White House," Wallace shared her thoughts about what will likely happen if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election and follows through on his threats to become a de facto dictator:

[A]t this exact time next year, depending what happens in November seven months from now, we cant say for certain that there would even be a White House Correspondents Dinner, or even a free press, or even a White House Press Corps....While our democracy wouldnt exactly fall apart immediately without it, the real threat looms larger. A candidate with outward disdain, not just for a free press, but for all our freedoms and for the rule of law itself.

As I follow Donald Trumps hush-money trial, I keep returning to the concept that sick societies produce sick leaders and how this is especially true in ailing democracies such as the United States in the Age of Trump. But I have also been meditating on how the personal is political. As originally deployed, that concept and slogan was popularized by liberal and left political thinkers, activists, and organizers as a way of explaining how questions of power and politics are not abstract, but instead are lived experiences that have a profoundly disproportionate impact on marginalized communities and people(s) deemed to be the other. By comparison, Donald Trump embodies a malignant version (and perversion) of how the personal is political. In that way, Donald Trumps personal problems are a great political and societal problem for the United States and its democracy and people. Unfortunately, because those problems are so great they will persist even if Donald Trump is found guilty in his multiple criminal trials, defeated at the polls in the 2024 election, and disappears from public life. The Trumpocene is our collective malady.
Donald Trump's lawyers famously spend a lot of their time placating their client's narcissistic delusions, even at the expense of their purported priority of keeping him out of prison. It's not just the over-the-top belligerence that Trump demands from his lawyers, which runs the risk of angering both the judge and the jury, Trump wants his lawyers to stick to his preposterous claims that he's never done anything wrong. He wants to pretend that he's the most perfect man who ever lived and that anyone who says otherwise has some secret agenda to victimize him.

As this trial goes on, the defense team has adopted Trump's favored tactic of floating conspiracy theories to explain away the mounting pile of evidence against him. In some cases, they may be trying to convince at least one juror the conspiracy theory is the same as reasonable doubt. But there appears to be another audience they're trying to reach: Trump's MAGA fans.

MAGA has long relied on conspiracy theories to justify their odious political beliefs. For some reason, Trump seems to believe his followers need a story to tell to claim he's innocent of everything said about him during this trial, even though he very obviously isn't. So he's making his lawyers waste their time propagating the narrative instead of focusing their energies solely on the goal of confusing at least one juror to render a hung jury.

But Trump's supporters don't seem to be biting. MAGA may not love that their leader is on trial, but the conspiracy theories he's floating are so asinine that even his most shameless hype men are shying away from repeating them. It turns out there are conspiracy theories that are too dumb for even the Trump base to embrace. This disconnect also suggests that Trump's self-absorption is causing him to lose sight of what, exactly, his followers want from him.

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The most obvious and frankly hilarious example: The defense team is sticking by Trump's story that he never had sex with Stormy Daniels. I can hear readers scoffing, but it's true, they're really going that route. Even in his opening statement, defense attorney Todd Blanche argued that Daniels' story is a "false claim of a sexual encounter" with Trump, one she made up as part of an extortion scheme.

As a defense strategy in court, this seems ill-advised. As anyone who has seen Daniels in an interview can attest, she comes across as a credible person. Certainly much more so than Trump, who lies and dissembles every waking moment of the day. But also, it just doesn't make sense. As no other than Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters recently, "You dont pay someone $130,000 not to have sex with you." Plus, Trump's-then attorney (now turned state's witness) Michael Cohen was threatening Daniels to shut up years before the pay-off scheme, which wouldn't have been true if she made it all up to extort a presidential candidate in 2016. Plus, there's the other mistress, Karen McDougal, helping establish that Trump was not averse to adultery.

Telling such an obvious whopper to a jury seems like it will backfire by making them believe the defense attorneys are just liars. Trump's claims of sexual virtue seem more aimed at the outside audience, as if he hopes his supporters will start parroting his ridiculous notions that he's never done anything wrong. There were a couple of half-baked efforts to do this. The far-right network OAN even tried to float the conspiracy theory that it was Cohen, not Trump, who had sex with Daniels  but they were quickly forced to retract the story and apologize to Cohen. That's highly unusual for the network, which seems to exist primarily to spread right-wing disinformation. Part of this is because Cohen threatened to sue. But OAN didn't even bother to put up a fight. It suggests that even the folks at OAN are a bit embarrassed by this.

Trump's lawyers are leaning into the narrative that he is a perfect angel who just keeps being targeted by vast conspiracies. During the cross-examination of lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented Daniels as Trump and Cohen paid her hush money, Trump attorney Emil Bove kept pushing the "extortion" conspiracy theory. He appeared to be arguing that Daniels and Davidson had concocted a shakedown scheme. But it doesn't pass the basic common sense test to argue that Trump would be so threatened by a false story that he'd pay her this much money.

Things got even sillier on Thursday when Bove questioned forensics expert Douglas Daus. Daus was just there to verify that text messages and recordings from Cohen's phone were real. But Bove tore into the guy, repeatedly suggesting the information extracted from the phone was compromised or fabricated in some way as if the texts and recordings were the product of a "deep state" conspiracy. It's hard to imagine this is for a jury made up of people who were screened to make sure they aren't QAnon-style nuts. Likelier is the hope that this conspiracy theory will get traction in the right-wing propaganda machine, feeding Trump followers talking points they can use to dismiss it if the jury convicts.

But what's fascinating is that the MAGA media doesn't seem to be biting. Instead of trying to discredit the allegations against Trump, the right-wing press has gone with a deflect-and-distract strategy. As Media Matters chronicled, Fox News is doing lots of "look over there!"-style segments making a big deal out of Trump's press events at bodegas, rather than grappling with what's going on inside the courtroom. The network is also pushing the idea that Trump should get "immunity" for all his crimes, which feels like a tacit admission of guilt. Even those who are trying to get conspiracy theories going, like Steve Bannon at War Room, are focused on attacking the prosecutors for having "political" motivations. Denying the truth of the allegations is not a priority, because even the MAGA audiences won't buy it.

In the past, Trump has clearly understood that even his supporters don't buy the idea that he's a good person. If anything, his transgressions, both legal and criminal, are part of his appeal. He's an aspirational figure to people who wish they could also cheat on their wives and commit crimes, all without facing consequences. While they do have an astounding amount of tolerance for his endless whining, his appeal was never his "woe is me" victim act, but his impunity.

It also shows he forgets what his supporters want from him: A figurehead for their fascist movement. They want a Trump who is focused on crushing people they hate and making bold promises to restore conservative white Christians to a place of unearned privilege they feel they've lost. They don't care about his "I never did it" conspiracy theories. Most never cared about what he gets up to in his personal life, or even really any crimes committed. The Trumpian conspiracy theories that gain traction are those that validate their culture war grievances. The Big Lie is beloved because it tells them a story where they aren't outnumbered by Americans who disagree with them. But why should they care if Trump breaks the law and cheats on his wife? That was always part of his appeal. That he would deny it at this late date is odd, and suggests he really is becoming unmoored not just from reality, but his own relationship to his base.


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In 1965, Playboy magazine published an interview with Martin Luther King Jr. in which the civil rights icon shared harsh words about Malcolm X, reportedly saying he has done himself and our people a great disservice. That fiery quote established the conventional wisdom that the two famed activists were rivals, a perception that has been taught and passed down for the last six decades.

Shop Now King: A Life by Jonathan Eig amazon.com $18.09

But it turns out King never said it. Jonathan Eig, the author of the Pulitzer Prizewinning biography King: A Life, discovered in his research that Alex Haley , the Roots author who conducted that famous Playboy interview, had misquoted King. In fact, King said while he disagreed with some of Malcolms methods, he was open-minded about the differences in their views.

King: A Life, the first major biography of the civil rights activist in 40 years, is based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of newly-discovered documents. Released in May 2023, it is the latest biography by Jonathan Eig, the author of New York Times bestsellers Ali: A Life, Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinsons First Season, and Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.



In a 2023 interview with Biography.com, Eig shared how he discovered this misquotation, the historic reverberations it had, and how this new information should change our views of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was Martin Luther King Jr. widely believed to have said about Malcolm X before your recent discovery?

doug mcgoldrick

In a Playboy magazine interview, which was the longest interview Dr. King ever conducted, he was asked what he thought about Malcolm X, and the reply as printed in Playboy was In his litany of articulating the despair of the Negro without offering any positive, creative alternative, I feel that Malcolm has done himself and our people a great disservice. Fiery, demagogic oratory in the black ghettos, urging Negroes to arm themselves and prepare to engage in violence, as he has done, can reap nothing but grief. That was the quote as published and said to be spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. about Malcolm X, but that is not actually what Dr. King said.

So according to your research, what did King actually say about Malcolm X?

He was asked what he thought about the Nation of Islam, and in that question, he said he thought the fiery demagogic oratory in the black ghettos was doing harm, but he didnt say that about Malcolm. When asked about Malcolm, he said he disagreed with many of his views, particularly in the use of violence, but he said I dont want to make it sound like my way is the only way. Thats a big, big difference.

I discovered this going through the original transcript for Alex Haleys interview. I found it in his papers at Duke University in the Rubenstein Library, where many of Haleys papers are kept. When I read the original transcript of what Dr. King said in the actual interview, I was shocked at how different it was from when it was actually published.

What are the historic reverberations of this misquotation, which has been repeated so widely and so often over the decades?

Its been repeated, its been taught in classrooms, its in textbooks, and it suggests King and Malcolm X were adversaries and that King viewed Malcolm X skeptically, when really King was advocating open-mindedness. I think its important because much of the journalism world and others at the time were trying to create friction between Black leaders, and history has reinforced that in some way, because they have been portrayed as polar opposites when, in fact, they have had much more common ground than the media suggested.

What would be a more accurate way to describe Kings opinion of Malcolm X?

I think its safe to say that Martin Luther King Jr. deplored all violence and did not approve of Malcolm Xs threats of violence in accomplishing his goals, but at the same time, they shared a great interest in black dignity, black equality, in forcing white America to give up some of the power that it was hoarding. So those are the things they shared. And the most important part of this revelation, this new information, may be the fact that Dr. King was humble when asked about Malcolm X and said I dont think I have all the answers, as if to say he felt that he could learn from Malcolm X.

For people who have heard that famous misquote over the years, how should this new revelation revise our view of both King and Malcolm X?

For those of us who are still thinking of Malcolm and King as rivals, as opposites, we need to rethink that. And plenty of scholars have explored this in recent years, most recently Peniel E. Joseph in his book The Sword and the Shield, but plenty of people even before that. James Baldwin wrote that before his death, King and Malcolm had more in common than they did apart. And I think that thats what we need to be focused upon, looking at the history and that two of our greatest activists were fighting the same battle, not fighting each other.

Alex Haley is widely renowned for his works like Roots and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but he has been accused of plagiarism, copyright infringement, and historical inaccuracies in the past. Does this misquote change your view of his legacy or how you feel others should view his work?

Im not really concerned with Haleys legacy, but I am concerned with his work and whether we can trust it. As someone who is writing history and relying on primary source material, youd like to think a published interview is primary source material, but you have to question everything, and when it comes to Alex Haley you have to question everything with heightened scrutiny. I think the next step for scholars is to look at The Autobiography of Malcolm X [for which Haley collaborated with Malcolm], which there has already been some indication it is flawed, but I think it requires further scrutiny.

To me, the moral of the story is when you found a good interview that somebody did, its worth going back and checking the notes and the tapes. Its something Ive learned to do as a biographer in recent years. Any time someone gives a really good interview, I want to see what they left out and, in this case, what they changed.

What were some of the other biggest surprises about King that you discovered while working on this book?

There were a lot of surprises. I discovered that his plagiarism began in high school, for one thing: He entered and came in third place in a public speaking contest with a plagiarized speech. I was able to get ahold of recordings Coretta made just after her husbands assassination, and they talked about their early years dating right up to the assassination. There were some really good details there, and just hearing her voice describe these things was very powerful. I discovered an unpublished biography of Martin Luther King Sr. There has been lots of archival material that was just recently discovered, not to mention FBI documents.

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Russian occupation forces tried to seize Nestryga Island again, which Ukrainian defenders have recently returned to Ukrainian control. The enemy also attacked the southern direction nine times.

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This was reported by Dmytro Pletenchuk, head of the Center for Strategic Communications of the Southern Defense Forces, during an all-Ukrainian telethon. According to him, the occupants are trying to increase pressure in the area of Staromayorske.

There, the enemy stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders three times, losing four tanks. The situation in Robotyn also remains difficult.

"The enemy attacked Krynky twice and tried to seize Nestryga Island again," said Pletenchuk.

He added that attacks on Krynky and the islands have been ongoing since the beginning of the day and noted that this morning the Russians have already dropped 6 UAVs.

At the same time, the head of the Center for Strategic Communications of the Southern Defense Forces noted that no significant changes in the nature of the enemy's actions were detected, as well as signs of the creation of offensive groups.

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On April 27, it became known that the Ukrainian Defense Forces managed to recapture the island of Nestryga in the Kherson region. It is located on the Dnipro River southwest of Kherson, between the settlements of Veletynske and Stara Zburyivka (the latter is temporarily occupied by Russian troops).

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
American Airlines, which had previously announced it would resume its daily service to Port-au-Princes international airport this Thursday, is once more pushing back its restart date.

Laura Masvidal, spokeswoman for the Miami-based carrier, says American is looking to restart daily service between Miami International Airport and Toussaint Louverture International Airport on May 16.

Haitis main international airport and government seaport have been shut down for two months after armed gangs launched a broad assault against the government and key infrastructure, targeting both facilities. At least three planes leased by the countrys national carriers were struck by bullets during one of the attacks, forcing even the suspension of in-country flights in and out of Port-au-Prince.

On March 4 the three U.S.-based carriers flying into Haiti announced they were suspending operations, citing the civil unrest.

A search of American Airlines reservations shows the first available flights in and out of Port-au-Prince to be June 1. While travelers can book at one-way ticket from Miami for $125, getting out of the gang-fueled violence of the capital will cost a lot more. A one-way ticket from Port-au-Prince to Miami is $1,975 for a premium ticket. The main cabin wont be available until June 4 and the cost for a ticket from Haiti to Miami is $882. The price of a one-way to Miami shows a significant drop after that.

Should American Airlines actually start service on May 16, its daily service between Miami and Haiti would commence the day after JetBlue Airways tentative resumption date, May 15. The airline flies to Toussaint Louverture from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Spirit Airlines also flies out FLL-Hollywood. Spokesman Michael Lopardi said service to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien remains suspended. This leaves only Haiti-based Sunrise Airways, which has been flying passengers in and out of the country through Cap-Haitiens Hugo Chavez International Airport.

The two-month stoppage of flights into Port-au-Prince has led a number of Haitians stranded in South Florida. Others in Haiti have managed to escape the violence on flights organized by the State Department and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Having regular air service resume between Port-au-Prince and the United States is an exercise in building confidence, those involved in the effort acknowledge.

Since the gang insurrection began on Feb. 29, Haitian government officials have demolished about 200 homes around the airport to keep gangs from using rooftops to fire at planes  and beefed up security around the airports perimeter. There are now security towers dotting the tarmac and members of the army and Haiti National Police are on constant patrol.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has continued landing aircraft on the tarmac in Port-au-Prince ahead of a pending arrival later this month of the first police officers from Kenya, who will serve as the backbone of a multinational security force. Some of the flights, coordinated by the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, have delivered humanitarian aid and equipment for the Haiti National Police, which were purchased by the government of Haiti. The Biden administration, which recently announced it will tap two accounts for $10 million and $60 million to assist the police and the Multinational Security Support mission, will also be sending additional assistance to the police, including armored vehicles.

On Monday, a C17 military transport aircraft landed at the airport with equipment and supplies to help construct a base for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission. Its among several flights that have landed since the closure of the Port-au-Prince airport and that will continue to arrive in Haiti in the coming days and weeks to enable the forces deployment.
Two SC vets died alone but they will be remembered with honors in Beaufort. Public welcome

With no family or friends who would claim them, two Berkeley County, South Carolina veterans died alone, including one who was homeless. But they will be remembered Friday at a ceremony with military honors at Beaufort National Cemetery, where heroes rest.

The public is invited to pay last respects.

Benjamin Harrison Hyder III, 62, was a senior airman (SrA) in the Air Force, and Lewis Melvin Coy III, 74, was a gunners mate (GMG1) in the Navy.

At the time of their deaths, both were living in Berkeley County where the local coroners office requested the military services and burial at the Beaufort National Cemetery after confirming their military service, says Chevon Allen, who works in the office.

They were unclaimed so there is not much information that we have about their past, Allen said. Its sad.

The Beaufort County Coroners Office is helping Berkeley County Coroners Office with the interment. Being Beaufort is a big military town, Beaufort County Coroner David Ott said, hes hoping for a big turnout at the funeral, which is at 11 a.m. Friday.

Louis Brown, a program specialist at the Beaufort National Cemetery, said the military branches will be present to render honors and a local pastor will oversee the committal while the Patriot Guard Riders will be on hand as well. The ceremony will be the exact same as if the men had family. We just honor our veterans, Brown said.

It isnt known how many unclaimed veterans are at the cemetery, but the cemetery is the final resting place for over 4,000 unknown soldiers. Most of the unknown soldiers are from the Civil War era because the identifying process was not as sophisticated as it is today, Brown said.
Watch a previous report of the robberies in the video player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Two men have been sentenced to time in federal prison for their roles in two armed robberies of a post office and a mail carrier last year.

Cody N. Drose Beasley, 23, was sentenced Monday to six years and three months in prison, while Kenan M. Swerv Lay, 21, was sentenced last month to five years and six months in prison, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Kenneth Parker. Beasley pleaded guilty in November to possessing stolen mail in another district and to aiding and abetting the aggravated robbery of property of the U.S.

Former OSU football player facing 25 charges in connection to multiple robberies

Cody Beasley

According to Parkers office, on April 4, 2023, Beasley paid two other people $500 for the armed robbery of a postal carrier who was sitting in his work vehicle on Sawmill Road in Dublin.

Beasley also admitted to stealing a postal key in the Cleveland area in March 2023. Beasley and another conspirator were stopped by police for a traffic violation in Parma Heights, but fled the scene, Parker said. When they were eventually caught, a search of Beasleys car turned up a black garbage bag full of mail that hadnt yet been postmarked. Officials also found several pictures of stolen checks and research about 38 post offices and mailboxes in Cleveland on Beasleys phone.

While being held in jail, Beasley began planning the Dublin postal carrier robbery, Parker said.

Court documents state Lay provided a 9mm handgun used in the May 11, 2023, armed robbery of an elderly postal worker at the West Broad Street post office. Lay was paid $100 for the use of the gun, which was used to pistolwhip the worker in the head and he was kept up to date on the progress of the robbery, according to the attorneys office.

Ohio to begin enhanced voter roll purge ahead of November election

Beasley and Lay are two of seven people charged in these cases.

These sentences illustrate that we will continue to take seriously offenses committed against postal carriers, Parker said in the press release. Even if you are not the person holding the gun or directly committing the robbery, we will hold you accountable for your role in the crime and work to ensure that you face time in federal prison like Beasley and Lay. Trust me, serving any amount of time in prison is just not worth it.

According to Parker, more than a dozen people have been charged by his office with postal robberies in the last two years.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
After a tense day of protests, counterprotests and increased university police presence on the University of Chicagos Main Quadrangle, the sun began to fade Friday evening and the Jewish holy day of Sabbath began.

Within the encampment established by the University of Chicago United for Palestine coalition, about 50 Jewish students and faculty and community members sat down on a blue tarp among tents and kaffiyehs to observe a planned prayer service. One challah was decorated with a Palestinian flag in seeds and herbs; the ceremonial wine (grape juice) was chosen because it was not made in Israel. Palestinian flags and handmade posters with slogans protesting genocide hung from trees. As they prayed, other students, many of whom were Muslim, held up kaffiyehs, jean shirts and checkered blankets to form a privacy screen.

Since April 29, Jewish anti-Zionist protesters at the Hyde Park campus have used food, ritual and community in the encampment as one of many ways to express their religious commitment to divestment from Israel, a multiethnic future and an end to killings in Gaza. In a practical sense, that means Seders and Shabbats (or Sabbaths), with non-Israeli kosher products, teaching about the pluralistic elements of Jewish traditions like the Moroccan Jewish Mimouna, and eating Palestinian food with Muslims and others in their coalition.

Avi Steinberg, a writer, faculty member and graduate of Orthodox yeshivas who spoke at the event, described Shabbat as a time of reflection.

People sit with their thoughts and their emotions, Steinberg said on a phone call Saturday. Its a time of stopping the clock completely.

After the prayer and singing concluded, the Shabbat observers  a small but sizable portion of the broader encampment  dispersed; at the central food tent, a half-dozen or more unflipped maqluba pots sat beside rice and meat already doled out onto steam plates. Cold chopped salads and hot lentil soup were also served. This meal, donated by Arab restaurant Al Bahaar, acted informally as the Shabbat meal. The encampment food tent staff relies on donations of hot food and attempts to keep a variety of vegan, kosher, halal and nonallergenic options available for encampment dwellers.

The Muslim maghrib prayer began soon after on the same blue tarp. The University of Chicago United for Palestine coalition includes Students for Justice in Palestine, UChicago Jews for a Free Palestine, and several other organizations.

Nationally, encampments like this one have been accused of antisemitism. But in interviews with a half-dozen or more Jewish students and affiliated faculty members within the pro-Palestine encampment at the U. of C., none of them said they felt anything resembling antisemitism within the camp. Instead, they said they felt more connected to the Jewish tradition through their activism during the protests. They argued that anti-Zionism and advocating for Palestinian freedom is in a long tradition of Jewish values of pluralism and agitation for justice.

When were praying for peace and human emancipation, to me this is the essence of what it means to be Jewish, said graduate student Daniel Fernandez, speaking outside the encampment. What is so profoundly disappointing is that this is somehow controversial. Fernandez has stayed at the encampment, attending or sometimes leading several of the religious services this past week.

Chicago Jewish leaders held a news conference Wednesday where they called the encampments platforms for antisemitism. The universitys major Jewish organizations have disavowed, criticized or ignored the protesters.

In an email to the Tribune, Rabbi Yossi Brackman of Rohr Chabad at the University of Chicago wrote, Movements have always had a token minority, this is no different. For example, there were some Black slave owners and Black people who fought for the Confederacy.

Talking to the Tribune from within the encampment, graduate student Sofia Butnaru said many of the Israel-critical Jewish students did not feel they had a religious home at the U. of C. We felt we werent represented in the other spaces, so we were really interested in building our own rituals and coming together as like-minded people to do the religious practices that are very near and dear to us, Butnaru said.

Callie Maidhof, a professor of global studies and a member of Faculty for Justice in Palestine, agreed. (Our Jewish institutions) have not made space for this, she said. That is especially true of the largest Jewish campus organizations like Hillel.

While Hillel Internationals Israel guidelines say the organization welcomes political pluralism and a diversity of student perspectives, its standards also state that it will not partner with, house, or host organizations, groups, or speakers that support practice certain positions, like the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement against the state of Israel. Members of organizations like FJP and Jewish Voices for Peace, which support BDS, would not be allowed to speak at Hillel under this policy.

A Hillel rabbi acknowledged but did not respond to a request for comment from the Tribune.

Despite feeling isolated from campus Jewish groups, UChicago Jews for a Free Palestine have organized several religious events since the encampment went up. According to messages with a Jewish organizer at DePauls encampment, a similar Shabbat service was held within the encampment on their campus. These events have attracted supportive community members like retired researcher Sandy Perpignani. She sat outside the U. of C. encampment and engaged with critical onlookers. At Shabbat time, she entered the encampment to pray with the students and organizers.

Regardless of some personal challenges, organizers constantly recentered the conversation toward what they see as the oppression and bravery of the Palestinian people. The protesters asked the university to divest from Israel and call for a cease-fire.

Within the Divinity School, Aviva Waldman, a writing instructor and alum who acts as a faculty liaison for organizing students, described a Passover event held by encampment organizers and allies that reflected their commitment to divestment from Israel, commitment to Palestinians and embrace of interreligious pluralism.

During Passover, which ended last week, Jewish communities avoided chametz (leavened goods like wheat and spelt) and instead consumed matzo. Encampment organizers are, for the most part, supportive of the demands of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, but many matzo brands, including Manischewitz, make much of their product in Israel. Though Manischewitz is not officially part of the BDS boycott list, organizers felt they needed to make a modification. Unable to find non-Israeli-origin matzo in Chicago, Waldman said they ordered matzo from a specialty farm in New York. Earlier, Butnaru cooked matzo ball soup for Passover using a matzo meal that was not a product of Israel.

Our home is wherever we are, Waldman said. Theres no nation-state that is our national homeland. We wanted our ritual items, the matzo, to come from our home.

Palestinian olive oil from Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was also added to the Seder plate. The oil was available a bit closer to campus, from Canaan Palestine, a Madison, Wisconsin-based company that sources organic and fair trade olive oil from Palestinian orchards.

The Seder plate is the most symbolic ritual item, Waldman said. (It) symbolizes Palestinian connection to the land and commitment to nurturing the land through farming olives and olive orchards.

Organizers also revised their Haggadah, the text traditionally read at Passover Seder, to highlight parallels between the Palestinian freedom struggle and the story of the Jewish community fleeing from Egypt.

These changes reflect deep rifts and debates happening within Chicago Jewish communities.

The Passover Seder is about one thing and one thing only, Yossi wrote in an email. The exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to return to the land of their Patriarchs, what would then become known as the Land of Israel. Anything else is a bastardization of Judaism. 

Another Chicago-area rabbi was supportive of the protesters.

Im in favor of Jewish people observing Shabbat, praying three times daily and fulfilling the commandments wherever they are, Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein wrote in a message on X, formerly Twitter. Bernstein said the students and organizers actions are not in conflict with (the Torah and Jewish law and teachings).

On April 30, organizers held a Mimouna, a Sephardic tradition where Moroccan Jews celebrated the end of Passover by partaking in leavened goods and sweets with their Muslim neighbors. According to the organizers, observant Jews sell their leavened goods to Moroccan Muslims, only to buy it back when Passover is finished. While the festival is celebrated in Israel, Waldman says the important element of coexistence is not present.

Undergraduate student Andrew Basta helped organize the Mimouna; he has stayed most nights at the encampment tents since they were established.

The traditional kind of food of the holiday would be mofletta, which is a kind of crepe-like pancake that is sweet, Basta said on a phone call Saturday. Sadly, we are not able to achieve making that within the encampment, based on (lack of) access to stoves. Instead, they settled on pita and sweet dates.

There were moments where we could be neighbors and be friendly and celebrate together, Butnaru said. Not to say that it was perfect coexistence, but there was coexistence.

Basta is optimistic about the future and sees the Mimouna as symbolic of what is possible.

We can rebuild joyous futures and multiethnic futures where Jews and Muslims can be neighbors without being part of an apartheid state or ethnic cleansing, Basta said.

While Passover had ended by the time of Fridays Shabbat, many organizers were still thinking about the lessons of that story: the struggle for liberation in the face of oppression.

Theres nothing Jewish about an ethno-state, Butnaru said. Theres plenty of things that are Jewish about building community.

Many students expressed the challenges of bringing their activism to their parents. Fernandez described his parents as deeply committed to Zionism and said that their conversations around the subject of the war in Gaza and his organizing have been agonizing for both parties.

They think when I am in these camps, standing on this tarp praying  they think Im praying for the destruction of the Jewish people. But Fernandez said he is committed to nonviolence. He and other organizers believe that there can be coexistence and repair between Palestinians and Jews.

For the most part, the organizers in the encampment wish things were different with their families; but that wont stop them from protesting.

I want to begin from a premise that their hurt is real, Fernandez said. Our history as Jewish people is rooted in that; its real and palpable and omnipresent. I dont want to dismiss their fear  but the same Torah has placed us on opposite ends of the issue.

During the Shabbat, Avi Steinberg spoke and referenced a daily prayer from the Book of Numbers that translated to How goodly are your tents, oh Jacob?

This reference got a chuckle, but he explained the deeper meaning: You need to live every day as if you are in the tents.

In a later message, Steinberg explained that talk was presenting tent life as a metaphor for radical politics specifically  the need for maintaining that radical edge even on a daily basis when were not literally in the tents. He said he believed the encampment itself is a victory and that they would succeed in getting university leadership to divest financially from Israel and call for a ceasefire.

In the meantime, they were building their vision here, in the impermanence of the tents. In what they say is a multiethnic, pluralistic group committed to justice and peace.

____
Workers sort packages at the Amazon AGS5 facility on October 27, 2022, in Appling, Georgia. Two U.S. Senate Democrats plan to introduce a bill to address quota systems they say lead to injuries for warehouse workers. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Two Democratic U.S. senators announced last Thursday they plan to introduce a piece of legislation that would require large companies to disclose quota practices to workers and prevent those quotas from interfering with a workers health.

The Warehouse Worker Protection Act would put an end to the most dangerous quotas that plague warehouses, Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, a sponsor of the bill, said.

There is no published bill text yet.

Markey said the bill would require companies to notify workers of the quotas they need to meet and ban quotas that rely on 24/7 surveillance or are likely to lead to violations of health and safety laws. He added that companies that dont comply would be investigated by the Department of Labor and could face fines and penalties.

Injuries at Amazon

Markey was joined outside the U.S. Capitol by workers who shared their stories of being injured on the job at Amazon warehouses, along with Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith and Sean OBrien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Smith said that big companies like Amazon care about efficiency and cost savings and maximizing their profits.

Theyre experiencing record profits at the same time that the people whose labor they are earning profits on the backs (of), are experiencing completely unacceptable levels of injuries, she said.

The speakers singled out Amazon for quota practices that endanger workers, though Markey said the Seattle-based e-retail giant is not the only company that engages in a quota system that harms workers.

Amazon may be at the front of the pack with an injury rate double the national average, but the rest of the big warehousing companies are close behind, he said.

Some of Amazons quota practices include constant monitoring to measure how many items a worker scans, with automatic flags for workers below a certain percentile, and monitoring how long employees take on bathroom breaks and other time off task, according to a Thursday report by the National Employment Law Project.

The Amazon warehouse injury rate is twice that of the private-sector average for all industries and tens of thousands of warehouse workers each year experience serious injuries requiring medical treatment, according to the report.

OBrien said that Amazons business model pushes workers to the brink and creates a culture of fear.

Warehouses can be very dangerous places to work if safety isnt made a priority, he said.

Wendy Taylor, an Amazon worker in Missouri who is organizing for a union, was injured at work in March.

I was injured at work because of Amazons inhumane work rates, because of the exhausting pace in the physical work me and my coworkers do, she said.

Taylor said she fell and hurt her knee, but when she went to the company medical center, she said they (refused) to let me see a doctor when I asked, sending me back to work.

She eventually went to her own doctor, who diagnosed her with a torn meniscus in her knee.

This experience (shows) how hard it is to get timely, adequate medical treatment from a company that breaks down my body and speeds up my aging for shareholder profits, she said.

Spokespeople for Amazon did not immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday.

Brian Wild, a spokesperson for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, said in a statement that the industry group does not support the bill, arguing that it could lead to delays and price hikes.

The bill includes provisions that inappropriately tip the scales to union bosses at the expense of employees and employers by inviting labor organizations to participate in investigations, essentially granting union leaders access to potentially coerce or harass worksites under the guise of worker safety, Wild said.

Seeking bipartisan support

Markey said there is bipartisan support in the Senate for the bill, as well as the House.

We just want to build this out, Markey said. It should not be a Democrat or Republican thing, its a worker safety bill.

A warehouse protection law went into effect in Minnesota last year, but advocates have raised concerns that Amazon is not complying with the law.

Several other states, including California, New York, Oregon and Washington, have passed legislation similar to what Markey and Smith are proposing.

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The post U.S. Senate Dems Smith, Markey to push warehouse worker safety bill appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
A U.S. soldier was detained in Russia last week, the Army confirmed on Monday.

The service member, an unidentified male staff sergeant stationed in South Korea, had traveled to Russia on his own, three U.S. officials told NBC News, which first reported the detention.

Cynthia O. Smith, an Army spokesperson, told The Daily Beast that the soldier had been detained in far east city of Vladivostok on Thursday on charges of criminal misconduct.

The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Smith said. The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia.

Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time, she added.

When asked about NBCs report, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House was aware of this case, according to Agence France-Presse.

The Daily Beast has contacted the U.S. Army for more information.

The exact number of Americans jailed in Russia is unclear, but two of the most high-profile cases are that of Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich.

Whelan, a former U.S. Marine accused of spying, has been detained for more than five years, and received a 16-year prison sentence in 2020. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was arrested and similarly accused of espionage last March.

The U.S. considers both men to have been wrongfully detained.

In Feb. 2022, the WNBA player Brittney Griner was detained flying into Russia after customs officials found two vape cartridges in her luggage containing less than a gram of cannabis oil. Though she was sentenced to nine years in prison on what was widely considered to be a trumped-up charge of drug smuggling, Griner was freed in a prisoner swap ten months after her arrest.

A book about the experience, Coming Home, hits shelves on Tuesday.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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U.S. soldier detained in Russia and accused of stealing, officials say

A U.S. soldier was detained in Russia last week, a U.S. Army spokesperson said in a statement.

The soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, had been stationed in South Korea and traveled to Russia on his own, not on official business, according to four U.S. officials.

He had finished his deployment and was heading back to the U.S. when he made a side trip to Vladivostok, Russia, to visit a woman he was romantically involved with, officials said. They added that he had traveled there without permission from his superiors and that he is being held in pretrial confinement.

The soldier is accused of stealing from a woman, the officials said. It was not immediately clear whether it was the same woman he was visiting.

The soldier was detained Thursday, U.S. Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said in a statement.

Smith said the soldier was apprehended in Vladivostok "on charges of criminal misconduct."

"The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," Smith said. "The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time."

Great Kremlin Palace (Ian Walton / Getty Images file )

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he is "deeply concerned" by reports that a soldier was detained in Russia."Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage," McCaul said in a post shared on X. "A warning to all Americansas the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia."

Current travel guidance from the U.S. State Department restricts travel for citizens to Russia. "Exercise increased caution due to the risk of wrongful detentions," according to the State Department advisory. The Defense Department also restricts travel for Pentagon personnel.

Black is one of a number of Americans detained in Russia, including several civilians.

Arrests of Americans in Russia have increased as the relationship between the two countries has sunk to Cold War lows, The Associated Press reported. The U.S. has accused Russia of targeting Americans and using them as bargaining chips, according to the AP.

Among the most prominent U.S. citizens to be detained are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was jailed last March, and former Marine Paul Whelan, who was arrested in 2018. The U.S. government has said that both Gershkovich and Whelan are wrongfully detained.

WNBA star Brittney Griner spent 10 months in Russian penal colonies for drug-related charges but was released in a rare prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in 2022.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A fake news story has been spread online claiming that France has deployed the first 100 members of the Foreign Legion in Sloviansk. Such "stuffing" is only beneficial for Russia to once again shell civilian infrastructure and kill civilians.

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This was reported by the Crimean Wind monitoring group. "The Asia Times news from Stephen Bryan that France has deployed the first 100 people of the Foreign Legion in Sloviansk is a blatant fake," the statement says.

It is noteworthy that this news was spread not only by Russian dumps like RT but also by some major Ukrainian media.

However, the article by Stephen Bryan in the Hong Kong edition of the Asia Times about the first 100 militaries in Ukraine out of 1500 is based on a statement made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on April 3, as well as on a "throw-in" by the propaganda channel Military Chronicle on April 12, which was carried by the Kremlin media, and they themselves wrote that there was no confirmation of this data.

At the same time, Stephen Bryan himself is a well-known conspiracy theorist.

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"He is the author of ferocious fakes, such as 'The United States is trying to establish control over Budanov in order to move the capital from Kyiv to Lviv. Or this: "NATO sees Moldova as a springboard for an offensive against Crimea. He's one of that bunch of subdued Western "insiders" on the Kremlin's payroll. And this Stephen Bryan, based on Zakharova's statement and Z-channels about sending 100 French troops, is talking about how bad it is because it could provoke a war between Europe and Russia," the monitoring group explained.

It is noted that this fake is being spread to influence three audiences:

French  to create public opinion against sending troops amid recent statements by President Emmanuel Macron.

For the Asian audience, since the article was published in the Asia Times, it is the same message on the eve of Macron's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

For the Russian media, it was a way to attack the hospital in Sloviansk once again and then claim that 100 French mercenaries were allegedly "eliminated" there.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, the day before, Macron once again spoke about the possibility of sending his troops to the territory of Ukraine. According to him, no action can be ruled out given that the aggressor country, Russia, does not set any limits.

Macron also expressed the opinion that the security of Europe is impossible without ensuring the stability of Ukraine. According to him, the war waged by Russia against our country is the main threat to the continent.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) said it will create a new office focused on campus safety after violence broke out at a pro-Palestine protest encampment last week.

Dozens of protesters were injured after counterprotesters assaulted the encampment overnight Wednesday for hours without police intervention, and police fired rubber bullets at the protesters Thursday while making arrests.

Chancellor Gene Block said Sunday in a message to students that urgent changes are needed in how we administer safety operations, adding that he is committed to a thorough investigation of our security processes.

The new Office of Public Safety will have oversight over campus police and emergency response, he said. The office is to be led by former Sacramento police chief Rick Braziel.

Block said violence at recent protests had strained trust within our community, but he did not reference any specific incident.

The university also announced that students will return to class Monday after all of last weeks classes were canceled due to the protests.

More than 200 UCLA students were arrested last week, California Highway Patrol said.

The UCLA clashes marked the most violent conflict in a nationwide movement of campus pro-Palestine protests. Hundreds of college campuses have seen similar protests in recent weeks, with more than 2,000 students being arrested nationwide.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukrainian forces fire at a Russian position with a 155mm self-propelled 2C22 Bohdana howitzer in the Kharkiv region on April 21, 2024. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)

PARIS  More than 100 Ukrainian and European defense firms gathered in Brussels on Monday to discuss direct investment in Ukraines defense industry as well as setting up local production to help the country fight off Russias invasion.

Ukraines weapon-production capacity far exceeds its financial resources, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a speech by video at the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum. The gap between what the local defense industry can produce and the funds available for weapons procurement amounts to $10 billion, Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin said at the meeting.

The goal of the meeting is for concrete joint proposals from Ukrainian and European firms, said Josep Borrell, the European Unions foreign policy chief. Europe has started to adjust its military-aid strategy to bolster Ukraines defense-industrial base, with Denmark in April allocating 200 million kroner ($29 million) for investment in the countrys defense industry.

Denmark has shown the example, starting the path of directly investing in Ukrainian defense industry, Borrell said. If the military equipment that Ukraine needs can be rapidly produced by the Ukrainian defense industry, I say lets buy from them. Lets help them to produce at home and lets provide the financial capacity to buy this production.

Borrell said more than 140 companies from 25 European Union member states were attending the forum, while Kamyshin said 39 Ukrainian companies were present, including state-owned weapons producer Ukroboronprom.

Some EU defense companies are already investing in Ukraine, with Germanys Rheinmetall saying in February said it would set up a joint venture to manufacture 155mm artillery ammunition in the country. That follows last years joint venture between Rheinmetall and Ukroboronprom to locally repair and maintain equipment supplied by allies to Ukraine.

Producing locally will save on transportation costs and reduce delays, bringing manufacturing to where it is needed, Borrell said. Once EU member state agree on using the revenue generated by frozen Russian assets , those resources will be channelled to Ukraine to help with its pressing military needs and contribute directly to its defense industry, according to the high representative.

Ukraine could become a world leader in drones and electronic warfare, according to Borrell, who said Europes defense industry has a lot to offer Ukraine, but can also learn from the country.

This war, with the groundbreaking role of the 21st-century technology, like drones destroying the most advanced tanks, is revolutionizing warfare, Borrell said. And we have learned a lot from the Ukrainians in this regard.

Ukraines defense industry has shown it is capable and price competitive, Kamyshin said in remarks before the start of the meeting. He said the countrys industry is adjacent to the European defense industry. We dont compete, but we produce those simple things that work well, proven on the battlefield.

Expanding defense-industrial capacities in Ukraine and the EU is a political issue, Foreign Minister Kuleba said. Russias pace of militarization is the highest since Soviet times, and the only way to win what is a new arms race, and to deter Russia, is to show that Europe has the means to defend itself, the minister said.

The European Union, with partner and candidate countries, needs a common defense-industrial space, according to Kuleba. Such an arrangement could help overcome the lack of interchangeability in urgently needed 155mm artillery munition, for example, he added, noting how French shells can only be fired from French howitzers, and German cannons only accepting U.S. and German shells.

The minister called for long-term planning of contracts and procurement, saying predictability is the fuel that drives the defense industries. He said Ukraine has combat experience, technological ingenuity and rapidly expanding capabilities, but lacks funding.

Investing in Ukrainian defense enterprises is a great way to provide Ukraine with more weapons, Kuleba said. Every euro invested in Ukraines ability to produce more weapons generates lucrative security and financial returns for European partners.
Ukraine to be one of topics of Macron's meeting with China's leader

French President Emmanuel Macron will try to persuade the Chinese leader Xi Jinping to use China's leverage over Russia to bring the end of the war against Ukraine closer.

Source: AP, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Elysee Palace noted that diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia are a top priority for France. In a conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Macron will urge him to use the available levers of influence on Russia to help end the war in Ukraine.

An official familiar with the preparations for the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Macron will raise the issue of Chinese companies supplying Russia with products that help it wage war against Ukraine and will urge Beijing to maintain a dialogue with Ukraine.

In addition, Macron plans to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

The two leaders will also discuss climate change and trade disputes, including over electric vehicles, alcohol, and cosmetics.

Background: On the afternoon of 5 May, Xi Jinping arrived in France, beginning his several-day tour of European countries. He will be in France on Monday and Tuesday before heading to Serbia and Hungary. This is his first visit to the continent since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier, it was reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may pay a visit to China in May.

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The Spanish government reports that Ukraine has received the missiles for the Patriot air defence systems supplied by Spain and other allies.

Source: Margarita Robles, Minister of Defence of Spain, during a visit to military facilities in Zaragoza, where Ukrainian soldiers are undergoing treatment and training, as reported by El Mundo and European Pravda

Details: Robles stated that these missiles would help Ukraine defend itself from constant Russian attacks.

"The batch of Patriot missiles has arrived in Ukraine. It arrived last week. We are obviously coordinating the supply with our allies because we realise that Ukraine is protecting its integrity, protecting human lives," Robles said.

She stressed the necessity for the EU countries to keep supporting the Ukrainian people who face the challenge of Russian aggression.

Background:

Spain confirmed its intentions to supply Ukraine with interceptor missiles for the Patriot anti-aircraft system at a meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraines Defence (Ramstein format).

Earlier the media reported that Spain had refused to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles but agreed to provide missiles for the systems already operating in the combat zone in Ukraine amid the pressure from NATO and the EU.

Greece and Spain are under intense pressure from their EU and NATO allies to provide Ukraine with additional air defence systems.

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Key developments on May 6:

Ukraine destroys Russian fast attack craft in occupied Crimea

Syrskyi: Russia trying to break through defenses to reach Kurakhove, Pokrovsk

Russia threatens UK military installations, equipment "in Ukraine and abroad" after Cameron's remarks

Netherlands to begin F-16 aircraft deliveries to Ukraine in autumn

Minister: Ukraine to produce more weapons worth $10 billion if financed

Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian military fast attack craft on May 6, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported.

The attack was reportedly carried out with a Magura V5 multi-purpose sea drone in occupied Crimea overnight.

The agency later identified the targeted Russian vessel as a Mangust-class patrol boat, also known under the designation Project 12150.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on occupied Crimea, targeting Russian military assets in and around the Black Sea.

Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk earlier said that Russia had withdrawn nearly all its major ships from ports in occupied Crimea following successful Ukrainian strikes.

The Mangust-class vessels, worth around $3 million a piece, are used by Russia as multi-purpose high-speed crafts for patrolling, countering subversive operations, and search and rescue, the military intelligence agency said.

The boats are usually equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station with a 14.5 mm machine gun, as well as two AGS-17 grenade launchers, one DP-64 grenade launcher, and two Igla and Verba man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).

The combat mission was conducted by the "Group 13" unit of Ukraine's military intelligence in collaboration with the fundraising platform United24 in the Vuzka Bay in the Black Sea.

Ukraine previously destroyed several Russian ships with Magura V5 multi-purpose sea drones, including the landing ship Caesar Kunikov, the Sergei Kotov patrol ship, high-speed Serna and Akula landing crafts, and a Tarantul-class Ivanovets missile corvette.

Ukrainian forces also partially damaged the Russian military ship Ivan Khurs using a Magura V5 drone.

On April 21, Ukraine's Navy struck the Kommuna ship in occupied Sevastopol. It was launched in 1915 and is the oldest ship still in service in the Russian Navy.

Sevastopol is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet and is frequently targeted by Ukrainian missile and sea drone strikes.

Read also: Update: Ukraines Navy confirms Russian ship Kommuna hit in Sevastopol

Syrskyi: Russia trying to break through defenses to reach Kurakhove, Pokrovsk

Russian troops are trying to break through Ukraine's defenses and reach the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 6.

Russia is carrying out intense attacks in multiple sections of the eastern front, which covers much of Donetsk Oblast, after it captured the city of Avdiivka in February.

Russian forces have been focusing their efforts near Chasiv Yar, which they see as crucial for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military reported in March.

Syrskyi said he had spent two days working with units deployed in Ukraine's east in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors, which he called Russia's "main attack direction."

"The main enemy's attack forces are concentrated here with attempts to break through the defense of our troops and, after building on their success, reach the towns of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk," the general said.

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Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukrainian soldiers face daily attacks by Russian troops, according to Syrskyi.

The commander said he had met with brigade commanders and other officers and "made

all the necessary decisions to strengthen the defense with reserves, to allocate additional missiles, ammunition, electronic warfare equipment, and unmanned aerial vehicles."

"Our task in these conditions is to hold frontiers and positions, to inflict maximum losses on the enemy, to exhaust them, thereby disrupting the enemy's plans and gaining time to form and prepare our reserves," Syrskyi added.

Ukrainian troops retreated in late April west from the villages of Berdychi, Semenivka, and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast. The Khortytsia Group of Ukraine's Ground Forces said that Russian forces also managed to break in and gain a foothold in a part of the village of Ocheretyne in the region.

Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), said that Ukraine should expect to face a renewed Russian offensive in late spring or early summer, with the offensive intensifying around the eastern Donbas region.

Russia aims to completely occupy Donetsk, Luhansk, and, if possible, Zaporizhzhia oblasts in 2024, said Oleksandr Pavliuk, Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander.

Read also: Military: Russia trying to regain control of Nestryha Island in Kherson Oblast

Russia threatens UK military installations, equipment "in Ukraine and abroad" after Cameron's remarks

Moscow can hit back at "any British military installations and equipment in or outside Ukraine" if Ukraine strikes on Russian territory with U.K.-made weapons, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on May 6.

British Ambassador to Moscow Nigel Casey was summoned to Russia's Foreign Ministry for a formal protest after U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Kyiv had a right to use the weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," he said.

The Russian ministry claimed that Cameron "had de facto recognized his country as a part of the conflict," calling his remarks a "serious escalation."

"Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad could be targeted," the ministry's statement read.

Russia has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons in response to Western support for Ukraine, but the threats have so far failed to materialize.

Ukraine has continued to press its Western allies for longer-range weapons, but partners have hesitated about delivering arms that could potentially be used to strike within Russian territory.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Kyiv will not use weapons supplied by foreign partners to hit targets outside of the country's borders. Such restrictions do not apply to domestically produced arms, some of which are reportedly capable of striking deep into Russia.

Some of Ukraine's allies have sent weapons to Kyiv with no restrictions on strikes inside Russia, according to Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze.

Ukraine has also reportedly used U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to target Russian military targets Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Read also: Russia to hold tactical nuclear weapons drills amid threats by certain Western officials

Netherlands to begin F-16 aircraft deliveries to Ukraine in autumn

The Netherlands plans to start delivering its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this autumn after Denmark begins transferring its aircraft already in the summer, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said during a press briefing in Vilnius, Delfi reported on May 6.

Previously, the Netherlands pledged to deliver 24 of its fourth-generation U.S.-made jets to Ukraine as Kyiv seeks to bolster its Air Force.

Speaking alongside her Lithuanian counterpart Laurynas Kasciunas, Ollongren said that the deliveries are part of a detailed plan also involving training for Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel.

If the allies manage to stay on course, the first Danish F-16s should arrive in Ukraine this summer, she added. The Netherlands hopes to take part in the deliveries starting this autumn.

The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have pledged to supply Ukraine with dozens of F-16 jets.

Denmark, along with the Netherlands and the U.S., has led an international coalition established last year to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots.

Read also: F-16s for Ukraine: When will they arrive and what can they do?

Minister: Ukraine to produce more weapons worth $10 billion if financed

The gap between Ukrainian companies' production capacities and their funding is $10 billion for 2024, Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin said on May 6 at the EU-Ukraine Defense Industries Forum.

Kamyshin's statement came during the forum in Brussels, which gathered over 350 representatives from EU institutions, governments, European and Ukrainian defense industries, industry associations, and key partner states to boost cooperation with Ukraine in the defense sector.

The Ukrainian defense-industrial complex can launch production worth $20 billion per year, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported, referring to the Strategic Industries Ministry's calculations.

The ministry plans to pass contracts worth $6 billion and to collect the other $4 billion via local funding in Ukraine. The partners could cover the rest of the $10 billion.

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"Our main task is to find additional funding for the defense forces in Ukraine. My task is to get this financing for production in Ukraine since we are already capable (of it)," Kamyshin said.

"We have additional non-contracted capacities, and we want them to be financed at the expense of European funds."

Kamyshin said that Denmark and Canada have already invested in Ukrainian arms production, but the Ukrainian government is still looking for additional funds to produce different weapons.

The minister said Ukraine can produce military equipment "from armored vehicles to unmanned aerial and ground vehicles."

"And this is the fastest and most correct way to help our Armed Forces... Part of the items can be produced very quickly," Kamyshin said.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton announced earlier at the forum that the EU has started work on establishing the new Defense Innovation office in Kyiv.

The office will support the further integration of Ukraine into European defense programs, while at the same time allowing European countries to learn from the experiences of the Ukrainian military on the battlefield.

Read also: EU Commissioner: EU begins work on new Defense Innovation office in Kyiv

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Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes that there are three components that will determine the success of the European defence industry.

Source: Kuleba in an address to the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum on Monday, reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Details: The first component, Kuleba said, is creating a common defence industrial space within the EU and partner and candidate countries.

He added that a common defence industrial space would help to overcome the problems arising from the use of different types of weapons and ammunition.

The second component is long-term planning, contracts and procurement.

Kuleba noted that the EU strategy has already taken an important step in this direction, and "we expect its speedy practical implementation at national and intergovernmental levels".

The third component is increased cooperation between the defence industries of Ukraine and the EU.

Kuleba pointed out that Ukraine is now a European defence industry powerhouse. He added that many governments and companies are already cooperating with their Ukrainian counterparts, and the benefits are enormous.

Background:

At the forum on Monday, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell expressed his belief that EU countries could buy weapons for Ukraine from Ukrainian defence companies and quickly transfer them to Kyiv for military support.

Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, said that the EU has started work on opening a Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv.

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that Beijing, together with its partners, is allegedly looking for "good ways" to end the war in Ukraine. At the same time, he continued to call Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the "Ukrainian crisis."

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Xi Jinping wrote about this in a column for Le Figaro. It was published on Sunday, May 5, at the same time as the Chinese leader arrived in Paris as part of his European tour.

He said that Beijing "is not a participant or party to this crisis" and expressed hope that "peace and stability will return to Europe."

"We understand the turmoil that the 'Ukrainian crisis' is causing Europeans. China is not the source of this crisis and is neither a party nor a participant. We hope that peace and stability will quickly return to Europe, and we intend to work with France and the entire international community to find good solutions to the crisis," Le Figaro quoted Xi Jinping as saying.

The newspaper writes that Paris wants to at least ensure that China, the main ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, does not explicitly support his military actions against Kyiv or even "encourage him to use the leverage" it has over Moscow to "help resolve this conflict."

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Earlier, Reuters also suggested that during his talks with Xi, French President Emmanuel Macron would try to persuade him to use his influence on the terrorist country Russia. Macron will also seek to ensure that China reduces its trade imbalances.

Xi Jinping is also expected to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The talks are likely to raise the issue of disagreements within the 27 EU members, including between France and Germany, which undermine their ability to influence China. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not join Macron and Xi Jinping in Paris.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, on May 5, President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived in France on a visit. He intends to discuss with Macron, among other things, the war in Ukraine.

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Ukraines Air Force has shot down a Russian guided missile in the skies over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Source: Air Command Skhid (East)

Quote: "A unit of Air Command Skhid has destroyed a Kh-59/69 guided missile in the Synelnykove district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast."

Details: Ukraines Air Force had reported on social media at 12:37 that a Russian missile was heading towards Dnipro from the east.

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Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has visited the front line where the Russians have concentrated their main forces for the offensive.

Source: Syrskyi on Facebook

Quote: "Due to the difficult situation in Ukraines east, I worked for two days in the units engaged in defensive operations on the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove fronts, i.e. on the fronts of the enemy's main attack.

The main enemy attack forces are concentrated here, trying to break through the defences of our troops and, building on their success, reach the large settlements of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk.

The enemy has been attacking our troops' positions daily, having an inherent numerical advantage in personnel, weapons and military equipment. Our task in these conditions is to hold the lines and positions and inflict maximum losses on the enemy with artillery fire, attack UAVs and every type of asset in order to exhaust them, thereby disrupting the enemys plans and winning time to form and prepare our reserves."

Syrskyi visiting the eastern fronts

Photo: Syrskyi on Facebook

Details: Syrskyi added that he had worked with commanders and made the necessary decisions to strengthen the defence with reserves and to allocate additional missiles, ammunition, electronic warfare and UAVs. On Infantry Day, he also presented awards to soldiers who distinguished themselves in battles with the Russians.

Syrskyi visiting the eastern fronts

Photo: Syrskyi on Facebook

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There are no licensed personnel at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) who could put it into operation, and amateur activity by Russian specialists at the plant could lead to a nuclear incident.

Source: Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine, and the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine

Halushchenko noted that only Ukrainian specialists are licensed to operate the plant, and currently the Russians do not allow them to enter the ZNPP.

"Even if we imagine that the Russians will gather specialists in Russia and bring them to the plant, they will be unlicensed personnel. For them to launch the plant is absurd. It is not possible either in the context of Ukrainian legislation or even Russian legislation or, of course, international law," the minister said.



Halushchenko also noted that there are a number of significant technical problems at the occupied facility, particularly the expiration of the terms of use of nuclear fuel and the lack of sufficient volumes of water for reactors to operate.



"The problem with the plants water supply arose after the Russians destroyed the Kakhovka dam. And while there is enough water in the coolers for six units to be in non-working mode, completely different volumes of water are needed to start the ZNPP," Halushchenko explained.

The minister added that the Russians attempts to meet the plant's water needs by developing wells do not comply with any standards either.

Background:

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the Kremlin plans to "restart" the ZNPP.

The repairs and inspections required at the ZNPP are not being carried out in full due to the incompetence of the staff hired by the Russians.

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LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's Liberal Democrat party said on Monday it would submit a parliamentary motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government to try to force a June general election after big losses for the ruling Conservatives in local polls.

The Conservatives lost 474 local council seats in last week's elections, according to a BBC tally, with the main opposition Labour Party gaining 186 and the Liberal Democrats expanding theirs by 104.

"Of course this was a disappointing weekend for us but the result of the next general election isn't a foregone conclusion ... the situation is closer than many people are saying or indeed some of the opinion polls are predicting," Sunak told reporters on Monday.

"I'm absolutely determined to fight incredibly hard for what I believe and for the future country that I want to build," he added.

But the results have prompted demands for him to call a national election. He has previously said he intends to do so in the second half of the year.

A no confidence motion is likely to be defeated even if the Conservatives, who still have a majority of seats in parliament's elected lower house, allow it to go ahead.

The government is not expected to provide parliamentary time to debate confidence motions if they are brought forward by opposition parties other than the official opposition, which is currently Labour.

"These local elections showed the country has had enough of Rishi Sunak and his out-of-touch Conservative government," Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said in the statement announcing the party would submit the motion on Tuesday.

Traditionally, governments that have lost a confidence vote have either resigned to make way for an alternative administration, or the prime minister has requested a dissolution from the monarch, triggering a national election.

The last time an election was forced by a no confidence motion was in 1979, when Jim Callaghan, then Labour prime minister, lost the vote in parliament and requested a dissolution.

(Reporting by Muvija M; Editing by Toby Chopra and Barbara Lewis)
The US Democratic Party is speculating that President Joe Biden may withdraw from the presidential election scheduled for November 2024. The current head of the White House may propose to nominate Michelle Obama, the wife of former US President Barack Obama, instead.

ADVERTISIMENT

This was reported by Der Spiegel. Journalists' sources believe that Biden may announce the decision at a party convention in Chicago in August 2024.

According to the journalists' interlocutors, the Democratic Party is discussing the possibility of replacing the candidate in the upcoming elections so seriously that they have included a question in public opinion polls.

The media writes that the Democrats are considering such a step after a poll among Americans who said they would like to see a woman as president and that Biden is too old for another presidential term. Two-thirds of Americans surveyed believe he is too old to lead the country for another four years.

ADVERTISIMENT

Many people are also afraid of former President Donald Trump, who is "not much younger than the current leader of the country and spends several days a week in court over accusations of trying to buy the silence of a porn actress."

The day before, Biden had agreed to take part in an election debate with Trump. The US President changed his position, as he had been refusing to debate for several months.

Trump replied that he was ready for them "anytime and anywhere" and called on Biden to meet for a debate in a courtroom where one of the many court cases against the former president, which he considers political persecution, is being considered.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Workers in a pork processing plant, 2016. Photo courtesy of U.S. General Accountability Office.

More than 4,700 unaccompanied minor migrants have been released into Minnesota since 2015, according to U.S. Health and Human Services data released by the New York Times.

Most are from Central and South American countries. Their numbers skyrocketed following the pandemic, which devastated economies in the region while also creating a labor shortage in the U.S. As a result, many families and their children made the dangerous trek to the United States in search of economic opportunity. The Biden administrations moves to reverse some of the Trump administrations restrictive policies may have also played a role.

The journey is especially dangerous for children. For those who arrive in Minnesota, roughly half are released to the custody of close family members like siblings, uncles and grandparents, while another 40% join their parents, the data show.

But roughly 10% of the minors end up in the homes of unrelated adults or distant relatives, arrangements that advocates say can lead to abuse and exploitation.

Child labor violations are an area of particular concern. The New York Times found that nationally, migrant children living with unrelated adults are often clustered in agricultural and manufacturing centers, suggesting they are searching for work in order to help families back home.

But those jobs can be dangerous, and numerous child labor law violations, many involving immigrant children, have made headlines in recent months.

The Minnesota data matches those national trends. Migrant children living with unrelated adults are most highly concentrated in Worthington, where JBS Foods had at least 22 underage children working overnight shifts cleaning a slaughterhouse. The janitorial company employing those children also sent underage workers to plants in St. Cloud and Austin, which also stand out on the map.

Other communities with unusually high numbers of migrant children living with unrelated adults include:

Several Twin Cities zip codes also rank highly on the list, although its unclear whether this is due to the presence of specific employers or simply the large immigrant population in the metro.

The data does not include names of the children or their sponsors, nor does it have any specific information on their work or school status. Some children might end up in communities like Worthington because the businesses there employ large numbers of adult migrants, with strong social networks forming as a result.

The post Unaccompanied minors flock to MN meatpacking towns, data show appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the Dome podcast, for the week of May 6, 2024. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observers Capitol bureau chief. On this episode, we have bipartisan guests: Republican Sen. Vickie Sawyer and Democratic Sen. Natalie Murdock.

Theyve been on before, but you havent heard them like this. We talk about everything from the protesters at UNC to the law enforcement officers killed in Charlotte to transportation policy, the budget, this legislative session and the controversial bills passed last session.

Plus, all of this was recorded before a live audience, our first live recording, at the N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. You can listen to the episode on all podcast platforms, and embedded below. And we have it on video as well. Here also are some topics we covered during the discussion.

From left to right, Republican Sen. Vickie Sawyer and Democratic Sen. Natalie Murdock talk to News & Observer Capitol Bureau Chief Dawn Vaughan during a live recording of the Under the Dome podcast in downtown Raleigh on April 30, 2024.

Police in Charlotte killed

The four law enforcement officers killed in Charlotte serving a warrant are adjacent to Sawyers district, which includes Iredell County and northern Mecklenburg County. She talked about how the incident hit close to home.

Sawyer said she wanted law enforcement and others she has spoken with to know that we do need to look at why criminals are being let loose on the streets. And why some Carolinians are not safe, and why our police officers are continually under fire.

Murdock represents Chatham County and Durham, the latter of which has faced significant gun violence over the years.

I view the issue of public safety and crime holistically. Im coming off of visiting a lot of schools. And its my understanding, particularly with young children, you can kind of see if theyre going in the wrong direction as early as first, second grade. And for some young people, youve really got to get them back in the right direction that early on, Murdock said. So I am supportive of really addressing the root causes of crime, not just education, but opportunities after school.

Theres a lot more to that conversation about violent crime, and also on the subject of the protests at UNC-Chapel Hill over the Israel-Hamas war.

UNC campus protesters

Murdock is an alum of UNC, and said when she was a student there, she was very active with an organization called the Black Student Movement. And so I definitely participated in a number of peaceful protests. One was, actually we organized the students on other campuses to have one right downtown, just a result of some organizations that werent very supportive of diversity.

Natalie Murdock

She said protests should be peaceful and respectful.

Murdock said students have a right to protest. And I think the reason students are protesting is they feel helpless, they want to feel heard, and they are very passionate about their causes. But above everything else, we do have to keep everyone on campus safe, especially with it coming to the end of the school year.

Sawyer noted protests in history and said students should realize that in order to be taken seriously, then they need to understand how they can sit down and have a civil conversation with those that can make true decisions, and not just be vagrants and vandals and violate and and tear down our universities. At what point are we gonna hold these young children accountable for public destruction?

Listen to the podcast for their full discussion about campus protests.

Transportation and more

Murdock and Sawyer serve together on the Senate Transportation Committee, which Sawyer chairs.

Sawyer also talked about Mecklenburg Countys proposed Red Line commuter rail line.

I do want to caution folks to say that youre asking for a tax increase on a promise that was made 20 years ago. So that doesnt necessarily go over very well. Im not saying no. Im just saying that you better show me first, Sawyer said.

State Sen. Vickie Sawyer

Murdock said the Triangle needs to provide more options to get people out of their car, as there is no light rail or commuter rail here yet.

Sawyer said the state Board of Transportation made promises years ago for roads that havent been built yet and wants to have an honest conversation about broken promises.

Stayed tuned to the end when I ask them what theyd do differently than their parties candidates for governor, and what theyd pick for a Headliner of the Month.

Listen to our latest episode below and catch up on previous episodes. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon Music and Stitcher.
Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder condemned Russia's "irresponsible rhetoric" at a briefing on 6 May after it announced its intention to conduct nuclear weapons drills.

Source: European Pravda citing AFP

Details: The Pentagon spokesperson called the Russian statements "an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric that we've seen from Russia in the past".

"It's completely inappropriate given the current security situation," he added.

Ryder also stressed that the United States has not observed any changes in the strategic positioning of Russian forces, but "obviously we'll continue to monitor".

Background:

The Ministry of Defence of Russia has announced on 6 May that it will "soon" conduct exercises involving the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons on the orders of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin.

These are exercises with missile units of the Southern Military District involving aircraft, as well as Navy forces.

The EU called the exercise plans a continuation of Russia's irresponsible behaviour.

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The beginnings of an encampment allegedly protesting the Israel-Hamas war was cleared Monday, May 6, 2024 at Hubbard Park on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect a statement released by the University of Iowa Action for Palestine group on Tuesday morning, May 7. The statement outlined the purpose of the encampment. A previous version of the story described the camp's motive as "unclear." The group has not responded to additional requests for comment.

University of Iowa police removed chicken wire, wood pallets, and plywood from a possible encampment at Hubbard Park on Monday morning.

A group called the University of Iowa Action for Palestine allegedly organized the encampment near the Iowa Memorial Union along Iowa Avenue and Madison Street, according to social media posts.

The UIPD was alerted to the demonstration around 7:18 a.m. Monday and responded to inform those setting up that the camp violated university policy under a code for conditions of use of university facilities and outdoor spaces.

The police told the demonstrators that if they did not remove the materials within 30 minutes, UIPD would remove them, and they could be placed under arrest, according to a news release from the University of Iowa Police Department.

More: Peaceful demonstrations mark third day of University of Iowa protests of Israel-Hamas war

In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday morning, the campus Action for Palestine group wrote that the "camp" was set up "in protest of the University of Iowa's support for the Israeli Occupation Forces."

"We intend to stay right where we are until the university meets our demands for full disclosure of its academic/financial entanglements with the state of Israel and companies that profit from the genocidal war, followed by a severing of those ties," the statement read.

The statement also addressed its use of "barricades," saying they were an attempt to deter police from breaking up the encampment.

"While Israeli settlers have moved to occupy the land of Gaza, students around the nation have mobilized to occupy university lawns and buildings," the statement continued. "These strategic stress points target the financial and political agreements that allow this genocidal war to continue."

The Press-Citizen has been unable to verify group members or organizers despite repeated inquiries.

The beginnings of an encampment allegedly protesting the Israel-Hamas war was cleared Monday, May 6, 2024 at Hubbard Park on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

Setting up camp

According to the University of Iowa news release, the group started to build a fence to "reinforce the camp" with chicken wire, wood pallets, a sheet of metal, and plywood with handles. UIPD began to remove the materials around 8 a.m. and provided a "final warning" that the encampment organizers needed to leave or they "could be arrested."

No arrests were made Monday morning, and according to the news release, the demonstrators chose to leave and adhere to the police department's warnings.

Several college campuses nationwide have seen hundreds of protesters detained amidst a surge of recent protests. In Los Angeles, 132 individuals were arrested Wednesday night at UCLA. Similarly, in New York, encampments were organized at Columbia University and City College.

The group @uiowa.action.for.palestine made its first post this morning on Instagram.

Its bio on the social media platform reads, "An autonomous network of students, community members, alumni, and staff organizing and acting for a free, Liberated Palestine." The Instagram post, made around 7 a.m., included a video of what looked like Hubbard Park with several camping tents scattered throughout.

Roughly seven persons were seen clearing Hubbard Park of debris and different items around 9:45 a.m. Monday, though no demonstrators were present.

More: Peaceful demonstrations mark third day of University of Iowa protests of Israel-Hamas war

The beginnings of an encampment allegedly protesting the Israel-Hamas war was cleared Monday, May 6, 2024 at Hubbard Park on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

University of Iowa policy prohibits camping, structures on campus grounds

Under a code for conditions of use of university facilities and outdoor spaces," the University of Iowa prohibits camping at all of the schools outdoor locations unless supported and approved through a university-wide initiative or specifically related to the academic mission of the institution and approved by the University Events Committee.

The policy does say camping is allowed only in Hubbard Park, if approved.

The university code also states that no structures (which include tents, platforms or vehicle) should be placed or erected in reserved outdoor space locations unless supported and approved through a University-wide initiative or specifically related to the academic mission of the institution.

The University of Iowa allows "structures and equipment, such as tents, tables, huts, kiosks, booths, vehicles, or similar structures," at Hubbard Park only if they are approved by the University Events Committee "in connection with an authorized group event or activity."

Violators may be subject to criminal and/or university disciplinary sanctions, according to the policy.

Appeals can be made to the associate dean of students and the executive director of the Iowa Memorial Union, Bill Nelson, according to university policy.

"Encampments are not permitted under university policies, and violations of university policy will not be tolerated," the University of Iowa Police Department said in its release. "Any behavior that violates applicable law or university policy may be subject to criminal and/or university disciplinary sanctions.

The University of Iowa refused to comment further when approached by the Press-Citizen.

The beginnings of an encampment allegedly protesting the Israel-Hamas war was cleared Monday, May 6, 2024 at Hubbard Park on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

More: Iowa City student group continues weekend peaceful Israel-Hamas war protest on campus

Other campus protests spark free speech debate

Monday's encampment was erected less than 24 hours after a three-day protest organized by the University of Iowa Justice in Palestine (SJP) concluded Sunday night.

There appears to be no direct affiliation between the two groups.

The University of Iowa Justice in Palestine group was adamant that they were not organizing an encampment during its demonstration, which started at noon Friday, May 3 on the Pentacrest. The demonstration included time for prayer, regular protests, and stations for handmade artwork.

In an email to the Press-Citizen last week, campus safety said, "Community members are permitted to exercise their First Amendment rights in outdoor areas of campus if it complies with reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions, and as long as the conduct is lawful, and does not impede access to a facility or use of walkways, interfere with vehicle traffic, or disrupt the functioning of the institution. Encampments will not be permitted under university policies."

The University of Iowa's free speech guidelines outline what is permitted during an on-campus demonstration.

Permitted activities include peaceful assembly, distributing flyers and brochures, respecting others' right to assemble or engage in speech and following university policies and local, state and federal laws.

Demonstrators could face disciplinary action if they block entrances, exits or roadways, vandalize property, "erect structures or signs," use "amplified sound" outside of "designated times and areas" or without permission, or attempt to "intimidate, badger, or coerce others into viewing or listening to a message."

Engaging in physical violence, creating disruptions within campus buildings and "shout(ing) down" a speaker are also forbidden.

The guidelines warn that violating laws or university policies may result in "disciplinary action or criminal charges."

More: Live updates: Students in Iowa City, University of Iowa lead protests supporting Palestinians

Press-Citizen local government and crime reporter Ryan Hansen contributed.

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: UI police shut down attempted Israel-Hamas war protest encampment
In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

A faculty body at the University of Kentucky passed a vote of no confidence in President Eli Capilouto on Monday afternoon.

The university senate held the vote after two months of disagreements about the role of the senate, where they expressed concerns about the process Capilouto used to present a new university governance structure to the board of trustees.

The senate voted 58 in favor and 24 opposed, with 11 abstentions, on the resolution of no confidence at their last regularly scheduled meeting of the semester. The resolution also calls on the board of trustees to redo the process of shared governance reform to address the senates concerns, and to develop new recommendations.

After the vote, the senate considered adding a vote of no confidence in the board of trustees, though it failed to get enough support to be introduced and a vote was not taken.

DeShana Collett, chair of the senate council, said the vote of no confidence was not personal, but about the process used over the last several months that she said left faculty feeling ignored.

This is about integrity, Collett said. This is about transparency.

Collett said she hopes the president will sit down with faculty members as they formulate what the new faculty senate will look like.

This was a big move for the senate, and it wasnt taken lightly, Collett said.

A vote of no confidence does not immediately result in the removal or firing of a university president. The vote is symbolic of the facultys lack of trust in leadership, signaling from the voting body that they take issue with an aspect of the universitys leadership or decision-making.

In formulating his recommendations, the President made significant, repeated management errors that have created unnecessary confusion, anxiety, and risk within the UK community, the resolution read.

The resolution also said Capilouto created unnecessary and harmful division when he amplified false narratives that faculty members on the University Senate do not prioritize student needs or value diverse representation.

Capilouto has been the president of UK since 2011, and holds the longest tenure of any other current public university president in the state. Hes one of the highest-paid public university presidents in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Capilouto has been praised by trustees for his job performance, but in his most recent performance evaluation, the board listed strengthening relationships with faculty and shared governance as areas for improvement.

In an email sent after the vote, Capilouto said he intends to work together with the UK community on the revisions to the governing regulations.

I know that some among our faculty are concerned about these revisions, Capilouto said. I understand the concerns and respect those who have voiced them. Moving forward, my hope is that we will come together. We dont have to all agree about the changes, but I hope we all agree that we must continue to move forward as a community.

Board of trustees chair Britt Brockman echoed his support for Capilouto and his leadership.

Let me be clear: the board of trustees unequivocally supports President Capilouto, who is the right person at an important moment of change to lead Kentuckys university, Brockman said. Change is hard. Leadership requires making tough decisions, and doing the right thing even in the face of criticism.

New governance structure raised concerns

Faculty on Monday said they had issues with the process used to formulate new governing regulations. Molly Blasing, Associate Professor of Russian Studies, said shared governance had not been in practice over the last several months.

This process has not been transparent and we have not been allowed to be partners in moving forward together, Blasing said.

The university senate called for the vote of no confidence after trustees approved changes to the current governance structure. Under the new structure, the university senate will move to an advisory role. The Student Government Association and staff senate will also be advisory, and a new presidents council, made up of students, faculty and staff who will advise the president, will be created.

UK votes to dissolve university senate, strips role of helping set school policies

The university senate will become the faculty senate and lose its current policy-making powers, like approving academic courses and setting admissions standards.

Items that the senate currently oversees, like new courses or curriculum, will instead go through an approval process at the departmental level, then go to the provost and board for approval. The board also approved a slate of changes to the universitys governing regulations, which lay out how the university operates and what authority is given to the president, board of trustees and other university bodies.

At the April board meeting, faculty members told the board they wanted to bring more student and staff voices into decision-making, but opposed the process used to propose changes to the board. Capilouto said he met with more than 1,000 people and gathered feedback on the governance structure through an online form, but some faculty members said they had felt excluded from the process of crafting a new governance structure in recent months.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto will propose a new governance structure for the university at board meetings next week. The university senate, which currently holds policy-making power, would become an advisory board, and decisions about courses and curriculum would be approved by the provost.

While the Student Government Association and the staff senate both passed resolutions in favor of the changes, the university senate  which is made up of mostly faculty, but also has student members  passed multiple resolutions opposed.

The university senate has never held a vote of no confidence in the president, said Davy Jones, UK professor emeritus who tracks the history of the universitys governance, though department faculty has voted no confidence in department chairs.

In 1989, the university senate council passed a resolution requesting that former Kentucky Gov. A.B. Happy Chandler resign from the board after using a racial slur, and in 1999, the senate passed resolutions urging the board to rescind a contract extension from former President Charles Wethington Jr., according to Herald-Leader and Kentucky Kernel archives.
The Main Building at the University of Kentucky houses the president's office and those of other administrators. (Photo by Mark Cornelison | UK Photo)

LEXINGTON  The University of Kentuckys University Senate has approved a resolution of no confidence against President Eli Capilouto in response to his proposal to strip faculty of power over academic decisions at the university.

The vote, which was 58-24 with 11 abstaining, was taken during a Monday afternoon meeting of the University Senate. The vote of no confidence does not affect Capiloutos status as president of Kentuckys flagship public university but instead expresses opposition to his leadership and proposals to change shared governance at UK.

Shortly after the meeting adjourned, UK Board of Trustees Chair Britt Brockman said in a statement to campus that the board unequivocally supports President Eli Capilouto.

UK board chair Britt Brockman (UK photo)

The University Senate debated the measure for about an hour and heard from a mix of supporters and opponents of the resolution, as well as questions about how passing a vote of no confidence could affect the Senates relationship with university administration. Senators also briefly considered extending the resolution to show no confidence in the UK Board of Trustees, but ultimately tabled that motion.

Under his proposals, Capilouto is seeking to change UKs shared governance model by transitioning the University Senate into a faculty senate, reducing faculty to more of an advisory role. It would also move some authority to colleges and academic programs over curriculum review and implementation.

The UK Board of Trustees voted 19-1 in favor of the proposals during its April meeting. The board will give final approval in June.

While the University Senate has been opposed to Capiloutos proposals, the Staff Senate and Student Government Association (SGA) have passed resolutions supporting them. Both groups argue students and staff would have greater voice in university decision-making.

The University Senate includes 94 full-time faculty members, SGA representatives, the president, the provost, college deans and more.

This process has not been transparent

Introducing the resolution, Scott Yost, director of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Civil Engineering, saidMonday was a heavy day at the university and called the consideration of changing the shared governance model a low point.

We are here today 100% due to the president, not because of what the Senate is doing, but its 100% on the president and leadership at this university, Yost told fellow senators.

Molly Blasing, a professor of Russian Studies and member of the Senate Council, said that while she took no pleasure in the fact that were debating this particular resolution, she was grateful for the opportunity to debate it. Blasing added that the administrations process regarding the changes to shared governance had not inspired confidence in the future of these deliberations.

The process has not been transparent, and we have not been allowed to be partners in moving forward together, Blasing said. I think that had the president taken a different approach, we may have gotten to a very similar place in terms of revisions to the governance structures, but we would have all been facing forward together toward the future.

John Hurley, a member of the SGA who will return to UK in the fall as a graduate student, expressed concern that the no-confidence vote was taking place after spring graduation ceremonies were held last week.

I have heard repeatedly today that this body wants to hear student voices more and more, Hurley said, adding that the vast majority of students have gone home while the debate on the no-confidence vote occurred.

Hurley added that students do not feel heard under the current governance structure.

DeShana Collet (UK photo)

DeShana Collett, the chair of the University Senate, said in response to Hurley that the no-confidence resolution was distributed to all senators at the same time and the meeting date had been public for a year.

Collett said at the end of the meeting, which is the last she will chair in her term as chair, that the Senate can work towards being a collaborative partner in future shared governance changes. She said leadership of the Senate will work on giving deliberate feedback on the proposals ahead of the June trustees meeting.

Hopefully, this is a move where the president is also ready to sit down with Senate and Senate Council and move in the right direction, Collett said. This was hard for everybody, I think, in this room. It was not an easy vote for anyone, but it was a necessary vote.

Our work is not done, says Capilouto

In his Monday statement, Brockman called Capiloutos proposals the product of months of inclusive dialogue and said they would create more avenues for greater involvement and collaboration among students, faculty and staff.

The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees overwhelmingly supports this process and President Capiloutos leadership in making it happen, Brockman said.

UK President Eli Capilouto (Photo by Mark Cornelison | UK Photo)

In his own message to campus, Capilouto said Monday that UK has reached several milestones over the last decade under his leadership in student enrollment, graduation rates and expanding health care and research, but our work is not done. Our Board of Trustees has asked us to examine thoughtfully how we can find ways to do and be more for the state.

Capilouto continued, saying that current governance rules arent clear and they dont position us to be responsive. He echoed concerns that students and staff do not currently feel heard and said some faculty members have told me that decisions about curriculum and other policy matters can be better made at the college and unit levels.

I know that some among our faculty are concerned about these revisions. I understand the concerns and respect those who have voiced them, the president said. Moving forward, my hope is that we will come together. We dont have to all agree about the changes, but I hope we all agree that we must continue to move forward as a community.

The University Senate had previously passed a resolution saying it had no confidence that Capiloutos proposals are in the best long-term interests of the University or the Commonwealth. Mondays resolution is an escalation of its official opinion on the president.

Nationwide, faculty senates are taking votes of no confidence in their university presidents. According to a Chronicle of Higher Education analysis in September 2023, more than 20 faculty governance boards and unions had passed resolutions of no confidence in that year.

Last year, faculty at Bellarmine University, a private institution in Louisville, voted they had no confidence in the president.

The post University of Kentucky Senate votes no confidence in president over governance changes appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Demonstrators gather in support of Palestine and to defend the right for students to assemble at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on April 30. More than 200 faculty have signed an open letter to University of Utah President Taylor Randall criticizing the school's protest response to a pair of pro-Palestinian protests last week. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

More than 200 faculty have signed an open letter to University of Utah President Taylor Randall a week after a pair of pro-Palestinian protests led to 20 people being arrested at the Salt Lake City campus.

Included in the facultys many requests is a plea to halt the police presence at the protests and that the university form a committee of students, faculty and representatives from administration to examine the universitys investment portfolio and recommend a divestment strategy from those profiting from the war in Gaza and grant amnesty to student organizers of recent protests.

"On Monday, April 29, a peaceful student-led protest on our campus was met with a violent response from police in riot gear. We vehemently object to this unprovoked and unwarranted use of force against students and community members exercising their right to free speech," the open letter states.

Last week, a day after the first protest, the university issued a statement reiterating its "support of free expression" but the open letter said some faculty are "deeply concerned about the lack of regard for the safety of our students and community."

It went on to express support for students decisions to set up encampments on campus  pointing out how the university encouraged overnight camping for ESPNs College Gameday in October 2023, saying encampments are permissible when the University deems them so, but was now deeply concerned about the lack of regard for the safety of our students and community.

On April 30, after the second night of protests, Randall released a statement that said, in part, "At the University of Utah, you have an absolute right to express your opinion. You do not have the right to violate law or university policy. It is unlawful to set up structures or camp overnight on university property."

"Peaceful protests met with police retaliation, or the threat thereof, creates a chilling effect that stifles free expression, which undercuts the University's mission. We reject the threats of suspension for students and termination for faculty and staff, designed to deter free expression. We urge the university administration to both accept and embrace our campus as a democratic space of peaceful protest," the letter continues.

The letter went on to encourage the university to establish a "safe and permissible" zone for encampment and requested transparency regarding the role university administration played in the police response to the protest, asking for assurance that future protests won't be met with "police violence."

As of Monday, the letter has garnered 131 named signees plus 70 anonymous faculty, with more signatories expected.

This letter will remain open to new signatures for the near future, at least until we receive a response from President Randall, it states.
The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 eliminated the federal requirement that teachers be highly qualified to teach. This regulatory freedom, combined with a shortage of trained and qualified teachers, has led some states to allow unqualified people to teach children.

Texas used this freedom to adopt a new state law that allows almost any school to hire unlicensed teachers. As a result, Texas schools now hire more unlicensed new teachers than licensed ones. The supply problem is especially acute in rural and small-town schools, where almost 75% of new teachers hired in 2023-2024 were unlicensed. This is up from 17% in 2013-14.

Research shows, however, that these unregulated hiring practices can have a negative impact on students academic achievement. It disproportionately affects Black students, English learners and rural students.

Why does it matter?

Whats required to get a teaching license varies by state, but for the most part all states require licensed teachers to have at least a bachelors degree. Many also require prospective teachers to complete a certain number of hours of student teaching and take a test as well.

While the practice of hiring unlicensed teachers may fill an immediate staffing need in classrooms, research shows it has a number of negative consequences.

First, unqualified new teachers negatively impact student learning in middle and high school math. The learning loss that students experience is equivalent to missing up to three months of instruction during a nine-month school year.

Second, unlicensed new teachers quit teaching at much higher rates than licensed and qualified new teachers. Only 45% of unlicensed new teachers in rural communities stay in teaching beyond three years, while almost 80% of fully qualified new teachers continue in the profession. The high attrition rate for unlicensed teachers is disruptive to schools and can lead to lower student test scores. And teacher turnover is expensive, costing school districts US$9,000 to $21,000 to hire and train a replacement for each teacher who leaves.

Third, unlicensed teachers in Texas can earn the same salary and benefits as fully trained and licensed teachers and remain employed indefinitely. As a result, this new state law removes the incentive for people to invest their time and money in getting trained and licensed to teach. In the long term, this is likely to further erode the supply of highly qualified teachers.

Finally, Texas law requires public schools to provide equal educational services and opportunities to all children. Federal law says all children must receive a fair, equitable and high-quality education. Despite these laws, unqualified new teachers in Texas are 1.4 times more likely to teach Black students than white students, 2.1 times more likely to teach emergent bilingual students than native English-speaking students and six times more likely to teach students in rural communities than in suburban communities.

Whats next?

Three changes to state policy and practice could result in higher student achievement, a greater supply of highly qualified teachers, better government transparency and lower costs to taxpayers.

Since 1999, Texas law has required schools to notify parents and guardians when their children are taught by inappropriately certified or uncertified teachers. However, the new state law allows school districts to exempt themselves from this government transparency clause, and nearly 400 had done so as of March 2024, based on our calculations using state data. If Texas legislators removed this exemption, parents would be empowered to ensure their school districts were taking positive steps toward hiring more licensed teachers.

One way to potentially reduce the educational harm of employing unlicensed teachers is to cap how long they can teach before they must get licensed. Before 2015, school districts were required to request an emergency permit from the state for unqualified teachers when the district was unable to fill an open teaching position with a licensed teacher. These permits are valid for only one year. This time limit could also be applied to all unlicensed teachers being hired now.

Under Texas law, school districts can pay teachers differently based on their qualifications. If most school districts created tiered teacher pay scales  where the salary for fully qualified teachers is higher than for unlicensed teachers  then this could provide additional incentives for unlicensed teachers to become fully trained and licensed.

In addition, rural and small-town schools currently struggle to hire highly qualified teachers because they compete with wealthier and larger school districts. Differentiated state funding that enables rural and town districts to offer similar salaries for qualified teachers could also help level the educational playing field across the state.

Collectively, these three policy changes could help increase the supply of highly qualified and effective teachers who stay in the profession for longer, especially in rural schools. This in turn could lower costs to school districts and ensure all students get the equitable and high quality education they are entitled to by law.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: James P. Van Overschelde, Texas State University and Minda Lopez, Texas State University

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James P. Van Overschelde is co-founder and co-executive director of the Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence Center at Texas State University. Dr. Van Overschelde consults with organizations that are involved in teacher preparation and he receives grant funding from numerous sources to conduct rigorous mixed-methods research on teacher preparation, teacher employment, and student achievement.

Minda Lopez is co-founder and co-executive director of the Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence Center at Texas State University. Dr. Lopez consults with organizations that are involved in PK-12 education, teacher preparation, and teacher training. She receives grant funding from numerous sources to conduct rigorous mixed-methods research on teacher preparation, teacher employment, and student achievement.
Germany does not rule out the possibility of returning Ukrainians liable for military service to their homeland. At the same time, the country wants to remain a safe haven for refugees.

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This was stated by Roman Posek, Minister of the Interior of the German federal state of Hesse, in an interview with Tagesspiegel. According to him, the German government wants to discuss what to do with Ukrainian men.

"This may also include assistance in ensuring that Ukraine can use men who have fled abroad but may be involved in the war," said Posek.

According to the politician, there is a dilemma in the issue of Ukrainian men, as it is necessary to support Ukraine's defense capabilities. However, Germany wants to remain a safe haven for refugees.

Commenting on the restrictions on consular services for men abroad imposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Posek said he sees no chance that Germany will issue any of its replacements for expired passports.

"I am skeptical because I do not see that there are appropriate conditions for this. Ukraine is not an illegitimate state," he explained.

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In addition, according to German television, the federal states and the German Interior Ministry plan to discuss the situation with the Ukrainian men on Tuesday, May 7. The federal states want Berlin to make some kind of national decision. After the Ukrainian parliament passed the law on mobilization, the Foreign Ministry introduced temporary restrictions on consular services for men.

The reason for this step was that the adopted law provides for changes in the rules for providing consular services to men, in particular, they must have military registration documents.

Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to stop providing consular services to men until it brought its own regulations in line with the new legislation and dispelled several myths that had arisen around this decision. After that, Poland and Lithuania started talking about the possibility of helping Ukraine to return men with military service from abroad.

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Last week, Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the head of the Presidential Office, said that the EU countries should decide on the return of Ukrainian men from abroad. And this decision must be unanimous.

Earlier it became known that Poland, like other democratic countries, would never take such a step as extraditing to Ukraine men subject to military service who are qualified as evaders at home and recognized as refugees abroad. And consular services to citizens are related to the country's domestic policy, not foreign policy.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The U.S. condemned on May 6 Moscow's "irresponsible rhetoric" after the Kremlin ordered nuclear drills but said it sees no change in Russia's strategic posture.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier the same day that its forces will practice the usage of tactical nuclear weapons to counter what it referred to as "provocative statements and threats from certain Western officials."

"This is an example of the kind of irresponsible rhetoric that we've seen from Russia in the past. It's completely inappropriate given the current security situation," Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder told reporters.

"We've not seen any change in their (Russia's) strategic force posture. Obviously, we'll continue to monitor. But it's just... irresponsible rhetoric."

Matthew Miller, a spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, noted that Russia's "nuclear rhetoric has been reckless and irresponsible throughout" the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

At the same time, Washington does not see "any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine," Miller added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without its nuclear arsenal.

Read also: Opinion: Russias nuclear giant is falling through the sanctions cracks

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The US didn't feel safe enough to raise a kid, so we moved to Japan

Trevor D. Houchen and his wife were living in Atlanta when they found out they were expecting.

He and his wife felt it would be unsafe to raise their child there and decided to move to Japan.

He finds Japan more affordable, safe, and is happy to be living near his wife's family  but he's scared of bullying.

My wife was already six months pregnant when we agreed she would leave the US and have our baby in Japan. I would join a few months later.

We'd been living in Atlanta for about seven years when we found out we were expecting. She's Japanese, I'm American, and we met in LA.

We both started getting nervous about what our life would be like living with a child in our one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta, a city where the crime rate is 122% higher than the national average, according to Gitnux, a market data website.

I had been working two jobs at the time, so it also felt like my wife was going to have to be home alone without any family support for too many hours of the day.

The final decision came at the beginning of her third trimester. Some bleeding led to a one-night stay at a hospital in Atlanta. The shockingly high hospital bill  we're still battling it out with our insurance company  came next.

So, on the last allowable day for a pregnant woman to fly, she got on a plane to Japan.

My pregnant wife flew to Japan on her own to have our baby, I followed

I was in the middle of semesters at two different colleges  Georgia Technical College and Georgia Gwinnett College  as an adjunct professor, and leaving my students right then wasn't an option. We decided I'd finish the semester, close shop on our apartment, and then fly out to Japan to meet my newborn. He'd already be four months old by the time I got there.

After my wife arrived in Japan she texted me from her parents' home in Yokosuka  about an hour south of Tokyo by car and said she'd made it safely and was glad to be back "home."

But I was "home," or so I thought. I spent the next four months teaching, packing, and selling all the stuff we'd accumulated over the years in Atlanta. I wrapped up the semester, and flew out to meet my son.

The family was reunited in Japan after four months. Trevor D. Houchen

Having our baby in Japan was the right decision

When I arrived, my wife was living comfortably with our son at her parents' house. The cost of delivering our baby had been 650,000 yen, or $4,186. Of this amount the Ministry of Health covered 500,000 yen  a government co-pay for babies born to a parent enrolled in the national health insurance. The extra 150,000 yen we covered was for the private room my wife opted for, otherwise, there would have been no out-of-pocket expense.

In Japan, the cost of delivering a baby in a hospital ranges between 400,000 to 600,000 yen, or $2,552 to $3,827, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. In the US, according to a survey by Perterson-KFF (formerly known as Kaiser Family Foundation) and based on data between 2018 through 2020, the average cost of childbirth for an insured mother is $18,865. While for insured mothers the majority of that is covered, out-of-pocket payments are still $2,852, on average.

My wife was ecstatic to be back in her country and getting help from her parents and sister with our son.

When we would take our son for walks in his stroller, older Japanese men and women would often smile, bend down low to get a close look at our son, and say, "kawaii ne," "he's cute isn't he," in Japanese. The warmth and feeling of safety on the street made us feel like we'd made the right decision.

Day care is affordable in Japan

Our son is now one and we've started talking about putting him in Houkien, government-subsidized day care for kids 5 and under. Last year, the Japanese government announced that by 2025 day care for all children 6 months to 2 years old will be free, per The Japan Times.

At these day care centers kids receive health checks and they are run by certified caregivers

According to Care.com, the average cost of childcare in Atlanta is $19.56 per hour, adding up to over $3,000 a month. We wouldn't have been able to afford that.

Safety is no longer a concern

I regularly see children no older than five or six taking the subway in Tokyo by themselves, which I find impressive. After 8 months, I still get lost almost every day trying to navigate the busiest subway system in the world.

In Atlanta, we had heard gunshots at least a few times a week and few parents let their kids do anything on their own before turning 12. I wasn't allowed to take the subway by myself in New York City  where I grew up  until I was 15.

The crime, danger, and ruthless nature of the life I had known in the US just doesn't exist to any discernible degree here in Japan, especially in Yokosuka, where we live. By contrast, even though Atlanta's rate has dropped, in 2023, there were 135 homicides recorded. In contrast, I couldn't find a record for a single murder in Yokosuka in 2023.

Even with the US Naval base right in the middle of the city, Yokosuka is low-key, quiet, safe, and family friendly.

The author is grateful to have family nearby during his son's formative years. Trevor D. Houchen

When it's time for junior high, I'd prefer my son go to school in the US

I'm all for our son going to elementary school in Japan. I want him to learn to speak Japanese fluently and feel safe enough to enjoy his childhood to its fullest. I'm also happy he's able to spend his formative years near his grandparents.

But beyond elementary school, I'd rather our son go to junior high and high school in the US. As a professor myself and after a 20-year long career in education, I have read studies that note the lack of critical thinking taught in Japanese high schools.

The Japanese proverb "deru kugi wa utareru" means "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down." My interpretation of this is, "don't be an individual," learn to be exactly like everyone else.

And then, there's the bullying. In a 2022 survey by the Japanese government, 681,948 cases of bullying were recorded in Japan's schools, per The Mainichi. As a biracial child in Japan, I would be anxious about the difficulties my son would face.

Like everything in life, there are pros and cons, but for the time being, my wife and I are happy to raise our son here in Japan where it's safe, nurturing, and affordable.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Biden administration is concerned that Hamas deadly rocket attack over the weekend has led Israel to fast-track its timeline for a military operation in Rafah, according to a senior administration official and a U.S. official.

Violence in the southern Gaza city spiked on Sunday after Hamas militants fired rockets from near the Rafah crossing, killing four Israeli soldiers. Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Rafah overnight, including a humanitarian aid location the Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday was used as a staging ground for the rocket attack.

Then on Monday, the IDF ordered civilians in a limited section of the city to evacuate to a humanitarian area in al-Mawasi, an area along the Mediterranean.

The moves, combined with snags in cease-fire negotiations over the weekend, reflect that Israel may be accelerating its plans to invade Rafah, U.S. officials said, though they stressed that the operation is limited in scope for now and doesnt necessarily represent the initial phase of an all-out invasion.



The rocket attack confirms their fear, you still have this pocket there that gone unchecked or left alone will continue to foment violence or pose a threat, said the U.S. official, who like others was granted anonymity to detail sensitive internal thinking. The attack combined with the lack of progress in the hostage negotiations, they are inclined to begin pressing.

The U.S. was unaware that Israel would issue an evacuation order for 100,000 people in Rafah on Monday, a second senior administration official said, sending top U.S. aides scrambling to understand the reasoning. President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in a quickly scheduled call, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson confirmed, a sign the White House moved swiftly to get a grasp of the situation.

Hamas announced Monday that it agreed to a hostage deal presented to it by Egypt and Qatar. But it's not clear it's the proposal Israel and the United States support, meaning a cease-fire may not be imminent. "We are still reviewing the response that has come in," said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who repeatedly refused to get into specifics during a news conference with reporters.

The events present a precarious moment for Biden, who has repeatedly urged Israel to refrain from a full-scale invasion of Rafah without a comprehensive civilian protection plan in place. He faces the possibility of having to more openly break with Netanyahu, which would involve insisting he pull back from sending thousands of Israeli soldiers into a treacherous war zone where about 3,000 Hamas fighters hide in a sprawling tunnel network.

IDF spokesperson Maj. Nir Dinar said the orders his fellow troops received are for evacuating a certain part of Rafah and to keep civilians out of harm's way.

We are preparing and working to dismantle Hamas wherever he is attacking Israel from, he said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, on Sunday after Hamas fired 10 projectiles from the area adjacent to the Rafah crossing, toward the Kerem Shalom humanitarian crossing, according to an Israeli readout of the call. During the conversation, Gallant told Austin that military action is required, including in the area of Rafah, at the lack of an alternative, according to the readout.

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Monday that the U.S. has seen concepts from the Israelis but not a detailed plan to take civilian safety into account during any Rafah operation. Austin emphasized during his call with Gallant on Monday the need for a credible plan to do so, Ryder said.



The events come as the U.S. still aims to broker a hostage deal and cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, with administration officials noting repeatedly that the militants keep rejecting generous proposals.

We continue to believe that a hostage deal is the best way to preserve the lives of the hostages, and avoid an invasion of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering. Those talks are ongoing now, NSC spokesperson Watson said.

Netanyahu delivered a fiery address Sunday marking Israels Holocaust memorial day, vowing that his nation would move forward with plans to militarily defeat Hamas with or without international support: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.

I say to the leaders of the world: No amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself, he continued in English, not Hebrew. Never again is now.

The second senior administration official said Washington was still in discussions with Israel about how to ensure humanitarian organizations can safely distribute medical and food aid before the Israel Defense Forces issued the notices.

The evacuation order by the IDF has already caused confusion on the ground where tens of thousands of people, panicked by the sudden notice, are trying to figure out how and when to move to al-Mawasi. It is not clear whether there is enough space in the safe zone for all 1.5 million people who are in Rafah.

Aid workers on the ground told POLITICO that the IDF sent evacuation text messages to humanitarian organizations and to Gazans living in Rafah. They also dropped leaflets explaining the evacuation. From those notices, one of which POLITICO obtained, it appears the IDF plans to begin evacuating people from certain blocks in Rafah.

The IDF is about to operate with great force against the terror organizations that are present in the area that you are in, one of the notices said. For your own safety, you are requested to immediately evacuate the area to the enlarged humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi.

Some aid workers said people outside the evacuation area are also receiving phone calls from the service telling them to leave their homes, causing confusion.

According to aid workers on the ground, the Rafah crossing is closed as of Monday morning and local gangs are looting aid at the crossing and other distribution sites. Thats creating concerns among groups that the evacuation will cause further instability and prevent them from getting aid to those who need it most.

This is as bad as it gets and will lead to horrifying levels of suffering and death, said Kiryn Lanning, country director for Palestinian territories at the International Rescue Committee. If not stopped, this offensive will result in catastrophic humanitarian consequences.
(Bloomberg) -- Black Hawk helicopters descended to Itbayat before noon on Monday, ushering a platoon of US and Philippine marines to conduct rare military drills on the Southeast Asian nations northernmost inhabited island  and one of its closest to Taiwan.

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The 3,000 residents of the tiny island find themselves in the middle of a joint training exercise simulating the retaking of an airfield  part of the ongoing Balikatan, or shoulder-to-shoulder, exercises that Washington and Manila have been conducting annually for decades.

While attention has focused on rising tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, the inclusion of Itbayat in this years drills highlights the role that the Philippines could play in any potential conflict over Taiwan.

Part of the Batanes island group, Itbayat sits just about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Taiwans southernmost tip. Its terrain and location speak to the strong appeal of the Philippines to US military planners  the countrys 7,600 islands are the perfect place to base the kind of anti-ship and intelligence assets that would be needed to counter a Chinese invasion.

Were here as a deterrent  were offering a credible fighting capability, said Major Robert Patterson, whos commanding the forces going out to Itbayat. Youre stronger together than you are alone.

Bloomberg News was part of a small group of media invited to witness the drills.

In the pristine but remote tropical island of Itbayat, the US is also helping build a warehouse to upgrade infrastructure and ensure that residents become comfortable with their recurring presence. The local government is expected to assume control of the US Army-built facility once its completed.

Philippine politicians say their country would not get involved in any future conflict over Taiwan and insist that the Balikatan drills are conducted solely to protect their own territory. But even the possibility of a passive Philippine involvement would pose challenges for Beijing.

The prospect of US access to facilities in the Philippines is a real problem for China, said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon official. Its easier to hide forces there than in the handful of Japanese islands closest to Taiwan, which presents a big intelligence challenge for Beijing.

The potential role of the Philippines in a Taiwan contingency spans a wide range of possibilities that doesnt involve direct participation in a war.

That military facilities in the Philippines could be used to help Southeast Asian residents in Taiwan evacuate from the island could be one of the scenarios. More controversially, radar facilities in the Philippines could provide intelligence to US troops in a conflict or facilitate the flow of logistics.

The most provocative of all is the prospect of using Philippine bases for the takeoff of US combat aircraft or even artillery assaults on Chinese ships. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said last year that the US cant use his nations military bases for offensive action against China in case of a war over Taiwan.

That option is both dangerous and unlikely, according to Greg Poling, head of the Southeast Asia program at Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies. It would be a risk for the US too as intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance facilities might be taken out.

--With assistance from Andreo Calonzo.

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US will ignore Putin's so-called inauguration, but still considers him Russian president

The United States will not be sending a representative to the so-called inauguration of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin on 7 May.

Source: US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller at a briefing on 6 May, European Pravda reports

Details: Asked whether the US will send an embassy representative to Putin's so-called inauguration, given that the ambassador is not currently in Moscow, Miller replied: "No, we will not have a representative at his inauguration."

He did, however, reiterate Washington's previous position that it would continue to recognise Vladimir Putin as Russia's president.

"We certainly did not consider those elections [in Russia  ed.] as free and fair, but he is the president of Russia and he is going to continue in that capacity," the State Department spokesman explained.

Background:

Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it sees no reason to recognise Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia.

EU diplomat Josep Borrell is opposed to EU representatives attending the "inauguration" ceremony of the Kremlin ruler. A number of EU states have already announced that their representatives will not attend the inauguration.

After the fraudulent "elections" in Russia, Putin lost his legitimacy as president of that country, so European Pravda no longer uses the term "president" to refer to this person. Here we justify and explain the importance of this change.

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U.S. Army CH-47s takes off at Paredes Air Station at Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte province as it carries the U.S. and Philippine troops during a joint military exercise in northern Philippines on Monday, May 6, 2024. American and Filipino marines held annual combat-readiness exercises called Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, in a show of allied battle readiness in the Philippines' northernmost island town of Itbayat along the strategic Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

ITBAYAT, Philippines (AP)  U.S. Marines and their Filipino counterparts darted out of Black Hawk helicopters during combat drills Monday in the Philippines northernmost island town along the strategic Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan  a flashpoint in the military rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

The show of allied battle readiness in Itbayat in Batanes province is part of annual military exercises that started last month, dubbed Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, and involving more than 16,000 American and Philippine military personnel.

This year's exercises by the longtime treaty allies  the largest yet  are meant to deter possible aggression. They come against the backdrop of Chinas increasingly assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine coast guards and accompanying ships have had several increasingly tense faceoffs since last year.

More than 250 French and Australian forces are also participating, along with observers from several allied and security partner nations, led by Japan and European nations. The drills, which began April 22, end later this week.

In Monday's mock battle scenario, American and Filipino forces took positions at the airfield, ringed by low-lying hills, as three Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters landed to deliver combat supplies.

Marine 1st Lt. Annie Pentaleri said aerial combat reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance drills were also planned in the far-flung region. The Associated Press was among a small group of journalists invited to attend the maneuvers.

"We are absolutely battle-ready and thats what we train for day in and day out, Marine Maj. Robert Patterson said. Its important to enhance inter-operability with our Filipino counterparts.

Washington and Manila say the drills are not directed at any country and are crucial for improving the response to emergencies in the Philippines, one of the worlds most disaster-prone countries.

However, this year's drills focus on territorial defense and are being staged mainly in two of the most sensitive fault lines in the regional rivalry between China and the United States: the disputed South China Sea and the Bashi Channel.

The critical waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines, an important trade conduit laden with international undersea cables, has been closely watched and guarded by Chinese and American forces. China considers Taiwant a part of its territory, to be annexed by force if necessary.

In a telephone call last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to President Joe Biden that Beijing will not tolerate separatist activities by Taiwans independence forces, as well as exterior indulgence and support, an apparent reference to Washingtons support for the island.

Biden raised concerns about Chinas actions in the South China Sea, including efforts to impede the Philippines, which Washington is treaty-obligated to defend, from resupplying its forces on the fiercely disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at RAND Corporation, said the message of deterrence was important. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision to allow U.S. forces indefinite access to two Philippine air force and naval bases in Cagayan province near Batanes under a 2014 defense pact, would likely upgrade the U.S. militarys ability to intervene in a Taiwan contingency in a more timely manner," he said.

"Right now, a big concern is the U.S. simply wont get there in time, Grossman added.

The Balikatan exercises have included live-fire drills in the disputed South China Sea during joint naval sails by the U.S., France and the Philippines. An aircraft also dropped food and other supplies on a disputed island occupied by Filipino forces as part of the maneuvers in the disputed waters.

Separately on Monday, U.S. and Philippine forces practiced repelling invading forces in the coastal province of Ilocos Norte by firing missiles and artillery rounds on floating targets at sea. The northwestern province faces the South China Sea.

It was a huge success, the weapons were spot on, Marine Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm said.

In escalating high-seas encounters in disputed areas, Chinese coast guard vessels have resorted to water cannons, blocking and other dangerous maneuvers that have left Philippine navy personnel injured and supply boats damaged. The Biden administration has repeatedly warned the U.S. is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, should it come under attack.

China has strongly criticized the exercises, saying the Philippines and countries outside Asia are joining forces against Beijing, warned that the drills could lead to confrontation and undermine regional stability.

Ahead of the drills, China specifically opposed the transport of a U.S. ground-launched missile system to the northern Philippines. No missile was to be fired as the goal was only to familiarize 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."

___

Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
ITBAYAT, Philippines  U.S. Marines and their Filipino counterparts darted out of Black Hawk helicopters during combat drills Monday in the Philippines northernmost island town along the strategic Bashi Channel off southern Taiwan  a flashpoint in the military rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

The show of allied battle readiness in Itbayat in Batanes province is part of annual military exercises that started last month, dubbed Balikatan, Tagalog for shoulder-to-shoulder, and involving more than 16,000 American and Philippine military personnel.

This years exercises by the longtime treaty allies  the largest yet  are meant to deter possible aggression. They come against the backdrop of Chinas increasingly assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine coast guards and accompanying ships have had several increasingly tense faceoffs since last year.

More than 250 French and Australian forces are also participating, along with observers from several allied and security partner nations, led by Japan and European nations. The drills, which began April 22, end later this week.

In Mondays mock battle scenario, American and Filipino forces took positions at the airfield, ringed by low-lying hills, as three Army CH-47 Chinook helicopters landed to deliver combat supplies.

Marine 1st Lt. Annie Pentaleri said aerial combat reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance drills were also planned in the far-flung region. The Associated Press was among a small group of journalists invited to attend the maneuvers.

We are absolutely battle-ready and thats what we train for day in and day out, Marine Maj. Robert Patterson said. Its important to enhance interoperability with our Filipino counterparts.

Washington and Manila say the drills are not directed at any country and are crucial for improving the response to emergencies in the Philippines, one of the worlds most disaster-prone countries.

However, this years drills focus on territorial defense and are being staged mainly in two of the most sensitive fault lines in the regional rivalry between China and the United States: the disputed South China Sea and the Bashi Channel.

The critical waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines, an important trade conduit laden with international undersea cables, has been closely watched and guarded by Chinese and American forces. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory, to be annexed by force if necessary.

In a telephone call last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to President Joe Biden that Beijing will not tolerate separatist activities by Taiwans independence forces, as well as exterior indulgence and support, an apparent reference to Washingtons support for the island.

Biden raised concerns about Chinas actions in the South China Sea, including efforts to impede the Philippines, which Washington is treaty-obligated to defend, from resupplying its forces on the fiercely disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at RAND Corporation, said the message of deterrence was important. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s decision to allow U.S. forces indefinite access to two Philippine air force and naval bases in Cagayan province near Batanes under a 2014 defense pact, would likely upgrade the U.S. militarys ability to intervene in a Taiwan contingency in a more timely manner, he said.

Right now, a big concern is the U.S. simply wont get there in time, Grossman added.

The Balikatan exercises have included live-fire drills in the disputed South China Sea during joint naval sails by the U.S., France and the Philippines. An aircraft also dropped food and other supplies on a disputed island occupied by Filipino forces as part of the maneuvers in the disputed waters.

Separately on Monday, U.S. and Philippine forces practiced repelling invading forces in the coastal province of Ilocos Norte by firing missiles and artillery rounds on floating targets at sea. The northwestern province faces the South China Sea.

It was a huge success, the weapons were spot on, Marine Lt. Gen. Michael Cederholm said.

In escalating high-seas encounters in disputed areas, Chinese coast guard vessels have resorted to water cannons, blocking and other dangerous maneuvers that have left Philippine navy personnel injured and supply boats damaged. The Biden administration has repeatedly warned the U.S. is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, should it come under attack.

China has strongly criticized the exercises, saying the Philippines and countries outside Asia are joining forces against Beijing, warned that the drills could lead to confrontation and undermine regional stability.

Ahead of the drills, China specifically opposed the transport of a U.S. ground-launched missile system to the northern Philippines. No missile was to be fired as the goal was only to familiarize 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.
U.S. representatives will not attend Vladimir Putin's inauguration on May 7, but Washington recognizes him as Russia's president, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on May 6.

Putin easily won another six-year term in office in an election in March that is widely viewed as being rigged.

"No, we will not have a representative at his inauguration," Miller said in a response to a journalist at a press briefing.

Many European countries, such as the U.K., Germany, Estonia, Czechia, and others, have said they will boycott the inauguration ceremony.

In turn, France is sending its representative to attend the event, a diplomatic source told Reuters.

When asked whether the U.S. recognizes Putin as Russia's legitimate head of state, Miller said that Washington "certainly did not consider that election free and fair, but he (Putin) is the president of Russia and is going to continue in that capacity."

According to evidence published by election experts, observers, and media, the March 15-17 presidential election, which Putin 'won' with 87% support, was the most rigged in Russia's modern history.

Read also: Evidence shows recent presidential elections most rigged in Russias modern history

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Pope Francis has been invited to the Global Peace Summit to be held in June in Switzerland. It is not yet known whether the pontiff will attend, but the Vatican is very positive about the peace conference.

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This was stated by Swiss President Viola Amherd in an interview with the Blick newspaper published on May 5. In particular, she said that during her meeting with Francis on Saturday, May 4, the war in Ukraine was also discussed.

Amherd called the conversation with the pontiff "interesting."

"I had an interesting conversation with the Pope in a warm atmosphere. In particular, we talked about the war in Ukraine and other hot spots in the world," she said.

The Swiss President also confirmed that the Pope had been invited to the summit.

"We have invited the Holy See. The Vatican is very positive about the peace conference," she said in response to a question about whether Francis would attend.

In late April, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with French journalist Hugo Travers that he had invited the Pope to participate in a peace summit in Switzerland.

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Zelensky said that he had met with Francis twice and that the dialogue was quite good, but then the Pope made some strange statements.

According to Zelensky, it is important to involve as many respected leaders and representatives, religious leaders, etc. in the cause of peace in Ukraine as possible. Therefore, it is important that these people take part in the summit.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said earlier that Russia had not been invited to the peace summit, but Moscow should take part in the peace process in the future, as the peace process is allegedly "unthinkable" without it.

In total, Switzerland has invited more than 160 delegations. Among them are representatives of the UN, OSCE, G7, G20, BRICS, EU, Council of Europe, Vatican, and the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
US says it is studying Hamas response on Gaza ceasefire, will discuss with allies

By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is studying Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal and will discuss it with allies in the Middle East in the coming hours, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday.

An Israeli official said no ceasefire agreement had been reached despite the Palestinian militant group Hamas saying on Monday it had accepted a proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators after weeks of stop-start talks on a deal for a temporary pause in fighting and the release of hostages to Israel.

"I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region," Miller said on Monday afternoon, confirming that a response was received in the last hour or 90 minutes and that discussions would take place in the coming hours.

CIA director Bill Burns is in the region "working on this in real time," Miller said.

The Hamas announcement came hours after Israel ordered the evacuation of parts of Rafah, the city on Gaza's southern edge that has served as the last sanctuary for around half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents.

That appeared to signal that an operation on Rafah will go ahead, despite Washington's repeated warnings, including by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a visit to Israel last week, where he also focused on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Miller reiterated that the United States could not support an operation in Rafah "as it is currently envisioned" by Israel.

"A Rafah operation would make it incredibly difficult to sustain the increases in humanitarian assistance that we have been able to deliver over the past few weeks," Miller said.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Jasper Ward and Simon Lewis, editing by Deepa Babington)
Editors note: This story has been updated to include information about the soldier arrested and additional reporting by The Associated Press.

An American soldier is being held by Russian authorities on charges of criminal misconduct, Army officials confirmed Monday.

The Associated Press cited U.S. officials who said the soldier, Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to Fort Cavazos in Texas. Instead, officials said Black, who is married, traveled to Russia to see a longtime girlfriend and was accused of theft.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel details, according to The Associated Press.

In a statement, Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the service member was arrested on May 2 by Russian authorities in Vladivostok. She did not provide any information about the soldiers identity or reasons for being in Russia.

The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, she said. The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia.

The Associated Press reported the Russian woman had lived in South Korea, and last fall she and Black got into some type of domestic dispute or altercation, according to officials. After that, she left South Korea. It isnt clear if she was forced to leave or what, if any, role Korean authorities had in the matter.

The Associated Press also reported that officials said Black, an infantry soldier, did not tell his unit that he was going to Russia, and did not receive any authorization to go there. They said he was essentially on leave, as he left Korea to redeploy back home to Fort Cavazos.

White House officials earlier on Monday confirmed reports of a U.S. soldier being detained in Russia but did not offer any specifics. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that administration officials are closely following the situation.

Smith said the Army was withholding other details of the situation due to the sensitivity of this matter.

Tensions between the United States and Russia have risen since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in early 2022. While no American troops have been directly involved in the fighting, U.S. officials have supplied more than $75 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukrainian leaders to help in the conflict.

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan has been held by Russian authorities since 2018 on allegations of suspicion of spying. In 2020 he was sentenced to 16 years in jail, but his family and U.S. authorities have decried the charges as baseless.

Last summer, a 23-year-old Army private fled South Korea to North Korea after facing multiple legal problems. He was returned to American custody after two months there, and charged with desertion alongside the other criminal charges.

Associated Press reporters Lolita C. Baldor, Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani and Eric Tucker contributed to The Associated Press story cited in this story.
A US soldier has been arrested and detained in Russia after being accused of criminal misconduct.

The man travelled to the country alone from South Korea where he is stationed, NBC News reported. A spokesperson later confirmed that he had been arrested after he allegedly stole from a woman, The Associated Press reported.

The man has been identified as Staff Sergeant Gordon Black, aged 34, by the AP. The US Army has not officially named him.

The soldier was supposed to be on his way home to Fort Cavazos,Texas but traveled to Russia instead, reports said.

The soldier was arrested on 2nd May in Vladivostok on Russias east coast, close to North Korea. The US Embassy in Moscow, over 5,000 miles from where he was detained, is in contact with the soldiers family.

The Russian Federation notified the US Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, US Army spokesperson, Cynthia O. Smith, told The Independent.

The Army notified his family and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.

A view shows the Kremlin in downtown Moscow on March 27, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)

White House National Security Communications Advisor, John Kirby, told Politico that the US was aware of the situation but did not comment further.

A Department of State spokesperson told The Independent that Americans should be aware of the danger of travelling to Russia at this time.

We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas, the spokesperson said. When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, consular officers seek to aid him or her with all appropriate assistance.

U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately, as stated in our Travel Advisory for Russia.

Tensions have remained high between the US and Russia following the countrys invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Moscow has detained a number of US citizens with a journalist and a dual-citizen among them. In late April, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was told he will remain in jail in Russia until at least the end of June. He is accused of espionage.

WNBA player Brittney Griner was also detained by Russia in early 2022 on drug-related charges. She was released as part of a prisoner swap in December 2022 and has written a book about her harrowing experiences.

Last year, Travis King, an American soldier stationed in South Korea, fled to North Korea when he faced disciplinary action. He was later detained by US officials.
A U.S. soldier was detained in Russia last week, the Army and National Security Council confirmed Monday.

On May 2, Russian authorities in Vladivostok, Russia, detained an American Soldier on charges of criminal misconduct, U.S. Army spokesperson Cynthia O. Smith said in a statement to The Hill.

Smith said the Russian Federation notified the State Department of the criminal detention, and the Army thereafter notified the soldiers family.

The State Department is providing appropriate consular support to the Soldier in Russia, she added.

And a NSC spokesperson told The Hill that the State Department is actively seeking consular access to this individual, who was not in Russia on behalf of or in affiliation with the U.S. government.

They referred further questions about the individuals employment to the Pentagon, which referred The Hill to the Army.

White House national security communications adviser John Kirby also told reporters Monday that the White House is aware of the detained soldier.

NBC first reported that a service member who had been stationed in South Korea traveled to Russia on his own and was not on official business when he was arrested May 2 in in Vladivostok, a port city near the borders with China and North Korea.

The soldier is accused of stealing from a woman, four U.S. officials told the outlet.

The NSC spokesperson said the U.S. takes seriously its commitment to assist American citizens abroad while reiterating its strong warnings that U.S. citizens should not travel to Russia at this time  period.

CBS News identified the detained service member as Army Staff Sgt. Gordon D. Black.

Shortly after the news broke of the arrested soldier, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he was deeply concerned by the reports.

Putin has a long history of holding American citizens hostage, he said on X. A warning to all Americans  as the State Department has said, it is not safe to travel to Russia.

Russia has increasingly arrested Americans that have traveled to the country as relations between Moscow and Washington tanked following the start of Russias war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin maintains that those it has arrested broke the law, while the U.S. says Russia is targeting U.S. citizens to use as political leverage.

Included among the detained Americans is Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, 32, who has been in Russian custody for a year. He is awaiting trial in a Moscow prison on espionage charges.

Also accused of espionage is former Marine Paul Whelan, who was arrested in Moscow in 2018 while attending a friends wedding. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 but has said the charges against him were fabricated.

This story was updated at 5:05 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
US soldier travels to Russia, arrested on suspicion of theft

A U.S. soldier who traveled to Russia of his own accord has been arrested on suspicion of theft and is being held in pre-trial detention, officials in Washington said on May 6.

The staff sergeant had been stationed in South Korea. He was detained in Vladivostok on May 2 "on charges of criminal misconduct," CNN reported, citing U.S. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith.

Russia is currently holding a number of U.S. nationals on what are widely believed to be trumped-up charges.

"The Russian Federation notified the U.S. Department of State of the criminal detention in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," Smith said.

"The Army notified his family, and the U.S. Department of State is providing appropriate consular support to the soldier in Russia. Given the sensitivity of this matter, we are unable to provide additional details at this time."

Among the most high-profile U.S. citizens being held by Russia is Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been jailed awaiting charges in Russia for almost a year.

Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg in late March 2023 while working on a story about the Wagner mercenary group's recruiting methods, as well as Russian citizens' views on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia accused him of espionage, which both the U.S. government and the WSJ strongly deny.

Espionage in Russia carries a maximum prison term of up to 20 years.

Read also: Russian court extends pre-trial detention of jailed US reporter Gershkovich for 5th time

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New US strategy looks to blunt Russian and Chinese influence in cyberspace

The US State Department on Monday released an ambitious new cybersecurity strategy that seeks to curb Russia and Chinas digital influence in the developing world and blunt those countries alleged efforts to interfere in elections.

With roughly half of the worlds population holding elections in 2024, their vulnerability to cyber-enabled interference is particularly acute and requires the US to continuously expose hackers and propagandists trying to undermine confidence in democracies, says the strategy, which CNN has reviewed.

We have communicated and will continue to communicate to Russia and to China that we view interference in our democratic processes in the United States as absolutely unacceptable, Nate Fick, the State Departments top cyber diplomat, said in an interview. Secretary [Antony] Blinken has said it, and I have said it.

Fick accompanied Blinken on a trip to China last month, where Blinken told CNN that the US has seen evidence of Chinese attempts to influence and arguably interfere with the upcoming US elections.

The new State Department strategy lays out principles that US diplomats will try to use to rally support for implementing tech policies and isolating autocratic regimes that control the flow of information. Washington is unleashing our diplomatic arsenal to help innovative tech firms from the US and elsewhere compete for business opportunities, Blinken said in a speech announcing the strategy on Monday at the RSA Conference in San Francisco , one of the worlds biggest tech forums.

A key premise of the strategy is that economies and democracies need cybersecurity to thrive. A catastrophic ransomware attack, for example, can hobble an economy. A government can use phone-hacking spyware to put dissidents in jail.

The State Department strategy looks to win over more developing countries to what US officials call an affirmative vision for cyberspace that rejects digital repression. It builds on years of US lobbying allies and partners not to use key communications technology and software made in autocratic countries like Russia and China.

US officials have long argued that the technology is less secure and could be used for surveillance by Moscow or Beijing. But with the strategy, US officials are stepping up their arguments that the entire vision of the internet espoused by authoritarian arguments leaves societies worse off.

I think that repressive regimes, including [China] and other actors  theyre in a lot of ways doing our work for us, Fick told CNN. Theyve misused cyber and digital tools repeatedly to threaten international peace and stability, to threaten economic security, to exert malign influence, to undermine human rights. And that narrative is becoming more widely understood and more broadly held, including in the developing world.

Fick pointed to Costa Rica, a US ally that suffered a devastating ransomware attack by Russian-speaking hackers in 2022. The US announced $25 million in aid to help Costa Rica recover from the hack, which disrupted the Costa Rican governments social security and finance agencies.

Costa Rica has also heeded US advice in rejecting the use of Chinese technology in its 5G mobile networks  a move that has angered Beijing. Elsewhere, though, Chinese telecom firms like Huawei have thrived, winning contracts across Africa.

Of course we have our work cut out for us, Fick conceded. Of course theres still a degree of attraction in many economies for these Belt and Road initiatives, he added, referring to global infrastructure projects that analysts say China uses as a diplomatic tool.

Blinken alluded to Huaweis dominance in some markets in his speech on Monday.

Weve learned from the 5G experience that we cannot be complacent and let strategic competitors dominate the technologies that form the backbone of the global economy and that determine how and where information flows, Blinken said.

The United States top diplomat also warned that, while the country currently leads the world in cloud computing technology, providers from authoritarian states are increasingly competitive.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Groundbreaking at the new precision agriculture research facility at UNL

University of Nebraska, state and federal leaders ceremonially break ground on the new U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service Naitonal Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. May 6, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  University of Nebraska officials Monday welcomed the groundbreaking of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture facility that they say will expand the frontiers of agriculture.

U.S. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. May 6, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Joined by Nebraskas federal and state leaders, NU leaders at Nebraska Innovation Campus turned soil for the official groundbreaking of the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture. The $140 million federally funded facility will house ARS scientists and staff focused on the next generation of agriculture science.

This groundbreaking marks the beginning of an initiative that is going to expand the frontiers of agriculture, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said Monday.  We look forward to the breakthroughs that they will make in the future because of this funding.

Mike Boehm, NUs vice president for agriculture and natural resources and vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said construction will begin between this summer and fall on greenhouses, with an ultimate goal for more climate-resilient crops.

The proposed site (red outline) of the ARS National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln. (Courtesy of Craig Chandler, University Communication & Marketing, UNL)

The facilities will enable scientists to continue research on wheat, barley, sorghum, forage and bioenergy grasses and more crops with research exploring pests, diseases and climate change.

Phase two of the project, which Fischer and other congressional leaders are securing funding for, Boehm said, will include a large lab building the size of the University of Nebraska-Lincolns Scarlet Hotel to round out the 120,000-square-foot complex.

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., said university leaders first approached him in 2008, during his time as speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, with the idea to move the Nebraska State Fair and build a research innovation campus on the fairgrounds.

Years later, Flood sees the campus as continuing a goal for high skill, high wage research jobs.

You couldnt pick a better city in America with a city that wants to and is growing and looking for ways to expand our research efforts, Flood said.

Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA chief scientist and under secretary of research, education and economics, said the USDA can once again lead the world when it comes to discovering and disseminating solutions for global agriculture and natural resource problems.

She said shes pleased that President Joe Biden, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and members of Congress remain committed to supporting federal agricultural research, development and deployment, which will shape and define innovation for decades to come.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln event also featured Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen; interim NU President Chris Kabourek; USDA-ARS Administrator Simon Liu; UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett; U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.; and U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.

Mike Boehm, vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and NUs vice president for agriculture and natural resources, talks with reporters about UNL's new USDA-ARS precision agriculture research facility.

Mike Boehm, vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and NUs vice president for agriculture and natural resources. May 6, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Fischer noted the facility will push boundaries, resulting in taxpayer dollars coming back to Nebraska by increasing efficiency and producing more with less.

Boehm said the university and USDA have partnered for more than a century, including with 67 current department scientists who already call East Campus home, and this extends those efforts.

What happens next in ag innovation, our new frontier, happens first in America, Boehm said. And what happens first in America related to the resilience and regenerative nature of agriculture and our bioeconomy begins right here in Nebraska.

The post USDA, UNL celebrate new frontier of Nebraskas ag research and innovation partnership appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Some UT Austin students wonder about the fate of their commencement ceremony

AUSTIN (KXAN)  As some universities change their graduation commencement ceremonies  with at least one university going as far as to cancel it  some at the University of Texas at Austin wonder if something could happen to theirs.

Students and people protesting on U.S. college campuses against Israels war in Gaza have college officials worried that further protests could interfere with graduate commencement ceremonies. The University of Southern California canceled last month its commencement ceremony.

Several intense pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which led to dozens of arrests, have some UT Austin graduating seniors concerned about their commencement ceremony this Saturday.

Its definitely been like a topic of discussion, said Grayson Drigss, who will be graduating from UT Austin with a degree in petroleum engineering. I think people are a little nervous, but [trust] the process.

When asked if there was a chance the ceremony could be canceled, a UT spokesperson told KXAN the university is moving full speed ahead with its commencement plans.

Many graduating from UT Austin this spring graduated from high school in spring 2020. Driggs said he was fortunate to have an in-person high school graduation that year, but knows others who were not.

I think a lot of people are really looking forward to being able to actually walk and have a real graduation this year, he said. Its a life achievement, and to miss out on it twice, I think would really suck. I think that does add another level of concern and worry about it getting canceled.

Katelyn Sadd is graduating from UT Austin with a Radio, Television and Film degree. She said she is not concerned the university will cancel the ceremony.

Ive seen other schools cancel [theirs], Sadd said. For the people who didnt get [a graduation in 2020], I get that its kind of upsetting, she said. But, I mean, I feel like there are more important things going on in the world.

Im just proud of my other students for standing up for what they believe in, Sadd added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Is the Utah Republican Party's convention system still relevant? A political science professor says its in "greater peril" than ever before. (Getty Images)

It was among the most memorable moments from the Utah Republican Partys state nominating convention last Saturday.

From the moment Utah Gov. Spencer Cox walked out onto the stage, he was met with a chorus of boos, though his supporters  which would eventually represent 32.5% of the nearly 4,000-delegate crowd  did their best to compete with cheers.

Cox smiled through the boos. He was expecting this. He wasnt the first sitting Republican governor to get booed at his own partys convention.

It happened to his former boss, former Gov. Gary Herbert in 2016. That year, he got only 44% of delegates vote and was forced into a primary with his challenger, Jonathan Johnson. And yet, Herbert went on to handily win the primary with nearly 72% of the vote.

Utah GOP delegates have a track record of booing incumbents who go on to win primaries against their convention-picked challengers with commanding leads. He pointed this out in his speech to delegates through their jeers, questioning why they were booing him.

Maybe youre upset that I signed the largest tax cut in Utah history, Cox said, listing off other highlights of his administration over the boos. Maybe you hate that we stopped DEI and ESG and CRT.

Or maybe, he said, its something much more simple. Maybe you just hate that I dont hate enough.

The line drew visceral anger from many delegates in the crowd. The moment illustrated not just the deepening divide between hard core delegates and the rest of the Utah Republican party  but also a political calculation Cox apparently made headed into the convention. That calculus was likely this: If they hate him enough to boo him, hes probably not going to sway them. And thats OK, because he probably doesnt need them to win.

There are a whole bunch of people out there who want to get rid of this, Cox told delegates during the convention. Theyre telling us that the caucus convention system has been hijacked by extremists who dont represent the real Republicans in our state. I hope that were not giving them more ammunition today.

Coxs critics called his speech condescending. It prompted several county Republican parties to issue statements criticizing Coxs comments and defending the caucus convention system as an important part of representative government and a lifeline for candidates who dont have deep pockets that can fund signature gathering campaigns.



However, a political science professor at Brigham Young University said the scene highlighted a growing problem for the convention process and its relevance.

There are more questions about the caucus convention system than ever, said Chris Karpowitz, who is also co-director of BYUs Center of the Study of Elections and Democracy, told Utah News Dispatch days after the convention.

Given the partys track record in recent years of nominating losing candidates when the race is opened up to all Utah Republican voters for the primary along with rising frustration about the conduct by some of the delegates during the convention  Karpowitz said the caucus convention system is in greater peril today.

I think people look at what happened at convention  and thats not a style of politics that attracts large segments of the population, he said. Fundamentally, to the extent that the convention continues to nominate people who then go on to do quite poorly in the primary, I think it just raises questions about its value and its role in nominating candidates.

The convention systems track record

Rewind to 2016. That year, Herberts Republican challengers attacked him for signing SB54, a 2014 law that allows a dual path to the primary ballot via signature gathering. Its been long hated by Utahs most far-right conservatives and convention goers who believe party candidates path to the ballot should only be through convention.

That continued rancor with SB54  despite many failed legal challenges  was on full display again, 10 years later, during this years convention. Several Republican challengers to incumbents like Cox, who had already secured their place on the primary ballot by signature gathering, showcased themselves as convention only candidates, relying entirely on delegate support to continue their political bids.

To this day, caucus supporters continue to argue that SB54 has empowered money-driven politicking. Signature gathering takes a lot of resources and money, they argue, so its giving an unfair advantage to candidates flush with campaign cash.

In 2016, Herbert gathered signatures, another source of delegate anger. That year, SB54s sponsor Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, defended the legislation as necessary, arguing had it not been for the SB54 compromise (which preserved both paths to the primary), the group Count My Vote would have likely succeeded in a ballot initiative to eliminate conventions in favor of open primaries.

Bramble, who is retiring in December, made the same argument again this year, a decade later, telling The Salt Lake Tribune during the convention he was tired of the revisionist history from delegates who are still complaining about SB54. It was clear to me and the Legislature that initiative would pass and do away with the convention system entirely, he told the outlet. We wanted to preserve the caucus system, and this was the only way to do that.

But even before SB54, delegates have booed. In 2000, they nearly booed Gov. Mike Leavitt off the stage, the Deseret News reported at the time, before giving him 54% of the vote, six points shy of the 64% he needed to win their nomination. That forced Leavitt into a primary with a little-known candidate named Glen Davis.

And yet, Leavitt went on to easily win the primary with 62% of the vote.

Utahs Republican delegates

Though it was more than 20 years ago, conservative delegates complaints of Leavitt sound familiar. At the time, they accused Leavitt and Sen. Orrin Hatch of abandoning their principles, greeting Leavitt with shouts of Democrat and hypocrite, the Washington Post reported.

Mad about gun control. Mad about wilderness. Mad at long-term incumbency. Mad, mad, mad, the Deseret News wrote about the 2000 GOP state delegates. At the time, a Democrat, Bill Clinton was in the Oval Office.

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This year, many Utah Republican delegates were again mad. Furious. With SB54 (still). With President Joe Biden and Democrats. With the federal government as a whole, really.

Theyre so mad, they want to fight  not negotiate or compromise, hence why some of them booed Rep. Blake Moore, whos been a proponent of bipartisanship. Not disagree better, Coxs campaign with the National Association of Governors, meant to discourage hyperpartisanship, tribalism and other issues sowing political hatred and threatening U.S. democracy, Cox has said.

This segment of the Utah Republican Party is so fed up, they crave bold disruptors like former President Donald Trump. Trumps brand of politics resonates so strongly with them, if a candidate mirrors his style and proudly aligns themselves with him (like Rep. Phil Lyman for governor or Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romneys seat), that appears to be all it takes to win their support.

Those who are most invested in the MAGA-style of politics seem to be willing to follow Donald Trump wherever he goes and whatever he does, Karpowitz said.

Utahs GOP state delegates clearly overlap with the most intense Trump supporters and sort of populist appeals, Karpowitz said, and thats a predictable outcome given part of what Donald Trump has argued since 2016 is that there are people in government that dont have your best interest at heart. And he has whipped up a lot of emotion about that sentiment.

That rhetoric has deepened existing divides not just between opposing political parties, but also within Utahs Republican Party. This year, its manifested starkly in the race for Utah governor, pitting Lyman supporters against Cox supporters.

The Republican party is divided, Karpowitz said, and that really is coming out in the difference between the kinds of candidates who seem to be popular at the convention and the kinds of candidates who do well with Republican voters more broadly.

Is the convention system representative?

Delegates seeth when critics say they dont represent most Utah Republicans and the convention system is antiquated, arguing they were elected by engaged community members in caucus meetings across all 29 counties.

In the late hours of Saturday nights convention (which ran for over 16 hours, all the way until midnight), Rob Axson, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, applauded the thousands of delegates who stayed late to participate in the process. He said hed challenge anyone who thinks the late hour was a sign of dysfunction that its actually a sign of nearly 4,000 Utahns willing to do the work and make the best decisions for their neighbors.

The Salt Lake County Republican Party, along with several other county parties, also issued statements in the days following the convention criticizing Coxs speech, interpreting it to characterize delegates as irrelevant and full of hate despite their honest efforts over the past two months.

In response to criticisms of rowdiness, Salt Lake County Republican GOP chairman Chris Null posted Cox had called Utah GOP delegates extremists, and thats why they booed.

535 (.00016%) people in DC represent 333Million in America!

4000 (.45%) can represent 1 Million Republicans in Utah. pic.twitter.com/aw73RFuGF6  Chris Null SLCoGOP Chair (@cnull) May 1, 2024

However, Karpowitz said this years raucous convention didnt exactly demonstrate a cautious, deliberate body.

You cant simultaneously claim that a caucus convention system is good for thoughtful, reasoned deliberation and say that what happened this year was a good example of that, he said.

While booing has happened before, he said this years scorn was surprising in the sense that it was directed more broadly even toward incumbents who are extremely conservative.

Especially when the candidates who come out of the convention have not tended to fare well in the primaries, its not tenable to have a system that consistently produces candidates who tend to lose, and lose badly, Karpowitz said.

That just underscores the fact that the delegates are not a representative sample of Republicans in the state, he added.

When conducting a nominating process, political parties have to weigh various values, Karpowitz said. Certainly thoughtful deliberation and the chance for voters to get to know candidates better is an important value. But also reflecting the attitudes and issue positions of most Republicans in the state is an important value.

So you want the nominating process to actually represent what most Republicans in the state prefer, he said. And its consistently not producing that outcome.

He said the issue spans not just on the gubernatorial level, but also Senate and Congressional races.

Its also curiously hostile to incumbent Republicans, who tend to have really high approval ratings, he said, pointing to the last three governors. All of them have had remarkably high approval ratings over the course of their time in office. And theyve done extremely well in both primary and general elections. So it seems odd, then, to use this forum as a way to express displeasure with those winning candidates.

Karpowitz said its not as if Republicans cant disagree with those candidates, but its just not clear to me what the booing and the hectoring and this sort of behavior is producing.

It sends a message that this group is extreme and doesnt reflect the values or preferences of most Republicans in the state, Karpowitz said.

He pointed to research, including an analysis he and Jeremy Pope, another BYU professor and co-director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, conducted in 2015, which concluded caucuses are more likely to attract partisan voters. This in turn means that caucuses are more likely to select a more extreme nominee.

All of the research weve seen shows that the delegates are more extreme ideologically than voters, and the election outcomes show that too, Karpowitz said. So theyre manifestly not representing their neighbors very well because theyre not perceiving what their neighbors would prefer.

The Utah Republican Party issued a statement defending the convention system and the dedication of the nearly 4,000 state delegates who gave their time to the process. The party also condemned the actions of any delegate or visitor to our convention who used threats or vulgarity for any reason.

The party said those actions do not represent our Party or the vast majority of delegates, and it refuted any efforts by the media, candidates, or others to equate the behavior of a few to that of the Republican Party or other delegates. 

The road ahead: Cox vs. Lyman will be another test

Even though Lyman got the Republican nomination at convention, history shows he has a tough path to beat Cox in the June 25 primary.

Incumbents always have an advantage, Karpowitz said, and I expect Spencer Cox to have that same advantage in the primary. Thats true of all incumbents.

It was conducted before the April 27 state nominating convention, but a recent Republican gubernatorial primary poll by Noble Predictive Insights showed Cox was leading his opponents with 81% support among Republican voters. The poll was conducted from April 8-16 of 600 registered Utah Republicans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.8 percentage points.

Lyman brushed off those poll results and told Utah News Dispatch that party faithfuls simply arent big fans of Cox. He said his campaign has conducted its own polls and we feel really good about where were at right now in the (election) cycle.

Were ahead of where I projected where we would be in terms of name recognition, favorability and alignment with other key politicians like Sen. (Mike) Lee, he said. We feel like were in a good position.

Lyman acknowledged he has a steep hill to climb to beat Cox in June. Weve got work to do to educate voters, he said, but argued our message resonates. When people hear it, theyre excited about it.

Lyman said his nomination came from very informed and super faithful party loyal Republicans. As for booing, Lyman said a convention is an opportunity for party members to be expressive and let candidates know how they feel, good or bad.

Thats the beautiful thing about it, he said. Theres a lot of cheering too. So if we want to say there should be no booing, then I guess there should be no cheering and there should be no expression of anything.

Lyman said the booing came very naturally when it came to the sitting governor. Cox told them, you know, basically they dont matter anywhere. I think theyre entitled to boo at that. Attacks on Cox also came from his Democratic opponent, Rep. Brian King, who issued a statement Friday saying the scene at the convention showed theres no appeasing the extremism in the Utah Republican Party.

They are at it again today racing to the bottom. @SpencerJCox enables @phil_lyman. Opposed to standing up for what is right, they are trying to out do each other for political points. https://t.co/Toz7VQr0pj  Brian S. King (@KingForUtah) May 3, 2024

By supporting policies that hurt the most vulnerable and cheerleads culture war lawsuits, all to score political points and appease his base, King accused Cox of being complicit in empowering this chaos, and he will continue to be as long as it is politically convenient.

Matt Lusty, spokesperson for Coxs campaign, issued a statement Friday saying a recent Morning Consult poll showed Cox had 69% approval and only 19% disapproval among all Republican voters.

The governor appreciates the broad support he has from everyday Republicans across the state, Lusty said. He is proud to support conservative victories like school choice, comprehensive pro-life protections, and the largest tax cut in Utah history.

Let us know what you think...

The post Is the Utah convention system still relevant? appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
Utah leaders speak on the dangers of the drug that has saturated Utahs market

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  As National Fentanyl Awareness Day approaches, Utah leaders are attempting to educate the public about the lethal dangers of the drug.

According to the DEA, fentanyl has saturated Utahs drug market. It is cheaper, more potent, and more widely available than ever before.

READ NEXT: Court allows Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to join Heber Valley Temple lawsuit

The synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and is a major contributor to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the U.S. More than 150 people die every day from synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the CDC states.

Over the last few years, Utah has experienced a rise in overdose/poisoning incidents, and fentanyl has been the primary catalyst, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

According to the most recent data by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 603 Utahns died as a result of drug overdose in 2021. That same year, 67% of Utah overdose deaths were related to opioids and 29% were related to fentanyl.

Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, and Utah is no exception, said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah.

Because of this, the U.S. Attorneys Office, in partnership with the DEA, announced the first Utah Drug Overdose Task Force to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the Beehive State last month.

It is also our goal to raise awareness, Higgins said. Through the Utah Drug Overdose Task Force, I am confident we can make a difference.

The task force is reportedly made up of 10 state, local, and federal law enforcement offices throughout the Wasatch Front.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
The United States has suspended the supply of its ammunition to Israel. This was the first time since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

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This was reported by Axios, citing two unnamed Israeli officials. It is noted that this decision was made last week by the administration of US President Joe Biden.

The newspaper emphasized that for the first time since the October 7 Hamas attack, the United States has stopped the supply of weapons intended for the Israeli military.

The incident has caused serious concern in the Israeli government, and officials are trying to understand why the shipment was detained, the journalists' interlocutors said.

So far, the White House has not commented on the matter. The Pentagon, the State Department, and the Israeli Prime Minister's office also did not respond to questions. But Axios believes that this comes as the Biden administration is very concerned about Israel's intentions to invade the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge.

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In addition, in recent days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made several statements that he intends to order an invasion of Rafah regardless of whether Israel and Hamas reach an agreement on the release of hostages in Gaza and a ceasefire.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Israel last Wednesday. He had a "tough" conversation with Netanyahu about a possible Israeli operation in Rafah, two people briefed on the meeting told reporters.

Blinken told Netanyahu that a "major military operation" in Rafah would lead to a public outcry against it by the United States and would negatively affect US-Israeli relations.

A day later, White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Israeli leaders understand that Biden is "sincere" when he talks about the possibility of changes in US policy on the war in Gaza "if they continue some kind of ground operation in Rafah without taking refugees into account."

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Earlier, Netanyahu said that Israel would enter the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, regardless of the ceasefire negotiations. To achieve a complete victory, the IDF must eliminate Hamas battalions there.

- Turkey has suspended all trade relations with Israel because of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Ankara demands that the international community be allowed to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave.

- In April 2024, the head of Israel's military intelligence, Aaron Haliva, resigned. Earlier, the major general took responsibility for the failures that allowed the Hamas terrorist group to attack Israel on October 7, 2023.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Sometimes, you just know what you want to do with your life from a very young age.

Angelina Bencomo, a veteran teacher at Jefferson High School, knew she wanted to be a teacher from the time she was a young girl growing up in El Paso.

And she has been inspiring students in the El Paso area for more than three decades now to become teachers themselves.

Angelina Bencomo, teacher at Jefferson High School. Photo by Dave Burge/KTSM

I just love teaching, said Bencomo, who has a doctorate in family and consumer sciences. I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl. Id gather all my dolls and stuffed animals and pretend I was their teacher. My younger sister was my student. She didnt like that very much. Teaching is my passion.

Graphic by Luisa Barrios/KTSM

Teacher Appreciation Week runs from Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 10. KTSM.com will be profiling inspiring teachers from different school districts from around the El Paso region all week.

Bencomo has taught at Jefferson High for 12 years and was previously at Canutillo ISD for 18 years and at San Elizario for a year.

She currently teaches in the Family and Consumer Sciences program at Jefferson High, what used to be called Home Economics. Bencomo leads a two-year, hands-on course where high-school students learn to interact and care for young children, from ages of 3 to 5, who are at Jefferson Highs Child Development Lab.

This program gives students hands-on experience if they want to become teachers, daycare workers or work in medical fields with young children, Bencomo said.

I tell my students, that some of you may not want to become teachers, but you will always be interacting with a child, whether it is going to a grocery store and seeing a child in the same line as you are, taking a walk in the park and seeing children play in a playground, she said. I tell them whether you are a parent or not, you will probably be a tio or tia, a neighbor, a good friend, co-worker.

Bencomo said she is particularly gratified when she hears former students tell her that she inspired them to have a successful career or family life.

I know that I cant reach all of them, but maybe later in life they will reflect back and say, She wasnt that bad of a teacher because she did this or that and wanted the best for us,' she said.

Jefferson/Silva High School Principal Edgar Rincon said that Bencomo is one of the leaders on campus and stands out among the 100-plus teachers on the campus which also includes the Silva Health Magnet High School.

The way she interacts with the children at the Child Development Lab and with the high-school students, she has definitely made an impact, Rincon said. It is amazing to see how she manages both age groups into a successful classroom.

I hear people talk about her classroom and how she inspires high schoolers to be future teachers, he said.

Even though Bencomo has taught for more than 30 years, she isnt ready to retire or slow down.

I just love coming to work every day, she said. I love having a reason to get up in the morning. Like I said, I am truly passionate about my job.

Bencomo said she is passionate about teaching, reaching and inspiring young people, but she is also passionate about children, teenagers, education, books and family.

I feel that family and consumer sciences kind of envelops all of those into one profession, which is the one I have chosen, she said.

Over the years, teaching has definitely evolved, she said, but students, on some very basic level, have remained the same.

Family is really our first teacher, she said.

Bencomo said she is a stickler for rules and she wants to reach students and get them to think and be responsible.

I think one of the things that is very important in life is communication, whether it is written, oral, just listening or speaking skills, Bencomo said. I want them to really build upon those.

Bencomo has a bachelors of science in home economics from New Mexico State University, a masters in counseling from Boston Universitys overseas program and a Ph.D in family and consumer sciences and a minor in language and literacy from Texas Tech University.

She is a graduate of Coronado High School, class of 1977.

Visit KTSM.com for more teacher profiles this week and also check out our social media platforms on Facebook, X and Instagram.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Central Washington voters now have three Republicans to choose from in the race for the 4th Congressional District.

Veterans advocate and former U.S. Senate hopeful Tiffany Smiley on Monday threw her name into the race for the U.S. House, kicking off a high-stakes challenge against a fellow Republican, Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside.

For almost twenty years, Ive worked to change government from the outside. But now its clear that the best place for me to continue my work and deliver real change for Washington families is inside the halls of Congress, Smiley said in her announcement.

Washington-04 has always been my home, and our friends and neighbors here have always had our backs  in our highest highs and lowest lows. There is a lot of work to do, and I hope those same friends and neighbors will join me as I run to be their voice and have their backs as the next representative of WA-04, she continued.

My journey to politics started at Walter Reed Army Hospital almost 20 years ago when I pushed back against gov dysfunction and won. Now, its time for me to push back from inside Congress, and win for my friends and neighbors in WA-04. Join me, as we take the fight to Congress! pic.twitter.com/p0tbAzopYj  Tiffany Smiley (@SmileyForWA) May 6, 2024

The Pasco Republicans announcement complicates things for Newhouse, a five-term incumbent, and Jerrod Sessler, the Trump-endorsed challenger also looking to unseat him.

Many moderate Republicans are skeptical that former President Donald Trump, who is running this year in a rematch against his political rival, President Joe Biden, can rally the party and make gains in the Evergreen State.

But support within Washingtons 4th District  the states most conservative congressional district, where Trump overwhelmingly beat Biden by nearly 20 percentage points in the 2020 election  doesnt appear to have waned. Many of the districts most conservative voters and activists, including Sessler, still remain upset over Newhouses 2021 vote to impeach the former president for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Filing period for open races throughout Washington state kicked off Monday.

Candidates running for elected office this year must file paperwork with the Washington Secretary of States Office from May 6-May 10.

Only the top two with the most votes  no matter which political party  in the Aug. 6 primary election can move on to the general election on Nov. 5.

A crowded field of conservatives could spell disaster again for MAGA Republicans, who in 2022 bloated the primary in an attempt to oust Newhouse and inadvertently allowed a progressive Democrat, Doug White, to advance to the general election.

So far no Democrats have announced a plan to run this year for Newhouses seat.

The 4th 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.

Veterans advocate

Tiffany Smiley plans to run for the 4th Congressional District.

A Pasco native and current Tri-Cities resident, Smiley put her career as a triage nurse on hold after her high school sweetheart and husband, Scotty Smiley, a West Point graduate, was injured by a suicide car bomber while deployed in Mosul, Iraq.

The incident blinded Scotty Smiley and turned his wife into an overnight activist for wounded veterans.

While her husband was still in a coma in trauma care, she was asked to sign a document for his immediate discharge from the Army.

She refused and her husband became the first blind active-duty Army officer, with duties that included teaching at West Point and commanding the Warrior Transition Unit at West Points Keller Army Medical Center.

During Scottys recovery at Walter Reed, Tiffany became his voice and advocate  standing up to the military bureaucracy to fight for his dreams and the care he had earned, Smileys campaign wrote.

Her work to make sure that her husbands recovery was not compromised by inefficient government bureaucracy expanded to ensure other veterans received the benefit and care they deserve. She worked across the political aisle to achieve reform at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Former U.S. Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley stands next to her husband, Scotty, and family, friends and supporters in 2022 during her New Mom in Town Tour stop at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick.

In 2022, Smiley challenged U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who was first elected to the seat in 1993. Despite polling that suggested a competitive race, Smiley lost to Murray by 14 percentage points in a blowout.

Months later, Smiley launched a new political action committee, Endeavor PAC, in an effort to back outsider conservative candidates. But donations given to that PAC were also reportedly used to settle a lingering debt Smiley had in her run against Murray, the Seattle Times reported.

5-term incumbent





Newhouse is a lifelong Central Washington resident and businessman. Hes a third-generation Yakima Valley farmer and continues to operate an 850-acre farm that grows hops, tree fruit and grapes.

He previously served in the Washington Legislature, from 2003 to 2009, and as director of Washington States Department of Agriculture, from 2009 to 2013.

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is seen during the first day of the 118th session of Congress on Jan. 3, 2023.

Newhouse won election to the U.S. House in 2014, succeeding former Congressman Doc Hastings. He currently serves on the Houses Appropriations Committee.

As of Monday morning, the Sunnyside Republican was the only candidate to have registered with the Washington Secretary of States office to run in the Aug. 6 primary.

We live in challenging times when strong leaders are needed to ensure a safe and prosperous future for our children and our nation. I am humbled by the honor of representing Central Washington in Congress, and I look forward to continuing this important work, Newhouse said in a Monday statement.

Sessler, a Prosser businessman, was one of six Republicans who attempted to oust Newhouse in 2022.

Jerrod Sessler

Last month, 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.

Sessler also earned his state partys endorsement at the Washington State Republican Party Convention in Spokane two weeks ago.
Two people killed in Fridays shooting near a convenience store on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa have been identified.

According to an arrest affidavit for Whitney Rashad Newsome made public on Monday, Newsome shot Fredrick J. Russell, 41, and Breanna L. Jones, 23, during an argument.

Officers responded about 10:30 a.m. to the 900 block of East 26th Avenue, just east of Nebraska Avenue in Ybor Heights, and found Russell and Jones suffering from gunshot wounds, the affidavit states.

According to information previously released by police, Newsome, 37, got into an argument with a woman and then a man tried to intervene and Newsome shot both. Newsome also fired at a second woman but did not hit her, police said.

Investigators obtained surveillance video that showed Newsome arguing with Russell in front of a convenience store in Kings Plaza on the southeast corner of Nebraska and East 26th avenues. Video shows Newsome and Russell continuing to argue as they head east on 26th Avenue, according to the affidavit. Jones is also visible in the video along with a second woman.

The Tampa Bay Times is not naming the second woman in this story because she is a homicide witness.

The video shows Newsome shoot Jones and Russell, the affidavit states. After she is shot, the video shows Jones running to the front of the convenience store, where she collapsed.

The second woman told police she saw Newsome pull a gun from his waistband and point it at Russell. The woman said Newsome fired at her and Russell as they tried to run to a nearby tree for safety. The woman said she saw Newsome shoot Russell as he ran into a field.

Newsome left the scene heading north on Ninth Street, the affidavit states.

Police found a handgun along the route that Newsome is believed to have taken. He was found and arrested Saturday morning near the corner of East 25th Avenue and North 33rd Street.

Police said Newsome and the three people he fired at knew each other. A police spokesperson said Monday that how they knew each other and what Newsome and Jones were arguing about was still under investigation.

Newsome was booked into the Hillsborough County jail on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Prosecutors have filed a motion seeking to hold him without bond until his case is resolved. A hearing on the motion is set for Wednesday afternoon.

The arrest affidavit states that Newsome is a six-time felon. Records show he has been arrested more than 30 times in Hillsborough County since 2006.

He served 17 months in state prison after he was convicted in 2011 of aggravated battery on a pregnant woman. In 2014, he was adjudged guilty of domestic battery and false imprisonment in Hillsborough and sentenced to 210 days in the county jail, records show.

In 2020, he went to the home of a former girlfriend, pushed her, drew a gun, told her hed kill her and fired a round into the air, an arrest affidavit states. Prosecutors dropped an aggravated assault charge and he pleaded guilty to battery and was sentenced to time served in the county jail.

Most recently, Newsome was accused of violent crimes in two cases earlier this year but the charges were dropped.

In February, he was arrested on a battery charge after police determined he punched his brother in the head and struck him in the throat with an umbrella, according to an arrest affidavit. The Hillsborough State Attorneys Office did not pursue the case because Newsomes brother did not respond to prosecutors efforts to reach him and there was no other admissible evidence to support the charge, records show. He was released from jail on March 8.

A day later, according to police, Newsome beat and choked a man.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, a man said he was sleeping in an alley on the 900 block of 25th Avenue  one block south of where Fridays shooting happened  on March 9 when Newsome beat him in the head with a wrench and strangled him with a necklace the man was wearing. The man said he escaped by hitting Newsome with a brick. The man was hospitalized and received staples in his head.

Police obtained a warrant for Newsomes arrest on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm, but the State Attorneys Office filed a letter of release on April 12 stating that while there was probable cause to make an arrest, prosecutors would not be able to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
(KRON)  Prominent Vietnamese restaurant The Slanted Door has announced its San Francisco Ferry Building location will not return.

The Slanted Doors Chef Charles Phan told KRON4, Im sad that after more than 15 years at the Ferry Building we cant return. Construction costs are just too high. We loved being there, but Im also excited for future projects.

The eatery was located at 1 Ferry Building Suite 3 in San Francisco.

Charles Phan, on Tuesday January 26, 2010, is the founder and chef of The Slanted Door, in San Francisco, his restaurant is one of the most revered restaurants in the country. Phan a Vietnamese native left his country after the fall of Saigon coming to America with his family with nothing. (Photo By Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Yelp: San Francisco brunch spot named Top 10 in US

Beyond Vietnamese food, The Slanted Door is known for craft cocktail menus. The restaurant was one of the first restaurants to offer craft cocktail menus.

According to The Slanted Doors website, the restaurant opened in 1995. Chef Phan aimed to elevate Vietnamese food. The restaurant moved to South of Market due to high demand. In 2004, The Slanted Door was relocated to the Ferry Building.

Slanted Door has locations open in San Ramon, Napa and Beaune, France.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Since being released from prison on community confinement, former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill has been far from quiet.

Shortly after getting back to metro Atlanta, Hill began criticizing the current Clayton County sheriff, blaming Levon Allen for corruption within the Clayton County Jail and Sheriffs Office.

Hill was moved from a federal prison in Arkansas in March. A federal jury convicted Hill in October 2022 of violating the civil rights of six detainees at the Clayton County Jail. The government said Hill disregarded the detainees constitutional rights by putting them in restraint chairs for hours as punishment.

Now, Hill says he is going to write a book about his experiences that he said tells the untold story of his time as Sheriff and the politics behind his incarceration. Was Sheriff Victor Hill a vigilante? Read it and you be the judge, a post on Hills Facebook page said.

The post said the book is scheduled to be released in July and cover art to be released sometime next month.

Hill was the sheriff in Clayton County for nearly 15 years before he was indicted and suspended in 2021.

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A year later, Hill was found guilty of using unreasonable force and violating inmates constitutional rights by strapping them down and leaving them in restraint chairs inside the Clayton County Jail, sometimes for hours.

Under federal law, the chair can only be used if detainees are at risk of harming themselves or others.

Jurors found that Hill caused physical pain and bodily injury to six men.

Two months after the verdict, the state of Georgia revoked the law enforcement certification for Hill. Under Georgia law and POST rules, an officer is not allowed to continue in that capacity with a felony conviction.

RELATED NEWS:
The Virginia Mercury earned eight awards in the 2023 VPA News & Advertising Contest. Winner were announced at the VPA's award banquet held in Charlottesville on May 5, 2024. Pictured from left to right, the Mercury's Senior Reporter Graham Moomaw, Editor-inChief Samantha Willis, Reporter Nathaniel Cline and Reporter Charlie Paullin display their award certificates after the banquet. (Samantha Willis/Virginia Mercury)

In the Virginia Press Associations annual News and Advertising Contest, the Virginia Mercurys 2023 reporting and columns earned eight awards, including three first place honors. The Mercurys columnists also swept the online column writing category, winning first, second and third place awards.

Hundreds of journalists, editors and advertising staff from newsroom across Virginia gathered at the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville on Saturday, May 5 for the awards banquet. Jason Roop, owner of PR firm Springstory and former editor of Style Weekly, co-hosted the event with Courteney Stuart, host of Charlottesville Right Now. Roop said there were over 2,600 pieces of work entered in the competition, which was judged by members of the Missouri Press Association. Heres a breakdown of the Mercurys wins.

First place awards

Senior Reporter Graham Moomaw earned a first place award in the Business and Financial writing (online) category. His winning portfolio of stories included:

Reporter Nathaniel Cline took home a first place award in the Education Writing (online) category. His winning stories:

The Mercurys Editor-in-Chief Samantha Willis earned a first place award in the Column Writing (online) category. The stories that clinched the prize for Willis:

Second place awards

Reporter Charlie Paullin received the second place award in the Business and Financial Writing (online) category. His silver medal stories:

The Mercurys former Editor-in-Chief Sarah Vogelsong, along with Moomaw, jointly won a second place honor in the General News Writing (online) category. Some of their winning stories:

Columnist Bob Lewis was named second-place winner in the Column Writing (online) category. His standout commentary:

Third place awards

Moomaw scored again in the In Depth or Investigative Reporting (online) category, earning a third place award for a portfolio that included these stories:

Last but certainly not least, columnist Roger Chesley completed the Mercurys trifecta of column writing wins with a third place honor for a body of work that included these pieces:

As Mercury staffers celebrate our wins, we also reflect on the readers who make our hard work necessary and worthwhile. Thank you for your continued support of the Virginia Mercury and please consider donating towards our efforts. Congratulations to our colleagues in newsrooms statewide for the awards they earned in this years VPA contest!

The post The Virginia Mercury earns eight Virginia Press Association awards appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
PALMYRA, Va. (DC News Now)  Virginia State Police (VSP) said a pilot and his passenger died after a small plane crashed in Fluvanna County Sunday.

VSP said John W. Latham, 63, of Haymarket, Va. piloted the twin-engine 1975 Rockwell Aero Commander 690A. The plane took off from Manassas Regional Airport, bound for the Georgetown County Airport in South Carolina.

The Fluvanna County Sheriffs Office recieved a call from people living in the 200 block of Miles Jackson Rd. in Palmyra around 8:55 a.m. The people said they saw a low-flying plane, then heard what sounded like an explosion. Members of the sheriffs office as well as Virginia Conservation Police and VSP went to search for wreckage. They found the plane on fire.

Person hurt after crashing into tree in Rockville

Latham and his passenger, Niiben C.A. Ayivorh, 73, of Burke, Va. died. VSP said their remains were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for examination and autopsy.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it opened an investigation into the crash. The wreckage will be taken to another location to be evaluated further.

NTSB said the investigators look at the following to better understand what happened:

Flight track data

Recordings of any air traffic control communications

Aircraft maintenance records

Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident

Pilots license, ratings and recency of flight experience

72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilots ability to safety operate the flight

Witness statements

Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation

Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras

People who saw what happened or who have surveillance or other information that could be useful to the investigation are asked to contact NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the crash. A probable cause, along with any other information, will be in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
In the global drive towards a greener future, China assumes a pivotal role in facilitating the transition for both developed and developing nations, experts said.

BRUSSELS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Amid lush greenery, fragrant flowers, and the gentle murmur of grazing flocks of sheep lies an endless array of photovoltaic panels, creating a mesmerizing scene of sustainable energy production at the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic (PV) plant in southwest Spain.

The Iberdrola group, a leading Spanish multinational electric utility company, inaugurated the plant, Europe's largest, in 2022. With around 1.5 million solar panels imported from China, the plant's clean energy output is substantial, catering to the needs of 334,000 households and creating over 1,500 jobs.

As exemplified by the Spanish PV plant, China's rapid progress in the renewable energy sector has played a pivotal role in advancing the European Union's (EU) green transition.

WIN-WIN GREEN COOPERATION

The European Green Deal, launched by the European Commission in 2019, targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To achieve this, the EU has pledged to increase the binding renewable energy share to at least 42.5 percent by 2030. However, with the current renewable energy share at approximately 23 percent, innovation is urgently needed.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, an association for the European solar PV sector, has warned that Europe must ramp up its solar deployment to meet the necessary targets, while WindEurope, a major wind energy association, also stressed the need for immediate action.

China's green energy equipment manufacturing industry is well-established and competitive. Chinese solar products and wind turbines would be indispensible for EU to achieve its 2030 emission reduction targets, said Qin Yan, a lead analyst at Refinitiv and researcher at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

In fact, many European countries have reaped the benefits of green energy collaboration with China in recent years.

Pedro Amaral Jorge, president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, highlighted the growing cooperation between China and Portugal in the solar energy sector, as Portugal aims to install approximately 8 gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2026 or 2027 and reach 22 GW by 2030.

"To achieve the objectives set for increasing installed capacity, cooperation with China must increase," Jorge told Xinhua in an interview.

In Croatia, the Chinese-built Senj Wind Farm, inaugurated in December 2021, produces about 530 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green electricity each year and reduces Croatia's carbon dioxide emissions by about 460,000 tonnes per year.

"These are projects where the benefit of cooperation with large countries like China, which have the knowledge and potential to realize such large projects, can be seen," said Mladen Plese, Croatian political analyst and Asia expert, in an interview with Xinhua.

For Zlatko Prpic, chief engineer of the Senj Wind Farm, the project, the largest of its kind in Croatia so far, represents a "miracle" and a shining example of China-Croatia cooperation.

China's Norinco International, a civil engineering company, has been the main contractor and builder of the farm.

As Croatia and the EU ramp up their transition to green and renewable energy, it presents a significant opportunity for Norinco International and other Chinese firms to demonstrate their cutting-edge technology and equipment in large-scale projects, Prpic said.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COOPERATION

The United Nations has urged countries to accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy resources, prioritizing energy efficient practices, and adopting clean energy technologies and infrastructure.

In the global drive towards a greener future, China assumes a pivotal role in facilitating the transition for both developed and developing nations, experts said.

"The future of Europe and the world hinges on them," said Plese, underlining the necessity for a united front transcending borders and political affiliations in combating climate change.

"China is developing technology and we need the cooperation of Chinese companies in that area as well," he said. "Croatia has the potential for similar green energy projects and cooperation with China is still welcome."

The 2021 report from the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU highlighted the impressive growth of China's PV cells and modules industry over the past decade. With affordable prices and significant economies of scale, Chinese enterprises emerge as the prime choice to complement the EU industrial chain, meeting the region's escalating demand for PV products.

Converting the roof of Brussels' 130-year-old Marche des Abattoirs into one adorned with solar panels from China and high-power density inverters produced by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, the Belgian renewable energy specialist ESE Group demonstrates the efficacy of these products in sustainable energy solutions.

The project involves the installation of 5,400 solar panels on the building's 10,000-square-meter steel roof. Under the Belgian regulations on the preservation of cultural heritage, the look and feel of the original building cannot be altered, so the design team at ESE customized a batch of special solar panels manufactured in China.

"It is a very good example of how to secure a listed building by using state-of-the-art architectural solutions," said Paul Thielemans, director of public relations at the Anderlecht Abattoir.

Climate change cooperation, which enjoys bright prospects, has emerged as a focal point in the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe.

In April, a delegation of climate envoys from the EU and member states including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark visited China and had productive discussions with their Chinese counterparts. Both sides were committed to intensifying climate dialogue and cooperation to bolster global climate governance.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz toured a China-Germany hydrogen technology cooperation project in Chongqing, southwest China, during his official visit to China in April. This underscores the extensive partnership between China and Germany in green energy, offering a glimpse into their broad collaboration.

(Video reporters: Chen Wenxian, Peng Zhuo, Kang Yi, Guo Shuang, Martina Fuchs, Yuan Hengrui, Li Hanlin, Che Yunlong, Li Chao, Li Xuejun, Relja Dusek; Video editors: Hong Liang, Miu Xuyao, Zhang Yucheng)
Eduardo Aguilar has a front-row seat to Mexicos most talked-about investment. The university professor drives by the plot of land bought by Tesla to build a gigafactory in Santa Catarina, in the state of Nuevo Leon, daily on his way to work. Contrary to rumors that plans announced by one of the most valuable companies in the world are dead, and despite the fact that little has been done since its announcement a year ago, Aguilar is certain the project is happening.

The land is the same as it was a year ago, no doubt about that, but all the government works around what will be the plant have already begun, says the academic, who teaches economic policy at the University of Monterrey (Udem). The campus is located around 18 miles from the Tesla location. The machinery and signage show that the entrance expansion and stormwater infrastructure that the state had promised have already begun, he adds.

Unlike many in Nuevo Leon, Aguilar opposes the popular project for environmental reasons (the state suffers from water shortages, high pollution and road congestion), but those are not the reasons why the project, which was promoted as the investment of the year, has lost steam. Much has changed at Tesla since its CEO, the unpredictable and fickle Elon Musk, announced the $4.5 billion investment in March of last year.

In January, Chinas BYD overtook Tesla as the worlds leading electric vehicle (EV) maker, offering cheaper cars. In addition, the profit margins of Musks company have been sharply reduced since the sales boom it experienced in 2021. In the last year, the EV market has slowed and last month, the company reported its lowest quarterly sales since 2022 and its first annual drop since 2020. Tesla announced it was laying off 10% of its workforce and even the job offers it had in Nuevo Leon disappeared from its webpage.

A BYD car showroom in Perisur, one of Mexico City's main shopping centers, in October 2023. Mariceu Erthal (Bloomberg)

The story of the Tesla investment that is yet to happen (and that, many speculate, will not) runs parallel to the failure of the governor of Nuevo Leon, Samuel Garcia, to deliver the incentives that he promised Musk. The billboards that tower over highways in the northern city with the Tesla logo are a reminder of how Garcia managed, briefly, to ride the wave of inertia generated by the announcement of the investment to make a run for the presidency. This did not last long, as Garcia was unable to negotiate his replacement as governor with the opposition in Congress. He was also unable to convince the Federation to send resources for the works promised to Tesla.

Nearshoring

Since Teslas big factory announcement, other companies have said theyre investing in Mexico, though without making a big splash. In June, the Argentine steel company Ternium announced that it would invest $3.2 billion in the same state. Another Argentine company, the e-commerce giant Mercado Libre, has an investment of $2.45 billion in Mexico for this year. And in February, Amazon announced a $5 billion investment, larger than Teslas, through its cloud services subsidiary AWS.

What brings these companies to Mexico is the ongoing economic tensions between the United States and China. Companies that want to continue selling to the North American country are looking to exit the Asian country and relocate in countries considered allies to the U.S., and few countries are better positioned than Mexico. The biggest winners have been the northern and central states, better placed to receive companies, which is why President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador fought to bring the Tesla plant, which was supposed to assemble the firms cheapest model, to southern Mexico instead.

Lopez Obrador during a meeting with Tesla executives at the National Palace, on March 8, 2023. Presidencia

Perhaps indirectly, Tesla imposed its conditions by not being willing to move the plant to the south of the country as the federal government wanted, says Matias Gomez Leautaud, analyst for Eurasia Group in Mexico City. This most likely caused a sting within the Lopez Obrador Administration, which responded with okay, go where you wish, but youre on your own.

Record spending

Governor Garcia found the resources to start the works that are already being carried out near Teslas land in Santa Catarina, but now, its the company that does not have the cash flow it had a year ago. In the most recent quarter, they burnt through $2.5 billion in free cash flow, an all-time record high burn of cash, says Gordon Johnson, market strategist and founder of GJL Research in New York.

Johnson is famous in Wall Street circles for his skepticism toward Tesla and Musk. He has studied the companys financials and issued bearish recommendations for Tesla shares since 2018 and, in his estimates, the true value of one share of the automaker is close to $22. The stock is currently trading at $180. In other words, Johnson and his team believe Tesla stock is 90% overvalued.

The announcement of the plant in Mexico was made in March 2023, at a time when Teslas stock was falling, and Johnson believes that Musk went ahead to announce the project without having a concrete plan in the hopes that it would boost the stock. That didnt happen, Johnson says, so how in the heck are you going to build a bigger factory when you cant even sell what youre already producing?

Gordon Johnson in New York, in 2017. Christopher Goodney (Bloomberg)

According to the analyst, Tesla has sold fewer cars than it has produced in seven of the last eight quarters, meaning they are selling only 75% of their inventory. Also, the competitive advantages the company had during its boom in 2021, such as the ability to produce faster than its competitors, have faded now that the auto market has stabilized after the pandemic. And, as if that were not enough, BYD has become a global EV giant in the last year.

Gomez Leautaud agrees. There is a scenario in which, even if they build everything Musk wants, the plan could have been halted for multiple reasons, he says. He is known to be a very fickle businessman and the company is not going through its best months. Although there is an obvious responsibility on the part of the state government in that they have yet to deliver what they had committed to delivering, I think it is beyond them.

Unsustainable investment

Compelling reasons remain for Musk to continue with his Mexico plans, although the companys lack of communication on the subject is fueling speculation of its cancellation. For Aguilar, the Udem professor, even if Tesla abandons the project, someone else would take his place.

The fact that theyre building all this infrastructure for the factory and that the government has given in to all the demands that Tesla made, that is an opportunity served on a silver platter for any foreign capital, says Aguilar. If the federal government adopts a colder attitude towards investment, states like Nuevo Leon could be more proactive to take advantage of the moment. In fact, Nuevo Leon is the State that is receiving the most foreign investment.

The property acquired by Tesla in Nuevo Leon, on March 3, 2023. DANIEL BECERRIL (REUTERS)

There is constant promotion to attract more and more and more investment, without acknowledging or prioritizing the biotic conditions of the metropolitan area, such as the water crisis, greater greenhouse gas emissions and greater road congestion, the academic says. Direct foreign investment under current conditions is totally unsustainable and that is not being said, he concludes.
Vladimir Putin cut out the heart of a deer on a hunt with Silvio Berlusconi and served it to him on a tray, making the late Italian prime minister vomit, a former Berlusconi colleague said.

The stunt bared the Russian presidents violent nature, the colleague said he was told by Berlusconi.

Fabrizio Cicchitto, an ex-senator in Berlusconis Forza Italia party, told the newspaper Corriere della Sera on Sunday of the pairs hunting trip in 2013 at one of Putins vacation homes.

According to a translation by Politico, Putin spotted two deer and handed his rifle to novice Berlusconi, who declined to shoot. So Putin gunned down the two animals, quartered one of them and pulled out its heart as Berlusconi watched.

Vladimir showed me a violent nature that I didnt imagine in such a kind and rational man, Berlusconi said, per Cicchitto.

A man from Putins entourage then served Berlusconi the bleeding organ on a tray and said it would be an exceptional meal.

Berlusconi said the episode was perhaps just a hunters custom, Cicchitto recalled

Putin has admitted in the past that some of his wildlife stunts have been staged, but his deer-hunting trip with Berlusconi appeared to linger in the controversial three-time premiers memory.

The scandal-ridden Berlusconi, who died in 2023, invited scorn when he traded gifts with Putin as Russias invasion of Ukraine raged on.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, pictured in 2015, reportedly went on a memorable hunting trip together. Sasha Mordovets via Getty Images

Related...
French President Emmanuel Macron (L), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R), and China's President Xi Jinping (C) leave after attending a meeting at the Elysee presidential palace. Christophe Licoppe/European Commission/dpa

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on China to prevent deliveries of dual-use goods with potential military uses to Russia.

Following talks with the presidents of China and France in Paris, von der Leyen said "more effort is needed to curtail delivery of dual use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield."

Chinese companies have repeatedly been accused of supplying dual-use goods to Russia, with some being sanctioned by the United States as a result.

Von der Leyen also said the European Union would "count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine."

Europe and China share an interest in peace and security, she said. Chinese President Xi Jinping "has played an important role in de-escalating Russia's irresponsible nuclear threats," she said.

With regard to the tense situation in the Middle East, von der Leyen expressed hope that China would exert its influence and that "China can play an important role in limiting the irresponsible proliferation of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones."

The European Commission president emphasized that nothing should be left undone in order to de-escalate tensions and prevent a major conflict in the region.

Overall, the three-way talks had been an "open and honest exchange," von der Leyen said.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L), and China's President Xi Jinping (C) arrive to attend a meeting at the Elysee presidential palace. Christophe Licoppe/European Commission/dpa
Von der Leyen after meeting Xi: 'More effort needed' to curtail Chinese dual-use goods deliveries to Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting in Paris on May 6 to discuss Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, trade issues, and the Middle East conflicts.

Xi arrived in France on May 5 as part of his European tour, marking his first visit to the EU in five years.

The Chinese president's visit comes at a strenuous time, as Beijing and the European countries are increasingly at odds over China's support for Russia during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"We agreed that Europe and China have a shared interest in peace and security. We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," von der Leyen said after the meeting.

"President Xi has played an important role in de-escalating Russia's irresponsible nuclear threats," she said, voicing a belief that the Chinese president will continue to do so "against the backdrop of ongoing nuclear threats by Russia."

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"We've also discussed China's commitment not to provide any lethal equipment to Russia. More effort is needed to curtail the delivery of dual-use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield."

The U.S. warned its allies in April that China is increasing its support for Russia through geospatial intelligence, missile propellants, and microelectronics.

Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war, tightening economic cooperation and disrupting Western attempts at isolating Russia.

Bloomberg reported on April 29 that Macron hoped to use the meeting to sway Xi toward influencing Russia to end the war. Speaking at the start of the meeting, the French president said that "the future of our continent will very clearly also depend on our ability to develop balanced relations with China."

Xi commented that "the world today has entered a new period of turbulence and change" and that "as two important forces in the world, China and Europe should... continuously make new contributions to world peace and development."

After concluding his visit to France on May 7, the Chinese president is scheduled to travel to Serbia and Hungary.

Read also: White House does not currently see China open to Ukraines peace formula

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What is a vote of no confidence? UK faculty to consider vote against president

In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more. Story idea? hlcityregion@herald-leader.com.

The University of Kentucky university senate is expected to consider a vote of no confidence in President Eli Capilouto on Monday, after two months of disagreements about the role of the senate.

A resolution of no confidence has been added as an agenda item for the university senates meeting, the last meeting of the semester. The resolution also calls on the board of trustees to redo the process of shared governance reform to address the senates concerns, and to develop new recommendations.

The trustees voted last week to approve changes to the universitys governance proposed by Capilouto, which would move the university senate from a policy-setting body into an advisory role. The Student Government Association and staff senate, who both supported the proposed changes, would have advisory roles as well. Faculty members have expressed concerns about the process the university used to create the recommendations that were ultimately approved by the board.

In formulating his recommendations, the President made significant, repeated management errors that have created unnecessary confusion, anxiety, and risk within the UK community, the resolution reads.

Additionally, the resolution says Capilouto created unnecessary and harmful division when he amplified false narratives that faculty members on the University Senate do not prioritize student needs or value diverse representation.

Capilouto has been the president of UK since 2011, and holds the longest tenure of any other current public university president in the state. Hes one of the highest-paid public university presidents in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report. Capilouto has been praised for his job performance by trustees, but in his most recent performance evaluation, the board listed strengthening relationships with faculty and shared governance as areas for improvement.

UK university senate to call for vote of no confidence in President Capilouto next week

Britt Brockman, chair of the board of trustees, said the board unequivocally supports President Eli Capilouto and the work of the UK community to meet Kentuckys needs.

The university senate has never held a vote of no confidence in the president, said Davy Jones, UK professor emeritus who tracks the history of the universitys governance, though department faculty has voted no confidence in department chairs.

In 1989, the university senate council passed a resolution requesting that former Kentucky Gov. A.B. Happy Chandler resign from the board after using a racial slur, and in 1999, the senate passed resolutions urging the board to rescind a contract extension from former President Charles Wethington Jr., according to Herald-Leader and Kentucky Kernel archives.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto will propose a new governance structure for the university at board meetings next week. The university senate, which currently holds policy-making power, would become an advisory board, and decisions about courses and curriculum would be approved by the provost.

What is a vote of no confidence?

A vote of no confidence does not immediately result in the removal or firing of a university president. The vote is symbolic of the facultys lack of trust in leadership.

It signals from the voting faculty that they find some aspect of the senior leaders behavior, management style openness, and decision-making problematic, according to research published in the Journal of Research on the College President.

A 2022 analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education found the number of no-confidence votes at universities has increased in recent years, and about 51% of the time, a president who receives a no confidence vote leaves the position within a year.

Sean McKinniss, who maintains a database recording votes of no confidence around the country, said there are typically three reasons faculty will call for a vote: financial mismanagement, poor interpersonal relationships, or issues with shared governance. When it comes to complaints about shared governance, oftentimes those come about because faculty take issue with the processes administrators use, he said.

The nature of higher education is changing, McKinniss said. You have professors who have been in these institutions, for whether its a year or 30 years, who are trying to sound the alarm that somethings not right at their institution, but the circumstances might be beyond their control. So what theyre trying to do is say, Hey, wait a minute, we think theyre going about this the wrong way.

McKinniss attributes the growing number of no-confidence votes to a changing higher education landscape, where schools across the country are seeing lower enrollment, changing demographics and more pressure from state legislatures. Particularly after COVID, some schools  especially small, private colleges  have struggled to maintain enrollment, with some closing.

This has been a very weird and rough time for everybody, including higher ed, McKinniss said.

A no confidence vote does not mean that a relationship between university leadership and faculty cannot be repaired, McKinniss added. Re-evaluating the role of the faculty is not necessarily a bad thing, but if its done in a way that leaves faculty feeling excluded, it can erode trust between faculty and leadership.

But if the president and faculty can find a way to reconcile, the university governance can still work, McKinniss said.

I do think theres an opportunity to overcome this vote and work together under the new model, and try to demonstrate that it can be effective, McKinniss said. If the faculty feel like thats not going to happen, then I think hes in trouble because youre just going to have people who are very angry.

University of Kentucky faculty and staff attend the board of trustees meeting on April 26, 2024. The board heard from nine people opposed to a proposed change to the universitys governance structure, which would move the university senate to an advisory role.

What are some recent examples of no confidence votes?

A faculty body at West Virginia University voted no confidence in 2023 after President E. Gordon Gee faced backlash for mismanagement of university finances and cutting academic programs.

WVUs enrollment had declined 10% since 2015, and the university is facing a $45 million budget shortfall. In September, the board of governors approved cuts that resulted in the closure or merger of dozens of programs and layoffs of nearly 150 faculty members, according to the Mountain State Spotlight.

Gee remains the president of WVU, though his contract with the university ends next June and the university has started a search for the next president.

More recently, members of the Indiana University Bloomington faculty passed a vote of no confidence in university leadership, including the president, provost and vice provost for faculty and academic affairs earlier this month.

Faculty called for the vote because they said the administration was encroaching on both academic freedom and shared governance. Faculty organizers cited several events as motivating the vote, including the suspension of a professor and canceling a Palestinian painters exhibition, according to the Indiana Daily Student.

President Pamela Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty all remain in their positions at IU.

Several no confidence votes that took place in 2023 did result in the resignation or retirement of the university president, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The president of Temple University, Jason Wingard, resigned after a vote of no confidence. Faculty at Temple were concerned about labor disputes and public safety, and said issues were still not resolved after the presidents resignation. They later passed a resolution of no confidence in the provost and board chair, though both still hold those positions.
RICHMOND  Michael Peltier left the town hall meeting feeling a little dissatisfied.

I didnt get to ask my question I wanted [to ask], he said, standing outside Chariho High Schools library, where a few minutes earlier a panel of 14 administrators  and a very well-behaved dog  fielded questions over a proposal to borrow $150 million to build three new elementary schools in the Chariho Regional School District.

Peltier did ask a question about the state of disrepair of the current schools, which got a lengthy response from several panelists. But the real issue bothering him was what would happen to his son, who is in second grade, while the schools are being built. Peltier, who also has a daughter in middle school, worried that moving schools would disrupt his sons education, much like the COVID-19 pandemic did a few years ago.

These kids that have already been through this rough time, you know, now we're going to put them through a rigamarole again of moving them around, Peltier said.

Built in 1935, Hope Valley Elementary School is one of three schools in the Chariho Regional School District that would be replaced if a bond is passed.

Worry seems to define the feelings of many residents of Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton ahead of a school bond referendum. Worry about their childrens well-being, about taxes increasing, and about rumors of old school buildings being turned into affordable housing. An arcane budgetary process, plagued by misinformation, has not assuaged residents concerns.

A once-in-a-generation opportunity

On May 7, Charlestown, Richmond and Hopkinton will hold a referendum to decide whether the school district will borrow $150 million through state bonds to replace three of its elementary schools. The money will also cover updates to Charihos main campus, which includes the high school, a middle school, a technical school and an alternative school.

The school district has made its case for why the new facilities are needed. The current ones, which are 75 to 90 years old, are in varying degrees of disrepair. At the town hall, the administrators highlighted a laundry list of fixes, including taking care of flooding issues, upgrading accessibility and security measures, and installing new plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, to name a few.

I feel like theres not a day that we are not having to get something repaired, said Jennifer Poore, principal of Charlestown Elementary.

The state requires school districts to submit a five-year capital improvement plan, which includes considering whether new facilities need to be built, according to Chariho Superintendent Gina Picard. After reviewing the cost of replacing the elementary schools versus maintaining them, the district found the expense would be the same.

I want to be clear: Regardless of the path forward, the ask is the same amount of money, Picard said at the town hall meeting.

The math behind this conclusion is fairly straightforward, if somewhat involved. The cost of basic maintenance for the schools is $30 million, but because the state offers a 61% reimbursement rate for regional schools, it comes down to about $2.3 million a year with a six- to 10-year bond. The district can apply for an additional 4%, but it is not guaranteed, Picard noted.

Replacing the schools is much more expensive: $150 million. But here state reimbursements, bolstered by special bonuses available for a limited time, would lower the bill by 76%  perhaps even 81%, if approved. At a 20- to 25-year bond, the districts obligation also would be $2.3 million a year.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, Picard told The Journal. We have never seen bonuses like this over hundreds of years.

It is a longer bond, but the district is required by law to spend a minimum of $1.8 million annually on maintaining school buildings, and in the last five years, it has spent more than $12.6 million doing so.

Both options would raise property taxes, according to figures released by the school district. For homes valued around $400,000 in Hopkinton and Richmond, the tax hike would be $257 to $270 a year. Charlestown, which has the fewest students and the lowest tax rate of the three, would see the smallest increase, about $75 annually for a home valued around $550,000.

Debunking misinformation

The process of applying for a school bond is arcane, making it susceptible to misinterpretation and misinformation, officials said.

The amount of misinformation thats been out there about this bond is staggering, and it's really become so polarizing that its really been sad to see, particularly on social media, said Catherine Giusti, the Chariho School Committee chair.

A quick search on social media reveals all sorts of opinions on the referendum, from wacky theories about toxic electronic waves targeting students to unfounded claims that administrators want to turn the old schools into public housing.

There are some organized efforts, too, against the bond. Forgotten Taxpayers, a political action committee whose treasurer is Clay Johnson, a former School Committee member whom the state Supreme Court removed for being improperly appointed, has launched a campaign to dissuade residents from voting for the bond. Among their efforts are yard signs with pictures of a drowning person and what seems to be a music video warning voters show up [to vote] or pay for 30 years.

Picard put together a document answering dozens of frequently asked questions, including queries about why the schools dont just renovate as other institutions have done with their historic buildings and whether the state will still reimburse the district if construction takes longer than five years, the term set by Rhode Island Department of Education.

The bond referendum has polarized the School Committee. According to Jessica Purcell, a committee member from Richmond, a slight majority of the committee is in favor of the bond. Giusti said she is the only member from Hopkinton who supports it.

Kathryn Colasante, a committee member also from Richmond, opposes the bond.

The rhetoric we have crumbling, very old buildings is ringing like a marketing scheme, Colasante told The Journal via email.

Colasante has argued that the schools facility condition index, which indicates the health of school structures, is well below the recommended level for building new schools. Picard counters that the report those indexes are based on is nearly seven years old and that the schools have deteriorated since then.

Purcell said those who oppose the bond have valid concerns: people legitimately worry about budget overruns and tax increases. Other bond-funded projects in the state have gone over budget, and building three schools within five years at a time when major construction projects are happening is no mean feat.

Jessica Purcell, a Chariho School Committee member from Richmond, supports the construction of three new elementary schools in the regional district.

But she said these concerns  and arguments against the bond  are often presented without context.

The residents of the Chariho Regional School District now face a choice similar to the one their ancestors faced when the schools were first built.

The school where my kids go to school was built during the Great Depression. That was the time when community members had to come together. They capitalized on a federal investment, and thats how they transitioned out of one-room schoolhouses. And were facing a similar situation now, where we have an increase of state aid available, Purcell said.

In the end, she said, it is up to the voters to decide.

Were always reminded that you can't have a successful school system without community support, Purcell said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: $150 million bond for 3 new Chariho elementary schools goes to voters
After months of inactivity, the docket is coming to life again in the $22 million federal fraud case against the Erie-based Hertel & Brown physical therapy practice.

A judge has scheduled a long-awaited evidentiary hearing in the case, which started with an indictment in November 2021 against Hertel & Brown Physical & Aquatic Therapy as a business, its two owners and 18 other employees.

U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter has scheduled the evidentiary hearing for Aug. 29 at the federal courthouse in Erie. It is over a request of two defendants, both physical therapists, that Baxter suppress statements the FBI said the two gave agents.

The hearing will occur a year after it was originally supposed to happen, on Aug. 23, 2023.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies parked vans outside the then-main office of Hertel & Brown Physical & Aquatic Therapy in the West Erie Plaza in Millcreek Township on Feb. 23, 2021. A grand jury returned an indictment against the business, its two owners and 18 other employees in November 2021.

Defense scheduling conflicts led Baxter to postpone the August 2023 hearing. She kept it on hold as she resolved other requests from the same two defendants, including a request that she toss the indictment. Baxter denied the dismissal request in early October 2023, and closed another issue with an order filed about three weeks later.

With those issues taken care of, the defense and the U.S. Attorney's Office have been waiting for Baxter to reschedule the suppression hearing. The office on Feb. 6 filed a motion that asked Baxter to set a hearing date.

Baxter responded by setting the new date of Aug. 29 in a one-paragraph order filed on Thursday. That order was docketed a day after Baxter issued an order that scheduled a video status conference with all the lawyers in the case for June 4.

Both orders signal that the pace is quickening in the Hertel & Brown case  the largest-ever white-collar criminal prosecution in Erie.

Defendants accused of overbilling Medicare, Medicaid, insurance

The case concerns medical billing.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is alleging Hertel & Brown; its founders and owners, Aaron W. Hertel, 45, and Michael R. Brown, 47; and the 18 other employees conspired to overcharge Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers $22 million over 14 years, starting shortly after Hertel & Brown launched in January 2007 and ending in October 2021.

U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter has scheduled a suppression hearing in August in the Hertel & Brown fraud case, which started with an indictment in November 2021.

The November 2021 indictment  and a superseding indictment, returned in May 2022  charge all the defendants with one count each of the felonies of health care fraud and criminal conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud.

All the defendants have pleaded not guilty and are free on unsecured bonds of $10,000. Hertel & Brown remains in operation, though it is down to one office, in a plaza on West 12th Street, just east of Pittsburgh Avenue, down from five offices overall.

Story continues

Ruling on suppression likely to affect outcome

Two of the 21 defendants requested the suppression hearing: Jacqueline Renee Exley and Julie Ann Johnson. But the hearing's outcome will be critical to all the defendants.

How Baxter rules on the evidence will likely influence the kinds of pretrial motions the other defendants file  and whether any guilty pleas will occur before a trial. No trial date has been set.

In court in March 2022  four months after the indictment  Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Trabold, the lead federal prosecutor in Erie, said an unspecified number of defendants were cooperating and were ready to testify at trial. His statement signaled plea deals were in the works.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Trabold is opposing a defense motion to suppress evidence in the Hertel & Brown fraud case.

Any plea talks are not expected to intensify until after Baxter rules on whether to suppress evidence for Exley and Johnson. Many of the other defendants are still deciding whether will file their own suppression motions, according to court records.

Exley and Johnson and their lawyers want Baxter to toss statements the FBI said the two gave to agents during a search of Hertel & Brown's offices in February 2021. The lawyers, all from Pittsburgh, are Jennifer Bouriat for Exley and Efram Grail and Julia Gitelman for Johnson.

Exley and Johnson are claiming the FBI agents violated their Miranda rights, about warnings that interview subjects must receive when they are in custody.

Whether Exley and Johnson were ever in custody is the major issue in their suppression fight. Exley and Johnson claim they were. Trabold is arguing they were not.

Did 2 physical therapists make 'incriminating statements'?

The statements  as the U.S. Attorney's Office characterizes them  bolster the fraud allegations. As Baxter said in her October ruling in which she refused to dismiss the indictment: "The Government has maintained that both Exley and Johnson made incriminating statements..., an allegation which Exley and Johnson strenuously deny."

The statements were not taped. They are based on the notes of the FBI agents.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a court filing that Exley and Johnson told the agents that they and other employees at Hertel & Brown regularly overbilled for services at the direction of the business' owners.

Also according to the filing, Exley and Johnson reported to the FBI that Hertel and Brown told the employees how to bill for services in an improper manner. Johnson, according to the filing, told the FBI "that at Hertel & Brown that is the way it has always been done and we turned a blind eye."

Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com or 814-870-1813. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: After long wait, major hearing scheduled in Hertel & Brown fraud case
You need to wake up: Grant Union High student killed in shooting weeks away from graduation

A Sacramento family is grieving the loss of an 18-year-old Grant Union High School student, just weeks away from graduating, who was gunned down during a South Natomas house party over the weekend.

Jeremiah Walker was at an after-party hosted privately for students attending Inderkum High Schools prom on Saturday, said Berry Accius, a community activist and a spokesman for the Walker family.

He is now going to be fitted in a funeral outfit rather than a graduation outfit, Accius said. The family was not ready to speak with reporters, he said.

Sacramento police officers were called just before 1 a.m. to reports of several gunshots ringing out outside a home on the 3100 block of Buchman Street, in the Gateway West neighborhood of South Natomas. The Sacramento County Coroners Office has not identified Walker.

An altercation broke out and guns were drawn outside the residence, Accius said. Walker attempted to take cover under a hail of bullets, he said.

The family is torn, Accius said.

Callers reported at least one vehicle peeling off as partygoers ran into neighbors backyards, according to archived audio dispatches reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. Police havent released a suspect description and no arrests have been made.

Zenobia Gerald, a spokesman for the Twin Rivers Unified School District, said in a statement that students and staff will honor Walkers memory by striving to create a more safe, compassionate and peaceful environment. The districts crisis intervention team was available for staff members at Grant Union High Schools campus on Monday.

But we cant do it alone, Gerald said in his statement. Its going to take every member of the community working together to prevent these senseless acts of violence that continue to shatter far too many families.

Accius, the CEO and founder of Voice of the Youth, said watching the scene unfold early Sunday stuck with him: He watched Walkers mother screaming in pain and recalling how she had prayed for Walker to come home safely but experienced a loss of faith when he instead died at the scene.

Shes like Wake up, you need to wake up, Accius said of the mothers cries.

The party was hosted at an Airbnb, Accius said. He added many parties occur as 18-year-old students can reserve a property on its website and party without adult supervision.

It leads to groups  who traditionally oppose one another  all congregating in one place as the partys location gets advertised on social media, he said.

Its a recipe of disaster, he said.

An Airbnb spokesman said in an email the property was not reserved at the time of the incident.
Walk for Good Food aims to feed those in need

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Hundreds of community members put on their walking shoes Sunday to help people facing food insecurity.

Access of West Michigans 47th annual Walk for Good Food was held at Richmond Park in Grand Rapids. Each participant could choose to do a 5K or one-mile walk.

Funds were raised for eight nonprofit organizations that work to ensure everyone has access to healthy and affordable food. Organizations ranged from fresh markets to small businesses.

Semi-truck of food will stock nine Kent County pantries

Food insecurity is one of our biggest problems, so making sure that if we are going to come up with solutions, our communitys involved and this event representative of that. And any of our community partners, they really include community members in the process of coming up with solutions, said McKenzie VanPatten, co-executive director of advancement with Access of West Michigan.

Funds will continue to be raised through May 15. To find out how you can help, get involved or donate, visit the Access of West Michigan website or text WFGF to 44.321.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Want to show teachers appreciation? This top school gives them more freedom

Art and technology teacher Jenny O'Sullivan, right, shows students a video they made, Monday, April 15, 2024, at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla. While many teachers nationally complain their districts dictate textbooks and course work, the South Florida school's administrators allow their staff high levels of classroom creativity...and it works. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP)  When teachers at A.D. Henderson School, one of the top-performing schools in Florida, are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy.

Nationally, most teachers report feeling stressed and overwhelmed at work, according to a Pew Research Center survey of teachers last fall. Waning job satisfaction over the last two decades has accompanied a decline in teachers sense of autonomy in the classroom, according to a recent study out of Brown University and the University of Albany.

But at this South Florida school, administrators allow their staff high levels of classroom creativity  and it works.

A public school of 636 kindergartners to eighth graders on the campus of Florida Atlantic University, Henderson scored in the top 1% to 3% in every subject and grade level on the states latest standardized tests, with the exception of sixth grade math, where students scored in the top 7%. In almost every subject, 60% or more of Henderson students score significantly above the state average.

There is a lot of our own individual input allowed in doing the activities that we want to do in the classroom, said Vanessa Stevenson, a middle school science teacher finishing her third year at the school. She plans to start an equine medicine class next fall even though the school has no stables  she believes she will find a way.

Its a bit of trial and error because theres nothing being handed to you saying, Do it this way. You just have to figure it out, she said.

Joel Herbst, superintendent of Henderson and its sibling FAU High School, calls the faculty his secret sauce and argues the schools success can be duplicated anywhere  if administrators cede some control.

When that happens, he said, teachers create hands-on programs that help students not only show their understanding, but gain more depth.

Give (teachers) the freedom to do what they do best, which is to impart knowledge, to teach beyond the textbook, he said.

Portland State University education professor Madhu Narayanan, who studies teacher autonomy, said independence has a high correlation to faculty morale and success. But autonomy must be paired with administrative support.

It cant be, Here is the classroom, here is the textbook, well see you in six months. Those teachers have tremendous autonomy, but feel lost, he said.

THAT LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA

Henderson emphasizes science, technology and math, using arts and humanities to help with those lessons. About 2,700 families enter a lottery each year for the 60 spots in Hendersons kindergarten class and openings in other grades. There is no screening  some children entering Henderson are prodigies, most are average learners and some have learning disabilities like dyslexia.

The only tweaking is to comply with a Florida law requiring the student population at university-run laboratory schools match state demographics for race, gender and income. Because families apply to attend, parental involvement is high  an advantage Herbst and his staff concede.

Selected kindergartners are tested months before arrival so any needs can be immediately addressed.

Some of them come in reading and some know five letters  and it is not just reading, but all subjects, said Lauren Robinson, the elementary programs vice principal. We are going to provide every opportunity to close those gaps before those gaps grow and grow, instead of waiting until a certain grade level and saying, Now well try to close them. Its Day One.

In Jenny OSullivans art and technology classroom, kindergartners learn computer coding basics by steering a robot through a maze. Fourth and fifth graders make videos celebrating Earth Day. Students learn design by building cardboard arcade games like Skee-Ball for their classmates. Legos teach engineering.

While her new classroom has the latest technology, she insists such classes can be taught anywhere if the teacher is allowed creativity.

My grandmother is from Louisiana and theres a (Cajun) saying: Lagniappe, that little something extra, OSullivan said. I get to be the lagniappe in (the students) education. Could you do without it? Yes. But would you want to? No.

Working in small groups while dressed in white lab coats and goggles, the sixth graders in Amy Miramontes Medical Detectives class solve a mystery daily. They have examined strands of rabbit muscle under a microscope, using safe chemicals to determine what neurological disease each animal had. They have tested fake neurotoxins to determine which ailments afflicted their imaginary patients.

Miramontes hopes the class not only piques the students interest in medicine, but implants knowledge needed in two years when they take the states eighth-grade science test.

Theyre always learning by having their hands on something, Miramontes said. If they mess up, its OK  we start over. But then we learn a great life lesson that we have to be very diligent.

Marisha Valbrun, 12, took Medical Detectives because she might want to be a doctor. Shes learned that while science is challenging, by seeking assistance she can overcome obstacles.

I feel like if I just ask any person in this room for help, they can give you that right answer, she said.

USING ART TO TEACH SCIENCE

Even at a school where teachers exude enthusiasm, elementary art teacher Lindsey Wuest stands out  she cant stand still while describing how her lessons center on science.

On this afternoon in her Science as Art class, Wuest and a visiting artist are showing third graders how to make clay bobblehead dolls of endangered species  while also teaching the chemistry of why glazes change color in the kiln.

Hopefully those students who love art can also develop a love of science, she said. Project-based learning sticks with the kids for longer.

Third grader Maximus Mallow said that by working on his leopard bobblehead, he learned how the animals camouflage works.

We have fun while we create stuff about science, the 9-year-old said.

Hendersons success leads to grants  and nowhere shows that better than the middle schools drone program, which recently won a national competition in San Diego.

Hendersons drone teams have a room to practice flying the 3-inch-by-3-inch (75 millimeter), four-rotor devices through an obstacle course, plus flight simulators donated by the local power company.

The drone program is a chance to compete while using the physics and aeronautics learned in the classroom, teacher James Nance said. While expensive equipment is a benefit, Nance said, drone classes can be taught on a shoestring. At a previous school, he made a flying course out of PVC pipe and balloons.

Eighth grader Anik Sahai pulls out his cell phone in Stevensons science classroom, an act at Henderson that usually means a trip to the office. But he is demonstrating an app he created that uses the camera to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It took first place in the states middle school science fair and is being considered for commercial use.

The 14-year-old credits his success to his years at Henderson, beginning in the preschool program.

The teachers here, theyre amazing, he said. Theyve been trained on how to get us to the next level.

___

Sharon Lurye contributed reporting from New Orleans.

___

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.
David Knezevich, the ex-partner of Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, who disappeared in Madrid, Spain, at the beginning of February, has been arrested at Miami International Airport in connection with the case. Knezevich had been from the outset the prime suspect in the investigation, as the couple were going through a difficult separation involving a dispute over the multimillionaire patrimony they managed. Knezevich is of Serbian origin and Ana Maria is a U.S. citizen born in Colombia. They both lived in Miami, where their businesses were based, until she decided to move to Madrid at the end of 2023 to get away from her husband.

The Spanish National Police reported the arrest, which took place Saturday in an operation involving the Spanish Interior Ministrys attache office in Belgrade, the FBI, and the Colombian police.

Ana Maria arrived in late 2023 after enduring several months of a high-conflict divorce in which she had proposed to her husband that they divide their assets equally, a proposal that he did not accept. The couple had been married for 13 years. Ana Maria, 40, decided to settle in Spain because she had several friends to help her start from scratch in a new country. On February 2, she spoke with one of these friends about a trip to Barcelona they had planned for the following Monday. That was the last time anyone heard from her.

The following day, February 3, two other friends received messages from Ana Maria, one in English and one in Spanish. However, both quickly realized the messages were not written by her due to the manner of expression and their content. In the text, Ana Maria explained that she had met a man unexpectedly and was going to spend the weekend at his house in the countryside outside Madrid.

On the same day of her disappearance, the security cameras in her residential block in the upmarket Salamanca district of Madrid were disabled with spray. The lock on Ana Marias apartment was not forced and the emergency services found the apartment empty and without any noticeable disorder. Her cell phone was not located in a search of the premises. In the early stages of the investigation, the case was transferred to a court handling instances of gender violence.

From the outset, Ana Marias family was suspicious of the answers provided by Knezevich. At first, he did not answer the phone, and later denied knowing anything about her whereabouts, claiming that he was in Serbia at the time of her disappearance. His cooperation with the authorities was always limited and he contracted the services of a criminal lawyer from the United States as soon as the investigation began.

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Alyssa Rigney speaks to a rally in solidarity with Gaza on May 1, 2024, on the lawn of the William T. Young Library at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

LEXINGTON  History has a way of vindicating student protests  civil rights, Vietnam, apartheid  but it can take a while.

I was thinking about this while trudging up Woodland Avenue on a sunny afternoon last week to a pro-Palestinian rally at the University of Kentucky.

Along the way I passed a group of college women setting up lounge chairs in a front yard and hoisting a sign that said You Honk We Drink. (Youth is a many-splendored thing, especially when youve just finished your last exam of the semester.)

Mags Samaan and her father, Mousa, on their way to the rally. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Jamie Lucke)

In the shade of the parking lot, I asked if I could take a photo of Mousa and Mags Samaan of Lexington as the father helped his teen daughter don her keffiyeh. The Samaans explained that the black and white scarf is a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

Lexington has large, vibrant Arab and Jewish communities that enrich the city in many ways and who share similar histories of both discrimination and success in Kentucky. How painful it must be to see ancient homelands torn by ethnic violence and to again feel the threat of uninformed bias and ugly stereotypes.

At the rally, sponsored by a group called Lex4Palestine, I was surprised by how many students declined to be interviewed or even give their names. Many wore masks of the type made common by the pandemic. One young woman explained she was trying to protect her identity while also respecting others health.

(Aha, I thought the next morning when the New York Times published In an Online World, a New Generation of Protesters Chooses Anonymity. Fear of online harassment  doxing  and, specifically, fear of being branded antisemitic, is prompting many protesters on campuses to hide their identities, the Times reported.)

Protesters hold signs in solidarity with Gaza during a rally May 1, 2024, outside of the William T. Young Library at the University of Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

I was directed to the organizing coalitions media liaison, Ben Bandy, who wore a yarmulke and a Star of David on a thin chain. Bandy, a 2022 UK grad from Atlanta now working in Lexington, told me its very, very frustrating when people equate opposition to Israels war in Gaza with antisemitism. When I think about my Jewish values, I think of treating each other with kindness, not of a genocide thats killed tens of thousands.

Later, Bandy got the biggest cheer of any speaker and told the crowd, Im a Jew and Im against the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

I spoke to Joanne and Charlie Martha of Lexington who are in their 60s and Palestinians. Joanne, who came to this country when she was 6, still has family in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Charlies fathers family lost its home as did most of the Palestinians who lived in whats now Israel after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war in a forced displacement known as the Nakba or catastrophe.

After doing little or nothing to prevent the Holocaust, Britain and the United States supported a Jewish homeland, heedless of the people who already lived there.

The world thinks it started on Oct. 7, which was terrible, said Charlie. It started in 1948. He adds, The elephant in the room is the occupation.

Since Hamas surprise attack of Oct. 7, in which 1,200 people in Israel were killed, some in sickeningly sadistic ways, and 252 were taken hostage, it has seemed to me that particularly malevolent forces  brutality, cynicism, political self-interest, the arms industry  are swirling around this small beautiful slice of the globe.

Now Joanne worries that most Americans think all Palestinians are terrorists instead of family-oriented people who want to live in peace. When she visits family, she is struck by the lack of freedom and opportunity and by the apartheid-like system under which Palestinians must live. Shes sad that her adopted country is funding an unparalleled military assault on her childhood home.

Palestinians have lost their past, their future, their present in this war, she told me. Whats going on is a one-sided genocide.

Jenna Shalash leads the crowd in a chant during a solidarity rally for Gaza on May 1, 2024, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and 77,000 wounded, according to Gazas health ministry.

Joanne Martha does not blame the Israeli people but the countrys government for what even ally Joe Biden has called Israels over the top war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who needs to stay in power to avoid prison on corruption charges, may see political advantage for himself in prolonging the war and Israelis sense of existential crisis. Netanyahu backed a plan to prop up Hamas, which in 2006 won a parliamentary election with 44% support in what was widely viewed as a protest vote against corruption, then the next year took Gaza by force. By supporting Hamas in Gaza, Netanyahu and his team had hoped to divide Palestians thus thwarting any move toward a Palestinian state. Netanyahu also miscalculated Hamas strength and intent. As recently as September, a month before the Hamas attack, Netanyahu signaled that the government of Qatar, which with Israels tacit approval has put billions of dollars into the terrorist organization, should continue the payments to Hamas.

I asked the Marthas about one of the slogans the students were chanting. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free has become a lightning rod, admittedly used by Hamas, and interpreted by many as a call to destroy Israel.

Almost 20% of Israels population  or 2 million people  are Palestinians, who live as second-class citizens. Jews and Palestinians lived in peace in the past, the Marthas said. The slogan, they said, is a call for freedom not annihilation.

Kareem Hassan, a recent UK graduate agreed. Wanting to be free does not insinuate violence.

Taylor Slone of Georgetown. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Jamie Lucke)

Taylor Slone of Georgetown was carrying a sign that said Anti-Zionism Is Not Anti-Semitism. He turned out for the rally because I felt like I needed to do more and also because he thought more bodies offered more protection.

No one needed protection from anything harsher than sunburn, however. UK Police stood at a polite distance and appeared more concerned about protecting the William T. Young Library than any possibility of violence, in contrast to some campuses where students and faculty were forcibly arrested.

The protesters called for a ceasefire, which would be a blessing, though I have a hard time seeing any good way out of this misery, bloodshed and hatred.

Even if Israel Defense Forces force every last Hamas fighter from underground, Israel is creating more than enough new enemies for itself  young people who have nothing to lose or hope for  to replace the terrorist organization many times over.

Im confounded that the Holocaust, the 20th centurys most horrific mass atrocity, is somehow begetting a mass atrocity in this century.

The United Nations, the U.S. and the rest of the West have been ineffective, apathetic even, toward the Palestinians plight and other human rights abuses in the Mideast, ready to turn a blind eye as long as the oil was flowing. But wounds left to fester will inevitably burst, spewing poison everywhere.

History probably will vindicate opposition to whats happening in Gaza and also the West Bank. It will vindicate the many Jews who are courageously advocating for a peaceful solution and pushing for release of the hostages. I pray a peaceful solution comes soon; the alternative is unbearable to imagine.

A mother holds her daughter during a solidarity rally for Gaza on May 1 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

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He wants to be part of the solution. Brockton's new school committee member talks priorities

BROCKTON  Jorge Vega sat on the righthand corner of the table in Brockton High Schools Little Theater for the April 23 Brockton School Committee meeting, seated directly across from Brockton Mayor and School Committee Chair Robert Sullivan.

We want to welcome the newest member to the school committee from Ward 1, Jorge Vega, said Sullivan, whos also a resident of Ward 1.

Just one minute into his first meeting as a member of the Brockton School Committee, Vega received a standing ovation from the rest of the committee members seated around the table.

Less than 20 days earlier on April 11, Vega, 48, was appointed and sworn in as the committees Ward 1 representative, filling the seat vacated in March by Kathleen Ehlers. Vega said he decided to apply for the job just three weeks before that meeting where the school committee and Brockton City Council decided in a joint session to name him to the empty seat.

I didnt intend to be doing this five weeks ago, Vega said during an interview with The Enterprise on April 30.

Read more: 'Im all in': Jorge Vega to fill School Committee seat vacated by Kathleen Ehlers

Why Vega decided to run for School Committee

When the Ward 1 seat became vacant, Vegas wife pushed him to put his name in the running. He said his three kids, all of whom are either current Brockton High students or graduates, motivated him further to take the job.

A lot of people were like, why would you join now? and I honestly cant think of a better time, said Vega. Its an exciting time to be a part of a turning point for Brockton.

With only two months left in this school year, Vega is joining a school committee thats facing several ongoing issues  from mitigating a major financial deficit, to curbing various school security issues and helping students and staff manage a growing mental health crisis.

Nevertheless, Vega said hes feeling excited" after his first week in office.

I think anybody who thinks to put themselves into this kind of situation is hoping to be a part of a solution, he said.

BHS art gallery: Brockton High photography students show impacts of youth gambling through art exhibit

What is Vega's background?

Vega is no stranger to schools. In fact, he's worked in education for more than 25 years, beginning his career as a theatre teacher at age 21 right of college. After a short stint as a physics teacher (in college majored in education and theatre and minored in physics) he moved into educational technology. He has severed as the director of technology at New Heights Charter School in Brockton for the last two and a half years.

"Working in a school will give you that lens and perspective," he said. "You can also be critical in a more responsible way. You can ask deeper questions about why a decision was made or why a policy was implemented a certain way if you have a school perspective."

Jorge Vega, newly appointed Brockton School Committee member, stands with his family as he's sworn into office on April 11, 2024 at Brockton City Hall's City Council Chamber.

Vega said his background working in tech helped prepare him to tackle pandemic-era education when schools all went virtual. At the time, Vega was working at Prospect Hill Academy in Cambridge and said at one point his garage was filled with 400 computers and stacks of FedEx boxes to be shipped out to students.

"COVID really sealed the deal in terms of how important technology was to the life of schools," Vega said. "Directors of technology and the teams that work with them were at the forefront of that."

Jorge Vega, newly appointed Brockton School Committee member, stands with his family as he's sworn into office on April 11, 2024 at Brockton City Hall's City Council Chamber.

His wife is also a fellow educator, and his children grew up in the Brockton Public Schools system. He said his experience as a BPS parent has been positive and his kids are a "good barometer" for what's truly happening inside the schools.

"My kids have benefitted hugely from going through the Brockton school system," he said.

'The community came together': A look at how Brockton schools survived the pandemic

Why Vega chose Brockton?

Vega moved from New York City to Brockton almost 20 years ago. Although his family and friends called him crazy for picking Brockton, he said the city looks and feels like Far Rockway in Queens where he grew up.

"When we bought our first house, we made the very intentional choice to live in Brockton. A large part of it is that Brockton looks and feels like the part of Queens where I grew up in."

Like most new homeowners, Vega also based the decision on Brockton's schools. As a "proud Puerto Rican-American" whose wife is Filipino-American, Vega said it was important to him that his kids attend school in a district where diversity is the norm, and "diversity is in the very fabric of Brockton Public Schools."

"It can be really challenging to go through kindergarten through 12, these formative years, and not have people who look like you, who have the experiences that you've had, who have families similar to yours," said Vega.

What is Vega's biggest priority?

Vega said the most urgent issue and his biggest priority as a new Brockton School Committee member is to stabilize the district's finances. Committee members have begun planning what the budget will look like for fiscal year 2025 as they try to shrink a projected deficit ranging from $7 to $19 million.

Since August, BPS has announced several fiscal issues that officials have been working to solve including budget deficits for fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025; over 40 expired grants with unspent cash that must be returned to the state; and various structural and personnel concerns within its business department.

"That's the priority, getting the financial house in order without affecting teaching and learning," said Vega. "How do you mitigate that without lessening student outcomes or student experience."

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Who is Jorge Vega? Meet Brockton's newest school committee member
By Koh Gui Qing

OMAHA, Nebraska (Reuters) - When Greg Abel succeeds Warren Buffett at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway, he is expected to preserve the culture at the behemoth even if he does not match the star power of his legendary boss.

A 25-year Berkshire veteran, Vice Chairman Abel, 61, is expected by investors and analysts to uphold the $865 billion conglomerate's track record of investing in companies for the long haul and eschewing dividend payments to shareholders.

Berkshire, which owns railroads, insurance companies and an ice-cream maker, has been planning for decades for the eventuality when Buffett, 93, who has run the company since 1965, is no longer there.

Even though Buffett has shown no signs of wanting to step aside, investor focus on Berkshire's future came to the fore again after Charlie Munger, Buffett's long-time friend and business partner, died in November at age 99. At Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha on Saturday, investors questioned Buffett and Abel about succession.

"We have a very special company in Berkshire, but it's that culture that makes it special, and that's not going to change," Abel, who was designated Buffett's successor as chief executive in 2021, said at the shareholder meeting.

Buffett repeatedly assured shareholders that Berkshire is in good hands, saying that Abel is "in charge of really everything except insurance" these days.

"We (have) got the same feeling in terms of judging the attractiveness of businesses and making capital decision and that sort of thing," Buffett said.

That sentiment was echoed by Ronald Olson, a Berkshire director.

"Greg understands the (Berkshire) culture and he will honour that," said Olson ahead of the meeting. "Greg doesn't think of himself as Warren Buffett, but I have no doubt seeing Greg running (Berkshire) the same way."

Abel and Berkshire did not respond to requests for interviews.

A DETAILS MAN

Gregory Edward Abel was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 1, 1962, to a working-class family. Working odd jobs, he cleaned discarded bottles and filled fire extinguishers, according to the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, an education non-profit that honoured Abel in 2018.

It was a real working-class family where sometimes people had jobs and sometimes they didnt, Abel said of his childhood in a video posted on the Horatio Alger website. You realised we were all working hard to try to advance our family.

Abel graduated in 1984 from the University of Alberta and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and energy firm CalEnergy. He joined Berkshire Hathaway Energy, then known as MidAmerican Energy, in 1992, which Berkshire took over in 1999 and became MidAmerican's chief in 2008. He now oversees Berkshire's non-insurance operations such as BNSF, Berkshire Hathaway Energy and dozens of chemical, industrial and retail operations.

Story continues

Some executives who work with Abel say he scrutinises financial metrics such as inventory levels, cash flows, capital expenditure and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

"Greg looks at our inventory levels more than Warren did. He will sometimes circle it and be like 'Oh, that looks high,'" Adrienne Perry, chief revenue officer at Borsheims, a Berkshire-owned jeweller, said last week at a talk in Omaha.

Dan Sheridan, chief executive of Brooks Running, a maker of running shoes that is owned by Berkshire, said Abel advises his executives broadly, but keeps an eye on the bottom line.

"If there are warts on your balance sheet, he's going to find them," Sheridan said in an interview.

Even Buffett conceded on Saturday that Abel is a tougher boss.

"We haven't had a history of being very tough on people that coasted and we've had some that would do that," Buffett said. "Greg will do something about it and Charlie and I wouldn't have."

TRANSITION IN PROCESS

According to Berkshires succession plan, Abel will replace Buffett in making all major investment and capital allocation decisions. Vice Chairman Ajit Jain, who joined Berkshire in 1986, according to Berkshires website, will oversee insurance operations.

Buffett said on Saturday he would want Abel to have final say on decisions regarding Berkshire's portfolio of public stocks.

I would leave the capital allocation to Greg," Buffett said on Saturday. "He understands businesses extremely well, and if you understand businesses you understand common stocks.

The transition has already begun because Warren, five years ago, shifted these responsibilities onto Greg and Ajit directly, said Adam Mead, the CEO of Mead Capital and author of The Complete History of Berkshire Hathaway.

Buffett indicated on Saturday that his subordinates are already taking on much more of the day-to-day responsibility.

The number of calls I get from managers is essentially awfully close to zero and Greg is handling those," Buffett said. "I dont know quite how he does it, but weve got the right person, I can tell you that.

(Reporting by Koh Gui Qing in Omaha; additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel; editing by Megan Davies and Diane Craft)
The Washington State Patrol was fined $750,000 for failing to provide information from public disclosure requests.

The ruling came from the Pierce County Superior Court. Judge Bryan Chushcoff issued an order on April 12 that found the State Patrol failed to provide nearly 650 public records requested by the family of a man who was killed in a 2020 crash, according to the Seattle Times.

The victims family was trying to determine why troopers dismissed a ticket given to the driver believed to have caused the crash that killed their son.

Court papers said more than 1,700 emails and documents were hidden, and dash camera video was destroyed.

The fine is one of Washington states largest public records penalties in recent years, according to the Washington Coalition for Open Government.
KEARNEYSVILLE, West Virginia  Ted Cruz has a competitive reelection race to run back in Texas. On Thursday, though, he showed up 1,200 miles away in a bid to shape Senate Republicans post-Mitch McConnell future.

Cruz was in West Virginias Eastern Panhandle to try to boost an underdog conservative, Rep. Alex Mooney, who faces Gov. Jim Justice in the May 14 GOP primary. Justice is the Senate minority leader's star recruit, hand-picked to pressure Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) into retirement and make the seat Republicans easiest pickup on this fall's map.

Yet to Cruz, Mooney's candidacy is a way to push the entire party rightward  and make life more of a nightmare for party leaders. A longtime House Freedom Caucus member, Mooney is running as an insurgent from the right, while Justice is a more conciliatory ex-Democrat who has supported bipartisan compromises.

How many of yall have been frustrated by Republicans in the Senate? Im going to raise my hand. It is maddening, Cruz told a crowd of nearly 200 people in a sweltering horse auction center, likening many politicians to spineless animals. One more conservative makes an enormous difference in the Senate.



Mooney trails Justice badly, according to nearly all public polling, but his candidacy is a way to survey the GOP base about the anti-establishment sentiment thats spiking among congressional Republicans. Cruz is looking for new recruits to the rabble-rousing crew of GOP senators who thrive on causing headaches for party leaders  so whether or not Mooney beats Justice, and hes not likely to, Cruzs endorsement stamps him as a favorite of the insurgent wing.

The same sort of longshot right-flank rebellion is also happening in the House where Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is trying to oust a speaker who looks on paper like her natural conservative ally. But Mooney and Greene have the same problem: The party establishment now includes former President Donald Trump, who has sided with the enemies they decry as out of touch with real conservatives.

Mooney is "going to be crushed, said former Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.), a Justice supporter who lost to Mooney in a 2022 House primary due to Trumps endorsement.

Either Republican candidate is essentially guaranteed to win the seat in November given Manchin's retirement, making West Virginia a perfect test case for the party's red-state mood. Mooney is eager to make the primary a contest of ideologies  a rarity in a Senate cycle where nearly every other GOP contest has hinged on who can compete best in a general election.



Mooney is trying to generate momentum any way he can, including the release of internal polling and a Mountain State visit from Cruz. Mooney has even resorted to using Justices Internet famous pet Baby Dog against him, claiming that the bulldog who's ubiquitous in the governor's messaging knows the truth about him.

Baby Dog knows Gov. Justice as good as anybody. He knows the mans a liberal, Mooney said in an interview. Justice's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Mooney opposed sending more U.S. aid to Ukraine and voted against the bipartisan House government spending bill. He beat McKinley two years ago in part because  in the defeated man's telling  Trump was irate enough about McKinley's vote for a bipartisan infrastructure bill to endorse Mooney, who opposed that legislation. Mooney also weathered attacks on his Maryland lineage to win that race.



Pro-Mooney conservatives are particularly frustrated over a potential missed opportunity to change the complexion of the Senate GOP after bitter internal splits over funding Ukraine, government spending and reauthorizing warrantless foreign surveillance. John Fredericks, a pro-Trump conservative radio host from Virginia and a Mooney supporter, said electing Justice amounts to a complete waste of a seat for the GOP.

Yet Fredericks and Cruz are exceptions in a Republican Party that's wary of crossing Trump. Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) are the only chamber Republicans siding against Justice. And the conservative Club for Growth did not follow through with its pledge to pour $10 million in the race, spending only about $1.8 million, according to media tracking firm AdImpact.

David McIntosh, president for Club for Growth Action, said the group believes Mooney is the best conservative for the seat, but President Trumps endorsement hardened Justices support and there wasnt a viable path forward.

They committed. I guess they looked at poll numbers and they canceled, said Fredericks, who drove his "MAGA Bus" to the event here. You believe in your candidates or you dont. And they obviously dont.

Mooney declined to criticize the conservative Club, which often plays in red-state primaries but is trying to rebuild its ties to Trump. He did concede the cavalry did not come for him in a primary where total GOP spending is relatively low for an open seat  around $13 million  and a few extra million could have made a huge difference.

People are missing it, Mooney said. Its not just Club for Growth. There's a lot of groups out there that exist to help conservatives.

Mooney does not currently plan to vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson this week, a sign hes got a practical side as well. Still, theres little debate among the top Senate brass that Justice would be more of a team player, in the mold of more pragmatic center-right Republicans who could form a GOP governing wing in 2025. That will probably be helpful for McConnells successor as Republican leader.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who backs Justice and often is open to bipartisan dealmaking, said Justice was initially perceived and known to be the stronger candidate, and now its going to be what kind of senator he would become. And I feel very comfortable with that."



In one of the reddest states in the country, its something of a surprise that West Virginia GOP voters arent reflexively seeking the most conservative candidate in the race. Still, the state party is filled with thousands of former Democrats who dont adhere neatly to ideological lines  just like Justice, who gave Trump an early triumph in 2017 when he switched parties live on stage.

If theres a bright side for Mooney, its that Trump is not directly rallying voters against him. In addition, Justices campaign appears to be taking Mooney less than seriously, giving the dark horse the stage to himself at times. On the other hand, the lack of activity suggests Justice believes hes heading for a landslide win.

Why go out and mess it up? Manchin observed.



Still, a West Virginia trip was a no-brainer for Cruz. Hes maintained his own brand in the party even after running against Trump in 2016 and then becoming an ally by championing several candidates who put him at odds with the former president.

Unlike Mooney, Cruz wont quite describe Justice as Manchin 2.0; Justice is likely to be his colleague, after all. But Cruz is clear about how important the race is for his mission to drive his party further rightward.

People are frustrated that the Senate Republican Conference doesn't stand up and fight for conservative principles. The only way to change that is to elect strong conservatives. And especially from bright-red states, Cruz said. There's no reason not to.

Ally Mutnick contributed to this report.
A Jewish student had an Israel flag ripped from his hands as he launched a counter-protest at a pro-Palestinian rally at Cambridge University.

Demonstrators at Cambridge and Oxford occupied university lawns on Monday to protest against Israels war in Gaza. The rally was part of a coordinated plan between the groups of students.

Ari Vladimir, 19, a first-year history student at Christs College, said he was also shoved by protesters after he arrived at the camp that formed outside Kings College this morning.

I came into the protest and unfurled my flag and almost immediately I was pushed, my flag was grabbed and thrown to the ground, he said. He was then ushered away by stewards for my own safety, he added.

During the rally of around 200 locals and students, chants of from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free and Israel is a terror state were also heard.

Pro-Palestine student activists take part in an encampment in front of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History - Laurel Chor/Getty Images

Students at Oxford and Cambridge named their camps Liberated Zones, mirroring the now-infamous camp at Columbia University in the US which was stormed by riot police who made hundreds of arrests.

Surrounding around 30 tents pitched on the lawns of Cambridge, Palestinian flags and other banners were pinned to the historic perimeter walls of Kings College, including one reading welcome to the peoples university for Palestine.

Both universities were issued with lists of demands from protesters, which included calls for them to divest assets from Israel, cut ties with Israeli academic institutions and fund Palestinian scholars.

In an open letter, 174 Oxford faculty and staff members declared their support for the pro-Palestinian camp outside the citys Pitt Rivers Museum, describing it as a public-facing global education project.

Despite Cambridge protest organisers issuing community guidelines specifying there would be no tolerance for anti-Semitism, supporters of the protest were seen handing out leaflets describing themselves as anti-Zionist Cambridge students, faculty and alumni.

The group refused to answer any questions from The Telegraph on what they meant by anti-Zionist, including whether this was a call for the state of Israel to cease to exist.

When asked about the Jewish student who was pushed and had his flag ripped from him at the groups rally, a spokeswoman for the group said we are a peaceful non-violent protest.

We are welcoming of everyone who is anti-genocide and pro-Palestinian liberation, she added.

Ari Vladimir, 19, a Jewish first-year History student at Cambridge, raises an Israeli flag near the encampment - JULIAN SIMMONDS

Organisers of the Cambridge camp have vowed to stay there as long as it takes for our demands to be met with around 60 people due to sleep in tents overnight on Monday.

The formation of camps at Britains top universities comes amid growing government concerns that campus protests could escalate to the sort of scenes witnessed in the US, where demonstrations turned violent.

Demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian encampment set up outside UCL allegedly spat at a group of counter-protesters on Sunday and told them to go back to Poland in an apparent instance of anti-Semitism.

Similar protests have taken place at Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Warwick, Swansea and Bristol, with students at SOAS university in London today launching a camp of their own.

Rishi Sunak has summoned university vice-chancellors to Downing Street later this month, where they will be asked to explain what they are doing to combat anti-Semitism and intimidatory behaviour.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators pin flags outside King's College Cambridge - JULIAN SIMMONDS

Jewish students at Cambridge said the camp leaves many of us on edge and called for the university to take action to support them.

While we respect the right to peacefully protest, we fear this may contribute further to a toxic and hostile atmosphere for Jewish students in Cambridge, the universitys Jewish Society said in a statement.

An Oxford University spokesman said: We respect our students and staff members right to freedom of expression in the form of peaceful protests.

As we have stressed in our student and staff communications there is no place for intolerance at the University of Oxford.

A Cambridge University spokesman said: The University is fully committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law and we acknowledge the right to protest.

We ask everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy.

08:13 PM BST

Thats all for today

Thanks for tuning in to todays live blog. Well be back tomorrow to bring you all the latest from the student protests.

07:46 PM BST

Police give greenlight to Cambridge camp, say protesters

Cambridges Kings College has said were good to be here, protesters occupying its lawn have claimed.

Two police officers made a brief visit to the camp on Monday night, having not been seen all day.

They asked the two police liaison officers how many people there were at the camp, how long they were expected to be there and whether people were staying overnight.

It depends entirely on the university, the hi-vis police liaison activist told the officer on the timescale of the protest.

Were here peacefully and Kings have said were good to be here, he added, saying porters for the college had informally approached them throughout the day to confirm this.

The police officers finished their conversation by saying its absolutely fine... youre here to demonstrate peacefully, you guys doing what you wanna do.

The officers then went to the Kings College porters lodge to speak with university staff.

06:54 PM BST

Cambridge University: We acknowledge the right to protest

A University of Cambridge spokesperson said:

The University is fully committed to academic freedom and freedom of speech within the law and we acknowledge the right to protest. We ask everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy. Our priority is the safety of all staff and students. We will not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia and any other form of racial or religious hatred, or other unlawful activity.

06:52 PM BST

Cambridge protesters dismiss concerns over Jewish student safety

Organisers of the Cambridge encampment have dismissed concerns that it is making Jewish students feel unsafe.

When asked about the Jewish student who was pushed and had the Israel flag tossed aside at the groups rally, a spokeswoman for the group said we are a peaceful non-violent protest.

We are welcoming of everyone who is anti-genocide and pro-Palestinian liberation, she added.

A spokesman for the group, 27-year-old PhD student Ibrahim, who would not give his surname, claimed we actually have a lot of Jewish students in the camp, though did not provide a figure.

But Ari Vladimir, 19, the first-year Cambridge history student from the US who was shoved at the groups rally, told The Telegraph: I wouldnt say this makes me feel especially loved, but Im lucky enough to have quite a community of friends, Jewish and non-Jewish, around me who have shown their support.

In Christs College for almost the entirety of last term and a bit of the term before, there was a Palestinian flag hanging that I found and I knew for a fact that if I hung my Israeli flag outside, then Id have a brick thrown though my window.

Its obviously not great but Im Jewish, this is whats been happening to us for our entire history and it just shows that the state of Israel is so needed because we would never be safe without the state of Israel, without a place to call our home.

Mr Vladimir said there should be more protections in place for counter-protesters and that it would make me feel safer if police - who have not been seen once at the camp - would monitor the protest.

He added that he would not feel safe attending the Kings College library currently with the camp outside.

06:41 PM BST

Cambridge protesters vow to stay as long as it takes as 60 pitch tents overnight

Organisers of the Cambridge camp have vowed to stay there as long as it takes for our demands to be met.

Ibrahim, 27, a PhD theoretical physics student who would not provide his surname, confirmed that the Cambridge and Oxford camps coordinated to launch together on Monday morning for maximum impact and would stay put.

We launched early this morning because the University of Cambridge is complicit in this ongoing genocide, the spokesman for the group told The Telegraph.

Were a collective of students and staff and the wider Cambridge community who want an end to this genocide, and in particular the university has millions of pounds of links in research grants and investments with arms companies such as Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar and a whole bunch of others so were calling for an end to this.

He said the camp currently had 60 people who were due to stay overnight on Monday, with a whole bunch of wider community who are supporting us in many ways.

06:30 PM BST

Pro-Hamas student among Cambridge protesters

The ringleaders of the Cambridge protest have largely hidden behind face masks or keffiyeh scarfs.

Of the few willing to speak with reporters, they have only provided first names or pseudonyms.

The opaque nature of the individuals behind the protest is in stark contrast with the highly vocal and public spectacle they have created to send their demands to university bosses.

One person who has been spotted among the activists at the encampment is Harvey Brown, Cambridge Students Unions welfare officer, who was wearing a floral top and a face mask.

He came under fire in October when The Telegraph revealed that he had liked a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, that supported the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

One such post heralded a day of celebration as Hamas fighters cross into their colonisers territory.

After an outcry from Jewish students, Mr Brown apologised for his rash actions.

Whilst he is not thought to be among the lead organisers of the Cambridge camp or physically staying in a tent there, he answered no comment when The Telegraph approached him on Monday afternoon to ask how involved he was.

06:24 PM BST

Cambridge Jewish group alarmed by unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism on campus

Jewish students at Cambridge have voiced concern the pro-Palestinian camp may contribute further to a toxic and hostile atmosphere on campus amid a wave of anti-Semitism.

Cambridge University Jewish Society said its members were tired and hurt by unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism on campus in recent months.

The creation of this encampment leaves many of us on edge, particularly given anti-Semitic and violent rhetoric at other encampments in the UK, it said in a statement.

We call on Cambridge University to support the welfare of all Jewish students at this difficult time.

06:02 PM BST

Jewish students join pro-Palestinian protesters

Jewish students have joined pro-Palestinian campers at Cambridge University to protest against Israels war in Gaza, writes Max Kilham.

I am really proud to be a Jewish person fighting for the freedom of the Palestinian people, said Kendall Gardner, an American PHD scholar studying politics.

 I see it as an ancestral carrying of the torch, in a way. I think about how my ancestors fled pilgrims in Romania to come to the US and probably fought back in the same way that the Palestinians are fighting for their freedom.

Ms Gardner added: As a Jewish person, it means a lot to me to be able to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and like carry on these legacies of resistance that honestly connect us more than divide us.

Another protester, a Masters student called Wren, said that members of Jewish organisations and the wider Oxford community had joined the demonstrations.

05:52 PM BST

More than 150 Oxford academics back Pro-Palestinian camp

More than 150 Oxford academics have declared their support for a pro-Palestine camp at the university set up by students this morning.

In an open letter, 174 lecturers, faculty members and researchers from multiple colleges said they stand firmly in support of the members of the university community who have begun an encampment outside the Pitt Rivers Museum.

The academics, who described the camp as a public-facing global education project, are backing students calls for the university to divest from Israeli companies and call for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire, among other demands.

05:30 PM BST

Pictured: Jewish counter-protester has flag ripped off him

Ari Vladimir, 19, a first year History student at Cambridge, had his Israeli flag ripped off him at a pro-Palestine protest - JULIAN SIMMONDS

05:19 PM BST

Pro-Palestinian protesters occupy London university campus

Students have set up a pro-Palestinian camp at SOAS University to protest against Israels war in Gaza.

The students set up a so-called liberated zone on part of the campus quad and have issued a list of demands, calling for the university to divest from Israel and for Western governments to stop arming Israel and supporting settler colonialism in Palestine.

A student protest spokesman at SOAS said: We here at SOAS feel a particular responsibility to escalate the student and youth movement in London.

As an institution founded to train colonial officers, SOAS has long been complicit in British state crimes - just as it has long been a site of fierce anti-colonial resistance.

SOAS is the second university in the capital to have a camp crop up after University College London, where pro-Palestinian protesters allegedly spat at a group of counter-protesters yesterday and told them to go back to Poland.

04:56 PM BST

Pictured: Holocaust memorial held in Oxford

People holding a holocaust memorial event receive abuse from passersby - Oxford Student reporters

The memorial service took place a ten-minute walk from the pro-Palestinian camp at Westgate Shopping centre, Oxford - Oxford Student reporters

04:44 PM BST

Cambridge protesters declare themselves anti-Zionist

On a leaflet being handed out to supporters, the Cambridge Encampment for a Free Palestine describe themselves as anti-Zionist Cambridge students, faculty and alumni.

The group refused to answer any questions from The Telegraph on what they meant by anti-Zionist, including whether this was a call for the state of Israel to cease to exist.

On the pamphlet, the activists said: By pressurising our University to end all ties to the settler colonial state of Israel, we aim to represent the resistance of oppressed peoples in occupied Palestine.

Their three main aims are disclose finances, divest from arms companies and reinvest in Palestinian scholars and education institutions.

04:23 PM BST

Watch: Oxford and Cambridge students set up pro-Palestinian camp

04:20 PM BST

Protesters shove Jewish student and throw Israel flag to the ground

A Jewish student claims he was pushed and shoved at the Cambridge student camp.

Ari Vladimir, 19, a first-year history student at Christs College, said he arrived at a rally with an Israeli flag and was swiftly pushed away by a fellow member of the crowd on Monday afternoon.

I came into the protest and unfurled my flag and almost immediately I was pushed, my flag was grabbed and thrown to the ground, he said.

American student Ari Vladimir, 19, a first year history student at Christ College has his Israel flag ripped from him.



Earlier (not captured on video) he said he was pushed by protestors.



Protestors are organising a rally at King's College at the encampment. pic.twitter.com/CnUeA2omSt  Laurence Sleator (@laurencesleator) May 6, 2024

He said he was then ushered away by stewards for my own safety.

The push was hard enough that he stumbled a bit but didnt really fall, he added.

He said he was there to show that the Jewish people will not bow down, that were strong and we will show that were never going to be led to gas chambers again.

04:02 PM BST

Cambridge protesters chant: From the river to the sea

Around 200 locals and other students gathered outside the pro-Palestine camp in Cambridge at 3pm to rally in support.

Through megaphones, activists led chants of from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free, Israel is a terror state and disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.

Accusing Cambridge bosses of refusing to listen to Palestine, they then started chanting loudly in Arabic so they hear us.

Placards such as from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free and free Julian Assange were also waved aloft.

03:59 PM BST

Student protests take place against backdrop of Holocaust memorial

People in Poland take part in the International March of the Living from Auschwitz to Birkenau in memory of the Holocaust - Omar Marques/Getty Images Europe

Pro-Palestine protesters hold Palestinian flags and banners during March of the Living in Poland - Omar Marques /Getty Images

03:34 PM BST

Cambridge Students: Welcome to the peoples university for Palestine

The pro-Palestinian camp in Cambridge is drawing plenty of crowds.

Groups of tourists and locals alike are stopping to look at the site next to the busy thoroughfare of Kings Parade, many visibly confused and some amazed.

What the f---, one boy said as he slammed the brakes on his bike to stop and stare at the encampment.

The group has pinned up large banners to the historic perimeter walls of Kings College, including one reading welcome to the peoples university for Palestine.

Others call on the university to divest from genocide and Palestinian flags are scattered around the camp.

03:29 PM BST

Around 60 tents at Cambridge camp

Here outside Cambridges Kings College, around 60 pro-Palestinian students and activists are camped out.

Its a fairly sophisticated operation -- organisers arrived at dawn and erected more than 30 tents, multiple placards and a gazebo for organisers.

One tent has an emergency toilet sign attached next to a sanitary supplies box. Shortly before 2pm, a hot lunch of rice and forms of curry was served.

Many of the tents are identical, but the organisers refused to be drawn on who, or what company, supplied them when The Telegraph asked.

03:26 PM BST

Cambridge pro-Palestine camp refuses to condemn Hamas as terror group

The Cambridge pro-Palestine camps spokesman refused to condemn Hamas or describe them as a terror group when questioned by The Telegraph.

Asked if he condemns Hamas, a proscribed group in the UK, Ibrahim, 27, a PhD theoretical physics student, said: I think as far as were concerned the university has links with these arms companies, Cambridge University doesnt have any links with Hamas as far as I know, so were concerned with our specific demands.

Asked if he and the camp acknowledges that Hamas is a terrorist organisation, he said: To us were focusing just on our demands and what we can do as students at the University of Cambridge and they have these specific links with arms companies so thats what were focusing on.

Asked if that means he is not willing to describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation, he said were not really describing anything in terms of broader geopolitics.

02:50 PM BST

Protests come amid surge in anti-Semitic incidents at Britains top universities

Britains leading universities have experienced a five-fold increase in anti-Semitic incidents since the Hamas terror attack on Oct 7, analysis by The Telegraph suggests.

Data disclosed under freedom of information laws suggest that Russell Group universities received five times as many reports of anti-Semitism in the first three months after the Hamas attack than in the entire year leading up to it.

In the 12 months leading up to Oct 7, the day on which Hamas is understood to have killed 1,200 Israelis and abducted another 250, there were 33 reports of anti-Semitism at the 19 Russell Group universities that responded to requests for data.

Following the attack, 176 incidents were reported in less than three months.

Read Tim Sigsworths full report here.

02:26 PM BST

Pictured: Police monitor Oxford protest

Hundreds of students from the prestigious Oxford University camp out in front of the Museum of Natural History in support of Gaza - Story Picture Agency/Ryan Jenkinson

Oxford students list demands amid encampment - Story Picture Agency/Ryan Jenkinson

02:01 PM BST

Tory MP blasts Oxbridge protesters lack of common sense

The Blairite aspiration to send half of all young people to university has backfired spectacularly. Spending three years detached from the real world spending someone else's money is not always the best start to adult life. Academic learning & common sense are not the same thing. pic.twitter.com/rE7LgZd1L6  Miriam Cates (@miriam_cates) May 6, 2024

01:48 PM BST

Cambridge student protesters hold de-escalation training

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Cambridge have organised a rally this afternoon at 3pm, after demonstrators set up tents outside Kings College this morning.

Amid a list of demands put to the university, the organisers of the protest issued an itinerary for the day, with activities including de-escalation training this morning and banner making at lunchtime.

Join us at the encampment on King's Parade to express your solidarity with Palestinians subject to a murderous campaign of ethnic cleansing, and your opposition to the University's use of your tuition fees to support the settler colonial state carrying it out. pic.twitter.com/qLMyV3zsci  Cambridge for Palestine (@cam4palestine) May 6, 2024

After the rally this afternoon, there will be a camp stall open this evening, followed by time allocated for news updates and reflection at 8pm.

The Cambridge for Palestine group, which organised the event, invited fellow students to join the encampment in solidarity with Palestinians subject to what it called a murderous campaign of ethnic cleansing, and to oppose the Universitys use of your tuition fees to support [a] settler colonial state.

01:31 PM BST

Oxford: There is no place for intolerance

A spokesman for the University of Oxford said:

We are aware of the ongoing demonstration by members of our University community. We respect our students and staff members right to freedom of expression in the form of peaceful protests. We ask everyone who is taking part to do so with respect, courtesy and empathy. Oxford Universitys primary focus is the health and safety of the University community, and to ensure any impact on work, research and learning, including student exams, is minimised. As we have stressed in our student and staff communications there is no place for intolerance at the University of Oxford. The Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum remain open.

01:19 PM BST

100-plus Oxford dons support pro-Palestine encampment

More than 100 Oxford dons have backed the pro-Palestine camp launched by students, writes Ewan Somerville.

In an open letter, 108 lecturers, faculty members and researchers from multiple colleges said they stand firmly in support of the members of the university community who have begun an encampment outside the Pitt Rivers Museum.

The academics, who described the encampment as a public-facing global education project, are backing students calls for the university to divest from Israeli companies and call for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire, among other demands.

This morning, #Oxford students set up the solidarity encampment.

Over 60 faculty and staff members have signed a letter in support pic.twitter.com/22IpWSZcyM  Gaza Under Attack_ (@Palestine001_) May 6, 2024

University of Oxford bosses have already called for an end to the violence in Gaza and the release of hostages, as they attempt to tread a fine line between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian opinions among students.

But the staff letter demanded a number of other urgent measures, including to explicitly restrict all investment - direct or indirect - in arms, weapons and other instruments of war.

The lecturers also want Oxfords vice-chancellor to unequivocally condemn the killing of university professors in Gaza and Israels bombardment of its education system, as well as committing to helping rebuild this.

12:54 PM BST

Pictured: Scenes from Oxford and Cambridge camps

Oxford protestors call for solidarity

Cambridge students set up encampment outside King's College - Felix Armstrong

12:32 PM BST

Whats the latest news from the war in Gaza?

Israels defence minister has threatened an imminent invasion of Rafah where 1.5 million Gazans are sheltering if a temporary ceasefire agreement is not reached, writes Melanie Swan.

Amid faltering peace talks in Egypt, Yoav Gallant warned his government was preparing to launch a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza.

Negotiations stalled on Sunday after Hamas said it would reject any deal that failed to end the war in the Palestinian territory.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said he cannot accept Hamas demands for an end to the war or the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza.

Read Melanies full report here.

12:22 PM BST

Watch: Pro-Palestinian camp at Cambridge

12:15 PM BST

Cambridge is complicit in genocide, claim protesters

Students at Cambridge have accused the university of being complicit in the Palestinian genocide as protesters set up tents on its lawns this morning in opposition to Israels war in Gaza.

The University of Cambridge is complicit in Genocide, Cambridge for Palestine, the group behind the demonstration, posted on Twitter.

The group accused the university of facilitating the killing of civilians in Gaza through alleged financial and academic ties to Israel.

Cambridge University has over $46 million in defense industry partnerships, contributing to the manufacture of weapons that Israel has used to kill over 40,000 Palestinians, 40 per cent of whom are children, and to destroy every university in Gaza, it said.

The student group added: We will not move until our demands are met.

12:03 PM BST

Pictured: Protests unfold at Oxford and Trinity College Dublin

A woman talks with security guards outside the Trinity College, which is currently closed due to a protest by students in support of Palestinians in Gaza - Damien Eagers/Reuters

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Oxford list demands outside university encampment

11:48 AM BST

Protests come amid rising concerns about Jewish student safety

Rishi Sunak last week summoned university leaders to Downing Street to discuss the safety of Jewish students amid warnings that pro-Palestinian peers replicate scenes of hatred from US campuses, write Ewan Ewan Somerville and Gordon Rayner.

Encampments in protest against Israels war with Gaza have begun springing up at multiple British universities to protest against Israels war in Gaza, with the Union of Jewish Students warning of a hostile and toxic atmosphere.

Mr Sunak will ask university vice-chancellors to attend a meeting at Number 10 later this month, where they will be asked to explain what they are doing to combat anti-Semitism and intimidatory behaviour.

Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, has already told them they may need an increased police presence on or around campuses after some were slow to react to the problem.

Read the full story here

11:33 AM BST

Watch: Oxford protesters chant stop the bombing now

11:26 AM BST

Are there camps at other UK universities?

The demonstrations at Oxford and Cambridge are among a growing number of tent camps protesting against the war in Gaza, which have been seen at universities including University College London, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Warwick, Swansea and Bristol, writes Ewan Somerville.

The growing number of demonstrations have led to serious government concerns that the campus protests could escalate to the sort of scenes witnessed in the US, where pro-Palestinian protests at Ivy League universities turned violent.

Demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian encampment set up outside UCL allegedly spat at a group of counter-protesters yesterday and told them to go back to Poland in an apparent instance of anti-Semitism.

The incident came after around 100 Palestinian supporters, many of whom were not students, banged drums and waved flags outside the university on Saturday while chanting free Palestine over a megaphone.

Read the full story on UK university encampments here.

11:14 AM BST

Pictured: Cambridge protesters list demands

We demand that the University of Cambridge: discloses and divests from its financial and professional support for Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza; re-invests in affected academics; and protects all forced migrants and protesting students. pic.twitter.com/B2sNqv3kIf  Cambridge for Palestine (@cam4palestine) May 6, 2024

11:06 AM BST

Camp named the Liberated Zone

Oxford protesters have named their camp a Liberated Zone, which is the name of the now-infamous camp at Columbia University in the US which was stormed by riot police who made hundreds of arrests.

They claimed that Oxford men orchestrate occupation, naming Alfred Milner and Cecil Rhodes as evidence, and that Oxford men facilitate genocide, giving the current US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as an example.

11:03 AM BST

Watch: Protests at Kings College

11:02 AM BST

What happened in the US?

Campus demonstrations across the US descended into violence last week as riot police forcibly shut down encampments at several universities.

The demonstrations began in the US last month to protest against Israels offensive in Gaza, which followed Hamas launching a deadly attack on Israel on Oct 7.

Tensions eventually erupted between students and police, resulting in the arrest of more than 2,000 protesters. There have been subsequent fears the demonstrations, and violence, would spread outside of the US.

Read our full explainer on the US protests here.

10:59 AM BST

Watch: Oxford students set up encampment

10:57 AM BST

Hello and welcome to our live coverage

Were bringing you the latest updates as Oxford and Cambridge students begin occupying lawns with pro-Palestinian camps.

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(Getty Images)

The arrival of election season  are we ever out of season?  brings with it a new round of political campaigns ads, those curious, sometimes comedic, 30 seconds to one minute occasional, unintended master classes in pretzel logic.

Or lies, which, in political ads, are protected speech. We have history in such strategies, too. Presidential candidate Thomas Jefferson lied about John Adams planning to get us into war with France.

Such protected speech in political campaigns also greenlights other, seemingly lesser sins: the double entendre, hyperbole, oversimplification, slippery slopes, false dilemmas, false causes, strawmen, hasty generalizations, ad hominem, ad populum  ad nauseum.

For many, campaign ad season is an opportunity to wear out the mute button, repetition being a tried and true strategy of the art form. Nevertheless and despite the potential for these ads to tell incomplete or inaccurate stories, candidates will spend millions across Nebraska and billions across the nation to convince, cajole and coax us that their candidate is the one. Thats a financial boon for the media companies that run or print or broadcast the ads. During the 2022 midterms, that number was $8.9 billion, more than doubling the previous high.

So we get Pete Ricketts calling the crisis at the southern border an invasion even though we have a front-row seat at a real invasion in Ukraine. You can see a candidate insist that a political opponent will bankrupt Social Security in three years, as President Joe Biden did in 2020, even though his math didnt work, prompting the Washington Post to confer whopper status on the claim. We also have U.S. Rep. Mike Floods premise, Washington is a mess, and its curious conclusion, So please send me back to once again be part of it. Or, most egregious, as we saw in the midterms in 2022, candidates across Nebraska and the country claiming the 2020 election was stolen or rigged or bogus (ongoing pro tip: it wasnt) without fear of censorship.

Thats because the Federal Election Commission and the Supreme Court have insisted that lies from con jobs to cock and bull stories to half truths to the aforementioned exaggerations to inventions of many stripes are protected in the public discourse, under which political ads apparently fall. If you insist in a commercial ad that your widgets are gold-plated when its simply nice paint, youre afoul of truth in advertising laws. Not so if you insist your opponent will cause the world to end via nuclear war or a decorated veteran lied about his heroism or a presidential candidate was singly responsible for a horrific crime by a furloughed criminal.

For further details on the truth pass given to political ads, see the Communications Act of 1934. Throw in the free speech language from the First Amendment, and its clear that veracity is in the eyes and ears of the consumer when political ads start appearing.

Aside from ascertaining the veracity or logic of any political pitch, one might wonder if all these ads  good, bad or somewhere in a murky middle - actually work, truly changing the landscape at the ballot box? According to the research I read, nobody really seems to know exactly.

Voters apparently respond better to cheery, I did this or I will do that ads than they do to mudslinging, character assassination and other forms of personal attacks. One study published by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University indicated that positive ads slightly increase voter turnout while negative ads decrease voter turnout. When tens of millions of voters cast ballots, even a slight change can prove critical.

Nor is our tolerance growing. In a Pew Research poll, 54% of Americans say social media companies shouldnt allow any political ads. Thats a big number, especially considering that nearly a third of Americans now rely on social media as their primary source of news and information.

Which brings us back to where weve always started, in the neighborhood of Nebraskas very own watchfulness in the citizen sentiment.

Political ads are neither going anywhere, nor, I would guess, about to change their stripes. They are a part of the political process, the one where candidates try to convince voters that their ideas are better than their opponents  and spend millions doing it.

Our role as voters is watchfulness, as in before we hit the mute button determining the messages truth even  or especially  if it simply confirms our own biases.

Then we can truly approve the message.

The post Watchfulness among millions spent on persuasion appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Wayne County Junior Leaders met April 29 for a tour of the beef handling facility at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute.

The tour was led by Casey Meek, who is the livestock manager at the beef facility. The ATI breeding beef herd consists of around 100 crossbred Angus, full blooded Angus and Murray Grey Cattle.

Ohio State ATIs beef cattle handling facility is the only one of its kind in Ohio. The facility was designed by Temple Grandin, who is a well-know animal behaviorist. The facility includes a curved corral, dual chute system with hydraulic squeeze chute, breeding boxes and sorting pens.

Members of the Wayne County Junior Leaders tour of the beef handling facility at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute.

The goal of the facility is to make handling of the cattle as stress free as possible and to avoid accidents between humans and the cattle.

Ohio State ATI students help with all aspects of the farm including feeding, cleaning pens, breeding cows, calving, branding, hoof trimming, vaccinating, and dehorning.

The facility provides students with hands on learning during their time at ATI whether they come from a beef background or not.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County Junior Leaders tour beef handling facility
A Boise man who was initially arrested on a slew of felony sex charges has been sentenced to multiple years in prison for sexually assaulting a teenager and attempting to purposefully transfer HIV.

Fourth District Judge Derrick ONeill sentenced Alexander Louie to up to 30 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 16, according to a new release from the Ada County Prosecutors Office. The 34-year-old was charged with 11 felonies in five separate cases in November after an Ada County Sheriffs Office investigation led to his arrest.

In a plea agreement with prosecutors, Louie pleaded guilty to three felonies  sexual battery of a minor, the enticement of a child through the internet and transferring body fluids containing HIV  and had six other felony charges against him dismissed, online court records showed. However, two more charges for allegedly transferring HIV are still pending, and Louie has hearings for both of the cases later this month, court records showed.

Your conduct would be the Websters definition of a predator, ONeill said during Fridays sentencing, according to the release.

In August, Louie began an online sexual conversation with an undercover Ada County sheriffs detective  who Louie believed was a 15-year-old boy  and set up a time to meet for sex, according to the prosecutors office. By September, he was arrested by the Sheriffs Office.

During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Louie, who is HIV positive, wasnt taking his medication and was having sexual contact with both men and teenage boys in hopes of infecting them with the virus that causes AIDS, the prosecutors office said.

Louie didnt disclose his HIV status to the victims  which is illegal in Idaho  and admitted to having sexual intercourse with 30 to 50 people, including the sexual assault of a 16-year-old boy. The Sheriffs Office said Louie met the teen through the Internet and sexually assaulted him three times in September, the Statesman previously reported.

This defendants repeated and egregious offenses negatively impacted many people in our community, Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said in the release. I want to thank the Ada County sheriffs detective and my trial team. Their hard work on this case ensured Mr. Louie was brought to justice in order to protect our community from his predatory and dangerous conduct.
Israels threat to force the military evacuation of Gazans in Rafah, where some 1.5 million people  the vast majority of the Strips population  are crowded together, arrived on Monday: Anyone who is close to terrorist organizations endangers his life and that of his family, reads one of the leaflets distributed among the population. For your safety, the army asks you to immediately evacuate, it adds. The military order, which has been anticipated for weeks, was coordinated with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and came just hours after negotiations for a truce between Israel and Hamas broke down for the umpteenth time. The preparations for the invasion of Rafah, the only city in the Strip where the Israeli army has not yet deployed ground troops, are also taking place against the warnings of the international community. At the forefront of these calls are Israels main ally, the United States, the United Nations, and the humanitarian organizations deployed on the ground in Gaza.

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Rafah, May 5, 2024. Hatem Khaled (REUTERS)

The ceasefire agreement had been in the works in recent days according to reports from both sides, but it was Netanyahu who scuttled the process, reported The New York Times. The Israeli prime ministers statements over the weekend, insisting on invading Rafah, led Hamas to harden its position, the U.S. daily said citing official Israeli sources. The fundamentalist group also launched an attack on Israeli territory Sunday, killing at least four soldiers, hours before negotiations were halted for the time being. Given the situation, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said there was no other choice but to launch the operation in Rafah, as he told U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a phone call.

Israel has agreed to significant concessions to bring the hostages home, but Hamas has repeatedly refused, said Israels chief diplomat, Israel Katz, on X, adding that: Everyone understands that [Hamas political leader in Gaza Yahya] Sinwar has no intention of releasing all hostages, even in exchange for everything. Sinwar is accused by Israel of being the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks. He is also often singled out as the Hamas commander with the final say when it comes to agreeing to deals such as a ceasefire.

An Israeli offensive in Rafah would mean more civilian suffering and deaths. The consequences would be devastating, warned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on the same social network, underlining that it is not participating in an Israeli-ordered population movement. The Agency will maintain a presence in Rafah as long as possible and will continue providing lifesaving aid to people, it added.

As on previous occasions when Israeli troops have ordered the expulsion of citizens from other areas of Gaza, calls to temporarily move to the humanitarian area will be conveyed through posters, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts in Arabic, specifies an army statement.

Israeli army warns of extreme force in Rafah

Some leaflets are already circulating in which the Israeli authorities warn Palestinians that their lives are in danger if they do not agree to be evacuated. In these announcements the areas to be emptied of citizens initially, amounting to some 100,000 people the Israeli military estimates, are named. In these, the army will act with extreme force against armed militia groups, the announcement adds.

Israel therefore is attempting to present the expulsion of Palestinians from Rafah as a humanitarian action to move them to another area where they can be better cared for. Its real intentions become apparent at the end of Gallants statement: the aim is to wipe out the last Hamas battalions and free the remaining hostages in Gaza.

Large numbers of Palestinians in Rafah live in tents with little access to food, water, or medical care and many have already been displaced several times during the war. It is also where, in addition to the remaining Hamas battalions, most of the more than 100 hostages, many of them reportedly already dead, are being held.

We expanded the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi to accommodate the increased levels of aid flowing into Gaza. The area includes field hospitals, tents and increased amounts of food, water, medication and additional supplies, COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, said.

The statement refers to the area where, two weeks ago, satellite images detected the installation of some of the 40,000 tents acquired by Israel, which states that a continuous assessment of the situation will guide the gradual movement of civilians from specified areas to the humanitarian area. Together with the communique, COGAT published graphics in which it tries to explain how the evacuation is going to be implemented.

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With the snowy San Gabriel Mountains in the background, a brown pelican flies in search of fish at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach. (Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)

Scores of emaciated brown pelicans, too weak to fly, have been found on Southern California beaches in the last month and taken to an Orange County rescue center, according to its director.

Were getting dozens of calls, Debbie McGuire, executive director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, said on Saturday. People are finding them in parking lots and their backyards.

The rescued pelicans, she said, are coming in at half their body weight. They are also very anemic.

So far, she said, its unclear why the pelicans, which feed on anchovies, sardines and mackerel, are suffering from malnutrition.

McGuire said that she contacted scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last week, who told her that there was plenty of bait out there for the birds to feed on.

We dont know the cause, she said. They are just all starving.

Overwhelmed by the number of ailing birds, the wildlife center has been erecting pup tents to use as pens, she said.

In the last month, the center has taken in 89 brown pelicans, many of them quickly dying, McGuire said. More than 30 have survived, she said, as the center warmed them under heat lamps and gave them fluids.

She said the center sent tissue samples from the birds to labs for testing.

A similar spike in the stranding of brown pelicans up and down the California coast occurred in the spring of 2022. The cause has not been found.

The California brown pelican was listed as an endangered species decades ago after the spread of the chemical DDT caused the shells of their eggs to thin. The eggs became so fragile that nesting mothers crushed them.

After DDT was banned, the pelicans increased in number. The birds were removed from the endangered species list in 2009.

Wildlife officials say that anyone finding an ailing pelican should not touch or try to feed them. They urge people to instead call their local wildlife rehabilitation facilities. The Orange County center can be reached at (714) 374-5587.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The White House ripped Donald Trump for echoing fascists on Sunday after the former president compared President Joe Bidens administration to the Gestapo, the secret police force of Nazi Germany.

Instead of echoing the appalling rhetoric of fascists, lunching with Neo Nazis, and fanning debunked conspiracy theories that have cost brave police officer their lives, President Biden is bringing the American people together around our shared democratic values and the rule of law  an approach that has delivered the biggest violent crime reduction in 50 years, said deputy press secretary Andrew Bates in a statement.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee, in remarks to a private Republican National Committee donor event at his Mar-a-Lago estate, hurled attacks at prosecutors in his legal cases before likening the Biden White House to a Gestapo administration on Saturday.

And its the only thing they have, said Trump, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. And its the only way theyre going to win, in their opinion, and its actually killing them. But it doesnt bother me.

Trump has previously faced backlash for echoing the rhetoric of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini when he pledged to root out ... vermin political foes. Bidens reelection campaign slammed him for parroting Hitler with his poisoning the blood of our country comments last year, as well.

His recent event reportedly led to donations of $40,000 or greater from attendees. A Trump campaign official recently said that the former president and the RNC raised over $76 million last month.

CNNs Jake Tapper questioned North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is among Republicans eyed as a potential 2024 running mate for Trump, over whether hes comfortable with Trumps comparison on Sunday.

Relative to the reference youre discussing, I mean this was a short comment deep into the thing that wasnt really central to what he was talking about, said Burgum, who attended the Trump event, before claiming the hush money trial is politically motivated.

He continued, So I understand that he feels like hes being unfairly treated and I think thats reasonable that someone whos being kept off the campaign trail as the presumptive nominee has got some frustration about that.

Related...
The US government says it is examining the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas' agreement to a mediated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"We're currently reviewing that response. And we're discussing it with our partners in the region," National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said on Monday. Kirby evaded a journalist's question as to what exactly Hamas had agreed to in the proposal. He would not go into that, he said.

"We still believe that reaching an agreement is the absolute best outcome not only for the hostages, but for the Palestinian people. And we're not going to stop working to that outcome," Kirby said.

CIA chief William Burns is in the region working with the Israelis to reach an agreement, Kirby said. "And the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium that's going to put that process at risk," said Kirby. The worst thing to do now would be to speculate about what exactly Hamas' response will be.

Kirby described a telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Monday morning as "constructive." The conversation lasted around half an hour.

"During the call at the president's urging, Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to ensure that the Kerem Shalom crossing is back open for humanitarian assistance for those in need," said Kirby.

During the talks, Hamas' agreement to a mediator's proposal was not yet known.

With regard to an expected ground offensive in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Kirby stressed that the US government would not support an operation that would put more than 1 million people at great risk. When asked by the press whether Washington would support a limited Israeli operation in Rafah, Kirby did not respond directly. However, Israel had not yet presented the plan for protecting the civilian population requested by the US.
The White House on Sunday slammed former President Trump after he compared the Biden administration to the Gestapo police force in Nazi Germany.

Instead of echoing the appalling rhetoric of fascists, lunching with Neo Nazis, and fanning debunked conspiracy theories that have cost brave police officer their lives, President Biden is bringing the American people together around our shared democratic values and the rule of law  an approach that has delivered the biggest violent crime reduction in 50 years, deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.

The New York Times first reported that Trump, addressing a retreat for Republican donors in Florida on Saturday night, railed against the dozens of felony charges he is facing and claimed that the cases were orchestrated by the Biden White House.

These people are running a Gestapo administration, Trump said, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. And its the only thing they have. And its the only way theyre going to win, in their opinion, and its actually killing them. But it doesnt bother me.

Saturdays event featured a number of prominent Republican lawmakers, including several in the mix to serve as Trumps running mate in November. Trumps campaign touted that they had raised $76 million in April and made the case at the event for Trump to expand the electoral map ahead of November.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who attended the event on Saturday, essentially confirmed Trumps comments during an appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union.

This was a short comment deep into the thing that wasnt really central to what he was talking about, said Burgum, who is in the running to join Trump on the GOP ticket in November.

A majority of Americans feel like the trial that hes in right now is politically motivated, Burgum added.

Trumps comments referred to the secret police force used by Nazi leaders who cracked down on political opposition and targeted Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Saturdays remarks were the latest instance of Trump drawing criticism for using language reminiscent of dictatorships during World War II.

The former president has on multiple occasions claimed immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally were poisoning the blood of the country, language that Democrats argued was parroting Adolf Hitler.

Trump last year also referred to his political opponents as vermin who posed a threat to the country from within, drawing further condemnation from critics who said it echoed the autocratic language of Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Water flows through the Colorado River Moab Daily in Grand County on April 25. The Upper and Lower basin states are split on a long-term plan to manage Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and meetings will pick up this month. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Editor's note: This article is published through the Colorado River Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air at Utah State University.

CR collab logo-2

Utah and the six other Colorado River basin states met virtually toward the end of April to address their differing opinions on how Lake Powell and Lake Mead should be managed in the long term and those discussions are expected to pick up steam this month.

The states are dealing with the Colorado River Post 2026 Operations Plan, which is mostly an update to an agreement the Colorado River basin states approved in 2007 to manage Lake Powell and Lake Mead  the nation's two largest reservoirs  as a part of the distribution of the river's water. It will be the latest agreement since the original distribution plan was settled in 1922.

Additional in-person meetings are scheduled for this month, according to Gene Shawcroft, chairman of the Colorado River Authority of Utah. He said discussions have been "cordial" to this point, but the upper Colorado River basin states  Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming  and the Lower Basin states  Arizona, California and Nevada  haven't budged from the different recommended plans they submitted to the federal government earlier this year.

Experts agree that Lake Powell, at 33% capacity, and Lake Mead, at 36% capacity, are in a better position now than at this time last year, but both have a long way toward full recovery.

What helps, though, is the states do agree on many of the challenges facing the Colorado River right now, which led to this situation. Colorado River water users appear to understand that both reservoirs dropped significantly because of drought and overconsumption and the way both were managed played into that.

The discussions of how the river is managed have changed, as the entities accept the river's management should be based on supply instead of the old way of managing it by demand.

"I think there's a lot things that are common in the proposals," Shawcroft said, standing by the banks of the Colorado River. "There's no doubt that we feel pressure to do something sooner rather than later, but  at least in my mind  we don't have an imposed deadline."

How we got here

Understanding the two sides starts with understanding how the river works and how changes to the basin's climate have thrown a wrench into how its water is managed.

The Colorado River, like other bodies of water in the West, is mostly fueled by snowpack runoff. The mountains above the river collect snow between late fall and early spring, which melts into the river. However, the relationship between snowpack collection and what the river receives from the snowpack is off, as drier conditions mess with snowmelt efficiency.

Digging through records, Shawcroft found that in 1929, the basins snowpack was 132% of normal and it led to 135% of normal runoff. This is representative of the traditional process.

Gene Shawcroft, Utah commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, speaks to Colorado River Collaborative journalists at Utah State University Moab in Grand County on April 25. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

That surprised him because he's seen how recent years have played out. Water years now yield runoffs worse than the snowpack collection  far worse in some cases.

2020: 107% snowpack; 61% runoff.

2021 : 89% snowpack; 37% runoff.

2022: 90% snowpack; 63% runoff.

2023: 161% snowpack; 140% runoff.

The most recent outlook indicates the basin could end up with an 87% runoff despite better snowpack figures throughout the region.

"Runoff is no longer the way it was historically," he said.

This ties into overconsumption. The Colorado River's water is uniquely divided because of longstanding disputes over who gets the water. The 1922 agreement settled a debate over complex water laws.

This graphic shows the Upper Basin and Lower Basin of the Colorado River and how water is distributed to every Basin state through the current agreement. | Utah Division of Water Resources

Today, Upper Basin states receive a share of the water that flows into Lake Powell, while the Lower Basin states receive an allocation from Lake Powell and Lake Mead discharges. An operation schedule is formed through forecasts, dictating how much is released from reservoirs based on what it is expected to regain from the snowpack.

Yet the poor runoffs meant reservoirs didn't receive as much water as projected, causing the reservoirs to drop to levels that threatened their ability to function. All of this is visible in the data, says Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.

A graph of consumptive use (red) and water availability (blue) in the Colorado River system over the past 40 years. | Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University

He led a study last year that determined the basin consumed an average of 15.1 million acre-feet of water between 2000 and 2020, based on consumption data and evaporation estimates. It only gained an annual average of about 13.6 million acre-feet of water during that time. A large chunk of the reservoirs decline came in the early 2000s before governments realized this problem, while reservoirs havent dropped as much year to year more recently.

"(A drying climate) is the ultimate cause of the problem  there's no question. But the proximate cause of the crisis is the disparity between the natural supply for each year and how much we use as a basin," he said.

What happens now

The seven states agreed on a short-term plan to address concerns over Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which the federal government accepted this year. The agreement is expected to reduce consumption by at least 3 million acre-feet of water ahead of the post-2026 plan.

The two sides agree there's also an annual evaporation and transmission loss rate  or "structural deficit"  of about 1.5 million acre-feet in the system. However, the Upper Basin and Lower Basin states are divided over how supply challenges are addressed.

The Upper Basin plan doesn't change the distribution of upstream water, but it calls for release reductions based on the capacity of the two reservoirs. For example, 8.1 million to 9 million acre-feet would be released from Lake Powell every year when it is between 81% and 100% full, but as little as 6 million acre-feet of water would be released per year when it's less than 20% full.

The Lower Basin states agree there should be reductions when the reservoirs are lower; however, their plan also calls for reductions within the Upper Basin so more water can flow into the reservoirs.

"Most fundamentally, this framework commits stakeholders to the simple principle that when less water is available in the system, less water should be taken from the system," the Lower Basin states wrote in the plan.

The divide became evident during a meeting this January, Shawcroft said. He believes the 1.5 million acre-feet for the structural deficit loss is one of the factors in the different alternatives. There's also a divide between Lower Basin states, as Arizona pushes for cuts based on use and California pushes for cuts based on priority.

Department of Interior and Bureau of Reclamation officials said in March that discussions will also include feedback from Mexico and tribal nations that also have a stake in the river water, an aspect that hasn't been included in the past. They added they would prefer to publish a draft environmental impact statement by the end of the year.

It's unclear if or when the states may have a consensus proposal to send by then, but the federal government could step in and determine dam management if the entities don't come up with one. It's a possibility the states would like to avoid, Shawcroft said. In fact, he believes that is why all the entities have been willing to work through differences as they negotiate on a long-term plan.

I think thats what keeps us at the table and keeps us talking in spite of the challenges that are out there, he said. I think we all understand that were in a better position to come up with a solution than have a solution thats forced upon us.
Why Congress push to address antisemitism on college campuses is angering some Christians

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., joined at left by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks at a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. They are among those who have raised concerns about Congress' antisemitism bill. | J. Scott Applewhite

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week aimed at addressing antisemitism on college campuses, and it angered some prominent Christian Republicans in the process.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene argued that the bipartisan bill will harm Christians who interpret the Bible to mean that Jews put Jesus to death. She was among the small group of Republicans who voted against it.

The gospel says Jesus, a Jewish man  son of God  messiah, was handed over to be crucified (killed) by the chief priest, the elders, and the Jewish crowd, she wrote on X. It is not antisemitic to say this and believe it. Convicting me and any Christian of antisemitism, who believes or says this, is actually an attack on Christians.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Tucker Carlson and Charlie Kirk have shared similar critiques of the Antisemitism Awareness Act, according to The New York Times.

Other Christians, including some of the bills co-sponsors, have spoken out in support of the bill, which aims to define antisemitism and then reduce antisemitic speech at colleges across the country.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York who introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act in the House, directly criticized Greene on X, arguing that the bill does not ban the Bible or limit free speech.

What is the Antisemitism Awareness Act?

The Antisemitism Awareness Act comes in response to nationwide campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, although much of its content was circulating before the recent unrest.

If passed as written, it would add a definition of antisemitism to federal law and instruct the Department of Education to use that definition when determining whether Jewish college students have been discriminated against.

What is happening at Columbia, at Yale, at UCLA, and so many other schools, is reprehensible and alarming, Lawler said in a May 1 statement. When people engage in harassment or bullying of Jewish individuals where they justify the killing of Jews or use blood libel or hold Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government  that is antisemitic. Its unfortunate that needs to be clarified, but thats why this bill is necessary.

The Antisemitism Awareness Act builds on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances working definition of antisemitism, which was also used by the Trump administration in an executive order on antisemitism from 2019, per The New York Times.

Here are some of the examples of antisemitism highlighted in the alliances definition. More are available in a May 1 statement from Sen. Tim Scott, who is one of the bills sponsors.

Calling for, aiding or justifying attacks on the Jewish community.

Denying the Holocaust.

Claiming that the formation of the country of Israel was a racist project.

Using claims of Jews killing Jesus to characterize Israel or people from Israel.

Holding Jews collectively responsible for the acts of a single Jewish person or the acts of the state of Israel.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances working definition of antisemitism took shape through conversations with Jews around the world, according to the organizations website.

Will the antisemitism bill become law?

The Antisemitism Awareness Act passed the House on May 1 on a 320-91 bipartisan vote. Its now in front of the Senate, where its facing some pushback from both sides of the aisle.

Were going to look for the best way to move forward, said Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat who is the Senate majority leader, according to The New York Times.

Democrats have raised concerns about the bill discouraging free speech and being weaponized against college protesters.

Republicans have also raised questions about what the bill would mean for free speech, as well as about how the bill would affect Christians who believe  and preach  that ancient Jewish leaders were responsible for Jesus death.

On his podcast Monday, Al Mohler, a prominent Southern Baptist leader, spoke about that latter concern. He encouraged Christian politicians and others to make it clear that antisemitism is wrong, but to also make it clear that the Antisemitism Awareness Act could have unintended consequences for Christians.

Where legislation could do some good, we need to understand that, but we need to understand where it brings peril as well, Mohler said.

In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that Catholics should not take the biblical story of Jesus crucifixion to mean that Jews need to be held collectively responsible for his death. Like other Christian leaders before him, he argued against the impulse to use the Bible to justify modern attacks on Jews, according to The New York Times.
Why Indianapolis Wants All Middle Schoolers to Take a College Visit

This article was originally published in Mirror Indy.

IPS wants to make sure more of its students are exposed to college sooner.

Thats why district officials are setting a new expectation that every IPS student completes at least one college visit each of their three years in middle school.

Theres a lot of research that shows that if a middle school-aged child is able to have access or get onto a college campus, then there is a significant increase in them feeling like its an attainable option, said Lori Hart, IPS K-8 elementary and middle school counseling coordinator.

IPS hopes to achieve this through a new IPS Middle School College Campus Visits Program.

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More than 200 students from the districts Henry W. Longfellow Medical & STEM Middle School 28 visited the IUPUI campus April 19 as part of a pilot of the program. The students were met with hands-on activities, such as creating their own zine with Herron School of Art & Design staff or examining organ dissections with pathology lab interns.

Longfellow student Melissa Austin was among about a dozen eighth graders who nodded along to Music and Arts Technology department adjunct instructor Michael Reynolds upbeat club remix of Pump Up The Jam.

Hart said students were chosen from the activities, which also included a Q&A with School of Education students, based on career interests they expressed to their teachers before the visit.

The visit comes as IPS revamps its middle school experience as a part of the districts Rebuilding Strongerreconfiguration plan and as the state grapples with stagnant college-going rates.

Indiana hit its lowest college-going rate in a generation in 2020 with just 53% of graduating high schoolers choosing to go straight to college, according to data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The rate has stayed flat since then.

Monica Medina, a clinical associate professor in IUPUIs School of Education, said waiting until high school is often too late to introduce students to college experiences, especially for students who will be the first in their family to complete education beyond high school.

Introducing them to the opportunities, to the different options they may have, can help them think about what theyre doing in high school and the significance of high school, Medina said.

More than 1,000 middle schoolers are expected to participate in this springs pilot of the college visits program.Longfellow, Northwest, William Penn and Clarence Farrington schools are included in the spring pilot. The program is expected to expand to all other IPS middle schools next year and comes as the district shifts to a middle school model for sixth through eighth grades this fall under Rebuilding Stronger.

IPS has budgeted $25,200 for the program in the coming school year, according to a news release. That includes funding for more than 80 field trips, reaching more than 5,200 students.

Partners in the effort include Butler University, IU Indianapolis, Ivy Tech Community College, Marian University, Martin University, the University of Indianapolis and Vincennes Universitys Indianapolis Aviation Technology Center.

Hart said she hopes students take these experiences home with them to spark conversations in their families about what it means to go to college and how to prepare as a family for opportunities beyond high school.

They will have that core memory to take in the culture and just that feel of being on a college campus, Hart said. I hope they take away really exciting conversations to have with their family.

This story was originally published at Mirror Indy.
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas, the Democratic nominee for one of Texas' U.S. Senate seats, has teamed up with Republican megadonor Woody Hunt of El Paso to urge President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to expand work permits for people seeking to enter the United States to reunite with their families and for undocumented immigrants with a history of working in the country.

In a joint-authored op-ed published Sunday in The Dallas Morning News, Allred and Hunt said that allowing more immigrants the opportunity to work legally in the United States would help ease what they described as a critical shortage of available workers and would help reunite families in which some members have permission to be in the country and others do not.

"The right thing to do by Texas families is also the right thing to do by Texas businesses, and neither can afford to wait any longer," they wrote. "Allowing someone who has worked and paid taxes here for decades  someone who is raising a family here  to legally work, earn a living and help our economy is a boon for their family and for employers."

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred said he is "sick and tired of politicians talking about the problem, about the crisis we are experiencing at our border, but being unwilling to actually solve it."

Representatives of the campaigns for Allred and his opponent, incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz, declined to comment on the op-ed or the Democratic candidate's association with Hunt. A spokesman for Allred said the opinion piece "speaks for itself."

In their op-ed, Hunt and Allred said more than "3 million U.S. citizens in Texas live with someone who is undocumented, such as a spouse or a parent."

"We also know that nearly two out of three undocumented Texans (64%) have been contributing to their communities here for more than a decade," they said. "They are critical to our economy and our competitiveness, paying $4 billion in taxes and wielding a spending power of $33.9 billion."

More: Rep. Colin Allred clinches Texas Democratic nomination to challenge US Sen. Ted Cruz

Allred is running to unseat Cruz, a two-term Republican, in the Nov. 5 election. Hunt is the senior board chairman of the Hunt Companies, vice chair of the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development in El Paso, and treasurer of the American Business Immigration Coalition. He is also a supporter of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the immigration initiative started under then-President Barack Obama.

El Paso billionaire Woody Hunt has been a generous donor to a wide range of Republican candidates, the Republican Party and a host of conservative causes.

In a briefing last month by the immigration coalition, Hunt said expanding work opportunities for immigrants is "politically smart and morally right."

More: Will Ted Cruz 'crawl over broken glass' to win support of Democrats in reelection effort?

"We dont have enough workers to fill the jobs we have. If we want to keep this economic engine turning, the business community needs the president to act and for Congress to help us find more legal workers," he said.

Hunt has long been a generous donor to a wide range of Republican candidates, the Republican Party and a host of conservative causes. Gov. Greg Abbott, former Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are among the Texas Republicans who have received contributions from Hunt.

He has also contributed to Democrats, many of them from his hometown of El Paso, where few Republicans hold elective office. Hunt donated to then-U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke's campaign when he represented El Paso in the House before challenging Cruz in 2018.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, an immigration hard-liner, is running for a third term.

Immigration and border security are among the most emotional issues of the 2024 election cycle. Cruz, an immigration hard-liner, issued a statement in March calling Biden's immigration policies "disastrous."

The disaster occurring at our southern border is the direct result of Joe Bidens neglectful open border policies," the statement said. "This administrations willful negligence has allowed human trafficking, crime, and deadly drugs (to) invade our communities at unprecedented rates. This is a humanitarian catastrophe."

Allred, after voting for the ill-fated legislation that would have added more than 1,500 new Customs and Border Protection agents and about 4,300 asylum officers to aid in the effort to address unlawful immigration, said politics is getting in the way of addressing the immigration issue.

"And I am sick and tired of politicians talking about the problem, about the crisis we are experiencing at our border, but being unwilling to actually solve it, he said in a news release.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Colin Allred, GOP megadonor call for more work permits for immigrants
For Dr. Frederic Bertley, theres a subtle connectedness among the seemingly disparate in the world. That connectedness underpins both his own understanding of the sciences, and his strategy as a communicator and educator of them. Affectionately known as Dr. B, Bertley is the President and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, now celebrating its 60th year as a brick-and-mortar museum in the heartland.

A Harvard-educated immunologist who spent his university days working on HIV and AIDS vaccines, recognition of Bertley's leadership in science education has extended to the White House and wider world. Amid a growing American distrust of science  fueled by partisan rhetoric around COVID-19  Bertleys approach to solving the science-trust problem is one of radical common sense, with a Renaissance spirit.

In an interview with Salon, Bertley talked about his and COSIs roadmap toward making scientific understanding more accessible to diverse groups. Bertleys methods include connecting the arts and humanities to science communications aimed at the general public, rebuilding classroom practices and leveraging the natural intelligence of every age to show people how much they already know about seemingly complex topics.

The White House Easter Egg Roll Rocket Science

Lets talk STEAM  science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. While the term is usually seen in youth-education contexts, bringing the A into science communications seems to make science more accessible for savvy adults too. For instance, when culturally attuned media audiences come into contact with hard sciences, theres often a disconnect that can be bridged with an arts-focused lens. How does the A in STEAM have an impact on science accessibility on your side?

First thing: communication. You've got to find a common vocabulary. So if you're a plasma physicist or an organic chemist, you're working on this weird small molecule that no one else understands. Great. Thats not going to work with the general public. Whether you have college degrees or PhDs in history  youve got to find a common vocabulary.

It's becoming in vogue now to move from STEM to STEAM. So you have a lot of people who are in that science-y kind of STEM space that just add the A because they want to get funded, or for other reasons. Then youve got the other side, people who are working harder to add the STE because they want to say they're connected. And some people do it well, don't get me wrong, but in general a lot of it's just kind of like "oh, polite nod to the other." And we don't approach it that way at COSI.

And why do we do science? Why do we have science and its cousin, engineering  and then make technology? 99.9% of time it's to ameliorate the human condition, right? Harnessing fire so we can cook food and live longer, coming up with medicines to save our loved ones, and these devices we have in our pockets  its the effort to move humanity forward, and bring us closer. Well, nothing does that more than the arts.

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

That's why you go look at a Gauguin, a Matisse, a Basquiat. That's why you want to understand fabrics and textures and colors, why you study history. For us, they are intimately connected. The best scientists have been completely creative, right? For us, STEAM is a real thing. That's how we navigate our universe. That's how we make it through every day.

On the topic of COVID-19, we can say it obviously won't be the last pandemic we have. And weve seen so many flaws exposed in how science is communicated in fast-paced journalism and media. But scientists and communicators now face an even greater deficit in public trust, heavily fueled by political disinformation campaigns among the anti-science crowd.

Science nihilism was a thing before the pandemic, existing at whatever percentage in whatever society you looked at. But the pandemic just took that science nihilism and added rocket fuel to it. And the reason why is that you had this weird time. We're coming out of Black Lives Matter movements, and other social movements are bubbling up. The pandemic shut the world down, things were tough, maybe you lost your job so youre not feeling good, and things are getting politicized  it literally was a classic mash-up of just unbelievable things that all happened right at the same time.

So when you layer on politicization, then people are angry because they link it back to real life  and that's made that science denialism rise from anywhere from 5% to 15% of population to smack dab at 50%. For sure along partisan lines, and then even beyond that in other spaces.

But, in general, the medical and scientific community didn't step out front and say, Hey, new bug  we don't have an understanding of it. We have no immunity for it. We are learning as we go. We are going to make mistakes. We are not going to be sure, but we promise you science is a process of accumulating data and getting closer to the truth. We didn't do that.

Can you talk to us about the path forward for creating more clear, helpful science communications  and for engaging the public, and even students, in a way that reestablishes trust?

Education is critical, but it's got to be education with a consistent drumbeat  So how do we have a consistent drumbeat around science and STEAM literacy? And then the final point is, which is we've got to teach it better. We've got to connect it to things that people can relate to.

So how do we teach all the complexities of our beautiful natural universe? In ways that can connect people to vocabulary they understand  to things that are meaningful to them, and that will help them feel much more comfortable about science, and therefore less afraid of those big black boxes of scientific data.
Russias president and supreme commander-in-chief of the countrys armed forces, Vladimir Putin, has ordered his military to conduct exercises involving its non-strategic nuclear forces, the second line of its arsenal in terms of destructive capability and capable of delivering a first strike in a hypothetical conflict with the West. The Kremlin argues the move comes in response to proposals by some Western leaders to deploy troops in Ukraine. The exercise is aimed at maintaining the readiness of personnel and equipment of units for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons in order to unconditionally ensure Russias territorial integrity and sovereignty in response to provocative statements and threats from Western officials, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday. The announcement, a warning signal, also comes after French President Emmanuel Macron raised the use of the nuclear force Paris possesses as a deterrence tool to protect its European partners.

The Kremlin issued the threat in a symbolic week: Putin will be inaugurated for a new presidential term on May 7 and two days later, May 9, is a date sacred to Russia: Victory Day, the anniversary of the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov specified that Putins order responds to statements made by Macron, British Foreign Minister David Cameron, and U.S. officials. Peskov said that any discussion of deploying troops from NATO member states in Ukraine represented a completely new round of escalation of tension; it is unprecedented, and of course it requires special attention and special measures.

The missile formations of the Russian southern military district will coordinate with the air force and navy to practise the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry said. Although the Kremlins official military doctrine envisages using its 6,000 nuclear warheads only if the very existence of the Russian Federation is under threat, the military high command also has the option of launching tactical and less powerful nuclear weapons to achieve its objectives by instilling fear in its enemies. This strategy, which has been on the table since Putin came to power in the early 2000s in the face of NATOs technological superiority, has been called escalate to de-escalate.

The French president mentioned a taboo subject for NATO last February: deploying troops inside Ukraine. Although the Elysee later clarified that it would only be a question of military advisors for the Ukrainian army, Macron insisted again on May 2 on the possibility of sending Western troops if the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request, which is not the case today.

For his part, David Cameron said last week in an interview with Sky News that reinforcing Ukrainian forces with Atlantic Alliance soldiers would be a dangerous escalation. Moscow, however, accuses London of straining the situation by authorizing Kyiv to fire the long-range weapons it has supplied against enemy military groups and infrastructure inside Russian territory.

Smoke billows after a Ukrainian drone strike on a refinery in Ryazan, Russia, in this screen grab from a video obtained by Reuters, March 13, 2024. Video Obtained By Reuters ( via REUTERS)

Kyiv drone attacks hit Russian gasoline exports

Ukraine is awaiting the arrival of ammunition stocks promised by the U.S. and U.K., but continues to fight its war for existence with its own means. Hit by an unprecedented Ukrainian drone offensive against its refineries, Russian exports by ship of oil derivatives plummeted in April by more than 20% compared to the same month in 2023, and by more than 11% compared to March. The new Ukrainian strategy has taken its toll on Moscow, whose foreign sales of fuel oil and gasoline fell to their lowest level since consultancy Kpler began tracking its market in 2017.

Kyiv initiated a bombing campaign against the Russian oil industry in March to strike at one of the Kremlins main sources of income. The aim of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is to intensify the difficulties Russia is experiencing in maintaining its refineries in the face of the shortage of spare parts caused by Western sanctions. According to estimates by the Russian state statistics agency, Rosstat, production of petroleum products had fallen by more than 10% since the attacks began up to mid-April.

Ukrainian attacks have targeted refineries deep in Russias European zone. In March alone, facilities in far-flung regions such as Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Oryol, Ryazan, Rostov and Leningrad, some bordering Finland and others in the Caucasus, were hit.

Kplers data show that fuel oil exports by ship were down 24% year-on-year in April as a whole and 11% as of March this year, to 815,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, gasoline seaborne exports were down 20% and 15%, respectively, to 322,000 barrels per day. In the case of diesel, of which Russia was selling more than one million barrels per day as of February, its exports plunged to 762,000 barrels, down 28% year-on-year and 23% from the previous month.

The situation is not critical because the oil can be diverted to other refineries that operate at 75% or 80% of their capacity, Stanislav Mitrakhovich, an expert at the Russian National Energy Security Fund, told this newspaper by telephone, although he stressed that this measure will be a headache for Russian rail transport and Ukrainian attacks may have an impact on the price of products inside the country.

The Kremlin has banned the export of gasoline between March 1 and August 1 to prevent a price escalation in the domestic market. The downside is that companies and the government make quite a lot of money from gasoline exports, says Mitrakhovich, who does not rule out the risk of a rise in fuel prices in the summer, when there will be an increase in demand for gasoline, although so far it has not had a terrible impact.

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Why Wife of Doctor Who Drove Tesla Off Cliff Thinks His Return Home Will 'Restore Our Family'

We are not a family without him," Neha Patel recently told a California judge of her husband Dharmesh Patel, who is accused of attempted murder

Facebook Dharmesh A. Patel and family.

The wife of a doctor who is accused of driving his car off a California cliff with his family inside in January 2023 believes he should avoid prison time and return home to their family while receiving mental health treatment, claiming that his time in custody has been difficult for her and their two children.

"We need him in our lives and it has been over a year and a half since my children or I have seen or spoken to Dharmesh, Neha Patel told a judge during a virtual court hearing on May 2, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. We are not a family without him.

The mental health treatment  will not only restore him back to himself, but will restore our family, Neha added.

Nehas first public remarks come over 16 months after her husband Dharmesh A. Patel, then 40, allegedly drove his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff along Highway 1 in San Mateo County while she and their two children, a 7-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy, were inside.

Related: Wife of Doctor Who Drove Tesla Off Cliff Asks Court to Spare Him Prison: 'We Need Him in Our Lives'

The Jan. 2, 2023 crash occurred on a notorious stretch of highway on the state's coast known as "Devil's Slide," which has been the location of several fatalities over the last five decades.

Neha and the couples two children survived and Dharmesh, a local radiologist, was later charged with three counts of attempted murder, PEOPLE previously reported.

Two doctors have since testified that Dharmesh was suffering a psychotic episode at the time of the crash, leading him to believe that his children would be sex trafficked, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said in April, per the Los Angeles Times. Doctors for the defense also reportedly said he suffered from major depressive disorder.

At the hearing, Neha claimed her husband never had an episode" in the 25 years that she knew him.

Now that we understand and know he has a treatable condition, things will be different, she said, per the L.A. Times. I want members of the court to know the health and safety of my family is of paramount importance.

Wagstaffe previously told PEOPLE that Neha allegedly told paramedics after they had plunged down the cliff that "he intentionally tried to kill us.

Related: Wife Whose Husband Drove Tesla Off Cliff Told Paramedics, 'He Intentionally Tried to Kill Us'

"She made that statement when asked, 'What happened? What happened?' " the district attorney prosecuting the case said at the time. "'He intentionally tried to kill us.'  We have multiple people who heard her say that."

Dharmesh has pleaded not guilty to his charges, the L.A. Times reported. If granted a mental health diversion, he would be released from jail and put on a two-year treatment plan.

A judge has yet to determine whether Dharmeshs mental state contributed to the crash.



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Read the original article on People.
School districts make changes to their schedules due to severe weather threat

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  From early dismissals to canceled activities, school districts took extra precautions to keep kids safe on Monday due to the threat of severe weather.

Wichita

Wichita Public Schools, USD 259, remained open during the day but chose to cancel afternoon and evening events.

Live blog: Strong tornadoes, large hail expected in Kansas

Wichita Public Schools announced on social media that it is taking these steps:

All evening activities, practices and competitions are canceled.

Latchkey will continue as scheduled. Parents are encouraged to pick up students early.

Monday nights BOE meeting will continue as scheduled. However, in-person student recognitions will not take place at the meeting.

Just reminding families kids are safe, as part of our bond or commitment, all our buildings have tornado shelters so kids have a safe place to go, said USD 259 Director of Operations Fabian Armendariz.

Armendariz says if a tornado warning is placed for any part of Wichita, every school in the district will seal kids and staff in an on-site FEMA tornado shelter. He says at that point parents will be unable to pick up kids until the threat is cleared. They can track that through notifications in ParentLink.

Parents will also not be able to access those FEMA shelters once theyre locked, but they may be able to get to other shelters on school grounds.

Wichita State University has asked students, faculty and staff to follow this link for information on in-person finals, employee reporting, and campus shelters: wsu.news/weather_may6.

Arkansas City

Arkansas Citys USD 470 also canceled after-school activities and dismissed students early, before 2 p.m.

The goal was to make sure kids and bus drivers werent on the road during a storm.

Extra precautions are needed, a district spokesperson said, because the district is at high risk for severe storms and is included in the Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) tornado watch.

She said each elementary school in the district has FEMA storm shelters that the public can use.

Other closings and delays

Other schools in the area are making changes to Mondays schedule as well. See the list below and on the KSN.com Closings and Delays page.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Wichita sits in area where a few strong long track tornadoes are possible, NWS says

A large swath of Kansas is expected to see dangerous thunderstorms Monday and Wichita is forecast to fall into an area where the most severe weather could occur.

That area  which includes Wichita near the top northeast corner, most of Pratt County in the northwest and south into Oklahoma  has a higher chance than other parts of the state for seeing a few strong long track tornadoes, winds up to 80 mph and up to softball-size hail, the National Weather Service in Wichita said just after 5 p.m. Sunday.

Wichita is most likely to see thunderstorms from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday.

The greatest potential for higher-end severe weather could shift further south into Oklahoma, the NWS in Wichita said. There is also potential for higher-end severe weather to expand further east across the southern Flint Hills of SE KS.

Much of central and eastern Kansas are the area that could also see tornadoes, up to two-inch diameter hails and winds up to 70 mph.

Here is our latest timing graphic for Monday's severe weather potential. #kswx pic.twitter.com/jESD3ZaLLC  NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) May 5, 2024
Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggered air quality alerts in more than a dozen U.S. states on Wednesday, with health officials warning people in sensitive groups, such as children, elderly or those with respiratory conditions to limit their time outdoors or stay inside.

Yahoo News spoke with health experts who explained how wildfire smoke affects your health, what you can do to protect yourself and how long the effects from the thick orange haze blanketing a large part of the country will last.

How do I check the air quality in my area?

People in Queens, N.Y., wear protective masks as haze and smoke from Canadian wildfires shroud the Manhattan skyline on Wednesday. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

The U.S. Air Quality Index is getting a lot of media attention right now, but it is really fantastic, says Dr. Brady Scott, a fellow at the American Association for Respiratory Care. Because you can just plug in your zip code and kind of understand the air quality is where you're at. If its green or yellow, it's OK for most individuals. When its orange, theres concern that some people, especially those with respiratory conditions could be impacted. When youre in the red zone and certainly when were in the purple or maroon zones, even if you are a so-called healthy person.

OK, it says Im in an area under an air quality alert. I can see and smell the smoke. What should be my primary health concerns?

A jogger braves the smoke and haze near the National Mall in Washington. (Julio Cortez/AP)

The particulate levels are so high that even for a normal person without any underlying medical conditions, it can still be unhealthy and dangerous if there is long-term exposure, says Dr. Purvi Parikh of the Allergy & Asthma Network. The longer youre exposed to it, theres more chance for it to cause problems. And what is happening with smoke is that these fine particles are able to get deep into your lungs, and these particles contain chemicals, pollution, carbon monoxide that can be damaging to your lungs. So over time, it can cause you to have inflammation. And for some individuals, if youre exposed constantly, it can even turn into conditions like asthma.

Whats considered long-term exposure? A few hours?

Yeah. But like everything in medicine, it depends on the individual and your baseline health status, Parikh says. So if youre a very healthy individual, you know, a couple of hours with a mask should be OK, without having long-term consequences. But if youre outside exercising or if youre pregnant, or an elderly person with heart disease or lung disease, or someone who already has an underlying lung condition or immune condition, I would try to limit that exposure as much as possible.

Is wildfire smoke the reason my allergies have been worse the last few days?

Times Square shrouded in haze and smoke on Wednesday. (Maye-E Wong/Reuters)

Absolutely, Parikh says. It can make your allergies worse, because it basically amplifies them, adding more inflammation so your symptoms are much worse too. It makes your eyes burn and your skin itch more. Same thing with your cough  more coughing, wheezing, more asthma attacks. And if you suffer from sinus allergies, this can definitely make it worse because thats the first port of entry for wildfire smoke  through your nose.

Officials are encouraging people, especially children or those with underlying conditions like asthma, to limit outdoor activities or stay indoors. What if I have to go outside? Should I wear a mask?

The best thing to do is check what the air quality is, and if its at an unhealthy level and you can stay indoors, thats the best thing to do, Parikh says. But if you absolutely have to go outside, we recommend wearing a mask to limit your exposure. And the medical-grade N95 or KN95 masks are best, similar to COVID times, because they reduce some of those particles getting into your lungs. But even a surgical mask or any type of barrier is helpful.

Wait, I read somewhere that although N95s can protect against fine particles, they dont protect against the hazardous gasses in wildfire smoke. Is that true?

Its true, it is very likely that were even being exposed to some of the gasses, Parikh says. With that N95 mask, you cant filter out everything. I mean, you see how hazy it is in New York City, you cant see buildings down the street. So thats why even with the mask, we recommend limiting your time outdoors as much as possible.

What about pets?

Walking the dogs in New York City on Wednesday. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Absolutely, Parikh says. Pets are also at risk because they are afflicted by many of the same lung conditions as we humans are. So of course they're at risk too.

I would be concerned about having a pet outside for long periods of time or having them doing a lot of strenuous exercise or running around, Scott says. The thing is, theyre breathing in the same air as we are, and it could lead to airway irritation and may create difficulty breathing for them as well.

How long will our exposure last?

One of the challenges with wildfire smoke is that it's really dependent on weather conditions  the way the wind is carrying the smoke or rain in the forecast, says William Barrett, national senior director of clean air advocacy with the American Lung Association. The primary concern of wildfire smoke exposure is that particle pollution can linger for long periods of time and it often takes changes in wind patterns or precipitation to knock it down, moving out of the area. Thats whats moving the wildfire smoke into the community and what will ultimately move it out.

When the smoke clears, what should people who are still having symptoms do?

So lets say once the air quality returns to safe levels and you notice that youre still having any type of symptoms a week or two later, you should be checked by a doctor, Parikh says. Because what happens is sometimes the exposure can weaken your lungs, weaken your sinuses and then predispose you to developing allergies or leave behind inflammation.
Wilmington salaries: Why these 911 dispatchers earned more in OT than regular pay in 2023

Vacancies and high turnover over the last few years has resulted in some Wilmington 911 dispatchers earning more in overtime pay than they make in the course of a year, a Delaware Online/The News Journal analysis of city employee salaries shows.

Communications supervisor Iris Grimes and emergency communications specialist Eileen White earned more in overtime pay last year than they received in regular earnings.

In fact, White  who has worked for the Wilmington Police Departments Communications Division since 1988  earned $10,656 more in overtime pay than she made in regular earnings in 2023, according to The News Journal's review of Wilmingtons salaries for 2023.

SEARCH SALARIES: 2023 City of Wilmington salary database

The citys 911 Center is budgeted for 31 full-time positions, but high turnover and consistent vacancies have required overtime of employees to ensure that the center continues to operate efficiently, said David Karas, the Police Departments spokesman.

The center has eight vacancies, he said.

Overtime positions are available to staff based on seniority and according to the provisions of their collective bargaining agreement, and supervisors are eligible to fill shift vacancies for both supervisory and non-supervisory positions, Karas said.

Overtime pay among dispatchers

Wilmingtons 911 Center employees were among the top earners for overtime pay in 2023.

Wilmington communications supervisor Robin Henderson takes calls at the city's 911 Center. Henderson is the longest-tenured employee at the call center, having been hired in 1976.

While the top four overtime earners are within the citys police and fire departments and receive nearly or more than $100,000 in regular earnings, Grimes  who was hired with the 911 Center in 2002  took fifth place in collecting $65,400 in overtime pay, the 2023 salary database revealed.

Grimes, who is a communications supervisor, made $64,298 in regular earnings last year.

According to the data, the 911 Center spent nearly $400,000 on overtime pay among all its employees. There was no 911 Center employee who didnt work at least some overtime in 2023.

White, who was hired in 1988, earned $62,587 in overtime pay on top of $51,931 in regular earnings last year.

MENTAL HEALTH: Wilmington police unveil new Partners in Care program to address mental health crises

Another communications supervisor, Endea White, almost outpaced her regular earnings of $57,865 last year, collecting $57,429 in overtime pay, the data shows.

Attracting applicants

Karas said the department works closely with the citys Department of Human Resources to post vacant positions and seek applicants, but potential hires find more lucrative jobs or withdraw from the process because of the citys residency requirement.

Unfortunately, a number of qualified applicants have declined employment offers or withdrawn from the application process in the past due to the citys residency requirement, he said. We have also seen a number of employees of this center accept positions at other agencies offering higher pay or better benefits.

Delawares Public Employee Relations Board ruled in April that Wilmington must suspend the five-year residency requirement that was reaffirmed by the City Council in November for all current and future union positions.

BACKGROUND: Working for Wilmington? City council approves 5-year residency requirement for new hires

SALARIES: Why the Wilmington police chief's salary eclipses those in nearby cities

The police union in December filed a charge with the employee relations board alleging that the city failed to respond to its request to reopen contract negotiations in order to discuss the residency requirement for new hires. The board ordered contract negotiations between the city and the union be reopened, and for the residency requirement be suspended until the issue is resolved.

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Vacancies, turnover result in Wilmington 911 dispatchers raking in OT
The oligarchs are on the move, and they know who they want leading America.



The Republican National Committee held an annual fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend, attended by Republican senators and members of Congress, along with a few hundred morbidly rich individuals.

Two donors paid $1 million to get up on stage to support Donald Trumps assertion that Jack Smith is a fucking asshole, deranged, and an evil thug. Trump added that Joe Biden is running a Gestapo administration andin an astonishing bit of projectionis a Manchurian candidate.

Trump wrapped up his hour-plus rant with dozens of obscenities that showed his commitment to Christian values: One of the million-dollar donors told the crowd that Donald J. Trump is the person that God has chosen.

On the other coast, a secret group of billionaires got together in Hollywood last week to support Trumps hatred for Joe Biden and Democrats. The crowd included, according to Puck News, immigrants Elon Musk (South Africa), David Sacks (South Africa), Peter Thiel (Germany), and Rupert Murdoch (Australia).

Puck News reporter Theodore Schleifer described them as members of a burgeoning anti-Biden brain trust, united by a shared sense of grievance. Elon Musk, according to Schleifers reporting, is apparentlyand ironicallyparticularly upset about poor Black and brown people trying to achieve the American dream:

Both in public and in private, Musk has expressed feeling deeply unnerved by Americas migrant crisisa fear that has driven his rush into Republican politicsand the issue was a key topic of discussion at the dinner.

As mentioned Saturday, the combined massive tax cuts by Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump not only racked up a $34 trillion debt for America but also made our countrys oligarchs richer than any pharaoh, king, or emperor in world history. And every time President Biden flirts with raising their taxes (the top 1 percent now officially pay a lower income tax rate than working-class people) they get all twitchy and begin throwing money at Republicans.

The billionaires and CEOs funding Trump and the Republicans in Congress believe theyre invincible. They believe the GOP embrace of authoritarianism and oligarchy to replace the democracy that is increasingly rejecting them at the polls will keep them safe.

Theyre wrong.

From the time in 1980 when David Koch ran for vice president on a platform of ending Social Security and Medicare along with gutting all federal support for public education, health care, and welfare programs, libertarian billionaires have worked to end every part of what they call big government that may help average working people, the environment, or the poor.

Reagan won the election that year, but Kochs worldview prevailed, taking over the GOP.

Over the past 42 years, Reaganomics has moved over 60,000 factories and nearly 20 million good-paying manufacturing jobs overseas.

Reagans policies destroyed the American union movement and, over time, stole $51 trillion from working-class people, putting almost every penny of it into the money bins of the GOPs morbidly rich patrons.

Devastating the working class was actually part of the plan: Now that the American middle class has gone from almost two-thirds of us down to a mere 43 percent of us, Republicans are trying to harness the outrage people are feeling and then use it to tear our society apart.

Out of the chaos, they believe they can rebuild our nation on the foundations of hypermasculinity, racism, religious bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, control of women, and threats of violence. These are the weapons that every fascist leader in history has relied on, and in every case those leadersfrom Mussolini to Hitler to Putin and Orbanwere first heavily supported by the morbidly rich who thought they could control the madman.

Pro tip: You cant control the madman.

Fritz Thyssen, the steel baron who was one of Germanys richest industrialists in the 1930s, wrote a book about how he made the same bet American billionaires and Republican politicians are making today: He thought he could ride a tiger that would make him richer, and it would never turn and devour him.

His book I Paid Hitler (my book-collecting father gave me a copy 52 years ago for my 21st birthday)which lays out how he personally convinced President Paul von Hindenberg to make Hitler chancellor and raised the Nazi Partys first 3 million Reichsmarks so they could win their first national electionreads like a modern-day tragedy.

At first, Thyssen got along with Hitler and even believed he was influencing the man, but when he began to object to some of the Nazi leaders worse excesses, he had to flee the country with his family to avoid being murdered.

Dictatorseven those who only start out as a dictator for a dayplay for keeps.

Just ask the families of the four police officers killed by Trumps January 6 rioters. Or the mourning parents of over 1,000 children Trump stole at the southern border and then trafficked into a right-wing Christian adoption scam and are still missing.

Once they acquire power, fascist dictators never relinquish it, regardless of how many people must die, how many lives are destroyed. When they fail to hold onto power, as Hitler did when he was arrested in the 1920s and Trump did in 2020, they fight like hell to regain it. And once they succeed, their commitment to revenge makes them 10 times more deadly.

Speaker Mike Johnsonwho was at the Saturday fundraiser in Floridaand his House Republicans are making the same bet as the morbidly rich men who own them. They naively believe that fascist leaders like Trump actually care about unborn children, budget deficits, and Drag Queen Story Hour.

In fact, all Americas morbidly rich who fund the GOP care about is power and the obscene wealth that is protected by it. Everything else is chum they toss into the water to bring along the lowest-common-denominator voters. Once Trump seizes total power, hell turn on them too.

Nonetheless, Americas right-wing billionaires are still funding and thus growing this fascist movement within the GOP, just like Fritz Thyssen did back in the day.

Pushing conspiracy theories. Casting minorities (gender, race, religion), teachers, and politicians as actual evil. Passing laws that increasingly narrow our democracy until one day there will only be one party governing this country and that party will be wholly beholden to them.

Can they pull it off? Can they create a right-wing movement so powerful it will lock the Democratic Party out of national power forever? Will their stooges on the Supreme Court help them block future Democrats from the White House with more corrupt endorsements of political bribery, gerrymandering, and voter purges?

Or will the beast theyre empowering turn on them, like it did on Fritz Thyssen when he had to flee his homeland to avoid the brutal fate so many of his wealthy peers suffered?

Outlawing actual (as opposed to purely symbolic and impotent) opposition took a few months in Chile when Pinochet took over; it took about two years in Germany; arguably four or five years in Russia. If Trump becomes president next year, it could happen very quickly. He and the billionaires even have a plan for it, called Project 2025.

It can happen here. And the morbidly rich are not going to save us.

This Novembers election will determine the fate and future of whats left of our democracy, so badly battered by bought-off and corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court and in Congress: This cancer that started with Reagan and was put on steroids by Trumps racist birther claims about Obama in 2008 has now fully metastasized across American society.

Right-wing billionaires can now quietly put their billions into dark-money donations, thanks to five corrupt Republicans on the Supreme Court. Citizens United lets them minimize outrage over their practice of nakedly purchasing elections, of carpet-bombing American homes with lie-filled television advertising, and of turning the algorithmic social media screws to fill our nation with hate.

It will take an overwhelming number of us waking up and becoming politically active to stop this authoritarian juggernaut and rescue American democracy.

And were going to have to get it done soon, while its still legal to write, protest, and vote. Because if Trump or someone like him is elected, all those rights will quickly vanish.
Woman Who Avoided Prison After Stabbing Lover 108 Times Is Appealing. Now His Dad is Speaking Out (Exclusive)

Not only did my son not get any justice, but our family did not get any justice here either, the deceaseds father tells PEOPLE

JUAN CARLO/THE STAR / USA TODAY NETWORK Bryn Spejcher at the Ventura County Government Center, Hall of Justice in California, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.

Chad OMelia was brutally attacked by a woman he had just started seeing in May 2018

The couple had been smoking marijuana before the attack, leading prosecutors to ultimately charge Bryn Spejcher with involuntary manslaughter, in what they described as a marijuana-fueled psychotic episode

Spejcher faced up to five years behind bars, but in January the judge sentenced her to 2 years of probation and 100 hours of community service

First, Bryn Spejcher stabbed the man she was intimately involved with 108 times.

Then, after a California jury convicted her of killing the 26-year-old, a judge sentenced her to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service in January.

Now, the woman says she should not be held accountable for her lovers death at all and has filed a notice of appeal, her lawyers confirm to PEOPLE.

In December 2023, Spejcher was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the May 2018 stabbing of Chad OMelia.

She killed somebody and she is serving no prison time for that  and even thats not good enough for her, Chads father, Sean O'Melia tells PEOPLE in an interview.

Sean O'Melia Chad O'Melia

Spejcher did not respond to PEOPLEs request for comment about her appeal.

Michael Goldstein and Robert Schwartz, who represented Spejcher at trial, tell PEOPLE they filed notice of her appeal because they disagree with the guilty verdict but believe the sentence imposed by Judge Worley was appropriate.

Under California law, Spejcher has nothing to lose by appealing, according to her lawyers, who say her sentence could only be lowered on appeal.

Chad, an accountant, and Spejcher, an audiologist, met at a dog park in Ventura County a few weeks before Chads death in the spring of 2018, according to his father, who said the couple spent considerable time together in his sons final weeks.

Spejcher had gone to Chads Thousand Oaks, Calif., apartment on May 27, 2018, and, according to prosecutors prior press release, the couple took several hits from a bong loaded with marijuana.

Prosecutors say Spejcher had an adverse reaction to the marijuana suffering from so-called Cannabis-Induced Psychotic Disorder, leading to her lethally stabbing Chad.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department Bryn Spejcher in mugshot, circa May 2018.

Entering Chads apartment in the early morning hours of May 28, police found Chad in a pool of blood and Spejcher screaming hysterically with a knife still in her hands, according to prosecutors, who say that before law enforcement could remove the long-serrated bread knife from her hands, she repeatedly plunged the knife into her own neck.

Using a taser and several baton blows, prosecutors say police disarmed Spejcher, whose later mugshot depicts stab marks crisscrossing her neck.

Sean, who attended court regularly, said he felt that the judge favored the young defendant.

He never saw Bryn Spejcher for who or what she is, Sean says. Repeatedly, he made excuses for that woman.

Prior to trial, prosecutors downgraded the charge from murder to non-voluntary manslaughter, after medical experts on both sides made findings so definitively and so similarly in their evaluations Judge David Worley said at a September 2023 pretrial proceeding, per a transcript obtained by PEOPLE, that it changed the landscape of the evidence in this case.

Noting the jury's four-hour deliberations heading a guilty verdict and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office's request that she serve the maximum 5-year penalty, Sean says: "The judge took all that and just threw it away."

PEOPLE reached out to Audry Nafziger, who prosecuted the case, along with a spokesperson for the prosecutors office, but did not hear back in time for publication. In a previous interview with NBC, Nafziger said the judges ruling sets a very dangerous precedent, called it a slap in the face to the victims family, and said it signaled that: its okay to smoke marijuana and butcher someone with three knives. But its not okay.

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.

In a previous interview with Rolling Stone, Nafziger added that it was the most heinous and violent involuntary manslaughter case she had covered in nearly 30 years as a prosecutor.

In another county, I think shed have been tried for murder, Seans tells PEOPLE. Because she wouldnt have just been seen as a harmless White woman, shed be seen for what she truly is.

Spejcher took two family members from him, Sean says.

Chads mother, Michelle Larribee, died by suicide within years of Chads death: She just couldnt take it, Sean says, choking back sobs as he recalls her death and it drove her into the ground.

A loyal son and older brother who took great pride in his work  dressing in a three-piece suit for the office  Chad really would do anything to help anybody, Sean says, recalling a time that his son had stood up to a set of men harassing an inebriated woman he did not know.

My son was a good, kind human being, Sean says, noting that the local church holding 1,200 congregants overflowed out the door at his sons funeral. Im amazed how many lives he touched in his short 26 years.

Now, with Spejcher on the streets, Sean says he fears for other lives  including Spejcher's.

Referencing what prosecutors previously called her psychotic episode, Sean says he worries it could happen again.

Once you turn that switch on, it can turn on a lot easier next time, he says. The last time she did this, she almost killed herself. So yeah, Im actually afraid for her own person.



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Read the original article on People.
Woman claims she stole thousands through refund scheme for man, but she doesnt remember his name

An employee of a clothing store at a North Georgia mall is accused of stealing thousands of dollars by processing fake returns and pocketing the cash.

On Thursday, May 2, Rome police were called to the Buckle clothing store at the Mount Berry Mall.

The manager told officers that an employee had been processing returns and keeping the money.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

He said he had a compilation of every time the employee stole money.

He claimed sometimes she would process a return when the customer was no longer in the store and then remove the cash while closing at the end of the night.

The total amount of all of the returns was $2,608.11.

Officers spoke with the employee, Angie Lee, who said she did do the returns but was doing it at the request of someone who used to work at the store.

She claimed a previous employee, who she couldnt remember his name, had been fired recently but told her that his mom had cancer.

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She said that she and the man whose name she couldnt remember were friends and he told her he needed the money for his mothers medical treatments.

Lee was arrested and booked into the Floyd County Jail.

She was charged with theft by taking.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Verbal contracts, opaque transactions made through companies, labyrinthine schemes to hide the money trail and a loot transformed into exclusive homes. Luis Carlos de Leon Perez, a former lawyer for Petroleos de Venezuela S. A. (PDVSA) and financial director of the state electricity company Electricidad de Caracas, collected $19 million from the network under investigation for plundering $2 billion from the Venezuelan public energy company, according to a report from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Andorra (Uifand) to which EL PAIS has had access. The report is part of the investigation being conducted by a court in the European microstate into the looting of the Venezuela oil company.

The former lawyer received part of his fortune through an intricate corporate network with tentacles in Panama, Switzerland and Andorra, to which his wife, Andreina Gamez Rodriguez, also belonged. The couple channeled $25 million and hatched a plan to acquire a large luxury property in Caracas, as well as four more upscale properties in Madrid, Spain. Their real estate investments totaled $9 million.

Most of the transfers that fed the couples accounts  some of them justified under the cover of alleged verbal contracts were ordered through shell corporations with no business activity. Behind this scheme was Nervis Villalobos, the former vice-minister of energy during the Hugo Chavez administration, serving in that position between 2004 and 2006. Another major source of funds came to PDVSAs ex-lawyer through the alleged frontman of the network, the Caracas-born Luis Mariano Rodriguez Cabello, who handled nearly $1.5 million through a set of 11 opaque bank accounts in Andorra, according to the documents.

Formed by around 30 former officials of the powerful state-owned company and former Chavista leaders, the network that looted PDVSA operated between 2007 and 2012. It included prominent men of former president Chavez (1999-2013) such as the former vice-ministers of energy Nervis Villalobos and Javier Alvarado. The group devised a scheme to conceal the illegal commissions. Some members allegedly received 10% from businessmen, especially Chinese ones, who secured public contracts from the energy company and its subsidiaries. To hide the flow of funds, the network moved its loot through an opaque web of accounts at Banca Privada dAndorra (BPA), 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers) from Caracas. The offshore network circulated through some 30 companies in Switzerland and Belize.

De Leon, Villalobos and Rodriguez Cabello are part of a group of 30 people prosecuted in 2018 by an Andorra court. They are accused of being part of a network that charged commissions to businesspeople, mainly Chinese entrepreneurs, in exchange for contracts from the Venezuelan public energy company.

In August 2008, former Chavista deputy minister Villalobos turned to his Panamanian instrumental company Lomond Overseas S. A. to sign a contract with one of the opaque companies of the former lawyer of the state firm, Ribston Investments. The alleged ruse served to justify a transfer of $5.5 million under the excuse of alleged assistance services.

Through another Panamanian company without any business activity, Megana International Ltd, Villalobos also settled an alleged debt of $8 million with the firm owned by the former PDVSA lawyer. Andorran investigators believe that both transactions were a transfer of funds that did not correspond to any real activity, since neither Villalobos nor De Leon provided documents to back their operations.

To hide the money, De Leon and his wife became clients of BPA, the Andorra-based financial entity in which the PDVSA looters hid $2 billion between 2007 and 2015.

The lawyer had two accounts at BPA through shell corporations, and he was the owner of a third encrypted account between 2008 and 2013. De Leon made contact with the bank in 2008, introducing himself as a 48-year-old lawyer. He said that he chose Andorra  which, until 2017, remained shielded by banking secrecy  for its opacity and security. And he indicated that he was planning to transfer funds quarterly to the BPA, where he expected to deposit between $2.5 and $5 million, according to the Know Your Customer form, which is mandatory at financial institutions to verify the origin of funds.

A real estate emporium in Spain

De Leons wife, Andreina Gamez Rodriguez, a 47-year-old Venezuelan, controlled two accounts at BPA opened to the name of shell corporations between 2009 and 2014, and she was the titleholder of a third. When she showed up at the bank, she announced that she needed to transfer $1 million to a company in Madrid to buy a property. Gamez Rodriguez was listed in 2010 as the sole administrator and owner of the Madrid real estate company Sansobino 1977. S. L. In 2019, the last year that this company presented its accounts, it listed accumulated assets of $2.8 million, according to Spanish business registration records available on the website Informa.

Furthermore, according to the Spanish property registry, in 2011 Sansobino 1977 S. L. acquired a spacious duplex home and three parking spaces at 4, Tahona Street in the Spanish capital. Gamez Rodriguez signed a contract in 2010 to acquire the property for $2.5 million.

The obsession with real estate did not end there. In 2009, De Leon booked, through a Spanish real estate agency, two homes and four parking spaces valued at more than $1 million. And his wife signed a contract that same year to buy a third property in Madrid in a development known as Paseo de la Habana. The package included three parking spaces and cost $665,540.

This newspaper has also had access to a purchase option contract that reveals the intention of the lawyer and his wife to purchase the Maricarmen house in December 2012 in the city of Baruta, in the Venezuelan state of Miranda. With a constructed area of 8611 square feet (800 square meters), the property extends over an area of 43,000 sq ft (4,000 m2). The couple agreed to pay $5.2 million. The energy companys lawyer turned to its financial network in Andorra, which served as a gateway to send funds to other members of the organization. Their accounts transferred $8.4 million to the accounts of Villalobos and former Chavista Vice Minister of Energy Javier Alvarado.

Along with his activities in Andorra, where he was prosecuted in 2018 for money laundering and belonging to a bribery network, De Leon has many other open fronts with the justice system. A Texas court issued an arrest warrant against him in 2017 and he was arrested in Madrid. And in 2018 he was found guilty of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), according to a document from the Houston prosecutors office cited by Infobae. EL PAIS has tried without success to obtain De Leon and Gamez Rodriguezs version of events through their lawyers in Andorra.
Woman who died before sentencing for deadly DUI crash will remain guilty, judge rules

A woman who ran over a Seminole County family while under the influence will remain guilty in the official records, even though she died before she could be sentenced.

Shona Wallaces legal team said they dont plan on appealing even as they tried again Monday to get the judge to change course.

Wallace is known for killing 17-month-old Adalyn Zisa in 2019 and permanently disabling her father.

Watch: Woman found guilty of DUI crash that killed baby girl dies before sentencing

Many expected the judge to throw the case out after Wallace died shortly after being found guilty.

However, the judge used a technicality to keep the case on the books last month amid pleading by the victims family.

Read: Woman charged in 2019 DUI crash that killed toddler hospitalized after fall during trial

Wallaces legal team made a series of challenges to the decision in court Monday morning.

Each of them were shot down by the judge over the course of 10 minutes.

Wallaces team has 30 days to appeal if they ultimately choose to do so.

Watch: I want the world to remember that she was here: Family marks birthday of toddler killed on family bike ride

Adalyns mother still wants to meet with the governor or lawmakers to discuss how the justice system has failed her family.

She says her husbands care left her with lifelong medical bills and the insurance money has run out.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Woman falls from elevated position in Greenwich Village near 5 Boro Bike Tour route

A woman fell from an elevated position in Greenwich Village Sunday

A woman was injured when she fell from an elevated position in Greenwich Village near the route of the citys Five Boro Bike Tour on Sunday morning, according to the NYPD.

The unidentified 33-year-old woman was found outside a four-story building at 73 W. 11th St. near Sixth Avenue in Manhattan after a 911 call came in about 9:15 a.m.

A 33-year-old woman fell from an elevated position near the West Village route of Sundays Five Boro Bike Tour. G.N.Miller/NYPost

First responders found the woman conscious and responsive with injuries indicating a fall from an elevated position, an NYPD rep said.

EMS workers rushed her to Bellevue Hospital, according to police. She is in stable condition.

Its not clear whether the woman was watching the event when she fell. G.N.Miller/NYPost

It wasnt clear whether the woman fell from the roof of the building. G.N.Miller/NYPost

It was not clear how far up the woman was when she fell.

The building is near the corner of West 11th Street and Sixth Avenue  the road that tens of thousands of riders pedaled up early Sunday as part of the event. Cops wouldnt say whether the victim was watching the event.

Cops found the woman conscious and responsive. G.N.Miller/NYPost

The victim is in stable condition, police said. G.N.Miller/NYPost

Although the investigation is still ongoing, cops said they have no reason to believe there was foul play.

Right now, we have no criminality suspected, the Police Department representative said.
A woman was rushed to the hospital after being stabbed by a 38-year-old man in a store parking lot Sunday in Culver City, authorities announced.

Officers with the Culver City Police Department responded to the 6100 block Slauson Avenue at around 2:45 p.m. after receiving multiple calls about an altercation.

At the scene, police discovered a female victim who had been stabbed numerous times and was losing a lot of blood. She was rushed to the hospital where she is currently listed in stable condition, according to a CCPD news release.

Police immediately began searching for the suspect, setting up a perimeter in the area where the man had last been seen fleeing on foot.

The 38-year-old, who has yet to be identified, was found hiding in the bushes of Cougar Park, near Hannum and Slauson avenues and was taken into custody, police said.

Authorities say the preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, whose city of residence is unknown, approached the victim in the parking lot and stabbed her several times before running away.

The knife believed to have been used in the attack was recovered at the scene, the release noted.

Bus driver violently attacked by homeless woman in Los Angeles

Police did not say anything about a possible motive, whether the suspect and victim knew each other or if the assault with a deadly weapon was a random act of violence.

The 38-year-old was booked at the Culver City Police Department jail for attempted murder.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact CCPD Public Information Officer Jennifer Atenza at 310-253-6120 or by email at jennifer.atenza@culvercity.org or the departments Watch Commander at 310-253-6202.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Odd texts, $15M and a divorce? Husband of woman who vanished in Spain arrested in Miami

A Fort Lauderdale woman, processing her looming divorce, hopped on a plane to Spain in December hoping to start a new chapter and rebuild her life. Months later, she mysteriously vanished in Madrid.

On Saturday, 35-year-old David Knezevich  her estranged husband  was arrested at Miami International Airport in connection with the February disappearance of his wife, Ana Maria Knezevich Henao.

Sanna Rameau described David and Ana Knezevic as a successful couple who had been married 13 years before they decided to separate last summer. (Sanna Rameau)

Knezevich, according to Spanish news agency EFE, arrived in Miami from Belgrade, Serbia, where he had been for several months. In a post on X, Spanish authorities said they had been investigating the 40-year-old Colombian American womans disappearance in collaboration with Serbian police and the FBI.

Detenido en el Aeropuerto Internacional de #Miami (EEUU) el marido de Ana Maria Henao por su presunta relacion con la desaparicion de su mujer, en el marco de una investigacion llevada a cabo por la @policia



Han colaborado la Agregaduria de Interior de #Belgrado,@FBI de pic.twitter.com/AfoLTSDwBW  Policia Nacional (@policia) May 6, 2024

Knezevich, who is being held at the federal detention center in downtown Miami, faces a kidnapping charge, according to court records. He has a detention hearing on Friday in Miami federal court and an arraignment on May 20.

An FBI criminal complaint filed Friday alleges that a man resembling Knezevich was caught on surveillance footage leaving Knezevich Henaos apartment in Madrid at around 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 2  with a suitcase in hand.

David Knezevich

The complaint also includes a series of messages between Knezevich and a Colombian woman he met on a dating app. At one point during their exchange, he asked the woman to translate a message into perfect Colombian for a friend in Serbia writing a script, the complaint says.

Knezevich told the woman he wanted the writing to sound authentic, according to the complaint. The wording of the text exactly matched a WhatsApp message that was later sent on Knezevich Henaos phone.

Agents also uncovered that Knezevich rented a Peugeot 308, a French vehicle, around the time of the disappearance, the complaint states. The car was returned to the rental agency with tinted windows, a changed license plate frame and nearly 4,800 additional miles.

The vehicle, the filing alleges, passed through toll booths in the area. Sometime after, a license plate reported stolen was found on the street where Knezevich Henaos apartment is located.

Then in March, a woman posing as Knezevich Henao contacted an insurance carrier to cancel three insurance policies held for the couples business. According to the complaint, an employee later told agents that Knezevich asked her to impersonate his wife.

The employee said she was uncomfortable, but told agents Knezevich said this was not serious and that he couldnt call with my voice because I sound like a guy.

The complaint even hints at a possible motive: The separation was contentious because Knezevich did not want to split the marital assets evenly...

Divorce negotiations, odd WhatsApp messages

Knezevich Henao moved to Madrid in December to clear her mind while navigating a difficult divorce with Knezevich. However, on Feb. 2, she was spotted on her apartments surveillance footage for the last time.

Family and friends said Knezevich Henao kept in regular contact with them until Feb. 3, when loved ones noted they received strange WhatsApp messages from her phone. The messages, which friends suspect werent authored by her, claim that Knezevich Henao had met a man on the street the day before and intended to visit his summer home two hours from Madrid, according to NewsNation.

A friend, who reported her missing on Feb. 5, learned that the security cameras in Knezevich Henaos apartment building were spray painted black three days earlier. The Fort Lauderdale woman had also told a loved one that she feared her husband  and that she realized during couples therapy that he was narcissistic and manipulative.

Knezevich Henao hasnt been heard from since, despite repeated attempts to contact and find her.

The FBI complaint, filed by prosecutor Lacee Monk, says the security cameras showed Knezevich Henao entering her apartment building in Madrid at around 2:20 pm on Feb. 2.

This is the last time the victim is ever seen alive, according to the affidavit, which does not identify her. That same day at approximately 9:27 p.m., the buildings surveillance camera captured a male wearing a helmet enter the building at the same time some individuals were exiting.

Once inside the building, the male is captured descending the stairs while holding a can of spray paint, which he then uses to disable a surveillance camera by painting the lens, the affidavit says. The lens was not completely obscured, and the male is seen fastening a piece of duct tape to the lock of the building entrance to prevent the lock from engaging to allow subsequent entry.

The FBI affidavit notes that the male, who looks directly at the camera, has the physical characteristics that resemble those of Knezevich.

At about 10:30 p.m, according to the affidavit, the male is captured leaving the elevator with what appears to be a suitcase.

Millions in shared assets

Documents filed April 3 by Knezevich Henaos brother in Broward circuit court shed more light on the investigation into the missing womans fate. Knezevich Henaos brother requested that a judge appoint him as a conservator to safeguard and manage his sisters multi-million dollar assets.

Before she disappeared, Knezevich Henao was negotiating a divorce and property settlement with her husband, according to the petition penned by attorneys Courtney Caprio and Adam Ingber. She even told a close friend that the couple had agreed to split their assets equally in a soon-to-be-filed divorce.

Since his wife vanished, the petition reveals Knezevich has sold more than $15 million worth of their marital assets. The couple owned businesses, including EOX Capital LLC, a rental property company comprised of 15 properties in Florida.

In fact, from December 2023 to January 2024, Knezevich sold seven of the homes to a single buyer, the filing indicates. He pocketed the almost $7 million.

Three of the residences have yet to be sold. The couples house, the filing says, is currently occupied by unknown people.

...Despite being overseas, [Knezevich] has been busy selling and transferring the very assets that he and [Knezevich Henao] had agreed to divide equally in a marital property settlement, Caprio and Ingber said in the document.

Trying to safeguard his sisters interests in Spain, Knezevich Henaos brother also hired Juan Manuel Medina Andres, a criminal lawyer whos representing the family and serving as a private prosecutor, the petition states.

In an affidavit included in the filing, Medina Andres confirmed that authorities are treating Knezevich Henaos disappearance as a murder. He also said that proceedings in Madrid are being held in secrecy to protect the probe.

But one thing is clear. Knezevich, Medina Andres said in the petition, is the only suspect in the case.

I am happy that there has been an arrest, Sanna Rameau, Knezevich Henaos friend, told Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami. ...We are hoping that this next chapter will bring justice and that we find answers about what has happened to Ana.

Miami Herald staff writer Jay Weaver contributed to this story.
A worker was killed in a crash on the 71 Freeway in San Bernardino County Monday morning.

The worker, whose identity has not been released, was killed on the northbound freeway near South Euclid Avenue, just north of the Butterfield Ranch area of Chino, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Mallory Powers Loring, director of donor engagement and communications for the nonprofit Chrysalis, whose slogan is Changing Lives Through Jobs, confirmed to KTLA that the deceased was one of their employees.

This has been felt very heavily at Chrysalis today and we have brought our team members back to the center where we gathered and our HR team also helped ensure that we had EAP support connections available, she added.

Chino worker killed

Aerial footage from Sky5 showed a box truck that crashed through a guardrail and into a wooded area alongside the freeway, and a white van appeared to have sustained significant damage from a collision.

How that collision occurred, however, remains to be seen.

As of about 12:30 p.m., northbound traffic was limited to the HOV lane, as the Nos. 1 and 2 lanes were closed for the investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The yearly memorial march at the former death camp at Auschwitz overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war

People walk through the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau as they attend the annual Holocaust remembrance event, the "March of the Living" in memory of the six million Holocaust victims in Oswiecim, Poland, Monday, May 6, 2024. The event comes amid the dramatic backdrop of the violence of the Israel-Hamas war after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust, and as pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. campuses. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP)  Holocaust survivors and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel were among thousands who took part Monday in the March of the Living, a yearly memorial march at the site of Auschwitz that honors the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and celebrates the state of Israel.

This year, the mood at the march was overshadowed by the war in Gaza after the October attack on Israel by Hamas, the deadliest violence against Jews since Adolf Hitler's regime sought to destroy the entire Jewish population of Europe.

That attack, in which Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took some 250 people hostage, unleashed a deadly Israeli offensive that has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, destroyed much of Gaza and pushed hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of famine.

Israel's Gaza offensive has been fueling pro-Palestinian protests, including at many U.S. campuses. Israel and its supporters have branded the protests as antisemitic, while critics of Israel say it uses such allegations to silence opponents.

While some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.

In the Polish town of Oswiecim, a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters waving Palestinian flags stood along the side of the road as participants marched with Israeli flags from the Auschwitz site in the Polish town of Oswiecim to that of Birkenau about 3 kilometers (2 miles) away. The area was under German occupation during World War II and today the former death camps are preserved as memorials by the Polish state.

Through this protest we want to say that we bow down to the victims of the Holocaust too," said Omar Faris, president of an association of Palestinians in Poland. "At the same time, we demand an end to war, an end to genocide.

The march took place on what is Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Jewish calendar. A grim landscape of watchtowers and barracks were filled with the blue and white of Israeli flags, a celebration of Jewish survival at the place of genocide.

The event, now in its 36th year, usually draws thousands of participants, including Holocaust survivors and Jewish students, leaders and politicians. This year, Israeli hostages released from captivity in Gaza and families whose relatives are still being held captive also joined.

Judith Tzamir, a Holocaust survivor from Germany who moved to Israel in 1964, had long avoided visiting Auschwitz. But she was inspired to join this year's march after her kibbutz fended off an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7

See, I try not to remember it all the time. But on the 7th of October they brought me the remembrance very, very harshly back," she told The Associated Press at the site of the former death camp. "And that was a moment when I decided, okay, this is the time you should go to Auschwitz. To see it, even to myself, to remember it again.

Amid the backdrop of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled American campuses, Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University in New York, led a delegation of leaders from Catholic, Evangelical and historically Black colleges and universities.

The message here is clear. The dangers of allowing hate to go unchecked are real. And we dont need to get to the cattle cars in order for it to be unconscionable and unacceptable, he said, referring to the cattle cars used to transport Jews to their deaths at camps under German wartime occupation.

He said it was essential for university leaders to call out, and in no uncertain terms, when there is intimidation and hate and antisemitism. Were seeing it on campuses and college campuses, and it needs to have a response.

Some who had planned to attend had to cancel to deal with the protests at home, Berman told the AP, though he did not name them.

___

Vanessa Gera reported from Warsaw.
After years of partisan feuding, California's new generation of Congress members tries to get along. Will it work?

Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake), right, organized a bipartisan dinner party for California House members. He's seen here with Rep. Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana). (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc / Getty Images)

Over homemade tacos at a Capitol Hill row home, several of California's members of Congress did something unusual last year: they gathered for a bipartisan, home-cooked meal where politics were not on the menu.

The table full of Republicans and Democrats represented an opening salvo in a push by some of the state's newest representatives to build collegiality and cross party work in a place that in recent years has supported neither.

We just sit down and break bread and get to know each other, said the event's host, Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake), who was elected in 2020. We try and invite diverse groups of people that don't know each other or haven't had an opportunity to even meet and just introduce everyone, no agenda.

Obernolte said he hosted a similar bipartisan dinner series when he was an assemblyman in Sacramento. After Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) was elected to Congress in 2022, she became his first Democratic co-host in Washington.

"It's about socializing, and fellowshipping and finding places for common ground," said Kamlager-Dove, who served in the state Legislature with Obernolte.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) co-hosted a bipartisan dinner party for California House members. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)

There's no evidence that the bipartisan fellowship has led to bipartisan policy yet. The 40 Democrats and 11 Republicans California voters have sent to the House of Representatives remain closely aligned with their respective parties on most matters.

The 12% of seats Californians hold in the House could be a powerful voting bloc if they chose to stick together, but they rarely do.

"I'm just amazed. We could have so much power to do things that are good for California. And yet, it seems like we abdicate some of that because we don't get together on a regular basis," Obernolte said.

The quest for collaboration by a new generation of House members comes at an inflection point for California's representation in Washington.

For many years, California's delegation included two of the most powerful and polarizing members of Congress  former speakers Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). But their roles as national party leaders are subsiding. Pelosi stepped down from House leadership at the end of 2022 and McCarthy resigned from Congress last year after he was ousted as speaker.

Read more: California is losing clout in the U.S. Capitol

The delegation also anticipates a flood of retirements from elderly members in the next few terms.

There's maybe an opportunity there as there's a generational shift in the California delegation  to have a fresh look at ways to actually build bridges, said Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco), who was elected in 2022.

"There's some common interests there that wouldn't necessarily break down along partisan lines."

If the camaraderie sticks, it would be a big change from the past. California's congressional delegation has long been "fractious and aggravated," said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at USC, UC Berkeley and Pepperdine.

Part of that may be due to its size.

"Politicians from smaller states are often forced to put aside differences out of sheer necessity. A California member doesn't feel that obligation, Schnur said.

Big delegations that do work together can exert a lot of pressure. He pointed to an earthquake research center that New York fought for in the 1980s.

"The difference is the New York delegation decided to work together for it. And the California delegation wouldn't or couldn't," Schnur said.

Read more: Six California House races that could help determine control of Congress

Keith Smith, an associate professor of political science at the University of the Pacific, said the benefit of the entire delegation working together would be immeasurable, but it's been tough for California, a state that is geographically, demographically and ideologically diverse.

Even though it's the largest delegation in the House of Representatives, the divisions are sufficiently strong that they don't work together in a way that allows them to flex that power," he said.

Instead, partisanship has kept the delegation from consistently meeting together for decades, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), who heads the state's Democratic delegation, and her GOP counterpart Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona), who have both been in Congress since the 1990s. Both said they weren't able to attend Obernolte's dinner party.

Democrats and Republicans are too far apart on policy to warrant routine meetings for the sake of meetings, Lofgren said. Though she has asked for regular meetings with California's GOP members many times over the years, Lofgren said she forgot to ask at the start of this Congress.

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) leads California's Republican delegation in Congress. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"There's very strong disagreement among all of the Republican members versus all of the Democratic members," Lofgren said. "On choice, and on practically everything."

California's representatives still team up to help the state even though they're not socializing, she said, pointing out that the delegation frequently comes together to push the White House for disaster aid.

"You don't have to have a meeting to make that happen. We do letters, we've done phone calls, weve done zooms. We could do a sit-down but it hasn't proven necessary, Lofgren said.

Even that has been tested at times though. The delegation couldnt come together in 2019 when then-President Trump threatened to withdraw disaster aid to California as it recovered from the Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state's history.

Republicans rejected Lofgren's invitation for an all-delegation meeting in a letter stating they were confident that we can prevail upon the president.

Calvert said members work across party lines on regional issues within the delegation, but the longtime frostiness between California's Republican and Democratic representatives is a matter of "philosophical differences." He said social events like Obernolte's dinner, rather than policy focused meetings, might be the way to build bridges.

"There's probably members of the California delegation that haven't even talked to each other," he said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yermak: Ukraine aims to finalize security agreement with US in May

A Ukrainian team led by Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak held the fourth round of negotiations with the U.S. on the future bilateral security agreement on May 6, the Presidential Office reported.

Over 30 countries have joined the Group of Seven (G7) Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine so far. The U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, and Latvia have already signed bilateral agreements with Kyiv.

Ukraine is preparing bilateral security agreements with seven more countries, including the U.S., President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

During the latest talks, Kyiv and Washington discussed "the most fundamental" provisions, the wording of a number of issues, and made "tangible progress" in agreeing on the text of the document, Yermak said.

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"We need to speed up the process to finalize the bilateral security agreement this month," Yermak said.

G7 members presented their plan for long-term security commitments for Ukraine at the NATO summit in Vilnius in early July last year.

Under this plan, individual countries would provide bilateral support to help Kyiv repel the ongoing Russian invasion and deter any future aggression.

The security guarantees would entail explicit and long-lasting obligations and bolster Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression. The guarantees would also cover sanctions, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction.

Read also: Can new security agreements forge Ukraines path to victory?

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York police are investigating a homicide after Saturday night shooting.

The homicide is the first one in the city of York since 2022, according to police.

The York County Coroners Office identified the victim just before noon Monday at JaiShaun Young, 21, of Gastonia, North Carolina. Autopsy and toxicology reports should be completed this week, according to a release from the coroners office.

Police received a call about shots fired a little after 9:30 p.m. Officers responded to an address at the 200 block of Galilean Road, according to police.

They found the man with a gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene by medical responders, according to police.

No charges have been filed and no police report is available, as of about 11:15 a.m. Monday when the police department issued a news release.

Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call Crime Stoppers of York County at 877-409-4321 or visit crimestoppersofyorkcounty.com.

Homicides rare in York

The incident Saturday night is unusual for the city of about 8,600 people in western York County.

FBI online data show reported crimes there since 1985. There have been two homicides reported in York since 2017.

After 17 reported homicides from 1985 to 1995 (including five in 1990 alone), the city dropped to just 11 homicides in the past 28 years, according to FBI data. There havent been more than two in any year since 1994. Only three times in that span has the city had more than one homicide in a year.

For all violent crimes, the city hasnt had 100 or more reports in a year since 2008. The city averages 60-80 such reports a year, since 2012.

This is a developing story
Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed

If until now he has campaigned in the courts, depending on how things go, he may have to keep campaigning behind bars. The Republican slogan of the 2016 presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton, his electoral rival at the time, may apply to him. Donald Trump has been repeatedly warned and even fined by Judge Juan Merchan, who prohibited him from uttering insults and threats against witnesses and jurors, and whom Trump has not been shy about insulting with accusations that he is corrupt and under the orders of Joe Biden.

Merchan is the third judge who has fined Trump, and the first one who has also reminded him that he could send him to jail for contempt of court, an unusual circumstance for a former president and a presumptive presidential nominee in the middle of an election year. Trump seems to be asking for it, just when there are six months to go before the polls open. Although a certain inability to refrain from expletives cannot be excluded, there is no doubt about his calculated strategy to present himself as a victim of a conspiracy by the Democratic establishment in order to prevent, or at least hinder, his return to the White House.

So far he has obtained some benefit from each judicial step at the various stages of his four criminal proceedings for 88 crimes, which he has turned into opportunities to raise funds. And perhaps now he hopes to achieve some more gains if he has to spend the night behind bars and the day before Judge Merchan. It is not certain that spending time inside a cell, in the company of his secret service security detail, will suit the tycoon, even if it places him at the center of all the news and social media attention. Right now even the courtroom doesnt suit him; he seems nervous and out of sorts, takes long naps and looks chilly like an old man.

There are surveys forecasting a drop in voting intention if he is found guilty and goes to prison. And in terms of campaign financing, Biden beats him in fundraising, although he is still behind in the polls. If a stint in the courts is not a bed of roses for Trump, the forecasts continue to favor him. There will only be a court ruling before the election in the case being tried in Manhattan for illegal payments to silence a porn actress during the 2016 presidential campaign. The other cases, including the assault on the Capitol, will not be heard before the election date. And even if he received a prison sentence, he would not be disqualified.

His lawyers have obtained all the postponements they needed from the courts, starting with the Supreme Court. These delay tactics have compromised the evidence of his involvement in the attempted coup presented before a grand jury by Special Counsel Jack Smith and before the special congressional committee chaired by Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman who refused to join Trumpism. Once president, he could grant himself an amnesty and show, for the first time in history, that the president is above the Constitution.
FILE PHOTO: New York Attorney General Letitia James holds a press conference following a ruling against former U.S. President Donald Trump, in New York City

By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) -New York state's top prosecutor on Monday sued Heartbeat International, an anti-abortion group, and 11 crisis pregnancy centers, accusing them of misleading and potentially endangering women by claiming that they can provide a treatment reversing the effect of the abortion pill mifepristone.

In the lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a state court in Manhattan to block Heartbeat International and the centers, located across New York state and whose mission is to discourage women from having abortions, from advertising abortion pill reversal on their websites or anywhere else and award an unspecified amount of money damages.

"Abortions cannot be reversed," James said in a statement. "Any treatments that claim to do so are made without scientific evidence and could be unsafe."

Heartbeat International in a statement called the lawsuit "a clear attempt to censor speech, leaving women who regret their chemical abortions in the dark, and ultimately forcing them to complete an abortion they no longer want."

Mifepristone is the first part of a two-drug regimen used for medication abortion, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to terminate pregnancy in the first 10 weeks. Medication abortion accounted for more than 60% of U.S. abortions last year.

Proponents of medication abortion reversal say mifepristone's effects can be blocked by a high dose of the hormone progesterone. There are no controlled clinical trials showing the procedure is safe or effective, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that it is not supported by science.

New York's lawsuit comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case brought by abortion opponents seeking to restrict the availability of mifepristone nationwide. One of the plaintiffs in that case, George Delgado, sits on Heartbeat International's medical advisory board and is credited with developing abortion pill reversal.

Heartbeat International is an international anti-abortion group affiliated with more than 2,000 crisis pregnancy centers around the country. Through its website, it offers to connect women to providers who will perform abortion pill reversal.

Crisis pregnancy centers provide services to pregnant women with the goal of preventing them from having abortions. All of the centers named in James' lawsuit are listed in a directory maintained by HBI, and nine of them pay the organization an annual fee for affiliate status, according to the lawsuit.

Some of the centers' websites appeared to offer abortion pill reversal themselves, while others direct visitors to HBI's "Abortion Pill Rescue Network," according to James' complaint.

California's attorney general filed a similar lawsuit against HBI and crisis pregnancy center affiliates last September.

Last October, a federal judge ruled that Colorado cannot ban abortion pill reversal treatment. Later that month, a judge in Kansas blocked a state law that would have required healthcare providers to tell patients that medication abortion can be reversed.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler)
Zelensky asks parliament to extend martial law, mobilization for another 90 days

President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted a proposal to the parliament on May 6 to extend martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days from May 14.

The president first declared martial law and general mobilization on Feb. 24, 2022, when Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The measure has been repeatedly extended since then.

Ukraine's parliament previously extended martial law and mobilization from Feb. 14 until May 14.

Under martial law, Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60, with some exceptions, are not allowed to leave the country as they may be called up for military service.

In April, the parliament passed a bill updating the rules pertaining to mobilization as the country seeks to replenish the ranks of its Armed Forces.

Read also: Parliament passes mobilization bill in second reading

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Zelenskys term would have expired this month, but hes staying. Russia wants to use it

President Volodymyr Zelensky's term in office is supposed to end on May 20, 2024  but it wont.

As Russias war delayed the elections and Zelensky's term is looking indefinite, Ukraines Presidents Office is preparing to weather the storm of critics questioning the presidents legitimacy.

Officially, the administration stays away from the topic. Unofficially, its members have been warning allies for months that Russia was preparing a targeted campaign to undermine Zelenskys legitimacy in the eyes of Ukrainians and the West.

Undermining Zelenskys legitimacy is part of Russias multi-component plan to destabilize Ukraine, Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence Vadym Skibitsky told the Economist in a recent interview.

Two sources in the Presidents Office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the Western allies were aware of the threat and werent willing to push Ukraine toward presidential and parliamentary elections in the near future.

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The question of whether Zelensky can stay in office after May is debated in Ukraine, as well, albeit not massively. Zelenskys critics argue that the Constitution does not authorize the extension of Zelensky's powers under martial law. However, constitutional lawyers say that such an extension is legal and complies with the Constitution.

While legality means compliance with the law, another issue is legitimacy  acceptance of the government by the population.

Zelensky's approval rating, boosted by his leadership during the war, has been falling, leading some to question his legitimacy. However, even after the fall, it stays above 50%.

President Volodymyr Zelensky makes a surprise visit to Kherson, Ukraine, on Nov. 14, 2022, following the city's liberation. It was occupied by Russia for over eight months. (Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)

Political analysts also say that there will be no genuine problems with Zelensky's legitimacy unless there are large-scale protests similar to the 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution.

The Ukrainian authorities have denied the claim that there are problems with Zelenskys legality or legitimacy, and have dismissed it as an artificial issue forced by Russia.

"This Russian narrative has no legal grounds," Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, formerly a legal scholar, said in March. "The Constitution's Article 108 clearly says that the president of Ukraine fulfills his duties until the next president takes office. This is the principle of the continuity of power."

Zelenskys spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov told the Kyiv Independent that the presidents team does not comment on the issue.

Elections delayed

Zelensky was elected president in April 2019 and was inaugurated in May. If martial law had not been imposed, the next presidential election would be held on March 31, 2024, and Zelenskys term would end on May 20.

Similarly, if not for martial law, a parliamentary election would have been held on Oct. 29, 2023, ending the term for the current parliament elected in July 2019.

Read also: Battle of Chasiv Yar begins: On the ground with Ukrainian forces defending city key to Russias plans

But Ukraine introduced martial law after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. The Martial Law Act explicitly bans presidential, parliamentary, and local elections.

The Ukrainian Constitution stipulates that the authority of the country's parliament must be extended until the expiry of martial law. However, the Constitution does not contain similar explicit provisions on presidential elections.

Domestic critics, Russian propaganda

Some of the presidents critics have argued that there is a legal collision between the Constitution and the martial law act. They claim that, since the Ukrainian Constitution is the supreme law, it overrides the martial law act, and presidential elections cannot be postponed.

President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky shows an ancient Bulava (historical symbol of the state power) during his inauguration in the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, 20 May 2019. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Former Speaker Dmytro Razumkov, once an ally and now a critic and political opponent of Zelensky, claimed in February that the president's authority would expire in the spring of 2024, after which he must transfer his powers to the parliament speaker. The speaker would then remain acting president until a new president is elected.

This line of reasoning has been extensively used by Russian propaganda.

Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the UN, claimed in March that Zelensky's "decision not to hold presidential elections makes him illegitimate after May 21."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was more ambiguous.

"As far as May 21 is concerned, let's live until it happens," he said. "Maybe we won't have to recognize (Zelensky as legitimate)."

Read also: Whether afraid or indifferent, regular Russians enable autocracy

Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told the Kyiv Independent that its an artificial problem and that Russian intelligence agencies are using it to destabilize the Ukrainian state.

Their aim is to persuade the Ukrainian military not to carry out orders given by the authorities, he added.

No legal troubles

Stanislav Shevchuk, a former head of the Constitutional Court, and Yulia Kyrychenko, a constitutional law expert at Ukraine's Center of Policy and Legal Reform, dismiss statements that Zelenskys legality and legitimacy are at risk.

They believe that there is no legal collision, and the Constitution implicitly authorizes postponing presidential elections as well.

"Since the Constitution bans any elections during martial law, this approach should be applied to presidential elections because elections are a unified process in a democratic state," Shevchuk told the Kyiv Independent.

He argued that the Constitution also envisages the principle of "government continuity."

"According to Article 108 of the Constitution, the president fulfills his duties until the next president takes office," Shevchuk added. "There can be no vacuum of power during peacetime or wartime - this is guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine."

One of the reasons why the postponement of elections is legal is that it is impossible to hold them during a full-scale war, according to lawyers.

"During martial law, elections cannot be held, and voters' rights cannot be protected," Kyrychenko told the Kyiv Independent. "The freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are restricted under martial law, and a competitive environment for the opposition is impossible."

President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a joint press conference with the Slovak President (not in picture) following talks at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, on July 7, 2023. (Tomas Benedikovoc / AFP via Getty Images)

She also said that voters' security cannot be ensured during the full-scale invasion.

Some lawyers, including former Public Integrity Council head Vitaly Tytych, believe that the Constitutional Court must rule on the issue of whether the postponement of presidential elections is legal. This would settle the issue once and for all and dispel any doubts, Tytych added.

Kyrychenko agreed that it would make sense for the Constitutional Court to rule on the issue.

She added, however, that currently the court is short of members, and it would be better to wait until five more vacancies at the court are filled and then file a motion on the constitutionality of the martial law act.

Read also: Constitutional Court reform: Will Ukraine implement key condition for EU membership?

As of May, there are only 13 judges appointed to the 18-member Constitutional Court.

Shevchuk said that, according to the "presumption of constitutionality," laws  including the martial law act  are considered constitutional until they are ruled to be unconstitutional.

Legitimacy

The issue of legality  compliance with the law  is separate from legitimacy  the issue of whether a government is accepted by the people.

"Legitimacy is when a president is recognized externally by foreign governments and internally by the citizens," Fesenko told the Kyiv Independent.

He added that there have been no complaints from Ukraine's foreign partners about the issue.

Zelensky's critics have questioned his legitimacy based on his falling approval rating. However, it still remains relatively high.

According to a Rating Group poll conducted in February 2024, 63% of the respondents approved of Zelensky's performance, while 33% disapproved.

This does contrast with September 2023, when Zelensky's approval rating amounted to 82%. However, no Ukrainian president has ever enjoyed an over 50% approval five years into his presidency.

President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in a live link-up video during the opening ceremony for the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France on May 17, 2022. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Since more than half of the people approve of Zelensky, his rating disproves doubts about his legitimacy, Fesenko argued. He admitted, however, that it may fall further.

The parliament is much less popular.

Its approval rating plummeted from 27% in September 2023 to 19% in February 2024, while its disapproval rating soared from 67% to 77%, according to the Rating Group.

However, arguably the most important poll indicator is that 65% of the respondents did not support holding a presidential election in wartime, and only 39% supported it, according to Rating Group's February numbers.

Meanwhile, 63% of those interviewed were against holding parliamentary elections, and 33% approved of the idea.

Future legitimacy

Fesenko and political analyst Vitaly Bala said that the government's legitimacy could only be at risk if there is a major defeat on the front line or a controversial peace deal.

If a political crisis is caused by a defeat on the front line, this could become a catastrophe," Fesenko said.

"If there is a crisis due to a military defeat, we could lose our state," he said. "Russia will use the internal crisis."

A controversial peace deal could also lead to unrest and problems with legitimacy, Fesenko argued.

"There will be a split in society (if a peace deal is signed)," he said. "Part of society will be categorically against any peace deal, and a part may support it due to the difficult situation. A crisis may ensue."

Bala said that one way to solve potential legitimacy issues in the future would be creating a coalition government with opposition parties.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy exits the parliament after his swearing in as Ukraine's sixth president since the country's independence in 1991, in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 20, 2019. (Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

He cited the example of Israel, which created a national unity government in wartime after Hamas launched a major attack in October 2023.

A similar wartime coalition government was created in the U.K. in 1940.

"The authorities should change their human resource policy," Bala said. "To remain in power, they must share power but they are doing the opposite  concentrating all power in their hands."

Read also: Smelling weakness, Russia presses advantage in Donetsk Oblast

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a meeting during his visit to the Kharkiv region following the devastating Russian attacks. -/Ukrainian presidency/dpa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged a faster pace in the delivery of promised weapons from the West.

"Political decisions must be followed by real logistics, the actual receipt of weapons by our soldiers," Zelensky said in his daily video address on Monday.

To this end, cooperation with partners, especially the United States, must be better coordinated. Work had to be done around the clock to speed things up, he said.

Following months of deadlock in the US House of Representatives, the US released a military aid package to Ukraine worth almost $61 billion around a fortnight ago. According to information from the White House and the Pentagon, arms deliveries should begin within a few days.

Nevertheless, Ukraine is still on the defensive. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, from whom Zelensky received a situation report, wrote of a difficult situation on the front.

The enemy still has more personnel, weapons and technical equipment at its disposal and is therefore attacking Ukrainian positions on a daily basis.

According to the report, the main forces of the Russian military are targeting the towns of Kurakhove and Pokrovsk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
Zelenskyy discusses Peace Summit and frontline situation in Ukraine with Lithuanian president

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has reported on a telephone conversation he had with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Source: Nauseda on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Nauseda said the two leaders had discussed the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland and the current situation at the front in Ukraine.

Quote: "I spoke with Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the Ukrainian Peace Summit, the situation at the front and military support for Ukraine. All options of support for Ukraine must remain on the table."

Nauseda also thanked Germany for its decision to provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot system.

He added that Lithuania "will join and assist Ukraine with the necessary systems", but did not specify which systems he was referring to.

Nauseda recently expressed concern that Western countries were losing focus on Ukraine.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has stressed the need to provide Ukraine with the means to strengthen its air defence.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

Source: Zelenskyy on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Zelenskyy, the conversation was primarily about completing work on a bilateral security agreement based on the Vilnius G7 declaration.

Quote: "I also informed Estonia's Prime Minister about the battlefield situation and Ukraine's urgent need for additional air defense," Zelenskyy added.

Prior to that, Zelenskyy and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda addressed the upcoming peace meeting in Switzerland, as well as the present situation on the Ukrainian front.

Kallas believes the announced UK and US aid packages for Ukraine will drive other countries to follow suit.

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Zelenskyy submits bills on martial law extension and mobilisation to Ukraine's Parliament

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted bills approving decrees on the extension of martial law and the duration of general mobilisation to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraines Parliament).

Source: draft laws Nos. 11235 and 11234 on the Parliament website

Details: The bills provide for an extension of Ukraine's martial law and general mobilisation for another 90 days.

Reference: This will be the Verkhovna Rada's eleventh vote to extend martial law and mobilisation since the start of Russias full-scale invasion.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  A Korean supermarket in San Diego is shutting its doors, but not for good. Zion Market in Kearny Mesa is undergoing a massive redevelopment and preparing for a big move to a new location, less than a mile from its current spot.

According to Kevin Hwang, whose family owns Zion Market, the business will move from 7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. to 8330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. due to their current lease ending. He says the new site is expected to open sometime in July or August.

Girl Scouts San Diego celebrates 23 years of Operation Thin Mint

Hwang describes the new site as the epicenter of activity in the Convoy area, a district that is known among San Diegans as a Pan-Asian cultural hub with small businesses offering culinary delights ranging from ramen, dim sum and sushi to Korean barbeque, hot pot and boba.

The new Zion Market will offer the same experience, Hwang says. Businesses such as Marugame Udon, Bafang Dumpling, EM Coffee, Tang Japanese BBQ and more are expected to join the redevelopment.

The existing Paris Baguette in the markets current building will also join the new space. The other food and beverage vendors will be located in what will be known as the culinary village or on the rooftop night market, the new features that come with the redevelopment, Hwang says.

Budget-friendly ways to celebrate Mothers Day around San Diego

While Zion Market will be about 50,000 square feet, the entire plaza included in the redevelopment is expected to be about 150,000 square feet featuring restaurant, retail and office space.

Zion Market also has other locations across California in Los Angeles, Irvine and Buena Park as well as Lewisville, Tex. and Duluth, Ga.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
An Air Force E-4B National Airborne Operations Center aircraft sits at the international airport in Bogota,Colombia Oct. 3, waiting for Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

The Boeing E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post is the current Nightwatch aircraft of the U.S. Air Force. With just four operational examples, the E-4 is the Presidents survivable, mobile command post in the event of a nuclear war or other serious conflict. To that end, the E-4 is nicknamed the Doomsday plane.

An E-4B takes off at Offutt AFB (Miguel Ortiz/WATM)

The E-4s are based out of Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and operated by the 595th Command and Control Groups 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron. One E-4 and a crew is kept on alert 24/7 in case a launch order comes down. While it is capable of withstanding a nuclear electromagnetic pulse, the 747-based aircraft has been in service since 1974 and is due to be replaced. On April 26, 2024, the Air Force announced the awarding of a $13 billion contract for its new Doomsday plane.

An E-4 undergoes EMP testing (U.S. Air Force)

The Sierra Nevada Corporation received a $13,080,890,647 contract for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center to replace the E-4. Under the contract, SNC will develop and produce the SAOC Weapon System. This includes the delivery of engineering and manufacturing development aircraft, associated ground systems, production aircraft, and interim contractor support. The DoD announcement notes that work is expected to be completed by July 10, 2036.

An airman monitors that heating and cooling systems for the communications suite aboard an E-4B (U.S. Air Force)

Per the SAOC contract, the new aircraft will be supported on a new, cost-effective, commercial derivative aircraft. Like the E-4, the SAOC will be based on an existing commercial aircraft and modified to withstand electronic and nuclear threats. Additionally, the platform will be equipped with a modern communications subsystem, networks subsystem, and advanced command and control subsystems.

An E-4B conducts a mid-air refuel (U.S. Air Force)

Boeing, the manufacturer of both the E-4 and the 747 on which it is based, was also a competitor for the SAOC contract. However, Reuters reported in December 2023 that the incumbent company could not reach an agreement with the Air Force on the contract structure or data rights. Despite this, the SAOC could still be based on a Boeing aircraft based on the stipulations of the contract.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin IIi poses in front of an E-4B with its crew (Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs)

Under the FY24 budget passed by Congress, the Air Force has $744 million allocated to the SAOC program. For FY24, the service is requesting about $1.7 billion for the SAOC under its Research, Development, Test and Evaluation budget. This includes other nuclear enterprise modernization efforts like the B-21 Raider.
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Two NASA astronauts had reached the final hours before a long-awaited launch attempt aboard Boeings Starliner capsule, the first crewed mission of the new spacecraft.

But the mission was scrubbed about two hours before the countdown clock hit zero because of an issue with a valve on the Atlas V rocket, a workhorse vehicle built in Alabama by United Launch Alliance that will fire the Starliner capsule to space.

Launch officials do not yet know when they will make a second attempt to get Starliner off the ground, though theyre now targeting no earlier than May 10.

Good things are worth waiting for, and well get a chance to see that rocket and spacecraft (get) off the pad here soon, said NASAs associate administrator for space operations Ken Bowersox during a news briefing Monday night. We still have to gather more data. We dont have a definitive plan for you yet  that will come as soon as we can provide it.

The valve at issue is located on the Atlas V rockets second stage, or the upper portion of the vehicle thats attached to the Starliner spacecraft.

Occasionally, valves can get into a position where they start to buzz by opening and closing rapidly, said Tory Bruno, the CEO of United Launch Alliance.

Some buzzing is OK, but too much could cause the valve to fail, Bruno said. And now engineers need to determine whether the component opened and closed enough to cause concern.

Officials will spend a day evaluating the issue and determining whether the valve needs to be replaced and the rocket needs to be rolled back off the launchpad.

Why this launch is so important

Before the valve issue arose, Starliner  which Boeing designed to rival SpaceXs prolific Crew Dragon capsule  was set to take off for its inaugural crewed test run at 10:34 p.m. ET Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This mission, dubbed the Crew Flight Test, could be the final major milestone before NASA deems Boeings spacecraft ready for routine operations as part of the federal agencys Commercial Crew Program. The Starliner would join SpaceXs Crew Dragon in NASAs push to collaborate with private industry partners, expanding the United States options for ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.

The mission crew members are veteran astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, each of whom has ventured to space on two previous journeys aboard NASA space shuttle and Russian Soyuz missions.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams (left) Butch Wilmore pose after they arrived at the Kennedy Space Center on April 25, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, ahead of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test. - Terry Renna/AP

Theyre checking out a lot of the systems: the life support, the manual control, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a Friday news conference. Thats why we put two test pilots on board  and of course the resumes of Butch and Suni are extensive.

This would mark only the sixth maiden voyage of a crewed spacecraft in US history, Nelson noted: It started with Mercury, then with Gemini, then with Apollo, the space shuttle, then (SpaceXs) Dragon  and now Starliner.

Williams will also become the first woman ever to join such a mission.

What to expect

If all goes according to plan after launch, the spacecraft  carrying the astronauts  will break away from the Atlas V rocket after reaching orbit and begin firing its own engines. The Starliner will then spend more than 24 hours gradually making its way to the space station.

Williams and Wilmore are set to spend about a week aboard the orbiting laboratory, joining the seven astronauts and cosmonauts already on board, while the Starliner remains docked outside.

The two will then return home aboard the same Starliner capsule, which is expected to parachute to a landing at one of several designated locations across the southwestern United States.

Boeing vs. SpaceX

Much is riding on a smooth test flight. NASA has been waiting half a decade for Starliner to begin flying crew, and the development of Starliner was beset by years of delays, setbacks and blunders. More broadly, Boeing as a company has suffered years of scandals in its aircraft division that have tarnished the legacy aerospace giants brand.

We got through a pretty rigorous process to get here, said Mark Nappi, vice president and Starliner program manager at Boeing, of the development process during the Friday briefing. And really where my source of confidence comes from is going through that process.

If successful, the Crew Test Flight could queue up Boeing to begin flying routine trips to the space station on NASAs behalf.

The US space agency selected Boeing to develop Starliner  alongside SpaceX and its Crew Dragon capsule  in 2014, hoping the commercial companies could create complementary new means of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station after the space shuttle program retired in 2011.

SpaceX ultimately beat Boeing to the launchpad, carrying out its crewed flight test of the Crew Dragon capsule in May 2020. SpaceX has handled most of NASAs crew transportation needs since then.

We cheer for SpaceX. Thats something that is very important to our country and very important to NASA to have that access. Nappi said during a March news briefing. And were looking forward to providing (astronaut transportation services) as well.

Clarification: This story was updated to clarify that Atlas V rocket was manufactured in Alabama.

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A researcher handles a brain sample. Inma Flores

A study published today raises a question with scientific, medical, ethical and even philosophical implications: if you could find out that you were going to develop Alzheimers disease at age 65 with almost 100% probability, would you want to know? Would you live your life differently?

A study published on Monday brings us closer to a future in which patients have that option. It also provides new clues about the causes and possible treatments of an ailment suffered by tens of millions of people around the world, for which there is no cure and for which there are no clear causes.

A team led by neurologist Juan Fortea, from the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, has analyzed brain samples from more than 3,000 deceased people and brain scans and other diagnostic tests from another 10,000 patients to analyze the effect of carrying two copies of the apolipoprotein 4 gene, or APOE4, in the genome. It was known that this gene carries the highest genetic risk of suffering Alzheimers, but until now, it was not clear by just how much.

The study has identified 500 patients who carry this variant and has shown that 95% have early biological markers related to Alzheimers, such as the build up of amyloid protein in the brain, which is related to the disease. The study also indicates that the age at which these people will begin to suffer symptoms can be reliably predicted: approximately 65 years, about 10 years earlier than those who carry the other less dangerous APOE gene variants: 3 or 2.

The researchers propose a different way of understanding the disease. According to the study, APOE4 should not only be considered a risk factor for Alzheimers, as is the case now, but rather the double copy of APOE4 should be understood as a distinct genetic form of Alzheimers. This variant of the disease would be added to the two known types of genetic Alzheimers: early Alzheimers, caused by very rare mutations, which has been studied for decades in families from Antioquia, Colombia, and Alzheimers associated with Down syndrome  nine out of 10 patients ends up developing dementia.

This new form of genetic Alzheimers would be by far the most common. Between 2% and 3% of the entire Caucasian population carries a double copy of the APOE4 gene, which represents millions of people around the world, explains Fortea in a telephone interview. In addition, this variant accounts for 15% of all Alzheimers cases. Normally we say that the causes of this disease are not known, but with this study we can say that we can explain those 15% of cases, he adds.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, focused on biological markers associated with the disease, such as amyloid or tau, another harmful protein that builds up in the brain. The next step, Fortea explains, will be to gather data from thousands of patients to determine what risk people with this variant have of being diagnosed with Alzheimers, a project that is already underway. If the results corroborate that it is a genetic disease that nearly 100% of people with the variant are predisposed to suffering, current medical guidelines on diagnosis and treatment may change, including the use of genetic tests and the communication of the results to patients.

I may have dozens of patients affected by this variant, but I should not tell them because clinical practice does not recommend it, says the doctor. In part, it is because until lecanemab and donanemab, there was no drug capable of modifying the course of the disease.

These two new drugs are the first in decades to provide some benefit against this disease, although their effects are so modest that many patients do not perceive improvement. The first biological markers emerge about 20 years before the onset of symptoms, and once memory loss begins, its progression is unstoppable, which is why it has been so difficult to develop effective treatments. The hope is that these two drugs or others like them can help in earlier stages. Several clinical trials are studying this possibility in patients who have not yet been diagnosed.

The work, says Fortea, also raises a future debate about whether or not patients should take a genetic test to find out if they carry the double APOE4. There is no good or bad decision. It all depends on how you manage the anxiety of knowing that you have, for example, an 80% chance of suffering from Alzheimers. The other day, I was talking to a colleague who said he would never do it; I think I will, says Fortea.

Pascual Sanchez-Juan, scientific director of the Spanish neurological foundation CIEN, says the study is important because it helps put this group of people in the spotlight. He continues: We have known for 30 years that APOE4 increases the risk of Alzheimers, but we put all patients together in the same group if they had one or two copies of the gene, which means that we were not perceiving the differences.

In Europe, APOE4 has been found to be more common in northern countries than in Mediterranean countries. One of the next steps will be to study more diverse populations, as the current data come almost exclusively from white people in the West. It is possible that the neurological effects of this variant are milder in populations from other regions, particularly Africa, where there appears to be protection from the effects of this variant.

Although the causes of Alzheimers disease are unclear, the two main suspects are two harmful proteins, amyloid beta and tau. This study provides important data to improve the understanding of the effect of these two molecules and the treatments against them.

In the current study, notes neurologist David Perez, professor of medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid, not all people with two copies of the APOE4 gene develop dementia or clinical Alzheimers disease, although almost all accumulate brain amyloid at an early age. This early accumulation of amyloid was associated with a much higher risk of developing clinical symptoms and suggests a more direct connection of APOE4 with the pathological mechanisms of the disease, although clarity is still lacking in this regard.

An interesting point, he continues, is that clinical trials with anti-amyloid antibodies that have demonstrated efficacy, such as lecanemab and donanemab, show that in APOE4 patients the risk of adverse effects is considerably much higher. This has led to reservations among many neurologists about their use in this group. In addition, analysis of efficacy in subgroups of APOE4 homozygotes [with two copies of this gene] has not shown greater effectiveness, and the results are still inconclusive as to whether these therapies are really effective in this specific subgroup. All this leads us to a great paradox; APOE4 homozygotes have an almost universal risk of accumulating brain amyloid after the age of 65 and developing earlier and more aggressive forms of Alzheimers, but anti-amyloid therapies do not seem to be more effective in this group and, moreover, are clearly more risky.

Carlos Dotti, a researcher at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center in Madrid, believes that these observations reinforce the concept that this disease, except in certain very specific cases, can be initiated by defects occurring outside the brain. It has long been suggested that cardiovascular and metabolic deficits play a significant role in its development, such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, arrhythmias. This work serves to confirm that a specific metabolic and cardiovascular condition, such as what occurs when one inherits both APOE4 alleles, is a definitive cause of disease, not simply a risk factor.

Francesc Guix, a bioengineering specialist at the Ramon Llull University in Spain, explains further. The primary defect of being a carrier of the two E4 alleles is elevated levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol. Any clinician knows that these alterations will lead to cardiovascular problems, which, among other consequences, will affect cerebral oxygen flow. In addition, vascular alterations lead to an increase in inflammatory processes that will damage the brain. On the other hand, the two APOE4 alleles can also contribute to the development of Alzheimers due to the actions that this protein plays at the level of the brain, both in relation to cholesterol transport between the different cell populations in the aggregation of the beta-amyloid peptide and its elimination from the brain, he concludes.

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Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts into space in new capsule

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  After years of delays and stumbles, Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA.

Its the first flight of Boeings Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station.

NASA turned to U.S. companies for astronaut rides after the space shuttles were retired. Elon Musks SpaceX has made nine taxi trips for NASA since 2020, while Boeing has managed only a pair of unoccupied test flights.

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Boeing program manager Mark Nappi wishes Starliner was further along. Theres no doubt about that, but were here now.

The companys long-awaited astronaut demo is slated for liftoff Monday night.

Provided this tryout goes well, NASA will alternate between Boeing and SpaceX to get astronauts to and from the space station.

Heres a look at the newest ride and its shakedown cruise:

The capsule

White with black and blue trim, Boeings Starliner capsule is about 10 feet tall and 15 feet in diameter. It can fit up to seven people, though NASA crews typically will number four. The company settled on the name Starliner nearly a decade ago, a twist on the name of Boeings early Stratoliner and the current Dreamliner.

Boeings Starliner capsule atop an Atlas V rocket is rolled out to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will launch aboard to the International Space Station, scheduled for liftoff on May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

No one was aboard Boeings two previous Starliner test flights. The first, in 2019, was hit with software trouble so severe that its empty capsule couldnt reach the station until the second try in 2022. Then last summer, weak parachutes and flammable tape cropped up that needed to be fixed or removed.

The crew

Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are retired Navy captains who spent months aboard the space station years ago. They joined the test flight after the original crew bowed out as the delays piled up.

Wilmore, 61, is a former combat pilot from Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and Williams, 58, is a helicopter pilot from Needham, Massachusetts.

NASAs Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore exit the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a mission dress rehearsal on April 26, 2024. The first flight of Boeings Starliner capsule with a crew on board is scheduled for May 6, 2024. (Frank Micheaux/NASA via AP)

The duo have been involved in the capsules development and insist Starliner is ready for prime time, otherwise they would not strap in for the launch.

Were not putting our heads in the sand, Williams told The Associated Press. Sure, Boeing has had its problems. But we are the QA (quality assurance). Our eyes are on the spacecraft.

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The test flight

Starliner will blast off on United Launch Alliances Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It will be the first time astronauts ride an Atlas since NASAs Project Mercury, starting with John Glenn when he became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962.

Sixty-two years later, this will be the 100th launch of the Atlas V, which is used to hoist satellites as well as spacecraft.

Boeings Starliner capsule atop an Atlas V rocket is rolled out to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will launch aboard to the International Space Station, scheduled for liftoff on May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Were super careful with every mission. Were super, duper, duper careful with human missions, said Tory Bruno, CEO of ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Starliner should reach the space station in roughly 26 hours. The seven station residents will have their eyes peeled on the approaching capsule. The arrival of a new vehicle is a really big deal. You leave nothing to chance, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt told the AP from orbit. Starliner will remain docked for eight days, undergoing checkouts before landing in New Mexico or elsewhere in the American West.

Starliner vs. Dragon

Both companies capsules are designed to be autonomous and reusable. This Starliner is the same one that made the first test flight in 2019. Unlike the SpaceX Dragons, Starliner has traditional hand controls and switches alongside touchscreens and, according to the astronauts, is more like NASAs Orion capsules for moon missions. Wilmore and Williams briefly will take manual control to wring out the systems on their way to the space station.

NASA gave Boeing, a longtime space contractor, more than $4 billion to develop the capsule, while SpaceX got $2.6 billion. SpaceX already was in the station delivery business and merely refashioned its cargo capsule for crew. While SpaceX uses the boss Teslas to get astronauts to the launch pad, Boeing will use a more traditional astrovan equipped with a video screen that Wilmore said will be playing Top Gun: Maverick.

One big difference at flights end: Starliner lands on the ground with cushioning airbags, while Dragon splashes into the sea.

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The Future

Boeing is committed to six Starliner trips for NASA after this one, which will take the company to the stations planned end in 2030. Boeings Nappi is reluctant to discuss other potential customers until this inaugural crew flight is over. But the company has said a fifth seat will be available to private clients. SpaceX periodically sells seats to tycoons and even countries eager to get their citizens to the station for a couple weeks.

Coming soon: Sierra Spaces mini shuttle, Dream Chaser, which will deliver cargo to the station later this year or next, before accepting passengers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
ORLANDO  The U.S. is gaining valuable insights about the performance of its technologies amid electronic interference as Ukrainian troops use them on the front lines, according to one official.

Washington and other governments have committed billions of dollars of security aid to Ukraine, including long-range missiles, armored vehicles and secure communication devices. The jamming and spoofing that blankets fighting in Eastern Europe offers a trial against Russian tools rarely seen in action.

Michael Monteleone, the director of the Armys Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space Cross-Functional Team, on May 5 told reporters the conflict is a huge learning experience for us.

The global community has shared a lot of our technology, our weapons systems, our command-and-control systems and others, with the Ukrainians, he said on the sidelines of the GEOINT conference in Florida. Youre seeing that being used in real time, and it is a source of feedback.

Monteleones cross-functional team, expected to shift its focus to so-called all-domain sensing in the coming months, is tasked with improving soldier access to critical sources of situational awareness, including where they are, where they are headed and when they will arrive.

Digital harassment can render such information useless.

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Even early in the war, we learned what happened when GPS just didnt exist, and how the Ukrainian soldiers dealt with that, and how the Russian soldiers dealt with that, Monteleone said.

The Defense Departments spending is increasingly motivated by potential battles with Russia in Europe or China in the Indo-Pacific. Russian electronic warfare has hamstrung Excalibur precision artillery as well as an undisclosed ground-launched version of an air-to-ground armament, according to experts.

The lessons gleaned from Ukraines fight are making everybody think about the problem space, Monteleone said, including where our investments truly need to be.

The Army in recent years earmarked millions of dollars for sophisticated electronic warfare equipment as well as jam-resistant navigation gear.

The service inked a $318 million deal with BAE Systems for M-code GPS cards and tapped TRX Systems to produce second-generation Dismounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing Systems, which soldiers can carry in the field. That deal was worth $402 million.
iPhone 16 Pro: release date, new cameras, A18 Pro, Camera Control and more  here's what you need to know

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Credit: Apple

Apple officially revealed the iPhone 16 Pro as part of its latest Apple event (aka the iPhone 16 launch event) on September 10, and we've now had a chance to put the company's newest mid-sized flagship to the test.

For our full impressions of the new Pro phone, check out our iPhone 16 Pro review, but rest assured that it's "one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made" and a "solid glimpse of what's to come" with regards to Apple Intelligence.

For an at-a-glance look at the iPhone 16 Pro, check out the below guide, which contains details on the new phone's specs, features, and price. Plus there are a lot more details to digest, such as how every iPhone 16 model has 8GB of RAM, how the iPhone 16 has a major wireless charging boost that Apple barely mentioned and how Apple wants you to scan your friends dog with iPhone 16s Visual Intelligence... well sort of.

iPhone 16 Pro: what you need to know

The iPhone 16 Pro was announced on September 9 at Apple's Glowtime event

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 / 999 / AU$1,799 with a 128GB option

It has a larger 6.3-inch display thanks to slimmer bezels

The phone features a new Camera Control button for snapping photos and selecting shooting modes

The iPhone 16 Pro features the 5x optical zoom periscope camera of its bigger sibling and a new 48MP ultra-wide camera

A new faster sensor in the 48MP camera now allows for 4K video capture at 120 frames per second for super-slow mo and pro-quality videos

The iPhone 16 Pro sports Apple's new A18 Pro chipset

The phone now has four 'studio quality mics' and there's Spacial Audio capture when video recording

There's storage options that start at 256GB and go up to 1TB of storage

It has a larger battery

The iPhone 16 Pro ships with iOS 18

Comes in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium

iPhone 16 Pro price, release date and preorders

Starts at $999 / 999 / AU$1,799

Pre-orders open on September 13, and it ships from September 20

As of September 13, iPhone 16 preorders are live. They will run until September 20, when the whole iPhone 16 range will ship. If you're struggling to decide which colors to get, here most popular shades according to you.

Despite concerns, the iPhone 16 Pro price starts at the same point as its predecessor in the US and UK, and actually decreasing in price for Australia: $999 / 999 / AU$1,799, with storage going from 128GB up to 1TB.

However, delivery dates for the iPhone 16 Pro are starting to slip beyond September 20. That's despite pre-order numbers for the iPhone 16 Pro reportedly being lower than its predecessor.

Keep an eye on our iPhone 16 deals page for any discounts or carrier deals that could bless the iPhone 16 Pro.

iPhone 16 Pro specs

We'll dig through the main iPhone 16 Pro upgrades later on, but here's a quick look at the main specs.

The iPhone 16 Pro's big upgrades

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

While Apple may have chosen evolution over revolution with its iPhone generations, I feel there are enough upgrades with the iPhone 16 Pro to make it stand out compared to previous generations. Read on.

Meet the Camera Control button

an image showing Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro

New Camera Control button blends haptics and smart software to allow for physical control over the camera settings and modes

Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium color options

Glance quickly at the iPhone 16 Pro and you'll think not much has changed over its predecessor other than new color option in the form of Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert Titanium. But look closer an you'll see the all-new Camera Control button.

This button sits below the power button and uses capacitive sensors and touch recognition to trigger various camera functions. For example sliding your finger across the oblong button can adjust functions like exposure, depth of field or the zoom. Double pressing the button can cycle through camera settings, the idea being that you can access a load of camera functions without needing to reach and touch the screen and thus mess up the framing of a shot.

And Apple promises that later on this year, Camera Control will introduce a two-stage shutter that lets you automatically lock focus and exposure on a subject with a light press of the button, then let you reframe the shot without losing focus. It will so get the ability to "unlock visual intelligence" to help users learn about objects and places at speed, and do things like click and hold Camera Control to pull up the hours or ratings for a restaurant they pass, add an event from a flyer to their calendar, quickly identify a dog by breed, and so on.

Apple said third-party developers will be able to bring Camera Control to their apps to expand the functionality of the button; hopefully this'll be more impactful than the Dynamic Island.

A bigger display

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

A 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED screen, slimmer bezels

Latest Ceramic Shield claims 2x tougher glass than any other smartphone

To me it's arguably been a long time coming, but the iPhone 16 Pro now has a larger OLED display, coming in at 6.3 inches rather than 6.1 inches. Apple achieved this by slimming the display bezels down to what almost looks like noting and slightly tweaking the dimensions of the new Pro over the iPhone 15 Pro.

I think it looks rather good, and can see myself appreciating the larger screen without a notably larger phone footprint; I currently use the iPhone 15 Pro Max and that can feel a little big at times.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Add in the lastest Ceramic Shield coating, which Apple claims is twice as tough as any other glass on other smartphones, and there's potential for the iPhone 16 Pro to have a rather impressive screen. Naturally, the LTPO panel and dynamic 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate remains present and correct.

More capable cameras

iPhone 16 Pro Max

A new 48MP main camera, 48MP ultra-wide, and 12MP 5x optical zoom telephoto camera

New camera modes and capabilities

New Photography Styles and better control over colors

4 new studio-quality mics for better audio recording

To go with the new Camera Control button, the iPhone 16 Pro has a trio of new rear cameras. First up it the 48-megapixel main camera, which doesn't get a resolution boost but is a "Fusion" camera. That means it can offer different shooting modes in one and has a faster quad-pixel sensor that can record 4K video at 120 frames per second; Apple noted that offers some pro-grade shooting options with Dolby Vision and slick super-slow-motion video.

Speaking of video, there iPhone 16 Pro has four new "studio-quality mics" to better capture sound when recording video, alongside capturing Spatial Audio, and then enabling it to be edited using the Audio Mix feature to focus on the voice of a person on camera.

The ultra-wide camera has been bumped up from a 12MP sensor to a 48MP quad-pixel sensor that can capture wide shots in 48MP ProRAW and HEFI formats, and also promises more detailed macro shots. As someone who likes shooting close-ups of watches and plants, this has my attention.

As does the 5x optical zoom 12MP telephoto camera that the iPhone 16 Pro gets as a pseudo hand-me-down from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I've been enjoying that camera on the 15 Pro Max so I'm glad it's made it to the new Pro, as that puts a good telephoto snapper into a more compact frame.

a photo of a woman holding a flower captured on an iPhone 16 Pro

On the software side, there are new Photographic Styles to let you adjust the look of a shot, and also roll it back to another one if you don't like the result. Plus there are tools to adjust the intensity of specific colors in a shot rather than applying a one-size-fits-all adjustment. Apple says the photo style now have a better understanding of skin tones.

All this sounds quite comprehensive and I'd been keen to try it; while the best Google Pixels phones and best Samsung phones offer similar capabilities, I've always found it's easier to more consistently get the shot I want out of the iOS Camera app than Android equivalents.

Even more power

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

New A18 Pro chip offers more power for AI, gaming, image processing and more

There's a larger battery, though Apple hasn't detailed its actual size

I've never once though the A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro was slow, but for the iPhone 16 Pro Apple has upgraded to the A18 Pro. Built on a second-generation 3-nanometer process, the chip sports a new 16-core Neural Engine for chewing through AI-related tasks an image processing faster than before, has a 17% increase in system memory bandwidth, sports a 6-core GPU that's 20% faster than the one on the A17 Pro, and has a 6-core CPU that's 15% faster while using 20% less power.

As such, Apple noted that hardware-accelerated ray tracing gets up to 2x faster for even more realistic light sources and reflections. And when in Game Mode in iOS 18, there's more consistent frame rates, while also offering responsive connections to AirPods, game controllers, and other wireless accessories.

While the iPhone 15 Pro models could run console games like Death Stranding, they didn't exactly get fast frame rates. Apple said improved performance is on the card, and I'm rather hoping the A18 Pro can deliver upon that.

an image of Death Standing running on an iPhone 16 Pro

The performance of the A18 Pro also extends to image signal processing and ProRes video recording, and should offer 2x the data throughput when video encoding.

Apple said the iPhone 16 Pro has a bigger battery than before but the folks at Cupertino tend not to give actual specs. Suffice to say, I'd expect the iPhone 16 Pro to last though a good day's worth of use with some power left in the tank. Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro offers 27 hours of video playback.

Wireless charging can hit up to 25W, and it seems that wired charging should be able to reach 45W, which is a significant upgrade on the iPhone 15 Pro's charging speed.

The first Apple Intelligence iPhone

Apple Intelligence

A whole suite of Apple Intelligence features are slated, but won't all rollout at once

"Powered by the A18 Pro chip and built for Apple Intelligence." Those are Apple's words, but when the iPhone 16 Pro is released it won't have the AI-centric features.

Rather the ability to use generative AI models to tap into visual intelligence in the Camera Controls function or generate summaries of calls, or even use the Clean Up tool for photo edits like Google's Magic Eraser, won't be available until after the phone launches, and even then in select nations.

That's disappointing. I get that there are AI features that slowly roll out for the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 9, but for a new iPhone to arrive without any Apple Intelligence features isn't ideal.

Still when it does arrive as a free update in iOS 18, we should see a smarter and more capable Siri that can figure out things like how to adjust the blur in the background of a photo, and pull specific shots from the Photos app into the Darkroom editing tool. So I feel there's promise here.

There is a sting in that Apple Intelligence will be blocked for almost two billion people  and we don't know for how long.

My analysis

I'd have liked the iPhone 16 Pro to come out of the gate swinging with a fist full of Apple Intelligence, but I'll have to wait. Nevertheless, I think there are a good amount of upgrades the iPhone 16 Pro offers over its predecessor (and certainly over older Apple smartphones) to make it worth your consideration.

Indeed, as TechRadar's Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, noted in his iPhone 16 Pro review, this phone "will be a big leap if you're still using, for instance, an iPhone 12 Pro, but it's not necessarily worth trading in your iPhone 15 Pro."

On the AI front, Lance notes that the iPhone 16 Pro is "a solid glimpse of what's to come" on the AI front, and that Apple Intelligence itself "is an intriguing addition that's quite useful in some situations but unrealized in others."



I'd already felt the recent iPhone Pro models had refined the Apple phone formula to a scalpel-like edge. But clearly there's more to hone. I'm quietly hyped about the gaming performance of the A18 Pro, and Lance has confirmed that the new Camera Control button "makes this the most traditional camera-like iPhone ever".

So, should you buy an iPhone 16 Pro? Well, if you're desperate for a new iPhone and have been making do with an older one, then absolutely. If you're using a more recent Pro model, then we'd suggest waiting until Apple Intelligence rolls out properly before upgrading based on that feature along, but the bottom line is: the iPhone 16 Pro is pretty much the best iPhone you can buy today.
L.A. influencers, businesses live or die on TikTok's algorithm. Now they fear for the future

Brandon Hurst has built a loyal social media following and a growing business selling plants on TikTok, where a mysterious algorithm combined with the right content can let users amass thousands of followers.

Hurst, who's based in the San Fernando Valley, sold 20,000 plants in three years while running his business on Instagram. After expanding the business he launched in 2020 to TikTok Shop, an e-commerce platform integrated into the popular social media app, he sold 57,000 plants in 2023.

He now conducts business entirely on TikTok and relies on its sales as his sole source of income. Hurst, 30, declined to say how much he makes.

Hurst also posts content about plant care for a 186,000-person following on TikTok. Hes one of thousands of content creators who engage with an audience on the app and make money doing it  whether by selling products or partnering with brands.

But Hurst, along with many other creators and influencers, is now wondering whether Washington could threaten the progress he's made with his business.

After President Biden signed a bill into law that would ban the Chinese-owned app in the U.S. unless it is sold to an American company, social media experts said the economic effects would extend beyond individual creators such as Hurst.

Read more: The Biden administration's threat to ban TikTok: Here's what you should know

TikTok has advantages that set it apart from other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, Hurst and other creators said.

What makes TikTok special is the algorithm, Hurst said, noting that if TikToks owners sell the app, the algorithm could change.

As with other social networks, TikTok uses a secret algorithm to determine which videos to show to each user, based on what they've seen before and with whom they have interacted. What sets it apart is the videos are usually short, informal and designed to entertain, and many spark conversations among creators.

Many small businesses prefer TikTok because of its informality  they don't need a big production budget to showcase their products or services. They just need a good hook to grab viewers, and once they've gone viral a time or two and established their niche, TikTok will bring the viewers to them.

A ban on TikTok would have cascading effects  especially in Los Angeles, where so many influencers live and work. The Hollywood apartment complex 1600 Vine, for example, is considered by many to be a headquarters for content creators.

That address isn't the only hub for TikTok stars. Another group lives in a Beverly Hills home dubbed the Clubhouse. If TikTok is banned in the U.S., many creators would lose large portions of their business, they said.

But a sale doesn't solve every problem either. Some players are already lining up to buy the app even though it's not yet for sale. And creators such as the Clubhouse residents, who make content as their full-time job, fear a new TikTok ownership could make it harder to attract an audience.

Any ban is expected to face legal challenges and delays, and TikTok executives have said there will be no immediate effect on the app.

Read more: Legislation banning TikTok is coming this week. How will it affect the music industry?

Roughly 7 million small-business owners and 1 million influencers rely on TikTok for their livelihoods, according to Rory Cutaia, chief executive of Verb Technology, which owns a livestream social media shopping platform that has partnered with TikTok Shop.

The platform Market.Live helps small-business owners launch on TikTok, where they also often post videos about their products. TikTok Shop receives around 6,000 applications from small businesses each day, Cutaia said.

Banning TikTok would send ripple effects through the economy because its become a primary platform for emerging companies, he said.

You're probably talking about billions of dollars that would be removed from the economy, Cutaia said. The entire world of retail has changed completely. Today, you need to be distributing your products through social media.

People calling for the banning of TikTok attend a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 23, 2023. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

Adam Sommers, who owns Willow Boutique in Cincinnati, Ohio, with Chelsea Sommers, said TikTok leveled the playing field for small businesses. His was one of the first to sell merchandise on TikTok Shop.

Everybody had an opportunity to become the next giant in their industry, Sommers said. A lot of people have scaled probably beyond their wildest dreams.

Influencers dont need to own a business to make money on TikTok, one creator said. They also dont need to have huge followings to make significant profits, according to Denise Butler, chief operating officer at Verb Technology.

TikTok very uniquely sets up a content creator to build community and provides amazing exposure, said Payton Reed, a lifestyle blogger based in Memphis, Tenn., with around 16,000 followers. When I first started blogging and creating content, I didn't realize that it could eventually turn into a career.

Reed makes money sharing links to other products. She was able to help support her husband financially through medical school with her content creator income, she said.

For small-business owners, TikTok Shop makes it frictionless to sell and buy products on the app, Butler said. Users can shop while watching a relevant video, interact with others who have purchased the product and complete the purchase without leaving the app.

Read more: The Biden administration might ban TikTok. These Latinx small-business owners are worried

Although some say TikTok is superior to other platforms for its e-commerce functionality, not everyone relies solely on the app.

Adam Waheed, a sketch-comedy content creator based in Los Angeles, said its important to have income from more than one platform. He made around $11 million last year across his social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Facebook.

We've worked so hard to build these platforms, Waheed said. I think for certain creators who rely more on TikTok, its going to be much more of an issue, he said of the potential ban.

TikTok users in L.A. include small-business owners, content creators and everyday users who can engage with millions of personalities and products. The app is its own local economy, and a ban would leave a gaping hole, creators said.

According to a study from TikTok and Oxford Economics, 890,000 businesses and 16 million people actively use TikTok in California. Forty percent of small to midsize businesses in the state said TikTok was crucial to their business.

TikTok also released national economic data showing the app drove $15 billion in revenue for small businesses.

More than half of small-business owners say TikTok allows them to connect with customers they can't reach anywhere else, the report said.

Read more: For some, TikTok is a path to riches and the American dream. With a ban, it could all disappear

Content creators and the companies that work with them arent the only ones concerned about a potential TikTok ban. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) recently wrote a letter to Biden urging him to consider how a ban would affect laborers.

Approximately 8,000 people work for TikTok in the United States, concentrated in California and New York, the letter said. Their employment and the livelihoods of their families hang in the balance.

The senator said a ban would harm small-business owners, contractors and other workers, including janitors and servers who help businesses run.

We need to be taking the time to consider the broader economic impacts, she said in an interview with The Times. There are thousands of workers who I think are not being considered.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Whatever you're doing at 10:34 p.m. May 6, it won't top NASA astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore's plans to take the Volunteer spirit out of this world.

OK, fine. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville alum's main priority is serving as commander during the first crewed mission of the Boeing Starliner, which will take him and pilot Sunita "Suni" Williams to the International Space Station.

And depending on how things go, the test flight could make the Starliner a routine ferry for the space agency.

It's all finally happening at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after years of delays. While SpaceX continues to fly its Crew Dragon spacecraft, Starliner experienced some problems with an early test flight and has been lagging behind.

NASA astronaut on Starliner mission is a 'Tennessean at heart'

This will be the third trip to the International Space Station for Wilmore, a retired U.S. Navy captain with more than 8,000 flight hours in tactical jets. Before joining NASA in 2000, Wilmore flew missions in operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Southern Watch.

Wilmore was a pilot on shuttle Atlantis STS-129 mission in 2009 and commanded Expedition 42 for six months in 2014 and 2015. The 61-year-old Mount Juliet native graduated with a masters degree in aviation systems from the UT Space Institute in 1994.

He also holds a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering from Tennessee Tech University. Wilmore will participate in a live chat with the university from the International Space Station on May 10.

I am a Tennessean at heart, he told UT's Tickle College of Engineering. Thats home, and you might see a Tennessee item or two while Im up there.

The May 6 launch marks the spacecraft's final test flight to "validate the transportation system ... and return to Earth with astronauts aboard," according to NASA.

Wilmore and Williams will spend about a week on the International Space Station before returning with the help of parachutes and airbags in the western U.S.

How UT alum Barry 'Butch' Wilmore became a NASA astronaut

Wilmore's first word as a child was not "mom" or "dad," he said on a March episode of NASA's "Houston We Have a Podcast." It was "why."

"I was always questioning everything," he said, including what it must be like to visit outer space.

It took Wilmore three applications just to get an interview with NASA, but even then he wasn't selected. The fourth time was the charm, moving past the interview stage all the way to astronaut.

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore speak to the media at Kennedy Space Center on April 25. Together, they will travel will travel on Boeings Starliner capsule atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station on May 6.

Wilmore was selected by NASA for the astronaut corps in 2000 and has since flown to space twice, spending 178 combined days off Earth. He was assigned his upcoming mission in October 2020, replacing astronaut Chris Ferguson as commander. Ferguson stepped down from the flight due to family commitments.

Wilmore has two daughters, Daryn and Logan, and serves as a pastor for Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas. He is a fan of musicals and plans to play music on the way to the ISS, according to a March statement from Boeing.

Williams, his fellow Starliner crew member, said she might ask him to sing during the journey. After all, you have to find some way to pass the approximately 24-hour trip.

Who is Starliner pilot Sunita 'Suni' Williams?

Williams earned her bachelor's in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987 and earned her master's in engineering science from Florida Tech in 1995. Her accomplishments as a helicopter pilot include deployments to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to support Desert Shield and Operation Provide Comfort, according to her NASA bio.

Selected by NASA in June 1998, Williams assisted with the early collaboration between NASA and the Russian Space Agency on the International Space Station before shifting to working with the Robotics branch for the ISS Robotic Arm.

During her two spaceflights, Williams completed seven spacewalks. All in all, she has spent a cumulative total of 322 days in space.

Boeing plays catch up with Elon Musk's SpaceX

Williams has been waiting nearly a decade for this mission.

Both SpaceX and Boeing were awarded contracts to fly NASA crews back in 2014, but it wasn't until 2020 that SpaceX began successfully flying crewed missions  three years after what was hoped.

"It's been tough watching our SpaceX colleagues fly again and again," Williams said. "But that fact has made us the Starliner crew."

With the extra time, she and Wilmore have been able to learn more about the vehicle while interacting with each other and the team at Boeing over the past two years.

If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage, FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space, starting about 90 minutes before launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: NASA Boeing Starliner test flight led by commander with Tennessee ties
Over a quarter-million Maryland households may be losing the benefit from the Federal Communications Commissions Affordable Connectivity Program as funds are expected to be exhausted by the end of the month while work to connect some locations in the state continues.

The federal agencys chair, Jessica Rosenworcel, who visited Salisbury, Maryland, last August in part to pitch the program that offered a $30-a-month benefit for internet access to low-income households, wrote a letter to congressional lawmakers May 1 asking for more funding.

If additional funding is not promptly appropriated, wrote Rosenworcel, according to a May 1 press release, the one in six households nationwide that rely on this program will face rising bills and increasing disconnection.

More: Gov. Moore, Day visit Salisbury with federal officials in push to broaden broadband program

Maryland Governor Wes Moore and FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel listen to Jake Day, Maryland Secretary of Housing & Community Development, during a press conference on the Affordable Connectivity Program held at Salisbury University Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Salisbury, Maryland.

In Maryland, the rate of reliance on the program is not quite as high as one in six. The state has 2,318,124 total households, according to United States Census Bureau statistics.

In a May 1 email, Allison Foster, director of communications at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, said 287,722 is the total number of households enrolled in the program.

About one in eight (12.4%) Maryland households participate in the program.

Internet infrastructure buildout continues in Marylands Somerset County

During the period that the benefit (and a preceding one enacted at the end of 2020) was available, the Census Bureau indicates 90.6% of households in the state had a broadband Internet subscription.

Also during that period, millions of federal dollars were spent to build out internet network infrastructure across the state, including in previously unconnected areas. Around 1,000 homes and businesses in Somerset County on the states Lower Eastern Shore have been connected with help from government funds from the last four years. One company, Charter Communications (operating as Spectrum), received an $8.5 million grant in 2022 for building in Somerset County.

More: Boarding the bus to the 21st century: Somerset County brings broadband to over 1,000 locations

The build is in progress and targeted completion is fall of 2025, said Scott Pryzwansky, a spokesperson for Spectrum, in a May 2 email. When completed, this expansion will reach an additional 711 homes and small businesses.

Previous reporting from the Daily Times indicated the build under the grant is taking place primarily in Frenchtown-Rumbly, Hopewell, Kingston, Manokin, and Marion Station, which is 120 miles from Annapolis and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from the state capitol.

Broadband funding coming from different federal bills

A federal lawmaker, an advocate for expanding students access to the internet at home even before the pandemic-related school closures began in 2020, emphasized the extent of the effort to connect Marylanders to the internet during the past few years.

In this file photo, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., speaks about infrastructure improvements during the Maryland Association of Counties Summer Conference in Ocean City, Maryland on August 18, 2022.

We passed the bipartisan infrastructure modernization law to boost our efforts to bring affordable, reliable broadband to every corner of our state, said U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., in a May 2 email. These investments  including the Affordable Connectivity Program  have helped over 280,000 Maryland households get online.

The law with bipartisan congressional support that Van Hollen referred to is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R.3684, which President Joe Biden signed in November 2021. That law created the Affordable Connectivity Program, where funds are running low. Another bill that Biden, a Democrat, signed into law earlier in 2021 with no votes from congressional Republicans  the American Rescue Plan Act  provided the federal funds to states including Maryland, which awarded the money to companies via grants like the one in Somerset County.

Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Maryland broadband funding running dry as infrastructure improves
The next big breakthrough in power generation could happen beneath our feet  how nuclear technology can be made safer

Imagine a future where we can keep the lights on with reactors that are safer, cleaner, and more efficient.

Molten salt reactors are part of a technology gaining traction that could solve several challenges facing the nuclear industry, as Power magazine covered in an April feature.

MSRs use molten salts as both a coolant and fuel carrier, a concept that dates back to the 1950s. In 1965, Oak Ridge National Laboratory successfully operated an experimental MSR, proving the technology's feasibility and safety.

MSRs operate at high temperatures with excellent thermal efficiency. Their liquid fuel also gives them inherent safety advantages over traditional reactors.

MSRs could be a huge win for the environment and human health. Nuclear power is already a low-carbon energy source. But MSRs take that a step further by generating less long-lived nuclear waste. Some designs even use thorium, an abundant metal, as fuel instead of uranium.

Imagine a future where we can keep the lights on with reactors that are safer, cleaner, and more efficient. MSRs could play a key role in diversifying our energy mix and tackling rising temperatures and extreme weather events. And by reducing planet-warming pollution, this technology can help protect our communities and food supply from climate catastrophes.

The best part? MSRs may be cheaper, too.

One company, ThorCon, estimates it could build MSRs for just $1 per watt of capacity, according to Power magazine. Compare that to $14 per watt for some conventional reactors. While projections don't always pan out, the potential for more affordable nuclear power is exciting.

There's still work to do to bring MSRs to market, especially on the regulatory side. But progress is happening. Companies and researchers worldwide are developing MSR designs. And a U.S. partnership recently began operations for a first-of-its-kind molten salt test facility.

As nuclear advocate Mike Conley told Power magazine, "Rest assured, molten salt reactors will be built in the next 10 years." When they arrive, MSRs could be a game-changer for clean energy. And that's a win-win for our wallets and our planet.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Starliner launch with NASA astronauts from Cape Canaveral: How to stream coverage on iPhone, TV

Editor's note: Starliner launch was scrubbed Monday, May 6, with no new attempt scheduled as of May 22. Here is FLORIDA TODAY's story about a previous launch attempt.

Original story posted Monday, May 6:

Starliner, we are ready for you.

As Boeing prepares to launch its Starliner capsule on its first crewed mission from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, NASA's social media channels are preparing for viewers who can't see the historic launch in person. The next attempt is no earlier than 6:16 p.m. EDT Friday, May 17. FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team, which consists of award-winning reporter Rick Neale, reporter Brooke Edwards and veteran visuals journalist Craig Bailey, has its own coverage plans complete with a live blog, tweets, video and photos from Cape Canaveral, near Kennedy Space Center and across Brevard County.

Who's the Starliner crew? On board the rocket will be two NASA astronauts: Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, both Navy test pilots. They have each flown in space twice.

Dubbed NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch for livestreams online, coverage started at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6. A NASA livestream for the next attempt has not been scheduled as of Tuesday, May 7. Below is information on the long-anticipated Starliner rocket launch and how to watch our Space Team's coverage on various platforms, from your Android or iPhone to your big screen in your living room.

What is Boeing's Starliner?

Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore pose for the Starliner CFT crew portrait.

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will transport NASA astronauts. The company calls it the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner, or simply Starliner." Set to launch no earlier than May 17, 2024, it will make history as the first spacecraft to ferry humans from Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral. The launch pad has been the site for historic missions beginning with the Titan rockets in 1965 and including the New Horizons deep space probe, the Voyager spacecraft, and even the Curiosity Mars rover.

Starliner will be launched with the help of a United Launch Alliance (a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin) Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V rocket has launched from the site since 2002, but this will be the first time it carries astronauts to space.

Who are the NASA astronauts flying into space for Starliner launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida?

The two NASA astronauts flying this commercial crew mission are Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams. Both are Navy test pilots. They have each flown in space twice and both bring a wide variety of experiences to the flight.

Williams was originally a helicopter test pilot before switching to flying jets. She's preparing to fly to space for the third time, as the crew test flight pilot.

This will be Wilmore's third spaceflight as well. Before becoming a NASA astronaut, Wilmore was a U.S. Navy captain, fighter pilot, and test pilot, accumulating more than 8,000 hours of flight time. Wilmore flew the FA-18 Hornet and T-45 Goshawk, playing a role in missions during Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Southern Watch.

No launch date scheduled: NASAs Boeing Starliner crewed flight test

Mission: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will fly aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft and a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station.

Launch: TBD, previously, it was 10:34 p.m. EDT Monday, May 6, 2024.

Location: Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Live coverage: Started at 6:30 p.m. EDT Monday, May 6, at floridatoday.com/space. Dubbed NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch for livestreams online, a new NASA livestream for the next attempt has not been scheduled as of Wednesday, May 22.

How to watch Starliner rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, online

Tune in to floridatoday.com/space for USA TODAY Network's Space Team live coverage and updates on the Boeing Starliner rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station when there's a new launch date and time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

In Florida, we can best see this historic moment in person if you're anywhere on the Space Coast (Brevard County) or certain spots in the First Coast or Fun Coast (Volusia County) or the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County). Pro tip: If you do watch it in person, get to your viewing destination early and prepare to stay later after the launch because of heavy traffic.

How to watch Boeing Starliner rocket launch from your phone, iPad or tablet with FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage

When and where: Dubbed NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch for livestreams online, coverage started at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6. A NASA livestream for the next attempt has not been scheduled as of Wednesday, May 22.

When the launch attempt is scheduled, full coverage of the Starliner launch includes a live webcast with live tweets and updates at floridatoday.com/space (you can type this on your browser on your phone) and will feature in-depth coverage. Ask our FLORIDA TODAY space team reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards questions and strike up a conversation. You also can watch coverage via the FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play. FLORIDA TODAY is part of the USA TODAY Network.

How to watch NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test launch on TV, how to watch Starliner launch from Florida on YouTube

If you have streaming services on your flatscreen, computer, tablet or phone, you can watch NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This will require the FLORIDA TODAY app (see above) and the option to "mirror" from your phone to the TV, or the YouTube app to watch the NASA live broadcast (which is above).

Dubbed NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch for livestreams online, coverage started at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6. A NASA livestream for the next attempt has not been scheduled as of Wednesday, May 22. When it is available, from your TV apps, select the YouTube app, search for NASA's channel and click on the NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch live broadcast.

How to watch NASA Starliner launch on Twitter (and whom to follow!)

NASA will have a broadcast on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, on its account: @NASA.

Follow along with FLORIDA TODAY experts on Twitter: Space Team at @SpaceTeam, Rick Neale at @rickneale1, Brooke Edwards at @brookeofstars with amazing visuals from Craig Bailey at @cbphoto1. We'll link back to our live coverage at @Florida_Today and at floridatoday.com.

How to watch NASA Starliner rocket launch live on Facebook

NASA has posted a Facebook Watch live event and will broadcast the Starliner rocket launch livestream on its Facebook page at facebook.com/nasa.

How to watch NASA Starliner rocket launch from Roku, Amazon Fire

For viewers who have a Roku box or Amazon Fire TV Stick, select the YouTube app, search for NASA's channel and click on the NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Launch live broadcast when it's available.

Can you watch Starliner rocket launch from Florida on TikTok?

NASA has a voice on many social media platforms, however, NASA is not on TikTok, the popular video-sharing social media platform. There is no NASA Starliner rocket launch broadcast scheduled from TikTok. However, there will likely be TikTok videos about the launch  from the Space Coast of Florida and beyond as this is a historic event.

Can you watch NASA Starliner rocket launch on Instagram?

NASA does have an official Instagram account (@NASA), as does United Launch Alliance (@ulalaunch), but there is no announcement online if the space agency will host an Instagram livestream. Likely, NASA and possibly ULA will post Instagram Reels and an Instagram Story (or two) about the Boeing Starliner rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

FLORIDA TODAY will have coverage of Starliner launch on Instagram via @Florida_Today and veteran award-winning photojournalist Craig Bailey at @crbphoto1.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA astronauts rocket launch live: How to watch on Twitter, YouTube
Another tragedy in the Atlantic has left a new trail of people dead while attempting to reach Europe, but it is also an extraordinary story of survival. Early last Monday, a 230-meter tanker sighted a semi-submerged flat-bottomed boat in which nine exhausted men were holding on. They were rescued by a Spanish Coast Guard helicopter and the initial accounts they gave to authorities on reaching land described an incredible odyssey. The boat, with 60 people on board when it set sail, capsized and the nine castaways managed to turn it back around and keep it afloat for several hours. The story raised the suspicions of the police, among other reasons because it was a sizeable boat and therefore difficult to turn on the open sea, but after taking statements from six of the nine survivors, the pieces fit together. The testimonies are coincidental and spontaneous. In other words, they are credible, explains a police source.

The boat left the fishing village of Mbour in Senegal in the early hours of April 18. This area was the epicenter of migrant departures in boats bound for the Canary Islands  an archipelago off the western coast of Africa that is part of Spain  at the end of 2020, but the exodus from this area of Senegal had started to wane a few months ago. On board this boat, said the survivors, were 60 people including four minors. Compared to others that have arrived in the Spanish archipelago in recent months, carrying up to 300 people, this one was not overloaded to such an extent and had plenty of fuel and food. The water, however, ran out, and the passengers soon realized they were being steered by a skipper with little sailing expertise, the survivors told police.

Ten days after their departure, by which time they should have been able to reach any of the Canary Islands, the boat destabilized and capsized to the starboard (right) side at around 5 p.m. on April 28. It is not clear what caused the problem, but the castaways put forward several reasons that could have combined at the same time. A gust of wind, a wave, and a bad load, i.e., the weight of the passengers was unbalanced, causing the boat to tilt. Above all, according to police sources, the survivors pointed to the lack of skill of the skipper to address the situation.

When the boat capsized, the passengers all fell into the water. Those rescued say that the skipper was the first to die because he hit the propellers on the engine. Almost everyone drowned, including the brother of one of the survivors. The toll of 51 added to the 179 dead or missing people that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has verified so far this year in the Atlantic. The IOM is aware that its figures are much lower than the reality, but it is a route where it is difficult to find firm evidence of all shipwrecks, says Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesman for this UN-dependent agency. An example of this is the recent discovery in Brazil of a boat carrying nine decomposing bodies  migrants from Mauritania and Mali  a reminder of the dozens of boats that are lost every year trying to reach Europe. The journey to the Canary Islands is one of the most dangerous migratory routes in the world.

What is extraordinary is how these nine men managed to survive the chaos of a shipwreck and to then to change the course of a boat that, although it was made of wood and had a lot of buoyancy, weighed several tons. They did not provide many details, but all six of the rescued men stated that they managed to turn it around and climbed onto the half-sunken wreckage. They held on until the crew of the oil tanker Beskidy, on its way to Cartagena, Spain, sighted them at about 7 a.m. on April 29, some 60 nautical miles (111 kilometers) from the Canary Island of El Hierro. According to their account they did not spend two days on the wrecked boat as initially reported, but over 12 hours including a full night.

The Beskidy sent out a radio SOS and the Spanish Coast guard vessel Adhara set off to search for them immediately. Two hours later they were located by a helicopter and evacuated to the mainland. Last Wednesday, six of those rescued were still in hospital, although according to medical sources their lives are not in danger.

The Spanish Coast Guard helicopter that rescued the nine survivors, at the El Hierro airport in the Canary Islands. Gelmert Finol (EFE)

The Canary Islands route has attracted a lot of attention in recent months, especially since October when there was a huge increase in the number of arrivals, especially on the island of El Hierro. The headlines continue to point to a spike in arrivals and although compared to last years figures that is the case, there are nuances because although remaining high the numbers of people landing in the Canaries have been declining for two months.

Up to April 29, 15,773 migrants and refugees had landed in the Canary Islands, according to the IOM, compared to 3,000 in the same period last year. It is a significant increase but after the peak that began in October 2023 and lasted until mid-February, the figures for March and April have dropped considerably compared to previous months.

Even so, the islands are experiencing an unprecedented period of immigration activity. There were around 40,000 arrivals in 2023 and, despite the recent slowdown, the numbers of people being rescued are in the thousands during months of the year in which this route has traditionally seen no activity.

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WA on track to hit some housing goals, but affordable housing still in short supply
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seal is seen before a July 22, 2014, news conference in Washington, D.C., discussing ongoing enforcement efforts to combat human smuggling along the Southwest border of the United States.
At least 25 arrests were made at the University of Virginia. Police again cleared the encampment at the University of Southern California on Sunday morning. And in Michigan, the graduation ceremony was interrupted on several occasions by shouts, flags and even a plane with banners that flew over the campus. Pro-Palestinian protests continue to inflame universities across the United States, despite warnings from administrators and police action. Now, the protesters have a new focus: the graduation ceremonies, the most solemn moment of the school year, scheduled to take place throughout May. Some centers have chosen to cancel their commencements altogether, while others are bringing in security measures more typical of an international summit, including a strong police presence and searches at the entrance. Yet others are negotiating with students over a key demand: divestment from companies that profit from the war in Gaza.

So far, more than 2,300 people have been detained at more than 45 universities throughout the country. On Sunday, around 50 officers entered the campus at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles for the second time in a week to clear the area, although they did not make any arrests, according to the student newspaper The Daily Trojan. The campus remained closed three days before the start of its graduation ceremonies scheduled for Wednesday. A day earlier, riot officers had used pepper spray to break up a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Virginia and arrested 25 protesters. Dozens were also arrested at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Other universities have scaled back on their graduation celebrations due to the protests, which have mostly taken place peacefully. Vermont has announced that the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will no longer deliver the keynote address. Columbia, the university that has become a symbol of the protests after the police violently cleared the encampment and an occupied building, plans to keep officers on campus until May 17, when its calendar of ceremonies concludes.

A feeling of discontent persists at Columbia despite the calm imposed by the police presence and the fact that classes have been moved online. The sight of officers deploying on campus was especially traumatic. It is well remembered that two years ago, the city of New York had to pay $13 million in compensation for police brutality in connection with Black Lives Matter street protests.

We know that the NYPD has a history of violent brutality against protesters, and it is horrifying that Columbia turned them on our own students not once, but twice. The [University] administration has chosen to escalate the confrontation each time with disproportionate responses, turning what at first was a peaceful protest by students doing their homework in an encampment, into a police occupation of our campus for the next two weeks, said Bassam Khalidi, a law professor at the New York institution, in an email.

Other universities have opted for dialogue with their students in a bid to end or at least temper the protests. The universities of Minnesota and Michigan, two of the states with the largest Arab populations, as well as Browns, have promised to consider or submit to a vote the idea of divesting from companies that benefit from the war. Rutgers University has announced plans to create a department of Middle Eastern studies.

Political considerations

The protests are being followed very closely by the two major political parties. In a presidential race as close as the one being fought between the Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump and the Democrat Joe Biden, these protests are now at the heart of the campaign.

Republicans have prepared to demand harsh measures against pro-Palestinian protesters and against what they denounce as acts of antisemitism. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently held a press conference at Columbia and called for an investigation. His party has promoted controversial legislation against antisemitism, approved in the lower house and now moving to the Senate. And it painted a picture of Biden as an ineffective leader who allowed scenes of chaos and incivility to take place under his watch.

Bidens campus chaos, Trump wrote in a message on Instagram accompanied by a video with the presidents recent remarks in which he defended the students right to demonstrate.

In that speech on Thursday, Biden defended that theres the right to protest but not the right to cause chaos. The presidents delay in responding to the protests was due, in part, to a desire to avoid alienating the Democratic Partys progressive wing and its younger voters, who favor an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It was also partly due to the belief that the demonstrations would end up dissolving on their own and would not have a great impact on their electoral prospects. Especially if, as Washington intends, by November the war had already ended.

There is some data to corroborate the White Houses opinion. The vote of the under-30s, who mostly supported Biden in 2020, is less clear four years later, but among those who declare that they definitely will be voting in November, those who lean towards the Democratic candidate are ahead of Trump supporters, according to a March poll by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. The same survey suggests that there is a minority interest in Gaza among this younger segment of the population: on the list of issues that concern young people, war was listed in 15th place, below employment, the defense of democracy, the environment or even immigration. Only 8% of those surveyed declared themselves very concerned about foreign policy.

But with a handful of pivotal states where he won by the bare minimum in 2020, every vote counts for Biden. And the war in Gaza is already threatening to cost him the Arab-American vote, essential in Michigan and Minnesota. The Harvard survey indicates that 51% of young people support a ceasefire in the Strip.

Biden already has other events planned to condemn antisemitism. His Tuesday agenda includes a speech at the annual commemoration ceremony at the Holocaust Museum, an event that had already been planned some time ago. A few days later he will travel to Atlanta to participate in the graduation ceremony at Morehouse College, one of the historic universities for Black students. But students at this institution have already asked administrators to cancel Bidens invitation, as a gesture of protest against the presidents pro-Israel policy in the war. Last Wednesday, the federation of Democratic university students sent a warning about the electoral risk for the president if he maintains his current course in the Middle East.
Budapest has been awarded 300 billion forints (EUR 770m) worth of European Union development funding, Gergely Karacsony, the citys mayor, said after talks with Elisa Ferreira, the European commissioner for cohesion and reforms.

Budapest, in spite of the governments intentions, has been very successful in lobbying for gaining access to EU development funds, Karacsony told a press conference at City Hall.



The money is already here in the operative programmes that have been approved by both the government and the European Commission. He said that at their meeting the EU commissioner had expressed support for the citys detailed plans on how the funds will be spent.



The mayor said the 300 billion forints would be enough to carry out developments that serve Budapests and Europes shared goals such as adapting to climate change and joint cohesion. The funds awarded to Budapest, he said, were roughly equivalent to the amount of funding the city received from the previous EU budget.



Outlining the plans on how the funds would be spent, Karacsony said 178 billion forints would go towards public transport upgrades.



A total of 50 billion will be spent on making the districts greener, 38 billion will be allocated towards flood and sewage-related investments and 34 billion forints will be spent on housing and social care, the mayor said. He said most of the public transport upgrades will involve the development of the tram infrastructure, with the city purchasing more than 50 CAF trams and extending the Buda sides interconnected tram network.



Also, the city will buy electric buses for 9 billion forints and allocate 25 billion towards expanding the trolley bus network, he said.



The 50 billion forints to be spent on public space developments will involve creating more green spaces, improving accessibility and investments that have to do with adapting to climate change, Karacsony said.



As regards the monies earmarked for housing and social care, the mayor said the city will spend 20 billion forints on launching the largest housing package of the past decade and 14 billion on developing the social security system.



The capital will also spend 32 billion forints on bolstering Budapests flood protection, while 6 billion will go towards wastewater-related investments in the agglomeration, Karacsony said.



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This years March of the Living was held in Budapest on Sunday, with participants walking from the Dohany Street synagogue to Keleti railway station.

Yacov Hadas-Handelsman, Israels ambassador to Hungary, said the Hamas attack on Israel last October gave this years march a special significance.



Education of the younger generations is even more important now, giving them inspiration to fight racism, discrimination, and injustice, he said.



Eighty years after the Holocaust Jews are again afraid across the world, the ambassador said, but added that Hungary was an island of renewal with its prosperous Jewish community. He thanked the Hungarian government and said Hungary had set an example through introducing zero tolerance for anti-Semitism.



Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a video message that the Holocaust stood out in the crimes of mankind throughout world history, but added that the Jewish community was mourning over the deep tragedy of recent months. Those killed, tortured or kidnapped cry out for justice and freedom, he added.



Gabor Gordon, head of the board of the March of the Living Foundation, said the horror of the Holocaust must be remembered as one of the largest massacres of mankind, but, at the same time, we must celebrate a love of life and a will to live. He made special mention of the some 100 Holocaust survivors attending the march in a minibus.



Baruch Adler, deputy director of the international March of the Living organisation, said the annually organised event demonstrated the victory of good over evil forces. Adler commemorated the Ukrainian villager who hid Adlers mother during the Holocaust, risking the life of his own family by doing so.



Referring to last Octobers attack, Adler said the silence of the world was deafening, adding that citizens of a free world should feel ashamed for passively watching history repeat itself.



Ahead of the event, a memorial dedicated to 440,000 Hungarian Jews deported and killed between May 15 and July 9, 1944, was inaugurated in front of the synagogue.



Peter Niedermuller, the mayor of the 7th district, said it was Hungarian societys grave moral failing and sin that we couldnt protect our Jewish compatriots.



Commemoration is a way to reflect on past developments but it also obliges participants to pass on the message that hatred and inciting hatred destroys society. He said anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments were on the rise. It is our right and obligation to stand by Israel, he said.



Lights of commemoration were lit at the end of the event, the participants including Cardinal Peter Erdo, head of the Hungarian Catholic Church, Andor Grosz, head of the association of Hungarian Jewish communities Mazsihisz, Laszlo Gyorfi, deputy leader of the United Hungarian Israelite Community , and Gabor Keszler, leader of the Hungarian orthodox Jewish community.



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Hungary stands prepared to take over the presidency of the European Union on July 1, the state secretary for European Union affairs ministry said on Facebook, noting that in the current political and economic environment and amid the communitys institutional transition, filling the post would be an extremely exciting challenge.

Pal Barna Zsigmond quoted European Council President Charles Michel as saying that he was reassured and hopeful concerning the Hungarian presidency, and noted that currently Prime Minister Viktor Orban was the only head of government in the EU that would head the rotating presidency for the second time.



He said Hungarys 2011 presidency had been successful, adding that on basis of those experiences the Hungarian government is getting ready for the next one.



Szijjarto: Hungarian Diplomacy Gave Right Responses to Recent Years' Challenges

Hungarian diplomacy always gave the right responses during the serious challenges of recent years, while Brussels failed in its reactions to crises, the foreign minister said.



Peter Szijjarto told parliaments European affairs committee that Hungarys foreign policy was Hungarian and sovereign, its sole purpose being the enforcement of Hungarian interests, often in the face of being outnumbered. Opposition lawmakers said ahead of the meeting that they would not attend it.



Hungarys foreign policy was also sensible, pragmatic and rational, setting targets that have positive effects on Hungarian peoples lives, involving a strong focus on foreign economic policy, the minister said. Hungarys foreign policy is open in all directions, and it aims to attract friends and cooperative partners who consider mutual respect a basis of their foreign policy, he said.



It does not seek conflict but is not afraid to accept it, he added. Now, in the era of dangers, this approach in foreign policy has even greater significance, he added.



In the past five years, three crisis situations had to be faced and responses had to be found that enabled Hungary to overcome the crisis by becoming stronger, he added.



A solution had to be found to the pandemic, but we did not sit idly, watching Hungarians die as a result of the messed-up vaccine acquisition of the European Commission, he said. He added that the economic management of the crisis had also been successful, with more people holding jobs after the pandemic than before.



Purely national interests were taken into consideration when, in order to guarantee Hungarys secure energy supplies, cooperation with Russia was not given up after the war started in the neighbouring country, he said.



As a neighbouring country, Hungary managed to stay out of the war, and Hungarians did not make a single decision that would have contributed to the increase in the number of deaths, he added.



Commenting on the crisis in the Middle East, he said all Hungarians had been successfully evacuated and three Hungarian hostages freed.



The EU, he said, had failed in all the crisis situations of recent years, which was why they were not able to accept that Hungary had a successful, patriotic, sovereigntist government which went against the Brussels mainstream. The variety of responses given to crises has made it clear to all European citizens that in Hungary there was a more successful alternative to the liberal mainstream, he said.



This is why they try to attack Hungary from Brussels by all possible means, in collaboration with the Hungarian left, he added. In the communist era, there were also some Hungarians who acted against Hungarian interests in the centre of the empire, and the same was happening in Brussels currently, he said.



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To avoid further fatal accidents, the construction of all battery plants must be stopped and the already existing facilities reviewed, the opposition Democratic Coalition said.

Olivio Kocsis-Cake, the partys shadow climate and environmental minister, told a press conference that the battery plant in Ivancsa, near Budapest, had already seen three fatal accidents.



He said communication between workers there was difficult due to the language barrier, and a new tragedy is coded in the situation.



Battery manufacturing has been proven to put the lives of workers and neighbourhood inhabitants at risk, but the Orban government is only interested in the profits of large Chinese companies.



Meanwhile, Magyar: Hungary Needs 'Love, Peace, Burying of Trenches'

Hungary needs love and peace; it needs to bury the trenches, and a leadership that doesnt pretend to be rural and family-friendly, or Christian, but works every day in the interest of the Hungarian people, Peter Magyar, who heads the Tisza Partys list for the European parliamentary elections, said in Debrecen on Sunday. Speaking at a gathering in the city centre, Magyar said this is the largest political demonstration of the past decades.



After marking Mothers Day, Magyar pledged that the party would double the family allowance if it received the mandate to govern.



Magyar, who also serves as deputy leader of the Tisztelet es Szabadsag (Respect and Freedom) party, said Hungary had received 40 thousand billion forints (EUR 102.5bn) in European Union funding so far, and insisted that a significant portion of that money was in private equity, yachts, castles, hotels, Bordeaux vineyards and offshore accounts. He said Hungary was being operated as a family company which his party would dismantle if they came to power.



Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Magyar said the party was pro-peace and stood for peace talks as soon as possible. The European parliamentary and local elections in June would be a watershed moment, and would be decided between the ruling Fidesz party and Tisza, Magyar said.



Those voting for Fidesz in 2024 would vote for the threat of war and war agitation, and those voting for Tisza will vote for peace, the future, and the safety and happinness of our children and grandchildren, he said.



Regarding the issue of battery manufacturing plants in Hungary, Magyar said the plants were putting people and the environment at risk, and had been built after the dismantling of oversight institutions.



Should his party come to power, they will restore the environmental ministry and strengthen the authorities in question, and tighten laws and oversight, as well as ensure that the localities should benefit from the financial profit of the investments, he said. Magyar also said his party had garnered the recommendations to set up a list in almost every county.



MTI Photo: Szilard Koszticsak



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Silencing Donald Trump is no easy matter, even less so with $1,000-fines. The former president of the United States has a multi-billion dollar fortune, so monetary fines for contempt have little effect on him. Trump has time and again disobeyed Judge Juan Merchans order that he not insult or question the parties involved in the criminal trial against him in New York. On Monday, after violating the gag order for the tenth time, the judge issued a blunt warning: if he continues to disobey his orders, he may send him to jail, even if it is the last thing he would want to do.

Defendant is hereby put on notice that, if appropriate and justified, future violations of his lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration, Merchan wrote in a five-page ruling.

In his resolution, Merchan recalls that contempt is punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000, imprisonment of no more than 30 days, or both penalties at the discretion of the court. However, because this is now the tenth time that this Court has found Defendant in criminal contempt, the ruling states, it is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Courts lawful orders.

During the hearing, Merchan issued the warning directly to Trump, who was sitting in the dock, and shook his head and crossed his arms in disapproval. It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent. Therefore, going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction, Merchan said before jurors were brought into the courtroom, according to the Associated Press. Trumps statements, the judge added, threaten to interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.

Mr Trump, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president, Merchan said on Monday.

The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me, but ultimately I have a job to do. So as much as I dont want to impose any jail time, I want you to understand that I will do so when necessary and appropriate, he continued, adding that part of his job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system.

The judge first warned Trump he could face imprisonment last week, when he imposed nine $1,000 fines on him for nine comments on social media that, in his opinion, violated his gag order that prohibits criticism of jurors, witnesses and judicial officials. Trump had to delete seven comments on his platform, Truth Social, and two on his campaign website.

On this occasion, prosecutors accused Trump of four new violations of Merchans gag order, but the ruling indicates that in only one case, was criminal contempt established beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, the violation referred to statements Trump made about the jury and how it was selected. In doing so, Defendant not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones, the ruling states.

In an interview on April 22 with the television channel Real Americas Voice, Trump criticized the speed with which the jury was chosen and claimed that it was full of Democrats. That jury was picked so fast  95% democrats. The areas mostly all Democrat. You think of it as just a purely Democrat area. Its a very unfair situation that I can tell you, he said.

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with payments made to cover up potentially embarrassing stories. Prosecutors say Trumps company, the Trump Organization, reimbursed Michael Cohen, the former presidents former lawyer, for hush money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels and gave Cohen bonuses and additional payments. Prosecutors allege those transactions were falsely recorded in company records as legal expenses.

Cohen, who pleaded guilty to crimes related to the payments, is now the prosecutions star witness as the trial enters its third week. It also remains to be seen if Trump himself, who maintains that he is innocent, will testify, as he has assured that he would do.

Among the witnesses who have testified so far are a tabloid magazine editor and friend of Trump, who bought the rights to several sordid stories about the then-presidential candidate to prevent them from coming to light. A Los Angeles lawyer who negotiated deals to silence both Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal also took the stand.

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Thirteen parties or party alliances have submitted lists for the upcoming European parliamentary elections, out of which 11 have been supported by valid signatures of the required minimum of 20,000 voters, the National Election Office told MTI.

Under the law, parties wishing to run in the election had between April 20 and May 3 to collect the required number of signatures, the office noted.



According to the office, the lists of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrat alliance, Megoldas (Solution) Movement, LMP, Democratic Coalition, Socialist Party, Parbeszed-Greens, Masodik Reformkor Party (Second Reform Age), Mindenki Magyarorszaga (Everybodys Hungary), Momentum Movement, Jobbik-Conservatives, Tisztelet es Szabadsag (Respect and Freedom), Mi Hazank Mouvement (Mi Hazank) and the Two-tailed Dog Party have been verified as having at least 20,000 signatures to support their fielding candidates in the election.



Szijjarto Warns Against Supporting Pro-War Forces

If pro-war forces are allowed to keep their positions, then it must be expected that the war situation is here to stay for many years, the foreign minister told journalists ahead of the ruling parties' election meeting in Vac, near Budapest, on Friday.



Europe is in a situation that is new to most Europeans, which is that there is a war on the continent, Peter Szijjarto said. This war is happening in Hungarys neighbourhood and poses serious dangers for all of Europe, including Hungary, he said.



The closer a country is to the war, the greater risk it faces of the war spreading further, he added. Szijjarto warned that European political leaders were suffering from war psychosis, and that their irresponsible remarks and decisions carry the risk of the war spreading further.



Weve even heard some completely mad positions, not only about sending European troops to Ukraine, but also about installing nuclear weapons, he said.



Szijjarto said that if just one more European country got involved in the war, it would trigger a threat of a world war, arguing that this other country would certainly be a NATO member, and a NATO country getting into a direct conflict with Russia would obviously result in the outbreak of another world war. He said that on June 9, European citizens would get to decide whether they want war or peace.



MTI Photo: Balazs Mohai



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New Delhi: OLA CEO Bhavish Aggarwal seems to have sparked a major debate on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) for his comments on the answer that LinkedIn AI Bot's threw up on asking about his bio.

Aggarwal asked LinkedIn AI Bot to throw up answer on the topic "Who Is Bhavish Aggarwal".

Sharing the screenshot of the answer, he wrote, "Screenshot is from LinkedIns AI bot. This pronouns illness is being perpetuated in India by MNCs without us Indians even realising it. Hoping that this pronoun illness doesnt reach India. Many big city schools in India are now teaching it to kids. Also see many CVs with pronouns these days. Need to know where to draw the line in following the west blindly!"

Hoping that this pronoun illness doesnt reach India.



Many big city schools in India are now teaching it to kids. Also see many CVs with pronouns these days. Need to know where to draw the line in following the west blindly! pic.twitter.com/q4CwiV6dkE  Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) May 5, 2024

He further wrote, that most of the Indians are prone to this "pronouns illness" because of the country's corporate culture, especially MNCs. "Most of us in India have no clue about politics of this pronouns illness. People do it because its become expected in our corporate culture, especially MNCs. Better to send this illness back where it came from. Our culture has always had respect for all. No need for new pronouns," he further commented.

Most of us in India have no clue about politics of this pronouns illness. People do it because its become expected in our corporate culture, especially MNCs



Better to send this illness back where it came from. Our culture has always had respect for all. No need for new pronouns pic.twitter.com/lo3eLHDGpH  Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) May 5, 2024

Internet however did not take Aggarwal's comments very kindly. Though some supported his comments, a lot of others criticized the CEO for being 'insensitive' and 'homophobic'. Check out some of the comments

You can change your bio to "Stuck in the past at Ola."  ____ __ (@varungrover) May 6, 2024

I had started blocking everyone who put s/he/it (pronounced _) on LinkedIn and then discovered @LinkedIn itself is pushing this garbage. Time to delete it. It's worthless anyhow.  Sanjay Mehta __ (@sanjaymehta) May 6, 2024

A persons orientation is not an illness but an offering of the Gods! Whether you like it or not Bhavish, a good percentage of us Indians support the #LGBTQIA Community with all their might and the Pronouns are here to stay, crib as much as you want to!



You lead a business that https://t.co/kuYD8vfJzJ  Pranay Maheshwari (@itspmaheshwari) May 6, 2024

What rock have you been living under? They/them/their aren't new pronouns or unusual. I guess the need to display your transphobia overrides pretty much everything.  Prapthi (@prapthi_m) May 6, 2024

were you dropped multiple times on your head when you were little or do you choose to be like this by choice?  AG (@localmusichoeee) May 5, 2024

You could have chosen better words to draft your tweet, considering your stature and following.  Vishakha (@vishakhatalreja) May 6, 2024

"Our culture has always had respect for all"-but not for people who want to choose their pronouns_. Tell me Bhavesh what difference does it make to your life? Why an AI being grammatically correct and gender neutral has offended you? I am assuming it would have offended you_  Sakshi Narula (@mssakshinarula) May 6, 2024

Several others called out the Ola CEO for his 'homophobic' comments just ahead of the Pride Month --dedicated to celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community-- which falls in the month of June.
Mumbai: Raj & DK's highly anticipated The Family Man Season 3 shooting has finally kicked off. Prime Video's much-loved Original series made under the under the banner D2R Films is currently in production. Manoj Bajpayee will be seen one more time in his iconic character of Srikant Tiwari who confronts the looming threat to national security, while balancing the demands of family life and desperately working to mend his relationship with his wife, in the forthcoming season.

Created and directed by Raj & DK, written by Suman Kumar and Raj & DK, The Family Man Season 3 will once again see stars including Priyamani (Suchitra Tiwari), Sharib Hashmi (JK Talpade), Ashlesha Thakur (Dhriti Tiwari), Vedant Sinha (Atharv Tiwari), amongst others. The makers dropped a small teaser announcing the commencement of shooting for the upcoming season of the popular web-series. Take a look here:

The Family Man Season 3 also features Sharad Kelkar, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Sunny Hinduja.

Stay tuned for further updates.
New Delhi: Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday proposed a National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's purported acceptance of political funding from the banned terrorist group "Sikhs for Justice."

The LG received a complaint alleging that the AAP, under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership, had received significant funds totalling USD 16 million from extremist Khalistani organisations. These funds were allegedly linked to efforts to secure the release of Devendra Pal Bhullar and promote Pro-Khalistani sentiments.

In a letter to the Union Home Secretary, Saxena referred to a video (which he said was enclosed with the missive) in which Pannun declares Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party "received a staggering amount of USD 16 million dollars in funding from Khalistani groups."

"I am directed to forward a complaint dated 01.04.2024 (in original) received from Ashoo Mongia National General Secretary (World Hindu Federation India), alongwith printout of posts on platform 'X', made by Dr Munish Kumar Raizada, former worker of Aam Aadmi Party, referred in the enclosed letter and a pen drive as received," the letter stated.

"In his communication, the complainant has referred to the contents of a video (in enclosed pen drive), purportedly featuring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, (Khalistani terrorist and founder of banned organization Sikhs For Justice), wherein he has alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal has received a staggering amount of USD 16 million dollars in funding from Khalistani groups between 2014 and 2022," he stated.

"It has also been alleged that a clandestine meeting scurred in 2014 between Kejriwal and pro-Khalistani Sikhs at Gurudwara Richmond Hills, New York. During the said meeting. Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party."

The Principal Secretary of Lt Governor said that the complainant has requested for a comprehensive enquiry into the allegations regarding funding of Aam Aadmi Party by Extremist group Justice for Sikhs," the LG added in the letter.

"The complainant has also stated that as per tweets on Platform 'X' (erstwhile Twitter) Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, who was worker in AAP, shared a picture of Arvind Kejriwal and Sikh leaders that took place at Richmond Hill Gurudwara, New York, United Sates of America, in 2014 (a few copies of photographs enclosed). In his tweets he also confirmed that apart from attending public meetings, Kejriwal held a closed door meeting, at the Richmond Hills Gurudwara, with Pro-Khalistani Sikh Leaders. It has also been mentioned in the letter that Kejriwal wrote to former President Sh Pranab Mukherjee sexing clemency for Bhullar. In this context a copy of a letter by Arvind Kejriwal, addressed to one Sh. Iqbal Singh is enclosed. The letter dated 27.01.2014 mentions that 'Our government is sympathetic to the issue and would take all necessary steps to ensure full justice. It further mentions that 'Delhi Government has already recommended to the President the release of Prof. Bhullar and would be working on other issues including formation of SIT etc. The same was widely reported in the media. As per news reports of that time, Iqbal Singh was sitting on a fast at Jantar Mantar, demanding a written assurance for release of Bhullar. He ended the fast after receiving the letter from Kejriwal," the letter read.

Saxena has recommended that since the complaint is made against a Chief Minister and relates to political funding received from a banned terrorist organization, "the electronic evidences adduced by the complainant requires investigation including forensic examination."

"Keeping in view, the sensitivity and seriousness of the allegations levelled in the complaint, Lt. Governor has desired that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, may consider referring the matter to National Investigation Agency for conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter," it stated.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 in connection with a money laundering probe relating to alleged irregularities in the now-cancelled Delhi excise policy 2021-22

Meanwhile,
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted raids in Ranchi, uncovering a substantial amount of black money linked to corruption. The cash discovered amounts to Rs 35 crore, with bundles of Rs 500 notes stored in various containers such as bags, suitcases, and polythene. To count this staggering sum, banks had to provide note-counting machines and employ multiple shifts of personnel.

In today's DNA, Zee News anchor Sourabh Raaj Jain analysed the link between the black money uncovered in the ED raids in Ranchi and Jharkhand Government's Minister Alamgir Alam.

The sheer volume of this black money seized in the ED raid is astounding. It consists of 7,000 bundles of Rs 500 notes, totaling 7 lakh notes altogether. Calculated at 1.15 grams per note, the weight of these notes reaches 805 kg. If laid out flat, the total area covered by these notes would span 74,590 square feet, a stark contrast to the modest two-room house where they were found, occupying only 1,200 square feet.

Despite the enormity of the find, the owner of the house, Jahangir Alam, a mere Rs 15,000 per month earner, remains unknown to his neighbors. However, investigations reveal a connection to Sanjeev Lal, the personal secretary of Jharkhand Government's Minister Alamgir Alam, who allegedly orchestrated the concealment of corruption money within Jahangir's residence.

The ED's raids extended to nine locations, including properties associated with Munna Singh, a contractor closely linked to Sanjeev Lal. A significant amount of cash, Rs 3 crore, was discovered in Munna's house. Minister Alamgir Alam is now offering his defense, but the evidence suggests a direct involvement in corruption schemes.

This illicit money trail traces back to previous ED actions, such as the investigation into Chief Engineer Virendra Ram's involvement in bribery, where it was revealed that kickbacks were directed to Minister Alamgir. Sanjeev Lal, the minister's aide, allegedly played a role in concealing these ill-gotten gains.

The discovery of cash in Jahangir's residence corroborates the ED's findings, sparking political debates about the potential use of such black money in elections. Sadly, elections in India often serve as avenues for laundering black money, facilitated by political parties willing to spend illicit funds to secure power.
In the ongoing quest for the Lok Sabha victory in 2024, political leaders are exhausting all their efforts and energy to woo the voters. Besides rallies and campaigns, social media has emerged as the quickest tool to communicate with the masses. In the Exclusive report, Zee News English has measured the Leader Social Score (LSS) of several political leaders who are in scuffle for majority in Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular face in the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), contesting from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. On X PM Modi has 97.6 million followers, whereas on Instagram, he has more than 88 million followers. On Facebook, over 49 million people follow him.

Narendra Modi first held the Chief Ministers office in Gujarat in 2001 and remained in the CMs chair till 2014. He completed his BA in Political Science and MA in Political Science from Gujarat University and Delhi University, respectively.

Leader Social Score (LSS)

On a scale of 0-100, Narendra Modi scored 87 points in the overall Leader Social Score (LSS). His Facebook score is 87, Instagram (88), X (88) and Digital Listening (88).

Disclaimer: Leaders Social Score (LSS) is based on Machine Learning. It is being fetched on the basis of 55 plus parameters related to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
New Delhi: Young individuals now have the opportunity to embark on a career path with the Indian Navy as it announces recruitment openings for Agniveer SSR and MR positions. The recruitment notification specifies that aspiring candidates can commence their application process online starting from May 13th. Those meeting the eligibility criteria can proceed to fill out the application form via the official website Join Indiannavy.gov.in. All pertinent details regarding the recruitment process are available for review.

Important Dates: The application window spans from May 13th to May 27th, 2024.

Eligibility Criteria: Candidates applying for the Indian Navy Agniveer SSR-MR Recruitment 2024 must have successfully completed their matriculation examination with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized school education board.

Age Criteria: Applicants born between November 1st, 2003, and April 30th, 2007, fall within the eligible age bracket for these positions.

Application Fee: Candidates from all categories applying for the Indian Navy's Agniveer SSR-MR Recruitment 2024 are required to remit an application fee of Rs 550. This fee is non-refundable.

Examination Pattern: The examination for the Indian Navy Agniveer SSR-MR Recruitment 2024 will be conducted in a computer-based format. The paper will consist of 100 questions, each carrying one mark. It will be divided into four sections covering English, Science, Maths, and General Awareness subjects. The duration of the exam will be one hour. The minimum passing marks for each section and overall will be determined by the Indian Navy.

Application Process:

1. Visit the official website Indiannavy.gov.in join.

2. Click on the "Register" tab located on the homepage.

3. Complete the registration process using your Aadhaar number and mobile number.

4. Log in with your valid credentials and proceed to fill out the application form.

5. Upload all required documents.

6. Pay the applicable application fee.

7. Finally, print a copy of the completed application for your records.
New Delhi: Bollywood actor and BJP leader Kangana Ranaut is all set to contest from Himachal Prades's Mandi parliamentary constituency against Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh. Himachal Pradesh is going to contest for its all seats on June 1 in phase 7.

Kangana is popular on social media and has a decent amount of followers on different platforms. She is going to contest the election for the first time.

Leader Social Score (LSS)

On a scale of 0-100, BJP leader Kangana Ranaut scored 65 points in the overall Leader Social Score (LSS). His Facebook score is 65, Instagram (67), X (64) and Digital Listening (67).

Disclaimer: Leaders Social Score (LSS) is based on Machine Learning. It is being fetched on the basis of 55 plus parameters related to social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
New Delhi: The Bhartiya Janta Partys Uttar Pradesh unit on Sunday issued a show cause notice against partys Fatehpur Sikri MLA Babulal Chaudhary as his son filed his nomination from the Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate, reported PTI. The BJP has fielded their sitting MP Rajkumar Chahar from the seat. The Fatehpur Sikri constituency in Agra district goes to the polls on Tuesday.

The party has sought Chaudharys response on why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. The deadline to submit his explanation is kept by 5PM on Monday, Govind Narayan Shukla, the BJP's state general secretary, informed news agency PTI.

As per PTI, the letter said, "You are being issued a show cause notice as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against you."

Shukla further said that the BJP has issued another notice to Rameshwar Chaudhary on May 2 followed by his expulsion from the party.

Babulal Chaudhary, who secured victory as a Member of Parliament from Fatehpur Sikri representing the BJP in 2014, faced exclusion by the party in the subsequent 2019 elections. The Saffron party replaced him by Chahar, who ultimately won over Congress' Raj Babbar.

Babulal Chaudhary ran for the 2022 assembly elections representing the BJP and secured a seat as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). Meanwhile, Ramnath Sikarwar of the Congress is competing in Fatehpur Sikri as the candidate endorsed by the INDIA bloc.
GLOBALink | China-France forum underscores people-to-people, cultural exchanges Pub Date:24-05-06 09:38 Source:Xinhua A forum on the development of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and France was held here on Saturday, in a bid to boost cooperation and mutual learning. #GLOBALink Editor:

Related News Over 2,500 large-scale events held safely ... China Focus: Chinese youth tapping into ne... Economic Watch: German carmakers cast vote... China New Growth: Digitalization professio...
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday expressed concern about the outbreaks of avian flu detected on dairy cow farms in the United States. It is a cause for concern that the virus is infecting new species [of animals] and, with this, increasing the number of people exposed to the pathogen, said the agencys director for epidemics and pandemics, Maria Van Kerkhove.

A total of 36 farms in nine U.S. states have so far detected cases of avian flu in their herds. The outbreaks were discovered in March after investigations began in January, when several farms noticed a drop in milk production. The symptoms presented by the animals are very mild or almost undetectable. Although investigations are still open, these suggest that the origin of the infections are most likely wild birds that came into contact with livestock.

How the virus spreads between cows remains a mystery. It does not seem that transmission is through the usual forms of respiratory infections. Rather, it seems that some element used in milking the animals is what facilitates the spread of the virus, although for now these are hypotheses under investigation, said Richard Webby, the head of the WHO Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals. The movement of livestock between farms would explain why the virus has been detected in dozens of farms. It is very likely that the number of farms with cases is greater than the [36] officially detected, he added.

So far, only one worker has been infected in connection with these outbreaks, a man from Texas who developed mild conjunctivitis-type symptoms, but not respiratory ones. The suspicion is that the virus got into his eyes when he scratched them with his infected hand after touching an infected cow.

The information offered at a meeting with experts and journalists on Monday reveals that the raw milk of affected animals has a high viral load, although the pathogens with the capacity to infect disappear with the pasteurization process. The WHO, like U.S. authorities, recommends not consuming milk or products made with raw milk, a minority but widespread practice in the country.

Available data also shows that up to 20% of tested milk on sale in affected states contains viral particles, although these are not infectious. The investigations carried out to date have not found viruses with the capacity to infect other products of animal origin such as meat and eggs in food sales circuits.

For now, the WHO continues to consider the risk to the general population low, and low to moderate for farm workers and other people exposed to livestock. Cats and raccoons infected with the virus have also been detected in farm environments.

No apparent risk to people

Despite this, WHO officials are concerned about the danger posed by the presence of the virus in livestock. Although for now there is no data to indicate a greater risk for people, the fact that the pathogen is circulating and spreading in mammals close to humans increases the likelihood that it will develop mutations that allow it to adapt.

The virus causing the outbreaks is A(H5N1) clade (variant) 2.3.4.4b, which emerged in 2020 and quickly spread throughout most of the world through migratory birds, causing the death of hundreds of millions of the species since then. In these four years, viruses have also infected other mammalian species, increasing concerns among experts as to whether the mutations that make this possible could bring the pathogen closer to adapting to humans. For now, however, this clade has had almost no impact on people. The WHO only has 13 documented infections in humans, almost all of them mild or very mild.

In a risk report published on April 23 together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health, the WHO warned that Avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses, especially those of clade 2.3.4.4b, continue to diversify genetically and spread geographically, which, together with the jump to mammals, gives the pathogen increased opportunities for viral reassortment generating new genotypes with varied clinical signs. An example of this is the detection of a new form of influenza A(H5N1) virus in poultry in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The document notes that to date, there have been limited reports of transmission between mammals despite the increase in mammalian infections. It also states that although direct evidence is lacking, the large mortality of marine mammals, the infection in multiple fur animal farms in Finland and mink in Spain are consistent with mammal-to-mammal spread.
New Delhi: Congress leader and Waynad MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led government over the reports of NEET-UG 2024 paper leak and termed it the betrayal of the 23 lakh students who sat in the exam and their families.

Taking on microblogging site X Rahul wrote, "The news of NEET exam paper leak is a betrayal of the dreams of more than 23 lakh students and their families."

Further escalating his attack on the Centre he said, "Whether it is the students who dream of getting admission in college after passing 12th standard or the promising youth struggling for a government job, Modi government has become a curse for everyone."

"The youth and their families who have been paying the price of the BJP government's inefficiency for the past 10 years by ruining their future have now understood that there is a difference between speaking and running a government," Rahul added.

Rahul Gandhi stressed the Congress party's dedication to cracking down on paper leaks and creating laws to address them effectively. "Congress has pledged to free the youth from paper leaks by making strict laws. A healthy and transparent environment for students is our guarantee," wrote the Congress leader.

Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi also slammed the BJP over the paper leak and questioned about the implementation of the legislation to check the paper leak in the country.

"Once again, there are reports of NEET paper leak. The future of 24 lakh youth of the country has been messed up again. This trend that has been going on with crores of promising youth for the last ten years is not stopping. Will the Prime Minister of the country say anything about this? To pacify the youth, a law was passed in the Parliament against paper leak. Where is that law? Why is it not implemented?" wrote Priyanka on her official 'X' handle.

"That is why unemployment and corruption in jobs are the biggest issues of this election. Our Nyaya Patra's resolution is that paper leaks will stop. Recruitments will be done according to the calendar. Vacant posts will be filled. This tampering with the future of the youth will stop and we will show it by doing it," she added.

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) stated that the reports claiming the leak of the NEET-UG question paper are baseless and without any ground.

According to a report by Zee News TV, the Patna police have arrested 12 people in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak. The arrested individuals are reportedly accused of having solved the question paper.
New Delhi: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Munday for doing dirty politics at the time of elections. Bose blamed Banjerjee for dragging him into politics and asserted that the Governor should stay away from politics.

After the sexual harassment allegation against him, the Bengal Governor interacted with the media today and said, "The Governor is supposed to stay away from politics. Now I am very sorry that the Chief Minister has dragged me into politics, especially at a time when the elections are going on..."

Bose further said that Banerjee was doing dirty politics, especially at the time of the general election. "Now because of the humiliating remarks which she has made against me, against truth, I am forced to tell you that Mamata Banerjee as a politician, her politics is dirty," he said.

#WATCH | On sexual harassment allegation against him, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose says, "The Governor is supposed to stay away from politics. Now I am very sorry that the Chief Minister has dragged me into politics, especially at a time when the elections are going on... pic.twitter.com/u624O6gHOx  ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024

Bengal Governor also said that he will never accept Mamata Banerjee's 'Didi Giri' and prayed to god to save her. "Still, I pray to God to save her. But that is a difficult responsibility even for God. I will never accept this 'Didi Giri'..," Bose said.

Earlier, Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose said that he expects more allegations after a contractual employee of the Raj Bhavan accused him of molesting her. Bose described the allegations as "absurd drama" and stated that none would be able to deter him from his "determined efforts to expose corruption and curb violence.
New Delhi: The Rajasthan University of Health Sciences has announced multiple job openings, extending an invitation to eligible candidates to apply. This presents a significant opportunity for those aspiring to secure a government position in the medical sector. Specifically, the university has announced vacancies for the role of Medical Officer (Dental), and the application process for these positions is currently in progress. Therefore, individuals interested in these roles are encouraged to promptly submit their applications. Detailed instructions regarding the application procedure for the RUHS MO (Dental) Recruitment 2024 can be found below.

Seize the chance to join this esteemed institution committed to enhancing healthcare in Rajasthan. Prospective candidates can initiate the application process by visiting the official website, ruhsraj.org.

What is the application deadline?

The deadline for submitting applications is set for May 21, 2024. It is advisable for interested candidates to ensure their applications are submitted within the specified timeframe.

How many positions are available for recruitment?

As per the recruitment notification, a total of 172 positions for Medical Officer (Dental) will be filled by the University of Health Sciences.

Candidates who are registered with the Rajasthan Dental Council are eligible to apply for these positions.

Only applicants who have completed their registration with the Rajasthan Dental Council prior to applying will be permitted to participate in the recruitment examination.

Candidates who have obtained their Master's degree by the appointment date will be considered for selection to these positions.

Age Criteria: Applicants for the Rajasthan Medical Officer Dental Recruitment 2024 must be at least 22 years old, with a maximum age limit of 45 years.

Here's a step-by-step guide to the application process:

1. Begin by visiting the official website of the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, ruhsraj.org.

2. Thoroughly review the detailed notification for the 'MO (Dental) Recruitment 2024' to understand the eligibility requirements.

3. Proceed to register by clicking on the 'Apply Online' link.

4. Complete the application form by providing all necessary educational and personal details.

5. Upload all required documents as per the provided guidelines.

6. Make the application fee payment through the available methods.

7. Submit the application form and make a note of the application number for future reference.
As the debate is gaining pace around the presence of pesticides in the spices that are being used daily in kitchens across India, Delhi Police has busted a fake spice racket seizing over 15 tonnes of adultered spices being manufactured at two factories in the national capital's Karawal Nagar. The police also arrested three people in connection with the case - Dilip Singh (46), Sarfaraj (32) and Khurseed Malik (42). The crime branch of Delhi Police has raided two factories in Karawal Nagar, seizing adulterated rice, wood powder, and chemicals used to prepare spices, and apprehended three accused including two owners.

The factory was supplying adulterated spices to not only Delhi but also the local markets of the National capital region including Noida, Ghaziabad and Gururam. In order to avoid suspicion, they kept the prices the same as the original products.

According to reports, Rakesh Paweriya, DCP (crime branch) said that the seizure included rotten rice, leaves, spoiled millets, wood dust, chilli heads, acids and oils used in producing counterfeit products.

During the raid, Singh and Sarfaraj tried to flee but were apprehended. During interrogation, Singh admitted to owning the manufacturing unit, while Malik confessed to supplying the adulterated spices. Subsequent investigations revealed another processing unit on Kali Khata Road, Karawal Nagar, where Sarfaraj was apprehended for manufacturing adulterated spices.

The fake racked was not only producing adultered spices but was also playing with the health of the people while cheating the original brands. It was found during the investigation that the duo had set up the factory in 2021 to make more profits by selling fake spices which have low manufacturing costs.
New Delhi: Bollywood diva Malaika Arora has a fanbase of her own, who love how she pulls off almost any risque outfit with elan. The timeless beauty and fitness enthusiast is a regular on social circles and glamour events. Recently she walked the ramp for designer Archana Kochhar at a fashion week held in Mumbai organised by a media conglomerate.

MALAIKA ON RAMP

Malaika grabed the eyeballs in a sexy ivory lehenga from Archana Kochhars latest collection. The blouse had a plunging neckline with sequins embroidery. A video from the event was shared by Instant Bollywood page where Malla can be seen grooving on stage as well. Take a look here:

Earlier this year, Malaika was the special guest on son Arhaan's Vodcast 'Dumb Biryani' where played intriguing game of Truth or Spice. The mother-son duo were to answer honestly or to take a bite of 'green chili' or a shot of 'Mirchi ka Salan'. They gave some realys spicy answers and entertained the viewers.

MALAIKA ARORA'S LOVE LIFE

Malaika'a love life has always been under the scanner. Malla and Arjun have been together since 2019. She was earlier married to actor-producer Arbaaz Khan but they got divorced in 2016. The couple continues to stay friends and are co-parenting their son, Arhaan Khan.

Malaika runs a yoga studio by the name of Diva Yoga Centre and often urges people to either take to yoga or hit the gym. She also made her digital debut last year with the Disney+ Hotstar show - 'Moving In With Malaika' - where she gave fans access to her life through unfiltered conversations.
New Delhi: Mira Rajput Kapoor, wife of actor Shahid Kapoor walked the ramp celebrating India's heritage at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in a lehenga. The Bollywood wife failed to impress the netizens with her ramp walk and was brutally trolled on social media. Many called her walk 'manly' and many felt she lacked the 'grace.'

Mira Rajput has always been a fashionista. The diva is known for her style and grace. Despite all the negative comments, many applauded Mira for her walk and outfit. Many pictures and videos surfaced on social media and netizens flooded the comment section.

'This is ramp show not a wrestling field,' a social media user commented. 'Very bad walk she should take training,' another social media user opined. 'She's walking like macho man,' read a comment. 'Terrible walk and you call it grace,' wrote a user.

Mira and Shahid got married on July 7, 2015, in an intimate wedding in Delhi. The duo had an arranged marriage. They are doting parents to daughter Misha and son Zain. Misha was born in 2016 while Shahid-Mira welcomed Zain in 2018.

On the work front, Shahid was recently seen romancing Kriti Sanon in 'Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya' helmed by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah.
In a shocking incident, a 55-year-old man was fataly attacked on a local train in Mumbai. The video of this incident has spread across social media. Dattatray Bhoir, a farmer from Sajivali village in Shahapur taluka was brutally assaulted by two passengers with a belt and a knife. The incident occurred on a local train journey between Khadavli and Vasind railway stations late at night on April 28, resulting in Bhoir succumbing to his injuries four days later.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Bhoir was accompanied by his friend Pradeep Shirose and two others. He was returning home after attending a friends Haldi function in Ulhasnagar. After boarding a Kasara-bound local train from Shahad station at 2:00 am, they settled in the general compartment for their journey.

Investigations into the brutal attack revealed that a misunderstanding led to the tragic events. It was reported that the victim and his friends were engaged in jovial banter, which was misinterpreted by the attackers, also present in the same compartment.

In response to the horrific incident, two suspects, identified as 40-year-old Amol Pardeshi and 21-year-old Tanji Kumar Jammuwal, were apprehended. However, the search for the remaining two perpetrators is ongoing. Charges under sections 302, 324, 337, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been levied against the accused.
KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2024 - 02:05 | World, All

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that his country and the European Union should view each other as partners and stay committed to dialogue and cooperation during a trilateral meeting in Paris with the leaders of France and the regional bloc.

Xi, who is on a six-day trip to France, Serbia and Hungary through Friday, said China regards Europe as "an important partner on its path toward Chinese modernization," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Beijing has been eager to deepen cooperation with European countries amid its intensifying rivalry with the United States.

The Chinese leader made the remarks at the start of the three-way meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Elysee Palace.

In an apparent reference to the United States, Xi said the China-EU relationship "does not target any third party, nor should it be dependent on or dictated by any third party."

He expressed hope that EU institutions will "develop the right perception of China and adopt a positive China policy," adding the two sides should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, according to the Chinese ministry.

Macron called for cooperation with China amid Russia's war against Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. The Chinese ministry said the French president stressed the need for France and the EU to strengthen cooperation with China "as this bears on the future of Europe."

The French leader said Paris wishes to work with Beijing closely to address global challenges such as climate change and marine biodiversity.

Von der Leyen said, "Given the global weight of China, our engagement is key to ensure mutual respect, to avoid misunderstanding and to find solutions to global challenges."

On the Ukraine crisis, Xi pointed out that China, France and the EU need to jointly oppose spillover and escalation of the fighting, create conditions for peace talks, safeguard international energy and food security, and keep industrial and supply chains stable, the Chinese ministry said.

As for the Israel-Hamas conflict, Xi said China is ready to work with the EU to support a more broad-based and effective international peace conference to be held as quickly as possible, it added.

Xi also countered U.S. and European complaints about China's overcapacity of items such as electric vehicles and solar panels, saying such a problem "does not exist."

The Asian powerhouse's new energy industry not only increases global supply and alleviates the pressure of inflation, but also contributes significantly to global climate response and green transition, he said. The Chinese leader sought dialogue and consultation to "properly address economic and trade frictions."

Last year, the EU launched anti-subsidy investigations into EV imports from China, which may result in the levying of countervailing tariffs.

Xi's trip to France, his third state visit to the European country, came as Beijing and Paris mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties this year.

The meeting followed talks between Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Paris last week, during which they agreed to initiate negotiations on a new security pact.

Tokyo has been stepping up efforts to boost security ties with like-minded countries amid China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Related coverage:

Kishida, Macron agree to start negotiations on new security pact

China to resume Taiwan-bound travel for Fujian Province residents

China's No. 4 leader meets Taiwan lawmakers, opposes independence
KYODO NEWS - May 6, 2024 - 23:46 | All, World, Japan

The German Army is expected to join an exercise with Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force as early as next year, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, against a backdrop of China's military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region and territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In a recent written interview with Kyodo News, Pistorius revealed that the upcoming joint exercise, set to take place in Japan, will be the first of its kind between the two countries' ground forces. The development comes as Germany has bolstered ties with Indo-Pacific partners and emphasized its mission to "maintain the rules-based international order."

Pistorius pointed out that no signs indicate that China will abandon its territorial claims in the South China Sea, as Beijing continues to deploy coast guards, maritime militia as well as sea and air forces in the waters concerned to enforce its claims.

Beijing also claims the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

"We are observing these developments with concern," the defense minister said, emphasizing China's significant responsibility for global peace and stability. He also noted that China is a partner for Germany, underscoring the importance of leveraging these ties.

Pistorius stated that officials from Germany's army have recently visited Japan to coordinate their participation in the GSDF drills. This collaboration follows the conclusion of their defense pact earlier this year, aimed at facilitating exchanges of supplies and logistical support.

The acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA, simplifies the process of sharing food, fuel and ammunition between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the German military.

The two countries' maritime and air forces have already conducted joint exercises, and Germany is committed to deploying a frigate, a supply ship and aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region this year.

The German frigate is expected to make a port call in Japan in August, with the European country's fighter jets planned to join a drill with Japan's Air Self-Defense Force in July.

Germany, which had reduced its military spending after the end of the Cold War, is rebuilding its military following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Pistorius said that Russia's launch of the war against Ukraine in violation of international law was an eye-opener for his country and a "turning point."

"Our military experts tell us that Russia would theoretically be able to attack NATO territory in five to eight years. Regardless of whether Moscow would take this risk or not, we must be prepared for anything," he said while emphasizing that the country's goal is deterrence.

Related coverage:

Japan, U.S., Australia sign defense technology cooperation pact

Japan, 3 nations concerned with China's "dangerous" actions at sea

Kishida, Macron agree to start negotiations on new security pact
LOME, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Togo's ruling party, the Union for the Republic, won a majority in the legislative elections, the country's Independent National Electoral Commission said Saturday.

According to the provisional results, the Union for the Republic won 108 out of 113 seats in the new National Assembly, while four opposition parties took the other five seats.

There were approximately 4.2 million registered voters, while the participation rate in the election was about 61 percent, according to the electoral commission president Dago Yabre.

Togo kicked off legislative elections on Monday, with over 2,300 candidates vying for 113 seats in the National Assembly and its first-ever regional elections.

On April 19, Togo's National Assembly passed the second reading of a new constitution, switching the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system.

Under the new constitution, the president of Togo will henceforth be elected by the parliament in a largely ceremonial role for a four-year term, renewable once.

Additionally, the new constitution introduced the position of president of the council of ministers, which will be assumed by the leader of the political party or coalition winning the majority of seats in legislative elections, with a mandate of six years and considerable power in the management of government affairs. 
LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California (USC), a renowned private research university located in Los Angeles, was cleared by police early Sunday.

USC President Carol Folt said in a statement that USC Department of Public Safety, with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department, removed the occupiers who had rebuilt their illegal encampment in the university's Alumni Park.

"The operation was peaceful," said Folt. "Over the last few weeks, the university exercised patience and restraint as we worked to de-escalate a volatile situation."

"In 64 minutes, the encampment was abandoned and cleared. The operation was peaceful with no arrests. We will not tolerate illegal encampments of any kind at USC," said Folt.

A number of protesters, including students and non-students, started a "Gaza Solidarity Occupation" at the Alumni Park about two weeks ago as pro-Palestinian demonstrations were spreading on campuses across the United States amid the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza.

Over 90 protesters at USC were arrested on April 24 after clashes with police, but they returned soon and rebuilt the encampment.

According to USC's student-led Annenberg Media, Nancy Alonzo, the assistant director of the USC Village Residential Colleges, came to the outskirts of the encampment on Saturday evening with a letter saying that "the encampment has to go down, as we have mentioned before."

Early Sunday morning, a large number of police officers moved in and the encampment was "completely cleared" before 5:30 a.m. local time (1230 GMT), said Annenberg Media.

The USC pro-Palestinian camp clearance came days after the mass arrest of over 200 pro-Palestinian protesters on Thursday morning as police dismantled an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Over the last two weeks, at least 2,000 arrests have been made on campuses nationwide, according to the New York Times tally. 
BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Over 1.3 billion passenger trips were handled by China's transportation sectors during the just-concluded May Day holiday, up 2.1 percent from a year ago, official statistics showed on Monday.

Of the total, highway traffic amounted to nearly 1.25 billion passenger trips, up 2.1 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Railway trips rose 1.4 percent to 91.76 million while air trips surged 8.1 percent to 9.97 million, and passenger trips by water increased by 6 percent to nearly 6.96 million.

This year's May Day holiday ran from May 1 to May 5. 
People inspect destroyed houses in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024. The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army carried out on Monday airstrikes on areas in eastern Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, said Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses.

Sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that Israeli airstrikes created fire belts in the vicinity of Gaza Airport and on the outskirts of the Al-Salam neighborhood, east of Rafah.

The raids caused large explosions and inflicted significant damage on nearby structures, with no injuries reported yet.

Before the attacks started, the Israeli army had called on the Palestinian civilian population to temporarily evacuate from eastern Rafah.

Avichai Adraee, a spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that "for all people who live in the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabba Zaraa, and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, the army will work with extreme force against terrorist organizations there."

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Located in the southernmost part of the Strip, Rafah shelters approximately 1.4 million Palestinians.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. 

People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A boy walks past a destroyed house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024. The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

People inspect destroyed houses in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024. The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

People inspect destroyed houses in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 6, 2024. The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)
GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area.

Avichai Adraee, the spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that "for all people who live in the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabba Zaraa, and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, the army will work with extreme force against terrorist organizations there."

He added that anyone who is near terrorist organizations is putting their lives and the lives of their families at risk, and urged them to evacuate these areas immediately to avoid any danger to their lives.

He said that the army is expanding the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, which includes field hospitals, tents, food, water, medicines, and other supplies.

The army, cooperating with international organizations and other countries, also allowed the expansion of humanitarian aid that is brought into the Strip, said Adraee.

The operation in eastern Rafah will move forward gradually based on the ongoing assessment of the situation that will take place throughout, said Adraee, adding that the army will distribute leaflets, send SMS messages and conduct phone calls, as well as broadcast information through Arab media.

The Israeli military noted in a statement that it will continue pursuing Hamas "everywhere in Gaza" until all the hostages that they are holding are back home.

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Located in the southernmost part of the Strip, Rafah shelters approximately 1.2 million Palestinians.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. 
GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, said Palestinian security and medical sources on Monday.

Security sources told Xinhua that Israeli warplanes launched more than 12 raids overnight on various areas of the city of Rafah in the far south of Gaza.

The intense raids targeted a number of residential homes and agricultural lands, said the sources.

Meanwhile, medical sources told Xinhua that the bombing led to the killing of 22 Palestinians, including 10 children and five women. Several others were injured and taken to city hospitals for treatment.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate from eastern Rafah in preparation for a planned offensive in the area.

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Located in the southernmost part of the Strip, Rafah shelters approximately 1.4 million Palestinians.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. 
At the 9th edition of the Shell Gaborone Motor Show in Gaborone, the Botswanan capital, Chinese auto brands generated interest among local car enthusiasts. #GLOBALink





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The recent raid on pro-Palestinian encampments on U.S. college campuses and arrests of over 2,400 students by police have drawn sharp criticism from various sides in the United States.

"We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the heavy-handed, militaristic response to student activism that we are seeing across the country," said a recent statement by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

Too many cowardly university leaders are responding to largely peaceful, outdoor protests by inviting law enforcement in riot gear to campus and condoning violent arrests, said the statement, which was signed by over 50 chapters at various universities.

According to the latest tally by The Associated Press, over 2,400 protesters have been arrested since April 17 on over 45 U.S. campuses nationwide.

The Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), an academic publication, said it is "horrified and angered to learn of the assault and arrests," noting that "police violence against peaceful protesters on college campuses has become an alarming trend in the last two weeks."

"We denounce police brutality and the militarization of campuses sanctioned by institutional leaders," said MERIP in a recent statement.

In particular, the police in New York City have made over 450 arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses since April 17.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is seen as the face of the crackdown on student protests, defended the arrests by stressing the role of outside agitators and the need to end the threat to academic life.

"We condemn the use of militarized police force against students in the strongest possible terms and affirm their right to assemble peacefully," said Ana Maria Archila, a director of the New York Working Families Party, in a recent post on social media.

"This is a shameful day in our city's history, and one that will not be forgotten," said Archila, referring to the crackdowns on students at Columbia University and City College of New York protesting the mass killing in Gaza.

There are no outside agitators in the fight against injustice and everybody with a conscience and a heart for the people has a right and a responsibility to join the fight and to stop injustice, said Carl Dix, a representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, in a rally on Saturday.

These recent interferences and threats are part of an ongoing partisan, political attack intended to dismantle U.S. higher education and make its institutions beholden only to corporate, political and private interests, warned the AAUP's statement.

The AAUP called on institutional leaders to reinstate student organizations shut down in recent months for political activity, drop charges against peaceful protesters, keep armed law enforcement off campuses, and uphold fundamental freedoms for students and faculty. 
This photo taken on April 8, 2024 shows a bilingual information desk in the Blue Harbor international shopping park in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- In the Blue Harbor international shopping park in Beijing's Chaoyang District, Rana, a Pakistani national visiting China for the first time, said he had a great experience using Pakistan's NayaPay mobile app to pay for items.

"It's really convenient to be able to scan and pay like in my home country," he said.

Rana visited a supermarket, savored Beijing's famous roast duck, drank milk tea, and purchased several Beijing specialties and panda toys. He was able to pay for everything during his visit by scanning a code on his mobile phone, without needing to download a new application. Rana said he experienced the great convenience of China's advanced mobile phone payment system.

It was China's expanding circle of overseas app payment partners that enabled Rana's mobile phone tour of Beijing. Recently, NayaPay announced that it would support payments in China through Ant Group's cross-border payment service, Alipay+.

Blue Harbor is one of NayaPay's cooperative partners, and is building itself into an "inbound, consumer-friendly business circle."

A number of companies in the domestic and overseas payment, financial and business services sectors have also worked together to launch a plan to build an inbound, consumer-friendly business circle in Blue Harbor, also pledging to provide more convenient services for inbound payments in major cities focusing on business and tourism.

In recent years, China's government and financial institutions have implemented a series of practical measures to meet the diversified payment services needs of foreigners in China.

At the beginning of this year, the Chinese government said that it would make it more convenient for foreigners to work, study and travel in China, while optimizing its payment services.

Beijing, the Chinese capital, plans to expand the service coverage of overseas bank cards in the city by the end of June. It is expected to establish payment facilities in its three, four and five-star hotels, and at tourist attractions at or above the 3A level.

In Blue Harbor, convenient Alipay+ payment guides are easy to spot on shop counters, and friendly English signs remind foreign tourists to link their international Visa cards or overseas e-wallets to China's mobile payment services.

"Now, even the small shops selling pigeon food here can do cross-border business with QR codes," said Zhang Xiaofei, general manager of the Blue Harbor business area. Every store counter in the area has signs reminding English-speakers that they can use their country's e-wallet or the Alipay app to pay by scanning a code, and merchants also accept Visa credit card payments, Zhang added.

In south China's Guangdong Province, Shenzhen is working to build 100 convenient payment demonstration business circles to accelerate the construction of its citywide payment demonstration zone. And moving north, Shanghai has issued a plan to achieve full POS machine services coverage across major commercial businesses, in its culture and tourism sectors, and at transport hubs such as airports and railway stations.

Driven by improvements such as foreigner-friendly payment services and visa-free travel policies, more and more foreign nationals are visiting, studying, living and working in China, helping to scale up China's inbound consumption market.

Ant Group data shows that since 2022, foreign tourists from nearly 200 countries and regions have linked international bank cards to the Alipay app after entering China. In March this year, the cumulative transaction value of overseas visitors to China soared nearly 10-fold year on year on Alipay.

Wang Jing, head of Qiankun Space, an art and culture workshop in Beijing, said that a growing number of foreign tourists are making mobile payments since domestic payment apps simplified the process of linking overseas bank cards.

"Since last year, the number of foreign tourists using Alipay has increased. We recorded just a few transactions in the past, compared to more than a dozen transactions every day now -- and even more during peak holiday seasons," Wang added.

Mariah, an American who has lived in Beijing for six years, works as a teacher at a local private school. She has adapted to online payments, she said, joking that she can't go out without her mobile phone now.

"I often use a variety of mobile applications, such as Didi for ride-hailing services, and booking tickets online when traveling. All of these applications have their own English version, and they are very easy to use," she said.

China is working to optimize its payment services for people from all over the world. And it is expected that foreigners will be able to pay for goods and services more easily in major Chinese cities very soon, no matter where the payment is made, including entry and exit ports, high-speed railway stations, and hotels and scenic spots, according to Mariah. 

Pakistani tourist Rana uses Pakistan's NayaPay mobile app to pay the bill at a restaurant in the Blue Harbor international shopping park in Chaoyang District of Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2024.(Xinhua)
WASHINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and 23 others injured in a bus crash in U.S. state of Maryland early Sunday, authorities said.

Police responded to the scene of a single vehicle bus crash on I-95 Interstate Highway in Harford County shortly after 6:00 a.m. local time (1000 GMT), said Maryland State Police in a news release.

The preliminary investigation indicated the bus with 24 people aboard traveling northbound on I-95 when for unknown reasons losing control and striking a guardrail, it said.

One passenger from the bus was pronounced dead on the scene, it added.

Maryland State Police said it's actively investigating the cause of the accident. 
PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China and the European Union (EU) should continue to see each other as partners, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Monday.

Xi made the remarks at a China-France-EU trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Elysee Palace.

As the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation, China and the EU, as two major forces in the world, should stay committed to dialogue and cooperation, deepen strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, build strategic consensus, carry out strategic coordination, work for steady and sound growth of China-EU ties, and continue making new contributions to world peace and development, Xi said. 
Rescuers work at the site where a minibus and a concrete mixer collided in the Islahiye district, Gaziantep province, southern Turkiye, on May 6, 2024. At least 8 people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday in the collision between a minibus and a concrete mixer in the Islahiye district. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

ANKARA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 8 people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday in a collision between a minibus and a concrete mixer in the Islahiye district of Gaziantep province in southern Turkiye.

The incident took place at the Agabey region on the Islahiye-Hatay highway, as reported by the semi-official Anadolu Agency. The minibus was severely damaged and reportedly overturned into a ravine.

Health, fire, and police teams have been deployed to the scene, according to the report.

"Expert investigations are ongoing ... The truck driver and the minibus driver are slightly injured. A detention process is foreseen for the truck driver after their treatment," Gaziantep Governor Kemal Ceber told media. 

Rescuers work at the site where a minibus and a concrete mixer collided in the Islahiye district, Gaziantep province, southern Turkiye, on May 6, 2024. At least 8 people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday in the collision between a minibus and a concrete mixer in the Islahiye district. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Rescuers work at the site where a minibus and a concrete mixer collided in the Islahiye district, Gaziantep province, southern Turkiye, on May 6, 2024. At least 8 people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday in the collision between a minibus and a concrete mixer in the Islahiye district. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Rescuers work at the site where a minibus and a concrete mixer collided in the Islahiye district, Gaziantep province, southern Turkiye, on May 6, 2024. At least 8 people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday in the collision between a minibus and a concrete mixer in the Islahiye district. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Rescuers work at the site where a minibus and a concrete mixer collided in the Islahiye district, Gaziantep province, southern Turkiye, on May 6, 2024. At least 8 people were killed and 11 others injured on Monday in the collision between a minibus and a concrete mixer in the Islahiye district. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, a milestone event in China-Western relations. #GLOBALink





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








* Upholding mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, China-France economic and trade cooperation continues to expand, making the "pie" of cooperation bigger.

* In recent years, the relationship between China and France has risen to new heights, and the two countries keep making new progress in cooperation on aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, agrifood and green development.

* Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu have boosted Chinese exports to France, offering high-quality and affordable products to French consumers.

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping was warmly received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport as he started his third state visit following previous trips in 2014 and 2019.

This visit took place during the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France, fueling the visit with special meaning as an important opportunity to build on past achievements and guide the future of bilateral ties.

In the 60 years since, the bilateral relations have always stayed abreast of China's relations with Western countries, setting a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, Xi said in a written speech on Sunday upon his arrival here.

China is ready to consolidate traditional friendship, enhance political mutual trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields with France via visit, Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

MAKING A BIGGER PIE

According to data released by China's Ministry of Commerce, French direct investment in China in the first two months of this year has surged 585.8 percent year-on-year.

China and France, in the face of difficulties and challenges, have upheld true multilateralism and kept to the right direction of free trade and economic globalization, significantly enhancing the resilience and vitality of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, said Xi while addressing the closing ceremony of the fifth meeting of the China-France Business Council in Beijing in April 2023.

According to a 2023 survey of French companies in China conducted by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, many member companies are planning to further invest in China.

"The importance of the Chinese market, from my point of view, has not changed," Barbara Frei, the executive vice president of Schneider Electric, told Xinhua. She voiced confidence in China's position as a more mature economy and the biggest market in industrial automation and highlighted China's role as an "innovation driver."

Her remarks were echoed by Patrick Charignon, vice president for Asia-Pacific of EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of France's leading electric utility company EDF.

"China, with its immense ambitions in terms of energy transition, and as the world leader in decarbonized energy production capacity, is obviously a very important market for EDF," said Charignon.

Upholding mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, China-France economic and trade cooperation continues to expand, making the "pie" of cooperation bigger. Two-way trade between China and France has reached 78.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

China is now France's largest trading partner in Asia, while France ranks as China's third-largest trading partner within the European Union (EU).

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in April last year, Xi conveyed to Macron China's readiness to work with France to build a "French farm to Chinese dining table" whole-chain rapid coordination mechanism. Nowadays, this mechanism is becoming a shining example of practical cooperation between China and France.

"We produce high-quality beef thanks to our certification and traceability system. We still need to communicate that quality to Chinese consumers," Maxence Bigard, president of INTERBEV, the French interprofessional livestock and meat association, told Xinhua.

The first Airbus A321 aircraft is produced at the Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) facility in north China's Tianjin on Nov. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

COOPERATING ON INNOVATION

In recent years, the relationship between China and France has risen to new heights, and the two countries keep making new progress in cooperation on aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, agrifood and green development, said Xi in his written speech on Sunday.

In the joint venture established by the Renault Group and the Chinese automotive supplier Minth located in the "Battery Valley" of northern France, two new production lines have begun manufacturing battery boxes for electric vehicles.

Inside the factory, dozens of welding robots and handling robots work in an orderly manner. The advanced technologies brought by the Chinese side have spared French partners' capital and time.

"What really interests us is to have this partnership so that we can benefit from the know-how of these Chinese companies that have made very, very rapid progress, particularly in electric vehicles, but also in upstream technologies," said Yann Pitollet, CEO of Nord France Invest, whose words echo the sentiments of many local executives.

In January, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus opened a service center dedicated to the entire lifecycle of an aircraft in the city of Chengdu, the firm's first such center outside Europe.

"Expanding our presence in the Chinese market provides us with the opportunity to discover additional avenues for growth," said Brian Agnew, general manager of Airbus Lifecycle Services, adding that the Chengdu project is driving Airbus to expedite the development of localized services, benefiting not only Chinese customers but also global clients.

In the cosmetics industry, China has become one of the six global research and innovation centers and one of the three global beauty technology centers for French company L'Oreal, as well as a product evaluation center.

France was the first Western country to cooperate with China on civilian nuclear energy projects. Since then, cooperation has expanded from technical to more forward-looking research areas.

"The two countries are committed to continuing their nuclear cooperation on cutting-edge research and development topics, in particular on the basis of the agreement between the Atomic Energy Authority of China and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission," said a joint statement between China and France in 2023.

Luo Qingping, chairman of the China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy (CINIS), told Xinhua that over the past year, CINIS has conducted forward-looking research on nuclear energy to support low-carbon development in collaboration with EDF.

"This is an exemplary case of strategic planning research cooperation between Chinese and French companies, reflecting the consensus between China and France in the development of nuclear energy," said Luo.

Chinese pavilion is seen at the 60th International Agriculture Fair in Paris, France, Feb. 26, 2024. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

EXPANDING WIN-WIN PLATFORMS

In the video speech marking the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties, Xi said the two countries should "pool cooperation forces and share development opportunities through openness."

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) has become an important gateway for French goods to enter the Chinese market. The 7th CIIE of this year has once again invited France as the guest of honor. Pascale Thieffry, director of the French Pavilion department at Business France, said that the CIIE has greatly promoted the trade development between France and China.

On the French side, the International Agriculture Fair (Salon de l'Agriculture) in Paris also serves as a bridge for agricultural cooperation between China and France. From February to March this year, the Chinese Pavilion made its debut at this annual event, with local specialties such as dried wolfberries and citrus peel tea, as well as Chinese handicrafts like paper-cutting and shadow puppets, attracting many French customers to come and discuss cooperation.

Cross-border e-commerce between China and France has witnessed a boom in recent years. Li Mingtao, head of the research institute at the China International Electronic Commerce Center, said in the past two years, e-commerce platforms have prompted many small French enterprises to explore the Chinese market.

A study by SDA Bocconi School of Management in Italy shows that from 2019 to 2022, French exports to China on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and Taobao Global amounted to 41 billion euros (44 billion dollars), roughly equivalent to the total sum of exports of Italy, Spain, and Germany to China.

Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu have boosted Chinese exports to France, offering high-quality and affordable products to French consumers.

The third-party market cooperation between China and France also continues to deepen. Stellantis Group, a leading global automaker that merged by Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group, invested 1.5 billion euros (1.62 billion dollars) in October last year to acquire about 20 percent of the shares of Chinese electric vehicle company Leapmotor Technology. The newly established joint venture has started production of pure electric vehicles in Italy and Poland, among other places.

In the Republic of the Congo, China, France and the Central African country jointly undertake the concession operation project for No. 1 National Highway, significantly boosting local employment and improving people's well-being.

(Xinhua correspondents Qiao Benxiao, Zhang Baihui, Zhang Chaoqun, Dong Xiaohong, Che Yunlong and Li Chao also contributed to the story.)
Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, shakes hands with a family member of Oyunqemag to offer condolences in Beijing, capital of China, May 6, 2024. The remains of Oyunqemag, former vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 10th and 11th NPC of China, were cremated in Beijing on Monday. Entrusted by the Central Committee of the CPC, Zhao and others bid farewell to Oyunqemag at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on Monday morning, paying their respects to her and offering condolences to her family. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The remains of Oyunqemag, former vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the 10th and 11th National People's Congress (NPC) of China, were cremated in Beijing on Monday.

Entrusted by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and others bid farewell to Oyunqemag at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on Monday morning, paying their respects to her and offering condolences to her family.

Oyunqemag was extolled as an excellent member of the CPC, a loyal communist soldier, and an outstanding leader in the country's ethnic work and the development of the socialist legal system.

She passed away due to illness at the age of 81 in Beijing on April 30.

Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Han Zheng, Hu Jintao, and others had either visited Oyunqemag when she was in the hospital or mourned her and offered condolences to her family through various means after her passing. 
TIANJIN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At the exhibition hall of Chinese winemaker Dynasty Fine Wines Group Limited, all its wine products made since 1980 are presented, telling the story of how French wine-making technology has spread and changed in China.

Dynasty Fine Wines Group Limited, in north China's Tianjin Municipality, was the first Sino-French joint venture, and over the past decades it has witnessed continued Sino-French cooperation.

"At first, it was just a grape farm," said Huang Manyou, executive director of Dynasty Fine Wines Group Limited. The grape farm, however, was where the bond between the two companies from China and France started.

In November 1979, a team from Remy Martin was looking for a suitable location to build a factory in China, and the grape quality at the farm attracted the team.

In May 1980, the Sino-French joint venture project to establish a winery was approved. After nearly 100 days of construction, the new plant was completed and officially put into operation that year. In the space of just three months after starting operation, the company managed to produce more than 100,000 bottles of wine.

Thanks to the technical support of the French side, the company also established a relatively advanced automated production line in 1980.

Wine made by the company soon enjoyed great recognition. In 1984, wine produced by this company won the gold medal at an international fair in Leipzig, Germany. Its wines also generated significant sales and secured more than half of China's domestic wine market.

In 1985, this continuous improvement of production and sales allowed the company to build a new factory, and by 1989 the company's annual production had reached 1 million bottles. In 2005, Dynasty Fine Wines Group Limited was successfully listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Wine is a cultural symbol of cooperation, and it reflects continuous and in-depth exchanges and cooperation between China and France.

In recent years, thanks to the continued integration of the economic and cultural fields of the two countries, cooperation between China and France has become increasingly close.

Statistics show that since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1964, bilateral trade volume has shown a more than 800-fold increase, with broad prospects for cooperation in agriculture, food, the services trade, high-end manufacturing and scientific and technological innovation.

According to a survey report released by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China last year, 47 percent of its member companies planned to invest further in China, demonstrating that they felt positive about the Chinese market and considered this market to be reliable. 
BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday said that to play the "Taiwan card" is to drive oneself into the wall, and supporting Taiwan will inevitably backfire, urging the United States to stop stepping on China's baseline and red line on the Taiwan question in any way.

Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing, in response to relevant statement by Mark Lambert, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and China Coordinator, regarding Resolution 2758 and the Taiwan question.

Lin said Lambert's remarks are a total distortion of the resolution and facts. They misrepresent the history, and tread upon the international law and basic norms of international relations. "It is shocking and outrageous that a U.S. State Department official overseeing China-U.S. relations would speak so irresponsibly and brazenly tell and spread lies. The Chinese side has strongly protested to the U.S. side on those remarks."

Lin went on to point out that there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. The Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is an undeniable fact, a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations.

UNGA Resolution 2758 resolved once and for all politically, legally and procedurally the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN. The resolution also made clear that there can only be one seat representing China at the UN and precluded the possibility of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," said Lin.

The UN is an intergovernmental international organization composed of sovereign states, Lin said, adding that Taiwan, a province of China, has no basis, reason or right to join the UN or its relevant agencies. "This is stipulated in the UN Charter and is the principle that all UN member states must follow and an obligation that they should fulfill."

The United States deliberately distorted UNGA's Resolution 2758 and propagated the narrative of so-called "Taiwan's meaningful participation in the UN system" to hollow out the one-China principle, embolden and support "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, and serve its pernicious aim of suppressing China, said Lin.

"Such an attempt to turn back the wheel of history and ignore global opinion will only be resisted and opposed by the international force for justice and will not succeed," he added. 
SYDNEY, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Australia's largest domestic and international airline Qantas confirmed on Monday that it would pay 120 million Australian dollars (about 79.4 million U.S. dollars) in fines and compensation for allegedly selling tickets on canceled flights.

That came as part of the agreement the national carrier reached with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to settle a lawsuit about its flight cancellation processes.

Under the settlement, Qantas will kick off the 20 million-Australian-dollar (about 13.2 million U.S. dollars) remediation program for more than 86,000 impacted passengers, with payments ranging from 225 to 450 Australian dollars (about 148 to 297 U.S. dollars), and also face a penalty of 100 million Australian dollars (about 66.1 million U.S. dollars), subject to the approval of the Federal Court of Australia.

In August 2023, the ACCC launched court action against the airline, arguing that between May 2021 and July 2022, Qantas advertised tickets for more than 8,000 canceled flights.

Meanwhile, it was also alleged that for more than 10,000 flights due to depart from May to July 2022, Qantas did not promptly notify existing ticket holders that their flights had been canceled.

The consumer watchdog noted in a statement that Qantas has admitted its deed of misleading consumers by "advertising tickets for tens of thousands of flights it had already decided to cancel, and by canceling thousands more flights without promptly telling ticket holders of its decision."

According to the statement, Qantas' misconduct continued from May 2021 until August 2023, which affected tens of thousands of flights scheduled to depart between May 2022 and May 2024. 
COLOMBO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's import increased by 12.9 percent and export by 5.7 percent in the first three months of this year, compared to a year earlier, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said on Monday.

According to a statement from his office, agricultural exports grew by 5.1 percent and industrial exports by 6 percent year on year during the first quarter, noting Sri Lanka's economy benefited from an expansion in manufacturing, industrial and tourism sectors in the cited period.

Sri Lanka's economy is projected to grow at a moderate 2.2 percent in 2024, showing signs of stabilization following the severe economic downturn in 2022, according to the World Bank in its latest biannual update. 
GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Hamas on Monday threatened to suspend all indirect negotiations with Israel right after Israel ordered the Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern areas of Rafah in southern Gaza.

Israel's threats to expand its operations in the city of Rafah "will have negative repercussions on the indirect negotiations, which may lead to the cessation of Hamas participation," a senior Hamas official, who preferred not to mention his name, told Xinhua.

The official added that "even if Israel invades Rafah it will not achieve any of its war goals ... it will never end the Palestinian resistance in Gaza."

Earlier in the day, the Israeli army ordered the Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern areas of Rafah city in the southern of the besieged coastal enclave.

Avichai Adraee, a spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that "for all people who live in the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabba Zaraa, and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, the army will work with extreme force against terrorist organizations there."

He added that "anyone who is near terrorist organizations is to put his life and the life of his family at risk," calling them to evacuate their areas immediately to avoid any danger to their lives.

He pointed out that the army is expanding the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, which includes field hospitals, tents, and supplies including food, water, and medicines.

The operation in eastern Rafah will move forward gradually based on the ongoing assessment of the situation, pointing out that the army will distribute leaflets, send SMS messages and phone calls, as well as broadcast information through the Arab media, Adraea explained.

He stressed that the Israeli army will continue to work to achieve the goals of the war, including "dismantling Hamas and returning all the kidnapped."

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where about 1.4 million Palestinians took shelter.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army has launched a large-scale war at Hamas, the Islamist group ruling Gaza since 2007, right after it carried out its unprecedented attack at the southern Israeli cities and towns adjacent to the coastal enclave. 
LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Seven people were shot and injured outside a nightclub in Southern California port city Long Beach late Saturday, authorities said on Sunday.

The Long Beach Police Department said in a news release that officers responded to reports of a shooting around 11:15 p.m. local time Saturday (0615 GMT Sunday).

"Upon arrival, officers located multiple victims, and immediately began rendering medical aid," it said, adding that victims were transported to local hospitals by either Long Beach Fire Department personnel or themselves.

All the seven victims are male adults. Three of the injured sustained non-life-threatening injuries while four others were in critical but stable condition.

The preliminary investigation indicates at least two male suspects fired shots at a group of people and the suspects fled the area immediately after the shooting.

Police detectives are investigating the shooting and it is believed to be gang-related. 
PANAMA CITY, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Panama's Electoral Tribunal late Sunday declared Jose Raul Mulino, the candidate of the opposition alliance comprised of the Realizing Goals party and Alianza movement, as the winner of the presidential elections after a preliminary count of more than 85 percent of voting stations.

Mulino entered the race as the running mate of former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) but became a candidate in his own right after Martinelli was disqualified from running in March due to a conviction related to money laundering.

On Sunday, the head of the Electoral Tribunal Alfredo Junca confirmed via a video call to Mulino that he was the preliminary winner of the presidential race in the 2024 general elections. 
U.S. Congressman Al Green speaks at the 10th China-U.S. Energy Enterprise Cooperation Forum held in Houston, Texas, the United States, on May 5, 2024. Dozens of Chinese and U.S. entrepreneurs gathered here at a forum on Sunday to foster future cooperation amid challenges in both traditional and new energy fields.(Photo by Chengyue Lao/Xinhua)

HOUSTON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Chinese and U.S. entrepreneurs gathered here at a forum on Sunday to foster future cooperation amid challenges in both traditional and new energy fields.

Addressing the 10th China-U.S. Energy Enterprise Cooperation Forum, U.S. Congressman Al Green, who has represented Texas' 9th congressional district since 2005, welcomed Chinese energy entrepreneurs to visit Texas and the United States in his remarks.

"I believe that you are coming to a country traversing some great distance, (which) is going to make a difference," Green said. "Now, your reason for being here is exceedingly important because aside from the energy aspect of it, which is very important, there is another reason -- people-to-people relationships make great relationships for countries."

The veteran lawmaker said the forum offers "an opportunity to build a bridge to span the chasms that can separate us so that we may have better opportunities to do business with each other."

Zhang Guanjun, secretary-general of China Petroleum & Petrochemical Equipment Industry Association, said he hoped the forum would serve as a venue not only to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the energy industries, but also to strengthen cooperation between Chinese and U.S. energy firms.

As many as 108 entrepreneurs from 65 Chinese and American companies attended the half-day forum, according to the organizer. 
YANGON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have seized large quantities of drugs in the eastern state of Shan and three suspects were arrested, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, anti-narcotic police conducted a raid on a suspect's home in Lashio Township, Shan State on Saturday, and discovered 30,000 stimulant tablets, 396 grams of heroin and cash.

During the same operation, police searched the second suspect's home in Lashio and found 7.1 kg of Happy Water, 4.32 kg of Ketamine, and a few other narcotics, the CCDAC said.

Additionally, over 1 kg of heroin, 6,000 stimulant tablets and cash were confiscated from the third suspect's place in Lashio on that day, the CCDAC added.

The arrested were charged under the Southeast Asian country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. 
Red dresses are hung along a street to mark the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on May 5, 2024. May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day, in Canada. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

Red dresses are hung outside a building to mark the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on a street in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on May 5, 2024. May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day, in Canada. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

People tied red ribbons on a tree during the Red Dress Day ceremony in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on May 5, 2024. May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day, in Canada. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

An indigenous woman bearing hand-shaped paint mark over her mouth is seen during the Red Dress Day ceremony in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on May 5, 2024. May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, also known as Red Dress Day, in Canada. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)
MOSCOW, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 35 others injured after a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's border region of Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Monday.

The drones hit two vehicles transporting company employees going to work and a passenger car near the village of Berezovka, Borisovsky district, Gladkov said on his Telegram channel.

Among the injured, two were children, with both suffering minor injuries. Another man is in serious condition and is currently undergoing surgery, Gladkov added.

The Russian Investigative Committee said Monday that it will investigate the attack and "establish all the circumstances of what happened, and the persons involved in the commission of this crime." 
May Day holiday travel boom highlights economic vitality

Xinhua) 08:14, May 06, 2024

People visit a shopping mall in southwest China's Chongqing, May 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) -- During the ongoing May Day holiday lasting from May 1 to 5, many Chinese people have embarked on journeys to explore the vast country, underscoring China's economic vitality and resilience.

Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, famed for its sprawling skylines, leisurely lifestyle and spicy hot pot, has been among the most popular destinations.

At the city's Shibati scenic area, which features an ancient stairway and various traditional style buildings, Lao Xingye, a tourist from central China's Hubei province, is amazed by the strong sense of history and unique terrain features of the mountain city.

"In Shibati, there is a mixture of the old and the modern," Lao said. On one side of the main passage of the scenic area are trendy brands and fashion buyer stores; while on the other side are traditional shops selling products such as vintage items, wood carvings and bronze wares.

"Nowadays, tourists pay more attention to quality, and expect a personalized and diversified experience," said Yu Zhu, in charge of investment promotion of Shibati area.

"We should fully take advantage of the local culture and present it in a creative way, trying to establish an emotional connection with tourists, so that the scenic spot can have lasting vitality," Yu said.

As of 11:00 p.m. on May 3, Yuzhong District, where Shibati is located, received about 5 million tourists in the holiday, an increase of more than 15 percent over the same period last year.

During the first three days of the holiday, the district saw its comprehensive tourism revenue totaling 4.28 billion yuan (about 591 million U.S. dollars), up 17.5 percent, according to local government.

Meanwhile, north China's Jilin Province, where the tourist hot spot Changbai Mountain is located, has also seen a large influx of travelers.

The province received 3.21 million tourists on the first day of the holiday, up 80 percent year on year, and the Changbai Mountain scenic area received 17,100 tourists on the first day, registering a growth of over 326 percent.

Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in east China's Shanghai, May 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)

Zuo Honglei, manager of the ticket management department of the tourist distribution center of the northern area of Changbai Mountain, said the scenic spot has extended the opening hours to increase tourist carrying capacity, and strictly implemented policies of time-sharing and reservation.

The management committee of the mountain has attracted many catering enterprises such as barbecue shops, cafes, and seafood shops to the commercial street of the scenic area.

"This is my second time to the Changbai Mountain. This time I have not only enjoyed the beautiful views, but also had a one-stop taste of the local delicacies," Yu Tingjiao, a tourist from east China's Jiangxi Province said, adding that she also bought black fungus, ginseng and other specialties here.

Located in easternmost Jilin, the border city of Hunchun has been attracting tourists with a wide variety of products imported from Russia, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

The Hunchun Northeast Asia Cross-border E-commerce Industrial Park received more than 15,000 tourists per day during the holiday, an increase of 50 percent, and its daily sales exceeded 3 million yuan, an increase of 200 percent.

The industrial park recently launched a Russian bakery, a king crab themed exhibition hall, along with some discounted activities, said Sun Jufeng, head of the reform and innovation bureau of the Hunchun demonstration zone.

During this holiday, travel destinations in lower-tier markets are embracing a surge in popularity, as infrastructure improves and hospitality capabilities expand.

Tourists experience drifting in Zhuquan Village of Yinan County, Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Wang Yanbing/Xinhua)

The small county of Xingguo in Jiangxi Province, have launched activities such as music shows, comedy shows, and folk song parties to cater to curious tourists.

Li Yong has traveled from the neighboring Fujian Province to the county. "My family plan to stay here for the holiday, to eat delicious food, enjoy shows and see sceneries," Li said. "It's unlike in the past when I would travel around and spend a lot of time struggling to secure tickets as well as making plans for the entire trip."

According to a market forecast by Trip.com, hotel bookings in county-level markets have spiked by 68 percent year on year during the holiday. Data also shows a rise of 42 percent in countryside trips compared to the same period last year.

The country's railway network is expected to handle 144 million passenger trips during the eight-day May Day holiday travel rush from April 29 to May 6, according to China Railway.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The eighth China-Russia Expo is set to take place from May 16 to 21 in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday.

The event is part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia this year.

It will feature a significant lineup of Russian enterprises organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Additionally, 16 Russian federal entities will present their businesses at the event, Chinese commerce ministry official Liu Xuesong said at a news conference.

The expo will also serve as a platform to highlight Russia's socio-economic development, investment opportunities, cooperative projects, quality products and distinctive cultural elements. It aims to foster extensive discussions and negotiations between the two countries in various sectors.

In recent years, the volume of trade between China and Russia has been expanding, and commodity structure optimization is ongoing. In 2023, bilateral trade between the two nations reached 240.1 billion U.S. dollars, achieving an established trade target of 200 billion U.S. dollars ahead of schedule.

The first quarter of 2024 saw that positive trend continue, with bilateral trade amounting to 56.68 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent.

The upcoming expo is expected to attract over 5,000 professional buyers from more than 120 delegations representing 44 countries and regions.

Its exhibition area will span 388,000 square meters, showcasing more than 5,000 products in over 20 major categories from 10 sectors.

This year's event will see Zhejiang act as its Chinese guest province of honor, Moscow as its Russian guest city of honor, and Harbin as its thematic host city.

The host city of the China-Russia Expo alternates between the two countries. Since its inception in 2014, the expo has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian enterprises, as well as over 1.05 million merchants, facilitating contracts totaling 446.8 billion yuan (about 63 billion U.S. dollars) in value. 
The so-called "problem of China's overcapacity" does not exist either from the perspective of comparative advantage or in light of global demand, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a trilateral meeting of China, France and the EU.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
This photo taken on March 26, 2024 shows the construction site of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

GUIYANG, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Wang Songyu climbs onto the catwalk at least once a day to check on the supporting conditions of cables -- an important procedure for building a suspension bridge.

He used to walk on the catwalk timidly and cautiously, but now he has adapted to the height of about two Eiffel Towers, being able to make big strides.

With a design height of 625 meters between the bridge deck and the Beipanjiang River below, the 2,890-meter-long Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province will be the highest in the world when it is completed in 2025.

Wang, 31, works as a deputy project manager from the Guizhou Bridge Construction Group, which currently undertakes the construction of the upper structure of the steel girder suspension bridge.

People work at the construction site of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

Since the project started in 2022, numerous engineers and workers have joined in the construction in the hinterland, including young faces like Wang.

It was the first time for Wang to take part in the construction of a steel girder suspension bridge, and this was also his first attempt to shift from a technician to a manager.

To complete this task, he studied the techniques in advance, visited the same type of bridges across the province to learn their experience, and visited the construction site frequently to ensure the safety and quality. His sun-tanned skin made him look older than his age.

Despite the harsh working conditions, Wang was full of passion and insisted on loving what he was doing.

He said the projects he had been engaged in were always in remote mountainous areas with poor infrastructure. He was touched by the enthusiasm and honesty of local people, who prepared tea, led his way in the bushes, and invited him to their homes for meals.

"It's my great honor to build roads and bridges for the benefit of people," said Wang, adding that he had a strong sense of fulfillment when the roads or bridges opened to the traffic.

After the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge is put into operation, the time it takes to cross the canyon will be reduced from approximately 70 minutes to just about a minute by car.

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows people working at the construction site of the Huajiang grand canyon bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

According to Liu Hao, the project's chief engineer, of the 45 engineers from the Guizhou Bridge Construction Group, 32 are under the age of 35.

"Filled with curiosity and passion, young people tend to embrace new things more easily without being affected by experiences. They also have a strong capability to learn," said Liu.

Ouyang Song, 29, returned to work in his hometown of Guizhou after graduating from Shanghai's Tongji University at the age of 22 and now heads the engineering section of the project.

He said that most of his team members were born after 1990. They cooperate very well and discuss and solve problems together.

With 92.5 percent of its land covered by mountains and hills, Guizhou has built nearly 30,000 bridges since the late 1970s and is now home to nearly half of the world's 100 tallest bridges.

In January 2024, a team of engineers who built bridges in Guizhou was awarded the National Engineer Award for their outstanding contributions to engineering technology.

"Guizhou boasts lots of bridges, which have brought me opportunities and challenges," said Ouyang. 
RAMALLAH, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian presidency warned Monday that Israel would commit a "crime of genocide" in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, following an Israeli call on Palestinian residents to evacuate from eastern Rafah in preparation for a possible ground offensive.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, said in a press statement that Israel has actually begun preparing to commit the largest "crime of genocide" by invading Rafah, holding the U.S. administration responsible for these dangerous Israeli policies.

He said the invasion of Rafah would mean that 1.4 million Palestinian citizens would be subjected to "a genocidal massacre and displacement," calling on the U.S. administration to act immediately to prevent it, and to hold Israel accountable for the serious "violations" it is committing against international law before it is too late.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered Palestinian residents to evacuate the eastern neighborhoods of Gaza's southernmost city Rafah, ahead of a planned offensive in the area.

Avichai Adraee, a spokesperson of the Israeli army, said in a press statement that "for all people who live in the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Jeneina, Tabba Zaraa, and Al-Byouk in the Rafah area in blocks 10-16, 28, and 270, the army will work with extreme force against terrorist organizations there."

Israel considers Rafah the last major stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Located in the southernmost part of the Strip, Rafah shelters approximately 1.4 million Palestinians.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. 
TEHRAN, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, on Monday exchanged views on boosting relations.

In a meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran, the two sides discussed cooperation in the areas of economy and security, according to a statement on the website of the Iranian president's office.

Noting that Iran's relations with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region were based on historical, religious and cultural bonds, Raisi expressed his hope that Barzani's visit would become a turning point in boosting the level of political, security, economic and cultural ties between the two sides.

He said the Iranian government and people attached great importance to Iraq's security, adding, "We are confident about the friendship and goodwill of our Iraqi and Kurdish brothers."

Given the "grudge" held by the "enemies" against the Iranian people, Raisi said, his country expected the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region to prevent any abuse of their soil by hostile groups targeting Iran.

He called for efforts to prevent any "hostile elements and ill-wishers" from disrupting the process of expanding bilateral cooperation.

Barzani, for his part, said the two neighbors' age-old religious, historical and cultural commonalities had created deep bonds between them.

Hailing Iran as a friend of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Barzani said, "We expect Iran to continue its support to help resolve the problems in Iraq and build a developed and advanced country." 
by Martina Fuchs

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China is a crucial market for multinational companies given its remarkable achievements in the last decades, Alexander Geiser, the CEO of FGS Global, has said.

FGS Global is a public relations company focusing on crisis management, government affairs, corporate reputation and capital markets communication with 1,300 employees and 30 offices, including one in Beijing and Shanghai.

"What China has done and accomplished over the last 30 years is unrivaled. We've never seen a nation that has been so successful in creating wealth in such a short period of time," Geiser told Xinhua on the sidelines of the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland.

The St. Gallen Symposium is a student-driven organization and platform for cross-generational dialogue and collaboration. This year's symposium, which was held from May 2 to 3 under the theme "Confronting Scarcity," brought together more than 100 speakers, 500 student volunteers and 1,200 participants.

"China is a very important market for us. For multinational companies going into China and Chinese companies that want to sell in global markets, helping them build their reputation in world markets is a growing business for us," said Geiser.

"We are now in a phase where China is finding its place in the world economy and trying to find a balance with everybody else. I sincerely hope that we do find a balance because that's a win-win situation for everybody," he said.

On April 29, the International Monetary Fund raised its growth estimate for China this year to 4.6 percent, up by 0.4 percentage points.

"Optimism is critical," Geiser said. "Everybody here at the conference can make a difference, whether you are a next-generation leader or a current-generation leader. Leadership will need more optimism and positive projects to pursue." 
A pro-Palestinian protester kneels down in front of police officers outside an encampment of tents in support of Palestinians near Royce Hall of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on May 1, 2024. (Xinhua)

"We denounce police brutality and the militarization of campuses sanctioned by institutional leaders," the Middle East Research and Information Project, an academic publication, said in a recent statement.

NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The recent raid on pro-Palestinian encampments on U.S. college campuses and arrests of over 2,400 students by police have drawn sharp criticism from various sides in the United States.

"We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the heavy-handed, militaristic response to student activism that we are seeing across the country," said a recent statement by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).

Too many cowardly university leaders are responding to largely peaceful, outdoor protests by inviting law enforcement in riot gear to campus and condoning violent arrests, said the statement, which was signed by over 50 chapters at various universities.

Photo taken with a mobile phone on May 2, 2024 shows police officers breaking through the pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in Los Angeles, California, the United States. (Photo by Yang Pingjun/Xinhua)

According to the latest tally by The Associated Press, over 2,400 protesters have been arrested since April 17 on over 45 U.S. campuses nationwide.

The Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), an academic publication, said it is "horrified and angered to learn of the assault and arrests," noting that "police violence against peaceful protesters on college campuses has become an alarming trend in the last two weeks."

"We denounce police brutality and the militarization of campuses sanctioned by institutional leaders," said MERIP in a recent statement.

In particular, the police in New York City have made over 450 arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses since April 17.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is seen as the face of the crackdown on student protests, defended the arrests by stressing the role of outside agitators and the need to end the threat to academic life.

Photo taken with a mobile phone on May 2, 2024 shows police officers arresting pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in Los Angeles, California, the United States.(Photo by Yang Pingjun/Xinhua)

"We condemn the use of militarized police force against students in the strongest possible terms and affirm their right to assemble peacefully," said Ana Maria Archila, a director of the New York Working Families Party, in a recent post on social media.

"This is a shameful day in our city's history, and one that will not be forgotten," said Archila, referring to the crackdowns on students at Columbia University and City College of New York protesting the mass killing in Gaza.

There are no outside agitators in the fight against injustice and everybody with a conscience and a heart for the people has a right and a responsibility to join the fight and to stop injustice, said Carl Dix, a representative of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, in a rally on Saturday.

These recent interferences and threats are part of an ongoing partisan, political attack intended to dismantle U.S. higher education and make its institutions beholden only to corporate, political and private interests, warned the AAUP's statement.

The AAUP called on institutional leaders to reinstate student organizations shut down in recent months for political activity, drop charges against peaceful protesters, keep armed law enforcement off campuses, and uphold fundamental freedoms for students and faculty.
PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Monday he hopes that the EU institutions develop the right perception of China and adopt a positive China policy.

China-EU relations enjoy strong endogenous driving force and bright prospects of development, and this relationship does not target any third party, nor should it be dependent on or dictated by any third party, Xi said at a China-France-EU trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Elysee Palace.

The two sides should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, safeguard the political foundation of their ties, and uphold the basic norms governing international relations, Xi said.

China and the EU should make good preparations for a new round of China-EU Summit and for high-level dialogues in the strategic, economic and trade, green, and digital fields, and foster a partnership on industrial and supply chains featuring stability and mutual trust, Xi said.

It is important to make good use of China's visa-exemption policy for European countries and relevant arrangements to facilitate travel for foreign visitors, and encourage people-to-people exchanges and exchanges at the subnational level as well as cooperation on education and scientific research, in an effort to enhance popular support and public opinion for growing China-EU relations, Xi added. 
KABUL, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have apprehended 34 criminal suspects including three kidnappers over the past 24 hours throughout the country, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said Monday.

The alleged criminals were arrested following operations conducted by counter-narcotics police in the provinces of Herat, Ghazni, Samangan, Nangarhar, Takhar and Ghor, the ministry said.

Most of the detainees were involved in murder and theft cases, a source said, adding that the suspects were taken to concerned departments for investigation and possible legal process. 
URUMQI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A variety of travel programs rolled out by China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region boosted both visitor numbers and revenue during the just-concluded May Day holiday.

Statistics from the regional culture and tourism department showed that during the five-day holiday, the northwestern region received about 8.56 million domestic tourists, an increase of 6.3 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

Tourism revenue generated during the five days totaled nearly 8.1 billion yuan (about 1.14 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 33.87 percent.

Covering approximately one-sixth of China's land area, Xinjiang boasts varied and unique natural landscapes, and rich historical and cultural tourism resources.

China has increased air routes and implemented visa exemptions with countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. During the May Day holiday, Xinjiang saw a surge in cross-border tourist flows.

Amir, a tourist from Tajikistan who flew to Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang, during the holiday, said he was amazed by the delicious Xinjiang cuisine. "Xinjiang-style noodles, liangfen (cold bean jelly noodles), and liangpi (cold noodles), I like them all."

At the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, the first cross-border cooperation zone established between China and other countries, various cultural and tourism events, including dance dramas and music festivals, were held during the May Day holiday to attract numerous domestic and foreign tourists.

In Urumqi, among the various cultural and tourism activities, events related to horses, such as equestrian performances and equestrian etiquette, became highlights that stimulated the consumer market.

During the five-day holiday, tourism revenue in the region's capital city increased to 3.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34.86 percent.

Ancient city tourism in Xinjiang was also a popular choice among tourists.

Jing Jilin, from northeastern Liaoning Province, visited Kuqa City, once an important transportation hub along the ancient Silk Road.

"Touring Kuqa feels really different. The rich history and culture, along with the unique local architectural style, are unforgettable. I'm looking forward to coming again next time," Jing said.

In 2023, Xinjiang received a record number of 265 million visitors, marking a 117 percent year-on-year growth. Its tourism revenue totaled 296.7 billion yuan, up 227 percent. 
SHANGHAI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Foreign-invested enterprises have played a pivotal role in propelling the surge of lithium-ion battery exports from Shanghai in the first quarter of this year, according to data from Shanghai Customs.

From January to March, foreign-invested enterprises in Shanghai exported a total of 10.68 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) worth of lithium-ion batteries, up 30.8 percent year on year.

This substantial export volume accounted for 90.3 percent of the city's total lithium battery exports.

Shanghai exported 22.58 million lithium-ion batteries in the first quarter, marking a notable increase of 116.5 percent compared to the same period last year. 
Jose Raul Mulino delivers a speech in Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

PANAMA CITY, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Panama's Electoral Tribunal late Sunday declared Jose Raul Mulino, the candidate of the opposition alliance comprised of the Realizing Goals party and Alianza movement, as the winner of the presidential elections after a preliminary count of more than 85 percent of voting stations.

Mulino entered the race as the running mate of former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) but became a candidate in his own right after Martinelli was disqualified from running in March due to a conviction related to money laundering.

On Sunday, the head of the Electoral Tribunal Alfredo Junca confirmed via a video call to Mulino that he was the preliminary winner of the presidential race in the 2024 general elections.

Junca congratulated Mulino and invited him to attend a plenary session of the tribunal on Sunday evening.

Mulino said that in the coming five-year term he was confident in establishing a peaceful, honest, and above all, efficient government that could address the enormous needs of Panamanians.

The former minister of justice and of public security also pledged his commitment to leading a unity government as soon as possible.

With more than 85 percent of polling stations counted, Mulino led the field of eight candidates with 34 percent of the votes, followed by Ricardo Lombana of the Otro Camino movement, with 25 percent of the votes. 

A woman votes at a polling station during the presidential elections in Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

Jose Raul Mulino delivers a speech in Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

People vote at a polling station during the presidential elections in Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

Jose Raul Mulino delivers a speech before voting in the presidential elections in Panama City, Panama, May 5, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

Panamanian President-elect Jose Raul Mulino speaks to journalists in Panama City, Panama, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo (R) shakes hands with President-elect Jose Raul Mulino in Panama City, Panama, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo (R) and President-elect Jose Raul Mulino wave to journalists in Panama City, Panama, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)

Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo (L) and President-elect Jose Raul Mulino wave to journalists in Panama City, Panama, May 7, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Gonzalez/Xinhua)
An engineer works on a power line pole in Nairobi, Kenya, May 6, 2024. UN humanitarians said on Monday nearly 750,000 people were affected by flooding in eastern Africa, with 234,000 displaced and more than 236 killed - more than 229 in Kenya alone. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said local authorities in Kenya reported more than 285,000 people were affected nationwide. (Photo by John Okoyo/Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians said on Monday nearly 750,000 people were affected by flooding in eastern Africa, with 234,000 displaced and more than 236 killed - more than 229 in Kenya alone.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also said local authorities in Kenya reported more than 285,000 people were affected nationwide.

"The United Nations and our partners are supporting the government-led response and have reached more than 126,000 people with water and sanitation assistance, 31,000 people with food and cash assistance, more than 5,000 people with health services, and nearly 26,000 people with emergency shelter support," OCHA said.

The office said that in Somalia, more than 160,000 people were affected by flooding, with more than 37,000 displaced or relocated. Flooding has killed seven children since April 19, with the states of Hirshabelle, Jubaland and Southwest the worst affected.

Humanitarian agencies said local authorities provided more than 70,000 people with food, cash, water, sanitation, shelter and health assistance. Some 50 boats were deployed to deliver supplies or evacuate people who may have been marooned by flood waters.

"Our partners estimate that the rains and floods could affect at least 770,000 people in Somalia," OCHA said. "The rains are also likely to worsen the ongoing cholera epidemic in the country."

The humanitarians said that in Burundi, torrential rains and the rising water level of Lake Tanganyika have affected nearly 180,000 people since January. The agriculture sector is heavily impacted, with national authorities estimating that 40,000 hectares - or 10 percent of the country's crop area - have been affected.

"A flood response plan seeking 25 million U.S. dollars is being finalized to support more than 300,000 people," OCHA said. "Our partners are providing health care support, drinking water, tarpaulins and psychosocial support."

The humanitarians said that in Tanzania, the government and partners deployed search-and-rescue teams and distributed emergency aid, including food, mattresses, mosquito nets and tents to assist flood-affected people.

The office said that in Rwanda, heavy rains and floods killed and injured dozens of people and damaged roads, bridges and hundreds of homes. Local authorities reported that several hectares of rice and banana plantations were also damaged.

"The governments and humanitarian partners are supporting evacuation efforts and the response," OCHA said. 
CAIRO/JERUSALEM/GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian security delegation mediating the Gaza truce received on Monday "positive responses" from Hamas and Israel, Egypt's Al-Qahera News TV channel quoted a high-ranking security source as saying.

The report said the Egyptian side has intensified communication with both sides to achieve calm before enforcing its three-stage Gaza truce proposal, stressing efforts are being made to "stop escalations and implement a ceasefire successfully."

A Hamas delegation has headed to Cairo to enforce the Egyptian proposal, an Egyptian security source told Xinhua on Monday.

The source said Egypt has informed the Israeli side of Hamas's acceptance of the Egyptian proposal, adding that the Israeli delegation will arrive in Cairo on Tuesday to complete discussions on the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and a hostage-for-prisoner swap deal at the invitation of Egypt.

Earlier, Hamas announced its approval of "a proposal that meets its demands of ceasing fire, reconstructing the strip, returning the displaced to their areas of residence, and swapping prisoners with Israel."

Meanwhile, a Hamas source told Xinhua that the Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by Egypt and Qatar includes three stages, each lasting 42 days.

The source said the first stage involved a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the "Netzarim axis," a zone in central Gaza that separates the northern and southern Palestinian enclave, as well as the return of displaced persons to their residential areas in northern Gaza.

Also, this stage would bring out a 10-hour daily cessation of Israeli airstrikes and a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the release of approximately 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, the source added.

The source noted that the proposal stipulates a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the coastal area and a permanent cessation of military operations and hostilities during the second stage, while the blockade on the strip would be lifted in the third stage.

The source emphasized that "the ball is now in the Israeli side's court," noting that the United States is committed to ensuring the agreement's implementation.

Also on Monday, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel was reviewing "seriously" the Egyptian proposal earlier approved by Hamas.

"We are examining every response and answer very seriously, exploring every possibility regarding the issue of negotiations and the return of hostages," Hagari said at a press briefing.

However, the Israeli army was in parallel continuing preparation for a ground assault on Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, where about 1.2 million displaced people have been seeking refuge.

"Simultaneously, we continue to operate actively in the Gaza Strip and will continue to do so," said Hagari, adding that the military announced in the morning the beginning of the evacuation of civilians from eastern Rafah "as part of the preparation for a ground operation in the region."

The Israeli war cabinet unanimously decided on Monday to continue the operation in Rafah to exert military pressure on Hamas to promote the release of Israeli hostages and to achieve other goals of the war, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.

The statement confirmed that the proposal approved by Hamas is far from meeting Israel's core demands and Israel will send a delegation to Cairo to exhaust every possibility of reaching an agreement acceptable to Israel.

Qatar, Egypt, and the United States are seeking to reach a deal for a prisoner exchange and a second ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following the first one that ended last November.

Israel has launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, following Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. 
PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China supports convening of an international peace conference on the Ukraine crisis at an appropriate time, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Monday.

The conference should be recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all peace plans, Xi made the remarks when he jointly met the press with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. 
PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- China calls on all parties to work for an immediate, comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, and supports the full membership of Palestine in the United Nations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Monday.

The prolonged tragedy of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a test for human conscience, and the international community must act, Xi made the remarks when he jointly met the press with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

China supports restoring to Palestine its legitimate national rights and restarting the two-State solution, so as to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, he said. 
A worker arranges smoked fish at a factory in Port Said, Egypt, May 5, 2024. Smoked fish is one of the staple meals by Egyptians during the Sham el-Nessim, a traditional Egyptian festival marking the beginning of spring, which is celebrated on May 6 this year. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Processed fish are seen before being smoked at a factory in Port Said, Egypt, May 5, 2024. Smoked fish is one of the staple meals by Egyptians during the Sham el-Nessim, a traditional Egyptian festival marking the beginning of spring, which is celebrated on May 6 this year. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Processed fish are seen before being smoked at a factory in Port Said, Egypt, May 5, 2024. Smoked fish is one of the staple meals by Egyptians during the Sham el-Nessim, a traditional Egyptian festival marking the beginning of spring, which is celebrated on May 6 this year. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A worker shows smoked fish at a factory in Port Said, Egypt, May 5, 2024. Smoked fish is one of the staple meals by Egyptians during the Sham el-Nessim, a traditional Egyptian festival marking the beginning of spring, which is celebrated on May 6 this year. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A worker moves smoked fish at a factory in Port Said, Egypt, May 5, 2024. Smoked fish is one of the staple meals by Egyptians during the Sham el-Nessim, a traditional Egyptian festival marking the beginning of spring, which is celebrated on May 6 this year. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Workers prepare fish to be smoked at a factory in Port Said, Egypt, May 5, 2024. Smoked fish is one of the staple meals by Egyptians during the Sham el-Nessim, a traditional Egyptian festival marking the beginning of spring, which is celebrated on May 6 this year. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
KINSHASA/ADDIS ABABA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned a bombing on sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which killed at least 14 people.

In a statement issued late Sunday, Faki deplored the ongoing escalation of violence in eastern DRC, where multiple armed groups operate, reiterating the AU's position in favor of a comprehensive political solution to the region's peace and security challenges.

On Friday morning, about 10 bombs fell on several IDP sites around Goma, the capital of the eastern North Kivu province. At least 14 people were killed and 35 others injured, mostly women and children, according to Peter Chirimwami, military governor of North Kivu province.

Faki said such violence goes against the spirit and letter of the conclusions of the Luanda ministerial meeting of March 21, 2024, which had notably called for a complete and immediate ceasefire in the region.

He reaffirmed his support for the Luanda and Nairobi processes in seeking to achieve lasting peace in eastern DRC and throughout the Great Lakes region.

The government of the DRC blamed these attacks on rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), who have engaged in fighting against the DRC army and taken control of territories in North Kivu province.

The president of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi, who was on a visit to Europe, cut short his trip following the bombing on the IDP sites. "I guarantee you that we will win this fight no matter the cost," he told the Congolese community in Belgium on Friday.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, called on all parties to take appropriate measures to reduce risks to the protection of civilians and maintain humanitarian access.

MONUSCO is expected to leave the DRC no later than the end of 2024, by handing over UN bases and equipment to DRC security forces under a three-phase departure plan.

"I reiterate the call of the United Nations secretary-general to all armed groups in eastern DRC to cease all hostilities immediately, to lay down their arms unconditionally, and to join the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Community Rehabilitation and Stabilisation Program," Bintou Keita, the head of MONUSCO, said in a statement Friday. 
MOGADISHU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A high-level delegation from the African Union Commission has wrapped up their assessment visit to Somalia by vowing to preserve the hard-won stabilization gains achieved so far, ahead of the exit of the AU peacekeeping troops.

The delegation, led by the head of Peace Support Operations Division, Cheick Dembele, reassured the Somali people that there will be no security vacuum following the exit of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in December.

"We have to make it in a professional and organized manner so that there is no security vacuum and the gains earned during the 17 years of presence are not lost," Dembele said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, Sunday evening.

A tripartite committee, comprising ATMIS, the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), and the Somali government, would ensure a smooth transfer of security responsibilities to Somali security forces, the statement said.

The purpose of the delegation's visit was to conduct a strategic assessment to help outline the modalities for a smooth transition of security responsibilities from ATMIS to Somali security forces and the establishment of a post-ATMIS African Union-led peace support operation, it said.

The delegation is expected to submit a comprehensive assessment and planning report to the AU Peace and Security Council outlining the framework for the post-ATMIS security arrangement.

"The Peace and Security Council will meet to consider the report of our mission with a strategic concept of operations to ensure a smooth takeover of the new mission devoid of disconnect between ATMIS and post-ATMIS security arrangements," Dembele said.

ATMIS has completed the first and second phases of its drawdown of 5,000 troops and handed over 13 military bases to the Somali security forces.

An additional 4,000 troops are expected to be withdrawn by the end of June, ahead of their exit from Somalia by the end of December, according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2710, which was adopted in 2023.

There are plans to establish a post-ATMIS force to help protect strategic population centers, UN facilities and key government installations. 
MANILA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed after their motorcycle rammed into a truck in the Philippine capital before dawn on Monday, authorities said.

A street video surveillance camera caught the speeding motorcycle with the male riders crashed into the back of the slow-moving trailer truck in Tondo, a district in Manila City.

The victims died at the scene.

Emergency responders said the driver and the passenger were reeking with alcohol. 
CANBERRA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Australia's national science agency have launched a project that will seek to understand how liquid clouds in the Southern Ocean affect Earth's climate.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on Monday announced that scientists will spend 17 months at the Kennaook/Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station in the island state of Tasmania studying atmospheric aerosols in a bid to address gaps in climate models.

Because of high water purity, clouds that form over the Southern Ocean are often made up of super-cooled liquid water instead of ice. Super-cooled liquid water clouds reflect more sunlight back to space than ice clouds do, helping to cool the surface of the ocean.

Melita Keywood, a CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist, said the project would help fill gaps in the understanding of cloud properties as a factor in climate science by measuring how much sunlight clouds over the ocean reflect back to space and how much heat is trapped in Earth's atmosphere.

"New data will help explain what's happening between the surface and the clouds, and what's happening within the unique 'super-cooled' liquid clouds that are known to form in the region," she said in a media release.

"With Earth just recording its hottest year on record, better quantifying how much heat is trapped in Earth's atmosphere has never been so important."

Aerosols play a key role in cloud formation by enabling water to condense and form into clouds.

The main source of aerosols in the Southern Ocean are sea spray and gasses released by phytoplankton.

The Cloud and Precipitation Experiment at kennaook (CAPE-k) project is a collaboration between the CSIRO, Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility. 
YANGON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have seized 5 tons of ice (methamphetamine) in central Myanmar's Mandalay Region, the official television channel MRTV citing police sources reported on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, the country's anti-narcotic police searched a 12-wheeled oil tanker truck in Kyaukse Township of Mandalay Region on May 1 and confiscated the narcotic substance, the report said.

The seized narcotics are intended to be transported abroad via sea route, it said.

The seized narcotics are worth approximately 100 billion kyats (about 47 million U.S. dollars), the report said.

Two suspects were arrested for the case, and further investigation was underway, the report added. 
COLOMBO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka government on Monday decided to maintain the existing 50 U.S. dollar fee for a 30-day single entry visa for foreigners visiting the country, the President's Media Division (PMD) said.

The PMD added that the free visa service currently offered to citizens of India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia will also continue.

Sri Lanka recently revised its visa fees, and introduced several new categories that visitors eligible for on-arrival visas can apply for.

These revised fees were criticized by tourism stakeholders. Taking these concerns into account, President Ranil Wickremesinghe proposed to the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday to keep the visa fee for a 30-day single entry visa at 50 dollars, PMD said.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the president's proposal, the PMD added. 
LONDON, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Rail travel in the United Kingdom (UK) is set to be disrupted this week, with train drivers from 16 rail companies starting a fresh wave of strikes and overtime bans.

The train drivers, who are members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) trade union, began a six-day ban on non-contractual overtime on Monday, which was a bank holiday.

ASLEF members will also stage another series of rolling one-day strikes between Tuesday and Thursday, amid a long-running dispute over pay. According to ASLEF, drivers at different train operating companies will take strike action on different days.

"Drivers would not vote to strike if they thought an offer was acceptable," said Mick Whelan, ASLEF's general secretary.

The union first balloted for industrial action in the summer of 2022, with train drivers demanding salary increases amid the cost-of-living crisis. In April 2023, ASLEF rejected an offer of a 4 percent annual pay rise for two consecutive years, which also included changes in working conditions. No talks on the issue have been held since.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said the "wholly unnecessary strike action" will not only disrupt journeys but also inflict further damage on an industry that is receiving additional taxpayer cash to keep services running, following the downturn that has occurred since the pandemic. 
NEW DELHI: India is nearing the completion of replacing military personnel stationed at aviation platforms in the Maldives by May 10th. The smooth logistical arrangements have pleased both parties, ensuring a seamless transition.

In a recent meeting in New Delhi, the High-level Core Group between the Maldives and India emphasized their commitment to bilateral cooperation. They discussed various areas including development and defence cooperation, highlighting the strong strategic partnership. It was agreed that Indian military personnel would be replaced by civilian experts, a process initiated two months ago. These experts will manage the operation and maintenance of helicopters and aircraft crucial for humanitarian and medical evacuation services in the Maldives.

While President Mohamed Muizzus administration had previously hinted at strengthening ties with China, they have set a deadline for the withdrawal of Indian military troops. Despite this, India remains dedicated to supporting the Maldives socio-economic development, as shown by increased budget allocations for development assistance in the interim budget for 2024-25.

The decision to replace military personnel with civilian experts underscores India's commitment to enhancing the Maldives' capabilities in aviation and disaster response. By entrusting the operation and maintenance of essential aircraft to civilian professionals, both countries aim to ensure the efficient delivery of humanitarian aid and medical services during times of crisis. This move reflects a strategic shift towards civilian-led management, facilitating long-term stability and cooperation between India and the Maldives.

India-Maldives Ties: Maldives Foreign Minister's Visit Precedes President Muizzu's Potential Pro-China Trip

Ruling PNC Secures Super-Majority in Maldivian Parliament

India and Maldives Discuss Replacement of Indian Military Personnel by May 10
The Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) is a business incubation program focused on the development of entrepreneurs who are creating innovative products and services within the outdoor recreation industry. GORP offers three programs, each of which is designed to meet entrepreneurs where they aregeographically and in their business development.

General Entrepreneurial Support

GORP offers a variety of a la carte services to idea-stage entrepreneurs to provide as-needed assistance with foundational business support. These services, available around the state, include:

Workshops

Networking events

1:1 consulting

Legal services

Incubator Intensives

A new offering of GORP, Incubator Intensives will be offered in four regions around the state, each of which was selected in part because of its proximity to a state park. Entrepreneurs within the county where that park is located or in counties adjacent to it are eligible to participate in these 4-week business-support intensives. Incubators Intensives are designed for founders building products and services at the idea-to-launch stage within the outdoor economy. Weekly program activities will center around customer discovery, financing, marketing, and legal support.

Queen Wilhelmina State ParkMena, Polk County

Petit Jean State ParkMorrilton, Conway County

Pinnacle Mountain State ParkRoland, Pulaski County

West Delta Heritage TrailHelena, Phillips County

Important note: Founders must have or plan to have a legal corporate entity before the beginning of the Incubator Intensive program.



Incubator admission decisions will be made by committee. If you are unsure of your company's readiness or have questions before you apply, feel free to reach out to Elizabeth Quinn at gorp@uark.edu.

Cohort Incubator

Located in Bentonville, the Cohort Incubator is a competitive program offered twice a year to selected applicants. This 12-week curriculum includes workshops, a dedicated mentor team, product/service development support, up to $15K per company of non-dilutive funding, and an intern from the Venture Intern Program. Companies accepted into the Cohort will be expected to commit an average of 15 hours per week to the program and their businesses.



APPLY FOR THE COHORT INCUBATOR

GORP Email List

Stay in the loop with our latest events and programs by joining our email list. Building a company or organization? Tell us more so we can tailor our offerings to you.

SIGN UP FOR THE GORP EMAIL LIST

Questions? Email Elizabeth Quinn (gorp@uark.edu) Senior Program Manager of GORP Around the State.

The Greenhouse @ the Bentonville Collaborative, 702 SE 5th St. Suite 46, Bentonville, AR
In this article, we discuss 11 best recession dividend stocks to buy. You can skip our detailed analysis of dividend stocks and their past performance during recessionary periods, and go directly to read 5 Best Recession Dividend Stocks To Buy.

Several financial analysts, previously forecasting a recession in the US at the end of 2022, have now turned optimistic about the markets outlook. The US economy experienced growth at an annualized rate of 4% in the second half of the year, leading experts to maintain a positive outlook on the countrys economic prospects. In fact, data from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) indicates that recessions have become increasingly less frequent in the US. From 1990 to 2023, the US economy endured 36 months of recession, with the most recent recession occurring in 2020 and lasting for only two months. Their analysis further suggested that recessions were more common as we go further back in time.

While the likelihood of a recession is uncertain at the moment, investors have consistently maintained their focus on dividend stocks whenever concerns about a recession arise. In addition to dividends, analysts also recommend investing in industries that are known for their resilience and stability to ensure prudent investment choices. For example, industries such as healthcare, utilities, consumer staples, and telecommunications are considered less vulnerable to economic shifts, making them reliable for navigating through a recession. According to a report by Business Insider, the consumer staples sector outperformed the market by 49% over a 25-year period ending in 2015. The report further mentioned that a significant portion of this outperformance was observed during recessionary periods.

Investors favor these industries because they not only offer dividends to shareholders but have also raised their payouts over the years. According to data collected from Janus Henderson, global healthcare dividends grew from $94.5 billion in 2017 to nearly $135 billion in 2023. Similarly, dividends from the energy sector also jumped from $104.6 billion in 2017 to $173.7 billion last year. Dividend stocks have shown strong performance during recessionary periods.

Following the major recession of 2008, investors became more mindful of their investment strategies and recognized that dividend stocks are a reliable approach for sailing through economic downturns. Nova Southeastern University conducted research and found that during both the recovery and recessionary phases of 2001 and 2008 recessions, the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks the performance of some of the best dividend stocks that have grown their payouts for at least 25 years, showed significant outperformance compared to the S&P 500. In particular, during the recovery phase of the 2008 recession, the index outpaced the broader market by 0.01% daily or an annualized rate of 4.59%. Moreover, during the recessionary phase of 2008, the dividend aristocrats outperformed the S&P 500 by 0.06% daily or an annualized rate of 23.7%.

Story continues

Some of the best dividend stocks to consider for a recession include The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), and PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP). These companies have decades-long dividend growth streaks and maintain strong balance sheets that help them remain resilient during recessionary periods. In this article, we will further discuss the best dividend stocks to buy for a recession.

11 Best Recession Dividend Stocks To Buy

Our Methodology:

For this article, we used Insider Monkey's database of 933 hedge funds as of Q4 2023 and identified dividend stocks from industries that are known to be recession-proof, such as healthcare, consumer staples, telecommunications, and utilities. From that list, we selected dividend stocks that have consistently increased their payouts for over 10 years. Finally, we shortlisted 11 best dividend stocks that had the highest number of hedge fund investors tracked by Insider Monkey as of Q4 2023. Hedge funds top 10 consensus stock picks outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here).

In addition to covering topics like best dividend stocks to buy, at Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, artificial intelligence technology is on the cusp of earth-shattering breakthroughs, so we identified the cheapest AI stock that is trading at less than 5 times its market value excluding cash and investments with the potential to deliver 100x returns. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. Now, let's take a look at the 5 best recession dividend stocks to buy.

11. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 36

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) is an American manufacturing company that specializes in the production of consumer goods including personal care and hygiene products. In the first quarter of 2024, the company reported an operating cash flow of $438 million. It remained committed to its shareholder obligation, returning $452 million to investors through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter.

On May 2, Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) declared a quarterly dividend of $1.22 per share, which was in line with its previous dividend. Overall, the company has been growing its dividends for the past 52 years, which makes KMB one of the best dividend stocks to buy for a recession. The stock has a dividend yield of 3.59%, as of May 6.

The number of hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owning stakes in Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) grew to 36 in Q4 2023, from 31 in the previous quarter. The consolidated value of these stakes is over $1 billion. With over 1.1 million shares, Millennium Management was the company's leading stakeholder in Q4.

10. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54

Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) is a New York-based multinational consumer products manufacturing company that specializes in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, personal care, and veterinary products. The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, having raised it by 4% in March this year. Through this increase, the company stretched its dividend growth streak to 62 years, which makes CL one of the best dividend stocks on our list. The stock has a dividend yield of 2.15%, as of May 6.

At the end of Q4 2023, 54 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey reported owning stakes in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), up from 52 in the previous quarter. These stakes are worth over $2.8 billion.

9. Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 60

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) is an American multinational medical device and technology company that specializes in related products and services. Year-to-date, the company reported a strong cash position with its operating cash flow coming in at $1.4 billion and its free cash flow amounting to $1.1 billion. During this period, the company returned $550 million to shareholders through dividends.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX), one of the best dividend stocks, currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.95 per share. Its dividend growth streak currently spans over 52 years. The stock's dividend yield of May 6 came in at 1.62%.

As of the close of Q4 2023, 60 hedge funds in Insider Monkey's database held stakes in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX), growing from 57 in the preceding quarter. These stakes have a total value of more than $1.5 billion. Among these hedge funds, First Eagle Investment Management was the company's leading stakeholder in Q4.

8. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 62

An American multinational beverage company, The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) is next on our list of the best dividend stocks for a recession. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.485 per share on May 2, which fell in line with its previous dividend. It has been rewarding shareholders with growing dividends for the past 62 years. As of May 6, the stock has a dividend yield of 3.12%.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was a part of 62 hedge fund portfolios at the end of Q4 2023, compared with 57 in the previous quarter. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway was the company's leading stakeholder in Q4.

7. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 63

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is a multinational telecommunications company that provides a wide range of related services to its consumers. In the first quarter of 2024, the company reported an operating cash flow of $7.1 billion and its free cash flow for the period came in at $2.7 billion. It has been growing its dividends consistently for the past 17 years, currently offering a quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share. The stock has an impressive dividend yield of 6.84%, as of May 6. It is among the best dividend stocks to buy in a recession.

Insider Monkey's database of Q4 2023 indicated that 63 hedge funds held stakes in Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), up from 61 in the previous quarter. These stakes have a consolidated value of over $2.6 billion.

6. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 64

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) ranks sixth on our list of the best dividend stocks to buy in a recession. The global healthcare company currently pays a quarterly dividend of $0.55 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.08%, as recorded on May 6. The company holds a 52-year track record of consistent dividend growth.

According to Insider Monkey's database of Q4 2023, 64 hedge funds held stakes in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT), compared with 69 in the previous quarter. These stakes are collectively valued at roughly $2.5 billion. With nearly 10 million shares, Fisher Asset Management was the company's leading stakeholder in Q4.

Polen Capital mentioned Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT) in its Q1 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm has to say:

We increased our positions in ThermoFisher Scientific, Visa, Zoetis, Nike, and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). Each of these companies is durable and available at attractive valuations, in our view, for the growth we see ahead. In fact, in the case of ThermoFisher, Nike, and Abbott Labs, we expect accelerating earnings growth in the back half of 2024 after more difficult earnings growth periods pass for each of these companies. ThermoFisher and Abbott will finally wind down most of their COVID-19 testing and vaccine-related efforts due to a lack of demand, so these should no longer be revenue growth headwinds.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Best Recession Dividend Stocks To Buy.

Suggested articles:

Disclosure. None. 11 Best Recession Dividend Stocks To Buy is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Kistos Holdings' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

The top 9 shareholders own 52% of the company

Insider ownership in Kistos Holdings is 21%

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Kistos Holdings Plc (LON:KIST), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 42% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Kistos Holdings.

Check out our latest analysis for Kistos Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Kistos Holdings?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

We can see that Kistos Holdings does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Kistos Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Kistos Holdings is not owned by hedge funds. From our data, we infer that the largest shareholder is Andrew Austin (who also holds the title of Top Key Executive) with 17% of shares outstanding. Its usually considered a good sign when insiders own a significant number of shares in the company, and in this case, we're glad to see a company insider play the role of a key stakeholder. Tulip Oil Holding B.V. is the second largest shareholder owning 11% of common stock, and Schroder Investment Management Limited holds about 5.8% of the company stock. In addition, we found that Peter Mann, the CEO has 1.5% of the shares allocated to their name.

On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 9 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.

Insider Ownership Of Kistos Holdings

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Kistos Holdings Plc. It has a market capitalization of just UK143m, and insiders have UK30m worth of shares in their own names. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 24% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Kistos Holdings. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 13%, of the shares on issue. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Kistos Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Be aware that Kistos Holdings is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
From left: Monty Bennett and Blackwells Capital's Jason Aintabi (Getty, Blackwells Capital, Ashford Hospitality Trust)

Activist investor Blackwells Capital is waging a scorching proxy battle to oust Monty Bennett from the boards of two of his real estate firms.

Blackwells alleges that shares of Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar Hotels and Resorts are performing poorly as a result of a self-dealing external advisory agreement that makes Montgomery Bennett rich at the expense of stockholders.

Blackwells is asking shareholders of both Ashford Hospitality Trust and Braemar not to re-elect Bennett and the rest of the board later this month.

The relationship between Ashford, Braemar and Bennett is convoluted but central to Blackwells complaint. Braemar is a publicly traded investor in luxury hotels and resorts. As part of an agreement with Ashford Hospitality Advisors, Ashford advises Braemar for an annual fee.

Last year, Braemar paid Ashford $48.9 million for its services, according to the trusts most recent annual filing. Bennett is the chairman of both companies boards, and the CEO and Chairman of Ashford Inc, which advises both.

Blackwells holds a little over 10,000 shares of Braemar and 1,000 shares of Ashford Hospitality Trust, less than $30,000 in present value. But Blackwells argues that Ashfords fees to Braemar have risen 575 percent since 2013, while its share price has fallen by about 91 percent.

Ashford recently delisted its stock, sold off several properties to pay down debts and faced foreclosure at others. But the firm has its own side of the story, as it laid out in a lawsuit against Blackwells.

Bennetts firm argues that Blackwells violated company bylaws by failing to disclose that it had tried to buy Braemar before launching the campaign and offering its own nominees for the board. In March, it filed a lawsuit seeking to block Blackwells slate of board nominees and prevent the company from nominating any others.

The conflict began in October, when Blackwells wrote a letter to Braemar alleging breaches of fiduciary duty. At the time, Blackwells owned 100 shares in Braemar. The board established a review committee of two independent directors, according to the suit, but the committee recommended not taking action.

The next month, an article ran on Bennetts news site, the Dallas Express, titled Vinson & Elkins Helps New York Activist Investor Invade Texas.

The article, whose byline was Dallas Express, rather than an individual human author, attacks Blackwells takeover bid and Vinson & Elkins, the law firm hired by Blackwells.

[Blackwells founder Jason] Aintabi operates with family money almost exclusively. He hopes that by harassing other firms he can prove that hes worthy of managing his parents money, Bennett says in the article.

Story continues

The risky move by V&E to represent Blackwells Capital in its activist strategy could raise serious questions from its Texas client base as to whether the firm, which posted revenue of nearly $1 billion in 2022, remains committed to the Texas corporate community that has sustained it since its founding in Houston in 1917.

Aintabi later sued Bennett over his use of the outlet, saying he used it to influence shareholders.

Read more

In December, Blackwells sent another letter, titled Proposal for Acquisition of Braemar. It offered to buy all of the outstanding equity interests in Braemar for $4.50 per share.

In its response to the Braemar lawsuit, Blackwells wrote, Given that Braemars incumbent directors have overseen a nearly 90 percent collapse in Braemars stock price over the last decade, their fear of an open election against Blackwells highly qualified nominees is not surprising.

Together, Braemar and Ashford own 105 hotels with more than 25,000 keys, according to Ashfords website. Blackwells has been involved in proxy fights against major corporations including Disney, Peloton and cell tower operator IHS.

This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.
Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power has signed a SR18.2bn ($4.85bn) power purchase agreement with Uzbekistan's national electric grid for the Aral 5GW wind power project.

The Aral wind project, to be located in the Karakalpakstan region, is poised to become Central Asia's largest wind farm.

The agreement was signed at the Tashkent International Investment Forum.

The signing ceremony was attended by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud.

The event also marked the inauguration of two of ACWA Power's ongoing projects in the country, the 1.5GW Sirdarya CCGT plant and the first 100MW phase of the Riverside solar plant in the Tashkent region.

ACWA Power will be responsible for constructing, managing, and eventually transferring the wind farm back to the Uzbek government after a 25-year contract term.

While the project is still in the development stage, the total investment value is subject to change upon reaching financial close.

ACWA Power founder and board chairman Mohammad Abunayyan said: This historic project will provide clean power to approximately 4.5 million houses in Uzbekistan, a country which is propelling its energy transition thanks to its ambitious and decisive leadership.

We are proud to collaborate with Uzbekistans government to export our low-carbon expertise beyond the borders of Saudi Arabia, improving the lives of millions in a country with whom we are honoured to share close ties.

Considered to be a flagship project, it is expected to be deployed in five phases and generate around 18,000GWh of clean energy annually while offsetting 247 billion tonnes of CO 2 emissions during its lifetime.

Last month, ACWA Power announced its intention to build a 200MW wind farm in Uzbekistanthe, which will be supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

This project includes a 100MW electricity storage system with a one-hour power storage capacity.

In January this year, the Egyptian government also entered into a $1.5bn wind energy agreement with a Saudi-led consortium ACWA Power.

The agreement entails a 1.1GW wind project in the Gulf of Suez and Jabal El Zayt areas. The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.4 million tonnes annually and provide 6,000 direct and indirect jobs.

"ACWA Power seals $4.85bn Uzbek wind project deal" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- (IICA)  The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) launched the "Living Soils" initiative, which, based on its successful implementation in the Americas, will seek to restore degraded soils, increase agricultural productivity and improve climate resilience in African agrifood systems.

Meeting Zoom

Participating in the launch event were Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana and Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Rattan Lal, recipient of the 2020 World Food Prize; Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA; and the ministers of Agriculture of 11 African countries, AGRA officials and private sector representatives.

Living Soils links science and public policies to rehabilitate and protect soils, whose degradation is threatening global food security.

The initiative is spearheaded by IICA and Rattan Lal, Director of the Rattan Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration at The Ohio State University.

Lal, who is also an IICA Goodwill Ambassador, called for replicating in Africa what he described as "the miracle of the Brazilian Cerrado", in reference to the biome that covers almost a quarter of Brazil's land area.

The scientist stated that, although African production systems are increasing their productivity, they are doing so at a slow pace. Therefore, he considered it necessary to take a leap by "improving soil management practices, to overcome soil challenges associated with erosion, droughts, nutrient depletion, salinization, reduction of organic carbon in soils, urbanization and climate change".

The President of Guyana remarked that the Living Soils program recognizes Africa's potential to position itself as a key player in feeding the world, and also highlighted IICA's work.

"In this developing world in which we are working to build a resilient, viable and competitive food ecosystem, IICA and its Director General are carrying out commendable work, and I would like to acknowledge this leadership", he said.

In Africa, Living Soils will receive support from AGRA and will prioritize 11 countries in three regions: the Guinea savanna zone, which includes Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso; highlands in the Eastern region, which include Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania; and the Miombo woodlands, which include Malawi and Mozambique.

Media Contact: Randall.cordero@iica.int

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/africa-and-the-americas-solidify-partnership-to-restore-soils-under-initiative-led-by-agra-and-iica-302136946.html

SOURCE Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
The 'ghost flight' debacle fuelled a national scandal about the performance of Australia's flag carrier - Mark Baker/AP

Qantas is to pay a A$100m (53m) penalty and A$20m in compensation to passengers to settle a legal battle over tickets it sold for cancelled flights.

The fine from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the biggest ever for an Australian airline and among the largest globally in the sector.

The ACCC sued Qantas last summer, claiming the carrier broke consumer law when it sold tickets to more than 8,000 flights without disclosing they had been cancelled.

In one particular case, Qantas kept selling tickets for a Sydney to San Francisco flight for 40 days after it had been cancelled, the regulator said.

Gina Cass-Gottlieb, chair of the ACCC, said Qantas conduct was egregious and unacceptable.

She added: Many consumers will have made holiday, business and travel plans after booking on a phantom flight that had been cancelled.

We expect that this penalty, if accepted by the Court, will send a strong deterrence message to other companies.

Importantly, it demonstrates that we take action to ensure that companies operating in Australia communicate clearly, accurately and honestly with their customers at all times.

Qantas chief Vanessa Hudson (right) says the fine is an important step towards 'restoring confidence in the national carrier' - Lisa Maree Williams/Bloomberg

Qantass ghost flight debacle fuelled a national scandal about the performance of Australias flag carrier. Customer satisfaction with the airline has plummeted.

Vanessa Hudson, chief executive of the airline, said the agreement represents another important step forward as we work towards restoring confidence in the national carrier.

She said the pandemic was to blame for some of the administrative failings.

Ms Hudson said: When flying resumed after the Covid shutdown, we recognise Qantas let down customers and fell short of our own standards. We know many of our customers were affected by our failure to provide cancellation notifications in a timely manner and we are sincerely sorry.

The return to travelling was already stressful for many and we did not deliver enough support for customers and did not have the technology and systems in place to support our people.

More than 86,000 customers will share the compensation pot, with those who bought domestic tickets entitled to $225 apiece and international travellers entitled to $450.

The tickets were sold by the Australian airline between May 2021 and August 2023. Qantas has promised to contact all affected customers over the next two months.

The ACCC warned that scammers were contacting people who are potentially eligible for compensation.

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.
Al-Futtaim, franchise rights holder of Swedish home furnishings retailer IKEA in the UAE, is set to open a new store at Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi.

Scheduled to welcome customers at the beginning of July, the store will feature a showroom, market hall, self-serve furniture area, and a Swedish Deli, as per a press release published on Zawya.

The new IKEA store, located on the ground floor of Dalma Mall,

will offer a range of home furnishing products and solutions, with dedicated sections for various living spaces, including bedrooms, living rooms, dining areas, kitchens, and children's selections.

The store is designed to provide a comprehensive shopping and dining experience, offering a variety of food and beverage options.

Al-Futtaim IKEA UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Egypt managing director Vinod Jayan said: "We are excited to bring Al-Futtaim IKEAs unique shopping experience to Dalma Mall. Our focus on meeting the specific preferences of the local community is reflected in the carefully curated ranges available at this location.

With IKEA's vision of creating a better everyday life for many people, we believe this store will not only enhance the local retail landscape but also become a destination for families seeking affordable and stylish home solutions. This exciting addition to the IKEA family reflects the company's commitment to providing functional and affordable home furnishings to communities around the world.

The addition of Al-Futtaim IKEA is in line with Dalma Mall's plan to introduce several new brands, as a part of the redevelopment and tenant mix optimisation strategy.

The mall is home to more than 450 internationally and regionally renowned brands.

"Al-Futtaim IKEA set to open store at Dalma Mall, UAE" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Alshaya Group, in partnership with Hilton, has announced the launch of the first Hampton by Hilton in Kuwait.

The new hotel, Hampton by Hilton Kuwait Salmiya, is situated in the vibrant Salmiya district, at the heart of Kuwait.

Alshaya Group CEO John Hadden said: The opening of our first Hampton by Hilton marks a milestone in diversifying our hospitality offerings to customers in Kuwait. Over the years, the region has experienced a surge in demand for high-quality hotels, and we're thrilled to bring the Hampton by Hilton brand here. By leveraging our combined expertise, we're confident we can deliver an exceptional guest experience that meets the immediate needs of our visitors.

This addition to Kuwait's hospitality sector features 110 modern and stylish bedrooms, promising guests a hassle-free experience with its thoughtfully designed rooms and friendly service.

The hotel is conveniently located on the Kuwait waterfront and Blajat Beach, making it an ideal choice for guests eager to explore the city.

It is just a 15-minute drive from The Avenues, the largest shopping mall in Kuwait, and the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre.

Hampton by Hilton Kuwait Salmiya stands out with its state-of-the-art automated car park facility, a first in the region, with a capacity for 40 cars.

Hilton vice president for Focused Service Operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa Pauline Wilson said, I am delighted to be in Kuwait to celebrate Hampton by Hilton Kuwait Salmiyas opening alongside Alshaya Group. The opening marks the debut of Hampton by Hilton in the country and brings the brands signature features  such as free hot breakfast and exceptionally friendly and authentic service  to Kuwait for the first time.

As part of the Hilton Honors programme, the hotel offers loyalty benefits to its members.

These include a flexible payment slider, exclusive discounts, free standard Wi-Fi, and digital tools through the Hilton Honors mobile app, such as check-in, room selection, and Digital Key access.

Looking forward, Alshaya Group has plans to further enhance its hospitality portfolio in the region.

This includes the anticipated opening of another Hampton by Hilton in Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia, slated for 2026.

In August last year, IHG Hotels and Resorts signed franchise agreements with Aqarats subsidiaries to debut its Vignette Collection brand in the UAE and Kuwait.

"Alshaya Group opens Hampton by Hilton hotel in Kuwaits Salmiya district" was originally created and published by Hotel Management Network, a GlobalData owned brand.

Story continues







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in BATM Advanced Communications implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

The top 2 shareholders own 51% of the company

23% of BATM Advanced Communications is held by insiders

Every investor in BATM Advanced Communications Ltd. (LON:BVC) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 41% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

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. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of BATM Advanced Communications, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for BATM Advanced Communications

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About BATM Advanced Communications?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in BATM Advanced Communications. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see BATM Advanced Communications' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in BATM Advanced Communications. Lombard Odier Asset Management (Europe) Ltd. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 29% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 22% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 4.2% by the third-largest shareholder. Zvi Marom, who is the second-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Top Key Executive.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 2 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions.

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. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.

Insider Ownership Of BATM Advanced Communications

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.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of BATM Advanced Communications Ltd.. Insiders own UK20m worth of shares in the UK86m company. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 36% stake in BATM Advanced Communications. 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:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important.

I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) and ASML (NASDAQ: ASML) represent two different ways to invest in the growing artificial intelligence (AI) market. Super Micro Computer, more commonly known as Supermicro, is one of the world's fastest growing producers of dedicated AI servers. ASML is the world's largest manufacturer of high-end lithography systems, which are used to produce high-end chips for Nvidia, AMD, and other leading chipmakers.

Over the past 12 months, Supermicro's stock has rallied more than 480% as ASML's stock advanced 42%. Let's see why Supermicro outperformed ASML by such a wide margin -- and if it will generate bigger gains for the foreseeable future.

Image source: Getty Images.

The differences between Supermicro and ASML

Supermicro builds high-performance servers which can process tasks more efficiently than traditional servers. Through a longtime partnership, Nvidia grants Supermicro access to its top-tier data center GPUs before its larger competitors.

By the end of fiscal 2023 (which ended last June), Supermicro was generating more than half of its revenue from its dedicated AI servers. Many data center operators scrambled to install those servers to address the soaring popularity of generative AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Supermicro controls a much smaller slice of the server market than Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. However, Bank of America expects Supermicro's share of the dedicated AI server market to rise from 10% to 17% within the next three years as the market expands by 150%.

ASML's lithography systems are used to optically etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. It's also the only producer of high-end extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems which are used to produce the world's smallest, densest, and most power-efficient chips. These systems cost about $200 million each and require multiple planes to ship.

The world's most advanced chipmakers -- TSMC, Samsung, and Intel -- all use ASML's EUV systems to produce their top-tier chips. Therefore, TSMC couldn't manufacture Nvidia's latest data center GPUs, AMD's newest CPUs, and other advanced chips without ASML's EUV systems.

The indispensable nature of ASML's lithography systems makes it linchpin of the global semiconductor market, but tighter export curbs are now preventing it from selling its higher-end systems to Chinese chipmakers. Supermicro's sales of AI servers in China have also been throttled by the ongoing tech war between the U.S. and China.

Which company is growing faster?

Supermicro's revenue rose 46% in fiscal 2022 and 37% in fiscal 2023 as the market's insatiable demand for new AI servers outstripped its available supply. Analysts expect its revenue to soar another 110% this year and grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56% from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2026 as it expands its share of the AI server market.

Story continues

ASML's revenue grew 14% in 2022 and 30% in 2023. It also benefited from the expansion of the AI market, but a lot of that growth was offset by the post-pandemic weakness of the smartphone and PC markets. Therefore, ASML is a more diversified play on the broader semiconductor market than a high-growth AI stock.

Analysts expect ASML's revenue to stay flat this year as it grapples with the export curbs in China, but they expect its revenue to grow at a CAGR of 13% from 2023 to 2026 as it rolls out its next-gen EUV systems for making even smaller chips.

From fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2026, analysts expect Supermicro's earnings per share (EPS) to grow at a CAGR of 50%. They expect ASML's EPS to rise at a CAGR of 20% from 2023 to 2026. Based on those estimates, Supermicro trades at 25 times forward earnings while ASML has a much higher forward price-to-earnings ratio of 44.

Supermicro might look more expensive than traditional server makers like Dell and HPE, but it's also growing faster than both of its larger competitors. It also seems reasonably valued relative to other high-growth AI stocks like Nvidia. ASML is trading at a premium to many other semiconductor equipment makers because it's monopolized the EUV market, has plenty of pricing power, and remains a top bellwether of the growing semiconductor sector.

The better AI stock: Supermicro

Supermicro and ASML are both solid long-term investments, but Supermicro's higher growth rates, tighter focus on the AI market, and lower valuations all make it a more compelling investment than ASML right now. ASML's stock could also gradually head higher, but its near-term gains could be limited until its revenue growth accelerates again.

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Bank of America is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Leo Sun has positions in ASML. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Advanced Micro Devices, Bank of America, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $45 calls on Intel and short May 2024 $47 calls on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Better AI Stock: Super Micro Computer vs. ASML was originally published by The Motley Fool
(Bloomberg) -- Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is facing off against David Layanis OnePoint in his latest attempt to rescue embattled French tech company Atos SE.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Atos said on Monday that it has received four proposals, including one it already rejected from private equity firm Bain Capital, to restore the group to financial health. The firm is seeking to reach a deal by the end of the month that would inject fresh funds and bring stability after clients began to hold off business. The third rescue offer is from a creditor group.

The bidders are seeking to return Atos to its former glory as one of Frances premier tech companies before accounting scandals and huge debts left it on the verge of insolvency. The proposals would slash debt and acquire a firm that remains a key IT services provider in its home country, even after losing 83% of its value in the last year.

Atos shares fell 3.7% to 2.09 at 11:56 a.m. in Paris trading.

Read More: Kretinsky Teams Up With Attestor in Bid for French IT Firm Atos

Kretinskys EPEI teamed up with credit fund Attestor Ltd. to propose 600 million ($646 million) of new common equity for Atos, according to materials posted on the Atos website Monday. The group would be financed by an additional 1.3 billion of working capital facilities. Bloomberg News first reported details of the joint Kretinsky-Attestor offer on Sunday.

OnePoint, which owns about 11% of Atos and is its biggest shareholder, is calling for a 350 million cash injection from the consortium in exchange for a minimum of 35% of shares. Layani will contribute 20 million to the plan, and Butler Industries would also participate.

The bondholders plan foresees working with an anchor investor to keep the business together. All of the proposals focus on the some 90% of the business that isnt considered strategically important and that the government is in talks to buy.

Bain proposed a bid on Atos Eviden cloud, digital and cyber unit, minus the strategic businesses that the French government plans to buy. Atos said the offer didnt meet its objectives.

Before a deal is reached, the company has a 100 million interim financing agreement with bondholders and is in negotiations with banks and the government for an additional 350 million, according to Atos.

Story continues

Read More: Atos CEO Says Debt Talks Will Save Fallen French Tech Star

The original date to file proposals was pushed back by a week and the cash injection and debt cutting needs were revised after Atos reported that its debt troubles had put off customers and hurt its financial results in the first quarter.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said last month that the government made an offer to take over some areas of the business that the government considers strategic.

The state was compelled to intervene for national security reasons, given Atoss key role as a supplier of IT services to the nuclear and defense industries as well as for cybersecurity at this summers Paris Olympics. Atoss troubles have been embarrassing for French President Emmanuel Macrons government, who is seeking to turn Paris into a global technology hub.

Previous plans to offload assets and raise funds have failed. Separate talks with Airbus SE and Kretinsky stumbled earlier this year, and the French government was forced to step in with interim financing. A court-appointed mediator is now handling its conciliation process with its creditors.

Kretinsky has a history of working with London-based Attestor, which specializes in distressed situations and bought Atos debt in recent months. They partnered during the restructuring of French grocer Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA that saw them take control of the company in March.

Read More: Why Frances Onetime $15 Billion Tech Champion Needs State Aid

Atos provides information technology services, including for key government departments as well as the nuclear industry, and is providing cybersecurity to the Paris Olympics this summer. The company grew rapidly in the previous decade through acquisitions, adding supercomputing and cybersecurity services to its IT products. But investors began to balk at the spending, and in 2021, auditors found accounting errors at two of the companys US entities.

Meanwhile, analysts argue that Atos missed the industrywide shift to cloud-based services, alienating some customers. The shares tanked  dropping about 97% since the start of 2021  and efforts to restructure the business failed leading to a revolving door of CEOs.

Chief Executive Officer Paul Saleh, Atos fifth chief executive in less than three years, has put a confident spin on the talks so far, and said in an interview last month that he believes the company can be saved, characterizing the dialog with creditors as very, very positive.

--With assistance from Wout Vergauwen and Valentine Baldassari.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
BEIJING, May 06, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. ("Biocytogen", HKEX: 02315), a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery of novel antibody-based therapeutics, today announced a TCR-mimic antibody evaluation and potential licensing agreement with BioCopy AG ("BioCopy"), a research-based biotechnology company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.

The agreement grants BioCopy access to fully human TCR-mimic antibodies targeting an intracellular antigen generated by Biocytogens proprietary RenTCR-mimicTM mice. BioCopy will conduct an evaluation and retain the option to license these antibodies for the development of novel cancer therapies.

"We are glad to provide BioCopy with our TCR-mimic antibodies," said Dr. Yuelei Shen, President and CEO of Biocytogen. "Our in vivo matured TCR-mimic antibodies demonstrated favorable affinity and excellent specificity. Combined with BioCopys expertise in TCR-mimic antibody screening and engager development, we are optimistic that our collaboration will generate novel drugs that benefit cancer patients."

BioCopy will use Biocytogens TCR-mimic antibodies and test them against promising intracellular tumor associated antigens. Here, BioCopy will use its automated end-to-end platform for the optimization of multispecific biotherapeutics to further develop these TCR-mimic antibodies into next-generation oncological drugs.

About Biocytogens TCR-mimic Antibody Discovery Platform

Biocytogens TCR-mimic platform focuses on the discovery of fully human antibodies to intracellular targets that are presented on the cell surface by MHC class I molecules. Leveraging proprietary RenTCR-mimicTM (HLA/RenMab) mice and specialized immunization protocols, Biocytogens platform is designed to generate TCR-mimic antibodies that are highly specific for peptide/HLA complexes and not HLA itself. Using a high-throughput antibody screening platform, Biocytogen swiftly identifies TCR-mimic antibodies with higher specificity and affinity than endogenous TCRs derived from patients to overcome tumor immune escape. Currently, antibody hits for multiple intracellular targets, including TAAs, cancer-testis antigens, mutated protein antigens, and viral protein antigens, are being evaluated in vivo and in vitro. Fully human antibody sequences obtained from the TCR-mimic platform can empower the development of T cell engagers, bispecific/multispecific antibodies, and CAR-T therapies.

About Biocytogen

Biocytogen (HKEX: 02315) is a global biotechnology company that drives the research and development of novel antibody-based drugs with innovative technologies. Founded on gene editing technology, Biocytogen leverages genetically engineered proprietary RenMice (RenMabTM/RenLite/RenNano/RenTCR-mimicTM) platforms for fully human monoclonal/bispecific/multispecific antibody discovery, bispecific antibody-drug conjugate discovery, nanobody discovery and TCR-mimic antibody discovery, and has established a sub-brand, RenBiologicsTM, to explore global partnerships for an off-the-shelf library of >400,000 fully human antibody sequences against approximately 1000 targets for worldwide collaboration. As of December 31, 2023, 103 therapeutic antibody and multiple clinical asset co-development/out-licensing/transfer agreements and 47 target-nominated RenMice licensing projects have been established around the globe, including several partnerships with multinational pharmaceutical companies (MNCs). Biocytogen pioneered the generation of drug target knock-in humanized models for preclinical research, and currently provides a few thousand off-the-shelf animal and cell models under the companys sub-brand, BioMiceTM, along with preclinical pharmacology and gene-editing services for clients worldwide. Headquartered in Beijing, Biocytogen has branches in China (Haimen Jiangsu, Shanghai), the USA (Boston, San Francisco), and Germany (Heidelberg). For more information, please visit http://en.biocytogen.com.cn.

Story continues

About BioCopy

BioCopy is a multinational company headquartered in Switzerland with a state-of-the-art R&D facility in Germany. The company focuses on biotherapeutic drug discovery and development using their end-to-end automated, AI-powered platform. BioCopy is convinced that cancer can be cured with ingenuity and AI, supported by the extraordinary power of our bodys own immune system. With the companys unique platform, BioCopy is working continuously to develop next-generation biotherapeutic drug candidates with unprecedented efficacy and safety, transforming todays pharmaceutical industries.

Website: www.biocopy.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240506586492/en/

Contacts

Biocytogen

Antibody assets and platforms: BD-Licensing@biocytogen.com

Media: pr@bbctg.com.cn
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  Donald Trumps former campaign manager looked squarely into the camera and promised his viewers they were about to witness a bold new era in politics.

Youre going to see some of the most amazing new technology in artificial intelligence thats going to replace polling in the future across the country, said Brad Parscale in a dimly lit promotional video accentuated by hypnotic beats.

Parscale, the digital campaign operative who helped engineer Trumps 2016 presidential victory, vows that his new, AI-powered platform will dramatically overhaul not just polling but also campaigning. His AI-powered tools, he has boasted, will outperform big tech companies and usher in a wave of conservative victories worldwide.

Its not the first time Parscale has proclaimed that new technologies will boost right-wing campaigns. He was the digital guru who teamed up with scandal-plagued Cambridge Analytica and helped propel Trump to the White House eight years ago. In 2020, he had a public blowup then a private falling out with his old boss after the Capitol riot. Now hes back, playing an under-the-radar role to help Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, in his race against Democratic President Joe Biden.

Parscale says his company, Campaign Nucleus can use AI to help generate customized emails, parse oceans of data to gauge voter sentiment and find persuadable voters, then amplify the social media posts of anti-woke influencers, according to an Associated Press review of Parscales public statements, his company websites, slide decks, marketing materials and other documents not previously made public.

Since last year, Campaign Nucleus and other Parscale-linked companies have been paid more than $2.2 million by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their related political action and fundraising committees, campaign finance records show.

While his firms have received only a small piece of Trumps total digital spending, Parscale remains close to top Republicans, as well as senior officials at the campaign and at the RNC, according to a GOP operative familiar with Parscales role who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal dynamics.

Lara Trump, the RNCs new co-chair and Trumps daughter-in-law, once worked as a consultant to a company co-owned by Parscale. And U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson's campaign recently hired Campaign Nucleus, campaign finance records show.

Parscale, however, is not involved in day-to-day Trump campaign operations, the GOP operative said.

Parscales ability to use AI to micro target supporters and tap them for campaign cash could prove critical for Trumps campaign and other fundraising organizations. They have seen a falloff in contributions from smaller donors and a surge in spending  at least $77 million so far  on attorneys defending the former president in a slew of criminal and civil cases.

Story continues

Beyond Trump, Parscale has said hes harnessed AI to supercharge conservative candidates and causes across the globe, including in Israel, the Balkans and Brazil.

NEW AI-POWERED CAMPAIGN TOOLS

Parscale is hardly alone in using machine learning to try to give candidates an edge by predicting, pinpointing and motivating likely supporters to vote and donate money. Politicians at all levels are experimenting with chatbots and other generative AI tools to write speeches, ad copy and fundraising appeals.

Some Democrats have voiced concern over being outmaneuvered by Republicans on AI, much like they were on social media advertising eight years ago. So far, the Biden campaign and other Democrats said they are using AI to help them find and motivate voters and to better identify and defeat disinformation.

Election experts say they are concerned about AIs potential to upend elections around the world through convincing deepfakes and other content that could mislead voters. Free and low-cost generative AI services have grown in sophistication, and officials worry they can be used to smear a candidate or steer voters to avoid the polls, eroding the publics trust in what they see and hear.

Parscale has the financial backing to experiment to see what works in ways that other AI evangelists may not. That is thanks, in part, to his association with a Texas billionaire who is among the states most influential political donors.

Parscale did not respond to multiple messages from AP seeking comment. The RNC declined comment as well.

AI IS SO SCARY

Trump has called artificial intelligence  so scary " and "dangerous." His campaign, which has shied away from highlighting Parscale's role, said in an emailed statement that it did not engage or utilize tools supplied by any AI company.

The campaign uses a set of proprietary algorithmic tools, like many other campaigns across the country, to help deliver emails more efficiently and prevent sign-up lists from being populated by false information, said campaign spokesman Steven Cheung.

While political consultants often hype their tactics to land new contracts, they can also be intensely secretive about the details of that work to avoid assisting rivals. That makes it difficult to precisely track how Parscale is deploying AI for the Trump campaign, or more broadly.

Parscale has said Campaign Nucleus can send voters customized emails and use data analytics to predict voters feelings. The platform can also amplify anti-woke influencers who have large followings on social media, according to his companys documents and videos.

Parscale said his company also can use artificial intelligence to create stunning web pages in seconds that produce content that looks like a media outlet, according to a presentation he gave last month at a political conference, where he was not advertised in advance as a speaker.

Empower your team to create their own news, said another slide, according to the presentation viewed by AP.

Soon, Parscale says, his company will deploy an app that harnesses AI to assist campaigns in collecting absentee ballots in the same way DoorDash or Grubhub drivers pick up dinners from restaurants and deliver them to customers.

Chris Wilson, a Republican strategist who recently worked for a SuperPAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis failed presidential bid, said he has seen Campaign Nucleus platform and was envious of its capabilities and simplicity.

Somebody could download Nucleus, start working with it and really begin to use it, said Wilson.

Other political consultants, however, called Parscales AI-infused sales pitch largely a rehash of what campaigns already have mastered through data scraping, ad testing and modeling to predict voter behavior.

Some of this stuff is just simply not new, its been around for a long time. The only thing new is that were just calling it AI, said Amanda Elliott, a GOP digital strategist.

FROM UNKNOWN TO TRUMP CONFIDANT

Parscale, a relatively unknown web designer in San Antonio, got his start working for Trump when he was hired to build a web presence for the business moguls family business.

That led to a job on the future presidents 2016 campaign. He was one of its first hires and spearheaded an ambitious and unorthodox digital initiative that relied on an extensive database of social media accounts and content to target voters with Facebook ads.

I pretty much used Facebook to get Trump elected in 2016, Parscale said in a 2022 podcast interview.

To better target Facebook users, in particular, the campaign teamed up with Cambridge Analytica, a British datamining firm bankrolled by Robert Mercer, a wealthy and influential GOP donor. After the election, Cambridge Analytica dissolved, facing investigations over its role in a breach of 87 million Facebook accounts.

Following Trumps surprise win, Parscales influence grew. He was promoted to manage Trump's reelection bid and enjoyed celebrity status. A towering figure at 6 feet, 8 inches with a Viking-style beard, Parscale was frequently spotted at campaign rallies taking selfies with Trump supporters and signing autographs.

Parscale was replaced as campaign manager not long after a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, drew an unexpectedly small crowd, enraging Trump.

His personal life unraveled, culminating in a standoff with police at his Florida home after his wife reported he had multiple firearms and was threatening to hurt himself. One of the responding officers reported he saw bruising on the arms of Parscales wife. Parscale complied with a court order to turn in his firearms and was not charged in connection with the incident.

Parscale briefly decided to quit politics and privately expressed regret for associating with Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In a text to a former campaign colleague, he wrote he felt guilty for helping him win in 2016, according to the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack.

His disgust didnt last long. Campaign Nucleus set up Trumps website after Silicon Valley tech companies throttled his access to their platforms.

By the summer of 2022, Parscale had resumed complimenting his old boss on a podcast popular among GOP politicos.

With President Trump, he really was the guy driving the message. He was the chief strategist of his own political uprising and management, Parscale said. I think what the family recognized was: I had done everything that really the campaign needs to do.

PARSCALES PLATFORM

Trumps 2024 campaign website now links directly to Parscales company and displays that its Powered by Nucleus, as Parscale often refers to his new firm. The campaign and its related political action and campaign committees have paid Campaign Nucleus more than $800,000 since early 2023, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Two other companies  Dyspatchit Email and Text Services and BCVM Services  are listed on campaign finance records as being located at the same Florida address used by Campaign Nucleus. The firms, which are registered in Delaware and whose ownership is unclear, have received $1.4 million from the Trump campaign and related entities, FEC records show.

When an AP reporter last month visited Campaign Nucleus small, unmarked office in a tony section of Fort Lauderdale, an employee said she did not know anything about Dyspatchit or BCVM.

We dont talk to reporters, the employee said.

The three companies have been paid to host websites, send emails, provide fundraising software and provide digital consulting, FEC records show.

Parscale markets Campaign Nucleus as a one-stop shop for conservative candidates who want to automate tasks usually done by campaign workers or volunteers.

The company says it has helped its clients raise $119 million and has sent nearly 14 billion emails on their behalf, according to a promotional video.

At his recent appearance at the political conference, Parscale presented a slide that said Campaign Nucleus had raised three times as much as tech giant Salesforce in head-to-head tests for email fundraising.

Campaign Nucleus specializes in mining information from a politicians supporters, according to a recent presentation slide.

For example, when someone signs up to attend an event, Nucleus uses AI to analyze reams of personal data to assign that person a numerical score. Attendees who have been to past events receive a high score, for example, ranking them as most likely to show up, according to a company video posted online.

Campaign Nucleus also can track where people who sign up live and can send them customized emails asking for donations or solicit their help on the campaign, the video shows.

Parscale said two years ago in a podcast that he had received more than 10,000 requests about Campaign Nucleus from nearly every country with a conservative party. More recently, he said his team has been active in multiple countries, including in India and Israel, where hes been helping over there a lot with the war with Hamas.

The company says it has offices in Texas, Florida and North Carolina and has been on a recruiting tear. Recent job listings have included U.S. and Latin America-based intelligence analysts to use AI for framing messages and generating content, as well as a marketer to coordinate influencer campaigns.

Campaign Nucleus has also entered into partnerships with other companies with an AI focus. In 2022, the firm announced it was teaming up with Phunware, a Texas-based company that built a cellphone app for Trumps 2020 bid that allowed staff to monitor the movements of his millions of supporters and mobilize their social networks.

Since then, Phunware obtained a patent for what a company official described as experiential AI that can locate peoples cellphones geographically, predict their travel patterns and influence their consumer behavior.

Phunware did not answer specific questions about the partnership with Nucleus, saying the company's client engagements were confidential.

However, it is well-known that we developed the 2020 Trump campaign app in collaboration with Campaign Nucleus. We have had discussions with Trump campaign leadership about potentially developing their app for the 2024 election," said spokeswoman Christina Lockwood.

PARSCALES VISION

Last year, Parscale bought property in Midland, Texas, in the heart of the nations highest-producing oil and gas fields. It is also the hometown of Tim Dunn, a billionaire born-again evangelical who is among the states most influential political donors.

Over the years, the organizations and campaigns Dunn has funded have pushed Texas politics further to the right and driven successful challenges to unseat incumbent Republican officials deemed too centrist.

In April 2023, Dunn invested $5 million in a company called AiAdvertising that once bought one of Parscales firms under a previous corporate name. The San Antonio-based ad firm also announced that Parscale was joining as a strategic adviser, to be paid $120,000 in stock and a monthly salary of $10,000.

Boom! Parscale tweeted. (AiAdvertising) finally automated the full stack of technologies used in the 2016 election that changed the world.

In June, AiAdvertising added two key national figures to its board: Texas investor Thomas Hicks Jr.  former co-chair of the RNC and longtime hunting buddy of Donald Trump Jr. -- and former GOP congressman Jim Renacci. In December, Dunn also gave $5 million to MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC and Campaign Nucleus client. And in January, SEC filings show Dunn provided AiAdvertising an additional $2.5 million via his investment company. A company press release said the cash infusion would help it generate more engaging, higher-impact campaigns.

Dunn declined to comment, although in an October episode of his podcast he elaborated on how his political work is driven by his faith.

Jesus wont be on the ballot, OK? Now, eventually, hes going to take over the government and we can look forward to that, Dunn told listeners. In the meanwhile, were going to have to settle.

In business filings, AiAdvertising said it has developed AI-created personas to determine what messages will resonate emotionally with its customers target audience. Parscale said last year in a promotional video that Campaign Nucleus was using AI models in a similar way.

We actually understand what the American people want to hear, Parscale said.

AiAdvertising did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Parscale occasionally offers glimpses of the AI future he envisions. Casting himself as an outsider to the Republican establishment, he has said he sees AI as a way to undercut elite Washington consultants, whom he described as political parasites.

In January, Parscale told a crowd assembled at a grassroots Christian event at a church in Pasadena, California, that their movement needed to have our own AI, from creative large language models and creative imagery, we need to reach our own audiences with our own distribution, our own email systems, our own texting systems, our own ability to place TV ads, and lastly we need to have our own influencers.

To make his point plain, he turned to a metaphor that relied on a decidedly 19th-century technology.

We must not rely on any of their rails, he said, referring to mainstream media and companies. This is building our own train tracks.

___

Burke reported from San Francisco. AP National Political Writer Steve Peoples and Courtney Subramanian in Washington and Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

___

This story is part of an Associated Press series, The AI Campaign, that explores the influence of artificial intelligence in the 2024 election cycle.

___

Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/.

___

The Associated Press receives financial assistance from the Omidyar Network to support coverage of artificial intelligence and its impact on society. 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.
Brazil's federal government and the state of Espirito Santo have reportedly turned down a $25.03bn settlement proposal from mining giants Vale and BHP for the 2015 Mariana tailings dam collapse.

The offer, which included $9.2bn already disbursed, was deemed insufficient and laden with "inadmissible conditions" by the office of Brazil's solicitor general, reported Reuters.

The dam collapse at the Samarco iron ore mine, a joint venture between Vale and BHP, unleashed a deluge of mud and mining waste, claiming 19 lives, displacing hundreds, and causing extensive environmental damage to the Doce River in Minas Gerais state.

Despite the proposal's increase in funds allocated to federal and state governments, it suggested a significant reduction in the companies' previously agreed obligations.

Notably, the plan implied a drastic cutback in the removal of mining tailings from the Doce River, with the government suggesting it bordered on a scenario of no removal at all.

Silveira was quoted by in Bloomberg News as saying in an interview in Rome: I cannot fail to express my outrage at how brazen it is for Vale and BHP to present a settlement proposal for the humanitarian tragedy of Mariana thats less adequate than the previous one. Well reject it.

While the federal government and Espirito Santo have expressed firm opposition, the Minas Gerais government has adopted a different stance.

Minas Gerais Secretary for Planning and Management Luisa Barreto was cited by Reuters as saying that the state intends to continue negotiations over the current proposal.

In response to the rejection, BHP reaffirmed its commitment to fair reparation and compensation measures while Vale emphasised its dedication to reaching a fair and comprehensive repair agreement.

Samarco also communicated its openness to dialogue and its responsibility towards concluding the agreement discussions.

"Brazil rejects $25bn Mariana disaster settlement offer from Vale, BHP" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Econframe Berhad fair value estimate is RM0.67

With RM0.76 share price, Econframe Berhad appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value

Econframe Berhad's peers seem to be trading at a higher premium to fair value based onthe industry average of -165%

How far off is Econframe Berhad (KLSE:EFRAME) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Econframe Berhad

The Model

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. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM9.95m RM12.5m RM14.9m RM17.1m RM19.0m RM20.7m RM22.2m RM23.6m RM24.9m RM26.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 35.57% Est @ 25.96% Est @ 19.24% Est @ 14.53% Est @ 11.24% Est @ 8.93% Est @ 7.32% Est @ 6.19% Est @ 5.40% Est @ 4.84% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 11% RM9.0 RM10.2 RM11.0 RM11.4 RM11.4 RM11.3 RM10.9 RM10.5 RM10.0 RM9.4

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM105m

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 11%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM26m (1 + 3.6%)  (11% 3.6%) = RM378m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM378m ( 1 + 11%)10= RM137m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM242m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM0.8, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

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 Econframe Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 11%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.127. 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 Econframe Berhad

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Shareholders have been diluted in the past year.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for EFRAME.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. 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 Econframe Berhad, we've compiled three relevant elements you should assess:

Risks: As an example, we've found 2 warning signs for Econframe Berhad that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does EFRAME's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Looking at CapAllianz Holdings Limited's (Catalist:594 ) insider transactions over the last year, we can see that insiders were net buyers. That is, there were more number of shares purchased by insiders than there were sold.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for CapAllianz Holdings

CapAllianz Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Hong Mong Tan bought S$565k worth of shares at a price of S$0.0033 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than S$0.002 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. 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. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Hong Mong Tan.

Hong Mong Tan bought 193.67m shares over the last 12 months at an average price of S$0.0032. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

CapAllianz Holdings is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. CapAllianz Holdings insiders own about S$5.6m worth of shares. That equates to 33% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At CapAllianz Holdings Tell Us?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in CapAllianz Holdings and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for CapAllianz Holdings (1 is a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.

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Of course CapAllianz Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions 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.
To avoid investing in a business that's in decline, there's a few financial metrics that can provide early indications of aging. When we see a declining return on capital employed (ROCE) in conjunction with a declining base of capital employed, that's often how a mature business shows signs of aging. This combination can tell you that not only is the company investing less, it's earning less on what it does invest. So after glancing at the trends within Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:PANAMY), we weren't too hopeful.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.077 = RM62m  (RM923m - RM118m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023).

Thus, Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad has an ROCE of 7.7%. Even though it's in line with the industry average of 7.7%, it's still a low return by itself.

See our latest analysis for Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad

roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad .

What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us

There is reason to be cautious about Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad, given the returns are trending downwards. About five years ago, returns on capital were 14%, however they're now substantially lower than that as we saw above. Meanwhile, capital employed in the business has stayed roughly the flat over the period. Since returns are falling and the business has the same amount of assets employed, this can suggest it's a mature business that hasn't had much growth in the last five years. So because these trends aren't typically conducive to creating a multi-bagger, we wouldn't hold our breath on Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad becoming one if things continue as they have.

Our Take On Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad's ROCE

In summary, it's unfortunate that Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad is generating lower returns from the same amount of capital. Long term shareholders who've owned the stock over the last five years have experienced a 34% depreciation in their investment, so it appears the market might not like these trends either. That being the case, unless the underlying trends revert to a more positive trajectory, we'd consider looking elsewhere.

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If you'd like to know about the risks facing Panasonic Manufacturing Malaysia Berhad, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
By Emma Rumney

LONDON (Reuters) - High Chinese tariffs on EU brandy would leave French companies with vast amounts of cognac that could be hard to sell elsewhere, according to Reuters' calculations, analysts, and investors who fear firms could be forced to discount.

China opened an anti-dumping investigation into brandy imported from the European Union in January, sparking fears cognac could suffer a similar blow to that taken by Australian wine when China introduced tariffs of up to 218.4%.

Australian wine exports to China, worth $1.1 billion in 2019, were almost completely wiped out by high tariffs.

While a worst-case scenario, some analysts have been weighing what such an outcome would mean for the cognac industry and major French spirits makers such as Pernod Ricard and Remy Cointreau.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to visit France on Monday. French authorities would raise the country's investigation into cognac during the visit, French officials said during a recent press briefing.

The cognac industry's "future depends" in part on tariffs being avoided through such talks, industry association the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) said in a statement on Thursday.

China accounted for 19.4% of exports in 2023, according to BNIC data. The Chinese market is also more profitable than others.

While low tariffs could be covered by price increases with relatively little disruption, higher tariffs could deal a substantial blow to that demand, Laurence Whyatt, analyst at Barclays said.

Remy and Pernod declined to comment. Their shares are down more than 16% and 5.7%, respectively, compared with before the probe was announced.

The BNIC said the bigger impact would be on 4,400 winegrowers and their families, as well as the entire cognac ecosystem and economy of the Cognac region, in southwest France.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO

There were 2 billion bottles worth of cognac ageing in barrels in France in 2023, 97% of which was destined for export markets, BNIC data showed.

If China's portion stayed at around 19%, that would mean at least 368.6 million bottles worth of ageing cognac was destined for China in the future, according to Reuters calculations based on that data. Some of that will be aged for a decade or more.

France shipped just over 35 million bottles worth of cognac to China last year, the BNIC says. If shipments continued at that rate, more than 175 million bottles would go to China over the next five years.

If high tariffs hit demand in a big way, dealing with all that stock would be a key challenge for producers, Whyatt and two investors said.

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"They are left with all that cognac sitting in a warehouse just north of Bordeaux. It's very difficult to see how they solve that problem," Whyatt said.

Sales are declining sharply in cognac's other major market, the United States, and other markets are relatively small, meaning the cognac could not be easily sold elsewhere.

A key risk is that companies are forced to cut prices, damaging margins and brand value, Whyatt and two investors agreed.

However, companies would look to avoid this, said Chris Beckett, head of equity research at Quilter Cheviot, a Pernod investor.

One option would be to age the stock for longer, he added, though this would hit companies' working capital.

The worst-case scenario was unlikely, Oliver Adcock, fund manager at Remy and Pernod investor NS Partners said, adding he was hopeful Brussels could resolve the dispute quickly.

Australia's clash with China was more severe, agreed an industry source, who asked not to be named ahead of Xi's visit, adding there was no indication China's demand for cognac would significantly change.

(Reporting by Emma Rumney in London; Additional reporting by Michel Rose in Paris; Editing by Alex Richardson)
This week kicks off the City of Jackson's "Economic Development Week," which started Monday with a breakfast at the Hinds County Economic Development Authority office.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba spoke on the annual event during his Monday press conference, along with other partners who helped host the event, including the city's Department of Planning and Development, the Jackson Redevelopment Authority, the Hinds County Economic Development Authority and Visit Jackson.

"I want to be clear that economic development is not only about making money, right? It's about changing lives, it's about changing the quality of life," Lumumba said.

Jackson City Hall is seen in Jackson, Miss., on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.

Here is what is planned for Economic Development week, according to a press release from the City of Jackson:

Monday, May 6: The event's launch at 9 a.m.with an official proclamation and Kick-off Breakfast at the Hinds County Economic Development Authority office to celebrate the impact of regional community growth efforts.

Tuesday, May 7: A lunch and learn session to welcome professionals, students, business owners and locals to learn the fundamentals of economic development from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the Capitol Club on Congress Street.

Wednesday, May 8: A networking mixer from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Cathead Distillery for a night of conversations, libations and inspiration from like-minded professionals in a lively ambiance.

Thursday, May 9: A bus tour starting at 9 a.m. that will give insight on downtown properties and hear the vision for future projects. The tour starts at Union Station on West Capitol Street. After, a community meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.at Union Station will be held for the public to offer input.

Friday, May 10: Events will wrap up with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a behind-the-scenes look at Visit Jackson. Residents will hear how the city is promoting tourism and attracting visitors to the community.

This week's activities include engaging professionals, students, business owners and residents for several networking opportunities, educational workshops and exclusive insights into downtown Jackson.

Lumumba touches on Medgar Evers receiving Presidential Medal of Freedom

During Monday's press conference, Lumumba also commented on Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Evers was honored with the nation's highest civilian honor by President Joe Biden on May 3. He was one of 19 recipients to receive the honor.

"It is Medgar Evers that actually put this city on the map through his tireless efforts to fight for freedom," Lumumba said.

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Evers was the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi. In 1963, he was shot in the back by white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith on the front doorsteps of his home in Jackson. In 2020, Evers' home in Jackson was established as a national historic monument.

Medgar Evers 2023 gala: Medgar Evers assassination: Myrlie Evers-Williams recounts the details

Lumumba reaffirmed his stance that there should be a statue of Evers outside of Jackson's City Hall. In 2020, the Jackson City Council voted to remove the statue of the seventh president, Andrew Jackson, that currently stands outside of City Hall.

The mayor also congratulated entrepreneur and former mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lumumba said Bloomberg has been supportive of Jackson through his philanthropic efforts and thanked him for his support of the city.

New parking kiosks go live in downtown Jackson

The city's new parking kiosks were installed May 1 after years of broken meters have resulted in the city losing millions. Previous statements from Lumumba said the new parking system could bring in around $2 million per year in revenue for the city.

The parking kiosks will be overseen by the city's infrastructure team, as well as the Jackson Police Department and SP Plus Corporation who installed the meters.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS 'Economic Development Week' starts. See the planned events
Rita Blalock, on 8 February 2020. Photograph: Courtesy of Fight for a Union-SEIU

When Jesse Motte began working at a Starbucks inside a Target store in Columbia, South Carolina, more than two years ago, $15 an hour sounded great. He was excited to start because it was the most he had ever made after working for years in the service industry.

The excitement has dissipated due to his inconsistent and erratic work schedule, the rising costs of necessities and the minuscule raises he and his co-workers receive annually. His most recent annual wage increase was $0.37 an hour.

Related: US unions target the housing affordability crisis as their biggest issue

Motte is not alone. This week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest estimate for the share labor receives of national income for the first quarter of 2024. The statistics shows the income workers receive compared with the productivity their labor generates.

According to BLS, this income share has declined for non-farm workers from about two-thirds, 64.1% in the first quarter of 2001, to 55.8% in the first quarter of 2024.

Target raised their company minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2017 and has since only increased the range of starting wages, which vary from $15 to $24 an hour.

Ive been working here a little over two years and I still have not made it out of the $15-an-hour range, said Motte. Last week I got paid, my pay was about $700 for about 60 hours of work I did for two weeks. I still havent bought groceries, Im still eating some canned food that I have.

Im still eating a bunch of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, and drinking protein shakes. Im scared to go buy groceries because I know if I do, Im going to spend about $100 for not much.

Motte explained that working at Starbucks in a Target store, he often has to deal with long lines toward the end of his shift while managing the closing duties, and that he can get pulled to work in different departments within Target. He said that for the work he and his co-workers do and their role in running Target stores, their pay is not enough, especially compared with the Target CEO Brian Cornells compensation.

In 2022, Targets CEO was paid more than $17.6m in total compensation, 680 times more than the median worker at Target, and more than double the average for S&P 500 corporations. The company reported $5.7bn in profits in 2023.

CEO pay has soared 1,209.2% from 1978 to 2022, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, compared to a 15.3% rise in typical workers pay.

Its part of several contributing factors to runaway income and wealth inequality that has resulted in low-income workers share of the pie dwindling as the distribution of wages in the US has trended toward high-end wage earners receiving more and more.

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We have an incredibly corrupt corporate governance structure, said Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy research. CEOs in the US get paid way more than their counterparts in other wealthy countries.

He cited other contributing factors, such as the fallen corporate tax rate, patent and copyright monopolies that enable industries such as pharmaceuticals to price-gouge medications that are cheap to manufacture, industries such as Wall Street that are not taxed properly and are heavily subsidized, and policies that are unfriendly to labor unions.

We could structure the market differently in ways that didnt produce as much inequality as we have now, Baker added. The bulk of the story of wage stagnation for the typical worker has been that an increasing share of wage income has gone to high-end earners.

Erica Groshen, a senior economics adviser at Cornell University and the former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, also noted the median workers share of the national income had declined.

We have these different components, and these influences have led both to a widening inequality and this declining share, particularly for workers on the lower end of the education spectrum, said Groshen.

Rita Blalock has worked at McDonalds in Durham, North Carolina, for 10 years. She recently received a wage increase that she spent years fighting for, to get her over $15 an hour.

Comparatively, the McDonalds chief has one of the highest CEO-to-worker pay ratios in the world, at 1,224 times the median worker pay. A typical McDonalds worker would have to work more than 1,200 years to make his compensation for a year.

We deserve more than what we are getting paid. We deserve $25 an hour. Because executives are paid seven to eight figures, so they can afford to go have fun, go on vacations. Here I am, I have to sit here and work hard for them at their store, said Blalock. We are shorthanded. The customers are not happy. We tell them if pay was better, then maybe we could keep people longer and we wouldnt have to work ourselves to death because were so short-staffed.

Blalocks sentiments are reflected in data on income and wealth inequality in recent decades.

From 1979 to 2022, wages for the top 1%of wage earners in the US rose by 171.1% compared to 32.9% for the bottom 90% of wage earners. In the same period, the share of total earnings for the bottom 90% declined 8.8% while it increased for the top 0.1% of earners by 4.6%.

Billionaires alone have gained $2.7tn since March 2020. According to a 2020 report published by the Rand Corporation, the wealthiest 1% in the US have taken $50tn from the bottom 90% in recent decades.

Productivity has failed to keep up with wage growth; from 1979 to 2019, net productivity for US workers increased by 59.7%, while typical compensation for a worker only grew by 15.8% in the same period. The median worker would have made an extra $9 an hour if the rates had grown together.

The federal minimum wage has remained $7.25 an hour since July 2009, the longest period in the minimum wages history without an increase, and its worth 29% less today than 15 years ago.

Cecilia Ortiz makes a little more than $16 an hour as a wheelchair attendant at Phoenix international airport in Arizona, where she has worked for a little less than two years.

She made $13.85 when she started and only received a raise after getting a promotion. Ortiz has been homeless and has health issues. But she receives no benefits from work; no healthcare, no vacation time or paid sick time, and she has to pay $50 a month for parking at the airport where she works.

I love my job, Im very good at my job, I have good relationships with my passengers during the time Im with them, but I have to kind of sugarcoat the real situation, because they automatically assume that working in the airport I must be making good money. For the 1.5 years Ive been working for these airlines, Ive been sleeping on an air mattress. I still cant afford to buy a dresser for my clothes, explained Ortiz.

During a shift, Ortiz said, she can walk up to 15 miles. Her ability to take breaks is limited, depending on managements preference, and she isnt allowed to carry water with her through the airport, despite the exposure to Phoenixs intensely hot temperatures in parts of the airport where there isnt air-conditioning, such as the gate bridges to airplanes.

Her employer is a contractor for major US airlines, where CEOs receive millions of dollars in compensation, including $31.4m for the American Airlines CEO in 2023 and more than $34m in 2023 for the Delta Airlines CEO.

There are thousands of us doing the same thing, were just trying to get by. We would like to live comfortably as well, added Ortiz. Wed like to be appreciated a little bit here. and its really not too much to ask, its a shame we have to ask. Its an even bigger shame that we have to fight.
Athens-Ben Epps Airport received interest from commercial airlines as a potential site for services, but officials said they expressed concern about the airport's parking accommodations.

An ongoing commercial pilot shortage, which could be exacerbated by reluctance in the U.S. Senate to take immediate action to raise the retirement age for pilots from 65 to 67 years old, could affect the time it will take to get commercial air service back to Athens-Ben Epps Airport, the facilitys director said.

Airport Director Mike Mathews pointed to the pilot shortage  occasioned by fewer pilots leaving military service for civilian airline careers, the high costs and lengthiness of commercial pilot training, and a spate of retirements around the recent coronavirus pandemic, which restricted air travel  as a reason why airlines may be moving slowly to expand their travel options.

At a recent conference designed to bring airlines together with airports interested in establishing  or in the case of Athens-Ben Epps Airport, reestablishing  commercial air service, Mathews and other airport staff spoke with representatives of four airlines  Avelo, Breeze, Allegiant and American Airlines  about offering commercial air service from Athens.

More: Athens airport wants to pursue American Airlines, others as new service provider

At a recent meeting of the Athens-Ben Epps Airport Authority, Mathews updated members on prospects for commercial passenger air service from Athens. Airlines understand it could work, would work, Mathews said, but he added that the pilot shortage looms as an issue.

The status of the pilot shortage is currently a subject of debate. On one hand, the Air Line Pilots Association, the worlds largest pilot union, contends that the more than 11,000 airline pilot certificates issued in 2023 exceeded both the forecasted need and the demand for new pilots.

That is, however, disputed by the Regional Airline Association, a nonprofit organization representing nearly 20 regional airlines, which has said major airlines hired more than 12,000 pilots last year, thus outstripping the number of new airline pilot certificates issued.

At present, Athens-Ben Epps Airport officials are concentrating on bringing American Airlines to the airport, with hopes of the airline likely offering flights from Athens to its hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport through one of its subsidiary or contract regional airlines.

FILE - Athens-Ben Epps Airport officials want American Airlines to offer flights from Athens to its hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Mathews told the authority Tuesday that he is continuing to work toward a meeting with American Airlines officials, along with local economic development, Chamber of Commerce and other interested parties, at the airlines Dallas, Texas headquarters, to press the local case for American to serve Athens-Ben Epps Airport. Mathews is hoping to have the meeting scheduled within four to five months.

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In the next year or two, I feel like we could get something going, Mathews told the authority.

But it was also clear Tuesday that the clock has started ticking for an arrangement with American Airlines. The airports own strategic plan calls for completion of recruitment of an airline for service from Athens by the end of 2025.

That same plan, though, also calls for airport staff to start sometime this year to research alternatives to legacy carriers like American Airlines. The nations legacy carriers, with long histories of uninterrupted air service, lots of aircraft and plenty of domestic and international routes, include Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in addition to American Airlines.

Im talking to other folks, too, in the effort to get commercial passenger air service to Athens-Ben Epps Airport, Mathews said in an interview.

Another hint that time could become a factor in efforts to get American Airlines at Athens-Ben Epps Airport is a call in the airports strategic plan to consider revising its air service development efforts to focus on another hub airport, such as Washington Dulles International in Washington, D.C.

While American Airlines has a hub in Washington, D.C., it is at Washington Reagan National Airport. United Airlines has a hub at Washington Dulles International.

Still, Mathews said that airport officials are continuing to concentrate on American Airlines as a potential commercial passenger air service provider from Athens-Ben Epps Airport. One reason, he said, is Americans strong support for a $750,000 federal Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) grant awarded to the airport a few years ago.

The SCASDP money will become available once Athens-Ben Epps Airport gets new commercial passenger airline service. It can be used to market the service, and to provide some measure of revenue guarantees to the airline providing the flights.

Currently in the area, outside of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, American Airlines operates flights from Augusta Regional Airport through its subsidiaries  PSA Airlines, Piedmont Airlines and Envoy Air. Flights are available to Charlotte, and to Washington, D.C. and Dallas-Fort Worth.

The airline group also has a presence at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport, with flights to Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth and New York.

Athens-Ben Epps Airport has not had scheduled passenger air service since 2014 when SeaPort Airlines halted service to the Tennessee cities of Nashville, Memphis and Jackson. The service was discontinued because the airline could not meet the minimum passenger load required for a federal Essential Air Service subsidy.

The airports current interest in American Airlines is not the first time the two entities have explored the provision of commercial air service from Athens.

Almost exactly nine years ago, airport officials were in serious discussions with American Airlines to provide service at Athens-Ben Epps via US Airways Express, which American had then recently acquired.

Those discussions ground to a halt when American Airlines officials told a consultant working with the airport that a shortage of both airplanes and pilots had prompted it to abandon plans for expanding service in Georgia.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Hopes remain to bring American Airlines to Athens-Ben Epps Airport
A five-story historic office building would be transformed into downtown apartments under a proposal Colorado developers are seeking Low Income Housing Tax Credits to support.

The Wichita City Council approved an incentive package to support the project Tuesday.

212 N. Market, a 75,000-square-foot building constructed in 1925, would be converted into 51 one-bedroom units and 23 two-bedroom units under Denver developer Sam Edelsons proposal.

To make that proposal more appealing to the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, Edelson asked the Wichita City Council to approve local incentives, including $21 million in industrial revenue bonds and a 10-year 100% tax abatement.

The issuance of IRBs eliminates the sales tax on construction costs, an exemption that the state awards points for during the highly competitive tax credit application process.

Were finding that Wichita projects without some kind of incentive are not getting full credit for the tax credit program, and therefore the Wichita projects are not scoring high enough [to be selected] City Manager Robert Layton said during Fridays agenda review meeting.

City incentives will be applied only if the 212 N. Market project is selected to receive 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, a U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department-funded initiative that provides up to a 70% subsidy for developments that rent to a specified number of low-income tenants. With state matching dollars in effect, the 9% LIHTC credits will cover up to 85% of development costs, city staff said Tuesday. The deadline for that application is May 10.

Per their application, we are seeking all of the deepest levels of affordability [in rent rates] for their criteria and scoring, Edelson said.

He said 16% of units would be rented affordably to tenants below 30% of the area median income level, 30% would be rented at below 40% median income, and the rest would be offered at below 60% median income. Wichitas median income is just over $69,000 a year.

Edelson said its too soon to know exactly what rent rates would be at 212 N. Market. Many of the downtown apartment complexes that have opened in recent years are on the higher end of the rent spectrum.

Edelson hasnt developed in Wichita before, but he said he has about 20 active projects in Denver and a number of others in Kansas City and Iowa, many of which are adaptive reuse projects that rely on LIHTC to turn historic buildings into apartments.

In a resource and time-constrained world, everybody would love to offer infinite amounts of housing at affordable rates, but sadly, the way the world works, just the fundamental cost to build housing is in excess  certainly in excess of these levels of affordability, Edelson said. So the only way to make housing affordable, not just in Wichita but throughout the country, is through these programs.

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Vice Mayor Maggie Ballard said developers told her they plan to set up a local management company several blocks away from the property.

Thats really good news because . . . we have heard in the past, sometimes out-of-state developers that arent here to drive by every day dont take as good of care of our property. Im really excited to hear about that, Ballard said. Just excited for someone to actually tackle the affordability piece that so many members in our community are really struggling to find in housing.

The local incentive package was approved unanimously by the council.

In a bid to boost all seven Wichita projects being considered for tax credits, the council also voted to approve a waiver of building and water/sewer connection fees for this years LIHTC applicants. Only six projects across the state will ultimately be chosen to receive 9% LIHTC credits.

Wed like to have you approve this [incentive] for this funding cycle, and then were going to bring a recommendation for a permanent policy to you later, Layton said. The extra city incentive will only be applied for Wichita projects that are selected by the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation.

212 N. Market, which sits at the northeast corner of First and Market, is currently owned by Ontario-based Trident 1 Investments LLC. Edelson said the building sale will go through only if his LIHTC proposal is picked because the project isnt viable without it.

Trident did not respond to a request for comment Friday and Edelson said he wasnt comfortable sharing information about what tenants currently occupy the building. The city agenda report states that 212 N. Market is experiencing very low occupancy.

If the project wins state approval, Edelson said construction will likely start before the end of 2024 and take 12 to 14 months to complete.

The approximate value of the proposed sales tax exemption is $540,254, according to the agenda report. During the 10-year property tax abatement, developers would be required to pay $21,112.72 annually  equal to the current property tax generated  before the value of the renovated apartments would be added to the tax rolls.
Elon Musk Warns 'America Is Headed Towards Extinction' And Urges People To 'Have More Children' To Fight Off 'Population Collapse'

No one can call Elon Musk a hypocrite with his calls for people to "have more children."

Musk himself is the father of 11 children with 3 different women. Two of his kids are with Shivon Zilis, an executive at one of his companies, Neuralink.

Zilis explains that Elon and her never actually dated, with the twins instead being conceived through IVF. For Zilis, the arrangement made sense as Musk told her "he really wants smart people to have kids."

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The concern of people not having enough children has been a consistent fear for Musk.

In 2022, he warned that "population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilization than global warming," and just recently doubled down by posting on X that "America is trending towards extinction" in response to a post that the U.S. birth rate fell to its lowest level in a century.

While Musk fumes at those deciding to not have kids, even arguing to eliminate the voting rights for people without children, the data cites many other reasons couples don't have kids besides simply not wanting to.

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In a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center of non-parent American adults aged 18 to 49, 56% of respondents said their reason for not having kids was because "they just don't want to have children," while 43% cited "some other reason."

Of the "some other reason" demographic, 29% cited age, 23% cited medical reasons and 14% cited financial reasons.

It's possible Musk has grown out of touch with the cost of raising a child for the average American, with the cost of raising a child to 18 years old being close to a quarter of a million dollars before accounting for college costs.

With a net worth of around $191 billion, Musk can afford to father as many children as he wishes.

It should be noted, however, that not all demographers agree with Musk's doomsday assessment regarding a population collapse.

Author Tomas Sobotka, speaking at the Vienna Institute of Demography, attempted to calm concerns saying "with 8 billion people and counting on the earth, we don't see a collapse happening at present time, and it's not even projected."

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Meanwhile, the United Nations projects the only regions that will see a population decline up to the year 2050 are in the already heavily populated eastern and southeastern Asia countries.

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This article Elon Musk Warns 'America Is Headed Towards Extinction' And Urges People To 'Have More Children' To Fight Off 'Population Collapse' originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
A local company is marking three decades of elevating the skill of property management to an art for their satisfied clients.

Empire Management opened the doors to its Parker St. offices in 1994. Today, the company, which also has an office in Westborough, has 22 employees and manages over 100 condominiums, homeowners associations, and residential properties across Massachusetts.

Gabrielle Surette, whose father, Mark Surette founded the company, serves today as Empire Managements office manager. She said the secret to the businesss success over the last 30 years had been the tenacity its skilled staff.

You know youre going to get knocked down a couple of times but just how some things go, but its really about getting back up and making sure that youre giving the best quality service to everyone that you work with, she said.

Jenna Hartman, left, and Gabrielle Surette of Empire Management in Gardner. The property management business is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Youthful staff brings unique skills to property management

Jenna Hartman, president of Empire Management, began working for the company when it acquired the Westborough business where she was employed in the accounts payable department over 10 years ago. She said the property management business had changed quite a bit over the last three decades, most notably in a way that gives her staff  which is comprised predominantly of younger women  a slight advantage over their older counterparts.

The use of social media is a huge thing, she said. All of our younger employees are pretty tech-savvy, which is helpful, and they bring different ideas to how we share information, how we allow people to communicate with us, and how we advertise  its been a game-changer.

More: Vacant for 5 years: Gardner's old Bank of America building has been sold

Hartman said there were both challenges and benefits to being female in a business where most business owners and developers were men.

Its definitely challenging to always be taken seriously, but I love it, she said.

Was it possible that men might sometimes underestimate her abilities?

Definitely, she said.

Hartman said it was exciting to watch the transformation of the Chair City from the windows of their downtown offices.

I first came to Gardner only 12 years ago, where there wasnt really anything here, Hartman said. "There were absentee landlords and completely vacant buildings, there was literally nothing going on. But now some of our neighbors are outside investors whove done a great job beautifying some of these buildings, and we have apartments next to us that look good, and everybody is putting in some work. Its really exciting to see for me because I came in when it was almost nothing.

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Hartman said she realized just how notable Gardners comeback had been during a visit to Shrewsbury when some restaurant employees, who had noticed her Empire Management logo, inquired about available apartments in the Chair City.

Its crazy that people in Shrewsbury, which is essentially where Im from, are actually asking about moving out here, and they actually did look at some apartments next to us, she said. We have people coming in and calling constantly looking for apartments.

Empire at vanguard of Gardner's downtown transformation

Having restaurants in the city that were not part of a chain, such as the Gardner Ale House and Williams Restaurant, was another factor that was drawing people looking to move into the area, according to Hartman.

Thats something that a lot of people look for, she said.

More: Gardner's downtown renaissance continues with new apartments - what you need to know

Playing a part in the revitalization of the city she grew up in was a rewarding experience, Surette said.

I remember Gardner when I was quite younger, and it was a great city, but unfortunately I did get to see it kind of fall too, which was disappointing, she said. I was on the swim team at Greenwood, so driving home from swim practice I remember all the businesses and the lights (downtown), so it was kind of a bummer to see a lot of what was cool about Gardner kind of go away. But now its coming back.

As for the future of Empire Management, Hartman said she hoped to see the company, which recently purchased the vacant Bank of America building across the street from its office, continue to grow at its current rate as it becomes a leader in the industry.

The vacant building at 29 Parker St. in Gardner was recently purchased by Empire Management. The former Bank of America building will soon be the home to a family-style restaurant and a medical arts center, according to the new owners.

I love the fact that were diversifying a bit more, Id love to see us buy more property, especially in this area, and bring something special to the downtown, she said.

Gardner is especially important to us, with our home office being here, Surette said. We dont want to acquire buildings just to acquire buildings, we either want to restore them to what they used to be or take something that could be great and make it great.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: The secret to Empire Management's success in downtown Gardner MA
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Estate planning is critical to preserving generational wealth. For many families, a living trust can streamline the process of transferring wealth after you die by eliminating probate and minimizing estate taxes.

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Many people think a revocable or irrevocable trust only benefits wealthy individuals and families. But thats not true. Trusts are for the middle class, too, California-based estate planning and asset protection attorney Brittany Cohen says in a TikTok video.

Lets dig deeper.

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What Is a Living Trust?

A living trust is a legal document you create before you die to hold your assets. When you die, the trust designates how your assets will be distributed. You will designate a trustee who will be responsible for ensuring assets are distributed according to your wishes, much like the executrix of a will.

Every trust has several parties involved:

The Grantor: The person who establishes the trust

The Beneficiary or Beneficiaries: Parties who receive the assets of the trust upon the grantors death

Trustee: The person who ensures the terms of the trust are followed

Successor Trustee: A second person who can take over for the trustee if the trustee is incapable of fulfilling the duties or has died

There are two kinds of living trusts: revocable and irrevocable. Lets look at the key differences between the two.

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Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts

Revocable trusts, as the name implies, can be altered or canceled the creator (grantor) of the trust at any time up until the persons death. The grantor can transfer assets into and out of the trust, modify the terms of the trust, and change the trustee, successor trustee and beneficiaries at any time. As the grantor, you can also designate someone else to control and manage the trust should you become physically or mentally incapable of doing so.

Upon the grantors death, a revocable trust becomes irrevocable and cannot be changed by the trustee or any other party.

Irrevocable trusts cannot be changed easily by any party, including the grantor. You cant cancel the trust or remove funds from it. You also cant change the trustee, successor trustee, or the beneficiaries. You can, however, add assets to an irrevocable trust.

In some cases, an irrevocable trust can help protect the assets in your estate as well as the assets of your heirs.

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Both an irrevocable trust and a revocable trust can also help you avoid probate, which is necessary when assets are inherited through a will.

When youre considering a revocable vs irrevocable trust, what do you need to know? Which one is better for most people?

What Is Better: A Revocable or Irrevocable Trust?

In most situations, a revocable trust is better because most people want the ability to move their assets around and spend their money as desired. A living revocable trust provides this advantage.

A revocable trust also allows you the freedom to change your mind about the trustees and beneficiaries. If family relationships, friendships, or business relationships change over time, you might wish to change beneficiaries. You can do this with a living revocable trust.

Advantages of an Irrevocable Trust

Certain situations may call for an irrevocable trust, however. Understanding the advantages of an irrevocable trust can help you make the right decision.

An irrevocable trust takes away your control of your assets. But if you have money or property you plan to hold onto, specifically for your heirs, an irrevocable trust can help protect those assets.

An irrevocable trust removes assets from your estate, which means your heirs wont pay estate taxes on it. However, irrevocable trust assets may be taxed at a different rate. The trust may be responsible for paying income tax on undistributed gains. The beneficiary may also pay income taxes on money withdrawn from the trust after your death.

Its important to speak to a lawyer and tax accountant or tax attorney to discuss the tax ramifications of an irrevocable trust.

An irrevocable trust can also protect the beneficiarys inheritance from collections or creditors. Money in an irrevocable trust does not have to be used to pay debts.

Finally, when a Medicaid beneficiary dies, often their estate will be used to repay expenses covered by Medicaid, including nursing facilities, home care services, hospital stays and services, and the costs of prescription drugs. Funds held in an irrevocable trust cannot be used for this purpose.

Final Note

If you want to maintain control of your assets until you die but keep your assets out of probate upon your death, a revocable trust might be the best answer. Revocable trusts are not just for wealthy individuals, but for anyone who will be leaving assets to their children or other heirs.

Financial expert Dave Ramsey has said that if you hate the people in your family, leave unclear instructions [regarding your death], and no will.

However, Cohen pointed out a will wont help your loved ones avoid probate. A living trust can simplify the transfer of assets after your death. Its whether you want them to have to go to court or you want it to all be laid out very easy for them to take ownership, she said in a TikTok video reported by MoneyWise.com.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Estates and Wills: Should You Set Up a Revocable or Irrevocable Trust?
Amid fluctuating sentiments in the United States stock market, investors have recently experienced a mix of relief and caution following the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain interest rates, coupled with ongoing concerns about inflation. In this context, understanding the stability and potential resilience offered by leading dividend stocks like Coca-Cola becomes particularly relevant.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In The United States

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Columbia Banking System (NasdaqGS:COLB) 7.14%  Resources Connection (NasdaqGS:RGP) 5.01%  Silvercrest Asset Management Group (NasdaqGM:SAMG) 5.25%  Regions Financial (NYSE:RF) 4.85%  Dillard's (NYSE:DDS) 4.84%  Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) 4.75%  Ennis (NYSE:EBF) 4.94%  West Bancorporation (NasdaqGS:WTBA) 5.79%  Citizens & Northern (NasdaqCM:CZNC) 6.29%  Marine Products (NYSE:MPX) 4.89% 

Click here to see the full list of 203 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

Underneath we present a selection of stocks filtered out by our screen.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: The Coca-Cola Company is a global beverage corporation that manufactures, markets, and sells a wide range of nonalcoholic drinks, with a market capitalization of approximately $267.83 billion.

Operations: Coca-Cola's revenue from non-alcoholic beverages totals approximately $46.07 billion.

Dividend Yield: 3.1%

Coca-Cola's dividend profile shows a stable history with a 10-year growth in payments, supported by a reasonable payout ratio of 74.7% and cash payout ratio of 83.4%, ensuring dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flow. Despite this stability, its yield of 3.12% trails behind the top quartile of U.S. dividend payers at 4.73%. Recent corporate activities include executive changes and reaffirmation of quarterly dividends, maintaining investor confidence in its governance and dividend reliability amidst management transitions.

NYSE:KO Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc., serving as the holding company for First Guaranty Bank, offers commercial banking services in Louisiana and Texas, with a market capitalization of approximately $142.18 million.

Operations: First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. generates its revenue primarily through commercial banking operations within Louisiana and Texas.

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Dividend Yield: 5.6%

First Guaranty Bancshares has maintained stable dividends over the past decade, with a recent declaration of a US$0.16 per share quarterly dividend, marking its 123rd consecutive payout. Despite this consistency, the company's recent financial performance shows some challenges: net interest income and net income have both decreased in the latest quarter compared to the previous year. Additionally, while its dividend yield of 5.63% ranks well above average in the U.S. market, it is currently not well covered by earnings due to a high payout ratio of 129.6%.

NasdaqGM:FGBI Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Noah Holdings Limited operates as a wealth and asset management service provider, focusing on investment and asset allocation services for high net worth individuals and enterprises in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and internationally, with a market cap of approximately $0.90 billion.

Operations: Noah Holdings Limited generates revenue primarily through its Wealth Management Business, which contributed CN2.49 billion, and its Asset Management Business, with revenues of CN766.17 million.

Dividend Yield: 7.8%

Noah Holdings Limited, trading at 63.7% below estimated fair value, reported a revenue increase to CNY 3.29 billion and net income of CNY 1.01 billion for FY2023, with earnings per share rising slightly. Despite a recent special dividend proposal of RMB 1.54 per share awaiting shareholder approval on June 12, the company's ordinary dividend remains the same, indicating an unstable dividend track record. However, with a payout ratio of 53.3% and cash payout ratio at 44.1%, dividends are currently well-covered by both earnings and cash flow.

NYSE:NOAH Dividend History as at May 2024

Next Steps

Embark on your investment journey to our 203 Top Dividend Stocks selection 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.

Elevate your portfolio with Simply Wall St, the ultimate app for investors seeking global market coverage.

Interested In Other Possibilities?

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 NYSE:KO NasdaqGM:FGBI and NYSE:NOAH.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
A Washington County-based craft whiskey maker is the SBAs Western Pennsylvania Small Business of the Year.

Liberty Pole Spirits will receive an award from Kelly Hunt, SBA Western Pennsylvania district director, on May 7 at a special ceremony at its distillery and tasting room, marking the 61st celebration of National Small Business Week. SBA is short for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Liberty Pole was launched by James and Ellen Hough and their sons, Rob and Kevin, in 2016. The business grew from James Houghs hobby to creating the award-winning Liberty Pole brand of small batch whiskeys and now employs 33.

Read more at Pittsburgh Business Times.

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BERLIN (AP)  Germany said Monday it recalled its ambassador to Russia for a week of consultations in Berlin following an alleged hacker attack on Chancellor Olaf Scholzs party.

Germany last week accused Russian military agents of hacking into the top echelons of Scholz's Social Democrats party and other sensitive government and industrial targets. Berlin joined NATO and fellow European countries in warning that Russias cyberespionage would have consequences.

The Foreign Office in Berlin said Monday that the government is taking the latest incident seriously and that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had decided to call back German Ambassador Alexander Lambsdorff. He would return to Moscow after a week, it said.

The German government takes this event very seriously as behavior against our liberal democracy and the institutions that support it," Foreign Office spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said.

Baerbock said last week that Russian military cyber operators were behind the hacking of emails of the Social Democrats, the leading party in the governing coalition. Officials said the hackers had exploited Microsoft Outlook.

The German Interior Ministry said in a statement last week that the hacking campaign began as early as March 2022, a month after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with emails at the Social Democrat party headquarters accessed beginning that December. It said German companies, including in the defense and aerospace sectors, as well as targets related to the war in Ukraine were the focus of the hacking attacks.

The statement said international efforts led by the FBI shut down in late January a botnet of compromised network devices used by the Russian hackers  known as APT28 or Fancy Bear. The group has a history of malicious and destabilizing behavior, according to the U.S. State Department.

German officials said the attacks persisted for months.

Relations between Russia and the West have been tense since Moscow's attack on Ukraine. The U.S., Germany and many other European countries have been providing military support to Ukraine in the ongoing war.

In Copenhagen, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that some Europeans still think that the war is only taking place in Ukraine, but right now we are seeing more and more aggressiveness from Russia.

We will probably see hybrid attacks in different areas. It can be critical infrastructure, he added after a meeting with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen. What Russia is doing and planning is not acceptable. Russia is ready to use any means possible to harm our societies.

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In Prague, the Czech Foreign Ministry summoned Russias ambassador over the attacks by the same APT28 group linked to Russias GRU military intelligence unit.

I have decided to summon the Russian ambassador because of the cyber attacks against Czech institutions and critical infrastructure, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on X, the social media network. We have called on the Russian Federation to refrain from this behavior, which is contrary to UN standards and its own obligations.

-

Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark and Karel Janicek in Prague, Czech Republic contributed.
GXBank, Zurich General Insurance Malaysia and Zurich Life Insurance Malaysia have agreed a 10-year exclusive bancassurance tripartite partnership. The aim is to co-create micro protection products for underserved Malaysians.

GXBank was the rst of ve digital bank licence applicants to receive regulatory approval to commence operations. The banks CEO and MD, Pei Si Lai, received RBIs award for Asia Trailblazer of the year at RBIs annual Asia Trailblazer awards in March.

GX Bank, Zurich partnership key highlights

The first product of the 10-year partnership, will be introduced in the third quarter of the year. It will protect underserved individuals from unauthorised transactions resulting from cyber-crime, as well as transactions initiated by electronic scam messages.

Leveraging intuitive technology and data-driven insights, GXBank will identify customer pain points and collaborate with Zurich Malaysia to develop innovative digital insurance products that are simple, easy-to-understand, and affordable.

Recent surveys have shown alarming statistics. For example, 84% of the uninsured population are between 18-34 years old.

Equally as concerning is that 58% of adults in Malaysia do not have any life or takaful insurance.

The situation is exacerbated by the rising cyber-crimes in the country. Online fraud cases have doubled over 5 years from 2019 to 2023. Losses in 2023 (January to November) are estimated at MYR1.3bn ($274.1m)

This partnership aligns with GXBank's mission to provide custom banking solutions and Zurich Malaysia's commitment to empower the financially vulnerable.

"GXBank and Zurich Malaysia agree 10Year partnership to address insurance needs for the underserved" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Boeing's (NYSE: BA) shares fell by 13% in April, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The move adds to a miserable year for the company, with the stock down slightly more than 31% in the year to date.

Boeing in 2024

It comes as a result of a disappointing performance in the quarter, especially in terms of airplane deliveries. Boeing released its first-quarter delivery data on April 8. It reported:

67 deliveries of Boeing 737 airplanes

3 deliveries of Boeing 767 airplanes

13 deliveries of Boeing 787 airplanes

To put these figures into context, on its Investor Day presentation in November 2022, management said it would deliver 400 to 450 Boeing 737s and 70 to 80 Boeing 787s in 2023. These figures imply a quarterly run rate of up to 113 on the 737 and 20 on the 787. Boeing is nowhere near those rates at the moment.

Investors are entitled to ask how the company is going to get to the rate of 50 a month on the 737 and 10 a month on the 787 in 2025-2026 -- assumptions critical to Boeing hitting its target of $10 billion in free cash flow (FCF) in that time frame. As a reminder, the company is falling behind its delivery targets due to manufacturing quality issues that have dogged it in recent years.

Boeing's earnings did little to dispel fears

As discussed previously, Boeing's earnings didn't give investors much confidence in its progress toward hitting its FCF target.

Ramping up commercial airplane production is difficult at the best of times. In addition, while Boeing's possible acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems (a supplier of fuselages on the 737) might reassure investors of the financial security of one of its key suppliers, it also implies Boeing will take on a company that's bled cash in recent years.

There's also the issue of an upcoming negotiation with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) over a contract that needs to be renewed in September.

Image source: Getty Images.

The bigger picture for Boeing

Looking beyond the medium term, Boeing needs to be in an excellent position to ensure it keeps winning airplane orders. Delivery delays may push customers into the arms of Airbus. There's also the issue that, according to The Wall Street Journal, Brazil's Embraer is looking to muscle in on the Boeing 737/Airbus A320 market by developing a competing plane. Embraer is, no doubt, watching Boeing's troubles with great interest.

Should you invest $1,000 in Boeing right now?

Before you buy stock in Boeing, 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 Boeing wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

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Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $544,015!*

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Lee Samaha 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.

Here's Why Boeing Stock Disappointed Investors in April was originally published by The Motley Fool
The U.S. national debt is near its politically unsustainable level. That means substantive changes to both taxes and spending in the foreseeable future, which also means less federal funding for state and local governments.

County governments, municipal governments, schools, libraries and other local governments need to start planning for a future with far less federal money.

At the start of the Great Recession, our national debt hovered at roughly 60% of gross domestic product. Today, it is a tad bit over 120%. Right now, the federal government is spending about 23.4% of GDP, while collecting taxes of about 17.4% of GDP.

The last time we balanced our national budget, both taxes and spending ran between 19% and 20% of GDP. That seems like a reasonable political compromise: raising taxes substantially and cutting spending substantially. By substantially, I mean reversing all the tax cuts and spending growth of the past 25 years.

Tax hikes and spending cuts are coming

Theres no easy way to do this. For example, our entire military budget is at a post-World War II low of 2.7% of GDP. We could eliminate all the armed forces and sell all our equipment, and it would not cut the annual deficit by half.

We could eliminate the Veterans Administration, the departments of education, energy, state and agriculture, and still not balance the budget. We could cut all our foreign aid, all our research and development spending, and yet the savings wouldnt round up to one-thousandth of the debt.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 06: Pedestrians walk past a poster and electronic billboard displayed at Independence Ave and 9th St's SW that displays the current U.S. National debt per person and as a nation at 32 Trillion dollars on July 06, 2023 in Washington, DC.

To balance the budget, we will need to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Those cuts wont come just in the future. They will need to come to current recipients.

To balance the budget, we also will need to raise taxes on everyone. Those tax increases cannot be limited just the rich or super rich; everyone will see an increase in taxes.

I know this is an unpleasant realization that is probably causing many readers to come slightly unglued. Sorry, the arithmetic is unavoidable. There are no easy answers. Theres no tax cut that will generate rapid economic growth, nor is there some magical spending mix that will cause a big spike in productivity. I wish there were, but there is not. This debt will be lowered the old-fashioned way.

Local governments need to act now

Among the unavoidable casualties of budget cuts will be significantly fewer intergovernmental transfers, from a wide range of programs. Many local governments have come to anticipate federal spending. Higher-poverty areas in particular receive a disproportionate share of federal spending on roads, housing, economic development, education, healthcare and social services.

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I dont think local governments should be viewing this with dread. Instead, I think it is, in the words of FDR, preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly.

Prospering communities are mostly a consequence of local action, not state or federal largesse. Even in places where state or federal development efforts are effective, as in Indianas Regional Cities Initiative, the effects are modest when compared to the benefits of local action.

Sometime over the next decade or so, we are almost certain to enter a period in which state and local governments can expect much lower federal spending. It would be wise to begin preparing residents. If you want additional or improved infrastructure, better schools and other quality of life improvements, now is the time to begin planning those investments.

Prioritize spending on things people want

I recommend a three-part approach.

First, there must be a frank review of local economic conditions. There are over 200 Midwestern counties in the midst of long-term economic and population decline. It takes courage to confront unpleasant facts head on. Without doing so, no place will be lucky enough to reverse economic course.

A second step is to take stock of the policies that youve been using for the past several decades. I am amazed at the number of places who complain of inadequate school or municipal funding, while spending millions of dollars a year on traditional economic development.

Add up all the assessed value locked into tax-increment financing (TIF) or in property tax abatements and assess that value at the current tax rate. Add up the cost of your economic development office, and any direct spending program, like a revolving loan fund.

The results will shock and dismay. There is no community in the Midwest where traditional business attraction policies have yielded prosperity. Id be very surprised if a single county saw the benefits of that spending outweigh the costs over any 10-year period since the 1970s.

For the 200 or so Midwestern counties in decline, the level of lost spending on attracting new businesses will be terribly vexing. These are exactly the same places in need of vast infrastructure improvement, ranging from bridge replacement and new schools to water and sewer facilities. This process should make clear that theres plenty of resources to support local improvements. They are simply being misspent.

Finally, local governments should think hard about what residents want out of their communities. Dont ask them what types of economic development they want. Ask them what they want their community to be for their families. They should be asked in surveys and focus groups, preferably after theyve seen presentations about economic conditions and their economic development policy history in their city or county.

In most cases, youll hear about a lot of little things: parks, eateries and recreational activities. Some will want their school to be better  particularly if theyve seen clear data on student outcomes. I suspect most people will want a city or county that could keep their children around after they graduate.

These steps will allow local elected leaders and their constituents to better understand the challenges of tighter federal budgets and fewer federal resources to higher-poverty areas. They may also set a community on a healthier path, focused more on the building blocks of prosperity, and less on economic development policies crafted for the middle of the last century.

Michael J. Hicks is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball distinguished professor of economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: National debt will force spending cuts, tax hikes on everyone
The historic Hayden building near Broad and High streets has landed some new tenants despite Downtown's struggling office and retail market.

The 100,000-square-foot building, at 20 E. Broad St., has partnered with the hybrid-working company IWG to open a 20,000-square-foot "Spaces" co-working space. Spaces offers more than 60 offices ranging from 100 square feet to 600 square feet, said Michael Tomko, president of The Tomko Company, which bought the building in 2017.

There are new tenants at 20 E. Broad St., which includes the four-story Hayden building on the right, and the lower levels of the 13-story tower to its left,

Tenants of Spaces have access to a conference room, coffee bar and the building's amenities, including a rooftop deck that overlooks the Statehouse.

The Hayden building, at 20 E. Broad St., includes a rooftop deck.

In addition to Spaces, Tomko has leased three ground-floor retail spaces he manages, including the former Tim Horton's location on the northeast corner of Broad and High streets.

Black Kahawa Coffee Roastery is opening its first brick-and-mortar location in the Tim Horton's space, with plans to feature coffee roasting and a patio on the site. Three Bites Bakery, now on Mt. Vernon Avenue, will lease space a few doors down at 12 E. Broad St., along with the tea service Little Cat Boba, which operates a site in the East Market building.

Black Kahawa and Three Bites, both of which are expected to open in June, benefitted from a city program called Ground Floor Growth, which subsidizes the cost of emerging businesses that open Downtown.

Tomko said he has also leased ground-floor space at 4 E. Broad St. to a tenant he cannot identify yet.

Tomko said Hayden's office space is 85% leased, including the Spaces lease. Tomko said he is encouraged by recent interest in the building and the core of Downtown, despite difficult years since the Covid pandemic. While large new leases remain rare Downtown, interest in smaller spaces, up to 5,000 square feet, is strong, he said.

"I would say the overall health of Downtown is good and is trending upwards," he said. "Its not great, and not where we all want it to be, but we've seen a consistent upward trajectory; '21 and '22 were terrible and '23 was better, and '24 is doing really, really well so far."

The co-working company Spaces has opened new offices, including conference space, in the Hayden building at 20 E. Broad St.

Tomko said he believes buildings that are maintained and improved will fair well as Downtown recovers, while those that aren't, such as the KeyBank building, will continue to struggle. While he is happy to see vacant Downtown office space converted into residences, he believes such conversions are unrealistic for most buildings.

"Refitting an old office tower can be a promising way to bring residential online, but those projects are lengthy, complicated, and can be as expensive as new builds," he said. "I would expect some to be demolished."

Story continues

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Historic building gets new tenants, owner bullish on downtown Columbus
payslip

Use our take-home pay calculator to work out how much should be landing in your bank account every month, and how much goes to the taxman.

Take-home pay calculator

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Next, select whether or not you live in Scotland, and make sure the sliders correctly indicate whether youre repaying a student loan (if you select Yes, youll then need to select which plan youre on), and whether there are any other salary deductions  such as if youre signed up to a salary sacrifice scheme. If you select Yes here, youll need to detail how much is deducted per year.

Finally, click the Calculate button.

The results will show your annual and monthly take-home pay, and how much of your salary is diverted from your bank account, breaking it down by year, month and week.

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The calculator assumes you are in employment and that your salary remains the same each month.

It uses the current tax rates and thresholds to remove each deductible from your base salary, depending on your situation, in order to determine your total monthly and annual deductions. These include:

Income tax

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Student loan

Other deductions

Pension contributions.

What is this calculator useful for?

This calculator can help give you a clear reflection of your pay packet, down to the last penny.

This can be useful for those who are trying to budget, or simply want to understand why their take home pay can sometimes seem underwhelming compared to the amount theyre paid before deductions.

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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.
SEOUL, South Korea, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- STRADVISION, a leader in the automotive technology sector, proudly welcomes SUNG WOO SHIN from Hyundai Motor Company to its esteemed board of directors.

Hyundai Motor Companys SUNG WOO SHIN Appointed to STRADVISION Board of Directors

With over two decades of invaluable experience in the Automotive industry, SUNG has been at the forefront of innovation. Currently serving as Vice President overseeing Hyundai's Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) investments, which encompass hundreds of direct investments and 17 funds, SUNG has played a pivotal role in driving Hyundai Motor Group's corporate venturing-based innovation initiatives. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Junhwan Kim, CEO of STRADVISION, expressed his anticipation, stating, "We are privileged to welcome Mr. SUNG WOO SHIN to our STRADVISION board, and we eagerly anticipate his collaboration, leadership, and expertise. Together, we are poised to pursue ambitious goals in leading the autonomous driving market. Mr. Sung's wealth of knowledge and experience gained from a leading automobile company will undoubtedly enrich our business endeavors."

STRADVISION has witnessed significant growth over the past year, culminating in a milestone achievement of exceeding an annual commercial production of 1 million units in 2023. The company's SVNet has evolved with the introduction of the '3D Perception Network,' marking a revolutionary leap in autonomous systems. This innovative paradigm elevates the role of cameras in ADAS and Autonomous Driving, harnessing the power of LiDAR sensors during development while transitioning into a robust and cost-effective alternative. STRADVISION's strategic move to bypass in-vehicle LiDAR, focusing instead on camera-based ADAS and autonomous driving technologies, reflects its commitment to innovation, cost efficiency, and market leadership. This approach not only reduces the overall implementation costs of ADAS/AD technology in vehicles but also augments the scalability and adoption of autonomous driving features across the automotive industry.

For more information on STRADVISION and its cutting-edge technologies, please visit STRADVISION.

About STRADVISION

Founded in 2014, STRADVISION is an automotive industry pioneer in artificial intelligence-based vision perception technology for ADAS. The company is accelerating the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by making ADAS features available at a fraction of the market cost compared with competitors. STRADVISION's SVNet is being deployed on various vehicle models in partnership with OEMs; can power ADAS and autonomous vehicles worldwide; and is serviced by over 300 employees in Seoul, San Jose, Detroit, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Dusseldorf. STRADVISION has been honored with Frost & Sullivan's 2022 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award, the Gold Award at the 2022 and 2021 AutoSens Awards for Best-in-Class Software for Perception Systems, and the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in Autonomy (software category). In addition, STRADVISION and its software have achieved TISAX's AL3 standard for information security management, as well as being certified to the ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems and ISO 26262 for Automotive Functional Safety.

Story continues

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hyundai-motor-companys-sung-woo-shin-appointed-to-stradvision-board-of-directors-302135441.html

SOURCE StradVision
A Bluebird Nordic Boeing 737-400 cargo jet lands at the airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 5, 2022. The company discontinued operations late last month. (Photo: Shutterstock/Karolis Kavolelis)

The recent recovery of the air cargo market didnt happen soon enough to save Iceland-based cargo airline Bluebird Nordic, which ceased operations late last month.

The airline, which existed for 23 years and was acquired by Lithuanian conglomerate Avia Solutions Group in 2020, surrendered its air operator certificate to the Icelandic Civil Aviation Authority and is returning aircraft to lessors, trade publication ch-aviation first reported.

Bluebird Nordic was a victim of rapid expansion, in response to soaring demand during the pandemic, just as the global freight market went into an 18-month cooldown. Demand hit bottom late last summer and has been on an upswing since, with five consecutive months of double-digit growth.

The airline, based at Keflavik International Airport in Reykjavik, operated four Boeing 737-400 converted freighters and three 737-800 converted freighters that were acquired in the past year. The 737-800s replaced three older 737s. A Boeing 777-200 passenger aircraft, with seats removed but no full conversion for heavy freight, is also in storage at an airfield in Spain, according to tracking site Planespotters.net.





By late 2022 Bluebird had 17 aircraft, including three 777s that were expected to eventually undergo full conversion for carrying cargo on the upper deck. Management also publicly talked about further investments in converted freighters that would bring the 737-800 fleet to 25 units. In 2023, it sought to obtain an air operator certificate in Slovakia as part of its expansion plan in Europe and expressed interest in expanding to Latin America.

At least two of the 737-800s were owned by Tokyo Century Corp. and managed by Florida-based GA Telesis.

Bluebird Nordic provided crewed aircraft to DHL, FedEx and UPS, as well as other cargo airlines. It also operated its own scheduled route between Rejkjavik and Dublin several times per week.

CEO Audrone Keinyte told ch-aviation that Bluebird went out of business because of low demand for airfreight. Global express carriers have been reducing flight activity and outsourced transportation in the past year as parcel volumes continue to shrink. UPS international daily volume, for example, shrank 5.8% in the first quarter. Efforts to reach Keinyte or a representative from Avia Solutions Group were unsuccessful.





The freight crisis has also engulfed other all-cargo operators. In the United States, iAero, a charter operator for DHL Express and the travel industry, closed its doors last month while Amerijet is feeling the financial pinch after rushing to expand only to see customers pull back shipping requirements.

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Bluebird Nordic was founded in 1999 through the merger of several companies in Iceland and began flying two years later with a single 737-300. It went by the name Bluebird Cargo until 2018.

Avia Solutions Group includes cargo airlines BBN Airlines Indonesia, SmartLynx Airlines and Magma Aviation, charter brokers Chapman Freeborn and Arcus Air Logistics, and lessor AviaAM Leasing.

Click here for more FreightWaves stories by Eric Kulisch.

Sign up for the weekly American Shipper Air newsletter here.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Labor actions drag Lufthansa Cargo to first-quarter loss

Cargo IT meltdown hits Air France-KLM earnings

Inflation tempers Cargojets outlook despite Q1 volume growth





The post Icelandic cargo airline Bluebird Nordic shuts down appeared first on FreightWaves.
Key Insights

Significant control over Axiata Group Berhad by sovereign wealth funds implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions

A total of 2 investors have a majority stake in the company with 55% ownership

33% of Axiata Group Berhad is held by Institutions

If you want to know who really controls Axiata Group Berhad (KLSE:AXIATA), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 55% to be precise, is sovereign wealth funds. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

While sovereign wealth funds were the group that benefitted the most from last weeks RM1.2b market cap gain, institutions too had a 33% share in those profits.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Axiata Group Berhad.

See our latest analysis for Axiata Group Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Axiata Group Berhad?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Axiata Group Berhad 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. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Axiata Group Berhad's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Axiata Group Berhad. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Khazanah Nasional Berhad with 37% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 18% and 18% of the stock.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 2 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions.

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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 Axiata Group Berhad

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 Axiata Group Berhad in their own names. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own RM16m worth of shares. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 12% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. 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:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Axiata Group Berhad you should know about.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
(Bloomberg) -- Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.s shares jumped to a record high after posting its strongest monthly sales growth since the start of 2023, potentially raising expectations for iPhone and AI server sales.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The company, which assembles the majority of Apple Inc.s smartphones, reported a 19% rise in monthly revenue to NT$510.9 billion ($15.8 billion), compared with NT$429.2 billion in April 2023. That was a record for the month, Hon Hai said in a statement. Its stock rose by as much as 6.7% on Monday, the most intraday in about two weeks.

Hon Hai, known also as Foxconn, makes most of the worlds iPhones but is diversifying to put greater focus on building datacenter server racks and other equipment for artificial intelligence clusters.

Read More: Apples Surprise iPhone China Growth Leaves Lingering Questions

Still, with Apples business making up more than half of revenue, investors are watching the Taiwanese company for clues on iPhone sales. It posted a near-10% plunge in first-quarterly revenue in part because Apples flagship device underperformed. The Taiwanese company reports full quarterly earnings next week.

Among product lines, the computing segment grew the most month-on-month, due mainly to Apples new MacBook Air launch, Citigroup analysts wrote in a research note. Pull-in demand of iPhone was also stronger ahead of Chinas Labor Day holiday.

The second-quarter remains a traditional off-peak season, and major products are entering a period of transition between old and new, Hon Hai said in its statement. The visibility for the second quarter is approximately in line with current market expectations, with operations for the period expected to show both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year growth, the company said.

Apple on Thursday surprised investors with a decent beat on quarterly revenue from China, defying a plethora of negative data points on iPhone sales. That discrepancy could stem from differences in the way independent analysts account for the business, or higher average sales prices than anticipated.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says

Hon Hai may face hurdles boosting its iPhone-related revenue in 2024 given 1Qs downbeat demand and the swirl of unknowns clouding the broader picture. Despite being the iPhones largest producer, Hon Hais margins may be at increased risk from diminished scale economies within the iPhone business, and the steady capacity relocation to India.

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- Steven Tseng, analyst

Click here for the research.

Investors scrutinize Apples performance in China because of the countrys role as both a huge market and global iPhone production base.

In the current period, Apple expects sales to climb by a percentage in the low single digits. The company predicted that both its iPad and services business would grow by double-digits, though it declined to give a forecast for the iPhone.

--With assistance from Betty Hou.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Closeup of gavel in court room

A Jacksonville attorneys law license has been suspended over an audit that concluded more than $100,000 was missing at times from a trust fund for clients money.

It is also my professional opinion that client funds were misappropriated, Florida Bar auditor Matthew Herdeker wrote in an affidavit that was attached to the Bars emergency request for the Florida Supreme Court to suspend James Alfred Stanley Jr.

The court approved the request April 26 after the Bar warned that Stanley has caused, or is likely to cause, immediate and serious harm to clients or the public by misusing money thats supposed to be carefully protected.

Jacksonville attorney James Alfred Stanley Jr. worked from this office on University Boulevard West before his law licenses was suspended last week.

Career over: Jacksonville's ex-Public Defender Matt Shirk disbarred over work with suspended law license

Stanley, an attorney since 1989, didnt respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

The Supreme Court told Stanley to stop taking on any new clients or lawsuits, wind down his existing law practice within a month and stop doing anything where he has to watch out for someone elses financial interest.

The order is the result of a Bar investigation that started because a bank account for Stanleys practice was overdrawn last fall.

Fraud costs: Supreme Court disbars troubled Jacksonville lawyer

PNC Bank reported the overdraft to the Bar because the account was used to hold Stanleys clients money in trust, and in November the Bar asked Stanley, a trial attorney with backgrounds in administrative law and workers comp, to explain the $1,046 shortfall.

In January, the Bar started a compliance audit and asked Stanley for a stack of records, but only got part of what it requested, the Bar told the Supreme Court in its suspension petition. So, the Bar subpoenaed records from PNC going back to 2021 and Herdeker got to work.

Upon review of the PNC Bank records, the Bars auditor calculated a shortage in the trust account ranging from at least $30,131.46 to at least $107,630.00 from June 2023 to January, the petition said.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Audit reports $100K account 'shortage'; Jacksonville lawyer suspended
Rectangular parking system. (Photo: Business Wire)

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 06, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Junction Industries, a leading innovator in advanced automation and infrastructure solutions, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Skyline Parking, a pioneering company specializing in automated vehicle storage and retrieval.

Skyline Parking AG, based in Zuzwil, Switzerland is wholly owned by the Junction Industries US subsidiary, Skyline Automation LLC.

Skyline Parking is renowned for its cutting-edge technology, marked by fully automated, conveyor-based handling systems that deliver the fastest and most adaptable parking solutions globally. The Skyline product line is distinguished by top-shelf automation and programming, ensuring reliable and safe operation for a seamless user experience.

Skyline will be led by Andy Trantham as President and co-owner. Andy is a 30-year veteran of automated mechanical systems.

In the United States, Skyline will partner with another Junction subsidiary, Pier 57 Development LLC when complementary real estate development is needed with an automated parking solution. Pier 57 is led by Ben Trantham as President and co-owner. He is also a co-owner of Skyline. Pier 57 plans to bring this Swiss technology to its first project in Fort Worth, TX later this year. Ben is a 15-year veteran of industrial development involving automated material handling systems and is the former President of Trident Structures LLC, a Junction company focused on innovative industrial design build.

The acquisition of Skyline Parking aligns with Junction Industries commitment to revolutionizing solutions across industries say Junction CEO and Founder, Clay Trantham, "As an organization, the Junction companies have been involved in and learning the automated vehicle storage and retrieval industry for over a decade. We have fabricated/erected the structural towers and installed the mechanical systems in over a dozen Carvana locations all over the country. We have traveled to five continents to see automated parking systems that have been in operation for decades and feel the Skyline product will be the perfect combination of Swiss technology and precision with American ingenuity and hard work."

Key Features of Skyline Parkings Solutions Include:

Fully automated, conveyor-based handling system

Reliable and safe operation with remote monitoring

Electric vehicle charging and mobile user app.

Cutting-edge, industry fastest technology

Junction industries recognizes the growing demand for advanced parking solutions that cater to the evolving needs of modern development. The addition of Skyline Parking to Junction Industries will allow us to provide new parking solutions to North America, along with its existing European base of operations.

Story continues

About Junction Industries:

Junction Industries is a Fort Worth, Texas-based Holding Company providing foundational support for its growing family of infrastructure, technology, and industrial subsidiaries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240506725445/en/

Contacts

For media inquiries, please contact:

Shelby Tidmore

Marketing Coordinator

Shelby@Jct-ind.com
Its not all Selling Sunset. But local real estate agents at Keller Williams Indy Metro say from ongoing educational opportunities to staff support, theyre put in the best possible position to succeed in a highly competitive industry that demands the kind of behind-the-scenes hard work every day thats not always captured on reality TV.

The job requires building relationships, preferably long-term with clients who will go back to the same agent for more than one home purchase or sale, so that often means being reachable and able to answer questions morning, noon and night. Thats why its helpful to have others in your corner  like having a responsive managing broker, operating principal Rhonda Smith, to handle questions about real estate deals as they come up  which agent Christi Williams (no relation to national company co-founder Joe Williams) says she has unquestionably.

Theres always somebody I can go to if I have a need, and I never feel like Im out on an island with a problem, she says.

Operating principal Rhonda Smith (right) handles questions about real estate deals as they come up for Keller Williams Metro Indy agents.

While theres certainly an aspirational component to the business, support includes providing agents with the nuts and bolts of game planning for success like time blocking  say, setting aside time to generate leads, make calls that lead to showings, while being able to field calls from clients, Williams says.

Blocking out time for family, personal appointments, and vacation are also encouraged. Because if you dont, real estate can totally rule your life, Williams says. If you wanted to work 24/7, you could.

She and others affiliated with Keller Williams say they have flexibility to set their schedule in a way that helps prevent burnout. Those who work with the company in Central Indiana describe a family-friendly atmosphere that is team-oriented and allows people to be themselves, so they can be there for clients during momentous  and sometimes stressful  moments when theyre buying or selling a home.

Ive stayed with Keller Williams in this particular market center because of the consistent level of care and accountability that they provide to their associates, says Malinda Ennis, real estate agent, who has been with the company more than eight years. (Theres) always the opportunity to learn, grow and develop both personally and professionally.

Agents are encouraged to compare notes on whats working and whats not, so all have the best chance to succeed.

There is an openness to share how one person is being successful with another, Ennis says. That, to me, also creates a very winning culture.

Bottom Line

 Founded: 1997

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 Headquarters: Indianapolis

 Company profile: Real estate sales

 Locations: 4

 Number of employees: 882 associates, mostly real estate agents who are independent contractors, plus salaried support staff

 Website: https://www.indymetrokw.com/

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Keller Williams' culture built on care, accountability
ASX-listed LCL Resources has received a forest use permit for the Miraflores gold deposit, part of the companys Quinchia Gold Project in Colombia.

The company noted that the permit is an important component in the final approval process for the project's advancement.

Last year in October, LCL obtained an environmental licence for the Miraflores deposit.

The company has expressed that the environmental licence award, coupled with recent corporate activities involving other Colombian-focused gold miners and explorers, signals a positive climate for investments in Colombia.

LCL is currently engaging in preliminary talks with various companies interested in advanced gold-copper projects with exploration potential, such as Quinchia, and is reviewing targets with resource upside.

Quinchia Gold Project encompasses a group of porphyry and epithermal gold-copper targets within a 3km radius, bolstered by established mineral resources of 2.6Moz at 1g/t Au from three deposits - Tesorito, Miraflores, and Dosquebradas.

Miraflores represents an advanced segment of the Quinchia Gold Project, with a 457koz Reserve at 3.3g/t Au, outlining an underground mining operation.

In 2022, global mining consultancy Ausenco explored production alternatives for the Quinchia Gold Project, considering factors such as mining sequence, plant size and cost, and open pit/underground permutations.

The Ceibal gold-copper exploration target, also within the 3km radius, was not included in the Ausenco study as a contributor to future production scenarios due to its early exploration stage.

Ceibal, a new discovery made by LCL Resources in 2021 and situated merely 1km southwest of the 1.3Moz Tesorito gold deposit, has been earmarked as a promising target for further detailed review.

It has the potential to contribute additional resources that could be integrated into various production options.

At Ceibal, an 800m x 600m surface Au-Cu-Mo geochemical anomaly, similar in scale to the surface anomaly at Tesorito and believed to have a porphyry origin, has not been explored since mid-2022.

"LCL gets forest use permit for Miraflores gold deposit in Colombia" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Evan Guido is the founder of Aksala Wealth Advisors, a 2018 Forbes Next-Gen Advisors List Member.

Ever wonder how decisions are made in the sunny state of Florida and how they affect you directly? From laws that shape our day-to-day lives to the enforcement of those laws, Florida's government plays a pivotal role.

Let's delve into the three branches of our state government and discover their impact on us as citizens.

Legislative Branch

At the heart of Floridas legislative authority are the Senate and the House of Representatives, together comprising the Florida Legislature. These bodies are tasked with crafting state laws that govern everything from environmental policy to education standards. For example, legislation passed here can influence the taxes you pay, the quality of your local schools, and even your rights as a consumer.

Understanding whats being debated in Tallahassee can give you insights into potential changes in your community.

Executive Branch

Led by the Governor, Floridas Executive Branch is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws passed by the Legislature. This branch includes various officials like the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and the Chief Financial Officer, each overseeing different aspects of state governance. Their decisions can impact public spending, resource management, and even your familys access to healthcare.

When the Governor signs a bill into law or vetoes it, they are directly influencing the fabric of our day-to-day lives.

Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch, consisting of the Supreme Court and lower courts, plays a crucial role in interpreting the laws and ensuring justice across the state. Their decisions in key cases can set precedents that affect all aspects of Florida life, from individual rights to business operations. For instance, a state Supreme Court ruling on property disputes or privacy issues can have far-reaching implications for how citizens interact with the government and each other. Every day, decisions made within these three branches of our government affect everything from the roads we drive on to the safety of our neighborhoods.

As a Florida resident, it's enlightening  and essential  to recognize how these branches impact our rights, duties, and daily activities. By staying informed and engaged, we not only better understand our state but also empower ourselves to influence community outcomes.

I'd also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our elected officials who dedicate themselves tirelessly to address the myriad aspects of life in Florida  be it social issues, public safety, economic challenges, or the overall quality of life. The work you do is crucial in managing the complexities of modern governance and in making decisions that aim to benefit all Floridians.

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By embracing our roles in this dynamic system, we help shape a brighter future for all Floridians. Remember, a well-informed citizenry can impact investment decisions, and is the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy, so lets stay curious and involved!

Evan R. Guido is the founder of Aksala Wealth Advisors LLC, a 2018 Forbes Next-Gen Advisors List Member, and Financial Professional at Avantax Investment ServicesSM. Evan heads a team of retirement transition strategists for clients who consider themselves the Millionaire Next Door. He can be reached at 941-500-5122 or eguido@aksalawealth.com. Read more of his insights at heraldtribune.com/business. Securities offered through Avantax Investment ServicesSM, member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Avantax Advisory ServicesSM, insurance services offered through an Avantax-affiliated insurance agency. 6260 Lake Osprey Drive, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: EVAN GUIDO: Government decisions may affect your investment choices
A group accused of a real estate fraud scheme conspired to steal at least 10 homeowners identities and sold their properties out from under them without permission, federal officials said.

The accused ringleader has now been sentenced, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said in a May 3 news release.

Jose Manuel Santiago of Sarasota, Florida, has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail, wire and bank fraud, federal officials said.

Two of his accused co-conspirators have also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.

McClatchy News reached out to Santiagos attorney May 3 but did not immediately receive a response.

The scheme began in February 2020, around the start of the pandemic, allowing the men to take advantage of more remote transactions to assume fake identities and conduct sales, officials said in the December 2023 indictment.

They are accused of obtaining homeowners personal information to create high-quality false identification bearing a homeowners address and another persons photo, officials said.

Santiago and at least four co-conspirators found properties that werent occupied and posed as ailing homeowners or their family members to sell the properties for cheap, sometimes claiming they had to sell in order to pay for medical care, according to prosecutors.

Their scheme spanned the country, including properties on the west coast of Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; Virginia; and Ohio, officials said.

In one of the early transactions, the accused conspirators pretended to be the family members of a woman who was sick in the hospital and wanted to sell her home before she died, prosecutors said. They sold the home in Tampa for $65,000 and spent the majority of that money on jewelry, as well as a stay at a hotel and casino resort, officials said.

Santiago recruited others to appear before notaries, open bank accounts and withdraw money, sometimes paying them with drugs or cash, according to prosecutors.

Some of the transactions were stopped when the parties realized they were fraudulent, but some transactions did go through and cost the real owners, officials said.

In one case, the men sold the fully furnished home of a 20-year U.S. Army veteran in Virginia, officials said. After the sale went through, the new buyer got rid of the homeowners personal items, including important military memorabilia and an antique Jeep, officials said.

In another case, the new buyer learned the sale was fraudulent but refused to give the home back to the owner, officials said.

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At least five of the victimized homeowners owned property in Florida, according to court records.

The scheme lasted through about February 2021 and landed the accused conspirators more than $580,000, officials said.

Woman spent 25 years stealing $1 million meant for dead aunt, feds say. Shes indicted

Investors took out life insurance on stranger and got millions when she died, suit says

Fake stamp scheme run by California woman cost US Postal Service $150 million, feds say

Men use dead womans Social Security benefits to pay Florida vacation home bills, feds say
When the Securities and Exchange Commission sued developer Rishi Kapoor in December, accusing him of defrauding investors in his real estate projects, the SECs lawsuit made no mention of his companys consulting agreement with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

But that didnt leave Suarez, who was not named as a defendant, entirely unscathed.

In April, Suarez was compelled under subpoena to give a sworn statement related to the Kapoor case, according to three people familiar with the matter. Although his statement under oath is not a public record, those familiar with Suarezs testimony say he was questioned by SEC lawyers about his consulting contract with Kapoor to find investors for the developers real estate projects.

The mayor has refused to make public a copy of the contract since questions about his work for the developer became public last year, and instead said that there was no conflict of interest. The Miami Herald has previously reported that the mayor received a $10,000 monthly retainer but has now learned that he was also promised commissions if he helped woo investors, find real estate and secure financing for Kapoors projects in Miami and elsewhere.

Also notable: The agreement promised Suarez an equity stake in Kapoors company if he worked as a consultant for a certain period of time, though ultimately he did not receive it, according to people familiar with the contract and the developers business.

The date on the contract, which was executed in July 2021, when Suarez received his first $10,000 payment, appears to undermine the mayors long-standing claim that he has never mixed his public work with his private employment. A meeting between Suarez and Kapoor that was organized through official city channels and listed on Suarezs mayoral calendar took place in late August 2021 on Kapoors yacht. By that point, the mayor had already received $20,000 from URBIN LLC, one of Kapoors former development companies, sources said.

Although the exact nature of Suarezs statement to the SEC is unknown, the agencys probe generally focuses on the mayors contract with the developer, the nature of his work and his compensation beyond the retainer. But the details of Suarezs contract, and in particular its start date, are more broadly relevant as Miami-Dade County ethics officials, state prosecutors and federal authorities, including the FBI, investigate whether the mayor misused his public office for private gain.

Kapoor hired Suarez in July 2021 after more than a year of working the mayors channels at City Hall to push through legislation beneficial to one of the developers planned projects in Coconut Grove. The next month, the two met at the Cocoplum Yacht Club and went out on Kapoors yacht, according to public records and sources familiar with the meeting.

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A view of developer Rishi Kapoors slip, far left, at the Cocoplum Yacht Club on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Coral Gables, Florida. MATIAS J. OCNER/mocner@miamiherald.com

Kapoor said through his attorney that he did not discuss business with Suarez at the August rendezvous. But the timing of the meeting, in which Suarez spent two hours with Kapoor in what appears to be his mayoral capacity at a time he was also on the developers payroll, underscores a possible breach of the firewall Suarez is supposed to maintain between his public office and private employer, according to county ethics laws.

Suarez and his defense attorney, Armando Rosquete, did not respond to requests for comment on his statement to the SEC, the contract or the mayors yacht meeting with Kapoor.

URBIN ended up paying Suarez more than $200,000 over two years  a greater amount than the Herald originally reported  according to corporate records and sources familiar with the payments. The payments continued through at least March 2023, a couple of months before Suarezs involvement in the company was revealed in a lawsuit.

Suarezs contract included financial incentives promising commissions based on a small percentage of any investment he secured for the companys work-live development projects, sources said. In effect, the mayor could be compensated beyond his monthly retainer fee if he found an investor and made introductions with Kapoor.

As it turned out, according to numerous people familiar with his consulting work for URBIN, Suarez never delivered any new investors between 2021 and 2023 and didnt receive any compensation beyond the monthly fee.

Similar incentives were also written into Suarezs contract with URBIN if he helped facilitate a land or loan deal for the company. That never happened, either, according to sources familiar with the contract.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, right, with developer Rishi Kapoor at the launch of URBIN, Kapoors development project. URBIN website

SEC lawyers are pursuing allegations that Kapoor misled investors in his condo and retail projects developed by URBIN and its parent company, Location Ventures.

The SECs civil suit accuses Kapoor of fraudulent activities while raising about $93 million from more than 50 investors in his companies projects in Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and Fort Lauderdale between January 2018 and March 2023.

Kapoors defense attorney, Fred Schwartz, said his client defrauded no one and that the SEC has been misled by disgruntled former employees and a few greedy investors.

SEC lawyers are also delving into whether Kapoor and Suarez acted as unregistered investment brokers under SEC laws by offering securities in the form of equity in real estate deals.

South Florida lawyer David Chase, a former SEC enforcement attorney who has defended individuals in SEC investigations for over 25 years, is not involved in the Kapoor case and has no views on the allegations against him.

Chase said the SEC would have likely questioned Suarez about whether he acted as an unregistered broker in violation of federal securities laws if his contracts terms with Kapoors company provided him incentives for introducing investors.

To act as an unregistered broker, you have to, among other activities, receive transaction-based compensation (typically a commission), actively market the project to investors, and provide advice as to the merits of the investment, Chase said in email to the Herald.

If Suarez simply made investor introductions and was compensated accordingly, without engaging in typical broker activity, Chase said he believes the SEC would not have a viable case.

This is particularly so if the mayor never made an investor introduction, Chase said.

No clear line

Suarez, a part-time mayor with more than a dozen outside jobs in the private sector, has always maintained that he never mixes his government work with his private employment.

He remained steadfast when a lawsuit revealed last year that he had been hired as a $10,000-a-month consultant for unknown services by Kapoor, whose condominium project in Coconut Grove needed the citys approval.

After the news broke, the mayors then-spokesperson, Soledad Cedro, told reporters no issues connected to Location Ventures or [URBIN] have come before the Mayor in his official capacity.

When internal documents from the developers company indicated that Kapoor had used connections in the mayors office to help overcome zoning hurdles, Suarez denied any involvement.

Suarez told reporters who approached him last May outside his office at City Hall that he had never had any meetings with Kapoor  although presumably he meant that he had never met with his private employer in his official capacity as mayor.

Public records later revealed that he and Kapoor met regularly in 2020 and 2021 as they worked with city staff and commissioners to draft an amendment to the city code dealing with the kind of microunits and co-living developments Kapoor was hoping to develop in Miami.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez spoke at the Miami Beach launch of URBIN, developer Rishi Kapoors project, the company website shows. URBIN website

Suarez never responded to the Heralds questions about those meetings, which appeared to contradict his previous statements. But the developers first attorney, Brian Goodkind, told the Herald last year that the legislative push was over long before Suarez was on the company payroll.

Now, the previously unknown contract details give new significance to the twilight meeting at the Cocoplum Yacht Club, demonstrating how Suarezs dual roles as public servant and paid consultant became intertwined.

One month after Kapoor put Suarez on his payroll, the mayor met with the developer on Kapoors yacht on Aug. 23, 2021, a meeting organized through Suarezs mayoral office and listed on his official city calendar.

Time spent on private meetings and personal matters is generally listed on the mayors calendar as FXS block, without any elaboration. But the details on the calendar indicate that Suarez was meeting with Kapoor that night in his capacity as mayor  at a time when he was already receiving regular income from one of the developers companies.

Suarezs executive assistant sent out an email invite to the mayor, four of his sergeants-at-arms and Kapoor for the meeting that August evening, and they all confirmed, according to emails obtained through a public records request.

A view of the Cocoplum Yacht Club on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Coral Gables, Florida. Developer Rishi Kapoor stored his yacht at the club. MATIAS J. OCNER/mocner@miamiherald.com

It remains unknown what the two men discussed on Kapoors 55-foot Viking Princess powerboat. Kapoors defense attorney, Schwartz, declined to elaborate on his clients yacht outing with the mayor but said no business was discussed that day.

In a statement to the Herald, Anthony Alfieri, an ethics expert at the University of Miami School of Law, condemned what he described as Suarezs web of self-serving financial relationships with benefit-seeking private interests doing business within the City of Miami, in this case Rishi Kapoor and his company, URBIN.

Alfieri said those extracurricular relationships show how the mayor has failed to respect the bright-line boundaries in the county Ethics Code prohibiting financial conflicts of interest for public officials.

Suarez adamantly denied that any of his outside jobs with Kapoors company and other employers resulted in conflicts of interest in an Oct. 6 statement to the Herald, saying: I have balanced my work on behalf of the community and my private obligations to the best of my ability in compliance with the rules set forth for elected officials.

On a local TV news show last year, the mayor said there was a conflict provision in the contract with Kapoors company that Suarez said prevented [the developer] from asking for anything related to the city.

Kapoors former company, Location Ventures, provided a different interpretation of the contract, however.

The agreement specifically makes mention that Mayor Suarez may recuse himself or resign from his advisory role should there be any conflicts of interest, the company said in a statement nearly a year ago.

The Herald has learned that the companys statement more accurately reflects the contracts language.

Following the revelations about his private work for the Miami developer, the Herald wrote a series of stories about Suarezs private jobs, which have made him a multimillionaire since he became mayor.

When Local 10s Glenna Milberg asked Suarez in January whether he thought any of those employers would have hired him were he not the mayor, Suarez walked out of the interview.

Im done, he said.
Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) is reportedly exploring the sale of a portion of its Permian Basin assets. The deal could fetch over $1 billion for the oil company. It's part of the company's plans to maintain a strong financial position following its pending acquisition of CrownRock.

The proposed sale would enable Occidental Petroleum to jump-start its asset sale program. It plans to sell up to $6 billion of assets to help pay off some of the debt it will take on to acquire CrownRock. Starting early could help the company avoid repeating the situation it found itself in after acquiring Anadarko Petroleum. It nearly drowned in the debt it incurred to buy Anadarko because oil prices crashed right after it closed that massive deal.

Starting the sales process

Reuters recently reported that Occidental Petroleum is working with a financial advisor to seek buyers for its assets in the Barilla Draw region of Texas. The position is part of the prolific Permian Basin. The assets cover 27,500 net acres and produce 24,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d).

Occidental is hoping to tap into strong buyer interest for assets in the region. A sale could fetch more than $1 billion.

This potential sale would probably be the first of many for the oil company. It announced last year that it intends to sell $4.5 billion-$6 billion in assets to help repay debt following its acquisition of CrownRock. It aims to reduce its debt principle by at least $4.5 billion within 12 months of closing that deal through asset sales and free cash flow to maintain its investment-grade credit rating.

In addition to its assets in Barilla Draw, Occidental Petroleum could sell down its stake in master limited partnership Western Midstream Partners (NYSE: WES). The company owns nearly half of the midstream company's outstanding units, putting their value at over $6 billion. It initially acquired that stake when it bought Anadarko. That MLP has caught the attention of billionaire Bill Gross, who thinks it's an attractive investment opportunity.

A plan to get ahead of the situation

Occidental Petroleum had $18.5 billion of debt on its balance sheet at the end of last year, along with $1.4 billion in cash. The company's debt balance will balloon once it closes its $12 billion deal for CrownRock. It plans to issue $9.1 billion of new debt and assume CrownRock's $1.2 billion of existing debt. That would push the oil company's debt to nearly $29 billion. That's almost double its long-term target of less than $15 billion.

The company's decision to use debt to fund this deal is eerily similar to the financing plan for its 2019 acquisition of Anadarko Petroleum. It paid $57 billion for its rival, including $38 billion of equity. In addition to assuming Anadarko's debt, Occidental paid $59 per share in cash (more than 75% of the $76 per share deal value). The company tapped Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway for a $10 billion preferred stock investment to help fund some of the deal's cash component. It also planned to sell $10 billion-$15 billion in assets within two years of closing the deal, $8.8 billion of which it had secured through an agreement with TotalEnergies for Anadarko's assets in Africa.

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Unfortunately, that strategy didn't work as well as planned. Occidental wasn't able to close all its planned asset sales with TotalEnergies because of regulatory issues. Meanwhile, oil prices collapsed in early 2020, affecting its ability to sell other assets. These issues nearly pushed Occidental to the brink of bankruptcy.

Given its past missteps, it's good to see the company getting an early start on its asset sale plan. Ideally, it will capitalize on the currently strong market environment to sell assets so that it doesn't run the risk of being a forced seller if there's another unexpected downturn.

A wise move

Occidental Petroleum appears to be close to selling some of its non-core assets in the Permian Basin for over $1 billion. That would enable the oil company to get a head start on its plan to sell assets to quickly pay down the debt it will take on to acquire CrownRock. Given the company's history, investors should keep a close eye on its progress in selling assets. If deals start falling through, its stock might take a big hit.

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Occidental Petroleum Wants to Make Sure It Doesn't Repeat Its Past Mistakes was originally published by The Motley Fool
Warm weather has begun to make an appearance on the Eastern Shore. Along with the increase in sunshine comes a slew of business happenings, some cheerful and some rather somber.

Check out what's opening and closing in the business world this week.

Ocean City

PetCo

12641 Ocean Gateway

PetCo on May 3, 2024, located at 12641-310 Ocean Gateway in the White Marlin Mall in Ocean City, Maryland.

PetCo is set to permanently close its Ocean City location  12641-310 Ocean Gateway in the White Marlin Mall  in nearly one month, on June 5. The pet store chain's imminent closure is due to an unforeseen increase in rent.

As of May 3, 2024, there is a total of 35 PetCo stores open in the state of Maryland. Until it closes, PetCo's Ocean City location will remain open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

LOCAL BUSINESS: Delmar has new whiskey, wine bar, Salisbury a new Caribbean eatery | What's Going There

Snow Daze

9533 Stephen Decatur Hwy

Snow Daze on May 3, 2024, located at 9533 Stephen Decatur Highway in Ocean City, Maryland.

Snow Daze, a locally-owned shaved ice and ice cream shop, is set to open soon at 9533 Stephen Decatur Highway in Ocean City. The business recently unveiled its mural, which features a mythical creature known as the yeti, or abominable snowman.

"Our friendly yeti is eagerly anticipating our opening, and so are we. Stay tuned for the announcement of our grand opening date," Snow Daze said of its colorful mural and upcoming grand opening.

Snow Daze has hinted at a summer 2024 opening. However, an exact date and hours of operation have yet to be announced. Until then, the small business continues to tease a summer season filled with chill vibes and flavorsome shaved ice.

GAMBLING IN OCEAN CITY: Gambling thrived in Ocean City during Great Depression, even though it was illegal

The Coconut Club

208 Baltimore Ave

A new oceanfront craft cocktail bar is now open at 208 Baltimore Avenue, or Park Place Hotel, in Ocean City. The Coconut Club celebrated its grand opening with free drink samples, small bites and hand-rolled cigars on May 3.

The Coconut Club, owned and operated by Logan Buas, offers patrons a cozy, coastal escape as they sip on craft cocktails and dine on breakfast, lunch or dinner just a short distance away from the vast Atlantic Ocean.

"I love Ocean City. This town means everything to me and my family and we are just so happy to get to become part of its history. I just want every customer that steps in our door to feel just how magical, special and curated this place is, and I hope that shows in the food, drinks and service," Buas shared her thanks online.

NEW OCEAN CITY MUSEUM: Ocean City to get grand new museum on Boardwalk soon: Take a look inside the restored bank

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Pittsville

Boxcar40

7456 Gumboro Rd

Due to an array of unforeseen circumstances, Boxcar40  located at 7456 Gumboro Road in Pittsville  has closed permanently as of April 27. The building which housed the restaurant is going up for sale, or lease with option to purchase.

"We want to thank all of our supporters over the last six years who have made all of this possible. Without you, we would not have won all of the accolades, praises, awards and kudos that we have, and we are truly grateful for that," said Boxcar40 online.

Princess Anne

Sisters With a Twist

11779 Somerset Ave

Amanda AJ Roth and Wendy Penn opened their new bakery, Sisters with a Twist, on April 24, 2024, in Princess Anne, Maryland.

Sisters With a Twist is now open for business at 11779 Somerset Avenue in Princess Anne. The brand-new bakery, offering homemade baked goodies as well as breakfast and lunch, celebrated its official grand opening on April 24.

As stated on its website, Sisters With a Twist offers an array of goodies including Twisted Island Cakes, bagels, cake pops, cookies, sweet buns and more. The bakery is owned by Amanda AJ Roth and Wendy Penn, two cousins who say they are as close as sisters.

Sisters With a Twist plans to be open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., regularly. Sunday hours may be offered on occasion, along with opportunities for private reservations for special events and meetings.

Sisters with a Twist Bakery and More Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024, at 11779 Somerset Avenue in Princess Anne, Maryland.

NEW BUSINESS: Salisbury gets two new restaurants, Smoker's BBQ reopens in west OC | What's Going There

Georgetown

Greenhill Car Wash

33016 Finley Ave.

Greenhill Car Wash has opened its newest location at 33016 Finley Ave. in Georgetown, Delaware. In addition to car wash services, the local business also offers car detailing.

The environmentally friendly car wash operates additional locations in Wilmington, Middletown and Millsboro, and uses solar power, recycled water and no harmful chemicals.

LOCAL BUSINESS: Washington Inn gets new owners, new hotel coming to Fruitland | What's Going There

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City to lose PetCo, The Coconut Club opens | What's Going There
Company Logo

Dublin, May 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Oman Telecom Operators Country Intelligence Report" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The total telecom service revenue in Oman is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% over the 2023-2028 period, driven by steady growth in the mobile data segment. Mobile data services revenue will increase at a CAGR of 8%, supported by increasing smartphone subscriptions, growing data consumption, and growth of 5G subscriptions that will yield higher data ARPUs over the forecast period.

Moreover, fixed broadband service revenues will also increase at a CAGR of 4.7%, driven by increasing FTTH subscriptions and ongoing fixed broadband coverage expansion plans announced by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

The report provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Oman today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2028. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics, and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, and mobile segments as well as a review of key regulatory trends.



The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:

Demographic and macroeconomic context in Oman.

The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, tariff regulation, and more.

Telecom services market outlook: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data markets.

The competitive landscape: an examination of the positioning of leading players in the telecom services market as well as subscription market shares across segments.

Company snapshots: analysis of the financial position of leading service providers in the telecommunications markets.

Underlying assumptions behind our published base-case forecasts, as well as potential market developments that would alter, either positively or negatively, our base-case outlook.

Key Market Highlights:

The overall telecom service revenue in Oman will grow at a CAGR of 4.5% during 2023-2028.

Mobile data will remain the largest contributor to the total telecom service revenue over 2023-2028. Mobile data services revenue will increase at a CAGR of 8%, driven by increasing smartphone subscriptions, growing data consumption, and growth of 5G subscriptions that will yield higher data ARPUs over the forecast period.

Ooredoo Oman led the Oman's mobile market in terms of mobile subscriptions for 2023, followed closely by Omantel.

This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Oman's telecommunications markets, service providers, and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.



Accompanying the analyst's Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Oman's mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares. With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.

Companies Featured:

Omantel Oman

Ooredoo Oman

Vodafone Oman

Key Topics Covered:

Market Highlights

Key takeaways

Country telecom market snapshot 2023-2028 (revenue and penetration)

Operating Environment

Economic outlook (population, GDP, CPI, and exchange rate)

The country risk index (GCRI) Q3 2023

Country risk analysis - Oman compared to the AME and the world

Regulatory highlights and developments

ESG highlights and developments

Telecom Services Market Outlook

Total telecom services revenue by category, 2022-2028

FX impact on total telecom services revenue by category

Mobile Services

Mobile subscription penetration and subscription by device type

Mobile subscriptions by payment type and mobile subscriptions by technology generation, 2022-2028

Data usage & traffic

Mobile ARPU by payment type and service revenue by type

Fixed Services

Fixed service penetration and subscription

Voice telephony lines by technology, fixed broadband lines by technology

Fixed ARPU and service revenue by service type

Subscription Market Share by Service Area

Competitive Landscape & Company Snapshots

Product portfolios and positioning, service offerings by service provider, 2023

Company snapshot: Omantel

Company snapshot: Ooredoo Oman

Company snapshot: Vodafone Oman

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uksvl0

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




Key Insights

The projected fair value for Delfi is S$1.53 based on Dividend Discount Model

Current share price of S$0.89 suggests Delfi is potentially 42% undervalued

Analyst price target for P34 is US$1.37 which is 11% below our fair value estimate

How far off is Delfi Limited (SGX:P34) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Delfi

The Model

We have to calculate the value of Delfi slightly differently to other stocks because it is a food company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.8%. Relative to the current share price of S$0.9, the company appears quite undervalued at a 42% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

= US$0.04 / (5.8%  2.1%)

= S$1.5

dcf

Important Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Delfi as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 5.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

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SWOT Analysis for Delfi

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by cash flow.

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Singaporean market.

Looking Ahead:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Delfi, we've compiled three important factors you should explore:

Risks: Take risks, for example - Delfi has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about. Future Earnings: How does P34's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
There's a shortage of workers willing to take jobs as paid caregivers. ktaylorg/E+ via Getty Images

Paid caregivers foster independence and improve quality of life for people with all kinds of disabilities, many of whom need help getting dressed, preparing meals, showering and dealing with other activities of daily living.

There are over 10,000 paid caregivers of people with disabilities and adults over 65 in Nebraska, where we work and often conduct research. Across the country, there are 3.7 million paid caregivers, and the federal government expects their ranks to grow by 22% over the next decade.

Compensation for these workers, however, is extremely low.

The median hourly wage for Nebraskas paid caregivers in 2023 was US$13.55 per hour. Although the typical caregiver logs significant amounts of overtime beyond a 40-hour week due to the chronic labor shortage, they still take home just $32,960 per year. And thats far below the $49,009 annual income, according to one estimate, that single adults needed to make ends meet in Nebraska.

While paid caregiving is among the countrys fastest-growing occupations, the jobs low pay and meager benefits contribute to high turnover. A shortage of these workers is compromising the quality of care and creating long waitlists for people who need it.

About 30% of paid caregivers across the nation work part time for a variety of personal and economic reasons. Some are students. Others are already caring for their children, parents or other relatives. In many cases, their employers dont pay for employment benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans or paid time off.

Lacking decent benefits can take a toll on job satisfaction and productivity  and cause burnout.

High turnover

The share of paid caregivers who quit within a year varies widely, ranging from 28.5% in the District of Columbia to 59% in Wyoming. About half of Nebraskas paid caregivers leave their jobs every year.

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, an association that represents caregivers and their employers, estimates that hiring new caregivers costs anywhere from $2,413 to $5,200. Conducting fewer background checks and training new hires less frequently saves the state and federal governments money, given that the employers foot that bill through contracting with state governments.

Unlike in other industries, the employers of caregivers for people with disabilities cant just pay workers more to make these jobs more alluring. Thats because their wages are set or heavily influenced by state and federal funding levels.

For the most part, caregiver pay is set by Medicaid, the governments health insurance program for low-income Americans, and Medicare, which provides Americans over 65 and younger people who receive disability benefits with health insurance. States administer Medicaid and share its costs with the federal government.

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People with disabilities who frequently get new paid caregivers go to the emergency room more frequently, have more instances of abuse and neglect and get injured more often.

Reducing caregiver turnover not only improves quality of life for people receiving services, it saves tax dollars spent on costly hospital stays covered by Medicaid and Medicare, as well as through lower numbers of abuse investigations and other expenditures that arise when people with disabilities dont get the care they require.

Paid caregivers can help people with disabilities live independently and stay healthy. BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Caregivers who make more spend more

We teamed up with Ashley Robinson, a social work graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, to estimate the economic boost Nebraska would get if it compensated caregivers better.

We also worked on this project with Nebraska Association of Service Providers, a nonprofit association that represents the states intellectual and developmental service provider organizations.

By analyzing data for similar professions, we determined that paid caregivers are compensated less than their closest counterparts, including child care workers. We estimated that closing the wage gap between paid caregivers and child care workers would require a 5.9% higher starting wage and a 3% increase in the median wage.

Using the IMPLAN multiplier system, which breaks down how changes to an industry can relate to the overall economy, we also calculated that boosting wages by that amount would lead to a rate of return of $1.40 for every $1.00 in additional tax dollars spent on raising pay for caregivers.

We identified three main drivers of this economic boost. First, paid caregiver turnover would decline. Second, many unpaid family caregivers would be able to go back to work  earning a living and paying taxes. Third, state and local tax revenue would rise once caregiver positions were filled.

These factors would amount to an estimated $401.3 million stimulus for Nebraskas economy.

We believe that our findings illustrate how low pay doesnt just harm caregivers and their employers. Its also costly for state governments.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Susan Rebecca Reay, University of Nebraska Omaha and Ernie Goss, Creighton University

Read more:



Susan Rebecca Reay was paid by Goss and Associates (co-author) to write a technical report associated with this article. The technical report was funded by the Nebraska Association of Service Providers (NASP), a nonprofit organization supporting people with disabilities and the organizations that support them.

Ernie Goss received funding to write a technical report to support people with disabilities and organizations that support them.
LightFieldStudios / Getty Images/iStockphoto

New Yorks Fifth Avenue is lined with flagship stores of high-end brands such as Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, Gucci, and other well-known luxury brands that cater to the citys elite and wealthy shoppers. While its world-renowned as the place to shop, its also known for sky-high rents, and brands have had enough of price gouging to stay in their well-known address. Retailers are done paying rent, and a few have come up with their solution  buy out their landlord.

Check Out: 6 Reasons the Poor Stay Poor and Middle Class Doesnt Become Wealthy

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According to the Wall Street Journal, rent on upper Fifth Avenue averaged $2,000 a square foot,-13% higher than the Via Montenapoleone in Milan, the worlds next-most expensive shopping destination.

Prada, one of the brands tired of paying skyrocketing rent prices, is shelling out big bucks to buy the building that houses its Fifth Avenue store in addition to the building next door for more than $800 million. And Gucci is also following the trend. According to the WSJ, its parent company, Kering, is paying almost $1 billion for a 115,000-square-foot retail space located a few blocks south.

The rents that the luxury retailers were paying on Fifth and in other prime locations were simply astronomical, Eric Menkes, co-chair of leasing for the New York-based law firm Adler & Stachenfeld, told the outlet. There comes a point in time when these retailers looked in the mirror and said, Why am I making my landlord rich?'

Brands are making an expensive statement, and with so many experiencing a surge in sales, such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Celine, now is a good time to buy.

The premium luxury groups have so much cash on their balance sheet, Eric Le Goff, vice chairman and head of luxury for the retail brokerage by Mona, told WSJ. For companies not contemplating acquisitions, why not deploy the cash into real estate where you know youre going to be there, hopefully for the next 100 years?

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Prada and Gucci Are Done Paying Monthly Rent, But You Still Have To Pay
MIDDLETOWN  At the turn of the 21st century, Aquidneck Island businessman Joe Marino, then 50, was contemplating retirement after his former company was purchased and his employment was terminated in favor of a new leadership team.

But his business partners, Jim and Linda Lavoie, a husband and wife duo, talked him out of it. The three partners agree to a novel business philosophy  seek out the right customers and the right employees and treat them like a family.

Most models have customers at the center, said Marino, the chief executive officer and a co-founder, along with Jim and Linda Lavoie, who are still involved.

He said Jim and Linda posed a question to him, What happens if we put the employee at the center of the model?

Though the Lavoies posed the question, it wasnt the first time Marino had heard the concept.

Chad Seelig, Rite-Solutions chief financial officer, leads an employee meeting.

Marino said he took a course at Harvard and first learned this philosophy from a professor who thought along the same lines, which piqued Marinos curiosity.

Rite-Solutions, Inc. is now an award-winning business specializing in system engineering, software development, information technology (IT), and cyber security for government and commercial segments. Rite-Solutions has offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C, according to spokesman John Thornell.

In less than two months, the company has been awarded more than $160 million in contracts through the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport.

Marino says the company is preparing to celebrate 25 years in business. This comes after starting with 12 people in 2000 and now employing 488 people with room for 50 more job openings.

Growth was never our main driving focus, Marino said.

The irony? Growth and lucrative contracts have come to Rite-Solutions through its focus on culture.

In March, Rite-Solutions was awarded a $60.7 million, five-year contract to support NUWCs Activity Chief Information Officer (ACIO)/Information Technology (IT) division, which is responsible for strategic planning, operations, maintenance, and compliance of the centers IT systems and infrastructure, according to a release from Thornell.

The company will provide Informational Technology services in several areas including software engineering, system administration, cybersecurity, client support services/help desk, Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) support, IT governance and application portfolio management support, and more.

Weeks later, the company was awarded a five-year, $10.7 million competitive Task Order from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Division Newport to provide hardware and software development services for Electronic Warfare, Electronic Support and elements of the Submarine Multi-Mission Team Trainer.

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The good news and subsequent good karma didnt stop there.

On April 1, it was announced that Rite-Solutions was awarded a contract for $88.6 million by NUWC  the largest in company history.

Under this three-year contract, Rite-Solutions will support NUWCs Undersea Warfare Electromagnetic Systems Department (Code 34). This is a milestone for the company, Marino said in a written release.

Chad Seelig, the chief financial officer, echoed Marinos sentiments that the culture has played a significant role in Rite-Solutions success.

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Seelig said the company tries to know its employees, discover their interests, and find opportunities to bring them together.

In return, we have happy customers and happy employees who produce and who work under better conditions than other companies.  Its an investment in the workforce.

Seelig said the workforce development focuses on helping employees build for the future, with tuition reimbursement and certification assistance.

But it stems beyond that.

We provide an employee-centric environment. We have social events and culture teams where employees from different projects and employees within the company work on a common interest, Seelig said.

For instance, there is a Green Team, where some employees get together and conduct trash cleanup for the community.

Seelig said there are employee recognition events as well, and the leadership team takes an interest in employees passion outside of work. They work to incorporate those interests in the social events and the overall company culture.

Work is still work but there is not that inherent pressure coming down from your employers. Its natural and it is more organic, Seelig said.

A Jamestown native, Seelig said he has been with Rite-Solutions for over 10 years  or around half of his career in the finance field  and feels blessed to find a great workplace so close to home.

We treat people the same as they are in our own home and that is a big differentiator for us, Seelig said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rite-Solutions places employees at center and finds continued growth
Russian forces have struck the Sloviansk Thermal Power Plant in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, with artillery rockets, on Sunday morning, 5 May.

The attack involved five missiles that caused damage to several facilities within the plant. There have been no confirmed injuries, nor has the scope of the damage been disclosed.

Mykolaivka City Military Administration deputy head Volodymyr Proskunin informed Suspilne news that the Russian military used a 300 mm multiple rocket launcher to deploy the rounds, including four with cluster munitions.

The operational status of the power plant, which has a capacity of 830MW, remains uncertain following the attack.

Mykolaivka, situated in northern Donetsk Oblast, has been facing regular Russian bombardments.

The wider Ukrainian energy system has suffered extensive damage from drone and missile attacks, with losses exceeding $1bn, Reuters has reported, quoting Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

The damage has primarily affected thermal and hydro generation facilities, as well as power transmission systems.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukraine requires 25 Patriot air defense systems to shield the nation from such attacks.

Late last month, Russia targeted Ukraine's power infrastructure, including four thermal power plants operated by DTEK, causing significant damage.

Officials reported that 34 missiles were launched overnight on Saturday 27 April, targeting four thermal power plants owned by Ukraine-based energy company DTEK.

This marked the fourth major attack on DTEK's facilities within a single month which were mainly aimed at disrupting energy supplies to millions of Ukrainians.

DTEK executive director Dmytro Sakharuk reported that Russian troops have attacked Ukraine's thermal power plants nearly 180 times since the onset of the invasion in 2022.

In the same month, the Trypilska thermal power plant, Ukraine's largest power-generating facility in the Kyiv region, was destroyed by Russian forces.

The assault saw the launch of a barrage of 82 missiles and drones, including six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.

"Russian missiles hit 830MW Sloviansk power plant in Ukraine" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correctly show the number of consecutive years that Nate Paul has been the most delinquent taxpayer in Travis County after inaccurate information was provided by the Travis County Tax Office.

For the third year in a row, embattled real estate developer Nate Paul is the most delinquent taxpayer in Travis County, the Travis County Tax Office announced Monday.

Paul  a former Austin real estate developer inextricably linked to the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton  owes more than $3 million on eight properties listed under three limited liability corporations tied to his name, according to a Monday news release from the county's Tax Office.

The delinquent payments were released as part of the Tax Office's annual top 10 list of most delinquent taxpayers. Combined, the 10 property owners owe $5.6 million in 2023 taxes.

Ive sent letters and made phone calls hoping to collect the payment in full or work out a payment plan for those struggling to pay, and the property owners on this list are avoiding me, Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant said in the news release. Why take the risk of losing your property because of unpaid taxes?

Austin real estate investor Nate Paul leaves a federal courtroom in Austin after a pretrial hearing on Feb. 16, 2024.

Paul also topped the list of Travis County property owners late on paying their 2022 taxes  owing more than $1 million total on six properties listed under three limited liability corporations tied to his name, according to a May 1, 2023, news release from the Tax Office. The largest bill then was for a midsized office space on East Avenue in downtown Austin.

More: Texas Supreme Court pauses Nate Paul 10-day jail stint, grants emergency motion

The list released in 2023 was updated to show that, a few days after the news release was published, five of the six payments that Paul owed were made.

The Tax Office received a notification for bankruptcy on the sixth property, which is on Lambie Street, and while it remains delinquent, the Tax Office currently isn't able to collect payment outside of a bankruptcy court, a spokesperson for the office told the American-Statesman.

An attorney for Paul did not immediately respond to a Statesman request for comment Monday.

Property owners received their tax bills in November 2023 and had a payment deadline of Jan. 31, 2024, according to the news release.

Unpaid accounts are eventually forwarded to the county attorneys office, resulting in a foreclosure lawsuit, the news release states. Foreclosed properties are sold at a public auction on the first Tuesday of the month.

The issue of Paul's outstanding taxes comes alongside a litany of additional legal concerns, as the real estate developer who was once celebrated by Forbes faces 12 federal charges tied to financial crimes as well as accusations in Travis County that he defrauded a nonprofit.

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The federal charges stem from Paul's effort to deceive financial institutions to secure loans to purchase commercial properties while underreporting his liabilities and overreporting his available cash, federal prosecutors allege.

Joining the original eight-count indictment levied last June, four additional federal charges accusing Paul of committing wire fraud were issued in November. After a motion earlier this year asking U.S. District Judge David Ezra to delay the start of a trial until next year, Ezra placed Paul's case on the docket for November of this year.

Paul is also contending with a punitive order from Travis County state District Judge Jan Soifer, who issued a decision in March to sentence Paul to 10 days in jail for contempt of court as part of an ongoing fraud case.

The Texas Supreme Court stepped in after an emergency appeal by Paul, issuing an emergency stay on Soifer's order, which has yet to be addressed again by the high court since its intervention in March.

In issuing her contempt order, Soifer said Paul had deliberately acted to "thwart the functions of the Court" and charged that he pervasively and inexcusably lied under oath during the dispute with the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation over his financial records and claims that he defrauded the nonprofit.

Long before Ken Paxton, Texas had a mixed history of attorneys general facing indictment

To settle the damages sought by the Mitte Foundation, shy of $2.5 million, Paul is working to execute the sales of some of his properties in Austin, according to court records.

Last year, Paul also found himself embroiled in the biggest political battle in Texas as the House voted to impeach the state's top attorney based largely on complaints about the relationship Paxton had with the Austin developer.

While neither Paxton nor Paul took the stand during a two-week Senate tribunal, much of the argument from prosecutors focused on Paxton's willingness to help Paul in receiving favorable legal assistance to avoid foreclosures on some of his properties and Paul's employment of the woman with whom Paxton was said to be having an extramarital affair.

Ultimately, the Senate acquitted Paxton, largely along party lines, of all wrongdoing, restoring him to office last September.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Nate Paul is Travis County's most delinquent taxpayer for third year
The last inflation report, which came in worse than expected, had investors worried about the Federal Reserves plans for interest rates this year. The central bank held rates steady in its most recent decision, cooling fears that a hike is in the offing. When combined with moderate gains in the Q1 earnings reports, it makes sense that we saw stocks rebounding as confidence in the market was restored.

However, according to JPMorgans chief market strategist Marko Kolanovic, were not out of the woods just yet. We remain concerned about the repeat of last summers drawdown, where the Growth-Policy tradeoff could move away from the Goldilocks narrative, together with a continued risk of concentration reversal, too steep projections for earnings acceleration this year, and positioning unwind, Kolanovic opined.

So, there are indications that we could see a stronger market heading into the end of Q2  but the risks still remain. In a situation like that, investors will be drawn to dividend stocks, the natural defensive play. These stocks promise reliable passive income streams, providing a measure of stability even in the face of market downturns.

With this in mind, weve used the TipRanks database to pinpoint two stocks that match a solid defensive profile: a Buy rating from the analysts collective wisdom and up to 8% dividend yield. Lets take a closer look.

Energy Transfer LP (ET)

Well start in the hydrocarbon industry, where Energy Transfer is one of North Americas largest midstream companies. Energy Transfer boasts a market cap of $53.5 billion, and a wide-ranging network of assets for the transport and storage of crude oil, refined products, natural gas, and various liquids. The network includes pipelines, tank farms, and terminal and transfer facilities, and is centered on the Gulf Coast.

A brief look at Energy Transfers operations shows the scale of the company. Its crude oil segment includes 14,500 miles of pipeline across 20 states; for natural gas liquids, the company has another 5,700 miles of pipelines. For refined products, the company moves product through 3,760 miles of pipeline, has 37 active refined products marketing terminals with approximately 8 million barrels of storage capacity. All of this puts Energy Transfer in a leading position in the North American midstream scene.

Despite that leading position, Energy Transfer reported mixed results in its last quarterly report, covering 4Q23. Revenues for the quarter missed the forecast, coming in at $20.53 billion. This was flat year-over-year, and $970 million below expectations. Earnings and cash flow showed a more unequivocally positive story. The non-GAAP EPS of 37 cents was 3 cents better than had been anticipated, and the distributable cash flow, which supports the dividend payment, came to $2.03 billion for the quarter, up 6.2% year-over-year.

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On the dividend, Energy Transfer has been making regular, mostly small quarterly increases to the payment for the past few years. The most recent dividend declaration, for 31.75 cents per common share, represents a 0.8% increase from the previous quarter, and the 10th consecutive bump. The payment annualizes to $1.27 per share, and gives a forward yield of 8%.

Mizuhos Gabe Moreen, who ranks amongst the top 3% of Street stock pros, notes that ET, already large, has potential to continue growing. ET is poised to thread the needle on growth as net capex expectations ($2-3bn/yr) have not inflated to the same degree as peers in 24, the 5-star analyst explained. ET has no shortage of growth opportunities and has been discerning prioritizing balance sheet flexibility. ETs improved leverage outlook should allow more aggressive capital return beyond the current 3-5% distribution growth rate, and initiation of larger scale unit repurchases could potentially help address ETs steep valuation discount.

Getting to the specifics that should attract investors, Moreen adds, With an attractive FCF yield, growth outlook and discounted valuation, ET is our new top pick following strong YTD performance from TRGP. More aggressive acquisition history could be a plus in the current backdrop.

What this means for the analyst is a Buy rating, with a $19 price target that implies a 19.5% upside potential on the one-year horizon. (To watch Moreens track record, click here)

Overall, Energy Transfer supports its Strong Buy consensus rating with 9 recent analyst reviews that split 8 to 1 favoring Buy over Hold. The shares are trading for $15.89, and their $18.44 average price target suggests a 16% potential gain for the year ahead. (See ET stock forecast)

Black Stone Minerals LP (BSM)

Next on our list is a limited partnership mineral rights company, Black Stone. This firm derives its income from the energy industry, specifically from the royalties on land holdings in energy-rich hydrocarbon production regions. Black Stones land holdings are the most extensive in the Gulf states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Black Stones holdings are not just built up randomly. The companys acquisition activities are targeted, based on the expertise of numerous experts, including geologists and technical engineers, land and business developers, and energy investment experts, teams that provide the firm with the specific knowledge needed to generate solid returns from the land holdings. Those returns come mainly in the form of royalties, paid by energy extraction companies to Black Stone as the landowner. As of the end of 2023, Black Stones land holdings were hosting 63 active operational rigs.

The royalties on those rigs activities brought Black Stone $190.8 million in total revenue in 4Q23, for a 17% decrease year over year  but beating the forecast by over $64 million. At the bottom line, Black Stone realized a Q4 EPS of 65 cents per share, 24 cents per share better than expected.

Dividend-minded investors will be interested to know that Black Stone has seen seven quarters in a row with distributable cash flow above $100 million. The Q4 figure fell 4% from the prior quarter, but still came in at $119.1 million.

That distributable cash flow supported a Q1 div payment of 37.5 cents per common share, declared this past April. The payment was annualized to $1.50, and even though the declaration represented a quarter-over-quarter decline of 21%, the dividend still provides a forward 9.15%.

This stock has caught the eye of Stifel analyst Derrick Whitfield, who is impressed by Black Stones overall position, writing, In our view, BSM provides investors a unique combination of investment themes, including valuation, return of capital, and organic value creation. Qualitatively, Black Stone Minerals is the largest pure-play oil and gas mineral and royalty owner in the United States, with peer leading positions in the Williston and Haynesville. We believe the stock offers below-average leverage and under-appreciated exposure to the Haynesville (one of the most capital-efficient dry gas plays in the Lower 48). Fundamentally, we believe the value of BSMs Haynesville royalty position should re-rate due to an increasingly constructive natural gas macro backdrop starting in late 2024 and industry M&A, which could materially increase industry activity across its highest NRI acreage.

For Whitfield, these comments all back up a Buy rating, and his $19 price target points toward a potential one-year gain of 16%. (To watch Whitfields track record, click here)

There are only 2 recent analyst reviews of BSM shares, and they split 1 Buy and 1 Hold for a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The stock is selling for $16.39 and its $18 price target suggests that it has a gain of 10% waiting for it over the next year. (See BSM stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
BOSTON  Steward Health Care, the struggling health care provider that relied on backing from private equity investors to quickly acquire dozens of community hospitals, including facilities in Massachusetts, Texas and Florida, announced Monday that it is filing for bankruptcy.

Steward, which is millions of dollars in debt, said it has "commenced an in-court restructuring process through the filing of voluntary petitions for relief" under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. It submitted the filing in the Southern District of Texas.

The Dallas-based company currently owns 30 hospitals across eight states, including nine in Massachusetts, where its smoldering financial crisis has raised concerns about patient safety.

Steward has been one focus of a year-and-a-half-long CBS News investigation revealing how private equity investors have siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars from community hospitals with devastating public health consequences. Records reviewed by CBS News showed Steward hospitals around the country with a trail of unpaid bills, at times risking a shortage of potentially lifesaving supplies.

Last year, CBS News found Steward redirected money away from hospital operations by selling off the real estate of San Antonio's Texas Vista Medical Center before closing the facility altogether.

The company's bankruptcy filing lists 30 creditors who are owed a total of more than $500 million, including the U.S. government, which is owed more than $32 million to the federal government in reimbursements for insurance overpayments.

Experts tell CBS News that Steward's debts are likely much higher, and when the dust settles, it could be one of the largest hospital bankruptcies in U.S. history. In a statement, the company said it is relying on its landlord, Medical Properties Trust, to provide sufficient funding to allow its hospitals to continue to operate through bankruptcy.

"The Company is finalizing the terms of debtor-in-possession financing from Medical Properties Trust for initial funding of $75 million and up to an additional $225 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions acceptable to Medical Properties Trust," Steward said in a statement.

No day-to-day impacts expected, Steward Health Care says

The company said declaring bankruptcy allows it to "continue to provide necessary care to its patients in their communities without disruption."

Both Steward and Massachusetts officials said they expected no interruptions in day-to-day operations.

"Steward hospitals remain open, and patients should not hesitate to seek care," said Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh in a statement, adding that the state "is working with Steward and any potential partners to support an orderly transfer of ownership that protects access to care, preserves jobs and stabilizes our health care system."

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"It is safe to get care in Steward facilities. The facilities are open. You should not drive past it if you are having chest pains, if you're a pregnant person about to deliver, please go to the hospital closest to you," Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robert Goldstein said.

Despite those assurances, anxiety over the future viability of the company's hospitals runs deep, particularly in Massachusetts. For months, health care workers have voiced concern over the impact of any potential closure.

"The potential loss of any of these facilities will have devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of residents from the South Shore to southern New Hampshire," the Massachusetts Nurses Association said in a statement. "However, Steward going through the process of reorganization provides an opportunity for other stakeholders to take long-awaited action and center the voices of caregivers and patients," the statement said in part.

And patients are concerned about the hospitals in their neighborhoods.

"We need this hospital. This is a nice hospital," said Riaz Udein, who's been going to the same doctor at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston for 22 years. "The neighborhood and everybody need it."

"It's needed," said Zadani Mehdi, walking into an appointment at St. Elizabeth's on Monday. "I hope they do keep this hospital open, honestly. There are a lot of patients that come here. I've been coming here since a little kid."

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey promised that the state would help Steward patients and that they would ensure that a situation like this does not happen again.

"I do not want to lose sight of the fact that the situation stems from and is rooted in greed, mismanagement, and lack of transparency on the part of Steward leadership in Dallas, Texas. I have been clear about that, and I will continue to be clear about that. It is a situation that should never have happened, and we will be working together to ensure that there are steps taken to make sure that this does not happen again," Governor Healey said.

The Healey administration has launched a hotline (617-468-2189) and website for patients who have questions.

Private equity's impact on health care

A spokesperson for Steward previously told CBS News company executives always put patients first and said they "deny that any other considerations were placed ahead of that guiding principle." The spokesperson said Steward "has actively and meaningfully invested" in its hospital system since its formation, including in Massachusetts, where it took over hospitals that were "failing" and "about to close."

"Steward's investment has taken the form of facility upgrades, equipment, technology, and other meaningful improvements," the spokesperson wrote.

Yet Steward has become synonymous with the perils of private equity investment in health care. The company started buying up Massachusetts hospitals in 2010, with hundreds of millions of dollars in backing from private equity giant Cerberus,

Cerberus shed its stake in Steward by January 2021, after making an $800 million profit in a decade, according to a report from Bloomberg. Financial records show Steward has also sold off more than $1 billion of its hospitals' land and buildings since 2016 to Medical Properties Trust, which has made a business of buying up hospital real estate from private equity investors.

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission from 2021 shows Steward's owners also paid themselves millions in dividends. Around the same time, Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre acquired a 190-foot yacht estimated to be worth $40 million. In an email to CBS News, Steward confirmed de la Torre owned the yacht.

"Steward Health Care has done everything in its power to operate successfully in a highly challenging health care environment," de la Torre said in the company's statement, released at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning. "Filing for Chapter 11 restructuring is in the best interests of our patients, physicians, employees, and communities at this time."

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey tweeted, "De la Torre and his morally bankrupt business model have failed our hospitals, our providers, and our patients. He and his private equity allies must be held accountable. I'll keep fighting to keep hospitals open and protect patients and providers."

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Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI), more commonly known as Supermicro, posted its latest earnings report on April 30. For the third quarter of fiscal 2024, which ended on March 31, the server maker's revenue surged 201% year over year to $3.85 billion but still missed analysts' expectations by $100 million. Its adjusted earnings soared 308% to $6.65 per share and easily cleared the consensus forecast by $0.87.

Supermicro is still growing like a weed, but missing Wall Street's lofty revenue estimates caused its stock to stumble 10% during after hours trading. Should investors consider that pullback to be a buying opportunity or a grim warning?

Image source: Getty Images.

Supermicro's AI-driven acceleration

Supermicro produces pre-built servers for data centers. It only controls 6.1% of the global server market, according to Barclays, while Dell Technologies leads the market with roughly 17%.

However, Supermicro specializes in high-performance liquid-cooled servers, and its tight partnership with Nvidia grants its access to the chipmaker's top-tier server GPUs before its larger competitors. Those advantages helped it carve out a niche in prebuilt artificial intelligence (AI) servers -- and that market has expanded rapidly over the past few years with the arrival of new generative AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT. It's also been developing new AI servers which use AMD's cheaper data center GPUs instead of Nvidia's supply constrained chips.

Bank of America estimates that Supermicro already controls 10% of the dedicated AI server market, and it believes its share could rise to 17% within the next three years as the entire market expands by 150%. The company already generated roughly half of its revenue from its AI servers at the end of fiscal 2023.

That's why Supermicro's revenue and adjusted EPS surged 37% and 109%, respectively, in fiscal 2023, which ended last June, and why its growth accelerated throughout fiscal 2024.

Supermicro expects to keep growing

Supermicro's third quarter revenue slightly missed analysts' expectations, but it still raised its fiscal 2024 guidance. For the full year, it expects its revenue to rise 106%-112%, compared with its prior outlook for 101%-106% growth and analysts' expectations for 105% growth. It expects its adjusted EPS to increase 97%-104%, which was also significantly higher than the consensus forecast for 85% growth.

CEO Charles Liang said Supermicro expected to "continue gaining market share" in the AI market as it rolled out its new products. That rosy outlook suggests that analysts' expectations for 41% revenue growth and 32% adjusted EPS growth in fiscal 2025, based on the midpoints of its updated guidance, might be too low.

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But it could struggle to satisfy the bulls

Based on those expectations and its current price of $772, Supermicro's stock doesn't seem expensive at 25 times next year's earnings and 2 times next year's sales. But it still trades a premium to other server makers: Dell trades at just 17 times forward earnings, while Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a forward multiple of 9.

Therefore, some investors might be worried that Supermicro's recent growth spurt will abruptly end as the AI market cools off. It could also face tougher competition from Dell, HPE, and other larger companies in the nascent AI server market. If that happens, Supermicro's stock could crumble as it's revalued at just another server maker.

Even after its post-earnings pullback, Supermicro's stock has risen 635% over the past 12 months. For that rally to continue, it needs to keep clearing Wall Street's rising expectations. At the same time, many investors are probably looking for reasons to take profits in Supermicro and other highflying AI stocks in this wobbly macro environment.

Is it the right time to buy Supermicro?

Supermicro missed Wall Street's sky-high revenue expectations in the third quarter, but its full-year outlook indicates that its core business is still firing on all cylinders. It has a first mover's advantage in the high-performance AI server market, and its stock looks reasonably valued relative to its long-term growth potential.

If you believe the AI market will continue to expand and Supermicro will consistently grow its share of the booming AI server market, then its recent decline represents a golden buying opportunity. Its stock could remain volatile this year, but it could generate big long-term gains for investors who can tune out the near-term noise.

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Is Super Micro Computer Stock a Buy Now? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Press Release

May 6, 2024 STATEMENT OF SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA ON THE PRESIDENT REJECTING USE OF WATER CANNON VS CHINESE VESSELS

6 May 2024 I express my solidarity with the President regarding his firm decision to abstain from employing water cannons or any other offensive weapons as a countermeasure against China's persistent aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea. Instead, it is our responsibility to remain steadfast in safeguarding our maritime and sovereign rights through a rule-based approach. We must focus our efforts on ensuring the protection of our territorial and maritime interests by adhering to the principles of the rule of law. This entails the use of diplomatic channels and peaceful means of conflict resolution. By adhering to these principles, we can successfully safeguard our sovereign rights and protect our territorial integrity while maintaining a peaceful and stable environment in the region. Our Navy and Coast Guard have a crucial duty of safeguarding our territorial integrity and maritime rights. Instead of resorting to retaliatory measures, we will assert our rights through diplomatic means. We have consistently filed diplomatic protests to address China's aggression within our territorial waters. The position taken by the President demonstrates his dedication to upholding stability, diplomacy, and the long-term interests of our country. Let us stand together in supporting our government's principled approach. By following international norms and pursuing peaceful means, we can protect our maritime rights while avoiding unnecessary conflict. Ang paggamit ng dahas ay hindi kailanman dapat maging solusyon dahil minsan na nating napatunayan na naaayon sa batas ang pag-angkin at pagmamay-ari natin ng ilang bahagi ng WPS.
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Teekay Tankers implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

51% of the business is held by the top 10 shareholders

Analyst forecasts along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Teekay Tankers Ltd. (NYSE:TNK), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 52% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Teekay Tankers.

Check out our latest analysis for Teekay Tankers

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Teekay Tankers?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

Teekay Tankers already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Teekay Tankers' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Teekay Tankers. Our data shows that Teekay Corporation is the largest shareholder with 29% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 5.9% and 4.3%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 10 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

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. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Teekay Tankers

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.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our data cannot confirm that board members are holding shares personally. Given we are not picking up on insider ownership, we may have missing data. Therefore, it would be interesting to assess the CEO compensation and tenure, here.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 20% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Public Company Ownership

We can see that public companies hold 29% of the Teekay Tankers shares on issue. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Teekay Tankers (at least 1 which is concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:TM) Full Year 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: RM12.3b (up 1.1% from FY 2022).

Net income: RM1.87b (up 64% from FY 2022).

Profit margin: 15% (up from 9.4% in FY 2022). The increase in margin was primarily driven by lower expenses.

EPS: RM0.49 (up from RM0.30 in FY 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Telekom Malaysia Berhad EPS Beats Expectations

Revenue was in line with analyst estimates. Earnings per share (EPS) surpassed analyst estimates by 7.9%.

The primary driver behind last 12 months revenue was the Unifi segment contributing a total revenue of RM5.66b (46% of total revenue). Notably, cost of sales worth RM7.14b amounted to 58% of total revenue thereby underscoring the impact on earnings. The largest operating expense was Depreciation & Amortisation (D&A) costs, amounting to RM2.65b (82% of total expenses). Explore how TM's revenue and expenses shape its earnings.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 2.2% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 3.9% growth forecast for the Telecom industry in Asia.

Performance of the market in Malaysia.

The company's shares are up 2.6% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Telekom Malaysia Berhad (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Amidst a backdrop of fluctuating inflation rates and cautious monetary policies, the Canadian market, like its U.S. counterpart, remains a focal point for investors seeking stability and potential growth. As recent economic indicators suggest ongoing uncertainty in rate cuts and inflation management, dividend stocks emerge as appealing options for those looking to generate steady income from their investments in these turbulent times.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Canada

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) 6.61%  Whitecap Resources (TSX:WCP) 7.35%  Secure Energy Services (TSX:SES) 3.53%  Enghouse Systems (TSX:ENGH) 3.46%  iA Financial (TSX:IAG) 3.84%  Russel Metals (TSX:RUS) 4.36%  Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) 3.99%  Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) 4.11%  Sun Life Financial (TSX:SLF) 4.35%  Acadian Timber (TSX:ADN) 6.57% 

Click here to see the full list of 34 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: Manulife Financial Corporation operates globally, offering financial products and services across the United States, Canada, Asia, and other international markets, with a market capitalization of approximately CA$59.01 billion.

Operations: Manulife Financial Corporation generates revenue through its operations in Asia (CA$2.49 billion), the U.S. (CA$0.92 billion), Canada (CA$3.18 billion), and its Global Wealth and Asset Management segment (CA$5.76 billion).

Dividend Yield: 4.9%

Manulife Financial has maintained a stable dividend over the past decade, recently increasing its quarterly dividend to CA$0.40 per share, reflecting a 9.6% hike. Despite a modest yield of 4.87%, which is lower than the top Canadian dividend payers, its dividends are well-covered by earnings with a payout ratio of 55.8% and by cash flows with an even more conservative cash payout ratio of 14.1%. Additionally, Manulife's strategic decisions in preferred share management and increased buyback plans underline its commitment to shareholder returns while ensuring financial flexibility.

TSX:MFC Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Sun Life Financial Inc. is a global financial services company offering savings, retirement, and pension products, with a market capitalization of approximately CA$41.79 billion.

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Operations: Sun Life Financial Inc. generates its revenue through various segments, with CA$17.16 billion from Canada, CA$13.50 billion from the United States, CA$6.14 billion from Asset Management, and CA$4.03 billion from Asia.

Dividend Yield: 4.3%

Sun Life Financial has demonstrated a consistent commitment to its dividend strategy, marked by a decade of stable and growing dividends. The company's dividend sustainability is supported by a payout ratio of 57% from earnings and an even more conservative cash payout ratio of 33.4%. Despite offering a lower yield of 4.35% compared to the top quartile in the Canadian market, Sun Life's dividends are reliably covered by both earnings and cash flows, ensuring long-term stability for investors. Recent executive changes with Timothy Deacon stepping in as CFO could signal continued strategic financial stewardship.

TSX:SLF Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Power Corporation of Canada, an international management and holding company, provides financial services across North America, Europe, and Asia with a market capitalization of approximately CA$24.75 billion.

Operations: Power Corporation of Canada generates revenue primarily through its Lifeco segment at CA$27.80 billion, Power Financial - IGM at CA$3.87 billion, and Alternative Asset Investment Platforms at CA$1.37 billion.

Dividend Yield: 5.5%

Power Corporation of Canada has maintained stable dividends over the past decade, with a recent 7.1% increase to its quarterly dividend, reflecting a consistent payout strategy. Despite a lower yield of 5.55% compared to some Canadian peers, the dividends are well-supported by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios at 59.1% and 28.6%, respectively. Recent shareholder activism highlights governance concerns but also underscores active stakeholder engagement. Additionally, substantial share buybacks totaling CAD 677 million enhance shareholder value by reducing share count and potentially increasing earnings per share.

TSX:POW Dividend History as at May 2024

Next Steps

Explore the 34 names from our Top Dividend Stocks screener 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.

Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Looking For Alternative Opportunities?

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:MFCTSX:SLF TSX:POW.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
As the FTSE 100 mirrors a positive trend in global markets and with recent political and regulatory developments capturing attention, investors are closely monitoring the evolving landscape of London's financial scene. In such a dynamic environment, identifying dividend stocks that offer potential stability and consistent returns becomes increasingly pertinent.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In The United Kingdom

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Record (LSE:REC) 8.38%  Keller Group (LSE:KLR) 4.04%  Plus500 (LSE:PLUS) 6.06%  DCC (LSE:DCC) 3.46%  Grafton Group (LSE:GFTU) 3.96%  Rio Tinto Group (LSE:RIO) 6.15%  NWF Group (AIM:NWF) 3.59%  James Latham (AIM:LTHM) 3.03%  Hargreaves Services (AIM:HSP) 6.32%  Big Yellow Group (LSE:BYG) 4.08% 

Click here to see the full list of 55 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: HSBC Holdings plc operates globally, offering banking and financial services with a market capitalization of approximately 131.01 billion.

Operations: HSBC Holdings plc generates its revenue through four main segments: Commercial Banking with $19.43 billion, Wealth and Personal Banking at $24.34 billion, Global Banking and Markets contributing $15.80 billion, and Corporate Centre adding $3.33 billion.

Dividend Yield: 6.9%

HSBC Holdings plc recently announced a first interim dividend of US$0.1 per share for 2024, reflecting a cautious approach amidst modest financial performance with net income slightly reduced to US$10,584 million from US$10,745 million year-over-year. The impending retirement of CEO Noel Quinn, who has been instrumental in strategic transformations and profitability improvements, introduces uncertainties about leadership continuity and future strategies. This scenario presents a mixed outlook for dividend stability and growth prospects for investors focusing on long-term income generation from UK dividend stocks.

LSE:HSBA Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Joint Stock Company Kaspi.kz operates in the Republic of Kazakhstan, offering payments, marketplace, and fintech solutions for consumers and merchants, with a market capitalization of $22.83 billion.

Operations: Kaspi.kz generates revenue through its fintech, payments, and marketplace segments, totaling 1.02 billion, 478.68 million, and 448.22 million respectively.

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Dividend Yield: 6.3%

Kaspi.kz, a Kazakhstan-based company, reported a robust year-over-year growth in net income and revenue for Q1 2024. Despite this performance, its dividend history is marked by instability with significant fluctuations in annual payments. Recently, Kaspi.kz announced an 850 KZT per share dividend at its AGM, underlining its commitment to returning value to shareholders. However, the company's dividends are only moderately covered by earnings and cash flows with payout ratios of 72.2% and 61% respectively, indicating potential pressure on future payouts if earnings do not continue to grow at the projected rate of approximately 17% per year.

LSE:KSPI Dividend History as at May 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Norcros plc is a company that develops, manufactures, and markets bathroom and kitchen products in the United Kingdom and South Africa, with a market capitalization of approximately 173.38 million.

Operations: Norcros plc generates 422.70 million from its Building Products segment.

Dividend Yield: 5.3%

Norcros, a UK-based company, anticipates its underlying operating profit for the fiscal year ended March 2024 to align with market expectations, despite a revenue decline to 390 million from 441 million the previous year. The company's dividend yield of 5.27% is below the top UK dividend payers. However, its dividends are sustainably covered by earnings and cash flows with payout ratios of 60.2% and 30.4%, respectively. Despite this coverage, Norcros has experienced volatility in dividend payments over the past decade, reflecting some instability in its dividend history.

LSE:NXR Dividend History as at May 2024

Summing It All Up

Unlock more gems! Our Top Dividend Stocks screener has unearthed 52 more companies for you to explore.Click here to unveil our expertly curated list of 55 Top Dividend Stocks.

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.

Seeking Other Investments?

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 LSE:HSBALSE:KSPI.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Employees from the BAM Companies take part in a family outing.

Employees from the BAM Companies gather together.

Ask BAM Companies employees what makes their business different and youre likely to hear a response centered around culture.

Employees talk about the companys incredible culture and how the culture and the people are the reason they love their job.

The culture at BAM Companies -- a specialist in acquiring and managing institutional-quality apartment complexes  is one of fun, growth, family, and work-life balance. It is a culture that has been developed over time.

Ivan Barratt founded BAM Companies in 2010 with less than five units under management. In the years since, BAM Companies has grown to 4,000 units under management. The firm has transformed into a vertically integrated capital investment, property management and renovation group. It has executed over $1.33 billion in transactions.

The BAM Companies consist of three separate organizations -- BAM Capital, BAM Management and BAM Construction. They employ 155 people in the United States and 83 in Central Indiana.

A year ago, BAM Companies was ranked as a Top Workplaces for the first time. The business repeated this year with high employee job satisfaction evident in the survey.

Employees say they are trusted to do their job, empowered to succeed and make decisions at BAM Companies. Many said they felt valued and treated like family.

The BAM Companies also make efforts to build their work culture. The organization has a minimum of four all-company events each year. Two of those events are based on bringing others as well. These events are opportunities for employees to not only know each other better, but to bond. The BAMFAM and BAMily are the result of the organizations emphasis on culture.

Because BAM Companies is an organization that owns multi-family housing, it can offer benefits to employees that others cannot. In addition to traditional benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, holidays and a 401K match, BAM Companies can offer non-traditional benefits such as rent discounts, free utilities on site and use of amenities at the property.

In 2023, BAM Companies began a diversity and inclusion committee. The committees task is to ensure that the culture meets company standards, and that BAM Companies are marketing themselves as a welcoming place to work.

There is also a philanthropy committee at BAM Companies. The committees focus is on the company giving back to the community. BAM Companies has recently partnered formally with Firefly Children and Family Alliance.

The philanthropy, the inclusion  it all goes back to the companys core values. BAM Companies aims to build a loyal and loving family; when people grow, BAM grows; a fun and quirky spirit and work hard, play hard and win.

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Bottom Line

 Founded: 2010

 Headquarters: Carmel

 Company profile: A vertically-integrated capital investment, property management, and renovation group with over 4,000 units under management.

 Locations: 1

 Number of employees: 83

 Website: https://thebamcompanies.com/

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: BAM Companies enjoys rapid growth with winning culture
Revenue: Reported $13,072 million, a slight decrease of 0.5% year-over-year, falling short of estimates of $13,156.53 million.

Operating Income: Substantial increase to $312 million, up from a loss of $49 million in the prior year, indicating significant operational improvements.

Net Income Per Share: GAAP EPS of $0.41, a significant rise from a loss of $0.28 per share year-over-year, exceeding the estimated EPS of $0.39.

Adjusted Operating Income: Rose to $406 million from $65 million in the previous year, showcasing strong performance in adjusted terms.

Free Cash Flow: Increased to $556 million, up significantly from $200 million in the prior year, reflecting better cash management and operational efficiency.

Total Company Operating Margin: GAAP operating margin improved to 2.4%, compared to a negative 0.4% last year, indicating better profitability.

Liquidity: Maintained a robust liquidity position with approximately $4.4 billion as of the end of the quarter.

Tyson Foods Inc (TSN) Q2 Earnings: Substantial Growth in Operating Income, Surpasses Analyst EPS Estimates

On May 6, 2024, Tyson Foods Inc (NYSE:TSN), a major player in the global food industry, disclosed its financial results for the second quarter of 2024 through its 8-K filing. The company reported a notable recovery with a second-quarter net income per share of $0.41, significantly outperforming the analyst's estimate of $0.39. This represents a substantial improvement from a loss of $0.28 per share in the same quarter the previous year.

Company Overview

Tyson Foods is a leading protein-focused food producer known for its extensive range of products including chicken, beef, pork, and prepared foods. With iconic brands like Tyson, Jimmy Dean, and Hillshire Farm, the company has established a strong presence in the U.S. market, which accounts for the majority of its revenue. Despite fierce competition in several product categories, Tyson Foods continues to innovate and expand, particularly focusing on international and food-service markets.

Financial Performance Highlights

The company's financial statements reflect a robust turnaround with second-quarter sales reaching $13,072 million, slightly down by 0.5% from the previous year's $13,133 million. However, the operating income showed a dramatic increase to $312 million, up from a loss of $49 million, marking a 737% increase year-over-year. This significant growth in operating income highlights the effectiveness of Tyson's strategic initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency and cost management.

The adjusted operating income, a non-GAAP measure, also saw a remarkable rise to $406 million from $65 million in the prior year, demonstrating a 525% increase. This adjustment reflects the company's efforts to provide a clearer picture of its operating performance by excluding certain items that are not indicative of ongoing operations.

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Segment Performance and Future Outlook

Across its segments, Tyson Foods reported mixed results. The Beef segment experienced a slight decrease in sales volume but increased average prices, while the Chicken segment saw a decline in both volume and prices. The Prepared Foods and International segments showed resilience with stable performance and slight improvements in certain metrics.

Looking forward, Tyson Foods remains cautiously optimistic about fiscal 2024. The company anticipates a slight increase in overall domestic protein production and expects adjusted operating income between $1.4 billion and $1.8 billion. Sales are projected to remain stable, reflecting the challenging but stable market conditions.

Strategic Initiatives and Management Commentary

President and CEO Donnie King expressed satisfaction with the quarter's results, attributing the success to strategic initiatives that have begun to yield tangible results. King emphasized the company's focus on executing fundamentals and leveraging its diverse protein portfolio to drive long-term value for stakeholders.

Investor Considerations

Tyson Foods' latest earnings report paints a picture of a company on the rebound, making significant strides in operational efficiency and profitability. For investors, the substantial increase in operating income and the positive adjustments in earnings per share are indicative of management's effective strategy implementation. However, the mixed segment performance and the cautious sales outlook suggest that investors should keep an eye on market dynamics and the company's ability to adapt to changing consumer preferences and economic conditions.

As Tyson Foods continues to navigate a complex market landscape, its focus on strategic growth initiatives and cost management is likely to remain central to its success. Investors and stakeholders can look forward to updates on these initiatives in future quarters to gauge the company's ongoing alignment with market opportunities and challenges.

For more detailed financial analysis and future updates on Tyson Foods Inc (NYSE:TSN), stay tuned to GuruFocus.com.

Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Tyson Foods Inc for further details.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


A London tribunal has given the green light for a 790m lawsuit against European power cable suppliers to proceed to trial, with allegations of a cartel inflating UK electricity costs, Reuters has reported.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) last month certified the case, which alleges that Italy's Prysmian, France's Nexans, and Denmark's NKT overcharged British consumers.

The ruling was published on 3 May, setting the stage for a trial that seeks damages on behalf of about 30 million consumers in Britain.

The lawsuit is led by Clare Mary Joan Spottiswoode, the former head of Britain's gas regulator.

It stems from the European Commission's 2014 decision, which found that Prysmian, Nexans, NKT, and other companies were involved in a decade-long power cable cartel.

The legal team representing the consumers contends that the inflated costs for cables were ultimately borne by the end-users, a claim the defendants contest.

While the defendants' lawyers did not object to the certification of Spottiswoode's case, they expressed concerns regarding the distribution of any potential damages.

The CAT has stipulated that the case's certification is contingent upon the claimants' lawyers presenting a more detailed plan for the allocation of damages to the affected consumers.

The lawsuit, which includes interest, could amount to as much as 790m. The case is now set to advance towards a comprehensive hearing, although it is not expected to commence until late 2025 at the earliest.

Representatives from Nexans and NKT are yet to issue a statement regarding the tribunal's decision. Similarly, Prysmian has not responded to requests for comment on the matter.

Spottiswoode was quoted by Reuters as saying: This is an important legal milestone toward the claim's goal of achieving justice for the millions of UK electricity customers who suffered from the damaging anticompetitive behaviour of corporates at the top of the supply chain.

"UK tribunal gives go ahead for lawsuit against Europe power cable-makers" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
This Under-The-Radar Dividend Stock Has An 8.2% Yield And Incredible Growth Potential

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NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. (OTCQX:NLCP) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that has been gaining attention from income-seeking investors due to its impressive 8.24% forward dividend yield and strong growth potential in the rapidly expanding cannabis industry. However, its important to note that the companys stock currently trades on the OTC market, which carries additional risks compared to stocks listed on major exchanges.

NewLake Capital Partners focuses on providing real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions and third-party purchases, as well as funding for build-to-suit projects. The companys portfolio consists of 31 properties, including 14 cultivation facilities and 17 dispensaries, all leased to single tenants on a triple-net basis.

Dividends and Company Growth

NewLake Capital Partners forward dividend rate of $1.64 per share translates to a yield of 8.24%, making it an attractive option for income-focused investors. The companys payout ratio of 86.7% indicates that the dividend is well-covered by its funds from operations (FFO). As the cannabis industry continues to grow, NewLake Capital Partners is well-positioned to benefit from increased demand for specialized real estate solutions.

The companys FFO growth has been on a secular trend since its IPO in 2021, demonstrating its ability to capitalize on the expanding cannabis market. NewLake Capital Partners has also shown superior profitability metrics compared to its peers, with an AFFO (adjusted funds from operations) to total revenue ratio of 86.03%, which is 120.80% higher than the sector average.

Potential Catalysts for Further Growth

A significant catalyst for NewLake Capital Partners and the entire cannabis sector is the recent news that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The DEAs proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nations most dangerous drugs, moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III.

This historic shift in American drug policy could have wide-reaching effects on the cannabis industry. While marijuana would not be legalized outright for recreational use, the reclassification would reduce tax pressures on cannabis-producing companies and provide easier access to banking services, allowing for the necessary credit lines to invest in new and larger markets.

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The DEAs move, coupled with the potential for continued legalization and easing of restrictions, presents massive untapped potential for NewLake Capital Partners in both new markets that have already legalized cannabis and those that may legalize in the future. The company has ample room for expansion into legal markets adjacent to its current operations, such as New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon and Washington in the West, and Michigan, New York, Maine and Virginia in the Midwest and Northeast regions. These states represent a combined population of over 61 million potential customers.

Risks to Consider

While NewLake Capital Partners presents an attractive opportunity for income and growth, investors should be aware of the risks associated with investing in OTC stocks. These risks include lower liquidity, less transparency and potential volatility compared to stocks traded on major exchanges.

Additionally, despite the DEAs proposed reclassification, the cannabis industry is still subject to evolving regulations and legalization efforts, which could impact the companys growth prospects. Competition from larger players in the cannabis REIT space, such as Innovative Industrial Properties Inc., may also pose a challenge for NewLake as it seeks to expand its market share.

Another High-Yield Income Play

For investors seeking additional high-yield income opportunities, the Cityfunds Yield Fund is worth considering. This fund targets an 8% APY and provides investors with stable cash flow backed by real estate assets. By investing in a diversified pool of collateralized real estate loans, including home equity-backed notes and short-term mortgage notes, the Cityfunds Yield Fund aims to generate consistent interest income for its investors.

The Cityfunds Yield Fund offers quarterly distributions, which can be reinvested to compound returns or paid out directly to investors bank accounts. With a five-year term and liquidity options after 12 months, this fund provides a balance between liquidity and long-term growth potential, making it an attractive option for income-focused investors looking to diversify their portfolios.

Click here to see how much you could be earning with the Cityfunds Yield Fund.

The Bottom Line on This Under-The-Radar Opportunity

NewLake Capital Partners presents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking high dividend yields and exposure to the growing cannabis industry. With its impressive yield, strong profitability metrics, and potential for expansion, the company is well-positioned to benefit from the continued legalization and easing of restrictions on cannabis, especially in light of the DEAs proposed reclassification of marijuana.

However, investors should carefully consider the risks associated with investing in OTC stocks and the evolving regulatory landscape of the cannabis industry. As with any investment, thorough research and due diligence are essential before making a decision.

For those looking to diversify their income streams, the Cityfunds Yield Fund offers another attractive option, providing stable cash flow backed by real estate assets and a targeted 8% APY.

This article This Under-The-Radar Dividend Stock Has An 8.2% Yield And Incredible Growth Potential originally appeared on Benzinga.com
Work is underway on Bartlett's first mixed-use development.

The Union Depot, which is being built by development firm Blue Sky Communities, is led by local developer Keith Grant of Grant & Co. Builders, a Collierville-based homebuilding firm that also owns Blue Sky Communities.

The 74-acre project site is located off U.S. 70 at Stage Road on the former campus of the Tennessee Baptist Childrens Homes. In December 2021, the Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen, under former Mayor Keith McDonald, approved a special use permit to allow for a mixed-use development.

Union Depot is Bartlett's first mixed-use development. The 74-acre project is located off U.S. 70 at Stage Road on the former campus of the Tennessee Baptist Childrens Homes.

Grant said the lack of sewer capacity through the Fletcher Creek basin had impacted new Bartlett development in the southern portion of the city for years. The City of Bartlett worked through the issues that allowed the Union Depot mixed-use development to move forward.

Here is a closer look at the project.

What does the Union Depot development in Bartlett include?

The Union Depot development is planned to be built in six phases.

Grant said the development is set to include 337 flats, which will offer amenities including a clubhouse, pool area and fitness center within a gated area. In addition, there will be 55 lofts above ground-floor retail, 70 townhouses, 161 single-family homes and an additional 5 acres of retail for a total of 85,000 square feet of commercial space.

Grant said theyre in discussions with some prominent local restaurants about relocating to the Bartlett development.

Bartlett is a really good place for people to raise their family and live, he said. "The elected officials are great to work with, and Bartlett is a pro-business community.

Grant noted the townhomes are expected to cost around $300,000, while the single-family homes are estimated to be around $450,000. In terms of the lofts, a one-bedroom will cost more than $1,500 a month, with two-bedrooms costing more than $2,000 a month.

This is going to be higher-end product and first class to the community, Grant said.

According to Grant, the first 15 flat units at Union Depot will be move-in ready in December. The clubhouse is also expected to be done around that time. He said construction of the townhomes will start in January and is expected to be completed in April.

Grant said the buildout of all the homes, including flats, lofts, townhouses and single-family units, will take about five years to complete.

BARTLETT BUSINESS: Memphis couple transforms a Malco theater into a pickleball complex. Here's why.

How the housing landscape is changing

Bartlett Mayor David Parsons said the City of Bartlett understood several years ago that mixed-use developments were the big development trend. About three years ago, some Bartlett officials took a trip to Nashville and some other areas nearby to see what the mixed-use developments looked like in Middle Tennessee.

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We could see with the landscape of housing was kind of changing where it was going to these mixed-use developments, Parsons said. ... The City (of Bartlett) had tried for sometime to find uses for the (former) Tennessee Baptist Childrens Homes' site and nobody could seemed to make the numbers work on it, so it was going to take a mixed-use to have some blended uses in there to make the numbers work in there. The ball kind of got rolling with this (Union Depot) development."

The Union Depot mixed-use development in Bartlett is set to include 337 flats, 55 lofts above ground-floor retail, 70 townhouses, 161 single-family homes and an additional 5 acres of retail for a total of 85,000 square feet of commercial space.

Parsons said other local suburban municipalities like Germantown and Lakeland both have mixed-use developments, while Arlington announced last March a new mixed-use development that could cost between $500 million to $700 million.

With those mixed-use developments, it generates a lot of activity in and around those communities," he said. The spinoff of it, with the commercial uses with restaurants and so forth, is really a good high number of spinoff opportunities that come from it.

Parsons is pleased on how the Union Depot development will create different types of housing options in Bartlett.

A lot of people that are accustomed to a big house on a big lot, they realize the upkeep and maintenance, he said. With dual incomes working, they want a lower maintenance and more common area. This will be the niche in the housing market that we dont currently have.

BARTLETT NEWS: Why is Bartlett leaving the Memphis library system? What both sides say about the split

What will Union Depot mean for the future of Bartlett?

John Threadgill, president of the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, described the roughly $200 million Union Depot project as the largest private investment in Bartletts history. He said the multiphase, mixed-use development is already serving as a catalyst for growth in Bartlett.

Located in the municipalitys core retail and commercial district, Kirby Whitten and Stage Road, Union Depot will have a huge impact on the area, especially the further development of Summer (Avenue) east of Stage, Threadgill said in an emailed statement.

There is still roughly 50 acres of undeveloped commercially zoned land along the (Highway) 70 corridor which Union Depot will definitely (complement) and spur future development.

Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What will Union Depot in Bartlett include? Housing, retail and more
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) gestures as he greets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the Chinese President's arrival at the Elysee presidential palace. Ludovic Marin/AFP/dpa

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that the European Union will not tolerate Beijing's "market distorting practices" ahead of a three-way meeting in Paris on Monday.

Xi was scheduled to meet von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Monday morning. He arrived in the French capital on Sunday on a six-day European trip which will also include stops in Serbia and Hungary.

Chinese state subsidies for its electric vehicle and steel industries pose a serious threat to European industries and could even lead to "de-industrialization in Europe," von der Leyen said, in comments made public.

"China is currently manufacturing, with massive subsidies, more than it is selling due to its own weak domestic demand," von der Leyen said. "This is leading to an oversupply of Chinese subsidized goods, such as EVs [electric vehicles] and steel, that is leading to unfair trade," she added.

Von der Leyen said "current imbalances in market access are not sustainable and need to be addressed."

The European Commission announced last year that it would examine possible tariffs on electric cars from China. Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has signed a deal to begin manufacturing cars in Hungary, where Xi will end his European trip on Friday.

Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU is not seeking to "decouple from China," describing Europe's relationship with China as "one of the most complex, but also one of the most important."

According to reports from Paris, Xi's state visit will focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic issues and climate protection. Cooperation in the fields of culture, sport and science are also on the agenda.

Following the meeting at the Elysee Palace, Macron and Xi plan to meet in the afternoon for one-on-one talks. A Franco-Chinese business meeting and a state banquet are scheduled for the evening.
China-EU green energy partnership drives sustainable development across borders

Xinhua) 08:19, May 06, 2024

BRUSSELS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Amid lush greenery, fragrant flowers, and the gentle murmur of grazing flocks of sheep lies an endless array of photovoltaic panels, creating a mesmerizing scene of sustainable energy production at the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic (PV) plant in southwest Spain.

The Iberdrola group, a leading Spanish multinational electric utility company, inaugurated the plant, Europe's largest, in 2022. With around 1.5 million solar panels imported from China, the plant's clean energy output is substantial, catering to the needs of 334,000 households and creating over 1,500 jobs.

A herd of sheep take a rest under solar panels at the Francisco Pizarro photovoltaic power plant in Caceres, Spain, on March 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

As exemplified by the Spanish PV plant, China's rapid progress in the renewable energy sector has played a pivotal role in advancing the European Union's (EU) green transition.

WIN-WIN GREEN COOPERATION

The European Green Deal, launched by the European Commission in 2019, targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To achieve this, the EU has pledged to increase the binding renewable energy share to at least 42.5 percent by 2030. However, with the current renewable energy share at approximately 23 percent, innovation is urgently needed.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, an association for the European solar PV sector, has warned that Europe must ramp up its solar deployment to meet the necessary targets, while WindEurope, a major wind energy association, also stressed the need for immediate action.

This photo taken on Sept. 27, 2020 shows a lifting operation at the construction site of the Senj Wind Farm project in Senj, Croatia. (Photo by Ding Decai/Xinhua)

China's green energy equipment manufacturing industry is well-established and competitive. Chinese solar products and wind turbines would be indispensible for EU to achieve its 2030 emission reduction targets, said Qin Yan, a lead analyst at Refinitiv and researcher at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

In fact, many European countries have reaped the benefits of green energy collaboration with China in recent years.

Pedro Amaral Jorge, president of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association, highlighted the growing cooperation between China and Portugal in the solar energy sector, as Portugal aims to install approximately 8 gigawatts (GW) of solar power by 2026 or 2027 and reach 22 GW by 2030.

"To achieve the objectives set for increasing installed capacity, cooperation with China must increase," Jorge told Xinhua in an interview.

In Croatia, the Chinese-built Senj Wind Farm, inaugurated in December 2021, produces about 530 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green electricity each year and reduces Croatia's carbon dioxide emissions by about 460,000 tonnes per year.

This photo taken on May 27, 2021 shows the Kaposvar solar power plant built by China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) in Kaposvar, Hungary. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

"These are projects where the benefit of cooperation with large countries like China, which have the knowledge and potential to realize such large projects, can be seen," said Mladen Plese, Croatian political analyst and Asia expert, in an interview with Xinhua.

For Zlatko Prpic, chief engineer of the Senj Wind Farm, the project, the largest of its kind in Croatia so far, represents a "miracle" and a shining example of China-Croatia cooperation.

China's Norinco International, a civil engineering company, has been the main contractor and builder of the farm.

As Croatia and the EU ramp up their transition to green and renewable energy, it presents a significant opportunity for Norinco International and other Chinese firms to demonstrate their cutting-edge technology and equipment in large-scale projects, Prpic said.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COOPERATION

The United Nations has urged countries to accelerate the transition to an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy system by investing in renewable energy resources, prioritizing energy efficient practices, and adopting clean energy technologies and infrastructure.

This photo taken on March 25, 2022 shows silicon wafers at a monocrystalline silicon solar cell factory of LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

In the global drive towards a greener future, China assumes a pivotal role in facilitating the transition for both developed and developing nations, experts said.

"The future of Europe and the world hinges on them," said Plese, underlining the necessity for a united front transcending borders and political affiliations in combating climate change.

"China is developing technology and we need the cooperation of Chinese companies in that area as well," he said. "Croatia has the potential for similar green energy projects and cooperation with China is still welcome."

The 2021 report from the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU highlighted the impressive growth of China's PV cells and modules industry over the past decade. With affordable prices and significant economies of scale, Chinese enterprises emerge as the prime choice to complement the EU industrial chain, meeting the region's escalating demand for PV products.

Converting the roof of Brussels' 130-year-old Marche des Abattoirs into one adorned with solar panels from China and high-power density inverters produced by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, the Belgian renewable energy specialist ESE Group demonstrates the efficacy of these products in sustainable energy solutions.

A drone photo taken on Sept. 8, 2023 shows wind turbine blades ready for transportation at a port in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

The project involves the installation of 5,400 solar panels on the building's 10,000-square-meter steel roof. Under the Belgian regulations on the preservation of cultural heritage, the look and feel of the original building cannot be altered, so the design team at ESE customized a batch of special solar panels manufactured in China.

"It is a very good example of how to secure a listed building by using state-of-the-art architectural solutions," said Paul Thielemans, director of public relations at the Anderlecht Abattoir.

Climate change cooperation, which enjoys bright prospects, has emerged as a focal point in the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe.

In April, a delegation of climate envoys from the EU and member states including France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark visited China and had productive discussions with their Chinese counterparts. Both sides were committed to intensifying climate dialogue and cooperation to bolster global climate governance.

A man checks Chinese-made solar-powered equipment installed at his house in Schwarzenbek, Germany, May 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Pengfei)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz toured a China-Germany hydrogen technology cooperation project in Chongqing, southwest China, during his official visit to China in April. This underscores the extensive partnership between China and Germany in green energy, offering a glimpse into their broad collaboration.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
STATEMENT OF SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN ON THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORT FOR THE REVERSION TO THE OLD SCHOOL CALENDAR

I thank President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for calling for an expedited reversion to the old school calendar by next year. These past few weeks, we have seen how the extreme heat led to several suspensions of face-to-face classes in many parts of the country, which disrupted the continuity of education for our learners. We also have to keep in mind that the extreme heat poses a threat to the health, safety, and well-being of our learners and teachers. By moving back the opening of classes to June, we can restore normalcy to the school calendar cycle, which the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in 2020.

Moving forward, I will continue working with the Department of Education and other stakeholders to ensure the smoothest possible transition back to the old school calendar.
StockByM / Getty Images/iStockphoto

American investors have figured out that buying property overseas can be both affordable and lucrative. Some countries offer golden visas to foreign investors who make large real estate investments in their country, allowing them permanent residency. However, Spain has followed several other countries in scrapping this visa to lower the cost of housing to its own residents.

In lieu of Spain, which other countries might be good investments instead? Real estate experts offer some suggestions.

Check Out: Rich Dad Robert Kiyosaki: Use This Two-Step Formula for Real Estate Investing



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Portugal

Perhaps one of the most popular countries drawing American expats and investors is Portugal, according to Colten Claus, an associate broker at 8z Real Estate.

Portugal still offers a golden visa program, which has been popular among investors seeking not only real estate opportunities but also residency perks, he explained.

The program requires a real estate investment of at least 500,000 (roughly $538,675) in urban areas, he said, which can be reduced to 350,000 (about $377,072) for properties in low-density areas or those in need of renovation.

Investors can benefit from a stable real estate market with potential for capital appreciation like Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve region, he said.

The process involves selecting a property, completing legal checks and making the investment to qualify for the visa.

See More: Im a Real Estate Agent: 5 Places Id Buy a Vacation Home If I Had $500,000

Greece

Greece also offers a golden visa program for a minimum real estate investment of 250,000 (about $269,337), which Claus said is [T]he lowest threshold in Europe, making it highly attractive for investors.

He added, The countrys real estate market has shown resilience and offers good rental yields, particularly in tourist-favored locations.

Investing in Greece involves choosing a property that meets the golden visa criteria, with options ranging from urban apartments to holiday homes on the islands.

Turkey

Another country to consider is Turkey, Claus said. Turkeys real estate market is dynamic and offers a relatively low entry point for foreign investors. The country provides a citizenship-by-investment program where a minimum property investment of $400,000 grants the investor Turkish citizenship.

Claus said that Turkey is appealing because of its diverse property types and strong rental demand.

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Investors need to purchase property and hold it for at least three years to qualify for citizenship. The process is streamlined for foreigners, and the real estate sector is well-equipped to assist international buyers, he said.

Malta

Malta also offers a residency-by-investment program, Claus said, which requires a mix of property purchase and government contributions.

The program is attractive due to Maltas European Union (EU) membership and robust legal and financial frameworks.

The investment in real estate needs to meet a minimum value of 300,000 (about $323,205) in the south of Malta or on the sister island of Gozo, or 350,000 (about $377,072) in other areas, Claus shared.

This, coupled with a nonrefundable government contribution and a five-year residence requirement, paves the way for long-term residency.

Mauritius

Known for its pristine beaches and vibrant culture, Mauritius also offers attractive investment opportunities for foreigners, according to Bubba Peek, a real estate expert and the founder of Bubba Land, a company specializing in land acquisition.

The countrys Real Estate Scheme (RES) allows noncitizens to invest in luxury properties and obtain residency permits, Peek said.

Additionally, he said that Mauritius offers favorable tax incentives for investors, making it an enticing destination for those looking to diversify their real estate portfolios in a tropical paradise.

Vanuatu

This South Pacific island nation offers a unique citizenship-by-investment program known as the Vanuatu Development Support Programme (DSP), Peek said.

By making a qualifying investment, such as purchasing real estate, investors can obtain citizenship in Vanuatu, which provides visa-free travel to over 130 countries.

With its pristine natural environment and stable political climate, Peek said Vanuatu presents an attractive option for investors seeking a second citizenship in a serene tropical setting.

Panama

As a key financial hub in Central America, Panama offers various residency and citizenship programs for investors as well, Peek said.

The Friendly Nations Visa program, in particular, allows citizens of select countries to obtain residency by investing in real estate or other qualified assets. Panamas strategic location, booming economy and favorable tax laws make it an appealing destination for investors looking to capitalize on the countrys growth prospects.

Be Aware of Regulatory Changes and Uncertainty

No matter which country you consider, be aware of regulatory changes, Claus said. Recent and potential future tax reforms in the U.S. may affect property ownership costs and investment returns, he warned.

Changes to capital gains tax, property tax deductions and possible modifications to 1031 exchange rules could decrease the attractiveness for both domestic and international investors.

Consider Immigration Policies

While these countries investment opportunities and residency programs may sound good, Claus warned, Tightened immigration policies can limit the pool of international buyers who typically invest in real estate as a pathway to residency, similar to the influence of golden visa programs in other countries.

Any such investment overseas requires careful diligence, research and a backup plan in case things dont go how you hope.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Why This Country Isnt a Great Place for Real Estate Investing and Where To Go Instead
How Michael Bennet, John Hickenlooper left mark on Colorado's federal bench; lawmakers act on slew of bills: AI, oil and gas, medical malpractice, construction defects | WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
In this interview, Scott Wasserman, a longtime political observer who describes himself as a liberal, says the reaction by some in the left, of which he is aligned with, disorienting. What was really concerning almost immediately after Oct. 7 was that there were those in America who didn'
Dick Wadhams is a former Colorado Republican state chairman of worked for U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong for nine years before managing campaigns for U.S. Sens. Hank Brown and Wayne Allard, and Gov. Bill Owens.
An 18-year-old man was rescued Sunday by Arapahoe County area first responders after he fell roughly 30 feet down a shaft inside an abandoned missile silo near the town of Deer Trail and sustained serious injuries.

The man, who entered the silo with a group of seven teenagers, was stuck for hours in the shaft. A friend who attempted to assist him became trapped and was also rescued.

Altura Fire Chief Richard Solomon, one of two rescuers who found the teens in the silo, described the inside as a maze of tunnels and twisted metal, which made the operation a difficult rescue.

When we finally did make contact, we did finally hear them yelling, and we were yelling back for them, said Travis Daniels, the other rescuer from Altura.

Daniels, who used a body board to rescue the injured man, said he followed the screams of a teen who was trying to help his injured friend, adding the injured man couldnt scream for himself.

Solomon said it took 30 minutes to inform rescuers outside that they found the group and the injured man.

The incident occurred at 3:30 a.m. near 82000 East County Road 22.

Upon arrival around 6:30 a.m., rescue teams were approached by five teens outside of the silo  two boys and three girls. They told first responders that a boy and the 18-year-old man were trapped inside of the silo, according to an Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office news release.

After a two-hour rescue operation, a helicopter airlifted the man to a hospital. He is expected to survive, the sheriffs office said.

Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Ginger Delgado, who was at the scene Sunday morning, called it a dangerous and a first-of-its-kind incredible rescue, she told The Denver Gazette.

It was remarkable, she added.

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Delgado said the teens slipped through an opening in the silos gate, went in about a half-mile deep, and then one of the teens fell down a shaft.

It was pitch black, said Delgado. Theres no cell phone communication, and one kid got out to call 911.

Firefighters from Sable Altura, Deer Trail, Agate and Bennett Watkins fire departments were present at the scene.

It was a very technical, extremely dangerous rescue, added Delgado. The fire chiefs were telling me that they had never done a rescue like this in their entire career.

Silo exploring is a common thing in parts of the county, said Delgado, though she added Sundays incident has never occurred before.

Weve never ever gone inside (a silo) for a rescue before, she said, adding the teen and his friend were trapped inside of the shaft for roughly five hours.

The silo the teens entered was a shelter built in the 1960s amid fears of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Cold War, according to reports by Denver Gazette partner 9News in 2016.

The spot is now notorious for graffiti and urban exploring. The sign in front reads no trespassing.

The 18-year-old man who was injured is being charged with 3rd degree criminal trespassing, while the other teenagers were released to their parents with pending charges, according to the sheriffs office.

All of them are students in the Cherry Creek School District, sheriffs officials said. Authorities didnt release the names of the injured man or the teens involved.

The 18-year-old, Delgado added, is for sure lucky to be alive.
Thousands of Colorado Springs residents were without electricity Monday after a windstorm ripped through the Pikes Peak region, according to Colorado Springs Utilities.

As of 7:30 a.m., wind gusts of 40-60 mph had contributed to multiple power outages, with about 10,000 customers affected, according to the utilities website.

The number of affected customers was down to around 6,700 as of 11:15 a.m.

Most of the outages have taken place west of Interstate 25, Utilities said. Broadmoor, Ivywild, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs and Green Mountain Falls are among the hardest hit.

"Our electric troubleshooters and cable technicians are in full deployment to focus on power restoration efforts, and also our construction crews have been deployed as needed to assist with these restorations," Utilities spokesman Jay Anderson said at a press conference held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management office, to address the regional weather response.

Winds were still too strong Monday for Utilities officials to respond to certain calls requiring bucket trucks, so crews are responding to many of the power outages remotely, he said.

Downed lines and power outages have resulted in multiple school closures. The Cheyenne Mountain and Manitou Springs school districts have both canceled classes Monday. The Mountain Song Community School and The Colorado Springs School are also both closed. See a full list of closures and delays here.

Fire on Cheyenne Mountain

A fire is burning on Cheyenne Mountain, according to a social media post by the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

The Broadmoor Fire Department is the lead agency working on the fire, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The size and location of the fire are not known, according to Gazette news partner KOAA. No pre-evacuations have been issued.

More fires reported

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At least two small fires had also been reported in the region, including one reported near Skyway Park Elementary School on Mercury Drive around 6:45 a.m. A pre-evacuation warning was also sent to residents in the lower part of Crystal Park neighborhood in Manitou Springs, due to a fire near 1150 Scrub Oak Drive. Officials said the warning had been lifted during the Monday morning press conference.

Colorado Springs police and fire departments have taken numerous emergency calls regarding the windstorm and have requested that residents do not call 911 to report outages.

Technicians are working to restore power, but safety concerns might cause delays in some areas, Utilities officials said.

Colorado Springs Utilities' in-house wildland fire team is assisting the Colorado Springs Fire Department and other agencies who request help to cut tree limbs and is also responding to reports of downed power lines, downed trees and small grassfires, Colorado Springs Fire Department spokeswoman Ashley Franco said Monday morning.

The forecast

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for Colorado Springs and surrounding areas as gusts range between 40-60 mph, with higher gusts expected west of the interstate through at least noon today.

Breezy conditions are forecast to continue through Tuesday, according to the Weather Service.

For updates on power restoration, visit www.csu.org.

Colorado Springs Airport

One incoming flight has been canceled and a handful of others delayed at the Colorado Springs Airport on Monday, according to Flight Aware. Arrival and departure updates can be found here.
Press Release

May 6, 2024 PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

May 6, 2024 Mr. President, I rise today on a point of personal and collective privilege. Nitong nakaraang linggo lamang, inatake nanaman ng Tsina ang ating tropa sa Bajo de Masinloc sa West Philippine Sea ng napakalakas nilang high-pressure jet stream water cannon. Dear colleagues, according to our Philippine Coast Guard, China used water cannons that could kill. Deadly. Nakakamatay. China fired at vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard and BFAR, fully intending to target and disable their navigation and communications equipment. The Department of Foreign Affairs is also currently investigating videos showing how a China Coast Guard vessel targeted the Philippine flag hoisted on the PCG ship, BRP Bagacay. Just last month, China's Coast Guard, again through their potentially lethal water cannons, injured four of our Philippine Navy crew, who were simply conducting their routine resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal. Mr. President, dear colleagues, the series of attacks only shows that the Chinese government appears committed to achieving through the unlawful use of force, what it cannot achieve by international law. Handa nilang saktan ang ating kababayan. Handa nilang bastusin ang ating soberanya. Ilang beses na po natin naipahayag ang ating galit sa paulit-ulit na pang-aabuso. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko na maintindihan ang mga Pilipinong pinipili pa ring maliitin ang sitwasyon. Mga Pilipinong nagbubulag-bulagan sa lantarang pang-aalipusta ng Tsina. At higit pa dito, ang mas lalong hindi ko maintindihan: Yung mga nakikipagkasundo sa Beijing bakit di nananagot? Bakit walang parusa para sa kanila? Pati ba yan babalewalain? Recently, the Chinese Embassy in Manila alleged that under a Duterte administration "Gentleman's Agreement," the Philippines agreed that our vessels and aircraft would refrain from coming closer than 12 nautical miles from Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, just over 120 nautical miles away from mainland Zambales, and well within our exclusive economic zone. The Chinese Embassy also alleges that the Duterte administration likewise entered into another "Gentleman's Agreement" to not repair or build structures at Ayungin shoal. If true, these were also agreements that were kept secret... and hidden away from the Filipino people. Mr. President, dear colleagues, kaya po natin inihain ang Proposed Senate Resolution No. 984 para imbestigahan itong di umanong "Gentleman's Agreement" sa pagitan ng administrasyong Duterte at ng gobyerno ng Tsina. I have done so because these are serious - potentially divisive - allegations. These are serious because the first "Gentleman's Agreement" effectively diminishes our sovereignty by conceding a "no-go" zone for Philippine ships and aircraft inside our own EEZ, as well as the unlawful occupation of Panatag Shoal by a foreign power. The second risks our tenuous toehold in Ayungin. If we do not repair and reinforce the BRP Sierra Madre, it will fall to wind and wave, and with it our control of Reed Bank - which may hold as much as 5.4 billion barrels of oil and 55.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Why is it important that the Senate exercises oversight over this "Gentlemen's Agreement" kahit na sa nakaraang administrasyon pa ito? Because it will have implications moving forward. Kakapasa lang natin ng Maritime Zones Law which delineates our maritime domains. Can a past President surrender our right to fortify installations within these domains? These are questions that the legislature needs to understand and wrestle with. Nakasalalay po dito ang napakaraming likas-yamang iningatan at inilagaan ng ating mga ninuno para ipamana sa bawat henerasyon ng Pilipino. Papayagan ba natin na kunin lang ito? Papayagan ba natin na walang matira sa Pilipinas? Sabi ng iba, dapat hindi na ito pinag-uusapan dahil stratehiya lang ito ng Tsina para mag-away-away tayong mga Pilipino. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. stated that we might be falling into a trap set by China to divert attention from her unlawful activities in Philippine waters. Sure, considering how two-faced Beijing can be, baka nga gusto lang tayong watak-watakin ng Tsina. Baka nga isa lang ito sa mga plano niya. Perhaps this is all just smoke and mirrors. And indeed, I would like to believe that a Philippine President - any Philippine President - would not be capable of selling our country out in such a manner. However, we have heard conflicting reports as to whether an agreement was reached. Iba-iba ang mga sinasabi. Ang gulo. Hindi na natin alam kung ano ang totoo. Last Saturday, the Chinese Embassy also released another statement claiming that China has reached another "agreement" with no less than Philippine government agencies - namely the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Department of National Defense, and the National Security Council - on a supposed "new model" of engagement over the entire South China Sea. NSC Assistant Director Jonathan Malaya has quashed this statement, stressing that this is yet another "invention" of the People's Republic of China. In this information warfare that China wields to her advantage, it becomes even more crucial that we get to the truth. If something has been concealed from the Filipino people, let us bring it to light. If the Chinese government is lying through its teeth, let us expose those lies. Mr. President, dear colleagues, the Chinese government claims the Philippines is being reckless, that it is our country that is inflaming the situation. If I may be blunt, those are nothing but lies and deception. In its desire to be perceived as a superpower and a regional hegemon, the Chinese government seems has decided to walk a path of escalation and provocation - a strategy anchored on force and coercion. It is the Chinese government using unlawful force to deliberately damage our ships. It is the Chinese government conducting dangerous maneuvers and ramming our vessels. It is the Chinese government destroying fragile coral reef ecosystems through the actions of its maritime militia and the construction of artificial islands in the South Chinese Sea. There are also reports of coral fragments being dumped in the sea between Pag-asa island and Subi reef with the apparent intent of creating an artificial low-tide elevation. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the work of the Chinese government as well. It is Chinese research vessels sneaking into our waters with their Automatic Identification Systems turned off, like thieves in the night. It is Chinese vessels intruding into maritime exercises between our country's Navy and those of our allies, in violation of a clear Notice to Mariners or NOTAM. There must be an end to all of this. There must be an end to and a reversal of the Chinese militarization of the entire South China Sea that is inflaming the arms race in the region, threatening security and peace on our side of the world. The South China Sea has to be de-militarized. And all bases on artificial islands, dismantled. There must be an end to all the duplicity, the hypocrisy, the treachery. Tsina ang nag-uumpisa ng lahat ng gulo - maliwanag na sa atin ito. Maliwanag na ito sa buong mundo. Pero hindi ibig sabihin na wala nang pananagutan ang sinumang traydor na Pilipino. Yes, when it comes to the West Philippine Sea, when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we must unite as one people. However, Mr. President, dear colleagues, we cannot have genuine unity without accountability. Our country would not be able to truly stand up to China if we ourselves cannot abide by basic virtues of integrity, honesty, and honor. Unlike China who easily flexes her economic and military might to the fullest extent to pressure our neighbors to bend to her will, the Philippines does not. Hindi natin ginagawa dahil hindi tayo diktadura. Hindi natin ginagawa dahil nirerespeto natin ang soberanya ng bawat bansa. Hindi natin ginagawa dahil nananalig tayo sa diplomatikong paraan ng paggiit ng ating karapatan sa ating karagatan. I remember Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's infamous statement at the 2010 ASEAN Regional Forum. He said, "China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that's just a fact." That's a fact. We are a small country. China is big. We cannot match her ship for ship, plane for plane, dollar for dollar, nor do we want to. Our best weapon is the truth: shining a light on the coercive tactics of the Chinese government in the West Philippine Sea -- the oppression, harassment, and environmental destruction it has deliberately and violently employed as matters of policy. Let us get to the heart of what the Chinese government claims is a "Gentleman's Agreement," and get to the truth by exposing the lies. Ang katotohanan ang ating sandata. Ang katotohanan ang ating panangga sa kasinungalingan. Ang katotohanan ang magpapanalo ng ating laban. ***** Note: Please see attached presentation
Wanted

Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers is asking for the publics help finding the following people for whom felony arrest warrants have been issued.

Andrew Benjamin Burton  age 32, 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 340 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, sought on suspicion of failure to register as sex offender, at-risk theft, identity theft, attempted murder 1, violent crime, assault 1, habitual criminal, theft, possession of weapon by previous offender.

Sean Avery Chalmers  age 28, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 195 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, sought on suspicion of burglary 2, stalking, menacing and harassment.

Jahlique Rahmir Dorsey  age 24, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, 135 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, sought on suspicion of aggravated robbery, weapon used in violent crime, felony menacing, theft, failure to appear-traffic.

Vonrobert Terrence Kennedy  age 22, 6 feet, 1 inch tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, sought on suspicion of burglary 2, violent crime, assault 1, felony menacing, criminal mischief.

Shemor Jarrod Mitchell  age 35, 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 220 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, sought on suspicion of attempted murder 1, assault 2, violent death causing death/serious bodily injury, kidnapping 2, felony menacing, assault 1strangulation, assault 3, trespass 1.

Daniel Orlando Quintana  age 32, 5 feet, 6 inches tall, 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, sought on suspicion of assault 2-strangulation, burglary 1, trespass 1, criminal mischief of violation of protection order.

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Krystal Marie Ronnau  age 40, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She is sought on suspicion of aggravated robbery, motor vehicle theft, possession of weapon by previous offender, ID theft, driving under restraint, no insurance and unlawful display-plates.

Christopher Thomas Wohltman  age 38, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, 170 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes, sought on suspicion of burglary 1, aggravated robbery and kidnapping 2.

Remain anonymous

If you have information about these fugitives or a serious crime, call Crime Stoppers at 719-634-7867.

You do not have to give your name, and you could earn a reward of as much as $1,000 for information given to Crime Stoppers.

A list of featured fugitives wanted in the Pikes Peak region is on the Crime Stoppers website: crimestop.net.

The people with the following Crime Stoppers numbers need to call 719-444-7866: 277-C25424, 277-W25315, 277-C24964, 277-C25637, 277-M25671, 277-C25777, 277-C25839, 277-C25899.
Scientists are taking a close look at the streambed of Eleven Mile Canyon after the removal of an abandoned concrete dam to understand how the ecosystem will repair and reshape itself.

Crews removed the former Colorado Springs Utilities diversion dam last year as part of a $4.8 million project to unite 45 miles of river, prevent the dam from potentially failing in the future and allow rainbow and brown trout to migrate more easily. The dam about an hour west of Colorado Springs previously split two popular fishing areas.

On a sunny April day, researchers armed with rods used to take GPS measurements slowly mapped the bottom of the river bed in granular detail, taking a measurement every 20 centimeters along a suspended tape measure as the water of the South Platte River rushed past their feet.

They plan to return after water is released from Eleven Mile Dam, which remains in place, to see how the bottom of the streambed has been reshaped.

They also sampled the rocks in the streambed to better understand the habitat where bugs at the base of the food chain, such as immature mayflies, typically live, explained Charlie Shobe, a research geomorphologist with the Forest Services Rocky Mountain Research Station.

While old dams are coming down across the U.S., its unusual to have one come down in a steep mountain canyon, he said.

The idea is that we can take what we gained from this study, to make it easier to predict how other places will respond if we remove dams like this in the future, he said.

American Rivers, a nonprofit, reports 80 dams came down across the nation last year, with two in Colorado, counting the one in Eleven Mile Canyon. Along the Arkansas River near the river trail in Pueblo, crews are expected to take down a concrete dam and replace it with a different diversion structure, providing a passage for boaters and fish, according to Pueblo Water.

Large dams along the South Platte, at Eleven Mile and Cheesman reservoirs have to remain in place to meet Front Range municipal water needs and that dynamic is interesting to researchers as well.

Its kind of a case study in how we can improve habitat over large reaches of a river and improve the functioning of the river channel while still meeting user water needs, Shobe said.

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He also expects the canyon will be somewhat insulated from the effects of climate change because it is down stream from Eleven Mile Canyon dam, which dictates how much water is released.

The measurements the researchers took in April will be mapped against measurements taken after a big spring water release, to see how the stream bed changes.

Shobe expects some change, but not deep channelization because of the bedrock and boulders.

The team will also collect bug larvae later in the spring to understand how the base of the food chain is recovering, he said.

High resolution imagery down to the centimeter of the canyon collected with a drone will also inform the research expected to continue through at least next year.

The stream got a head start toward health when crews took out 17,000 cubic yards of sediment that built up behind the removed dam over about 70 years and a mammoth pile of cattails. The cattails were still awaiting burial near a planned parking lot in April, reminders along with a bathtub ring on rocks of a slower, wider river.

In place of the cattails, crews were planting willows and grasses along the river banks. A new trail and parking lot is also going in ahead of the popular area reopening to the public in 2025.

While most construction is expected to finish in May, a year will give the area time to revegetate, said Josh Voorhis, district ranger for the Pike and San Isabel National Forest. Crews also need to return in the fall to finish replanting.

For the fish, who tried constantly to leap the dam, sliding off each time, the improvement was immediate.

The fish were swimming right through so they can get to and from their spawning grounds, he said.

Visitors also seem largely pleased.

Probably 95% of the comments have been excited to see the dam removed, Voorhis said.
As of 1:30 p.m., 862 flights in and out of Denver International Airport are delayed and 37 flights canceled, according to FlightAware.

Officials at Denver International Airport said travelers should be sure to check their airline for the latest flight status information.

Over 500 flights have been delayed or canceled at Denver International Airport on Monday as strong and gusty winds plague the Front Range.

As of 8:50 a.m., 518 flights have been delayed and 21 canceled according to FlightAware.

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A High Wind Warning began Monday morning and is in effect through 6 a.m. Tuesday for the foothills, but only until midnight Monday for near the foothills. Strong winds are likely with gusts from 65 to 75 mph, the National Weather Service in Boulder said.

Red flag warnings and fire weather watches are in place for the San Luis Valley and southern portions of the Front Range and eastern plains Monday also. These areas should watch for strong winds, paired with very dry air, to increase fire danger.

A wind gust at Hwy 93 and Hwy 72 near Rocky Flats was recorded at 63 mph earlier Monday morning. Gusty winds will continue over the next 18-24 hours, including in Colorado's high country, where a winter weather advisory is in effect currently until 6 p.m. tonight with between 3-8 inches along the Front Range mountains and into Summit and Grand counties and 6-12 inches in the Park and Elkhead mountains in the northwestern mountains around Steamboat Springs.
My general vintage computing projects, mostly microcomputers, 6502, PalmOS, 68K/Power Mac and Unix workstations, but that's not all you'll see. While over the decades I've written for publications likeand, these articles are all original and just for you. My promise: No AI-generated article text, ever. Be kind, REWIND and PLAY.Old VCR is advertisement- and donation-funded, and what I get goes to maintaining the hardware here at Floodgap. I don't drink coffee, but the Mr Pibb doesn't buy itself. :-) Thanks for reading.
Xinhua News Agency: From May 4 to 5, President Xi Jinpings Special Representative and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Zheng Jianbang attended the 15th Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Banjul, the capital of the Gambia. Could you share more information with us?

Lin Jian: At the invitation of Gambian President Adama Barrow, from May 4 to 5, President Xi Jinpings Special Representative and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Zheng Jianbang attended the 15th Islamic Summit Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Banjul, the capital of the Gambia, and read the congratulatory message from President Xi at the opening ceremony.

China noted that the Final Communique adopted at the conference said the Conference welcomed the visit by a delegation from the OIC to the Peoples Republic of China including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in response to an official invitation from China. It also welcomed the participation of the special representative of the Chinese President in the 15th Islamic Summit Conference and anticipates further cooperation between the OIC and the Peoples Republic of China. This is highly appreciated by China.

On May 5, President Adama Barrow met with Vice Chairman Zheng Jianbang who conveyed President Xis warm greetings to President Barrow and congratulated the Gambia on hosting the conference. President Barrow asked Vice Chairman Zheng Jianbang to convey his hearty greetings to President Xi and sincerely thanked President Xi for sending a special representative to the conference. He stressed that the Gambia values its friendship with China, firmly supports the one-China principle, and stands ready to work with China to deepen cooperation in various fields and achieve greater progress in bilateral relations.

The fact that President Xi Jinping sent a special representative to the summit and that the conference adopted a Final Communique containing the aforementioned positive wording on China fully demonstrates the common aspiration of China and Islamic states to work together, carry forward traditional friendship, and advance the relations between China and Islamic states. China will continue working with Islamic states to strengthen political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, advance exchanges among civilizations, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

CCTV: At a seminar held by a US think tank, Mark Lambert, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and China Coordinator said that Resolution 2758 does not endorse, equate to, or reflect an international consensus on the one-China principle and has absolutely no bearing on countries sovereignty choices with respect to their relationships with Taiwan. He said the resolution did not preclude Taiwans meaningful participation in the UN system and other multilateral fora and did not constitute a UN institutional position on the political status of Taiwan. Whats your comment?

Lin Jian: Mark Lamberts remarks are a total distortion of the resolution and facts. They misrepresent the history, and tread upon the international law and basic norms of international relations. It is shocking and outrageous that a US State Department official overseeing China-US relations would speak so irresponsibly and brazenly tell and spread lies. The Chinese side has strongly protested to the US side on those remarks.

There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The Government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is an undeniable fact, a universal consensus of the international community and a basic norm in international relations. One hundred and eighty-three countries in the world, including the US, have established and are advancing diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle.

Resolution 2758 adopted at the 26th Session of the UN General Assembly in 1971 stated in black and white that it decides to restore all its rights to the Peoples Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it. The resolution made it clear that the government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN; Taiwan is not a country but a part of Chinas territory. It makes clear Taiwans status as a non-sovereign entity. UNGA Resolution 2758 resolved once and for all politically, legally and procedurally the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN. The resolution also made clear that there can only be one seat representing China at the UN and precluded the possibility of two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan.

Since the adoption of the resolution, the one-China principle has been observed by the UN and its specialized agencies on the Taiwan question. Taiwan is referred to as Taiwan, province of China in all UNs official documents. It was clearly stated in the official legal opinions of the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN Secretariat that the United Nations considers Taiwan as a province of China with no separate status, and the authorities in Taipei are not considered to... enjoy any form of government status.

The Taiwan regions participation in the activities of international organizations must and can only be handled in accordance with the one-China principle. The United Nations is an intergovernmental international organization composed of sovereign states. Taiwan, a province of China, has no basis, reason or right to join the UN or its relevant agencies. This is stipulated in the UN Charter and is the principle that all UN member states must follow and an obligation that they should fulfill.

As a major country and permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US is supposed to take the lead in observing the UNGA resolutions and abiding by international law and basic norms in international relations, but it does just the opposite. The US deliberately distorted UNGAs Resolution 2758 and propagated the narrative of so-called Taiwans meaningful participation in the UN system to hollow out the one-China principle, embolden and support Taiwan independence separatist activities, and serve its pernicious aim of suppressing China. Such an attempt to turn back the wheel of history and ignore global opinion will only be resisted and opposed by the international force for justice and will not succeed.

UNGA Resolution 2758 brooks no challenge, and the one-China principle is unshakable. To play the Taiwan card is to drive oneself into the wall. Supporting Taiwan will inevitably backfire. We urge the US to stand on the side of the majority of countries in the world, stand on the right side of history, follow the solemn decision made by the UNGA, abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, act on the US leaders commitment of not supporting Taiwan independence, two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan, and stop stepping on Chinas baseline and red line on the Taiwan question in any way.

CCTV: Philippine National Security Advisor Eduardo Ano, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and the Department of Foreign Affairs recently issued separate statements and denied the existence of any arrangements between China and the Philippines on the Renai Jiao issue, including new model arrangement. Whats your comment?

Lin Jian: China has all along been committed to managing maritime disputes, including the Renai Jiao issue, with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation. The gentlemens agreement, internal understandings and the agreed new model all reflect Chinas effort and sincerity to that end. Let me once again outline the basic facts here.

First, at the end of 2021, after intensive communication and consultation, China and the Philippines reached the gentlemens agreement. During the first few months of the current Philippine administration, both sides continued to implement the gentlemens agreement until the Philippines stopped honoring it in February 2023.

Second, last September, the Chinese side invited the Envoy of the President to China for Special Concerns of the Philippines to Beijing to discuss how to properly manage the situation at Renai Jiao, which resulted in an internal understanding. The understanding was approved by the Philippine leadership. One resupply mission was carried out within the realm of the understanding before it was abandoned by the Philippines.

Third, early this year, the Chinese side and the Philippine side agreed on a new model for resupply missions concerning Renai Jiao after multiple rounds of discussions through the diplomatic channel and AFP WESCOM. The Philippine military has made repeated confirmation that the new model has been approved by all key officials in the Philippine chain of command, including the Secretary of National Defense and the National Security Advisor. On February 2, the Philippines carried out one resupply mission under this new model before abandoning it as well.

Whatever the Philippines says, it will not erase the fact that it did reach the gentlemens agreement, internal understandings and the new model with China. Let me stress that those understandings and arrangements are aimed to manage differences, prevent conflict and build trust so that the waters of Renai Jiao can remain peaceful and stable. China urges the Philippines to adhere to the basic norms on international exchanges, respect facts, honor its commitments, stop infringement and provocations and take concrete steps to come back to the right path of properly handling differences with China through dialogue and consultation.

Rudaw Media Network: How do you see the improvement of relations between Kurdistan Region and Iran through the visit of Nechirvan Barzani, the President of Kurdistan Region, to Iran?

Lin Jian: Iraq and Iran are both important countries in the Middle East. China welcomes countries in the region, including Iraq and Iran, to develop friendly relations and jointly contribute to security, stability and development of the region.

China News Service: Solomon Islands Governor General David Vunagi announced on May 2 that former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele won the prime minister vote of the parliament in a 31-18 count. Whats Chinas comment?

Lin Jian: China congratulates former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele on being elected as the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands. We believe under his leadership, Solomon Islands will continue to achieve new progress in socioeconomic development.

Over the past five years since China and Solomon Islands established diplomatic ties, the bilateral relationship has maintained a sound momentum of growth with fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields that benefited the two countries and two peoples. The Chinese government attaches high importance to China-Solomon Islands relations and stands ready to work with the new government led by Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to further elevate China-Solomon Islands comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era to a new level.

DPA: Germanys Foreign Minister said last weekend that she did not rule out the possibility of the German frigate Baden-Wurttemberg crossing the Taiwan Strait during its mission starting from tomorrow. What is the Foreign Ministrys comment?

Lin Jian: Let me stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. China will not waver in its resolve to safeguard the nations sovereignty and territorial integrity. China respects countries right to navigation in accordance with international law, but firmly opposes any country making provocations and threatening Chinas sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation. The Asia-Pacific is a pacesetter of global peace and development. We hope countries outside the region will do more things that are conducive to peace, stability and prosperity and join the effort to safeguard the development of the region, instead of making provocations and creating trouble for the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Reuters: Philippine President Marcos today described the use of water cannons in the South China Sea as weapons used in attacks, and said that the Philippines will not follow the Chinese coast guard down that road. What weapons does China have in defense of its territorial claims in the South China Sea then?

Lin Jian: If the Philippines truly wants to lower tensions in the South China Sea, they should immediately stop intruding into the waters adjacent to Chinas Nansha Qundao and Huangyan Dao, stop sending construction materials to the warship illegally grounded at Renai Jiao and building permanent facilities, and stop illegal landing activities on relevant uninhabited islands and reefs. They also need to stop bringing countries into their scheme, flexing muscles, spreading disinformation and misleading the international community.

China Daily: The Commissioner of Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions of Canada issued the Initial Report on May 3, saying that China currently stands out as the most persistent and sophisticated foreign interference threat to Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted previously that China tried to interfere in the election but failed. The report echoed Trudeaus assertions. Whats your comment?

Lin Jian: Weve repeatedly stressed Chinas commitment to the principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs. China has never and will never have any interest in interfering in Canadas internal affairs. The so-called Chinas foreign interference is nothing but a lie to serve political purposes.

China strongly deplores and opposes this so-called Initial Report. We reject its groundless accusations and vilification, and have lodged serious protests to Canada.

The so-called Report is riddled with speculative wording such as possible, may and potential. It says its arguments are mainly supported by intelligence, but adds that intelligence is not proven fact and provides no real evidence. Such ideologically driven reports are the product of some self-serving Canadian politicians, who deliberately seek to confuse and mislead the public with false accusations and self-contradictory allegations. This is extremely irresponsible.

Canada has long had a record of grossly interfering in Chinas domestic affairs on issues concerning our core interests such as Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, and Hong Kong. Canada is the one that actually needs to stop foreign interference activities.

China urges Canada to respect and face up to the facts, ditch its ideological bias and immediately stop groundless attacks and smears against China.

AFP: Thousands of troops from the Philippines and the United States are conducting annual military drills today involving land, sea and air maneuvers against hypothetical invasion of the Philippines. Given that this comes after weeks of increased tension in the region due to competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, how does China view the drills taking place today?

Lin Jian: China has repeatedly made its position clear on US-Philippines military cooperation. Let me stress again that no military drill should target or harm the interests of any third party, nor should it undermine the trust between countries and affect peace and stability in the region. Countries in the region are clear-eyed about who is stoking military confrontation and ratcheting up tensions in this part of the world.

Relevant country needs to know that the only effective way to protect ones own security and keep the region peaceful and stable is to nurture good-neighborliness, return to dialogue and consultation and uphold strategic independence.

Reuters: The death toll from flooding in Kenya has risen to 228, according to Kenyas interior ministry. Are there any casualties of Chinese nationals that you are aware of? How many and in what locations?

Lin Jian: China expresses sincere sympathies over the fatalities and devastation caused by recent flooding in Kenya. We are ready to help Kenya as much as we can with the relief and reconstruction efforts in light of the extent of the disaster and Kenyas needs. We hope and believe that the people of Kenya will pull through this difficult time and rebuild their homeland soon. No Chinese deaths or injuries have been reported so far.

Shenzhen TV: Its reported that the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, Alena Douhan, will visit China soon. Do you have more to share on that?

Lin Jian: At the invitation of the Chinese side, the UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, will visit China from May 6 to 17. She will have exchanges with relevant government departments, companies, industry associations, social organizations and so on in China. China stands ready to have constructive engagement and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect with UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, to contribute to the healthy development of the global human rights cause.
Local Church Serves Community in Volusia County, Florida on May 4th, 2024 -- Serve Day





NEWS PROVIDED BY

Journey Church

May 6, 2024

ORANGE CITY, Fla., May 6, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- Lead Teacher and Pastor, James Hilton, and Journey Church hosted Serve Day. This is an annual event where volunteers from the church will go out into the local community and serve.

On May 4th, 2024 the volunteers gave up the day to simply re- flect the love of Jesus in their local community.

This year 620 church volunteers went out in our community and participated in over 70 different serving areas.

For event details and more information, visit journeyconnect.org/serveday

About Journey Church:

Journey Church is one church meeting in multiple locations throughout. We exist to help connect people to Christ, Community, and their Calling.

SOURCE Journey Church

CONTACT: Hannah Peck, hannah.peck@journeyconnect.org

Related Links

journeyconnect.org
A section of the Mountain Valley Pipeline atop Bent Mountain ruptured Wednesday during tests to determine the pipes integrity before it begins to carry natural gas under high pressure.

The buried pipe failed as it was undergoing hydrostatic testing, which involves running highly pressurized water through it to ensure there are no leaks or flaws, a Mountain Valley spokeswoman said.

Water that escaped from the damaged 42-inch diameter pipe made its way to a nearby stream, clouding it with sediment that was soon noticed by nearby residents.

As news of the incident spread, critics said Friday that it foreshadows the dangers of an explosion, which they say would have occurred had the pipe been transporting volatile natural gas rather than water.

We have warned regulatory officials that MVP is a reckless company tossing corroding pipes into landslide-prone mountain slopes in a rush to meet its contract obligations, Russell Chisholm of the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights coalition said in a statement.

It is past time for our safety to come first, Chisholm said.

After years of construction delays caused by legal fights, Mountain Valley says the 303-mile pipeline is nearly completed. The company last month asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to begin operations by June 1.

Federal regulations require hydrostatic testing before a pipeline is placed into service. Mountain Valley spokeswoman Natalie Cox said the process serves as a quality assurance test.

The incident Wednesday morning was the first failure of a pipe during tests that have been conducted along Mountain Valleys route through West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, according to Cox.

The pipeline ends in Pittsylvania County.

As of April 30, hydrostatic testing had been successfully completed on about 269 miles of the pipelines path, she said in an email Friday.

The condition of 42-inch diameter pipe is a key concern of opponents. Sections of the pipe lay unused along Mountain Valleys right-of-way and in storage yards for years as lawsuits slowed construction. That raised fears that a protective coating  meant to guard against corrosion once the pipe is buried  had been weakened by exposure to the elements.

In a consent order last October, the U.S Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration directed Mountain Valley to conduct inspections and make repairs where needed.

Other pipelines have gone into operation without a failure detected by hydrostatic testing, according to Richard Kuprewicz, an expert on pipeline safety who is president of Accufacts Inc., a Redmond, Washington, consulting firm.

But Kuprewicz, who has earlier voiced concerns about landslide risks posed by the steep terrain though which Mountain Valley passes, was reluctant Friday to make too much of this weeks incident.

A single hydrotest failure doesnt cause undue alarm to me, he said. But the devil is in the details. Why did that pipe fail?

Kuprewicz said he was confident that an investigation by PHMSA would eventually provide more information about the many unknowns that currently exist.

An official with the safety administration, who asked not to be quoted, said that hydrostatic testing has been suspended while Mountain Valley works to determine the cause of what Cox called a water release that was caused by a hydrotest disruption.

PHMSA will continue to ensure the Pipeline is constructed, and ultimately operated, in accordance with Federal pipeline safety statutes and regulations, the agency official wrote in an email.

Cox said the incident happened about 10 a.m. Wednesday near U.S. 221 in the Bent Mountain community of Roanoke County. No one was injured, she said, and nearby streams that were affected were clear of sediment by Thursday morning.

Importantly, the disruption of this one hydrotest demonstrates that the testing process is working as designed and intended, she wrote in an email. We are committed to ensuring the safe and responsible operation of this project, and the hydrotesting process is an important aspect of preparing this pipeline system to operate safely for decades to come.

The damaged pipe was dug up and removed from the site as Mountain Valley continues an investigation, she said. The company has reported the incident to PHMSA, FERC and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Cox did not provide an exact location of the incident.

But Bent Mountain residents opposed to the pipeline  who have been vigilant over the past six years in monitoring construction and reporting problems  said they believe it happened just off 221 where an access ramp leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

That portion of the pipeline, which passes under both the parkway and 221, was constructed in 2018.

After a friend informed her of muddy water in a creek on her nearby property, Kathy Chandler reported the incident to DEQ, saying that she believed it was caused by hydrostatic testing.

An online report from DEQ confirms that the origin of the sediment was from a rupture of a section of pipe, and that muddy water had overwhelmed Mountain Valleys erosion control devices.

By Thursday, construction crews had reconstructed the erosion control measures and removed sediment from nearby property and a wetland, the report stated. DEQ, which is responsible for regulating weather-related problems with erosion, closed its investigation Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, residents kept a close watch on the spot where they say the incident happened. Mountain Valley crews worked through Thursday night under temporary lighting.

It was 1 a.m. when I went to bed, and they were still at it, said Donald Wray, who lives within sight of where the pipeline crosses 221.

Early Friday morning, observers saw that the damaged pipe had been loaded onto a flatbed pulled by tractor-trailer. They reported to others in their group that the truck was headed north on 221.

Grace Terry, who lives in Roanoke and owns land on Bent Mountain, decided to see if she could spot the truck. As she waited near Cave Spring Corner, she saw the truck go by and decided to take photographs of its cargo.

We didnt feel like we were getting the real story of what happened, she said. Mountain Valley was calling it a water release.

Terrys cellphone photographs of the damaged pipe were shared widely on social media as word of the incident spread.

As she watched construction crews working on property near her home Friday afternoon, Chandler said she has many questions that need to be answered by Mountain Valley and regulatory agencies.

It is their responsibility to make this project safe, she said, so we can all go to sleep at night.
'Never Again' Banner to Fly Above the University of Texas Today -- Holocaust Remembrance Day

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Jewish Lives Matter

Related Links

MEDIA ADVISORY, May 6, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- A banner which reads: NEVER AGAIN -- JEWISH LIVES MATTER.US will fly over the University of Texas this morning beginning at 11:30 a.m. Central today--the internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

We join the rest of the world to declare Never Again on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, stated Janet Porter, a founding member of Jewish Lives Matter. Our airborne message is directed to all those standing with Hamas terrorists calling for genocide on our campuses: We will NEVER go down that road again.

This newly formed initiative by concerned individuals, Faith2Action, Truth & Liberty Coalition, MorningStar Ministries, Transformation Michigan, churches including New Dawn Community Church (Coral Springs, Florida), Christ the King Church (Waco, Texas), and businesses including Patriot Mobile, is sending the message to our Jewish friends: Look up, you are not alone.



Jewish Lives Matter banners have flown over:

Columbia University on April 26th: GOD BLESS ISRAEL.

UCLA and Hollywood on April 26th: JEWISH LIVES MATTER.US.

The University of Michigan graduation yesterday: WE STAND WITH ISRAEL  JEWISH LIVES MATTER.US, where Hamas protesters screamed anti-Jewish threats, disrupting the ceremony.

Todays NEVER AGAIN banner over the University of Texas draws the historic parallel as stated by Mark Gurley of Transformation Michigan, a founding member of Jewish Lives Matter: In the 1930s, Hitler Youth used the exact same tactics on Germany's university campuses, and we will not allow that to continue in America. One holocaust was enough.

We must take this stand now, and never forget what has been done to the Jewish people, and never retreat from our stand with them, declared Rick Joyner, founder MorningStar Ministries, and founding member of the Jewish Lives Matter coalition.

Porter added, Israel doesnt occupy the land, they OWN it, and we stand with them in their right to defend themselves in their nation and here at home, and we always will.

Hundreds of Jewish Lives Matter shirts were sent to Sean Feucht, who will lead a rally for Israel on Wednesday at USC, where our banner stating, ISRAEL IS FOREVER  JEWISH LIVES MATTER.US will fly overhead.

To sponsor a banner and to find out more, go to www.JewishLivesMatter.us

SOURCE Jewish Lives Matter

CONTACT: Janet Porter, President, Faith2Action Ministries, 202-241-2ACT (2228)
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the 43rd National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This years national tribute will honor 89 firefighters, including two from our area, who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 firefighters who died in previous years.

Honored will be Edward Hykel, 60, of the West Volunteer Fire Department, who responded with the West Volunteer Fire Department and the Department of Public Safety to the scene of a vehicle fire on the interstate March 28, 2023.

For the complete story see the May 2, edition of The Reporter Newspaper.
Dairy-beef crosses are not the same as native beef animals, emphasized Casey Maxwell of Cactus Feeders. But that doesnt mean they do not add value to the beef supply chain.

Maxwell, a nutritionist with the Texas-based feedlot business, described how dairy-beef animals have performed in their system during an Oklahoma State University Extension beef-on-dairy webinar. The first benefit is that they are available; Cactus Feeders operates 10 feedyards in Texas and Kansas and ships 20,000 head of cattle every week. They must procure animals to refill those feedbunk spots, Maxwell noted.

They began feeding dairy-beef animals in 2019 and have had a range of performances. Maxwell outlined both benefits and some challenges they have worked through, explaining that the most critical piece of success with these animals is being able to accurately project their value. As you feed them, its important to understand the genetics so you can value them appropriately, he continued, recognizing there are differences between dairy-beef crosses from Holstein and Jersey dams. A half-Jersey calf still has value; it is just different, he said.



There are also many genetic programs dairy farmers use to create dairy-beef crosses, and Maxwell said it is valuable for them to know that so they have some background on the animal. Still, he admitted that it is difficult to get that information.

A dairy-beef animals value also depends significantly on the age and weight at which the feeder receives them. It helps for feeders to be aware of the prior care an animal received, Maxwell said, especially because they are often bringing these animals in at 150 to 180 days old when they dont have much immunity developed. This is younger than the age they bring in native beef animals. Maxwell said they aim to get dairy-beef calves to 400 pounds before they start pushing them for gain.

Providing carcass value

Cactus Feeders has now collected data on several thousand head of dairy-beef animals that have gone through their pens, and Maxwell highlighted their ability to grow and to grade.

In one of their feedlots, they conducted a study of more than 2,500 Holstein-Angus steers. At 204 days on feed, the steers were randomized to be on feed for a total of 326, 347, or 368 days. The final weights for those animals were 1,559 pounds, 1,608 pounds, and 1,638 pounds, respectively. These steers, they just keep growing, Maxwell said.



A similar trial of dairy-beef heifers produced the same linear trend. There is a heavyweight discount to discourage very large animals, Maxwell noted, but the genetic potential to gain is there. They usually feed dairy-beef animals for 320 days and finish them at a weight around 1,470 pounds. With an in-weight of about 435 pounds on average, dairy-beef crosses gain roughly 3.15 pounds a day.

One of the big benefits of the dairy crosses is their ability to grade, Maxwell continued. They usually see at least 80% of animals grade Choice or better. Quality grade is a driver of the animals value, he stated.

The influence of the beef genetics has done a great job improving what was the biggest challenge with straight Holstein steers  rib-eye weight. Weve really done a good job of improving the muscling in these cattle, Maxwell further described, noting that the crossbreds now have rib eyes similar to native beef cattle.

As they raise these animals, Maxwell recognized that their team must take some extra effort to train them to the feedbunk, manage rations properly to help limit sorting, and control heat stress. They have experimented with grazing animals before finishing them in the feedyard, and the dairy-beef animals need extra attention to learn that behavior, he added.

Overall, he recognized the value these animals bring to the business and said that with the right genetics, they can make large quantities of high-quality meat. I do think these cattle are here to stay, Maxwell summarized.





To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024

April 29, 2024
Nearly six months after the 2018 Farm Bill was extended for one year, we are seeing some movement on the next version of the bill. Yesterday (May 1), both the House and Senate shared details about their proposals for the new bill.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow unveiled the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, a proposal that contains more than 100 bipartisan bills.

This is a serious proposal that reflects bipartisan priorities to keep farmers farming, families fed, and rural communities strong, noted Stabenow in a press release. The act addresses foreign ownership of farmland, rural communities, farm safety next programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and climate-smart conservation practices. More details and a full summary of the Senates bill are available here.



Meanwhile, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn GT Thompson released a high-level summary of his version of the bill with a short description of each title.

The bill is a product of an extensive and transparent process, which included soliciting feedback from members of both political parties, stakeholder input from across the nation, and some tough conversations. Each title of this farm bill reflects a commitment to the American farmer and viable pathways to funding those commitments and is equally responsive to the politics of the 118th Congress, said Thompson in a press release.



The Houses farm bill overview can be found here. Committee mark-up of the bill is set for May 23.

The 2018 Farm Bill lapsed on September 30, 2023, before being extended through the end of September of this year. Initial predictions that a new farm bill would be finished in early 2024 did not come to fruition, so the current hope is that the next version of the farm bill can be agreed upon yet this year.





To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024

May 2, 2024
Microsoft has unveiled a preview of a system using which it intends to lock down the Domain Name System, the system that translates IP addresses to human-readable domains, on Windows.

The system, called Zero Trust Domain Name System, uses encryption and cryptographically authenticated connections between end-user clients.

It also gives administrators the ability to place strict limitations on which domains the servers will resolve.

Asked for his opinion on the system, veteran Debian developer and Linux sysadmin Russell Coker was generally positive about what Microsoft had put forward.

"So apps use a trusted DNS server with encryption," he noted. "DNS look-up puts in a firewall entry allowing connection to the IP in question if the DNS name is deemed to be good. Sounds reasonable, especially if the firewall is per application based and you have logs of all the things allowed."

He added: "It would be good if they had system libraries for things like opening a TCP connection to a host with a given name. Then the common case could be done with one library call and no need to do the DNS stuff behind the scenes."

Peter Giorgilli. a Melbourne-based UNIX expert with extensive experience in managing DNS set-ups, was also mostly positive about the ZTDNS, but pointed out some shortcomings.

"ZTDNS is pitched at Microsoft customers [who are] required to comply with ZTA (Zero Trust Architecture) standards," he said.

"It integrates the Windows DNS client with the native firewall, WFP, or Windows Filtering Platform, to effectively only allow connections to domains that are resolvable via ZTDNS protective DNS servers.

"There's provision to whitelist IP address ranges for those applications that do not use DNS or, in other words, use bare IP addresses to access services.

"A ZTDNS protective DNS server is a server supporting existing secure DNS standards such as DoH (DNS over HTTPS) and/or DoT (DNS over TLS). Mutual authentication is used to authenticate DNS look-ups, providing an additional layer of security as required under ZTA."

However, Giorgilli pointed out that Microsoft, in another post had advised customers to consider the potential complications associated with the deployment of ZTDNS.

"The post highlights Microsoft's intentions when it explains that local administrators are able to bypass ZTDNS," he added, quoting: "Enterprise administrators should consider whether their employees need to have administrative privilege on their Windows devices.

"Any administrator can deactivate ZTDNS enforcement as easily as activate it, add ZTDNS exceptions for malicious IP addresses, or even install and run software with administrative privileges which may (unbeknownst to the human user) do these things.

"Therefore, deploying ZTDNS to Windows 11 machines in an enterprise environment which has regular human users with administrator privileges is unsupported.

"The intention is for the device to be fully managed through MDM, with local controls present for debugging purposes only, in line with Zero Trust principles (grant only the absolutely necessary access or permissions)."

He added: "In short, ZTDNS is aimed at organisations implementing ZTA that are already managing large fleets of Windows 11 devices using MDM (Mobile Device Management) platforms such as Microsoft's own Intune."
GUEST OPINION: The world of online gaming is a high-stakes arena. Platforms like Steam and Epic Games need to distribute content with the efficiency of tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft.

Studios like Ubisoft and Rockstar Games must optimise their applications and APIs for in-game and game-related experiences to perform as seamlessly as leading social-media platforms.

In this hyper-competitive environment, where user experience reigns supreme, online gaming companies often find themselves juggling multiple priorities. They need to deliver captivating games, nurture vibrant communities, and ensure smooth operation of in-game marketplaces  all while keeping a watchful eye on costs.

For those wrestling with these demands, an edge cloud strategy can be a game-changer. This is because online gaming hinges on three key performance areas with each directly impacting user satisfaction and loyalty. They are:

1. Optimised downloads: While a ten-minute download might be tolerable, a six-hour wait is a recipe for significant user frustration. Traditional cloud delivery models often struggle with geographically dispersed gamers accessing large game files. Edge cloud platforms, however, strike a balance by strategically caching content closer to users. This ensures satisfactory download speeds at cost-effective prices, eliminating the frustration of excruciatingly slow downloads.

2. Instantaneous experiences: The experience of in-game and game-related applications needs to feel instant. A study by Google found that a page load time increase from one to three seconds can cause a 32% jump in user bounce rate  a major concern for community building and engagement. Edge computing keeps these interactions smooth and fast.

By processing data and delivering content from geographically distributed edge locations, players experience near-instantaneous responses in their in-game actions and interactions with community features. This fosters a more immersive and engaging gaming experience, ultimately driving user loyalty.

3. Frictionless in-game commerce: In-game purchases are a significant revenue stream for many gaming companies. Here, too, performance reigns supreme. Edge cloud optimisation can prevent abandoned carts during the crucial purchasing process, minimising lost revenue. By ensuring smooth and secure transactions with minimal latency, gamers are more likely to complete in-game purchases, boosting a company's bottom line.

The power of a unified edge

While point solutions for specific needs, like content delivery networks (CDNs) and edge security exist, they often fall short of delivering the holistic benefits a unified edge cloud platform offers.

One of the most important things a unified edge approach brings to the table is reduced latency. Content delivery is optimised through a network of geographically distributed edge servers. This minimises lag and creates a more responsive gaming experience, where player actions translate into immediate in-game results.

The approach also results in enhanced security. Improved security safeguards games and user data at the network's edge, preventing unauthorised access and mitigating the risk of cyberattacks. This fosters trust with gamers and ensures the integrity of in-game transactions.

There can also be associated cost savings. By consolidating services like CDNs, edge security, and edge computing on a single platform, companies can streamline costs and budgeting. This allows them to invest more resources into game development, community management, and innovation.

Unlocking innovation with edge computing

Beyond efficiency gains, edge computing also opens doors to new possibilities that can differentiate online gaming companies in the marketplace. Key points of difference include:

Enhanced performance: Applications running at the edge, closer to users, experience a significant boost in performance due to reduced latency and localised data processing. This translates into smoother gameplay, faster character download, and near-instantaneous availability of additional components.

Applications running at the edge, closer to users, experience a significant boost in performance due to reduced latency and localised data processing. This translates into smoother gameplay, faster character download, and near-instantaneous availability of additional components. Next-gen gaming: Edge computing is particularly beneficial for latency-sensitive applications like augmented reality (AR) and real-time video integration in gaming, where milliseconds matter for smooth gameplay. By processing data at the edge, these features can be implemented with minimal latency, creating a truly immersive and interactive gaming experience.

Edge computing is particularly beneficial for latency-sensitive applications like augmented reality (AR) and real-time video integration in gaming, where milliseconds matter for smooth gameplay. By processing data at the edge, these features can be implemented with minimal latency, creating a truly immersive and interactive gaming experience. Innovation at the edge: By leveraging edge infrastructure, online games can achieve new levels of performance and responsiveness, unlocking avenues for innovation and differentiation. Developers can explore new features and functionalities that leverage the power of the edge, pushing the boundaries of online gaming.

The winning formula

In a competitive landscape where user experience is paramount, a seamless and engaging experience is the key to success. An edge cloud strategy empowers online gaming companies to focus on what matters most  creating thrilling games, fostering vibrant communities, and driving innovation.

By embracing edge computing, online gaming companies can level up their performance, deliver exceptional user experiences, and emerge as true industry champions.

In a world where milliseconds can make the difference between victory and defeat, online gaming companies can't afford to be held back by latency and performance bottlenecks. By embracing an edge cloud strategy, they can unlock a world of possibilities, create truly captivating experiences for their players, and solidify their position as leaders in the ever-evolving world of online gaming.
Fatime Letifova

This year, the 26th annual international oil and gas exhibition (OGU-2024) and the Energy Week of Uzbekistan will be held in Tashkent on May 14-16, Azernews reports, citing the Uzbekneftgaz company.

Representatives of more than 400 companies and brands from 29 countries, including Azerbaijan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Turkiye, France, will participate in the exhibition. At the same time, Azerbaijan will be represented at the exhibition by the stands of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and "ENERGY N" LLC.

Uzbekistan Energy Week will bring together key players in conventional and renewable energy sources, giving the global energy community an opportunity to discuss current plans for the development of the energy industry in Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region.

The President of SOCAR, Rovshan Najaf, will participate in the plenary session of this forum.

Note that in 2023, 171 companies from 18 countries participated in the exhibition.
Singtel Optus has announced that Stephen Rue will be moving from the position of chief executive at NBN Co to occupy the vacant seat at Optus in November.

A statement from Optus said his appointment had been made after an extensive internal, external and international search.

Optus chairman Paul OSullivan said: Stephen was chosen after a rigorous process that involved a slate of high-quality candidates. Were extremely pleased to have someone of his calibre to lead the next chapter at Optus.

"His experience in setting up the digital backbone of Australia will serve us well as we reinvigorate Optus as Australias leading challenger telecommunications brand. We expect Stephens operational and financial background to lift service standards significantly for the benefit of our customers.

Rue's predecessor, Kelly Bayer Rosmarin,in November last year following theon 8 November. Optus suffered a nation-wide outage that day, with its mobile and broadband services out of commission from 4am until 6pm.

This was the second major disaster over which Bayer Rosmarin had presided. In 2022, Optus was hit by a network attack, with access to the company's network being gained through a publicly accessible API.

Rue said he was honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to lead Optus.

"Optus continuous investments in critical infrastructure through the years has resulted in an extensive 5G network that is being strengthened in regional Australia," he noted.

"My job will be to take care of Optus customers, people and business and to provide strong competition and choice.

"I look forward to accelerating the transformation at Optus so fellow Australians continue to have the choice of a strong alternative telecoms provider and the country as a whole can harness the power of digital connectivity to drive economic participation and social inclusion.

Optus said the appointment of the new chief executive coincided with the introduction of a new governance model in line with the Singtel Groups move in 2022 "to adopt a decentralised operating company-driven structure to empower its businesses and leverage commercial synergies and capabilities to drive growth".

This means the Optus chief executive and executives will report to the Optus Board and Rue will join the board and report to the chairman.

The board and executives are expected to work together to reset strategy and rebuild customer trust in the Optus brand. Members of the board include OSullivan (Chair), Yuen Kuan Moon, John Arthur, Lim Cheng Cheng and Michael Venter.

Singtel Group chief executive Yuen Kuan Moon said: Optus has been part of the Singtel stable for two decades and remains a strategic long-term commitment. We are extremely excited to have Stephen, with his deep understanding of the industry and strong operational experience to take Optus forward.

"In todays uncertain economic environment, businesses need greater independence and agility to better navigate the market and we believe the new governance model will set the Optus management up for success and help Optus restore and cement its position as a leading player in the Australian telecommunications market.

Michael Venter will continue as interim chief executive until Rue takes over. Venter has been in this since 20 November 2023.

OSullivan added, I would like to thank Michael Venter for his leadership as acting chief executive during this interim period. He has been unstinting in his efforts to rebuild customer trust and strengthen the business and will remain an asset to Optus going forward.
Stephen Rue, chief executive of the National Broadband Company, has announced he is stepping down from the post after almost a decade working for the firm.

A statement from the NBN Co said Rue would be taking up the role of chief executive at Optus in November this year.

It said during his time at NBN Co, Rue had guided the company through a period of growth and transformation.

Rue joined the NBN Co as chief financial officer in 2014 and was appointed chief executive in 2018 when Bill Morrow resigned.

The statement claimed Rue had overseen "the rollout of Australia's NBN; expanding broadband access to millions of Australians; enhancing the nation's digital infrastructure; and driving innovation to meet the evolving and growing connectivity needs across the country".

Rue has not been able to bring the NBN Co balance sheet into the black during his almost six years in the job. At the end of the first half of fiscal 2024, the company was still bleeding red ink, with the losses blowing out to $696 million for that six-month period.

NBN Co chair Kate McKenzie said: Stephen has consistently delivered against challenging targets and has fostered a strong culture of purpose, innovation, collaboration and excellence within the company.

Under his leadership, NBN Co completed the initial build of the network on time in December 2020, reached the milestone of connecting more than 8.5 million homes and businesses; and set the company on the next phase of its journey to become a fully operational customer focused company.

"NBN Co is making significant progress in upgrading the network, increasing the availability of higher speeds, and providing greater capacity and reliability  all to lift the digital capability of Australia.

"I thank him for his commitment to NBN Co and wish him well in his future role.

Rue said: "It has been an enormous privilege to work alongside a talented team dedicated to connecting Australians to high-quality broadband services across the country.

We are transforming Australia's digital landscape, connecting millions of homes and businesses to high-speed broadband, and laying the foundation for future innovation and data growth.

And we have delivered fast and reliable broadband to even the most remote areas of Australia, continuously working to bridge the digital divide, lifting the digital capability of our nation and empowering communities.

Our purpose has always been such a great source of pride and I am so proud of what the team at nbn has achieved, and will continue to achieve, in the future.

The NBN Co statement said the board would name chief financial officer Philip Knox as the interim chief executive until a new chief executive was appointed.

It added that Rue would be resigning as an executive director of the NBN Co board.
Always think local first! The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce wants to remind everyone how critically important it is to support your local businesses. One of the best ways is through our Chamber Buck$ program.

Shopping locally helps to keep and create employment opportunities in our community. The tax dollars generated from buying locally are used for improvements to city streets, police and fire protection and overall infrastructure enhancements. Your friends, family and neighbors who work for or own these local businesses reap the benefits. In the past 10 years over $1 million has stayed here in the community through the program.

The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce has offered the Chamber Buck$ program for over 20 years. Our program helps keep tax dollars in our community. The Chamber Buck$ program is currently being used by over 80 Mattoon Chamber member businesses.

How does it work? Any business or individual simply stops by the chamber office and purchases Chamber Buck$ to be given away as gifts, employee incentives, employee bonuses, etc. These Chamber Buck$ are then used just like cash at any of the participating member establishments with no cost to the individual or the member businesses. We handle all the costs of running the program to make sure everyone has the full dollar-for-dollar benefits of the program.

Most of the Chamber Buck$ are purchased by area businesses as rewards for their employees and associates. Many of our local industries have invested in our community in a big way since we started the program by purchasing $10,000 or more in Chamber Buck$ each and every year. These companies provide Chamber Buck$ to their employees for many reasons including work anniversaries, achieving production goals, perfect attendance, etc. These businesses understand and appreciate the importance having their associates and vendors reinvesting in the Mattoon community.

Grupo Bimbo USA Inc., Mars Petcare US and Odd Fellow Rebekah Home are just some of the local organizations that purchase large quantities for their associates. They provide a major investment in our local community, and we appreciate their support of shopping local.

Chamber Buck$ are available in increments of $5, $10, $20 and $25. They are dollar-for-dollar! In other words, if you purchase $20, you receive $20; if you redeem $20, you are reimbursed $20. There are no hidden fees or costs; it is a service provided by the chamber. Participating businesses simply turn in the Chamber Buck$ they receive to the chamber office for reimbursement.

If you have any questions regarding our Chamber Buck$ program, you can contact us by calling 217-235-5661. You can also email us at director@mattoonchamber.com. We also have a link on our website, mattoonchamber.com, which highlights the participating chamber members where the Buck$ can be spent.

As the weather improves, it is a great time to get out and support local restaurants, bars and retail establishments. Take a stroll throughout downtown Mattoon and see what opportunities it has to offer. Always remember to shop local, invest locally and support local businesses!

Photos: Emerald Acres Sports Connection ground breaking

Close A contractor on a lift works within a canyon of structural steel on Monday at the construction site for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. St. John's has been accommodating its growing enrollment by using temporary classroom space in the adjacent First Presbyterian Church building, seen in the background. A contractor uses a lift to work on structural steel on Monday at the construction site for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. Contractors begin setting up structural steel on Monday at for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School that is being constructed to the east of the church in Mattoon. Contractors lift structural steel and put it in place on Monday at the construction site for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. Drake Homes of Charleston is serving as the general contractor the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. Workers began setting up structural steel on Monday at the construction site, across from the rest of St. John's campus. Photos: Structural steel goes up for new St. John's Lutheran School building Contractors began setting up the structural steel on Monday for construction of the building that will house the middle school and the new high school for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. A contractor on a lift works within a canyon of structural steel on Monday at the construction site for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. St. John's has been accommodating its growing enrollment by using temporary classroom space in the adjacent First Presbyterian Church building, seen in the background. A contractor uses a lift to work on structural steel on Monday at the construction site for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. Contractors begin setting up structural steel on Monday at for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School that is being constructed to the east of the church in Mattoon. Contractors lift structural steel and put it in place on Monday at the construction site for the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. Drake Homes of Charleston is serving as the general contractor the new middle and high schools building for St. John's Lutheran School in Mattoon. Workers began setting up structural steel on Monday at the construction site, across from the rest of St. John's campus.
The Chairman of the Central Bank, Taleh Kazimov, and other executives of the Central Bank met with the executives of the banks included in the advisory board of the Azerbaijan Banks Association.

Azernews reports that the Chairman of the Central Bank, Taleh Kazimov, wrote about this on X social account.

He noted that the results of the first quarter of the current year and important issues on the agenda of the sector were reviewed at the meeting.

Also, opinions were exchanged on macroeconomic factors and trends existing in the interbank market and in the sector in general.
A Nebraska man serving a lengthy prison sentence for a kidnapping and sexual assault of a Waverly woman in 2012 has taken steps seeking to legally change his name to his inmate number.

Frederick Johnson, who also is known as Frederick McSwine, paid the $87 fee to file a petition for a name change in Lancaster County District Court this past week.

He said he wanted to change his name to 66747 because he is faced with the reality he is little more than a number, "a (sic) object with few rights, of which are irrelevant and inconsequential to the ideology and whims of this state, which abridge my constitutional rights for conviction rates."

When prisoners go to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to begin serving a sentence, they are issued an inmate number.

In a filing, Johnson said: "Over a prolonged existence under such circumstances it is logical and lucid thinking to acknowledge one's existence as little more then (sic) a number, a (sic) object or chattel to those who've dominion over them," he said in the typed document.

He said he is a modern-day slave to the state, which overlooks his innocence for conviction rates.

Johnson, 37, is serving a 56- to 101-year sentence at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln for a brutal kidnapping at knife-point and sexual assault of a Waverly woman in 2012.

At trial in 2013, Johnson, who was tried under the name Frederick McSwine, testified that the woman willingly had sex with him, then got angry when she learned he didn't want a relationship.

The woman testified that the man she'd seen at work came to her house, forced her from her home, the blade of a pocket knife to her back, and forced sex on her in wooded rural areas during the hours that followed.

At the end of the trial, the Lancaster County jury found him guilty.

On appeal, the Court of Appeals reversed his conviction, finding that the prosecutor had misled jurors in closing arguments. But that decision later was reversed by the Nebraska Supreme Court, which found it was not misconduct and shouldn't mean a new trial.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2024
RUSD receives $25K fab lab grant

RACINE  The Racine Unified School District is one of 18 districts across the state to receive a fab lab grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

The district will receive $25,000 and invest an equal amount to train students in science, technology, engineering, arts and math skills, and prepare them for careers using advanced technologies.

This opportunity will not only assist in equipping our students with state-of-the-art tools and resources but also ignite a wave of innovation and collaboration within the Academies of Racine and the community, said Dan Buchholz, the computer science teacher at Case High School who applied for the grant. This grant isnt just an investment in equipment. Its an investment in the future of our students, the resurgence of innovation in Racine and ultimately in Wisconsins economy as a whole.

WEDCs Fab Labs Grant Program is designed to assist public school districts with equipment purchases such as 3-D printers, laser engravers, computer numerical control routers and plasma cutters for instructional and educational purposes. Students benefit from learning technology and career skills, and employers benefit from being able to find workers with the skills they need for their companies to thrive.

Buccholz plans to purchase carbon 3-D printers, resin 3-D printers, vinyl cutters, LED printers, a heat press, and custom design software for computer numerical control.
"Bank Respublika" and the European Investment Bank have signed a credit agreement for a volume of 10 million euros to support entrepreneurs, Azernews reports.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), responsible for financing activities outside the borders of the European Union, has signed a credit agreement with "Bank Respublika" in Azerbaijan for a volume of 10 million euros to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). This agreement will strengthen financial accessibility by providing loans to small business entities on competitive terms and in local currency, aiming to stimulate investments, economic growth, and employment.

This credit is offered within the framework of the EIB's Southern Caucasus SME Finance Facility to improve access to finance for SMEs in the region. The initiative will foster competition in the banking sector and increase the quality and quantity of financial resources available to small businesses. Additionally, by creating nearly 26,500 jobs in the South Caucasus region, it will contribute to growth driven by the private sector and promote social integration.

Aligned with the objectives of the European Union's Eastern Partnership under the Economic and Investment Plan (EIP), this agreement contributes to advancing the goals of supporting 25,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Azerbaijan as part of a pioneering initiative.
(Sacheon Coastal Road/Sacheon City)

Sacheon, in South Gyeongsang province, has some great destinations for those looking to avoid crowds and seek pleasure for a great day trip.

Here are four recommended sites to see on your next visit.

(Sacheon City)

Bito Island  Cool sea breezes and spectacular views await with endless tidal flats providing the backdrop to the island. The local Bito National Leisure Campsite has also recently reopened.

Sacheon Coastal Road  The coastal roads into Sacheon offer splendid views of Hallyeohaesang National Park, with small islands dotting the indigo blue sea as a backdrop. In the evening, enjoy Sancheonpo Bridges beautiful view, which was voted one of the top 100 night views in Korea.

(Sacheon City)

Haeyang Pension  Spend a night in one of the regions unique marine pensions, as the sounds of fish, nature, and water surround you relieving your daily stress.

Samcheonpo Coastal Trail  Enjoy a coastal drive where five bridges connect Sacheon with Namhae and enjoy the beautiful coastline of forests and rock formations around Namildae Beach.

Busan to Sacheon is about a 108-kilometer journey by car and is a roughly two-hour bus ride from the Busan Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal in Sasang.
The American space agency NASA has completed a new experiment that sent data over 226 million kilometers in space. The result marks a major improvement over previous tests that measured data transfers over 31 million kilometers.

The method is known as Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC). The high-speed transfer technology uses lasers to send large data files over very long distances. NASA is looking to the method to improve, or upgrade, existing communication technology.

Traditionally, NASA has depended on radio communications to send data back and forth through space. But this method has a limited bandwidth, meaning at a certain point the system can no longer effectively process data. So, the agency is seeking to use the new method to support new technologies and planned trips to the moon and other places.

NASA officials say the DSOC system will be able to transfer huge amounts of science data through space. This is especially needed for large data files, as well as high-quality images and videos sent from space.

The DSOC system is based on laser technology. Laser communications are also known as optical communications. NASA explains that the technology will permit up to 100 times more data to be sent back to Earth than current radio wave systems.

Much like fiber optics replacing old telephone lines on Earth as demand for data grows, going from radio communications to laser, or optical, communications will allow increased data rates throughout the solar system, NASA said in a statement.

NASA said the laser system works with signals that exist at near-infrared wavelengths. Data transferred by laser takes the form of bits  the smallest pieces of data a computer can process. These bits are contained within the lasers photons.

NASA is testing the DSOC on its Psyche spacecraft. Psyche was launched in October 2023 on its way to observe a mostly metal asteroid. The experiments involved a device aboard Psyche. It was able to send data to and receive data from a telescope in California.

The agency estimates it would take about nine weeks to transmit a complete map of Mars back to Earth with current radio frequency systems. But with a laser-based method, the time would be cut to nine days. Also, laser communications equipment is smaller and requires less energy.

Laser-based communication has already been demonstrated in low Earth orbit and on the moon. But the research team working on the DSOC project said this is the first time the method has been successfully tested in deep space.

Meera Srinivasan is a project leader at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. She said in a statement the system was able to transfer about 10 minutes of data during an experiment on April 8. Srinivasan said the result represented an important new milestone for the project.

The asteroid Psyche is traveling to is also called Psyche. It is believed to be made mostly of metal. NASA expects the spacecraft to travel about 3.6 million kilometers over six years to reach the asteroid. Developers of the system say when Psyche is at its farthest point from our planet, the DSOC systems photons will take about 20 minutes to travel back to Earth.

Im Bryan Lynn

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA.

Quiz - NASA Extends Laser Communication in Space to 226 Million Kilometers Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

___________________________________________

Words in This Story

transfer  v. to send from one place to another

bandwidth n. the amount of data that can be transferred in a communication channel in a certain period

fiber optics  n. the use of thin, glass or plastic threads that can carry light to carry data, especially with electronic devices

photon  n. a small piece of matter that is a basic unit of electromagnetic energy

asteroid  n. an object made of rock and metal that orbits the sun, but is smaller than planets

milestone  n. an important event that happens during the development or history of something
Usually, we use a makeup product such as a sculptor to reshape our face. But beauty bloggers say that blush will do the trick just fine.

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Blogger and professional makeup artist @elenarachitskaya gave a master class on how to do it right for her TikTok subscribers. She showed five ways to apply blush that will help you visually change the shape of your face in the way you want. It all depends on where you apply the product.

Lengthening

To make your face look longer, apply blush to the cheekbone, almost under the eye. When you blend the product, you'll see the effect of narrowing and lengthening immediately.

Shortening

If your goal is to make your face look rounder, then go a little lower. Apply the blush on the apples of the cheeks, i.e. just below the cheekbone.

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Emphasize the cheekbones

For those who want to emphasize the expressiveness of the cheekbones, it is not necessary to replenish their cosmetic bag with a separate sculptor or bronzer. Apply a little blush to the hollow under the cheekbone.

Add volume

If you want to make your cheeks look fuller, take a blush and draw four square-shaped dots under the hollow of the cheekbone. Blend everything well and admire the result. "I have no idea how this life hack works," the makeup artist admitted but demonstrated the impressive effect of the technique. It also softens the jawline.

Tanning

By the way, bronzer is not the only product that can give your face a sun-kissed look. Apply your favorite blush under the eyes and on the bridge of the nose  the places that tan first. Your look will instantly become fresher.

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Subscribe to the OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.
Ian Brady and his lover Myra Hindley have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the so-called Moors murders at Chester Assizes.

Judge Fenton Atkinson imposed three concurrent life sentences on Ian Brady, aged 28, for what he called three calculated, cruel, cold-blooded murders.

The couple were tried for the killing of Edward Evans, 17, Lesley Ann Downey, aged 10, and 12-year-old John Kilbride  a case that has shocked the nation.

Hindley, 23, was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences for the murder of Edward Evans and Lesley Ann Downey and found not guilty of the killing of John Kilbride.

The bodies of the three children were found on Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines seven months ago.

Brady, a stock clerk from Glasgow and Hindley, a shorthand typist from Manchester, lured the children into their home in Manchester, tortured, then killed them.

It was Hindleys brother-in-law, 17-year-old David Smith, who called the police after witnessing the brutal murder of Edward Evans at the couples home in Hattersley, East Manchester. He told them that Brady had boasted that he had buried other victims at the moors.

The judge praised the utmost skill and thoroughness of the police working on the case. They had discovered a left-luggage ticket in Hindleys communion prayer book.

This led them to a suitcase containing pornographic photographs and tapes that proved to be valuable evidence against the pair. One of the photos showed Hindley posing with her dog at what turned out to be the site of John Kilbrides grave.

The Home Office has said that anyone sentenced to life imprisonment is liable to be held for the whole of his or her natural life but the Home Secretary could release a prisoner on licence.

Two children believed to be victims of Brady and Hindley  Pauline Reade and Keith Bennett  are still missing.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

Both Brady and Hindley were taken back to the moors, separately, in the 1980s, when Greater Manchester Police began a new search for bodies.

They discovered the remains of Pauline Reade in 1987 but failed to find any trace of Keith Bennetts grave.

Ian Brady has been on hunger strike at high-security Ashworth psychiatric hospital since October 1999.

The High Court in London rejected his appeal for the right to die in April 2001. Later that year American publishers controversially released a book by Brady analysing serial killers.

Myra Hindleys original 30-year sentence expired in 1996 and she has tried to win her release since then. But successive home secretaries have ruled that life should mean life.

Hindleys last appeal for freedom failed in the House of Lords in March 2000.

She died on 15 November 2002 from a severe chest infection aged 60.
Fatime Letifova

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on May 10 this year, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Azerbaijani MFAs spokesperson, Aykhan Hajizada, on his official "X" account.

"In accordance with previously reached agreements, negotiations between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will be held in Almaty on 10 May 2024," spokesperson said.
Just a few months short of a quarter-century as Russias leader, Vladimir Putin tomorrow will put his hand on a copy of the constitution and begin another six-year term as president wielding extraordinary power.

Since becoming acting president on the last day of 1999, Putin has shaped Russia into a monolith  crushing political opposition, running independent-minded journalists out of the country and promoting an increasing devotion to prudish traditional values that pushes many in society into the margins.

His influence is so dominant that other officials could only stand submissively on the sidelines as he launched a war in Ukraine despite expectations the invasion would bring international opprobrium and harsh economic sanctions, as well as cost Russia dearly in the blood of its soldiers.

With that level of power, what Putin will do with his next term is a daunting question at home and abroad.

The war in Ukraine, where Russia is making incremental though consistent battlefield gains, is the top concern, and he is showing no indication of changing course.

The war in Ukraine is central to his current political project, and I dont see anything to suggest that that will change. And that affects everything else, Brian Taylor, a Syracuse University professor and author of The Code of Putinism, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

It affects whos in what positions, it affects what resources are available and it affects the economy, affects the level of repression internally, he said.

In his state of the nation address in February, Putin vowed to fulfill Moscows goals in Ukraine, and do whatever it takes to defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens. He claimed the Russian military has gained a huge combat experience and is firmly holding the initiative and waging offensives in a number of sectors.

That will come at huge expense, which could drain money available for the extensive domestic projects and reforms in education, welfare and poverty-fighting that Putin used much of the two-hour address to detail.

Taylor suggested such projects were included in the address as much for show as for indicating real intent to put them into action.

Putin thinks of himself in the grand historical terms of Russian lands, bringing Ukraine back to where it belongs, those sorts of ideas. And I think those trump any kind of more socioeconomic-type programs, Taylor said.

If the war were to end in less than total defeat for either side, with Russia retaining some of the territory it has already captured, European countries fear that Putin could be encouraged toward further military adventurism in the Baltics or in Poland.

Its possible that Putin does have vast ambitions and will try to follow a costly success in Ukraine with a new attack somewhere else, Harvard international relations professor Stephen Walt wrote in the journal Foreign Policy. But it is also entirely possible that his ambitions do not extend beyond what Russia has won  at enormous cost and that he has no need or desire to gamble for more.

But, Walt added, Russia will be in no shape to launch new wars of aggression when the war in Ukraine is finally over.

Such a rational concern might not prevail, others say. Maksim Samorukov, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said that driven by Putins whims and delusions, Moscow is likely to commit self-defeating blunders.

In a commentary in Foreign Affairs, Samorukov suggested that Putins age could affect his judgment.

At 71  his awareness of his own mortality surely impinges on his decision-making. A growing sense of his limited time undoubtedly contributed to his fateful decision to invade Ukraine.

Overall, Putin may be heading into his new term with a weaker grip on power than he appears to have.

Russias vulnerabilities are hidden in plain sight. Now more than ever, the Kremlin makes decisions in a personalized and arbitrary way that lacks even basic controls, Samorukov wrote.

The Russian political elite have grown more pliant in implementing Putins orders and more obsequious to his paranoid worldview, he wrote. The regime is at permanent risk of crumbling overnight, as its Soviet predecessor did three decades ago.

Putin is sure to continue his continue animosity toward the West, which he said in his state of the nation address would like to do to Russia the same thing they did in many other regions of the world, including Ukraine: to bring discord into our home, to weaken it from within.

Putins resistance to the West manifests not only anger at its support for Ukraine, but in what he sees as the undermining of Russias moral fiber.

Russia last year banned the notional LGBTQ+ movement by declaring it to be extremist in what officials said was a fight for traditional values like those espoused by the Russian Orthodox Church in the face of Western influence. Courts also banned gender transitioning.

I would expect the role of the Russian Orthodox Church to continue to be quite visible, Taylor said. He also noted the burst of social media outrage that followed a party hosted by TV presenter Anastasia Ivleeva where guests were invited to show up almost naked.

Other actors in the system understand that that stuff resonates with Putin.  There were people interested in exploiting things like that, he said. JIM HEINTZ, MDT/AP
For the first time, China has publicized what it claims is an unwritten 2016 agreement with the Philippines over access to South China Sea islands.

The move threatens to further raise tensions in the disputed waterway, through which much of the worlds trade passes and which China claims virtually in its entirety.

A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Manila said the temporary special arrangement agreed to during a visit to Beijing by former president Rodrigo Duterte allowed small scale fishing around the islands but restricted access by military, coast guard and other official planes and ships to the 12 nautical mile limit of territorial waters.

The Philippines respected the agreement over the past seven years but has since reneged on it to fulfill its own political agenda, forcing China to take action, the statement said.

This is the basic reason for the ceaseless disputes at sea between China and the Philippines over the past year and more, said the statement posted to the embassys website last week, referring to the actions of the Philippines.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Duterte have denied forging any agreements that would have supposedly surrendered Philippine sovereignty or sovereign rights to China. Any such action, if proven, would be an impeachable offense under the countrys 1987 Constitution.

However, after his visit to Beijing, Duterte hinted at such an agreement without offering details, said Collin Koh, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies based in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and an expert on naval affairs in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly Southeast Asia.

He boasted then that he not only got Chinese investment and trade pledges, but also that he secured Philippine fishermen access to Scarborough Shoal, Koh said, referring to one of the maritime features in dispute.

Beijings deliberate wording in the statement is noteworthy in showing that Beijing has no official document to prove its case and thus could only rely mainly on Dutertes verbal claim, Koh said.

Marcos, who took office in June 2022, told reporters last month that China has insisted that there was such a secret agreement but said he was not aware of any.

The Chinese are insisting that there is a secret agreement and, perhaps, there is, and, I said I didnt, I dont know anything about the secret agreement, said Marcos, who has drawn the Philippines closer to its treaty partner the U.S. Should there be such a secret agreement, I am now rescinding it. CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, TAIPEI, MDT/AP
China last week launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.

It is the latest advance in Chinas increasingly sophisticated space exploration program, which is now competing with the U.S., still the leader in space.

China also has a three-member crew on its own orbiting space station and aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030. Three Chinese lunar probe missions are planned over the next four years.

Free from exposure to Earth and other interference, the moons somewhat mysterious far side is ideal for radio astronomy and other scientific work. Because the far side never faces Earth, a relay satellite is needed to maintain communications.

The rocket carrying the Change-6 lunar probe  named after the Chinese mythical moon goddess  lifted off Friday at 5:27 p.m. as planned from the Wenchang launch center on the island province of Hainan. About 35 minutes later it separated entirely from the massive Long March-5 rocket  Chinas largest  that had slung it into space, as technicians monitoring the launch from ground control smiled and applauded.

Shortly afterward, launch mission commander Zhang Zuosheng took to a podium at the front of the room and said the launch had gone off exactly as planned and the spacecraft was on its set trajectory. I declare this launch mission a complete success, Zhang said to further applause.

The Philippine Space Agency issued a statement saying expected debris from the rocket launch was projected to have fallen within the identified drop zones.

China in 2021 was forced to defend its handling of a rocket booster that burned up over the Indian Ocean after the administrator of the American space agency and others accused Beijing of acting recklessly by allowing its rocket to fall to Earth seemingly uncontrolled after the mission.

Huge numbers of people crowded Hainans beaches to view the launch, which comes in the middle of Chinas five-day May Day holiday. As with previous recent launches, the event was televised live by state broadcaster CCTV.

After orbiting the moon to reduce speed, the lander will separate from the spacecraft and within 48 hours of setting down it will begin drilling into the lunar surface and scooping up samples with its robotic arm. With the samples sealed in a container, it will then reconnect with the returner for the trip back to Earth. The entire mission is set to last 53 days.

China in 2020 returned samples from the moons near side, the first time anyone had done so since the former Soviet Union in 1976. Analysis of the samples found they contained water in tiny beads embedded in lunar dirt.

Also in the past week, three Chinese astronauts returned home from a six-month mission on the countrys orbiting space station after the arrival of its replacement crew.

China built its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station, largely because of U.S. concerns over the Chinese militarys total control of the space program amid a sharpening competition in technology between the two geopolitical rivals. U.S. law bars almost all cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese space programs without explicit congressional approval. CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, TAIPEI, MDT/AP
Over the years, France-China relations have been steadily improving. The announcement that the Chinese leader will pay a state visit to France in early May amid one of the worst strategic crises since the end of World War II is a sign of trust that France and China can, as in other crises in the past, work together to promote global peace.

Despite the United States hostility toward China in recent years, France has upheld its freedom to cooperate with China and called for European strategic autonomy, which would allow the European Union to avoid being drawn into a US war over the Taiwan question.

Negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be high on the agenda of the French and Chinese leaders following the talks held by Li Hui, Chinas special envoy on Eurasian affairs. No doubt, following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz successful visit to China, Beijing will try to boost ties with those EU countries that want to boost trade with China.

The France-China relationship goes back centuries, especially the scientific and cultural collaboration between Louis XIV of France and Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in the 17th century, via Jean-Baptiste Colbert, controller-general of finances during Louis XIVs reign, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, German polymath and logician, and has steadily grown since.

What reinforced that cooperation is the consensus between former French prime minister Pierre Mendes France and former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai in 1954 to bring the Indochina war to an end.

However, it was former French leader Charles De Gaulles decision in 1964 to establish diplomatic relations with China that opened the way to high-level collaboration between both countries. De Gaulle justified his decision, by saying: China is gigantic  To live as if it didnt exist, would be to be blind, especially since it exists more and more.

What a difference from the Joe Bidens and the Antony Blinkens of today! And how right De Gaulle was!

In the 60 years since then, China has become a great power, and the largest economy in the world, if GDP is calculated in terms of purchasing power parity.

As for the changes that have occurred in the past 60 years, bilateral trade increased from $100 million in 1964 to $78.9 billion in 2023, France has become the third-largest trade partner of China in the EU, and China the largest trade partner of France in Asia.

The fact that 7,000 French companies are operating in China shows that Sino-French trade and economic ties have not been affected by external factors. Besides, cooperation between the two sides on the ecology and digital technology is deepening.

Cultural centers have started a high-level of people-to-people dialogue through local institutions on education and tourism, promoting the enrichment of both civilizations. For example, France and China have 111 pairs of sister cities and provinces, and there are 14 Alliances Francaise centers in China and 18 Confucius Institutes in France.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French diplomatic relations, China and France will offer to their respective nationals the chance to discover the great works of French and Chinese artists, architects, theater personalities, dancers, musicians and filmmakers.

Given the Sino-French history of independence, we can only hope the meeting between the two countries leaders contributes to world peace. Therefore, this is the right time for other countries to join China in calling for regional and global peace.

[Abridged]

Christine Bierre

The author is editor-in-chief of Nouvelle Solidarite, the organ of the Solidarity.
A mainland man involved in currency exchange has been accused of embezzling HKD350,000 from an accomplice and confessed the money was lost, police said. Authorities revealed that in March, the victim collaborated with the suspect in an illegal foreign exchange, contributing HKD810,000 while the suspect found customers. Although the victim received some exchange money, the suspect later took HKD350,000 and became uncontactable. In April, the victims friends found the suspect in a Cotai hotel. During a conversation outside, the suspect claimed he was threatened and asked an officer for help. He was subsequently exposed by police and transferred to the procuratorate on suspicion of credit abuse.

Related
As heavy rains caused flooding in parts of Macau over the weekend, some residents are calling on officials to evaluate the drainage capacity of the citys infrastructure and strengthen maintenance efforts.

On Saturday, water leaked from the ceiling of the Border Gate underground bus terminal as drainage lines at the nearby border checkpoint backed up during downpours. Wu Chou Kit, president of the Macau Institution of Engineers, said aging pipes at the bus terminal may be to blame and that the broader canal network was not at fault.

However, Wu believes Macau should review drainage systems in each district to prepare for increasingly frequent severe weather. He suggested utilizing V-shaped land near the under-construction light rail line to simultaneously expand pipes across the northern region, as cited in a TDM report.

Deputy convener Kou Ngon Fong of the North District Community Service Advisory Committee also wants authorities to comprehensively inspect for leaks. Flooding has occurred in renovation works at Fai Chi Kei District during rains. He hopes officials implement response plans to ensure projects do not hinder drainage and reduce disruption to local residents.

Staff Reporter
The number of visitors to Macau over the five-day Golden Week of the Labor Day holiday can be considered significantly high, particularly after the bad weather in the whole South China region in the last few days.

Even if the conditions were not ideal, with several areas of the Guangdong province, including the neighboring city of Zhuhai, registering major disruption as a consequence of the severe rainfall, the figures recorded by the Public Security Police Force (PSP) show the number of visitors entering Macau over the five days of the Golden Week was in line with the forecasts.

In total, Macau received 604,395 visitors, a daily average of 120,879, close to the 130,000 per day forecasted by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

The single day with a higher influx of visitors was May 3 (Friday) when 154,006 crossed the border into Macau, followed by the previous day (May 2) in which 150,862 arrived.

Other than these, the figures recorded over the other three days can be considered normal, like any other weekend or public holiday.

On Saturday (May 4) the severe rainstorm that affected Macau and the neighboring regions caused the suspension of most public transport and even the access of private vehicles to the major border checkpoint, the Border Gate, from the Zhuhai side.

Concurrently, the peak of visitors entering and exiting Macau was May 3, with 159,446 visitors leaving Macau, exceeding arrivals by over 5,000.

The PSP recorded 36,189 foreign visitors over the five days, with a daily average of 7,238, 5.99% of the total arrivals. The figure is 2% higher compared to the recent Easter and Ching Ming Festival.

May 5 (Sunday) recorded the largest influx of foreign visitors in the whole period, with 9,046 entering Macau.

When compared year-on-year with last year, the number of arrivals during the first four days of the Labor Day Golden Week is some 22% higher than in 2023 when, during the first four days, Macau received some 435,808 in contrast with the 532,761 recorded this year.

The most popular border checkpoint continues to be the Border Gate, followed by Hengqin Port and Qingmao Port.

The Macau Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge comes only in fourth with fewer than half the entries registered at the Qingmao Port and only around 11.1% of the entries registered at Border Gate.

May GGR to reach MOP20 billion

Citigroup has predicted Macau will achieve a gross gaming revenue (GGR) of MOP20 billion in May, recovering to 77% of the pre-Covid level.

According to analysts George Choi and Ryan Cheung, this estimate translates to a daily run-rate of MOP645 million. In April, Macaus GGR exceeded expectations, reaching MOP18.55 billion, surpassing Citigroups estimate of MOP18 billion and the consensus forecast of MOP18.1 billion.

This resulted in a daily run-rate of MOP672 million for the final nine days of the month, representing a 12% increase compared to the previous week. The analysts believe this higher daily run-rate suggests some visitors arrived in Macau even before the start of the Labor Day Holidays. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley has projected Macaus May GGR will reach MOP19.7 billion, reflecting a 6% month-on-month increase and a recovery to 76% of the 2019 level.
Over the past 60 years, China-France relations have long been at the forefront of Chinas ties with major Western countries, setting a good example for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different systems, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a written speech yesterday upon his arrival in Paris for a state visit to France, Xinhua reported.

Xi will start official contacts today, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been stressing the idea of European strategic autonomy from the U.S. On a visit to Beijing last year, Macron courted controversy by saying France would not necessarily always align with the U.S. in foreign policy, an apparent reference to American support for the self-governing island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

After leaving France, Xi will visit Hungary and Serbia, both seen as China-friendly and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, rebuffing Western criticism of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Xis European visits will be closely followed in Washington for signs of diminishing support for its key foreign policy goals.

The Chinese leader arrived in France just as Paris is putting the finishing touches on its preparations for hosting the Summer Olympics, an event in which China invests huge amount of national prestige.

France sees Xis visit, which officially marks 60 years of French-Chinese diplomatic relations, as an important diplomatic moment, and wants to focus on Chinas broader relations with the EU. Macron invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the talks today.

It comes a month before Macron, who positions himself as the diplomatic leader of Europe, hosts Biden for a similar state visit.

It is also a sign of the good vibes from Macrons visit to China in April last year, said Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese Studies and director of the Lau China Institute at Kings College London.

This is a highly strategic visit to Europe by Xi. And in his itinerary you can divine the runes of Chinese policy on Europe now, bolstering the traditional links as far as possible, and reinforcing new ones, Brown said, according to an Associated Press dispatch.

Xis is also visiting Budapest, where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in power for 14 years, is facing political challenges from the opposition over his authoritarian style.

Hungary has straddled a middle ground between its membership in the EU and NATO and an unusual openness to diplomatic and trade relationships with eastern autocracies such as Russia and China.

Orban, a right-wing populist who has forged close ties with Russia, delayed Swedens entry into NATO for months. China has cited NATO expansion as provoking Russia to invade Ukraine.

Hungary is the first EU member to participate in Xis signature Belt and Road Initiative that seeks to build billions of dollars of roads, ports, power plants and other infrastructure across Asia, Africa and beyond.

Orban was the only EU leader to attend a conference in Beijing on the BRI, which has been criticized for burying participating countries in debt and failing to deliver on promised investments, something that prompted Italy to drop out last year.

Despite that, Hungarys government has deepened its economic ties with China, with the proliferation of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery factories across the country gaining the most attention. Near Debrecen, Hungarys second-largest city, construction is underway of a nearly 550-acre, 7.3 billion euro ($7.9 billion) EV battery plant, Hungarys largest-ever foreign direct investment.

According to AP, China has also invested heavily in infrastructure to link Hungary with its southern neighbor Serbia, Xis next stop on his European tour.

In 2014, Hungary and Serbia concluded an agreement with Beijing to modernize the railway between their capitals of Budapest and Belgrade, part of a Belt and Road plan to link up with the Chinese-controlled port of Piraeus in Greece, to the south, an entry point for Chinese goods to Central and Eastern Europe.

The more than $2 billion project is expected to be completed in 2026, after numerous delays.

In Serbia, Xi will hold talks with President Aleksandar Vucic, with whose government China has built strong relations.

The two countries have a long history of friendship, particularly since 1999, when NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese nationals, during the air war to end Serbias brutal crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo.

The U.S. apologized, saying faulty target selection was to blame, but the incident led to violent attacks on U.S. diplomatic installations in China and fueled anti-American sentiment in both countries that endures to this day.

In 2022, shortly after the Russian assault on Ukraine, Serbia took semi-secret delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system flown in on six Chinese Air Force Y-20 transport planes. The arms delivery over the territory of at least two NATO member states, Turkey and Bulgaria, was seen by experts as a demonstration of Chinas growing global reach.

China claims neutrality in the Ukraine conflict but Xi and Putin declared their governments had a no limits friendship before Moscows attack on Ukraine. China has refused to call the Russian assault an invasion and has been accused of bolstering Russias capacity to produce weapons and its military advantage against Ukraine, which is awaiting tens of billions in Western military aid, AP said.

A U.S. military aid bill passed last week allots $61 billion for Ukraine, as well as $8 billion to counter Chinese threats in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, which China has condemned as a dangerous provocation.

Chinas foreign ministry said the U.S. position on Chinese defense trade with Russia was hypocritical when considered alongside the amount of military assistance Washington is providing to Kyiv.

China denies selling arms to Russia and the U.S. says it has found no direct evidence of such evidence of such. However, China does sell machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine, according to a U.S. assessment. MDT/Agencies
MoHo rocks. MoHo strong. You matter. We love you. We appreciate you.

Suns. Flowers. Rainbows.

The focus was on healing Sunday at Mount Horeb Middle School, where dozens and dozens of students, parents and faculty gathered, using chalk to write and draw positive, encouraging messages for the students who will return Monday in the aftermath of a harrowing shooting at the school last week.

On Wednesday, a 911 caller alerted authorities about a person with a gun and a backpack walking toward the middle school, shortly after 11 a.m. Students saw their 14-year-old classmate outside and alerted staff. Police arrived quickly and confronted the student, Damian Haglund. Police ordered the eighth grader to drop what turned out to be a .177-caliber pellet rifle. Instead, he pointed the weapon at police, who fired. Haglund died at the scene.

It was hours before students were reunited with their parents. School was canceled Thursday and Friday. Ensuring students social and emotional needs are met Monday as they adjust to their normal school routine is now the priority, several faculty said Sunday at the art gathering.

After an hour Sunday, hundreds of colorful, vibrant messages and drawings covered the curving sidewalk at Mount Horeb Middle Schools entrance. The sun brought out the color of the bold designs  theres sunshine in Mondays National Weather Service forecast.

Middle school student Locklyn Burghy, 12, chose MoHo strong for one of her chalk designs.

Its because when we went through the whole thing, we were strong going through it, she said, adding that she felt prepared to return to classes Monday.

Her best friend, Maci Michalski, 12, also a Mount Horeb Middle School student, chose the same phrase.

We, like, all got through it and we are all safe, she said. We ran and got where we needed to be.

Of going back to school , Michalski said: Im ready.

Stacy Zander, Locklyns mom, said they came to the art event to help to see their friends, and because Locklyn wanted to help inspire positive thoughts as students walk into school Monday.

Amanda Burghy, another middle school school parent, drew You matter.

Its because all these kids matter, she said. Sometimes they need the reminder.

Jennifer Bethel, parent of two Mount Horeb Middle School students, drew the schools Viking mascot, which to her represents the strength, courage and steadfastness of the police officers, faculty and students last week.

Its our first time coming to school since Wednesday night, she said.

Aubree Hanks, Mount Horeb School Districts resource development and public relations coordinator, was encouraged by the art gatherings turnout.

Its phenomenal, she said. Its just great to see all their artwork and faces and conversations happening.

Returning to school life

On Sunday, director of student services Bryan Johnson said that Monday will be about providing care for all students.

We are providing extra counseling support, Johnson said, adding that the school plans to keep the learning day light for students. There will be therapy dogs.

He said 11 staff members from Mount Horeb and surrounding districts will be on hand to help students in any way they need.

The Wisconsin Department of Justices Office of School Safety is also working with the Mount Horeb School District to provide resources and promote its SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT hotline, to which people can submit reports about possible threats involving gun violence.

According to the programs website, the SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT mobile app is available at both the Apple Store and Google Play. People can call 1-800-MY-SUSO-1 to speak to a person or text SUSO to 738477 to receive a link to an anonymous tip form.

District Superintendent Steve Salerno was at Sundays event. He said the art gathering embodied the spirit of Mount Horeb.

We want to be slow and methodical, Salerno said of how the school will support students in the coming days. We have work to do.
Feature: French PM greets Xi with Chinese "Nihao"

Xinhua) 08:20, May 06, 2024

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

PARIS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- As Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Paris on Sunday for a state visit to France, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal greeted him at the airport with "Nihao," hello in Chinese.

Chinese and French national flags flutter in the wind at the airport as the French side rolled out red carpet for the Chinese leader. A team of high-level French government representatives headed by Attal were waiting for Xi's arrival. This diplomatic protocol arrangement shows that the French side attaches great importance to the visit.

It is Xi's third state visit to France, and his first trip to Europe in nearly five years. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations.

When Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, stepped out of the cabin, they waved to the welcoming crowds.

As Xi walked down the gangway, Attal stepped forward, and said "Nihao" to the Chinese leader.

Attal and Xi walked and chatted as he accompanied the Chinese leader to the limousine.

He told Xi that he once visited China when he was a lawmaker. "I studied Chinese for one year," he said.

"You speak very well, very standard. Welcome to China for a visit," Xi said with a smile.

The Chinese leader is also an enthusiast of French culture, who developed a keen interest in French history, philosophy, literature and art in his youth.

"France holds a special fascination for us Chinese," Xi said in a signed article published Sunday in French media Le Figaro.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico has headed for a visit to Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing Slovak media.

He is set to meet President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday to discuss deepening bilateral relations, with an emphasis on economic cooperation.

"The meeting will also address options for importing Azerbaijani gas to Slovakia. The Slovak prime minister and the Azerbaijani president will sign a declaration on a strategic partnership between the Slovak Republic and Azerbaijan," said the press department of the Government Office.

An agreement on cooperation in the field of the defence industry between the Slovak and Azerbaijani defence ministers will also be signed.

Fico will be accompanied on his visit by a group of entrepreneurs who will hold talks on cooperation between Slovakian and Azerbaijani businesses.

This is Fico's first foreign visit outside the EU, the aim of which is to support the Slovak economy and develop bilateral relations with countries that have high economic potential.

The Slovak delegation will also include Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak.
Palestinian Territories  Efforts aimed at securing an elusive truce in exchange for hostages held in Gaza were due to resume Monday as disagreement between Israel and Hamas over demands to end the seven-month war intensified.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that surrendering to a demand to end the war would amount to defeat, while Qatar-based Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh accused Netanyahu of sabotaging the talks.

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Negotiations were due to continue Monday in Qatar, where CIA director Bill Burns was expected for emergency talks on mediation efforts with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a source with knowledge of the discussions told AFP.

A Hamas official said Sunday the groups delegation for Gaza truce talks was headed to Doha for consultations after the last round of talks in Cairo failed to produce a breakthrough.

Hamas negotiators are then due back in Cairo on Tuesday, said Al-Qahera News, a site linked to Egyptian intelligence services.

In Rafah in southern Gaza, where about 1.2 million Palestinians have sought shelter, medics and first responders said 16 people were killed Sunday in Israeli air strikes, hours after Hamas rockets had killed three Israeli soldiers.

Residents of the southern Gaza city told AFP they feared an upsurge in violence if truce talks collapse.

Naja Shaat, 59, said she was extremely joyful when she thought a ceasefire was imminent, but today we are on pins and needles.

Gazas bloodiest-ever war began following Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized some 250 hostages.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry.

 Lost hope 

The Palestinian civilian toll has strained ties between Israel and its main military supplier and ally the United States.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.

Negotiators met in Cairo Sunday without an Israeli delegation present.

Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators had proposed a 40-day pause in the fighting and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, according to details released by Britain.

Any truce reached would be the first since a week-long November ceasefire saw a hostage-prisoner swap.

Netanyahu, whose coalition includes ultra-nationalist parties, faces regular protests demanding a deal to bring the hostages home.

Demonstrators, some carrying posters with images of the captives, gathered in Tel Aviv on Sunday, as Israel marked national Holocaust Remembrance Day.

According to a statement from Netanyahus office, he told his cabinet Israel would not let Hamas take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure and return to threaten the citizens of Israel.

Israel will not agree to Hamass demands, which mean surrender, and will continue the fighting until all its goals are achieved, he added.

Haniyeh said Netanyahu wanted to invent constant justifications for the continuation of aggression, expanding the circle of conflict, and sabotaging efforts made through various mediators and parties.

 Expect an escalation 

Previous negotiation efforts had stalled in part because of Hamass demand for a lasting ceasefire and Netanyahus vows to crush its remaining fighters in Rafah.

Hamas in a statement insisted it maintained a positive and responsible approach and said it was determined to reach an agreement.

The statement mentioned that Hamass key demands include a complete end to the fighting, Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip, the facilitation of the return of displaced people, the intensification of relief efforts, reconstruction efforts and a prisoner-hostage exchange deal.

Netanyahu has vowed to invade Rafah regardless of any truce, and despite concerns from the United States, other countries and aid groups.

At the start of the war, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said his country would impose a complete siege blocking food, water and other supplies.

Continuous appeals for greater access have, according to the UN, led to some improvements recently.

Israel in December reopened the southern Kerem Shalom border crossing for aid, but on Sunday the army said it was targeted with projectiles and closed to the passage of humanitarian aid trucks.

Hamass armed wing claimed the rocket fire, saying militants had targeted troops.

The army later announced three soldiers were killed in the attack and 12 were wounded, three seriously.

An AFP correspondent and witnesses reported shelling and gunfire in Gaza City Sunday, and helicopter fire in central and southern Gaza. The Israeli military later said it struck a Hamas command and control position in central Gaza.

Arwa Saqr, displaced from the southern city of Khan Yunis, said she has lost hope that the negotiations will succeed.

In Rafah, where the army said the rockets were launched from, 35-year-old Mohammed Al-Najjar said: I expect an escalation.

 Al Jazeera 

Netanyahu on Sunday also announced a government decision to close operations in Israel of Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera, which has broadcast round-the-clock coverage of the conflict.

It went off-air a short time later.

The network condemned Israels decision as a criminal act, and said it would take legal action.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which has been central to humanitarian operations in Gaza during the war, said Sunday that Israeli authorities had barred him from entering Gaza for a second time since the war began.

In a post on X, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini also called for an independent investigation into the rockets fired at Kerem Shalom.

Israel estimates 128 hostages abducted on October 7 remain in Gaza, including 35 who the military says are dead.

On Sunday the Hostages and Missing Families Forum appealed to Netanyahu, telling him in a statement to disregard all political pressure, with some far-right members of the government opposing a truce and calling for fighting to continue.
In-person classes will resume Monday at the University of California, Los Angeles, college officials said, after they were moved online following clashes on campus between pro-Palestinian protesters and police.

Demonstrations against Israels war on Hamas in Gaza have rocked US campuses across the country for weeks, prompting crackdowns, mass arrests, and a White House directive to restore order.

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UCLA said Friday it had moved classes online after a large police contingent forcibly cleared a sprawling encampment. Clashes have also broken out between the protesters and pro-Israel counter-demonstrators.

The campus will return to regular operations (on Monday) and plans to remain this way through the rest of the week, read a statement posted Sunday on the universitys website.

A law enforcement presence continues to be stationed around campus to help promote safety, the post added.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said urgent changes were needed in the campus security operations, adding that a new office would lead the effort.

It is clear that UCLA needs a unit and leader whose sole responsibility is campus safety to guide us through tense times, he said in a statement on Sunday.

Rick Braziel, the former head of the Sacramento Police Department, was named to lead the office.

More than 2,000 arrests have been made in the past two weeks across the United States, some during violent confrontations with police, giving rise to accusations of use of excessive force.

President Joe Biden, who has faced pressure from all political sides over the conflict in Gaza, has said that order must prevail on US campuses.

The Gaza war started when Hamas militants staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,683 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territorys health ministry.
The 15th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), held in Banjul, capital of The Gambia, May 4-5, hailed Moroccos initiatives at regional and multilateral levels.

In its final communique, the OIC Summit commended the Rabat Declaration, adopted at the end of the High-Level Ministerial Conference on Middle-Income Countries in February 2024, which called for consolidating the participation of these countries in global governance and promoting the Middle-Income Countries Friendship Group, to become an official governmental platform for dialogue, awareness-raising and coordination on development issues.

The Summit also praised the Kingdoms efforts in the fight against terrorism, welcoming the United Nations choice of Morocco as a partner to host the United Nations Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa.

The Banjul Summit hailed Moroccos experience in the fight against terrorism, through its chairmanship of the think tank of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS in Africa, and the Kingdoms organization of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh in Marrakech on May 11, 2022.

In the field of migration, the OIC Summit commended the pioneering role of King Mohammed VI as Champion of migration issues at the African level, and Moroccos pursuit of its role as a leading country in the implementation of the Global Compact on Migration.

The Final Communique of the Summit also praised the Kingdoms efforts to reconcile the points of view of the Libyan protagonists.

The Summit welcomes the efforts made by the Kingdom of Morocco to bring together the points of view of the Libyan protagonists and bring them to the dialogue table, within the framework of a series of meetings held in Morocco, with a view to advancing the process of a political solution, in accordance with the Skhirat agreement reached in 2015 to achieve the expected political settlement, the Communique emphasized.

On another note, the Summit welcomed Moroccos election to head the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the year 2024, a token of the international communitys recognition of its role in defending core human rights issues.

It also hailed the Marrakech Declaration, the outcome of the first International Seminar on National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-up (NMIRFs) in the field of human rights, held in Marrakech in December 2022.

Similarly, the OIC Summit welcomed the technical support provided by Morocco to increase agricultural capacity and enhance food security in many parts of the world, by dedicating more than a quarter of its fertilizer production capacity to a number of countries with fragile agricultural systems, and also by allocating 4 million tons of fertilizer to improve food security in Africa during 2023, which is likely to increase the productivity of 44 million farmers in 35 countries.

The Banjul Summit also commended Moroccos achievement of Sectoral Dialogue Partner Status with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, crowning the process of dynamic partnerships between Morocco and the countries of Southeast Asia.

In addition, it praised the pioneering role of the Mohammed VI Center for Dialogue of Civilizations in the Chilean city of Coquimbo, as a bridge of civilizational communication between the Islamic world and the Atlantic countries of Africa and Latin America in particular.

In this connection, the 15th OIC Summit welcomed the resolution proposed by Morocco and unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on July 25, 2023, on promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech.

On the other hand, the final communique commended Moroccos inclusion of the Malhoun heritage on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, at the 18th session of UNESCOs Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Botswana in November 2023, as an international recognition of Moroccos efforts to protect and enhance tangible and intangible cultural heritage, bringing to 14 the total number of cultural properties inscribed on UNESCOs List of Intangible World Heritage.
Bombings targeting two displacement camps in eastern Congo have resulted in the deaths of at least 12 individuals, including children, according to the United Nations (UN). The attacks struck the Lac Vert and Mugunga camps near Goma city, with the UN condemning them as a blatant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law, potentially constituting war crimes.

A rebel group identified as M23 has intensified its two-year offensive, advancing toward Goma in recent months, prompting a mass influx of refugees into the city. Save The Children, present at one of the camps during the bombings, reported numerous injuries, particularly among women and children, with the death toll still undetermined. UN spokesperson Jean Jonas Yaovi Tossa confirmed at least 12 fatalities and over 20 injuries resulting from the attacks.

The Congolese army spokesperson, Lt Col Ndjike Kaiko, attributed the bombings to M23, which is allegedly linked to neighboring Rwanda. However, M23 refuted these accusations in a statement, instead blaming the Congolese forces. President Felix Tshisekedi, who was abroad at the time, cut short his trip to return home following the bombings, reiterating longstanding allegations of Rwandas involvement in destabilizing Congo by supporting M23, a claim Rwanda denies.

The recent bombings coincide with M23s seizure of the strategic mining town of Rubaya, known for its tantalum deposits crucial for smartphone production. The United States strongly condemned the attacks, attributing them to positions held by the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) and M23. The US urged both parties to respect human rights and adhere to international humanitarian law. The enduring conflict in eastern Congo, involving over 100 armed groups vying for land and control of valuable mineral resources, has precipitated one of the worlds most severe humanitarian crises, displacing approximately seven million people and exposing many to egregious human rights violations.
Togos ruling party has emerged victorious in the nations parliamentary elections, securing a notable majority, according to the election commissions provisional results. The opposition, however, has rejected these outcomes, alleging they are part of a strategy to extend President Faure Gnassingbes rule. The provisional results, revealed late Saturday, indicate that the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR) party claimed a staggering 108 out of 113 seats. This electoral contest served as a litmus test for public support regarding a proposed new constitution that seeks to abolish presidential elections, transferring the authority to select the president to lawmakers.

The proposed constitution proposes a presidential term limit of four years with a two-term cap. This scenario sets the stage for the potential re-election of the 57-year-old Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005. Gilbert Bawara, a spokesperson for the ruling party, expressed confidence in the election results, asserting strong backing from the Togolese populace.

However, both the opposition and religious leaders have vehemently denounced the election results and the legislation passed by lawmakers in March, following the expiration of their mandate. Togos political landscape has been dominated by the same family for 57 years, initially under Eyadema Gnassingbe and then his son, Faure Gnassingbe, who assumed office amid disputed elections. The proposed new constitution is perceived by the opposition as a maneuver for Gnassingbe to extend his tenure beyond 2025.

Despite nearly half of Togos 8.8 million citizens being registered to vote, voter turnout varied widely across regions. Opposition spokesperson Eric Dupuy criticized the parliamentary vote, drawing parallels to North Korea, while analysts voiced concerns over whether the election met voter expectations. Turnout rates ranged from as low as 33% in some areas, like the capital city of Lome, to as high as 97% in the ruling partys strongholds in the north.
In Nigerias northeastern state of Adamawa, a measles outbreak has claimed the lives of at least 42 individuals in just over a week, according to the states health commissioner, Felix Tangwami. The outbreak has predominantly affected two local government areas, with nearly 200 suspected cases identified. Tangwami has confirmed that vaccination efforts are underway in these areas, to contain the situation. Measles, a highly contagious airborne virus, primarily targets children under the age of five and can be prevented through the administration of two vaccine doses. Despite substantial global progress in measles prevention, challenges persist in Nigeria, exacerbated by ongoing security concerns and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organizations such as Doctors Without Borders have highlighted Nigerias difficulties in achieving vaccination targets. These challenges have led to a worrying increase in measles cases over the past year. Rapid transmission among unvaccinated children underscores the critical importance of vaccination campaigns in affected regions. Security issues, including those caused by groups like Boko Haram and criminal gangs, have further complicated vaccination efforts in northern Nigerian states. The COVID-19 pandemic has also strained the countrys health system and disrupted vaccination programs.

Efforts by health organizations like Doctors Without Borders have been crucial in addressing the outbreak, with a focus on treating patients and raising awareness about the importance of vaccination. However, ongoing challenges highlight the need for sustained efforts to ensure widespread vaccination coverage and effectively combat measles outbreaks in Nigeria.
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 research that may be a step forward toward finding personalized treatments for Tourette disorder, scientists at Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick have bred mice that exhibit some of the same behaviors and brain abnormalities seen in humans with the disorder.

As reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers, using a technique known as CRISPR/Cas9 DNA editing that selectively modifies the DNA of living organisms, inserted the same genetic mutations found in humans with Tourette disorder into the corresponding genes in mouse embryos.

After the mice were born, the scientists observed their behavior compared with littermates without the gene mutation insertion. The mutations that were inserted were discovered by some members of the same research team who have spent more than a decade focused on investigating genetic factors in Tourette disorder.

The researchers said the findings indicate that these mice are a highly useful "model" to study the neurobiology of Tourette disorder and to test new medications.

"There are no medicines specifically developed for Tourette disorder and repurposing other drugs has worked poorly, with too many side effects," said co-senior author Jay Tischfield, the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Distinguished Professor of Genetics in the Department of Genetics in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and a pioneer in the study of Tourette disorder.

"Until now, the problem has been a lack of an animal model by which to test new or existing medications."

Tourette disorder is a disorder of the nervous system that affects children, adolescents and adults. The condition is characterized by sudden, involuntary movements or sounds called tics. Tics can be mild, moderate or severe, and are disabling in some cases.

Tourette disorder doesn't affect lifespan, but it often adversely impacts the experience of people with the disorder and the people with whom they interact. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that one of every 162 children have the disorder, though the number may be higher.

Using cameras that recorded the mice's actions and employing a form of artificial intelligence known as machine learning, the researchers found the genetically engineered mice exhibited two key characteristics seen in humans with Tourette disorder: They engaged in repetitive motor behaviors or tics, and they exhibited what neuroscientists call "sensorimotor gating deficits," a neural process whereby the brain filters out redundant or irrelevant stimuli.

Cara Nasello, a research associate in the Departments of Genetics and Cell Biology and Neuroscience and the first author of the study, said gating deficits in people with Tourette syndrome can be viewed as a difficulty in processing sensory information.

A person without the disorder who listens to a series of sounds such as a beeping car horn wouldn't be startled after the first honk because that person's brain can link the second and subsequent sounds to the first one. A person with Tourette disorder might be startled by each separate sound, especially if it increases in volume.

The genetically engineered mice reacted the same way humans with the disorder would react to individual sounds that were part of a patternthey showed a startle response to each tone, Nasello said.

In collaboration with Miriam Bocarsly from the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the team found evidence that the gene mutations altered the levels of a brain chemical known as dopamine. As with humans with Tourette disorder who are treated with a drug that alters the levels of dopamine, the processing deficits and repetitive behaviors seen in the mice decreased in intensity when they were administered the same drug.

"An easy way to think about this is that we have inserted a gene mutation and it's changed the neural circuitry of the mice's brains," said Max Tischfield, an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, and the senior corresponding author of the study.

"And those changes are altering how a brain chemical like dopamine, which in humans is important for cognition and motor behavior, allows the mice brain cells to communicate."

The researchers credited much of the success of their work to the contributions of families with Tourette disorder who over the past 15 years donated genetic samples to the research group.

"These families did this out of the goodness of their hearts with the idea of moving the field forward," said Gary Heiman, a co-senior author of the study and a professor in the Department of Genetics who recruited families of members with Tourette disorder throughout the world and organized blood collection and genetic repositories.

"They want to have a better understanding of this mysterious disorder and for us to come up with better treatments, not only for the people who are currently suffering with the disorder but also for future generations."

The scientists said the techniques they employed in their research are applicable to researchers studying other complex disorders caused by multiple genes, including autism and schizophrenia.

They also hope this advance will attract more researchers to study Tourette disorder.

"So why would a researcher jump into something if there's little known and they're left wondering, 'How do I even start? What do I have at my disposal that would allow me to even scratch the surface of this very complex disorder?'" Max Tischfield said. "And with these mice, not only can we scratch the surface, but we can dig underneath."

Other Rutgers scientists involved with the study include Lauren Poppi, Joshua Thackray, Riley Wang, Rodna Spaseka, C.K. Johnson and Derek Gordon, all from the Department of Genetics; Junbing Wu, Tess Kowalski, and Angelina Persaud, from the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; and Miriam Mahboob from the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar also contributed to the study.

More information: Cara Nasello et al, Human mutations in high-confidence Tourette disorder genes affect sensorimotor behavior, reward learning, and striatal dopamine in mice, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307156121 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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:

Jason Comander, MD, Ph.D., director of the Inherited Retinal Disorders Service at Mass Eye and Ear, examines the CRISPR-based medicine prior to performing a surgery of the novel treatment in September 2020, at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. Credit: Mass Eye and Ear

Results from a clinical trial of CRISPR gene editing in 14 individuals with a form of inherited blindness show that the treatment is safe and led to measurable improvements in 11 of the participants treated. The Phase I/II trial called BRILLIANCE, was led by principal investigator Eric Pierce, MD, Ph.D., of Mass Eye and Ear, a member of the Mass General Brigham health care system. Findings are reported May 6 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

"This research demonstrates that CRISPR gene therapy for inherited vision loss is worth continued pursuit in research and clinical trials," said Pierce, director of Ocular Genomics Institute and Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations at Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School.

"While more research is needed to determine who may benefit most, we consider the early results promising. To hear from several participants how thrilled they were that they could finally see the food on their plates that is a big deal. These were individuals who could not read any lines on an eye chart and who had no treatment options, which is the unfortunate reality for most people with inherited retinal disorders."

All 14 trial participants, including 12 adults (ages 17 to 63) and two children (ages 10 and 14), were born with a form of Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) caused by mutations in the centrosomal protein 290 (CEP290) gene. They underwent a single injection of a CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing medicine, EDIT-101 in one eye via a specialized surgical procedure. This trial, which included the first patient to ever receive a CRISPR-based investigational medicine directly inside the body, focused primarily on safety with a secondary analysis for efficacy.

No serious treatment or procedure-related adverse events were reported, nor were there any dose-limiting toxicities. For efficacy, the researchers looked at four measures: best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA); dark-adapted full-field stimulus testing (FST), visual function navigation (VNC, as measured by a maze participants completed), and vision-related quality of life.

Eleven participants demonstrated improvements in at least one of those outcomes, while six demonstrated improvement in two or more. Four participants had clinically meaningful improvement in BCVA. Six participants experienced meaningful improvements in cone-mediated vision as indicated by FSTs, five of whom had improvements in at least one of the three other outcomes. Cone photoreceptors are used for daytime and central vision.

"The results from the BRILLIANCE trial provide proof of concept and important learnings for the development of new and innovative medicines for inherited retinal diseases. We've demonstrated that we can safely deliver a CRISPR-based gene editing therapeutic to the retina and have clinically meaningful outcomes," said Baisong Mei, MD, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Editas Medicine.

Studies like this one show the promise of gene therapy for treating incurable conditions. Mass General Brigham's Gene and Cell Therapy Institute is helping to translate scientific discoveries made by researchers into first-in-human clinical trials and, ultimately, life-changing treatments for patients.

Exploring CRISPR as an inherited retinal disorder treatment

Mutations in the CEP290 gene are the leading cause of inherited blindness taking place during the first decade of life. The mutations cause rod and cone photoceptors in the eye's retina to function improperly, which after some time will lead to irreversible vision loss. Pierce compares it to a small part of an engine breaking down, which eventually leads the entire engine to falter.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene editing toolkit that acts as a GPS-guided scissor to cut a portion of the mutated genome to leave a functional gene. For inherited blindness, the goal was to inject CRISPR to reach the eye's retina to restore the ability to produce the gene and protein responsible for light-sensing cells.

The CEP290 gene is larger than what traditional adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector gene therapies, including one FDA-approved for a different type of inherited vision loss, can accommodate. The genome editing company Editas Medicine began exploring how to tackle the CEP290 mutation in 2014, conducting preclinical studies to determine whether a gene editing approach like CRISPR-Cas9 might be feasible to target these large gene mutations. This work led to the BRILLIANCE trial, which began in mid-2019.

The first patient to receive a CRISPR treatment inside the body (in vivo) took place at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), under the leadership of Mark Pennesi, MD, Ph.D.

"This trial shows CRISPR gene editing has exciting potential to treat inherited retinal degeneration," Pennesi said.

"There is nothing more rewarding to a physician than hearing a patient describe how their vision has improved after a treatment. One of our trial participants has shared several examples, including being able to find their phone after misplacing it and knowing that their coffee machine is working by seeing its small lights. While these types of tasks might seem trivial to those who are normally sighted, such improvements can have a huge impact on quality of life for those with low vision."

Jason Comander, MD, Ph.D., performs the procedure to deliver the CRISPR-based medicine as part of the BRILLIANCE trial in September 2020 at Mass Eye and Ear. Credit: Mass Eye and Ear

The second patient was treated at Mass Eye and Ear in September 2020, following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional participants were treated across three other trial sites: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, and Scheie Eye Institute at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Two adults received low-dose therapy, five received mid-dose, and another five received a high-dose treatment. Two children, treated at CHOP under the leadership of Tomas S. Aleman, MD, received a mid-dose treatment.

"Our patients are the first congenitally blind children to be treated with gene-editing, which significantly improved their daytime vision. Our hope is that the study will pave the road for treatments of younger children with similar conditions and further improvements in vision," said Aleman, the Irene Heinz-Given and John LaPorte Research Professor in Ophthalmology at Penn Medicine with the Scheie Eye Institute and a pediatric ophthalmologist at CHOP who served as a site principal investigator and study co-author.

"This trial represents a landmark in the treatment of genetic diseases, in specific, genetic blindness, by offering an important alternative treatment, when traditional forms of gene therapy, such as gene augmentation, are not an option."

Participants were monitored every three months for one year, and then followed less frequently for two additional years. At visits, they would undergo a series of serum and vision tests to examine safety and efficacy outcome measures.

In November 2022, Editas paused enrollment on the BRILLIANCE trial. Pierce and colleagues are exploring working with other commercial partners to conduct additional trials, in collaboration with Editas.

The researchers hope future studies can examine ideal dosing, whether a treatment effect is more pronounced in certain age groups such as younger patients, and include refined endpoints to measure the effects of improved cone function on activities of daily living.
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Over the last 20 years, there has been a tenfold increase in reports of denguean infectious disease that spreads to humans through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

A high fever, headache, vomiting and rash are some of the most common symptoms of dengue. In rare and severe cases, it can also cause death. The symptoms become more extreme in individuals with subsequent infections.

Dengue thrives in hot, humid and densely populated conditions. While it is most common in tropical and sub-tropical climates, the disease is now endemic in more than 100 countries and can be found on almost every continent.

Roughly half of the world's population is at risk.

Dengue in numbers

2 vaccines approved for limited use

100 countries where the disease is endemic

100 to 400 million estimated infections occur each year

3.9 billion people are at risk of infection

What's behind the rise in dengue cases?

In the first two months of 2024 alone, there were reports of more than a million cases of dengue in Brazil. It's a record for this period, with cases normally peaking from March to May.

Nearby, Peru recorded more than 34,000 dengue cases in the first eight weeks of the year. The country declared a state of emergency, and its health minister even resigned in the face of the outbreak.

More than 9,000 miles away from these outbreaks, Bangladesh is also seeing a deadly surge in cases that occur frequently throughout the year. Dengue infections were up fivefold in 2023 compared to 2022.

Countries previously dengue-free or at low risk are also reporting cases. That includes France, Croatia, Afghanistan, Chad and the US. And, in many countries in Africa and Asia where data are limited, the true burden of dengue is unknown.

So, why is dengue spreading across the world? And why are recent outbreaks breaking seasonal trends? There are many interacting factors, including:

Climate change

Warmer temperatures as a result of climate change are making more places suitable for mosquitoes to spread and survive, causing disease transmission seasons to last longer and affecting the behavior and geographical range of Aedes mosquitoes. Increased rainfall can lead to more pools of water forming and droughts can lead to more people storing water, both of which create more breeding opportunities for the Aedes mosquitoes. They lay eggs in water storage containers like water tanks, buckets or even pet drinking bowls.

Urbanization and land use

4.4 billion people, or more than 50% of the world's population, live in cities today. This number is projected to increase to 68% by 2050. Urbanization can intensify dengue spread, as well as make it harder to implement interventions that help control the disease. Land use can also increase the risk of dengue. Bodies of water, neglected wet grassland and certain agricultural practices have all been shown to influence Aedes mosquitoes' habitat.

Social demography

There are many studies investigating the link between socio-economic and demographic factors and dengue incidence. This includes an individual's life expectancy at birth, education, household income and access to broadband. Higher income and better access to health care have been found to reduce the risk of dengue.

Travel

Increased international travel and trade in areas where dengue is present can increase the risk of it spreading to new places. For example, in 2023, England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported 634 dengue cases in returning travelers.

Dengue and Zika co-circulation

Dengue can co-circulate in human populations with Zika virus, another infectious disease that's primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. They are also cross-reactive, meaning an infection with one virus can affect a person's immune response to the other. But data on how they interact, particularly in the communities most affected, is limited.

Credit: Wellcome Trust

How is dengue prevented and treated?

In most cases of dengue, where the main symptoms are fever and joint pain, it is recommended that individuals treat themselves at home using pain medicine. Those with severe dengue often need hospital care.

There is no specific treatment for dengue, but researchers are working hard to change that.

So far two vaccines have been approved for use: Dengvaxia and QDenga. Dengvaxia has a 60% efficacy rate and can help protect people aged 6 to 45, who have previously been infected, against symptomatic dengue. QDenga has a 73% efficacy rate against symptomatic dengue and can be given to people over 4 years old. A third vaccine, TV003, is currently being tested in Brazil.

There are also several traditional methods to prevent and control dengue. Insecticides, window screens and mosquito nets can help protect against mosquito bites, and covering water storage tanks can help stop mosquito breeding. However, there is evidence that some mosquitoes have become more resistant to insecticides, and the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes move during the daytime when bed nets aren't as effective.

That's why newer methods are in development, like early warning systems which can limit disease outbreaks, house paint made with insecticide and a preventative pill that is being tested in Phase 2 trials. At Wellcome, we're funding some of these novel interventionsfrom a new digital tool that could help predict outbreaks as early as two months in advance to genetically modified mosquitoes that carry a gene that stops their offspring from developing into adults.

While these vaccines and methods exist, they are failing to meet the needs of everyone affected by and at risk of dengue.

To prevent and control dengue, it's crucial to make sure that the products to detect, prevent and control it are accessible, affordable, available and appropriate for everyone.

For example, there's a need to scale up vaccine production. Although Brazil became the first country to roll out a public dengue vaccination campaign this year, there aren't enough vaccines to protect its population of 214 million people. Individuals need two doses each and there are only six million doses.

There's also a need to address the lack of other resources, including diagnostic kits for early detection, trained clinical professionals, vector control staff and community engagement interventions.

More research, funding, disease surveillance and global collaboration are needed to better understand how dengue spreads, its impact on human healthand how to develop more effective products to prevent and control it.

This needs to be combined with urgent action to mitigate climate change as cutting emissions could significantly reduce disease transmission and help protect billions.

How is Wellcome supporting the fight against dengue?

Infectious diseases like dengue are one of the biggest health challenges the world faces today. Poor and disadvantaged individuals and communities are more impacted than others, yet most advances originate in the global north which often means they reflect the needs of people living in richer countries.

At Wellcome, we want to help change that and help improve the lives of the billions of people at risk. We're funding research to understand how dengue emerges and spreads, and to speed up the discovery and development of solutions to help.

Over the years, we've supported many initiatives including:

The World Mosquito Program which releases mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia, a bacterium that reduces their ability to transmit dengue and other mosquito-borne viruses. The program, which we've helped fund since 2014, has protected over 11 million people and prevented more than 600,000 dengue cases in 14 countries. This success has led to regulatory approval for the use of Wolbachia in the U.S., Australia and Brazil.

The Vaccine Impact Modeling Consortium, which models the public health impact of vaccination programs and the impact of climate change on dengue and other climate-sensitive, vaccine-preventable diseases. These estimates are used to understand impact at both a local and global level, and to inform policy and decision making.

Funding researchers investigating dengue across three of our research programs: Infectious Disease, Climate and Health, and Discovery Research. Some examples of recently funded projects include ClimateBuzz, a study on the links between climate, land use and mosquito-borne disease risk in Tanzania, and IDExtremes, a modeling tool to predict the probability of infectious disease outbreaks given compound extreme climatic events.

We're also funding teams to generate evidence on the co-circulation and cross-reactivity of dengue and Zikaand to help implement effective interventions that reduce their burden. This funding, which is currently open for applications, will be led or co-led by researchers in an African or Asian country that's currently experiencing a dengue or Zika outbreak, or has experienced an outbreak in the past. We believe that funding research in the places most at risk, as well as generating more data where it is limited, will help ensure that any resulting interventions meet the needs of the communities most affected by dengue and Zika.

Dengue's escalation in recent decades is proof of the pressing action needed to control it. Mosquitoes don't respect borders and it is increasingly likely that the threat of dengue will spread to other communities. Global problems like this require global action. All countries need to work together to find innovative, effective solutions that are responsive to the longer-term, local needs of people at risk of dengue.
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A hypothetical opioid epidemic with and without spillovers. Credit: Harvard Gazette

The U.S. opioid epidemic is a story of failed policy initiatives, missed opportunities, and more than 600,000 deaths. It's also a story with no end in sight, and for that, two economists say, we can blame relationships.

The central problem owes to the nature of the market, according to David Cutler, the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard, and former Harvard doctoral student J. Travis Donahoe, co-authors of new research posted as a working paper focused on the persistence of the crisis.

In a situation with ample buyers and sellerswhat economists call a "thick market"spillovers in demand for opioids stem from the social nature of drug use, in which users encourage friends, acquaintances, and others to join them.

These demand-boosting spillover effects are common when the pleasure derived from a good is enhanced by shared moments, such as drinks at the bar or a group outing to a sporting event, said Cutler. The effects are particularly strong when the good is also highly addictive, he added.

Like many others, Cutler has been horrified by the explosion of opioid abuse in the U.S., which in the 30 years covered by the study, 1990 to 2020, claimed more than a half million lives. At the same time, he's been puzzled by the epidemic's decades-long staying power, which far exceeds that of similar crises in U.S. history, including the crack epidemic of the 1980s.

Cutler and Donahoe, now an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh, note in the study that communication via social networks becomes especially important in an illegal market, where advertising is unavailable and open sale is prohibited.

In addition, they say, the presence of a robust market with many users can lower the nonmonetary costs of obtaining drugs, like risks from law enforcement or of violence from drug dealers, because the likelihood of doing business with friends, family members, and acquaintances rises.

Trends in drug and opioid overdose deaths per 100,000, 1990 to 2020. Credit: Harvard Gazette

According to the analysts' economic models, "spillovers" were responsible for between 84% and 92% of opioid fatalities from 1990 to 2020, and were the chief reason for the steady climb in deaths. Without that spillover effect, they wrote, the opioid epidemic would have peaked in 2006. In contrast, rising demand due to spillovers can be high enough in some scenarios that, absent effective intervention, deaths rise indefinitely.

Before zeroing in on spillover effects, Cutler and Donahoe examined other potential explanations for the persistence of opioid demand in the U.S., including "deaths of despair" factors such as physical and/or mental distress in the population. They found a modest impact at most. From 1999 to 2018, the prevalence of physical pain in the population increased 20%, while opioid deaths increased 400%.

Similarly, the authors examined whether changes in supply might be sustaining the epidemic, which has been fueled at different moments by prescription opioids, illegal heroin, and, most recently, the synthetic opioid fentanyl. While supply has shifted significantly, Cutler and Donahoe point out that neither heroin nor fentanyl are new. Heroin has been around for more than a century and fentanyl for decades. It is the widespread use of these substances, not their availability, that has changed.

In addition, when the pair examined prices for illegal drugs, they found no evidence of a game-changer. Heroin prices remained relatively static even after the crackdown on prescription drugs, when more people sought out heroin. Similarly, fentanyl's displacement of heroin represented a major change to the opioid supply.

But, while fentanyl is much cheaper to produce, the price on the street isn't that different from the price of heroin. This means that fentanyl makers are pocketing the difference rather than passing along savings to customers in a way that might boost demand, Cutler said.

The spillover effects at the heart of the epidemic are outgrowths of what economists call a "thick market" in this case, one that developed early. Opioids have long been recognized as powerful painkillers but through most of the 20th century they were largely reserved for people with significant, acute pain, such as cancer patients.

In the 1990s, prescribing practices shifted, so that the pain threshold dropped while the duration of use rose, creating a massive new market. One key driver was the time-release opioid OxyContin, which was promoted as safer and less addictive than other opioids. The rapid expansion of opioid prescribing created a veneer of safety and legality that increased societal acceptance of opioid use. Addiction was fed by "pill mills," where prescriptions were written in volume.

Map of average annual opioid deaths per 100,000, 1990 to 2018. Credit: Harvard Gazette

"When the product is more readily available, other people use it more," Cutler said. "The way people would get their start is they'd have some painback pain, knee painand they'd be talking to friends and family and someone would say, 'Oh, when I had pain the doctor gave me opioids and I still have some in my medicine cabinet.'

"So, here's this prescription medication, and it's got to be safe and effective or the FDA wouldn't have let it out. The market is already there. I don't have to do anything illegal. I don't have to search very hard or go into the illegal market. The specific thing here is the availability. I can get it from friends, from family, from doctors who are prescribing it. That's the sense in which the thick market makes it really easy to start off."

The extraordinary potency of the drugs, he added, makes it extremely difficult to pull back.

"These are very, very addicting substances," Cutler said. "They're hugely addicting. That really matters because the withdrawal gets to be extremely severe and the consequence of that is that there's a big issue in terms of people's absolute desire to go back and use again."

Cutler and Donahoe examined two pill-mill counties, one in Kentucky, the other in Ohio, where physicians prescribed opioids after cursory examinations, making them attractive for buyers interested in recreational use.

The authors found that both physical proximity to the pill mill counties and social connectedness to people living in them raised the likelihood of opioid-related deaths. They found that every death in a pill mill county led to additional deaths in geographically close counties and in those with strong social connections to the pill mill counties, as measured by friend connections on Facebook.

In this kind of "thick market" situation, the authors concluded, even temporary misconduct or mistakes by regulators and suppliers can create harms that far outlast the mistake or misconduct. And in this case, Cutler said, the fault lies with just about everyone.

Distribution of social connectedness to Greenup County, Kentucky, and Scioto County, Ohio. Credit: Harvard Gazette

"Companies got away with literally killing people," he said. "The DEA screwed up, the FDA screwed up, medical societies screwed up, rating agencies screwed up. There's enough blame to go around.

"If somebody had done their job really wellthe FDA, the DEA, pharma companies, distributors, pharmaciesif someone had stepped in and said, 'No, this is not right,' the epidemic would have been less bad."

To emphasize the point, he highlighted a missed opportunity amid the shift from prescription opioids to heroin. As authorities reacted to the damage of the growing crisis by tightening prescribing practices, they paid too little attention to demand. That failure to help, including a woefully inadequate commitment to treatment programs, led many people who were hooked on pills to turn to heroin.

"A big policy failure is that we thought too much about the supply side and not enough about the demand side," Cutler said. "By coupling the supply side with the demand side, you would not push people into the illegal market, even as you make it harder for new people to get opioids when they don't need them. Then, if you find a way for those who are addicted to get over the addiction, you've reduced demand. You've got a great glide path: fewer opioids out there, fewer new users, and help for those who are addicted."

It's a lesson that could still make a difference, he addedbut only if we act on it.

"For the good of society, we're treating opioids as more of a public health issue than a criminal issue. We got part of it right. There's no sense putting people who are addicted to heroin or fentanyl in jail. That's just dumb. But on the other hand, we can't not help them out. The sad part is that we haven't provided enough help."

More information: David Cutler et al, Thick Market Externalities and the Persistence of the Opioid Epidemic (2024). DOI: 10.3386/w32055

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This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu.
Turkey's ambassador to Pakistan, Mehmet Pacac?, has been appointed as the special representative of the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Islamophobia.

According to Azernews, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a statement in this regard.

In the statement, expressing confidence that Pachaci will successfully fulfill this task, the Turkish Foreign Ministry reminded the importance of the international community to take a common position and act decisively in the fight against Islamophobia.

Mehmet Pacac? was appointed to the mentioned position at the 15th Islamic Summit of OIC held in Gambia.
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Individuals living with HIV often face significant physical and mental stress, including self-stigma, which can impede their ability to seek treatment and disclose their status.

Adopting effective coping strategies helps them manage these challenges to their well-being. However, research on coping strategies and self-stigma in newly diagnosed HIV patients in Indonesia remains limited.

Researchers from Indonesia have aimed to examine how people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Indonesia cope with their emotions and how this relates to their self-perception. The work is published in The Open Public Health Journal.

Conducted in Semarang City, Indonesia, at the Poncol and Halmahera Public Health Centers, the research involved 150 individuals diagnosed with HIV within the past year. Participants completed two questionnaires assessing coping strategies and self-perception, and the data were analyzed using the Sommers test.

The findings revealed that a majority of participants, approximately 64.7%, reported low coping strategies, while 74% experienced high levels of self-stigma. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation (p-value = 0.001, correlation strength = 0.375) between coping strategies and self-stigma, indicating a moderate relationship.

In essence, the study highlights the interconnectedness between coping mechanisms and self-stigma among PLHIV in Indonesia, underscoring the importance of addressing both aspects in HIV care and support programs.

More information: Ahmad Ikhlasul Amal et al, Analysis of Coping Strategies and Self-Stigma Among People Living with HIV (PLHIV): A Cross Sectional Study, The Open Public Health Journal (2024). DOI: 10.2174/0118749445304007240328052310

Provided by Bentham Science Publishers
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A doctoral thesis by Viktor Schmidt, Umea University can hopefully help doctors to provide better information to patients after wrist fractures. It can determine which treatment is most appropriate for each individual patient.

The thesis shows that the alignment in which a wrist fracture heals in is important in terms of early results (1 year after the injury). After that, there is a continued gradual recovery, and a decade after the injury, most patients are fully recovered in function, regardless of the alignment in which the fracture healed. By identifying unstable fractures and following guidelines that promote early surgery, short-term outcomes are likely to improve.

A broken wrist, or distal radius fracture as it is called in technical terms, is the most common skeletal injury. A well-functioning wrist is important to be able to work and engage in activities of daily living. Treatment after such an injury is aimed at restoring function by recreating anatomical alignment and providing the patient with adequate rehabilitation.

The first study examined results one year after injury.

"We could see a correlation where malalignments led to poorer results in terms of range of motion, grip strength and self-rated problems," says Schmidt, Department of Diagnostics and Intervention.

The second work analyzed whether a continued movement in the skeletal injury between emergency room visits and return visits had any impact on stability.

"We found that this movement, which we have chosen to call 'marginal secondary displacement,' is an important parameter to take into account in order for the skeletal injury to heal in a good position."

The third study followed up on the patients from the first study, a decade later. It showed that the results continue to improve over time and that after more than a decade, the patients were restored in terms of range of motion, grip strength and self-reported outcomes, regardless of the position in which the bone injury had healed. The final study investigated the potential consequences of the fast tracks introduced in the Swedish national guidelines of distal radius fractures.

"We compared the treatment that was given with how they would have been treated if the guidelines had been followed. We found that if the fast-track program had been followed, more patients would have been treated with early surgery and a delayed operation could have been avoided in the majority of cases," says Schmidt, who defends his thesis on May 8.
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Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures, which can lead to various psychological problems. While most cases are idiopathic, some may result from brain injury, stroke, or genetic mutations.

In children, seizures can have different origins and sensitivity to drugs, requiring careful consideration by doctors. Symptoms range from mild to severe, including confusion, staring spells, uncontrollable movements, and loss of consciousness. The prevalence of epilepsy in Saudi Arabia is significant, with studies indicating insufficient knowledge among the public and schoolteachers.

A recent study conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has assessed the effectiveness of an educational program aimed at improving the knowledge and first-aid skills of caregivers of epilepsy patients. The study, titled "Assessing Knowledge and First-aid Practice Scores of Caregivers of Epilepsy Patients Before and After an Educational Programme," provides valuable insights into the impact of education on epilepsy care in Saudi Arabia.

The findings are published in The Open Public Health Journal.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands conducted a survey before and after an intervention, in neurology clinics throughout Saudi Arabia, focusing on the local community. Information was gathered through a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire administered by interviewers.

Before the intervention, a survey involving 586 caregivers revealed that nearly 60% lacked sufficient knowledge about epilepsy. However, after the educational program, this percentage decreased significantly to 23.2%. Similarly, prior to the intervention, 84% of caregivers lacked adequate knowledge of first-aid practices, which decreased to 32.4% post-education.

Residence in Western regions of Saudi Arabia was associated with lower scores in first-aid practice knowledge, both before and after the intervention. Conversely, having a university degree or higher education was positively correlated with higher knowledge scores, both pre-intervention (T=-4.564; p

Additionally, caregivers over 50 years old exhibited significantly lower mean first-aid practice knowledge scores (F=7.771; p=0.001).

Prior to educational interventions, caregivers demonstrated poor general and first-aid practice knowledge, which significantly improved following the interventions. Targeted educational health promotion initiatives could effectively raise awareness among individuals with lower education levels and older caregivers, especially those residing in the Western regions of Saudi Arabia.

More information: Omar Saleh Al Misnid et al, Assessing Knowledge and First-aid Practice Scores of Caregivers of Epilepsy Patients Before and After an Educational Programme in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Open Public Health Journal (2024). DOI: 10.2174/0118749445252851231228055621

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Reducing barriers to comprehensive and affirming health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) populations requires physicians to receive LGBTQI+ health content during undergraduate medical education (UME).

With more than 7% of the U.S. adult population, 4% of the Canadian adult population and 20% of persons in the U.S. ages 1825 who are LGBTQI+, there is a critical need to train health care professionals on their specific health care needs. LGBTQI+ people experience a higher prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, substance use, and mental health concerns like anxiety, depression and suicidality, as well as elevated cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) recommends core competencies regarding LGBTQI+ health-related content. Researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center (BMC), report time dedicated to these topics did increase in 2022, as compared to a study done in 2011; but they also found the breadth, efficacy, or quality of instruction continues to vary substantially.

The work is published in the journal BMC Medical Education.

"Despite the increased hours, the numbers still fall short based on recommended LGBTQI+ health competencies from the AAMC," says lead author Carl G. Streed, MD, MPH, FACP, FAHA, associated professor of medicine at the school.

"While most deans of medical education reported their institutions' coverage of LGBTQI+ health as 'fair,' 'good,' or 'very good,' there continues to be a call from UME leadership to increase curricular content. This requires dedicated training for faculty and students," said Streed.

To determine the frequency and extent of institutional instruction in 17 LGBTQI+ health-related topics, strategies for increasing LGBTQI+ health-related content and faculty development opportunities, researchers invited the deans of medical education (or their equivalent) at 214 allopathic or osteopathic medical schools in the U.S. and Canada to complete a 36-question, web-based questionnaire between June 2021 and September 2022.

The responses revealed that the time dedicated to LGBTQI+ health-related content in medical school in 2022 was a median of 11 hours, a significant increase of 6 hours since 2011. However, the number of hours in the required curriculum, as well as number of LGBTQI+ health-related topics covered, remained varied from school to school.

According to the researchers, gaps in UME curricula and outcomes are well documented and persist in the face of calls to action.

"Consequently, student comfort with caring for LGBTQI+ populations has lagged. Similar gaps in knowledge and comfort have been reported internationally. These results are contemporary with our findings, suggesting that even a median of 11 hours of LGBTQI+ content is insufficient," explains Streed, who also is research lead of the GenderCare Center at BMC.

Streed believes that successful incorporation of LGBTQI+ health into UME requires thoughtfully developed LGBTQI+ health competencies and objectives with appropriate instructional methods and assessments to ensure mastery.

"While the optimal solution to improving LGBTQI+ training is likely institution- and context-dependent, without a mandate from governing bodies such as the AAMC we will continue to see a dearth of physicians prepared to care for these populations. Additionally, graduate medical education must complement UME to ensure trainees receive specialty-specific training on LGBTQI+ health."

More information: Carl G. Streed et al, Sexual and gender minority content in undergraduate medical education in the United States and Canada: current state and changes since 2011, BMC Medical Education (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05469-0
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Belmont Cragin residents were filing into the cafeteria at Prieto Math and Science Academy in April to weigh in on Mayor Brandon Johnson's signature plan to overhaul Chicago's mental health system when they got unexpected evidence that the bold, still largely theoretical plan remains a focus at City Hall.

Into the school walked Johnson, an unannounced guest at the community forum, surrounded by a flock of leading administration officials.

"It's one of our top priorities," he told attendees, before talking about his older brother, Leon, who dealt with untreated mental illness and died addicted and unhoused. "Our ultimate goal, our primary goal, is that we provide mental health services without barriers. That when, where and however individuals and families need these services, the city of Chicago shows up."

Despite the mayor's words, however, the actual progress on his campaign promise to install the so-called Treatment Not Trauma plan remains difficult for Chicagoans to see. The City Council tasked a working group with answering many of the toughest implementation questions: where to open facilities, what to ask for in the budget, how many people to hire and more. Beyond that, few changes have materialized.

But the path forward should soon become clearer: A year into Johnson's first term, the working group's report outlining the plan's future will be published later this month. For the coalition of activists who have spent a decade pushing for the policy and dogging mayors to enact it, the city's report should finally prove whether or not Johnson is truly offering a different path for mental health care in Chicago.

The people working to implement Treatment Not Trauma remain optimistic about the potentially sweeping policy's future. But some of its proponents looking in from outside the bureaucratic process worry the long-awaited proposals are moving too slowly and will not live up to the bold vision championed by years of community organizing.

Johnson quickly passed an ordinance to launch the city's working group once in office, but to move forward, the policy needs "active leadership" from City Hall, not "infinite working groups, infinite consensus buildings and no movement," said Eric Reinhart, a public health, law and psychiatry anthropologist and physician who co-drafted the "white paper" report published by the activist coalition that pushed for the policy.

"I think it's quite disappointing to all of us that a year into this administration, that even on the campaign stage held up Treatment Not Trauma as one of its core priorities, we still haven't made any steps forward," he said. "Everybody's getting a working group, but where are we seeing implementation?"

But Reinhart's white paper co-author, Arturo Carrillo, expressed optimism after the Prieto Academy event. A member of the working group preparing the policy's path forward, Carrillo is also a social worker who directs violence prevention and health initiatives for the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, part of the broad Treatment Not Trauma coalition.

"It's almost like we are playing catch up," Carrillo said. "This should have been started four years ago. Under the last administration. We were constantly being told no, we were constantly seeing barriers put up. Complete resistance to any input. Now we absolutely see the wheels of government moving."

The plan took its first steps toward concrete action in November when Johnson's 2024 budget included $15.9 million to double non-police emergency response and another $5.2 million to reopen two of the 14 city-run mental health centers closed by past mayors. Nearly six months later, the clinics have yet to reopen.

Johnson's policy chief Umi Grigsby and Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood defended the slow progress as proof the city is carefully gathering input across the city and "going at the pace of community." So far, the city has hosted 15 public feedbacks centered on the plan, which remains on track to follow the timeline set by the City Council.

"This process has been very intentional," Gatewood said. "We are trying to do things that folks have never done before. Instead of coming in and prescribing to folks, "This is what you need," we are building together in real time."

Grigsby and Gatewood declined to share specifics about the city's Treatment Not Trauma plan in an interview last week, citing the need to wait for the working group to first share its report with the City Council. But the two administration leaders helping to steer the fledgling policy hinted at its scope.

"Our goal is to expand mental health services. And so that means that we have to look at staffing, we have to look at career pipelines, we have to look at budgeting in the long term," Grigsby said.

Johnson's administration plans to add the first two clinics by the end of the year and expects more clinics after this year, Grigsby said.

The clinic reopenings are also a goal of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a strong Johnson labor ally whose members lost jobs when Mayor Rahm Emanuel shuttered six city-run clinics in 2011.

The AFSCME International Union PAC contributed $100,000 to Johnson's mayoral campaign last year, according to state campaign finance records. And AFSCME Illinois Council 31's PAC contributed $56,750 to Johnson in 2018 during his successful run for Cook County commissioner.

Many activists claim city-run centers are a better option than the private, nonprofit clinics that serve many Chicagoans because the city clinics have more oversight, focus on outcomes over cost and have a more substantial community connection.

It is so far unclear where the clinics will reopen, though Johnson promised they will come "in neighborhoods with the highest unmet needs." City leaders have also recently said they may expand mental health care by layering services into existing Chicago Department of Public Health clinics.

Johnson also intends to continue building out the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, or CARE, program piloted by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Gatewood said.

The program sends non-police first responders to 911 calls regarding mental health crises, substance use and homelessness issues, currently using a handful of teams operating in selected neighborhoods. Gatewood declined to say how common CARE responses could become across the city, but described expansion as a way to relieve pressure on overworked police.

"There are areas and spaces that police shouldn't be responding to, right? We know that, they know that, and a lot of community members know that too," he said.

The two leaders had little to say about a proposed third pillar of the Treatment Not Trauma plan: a new, expansive network of nonprofessional "community care workers" employed by the city to work in neighborhood-based teams.

The so-called care corps would mark a dramatic shift away from clinic-based mental health services. Its workers would be tasked with finding ways to meet smaller needs through daily outreach in a bid to prevent mental health crises before they occur.

The positions were not specifically discussed as a series of city leaders spoke at the Prieto Academy gathering, though speakers did reference a need for "extensive community outreach."

And Gatewood and Grigsby shared few thoughts when asked about the role care workers would play in the policy's implementation, but flagged the need to build mental health outreach worker training pipelines alongside city colleges and schools.

"It's about growing and expanding not only the services, but the people who are able to provide those services," Grigsby said.

If the city does not implement a large-scale care corps as a part of Treatment Not Trauma, it will fall short of the standards set forth by activists who started to push for the policy after Emanuel closed the clinics, Reinhart said.

The policy's original vision was not "just creating a bunch of city-run mental health centers where people can see psychiatrists and therapists," Reinhart said. Instead, it was to have a whole new modelone that uses traditional clinic-based care and the alternative emergency response aspect, but also relies heavily on care workers.

"Simply expanding the existing model, that's not TNT. That's something else, and it's already failed," he said. "My biggest concern is that pieces of the vision will be closed off and touted as TNT without the whole vision. But you need the whole thing for it to work."

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, the policy's chief City Council proponent, tried unsuccessfully for years to move it forward under Lightfoot's administration. The gradual process to "make it a reality" now allows for it to be "rooted in community," she said.

"There is a lot of work to do," Rodriguez Sanchez said. "What we are trying to do does not exist anywhere in the country."

2024 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The researchers have already received further funding and are planning to develop an implantable device for use in humans with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Surgery after spinal cord injury is common, and the concept could offer surgeons the opportunity during the same operation to implant a device to help protect and repair the spinal cord itself. Credit: Andrew Stevens, University of Birmingham, UK

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) could benefit from a future treatment to repair nerve connections using red and near-infrared light.

The method, invented by scientists at the University of Birmingham, U.K. and patented by University of Birmingham Enterprise, involves delivering light directly to the site of the injury.

Their latest research, published in the journal Bioengineering and Translational Medicine has determined an optimal 'dose' for this novel therapeutic approach, and shown that it can deliver significant therapeutic improvements including significant restoration of sensation and movement, and regeneration of damaged nerve cells.

Researchers led by Professor Zubair Ahmed used cell models of SCI to determine the frequency and duration of light required to achieve maximum restoration of function and stimulate nerve cell regrowth.

They found that delivery of red light at a wavelength of 660nm for one minute a day increased cell viability (a measurement of the number of live cells) by 45% over five days of treatment.

Professor Ahmed said, "Excitingly, this aspect of the study showed the effect of 660nm light was both neuroprotective, meaning it improved survival of nerve cells, and neuroregenerative, meaning it stimulated nerve cell growth."

The researchers also investigated the effect of light therapy in preclinical models of SCI. Here they used two different methods, an implantable device and transcutaneous delivery, where the light source is placed against the skin.

Their study showed comparable results for both delivery methods, with a one-minute dose of 660nm light, delivered daily for seven days, resulting in reduced tissue scarring at the site of injury, and significant functional recovery.

The researchers also found significant reductions in both cavities and scarring as well as increases in the levels of proteins associated with nerve cell regeneration and improvements in the connections between cells in the injured area of the spine.

This is the first time transcutaneous and direct delivery of light have been compared in SCI, and the results are a milestone for the researchers, who have already received further funding and are planning to develop an implantable device for use in humans with traumatic SCI, where there are currently no approaches that preserve cells or improve neurological function.

Mr. Andrew Stevens, first author of the study and Neurosurgery Registrar explains, "Surgery after spinal cord injury is common, but currently these operations are only aimed at stabilizing injuries to the bones of the spine that have been damaged by the trauma. This concept is incredibly exciting as it could offer surgeons the opportunity during the same operation to implant a device which could help protect and repair the spinal cord itself."

Professor Ahmed continued, "To make light therapy viable for treating SCI in humans an implantable device will be required, to provide a line of sight to the damaged tissue and provide the opportunity for greater accuracy and standardize dosing without impedance due to the thickness of the skin and other tissues surrounding the spinal cord.

"Photobiomodulation (PBM) may provide a viable therapeutic approach using red or near-infrared light to promote recovery after SCI by mitigating neuroinflammation and preventing neuronal apoptosis. Our current study aimed to optimize PBM dose regimens and develop and validate the efficacy of an invasive PBM delivery paradigm for SCI."

The research team is now seeking commercial partners or investors to take the next steps towards developing a prototype device that can be taken into first-in-man clinical trials.

About light therapy

In the study, the researchers are using a form of light therapy called photobiomodulation (PBM), which aims to improve healing and reduce inflammation. There is established evidence for its effectiveness in a wide variety of dermatological and oral applications, where metered light dosing can be achieved with precision in direct-to-tissue delivery. For example, PBM is already NICE approved for oral mucositis, where it has been shown to reduce the debilitating ulcers and painful inflammation in the mouth caused by cancer treatments.

In the central nervous system, PBM has been widely studied in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease, where it has been shown to be safe and effective. In SCI, PBM delivers its therapeutic benefit by mitigating the inflammation that follows injury, in nerve cells, macrophages (immune cells) and astrocytes.

PBM achieves these effects by working principally on mitochondria, which are photoactive and present in every cell in the body where they generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is used within cells as a source of chemical energy. PBM increases the availability of ATP, and this triggers multiple pathways that mitigate apoptosis (cell death), neuronal damage and neuroinflammation and promote neuronal regeneration.

About the implantable device

The implantable device was originally envisaged by neurosurgeon Mr. David Davies, who works in the field of traumatic brain injury in the NIHR Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Center, and PBM expert Professor Will Palin from Birmingham's School of Dentistry.

University of Birmingham Enterprise has patented the apparatus and methods for treating traumatic brain injury and traumatic spinal injury, and the research team involved with its development now includes Professor of Neuroscience, Zubair Ahmed and Clinical Research Fellow and Neurosurgery Registrar, Mr. Andrew Stevens from Birmingham's Institute of Inflammation and Aging.

More information: Andrew R. Stevens et al, Implantable and transcutaneous photobiomodulation promote neuroregeneration and recovery of lost function after spinal cord injury, Bioengineering & Translational Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10674 Journal information: Bioengineering and Translational Medicine
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers from the Research Area on Neurological Diseases, Neuroscience, and Mental Health at the Sant Pau Research Institute, led by Dr. Juan Fortea, Director of the Memory Unit of the Neurology Service at the same hospital, have found that over 95% of individuals over 65 years old who have two copies of the APOE4 geneAPOE4 homozygotesshow biological characteristics of Alzheimer's pathology in the brain or biomarkers of this disease in cerebrospinal fluid and PET scans.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, also concludes that those individuals homozygous for APOE4 also develop the disease earlier than those with other variants of the APOE gene. These findings suggest that having two copies of the APOE4 gene could represent a new genetic form of Alzheimer's disease.

"These data represent a reconceptualization of the disease or what it means to be homozygous for the APOE4 gene. This gene has been known for over 30 years and it was known to be associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. But now we know that virtually all individuals with this duplicated gene develop Alzheimer's biology. This is important because they represent between 2 and 3% of the population," explains Dr. Fortea.

New paradigm

It is known that mutations in three genes, APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, are involved in the development of autosomal dominant early-onset Alzheimer's diseasewhich is clearly considered genetic and can appear from the age of 40while variants of other genes have been associated with an increased risk of developing sporadic or late-onset forms. Additionally, it was already known that APOE was one of the genes considered the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

In this work, researchers evaluated clinical, pathological, and biomarker changes in APOE4 homozygotes to determine their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

They used data from 3,297 brain donors, including samples from 273 APOE4 homozygotes from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (United States) and clinical and biomarker data from over 10,000 individuals, including 519 APOE4 homozygotes from five large multicenter cohorts (from Europe and the United States) of subjects with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.

The results suggest that virtually all APOE4 homozygotes showed Alzheimer's pathology and had higher levels of disease-associated biomarkers at age 55 compared to individuals with the APOE3 gene. At age 65, over 95% of APOE4 homozygotes showed abnormal levels of amyloid in cerebrospinal fluida key early pathological feature in Alzheimer's diseaseand 75% had positive amyloid scans.

Based on these results, the authors suggest that the genetic variant of the APOE4 gene is not only a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, as previously thought, but could also represent a distinct genetic form of Alzheimer's disease.

"This reconceptualization of the disease is similar to what we proposed from Sant Pau with Down syndrome, which a few years ago was also not considered a genetically determined form of Alzheimer's," adds Dr. Fortea.

The authors note that these findings could be useful for the development of individualized prevention strategies, clinical trials, and targeted treatment approaches for this specific population.

In this regard, Dr. Alberto Lleo, a researcher in the Dementia Neurobiology Group at the Sant Pau Research Institute and Director of the Neurology Service at the same hospital, points out that "the data clearly show that having two copies of the APOE4 gene not only increases the risk, but also anticipates the onset of Alzheimer's, reinforcing the need for specific preventive strategies."

Researcher Dr. Victor Montal, who actively participated in this study during his time at Sant Pau and now studies the molecular structure of the APOE gene at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, adds that "the findings emphasize the importance of monitoring APOE4 homozygotes from an early age for preventive interventions."

More information: Juan Fortea, APOE4 homozygozity represents a distinct genetic form of Alzheimer's disease, Nature Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02931-w. www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02931-w Journal information: Nature Medicine

Provided by Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (Sant Pau Research Institute)
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The UK government is proposing major changes to the benefits system, in response to the increase in people claiming benefits for disability and ill health. The proposals, which will be consulted on in the coming months, focus mainly on replacing the personal independence payment (Pip).

Pip is a working-age benefit to help disabled people with the additional costs associated with a long-term health condition or disability. Currently, people receiving Pip must undergo an assessment of the impact of a health condition on day to day activities.

The benefit is paid every four weeks and has two elements: a daily living component paid at either 72.65 or 108.55 per week, and a mobility component paid at either 28.70 or 75.75 per week.

The government wants to move away from this regular cash payment model, and instead provide vouchers for services such as counseling and one-off payments for adaptions in the home. This could mean claimants being asked to provide receipts for expenses such as transport or medical costs.

There are a number of problems with this. For many people, Pip is a vital source of income for not only health-related costs, but also for general living expenses such as rent and utilities.

Research shows that, on average, disabled households need 975 more per month to maintain the same standard of living as non-disabled households. This can be because of specialist equipment, the energy costs associated with it, or other mobility and accessibility needs.

An approach which requires people to claim only for specific expenses will create financial hardship for many disabled people, who often won't have the extra cash on hand to pay for their needs and wait for government reimbursement.

It also fails to recognize the enduring nature of many disabilities and health problems, removes choice and suggests that disabled people's expenses need to be "approved." This approach implies that people with disabilities can't be trusted to spend money wisely or know the best way to address their needs.

Many Pip claimants will also receive other benefits, and have been hit by an average reduction in overall benefit payments of 1,200 per year since 2008.

The complex system of benefits

Around 2.6 million people claim Pip, though this number is rising, with 33,000 new claims a month, twice the pre-pandemic rate. Nearly a quarter of adults in the UK report that they live with a health condition or disability, and the government projects that over the next five years spending will increase by 63%.

The proposals are driven by a desire to save money and reduce the number of people claiming Pip. But these aims can't be achieved without increasing financial hardship on people. It could also create unnecessary administrative burdens in a system that is already difficult to navigate.

Much of the noise around these proposalsthe focus on numbers, and work and pensions secretary Mel Stride's claim that people receive "thousands of pounds per month" (later corrected to thousands of pounds per year)creates the impression of a soft-touch, easily accessible system.

However, my research with Pip claimants found a system which is incredibly hard to navigate, characterized by poor communication with the Department for Work and Pensions and complicated forms which make it hard to capture complex health conditions. Participants told me that negative messaging about benefit claimants can be overwhelming for people with mental health problems.

The government is right that improvements are needed to the system. However, the focus should be on improving the accuracy and timeliness of decisions made by the government about who is entitled to Pip.

My research shows that the current system, which relies on the use of private companies to administer medical assessments, is expensive and often produces inaccurate reports. A move to rely on medical evidence from professionals who are familiar with a claimant's condition would be straightforward and enhance accuracy.

Many claimants with long-term conditions are compelled to make repeated fresh claims for Pip and are required to regularly attend medicals and complete claim forms. This is unnecessary where there is evidence of ongoing health issues, and causes stress for claimants and unjustified pressures on public expenditure. There is already a significant backlog in the Pip systemcomplicating the process through receipts and vouchers would make this worse.

What's really needed to reduce costs

Single grants and vouchers undermine the principles of a welfare safety net, which should provide a greater level of economic security for the population. Ongoing benefit payments should relate to actual costs in life and protect people from slipping into poverty.

The numbers of people who rely on disability benefits will decline if the causes of illness are proactively addressed and appropriate support provided. This includes adequate funding for health and social care services, working to address housing insecurity and social isolation and reducing waiting times for hospital appointments and therapeutic support.

Both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and British Medical Association have called for a focus on improving population health, particularly for people with mental health problems, rather than reducing social welfare support.

This should be the focus of government attention, rather than misguided cost-saving changes to Pip. Continuing need cannot be met by one-off responses.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Even if you have health insurance, you might expect to be charged a copayment for some routine care, like office-based exams and consultations. But you probably don't expect to receive a bill a few weeks later charging you an extra $100 or more.

That's the situation an increasing number of state lawmakers are looking to change. In most states, a "hospital facility fee" can legally appear on your bill if your doctor is affiliated with a large hospital systemeven if you never set foot on the hospital's campus.

Traditionally, hospitals and health systems add facility fees to help cover the higher costs of operating a full-service, 24/7 hospitalwhich include expenses such as equipment, support staff, utilities, maintenance and security. They argue the fees help them provide critical services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

But increasingly, hospitals are tacking on facility fees for routine services at the smaller clinics and outpatient centers they own, even when those facilities aren't anywhere near the hospital's campus. The fees can add anywhere from $15 to $100 or more to a medical bill. Patients have reported being charged out-of-hospital facility fees of $503 for a pediatric visit, $488 for an appointment to get ADHD medication, and $355 for steroid injections for arthritis.

Patients aren't the only ones upset. Employers, aghast at the soaring costs of their employees' health insurance, have banded together in states such as Indiana and Texas to push lawmakers to do something.

"Everything else at the provider's office looks and feels the same," said Maureen Hensley-Quinn, senior director of the coverage, cost and value team at the nonprofit National Academy for State Health Policy.

"But [patients] end up with a larger bill for a service they had previously gotten for a lesser amount because the hospital is now treating the provider office as a hospital outpatient department," she said.

Hensley-Quinn said state lawmakers began relaying their constituents' complaints to her organization about five years ago, and since then at least 15 states have taken action to address facility fees. Some, including Colorado, Connecticut and New York, have banned facility fees for certain outpatient services at non-hospital locations or for telehealth visits. Those states, as well as others, including Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota and Texas, now require hospitals to notify patients about facility fees ahead of time.

In the most recent legislative sessions, at least 16 bills were introduced in 10 states to address the fees, said Hensley-Quinn.

"It's big states, small states, it's very red states, very blue states," she said. "Legislators across the country are raising these issues and asking questions about what increased consolidation means."

More chains, fewer independents

A rise in fees and other patient costs springs from the growing consolidation of the American health care system, researchers and lawmakers say. Large hospital systems are gobbling up clinics, physician groups, and urgent care and imaging centers. Those facilities can then become outpatient departments of the hospitals.

A study published last year illustrates why hospital systems are motivated to make those moves: In the early 2000s, the federal government began cutting Medicare payments to doctors for noninvasive cardiac tests performed in a cardiologist's office, but kept its payments flat or increased them for the same tests if they were performed in a hospital-based outpatient facility.

That dollar gap incentivized hospitals to acquire cardiology practices so that they could move cardiac tests to the outpatient facilities that could charge higher fees, researchers found.

More than a dozen states have passed facility fee laws just in the past few years, according to a recent report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, an advocacy nonprofit focused on consumer protection issues.

The efforts have been largely bipartisan. Indiana's 2023 package of health care bills, which increased reporting requirements for hospitals charging facility fees, was authored by Republicans but passed with bipartisan support. That same year, Democratic lawmakers in Colorado passed a measure, with some Republican support, that prevents larger hospital systems from charging facility fees for preventive outpatient services.

Fees on the rise

Connecticut has the nation's most robust facility fee laws. Last year, lawmakers expanded existing law to ban the fees for some routine outpatient services even if they're performed on a hospital campus. The new law also beefed up state enforcement and created new reporting requirements for hospital systems.

"These fees are part of the increased cost of health care," said Connecticut state Sen. Saud Anwar, a Democrat and a practicing physician who supported the new requirements. "Facility fees, depending on location, are a very fast-growing segment of that health care cost. We are looking for ways to control that."

Hospital leaders say the fees help them cover overhead costs. That makes it possible for them "to maintain all the essential services they provide to their patients and communities, especially as Medicare and Medicaid continue to chronically underpay hospitals for the costs of delivering that care," the American Hospital Association, a trade group, wrote in a statement to Stateline.

But prices for common outpatient services are significantly higher when they're delivered in a hospital-owned outpatient department versus in a physician's office or ambulatory surgery center, according to a 2023 analysis by Blue Health Intelligence, a division of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. For example, a mammogram performed in an office setting might bill insurance for $232, but in a hospital-owned outpatient department, facility fees bring the total to $357.50, according to the report.

And facility fees appear to be rising.

Last year, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission found that the greatest increase in medical spending in Massachusetts' commercial health care market was for hospital outpatient departments. Facility fees grew more than four times faster from 2019-2021 than physician/professional fees. The commission recommended lawmakers prohibit facility fees for common services such as lab tests, basic imaging and diagnostic services, as well as physician office visits.

In a 2020 study published in the journal Annals of Surgery, researchers found that facility fees for common outpatient procedures in the United States rose by 53% from 20112017, while physicians' professional fees remained steady. The increases were primarily driven by facility fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

Back and forth

Not everyone's convinced that banning or restricting facility fees will curb rising health care costs.

Last year, Maine lawmakers considered a bill that would have outlawed facility fees for services not located on hospital campuses. They ultimately chose instead to create a task force to study facility fees.

"The hospital association and other hospitals in the state came out pretty strongly against the bill, essentially saying facility fees are a billing mechanism to cover their coststhat all of their costs are essentially rolled up into their facility fees and they'd go bankrupt if they couldn't bill for them," said Lisa Nolan, director of legislative affairs at the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine, one of the stakeholder organizations involved with the task force.

Many rural hospitals and those that serve low-income communities are struggling financially, in part because of inadequate payments from insurers, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, a national policy organization.

More than 100 rural hospitals have closed nationwide in the past decade, and nearly 700 rural hospitals are at risk of closing in the near future. Some hospital leaders argue that removing the ability to charge facility fees could tip struggling hospitals into bankruptcy.

Maine's task force recommended the legislature consider restricting facility fees for certain services, including telehealth. Yet many state lawmakers on the committee considering a new bill this year remained unconvinced. After some political wrangling, they passed a bill last monthnow awaiting the governor's signaturethat requires health systems to notify patients about facility fees.

Nolan is skeptical that the laws banning facility fees would meaningfully reduce costs for consumers or insurance companies.

"Providers would find other ways to incorporate them into their bills," she said. "There needs to be discussions about what are appropriate rates, how can providers be more efficient, and how can we reduce administrative costs for carriers and providers.

"Are some of those costs higher than they should be? That's a different discussion than just wiping away facility fees."

2024 States Newsroom. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The 11th ship carrying humanitarian aid from Turkey to the Gaza Strip departed from the port of Mersin.

According to Azernews, 5,66 tons of aid loaded onto the ship was collected by the Turkish Red Crescent Society. After about 40 hours, the aid will reach the port of Al-Arish in Egypt and will be taken from there to Gaza.

With the coordination of the Red Crescent Society and the Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), 13 planes and 10 ships have sent a total of more than 50,000 tons of humanitarian aid from Turkey to the Gaza Strip.
Hardline GOP lawmakers on Monday called for a special session to create a partisan judiciary, in the process drawing a line between themselves and similar efforts underway by their peers in the Republican majority.

Montana, like most states, elects judges in a nonpartisan fashion. A dozen Republicans signed the document officially requesting Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen issue a poll to lawmakers on whether to convene in late June for a special session to consider bills allowing judicial candidates to appear on the ballot with a party affiliation. State law requires 10 legislators sign the request to the Secretary of State in order to trigger a poll, which requires a majority of lawmakers to convene the special session.

The primary election is June 4.

Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Bozeman and Rep. Caleb Hinkle, R-Belgrade, announced the push for a special session in a press release that put some urgency on the matter of legislation to allow judicial candidates to claim a party affiliation on the ballot.

Republicans have suffered a series of legal losses in recent months that they deem to be judicial overreach, and see some opportunity with two new Supreme Court justices to be elected in six months.

"Time is of the essence," Gillette and Hinkle's press release stated. "  Every other candidate on the ballot will have an 'R,' 'D' or 'L' next to their names, thereby enabling voters to make informed choices based upon the information conveyed by party affiliation. Voters deserve the same information when choosing judicial candidates."

The letter to Jacobsen's office calls party affiliation "the most important information about the candidates running for these seats."

The release also took a critical tone toward the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform, assembled by Senate President Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, last month in response to several adverse court rulings, including one that allowed penalties against the Legislature following the Supreme Court's interpretation that lawmakers passed laws in "bad faith" regarding constitutional sideboards.

That committee met for the first time last week, most of the time was spent on a Whitefish attorney's presentation on the Montana Constitution. Democrats, who are not participating on the committee, called it a political stunt.

Gillette and Hinkle called the new committee "meaningless virtue signaling."

"Legislators who are not serious about reforming judicial elections are not serious about any other conservative value they claim to hold," the press release states. "Should Gov. (Greg) Gianforte and the Legislature fail to bring transparency to this year's judicial elections, they will own the next several years of liberal judicial tyranny."

It's very rare for lawmakers to call themselves back; of the more than 30 in state history only one was called by the Legislator and one by the governor and Legislature together.

A spokesperson for the Senate Republicans declined to comment on the language directed toward the new judicial reform committee.

A spokesperson for the governor's office said Gianforte looks forward to the recommendations of the Senate's judicial reform committee, but deferred convening the special session to the legislative poll.

In a phone interview on Monday, Hinkle said the call for a special session was not meant to undermine the new committee, but signal that the letter's signors want a more immediate solution put to a vote. A new committee is bureaucratic and slow-moving, he said.

"They're probably going to come up with some good ideas for judicial accountability," Hinkle said. "But next session the liberal Solutions Caucus will likely join with the democrats and kill those efforts like what has happened the last two sessions."

Even with a supermajority, last year's GOP-led Legislature ultimately failed to pass four separate bills to allow for partisan elections to the bench. The GOP's moderate flank largely voted against those measures along with Democrats, but representatives of the courts also worked to mitigate another constitutional crisis that took place in the previous session. That included supporting bills that expanded state ethics laws to include judges and Supreme Court justices, as well as the confirmation of two former Republican legislators to the Judicial Standards Commission, which oversees complaints leveled against judges. The State Bar of Montana opposed all proposals to politicize judicial elections, contending the vast majority of cases don't bring partisan problems to courts.

Gillette, who voted in favor for both proposals introduced in the House, believes lawmakers are in a different place than this time last year.

"When those bills were voted down last session, I don't think any Republicans, including the soft ones that typically vote with Democrats, could have imagined it would be this bad with the judiciary," Gillette said. "I think the majority of voters in Montana are Republican, the data shows that clearly, and we have a chance to make it so the values on the judiciary reflects those Montanans."

Republicans hold nearly every statewide office in Montana. Partisanship was something of an outlier in the 2022 contest between incumbent Justice Ingrid Gustafson and Republican Public Service Commissioner James Brown, who was endorsed early by the state's top GOP officials, stumped alongside GOP candidates and received more financial support from the state Republican Party than all of its legislative candidates combined. Still, 54% of voters sent Gustafson back to the bench.

Asked if creating partisan judicial elections was more of a legislative priority than one held by the electorate, Gillette rejected the premise that voters in 2022 were aware that Brown had the backing of Republicans, suggesting the affiliation was only on the radar of people deeply involved in politics.

"We tend to think that other people look through this lens, too, but I wouldn't say most people know these things," she said.

Among those who signed the request for poll is newly appointed state Republican Sen. Greg Hinkle, who was tapped by local officials to fill the vacancy left by Republican Bob Brown, who in February Gianforte appointed to the state lottery director's office. He is the uncle of Reps. Caleb and Jedediah Hinkle and was a member of the state Senate from 2009 to 2013.

The Secretary of State's Office has five days to send poll packets to legislators.
The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) has announced that it had recently won a regional tender launched by the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) to carry out docking and maintenance work for 6 giant oil tankers.

Headquartered in Bahrain, the Arabian Gulfs most experienced maritime repair and fabrication facility, ASRY, emerged victorious against a group of well-respected ship repair companies.

ASRY's success in securing this prestigious project is a testament to its long-standing experience, competitive offerings, and high-quality services that distinguishes itself in the face of fierce competition within the global marine market, said a top official.

"Building on our long history of successful partnership with KOTC, ASRY is committed to strengthening existing customer relationships to open broader horizons of cooperation that serve all parties," remarked Shaikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Khalifa, the ASRY Deputy CEO.

"ASRY aims to continue successful bilateral work to build qualitative partnerships that support the advancement of common interests in the regional maritime sector," he added.

ASRY Strategic Development Manager Wael Mirza said: "At ASRY, we're dedicated to building successful partnerships by delivering integrated, safe, and reliable solutions that go above and beyond our customers' expectations."

"This includes upholding the highest standards in safety, quality, and on-time delivery. Thus today, we are pleased that ASRY is transforming into a multi-service facility for the maritime industry, directly contributing to Bahrain's economic growth," he added.

Founded in 1977 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, ASRY is the Arabian Gulfs most experienced maritime repair and fabrication facility.

Its leading range of facilities includes a 500 K dwt dry-dock, two floating docks of 252m and 227m in length, 15 repair berths with a total length of approximately 5,000m, twin 255m slipways, and a full range of workshops and service centres.

ASRY operates in four sectors  ship repair and conversion, rig repair and conversion, naval repair and conversion, and fabrication and engineering - which covers all types of vessel repair including jack-up rigs and other offshore assets, as well as fabrication of onshore and offshore industrial components.-TradeArabia News Service
WALL LAKE, Iowa  The second autopsy of Wall Lake trucker David Schultz will proceed even after his funeral services, a spokesman for the Schultz family said.

David Schultz, 53, was found dead April 24 in a field in rural Sac County, not far from where his semi truck was found abandoned more than five months earlier. Preliminary autopsy results released the following day indicated "no signs of trauma or serious injury," and authorities do not suspect foul play. Final results of the autopsy conducted by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner are expected to take several weeks. It is unclear if the findings will be made public.

Jake Rowley, a leader in the volunteer search for Schultz who has since become a spokesman for the family, quickly countered that the family would seek out a second-opinion autopsy, and said "I don't feel comfortable with the results of the initial autopsy."

Meanwhile, Schultz's funeral was scheduled for May 10 in Wall Lake. Rowley told The Journal by phone Thursday the funeral will proceed as scheduled and that the body will not be needed for the second autopsy.

Schultz's remains were released to his widow, Sarah, last week, Rowley said. "At this point David's body is at the funeral home, and it's in a freezer until we get to the point where we can do this burial next week," he said.

"Originally I thought that they would need the remains to do (the second autopsy)," Rowley said; but, in his conversation with forensic pathologists, he said he learned the second autopsy would be based on the examination, measurements and findings of the first autopsy. "The remains will be buried."

Rowley said a forensic pathologist has not been selected for the second autopsy, which cannot proceed until the first is complete; the choice of forensic pathologist will be based on "whichever one's willing to do it pro bono," and that one pathologist told him a second autopsy will be "way more expensive than you think it is."

Rowley said he's grown weary of the chorus of voices on social media that have descended on the case, offering scores of theories.

"There's even been people accusing me of killing David!" Rowley said, noting that he did not get involved until the third day after the disappearance. "I'm like, 'C'mon, dude.' All I did was come out and search for him -- it's just nuts. They've got a whole Facebook group that is literally the most toxic thing anybody's ever seen."

Social media followers of the case have recently begun questioning where exactly Schultz's body was found, and how close it was to his abandoned truck. The Iowa Department of Public Safety has said that Schultz was found in the vicinity of 190th Street and Union Avenue, which is near where the truck was found, but the exact location hasn't been revealed.

"I know the specific location, but I haven't been authorized yet to release that," Rowley said. "So, until law enforcement would tell me that I'm OK to talk about that, I can't necessarily say exactly where. I do know, exactly, to the pinpoint, where it was at. But I've been pretty vague up to this point, just because I can't, until law enforcement or somebody would give me that authorization to be able to release that, or unless law enforcement released it themselves -- that's when I'd be able to say, 'OK, here it is.'"

Reward status unclear

Schultz's body was discovered by "an individual who reported he discovered a body in his field," according to the initial press release Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

As of March, a reward fund of $28,400 had been established to help locate Schultz; this fund included $25,000 of American Rescue Plan funds Sac County voted to earmark for the case.

Sac County Attorney Ben Smith told The Journal that no one has inquired about the reward.

"That's not an issue that's come up," he said. Smith declined to comment on whether anyone is eligible for the reward.
Archbishop Martin Kivuva of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa has urged the government to consider constructing large dams to avert the recurring floods that have resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people.

During the golden jubilee celebration of St. Joseph Catholic Church-Tudor Parish on Sunday, led by Rev. Fr. Richard Airo, Most Rev. Archbishop Kivuva prayed for fortitude for families who have lost their loved ones due to the heavy rainfall wreaking havoc in several parts of the country.

The government should construct large dams to harvest the water because it is a big waste. Although there are floods after a short while the waters will subside and flow into the ocean and they will not have been helpful. They have caused devastating effects, said Most Rev Archbishop Kivuva.

He emphasized the need for proper planning for the dams to harvest water from the rivers for domestic use, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation. He noted that experts have likened the heavy rains wreaking havoc in several parts of the country to those witnessed in 1961, which resulted in people being relocated to other parts of the country.

The disasters should teach us lessons to put in place emergency systems that will offer quick response to victims, said Rev. Kivuva, appealing for collaboration instead of blame games to assist victims.

As a church, we have encouraged our stakeholders to contribute food and clothes to be distributed to victims in the centres they are holed in, he added.

All the parishes under the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa have been instructed to inform their worshippers to contribute to alleviating the suffering of flood victims.

Regarding the doctors strike, Kivuva urged the medics to avert further crises and return to work to take care of Kenyans affected by the ongoing rains, even though they have not reached a consensus with the government.

Meanwhile, Malindi Catholic Diocese Bishop Willybard Lagho remarked that floods are not a new phenomenon in the country or the world, but the main setback is, We dont seem to learn from the past.

If someone constructs a house on a riparian land or a waterway there will be problems. Our biggest challenge as a country is that we have allowed the construction of houses on waterways and authorized construction of new buildings without improving the drainage, said Bishop Lagho.

Our engineers and leaders must introspect because some of the disasters are man-made and could be avoided, he added.

Bishop Lagho disclosed that three Catholic-sponsored schools in Malindi are submerged in water due to farmers cultivating on river banks. He urged parents to monitor their childrens behavior to ensure they remain firm in their faith and do not stray.

As a nation, we need to improve on our morals and good morals must be built from religion. Religion plays a pivotal role in shaping the morals of our children and leaders to be equitable, said Bishop Lagho.
The Kisumu government has issued a public health alert to locals in Dunga and Paga beach areas within the County regarding a Nairobi fly infestation, with 28 cases tracked and managed.

The Nairobi Fly thrives during increased rainfall, and is known to inhabit decomposing wooden materials along the beach and areas of poor sanitation, such as crudely dumped waste.

The Kisumu county department of health warned locals about a significant infestation of Nairobi flies in the vicinity.

According to Director of Public Health Fred Olouch, the Nairobi fly contains a toxin called pederin. When squeezed and released on the skin, it causes irritation, leading to intense itching and blistering known as pederus dermatitis.

Following the upsurge in rainfall, Oluoch noted an increase in cases reported at the two beaches, with most people experiencing skin blisters on the neck accompanied by intense itching.

Also Read  Nairobi Fly or Narrow Bee Fly? This is the Correct Name

So far 28 cases have been tracked and managed. Case management is supportive with the use of topical steroids or moisturizing agents. If severe cases then antibiotics too could be prescribed, the county official said.

The Director added that, in terms of prevention measures, members of the public are requested not to squeeze the Nairobi fly when in contact with the skin and instead blow it away. He noted that continuous health education is ongoing by Public Health Officers across the area.

The county health department, through their official Facebook page, also urged locals to take immediate action following the alert to mitigate the spread of diseases and discomfort caused by the infestation.

This is to Maintain proper sanitation practices, including regular disposal of garbage, cleaning of drains, and covering food items, the alert read.

Additionally, locals have been advised to use insect repellents, install screens on windows, and wear protective clothing to prevent bites and exposure to these flies. Furthermore, they have been urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings or concerns to local health authorities or call the toll-free number 0800720575 for assistance.
The Kenya Meteorological Department reports that the anticipated Cyclone Hidaya has completely lost its strength after making landfall in Tanzania.

However, Director of Meteorological Services David Gikungu stated that despite the weakening of the cyclone, rains are still expected in the Kenyan coastal regions.

Gikungu added that Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu counties are likely to experience moderate to heavy rainfall offshore.

Following its landfall at Mafia Island on Saturday, May 4, 2024, Tropical Cyclone Hidaya completely lost its strength. The remnants of the rain clouds that accompanied the cyclone have been observed to weaken and spread out in various areas of the southern region of Tanzania, as confirmed by the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, the weatherman said.

Gikungu added that the moderate to heavy rainfall may extend inland on Monday and Tuesday, accompanied by strong winds. He mentioned that the strong winds are expected to reach over 40 knots, and large ocean waves may rise above two meters.

The weatherman also stated that other parts of the country should expect occasional moderate rains ranging from five to 20mm and heavy rains ranging from 20 to 50mm.

The Meteorological Authority director cautioned residents in coastal regions and individuals involved in marine activities in the Indian Ocean to take maximum precautions.

He emphasized that Kenyans should stay informed by regularly checking the latest weather forecasts and updates from the Kenya Meteorological Department website and social media pages.

Seek guidance from experts in relevant fields to mitigate potential impacts. Stay safe and prepared, he said.

Forecast for other parts of the country

The forecast indicates that the Lake Victoria Basin, comprising Kisumu, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Siaya, and Homa Bay counties, will continue experiencing rains.

Likewise, the Rift Valley region, home to Nandi, Bomet, Nakuru, Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Laikipia, Kajiado, and Narok counties, will also receive rains.

Nairobi county and the entire Central Kenya region, consisting of Nyeri, Muranga, Kirinyaga, Kiambu, and Nyandarua counties, will also be affected.

A similar situation will occur in the Eastern region, encompassing Machakos, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Makueni, and Kitui counties.

Gikungu mentioned that most parts of the Northeastern region (Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties), as well as Northwestern counties of Turkana, Samburu, and Marsabit counties, and parts of Southeastern (Taita Taveta, Tana River counties), are forecast to be generally dry.

However, he stated that these areas will likely experience occasional light to moderate rainfall.

Furthermore, Gikungu warned that the continuing rainfall in the Central region and the overflow of the Seven Forks Dams are likely to exacerbate flooding in the Tana Delta, impacting Garissa, Tana River, and Lamu counties.

He added that the continued rainfall in the catchment areas of the Lake Victoria Basin, as well as the backflow from Lake Victoria, may continue causing flooding in counties in the region, including Homa Bay, Kisumu, Busia, Migori, and Siaya counties.
Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga has urged Kenyans to defend the democratic gains that the country has made over the years.

Among the gains that the former Prime Minister urged Kenyans to defend are the freedom of speech and devolution, which the champions of democracy suffered for despite heavy reprisal from past regimes.

Raila Odinga made these remarks at Got Agulu in Usigu division, Bondo Sub County during the funeral of the late Hellen Odera, a widow of the late Odindo Odera, who was the chief communications officer of Kenyas first vice president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

The ODM leader, flanked by Siaya Governor James Orengo and his Kisumu counterpart Anyang Nyongo, said the struggles of freedom fighters were not in vain, as the country has achieved tremendous growth since the advent of devolution.

He assured Kenyans that his quest for the African Union Commission chairmanship will not alienate him from them, adding that he will still be available.
The British High Commission in Nairobi has announced emergency funding of over Kes.140 million from the United Kingdom to support flood relief efforts in Kenya.

UNICEF will receive the funds to provide emergency humanitarian relief to those most impacted by the extreme weather conditions, which have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and displacement of thousands across Kenya.

The funding will enable the provision of cash assistance to approximately 6,900 households in the most affected counties. UNICEF will also provide urgently needed health, nutrition, and sanitation services through integrated outreaches, including the provision of safe drinking water, temporary sanitation facilities, and hygiene kits to families displaced by the floods, stated the British High Commission.

They added that UNICEF would also implement cholera prevention interventions.

UNICEF Kenya Representative Shaheen Nilofer stated that the organization will oversee emergency cash transfers to the most affected families.

The situation facing many Kenyans as a result of recent extreme weather and flooding is heartbreaking. This urgent funding from the UK will help alleviate the suffering of those displaced and impacted by the crisis. We stand with Kenya in this emergency and continue to work closely with UNICEF, the Government of Kenya and other partners to do what we can to support the response, British High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan, said.

As of Sunday, the floods in Kenya had claimed 228 lives so far, with 164 people injured and 72 others missing. A total of 42,526 households have been displaced, affecting approximately 212,630 people.
A sprawling building at Napa Countys South Campus is a kind of medical manufacturing ghost town envisioned to become a new county government hub.

Call it a big-time fixer-upper. Such features as eye-wash stations and abandoned laboratories are better suited to processing pharmaceuticals than processing winery use permits.

Converting the building primarily to an office will largely mean removal of a vast amount of the building interior and rebuilding in new form for what we need, county Public Works Director Steven Lederer said.

Napa County bought the shuttered, 25-acre Dey Labs in Napa Valley Commons in 2013 for $25 million. It moved its Health and Human Services Agency into two buildings there in 2016.

But Building 4, a stand-alone pharmaceutical manufacturing building dating back to 1994, has sat largely vacant since the county's purchase. At 62,881 square feet, it has slightly more space than the downtown county administration building.

The latest county plans call for moving several downtown government offices to Building 4. Planning, Building and Environmental Services, Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk, Elections, Public Works and Treasurer-Tax Collector would relocate there.

County officials recently gave the Napa Valley Register a tour of a building that from the outside looks plain  rectangular, two-stories, with few windows or exterior architectural features.

Obviously, right now, its a tilt-up concrete block, Lederer said.

That would change if the plan moves ahead. Lederer envisions a different exterior architectural look.

Inside, the building is a seemingly endless labyrinth of empty hallways, with doors leading to such places as darkened laboratories. Its a place where a person could get lost.

Lederer looked at a cavernous room with walls lined with pipes, some of them labeled steam." There is a large tank to one side.

Again, not particularly nice office space, but convertible, Lederer said.

The county has removed some pharmaceutical-manufacturing features from the building. No longer are there rods that some curious person might pull. In the pharma days, that triggered a cascade of water from the ceiling for an emergency body wash.

Not everything in the building looks alien to the world of government. Near the entrance are standard offices. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters lease space for their local outreach.

Lederer said the county in 90 days or so could choose an architect to make plans for the building transformation. Finishing that vision could take about a year, with check-ins with the Board of Supervisors along the way.

Napa Countys building plans call for a gut remodel of both this South Campus building and the downtown Napa administration building, a refreshing of a county building on Imperial Way and the demolition of the Hall of Justice and old Carithers building. The estimated cost is $140 million.

It's all possible because a pharmaceutical manufacturing venture that once looked promising, but ended in disappointment.

Dey Laboratories moved from Concord to Napa in 1989 and expanded at its Napa Valley Commons site over time. The company specialized in putting drugs in sterile solutions that could be inhaled for bronchial relief.

Machines manufactured sterilized plastic vials and filled them with the sterilized solutions. This happened in clean rooms that company president Joseph Bauwens said were more germ-free than hospital operating rooms.

Breathing life into the world was a slogan Dey Labs used in 2001 for its nasal sprays.

Mylan bought Dey Labs in 2007 and five months later announced Dey Labs was for sale. In September 2008, Mylan announced it would close Dey Labs over 24 months. Five hundred local jobs would be lost.

It was a wonderful company and a very unusual business for Napa, Mayor Jill Techel said at the time. Well have our challenges trying to recruit a business that can utilize that space.

In 2009, Mylan reversed course and announced Dey Labs would stay after all. In 2012, it again reversed course and said Dey Labs would close. This time the decision stuck.

Napa County in 2013 bought the Dey Labs campus for $25 million. In 2016, it relocated its Health and Human Agency there, taking up two of the four buildings after a $15 million remodeling job. It leased out a third building to a wine bottling and barrel storage business.

But so-called Building 4 didnt fit into county plans. The county used it as a place to house several departments temporarily while repairing other county buildings damaged during the 2014 earthquake and for storage, but little else.

In 2015, the county decided this ready-to-go pharmaceutical manufacturing building should be used just for that purpose. It leased the building to a start-up pharmaceutical company. The venture never got off the ground.

On April 9 of this year, the county Board of Supervisors decided Building 4 has a future for county government as part of a bigger master plan.

We have an opportunity as an organization to really think about the kind of service we want to provide the public and what that looks like, County Executive Officer Ryan Alsop said.

PHOTOS: A walk around Mead Ranch Mead Ranch 14 Mead Ranch 2 Mead Ranch 3 Mead Ranch 4 Mead Ranch 5 Mead Ranch 6 Mead Ranch 7 Mead Ranch 8 Mead Ranch 9 Mead Ranch 1 Mead Ranch 10 Mead Ranch 11 Mead Ranch 12 Mead Ranch 13 Mead Ranch 15 Mead Ranch 16 Mead Ranch 17 Mead Ranch 18 Mead Ranch 19 Mead Ranch 20 Mead Ranch 21 Mead Ranch 22 Mead Ranch 23 Mead Ranch 24 Mead Ranch 25 Mead Ranch 26 Mead Ranch 27 Mead Ranch 28 Mead Ranch 29
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has approved a series of steps to urgently mitigate the impact of the recent severe weather in Dubai.

The mesaures were formulated at a meeting he held with heads of government entities, said a Wam news agency report.

The meeting, attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, evaluated the progress of efforts to ease the repercussions of the extreme weather in the emirate.

* The Crown Prince of Dubai directed the establishment of a committee to urgently review all requests from Emirati citizens affected by the heavy rains. The committee will determine the most appropriate measures to address these requests, prioritising the repair and rehabilitation of the homes of affected citizens.

* Sheikh Hamdan also directed the Dubai Land Department and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) to coordinate with property developers to expedite the restoration of normalcy in all communities managed by the developers.

* All residential management companies and real estate developers will offer the following services at no additional charges:

- Alternative housing for residents affected by the weather;

- Distribution of food within affected communities;

- Comprehensive pest control services;

- Enhanced security to ensure safety of residents;

- Assistance with returning to residential properties, including interior cleaning services;

- Monitoring and documenting damages caused by the rains during the insurance coverage period; and

- Assistance in assessing potential risks to properties.

* Sheikh Hamdan also directed the formation of a committee to support affected people, chaired by Omar Bushahab, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment. Members of the committee also include Dubais Community Development Authority, Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and the Department of Economy and Tourism. The committee is tasked with receiving and promptly addressing requests from citizens affected by the recent rains, ensuring that their concerns and needs are handled efficiently and effectively.

* Sheikh Hamdan commended the Department of Economy and Tourism for collaborating with the private sector and hotels in Dubai to provide temporary accommodation for citizens affected by the extreme weather until their homes are repaired. He stressed the importance of offering immediate accommodation for all affected citizens during the repair period. The well-being of citizens remains the top priority of the Dubai government, he said.

* He also directed Dubais Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department with monitoring and providing humanitarian support to people in need.

Sheikh Hamdan said that Dubai is determined to support all those affected by the adverse weather conditions, adding that he will personally monitor the progress of response measures. He emphasised that on-ground teams will provide effective support to all citizens and residents.

He also asked the Community Development Authority to activate the Jood platform to receive contributions from the private sector to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by the extreme weather in the emirate.
Bridgestone MEA, a global leader in tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, participated in the Mobility Live ME 2024 showcasing its cutting-edge fleet solutions and sustainable practices.

The event, which was held recently at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), focused on smart, sustainable transport and electric vehicles, attracting industry leaders to shed light on the global transition towards sustainability mobility.

Bridgestone engaged in a thought-provoking panel discussion titled Electrifying Mobility: Accelerating the Transition to Electric Fleets, which was moderated by Umer Khan, Founder of BEV Ready, UAE. Berk Berksoy represented Bridgestone at the panel discussion as one of its key speakers, along with Claudio Aiardo from Carasti, Anuvrat Gaurav from Sellanycar.com, Sam Cabani from Stellantis, Ib Kimose from Autorola and Mohammed Hamza from Eurostar Rental.

Electrification of fleet

Bridgestone, along with key industry players, participated in the panel discussion, highlighting vital aspects required for the transition to electric fleets in the region. During the panel, Berksoy pointed out the relevance of setting ambitious goals for electrifying fleet operations in order to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change challenges.

In addition, he stressed the need for extensive investments in the development of charging infrastructure, while considering both challenges and opportunities in building a strong network of charging facilities.

The panel also explored Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), highlighting the significance of transitioning to electrification. Despite the initial cost involved, this shift can be highly beneficial, leading to long-term savings. Bridgestone, in particular, underscored the vital role of their expertise in TCO evaluation for those organisations weighing the economic impacts of adopting electric vehicles.

Furthermore, Bridgestone exhibited their innovative fleet optimisation and management solutions such as Webfleet and Toolbox allowing fleets to better manage their tyre operations as well as doing route optimisation, vehicle scheduling and predictive maintenance that collectively streamline operations and reduce costs. The panel further shed light on the significant role of government incentives and support in expediting the shift towards electric vehicles.

Sustainable mobility landscape

Jacques Fourie, President of Bridgestone Middle East and Africa, said: At Bridgestone, we consider our efforts in promoting innovation as a significant step in the path towards a sustainable future. Our participation in Mobility Live ME 2024 exemplifies our dedication to integrating cutting-edge technologies that support the industrys expansion along with safeguarding our planet. Our goal is to create a mobility landscape that is more sustainable while ensuring safe and efficient journey for individuals.

Bridgestone further highlighted its commitment to enhancing the efficiency and environmental sustainability of the commercial vehicles industry. In their dedicated booth, the company spotlighted Webfleet, their globally trusted fleet management solution.

Currently serving over 60,000 customers worldwide, Webfleet empowers transportation companies to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. By offering tools to assess emissions, monitor vehicle status in real time, and implement effective fuel reduction strategies, Bridgestone is at the forefront of driving technological innovations that align with the urgent needs of modern transportation.

Launch of Webfleet

Recently, Bridgestone launched Webfleet in the UAE, which is a strategic move to pave way for promoting data-driven mobility solutions that support Bridgestones E8 Commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Bridgestone stressed the key role of effective collaborations and partnerships in deploying electric vehicles and developing the necessary infrastructure. It discussed strategies to overcome common challenges including range anxiety and the limited availability of suitable electric vehicles, providing practical solutions for organisations undergoing this transition.--TradeArabia News Service
Renewable energy, if supported by governments, can truly change the landscape in terms of achieving equitable access to affordable and clean energy, but only if they can move from commitment to action, according to the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), reported WAM.

Renewable energy is generally defined as any energy source that is continuously replenished. It includes solar and wind power as well as bioenergy (organic matter burned as fuel) and hydroelectric power.

Irena chief Francesco La Camera spoke to UN News ahead of the special meeting on transitioning to sustainable sources of energy, which took place at the UN Headquarters in New York as part of the first-ever Sustainability Week.

Ensuring access to affordable reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all people, wherever they are in the world, is the aim of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7).

La Camera said, "There are no difficulties in persuading governments to adopt renewable energy, but from the commitments to the action, there is always something lagging.

What is important in relation to the countries, with our members, is to support them in finding the right way to translate commitment into action. I think this is the challenge we have to face: how can we move to tripling renewable installation capacity by 2030? Now what is at stake is how we can really achieve this goal.

Asked about how to ensure that countries commit and take action, the Irena Director-General explained that, since all the countries have already made commitments, one of the key steps is to rewrite the way international cooperation works, where all different entities involved must make an effort.

For example, at Irena, we have been working with President William Ruto of Kenya to forge a partnership to accelerate the renewable energy deployment in Africa, La Camera noted. The Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA) initiative was launched during the first Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi last year, he continued, highlighting the signing of a joint statement by APRA leaders at COP28 to drive the renewable energy transition as a strategic solution to energy access, security and green growth in Africa.

We now have seven African countries, including Kenya, as well as developed countries such as Denmark, Germany, the US, and we also have the UAE involved. This is an example of how we are trying to rewrite the landscape of international cooperation. We are building the plan and supporting these countries in creating their own plans for fostering renewables. Together we transform to a new international cooperation mechanism to turn their plans into reality.

About the notable differences in approaches, commitments and reactions between developing and developed countries when it comes to the energy transition, Francesco La Camera said, The developed world has to change the system. But, developing countries can leap forward and transition directly to a new energy system as there is a lack of real energy systems. The main difference lies in the status of the energy system in these different parts of the world, which is reflected largely in the existing inequality.

The other aspect is that the developed countries may have the tools, instruments and financial resources to drive the changes. The developing world needs support in many aspects. Countries require financial and technological support to exchange experiences and technology. These are barriers that need to be overcome today to speed up the transition, especially in Africa.

In this respect, Africa is probably the most important powerhouse in the world for renewable energy and green hydrogen [a clean and renewable energy carrier]. But, Africa lacks the infrastructure to make this potential beneficial to its people, which would also benefit the world. Infrastructure such as ports, pipelines and civil infrastructure are decisive and crucial, the Irena chief went on to say"

One example that impressed me was Mauritius, where our support for solar panel installation in private houses, private buildings and public buildings has been truly transforming the landscape, giving a big push for achieving SDG 7.

La Camera added, To speed up the transition, we need to overcome some structural barriers that exist today. Infrastructure is the first barrier to overcome. Without efficient electricity and without providing storage interconnectivity, flexibility and balancing the grids, we cannot progress. Modernising and building infrastructure where it is absent is the top priority.

Asked about how normal citizens can contribute to the energy transition, the Irena Director-General said, We are striving to be more efficient in all our choices, but what is more important is the legal environment where everyone feels compelled to take action. We cannot only call for the moral imperatives.

Society also makes an easier and simpler environment for people to make the right choices in terms of efficiency and energy conservation, he said, in conclusion.
The following message was sent to the Emory community by President Gregory L. Fenves on May 6, 2024.



Dear Emory Community,

I have been firm in my commitment that Emory will celebrate our graduating students at Commencement. While that commitment has not changed, concerns about safety and security require us to adjust the plans.

Emory will relocate Commencement activities to the Gas South District in Duluth, Georgia, an indoor complex that includes the Gas South Arena and the Gas South Convention Center. This change in venue impacts Emorys university-wide Commencement celebration as well as the diploma ceremonies for all nine schools, including Oxford College. Details of the revised Commencement plans, including those for related events and receptions, have been added to the Commencement website. This site will be updated as additional details become available.

Please know that this decision was not taken lightly. It was made in close consultation with the Emory Police Department, security advisors, and other agencies  each of which advised against holding Commencement events on our campuses.

I know that this news will be deeply disappointing to many of you. The FAQs included on the Commencement site provide answers to some of the many questions related to this change.

I want to end by congratulating the Emory Class of 2024  a class like no other. For many of you, the pandemic interrupted your high school graduations, and you began your Emory experience online. Next Monday, we will celebrate all that you have accomplished since then. You will have your moment together, in person, alongside the people who matter to you the most. Each of your names will be read aloud, and each of you will be conferred an Emory degree. We will applaud your dedication, your accomplishments, and your resilience. You will become graduates of Emory University, ready to enter a world that needs your talents, your wisdom, and your leadership.

Sincerely,

Gregory L. Fenves

President
16:12





Former All India Mahila Congress chief Netta D'Souza said the BJP has only given slogans such as 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', but the reality is there before the people of the country.





"Be it the brave women wrestlers or daughters like Ankita Bhandari, the prime minister did not try to provide justice to any daughter. The BJP government has always protected those who commit crimes against women," she alleged at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi.





"The women of the country are very angry on the issue of Prajwal Revanna. Women are forced to think that the real character of the person, who was under the protection of Modi ji inside Parliament for the last 5 years, has been revealed to the country," she said.





"If someone else had done the same thing then Modi ji would have been saying all over the country -- 'Look, we have caught the criminal to protect our daughters'," D'Souza said.





"But now when it comes to his favourite person, his attitude is in front of the entire country," she said.





While the Congress has been attacking the BJP over the allegations of sexual abuse against leaders of its ally JD(S), the BJP has blamed the Congress government in Karnataka for the "delayed" action against the accused and said it would push for the full might of law against the accused. D'Souza said PM Modi had shared the stage with Prajwal Revanna, who is seeking re-election from Hassan Lok Sabha seat, and sought votes for him.





"If Modi is there, then it is possible for Prajwal Revanna to flee abroad. If Modi is there, then it was possible for Prajwal Revanna to sit in Parliament. But today Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani are silent," she said.





"Modi ji was saying that the vote given to Prajwal Revanna would strengthen him. Now the women of the country will give you an answer on '400 paar'," she said, referring to the BJP's election slogan. Prajwal and his father H D Revanna were booked by police on Sunday on charges of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation based on a complaint from a woman who worked in their household.





Prajwal is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and a nephew of Karnataka's former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy. Faced with unrelenting attacks from the Congress and other political parties, the JD(S), an ally of the BJP, has suspended Prajwal. Karnataka JD(S) MLA H D Revanna was arrested by the Special Investigation Team on Saturday in a kidnapping case linked to sexual abuse allegations against his son Prajwal soon after a court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

Stepping up attack on the BJP over sexual abuse allegations against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka, the Congress of Monday alleged that the Modi government has "always protected" those who commit crimes against women.
15:19





Addressing an election rally at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, Modi also accused the Congress of belittling Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, adding the opposition party has started saying he had a very little role in framing the Constitution.





"The truth is that the Congress parivar deeply hates Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Modi said. The PM said the Congress is spreading rumours that if he gets 400 Lok Sabha seats, he will change the Constitution. It seems as if the Congress people's intelligence is focussed on their vote bank, he said. "It is important for the people of the country to know that the BJP-led NDA already has 400-plus seats in Parliament. We used this number to scrap Article 370 (which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir)," the PM said.





"Modi wants 400 seats so that the Congress won't bring back Article 370 to spoil the game, Modi wants 400 seats so that the Congress won't put a Babri lock on the Ram temple in Ayodhya," he said.





The PM said that about 14 days back, he challenged the Congress to give in writing to the 140 crore people of the country that it will not give reservation on the basis of religion.





"Secondly, I asked them to give in writing that they will never snatch the reservation being given to the SCs, STs and OBC and thirdly, to give in writing that they will never give reservation to Muslims by committing a dacoity from the existing OBC quota, but they are not responding and sitting silently by putting a lock on their mouths," he said.





"We have also used these 400 plus seats to extend SC/ST quota for 10 years, appoint a tribal woman as the country's President for the first time and to provide reservation to women," Modi said.





The PM said he is asking for 400 seats so that he can stop every conspiracy of the Congress and the opposition INDIA alliance.





"Modi is asking for 400 seats so that the Congress does not hand over the country's vacant land and islands to other countries, it does not take away the reservation given to SCs/STs/OBCs and give it to its vote bank, and does not declare all castes of its vote bank as OBC overnight," he said.





Further targeting the Congress, he said the opposition party doesn't want to give the credit to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he wants the BJP-led NDA to win 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls to ensure the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and put a "Babri lock" on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
SIU Simmons Law School commencement ceremony is May 10

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Thomas C. Britton, who has a five-decade relationship with as a member of its first graduating class, will deliver the keynote address during commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 10.

The ceremony at 1 p.m. in Shryock Auditorium will honor 77 graduates in the Class of 2024. There is no ticketing for guests, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chancellor Austin A. Lane will confer degrees at the ceremony with SIU System President Dan Mahony and J. Phil Gilbert, U.S. senior district judge and SIU Board of Trustees chair, also in attendance.

We are excited to celebrate the commencement of the Class of 2024, Dean Camille Davidson said. This marks an end to their time at SIU School of Law and a new beginning in their legal field of choice. This occasion also concludes our 50th anniversary celebration and begins our transition to the SIU Simmons Law School, continuing our legacy of excellence and commitment to shaping tomorrows leaders.

The Class of 2024 selected Michael Keeney, who is from Oak Lawn, Illinois, to be the class speaker. Keeney has a bachelors degree in English education from Illinois State University. During law school, he was part of the moot court team that was a finalist at the 2024 American Bar Association National Health Law competition in Las Vegas. He ranked No. 2 oral advocate, and the team won best brief of the tournament. After graduation and taking the bar exam, Keeney plans to return to Chicago and hopes to serve as a prosecutor in the Cook County States Attorneys Office.

Peter Alexander, a professor of law and former law school dean, will be the faculty speaker.

The ceremony marks the 48th anniversary of the law schools first graduating class of 1976, three years after the law school was founded.

Britton to deliver keynote address

A member of the charter class, Britton, who lives in Makanda, pursued a lengthy career with the SIU System administration in various roles, including administrative counsel to the SIU Board of Trustees and vice chancellor for institutional advancement. He joined the law school in 1992 as associate dean and later acting dean, and taught courses in the areas of public law, including administrative law, legislative and administrative process, state and local government law, and education law. Britton was an early advocate for using distance-learning technology, teaching courses to students in both Carbondale and Springfield, who typically were part of the law schools semester-in-practice program. After retiring, Britton continued to teach occasionally in the areas of bioethics and medical malpractice.

Ceremony to recognize Chinese human rights defender

Wang Quanzhang, a Chinese human rights lawyer imprisoned and persecuted for representing Falun Gong practitioners, will be bestowed with the schools Rule of Law citation, a formal recognition by law school faculty of the important tradition of the legal profession that requires lawyers to stand firm in support of liberty and justice in the face of oppression and, by their words and actions, to honor and support the Rule of Law, even at great personal risk.

A commencement hood and scroll will be placed on an empty chair to symbolize attorneys who are suffering for their actions as legal advocates.

According to the citation, Wang was arrested in 2015, beaten and detained at the end of the Falun Gong trial and then waited three years before his own trial. He was convicted of subverting state power for defending the group, which is anti-communist and opposes some of the health care practices in mainstream medicine in preference to more spiritual healing practices. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison and since his release, chased out of 13 homes in Beijing in 2 months. Wang was disbarred as a result of his work and his conviction.
Drake's latest salvo, 'The Heart Part 6,' serves as a direct response to Lamar's accusations of sexual predation, which have dominated recent releases.

In Lamar's track 'Meet the Grahams,' released on May 3, he directly accuses Drake of harbouring sex offenders at his label OVO and insinuates Drake's alleged interest in younger women, calling him a "perv**t."

The feud took a darker turn when Lamar suggested that Drake's residence, dubbed 'The Embassy,' could face legal scrutiny akin to recent raids on Sean 'Diddy' Combs' properties, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Lamar doubled down on these accusations in his follow-up track, 'Not Like Us,' where he explicitly labels Drake as a predator and suggests his team as paedophiles.

The cover image of the track, a Google Maps image of Drake's residence covered in predator map pins, adds visual weight to Lamar's claims.

In 'The Heart Part 6,' Drake confronts these allegations head-on. He denies ever being involved with underage individuals, expressing disgust at Lamar's insinuations and asserting his innocence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJeY-FXidDQ

Drake also addresses Lamar's alleged trauma, suggesting that Lamar's fixation on predator allegations stems from his own unresolved issues.

Moreover, Drake references a past controversy involving actor Millie Bobby Brown, denying any inappropriate relationship and emphasizing his preference for adult relationships.

He suggests Lamar's accusations are rooted in personal trauma and redirects the narrative towards Lamar's own experiences.

As the feud escalates, both artists continue to exchange barbs through their music, with each diss track adding fuel to the fire. (ANI)
At the fifty-seventh session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD57), the United Nations Headquarters resonated with the resounding voices of female representatives. The session was held on Friday. These representatives hailed from India's Panchayati Raj Institutions, with one particularly notable member from Tripura. They were the focal point of a side event titled "Localizing the SDGs: Women in Local Governance in India Lead the Way." Their compelling narratives and impactful endeavours held the audience spellbound, showcasing their inspirational journeys and groundbreaking projects. Three renowned female Panchayat leaders including Supriya Das Datta of Tripura, Kunuku Hema Kumari from Andhra Pradesh, and Neeru Yadav representing Rajasthan showcased their pioneering efforts in uplifting women and girls. Their endeavours spanned from addressing issues like child marriage to advancing education, economic inclusion, job prospects, environmental conservation, and sports. These narratives epitomized the resilience and effectiveness of women's leadership in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The side event was organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Friday at the UN Headquarters Secretariat Building in New York, as part of the CPD57 session. Supriya Das Datta, the Zilla Parishad Sabhadhipati of Sepahijala district in Tripura, highlighted various endeavours geared towards uplifting women and girls. These include initiatives like building dedicated restroom facilities on governmental premises and witnessing a substantial increase in Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from 600 to nearly 6,000 during her tenure. She stressed her dedication to fostering women's involvement in decision-making processes and promoting their economic and social empowerment, drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's motto of inclusive development for all. Recognizing the obstacles confronting women, Supriya Das Datta launched 'Your Story Must Be Told,' an initiative initially aimed at providing a non-political platform for women to voice their concerns during Gram Sabhas. This initiative evolved into 'Tomader Sabha' or 'Mahila Sabha,' serving as a space where women from diverse backgrounds can actively engage. Supriya emphasized the significance of magnifying women's voices and ensuring that their concerns are not just acknowledged but also addressed. The event featured keynote speakers such as Deputy Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations, Ambassador Andreas Lovold, and representatives from UNFPA, including Pio Smith, UNFPA's Asia Pacific Regional Director, Diene Keita, UNFPA's Deputy Executive Director for Programme, and Andrea M. Wojnar, UNFPA's Representative in India. They praised India's endeavours in promoting gender equality and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the local level. (ANI)
Amid controversy over Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's statement about the killing of former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 attack, political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla on Sunday urged all opposition parties in the INDIA bloc to put pressure on Wadettiwar to take back his statement. Poonawalla also asserted that the INDIA bloc parties should ensure that Pakistan does not get any advantage out of Wadettiwar's statement. "The statements made by the senior leader and Maharashtra LoP Vijay Wadettiwar are unbecoming of somebody who holds that position and should be condemned. I request all opposition parties to put pressure on him to take back that statement. It is unacceptable that Pakistan is given a clean chit in the debt of Hemant Karkare. 26/11 was a terror attack, planned and executed by the terror state of Pakistan," Tehseen Poonawalla said. "Hemant Karkare laid down his life for the tricolour and was killed by terrorists like Ajmal Kasab, not by anyone from India. Therefore, it is important that all opposition parties in the INDIA alliance, not just come aggressively against the statement of LoP but also ensure that Pakistan does not get any advantage of such statements," he added. However, issuing his clarification, Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that those were not his words, but he said what was written in the book by SM Mushrif, a former Inspector General of Police, in Maharashtra and the brother of NCP party leader Hasan Mushrif. "Those are not my words, I just said what was written in the book by SM Mushrif. Every information was there about the bullet by which Hemant Karkare was shot, it was not the bullet of terrorists," he claimed. Ajmal Kasab was the only one of the 10 Pakistani terrorists to be caught alive. He was placed in a Mumbai jail for nearly four years and was hanged in Pune in 2012. Wadettiwar purportedly had called BJP candidate Ujjwal Nijam, an "anti-national" and also accused him of hiding the information that Hemant Karkare was not killed by Ajmal Kasab's bullet, but fell to a bullet of policemen, affiliated to RSS. Congress was in power in Maharashtra and at the Centre during the 26/11 attacks and party leader Wadettiwar's controversial statement has put the Congress in an embarrassing situation. Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora said that such remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly are shameful and the opposition party is busy giving "clean chit to the Pakistan". "It is a very shameful statement. During the 26/11 attack. I saw the pain, suffering and terror that the people of South Mumbai, Maharashtra and India had to witness. Why are they trying to appease Pakistan and blame one community? As an Indian, a responsible leader from an Opposition party is making this statement for the second time from the same party and giving a clean chit to Pakistan," Milind Deora told ANI. Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad. He was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In 2009, he was posthumously given the Ashoka Chakra. (ANI)
The Indo-Nepal border area in Supaul district of Bihar has been sealed for 72 hours in view of the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 7, said Sashastra Seema Bal. "The Supaul district administration has directed us to seal the Indo-Nepal border area for 72 hours to ensure the Lok Sabha election happens peacefully and no law and order situation occurs. Essential services won't be affected, and the movement of ambulances is also excluded," JK Sharma, Action Commandent Officer, 45th BN SSB Birpur, Bihar, told ANI. Supaul is among the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar that will vote in the third phase on May 7. The other four are Araria, Madhepura, Khagaria and Jhanjharpur. Supaul Lok Sabha constituency, which has been considered a stronghold of the socialists for a long time, is set for a keen contest as RJD has fielded its candidate after 25 years since the 1998 Lok Sabha polls against sitting MP and JD-U leader Dileshwar Kamait.The National Democratic Alliance has reposed faith in sitting MP and JDU leader Dileshwar Kamait, whereas the RJD has fielded Chandrahas Chaupal, its MLA from the Singheshwar (SC) seat. Chaupal, an RJD MLA from Singheshwar Assembly constituency, is trying his luck for the first time to reach Parliament. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed a public meeting in Supaul on Thursday.During his public meeting in Supaul, Singh said, "Congress-RJD have lost their credibility and it will be a dream for them to win any seat in Bihar. The people who are accused of corruption are claiming to develop Bihar." "Whether it was the Atal ji government or the Modi ji government, not a single Minister indulged in corruption," he said. In 2014, Kamait lost to Congress candidate Ranjeeta Ranjan, the wife of former MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav. The BJP's Kameshwar Chaupal finished third, despite the strong Modi wave for change. However, after losing in the 2014 polls, Kamait avenged his defeat at the hands of Ranjeet Ranjan in 2019. The 40 seats in Bihar are undergoing polls in all seven phases. In 2019, the BJP-led NDA swept the state by winning 39 out of 40 seats, while Congress won just one seat. RJD, a formidable force in the state, failed to open its account. Supaul has voted aggressively in the last two parliamentary elections. The voter turnout in Supaul was 63.62 per cent in 2014 and 65.77 per cent in 2019. (ANI)
"Discussions have been held with all the MLAs to ensure maximum voting and increase the voting percentage. We will win the Indore seat with a huge majority," Devda told ANI on Sunday.

Indore constituency made headlines recently when Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bam joined the BJP on the last day of withdrawal of nomination

Ejected from the contest, the Congress has appealed to voters to hit the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option on May 13, the date for election in the parliamentary constituency.

The sitting MP, Shankar Lalwani, is BJP's candidate from Indore.

The Indore constituency in Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of the general elections. After the withdrawal of nominations, 14 candidates, including nine independents, are in the fray in Indore.

Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first phase of polling was held on April 19 and the second phase was concluded on April 26.The next two phases will be conducted on May 7 and May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. (ANI)
TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with Sapura Upstream Assets (SUA) to acquire its 50 per cent interest in Malaysian independent gas producer and operator SapuraOMV Upstream (SapuraOMV) for a consideration of $530 million, subject to closing adjustments. Closing is expected in the second half of 2024.

This agreement follows a first agreement signed with OMV on January 31st, 2024, for the acquisition of its 50 per cent interest in SapuraOMV.

After completion of both transactions, which are subject to some conditions precedent, in particular regulatory approvals, TotalEnergies would own 100 per cent of SapuraOMV.

SapuraOMVs main assets are its 40 per cent operated interest in block SK408 and 30 per cent operated interest in block SK310, both located offshore Sarawak in Malaysia.

In 2023, SapuraOMVs operated production (100 per cent) was about 500 Mcf/d of natural gas, feeding the Bintulu LNG plant operated by Petronas, as well as 7 kb/d of condensates.

On block SK408, the development of Jerun gas field is on track for a startup in the second half of 2024. SapuraOMV also holds interests in exploration licenses in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico, where a discovery was made in 2023 on block 30.

Following the transaction with OMV announced two months ago and this new transaction with Sapura Upstream Assets,TotalEnergies will have full ownership of SapuraOMV and become a significant gas operator in Malaysia, said Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies. The SapuraOMV assets are fully in line with our strategy to grow our gas production to meet demand growth, focusing our portfolio on low-cost and low-emission assets.We look forward to strengthening our global partnership with Petronas in Malaysia, a country where we see further development opportunities for our Company. --OGN/TradeArabia News Service
A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra granted relief to Umar Ansari and asked him to participate in the trial of the case.

The bench took note that other accused in the case have been granted bail.

It said that the offending statement of Ansari is the matter for trial and granted him anticipatory bail.

Uttar Pradesh government had objected to the plea of Ansari seeking bail and asked the apex court that he must first surrender before the trial court and then seek bail.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Ansari, submitted that the other accused have been granted regular bail in the matter.

Ansari was booked for delivering a provocative speech against the Mau district administration while the model code of conduct was in place. Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had refused anticipatory bail to him in the same case.

He approached the top court against the High Court's December 2023 order.

On December 19, 2023, the High Court rejected the anticipatory bail application of Ansari and said that looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, the offence was made out.

The FIR was lodged in March 2022 at Kotwali police station in Mau district against Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and others.

It was alleged in the FIR that on March 3, 2022, at Pahadpura ground- Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and organiser Mansoor Ahmad Ansari in a public meeting called for settling a score with the Mau administration. (ANI)
The police said that they have started an investigation into the matter. Further details are awaited.

Meanwhile, DCP Control Ahmedabad City said that there is no need to panic.

"No need to panic, exaggerate...5-6 schools have been threatened through mail about bomb blast...we are checking. No need to give too much hype...people should not panic as tomorrow is poll day," said the DCP.

This comes days after multiple schools in Delhi received bomb threats. According to the Delhi police, a total of 131 schools received threat emails on May 1.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an official statement calling the email a "hoax."

"There is no need to panic. The mail appears to be a hoax. Delhi Police and security agencies are taking necessary steps as per protocol," the official release from the MHA read. (ANI)
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against Jharkhand High Court's order which dismissed his plea challenging his arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case against him. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for early listing of the case. The bench also comprising JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Sibal to send an email and it will look into it. Sibal, while mentioning the matter sought early listing of the case and told the bench that the election phase in Jharkhand will to begin from May 13. "Hemant Soren was arrested on January 31, we moved the High Court on February 4 and High Court did not deliver the judgement. The phase of election starts on May 13.... This court issued notice and High Court delivered the judgement on May 3. We have filed the SLP, very unfortunate that rights are being trampled in this fashion," said Sibal. On May 3, the Jharkhand High Court dismissed Soren's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate, days after the Supreme Court agreed to hear his plea against ED arrest in the week commencing from May 6. The judgement was reserved by the High Court on February 28. Earlier, Soren had moved the top court, citing the High Court's delay in pronouncing the verdict on his petition challenging his arrest by the ED and on April 29 it issued notice on the plea challenging his arrest. Soren is being investigated for money laundering charges in connection with an illegal mining case, as well as an alleged land scam in Ranchi. The central agency investigating both cases has contended that approximately Rs 8.5 acres of property in question constitutes proceeds of crime. (ANI)
Amid uproar over Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's statement about the killing of former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 attack, his party colleague Shashi Tharoor said on Monday that when the Leader of opposition points to something which is an allegation, it should have been seriously investigated because the nation has right to know what happened. "The matter is extremely serious. Our concern is that when the LoP points to something that is an allegation that has been in the public domain for some time and which featured in a book by the former IG of police, SM Mushrif, who said that the bullets found in Karkare's body could not have been fired by Ajmal Kasab and that it could have been fired by a police revolver. It seems to me that this allegation should have been seriously investigated. And it is not too late. Because on such an important matter, the nation has every right to know what happened," Tharoor said. Further, attacking the then prosecutor and BJP candidate Ujjwal Nikam, Shashi Tharoor said that he had already propagated an unjustified myth that the terrorist was served Biryani in jail. "We already had known that he (Ujjwal Nikam) had propagated this unjustified myth that the Pakistani terrorist was served Biryani in prison and that is something that shows him in a very poor light. If, indeed he has already revealed his political bias in that moment, then there is every reason to worry whether his political bias had influenced any other of his stands. We are not saying that the allegation is true. We are saying it should be investigated," he added. Ajmal Kasab was the only one of the 10 Pakistani terrorists to be caught alive. He was placed in a Mumbai jail for nearly four years and was hanged in Pune in 2012. Meanwhile, Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, on Sunday, stirred a controversy by claiming that former Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare was "not killed by terrorists during the 26/11 attack but by a police official close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh." Nikam dismissed the claims by the Congress leader calling them "baseless" and alleged that the latter just wants to do "Goebbels' propaganda" making references to Joseph Goebbels who was Hitler's aide and Nazi Party chief propagandist. "What allegations are you making? What will Pakistan say? Pakistan has never denied this. because we produced judicial proof. But our man is doing politics. You just want to do propaganda - that too Goebbels' propaganda. This doesn't defame Nikam. It defames you," Nikam said while speaking to ANI on Monday. After the comments invited wide outrage, Vijay Wadettiwar issued a clarification, saying that those were not his words but had been mentioned in the book authored by SM Mushrif, a former Inspector General of Police, in Maharashtra. "Those are not my words, I just said what was written in the book by SM Mushrif. Every information was there about the bullet by which Hemant Karkare was shot, it was not the bullet of terrorists," he said. Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad. He was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In 2009, he was posthumously given the Ashoka Chakra. (ANI)
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) national general secretary Malook Nagar said that J-K National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah should be ashamed for his alleged remarks on PoK and that "such people" did not have a right to live in the country. "I am ashamed that such statements are given by people living in the country. When he (Farooq Abdullah) and his son (Omar Abdullah) gave interviews when Article 370 was still implemented, they sounded like Pakistanis. They should be ashamed. Such people have no right to live in the country," Nagar said on Monday. A day earlier, responding to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remark that "PoK will be merged with India," Abdullah said, "If the defence minister is saying it, then go ahead. Who are we to stop? But remember, they (Pakistan) are also not wearing bangles. It has atom bombs, and unfortunately, that atom bomb will fall on us." Slamming Abdullah, former Deputy J-K Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta said that the former's heart "beats for Pakistan. "His heart beats for Pakistan and not for the soldiers who work in adverse conditions in Jammu and Kashmir and on the borders. Abdullah Sahab should apologize to the country. His thinking is expressed through his words," Kavinder said. Malook Nagar also criticised former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member, Charanjit Singh Channi, over his alleged remarks on the recent terror attack incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch. "Former Punjab CM Channi lost the MLA elections. 'Unke dimag ka diwala nikal gaya hai.' When someone makes such a statement for those who live and die for the country, how would the family members of those martyrs feel? They are making such statements for votes. They should spare the soldiers and martyrs. The elections and politics will come and go," Nagar said. Channi had on Sunday alleged the Poonch attack was "pre-planned" and such "stuntbaazi" was done to facilitate BJP's win in the polls. "This is stuntbaazi. When elections come, such stunts are done to make the BJP win. These are pre-planned attacks, there is no truth in them," Channi said while speaking to reporters in Punjab. However, Channi earlier in the day issued a clarification saying that his statement was "distorted" adding that he intended to point out that a "similar attack" took place during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections referring to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed by terrorists. "My statement was distorted. What I meant to say was that a similar attack had taken place during the last Lok Sabha elections also. But it was not investigated by BJP and till now it is not known who was involved in the said attack," Channi said in a self-made video released after his remarks stirred a controversy. (ANI)
Reddy was recently arrested by the Delhi Police in the case and was produced on Monday after three days of remand in the court.

Additional Sessions Judge (Link Judge) Neha Garg sent him to Judicial Custody for one day and also issued notice to the Investigation Officer of Delhi Police on a bail plea filed by Arun Reddy.

Last week, the Delhi Police arrested Arun Reddy, who handles the 'Spirit of Congress' X account, in connection with Amit Shah's doctored video case.

In the doctored video, the Union Home Minster is purportedly heard saying that the BJP stands against the reservations in the country.

However, during his address at a public meeting in Congress-ruled Telangana, Shah said, "If the BJP forms the government here, we will withdraw the unconstitutional reservations to Muslims. We will ensure that the SCs, STs and OBCs get quotas as guaranteed under the Constitution."

Earlier, five Congress workers were arrested by the Telangana Police in connection with Shah's fake video case. (ANI)
After the Congress delegation met with CP Sanjay Arora at Delhi Police Headquarters, party leader Pawan Khera on Monday demanded "immediate action" against the BJP for allegedly circulating edited, fake videos and posts on social media of Congress leaders. A Congress delegation on Monday met with Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora and lodged a complaint with regard to edited, fake videos and posts that are being circulated on some social handles. "People of the BJP are spreading fake news, we want Delhi Police to take immediate action against it. The BJP and its supporters are spreading content that can create hatred in society. Videos of our senior leaders are being edited and uploaded," Pawan Khera told ANI. Meanwhile, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav, said that the Commissioner has assured that strict action will be taken. "In some time, a big national party (BJP) has been trying to harm harmony in the country. We filed a complaint at Tuglak Road police station two days ago but no action was taken, so we met the Commissioner today. The Commissioner has assured that strict action will be taken. Edited videos should be removed and an investigation should be carried out after registering an FIR," Yadav said. "The video of Rahul Gandhi being there shows that he is favouring any particular community but that is not true. It has been edited and presented in front of everyone that he is only supporting minorities. But he is talking about all sections of society. We have been saying that the Congress party will work for everyone, whether they are SC, SC, OBC or minority," he added while citing an example of Rahul Gandhi videos being edited. Earlier, an FIR has been registered against BJP national president JP Nadda, party's IT cell head Amit Malviya and Karnataka unit chief BY Vijayendra for allegedly intimidating members of the SC and ST community not to vote for a particular candidate, police said. According to officials, a case under the sections of the Representation of People Act and IPC section 505 (2) (for statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) has been registered against the BJP leaders. The action comes after a formal complaint lodged by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) with the Election Commission and Bengaluru police on Sunday alleging a violation of the model code of conduct. Karnataka Congress has filed a complaint to the Election Commission against BJP national president JP Nadda, social media in-charge Amit Malviya, and state chief BY Vijayendra for allegedly posting a video on social media aimed at "intimidating" members of Schedule Caste/ Schedule Tribe to not vote for Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed hope on Monday that both the governments of India and Pakistan will create such an environment to start the process of dialogue. He also said there is still a long way to go to control militancy in the Union Territory. "The BJP should answer the terror attack on an IAF convoy in Poonch. I have been saying that militancy has enveloped a few areas that were becoming militancy-free as long as I was the Chief Minister. Like Srinagar and areas adjacent to it and Rajouri-Poonch," Omar said while addressing a public gathering in Kupwara's Langate. "But you see (media) how many targeted killings took place in Srinagar, how many encounters took place in Poonch, how many terror attacks took place in Rajouri, what kind of terror attacks took place in Kokernag. The reality is it will take a lot of time to control militancy," said Omar, the National Conference, Vice-President He was replying to a query related to the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir post-2019. Omar Abdullah who is contesting from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat will vote in the fifth phase on May 20. Replying to a query, he said, "National Conference has always maintained that all the matters (between India and Pakistan) would be resolved through dialogue. What Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji said: 'We can change our friends, but we can't change our neighbours'. Pakistan is, was and will remain our neighbour. We have to create an environment for the dialogue. And it is the responsibility of the two countries". "A new government has come to power in Pakistan after elections. Here results will be out on June 4. A new government will be formed. We hope that both the governments of India and Pakistan will create such an environment to start the process of dialogue," he said. Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 5 Lok Sabha seats including Baramulla, Srinagar, Anantnag-Rajouri, Udhampur and Jammu. Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force officer was killed and four others injured in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. The voting in Jammu and Kashmir is being held in five phases and the polling in Anantnag-Rajouri is scheduled to be held on May 25 in the sixth phase. (ANI) The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases running from April 19 to June 1. The counting of votes and results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)
According to the order, school employees were using their phones for personal purposes during school hours, which interfered with school activities.

The orders further warned that strict action would be taken against school staff if they were found using mobile phones for personal use during school hours.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar has also taken a strict stance on the complaints of teachers using cell phones during duty hours and leaving the premises.

The State Education Minister said that the order will help teachers focus on teaching instead of checking their mobile phones again and again.

The Education Minister has also banned teachers from taking time off for any religious prayer during school hours. (ANI)
In a post on social media platform X, Bolsonaro wrote, "I'm at Santa Julia Hospital in Manaus. Erysipelas...still not expected to be discharged. A hug to everyone."

Notably, Bolsonaro was in Manaus to meet with supporters at meetings and demonstrations.

He had to suspend his schedule in the region because of the hospitalisation, Metropoles reported.

The former President of Brazil will remain in the hospital to continue his medication and observation for a better evolution of his clinical condition, according to deputy captain Alberto.

According to Metropoles, federal deputy Captain Alberto Neto (PL-CE) published a photo on Instagram on Sunday afternoon next to Bolsonaro in the hospital.

"Ready to watch the Palmeiras game in a little while," he wrote alongside the picture on the gram.

The forecast is that Bolsonaro will be able to return to Brasilia on Monday. (ANI)
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is showcasing its successful growth story, ambitious plans, and investment in guest experience at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

The UAEs national airline expects to welcome thousands of visitors to its stand including distinguished guests, travel trade customers, members of the media and tourism partners.

Javier Alija, Vice President Sales and Distribution, Etihad Airways, said: "Were looking forward to a great week ahead at the Arabian Travel Market, where we have the opportunity to showcase the growth story at Etihad Airways, in partnership with Zayed International Airport, our new home in Abu Dhabi."

The new airport, which opened in November 2023, offers streamlined check-in including dedicated spaces for families, First and Business class, as well as biometric self-check in and security facilities.

In Departures, guests will find world-class duty-free shopping and dining, as well as Etihads stunning First and Business class lounges for guests travelling in premium cabins and eligible Etihad Guest members.

"We look forward to welcoming our trade and tourism partners and industry peers to our stand and look forward to a fruitful week for the important travel trade industry," he stated.

At the Arabian Travel Market, Etihad will be showcasing its significant network development undertaken since last years event with 15 new destinations announced or launched, including recent inaugural flights to Boston and two new destinations in Kerala, India.

Over the next two months, Etihad will begin operating to Jaipur and Bali, as well as summer destinations, Al Qassim, Antalya, Malaga, Nice, and the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini.

The Etihad stand is being presented in partnership with Zayed International Airport, showcasing the stunning new home of UAE national carrier.

Visitors to the stand will also have the opportunity to see and experience the airlines significant investment in guest experience, with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner seats on display, said the Emirati airline.

Etihads newest Boeing 787 Dreamliners joined the fleet in February and feature an exclusive Business class offering enhanced privacy and state-of-the-art technology. The Economy cabin seats are also on display at ATM, showcasing the comfort and convenience offered on board.

Also on display are the airlines brand-new amenity kits launched in partnership with celebrated designer Giorgio Armani and leading skincare brand ESPA; as well as the Etihad and Armani/Casa Business class experience, and the Economy class elegant dining solution.-TradeArabia News Service
Three men lured a college boy to a riverbank, allegedly tried to sexually assault him ended up videotaping the boy in an unclothed state after which they blackmailed him in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Dawn reported. An initial complaint was filed at police station Dandai in Bisham Tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa invoking sections 377 (unnatural offence), 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or a shorter term), and 506/34 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the FIR, the victim, having completed his intermediate examination last Friday, was approached by the suspects, whom he was acquainted with. The suspects purportedly enticed the victim under the guise of escorting him to a riverbank before making sexual advances towards him -- actions that were met with resistance and thwarted, Dawn reported. Nevertheless, the suspects recorded the victim unclothed and issued threats to expose the footage and harm him if he reported the incident. Station House Officer (SHO) Dandai, Muhammad Arif Khan, disclosed that the trio implicated in the FIR was apprehended today, with further interrogation ongoing. As per the FIR, the victim was referred to the tehsil headquarters hospital, Bisham, on the day of the incident for medical examination, Dawn reported. Data collected by Sahil, an NGO dedicated to addressing child sexual abuse, reveals a disturbing trend: the majority of abusers are individuals known to the victims, such as acquaintances, neighbours, or even family members. Shockingly, religious teachers and clerics emerge as the primary perpetrators within institutional settings, surpassing even police officers, school teachers, or nuclear family members in the number of complaints filed against them, according to Dawn. Primary data remains limited and organisations rely on media reports and police complaints but the trend over the past 20 years shows the gender divide of abused girls in madrassas is slightly higher than that of boys ('Cruel Numbers'). (ANI)
The vessel, carrying six Indian crew members employed on a contractual basis in Iran, was apprehended following allegations of exploitation and mistreatment by the boat's owner.

The India Coast Guard (ICG) swiftly took action upon receiving reports of the alleged mistreatment, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to maritime security and welfare.

The vessel was promptly brought to Kochi, where it will undergo further investigation to ascertain the veracity of the claims and ensure appropriate measures are taken.

The interception highlights the importance of maintaining maritime security and upholding the rights and welfare of crew members operating in international waters.

The ICG's decisive action underscores their dedication to enforcing maritime laws and regulations to safeguard the well-being of seafarers.

"@IndiaCoastGuard in a swift sea-air coordinated operation intercepts & detains #Iranian fishing vessel in #Arabian sea west off #Kerala coast with 06 #Indian crew employed on contractual basis at Iran. Crew alleges exploitation & mistreatment by the boat owner. The boat has been brought to #Kochi for further investigation. Upholding maritime security & welfare #ICG demonstrates unwavering commitment," said the India Coast Guard in a post on X.

Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the nature of the alleged exploitation or the conditions on board the detained vessel.

Earlier on May 1, IndiaCoastGuard Ship C-153 displayed swift response, undertaking Medical Evacuation of a 40-year-old fisherman from IFB Francis II (#Goa Regd) who sustained a head injury. Positioned 70 N miles South of Veraval, the operation occurred at 1805 hrs on 01 May. Post-evacuation, the ICG Ship provided first aid and safely transported the fisherman to Veraval.

On April 29, In back to back Anti-Narco Operations India Coast Guard Ship jointly with ATS Gujarat apprehended a Fishing Boat with 173 Kg narcotics and 2 perpetrators at sea. The operation followed the seizure of a Pakistani Fishing Boat on 28 Apr. (ANI)
With the absence of a prominent player in the race, Jose Raul Mulino, a former public security minister, emerged victorious in Panama's Presidential elections held on Sunday, The New York Post (NYT) reported. Ricardo Martinelli, the former president dubbed "El loco" (the crazy one) by his supporters, had been a leading contender until his disqualification due to a money-laundering conviction. Despite his exclusion, Martinelli continued to exert influence from within the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama City, where he resides under asylum. From that vantage point, he fervently advocated for Jose Raul Mulino, his former running mate. Jose Raul Mulino, who led the polls among eight candidates, has pledged to restore Panama's economic prosperity, reminiscent of the growth experienced during Martinelli's presidency from 2009 to 2014. The election unfolds against a backdrop of political turmoil and public discontent, exacerbated by widespread frustration with the incumbent government and recent protests against a controversial copper-mining contract, as reported by the NYT. Voters cast their ballots for a five-year term in a single-round vote, with the candidate receiving the highest percentage of votes declared the winner. Concurrently, voters selected representatives for the National Assembly and local governments. Mulino's critics had cautioned against his hardline stance on migration and his ties to Martinelli's administration, which has been marred by corruption allegations. Panama's economy, propelled by the expansion of the Panama Canal and favourable trade agreements, faces challenges amidst a credit rating downgrade and diminished growth projections. The fallout from a Supreme Court ruling declaring a copper mining contract unconstitutional has further dampened economic prospects. Moreover, the next president confronts a range of pressing issues, including a humanitarian crisis along the Darien Gap, exacerbated by migrant influxes and rising criminal activity. Mulino advocates for stringent measures to curb illegal migration, drawing criticism from opponents who favour diplomatic solutions and human rights protections, according to the NYT. Water scarcity and infrastructure deficits also loom large, compounded by a recent drought impacting the Panama Canal's operations. Candidates pledge to address these challenges while prioritising job creation and economic diversification. Despite Martinelli's disqualification, Mulino's campaign capitalises on his legacy, emphasising achievements such as the Panama Canal expansion and infrastructure development. However, Mulino's candidature is not without controversy. He faced arrest in 2015 on embezzlement charges related to a radar procurement contract signed during his tenure as public security minister. While cleared of charges due to procedural violations, questions linger over his integrity and accountability. In the lead-up to the election, voters express divergent opinions on Mulino's candidature. Some laud his commitment to economic revitalisation, citing Martinelli's prosperous tenure, while others question his association with corruption-tainted politics, The New York Times reported. (ANI)
In the wake of the growing intervention of Chinese authorities in Balochistan, the President of the Baloch Voice Association (BVA), Munier Mengal on Monday held a meeting with the French Senator Herve Reynaud, BVA said in an official statement. During the meeting, both dignitaries discussed a comprehensive dossier highlighting the deep concerns of the Baloch people regarding Chinese involvement and projects in Balochistan. The meeting was organized amid the ongoing visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Europe. Mengal highlighted significant issues of the Baloch people regarding Chinese initiatives within Balochistan which are not agreed upon by the local population. "Balochistan, currently under occupation by Pakistan, has faced challenges stemming from the implementation of various projects and agreements that adversely affect the Baloch people and their rights", Mengal said. The president of BVA also implied that Pakistan as a forceful occupier lacks the legitimate authority to enter into agreements or grant concessions over Balochistan's territory or resources. The agreements made by Pakistan with foreign entities, including those involving China, do not represent the will or consent of the Baloch people. Mengal further in his statement stated that greater scrutiny and accountability is needed in ventures related to Chinese involvement in Balochistan. Additionally, Mengal expressed the urgent necessity for international attention and action on the plight of the Baloch people. Further, Senator Reynaud acknowledged the gravity of the concerns raised by the Baloch activist and assured him of his commitment to advocate for a deeper examination of these issues within the French legislative framework. Mengal regularly raises his voice over the international platform demanding the address of the growing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan in the previous session of UNHRC. In his intervention, Munir Mengal, President of the Baloch Voice Association brought to the attention of the Council a grave humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding in the region of Balochistan, where the fundamental rights and freedoms of its people are being "systematically violated by the government of Pakistan". He particularly drew attention to the alarming issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan. Munir said, "Enforced disappearances are a deeply concerning and inhumane practice that has been ongoing in Balochistan for far too long. Thousands of innocent people have vanished without a trace, their whereabouts unknown, and their families left in anguish and uncertainty. This issue not only violates the most basic human rights but also undermines the principles of justice and accountability that the United Nations stands for". (ANI)
As per a notification issued by the chairman's secretariat, the committee comprises Sherry Rehman, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Saleem Mandviwalla.

Recent reports indicate that ten companies have expressed interest in acquiring majority stakes in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), a development that surfaced last week, as per ARY News.

According to sources cited by ARY News, ten companies, including three domestic aviation firms, have submitted tender applications.

Among the interested parties are Fly Jinnah, AirSial, Arif Habib Group, Shujaat Azeem Group's consortium, Tabba, Tariq Group, and Sehgal Group, all expressing intent to acquire a significant portion of PIA shares.

The deadline for PIA privatisation, initially set for May 3, has been extended to May 18, affording these companies additional time to refine their proposals.

According to ARY News, the Federal Minister for Privatisation, Abdul Aleem Khan, asserted in his statement that there will be no further extension beyond this deadline for the submission of declarations of interest for national flag carriers.

The Privatisation Commission and the PIA administration also conducted various roadshows but failed to achieve much success, sources said. (ANI)
China-France relationship should be model for the world, says Xi Jinping as he lands in Paris

Chinas relationship with France should be a model for the world, said President Xi Jinping as he landed in Paris on Sunday.

The Chinese leader made the rare visit to France against a backdrop of mounting trade disputes with the European Union.

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to urge Mr Xi to reduce trade imbalances and to use his influence with Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Mr Xi is due to meet Mr Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Monday, before he and Mr Macron go on a visit to the Pyrenees the next day.

Mr Xi, who was welcomed in Paris by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, said in a statement released on his arrival that ties between China and France were a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems.

France is backing an EU probe into Chinese electric vehicle exports, and in January, Beijing opened an investigation into mostly French-made imports of brandy, a move widely seen as a tit-for-tat retaliation.

Tibetan protesters demonstrated in Paris as Mr Xi arrived - Thomas Padilla/AP

We want to obtain reciprocity of exchanges and have the elements of our economic security taken into account, Mr Macron said in an interview with French newspaper La Tribune ahead of Mr Xis two-day visit, his first trip to the region in five years.

The EUs 27 members - in particular France and Germany - are divided on their attitude towards China. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not join Mr Macron and Mr Xi in Paris due to prior commitments, sources said.

In Europe, we are not unanimous on the subject because certain players still see China as essentially a market of opportunities, Mr Macron said, without naming any countries.

These divisions could undermine the EUs ability to influence the Asian giant.

France will also seek to make progress on opening the Chinese market to its agricultural exports and to resolve issues around the French cosmetic industrys concerns about intellectual property rights, officials said.

A protester wearing a mask bearing the Uighur flag in Paris as Mr Xi arrived - STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP

China may announce an order for around 50 Airbus aircraft during Mr Xis visit, but it remains uncertain whether it will be a new deal, people familiar with the negotiations said.

France has been keen to nudge China into pressuring Moscow to halt operations in Ukraine, with little progress apart from Mr Xis decision to call President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time shortly after Macron visited Beijing last year.

If the Chinese seek to deepen the relationship with European partners, it is really important that they hear our point of view and start taking it seriously, a French diplomatic source said.

Mr Macron will take Mr Xi to the Pyrenees, a mountainous region dear to the French president as the birthplace of his maternal grandmother, on Tuesday, before Mr Xi heads to Russia-friendly Serbia and Hungary.

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Thousands of meals apparently served in a barricaded suburban park. Reams of documents showing the same names of kids receiving meals day after day. A nonprofit insider first tipping off the FBI.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys began to unveil new details this week in the first Feeding Our Future-related trial in which authorities allege a sprawling fraud scheme in the federal child nutrition program. Jurors got a first glimpse of how millions of dollars flowed through the St. Anthony nonprofit Feeding Our Future and related organizations in what prosecutors say is one of the largest pandemic-related fraud schemes in the country.

Defense attorneys, though, struck back at the allegations, saying defendants followed complex federal rules and served real food. As they tried to cast doubt on the FBI's investigation, they blamed Feeding Our Future and other nonprofits managing the program for poor oversight.

The high-profile trial is the first one since the FBI raided Feeding Our Future more than two years ago, leading to charges and indictments of 70 people in what has been described as a scheme totaling more than $250 million. Prosecutors allege defendants exploited program changes during the COVID-19 pandemic to pocket millions of dollars meant to feed children in need.

This month's trial involves seven defendants  Said Shafii Farah, Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, Mohamed Jama Ismail, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, Abdiwahab Maalim Aftin, Mukhtar Mohamed Shariff and Hayat Mohamed Nur  who have been charged with wire fraud, money laundering and other crimes. They all have ties to a Shakopee restaurant called Empire Cuisine & Market, which received $40 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds meant to reimburse nonprofits, schools and day cares for feeding low-income kids after school and during the summer.

Federal prosecutors said only about 10% of the more than 18 million meals the defendants claimed to serve were actually distributed and the rest of the money was used for such things as $80,000 Porsches, a luxury Maldives vacation and a custom 8,000-square-foot Prior Lake home, as well as bribes and kickbacks to others.

With the testimony of witnesses, prosecutors spent hours this week combing through attendance rosters to show the jury how the same kids supposedly picked up meals day after day, and showed stacks of invoices that quickly escalated from hundreds of meals served each day to thousands. They relayed how organizations newly created during the pandemic soon matched some of the state's largest school districts in the amount of reimbursements. And they displayed maps of food sites, from Owatonna to Circle Pines, some having popped up in close proximity to one another and one at a park closed for construction.

"Do you think they're real?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson asked FBI special agent Jared Kary, the second witness to be called, while holding up a thick binder of thousands of pages of meal count forms.

"I do not," the agent responded, adding that his colleagues will testify about how the funds were used for personal expenses.

But defense attorneys blasted both FBI investigators and state officials for never visiting food sites to verify if meals were actually served to kids in need. They said FBI agents didn't search all the defendants' homes or e-mails, where they potentially would've found evidence to disprove the allegations.

Attorney Steve Schleicher questioned Kary about FBI agents not interviewing employees at his client Said Farah's food vendor warehouse and not surveilling sites  from Marshall, Willmar and St. Cloud to Rochester and Faribault  before executing search warrants.

"People were there getting food, that's a possibility, true?" Schleicher asked Kary, who responded that he wouldn't agree. Schleicher said that's just speculation, adding: "You don't know if you're not there to lay your eyes on it."

Schleicher added that the FBI continued to interview witnesses last month, relying on people's recollections from more than two years ago.

Defense attorneys have said they'll call their own witnesses and show photos of meals being distributed. They've cited the hundreds of USDA waivers that relaxed rules to get more food to kids during the pandemic when schools closed, including allowing take-home meals or bundles of multiple meals to be distributed.

For instance, a parent could pick up seven days of meals at once for her six children, which would be 42 meals at a time, said Edward Sapone, who represents Abdimajid Nur, who worked as a food site supervisor and is Hayat Nur's brother. Sapone added that food sites used a clicker to tick off attendees, not needing to confirm names.

"You didn't count the meals?" Sapone asked Kary, who confirmed FBI agents didn't go to meal sites to verify the number of meals served.

Defense attorneys have pointed out that Feeding Our Future and another St. Paul nonprofit, Partners in Nutrition, were "sponsors," meaning they oversaw on-site monitoring and paperwork. Other defense attorneys have sought to distance their clients from the allegations altogether, pointing out there are few e-mails or invoices tied directly to them.

In their opening statements, defense attorneys said their clients are East African refugees who escaped war-torn Somalia and worked hard in Minnesota, getting a fair return as for-profit businesses, which were allowed to participate in the meal programs during the pandemic.

FBI tipster was former business partner

In new details this week, Kary also testified that it wasn't the Minnesota Department of Education, which administers the program in Minnesota, that tipped off the FBI about the possible fraud, but rather a former business partner of Feeding Our Future leader Aimee Bock.

Under questioning from defense attorney Andrew Birrell, who represents Abdiaziz Farah, Kary said an FBI tip line received a report from Christine Twait, who had incorporated Feeding Our Future in 2016 with Bock while the women worked at Partners in Nutrition, which they also started. Partners in Nutrition was entangled in lawsuits with the Education Department, so Twait told the Star Tribune in 2022 that they started Feeding Our Future as a backup if they couldn't win their legal battles.

Twait later left Partners. After Bock was fired in 2018, she left to lead Feeding Our Future.

Bock, who has pleaded not guilty, has denied any wrongdoing and argued that the federal investigation was retribution for suing the Education Department in 2020 over stopped payments. No one associated with Partners has been criminally charged.

In February 2021, Twait submitted allegations about Bock to the FBI, Kary said, not specifying what was said. He said agents contacted the USDA and conducted some interviews. Birrell accused Kary of leaving the jury with the impression that the Education Department was the first to report concerns. Kary said the FBI didn't officially open an investigation until two Education Department employees, Emily Honer, a nutrition program supervisor, and her supervisor, Monica Herrera, reported their concerns in April 2022.

"We can't just open a case on a hunch," Kary said.

On Jan. 20, 2022, dozens of FBI agents executed search warrants at 26 locations, publicly revealing the massive investigation. Kary testified that FBI agents spent months surveilling individuals and monitoring places with cameras.

Honer testified about the red flags the Education Department saw in the programs, but said she was discouraged by supervisors in 2021 from continuing to look into her concerns because of Feeding Our Future's 2020 lawsuit, which was ongoing. Honer said the lawsuit was "very nasty," accusing the department of being racist, targeting nonprofits that worked with immigrants and people of color.

A judge in that case told the department he saw no regulations giving the state authority to stop paying Feeding Our Future. The agency restarted payments to Feeding Our Future, and Horner and her supervisor went to the FBI instead.

A third witness, Bill Menozzi, the director of finance and operations at Shakopee Public Schools, testified Friday about how the suburban school district ran its meal programs during the pandemic. His testimony continues Monday and the trial could stretch into June.
If you missed it, some Delaware high schoolers have been cleaning up.

Students from Brandywine High School were just named national winners in the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition  the same national title another team from the school clinched last year. The weekend before, Caesar Rodney High School clinched a title, again, at a national culinary competition considered the "Top Chef" for American high schoolers.

Up in Wilmington, some 160 students are claiming their own titles. That is, signing with new employers as they plan to head into the workforce right after graduation from New Castle County Vo-Tech School District.

In this weekly roundup, we'll catch you up on some education updates you may have missed.

[Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.]

More than 160 students commit to new jobs in Delaware workforce

(Credit: Tero Vesalainen, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

After Monday morning, more than 160 seniors from all four New Castle County Vo-Tech high schools will be officially committed to the workforce after graduation.

Similar to star student athletes picking their next team, each student will sign a certificate of commitment with an employer during "Career Signing Day" at Delcastle Technical High School. And they'll do so surrounded by educators from some 38 different career programs, other employers and family members.

Invited speaker Sen. Chris Coons helped inspire the event back in 2018. And while he'll watch as many as 165 seniors sign on the dotted line  closer to 300 students have job offers, according to the district.

There's a long list of career areas expected. There's cosmetology, medical assisting, dental assisting, technical drafting, automotive technology, auto body, plumbing, electrical trades, HVAC, welding, culinary arts, graphic arts, computer programming, Early Childhood Education and more.

Delaware referendums: Appoquinimink voters give a yes to school funding boosts

Caesar Rodney students No. 1 (again) in national culinary showdown

The National ProStart Invitational is the largest high school culinary and restaurant management contest in the country. A fusion of "Chopped" and "Shark Tank," it provides a platform for the students to compete for a share of scholarships totaling $200,000.

This is the second time Caesar Rodney has gotten top honors. In 2022, a team from the school also won the National ProStart Invitational. It was the first time a Delaware team nabbed the title. In 2023, the school had a team that placed second.

Delaware students Melia Stamper, Shannon Powell, Ralph Figueroa, Carys Raber and Zoe Rowe bested teams from some 47 other states, as previously reported, in a two-day showdown that gathered more than 400 students, top restaurant and food service industry judges in Baltimore.

The team was led by educator Riki Senn, alongside Thomas Hannum, an owner of Buckley's Tavern in Centreville and Wilmington's Goober's Diner, who mentored the students.

So what did they cook? Delaware high school is No. 1 (again) at national culinary showdown

Another STEM win for Brandywine High School

If you didn't hear about it yet  or see a group of adults climb a Wilmington train platform with signs and congratulatory posters  the team from Brandywine High School was just named national winners in the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition.

The student team is one of three national winners, with a $100K prize package including Samsung products and classroom resources headed to their school.

It's the same national title another BHS team clinched just last year. This time around, students Olivia Erskine, Katherine McDerby, Isabella Chermak and Malti John, with STEM teacher Sean Merklin, led a project that has redesigned classic board games to accommodate players of all abilities.

Their goal? Allow students with disabilities more opportunities to connect with teachers and fellow learners through games.

So what did they make? Brandywine students clinch national STEM title  remaking games for players of any ability

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online/The News Journal and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on X @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware students clinch culinary title, STEM win, hundreds in job offers
Former president Donald Trump waits in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York to welcome Polish President Andrzej Duda last month. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Donald Trumps presidential campaign is weighing whether to join TikTok, the wildly popular video app he once tried to ban, and the decision has sparked discussion among his advisers in recent weeks, according to four people familiar with the matter.

In 2020, the then-president said the app was a threat to national security because its parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, and he called for TikToks forced sale or a nationwide ban as part of an executive order that was ultimately overturned by the courts.

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But Trump advisers say he changed his stance before the election that year after seeing internal polls suggesting a ban could hurt his standing with voters. More recently, he has criticized a similar sale-or-ban effort signed into law by President Biden as mostly benefiting Facebook, which he has partially blamed for his election loss.

Trump would be one of the few high-profile Republicans to use the app, which many in his party have attacked over concerns that the Chinese government could use it to gather data on Americans or spread propaganda.

The discussions within the Trump campaign have centered on whether the benefits he might accrue politically would be worth the criticism, primarily from Republicans and those in the intelligence community who have crusaded against the app, people with knowledge of the conversations said. They are also trying to figure out how Trumps brand can be translated to TikTok, a youth-beloved app with a culture all its own.

The advisers have argued that the platform would help the campaign reach voters, undercut Biden and tap into an online undercurrent of Trump support. The video app is one of the countrys most popular media platforms, with 170 million U.S. accounts.

Several advisers said that Trump would be unlikely to use it himself - preferring to post on the website he owns, Truth Social - but that advisers could post in his name and potentially include videos that he records.

Among those making the strongest arguments to Trump and his advisers is Kellyanne Conway, a former senior White House official who remains close to Trump and his team and is being paid to advocate for TikTok through the conservative advocacy group Club for Growth.

Conway has told Trump that he has more supporters than Biden on the app and that many young people are forming their opinion based on what they see on their TikTok feeds.

And unlike other social networks such as Facebook and X, she has argued to Trump, he was never banned from TikTok.

David Urban, another Trump ally who has lobbied for TikTok, has made similar cases to Jason Miller and John Brabender, two Trump advisers.

Conway told The Washington Post in March that Trump believed the TikTok sale-or-ban effort was about abruptly taking away something from millions of users, many of whom are his people.

Joining TikTok, however, could upset Trump allies who are hawkish on China and support aggressive action against the app. Many Republicans have taken to calling the app a weapon in the hands of Communist China and digital fentanyl, including former vice president Mike Pence, who has criticized Trump for defending the app.

Too many politicians talk a big game but crack under the pressure of wealthy donors or personal grudges - including my former running mate, Pence wrote in a Fox News column in March. When lobbyists for a company controlled by the Chinese Communist Party can turn a former president against his own political legacy, we should all be concerned. (ByteDance has said it is owned primarily by institutional investors and is not controlled by the Chinese government.)

Former Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon, who runs an influential right-wing podcast, has suggested that Trumps softening on TikTok was driven by his desire for Yass Coin - money from Club for Growth megadonor Jeff Yass, whose trading firm, Susquehanna International Group, owns roughly 15 percent of ByteDance. Trump said in March that he had not discussed TikTok with Yass, and a person familiar with Yasss affairs said he has no plans to donate to Trumps campaign.

The outcome of the discussions is still uncertain, with some advisers noting that Trump has been too busy with his ongoing New York hush money trial and campaign appearances to decide on the issue.

Some aides have suggested that Dan Scavino, a longtime Trump adviser who led his White Houses social media operation, could add TikTok to his portfolio alongside posts on Trumps accounts on Truth Social, Facebook and Instagram. Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, has given Scavino more than $2 million in promissory notes, $240,000 in consulting fees and $600,000 in bonuses, company filings show.

Advisers in favor of the idea have argued that Trumps punchy quips and scene-stealing moments are well-calibrated for virality on TikTok and would help further distinguish him from Biden, whom they are eager to present as out of touch. One proposal that has been discussed: launching the account with a video showing Trump dancing on a rally stage, already a meme.

The hope among supportive advisers, one of the people said, is to fuel a sense that being pro-Trump had become a counterculture movement, and  that it is the cool, edgy thing to be Trump-adjacent.

Some in Trumps orbit also said they see a moment to boost support among younger voters angry at Biden over his stance on the Israel-Gaza war and his signing of the TikTok law. The Biden campaigns posts on TikTok in recent days have been flooded with comments criticizing the president for taking TikTok away.

Only a few dozen members of Congress use TikTok, and all are Democrats or independents; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have major presences on the app, with more than a million followers. Bidens campaign has said it will continue using TikTok while his administration gears up to defend its sale-or-ban law in court.

But pro-Trump content is common on TikTok, and accounts with such names as AmericaFirst617, which post celebratory videos from Trumps rallies and interviews, have gained hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of likes. One account, The Trumpest, which organizes clips of Trump into playlists with such names as Donald vs reporters and Donald Funniest moments, has 755,000 followers - more than twice as many as the Biden campaigns 314,000.

TikTok hosts plenty of criticism of Trump, too, and the Biden White House has worked to build relationships with its most prominent content creators by inviting them for briefings on such issues as the Ukraine war. Michael Cohen, Trumps former fixer turned critic, has live-streamed on TikTok nightly during the hush money trial, in which he plays a central role.

But some in Trumps circle are also finding a robust TikTok audience. John McEntee, who was head of personnel in Trumps White House, regularly posts to the 2-million-follower account of the Right Stuff, a dating app for the right wing he co-founded in 2022. And Trumps daughter Ivanka joined TikTok with a verified account in March, posting a video showing her, her husband, Jared Kushner, and their 13-year-old daughter, Arabella, on a dreamy voyage of love, laughter and unforgettable moments in India.

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who in 2022 called TikTok a Trojan Horse for the [Chinese Communist Party] to corrupt American kids, joined the platform last year, leading to some internal party criticism of his about-face. After Nikki Haley noted his reversal last year on the GOP candidate debate stage, Ramaswamy fired back that Haleys daughter used it, leading Haley to call him scum.

Ramaswamy has 467,000 followers, more than Bidens campaign, and has defended joining TikTok as critical to capturing a new generation of Americans online. Its idiotic for Republicans to complain that TikTok content skews pro-Democrat, while also boycotting TikTok & criticizing Republicans who use it, he wrote on X in January. Time for the Grand Old Party to show up & grow up. Thats how well actually win.

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Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator and investor, has announced a strategic addition to its pipeline in the UAE  a new resort and residences in Sharjah that is set to open in late 2027.

Positioned along the picturesque coastline of the Arabian Gulf and just a 30-minute drive from Dubai International Airport, the Anantara Sharjah Resort and Anantara Sharjah Residences are owned and being developed by Arada.

The new-build resort and residence complex is located on the north-eastern edge of Sharjahs Al Heerah Beach, a popular tourist destination with 3.5 kilometres of beachfront.

With striking architecture, including a signature gateway designed to show the path of the sun, the property will feature 110 generously-sized guest rooms and suites, ranging from 45 to 120 square metres, with expansive penthouse suites finished in luxury materials on higher floors.

In response to the burgeoning demand for branded residences, the development will also include 128 one- to four-bedroom residential units for sale, the four-bedroom penthouses complete with rooftop pools, and all with private balconies and furnishings marked by high-end design, signature touches and finishes in line with the Anantara brand.

Besides a sandy beach, it features an Anantara Spa, a state-of-the-art gym, and a collection of five restaurants that will include a cafe lounge situated in a soaring atrium lobby, a laid-back poolside eatery, an al fresco beachfront dining venue, pan Asian fine dining at Anantaras signature Mekong restaurant, and a specialty restaurant focused on local flavours.

For business gatherings, the property will offer a flexible 400-sqm meeting space, as well as outdoor venues for memorable social celebrations.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of parent company Minor International, said, In recent years, Sharjah has blossomed into a cultural hub, drawing both vacationers and business visitors with its coastal charm and making it an optimal destination for our latest venture in the Middle East.

The expansion of the luxury Anantara brand into Sharjah is an opportunity to deliver our unmatched lifestyle offerings to a new audience. We look forward to working with Arada to bring this new resort and residences to market and ensuring its leadership position as one of Sharjahs finest addresses.

Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, Vice Chairman of Arada, said: Anantara is one of the most distinguished luxury hotel brands in the world and it is a privilege to bring this brand to Sharjah for the first time.

 Our partnership with Minor Hotels will provide buyers with the quality and delivery associated with Arada, combined with the harmony, culture, heritage and services they have come to expect from the Anantara brand.

The upcoming Anantara Sharjah Resort will join an expanding collection of Anantara properties in the Middle East, with two resorts having been launched in the UAE to date this year  Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort and Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat  bringing the total in the country to ten, in addition to two resorts in Oman and one in Qatar.  TradeArabia News Service
K-9 finds missing 85-year-old woman clinging to tree in steep ravine, Colorado cops say

A police dog found a missing 85-year-old woman clinging to a tree out of sight in a deep ravine, Colorado authorities reported.

The woman had been missing for about two hours before being rescued Thursday, May 2, the Greenwood Village Police Department said in a news release.

A video posted by the agency shows K-9 Mercury leading Officer Austin Speer to the woman, who could not be seen from a nearby roadway or canal.

This is a friendly dog, Speer says in the video. He found you. Were gonna get you home, OK?

The woman returned safely to her family, police said.

A comment by a man identifying himself as her son said the woman was gassed out after trying to climb out of the ravine and couldnt move. He called the rescue unbelievable.

Mercury, who has search and rescue training, joined the Greenwood Village police force 18 months ago, police said. Hes also trained to search for narcotics.

Greenwood Village is about a 10-mile drive south of Denver.

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Ole Miss fraternity expels member after viral video of him making monkey noises towards Black woman

A University of Mississippi fraternity has expelled a student who was caught on camera making monkey noises at a Black protester during a Gaza solidarity demonstration.

The shocking incident was captured on video, and showed the white student, a counter-protestor, jumping up and down, making monkey sounds toward the protester who was live-streaming on her phone.

Referring to Black people as monkeys is a known racist trope dating back hundreds of years and used to justify slavery and Jim Crow law.

The Phi Delta Theta fraternity said that it had reviewed the incident, which received widespread condemnation, and that the individuals actions were unacceptable. The student was not named.

The past few weeks have been challenging for many colleges and universities across the United States as they struggle to balance the protection of free speech with maintaining appropriate and respectful discourse among demonstrators and others within the campus community, the fraternity said in a statement.

A student counter-protester is seen jumping up and down and making money noises towards a Black female protester at the University of Mississipi  known as Ole Miss  on Thursday (Stacey Spiehler via YouTube)

As part of that community, Phi Delta Theta recognizes that freedom of expression is part of the collegiate experience; however, the Fraternity is committed to upholding its principles as a private membership organization.

After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individuals behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values.

In partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership, and the university, disciplinary due process was initiated which resulted in the removal of membership. The situation will continue to be monitored in cooperation with any further investigation.

The Independent has asked The University of Mississippi  colloquially known as Ole Miss  for comment on the students removal from the fraternity.

It was easily 10-1 counter-protesters to protesters, Stacey J Spiehler, who posted the original clip to X, told The Independent. She said the woman, a student, stepped outside the protected barricade and was taking video on her phone.

As the woman approaches the group of male students, chants of lock her up can be heard.

A counter-protester jumps up and down and hoots like a monkey toward a protester who was live-streaming on her phone at @OleMiss today.



Chants of lock her up as the Dean of Students (@marsh_brent) and multiple law enforcement agencies regain order. pic.twitter.com/fCU3hTioVL  Stacey J. Spiehler (@StaceyJSpiehler) May 3, 2024

Counter-protesters were throwing things. I saw half a chicken parm sandwich on the ground, a carrot, Ms Spiehler said. She was brave, holding her own and had more intelligence and empathy in her little finger than that whole crowd. Whether or not you agree with her, she embodies UM.

The video surfaced as ongoing pro-Palestinian protests at multiple college campuses across the nation continue over the Israel-Gaza war.

In a statement to The Independent on Friday, a spokesperson for Ole Miss wrote: Statements were made at the demonstration on our campus Thursday that were offensive and inappropriate.

We cannot comment specifically about that video, but the university is looking into reports about specific actions. Any actions that violate university policy will be met with appropriate action.

The video prompted a divided reaction from politicians, with Republican legislator Rep Mike Collins from Georgia, reposting it and stating, Ole Miss taking care of business.

Other politicians were quick to criticise the congressman.

This is a video showing anti-Blackness, Former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner wrote, reposting Mr Collinss post. This is a sitting Congressman applauding it.

Rob Smith, a US veteran of the Iraq War, wrote, An elected official in the House of Representatives should absolutely not be tweeting out this video with this caption. This stuff is what makes the Republican Party absolutely toxic to the vast majority of Black Americans. This is so not the way.
Candidates aiming to earn their Green Beret this year will have the chance this month, according to a news release from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

From May 10-23, the candidates take their final test for the Special Forces Qualifications Course, known as Robin Sage.

The unconventional warfare exercise, which spans multiple North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee counties, is the last hurdle for soldiers in the Special Forces Qualifications Course at the Warfare Center and School based at Fort Liberty. Upon successful completion, the soldiers are assigned to one of the Army's Special Forces units.

Special Forces candidates hit their final "combat target" at Curtis L. Brown, Jr. Field Airport in Elizabethtown, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2023, during the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage.

Candidates are placed in an (simulated) environment of political instability characterized by armed conflict, forcing soldiers to analyze and solve problems to meet the challenges of this real-world training, the news release stated.

Throughout the exercise, military, civilian personnel and community volunteers serve as support and role players to provide realism to the exercise, the news release stated.

Service members from units across Fort Liberty will also act as opposing forces and guerrilla freedom fighters.

We appreciate the support and consideration the citizens of North Carolina extend to the soldiers participating in the exercise and thank them for their understanding of any inconveniences the training may cause, the news release stated.

Where the exercise will be held

The news release said the training nearby will be held in Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore and Robeson counties.

Other North Carolina areas where the training is are Avery, Alamance, Anson, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Chatham, Columbus, Davidson, Duplin, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Union and Wake counties.

The South Carolina counties are Chesterfield, Dillon and Marlboro, while Carter County in Tennessee was also named as a location.

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Safety precautions

Residents may hear blank gunfire and see occasional flares, the news release stated.

All of the exercises movements are coordinated with public safety officials within the towns and counties hosting the training, according to the news release.

For the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, safety is always the command's top priority during all training events, the release said.

The precaution of contacting local law enforcement is the result of a deadly mishap. On Feb. 23, 2002, a Moore County deputy who said he was not notified about the exercise, shot two Robin Sage soldiers dressed in civilian clothing. Army First Lt. Tallas Tomeny was killed and Sgt. Stephen Phelps was injured.

Tomenys estate settled a lawsuit against the Moore County Sheriff's Office in October 2009. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

According to the suit, the soldiers believed the deputy was an actor taking part in the Robin Sage exercise, and the deputy, unaware of the exercise, shot Tomeny during a struggle and shot Phelps as he tried to flee.

Organizers of the latest exercise said controls are in place to ensure there is no risk to people or property.

The safety protocols include notifying local law enforcement agencies, clearly marking training areas and vehicles, and any students dressed in civilian clothes, will wear distinctive orange or brown armbands.

A Special Forces candidate assigned to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School walks across a small stream Sept. 16, 2023, during the final phase of field training known as Robin Sage near Pittsboro.

Robin Sages origins

Robin Sage is held four times a year and involves veterans, volunteers and law enforcement from the communities where the training is held.

The first exercise was held in Robbins in 1952.

The exercise was first called Robin Sage in 1974, according to the Army, and replaced earlier exercises known as Operation Snowdrop, Cherokee Trail and Gobblers Woods.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Special Forces Robin Sage exercise to be held this month across N.C.
WEST PALM BEACH  The families of men and women killed by Colombian terrorists are finally facing off against the corporate giant accused of financing their loved ones' murder: Chiquita Brands International.

The trial against Chiquita follows more than a decade of litigation over illegal payments the banana giant made to Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, a militant group known to kidnap civilians in the middle of the night and leave their mutilated corpses for their families to find.

Attorneys for Chiquita say the company had no choice but pay the terrorists nearly $2 million in the late 1990s and early 2000s to protect its Colombian employees from further violence. At the time Chiquita was based in Cincinnati, though the company later moved to Charlotte.

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In a federal courtroom in West Palm Beach last week, lawyers for the victims families said the opposite is true; that Chiquita willingly partnered with the AUC in order to protect its profits  not its people  and to quell employee unrest by any means necessary.

This months trial comes almost two decades after Chiquita executives pleaded guilty in a New York courtroom to financing the AUC. The company made a deal with federal prosecutors that cemented its conviction but spared it additional criminal charges, allowing executives to move on in exchange for a $25 million fine.

Attorney Jack Scarola, seen here in November 2017.

No executive spent a day in jail for their crime, West Palm Beach attorney Jack Scarola said Tuesday. No surviving victim saw a penny of the payout. Seventeen years later, he said, its up to jurors to decide whether and how the victims of the Chiquita-funded terror will be compensated.

Chiquita paid terrorist group 'knowing the price was blood,' plaintiffs say

Scarola wove a yearslong geopolitical history lesson into a 90-minute opening statement Tuesday. Each time it neared the cusp of becoming a lecture, a vehement reference to "savage slaughter," mass execution, mutilation and torture yanked it back.

He, and Chiquita's attorneys after him, told jurors that the same climate and latitude that are best for banana growth are optimal for cocaine production, too. Militant groups vying for control over the drug market threw what Scarola called the banana zone into a bloody civil war.

When civilians fled, Chiquita saw opportunity. Scarola said it purchased abandoned land at bargain prices and hired thousands of Colombians to farm it, their profits ballooning even as the war worsened.

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From the conflict, two diametrically opposed terrorist groups formed: the FARC, a radical left-wing band that Scarola said threatened Chiquita with its pro-labor guerrilla warfare; and the AUC, the far-right group created in response to FARCs threat.

While opposite in almost every other respect, Scarola said both groups were willing to resort to horrendous violence to spread fear and gain control.

Rather than retreat from the violence, the attorney said, Chiquita invested in it. Company executives met with AUC leader Carlos Castano in 1997. Soon after, the first of more than 100 documented, disguised payments from Chiquita to the AUC began. Scarola said theres evidence of even more undocumented payments, too.

Chiquita employees didn't pull the trigger on the automatic weapons that killed AUC victims, Scarola said, but he urged jurors to consider the company as liable as the masked men who did.

A relative of a person disappeared by the Colombian AUC paramilitary guerrillas, wearing a blindfold, demonstrates against the government during a protest on July 8, 2008, in Bogota. The protesters request a better treatment from the government and to be given information about where the bodies of their beloved ones are.

Chiquita attorney: Banana company was a victim, too

Cincinnati attorney Michael Cioffi told a different story. He said that during that 1997 meeting with AUC leadership, Castano sent a "clear but unspoken message" that Chiquita's failure to pay up would result in harm to the company's people and property.

"Chiquita was extorted over and over," Cioffi said Tuesday. He called the company, which is headquartered in Ohio but has corporate offices in Fort Lauderdale, as much a victim of the AUC as the plaintiffs who are suing it. "Right from the get go, there was no question that Chiquita was extorted."

Cioffi said Scarola's portrayal of the FARC's and AUC's ideological differences were "pure myth," dismissing the notion that the AUC's group of narco-terrorists had Chiquita's best interests in mind. Where Scarola argued that Chiquita could have retreated from Colombia without sacrificing its profitability, Cioffi said "cutting and running was not an option."

He told jurors that Chiquita was a force for good in an otherwise chaotic environment. He touted its "gold-standard work environment" and top-notch produce, promising jurors that over the course of the trial, they'll hear from employees who agree that Chiquita acted with their safety in mind.

The trial, which resumed Wednesday, is expected to last at least one month. More than 7,500 people who lost loved ones during the AUCs gruesome campaign have filed suit against Chiquita. The suits from around the country were consolidated and are being considered by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra in West Palm Beach.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trial begins against Chiquita, accused of aiding terrorists.
Watch: Zebra caught after nearly a week on the loose in Washington

A zebra named Shug was captured after nearly a week on the loose in Washington. Photo courtesy of Regional Animal Services of King County

May 6 (UPI) -- The zebra who spent several days on the loose in western Washington was successfully recaptured and returned to her owner.

The zebra, named Shug, was one of four to escape a trailer on Interstate 90 on April 28, and was the only one to remain on the loose after a few hours of rescue efforts.

North Bend Mayor Mary Miller said Shug was finally cornered Friday in a wooded area in the Riverbend neighborhood.

Miller was on scene for part of the rescue operation.

"I helped where I could," she told KCPQ-TV. "We used fences and made the enclosure smaller and smaller. It was all very gentle and very relaxed. We weren't dragging fencing. We weren't making noise. We were heavy lifting and moving things around and she eventually just walked into the trailer."

She said the zebra's captors included a large group of animal control officers and volunteer wranglers.

"It really was a community effort," Miller said. "The group of wranglers weren't from the community, but they just jumped in. They were professionals and they knew what to do and they worked as a team."

David Danton, a former bullfighter and professional wrangler, was among the team who helped capture Shug. He previously assisted with the capture of one of the other escaped zebras.

"It's not every day you catch a zebra," Danton said. "We just are doing what neighbors do."

Shug will be reunited with her three cohorts, officials said.

"The zebra will be transported to Montana, which is where the dazzle of four zebras was headed before they escaped," Regional Animal Services of King County said in a statement.
LOS ANGELES  The final episode of Bob Hearts Abishola isnt going to put a bow on five years of television.

There could be 50 more stories to tell, says Executive Producer Matt Ross. Its not our job to say, And bon voyage, theyre done learning and theyre done being interesting. Its our job to have fun with them and to entertain the audience as long as we have the privilege to do so.

The decision to end the series rests in the hands of CBS, says Executive Producer Gina Yashere. The industrys in flux right now. So, the money that was there 10 years ago is definitely not here anymore. If were using a character, we make sure to build a story around them and make that the center of the episode. Thats what we did with the budget. Some actors, as a result, were recurring characters during the final year, not regulars.

Still, Yashere says, theres plenty more to cover in the lives of Bob and Abishola. I wanted to create something where you got to see (Nigerians) as people  that we love the same, we live the same, we laugh, we eat food. We do all the same things. That was important to me.

For Folake Olowofoyeku, who plays Abishola, the series provided an opportunity to rework Americans impression of Nigerians. As a Nigerian girl, I was offended by quite a few productions that depicted us like caricatures that didnt have the appropriate language, she says. The authenticity is something thats being celebrated.

The shows impact, she adds, will begin to reveal itself more and more for many years to come. I dont think we fully comprehend the work that weve done here. I feel extremely grateful.

Co-star Billy Gardell says Bob Hearts Abishola boils down to love wins no matter what. It doesnt matter what you look like, where youre from. I think thats whats vital and we captured that. And, its a reminder that when you marry someone, you marry their family.

In those final episodes of the series, Bob and Abishola have dealt with family weddings, their sons career plans and Abisholas medical future.

Shes taught him how to be more stoic and more focused and hes taught her to lighten up, Gardell says. In any good relationship if its a give and a give, its a win. I think were there. Im trying to treasure these last episodes because I think were playing at our highest level right now.

Olowofoyeku agrees. In the beginning, Bob was chasing Abishola down with socks and now theyre marriedand theyre talkingand theyre parenting Dele and dealing with that together. Its evolved in a way that (I have been) so happy to see unfold.

For Yashere, who was brought in to advise, Bob Hearts Abishola was an opportunity to correct mistakes others had made. When I saw Africans or Black people (on television), it just felt like we were never three-dimensional., she says. It was always through the lens of someone else and how we were perceived, not how we actually saw ourselves.

I just wanted to create something where you got to see us as people.

In the process, the series taught other lessons.

We had an episode where Abishola helps decipher that Dottie (her mother-in-law) is having a stroke and there were fans of the show who actually saved a loved one based on those instructions, Olowofoyeku says.

Now, the cast and crew are like Abishola when the series first started. Its all about seeking opportunity, Yashere says. And thats basically what most of us are trying to do. My parents left Nigeria for England to give us better opportunities and I left England for America. Thats basically the journey everybody makes in life  to have the best life they can possibly have. Thats what the journey of this show is. Its the freedom of people to follow what they want to do and follow their dream.

The final CBS episode of "Bob Hearts Abishola" airs May 6.

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Hours after calling in state troopers to break up a quiet, rain-soaked encampment of anti-war protesters, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan issued a public statement calling the episode upsetting, frightening and sad.

Ryan had been noticeably absent from the episode itself. His public statement Saturday evening, his first on the matter, came well after the encampment had been raided and the 25 demonstrators who had pitched tents on the patch of grass by the universitys chapel were arrested and carried off to Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

For hours Saturday, while his students were being dragged off Grounds, while state police were turning on the gathering crowd witnessing and protesting the display of force, while members of the press were being pepper-sprayed, Ryans office was silent.

While community leaders, including faculty at UVa, Charlottesvilles delegation in the General Assembly and the editor of The Daily Progress, publicly and privately reached out to the university demanding answers, Ryans office was silent.

I reached out to UVA days ago to understand what plan was in place and Im continuing to reach out now to understand what is happening now, Democratic Del. Katrina Callsen posted on X Saturday afternoon amid the chaos. It does not match what I was told. Violence is NOT an appropriate response to peaceful protesting.

People have a right to protest, replied fellow Democrat state Sen. Creigh Deeds. The protests at UVa have been peaceful. Im not sure what change provoked this sort of response by the police. Violence is unnecessary. I will be interested in knowing whether the change in tactics was decided in Charlottesville or Richmond.

Id argue its not. I reached out to UVA days ago to understand what plan was in place and Im continuing to reach out now to understand what is happening now. It does not match what I was told. Violence is NOT an appropriate response to peaceful protesting.  Delegate Katrina Callsen (@DelegateCallsen) May 4, 2024

While protesters and their supporters chanted, Where is Jim Ryan? Ryans office was silent.

What had started as an almost picnic-like gathering on UVas Grounds Tuesday met a violent and chaotic end Saturday afternoon. The turning point for the university was not the protesters demands  that the university divest from its financial ties to Israel amid that countrys ongoing war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. On Friday, the university said it was willing to open a dialogue between students and the University of Virginia Investment Management Company, which manages the schools $13.6 billion endowment. And in his statement, Ryan said he too has been moved by the violence and heartbreaking loss of innocent lives in Israel and in Gaza.

In his statement, Ryan said the encampment had been a peaceful public demonstration that had adhered to university policies until Friday when protesters chose to violate one policy in particular: a long-standing prohibition on erecting tents absent a permit.

University Police Chief Tim Longo and the protesters had reached an informal agreement early on: If the protesters did not pitch tents, the university would leave them alone.

Protesters pointed out that the universitys own guidelines indicated recreational tents are actually exempt from the permit policy. University administrators quietly changed the guidelines Saturday morning, hours before state police circled the encampment.

UVa spokesman Brian Coy told The Daily Progress Saturday that the school was unaware that its official policies and its posted guidelines were out of sync. When university officials realized the mistake, the guidelines were changed, he said.

Ryan also suggested that individuals unaffiliated with the public university had joined the encampment. Those individuals, which he didnt identify, presented some safety concerns.

Chief of Police Tim Longo offered a final warning to the protesters, reminding them once again of their University policy violations and pleading for a peaceful resolution, Ryan wrote. That request was ignored.

Ryan claims that university police efforts to remedy the issue were met with physical confrontation and attempted assault, and therefore it became necessary to rely on state police.

The police declared an unlawful assembly, issued no trespass orders to those who refused to disperse, and arrested those who continued to refuse dispersal, he wrote.

While UVa defends constitutional rights to free speech, Ryan wrote, the university has rules regarding the time, place and manner of that speech so it does not interfere with the rights of others.

The neutral and even-handed enforcement of these rules is the only way to ensure that all members of this community have an equal opportunity to participate in the life of the University. We also have a duty to ensure the physical safety of our community, Ryan said.

Since it began Tuesday, the last day of spring semester classes, the demonstrators at UVa had remained peaceful, quiet even. They sat on blankets, ordered pizza, read poetry and studied for their final examinations.

Ryan called it unfortunate that a small group had chosen to break university rules after receiving repeated warnings.

I sincerely wish it were otherwise, but this repeated and intentional refusal to comply with reasonable rules intended to secure the safety, operations, and rights of the entire university community left us with no other choice than to uphold the neutral application and enforcement of those rules, he wrote.

People throughout the UVa community have pointed out that tents are erected across Grounds on a regular basis for sporting events, social gatherings and the like, several of those tents are erected absent a permit and none of those tents have prompted a response from the Virginia State Police.

Asked if those tents also require university approval or face similar consequences, Coy told The Daily Progress he would follow up on that question.

Whenever we see cases of someone violating a policy, we begin by asking them to stop. That was certainly the case with the tents on the Lawn, repeatedly over the past few days, and certainly in the last 24 hours, Coy wrote in an email.

In his statement, Ryan wrote that he understood some would disagree with his decision. He also called Saturdays episode an aberration, a departure from the norm.

Several in the UVa community and surrounding Charlottesville have been quick to point out that when a torch-wielding, hundreds-strong mob of White supremacists marched across Grounds in 2017 and came to blows with student counterprotesters, it was not declared an unlawful assembly until violence broke out and the university defended the initial gathering as a form of protected expression.

As police confronted protesters at UVa Saturday afternoon, many shouted, Where were you in 2017?

UVa now joins the ranks of major American colleges, from Columbia University in New York to the University of California, Los Angeles, that have called for a police response to campus protesters opposing Israels war in Gaza, which at last count had killed more than 34,000 people, the majority of those Palestinian women and children. UVas stands in stark contrast to those other protests, where hundreds of demonstrators occupied university buildings, erected barricades and came to blows with counterprotesters.
Virginia State Police said a plane flying from Manassas to South Carolina crashed in Fluvanna County on Sunday morning, killing the pilot and one passenger.

Police identified the pilot as John W. Latham, 63, Haymarket in Prince William County, and the passenger as Niiben C. A. Ayivorh, 73, of Burke in Fairfax County.

Police said the Fluvanna County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at 8:54 a.m. from residents in the 200 block of Miles Jackson Road about a low-flying plane and explosion. Sheriff's deputies, Virginia State Police and Virginia Convervation Police responded to a densely wooded area off Miles Jackson Road and found the plane wreckage, which was on fire.

Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished fire.

State police said the plane, a twin-engine 1975 Rockwell Commander 690A, left the Manassas Regional Airport on Sunday and was flying to Georgetown, S.C., County Airport. It was lightly raining at the time of the crash.

The remains of the two victims were transported to the chief medical examiner in Richmond for examination. The FAA and NTSB were both notified.

Metros where renters are the most overextended in Virginia Metros where renters are the most overextended in Virginia #12. Martinsville #11. Harrisonburg #10. Roanoke #9. Winchester #8. Lynchburg #7. Danville #6. Staunton #5. Big Stone Gap #4. Charlottesville #3. Blacksburg #2. Richmond #1. Virginia Beach
Canton Fair concludes with record number of int'l buyers

Xinhua) 08:22, May 06, 2024

Purchasers are pictured during the 135th session of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

GUANGZHOU, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The 135th China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, concluded Sunday in south China's Guangzhou, with a record number of international buyers in attendance, according to the fair organizer.

A total of 246,000 overseas buyers from 215 countries and regions participated in the offline fair, up 24.5 percent from the previous session.

Since its opening on April 15th, the event has attracted about 160,000 buyers from countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, a 25.1-percent rise from the previous session. Around 50,000 buyers from Europe and the United States attended the fair, marking a 10.7 percent increase.

Offline export transactions totaled 24.7 billion U.S. dollars, while online platform export transactions reached 3.03 billion dollars, up 10.7 percent and 33.1 percent, respectively, compared to the previous session.

Founded in 1957, the offline Canton Fair is hosted twice a year in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. It is the longest-running of several comprehensive international trading events in China, and is hailed as the barometer of China's foreign trade.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Travel & tourism experts from across the industry convened at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 Future Stage this morning to discuss the complexities of navigating the transformation of hospitality.

Slow travel, a movement that encompasses sustainable travel, mindful travel, and low-impact travel, sustainable practices and the use of AI and data to enhance the travel experience emerged as key actionable strategies for futureproofing travel and hospitality businesses in the Middle East region.

The opening session entitled Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality in the Middle East, brought together senior representatives from IHG Hotels and Resorts, Marriot International, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Banyan Tree Dubai, Mastercard and Silkhaus.

The diverse panel provided a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today's hospitality industry.

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa and South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, initiated the hospitality trends session with an insightful discussion on the dynamic transformation within the hospitality landscape.

Addressing a packed venue of trade professionals, Mattar highlighted the importance of how destinations and hotels identify their respective source markets: "The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way generations choose travel, with outdoor adventure now taking the No. 1 spot away from beach, sun and sand.

For the industry to stay afloat in difficult times, the private sector needs to mirror the vision of their respective tourism authorities and work together to ensure appealing spending packages for those markets, he noted.

He also outlined how generational shifts and emerging travel behaviours are giving rise to global travel trends such as slow travel and similarly, with the hospitality industry responsible for 10% of global emissions, consumers are now willing to spend up to 31% more on hospitality companies that execute sustainable practices.

Lastly, he highlighted how innovation in the hospitality industry is triggering the pace of digitalisation.

"The future use of technology and AI will be critical for us to get a clear idea of how to enhance consumer preferences. Specifically, travel anxiety is starting to reduce with technology, and the focus should now be firmly on the traveller's experiences," he added.

Also speaking about the transforming needs of the market, Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East - Marriott International, echoed Mattars sentiments as he highlighted slow holidays, sustainability, the rise of AI and dupe destinations  similar to traditional holiday destinations but closer in geography  as some of the key travel trends for the next three years, according to the Marriott Bonvoy Travel Trends report 2024 and beyond.

"The insights shared today go beyond theories to offer direct reflections of the transformations we aim to foster through ATM. As we continue to drive innovation and entrepreneurial spirit within the travel industry, sessions like these equip our attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to lead the hospitality industry forward," remarked Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market.

The 31st edition of ATM, under the theme 'Empowering Innovation: Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship,' also hosted the fascinating Global Stage Welcome: The Gateway to Global Insights session, outlining Dubai's key tourism objectives for the coming years.

Elsewhere today, the Market Insights Summit also took centre stage, exploring the potential of developing markets such as China, India and Latin America as they emerge as key players in global tourism.-TradeArabia News Service
In the Friday, Nov. 18, 1887, first edition issue of the Daily News, the contents one will find are quite a bit different from what you'd see in a modern paper. Advertisements were of the times, with such services as blacksmithing and livery stables still relevant during the era.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The FBI has arrested an Afghan man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State militant organization and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the U.S., the Justice Department said Tuesday.
The M23 rebel group with alleged links to Rwanda has seized a mining town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) known for producing a key mineral used in smartphones, which has raised questions about the European Unions recent minerals agreement with Kigali.

A spokesperson for the M23 group said in a statement published on Thursday (2 May) that the rebels had liberated the town of Rubaya, which holds deposits of tantalum, a key component in the production of smartphones. It comes from coltan, one of the rare minerals listed in a letter recently sent by US and French lawyers representing the DRCs government to Apple, who questioned the tech companys knowledge of blood minerals being smuggled via Rwanda in its supply chain. Rubaya has mining deposits and without doubt this will allow M23 to exploit them, says Onesphore Sematumba, an analyst with the International Crisis Group (ICG).

It comes only weeks after the EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda, aiming to nurture sustainable development and resilient value chains for critical raw materials across Africa. The DRCs formal notice to Apple could now exert pressure on the European Commission to review its plans. The deal was immediately criticized by the Congolese President, Felix Tshisekedi, who denounced it as a provocation in very bad taste. He also alleged Rwanda was plundering Congos mineral resources, and slammed the neighboring country for exporting wealth that it does not have.

Alex Kopp, a senior campaigner with British NGO Global Witness, cautions that, given the evident gaps in the ITSCI tracing system, which ensures supply chains are free of conflict minerals, there was a high risk that the EU could end up sourcing minerals that are smuggled and could be connected to armed conflict. Echoing this view, Marc Botenga, an MEP with the Belgian Workers Party says that when you make this kind of deal, its basically saying to Rwanda, Were perfectly fine with what youre doing and were going to encourage you.
Rwanda has denied accusations leveled against it by the Congolese and US governments, alleging that its forces and M23 rebel group attacked a displaced peoples camps on Friday (3 May), killing at least 12, including children, and injuring at least 20.

The explosions targeted two camps for internally displaced people in Lac Vert and Mugunga, near the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to government officials, the United Nations and an aid group.

The attacks were a flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime, the United Nations said in a statement.

FromWashington, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement The United States strongly condemns the attack from Rwanda Defense Forces and M23 positions on the Mugunga camp for internally displaced persons in eastern DRC.

Miller said the United States was gravely concerned by the expansion in DR Congo of Rwandan forces and the M23, a mostly Tutsi group that resumed its armed campaign in the vast, turbulent DR Congo in 2021.

It is essential that all states respect each others sovereignty and territorial integrity and hold accountable all actors for human rights abuses in the conflict in eastern DRC, he said.

While some other sources, including an Al Jazeera journalist, reported that the shells were fired from an area controlled by M23, Rwanda on Saturday (4 May) denied the accusations of its involvement in the attack as ridiculous. But a spokesperson for the Rwanda government said the RDF is a professional army that would never attack displaced people and instead blamed the assault on militias supported by the Congolese military.

The DRC, the UN and Western countries have repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group in a bid to control mines and mineral resources in eastern DRC, an accusation that Kigali denies.
Togos opposition has vowed to reinvent itself after winning just five seats in the countrys legislative elections held on 29 April, while the ruling Union for the Republic party (UNIR) has clinched a sweeping victory.

Opposition parties had hoped for a strong showing in last weeks ballot, which they dismissed as an electoral masquerade, after trying to mobilize supporters to reverse a constitutional reform they condemned as an institutional coup. They alleged that the amended constitution would pave way for the incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe to extend his already nearly two-decade rule.

In the end, Gnassingbes ruling UNIR party won 108 of the 113 seats in the West African states parliament, according to provisional results published by the electoral commission on Saturday (4 May).

The vote, which took place amid heightened political tensions and a series of crackdowns on opposition protests, has thus provided a power boost for Gnassingbe. While the old constitution would have allowed the 57-year-old president to run for re-election just one more time, after the reform, Gnassingbe, as the head of the majority party in parliament, is expected to automatically assume the newly created post of president of the council of ministers. This new post, opposition parties warn, will allow him to avoid these terms limits and extend his familys decades-long grip on power.

Responding to its resounding defeat, one of the opposition leaders asserted that these results are a real lesson for the opposition, we need to reinvent ourselves.
A scene from 68. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty Images

Columbia University hasnt seen a student movement as intense as the one currently engulfing campus since 1968. Students opposed to the Vietnam War  as well as the schools encroachment into Morningside Heights and other issues  occupied Hamilton Hall and the presidents office, and the NYPD responded in violent fashion. James Simon Kunen was among them, and his 1969 book The Strawberry Statement, which Kunen wrote as a 19-year-old sophomore, became one of the defining documents of that chaotic period. (It was turned into a movie the following year.) With its sardonic but urgent tone and depiction of a campus and world gone mad, much of it feels like it could have been written right now. Kunen went on to become a journalist  he wrote a book about his time as a reporter in Vietnam in 1970  and then a public defender, a corporate communications professional, and an ESL teacher. I spoke with him about how he views todays revolutionaries and what his generation did and didnt accomplish.

Since you wrote The Strawberry Statement, youve lived a very full life. How much do you connect with your old revolutionary self? Are you the same guy now?

Yeah, I think I still have the same values and I still try to do my bit for social justice. Now it takes more the form of writing postcards to voters and calling up my congressmen and senators. But I still care about the same things.

Do you support the protesters at Columbia, and what do you make of the parallels to 1968?

Yes, I do. I feel like when youre confronted with a situation that is intolerable, then you just should not tolerate it. And in 1968, the situation was that I was a student with a college deferment, and so some young man was in the jungles of Vietnam in my place, either killing people or getting killed, and that was completely intolerable to me, and I just felt compelled to do something about it. And I think today, students see that 34,000 people have been killed in Gaza, thousands of them children, and they just feel like they have to do something.

You could argue that there was a bit more of a connection between Columbia and the Vietnam War in 1968. The school had an affiliation with the Institute for Defense Analyses, and theres the deferments issue you just mentioned, and the direct involvement of college-age Americans in Vietnam. In this case, students want Columbia to divest from Israel, among other things, but their demands are perhaps more tangential to whats actually happening in Gaza. Were your demands more coherent?

First of all, your premise is correct. I agree with the factual things that youve laid out. But to the extent theyre looking backward, these protesters are not looking just at 1968; theyre looking at 1985. And in 1985, students at Columbia protested demanding that the university divest from any investments in South Africa. And the university did. The protesters actually won that. And that, of course, was as a protest against apartheid.

So here, theyre thinking  well, its a little unclear to me, and Im not sure how clear it is to them  that the university should divest from companies that somehow are engaged with Israel, do business in Israel, make money from Israel. I read that in some places, they want to sever ties with academic institutions in Israel. So lets go back to 68. Actually, the university did ultimately drop its ties with IDA. But certainly, any effect that wouldve had on the war in Vietnam would be negligible. And if Columbia University now somehow sold all of its stock in any companies that do business in Israel, I dont think any protester would tell you that that somehow is going to really slow down the Israeli war machine.

I go back to feeling like you have to do something, so you reach out to try to affect something thats within your grasp, within your reach. And so you say, Well, here I am at this university. This university is doing business as usual with Israel. Israel every day is imposing collective punishment on the civilian population of Gaza, which is not justifiable by anything, even the atrocities of October 7. So I cant just go to school and have a picnic on the lawn and go and get my credits. I have to reach out and do something that I can reach. So heres my university. Lets do this.

The tone of the book is funny, a little bit dreamy, but also circumspect. Youre not even sure if youre totally doing the right thing or that you agree with everything thats going on around you, but you feel its the right thing.

And you can make the case that what we did in 1968 backfired horribly, that it in some way contributed to Nixons election and prolonged the war. Ill tell you what  I was just looking at The Strawberry Statement for the first time in a long, long time, and I write in there that when I was a little boy, I saw Davy Crockett in a Disney production say, Decide what you think is right and do it. I think thats a good general principle to live by. But any general principle, in some specific situations, is not going to work out.

So its a no-regrets attitude, but with the idea that the shit might hit the fan despite your best intentions.

Yeah, but please dont get me wrong, Im not saying that. Im just saying you could make the case that we prolonged the war. I dont know. Ultimately, I think the war ended not because 500,000 Americans marched on Washington, which they did repeatedly. The war ended because the Vietnamese won it. Thats what happened. Anything else is speculation about alternative universes.

Do you have any sympathy for administrators, college presidents  not just at Columbia  who are trying to navigate this treacherous territory now that youre grown up, so to speak?

Yeah. Without knowing very much about it, I would just say that older people, like college administrators, tend to have learned the lesson that the perfect is the enemy of the good, and that half a loaf is better than none. And so they look at these situations and think, Maybe we can negotiate this. And 19-year-olds havent accepted that lesson yet. I know that I, in 1968, was saying, No, Im leaving this building when and only when our demands are met. Period. So thats a tough position. Administrators today also have this situation where the waters are being muddied up with all these allegations of antisemitism and dangers to Jewish students, which to the best of my knowledge are greatly exaggerated, and which are being manipulated by people who dont give a rats ass about antisemitism, except insofar as it helps them get votes sometimes, either from antisemites or from Jews, as a situation may require.

The Columbia administration cracked down in 68 in an extremely heavy-handed way. The violence was on another level compared to now, at least so far.

Apparently, the New York City Police Department is better trained and better disciplined now than it was then. Not to say that there was no violence by the police the other night 

Given their conduct during the George Floyd protests, I was sort of surprised there wasnt more.

I agree. Im surprised as well.

From the administrations point of view, Im wondering what the optimal thing for them to have done in this situation is, once the protesters occupied the building. Sending in the cops is not good. But if 19-year-olds dont want half a loaf, as you say, should they just be left alone? Should the school go ahead with classes and wait things out? I wonder what your perspective is, as somebody who has been on the other side of all this.

I would say that it was a very bad look for President Shafik to testify before Congress, and when Congresswoman Stefanik told her to jump, Shafik replied, How high?  and then the very next morning she calls in the police to clear out the tent encampment from the field.

Apparently, by the internal protocols of Columbia, she was supposed to consult with the University Senate. And the University Senate said, Yeah, no, dont do that. And she did it anyway. So that particular bust, I think, was, for lack of a better word, stupid.

So she made her own mess here, but then when it gets to a certain point, theres no good option anymore.

Exactly. She made her mess and that, I think, redoubled the size and commitment of demonstrators, and then she ended up with the situation at Hamilton Hall. I am not in position to say what wouldve been a better thing for her to do at that point. Im not a college president.

Theres tons of media focus on this story, and there was tons of focus on the protests in 68. I sometimes feel like theres too much focus on a relatively small group of young people, and that may in fact be drawing attention away from the cause they are committed to. Did you ever feel that way when you were protesting? Do you feel that way now?

In 68, I did not feel that way. In 68, I felt the whole world is watching. Thats something we chanted, and we were thrilled to see demonstrations starting up across the United States and in Tokyo and in Paris. Not always for the same specific demands, but it all seemed part of a tidal wave of youth that was going to cleanse the earth and sweep away racism and oppression and bring in the world that we wanted to live in. Naive, but thats what I felt  totally thrilled.

Is it getting too much attention now? A few thoughts on that. One is if you look closely at any demonstration, youre going to see some things you dont like. There was video of a masked person with a hammer breaking a window in Hamilton Hall. I dont like that. Nobody likes that.

I saw that video about 200 times. It got magnified.

Exactly. Or you see a woman standing with a sign in front of the Sundial at Columbia that says Hamass Next Target, pointing at kids with Israeli flags. You dont like that. So you look closely at any demonstration, youre going to see some things you dont like, but if you subtract the whole demonstration, then what have you got? Silence. And I dont think silence is what we need right now. So I understand what youre saying, but 

It is correct that we spend way too much time debating whether or not the demonstrators are justified or not, or whether they can be tolerated or not, or whether theyre antisemitic or not, and not nearly enough time talking about the thousand children in Gaza with amputated limbs, not to mention the 10,000 who are dead. But are the demonstrations distracting from that? Would we be talking more about the children if there were no demonstrations? I dont think so.

No, probably not.

I would never have known this, but as I was preparing for this interview, I saw that on Tuesday night, the second night of Passover, there were hundreds of arrests in Grand Army Plaza of people in sweatshirts that said, Not in Our Name  mostly Jewish people sitting down in the street in front of Senator Schumers apartment demanding or imploring him to not vote for $13 billion of no-strings-attached military aid to Israel.

I live about a ten-minute walk from there and heard about something, but I did not know there were so many arrests.

I didnt know, you didnt know. Maybe if they had broken a window with a hammer, wed all know about it. Im not in favor of that, but so it sort of comes back to people doing what they can. And the idea that Hey, if all these kids would stop raising hell, then there wouldnt be a right-wing backlash and we could get down to talking about the issues, and the real horror of Gaza? Not so much.

You said you were naive about all the ending racism and sexism and so forth, but do you think that that whole global movement that swept the world in 1968 had a real effect on the world in the end?

Yeah, I think so. I mean, you cant say that But for the existence of the movement, these following things would not have happened. But things that subsequently happened include womens rights, gay rights, some real advances in racial equality. And I think the, lets say uproar of the late 60s, early 70s, put everything in play and created some disorder from which new order could arise.

You could say it succeeded more socially than politically.

Youd have to say that when you look at whats happened politically.

I have one other thing to say that I was thinking about. Again, with that video that we saw of somebody breaking the window in Hamilton Hall  that looks like violence. But think about it. Think of it as if there were Palestinian babies in Hamilton Hall behind them, and theyre breaking barricades in order to put themselves between the babies and men advancing with machine guns and bombs, in order to actually stop violence.

Thats a counterintuitive way of looking at it.

I know that if we were in a debating club, you could completely pull apart everything that I just said, but at least in the minds of the demonstrators themselves, they are putting themselves with arms locked to try to protect the babies from the falling bombs behind them. And you should see the occasionally annoying things that the demonstrators do in that context.

One could also argue in a debate club that the people organizing these protests are using slogans like From the River to the Sea, and displaying maps that show Israel no longer existing and so forth. And that may seem threatening or dangerous to Jewish students.

Yeah, absolutely. You could certainly also sit down and have a quiet talk with the demonstrators and say, Hey, lets be goal-oriented. What do you want to happen? Okay, you want the bombs to stop falling and you want food and water to get in? Is what youre doing a step in that direction, or is there something else that you could do that would better advance that cause? So yeah, theres lots of room for constructive criticism.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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At the event, RNC co-chair Lara Trump reportedly presented Trump with a Billboard Music Award for the song Justice for All  a rendition of the national anthem performed by a choir of imprisoned January 6 mob members, overlaid with Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. USA Today reports that Trump was very happy to talk about the success of the song, which his campaign now plays at every event he attends:

The Trump campaign said in a readout of the meeting sent to reporters that Trumps daughter-in-law and RNC co-chair Lara Trump presented President Trump with a Billboard Music award for the No. 1 song Justice for All  In the picture shared with USA TODAY, the former president and Lara Trump are posing next to the framed Billboard acknowledgement Saturday.

He said something to the effect that: I was approached about helping out, I did it as a favor, I didnt think much about it, next thing I know, its top of the charts! I mean can you believe it? It was higher than Taylor Swift! an individual at the luncheon told USA TODAY.

Its not clear if the framed Billboard acknowledgement, presumably regarding the songs previous No. 1 status, is in fact a real award.

This post has been updated.
Geoff Duncan after testifying in the Georgia grand-jury investigation of Trumps effort to steal the states electors in 2020. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

Given everything we know about the terrible things Donald Trump has done to the Republican Party and the conservative movement, youd figure Joe Biden could count on some high-profile defections to his banner in 2024. He did, after all, get a decent number of Republican endorsements in 2020; on the first evening of the Democratic convention in Milwaukee, four of them spoke: former Ohio governor John Kasich, former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman, former New York congresswoman Susan Molinari, and former California gubernatorial nominee and business executive Meg Whitman. And there are obviously a lot of Republican or ex-Republican voices shouting down Trump; you can find a lot of them at the Bulwark any given day.

But even in 2020, it was noteworthy how very former the most prominent Republicans for Biden were. The two (unrelated) Whitmans were last on a ballot for elected office in 2010 (Meg) and 1997 (Christine). Then and now, actual Republican officeholders, whatever their opinion of the 45th president, have almost entirely put on the party harness or at least kept their mouths shut. But even among ex-officeholders, new recruits to the Republicans-for-Biden camp this year are few and far between, as NBC News recently reported:

Allies of President Joe Biden are ramping up a charm offensive aimed at getting high-profile Republicans and donors who wont support Donald Trump to back the Democratic president.

But the task is proving difficult, according to people familiar with the efforts.

As of Thursday [April 4], Biden had not yet secured any endorsements from nationally recognized Republican Party officials.

NBC reports Team Biden is hoping against hope that two high-profile 2024 Trump rivals will eventually climb onboard the incumbents bandwagon: Chris Christie and Nikki Haley. Id say the former is a very long shot (thanks to his many nasty comments about Biden) and the latter is a fantasy (because she is far from ruling out a future in the GOP). The White House can probably count on a formal nod from Liz Cheney at some point between now and November. But given her role on the January 6 Committee, and her rather forceful defenestration by Wyoming Republicans in a 2022 primary, Cheney wouldnt much count as a defection.

At this point, Joe Bidens prize convert among active Republicans is former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, who endorsed the president in an Atlanta Journal-Constitutions op-ed published Monday:

[T]he GOP will never rebuild until we move on from the Trump era, leaving conservative (but not angry) Republicans like me no choice but to pull the lever for Biden 

The alternative is another term of Trump, a man who has disqualified himself through his conduct and his character. The headlines are ablaze with his hush-money trial over allegations of improper record-keeping for payments to conceal an affair with an adult-film star.

Most important, Trump fanned the flames of unfounded conspiracy theories that led to the horrific events of Jan. 6, 2021. He refuses to admit he lost the last election and has hinted he might do so again after the next one.

If you arent from Georgia but Duncans name rings a bell, its probably because he was the last cookie on the plate for the nonpartisan organization No Labels before it gave up on running a presidential ticket this year. When even Duncan ultimately said no to No Labels, it was a pretty sure sign it just wasnt going to be its year.

Duncan, as it happens, was one of several prominent Georgia Republicans who favored certification of Bidens victory in the state in 2020 and then called out Trumps efforts to overturn the results. Unlike Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, however, Duncan didnt follow through by fighting the vengeful attempted MAGA takeover of the GOP in 2022. Instead, he dropped his reelection bid and let Trump ally (and false elector) Burt Jones have the states No. 2 position, even as Kemp and Raffensperger defeated Trumps surrogates handily in a Republican primary.

Interestingly, Duncan didnt call out Kemp (who had endorsed Trumps 2024 reelection bid) and Raffensperger (who seems to be trying to mend fences with the 45th president) in criticizing Republicans who are holding their noses and falling behind Trump; he scolds by name such conveniently out-of-state GOP-ers as Mitch McConnell, Chris Sununu, and Bill Barr. Presumably Duncan foresees some sort of Georgia Republican future for himself, which likely motivates this awkward comment that couldnt have been pleasing to Team Biden: At the same time [as we support Biden], we should work to elect GOP congressional majorities to block his second-term legislative agenda and provide a check and balance.

Perhaps the Republican voters that Democratic operatives covet in November wont need role models from the political class. If they do, they might want a shinier trophy than Geoff Duncan. And Duncan might want to reconsider his belief that the GOP is moving his way.
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Grilling is the simplest cooking technique: heat, food, and some distance between the two. But its in the details  flames or infrared or both; charcoal, wood, propane or natural gas; built-in or freestanding  where grills can range from an impulsive big box store purchase on the first beautiful weekend of spring to a Flammkraft German-engineered outdoor cooking experience that costs more than a car.

Some frequent grillers believe its charcoal, wood, or dont bother when it comes to home grilling. But even those who are diehard charcoal grill fans can admit preparing a wood or charcoal grill for cooking is an event  whereas preparing a gas grill takes just a few minutes. Vy To, owner of Ogawa Sushi and Kappo told me she relies on her gas grill for quick dinners all summer: I grill three times per week when its hot out: pork chops, ribs, wings, char siu, fish, veggies, she says.

To find the best gas grills on the market, I talked to food-industry pros and passionate grillers, and then went to friends houses, dealer showrooms, and manufacturers parking lots to test some grills. Others I had shipped to my home for backyard experiments. I tested them with steaks, sausages, and burgers from Vermont Wagyu along with vegetables of all sorts. I made pizza. The grills were a delight. Assembling them wasnt always, but I get into all of that here. And if youre looking for more outdoor cooking tools, check out our guides to grilling tools, grilling equipment if you dont have a backyard, and charcoal grills.

What were looking for Heat Grilling, as opposed to the slow smoke roast of barbecue, is great for quick cooking at high temperatures. High heat is essential for the Maillard browning and sugar caramelization that we associate with a grilled ribeye, seared scallops, charred cabbage, grilled pineapple, or leopard-spotted pizza crust, so youll want to make sure you choose a grill with good heat output. A basic grill may have two or three burners, each around 12,000 BTUs. Some have more than double that output, resulting in the intense heat needed for a steakhouse-style sear. Features Grills have become increasingly sophisticated with accessories and add-ons. Some come with a rotisserie attachment, pizza stone, lighting, or smart technology. Others include bottle openers, mini beer fridges, auxiliary burners, or elaborate cabinetry. Ive indicated when a grill has special features. Price An entry-level high-quality grill can range from the high three figures to $2,000. A higher-end grill with more advanced features such as an infrared burner, rotisserie attachment, and cabinetry may be as little as $1,500 and as much as $10,000 or more.

Best overall gas grill

Weber Genesis SPX-435 Premium Smart Gas Grill $1,799 Heat: 4 burners, 48,000BTUs across 994 square inches / Features: LED lights, side burner, smart capabilities / Design: modern and minimalist in black porcelain-enamel or stainless steel When I asked chefs and other food professionals about the gas grill they cook on at home, the most popular answer was an old Weber. Thats my answer, too  a Weber Genesis that I bought in 2013, to be exact, and thats held up remarkably well over the years. Its hot, reliable, and easy to clean, and simply too good to discard (despite its caved-in lid from a fallen branch). With more features and cooking surface area than Webers Spirit entry level series, the Genesis is the mid-range option with a price that, over a decade or more of its use, is worth every penny. Chef Pete Geoghegan, culinary director for Cargill Protein North American business, told me that his home grill is a Weber Genesis because it lasts for a long time and heats evenly and gets plenty hot when needed. Dr. Sheila Patinkin, owner of Vermont Wagyu, likes the Genesis for how it nurtures great flavor and easy operation, especially for folks who dont find grilling easy. She uses cast iron griddles on top of the grill to keep the wagyu fat from causing flare-ups, a hack Im planning on adding to my repertoire. While my Genesis workhorse was an early-2000s model, the features have been substantially updated to include an extra-large sear zone, expandable top cooking grate, motion-sensor LED lights (important for off-season grilling when it gets dark before dinnertime), and a side burner that is good for a side or warm sauce (I like to drag my grilled seafood through warm garlic and herb butter right after it comes off the grill). This model also boasts smart technology through the Weber Connect app, which can alert cooks when the food is coming to temperature or the grill is running low on fuel. Both propane and natural gas versions are available  plumbing the grill directly into my natural gas line was great for taking the chore and cost of swapping propane tanks out of my grilling routine. $1,799 at Amazon Buy $1,799 at Amazon Buy

Photo: Jonathan Deutsch

Best less-expensive gas grill

TYTUS Fresno Series Gunmetal Gray Island Grill $1,399 Heat: 60,000BTUs across 4 burners and 864 square inches / Features: no-tool assembly, Piezo ignition systems, side burner, ice bin / Design: large outdoor cooking center with cabinetry I have to admit that I was skeptical of the TYTUS when researching this piece. It seemed to offer the Platonic ideal of a high-end outdoor kitchen at a fraction of the price of its competitors. Everything I dislike about a freestanding grill  the hours of assembly, the little additional counter space, and the lack of features of affordable grills seemed to have been addressed in their marketing. But, it turns out, my skepticism wasnt warranted  this grill is a breeze to use and the price is relatively reasonable compared to my best overall pick. Even for me, the least handy person you could imagine, I had the grill assembled in their promised five-minutes without tools. I was pleased how well TYTUS delivered on their promises, especially where it counts most: reliable, even, intense heat. It handled burgers well with a quick preheat to come to temperature and an even sear and grill-marked veggies impressively. Designed for partying, this is a grill for impressing the neighbors or achieving a high-end look at a vacation home without needing to call the designer or contractor. $1,399 at Amazon Buy $1,399 at Amazon Buy

Best high-power gas grill

Blaze LTE Built-In Natural Or Propane Gas Grill $2,000 Heat: 4 burners, 56,000BTUs across 715 square inches / Features: lifetime warranty, LED lighting, flame-thrower ignition, additional infrared burner / Design: stainless steel, often used as a built-in for outdoor kitchens. When Cornwall Social owner and experienced griller Lizabeth Dunn installed a Blaze grill as the keystone of her outdoor kitchen, she never thought her chief complaint would be that it can get too hot. And indeed, this one gets very hot  making it ideal for achieving a steakhouse-quality sear at home. After giving Dunns grill a whirl, I was impressed by its quick ignition and ease of use. But I was most blown away by the heat  the burners whoosh to life and both the quality and quantity of heat are intense. It deeply glazed ribs and charred corn with minimal preheating but was also gentle enough to keep barbecue sides like cornbread and macaroni and cheese from scorching when set to low and used as an outdoor buffet. $2,000 at Amazon Buy $2,000 at Amazon Buy

Best centerpiece gas grill

Wolf 36 Gas Grill $6,995 $6,995 Heat: Two 25,000BTU burners, 25,000BTU sear station, and 14,000BTU infrared burner for rotisserie; radiant heat from ceramic briquettes / Features: Halogen lighting, rotisserie, electric ignition / Design: stainless steel heavy duty appliance at 249 pounds with familiar Wolf aesthetic. Wolf is a brand known for outfitting high-end home kitchens as well as restaurants. They apply the same quality and durability to home outdoor kitchens. With additional options like warming drawers, burners, and elaborate cabinetry, the Wolf can be the centerpiece of a complete outdoor kitchen. Despite smoking meats all week, Daniel Grobman, owner of Mikes BBQ, has the 42 Wolf grill at home and loves it, especially for higher-end meats like steaks where he doesnt want to impart a smoky flavor. Its a good grill. It holds temperature. The thermometer doesnt break. Most of these cheap grills, the thermometer breaks and you have no idea what youre cooking on. Its a guessing game. Pay for the quality  youre gonna get a better result than cheap ones that add up to more. Wolf is available in natural gas or propane. Grobman especially values the rotisserie attachment: Well get four chickens and do them four different ways, he says. $6,995 at Sub-Zero Buy

Best portable gas grill

Everdure FURNACE 3-Burner Gas Grill $1,083 Heat: 3 burners of 27,581BTUs / Features: Minimal. Cast iron grill, optional steel teppanyaki accessory / Design: Minimalist, lightweight. Available in distinctive colors. Though not marketed as a portable grill, the small size and lightweight, die-cast aluminum body make the Furnace, and its smaller two-burner sister, the Force, great options for a grill that needs to be moved around. The Furnace is ideal for moving to and from a shed when not in use or loading into a pickup truck for an event. Its also a great option for someone new to grilling who still wants a stylish and efficient unit without being overwhelmed by a variety of features that they may never need. While the BTUs are more modest than others we considered, the close proximity of food to burner and minimal preheating required make up for the output. $1,083 at Amazon Buy $1,083 at Amazon Buy

Best professional-level gas grill

Weber Summit SB38 S Built-In Gas Grill $4,399 $4,399 Heat: 5 burners producing 65,000BTUs over 1,053 square inches. 16,000BTU top-down infrared broiler / Features: smoker box, griddle accessory, rotisserie, side burner, LED lights / Design: Stainless steel or black porcelain with a familiar Weber look. While more expensive than the Genesis (our best overall pick), Webers Summit opens up a whole world of standout features, including the infrared broiler, heavy-duty stainless steel grates and included rotisserie. The Summit brings the durability and user-friendliness folks love about the Genesis but has additional functionalities. The Summit infrared broiler cooks from above the food item, sandwiching the food between grill and broiler for an all-around sear. Chef Rich Cusack, owner of June BYOB and Cafe le Jardin told me that he has a Weber grill, and that he loves the thing. He notes that the quality control on the grill is great and that it heats up pretty quickly. I notice the back of my grill tends to hold more heat than the front but thats good for circulating my products while cooking them, he says. Its very easy to use and it also is rust proof even after using it for a ridiculous amount of time. I also use the side burner for boiling corn or making baked beans for the family. Ive never had a problem with it except for leaving pork belly on there and walking away from it and almost blowing up my grill [due to the dripping fat]. $4,399 at Amazon Buy $4,399 at Amazon Buy

Our experts

 Lizabeth Dunn, Owner, Cornwall Social

 Rich Cusack, Chef-Owner, June BYOB and Cafe le Jardin

 Pete Geoghegan, Culinary Director, Cargill North America

 Daniel Grobman, Owner, Mikes BBQ

 Dr. Sheila Patinkin, Owner, Vermont Wagyu

 Vy To, Owner, Ogawa Sushi and Kappo

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Oil and gas companies have boosted offshore drilling in recent months, finding large resources in the newest exploration hotspots and aiming to develop huge low-cost, low-emission oil and gas fields that will yield decades of high returns.

The majors are investing more in deepwater exploration as they are doubling down on their pledge to continue delivering oil and gas to meet global demand. The high offshore drilling activity is already showing in the rising profits and backlogs of the world's top oilfield services providers and rig charterers.

The oil and gas majorsExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and Eniare winning more acreage in frontier basins for deepwater drilling in the Atlantic Margin, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Asia, with Namibia and South America standing out, according to estimates by consultancy Rystad Energy. Related: Russias Oil Revenues Doubled in April Compared to a Year Earlier

Next year, capital expenditure (capex) on new deepwater drilling is set to jump to the highest level in 12 years in 2025, Rystad Energy reckons. At the same time, capex on all-new and existing deepwater fields could surge by 30% in 2027 compared to 2023, to $130.7 billion, per the consultancy's estimates cited by Reuters.

There have been some major recent exploration successes in offshore areas. These include Guyana's Stabroek block, where Exxon and partners have already made discoveries estimated at a total of 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent in place, as well as Namibia, where Shell, TotalEnergies, and Portugal's Galp have announced major oil discoveries in the past two years, including one giant find just last month.

At the end of April, Galp Energia said that the first phase of its exploration in the Mopane field offshore Namibia could contain at least 10 billion barrels of oil.

Namibia is a key exploration target for Shell, TotalEnergies, and Portugal-based Galp.

TotalEnergies and Shell have already made large discoveries offshore Namibia, kicking off the Namibian oil rush in 2022.

TotalEnergies made a significant discovery of light oil with associated gas on the Venus prospect in the Orange Basin in early 2022. Venus in Namibia could be a "giant oil and gas discovery," the French supermajor said in an investor presentation in September 2022.

Over the past two years, Shell has made four oil and gas discoveries in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia.

TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy are also expanding their efforts to explore for oil and gas in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia by acquiring a nearby license in the basin in South African waters.

"Following the Venus success in Namibia, TotalEnergies is continuing to progress its Exploration effort in the Orange Basin, by entering this promising exploration license in South Africa," Kevin McLachlan, Senior Vice-President Exploration of TotalEnergies, said in March.

Just last week, a BP-Eni joint venture, Azule Energy, announced an agreement to take 42.5% in an offshore block in Namibia, which Azule Energy CEO Adriano Mongini described as a "highly prospective hydrocarbon region."

Despite still uncertain development designs, timing, and production levels, Wood Mackenzie estimates that Namibia's oil economics could be robust, with net present value (NPV) remaining positive even at oil prices as low as $40 per barrel.

Namibia and other deepwater offshore drilling hotspots are pushing demand for offshore rigs and drilling services, as evidenced by the most recent financial results of major service providers.

A rebound in offshore drilling and continued demand for oil and gas helped SLB, the world's largest oilfield services provider, boost first-quarter earnings and offset a weaker North American market.

Valaris, a top offshore rig provider, raised its total contract backlog to more than $4.0 billion as of April 30, 2024the sixth consecutive quarter of backlog growth and a 43% increase from twelve months ago.

"We see strong customer demand for work that is expected to commence in 2025 and 2026, highlighting the longevity of this upcycle," Valaris's president and CEO Anton Dibowitz said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The Federal Trade Commission last week gave the green light to Exxons acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources. There was one condition attached to the approval of the $60-billion deal: that Scott Sheffield, the former CEO of Pioneer, does not join the combined companys board.

The FTC alleged that Sheffield had colluded with OPEC and OPEC+ members to limit production and increase oil prices. The allegations shook the shale oil world, where several large consolidation deals are awaiting the trade watchdogs approval. Now, the consolidation drive that has marked the last year in U.S. shale may have to slow down.

First, the allegations. According to a news release from last week, the Federal Trade Commission had informed Exxon that it would only approve the merger with Pioneer if Sheffield, who was going to become an Exxon board member as part of the deal, stayed out of it.

Mr. Sheffields past conduct makes it crystal clear that he should be nowhere near Exxons boardroom. American consumers shouldnt pay unfair prices at the pump simply to pad a corporate executives pocketbook, the deputy director of the FTCs Bureau of Competition, Kyle Mach, said in the release.

Through public statements and private communications, Pioneer founder and former CEO Scott D. Sheffield has campaigned to organize anticompetitive coordinated output reductions between and among U.S. crude oil producers, and others, including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and a related cartel of other oil-producing countries known as OPEC+, the Commission in a formal complaint.

The regulator then went on to motivate the attachment of its condition to the Exxon-Pioneer deal approval, saying that it sought to prevent Pioneers Sheffield from engaging in collusive activity that would potentially raise crude oil prices, leading American consumers and businesses to pay higher prices for gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil and jet fuel.

Naturally, Pioneer had something to say about the allegations. In a response to the FTC allegations, the company defended its founder, saying he had always had the U.S. oil industrys best interest at heart. The response also suggested that any communication Sheffield may have conducted with OPEC and OPEC+ members had been to the same endto protect the U.S. shale industry.

Mr. Sheffield and Pioneer believe that the FTCs Complaint reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the U.S. and global oil markets and misreads the nature and intent of Mr. Sheffields actions, the response said.

The actions in question were conversations with OPEC and OPEC+ officials in 2020, when pandemic lockdowns decimated global oil demand, pushing U.S. oil prices briefly below zero. At the time, Sheffield was an advocate of production cuts in the shale patch as well, in a bid to minimize the damage that the demand drop was already causing the industry, Pioneer also said.

It didnt make any difference, however. The FTC had already made up its mind and acted on it. As a result, Bloomberg and the Financial Times are reporting that shale executives are getting spooked about future mergers in case they get caught in the crosshairs of the regulator, which has not exactly been a fan of the oil industry since 2020.

The implications go far beyond Sheffield, James Lucier, an analyst at Capital Alpha Partners, said in a note to clients following the news, as quoted by the Financial Times. The FTC has not to date taken an adversarial approach toward oil industry mergers . . . This relative hands-off policy is no more.

In a sense, the FTCs move against Sheffield is the other shoe dropping as far as the oil industry is concerned. The regulator has been looking for a way to interfere with the consolidation drive prompted by strong financial results and limited untapped inventory. Until recently, it has been unable to find one. But now, it seems, it has.

Not everyone agrees the FTCs attack on Sheffield needs to be taken particularly seriously. This is the government trying to save some face  its irrelevant to the whole issue of antitrust, the managing director of investment bankers Roth MKM, Leo Mariani, told Bloomberg. This whole thing is just politics ultimately. In an election year it helps to be tough on Big Oil.

President Biden and his fellow Democrats have repeatedly made it clear that the anti-oil lobby is a key voter demographic and they have been busy tending to its needs. Earlier this year, Bidens White House paused approval of new LNG export capacity as part of these efforts. Then, just this month, Democrats in Congress announced the completion of an investigation into Big Oil that, while it did not contain anything in the way of a revelation, sought to reinforce an image of the industry as the hydrocarbon equivalent of Big Tobacco, deserving of an identical treatment.

Whether any of this will help Biden win the November vote remains to be seen, but judging by the latest in his approval ratings, there may be a possibility that most Americans have bigger problems than climate change and oil.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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So strategically vital to Russia, Iran, and China is the Akkas gas field in Iraq that enormous pressure was brought to bear on politicians in Baghdad to ensure that all contracts related to the field went to Russian firms in the first instance, with back up from Chinese companies when required. Iranian gas companies are not thought up to the task of running a major gas field development, which is why their own gas fields are mostly being effectively run by firms from those two countries, particularly Russia. However, in one of the most extraordinary surprises in recent gas or oil field contracts history, Iraq has awarded the Akkas development to a virtually unknown company from Russias current archenemy - Ukraine. So, what is going on?

The importance of the Akkas gas field for Russia, Iran, and China can barely be overstated. Situated in the heart of the Middle East, sharing its eastern border with Iran, its northern border with Turkey, its western border with Syria and Jordan, and its southern border with Saudi Arabia, Iraq is perhaps the single most geopolitically important country in the entire Middle East to these three countries - and to the U.S. In turn, its lawless western desert province of Anbar  a place so violent and unpredictable that it was even avoided where possible by Islamic State - is perhaps the most geopolitically vital area in all of Iraq. And the most strategically important position in Anbar is the huge Akkas gas field. The field itself has around 5.6 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves, and Iraqs Oil Ministry plans for it to produce around 400 million cubic feet per day of gas. But Akkas could have nothing in it, and Russia, China, and Iran would still do anything to get it. One key reason for this is that oil and gas companies are legally entitled to secure their oil and/or gas field operations around the world through whatever means they feel necessary. In practical terms, this can include stationing a massive heavily-armed security force around an oil and/or gas field.

Related: FTC's Attack on Pioneer Sends Ripples Through Shale Industry

This aligns perfectly with Chinas multi-generational power-grab project, the Belt and Road Initiative, which leverages big investments into major on-the-ground oil, gas, industrial, and transport developments to secure effective control over large swathes of a countrys economy and, therefore, its future political allegiance. A bonus for China is that its huge investments into Iraq in recent years were also supposedly to have given it first refusal on most of the oil, gas, and petrochemicals projects that come up in Iraq for the duration of the Iraq-China Framework Agreement, as fully analysed in my new book on the new global oil market order. As part of this, China was also supposed to receive at least a 30 percent discount on all oil, gas, and petrochemicals it buys from Iraq. The other deals  mostly in the further west of Iraq  are supposed to have first refusal given to Russia, with similar discounts on oil and gas purchases factored into those relevant agreements.

However, there are even bigger stakes at play for Russia in the Akkas development due to its geographical location. The Akkas field is one of three big gas sites that form a skewed triangle across southern Iraq, stretching from the Mansuriya field near the eastern border with Iran, down to the Siba field in the south (extremely close to the key Iraqi Basra export hub), and then all the way west across to Akkas itself (extremely close to the border with Syria). Along the spine of this entire area running from east to west are the historical ultra-nationalist and ultra-anti-West cities of Falluja, Ramadi, Hit and Haditha. At the point geographically, Iraq turns into Syria, and it is just a short hop to the key strategic ports of Banias and Tartus, and to Latakia  all three of which are crucial globally strategic sites for Moscow, as also detailed in my new book on the new global oil market order. The Syrian port of Tartus remains a huge naval base for Russia and the only Mediterranean port to which it has access. The port is just a short ride from Khmeimim airport, which  under a deal struck in 2015 - became a dual-use civilian-military airport-airbase for use by Russia. And just a short flight away from those two key assets is Russias Latakia intelligence-gathering listening station. Russia thought it had finally gained control over these three sites in September 2019 when Stroytransgaz signed a preliminary contract with Iraqs Oil Ministry to develop the hitherto virtually unknown Block 17 in the Anbar province. The Block 17 site in Anbar province was perfect for Russias purposes, as it was right in the middle of what the U.S. military used to call the spine of Islamic State where the Euphrates flows westwards into Syria and eastwards into the Persian Gulf, extremely close to the border with Iran. However, U.S. pressure on Iraq caused ongoing delays to this deal.

For both Russia and Iran, the securing of the spine of Iraq running through Akkas is crucial to the development of the Banias port in Syria. This has long been earmarked as the end point for the long-planned Iran-Iraq-Syria pipelines that would move Iranian, and later Iraqi, oil and gas from Iran through Iraq to Syria, and then into the less rigorously policed ports of southern Europe. This route would not only allow for the movement of sanctioned Iranian oil and gas into Europe, but also of anything else that Russia and Iran want to get into the continent without too many checks. It has also long been the final part of Russian and Iranian plans to build a land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea by which they could exponentially increase the scale and scope of weapons delivery into southern Lebanon and the Golan Heights area of Syria to be used in attacks on Israel, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. This core aim of this policy was to provoke a broader conflict in the Middle East that would draw in the U.S. and its allies into an unwinnable war of the sort seen recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With all this at stake, then, why did Iraq award the Akkas gas development to hitherto unknown Ukrainian firm Ukrezemresurs? The answer is in the question, which is that there is so much at stake for the U.S.s three key geopolitical rivals in the area  not least in Russias war against Ukraine - that Washington could not allow it to happen right now. According to sources who work very closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com within the last two weeks, it was made very clear to Iraq that financial disbursements and waivers to keep importing energy from Iran would be heavily scrutinised if Akkas was awarded to Russia, or to any companies from China or Iran right now. This message was stressed to the recent delegation to Washington led by [Prime Minister, Mohammed] Al Sudani, and appears to have been clearly received, said the source. It was also promoted with further promises of investment by U.S. firms on the one hand, or further sanctions against Iraq for aiding Iran on the other, he added. Indeed, the Akkas award announcement came at around the same time as

Iraq-headquartered energy and utility company Raban Al-Safina for Energy Projects (RASEP) signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with U.S. firms KBR, Honeywell, Baker Hughes, Emerson, and GE to develop the Nahr Bin Omar gas field in Basra in southern Iraq. Given Iraqs history of promising one thing to the U.S. and then doing the exact opposite, it remains to be seen how these MoUs and the Akkas gas field award to Ukrezemresurs pans out, of course. But, given the weight of resources in this new U.S. initiative in Iraq, if it does not work then Washington is unlikely ever to find a way back into the country.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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The U.S. Treasury Department on May 1 imposed new sanctions on hundreds of companies and people tied to Russia's weapons development program as part of its continuing effort to limit Russias ability to access the materials it needs to prosecute its illegal war against Ukraine."

The department said in a news release that the goal of the sanctions was to "further degrade Russias ability to sustain its war machine."

The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on nearly 200 targets, while the State Department designated more than 80.

The sanctions aim to limit Russia's military-industrial base, chemical weapons programs, and people and firms in third countries that help Russia acquire weapons components.

They also target more than a dozen Chinese firms accused of helping Russia find workarounds to previously announced sanctions. The new measures also aim to punish individuals tied to the death of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

The Treasury has consistently warned that companies will face significant consequences for providing material support for Russias war, and the U.S. is imposing them today on almost 300 targets, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

The actions "will further disrupt and degrade Russias war efforts by going after its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it," she said in the news release.

Included in the new sanctions announcement are importers of ingredients used to produce gunpowder, rocket propellants, and other explosives. Also included are Russian government entities and people tied to Russia's chemical and biological weapons programs and firms related to Russia's natural gas construction projects.

The Treasury Departments news release said firms in China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates are accused of helping Russia acquire technology and equipment from abroad.

The State Department sanctions target three people in connection to the death of Navalny, who died in February in a Russian Arctic prison. Russian authorities say he died of natural causes. His followers believe he was killed by the authorities, which the Kremlin denies.



Added to the U.S. sanctions list are the director of the correctional colony in Russia where Navalny was held for the majority of his imprisonment, the head of the solitary confinement detachment, and the head of the medical unit at the Arctic colony where he was imprisoned before his death.



The officials oversaw the cells where Navalny was kept in solitary confinement, the walking yard where he allegedly collapsed and died, and Navalny's health, including in the immediate aftermath of his collapse, the State Department said.

The sanctions freeze any assets the entities and individuals hold in U.S. jurisdiction, block them from using the U.S. financial system, and bar American citizens from dealing with them.

By RFE/RL

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The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has terminated talks to buy a stake in Brazils petrochemicals company Braskem from its controlling company Novonor, Braskem said on Monday.

At the end of last year, the state oil giant of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) proposed a non-binding offer to buy a stake in Braskem, in an offer implying an equity value of $2.14 billion (10.5 billion Brazilian reals) for Novonors 38.3% stake in the Brazilian company.

The non-binding offer from November was conditional on a satisfactory conclusion of a due diligence process, among other things.

On Monday, Braskem cited in its securities filing a Novonor letter, which said it had been informed by ADNOC that the Abu Dhabi firm was no longer interested in continuing the process and negotiations regarding a possible transaction involving Braskem.

ADNOC is pursuing deals to expand in international markets, including in petrochemicals, as the major oil producers in the Middle East are keen to expand the markets for their oil and products and lock in future demand.

Petrochemicals are a key driving force of global oil demand. Recent estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA) have shown that 90% of Chinas increased oil demand from 2021 to 2024 comes from chemical feedstocks like LPG, ethane, and naphtha. The IEA notes that between 2019 and 2024, additional Chinese production capacity for ethylene and propylene will exceed the combined current capacities of Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

UAEs ADNOC entered at the end of 2023 into a binding agreement under which ADNOC would buy OCIs entire stake in Fertiglobe for $3.62 billion. The deal supports ADNOCs chemicals growth strategy and its plans to establish a global growth platform for ammonia, the Abu Dhabi company said in December.

Separately, BP and ADNOC suspended earlier this year talks to buy a 50% stake in Israels natural gas producer NewMed, due to uncertainty in the region.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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China has added more than 34 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity over the past decade as new installations surge, the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) said in an analysis on Monday.

As of April 2024, China had 55 operating nuclear reactors with a total net capacity of 53.2 GW, while another 23 reactors are currently under construction.

The United States still has the largest nuclear fleet in the world, with 94 reactors, but it took nearly 40 years to add the same nuclear power capacity as China added in 10 years, the EIA noted.

Although China has added nuclear power capacity in each of the past 10 years, nuclear power accounted for only about 5% of Chinas cumulative power generation in 2022. To compare, nuclear power makes up about 18% of the electricity generation mix in the United States, according to the EIA data.

Despite Chinas policy of adding more nuclear capacity to reduce emissions and to meet its power demand, coal continues to be the largest electricity generation source and is the source of much of the countrys air pollution, the EIA says.

China is currently constructing a total of 26 nuclear power units with a combined capacity of 30.3 GW, the highest in the world, according to a report by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) cited by local media last month.

Air pollution from coal-fired power plants is a major impetus for China to expand its nuclear generation fleet, according to the World Nuclear Association.

As of September 2023, China had 55 nuclear power units in operation with a combined installed capacity of 57 GW, and 24 units under construction with a total installed capacity of 27.8 GW, Xinhua quoted CNEA official Wang Binghua as saying. By 2060, that capacity is expected to jump to 400 GW, the official said.

China is also expected to approve six to eight nuclear power units each year within the foreseeable future.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Four unnamed sources have told Reuters that Saudi state-run oil giant Aramco is in talks to potentially acquire Shells billion-dollar gas station business in Malaysia, where the Dutch supergiant owns a network of nearly 1,000 fuel stations.

Neither Shell nor Aramco would comment on the rumor of the talks for Reuters; however, one source told the news agency that talks began late last year and could be finalized in a matter of months.

A second source told Reuters that the deal could be worth over $1 billion.

While Shell owns a network of just under 1,000 fuel stations in Malaysia, along with a 50% share in the 300,000-barrel-per-day Pengerang refinery, Aramco presently does not own any fuel stations in the country, though it does operate stations in other venues alongside French TotalEnergies and South Korean S-Oil Corp, Reuters noted.

The alleged talks are taking place against the backdrop of Shells attempt to sell a refinery in Singapore that supplies the fuel stations it owns in Malaysia. If reports are true, talks are progressing against the backdrop of new offshore exploration deals handed to Shell in late January when seven new production-sharing contracts were awarded. State-run Petronas awarded contracts for six exploration blocks and one discovered resource opportunity (DRO) in the Sarawak basin and the Northwest Sabah basin as well as for basins in Peninsular Malaysia, World Oil reported in late January.

Shell has been refocusing on its most profitable businesses and is said to be seeking to divest 500 fuel stations this year and next. In total Shell owns some 950 fuel stations in Malaysia.

Shell is also pursuing efforts to sell its Bukom refinery and petrochemical plant in Singapore, The Star of Malaysia reported.

In addition to offshore exploration, fuel stations and a refinery, Shell also produces oil and gas offshore Malaysia and is a JV partner in LNG projects there, as well.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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French prosecutors have opened an investigation into supermajor TotalEnergies for possible involuntary manslaughter for failing to protect its subcontractors during a deadly attack in Mozambique close to a planned LNG project.

TotalEnergies holds a 26.5% stake in the Mozambique LNG project, which was put on hold in 2021 following Islamist militant attacks in towns close to the site. The project site is close to Palma in the Cabo Delgado province, where Islamic State-affiliated militants have been active for a few years. In the spring of 2021, Islamic State-affiliated militants raided Palma in attacks that left dozens of people killed.

The investigation of the French prosecutors was launched this weekend following a legal complaint filed last year by survivors of the attacks and families of the victims.

The plaintiffs claim TotalEnergies failed to provide fuel for helicopters to evacuate civilians in the area where the Jihadists were raging.

A spokesperson for TotalEnergies told French news agency AFP on Saturday that the energy major reiterates a previous statement and firmly rejects the accusations.

TotalEnergies teams in Mozambique provided emergency aid and helped evacuate 2,500 people from the LNG facility under construction, including civilians, staff, contractors, and subcontractors, the companys spokesperson told AFP.

Last October, following the filing of the complaint against TotalEnergies for manslaughter and a failure to assist people in danger the company said that it would like, first, to categorically reject these accusations and, second, to detail the emergency assistance provided by the Mozambique LNG teams and the resources they mobilized to evacuate more than 2,500 people (civilians, personnel, contractors and subcontractors) from the Afungi site where the Mozambique project is located.

TotalEnergies has expressed hopes it could restart work on the $20-billion Mozambique LNG project, pending improved security situation in the area that would allow the return of staff, contractors, and subcontractors.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Jennifer Ringler is honored to serve those who have served the country.

As a case manager in the cardiology department at Omaha VA Medical Center, registered nurse Ringler is extremely proud to be surrounded by veterans and their families every single day. In fact, it reminds her of her own familys penchant to serve.

Ringlers large extended family includes her grandfathers, father, father-in-law, uncles and cousins who have represented various branches of the military and most of the wars through the years. An aunt and three cousins are nurses. Her grandmother joined the Army Nursing Corps near the end of WWII.

In her home, Ringler has a photo of herself with her aunt and grandmother that holds a special place in her heart  with all of the women in their white nursing uniforms and white caps. Ringler actually still has her grandmothers nursing cap and wears it as a member of the Nebraska Nurse Honor Guard, a team of active and retired nurses who volunteer their time to participate in services for their fallen colleagues.

When she told her grandfather, who had fought in WWII, that she was going to work at the VA hospital, his eyes teared up.

He told me how important it is to serve our veterans and give back to them as they had once given to us.

But it doesnt end there. Ringlers husband is an ER nurse at the VA, former EMS fire chief and still an active part of the fire department today as an RN.

The Omaha native has spent the last 16 years of her 25-year career at the VA hospital. She started there as a local travel nurse for a brief stint, fell in love with it and decided to stay. She had previously worked in the cardiac unit at another hospital. In her current position, Ringler coordinates patient care with a multidisciplinary team of specialists and educates patients and their families on the treatment pathways and medications being administered to them.

Sometimes, especially in the cardiology unit, its difficult for patients and their families to understand the complexity of the care that we give and how necessary it is, said Ringler, registered nurse, MSN. For example, heart failure patients are typically on a lot of medications, so its important to take the time to sit down with them and explain the reasoning behind everything we do. Yes, that can often be challenging, but its something I love to do. My job is to take that fear out of them by providing them with the education they need so they are not so fearful of treatment.

Its because of this dedication to the profession and her life-altering work educating her patients that Ringler was recently recognized as a recipient of the Nurses  Heart of Healthcare award. The nominees underwent a voting process by a committee of nursing administration and faculty members at Clarkson College.

I feel like nurses in general are humble when it comes to being recognized for doing a good job, she said. Working on a team as we do, we are always making sure everyone has the support they need to do a good job, so I feel like Im being recognized for a team effort. I certainly couldnt do my job without my wonderful co-workers.

Her advice to up-and-coming nurses: Know your worth.

Dont be afraid to work within your full scope of practice and dont be afraid to change jobs. When I switched from the cardiac unit as a critical care nurse at my previous hospital to the VA, I was initially concerned I wouldnt have the same depth and connection to the patient that I had then.

But her work at the VA has opened up an entirely new set of skills that includes more in-depth work with the entire healthcare team, in addition to her work with the patients.

The moment I started working here, even back when I was considered a traveling nurse, I just fell in love with it, she said. This is a very special population of patients who are so very grateful for their care. They are very cognizant of one another and the work that the medical team does for them.

Just as Ringler is grateful for their service.

In addition to cardiology, Omaha VA Medical Center provides primary care and specialty health services, including urgent care, mental health care, treatment for spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, palliative and hospice care, suicide prevention and more.

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HARRISBURG, Pa.  The student protest movement disrupting university campuses, classes and graduation ceremonies over the war in Gaza is also roiling Senate contests across the nation as Democrats tread cautiously over an internal divide and Republicans play up their rivals' disagreements.

The political impact of the protests on the White House campaign has drawn considerable attention, with opposition to President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war reverberating from Columbia to UCLA. The fast-evolving landscape of the demonstrations is shaping pivotal Senate races, too.

Tent encampments have popped up at universities in many states where Democrats this election year are defending seats essential to maintaining the party's razor-thin Senate majority. At some schools, police crackdowns and arrests have followed.

The protests have sharpened the campaign rhetoric in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio and Michigan, among other places. Republican candidates in California and Florida have stepped up their criticism of the Democratic president for the U.S. response to the war or for chaotic scenes on American campuses.

Some Republicans have shown up at encampments, including one at George Washington University, not far from the White House. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is facing reelection, said on social media that he went there to show solidarity with Jewish students. "We need to do all we can to protect them, he said.

Republican candidate David McCormick, during a visit to the University of Pennsylvania, said protesters at the Ivy League school did not know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil," and were creating a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students.

McCormick decried what he frames as a lack of leadership and moral clarity on the part of his Democratic opponent, Sen. Bob Casey, as well as by Biden and administrators at the school buffeted by accusations of harboring antisemitism.

Whats happening on campuses is clearly a test of leadership and moral courage, both for the college presidents and for our leaders and for Sen. Casey and President Biden, McCormick said in an interview.

Israel and its supporters say the protests are antisemitic, a charge that Israels critics say is sometimes used to silence legitimate opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, protest organizers, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at trying to save the lives of Palestinian civilians.

Many Democrats, from Biden on down, avoided saying much about the situation until recently as universities began to crack down and comparisons were made to anti-war protests of the 1960s.

Even then, Democrats balanced their criticism of antisemitism and rule-breakers with the need to protect the right to free expression and peaceful protest. Some have tried to avoid taking sides in protests that have pitted pro-Israeli versus pro-Palestinian Democrats and divided important parts of the party's base, including Jewish, Arab American and younger voters.

Republicans, meanwhile, have railed at what they characterized as equivocating or silence by Democrats. Republicans professed solidarity with Jews against antisemitism while condemning the protests as lawless.

Mike Rogers, a Republican seeking an open Senate seat in Michigan, said student protesters at Columbia were Hamas sympathizers. In California, GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey called them terrorists practicing terrorism disguised as free speech.

In five states, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate Republicans' campaign arm, is using the protests in digital ads about student loan forgiveness, saying Democrats want to pay off the loans of students radicalized by the far left who are threatening Jews, attacking police and acting like terrorists.

McCormick and others say universities that, in their view, tolerate antisemitism should lose federal subsidies and that visas should be revoked for any foreign student inciting violence or expressing pro-Hamas sentiments at the encampments.

Casey, long a staunch supporter of Israel, has criticized acts of antisemitism on campuses and pointed to legislation he sponsored as a way to make sure the Education Department takes action.

Students of course have the right to peacefully protest, but when it crosses the line either into violence or discrimination, then we have an obligation to step in and stop that conduct, Casey said Thursday as he urged colleagues to pass his bill.

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who is Jewish and facing reelection, said she was horrified by displays of antisemitism on campuses and, like Casey, called for the department to hold schools accountable.

In California, U.S. Rep Adam Schiff, the Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat, took aim at the Columbia demonstration and said antisemitic and hateful rhetoric is being loudly and proudly displayed. Accused by Garvey of being incredibly silent on the protests, Schiff, who is Jewish, voted for a House bill similar to Casey's and released a statement that condemned violence and the explicit, repeated targeting and intimidation of Jewish students.

Republicans elsewhere contended statements by Democrats were equivocating and inadequate.

Republicans called out Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, after he told an Axios reporter last week that he was not going to talk about the politics of that. People always have the right to speak out and should.

His Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno, charged that Brown had wholeheartedly endorsed these vile and violent antisemitic demonstrations.

A visual history of campus protests in the US A visual history of campus protests in the US 1933: Columbia University students strike in defense of 'academic freedom' 1940: Students for Peace protest America's involvement in WWII 1968: UC Berkeley's anti-draft 'Vietnam Commencement' 1968: Howard University students call for radical administration change 1968: Students for a Democratic Society occupies Hamilton Hall at Columbia University 1969: Black Student Strike at the UW Madison 1969: Central State University students assemble in Columbus, Ohio, to oppose admissions policies 1970: GW University students carry on anti-war demonstrations near Watergate complex in DC 1970: Protests erupt following Kent State shootings 1970: Students protest racial injustice at Jackson State College 1985: Students camp out at Columbia University's Hamilton Hall to protest apartheid 1999: University of Minnesota students demand action regarding sexual conduct investigations 2014: Washington University students protest to draw attention to police abuse 2017: Emerson College students walk out to protest on-campus racism 2018: Student activists lead 'die-in' protesting gun violence at NYU A visual history of campus protests in the US 1970: GW University students carry on anti-war demonstrations near Watergate complex in DC
This is the moment that a school drama rehearsal turned into a nightmare when a real gun was used in a shooting scene instead of a prop. Nikita Chernykh, 14, was left screaming in agony after being hit on the nose and the back of his head.

He was rushed to hospital after the shooting where he was in a stable condition.

They were rehearsing comedy play Troubles with a Gentle Heart when the accident occurred at a school in Moscow. It is believed the firearm involved was a pneumatic gun, widely used for self-protection in Russia.

However, the school has denied it saying that it was just a toy.

Classmate Maria said: Nikita was screaming from pain, his nose was bleeding. We all got scared. Teachers bandaged his nose and called an ambulance.

Mikhail Pronin, who fired the gun, immediately realised there was a problem after firing the two shots.

A police source said: Both bullets hit him in the head, but luckily the traumas were not too serious.

Nikitas mother said: I am still puzzled by the fact that there was a gun at school rehearsals. I was told about what happened by teachers.

My son was given medical help and then sent back home. One of the bullets hurt his nose, another one hit the back of his head.

School director Ilya Novokreshchenov said: The boys were fooling about with a toy gun, and one of the plastic bullets got inside the nose.

He added that the school was running extra health and safety sessions for all pupils after the accident.

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A suspected cultist Chinedu Obi, who threatened to invade a police station with his gang members and kill those who arrested him has died, The Nation has learnt.

The suspect, according to police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) died on July 20 at a hospital he was taken to for treatment after he was shot on the leg to restrain him from causing more harm.

Obi was arrested on July 19 by policemen attached to Sango Ota Division for alleged malicious damage but went berserk during interrogation.

The suspect, it was gathered, suddenly ran out of the statement room, picked an axe that was lying fallow and started smashing windscreens of vehicles parked inside the police station.

According to the police, Obi damaged 17 vehicles inside the station and proceeded to pursue policemen of the division with the axe before he was demobilised.

Oyeyemi said the officer who shot Obi acted in line with Force Order 237 since the suspect was armed with an axe and aggressive.

He refuted claims that the police shot the suspect and allowed him bleed to death, insisting that Obi was taken to the General Hospital in Ota where he died while receiving treatment.

The truth of the matter is that the suspect was arrested on July 19 at about 10:30am in connection with a case of assault/ malicious damage. He was taken to Sango Ota divisional headquarters for investigation.

While he was being interrogated, he suddenly went berserk, picked an axe recovered earlier as an exhibit and started chasing policemen in the station with it.

READ ALSO: Suspected cultists gang-rape teenage student in Anambra

He ran out of the interrogation room to where vehicles were parked and used the axe to destroy 17 vehicles. Afterwards, he started chasing the policemen with the aim of using the axe on anyone around.

It was at that point that an armed officer on duty was left with no alternative than to shoot him on the leg in order to demoblise him. He was then taken to General Hospital Ota for treatment but later died while receiving medical attention.

It is worthy of note that before the suspect went out of his mind, he had made useful statements to the police and it was established that he was a renowned cultist who had been terrorising Ijoko Ota and its environ before the incident that led to his arrest, said Oyeyemi.

A viral one minute and 30 seconds video showed Obi at the back of a police patrol van bleeding and threatening to return with his gang members and kill all those behind his arrest.

He warned cops serving in the station to flee before his return because upon his return with his Black Axe members, they will spray the division and kill everyone.
Opposition party, PDP has reacted to the recent appointment of six aides for the office of the first lady by asking President Buhari to explain how it will be funded.

In a statement released on Thursday, Ocotber 17th, the party also asked Buhari to clarify the rationale behind the office despite his promise to scrap it. The party also reacted to new directives issued to senior government officials by the president including slashing of their estacodes.

Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, said while Buhari claims to reduce cost of governance, the presidency drains Nigerias valuable resources.

He said: While the PDP is still monitoring the implementation of directive to government functionaries on cost cut, the party tasks President Buhari to take the first step by immediately fulfilling his promise to reduce the Presidential fleet, as well as cut his over-bloated entourages and curtail the opulent lifestyle in the Presidency, which is daily flaunted before suffering and impoverished Nigerians.

In the same vein, the @OfficialPDPNig tasks the @MBuhari Presidency to explain the basis and source of Presidential support for the Office of the First Lady, including the appointment of aides, contrary to his promise not to run that office  Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) October 17, 2019

We invite Nigerians to note that the Buhari Presidency has proven to be extremely expensive and a major draining pipe for valuable resources, while millions of compatriots, who look up to government for solutions, wallow in hunger and acute poverty.

The profligacy that permeates the Buhari Presidency had further manifested in the public fight between the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and President Buharis nephews over issues of opulent accommodation in our presidential villa.

PDP also accused the president of failing to disclose the details of the presidencys budget despite demands by our party and other well-meaning groups in Nigeria. The failure to make the details of the Presidency budget public places a huge burden on the Buhari Presidency, particularly in the face of allegations of budgetary corruption and financial sleaze. Unless the Presidency budget is made public for Nigerians to see, any directive on cost cut remains cosmetic.
The gas line explosion that occurred at the Abule-Ado area, near Trade Fair, Amuwo Odofin Local Government area of Lagos State on Sunday morning left about 15 persons dead, their bodies were recovered in rescue operations.

Spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the casualty figures during intervention operations to pit out the fire and rescue victims after seven hours of inferno on Sunday.

Farinloye said that the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and efforts are ongoing to rescue some children that are reportedly trapped under some collapsed buildings in the affected area.

We have gotten about 15 bodies recovered and there are reports of children and their principal being involved, but we cannot give the figures out now because there are many factors with revealing children involved in an accident, so we are keeping it for the safety of the children.

We are trying to rescue a child that the owner informed me, is trapped under the rubble, an excavator has gone in to move the rubbles, he had said.

The NEMA spokesman had said that the cause of the explosion will be investigated by The Nigeria Police Anti-Bomb Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team.

We are still on the emergency phase to put out the fire and all hands are on deck. Next, we will carry out investigations.

Initially, there was a blast, after the explosion, we learnt the pipeline gutted fire.

Cause of the fire is not ascertained now; the explosion that came was so loud that it was heard about 10 kilometres away from here, so for us to have that, means something must have happened and if it is pipeline explosion, I dont think it would have affected this range of buildings.

Investigations will be done by the appropriate agencies; the police EOD, he stated.

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NORMAL  White Horse Academy, a Classical Christian school in Normal, will welcome its first class of students Sept. 3.

The school, to be housed inside of Heartland Church at 1811 N. Linden St., is the brainchild of five founding families, including board president Drew Martin and lead teacher and head of school Sarah Fletcher. Fletcher's husband, Dean, is vice president of the school board.

To prepare for the role of board vice president, Dean Fletcher said he is going through a program with the Herzog Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Missouri that specializes in training and mentoring leaders in startup Christian schools.

Each of White Horse's board members also completed a school startup program through the Association of Classical Christian Schools, of which White Horse is a member. The academy also is a member of Herzog SchoolBox Network, which, together with the association, is providing support to ensure the new school is successful, Martin said.

According to the Association of Classical Christian Schools, a Classical Christian education includes the teaching of Christian principles, like all Christian schools, but also heavily focuses on liberal arts, reasoning through grammar, logic and rhetoric and classic literature and philosophy, especially Greek.

After coming up with the idea for the school about a year and a half ago, the founding families reached out to different area churches looking for a partnership, eventually connecting with Heartland pastors Ed Wright and Matt Holderby.

"When we learned the goals and vision of WHA, we recognized they were in sync with our vision to connect people to a relationship with Jesus Christ, build them up in their faith and become a positive spiritual and relational impact on the world around us," Wright said. "We believe the Classical Christian education WHA offers will be attractive to many families in our area."

Heartland will serve as a beginning location for White Horse, but the school and church leaders hope the school will grow over time, eventually having its own space.

The name "White Horse" comes from King Alfred, known as the "White Horse King," who was credited with saving England from the Vikings and introducing people to the scripture of God, making it available to many in the common language.

"The idea is that it's built on the classics," Sarah Fletcher said of the school. "So like, the best of what's come before you.  You kind of are standing upon the shoulders of the greatest minds and thinkers of all of humanity  Plato and Aristotle and Aquinas  and just every great mind, every great thinker."

She continued, "Education is not just an intellectual endeavor, it's a moral endeavor. And so classical education on its own seeks to teach what is true, what is good and what is beautiful, and that's where the Christian aspect comes into that."

Sarah and Dean Fletcher both attended Hillsdale College, a Christian liberal arts college in Michigan. While he has a degree in economics, she studied English and has an elementary education certification.

Sarah Fletcher previously taught at a charter school called Great Hearts School in Arizona. When her family moved to Bloomington, she said she didn't want to enroll her four children in public school or teach at a public school. Instead she homeschooled them for the last six years, with the oldest entering fifth grade next year.

She said it was difficult to enroll her children in private schools or parent-led homeschool groups known as cooperatives because the waiting lists were often long.

And with no other Classical Christian school in town  the closest is Aletheia Christian School in Peoria  Fletcher said she thought Bloomington-Normal would benefit from an addition to the local options.

"It does seem like there is a need in the community, that people are looking for something besides the public schools.  If there wasn't an interest, it wouldn't be worthwhile doing so," Fletcher said. "As good as the other private Christian schools are, they aren't doing exactly what we're doing or (don't have) exactly the same aims or vision or mission as we have, and so we felt like it brings something unique to the community that doesn't already exist."

White Horse has two classrooms, and the school will enroll students from kindergarten to third grade in its first year. One classroom will have kindergarten and first grade, and the other will have second and third grades.

Fletcher said they'd like to have 10 kids per classroom but will cap enrollment at 15 students per classroom. The school has enrolled 12 students so far.

With only two classrooms, the school will only need to hire one additional teacher, the lead teacher said. Those interested in enrolling or applying to work at the school can fill out a general interest form on the admissions page at whitehorseclassical.org or by contacting info@whitehorseclassical.org.

White Horse will have a half-day model, with classes running from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each school day. Tuition will be $3,800 per student for the first year.

Fletcher said in the future, they would like to offer a full K-12 education, with the school growing as the oldest students progress into the next grades. This means the school plans to offer a fourth grade class in its second year.

"You don't have to be a homeschool parent to do this, but you also get more time with your kids, which we feel is important. And then also with us being half-day, it allows us to keep our costs down," said Martin, who works at Nussbaum Transportation and attends Bloomington Apostolic Christian Church with his wife, Danae. "Our tuition is half of what some of the private schools are in town, so we feel like the classical piece, the half-day model, our tuition, makes us pretty unique in the marketplace."

Operating costs of the school will mostly be covered by tuition, but Martin and Fletcher said they also plan to fundraise.

An informational night for the school will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Heartland Church.

Electives and extracurricular activities are not in the plan for now, as school leaders want to focus on what they've already committed to, but they said those could be added in the future.

Among the first to enroll his children in the new school, Wes Dotterer said he will be sending his kindergartner and second grader to White Horse for the 2024-25 school year.

His children currently attend Prairieland Elementary School in McLean County Unit 5. Dotterer said the driving factor for making the switch to White Horse was for the Classical Christian model being offered, because he believes it to be the best model for learning and development.

"Smaller class sizes and a heightened emphasis on personal teacher-student relationship, for me, means that my kids' strengths will be seen and honed, and weaknesses identified as far as reasonable," Dotterer said. "While that (half day) does put more strain on us at home, it also provides an opportunity for us to engage with them at an academic level. And who knows, I might learn something myself."

He said he looks forward to seeing how his kids respond to the small classes, the focus and the high-energy and high-expectation curriculum, though he noted they will have to find alternatives for extracurricular activities, as his daughter is very social.

ABOUT WHITE HORSE ACADEMY Location: Heartland Church, 1811 N. Linden St., Normal School hours: 8 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Monday through Friday Website: whitehorseclassical.org Phone: 309-306-1405 Email: info@whitehorseclassical.org Tuition: $3,800

Best private high school in every state Best private high school in every state Alabama: Indian Springs School Alaska: Holy Rosary Academy Arizona: Phoenix Country Day School Arkansas: Pulaski AcademyThis school has been claimed by the school or a school representative. California: The College Preparatory School Colorado: Kent Denver School Connecticut: The Hotchkiss School Delaware: St. Andrew's School Florida: Ransom Everglades School Georgia: The Westminster Schools Hawaii: Iolani School Idaho: Riverstone International School Illinois: University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Indiana: Culver Academies Iowa: Maharishi School Kansas: Wichita Collegiate School Kentucky: Kentucky Country Day School Louisiana: Metairie Park Country Day School Maine: Waynflete Maryland: Holton-Arms School Massachusetts: Phillips Academy Michigan: Cranbrook Schools Minnesota: Mounds Park Academy Mississippi: St. Andrew's Episcopal School Missouri: John Burroughs School Montana: Billings Central Catholic High School Nebraska: Brownell Talbot School Nevada: The Meadows School New Hampshire: Phillips Exeter Academy New Jersey: The Lawrenceville School New Mexico: Albuquerque Academy New York: Trinity School North Carolina: Cary Academy North Dakota: Shanley High School & Sullivan Middle School Ohio: Hawken School Oklahoma: Casady School Oregon: Catlin Gabel School Pennsylvania: Germantown Friends School Rhode Island: Moses Brown School South Carolina: Christ Church Episcopal School South Dakota: O'Gorman High School Tennessee: University School of Nashville Texas: St. Mark's School of Texas Utah: The Waterford School Vermont: The Putney School Virginia: The Potomac School Washington: Lakeside School
Voltic Natural Mineral Water has been recognised as Water of the Year at the 2023 Ghana Beverages Awards.



Under the theme Inspiring Excellence in Ghanas Beverage Industry, the event celebrated the beverage industry and its stakeholders for contributing significantly to the Ghanaian economy.



The award recognises excellence in Ghanas beverage industry while providing an avenue for stakeholders and key players in the industry to network and deliberate on issues relating to its advancement.



In another endorsement of the companys industry leadership in Ghana, Voltic (GH) Limiteds Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Manager, Worlasi Seddoh Bedu-Mensah, has been invited to serve as a Subject Matter Expert in Sustainability by the countrys Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management.



Voltic Natural Mineral Water is sourced from a natural aquifer over 60 metres underground, which contains essential natural minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Bicarbonate, Nitrate, Sulphate, Potassium and Iron. [WTM1]



Last year Voltic (GH) Limited launched its Voltic Premium Brand, with a 750ml premium bottle in a new sleek design featuring a distinct royal blue label and the new golden Voltic logo boldly embossed on it.



A product of Voltic (GH) Limited, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, the new premium water comes in a range of sizes including 500ml, 750ml, 1.5L and 19.5L.



The water is bottled at the source at water processing plants located in Medie and Akwadum in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions.













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.

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Documents available to the Achimota District court have revealed that suspect Benlord Abbabio who allegedly shot and killed a soldier at Millennium City was a national security operative.



The suspect was remanded for two weeks after he was arraigned on a provisional charge of murder.



His plea was not taken by the Magistrate His Worship Prince Owusu.



Per the brief fact of the case, the deceased Lance Corporal Michael Danso was a military officer stationed at the Army Based Workshop at Burma Camp.



While, the accused Benlord Abbabio alias Nana Barima Ababio is a national security operative and a self-Acclaimed traditional ruler at Kasoa.



According to the facts, on April 30, 2024, at about 1600hrs, the deceased Lance Corporal Michael Danso together with his two colleagues - Lance Corporal Abdul Omar Rahman and Lance Corporal Ametus Matthew went to Millinium City Police Station on board a Toyota RAV4 with registration number 3591-24 to report a case of trespass.



This was upon information that some encroachers were developing a parcel of land

belonging to Lance Corporal Abdul Omar Rahman.



It stated that, the accused appeared at the Police Station, attacked and opened fire severally on No. 210715 Lance Corporal

Michael Danso who was in charge the steering wheel of the Toyota Rav 4x4 vehicle killing him instantly.



It said, the accused was immediately disarmed and arrested for investigation.



He was subsequently arraigned for the court to remand him pending further investigations.

Source: Starrfm.com









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The National Commission for Civic Education has appeared before the Council of State members to brief the eminent gathering about the Commission's planned activities and programmes for the year.



Ms. Kathleen Addy briefed the Council and outlined well-thought-out and citizens-centred programmes as Ghana goes to the polls this year.



She mentioned activities that will rally every citizen of this country to get involved in the building of this country which is directly informed by the Commissions theme for 2024; Together We Can Build Ghana, So Get Involved.



Ms. Addy iterated the need for deliberate civic engagements which will prioritise and campaign against vote buying in our elections, and curb the possible intrusion of violent extremists, religious intolerance, and the spread of mis/disinformation and fake news.



High on the agenda of the Commission also, is youth participation in this year's election, a flagship research study; Matters of Concern to the Ghanaian Voter, debates, social media campaigns, Inter-Party Dialogue Committee engagements, media campaigns, outdoor outreaches, etc.



Ms. Addy called on state actors to prioritise Civic Education in distributing resources to help actively rally citizens and promote participatory democracy, especially before, during and after the 2024 general election. She also touched on other challenges affecting general civic education delivery in the country and appealed to the Council of State to be an advocate for the Commission.



The Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II among other discussions gave the assurance, that, the Council will not relent in its efforts to support the NCCE and advocate on its behalf to fulfil its constitutional mandate.



The NCCE is an independent, non-partisan governance institution set up under Article 231 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the NCCE Act, 1993, Act 452 of the Parliament of Ghana. The Commission works to promote and sustain democracy and inculcate in the Ghanaian citizenry, the awareness of their rights and obligations, through civic education.



Deputy Chairman in charge of Finance and Administration, Lawyer Victor Brobbey, Commission Member, Hajara Mohammed Rufai and some senior managers accompanied the Chair of the Commission.





Source: Gladys Boakye/Peace FM Newsroom









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An Economist and Professor of finance at the University of Ghana, Professor Godfred Bokpin has expressed concern about the exit of some multinational companies from the country.



The Associate Professor of finance at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) lamented that the exits of multinational companies from Ghana will potentially affect other investors who will be looking at coming to do business here.



Ghanas economy has forced some multinational brands to announce a cessation of their operations in the country.



After nearly 20 years of operations in Ghana, French bank Societe Generale has decided to withdraw from Ghana and Glovo, a prominent food delivery platform also announced its decision to end operations in Ghana this month despite significant investment in the last two years to expand its services.



Prof. Bokpin in an interview with Nana Yaa Konadu on Peace FM's Midday news bulettin, observed that the trend should be a worry for all Ghanaians, as the departure of these companies will largely have an effect that leads to job losses.



According to him, the recent exit from Ghana by these companies must be a worry for all Ghanaians because the environment is hostile and unsupportive of businesses because of taxes and unreliable power supply.



Additionally, Prof. Bokpin said this is the right time for policy makers to sit up and analyze tax regimes, most importantly the local businesses, but unfortunately those in charge are thinking of winning the next elections.

Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom









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National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has vowed that come what may, the NDC will ensure every corrupt appointee under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, faces the full rigours of the law when they (NDC) regain power.



To him, it will be better if appointees of the Akufo Addo-Bawumia government have a mindset of rendering proper accountability for their stewardship in light of reported cases of looting some of them have been accused of.



". . . . to save Ghana, we should not allow anybody to engage in wrongdoing in looting the country and getting away with it. And so if that's what they're scared of, they better prepare. They still have time to vomit all the loot or hold onto it and face the consequences," Mr Asiedu Nketiah said.



While addressing NDC faithfuls at a recent strategic meeting in the United States of America, he charged members of the opposition party to embrace hardwork and not be too giddy by recent poll results, since the NDC is "dealing with a wounded tiger",



The election is not going to be easy even though the poll suggests landslide victory for both our presidential candidates and our parliamentary candidates. We are dealing with a wounded tiger and so we should not be complacent until we are declared victorious, he added.



General Mosquito, as the NDC General Secretary is affectionately called, asserted that the incumbent government has not been accountable enough since the party assumed office in January 2017, hence the reason why a future Mahama-led NDC government is going to come hard at corrupt officials.



He stated, Nana Akufo-Addo and his government can be likened to a person who's riding a tiger. If you get down you will be devoured, and if you stay at the back of the tiger, you die of hunger. And so they are not worried about leaving power, but the real problem is what happens after they have left power.



There was the story of an old man who had so much money in his safe, and when he was sick, he kept the key to the safe in his pocket and put his hand on it; that he would never release the key. But he died, and they took the key and opened all his treasures.



So, those who can communicate to the NPP people, let them know that it is our duty to save this country, and one way of saving the country, is to take over power and hold each and every duty bearer accountable for their leadership. And so we are prepared to do everything that it takes to kick them out and save this country, he stressed.







Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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The Flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced that his government will prioritise the award of scholarships to all persons with disabilities, to enable them continue with their education at the tertiary level.



Speaking during his Western North Regional campaign tour Friday, Dr. Bawumia said he has a personal commitment to supporting vulnerable people in society, and his government will particularly prioritise educational support for people with disabilities, who qualify to offer tertiary education.



"I believe that persons with disabilities, we need to support them a bit more," said the NPP Flagbearer.



"We are giving scholarships to all manner of people but I want to dedicate some of the money from scholarship Secretariat and GETFUND to provide free tertiary education, both tuition and accommodation to all persons with disabilities, who will make it into the universities so that they can all benefit from that," he added.



Dr. Bawumia also noted that his government will roll out other forms of support to people with disabilities and other vulnerable people in society.



He shared the work he has been doing to support vulnerable people in society, including his work as Patron of the Lepers Aid Ghana.



Dr. Bawumia stressed that, personally, he is committed to supporting vulnerable members of society because "it gives him joy."



He added that as Patron of Lepers Aid Ghana, he has been engaged in lots of activities supporting the vulnerable, and his government will prioritise a broader support for persons with disabilities and vulnerable members of society.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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In a statement, Dr. Gideon Boako, the Spokesperson of Vice President and Presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has refuted the narrative that some enraged youth blocked the Vice Presidents convoy on the Nkawkaw-Kumasi highway on Saturday, 4th May, 2024.



Dr. Boako explained that the Vice President was not even on that road during the entire week.



The Vice President was in the Western region on 1st and 2nd May, then moved to the Western North region on Thursday, 3rd May, and arrived in Kumasi around 10 pm the same day.



He left Kumasi in the morning of Saturday, 4th May, to Accra by air, and did not use the Nkawkaw-Kumasi road.



According to Dr. Boakos understanding, the blockade was due to an accident in which a loaded fuel tanker had fallen on the main road.



The youth, in an attempt to prevent large casualties in the unfortunate event of an explosion, blocked the road until the fire service and other security agencies cleared it for commuters to use.



Read statement below:

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Some trader associations in Kumasi have cautioned the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to complete all abandoned markets in the region or they will ensure the party's defeat in the region.



The group in a statement said, the Ashanti Region, a stronghold of the NPP, rightfully expects swift development, especially in Kumasi. However, the lack of progress on these crucial projects has left us deeply disappointed.



A portion of the statement added, if our demand did not yield any result, we the aforementioned traders together with Asanteman Youth Union will join the five days demonstrations by our brothers and sisters of Central Market and second-hand cloth sellers to demonstrate against the government.



Below is the full press release.



PRESS RELEASE BY ALL TRADERS GROUPS IN THE ASHANTI REGION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GREAT ASANTE MAN YOUTH UNION.



6th May, 2024



Good morning esteemed members of the media,



We, the entirety of traders in the Kumasi and its environs, including the Second-hand Cloth Sellers Association, Santasi Traders Union, Suame Magazine Workers Union, Mamponteng Traders Association, Central Market Traders Association, Kumasi Lotto Sellers Association, have jointly decided to initiate a campaign against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming 2024 general election if the government fails to complete all the abandoned markets in the Ashanti Region, including the much-awaited Phase Two of the Kejetia Market.



Over the past one year, six months, progress on these projects has come to a halt due to the renegotiation of a loan agreement following the countrys decision to opt for a financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while other markets including Mamponteng market, Krofrom market and Santasi market has been abandoned since former President Kufuor era.



Presently, we have four major markets left abandoned by the NPP government:



1. Krofrom Market

2. Mamponteng Market

3. Santasi Market

4. Phase Two of the Kejetia Market.



We, the aforementioned traders unions within the Ashanti Region, have continuously voiced our concerns regarding the challenges we face in conducting business at our current locations.



The governments failure to meet completion targets has left us disheartened and frustrated. We fail to comprehend why a project would be initiated only to be abandoned, leaving our fellow traders to sell their goods in unsuitable conditions.



Our livelihoods are greatly affected by adverse weather conditions; each rainfall turns our marketplaces into muddy quagmires, while the scorching sun blankets the area in dust, making it difficult for us to operate effectively.



The Ashanti Region, a stronghold of the NPP, rightfully expects swift development, especially in Kumasi. However, the lack of progress on these crucial projects has left us deeply disappointed.



We, the aforementioned traders union, earnestly appeal to His Majesty, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, once more to intervene on our behalf.



We humbly implore Asantehene to lend his support and influence towards the restoration and completion of all abandoned markets in the region.



Furthermore, we extend our plea to the Ashanti Queen Mother, Nana Konadu Yiadom, who holds jurisdiction over all markets in the Ashanti Kingdom.



We believe that her background as a former trader will foster a deeper understanding of our plight and inspire her to champion our cause.



If our demand did not yield any result, we the aforementioned traders together with Asanteman Youth Union will joined the five days demonstration by our brothers and sisters of Central Market and second hand cloth sellers to demonstrate against the government.



We on this press release urging the contracta company to remove all the barricades from the Kejetia second phase projects before we do it by ourselves because we will not think twice to take it off to do our businesses there if our demand did not heard.



Thank you, Asanteman.

Thank you, Ghana.



Together, let us strive for a better future for all traders and citizens alike.







Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com









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A spokesperson for the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Miracles Aboagye says the criteria needed for Bawumia's tertiary scholarships for all persons with disabilities will be flexible for all regardless of their background or political affiliation.



According to him, any disabled person who gains admission to a tertiary school will automatically benefit from the policy.



Miracles Aboagye told NEAT FM's morning show, Ghana Montie that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's vision and policies if elected as president will make Ghana a better place for all.



No one will be left out of Bawumia's government, he said.



Persons with disabilities will have free tertiary education in the next New Patriotic Party (NPP) government - the party's flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia announced recently.



He told the clergy in the West Region during his Bold Solution tour ahead of the December 7 presidential election.



I am very clear on the way forward. I believe that for persons with disabilities, we are going to support them a bit more." Dr Bawumia assured.





Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com









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Tamale North Member of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini, has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of attempting to suppress votes as part of a grand but misguided scheme to rig the 2024 December 7 Elections.



Mr Suhuyini claims that the EC suppressed around 50,000 votes, which amounts to roughly 250 votes per constituency.



His concerns are expressed through a post on his social media pages, where he urges political parties to stay vigilant and not allow the EC's alleged move to go unchallenged.



Mr Suhuyini is critical of the EC's failure to conduct last year's Limited Voter Registration exercise across all polling centers, opting instead for registration only at its district offices.



He argues that this decision prevented many potential registrants from participating, ultimately disenfranchising them for the upcoming December 2024 general elections.



The lawmaker's accusation comes amidst growing tension surrounding the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.



According to him, this revelation for vigilance underscores the importance of ensuring that all eligible voters have the opportunity to register and cast their votes without hindrance or suppression.



In his statement, Mr Suhuyini highlights the responsibility of political parties to safeguard the democratic process and ensure that every vote counts. He views the EC's alleged actions as a threat to the integrity of the electoral system and calls for collective action to address these concerns.



Among others, the Electoral Commission is working to suppress votes as part of its misguided aim of rigging the December polls.

The EC will start a limited registration exercise tomorrow, 7th May 2024.



Last September 2023, after many years of no registration, they conducted a similar exercise. For the first time, the registration was conducted at their District Offices across the country, instead of electoral areas and polling stations as it then was.



Despite the difficulties, potential voters traveled longer, sometimes uncomfortable distances and sometimes slept in the open for days before their data got captured and in most cases, the political parties at high cost facilitated and helped to ease the burdens of these potential voters, an excerpt of his post said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Economic Fighters League (EFL) has thrown its weight behind Nana Kwame Bediako's advocacy for a single African currency, a proposal he made during his appearance on Starr Chat with Bola Ray on April 19, 2024.



According to the Economic Fighters League, Kwame Bediako, a presidential aspirant in the upcoming general elections and a leader of New Force, is the only candidate to present a clear Pan-African objective and a viable solution to the nation's long-standing currency crisis.



The EFL, a pan-Africanist movement, in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com by Fighter Amodani Gariba from the Office of Fighter-General of Economic Fighters League, recognized the significance of Bediako's proposal, particularly given the disparity between currencies serving small populations and those utilized by larger populations.



A single African currency, backed by the continent's abundant mineral resources, represents a crucial step towards achieving economic freedom and liberation from Western imperialism. The EFL has long championed economic freedoms for all Ghanaians, but as a pan-Africanist movement, it extends this aspiration to encompass all Africans, recognizing the common challenges faced across the continent.



The organization, however, condemned neo-colonialism and the perpetuation of economic instability and dependency by international monopoly capitalism and local political elites.



The EFL, therefore, commended the recent decisions by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to abandon the French-controlled CFA franc, a relic of colonialism that has long hindered economic progress.



To the Economic Fighters League, achieving a single African currency requires a fundamental shift in leadership and mindset across the continent.



In Ghana, the upcoming December 2024 elections present a pivotal opportunity for transformation. The EFL urges all Ghanaians to reject the dominance of the NPP and NDC, the gatekeepers of foreign economic exploitation, and embrace alternative parties committed to economic liberation and sovereignty.



The statement added By doing so, Ghanaians can reclaim their dignity and usher in a future where pride in their heritage and identity abounds. The EFL believes that Bediako's proposal holds immense significance and deserves commendation. A single African currency represents a crucial step towards genuine economic emancipation and a brighter future for Africa.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Campaign Team of NPP Flagbearer, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, has urged Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, NDC Running Mate, to be objective and truthful about the Akufo-Addo government's Free SHS policy.



It would be recalled that in her speech last Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at UPSA, Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang fired salvoes at the NPP flagship programme, the Free SHS, describing it as being at war over food, space, calendar, materials, textbooks, hence creating an atmosphere that suppresses learning.



But in a sharp rebuttal, team DMB accused Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang of engaging in propaganda and a biased assessment of the Free SHS.



A statement signed by Nana Akomea, Deputy National Chairman of Bawumia 2024 campaign team said the policy has resulted in over 60% enrollment in secondary school for Ghanaian children between 2016 and 2023 which is a significant impact.



It asserted that the Free SHS beneficiaries have chalked the most remarkable results at the WASSCE.



Nana Akomea added that the WASSCE results from 2020 till date compared to 2015 and 2016 show a remarkable improvement in the performance of the students.



Additionally, this year saw the Free SHS beneficiaries sweep the top three International Excellence Awards instituted by WAEC.



The statement also established that Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang, if she would be honest, would admit the challenges with feeding and other educational materials have bedeviled secondary education in Ghana even during her time as Education Minster, therefore not peculiar to this current administration.



In Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemangs own handing over notes, she outlined arrears in feeding grant even for special schools, capitation grant for primary schools, among others including what the statement calls the "so-called progressive free policy of the NDC" being in huge arrears and "all these difficulties persisted in a time when there was no Free SHS".



The Bawumia campaign team asserts that Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemangs observation of Ghana's education system today as an atmosphere that suppresses learning is a "laughable observation looking at the remarkable results of free SHS graduates".



"It is an observation that can only come from her self-serving ambition", they concluded.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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View this post on Instagram A post shared by   (@utvghana)



The team at United Showbiz will be present at this year's Ghana Music Awards USA to telecast the event live to its audience and the Ghanaian public.



On United Showbiz last Saturday, the Board Chairman of Ghana Music Awards USA, Arnold Asamoah Baidoo stated that the team has signed a contract with U2 Company Limited, the mother company of UTV Ghana to telecast this year's event live on their TV channel and also promote the event prior, during and after the main event.



He said UTV in the past have partnered with other award schemes to bridge the gap between the Ghanaian in the diaspora and those back home.



Ghana Music Awards USA is a people's choice awards program aimed at celebrating Ghanaian musicians both in Ghana and in the diaspora. This year's main event is scheduled to take place in New Jersey on August 17.



Log on to www.gmausa.org to vote for your favorite artiste starting May 15 through to June 30.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









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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

Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced "the ideology of sexism" governing over so many women's lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it was then.

Thousands have rallied across Australia in recent weeks demanding greater action against the violent deaths of women. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country not only has change its legal system, but also its culture. These changes, he said, must be pursued in the long term, "year after year."

In Latin America, governments have been doing exactly this for years. Nearly all countries in the region have passed laws that have criminalized either femicide or feminicide (the gendered killing of women and girls).

Latin America still has some of the highest overall homicide rates in the world due to entrenched inequality, organized crime and military involvement in law enforcement. And femicides, in particular, remain high compared to other parts of the world.

However, Central and South America experienced a modest decline in female homicides yearly from 2017 to 2022, by 10% and 8% respectively. Though much work remains to be done, many hope this is a step in the right direction.

So, why has the Latin American model been successful, and what can Australia learn from it?

What exactly is femicide and feminicide?

In 1801, the English writer John Corry first used the term "femicide" to describe any murder of a woman. The concept did not evolve to its current meaning, however, until the 1970s when the feminist author Diana Russell testified about misogynist murders at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women in Belgium.

Inspired by the unpublished work of fellow feminist Carol Orlock, Russell redefined femicide as the killing of women by men because they are women. She framed the violent killings of women as arising from the patriarchyfemicidal violence was the most extreme form of male violence and control over the female body.

In the 1990s, Marcela Lagarde, a Mexican feminist and anthropologist, translated Russell's concept to Spanish. In doing so, she mutated "femicide" into "feminicide" (feminicidio).

This coincided with the disturbing appearances of young women's bodiesmany showing signs of beatings, rape and mutilationin the desert outside Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The nature of the killings suggested the women had been punished for challenging gender stereotypes by achieving economic independence and enjoying sexual freedom.

Mexican civil servants were later found to be negligent in their investigations of the murders. The government was also indifferent to the crimes and failed to enforce policies to prevent more killings. The victims were frequently labeled as sex workers or involved in the drug trade.

In Lagarde's view, the failure of the Mexican state to protect women's lives made it ultimately complicit in reinforcing and normalizing violence against women. She then redefined "feminicide" as a crime of the state if public officials fail to properly address gender discrimination and do not adequately punish offenders of sexual violence and other crimes.

Her work was hugely influential in the feminist movement in Latin America. It also led to the passing of the first Mexican law criminalizing femicide in 2007. Today, the terms femicide and feminicide are used interchangeably in Latin American and international human rights law.

Vivir Quintanas Cancion sin Miedo.

A societal change in Mexico

In Latin American countries, femicide is considered a hate crime that specifically requires a human rights based approach to enforcement.

In 2009, for example, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Mexico in violation of women's rights to life and non-discrimination for failing to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish femicides in Ciudad Juarez. The government was required not only to implement stronger measures to prevent similar crimes from occurring, but also to offer the victims reparations.

This was not aimed purely at restitution for the victims. The ruling was also intended to begin rectifying the discrimination and systemic violence that has enabled countless other men to commit femicide in the country.

After the ruling, the Mexican government undertook a major institutional overhaul to align its laws and policies with its obligations to protect the rights of women under United Nations treaties and international law.

In doing this, Mexico adopted a broad gender-based perspective to all of its laws, examining the inequalities and discrimination women encounter in their everyday lives.

For example, in several cities, catcalling and other forms of public harassment have been outlawed. Public officials are required to undergo training to ensure they effectively apply gender equality in their work and policies.

The courts also have a legal duty to consider a gender perspective in deciding cases. Gender parity in government bodies is also ensured through a strict quota system at the federal and state level. Both leading candidates in next month's presidential election are womena first for anywhere in North America.

How other countries are following suit

Thanks to the work of activists, the criminalization of femicide has spread from Mexico to other Latin American countries.

After femicide was defined as a distinct crime in Argentina in 2012, it sparked a grassroots feminist movement called "Ni Una Menos" (Not One Woman Less). Several years later, the discovery of a 14-year-old pregnant girl's body in the patio of her boyfriend's family home prompted nationwide protests. Argentina then created a national register of femicides that also includes trans women.

Responding to activists' calls for further action, the Argentine Congress passed the Micaela Act ("Ley Micaela") in 2019, which requires all levels of government to train officials on violence against women. The act was named after Micaela Garcia, a "Ni Una Menos" member who was raped and killed in 2017.

The movement also called for a stronger gender perspective on media coverage of femicides and gender issues more broadly. As a result, the daily newspaper, Clarin, became the first mainstream news outlet in Argentina to create the role of gender editor.

"Ni Una Menos" has since grown into a regional movement. In Mexico, it inspired the musician Vivir Quintana to compose Cancion sin Miedo (Fearless Song) to raise awareness of femicides in Mexico.

These ideas are starting to spread beyond Latin America, too. Last year, the European Institute for Gender Equality recommended the adoption of femicide as a distinct crime to respond to gender-based violence in European Union countries. So far, only two countries have such a crime: Cyprus and Malta.

This concept, developed in the Global South, could provide hope now to Australian womena shared path of sorority toward a life free from the fear of gender-based violence.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

A female squash bee is captured in a tube in Pennsylvania Furnace. Researchers collected bees from 14 sites across the state to evaluate how bee size, sex and parasite pressure interact with a variety of local climate conditions and soil characteristics. Credit: Laura Jones

How well bees tolerate temperature extremes could determine their ability to persist in a changing climate. But heat tolerance varies between and within populations, so a research team led by Penn State entomologists examined bee physical traitssuch as sex differences in body massto understand how these traits interact with environmental conditions, pathogens and other factors.

In a study published recently in Ecology and Evolution, the researchers measured body mass, local climate and pathogen intensity to assess how these factors influence heat tolerance and its population-level variation among individuals of the species Xenoglossa pruinosa, commonly known as the hoary squash bee. They found that variation in heat tolerance was influenced by size, sex and infection status of the bees.

"Small-bodied, ectothermicor cold-bloodedinsects are considered to be highly vulnerable to changing climate because their ability to maintain proper body temperature depends on external conditions," said study author Laura Jones, who led the research as a doctoral candidate in ecology at Penn State and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.

"Understanding how organisms tolerate temperature extremes is critical for assessing the threat climate change poses to species' distribution and persistence."

Jones noted that there is growing interest in studying the heat tolerance and acclimation capacity of ectotherms in the face of changing abiotic conditions such as ambient temperature.

"But few studies have examined biotic impacts, such as pathogen infection, on thermal tolerance in natural populations in combination with abiotic factors," she explained. "In addition, physical traits such as body size or fat content can impact how organisms tolerate temperature, so it's vital to consider individual condition, as well as the abiotic and biotic factors that individuals experience in natural environments, when evaluating the heat tolerance of populations."

A pollinator of cucurbit crops such as squash and pumpkin, the hoary squash bee is a solitary species that exhibits sex differences in physiology and behavior, according to the researchers. Females are larger than males and collect pollen for offspring in the morning through midday. The females nest underground, which buffers them from variations in air temperature, although soil texture may affect the degree of thermal buffering as sandy soils have a lower heat capacity.

The males, in contrast, are smaller, forage only for nectar, and buffer themselves from heat by retreating into wilted flowers after they finish foraging at midday. So, males are exposed to more variable ambient temperatures than females during the day and night.

The researchers hypothesized that the bees' heat tolerance would increase with body size; that male heat tolerance would increase with ambient temperatures above ground whereas female heat tolerance would increase with sandier soils; and that parasite infection would reduce heat tolerance.

To test these hypotheses, the researchers collected squash bees from 14 sites across Pennsylvania that varied in mean temperature, precipitation and soil texture. They measured individuals' critical thermal maximumthe temperature above which an organism cannot functionas a proxy for heat tolerance and determined the relative intensities of three parasite groups: protozoan parasite trypanosomes, bacterial pathogen Spiroplasma apis and microsporidian parasite Vairimorpha apis.

The team found that body size, environmental temperature and parasite infection have context- and sex-dependent effects on heat tolerance in squash bees.

"Although both sexes showed a positive correlation between heat tolerance and size, male squash bees had a greater change in their critical thermal maximum per unit body mass than females, suggesting that there may be another biological trait influencing the impact of body mass on heat tolerance that differs between the sexes," said study co-author Margarita Lopez-Uribe, associate professor of entomology and Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The study indicated that average daily maximum temperature, precipitation and soil texture did not predict critical thermal maximum. However, the results did show that where average maximum temperatures were highest, the variation in heat tolerance among individuals was lower, suggesting that extreme temperatures were "filtering out" individuals with high and low critical thermal maximums, the researchers said.

"Many bee species can actively control their body temperature independently from ambient temperature conditions and thus potentially mitigate effects of temperature extremes," said co-author Rudolf Schilder, associate professor of entomology and biology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Eberly College of Science. "But whether squash bees engage in such behavior is unknown."

Of the three parasites measured, only trypanosomes influenced heat toleranceand only among female squash bees.

"This impact of parasite infection on female thermal tolerance is particularly concerning given that population growth depends on female fertility, and females are typically already less abundant than males," Lopez-Uribe said.

Overall, Jones said, the study contributes to growing evidence that small-bodied invertebrates' ability to adapt or acclimate their heat tolerance to local climate conditions is limited and depends on several factors.

"Given this, it is critical to identify the populations that are at risk under future climate scenarios," she said. "We suggest that future research assesses the thermal tolerances of populations across a species' distribution to identify those that are most vulnerable to local extinction."

More information: Laura J. Jones et al, Body mass, temperature, and pathogen intensity differentially affect critical thermal maxima and their populationlevel variation in a solitary bee, Ecology and Evolution (2024). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10945 Journal information: Ecology and Evolution
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Aerial view of flooded streets in the Navegantes neighborhood of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil on May 4, 2024.

Authorities in southern Brazil scrambled Sunday to rescue people from raging floods and mudslides in what has become the region's largest ever climate catastrophe, with at least 78 dead and 115,000 forced from their homes.

Entire cities were underwater, with thousands of people cut off from the world by the floodwater, brought by days of torrential rains.

In Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul state, residents stood on rooftops hoping to be rescued as others in canoes or small boats navigated streets that have become rivers.

After what one climatologist called "a disastrous cocktail" of climate change and the El Nino effect, more than 3,000 soldiers, firefighters and other rescuers were trying to reach residents, who were in many cases trapped without basic supplies such as running water or electricity.

Civil defense officials said at least 105 people were missing in the latest of a string of catastrophic weather events to hit the South American giant.

"It looks like a scene out of a war, and after it is over it will require a post-war approach," Rio Grande do Sul governor Eduardo Leite said, flanked by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several government ministers.

Lula promised the government would provide all necessary resources for reconstruction.

Map of Brazil locating the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul where floods and mudslides caused by torrential rains have killed dozens of people.

Besides Porto Alegre, another 341 towns and villages have been hit by the flooding.

Soldiers are setting up field hospitals after hundreds of patients had to be evacuated from regular hospitals, while civilians have also formed volunteer groups to gather basic supplies, including life jackets, water and fuel.

"Everyone helps in their own way, as they can," said Luis Eduardo da Silva, a 32-year-old volunteer.

The Guaiba River, which flows through the city of 1.4 million people, reached a record high level of 5.3 meters (17.4 feet), according to the local municipality, well above the historic peak of 4.76 meters that had stood as a record since devastating 1941 floods.

"Rio Grande do Sul has always been a meeting point between tropical and polar air masses," climatologist Francisco Eliseu Aquino told AFP.

"But these interactions intensified with climate change" to create "a disastrous cocktail that makes the atmosphere more unstable and encourages storms."

A construction vehicle carries evacuees from a flooded area of the Sao Geraldo neighborhood in Porto Alegre, on May 4, 2024.

Rosana Custodio, a 37-year-old nurse, fled her flooded Porto Alegre home with her husband and three children.

"During the night on Thursday the waters began to rise very quickly," she told AFP via a WhatsApp message.

"In a hurry, we went out to look for a safer place. But we couldn't walk... My husband put our two little ones in a kayak and rowed with bamboo. My son and I swam to the end of the street," she said.

Her family was safe, but "we've lost everything we had."

'It's terrifying'

Authorities scrambled to evacuate swamped neighborhoods as rescue workers used four-wheel-drive vehiclesand even jet skisto maneuver through waist-deep water in search of the stranded.

Governor Leite said his state, normally one of Brazil's most prosperous, would need heavy investment to rebuild.

Long lines formed as people tried to board buses, although bus services to and from the city center were canceled.

People and policemen carry the body of a victim after an explosion at a petrol station in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.

A shelter set up in a gymnasium in Porto Alegre, on May 4, 2024.

The Porto Alegre international airport suspended all flights on Friday for an undetermined period, with its runways underwater.

Lula posted a video of a helicopter depositing a soldier atop a house, who then used a brick to pound a hole in the roof and rescue a baby wrapped in a blanket.

The speed of the rising waters unnerved many.

"It's terrifying because we saw the water rise in an absurd way, it rose at a very high speed," said Greta Bittencourt, a 32-year-old professional poker player.

'Disastrous cocktail'

Leite said this was the worst natural disaster in the history of Rio Grande do Sul, which is home to agroindustrial production of soy, rice, wheat and corn.

Lula, who visited the state twice in a matter of days, has blamed the disaster on climate change.

South America's largest country has recently experienced a string of extreme weather events, including a cyclone in September that killed at least 31 people.

 2024 AFP
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A coordinated, multiagency effort is essential to save Southern California's coastal rail corridor from sea-level rise and erosion, state Sen. Catherine Blakespear warned last week.

"The data is clear and the message more urgent than ever that our coastline near the rail line is at critical risk of failure," said Blakespear, D-Encinitas, at a hearing held by the Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency that she chairs in Sacramento.

Seven different state and regional administrators updated the subcommittee Monday on the status of problem areas along the 351-mile-long Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo rail corridor, focusing primarily on trouble spots in San Diego County and San Clemente in neighboring Orange County. The route is San Diego's only passenger and freight train connection to Los Angeles and the rest of the United States.

Sections of the railroad in Del Mar and San Clemente are especially vulnerable.

About 1.7 miles of the track in Del Mar follows the edge of a tall, fragile bluff 60 feet above the ocean. The San Diego Association of Governments, the regional planning agency, has been working for years on plans to reroute the tracks into a tunnel away from the bluff, but that won't happen until at least 2035.

In San Clemente, a seven-mile stretch of the track runs along the shrinking beach below crumbling bluffs.

"The rail is getting attacked from both sides," said San Clemente City Manager Andy Hall. Mother Nature has assaulted the tracks there from the west by scouring the sand from the beach, and from the east by weakening the steep bluff and unleashing landslides.

The Orange County Transportation Authority recently began considering long-term solutions for the seven miles of beachfront track there, including the possibility of a new inland route. However, the relocation there is uncertain and, if chosen, is decades in the future.

Any solution, even a quick one, is expensive. The Orange County Transporation Authority, working with Metrolink, spent $9.2 million on cleanup and construction of a catchment wall finished in March after a landslide at Mariposa Point in San Clemente.

In December 2023, the OCTA identified four new trouble spots that need protection from beach erosion and possible slope failures, said Darrell Johnson, the agency's chief executive officer.

"Potential solutions, in a perfect world ... would need to be in place ... or substantially underway, by the fall of 2024 ahead of the next storm season," Johnson said.

A rough estimate of the cost for the work needed immediately is $210 million to $310 million, he said. A more realistic time frame is that it would take up to four years to plan, engineer, obtain funding and build the projects.

Several presenters at the hearing emphasized the need for a multipronged approach to protect the tracks.

The three basic tactics are: replenishing sand on the beaches, adding and expanding rock revetments west of the tracks and installing barrier-like catchment walls east of the tracks where they are threatened by landslides.

Sand replenishment is widely considered the best answer.

Along with protecting the railroad, wider beaches preserve access to the coast and provide the recreational spaces loved by residents and visitors alike. Also, many people consider sand to be a more nature-based solution to the railroad's problems than building walls or dumping rocks that can contribute to beach erosion.

However, dredging sand from the ocean, harbors and lagoons to widen beaches is costly and time-consuming. Also, eventually the sand washes away again.

"It's probably not realistic to expect a nature-based solution would hold up all by itself," said California Coastal Commission Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge. "We understand the need for sort of a multicomponent, but it (sand) should be a major part of any project."

In Del Mar, the Coastal Commission approved new seawalls in 2022 as part of the ongoing efforts to protect the blufftop tracks until a new route is completed. However, the Coastal Commission also required the installation of stairways and trails as part of the project to preserve public access to the beach.

Overall rail ridership remains down from the pre-pandemic highs of 2019. However, passengers are slowly returning.

Amtrak ridership on a rider-per-mile basis in March of this year, when limited service was restored after the Mariposa Point slide, reached 101% of March 2019, said Los-Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency Managing Director Jason Jewel.

By the end of this March, Amtrak restored service to its previous level of 10 round-trip daily trains between San Diego and Los Angeles. As a result, April ridership is forecast to increase by 8% to 10% over March, Jewel said.

Amtrak expects the upward trend to continue through the summer, when more people tend to choose the train for vacation travel and for special events such as the X-Games in Ventura, the horse races at Del Mar and Comic-Con in San Diego.

Tuesday's hearing was the subcommittee's fourth, the second this year. After its meeting in January, the subcommittee sent a letter to the California State Transportation Agency suggesting a formalized partnership among the agencies using the corridor.

The state agency has a "working group" that helps to identify and respond to issues along the corridor, but so far has taken no steps toward an official partnership.

2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Canada's House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights will soon begin hearings on antisemitism and Islamophobia. The process comes partly in response to claims that university and college campuses are unsafe spaces.

With student protestsincluding at the University of Toronto and University of British Columbiapressuring institutions to divest from Israeli militarization, the question of safety has come under scrutiny.

In Quebec, a recent injunction request to clear a student encampment at McGill University was rejected by a Superior Court judge who ruled that "the plaintiffs have not personally been subjected to harassment  and their fears are for the most part subjective and based on isolated events."

How we respond to concerns about student safety can set the stage for learning or encourage its opposite: divisiveness and censorship.

Political expression on campuses

Across North America, there has been a chilling effect on political expression related to the war in Gaza and Palestine solidarity activism.

In the United States, campus events have been cancelled, students have been suspended and faculty have faced censure.

Educational institutions seem to be in crisis. Police response to campus protests, including the arrests of students and faculty, has left many questioning their right to free expression.

We are wary, however, of how the language of "safety" is being used in the Canadian context to justify government interventions into campus affairs. In Ontario, this is evident with the proposed Bill 166, the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, which aims to support student safety. The bill would empower the minister to influence the content of anti-racism and mental health policies, a move that faculty unions say could threaten academic freedom.

Governing safety in Canada

The modern concept of public safety has its roots in national security legislation crafted during the First World War. The War Measures Act of 1914 allowed the government to move quickly in matters of security by skirting normal parliamentary processes. The cost, however, was widespread arrests and detention, including the internment of over 8,000 "enemy aliens."

During the Cold War, these sweeping powers were used to monitor civil rights activists, feminists, communists, sexual minorities and others deemed security threats.

The current Emergencies Act leans on the same pre-emptive powers to guarantee "a safe and secure Canada and strong and resilient communities." Its use, however, remains controversial.

On campuses and in classrooms across Canada, the language of safety is being used to police teaching about Palestine. Terms such as "genocide" and "settler colonialism," important to classroom discussions about war and conflict, are now considered risky.

So what does it mean when students say they feel unsafe in classrooms and on campuses when faced with discussions of Israel and Palestine?

Safety is more than a feeling

Hate and violence has no place in our educational system. Teachers and students must be safe from harm. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism are part of the wider problem of racism in Canadian universities and colleges. Separating these forms of discrimination makes them more difficult to combat because racism is a structural issue.

Educational institutions have robust policies and practices that prohibit hate speech and discrimination while protecting free expression. However, in a climate of reduced funding for anti-racism work on campuses, politicians are magnifying perceived feelings of unsafety to justify government intervention.

In a recent post, Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather called on McGill University campus administrators to seek police assistance in response to the student encampment at the university. Yet, a police spokesperson affirmed that "no crime is being committed."

Such an approach escalates division instead of helping to resolve it.

Strategies to tolerate political differences

Rather than invite police intervention on campuses or government interference in school policies, what we really need are strategies to hold space for differences, even when they challenge our understanding of the world.

Teachers and students, both inside and outside the classroom, need to be empowered to face difficult questions. This includes examining how our institutions are implicated in the dynamics of war and genocide.

As our decades of teaching courses on conflict and war reveal, it is normal for students to feel discomfort when learning about violence and its devastating effects. Feeling uncomfortable however, is not the same as being unsafe. Building our capacity to reflect on and examine uncomfortable feelings matters if we hope to challenge and transform the conditions that shape violence.

While some suggest a return to civility or campus dialogue is a better way forward, our experience shows that what we really need are tools for working through discomfort and heightened emotions.

Insight from research on trigger warnings

Trigger warnings involve the practice of providing advance notice of classroom topics that may bring up uncomfortable emotions or traumatic responses. Their use highlights how we might better prepare students for unsettling discussions and respond to their feelings of unsafety.

Research conducted on trigger warnings demonstrates they do little to reduce post-traumatic experiences. Yet, other scholars argue that what these debates signal is a wider need in classrooms to discuss power and violence.

An early analysis of a national survey with faculty and students on trigger warnings in Canada, by Natalie Kouri-Toweone of the authors of this storyand a team of researchers, indicates that how we respond to and navigate emotional dynamics in education might be more important than giving a warning.

Indeed, researchers have argued that a more holistic approach to student learning is necessary, a view that is supported by some of our research.

In a study exploring creative approaches to challenging classroom conversations, students used photography to reflect on their emotional experiences. The result was new forms of expression and shared understanding.

These findings illustrate the power of using a variety of strategies to engage difficult subject matter.

From safety to freedom

The focus on safety detracts from the real issues at stake in higher education: protecting a diversity of thought, perspectives and speech. To accomplish this, we must equip people with the ability to work through political differences.

With respect to learning, what feels uncomfortable might not always be a threat. It may be that what students need is reassurance that their perspectives are valid and opportunities to express themselves in productive ways.

We believe educational solutions are the answer to the crises that arise during global conflicts. Using the same approaches that we equip our students with, what Canadian society needs are the strategies and confidence to face conflicting worldviews.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The interior of WEST, the tungsten (W) Environment in Steady-state Tokamak, where the fusion record was achieved. Credit: CEA-IRFM

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) measured a new record for a fusion device internally clad in tungsten, the element that could be the best fit for the commercial-scale machines required to make fusion a viable energy source for the world.

The device sustained a hot fusion plasma of approximately 50 million degrees Celsius for a record six minutes with 1.15 gigajoules of power injected, 15% more energy and twice the density than before. The plasma will need to be both hot and dense to generate reliable power for the grid.

The record was set in a fusion device known as WEST, the tungsten (W) Environment in Steady-state Tokamak, which is operated by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). PPPL has long partnered with WEST, which is part of the International Atomic Energy Agency's group for the Coordination on International Challenges on Long duration OPeration (CICLOP).

This milestone represents an important step toward the CICLOP program's goals. The researchers will submit a paper for publication in the next few weeks.

"We need to deliver a new source of energy, and the source should be continuous and permanent," said Xavier Litaudon, CEA scientist and CICLOP chair. Litaudon said PPPL's work at WEST is an excellent example.

"These are beautiful results. We have reached a stationary regime despite being in a challenging environment due to this tungsten wall."

Remi Dumont, head of the Experimentation & Plasma Development Group of the CEA's Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research, was the scientific coordinator for the experiment, calling it "a spectacular result."

Luis Delgado-Aparicio, PPPL's head of advanced projects and lead scientist for the physics research and the X-ray detector project, discusses the importance of the record results to the Lab. Credit: Michael Livingston / PPPL Communications Department

PPPL researchers used a novel approach to measure several properties of the plasma radiation. Their approach involved a specially adapted X-ray detector originally made by DECTRIS, an electronics manufacturer, and later embedded into the WEST tokamak, a machine that confines plasmathe ultra-hot fourth state of matterin a donut-shaped vessel using magnetic fields.

"The X-ray group in PPPL's Advanced Projects Department is developing all of these innovative tools for tokamaks and stellarators around the world," said Luis Delgado-Aparicio, PPPL's head of advanced projects and lead scientist for the physics research and the X-ray detector project.

This is just one example of PPPL's strengths in diagnostics: specialized measurement tools used, in this case, to characterize hot fusion plasmas.

"The plasma fusion community was among the first to test the hybrid photon counting technology to monitor plasma dynamics," said DECTRIS Head of Sales Nicolas Pilet.

"Today, WEST achieved unprecedented results, and we would like to congratulate the team on their success. Plasma fusion is a fascinating scientific field that holds great promise for humanity. We are incredibly proud to contribute to this development with our products, and are thrilled by our excellent collaboration."

Scientists worldwide are trying different methods to reliably extract heat from plasma while it undergoes a fusion reaction. But this has proven to be particularly challenging, partly because the plasma must be confined long enough to make the process economical at temperatures much hotter than the center of the sun.

A previous version of the deviceTore Supraachieved a slightly longer reaction, or shot, but back then, the machine's interior was made of graphite tiles.

While carbon makes the environment easier for long shots, it may not be suitable for a large-scale reactor because the carbon tends to retain the fuel in the wall, which will be unacceptable in a reactor where efficient recovery of tritium from the reactor chamber and reintroduction into the plasma will be paramount.

Tungsten is advantageous for retaining far less fuel, but if even minute amounts of tungsten get into the plasma, radiation from the tungsten can rapidly cool the plasma.

"The tungsten-wall environment is far more challenging than using carbon," said Delgado-Aparicio. "This is, simply, the difference between trying to grab your kitten at home versus trying to pet the wildest lion."

Novel diagnostic measures record shot

The shot was measured using a novel approach developed by PPPL researchers. The hardware for the measurement tool, or diagnostic, was made by DECTRIS and modified by Delgado-Aparicio and others on his research team, including PPPL researchers Tullio Barbui, Oulfa Chellai and Novimir Pablant.

"The diagnostic basically measures the X-ray radiation produced by the plasma," Barbui said of the device, known as a multi-energy soft X-ray camera (ME-SXR).

"Through the measure of this radiation, we can infer very important properties of the plasma, such as the electron temperature in the real core of the plasma, where it is the hottest."

Off the shelf, the DECTRIS diagnostic can normally be configured with all pixels set to the same energy level. PPPL developed a novel calibration technique that allows them to set the energy independently for each pixel.

Barbui said the approach has advantages over the existing technique used in WEST, which can be hard to calibrate and generates readings that are sometimes affected by the radio frequency waves used to heat the plasma. "Radio frequency waves don't bother our diagnostic," Barbui said.

"During the six-minute shot, we were able to measure quite nicely the central electron temperature. It was in a very steady state of around 4 kilovolts. It was a pretty remarkable result," he said.

Searching for light at the right energy levels

The diagnostic looks for light from a specific kind of radiation known as Bremsstrahlung, which is produced when an electron changes direction and slows down. The initial challenge was figuring out what frequencies of light from Bremsstrahlung to look for because both the plasma and the tungsten walls can emit this sort of radiation, but the measurements need to focus on the plasma.

"The photon energy band between 11 and 18 kiloelectronvolts (keV) offered us a nice window of opportunity from the core emission never explored before and thus influenced our decision to carefully sample this range," said Delgado-Aparicio.

"Normally, when this technique is applied, you make only two measurements. This is the first time we have taken a series of measurements," Barbui said.

The red line represents the plasma's edge. The yellow lines represent the many lines of sight of the ME-SXR diagnostic so that it can thoroughly evaluate the plasma. The diagnostic readings can be used to calculate the temperature of the electrons in the plasma, the plasma charge and the density of impurities in the plasma. Credit: Luis Delgado-Aparicio and Tullio Barbui / PPPL

Delgado-Aparicio also pointed out that "the special calibration of our detector allowed us to obtain readings for each energy level between 11 and 18 keV, for each line of sight from the camera, while sampling the entire cross section."

Approximately 10 measurements are taken per second. The trick is to use the intensity from the lowest 11 keV energy as a reference level, and measurements from the other seven intensities are compared to the initial one. Ultimately, this process produces seven simultaneous temperature readings per line of sight, hence the high accuracy of the measurement.

"This innovative capability is now ready to be exported to many machines in the U.S. and around the world," said Delgado-Aparicio.

"From the eight different intensity measurements, we got the best fit, which was between 4 and 4.5 kilovolts for the core plasma. This represents nearly 50 million degrees and for up to six minutes," said Delgado-Aparicio.

The diagnostic readings can be used not only to calculate the temperature of the electrons in the plasma but also the plasma charge and the density of impurities in the plasma, which is largely tungsten that has migrated from the tokamak's walls.

"This particular system is the first of this kind with energy discrimination. As such, it can provide information on temperature and many details on the precise impurity contentmainly tungstenin the discharge, which is a crucial quantity to operate in any metallic environment.

"It is spectacular," said Dumont. While this data can be inferred from several other diagnostics and supported with modeling, Dumont described this new method as "more direct."

Barbui said the diagnostic can gather even more information in future experiments. "This detector has the unique capability in that it can be configured to measure the same plasma with as many energies as you want," Barbui said. "Now, we have selected eight energies, but we could have selected 10 or 15."

Litaudon said he is pleased to have such a diagnostic on hand for the CICLOP program. "In fact, this energy-resolving camera will open a new route in terms of analysis," he said.

"It's extremely challenging to operate a facility with a tungsten wall. But thanks to these new measurements, we will have the ability to measure the tungsten inside the plasma and to understand the transport of tungsten from the wall to the core of the plasma."

Litaudon says this could help them minimize the amount of tungsten in the plasma's core to ensure optimal operating conditions for fusion. "Thanks to these diagnostics, we can understand this problem and go to the root of the physics for both measurement and simulation."

Time-intensive computer calculations carried out by CEA's Dumont, Pierre Manas and Theo Fonghetti also confirmed good agreement between relevant simulations and the measurements reported by the PPPL team.

Dumont also noted that the ME-SXR camera builds on the Lab's important diagnostic work at WEST. "The ME-SXR is only part of a more global contribution of diagnostics from PPPL to CEA/WEST," Dumont said, noting the hard X-ray camera and the X-ray imaging crystal spectrometer.

"This collaboration helps us a lot. With this combination of diagnostics, we will be able to perform very accurate measurements in the plasma and control it in real-time."
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The upper panel shows the integrated flux density of the primary star LP 34925A. The middle panel shows the same but for the secondary star LP 34925B. The lower panel shows the integrated flux density of the UCD binary system LP 34925AB. Credit: Curiel et al., 2024.

Using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), astronomers have explored a nearby binary stellar system composed of two M dwarfs, known as LP 34925AB. Results of the study, presented April 25 on the pre-print server arXiv, shed more light on the properties of this system, suggesting that one of its components may be a brown dwarf.

At a distance of only 47 light years LP 34925 (also known as LSPM J0027+2219 or 2MASS J0027559+221932) is a binary system consisting of two M dwarf of spectral type M8V and M9V, separated by 1.2 AU. The system has a combined mass of about 166 Jupiter masses, orbital period of approximately 7.7 years, and is estimated to be 140190 million years old.

Now, a team of astronomers led by Salvador Curiel of the National Autonomous University (UNAM) of Mexico, has performed very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of LP 34925, finding that the system is less massive and older than previously thought. The observational campaign was carried out with VLBA between February 2020 and December 2021.

"Here, we report 5 GHz VLBA observations of the binary LP 34925AB from 11 epochs spanning 1.8 years. (...) Two epochs were observed at 4.85 GHz using eight 32-MHz frequency bands, in dual polarization mode, with a data rate recording of 2 Gbps. The remaining nine epochs were observed with four 128-MHz frequency bands and the 4 Gbps recording rate," the researchers wrote in the research paper.

The collected VLBA data show that both components of LP 34925AB are radio emitters, with the primary star LP 34925A being the dominant radio emitter. It turned out that the primary star presents a small temporal flux density variation over a time span of months, while its companion does not show radio flux density variation. No circular polarization, nor outbursts have been observed from both stars.

By combining the VLBA results with the existing optical/infrared relative astrometric data, Curiel's team was able to precisely determine the mass of LP 34925AB. They found that the primary component has a mass of 85.71 Jupiter masses, while the mass of the secondary object is 67.11 Jupiter massesthus below the expected mass limit of hydrogen burning (about 78.5 Jupiter masses) and consistent with being a substellar object like a brown dwarf.

Furthermore, using stellar evolutionary tracks the astronomers found that the cooling age of LP 34925A is 262 million years, while the cooling age of LP 34925B is 198 million years. These results suggest that the primary star is an ultra compact dwarf (UCD) and its companion may be a brown dwarf. The distance to the system was measured to be approximately 46 light years.

Given that the brown dwarf status is yet unconfirmed, the authors of the paper noted that LP 34925AB is currently the nearest pre-main-sequence binary system containing very low mass stars with direct mass measurements. According to the researchers, their study proves that precise stellar parameters of each star can be obtained by using stellar evolutionary models.

More information: Salvador Curiel et al, Precise Mass, Orbital motion and Stellar properties of the M-dwarf binary LP 349-25AB, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2404.16964 Journal information: arXiv

 2024 Science X Network
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The biaxial Hopkinson pressure bar system. Credit: Wuxing Wu, Fengqiang Gong, Zong-Xian Zhang

Field observations have revealed that highly stressed D-shape tunnels experience sidewall rockburst triggered by impact loads stemming from rock blasting or other mining-related dynamic disturbances.

These phenomena can lead to sidewall failure and violent ejection of rock. The persistent occurrence of rockbursts poses a challenge to the safety construction of deep rock engineering projects. Consequently, there is an urgent need to investigate the sidewall rockburst of D-shape tunnel caused by impact load.

In a study recently published in the journal Rock Mechanics Bulletin, a team of scientists from Southeast University in China and University of Oulu in Finland conducted a systematic study on sidewall rockburst of D-shape tunnel under impact load. Their aim was to reveal the relevant rockburst processes, rockburst characteristics, and their triggering mechanisms.

"We developed an experimental capability to investigate the sidewall rockburst of the two-dimensional highly stressed D-shape tunnel under impact loading using the biaxial Hopkinson pressure bar system" explains Wuxing Wu, lead author of the study.

"Specifically, we focused on the sidewall rockburst process of D-shape specimen during the impact load loading process, examining the failure characteristics, strain field, and displacement deformation characteristics of the surrounding rock under different horizontal prestresses"

Real-time failure process of rockburst. Credit: Wuxing Wu, Fengqiang Gong, Zong-Xian Zhang

The team found that the sidewall failure process of D-shape specimen remained the same albeit under different two-dimensional static stresses, involving both tensile and tensile-shear failure.

However, the volume of the V-shape failure zone, affected range of tensile strain concentration zone, as well as severity of rockburst decreased with increasing horizontal prestress.

"These findings suggest that the sidewall rockburst of the highly stressed D-shape hole specimen under impact loading resulted from the interaction between static stress and impact load," says Fengqiang Gong, corresponding author of the study.

"Static prestresses established the initial stress and strain distribution, while horizontal prestress influenced the affected range and strain values of the strain concentration zone."

Notably, the impact load disrupted the original stress equilibrium, leading to alterations in the stress and strain of the surrounding rock, ultimately triggering rockbursts.

The team anticipates that their latest finding will garner more attention in the field of deep tunnel rockburst disasters. Above all, they hope that their findings offer valuable insights into the understanding and prevention of rockbursts.

More information: Wuxing Wu et al, Sidewall rockburst of highly stressed D-shape hole tunnel triggered by impact load: An experimental investigation, Rock Mechanics Bulletin (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.rockmb.2023.100094

Provided by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
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The aurora was photographed in 2014 during a series of Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph far-ultraviolet-light observations taking place as NASAs Juno spacecraft approached and entered into orbit around Jupiter. Credit: NASA, ESA and J. Nichols, University of Leicester

New discoveries about Jupiter could lead to a better understanding of Earth's own space environment and influence a long-running scientific debate about the solar system's largest planet.

"By exploring a larger space such as Jupiter, we can better understand the fundamental physics governing Earth's magnetosphere and thereby improve our space weather forecasting," said Peter Delamere, a professor at the UAF Geophysical Institute and the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

"We are one big space weather event from losing communication satellites, our power grid assets, or both," he said.

Space weather refers to disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by interactions between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field. These are generally associated with solar storms and the sun's coronal mass ejections, which can lead to magnetic fluctuations and disruptions in power grids, pipelines and communication systems.

Delamere and a team of co-authors detailed their findings about Jupiter's magnetosphere in a paper in AGU Advances. Geophysical Institute research associate professor Peter Damiano, UAF graduate student researchers Austin Smith and Chynna Spitler, and former student Blake Mino are among the co-authors.

Delamere's research shows that our solar system's largest planet has a magnetosphere consisting of largely closed magnetic field lines at its polar regions but including a crescent-shaped area of open field lines. The magnetosphere is the shield that some planets have that deflects much of the solar wind.

The debate over open versus closed at the poles has raged for more than 40 years.

An open magnetosphere refers to a planet having some open-ended magnetic field lines near its poles. These are previously closed lines that have been broken apart by the solar wind and left to extend into space without re-entering the planet.

This creates regions on Jupiter where the solar wind, which carries some of the sun's magnetic field lines, directly interacts with the planet's ionosphere and atmosphere.

Solar particles moving toward a planet on open field lines do not cause the aurora, which largely occurs on closed field lines. However, the energy and momentum of solar wind particles on open field lines does transfer to the closed system.

Earth has a largely open magnetosphere at its poles, with aurora occurring on closed field lines.. It is the transferred energy on those open lines that can disrupt power grids and communications.

In order to study Jupiter's magnetosphere, Delamere ran a variety of models using data acquired by the NASA Juno spacecraft, which entered Jupiter's orbit in 2016 and has an elliptical polar orbit.

"We never had data from the polar regions, so Juno has been transformative in terms of the planet's auroral physics and helping further the discussion about its magnetic field lines," Delamere said.

A close-up of Jupiters aurora shows auroral footprints of three moons: Io (along the left-hand limb), Ganymede (near the center) and Europa (just below and to the right of Ganymede's footprint). These emissions flow on Jupiter's magnetic field. Credit: NASA image, John Clarke, University of Michigan

The debate began with the 1979 flybys of Jupiter by NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. That data led many to believe that the planet had a generally open magnetosphere at its poles.

Other scientists argued that Jupiter's auroral activity, which is much different from Earth's, indicated the planet had a mostly closed magnetosphere at the poles. Delamere, a longtime researcher of Jupiter's magnetic field, published a paper supporting that view in 2010.

In 2021, he was a co-author on a paper by Binzheng Zhang of the University of Hong Kong that suggested through modeling that Jupiter's magnetosphere had two regions of open magnetic field lines at its poles.

The model shows one set of open-ended field lines emerging from the poles and trailing outward behind the planet in the magnetotail, the narrow teardrop-shaped portion of the magnetosphere pointing away from the sun. The other set emerges from Jupiter's poles and goes off to the sides into space, carried by the solar wind.

"The Zhang result provided a plausible explanation for the open field line regions," Delamere said. "And this year we provided the compelling evidence in the Juno data to support the model result.

"It is a major validation of the Zhang paper," he said.

Delamere said it's important to study Jupiter to better understand Earth.

"In the big picture, Jupiter and Earth represent opposite ends of the spectrumopen versus closed field lines," he said. "To fully understand magnetospheric physics, we need to understand both limits."

Delamere's evidence came via an instrument on the Juno spacecraft that revealed a polar area where ions flowed in a direction opposite Jupiter's rotation.

Subsequent modeling showed a similar ion flow in the same areaand near the open field lines proposed in the 2021 paper by Zhang and Delamere.

"The ionized gas on [closed] magnetic field lines connected to Jupiter's northern and southern hemispheres rotates with the planet," Delamere's new paper concludes, "while ionized gas on [open] field lines that connect to the solar wind move with the solar wind."

Delamere writes that the polar location of open magnetic field lines "may represent a characteristic feature of rotating giant magnetospheres for future exploration."

Other contributors are from the University of Colorado Boulder, Johns Hopkins University, Andrews University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Hong Kong, University of Texas San Antonio, Southwest Research Institute and O.J. Brambles Consulting in the United Kingdom.

Delamere will present the research in July at the Conference on Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets at the University of Minnesota.

More information: P. A. Delamere et al, Signatures of Open Magnetic Flux in Jupiter's Dawnside Magnetotail, AGU Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023AV001111 Journal information: AGU Advances
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Brazil records an average of 29,000 snakebites a year, leading to around 130 deaths. And it is in the Amazon that the greatest number of cases occur. This region is home to 38 of the 75 species of venomous snakes recorded in Brazil.

In the event of a snakebite in a remote area of the Amazon, some questions become very important: what is the composition of the venom? Do commercially available serums effectively neutralize this venom? Is there a distribution of these antivenoms in the region? How can the local effects of bites be treated?

To answer these questions, the first step is to study the venoms of snakes in the region. To do this, researchers need to have access to the snakes.

This is where the multidisciplinary study I am coordinating comes in. A team of herpetologists and other professionals that I am part of searches for venomous snakes in forests in the state of Acre and sends the live specimens to the Butantan Institute for study.

The project aims to gain more knowledge about the composition of Amazonian snake venoms and assess whether these venoms are recognized by commercial antivenoms. In addition, the project proposes adjuvant treatments (administered in addition to primary therapy to maximize its effectiveness), such as the use of enzyme inhibitors, mainly to treat the local effects of the bite. Finally, it aims to clarity the procedures for distributing antivenoms in remote areas of the Amazon.

In search of snakes

In order to carry out our research, we need to find venomous snakes in the wild. To do this, our team goes on expeditions, especially to the Serra do Divisor National Park.

Located in the Alto Jurua region, in the far west of the Brazilian Amazon, the Serra do Divisor is the most westerly point in the country and to get there you have to travel overland: 35 kilometers from Cruzeiro do Sul to the Port of Japiim, in Mancio Lima. From the port, the journey is by boat on the Moa River and can take between 8 and 12 hours, depending on the type of boat and the time of year.

Our target of observation are the venomous snakes, those that produce venom in specialized glands and have venom-inoculating teeth that can cause poisoning in humans. In the Alto Jurua region, where we collected snakes, 12 species of venomous snakes are known: six true corals, five species of jararacas and the surucucu-pico-de-jaca.

The seriousness of an accident in a place like Serra do Divisor can be greater, due to the great distance between it and towns and hospitals. That's why you can't be too careful.

During expeditions, which usually last at least five days, we need to take certain precautions. As well as snakes, you need to be wary of mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as malaria and other venomous animals found in the region, such as stingrays, spiders and scorpions. Other dangers that worry us are storms when we are in the forests, because of the danger of lightning and trees that could fall.

Venomous snakes generally have nocturnal habits and to find them, herpetologists search for them at night on forest trails. At a slow pace, we look carefully on each side of the trail, using torches and observing from the ground to the top of the trees, as far as our eyes can see. Some species can be found up to 20 meters up in the branches of trees.

When we find snakes, we carefully capture them and transport them in boxes to our university, where they are then sent to the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo for venom research. On some expeditions, we have captured more than 20 snakes.

But in science in general and field research in particular, things don't always turn out as expected. On our last two expeditions, in December 2023 and February 2024, we found almost half the usual number of snakes.

We believe that the recent El Nino weather event has contributed to the lower frequency of snake encounters, due to changes in the rainfall regime in the region. Our next expedition to the region is scheduled for the end of this year or the beginning of 2025.

Amazonian snakes

The elapids (a family of snakes with 41 species in Brazil) are represented in the region by the true corals. The six true corals of the Alto Jurua belong to the genus Micrurus (M. annellatus, M. bolivianus, M. lemniscatus, M. spixii e M. surinamensis). But none of them have their venom in the "pool" for the production of the (bivalent) antielapid serum, which is made from the venom of the species M. corallinus e M. frontalis, which do not occur in the Amazon.

The interest in Amazonian corals is due to the fact that the biochemical composition of these species' venoms is relatively less studied and has some particularities. Micrurus surinamensis, for example, unlike other corals, does not feed on amphisbaenians (reptiles popularly known as blind snakes or two-headed snakes) and other snakes, but mainly on fish.

As a result, this species has a venom with certain specializations, aimed at subduing fish, as well as having other types of prey.

Viperids (the family of venomous snakes that includes jararacas, rattlesnakes and the surucucu-pico-de-jaca) are of great interest in this research, since this group is the main cause of snakebite accidents in Brazil. The main snake causing envenomations in the Amazon is the jararaca (Bothrops atrox) and it is the most common snake in the region, found in various types of habitats.

The papagaia (B. bilineatus), which has arboreal habits, stands out for its green coloring, which provides camouflage among the foliage of forest trees. It is one of the species that can be found on branches up to 20 meters high.

Three other species of jararacasBothrocophias hyoprora, B. brazili and B. taeniatusare more difficult to find because they live in terra firme forests and occur in lower population densities.

And then there's the surucucu-pico-de-jaca (Lachesis muta), the largest venomous snake in South America, which can reach 3.15 meters in length and occurs in low population density in terra firme forests. For this reason, encounters with them are also infrequent.

Knowing more about these snakes can help us produce more effective treatments that are better distributed throughout the Amazon region.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Art and technology teacher Jenny O'Sullivan, right, shows students a video they made, Monday, April 15, 2024, at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla. While many teachers nationally complain their districts dictate textbooks and course work, the South Florida school's administrators allow their staff high levels of classroom creativity...and it works. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

When teachers at A.D. Henderson School, one of the top-performing schools in Florida, are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy.

Nationally, most teachers report feeling stressed and overwhelmed at work, according to a Pew Research Center survey of teachers last fall. Waning job satisfaction over the last two decades has accompanied a decline in teachers' sense of autonomy in the classroom, according to a recent study out of Brown University and the University of Albany.

But at this South Florida school, administrators allow their staff high levels of classroom creativityand it works.

A public school of 636 kindergartners to eighth graders on the campus of Florida Atlantic University, Henderson scored in the top 1% to 3% in every subject and grade level on the state's latest standardized tests, with the exception of sixth grade math, where students scored in the top 7%. In almost every subject, 60% or more of Henderson students score significantly above the state average.

"There is a lot of our own individual input allowed in doing the activities that we want to do in the classroom," said Vanessa Stevenson, a middle school science teacher finishing her third year at the school. She plans to start an equine medicine class next fall even though the school has no stablesshe believes she will find a way.

"It's a bit of trial and error because there's nothing being handed to you saying, 'Do it this way.' You just have to figure it out," she said.

Joel Herbst, superintendent of Henderson and its sibling FAU High School, calls the faculty his "secret sauce" and argues the school's success can be duplicated anywhereif administrators cede some control.

When that happens, he said, teachers create hands-on programs that help students "not only show their understanding, but gain more depth."

"Give (teachers) the freedom to do what they do best, which is to impart knowledge, to teach beyond the textbook," he said.

Portland State University education professor Madhu Narayanan, who studies teacher autonomy, said independence has a high correlation to faculty morale and success. But autonomy must be paired with administrative support.

"It can't be, 'Here is the classroom, here is the textbook, we'll see you in six months.' Those teachers have tremendous autonomy, but feel lost," he said.

'THAT LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA'

Henderson emphasizes science, technology and math, using arts and humanities to help with those lessons. About 2,700 families enter a lottery each year for the 60 spots in Henderson's kindergarten class and openings in other grades. There is no screeningsome children entering Henderson are prodigies, most are average learners and some have learning disabilities like dyslexia.

The only tweaking is to comply with a Florida law requiring the student population at university-run "laboratory" schools match state demographics for race, gender and income. Because families apply to attend, parental involvement is highan advantage Herbst and his staff concede.

Selected kindergartners are tested months before arrival so any needs can be immediately addressed.

"Some of them come in reading and some know five lettersand it is not just reading, but all subjects," said Lauren Robinson, the elementary program's vice principal. "We are going to provide every opportunity to close those gaps before those gaps grow and grow, instead of waiting until a certain grade level and saying, 'Now we'll try to close them.' It's Day One."

In Jenny O'Sullivan's art and technology classroom, kindergartners learn computer coding basics by steering a robot through a maze. Fourth and fifth graders make videos celebrating Earth Day. Students learn design by building cardboard arcade games like Skee-Ball for their classmates. Legos teach engineering.

While her new classroom has the latest technology, she insists such classes can be taught anywhere if the teacher is allowed creativity.

"My grandmother is from Louisiana and there's a (Cajun) saying: 'Lagniappe,' that little something extra," O'Sullivan said. "I get to be the lagniappe in (the student's) education. Could you do without it? Yes. But would you want to? No."

Working in small groups while dressed in white lab coats and goggles, the sixth graders in Amy Miramontes' Medical Detectives class solve a mystery daily. They have examined strands of rabbit muscle under a microscope, using safe chemicals to determine what neurological disease each animal had. They have tested fake neurotoxins to determine which ailments afflicted their imaginary patients.

Third grade teacher Megan Foster walks through her classroom as students take a break from a reading lesson to explore a computer animation of the planet Mars, at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., Tuesday, April 16, 2024. When teachers at the K-8 public school, one of the top-performing schools in Florida, are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy. Credit: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Miramontes hopes the class not only piques the students' interest in medicine, but implants knowledge needed in two years when they take the state's eighth-grade science test.

"They're always learning by having their hands on something," Miramontes said. "If they mess up, it's OKwe start over. But then we learn a great life lesson that we have to be very diligent."

Marisha Valbrun, 12, took Medical Detectives because she might want to be a doctor. She's learned that while science is challenging, by seeking assistance she can overcome obstacles.

"I feel like if I just ask any person in this room for help, they can give you that right answer," she said.

USING ART TO TEACH SCIENCE

Even at a school where teachers exude enthusiasm, elementary art teacher Lindsey Wuest stands outshe can't stand still while describing how her lessons center on science.

On this afternoon in her Science as Art class, Wuest and a visiting artist are showing third graders how to make clay bobblehead dolls of endangered specieswhile also teaching the chemistry of why glazes change color in the kiln.

"Hopefully those students who love art can also develop a love of science," she said. "Project-based learning sticks with the kids for longer."

Third grader Maximus Mallow said that by working on his leopard bobblehead, he learned how the animal's camouflage works.

"We have fun while we create stuff about science," the 9-year-old said.

Henderson's success leads to grantsand nowhere shows that better than the middle school's drone program, which recently won a national competition in San Diego.

Henderson's drone teams have a room to practice flying the 3-inch-by-3-inch (75 millimeter), four-rotor devices through an obstacle course, plus flight simulators donated by the local power company.

The drone program is a chance to compete while using the physics and aeronautics learned in the classroom, teacher James Nance said. While expensive equipment is a benefit, Nance said, drone classes can be taught on a shoestring. At a previous school, he made a flying course out of PVC pipe and balloons.

Eighth grader Anik Sahai pulls out his cell phone in Stevenson's science classroom, an act at Henderson that usually means a trip to the office. But he is demonstrating an app he created that uses the camera to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease that is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. It took first place in the state's middle school science fair and is being considered for commercial use.

The 14-year-old credits his success to his years at Henderson, beginning in the preschool program.

"The teachers here, they're amazing," he said. "They've been trained on how to get us to the next level."

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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An autonomous insect camera trap in Costa Rica. Credit: Jenna Lawson

Recent fears of major declines among insects have sent researchers scrambling for data on how they are actually doing.

"So far, such data are only available for a few insect groups and for selected regions. To improve on the status quo, we need urgent assessments of all types of insects in all parts of the world," says Roel van Klink, senior researcher at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the lead editor of the special issue.

Given how numerous insects are and how hard it is to tell them apart, obtaining complete information on insect trends has remained a tall order. Now, technological breakthroughs are paving the way for global insect surveys.

Thanks to technological breakthroughs, we can now use all kinds of different properties of insects to track them. For instance, many insects make sounds, which are characteristic of their species. Using cheap devices spread across the environment, we may record these sounds and then assign them to the insects that produced them.

As an alternative, we may attract insects to light, then photograph them and identify the images. Using radar or even laser beams, we may sense insects remotely and identify them based on their size and their wingbeats. Finally, we may extract DNA from insectsor from their traces in the environment, including water or airand use the sequence of their genes to record and identify them.

"These novel methods have enormous potential to close the vast data gaps we have for insects. They can give us new, more, and better data at lower costs in part due to the semi- or fully autonomous data collection. Novel technologies also typically avoid killing insects," says Toke Thomas Hye, Professor of Ecology at the Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Most importantly, the new methods reduce our dependence on experts since the people who can tell insects apart are few and overburdened with work. Rather than using their valuable expertise on each individual sample of insects, they can teach computers to do the routine workthen focus on the tasks for which their expertise is truly needed.

What adds to the need for automated processing of insect species is the fact that for most insects, there is no one who knows them. An estimated four out of five insect species are still unknown to science and thus even lack names. To characterize them all will take over a thousand years if we continue by traditional methods.

"Now, computer-based methods and artificial intelligence can massively speed up the task of describing life on Earth. By teaching computers how to separate insects, we can make sense of billions of images, millions of sound recordings, and trillions of DNA sequences," says Tomas Roslin, Professor of Insect Ecology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

"Together, these technical advances will revolutionize our knowledge about insects. They make surveys of all types of insects feasible. While they have so far been developed in isolation from each other, our special issue is the start of their integration. By combining them, we will gain unprecedented insights into insects across the world," says Dr. Silke Bauer from the Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL).

"However, to allow global insights and equality, we need to make sure that both the technologies themselves and the data generated become accessible to everyone."

The paper introducing the theme issue is published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, and the corresponding papers can be found here.

More information: Roel van Klink et al, Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0101 Journal information: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
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Satellite view of Zeeland, the Netherlands, featuring the Oosterschelde and Westerschelde, where clear water highlights the need for increased turbidity for coastal protection. Credit: basemaps, Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community

To preserve the important intertidal areas and salt marshes off our coasts for the future, we need more turbid water. That is one of the striking conclusions from a new study conducted by a Dutch-Chinese team of researchers and published in Nature Geoscience.

"These natural areas outside our dikes are essential for nature and coastal defense. But because how we are now building in the Delta and the hinterland, coastal defense is endangered in the long term," warns NIOZ researcher Tim Grandjean.

For his research, Grandjean linked decades of satellite measurements of tidal areas around the world with data on the turbidity of the water, which is also measured by satellites. Importantly, Grandjean has established a lower limit for the necessary turbidity of the water in deltas worldwide. A very clear relationship emerged in the long term: intertidal areas only grow when the water is turbid enough. "After all, turbid water means more sand and silt particles in the water, which can allow the coast to grow," the researcher explains.

Worldwide, the turbidity of many coastal waters has been declining for decades, making the tidal flats sensitive to loss. Additionally, sea level rise requires that water has higher turbidity to continue to maintain tidal flats. The relatively low turbidity globally threatens essential areas for biodiversity and coastal safety. After all, tidal flats are important foraging areas for birds and contribute to wave attenuation.

Coastal defenses must improve

Globally, the determination of the necessary turbidity for the preservation of tidal flats by Grandjean provides an essential basis for rethinking human interventions in deltas. We need to think more carefully about the ways in which human activities affect the coast, on which we rely for our safety.

These challenges are not unique to any one region but are evident globally due to extensive human modifications to natural water systems. For instance, the construction of large dams, such as the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, has significantly reduced the sediment supply downstream. This reduction is crucial for the propagation of tidal flats, leading to sediment starvation that hinders the natural rebuilding of intertidal zones, vital for coastal protection and biodiversity.

Similarly, in the Netherlands, the construction of the storm surge barrier in the Oosterschelde in the 1980s has led to severe "sand starvation." Because of this barrier, less sand can flow from the North Sea into the estuary, resulting in clearer water that fails to replenish the intertidal areas, thus causing them to erode.

"In the long run, this is not sustainable," Grandjean says.

"When too much intertidal area disappears outside the dikes of Zeeland, the safety of the complete coast is at stake. So not only for nature, but also for safety, we must begin to protect the areas outside the dikes much more effectively. The water has to become murkier, so we may have to consider dismantling the Oosterschelde storm surge barrier in the future. A careful balance between nature conservation and coastal protection is essential, ensuring that both goals strengthen rather than counteract each other."

Tim Grandjean defended his Ph.D. on this topic on April 24 and has also collected new data on the dynamics of intertidal areas. These data provide insight into the short-term vulnerability. He used a technique that was developed in NIOZ workshops.

"The dynamics of intertidal areas can be measured with very expensive sensors or with labor-intensive, manual measurements. However, this way, we could never collect data in many different places at the same time. The technicians at NIOZ developed sensors that were cheap enough to record the height of the bottom to the millimeter, several times a day, at different locations along the Western and Eastern Scheldt for several years now."

Those precise measurements show that at high tide, an intertidal zone can easily vary one or two centimeters in height within a single day. "For you or me, a centimeter more or less under our boots may not matter, but if you are a worm or a mussel, or a seed of eelgrass, that is indeed too much dynamics," Grandjean says.

Satellite image of the Yangtze near Shanghai, China, where the turbid, brown water illustrates high sediment delivery. Credit: Credit: basemaps, Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community

Grandjean also looked at the grounds between groins constructed by the province of Zeeland, to improve the quality of tidal nature along part of the banks of the Westerschelde.

"Of course, we already knew that these groins, along rivers and coasts, can protect, but our measurements show that benthic life along the Westerschelde also benefits from these measures. The dynamics decrease enough in time and space for benthic animals to settle better."

Additionally, the reduction in flow between the groins could potentially benefit the stability of the intertidal coastal areas in the long term and mitigate the effects of rising sea levels. However, further research is essential for understanding this dynamic and its long-term effects.

More information: Tim J. Grandjean et al, Critical turbidity thresholds for maintenance of estuarine tidal flats worldwide, Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01431-3 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
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Phonon polariton enhanced nano-IR contrast imaging platform. (a) Sketch of the substrate-enhanced nano-IR contrast imaging platform based on a polar crystal substrate under the metallic tip. (b) Typical PiFM spectra were observed on the sample near its IR resonance and on the substrate near the tip-induced nearfield resonance. (c, d) Schematics for imaging of (c) PiTF of sample and (d) PiDF of the substrate and on a layered sample deposited on a PiDF-dominant substrate as depicted in (a). Credit: National Science Review (2024). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae101

A new study has been led by Prof. Xing-Hua Xia (State Key Lab of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University). While analyzing the infrared photoinduced force response of quartz, Dr. Jian Li observed a unique spectral response that is different from the far field infrared absorption spectrum.

"The photoinduced force response follows the real part rather than the imaginary part of the dielectric function of quartz." Dr. Li says. "We immediately discussed with the theorist Dr. Junghoon Jahng to analyze the experimental results, and we agreed that it is the quartz's unique surface phonon polariton that extremely enhances the photoinduced dipole force."

A paper describing these findings is published in the journal National Science Review.

To verify this result, the team compared the spectral response of quartz using photothermal induced resonance (PTIR) and photoinduced force microscopy (PiFM), showing that photoinduced dipole force (PiDF) dominates the photoinduced thermal forces (PiTF) of quartz. As PiDF shows a more pronounced relationship with the tip-quartz distance (~z4) compared to the PiTF ( ~z3), Dr. Li proposed a general approach for nano-IR contrast imaging of ultrathin samples loaded on top of quartz.

The ultrathin sample, characterized by a positive real part of the permittivity (weak oscillator), is expected to manifest weak PiTF and PiDF near its infrared (IR) resonance. However, a significant PiDF change is anticipated near the tip-induced nearfield resonance of the quartz substrate.

These spectral distinctions contribute to the contrasts in nano-IR imaging. Notably, the PiDF response on quartz exhibits a more conspicuous signal variation with respect to sample thickness compared to the PiTF of the sample. For ultrathin samples, PiDF imaging on quartz presents an opposite contrast with enhanced sensitivity compared to the nano-IR contrast imaging with the PiTF of the sample.

The team used a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) wedge prepared on a quartz substrate to demonstrate the substrate-enhanced nano-IR contrast imaging. The results provide clear evidence that the PiDF can be employed for sensitive nano-IR imaging of ultrathin samples under nanocavity geometry with improved contrast and sensitivity.

The researchers further applied the nano-IR imaging method to visualize thin covalent organic framework layers and subsurface defects under block-copolymer films. They hypothesized that by selecting suitable IR materials that exhibit phonon polaritons/reststrahlen bands, users could achieve high-resolution nanoimaging of specific crystals and polymer molecules, as well as biomolecules with known vibrational mode frequencies.

More information: Jian Li et al, Surface-phonon-polariton-enhanced photoinduced dipole force for nanoscale infrared imaging, National Science Review (2024). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae101
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Photomontage of the evolution of a tornado formed north of Minneola, Kansas on May 24, 2016. Credit: JasonWeingart/Wikimedia Commons

In the past week, weather authorities across the U.S. reported more than 100 tornadoes across the central and southern parts of the country, destroying dozens of homes and buildings from Oklahoma to Nebraska and Iowa.

In Oklahoma, where a tornado touched down in the middle of the night, severe thunderstorms and high winds resulted in the deaths of at least four people and injured more than 300 others.

As Colorado and many parts of the U.S. enter the severe weather season, CU Boulder Today spoke with Andrew Winters, assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, about how tornadoes develop, how climate change may exacerbate severe weather, and how to better prepare for these events.

What are tornadoes?

Tornadoes are rapidly spinning columns of air associated with severe thunderstorms. Typically, these tornadoes develop in areas of strong "wind shear," which is where the wind's direction and speed change rapidly moving upward in the atmosphere. Those areas of wind shear get ingested into thunderstorms, where they can facilitate rotation within a thunderstorm and eventually spawn columns of air to the ground, forming what we call tornadoes.

Are tornadoes common in the US?

The U.S. is one of the most favorable environments in the world for the formation of tornadoes. They're also common in South America and regions in Europe, but the unique geography of the U.S. creates an environment that's particularly conducive to tornadoes.

The central and the southeastern states are the regions with the greatest risk of tornadoes. One reason is that these regions have a lot of rising air. The central and southeastern U.S. is where warm, moist air masses originating from the Gulf of Mexico meet dry air that originates over the Rocky Mountains. Clashes between the two create some degree of instability in the environment, producing rapid upward air motion.

We saw more than 100 tornado reports across the US in the past week. When does tornado season begin?

Typically, the tornado season begins around March in the southeastern United States, and the area most likely to experience severe weather will migrate westward towards the central and southern plains. Once we get to summer months, especially June, we will begin to see various severe weather events from tornadoes to strong, damaging winds to large hail at higher latitudes in the plains like Colorado.

Is it usual to have so many tornadoes?

It is somewhat surprising that we are seeing so many tornadoes. We are currently exiting a strong El Nino winter, a natural climate phenomenon typically associated with a lower likelihood of severe weather and tornado activity in the Central Plains.

During El Nino, the atmosphere can produce a strong subtropical air current. Any waves or fluctuation along the subtropical jet stream that makes the jet wavy can create an environment that facilitates the production of severe weather and tornadoes in the spring. This is what caused the tornadoes across the country over the last couple of weeks.

Are we expecting more tornadoes in the following months?

It's a little bit too early to say for sure, but if the subtropical jet stream stays relatively active, there could be a prolonged active period of tornadoes.

Here in Colorado, we typically see the largest number of severe weather events in the months of May and June. We have a greater likelihood of tornadoes, extreme hail and strong, damaging wind gusts during that period. So that's something to keep an eye on in the next few weeks.

Does climate change increase the frequency and intensity of tornadoes in the US?

There are a lot of uncertainties about how climate change will impact storm-scale severe weather events such as tornadoes. Part of the reason is that most of our climate models don't have fine enough resolution to simulate a tornado.

What we can do is look at, on a large scale, how those different atmospheric ingredients that must come together to develop severe weather might change in the future climate. Some research has shown that we should expect a shift in tornado activity further east from the traditional tornado alley in the central U.S. So we might see a greater likelihood of tornado activity in the Mississippi River Valley region and the southeastern U.S.

What are some things we can do to help communities become more resilient to severe weather events like tornadoes?

We need to raise awareness for individuals, especially those who live in places that aren't traditionally susceptible to tornadoes but may become more susceptible with changes to the atmospheric circulation.

The first thing in terms of preparation is to have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings. That means not just relying on hearing a tornado siren as your only option, but making sure you have emergency notifications activated on your phone and you follow local meteorologists or National Weather Service accounts on social media.

Think ahead of time about where you're going if a tornado happens. Sometimes with these severe weather situations, you only have a few minutes of warning time to act before that threat is on top of you. You want to go to a room in the most interior part of your house, away from windows or below ground if that's an option. If you're in a more vulnerable structure, know if there are other community shelters available.

There's a lot of emphasis right now in the weather and atmospheric science community on improving the way we communicate the potential for severe weather. People are getting their information in many different ways nowadays.

Traditionally, most people would tune in to local news if they see a storm coming. Now they are getting information through their phone's alert system and social media.

We also need to make sure those communication methods are accessible to diverse audiences. That means including warnings and watches in multiple languages, and making sure that there are avenues to disseminate those warnings and watches to all communities.
As not only a reporter, but the resident cartoonist for The Post-Star, I find myself in a unique position. One thing Ive noticed as a reporter is how important a sense of humor is. We sometimes have to cover the absolute worst parts of our society, and if you cant find a way set that stuff aside and hit the mental refresh button once in a while, youre doomed.

Thats where  for me anyway  cartoons come in. You could be reading about some horrible world tragedy or political upheaval one moment, then you literally turn the page and a cartoon could be making you laugh the next. That, to me, is the true power of the press. Were not just here to beat up on the politicians, or hold up signs declaring, the end is nigh, we can have a little fun with it, too.

May 5, is National Cartoonists Day, a day set aside to take the funny-pages seriously. My editors at The Post-Star have been kind enough to give me some space to share a little bit with our readers about what Ive learned about where cartoons come from, and some of the people who have held a significant place in my soul as a professional cartoonist.

Where do cartoons come from?

Admittedly its a stretch from the cartoons we know and love today, but most scholars agree that early cave drawings served as a precursor to modern day animation. In an article entitled Prehistoric cinema: A silver screen on the cave wall, in New Scientist magazine, author Catherine Brahic details how our early ancestors use sequential illustrations on cave walls, as well as other surprisingly sophisticated cinematic trickery, to tell intricate stories.

Fast forward a few thousand years to ancient Egypt. As civilization advanced, so too did our use of illustration. Hieroglyphics are essentially an entire language comprised of clip art and emojis. The Egyptians lined their tomb walls with highly detailed illustrations depicting everything from agricultural and medical practices, to religious and political annotations.

Theres even a school of thought that the famously divisive Pharaoh, Akhenaten was depicted in statues and on wall paintings with a sunken chest, potbelly, and scrawny arms and legs as a form of early political satire.

The word cartoon comes from the Italian word la carta, meaning strong paper or map. It refers to the preliminary sketches made by the artist to be used as the template for their work. Whether it was a painting, a sculpture, stained glass, etc., all great works of art started out as cartoons; making the great Renaissance masters like Leonardo De Vinci and Michelangelo among the first cartoonists in history.

Some notable names in cartoon history

Benjamin Franklin is credited with a lot of innovations, one of which is the distinctly American form of editorial cartoons.

This month marks the 270th anniversary of the famous Join or Die, cartoon. While Franklin did not create the image, it was published on May 9, 1754 in the Pennsylvania Gazette, of which Franklin served as publisher. This well-known example of editorial art depicts a snake, sliced into eight segments, each depicting a portion of the original colonies along with the caption JOIN, or DIE. Although this image is primarily associated with the American Revolution, it was first created to inspire the colonies coming together as a British force in the build-up to the French and Indian War. Following that conflict, the image was appropriated as an enduring symbol of unanimity among the colonies in their fight against British rule. Ironically, during the Civil War both the Union and Confederate forces used the image to garner support for their cause.

Thomas Nast may have been the most influential editorial cartoonist in American history.

Around the time of the Civil War, Nast was hired by Harpers Weekly as their political illustrator. Nast has been credited with creating some of the most iconic political symbols still used today, such as the elephant and the donkey to represent the Republican and Democratic parties respectively, as well as the instantly recognizable visage of Uncle Sam.

Nast focused most of his editorial efforts on New York Citys Tweed Ring, which was manned by bought-off politicians, police officers, and other city officials. At the head of the corrupt New York Democratic political network was William M. Boss Tweed.

Tweed and his cronies openly engaged in buying votes, judicial corruption, and massive embezzlement from city contracts. Nasts cartoons shown a light on their crimes in a way that was accessible to the general public. Tweed himself allegedly said, Lets stop them damned pictures. I dont care so much what the papers write about me  my constituents cant read; but damn it, they can see pictures.

Turns out, he was right, Nasts cartoons were incredibly effective at motivating voters to cast out Tweeds pocketed politicians. The political backlash caused Tweed to flee the country to Spain, but he was extradited by authorities who reportedly recognized him from Nasts cartoons. Tweed later died in a New York prison after being sentenced for his crimes.

Richard F. Outcault holds a somewhat bilateral reputation in American cartoons. In the late 1800s, Outcault created the first featured, full-color Sunday comic strip titled, Hogans Alley, which ran in Joseph Pulitzers New York World newspaper beginning May 5, 1895.

The comic featured a cast of characters, primarily street-wise children, living in a typical New York slum. One character in particular named Mickey Dugan, who would later come to be known as the Yellow Kid, became the break-out star of the strip. The Kid was a bald-headed, snaggle-toothed, urchin who wore an oversized yellow nightshirt, which acted a sort of sandwich-board placard expressing the Yellow Kids thoughts and feelings.

The Kid hit.

Before long the Yellow Kid was being used to sell buttons, cigarettes, matchbooks, postcards, chewing gum, toys, even whiskey and many other products. People started snatching up subscriptions to the New York World in droves. This made Outcault and the Yellow Kid, the first commercial success in American cartoon history.

It also caught the attention of William Randolph Hearst, who was the publisher of the New York Journal, a rival paper to Pulitzers New York World. Hearst eventually lured Outcault and his Yellow Kid away from Pulitzer after a frenzied bidding war. However, because Outcault hadnt copyrighted his creation, Pulitzer was able to hire a different cartoonist to come in and keep drawing the strip. This is how the Yellow Kid came to be featured in both the New York World, and New York Journal newspapers. The kid became emblematic of Pulitzer and Hearsts rivalry, as well as their wavering commitment to journalistic integrity in favor of gimmicks and sensationalism to bolster sales.

So we have Richard Outcault and his Yellow Kid to thank for not only pioneering the art of cartooning as a legitimate and lucrative career, but also for the unscrupulous practice of, Yellow Journalism.

Bill Mauldin was a cartoonist who worked for Stars and Stripes Magazine during World War II. His frank and sardonic depictions of what life was like on the front lines made him a hit with his fellow soldiers, but were the chagrin to many of his superiors. Mauldin created a set of scruffy, haggard infantrymen named Willie and Joe who would often engage in blatantly caustic or surreptitious criticism of the U.S. military, particularly officers and the perceived notion of the clean-cut, all American soldier.

Mauldin drew inspiration for his cartoons directly from the soldiers he would meet and interview while working for the magazine. This led to an instant connection between the working stiffs of the U.S. military and Mauldins work. But many of the higher-ups were not impressed with Willie and Joes maudlin milieu.

None other than Gen. George S. Patton himself was a known hater of Mauldins work, so much so that he took his contempt for the cartoons all the way up to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces, spurring a direct order form Dwight D. Eisenhower for the two to meet.

Eisenhower, understood that the cartoons were a good morale booster for the fighting men, but Patton insisted that they made the American forces look slovenly and disheveled, which would lead to lost support back home and abroad.

In December, 1944 the 23-year-old cartoonist was marched into a one-on-one meeting with old Blood and Guts, which is hilariously recounted in Mauldins sort of memoir, The Brass Ring. In the end the two parted ways agreeing to disagree. In 1945, the same year Patton died, Mauldin won the Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary, and Willie, of Willie and Joe, appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine.

Why it all still matters today

Satirists of all varieties, including cartoonists, will always be at odds with people who are unable to balance their beliefs with a sense of humor.

The Islamic prohibition on any depictions of its highest religious figure, the Prophet Muhammad, has long been a point of contention between satirists and Muslim purists.

That conflict reached a boiling point on Jan. 7, 2015, when two militant Islamist extremists attacked the French satirical humor magazine, Charlie Hebdo, for publishing cartoons depicting Muhammad. The two men forced their way into the editorial offices and asked for the editor and four cartoonists by name, killing them along with seven others.

Reports of the account said that the men were heard cheering, We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad, and, God is Great.

To honor the indomitable will and unfettered spirit of free speech, the magazine didnt miss its next weekly publication, which depicted Muhammad with a tear running down his face, drawn in the style of one of the slain cartoonists on its Jan. 14 cover. The character is seen holding a sign that reads, Je suis Charlie (I am Charlie) with the caption Tout est pardonne (All is forgiven) across the top of the page. The incident caused an international movement and discussion about the roll satire plays in free speech.

Cartoons have held a unique distinction in the human zeitgeist; in particular within newspapers and magazines. National Cartoonists Day was initiated by the National Cartoonists Society in the 1990s to celebrate the cultural, political, and sociological impact cartoons have had throughout the world.

Thank you for reading and  with luck laughing,

Alex Portal
ATLANTIC CITY  Police are looking for two men wanted for their alleged involvement in two separate shootings earlier this year.

In the first shooting, officers responded to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, at 2:34 a.m. March 13 and found the victim, a 29-year-old from Pleasantville, police said Monday in a news release. The victim told investigators they were shot near Pennsylvania and Pacific avenues during an argument with Ashan Jackson, 19, of Galloway Township.

Jackson was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

On April 7, Warren Govan, 38, of Philadelphia, went to AtlantiCare to be treated for a gunshot wound. Police said while Govan was there, he provided false information and told officers he was shot at Sovereign and Atlantic avenues.

An investigation determined Govan shot himself and he was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, certain persons not to possess a weapon and hindering apprehension.

Both men are at large.

Anyone with information about these men or the incidents can call police at 609-347-5766 or text a tip to 847411.
A new partnership between St. Ambrose University and Mount Mercy University will allow students to take some courses at the other university.

Beginning in the fall, students at either university will be able to take a range of courses from the other  in either hybrid, in-person or online formats. The goal is join forces to widen student access and create new, cross-community opportunities, the schools said.

"Let's say, hypothetically, there's an (upper-level course) offering you want to take and you're a Mount Mercy student. You could take that at St. Ambrose," SAU President Amy Novak said. "There may be cases (where) we have a faculty member going between the two institutions, so we're excited because we think it expands the opportunities for student learning."

Mount Mercy and SAU are also in the process of finalizing a second agreement to facilitate a "seamless" transition from undergraduate to graduate degree programs. Between the two universities, this includes 18 graduate program pathways, along with a variety of certificate or degree completion programs for adult learners.

"Students would be able to, in some cases, gain early admittance into those graduate programs, (which) may mean the elimination of one whole year of undergraduate so they can get right into the graduate program," Novak said, adding the proposal would address issues of access and affordability for traditional and non-traditional students.

Along with reduced costs and degree completion time, another anticipated benefit of this new partnership is creating new student opportunities in both the Quad-Cities and Cedar Rapids communities.

"We're two strong universities with really complementary assets and strengths," Mount Mercy President Todd Olson said. "I believe we'll really be able to amplify our impact for students, for employers and for our communities (via this partnership), so I see it as a very promising set of opportunities."

Students will see no change to their diplomas upon graduation, even if they complete courses at both universities.

"They will still be Mount Mercy Mustangs or St. Ambrose Bees as we go forward," Novak said.

The two universities plan to continue collaborations moving forward, with a focus on student access and long-term sustainability.

In discussions which began in January of 2023, Mount Mercy and SAU leaders believe that by exploring a "strategic combination" of the two institutions, they can leverage shared administrative functions to save and increase efficiency.

"I think this is, frankly really novel, not just in Iowa, but across the country," Novak said. "Rather than this question of, 'How do we survive?" I think the real question was, 'What would be possible if we brought two strong institutions together?'"

In coming months, the two universities plan to expand conversations about the potential strategic combination  a move that would be subject to regulatory and accrediting agency requirements.

"We believe that we're being proactive  We just want to be responsive to what's happening in our society (and) what our students need," Olson said. "We expect, in the future, that more and more institutions will likely pursue conversations like this."

He and Novak will co-host forums, at each campus, about what a potential strategic combination between SAU and Mercy could entail, open to students, faculty, alumni and community members.

Photos: St. Ambrose University Dance Marathon raises $192,831.12
Correction This article has been updated to reflect that Sarah Beck-Berman was the cantor for Sunday's ceremony.

We are gathered here today for this awesome and awful commemoration, Rabbi Dovid Asher said to a crowd of about 200 bowed heads at the Virginia Holocaust Museums Yom HaShoah ceremony.

Yom HaShoah is the annual Day of Remembrance to honor the memory of millions of Jewish Holocaust victims.

Sundays ceremony was led by Samuel Asher, president and executive director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum.

In todays atmosphere, political, cultural, ideological and racial divisions here in America mean the mission of the Virginia Holocaust Museum has never been more relevant and vital in our society, Asher said after honoring friends of the museum who have died this year.

The museums mission is to preserve and document the history of the Holocaust and other genocides in order to educate and inspire future generations of Virginians to fight prejudice and all forms of indifference.

Everyone who visits the Holocaust Museum will learn about the horrors of the Holocaust so that it may never happen again, Samuel Asher said. Yet we learn of the barbaric acts of Hamas perpetrated on Israelis on October 7 and now there are protests erupting on college campuses across America. We cant help but fear in the deepest crevices of our soul.

Pro-Palestine protesters and police clashed last Monday evening after officers tried to clear a makeshift encampment on the lawn outside the James Branch Cabell Library on Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Monroe Park campus. The protesters were pitching tents in what they called a liberation zone and demanding an immediate end to Israels offensive in Gaza; 13 people were arrested.

On Sunday, Sarah Beck-Berman performed the chanting of the El Maleh Rachamim and the Mourners Kaddish during the ceremony before the keynote address by Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

Carole Weinstein awarded the winners of the Prize for Tolerance and Justice in the Visual Arts. The contest theme was Never Again.

Six Holocaust memorial candles were lit during the ceremony by survivor families from the Richmond region. The six candles signify the 6 million Jewish people who perished in the Holocaust. One of the candles is shorter than the others to represent the 1.5 million children who were killed.

Roger Loria, 84, lit the second candle.

They declared me a deserter at 3 years old because I escaped deportation, Loria said.

During the Holocaust, the entire paternal side of Lorias family died. Loria and his mother evaded capture while moving from town to town across central Europe before finding a haven in a Swiss refugee camp in 1944.

It was hate, he said. Its important that people know that. It is extremely important that people know the history and the truth so they do not repeat it because of ignorance.

The museums Yom HaShoah ceremony offered a peaceful space for reflection on the past, but attendees were not dismissive about their fears for today. Both Samuel Asher and Eizenstat spoke on the uptick in security presence among the Jewish community.

When I came here, every survivor that survived the war, their biggest desire was to come to America, but its changing now. For me to see that really hurts me a lot, said Halina Zimm, a Holocaust survivor. I never believed this would happen in this country.

Zimm, 95, came to the U.S. when she was 21. She is grateful for the chance to tell her and her familys story.

I was the lucky one. My mother, my father, tremendous family; they all died. I speak for them because they cannot speak for themselves, Zimm said. So I guess God wants me to be here, so I can tell the story.

Close Cantor Sara Beck-Berman chants the El Maleh Rachamim during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. Hannah Cohen, a second generation survivor of the Holocaust, lights a candle during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. Samuel Asher, president and executive director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum, speaks during the Yom HaShoah ceremony at the museum in Richmond on Sunday. Keynote speaker Stuart E. Eizenstat speaks during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. People gather at the end of the Yom HaShoah ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum on Sunday to view the Tolerance and Justice winning pieces in the Visual Arts Contest. Gabriel Laufer, a second-generation survivor of the Holocaust, lights a candle during the Yom HaShoah ceremony on Sunday. Winners of the Visual Arts Contest pose for a group portrait at the Virginia Holocaust Museum on Sunday. Keynote speaker Stuart E. Eizenstat speaks during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum Cantor Sara Beck-Berman chants the El Maleh Rachamim during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. Hannah Cohen, a second generation survivor of the Holocaust, lights a candle during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. Samuel Asher, president and executive director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum, speaks during the Yom HaShoah ceremony at the museum in Richmond on Sunday. Keynote speaker Stuart E. Eizenstat speaks during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5. People gather at the end of the Yom HaShoah ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum on Sunday to view the Tolerance and Justice winning pieces in the Visual Arts Contest. Gabriel Laufer, a second-generation survivor of the Holocaust, lights a candle during the Yom HaShoah ceremony on Sunday. Winners of the Visual Arts Contest pose for a group portrait at the Virginia Holocaust Museum on Sunday. Keynote speaker Stuart E. Eizenstat speaks during the Yom Hashoah Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va. May 5.
Belize struggles to meet power demand after Mexicos CFE curtails supply

Costa Maya, Q. R.  The Government of Belize has announced scheduled power cuts in their northern region to deal with an electrical curtailment from Mexico. The two-hour power interruptions, which began Friday, have affected portions of Rural Orange Walk, Rural Corozal including Free Zone, San Ignacio, Ladyville, Belmopan, Dangriga, Independence, Punta Gorda and even Belize City.

The reduction in power around northern Belize is due to the CFE (Comision Federal de Electricidad) supply decrease to the country. Mexicos Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reduced the electrical supply to Belize after recently struggling to keep up with its own country demands.

In a statement, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) announced scheduled power interruptions due to temporary in-country generation shortages and curtailment of supply from the CFE in Mexico.

The statement reported Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) hereby informs our Customers that we are currently implementing scheduled power interruptions in various service areas throughout the country over the next 24 hours.

Daily electricity demand levels have varied between 85 MW and 125 MW throughout the day over the past few weeks, while in-country generation capacity is currently a maximum of 95 MW.

This means that BEL is currently dependent on supply from Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) in Mexico to meet demand for a significant portion of the day. CFE normally supplies up to 55 MW of capacity to the grid.

However, we have received communication from CFE regarding challenges they are facing in sustaining the energy supply to our network, and they have advised that they may have to curtail energy supply to Belize throughout the next 48 hours.

BEL is, therefore, preparing to address the impacts of the resulting supply shortages that may arise throughout the day: Starting at 10:00 a.m. this morning, load shedding will become necessary for various sections of the country to effectively manage the available energy supply.

Areas likely to be impacted in the first instance include portions of Orange Walk. In the early afternoon, load shedding is expected to impact portions of Corozal, San Ignacio, Dangriga and Independence.

Load shedding is a controlled process of temporarily reducing electricity consumption across different areas to ensure the stability and continuous operation of the national electricity grid.

The electrical power supply reduction to Belize came after several scheduled power outages around the state of Quintana Roo. Last week, a majority of Playa del Carmen was left without electricity for around 13 hours while the CFE worked to improve the supply.

Nether side has said if the curtailed power supply from Mexico will be ongoing and continue to affect Belize residents.
Residents help battle fast moving wild fire along Felipe Carrillo Puerto highway

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Q.R.  A fast moving brush fire along a section of Felipe Carrillo Puerto highway has been put out. Residents in the community of X-Hazil Sur attempted to snuff flames while they waited for firemen.

The fire was reported Sunday afternoon outside the community of X-Hazil Sur in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. A lack of rain and strong winds helped spread the wild fire while nearby ejido residents did their best to contain it.

Municipal firemen along with Civil Protection personnel, military members of National Defence and workers from a nearby section of Maya Train participated in battling flames.

Due to the dry conditions and wind gusts, several nearby homes were in danger of being consumed.

According to Ejidal Commissariat President Gabriel Santos, the fire started on a recently donated plot of land meant for a police station. He was made aware of the fire that was spreading fast and endangering nearby homes.

Residents are seen here, right, attempting to put out the initial fire. Photo: May 5, 2024.

A group of ejidos began the task of trying to put out the initial fire area while they waited for help. Due to the fast movement of the fire, residents requested assistance from various bodies to help put it out.

However, the flames spread fast and help was requested.

More than 250 meters of land was burned in the Sunday afternoon wild fire. Authorities have not provided information on a possible cause.
UNESCO, INAI calling in government environmental impact statements for all Tren Maya hotels

Mexico City, Mexico  The National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) has called in all six Maya Train hotel environmental impact statements.

Adrian Alcala Mendez, President Commissioner of the Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Informacion y Proteccion de Datos Personales (INAI) says the documents are the legal-normative instrument that allows evaluating the environmental impact that the projects will have.

According to Alcala Mendez, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) must release the Environmental Impact Statements (MIAs) of six hotels that are part of the complementary work of the Maya Train.

Only with documents such as those required, through the request for information, will it be possible to know precisely the impact that the Tren Maya hotels would generate on the environment as well as the mitigation measures that must be followed.

And the INAI constitutes an indispensable link so that society has all the necessary elements that allow it to audit, monitor, corroborate and review that the works comply with the legal requirements, said Alcala Mendez.

The MIAs (Manifestacion de Impacto Ambiental) have been called in after general concern regarding hotel construction. One of those concerns was of the UNESCO office in Mexico about the construction of a Tren Maya hotel in the Calakmul Reserve.

Juan Luis Montoya Acevez of UNESCO Mexico said that until now, the Mexican government had not informed them about the construction of the hotel (which began in January 2023), despite being located in a UNESCO world heritage site.

Last month, UNESCO reported that they will seek to clarify the position of the UNESCO World Heritage Center on the construction project of the hotel, which they found out about through a Mexican media article.

UNESCO has been informed of the project to build a new hotel within the boundaries of the Antigua Ciudad Maya property and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche, through the media.

However, to date, the World Heritage Center has not been notified by the Mexican authorities in this regard. In accordance with the procedure provided for in the Practical Guidelines of the World Heritage Convention, the UNESCO World Heritage Center is contacting the Mexican authorities to obtain precise technical information on this project and its implementation.

Once this information has been received, the World Heritage Center will carry out a technical examination to verify the possible repercussions of this project on the Outstanding Universal Value of the site, that is, on the elements that justify the inscription of the property on the Heritage World List.

The review will subsequently be provided to Mexican authorities to guide the institutions responsible for the conservation and management of the site. Any pertinent information resulting from the above will be taken into account in the monitoring of the state of conservation of the property carried out by the World Heritage Committee.

The archaeological site of Calakmul has been part of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 2002.

The under-construction Tren Maya hotels that have had their MIAs called in by the INAI are located in Palenque, Chiapas, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Calakmul and Edzna, Campeche as well as Nuevo Uxmal and Chichen Itza, Yucatan.
NORTH SIOUX CITY -- Authorities have released the names of two children and an adult who were killed in a fire caused by a gas explosion Saturday morning in North Sioux City.

The deceased were 1-year-old Ezra Josiah Allen, 8-year-old Keenan Andre Allen and 75-year-old Sharon Kay Allen, Union County Emergency Management wrote in a social media post.

Multiple agencies were called at 7:09 a.m. Saturday to 7 Bancroft Ct., North Sioux City, for a fire. On arrival, first responders found the residence fully engulfed in flames. The bodies were found at around 9 a.m.

A South Dakota Fire Marshal investigator ruled that day that the fire was caused by a propane explosion.

Responding agencies included the North Sioux City Fire Department, North Sioux City Paramedics, North Sioux City Police Department, Sergeant Bluff Fire, Union County Sheriffs Office and Union County Emergency Management.
HARRISBURG, Pa.  The student protest movement disrupting university campuses, classes and graduation ceremonies over the war in Gaza is also roiling Senate contests across the nation as Democrats tread cautiously over an internal divide and Republicans play up their rivals' disagreements.

The political impact of the protests on the White House campaign has drawn considerable attention, with opposition to President Joe Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war reverberating from Columbia to UCLA. The fast-evolving landscape of the demonstrations is shaping pivotal Senate races, too.

Tent encampments have popped up at universities in many states where Democrats this election year are defending seats essential to maintaining the party's razor-thin Senate majority. At some schools, police crackdowns and arrests have followed.

The protests have sharpened the campaign rhetoric in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio and Michigan, among other places. Republican candidates in California and Florida have stepped up their criticism of the Democratic president for the U.S. response to the war or for chaotic scenes on American campuses.

Some Republicans have shown up at encampments, including one at George Washington University, not far from the White House. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is facing reelection, said on social media that he went there to show solidarity with Jewish students. "We need to do all we can to protect them, he said.

Republican candidate David McCormick, during a visit to the University of Pennsylvania, said protesters at the Ivy League school did not know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil," and were creating a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students.

McCormick decried what he frames as a lack of leadership and moral clarity on the part of his Democratic opponent, Sen. Bob Casey, as well as by Biden and administrators at the school buffeted by accusations of harboring antisemitism.

Whats happening on campuses is clearly a test of leadership and moral courage, both for the college presidents and for our leaders and for Sen. Casey and President Biden, McCormick said in an interview.

Israel and its supporters say the protests are antisemitic, a charge that Israels critics say is sometimes used to silence legitimate opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, protest organizers, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at trying to save the lives of Palestinian civilians.

Many Democrats, from Biden on down, avoided saying much about the situation until recently as universities began to crack down and comparisons were made to anti-war protests of the 1960s.

Even then, Democrats balanced their criticism of antisemitism and rule-breakers with the need to protect the right to free expression and peaceful protest. Some have tried to avoid taking sides in protests that have pitted pro-Israeli versus pro-Palestinian Democrats and divided important parts of the party's base, including Jewish, Arab American and younger voters.

Republicans, meanwhile, have railed at what they characterized as equivocating or silence by Democrats. Republicans professed solidarity with Jews against antisemitism while condemning the protests as lawless.

Mike Rogers, a Republican seeking an open Senate seat in Michigan, said student protesters at Columbia were Hamas sympathizers. In California, GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey called them terrorists practicing terrorism disguised as free speech.

In five states, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate Republicans' campaign arm, is using the protests in digital ads about student loan forgiveness, saying Democrats want to pay off the loans of students radicalized by the far left who are threatening Jews, attacking police and acting like terrorists.

McCormick and others say universities that, in their view, tolerate antisemitism should lose federal subsidies and that visas should be revoked for any foreign student inciting violence or expressing pro-Hamas sentiments at the encampments.

Casey, long a staunch supporter of Israel, has criticized acts of antisemitism on campuses and pointed to legislation he sponsored as a way to make sure the Education Department takes action.

Students of course have the right to peacefully protest, but when it crosses the line either into violence or discrimination, then we have an obligation to step in and stop that conduct, Casey said Thursday as he urged colleagues to pass his bill.

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who is Jewish and facing reelection, said she was horrified by displays of antisemitism on campuses and, like Casey, called for the department to hold schools accountable.

In California, U.S. Rep Adam Schiff, the Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat, took aim at the Columbia demonstration and said antisemitic and hateful rhetoric is being loudly and proudly displayed. Accused by Garvey of being incredibly silent on the protests, Schiff, who is Jewish, voted for a House bill similar to Casey's and released a statement that condemned violence and the explicit, repeated targeting and intimidation of Jewish students.

Republicans elsewhere contended statements by Democrats were equivocating and inadequate.

Republicans called out Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, after he told an Axios reporter last week that he was not going to talk about the politics of that. People always have the right to speak out and should.

His Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno, charged that Brown had wholeheartedly endorsed these vile and violent antisemitic demonstrations.

A visual history of campus protests in the US A visual history of campus protests in the US 1933: Columbia University students strike in defense of 'academic freedom' 1940: Students for Peace protest America's involvement in WWII 1968: UC Berkeley's anti-draft 'Vietnam Commencement' 1968: Howard University students call for radical administration change 1968: Students for a Democratic Society occupies Hamilton Hall at Columbia University 1969: Black Student Strike at the UW Madison 1969: Central State University students assemble in Columbus, Ohio, to oppose admissions policies 1970: GW University students carry on anti-war demonstrations near Watergate complex in DC 1970: Protests erupt following Kent State shootings 1970: Students protest racial injustice at Jackson State College 1985: Students camp out at Columbia University's Hamilton Hall to protest apartheid 1999: University of Minnesota students demand action regarding sexual conduct investigations 2018: Student activists lead 'die-in' protesting gun violence at NYU A visual history of campus protests in the US 1970: GW University students carry on anti-war demonstrations near Watergate complex in DC 2014: Washington University students protest to draw attention to police abuse 2017: Emerson College students walk out to protest on-campus racism
FORT LIBERTY, N.C.  The video is unsettling, with haunting images of faceless people, fire and soldiers. The voiceover is a cascade of recognizable historical voices as the screen pulses cryptic messages touting the power of words, ideas and invisible hands.

Hints of its origin are tucked into frames as they flash by: PSYWAR. The Armys psychological warfare soldiers are using their brand of mental combat to bring in what the service needs: recruits. And if you find the video intriguing, you may be the Armys target audience as it works to enlist soldiers to join its Special Operations Command.

Released in the early morning hours Thursday, the video is the second provocative recruiting ad that, in itself, exemplifies the kind of work the psyop soldiers do to influence public opinion and wage the war of words overseas. Called Ghost in the Machine 2, it is coming out two years after the inaugural video was quietly posted on the units YouTube site and generated a firestorm of online chatter.

Its a recruiting video, said the Army major who created it, speaking with The Associated Press before the release. Someone who watches it and thinks, wow, that was effective, how was it constructed  thats the kind of creative mindset were looking for."

The soldier, a member of the 8th Psychological Operations Group based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, also made the first video. He asked that his name not be used to protect his identity, as is common among special forces troops.

Psyop units are used for an array of missions that can range from simple leaflet drops to more sophisticated propaganda and messaging aimed at deceiving the enemy or shaping opinion on foreign soil. Its illegal for the U.S. military to conduct psychological operations on Americans.

Army Special Operations Command leaders and special forces recruiters hope that a new stream of chatter inspired by the video will help bring in recruits to an often unseen and little known job.

From a tactical level, the psyop mission is extremely hard to show and tell, said Lt. Col. Steve Crowe, commander of the Special Forces Recruiting Battalion. And its the job in Army special forces that recruiters say is the hardest to fill.

Across the military, the armed services have been struggling to meet enlistment goals, with most falling far short of their targets in recent years. The Army, which is the largest service, has had the most trouble, missing its goal by about 15,000 soldiers for the past two years. But most of the services say things are improving this year.

The Armys Special Operations recruiters who recruit from already-serving soldiers say they are making about 75% of their overall goal, which is between 3,000 and 4,000. Of that, they have to bring in about 650 active-duty soldiers to psychological operations per year.

Officials blame the nations low unemployment, increased competition from corporate businesses, which can pay more and offer similar benefits, and a sluggish return from several years of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that prevented recruiters from visiting schools and attending other public events.

Recruiting struggles in Army Special Operations Command have mirrored those of the larger Army. The recruiters said they are responsible for bringing in several types of special forces  the most well-known are the Green Berets and Delta Force, but there are also Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers.

The Army has said it intends to trim the number of psyop soldiers, but still has struggled to fill the ranks.

Perhaps the most celebrated psyop was in World War II, when the so-called U.S. Ghost Army outwitted the Germans using inflatable tanks, radio trickery, costumes and impersonations. In what was dubbed Operation Viersen, the soldiers used the inflatables, sound trucks and phony headquarters to draw German units away from the point on the Rhine River where the 9th Army was actually crossing. Several of the last surviving members of the unit were recently awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in Washington.

These days, psyop activities are often classified. But one of the last U.S. service members to die in Afghanistan  killed by a suicide bomber at Abbey Gate during the chaotic evacuation in 2021  was a psyop soldier: Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. His task that day was largely crowd control and influence, by using a bullhorn to communicate with the frantic throngs of Afghans and get them moving in the right direction.

About half of the psychological operations troops are young people who join when they enlist. The rest are recruited from within the Army's existing ranks. The commands recruiters focus on the internal audience, which has its own challenges.

A growing hurdle, according to Crowe and Army Maj. Jim Maicke, executive officer of the Special Forces recruiting battalion, is that these days regular soldiers across the Army have less interaction with special operations forces than they did during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

In those conflicts, soldiers often worked side-by-side with commandos, or were deployed at the same bases and had a better view of what they did.

Business was generally pretty good. And the reason, we believe, was all the interaction that was happening between special operations and conventional forces, said Crowe, adding that soldiers got to see behind the curtain, how we operate. We dont have that anymore.

Recruiters say the first video was successful.

I think what he does with Ghost in the Machine is it tells you what psychological operations is, and shows you it, without telling you in words, said Crowe. You watch the video and youre like, okay, this is how Ill influence and change behavior.

Survey finds more high schoolers put higher value on job training than a college degree Survey finds more high schoolers put higher value on job training than a college degree 1. High schoolers and non-enrolled adults value on-the-job training the most out of all postsecondary options. 2. High schoolers are more likely to align college importance with future job placements and income. 3. The importance of a college degree declined among non-enrolled adults compared to those surveyed in the fall of 2022. 4. Most non-enrolled adults see more value in licenses, professional certificates, and trade schools compared to a four-year degree. Survey finds more high schoolers put higher value on job training than a college degree
Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My son Jimmy, who is in third grade, recently got called to the principals office following a complaint by his classmate Bens parent that he grabbed Bens private parts while playing. Ben regularly plays with Jimmy, and Im close with Bens mom. While Jimmy feels bad for his behavior, he says it is quite common among his friends and he didnt do it to hurt Ben. His dad and I are personally horrified by this and have talked to him about boundaries. I apologized to Bens mom for Jimmys behavior. Recently, while dropping off Jimmy at school, my husband overheard Bens father talk about this incident to another parent. I am worried that this is getting out of hand, and that other parents will begin restricting their kids from playing with Jimmyboth at school and outside. Should I do some damage control or just wait this out?

Concerned About Being Cast Away

Dear Cast Away,

I wish I knew the dynamics better here. You say youre close to Bens mom, but that Bens parent called the principal about Jimmys behavior rather than call you. Are Bens parents divorced and the dad was the one who went to the principal, or was Bens mom aware of and participatory in the report? I ask because I think the most straightforward solution is to call Bens mom and ask her if she can clarify what your husband overheard. Maybe Bens dad was telling tales, but maybe he was making a larger point about the idiocy of this game the kids are playingvery different conversations. I would hope, if youre close, that Bens mom would be willing to be candid with you.

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If its the latter, just wait it out. The story will go around the class but likely with limited impact on Jimmy. If, however, Bens dad is indeed airing some grievances, then I think you act. Tell Bens mom that you fear that Jimmy might get black-listed for a mistake he didnt fully understand, and appeal to her better angels for help cooling the narrative, if needed. Meanwhile, grab another mom or two that youre close to and have a one-on-one convo with them about the misunderstanding. Tread lightly, and dont throw Bens parents under the bus.

I might be naive, but I doubt Jimmy will face major repercussions for this. These kids are still young and learning boundaries; a reasonable parent will understand that fact (just as the school did). Wait this one out. Most likely this will blow over.

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Submit your questions to Care and Feeding here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.)

Dear Care and Feeding,

I was incredibly fortunate to meet a group of moms while we were all pregnant with our oldest children. A couple of us are stay-at-home moms and able to meet up during the week for play dates. Weve noticed that one of the children is becoming aggressive and mischievously acting up when they dont think were looking, specifically taking it out on one child more than the others. These actions are typically met with a simple timeout and no true explanation of why. My concern is that by continuing to choose to have my children play with this child they will think its appropriate to choose these types of friends in the future. When we leave play dates, we discuss the appropriate and inappropriate behavior of our friends and how we prefer to be treated and treat others. My young children still choose to go to these activities and specifically play with this child, although another child in the group who is mainly targeted has said they no longer want to play with this bully. Id love to keep our play group together but Im unsure its a healthy decision and Im not sure how to or if I should be handling things differently.

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Id like to add we do believe this child has a sensory-seeking personality and it may be causing him to be a bit rougher, we also think rough housing is something they play at home and may not be appropriate for a 4-year-old.

Mamma Who NEEDS Playdates

Dear Playdates,

Who is we in your last paragraph? Its fine if you and another mom are having a sidebar about little [Timmys] behavior, charting the new-to-you world of parenting, but I hope you arent getting into a bit of a mean girl habit of having a whole separate group chat for everyone but Timmys mom. Thats not cool and needs to be nipped in the bud if it is happening.

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Lets talk about Timmy. Depending on the specific activities, roughhousing is absolutely appropriate behavior for a 4-year-old, and is actually one of the ways that kids figure out how to modulate themselves. It does get tricky for sensory-seeking kids, where the need for sensory input can drown out the signals theyre getting from their peers and grownups, but thats not necessarily a reason to stop playing altogether. If you truly suspect there is sensory-seeking behavior here, you might try to choose activities for the group where Timmys sensory needs can be met in other ways than physical contact with the other kids. Swings and jungle gyms, rolling down hills, bumper cars, hand-eye coordination, and more can be helpful sensory activitiesplus they are fun for all kids and dont require you (or me) to armchair-diagnose anyone.

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Now lets talk about the group. Friendships ebb and flow, and adult groups rarely share the same stalwart closeness that the cliques of our youths did. Maybe the one mom comes to the playdates less frequently because she and her child are uncomfortable with Timmys behavior. It doesnt mean the playdates must end altogether. Your children still like playing with Timmy, so let them continue to, even if another mom opts out. I highly doubt that it will have any adverse effect on who your kid seeks out for a friend in the future (as if us parents really have control over that, anyway). Id also point out that, even though he might be difficult, Timmy deserves friends, and his mom does, too. Dont be the mom that has a litmus test for your familys friendships. Be the mom who models patience and grace, and teach your child the same, alongside boundaries and behavior.

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Catch Up on Care and Feeding

 Missed earlier columns this week? Read them here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

My kindergartener loves school. When I come to pick her up shell excitedly tell me about her day, all the things she did in class. She loves her teacher, she loves her friends, and she loves all the activities she does. Shes so proud of herself when she does something well, and her teacher only has lovely things to say about her.

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However, every morning she forgets that she loves school. Our morning routine to get her out the door is challenging. Its a similar routine every day punctuated by whining or tears about how much she hates school. On weekends or holidays, shes in a great mood. This started about a month ago. I think the only major changes around that time was that she started wearing glasses and she turned 6. No amount of reminding her how shes going to see her friends or that shes going to do fun stuff will help. I havent been able to find any reason why she hates it, she wont tell me other than that she hates school and doesnt want to go. Her teacher says she very rarely sees my daughter upset, even in the morning. Is there anything I should do here? Or is this just a phase that all kids go through?

Morning Routine Without Tears

Dear Morning,

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Is it possible that she would simply rather stay home? Put another way, maybe its not something negative about school, but something positive about home, that is making her hesitant to leave. My youngest sometimes gets in a funk when he learns he cant have screens or play with his current favorite toyschool becomes the enemy those mornings, and it has nothing to do with how much he enjoys himself there. If this is the case, it might just be something you have to grin and bear for a while.

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Have you ever talked to her about this phenomenon after school, when shes in a great mood? Maybe shed have more luck communicating at that point. You could ask her to write, name, or draw the three things she likes the best about school, and the three she likes the least. Ask her to do the same for days off. It might uncover some clues.

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Have you noticed anything else about her behavior that gives you pause? Its possible there could be an underlying condition, like anxiety, at play. If you do have curiosities or concerns about her behavior overall, make an appointment with a neuropsychologist who can give you a professional opinion and, if warranted, a diagnosis. Otherwise, stay the course and see if the behavior continues through this year and repeats itself in the fall. Hopefully, this is truly just a phase.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My daughter Pippa is 8 years old. About two months ago, a new classmate, Kyle, joined her class. Pippa complained a lot about Kyle from the start. But her complaints started to sound extreme and I wound up speaking to her teacher about it. The teacher is a first-year teacher and doesnt seem to have any tools to handle the situation. She said Kyle hits, grabs others, throws chairs, and on one memorable occasion, tried to strangle his para with her school lanyard. At this point, the kids regularly evacuate the classroom and wait in the hallway for Kyle to calm down when he gets upset. The teacher seems to have basically given up on the situation and is walking on eggshells around Kyle.

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Pippa talks about being scared at school and Im worried for her safety and also her learning opportunities. The parents of her classmates are just as worried about their kids. Ive spoken with the principal, who pushed a bunch of meaningless stuff about inclusion, and free appropriate public education (FAPE) requirements, without ever addressing the safety issue. Inclusion is greatif safety isnt at risk! What more can I do here to keep my daughter safe? Other parents have spoken to Kyles mom but said she denies his problems and seemed to be struggling to juggle Kyle with her other kids.

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The way they approached her felt like bullying to me, and I stayed out of it. But right now, no ones safe and no ones learning. Pippas going to be in school until June. This cant continue, but what steps can we take that arent pulling Pippa out of school (we dont have child care!) or joining the other parents who are being pretty nasty to Kyles mom? To make this whole thing stickier, Kyle and his family are Black while the majority of the school is white. My wife and I have no idea what to do and it feels like the principal is dropping the ball. Do we go to the superintendent? If so, how do we do it so our message is clear and not muddied by what the other parents have been doing and saying?

This Isnt Working

Dear Working,

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I took the liberty of running your letter by a teacher friend of mine. Her gut said that the school may be trying to advocate but getting nowhere, and more voicesespecially from parentscan help. Her advice was to elevate this to the district as well as the school board and emphasize the fact that the current situation is serving no onenot Pippa and her classmates and certainly not Kyle. She suggested taking data on the frequency and severity of behaviors that Pippa reports, not as a gotcha but as a way to underscore the seriousness of the situation. Its very possible that the school is also gathering its own evidence to seek an alternative placement for Kyle, but thats not something theyll disclose to you.

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Meanwhile, you can speak to the school social worker if you feel that Pippa and the other kids might need some help feeling safe in class. This, again, is a way to let the school and district admin know that there are consequences for what is happening in the class.

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In all of this, do not make this personal about Kyle (he is a kid who desperately needs help and isnt getting it), and certainly follow your gut and dont align yourself with those other moms. You have no idea what Kyles mom is facing at home and what supports she may or may not have and making her feel more alone or isolated isnt going to do anyone any favors. Good luck!

Allison

More Advice From Slate

Im a single mother of a wonderfully smart, engaged, thoughtful 11-year-old boy. His father sees him about once every six weeks and for all school breaks but lives 4 hours away. Im a nurse at a busy hospital and work 12-hour overnight shifts, and my parents watch my son while Im at work. This has been the arrangement since I finished nursing school when he was 7 (his dad and I split when he was 1), but over the past year he has become very clingy.
Read our ongoing coverage of Donald Trumps first criminal trial here.

Last week, members of Donald Trumps defense team put the first serious dent in the prosecutions case in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. It came when they got their turn to cross-examine one of the prosecutions witnesses, former Daniels attorney Keith Davidson, who represented the adult film actor at the earliest stages of this scandal. Trumps attorney Emil Bove hammered Davidson with secretly recorded conversations between Davidson and Trump fixer Michael Cohen. In those conversations, Davidsonwho spent much of the week testifying about Cohens extraordinary efforts to keep Daniels quiet in the days leading up to the 2016 electionappeared to reveal private conversations with his client that portrayed her as trying to extort Trump.

It was from this approach to Davidson that a view of Trumps ultimate defense in this case began to take shape. This was not a conspiracy to illegally influence the 2016 election via unreported in-kind contributions, it seems Trumps attorneys will argue. Instead, it was a shakedown by a porn star making false charges and a sleazy celebrity extortion-artist lawyer of a presidential candidate.

This defense case will have its benefits and its downsides. First, the upsides: It appears partially supported by some of those audio recordings between Davidson and Cohen that were played for the jury Thursday. In one such recordingtaken March 7, 2018, after the Wall Street Journal had broken the hush money story but while all parties were still denying itDavidson suggests that Daniels had settlers remorse and, hypothetically, when you realize you have a lot more leverage, you try to settle it twice.

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Even more damning was another recording, this one from April 4, 2018just a few weeks laterin which Davidson suggested that Daniels, who by that point had fired Davidson and hired Michael Avenatti, was lying in her public suggestions that she had been forced into a settlement.

That transcript from Davidsons side of the conversation, discussing an upcoming interview set to be given by Anthony Kotzev, then the boyfriend of Daniels publicist Gina Rodriguez:

I wouldnt be the least bit surprised if he comes out and says, You know what? Stormy Daniels, she wanted this money more than you can ever imagine. I remember hearing her on the phone, saying, You fucking Keith Davidson. You better settle this goddamn story. Because if he loses this electionand hes going to loseif he loses this election, we lose all fucking leverage. This case is worth zero. And if that happens, Im going to sue you because you lost this opportunity. So settle this fucking case.  Thats a far cry  from being, you know, bullied and pushed into settling a case.

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Theres also a third such recording, in which Davidson implies that Avenatti was lying his ass off and Daniels was lying as well when they claimed she had been harassed by an apparent Trump henchman back in 2011.

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How damning is any of this? Its worth remembering that Davidson and Daniels had parted ways at this point and Davidson was being portrayed in the press as a villain who had forced Daniels to take a bum deal, so perhaps its unsurprising that he was venting to Cohen. Still, even prior to playing the audio, Bove had muddied Davidson up by asking him if these conversations had ever taken place, and getting I cant recall for answer after answer after answer. (Davidson also could not recall the details of a number of other similar celebrity settlement deals he had allegedly orchestrated over respective sex scandals, involving, among others, Hulk Hogan, Charlie Sheen, and Tila Tequila.)

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Irrespective of how transparently uncredible Davidson may seem, this was the first time that the defense began to present something that may be compelling to this jury as a reason to vote to acquit. And as a reminder: All the defense has to do is convince one juror that the innocent victim here was Trump, a person who, the team is arguing, was targeted in an extortion plot by Davidson, a lawyer who has in the past come dangerously close to the line of breaking the law in similar cases. If just one juror is convinced, Trump gets a hung jury (and he will declare that a win).

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Which brings me to the flaws with this defense. The problem is that what its reaching for is a jury nullification argumentthat is, the strategy doesnt argue the legal merits of the case but leans on the potential emotions of jurors to sympathize with Trump and to vote to acquit, despite the evidence.

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Another problem for the members of the defense is the narrative it could present outside the courtroom. This approach goes after Daniels in a way that might backfire, with her coming off as the victim of Trumps abuse yet again. Given Trumps history with women, and the fact that this trial concerns the question of whether he had been cheating on his wife with a porn star months after the former had given birth, tearing down Daniels might not be the best approach while their client is also a candidate for president.

But the third problem, and perhaps the biggest one, is that these recordings may actually help disprove one of Trumps other major defenses. Remember, the prosecution has elevated its charges to a felony level specifically because of how it has argued that the payoff counts as campaign finance crimes. One of the former presidents responses to that claim is to negate the campaign finance parthis lawyers argue that Trump agreed to the hush money deal in order to protect his family, not to win an election.

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Related From Slate Tears and Hope on the Witness Stand Read More

The reference to leverage going away after a certain date is totally consistent with a theory that the payments were election-related rather than personal, election law expert Richard Hasen told me. After all, there is no expiration date on a spouse being pissed off about an affair.

Indeed, the suggestion that Daniels was maximizing her leverage against Trump to receive a payout may serve to undermine her credibility, but it doesnt explain away Trumps own alleged motives and actions. Specifically, it does nothing to rebut former American Media honcho David Peckers incredibly damning testimony about his scheme with Trump to cover up such stories in order to influence the election, starting during an August 2015 Trump Tower meeting with Trump himself.

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The tapes serve not just the defense. The prosecution has its own recordings of Davidson and Cohen that look much better for its case. One that was played on Thursday, from Oct. 16, 2017, displayed Cohen venting his rage at Trump for his lack of support following what Cohen believed were his own extreme displays of loyalty in the Stormy Daniels matter. Who else would do that for somebody, who else? Cohen complains. What about me? And I cantI cant even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, I hate the fact that we did it. 

If Cohen gets on the stand and is able to convince the jury that the he in this statement was Donald Trump and the we was him and Trump, it might not matter how badly the defense is able to portray Stormy Daniels.